. . . well, it appears that someone’s “got some s’plainin’ to do”.
A former member of the Intel Community discusses what was allegedly found in that “private e-mail” here. The article is IMO worthwhile reading.
This one might be worth watching. It appears extremely likely that a serious, deliberate mishandling of classified information occurred. The key question will be whether DoJ decides to do anything meaningful.
DPAA has identified and accounted for the following formerly-missing US military personnel.
From World War II
• 1stLt William O. Pile, 559th Bombardment Squadron, 387th Bombardment Group, 9th Air Force, US Army, was lost on 23 December 1944 in Germany. He was accounted for on 13 June 2015. 1stLt Pile was the pilot on the aircraft in which 2nd Lt. Robert W. Ward, identified/accounted for by DPAA on 7 May 2015 as noted here, was the co-pilot.
From Korea
• SFC Robert Reager, Company C, 32nd Regimental Combat Team, 7th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost on 2 December 1950 in North Korea. He was accounted for on 21 July 2015.
• SGT Wilson Meckley, Jr., Company A, 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 7th Infantry Division, US Army, was lost on 13 February 1951 in North Korea. He was accounted for on 9 August 2015.
• PFC George L. Rights, Battery B, 15th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost on 13 February 1951 in North Korea. He was accounted for on 22 July 2015.
• CPL Grant H. Ewing, Battery C, 38th Field Artillery Battalion, 2nd Infantry Division, US Army, was lost on 28 February 1951 in North Korea. He was accounted for on 29 July 2015.
You’re no longer missing, my elder brothers-in-arms. Our apologies that it took so long.
Rest in peace. You’re finally home.
. . .
Over 73,000 US personnel remain unaccounted for from World War II; over 7,800 US personnel remain unaccounted for from the Korean War; and over 1,600 remain unaccounted for in Southeast Asia (SEA). Comparison of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) from recovered remains against mtDNA from a matrilineal descendant can assist in making a positive ID for unidentified remains that have already been recovered, or which may be recovered in the future.
TAH reader HMCS(FMF) noted in comments elsewhere that DPAA’s web site now has what appears to be a decent “Contact Us” page. The page doesn’t have instructions concerning who can and cannot submit a mtDNA sample or how to submit one, but the POCs listed there may be able to point you in the correct direction if you’re interested. If you think you might possibly qualify, please contact those POCs for further information.
If it turns out you qualify to submit a mtDNA sample, please arrange to submit one. By doing that you just might help identify the remains of a US service member who’s been repatriated but not yet been identified – as well as a relative of yours, however distant. Or you may help to identify remains to be recovered in the future.
Everybody deserves a proper burial. That’s especially true for those who gave their all while serving this nation.
Back in 1987, the USSR and the USA signed the Intermediate-Range Nuclear Forces (INF) Treaty. This treaty banned either nation from having or developing conventional and cruise missiles with ranges between 500 and 5,500 km.
While both signatories have periodically expressed displeasure with the treaty’s limitations, until 2011 each party generally seemed to be in compliance. However, in 2011 Russia (which accepted the treaty’s obligations on the inheriting the former-USSR’s nuclear arsenal after breakup of the USSR) apparently began violating the INF Treaty by conducting development associated with at least two weapons systems: the SS-25 and the SS-26.
The current Administration disclosed this violation to the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee in 2012. But they didn’t make any details regarding the violation public at the time. In fact, it also seems that the Administration “neglected” to brief NATO on the matter until either late 2013 or early 2014 – and only briefed NATO after the press reported the Russian violation in late 2013.
Seems to me that NATO would have a great interest in this issue, and would want to know the details. And you’d think we’d brief our NATO allies posthaste on something that important to their security, too. But I guess not.
In mid-2014, the current Administration finally accused Russia of violating the treaty. However, ever since they’ve apparently continued to refuse further public disclosure of details – including sitting on a report recently prepared by DoD analyzing the treaty breach. Per Rep. Mike Rogers, chairman of the House Armed Services strategic forces subcommittee, that DoD report is currently “tied up in the White House”. The Administration says it hasn’t released the report because it is “classified”.
Um . . . yeah. I’m thinking the delay and obfuscation here regarding discussing the matter – and releasing DoD’s report – is more because the report is politically embarrassing to the Administration. I’m guessing that report shows very clearly just how Russia thumbed its nose at the USA by a supine, spineless Administration regarding the INF treaty and got away with it. But I guess I could be wrong.
Regardless: if I were to place a bet, I’d bet we see these details about the time we see those on proposed the Iran nuclear deal. Both are just textbook examples of that “openness” promised us by the “most transparent Administration in history”.
TSO says he likes to hoist a glass now and again. So, do you think he’ll be a fan of his Indianapolis’ own Wee Mack Scottish Ale – by Sun King Brewery?
Better run out and get a six-pack or two before they’re all gone, TSO. (smile)
I’ve written before about the Missing In America Project (MIAP). (So had Jonn, but I apparently had forgotten his earlier article when I wrote mine.)
MIAP IMO certainly seems to be an organization doing good things. And I apparently missed the fact that they recently “done good” once again.
This time, MIAP’s good work occurred in Utah. They were instrumental in arranging the interment of 22 unclaimed veterans’ cremains at Utah Veterans Memorial Park. The oldest remains in that group had been unclaimed since 1996.
The number of unclaimed veterans for which MIAP has arranged a dignified burial is now approaching 2,500. Unfortunately, MIAP also estimates that there are roughly 400,000 unclaimed veterans’ cremains nationwide – so their work is far from done.
My previous article gives links a bit more information about MIAP, including a link to last year’s IRS 990 and what Guidestar has to say about them. FWIW: my impression from looking at those is that they’re actually using their limited resources well. CFC also allows them to participate.
Kudos to the group, and may they keep on finding – and arranging internment of – unclaimed veterans ‘ remains.
Everyone deserves a proper burial. Kudos to MIAP for seeing that these 22 vets received exactly that.
During mid-1990, a group of US personnel were conducting intelligence gathering overseas. They were observing troop movements of interest to the US. They were also operating without official cover.
I won’t speculate on how common that was, and I don’t know. But obviously such things happened from time to time during the Cold War and its aftermath.
Reports differ as to the agencies involved. Details are unclear; many have not yet been made public. However, the best information indicates that six US personnel were involved; they were from the CIA and DIA.
Unfortunately, the events in real world soon intervened. You see, it seems that these individuals were in Kuwait, clandestinely observing troop movements along the Kuwaiti border.
On 2 August 1990.
Yeah. “Oh, sh!t,” is right.
The US operatives went into hiding. For some time they lay low. I’m sure their APF was extreme the whole time.
In case anyone’s forgotten: this was during the time when Saddam Hussein (may he enjoy the “up close and personal” attention of Shaytan for all of eternity) was taking Western citizens hostage, then using them for propaganda purposes and as human shields. There was a realistic threat of that happening to these individuals if they were caught.
And has Hussein’s intelligence services discovered their true reason for being in Kuwait, well . . . .
As you might expect, the US Intel Community was rather chagrined by this turn of events. They began seeking assistance in extracting these personnel from Iraq.
Unfortunately, every nation they approached was either unwilling or unable to help. Save one.
In late August, the CIA contacted the Polish intelligence services. Poland agreed to help.
At the time, Poland had a large commercial presence in Iraq. Specifically, Polish engineering firms were then doing much construction work throughout Iraq – as contractors to the Iraqi government. For a number of reasons, the government of Poland determined it was in their national interest to assist the US in this matter.
The fact that the US was apparently willing to support a renegotiation of Poland’s foreign debt – reputedly by 50%, or over $16 billion – probably was among those reasons. (smile) And for what it’s worth: such a reduction was in fact negotiated in April, 1991.
The Poles reportedly insisted that their intel officers run the operations in-country. After some wrangling, the US agreed. The operation was then placed under the command of Gromoslaw Czempinski – who, ironically, previously been involved in or led numerous intelligence operations against US and other western nations.
Polish operatives arranged a linkup with the US operatives in hiding in Baghdad and/or Kuwait. They moved to a Polish construction camp near Baghdad. They stayed there for a number of weeks.
In the interim, Hussein had imposed travel restrictions on most foreigners. Military checkpoints were also established on major highways. However, because of their government contracts, “employees” of Polish firms working in Iraq generally could travel – and could leave the country.
This provided the necessary opportunity.
False passports and exit visas were obtained. Transportation to the Iraq-Turkish border was arranged.
The US operatives were each given passports from a Slavic nation; it’s unclear which. However, there was a problem: none of the US operatives spoke a Slavic language. Though the Polish technician in charge of the exfiltration tried, he could not teach them how to properly pronounce their own cover names.
This was a real concern. During the 1980s, many Iraqis had been educated in Poland. There was a reasonable chance that they might run into one during their exfiltration – one who spoke Polish well enough to detect the ruse.
The work-around was that the US operatives would use a common stereotype: that of the “drunken Slav”. The US personnel being exfiltrated would not speak to any Iraqi. The Poles with them would blame their poor pronunciation (if any was overheard) on their being drunk.
The exfiltration was planned to be via auto convoy. It was to be led by the technician who’d tried and failed to teach the US operatives to pronounce their Slavic cover names.
After some hesitation, the go was finally given for exfiltration. The CIA reputedly nearly caused a last-minute abort – they didn’t want the Polish intel officer in charge to accompany the exfiltration, and sent a cable to that effect.
This was a showstopper, as the Polish civilians involved (not all Poles involved were Polish intel operatives) balked at going if he was not to be on the convoy. So Czempinski ignored US objections and in fact accompanied the group.
One of the Polish intel officers had obtained 4 bottles of Scotch, which he brought with him. In northern Iraq, he brought them out and had the US operatives drink the stuff. That way they’d actually be drunk if and when they reached any checkpoints with a Polish-speaking Iraqi. (Reputedly the US agents were so wired at that point that the liquor had little discernible effect, other than to make them smell like drunks.)
North of Mosul, what was feared might happen . . . in fact happened. An Iraqi officer approached one of the cars in the convoy. He glanced at a few of the passports, then said – in flawless Polish – “How lucky I am to see my best friends.”
Whether by inspiration or design, the Polish technician leading the convoy had the perfect response. He immediately approached the Iraqi officer, gave him three kisses on the cheeks and a hearty bear hug – an in the process, moving him away from the car. They spoke for a bit; he complimented the Iraqi officer on his excellent Polish.
He then offered the Iraqi the remaining passports, telling him: “Ah, you must check these.”
I’m certain about then six anuses clenched so tightly shut that it would have taken a sledgehammer to force a needle into them.
The Iraqi’s reply? “No problem. You are friends; you can go.”
The 6 US operatives were taken to the border with Turkey, where they departed Iraq. It’s unclear precisely where they crossed the border.
They also were not the only westerners that Poland helped escape. Poland reportedly afterwards assisted an additional 15 non-US Western citizens in leaving Iraq prior to the outbreak of hostilities in January 1991.
I do hope that full details of this operation are made public while I’m still on this side of the dirt. I’d love to hear them.
Oh, and one more thing: Wielkie dzieki, przyjaciele. Wielkie dzieki.
* Author’s Note: “Operacja Samum” is the name given to a Polish 1999 film made concerning the operation described here. I’ve not seen the film. It’s available on YouTube here, but it’s in Polish and unfortunately does not appear to have subtitles. It also reputedly takes some artistic liberties regarding what actually occurred.
“Samum” is Polish for simoom – a type of dangerous windstorm prevalent in the Middle East. As one might guess, “Operacja” translates as “Operation”.
Though the name “Operacja Samum” was used in the film for the operation, the actual name used for the operation itself has not been made public.
Sources:
http://community.seattletimes.nwsource.com/archive/?date=19950117&slug=2099750
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Simoom
http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/drinking-a-way-out-of-hostile-iraq/343947.html
Unfortunately, John Pomfret’s original Washington Post article concerning the operation (which revealed its existence to the public) is behind a paywall. While I believe the first article linked above to be a substantially complete reprint, I am not certain of that fact, and I haven’t yet had the opportunity to read the original.
I have never seen any official files concerning the operation. (I damn well wouldn’t be writing this article if I had.) Until a few days ago, I had never heard of the events noted above.
Back in July 2014, an LA-area police officer took part in the ALS “Ice Bucket Challenge”. Noting particularly unusual about that.
A video of the challenge was posted to the Internet. Nothing particularly unusual about that, either.
The officer had absolutely no problem in hoisting a 5 gallon bucket of ice and water above their head while participating in the challenge. Absolutely nothing unusual about that, either.
However, what is unusual is that as a result the officer is now facing felony charges.
It seems that Jaime Robison, an officer on the Pasadena Police Department, was on disability for a lower back injury at the time of her participation in the “Ice Bucket Challenge”. She was receiving disability payments.
Water weighs about 8 1/3 pounds per gallon; ice, a bit less than water. So assuming the bucket had a somewhat more than 4 gallons of ice and water in it, that bucket likely weighed 35 pounds or more.
Oopsie.
On seeing the video, the Pasadena PD investigated. They also investigated a previous Robinson disability claim back in 2012 – one that had allowed her to receive disability for over a year.
Investigators determined that both claims were almost certainly exaggerated. The total loss between both claims was approximately $117,000.
Robinson pleaded not guilty to four counts of insurance fraud in May of this year. No word yet on final disposition of the case.
“Play stupid games, win stupid prizes.”
I’m reasonably sure that most TAH readers think the current group of fools and tools in DC helping the POTUS screw things up by-the-numbers Administration’s proposed nuclear deal with Iran is a serious mistake, and should be rejected.
One would expect the Administration’s political foes to oppose the deal. But it’s not only the Administration;s political opponents who have issues. For starters, Alan Dershowitz – one of the few liberals out there who IMO actually seems to have his head screwed on straight when it comes to terrorism – has come out strongly against the deal. (He has some pretty harsh criticism of the POTUS’s efforts; the linked article is IMO definitely worth a read.)
It also seems that two senior Members of Congress from his own party – Sen. Schumer of New York, and Rep. Eliot, also of New York and ranking Minority Member of the House Foreign Affairs Committee – have now publicly stated their opposition to the deal.
I just don’t understand that stance. I mean, really: what’s not to like about a deal that gives away the farm to a nation that has declared you an enemy; which the Administration itself acknowledges will provide financial support to international terrorism; and which the Administration refuses to allow to be read by the public?
Further, a lady named “Clinton” has reportedly “cautiously embraced the deal”. And we all know that her judgement – particularly regarding foreign policy – is always “dead on target” and above reproach. I mean: just look at Benghazi, her use of email, and her hiring practices. So what’s not to like?
(For the record: yes, the previous two paragraph are indeed satire and/or sardonicism.)
Schumer’s argument for opposing the deal appears quite well-reasoned. If you’re interested; you can read it here.
I’m thinking this deal is now in serious trouble. And I’m also thinking . . . that’s just too bad. (smile)