Abu Muqawama: Post
Abu Muqawama retains its autonomy and the views and beliefs expressed within the blog do not reflect those of CNAS. Abu Muqawama retains the right to delete comments that include words that incite violence; are predatory, hateful, or intended to intimidate or harass; or degrade people on the basis of gender, race, class, ethnicity, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, or disability. In summary, don't be a jerk.
Two Quick Friday Hits on Lebanon
1. Regarding those asking whether or not soldier within the Lebanese Armed Forces (LAF) might be sympathetic toward Hizballah and their operations in the South: one of the quirks of the LAF is that with a little wasta, you can get stationed close to where your family lives. (This is actually not that much different than the U.S. military: at Fort Drum, we had a disproportionately high number of soldiers from New York and New England.) Thus the sectarian complexion of units in the LAF tends to reflect, more or less, the sectarian make-up of the area in which they operate. For this reason, even though Sunni Muslims are a minority in Lebanon, Sunni Muslim Lebanese soldiers died in disproportionate numbers during the 2007 fighting at Nahr al-Bared in heavily-Sunni areas in and outside of Tripoli. (For more on Lebanese casualties during the fighting, check out Aram Nerguizian's authoritative study of the LAF (.pdf).) Shia Muslims, meanwhile, are thought to comprise an overall majority within the LAF's enlisted ranks. Hizballah, the violent non-state actor and political party in Lebanon that is almost exclusively Shia in its composition, is strongest in the heavily Shia areas of the Biqa'a Valley, the South, and Beirut's southern suburbs. The LAF in those areas is ... okay, by now you get my point. Even if there is no overt coordination between the LAF and Hizballah, Lebanese soldiers in southern Lebanon are statistically more likely to be openly sympathetic on an individual basis to Hizballah.
2. I always enjoy reading Mohamed Bazzi's analysis on Lebanon, but I don't see why "U.S. officials must eventually reach out to Hezbollah" to avoid further conflict. (I am, in fact, somewhat dubious that Hizballah would even consent to meet with U.S. officials.) Bazzi says we have to engage with Hizballah but never really makes a clear case as to why. What will the United States be able to do through direct engagement that it cannot already do now? How has the United States been poorly-served by the inability of its diplomats to conduct face-to-face meetings with Hizballah leaders?
Finally, many thanks to those of you who made this report of mine (.pdf) the most down-loaded CNAS report this summer. It has nothing to do with Lebanon, but you should read it anyway.
My browser rejected your
My browser rejected your most downloaded report.
As for why we might want to talk to Hizballah... we could ask them how they manage to do so much with only $100 million a year.
Maybe we could learn something.
EX, WHY did it take the
EX,
WHY did it take the Pentagon / DoD 8 + Days, to get on TV and publicly ask Wiki-leaks to return our stolen property?
Actually, why they wait till now? Why not ask back when DCIS arrested Army Pfc. Bradley Manning? Why the delay?
Doesn't make sense that DoD would wait till now to contact Wiki-leaks. Why not give them the benefit of the doubt and ask nicely?
On a side note, if we did receive the documents back, there is a larger problem. Wiki-Leaks computers and servers had this information loaded up onto them.
http://www.dss.mil/ is tasked with the job of data sensitization. DoD 5220.22-M is sometimes cited as a standard for sensitization to counter data remanence. The Defense Security Service provides a Clearing and Sensitization Matrix (C&SM) which does specify methods, so if Wiki-Leaks did cooperated and said they would return the documents, DoD would still have or ask Wiki-Leaks to destroy all their computers.
As of the June 2007 edition of the DSS C&SM, overwriting is no longer acceptable for sensitization of magnetic media; only degaussing or physical destruction is acceptable.
Break out your sledgehammers Wiki-Leaks or we can assume some act of sabotage will take place.
More of a question than a
More of a question than a comment: Does the LAF's recent border firefight with the IDF improve its standing in the eyes of Lebanese as a credible defender of Lebanon against Israel? Do incidents like that improve the LAF's stature relative to Hizballah? If so, could one see an occasional border dust-up between the LAF and IDF as ultimately in the US interest?
My neighbor applied for a
My neighbor applied for a bldng permit. It's for a workshop, 100 ft tall and 400 ft wide with 9 domes at various heights, windows, everywhere & a loud outside entertainment sound system. Painted vomit green with pink trim, with pkng for 200 cars. The City Council told me to forget it.....AIN'T GONNA HAPPEN!
So he sent the application in again, but this time he called it a Mosque.
Construction starts on Monday
Are booing your Hero....oh
Are booing your Hero....oh Progressive Ones.....
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAWsy7VV8oE&feature=player_embedded
Good Grief!!
Bazzi says we have to engage
Bazzi says we have to engage with Hizballah but never really makes a clear case as to why. What will the United States be able to do through direct engagement that it cannot already do now? How has the United States been poorly-served by the inability of its diplomats to conduct face-to-face meetings with Hizballah leaders?
A part of it seems to be Mr. Bazzi conflating with his own interests with those of the United States. He does give a simplistic justification as to why we must engage. The U.S. Department of State has designated Hizballah as a terrorist organization. Quite the exclusive honor, no? There's a 1 in 45 chance we engage these folks next (after we're done in Iraq and Afghanistan, and then maybe Somalia and Yemen), so might as well plan for it, right? Because the political situation is bound to be the same then...
What was the deal with Fatah
What was the deal with Fatah al-Islam, again? A radical Sunni group formulated in November 2006. Most tellingly, it took the U.S. Department of State until August 2007 to declare it a terrorist organization, well after it had launched all manner of attacks in Lebanon in May, June and July.
Suggestion arose that Fatah-al-Islam was receiving support through various front groups, in the hope it would attack Hezbollah. Some said a private agreement was made between Dick Cheney, Saudi Prince Bandar, Elliot Abrams, to get covert support from the Saudis to support hard-line Sunni groups in Lebanon who would be seen as assets in the event of a military conflict with Hezbollah, and that's what Fatah al-Islam first relied on for cash.
The blowup with the Lebanon army was probably mostly unintended. The U.S. was deeply involved in this, and it was very similar to the late 1980s effort to beat the Russians in Afghanistan, using the Saudi conduits. The Saudis can't control their proxy groups, who are just as liable to attack U.S. interests as Hezbollah.
This was the policy back then, and it's been backed off now (apparently), but the reason they were tolerating the radical Sunni groups is that they were seen as insurance against Hezbollah.
P.S. Condi Rice vs. Hillary Clinton: who would win?
I have no interest in diplomacy for the sake of returning Lebanon and Israel to the status quo ante. I think it would be a mistake. What we’re seeing here, in a sense, is the growing — the birth pangs of a new Middle East and whatever we do we have to be certain that we’re pushing forward to the new Middle East not going back to the old one. - Condi Rice July 21st 2006
If they wanted a new Middle East, they'd be encouraging democratic reforms in Saudi Arabia and Israel, not playing covert proxy war games - and trying to get some regional accords on water rights signed, too.
Thomazi, Auguste, La
Thomazi, Auguste, La conquête de l'Indochine (Paris, 1934)
Thomazi, Auguste, Histoire militaire de l'Indochine français (Hanoi, 1931)
Nguyen, Thanh Thi (1992). The French conquest of Cochinchina, 1858–1862. Ann Arbor, Michigan: University Microfilms International.
Hey AM, Update the COIN
Hey AM,
Update the COIN reading list.
I known the blog has become all things to all...,etc,etc, but some of us do browse by for the COIN coz COIN's our biz cuz
In 1858, when the
In 1858, when the Philippines was a Spanish colony, France and Spain invaded Vietnam. A number of French troops involved in this campaign became casualties as a result of contracting illnesses such as cholera, dysentery, tropical diseases, and rickets. In order to deal with the manpower shortage which resulted from this situation, the French consul in Manila, the colonial capital of the Philippines, was given permission by the Spanish government to recruit 900 Indians, as Filipinos were then known, for the French navy and a sufficient number of men to form an infantry company and a cavalry squadron. It is said that one-third of the entire French force in this campaign consisted of mercenaries from the Philippines, who distinguished themselves in action and were well-adapted to the environment.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Filipinos_in_the_French_military
On 17 February 1859, after forcing the river defences and destroying a series of forts and stockades along the Saigon river, the French and Spanish captured Saigon. French marine infantry stormed the enormous Citadel of Saigon, while Filipino troops under Spanish command threw back a Vietnamese counterattack. The allies were not strong enough to hold the citadel, and on 8 March 1859 blew it up and set fire to its rice magazines. In April, Rigault de Genouilly returned to Tourane with the bulk of his forces to reinforce Thoyon's hard-pressed garrison, leaving capitaine de frégate Bernard Jauréguiberry (the future French navy minister) at Saigon with a Franco-Spanish garrison of around 1,000 men.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cochinchina_Campaign
On February 17, 1859, the French warships opened fire on the citadel with artillery. This attack focused on the southeastern corner of the citadel, where most of the Vietnamese artillery had been installed. The Vietnamese artillery commanders had miscalculated and had set up their cannons incorrectly, firing at excessively high angles. The cannons were not easily adjusted and thus the Vietnamese firepower was misdirected and ineffective. At around 10:00, Captain Des Pallieres led 300 French soldiers in an infantry attack. They used bamboo ladders to scale the walls under artillery support from the river. The defenders were caught off guard by this manoevre and many fled in chaos.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Citadel_of_Saigon
Most of the Vietnamese defence personnel were concentrated at the eastern gate of the citadel, where they stubbornly fought off the French. Rigault de Genouilly led 500 French troops in hand-to-hand combat for seven hours, having used explosives to breach the citadel. At 14:00, the French seized control of the citadel. Two hours later, de Genouilly declared the citadel as the new general headquarters of the French forces. The French seized a large arsenal. This included more than 200 cannons, 20,000 hand-held weapons such as firearms, pistols and swords, 100 tons of munitions, 80,000 tons of rice and 130,000 francs in cash. Saltpetre, shot and sulphur were also seized. The Vietnamese material losses were estimated to be around 20 million francs. The citadel commander fled to another village before committing suicide.
In the mid-19th century
In the mid-19th century Pampangos joined the Spanish and French in the invasion of Vietnam, ostensibly to defend the Catholic missionary enterprise in that kingdom. Little has been written about this military action by the natives of Pampanga during this campaign and the subject would make a good research topic for some enterprising scholar with a grasp of French and Spanish.
http://www.asiafinest.com/forum/index.php?s&showtopic=209637&view=findpo...
http://www.history.buffalo.edu/people/larkin.shtml
The Macabebe Scouts and Their Reputation
By DR. JOHN ALAN LARKIN
ONE OF the first pieces of Philippine folklore (tsismis?) I heard when I began my research in 1963 was the dubious contention that “the Pampangos were untrustworthy.” Untrustworthy about what was not immediately evident, but the notion seems to have had its origin when 81 Macabebe Scouts were instrumental in the capture of Emilio Aguinaldo in Palanan, Isabela, in March 1901. They used the daring ruse of bringing supposed American prisoners into General Aguinaldo’s secret camp and then turning on the Philippine president, thus helping to bring the war to a conclusion. So the story of the untrustworthy Pampango started in the Republican nationalist lore of the turn of the century. What needs to be emphasized, however, is that the actions of those particular Macabebes did not reflect the attitude of most Capampangans towards the struggle going on at the time.
Two points should be made about the incident at Palanan to put it in perspective. First of all, the action reveals the cleverness and bravery of the Macabebe Scouts who were experienced soldiers with a long history of military service. Second, the Scouts were mercenary troops, soldiers who served different governments for wages. Born as a force of resistance against the Spanish, the soldiers of Pampanga, and Macabebe in particular, used their military skills as a means of livelihood during the colonial period. One of the conditions under Spanish domination was the necessity to develop a diverse economy, and mercenary service was just one way to make a living, along with crafts, trading and farming. For example, it was the Capampangan Pandaypira who cast brass canons for Spanish ships.
The history of the Macabebes as soldiers harks back to the time of Spanish conquest of the Philippines. In June 1571, troops from that town, one of the earliest of the province’s known historical settlements, served under Rajah Soliman, perhaps from Lubao, against Spanish forces in Tondo, under the command of Martin de Goiti. The Spaniards must have been impressed by the military prowess of the Pampangos for, three years later, after the conquest of Pampanga, the colonials employed natives of the area in the defense of Manila against the pirate Limahong. Thus began some four centuries of Pampango professional military service, and troops from Macabebe and its later off-shoot Masantol formed a significant part of those contingents.
The record of the Capampangans as soldiers in the colonial service is a long and durable one. Units from other ethno-linguistic groups, including Visayans (Cebuanos and Negrenses among them), Ilocanos, Samals and Tagalogs, also served under Spanish command; however, the Pampangos seem to have been the ones with the most professional reputation and experience. Consider just the known service from the Spanish era. In 1603 and 1640 they assisted the Spanish in exerting control over the Chinese community in Manila. They served in Mindanao and the Moluccas against the Moros and the Dutch, and they helped repel the British invasion of the 1760s. It should be recalled that Bacolor was the Spanish capital, ably defended by Capampangan contingents, while the English controlled Manila.
The reward for such service could be substantial. In the 1660s, Don Juan Macapagal received the lofty title of maestre de campo and an encomienda for raising troops to suppress a local rebellion and later to fend off a threatened invasion by the Chinese pirate Koxinga. Macapagal was one of the only natives to be so honored.
In the mid-19th century Pampangos joined the Spanish and French in the invasion of Vietnam, ostensibly to defend the Catholic missionary enterprise in that kingdom. Little has been written about this military action by the natives of Pampanga during this campaign and the subject would make a good research topic for some enterprising scholar with a grasp of French and Spanish.
Given this history of dedicated, professional service, it is not surprising that the Macabebes, under Colonial Eugenio Blanco, should have been enlisted to defend the Spanish cause at the time of the Revolution and, later to soldier for the United States during the Philippine-American War. It was a matter of vocation, not politics. The whole question of loyalty in the province to the Malolos government is a complex one, and demands extended treatment elsewhere. Here I can suggest that the Macabebes had an occupation which they pursued in a competent (if harsh), experienced fashion.
During the American period the Macabebe Scouts continued their service and formed the backbone of the Philippine Scouts. Many of their successors belonged to units that made the heroic stand at Bataan in defense of the Philippine Commonwealth. That tradition of professional soldiering continued into the post-World War II era. This pride of service is expressed in the following quote by Marcelino Paras from “The 1964 Masantol Yearbook” of the town fiesta:
It is with deep pride to note that this is a town of bold warriors and brave soldiers. As early as June 6, 1570 (sic) when the Spaniards under the leadership of Martin de Goiti came to Manila to impose the Spanish sovereignty in our country, they were met by Rajah Soliman, reputedly a native of this place, and a handful of bold warriors from Macabebe. The Masantoleno as a soldier saw action in three wars, namely, the Spanish-American War, World War I, and World War II. As a soldier he is second to none in gallantry and bravery under fire, earning for himself medals of honor which he could leave as worthy legacy to his children. With the coming of the Americans who implanted the seeds of democracy in our soil, he served under the American flag in all these wars. He saw action in Bataan and Corregidor. He joined the infamous “death march”. During the enemy occupation, he joined the guerrilla movement, more particularly the two outstanding guerrilla organizations the 320th Squadron (LGAF) under Major Robert Lapham, and the Banal Regiment, under Alejandro Poblete, alias Jose Banal. It is no wonder that today, there are some 570 checks that pour into the town monthly, amounting to P250,000, more or less. These are pensions for our disabled veterans and their dependents.
Clearly the people of Macabebe and Masantol take pride and feel loyal to their calling.
The reputation of the Capampangan for duplicity is obviously undeserved. Like any other group in the Philippines they were forced to make some compromises with colonialism. But in the case of soldiering the Pampangos used their skills in ways that ultimately reflected well on the province. Professional soldiering is an ancient profession, practiced by colonial and non-colonial peoples alike. It should not be confused with patriotism.
Mula kay Augusto V. de Viana
Mula kay Augusto V. de Viana ng Manila Times, sa artikulong "What ifs in Philippine History" --
What if Basilan remained under France?
"In 1844 negotiations were made with the Sultan of Sulu and the French to buy Basilan island for 100,000 francs. The island was to be used as a trading post. However the French were never able to claim control of the island because of hostile Moros led by Datu Usak. It was suspected that the ignorance of the local customs and language as well as the natives' violent predisposition was responsible for the clashes with the French.
"A party of three Frenchmen was abducted and later released with the intercession of the Spanish governor of Zamboanga after a payment of 2,000 piastres and 1,000 piastres worth of supplies were given to the abductors.
"The French sent troops to hunt down Usak but were never able to capture or kill him. For the first year the French had to spend 2.5 million francs to suppress piracy around the island and 1.7 million francs to make the colony livable. King Louis Philippe reversed the decision to buy the island on July 26, 1845.
"The French preoccupation in Algeria, the inadequacy of the location and the presence of pirates were the reasons for the decision. Spain and England also opposed French moves to colonize the island. Had the French remained in Basilan, the natives, including the Abu Sayyaf bandits, would be speaking French."
http://www.filhistory.com/2010/04/ang-basilan-ay-naging-teritoryo-ng-pra...
OK a Muslim/American
OK a Muslim/American (Iranian expat) has a WaPo OpEd that says don't build that mosque at Ground Zero (or should I call it GdZ0?)
"I have no grave site to visit, no place to bring my mother her favorite yellow flowers, no spot where I can hold my weary heart close to her. All I have is Ground Zero. "
"On the day I left Ground Zero shortly after the tragedy, I felt that I was abandoning my mother. It was like being forced to leave the bedside of a loved one who is dying, knowing you will never see her again. But I felt the love and respect of all those around me there, and it reassured me that she was being left in good hands. Since I cannot visit New York as often as I would like, I at least want to know that my mother can rest in peace. "
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/06/AR201008...
I always thought the most
I always thought the most intriguing aspect of Vietnamese history was the thousand-plus-year conflict with China, something that Western scholars used to ignore, pegging the history of the country to the British-French colonial period c.1850. That was the same time Britain was fighting its wars to keep China safe for opium dealers.
The French hung around until the Japanese drove them out in order to more effectively blockade China - the only relief eventually being U.S. bomber flights over the Himalaya via Burma, the world's biggest airlift before Berlin.
The most curious events are at the end of WWII - Ho Chi Minh had ben fighting Japanese & Vichy French forces, but when the Japanese sailed away and handed control over to the French, Truman refused to back Vietnamese nationalists and instead backed the French colonialists - Truman was a real tool, by any account, of other interests. Imagine if FDR had allowed the British colonialists back into Saudi Arabia, instead of backing their nationalist desires? Later on, it was the Suez Canal - goodbye, Europe. Similar actions in Southeast Asia would have had much better results - but no, let's return the colonies to France!
The U.S. should never have let Britain and France get anything back after World War II at all, but should instead have made more allies by backing national independence movements and deals along the lines of the one FDR cut with Ibn Saud. Again, Truman's blunder, backed up by Eisenhower's out-of-control CIA, with the giant mess in Vietnam being the eventual result. You'd think they'd learn, but then they went and did it again in Iraq - another long, drawn-out debacle.
The French are still trying to play the colonial game in Africa, though, especially Niger, whose uranium mines supply France's domestic nuclear power plants, at bottom-of-the-barrel prices, too - while polluting the local water supplies.
http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,686774-3,00.html
Just passed a Sunday
Just passed a Sunday baseball game in Brooklyn. That's as real as anything in "Real America".
did you see real black people there? not too many black folks in think tanks. must have been like a trip to the zoo for you.
My boy said 'baseball', kid.
My boy said 'baseball', kid. Ain't no blacks in B-town play baseball on a Sunday, homie. That be Borriquas, black. Straight up, Puerto Riquenos, estado cinquenta y uno, por vida, esse. Give yo' money to Haiti and fuck Afghanistan, them goat humpers can suck it for all I cares. Burn a koran while yo' at it, bitches!!!
Yo, Ex, why you ain't got no
Yo, Ex, why you ain't got no Afro-Americans in CNAS, homie?
Maybe we black folks gotz to do some COIN up in that sheez nitz!
Get some brothers up in there, yo.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y54yESyq6Io (the news)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMtZfW2z9dw (the remix)
"What's more dangerous? The
"What's more dangerous? The Pech Valley or the DC Metro at 11 p.m. on a Friday night?"
The Green line, go figure. surprise. surprise.
"Oh, snap! It's the new
"Oh, snap! It's the new generation of nerds, gunning for my job!"
There will be a lack of interest soon and the focus will be in China. How many of these 4,000 of so students actually make it to advance Arabic? Probably only the heritage speakers.
Fajna stronka lecz dla
Fajna stronka lecz dla polepszenia skutecznosci i reklamy zapraszam do skorzystania z naszej oferty np: [url=http://www.cyberpozycja.pl]Pozycjonowanie stron www[/url] na pewno jestesmy konkurencyjni.
Two quick friday hits
Two quick friday hits lebanon.. Outstanding :)
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