Former Elite French Soldiers converting to Islam and fighting for Jihad?

via Fort Russ.com

Militant groups have recruited dozens of former French soldiers, a troubling new report revealed less than three months after a terrorist attack by a staff member at police headquarters in Paris shocked the nation.

More than a third of the ex-servicemen are converts to the Wahhabi Islam promoted by Saudi Arabia and groups like Daesh (ISIL or ISIS) and nearly half served in the elite Foreign Legion, parachute, commando or marine units where they acquired expertise in combat and handling weapons and explosives.

The conservative newspaper Le Figaro published excerpts on Wednesday from the forthcoming report by the Center for the Analysis of Terrorism, a Paris-based think tank. The report said the French Army “constitutes a strategic recruitment target for terrorist groups… and former soldiers represent tremendous assets for these groups”.

The report, “Soldiers and Jihad”, profiles 23 ex-servicemen “identified within terrorist organizations [mainly Daesh] or implicated in plotting terrorist attacks”. An earlier parliamentary report noted that about 30 former servicemen have joined terrorist groups since 2012.

Several former Legionnaires have been arrested over terrorist plots in France, and ex-paratroopers or commandos have become leaders of Daesh combat units in Syria or Iraq. Others who stayed in France have been involved in planning attacks against soldiers or military sites.

Story here. 

Report: Anti-ISIS Iranian Force Disappeared in Syrian Desert

Thanks to Christopher for the link!

via Jewish Press.com

On Tuesday evening last week, an Iranian force operating in the Syrian desert east of the city of Tadmor disappeared and all contact with it was lost.

The entire area of the ​​eastern Homs district which is known as the Syrian Desert is a huge no man’s land. The Syrian army, together with the Iranians and the Russians, have been making a great effort to take control over it, but ISIS fighters, who have lost their grip of areas throughout the inhabited parts of Syria, have maintained their presence in this harsh and largely impenetrable region – where it is very difficult to operate tanks and armored vehicles.

When the Syrian army has attempted to send armored units to the area to challenge the ISIS presence, the terror group’s fighters have met it using anti-aircraft missiles from miles away. As an interim solution, Syrian military forces have taken over the major traffic arteries crossing the Syrian desert from west to east. Meanwhile, everything between those traffic arteries remains under ISIS control.

At the beginning of last week, a unit of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards was moving in the Syrian desert to its destination but never reached it. The Iranians pushed the Syrian army to send large forces into the desert to locate the vanishing force, which is why the 11th Armored Division, which is responsible for security between the city of Tadmor and Deir a-Zor province in the desert for extensive searches. About a year and a half ago, the 11th Armored Division’s commander was killed in battles with ISIS in Deir al-Zor.

At the same time, the Al Fatimion Shi’ite-Afghani brigade also sent troops to help locate the missing Revolutionary Guards. An Iranian force from the Al Fatimion brigade ran into an ISIS ambush on one of the traffic arteries between Tadmor and the city of Al-Sukhnah (east of Homs), and a senior commander was killed along with several other fighters.

So far, there has been no sign of the missing Iranian force.

Wow.  Don't even know if this is true but it's fascinating and a bit mysterious. I always imagined that we'd see lost battalions in a mega city fight...the idea of sending a force into a major urban area to quell violence in a city of say 50 million always seemed a bit crazy to me...but out in the open desert?  With modern communications and tracking devices?

I really didn't think it was possible.

Sidenote.  It just occurred to me and I'm probably a son of a bitch for even considering it but you don't think that US or Israeli forces could have either destroyed, or captured these people do you?  We are talking Iranians....they're not exactly on our friends list...

Largest Air force in the world by military Aircraft 1920- 2019

Largest Air force in the world by military Aircraft 1920- 2019 pic.twitter.com/spt0JBGJNC

— AirspottersORG (@airspottersORG) December 22, 2019

Hmm.  I thought both Russia and China had larger air fleets than this graph shows.

Of course we also need to factor in the idea that we cover the globe while our rivals are mostly concerned with extremely small interventions and/or just "home region" domination or both.

One other thing.  If you add allied European forces to the tally of US airpower then I have to ask again how Russia can be seen to be building an offensive force.

This graph shows and a look at their organization confirms that they're fully defensive in nature.  30 nations against 1?  They probably feel like the Spartans versus the Persians at the Hot Gates...

Finally a Congress Critter gets it about the Afghanistan Papers...

via Fox News.

If it were any other year, last week’s “Afghanistan Papers” bombshell in the Washington Post would still be dominating headlines, talk radio segments, and cable news chyrons.

For passive observers of wartime news, the Afghanistan Papers validated almost two decades of barroom debate over the unprecedented outpouring of resources and troops into a region many Americans long ago wrote off as lost cause.

For lawmakers in Washington, however, the Post’s reporting raised serious questions about the trustworthiness of an agency that has guided policy in Afghanistan for two decades.

Opinion article here.

Good God I love this woman!  This article is a MUST read.  She lays bare the full nastiness of this thing and she breaks it down donkey style.

Another thing.

For Fox News to be the platform in which she voiced this is telling.  The Pentagon defied all expectations and got another huge budget deal.  Great for them and I hope they spend it well.

But they should be advised.

Failed wars are going to cost them.  They need a serious "come to Jesus" moment, explain to their political masters and the American people what it will ACTUALLY TAKE to break even in these wars (if that's even possible considering the lives lost) and tell us their plan to get out.

Failure to do so will cost them their good will and future budgets. 

Everyone says this isn't Vietnam but history will repeat if they're not careful. Does anyone remember reading about that affair so many years ago?  It started with a nasty pullout of those treacherous jungles and ended with a hollow force for more than decade.

Someone better start thinking and planning a little bit of damage control and hiding in your fighting position ain't good enough.

UK's 846 NAS in 2019...

846 NAS during 2019. pic.twitter.com/cP3TJs2WfB

— Colonel Steve Hussey (@co_chf) December 20, 2019

No getting around it.  The Merlin is one sexy beast!  A few more on this Sunday morning...

After Finland and the Faroe Islands it was on to the equally chilly Norway, Bardufoss to be specific, to work with 845 NAS whilst they were on Ex Clockwork 19. Great insight into their training in an incredibly demanding environment. pic.twitter.com/VlD1H0mZEY

— Lloyd Horgan (@lloydhphoto) December 20, 2019

Open Comment Post. 22 Dec 2019

Poland's 15th GBZ in action...

I wonder when Poland will fully transition over to Western gear.  So weird to see them running around in Russian vehicles.  Don't get me wrong.  They have one of the most formidable ground forces in NATO (haven't been following their Navy or Air Force as closely) but I reckon de-conflicting that never will happen scenario of Russians pouring over the border will be difficult...especially for allied air power which we rely on so much.

Marines take ACV out for low-light tests...Video by Lance Cpl. Anthony Alvarez

Don't act surprised.  You knew I was gonna put this vid up as soon as you saw the pics I posted the other day...and yeah...not just the Twitter version either!

Open Comment Post. 21 Dec 2019

DDG-1000 guns to remain inoperable into the future...

Report to Congress (Dec 17) | DDG-1000 program
1. Guns
"Following an evaluation of five other munition options, the Navy determined that no viable replacement, guided or unguided, was feasible. As a result, the guns will remain inoperable on the ships for the foreseeable future." pic.twitter.com/923FNRpZRB

— Naval Analyses (@D__Mitch) December 19, 2019

Vipers Storm the Sky...pics by Pfc. Victor Mackson

First Saab JAS 39 Gripen E is entering joint verification & validation program...

Another milestone reached for Gripen E! The first serial produced Swedish Gripen E is entering the joint verification and validation programme, an important step towards customer delivery. #smartfighter #airforce #aviation pic.twitter.com/eeqczaROAk

— Saab AB (@Saab) December 20, 2019