Bin Laden comment

NightWatch

For the Night of 1 May 2011

Pakistan-US: Comment: Bin Laden and a son are dead, killed in a firefight by US Navy SEALS carried in two helicopters to Abbottabad, Pakistan, just 35 miles north of Islamabad. The US commandos took custody of his body to prove he is dead and got away safely.

News services quoted unidentified US officials that the body was prepared for burial according to the Muslim ritual. Readers might wonder who gave such an order and why.

The Abbottabad location is important for two reasons. Bin Laden could not have lived in a compound in Abbottabad without official Pakistani government sustenance. Abbottabad is an upscale area and a garrison town, but not so large as to be impersonal. Bin Laden was living in protected luxury. Many people had to know that and probably will come forward in a little time.

On 7 December 2001, Bin Laden escaped from the tunnels in Tora Bora, Nangarhar Province, Afghanistan, with the help of a local warlord named Hazrat Ali, who betrayed US forces who had hired him to help capture bin Laden and is now a member of the Afghan Parliament for Nangarhar. Bin Laden and his gang crossed the Tora Bora mountains to Parachinar, Pakistan, where a Pakistan Army brigade was deployed to ensure his capture if he crossed the border. They failed, of course. He headed east to Kohat, another Army garrison town and disappeared.
The distance from Kohat to Abbottabad is several hundred kilometers by road, but the two towns are part of the Pakistan Army network of garrison towns in the northwest. Bin laden reportedly moved around in the northwest,  but one inference is that bin Laden has been in the safe keeping of the Pakistan Army for a decade. The news reports suggest the compound was specially built for him and his enterprise, which had to have been subsidized by Pakistan and, through Pakistan, by US aid to Pakistan.

Secondly, his compound could not have been attacked from Afghanistan, him killed and his body taken by US Navy SEALs flying US helicopters so close to Islamabad without official Pakistani government cooperation. The US insisted Pakistan played no part in the operation and that the team flew from Afghanistan. That clearly is a cover story for Pakistani public consumption to try to avert overwhelming anti-Pakistan and anti-US demonstrations, which are probably inevitable in any event.

Abottabad is not some remote village on the border. It is a large town in eastern Pakistan, on the main road to Kargil and the north as well as to Muzaffarabad and Pakistani Kashmir to the east. It is northeast - towards India - of Islamabad and within the Pakistan air defense intercept zone for the national capital which is protected by the Pakistani integrated air defense system. Nothing can fly in that region without detection and without permission from the Pakistan Air Force, even from Afghanistan.

The conclusion is inescapable that the Pakistan Army protected bin Laden and recently decided to give him up, rather than sacrifice the Army's relationship with the US. The terms are not known as yet, but there certainly is a trade in which bin Laden was sacrificed. The trade might involve an end to US drone attacks across the border, which humiliate the Pakistan Army, or a new coordination regime for drone attacks into Pakistan.
Bin Laden was a hero in Pakistan. He stood up to the United States and lived …for ten years. Readers should expect an enormous backlash against Americans.

If the Pakistan civilian government survives, it will be because of the cover story that the US acted unilaterally. If the cover story works, on the surface, the US and Pakistani relationship will appear in the international media to take a nose dive. That will not be the truth, though few Pakistanis will know the truth. If the cover story is not believed, the government will not likely survive. There will be investigations by the National Assembly.

One lesson of analysis of terrorist behavior is that terrorists are most vulnerable when they move about. A month or so ago, Asia Times online published a report about bin Laden's movements in the border regions. Those reports look credible. Abottabad has good access to the western border and bin Laden had Pakistani protection. Movement to the border would have posed no major problems, but movement always increases the risk of detection.

Bin Laden was killed with two couriers, whose fate is not reported. The point is that this operation had to have inside help. The increased contacts and movements woould have increased the circle of people who knew bin Laden's location and, thus, the likelihood of a serious security breach, especially by low-paid staff.

A final point is that the operation appears to have been a success primarily of human source intelligence and special forces operations, not the drone program, though every asset probably had some role. Bin Laden's mansion compound was  too near Islamabad for any armed drone attacks.

Tactical Underwater Navigation System

Abstract

In order to achieve long-term covert precise navigation for an underwater vehicle, the shortcomings of various underwater navigation methods used are analyzed. Given the low navigation precision of underwater map-matching aided inertial navigation based on single-geophysical information, a model of an underwater map-matching aided inertial navigation system based on multi-geophysical information (gravity, topography and geomagnetism) is put forward, and the key technologies of map-matching based on multi-geophysical information are analyzed. Iterative closest contour point (ICCP) map-matching algorithm and data fusion based on Dempster-Shafer (D-S) evidence theory are applied to navigation simulation. Simulation results show that accumulation of errors with increasing of time and distance are restrained and fusion of multi-map-matching is superior to any single-map-matching, which can effectively determine the best match of underwater vehicle position and improve the accuracy of underwater vehicle navigation.

PowerSwim

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/4223354
Navy SEALs Could Turn Superhuman with Pentagon's PowerSwim
America's underwater special forces ops might not like it at first, but this dolphin-like device will let them reach targets fast—and without having to catch their breath.
By Erik Sofge

Humans are terrible swimmers, converting roughly 3 percent of their kicks, strokes and general underwater exertions into forward motion. We can boost our efficiency to 10 percent by adding fins, but dolphins, by comparison, can turn 80 percent of their energy into thrust. Not to be outdone, the Pentagon's research wing, DARPA, is developing a contraption that lets Navy SEALs and other combat divers swim faster, and with less effort. Instead of kicking, PowerSwim calls for a kind of undulation as its hinged foils pivot up and down. Similar to the way a dolphin or tortoise pumps its fins, this motion generates both lift and thrust. And while artificial fins operate within the swimmer's own wake (they form a kind of expanding cone, starting at a swimmer's shoulders), the PowerSwim's lead foil--or propulsor foil--sweeps through the water just outside that wake. When used properly, the device allows swimmers to cover a given distance up to 150 percent faster than with fins, while using the same amount of energy. Much of that boost in metabolic efficiency is due to the muscle groups used. As DARPA program manager Barbara McQuiston explained, the swimmer is essentially relaxing into a slightly bent position, instead of forcing or pushing the foils through the water. This takes the emphasis off the small muscle groups used to kick, and allows larger muscle groups, such as the glutes and quads, to take over. During tests, it typically took around 2 hours for Navy SEALs to fight the urge (and years of training) to move forcefully and learn the PowerSwim's unique motion. If the device is widely used, it could be a huge benefit for combat divers, letting SEALs reach coastal targets without becoming over-exhausted. The goal isn't to increase the total distance that personnel can cover, but to get them there more quickly, and with more energy. Depending on the mission, swimmers might dump the PowerSwim, along with rebreathers and other gear, before setting foot on land. And unlike many DARPA programs, PowerSwim is coming soon--McQuiston says that the device is at the packaging stage, as researchers determine how to possibly fold or other­wise reduce its overall footprint, to allow for more efficient transport. Full production units could be deployed within a year.

How It Works
The seesaw movement of the foils creates rolling currents, called shed vortexes, that sweep back and around to push the foil forward. It's a phenomenon exploited by various aquatic species, such as penguins and dolphins. (Illustration by Gil Ahn)

The device is compatible with standard scuba gear, as well as the front-mounted rebreathers (artist sketch, above) used by special operations personnel to avoid telltale bubble trails.
http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology/military/4223354

09-37: Small Unit Operations in Afghanistan Handbook by Brice Johnson

This handbook will assist Soldiers and small-unit leaders in preparing for the difficulties and challenges they will face when deployed to Afghanistan as part of Operation Enduring Freedom (OEF). The handbook specifically addresses the unique geographic and cultural aspects small units can expect to encounter in the Afghan theater of operations. While current U.S. formations have been successfully conducting counterinsurgency operations in Iraq, the infrastructure, terrain, culture, and enemy are very different in OEF. Operations in many parts of the Afghan theater are still heavily weighted in favor of direct lethal engagements against a hardened and determined enemy force.

The average enemy fighter in Afghanistan has been fighting continuously for the last 30 years. As a nation, the people of Afghanistan have been fighting for thousands of years. It should come as no surprise that the enemy has developed very effective tactics, techniques, and procedures to combat a technologically superior enemy that relies heavily on vehicles for transport and supply. This enemy has repeatedly demonstrated an advanced understanding of U.S. tactics and will exploit any mistake with catastrophic results.

Key concepts covered in this publication include:

• Command and control
• Soldier stamina and fitness
• Marksmanship
• Medical and casualty evacuation
• Mounted and dismounted battle drills
• Protection
• Interpreters

Antiterrorism Level 1 Training

International Travel Information
Additional Articles

ARES Shrike

Small Arms Weapons Evaluations

Project Manager Soldier Weapons Assessment Team (PM SWAT) Report, U.S. Army Infantry Center, Directorate for Combat Developments, Small Army Division, TACOM - Armament Research Development & Engineering Center

Rapid Fielding Initiative (RFI) Handbook
Rapid Fielding Initiative (RFI) 2006 Update

Due to fielding priorities, many units deployed to OIF were not fielded items from the RFI. In fact, the majority of the units that deployed to OIF did not receive RFI and were forced to supplement individual equipment with unit or personal purchases. Some soldiers were purchasing these items from catalogs while deployed. The items range from load bearing equipment to weapon sights and optics. Many, if not all these items are standard Army issue and are available in the supply system.

Some of these items are listed below:
• Rifle Accessories:
– Magnified Rifle Optics (Trijicon, Leupold, or Bushnel etc…)
– Reflex Sights (EO Tech or Trijicon)
– Tactical Flashlights (Surefire)
– Bipods (Harris)
– Back-Up Iron Sights (KAC or Swan)
– Tactical Slings (Black Hawk, Spec. Ops etc…)
• Sniper Accessories
– Spotting Scope (Leupold)
– Ballistic Tables
– Log Book (Black Hawk)
– Camouflage Paint
– Improved Bipod (Harris)
• Load/Ammunition Carrying System(s)
– MOLLE-type pouches for IBA (Black Hawk)
– Ammo Bearer Bags (Tactical Tailor or London Bridge)
– Three-Day Assault Packs (Black Hawk or Eagle)
– Tactical Vest (Black Hawk)
• Tactical Pistol Leg or Shoulder Holsters (Black Hawk)
• Pistol Visible Aiming Laser
• Crew-Served Weapon Sighting Systems (Israeli Wheel)

Afghan Mujahadeen Tactics, Techiques, and Procedures