By Patryk Wasilewski and Gareth Jones
After Downing Street
Reuters
WARSAW

Poland spurned as insufficient on Friday a U.S. offer to boost its air defenses in return for basing anti-missile interceptors on its soil but said it remained open to talks with Washington.

...continued

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BAGHDAD (June 26, 2008) – Iraqi army soldiers seized numerous weapons caches June 25 in the Sadr City District of Baghdad. Iraqi army soldiers with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraq Army Division uncovered 11, 82 mm rounds and nine fuses in a school courtyard at approximately 7 a.m. At approximately 11 a.m., Soldiers from the same unit discovered two AK-47 magazines and one tank scope. They also found two 82 mm rounds, five anti-tank mines, six 60 mm rounds, 11 rocket propelled grenade rounds, 30 AK-47 rounds and command wire approximately one hour later. Soldiers with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraq Army Division found a cache behind a mosque consisting of four explosively formed projectiles.

Since, May 20, the Iraqi army has uncovered 205 weapons and munitions caches, including more than 150 improvised explosive devices and 100 EFPs. “This is a significant achievement for the Baghdad operations command and the Iraqi army,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for Multi-National Division - Baghdad. “It shows increased capability, competence and the trust the Sadr City residents have in the Iraqi army soldiers. “A significant number of the caches have been based on tips or citizens pointing the cache locations out,” said Stover. “Also, by removing these weapons and munitions caches from Sadr City and the rest of Baghdad, a statement is being made that there is nowhere the Iraqi army won’t go to protect the people of Baghdad.”

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can.

BASRA, Iraq (June 27, 2008) — Operation Charge of the Knights, a joint operation involving UK Soldiers and the Iraqi Army, which aims to restore order and improve security in Basra, is making further progress. The Iraqi Army continues to demonstrate its commitment to improving the security situation in the city, carrying out a number of vehicle check points in recent days. Inspections were carried out on a number of vehicles which were going in and out of the city. In addition, numerous house searches were carried out, leading to multiple arrests of suspected militants. Troops also found 140 rounds of 150mm high explosive shells in one area of Basra.

Operation Charge of the Knights, which began in March, is now into its 14th phase. The operation has been one of the key drivers in bringing peace and stability to the streets of Basra in recent months. Elements of the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police Service, with their US and UK Military Transition Teams (MiTTs), can now be seen working in the city. The MiTTs are working closely with the Iraqi Security Forces and local contractors as pavements are replaced, sewers cleared and rubbish removed from the streets.

In addition, elements of the 26th of 7th Division and the 50th, 51st, and 52nd Brigades from the 14th Division Iraqi Army have conducted a number of arms finds and arrests, with teams planning the operations without UK assistance. "Once again this operation was fully planned and executed by the Iraqi Army," said Maj. Tom Holloway, spokesman for the Multi-National Division - South East. "These operations demonstrate their capability, professionalism and commitment to the residents of Al Basrah Province. It is enormously encouraging to see the progress made by the Iraqi Army in maintaining the security of the city and its residents." [...] "Iraqi confidence and capabilities are improving by the day with our help," he continued. "The overall feeling here is upbeat and cautiously optimistic. We will continue to push for security of Basra by helping the Iraqi Army."

The 50th, 51st, and 52nd Brigades continue to be mentored by their respective UK MiTT. The MiTTs are embedded with their Iraqi counterparts offering advice and guidance on request. MiTT responsibilities are currently undertaken by the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, 2 Royal Anglian, 9th and 12th Royal Lancers and 4th Battalion, The Royal Regiment of Scotland. All are part of 7th Armoured Brigade on Op Telic 12.

British and Iraqi officers confirm target locations during an operation in Basra. (Photo by Cpl. Rob Knight, RLC).

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can.

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (June 30, 2008) — Afghanistan was heavily mined by Soviet forces during their 10-year occupation, ending in February 1989. Then, as the Taliban and Northern Alliance fought, they continued to lay out mines to protect their supply routes, airfields, military posts and front lines. The Mine Action Center [MAC], led by Australian Army Maj. David Bergman, here, works to remove these mines, which after 10 years, are still an obstacle to the relief, rehabilitation and developmental projects geared toward the re-growth of Afghanistan.

The MAC met with Kefayatullah Eblagh, the president of Hemayat Brothers International Demining Company, June 21, to discuss future plans for an area they are demining outside BAF. “I am from a village in this area and to be able to help my fellow Afghans makes me have a sense of pride,” said Eblagh. “Not only are we helping by de-mining the area, we are also giving the locals in the area an opportunity to work so that they can make money to feed their families.”

Though Coalition forces try to be very proactive in mine detection and removal, reactive forces are also in place when necessary. The MAC works with Craig Joint Theater Hospital to ensure villagers and civililans are cared for in the event they fall victim to mines. “Just the presence that the Mine Action Center brings makes a difference,” said Air force Maj. Phyllis F. Jones, Intensive Care Ward Flight commander. “Just the removal of one mine is a big step in the fight for freedom in Afghanistan.”

Still, Afghan and Coalition officials are not the sole pool of mine-related knowledge. The BAF area is home to many victims with their own stories to tell. “I was herding our cows in a field and they started straying,” said Romina, a 12-year-old Afghan mine victim, who lost his leg to a mine and was treated at Craig JTH. “All I remember is swatting them with a limb and the next thing I know I am on the ground and my sister is laying a little ways away from me bleeding. I didn’t even realize my leg was gone until I looked over and saw it.” Fortunately for Romina, help was not far away when his tragedy struck. A medical task force was on a nearby mission when this explosion occurred and was able to react expediently. Though Romina was treated on scene and soon taken to BAF for hospital care, it took an additional four days to locate his family through local nationals that lived in the area around where it happened. The fact is, for many Afghans, mine accidents are a common occurrence. Afghan people are accustomed to mine strikes and are already striving to survive in a mine-ridden land, said Bergman. Still, he continued, “they need all the help that they can get.”

In cases like Romina’s, where the air field’s hospital is involved, the MAC has to do an investigation. With the removal of the shrapnel they do reports on it and try to scope out the area where the explosion happened to try and figure out what steps they can take next. “An estimated one to two people a week get hurt and brought in by these mine explosions,” said Bergman. “If it is a local national, we take on the complete investigation. But if it is a contractor, it is our duty to get all the information about the incident and the shrapnel and hand it into their company’s investigation department.”

Afghans have many ways to mark and warn people of mine locations. Sometimes they use red and white rocks, and other times they use bilingual signs – which are located in a lot of areas around BAF. “We try as hard as we can to let the people know where the mines are and to stay away,” said Bergman. A lot of the people dig in these areas for scrap metal, since it pays well on the market, creating other serious problems with keeping the number of victims closer to none. “We do the best we can. (But, really,) what can you do?” stated Bergman. “This is these peoples way of living, and sometimes there is just no stopping them (from digging for scrap metal). People need money to live and to them, metal is money.”

With every mine that is lifted, it is another step in making Afghanistan a safer place for the people who live here. The MAC ensures their mission is done with safety and precision, from contracting to caring. They work by the motto, “Demining is a dangerous job. Where once you cautiously followed and stepped in my footsteps, you can now have the confidence to lead and make your own.”

Australian Army Maj. David Bergman (from right), Bagram Airfield's Mine Action Center officer in charge, and Army Maj. Paul V.Grahm, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, meet with Kefayatullah Eblagh, president of Hemaya Bros. International Demining Company, during a visit to a minefield.

Source: CENTCOM.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can.

HK MP-5A2 with fixed stock and plastic S-E-F trigger group.

The Heckler und Koch submachine gun, MP-5, is one of the most famous and wide-spread firearms of its class, developed since the Second World War. Its development began circa 1964 under the company designation HK MP-54, or simply HK 54. In the 1966, German police and Border Guard adopted the HK 54 as the MP-5, and it was originally available in two forms - MP-5 with fixed buttstock and MP-5A1 with retractable buttstock. Some years later HK slightly upgraded the design of MP-5, replacing the sights (from flip-up open notch rear and blade front to drum-type diopter rear and hooded post front) and the muzzle (replacing the two-slot muzzle compensator to the tree-lugs QD silencer mount without compensator). Other improvements made over the time concerned the magazines (early type magazines were of straight box type, latter - of curved box type for improved reliability). The trigger units also were upgraded - from original stamped steel with plastic grip to the all-plastic units, integral with grip, and with various fire modes and marking. Over the years MP-5 were adopted by the huge numbers of police, security and military forces around the world, including the German police and border guard, British police and elite Army SAS units, American police, FBI, Navy and Marine Corps, and many, many others. MP-5 is still manufactured in Germany by the HK itself, and also licensed to Greece, Iran, Pakistan and Mexico. The only real rival to the MP-5 in the terms of proliferation across the world is the famous Israeli UZI submachine gun. Most interestingly, the German Army (Bundeswehr) did not adopted the MP-5, most probably due to the economical reasons, and turned instead to the... UZI submachine guns, made under license in Belgium.
The success of the MP-5 is outstanding. It is based on the high quality and reliability of the gun, great single-shot accuracy (thanks to its closed bolt action), great flexibility and, of cause, good marketing. It seems that no other modern SMG at this time can rival the MP-5 in popularity (UZI is not manufactured anymore).

HK MP-5N. Modern version developed for US Navy. Features plastic trigger group of latest design, with ambidextrous selector lever and "icon" markings. Barrel is threaded to accept US-made detachable silencers, in addition to HK standard three-lug mounts. Retractable buttstock of A3 configuration.

The MP-5, basically, is no more than the scaled-down version of the Heckler-Koch G3 battle rifle. It shares the same basic design with stamped steel receiver and the same roller-delayed blowback action, derived from the post-war CETME rifles. The trigger units are hinged to the receiver and are now available with various fire mode options,  including 2 (Safe, Semi-auto), 3 (Safe, Semi, Full Auto) or 4 (Safe, Semi, Limited burst of 2 or 3 rounds, Full auto) position levers, ambidextrous or not, and marked with letters, digits or icons. The MP-5 is always fired from closed bolt for improved accuracy, but this limits the amount of sustained fire due to the barrel overheating and resulting cook-off problems. To avoid this, MP-5 cocking handle could be locked in the rear position in the special slot, leaving the bolt in the open position, with no cartridge in the chamber. To commence the fire one must simply release the cocking handle from its notch and then pull the trigger. Modern MP-5 submachine guns are equipped with three-lug quick detachable silencer mounts on the barrel. Sights are similar to other HK models, and consists of the front hooded post sight and the adjustable for windage and elevation drum-type diopter rear sight. Special quick-detachable clamp mounts allows for installation of night, optical and red-dot sights if required. Standard magazine capacity is 30 rounds, but shorter 15 rounds magazines are available. Special versions were developed and manufactured in limited numbers during 1980s-90s for the US Law Enforcement market, chambered for more powerful 10mm Auto (10x25mm) and .40S&W (10x22mm) ammunition. These guns can be easily distinguished from more common 9mm models by straight box 30 rounds magazines, made from plastic.

Navy Seals with MP5N

While all of MP-5 can be fitted with silencers, there also a dedicated silenced version of MP-5, called MP5SD2 or SD3 (depending on the stock type). This version is equipped with non detachable integral silencer, and the vented barrel, to reduce the bullet muzzle velocity down below the speed of sound. The MP-5SD is intended to fire standard 9mm ammunition, not the special subsonic one.

Semi-automatic only versions of the MP-5 were once made for civilian market under the designation of HK-94, some with longer, 16 inch (406 mm) barrels, to conform with US laws. There also is an US company, called Special Weapons LLC, that is manufacturing semi-automatic, civilian MP-5 clones in various pistol calibers, including the .45ACP.

Visual difference between trigger units:
left -earliest type stamped steel with plastic grip (converted from semi-auto only civilian gun HK 94, with American markings on selector);
middle - early type all-plastic with S-E-F markings;
right - most modern all-plastic design of "A4" variation, with additional 3-rounds burst facility and icon markings.

Instruction video - Part 1

Instruction video - Part2

The Heckler und Koch G-36 assault rifle had been born as HK-50 project in early 1990s. The reason behind that project was that the Bundeswehr (the German army), after the cancellation of the G11 and G41 projects, was left with outdated G3 rifle and no modern rifle, compatible with the current NATO standards at hands. So, the famous company Heckler & Koch was set to develop a new assault rifle for the both German army and the export. The new rifle should have been a flexible, affordable and extremely reliable design. And a modern of cause. It seems that the HK succeeds in every respects with the G36. The new 5.56mm assault rifle had been adopted by the Bundeswehr in the 1995, and in the 1999 the Spain adopted its slightly different, export version, G36E as its standard infantry rifle. The G36 also found its way into the hands of various law enforcement agencies worldwide, including British police and some US police departments. So far I've heard very few complaints about this rifle, and a lot of good revives and opinions. In fact, the only complaints about G36 that I know are the overheating of the handguards during the sustained fire, and the loose of zero of built in scope on some G36KE rifles, used by US police. Otherwise it is a really fine rifle, accurate, reliable, simple in operations and maintenance, and available in a wide variety of versions - from the short-barreled Commando (some even said that it's a submachine gun) G36C and up to a standard G36 rifle and the MG36 squad automatic (light machine gun).

G36K - carbine version with standard dual scope mount and the buttstock folded

The G36, in severely modified form, also is used as a "kinetic energy" part of the US XM-29 OICW weapon. It also appears that in this form it also can be adopted by US Army as the separate XM-8 light assault rifle, to replace in the near future not so successful Colt M4 carbines, which are now in service with US military.

Technical description.
From the technical point of view, the G36 is a radical departure from all the previous HK rifles, based on the proven G3 roller-delayed system. The G36 is a conventional gas operated, selective fire rifle, made from most modern materials and using most modern technologies.

The receiver and most of the others external parts of the G36 are made from reinforced polymers, with steel inserts where appropriate. The operating system appears to be a modification of the older American Armalite AR-18 rifle, with its short stroke gas piston, located above the barrel, square-shaped bolt carrier and the typical rotating bolt with 7 locking lugs. Of cause, there also are many differences from the AR-18. The bolt carrier rides on a single guide rod, with the return spring around it. The charging handle is attached to the top of the bolt carrier and can be rotated to the left or to the right. When not in use, the charging handle aligns itself with the axis of the weapon under the pressure of its spring, and reciprocates with the bolt group at the top of the receiver. The gas block is fitted with the self-adjustable gas valve, that expels all the used gases forward, away from the shooter. The ejection window is located at the right side of the receiver and features a spent cases deflector to propel the ejected cases away from the face of the left-handed shooter.

All the major parts are assembled on the receiver using the cross- pins, so rifle can be disassembled and reassembled back without any tools.

The typical HK trigger unit is assembled in a separate plastic housing, integral with the pistol grip and the triggerguard. Thanks to this feature, a wide variety of firing mode combinations can be used on any rifle, simply by installing the appropriate trigger unit. Standard options are single shots, full automatic fire, 2 or 3 round bursts in any reasonable combinations. The default version is the single shots + 2 rounds burst + full auto. The ambidextrous fire selector lever also serves as a safety switch.

G36C - Compact or Commando version with open (iron) sights installed on the Picatinny rail

G36 is fed from the proprietary 30-rounds box magazines, made from translucent plastic. All magazines have special studs on its sides, so two or three magazines can be clipped together for faster reloading. The magazine housings of the G36 are made as a separate parts, so G36 can be easily adjusted to the various magazine interfaces. By the standard, the magazine release catch is located just behind the magazine, in the G3 or AK-47 style, rather than on the side of the magazine housing (M16-style). A 100-round Beta-C dual drum magazines of US origins also can be used (these magazines are standard for the MG36 squad automatic versions of the G36).

The side-folding, sturdy skeletonized buttstock is standard on all G36 rifles. It folds to the right side and does not interfere with rifle operation when folded.

The standard sighting equipment of the G36 consists of the TWO scopes - one 3.5X telescope sight below, with the second 1X red-dot sight above it. The sights are completely independent, with the former suitable for long range accurate shooting, and the latter suitable for the fast target acquisition at the short ranges. Both sights are built into the plastic carrying handle. The export versions of the G36 are available with the single 1.5X telescope sight, with the emergency open sights molded into the top of the carrying handle. The subcompact G36K Commando version is available with the integral Picatinny-type scope and accessory rail instead of the carrying handle and standard sights.

The standard G36 rifles can be fitted with the HK AG36 40mm underbarrel grenade launcher. It also can be fitted with the bayonets. Interestingly enough, G36 uses an AK-74-type bayonets, which are left from the now non-existent NVA (East Germany Army) stocks.

Caliber: 7.62mm NATO (.308 win)
Action: Roller-delayed blowback
Weight: 4.5kg
Overall length: 1023 mm
Barrel length: 450 mm (315 mm on G3KA4 model)
Magazine capacity: 20 rounds

G3A4 - retractable butt version of the G3

During the early- to mid-1950s West Germany, like the other NATO countries, faced the need for rearming its army for the newest common 7.62x51mm NATO caliber small arms. Initially Germans preferred the Belgian FN FAL rifle, and adopted it circa 1956 under the designation of G1. Due to obvious reasons Germany wanted to manufacture its military rifles, and attempted to buy a manufacturing license for FAL, but Belgium rejected the deal. So, Germany turned to the another design, available from Spanish company CETME, and known as the CETME mod. A rifle. Germany bought the manufacturing license for CETME rifle and transferred it to the Heckler und Koch (HK) company, located in Oberndorf. HK slightly modified the CETME design, and in 1959 the Bundeswehr (W.Germany Army) finally adopted the CETME / Heckler - Koch rifle as G3 (Gewehr 3 - Rifle, [model] 3). Since that time and until the 1995 the G3 in various modifications served as a general issue shoulder weapon not only for German Armed forces, but also for many other countries. Those include Greece, Iran, Mexico, Norway, Pakistan, Portugal, Sweden, Turkey and many other countries. Total of more than 50 countries during the last 40 years issued the G3 to its forces. The G3 was or still is manufactured in countries like the Greece, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, Portugal and others. The key reason of high popularity of the G3 is that it is much simpler and cheaper to manufacture, than its major contemporary rivals - Belgian FN FAL and US M14. To the best of my knowledge, the HK itself continued to produce and offer the G3 until the year 2000 or 2001, when it finally disappeared from HK catalogs and web-sites. However, the HK still manufactures a wide variety of firearms, based on the G3 design but of different purposes and calibers, like 9mm MP-5 submachine guns, 5.56mm HK 33 assault rifles, 5.56mm and 7.62mm HK 23 and HK 21 machine guns, PSG1 sniper rifles etc. In general, the HK G3 rifle can be described as one of the best 7.62mm NATO battle / assault rifles - reliable, versatile, controllable, non-expensive and, finally, very popular. For the civilian markets, HK produced the semi-automatic only versions of the G3, initially known as HK 41 and later - as HK 91.

G3A3 with drum type rear sight, plastic ventilated handguards and fixed stock

The G3 rifle is a selective fire, magazine fed rifle, built using delayed blowback action, developed by German engineers at Mauser Werke late in the 2nd World War and refined in Spain, at the CETME company. Initial models of the G3 rifle were quite similar to CETME rifles, and even had "CETME" markings on the receivers (until 1961 or so). The roller-delayed blowback action is described under the CETME Rifles, so I will not repeat it here. The G3 is built using as many stamped parts as possible. The receiver is stamped from sheet steel. The trigger unit housing along with pistol handle frame, also are stamped from steel and hinged to the receiver using the cross-pin in the front of the trigger unit, just behind the magazine housing. Earliest G3 rifles also featured stamped handguards and CETME-type flip-up rear diopter sights. In the mid-1960s the initial design was upgraded to the G3A3 and G3A4 configurations. These rifles had ventilated plastic handguards and a drum-type rear diopter sights, marked from 100 to 400 meters. The G3A3 was a fixed butt version, with buttstock made from plastic, and the G3A4 was a telescope butt version, with retractable metallic buttstock with rubber buttplate. Late German production G3A3 and G3A4 models were built using new trigger units, integral with restyled pistol grip and triggerguard, made from plastic. The shortest version of the G3 was the G3KA4, similar to G3A4 but with shortened barrel. Every G3 rifle can be equipped with detachable bipods, claw-type detachable scope mounts. Long-barreled versions can be fitted with bayonet or used to launch rifle grenades from the barrel. Folding cocking handle is located on the special tube above the barrel, at the left side, and does not reciprocate when gun is fired. The safety / fire selector is located above the triggerguard on the left side of the trigger group housing and usually is marked "S - E - F" (Safe - Single shots - Full auto). Latest models could have selectors marked with colored icons.

Complete link:

http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/mexican_cartels_and_fallout_phoenix

Printed with attribution to www.stratfor.com

July 4, 2008 | 0021 GMT
Strategic Forecasting, Inc.
Mexican Cartels and the Fallout From Phoenix
July 2, 2008 | 1714 GMT

Graphic for Terrorism Intelligence Report

By Fred Burton and Scott Stewart

Late on the night of June 22, a residence in Phoenix was approached by a heavily armed tactical team preparing to serve a warrant. The members of the team were wearing the typical gear for members of their profession: black boots, black BDU pants, Kevlar helmets and Phoenix Police Department (PPD) raid shirts pulled over their body armor. The team members carried AR-15 rifles equipped with Aimpoint sights to help them during the low-light operation and, like most cops on a tactical team, in addition to their long guns, the members of this team carried secondary weapons — pistols strapped to their thighs.

But the raid took a strange turn when one element of the team began directing suppressive fire on the residence windows while the second element entered — a tactic not normally employed by the PPD. This breach of departmental protocol did not stem from a mistake on the part of the team’s commander. It occurred because the eight men on the assault team were not from the PPD at all. These men were not cops serving a legal search or arrest warrant signed by a judge; they were cartel hit men serving a death warrant signed by a Mexican drug lord.

The tactical team struck hard and fast. They quickly killed a man in the house and then fled the scene in two vehicles, a red Chevy Tahoe and a gray Honda sedan. Their aggressive tactics did have consequences, however. The fury the attackers unleashed on the home — firing over 100 rounds during the operation — drew the attention of a nearby Special Assignments Unit (SAU) team, the PPD’s real tactical team, which responded to the scene with other officers. An SAU officer noticed the Tahoe fleeing the scene and followed it until it entered an alley. Sensing a potential ambush, the SAU officer chose to establish a perimeter and wait for reinforcements rather than charge down the alley after the suspects. This was fortunate, because after three of the suspects from the Tahoe were arrested, they confessed that they had indeed planned to ambush the police officers chasing them.

The assailants who fled in the Honda have not yet been found, but police did recover the vehicle in a church parking lot. They reportedly found four sets of body armor in the vehicle and also recovered an assault rifle abandoned in a field adjacent to the church.

This Phoenix home invasion and murder is a vivid reminder of the threat to U.S. law enforcement officers that stems from the cartel wars in Mexico.
Violence Crosses the Border

The fact that the Mexican men involved in the Phoenix case were heavily armed and dressed as police comes as no surprise to anyone who has followed security events in Mexico. Teams of cartel enforcers frequently impersonate police or military personnel, often wearing matching tactical gear and carrying standardized weapons. In fact, it is rare to see a shootout or cartel-related arms seizure in Mexico where tactical gear and clothing bearing police or military insignia is not found.

One reason for the prevalent use of this type of equipment is that many cartel enforcers come from military or police backgrounds. By training and habit, they prefer to operate as a team composed of members equipped with standardized gear so that items such as ammunition and magazines can be interchanged during a firefight. This also gives a team member the ability to pick up the familiar weapon of a fallen comrade and immediately bring it into action. This is of course the same reason military units and police forces use standardized equipment in most places.

Police clothing, such as hats, patches and raid jackets, is surprisingly easy to come by. Authentic articles can be stolen or purchased through uniform vendors or cop shops. Knockoff uniform items can easily be manufactured in silk screen or embroidery shops by duplicating authentic designs. Even badges are easy to obtain if one knows where to look.

While it now appears that the three men arrested in Phoenix were not former or active members of the Mexican military or police, it is not surprising that they employed military- and police-style tactics. Enforcers of various cartel groups such as Los Zetas, La Gente Nueva or the Kaibiles who have received advanced tactical training often pass on that training to younger enforcers (many of whom are former street thugs) at makeshift training camps located on ranches in northern Mexico. There are also reports of Israeli mercenaries visiting these camps to provide tactical training. In this way, the cartel enforcers are transforming ordinary street thugs into highly-trained cartel tactical teams.

Though cartel enforcers have almost always had ready access to guns, including military weapons such as assault rifles and grenade launchers, groups such as Los Zetas, the Kaibiles and their young disciples bring an added level of threat to the equation. They are highly trained men with soldiers’ mindsets who operate as a unit capable of using their weapons with deadly effectiveness. Assault rifles in the hands of untrained thugs are dangerous, but when those same weapons are placed in the hands of men who can shoot accurately and operate tactically as a fire team, they can be overwhelmingly powerful — not only when used against enemies and other intended targets, but also when used against law enforcement officers who attempt to interfere with the team’s operations.
Targets

Although the victim in the Phoenix killing, Andrew Williams, was reportedly a Jamaican drug dealer who crossed a Mexican cartel, there are many other targets in the United States that the cartels would like to eliminate. These targets include Mexican cartel members who have fled to the United States due to several different factors. The first factor is the violent cartel war that has raged in Mexico for the past few years over control of important smuggling routes and strategic locations along those routes. The second factor is the Calderon administration’s crackdown, first on the Gulf cartel and now on the Sinaloa cartel. Pressure from rival cartels and the government has forced many cartel leaders into hiding, and some of them have left Mexico for Central America or the United States.

Traditionally, when violence has spiked in Mexico, cartel figures have used U.S. cities such as Laredo, El Paso and San Diego as rest and recreation spots, reasoning that the general umbrella of safety provided by U.S. law enforcement to those residing in the United States would protect them from assassination by their enemies. As bolder Mexican cartel hit men have begun to carry out assassinations on the U.S. side of the border in places such as Laredo, Rio Bravo, and even Dallas, the cartel figures have begun to seek sanctuary deeper in the United States, thereby bringing the threat with them.

While many cartel leaders are wanted in the United States, many have family members not being sought by U.S. law enforcement. (Many of them even have relatives who are U.S. citizens.) Some family members have also settled comfortably inside the United States, using the country as a haven from violence in Mexico. These families might become targets, however, as the cartels look for creative ways to hurt their rivals.

Other cartel targets in the United States include Drug Enforcement Administration and other law enforcement officers responsible for operations against the cartels, and informants who have cooperated with U.S. or Mexican authorities and been relocated stateside for safety. There are also many police officers who have quit their jobs in Mexico and fled to the United States to escape threats from the cartels, as well as Mexican businessmen who are targeted by cartels and have moved to the United States for safety.

To date, the cartels for the most part have refrained from targeting innocent civilians. In the type of environment they operate under inside Mexico, cartels cannot afford to have the local population, a group they use as camouflage, turn against them. It is not uncommon for cartel leaders to undertake public relations events (they have even held carnivals for children) in order to build goodwill with the general population. As seen with al Qaeda in Iraq, losing the support of the local population is deadly for a militant group attempting to hide within that population.

Cartels have also attempted to minimize civilian casualties in their operations inside the United States, though for a different operational consideration. The cartels believe that if a U.S. drug dealer or a member of a rival Mexican cartel is killed in a place like Dallas or Phoenix, nobody really cares. Many people see such a killing as a public service, and there will not be much public outcry about it, nor much real effort on the part of law enforcement agencies to identify and catch the killers. The death of a civilian, on the other hand, brings far more public condemnation and law enforcement attention.

However, the aggressiveness of cartel enforcers and their brutal lack of regard for human life means that while they do not intentionally target civilians, they are bound to create collateral casualties along the way. This is especially true as they continue to conduct operations like the Phoenix killing, where they fired over 100 rounds of 5.56 mm ball ammunition at a home in a residential neighborhood.
Tactical Implications

Judging from the operations of the cartel enforcers in Mexico, they have absolutely no hesitation about firing at police officers who interfere with their operations or who dare to chase them. Indeed, the Phoenix case nearly ended in an ambush of the police. It must be noted, however, that this ambush was not really intentional, but rather the natural reaction of these Mexican cartel enforcers to police pursuit. They were accustomed to shooting at police and military south of the border and have very little regard for them. In many instances, this aggression convinces the poorly armed and trained police to leave the cartel gunmen alone.

The problem such teams pose for the average U.S. cop on patrol is that the average cop is neither trained nor armed to confront a heavily armed fire team. In fact, a PPD source advised Stratfor that, had the SAU officer not been the first to arrive on the scene, it could have been a disaster for the department. This is not a criticism of the Phoenix cops. The vast majority of police officers and federal agents in the United States simply are not prepared or equipped to deal with a highly trained fire team using insurgent tactics. That is a task suited more for the U.S. military forces currently deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan.

These cartel gunmen also have the advantage of being camouflaged as cops. This might not only cause considerable confusion during a firefight (who do backup officers shoot at if both parties in the fight are dressed like cops?) but also means that responding officers might hesitate to fire on the criminals dressed as cops. Such hesitation could provide the criminals with an important tactical advantage — an advantage that could prove fatal for the officers.

Mexican cartel enforcers have also demonstrated a history of using sophisticated scanners to listen to police radio traffic, and in some cases they have even employed police radios to confuse and misdirect the police responding to an armed confrontation with cartel enforcers.

We anticipate that as the Mexican cartels begin to go after more targets inside the United States, the spread of cartel violence and these dangerous tactics beyond the border region will catch some law enforcement officers by surprise. A patrol officer conducting a traffic stop on a group of cartel members who are preparing to conduct an assassination in, say, Los Angeles, Chicago or northern Virginia could quickly find himself heavily outgunned and under fire. With that said, cops in the United States are far more capable than their Mexican counterparts of dealing with this threat.

In addition to being far better trained, U.S. law enforcement officers also have access to far better command, control and communication networks than their Mexican counterparts. Like we saw in the Phoenix example, this communication network provides cops with the ability to quickly summon reinforcements, air support and tactical teams to deal with heavily armed criminals — but this communication system only helps if it can be used. That means cops need to recognize the danger before they are attacked and prevented from calling for help. As with many other threats, the key to protecting oneself against this threat is situational awareness, and cops far from the border need to become aware of this trend.

This report may be forwarded or republished on your website with attribution to www.stratfor.com

Complete link:

http://web.archive.org/web/20010911185948/http://www.sierratimes.com/archive/files/sep/06/edtk090601.htm

Tantalizing Excerpt:

The Strange Case of Gil McGillicuddy
TJ Kattermann 09.06.01

What is it with law enforcement and family pets? Ruby Ridge started when Ninja Clad Warrior Wannabes shot the family dog and initiated a firefight with Randy Weaver's son. In Santa Clarita James Beck was worried the BATF would injure his dog. While this North Carolina case does not rise to the level of pathos of these other cases, it is oddly resonant of the mindset of modern law enforcement. The names have been changed to protect the guilty because God knows the dog has suffered enough.

After almost exactly one hundred days Gil McGillicuddy's (not his real name) dog was returned to him.

The dog, Cuddles, (not her real name) was imprisoned for three months in the Cornucopia County Animal Shelter (not a real North Carolina County) at the direction of one Cornucopia County Deputy Sheriff Brassbadge (not his real name) as part of an aggressive animal abuse investigation.

McGillicuddy's trip through Alice's Looking Glass began at twilight on Saturday evening April 20th 2001 when he peered through the window of his mobile home and was surprised to see three uniformed Cornucopia County Sheriff Deputies standing in his front yard each of whom had arrived in a separate vehicle.........

The Magistrate was moved to tears when he read the charge against McGillicuddy, possibly because of the official grammar.

Deputy Brassbadge used a North Carolina Uniform Citation ticket to charge McGillicuddy with his violation. The North Carolina Uniform Citation lists over a dozen possible traffic offenses and provides a blank category for an arresting officer to fill in with some other offense should circumstances warrant.

So the text of the actual charge presented to the court read as follows:

" The undersigned officer has probable cause to believe that on or about Saturday 2030 PM the 20th day of April 2001 in the named county the defendant did unlawfully and willfully operate a (motor) vehicle on a 14. did beat him dog by kicking him in the dog and around the head with his hand, and did pick up dog throw him out the front door this Abuse is in violation of GS"

McGillicuddy spent the rest of Saturday night in the Cornucopia County Jail and posted bail early Sunday morning.

With over 4,500 employees and more than 2,000 contractors based at two neighbouring sites, the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) has a huge variety of opportunities on offer. 

They range from highly specialist science and engineering roles through to our apprenticeship and graduate programmes. Our contract from the MoD means this is an excellent environment to build the very latest skills and develop your long-term career, whether you’re just starting out, are looking for a career change or have specialist skills to offer.

We’re particularly proud of the fact that AWE was ranked in the top ten of ‘Britain’s Top Employers 2008’, sponsored by the Guardian and produced by the Corporate Research Foundation. We hope that the following pages will give you an idea why we scored so highly and encourage you to get in touch and find out more about working at AWE.

Contact us at ERS for more details or to apply.

 Tel: 01454 203 460, info@energyrs.co.uk

With over 4,500 employees and more than 2,000 contractors based at two neighbouring sites, the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) has a huge variety of opportunities on offer. 

They range from highly specialist science and engineering roles through to our apprenticeship and graduate programmes. The contract from the MoD means this is an excellent environment to build the very latest skills and develop your long-term career, whether you’re just starting out, are looking for a career change or have specialist skills to offer.

We’re particularly proud of the fact that AWE was ranked in the top ten of ‘Britain’s Top Employers 2008’, sponsored by the Guardian and produced by the Corporate Research Foundation. We hope that the following pages will give you an idea why we scored so highly and encourage you to get in touch and find out more about working at AWE.

Talk to ERS on 01454 203 460 or e-mail on info@energyrs.co.uk for further details or to apply.

With over 4,500 employees and more than 2,000 contractors based at two neighbouring sites, the Atomic Weapons Establishment (AWE) has a huge variety of opportunities on offer. 

They range from highly specialist science and engineering roles through to our apprenticeship and graduate programmes. The contract from the MoD means this is an excellent environment to build the very latest skills and develop your long-term career, whether you’re just starting out, are looking for a career change or have specialist skills to offer.

We’re particularly proud of the fact that AWE was ranked in the top ten of ‘Britain’s Top Employers 2008’, sponsored by the Guardian and produced by the Corporate Research Foundation. We hope that the following pages will give you an idea why we scored so highly and encourage you to get in touch and find out more about working at AWE.

Talk to ERS on 01454 203 460 or e-mail on info@energyrs.co.uk for further details or to apply.

RIA Novosti

WARSAW, July 3 (RIA Novosti) - Poland and the U.S. have reached a tentative agreement on the deployment of an American missile base in Poland, a leading Polish TV channel reported.

Poland and the United States have been engaged in protracted talks over a U.S. request to place 10 interceptor missiles in northern Poland as part of a U.S. missile shield for Europe and North America against possible attacks from "rogue states," including Iran.

...continued

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Here is an incident from 2004 posted on Free Republic.com

Complete link:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1107601/posts
Tantalizing excerpt:

Once my record came back clear, naturally, I was subjected to a condescending lecture about the carrying of arms, quizzed repeatedly as to why I carry a firearm.

I replied “to protect myself and my family,”[1] which yielded a number of derisive comments about the effectiveness of firearms in self-defense and defense of others – hmm, why do cops carry them, I wonder? “We have to,” one of the detectives whined. They also lectured on liability issues, terrorism, and other such topics.

I informed them that I am trained, having completed the Lethal Force Institute’s Judicious Use of Deadly Force course, as well as handgun licensing requirements in California and for a Utah Concealed Carry license.

After about 5-10 minutes of my polite endurance of various disrespectful and arrogant statements and questions by the officers and detectives, my firearm was returned to me, and I reloaded it and placed it back on my belt, this time tucked under my shirt. Upon completing a contact card with one of the officers, at his vehicle, I retrieved my coat, and returned to the store to find my wife.

The sequel to yesterday's post.  Intrepid they are, these Free Staters.