Please take a long sincere moment of silence for all those innocent folks who died at the hands of evil.
...And an extra moment of silence for my brothers and sisters in the Fire Service along with those good folks in Law Enforcement and EMS services who sacrificed on this day not so long ago...
Showing posts with label international. Show all posts
Showing posts with label international. Show all posts
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Saturday, April 19, 2008
SOLAR LUMINOSITY CYCLES
As I sit here looking out my office window into my daughter's vegetable garden, I am looking through old garden records of mine. It seems the last time that here in the Pacific Northwest that I had snow sticking to the ground in mid to late April at 90 to 110 feet above sea level was around thirty years ago. It is most definitely a beautiful white color in the garden and (oh, darn...) it looks like I might just put off mowing my 1 acre lawn.
It does appear as if motocycle riding is out of the picture today, which is a bummer, as my wife took the day off from work so we could ride through the Skagit valley tulip fields. The last time that I remember snow sticking in April at sea level was while I was overseas in Scandinavia, but that is another story for another day.
It seems that when looking at international weather patterns, that most of the temperate zone has been cooling for the last two years. This appears to coincide with the luminosity cycles of the sun. (not to be confused with sunspot cycles) Our main source of Vitamin D and warmth seems to be following it's consistent 30 year pattern of cooling and warming. The bright cycle of the sun has ended two years ago, and now it is dimming ever so slightly, again. The polar ice caps on Earth and Mars seem to be done receding and are starting the cyclic increasing again. I would suspect that other heavenly objects throughout our solar system are probably experiencing similar effects.
As always, never take my word for fact, and look into NASA's research, Ames, NOAA and other's research. Even look into local professor Dr. Easterbrook's research and Dr. Flora's coral reef research. There are some very telling bits of evidence that suggest that Big Yellow Thing in the sky probably has more of an affect on the Earth's cooling and warming cycles than all of the burned Styrofoam cups in redneck folks' campfires combined. and possibly more than any of our industrial revolution and post industrial revolution activities. (I'm not saying that pollution is a good thing, we need clean air and water and soil to survive, thrive and multiply on this little spinning rock) But the amount of CO2 increasing in the atmosphere is an insignificant amount as it seems that it has only increased some .003% since the industrial revolution and the biggest increases in CO2 seem to coincide with Krakatoa, Pinatubo, St. Helens, etc.
Anyway, I'm going to go start a fire in my woodstove, and enjoy the day. I hope you do too.
It does appear as if motocycle riding is out of the picture today, which is a bummer, as my wife took the day off from work so we could ride through the Skagit valley tulip fields. The last time that I remember snow sticking in April at sea level was while I was overseas in Scandinavia, but that is another story for another day.
It seems that when looking at international weather patterns, that most of the temperate zone has been cooling for the last two years. This appears to coincide with the luminosity cycles of the sun. (not to be confused with sunspot cycles) Our main source of Vitamin D and warmth seems to be following it's consistent 30 year pattern of cooling and warming. The bright cycle of the sun has ended two years ago, and now it is dimming ever so slightly, again. The polar ice caps on Earth and Mars seem to be done receding and are starting the cyclic increasing again. I would suspect that other heavenly objects throughout our solar system are probably experiencing similar effects.
As always, never take my word for fact, and look into NASA's research, Ames, NOAA and other's research. Even look into local professor Dr. Easterbrook's research and Dr. Flora's coral reef research. There are some very telling bits of evidence that suggest that Big Yellow Thing in the sky probably has more of an affect on the Earth's cooling and warming cycles than all of the burned Styrofoam cups in redneck folks' campfires combined. and possibly more than any of our industrial revolution and post industrial revolution activities. (I'm not saying that pollution is a good thing, we need clean air and water and soil to survive, thrive and multiply on this little spinning rock) But the amount of CO2 increasing in the atmosphere is an insignificant amount as it seems that it has only increased some .003% since the industrial revolution and the biggest increases in CO2 seem to coincide with Krakatoa, Pinatubo, St. Helens, etc.
Anyway, I'm going to go start a fire in my woodstove, and enjoy the day. I hope you do too.
Wednesday, February 20, 2008
CHINA AND RUSSIA AGITATED...AGAIN
As I write this, China currently has an orbiter circling the moon, possibly two.
They no longer recognize the United States claim to possession of the moon.
So why would they care if we are going to use a non explosive interceptor type missle from an Aegis Destroyer to shoot down a Spy Sattelite of our own that never functioned properly?
Today we will shatter it into little tiny pieces, instead of letting it potentially come down intact and crash into possibly some populated area.
Is it that we are demonstrating that we can hit something at 150 miles from the surface of the Earth?
Perhaps this is why Russia is agitated, because if successful, it demonstrates that even if we don't deploy early warning systems in Southern Europe, we can still take their stuff down. The Russians have been harrassing our Navy ships aggressivily in International waters recently, and consider our knocking down one of our own satellites aggressive actions.
Do any of our current candidates understand the strategic importance of establishing a colony on the moon?
I'm not talking about tourism, but minerals and gases that are prevalent on the moon.
Many of our current Nuclear physicists claim that Nuclear fusion would be great if we didn't have to repair facilities every five years because of excessive heat and Neutron damage to the interior of test structures.
This brings us to Helium 3, on Earth only a byproduct of Nuclear weapons construction.
On the Moon, Helium 3 is prevelant, potentially making the coloines on the moon the Potential OPEC of the 21st century.
Will the United States bow down to China, India, Japan, Russia, and even the slow old European Union? We will if we elect a president and congress who don't understand the Strategic Importance of the next Decade. Bush has it right on this one, Reagan had it right, But we are behind already. and it's only the the third inning, and most of us don't even know or care that the game is already being played.
Knocking down our Defunct Spy satellite takes on a new meaning now.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/sm3.htm
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/18/asia/spy.php
http://www.chinaview.cn/rygc/index.htm
http://www.asi.org/adb/02/09/he3-intro.html
Yes, I do have tinfoil hats for sale...
They no longer recognize the United States claim to possession of the moon.
So why would they care if we are going to use a non explosive interceptor type missle from an Aegis Destroyer to shoot down a Spy Sattelite of our own that never functioned properly?
Today we will shatter it into little tiny pieces, instead of letting it potentially come down intact and crash into possibly some populated area.
Is it that we are demonstrating that we can hit something at 150 miles from the surface of the Earth?
Perhaps this is why Russia is agitated, because if successful, it demonstrates that even if we don't deploy early warning systems in Southern Europe, we can still take their stuff down. The Russians have been harrassing our Navy ships aggressivily in International waters recently, and consider our knocking down one of our own satellites aggressive actions.
Do any of our current candidates understand the strategic importance of establishing a colony on the moon?
I'm not talking about tourism, but minerals and gases that are prevalent on the moon.
Many of our current Nuclear physicists claim that Nuclear fusion would be great if we didn't have to repair facilities every five years because of excessive heat and Neutron damage to the interior of test structures.
This brings us to Helium 3, on Earth only a byproduct of Nuclear weapons construction.
On the Moon, Helium 3 is prevelant, potentially making the coloines on the moon the Potential OPEC of the 21st century.
Will the United States bow down to China, India, Japan, Russia, and even the slow old European Union? We will if we elect a president and congress who don't understand the Strategic Importance of the next Decade. Bush has it right on this one, Reagan had it right, But we are behind already. and it's only the the third inning, and most of us don't even know or care that the game is already being played.
Knocking down our Defunct Spy satellite takes on a new meaning now.
http://www.globalsecurity.org/space/systems/sm3.htm
http://www.iht.com/articles/2008/02/18/asia/spy.php
http://www.chinaview.cn/rygc/index.htm
http://www.asi.org/adb/02/09/he3-intro.html
Yes, I do have tinfoil hats for sale...
Tuesday, February 12, 2008
NEWS FROM THE FRONTLINES
( Guest writer: gk and LTC CV)
Dear gentle readers -
If you want to read encouraging words out of Iraq - take the time to read this email.
As many of you know, in the past, whenever I get a "first hand" encouraging letter from soldiers who are fighting on the front - I try to forward them, as I believe them to be more accurate then what we are reading in the Main Stream Media. Of course, there is no way to check out these personal letter's accuracy - but whatever, there is no way to check out the MSM's reports either, except to compare each to the other. I prefer to believe the first hand soldier's reports. And by far, even during the worst days of fighting, it seems that the vast majority of these reports were able to see the positive side of the Iraqi situation (ordinary Iraqi's being friendly to our troops/hospitals & schools being rebuilt/opened again, etc.) as opposed to the MSM reports which seem to focus almost exclusively on the negative side (Iraqi's and American Soldiers being killed by roadside bombs, etc). The attached soldier's personal letter also shows this trend.
In any case, mostly, our troop's personal reports are positive, all the MSM reports from the beginning of the Iraqi conflict are negative because the liberal supporting reporters want Pres. Bush and the Iraq/Afghanistan wars to fail. So these kinds of positive personal reports from those that are actually putting their lives on the line, somewhat offset the constant stream of negative news we get out of Iraq/Afghanistan out of the MSM and give some amount of balance.
It is my understanding that for the most part, except a brave few, the MSM reporters are holed up in hotels within the Baghdad "Green Zone" walls - (which is a heavily guarded area containing the American Embassy and the Iraqi Govt) and because of the previous violence prevalent throughout some of the Iraqi Provinces. These American reporters are/have been dependent on Iraqi reporters (stringers who are paid by the article - who as natives - actually go outside the Green Area and return and try to feed the American Reporters what they want to hear - i.e. deaths,failures and bombings, not successes in peace and rebuilding and cooperation). I don't know if the American reporters are now getting out into the field and getting first hand news themselves or not? I doubt it. I can't really blame the American reporters for not risking their skins outside the "Green Zone" because the last I heard, something like 80 some of them from all countries had been killed in the fighting - and that's obviously not what they signed on for! So until it becomes common for our American reporters to actually get out in the country-side and see first hand - the progress, I would suppose we can expect to hear failure, doom & gloom, etc. Sells news papers and provide headlines when people die.
But whatever, this soldier's personal letter is forwarded for whatever it is worth -
I am encouraged also by the fact that about 10 days, one of the top three overall al Qaeda leaders/commander leading the fighting was killed by a predator drone missile along with about a dozen other leaders. The death of Abu Laith al-Libi was reported 1 Feb. on Islamic extremist Web sites and confirmed by an American official, who said the veteran Al Qaeda leader died when a missile from a U.S. Predator drone struck a compound in Pakistan's North Waziristan region late Monday. The U.S. says al-Libi — whose name means "the Libyan" in Arabic — was likely behind a February 2007 bombing at the U.S. base at Bagram in Afghanistan during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney. The attack killed 23 people but Cheney was deep inside the sprawling base and was not hurt. Al-Libi was among the most high-profile figures in Al Qaeda after its leader, Osama bin Laden, and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri.
This is the third? report of the supposed top al Qaeda leader(s) in Iraq/Afghanistan being killed in some way - but it is a hopeful sign (not for the al Qaeda leader(s) of course) when we keep picking off the long time top al Qaeda guy(s), and as new ones come forward. We also have many drones flying over wherever Osama and his henchmen are holed up in caves in the Afghan/Pakistani border area - 24/7 - and sooner or later, these leaders are going to stick their noses out of their caves and get them blown off by a missile too. Course I have been predicting this event now - since summer/fall of 2004, but sooner or later, the very top al Qaeda will be captured/killed too. (Assuming it happens before 20 Jan 2009 or whomever is the next president doesn't cut & run, withdraw from the Iraq/Afghanistan fight)
In other emails, I have said in order for any insurgency to be successful, 3 things are needed.
1. An outside national power(s) funding/supplying/arming the insurgents (In this case the outside parties being Iran/Syria/Russia? etc.)
2. Safe Sanctuaries for the insurgents to hide in between battles.
3. A willing local populous that supports/protects them either willingly or under coercion.
In this letter, the letter writer describe how two of the three above needed conditions being taken away from the al Qaeda insurgents - there are no safe sanctuaries for the insurgents to retreat to and/or hide, they are being targeted and captured and/or killed. And the local populous has become convinced that they can - with immunity - turn in the al Qaeda in their neighborhoods without they themselves being targeted and killed by other uncaptured al Qaeda's. The local's have become convinced that we (Americans) are not going to abandon them and let the al Qaeda come back and kill them for collaborating with the American/Iraqi military.
Although this letter doesn't so state, I read elsewhere - that how we are finding and killing/capturing the al Qaeda/insurgents rooted among the populous in the Baghdad area is that we have directly hired 22,000 Iraqi Militia who we directly pay ourselves. (This has been a problem with earlier efforts where the Iraqi National Forces were hired by the Iraqi Central Govt - we trained them but they didn't get paid - so they would quit after 6 months of no pay and go back home). Anyway, we have hired out own Iraqi Militia - and these militia live and watch their own neighborhoods, man check points and are the "eyes and ears" for our own military. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of checkpoints with these "private" militia working directly for us, and either they - themselves capture the insurgents or let us know where they are, and they are then being captured by either our's or the Iraqi regular military. We also now have American Military and (newly trained) Iraqi National Forces Military working side-by-side and they are now becoming more and more effective in what they do. In fact, I have read that the Iraqi Military have now been given & taken charge of almost all the areas of the country of Iraq in providing security, except in a few remaining hot spots. (17 of 19 provinces?)
I have heard that it is estimated that there only remain 3500 hard core al Qaeda operating in Iraq- I don't know how that figure was arrived at or how good it is? and there are hardly any new foreign fighters/al Qaeda being imported into Iraq as in previous years. Perhaps we have hardened the borders and also, have somehow gotten to these supporting countries, Saudi Arabia, Iran & Syria diplomatically so those importing insurgents are slowing them down? So it seems, what was previously thought to be an endless supply of new insurgent fighters coming into Iraq seems to be abating somewhat. So this goes to the other (third) insurgent requirement, that they be supplied by an outside force, with money/munitions/weapons and fighters. This outside power(s) support seems to be slowing if not stopped too.
And finally, the Iraqi/American's have figured out a way to let those insurgents who formerly were actively fighting the central Iraqi authority & American forces, to turn themselves in and surrender their arms - with some amount of amnesty. And that seems to be working too. In fact, I have heard that former Sunni/Shiite enemies are even being reconciled and even incorporated into the Iraqi National Forces and if they are truly loyal to the National Govt - they probably know exactly who they are and where their former fellow insurgents are holed up, and can find them!
Read the letter, and coupled with my info above, you can interpret what is being said by this soldier/writer. gk
(Here are a few added comments - marked in blue - to clarify the writers cryptic comments and place the names/places mentioned into context.)
(Added. gk - "Summit" refers to this writer's Iraqi area of operations, apparently within the city of Hawijah/surrounds)
(Note Added - gk - Hawijah is an agricultural town of about 50,000, is located 30 miles in the southwest of Kirkuk in Northern Iraq, is considered an old bastion of the Sunni Iraqi resistance. Because the Baghdad area "surge" is killing/capturing many of the Baghdad insurgents - others are fleeing to Hawijah)
(Note: gk - I'm assuming "Cobra" refers to the U.S. Forces which this letter writer commands/is a part of)
(Added: -gk- I'm assuming these "6,000 Iraqi Partners" referred to above are similar to the 22.000 civilian/militia "eyes & ears" types being used to man check points in the Baghdad area - mentioned in my previous comments. Use of these kinds of embedded local militia types denies the al Qaeda being able to blend within the populous because these locally hired Iraqi's know their neighborhoods and who is who and who supports who.)
==================
From LTC Christopher Vanek,
Battalion Commander February 1st, 2008
Dear Summit Friends and Families,
Well folks, we've completed another month in Operation Iraqi Freedom and I can fortunately provide you nothing but incredible news from the front on the accomplishments of your Summit Warriors. We are witnessing historical changes within our district that truly amaze us, while also challenging us to keep up with them.
Our targeting of the terrorist network has down right ripped the guts out of Al Qaeda in Hawijah. - In the past 4 weeks, we've detained or killed 5 of the top 10 Brigade High Value Targets. Additionally we have captured hundreds of terrorist fighters and in just the past 2 weeks, we've achieved an 85% target capture rate when going after a specific individual. I would challenge anyone in history to compete with this.
More importantly, the enemy has taken notice and we continue to see them either attempt to surrender in our reconciliation effort, or flee our district.
Violence in January dropped 80% or more in our district. We go weeks at a time now without a violent attack against our Soldiers. This is significant because as you might recall, it was just a couple of months ago when our Blacksheep would sustain multiple attacks every night in Hawijah, and anytime the Cobra's entered in Abassi, they were attacked with grenades and IED's. In fact, it was suicidal in October to drive thru Hawijah during daylight, now we walk the streets freely greeting our neighbors with smiles and handshakes.
Today we conducted our second Reconciliation Gathering and this was even more successful than the initial one with 42 terrorists coming forward to lay their arms down and join the peace process. We expect this number to continue to grow exponentially as the Government of Iraq informally approves of this path to peace. We will continue to pursue every avenue possible through lethal actions against our enemies or by making offerings for amnesty to those deserving.
Many of you are probably either not believing what we are achieving or are in disbelief because of what the media reports. I cannot tell you the media misleads anyone because we have less of a perspective of the comprehensive situation in Iraq than you probably do. But we can speak for the Area of Operations Summit in which we are responsible.
There are three primary reasons for the success we've achieved. First, our lethal targeting has evolved to PhD level effectiveness. Our Soldiers are capturing their intended targets every single day with a level of success no one could have asked for. Secondly, the formation of the Awakening or Concerned Local Citizens within AO Summit has emplaced over 6,000 Iraqi partners in our AO. This required tremendous effort and hard work from your loved ones. But it's paid off in lives saved, terrorists captured, IED's discovered and caches turned in on a daily basis. There is literally no where for the enemy to hide right now.
Finally, and most importantly, the daily discipline and honor that your Soldier's display cannot be measured in effectiveness, yet the results are indisputable. As I told you earlier this month, every local I encounter makes it a point to tell me how much they appreciate the kindness, yet firmness our Soldiers display to the people of Iraq. Our Soldiers have or are winning the hearts and minds every single day.
Obviously not everything is positive. All of us miss our loved ones and desire to return to you as quickly as possible. But we remain resolute in seeing our mission completed. And having been involved in this fight for almost 7 years now, I've never been part of a team that was winning as much as this team is, and the sense of optimism is rapidly growing.
We couldn't do this without your support. Whether it is our spouses sending the Iraqi children toys, or the Allen family visiting our hero SPC Camacho in the hospital in Richmond, the acts of kindness and generosity remain truly inspirational.
The winds of success could rapidly shift from our favor, but we currently enjoy a sail full of momentum and look forward to our continued successes on the battlefield.
To The Top!
Chris
===============================
For those interested, here is another story penned by LTC Vanek:
http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/01/11/6969-commentary-american-soldier-remains-nations-ultimate-weapon/
Lt Col Christopher Vanek commands the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Battalion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Battalion,_87th_Infantry_Battalion_(United_States)
===================================
(Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm’s way around the world, and for their families— Of all the gifts you can give them, PRAYER is the best!) gk
Dear gentle readers -
If you want to read encouraging words out of Iraq - take the time to read this email.
As many of you know, in the past, whenever I get a "first hand" encouraging letter from soldiers who are fighting on the front - I try to forward them, as I believe them to be more accurate then what we are reading in the Main Stream Media. Of course, there is no way to check out these personal letter's accuracy - but whatever, there is no way to check out the MSM's reports either, except to compare each to the other. I prefer to believe the first hand soldier's reports. And by far, even during the worst days of fighting, it seems that the vast majority of these reports were able to see the positive side of the Iraqi situation (ordinary Iraqi's being friendly to our troops/hospitals & schools being rebuilt/opened again, etc.) as opposed to the MSM reports which seem to focus almost exclusively on the negative side (Iraqi's and American Soldiers being killed by roadside bombs, etc). The attached soldier's personal letter also shows this trend.
In any case, mostly, our troop's personal reports are positive, all the MSM reports from the beginning of the Iraqi conflict are negative because the liberal supporting reporters want Pres. Bush and the Iraq/Afghanistan wars to fail. So these kinds of positive personal reports from those that are actually putting their lives on the line, somewhat offset the constant stream of negative news we get out of Iraq/Afghanistan out of the MSM and give some amount of balance.
It is my understanding that for the most part, except a brave few, the MSM reporters are holed up in hotels within the Baghdad "Green Zone" walls - (which is a heavily guarded area containing the American Embassy and the Iraqi Govt) and because of the previous violence prevalent throughout some of the Iraqi Provinces. These American reporters are/have been dependent on Iraqi reporters (stringers who are paid by the article - who as natives - actually go outside the Green Area and return and try to feed the American Reporters what they want to hear - i.e. deaths,failures and bombings, not successes in peace and rebuilding and cooperation). I don't know if the American reporters are now getting out into the field and getting first hand news themselves or not? I doubt it. I can't really blame the American reporters for not risking their skins outside the "Green Zone" because the last I heard, something like 80 some of them from all countries had been killed in the fighting - and that's obviously not what they signed on for! So until it becomes common for our American reporters to actually get out in the country-side and see first hand - the progress, I would suppose we can expect to hear failure, doom & gloom, etc. Sells news papers and provide headlines when people die.
But whatever, this soldier's personal letter is forwarded for whatever it is worth -
I am encouraged also by the fact that about 10 days, one of the top three overall al Qaeda leaders/commander leading the fighting was killed by a predator drone missile along with about a dozen other leaders. The death of Abu Laith al-Libi was reported 1 Feb. on Islamic extremist Web sites and confirmed by an American official, who said the veteran Al Qaeda leader died when a missile from a U.S. Predator drone struck a compound in Pakistan's North Waziristan region late Monday. The U.S. says al-Libi — whose name means "the Libyan" in Arabic — was likely behind a February 2007 bombing at the U.S. base at Bagram in Afghanistan during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney. The attack killed 23 people but Cheney was deep inside the sprawling base and was not hurt. Al-Libi was among the most high-profile figures in Al Qaeda after its leader, Osama bin Laden, and his deputy Ayman al-Zawahri.
This is the third? report of the supposed top al Qaeda leader(s) in Iraq/Afghanistan being killed in some way - but it is a hopeful sign (not for the al Qaeda leader(s) of course) when we keep picking off the long time top al Qaeda guy(s), and as new ones come forward. We also have many drones flying over wherever Osama and his henchmen are holed up in caves in the Afghan/Pakistani border area - 24/7 - and sooner or later, these leaders are going to stick their noses out of their caves and get them blown off by a missile too. Course I have been predicting this event now - since summer/fall of 2004, but sooner or later, the very top al Qaeda will be captured/killed too. (Assuming it happens before 20 Jan 2009 or whomever is the next president doesn't cut & run, withdraw from the Iraq/Afghanistan fight)
In other emails, I have said in order for any insurgency to be successful, 3 things are needed.
1. An outside national power(s) funding/supplying/arming the insurgents (In this case the outside parties being Iran/Syria/Russia? etc.)
2. Safe Sanctuaries for the insurgents to hide in between battles.
3. A willing local populous that supports/protects them either willingly or under coercion.
In this letter, the letter writer describe how two of the three above needed conditions being taken away from the al Qaeda insurgents - there are no safe sanctuaries for the insurgents to retreat to and/or hide, they are being targeted and captured and/or killed. And the local populous has become convinced that they can - with immunity - turn in the al Qaeda in their neighborhoods without they themselves being targeted and killed by other uncaptured al Qaeda's. The local's have become convinced that we (Americans) are not going to abandon them and let the al Qaeda come back and kill them for collaborating with the American/Iraqi military.
Although this letter doesn't so state, I read elsewhere - that how we are finding and killing/capturing the al Qaeda/insurgents rooted among the populous in the Baghdad area is that we have directly hired 22,000 Iraqi Militia who we directly pay ourselves. (This has been a problem with earlier efforts where the Iraqi National Forces were hired by the Iraqi Central Govt - we trained them but they didn't get paid - so they would quit after 6 months of no pay and go back home). Anyway, we have hired out own Iraqi Militia - and these militia live and watch their own neighborhoods, man check points and are the "eyes and ears" for our own military. There are hundreds, maybe thousands of checkpoints with these "private" militia working directly for us, and either they - themselves capture the insurgents or let us know where they are, and they are then being captured by either our's or the Iraqi regular military. We also now have American Military and (newly trained) Iraqi National Forces Military working side-by-side and they are now becoming more and more effective in what they do. In fact, I have read that the Iraqi Military have now been given & taken charge of almost all the areas of the country of Iraq in providing security, except in a few remaining hot spots. (17 of 19 provinces?)
I have heard that it is estimated that there only remain 3500 hard core al Qaeda operating in Iraq- I don't know how that figure was arrived at or how good it is? and there are hardly any new foreign fighters/al Qaeda being imported into Iraq as in previous years. Perhaps we have hardened the borders and also, have somehow gotten to these supporting countries, Saudi Arabia, Iran & Syria diplomatically so those importing insurgents are slowing them down? So it seems, what was previously thought to be an endless supply of new insurgent fighters coming into Iraq seems to be abating somewhat. So this goes to the other (third) insurgent requirement, that they be supplied by an outside force, with money/munitions/weapons and fighters. This outside power(s) support seems to be slowing if not stopped too.
And finally, the Iraqi/American's have figured out a way to let those insurgents who formerly were actively fighting the central Iraqi authority & American forces, to turn themselves in and surrender their arms - with some amount of amnesty. And that seems to be working too. In fact, I have heard that former Sunni/Shiite enemies are even being reconciled and even incorporated into the Iraqi National Forces and if they are truly loyal to the National Govt - they probably know exactly who they are and where their former fellow insurgents are holed up, and can find them!
Read the letter, and coupled with my info above, you can interpret what is being said by this soldier/writer. gk
(Here are a few added comments - marked in blue - to clarify the writers cryptic comments and place the names/places mentioned into context.)
(Added. gk - "Summit" refers to this writer's Iraqi area of operations, apparently within the city of Hawijah/surrounds)
(Note Added - gk - Hawijah is an agricultural town of about 50,000, is located 30 miles in the southwest of Kirkuk in Northern Iraq, is considered an old bastion of the Sunni Iraqi resistance. Because the Baghdad area "surge" is killing/capturing many of the Baghdad insurgents - others are fleeing to Hawijah)
(Note: gk - I'm assuming "Cobra" refers to the U.S. Forces which this letter writer commands/is a part of)
(Added: -gk- I'm assuming these "6,000 Iraqi Partners" referred to above are similar to the 22.000 civilian/militia "eyes & ears" types being used to man check points in the Baghdad area - mentioned in my previous comments. Use of these kinds of embedded local militia types denies the al Qaeda being able to blend within the populous because these locally hired Iraqi's know their neighborhoods and who is who and who supports who.)
==================
From LTC Christopher Vanek,
Battalion Commander February 1st, 2008
Dear Summit Friends and Families,
Well folks, we've completed another month in Operation Iraqi Freedom and I can fortunately provide you nothing but incredible news from the front on the accomplishments of your Summit Warriors. We are witnessing historical changes within our district that truly amaze us, while also challenging us to keep up with them.
Our targeting of the terrorist network has down right ripped the guts out of Al Qaeda in Hawijah. - In the past 4 weeks, we've detained or killed 5 of the top 10 Brigade High Value Targets. Additionally we have captured hundreds of terrorist fighters and in just the past 2 weeks, we've achieved an 85% target capture rate when going after a specific individual. I would challenge anyone in history to compete with this.
More importantly, the enemy has taken notice and we continue to see them either attempt to surrender in our reconciliation effort, or flee our district.
Violence in January dropped 80% or more in our district. We go weeks at a time now without a violent attack against our Soldiers. This is significant because as you might recall, it was just a couple of months ago when our Blacksheep would sustain multiple attacks every night in Hawijah, and anytime the Cobra's entered in Abassi, they were attacked with grenades and IED's. In fact, it was suicidal in October to drive thru Hawijah during daylight, now we walk the streets freely greeting our neighbors with smiles and handshakes.
Today we conducted our second Reconciliation Gathering and this was even more successful than the initial one with 42 terrorists coming forward to lay their arms down and join the peace process. We expect this number to continue to grow exponentially as the Government of Iraq informally approves of this path to peace. We will continue to pursue every avenue possible through lethal actions against our enemies or by making offerings for amnesty to those deserving.
Many of you are probably either not believing what we are achieving or are in disbelief because of what the media reports. I cannot tell you the media misleads anyone because we have less of a perspective of the comprehensive situation in Iraq than you probably do. But we can speak for the Area of Operations Summit in which we are responsible.
There are three primary reasons for the success we've achieved. First, our lethal targeting has evolved to PhD level effectiveness. Our Soldiers are capturing their intended targets every single day with a level of success no one could have asked for. Secondly, the formation of the Awakening or Concerned Local Citizens within AO Summit has emplaced over 6,000 Iraqi partners in our AO. This required tremendous effort and hard work from your loved ones. But it's paid off in lives saved, terrorists captured, IED's discovered and caches turned in on a daily basis. There is literally no where for the enemy to hide right now.
Finally, and most importantly, the daily discipline and honor that your Soldier's display cannot be measured in effectiveness, yet the results are indisputable. As I told you earlier this month, every local I encounter makes it a point to tell me how much they appreciate the kindness, yet firmness our Soldiers display to the people of Iraq. Our Soldiers have or are winning the hearts and minds every single day.
Obviously not everything is positive. All of us miss our loved ones and desire to return to you as quickly as possible. But we remain resolute in seeing our mission completed. And having been involved in this fight for almost 7 years now, I've never been part of a team that was winning as much as this team is, and the sense of optimism is rapidly growing.
We couldn't do this without your support. Whether it is our spouses sending the Iraqi children toys, or the Allen family visiting our hero SPC Camacho in the hospital in Richmond, the acts of kindness and generosity remain truly inspirational.
The winds of success could rapidly shift from our favor, but we currently enjoy a sail full of momentum and look forward to our continued successes on the battlefield.
To The Top!
Chris
===============================
For those interested, here is another story penned by LTC Vanek:
http://www.army.mil/-news/2008/01/11/6969-commentary-american-soldier-remains-nations-ultimate-weapon/
Lt Col Christopher Vanek commands the 1st Battalion, 87th Infantry Battalion.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1st_Battalion,_87th_Infantry_Battalion_(United_States)
===================================
(Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm’s way around the world, and for their families— Of all the gifts you can give them, PRAYER is the best!) gk
Monday, December 3, 2007
NEW SAUDI UNIVERSITY (guest writer: gk)
(Get ready for a good read. This is why I look forward to contributions from "the real" gk. Writers like him means you read less of my ignorance... -Dexter.)
New Saudi University
To: Old Saudi Co-Workers/Friends and interested others-
I don't often write about my years in Saudi Arabia - so this is an unusual article for me - I am expressing a lot of closely held "hunches" in this article - but these thoughts expressed here - have been bouncing around in my mind for a long time - I might be all wet in my theories expressed here- but from everything I have been seeing/reading and with my fairly wide world-view - life's experiences - having lived all over the world and especially my nearly 20 years in the Middle-East - I think I'm pretty close in my analysis's.
I got an email this morning from an old co-worker friend from Saudi Arabia - who was surprised that the present King Abdullah - would agree to building a new Science University in Saudi - albeit - it is being built on the huge ARAMCO compound which is not open to the usual Saudi population - it is actually the oil company's huge compound - about like a medium sized American City - with all the usual city business's/schools/housing, etc. They even have little league teams that have competed in the world's little league champions. There are people who live their whole careers on this compound- raise their families there, etc. But it is open to Saudi's that have a reason to go out there, and it would be my best guess that this is the King's way to put a quasi - Saudi University in Saudi that is not religious - and get his foot in the door on providing some alternative education to young Saudi's to the present totally religious colleges in Saudi.
I am sending this (email)article primarily to old Saudi acquaintances or those that have the sophistication/world knowledge to understand what I'm talking about - as most people simply don't have the knowledge of the Middle -East/Islam/Saudi Arabia/etc. to appreciate what I am saying here - the ordinary person doesn't even know there are three main sects in the Islamic world and they kill each other just as readily as they kill infidels! Don't get me started, just read this email - and if you'd like to comment on my half baked theories - I'd like to hear that too - especially you old Saudi hands that experienced the same things I did. gk
SEE:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/world/middleeast/26saudi.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
(the rest of this doesn't make sense if you don't read the above website article)
The King's attitude doesn't surprise me! Let me explain!
You recall toward the last of our King Khalid Intl Airport (KKIA) project - that there was a new huge University being built right outside the airport gate? I watched that progress with great interest over my Saudi years and here's my own take on it. I haven't done any research on this - but I lived it -so don't think I have to - but a lot of this that follows is just my in-country educated guess!
I don't know how closely you followed Saudi politics, but being a political junkie (I study politics on the internet 4-8 hours a day) and I knew then/know a lot now about Saudi politics.
During the years you and I were there - the then King Fahd (now his half- brother Abdullah - even then I think was really running things) was being attacked by the radical right Wahabbi kooks/mullah's because many of the Mullah's were Wahabbi's while the King and his crowd are Sunni's. O
It's even plausible that the Sunni sect is/has actually become a minority in Saudi while the radical Wahabbi's are a majority, but that information regarding sect's percentage is not readily available.
(As you are aware, among the Muslims' there are three sects, the Wahabbi's, which are the most radical of Islam's fundamentalists, (Osama bin Laden) is a Wahabbi/Saudi, and as are the Taliban's who want Sharia Law to be the law of (all) the land; the Sunni's, of which the King and his court are, and also, Saddam was a Sunni, etc.; and the Shiites, which is what the majority of the Iranian Ayatollah's are - and that country's population. Also the majority of the Iraqi's are Shiite's.) (Lots of in-fighting among the Muslim sects - but the MSM doesn't even seem aware of this - they just think all Muslims are the same!)
But King Fahd (later replaced by his half-brother Abdullah), countered these Wahabbi nut jobs/Mullah's by promising them if they didn't overthrow him - he would build them 3 major universities in the 3 major cities/Riyadh/ Jeddah/Dhahran for them- appease them in other words - and maybe these radical fundamentalists nut-jobs would let up on trying to overthrow him. These are my words and my take- I haven't seen this in so many words, but reading the Saudi English news papers of the time and reading between the lines, this was obviously what was happening. (to me.)
The University near the King Khalid Intl Airport was one of these three. I think this university construction begin in 1984ish not long after the Airport began construction in 1982-3. I used to drive by that Riyadh University construction everyday - as did you, on my way to town and back - and watch their progress with great interest - it was all big/breathtaking/marble and beautiful! At the height of it's construction - you had Korean workers running around like ants - crawling all over everything - equipment everywhere - must have been at least 10 thousand workers, maybe as many as 15 thousand of them! They were really putting that place up fast, considering its huge scope and the number of buildings! It was impressive - still is - puts most of our biggest university campus's to shame - beautiful buildings and an integrated planned campus/all the buildings look alike, etc. - not a hodge podge of different structure styles/era's - like most of our universities - built over several generations or even over a 100 years. Covered several square miles.
At some point during these three university's construction - I think one of the then King's advisors said - "hey - I wonder if we need to rethink this university thing" "When these universities are built, we are going to have a large group of young radical students - lead by the crazy Wahabbi Mullah's, who are all going to be whipping these (5000) students up into religious fervor - all of which is going to focus on overthrowing the King - there is going to be rioting in the streets of Riyadh/other cities and we are going to have a mess on our hands!" Hummmm! What to do?
That's my guess. Cuz for about two -three years in the late 80's, you could drive by what looked like a fully completed huge campus full of buildings! (from the outside anyway) - and see one pick-up truck in front of one building on this whole huge campus - maybe (one) an electrician's truck - and everything else was literally dead as a doorknob! As they usually do when a project is completed - all the huge/vast temporary construction camps/housing was torn down and gone/empty fields - the thousands of workers back in Korea or other projects, and not a soul to be seen for a couple years on that whole campus! Very mysterious!
It would be my further guess that the then King Fahd/his brother - decided to drag his feet on completing the campus and allowing this group of crazy Mullah's to get going on their further radical crusades (to overthrow him and install Wahabbi/Taliban style govt in Saudi and of course - the world!) I guess he concluded that he was shooting himself in the foot! So (my further guess) he probably came up with every excuse in the world as to why the campus was not fit for occupying as yet - "It needs air-conditioning/lights/whatever." That college was still not open when I left in late 1988. But my guess would be that he had to eventually open it. And of course, the Wahabbi Mullah's started cranking out young Wahabbi radicals by the thousands and the rest is history! We are reading about their terrorist handiwork everyday in the World's headlines as they spread their hate and violence throughout the world - terrorist attacks killing innocents/infidels, etc.
Now what I read between the world's headlines - is these three universities are what is cranking out all the terrorist crazies through-out the Muslim world and what is behind all the Taliban style stuff that is going on. Although no one else that I have read in the MSM has made this connection - all 19 of the 9-11 terrorists were Saudi's and were cycled through Saudi Arabian visa depts., it would be my best guess that all of these 9-11 suicide terrorists were students/graduates of these Saudi Wahabbi Universities - and were trained by the radical Wahabbi Mullahs - I heard that Osama himownself - is a Saudi Wahabbi - might be an early product of these Universities? I don't know any of these statements to be fact - but it wouldn't surprise me. Many if not most of the insurgents in Iraq - are Saudi transplants, and my further guess would be that these crazies are being cranked out and sent out of the Saudi Wahabbi Universities, that going into the field as terrorist's is their graduate course - to go serve in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Pakistan is being plagued right now with Wahabbi crazies rioting - etc. Pakistan's military dictator - General Pervez Musharraf is hanging on by his toenails trying to stay alive and these Wahabbi crazies are trying their best to assassinate him. This is one of the reasons we haven't been able to nail the most famous Wahabbi of all - Osama - as that country's large Wahabbi population, doesn't want him to be caught. It was the Wahabbi's that installed the Taliban govt in Afghanistan - and are fighting tooth and nail to re-install it.
So, it doesn't surprise me that King Abdullah is trying with this clever ploy - building this scientific university to counter the present dominance of the three Wahabbi Universities that his deceased brother got snookered into building. I bet the Saudi Royalty rue the day that they agreed to that deal! And it has far reaching effects, IMHO world-wide. It wouldn't even surprise me if the 9-11 plot was originally hatched and directed by the clever devils/Mullahs/Professors running those Saudi universities! I simply can't believe that Osama is that smart-but if you have a college(s) of those clever devils hatching plots - that would make sense to me! And these university Mullah/professors continue to pull the strings on all the terrorism and unrest that is going on in the various countries around the world - especially in those like Iraq/Afghanistan/Pakistan, etc. Or at least - are providing the intellect/planning behind a lot of the terrorism/what is going on world-wide.
Course the King keeps things/Wahabbi crazies under control in Saudi Arabia by being totally ruthless. He controls the Saudi Army and he simply kills anyone who even looks like they are going to give him grief - so these University Mullah's know it and watch themselves in Saudi - but that doesn't keep them from making mischief world-wide and I would bet a lot - that they spent a lot of time doing exactly that!
So that's my half-baked political theory on what's behind a lot of what's going on in the Muslim World - the Wahabbi's/Saudi Universities/staff/students are behind a lot of this terrorism - in their fervor to spread their particular brand of Islama-fascist sect and Sharia Govt over all the world.
So the King is trying to put up a Saudi University that shows some moderation, so eventually - maybe the Saudi young people will have a moderate (alternative) university to go to that is not bent on overthrowing him and might even forward Saudi scientific knowledge which is now completely lacking - and perhaps moderate the influence of the three radical Wahabbi lead Universities - it would be in his (King's) best interests to do this - in fact - might be the key to his survival - as the Wahabbi Mullah crazies would love to overthrow the King and his royal family, the Wahabbi's would (if they thought they could) kill all the royal family! And replace them with themselves - these Saudi Wahabbi Mullahs would then be like the Ayatollahs in Iran except the Ayatollah's are Shiites.
What do you think of my half-baked theories - I'm usually not much of a conspiracy nut - but I think this one (that I have never expressed before) is very plausible? gk
======================================
(Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm’s way around the world, and for their families— Of all the gifts you can give them, PRAYER is the best!) gk.
New Saudi University
To: Old Saudi Co-Workers/Friends and interested others-
I don't often write about my years in Saudi Arabia - so this is an unusual article for me - I am expressing a lot of closely held "hunches" in this article - but these thoughts expressed here - have been bouncing around in my mind for a long time - I might be all wet in my theories expressed here- but from everything I have been seeing/reading and with my fairly wide world-view - life's experiences - having lived all over the world and especially my nearly 20 years in the Middle-East - I think I'm pretty close in my analysis's.
I got an email this morning from an old co-worker friend from Saudi Arabia - who was surprised that the present King Abdullah - would agree to building a new Science University in Saudi - albeit - it is being built on the huge ARAMCO compound which is not open to the usual Saudi population - it is actually the oil company's huge compound - about like a medium sized American City - with all the usual city business's/schools/housing, etc. They even have little league teams that have competed in the world's little league champions. There are people who live their whole careers on this compound- raise their families there, etc. But it is open to Saudi's that have a reason to go out there, and it would be my best guess that this is the King's way to put a quasi - Saudi University in Saudi that is not religious - and get his foot in the door on providing some alternative education to young Saudi's to the present totally religious colleges in Saudi.
I am sending this (email)article primarily to old Saudi acquaintances or those that have the sophistication/world knowledge to understand what I'm talking about - as most people simply don't have the knowledge of the Middle -East/Islam/Saudi Arabia/etc. to appreciate what I am saying here - the ordinary person doesn't even know there are three main sects in the Islamic world and they kill each other just as readily as they kill infidels! Don't get me started, just read this email - and if you'd like to comment on my half baked theories - I'd like to hear that too - especially you old Saudi hands that experienced the same things I did. gk
SEE:
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/26/world/middleeast/26saudi.html?_r=2&pagewanted=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
(the rest of this doesn't make sense if you don't read the above website article)
The King's attitude doesn't surprise me! Let me explain!
You recall toward the last of our King Khalid Intl Airport (KKIA) project - that there was a new huge University being built right outside the airport gate? I watched that progress with great interest over my Saudi years and here's my own take on it. I haven't done any research on this - but I lived it -so don't think I have to - but a lot of this that follows is just my in-country educated guess!
I don't know how closely you followed Saudi politics, but being a political junkie (I study politics on the internet 4-8 hours a day) and I knew then/know a lot now about Saudi politics.
During the years you and I were there - the then King Fahd (now his half- brother Abdullah - even then I think was really running things) was being attacked by the radical right Wahabbi kooks/mullah's because many of the Mullah's were Wahabbi's while the King and his crowd are Sunni's. O
It's even plausible that the Sunni sect is/has actually become a minority in Saudi while the radical Wahabbi's are a majority, but that information regarding sect's percentage is not readily available.
(As you are aware, among the Muslims' there are three sects, the Wahabbi's, which are the most radical of Islam's fundamentalists, (Osama bin Laden) is a Wahabbi/Saudi, and as are the Taliban's who want Sharia Law to be the law of (all) the land; the Sunni's, of which the King and his court are, and also, Saddam was a Sunni, etc.; and the Shiites, which is what the majority of the Iranian Ayatollah's are - and that country's population. Also the majority of the Iraqi's are Shiite's.) (Lots of in-fighting among the Muslim sects - but the MSM doesn't even seem aware of this - they just think all Muslims are the same!)
But King Fahd (later replaced by his half-brother Abdullah), countered these Wahabbi nut jobs/Mullah's by promising them if they didn't overthrow him - he would build them 3 major universities in the 3 major cities/Riyadh/ Jeddah/Dhahran for them- appease them in other words - and maybe these radical fundamentalists nut-jobs would let up on trying to overthrow him. These are my words and my take- I haven't seen this in so many words, but reading the Saudi English news papers of the time and reading between the lines, this was obviously what was happening. (to me.)
The University near the King Khalid Intl Airport was one of these three. I think this university construction begin in 1984ish not long after the Airport began construction in 1982-3. I used to drive by that Riyadh University construction everyday - as did you, on my way to town and back - and watch their progress with great interest - it was all big/breathtaking/marble and beautiful! At the height of it's construction - you had Korean workers running around like ants - crawling all over everything - equipment everywhere - must have been at least 10 thousand workers, maybe as many as 15 thousand of them! They were really putting that place up fast, considering its huge scope and the number of buildings! It was impressive - still is - puts most of our biggest university campus's to shame - beautiful buildings and an integrated planned campus/all the buildings look alike, etc. - not a hodge podge of different structure styles/era's - like most of our universities - built over several generations or even over a 100 years. Covered several square miles.
At some point during these three university's construction - I think one of the then King's advisors said - "hey - I wonder if we need to rethink this university thing" "When these universities are built, we are going to have a large group of young radical students - lead by the crazy Wahabbi Mullah's, who are all going to be whipping these (5000) students up into religious fervor - all of which is going to focus on overthrowing the King - there is going to be rioting in the streets of Riyadh/other cities and we are going to have a mess on our hands!" Hummmm! What to do?
That's my guess. Cuz for about two -three years in the late 80's, you could drive by what looked like a fully completed huge campus full of buildings! (from the outside anyway) - and see one pick-up truck in front of one building on this whole huge campus - maybe (one) an electrician's truck - and everything else was literally dead as a doorknob! As they usually do when a project is completed - all the huge/vast temporary construction camps/housing was torn down and gone/empty fields - the thousands of workers back in Korea or other projects, and not a soul to be seen for a couple years on that whole campus! Very mysterious!
It would be my further guess that the then King Fahd/his brother - decided to drag his feet on completing the campus and allowing this group of crazy Mullah's to get going on their further radical crusades (to overthrow him and install Wahabbi/Taliban style govt in Saudi and of course - the world!) I guess he concluded that he was shooting himself in the foot! So (my further guess) he probably came up with every excuse in the world as to why the campus was not fit for occupying as yet - "It needs air-conditioning/lights/whatever." That college was still not open when I left in late 1988. But my guess would be that he had to eventually open it. And of course, the Wahabbi Mullah's started cranking out young Wahabbi radicals by the thousands and the rest is history! We are reading about their terrorist handiwork everyday in the World's headlines as they spread their hate and violence throughout the world - terrorist attacks killing innocents/infidels, etc.
Now what I read between the world's headlines - is these three universities are what is cranking out all the terrorist crazies through-out the Muslim world and what is behind all the Taliban style stuff that is going on. Although no one else that I have read in the MSM has made this connection - all 19 of the 9-11 terrorists were Saudi's and were cycled through Saudi Arabian visa depts., it would be my best guess that all of these 9-11 suicide terrorists were students/graduates of these Saudi Wahabbi Universities - and were trained by the radical Wahabbi Mullahs - I heard that Osama himownself - is a Saudi Wahabbi - might be an early product of these Universities? I don't know any of these statements to be fact - but it wouldn't surprise me. Many if not most of the insurgents in Iraq - are Saudi transplants, and my further guess would be that these crazies are being cranked out and sent out of the Saudi Wahabbi Universities, that going into the field as terrorist's is their graduate course - to go serve in Iraq or Afghanistan.
Pakistan is being plagued right now with Wahabbi crazies rioting - etc. Pakistan's military dictator - General Pervez Musharraf is hanging on by his toenails trying to stay alive and these Wahabbi crazies are trying their best to assassinate him. This is one of the reasons we haven't been able to nail the most famous Wahabbi of all - Osama - as that country's large Wahabbi population, doesn't want him to be caught. It was the Wahabbi's that installed the Taliban govt in Afghanistan - and are fighting tooth and nail to re-install it.
So, it doesn't surprise me that King Abdullah is trying with this clever ploy - building this scientific university to counter the present dominance of the three Wahabbi Universities that his deceased brother got snookered into building. I bet the Saudi Royalty rue the day that they agreed to that deal! And it has far reaching effects, IMHO world-wide. It wouldn't even surprise me if the 9-11 plot was originally hatched and directed by the clever devils/Mullahs/Professors running those Saudi universities! I simply can't believe that Osama is that smart-but if you have a college(s) of those clever devils hatching plots - that would make sense to me! And these university Mullah/professors continue to pull the strings on all the terrorism and unrest that is going on in the various countries around the world - especially in those like Iraq/Afghanistan/Pakistan, etc. Or at least - are providing the intellect/planning behind a lot of the terrorism/what is going on world-wide.
Course the King keeps things/Wahabbi crazies under control in Saudi Arabia by being totally ruthless. He controls the Saudi Army and he simply kills anyone who even looks like they are going to give him grief - so these University Mullah's know it and watch themselves in Saudi - but that doesn't keep them from making mischief world-wide and I would bet a lot - that they spent a lot of time doing exactly that!
So that's my half-baked political theory on what's behind a lot of what's going on in the Muslim World - the Wahabbi's/Saudi Universities/staff/students are behind a lot of this terrorism - in their fervor to spread their particular brand of Islama-fascist sect and Sharia Govt over all the world.
So the King is trying to put up a Saudi University that shows some moderation, so eventually - maybe the Saudi young people will have a moderate (alternative) university to go to that is not bent on overthrowing him and might even forward Saudi scientific knowledge which is now completely lacking - and perhaps moderate the influence of the three radical Wahabbi lead Universities - it would be in his (King's) best interests to do this - in fact - might be the key to his survival - as the Wahabbi Mullah crazies would love to overthrow the King and his royal family, the Wahabbi's would (if they thought they could) kill all the royal family! And replace them with themselves - these Saudi Wahabbi Mullahs would then be like the Ayatollahs in Iran except the Ayatollah's are Shiites.
What do you think of my half-baked theories - I'm usually not much of a conspiracy nut - but I think this one (that I have never expressed before) is very plausible? gk
======================================
(Please pray for our Patriot Armed Forces standing in harm’s way around the world, and for their families— Of all the gifts you can give them, PRAYER is the best!) gk.
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