Impact Attenuator Policies

Economic Affairs

You will find my commentary in the current issue of _Economic Affairs_.

The PDF loads fine on Firefox, albeit taking a couple of minutes.


Tammy

Weekend Reading Selections for the Brain Dead.....

Tale of Two Athletes: Collins Praised, Tebow Panned

Jeff Croeure is a professional colleague.  I have linked to his latest commentary.  I also have a commentary on Collins in my journalism queue which I will post next week.

Click here for link

I am grateful for Jeff's level-headed analysis as my piece will reside in the realm of satire.  Cross-pollination of ideas is a wonderful thing!


Tammy Swofford

James McEachin: Old Glory

It was a distinct pleasure to read the script of the film short "Old Glory" before it was produced.

I have the DVD on the shelf and have shared it with many colleagues.

James McEachin has now chosen to release the film to the general public.

Grab a cup of coffee and take a seat.

The cinematography, musical score and monologue come together in subtle manner to bring an emotional crescendo.

James McEachin possesses a rare talent.  He is a man who knows what it means to wear the cloth of the nation.  He  sustained battlefield injuries and returned home with dignity but without an outpouring of public support.

The man he is today is the man he became after returning from the Korean Conflict.

Old Glory the Movie

James McEachin with General Peter Pace.

Pam Murphy and James McEachin

James McEachin:  A Quiet American Influence


God Bless America!  And may God continue to bless our military men and women.


Tammy Swofford

Daily Times Pakistan: Black Obelisk

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2013%5C04%5C26%5Cstory_26-4-2013_pg3_3

Interrogation of Dzhokhar Tsarnaev

Perhaps it does not matter whether Dzhokhar Tsarnaev can speak. If those conducting the interrogation lack the basic sociolinguistic skills which understand and unlock a jihadist' mind, the ability to both profile and collect data may be lacking. These things are not learned in a classroom setting. They are learned within a mentorship setting which recognizes the signals, symbols and codes of the Qur'anic Sciences regarding jihad. Scrubbing intelligence training courses of primary source documentation and critical literature surveys and writings which trigger an emotional response within those cultivated to be terrorists is incredibly stupid. As I am not in the aforementioned category, I will pull such literature from the Chechen geopolitical chessboard in coming days and revisit a few critical thoughts. The Tsarnaev brothers were essentially trained to serve as foot soldiers and left hanging in the wind. Their handler did not provide an escape route. In other words, despite the carnage, their level of play was considered average. They were not important enough to extricate and conceal in a new location. Jihad missions on Western soil tend to be single mission combatant endeavors. Here is my belief. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev will provide very little of value in HumInt recovery. Some of his own immersion into terror activities will have been conducted by men using various alias and fabricated legends. Cultivated, activated, and useful for a single mission. That was his purpose. The question is not so much one of numbers of bombs and weaponry left behind by the Tsarnaev brothers. That is flash and dazzle. The real question involves how many additional WMD's exist in the arsenal of the handler? From the days of 7/7 in London I have noted that WMD's come in approximately 180 pound packages carrying backpacks. Dzhokhar Tsarnaev looks like he has a body weight of less than seventy kilos. The WMD is a human with a payload. The trajectory begins in the mind, and is controlled by a handler. The Boston Marathon bombings are a HumInt failure. Just my thoughts. Tammy Swofford

Voyage of the Dusk Treaders

You will find the weekly Friday commentary for Daily Times Pakistan available now. Just go to the homepage. Blogspot is acting up. I entered the IB (Intellectual Battlespace) to write this one. I am quite familiar with the world of jinn. Ran it by a scholar capable of issuing legal fatwa. "It is good that you live in a country of freedom. You are safe." Second bit of news: Have had IB interface in the past with the clan in question, with ties to AQ. It is a small platform on which I have played, with some of the best in the business. Tammy Swofford

Boston Marathon Bombing: How did this image make it to a jihad portal?

Yes, I have violated my own policy to avoid graphic images. Two things caused me to consider posting this image. *A print media organization chose to photo-shop injuries to make them look benign and palatable to readers. Acts of terror are committed by individuals with malignant ideologies. Malignant images should not be softened. *Is this one of the images taken by Carlos Arredondo? If so, how did it end up on a jihad portal? Has it passed from person to person? Or did "our side" post it to elicit information? Regardless, the concern for me is the "Ha ha" comment on the site. This is not a "Ha ha" moment. Sane people never laugh in the face of immense tragedy. I apologize for the horrific image. But it seems very, very important that Americans understand the true medical outcomes of explosions activated within corridors with a dense population demographic. Reading about "amputations" and "dismemberment" is one thing. Seeing it, is completely different. I contend that it is not the Time Magazine cover with a child with a blood streak on the face which is the image which shows the horrific nature of this attack. It it the image of a man with dismemberment which defines this act. This is the image. View it quickly and then let it sink into your psyche. Stop for a moment, and imagine the PTSD for the surgeons and nurses who had to receive these injuries into the operating room. Can they sleep now? I cannot sleep. Pray. Pray for our nation. Pray that the forensic evidence will lead to an arrest. Pray that when an arrest is made, we will react as Americans: with fortitude, patience, and the wisdom to examine the situation with clarity. Fall on your knees. Pray for the families involved. Now that you have viewed the image, put a guard on your own heart. Evil exists. We have seen it in full. We reject it. Tammy Swofford

Boston Marathon Terror Attack: Short on facts and long on Media Spin

The Boston Marathon bombings have the "feel" of the activation of a sleeper cell. The ricin in the envelope? My gut tells me this is a domestic, disgruntled American who is tag-teaming in his own way. I think Boston is the real deal - the act of foreign agency - and Ricin is an American deal. In other words, we may be looking at a hybrid and uncoordinated set of facts. Much of what I am reading is the spin factor. The SITE group reminds us that the tenth edition of AQIM's "Inspire" suggested attacks on sporting events. Incredibly old news, but any news is better than no news. My fear? The suspect is someone who is already on a watch list. I have a conviction. If you are a foreign national here on a visa and the government is a bit uneasy, the government should merely send you home. Simple enough. You are our guest. You have overstayed your visit. An immense quiet is noted on jihad forums. The only abhorrent feature is the posting of an image of an injured child. These things are enough to remind me that there is plenty of hate to to around. *Editors note: I posted this early this afternoon and returned it to drafts when the news broke that the F.B.I. would hold a news conference. Update since that time: I have come across an incredibly horrific image of an injury from the Boston bombings on a jihad site. Unspeakable, what was done. Unmentionable, the comment which accompanied the image. Perhaps later.... But meantime, I see what I have spoken of to others on the phone has come to pass. The Ricin event is most likely unrelated to the Boston event. Tammy Swofford

Boston Marathon Terror Attack: Silence on Jihad Forums

As of yet there is no announcement being made on jihad forums regarding responsibility for the attack today on Boston.  The "usual suspects" tend to send up a shout fairly quickly, if responsible.

I am seeing image grabs from various media organizations; but again, the forums I checked are silent regarding announcing any involvement.

I was at work when the news broke, but fairly quickly I made a couple of assumptions.

This was an attack which showed signs of planning and organization.  My initial instinct was to consider this the work of a group as opposed to a lone wolf.  Should it be a lone wolf, he (or she) had a support network in play to be able to pull this off.

Will the other shoe drop?

Will it be Dallas tomorrow, or perhaps New York?

These are the thoughts which trouble me.

Whilst the media speak of the crude nature of the devices, it must be noted that I have viewed many a "build-your-own-bomb" jihad video which use ball bearings, nails, and screws. In other words, anything which can function as a small penetrating missile or projectile works fine. Crude does not denote a lack of capability to inflict a massive amount of destruction.

A child has died and children are injured.

And why did it take the Commander-in-Chief so long to speak to the nation?  Even minus any real information, he should have quickly moved into play to bring assurance and comfort to Americans.  His silence, also troubles me.

Tammy Swofford

Syria: Landscape of Civil War - April 2013

One of the many brigades on the ground in Syria posted a few short video clips.  This one, seems the most acceptable to post on a blog site.  Watching a sniper kill a target is a bit much for early morning and first cup of coffee.  But this particular video, gives a quick look of how military might is used against the general population.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT8_1p61piM&feature=youtu.be

Tammy

Battle of Badr: The Movie

For those who are not familiar with the Battle of Badr, may I suggest that you read the four part series from this blog, posted in the May 2011 archives.

You will find the first of four here:

Battle of Badr: Setting the Stage

The other three are:

Reconnaisance

Inside the Quarterdeck

After Action Report

I will view the film in the next few days. It is over one hour in length. I am not sure if I will cover it for the blog.  But it will certainly find a place in my files.  smile

Tammy Swofford