Blatantly Stealing a Quickie...

...from Lex:

The newest aircraft carrier now being designed at Northrop Grumman Newport News will bear the name of former President Gerald R. Ford.

Former Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld let the news slip Wednesday during his eulogy at Ford’s memorial service in Grand Rapids, Mich., when he spoke of giving the former president a souvenir last year.

“Without giving away any secrets, I can report that during (a) visit with President Ford, I brought him a cap with ‘USS Gerald R. Ford’ emblazoned across the top of it,” Rumsfeld told the crowd. “How fitting it will be that the name Gerald R. Ford will patrol the high seas for decades to come in the defense of the nation he loved so much.”

Navy officials, who had kept the name of the newest flattop a closely guarded secret in recent months, were caught off guard and left scrambling by Rumsfeld’s sudden revelation. Later in the day, the Navy confirmed that the ship would indeed be named the USS Gerald R. Ford. The announcement had not been expected until Jan. 16.

Because the new carrier is a first-in-class ship, the Ford name will be associated with carriers for decades to come - even long after the ship is retired. Just as the nine ships following the USS Nimitz are known as “Nimitz-class” carriers, the new batch of what could be 10 ships will carry the “Ford-class” designation.

If true...

If this is true, then it appears the Devil is gaining company at a quick pace lately.

The effect on Iran's actions - I fear very little. But any opportunity for Iran to improve, by having a beast like Khamenei demise, is fine by me.

"Hey, am I dead or what?"

Is al Qaeda trying to escape Somalia by sea?

That'd be perfect:

We’ve been at this so long now, and have spent so much in blood and treasure that it’s possible to forget how this all started and the resolve we first brought into the fight: Tired of taking hits, more tired still of trembling in anticipation of the next blow we decided to change the rules of the game: Put them off balance. Strike fear into their hearts. Drive them into caves. Seal up the entrances.

Flush ‘em out. Flush ‘em down.

Michelle Malkin...

...is going to Iraq.

We need to get some Lefty bloggers over there for balance. Any volunteers?

Operation Babylift

This began as a comment on a MilBlogs post, but the more I read about it the more I realized this (mostly unknown) story was more than worthy of it's own space.

Re: The Long War - A Strategy

Grim, that post has some great thoughts. I've responded to them a little bit over at my place.

The bottom line: We need a Long Telegram.

Re: Greyhawk's Essential Documents

I'm thinking that Greyhawk's idea is useful. A format that might work would be something like den Beste's 2002 Essential Library, but focused on the needed resources.

A great resource of this type is the front page of the Small Wars Journal. Problem is that it's so full of information that the page will drown a newbie in links and reading.

What we need is a way to deaggregate ourselves to learn, teach and grow COIN experts more effectively than the hirabists pump out new converts to destruction. Grim got me to thinking about how the National Defense University once was an incubator for Cold War thinking--and it wasn't a military only organization by a long shot.

Internal FBI Inquiry Into Guantanamo Treatment

Apparently the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Department of Defense have different rules. Personally, I'm shocked. Pursuant to a Freedom of Information Act request, the FBI released the results of their internal inquiry into whether FBI employees had observed "aggressive mistreatment, interrogations or interview techniques of GTMO." While some of the incidents described probably warrant further investigation, it's important to keep some perspective:

A survey of 493 FBI personnel who were asked whether they observed aggressive mistreatment, interrogations or interview techniques of GTMO yielded 26 positive responses and several additional responses that were "not purely negative."

The most questionable incidents described include the use of a dog to intimidate detainees (a tactic since determined to be a no-no); two instances where detainees' heads or faces were wrapped in duct tape; and allegations (though no witnessing) by detainees of having been beaten.

While the report will certainly be grist for the mill for certain fundraising groups, the report lacks anything that calls into serious question existing DOD interrogation practices, let alone anything in the way of "torture." While many of the interview techniques are noted as being within DOD policies (loud music, sleep deprivation, cold room, etc), but outside FBI regulations; things like the duct tape incidents do not have that qualifier.

What's notable about the response from groups like the ACLU is the charge that the FBI "ignored" the allegations or otherwise "failed to followup." Yet people seem to miss the FBI's determination:

...that there was no FBI involvement in the target interview techniques -- only outside entities.

Accordingly, any investigation will be done by those "outside entities." Standard procedure when you have multiple agencies working together. Unless the ACLU cares to inform us all how the FBI intends to investigate the DOD?

But whatever, it's more fun to allege an FBI coverup.

Here's a familiar name...

...in "print" and video.

Re: Strategy/Long War

Well done, Grim.

I think we need a permanent (hyperlinked) list of essential documents for understanding the war on terror somewhere in the right or left column here. I'd suggest The Management of Savagery be included in that list, perhaps under a "Know the Enemy" sub header.

I'm thinking texts that are available in their entirety online, free of charge (and hopefully free of political hyperbole).

Other recommendations are welcome.