Russia

Taliban “Special Forces” Another Issue Coalition Forces Must Deal With

The Taliban has been touting their “Special Forces” unit for quite some time, however with recent attacks on Afghan government police and conventional military units, they’ve been pushed to the forefront in the news. Reports of the Taliban using night vision equipment and laser aiming devices have the Afghans worrying. On November 13, Taliban units aided by a mole inside killed eight policemen in Farah as they slept using night vision equipment.

In August, the Taliban released a professionally made 73-minute video that featured Taliban fighters dressed and acting much like US Special Operations troops. The Taliban claim that their “Red Group” are using captured US M-4s and night vision equipment and the beginning of their video shows the Taliban “SF” kitted out much and moving much like a US Special Operations unit would.

They supposedly train with small arms, pistols, heavy machine guns, 82mm mortars and more. They have small pickup trucks with heavy machineguns (technicals). However, in the still photos of their training that been released show Taliban fighters all carrying AK -type weapons. And while there has to be an increased level of training, these Taliban “SF” units are no match for US SOF at the present time.

A U.S. Special Forces Soldier searches a tree line for insurgent activity, in Afghanistan. (U.S. Army photo Special Operations Task Force South).

There have been reports going back to the summer of 2016 of certain Taliban units using night vision and lasers but their own propaganda always overstated their capabilities and numbers. But now one of the questions has to be who is sponsoring and equipping these Taliban units. Since the night vision devices seem to be of Russian origin, the first reaction is that Moscow is behind it. But Russian military arms and equipment are easy to get on the Black Market and neighboring Pakistan is an easy place for them to pick up whatever they need. There is also the distinct possibility that the Taliban are receiving support and training from the Iranians.

The question of possible Russian support was broached to Defense Secretary Jim Mattis in October. His response to lawmaker’s questions was that there was no direct evidence that the Russians were supporting the Taliban and the government was working to find more evidence to either confirm or deny.

But now the Afghan units, which aren’t nearly as well trained, capable or reliable as the US-trained and led Afghan Special Forces are reeling over this and other attacks where Taliban troops are using the same types of vehicles as Afghan government troops to confuse the troops as their intention until it is too late. It would also shield them from drone and air attacks as they’d be mistaken for the Afghan government troops.

Since the first Gulf War, the US and their coalition troops have ruled the night with the widespread use of night vision goggles. Now the Taliban have upped the ante a little bit. They’re threatening to change the status quo. They’re not going after the US-led Special Forces units but attacking “softer” targets with police units which don’t have the same level of training or equipment. That further undermines the already shaky hold the government has in the disputed countryside. The Taliban are challenging the US’ monopoly on owning the night. And now they’ll be forced to deal with this latest development.

What can be done? First, the US will have to continue to pressure Pakistan to close sanctuaries and use their intelligence capability to locate the sources of and neutralize any and all support for the Taliban.

Next, they must try to find the locations where the training of this unit is done and where these “Special Forces” units are massing at. Then they’ll be able to engage them with airstrikes and drone attacks. As well as US Special Operations troops.

The war in Afghanistan is no closer to a finish than it was 16 years ago. The government hasn’t been able to stand up on its own and the Taliban control vast swaths of the countryside. The one constant during the war, was the US and its coalition forces owning the night. Now, this potentially may be in jeopardy as well It must be addressed and as soon as possible.

Photos: Taliban video, US Army

How to Spot Fake Russian News Bots in Your Timeline

Earlier this week British Prime Minister Theresa May said in a speech that social media was inundated with Russian attempts to distort the news and elections and accused Moscow of “planting fake stories” online as part of a “campaign of cyber-espionage and disruption”.

She was using the information after both British and US intelligence services identified several prominent news services were exposed as Russian bots.

Earlier in November, the US Senate Select Committee on Intelligence provided a list of 2,753 suspended, Russian-linked Twitter accounts.

Many of these fake Russian bot accounts have been traced directly to the Internet Research Agency, in St Petersburg. The Russian government-backed agency reportedly runs social media accounts disseminating “disinformation”.

This “troll farm” was exposed by a whistleblower in the New York Times in 2015. A BBC investigation has also uncovered a pro-Russia “troll factory” in Ukraine.
The Oxford Internet Institute – part of the University of Oxford and recipients of the Democracy award for its analysis of propaganda – says bots “significantly impact [on]public life during important policy debates, elections, and political crises” and “flourished during the 2016 US presidential election”.
Bot-spotting tips
The Atlantic Council’s Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRL) offers social-media users tips for spotting a bot:
Frequency: Bots are prolific posters. The more frequently they post, the more caution should be shown. The DFRL classifies 72 posts a day as suspicious, and more than 144 per day as highly suspicious.
Anonymity: Bots often lack any personal information. The accounts often have generic profile pictures and political slogans as “bios”.
Amplification: A bot’s timeline will often consist of re-tweets and verbatim quotes, with few posts containing original wording.
Common content: Networks of bots can be identified if multiple profiles tweet the same content almost simultaneously.
The Digital Forensic Research Lab’s full list of tips can be found here.
There has been a move away from fully automated bots to semi-automated accounts.
Such accounts are harder to identify, as they intersperse their activity with references to popular culture and personalized replies.

To read the entire article from The BBC, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

British PM Theresa May: Russia Seeking to “Weaponize” Information

British Prime Minister Theresa May spared no words in her criticism of Russia and President Vladimir Putin on Monday, accusing Moscow of attempting to undermine the West by election meddling and seeking to “weaponize” information.

May’s sharp criticism of Putin contrasts sharply with that of President Trump who mostly skirted around the issue and cast doubt on allegations by the U.S. intelligence community about Russian interference in the 2016 election.

“I have a very simple message for Russia,” the British leader said. “We know what you are doing and you will not succeed, because you underestimate the resilience of our democracies, the enduring attraction of free and open societies, and the commitment of Western nations to the alliances that bind us.”
She told the audience at the Lord Mayor’s Banquet in London that “it is Russia’s actions which threaten the international order on which we all depend.”
“Russia can, and I hope one day will, choose this different path,” she said. “But for as long as Russia does not, we will act together to protect our interests and the international order on which they depend.”
Russia, she said, “is seeking to weaponize information, deploying its state-run media organizations to plant fake stories and Photoshopped images in an attempt to sow discord in the West and undermine our institutions.”

Russia linked material permeated Facebook and Instagram during the election campaign and the Russians are also accused of running “troll” factories that generate fake news and propaganda.

To read the entire article from NBC News click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Russians “Irrefutable Proof” US Support of ISIS is a Video Game Shot

Russia’s Ministry of Defense has egg on their face when they were caught lying about a serious charge that the US isn’t trying to defeat ISIS but actually is helping the Islamic State. Russia’s claims to have “irrefutable evidence” that US forces are in league with ISIS was actually footage from a video game.

Russia, along with Iran has backed Syrian President Bashar al-Assad during the civil war there. US-backed peshmerga forces have also been fighting ISIS but Moscow has claimed all along that US efforts have been at best ineffective and have actually been plotting to help ISIS. So, with nothing but allegations, Moscow decided to show their “proof.” And Russians citizens quickly took them to task for it.

Russians following the ministry on social media were quick to note that one of the stills was identical to computer-generated footage from a game, uploaded on YouTube two years ago. The clip from AC-130 Gunship Simulator: Special Ops Squadron subsequently started receiving dozens of sarcastic comments.
The ministry’s crop of the image even contained parts of the disclaimer text in the top right-hand corner, presumably left by the developer, which read: “Development footage. This is a work in progress. All content subject to change.” The ministry later deleted the images.
Military research site Conflict Intelligence Team and the investigative website Bellingcat, which has previously debunked Russian state-supported stories about events in Ukraine, also identified another one of the images as a shot from footage of Iraq taken in 2016.
“What am I paying my taxes for,” one Russian user exclaimed, before veering into expletives. “This is something hands should be cut off for,” one commenter concluded. “Shame and humiliation.”
“Another embarrassment in front of the whole world. I am not even sad for the country but I laugh in unison with it,” another user chimed in.

The tweet in Russian was quickly taken down as well as the English version. But as the Russian MOD quickly found out, the internet is forever.

To read the entire article from Newsweek, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Russia, U.S. In a Stalemate Over Syria Chemical Weapons Probe

Russia was playing double speak on Monday, on one hand stating that it was still in talks with the United States about the ongoing inquiry by the U.N. Security Council into the Syrian governments use of chemical weapons on their own people, but the US countered that the Russians have refused to engage on the draft resolution sponsored by Washington.

The U.N. and the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), has found the Syrian government used the banned nerve agent sarin in an April 4 attack. But yet Moscow continues to play this game that the investigation proving that isn’t over and must continue.

Russia vetoed an initial U.S. bid to renew the joint investigation on Oct. 24, saying it wanted to wait for the release of the latest investigation’s report two days later. It has since proposed its own rival draft resolution.
“We are talking to the U.S., it’s not over yet,” Russian U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told reporters on Monday.
“Russia has refused to engage on our draft resolution – which the vast majority of council members agree is the most viable text – in spite of our multiple attempts to consider Russian concerns,” a spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations said on Monday.
A resolution needs nine votes in favor and no vetoes by Russia, China, the United States, Britain and France to pass. The council unanimously created the inquiry, known as the Joint Investigative Mechanism (JIM), in 2015 and renewed it in 2016.

There is precedence here, the Syrian government used chlorine gas in two attacks in 2014 and again in 2015 and the Islamic State used mustard gas. And yet Syria still maintains that it destroyed its chemical weapons arsenal in 2013.

To read the entire article from the Reuters, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Russian Ships Deliver Military Equipment to the Philippines

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is keeping with his vow to diversify his nation’s ties away from the United States and towards China and Russia, welcomed five Russian ships delivering military equipment to the Filipino government.

On Friday three Russian anti-submarine ships docked in Manilla ahead of Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu’s visit and two cargo ships were slated to dock in Subic Bay on Saturday to deliver military equipment.

Rear Admiral E. Mikhailov, the task force commander, said the three anti-submarine ships, one landing ship and a rescue tug docked in Manila on Friday in time for the upcoming visit of Russia’s top defense official.
Defense Minister Sergei Shoigu will be joining next week’s meeting of 10 Southeast Asian defense ministers with counterparts from eight countries including the U.S., Russia and China.

The Russians plan on donating five thousand rifles to the Filipino military that are fighting a bloody insurgency against Islamic terrorists. They just freed the city of Marawi after protracted fighting.

“I am assuring you that we will do our best to make this port call a significant contribution to the strengthening of friendly ties and cooperation between our two nations in the interest of security and stability in the region,” Russian Rear Admiral E. Mikhailov said.

To read the entire article from Fox News, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

Kalashnikov, Making Electric Motorcycles for Russian Military

Kalashnikov, the name immediately brings thoughts of one of the most iconic weapons of the last 60 years. But the manufacturers of Russia’s famous AK-47 military rifles and their variants are branching out. The company recently demonstrated an electric motorcycle that will be used for Russia’s military as well as their police.

The new motorcycle is being manufactured as a dirt bike and as a street machine to be used by Russian police forces

Kalashnikov Group announced that 50 of the police motorcycles will be used by law enforcement during the 2018 World Cup in Russia, as reported by Lanesplitter. The police model has a range of 150 kilometers, or about 93 miles, according to Kalashnikov, and the bikes are being built by Russian motorcycle manufacturer IZH, a subsidiary of Kalashnikov.
Other than that, not much is known about the technical specifications of the new bikes. You can watch a video from Kalashnikov of a cool rider with no helmet and a bandana hopping on the military version of the electric bike and cruising over some mild off-road terrain.

Electric dirt bikes have several advantages, especially for Special Operations units. They are much quieter and are lighter. The United States is currently developing a “stealth-type” dirt bike that can either operate in battery mode or as a multi-fuel combustion engine that can operate like a normal dirt bike or generate electricity.

To read the entire article from Popular Mechanics, click here:

Photo courtesy Kalashnikov

Russia Says U.S., NATO Broke Peace Deal, Threatens Response

The United States announced on Thursday that they are moving the 2^nd Cavalry Regiment to a Polish outpost in an attempt to bolster allied nations against what they see is a military threat from Russia. However, the Russians have accused both the US and NATO of violating a peace treaty between it and NATO and says that the West is undermining Russian security by surrounding it with hostile forces bent on aggression.

Vladimir Shamanov, head of the defense committee for Russia’s lower house of parliament, said the country would consider adding more nuclear-capable Iskander ballistic missiles on its side of the border to deter a U.S. military buildup in the region.
“This creates prerequisites that may eventually enable them to create a certain stronghold. We will surely not turn a blind eye on this. We will take retaliatory measures,” Shamanov said, according to the state-run Tass Russian news agency.
“Not just personnel, but combat equipment. For instance, the group of Iskanders, including that in Kaliningrad, may be increased,” he added.
Russian Defense Ministry spokesman Igor Konashenkov said it was the U.S. “preparing for the aggression” by stationing the 2nd Cavalry Regiment across Russia’s border without removing the military equipment of U.S. forces previously posted there, a move he said violated the 1997 NATO-Russia Founding Act. The agreement was designed to end decades of Cold War animosity between the two sides and states that “NATO and Russia do not consider each other as adversaries.”

With Russia trying to expand its influence far beyond its borders, the NATO alliance hopes to counter that by placing troops in Poland as well as in Romania near the Black Sea. It is there where both NATO and Russia have contended for influence. Romanian President Klaus Iohannis emphasized that the purpose of the deployment was “peace, not war,” however the Russians also consider that move “provocative and unacceptable”.

To read the entire article from Newsweek, click here:

Photo courtesy Wikipedia

U.S. Remains World’s Top Military Force, But its Power is Dwindling Rapidly

In an intriguing Op-Ed for Fox News, former Marine Dakota Wood says that the US’ military power is decreasing across the board while our enemies are getting stronger.

Wood was a 20-year member of the Marine Corps and is a The Heritage Foundation’s senior research fellow for defense programs and editor of the think tank’s 2018 Index of U.S. Military Strength. And he says the state of our military forces has been steadily eroding since 2011.

Since 2012, the Army has shrunk from 45 combat brigades to only 31. In February, Gen. Daniel B. Allyn, , informed the House Armed Services Committee that only a third of those brigades are considered combat ready and only three, count ‘em, three, would be able to deploy immediately to a combat zone.
The Marine Corps is shrunken, too. Its end-strength now stands at about 184.400—down from 202,000 five years ago. Training and equipment are woefully sub-par, as well.
Inadequate funding has hit Marine aviation units especially hard. Maintenance crews have to cannibalize some planes to keep others flying. Last December, only two out of every five Marine aircraft were even flyable. Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps Gen. Glenn Walters warns that today’s Corps “is insufficiently manned, trained and equipped across the depth of the force to operate in an ever-evolving operational environment.”
Things aren’t much better for our air and sea forces. The Heritage Foundation’s Index of Military Strength assesses the Air Force as being 24 percent short of the 1,200 fighter jets it needs. As for keeping the aging aircraft it does have flying… it lacks 1,000 pilots and over 3,000 flight maintenance crew members. Only four of its 36 combat-coded squadrons are ready to execute all wartime missions.

And the Navy isn’t in much better shape with only 276 ships in the fleet, that is the smallest the Navy has been since the days prior to World War I. And while our military is being cut down, our adversaries are building theirs up. China has rapidly expanded its forces and now has a blue water navy capable of projecting power anywhere in the globe and opened its first overseas base in Djibouti.

The Russians have also beefed up their military in recent years and continue to prop up the dictator Assad in Syria while occupying the Ukraine. They also continue to tweak the US by buzzing American ships and overflying American cities, including Washington.

To read the entire article from Fox News, click here:

Photo courtesy DOD

Russia Rejects Claims it Fired on Journalists During Zapad Exercise

The Russian Defense Ministry has vehemently denied that a helicopter gunship fired on civilians during the Zapad military drills taking place outside of St. Petersburg. Official military sources have characterized it as just a “deliberate provocation or just somebody’s personal stupidity.”

In a statement quoted by Russia’s TASS news agency on Tuesday, the Western Military District said reports that several people had been injured in an accidental helicopter gunship strike at the controversial Zapad war games were completely false.
“There were no incidents involving army aviation during an episode of the strategic exercise Zapad-2017 on September 18,” the statement said.
The Russian military’s denial came after footage surfaced on social media purporting to show a Ka-52 helicopter firing a rocket towards a row of parked cars and spectators during Zapad exercises at the Luzhsky range in western Russia. A second video from the same location showed the aftermath of the strike, including smashed car windows and shrapnel damage to a military truck. Neither video could be independently verified.

The Russians claim that the video footage shown on social media this week was old from a previous military exercise. “The homing system of one of the helicopters locked on a wrong target by mistake. An unguided missile hit a truck. There was no one inside,” the statement said. However, the Russians declined to state when or where the footage was from.

The Russians claim that Zapad is defensive in nature and simulates actions against “foreign backed extremists” and involves only about 13,000 troops. NATO officials who have been keeping a close eye on the exercise state that the exercise and drills are a prelude to a possible invasion of the west and involved up to five times as many troops.

To read the entire article from Deutsche Welle click here:

Photo courtesy Russia Defense Ministry