What's In A Name?

PLAN navy carrier Shi Lang ( ex Soviet Varyag )

China's New Aircraft Carrier: A Menacing Name? -- Global Post

History speaks loudly in Asia. Heads up, Taiwan!

BOSTON — The Chinese military is putting the finishing touches on its first aircraft carrier, which could set sail later in 2011.

What will its first mission be? Officials aren't saying. But its neighbors worry that the vessel’s putative name may provide a not-so-subtle hint.

The ship is rumored to be called the Shi Lang, after a Qing Dynasty admiral who in 1681 conquered the Kingdom of Tungning — a territory better known today as Taiwan.

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My Comment: In China .... there are no coincidences. The name will be chosen to make a message, and being China's first aircraft carrier, that name will be deliberately chosen to make a worldwide message.

Picture Of The Day

LOADING UP - U.S. Special Forces team members with Special Operations Task Force South board two UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters following a clearing operation in the Panjwa'i district of Kandahar province, Afghanistan, April 25. 2011. The operation, led by Afghan commandos resulted in the removal of Taliban propaganda material and three suspected insurgents detained. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Daniel P. Shook

How Mortars Are Made

Hat Tip: Defense Tech

What Will Be The Impact Of Having General Petraeus At The CIA

Petraeus To The CIA: Surge Superintendent To Spearhead Spooks -- The Economist

BIG personnel changes are afoot for President Obama's national-security lineup. Leon Panetta, currently director of the CIA, will move into the cabinet seat about to be vacated by Robert Gates, the secretary of defence. Meanwhile Mr Panetta's plum CIA gig will go to General David Petraeus, currently America's head honcho in Afghanistan. Mr Obama's decision to make George Bush's favourite general the CIA's new helmsman brings home the remarkable, and to many of us the deeply disappointing, continuity between the Bush and Obama's adminstrations' approaches to national security and war. Installing the architect of the Iraq surge in Langley raises several worries. As Glenn Greenwald observes:

One reason why it's so valuable to keep the CIA under civilian control is because its independent intelligence analyst teams often serve as one of the very few capable bureaucratic checks against the Pentagon and its natural drive for war.


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More News On General Petraeus Being Appointed To Run the CIA

CIA's new boss once a customer of its spy efforts -- AP
Petraeus may shake up CIA: 'He doesn't suffer fools' -- MSNBC/AP
Petraeus Makes Quick Trip to Washington -- Wall Street Journal
For Petraeus, first impressions at CIA will be critical -- Washington Post
New CIA chief David Petraeus' possible new critic: himself -- L.A. Times
Gen. Petraeus to move from Afghanistan war command to CIA, step onto political stage -- Canadian Press
Bringing Petraeus to C.I.A. Offers Benefits for Obama -- The Caucus/New York Times
In Petraeus, a CIA pick with political heft -- Reuters
Petraeus' war legacy befits his future post at CIA -- USA Today
Analysis: Petraeus' CIA move raises awkward questions -- Reuters
Could Petraeus be too shiny for the CIA? -- Reuters
Petraeus to the CIA: good news for Barack Obama, bad news for America -- Peter Oborne, The Telegraph

Fallen USMC Staff Sgt. Jason Rogers Returns Home To Brandon MS.

From Small Wars Journal:

Staff Sergeant Jason Rogers, USMC, returned home Thursday, 14 April 2011, his body borne upon a sea of waving American flags and hands held tightly in salute for the Brandon, MS Marine killed in Afghanistan earlier this month.

The video is MHP Trooper Elmo Townsend's view as his dash cam recorded the escort from Airport Road and along U.S. 80, as hundreds of onlookers gathered to pay their respects.

Russia Outlines Its Vision Of Missile Defense

ABM. Photo: RIA Novosti

Russia Outlines Its Vision Of European Missile Shield -- RIA Novosti

Commander of Russian Space Forces Lt. Gen. Oleg Ostapenko outlined on Friday Russia's proposals for the future Eurhttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifopean missile defense network.

Russia and NATO agreed to cooperate on the so-called Euro missile shield during the Russia-NATO Council summit in Lisbon in November 2010. NATO insists there should be two independent systems that exchange information, while Russia favors a joint system with full-scale interoperability.

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More News On Russia's Views On European Missile Defense

Russia ready to unfold anti-missile umbrella over eastern Europe -- Xinhuanet
Russian ABM shield ready to cover Eastern Europe -- Voice of Russia
Russia, U.S. to hold intensive consultations on European missile defense in Brussels -- Kyiv Post

If Losing, Would Gaddafi Use WMDs?

The question of arming the rebellion in Libya has divided the international community Photo: REUTERS

Col Gaddafi Still Has Quarter Of Chemical Weapons Stockpile -- The Telegraph

Colonel Muammar Gaddafi still has a quarter of his stockpile of chemical weapons and is ready to use mustard gas in a "desperate" fight to the death, a senior Libyan rebel military commander claimed yesterday.

General Abdul Fatah Younis, who was Col Gaddafi's interior minister before defecting to the opposition and is now the rebel army's chief of staff, gave the warning as he pleaded for Nato allies to arm the rebels with heavy weapons, including helicopters and anti-tank missiles, to defend the besieged city of Misurata.

He predicted the Libyan dictator would "never accept retreat" and would be ready to use chemical weapons in a last stand against rebels or the civilian population.

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My Comment: A part of me tells me that while he would be prepared to use WMDs, his sons would veto him. Wishful thinking on my part .... I hope not.