Patriot Post Vol. 08 No. 37 | 12 September 2008
NATIONAL SECURITY
Warfront with Jihadistan: Cover blown
The New York Times published more classified information on its front page this week, announcing, “President Bush secretly approved orders in July that for the first time allows American Special Operations forces to carry out ground assaults inside Pakistan without the prior approval of the Pakistani government.” Well, the operation was secret. And necessary. Pakistani villages along the Afghan border have long been staging points for terrorist attacks, as well as strongholds for al-Qa’ida. It is believed that Osama bin Laden is living in a cave in the area. Pakistani officials will be notified, but not asked, when ground operations are conducted by U.S. Special Forces. In order to win in Afghanistan, such operations are critical.
The Times initially reported a debate about such actions in June, when it noted that State Department officials opposed Pentagon officials who wanted to conduct operations in Pakistan. It was probably an Obama supporter in the State Department who leaked the information to The Times. Finally, the information was released on, of all days, the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. It might be that during a future terrorist attack, the safest place in New York will be the New York Times building.
From Russia, with... bombers?
On Wednesday a pair of Russian Air Force Tu-160 Blackjack bombers flew from Russia to Venezuela, the longest flight by Russian planes since 1990. (Military buffs may notice an oddity if they can find photos of the Blackjack—Russia has retained the old Soviet Red Star marking on its Air Force aircraft for old times’ sake.) The planes’ flight comes just days after Venezuelan thug-leader Hugo Chavez announced that he had invited the Russians to participate in a joint naval exercise scheduled for November, and just a week after Russia expressed displeasure over the presence of U.S. Navy and Coast Guard ships in the Black Sea.
While not exactly significant militarily, this week’s events are the latest in a series of political tussles involving Russia. First it was the dust-up over U.S. missile defenses going into Poland. Then it was Russia invading Georgia on the pretense of protecting Russian citizens, and now a military show in the Caribbean basin with a like-minded minor country that shares Russia’s antipathy toward the United States. While it is premature to fret that the Cold War has returned, Chavez is certainly following the path blazed nearly 60 years ago by Fidel Castro in seeking out a major sponsor and arms supplier in Moscow. However, it is also worth noting the business angle involved here: Russia has recently sold Venezuela advanced SU-30 MK2 fighter jets and reportedly has offered to sell the St. Petersburg class of submarines, the newest and most sophisticated diesel submarine in the world. The November naval exercise may be Russia’s opportunity to close the deal on the subs. No word yet on whether Russia intends to move nuclear-tipped missiles into Venezuela.
Marine acquitted; law second-guessed
On 29 August, former Marine Jose Luis Nazario Jr. was acquitted of war crimes allegedly committed in Iraq after the civilian jury failed to find any convincing evidence against him. Nazario was the first military veteran to be prosecuted by U.S. attorneys under the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act of 2000, which allows prosecution of civilian contractors who commit crimes while working for the U.S. government overseas, as well as military personnel who have already completed their term of military service.
Nazario was accused of shooting four unarmed Iraqi detainees in Fallujah during the intense fighting there in 2004, but the government prosecutors presented no bodies, identities, crime scene items, or forensic evidence to the jury. According to one juror, there weren’t any “real witnesses” either. Members of the civilian jury said they did not feel qualified to judge the actions of a soldier in a dangerous combat environment, and some of them hugged Nazario and shook his hand after the verdict was announced.
Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL), one of the authors of the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act, said that the bill may be in need of review. “I don’t think any of us who passed that legislation thought we were now going to have people discharged from the military being charged in federal court.” David Glazier, an associate professor at Loyola Law School, added, “The average American is reluctant to second-guess the conduct of a service person in a combat zone,” proving that sometimes sanity prevails.
Profiles of valor: USA Sgt. Clemens
On 15 November 2006, United States Army First Sergeant Michael Clemens was participating in day four of Operation Turki Bowl, a mission to clear a volatile area in Iraq of jihadis and weapons. Clemens spotted a group of insurgents in a village ahead, along with a large truck filled with weapons. He called in air support, which destroyed the target. By radio, Clemens then received word that the commanding officer of his unit and several others had been wounded when an IED struck their vehicle. Clemens assumed leadership of the unit and moved to secure the area of the attack. He coordinated with superiors, and called in air support and rescue helicopters, allowing the mission to continue, as well as care for the wounded. Two counterattacks were repelled and 12 enemy fighters killed. All but one American soldier survived. For his command under fire and operational success, Clemens was awarded the Bronze Star with combat “V” for valor.