http://www.wikio.com/search=Abu Muqawama Wikio - Abu Muqawama http://www.wikio.com/search/Abu+Muqawama?rinfoid=69300172 Dr. iRack at Abu Muqawama on Bush wanting us to stay in Iraq until 2015, Maliki wanting us out in 2010, and the two settling on 2011: The date is not finalized, and it is not clear what if any... Thu, 28 Aug 2008 16:18:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Abu+Muqawama?rinfoid=69300172 2008-08-28T16:18:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Abu+Muqawama?rinfoid=68137778 Some thoughts from around the web on the Pakistani strongman resigning. Frankie Martin: An overwhelming percentage of Pakistanis are opposed to Musharraf's war against militants in Pakistan's tribal areas, seeing it as an unnecessary American intervention that has made Pakistan... Mon, 18 Aug 2008 17:52:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Abu+Muqawama?rinfoid=68137778 2008-08-18T17:52:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Abu+Muqawama?rinfoid=67034443 Abu Muqawama on the chances of yacht-sniping someone. Nur al-Cubicle writes: "There was no such yacht. Suleiman was killed at close range in the neck; the gun (not rifle) had a silencer. Le Monde suggests some sort of power struggle, which has already resulted in house arrest for General Asef Shawkat." Landis writes: Asef Shawkat appeared on Syrian [...] Thu, 07 Aug 2008 22:17:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Abu+Muqawama?rinfoid=67034443 2008-08-07T22:17:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Abu+Muqawama?rinfoid=66747320 Over at Abu Muqawama , Charlie posts a information bleg from Andy Exum, abu muqawama himself: Charlie got this email this morning: Uh, Abu Muqawama wants to send out an RFI to the readership of, uh, AbuMuqawama. Can one of you link to these two stories about this assassinated Syrian general -- who was allegedly shot from a boat , in the sea -- and ask the readership whether or not shooting someone with a sniper rifle from a f*cking boat (which is, presumably, rocking and unsteady) is or is not the hardest thing in the world. I mean, how feasible is this? AM (from Beirut) Here's the Washington Post story : A Syrian general shot to death at a beach resort over the weekend was a top overseer of his country's weapons shipments to Hezbollah, according to opposition Web sites and Arab and Israeli news media. ... The Free Syria Web site of Abdul Halim Khaddam, a former Syrian vice president now living in exile, said a sniper on a yacht shot Suleiman. The Saudi-owned Asharq al-Awsat newspaper said he was struck by four bullets fired from the direction of the sea. So I turned to my handy panel of experts - members of a private listserv on shooting that I belong to. The members are often military or police, and are far more knowledgeable about shooting and shooting history than I am or than the average mall ninja you'd meet in a gun store or online. Here's a spectrum of the replies: It's certainly possible - perhaps even easy. Don't forget that shooting from a small craft is only a problem in an unsteady sea. Anchored off the coast (probably no more than 50-100 yards from the beach or harbor), in a yacht (rather larger than a dinghy or rowing-boat, with a keel, which helps stability), and in a calm sea (and the Mediterranean can be a millpond at times, particularly in the early morning), such a shot would be no problem at all for a competent marksman - and Mossad probably has some of the most "competent marksmen" in the world! There are also stabilized weapon mounts available for use from small craft. I know Israel has them on larger weapons on its patrol craft, and it wouldn't take a genius to miniaturize such a mount for use with a sniper rifle. Israel produces some of the world's best equipment in this line, after all. However, I don't think such a mount would have been necessary in a calm sea. and If you look up what little information is available on army sniper Adelbert "Bert" Waldron, you'll find a passage in Gen. Julian Ewell's on-line book claiming that, with a single shot, Waldron shot a VC sniper out of a tree at 900 meters from a Riverine boat. I remain dubious, but I suppose all kinds of things happen in this crazy world. and Simple, you shoot on the up-roll. ;) and I did a lot of patrols on rivers in RVN, and they are usually flat calm. I can see enough stability to make a precision shot. I would need more details to pontificate further... and then the skeptics Hey, they did it in Shooter and Spartan. So it must be possible, right? and I say no, and I saw Spartan as well. You can do lot's of things in the movies, like fly wearing just a cape. Shooting from a boat, unless your victim is also in your boat or you're using the Big Mo's 16 inch guns, can't be done. Or I could be wrong. So overall, a bunch of highly experienced and trained shooters do think it's possible. Over to you, Andrew... Tue, 05 Aug 2008 18:01:33 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Abu+Muqawama?rinfoid=66747320 2008-08-05T18:01:33Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Abu+Muqawama?rinfoid=66659987 A bit off topic, but certainly worth mentioning: Kip, from abu muqawama , offers his insight on the media using images of dead American Servicemen as well as the average citizen's perspective of war. We, that is the military, have indeed gone a long way toward sanitizing war for the average American. All that is asked of him or her is to stand with hand over the heart at the playing of the national anthem at a myriad of events and places. He is not asked to sacrifice for the war, neither from his blood nor from his pocketbook; he has, in effect, passed on the latter burden to his children. He neither understands the war nor the enemy that will continue to confront him. Confronted with images of death, Americans will be forced to ask the question of what they ought be doing for the effort and who should be held accountable for mistakes. Faced with those images at the beginning of the war, they would be, Kip believes, more determined (not less) to win the long war. OYE Comment: Please read the entire article as well as the many perceptive comments. Tue, 05 Aug 2008 02:16:00 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Abu+Muqawama?rinfoid=66659987 2008-08-05T02:16:00Z http://www.wikio.com/search/Abu+Muqawama?rinfoid=66597567 Breaking down the White Light of Empire, This report starts at the big blue end of the spectrum: Afghanistan, Iraq, held low under the high water of 1492, By an oversized 227 year old man of war. A down swinging empire of rising fear, meets its boomerang, With the lies told abroad only believed at home. Choreographed leadership to reconcile the [...] Mon, 04 Aug 2008 11:11:32 GMT http://www.wikio.com/search/Abu+Muqawama?rinfoid=66597567 2008-08-04T11:11:32Z