Archive for April, 2015

The Middle Eastern Balance of Power Matures

The Middle Eastern Balance of Power Matures is republished with permission of Stratfor.”

By George Friedman

Last week, a coalition of predominantly Sunni Arab countries, primarily from the Arabian Peninsula and organized by Saudi Arabia, launched airstrikes in Yemen that have continued into this week. The airstrikes target Yemeni al-Houthis, a Shiite sect supported by Iran, and their Sunni partners, which include the majority of military forces loyal to former President Ali Abdullah Saleh. What made the strikes particularly interesting was what was lacking: U.S. aircraft. Although the United States provided intelligence and other support, it was a coalition of Arab states that launched the extended air campaign against the al-Houthis.

Three things make this important. First, it shows the United States’ new regional strategy in operation. Washington is moving away from the strategy it has followed since the early 2000s — of being the prime military force in regional conflicts — and is shifting the primary burden of fighting to regional powers while playing a secondary role. Second, after years of buying advanced weaponry, the Saudis and the Gulf Cooperation Council countries are capable of carrying out a fairly sophisticated campaign, at least in Yemen. The campaign began by suppressing enemy air defenses — the al-Houthis had acquired surface-to-air missiles from the Yemeni military — and moved on to attacking al-Houthi command-and-control systems. This means that while the regional powers have long been happy to shift the burden of combat to the United States, they are also able to assume the burden if the United States refuses to engage. Read the rest of this entry »

, , , , , , , , , ,

No Comments

K-9 Search and Rescue Using Technology To Be More Efficient

From Police One:

Search One and Chesapeake Search Dogs both rely on cloud-based Mission Manager Incident Management software to help manage their personnel and equipment, and also enhance situational awareness in the field.

Mission Manager software plays a key role in the teams’ training, searches, and debriefs. At the most basic level, Mission Manager is used for posting training schedules and allowing members to respond with their objectives so training can be coordinated. The Web-based software helps the team leaders develop mock scenarios, including checking in and checking out personnel, creating subject profiles, setting up task assignments, and mapping out the search areas.

 

, , , ,

No Comments

Dhimmitude And Disarmament

Forthcoming article from David Kopel:

Under shari’a law, non-Muslims, known as dhimmi, have been forbidden to possess arms, and to defend themselves from attacks by Muslims. The disarmament is one aspect of the pervasive civil inferiority of non-Muslims, a status known as dhimmitude. This Essay examines the historical effects of the shari’a disarmament, based on three books by Bat Ye’or, the world’s leading scholar of dhimmitude. As Ye’or details, the disarmament had catastrophic consequences, extending far beyond the direct loss of the dhimmi’s ability to defend themselves. The essay concludes by observing how pretend gun-free zones on college campuses turn the adults there into 21st century dhimmi, unable to defend themselves against murderous predators.

, , , , , , , , ,

No Comments

Former Civil Servant: Hillary’s Email Excuse is Laghable

From Politico:

In this case, which is truly unprecedented, no matter what Secretary Clinton would have one believe, she managed successfully to insulate her official emails, categorically, from the FOIA, both during her tenure at State and long after her departure from it—perhaps forever. “Nice work if you can get it,” one might say, especially if your experience during your husband’s presidency gives you good reason (nay, even highly compelling motivation) to relegate unto yourself such control if at all possible.

, , , , , , , , , ,

No Comments

Hackathorn on Wilson Combat’s 47 Magazines

Wilson Combat Magazines

, , , , , ,

No Comments

When Is a NICS Check Required?

From Prince Law Offices, P.C.:

It’s no secret that ATF told at least one FFL they need to run a NICS check on trustees picking up NFA firearms on behalf of a trust. In a letter addressed toDakota Silencer, ATF explained:

The term “person” is defined by the GCA at 18 U.S.C. § 921(a)(1), to include “any individual, corporation, company, association, firm, partnership, society, or joint stock company.”

ATF has interpreted the GCA exception in sections 922(t)(3)(B) and 478.102(d)(2) to mean that firearms transfers are exempt from a NICS check when they have been approved under the NFA to the person receiving the firearm. Unlike individuals, corporations, partnerships, and associations; unincorporated trusts do not fall within the definition of “person” in the GCA.

Because unincorporated trusts are not “persons” under the GCA, a Federal firearms licensee (FFL) cannot transfer firearms to them without complying with the GCA. Thus, when an FFL transfers an NFA firearm to a trustee or other person acting on behalf of a trust, the transfer is made to this person as an individual (i.e., not as a trust). As the trustee or other person acting on behalf of the trust is not the approved transferee under the NFA, 18 U.S.C. 5812, the trustee or other person acting on behalf of a trust must undergo a NICS check. The individual must also be a resident of the same State as the FFL when receiving the firearm.

There is a lot of technical legal speak in this post but it is fascinating how the government has spun such a tangled web of laws that may actually cancel out or contradict one another.

, , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

No Comments

South African Mercenaries Enlisted To Fight Boko Haram

From Financial Times:

, , , , , ,

No Comments

Second Amendment Enforcement Act

From NRA-ILA:

This week, U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-Fla.) and U.S. Representative Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) introduced “The Second Amendment Enforcement Act of 2015” in the U.S. Senate and House respectively.  These bills would restore the fundamental individual right for law-abiding D.C. residents to Keep and Bear Arms to defend themselves in accordance with the law.  This bill would also conform D.C. law to federal laws in regards to governing firearms commerce, while also allowing D.C. residents to purchase firearms from licensed dealers in VA and MD, without the current hassle of D.C.’s onerous firearm registration system.  The D.C. permitting system would also become streamlined, allowing for more law-abiding D.C. residents to legally obtain a permit and carry concealed firearms for self-defense.

, , , , , ,

No Comments

Tell This Guy “No One Wants To Take Your Guns”

Brian Aitken was arrested, is now a felon and hasn’t seen his son in 5 years.

, ,

No Comments