- FEBRUARY 9, 2010
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AFGHANISTAN
Kilcullen: What Matters in COIN
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SOLDIER'S CORNER
Opening up on War Fatigue
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PIRATE WATCH
Ship Master's Shirking Safety in Pirate Waters
Drugs, crime, terrorism and insurgency
Posted By Thomas E. Ricks
Thursday, November 5, 2009 - 4:37 PM
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My CNAS homie retired Army Col. Bob Killebrew has a good piece in Small Wars Journal on crime and terrorism. As you might expect, the news isn't good. Bob, a longtime mentor of mine, is especially worried by the nexus of drugs, crime and insurgency, and their effect on the way we live: "the explosion of the illicit economy, the merger of crime and terrorism, and their reach inside our borders, have added a new and possibly more imminent challenge to our safety -- not only at the national level, but on our streets."
Rich Man/Flickr
Nice broad post title allows this to be somewhat on topic
Bad news from the past: (from Walt's post)
The United States found to its chagrin that as its commitment increased its leverage diminished. Concern with corruption and inefficiency was always balanced by fear that tough action might alienate the government or bring about its collapse.
Tom, how much bad news, dire predictions, and/or historical examples of folly would you need to stop supporting escalation in Afghanistan?
Why should he stop supporting endless war in Afghanistan? He gets paid to fear monger and promote it. I just wish he would come clean. The Center for a New American Security is a propaganda arm of the imperial weapons cartel. The place is soaked in blood.
"The center's budget comes mainly from foundations such as the Rockefeller Brothers Fund, and it also gets some government money to study particular issues." http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122688537606232319.html
"CNAS is behind the new counterinsurgency strategy championed by the neoconservatives before their exile from the corridors of power and advanced by their hero, Gen. David Petraeus, in the army’s new counterinsurgency manual [.pdf]. As opposed to the ham-handed slash-and-burn methods of the early years in Iraq, the new militarist dispensation is based on the concept of conducting a political and economic war, complementing and reinforcing the element of pure coercion."
"Clear, hold, and build" is the slogan of the new militarism, and it is one uniquely suited to the demands of an expansive, albeit "liberal," interventionism masquerading as "internationalism." Set for a long-term occupation of Afghanistan – and quite possibly large portions of neighboring Pakistan – the CNAS-niks are committed to the concept of war as essentially a social engineering project. Their chief guru, John Nagl, boasts of the new military doctrine’s ability to "change entire societies."
"A look at the CNAS board of directors – an institution where Raytheon and Lockheed-Martin, the Albright Group and Armitage International, the Center for American Progress and the Hoover Institution all have a place at the table – provides a few key clues as to its provenance and mission."
I truly feel sorry for him giving up his freedom to live in a guilded cage. The CNAS goes against everything good the United States ever stood for. They are the house slaves of empire and militarism. May God have mercy on us.
Colonel Killebrew's piece on SWJ
My view on this article is that the level of domestic corruption is minimized. I believe our lower level/street level corruption is low. Higher level corruption is hidden in legal fees and contracting.
When I read most writing by people with an international frame of reference it seems to have a point of view that corruption is serious in some other countries but is not a problem here.
Other than that I found the Colonel's piece right on the money.
An excellent primer by the Colonel, who touched briefly on the fact that Hezbollah operates in S. America. They are specificaly in the triangle region of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay, and are quite active in smuggling duty taxable goods across the southern hemisphere's borders, as well as heavily vested in the cocaine narco trade.
Interestingly, very few understand or know about this existential threat in our own Western Hemisphere, and the good Colonel reminds us of this, and the growing concern of the intertwining of organized crime and terrorist groups.
Correct. Our long support for dictatorship in Paraguay has not helped. The investor Jim Rogers has stated that Paraguay should be dismantled. He claims is is nothing but an area running with criminals. The Bush crime family allegedly owns large amounts of real estate in Paraguay. Makes sense that Bush would like the place.
Probably not correct admiral. We are talking apples and oranges here. Much of this is disinformation to discredit the former president (not that he needs a lot of help). Though there are some interesting Bush family members that have visited this country, deals such as these wouldn't be entrusted to family members such as Jenna, etc.
I am cognizant of all the rumors about this possible land acquisition in Paraguay, just the other side of Bolivia. If it were true, which I would politely challenge you to qualify and I don't believe you can; it would have more to do with owning access to a pipeline bringing natural gas down to supply Argentina, Paraguay, and Brazil - as those countries are very large consumers of that fungible commodity that runs most of their motor vehicles, appliances, and manufacturing.
Remember, my past special background investigation cleared me for all information concerning rumors. :o
Don't forget the Guarani Aquifer.
The biggest illicit economy is on Wall St. The black derivitive market blessed by the Federal Reserve makes this other stuff petty crime. This black market trades in the trillions, completely in the dark and unregulated. But just like almost all the other elite DC insiders, there is no investigation, and no punishment, only promotions and $100,000 "Speaking" fees. We all know the "Speaking" fees are really access fees. The access market is also a very large black market run by belt way crooks and liars. Many Americans are aware that we are now a banana republic lead by criminal class. Maybe it's time to stop always looking outside our borders for "bad guys". The Belt Way has the biggest concentration of criminal operatives in the world.
Mr. Ricks, I am trying on tone. Is there a better way to say what I've said? Please keep in mind that I'm just a lowly prol in fly over land.
Either decree that no one can get high and ban alcohol, or simply that you can’t be high if you’re under-age, operating a vehicle, teaching school, etc.
Buying the poppies from the local producers would provide an Afghan stimulus package at a fraction of the cost in resources and violence of our present approach.
This smacks of the new security alarmism, where any issue is characterized as a security threat which then becomes a national emergency warranting extreme measures including widespread violations of individual rights.
Yes, terrorists and insurgents are engaging in criminal activity to fund their activities. There is NOTHING new about that.
The extent of international criminal networks and their ability to operate has been enhanced by globalization, as Moises Naim pointed out several years ago. However, none of these activities are really a security threat to the vast majority of the states in the international system, any more than the bootleggers of the 1920s were security threats to the US. With few exceptions, they are at most an irritant.
Look at it this way: if Hezbollah (w/support from the 20,000 ME expat community) operating in the triangle region of S. America wasn't involved in illicit activities, they wouldn't be there.
Because they are there, they pose an existential threat to the U.S. and our W. Hemisphere interests directly, as a proxy of Tehran, should Israel strike Iran (which would certainly implicate the U.S. in Tehran's mind).
Need I remind you Hezbollah has more American blood on its hands up untill 9/11, than any other terrorist organization?
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