WASHINGTON — The Navy says a three-star admiral was notified Wednesday that he has been relieved of duty as second-in-command at the military organization that oversees all U.S. nuclear forces. He is under investigation in a gambling matter.
The Navy's top spokesman, Rear Adm. John Kirby, said that Vice Adm. Tim Giardina will drop in rank to two-star admiral as a consequence of being removed from his position at U.S. Strategic Command.
Giardina is being reassigned to the Navy staff pending the outcome of a Naval Criminal Investigative Service probe of allegations that he used counterfeit gambling chips at a casino in Iowa, not far from his base in eastern Nebraska.
The removal of such a high-ranking commander of nuclear forces is extremely rare in the U.S. military.
http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/227122631.html
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Russian's To Deploy More S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler) Mobile Surface-to-Air Missile Systems around Moscow
According to multiple sources, the Russian Federation Armed Forces will deploy an additional S-400 regiment in the Moscow region. Thus bringing the total count in the Moscow region to three regiments and an overall count of nine deployed battalions over various regions in Russia.
According to Russian Federation Armed Forces the S-400 is Anti-Intercontinental Ballistic Missile and Anti-Cruise Missile capable.
Russia – 72 units (9 battalions)
Moscow region
In Dmitrov 210th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment 2 battalions.
In Electrostal 606th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment 2 battalions.
1 battalion in the Western Military District Kaliningrad.
2 battalion in the Eastern Military District Nakhodka.
2 battalion in the Southern Military District Novorossiysk.
Moscow region
In Dmitrov 210th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment 2 battalions.
In Electrostal 606th Anti-Aircraft Rocket Regiment 2 battalions.
1 battalion in the Western Military District Kaliningrad.
2 battalion in the Eastern Military District Nakhodka.
2 battalion in the Southern Military District Novorossiysk.
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
S-400 Triumf (SA-21 Growler)
Surface-to Air Missile/Anti-Missile System
Range: 250mi (400km)
Altitude: 10,000ft. (30km)
Wednesday, May 29, 2013
US PEDV Outbreak?!
Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus, or PEDV, has been confirmed in the U.S., and the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory at Kansas State University is ready to accept samples for diagnostic testing.
Laboratory testing is the only known way to diagnose the virus. The diagnostic laboratory has assembled a team of virologists, molecular diagnosticians and pathologists to rapidly identify the virus.
The U.S. Department of Ag confirmed last week that the virus had been found for the first time in the U.S. The virus is a production-related disease and is associated with outbreaks of diarrhea and vomiting in swine, similar to transmissible gastroenteritis virus.
PEDV only affects pigs and is not zoonotic, so it poses no threat to humans or food safety.
Cases of the pig disease have been confirmed in Indiana and Iowa. Although these are the first cases in the U.S., the virus exists in many parts of the world – including a mild form in Europe and a severe form in China.
“Emergence of this disease in our naive pig population has the potential for significant economic impact,” says Kelli Almes, veterinary pathologist and director of client services at the Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory. “Timely recognition of clinical signs with confirmatory diagnostic testing will be critical for our veterinary community and the producers they serve.”
The Kansas State Veterinary Diagnostic Laboratory is working closely with swine veterinarians to proactively monitor and track disease in the field. The laboratory provides high-quality diagnostic testing and is the only laboratory in the state of Kansas to be accredited by the American Association of Veterinary Laboratory Diagnosticians.
Producers are encouraged to work with their veterinarians, who can send samples to KSVDL, 1800 Denison Ave., Manhattan, KS 66506. These samples should be shipped in the same manner as all other diagnostic specimens while being diligent about adequate biosecurity and disinfection, which is imperative to prevent spread of this virus. For questions, contact the laboratory at 866-512-5650 or email at clientcare@vet.k-state.edu.
Interesting...especially when you consider a few things.
Disease defense has been at the forefront of the USDA and CDC efforts since their establishment. Additionally, Biological Weapons Defense, including Anti-Animal Bio-Agents has been at the forefront of US National Defense since the beginning of the Second World War in the 1940's, as well as has been a main concern of Homeland Security since 2002.
(Below is a list of projects, facilities, and operations centered on defense and testing of biological warfare and disease defense. This compilation is to demonstrate the concern, knowledge and severity of this long standing threat as posed against the US as a weapon by an aggressor or terror groups)
Projects:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Whitecoat
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Big_Buzz
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Big_Itch
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Dark_Winter
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Dew
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Drop_Kick
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_LAC
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Magic_Sword
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_112
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Bacchus
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Clear_Vision
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Project_Jefferson
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgewood_Arsenal_experiments
Facilities:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Horn_Island_Chemical_Warfare_Service_Quarantine_Station
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Army_Biological_Warfare_Laboratories
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granite_Peak_Installation
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/One-Million-Liter_Test_Sphere
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deseret_Test_Center
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dugway_Proving_Ground
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edgewood_Chemical_Activity
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blue_Grass_Army_Depot
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Detrick
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_Douglas,_Utah
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pine_Bluff_Arsenal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocky_Mountain_Arsenal
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vigo_Ordnance_Plant
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Centers_for_Disease_Control_and_Prevention
It is even more interesting when one find that China has recently purchased one of the US' largest pork manufacturing companies, Smithfield Foods.
China's Shuanghui International plans to buy Smithfield Foods Inc for $4.7 billion to feed a growing Chinese appetite for U.S. pork, but the proposed takeover of the world's No. 1 producer has stirred concern in the United States.
The transaction, announced on Wednesday, would rank as the largest Chinese takeover of a U.S. company, with an enterprise value of $7.1 billion, including debt assumption.
As it stands. the deal is the biggest Chinese play for a U.S. company since CNOOC Ltd offered to buy Unocal for about $18 billion in 2005. The state-controlled energy company later withdrew that bid under U.S. political pressure.
Like similar foreign transactions, the Smithfield deal will face the scrutiny of the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States, or CFIUS, a government panel that assesses national security risks.
And at least one member of Congress said the deal raised alarms about food safety, noting Shuanghui was forced to recall tainted pork in the past.
"I have deep doubts about whether this merger best serves American consumers and urge federal regulators to put their concerns first," U.S. Representative Rose DeLauro, a Democrat from Connecticut, said in a statement.
Shuanghui is already majority shareholder of Henan Shuanghui Investment & Development Co, China's largest meat processor. It would join forces with a company that has a worldwide herd of 1.09 million sows, according to industry data compiled by Successful Farming magazine.
The CFIUS review process comes at a time of sour relations between the United States and China over cross-border deals. In the latest irritant, a $20.1 billion bid by Japan's SoftBank Corp to control U.S. wireless carrier Sprint Nextel Corp has fanned fears of Chinese cyber-attacks against the United States.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/05/29/shuanghui-idUSL3N0EA2KH20130529
So how exactly did a disease that has not been seen in the US until now, with the capabilities to severely damage the US pork industry make it past the vast and enormous net of US agricultural agencies, biological defense network and homeland security?
Friday, May 10, 2013
Soviet...err, Russian Air Power
Russian strategic bombers conducted flights within the U.S. defense
zone close to northern Alaska and the Aleutian Islands last week in
Moscow’s latest incident of nuclear saber rattling against the United
States, according to defense and military officials.
Two Bear H nuclear-capable bombers were detected flying into the military’s Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) near the Aleutians, where a strategic missile defense radar is located, and Alaska’s North Slope region by the Arctic and Chukchi Seas on April 28 and 29, military officials told the Washington Free Beacon.
Lt. Cmdr. Bill Lewis, a spokesman with the U.S. Northern Command, confirmed the fighter intercept of the latest bomber incursion but declined to provide details.
“Two U.S. F-22′s from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, were launched and visually identified Russian aircraft on the night of April 28, as the Russian Air Force flew standard out of area flights near Alaska,” Lewis said.
More At: http://freebeacon.com/bears-buzz-alaska-again/
What's the year again? 2013 or 1980? Apparently Russia never got the memo, the "Cold War" ended...or maybe we didn't get the memo and the past 21 years was actually an arms build-up and the flames of the "Cold War" have been rekindled.
Here we sit, under sequestration, with a downsized, decrepit and worn out military from 12 years of war in the Mid-East. Mean while the United Socialist Soviet Republics...err, Russian Federation with it's leader former KGB Agent Vladimir Putin have been retooling and upgrading the matériel, hardware and munitions of the old Soviet republic and building newer ones.
An example:
Russian Federation's newest ICBM;
RT-2UTTKh Topol-M ICBM
Nato Reporting Name: SS-27 "Sickle B"
Date of Service: 1997-Present
Guidance System: Inertial with GLONASS (Russian GPS)
Warhead: Single 800 kt warhead or MIRV – 4 or 7 x 150–250 kt
Launch Platform: Silo, Mobile Launcher
Accuracy: 200m CEP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topol-M
United States Newest ICBM;
LGM-30 Minuteman III
Date of Service: 1970-Current
Guidance System: Inertial
Warhead: One 475kt W87
Launch Platform: Silo
Accuracy: 200m CEP
So as the Russian Federation is armed with newer systems and making even newer ones...we're armed with 1970's design systems, with less range, accuracy, warhead payload and a lesser guidance system.
Two Bear H nuclear-capable bombers were detected flying into the military’s Alaska Air Defense Identification Zone (ADIZ) near the Aleutians, where a strategic missile defense radar is located, and Alaska’s North Slope region by the Arctic and Chukchi Seas on April 28 and 29, military officials told the Washington Free Beacon.
Lt. Cmdr. Bill Lewis, a spokesman with the U.S. Northern Command, confirmed the fighter intercept of the latest bomber incursion but declined to provide details.
“Two U.S. F-22′s from Elmendorf Air Force Base, Alaska, were launched and visually identified Russian aircraft on the night of April 28, as the Russian Air Force flew standard out of area flights near Alaska,” Lewis said.
More At: http://freebeacon.com/bears-buzz-alaska-again/
What's the year again? 2013 or 1980? Apparently Russia never got the memo, the "Cold War" ended...or maybe we didn't get the memo and the past 21 years was actually an arms build-up and the flames of the "Cold War" have been rekindled.
Here we sit, under sequestration, with a downsized, decrepit and worn out military from 12 years of war in the Mid-East. Mean while the United Socialist Soviet Republics...err, Russian Federation with it's leader former KGB Agent Vladimir Putin have been retooling and upgrading the matériel, hardware and munitions of the old Soviet republic and building newer ones.
An example:
Russian Federation's newest ICBM;
RT-2UTTKh Topol-M ICBM
Nato Reporting Name: SS-27 "Sickle B"
Date of Service: 1997-Present
Guidance System: Inertial with GLONASS (Russian GPS)
Warhead: Single 800 kt warhead or MIRV – 4 or 7 x 150–250 kt
Launch Platform: Silo, Mobile Launcher
Accuracy: 200m CEP
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Topol-M
United States Newest ICBM;
LGM-30 Minuteman III
Date of Service: 1970-Current
Guidance System: Inertial
Warhead: One 475kt W87
Launch Platform: Silo
Accuracy: 200m CEP
So as the Russian Federation is armed with newer systems and making even newer ones...we're armed with 1970's design systems, with less range, accuracy, warhead payload and a lesser guidance system.
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
White Powder Subtance Found At Red Stone Arsenal
Could be edgy employee's, a possible test to the reaction of personnel by an external threat...false flag?
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (WHNT) – Workers in the Missile Defense Agency’s Von Braun III, Building 5224, were evacuated Tuesday morning after someone found a powdery substance.
Colonel John Hamilton, Garrison Commander of Redstone Arsenal, said an employee brought the substance in and it somehow spilled on the floor. The woman was taken to the hospital as a precaution but wasn’t showing any negative effects from it.
Another employee noticed it and called security.
Colonel Hamilton said forensic teams tested the substance and determined it to be non-toxic, but he did not specify what the substance was.
Colonel Hamilton said the Arsenal hopes to have everyone back in Building 5224 by Wednesday morning, but that is not confirmed yet.
Employees in the building were authorized an excused absence earlier in the day.
http://whnt.com/2013/04/30/building-evacuated-on-redstone-arsenal/
REDSTONE ARSENAL, Ala. (WHNT) – Workers in the Missile Defense Agency’s Von Braun III, Building 5224, were evacuated Tuesday morning after someone found a powdery substance.
Colonel John Hamilton, Garrison Commander of Redstone Arsenal, said an employee brought the substance in and it somehow spilled on the floor. The woman was taken to the hospital as a precaution but wasn’t showing any negative effects from it.
Another employee noticed it and called security.
Colonel Hamilton said forensic teams tested the substance and determined it to be non-toxic, but he did not specify what the substance was.
Colonel Hamilton said the Arsenal hopes to have everyone back in Building 5224 by Wednesday morning, but that is not confirmed yet.
Employees in the building were authorized an excused absence earlier in the day.
http://whnt.com/2013/04/30/building-evacuated-on-redstone-arsenal/
"Do Not Drink" order for hundreds in North GA, FBI investigating
Could this be another attack against our infrastructure?
This act is NOT just some prank by a couple of conniving youth looking for kicks on a Saturday night. No one local would break into the local treatment plant to alter the chemical settings to an unsafe level. My question is what level of complexity is the control system of the chemical treatment system.
(video at link)
CHATSWORTH, GA (WRCB) - Hundreds of people in one north Georgia town are not allowed to drink their water.
The water treatment plant in Ramhurst is temporarily shut down after someone broke in and changed the chemical settings.
It's affecting about 400 Murray County residents. Local, state and federal officials are investigating who's to blame. Officials with Chatsworth Water Works say the source of the problems is at the Carter's Lake Water Treatment Plant in the Ramhurst area.
Saturday workers noticed someone had changed some chemical settings. First, officials issued a "boil advisory" but the Environmental Protection Department bumped it up to a total "do not drink" order and shut down the plant until they're certain it's safe for the public to consume. It could be a few more days.
More At: http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/22110812/fbi-investigating-treament-plant-breakin-do-not-drink-order-in-place
This act is NOT just some prank by a couple of conniving youth looking for kicks on a Saturday night. No one local would break into the local treatment plant to alter the chemical settings to an unsafe level. My question is what level of complexity is the control system of the chemical treatment system.
(video at link)
CHATSWORTH, GA (WRCB) - Hundreds of people in one north Georgia town are not allowed to drink their water.
The water treatment plant in Ramhurst is temporarily shut down after someone broke in and changed the chemical settings.
It's affecting about 400 Murray County residents. Local, state and federal officials are investigating who's to blame. Officials with Chatsworth Water Works say the source of the problems is at the Carter's Lake Water Treatment Plant in the Ramhurst area.
Saturday workers noticed someone had changed some chemical settings. First, officials issued a "boil advisory" but the Environmental Protection Department bumped it up to a total "do not drink" order and shut down the plant until they're certain it's safe for the public to consume. It could be a few more days.
More At: http://www.wrcbtv.com/story/22110812/fbi-investigating-treament-plant-breakin-do-not-drink-order-in-place
Saturday, April 27, 2013
Another Explosion...
Interesting...
A certain amount of industrial accidents are expected during a year's time, even in a nation that has regular safety checks and stringent safety regulations, but this is getting ridiculous.
So many industrial incidents, on such a level? I mean, we should certainly expect smaller incidents almost weekly across the nation, but these most recent incidents are fairly major on the scale.
200,000lbs of Ammonia Nitrate explodes in West, TX fertilizer plant, Six fuel barges explode in Mobile, AL on the Mobile River, Shootout at Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant in TN...dotted with other smaller incidents across the nation, primarily transformers or sub-stations.
The smaller incidents could be chalked up to dilapidated systems, overloads, ect..., however I'm not so quick to do that. Accidents do happen, but with the recent events, these should have some form of investigation preformed, just to rule out possible foul play by terror cells.
A tank containing diesel fuel has exploded during maintenance work at Marathon Detroit Refinery, forcing a mandatory evacuation order for a nearby area. One employee has been injured in the blast, authorities said.
Reports of the explosion and fire came in just before 6 pm local time.
Authorities on the ground say the explosion injured an employee. The incident occurred during a maintenance check.
Marathon spokesman Shane Pochard tells the Detroit Free Press the small fire Wednesday morning was extinguished quickly and the worker had minor injuries.
More At: http://rt.com/usa/explosion-refinery-detroit-tanker-520/
A certain amount of industrial accidents are expected during a year's time, even in a nation that has regular safety checks and stringent safety regulations, but this is getting ridiculous.
So many industrial incidents, on such a level? I mean, we should certainly expect smaller incidents almost weekly across the nation, but these most recent incidents are fairly major on the scale.
200,000lbs of Ammonia Nitrate explodes in West, TX fertilizer plant, Six fuel barges explode in Mobile, AL on the Mobile River, Shootout at Watts Bar Nuclear Power Plant in TN...dotted with other smaller incidents across the nation, primarily transformers or sub-stations.
The smaller incidents could be chalked up to dilapidated systems, overloads, ect..., however I'm not so quick to do that. Accidents do happen, but with the recent events, these should have some form of investigation preformed, just to rule out possible foul play by terror cells.
A tank containing diesel fuel has exploded during maintenance work at Marathon Detroit Refinery, forcing a mandatory evacuation order for a nearby area. One employee has been injured in the blast, authorities said.
Reports of the explosion and fire came in just before 6 pm local time.
Authorities on the ground say the explosion injured an employee. The incident occurred during a maintenance check.
Marathon spokesman Shane Pochard tells the Detroit Free Press the small fire Wednesday morning was extinguished quickly and the worker had minor injuries.
More At: http://rt.com/usa/explosion-refinery-detroit-tanker-520/
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