Re: Iran and the Romanian oil rig

As I said in the comments to CDR Salamander, this looks like a commercial transaction headed way south. See here for some additional background.

This affair, in various parts. has been going on for a couple of days.

The gunfire just adds spice to an on-going dispute.

I like this quote: "Analysts said this looked like a rare case..."

Don't they all!

UPDATE: 8/23/06 - Clarifying report here..

How the troops support the MSM

Pretty much to the same level the MSM supports the troops, so far as I can tell in that interview Blackfive did with Gunny Duane, I MEF, RCT-7, 3^rd CAG. Sample graf:

B5: Do you think the media has fairly portrayed our efforts in Iraq?

Not in my experience. During this deployment I have tried to stay away from negative things like MSM because I don’t want it to affect my own morale thereby affecting the mission. Mission accomplishment is every Marine’s priority and I don’t want to be deterred by MSM negativity. In other areas like media embeds we have had great success. Embeds are able to see things from the ground perspective and it usually gives them a positive outlook on what we are doing here.

I tie it all up in a nice tight bow with the recently published book "Fiasco."

I'm not entirely sure how, though.

Iran attacks ...... Romania? Where is the JAG?

Where do you place this?

Iran attacked and seized control of a Romanian oil rig working in its Persian Gulf waters this morning one week after the Iranian government accused the European drilling company of ``hijacking'' another rig.

An Iranian naval vessel fired on the rig owned by Romania's Grup Servicii Petroliere (GSP) in the Salman field and took control of its radio room at about 7:00 a.m. local time, Lulu Tabanesku, Grup's representative in the United Arab

``The Iranians fired at the rig's crane with machine guns,'' Tabanesku said. ``They are in control now and we can't contact the rig.'' The Romanian company has 26 workers on the platform, he said.

Argghhh!, con't.

Updates to the Brain Injury story:

The Washington Times gets the run-around - maybe not deliberately, but it's *still* a run-around. I'd love to hear what DoD has to say on the issue.

A letter to the Editor from a founder of the centers, Dr. George Zitnay (you'll have to scroll a bit).

And last, but not least... so, it's all wrapped up in Senatorial Snits? Really? Sigh.

But, by golly, I provoked a decent exchange in The Corner today! Whee!

Skipper of USS Cole during al Qaeda attack deselected for promotion

CDR Lippold takes another hit. Let this be a lesson to young officers.

See also Kimmel, Husband E.

More on Cole attack here.

Argghhh!

Okay, lemme see if I've got this straight, ladies and gentlemen. I'll add my voice to that of Cassandra and Grim.

From Military.com, quoting USA Today:

According to USA Today, the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury center, which is devoted to the treatment and understanding of war-related brain injuries, is set to lose half its funding, from $14 million down to $7 million, next year. The House and Senate versions of the 2007 Defense appropriation bill contain only half of the funding the Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center received last year. "Honestly, they would have loved to have funded it, but there were just so many priorities," a spokeswoman for the Senate Appropriations Committee told the paper. "They didn't have any flexibility in such a tight fiscal year." Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is becoming one of the most common injuries among soldiers fighting in Iraq. Research by the center has concluded that ten percent of troops in Iraq suffer concussions during combat.

Heh.

"Honestly, they would have loved to have funded it, but there were just so many priorities," a spokeswoman for the Senate Appropriations Committee told the paper.

Reeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeally?

That would be the same bleeping Senate Appropriations Committee that didn't have any trouble finding $160 Million for the VA so that the VA could pay for a service - credit monitoring - that victims of identity theft can, with a touch of a telephone keypad, get for free?

Lessee, $160 mil, minus $7 mil, equals (takes off shoes) um, $153 mil.

Y'know, it just TORQUES ME RIGHT OFF that the Honorables of this Committee could rummage about and find $160 mil for an unneeded service to cover an embarrassing faux pas by an agency of this government, but, well, there just isn't $7 mil to continue funding research into what is the Signature Injury Of This War.

Gee, Honorables, our soldiery and the medical personnel who serve them are sorry that we are surviving injuries that used to kill us - so that these injuries weren't as, um, noticeable as they are now. We beg your indulgence.

One wonders how someone can say something that bloody insensitive and bleeping ignorant with a straight face and not have their head implode? I had to stick my head in the Armorer's Helmet to keep it from exploding...

Oh, I forgot. They really do think we're simpletons with short memory spans.

Thank heaven's for Google.

Note to the Kansas Congressional Delegation... I'm a medium fish in a small pond - but Kansas is a small pond too. I'll be watching this one, and I will be *very* interested in your staff's responses to my inquiries on the subject. Especially Senator Brownback, as you sit on the Senate appropriations committee in question. But I'll be interested in Senator Robert's views, as you on the Senate Armed Services Committee, and Congressman Ryun, as you on the House Armed Services Committee.

C'mon Senator Brownback, Congressman Ryun - you both have "Support Our Troops" banners on your websites, there isn't 7 million where once there was 160 million?

I do my bit of taking care of the wounded - via Project Valour-IT. Let's hear what you gentlemen have to say.

Stuck? AAA can't make it? Call the US Army!

At least that is what we ran into in February 2005 out in the countryside near Charikar.

The Germans are building a "Pocket Cruiser"

Well, they call it a Frigate - but look at the details. That is a Pocket Cruiser. I know the Marines wish we would build a few - 155mm main gun and MLRS on something built to fight hurt in a hull slightly smaller than an Arleigh Burke. Nice kit. Nice program. We should benchmark.

Re: Pulling Rank

I always followed SOPA's advice and Col. Sensing's directive (retired), myself. Both links are on the bottom of this post.

I figure talking on blogs is like talking at a bar. You don't fraternize; you don't assume your rank equals your brainpower. Works for me, and you can have vigorous discussions without having to play the "who's the senior guy" game and both sides learn something.

But then again, maybe it's something in ArmyLawyer's pugilistic nature.

(Skippy says there are more senior bloggers out there, but on active duty?)