Article

2017-09-16 Afghanistan

CIA pushing to expand authority to use drone strikes

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Posted by Besoeker 2017-09-16 00:32|| || Front Page|| [7 views ] Top

#1 It's a Klingon, 'regime change' conflict. It has been for years, possibly from the beginning.

Posted by Besoeker 2017-09-16 00:36|| 2017-09-16 00:36|| Front Page Top

#2 Any recommendations re North Korea, boys?

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2017-09-16 01:36|| 2017-09-16 01:36|| Front Page Top

#3 Some thoughts:

In many ways, China and Pakistan are to Afghanistan as China and Russia are to North Korea. We have not prevailed in Afghanistan because we have not dealt with the actual threat.

You see the massive Russian "exercise" taking place in Belarus (Read about here in this Klingon publication). This is not only an exercise, it is a trip wire. Should the U.S. take military action against the NORKS, the Russians are prepared to create a great deal of mischief in eastern Europe.

Likewise the Chinese stand ready to cross the Yalu and come south as they did in Oct 1950. They will not permit a South Korean take-over of the Korean peninsula. Additionally, the Chinese would likely use a U.S. strike against the NORKS as justification or an opportunity for military action against Taiwan.

BLUF: Our options (as seen by the Chinese, Russians, and the North Koreans); the U.S. either goes big, or it goes home. It is likely that the state of our military and political will after decades of endless wars precludes major action. The pundits continue to chirp "Options for the U.S. are few." But the pundits are full of kak !

Recommendations:

(1.) End the bombastic war rhetoric and adopt the long game.
(2.) Continue to rebuild the U.S. military.
(2.a.) Begin a systematic extraction of our military from involvement and meddling overseas (endless wars), particularly in the ME and Africa. It should be abundantly clear by now that these efforts are futile, enormously expensive, and quite hopeless.
(2.b.) For the sins of 9/11 and all failures since, downsize the FBI and National Intelligence Community (less NSA) to the strength of a reinforced Infantry Rifle Platoon and rebuild from the ground up.
(2.c.) Terminate the activities of The United States Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (FISA Court) and Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. Find another way to do business, secretive courts who report to no one are not the answer.
(3.) Quietly and without fanfare, provide a tailored nuclear umbrella and response for the Japanese, South Koreans, and possibly the Taiwanese.
(3.a.) Shore up regional military support and intelligence collaboration with Australia, the Philippines, and other friends in the Pacific. The regime of Rodrigo Duterte will not last forever.
(4.) Immediately begin the no-notice, systematic and substantive trade reductions with China. This will have the duel effect of putting their economy in the ditch and assisting our own. Walmart and Target will suffer, but it is long, long overdue.
(4.a.) Give substantial tax incentives to U.S. firms who will take up the slack for Chinese import cutbacks.
(4.b.) Look to the UK, Australian, Taiwan, and New Zealand (yes New Zealand), Israel, Sweden, Norway, and Finland for assistance in taking up slack mention in (4.a.) above.
(5.) Adopt the 'One China' - 'One Taiwan' policy.
(6.) If the Chinese, Russians, and NORKS wish to 'go big', so be it. Let both China and Russia quietly know that a nuclear attack form North Korea against the U.S., Guam, or Japan will be immediately seen as a nuclear attack from Beijing, Moscow, and Pyongyang and will be dealt with as such.

Remain flexible and monitor daily. Modify 1. thru 6. as needed until the pain subsides.

Posted by Besoeker 2017-09-16 07:41|| 2017-09-16 07:41|| Front Page Top

#4 Well reasoned, B.

Posted by Skidmark 2017-09-16 08:29|| 2017-09-16 08:29|| Front Page Top

#5 Sick the Air Force on them. They seem effective in keeping fixed wing aircraft out of the Army's hands. (See - A10)

Posted by Procopius2k 2017-09-16 08:53|| 2017-09-16 08:53|| Front Page Top

#6 ...er...Sic

Posted by Procopius2k 2017-09-16 08:53|| 2017-09-16 08:53|| Front Page Top

#7 B, really good post. Maybe you should post it as an article so it gets more attention. My comment would be that to be able to play the long game we have to do something about the Fiscal Freight Train that's coming down the tracks. In a sense, our most powerful weapon is the USD, and we're in the process of unilaterally disarming ourselves. Now, how we do something about that in the current political environment remains a mystery to me.

Posted by Matt 2017-09-16 11:43|| 2017-09-16 11:43|| Front Page Top

#8 Concur with you 'Fiscal Freight Train' comment Matt. Nixon and Kissinger began the wealth transfer to China decades ago as method of introducing those Chinese Communist fellas to a 'market based, democratic economy' with a hope of promoting global peace through democracy.

Kissinger made a very successful career out of wickering Chinese business opportunities for western investors, and continues his efforts today. If there is one thing the Chinese understand, it is BUSINESS. I will refrain from using the tired axiom of the 'you know whats' of the orient. Kissinger might find it offensive.

After fifty plus years of assisting the Communist Chinese bolster their economy via massive trade imbalances, I believe we can now bear witness to the failure of Kissinger's democratization angle (failure that is, for the common man). A colossal cock-up of the first order. They are still totalitarian communists and are likely to remain so.

If our democracy and market economy is to survive, we must re-establish our manufacturing and industrial base. You buy my lawn mower, I buy your polo shirt. If there is anything left over, then purchase an imported Polish ham and have a picnic.

I'm not too concerned about the paranoid Russians. They are experts at collecting global 'road kill' and will probably remain so.

Just my penny farthing's worth.

Posted by Besoeker 2017-09-16 13:10|| 2017-09-16 13:10|| Front Page Top

#9 If an "You idiot, you've killed us!" scenario could be arranged, I'd say let em have as many drones as they want...

Posted by M. Murcek 2017-09-16 14:02|| 2017-09-16 14:02|| Front Page Top

#10 If our democracy and market economy is to survive, we must re-establish our manufacturing and industrial base.

Environmentalism, Affirmative action, lack of vocational education, MBAs.

Posted by g(r)omgoru 2017-09-16 14:16|| 2017-09-16 14:16|| Front Page Top

#11 Besoeker / Visitor, thank you! I am heartened by your coup d-oeil of USA grand national strategic objectives in re Afghanistan and Northern (as I refer to it) Korea.

I have taken the liberty of posting, approvingly of course, your comments below in full on my website just now. I also invite attention there to two lines of thought you and Sundance at Conservative Tree House work in parallel: economic leverage and who the real threat is in Afghanistan and Northern Korea: Pakistan and China.

If this is not to your liking, tell me and I will take it down:

http://theological-geography.net/?p=30890

Posted by TopRev 2017-09-16 15:09|| 2017-09-16 15:09|| Front Page Top

#12 No issues here.

Posted by Besoeker 2017-09-16 17:35|| 2017-09-16 17:35|| Front Page Top

#13 trial post as several have failed.

Posted by 3dc 2017-09-16 17:45|| 2017-09-16 17:45|| Front Page Top

#14 What I want to say requires sadly some of Freds Magic bad words so I need to think about how to say it. So misspellings and strangeness.

The USA as always is a poke her player.

Kimmy is playing double dare.

One of Kimmy's owners is playing that board game with knights and bishops.

His other owner is playing that Asian tile based game.

Poke her players do not play a good long game as they are too easily distracted and loose concentration. Sorry Besoeker.

It's close to the last hand of the night and kimmy and his owners have thrown the kitchen sink into the pile in the center of the table.

Now as any good poke her player knows it's the part of the game where it good to have a sawed off shot gun in near reach and a 45 in your hand under the table while you put in your final bid on the turn and prepare to call.

Posted by 3dc 2017-09-16 18:04|| 2017-09-16 18:04|| Front Page Top

#15 Why does China wish to throw it all in the pot right now and play for a total win?

I find that to be the interesting question.

Posted by 3dc 2017-09-16 18:07|| 2017-09-16 18:07|| Front Page Top

#16 Threshold politics, they can't afford the facade much longer.

Posted by Skidmark 2017-09-16 19:51|| 2017-09-16 19:51|| Front Page Top

#17 TopRev dear, after reading your blog post, you need to know that Besoeker is of the XY variety. Nice write up.

Posted by trailing wife 2017-09-16 21:00|| 2017-09-16 21:00|| Front Page Top

#18 Thank you Besoeker and trailing wife!

Posted by TopRev 2017-09-16 23:47|| 2017-09-16 23:47|| Front Page Top

23:47 TopRev
22:56 Sgt.D.T.
21:35 SteveS
21:12 trailing wife
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20:52 Zenobia Floger6220
20:46 magpie
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20:43 KBK
20:37 Seeking cure for ignorance
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19:55 Anomalous Sources
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19:43 swksvolFF
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18:34 badanov
18:31 Seeking cure for ignorance
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