Old School

The United States has spent billions of dollars on developing stealth technology. Stealth technology is the electronic equivalent of camouflage designed to defeat the digital eyes of radars.

Stealth uses a combination of radar absorbent paint and oblique angles to reflect radar beams away from the radar antennae, hence rendering the aircraft or ship undetectable, at least by radar.

Stealth aircraft and ships are of course still visible to the naked eye. Stealth aircraft operate at night and are painted black to minimize being spotted. Surface ships though are slower and spend much more time on station thus making them much more easier to detect visually.

The US pursuit of high-tech stealth technology seems to have left with the myopic view that everyone else uses the same type of technology. What gets overlooked is that not everyone can afford cutting edge technology.

On a previous blog, I wrote about the Taliban outgunning US and NATO forces by using ancient, large bore rifles. North Korea followed suit by sinking a South Korean navy vessel using a diesel power mini-sub.

The asynchronous approach was able to defeat the US backed South Korea navy and elude detection. The seemingly impossible was accomplished due to the diminutive size of the mini-sub and its operating location being coastal as opposed to deep sea. Apparently, the US assumptions continues to miscalculate that potential enemies will rely on the same technology and tactics.

Defense contractors must also be held culpable as they continue to sell flashy, high-tech solutions that continue to show their failings against older technology. Years ago as a new intelligence analyst, the An-2 Colt proved be an earlier example of the advantages of older technology.

The An-2 is a single engine, high-mounted wing observation aircraft from the Soviet Union. US forces were confronted with the challenge of spotting this aircraft which flew below radar coverage at sub-sonic speeds and could carry troops into areas such as South Korea.

Twenty-five years later and the US and her allies still can't seem to come up with an answer for Soviet era technology. The term used in the article for this dilemma is asynchronous warfare which means basically that advantages can be won by going old school.

AP Enterprise: Sub attack was near US-SKorea drill - Yahoo! News

After Flotilla Raid, U.S. Is Torn Between Allies

First the oil spill in the Gulf Coast shows a lack of resolve by the President. He is going to aggressively demand accountability yet the oil continues to spew unabatedly. Now the Israelis overreact to a vessel in international waters. The US is caught firmly between their long-term relations with Israel and Turkey. An impartial, transparent investigation is not going to satisfy Turkey and shows how little affect the United States has on either ally. And lest we forget, hurricane season is now upon us and North Korea is ready to go to war....

After Flotilla Raid, U.S. Is Torn Between Allies - NYTimes.com

BP drops diamond saw; 'top hat' plan back - CNN.com

The Gulf Coast oil spill has provided many learning points useful in the emergency management class I'm teaching this term. Upon announcement that the Top Kill operation had failed, one of my students asked "Is BP trying to play Tetris?". It seems BP has moved from Tetris to McGiver with equally unimpressive results.

BP drops diamond saw; 'top hat' plan back - CNN.com

Flotilla Raid Further Frays Turkey-Israel Ties

Not to be outdone by US posturing with Iran and North Korea, Turkey has decided to test the mettle of Israel.

Turkey has a large, modern military force that easily outguns the Israelis. Israel enjoys an almost mythical reputation for their military but toughness alone is enough in the face of overwhelming numbers. Israel has no inhibitions about using nuclear weapons, especially if facing an all attack from Turkey.

Turkey is a Muslim nation and a NATO nation. Any conflict between the two nations would pose several dilemmas for the United States. First, the United States has been a long time all of Israel. Supporting Israel over Turkey would put the US at odds with NATO, the very organization the United States helped formed in response to the Cold War. It would also affirm in the eyes of the Muslim world that the US has really be waging a war against Islam all along. The US would lose any leverage it may have in dealing with Iran and Ahmadinejad's nuclear weapons program.

If the United States comes out supporting Turkey, it means abandoning long time ally Israel. It will be spun by both Islamic and Jewish supporters as a victory for the Muslim world and the US will be condemned for abandoning a long-term ally.

Israel's policies regarding the Gaza strip are untenable and places the United States in a precarious position. The US is already engaged in two wars, with the possibility of additional conflicts in either North Korea and Iran, can ill afford to be drawn into another conflict in the Middle East. The United States has thus far been able to minimize comparisons of the current wars to the Crusades. A conflict between Turkey and Israel would enjoy no such pardon.


Flotilla Raid Further Frays Turkey-Israel Ties - WSJ.com

Update: The UN has just condemned Israel's actions.

Fox News

Colombians vote for 'safe pair of hands' as president

Most Americans don't understand the historical reasons for South America's anti-America feelings. From the United Fruit Company's exploitation of Central and South American lands to CIA backed right-wing juntas, US involvement with South America has been decidedly one-sided.

The warm embrace of President Obama from Hugo Chavez notwithstanding, the US is seen as having backed some of the most notorious dictators in South America. The US typically backed right-wing dictators under the assumption these leaders would further democracy, as opposed to the left-wing Marxist leaders who were vociferously anti-American. Unfortunately, most of the left-wing leaders are seen by the fellow countrymen as fighting for the people and the return of lands, while the right-wing leaders were often seen as aligning with the US or US backed corporations.

Colombian production of cocaine is supported in large part by workers that believe the United States is an evil, capitalistic empire that has done nothing but exploit them. By supporting cocaine and the drug cartels, the workers feel they are able to strike at the heart of the United States by helping to feed its drug habit.

The latest Colombian election does nothing to change the situation. President Santos is viewed as supporting the United States. Hugo Chavez has branded Santos a threat to the whole region. Ecuador has indicted Mr. Santos on charges of bombing a FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces Colombia) camp killing 26 rebels.

The oil spill in Gulf Coast will be viewed as further evidence of corporate greed of the United States. South Americans will view the lack of response by the federal government as further indictment of US policies. The Gulf Coast is primarily occupied by the low income, working class...the same demographic that has felt the wrath of right-wing dictators in South America. If we won't take of our own people, why should South Americans feel the US has anything but contempt for them?

BBC News - Colombians vote for 'safe pair of hands' as president

Gulf oil leak may continue until August

How many attempts and now we are looking at August? The Obama Administration has done nothing during this crisis. The people of the Gulf Coast have been asking themselves, would this be the case had the oil spill been threatening New York or Los Angeles?

The State Department has been trying to pick a fight with Iran for the last several months. Now it looks like we may also be headed towards a confrontation with North Korea. Reports also show a new bombing campaign against the Taliban in Pakistan (which still boggles my mind, how do we launch attacks against a nation that isn't at war with us?). Iran and North Korea must feel even more steeled in their resolve after watching the completely inept way the Obama Administration is handling their first major crisis.

White House says gulf oil leak may continue until late summer - latimes.com

US Apologizes to Billionaire Added to Terror No-fly List - ABC News

Thanks to Yussi Pick for the following story.

I've written about Abdulmutallab before and how despite being a suspected terrorist did not manage to end up on the no-fly list. Both the CIA and MI5 knew about Abdulmutallab but for whatever reason the National Counter-terrorism Center (NCTC) did not add his name to the no-fly list.

The NCTC and other intelligence agencies are now rightfully sensitive to missing another underwear bomber so Mr. Chagoury was put on TWO no-fly lists. How did billionaire philanthropist/businessman/former ambassador manage to get on TWO no-fly lists? Mr. Chagoury's company banks with Abdulmutallabs father.

Chagoury spokesman Mark Corallo: “Everyone understands that after the December attempt, the government re-examined a lot of travelers. Ambassador Chagoury has no problem with the government taking a second look at him, and he’s pleased that he’s been cleared to fly to the United States. What he doesn’t understand is the decision by someone in the government to disclose his name to the media and to unfairly suggest that he was a potential threat."


ACLU's Ben Wizner: "This is a secret, unchecked executive power with absolutely no due process for people who are on the list. You can wake up one morning and find yourself unable to fly without ever being told why and without any meaningful opportunity to challenge it."

The best systems are the ones that are constantly being evaluated where ineffective practices are eliminated or corrected. As this story illustrates, our homeland security system is still unable to evaluate its processes even in the face of overwhelming evidence.

US Apologizes to Billionaire Added to Terror No-fly List - ABC News