June 5, 2017 -- A Quick Run Around the Web

"Apache AH-64 Takes Out a Group of Taliban"--Alex Broadbent  (2-1/2 min.)

Although the video was only just uploaded, the events took place in 2010. It is interesting to note how well the trees blocked the thermal imaging. 

Firearms/Self-Defense/Prepping:

• "10 Tips for Surviving a Terrorist Vehicle Attack"--Active Response Training. I'm going to tell you to go read the whole thing. But there are a couple points that have to do with situational awareness and avoiding the brunt of the attack that I want to emphasize, to-wit: (1) walk, if possible, facing toward traffic so you can see what drivers are doing as they approach; and (2) walk, where possible, where there are barriers or parked cars between you and the street. I would also add that you should be particularly cognizant of possible attack anytime you are at what might be considered a cultural landmark with lots of people, or public events with lots of people. 
• "The Top 10 Attacks You Should Train For"--Schafer's Self-Defense Corner. Schafer lists 10 of the most common attacks that you will face from criminals. Number 10 and the next several listed are those most likely to be used by a mugger or robber. As you get further into the list, he gets into unarmed attacks that might just arise from someone starting a fight or attempting to finish a fight. Number 1 is where the attacker rushes you while throwing multiple punches. Schater notes that this is a popular technique simply because it is difficult to protect against and simply overwhelms the defender. Schafer writes:

       This is more difficult to defend against but it is so incredibly common that it should be one of the major techniques we practice defending against.  Some methods of defending against this are to bend your knees and drop down into a deep strong horse stance which puts your head under their shoulders.  This will get you under their punches and if they do hit you they’ll glance of the curvature of your skull.  Next you can step forward striking them under the armpit or under the chin with a nice powerful high block, palm strike, etc.

       Another method would be to simply step forwards into their attack with a strike of your own.  Since they’re coming forwards you should smother a couple of their punches and the force of their body coming forwards should make your strike all the more powerful. 

       You could also drop down low in a tackling technique if you feel comfortable with wrestling but wrestling during a real violence encounter is never advised.  However, you could drop to a knee and strike upwards into the groin or grab their leg and do a takedown.

       If you notice that attack early enough when you still have control over your balance  you can sidestep or even step back with one foot and pivot your body towards them to counter in that manner.

       You should never try to kick because you’ll have little power and will just probably fall over and if you do try to strike you should focus on soft tissue targets since your weight will most likely be pushed backwards and you’ll have little leverage.  I’ve also had success during training with stepping forwards, grabbing them, and doing a “drop-back throw” or a “sacrifice throw” as it is called in Judo.

• "Killing The Suicide Bomber"--Gabe Suarez. He begins by noting how much easier it is to engage and stop the active shooter--when they attack, they will be openly carrying/aiming a weapon and shooting at innocents. We can react to a mass shooter, and be okay. Not so with the suicide bomber:

       ... Clearly allowing him to "deploy his weapon", or "fire a shot" is an untenable plan.  With these types of attack, you are either preemptive or you are dead.  ... 

       ...  One does not "arrest" a suicide bomber.  Nor does one "defend" from him.  He is detected to the best of the ability of those on the ground, and when the weight of the presented information is sufficient, you interdict him.

       And yes, this will involve directly interdicting (nice set of words that stand in for ambushing and killing) those who are suspected of wearing an IED.  ...

What are some signs indicating a possible suicide bomber?

1. Clothing that is bulky or excessive for the weather (to hide the bomb)
2. Hands hidden (possibly holding the switch to detonate the bomb)
3. A strange chemical odor or excessive cologne to cover up that smell
4. The bomber focused, but unresponsive.  Suicide bombers are usually  unresponsive to  questions or commands
5. Heavy luggage or backpacks that don’t fit the situation. The average weight of a bomb used by a suicide bomber is around 20 lbs. The Madrid train bombers all had very heavy backpacks.  The Moscow bomber placed his bomb in a rolling suitcase.  Not all the bombers wear their bombs.
6. Nervousness, excessive sweating, or repeated mumbling of a prayer or mantra
7. Exposed wires anywhere on a person’s body
8. Repeated attempts to avoid security checkpoints and/or police officers

• "New record: America arms itself, 'necessary steps to defend selves'"--Washington Examiner. The article reports that "[t]he FBI just reported that the number of gun sales background check for May was the highest ever for that month, 1,942,677, a trend that will make 2017 the first or second highest year for gun sales." The article suggests that the cause is the terrorist attacks in Europe, but who really knows?
• "5 Reasons For The AK's Legendary Reliability"--Loose Rounds. The keys ones listed by the author, in my opinion, are the environmental protection (which, while not as good as the AR are still very good compared to other rifles) and the use of loose tolerances where tight tolerances were unnecessary.
• "Animal’s Guide to Negotiation and Compromise -- Out at the Sharp End."-- MacYoung's Musings. Greg Ellifritz had recently written that "calmly talking to a violent criminal or attempting to 'de-escalate' the situation only works when the offender is willing to cooperate with the process," but, oftentimes, criminals are simply not interested in dialogue. Marc MacYoung also discusses this topic in the aforementioned article. He writes, in part:

       Not everyone can be negotiated and compromised with. In fact, some people you're just going to have to shoot in the face. Not just because they're absolutists, but because they'll never agree to 'you stay on your side of the fence and I'll stay on mine.' (Which is ~gasp~ a form of compromise.) Nope. EVERYTHING is their side of the fence and you are on their property.

        Make no mistake. These people exist. However, they are radically different than someone who has learned they can get away with not compromising. To the point of it has become their negotiation strategy. And a very successful strategy it has become. These folks are as common as cockroaches. And now for the cold bucket of water over your head. 

        This strategy relies on you being a wimp.

        But more than that, it relies on you not knowing there are other options than negotiation and compromise. Or you being unwilling to do them (see wimp comment). All you got is trying to compromise (see begging comment). Their hissy fit depends entirely on you not being willing to make NOT compromising too costly. Not in the sense of a screaming argument costly, but a shrug of 'okay, if you insist' before you drop them.

• "Special Weapons and Tactics… or Gear?"--Steve Reichert Training. This article holds a lesson for preppers as well. The author offers criticism of too many SWAT teams that concentrate on gear over property training and execution. One particular gripe of the author are team members so loaded down with body armor that they become turtles: heavily protected, but too slow to do anything aggressive.
• You look but do not see: "There’s more to it than 'mah head on a swivel'"--Stuff from Hoi. He writes:

      Yes, it’s important to have your head up and look at what is around and what is going on around you. But we have more senses than just our eyes. We can hear. We can smell. And we can even have that “Spidey sense” that tingles when our gut tells us something is off.

      Think about how “situational awareness” can and should involve (all of, more of) your senses. And think about how abridging any of your senses can be a detriment to that same awareness.

      Because it’s more than just looking around.

• Looking for an interim solution: "US Army Releases RFI for New 7.62mm Interim Combat Service Rifle"--The Firearms Blog. The article indicates that the request for information wants off the shelf rifles and accessories in a 7.62 NATO platform. Either they are just exploring what is the state of the industry, or they foresee a sudden need to acquire these rifles. The timing of this request with the recent revelation of a armor penetrating round in .30 caliber seems more than coincidental. Now, none of our current conflicts involve opponents widely using body armor, so this seems preparation for peer or near-pear operations. North Korea?

Other Stuff:

• "After London Bridge, The World Is Sick Of Politicians Downplaying Terrorism"--The Federalist. Key point:

Our political leaders are basically telling us that this kind of terrorism, random and deadly, is the price we have to pay for their policies of multiculturalism and political correctness. They know that their weak platitudes can’t stop terrorism, and so do the people. They might as well come out and say what they mean: get used to the new normal.

• Civil war update:

• "LA mayor: Immigration arrests could cause a 'tinderbox'"--The Hill. From the article:

       Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti (D) in a recent radio interview said he is concerned that increased Immigration & Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids under the Trump administration could cause already high tensions in his city to boil over.

       “If something goes wrong, I fear a tinderbox out there, you know where people will suddenly say ‘no’ and try to defend. You know, keep that person from being taken,” Garcetti told Latino USA.

• "The Left Won’t Rest Until Someone Gets Killed"--Townhall. The author writes:

       Be it declaring the president a traitor, equating him with history’s greatest monster, or a danger to the continued existence of our species, the political left clearly wishes him and anyone who agrees with him on any issue to be a threat. And, in the mind of the unstable, threats, especially on that scale, must be eliminated.

       Maybe they aren’t doing it consciously – though that I find somewhat difficult to believe given their insistence on the risk of heated rhetoric in the past. No, they want blood.

• "Portland Republican To Use Militias For Security?"--Anonymous Conservative. He cites an article The Hill that, based on attacks on Republicans and conservatives, and the lackluster efforts of police to protect said conservatives, the Multnomah County Republican Party Chairman James Buchal is considering using Oath Keepers or Three Percenters to provide security at Republican events.

• The consequence of living in a matriarchy: "75% of black California boys don’t meet state reading standards"--Los Angeles Daily News. 
• Interesting: "Arab powers sever Qatar ties, citing support for militants"--Reuters. "Saudi Arabia, Egypt, United Arab Emirates and Bahrain cut relations with Qatar in a coordinated move. Yemen, Libya's eastern-based government and the Maldives joined in later." Iran, which is now Qatar's primary life-line, is blaming the actions on Trump and his recent visit to the Middle East. However, a major part of the calculus is that Qatar has aided and funded the Muslim Brotherhood, which has actively sought to undermine the governments of the countries that have ended diplomatic and commercial ties with Qatar.
• David P. Goldman on why Europe is losing the war on terrorism: "[W]estern European Muslims fear the terrorists more than they fear the police. The West will remain vulnerable to mass terror attacks until the balance of fear shifts in the other direction." He adds:

The way to win the war is to frighten the larger community of Muslims who passively support terror by action or inaction–frighten them so badly that they will inform on family members. Frightening the larger Muslim population in the West does not require a great deal of effort: a few thousand deportations would do. Western intelligence services do not even have to deport the right people; the wrong people know who they are, and so do many of their neighbors. The ensuing conversation is an easy one to have. “I understand that your nephew is due for deportation, Hussein, and I believe you when you tell me that he has done nothing wrong. I might be able to help you. But you have to help me. Give me something I can use–and don’t waste my time by making things up, or I swear that I’ll deport you, too. If you don’t have any information, then find out who does.”