Some Insights Now Begin To Arrive.

As was anticipated. CBS reports on actuality of war from the POV of the US military personnel and lo and behold--they say what I have been saying for many years, how the real war feels. 

Survivors of the deadliest Iranian attack on U.S. forces since the war began have disputed the Pentagon's description of events and said their unit in Kuwait was left dangerously exposed when six service members were killed and more than 20 wounded. Speaking publicly for the first time, members of the targeted unit offered CBS News a detailed account of the attack and its harrowing aftermath from the perspective of those on the ground. 

Of course, they have to dispute what Hegseth says. This is not your small arms firefights (however nasty they could be) where you call in CAS, this is long-range fires, my friends, and they are longer than many of those in the US arsenal. 

In the hours before the attack, incoming missile alarms had signaled to a crew of about 60 troops to take cover in a cement bunker while a ballistic missile flew overhead. But around 9:15 a.m., an all-clear alert sounded. Officers removed their helmets and returned to their desks in the wood and tin workspace, about the width of three trailers. From there they resumed managing the movement of equipment, munitions and personnel across the Middle East. About 30 minutes later, "everything shook," one soldier told CBS News. "And it's something like what you see in the movies. Your ears are ringing. Everything's fuzzy. Your vision is blurry. You're dizzy. There's dust and smoke everywhere."  Dazed, the service member surveyed a grisly scene: "Head wounds, heavy bleeding, lots of perforated eardrums, and then just shrapnel all over, so folks are bleeding from their abdomen, bleeding from arms, bleeding from legs."

Yep, I like this phrase "something like what you see in the movies"--correct, it is very symptomatic, because the US Army doesn't know what is a precise fire impact of stand-off weapons. Of course, even in Iraq or Afghanistan you still could have been hit by RPG while in Humvee or even experience a nasty IED, that did happen many times, but this is different. Shahed, the Iranian drone can carry anywhere between 50 and 90 kilos of high explosives.  It has the range of up to 2,500 kilometers and fully fits the criteria of a high precision stand-off weapon. It can pay visits in salvos, and often does and the results of that are not what Pentagon tries to spin ... away from the real story. 

Word of Hegseth's description of the events at a press conference in Washington did not sit well with some of the survivors. The secretary had described the drone as a "squirter" that "happened to hit a tactical operations center that was fortified, but these are powerful weapons." And while several of those familiar with the events on the ground did not agree with the description, they did not want their remarks to be misconstrued. "It's not my intent to diminish morale or to disparage the Army or the Department of War more holistically, but I do think that telling the truth is important and we're not going to learn from these mistakes if we pretend these mistakes didn't happen," one soldier said.

I have news for this brave soldier--Pentagon doesn't learn, it cannot, look at the SMO. It is a different kind of war, which no US servicemen ever experienced, they did now. And that brings us to a purely technical issue:

Asked if the attack was an inherent reality of engaging in combat, he agreed. "That's true," he said. Asked if this attack was preventable, the soldier added: "In my opinion, absolutely, yes." "I am very sad for their loss and it's something I'll carry with me for the rest of my life," he said. "But I'm also immensely proud of them and their sacrifice, and their family should be too."

1. The US has no air defense means to deal with one of this threats. Shaheds will continue to fly and will continue, together with ballistic and cruise missiles, take out anything they deem necessary. The US WILL NOT ask Russia and Russia WILL NOT agree to sell to Pentagon things it doesn't have and will not have any time soon, I list a few: Elka, Tunguska, S1 Pantsir, Tor M2, Buk M3 et al. No, it was not "preventable". 

2. Poor men who got killed. Their sacrifice was for Israel and not for the US Constitution and American people. Only part of American people but their loyalty is with Israel. 

Per Hegseth, something tells me he soon will be fired and maybe even more. Die you today for me to live and die tomorrow. That's Trump's MO.  

Ha, Somebody Actually Does Their Job.

Interesting. CBS decided to do what normal media are supposed to be doing and actually interviewed Iran's Ambassador to the United States. What do ya know. 

Obviously an important step--to give a voice to Iranian side. Surprising, but good. 

Daniel Larison who I quote a lot lately notes:

In short, there was no good reason for the panicked administration reaction this month, and it has shown how eager some administration officials are to seize on absolutely anything as an excuse to move towards conflict with Iran. The Trump administration’s response over the last two weeks has been a bit like the cartoon where the giant elephant shrieks and jumps up on a chair when it spots a mouse on the floor. That doesn’t bode well for how the administration will respond to an accidental collision or clash. This is why the U.S. and Iran should maintain regular lines of communication to avert potential misunderstandings and to make sure that our governments can calm things down before they get out of control.   

Yes, this is the only way to conduct business, especially since Trump is now on record with his not really wanting war with Iran. Of course, Trump lacks understanding that his attempts of good cop-bad cop BS or "better deals" peculiar modes of negotiations do not impress people on the international arena. People who run large and important countries with huge history, such as Iran, they do their due diligence and study issues which define international relations. In other words, what works in shady New York real estate business absolutely doesn't work in global affairs. So, Trump needs to understand that the more he and his administration behave like this, the less his word or promises, hollow as they are already now, will weight. He must understand a simple thing: countries such as Iran, not to mention Russia or China are long ago inside America's OODA Loop and forestall the United States at every step on every turn. 

Here is Putin talking to his Austrian counter-parts in Sochi and he is very clear, actually, on Russia's role in this whole situation. The question-statement by Russian reporter about Russian-Austrian dialogue being very different (in positive way) from Russian-European one is indicative of how Russia views Europe today. 

By Putin's demeanor it is clear that he, frankly, is tired of telling Europeans (not Austrians in this particular instance) about obvious things. While dropping a little teeny-weeny bomblet today:

Russian leader Vladimir Putin says that laser technology will play a crucial role in the nation’s military might as he spoke about the “first practical results” of the country’s Peresvet combat laser system.Putin highlighted the importance of developing laser technology, including the “tactical-level combat laser complexes,” at a defense-themed cabinet meeting on Friday.

Such types of weaponry will at large be defining the combat potential of the Russian Army and Navy… throughout the whole of the 21st century.

Putin said that the government will study “the first practical results” of the laser system Peresvet’s performance when used by the military. The cutting-edge weapon formally entered test service in December.

This probably explains Putin's earlier (May 13) statement about anti-hyper-sonic defenses, which apart from S-500 capable of dealing with some types of hypersonic weapons, will be based primarily around laser and whatever the hell other "death-ray" technologies. Putin never states anything without having a complete grasp of the issue related to Russia's security. So, make your guesses (or bets)--how long will it be before Russia unveils another weapon system capable to deal with perspective US hyper-sonic weapons, which, judging by Defense Budget Proposal 2020 will be primarily built around now lavishly financed good ol' Prompt Global Strike (GPS) program. I don't think the United States is near any real truly hyper-sonic anti-shipping missile--for that there are reasons of history and institutional culture, but that is a separate topic in itself. So, as you can see--a very eventful week. I need a drink, honestly.    

60 Minutes On Project 885.

I liked Admiral Foggo on the appearance, he comes across as one of those disappearing American types of man--manly, calm, clearly spoken. I don't know about his real reputation among service, though.

But here it is.  Russians Are Coming!!!! Are they? Of course, in accordance to people who gave us Russiagate, Russians are just sleeping and dreaming of how to penetrate Norway in an act of unprovoked aggression.  Oh, wait...

Oh, Boo Hoo, Ambassador Ford.

One of the promoters of civil war atrocity in Syria, one of the most important promoters of Assad's removal, an operative (which is the current level of the US so called "diplomacy"). A slime bag, responsible for hundreds of thousand people killed in Syria is now expressing his "opinion" to CBS. He is everything, he is just not "diplomat"--a term whose meaning was hollowed out completely in State Department. 

The guy oozes lies and delusions from each pore of his body. I am sure Mr.Ford is a very pleasant man in person, he may even use a really good cologne, drink good Scotch and he, most likely, shaves every morning, and, I am sure, is a good family man but he is a war criminal and a waste of a human being despite being regarded by US "diplomats" as "good Arabist". He also has no clue on the warfare, and what wars bring. If he promotes this BS out of his ignorance--it is bad enough, but if he promotes this BS about chemical weapons in Syria and praising "good" missile strikes in full awareness of what is going on, then he is a willing enabler of jihadism and terrorism. Actually, he is. One has to be such an enabler to lie with the straight face while trying (trying?? Does he even have a humanity left in himself) to convince oneself that he doesn't have blood of thousand innocent people on his hands. But he does have it and he has to be reminded about this. And if not in the Syria's war crimes court which will happen, then in, who knows, higher courts which sometimes reach into dying moments to even those who disengaged their consciousness from reality completely, he will get a judgement. But then again, being a psychopath may spare one all the trouble, in the end this seems to be the most important quality required for current US political establishment. 

And not for that day and hour alone were the mind and conscience darkened of this man on whom the responsibility for what was happening lay more than on all the others who took part in it. Never to the end of his life could he understand goodness, beauty, or truth, or the significance of his actions which were too contrary to goodness and truth, too remote from everything human, for him ever to be able to grasp their meaning. He could not disavow his actions, be lauded as they were by half the world, and so he had to repudiate truth, goodness, and all humanity.

Leo Tolstoy, War And Peace, Chapter XXXVIII.