Sunday, June 16, 2019
Politics Talk. FBI Counterintelligence Is Focus of Trump Campaign Spying Probe
via Free Beacon.
The ongoing special Justice Department investigation into improper spying on the Trump campaign in 2016 highlights key failings by the FBI's once-storied counterintelligence division.Story here.
Two senior counterintelligence officials no longer with the bureau are among likely targets of the investigation by John Durham, U.S. attorney for the District of Connecticut. Both were key managers of the high-profile investigations in 2016 into classified information found on Hillary Clinton's private email server, and the now-discredited counterspy operation into links between the Trump presidential campaign and Russian government.
A central figure is Peter Strzok, deputy assistant FBI director for the counterintelligence division, who was fired in August. Another key player was his boss, Bill Priestap, assistant FBI director for counterintelligence, who quietly resigned in December.
In the three years since the controversial investigations, the FBI counterintelligence division has sought to rebuild its reputation by conducting aggressive operations untainted by past allegations of liberal political bias through recent high-profile spy cases. Three former CIA officials and a former State Department official in recent months were convicted of spying for China, and Russian military intelligence operatives, while out of reach of U.S. law enforcement, were indicted for cyber attacks in the 2016 election meddling scheme.
This bears watching.
Personal opinion? There is much more to this than we see. I expect bombshells by this fall at the latest.
Is it just me or does Army Special Forces seem the most anxious member of SOCOM that WANTS to team with Marine Expeditionary Units?
If you want to be the best, you have to train harder than everyone else. That’s why @USArmy soldiers from the 7th Special Forces Group are participating in integrated training with the @USMC at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in #TwentyNinePalms, Calif. #KnowYourMil pic.twitter.com/nYmxzLYX8V— U.S. Dept of Defense (@DeptofDefense) June 14, 2019
I've noted various exercises in the past and if I'm not mistaken (and I very well could be) it seems like US Army Special Forces are the most anxious member of SOCOM that WANTS to team with MEUs.
Quite honestly I'm a little surprised.
The most natural fit would be MARSOC but I'm just not seeing it. You would think that if it wasn't MARSOC then Navy SEALs would be the natural team up "buddy".
Even if you exclude those two then USAF Special Ops could even make sense especially with the move toward an aviation centric Marine Corps.
Instead we see this.
Its the Green Berets. US Army Special Forces that seems to be wanting to team with our Marine Expeditionary Units.
Don't get me wrong, I'm pleased. Just a bit confused. What is the push for this pairing?
Could it be so simple that the Green Berets are further along the path of integrating themselves with conventional forces for a fight vs a near peer?
That's my guess.
The rest of SOCOM better climb out of the fighting hole they're in and smell the roses. Special Forces is about to drink their milkshake. I try and monitor the Army units of note and this isn't isolated to just the Marines. SF is training with conventional Airborne, Light and Mech units in their own house too.
Army Special Forces seems to be way ahead of the curve...wonder if the other members of SOCOM can catch up. The bug hunts are gonna be over soon. Next we hunt Dragons, Lions (national animal of Iran), and maybe Bears...
Sunday Cooking...Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Four Ways
Stuffed Spaghetti Squash Four Ways pic.twitter.com/ghijizJCj1— Recipes GIFs (@Thelnteresting) June 15, 2019
Saturday, June 15, 2019
Blast from the past. The USMC begins the invasion of Saipan...
#OTD in 1944, the invasion of Saipan begins. Within 20 minutes more than 700 armored tracs with 8,000 Marines are ashore. #USMCMuseum #Saipan75th pic.twitter.com/4YCVqiXlQx— Marine Corps Museum (@MarineMuseum) June 15, 2019
America and the rest of the world was watching the Normandy landings while Marines were prepping for this big fight that would happen 15 days later.
It would be a bloody affair.
Want to know why the Corps was so quick to adopt vertical envelopment? Most point to the atomic bomb. I point to Tarawa and Saipan. Marine Corps greats were looking for a better way. They knew that the nation could not afford more battles like this one.
I've been quick to highlight issues with concepts that are being tossed around today. But one thing I have to give every Commandant...from Neller back (to include Amos)...I might not agree with the solutions but they ARE working the problems.
We couldn't afford another Saipan in the '50s and we sure can't afford one today.
God bless those bubbas that stormed that beach. May they rest in peace.
UK Royal Marines reportedly deployed to Gulf in wake of tanker attacks blamed on Iran...
via Sputnik.
The reported development comes amid heightened tensions in the Middle East as the United States and its regional allies have accused Iran of orchestrating an attack on two oil tankers in the Gulf of Oman earlier this week. Tehran has strongly rejected the allegations as unfounded.Story here.
The Royal Marines are being deployed to the Gulf of Oman following an incident, in which two oil tankers were targeted near the Strait of Hormuz on 13 June, causing explosions and a fire on at least one of them, the Daily Star reported, citing unnamed sources.
The troops will purportedly be tasked with keeping British vessels safe, using equipment to search the open sea for “fast Iranian attack craft” and “terminate” them if deemed necessary.
Ok. This crystalizes things for me.
The Brits obviously have intel that says that combat swimmers or fast boat teams laid the mines.
Forget drones.
This response tells me we're dealing with the Quds Force...again.
I'd love to see a Tom Clancy style response from a united NATO Special Ops Force that hunted those bastards to extinction.
This also brings up another issue though.
From my understanding of how the Quds Force operates, they have a level of autonomy that might be surprising to many. They could have carried out these ops WITHOUT the approval of many in that govt.
Another reason (if I'm correct) for a measured response.
Just like we have various factions beating war drums so do they....
GlobalEye for HX by Corporal Frisk...SAAB is making a serious run at the Finns...
via Corporal Frisk
Saab stood for the biggest surprise so far in the HX-program, when it announced that the offer does not only include 52 single-seat 39E Gripen and 12 two-seat 39F Gripen, but two GlobalEye airborne early warning and control aircraft as well.Story here.
It's hard to describe exactly how bizarre, and exactly how astute, the move is.
The background is obviously the way that the Finnish Air Force and MoD has written the Request for Quotations. To ensure a tough and fair competition, the quotation only sets the widest of boundaries to the delivered package (64 fighters, 7-10 billion Euros in one-time acquisition costs, annual costs to operate no bigger than current 64 aircraft strong Hornet-fleet), and then goes on to describe the concept of operations and the missions the fighters are expected to perform. This gives the companies free hands to tailor the packages offered when it comes to questions such as versions offered, sensors and weapon packages, and so forth. Apparently, it also leave open the possibility to squeeze in aircrafts other than the fighters as long as the budget allows for it. It is a daring approach from the authorities, but one that now pays off with these kinds of unconventional offers including force multipliers such as EA-18G Growlers in the Boeing package and now GlobalEyes in Saab's.
First! Follow Corporal Frisk!
Second! SAAB is spunky! I'm loving their plays. This is smart and will give the financial prudent and militarily savy Finnish govt something to think about.
I'm impressed.
The first shots of the armored car "#Tiger-2" Tiger Next
The first shots of the armored car "#Tiger-2" Tiger Next🇷🇺🇷🇺🇷🇺— Sukhoi Su-57 frazor🇷🇺🇮🇳 (@I30mki) June 15, 2019
With a wheel formula of 4 x 4, it is designed to transport personnel and military goods with required level of protection, towing trailers, installing weapons, military and special equipment. @Ninja998998 @VinodDX9 pic.twitter.com/nIr2Zzbu0C
Looks like they've beefed it up quite a bit. Can't wait to get a good look at it.
If 100 People Lived On Earth...
If 100 people lived on earth... pic.twitter.com/Gip5Ri5kUQ— James Melville (@JamesMelville) June 14, 2019
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