Sebastian P. Breit's Blog, page 19
December 5, 2011
Welsh Moon Nazi Sheep
The following is a story that can only be called the result of too much loneliness or too many sheep, or a variation of the two themes abundant in Wales. Welsh author Gerrard Williams claims Hitler and Eva Braun escaped Berlin, had doubles killed and burned, and lived long and peaceful lives in Argentina.
Yes, I talked to the Führer. He made me a sandwhich.
Adolf Hitler escaped WWII bunker and died in Argentina, Welsh author claims
Gerrard Williams spent five years with military historian Simon Dunstan researching Grey Wolf – The Escape of Adolf Hitler. It claims the evil dictator spent 17 years in the foothills of the Andes in Argentina until his death in 1962.Williams, who studied journalism in Cardiff and worked for the BBC and Sky News, said: "In Argentina, the USA and in London, new evidence to the survival of Adolf Hitler after the Second World War has begun to appear following the book's publication last month."In Argentina, two residents of Rio Negro province have given further details of the arrival of Nazis at the San Ramon Estancia outside San Carlos De Bariloche. Both have spoken of their parents waiting on senior Nazis, including Hitler and his Mistress Eva Braun, at the Nazi-owned property in 1945, and later at a property known as Inalco on Lake Nahuel Hapi."Williams, who was born in Swansea and grew up in Coychurch, Bridgend, added: "The most amazing revelations have come from a 78-year-old Argentine currently living in London. This man, who we have interviewed extensively, has described two separate occasions in 1953 and in 1956 when as a young man he waited on Hitler at a private dining room in Buenos Aires at a hotel run by the Argentine Navy in the centre of the capital. His description of the ageing Führer fits very closely with those of other witnesses in Argentina from the time. The witness, who remains in fear of his life, currently wishes to remain anonymous."
History books say with Berlin's Reich Chancellery virtually surrounded on April 30, 1945, Hitler shot himself while his new wife Eva Braun bit into a cyanide capsule to evade capture. Their bodies were then burned. But Williams claims Hitler and Braun slipped out of the besieged Führerbunker via a secret tunnel and were replaced by doubles chosen by Martin Bormann. He says they were then whisked by plane to Spain and by submarine to the Argentine coast at Necochea, the body doubles being summarily shot and burned. Williams claims Hitler and Braun later had two daughters and, after a separation in 1953, Braun and the girls lived in the town of Nequen.He maintains in the early 2000s the women were still alive but that Hitler died on February 13, 1962. Mr Williams also claims a retired American businessman who spent many years in South America, who has only identified himself as "John", has offered new details of what he says was Hitler's funeral near Bariloche. He told Grey Wolf authors Williams and Dunstan that a friend of his – a property developer from Patagonia – had been a young policeman in the area at the time and gave him the information but he says the year of the funeral, complete with "lots of German songs", was 1958. Williams said another witness had told them of seeing Hitler's wife in Argentina in the 1950s.
The interview forms part of an extensive documentary programme looking at the information presented by Williams and Dunstan due to be aired in February 2012. Williams said: "The publication of Grey Wolf [published by Sterling, priced £16.99] was never going to be the end to this story. All we ever wanted to do was find out the truth about the end of one of the most evil men in history."Historian and author Guy Walters however does not accept the claims in Grey Wolf . He said: "The theory that Hitler survived rubbishes decades of research by proper historians. The evidence that Hitler was killed is simply overwhelming." Mr Walters accepted the authors were right in saying the skull taken from Hitler's bunker by the Russians was not that of Hitler. He said, however: "There were many in that bunker and it takes a giant leap of the imagination to get from a museum in Russia to him living a life in Argentina."
* * *
So, Otto Günscher, the burly SS man tasked with making sure Hitler and Eva Braun were dead and burned, supposedly lied. Then, by some force of fate, Hitler and Eva Braun make it onto a plane which miraculously not only escapes Berlin, but flies over occupied Germany and all the way across liberated France to Spain, from where the two spend a few weeks in a submerged sardine can in an ocean crawling with Allied destroyers and destroyer escorts. They build a new life in Argentina, and Hitler, already half-mad and suffering from increasingly worse bouts of Parkinson, sires two children and lives to an old age. And all the evidence comes from "a friend of mine once said" sources. Yeah. Anyway, where's the news? We knew that Hitler was in Argentina all the time!
Yes, I talked to the Führer. He made me a sandwhich.
Adolf Hitler escaped WWII bunker and died in Argentina, Welsh author claims
Gerrard Williams spent five years with military historian Simon Dunstan researching Grey Wolf – The Escape of Adolf Hitler. It claims the evil dictator spent 17 years in the foothills of the Andes in Argentina until his death in 1962.Williams, who studied journalism in Cardiff and worked for the BBC and Sky News, said: "In Argentina, the USA and in London, new evidence to the survival of Adolf Hitler after the Second World War has begun to appear following the book's publication last month."In Argentina, two residents of Rio Negro province have given further details of the arrival of Nazis at the San Ramon Estancia outside San Carlos De Bariloche. Both have spoken of their parents waiting on senior Nazis, including Hitler and his Mistress Eva Braun, at the Nazi-owned property in 1945, and later at a property known as Inalco on Lake Nahuel Hapi."Williams, who was born in Swansea and grew up in Coychurch, Bridgend, added: "The most amazing revelations have come from a 78-year-old Argentine currently living in London. This man, who we have interviewed extensively, has described two separate occasions in 1953 and in 1956 when as a young man he waited on Hitler at a private dining room in Buenos Aires at a hotel run by the Argentine Navy in the centre of the capital. His description of the ageing Führer fits very closely with those of other witnesses in Argentina from the time. The witness, who remains in fear of his life, currently wishes to remain anonymous."
History books say with Berlin's Reich Chancellery virtually surrounded on April 30, 1945, Hitler shot himself while his new wife Eva Braun bit into a cyanide capsule to evade capture. Their bodies were then burned. But Williams claims Hitler and Braun slipped out of the besieged Führerbunker via a secret tunnel and were replaced by doubles chosen by Martin Bormann. He says they were then whisked by plane to Spain and by submarine to the Argentine coast at Necochea, the body doubles being summarily shot and burned. Williams claims Hitler and Braun later had two daughters and, after a separation in 1953, Braun and the girls lived in the town of Nequen.He maintains in the early 2000s the women were still alive but that Hitler died on February 13, 1962. Mr Williams also claims a retired American businessman who spent many years in South America, who has only identified himself as "John", has offered new details of what he says was Hitler's funeral near Bariloche. He told Grey Wolf authors Williams and Dunstan that a friend of his – a property developer from Patagonia – had been a young policeman in the area at the time and gave him the information but he says the year of the funeral, complete with "lots of German songs", was 1958. Williams said another witness had told them of seeing Hitler's wife in Argentina in the 1950s.
The interview forms part of an extensive documentary programme looking at the information presented by Williams and Dunstan due to be aired in February 2012. Williams said: "The publication of Grey Wolf [published by Sterling, priced £16.99] was never going to be the end to this story. All we ever wanted to do was find out the truth about the end of one of the most evil men in history."Historian and author Guy Walters however does not accept the claims in Grey Wolf . He said: "The theory that Hitler survived rubbishes decades of research by proper historians. The evidence that Hitler was killed is simply overwhelming." Mr Walters accepted the authors were right in saying the skull taken from Hitler's bunker by the Russians was not that of Hitler. He said, however: "There were many in that bunker and it takes a giant leap of the imagination to get from a museum in Russia to him living a life in Argentina."
* * *
So, Otto Günscher, the burly SS man tasked with making sure Hitler and Eva Braun were dead and burned, supposedly lied. Then, by some force of fate, Hitler and Eva Braun make it onto a plane which miraculously not only escapes Berlin, but flies over occupied Germany and all the way across liberated France to Spain, from where the two spend a few weeks in a submerged sardine can in an ocean crawling with Allied destroyers and destroyer escorts. They build a new life in Argentina, and Hitler, already half-mad and suffering from increasingly worse bouts of Parkinson, sires two children and lives to an old age. And all the evidence comes from "a friend of mine once said" sources. Yeah. Anyway, where's the news? We knew that Hitler was in Argentina all the time!
Welsh Moon Nazi Sheep
The following is a story that can only be called the result of too much loneliness or too many sheep, or a variation of the two themes abundant in Wales. Welsh author Gerrard Williams claims Hitler and Eva Braun escaped Berlin, had doubles killed and burned, and lived long and peaceful lives in Argentina.
Yes, I talked to the Führer. He made me a sandwhich.Adolf Hitler escaped WWII bunker and died in Argentina, Welsh author claims
Gerrard Williams spent five years with military historian Simon Dunstan researching Grey Wolf – The Escape of Adolf Hitler. It claims the evil dictator spent 17 years in the foothills of the Andes in Argentina until his death in 1962.Williams, who studied journalism in Cardiff and worked for the BBC and Sky News, said: "In Argentina, the USA and in London, new evidence to the survival of Adolf Hitler after the Second World War has begun to appear following the book's publication last month."In Argentina, two residents of Rio Negro province have given further details of the arrival of Nazis at the San Ramon Estancia outside San Carlos De Bariloche. Both have spoken of their parents waiting on senior Nazis, including Hitler and his Mistress Eva Braun, at the Nazi-owned property in 1945, and later at a property known as Inalco on Lake Nahuel Hapi."Williams, who was born in Swansea and grew up in Coychurch, Bridgend, added: "The most amazing revelations have come from a 78-year-old Argentine currently living in London. This man, who we have interviewed extensively, has described two separate occasions in 1953 and in 1956 when as a young man he waited on Hitler at a private dining room in Buenos Aires at a hotel run by the Argentine Navy in the centre of the capital. His description of the ageing Führer fits very closely with those of other witnesses in Argentina from the time. The witness, who remains in fear of his life, currently wishes to remain anonymous."
History books say with Berlin's Reich Chancellery virtually surrounded on April 30, 1945, Hitler shot himself while his new wife Eva Braun bit into a cyanide capsule to evade capture. Their bodies were then burned. But Williams claims Hitler and Braun slipped out of the besieged Führerbunker via a secret tunnel and were replaced by doubles chosen by Martin Bormann. He says they were then whisked by plane to Spain and by submarine to the Argentine coast at Necochea, the body doubles being summarily shot and burned. Williams claims Hitler and Braun later had two daughters and, after a separation in 1953, Braun and the girls lived in the town of Nequen.He maintains in the early 2000s the women were still alive but that Hitler died on February 13, 1962. Mr Williams also claims a retired American businessman who spent many years in South America, who has only identified himself as "John", has offered new details of what he says was Hitler's funeral near Bariloche. He told Grey Wolf authors Williams and Dunstan that a friend of his – a property developer from Patagonia – had been a young policeman in the area at the time and gave him the information but he says the year of the funeral, complete with "lots of German songs", was 1958. Williams said another witness had told them of seeing Hitler's wife in Argentina in the 1950s.
The interview forms part of an extensive documentary programme looking at the information presented by Williams and Dunstan due to be aired in February 2012. Williams said: "The publication of Grey Wolf [published by Sterling, priced £16.99] was never going to be the end to this story. All we ever wanted to do was find out the truth about the end of one of the most evil men in history."Historian and author Guy Walters however does not accept the claims in Grey Wolf . He said: "The theory that Hitler survived rubbishes decades of research by proper historians. The evidence that Hitler was killed is simply overwhelming." Mr Walters accepted the authors were right in saying the skull taken from Hitler's bunker by the Russians was not that of Hitler. He said, however: "There were many in that bunker and it takes a giant leap of the imagination to get from a museum in Russia to him living a life in Argentina."
* * *
So, Otto Günscher, the burly SS man tasked with making sure Hitler and Eva Braun were dead and burned, supposedly lied. Then, by some force of fate, Hitler and Eva Braun make it onto a plane which miraculously not only escapes Berlin, but flies over occupied Germany and all the way across liberated France to Spain, from where the two spend a few weeks in a submerged sardine can in an ocean crawling with Allied destroyers and destroyer escorts. They build a new life in Argentina, and Hitler, already half-mad and suffering from increasingly worse bouts of Parkinson, sires two children and lives to an old age. And all the evidence comes from "a friend of mine once said" sources. Yeah. Anyway, where's the news? We knew that Hitler was in Argentina all the time!
Yes, I talked to the Führer. He made me a sandwhich.Adolf Hitler escaped WWII bunker and died in Argentina, Welsh author claimsGerrard Williams spent five years with military historian Simon Dunstan researching Grey Wolf – The Escape of Adolf Hitler. It claims the evil dictator spent 17 years in the foothills of the Andes in Argentina until his death in 1962.Williams, who studied journalism in Cardiff and worked for the BBC and Sky News, said: "In Argentina, the USA and in London, new evidence to the survival of Adolf Hitler after the Second World War has begun to appear following the book's publication last month."In Argentina, two residents of Rio Negro province have given further details of the arrival of Nazis at the San Ramon Estancia outside San Carlos De Bariloche. Both have spoken of their parents waiting on senior Nazis, including Hitler and his Mistress Eva Braun, at the Nazi-owned property in 1945, and later at a property known as Inalco on Lake Nahuel Hapi."Williams, who was born in Swansea and grew up in Coychurch, Bridgend, added: "The most amazing revelations have come from a 78-year-old Argentine currently living in London. This man, who we have interviewed extensively, has described two separate occasions in 1953 and in 1956 when as a young man he waited on Hitler at a private dining room in Buenos Aires at a hotel run by the Argentine Navy in the centre of the capital. His description of the ageing Führer fits very closely with those of other witnesses in Argentina from the time. The witness, who remains in fear of his life, currently wishes to remain anonymous."
History books say with Berlin's Reich Chancellery virtually surrounded on April 30, 1945, Hitler shot himself while his new wife Eva Braun bit into a cyanide capsule to evade capture. Their bodies were then burned. But Williams claims Hitler and Braun slipped out of the besieged Führerbunker via a secret tunnel and were replaced by doubles chosen by Martin Bormann. He says they were then whisked by plane to Spain and by submarine to the Argentine coast at Necochea, the body doubles being summarily shot and burned. Williams claims Hitler and Braun later had two daughters and, after a separation in 1953, Braun and the girls lived in the town of Nequen.He maintains in the early 2000s the women were still alive but that Hitler died on February 13, 1962. Mr Williams also claims a retired American businessman who spent many years in South America, who has only identified himself as "John", has offered new details of what he says was Hitler's funeral near Bariloche. He told Grey Wolf authors Williams and Dunstan that a friend of his – a property developer from Patagonia – had been a young policeman in the area at the time and gave him the information but he says the year of the funeral, complete with "lots of German songs", was 1958. Williams said another witness had told them of seeing Hitler's wife in Argentina in the 1950s.
The interview forms part of an extensive documentary programme looking at the information presented by Williams and Dunstan due to be aired in February 2012. Williams said: "The publication of Grey Wolf [published by Sterling, priced £16.99] was never going to be the end to this story. All we ever wanted to do was find out the truth about the end of one of the most evil men in history."Historian and author Guy Walters however does not accept the claims in Grey Wolf . He said: "The theory that Hitler survived rubbishes decades of research by proper historians. The evidence that Hitler was killed is simply overwhelming." Mr Walters accepted the authors were right in saying the skull taken from Hitler's bunker by the Russians was not that of Hitler. He said, however: "There were many in that bunker and it takes a giant leap of the imagination to get from a museum in Russia to him living a life in Argentina."
* * *
So, Otto Günscher, the burly SS man tasked with making sure Hitler and Eva Braun were dead and burned, supposedly lied. Then, by some force of fate, Hitler and Eva Braun make it onto a plane which miraculously not only escapes Berlin, but flies over occupied Germany and all the way across liberated France to Spain, from where the two spend a few weeks in a submerged sardine can in an ocean crawling with Allied destroyers and destroyer escorts. They build a new life in Argentina, and Hitler, already half-mad and suffering from increasingly worse bouts of Parkinson, sires two children and lives to an old age. And all the evidence comes from "a friend of mine once said" sources. Yeah. Anyway, where's the news? We knew that Hitler was in Argentina all the time!
December 3, 2011
Declassified Memo Hinted at 1941 Hawaii Attack
from USNews.com
Three days before the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt was warned in a memo from naval intelligence that Tokyo's military and spy network was focused on Hawaii, a new and eerie reminder of FDR's failure to act on a basket load of tips that war was near.
In the newly revealed 20-page memo from FDR's declassified FBI file, the Office of Naval Intelligence on December 4 warned, "In anticipation of open conflict with this country, Japan is vigorously utilizing every available agency to secure military, naval and commercial information, paying particular attention to the West Coast, the Panama Canal and the Territory of Hawaii."
The memo, published in the new book December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World went on to say that the Japanese were collecting "detailed technical information" that would be specifically used by its navy. To collect and analyze information, they were building a network of spies through their U.S. embassies and consulates.
Historian and acclaimed Reagan biographer Craig Shirley, author of the just released December 1941, doesn't blame FDR for blowing it, but instead tells Whispers that it "does suggest that there were more pieces to the puzzle" that the administration missed. The 70th anniversary of the attack is next month.
In fact, he compares the missed signals leading up to Japan's attack to 9/11, which government investigations also show that the Clinton and Bush administrations missed clear signals that an attack was coming.
"So many mistakes through so many levels of Washington," said Shirley. "Some things never change."His book also reveals another blockbuster historical moment: On the night of the Pearl Harbor attack, FDR and his war cabinet considered declaring war on all three Axis Powers—Japan, Germany, Italy—but in the end the president only targeted Japan. At the time, the U.S. was still healing from World War I and isolationism was the word of the day.
Shirley, aided by son Andrew as his chief researcher, takes a new tack in his book about Pearl Harbor. Instead of just writing how it all went down, his book attempts to give readers a feel for how the country felt 70 years ago. He accomplishes that by providing anecdotal information from nearly 2,000 newspapers and magazines.
"The goal here," Shirley writes in the preface, "is to make the reader feel as if they are experiencing the day to day events as they unfolded. Some historians don't like to go into the arduous tasks of going through thousands of newspapers preferring instead to rely on those bits and pieces of news reporting they may glean from other books. I did, and consequently the reader will find stories and information from the month of December 1941 they have never heard before."
I might get this one.
Three days before the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt was warned in a memo from naval intelligence that Tokyo's military and spy network was focused on Hawaii, a new and eerie reminder of FDR's failure to act on a basket load of tips that war was near.
In the newly revealed 20-page memo from FDR's declassified FBI file, the Office of Naval Intelligence on December 4 warned, "In anticipation of open conflict with this country, Japan is vigorously utilizing every available agency to secure military, naval and commercial information, paying particular attention to the West Coast, the Panama Canal and the Territory of Hawaii."
The memo, published in the new book December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World went on to say that the Japanese were collecting "detailed technical information" that would be specifically used by its navy. To collect and analyze information, they were building a network of spies through their U.S. embassies and consulates.
Historian and acclaimed Reagan biographer Craig Shirley, author of the just released December 1941, doesn't blame FDR for blowing it, but instead tells Whispers that it "does suggest that there were more pieces to the puzzle" that the administration missed. The 70th anniversary of the attack is next month.
In fact, he compares the missed signals leading up to Japan's attack to 9/11, which government investigations also show that the Clinton and Bush administrations missed clear signals that an attack was coming.
"So many mistakes through so many levels of Washington," said Shirley. "Some things never change."His book also reveals another blockbuster historical moment: On the night of the Pearl Harbor attack, FDR and his war cabinet considered declaring war on all three Axis Powers—Japan, Germany, Italy—but in the end the president only targeted Japan. At the time, the U.S. was still healing from World War I and isolationism was the word of the day.Shirley, aided by son Andrew as his chief researcher, takes a new tack in his book about Pearl Harbor. Instead of just writing how it all went down, his book attempts to give readers a feel for how the country felt 70 years ago. He accomplishes that by providing anecdotal information from nearly 2,000 newspapers and magazines.
"The goal here," Shirley writes in the preface, "is to make the reader feel as if they are experiencing the day to day events as they unfolded. Some historians don't like to go into the arduous tasks of going through thousands of newspapers preferring instead to rely on those bits and pieces of news reporting they may glean from other books. I did, and consequently the reader will find stories and information from the month of December 1941 they have never heard before."
I might get this one.
Declassified Memo Hinted of 1941 Hawaii Attack
from USNews.com
Three days before the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt was warned in a memo from naval intelligence that Tokyo's military and spy network was focused on Hawaii, a new and eerie reminder of FDR's failure to act on a basket load of tips that war was near.
In the newly revealed 20-page memo from FDR's declassified FBI file, the Office of Naval Intelligence on December 4 warned, "In anticipation of open conflict with this country, Japan is vigorously utilizing every available agency to secure military, naval and commercial information, paying particular attention to the West Coast, the Panama Canal and the Territory of Hawaii."
The memo, published in the new book December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World went on to say that the Japanese were collecting "detailed technical information" that would be specifically used by its navy. To collect and analyze information, they were building a network of spies through their U.S. embassies and consulates.
Historian and acclaimed Reagan biographer Craig Shirley, author of the just released December 1941, doesn't blame FDR for blowing it, but instead tells Whispers that it "does suggest that there were more pieces to the puzzle" that the administration missed. The 70th anniversary of the attack is next month.
In fact, he compares the missed signals leading up to Japan's attack to 9/11, which government investigations also show that the Clinton and Bush administrations missed clear signals that an attack was coming.
"So many mistakes through so many levels of Washington," said Shirley. "Some things never change."His book also reveals another blockbuster historical moment: On the night of the Pearl Harbor attack, FDR and his war cabinet considered declaring war on all three Axis Powers—Japan, Germany, Italy—but in the end the president only targeted Japan. At the time, the U.S. was still healing from World War I and isolationism was the word of the day.
Shirley, aided by son Andrew as his chief researcher, takes a new tack in his book about Pearl Harbor. Instead of just writing how it all went down, his book attempts to give readers a feel for how the country felt 70 years ago. He accomplishes that by providing anecdotal information from nearly 2,000 newspapers and magazines.
"The goal here," Shirley writes in the preface, "is to make the reader feel as if they are experiencing the day to day events as they unfolded. Some historians don't like to go into the arduous tasks of going through thousands of newspapers preferring instead to rely on those bits and pieces of news reporting they may glean from other books. I did, and consequently the reader will find stories and information from the month of December 1941 they have never heard before."
I might get this one.
Three days before the Dec. 7, 1941 Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, President Roosevelt was warned in a memo from naval intelligence that Tokyo's military and spy network was focused on Hawaii, a new and eerie reminder of FDR's failure to act on a basket load of tips that war was near.
In the newly revealed 20-page memo from FDR's declassified FBI file, the Office of Naval Intelligence on December 4 warned, "In anticipation of open conflict with this country, Japan is vigorously utilizing every available agency to secure military, naval and commercial information, paying particular attention to the West Coast, the Panama Canal and the Territory of Hawaii."
The memo, published in the new book December 1941: 31 Days that Changed America and Saved the World went on to say that the Japanese were collecting "detailed technical information" that would be specifically used by its navy. To collect and analyze information, they were building a network of spies through their U.S. embassies and consulates.
Historian and acclaimed Reagan biographer Craig Shirley, author of the just released December 1941, doesn't blame FDR for blowing it, but instead tells Whispers that it "does suggest that there were more pieces to the puzzle" that the administration missed. The 70th anniversary of the attack is next month.
In fact, he compares the missed signals leading up to Japan's attack to 9/11, which government investigations also show that the Clinton and Bush administrations missed clear signals that an attack was coming.
"So many mistakes through so many levels of Washington," said Shirley. "Some things never change."His book also reveals another blockbuster historical moment: On the night of the Pearl Harbor attack, FDR and his war cabinet considered declaring war on all three Axis Powers—Japan, Germany, Italy—but in the end the president only targeted Japan. At the time, the U.S. was still healing from World War I and isolationism was the word of the day.
Shirley, aided by son Andrew as his chief researcher, takes a new tack in his book about Pearl Harbor. Instead of just writing how it all went down, his book attempts to give readers a feel for how the country felt 70 years ago. He accomplishes that by providing anecdotal information from nearly 2,000 newspapers and magazines.
"The goal here," Shirley writes in the preface, "is to make the reader feel as if they are experiencing the day to day events as they unfolded. Some historians don't like to go into the arduous tasks of going through thousands of newspapers preferring instead to rely on those bits and pieces of news reporting they may glean from other books. I did, and consequently the reader will find stories and information from the month of December 1941 they have never heard before."
I might get this one.
Giveaway
Hey everybody, just wanted to tell the lucky winners of the last giveaway that their books are in the mail. I hope you enjoy them!
December 2, 2011
45,000 People Evacuated
Koblenz is actually less than 40 minutes away from where I grew up, which makes this, well, neighborhood. Comments in bold & italics.
Koblenz, Nov 28 (THAINDIAN NEWS)
The entire town of Koblenz has been placed on red alert after the discovery of British World War II bombs in the city ( actually, in the Rhine river ). Officials have announced that they are making plans to evacuate about half of the residents in the city so that they can get the explosives out safely. They blew up some other smaller explosives on Saturday.
The German town has a population of more than 100,000. Officials say they will have to move about 45,000 people so that they can get the 1.8-tonne British bomb out of the city ( again, the Rhine; point is, it hasn't rained for pretty much the whole November, which means the Rhine is carrying a record low of water, which brings a whole lot of "lost" things back to light ). This will be the biggest evacuation in the history of the city. The evacuation will affect homes, hospitals, a prison, hotels and schools. The evacuation will be around a radius of 1.8 kilometers.
Officials say the residents will have to move by 9 am local time on Saturday. The bomb squad will move in at around 3pm and expect to defuse the massive bomb in two hours. The residents will only be allowed back after the bomb has been defused and the area cleared. Britain's Royal Air Force dropped the bombs during the Second World War. The explosives failed to go off and they were recently discovered in the Rhine River when the water level went down ( would have made sense to say that earlier ).
* * *
I realize the news are already half a week old, and I can add that, indeed, 45,000 people had to temporarily leave their homes.
Koblenz, Nov 28 (THAINDIAN NEWS)
The entire town of Koblenz has been placed on red alert after the discovery of British World War II bombs in the city ( actually, in the Rhine river ). Officials have announced that they are making plans to evacuate about half of the residents in the city so that they can get the explosives out safely. They blew up some other smaller explosives on Saturday.
The German town has a population of more than 100,000. Officials say they will have to move about 45,000 people so that they can get the 1.8-tonne British bomb out of the city ( again, the Rhine; point is, it hasn't rained for pretty much the whole November, which means the Rhine is carrying a record low of water, which brings a whole lot of "lost" things back to light ). This will be the biggest evacuation in the history of the city. The evacuation will affect homes, hospitals, a prison, hotels and schools. The evacuation will be around a radius of 1.8 kilometers.
Officials say the residents will have to move by 9 am local time on Saturday. The bomb squad will move in at around 3pm and expect to defuse the massive bomb in two hours. The residents will only be allowed back after the bomb has been defused and the area cleared. Britain's Royal Air Force dropped the bombs during the Second World War. The explosives failed to go off and they were recently discovered in the Rhine River when the water level went down ( would have made sense to say that earlier ).
* * *
I realize the news are already half a week old, and I can add that, indeed, 45,000 people had to temporarily leave their homes.
December 1, 2011
Review - Unpunished by William Peter Grasso
Just a short review of what, in my opinion, is an excellent book.
As it is, I can wholeheartedly recommend "Unpunished" to everyone who likes thrillers & historical novels (and, if we're pedantic, probably alternate history as well). A well-deserved 5 stars. You can get Unpunished at Amazon for just .99 cents.
Unpunished is a tale of murder, ambition, corruption, and the redemptive power of love. Leonard Pilcher, a scion of entitlement and privilege, is a congressman, presidential candidate...and a murderer. As an American pilot interned in Sweden during WWII, he kills one of his own crewmen and gets away with it, without suspicion. Two people have witnessed the murder--American airman Joe Gelardi and his secret Swedish lover, Pola Nilsson-MacLeish--but they cannot speak out without paying a devastating price. Tormented by their guilt and separated by a vast ocean after the war, Joe and Pola maintain the silence that haunts them both...until 1960, when Congressman Pilcher's campaign for his party's nomination for president gains momentum. As he dons the guise of war hero, one female reporter, anxious to break into the "boy's club" of TV news, fights to uncover the truth against the far-reaching power of the Pilcher family's wealth, power that can do any wrong it chooses--even kill--and remain unpunished. Just as the nomination seems within Pilcher's grasp, Pola reappears to enlist Joe's help in finally exposing Pilcher for the criminal he really is. As the passion of their wartime romance rekindles, they must struggle to bring Pilcher down before becoming his next victims.I cannot really add anything of substance to the synopsis of the book without going into spoilers, so let me just say this: William Peter Grasso successfully juggles a large and diverse cast of characters, each of them with their own motives and desires, and each of them fully involved in a plot spanning 16 years. While the plot takes place largely on the ground, there are again several scenes in which Mr. Grasso's expertise in avation gets room to shine. I won't spoil it, just this much: you're going to like it.
As it is, I can wholeheartedly recommend "Unpunished" to everyone who likes thrillers & historical novels (and, if we're pedantic, probably alternate history as well). A well-deserved 5 stars. You can get Unpunished at Amazon for just .99 cents.
November 26, 2011
John Huntsman on the Future of the US Military
The great advantage President Obama has at the moment is that he's only one man able to make gaffes or stupid/dangerous proposals. I don't particularly like the guy, but those contending for his job aren't leaving stellar impressions either...
Bring U.S. military in line with new reality
By Jon Huntsman, Special to CNN
November 22, 2011 --
(CNN) -- A president's most solemn duty is to protect America and her people -- a responsibility that, in a time of evolving security threats and unsustainable debt, will only grow harder for the next administration.
In the aftermath of the failure of the super committee, we are facing cuts in defense. Yet there has still been little discussion about overall defense spending priorities and how we must transform our defense infrastructure for the 21st century.
Some of my opponents suggest maintaining the status quo, thus avoiding the tough decisions. Others advocate retrenchment and isolationism through draconian across-the-board cuts, which brings greater instability and risks.
Still others revert to the oft-repeated pledge to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse from the Pentagon -- a worthy cause yet one of minimal consequence. Cutting wasteful spending alone amounts to only pennies on the dollar and leaves in place the same archaic defense infrastructure.
These approaches miss the target in two respects. First, they let resources drive strategy, rather than using strategy to drive force structure and capabilities. Second, they fail to fundamentally alter our defense posture -- so any short-term savings will be quickly erased.
In recognition of the growing asymmetrical threats we face and the evolving requirements of counterterrorism, we need a different set of capabilities. The world may have seen its last heavy armor battle between two nation-states. The relative importance of counterterrorism, intelligence, training and equipping foreign security forces, and special forces operations will continue to grow.
Our forces must be designed appropriately. This means a greater focus on intelligence gathering and more agile special forces units, which can respond swiftly and firmly to terrorist threats in any corner of the globe. We must be prepared to respond to threats -- from al Qaeda and other terrorist cells -- that emanate from a much more diverse geography, including Yemen, the Horn of Africa, Pakistan and the Asia-Pacific region.
We must also transform our orientation. By almost any objective measure -- population, economic power, military might, energy use -- the center of gravity of global human activity is moving toward the Asia-Pacific region. Embracing this reality may bring a dramatic change to the look of our military.
The Asia-Pacific region is a maritime theater whereas Europe was mostly a land theater. For the U.S., the Asia-Pacific features a collection of bilateral military alliances in contrast to our involvement with the multilateral NATO in Europe. We are a Pacific nation living in a Pacific Century, and our vital interests in that region cannot be compromised.
We can cut our base force and transition more responsibility for contingency operations to our National Guard and Reserve. In addition to being our most precious and valuable resource, our troops are also the most expensive part of our military.
If we simultaneously transform our capabilities and posture while enhancing our Guard and Reserve, our active duty army could be reduced to around 450,000 troops, from the approximately 565,000 we now have. Our Department of Defense civilian work force can also be cut by 5% to 7% of its current size.
At the same time, we should conduct a global posture review with the goal of closing at least 50 overseas military installations. The U.S. military maintains more than 700 installations outside the United States, the vast majority of which were opened during the Cold War. With a more mobile and flexible force, we simply don't need as many facilities overseas.
We must risk American blood and treasure overseas only when there exists a vital national security interest. I have consistently called for our troops to return from Afghanistan as soon as possible. But I also believe President Barack Obama has been too quick to commit forces to other missions not core to our security interests.
Within the same week of announcing a troop drawdown in Iraq, the president announced a deployment of a small number of combat forces to Africa -- an unnecessarily risky and costly mission.
America alone cannot police the world. We should increase burden-sharing for the protection of the global commons among countries that share our values and security objectives. Unfortunately, we are not the only democracy stuck in a Cold War mentality. It is time for countries such as Japan and India to play a greater role in regional security matters. We must also throw out the old map and forge new security arrangements with regional partners such as Vietnam and Brazil.
As we prepare to fight in the new battle spaces, we need to let go of old "sacred cows." Our military and defense establishment must be effective in the cybersphere, dominant in space and able to handle the increasingly lethal and accurate ballistic and cruise missiles being acquired by many of our potential foes. This will likely mean trade-offs away from heavy armor units, fighter air wings and aircraft carriers toward a more advanced cyberwarfare infrastructure, more capable unmanned aerial vehicles and more flexible sea-based assets.
For America to remain a global force for good, we must maintain the world's most capable military. And being the best is not simply a function of spending the most. Staying on top will increasingly depend on our willingness to adapt to the realities of the 21st century security environment. * * * So, a general reduction of forces (because that worked so swell after the end of the Cold War) combined with a likely Pacific arms race is supposedly the way to go under a possible Huntsman administration. It's a race I doubt the US can afford, a race whose very foundation is likely to highten tensions in the region rather than actually contain China. Ah, yes, Huntsman wants to actively encircle a resurgent China which has got a "Foreign Invaders/Devils" chip the size of King Kong on its shoulders. It's also a nation that might just feel ready and willing to take up the fight, considering its lopsided demographics of 118 males for every 100 female children. Bright move...
Bring U.S. military in line with new reality
By Jon Huntsman, Special to CNN
November 22, 2011 --
(CNN) -- A president's most solemn duty is to protect America and her people -- a responsibility that, in a time of evolving security threats and unsustainable debt, will only grow harder for the next administration.
In the aftermath of the failure of the super committee, we are facing cuts in defense. Yet there has still been little discussion about overall defense spending priorities and how we must transform our defense infrastructure for the 21st century.
Some of my opponents suggest maintaining the status quo, thus avoiding the tough decisions. Others advocate retrenchment and isolationism through draconian across-the-board cuts, which brings greater instability and risks.
Still others revert to the oft-repeated pledge to eliminate waste, fraud and abuse from the Pentagon -- a worthy cause yet one of minimal consequence. Cutting wasteful spending alone amounts to only pennies on the dollar and leaves in place the same archaic defense infrastructure.
These approaches miss the target in two respects. First, they let resources drive strategy, rather than using strategy to drive force structure and capabilities. Second, they fail to fundamentally alter our defense posture -- so any short-term savings will be quickly erased.
In recognition of the growing asymmetrical threats we face and the evolving requirements of counterterrorism, we need a different set of capabilities. The world may have seen its last heavy armor battle between two nation-states. The relative importance of counterterrorism, intelligence, training and equipping foreign security forces, and special forces operations will continue to grow.
Our forces must be designed appropriately. This means a greater focus on intelligence gathering and more agile special forces units, which can respond swiftly and firmly to terrorist threats in any corner of the globe. We must be prepared to respond to threats -- from al Qaeda and other terrorist cells -- that emanate from a much more diverse geography, including Yemen, the Horn of Africa, Pakistan and the Asia-Pacific region.
We must also transform our orientation. By almost any objective measure -- population, economic power, military might, energy use -- the center of gravity of global human activity is moving toward the Asia-Pacific region. Embracing this reality may bring a dramatic change to the look of our military.
The Asia-Pacific region is a maritime theater whereas Europe was mostly a land theater. For the U.S., the Asia-Pacific features a collection of bilateral military alliances in contrast to our involvement with the multilateral NATO in Europe. We are a Pacific nation living in a Pacific Century, and our vital interests in that region cannot be compromised.
We can cut our base force and transition more responsibility for contingency operations to our National Guard and Reserve. In addition to being our most precious and valuable resource, our troops are also the most expensive part of our military.
If we simultaneously transform our capabilities and posture while enhancing our Guard and Reserve, our active duty army could be reduced to around 450,000 troops, from the approximately 565,000 we now have. Our Department of Defense civilian work force can also be cut by 5% to 7% of its current size.
At the same time, we should conduct a global posture review with the goal of closing at least 50 overseas military installations. The U.S. military maintains more than 700 installations outside the United States, the vast majority of which were opened during the Cold War. With a more mobile and flexible force, we simply don't need as many facilities overseas.
We must risk American blood and treasure overseas only when there exists a vital national security interest. I have consistently called for our troops to return from Afghanistan as soon as possible. But I also believe President Barack Obama has been too quick to commit forces to other missions not core to our security interests.
Within the same week of announcing a troop drawdown in Iraq, the president announced a deployment of a small number of combat forces to Africa -- an unnecessarily risky and costly mission.
America alone cannot police the world. We should increase burden-sharing for the protection of the global commons among countries that share our values and security objectives. Unfortunately, we are not the only democracy stuck in a Cold War mentality. It is time for countries such as Japan and India to play a greater role in regional security matters. We must also throw out the old map and forge new security arrangements with regional partners such as Vietnam and Brazil.
As we prepare to fight in the new battle spaces, we need to let go of old "sacred cows." Our military and defense establishment must be effective in the cybersphere, dominant in space and able to handle the increasingly lethal and accurate ballistic and cruise missiles being acquired by many of our potential foes. This will likely mean trade-offs away from heavy armor units, fighter air wings and aircraft carriers toward a more advanced cyberwarfare infrastructure, more capable unmanned aerial vehicles and more flexible sea-based assets.
For America to remain a global force for good, we must maintain the world's most capable military. And being the best is not simply a function of spending the most. Staying on top will increasingly depend on our willingness to adapt to the realities of the 21st century security environment. * * * So, a general reduction of forces (because that worked so swell after the end of the Cold War) combined with a likely Pacific arms race is supposedly the way to go under a possible Huntsman administration. It's a race I doubt the US can afford, a race whose very foundation is likely to highten tensions in the region rather than actually contain China. Ah, yes, Huntsman wants to actively encircle a resurgent China which has got a "Foreign Invaders/Devils" chip the size of King Kong on its shoulders. It's also a nation that might just feel ready and willing to take up the fight, considering its lopsided demographics of 118 males for every 100 female children. Bright move...
November 7, 2011
The Hermann Cain Problem
If you're a regular on this blog you know that I'm far more likely and willing to comment on European - especially German - politics than on the American side of things, but the latest remarks by Republican contender Hermann Cain have forced me to back out of that corner. I'll preface the coming rant with the statement that I couldn't care less about Cain's party affiliation: Republican, Democrat, Disney. For all I care he could run for the American Association of Reverse Albinos. It's less about the man and more about the content of his words. I also don't care about the allegations of sexual harassment brought forward against him. The way I see it, sexual harassment is such a broad and wobbly term that it's a small wonder that we don't hear this type of accusations laid at the feet of all contender, given how sexual harassment for the media (not for law enforcement, just that we're clear on that point) means whatever the hell they want to mean it.
I won't pretend to know or understand the U.S. political process and political parties as well as an American citizen. I consider myself reasonably well informed, but for all intents and purposes, this is an outsider's comment. And this outsider is scared shitless.
Scared shitless because leadership for the nation which had leaders not so long ago who had a classical education and could read the great Greek tales in their tongue is now being contended by people like Hermann Cain or led by empty frauds like Obama. I'm scared shitless that a man running for the office of the most powerful democratically elected person on the planet could have zero knowledge of the fact that America's largest global competitor is a nuclear power - and has been so for over 45 years. I'm scared shitless that a man like this could find himself forced to deal with volatile regions of the world like the Persian Gulf or Central Asia, because even with the best corps of advisors this will be a nightmare, for the world and for the USA.
Nothing indicates to me that this man has the knowledge and the wisdom to be able to deal with Ahmadinejad or utilitarian technocrats like Hu Jintao or macchiavellan politicians like Vladimir Putin. Giving such a dolt access to the presidency, that's a nightmare for all of America's allies. Reagan was no great intellectual, but at least he read everything he could get his hands on about the USSR and communism to be able to form a position. What little Cain has spouted on China and the world at large makes me worry that the man was unaware until a few months ago that there was a world outside the United States!
The part of the world that is paying attention to all this is sitting there like the proverbial mouse confronted by the snake. Only, you're not a snake. Looking at the "quality" of leadership personnel you're putting on stage (except Gingrich, who at least 9 out of 10 times seems to know what he's talking about) - not claiming our's is better -, you look more like an 800 pound drunk super gorilla playing baseball in a China shop. Given the increasing tensions around the world, I hope you appreciate the rest of the globe's concern about you possibly electing a complete idiot into the White House. Because, we could do with a little stability and coherent global leadership once in a while, you know?
And secondly, we already have superiority in terms of our military capability, and I plan to get away from making cutting our defense a priority and make investing in our military capability a priority, going back to my statement: peace through strength and clarity. So yes they're a military threat. They've indicated that they're trying to develop nuclear capability and they want to develop more aircraft carriers like we have. So yes, we have to consider them a military threat.He has since then gone on record that he meant something different, which isn't a big surprise. If I had put my foot into my mouth like that I also would rush to claim that I did mean something else after someone with the knowledge of a High School kid explained matters to me.
I won't pretend to know or understand the U.S. political process and political parties as well as an American citizen. I consider myself reasonably well informed, but for all intents and purposes, this is an outsider's comment. And this outsider is scared shitless.
Scared shitless because leadership for the nation which had leaders not so long ago who had a classical education and could read the great Greek tales in their tongue is now being contended by people like Hermann Cain or led by empty frauds like Obama. I'm scared shitless that a man running for the office of the most powerful democratically elected person on the planet could have zero knowledge of the fact that America's largest global competitor is a nuclear power - and has been so for over 45 years. I'm scared shitless that a man like this could find himself forced to deal with volatile regions of the world like the Persian Gulf or Central Asia, because even with the best corps of advisors this will be a nightmare, for the world and for the USA.
Nothing indicates to me that this man has the knowledge and the wisdom to be able to deal with Ahmadinejad or utilitarian technocrats like Hu Jintao or macchiavellan politicians like Vladimir Putin. Giving such a dolt access to the presidency, that's a nightmare for all of America's allies. Reagan was no great intellectual, but at least he read everything he could get his hands on about the USSR and communism to be able to form a position. What little Cain has spouted on China and the world at large makes me worry that the man was unaware until a few months ago that there was a world outside the United States!
The part of the world that is paying attention to all this is sitting there like the proverbial mouse confronted by the snake. Only, you're not a snake. Looking at the "quality" of leadership personnel you're putting on stage (except Gingrich, who at least 9 out of 10 times seems to know what he's talking about) - not claiming our's is better -, you look more like an 800 pound drunk super gorilla playing baseball in a China shop. Given the increasing tensions around the world, I hope you appreciate the rest of the globe's concern about you possibly electing a complete idiot into the White House. Because, we could do with a little stability and coherent global leadership once in a while, you know?
