Note on Wissner-Gross

Easy read but a helpful book especially when coupled with Wissner-Gross' other work, What High Schools Don't Tell You.

Note on Mapping History Battles and Campaigns by Malcolm Swanston

This is quite servicable as a discount book. The illustrations are well made and mostly instructive. The text is spare but adequate. There are minor battles, e.g., Ap Bac in Vietnam, and when coupled with major battles such as Waterloo the presentation appears flawed and out of proportion. The major appeal of a book such as this is its oversized maps and material which make it easier to see and enjoy in its own right. The text and contents should not be accepted in and of itself without supplement by more extensive works.

History of MS

Richard M. Swiderski reports in his Multiple Sclerosis Through History and Human Life that the disease was unknown in ancient or medieval times. He does though provide evidence that certain historical figures, saints and nobility, did appear to suffer from what we can recognize, in hindsight, as multiple sclerosis (MS). It is not until the groundbreaking period in 1868 when Jean-Martin Charcot, a professor of neurology at the University of Paris, who has been called "the father of neurology," really observed first hand the symptoms of MS; nonetheless, he had no sure process of diagnosis much less a cure. More recently the history of MS has been described in later works such as Multiple Sclerosis The History of a Disease by T. Jock Murray, MD. and A History of Multiple Sclerosis, by Colin L. Talley.

Note on Napoleon As Military Commander

This work does not claim to be definitive but is more simply a brief review of Napoleon as military commander. To that end, it is certainly serviceable. The illustrations and maps could have been more deftly placed and integrated better with the text but the work is clear enough. In addition, although it does not claim to be about Napleon the man, the quotations from private letters and notes about his relationship with his family and early private life is instructive.

Insurgents Had Enough: Tired of Fighting

An estimated 1,000 former insurgents turned themselves in during Balad, Iraq negotiations. The insurgents were simply tired of fighting and with a written pledge to the Iraqi constitution they promise not to pick up arms again. Most did not receive any punishment, only 76 faced trial dates.

Navy Lags Behind, Stuck in the Cold War Expense

The MQ-4 Predator controlled by the 46th Expeditionary Reconnaissance Squadron stands on the tarmac at Balad Air Base, 50 miles north of Baghdad, Iraq. Graphic source: AP Photo/Maya Alleruzzo, File

The Navy is lagging behind the Air Force and has limited the future of drones in that service branch just for spying but not fighting. They Navy favors the "Top Gun" fighter pilots of the past. The Navy remains tied to its anachronistic view of modern warfare with plans for the F-35 fighter jet. The Air Force, by contast, has used armed drones for years and is more in line with the Pentagon trend to encourage drones as a way to reduce costs and consolidate personnel.

The Navy lags behind the Air Force, which first used an armed version of the Predator drone in combat in Afghanistan in 2001. The Air Force's latest version, the Reaper, can carry up to 14 Hellfire air-to-ground missiles or alternately, four Hellfires and two 500-pound bombs over Iraq, Afghanistan or other war zones.

The mobile air attack is required in complex air missions but these situations are less likely with the demise of the Soviet Union or even perhaps in the case of hard-charging Chinese threat.

Airstrikes will presumably be done by the next-generation F-35, which the Navy is expected to receive in 2015.

Experts have noted that a drone carrying the same weapons payload as the F-35 would have two and a half times the range of a manned aircraft without refueling, and could remain over the battlefield 5 to 10 times as long.

Those factors make it the weapon of choice, timing, and budget.

Mars Hacked Twice

Not once but twice the Phoenix Mars Mission site got hacked. First, a Ukrainian web site defacer posted a message at the site’s blog, and hours later,

the Turkish “sql loverz crew 2008″ redirected the official mission’s site, as well as the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory site to a third-part location serving the defaced page.

These crews employ publicly obtainable remote SQL injection scanners that each site could have downloaded and performed a self-audit.

Hey Bo Diddley! "bonk-de-bonk-bonk, de-bonk-bonk..."

Graphic source: Mark Summers

Bo Diddley (December 30, 1928 – June 2, 2008), born Ellas Otha Bates], aka "The Originator," influenced American rock 'n' roll as a singer, songwriter, and guitarist. He was perhaps best known for his distinctive rectangular guitar and as the creator of the "Bo Diddley beat."

He changed his "name in search of fame, to find the Midas touch (Copyright: "Ballad of Mott" Ian Hunter, Overend Watts, Mick Ralphs, Dale "Buffin" Griffin and Verden Allen) and adopted a stage name which is most likely a Southern African-American slang phrase meaning "nothing at all," as in "he ain't bo diddley." He possibly first used the nickname as a teenage Golden Gloves boxer. Finally, the nickname is also associated with the diddley bow, a two-stringed instrument that was used in the South by black musicians working in the fields.

In late 1954 he recorded "I'm A Man" and the A-side "Bo Diddley" at Chess Studios and as released in March 1955 "Bo Diddley" became a #1 R&B hit.

Diddley is best known for the distinctive "Bo Diddley beat," a rumba-like stylistic device similar to "hambone," a style used by street performers who play out the beat by slapping and patting their arms, legs, chest, and cheeks while chanting rhymes.

Some of his best-known songs, "Hey Bo Diddley" and "Who Do You Love?" often have no chord changes and the song centers on the rhythm. He influenced later guitarists with his early experiments with special effects and other innovations in tone and attack. Bo Diddley's trademark instrument is the rectangular-bodied Gretsch, nicknamed "The Twang Machine," a guitar that he developed himself around 1958.

His lyrics often freely adapted folk music themes. The song "Bo Diddley" was based on the lullaby "Hush Little Baby." Likewise, "Hey Bo Diddley" is based on the folk song "Old MacDonald." The boasting and booming of "Who Do You Love" is a wordplay on hoodoo.

On November 20, 1955, he appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show but only infuriated the host when instead of singing the arranged song, Tennessee Ernie Ford's hit "Sixteen Tons," he instead substituted his own "Bo Diddley." He was banned from further appearances.

His other hits in the late 1950s and the 1960s, included "Pretty Thing" (1956), "Say Man" (1959) and "You Can't Judge a Book By the Cover" (1962). One of his lesser known hits is the controversial "Love Is Strange" for Mickey and Sylvia which was written under a pseudonym.

Diddley's distinctive beat influenced many later rock artists, notably Elvis Presley ("His Latest Flame"); Bruce Springsteen ("She's The One"); U2 ("Desire"); The Smiths ("How Soon Is Now?"); Roxette ("Harleys And Indians (Riders In The Sky)"). Dee Clark - A former member of the Hambone Kids ("Hey Little Girl"); Johnny Otis ("Willie and the Hand Jive"); George Michael ("Faith"); Normaal ("Kearl van stoahl"); The Strangeloves ("I Want Candy"); Guns N' Roses ("Mr. Brownstone"); David Bowie ("Panic in Detroit"); The Pretenders ("Cuban Slide"); The Police ("Deathwish"); Wayne Fontana & The Mindbenders ("The Game of Love"); The Supremes ("When the Lovelight Starts Shining Through His Eyes"); Jefferson Airplane ("She Has Funny Cars"); The White Stripes ("Screwdriver"); The Byrds ("Don't Doubt Yourself, Babe"); Tiny Letters ("Song For Jerome Green") and The Stooges ("1969"). The early Rolling Stones sound was strongly associated with their versions of "Not Fade Away" and "I Need You Baby (Mona)."

Diddley died today at 79.

Graphic source: Rolling Stone

Iraq Army Interdicting Iranian Operatives

Good news is that the Iraqi Army is interdicting Iranian operations in the South and the U.S. can begin to stand down. The bad news is that the U.S. has been clever enought to train and run and not attack Iran. However, once the re-armed Iraq is ready to deploy, another war with Iran is more likely. Will the U.S. be largely withdrawn by the next war or will the U.S. be drawn back into the conflict?

AQ Accuses Saudis of Funding Insurgents

Ali Ahmed Ali Hamad, Graphic source: The Philadelphia Inquirer

Ali Ahmed Ali Hamad, a former al-Qaeda commander, accused a government charity, the Saudi High Commission for Relief of Bosnia and Herzegovina, of funding his insurgent unit in Bosnia. Saudi Arabia has flatly denied these accusations for years. Hamad testified in a United Nations war-crimes trial. There is some question as to the veracity of Hamad as a convicted terrorist. He is serving a 10-year sentence in a Bosnian jail for his role in a 1997 Mostar bombing. He testified that the Saudi Commission had poured tens of millions of dollars into terrorist units led by al-Qaeda operatives who fought with Osama bin Laden in Afghanistan. The money was waylayed from humanitarian relief to buy weapons and military supplies. The charities also provided false identification, employment papers, diplomatic plates and vehicles that permitted Islamist fighters to enter the country and pass easily through military checkpoints. Several charity offices were led by former mujaheddin or al-Qaeda members. Like other al-Qaeda fighters, Hamad stated he traveled through the war zone in commission vehicles with diplomatic plates.

وش يفرض عقوبات على حزب العمال الكردستاني

Graphic source: AFP

وش يفرض عقوبات على حزب العمال الكردستاني

السبت 31 أيار 2008 05:38 GMT

فرض الرئيس الامريكي جورج بوش عقوبات على حزب العمال الكردستاني وجماعة ايطالية تروج للجرائم المنظمة، في محاولة لحرمانهما من الوصول الى النظام المالي الامريكي. وباستخدامه قانون مكافحة تهريب المخدرات، يكون بوش وبحسب المتحدثة باسم البيت الأبيض دانا بيرينو قد أخضع حزب العمال لاجراء من شأنه تقويض عملياته ووضع حد للمعاناة التي يسببها الاتجار في المخدرات للامريكيين وشعوب العالم، علاوة على منع مهربي المخدرات من دعم الارهابيين.

Bush imposes sanctions on PKK

Saturday, May 31, 2008 09:16 GMT

US President George W. Bush imposed sanctions on Kurdistan Workers Party and an Italian organized crime group in order to prevent the group access to the U.S. financial system. Using a U.S. anti-drug trafficking law, Bush has put the PKK and the Italian group subject to the sanctions, which prevent U.S. companies and individuals from engaging in trade and transactions with them. “This action underscores the president's determination to do everything possible to pursue drug traffickers, undermine their operations and end the suffering that trade in illicit drugs inflicts on Americans and other people around the world, as well as prevent drug traffickers from supporting terrorists,” White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said in a statement.

Cf. http://www.alsumaria.tv/en/Iraq-News/1-18381-Bush-imposes-sanctions-on-PKK.html

The sanctions were levied against the Ndrangheta mafia from the Calabria region of Italy, which has overtaken Sicily's Cosa Nostra as the richest and most violent of the Italian mafia, and a Mexican drug-lord and his cartel. Three individuals from Afghanistan, Venezuela and Turkey were also sanctioned. The PKK is branded a terrorist organisation by Turkey, the US and EU; the group is largely held to use drug trafficking to finance terror. More than 30,000 people have been killed since the PKK began in 1984. In Mexico, nearly 1,400 people have died this year across the country, as drug cartels fight among themselves and government forces. Previously there were 68 individuals and entities subject to sanctions under the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin Designation Act, which became law in December 1999.

Idealist.org Charges Nothing to Post a Job: Limited Time Offer

Idealist.org usually charges a nominal fee, $60, to post a job on the nonprofit job site. But starting today, and through the end of June, all job postings on
Idealist are free for any nonprofit organization. At http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n-BQYIPILUU Idealist even created a video to advertise why they think this is the best place to post a nonprofit job.

Youngest Islamic Insurgents

The new generation of militants in the Islamic State of Iraq are the youngest possible followers. The failed insurgency is beginning the look more and more like the failed 4th Crusade, the children's crusade.

Graphic source: Gustave Doré (1832-1883), Public domain.

The Children's Crusade is the name given to a variety of fictional and factual events in 1212 that combine some or all of these elements: visions by a French and/or German boy, an intention to peacefully convert Muslims to Christianity, bands of children marching to Italy, and children being sold into slavery. Several conflicting accounts exist, and the facts of the situation continue to be a subject of discussion among scholars.

Cf. Wikipedia.

Golden Dome a Bright Spot in Samarra

Graphic Source: Times Online

The golden edifice of the al-Askari shrine, built about 1,000 years ago, contains the tombs of the 10th and 11th imams--Ali al-Hadi and his son Hasan al-Askari. Muhammad al-Mahdi, the last of the 12 Shia imams, is thought to have disappeared into a tunnel under the shrine in 878. Many Shias believe that he will return to bring justice to the world. It was the destruction of the al-Askari shrine, by the foreign invaders of al-Qaeda in the Sunni city of Samarra in February 2006, which was a pivotal step that almost pushed Iraq into a civil war. The sectarian slaughter that ensued was not by any means pleasant but the reconstruction of the Golden Dome is indicative that places in Iraq may be returning to normalcy, normal for Iraq that is.

Samarra may make a comeback as an important city for Shia tourists and pilgrims if the Dome is repaired.

Sunni tribesmen many of whom were part of the insurgency, revolted against al-Qaeda last year, and they have now become part of the security details, for Iraq.

The Sons of Iraq currently stand at a 1,600 members in Samarra. There is reportedly an 80% improvement in security services by merging the Sons of Iraq into the regular police force.

Essential services are being restored to the area in which the Dome is expected to take 18 months to complete the structural work but replacing the gold-painted copper plates that cover the outer dome and the minarets will take much longer.

It may be a long road presently but the path to getting to the reconstruction of the Dome seems like the more difficult way. They way to normalcy in Iraq is clearer and more focused than in times past. As late as last August, it did not seem possible that the Iraqi security forces could turn the situation around.

Monthly Death Toll Lowest Since 2004

The monthly death toll for American troops hit its lowest mark since 2004. As of Saturday, the death toll for American troops stood at 21, the lowest since February 2004, when 20 troops were killed. In the toll was a non-combat related death. The numbers appeared to support testimony from the top U.S. military commander in Iraq, Gen. David Petraeus, who said that recent operations "contributed significantly to the reduction in violence." Rear Adm. Patrick Driscoll, spokesman for Multi-National Forces-Iraq, stated: "In the past week, security incidents decreased to levels we have not seen since March of 2004. These figures reflect a decrease in attacks of some 70 percent since the surge operations began in June of 2007."

Aussies Combat Out: Leave Assets Behind

Australian soldiers on duty during a joint street patrol with Iraqi security forces in Sammawa, south of Baghdad June 22, 2006. Graphic source: REUTERS/Mohammed Jalil/Pool

The 500 or Australian combat troops committed to Iraq left the country, fulfilling an election promise by Australian Prime Minister Kevin Rudd to bring the soldiers home this year. The Australian troops themselves were frustrated with their lack of combat action and limited involvement.

Before leaving however, the Australians handed over security responsibilities in Dhi Qar province to the Iraqis, which as their main role of the Australians, to train and support Iraqi forces.

As a sign of their continuing efforts, Australia is leaving behind two maritime surveillance aircraft and a warship to patrol the oil platforms; in addition, they are also leaving a small force of security and headquarters liaison troops.

Australian civilians training the police and advising the Iraqi government would also stay behind.

Despite the Australian government's support against the insurgents, around 80% of the Australian people are against continued deployment.

Abu Suleiman al-Jazairi Confirmed Dead

The death of Abu Suleiman al-Jazairi, an Algerian militant, has only recently been confirmed. Al-Jazairi died along with at least 15 others when the Pakistani house in which he was staying in Pakistan's Bajaur tribal district was hit by a missile fired from a Predator. The al-Qaeda trainer and explosives specialist was involved in a range of European terrorist networks.

AQ Women's Liberation

A TV image from 13 November 2005 wherein Iraqi Sajida al-Rishawi opens her jacket and shows an explosive belt as she confesses on Jordanian state-run television to her failed bid to set off an explosives belt inside one of the three Amman hotels targeted by al-Qaida.

Female Muslims have posted Internet messages expressing frustration with the al-Qaida No. 2 leader's refusal to give them a larger role in terror attacks. Graphic source: AP Photo/Jordanian TV, File

Citigroup Support for Financial Jihad

Banks first emerged in the Middle Ages when people grew tired of carrying around all their gold and began leaving their money with the goldsmith. The Medici family, one of the most prominent banking families in Europe during this time, became quite wealthy from its banking and moneylending practices. This 14th-century painting depicts people depositing and withdrawing money in an Italian bank. Graphic source: Encarta, Hulton Deutsch

The Western system of finance, which emerged during the Renaissance,

is supplemented today with a new world-wide model, Islamic finance. Banker, a U.K. based trade publication, estimates that Islamic financial assets increased to US$500 billion. Although relatively small in worldwide financial terms, the amount far exceeds the $50 billion invested in U.S. companies by the four most financially active Muslim countries: the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Saudi Arabia, Singapore, and Kuwait. Perhaps more importantly, Islamic finance is expected to grow at about a 20% rate at least annually for the next few years.

The real impetus for growth, however, is that Middle Eastern financiers reacted negatively to Congress' nixing of DP World, the Dubai-based operative, which sought to manage U.S. ports. As a result, Islamic commerce emgerged, adhering to sharia, Islamic law based on the Koran. The restrictive measures of Islamic finance would prevent Islamic financiers from participating in typical Western banking practices, such as loaning money at interest. However, a team of sharia scholars issues rulings in order for Islamic finance to prosper.

Islamic profit is being invested. Arcapita Bank, based both in Bahrain and Atlanta, Ga, makes sharia compliant investments, primarily in the U.S.

They are not alone. Citigroup Inc. was one of the first Western banks to engage in Islamic finance. Since 1996 they have been operating in Bahrain. Most of the banks engaged in Islamic finance are in Europe but Citigroup is one of the few American banks to engage consistently in the practice.

May: a Least Violent Month in Iraq

An Iraqi man waves to a U.S. soldier on patrol in the al-Sukkar neighborhood of Mosul. Militant attacks across the nation are down 70%. Graphic source: Ali Yussef, AFP/Getty Images

Despite the offensives in several Iraqi towns, this May has been one of the least violent months of the Iraq war. The Coalition has moved to a supportive role and the relative calm follows in the train of steady pressure from mostly Iraqi led forces. This is quite a turnaround and something that was hardly thought possible as late as the end of summer.