History, Religion, Politics, Culture, and Travels in the Islamic World
On 3 January 2020, Trump assassinated Haji Qasem Soleimani. On 27 January 2020, the chief of CIA’s “Iran Mission,” Michael D’Andrea, “died” when his USAF Bombardier E-11A jet was downed in Afghanistan. Did he die? CIA claims he was “forced” to retire. Was the jet destroyed by IRGC?
Everyone is an OSINT expert these days. Twitter is swarming with OSINT accounts purporting expertise on Russia-Ukraine War and/or Israel-Palestine conflict. Businesses are seeking applicants with expertise in “OSINT tools, techniques and methodologies” and “HUMINT tradecraft” for sundry “threat intelligence” positions. Most OSINT experts have no intelligence or military background. They often supply propaganda, misinformation, or “confirmation bias” through ignorance, or, to satisfy the demands of their followers and/or paymasters.
Essay on the “Rosewood” (Rosenholz) files—microfilmed database of Stasi agents in the West acquired by CIA after the Berlin Wall fell (Der Mauerfall)—and Markus Wolf’s elaborate coding system that took CIA years to crack before they could identify his spies in US and Europe. Essays includes number of photos taken by me of Stasi HQ
On the anniversary of the German surrender at Karlshorst, east Berlin, in the presence of Marshal Georgy Zhukov, a bit of history—and lots of photos and videos, including by me—about the vicinity, which was used for administration of the Soviet Zone (1945–49); and housed the biggest KGB station in the world (1954–1991).
44th anniversary of the 24-25 April 1980 failed attempt by US Special Forces to rescue hostages held at the US Embassy in Tehran. Video and photo essay with links to informed analyses.
Maj-Gen. Aharon Haliva, chief of the Israel Defense Force’s Military Intelligence Directorate, announced his resignation on Monday, ostensibly for his failures w.r.t. the 7 October attack, but Iranian sources inform me that his departure is due to his failure to estimate Iran’s response to Israel’s illegal attack on its Damascus diplomatic facility.
My article, ‘Israeli Air Defenses are not Untouchable,’ on how IRGC developed an impressive arsenal of drones and ballistic missiles over twenty years, was published at the Cradle (link in post). An ‘expert’ on IRGC, Mr. Kasra Aarabi, wrote, ‘IRGC neither has the doctrine nor the capabilities for direct war with Israel…’ Oops. This is an example of the ongoing ‘competency crisis,’ where credentialed ex-military officers and ‘experts’ at think-tanks supply US/UK governments with analyses that lead to cockeyed policies. GIGO: ‘Garbage-In, Garbage-Out.’
Putin’s interview served to convey Russia’s message past gate-keeper media to millions of viewers in the Global South: Asia, Africa, and Latin America. It is less important to the Kremlin what Westerners and ‘Westoxified’ non-whites think of why Russia was compelled to wage war in Ukraine. What matters is shaping the views of people of color; how they perceive Russian policies, and understand why Russia was compelled by NATO to wage war in Ukraine.
An agreement between Iran and Russia is being finalized. The Kremlin is chafing at U.S. support for Ukraine. Russia is likely to support Iran in a ‘proxy war’ in the Middle East. A Russian think-tank said, for payback, Russia may support a ‘hybrid war far from its own borders.’
NATO and its media supporters love wunderwaffen—‘wonder weapons’ that were promised by Herr Hitler to the German people even as Berlin crumbled around the Führerbunker. Challengers, Abrams, Leopards, HIMARS, and F-16s have had their turn as the ‘game-changer’ that will see off the Russians. Stingers entered the ‘game-changer’ phase last summer, with media asking, ‘will … Continue reading Myth of the Stinger Missile Winning the Soviet-Afghan War
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