Failed Rescue Attempt in Nigeria

Link to BBC

Well, it appears that British special forces (and apparently some Nigerian soldiers) didn't fare so well against Boko Haram. They tried to rescue two hostages, a Brit and an Italian, but the hostages were killed before they could be rescued. The hostages were originally taken in May of 2011.

Boko Haram is a radical Islamic terror group roaming northern Nigeria. They're loosely alligned with Al Qaeda. The name Boko Haram roughly translates to, "western learning is sinful/forbidden".

I'm somewhat surprised they were still alive when the rescue was planned. It's a pity the Brits couldn't pull off what US forces did in Somalia. Then again, Boko Haram is probably more of a professional organization (as far as things go in Africa) than a bunch of khat-addled wannabe gangsters/pirates.

France now contains more common sense than US

Via Reuters: French Foreign Minister Alain Juppe opined, "I am a little skeptical ... I think Iran continues to be two-faced. . ." Reuters link

How times continue to change. The French government, of all institutions, is taking a harder line on Iran than the US President.

Meanwhile, oil prices will continue to rise. But not to worry! Steven Chu's on top of things!

March 6, 1945: The Fall of Cologne

WW2 era Overview picture of the city

Cologne was one of the first major cities to fall during the war. Very few things were left standing, but the cathedral was spared. It remains one of the most impressive cathedrals I've had the privilege of visiting. Cologne itself has been rebuilt, but it still manages to be a charming city, and I always enjoyed visting. WW2 footage after the jump.

Operation Northern Watch Part 2

Senator McCain is jumping on board the Bomb Syria train. He wants to establish safe havens for civillians. Of course, fighters and civillians alike would share those areas. Link to Reuters

He didn't stop there: "These safe havens (in Syria) could serve as platforms for the delivery of humanitarian and military assistance - including weapons and ammunition, body armor and other personal protective equipment, tactical intelligence, secure communications equipment, food and water and medical supplies. . ."

Start dropping bombs, arm the opposition, and watch Syria fall apart at the seams. It's bad now, but how much worse will it get when rival groups (now with advanced -to them- weaponry) run free within the country?

Gee, if only they were sitting on a large field of oil. Then we could get the French and the Brits on board.

About this blog

The goal of this blog is to cover topics I find noteworthy. Politics, military affairs, current events, guns, and anything else that comes to mind.

Hello world!

These are supposed to suck, so I'll make this quick. This represents my first foray into blogging.