March 2005
Articles, newsreports and Items of interest :enigma2000-owner@yahoogroups.com
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The Daily Express is not a newspaper which most people would automatically regard as being of much use to those of us interested in the espionage trade; like most of the popular media the greater part of the content would seem to be aimed at a female clientelle in the age range of, perhaps, 18 to 35, this section of the population being seen as most likely to part with their money in response to the advertisers on whom newspaper publishers depend for much of their income. However, on a Friday at least the Express employs the services of a real grown-up writer, none other than Frederick Forsyth of "Day of the Jackal" and "The Fist of God" fame. He comments on a wide range of subjects on British and international politics and more besides. He has a healthy contempt for Mr BLiar and all his works which alone makes the outlay of 40 pence on a Friday for a copy of the Express worth while!
There is much speculation in the press and on radio and TV as to the likelihood of some kind of military action by the United States against Iran and in particular the nuclear facilities in that country where all the technology to produce enriched uranium which could be used in a nuclear weapon is much to the fore. The Daily Mail of February 14 contained a short piece headlined "U.S. spies over Iran" which reads "The United States is flying unmanned drones over Iran to spy on suspected nuclear weapons programmes and air defences, it emerged last night. It is the most provocative move so far in the deteriorating relationship between Washington and Teheran and could be a first step in preparations for an attack. Iran has made an official protest which the U.S. is ignoring."
Perhaps we shall soon be hearing an updated version of an old joke doing the rounds again ;- "Question, what is flat and black and glows in the dark? Answer;- Iran, in about six months from now".
A spy story from the past has been in the news recently with the publication of "The Guy Liddell Diaries Volume 1, 1939-1942", published by Routledge, £25. The Sunday Express of February 6 had a feature with the headline, "The MI5 blunders that let spy go free" which starts off "British intelligence stalled for 12 years before catching communist spy John Cairncross following a tip-off from a Russian defector." ....... "Liddell's journal shows for the first time that MI5 knew in 1939 about a mole in the Cabinet Office. But Cairncross - the fifth man in the Cambridge spy ring that included Burgess, Mclean, Blunt and Philby - was not unmasked until 1951 after more than a decade of passing British secrets to the Russians".
On 16-February BBC2 TV showed a half hour programme in the "Days That Shook the World" series on the subject of the 1960 U2 spy plane incident in which on 1-May 1960 a Lockheed U2 high altitude aircraft piloted by Gary Powers was shot down by a Soviet radar guided missile near the city of Sverdlovsk. In the words of the BBC's programme guide, "Radio Times";- "The shooting down of America's U2 spy plane on 1 May 1960 put a resounding stop to the ostensibly thawing cold war between the US and the USSR". The programme was made with a mixture of actual newsreel footage from the time of the incident and present day reconstruction, which seems to be the norm for any history programme these days. At one point the voice-over made reference to the fact that as the U2 travelled deep into Russian territory on its journey from an American base in Pakistan to another in Norway it soon became out of range of radio communication. A piece of filmed reconstruction briefly showed a couple of service personel anxiously working at the controls of a radio receiver; and I am sure the radio was a Marconi R1155. An R1155 being used by Uncle Sam's airforce in 1960? I don’t think so! [PLondon saw that too – editorial license at its best. He comments; Paul Lashmar’s ‘Spy Flights of the Cold War’ is an excellent source book on Gary Power’s flight and other events that some E2k members are all too aware of].
Being a film buff as well as a self confessed radio anorak I am always interested in any portrayal of radio technology in a movie, so on Saturday 5-February I made sure I sat down to watch what in my humble opinion is one of the greatest movies of all time, White Heat, starring James Cagney, made in 1949 in black and white which was shown on BBC2 television. This crime classic contains what must be the earliest reference either in fact or fiction to a radio tracking device. The plot concerns the aftermath of a mail train robbery carried out by a gang led by psychopathic killer Cody Jarret played by Cagney. The gang is infiltrated by a police detective who before going under cover is shown taking part in a police radio tracking experimental project. Having been accepted by Jarret as a valued member of his gang, the undercover cop has to come up with a way to foil the gang's next big robbery which is to steal the payroll of an oil refinery, entry to be gained by hiding inside a specially constructed compartment inside an articulated lorry petrol tanker - or in America, a tractor and semi-trailer gasoline truck, I suppose. But detective Hank Fallon, played by Edmond O'Brien, has constructed a tracking device, referred to as an oscillator, and attached it to the truck. He builds this himself from parts taken from a non-working AM broadcast band radio - and without any test gear; no GDO, no absorption wavemeter, not even a multirange meter! Having managed to alert the police department to the fact that the device is running they are able to plot the course of the truck by means of their fleet of cars equipped with direction finding equipment and surround the robbers in the refinery. In the final shoot-out, Jarret fires his pistol into the storage tank on which he is standing with the cry "Made it Ma, top of the world!" as the whole lot goes up in flames. Splendid stuff!
On 20-February the commercial channel ITV1 showed a two hour long dramatisation of an incident which took place in 2001 when a party of British aircraft enthusiasts were arrested in Greece on spying charges after writing down the serial numbers of Greek military aircraft. Quite what these individuals thought they were doing by indulging in that sort of activity in a country like Greece is something of a puzzle. Although the Greeks will tell you that their country is the cradle of democracy the place has been a military dictatorship for a large part of its existence since independence in the 1830s and as the saying goes, old habits die hard. The most disturbing part for me was the scene where the accused having been released on bail and returned to the UK are debating whether to return to the Greece to stand trial; they decide they have to because if they don't the Greek government would be able to extradite them from the UK under EU law.
Why on earth did we fight two world wars for freedom and why did we allow our scumbag politicians to sign our country up to something like that? [Tnx PoSW]
- and now a word or two from the scathing wit of KW relevant to PoSW’s last paragraph :
[A discussion was also had on the telephone and via email by some ENIGMA 2000 members on this dramatisation ‘Planespotting’. Watching the programme they had decided that the Greek Government had used the spotter's notebooks as prima facia evidence. The general consensus was 'Imagine what would happen if they were E2k members and they got hold of their notebooks! Yes, imagine indeed. A lot of bail money was taken by the Greek Government and as yet I understand it has yet to be returned [apologies to the bubbles if now returned] but PoSW is right - what sort of scumbag politicians sign our country up to something like that? Well the answer is “those who have turned Britain into the apologetic politically correct haven for the world's ne'er do wells and sick persons.”
Seen 'Hotel Rwanda' with its 'I couldn't let all these people die' trailer? There'll probably be a follow up - Hotel Britain NHS, 'Our contributing Nation dies at the expense of others who don’t.' Remember folks, 'Hotel Britain NHS' is a Freehouse]. Tnx KW
You may be interested to know that the men's magazine FHM recently visited and were given a tour HMS Vigilant (a Trident submarine), had a go on the centrifuge at RAF Farnborough and visited DSTL Porton Down and got a pair of boxers treated with hydrophobic fluorocarbons (that which the outer layer of Suit Protective NBC Mk.IV is treated) so that they ostensibly will never have to be washed. [There’s a tramp in Gloucester Road SW7 who’s shreddies are never washed and I doubt he has ever heard of hydrophobic fluorocarbons]. However, when they officially applied to visit Menwith Hill, the MoD were happy to allow some access, the 'Occupiers' vetoed the request. When they decided to have a stroll outside the perimeter they were promptly stopped and searched under an authority in force under S.44 of the Terrorism Act 2000.
[Tnx AnonNI].
Did you now that Menwith Hill is better known in the ‘trade’ as Ground station F83 according to the Sunday Times 31st May 1998?~ That it is the largest electronic monitoring station in the world with more than 1,200 US civilians and servicemen.~ It is involved in intercepting and analysing communications mainly from Europe, Russia and the Middle East.~ BT fitted three digital optical fibre cables with a total capacity of 100,000 telephone calls. |
 |
| Nidderdale Road, Menwith Hill ©ENIGMA2000 |
[That FHM were stopped is interesting, yours truly had a similar experience related to him by a member who egressed his car (that's a good word from somewhere west) and walked about by Menwith Hill, only to find himself challenged by MoD police who strongly suggested he move on. I wish it happened to me because my response would be along the lines of, "I am exercising my common law right to travel from A to B without let or hindrance; I have committed no offence so please go away!" I’ll be blowed if I’d be stopped walking on common land because the septics have seen fit to open a PX in the middle of it – ‘RAF’ indeed.]
Did you know that the 'Special Relationhip' that we have with the US not only permits British forces to support American forces as they destroy countries that are unable to fight back but it also allows the US to store more nuclear weaponry on British soil than anywhere else. Ever get the feeling that 'taken for a ride' applies here? [110 at RAF Lakenheath with 370 stored in 5 other bases across Europe].
See: http://www.nrdc.org/nuclear/euro/euro_pt1.pdf
It has been announced in Parliament that in 2007 the Security Service (MI5) will assume responsibilty as the lead agency for the collection of national security intelligence in Northern Ireland, taking over the role from the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI).[Tnx AnonNI]
Excellent reading material is available on this subject: Tony Geraghty's 'The Irish War', 'Big Boy's Rules' and 'UK Eyes Alpha', both by Mark Urban and 'The Spying Game' by Michael Smith. All these volumes give an interesting insight into the collection of intelligence in NI [not methods, it might be said] and also of the somewhat peculiar 'contest' between the Special Branch and MI5 to run and collect agents in a time when the threat to Britons was actually seen.
500 agents, almost half of the strength of the Intelligence Security Agency formed in the ethnically divided Bosnia have been dismissed because of reforms.
The Intelligence Security Agency was formed in a merger of Bosnian Serb and Muslim Croat Intelligence Services.
Great Britain now has its own Freedom of Information Act and there has been some apparently good stuff released. That on Page 2 is a fine, if not laughable example. Unfortunately Idi Amin was not a good leader at the time of that suggestion and many suffered under his Presidency.
Newspapers have been taking swipes at various aspects of the Act, claiming that shredders are being overused to limit the paperwork that will be allowed into the public domain.
J6m sent in this URL which leads to an adequate account:
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1104844430324_66/?hub=World
Seen in a Manpower Services Commission, Job Centre, Labour Exchange or whatever the politically correct term is nowadays here’s a job with prospect:
OPERATOR MILITARY INTELLIGENCE (Full-time / Permanent)
Job reference : censored
Date notified : 15/12/2004
Job location : UK & WORLDWIDE
Salary : £219 PER WEEK AFTER TRAINING
Hours : 48
Worktime : VARIOUS - NO SET HOURS
Age : 16
Closing date : 31/03/2005
Job Duties : THE LINGUIST (OPERATOR MILITARY INTELLIGENCE) IS EMPLOYED IN A VITAL REAL TIME OPERATION TO MONITOR THE ACTIVITIES OF THE NATIONS’ ENEMIES.
THIS REQUIRES THE ABILITY TO INTERCEPT ENEMY RADIO MESSAGES, UNRAVEL THEIR MEANING AND SUBMIT REPORTS TO THE APPROPRIATE HEADQUARTERS.
AN INDIVIDUAL REQUIRES A HIGH DEGREE OF APTITUDE IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE AND THE ABILITY TO OPERATE IN THE IT FIELD.
THE TASK IS A COMPLEX AND DEMANDING ONE, BUT THE PRODUCT DERIVED FROM THE APPLICATION OF THE LINGUIST'S SKILL AND EXPERTISE IS VITAL TO AN OPERATIONAL COMMANDER.
Qualifications/ Experience : GCSE GRADE C IN ENGLISH LANGUAGE AND A FOREIGN LANGUAGE + 2 OTHER ACADEMIC SUBJECTS.
MUST BE ELIGIABLE FOR A BRITISH PASSPORT
Other Information : WORK IS UNLIKELY TO BE MORE THAN 48 HOURS PER WEEK.
IN CERTAIN CASES THE MOD AND ARMED FORCES ARE EXEMPT FROM THE WORKING TIME AND CONDITIONS REGULATIONS.
Thanks to the sender of that, who rightly wishes to remain ‘anon’. [And who later commented: £219 a week isn’t much for that]!
As Germany’s foreign intelligence agency unveiled plans to for a headquarters that will cost nearly £675bn to open in 2011 a report surfaced suggesting that around 130 Russian spies are currently undercover in Germany. That number is claimed as matching those deployed by the KGB in the Cold War. Whilst Putin and Schröder speak in German [a language that Mr Putin learnt as a cold war KGB agent in East Germany] Russian-German relations are seen as cordial.
As for the new Federal Intelligence Service building, it will move the 4000 or so workers to Berlin from the Munich suburb of Pullach to concentrate all its intelligence efforts in the capital [Tnx E].
Forget the useless millennium dome, the wobbly bridge, the damp squib of fireworks on the Thames. First it was the SA80 revolutionary bull-pup 5.56mm weapon that apparently fell apart when dropped, enter Dustpan No 1, working parts recovery, for the use of, bag, plastic, carrier SA80 sand defending, against, for the use of. Then we hear there was no body armour for Iraq, wrong boots, wrong colour camo and so on.
Now it’s the radio as the Sunday Times, page 13 on 07/02 reported, ‘Cancer fear over new army radio sets.’ The piece outlined that the new system, BOWMAN, produced such a high level of RF that written health guidelines are being issued to the soldiers that use them. This £2bn system, destined to replace the all but obsolete ‘Clansman’ system have found that the RF emitted can exceed safe levels. Apparently soldiers are not to stand within 6ft of radio’s in vehicles when they are in use whilst those using them have been told not to use them on full power..
As if that is bad enough the units have been found to be too heavy for the Army’s standard Land Rover. Note also that the headsets do not fit over British helmets and that the programming is too inflexible for combat use.
The BOWMAN is manufactured by General Dynamics http://www.generaldynamics.uk.com/ who state the radio will give troops better security and reliability. [Bet you’ll find the sets are easily transported by the Humvee and fit the septics helmets. Is this another ploy to sell us more armaments by a company that despite it’s UK logo is part of the US based General Dynamics Corporation of Falls Church, Virginia?
As with many services each has its own brand of humour, usually coined by the same type of wag who offered the ‘batphone’ ‘stickfest , ‘Rob All My Comrades’ and the like, has now coined a rather apt acronym for BOWMAN:
Better Off With Map And Nokia. [Wonder if they designed BOWMAN to be used with Nimrod’s failed SLAR system].
More info: http://www.mod.uk/dpa/projects/bowman.htm
On January 1st, "Europe 1", sometimes incorrectly listed as a German radio BC, is 50 year old.
(Before the 1980's French laws prohibited private transmitters sites to be set on the national territory, with a derogation for RMC - Radio Monte Carlo. Putting a mighty LW transmitter near the border - i.e. German Saarland for Europe 1 or Dedeling in Luxemburg for RTL- linked to studios in Paris was a bypass solution).
Since then, its frequency has varied along time from 180 to 185 kHz LW. Since 1986 it is on its current 183 kHz. Its power rose from 1400kW to 2000kW in 1976. Photographs of the transmitter as it was in 1975 are available at: http://perso.wanadoo.fr/tvignaud/am/e1/e1_emet.htm
[Tnx J6m]
For Sale, somewhere in Essex:
Nuclear Bunker in a field £10000.
Measures 15ft by 7ft 4in.
Built late 1950s to withstand a London nuclear blast.
[Make a lovely radio room – rather than the wine store suggested by the Agent]
That like Sweden. Portugal, Iceland, Italy and Luxembourg there are more mobile phones in Britain than people.
Beijing was granted permission from the ruling junta in Burma to establish a SIGINT unit staffed by about 100 Chinese in the Coco Islands in the Bay of Bengal. The purpose of this unit being to intercept communications in this area, including the Indian Naval base on the Andaman islands that was devastated by the tsunami.
Although the Burmese military government has said that last month's tsunami did not strike the Coco Islands unofficial Burmese naval sources report that the SIGINT base was indeed damaged. It is reported however, that a back-up system managed to limit the damage.
The Chinese SIGINT service, which has its headquarters north east of Beijing, consists of around 20,000 personnel stationed at over 20 intercept stations both in China and abroad including a station in Laos.
This station is reportedly able to cover the whole of the South China Sea, the Straits of Malacca and the Indian Ocean region.[TnxAnonJB]
The second Sunday in January saw the screening of the first of a four episode run of the successful ‘Ultimate Force’ which has storylines following Red Troop, led by Henno Garvie [Ross Kemp of Eastenders fame] into a variety of situations. [Luckily all the episodes will take place within the life of this newsletter so we get to mickey take the lot]!
The first episode, entitled Deadlier Than the Male introduces a number of new recruits via the usual selection method. In that group is – and this is unbelievable, but then Great Britain is now so coiled in Political Correctness it probably has already happened – a female. Like the Sgt who leads the Troop at ground level, Henno, short for Henry, this bint is named Becca – where do they get these names from?
Anyway the first episode starts off with an op in Tikrit, which, as you all know is in Iraq.
There’s all our heroes undercover, clad with a dishdash and carrying firearms. They start the op and it all goes horribly wrong as SAS personnel are blown asunder by explosion, set alight and then shot up by Arabs. The op was probably given away by the presence of the film crew! [Seriously, remember when US Navy Seals landed on a secret operation in Somalia and CNN were there being filmed, filming the Seals who emerged from the sea? What a cock-up and no pun intended here].
As all these blokes are popped our hero, Henno, runs into the middle of the arena of fire and puts up some good covering fire, even changing magazines as he does so. Well a basic rifleman in training would not have run into such an area. Who remembers the five Ss, Shape, Shine, Shadow, Sound, Silhouette, as I remember ? [Think Americans use 10 and add Movement too] Well they should add a sixth now based on Henno’s [what a macho name] basic fighting skills, Stupidity. Luckily for him he survived thanks to editorial licence and the commercial break.
Then we see this bint, Becca, slipping her trailers during selection [and it didn’t look like the Brecons either] prior to being dragged back to the depot – see the less than convincing ‘Stirling Lines’ notice - and being thoroughly beaten and mentally tortured.
In the meantime the parallel story is the taking over of a DC10 aircraft by terrorists who want freedom for Tibet from the Chinese. They are led by a Gurkhas Rupert who has a few Gurkhas and his wife there to make the passengers life a bit questionable. Thankfully for the passengers there was a flight marshal aboard who they executed instead. The obvious storyline unfolds, a request for pilots. The others abseiled from the cockpit before the terror group entered it, and the woman, Becca is selected to do the task straight from a right beasting, bruised and battered. The next time she is seen all the cuts and bruises have disappeared. Of course the SAS win through after a massive plane-bourne firefight and all is well. Unfortunately they did not disclose the miraculous healing method used on Becca. There was no ‘flying into the sunset, victorious shot’ as we saw in the entertaining ‘Delta Force’ [no doubt prompted as a story by the actual hijacking of the Athens bound TWA flight] where the pilot speaks into the mic as he taxis down the runway, ‘This is Trans American Airlines plane leaving Beirut, we thank you for an interesting stay!’
The second episode, broadcast on ITN on 15/01 saw ‘Red Troop’ enter Zimbabwe via the backdoor on a totally deniable operation with a Government representative played by Jeff Rawle.
The op went tits up as soon as the Governmemt rep, a Mr Cox, met the rebel leader who tried to force the hand of the Government soldiers by leaking info that the SAS were there.
In the company of some white settlers the SAS took on a load of Government forces and in good spirit, Henno and his lot presented better targets than you’ll see at a fairground. ‘If they come again before nightfall, we’re bollocksed’ he remarked as the ammo ran a little short. As the story came to a close Henno meets with the African General leading the Government forces. Amidst all the rape and pillage our highly trained SAS man stops, takes aim and then enters into a dialogue with the General [whatever happened to the double tap? What indeed]? Henno is seized from behind and has a knife held to his throat. The General, never short of seeing a chance for a little butchery advances to our hero, knife drawn. Thank heavens for editorial licence – one round, from close quarters from a SAS man, takes out the bloke even daring to hold onto our Henno. Miraculously fired from an AK47, hv rounds designed to penetrate body armour, the round did not exit the primary target, into Henno and then into the local theatre. No – not at all. The force of the round did jerk the blade from the grip of the horrible man and into Henno’s grasp where he decapitated the General with just one swipe of the blade [Aaagh! Wilkinson Sword].
All’s well that ends well and we see our heroes stride off into the sunset expectant of being in dire straights [not, ‘These mist covered mountains……….’ type Dire straights] the very next Saturday, commercial breaks allowing. Henno used the expression ‘Bollocksed’ but not in the correct context! The best was reserved for non-authentic South African accents, calling all non-whites ‘boy’ and showing the sort of white superiority over blacks that went out with the abolition of slavery. The only props missing was sight of ‘The Afrikaaner’ and an invitaion to Voerwerd House to watch the next gravity attracting event.
The viewer could be forgiven for mistaking the General as Idi Amin or Robert Mugabe, it was the way the make-up was put on, I’m sure.
The third episode broadcast on ITN on 22/01 featured an al Qaeda attack on the Italian Consulate in London.
The real one, the Italian Embassy is situated at 14 Three Kings Yard W1, easily available from Davies Street [see the RGJ Drill hall on the way down from Bond Street LUG Station] and note that it is in close proximity of Carlos Street seen on the East side of Grosvenor Square where we have the american embassy.
Anyway, these Arab looking types present themselves at the entrance via a blue panel van carrying a bomb, and demand to be let in. Despite the protestations of a security guard a brown skinned Italian Embassy lets them in and the Security Guard wants to see inside the crates they carry. Well , that’s the other 105 mins of the story disclosed - the geero obviously works for al-Qaeda and all hell breaks loose.
Enter the SAS led by Henno Garvie. Powerless to do anything before he gets the go-ahead officially we see a senior police commander make one cock-up after another resulting in useless police actions.
After removing S019 snipers as a point of negotiation we see a Police car blown to smithereens [RPG-7] with the loss of life as the al-Qaeda leader quips, 'We don't negotiate.' Then this Commander, [well qualified for Z Div] who would be better hosting a policy making team than actually commanding proper police personnel, commits a large S019 assault team in a 'text book' assault and the lot get slotted big time. What an obvious marr on the Police Service that was!
Making a two pronged assault, blue team from the roof as 'top team' because they're expendable and not seen before, and red team, because they're not and have been seen before, via the basement the pyrotechnics start.
There's bags of electronics about as motion detectors and CCTV too. All this as well as the enemy GPMG [jimpy to those of us who know - and I've stripped a few of those down - butt off, barrel off, working parts out - and its still on the bipod. Nice little toolkit and brushes supplied with those too. 200 rounds per belt and every fifth round a tracer].
What a palava to take that out. Nothing there that wouldn't cause a commonal garden squaddie any worry. There were more rounds shot up the staircase at a protected gun mount than what's ever whipped down the Fall's Road and a world brass shortage realised with the amount of 7.62mm that was fired towards our heroes who broke every rule, written and unwritten, of soldiering as they loitered in the beaten zone. Then someone has a great idea and tosses a grenade up to clear the jimpy. As our heroes storm past the GPMG they leave it in a useable condition. All they had to do was remove the barrel and toss it aside. Well it gets used again, later in the ‘story’, and another long thinking process decides on another grenade. [Are this lot challenged]?
Lots of RPG7 projected grenades being used too. What happened to the flash bangs? There was mention of shaped charges though.
Once the Consulate has been cleared Henno [what a hero] decides the bomb in the van is still live and drives it off in the direction of some quarry for it to harmlessly initiate away from mankind. Of course it all goes wrong. The geero who works for al-Qaeda gets away and manages to get in the van en route to the quarry. He is slotted by the irritating character 'Louis' [why doesn't someone slot him one day] from a Range Rover and the panel van is launched over the berm of the quarry by our driving Henno who declares 'sh*t' as he realises the driver's door is jammed. We are treated to an explosion from the van that would have made a damp squib look nuclear. Who has ever placed a bomb in a van and had the rear doors wide open? Still, it’s for the masses, ain't it Corporal?
And Henno? After a short delay, where you are meant to reflect of Henno's latest derring-do we are treated to him climbing over the side of the berm, covered in the exudates of explosion, grinning and shaking hands with the irritant Louis and the big black trooper 'Dave' who is at least credible as credible goes in fiction and editorial licence. As Henno climbed over the side of the berm my son said, 'Look for the mercury running towards him - it's just like 'Terminator'' [and less believable too]!
The site they used for the Embassy was good and it didn't look a bit like the defunct Cane Hill Mental Hospital either. It looked a bit like the building used in another SAS film - 'Who Dares Wins' where rogue bandsmen took over the American ambassadors residence.
I noticed that the actors portraying SAS troopers in Ultimate Force had red or blue bands on their magazines, no doubt to state what team they were in. In my experience I always thought blue marked mags represented blank ammunition, red live. Not that this motley crew would be allowed to rip off anything live.
Now if I'd been doing it I would have ripped a round in from a Carl Gustav sited outside to take the jimpy on the stairs out. Entry would have been announced with flash-bangs and door hinges blown by Remington’s. Monitoring kit would have already been lowered down the chimney and fibre optic kit through the walls. A near building would have become 'Alpha Control' for the Police and I would have had ambulances and fire appliances to hand. I certainly wouldn't have had SAS, Police or the local street cleaning team walking about in full view of the occupied building. Enjoyable, yes, accurate - what do you think? And exactly where were the RDPG when this lot was starting up? [Probably attending the Iraqi Embassy – two cars and one motorbike one day and two bikes, one car the next. Perhaps the builders who have suddenly appeared since the ‘election’ in Iraq keep setting off a central station alarm. Anyone remember the radio alarms – ‘such and such premises under attack’].
So just why was the last episode never shown……………………..upsetting any particular religious group or what? Probably upsetting asylum seekers by suggesting an influx of criminals and spies via this route – or was the story just too near the truth?
The commander of British forces in Gibraltar has been discovered dead in his swimming pool. He had been requested to return to Britain pending an inquiry into "personal" issues.
“A poll of 21 countries published on Wednesday [19/01] - reflecting opinion in Africa, Latin America, North America, Asia and Europe - showed that a clear majority have grave fears about the next four years.
Fifty-eight per cent of the 22,000 who took part in the poll, commissioned by the BBC World Service, said they expected Mr Bush to have a negative impact on peace and security, compared with only 26 per cent who considered him a positive force.
Traditional US allies in Western Europe, such as Britain (64 per cent), France (75 per cent), and Germany (77 per cent), were among the most negative.”
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2005/01/20/1106110881744.html?oneclick=true to read the entire article.
On page 51 of Issue 26 E2k newsletter, we carried a short entitled ‘Privatisation!’, which briefly outlined the threatened privatisation by allowing private carriers to stuff and seal the diplomatic pouches used to send sensitive material overseas.
Help and support for the retaining of the current service and not move to tender has come from an unlikely source as 37 MPs have backed an early motion saying that privatisation could jeopardise security. The FCO is under pressure to scrap plans from those in the right place to do so – and its not to attract votes for the forthcoming election.
The National Health Service give refugees and asylum seekers preferential treatment, as they give certain mature ‘students’ treatment for HiV [why are they always African?] and local councils give housing to them too. Vouchers are given for food to these persons who wander around our towns with mobile phones and wearing designer clobber. Some are, it is reported, given cars to reduce their taxi costs [I use the bus and train, like many others around me]. Now we learn that Britain’s right to withdraw from the ‘rights to immigration’ and to curb those who come here to *mainly* [there must be some genuine types] scrounge has been signed away Tony Bliar.
So here is Britain – politically correct, crime ridden with rip-off prices, high taxes, long health queues, little chance of Housing if you are British born. [Remember, if you want a decent pension you have to save and don’t forget, when you are retired they tax your savings too]. Well done Mr Bliar – what a leader! [Tnx KW].
Every now and then we receive some right nonsense. This one is a cracker:
Tue, 25 Jan 2005 18:33:30 +0000
From: "INTERNATIONAL PUBLIC COUNCIL ON PROTECTION OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH" <alex@afterwork.de>
To: Removed
Subject: CONFIDENTIAL REPORT ON ASSASSINATION OF PRINCES S DIANA - BANNED IN THE UK
BRITISH PUBLIC COUNCIL ON PROTECTION OF FREEDOM OF SPEECH PRESENTS
A unique confidential report describing in great detail the horrible circumstances and true causes of death of Princess Diana. The report has been prohibited for distribution in the UK, but is available for the first time to the British people from an overseas website.
This report contains truly explosive information, and for this reason, its publication has been banned in the UK by the official authorities, security services and the Royal Household. Its findings were so shocking that it was immediately classified top secret by MI5 and French Security Service, DST. Princess Diana and Dodi Al Fayed were assassinated in a joint operation undertaken by the security services of several countries. The true reason is NOT that the British establishment feared that the official marriage of Diana and Dodi would deal a blow to the British monarchy by virtue of the future British king having a Muslim stepfather – the actual reasons are much more serious, complicated – and sinister.
Over 80 % of the British people (according to a recent poll conducted by the Daily Mirror) are still convinced that the death of Diana and Dodi was no accident – so discover the truth!
The report was prepared by a group of investigative journalists from Egypt, England and France utilizing never-publicized materials of secret investigation conducted by the French government and America’s CIA into the circumstances of the death of Princess Diana. One of the private detectives who participated in this investigation died in a mysterious and highly suspicious “bike” accident while he was trying to uncover additional evidence. Under similarly suspicious circumstances one of the French detectives disappeared as well. These facts alone demonstrate that the authorities do fear the publication of these facts, otherwise they would not have gone as far as to arrange assassination of these individuals as well as the murder of the photographer James Andanson whose badly burned body was found by the police in the south of France, and who was present at the scene of the fatal crash which killed Diana and Dodi.
We do apologize for approaching you via unsolicited e-mail – we appreciate that it is a bad practice, but unfortunately, since the official publication of this report has been prohibited in the United Kingdom and France, as well as elsewhere in Europe, this is the only method to which we are forced to resort in order to make this report widely available to the British public. We are located outside the United Kingdom and use Internet as a medium of distribution, so that we can avoid the official ban on distribution of this publication stringently enforced by the British authorities.
Please get in touch with us to receive further information and ordering instructions:
E-MAIL: 6504@ICONTROLLER.BIZ
[Hope the authorities are onto this one – who knows it might just be true – then again it’s probably a scam from Nigeria]
An immigration officer Olufunke Sonoiki, employed at Dover docks, has been gaoled for using her official Home Office stamp to mark friends and relatives passports "indefinite leave to remain."
The passports were posted to her from Nigeria, stamped and then posted back. Her arrest occured after immigration workers in Lagos became suspicious. Wonder if her friends and relatives made a business out of it, wonder if the woman herself did the same?
[Reminds me of a lecture, given by MoD Police some years back, on international business dealings. There were some very decent points made and the air was that of a sober lecture. That ceased when the Lecturer innocently asked, "Anyone dealt with Nigeria?" The room errupted into laughter and after at the bar there were more stories being exchanged about attempted rip-offs, useless LoCs and the Nigerian dislike of the SAD. Methods of payments were discussed and less beer was drunk for that reason. When I used to deal one person tried to pay for equipment in Naira. Eventually he reverted to Sterling (I don't accept banned currencies). When asked about transport for his purchases he said they were going in the cockpit with his cousin, the pilot]!
If anyone should have a peerage Mr Stevens should. Sir John Stevens, hailed as a very popular Commissioner of Police and copper’s copper, Sir John will become the third former Commissioner to sit in the Lords. His predecessors are Lord Imbert of Romney and Lord Condon of Langton Green.
The four Britons illegally held by the US at Camp Delta/X-Ray or whatever it is now called arrived in Northwood Great Britain on 25th January after a deal with the US. [What skulduggery is this – you can have those four and send Abu Hamsa and Babar Ahmed back in their place]? Immediately arrested at Northwood under Section 41 Terrorism Act 2000, the four were transported to Paddington Green Police station for interview by the authorities. [Wonder if the hapless four managed to get a look at the BMWs in the showroom window opposite as they drove up the slope into the back yard]?
The US claim that all four were involved with al-Qaeda but don’t boast too readily about the ‘humane’ treatment they were subjected to during the time spent in Cuba.
British Police wished to allow contact with their families whilst a small demonstration occurred outside the Police Station. A small banner laid on the ground, simply declared ‘Welcome Back’. The family contact was refused by the four.
After interrogation the four were released without charge into the care of their families and were escorted, by police, to a location of their choice.
Whilst one British solicitor said “I’m glad the Government recognises they have suffered enough. They need rehabilitation, not interrogation” an American defense lawyer was heard on British Radio stating the four had been treated badly and were totally innocent.
Meanwhile Mr Bush and his cronies get off on the assumption that the world is a safer place since America’s intervention in world terrorism. The result of a recent poll suggested that of those polled 83% thought the world was a worse place since America intervened. Wonder what Mr Bush’s anti-terrorist Government intends to do about those of its citizens who gave generously to the coffers of the IRA when the box went around prior to 9/11? That’s terrorism Mr Bush – terrorism some Americans actually supported, appeared on Panorama to voice support for, and which ultimately caused death and suffering to British soldiers and innocent citizens whose only crime was to be in the wrong place at the right time.
Strange how Britain’s Police and no doubt the odd MI5/MI6 operatives see reason to let the hapless four go without charge when America’s ‘agents’ have the gall to state they were involved with al Qaeda. [Shukri, Sal ibn Hari]
Like to add that all visitors [including Brits] to US are now subject to fingerprinting, photographing and such like. All because of this American paranoia. My own sister-in-law was removed from a queue whilst in transit and subjected to a search and some rather ’ private’ questions – and she was ‘In- transit’.Why was she removed? Who know,s but her skin is brown and she has a Muslim surname. Glad I’ll never visit there – and I’m not brown or have a Muslim surname.
More to the point, the US have demanded that Britain take the necessary steps, ‘to address the threat posed by these four individuals’. Better still, Sir John Stevens [a splendid person and a good, fair leader of men] has already said that the information gleaned by US interrogators and MI5 in Cuba is inadmissible in a British court. It’s good to know that with the British all judgement has not yet fled.
One of our members was shown a device that was being displayed in a glass case entitled 'Espionage' in a particularly private, but rather interesting world famous museum, the location of which he cannot disclose.
He wrote,
"I believed it to be an East German/Russian decoder display unit in a grey box, say A5 in size and about 1.5 " thick and of mid 1970's early 1980's vintage.
The display on the device used glowlamps under a dark fiche with 0 - 9 and a couple of other characters. I think one was an asterisk, the other a K.
From the left side were three cables; one had an earpiece, the second two croc clips. The third had some sort of connector fitted. No controls were apparent from what I saw. The cables and the earpiece looked to be in the same colour tone as that used on the widely used NHS Medresco hearing aid.
It was improper and also not at all possible for me to photograph the exhibit so I produced a sketch in my notebook shortly after sight of the unit:
“Notes made at the time!”
©ENIGMA200030/01/05
Interestingly the unit was accompanied by a few lines declaring that Morse was not the medium that it operated with and showed a few lines of actual message.
[I believe it also mentioned Verdan so I suspect serial data, such as a polytone. Given the display the message medium would need to be slow so not XP and quite possibly a ‘rough’ sounding signal to allow filters some latitude of operation].
In correction the display actually reads:
| X 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 0 |
Looking at the actual display, the numeral function is obvious. What is the function of the ‘X’? Does it indicate the unit is switched on, that the electronics within the box is synchronized (locked) to the incoming signal, or merely indicate a space between one received group and that yet to be sent?
The message header [shown in notes] read:
123*[ID] 29[Page no of OTP pad] 07 [number of Groups] then followed 7 five figure groups.
*[123 was not the ID shown, I had forgotten the original so substituted 123. Rest of message header is correct].
At the bottom of the notes, which illustrated part extraction of a message from an OTP a name was stated with no explanation. It was Professor Hugh George Hambleton. [Also displayed were two pages of an OTP, a battery and talc container with secret compartments to hide OTPs and some microdots supported in a glass slide].
After some email correspondence with another E2k member I discovered that Prof HH was in fact a KGB spy, 1950's vintage who was later arrested by the British in 1982. [SeeENIGMA* Newsletter 9, page 42 for D’s piece on this equipment, HH and X06 and other polytones. *Not ENIGMA 2000 ].
However, I had previously seen the device in question on TV news on a Friday night in 1982/3.
The newscaster then described it as 'nothing that had been seen in the West before'. That made me laugh then because I had [and still have] a device, of very similar dimensions that decodes Morse, TTY and ASCII with some real efficiency and has a better display than KGB technicians provided HH with.
Two views of the MBA-RO Reader: Morse, RTTY and ASCII, an excellent product from America.
©ENIGMA200030/01/05
[Was purchased in 1982 and still works today].
Professor Hugh George Hambleton was an economist from Canada who, it transpired, had worked for NATO. During this time he had used that position to provide his KGB masters with information, such as that of expected oil reserves in the event of war. Whilst in Canada the authorities apparently uncovered what he was doing but he suffered no retribution. That is until he stopped off in Great Britain on his way to a holiday in Spain. He was arrested and after a trial was sentenced to ten years in gaol.
Whether he served the full term or was kicked out after only a few years with a new identity is not known. Obviously if anyone knows please contact E2k and spill the beans!
Is it actually a secret how it’s really done? In researching the above, on receipt of the members letter, an image of the Luminiere was found on page 65 in a book entitled ‘The Intelligence War: Penetrating the Secret World,’ by Col William V Kennedy.
Also in the same picture were two bottles referred to as chemicals used for secret writing. The label was not easily read but with the help of a 6x loupe the label was read on one as ‘Potassium Iodide’. I couldn’t read the other label but I have an idea that it would read ‘Soluble Starch.’ KI is an indicator when starch is present [or vice versa]. Write your letter with a solution of soluble starch – its odourless – and allow to properly dry. The recipient merely paints the page with a 0.5% solution of KI. [It would be more positive if the KI soln is mixed 1:1 with Iodine solution.
So there you have it. The same image showed a special pad that HH used to write secret messages on. I immediately thought of impregnated paper, but then drying paper would distort the fibres noticeably. I reckon the paper used was absorbent and not prone to distortion on drying.
Anyone who has done a British Army ‘Escape & Evasion’ exercise will know how it ends - even if you are one of the very small percentage that actually make it to the Final RV. You end up face down, plasticuffed with a hood over your head. Next, you receive a bit of the kicking – the extent of your kicking depends upon if they think you are an officer, which unit you are with & who has captured you. Nothing too serious, just some sore ribs for a few days to remind you that you were ‘captured’.
Now, it seems to me that in a vain attempt to pursue their thinly veiled political agenda, the International Committee of the Red Cross has made yet more spurious complaints to the Ministry of Defence with regard to the treatment of prisoners captured during the double ambush incident on the road between al-Majar al-Kabir & al-Amara.
If you recall, supporters of Muslim cleric, Hojatoleslam Moqtada al-Sadr tried to ambush a patrol of the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. When support was called in from the Household Cavalry & 1st Bn PWRR, a second ground tried to ambush the reinforcements. In a bitter hand to hand fight, the Jocks & Toms fixed bayonets & carried the night in close quarter fighting.
Firstly, the MoD has seen fit to deny that any of the terrorists were killed with bayonets…why? The bayonet is a legitimate infantry weapon & not banned under any convention. There is absolutely nothing wrong with giving some TERRORIST the ‘taste of cold British steel’. Why the appeasement? What is the point? Frankly, I would have thought that it should be stressed to all terrorists actual & potential, that British soldiers are not afraid to get out of their AFV’s & press home an attack – right up to the point where it becomes ‘up close & personal’. Whilst they might not fear infantry driving past in a Warrior IFV, 150lbs of fighting mad Jock, coming out of the night, hollowing highland battle cries & trying to impale them with his bayonet might persuade one or two that the prudent course of action might be to stay at home from a quite game of bridge.
Secondly, the ICRC has seen fit to complain that some of the captured were ‘hooded’. You don’t say…how terrible…what base beasts…what a load of old codswallop! So let us look at the facts here. These TERRORISTS, tried to ambush coalition forces.
Then a seconded group of TERRORISTS tied to ambush supporting troops. Most of the TERRORISTS got themselves martyred (at not inconsiderable cost to the British taxpayer & not inconsiderable inconvenience to British forces). Obeying the terms of the Geneva Convention, nine TERRORISTS were taken prisoner, possibly because they were making clear their intention to surrender having decided not to become martyrs that night. Now, some ‘witnesses’ say that some of the TERRORISTS that were spared were hooded as they were put on to vehicles…please!!
I am delighted that the ICRC has solved human rights abuses out all over the world that it has time & money to devote to utter rubbish like this. Forget want Arab gangs are doing in Sudan – clearly the Zimbabwe situation has sorted itself out – as for Burma, clearly everyone in happily playing croquet these days. For the Red Cross to be worried about this is simply mind boggling – the fact the government & the MoD is even listening to them is even more astounding – surely the Red Cross have something better to do that peddle this sort of rubbish?
However, the lesson is clear & has been re-learnt. Recall if you will a little unpleasantness in Gibraltar a few years ago when Irish TERRORISTS got became martyrs to the cause, while trying to car-bomb the place. If you remember, at the absurd inquest that was held, Soldier A or B or whatever he was called, was asked why he had shot Shamus O’Murdering Carbomber thirteen times. He replied that thirteen rounds was all that his magazine held! There is the answer, if there are no TERRORISTS left standing at the end to the night, there is no one to run whining to the Red Cross. If we don’t kill these swine, the next thing you know the Red Cross will be complaining that they weren’t read their rights or denied access to a lawyers or some other idiotic so-called human rights inspired nonsense.
[See the original on http://www.fmft.net/archives/cat_military.html]
Tnx AnonMW
The nocturnal surfing of HJH has brought these tasty morsels to the fore for the immediate edification of ENIGMA 2000 readers everywhere. Now if you’re sitting comfortably……..
From across the pond comes news of a decision to drop charges against one of Area 51's most persistent self-appointed investigators, namely, Chuck Clark, a 58 year old amateur astronomer (I wonder, does our hobby make any of us amateur Intel. agents- Nope, didn't think so!)
Having been charged in 2003 with one count of "maliciously interfering with a communications system which was used in national defence". (The equipment concerned was part of the highly sophisticated monitoring system which surrounds the US Airforce top secret base at Area 51.) he has just had the charge dropped, and here's what happened.
Apparently, part of the perimeter defence system of this base consists of buried units, which have a small antenna projecting above ground. These units are, presumably, seismic monitoring devices. Clark is a well-known "investigator " of this base, and with a fellow "base watcher", one Joerg Arnu, began to locate and map every sensor which they could locate. They used a portable frequency counter to locate these units. They located and dug up a total of 40 of these units, having used the frequency counter to home in on their radio transmissions. Having recorded the 3-digit code of each unit, they then replanted the boxes. Estimates as to the total of these seismic sensors vary between 75 to 100. Each is clearly marked "US Government Property."
Some are, allegedly, planted well outside the official perimeter line of Area 51.
Following the removal of one of these units, Mr. Clark's trailer home.(US Speak for caravan or mobile home) was "visited" by representatives of a law enforcement agency, and he was later served with the felony writ mentioned earlier. The case has now been settled, part of the settlement being a total ban on Clark tampering with the sensor units, or breaking the law in any way. Seems like he got off lightly, having regard to the proliferation of signs surrounding Area 51 telling "visitors" not to enter, and that "deadly force" is authorised.(This means they can be killed.) He was also bound by a court order to advise the court of his whereabouts at all times. Sounds as though he got off lightly. Had he or his fellow "anorak" been shot and killed, they would not have survived to complain about this. And you thought Brits were stupid!
Not much gets past the eagle (albeit a trifle bloodshot!) eye of the E2K WATCH Desk. Which is more than can be said for the unfortunate person responsible for the Cyberslip which resulted in the release of information to the “controversial” Dutch web site”GEEN STIJL.” (Dutch for “NO STYLE”) The security classification is, in the loser’s own words, “Highly Classified”. So, who is the loser? Apart from the poor guy/guyess who made the fatal slip on the keyboard, none other than the Royal Dutch Mareechausee. This is a branch of the Dutch Armed Forces responsible for, amongst other things, Border Guard duties. (Not that they can complain of overwork in THAT department, given the lamentable state of affairs, which the EEC has thrust, upon the member nations of that pathetic organisation.) From the outset, let me say I have nothing but respect for the men and women of the Dutch unit concerned, as, I am sure, have all BAOR squaddies past and present who encountered them on countless boat train trips to and from UK. Always good-humoured, they were a help to many a travelling Brit who had taken on a good load of “Amstel.” So, what makes this slip so serious?
Quite simply, the content of the information. The documents, said to total at least 75, and this author has no doubt that the total is a conservative (small “c”) estimate, contained, amongst other information, classified telephone numbers and conversation transcripts which had been obtained by wiretap. An undisclosed Dutch source says the information surfaced on a P2P site, perhaps Kazaa. One theory is that the documents were being worked on at home by a member of the DRM, and that he inadvertently shared them with the rest of the world and his dog! Yeah, and somewhere Elvis lives, and that really WAS a B 17 on the moon!
GEEN STIJL has stated that they will cooperate fully with the inevitable enquiry, and that they will not release the documents. (Neither, the author is firmly convinced, will they record the details for posterity!) It is to be hoped that this is a genuine error, and not just a way for someone who does not have the best interests of the Dutch Border Guards at heart to scupper ongoing investigations.
This has done no favours for the Dutch prosecutors office. Last year, a senior Dutch prosecutor resigned after throwing out his old PC with the household trash. Was it for contravening some new green directive from the Brusselsbunker? No Sireee Bob, the hard drive on the PC concerned contained not only the unfortunate lawyers credit card details, social security number, and personal tax files, but also hundreds of pages of classified information with details of ongoing high profile criminal cases. And you thought the Crown Prosecution Service recruited dummies! Read it and weep, guys!
In the USA, it would seem, the lines between terrorism and good old honest normal crime are already becoming hazy, if not eradicated completely. In a recent (Story posted 12/01/05) case before a federal judge in New York State, a ruling has been made which will, this author would imagine, have the "we know our rights brigade" longing for the days when, it seemed, nothing the police or law enforcement agencies did, was right.
So what was this earth-shaking event? Robert Moran, who has law offices in Rome (that's New York, guys, NOT Italy!) as well as connections to a Hell's Angel chapter with strong links to the drug world, was under investigation by law enforcement officers (agency unspecified).
Due to the notoriously close knit nature of groups of this nature, the investigators ruled out normal infiltration techniques, opting, instead, for placing a Global Positioning Bug (GPS) on the car of Moran.
His movements were duly monitored using this kit, and he was arrested a month later on drugs charges. These actions were challenged, and the federal judge mentioned previously, gave judgement that no warrant was required for this action.
It was held that the appellant had no expectation of privacy in the whereabouts of his vehicle on a public highway.
It seems that in the land of the free, more and more courts are coming to decisions of this nature. So there you go guys. There's just one ocean to cross before it gets here, and if this author remembers correctly, both Mr. and Mrs. Blair were barristers in a previous incarnation. (You know, that's the same Mrs. Blair with links to a law firm helping, amongst others, asylum seekers with "human rights issues").
There' a few guys in HM Forces (not all of whom are still above ground) who could have done with some of that!
So there you go, as the GPS man would say, you pay your money, and you pick your satellite. Serious as drugs and the related crimes are, it’s one more step down than terrorism, although the two are closely related.
One wonders how many Social Security investigators will be gleefully slapping GPS on cars outside the Benefits offices for the same reasons? You got it from E2K first, guys! [And all Gerry Adams claims he got in his car was a standard bug]!
And that could be sooner than some think, if what has popped up on the trusty workstation of HJH is true. A source in DEFENSETECH.ORG has an online account that states that it is no secret that the US military is low on ammunition. (Bet the LAPD and SFPD wish the same could be said for the juve gangs on their respective patches! And nearer to home it just has to have those in Trident wishing the same)! Accounts have appeared in foreign press reports (sadly, no source given) that the American military are considering buying ammunition from Taiwan.
Taiwan's United Evening News has run a story, according to which, the Pentagon is considering the purchase of 300 million rounds of 5.56mm-calibre ammunition. The usual undisclosed source has stated that this is the first proposed purchase by the USA from the Defence Department of Taiwan. The same undisclosed source is further quoted as saying that Taiwan is seeking only to cover the cost of production in this deal. He/she goes on to say that any profit made would go to factory expenses. (Here, readers can add their own thoughts. Those of this author tend towards company cars such as Rolls Royce, BMW, and other run of the mill vehicles. (Bet the same won't hold true for any guidance systems for Patriot, Shrike, or Harpoon missiles which a grateful Pentagon orders from same said source!)
The ammunition manufacturing plant specified in this report, is Plant 205 at Kaoshiung. Due to the long spell of peace (?) in this area, there is, reportedly, a large surplus and storage problem at this plant. One year ago, a similar report was in circulation, but in that report the potential outsourcer was in Israel. Wonder what al Jazeera would have made of THAT one!
This brings back to the memory of this author, (and doubtless to any others) who served in the late 70s, and early 80s, the notorious "curry puffs" which, at that time, the British Army had, apparently, acquired from India or Pakistan.
The load was such that on many occasions, the recoil was insufficient to obtain a recock. The author's personal weapon at that time, when on duty with a Reserve unit which shall remain nameless, was a 9mm. Browning Hi power pistol. Stoppages occurred on many occasions on the range with this ammunition.
To return to the stated intent of the seemingly generous plant intending to recover only the manufacturing costs, is it too cynical to believe they could have their eye on the possibility of future vast expenditure of 5.56 rounds when/if we (a term the author uses advisedly) try to bring Iran back into the fold. Wonder what other weapons take 5.56?
Any old "Green Jackets" want to help on this one? Dust off your flack jackets guys, it's coming up showtime!!! [Is this 5.56 actually any good? Yours truly used a SA80 and LSW at a place that shall remain unmentioned. Personally much preferred the 7.62 SLR. Now there’s a real showstopper and shoulder breaker with an incorrectly adjusted gas plug]!
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