Stings like a AT-2 Swatter;

Israel is using nanotechnology to try to create a robot no bigger than a hornet that would be able to chase, photograph and kill its targets, an Israeli newspaper reported on Friday.
The flying robot, nicknamed the “bionic hornet”, would be able to navigate its way down narrow alleyways to target otherwise unreachable enemies such as rocket launchers, the daily Yedioth Ahronoth said.
It is one of several weapons being developed by scientists to combat militants, it said. Others include super gloves that would give the user the strength of a “bionic man” and miniature sensors to detect suicide bombers.

Saturday morning surfing? Newsbusters’ Mark Finkelman is currently embedded with the US Marines in Fallujah. Check it out.

Chris Taylor attended a breakfast meeting at the Albany Club. Featured speaker : Minister of National Defense Gordon O’Connor.

The bulk of the speech covered CF funding restoration and progress in Afghanistan. No specific figures for CF funding were elaborated, unfortunately, except the usual business of the CF being under-budgeted since the Mulroney era and requiring multiple years of consistent restorative funding. No argument there. He did unload some interest factlets about Afghanistan, such as the increase in female representatives within provincial and federal legislatures (from zero to one-quarter, I believe), and the dramatic increase in postgraduate students (from 400-500,000 males to 3 million persons, a quarter of which are women). Minister O’Connor also took pains to note that the CF has seen so much recent fighting because they are defending all reconstruction teams in a heavily Taliban-influenced Pashtun area. Not just the CF’s own PRTs, but reconstruction teams from the UN, NATO, and other countries.

More at the link.
Another member at The Torch, Damian Brooks advises – “the kerfuffle in the House of Commons and on CTV the other day about the super-pricey Excalibur artillery round? Not as big a deal as Dawn Black and the journos thought it was.”

Glenn Reynolds;

SO WE HAD THESE HEARINGS ON IRAQ, and generals Abizaid and Zinni are arguing against timetables for withdrawal, which has been the Democrats’ main policy proposal.
Did the Democrats know beforehand that this is what the generals thought? If so, were they dishonest in not taking it into account? Maybe they were relying on this sort of thing to keep from having to do what the MoveOn crowd wants, but what they know is wrong?
Or did they not know, making them clueless? Neither one’s impressive. But since the big criticism of Rumsfeld, which led to his defenestration, was that he “didn’t listen to the generals,” what are the Democrats to do now that the generals have spoken?

Indeed. More at the link.

Glenn Reynolds;

SO WE HAD THESE HEARINGS ON IRAQ, and generals Abizaid and Zinni are arguing against timetables for withdrawal, which has been the Democrats’ main policy proposal.
Did the Democrats know beforehand that this is what the generals thought? If so, were they dishonest in not taking it into account? Maybe they were relying on this sort of thing to keep from having to do what the MoveOn crowd wants, but what they know is wrong?
Or did they not know, making them clueless? Neither one’s impressive. But since the big criticism of Rumsfeld, which led to his defenestration, was that he “didn’t listen to the generals,” what are the Democrats to do now that the generals have spoken?

Indeed. More at the link.

Open Thread. That’s all for today.

Here is the record of Donald Rumsfeld. (1) Tried to take a top-heavy Pentagon and prepare it for the wars of the postmodern world, in which on a minute’s notice thousands of American soldiers, with air and sea support, would have to be sent to some god-awful place to fight some savagery—and then be trashed live on CNN for doing it; (2) less than a month after 9/11 he organized the retaliation against al Qaeda in the heart of primordial Afghanistan that removed the Taliban in 7 weeks, when we were all warned that the U.S., like the British and Russians of old, would fail; (3) oversaw the removal of Saddam in 3 weeks—after the 1991 Gulf War and the 12-years of 350,000 sorties in the no-fly-zones, and various bombing strikes, had failed. (4) Ah, you say, then there is the disastrous 3-year insurgency—too few troops, Iraqi army let go, underestimated “dead-enders” etc.?
But Rumsfeld knew that in a counterinsurgency (cf. Vietnam 1965-71) massive deployments only ensure complacency, breed dependency, and create resentment, and that, in contrast, training indigenous forces, ensuring political autonomy, and providing air and commando support (e.g., Vietnam circa 1972-4) is the only answer—although that is a long process that can work only if political support at home allows the military to finish the job (cf. the turn-of-the-century Philippines, and the British in Malaysia). He was a good man, and we were lucky to have him in our hour of need.

There’s more.
One of the long forgotten facts about 9/11 is that Donald Rumsfeld was in his office when Flight 77 sliced into the Pentagon – and assisted in rescue efforts before going to the command center.

Fix them so they won’t fall out?
These wiley old guys were the same ones who defeated Hitler. You didn’t think they were stupid, did you?

At last glance, the petition has now gained over 26,000 signatures!
Previous.

Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, announced today the awarding of 24 Mentions in Dispatches and 27 Meritorious Service Decorations (military division) to individuals whose specific achievements have brought honour to the Canadian Forces and to Canada.

Among them is a member of the “clan”. Well done, Lieutenant Thorlakson! You can listen to a radio interview here, done while he was on leave from Kandahar, Afghanistan.

There remain alive only three veterans of the First World War. They are Lloyd Clemett (106 ), John Babcock (106) and Percy Wilson (105 ).
The Dominion Institute;

The Dominion Institute is calling on Primer Minister Stephen Harper to offer the family of the last Great War veteran resident in Canada a full State Funeral. For a nation in urgent need of renewing the commitment it made at the end of the Great War to “never forget”, a State Funeral would allow Canadians to come together to honour those who died, and accept, on their behalf, the responsibly to keep their memories alive.
Detractors will say that State Funerals are only for Governors General and Prime Ministers, or that they are designed to commemorate the life of an individual and not an event such as the Great War.
We say for once let’s cast off the usual Canadian timidity and understatement when it comes to celebrating our past. If there ever was a time for our nation to be bold and generous in the commemoration of our history, traditions, and values, surely the passing of our last Great War veteran is that moment..

Sign the petition
(Via John Gormley Live)
Halls of Macadamia has their attestment papers,
Update – Over 450 signatures have been added to the petition since this post went up 2 1/2 hours ago. We won’t claim credit for them all, but as readers know by now – SDA gets results!
– and another 1500 or so in the last hour!

Reader Cheri writes;

I was thinking today in light of the bad spin over Tim’s, and with Remembrance Day and Christmas coming up; it would be nice to be able to buy a soldier a cup of coffee.
Following is the response I recieved from Tim’s. There’s a link to Canadian Forces Personell Support and also Operation Santa Claus. They will accept coupons at the Kandahar location. I plan to take a few booklets with me to the Edmonton rally on Friday in hopes that they might have something set up. As a note of interest; recently there was a Sobey’s collecting Kraft Dinner
for the troops.
p.s. I’m very impressed that Tim’s replied so quickly (within 3 hrs).

Thank you for your contacting us regarding our new Tim Hortons location in Kandahar. We are honoured that the Canadian troops requested a Tim Hortons in Kandahar. All of the troops on the base will now be able to enjoy Tim Hortons coffee, Iced Cappuccino, baked goods and more. We are proud to provide them with a little taste of home’. At this time, we are not set up to coordinate donations of coffee/money for our location in Afghanistan. The Canadian Forces Personnel Support Agency (CFPSA) is not set up to take such donations either. They do take on-line donations for Operation Santa Claus – which sends packages at Xmas to troops stationed overseas. Information can be found at : http://www.cfpsa.com/en/psp/donations/index.asp. Tim Hortons, corporately donates coffee to this program every year. Please note, Tim Hortons gift certificates are accepted at the location in Afghanistan. Once again, thank you for contacting us. Regards, The TDL Group Corp. Siobhan Operations Services Representative

That doesn’t sound too hard!

Write the Troops.
Soldiers Angels Germany
Paul’s site Cjunk has lots of other related links.
And, The Torch has continuing nformation on the mission, from the “boots on the ground” point of view.

From the comments of the CTV Politics blog (responding to a quote from the Senlis Council’s Norine MacDonald in this CTV story);

Re: The Afghanistan conundrum
by Trevo on Sun 29 Oct 2006 08:29 AM EST | Profile | Permanent Link
I’m not quite sure where you’re going with the “Our military base in Kandahar has a Burger King and a Tim Hortons. And 15 minutes away, there are children dying of starvation,” comment.
Is it a time issue that determines who should help these children you mention? Is the Tim Hortons you go to, far enough away that you don’t care about starving children? Do you really think that because our coffee is closer to starvation, we should feel guilty? So are you saying the closer I am with my coffee to the problem of starving children, the worse I should feel? Further to that, because you are really, really far away, it’s not your concern?
What are you doing about the children of Afghanistan? You’re sitting back in your recliner, after turning up the thermosat and having a warm shower, and deciding we (Canadian soldiers)should feel bad for having a coffee becuase we’re closer than you to starving children. So you put down the newspaper, tell the kids to go outside and play, and head over to your computer to “throw” your opinion out there. We’re trying to help these kids. We’re giving girls the chance to go to school and we are doing our best to make this a safer place for everyone. Some of the greatest people i have ever met in my life have died trying to help these people. We leave our families, missing birthdays, funerals, new births, hockey games, and every comfort we as Canadians can enjoy. Now, we have a Tim Hortons to microscopically ease the burden of putting our lives on hold for 6 months, and bring our morale up for the 7 minutes it takes to drink a double-double.
For me personally, the hardest part of my job was not going to Afghanistan, Bosnia, or Kosovo, but it was the fact that I put my life on the line so that people like you can have these opinions.
Mcpl Trevor Hill (Ret.)
1 RCR

(Thanks to reader Jim L. for this – and to those others of you who find these hidden gems and send them along for consideration.)

12 minutes.
(Direct link if the other gives you trouble.)

For service in Afghanistan;

OTTAWA—Her Excellency the Right Honourable Michaëlle Jean, Governor General and Commander-in-Chief of Canada, announced today the awarding of the first four Military Valour Decorations to members of the Canadian Forces who have displayed gallantry and devotion to duty in combat.
The recipients will be invited to receive their decoration from the Governor General at a presentation ceremony to be held at a later date.
Military Valour Decorations are national honours awarded to recognize acts of valour, self-sacrifice or devotion to duty in the presence of the enemy. They consist of the Victoria Cross, the Star of Military Valour and the Medal of Military Valour. This marks the first time that these decorations, which were created in 1993, have been awarded.
[…]
Sergeant Patrick Tower, S.M.V., C.D.
Edmonton, Alberta, and Victoria, British Columbia
Star of Military Valour
Sergeant Tower is recognized for valiant actions taken on August 3, 2006, in the Pashmul region of Afghanistan. Following an enemy strike against an outlying friendly position that resulted in numerous casualties, Sergeant Tower assembled the platoon medic and a third soldier and led them across 150 metres of open terrain, under heavy enemy fire, to render assistance. On learning that the acting platoon commander had perished, Sergeant Tower assumed command and led the successful extraction of the force under continuous small arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. Sergeant Tower’s courage and selfless devotion to duty contributed directly to the survival of the remaining platoon members.
Sergeant Michael Thomas Victor Denine, M.M.V., C.D.
Edmonton, Alberta
Medal of Military Valour
Sergeant Denine deployed with 8 Platoon, C Company, 1 PPCLI during Operation ARCHER in Afghanistan. On May 17, 2006, while sustaining concentrated rocket-propelled grenade, machine gun and small arms fire, the main cannon and the machine gun on his light armoured vehicle malfunctioned. Under intense enemy fire, he recognized the immediate need to suppress the enemy fire and exited the air sentry hatch to man the pintle-mounted machine gun. Completely exposed to enemy fire, he laid down a high volume of suppressive fire, forcing the enemy to withdraw. Sergeant Denine’s valiant action ensured mission success and likely saved the lives of his crew.
Master Corporal Collin Ryan Fitzgerald, M.M.V.
Shilo, Manitoba, and Morrisburg, Ontario
Medal of Military Valour
Master Corporal Fitzgerald deployed with 5 Platoon, B Company, 1 PPCLI Battle Group in Afghanistan. He is recognized for outstanding selfless and valiant actions carried out on May 24, 2006, during an ongoing enemy ambush involving intense, accurate enemy fire. Master Corporal Fitzgerald repeatedly exposed himself to enemy fire by entering and re-entering a burning platoon vehicle and successfully driving it off the roadway, permitting the remaining vehicles trapped in the enemy zone to break free. Master Corporal Fitzgerald’s courageous and completely selfless actions were instrumental to his platoon’s successful egress and undoubtedly contributed to saving the lives of his fellow platoon members.
Private Jason Lamont, M.M.V.
Edmonton, Alberta, and Greenwood, Nova Scotia
Medal of Military Valour
Private Lamont deployed with the Health Support Services Company, 1 PPCLI Battle Group during Operation ARCHER. On July 13, 2006, an element of the reconnaissance platoon came under heavy enemy fire from a compound located in Helmand Province, Afghanistan, and was isolated from the rest of the platoon. During the firefight, another soldier was shot while attempting to withdraw back to the firing line and was unable to continue. Without regard for his personal safety, Private Lamont, under concentrated enemy fire and with no organized suppression by friendly forces, sprinted through open terrain to administer first aid. Private Lamont’s actions demonstrated tremendous courage, selflessness and devotion to duty.

Victor Davis Hanson writes about American attitudes about Iraq, but his commentary applies equally to the behavior of our own chattering classes on the war in Afghanistan;

Watching and reading the recent Washington punditry, whether in print or on television, is a depressing spectacle. Almost all—Charles Krauthammer is the most notable exception—have somehow triangulated on the war, not mentioning why and how in the B.C. days they sort of, kinda, not really called for the overthrow of Saddam Hussein. For some the Road to Damascus was the looting or Abu Ghraib, for others the increasing violence. Still more now say the absence of WMD did the trick.
But almost none of the firebrands of 2003 speaks the truth behind the facade: They supported the war when it looked like few casualties and a quick reconstruction and thus confirmation of their own muscular humanitarianism—and then bailed along the way when they realized that wasn’t going to happen and the unpopular war might instead brand them as “war mongers”, “chicken-hawks” or just fools.
Instead of that honest admission, we get instead either cardboard cut-out villains of the “my perfect three-week war, your screwed-up three-year occupation” type—a Douglas Feith, Gen. Sanchez, or Paul Bremmer—or all sorts of unappreciated and untapped brilliance: from trisecting the country to “redeploying” to Kurdistan, or Kuwait, or Okinawa?
[…]
I wrote about the daily changing wisdom in Fields Without Dreams, and how fickle human nature is, rather than looking at things in a tragic sense that there are no great choices, but often just bad and worse, and that wisdom is predicated mostly on the perception of success. In 1982 I picked early and thereby avoided a horrendous tropical storm that ruined the industry, saving thereby 200 tons of raisins that sold for over $1400 a ton; in 1983 I picked early again, the clouds blew away, and in weeks of perfect weather I produced lousy, sour, and light raisins, selling scarcely 140 tons for $400 and lost far more than I had made the year before. I was neither a genius the year before, nor a fool the next, but rather did the best I could in both years, recognizing that we are still subject to fate, despite our vaunted technology and knowledge. I am not advising helplessness, simply some recognition that the verdict is out on Iraq, and what looks bad today, might look far better very soon—and that erstwhile supporters turned vehement critics might well reinvent themselves a third time.

“Where do you want your well?”
(Be sure to follow Damian’s link)

Poster girl.

“His honest but wry narration and unusually frank dissection of the mission contrasts sharply with the story presented by both sides of the Iraq war debate, the Pentagon spin masters and fierce critics.”