Observations regarding Wednesday's terrorist attack in London.

They say old habits are hard to break; in many circumstances, I certainly agree.  My career as an Intelligence Officer had just gotten off the ground when 9-11 turned everything upside down.  No doubt espionage and intelligence collection would be more important than ever, and an essential part of the process has always been about understanding the target.  Now that I'm retired, I get my details from the news, just like everyone else.  But things have come a long way since my days as a rookie Intel Officer, and I can always find a treasure trove of useful information by switching from one news channel to the next.  Having spent time in Europe, I am familiar with the various press agencies, and during the Nice terror attack of last July, my knowledge of French kept me watching the live news bulletins directly from France.

Aside from the horrific terrorist attack in Brussels on March 22, 2016, which killed thirty-two civilians, the last three prolific terror attacks on European soil took place in Nice, Berlin, and most recently in London.  I have separated these three from the Brussels incident for a number of reasons.  The terrorist group known to the west as ISIS has long made use of vehicular weapons. For years, Iraqis and Syrians have been victimized by car bombs which purposely target large public events, including holiday celebrations and funerals.  ISIS will continue to use this method of delivering death because it's a basically simple way to cause a high number of casualties.  Rigging a vehicle with explosives and attaching a detonator does not take a munitions expert, and it's just about impossible for security in some countries to disrupt this manner of attack.  In Nice, Berlin and London, though, no explosives were used.  The perpetrators used their vehicles as weapons, flooring the accelerator and running down civilians with no warning.  In all three attacks, the perpetrator intended to exit the vehicle after coming to a halt, to continue their rampage with either handguns or knives.  It's important to note that these three attacks were carried out by one person.  No doubt, other persons either new of the attack beforehand and/or provided assistance, but the actual event itself was carried out by one individual.  The perpetrators were not rank-and-file ISIS operatives, but rather Islamic Extremists who had made contact with like-minded persons through Social Media.  For some time, law enforcement in the United States has been rightly concerned with the possibility of well-trained, terrorist sleeper cells embedded on our communities.  The reality is, as we open our borders to refugees who have traveled directly from countries which are known to harbor large numbers of ISIS operatives and sympathizers, we increase the possibility of either type of attack.

Most police officers in the United Kingdom are unarmed, as are law enforcement personnel in a number of European countries.  From my perspective, as long as the policy suited each respective country, then its a good thing to have fewer weapons on the streets.  I assume that this policy is being reconsidered, given that Police Officers have certainly become targets, and they should have the right and the ability to defend themselves.  The London attacker used a car and two knives to brutally kill four people.  A society can go to extreme lengths when trying to create a weapons-free environment, but time and again we are reminded that a person who is intent on harming another person will always be able to find a weapon.  Its much easier for the perpetrator to carefully choose what type of normally innocuous instrument to use as a weapon, but more difficult for the victim, when being attacked, to make a split-second decision on what to use for self-defense.

I chose to highlight the three vehicular attacks in Nice, Berlin and London, because they do not appear to be intricately-planned, resource-intensive attacks.  ISIS was not directly responsible for any of the three vehicular attacks in question, although they do deserve total responsibility because of their efforts through Social Media to encourage these type of attacks.  What is so frightening is that ISIS can claim responsibility and benefit from these heinous events, without actually having to utilize valuable, professional operatives, who are free to continue hiding in plain sight, until all the pieces come together to conduct a Brussels and Paris style attack, one that is heavy on resources and personnel.  It may be too late for Europe, but it is essential that the United States government take all necessary precautions regarding the resettlement of refugees from areas of conflict.  The Executive Order that has caused such an uproar, does nothing more than delay resettlement of refugees for three months. I believe National Security and the integrity of our international border are worth the effort.      

Why its so important to defend President Trump's Executive Order dealing with refugees.

Last week during the Question and Answer segment of a speaking engagement, a young person asked me how I could be sure that I was on the correct side of any particular issue.  No doubt at one time or another, most people have considered this question.  When I was younger and knew very little of the world, I was very careful before pronouncing an opinion on political or international issues.  Frankly put, I didn't want to look foolish.  During my college days, if some group or another was protesting apartheid or speaking up on the issue of abortion, for instance, I would find the time to learn as much as I could before I put my credibility on the line by stating my opinion, and my audience was usually limited to my friends and family.  Today when I listen to the various groups protesting President Donald Trump and his actions since his inauguration, I frequently hear Trump and his supporters referred to as "Nazis and Racists", with the President himself constantly being compared to Nazi Dictator Adolf Hitler.  I'm willing to bet that the great majority of people using the term "Nazi" and making comparisons to Hitler, probably could not find Germany on a map, let alone accurately explain Hitler and his National Socialist movement.  Regardless, the name-calling and bullying won't be ending anytime soon, so those of us who support President Trump had better prepare ourselves for the long-haul.

When President Trump took office, he immediately went to work following through on a number of his campaign promises.  Anyone who followed the 2016 presidential election shouldn't be surprised by Trump's Executive Order temporarily halting immigration from seven Muslim-majority nations.  Contrary to what is regularly written by the left-wing press, the order does not "ban" immigrants from any country.  Instead, it temporarily freezes the process, to allow officials from the Department of Homeland Security to review and properly investigate each applicant.  According to Trump's own language, the review must be completed within a four-month window.  Actually, on two separate occasions, President Obama took the same action, albeit his effort included only two "Muslim-majority" nations.  What were President Obama and now President Trump intending when issuing these orders?

We have been incredibly fortunate in that significant terror attacks in the United States over the last decade have only occurred about once a year.  Europe, which is ground-zero for refugee resettlement, is basically at war with Muslim extremists.  The French have felt the brunt of violence, with the United Kingdom and Germany not far behind.  Terror-related deaths have also occurred in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Spain.  Along with individual terrorist actions, Europeans have had to deal with rampant sexual assaults against women at public celebrations, including New Years.  It seems that Muslim extremists have decided that any woman wearing what they consider to be revealing attire, is a justified target fro sexual assault.  The terror attacks that fill the headlines of European newspapers are almost always directly tied to the refugee community.  Why hasn't the United States suffered the same frequency of terror-related events?  One reason is because we have just recently bought into the refugee "come-one, come-all" attitude that the left seems to believe is safe, intelligent policy.  President Trump's Executive Order was intended to prevent some of what Europe has suffered.  With so many refugees arriving on the borders of Hungary, Greece and Italy every day, it has been impossible for European law enforcement to adequately investigate each new arrival.  President Trump enacted his Executive Order so that our law enforcement would have the time and resources to accomplish what the Europeans have so far failed to do- protect innocent civilians from terrorists who have been purposely seeded into refugee communities.

The fact that one court in Washington State and another in California have ruled against the President should come as no surprise.  These activist, leftist judges believe that their authority overrides the Executive Branch, which flies directly in the face of the Constitution.  If the President of the United States does not have the authority to control the border, then who does?  If you speak to rank-and-file Border Patrol and Immigration Enforcement Officers, those who are most familiar with Immigration Law (yours truly has a bit of experience in that area as well), they will tell you that the President absolutely has the authority to take action limiting immigration.  Interestingly enough, our Justice Department includes the existence of Immigration Courts, who are trained to interpret law relating to immigrants.  Instead, we have the California-based 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ignoring the Constitution for the sole purpose of damaging a President whom they despise.

At the end of the day, those of us who call ourselves Conservatives must be more aggressive in support of our President and the policies for which he was elected.  At the moment, the left is running rampant, destroying property, threatening people and bullying our society into hiding behind our locked doors.  Their behavior, which has yet to be criticized by any national Democratic Party leader, is an attempt to overurn the results of the 2016 election through intimidation and fear.  But they may have a surprise coming.  Sixty-four million American citizens voted for Donald Trump, and groups within that block are beginning to mobilize, so that our voices may be heard.  At times I almost regret not behaving in such a fashion when Obama was piling up twenty trillion dollars in debt, destroying our reputation internationally, and leaving wounded veterans to die on the streets.  Hindsight is 20/20,  as the cliche reminds us, so I'm going to focus on the future.

Things heating up in Ukraine and Iraq, the Tories sweep elections in the UK, and my book is on sale!

Link: Official Website for Mukhabarat, Baby!


Sometime in the next few days, This blog will return to its usual format.  The world just happens to be a very screwed up place at the moment, and there is no shortage of conflicts and social upheaval to write about.  In fact, I believe that the wars in both Syria and Ukraine are about to expand, with a terrible price to be paid by the innocent civilians caught up in this mess (I overheard someone at a restaurant last week comment that civilians in the Ukraine have themselves to blame for any casualties because "they've had plenty of warning" that it was time to pack up and get out of Dodge; sometimes people wear their ignorance like an accomplishment).  I imagine that the Obama Administration is aware of the worsening conditions on both fronts, as President Obama's legacy is truly in the crosshairs, AS IT SHOULD BE.  Our military/diplomatic strategy in both the Levant and the Ukraine are a shambles.  We have become a reactionary presence in international affairs, as opposed to proactive, which is what is expected from a world power.  I have great difficulty trying to piece together a long-term plan in either engagement.  But you can be sure of one thing: no ground troops.  Mark my word, and remember, you read it here.  We will have boots on the ground, but probably in Yemen before Syria or Iraq.  U.S. ground forces (Marines) will be in combat before this Administration packs up and leaves DC.  It really won't be that difficult of a political decision to make, because we parse words so effectively in DC nowadays.  One can argue that "ground troops" implies regular U.S. Army, therefore, a Marine incursion does not require an admission of change in policy.  One way or another, our involvement in international conflicts will increase over the next eighteen months, because the Pentagon and Congress will demand action.  Which will provide the Administration with another way out of the "no ground troops" pledge.  Just blame Congress....it's always worked in the past.

I spent most of the last evening watching French television air election results from the United Kingdom.  I have something called a "French Bouquet" with my Satellite Dish package that allows me to have five channels of mainland French television.  Normally French television is awful, especially the variety shows (Pardonnez-moi, grand mere, mais certains de ces actes de varieties francaises sont difficiles a regarder.  And I beg your pardon, reader, for the lack of accents; I haven't determined how to change the keyboard just yet).  But French documentaries and news programs are informative and usually well-made.  Besides, not one U.S. news channel (its not like we don't have enough) was providing a live feed of election coverage.  Maybe its because I'm a Satellite customer as opposed to cable, or because I live in the southwest; whatever the case, I was grateful to have French television hier soir.  As for the results, I'm still trying to grasp the full meaning behind the near-complete disintegration of the Liberal Democrats and the internecine slaughter of Labour in Scotland by their best buddies, the Scottish Nationalist Party (who hate the Conservatives even more than Labour does).  The astounding growth of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) was muted by the antiquated electoral process in the UK.  The Liberal Democrats managed 2,415,888 votes, and came away with eight seats in Parliament.  UKIP had 3,881,129 votes, and was fortunate to get the one seat that they currently have.  But that was to be expected.  The real question is whether the UK electorate is moving towards a more Conservative era of government (The Tories and UKIP combined equal 50% of votes cast), or is this a temporary reflex response to recent terrorist events in Europe. With the continued growth of Marine Le Pen and the National Front in France, and Right-of-Center political parties showing increased strength across the board, I interpret this development to be a serious effort on behalf of Europeans to demand a common-sense approach to issues of National Security and Immigration.  The world is a much smaller place than it was in 1914 and 1939; television and satellite bring the battlefields of Iraq, Ukraine and Syria into the living rooms of middle-income families, where parents are struggling to ensure that their children will have the opportunity to live life free of constant fear from terrorism.  Don't expect this move to the Right to end anytime soon.

I have managed to keep one eye on current events as I continue to sail my ship, the S.S. NewAuthor, through the reef-infested waters of book-marketing hell.  When I made the decision to self-publish, I realized that the process would not be simple or free from headaches.  But I assumed that self-publishing was one way to ensure that some giant publishing company would not devour eighty-percent or more of the profits from book sales.  Early on, I was quite fortunate.  I chose to use Booklocker to assist with the conversion process, the printing, and the dissemination of my book to the various booksellers out there.  Booklocker has been fantastic and I can't recommend them highly enough.  But at the end of the day, everyone who wants to sell more than a handful of books has to go through Amazon; and when it comes to devouring profits, Amazon is just as hungry as any publishing company.  But the real difficulty for non-fiction authors who self-publish (I can't speak for fiction writers, who very well may suffer the same fate), is the struggle to become part of the conversation.  Publishing companies have staff publicists who create book tours and speaking engagements for authors under contract.  Self-published folks have to go knocking on doors, and believe me, you have to have a thick skin.  I assumed (big mistake...never assume anything in life) that my personal story, of a career CIA Case Officer who was poisoned while operational, and continued a successful career into Iraq and other garden spots, even while the symptoms of toxic exposure manifested themselves, would be of interest to the mainstream media.  Up to this point, I haven't created much interest.  The truth is, my book is much more than a story of poisoning.  In fact, it was never intended to be a focus on my particular circumstances.  I wanted to write about people, the nameless faces who work in thankless environments to collect valuable intelligence for our country, and who seldom receive more than a pat on the shoulder in appreciation.  These people are normal folks, just like the ones you go bowling with on Friday night, or sit next to at the local High School football game.  It was important to bring a sense of humanity to these hard working people, and I have to say that I believe for the most part that I succeeded.  Sure I detail the poisoning episode in my book, but its just one story among many, and I feel comfortable saying that after reading my book, you will have a much better understanding of the Agency's mission and the difficulties and dangers that officers face every in support of our national security.

 

Independence Movements in Europe

Link: Is South Tyrol Austrian or Italian?


I was a bit surprised when I recently stumbled upon a news program highlighting the various independence movements active in Europe today.  This is just the kind of interesting topic that gets my blogging blood flowing.  As a form of disclaimer, let me say up front that if I so chose, I could write about active independence movements in almost every country in Europe.  But with my post dangerously long as it is, I wisely decided to comment on only the Independence Movements that have gained the highest media profile.

I chose this particular link because it details the European identity crisis with which I am most familiar. In 1918, just after the end of the first World War, the winning Allies detached South Tyrol from the former Austro-Hungarian Empire and sewed it on to the Italian province of Alto Adige.  This decision continues to ruffle feathers 96 years later.  South Tyrol is one of a number of independence movements that are presently being debated in Europe.  The people of Scotland will actually have the opportunity to vote in a few weeks on the issue of independence from the United Kingdom.  Where else, you ask?  The folks in Barcelona, Spain want their province of Catalonia (Cataluña) to become a separate Republic; Catalans already speak their own language, which gives them a bit of a head-start.  In Belgium, the Flemish in the north and west would like separation from the Walloons in the south.  The status quo in Belgium is quite unique: On the left side of Belgium (as you are looking down at the map in front of you), all the road signs are in Flemish.  On the right side of Belgium, all the road signs are in French.  Brussels, the capital and one of the most important cities in the world, accommodates both Flemish and French.  Since the Flemish constitute roughly 50 percent of the population and the French speakers are closer to 35 percent (I have no idea what the other 15 percent are speaking; maybe Zulu), the Flemish are understandably a bit miffed at the arrangement.

I assume most Americans, like myself, were unaware that an independence movement existed in the northern Italian province of Alto Adige.  My close friend Marco Scherer, a member of the Austrian Army and a lifelong resident of the north Tyrol village of Schlitters, explained the issue to me in simple terms.  Italy was rewarded for ignoring its mutual-defense pact with Germany and Austria-Hungary in World War One.  Because Italy joined the Allies, the Italians were given a big slice of Tyrol.  It made no difference that the land annexed by Italy was at the time over 90 percent Austrian in ethnicity and German in language.  In most instances, the population would have assimilated to a large degree after 96 years.  But that isn't the case in south Tyrol.  Most folks still speak German and consider themselves Austrian.  Certainly there are many ethnic Italians as well, and the two groups do seem to get along.  But the issue has at times led to bloodshed.  To this day it is a very difficult subject with many Austrians (and all Tyrolians).  They consider the Italian annexation of south Tyrol to be Fascism at it worst and Imperialism at its best.  Its a fair, simple question to ask: in 2014, why is Italy governing a territory that is ethnically, linguistically, traditionally, and historically tied to Austria? 

France has had an independence movement in the province of Brittany for some time.  The central government in Paris has worked with representatives of the movement, and a good deal of governance and authority has been transferred to local officials and departments.  I understand that recently the French government has discovered a budding Catalonian succession effort on the French side of the border (Catalonia is in northeastern Spain, separated from France by the Pyrenees Mountains).  Because France has a history of being sympathetic to the Basque separatists of north central Spain, I'm sure the Spanish are enjoying the irony.  Speaking of the Basque Independence Movement, the Basque people, with their own language and customs, have been seeking independence from Spain since the mid-19th century (or earlier).  Following the second World War, the movement became more aggressive in its activities, encouraging the Basque people to commit various acts of civil disobedience.  The terrorist group "ETA" (Homeland), has committed many acts of violence in support of Basque Independence, including the murder of judges, politicians, soldiers, police, and former ETA members.  Since the turn of the last century, there has been positive movement towards a peaceful resolution, with the Basque people renouncing violence to a large degree.  The Spanish government in Madrid has given recognition to the Basque language and culture, and taken steps to provide local authorities with more control.  I do not think I will live to see the day that the Basque region becomes a separate nation from Spain.  I'm not going to tackle the subjects of Corsica (France), or Cyprus (Greece and Turkey); these two beautiful Mediterranean islands have violent histories which have been covered many times in all forms of media, and do not really fit into the category addressed in this post.

I was going to end this less-than cohesive post with a discussion on Bosnia-Herzegovina.  But similar to Cyprus and Corsica (and Kosovo), it deserves a post all to itself.  What were they thinking?  Lets have Croatians living next to Bosnians and Slovenians next to Serbs, when all they want to do is kill each other?  Well, hope springs eternal, and I have a soft spot in my heart for Bosnia (and Herzegovina).  A few facts that no one familiar with the Balkans will dispute: the Bosnians are a determined, hard-working people, and over the years they have suffered numerous episodes of tremendous suffering.  I think I will close on that note, as tomorrow I will be writing on the current state of affairs in the Balkans (pending other more important developments).  Cheers.

ISIL Recruitment Grows

Links:
ISIL said to be paying lucrative salaries to recruits
SpainArrest Eight on Suspicion of ISIL Recruitment
ISIL is Recruiting in India For Iraq & Syria Wars
CLAIM: Austria is "Jihad Hub" second only to London

One of the more popular topics of the week is the apparent efforts by jihadists to recruit in the West.  Although I also read a report about efforts to recruit in India, a marked increase in efforts to recruit in Europe and the United States should be expected.  ISIL is in possession of an impressive amount of modern weaponry that frankly does them little good at this point.  Much the equipment that the Iraqi Army handed to ISIL fighters in Iraq has state-of-the-art components.  Federal Law Enforcement in the United States must be aware of the likelihood that jihadist groups will be targeting (for recruitment) disenchanted and and disgruntled former soldiers.  Take a look around....there are many reasons for soldiers who have returned stateside from Iraq and Afghanistan in the last 5 years to be disappointed with life "après la guerre".  The Veterans Administration is in the midst of a colossal scandal, not to mention the broken economy which in many cases can only offer these young folks jobs at McDonalds or Walmart.  The scenario is worse in America's inner cities, where Islamic Extremism has traditionally found converts.
ISIL needs former soldiers, especially those with training on American equipment.  No doubt an effort is already underway to reach out to former military men and women and convince them to join the Holy War for the Caliphate (I will address the historic implications of the Caliphate in tomorrow's blog entry; be sure to tune in and learn about "The Levant").  It is likely that ISIL, along with a variety of other extremist groups, have taken full advantage of the "Get In Free" policy that the current administration has in place at our borders (to be fair, persons apprehended in the United States illegally are given an initial hearing with an Immigration Judge, at which time the Judge assigns the Asylum or Refugee Applicant a future "Notice to Appear"; they are then usually released on their own recognizance....I wonder what percentage actually appear for the hearing).  It is likely we have more "sleeper cells" hiding in our cities than at any other time in our history.  These veterans of the cause play an important role in the recruitment of new troops for the Caliphate.  They are able to spin the takes of glory from the battlefields of Syria and Iraq, and remind their audience about the gifts awaiting all martyrs for Allah.
Europe has been dealing with this recruitment monster for years, particularly the United Kingdom.  The recruitment effort in Europe (not surprisingly) is centered on particular mosques.  Certain mosques have elaborate communication resources with mosques (and groups) on other cities in Europe and in the Middle East.  The Brits have done an outstanding job identifying and in many cases shutting down some of these recruitment efforts, but as is evident from the videos we are seeing from ISIL, a number of young British men appear to have found a niche at ISIL's management level.  Other European Law Enforcement Agencies, utilizing Interpol, have also had successes, including Austria and Denmark.  But until the European Union gets serious about instituting a viable and toothy immigration policy, recruits will be easy to find.  Within these groups of recruits will be numerous young men and women from countries who still practice Conscription (mandatory military service). 
Addressing the efforts of jihadi groups to recruit former military will increase the resources ISIL must use.  Any serious effort to combat the growth of this group must include disruption operations at efforts to recruit, efforts to resupply, and efforts to raise money.