Ideological Conflicts – Página 3

The Western Defense and the Great Strategy of his Nations II.

(CONTINUATION)

This way, for us, to cut away in our National Defense is to damage, hurt or mutilate, according to the cases, the solidity, conviction, credibility and continuity of the internal and external projection of the Spain “seal». It is not a question of having up to an elite unit of «infantry on donkeys» (as «mountain dragoons»). To be able to clean an affront in Bolivia or in the Central African Republic. As the one that had needed Great Britain, when she wanted to avenge in the 19th century an offense from the Bolivians. That showed off her Ambassador mounted in a donkey. And found that neither the Royal Navy, nor her embarked infantry could coming up to lands so deep inland. But it is a theme that our Smart Defense, praised already by the NATO, supports and balanced and adequately distributes her budgets and means. In order that she can face the three mentioned kinds of wars, in the framework of the European and Western Joint Defense.

The modern units must be adapted for every type of fight and, at the same time, be bivalent or polyvalent. For example, the small elite units are suitable for their employment in the three types of wars. Their tasks are to attack diverse enemy’s critical vulnerabilities, using assaults with limited aims in his tactical or operative depth. Realizing always a study, the exposition and very rigorous tests of their insertion and extraction, which are their tactical weaknesses. The artillery units and the nuclear tactical missiles units are useful in the first phases of a nuclear conflict. And when the conventional war enters a serious conflict, which cannot get lost. Using them as part of a flexible response operational strategy and by successive steps. The modern anti ballistic missiles of the system AEGIS and the Patriots can serve to collaborate destroying the enemy missiles of any origin and in the three types of conflicts. Let’s remember that Saddam Hussein provoked repeatedly the Israelis in the War of the Gulf of 1991 (a regular war), using his different types of SCUD (ballistic antiquated missiles of calculable paths) with conventional heads. And that Hamas, in the totally asymmetric conflict at ends of 2012, was throwing with great profusion and diffusion theirs over Israel’s south and center. Managing to reach without any precision Tel Aviv’s beaches and the suburbs of Jerusalem, using the missiles facilitated by Iran. That is to say, almost all the types of existing units are necessary, incorporating them In a balanced and sufficient combination, to attend to the challenges of the different armed conflicts.

The Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (not driven planes of exploration and of bombardment) also has content and usefulness here. But always operating as part of the «combined weapon sets». The planes without crew can substitute profitably one «reconnaissance long range patrol» (exploration patrol in the operational enemy zone). To confirm with the sights the presence of an eminent enemy chief, hidden between the walls and courts of his shelter residence, placed in a cultural and ethnically related to him country. An exploration patrol would assume undue risks in the deep interior of an hostile territory. And even they might precisely and cleanly execute him with the AGM-114 Hellfire II missiles. If it was not because the most probably of doing it (that belongs to God!), which is looked for by the «overkilling», «over liquidating» the enemy. In spite of the «dead and injured men and collateral property damages», that grow this way lateral and exponently. And the almost neurotic «body count» or checking the corpse or the remains, to properly value the mission. Both are «appearances» (or spiderwebs, as is preferred) taken root in the mind and know how of the commands and military doctrines of the USA.

For example, when they tried, with only a pure attrition action, to operationally destroy the long distance and distribution transports and the logistic support structures (stores and distribution centers towards the different enemy supply areas of its tour, sections with hard surfaces roads, vehicles repair centers, etc.) of the Route Ho Chi Minh. Using the «saturation bombardments» of the B-52 (a strategic bomber in constant tactical missions!) and the most precise attacks of their ground support bombers. These were principally the AC-130, with diverse variants, and the light bomber B-576, a highly improved device, designed from the British Canberra of the 50s of the 20th century. The Route allowed enough abaster to the Vietcong and the regular North Vietnamese forces in the «demilitarized zone», between both Vietnamese republics, and at the south of that. And it was thinking up from North Vietnam across this of Laos. The support bombers were attacking in the night the trucks’ rest parks and the trucks marching groups. And, following came the “body count”, using airplanes with cameras. Looking to measure and quantify the success of the missions of the Command Hunt (or Command for the Route). The problem was that, the following day, the whole attacked section of the route was turning out to be unpolluted, without debris, not even any residue. The junior Americans officials explained ironically it, speaking about the effective action of a «Great Laotian Truck Eater Monster». That was taking charge at dawn, stubbornly cleaning the route for the North Vietnamese. For 1972, the total of enemy vehicles destroyed in the Uncle Ho’s Route, according to the most rigorous body count, was overcoming in more than 50% the calculated by the Military Intelligence in the total North Vietnamese park.

And this has continued happening in the «stage» of the War called of the Information. Whose paradigm or principal metaphor, is the computer and its derivatives. It was supposed that, after the «dispersion» created by the introduction of the internal combustion engine in the operations, it should turn to give a major sensation of control and security in the area of their direction and control. And allow to automate many of the of the military operations’ phases. But, during the so called Kosovo’s War, the Serbian were high capable of teasing the ultramodern sensors of the NATO’s airplanes. Using for it cheap artifices of elementary technology: as were the diverse camouflages, the decoys or false targets and the fleeting emission of their machines. When the «fog» in the air operations vanished, their inefficiency, after 78 days of bombardments, was evident. And in this period, the NATO was encouraged by a false sensation of success. «Newsweek» published an article in the year 2000, where appeared an investigation realized by USA Air Force years ago, to «measure» the results of those air raids. So, they detected the rests of 14 tanks (of the 120 initially «targets reached»), of 18 armored infantry transport vehicles (for 220 «targets reached» declared) and of 20 towed or self-propelled artillery pieces, while they confirmed in its moment up to 450 «struck» pieces. More things of the electronics, optics and the great distance to the enemy…

THE END.

The Western Defense and the Great Strategy of his Nations

Since more than two decades, the USA has been systematically reducing his Defense budgets. Free of the threat of a global confrontation with the USSR and his allies of the Warsaw Pact, the USA has dedicated growing quantities of the contributors money to increase their squalid «social public expenditures». But, the USA is something more than a «continent in their self», only subject to the mercantile globalization. They are the principal pillar of the West Defense. And they are one of his two poles or vital, active, ideological and complementary nodes. And the other are Western and Oriental Europe, joined now with their anxieties of freedom and by a several social and economic systems, that are imperfect, but assumed and in development.

Development of the situation of weakness.

During the application of the Marshall Plan (known there as the European Recovery Program, name toked from the general of five stars George Marshall, chief of the High Staff of the US Army during the World War II and Secretary of State in 1947) for the reconstruction and development of Western Europa, this was nourished with the American assistances and investments. And before his voracious Red enemy «ad portam», that might cross theoretically the German plains in a few hours and reach Hamburg and the Benelux, the western Europeans did not have to realize relevant expenses for their Defense. Europe was entrusting it to the weapon systems and the soldiers of the USA. Which were covering and threatening the whole low abdomen of the Red Czars Empire. Forming so placed a protective insulating cordon, from the North Atlantic up to the Pacific Ocean and creating strategic alliances from the NATO to the SEATO (or South East Asia Treaty Organization). If we want to estimate how much money and effort the Europeans saved themselves, been able to do without these inevitable expenses of pure survival, we can see an example. The overwhelming weight of the military expenses that supported the USSR in his last ten years, was the necessary reason, though not sufficient, of their social economic asphyxiation. That took them to the inevitable precipice in 1989. A second range Soviet leader accepted later that, «we even did not have anything to eat».

But Europe also was contributing an ideological counterpoint, a psychological balance and a socio cultural magma to this transversal «mutual exchange» in the West. That were giving to the USA, continuity, sense and belonging to a tradition and to an active, enterprising, expansive, Christian and millenarian idiosyncrasy. That were taken root in the Greeks, the Romans, the Christian Revelation and the identities and baggages of the peoples westernized successively. This helps to constantly create and adapt the collective identity of the USA and his raison d’être as «primus inter pares» of this actual civilization. And this «double osmosis» of thoughts, experiences and identities, creates the modern western society, as we know her. That, with all his failures, mistakes and faults, continues being the «social identity and entity» more anticipated social, political and economically. And the one that more individual and collective rights recognizes to her citizens and inhabitants.

Now the purple and the control in West weighs to the USA. And, in the retreating phase of one of their vital cycles, they have partly forgotten their belonging to the Western Civilization » dependent of the international commerce». But this multi polar world is not safer than that of the two antagonistic irreconcilable, liberal and communist, social blocks, which disappeared almost 15 years ago. Let’s see several examples of prominent «nodes» in the actual «multi polar network» of nations and their associations and alliances. An expansionist China governed by the Communist Party, who looks for regional alliances, for the moment only with commercial interests towards the scanty and strategic materials, with the emergent countries of all the continents. And that tries to create her «sphere of influence and co prosperity» of great metropolis in the western Pacific Ocean. A full of contradictions Russia, a great power that always has reacted and has grown bolder with the dangers and vital difficulties, with an increasing importance and ambition. The South American and African continents, in that almost only the lack of leaders and effective elites, which are the principal antidote against the corruption and the lack of stable investments, hinder and stop an exuberant and endured economic and social expansion during decades. A Middle East and a north of Africa in full social boiling, that are guided by an expansive, global and exclusive religion in her more vindicator interpretations. More than for a few democratic «green buds», which do not have any tradition in their social idiosyncrasies.

A stationary and bureaucratized Europe, very advanced technologically and developed. But that is ideologically lethargic and without «reasonable illusions». That motivate and stimulate it to the social phase of motivation and expansion of a new cycle. And without having attacked to his time, still, the most difficult integration of his supranational institutions. To that there are opposed passively all the national and European bureaucracies, for his own inert existential weight, and in reason to the structural present and future complications and to the zones of power in game. That motivate and stimulate it to the phase of socials motivation and expansion in a new vital cycle. And without having undertook in time, still, the most difficult integration of her supranational institutions. To which are passively opposed all the national and European bureaucracies, by their own inert existential weight. And in reason to the structural present and future complications and to the zones of power in game. Because only when the belonging to a social superior entity produces social, political and economic tangible benefits, will be when the peoples, regions and many of their leaders appreciate, be interested and prefer the Joined Europe, to a commercialized and amorphous union of European nations.

Correction of the course of the Western Defense towards an expansion phase .

The USA and the countries of the old Europe must remember that the expansion and yet the maintenance of the civilizations begin with the arrival of the colonists, merchants and adventurers. That assume the first risks in interacting with local natives and create the first bonds between strangers. In order that all they start feeling interestedly complementary between them. And without nobody perceives between them a potential threat. That the falling back civilizations or yet «stable and crystallized», create an existential emptiness. That attracts and favors the penetration, deployment and new developments in the neighboring civilizations.

And that no healthy civilization cannot be supported without a sufficient Armed Forces. That must assume and face the different and yet contradictory challenges of the three classes of conflicts or modern wars: the regular, the nuclear and the irregular. In the European intervention in Libya, authorized only for the air protection of the civilians, was observed that the Europeans lack, for example, of airplanes of supply of fuel in flight. And these had to be facilitated by the USA, to carry out our air interdiction missions and of bombing the reinforced positions and the tanks of Libyan government. And the ground attacking French aviation to support the operations of the French and of Mali troops has also needed the airplanes of supply in flight of the USA. To be able to increase her attack to land capacities, in firepower, effective range and time of service and optimize his offensive flights. And to displace from Azawad’s Islamic Republic, in the north of Mali and with a surface of 600 thousand Km2. (The major European country, France, only has 550 thousand Km2.), all the radical islamist groups (al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghrib, Ansar al-Dine and others), that established themselves in Mali at the beginning of 2012, when Gaddafi was eliminated. The significant European lacks are not corrected in reasonable time due to the national diminishing budgets, which we have to apply in an economic long stagnation phase. But, also, due to the own absence of an European sufficient, integrated and flexible Defense Politic.

Nevertheless, in May, 2012 a summit conference of NATO took place in Chicago, to define his joint strategy for Afghanistan and to deep into the «Smart Defense». And, on the occasion of its preparations, at the end of April, 2012, the General Secretary of the NATO, the Danish Anders Fogh Basmussen declared that: «I do not believe that Europe is being militarily threatened just now, during this crisis». Is it necessary to see the wolf’s ears to buy and to provide the shepherds with dogs and cudgels? How much time is necessary in creating new units in combat capacity and in designing, making and deploying new weapon systems?

(TO BE CONTINUED)

The Taliban’ Military Operations in Afghanistan.

or The Expert Taliban Military Field Manual

In this epoch of scanty dissimulation, of powerful electronic sensors, even installed in the space, of spreads of the «intelligence», the enemy movements and hostile intentions are difficult to conceal to a military modern army. The means to achieve it are the dispersion, the geography (fogs, rainfalls, forests, orography, nights), the disguise (spoiling the reality) and the camouflage, concealing or adjusting reality. To avoid the detection and the heavy fire, to the enemy improved vision, is necessary to oppose the fleetingness, the smallness and imprecision of the images (few people, neutral clothes, conceal and dismantled weapons) and the insecurity in the apprehended «reality» (civil or armed and friends or enemies?). The enemy are difficult to be seen In the modern «empty» combat fields in combat availability at the nearby distances. Where the movements of the afoot infantry are not enfilade or by short and rapid jumps from concealment to concealment, preferably protected. And the «drones» or planes without crew of exploration and/or ground attack always will be able to lead to the murder of a few innocent smugglers or countrymen. By confusing them with enemy activists. Everything to do for losing the war to «gaining the hearts and minds of the enemy»!

The Taliban operational ways.

But, during a lot of time yet, the air and spatial means of the USA, as spy satellites, drones and planes of the system Joint Surveillance Target Attack Radar System (JSTARS), will have great limitations in the detection and check of small ground, even regular, forces in the areas of difficult transitability and with concealment possibilities: as mountains, jungles and forests, marshes and urbanized areas (industrial, warehousing and distribution, and housing). Those not only offer concealment, but also covered from enemy fire, up to the near combat distances. A slightly valued phenomenon here is the plethora of the «relative concealment heights», as determinant factor of the «transitability» («the good or bad ongoing» does not completely value and express it) of the units in this type of so abundant areas.

The operational key of the Taliban resides in their innumerable local chiefs, with their small guerrillas bands, at full or part time availability. They are in charge of intimidating, teaching, scaring, attacking and more or less temporarily occupying some of the numerous peasants settlements and hamlets. According to the pressure degree that they should exercise on the villagers in order that they inform, hide and support them. Evidently its elementary degree of operational development keeps the movement at the defensive. Without being able to dispute to any of the present ISAF’s Armies in these areas, any territory or village. Without being able to realize other attack actions beyond ambushes; assaults to very small enemy isolated units, preferably natives, demoralized and/or tired; medium range fire harassment; kidnapping; short duration isolated incursions, helped or not by other nearby bands; and the mining of paths and ways (the fearful IED), usually travel by the enemy with their frequent, unimaginative and “showing” patrols. The sheiks or commands chiefs are ideologically concentrated in the conversion to their movement, to their semi nomadic cells, of the most related or nearby Pashtuns. In a minor and less extensive degree, operate the cells of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

The Taliban «action units» type platoon must be unfolded in sections and even in «teams», for their large movements or with the possibility of the enemy presence. The extended march security helps to this secure deployment. The result is a network structure. Which nodes are the unfolded subunits and which “threads” indicate their horizontal and vertical relations, supports, communications and superposed protective shooting sectors. Even this network can be camouflaged, mixing or intermingling the “nodes” with pacific native groups. In this more yet empty battlefield, without permanent or consolidated lines, is necessary to accept the sporadic incursion in our own rear of military patrols of exploration and/or of combat. Their air abundant means facilitate them to realize surprising, rapid and powerful deep insertions, in charge of elite units. For it, in the haltings, rests and locations we have to keep the security, even in our rear and always deploying a tactical exploration.

This imposes a tremendous effort on the men and on the commands. Whose training, formation and discipline, motivation and religiousness and commitment with each mission must be complete. In this type of fighting, apart from the self-defence units, which dominate and monitor our own settlements and enclaves, the number of «select» soldiers, destined for the action units, it should be subordinated to their quality. These select fighters, as any other military mean of interest, always will skimp on. So, it is absurd to get involved in a clash, in which the Taliban’ combat capacity, is clearly lower than that of the enemy. Against the on board cannons and machine guns (both in ICV and airships), with their detection and fire control equipments, the ambushing Taliban, even protected in reinforced and/or covered positions, but in the forward slope to use their tense fire weapons, cannot support a duel.

The Taliban harassment operations on the military forces.

For the fire harassment to the patrols they don’t need to mobilize many fighters. The enemy will always call his tactical aviation or the helicopter gunships, which come fast, if he see a shooters spot or lunette in front of him. Even they sometimes overfly the marches of their columns and patrols, looking for opportunity targets. A small «selected» rebel unit can stop them. So forcing them to deploy, spend their ammunition as much as they follow their «engagement rules». And to regroup and, even, reequip, to continue their march. After the harassment the Taliban combatants, without being committed, will be scattered to gather on a main or alternative meeting point. And this can be repeated later by another «action unity». Fixed as they are to the tracks, the occasions for the Taliban will be numerous. And the results, enervating and frustrating, because they force the military men to the passiveness and to the moral wear.

Afghanistan almost lacks asphalt roads: there are only two. The most important gives itself a round turn all over the country, joining the principal populations, Kabul, Kandahar, Herat, etc. So they called it Ring Road. Then there is the North-South Road, which follows this tour, at the east of the country. They are not great thing. The asphalt have between half and one inch of thickness; the heats soften it and potholes and bubbles are easily formed. But, under a protuberance can hide an explosive device. It is necessary to cross slow the roads and looking at the soil. The Taliban have not now the habit of recording on video the ambushes, to hang them on Internet. This does that the carelessness observers in horizon, highly vulnerable as acquaintances, are almost away from the limits of the landscape of the ambushes. And that do not use as alert sign of them. But, the explosive devices are constantly developing and perfecting. These give a certain anonymity, distance and impunity to his «placers». The devices detonated by cable cannot be neutralized by the inhibitors. They are not frequently using cables activators. These are expensive and weigh, and the rebels are in isolated zones and the logistics is weak, vulnerable and complicated. Some devices are activated by a frequency transmitter with a given range; even serves an electronic opening door device. With the frequency inhibitors, the soldiers try to offset the radio waves of the probable frequencies used in the zone. Being the most expensive and complicated transmitters, that with more range, power and frequencies range. It is the game of the cat and the mouse. The problem is that the guerrillas of an area receive a radio activator that uses an unforeseen frequency. The activated by pressure and wrapped in plastic, can be very effective if their hollow conical explosive charge covered with the fatal metal, is well enough. The multiple and complicated are increasingly used. For example, it is possible to place one of average credible load, which alerts the designated land observers in the vehicles. On having brought over or descend from these, some of them can be activated by cable. And even «throw» from the path flanks some hollow charge missile placed in fixed unexpected camouflaged launchers. If the soldiers dismount from the vehicles, also some mortar bombs can be thrown on the ambush area, having it registered from the deployment positions of the tubes.

The obligatory passing zones of the enemy (gorges, mountainous passes, ways bordered of rocky outcrops or with cut gutters and direct accesses to the hamlets) are adapted for their employment. It must be also used a certain number or percentage of trick «placements», keeping the scene and decoration, but without live charges or cable wastes, destined to harass, tease and tire the foreign enemy stroller. In the variety are the taste and the initiative. The effect on the enemy of the “explosive, real and fictitious, simple or multiple ambushes”, is not simply added. But is a potential function of those deployed.

A permanent harassment of the barracks is not normal, for unproductive and costly. Also, they are tremendously defended (sensors, pits, wire fences, patrols and fortifications) against the suicides bombs. But happens that the suicides, who are illuminated but not silly fanatics, usually attack “not sufficiently protected enemies groups”.

In order to remove the indirect fire origins, the military men can realize limited aim assaults, expelling the Taliban irregular mortars. With an active habitual patrolling, they can in these moments scare or beat and remove the hostile marauders. The Taliban usually explore, at least initially and also in fluid fighting conditions, by observation. It is important to locate and eliminate these reconnaissance positions. The patient observation is the way. Bearing in mind that if the exigency is intense, every 30 minutes the observer must be replaced. Because he looks, but already not sees.

The Taliban usual procedure to assault a weak defended and/or without spirit position, preferable of the Afghan National Army (ANA) is this: at dawn they bomb with heavy fire from fixed missile launchers, then they approach to use mortars and finally, the assault is realized by several independent squads, that converging advance, shooting AK and RPD or PK machine gun bursts and their RPG and RL grenade-launchers. To avoid friendly fires, they would fire only to verified targets and from bottom to up or above to below.

(TO BE CONTINUED)

The Latest British Misfortunes in Afghanistan II.

On how a passive defense is inoperative and shameful in the counter insurgency war!!

(continuation)

The Taliban assault at Friday, 14, September, 2012 against Camp Bastion.

The British base has been attacked in diverse occasions during his years of existence. The most “media” occasion has been this that we treat. In the assault were dead two Marines (of the attached Camp Leatherneck). And other nine persons – eight military men and a civil contractor – were hurt. 6 airplanes McDonnell Douglas AV-8B Harrier II of the Marines Corps were destroyed and other two were very damaged. As for the logistic facilities, were destroyed three stations of fuels supply and damaged 6 hangars of aviation not structurally reinforced.

The effective defense of the military barracks, redoubts and camps against the assault and the harassment of irregular armed rebels is founded on three operational qualities: the initiative, the mobility and the offensive action. These, in turn, are directly determined by the mentality and the combative disposition of the military men (which depend fundamentally on them) and by the military available means in the operations zone (that depend fundamentally on the politicians and the public managers). The gravity center of the active defense of the military fixed positions resides in the observation and the control of the approximation routes. That in rural zone can be a semi flooded rice field; in mountainous area, a heights line a little below the military crest; in urban zone, the streets orientated towards them, from certain distance, and in a road, a verge. All this compounded by the climate and the day hour. The observation and fighting military positions can consist from the couple of snipers up to a reinforced platoon, according to the characteristics of the area and the intentions and capacities of the enemy. Those are apart of the perimeter defense and of the patrols who cross it randomly, that constitute a part of the camp static defense. The enemy is in the habit of exploring, at least initially and also in fluid fighting conditions, by observation. It is important to locate and eliminate these reconnaissance positions. The patient observation is the way. Bearing in mind that if the exigency is intense, every 30 minutes the observer must be replaced, because he looks, but already not sees. If additional means exist for it and as complement, it is necessary to use the energetic patrolling against the enemy, moving away the Complex much more, using armed reconnaissances and attacks with limited aims.

A passive defense, limited to rejecting the assaults, with the initiative and the election of the moments in hands of the enemy, is almost the most solvent of the combat morale that can experience a force, leaving apart a defeat. Ask about it to the Frenchmen who were defending multitude of redoubts and positions in Indochina before Dien Bien Fu in 1954 and to the nationalistic Chinese until 1949.

The operational offensive key is the energetic, constant, unpredictable patrolling, eager for the combat with the insurgents or of obtaining information. That constitute a more professional, more active and more lethal «swarm» than the insurgents bands. Integrated by units not usually bigger than a platoon. Whose weapons are the seal, the discretion, the mobility, with the night as collaborator and refuge. The initiative, demonstrated in the irregular war in multitude of small actions, is always habitual and consistently of the winning final side. It is not acceptable to allow that the enemy takes her, uses her or retains her. The initiative is joined to the creative imagination, framed and illuminated by the professional knowledge and the field experience . Together, reinforcing an enterprising character, they can be military decisive and efficient here

The Taliban usual procedure to assault a weak defended or without spirit position enemy is this: at dawn they bombard with the fixed rocket launchers heavy fire, then they approach to use mortars, finally, the assault it is realized by several independent squads, that converging advance shooting AK and RPD or PK machine gun bursts and their RPG and RL hollow charge grenade-launchers. They only fire on verified targets or from above and from below. When they try to keep the surprise, the initiative and the confusion, to lengthen the military reaction time and to obtain a very local and temporary superiority, they act without their meager heavy fire support. A typical characteristic of the Taliban is that they do not get involved in the defense of their positions. Once obtained the harassment of the enemy and extended the hurt, the mutilation and the stupor on the military men, they will move back. They are not so silly to wait intrepid for the heavy, precise and devastate military fire. Nor to presume of courage, in front of enemies with weapons of superior range and characteristics and capable of turning a surface target into a destruction zone. Also there are the time and its corollary, the opportunity. The Taliban handle very well the tactical and operational times. They are masters of the patience, the waiting, the repetition of trainings, simple and easy. For the important attacks they manage to use scale models of the goal. And, to penetrate in a base and attack the heavy and evident war aircrafts, only need to represent part of the perimeter, the directional location of the target and its identification, as well as the rejection fighting positions of the irruption point.

None of the laws of the war defined in the Geneva and The Hague conventions favor the Taliban fighting. The condition of right belligerent is granted by the fulfillment of them. For it, the bands should go uniformed, exhibiting the weapons, commanded by a chief and acting in name of a state that was retaining the sovereignty of, at least, a part of his territory. In the other cases, the national legislations are applied. They are specially hard in the cases of armed sedition. And qualifying of assassins, terrorists or bandits without entrails, to the rebels. Though, it is true that, in general, is suitable to smooth the “manual” treatment given to the partisans, to not irritate the positions and to no re-grow the excesses and the losses.

Enough hours before 12 pm of Thursday, the 13th of September, the Taliban forces began to approach from several directions to the air zone of the Complex. To keep a low tactical trace, they followed dragging techniques in their advance to the security zone of the area. And up to there got, without being detected, 45 to 50 insurgents that, in three convergent spears of advance attacked by midnight, supported by their squad organic weapons. Not to being detected up to the beginning of the assault, also helped them the scanty combative availability of the men. And the tedious and unproductive routine of the guards and patrols, which creates the passive defense of a great protective barrack. Approximately 15 Taliban from two of the groups, managed to get through Camp Bastion’s perimeter and to attack effectively the air zone. Finally the attacking group was wiped out (dead and injured men and prisoners).

It was a «significant» assault, the British Defense Department declared, as the insurgents should never have come so far away. It was, admitted the ISAF, a «good coordinated» attack. Organized in three assault groups, the Taliban managed to get through the defense perimeter of the base. «They were well equipped and trained, dressing USA Army uniforms and armed with automatic rifles, grenade-launcher and explosive jackets», continued the ISAF in his communique. This mission assured that during the assault, the international troops killed 14 insurgents and hurt other one, who is arrested.

The British correspondents in Afghanistan assured that Camp Bastion has an excellent visibility from all parts and is extremely strengthened. The defense correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, who has been for more than twelve times in Camp Bastion, wrote on Sunday, the 14th: «In spite of being in the center of the most dangerous province of Afghanistan, I always felt completely sure, undoubtedly, of an assault of the Taliban. And honestly I believed that there were more possibilities of dying knocked down by a military vehicle that murdered by insurgents». The forces of the coalition, make clear the correspondents, ask themselves how the Taliban were capable of giving this surprise attack a strengthened and isolated complex barrack. And a spokesperson, Adam Wojack, said that the Friday assault «was a sign for the coalition that it is necessary to give many attention to the popular, local and international state of mind about Afghanistan».

On Monday, the 10th of September Zabihullah Mujahid, a spokesman insurgent, declared to Reuters that the Taliban were trying to use all his resources to kill the prince Henry (also called «Harry the Nude»), third in the succession line to the British throne. After the facts, another Taliban spokesman underlined that they attacked in «revenge» for the American amateur movie which offends Mohammed. And that they choose to commit an attack against Camp Bastion, because the prince Harry was there, acting as co-pilot gunner in the Joint Air Group.

The Latest British Misfortunes in Afghanistan

On how a passive defense is inoperative and shameful in the counter insurgency war!!

Let’s see the «vital path» of the British in the current conflict. Of the “warlike fervor” of these «European technologically modern soldiers», give faith the operations carried out for years in Helmand province. After the war of 2001, which ended with the medieval theocratic radical intransigent regime of the Taliban, close to Lashkar Gal city, Helmand’s capital, up to 8 thousand British soldiers established themselves. That were successively relieved by their replacements in «tours of duty». This powerful contingent of professional experienced soldiers was unable in almost 7 years to fight, replacing the culture of opium in Helmand and appeasing the province, for the effective implantation in her of the Government of Kabul. To solve this operational Gordian knot of the ISAF, cutting it with a slit, it was decided…

The last great Offensive against the Taliban in Helmand: Marjah’s battle.

The “Operation Moshtarak” («Together», in dari, one of the afghan languages) began at Friday, February 12, 2010. For the operation approximately 15 thousand allied soldiers have met, from the ISAF and Afghanis. The USA contingent had around 4 thousand marines and 800 soldiers from the US Army. The Afghans were 2 thousand men and they accompanied the Americans in the attacks and occupations. The British were 4 thousand men and there were groups from Canada, Denmark and Estonia.

There were several operational aims in the “Operation Together”. The first was to aim a rapid and forceful blow to the Taliban, going forward to their usual spring operations. And showing them who have taken now the initiative. And as corollary, to try again to appeasing Helmand, for the effective and final implantation of the Government of Kabul in it. In the strategy of counterinsurgency is sought to clean the zone of the Taliban and to protect the inhabitants of their influence. It is supposed that the transcendence of the operations success will be indefinite. As the Government cannot request the loyalty of the people, if this is not defended effectively and permanently of the reprisals of the Taliban.

Also, it was the goal of eradicating the drug production in Marjah’s district. According with the UNO Agency for the Fighting against the Drug and the Organized Crime, 42% of the world opium is produced in Helmand’s province. And Marjah is one of the principal centers of the culture of the poppy and its chemical processing. The British were previously in charge of attacking its culture in the zone. But their efforts, up to the last summer, were insufficient and ineffective to achieve these two principal aims. In spite of the presence, at 40 Km from Marjah’s ville, of more than eight thousand British soldiers.

Another operational aim was giving field to the soldiers of the Afghan Army. Increasing their auto esteem and their military experience, trying his operational and organizational capacities and confirming his loyalties with the Government. Finally, it was wished that Marjah would be a «testing and checking center» for the different skills and techniques of pacification and civil development, of immediate and future application in the rest of the country. In a war against “national armed rebels”, these civil operations are the “other arm», complementary and necessary, of the successfully military actions over they.

The battle was carried out more in advancing and bombarding or shelling the suspicious positions. The allied troops were occupying and consolidating the successful advances. The external siege and the control of the possible escape routes of the guerrillas were in charge of the British and the auxiliary forces of Canada, Denmark and Estonia. That also defended the allied road links. The operation was completed in a month.

The Taliban, a light irregular infantry, without artillery or aviation, with a pedestrian and insufficient logistics, were beaten and removed from their combat positions in Marjah, dispersing finally, largely to the bordering provinces. And Marjah remained occupied by the Marines and the forces of the Afghan Army. A whole labor staid ahead now to earn the respect, the confidence and the loyalty of the villagers. And that they begin to accept the central Afghan government. Also it is necessary to offer them a future of peace, safety and prosperity. Replacing their current means of life, based on the opium poppy culture and the drug transport, by others that turn out to be reasonably profitable. And that do not move them simply to a subsistence agriculture without hope. Marines are excellent elite action forces. But in the vulgar and patient tasks of occupation and civilization of a more or less hostile and strange territory, they are mediocre, distant with people and no motivated.

In the province of Kandahar, the fief of the mulah Omar and the first national quarry of the Taliban, there were then almost 3000 Canadian troops, with the American and British forces. It was one of the first fighting «fronts» against the insurgency in the country, together with Helmand and the frontier Eastern provinces. As continuation of the cleaning in Marjah and at “load snort” of its military success, the allies decided to launch during the spring and the summer of 2010, the «Operation Kandahar», with almost the same operational aims that the first one. It was trying to make an intensive use of the operations of search and destruction of the enemy, to divide and disperse him. That would go at charge the elite units of of the armies, forming patrols of exploration, of combat and mixed, backed by Afghan soldiers and using the tactical aviation and artillery supports and the exploratory and precise fire capacities of the «drones». It was talked about the Battle of Kandahar. But, within a few weeks of initiated, his momentum was languishing. And losing initiative, creativity, will and applied force. And it was stopped speaking about her. In this epoch, the journalists detached in military units and populations in Afghanistan warned us that the «green outbreaks» of the insurgency were appearing, as vigorous and firm renews, within Marjah and Nad Ali…

In Afghanistan are present military forces from approximately 46 countries. Some of them are dedicated to support, garrison and rear tasks. As being a great coalition, without subordinating to it any of the interests that to each country dictate his needs and his political commitments, the coincidences between the allies are partial, have continuity solutions and are unstable through time. This intrinsic fragility of the coalition, is born in that almost all the allies do not practice State policies, but temporal or, worst enough, electoral. It is necessary to indicate that this owes largely to that there is not a clear perception of the Afghan problem. Not of his direct or indirect, immediate or distant nearness, to the national respective defense interests.

The great British military Complex Bastion in Helmand’s province.

Helmand is one of 32 provinces of Afghanistan. It spreads over 58.583 km ² at the southwest of the country and has a population around the million and half of inhabitants, of the pashtun and baluchi ethnias. The capital is Laskar Gah. In his Washer’s district, at the northwest of the capital, the Camp Bastion is installed. It is the principal military British base in Afghanistan. It can house between 20 and 30 thousand persons in all its facilities, British and American principally, depending on the Branch to which they belong and their missions, equipments and supplies. It occupies a total extension of 52 Km2, approximately 10 km per 5 km. It was designed to be the center of the logistic operations of the ISAF in Helmand. In addition, it is the major military British camp constructed outside their country after the II World War. Built by the British Engineers since the beginning of 2006, the Complex is placed in a desert zone and away from the populations and provided with long clear sights in all dirThe Latest British Misfortunes in Afghanistanections.

The Camp is divided structurally in different «sections». Bastion 1 and 2 are first erected. Bastion 2 contains also the Camp Barber (USA) and the Camp Viking (Danish). Bastion 0 was added about 2010 and it houses the facilities of the external contractors. The Bastion 3 is used for the specific training of counterinsurgency. The Complex also includes Camp Leatherneck (of the USMC) and Camp Shorabak, of the National Afghan Army. Camp Bastion’s airport, which possesses two landing strips, attends approximately 600 aircraft flights every day, in operations of combat, logistic and medicals. In the attached heliport are deployed the Westland WAH-6 Apache of multiple attack and the Boeing CH-47 Chinook of mixed transport. In these moments the Complex can handle and attend almost all the military and civil aircraft in use. The Complex also houses a great military campaign hospital. And large areas of this great base are protected by a nine meters high concrete wall, which spreads over a perimeter of more of 40km, inserted with special vigilance towers, with soldiers and high technology instruments.

(to be continued)

The Persons, the Virtues and the healthy, strong and resilience Societies

The three form the firm and natural joint of men in their social life, along their appearance and development from the Prehistory. But, some of the parameters of this «human triad» can degenerate or be consumed. And, then, the «operational conjunction» that they form, will put the personal and the collective survival of their members in serious danger of hurt, decay or destruction. And the «inner social links», upset or degenerated according with the intensity of the «test». Will develop in illogical, selfish or evil «attitudes and actions». So turning the “social fabric”, in a medley of “small groups” of human beings without polarity or illusion.

The Interaction between the Persons and their Society.

The identity of a man is his «natural card» of personals distinction and affirmation. She refers always to a comparison in essence and accidents with «something» similar. The man is, feels and differs, as such and in fullness, in a social «set». To which he belongs and that accepts him as member and full participant. And exist some «bonds», which unite, integrate, nourish and keep working the social healthy, active and resilience «union». And these are the rights and duties of both «personal and collective parts». That must be respected and reciprocal, in balance and parity of use and right, fulfilled and defended by they.

The Development and the Functioning of the Human Reciprocal Links in his basic and higher Societies.

The internal relations of the human groups are characterized by incorporate into them certain rites, rules, attitudes and taboos. Their assumption and repetitive expression form a part of the social upbringing, affirmation and cohesion of these «groups». Always will exist a «code of customs and honor», not necessarily written, though it will be clear and defined in his terms. That establishes to the individual certain rights and demands from him certain social duties, towards the family, the friends and other human higher groups. In any society exist several «protective values». These might be the hospitality, the loyalty, the friendship, the justice on outrages and hurts, a divine worship, the individual and collective honor. Each one protects and enlarges in some measure or degree the human «set». The interpersonal relations, in the areas of the family, the group and the region, are projected by the opportunity, the nearness, the exchange of goods and the relations. And they take root and affirm with the loyalty, the respect to the accepted rules and the time of treatment. Always an excess of regulation, looking for the insurance of the objective responsibilities, ends up by being harmful for all the «groups». Because they are the «ideological antonyms» of the social shared responsibilities. The «undue plethora» of super elaborated and ultra rational rules enervates and debilitates the sense of the responsibility and the moral courage (necessary to assume and exercise her). And the reflexes and attitudes of collective responsibility are diluted and get lost.

Their real «engine and fuel» will be the «reasonable, suitable, opportune and attainable illusion» and the «enthusiasm». Without illusion and enthusiasm they can neither be undertaken nor realize with consistency, human enterprises of benefit. The enthusiasm is a force of the spirit, illuminated by the reasonable illusion. That wins the «moral and ideological entropy» generated inevitably with the time in the societies. This social entropy is the psychic and spiritual set of the decay and the softness. That are generated by the personal and collective disappointment and disenchantment of the members of the group.

Of the social crises it is only possible to go out fortifying in the values and virtues. The values and virtues recognized, taken again and reaffirmed are those who can give us the force and the illusion to overcome the decadence times. Those are the «actions and qualities» of human reference, regarded and valued permanently by the human societies. The virtues are very stable in the time. The values are the human «qualities and actions», estimated only temporary and/or locally by some societies. And, principally, by virtue of his idiosyncrasy, living conditions and pressures received from the exterior. The cultural and social values are in the habit of being evolving with the contingencies, the displacements and the fortunes of the human societies.

The Virtues are provided principally by the elaborated religions, and by Cicero’s Speeches and Plato’s Dialogs, within our extensive western ideology. We mention the principal ones, which are absorbed and assumed in the human soul:

Appreciation of the family, the social group, the friendship and the nice and curious strangers who come to our environment. It is the vital environment that sustains us, the «social humus» fertile and indispensable.

Need of punishment of the conducts that are separated sufficiently of the social rules. To avoid the free, excessive or untied revenge, to dissuade the possible infringer, to satisfy in justice the damages and the hurts and to reform the mistaken conducts.

Need of the education, as mark and seal of the good doing and of the social citizenship. And the formation as set of the knowledge and professional skills, necessary for the service to the family and the society, with the exercise of a way of life decent and sufficient.

Appreciation of the respect and the worship to the divinity, as recognition and veneration of the Necessary Being who creates and supports us, and, in some cases, helps us frankly and directly. And it makes concrete according to the ideology and the social environment lived.

Valuation of the different duties to fulfill as necessary, vital and social counterpart, of the several right to receive. Valuation of the sobriety, the effort, the saving, the commitment, the study and formation and the work, as necessary factors and means for the progressive and just attainment of the personal and collective aims.

The Social Activities and the Importance of the Direction and the Commands.

Let’s not forget the essential function of «command, management, impulse and example» of the social leaders of all kinds, present in the homes, the schools, the churches, the political parties, the barracks, the trade unions, the working centers, the associations in general, etc. These are the cores of the collective activity of the society. Where are created the “reciprocal human links” of the higher society. Where the indispensable “illusion and enthusiasm» will settle themselves and bloom later. In the decadence, those leaders must accentuate their example. Because, the values and the virtues cannot be seen and felt as something artificial and/or remote, without real connection with a practical and lived code. And they are not acceptable as impositions of “cold rules and regulations», dictated from a «supposed moral and intellectual apex» of the society.