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Sinclair Lewis: Don't much care what kind of war they prepare for
Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
American writers on peace and against war
Sinclair Lewis: Selections on war
Sinclair Lewis
From It Can't Happen Here (1935)
One of the few times when Mrs. Candy, their housekeeper, was permitted to enter his hermit's cell was to leave there, on the long table, his mail. He picked it up and started to read briskly, standing by the table. (Time to go to bed! Too much chatter and bellyaching, this evening! Good Lord! Past midnight!) He sighed then, and sat in his Windsor chair, leaning his elbows on the table and studiously reading the first letter over again.
It was from Victor Loveland, one of the younger, more international-minded teachers in Doremus's old school, Isaiah College.
("Hm. 'Dr. Jessup.' Not me, m' lad. The only honorary degree I'll ever get'll be Master in Veterinary Surgery or Laureate in Embalming.")
A very dangerous situation has arisen here at Isaiah and those of us who are trying to advocate something like integrity and modernity are seriously worried – not, probably, that we need to be long, as we shall probably all get fired. Where two years ago most of our students just laughed at any idea of military drilling, they have gone warlike in a big way, with undergrads drilling with rifles, machine guns, and cute little blueprints of tanks and planes all over the place. Two of them, voluntarily, are going down to Rutland every week to take training in flying, avowedly to get ready for wartime aviation. When I cautiously ask them what the dickens war they are preparing for they just scratch and indicate they don't care much, so long as they can get a chance to show what virile proud gents they are.
Well, we've got used to that. But just this afternoon – the newspapers haven't got this yet – the Board of Trustees, including Mr. Francis Tasbrough and our president, Dr. Owen Peaseley, met and voted a resolution that – now listen to this, will you, Dr. Jessup – "Any member of the faculty or student body of Isaiah who shall in any way, publicly or privately, in print, writing, or by the spoken word, adversely criticize military training at or by Isaiah College, or in any other institution of learning in the United States, or by the state militias, federal forces, or other officially recognized military organizations in this country, shall be liable to immediate dismissal from this college, and any student who shall, with full and proper proof, bring to the attention of the President or any Trustee of the college such malign criticism by any person whatever connected in any way with the institution shall receive extra credits in his course in military training, such credits to apply to the number of credits necessary for graduation."
What can we do with such fast exploding Fascism?
And Loveland, teacher of Greek, Latin, and Sanskrit (two lone students) had never till now meddled in any politics of more recent date than A.D. 180.
Ukrainian Junta Admits Losing Almost 1,000 Soldiers In 176-Day War
National Radio Company of Ukraine
October 7, 2014
Over 700 Ukrainian servicemen killed in east Ukraine operation
The Ukrainian Armed Forces sustained the largest losses during the anti-terrorist operation in eastern Ukraine and three quarters of the fatalities are Ukrainian servicemen, Ukraine's chief military prosecutor, Anatoliy Matios, has said. He also said at a press conference in Kyiv on October 7 that five Ukrainian servicemen had been killed and 28 others wounded over the past 24 hours.
Since the operation was launched in mid-April, 956 servicemen have been killed, among them 743 who served with the Armed Forces, 69 with the Interior Ministry, 58 with the State Border Service, ten with the Ukrainian Security Service and 65 with the National Guard, he said. As many as 3,627 servicemen have been wounded over this period, among them 2,619 troops, 273 Interior Ministry servicemen, 344 border guards, 358 National Guard members and ten Ukrainian Security Service personnel.
Reposting: NATO's military encirclement of Russia
On March 11, 2009, Rick Rozoff was interviewed on Russia Today. He discussed the continued US policy of military encirclement of Russia during the new Obama administration.
NATO Absorption: Georgian Chief Of General Staff In Germany
Ministry of Defense of Georgia
October 7, 2014
Chief of General Staff of GAF Visits German Federation
Chief of General Staff of the GAF, Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze pays three day official visit to the German Federation Republic. Chief of General Staff left for Germany under the invitation for his German counterpart General Volker Wieker. For the recent ten years the high military representative of the Georgian Armed Forces has visited Germany for the first time under the personal invitation of Chief of General Staff of Bundeswehr.
Within the official visit, the top military brass of Germany and Georgia has already held bilateral meeting. The sides discussed bilateral cooperation issues and future relation prospects. They also referred to the regional security environment.
Within the visit the visit, Major General Vakhtang Kapanadze will visit the Training Center in Hammelburg where the Georgian company is undergoing pre-deployment exercise for Afghanistan. Visit to Operative Command of Bundeswehr is scheduled as well.
Official visit of Chief of General Staff of the GAF to the German Federation republic will come to an end tomorrow.
In Tandem With NATO, EU Concentrates On GUAM States
Civil Georgia
October 7, 2014
Mogherini: 'EU Needs Greater Attention to Eastern Neighbors'
[Collectively, the European Union's Eastern Partnership consists of Ukraine, Georgia, Moldova, Azerbaijan - the GUAM nations - and Armenia and Belarus (members of the Collective Security Treaty Organization). That is, all former Soviet federal republics in Europe and the South Caucasus except the three Baltic States, already members of the EU and NATO, and Russia. RR]
Tbilisi: Federica Mogherini, Italy's foreign minister who is nominated as next EU foreign policy chief, told European Parliament members during a confirmation hearing on October 6 that in its eastern neighborhood the EU "will need to support" Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine
"We need a greater attention in different forms to the east – starting from support to Ukraine in terms of security, institutional reforms, political process, economic challenges and energy challenges. We will need to support Moldova and Georgia… We will need to work with Armenia, Azerbaijan and Belarus on our way forward," Mogherini said in his opening remarks during the hearing at the European Parliament's foreign affairs committee.
Georgia was mentioned in the context of the Eastern Partnership once again during the three-hour hearing when Mogherini was asked how she sees democratic transformation in the Eastern Partnership countries in the view of Russia's attempts "to establish Soviet sphere of influence there."
Mogherini responded: "I think the attempt that Russians trying to have is that of showing that the European choice is bad for the people in those countries… If we manage to show together that the European choice is good for the citizens of these countries – I think of Moldova, where difficult elections are coming now, I think of Georgia, I thing obviously of Ukraine – if the European choice is delivering concrete good results for the people, that would be an attractive pull factor also for parts of their societies that are probably thinking in different way today."
In her opening remarks Mogherini said that Russia "might not be a partner at the moment – which is a picture of the situation today, still it is a strategic country in the world."
"So I guess we will need to deeply re-assess together our relations [with] Russia," she said.
Asked which tactic she would use if confronted by "Russia bear", Mogherini responded: "I would say that we need mix of assertiveness and diplomacy – the balance will also depend on the reaction of the bear."
When Estonian MEP Tunne Kelam told Mogherini that "you have yet to convince me how to stop Mr. Putin" and that EU's sanctions are lagging behind Kremlin's moves, Mogherini responded that the sanctions have been "effective" as the Russian economy "is starting to suffer quite a lot." But she also added: "Are they [sanctions] effective on Russian political decisions? I think we still have a question mark there." Mogherini said that her "point of reference" is to work with the Ukrainians and to support President Petro Poroshenko's efforts "because in the end they are the ones who have to deal with conflict on their territory."
She also said that the EU may need to work on increasing sanctions against Russia "if things get worse" in respect of Ukraine, and the EU "could lift the sanctions if things get better."
New NATO Chief Rattles Saber At Polish Air Base
U.S. Defense Department
October 7, 2014
NATO secretary-general visits Poland
By Tech. Sgt. Eric Donner
31st Fighter Wing Public Affairs
LASK AIR BASE, Poland: The new NATO Secretary-General Jens Stoltenberg visited Lask Air Base, Poland, Oct. 6, to express his gratitude to NATO partners for their on-going dedication to the security of the region and commitment to NATO.
"We come together to deliver one clear common message, that NATO is here to protect all allies," said Stoltenberg. "This is what NATO is all about, strong solidarity and strong defense."
The secretary-general continued to stress the lasting dedication to NATO's diplomatic and military partnerships.
"We face great challenges to the east and to the south, so we must keep NATO strong as a political alliance and as a military alliance," said Stoltenberg. "Thank you for your steadfast commitment to the mission."
Stoltenberg also spoke on the importance of implementing plans from the NATO Wales summit held last month, ensuring that NATO stays ready for all contingences.
"We need to implement the plans in full and on time," said Stoltenberg. "The readiness action plan will ensure that we can respond even faster to fast moving crises, with a spirituous force that can deploy within days."
He concluded by thanking the NATO allies in attendance to include the United States, Canada, Belgium, Poland, Netherlands, France and Germany in addition to all NATO partners for their dedication to the mission.
"Thank you all very much and all your comrades for what you are doing," said Stoltenberg. "I am very privileged and proud to meet you and I wish you the best luck in your missions."
Edward Dyer: So that of war the very name may not be heard again
Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
Edward Dyer
From Extracts from Sixe Idillia: The Prayer of Theocritus for Syracuse
Out of our island drive our enemies, our bitter fate,
Along the Sardine sea, that death of friends they may relate
Unto their children and their wives, and that the towns opprest
By enemies, of th' old inhabitants may be possest:
That they may till the fields, and sheep upon the downs may bleat
By thousands infinite and fat, and that the herd of neat
As to their stalls they go may press the lingering traveller.
Let grounds be broken up for seed, what time the grasshopper
Watching the shepherds by their flocks, in boughs close singing lies,
And let the spiders spread their slender webs in armories,
So that of war the very name may not be heard again.
Norway: NATO Trains For Next Kosovo/Afghanistan-Style Wars
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Transformation
October 4, 2014
Exploring the Future of Security Force Assistance through Experimentation
NATO Allied Command Transformation (ACT) Operational Experimentation supported by NATO ACT Operational Analysis Branch conducted a SFA LOE at the Norwegian Defence Command and Staff College in Oslo, Norway, 30 September – 2 October 2014.
SFA has consistently been identified as a key enabler for achieving success in NATO crisis response operations and this has been underscored during NATO's International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan and Kosovo Force (KFOR) operations. The operational requirement to train and enable local security forces is a fundamental part of NATO's comprehensive approach that is embedded within NATO's approach to crisis response.
As part of the Concept Development and Experimentation (CD&E) process, ACT staff sought to assess select elements of the Allied Joint Doctrine for Security Force Assistance using Alternative Analysis techniques (AltA); an ACT OA developed technique that has now become a standard part of the experimenter's toolset.
"The AltA techniques proved to be very beneficial in assisting the syndicates to identify the draft doctrine shortfalls and areas requiring greater focus and reevaluation," said LTC James Johnston, participant from NATO Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre (JALLC).
NATO SFA currently includes all NATO activities that assist the host-nation to develop and improve or provide direct support to the development of local security forces and their associated institution. The Allied Joint Doctrine, currently under development by the UK Doctrine, Concept and Development Centre (DCDC) in coordination with ACT and Allied Command Operations (ACO), specifically addresses the ways and means required to deliver SFA action.
Through a good use of well-designed analytical processes, the SFA experiment has delivered focused questions for the SFA Writing Team to consider," said Wg Cdr Kevin Cowieson, DCDC Doctrine Developer. "Answering these questions will improve the depth of the doctrine and add clarity to several key elements."
The event hosted subject matter experts and participants from the UK's DCDC, Centre Interarmées de Concepts, de Doctrines et d'Expérimentations (CICDE), Crisis Management and Disaster Response (CMDR) COE, HQ KFOR, NATO Liaison and Advisory Team (NLAT), US Joint Center for International Security Force Assistance, HQ Panzerbrigade 21, NATO Special Operations Headquarters (NSHQ), Joint Analysis and Lessons Learned Centre (JALLC), SHAPE, CCOMC (ISAF), and Joint Force Training Centre (JFTC).
Experts Discuss NATO Nuclear Policy In Poland
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
October 6, 2014
Experts discuss NATO nuclear policy issues in Wroclaw, Poland
National experts and NATO officials involved in all aspects of NATO nuclear deterrence policy met in Wroclaw, Poland from 1-3 October (2014) for talks on current nuclear policy issues.
The annual NATO Nuclear Policy Symposium is an important forum for security consultation and cooperation in the nuclear policy field. This year's event was held at the invitation of the Polish Ministry of Defence and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The meeting was part of regular NATO-led consultations on nuclear policy and arms control issues. The aim of the talks was to sustain and improve mutual understanding and national positions on nuclear policy issues. Participants included senior diplomatic, civilian and military officials with nuclear policy responsibilities and were drawn from across NATO nations, Alliance headquarters and from international organisations. The NATO Nuclear Policy Symposium has been held annually since 1992.
New Chief: NATO Ready For War In Eastern Europe
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
October 6, 2014
NATO will defend every Ally, NATO Secretary General stresses in Poland
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg stressed that NATO would defend every Ally on a visit to Poland on Monday (6 October 2014). "NATO's most important task is to protect and defend our nations against attack. We will defend our Allies, all Allies", Mr Stoltenberg said after meetings with Polish President Bronisław Komorowski and Prime Minister Ewa Kopacz in Warsaw.
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg meets with the President of Poland, Bronislaw Komorowski
International security challenges including Russia's aggressive actions in Ukraine, progress in implementing the decisions taken at the NATO Summit in Wales, and preparations for the 2016 Summit in Poland were the main themes during the talks. The Secretary General expressed his commitment to implementing the Wales Summit decisions in full. He stressed that the steps being taken by NATO to reinforce collective defence are fully in line with NATO's international commitments.
Mr Stoltenberg praised Poland for its significant contribution to the Alliance's operations and its commitment to strong defence: "Polish troops serve with great distinction in Afghanistan, and in Kosovo. You are a key contributor to our Missile Defence system. Soon, Poland will spend 2% of its Gross Domestic Product on defence. And you are making the right decisions to invest in new equipment and capabilities".
Mr Stoltenberg also held talks with Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Defence Tomasz Siemoniak, and Minister of Foreign Affairs Grzegorz Schetyna, before heading to Łask Air Base to meet with air force personnel from Poland and other Allied countries. The visit to Poland is NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg's first official country visit since taking up his post as earlier this month.
Iceland: Czech Republic Deploys Five Gripens For NATO Mission
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
October 6, 2014
The Czech Air Force has deployed five of its JAS-39 Gripen fighter aircraft and a total of 80 aircrew and ground personnel to Iceland for the last quarter of 2014. On Monday, 6 October 2014 the main body of the Czech contingent departed from 21st Tactical Air Force Base Čáslav. Five JAS-39 Gripen aircraft of the Czech Air Force will then take off from there on Thursday, 9 October. Their mission will be to provide Airborne Surveillance and Interception Capabilities to meet Iceland's Peacetime Preparedness Needs (ASICIPPN) on behalf of NATO.
On their way up north, the Czech Gripen aircraft will be supported by an Italian KC-767 tanker aircraft. The KC-767 is scheduled to take off from Pardubice airport in eastern Bohemia and provide both transport capacity for personnel and material for the Czech contingent. It will also conduct air-to-air refuelling for the Gripen fighters on their flight to Iceland.
Until December 2014, the Czech Air Force will be conducting air defence flying training missions and provide the necessary degree of training of NATO and Icelandic support personnel. This will ensure that the Alliance could conduct a full-scale peacetime air policing mission at the shortest possible notice.
Since early 2008, when the United States Air Force withdrew their permanent forces from Iceland, NATO Allies have taken turns deploying their fighters to the Nordic Ally for a training period of several weeks. The Czech JAS-39 deployment is the third this year and was preceded by Norwegian F-16s and United States F-15 in February and June, respectively.
Archibald MacLeish: The disastrous war, the silent slain
Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
American writers on peace and against war
Archibald MacLeish
The Silent Slain
We too, we too, descending once again
The hills of our own land, we too have heard
Far off – Ah, que ce cor a longue haleine -
The horn of Roland in the passages of Spain,
the first, the second blast, the failing third,
And with the third turned back and climbed once more
The steep road southward, and heard faint the sound
Of swords, of horses, the disastrous war,
And crossed the dark defile at last, and found
At Roncevaux upon the darkening plain
The dead against the dead and on the silent ground
The silent slain –
U.S. Marines Lead War Games In Romania
U.S. Marine Corps
October 2, 2014
By Lance Cpl. Ryan Young, Marine Corps Forces Africa
CINCU, Romania: The roar of gunshots and explosions echoed through the mountains of Romania as Marines and the Romanian military moved forward together to bring the fight to the large enemy force waiting in the valley.
Machine gun fire ripped through the air and anti-tank missiles slammed into simulated targets at the height of the live-fire combined arms exercise.
The Black Sea Rotational Force 14 Marines were participating in CINCU-14, an exercise designed to promote interoperability with the Romanian military, Sep. 14-26 at Cincu, Romania.
The exercise consisted of military-to-military training, live-fire ranges, fire support coordination training and sharing tactics, techniques and procedures.
Prior to the live-fire attack a weapons familiarization course was held, where each military set up weapons systems for the other military's troops to handle and practice with in a live-fire area.
It allowed us to become familiar with their weapons systems and show our capabilities for future exercises, said Capt. Matthew Deffenbaugh, 2/2 Weapons Co. commander.
The live-fire range, which concluded Cincu-14, had Marine rifle platoons, a Combined Anti-Armor Team and a platoon of 81 mm mortarmen firing weapons in synchronization with Romanian land and air forces. The troops of both countries moved in coordination with one another via rehearsed actions and quick communication. Anti-tank missiles, small-arms fire and Romanian armored vehicles and planes were just some of the weapons that pounded the range at Cincu.
"It was a good example of the partnership and capabilities that we built over the past two weeks to be able to integrate during a live fire evolution as complicated as this one was," said Deffenbaugh.
Cincu-14 helped Marines and Romanian forces work together on a tactical level, building understanding of troop movements as well as weapons systems between the Marines and Romanian military.
"We had a lot of interoperability between Romanians and Marines," said 1st Lt. Richard Benning, 2/2 CAAT platoon commander. "It exposed the marines to other tactics and [procedures] that our foreign nation partners use."
Harold Frederic: War inflicts stifling political conformity
Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
American writers on peace and against war
Harold Frederic
From The Damnation of Theron Ware (1896)
His boyhood had been spent in those bitter days when social, political, and blood prejudices were fused at white heat in the crucible of war. When he went to the Church Seminary, it was a matter of course that every member of the faculty was a Republican, and that every one of his classmates had come from a Republican household. When, later on, he entered the ministry, the rule was still incredulous of exceptions. One might as well have looked in the Nedahma Conference for a divergence of opinion on the Trinity as for a difference in political conviction. Indeed, even among the laity, Theron could not feel sure that he had ever known a Democrat; that is, at all closely. He understood very little about politics, it is true. If he had been driven into a corner, and forced to attempt an explanation of this tremendous partisan unity in which he had a share, he would probably have first mentioned the War – the last shots of which were fired while he was still in petticoats…
Joint Warrior: Lithuanian Navy Commands NATO Naval Forces
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Maritime Command
October 3, 2014
FASLANE, UK: This morning, Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group ONE (SNMCMG1), under the leadership of Lithuanian Navy Commander Giedrius Premeneckas, arrived in Faslane, the United Kingdom, for a routine port visit in advance of the Royal Navy-led Exercise JOINT WARRIOR.
SNMCMG1's visit to Faslane is part of the Group's deployment programme. This deployment marks the first time that the Lithuanian Navy has taken command of one of NATO's Standing Naval Forces.
"I look forward to this very challenging and beneficial exercise with our Royal Navy partners and the various forces participating," said Commander Premeneckas. "I am convinced that JOINT WARRIOR will add significant value to further enhancing SNMCMG1's training and professionalism. I view this exercise as a valuable contribution to NATO-provided package of assurance measures."
JOINT WARRIOR is a UK tri-Service multinational exercise which runs twice a year involving numerous warships, aircraft, special operations and land forces in the coast of Scotland. Joint Warrior provides a complex environment in which UK and NATO partners units can go through training together in tactics and skills for use in a combined joint task force.
The exercise runs through a range of evolving crises and conflict scenarios that could be realistically encountered in real operations. They include maritime security, disputed territory, anti-terrorism, counter-piracy, combat operations and more. This massive multinational exercise delivers specialized maritime training, bringing together into theatre, air, surface, subsurface and amphibious forces.
Commander Premeneckas took command of SNMCMG1 August 7, during a port visit to Klaipeda, Lithuania. Since then, the Group has been conducting operations in the Baltic,providing enhanced maritime security and maritime situational awareness.
Story by: MARCOM Public Affairs Office.
Ella Wheeler Wilcox: A Plea To Peace
Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
American writers on peace and against war
Ella Wheeler Wilcox
A Plea To Peace (1918)
When mighty issues loom before us, all
The petty great men of the day seem small,
Like pigmies standing in a blaze of light
Before some grim majestic mountain-height.
War, with its bloody and impartial hand,
Reveals the hidden weakness of a land,
Uncrowns the heroes trusting Peace has made
Of men whose honor is a thing of trade,
And turns the searchlight full on many a place
Where proud conventions long have masked disgrace.
O lovely Peace! as thou art fair be wise.
Demand great men, and great men shall arise
To do thy bidding. Even as warriors come,
Swift at the call of bugle and of drum,
So at the voice of Peace, imperative
As bugle's call, shall heroes spring to live
For country and for thee. In every land,
In every age, men are what times demand.
Demand the best, O Peace, and teach thy sons
They need not rush in front of death-charged guns
With murder in their hearts to prove their worth.
The grandest heroes who have graced the earth
Were love-filled souls who did not seek the fray,
But chose the safe, hard, high, and lonely way
Of selfless labor for a suffering world.
Beneath our glorious flag again unfurled
In victory such heroes wait to be
Called into bloodless action, Peace, by thee.
Be thou insistent in thy stern demand,
And wise, great men shall rise up in the land.
U.S.-NATO Move Armored Vehicles Into Baltics
U.S. Army Europe
October 3, 2014
Military vehicles from Fort Hood, Texas, arrive in Latvia
Persistent presence land forces assurance exercises are the first in a series of expanded U.S. land force training activities in Poland and the Baltic region taking place for the next few months and beyond. The exercises, conducted by U.S. Army Europe Soldiers and host nation forces, are a demonstration of U.S. commitment to NATO and to our collective defense responsibilities through increased ground, air, and naval force presence.
The intent of the supplementary exercises is to reassure NATO allies that the U.S. commitment to meeting our nation's Article 5 obligations is unwavering. Accordingly, U.S. Army Europe has deployed a company-sized contingent of U.S. paratroopers from the 173rd Airborne Brigade, to Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, and Latvia, roughly 600 Soldiers in all, to conduct the expanded land force training. This action comes at the request of the host nation governments.
NATO Conducts Military Exercise In Hungary
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
October 3, 2014
As part of a 2 day visit to Hungary Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe (DSACEUR), General Sir Adrian Bradshaw attended the Distinguished Visitors day (DV day) for exercise 'Steadfast Javelin-III', on Thursday the 2 October 2014. The event took place at the Central Exercise and Shooting Range, Hungary and involved 344 troops and 64 vehicles as well as JAS-39 Gripen aircraft, in a coordinated fire and manoeuvre exercise to repel an invading enemy force.
The aim of the exercise in general was to prepare the Battalion Battle Group for the full spectrum of operations during day and night operations; to practice cooperation with Air and Supporting forces; and to enhance the troop leading capabilities of commanders and leaders.
DV day demonstration showcased all the capabilities that the Battalion had to offer and Gen Bradshaw was quoted as saying "I was impressed by the realistic scenario, the manoeuvres and the cooperation of Air Forces and supporting troops on the ground". He then went on to say "This NATO exercise, with the participation of a number of member nations, presented real operational capabilities and interoperability. Additionally, it built deterrence while sending the primary message to any potential aggressor: NATO's commitment to Collective Defence is still the top priority of the Alliance".
During the event the Hungarian Chief of Defence (CHoD) offered Hungarian Special Forces to the Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF), also known as the 'Spearhead' Force that is being developed as part of the Readiness Action Plan (RAP). He stated that "they were extremely professional, fit, determined and ready to conduct joint operations with other NATO Special Force units".
Story by: SHAPE Public Affairs Office.
Estonia: NATO Trains Members, Partners For War Compatability
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Air Command
October 2, 2014
Ämari Air Base, Estonia: Interoperability and cooperation between NATO and Partnership for Peace (PfP) countries was the focus during the two day Baltic Region Training Event (BRTE) from September 30th to October 1st. Over 16 aircraft from five NATO Nations and two PfP Nations, Sweden and Finland, strengthened their cooperation in a variety of aerial scenarios. The training was supported by the NATO Airborne Warning and Control System (AWACS) and a US Air Force tanker aircraft.
Three times a year for the past six years, the Baltic Regional Training Event has taken place in the Baltic States. Due to the augmentation of NATO's Baltic Air Policing (BAP) forces in the spring of this year it was possible, during this 19th iteration of the BRTE, to draw on more flying assets already deployed in the region.
"The increased number of fighters involved in the BAP offers a huge benefit for our training," said Major Dimitrios Koukaras, Hellenic Air Force, who is the project officer for BRTE 19 at NATO's Air Command in Ramstein, Germany. "This way we can exploit the areas of interoperability and cooperation more deeply. BRTEs are an established series of training events; however, they have nothing to do with the Allied air policing mission in the Baltic region.
"During the media event on September 30th, several journalists had the opportunity to see first-hand what BRTE 19 was about. In addition to a static aircraft display at Ämari Air Base, Estonia, the training included a 'COMLOSS scenario'. An Estonian L-410 transport plane simulated a loss of communications and was intercepted by fighters from PfP member Finland, which in turn handed it over to the German NATO fighters currently flying out of Ämari. For the journalists on board of the Estonian L-410 this was a special situation. They witnessed the measures and procedures that have to take place in the air and on the ground to identify this aircraft. The media on board the L-410 transport saw the Finnish fighters flying in, handing over the plane to the German fighters which escorted it back to Ämari for a safe landing.
"It is a major benefit for us that Ämari Air Base is the venue for this established training event for the second time," said the Colonel Jaak Tarien, the Commander of the Estonian Air Force. "This NATO base hosts BAP assets and is now involved in the two-day BRTE. We are very pleased that we can provide our contribution to both Allied projects as a Host Nation."
BRTE 19 included the following air assets: Portuguese F-16 fighters, Canadian CF-188s, German Eurofighters, Dutch F-16 fighters, Estonian L-410, AN-2 transport aircraft, and a SAR helicopter. PfP nations provided F-18 and JAS-39 Gripen fighters. NATO AWACS and a US Air Force KC-135R tanker aircraft from the United Kingdom also flew in support of the training event. BRTE 19 command and control was provided by Combined Air Operations Centre (CAOC) Uedem, Germany, Control and Reporting Centre (CRC) Karmelava, Lithuania, and Finland, Control and Reporting Point (CRP) Ämari, Estonia, as well as civilian Air Traffic Control agencies.
Story by: Air Command Public Affairs Office.
NATO Integration: British Defence Staff In Georgia
Ministry of Defence of Georgia
October 2, 2014
UK Defence Staff Visit to Georgia
UK Defence staff pays a working visit to Georgia. Within two day visit, members of the delegation led by Deputy Head of Bilateral Relations NATO and EU Debbie Brothers held meetings with Deputy Defence Ministers Tamar Karosanidze and Mikheil Darchiashvili.
At the meetings Deputy Defence Ministers informed the British guests on the fulfilled and ongoing reforms in Georgian defence sphere. The sides also referred to the future cooperation prospects.
First Deputy Chief of general Staff of the GAF, Brigadier General Vladimer Chachibaia hosted the UK Defence staff as well. The sides talked about regional security issues and cooperation plans in military educational field.
Following the meetings at the MoD, Defence Cooperation Plan of 2015-2016 was signed between the Defence Ministries of Georgia and the UK.
Within the visit to Georgia, the UK Defence Staff visited NATO Liaison Office and Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Malcolm Cowley: By day there are only the dead
Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
American writers on peace and against war
Malcolm Cowley
Ostel 1917
By day
The town basks in the sun like some Aztec ruin.
There is quiet in the trenches nearby; quiet and strained watching.
The crumbling walls of the village are without habitant.
Everything changes with nightfall.
Hooded camions rumble up the street in convoy.
Out of holes in the ground come tired old men to unload them.
Artillery caissons strain towards the batteries
And trains of pack mules.
Down from the trenches stumble figures shrouded in mud.
Continually there are starshells
And the nervous hammer of machine guns
And ambulances.
Men work and talk; eat and dig graves;
The slow dawn comes and everything disappears
Machines and men and animals
Like old-fashioned ghosts
At midnight.
By day
There are only the dead
And like vultures
The aeroplanes circling above them.
Spearhead East: NATO Deputy Military Commander In Hungary
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
October 2, 2014
The DSACEUR, Gen. Sir Adrian Bradshaw, recently visited Hungary for the second time in three months to discuss the new 'Spearhead' Very High Readiness Joint Task Force (VJTF).
Since his last stay, two important events have occurred, namely The Wales Summit and a Chiefs of Defence (CHOD) conference held in Vilnius, Lithuania. The summit gave political guidance to military leaders with reference to the way ahead post the Ukraine crisis, and the CHOD conference allowed for healthy discussion about how to implement the plan and, more specifically, what the size and shape of the VJTF would look like.
"Due to recent circumstances, it is well justified that NATO nations meet more often," said Gen. Tibor Benkő, Hungarian CHoD, at a joint press conference Wednesday afternoon.
"The primary reason of my visit is really clear," said Gen. Bradshaw in his statement, "and involves gaining support for the VJTF concept: The changed environment in Eastern Europe resulted in a changing of national borders and interior affairs of a sovereign country. After the assurance measures, which are defensive in nature and proportionate, we re-examined our deterrence force in order that no one could have any doubt about its capabilities."
Hungary is closely monitoring the situation in Ukraine because it has a common border with the war-torn country and because there are ethnic Hungarian groups as well as strong economic and trade connections between the two nations.
"Hungary's role at the moment is to help Ukraine carry on with their determined direction", Benkő highlighted.
As well as having a plenary discussion with the Hungarian CHoD, Bradshaw also had a one-on-one discussion with Csaba Hende, Minister of Defence, and Péter Szijjártó, Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade.
"Hungary has been a strong contributor to NATO and is determined to continue to be so," he concluded after his meetings.
The second day of the visit, Thursday, Oct. 2, is dedicated to a military engagement: DSACEUR is slated to participate in the exercise during the distinguished visitor day, and during exercise Steadfast Javelin 3, the Live-exercise portion of the Hungarian series of exercises, Common Action 2014.
Story by: SHAPE Public Affairs Office.
U.S., NATO Continue Large-Scale War Games In Poland
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Joint Forces Command Brunssum
October 1, 2014
Approximately 12,500 troops from Poland, Canada, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Great Britain and the United States will participate in a multi-national exercise called 'Exercise Anakonda'. This bi-annual exercise began with an Opening Ceremony on 24th September in Warsaw.
This year, NATO will provide a NATO Exercise Integration Team (NEIT) which will observe and assess information and exercise procedures. This information will then be used to greatly develop future NATO Exercises and support such exercise frameworks.
The team leader for the NEIT, Brigadier General Torben Møller who is also the Director of Management at JFC Brunssum, has been designated as the Exercise Anakonda Deputy Commander.
"Exercise Anakonda 14 is a multinational effort led by the Polish Armed Forces Operational Command. This exercise will conduct joint defensive operations against a conventional attack from enemy forces'' he said.
The aim of the exercise is also to create and rehearse conditions for any Allied Reinforcement and further enhance corporation with Polish non-military organizations'' he added. Exercise Anakonda 14 has already provided important operational feedback, with interoperability already proving to be a success. In addition to monitoring this exercise, the NEIT will also begin to assess and prepare for Anakonda 16.
Story by: Joint Forces Command Brunssum Public Affairs Office.
Maxim Gorky: Only time to train cannon fodder, not soldiers
Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
Maxim Gorky: Selections on war
Maxim Gorky
From The Specter (1938)
Translated by Alexander Bakshy
The streets and squares of the city had long since been in use for drilling soldiers, and everywhere rang the command:
The command lingered in his memory from childhood, when, in the tranquillity of a provincial town, it had rung assured and imperious, although coming from a distance – from the field. Here in the city which commanded the forces of the enormous country, the life of a hundred and fifty million souls, this command sounded irritable, hopeless, sometime actually despondent and futile, like an appeal or a cry of despair.
Samghin, listening to the order, shook his head incredulously, and came to a stop. Before him, striding along the cobbled pavements of the street, he saw small men in faded uniforms, all of them ill-fitting. Many of the men were still in civilian clothes. They stepped out as if against their will, as if unable to believe that in order to go and kill they must stamp vigorously on the cobbled or wooden pavements.
"Left! Left!" admonished a tall soldier huskily. He had a cross on his chest, and stripes on his sleeves. He limped, supporting himself on a thick stick. The diverse faces of the little men in ranks were lined with the same expression of sullen boredom; their variously colored eyes were marked by an identical vacancy.
"'Tion!" shouted at them officers wearied by ordering about a living, but sluggish, group of people who seemed to Samghin as crumpled and empty as deflated rubber balls. The humid, hillocky sky, shredded with clouds, hung over the ditches of the streets, over the squares. The withered sun, scattering murky light, expanded somewhere far behind the clouds.
"'Tion!" commanded the officers.
The city was already waking and rattling. Men were removing the scaffolding from an unfinished house. A fire brigade was on its way back from work. The wet, crinkled firemen stared at the men who were being taught to walk on the earth shoulder to shoulder. From around a corner came an officer, riding on a pied horse. After him crawled small guns, cutting across the firemen's path, rumbling metallically. Soldiers in steel helmets marched on. A small crowd of men variously costumed passed by, led by s black-bearded priest bearing an ikon, beside him a youth carrying a pole with the national flag across his shoulder, like a rifle.
Samghin stood on the sidewalk, smoking, aware that the whole business did not depress him so much as it embarrassed him – embarrassed and saddened him. The soldier with the cross and the stripes ordered, in a subdued voice,
"At ease – smoke – "
Limping, thrusting his stick at the pavement, he crossed to the sidewalk and and sat down on the curb, where he pulled a newspaper from his pocket and hid his face behind it. Samghin observed that the soldier, as he glanced his way, wanted to salute but thought better of it.
"Training them?" he asked. The soldier, reluctantly, looking at him over the paper, replied in a low voice:
"Yes. Rough-hewing them. But you can't make a soldier in a month – as you can see for yourself."
Samghin walked on. After this when he saw soldiers drilling, he stopped for a few minutes to watch, and to listen to the comments of passers-by, to other watchers like himself. The remarks were sarcastic, angry, glum, sullen.
"Small-caliber men – "
"The big ones, I suppose, have been destroyed."
"Heroes like that won't be able to thrash the Germans."
And the women sighed:
"Oh, Lord, when will the end be?"
U.S., NATO Troops To Remain In Afghanistan Indefinitely
Xinhua News Agency
September 30, 2014
Afghan gov't signs agreements with U.S., NATO
KABUL: The government of Afghanistan and the United States inked the Bilateral Security Agreement (BSA) here on Tuesday to allow limited number of troops to remain in Afghanistan after 2014 pullout of the NATO-led troops in the country.
Afghan Presidential Advisor on National Security, Mohammad Hanif Atmar and U.S. ambassador to Afghanistan James B. Cunningham signed the agreement on behalf of their respective governments.
Under the agreement, the United States would keep around 10,000 military service members in Afghanistan to train and advice the Afghan security forces.
Speaking after inking the agreement, Afghan president Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai described the agreement as a milestone in enhancing bilateral relations between Kabul and Washington, saying in the wake of inking the agreement, the international community would support Afghan national security forces.
Allaying the concerns of the neighboring states, the Afghan president said, "the security agreement with U.S. poses no threats to the neighboring countries."
"No nuclear or chemical weapons will be deployed in the Afghanistan soil in the wake of the agreement," president Ahmadzai categorically stated.
In his short speech after signing the agreement, Ambassador Cunningham stated that inking the agreement paves the way for further enhancing relations between Afghanistan and the United States.
In a similar step, the government of Afghanistan and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) inked Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) here on Tuesday.
Afghan Presidential Advisor on National Security, Mohammad Hanif Atmar and NATO's senior civilian representative to Afghanistan Maurits R. Jochems signed the agreement.
Under the agreement, limited number of NATO forces would remain in Afghanistan after 2014 pullout of troops to provide training and advice to Afghan security forces.
Slovakia: NATO Hosts Multinational Air Combat Exercises
Xinhua News Agency
September 29, 2014
Slovakia hosts NATO air combat exercises
BRATISLAVA: Slovakia hosts NATO air combat exercises MACE XVI which starts from Monday.
According to Slovak Defence Ministry spokesperson Martina Ballekova, as many as 660 military personnel from 14 NATO countries and two countries of the Partnership for Peace are taking part in the air combat exercises in Slovakia.
The exercises are being used to train methods of overcoming anti-air defences by the use of tactical aircraft in conditions of radio-electronic interference and to practice air combat in fighters.
"All the air equipment is being looked after by Sliac Airbase, with the command located in Zvolen and the ground equipment stationed at the training facility at Lest in Central Slovakia," said Slovak Lieutenant-Colonel Andrej Ulicny on Monday.
Apart from Slovakia's MiG-29 fighters, F-16 jets (Belgium, Denmark, Norway), DA-20 Falcons (Norway), Learjet 40s (Germany), RAFALEs (France), Gripens (Sweden), EA 18Gs (USA), C 130Js (Denmark) and Typhoons (Spain) are also taking part.
Ukraine: Video Of U.S.-NATO Military Exercise
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Opertations
September 30, 2014
Mediterranean Dialogue: NATO Expands Interoperability With Algeria
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Maritime Command
September 29, 2014
ALGIERS, Algeria:This morning, Monday 29 September 2014, five NATO ships assigned to Standing NATO Mine Counter-Measures Group TWO (SNMCMG2) arrived in Algiers for a scheduled port visit, during the Group's deployment to the Mediterranean to enhance maritime security and readiness, and in support of NATO counter-terrorism Operation 'ACTIVE ENDEAVOUR'.
Building upon the operational framework offered by the port visit, Commander, NATO Maritime Air, Rear Admiral Thomas Ernst is meeting with Algerian leadership to discuss numerous issues of shared importance, to include operation Active Endeavour, mutually beneficial training opportunities, and partnership within the Mediterranean Dialogue framework.
During the port visit, the Group will share its experiences in mine warfare operations with Algerian Navy officers and cadets and participate in activities designed to enhance understanding and friendship between the Algerian Navy and NATO Sailors.
Upon conclusion of the port visit, SNMCMG2 will participate in a passing exercise and tactical navigation exercise with Algerian Navy ships, while embarking Sailors to observe the exercises from aboard the NATO ships. These activities at sea are designed to enhance interoperability and familiarity between naval partners.
"The Algerian Navy is a trusted and valuable partner in maintaining maritime security in the Mediterranean," said Captain Piegaja. "With this visit, we hope to broaden NATO's relationship with Algeria, identifying new opportunities to cooperate in operations and exercises at sea."
Story by: MARCOM Public Affairs Office.
O. Henry: The ethics of justifiable slaughter
Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
American writers on peace and against war
O. Henry
From The Moment of Victory (1909)
"Our company got into a section of Cuban scenery where one of the messiest and most unsung portions of the campaign occurred. We were out every day capering around in the bushes, and having little skirmishes with the Spanish troops that looked more like kind of tired-out feuds than anything else. The war was a joke to us, and of no interest to them. We never could see it any other way than as a howling farce-comedy that the San Augustine Rifles were actually fighting to uphold the Stars and Stripes. And the blamed little señors didn't get enough pay to make them care whether they were patriots or traitors. Now and then somebody would get killed. It seemed like a waste of life to me. I was at Coney Island when I went to New York once, and one of them down-hill skidding apparatuses they call 'roller-coasters' flew the track and killed a man in a brown sack-suit. Whenever the Spaniards shot one of our men, it struck me as just about as unnecessary and regrettable as that was."
"'Well, Ben,' says the captain to me, 'your allegations and estimations of the tactics of war, government, patriotism, guard-mounting, and democracy are all right. But I've looked into the system of international arbitration and the ethics of justifiable slaughter a little closer, maybe, than you have. Now, you can hand in your resignation the first of next week if you are so minded. But if you do,' says Sam, 'I'll order a corporal's guard to take you over by that limestone bluff on the creek and shoot enough lead into you to ballast a submarine air-ship. I'm captain of this company, and I've swore allegiance to the Amalgamated States regardless of sectional, secessional, and Congressional differences. Have you got any smoking-tobacco?' winds up Sam. 'Mine got wet when I swum the creek this morning.'"
"'Well, Ben,' says Sam, kind of hefting his sword out from between his knees, 'as your superior officer I could court-martial you for attempted cowardice and desertion. But I won't. And I'll tell you why I'm trying for promotion and the usual honors of war and conquest. A major gets more pay than a captain, and I need the money.'
"'Correct for you!' says I. 'I can understand that. Your system of fame-seeking is rooted in the deepest soil of patriotism…'"
Air-Sea Battle Concept Risks Nuclear War With China
Stars and Stripes
September 28, 2014
Analysts: Air-Sea Battle concept carries risks in possible conflict with China
By Erik Slavin
ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, Guam: While the United States may welcome China's peaceful rise, last week's Valiant Shield exercise over the western Pacific Ocean plainly showed that Washington is hedging its bets on the "peaceful" part.
The U.S. military training brought 18,000 U.S. servicemembers together to fight a sophisticated enemy trying to block U.S. access to international waters and airspace.
Exercise officials scrupulously avoided any indication that this imagined enemy was any particular nation. Such is the diplomatic dance involved with China, America's second-largest trading partner behind Canada. However, China is the only nation in the Asia-Pacific region building the large-scale type of "anti-access, area-denial" capability that exercise participants fought against.
The exercise tested the Air-Sea Battle concept, a set of tactics that first blinds an enemy's communications in space and cyberspace, then destroys land- and sea-based weapons platforms.
Combatants also attempt to shoot down or otherwise defeat the enemy's deployed weapons.
The Defense Department's 2013 unclassified summary of Air-Sea Battle never mentions China explicitly. However, the Pentagon's annual report to Congress on China's military makes it clear that Beijing is developing the weapons its war planners believe will prevent the U.S. from safely sending its ships into the international waters of the East and South China seas. That would potentially complicate U.S. efforts to defend Taiwan, which China claims.
The U.S. also has alliances and agreements with some of China's neighbors, a few of whom are entangled in territorial disputes with Beijing.
The Air-Sea Battle concept, which became official doctrine in 2010 and now has a dedicated Pentagon office, is focused on defeating China if it grows increasingly belligerent, according to security analysts.
"Air-Sea Battle is about China — no doubt," said Aaron Friedberg, a Princeton University professor who published a book this year on Air-Sea Battle and its alternatives. "We have exaggerated concerns about offending the Chinese. I think at some point we have to be more candid."
However, analysts differ over whether Air-Sea Battle's existence deters China from potential aggression, or whether it increases the chances of a globally devastating war.
Among Air-Sea Battle advocates and detractors alike, few believe there is much good about a conflict between China and the United States. Choosing a deterrent is about choosing "the least bad strategy," according to T.X. Hammes, a National Defense University senior fellow and retired Marine colonel.
Disrupt, destroy, defeat
China hasn't fired a shot at any of its neighbors recently, but its attempts at what Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has deemed "force and coercion" have increased.
Chinese ships engaged in low-level standoffs with Vietnam and the Philippines over territorial sovereignty in the South China Sea; in Vietnam's case, a fishing boat sank after a ramming incident with a larger Chinese vessel in May.
Japan and China have repeatedly scrambled jets over the Senkaku Islands, which Japan administers but China claims as its own.
China's military is presently considered to be no match for the United States in a full-scale conflict, but that is expected to change in the coming decades as Beijing's spending and technology continue their upward trend. What remains unclear — and is nerve-wracking for U.S. allies in the region — is whether China will grow to resolve its disputes diplomatically or wield its newfound military clout.
"I don't see how we make decisions about the weapons we buy and how we reassure our allies unless we have a plausible story about how to fight and not lose a war against China," Friedberg said. "I don't think we have that right now."
Air-Sea Battle is a set of tactics, but it is not a strategy by the military's own definition. It provides a method for re-entering oceans and airspace after China tries to deny entry and maneuverability.
China is building missiles like the Dong Feng-21D, a ballistic missile with a maneuverable re-entry vehicle that is designed to strike a moving aircraft carrier. If it works, that could keep some of America's most potent weapons out of striking range.
Although the U.S. military maintains ship and land-based interceptor missiles, shooting down a volley of advanced ballistic missiles is far from a guaranteed success. That is why the "tip of the spear" in an Air-Sea Battle isn't made up of ground troops or pilots — it's computer hackers or, in military terms, cyberwarriors.
At the beginning of the fight, the U.S. aims squarely at the web of networks and satellites controlling the enemy's missiles and other weaponry in a "blinding campaign." It is a critical component of Air-Sea Battle, but it is also the biggest unknown, Friedberg said.
The military keeps so much of its cyberdefense planning classified that it's impossible for anyone on the outside to analyze it.
"We want others to believe that we have an ace up our sleeve — that we can make things go away with flip of a switch," Friedberg said.
The blinding campaign also includes air and sea strikes on some of China's softer targets, like over-the-horizon radar, Friedberg said.
The next phase involves striking ships, platforms and other armaments on land and sea. Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps aircraft would potentially fly several missions, including bombing runs over China. Navy surface and undersea ships would also be heavily involved in that phase.
Navy ships, Army missile defense batteries and other methods would attempt to intercept any missiles that made it to launch.
Blockade and bargain
Supporters of Air-Sea Battle view its potential to cripple the People's Liberation Army as so disruptive that it threatens the Chinese Communist Party's survival. That deters the party leadership from taking any overly aggressive action in the Asia-Pacific region, thereby guaranteeing regional stability and the free flow of world commerce.
Hammes, the National Defense University scholar, views it as a dangerous, escalatory concept that could even lead to a nuclear war. "The Navy has stated categorically that Air-Sea Battle isn't a strategy, and they're right," Hammes said. "It's a concept without strategy, and that may be the most dangerous aspect."
American strategy should instead seek to minimize a conflict with China, according to Hammes. Assuming China strikes first in space or cyberspace, it immediately gains an advantage in those domains and jeopardizes Air-Sea Battle's chances of success, he said.
As for destroying China's land-based weapons platforms, that's a tough act to pull off. China is converting to solid-fuel missiles, which launch within minutes, he said. Meanwhile, China's mobile missile launchers would be hard to find, Hammes said.
"The evidence we have is that it's not doable," Hammes said. "We hunted Scuds in the desert (in the Gulf War), and we still never killed one. Imagine shuttling around on the complex terrain of China."
Conventional ballistic missile attacks on China could also be difficult to distinguish from nuclear ballistic missile attacks, which raises the possibility of a Chinese nuclear response, he said.
Hammes instead favors a less costly approach that analysts refer to by names like "offshore control" and "distant blockading." They vary in their aggressiveness, but generally rule out bombing runs over Chinese land.
Hammes' contends that the Chinese Communist Party fears economic threats more than anything else. In a 2003 speech, President Hu Jintao began a debate on the "Malacca Dilemma," the position that China's economic and energy security is compromised because so much if it passes through the narrow Malacca Strait.
If China attacked U.S. positions and launched an anti-access, area-denial campaign, Hammes advocates blockading everything surrounding those waters.
"They can have their near-shore waters," Hammes said. "They need the rest of the ocean."
By Hammes' count, teams of 13 to 15 Marines could interdict the roughly 800 ships that carry bulk import and export goods to and from China's main ports.
The blockade would economically strangle China but would not leave it in a position where the Communist Party couldn't eventually sue for peace without losing face, Hammes said.
China is aware of this weakness and is building land links to its west to compensate. However, Hammes doesn't believe that China wants to put its economy in the hands of the Russian and Kazakh rail networks. Even if it did, the railroads couldn't handle anywhere near the same cargo capacity, he said.
Hammes' strategy leaves out fighting in space and cyberspace and minimizes what he deems as the chance of a nuclear exchange.
Friedberg thinks the chance of China using its comparatively smaller nuclear arsenal against the U.S. in response to Air-Sea Battle is highly unlikely, since it would be akin to "contemplating national suicide."
Defending against Air-Sea Battle also forces the Chinese to put more resources into defending their installations, which presumably takes some funding from things like hypersonic missiles, Friedberg added.
Proponents of Air-Sea Battle contend that while a blockade might be a good concurrent idea, it doesn't do anything to gain access to the seas and air China has blocked. If blockading becomes America's strategy, it may not reassure U.S. allies in the region who are within or bordering a Chinese-enforced no-go zone.
Analysts agree that a war between two nuclear nations, especially one involving the world's two biggest economies, is inherently unpredictable. Great power wars historically have lasted for many years, which runs counter to apparent U.S. and Chinese planning for a short conflict, Hammes and Friedberg said.
Nevertheless, Friedberg argues that the U.S. must be prepared for conflict.
"I don't think we can diminish that danger by not doing these things," he said. "[China] is already making preparations to do that … so it's not like we're starting this competition."
NATO Launches Military Exercises In Latvia
September 29, 2014
NATO military exercises start in Latvia
KYIV: Joint military exercises of the Allied forces «Silver Arrow 2014″ begin in Latvia today.
As the Ministry of Defense of Latvia writes on its website, it will be one of the largest exercises of the land forces. Participating in them will be the Armed Forces of Latvia, Estonia, Norway, the U.S. and the UK – generally more than 2,100 soldiers.
The exercises will last from September 29 to October 6, but the active phase will be held from October 3 to October 5.
Xinhua News Agency
September 26, 2014
Over 2,100 troops to take part in military exercise in Latvia
RIGA: More than 2,100 troops from Latvia, the US, Estonia, Greece, the UK and Norway will join the Silver Arrow 2014 military exercise which is due to take place in Latvia next week, a military news website reported Friday.
The training exercise was scheduled to take place at Adazi Military Training Area outside Riga from September 29 to October 6, with Latvian Defence Minister Raimonds Vejonis and Chief of Defence Lt. Gen. Raimonds Graube expected to attend the opening ceremony, Latvian Defence Ministry told the Baltic News Service (BNS).
The active phase of the military exercise will take place from October 3-5 with the participation of the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades of the Latvian Ground Forces and the Combat Support Battalion, as well as Latvian home guard units. The drills are intended to enhance soldiers' conventional warfare skills.
Commander of the Silver Arrow exercise Col. Martins Liberts indicated to BNS that from an annual national military training exercise, Silver Arrow has grown into multinational manoeuvres which are being held according to a plan worked out at the command headquarters of NATO's Steadfast Jazz exercise in Latvia last year.
Lytton Strachey: After the battle, who shall say that the corpses were the most unfortunate?
Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
Robert Graves: Men at arms and men of letters, the birth of English pacifism in the First World War
Lytton Strachey
From Eminent Victorians (1918)
Florence Nightingale
Miss Nightingale arrived at Scutari – a suburb of Constantinople, on the Asiatic side of the Bosphorus – on November 4th, 1854; it was ten days after the battle of Balaclava, and the day before the battle of Inkerman. The organisation of the hospitals, which had already given way under the stress of the battle of the Alma, was now to be subjected to the further pressure which these two desperate and bloody engagements implied. Great detachments of wounded were already beginning to pour in. The men, after receiving such summary treatment as could be given them at the smaller hospitals in the Crimea itself, were forthwith shipped in batches of two hundred across the Black Sea to Scutari. This voyage was in normal times one of four days and a half; but the times were no longer normal, and now the transit often lasted for a fortnight or three weeks. It received, not without reason, the name of "the middle passage." Between, and sometimes on the decks, the wounded, the sick, and the dying were crowded – men who had just undergone the amputation of limbs, men in the clutches of fever or of frostbite, men in the last stages of dysentery and cholera – without beds, sometimes without blankets, often hardly clothed. The one or two surgeons on board did what they could; but medical stores were lacking, and the only form of nursing available was that provided by a handful of invalid soldiers, who were usually themselves prostrate by the end of the voyage. There was no other food beside the ordinary salt rations of ship diet; and even the water was sometimes so stored that it was out of reach of the weak. For many months, the average of deaths during these voyages was seventy-four in the thousand; the corpses were shot out into the waters; and who shall say that they were the most unfortunate? At Scutari, the landing-stage, constructed with all the perverseness of Oriental ingenuity, could only be approached with great difficulty, and, in rough weather, not at all. When it was reached, what remained of the men in the ships had first to be disembarked, and then conveyed up a steep slope of a quarter of a mile to the nearest of the hospitals. The most serious cases might be put upon stretchers – for there were far too few for all; the rest were carried or dragged up the hill by such convalescent soldiers as could be got together, who were not too obviously infirm for the work. At last the journey was accomplished; slowly, one by one, living or dying, the wounded were carried up into the hospital. And in the hospital what did they find?
Lasciate ogni speranza, voi ch'entrate: the delusive doors bore no such inscription; and yet behind them Hell yawned. Want, neglect, confusion, misery – in every shape and in every degree of intensity – filled the endless corridors and the vast apartments of the gigantic barrack-house, which, without forethought or preparation, had been hurriedly set aside as the chief shelter for the victims of the war. The very building itself was radically defective. Huge sewers underlay it, and cess-pools loaded with filth wafted their poison into the upper rooms. The floors were in so rotten a condition that many of them could not be scrubbed; the walls were thick with dirt; incredible multitudes of vermin swarmed everywhere. And, enormous as the building was, it was yet too small. It contained four miles of beds, crushed together so close that there was but just room to pass between them. Under such conditions, the most elaborate system of ventilation might well have been at fault; but here there was no ventilation. The stench was indescribable. "I have been well acquainted," said Miss Nightingale, "with the dwellings of the worst parts of most of the great cities in Europe, but have never been in any atmosphere which I could compare with that of the Barrack Hospital at night." The structural defects were equalled by the deficiencies in the commonest objects of hospital use. There were not enough bedsteads; the sheets were of canvas, and so coarse that the wounded men recoiled from them, begging to be left in their blankets; there was no bedroom furniture of any kind, and empty beer-bottles were used for candlesticks. There were no basins, no towels, no soap, no brooms, no mops, no trays, no plates; there were neither slippers nor scissors, neither shoebrushes nor blacking; there were no knives or forks or spoons. The supply of fuel was constantly deficient. The cooking arrangements were preposterously inadequate, and the laundry was a farce. As for purely medical materials, the tale was no better. Stretchers, splints, bandages – all were lacking; and so were the most ordinary drugs.
To replace such wants, to struggle against such difficulties, there was a handful of men overburdened by the strain of ceaseless work, bound down by the traditions of official routine, and enfeebled either by old age or inexperience or sheer incompetence. They had proved utterly unequal to their task. The principal doctor was lost in the imbecilities of a senile optimism. The wretched official whose business it was to provide for the wants of the hospital was tied fast hand and foot by red tape. A few of the younger doctors struggled valiantly, but what could they do? Unprepared, disorganised, with such help only as they could find among the miserable band of convalescent soldiers drafted off to tend their sick comrades, they were faced with disease, mutilation, and death in all their most appalling forms, crowded multitudinously about them in an ever increasing mass. They were like men in a shipwreck, fighting, not for safety, but for the next moment's bare existence — to gain, by yet another frenzied effort, some brief respite from the waters of destruction.
In these surroundings, those who had been long inured to scenes of human suffering – surgeons with a world-wide knowledge of agonies, soldiers familiar with fields of carnage, missionaries with remembrances of famine and of plague – yet found a depth of horror which they had never known before. There were moments, there were places, in the Barrack Hospital at Scutari, where the strongest hand was struck with trembling, and the boldest eye would turn away its gaze.
U.S., NATO Allies Hold Largest-Ever Exercise In Poland
Polish Radio
September 26, 2014
'Anaconda 14′ military exercises begin in Poland
Two-week military exercises known as Anaconda 14 have begun involving around 12,500 troops from Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Netherlands, UK and US.
US troops from the Illinois National Guard's 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team arrived in Orsyz, north east Poland on 24 September to take part in the exercises, which will include 120 armoured personnel carriers, 50 rocket launchers, 17 vessels, including submarines, plus 25 aircraft, including helicopters, fighters and multi-purpose aircraft, according to the PAP news agency.
This year's bi-annual exercises will be the largest ever staged in Poland, according to defence minister Tomasz Siemoniak, and carry special significance in the shadow of the conflict in Ukraine.
C.P. Snow: As final product of scientific civilization, nuclear bomb is its ultimate indictment
Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
C.P. Snow: Even if moral judgments are left out, it's unthinkable to drop the bomb
C.P. Snow: Hope it's never possible to develop superbomb
C.P. Snow: Worse than Genghiz Khan. Has there ever been a weapon that someone did not want to let off?
C.P. Snow
From The New Men (1954)
Some of them gave an absolute no to the use of the bomb for reasons which were too instinctive to express. For any cause on earth, they could not bear to destroy hundreds of thousands of people at a go.
Many of them gave something near to an absolute no for reasons which, at root, were much the same; the fission bomb was the final product of scientific civilization; it of were used at once to destroy, neither science nor the civilization of which science was bone and fibre, would be free from guilt again.
The news of Hiroshima had sickened them; that afternoon had left them without consolation. Luke said: "If anyone had tried to defend the first bomb, then I might just have listened to him. But if anyone dares try to defend the second, then I'll see him in hell before I listen to a single word."
They all assumed, as Martin had done, that the plutonium bomb was dropped as an experiment, to measure its 'effectiveness' against the other.
"It had to be dropped in a hurry," said someone, "because the war will be over and there won't be another chance."
How long can you sustain grief, guilt, remorse, for a horror far away?
If it were otherwise, if we could feel public miseries as we do private ones, our existence in those years would have been hard to endure. For anyone outside the circle of misery, it is a blessing that one's public memory is so short; it is not such a blessing for those within.
Rasmussen's Parthian Shot: Belittling, Threatening Russia
September 26, 2014
Rasmussen: Russia sees NATO as adversary, alliance needs strong force
KYIV: Russia considers the North Atlantic Alliance not as a partner but as an adversary, and NATO needs a strong force given the challenges posed by Russia.
NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen said this in an interview with USA Today.
"It's quite clear that, today, Russia doesn't consider us a partner, but an adversary. And, obviously, we will have to adapt to that," he said.
He recalled that the alliance intended to deepen partnership with Russia in the missile defense sphere, but Moscow's aggression against Ukraine had changed the situation. He called Russian behavior his biggest disappointment since becoming secretary general in 2009.
Beyond Ukraine, Rasmussen said he suspects Russia has a "master plan" to "establish a zone of Russian influence in their near neighborhood, covering the former Soviet space." He said Russian intimidation of Georgia and Moldova are other examples.
The Baltic states of Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia feel especially threatened by Russian President Vladimir Putin, he said. Officials there cited the recent detentions of an Estonian officer and a Lithuanian fishing vessel, as well as Russian pledges to protect the rights of Russian speaking communities in other countries.
Meanwhile, Rasmussen said: "I don't think there is an imminent threat against NATO allies. Russia knows that if they were to attack a NATO ally, the response would be firm and fast."
According to the NATO secretary general, the challenges of Russia and the Islamic State have created "an arc of crisis" around NATO nations, Rasmussen said. "We need a strong force for freedom," he said. "That's why we need a strong NATO."
As reported, former Danish Prime Minister Anders Fogh Rasmussen is leaving the post of NATO secretary general on October 1, and this post will be taken up by former Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg.
Ukraine: U.S.-NATO War Game Simulated War With Russia
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Command Operations
September 26, 2014
The Ukrainian-led joint exercise Rapid Trident concluded its battalion-level field training exercise in western Ukraine on Thursday, 25 September. For four days and in any direction within the 360-kilometer training range at the International Peacekeeping and Security Centre near Yavoriv, Ukraine, sounds of simulated improvised explosive devices (IED), armoured vehicle convoys and small-arm firing filled the air.
After Rapid Trident 2014 (RT14) began with a week of simulated training and command post exercises focusing on countering IEDs, convoy operations and patrolling, the field-training portion put their communication, tactical, and operational skills to the test.
Within the exercise scenario, the simulated country 'Fogland' crossed the border into simulated-country 'Yazirland' in an effort to aid the ethnic 'Foglanders' within 'Yazirland' and to disrupt the stability in the region. A simulated UN-mandated multinational taskforce deployed in order to identify the destabilizing actors, develop an intelligence picture and to restore the border province within 'Yazirland.'
Rapid Trident made huge strides this year, said James Ellingwood, RT14 simulation cell deputy chief and U.S. Army Europe counter-IED training program manager. "We're pushing a multinational staff to actually maneouver multinational companies without scripting, and we have Ukrainian officers in most of the key positions on the staff; it's great. I don't think Rapid Trident is ever going to be the same."
The training between more than 1,200 military personnel from 15 nations marked the first major exercise in the country since tensions with Russia spilled over earlier this year. The exercise was originally scheduled to take place in July but was pushed back because early planning was disrupted by the crisis in the eastern part of the country.
While the U.S. European Command scheduled exercise involves many NATO members as well as countries such as Ukraine, who are part of NATO's broader "Partnership for Peace," the exercise is not formally a NATO drill. Ukraine doesn't enjoy the collective security guarantee that comes with Alliance membership: the NATO principle that an attack on one is an attack on all. But training partnerships with the U.S. and other allies help prepare Ukrainian troops for the fight in the east, Ukrainian officers said.
Rapid Trident is an annual exercise and was planned well before the current situation in Ukraine. The last Rapid Trident exercise was held in July 2013.
Story by U.S. Navy Mass Communication Specialist 2nd Class Josh Keim, SHAPE Public Affairs Office
F. Scott Fitzgerald: War comes to Princeton
Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
American writers on peace and against war
F. Scott Fitzgerald
From This Side of Paradise (1920)
In Princeton every one bantered in public and told themselves privately that their deaths at least would be heroic. The literary students read Rupert Brooke passionately; the lounge-lizards worried over whether the government would permit the English-cut uniform for officers; a few of the hopelessly lazy wrote to the obscure branches of the War Department, seeking an easy commission and a soft berth.
…The war seemed scarcely to touch them and it might have been one of the senior springs of the past, except for the drilling every other afternoon, yet Amory realized poignantly that this was the last spring under the old regime.
"This is the great protest against the superman," said Amory.
"I suppose so," Alec agreed.
"He's absolutely irreconcilable with any Utopia. As long as he occurs, there's trouble and all the latent evil that makes a crowd list and sway when he talks."
"And of course all that he is is a gifted man without a moral sense."
"That's all. I think the worst thing to contemplate is this – it's all happened before, how soon will it happen again? Fifty years after Waterloo Napoleon was as much a hero to English school children as Wellington. How do we know our grandchildren won't idolize Von Hindenburg the same way?"
"What brings it about?"
"Time, damn it, and the historian. If we could only learn to look on evil as evil, whether it's clothed in filth or monotony or magnificence."
Long after midnight the towers and spires of Princeton were visible, with here and there a late-burning light – and suddenly out of the clear darkness the sound of bells. As an endless dream it went on; the spirit of the past brooding over a new generation, the chosen youth from the muddled, unchastened world, still fed romantically on the mistakes and half-forgotten dreams of dead statesmen and poets. Here was a new generation, shouting the old cries, learning the old creeds, through a revery of long days and nights; destined finally to go out into that dirty gray turmoil to follow love and pride; a new generation dedicated more than the last to the fear of poverty and the worship of success; grown up to find all Gods dead, all wars fought, all faiths in man shaken….
U.S. Paratroopers Finish War Games In Ukraine
Stars and Stripes
September 26, 2014
173rd Airborne wraps up Rapid Trident exercise in Ukraine
By John Vandiver
The U.S. Army's 173rd Airborne Brigade on Friday concluded nearly two weeks of training in Ukraine, where more than 1,000 troops from 15 nations conducted a series of military drills and war games.
The U.S. Army Europe-led Rapid Trident exercise came during a time of turmoil for Ukraine, which has been fighting a Russia-backed insurgency in its eastern region since a revolution in February and Moscow's annexation of the Crimea peninsula in March.
The exercise's focus was on improving the combat capabilities of allies and ensuring they are capable of fighting together on the battlefield. The exercise was also meant to send a signal to Russia that the U.S. and allies stand with Ukraine, U.S. Army officials said.
From a military standpoint, officials say, the war games achieved their aim.
"I think it was extremely successful in terms of achieving interoperability between the nations, which worked very well together during the exercise," said Capt. Royal Reff, a U.S. Army spokesman.
While Rapid Trident is a long-standing exercise in Europe, U.S. military officials have said it is part of an overall effort to increase the U.S. military presence in the broader region.
The Vicenza, Italy-based 173rd has been at the center of the effort, having spent nearly six months rotating through Poland, the Baltics and most recently Ukraine.
Now, the 173rd will get some relief as the U.S. Army's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, will begin deploying as part of Atlantic Resolve, which is focused on ensuring a ongoing force presence in eastern Europe in response to Russian actions in Ukraine. The 1st Cavalry will operate in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland with tanks, mechanized vehicles and other heavy military equipment.
The deployment demonstrates the United States' commitment to its NATO Allies, Navy Capt. Greg Hicks, EUCOM spokesman, said in a news release.
"The intent is to reassure allies and adapt the alliance's strategic military posture in response to regional security challenges," he said.
NATO War Clause: U.S. Sends Combat Troops, Armor To Baltic, Poland
United States European Command
September 25, 2014
Statement on arrival of 1-1CD for Operation Atlantic Resolve
By U.S. European Command Media Operations Division
Stuttgart, Germany: U.S. European Command spokesman Navy Capt. Greg Hicks, director of Communication and Engagement, provided the following statement:
"Over the coming weeks, as part of the next bilateral Operation Atlantic Resolve (OAR) land force rotation, elements of the U.S. Army's 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division will begin deploying to Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland with tanks, mechanized vehicles, and other heavy military equipment.
"The new rotation replaces U.S. Army Europe's 173rd Airborne Brigade, which has been training with Polish and Baltic forces since April 23, 2014. The units from 1st Cavalry Division are in the Baltics and Poland to continue the U.S. Army's land force assurance training and to enhance multinational interoperability, strengthen relationships, and demonstrate the United States' commitment to NATO Allies.
"These OAR rotations are the next phase in the continuous presence that NATO Allies have committed to in Poland and the Baltics as a result of Russia's aggression in Ukraine. The intent is to reassure Allies and adapt the Alliance's strategic military posture in response to regional security challenges.
"Operation Atlantic Resolve is a clear demonstration of NATO's Article 5 commitment to collective defense. As part of that unwavering commitment, the United States remains dedicated to maintaining a persistent rotational presence of air, ground, and naval resources in Poland and the Baltic states.
"U.S. European Command is pleased that other NATO Allies have joined in conducting training and exercise activity in the region; we encourage other Allies to do so as well. Through such cooperative exercises and activities, the U.S., and the Alliance as a whole, will increase the readiness and interoperability of NATO."
Britain Prepares NATO Partner Georgia For Next Caucasus War
Ministry of Defence of Georgia
September 26, 2014
Meeting with the 160th Brigade Commander
Commander of the Wales 160th Brigade hold three-day long working visit to Georgia. Defence Minister of Georgia Irakli Alasania and Chief of general Staff of the GAF, Major-General Vakhtang Kapanadze hosted Brigadier Martyn Gamble at MoD today.
At the beginning of the meeting Irakli Alasania expressed gratitude to the British guest for UK's support of Georgia's aspirations towards European and Euro-Atlantic integration. Bilateral defence cooperation between Georgia and the UK, as well as further deepen cooperation were one of the topics of the discussion. Defence Minister stressed on the importance of UK-Georgia joint military drills in Georgia.
Irakli Alasania delivered information to Brigadier Martyn Gamble on the fulfilled reforms in Georgian defence sphere and expressed gratitude for the UK support provided to military and civilian Human Resource Management reformation process.
At the meeting the sides also referred to the Substantial Package Georgia received at NATO Summit in Wales. Irakli Alasania underlined the importance of the role of UK high-rank military official in the core team within the implementation process of the Substantial Package.
Chief of general Staff of the GAF, Major-general Vakhtang Kapanadze also met with Commander of the Wales 160th Brigade today.
Brigadier Martyn Gamble pays the first working visit to Georgia. Within the visit he has already met with Deputy Defence Ministers Mikheil Darchiashvili and Tamar Karosanidze, Deputy Chief of General Staff, Colonel Giorgi Kbiltsetskhlashvili. Brigadier visited Vaziani IV Mechanized Brigade, National Defence Academy and National Training Center "Krtsanisi" as well.
Working visit of the Commander of the Wales 160th Brigade will come to an end today.
Poland: U.S. Leads Large-Scale War Games With NATO Allies
Polish Radio
September 26, 2014
'Anaconda 14′ military exercises begin in Poland
Two-week military exercises known as Anaconda 14 have begun involving around 12,500 troops from Poland, Lithuania, Estonia, Hungary, Czech Republic, Netherlands, UK and US.
The ORP Baltic tanker departs from the port of Gdynia as part of the international "Anaconda-14″ training exercises: PAP / Adam WARZAWAUS troops from the Illinois National Guard's 33rd Infantry Brigade Combat Team arrived in Orsyz, north east Poland on 24 September to take part in the exercises, which will include 120 armoured personnel carriers, 50 rocket launchers, 17 vessels, including submarines, plus 25 aircraft, including helicopters, fighters and multi-purpose aircraft, according to the PAP news agency.
This year's bi-annual exercises will be the largest ever staged in Poland, according to defence minister Tomasz Siemoniak, and carry special significance in the shadow of the conflict in Ukraine.
U.S. Advisers To Modernize Ukrainian Army For 165-Day War
Xinhua News Agency
September 26, 2014
U.S. advisers to assist Ukraine with army modernization: ambassador
KIEV: A group of American advisers will come to Ukraine in the near future to assist the country with the modernization of its army, the United States Ambassador to Ukraine Geoffrey Pyatt said in an interview to a local newspaper published Thursday.
"We believe that Ukraine needs to be able to defend itself, and we will support that," Pyatt was quoted as saying in the interview to the "Day" newspaper.
The U.S. has increased its security sector assistance to Kiev by 15 times to 116 million dollars during the crisis in Ukraine's eastern regions, Pyatt said, who explained that extra assistance was also offered to add new programs, which would "help the Ukrainian forces defend themselves."
The assistance includes programs to provide Ukraine with counter-mortar radar systems, as well as military advices to the security establishment and technical support on combat medicine. There is an initiative aimed at helping the Ukrainian forces deal more effectively with their injured personnel.
While stressing there is no military solution to conflict in eastern Ukraine, Pyatt said that the U.S. is going to continue its support for the peace plan proposed by President Petro Poroshenko and desire of the Ukrainian people to "define their own future."
Latvia: U.S., NATO Allies To Hold Yet Another Baltic War Game
Xinhua News Agency
September 26, 2014
Over 2,100 troops to take part in military exercise in Latvia
RIGA: More than 2,100 troops from Latvia, the US, Estonia, Greece, the UK and Norway will join the Silver Arrow 2014 military exercise which is due to take place in Latvia next week, a military news website reported Friday.
The training exercise was scheduled to take place at Adazi Military Training Area outside Riga from September 29 to October 6, with Latvian Defence Minister Raimonds Vejonis and Chief of Defence Lt. Gen. Raimonds Graube expected to attend the opening ceremony, Latvian Defence Ministry told the Baltic News Service (BNS).
The active phase of the military exercise will take place from October 3-5 with the participation of the 1st and 2nd Infantry Brigades of the Latvian Ground Forces and the Combat Support Battalion, as well as Latvian home guard units. The drills are intended to enhance soldiers' conventional warfare skills.
Commander of the Silver Arrow exercise Col. Martins Liberts indicated to BNS that from an annual national military training exercise, Silver Arrow has grown into multinational manoeuvres which are being held according to a plan worked out at the command headquarters of NATO's Steadfast Jazz exercise in Latvia last year.
Latvia: NATO Builds Up Air Capabilities
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe
September 26, 2014
LIELVARDE AIRFIELD, Latvia: Latvia's Lielvarde Airfield is now open to conduct day and night visual flight operations. The opening ceremony marking the occasion was held on Thursday, 25 September. The event was attended by H.E. Ms Laimdota Straujuma, Latvian Prime Minister, Mr Raimonds Vejonis, Minister of Defence, LTG Raimonds Graube, Chief of Defence and General Sir Adrian Bradshaw, Deputy Supreme Allied Commander Europe.
"Taking into consideration latest events in the international arena, as well as our national security priorities, this base is required for National Armed Forces to ensure national defence, as well as to implement all necessary measures to support NATO operations and carry out NATO air patrol maintenance", Latvian Prime Minister, Ms Straujuma stated.
As Mr. Vejonis, Minister of Defence, highlighted, "Development of the Air Force Base reaffirms that our priority is not just to establish new military bases, but to develop, improve and adapt our infrastructure to meet NATO's high standards and insure our allies' presence in the region".
"It is a tremendous set of development of operational capabilities, in an extremely important time, when the security situation in Europe has significantly changed", said General Bradshaw, adding, "This restoration is the first of many more investments to improve NATO's capabilities, to guarantee NATO is rock solid regarding collective defence".
After the chaplain blessed the airfield, there was a short dynamic demonstration, namely "fly by" and "touch and go", by Canadian, Portuguese and American jets.
This year marks ten years since Latvia joined NATO and the opening ceremony symbolised the significant amount of work that has been undertaken since 2005 in order to bring this co-financed project to fruition.
Story by SHAPE Public Affairs Office
Gulf Of Aden: NATO, Japan Conduct First Joint Naval Maneuver
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
Allied Maritime Command
September 26, 2014
NATO and Japan conduct first ever joint counter-piracy drill
NATO and Japan conducted a joint counter-piracy drill in the Gulf of Aden on Thursday (25 September 2014) to test communications and tactical skills. It was the first such joint naval exercise between the two maritime fleets. "By synchronizing our activities and sharing information we stand a much better chance to secure the waters in the region and thereby keeping the sea lanes safe and secure," said Commodore Aage Buur Jensen, the commander of NATO's counter-piracy mission, Operation Ocean Shield.
The exercise involved the Japanese destroyer JS Takanama and the Danish frigate HDMS Ebern Snare, currently the flagship of the NATO mission. Thursday's drills included a range of tasks including the boarding and securing of ships and communication procedures. "There is no doubt that the Japan Maritime Self Defence Forces are an important and very capable actor in the region and I am truly looking forward to expanding the fine cooperation NATO has with Japan," said the Danish Commodore.
NATO ships have patrolled the waters off the Horn of Africa since 2009…NATO's Ocean Shield operation as well as European Union…
Japan is a valued partner for NATO. In May 2014 NATO Secretary General Anders Fogh Rasmussen and Prime Minister Shinzō Abe of Japan signed an agreement to further political dialogue and practical cooperation between NATO and Japan, including in the areas of counter piracy, disaster relief and humanitarian assistance.
Ellen Glasgow: The Altar of the War God
Anti-war essays, poems, short stories and literary excerpts
American writers on peace and against war
Ellen Glasgow
From The Battle-Ground (1902)
VIII. The Altar of the War God
Through the warm spring weather she sat beside the long window that gave on the street, or walked slowly up and down among the vegetable rows in the garden. The growing of the crops became an unending interest to her and she watched them, day by day, until she learned to know each separate plant and to look for its unfolding. When the drought came she carried water from the hydrant, and assisted by Mammy Riah sprinkled the young tomatoes until they shot up like weeds. "It is so much better than war," she would say to Jack when he rode through the city. "Why will men kill one another when they might make things live instead?"
Beside the piazza, there was a high magnolia tree, and under this she made a little rustic bench and a bed of flowers. When the hollyhocks and the sunflowers bloomed it would look like Uplands, she said, laughing.
Under the magnolia there was quiet, but from her front window, while she sat at work, she could see the whole overcrowded city passing through sun and shadow. Sometimes distinguished strangers would go by, men from the far South in black broadcloth and slouch hats; then the President, slim and erect and very grave, riding his favourite horse to one of the encampments near the city; and then a noted beauty from another state, her chin lifted above the ribbons of her bonnet, a smile tucked in the red corners of her lips. Following there would surge by the same eager, staring throng — men too old to fight who had lost their work; women whose husbands fought in the trenches for the money that would hardly buy a sack of flour; soldiers from one of the many camps; noisy little boys with tin whistles; silent little girls waving Confederate flags. Back and forth they passed on the bright May afternoons, filling the street with a ceaseless murmur and the blur of many colours.
And again the crowd would part suddenly to make way for a battalion marching to the front, or for a single soldier riding, with muffled drums, to his grave in Hollywood. The quick step or the slow gait of the riderless horse; the wild cheers or the silence on the pavement; the "Bonnie Blue Flag" or the funeral dirge before the coffin; the eager faces of men walking to where death was or the fallen ones of those who came back with the dead; the bold flags taking the wind like sails or the banners furled with crepe as they drooped forward — there was not a day when these things did not go by near together. To Virginia, sitting at her window, it was as if life and death walked on within each other's shadow.
That afternoon the sound of the guns rolled up the Williamsburg road, and in the streets men shouted hoarsely of an engagement with the enemy at Seven Pines. With the noise Virginia thrilled to her first feeling of danger, starting from a repose which, in its unconsciousness, had been as profound as sleep. The horror of war rushed in upon her at the moment, and with a cry she leaned out into the street, and listened for the next roll of the cannon.
A woman, with a scared face, looked up, saw her, and spoke hysterically.
"There's not a man left in the city," she cried. "They've taken my father to defend the breastworks and he's near seventy. If you can sew or wash or cook, there'll be work enough for you, God knows, to-morrow!"
She hurried on and Virginia, turning from the window, buried herself in the pillows upon the bed, trying in vain to shut out the noise of the cannonading and the perfume of the magnolia blossoms which came in on the southern breeze. With night the guns grew silent and the streets empty, but still the girl lay sleepless, watching with frightened eyes the shadow of Mammy Riah's palm-leaf fan.
At dawn the restless murmur began again, and Virginia, looking out in the hot sunrise, saw the crowd hastening back to the hospitals lower down. They were all there, all as they had been the day before – old men limping out for news or returning beside the wounded; women with trembling lips and arms filled with linen; ambulances passing the corner at a walk, surrounded by men who had staggered after them because there was no room left inside; and following always the same curious, pallid throng, fresh upon the scent of some new tragedy. Presently the ambulances gave out, and yet the wounded came – some walking, and moaning as they walked, some borne on litters by devoted servants, some drawn in market wagons pressed into use. The great warehouses and the churches were thrown open to give them shelter, but still they came and still the cry went up, "Room, more room!"
Virginia watched it all, leaning out to follow the wagons as they passed the corner. The sight sickened her, but something that was half a ghastly fascination, and half the terror of missing a face she knew, kept her hour after hour motionless upon her knees. At each roll of the guns she gave a nervous shiver and grew still as stone.
The sun was already high above, and the breeze, which had blown for three days from the river, had dropped suddenly since dawn. Down the brick pavement the relentless glare flashed back into the sky which hung hot blue overhead. To Virginia, coming from the shade of her rooms, the city seemed a furnace and the steady murmur a great discord in which every note was one of pain.
Into the rude hospitals, one after one, she went without shuddering, passing up and down between the ghastly rows lying half clothed upon the bare plank floors. Her eyes were strained and eager, and more than one dying man turned to look after her as she went by, and carried the memory of her face with him to death. Once she stopped and folded a blanket under the head of a boy who moaned aloud, and then gave him water from a pitcher close at hand. "You're so cool – so cool," he sobbed, clutching at her dress, but she smiled like one asleep and passed on rapidly.
When the long day had worn out at last, she came from an open store filled with stretchers, and started homeward over the burning pavement. Her search was useless, and the reaction from her terrible fear left her with a sudden tremor in her heart. As she walked she leaned heavily upon Mammy Riah, and her colour came and went in quick flashes. The heat had entered into her brain and with it the memory of open wounds and the red hands of surgeons. Reaching the house at last, she flung herself all dressed upon the bed and fell into a sleep that was filled with changing dreams.
At midnight she cried out in agony, believing herself to be still in the street. When Mammy Riah bent over her she did not know her, but held out shaking hands and asked for her mother, calling the name aloud in the silent house, deserted for the sake of the hospitals lower down. She was walking again on and on over the hot bricks, and the deep wounds were opening before her eyes while the surgeons went by with dripping hands. Once she started up and cried out that the terrible blue sky was crushing her down to the pavement which burned her feet. Then the odour of the magnolia filled her nostrils, and she talked of the scorching dust, of the noise that would not stop, and of the feeble breeze that blew toward her from the river. All night she wandered back and forth in the broad glare of the noon, and all night Mammy Riah passed from the clinging hands to the window where she looked for help in the empty street. And then, as the gray dawn broke, Virginia put her simple services by, and spoke in a clear voice.
"Oh, how lovely," she said, as if well pleased. A moment more and she lay smiling like a child, her chin pressed deep in her open palm.
In the full sunrise a physician, who had run in at the old woman's cry, came from the house and stopped bareheaded in the breathless heat. For a moment he stared over the moving city and then up into the cloudless blue of the sky.
"God damn war!" he said suddenly, and went back to his knife.
Ukraine To Obtain Cutting-Edge U.S. Weapons System For 164-Day War
September 25, 2014
Ukraine will buy US newest weapons systems – media
KYIV: Ukraine will buy one of the newest weapons systems in the United States in the near future – funds are provided in the budget.
Journalist Yuriy Butusov writes on Facebook.
"According to the source Tsenzor.Net, Ukraine will buy one of the newest weapons systems in the United States in the near future – funds are provided in the budget. A group of Ukrainian military personnel will be trained at one of the training centers of the United States – this agreement has been achieved. This is still a small step, but it may be the beginning of great positive changes. Arms are not of a lethal character, but the value is important. Analogues are not made in Ukraine," Butusov writes.
As reported by Ukrinform, President Barack Obama has allocated USD 25 million in military aid to Ukraine: USD 5 million will be spent on training of Ukrainian soldiers for direct military assistance to the Ukrainian government in the crisis conditions. USD 20 million will be used to provide non-lethal weapons Ukraine, produced by the U.S. companies.
NATO Interoperability: U.S. Rotates Air Force Commander In Poland
U.S. Air Forces in Europe
U.S. Air Forces Africa
September 25, 2014
Lt. Col. Harman takes command of Aviation Detachment in Poland
By Airman 1st Class Kyle Gese
52nd Fighter Wing Public Affairs
Lask Air Base, Poland: U.S. Air Force Lt. Col. Jack Harman took command of Aviation Detachment 1, 52nd Operations Group at Lask Air Base, Poland, from U.S. Air Force Maj. Matthew Spears Sept. 18, 2014 after serving two years as the commander.
"You've dedicated a year of your lives to improve the mission to increase NATO interoperability, support regional security and build a lasting impression on such a key area of the world," Harman said. "I look forward to working with you and our professional colleagues to continue building partner capacity."
The U.S. Air Force Aviation Detachment in Poland, or Av-Det, is a nine-person team that facilitates the U.S. Air Force service members and aircraft in Poland. They continually train with Polish air forces to strengthen bilateral ties and increase interoperability.
Recent involvement in Exercises Eagle Talon and BALTOPS 14 in June 2014 was among many training opportunities aimed at fostering NATO partnerships and bolstering readiness for U.S. Air Forces in Europe and Air Forces in Africa's "Forward. Ready. Now!" priority. The detachment completes four annual rotations primarily of F-16 Fighting Falcon, but also includes C-130 Hercules cargo aircraft.
Harman shared his gratitude to his predecessor for creating the foundation as the first commander of the detachment upon assuming command. As for the next year, he will continue to establish a constant presence in Europe and execute the mission to foster bilateral defense ties, enhance regional security, and increase interoperability among NATO allies.
NATO Delegation In Georgia To Oversee Military Upgrade
Ministry of Defence of Georgia
September 24, 2014
Visit of NATO Allied Command Transformation
NATO Allied Command Transformation representatives are paying a two-day introductory visit to Georgia. Deputy Minister of Defence Tamar Kasoranidze and Deputy Chief of the GS of GAF Colonel Giorgi Kbiltsetskhlashvili hosted the NATO National Liaison Representatives under the headship of Brigadier-General Michael Bygholm.
The sides discussed the areas set out in the substantial package adopted by Georgia at the NATO Summit. The role of NATO Allied Command Transformation in the effective implementation of the substantial package was also focused during the meeting.
One of the main topics of discussion was ongoing cooperation between the Ministry of Defence of Georgia and NATO Allied Command Transformation in the field of military education as well as the prospects of deepening bilateral cooperation. Deputy Minister Tamar Karosanidze thanked the NATO visitors for their assistance in the development of military education sector and briefed them about the implemented reforms.
Within the frames of the visit to Georgia, NATO National Liaison Representatives will visit National Training Centre "Krtsanisi", Sachkhere Mountain Training Centre and Cadets Military Lyceum.
The NATO National Liaison representatives' first visit in Georgia will be over tomorrow.
Georgia: NATO Director Of Force Planning Accelerates Integration
Ministry of Defence of Georgia
September 23, 2014
Meeting with Frank Boland
Director of Force Planning, NATO Defence Policy and Planning Directorate Frank Boland is paying an official visit to Georgia. Minister of Defence Irakli Alasnaia hosted the NATO official.
At the meeting held in the Ministry of Defence the implementation plan of the substantial package granted to Georgia at the NATO Summit was discussed. The sides also evaluated fulfillment of the commitments by Georgia under Planning and Review Process (PARP) and Annual National Program (ANP).
"This visit had two main purposes – one was to complete the work on the planning and review process assessment with Georgia which we do every two years and looking at implementation of partnership goals which we agreed last year. That's gone very smoothly and I think we are very happy with the outcome. So we will for date, I believe in November for discussion of that with the allies in Brussels. The other major purpose was to discuss the implementation plan for the substantial package of cooperation that was agreed at the Wales Summit a few weeks ago. We spent the afternoon going through this in its final form and I have just spoken with the Minister about this. We've been working with the staff here in Tbilisi on continuing bases on this over the past three months. I think we've put together between this something which is very ambitious but realistic and likely to be accepted in the major part by Allies when it's discussed next month. That will cover the full range of issues which was set out in the summit declaration in relation to the substantive package to Georgia. I'm looking forward to taking that work forward and to see further improvements in interoperability and cooperation between Georgian and rest of the allies," declared Frank Boland.