Rudyard Kipling"
āWhen you're left wounded on Afganistan's plains and
the women come out to cut up what remains, Just roll to your rifle
and blow out your brains,
And go to your God like a soldierā
General Douglas MacArthur"
āWe are not retreating. We are advancing in another direction.ā
āIt is fatal to enter any war without the will to win it.ā āOld soldiers never die; they just fade away.
āThe soldier, above all other people, prays for peace, for he must suffer and be the deepest wounds and scars of war.ā
āMay God have mercy upon my enemies, because I won't .ā āThe object of war is not to die for your country but to make the other bastard die for his.
āNobody ever defended, there is only attack and attack and attack some more.
āIt is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died. Rather we should thank God that such men lived.
The Soldier stood and faced God
Which must always come to pass
He hoped his shoes were shining
Just as bright as his brass
"Step forward you Soldier,
How shall I deal with you?
Have you always turned the other cheek?
To My Church have you been true?"
"No, Lord, I guess I ain't
Because those of us who carry guns
Can't always be a saint."
I've had to work on Sundays
And at times my talk was tough,
And sometimes I've been violent,
Because the world is awfully rough.
But, I never took a penny
That wasn't mine to keep.
Though I worked a lot of overtime
When the bills got just too steep,
The Soldier squared his shoulders and said
And I never passed a cry for help
Though at times I shook with fear,
And sometimes, God forgive me,
I've wept unmanly tears.
I know I don't deserve a place
Among the people here.
They never wanted me around
Except to calm their fears.
If you've a place for me here,
Lord, It needn't be so grand,
I never expected or had too much,
But if you don't, I'll understand."
There was silence all around the throne
Where the saints had often trod
As the Soldier waited quietly,
For the judgment of his God.
"Step forward now, you Soldier,
You've borne your burden well.
Walk peacefully on Heaven's streets,
You've done your time in Hell."
May God Bless Malaysia and all of us who are Malaysians. May we share our joys and aspirations together that we truely create the Bangsa Malaysia that looks elusive.
In this image released by the Israeli Defense Force the crew of Israel's Dolphin submarine, stand on deck during a ceremony Sunday, July 25, 1999 between Crete and Cyprus in the Mediterranean Sea, commemorating the 69 crew members of the Israeli submarine Dakar which sank here in 1968. With the purchase of two more German-made Dolphin submarines, Israel is sending a clear message to Iran that it can strike back if attacked by nuclear weapons, military experts said Thursday, Aug. 24, 2006.(AP Photo/IDF)
JERUSALEM -- With the purchase of two more German-made Dolphin submarines capable of carrying nuclear warheads, military experts say Israel is sending a clear message to Iran that it can strike back if attacked by nuclear weapons.
The latest submarines not only would be able to carry out a first strike should Israel choose to do so, but they also would provide Israel with crucial second-strike capabilities.
Israel is already believed to have that ability in the form of the Jericho-1 and Jericho-2 nuclear-capable ballistic missiles, which are buried so far underground they would survive a nuclear strike.David Menashri, an Israeli expert on Iran, said Tehran is clearly determined to obtain nuclear weapons and "the purchase of additional Dolphin submarines by Israel is a small footnote in this context."
"The Iranians would be very foolish if they attacked Israel". Israel, operating on a policy of nuclear ambiguity, has never confirmed or denied whether it has nuclear weapons. It is believed, however, to have the world's sixth-largest stockpile of atomic arms, including hundreds of warheads. The source in full....
I love the Frogs, they de-stress me and tickle me pink, especially when they back paddle out of shit creek. I have someone to legitimately bash without qualms. So far, look for them on the sidelines. THROUGHOUT this summer's crisis in relations between Israel and Lebanon, France has been liberal with its advice and admonitions, as befits the major power it claims to be. Now that the time has arrived to assume the responsibility of a major power, however, France appears suddenly bashful. The consequence for the peace deal it helped broker could be calamitous.
During the fighting that began when Hezbollah crossed into Israel to kidnap two soldiers and kill several others, France pressed for Israel to cease its military actions. At one point, it supported Arab demands that Israel withdraw before an international force was in place. Just this week, France's foreign minister was telling Israel to end its blockade of Lebanese ports and airports. Continue to the Washington Post Article.
Anyone in his right mind thinks that the toothless UN is effective ?No way Jose !! Hizbollah mourners on a funeral parade shoved aside anti-tank barriers at a United Nations base in Lebanon yesterday in a demonstration of their new political strength. The party had been told it would be allowed to bury three "martyrs" at the Naqoura town cemetery inside the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (Unifil) compound, but only if there was no flag-waving or political sloganising.
When the chanting procession, several hundred strong, reached the gates, it found the way barred by cruci-form steel tank traps. Mourners argued with the French guards, but failed to gain entry. Read on to the Telegraph.I bet you it will be back to war. Youāll Never Confuse George W. Bush for a Frenchman. The United States is not just the worldās sole superpower, it is the worldās only responsible power.Consider the recent action related to a peacekeeping force taking control of southern Lebanon from Hezbollah. France initially agreed with the United States on a United Nations resolution creating an international force that would operate with robust rules of engagement to confront the terrorist guerrilla group. When the Arabs balked, France insisted that the rules of engagement be made considerably vaguer. Since France was going to lead the force, the U.S. deferred to Paris, which has subsequently said that it will contribute only 200 combat engineers to the force because ... the rules on engagement are so vague.
This is a spectacularly bald-faced diplomatic double-cross that makes one wonder if Secretary of State Condi Rice was wearing a āKick Meā sign when she voted for the resolution in New York. Continue to article by Rich Lowry
Like W S Gilbert's cowardly policemen in The Pirates of Penzance, Europe's prospective peacekeepers have decided that "a policeman's lot is not a happy one". Europe's serious exercise in peacekeeping led to the massacre of Bosnian Muslims at Srebrenica, when Dutch soldiers turned over Muslims in their charge to Serb death squads.
France offers no more than 200 engineers to join the peacekeeping force that the United Nations Security Council has mandated as a buffer on the Israeli-Lebanese border. The last time French peacekeepers ventured into Lebanon, a Hezbollah suicide bomber killed 58 paratroopers. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has appealed to Italy to lead the 15,000-strong UN force. The last time an Italian army confronted a well-armed and determined force in the region, at the Ethiopian battle of Adwa in 1896, the Italians suffered 70% casualties. Continue to Spengler's article in the Asia Times.
Ten days ago this newspaper praised Franceās efforts to find a realistic formula for ending the fighting in Lebanon. We did so in the belief that France stood ready to lead a āmuscularā UN force of 15,000, mandated and equipped to assist the Lebanese Army to dismantle Hezbollahās armed militias south of the Litani river.
We were perplexed when, with the unanimous passage of UN Resolution 1701 early this week, French diplomats appeared to be backing away from the idea that UN forces should help to disarm Hezbollah. We urged Franceās leaders to follow the logic of a strategy for stabilising Lebanon that, long before Hezbollah precipitated the latest crisis, France had worked energetically to set in motion. Instead, the strategy has stalled. Continue reading to the Times on line article.
The UN wants to go toothless again with this new mandate !!
Saturday, August 19, 2006
Annan says U.N. won't 'wage war'. UNITED NATIONS - Secretary-General Kofi Annan appealed to U.N. member states to provide desperately needed U.N. peacekeeping troops for Lebanon and assured them the U.N. force would not "wage war" on Israel, Lebanon, or Hezbollah militants. "It is not expected to achieve by force what must be realized through negotiation and an internal Lebanese consensus," Annan said in a report to the U.N. Security Council on implementation of the Aug. 11 resolution calling for an end to the Israeli-Hezbollah conflict.
So what's the point of deploying if you do not want to enforce, "Peace keeping" ? France faced criticism in the European press for not offering more troops for Southern Lebanon, which was seen as jeopardizing the UN force's difficult task of imposing peace. The Times of London said, accusing Paris in an editorial ofbacking down from earlier indications that it was ready to play the leading role in the enlarged UN force.Also this bit, while it said France was prepared to command the enlarged force, it also called for safety guarantees for its soliders before making further commitments. The Frogs want safety gurantees !!! If you want to think that the Frogs can successfully lead the UN, think again ! They do not want to put their lives on the line for peace.
They have never successfully waged war aginst anyone with the exception of their own citizens. French Revolution- Won, primarily due the fact that the opponent was also French. These will be the nutjobs, the poor unfortunate Malaysian Troops will be placed under command. In Bosnia air cover was provided by NATO and the Malaysians were under a British Mechanized Brigade. In Somalia the US provided close air support. This is indeed food for thought.
Famed turtle virtually extinct in Malaysia.Not virtually extinct. There are large numbers off the coast of Sarawak. There are two islands which are turtle sanctuaries. Hundreds if not thousands come and lay eggs during the nesting season. That was in the late 80s. It was protected by the soldiers who rotated on operations based in Semantan, as it acted as a HQ for all other areas. I used to observe them. The water are so very clear that you can see the coral 30 feet below.
Currently the three islands of Pulau Talang-Talang Besar, Pulau Talang-Talang Kecil, and Pulau Satang Besar are restricted areas under the above Sarawak state government rules. The rules state that no vessel, other than a government vessel on official duty, shall enter within half a nautical mile of the low watermark of the above three islands, except with a permit granted by, or on behalf of, the Turtle's Board.
It is a 50-minute boat ride with 40hp outboard motors, we used to chase Indonesian fishing boats in that area or our local boats and fire across their bows. They usually fled. The 3rdBrigade Commander Brigadier General Adam used to accompany us for visits on weekends, he was a frequent visitor, as that area was an angler's paradise. The version sent to Malaysiakini for publication, subscription required.
An interesting take on the war preparedness of the Israelis from theHaaretz.
In the difficult summer of 2006, the State of Israel is declaring in astonishment: They surprised us. They surprised us in a big way. They surprised us with Katyushas and they surprised us with the Al-Fajr rockets and they surprised us with the Zelzal missiles. They surprised us with anti-tank missiles. And they surprised us with the operational skill of the anti-tank squads. They surprised us with the bunkers and the camouflage. They surprised us with the command and monitoring. They surprised us with strategy, fighting ability and a fighting spirit. They surprised us with the astonishing power that a small death-army with low technology and high religious motivation can have.
However, more than they surprised us in Summer 2006 with the strength of Hezbollah, they surprised us this summer with our own weakness. They surprised us with ourselves. They surprised us with the low level of national leadership. They surprised us with scandalous strategic bumbling. They surprised us with the lack of vision, lack of creativity and lack of determination on the part of the senior military command. They surprised us with faulty intelligence and a delusionary logistical network and improper preparedness for war. They surprised us with the fact that the Israeli war machine is not what it once was. While we were celebrating it became rusty. Continue reading to the source......
On the first day of school in 2004, a Chechen terrorist group struck the Russian town of Beslan. Targeting children, they took more than eleven hundred hostages. The attack represented a horrifying innovation in human brutality. Here, an extraordinary accounting of the experience of terror in the age of terrorism.
SEPTEMBER 1. AFTERNOON. THE GYM. Kazbek Misikov stared at the bomb hanging above his family. It was a simple device, a plastic bucket packed with explosive paste, nails, and small metal balls. It weighed perhaps eight pounds. The existence of this bomb had become a central focus of his life. If it exploded, Kazbek knew, it would blast shrapnel into the heads of his wife and two sons, and into him as well, killing them all. Continue to the seven page feature story in the Esquire.....
Insertion was done on foot, it took us a night of forced marching, the distance covered was 21 miles. We were cold, whenever we stopped, as the wind blew into our already soaked clothing, with sweat. Everyone was reminded to have a drink now and then, the weather being cold compared to the Malaysian climate.
Above : Resting before the march, the Officer on the ground beside me is the Liasion Officer, Lieutenant Abdul El-Yusoffe an ethnic Lebanese. The rest are signallers and umpires attached to the Malaysian contingent. Click on image to enlarge.
One will not realise how thirsty one is, due to the cold. The Aussies who were attached to us, always looked very comfortable with the weather except for us Malaysians. The insertion was done at night, we had to be careful as no lights were used, especially when were crossed dry river streams which had bridges made of pipes with gaps, to prevent cattle from wandering off. This exercise was a counter insurgency exercise and called "Exercise Black Adder". I hate snakes.
It was towards the end of winter and snakes hibernate. Once we reached the location we based up, into an all round defence position. Later as we moved up after running into some of the exercise "enemy", engaging them and destroying them at will, it was time to base up. It was a very nice spot, all the platoons were located at different areas. The area I moved into was a very nice spot, there was a log. In Malaysia snakes normally slither away as quick as they can, when they see human beings or sense them approaching. In Australia they stay put especially when they are hibernating. I plopped my butt on the log, one of my soldiers who was little bit observant was gesticulating at me. Guess he did not want me to panic. There, not far from me was one big fat snake, in the hollow of the log. It was yellowish, mingled with the brown of the log and the dead leaves. It was a "Tiger Snake". We had earier gone through the book of snakes in Australia, They have the most deadly snakes in the World.
Left : The deadly Tiger Snake. Click on image to enlarge. This snake is the one most likely to be trodden on as it does not escape when it first detects human footfalls approaching.
My principle in life is simple, kill any snake that crosses my path or is near me. I told the soldier to kill it. My soldier took out his entrenching tool and swung at it. It took up the attack position on the first hit, the entrenching tool virtually bounced off it, on the first hit. It's mouth opened, it was yellowish. Another soldier joined in with his entrenching tool. The Australian Officer who was acting as our liasion came running and said, "Sir, you are killing our wild life", with a shocked tone in his voice. To which most of us in one resounding voice told him to "F*&^% Off !!!!" We also told him that we kill ours and continued striking until it was totally killed.
From the Past - From the Straits Times Singapore, Friday December 28 1956
Friday, August 11, 2006
Malay Private defied 30 Bandits Single Handed. One of the worst Emergency incidents is ābolt from the blueā. 8 die in ambush. THREE WOUNDED: ONE IS VICTIMāS SON. Reds attack in āWhiteā area.
Left : An armoured jungle patrol during the Emergency, click on image to enlarge.
Bentong, Thursday. In a deadly surprise ambush in a White Area 30 miles of here a terrorist gang yesterday killed 8 men of the 6th Bn., Royal Malay Regiment and wounded 3 other people. It was one of the worst incidents of the Emergency. A British NCO, Staff Sergeant William E.M Harris and a Malay Officer Captain Shukor bin Chik were among the dead. Sgt. Harrisās 14 year old son Arnold was slightly wounded.
Left : Newspaper cutting, click on image to enlarge.
He was found beside his fatherās wrecked Land Rover by an Officer of the 2/6 Gurkhas, Major A.M Morrison who was the first person to arrive at the ambush scene 45 minutes after it occurred. Men of the 2/6 Gurkhas and Home Guards have begun a follow up. Continued here......
Like many Malaysians, I was very disturbed when I heard that someone had pepper-sprayed you. It made me think of the hundreds or thousands of Malaysians sprayed on with mace from the water cannons of the Royal Malaysian Police during your premiership and even till this day. Continue here to Malaysiakini's letters column....
Donāt do drugs, rob or kill, says national warrior
Kanang,61, is the only living national warrior. He was awarded the Seri Pahlawan Gagah Perkasa medal (SP) and the Panglima Gagah Berani medal (PGB) for his bravery as a soldier.
A ranger known for living by the Iban war cry Agi Idup Agi Ngalaban (Fight for as long as youāre alive), Kanang recalled the time he served in the Armed Forces and fought to defend the sovereignty of the country, especially against the communist threat. Continued here........
Left : Preparing a defensive position, the laying of obstacles, all of us are covered by mud, exposed to all the elements.
The Young Officers Tactics Course was held in Kota Belud, Sabah. We were the pioneers. The infrastructure was the barest of minimum. As they were being constructed as we were arriving. We were accomodated in zinc huts. It was virtually an oven due to the intense heat during the day.
The Army Combat Training Centre was full up in Ulu Tiram to conduct this course as it was traditionally done there. The person in charge of of our lives was Lt Col Amir Baharuddin who nicknamed himself as "Amir Gontor Kampar Putra". He commanded 23 Royal Malay Regiment before he took up this appointment. He left the service as a Major General.
Left : Forming lines for breakfast, which was bread, with margarine or "kaya" and an egg, if we were lucky, the "RM5" quick mee (noodles) per packet. The drink was sickeningly sweet coffee or some chocolate drink. Nothing to look forward too. We used to buy "Maggi quick mee" from the canteen. We ripped the pack open, placed it in our mess tins, poured water into it and left the mess tin in the sun for it to cook. It got cooked ! That was the intensity of the heat. When we dug, sparks used to fly as sometimes we struck hard rock. Life was miserable, the camarderie great and priceless.
There was no proper water supply, if there was water it was pumped directly from the river, we were very vulnerable to water borne diseases. We set up teams to boil water all night for use the following day, we did not have the luxury of mineral water those days. Plain clean water was hard to come by for us, young officers. Toilets without water were normally clogged up, we had to make do, digging with shovels at night, for 6 months !
Going on an exercise with a bad hangover. Our assembly area was in Camp Bau or sometimes known as Camp "Tasik Biru", which was the base of 10th Rangers, commanded by Lt Col Robert Rizal PGB. 10th Rangers has been disbanded and no more in existence except in memories. We moved from our base , which was in Simanggang, our camp was known as "Camp Pakit". The previous night on the eve of the exercise we had our former 2IC visiting from Mindef. He was holding the appointment of SO2A, he was Major Abdul Razak. All of us sucked up to him. He was in charge of postings for the Corps of Rangers. That's why !
The guys you see in the image here from left to right is Lt. Zainee Sulaiman from my home town, his aunty was my "Bahasa Malaysia" tutor when I was a kid. He lived across the road which separated the estate and the kampong. He left the service as a Captain, currently self employed with two lovely daughters and a son. We stay in touch. The guy beside him is me. After that is Lt Fuad, who too left the service as a Captain. Immediately beside him is Major Saad, my OC. Who is now a pensioner, staying in Bukit Ajil in Terengganu. Do not mention the name as Major Saad if you are looking for him, he is known as "Man Major" to the locals who are his neighbours now. A very nice place, he has built for himself and his family. His house is in an orchard. The next person with the very short hair and the Fu Manchu moustache is Major Jain anak Sumor. He too has left the service, currently with Dewan Bandaraya Kuching. The next guy with the helmet, a very jovial and a very good friend is the late Major Raguvello. He left the service as a Major, worked in Selangor Club. Died in a car accident, may he rest in peace. The guy in the 3/4 ton Volvo facing the camera is Corporal Sazali, who left the service as a Staff Sergeant. We were about to move into the exercise area. Click on image to enlarge.
I recently managed to contact Major Chan Weng Poh, a nephew of my late classmate Major Chan Boon Thien, he too died in a car accident. Major Chan Weng Poh's contact details have been added to the Directory, he is currently serving in Sabah.
