U.S. Marines exits their Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) during well deck certification trials. Bataan is preparing for an upcoming deployment. www.navy.mil

U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) assigned to the 2nd AA Battalion, Bravo Company exits the well deck of the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5) during well deck certification trials. www.navy.mil

U.S. Marine Corps Amphibious Assault Vehicles (AAV) assigned to the 2nd AA Battalion, Bravo Company arrive on Onslow Beach as part of a beach invasion exercise.
www.navy.mil

Temple of Doom

As the United States and the West maneuver politically and militarily over Iran, we see a better picture of the forces arrayed against us and I have to say, it doesn't look pretty. Iran was the second nation identified in Presiden't Bush's designation of the Axis of Evil and we see now why this nation was not attacked first due to its Russian alliance as well as West European attempts at reaching a political settlement. The United States couldn't simply outright attack Tehran while these european discussions were taking place nor could we countenance such an attack while Iran was overtly allied with Moscow, much like in the days of the Cold War. Hence, our current stalemate or at least a reluctance to sound the Alpha signal for war that clearly we could otherwise win with overwhelming speed and qualitative superiority were it not for Russian political and military interference.

Now, a new event has occured that has become a force mulitplyer of violence and has critically shaped our strategic position in the Middle East: the destruction of the Shiite Al Askari shrine. Why was this mosque destroyed at this time and in this manner? What does its destruction ultimately serve? Iraq has been the faultline between Shia and Sunni division ever since the death of Islam's founder for nearly 1400 years but never has the Al Askari shrine revered by Shia Moslems, as the sight where the alleged last imam went into hiding, been destroyed by the Sunni sect of Islam. It has stood in its place for over 1000 years but now it has been destroyed. What does this portend for Iraq's future? And really, what does this portend for the future of the Middle East?

Does Tehran have anything to do with this? Are they the benefactors of the destruction of this shrine to the last Imam? Perhaps its the Sunni's, knowing they have lost their footing in Iraq by the direct intervention of the United States, were willing to destroy what they no longer could control? All guesses on my part but the larger question must now be entertained as the reprecussions will now reverberate throughout the Middle East.

If the Sunni's were the perpetrators of the destruction of the Al Askari shrine will the Shia counterattack themselves against a revered object of the Sunnis? As such, will their religious counterattack come to serve other purposes as well? It is my contention that the Shia will respond in like manner with the destruction of another Golden Mosque but this time will serve the Persians quest in their desire to wage war with the unbelieving West: the destruction of the Dome of the Rock in Jerusalem!

The attack on the Shia shrine has raised the ante up quite a bit and indeed propels the War on Terror to a new level that we clearly were trying to avoid. The President and this administration wisely sought to steer the War on Terror away from a "clash of civilizations" and especially from a "religious" war between Christianity and Islam. However, the shrine attack has brought complications that has the potential for history changing effects. Is it possible for Iran to destroy this Mosque and provoke a greater war against Israel by blaming the Jews and America for this calamity thus deflecting the concomitant reactionary response of the Sunni's against "them" instead of Iran thus avoid being on the receiving end of this internecine religious war? A long winded question but the sad answer is yes, they can.

There have been many an opinion as to the nature of suitcase nukes being deployed by Al Qaida or an Islamic state against America, but what would happen if instead they deployed these "nano" nukes against their own people? History shows us that they have no qualms in killing each other to acheive their political aims. What greater way to "kill two birds with one stone" than destroying the Al Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem thus potentially uniting all of Islam against Israel and avenging their own loss of the Shia Al Askari shrine in Samarra, Iraq.

Behind all these plans within plans lies Russia waiting in the shadows. In the end, it is Moscow that benefits the most from these events.

Flight deck personnel perform a final pre-flight check of an E-2C Hawkeye assigned to the "Black Eagles" of Airborne Early Warning Squadron One One Three (VAW-113) on the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Ronald Reagan (CVN 76). Reagan is currently deployed on her maiden deployment conducting Maritime Security Operations (MSO) in the region and participating in the global war on terrorism. www.navy.mil

U.S. Marines assigned to the 31st Marine Expeditionary Unit (MEU), Echo 2, Battalion 5, move rocks, boulders and mud to make a bridge over a river created by the massive Feb. 17th landslide on the island of Leyte. Sailors and Marines from the Forward Deployed Amphibious Ready Group (ARG), USS Essex (LHD 2) and USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49), arrived off the coast of Leyte Feb. 19 to provide humanitarian assistance and disaster relief to victims of the landslide. www.navy.mil

A Landing Craft Air Cushioned (LCAC) assigned to Assault Craft Unit Five (ACU-5) embarked aboard the amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2) heads to the island of Leyte. Essex is conducting operations in support of humanitarian assistance and disaster relief efforts on the island of Leyte, following the Feb. 17 landslide that devastated the town of Guinsahugon located in the southern part of the island. Essex along with the dock landing ship USS Harpers Ferry (LSD 49) are part of the Forward Deployed Amphibious Ready Group, the Navy's only forward-deployed amphibious force, homeported in Sasebo, Japan. www.navy.mil

Dubai or Bust

No! No! A thousand times no! I really don't give a damn that UAE has been an "ally" of the United States. They are a Sunni Arab culture and country that despises Israel and ultimately the United States of America. They trade with us but they trade with everyone in the Gulf and world. So what. Its bad enough for this President to turn a blind eye to our huge Achilles heal called the Southern Border but quite another to hand over several port facilities to Arabs hell-bent on destroying the infidels, namely anyone not Sunni.

Could you imagine during the heighth of the Cold War if Washington DC actually defended the right of Communist Bulgaria or Romania having direct access to Port facilities in New York, Pennsylvania and other facilies as a "reward" for not being "pro-Moscow"? A joke! You don't think that Moscow would have taken advantage of such a valuable position through a surrogate as a means to strike America? And yet, for some odd reason, United Arab Emirates apparently can do no wrong. Unacceptable.

In case someone hasn't informed the President of the United States, let me be the first: Americans despise Islam! It is not a religion of "peace", perhaps a religion of pieces but certainly not of "peace" as we might expect that word to mean what it says. 3000 Americans were murdered on 9/11 by Islamic believing thugs and this President of all people wants us to swallow this damnable trade deal like its some contract between California and Nevada? What world does he live on? Mars? I know he wants allies in the Middle East and we do need them, but we need them on OUR terms not theirs.

I fully admit I don't know much about shipping operations but I can assure you the more Americans come to understand how much we DON'T control our very own ports the more they are going to demand an AMERICANIZATION of our borders and port facilities. Another 9/11 type of attack will doom this administration and it will fall if its found out that Mexico or a port facility was the entry point for these Islamic terrorists.

This President is playing with fire if he thinks UAE can be trusted. Please, we can't trust one damned Arab nation ANYWHERE in the Middle East! Pakistan? Turkey? Egypt? Libya? They are all biding their time and when we least expect it, they will strike and strike hard! If it doesn't bother them to destroy one of their most treasured shrines in Samarra then what do you think they will do with us in Washington DC or New York or Los Angeles? Good God, they murder children without impunity! And you want "who" to run port facilities and "where"? Have we arrived at a pre-9/11 moment for this Bush Administration?

May God have mercy upon our souls.

Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) Adm. Mike Mullen, meets with Royal Norwegian Navy Chief of Staff, Rear Adm. Jan Eirik Finseth during an office call at the Pentagon as part of Finseth's official visit to the United States. www.navy.mil

The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS Asheville (SSN 758) underway conducting high-speed surface drills off the coast of Southern California. Asheville is assigned to Submarine Squadron Eleven homeported at Naval Base Point Loma, Calif. www.navy.mil

The amphibious assault ship USS Essex (LHD 2), left, and the amphibious transport dock ship USS Juneau (LPD 10), right, simultaneously refuel with the Military Sealift Command underway replenishment oiler USNS Walter S. Diehl (T-AO 193) in the Philippine Sea Feb. 15, 2006.
www.navy.mil

J' Accuse!

With Iran thumbing their noses at the West over uranium enrichment via nuclear power processing and refinement, France has raised the ante in the Middle East. This is a very interesting development internationally as France was at polar opposites with Britain and America over the invasion of Iraq in 2003. Perhaps its the realization that Saddam Hussein did indeed plan terror strikes for the United States during the 1990's or perhaps its a realization that France suffered tremendous political and economic damage from Operation Iraqi Freedom by opposing the Anglo-American efforts in Bagdhad and wants to recoup any losses over Tehran. Whatever it may mean one thing for certain is that France has thrown down the gauntlet before the Persians and has raised the ire of Russia.

From Reuters:

France accused Iran on Thursday of pursuing a secret military nuclear program, drawing a swift rebuke from Tehran before talks next week on a Russian proposal for resolving the dispute.

French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy said Iran's nuclear work, which Tehran says is solely for power generation, could not possibly be designed for civilian uses alone.

Iran's chief nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani responded with a warning to the West not to hector Tehran, an exchange that boded ill for talks in Moscow on Monday on the Russian proposal.

"No civilian nuclear program can explain the Iranian nuclear program. So it is a clandestine Iranian military nuclear program," Douste-Blazy told France 2 television.

Well, well, well. That is quite an accusation and I have to say rather gutsy coming from the French. This is the second time that Paris has made public their concerns over Iranian nuclear power and its potential to raise the stakes involving International Islamic Terrorism.

Reuters continues:

Larijani reacted swiftly, telling Iranian television: "I suggest that Mr. Douste-Blazy use a diplomatic tone and avoid increasing the tension."

He told France Inter radio Iran remained ready to negotiate with members of the European Union. "But they are not going to talk to us in the language of threats," he said.

British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw said he held the same position as Douste-Blazy because he had worked very closely with his French and German counterparts on the Iran issue.

The onus was on Tehran, given previous covert activities, to allay suspicions about its nuclear program, Straw told a news conference during a visit to Algiers.

Perhaps the reality of a nuclear Iran and their known terror activities throughout the Middle East, Russia and Europe is just too much for "Old Europe" to ignore. Something will have to be done and the longer we wait the worse it may be to overcome this menace. But the sub-zero winds blowing from Moscow is amplifying the growing tension with Persia.

The article continues:

A top Russian general said Washington might eventually use force against Iran, with perilous consequences for the world.

"Can the developments surrounding Iran follow a military path? I cannot rule this out," Russian Chief of Staff General Yuri Baluyevsky was quoted as saying by Interfax news agency.

He said U.S. military capabilities could not be compared with Iran's, but apart from any Iranian response any attack would set off unpredictable reactions in the Muslim world.

Very sober words from the Northern Kingdom that is Russia. The tone of the Russian General's comments reminds me that they too have their strategic plans and will use everything in their power to stir the Persians against the West. How far in their endeavor they succeed is yet future but when a Russian general uses language like "perilous consequences for the world" in response to Anglo-American and ultimately Western countermoves over Iran then we should sit up and take notice.

Soldiers from the 2nd Infantry Division get some live-fire practice time in their M1 Abrams Main Battle Tank at the Rodriquez Range Complex in South Korea. www.army.mil.

Monster

I find it rather ironic that in America liberals lament the Patriot Act. This federal government is now a rapacious 2.7 TRILLION dollar leviathan and you liberals wonder why you are losing "civil rights"? Morons! You created this monster and now it flies and breathes fire. What are you going to do now? Idiots. There is no silver bullet or "safety" harness that will prevent it from harming you and when you vote-in Democrats that only want to EXPAND this government at the expense of individual liberty you have the gall to say "what happened"?

Yes, I know, you will say those nasty Republicans want to take away a "womans choice" for aborting fetuses. Is that all you got left in your quiver? One arrow? The abortion arrow? The Republican Party in many ways is no different than the Democrat Party at least as far as expanding this federal government goes. However, it does have something the Democrat Party lacks: Patriots. The Republican Party is willing to defend this nation by force of arms which leaves the Democrat Party defending abortion which is their last insane and insular stand while America is threatened from without.

How many buildings must fall and how many Americans must die at the hands of International Islamic Terrorism? The Democrat Party is a haven of thieves and traitors who lack even the most fundamental virtue of respecting the dead, most recently the wife of a renown civil rights leader. Your adherence to socialism has destroyed your sense of "Americaness". You indeed are European in thought and action. Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness are not found in you. You are dead to America.

Like Nebecannezer's son, will the Republican Party be able to "read the writing on the wall" and reorient this nation back to its independent past or resume where the Democrat Party left off and continue partying like there is no tomorrow? Like a yoke upon our shoulders, the size of the federal budget is a warning that we no longer enjoy the freedom of movement we once partook. We pull the state along and its only getting heavier. Who shall rise to the occasion and set us free?

Infrared imagery taken from a U.S. Navy P-3C Orion maritime patrol aircraft, assisting in search and rescue operations for survivors of the Egyptian ferry Al Salam Boccaccio 98 in the Red Sea, shows a rescue vessel alongside a life raft. The aircraft, assigned to the Golden Swordsmen of Patrol Squadron (VP-47), flew for almost 15 hours during the mission to assist local authorities in the search efforts. VP-47 is homeported at Marine Corps Base Hawaii, Kaneohe Bay, and is currently supporting missions in the U.S. Central Command (USCENTCOM) area of operations. www.navy.mil

An F-14D Tomcat from the "Black Lions" of Fighter Squadron Two One Three (VF-213) launches from the flight deck aboard the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS Theodore Roosevelt (CVN 71). Roosevelt and embarked Carrier Air Wing Eight (CVW-8) are currently underway on a regularly scheduled deployment conducting maritime security operations. www.navy.mil

A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon aircraft pilot from the 457th Fighter Squadron, 301st Fighter Wing, Naval Air Station Joint Reserve Base Fort Worth, Texas, conducts tactical training over Texas Feb. 7, 2006.
www.defenselink.mil

A Pantheon of Gods

As Iran and Syria use the Danish inspired cartoons depicting Mohammed and other Moslems in a less than flattering light, which is quite sophomoric when compared to a crucifix in a jar of urine, and agitate for death and destruction of the "artists" before the Western media, we have to recognize that a new era is now emerging in the West of an old specter not seen for nearly 1700 years: Pantheism. In ancient Greece and Rome, there were many gods one could worship so long as no other god was dominant over the other. There was no one exclusive god which negated the others. All were accepted as bonified deities as recognized by the state and endorsed by ritual practices that involved gratifying the body through food, sex, works, and/or animal and human sacrifices.

The rise of ecumenical religion amongst the "mono-theistic" religions of the Middle East, Christianity, Judaism, Islam and other non mono-theistic religions around the world cannot now be ignored. We shouldn't be in denial of these developments considering how the Greek Helene culture has come back with a vengeance since the 18th century in Western Europe and America. Even a militant and violent atheism in the 20th century couldn't compete and stop this apparent juggernaut of unitary religious thought that appeals to the souls of men that imputes a form of righteousness upon them that is so lacking with socialist political doctrines and evolutionary scientific theories that was the fountainhead of belief for Fascists, Nazi's and Communists alike in the last century.

The push is on these days to unify the religious amongst us into one voice. The President has a prayer breakfast and Protestants, Catholics, Jews and Moslems are all invited. The National Council of Churches demands servitude to an ecumenical mission that eschews "nativist" belief in a Christ that excludes the works of man and one in which the believer is saved by the atoning work of God by grace. In other words, man must save man. The primary mover for religious unification is the Roman Catholic Church and they have their own reasons to play host to "interfaith" functions that would apparently involve heretical practices so antithetical to Catholic doctrine. Seated in Rome, the heartland of western culture, history and thought, they are the queen of the worlds religions for who else has a "religious capital" that receives ambassadors from other nations? They are the envy of the world and will continue to fill the void left open by the self-destructive nature of atheism throughout Europe.

Global commerce and global religion are a powerful force in the world today that continues to expand and deepen within all of the nations of the world. There is not a single continent or nation that is not affected by the twin forces of global capitalism and ecumenical religion that is clearly being steered from Western Europe. It may seem strange that a continent so fragmented as Western Europe should still have such a political, commercial and spiritual pull that the rest of the world still looks to them for guidance and understanding. With the advent of the information age and the internet, this will only serve as a "force multiplier" of Western European influence. Make no mistake about the future: ecumenical religion, the global economy, Helene culture all serve the same cause of unifying a fractured humanity. The only thing left that may play havoc to this endeavor is man's free-will.

Nativist belief in an avenging God that demands faith in his only begotten Son is no longer accepted when a conglomeration of deities is demanded in order to unify the earth under one flag. Welcome to the 21st century.

Marines from Battalion Landing Team, 1st Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, pay their respects to fallen comrades Feb. 1, in the mountains of Camp Horno at Camp Pendleton. The Marines made the four-mile, two-hour trek up rugged terrain carrying white and earth colored stones to place at the memorial. According to the Marines they perform the ritual to represent the carrying of the burdens of the fallen Marines who paid the ultimate sacrifice. www.usmc.mil

Reality Check

I believe we have entered a new phase on the War on Terror. As political and military forces realign themselves over Operation Iraqi Freedom, we see a new conflict approaching over the horizon. Like Alexander with a mere 40,000 Greek troops poised before the all encompassing forces of the Persian King, we must decide with the forces and assets available to us today where and when to attack tomorrow.

We tread carefully in the Middle East. This war is like no other war we have fought in our nations history. It bears similarities to other wars we have fought but is truly unique in its own right. No, its not like World War II because Hollywood has not marshalled their "forces" on the American side like they did during the Second World War. Nor have we bombed the crap out of our enemies like we did with Germany and Japan. Its not like Viet Nam because we have gone on the offensive and actually invaded the enemy strongholds with the queen of the battlefield, the infantry, and have occupied the capital of our enemies thus depriving them of their rulership and treasure.

The global economy is a major factor in the operational tempo of this war. We don't want to collapse the worldwide economy trying to destroy this implaccable enemy but yet, our enemy knows this and will try everything they can to push it over the edge and harm the West in the process. We have most to lose in this respect than the other nations. Our existence is based on commercial activity and when this is suppressed, such as in war and embargo, then we at home feel its paralyzing effect. This particular war does indeed have greater economic impact than all the other wars because we in America are so heavily invested with our savings not in bank accounts but in 401k's, stocks, online-trading, mutual funds and so forth. In other words, as the economy goes, so goes our pensions! This is the primary reason why we have not gone "all-out" with massed invasions and carpet-bombing of the Middle East. However, if they push the economy over the edge, then indeed that operational tempo can easily change that will reflect more of a "WWII" type of war.

Which leads me to the issue of a "all volunteer army". The President of the United States of America has the right to call up a draft in order to infuse the American military with a fresh new wave of recruits. We haven't done so, yet, because this current army fighting the War on Terror has been carefully developed, trained and indoctrinated since the end of the Viet Nam War with an es spirit de corps that was so devastated by the war in Southeast Asia. With the advent of Ronald Reagan and the massive budget increases to augment the higher morale, the American military was dramatically altered with new troops, equipment and war-fighting doctrine that suddenly became the envy of the world. Not only could we say we were "number one" but actually could carry out any mission given to us as demanded by Congress and the President. This "small" core of troops who now have weathered the fire of war in Iraq and Afghanistan will train the new troops that can easily be called up by the President at any time. For those of you who are of age to be drafted, you might want to reconsider your rather short-sighted anti-military position you have taken in regards to the "intelligence" and "fortitude" of our current fighting men. Pray that young men will volunteer in sufficient numbers or get ready to become Government Issue for all of you still in civilian clothes.

The Sea-Based Radar(SBX) successfully completed its 15,000-mile journey from Texas to Pearl Harbor aboard the heavy lift vessel M/V Blue Marlin. SBX will be undergoing minor modifications at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard prior to departing for Adak, Alaska, later this spring. www.navy.mil

The experimental boat ship "Stiletto" shown moored in San Diego. Stiletto is more than 80 feet in length and has a carbon-composite hull, which assist the boat to travel at speeds more than 50 knots. The boat will be used to transport special operations forces to their mission quickly.
www.navy.mil

Soldiers from Company B, 2nd Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, land near a suspected terrorist hideout in Shakaria, Iraq, during Operation Falcon Sweep.
www.army.mil

An F-16 Fighting Falcon aircraft from the 20th Fighter Wing, Shaw Air Force Base, S.C., moves in to receive fuel from a KC-135 Stratotanker aircraft during exercise Red Flag 06-1 Jan. 30. 2006. The exercise, being held at Nellis Air Force Base, Nev., tests aircrews' war-fighting skills in realistic combat situations. Along with the U.S. Air Force, units from the Army, Navy, Marine Corps, United Kingdom and Australia will participate in this Red Flag.
www.defenselink.mil