It cannot really be so hard to find a picture of a drone, can it?

[The above is a Scaled Composites Model 281 Proteus. It is manned. An unmanned model 395 is on offer to the USAF, but there are no orders so far.]

Sorry, the plane buff in me couldn't hold back.

Please take a look at the first attempt in the World to record and pinpoint All Violence in Pakistan between 2006 and 2009.

It shows -- among other things -- an alarmingly high rate of suicidal bombs. This weapon -- sometimes described as the poor man's missile came to Aghanistan in 2005 for the first time ever. It was first introduced on a grand scale in Lebanon and the West Bank, by Palestinians angry of having been thrown out of their ancestral land.

So you see that Israels actions has repercussions pretty much all over the world, and the Jewish colony's right to govern its own affairs [without being put under administration by the World Community] in fact is and continues to be the Worlds greatest security Peril and destabilising factor.

Just what we need... to stir up a 'Kalashnikov equipped since they were old enough to lift one' civilian population.

Make enemies... call them 'Taliban' or 'AQ', kill them.

Hearts, minds, splattered over the countryside.

These people, Mullen et al, are first class cretins who would say anything to keep their jobs as warmongers despite the overarching wish of the citizens of the US to DIS-INVOLVE OURSELVES from the region and focus on out own problems, economic and social.

IOW, the US military is operating against the wishes of the American people. NOT the way a democracy (even an "American Democracy") operates... with occasional public relations up-spikes when Mullen and his crowd spew pap like the above.

Who needs the army when we have WB entertainment leading the way to the new world disorder?

Gotta LUV the slogan of the day @ SkyNet:

"ROBOTS BRING HAPPINESS TO HUMANITY"

I'm sure their robotic ground spotter for UAV air strikes makes EVERYONE in the neighborhood where this borg is deployed Happy happy happy!

If this thing can't outrun an RPG round it's going to be an expensive trip to the mechanic every time it's spotted, and also informs the adversary exactly what's going on in the 'hood.

All I can say is if the Pentagon buys a fleet of these quadruped jalopies, SKYNET's investors are going to be happy happy happy, and the US treasury will be that much more barren.

"Nicknamed MAGS by the troops, this limited autonomous robot is ready to serve for the Red, White and Blue! Primarily a support weapon in the urban warfare environment of today, this robot fulfills the promise of forward aerial reconnaissance and fire support where it is needed the most. The main unit is almost dead silent and serves as a home base for the squadron of aerial drones that can be called on at any moment by a dedicated assigned soldier. Once airborne, the drones serve up real-time intel on enemy movements, locking on and tracking multiple targets in a hostile environment. Defensive and limited offensive weapons can only be activated by the MAGS controller and automatically replenish themselves after engagements. Currently in limited deployment at undisclosed locations, MAGS is already making the world a safer place!"

http://skynetresearch.com/mobile-aerial-ground-support-mags/

I feel safer already...
WAIT! Where's my wallet?
Dang droid snatched it!

As I understand it, the CIA is the Agency flying these drones. And it has had many other roles and tasks in this AO of a purely military nature. Granted some CIA operations will always overlap somewhat with the military realm, but limited and specialized lest we return to the days of the Phoenix Program.

In this case however, the CIA's military activities are extended in duration and large in scope. Here's the problem with that: what these cats are doing is largely unexamined and outside democratic controls:

1. Authority, responsibility, and accountability of CIA operations have few of the safeguards and official oversight mechanisms applied by law and custom to military operations.

2. Journalist ability to serve the public is greatly restricted.

When are the commentariat and the serious press going to examine the topic of the CIA's military activities (paramilitary my ass)? Tom?

I read the NYT editorial when it came out, and it seemed that the authors were too confident about their analysis. In particular, I completely disagreed with the idea that destroying the AQ leadership doesn't matter, or that finding/killing Saddam / Zarqawi didn't matter. That flies in the face of all evidence of history about individual, charismatic leaders making a difference, or the so-called Great Man theory, which I personally believe in.

Steve Coll's article is much more balanced, but seems to limit the benefits of taking out the mid-level AQ/Taliban leadership to purely domestic perception politics in the US. But if we're really taking out their mid-tier leadership, that has to have an effect on how they can plan and pull off the next 9/11 or 7/7, so that's a positive benefit, also, right ?

Bill Roggio of Long War Journal calls the drones the least bad option, perhaps that's a good way of looking at it.

The civilian casualties are a moral problem. But maybe it's only in our perception. I know this sounds callous, but compare to the Sri Lanka situation, and also at how the Pak army is dealing with Swat. From all reports, the Pak army only knows how to do artillery and airpower, so they're just leveling villages.

Without a straw boogyman what would the US have as 'industry'? The only high value manufacturing in this country any more is weapons systems, and in order to market that product, THEY MUST be battle tested, and it really doesn't matter if we win or lose the battles, as long as the weapons perform to spec.

The 'Straw Boogyman' ploy is what we continually attempt to do with the ICU in Somalia because EVENTUALLY AQ's myth will fray and disintegrate in the popular mind, and Africa has similar resources to Afghanistan, a war the West has already lost.

They just don't know it yet, and the US media WILL NEVER admit it until the helicopters are leaving from the roof of the Kabul embassy and there are 55,000 dead American soldier.

Get OUT NOW!

...and MAYBE 100 years from now, the people of the Middle East, Central Asia, and the Persian Gulf won't spit on the ground when someone says the word "America" (assuming the country is even existent in it's current 'democratic' form 100 years from today)

Adm. Mullen's statement mirrors Pres. Obama's National Security Advisor, Gen. Jim Jones, similiar response reinforcing the continuation of air strikes, in lieu of the recent Afghan civilian casualties incident, and would seem to be "a little" at odds with Gen. Petraeus, who looks to Kilcullen as the burning bush.

It reinforces my opinion that LtGen. McCrystal was chosen to ensure the war is directed in country specifically the way the White House wants it and not entirely as Big Dave sees it?

Tom Ricks wrote in the Washington Post to abolish all Academies and War Colleges but still has not told which if any of the Academies or War Colleges he has actually visited so that readers and listeners would know if Ricks had any valid knowledge of what he is talking about. That is, Ricks popped-off with "Lets kill Annapolis et al" with no personal knowledge of the life, culture, ethos of each of the Academies.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/16/AR2009041603483.html

The article by Tom Ricks in this case is irresponsible and sloppy and Ricks owes cadets, midshipmen, families, NOK, grads, prospects and his readers an apology for his weak journalism. His topic, Accountability and Transparency, is excellent -- Grads more or as much as any others urge Accountability and Transparency of their Academies -- and War Colleges -- and I have written so; but his actual article is so failed as to warrant some decent apology especially for injury to those who cannot hit back: families and NOK and the dead and prospects for academies affected by the sloppy article.

By way of introduction, my West Point class is 1966. I chaired construction of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in DC and worked with vets for decades building the Korean War Veterans Memorial, the Women's statue at the Wall, the Women in Military Service Memorial in DC and Memorials in many states. Right now I work to help the project for the WW II Women Pilots (WASPs) be awarded a Congressional Gold Medal, as were the Tuskegee Airmen. That legislation has just passed the Senate. For President Reagan I planned and directed the Vietnam Veterans Leadership Program in 47 states. Some of the programs continue to this day, on their own funding. The VVLP mission is to link vets up with each other to find jobs and to break the false stereotype of vets as folks to feel sorry for, to pity, to treat as victims; instead to recognize vets as Strong Warfighters and Strong Citizens. Many VVLP guys and gals now work this mission for Iraq and Afghanistan vets.

Here is why Tom Ricks owes an apology. First, he seems not even to know that USCGA and USMMA exist. But his piece would abolish them. What an insult to USCGA and USMMA -- to say abolish them and not mention them. Second, Ricks does not say where on the web his cost data can be obtained and examined. Third, he in fact has not visited all the Academies and War Colleges he would shut, in a way to learn their ethos and culture and effectiveness of teaching, but by his tone of (false) knowledge, readers would think he has some close knowledge of the schools; West Point reports that Ricks has visited briefly, but not to learn anything at West Point of depth about the life and values of cadets and West Point and of West Point grads.

Fourth, Ricks omits mention that Washington and Jefferson long ago had sharp discussions about the need for West Point, and Washington strongly wanted the Academy. Jefferson opposed until right after he became President and saw the light, so to speak. He set up West Point (and so all Academies) (except USCGA) to draw youngsters from all walks of life -- the very poor especially -- proportionately from all over America through Congressional appointment. The Academies Reflect America thanks to Jefferson's Genius and Washington's Leadership.

Ricks seems not to know that the founders were clear on the need for a National Military Academy and he does not re-examine their arguments. USCGA brings in applicants by examination only, not by appointment from Congress proportionally nationwide. USCGA still succeeds in reflecting all of America and in fact has a slightly higher proportion of women admitted than the other four academies.

Fifth, Ricks does a thing that shows complete unfamiliarity with the heartbeat and life of the Academies: he tries to separate the Graduates from their Academies by saying the Grads are "crackerjack" but the schools are "community colleges" -- meant to mean, "second or third rate." So he insults Community Colleges too :) Most Academy grads strive to embody the values of their Academy in their lives. Ricks, unaware of this, shows a kind of insulting ignorance.

Sixth, Ricks in his article holds up ROTC as a paradigm without noting that no O-10 in active service has faced Peer War -- WW II kind of like war -- meaning that in 2009 the military does not know if ROTC programs steel grads adequately for Peer War. Meanwhile, Academies are proved in steeling grads for Peer War. He does not address the known un-evenness and disparities and inadequacies reported on many ROTC programs nationwide. He shows ignorance of his subject matter, in short. He goes on to say that Academy grads are too expensive therefore, but with no foundation of fact and analysis. Some or many or all ROTC programs may in fact be significantly underfunded.

Seventh, Ricks in his piece uses some alleged hearsay about some commanders who prefer non-West Pointers, he says. That is fine -- West Point is not perfect and not nearly perfect :) But anecdotal hearsay proves nothing. An editor of merit would have deleted, and pressed for real substantiation.

Eighth, Ricks omits to say that more than any other Americans, many Academy grads believe that their Academies have to earn their keep anew in each generation. I have written this myself. It is a reason that I participated in and supported the work of author Rick Atkinson in his writing the book, "The Long Gray Line" about West Point and the class of 1966. I told Rick, "We owe an accounting, to say to Americans, this is what you gave to us, and this is our Report." The book shows my own foibles, blunders and errors :) The point is, Accountabilty and Transparency :)

Ninth, Ricks omits mention of women and the gateway that the Academies provide to women for contributing to the defense and life of our Country. In 2005 the 10,000th woman graduated from the Five Federal Academies (I did the research); America is now on the way to 15,000 women grads of the Academies. This is a powerful and culturally and militarily important cohort. Ricks seems oblivious to this aspect, the aspect of bringing women so quickly and fully into mainstream Military and (as vets) Community Leadership. This exhibits again the genius of Washington and Jefferson. They made this possible.

Tenth, the piece Ricks wrote is so journalistically irresponsible that it unforgivably wounded folks who Can't Fight Back. That is, he rattled the morale and feelings of parents of prospective cadets and midshipmen and the prospects themselves, and many cadets and midshipmen, and widows and NOK of Academy grads killed in battle, and he insulted the brave dead from Academies. Hal Moore USMA 1945 of "We Were Soldiers" is an overpriced product of a third-rate college? Some would disagree. His steel in saving his battalion is seen by many as Proof of West Point's Value as Founded by Presidents Washington and Jefferson. Paul W. "Buddy" Bucha USMA 1965 is an overpriced grad of a third rate school? Congress and the President probably thought otherwise in citing Buddy for the Medal of Honor for saving the 89 men in his surrounded and cut-off Company in the 101st Abn. My dad John Wheeler USMA Jan 1943 at Normandy and the Ardennes and the Bridge at Remagen and the Liberation of the Nordhausen Death Camps was the overpriced grad of a third rate school? Ricks can go to Arlington and speak that at my Dad's grave :)

Eleventh, Ricks rabbit-punches Dave Petraeus USMA 1974. He insults him. He calls Dave's school third rate but says Dave somehow got into Princeton for graduate school. Dave had been kind and gracious to Ricks. Ricks is rather insulting to the Commanding General who trusts him. He does owe an apology for that. Ricks ignores that Dave himself by his life and work strives to embody West Point.

Twelfth, Ricks clings to an unmanly quality of Never Own up to an Error. There are better men and women at the Washington Post than that. Dave Broder, for example. Ann Scott Tyson, for example. Henry Allen, for example. Don Graham, for example. Ricks instead has done the unmanly thing of hiding behind a few editors at the Post who hew to the "Never Apologize, Never Explain" doctrine that infects some Journalists. The ombudsman of the Post says he only does news, not opinion pieces. Ricks' editor at the Outlook Section has never explained why he let the journalistically weak piece get published in a Fine Newspaper. The Editorial Page editor still does not "get" the flaws of the Ricks writing. The topic -- Accountability for the Academies -- is superb and timely. The actual article is journalistically unprofessional and failed.

Ricks instead drifts along at stall-speed, so to speak, in denial -- unattractive in anyone but especially a journalist and author. Instead Ricks this week points out that the West Point class of 1976 with Raymond Odierno, Dave Rodriguez, and Stanley McChrystal had the travail of an Honor scandal -- a periodic event at USMA; but without mention that at West Point Honor is Real and the human condition means that humans fall short. The point is, West Point stands for and hews faithfully to Honor. And to Accountabilty and Transparency.

The Washington Post and Tom Ricks want the Military and the Academies to be Transparent and Accountable. But in this egregious case of awful journalism the Washington Post and Tom Ricks do not hold themselves to anything close to that Noble Standard.

The Editorial Page Editor and Outlook Editor of the Post and Ricks can Man-Up and apologize, at least to the young and innocent and good folks they wounded.

John Wheeler
USMA 66
wheelerusa@usa.net