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PASTOR MANNING

The Trinity of Hell By Pastor Manning

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FROM WWW.MOUSEGUNS.COM

Mouseguns for Self-Defense - Selection and Tactics

Disclaimer: I am not a lawyer. I am not handing out legal advice. I make no claim to be an expert on the use of firearms. The following are just my personal opinions and observations. If you carry a concealed weapon, you and you alone are responsible for your own actions. Also, I am writing this article from the standpoint of a "civilian," not a law enforcement officer (LEO). Different rules and tactics apply for LEOS.

Choosing a Mousegun

I define a "mousegun" as a handgun that weighs less than 16 ounces empty, and/or will fit easily in a front pants pocket. This is my own personal definition, so take it or leave it. If you want to define a mousegun some other way, that's fine with me.

There are many choices in the mousegun world. There are derringers, semi-auto pistols, and revolvers. There are all kinds of calibers available, from .22 long rifle on up to shotgun shells. With single or double shot derringers in particular, you can get any caliber you like, and still stay under 16 ounces, and have a pocketable firearm. On the other hand, one or two shots isn't much. What if you have two assailants? How will you defend yourself? A few extra rounds would come in handy!

My personal recommendation for a pocket gun mousegun is some sort of semi-auto pistol in either 9mm or .380acp. Why choose a small .32acp pistol, when you can shoot a more powerful .380acp pistol that is about the same size and weight? And if you can pocket a 9mm pistol, why settle for the smaller .380acp? Of course, price and availability come into the equation, as well as "shootability." The 9mm round in a very small pistol may be too much for some people to handle well and comfortably. And a $1000 9mm Rohrbaugh pistol may be an ideal choice for you, but beyond your budget. The small .22 revolvers by North American Arms are too small in my opinion. And they are single-action only, which means they are difficult to shoot quickly or accurately in stressful situations. It is also my personal opinion (with which many will disagree) that the small j-frame S&W pistols are still a bit too large for comfortable pocket carry. You may feel differently, and if the j-frame works for you, that's great!

Choosing a pistol is also a very personal decision. You need a pistol that you like. It doesn't matter what anyone else says about it. If you don't like it, then it's not for you. It also needs to be reliable, and you can't take anyone's word about which pistols are reliable. Get yourself a pistol you like, and work with it. Shoot it enough so that you are confident that it will go bang if you have to pull the trigger in a time of great need. Carry it it your pocket long enough that you are confident in your ability to conceal your firearm, and carry it all day long without feeling burdened by it. I love the GLOCK 26 9mm pistol. It's a great gun. However, as far as I am concerned, it is just a bit too heavy, and just a bit too chunky, and I can't begin to pocket carry it. If I could, I would, but I can't. If you can pull it off, that's the pistol I would recommend. However, it's going to be too large and heavy for just about everyone, I think.

My choice for a pocket mousegun is really two choices, one for weekdays and one for Sunday. I go to church every Sunday, and I wear a suit. On week days I wear khaki slacks. On weekdays I find that I can comfortably conceal a Kel-Tec PF9 in my front pocket, with no trouble at all. But I can't do it in my suit pants on Sunday. The material is too thin, and the pants are a little tighter, and the PF9 just won't conceal well and feel comfortable. So when I wear a suit, I carry a Kel-Tec P3AT in my front pocket, and that works very well. The Kahr PM9 and the Ruger LCP (.380acp), or a Seecamp .380 also seem to me to be fine pocketable mouseguns. Some people like the .380 pistols from North American Arms. The brand doesn't matter. Find one that conceals easily, is comfortable to carry all day long, and is reliable in your personal experience.

Someone is probably objecting: if you are wearing a sport coat, or a suit coat, then you don't need to carry a mousegun at all! Just carry a larger gun with an IWB (in the waist band) holster, and your coat will conceal it. That's true. However, I find that I am often removing my coat for one reason or another, and the larger guns won't work for me, for absolute concealment. I like a mousegun, in my front pants pocket. If you want to carry a larger gun some other way, and if that works with your lifestyle, then go for it! I would if I could, but I can't. If you wear bluejeans every day, with an oversized untucked box-cut shirt, well don't worry about a mousegun! I think if that was my daily dress I would carry a GLOCK 19 or a 1911 style .45 all the time. Don't worry about caliber. Any caliber will do, if the bullets are placed in vital zones.

For more suggestions about choosing a mousegun, click here for my web page about "Defining a True Pocket Pistol."

Avoid Bullets That Over-Penetrate

There is one caveat about bullets. They can pass all the way through a BG, and hit another person standing behind the BG. This is "over-penetration." Too much penetration is a bad thing, and may lead to injuring innocent bystanders. You don't want to end up shooting a good person, and bringing about the grief you are trying to prevent! For the smaller .380 pistols, FMJ bullets are OK. They will probably not go all the way through the body of a BG. If your pistol shoots .22 bullets, then use hollow points. For 9mm or .45acp, hollow points are preferable, as they won't over-penetrate.

Mousegun Tactics

The most important factor with regard to tactics is a firm realization of the limitations of a mousegun. A mousegun is not suitable for engaging bad guys at long distance. Mouseguns are weapons of last resort, meant to be used really close up and personal. The purpose of a mousegun is simply to give you an edge - a chance to get out with your life. Sights are rudimentary, and mouseguns are not tack drivers. They are not range guns. They are designed to be "shot little and carried often," not the other way around. If you are under pressure, and are armed with a mousegun, you will do amazingly well to hit a man-sized target at three yards. Fast, excited shooting at over three yards is very iffy.

Also, whatever pistol you carry, be aware that if you shoot at a bad guy who is more than just a few yards away, you are opening yourself up for a homicide charge. You may ONLY use your firearm if you are truly in life-threatening danger. If the bad guy is more than seven yards away, your life is probably not at risk, and legally it is your duty to run, not to fire your weapon, UNLESS YOU ARE A POLICEMAN.

Mouseguns are not suitable for firefights. If you are armed with only a mousegun, you do NOT run towards the gunfire. Mouseguns are strictly for personal defense. For example, if you happen to be in a shopping mall, and you hear and see a BG (bad guy) 40 yards down the hallway with an AK47, you had better realize right away that you are simply not equipped to go into battle. Grab your loved ones if they are near, and turn and run away as fast as you can.  Discretion is the better part of valor. On the other hand, if you are near the BG when he pulls his AK47 out from under his coat, by all means do your best to draw and take him out. You are too close to run away, and close enough to hit your target.

If you are in an armed robbery situation in a restaurant, and the robbery is going on a room's length away, and you are not personally threatened, then keep your seat, and do no more than get ready. If you can see your way to a rear exit, and think you can get out before the BG notices and shoots at you, then get up and leave. Get your mousegun ready for use, draw it invisibly (under the table would be good), but don't use it unless you must. Maybe the BG won't come to your area of the restaurant. You are not there to be a hero. Your mousegun doesn't give you enough firepower to enable you to be a hero. You are not a policeman, either, so don't try to act like one. Remember this: THE BEST USE OF A MOUSEGUN IS NOT TO HAVE TO USE IT AT ALL. When I say to use it only as a last resort, I mean it! Use it ONLY when you have NO OTHER OPTION AT ALL.

If you are eating in a restaurant, and an armed BG comes in, and starts lining up the patrons, or herding them to a back room, and you have no escape route, you need to be ready for a more aggressive approach. If the BG is a room's length away from you, your mousegun may not be accurate enough to hit the BG, and if you try you may hit innocent patrons. But a deeply concealed mousegun may give you the edge you need to survive and even rescue others. How to use your mousegun in such a situation: 1) If possible, put your hands in your pockets, and get a good grip on your mousegun; 2) Wait for the BG to get within three yards of you - two is better than three; 3) Stand or sit with your "weak side" towards the BG, and draw your mousegun in such a way that the BG can't see what you are doing; 4) When the BG is not looking directly at you, and his firearm is not pointed at you in particular, immediately turn and immediately fire at the BG.

As Tuco said in the film The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, "When you have to shoot, shoot, don't talk." DON'T TALK TO THE BG. Don't say "stop or I'll shoot." Don't say, "Freeze." Don't say anything at all, just shoot immediately and without any warning. Shot placement is more important than bullet caliber, so shoot into the center of mass, into the neck, or the head of the BG. If you are really up close (within three feet), go for the head shot first. Don't stop shooting until the BG is "stopped." "Stopped" means that he is no longer a threat. Perhaps he has dropped his weapon. Perhaps he is unconcious. You will have to judge the situation, but be certain he has been STOPPED. If he is still moving and still firmly gripping his weapon, he has not yet been stopped. He should be considered dangerous and a threat to your life and the lives of those around you as long as his weapon is in his hand.

If there is more than one BG, and you have no clear exit, you should use your mousegun to take out the one nearest you. If you are successful, the second BG may flee, or he may shoot YOU. If he is not close to you, it will be difficult for you to engage him with a mousegun. If stopping the BG near you gives you an opportunity to flee out the door, do so. You are not a policeman. You probably can't do a one-man rescue of everyone there. If you can flee, then flee. On the other hand, if the first BG has a rifle, or a larger handgun, you may be able to take it, and use it against a second BG. If there are more than two Bad Guys doing the crime, your goose is probably cooked. It's an uncertain situation, and as always, you are in God's hands. We may be brave and clever, or we may be stupid, but it is certainly God who decides the ultimate outcome. Silent prayer is not a bad idea, but don't close your eyes!

Summarizing Mousegun Tactics

 

• 1  Keep your firearm concealed as long as you can, until you are within three yards of the BG.
• 2  Try to get a grip on your mousegun while it is still concealed in your pocket.  This will give you a faster draw.
• 3 Don't forget that you only have a mousegun. It is not a "go to battle" weapon. It is an "escape" weapon - a weapon of last resort. Your objective is not to defeat the Bad Guys. Your objective is to save your own life. If you can exit the scene before drawing your firearm, then EXIT.
• 4  Draw from your invisible side, when the BG is not looking directly at you.
• 5  If it is time to shoot, then shoot.  Don't talk, shoot.
• 6  Place your shots in vital areas, and shoot until the BG is stopped.
• 7  Pray silently for God to guide and bless - I'm not kidding.

Finally, when the shooting is over, and the BG is not a threat any longer, put your mousegun back in your pocket, and call 911, and inform the person on the line that "there was a self-defense shooting at" your location. Don't say that you are the shooter. Don't say anything else. Don't tell anyone where your mousegun is. Just put your mousegun in your pocket, and join the rest of the crowd, and wait for the police. Don't leave the scene. Don't talk to the other people about the shooting. Keep cool and keep quiet. Keep your mousegun in your pocket. "Out of sight is out of mind."

Half of the people there won't remember exactly what you did or did not do. They will not remember accurately what you say. It's better to keep quiet. They will all be witnesses at your trial, if there is one, and you may very well be arrested and charged with a homicide. So keep your mouth shut. When the police show up, just obey orders like everyone else. When they ask "Who shot the BG," raise your hand slowly and say "I was afraid for my life." Don't pull your mousegun out of your pocket until they order you to do so. Don't say anything except, "I was afraid for my life. That's all I can think about right now." Don't boast about what you did. If you are taken into custody, don't talk with the police about the shooting. You should have already called your lawyer, right after the 911 call. If you have a permit to carry a concealed gun, you should also have already found a lawyer who handles firearm self-defense cases. His card should be in your wallet.  Don't talk with anyone else about what happened.

Some lawyers advise you to NEVER talk with the police. Not just in the few minutes after an incident but NEVER. An innocent person (YOU) can be hung by his/her own words. For example, suppose a murder happens and you tell the police truthfully that you were 20 miles away, but there is no EVIDENCE of that. Then suppose a witness makes an honest mistake and genuinely but incorrectly says he saw you two blocks from the murder. Your talking (and telling the truth) has you caught in a perceived "lie" that will look bad and help convict you. If you had not talked there would only be a witness putting you in the area. There are many other risks that talking opens up. For example, the police make a genuine mistake and misquote what you said. A policeman once commented: "Going into a interview with an experienced LEO thinking you can win is like going up against a pro boxer and expecting to win. It is naive pride.

Xavier's Five Rules for Concealed Carry (From his Blog: Nurse with a Gun)

We all should know the Four Rules of Firearms Safety. They should be ingrained in our bones. Recently I read of the Five Rules of Concealed Carry. It was a good start, but did not quite make the grade. I have borrowed heavily from them though, and present my own Rules of Concealed Carry here.

1. Your concealed handgun is for protection of life only.
Draw your concealed firearm solely in preparation to protect yourself or an innocent third party from the wrongful and life threatening criminal actions of another. A CCW license does not give you any greater rights or responsibilities than any other citizen. It merely provides you with the means of legally carrying a firearm to protect your own life or the lives of others.

2. Know exactly when you can use your gun.
A criminal adversary must have, or reasonably appear to have:
a. the ability to inflict serious bodily injury (he is armed, reasonably appears to be armed with a deadly weapon, or a considerable disparity of force exists),
b. the opportunity to inflict serious bodily harm (he is physically positioned to harm you), and
c. his intent (hostile actions or words) indicates that he means to place you in jeopardy -- to do you serious or fatal physical harm.
When all three of these "attack potential" elements are in place simultaneously, then you are facing a reasonably perceived deadly threat that can justify an emergency deadly force response.

3. If you can run away -- RUN!
Just because you are armed does not necessarily mean you must confront a bad guy at gunpoint. Develop your "situation awareness" skills so you can be alert to detect and avoid trouble altogether. Keep in mind that if you successfully evade a potential confrontation, the single negative consequence involved might be your bruised ego, which should heal with mature rationalization. By contrast, if you force a confrontation you risk the possibility of you or a family member being killed or suffering lifelong crippling/disfiguring physical injury, criminal liability and/or financial ruin from a civil lawsuit. Flee if you can, fight only as a last resort.

4. Display your CCW, be prepared to go to jail.
You should expect to be arrested by police at gunpoint, and be charged with a crime anytime your concealed handgun is seen by another citizen in public, regardless of how unintentional, innocent or justified the situation might seem. Choose a method of carry that keeps your gun reliably hidden from public view at all times.

You have no control over how a stranger will react to seeing (or learning about) your concealed handgun. He or she might become alarmed and report you to police as a "man or woman with a gun." Depending on his or her feelings about firearms, this person might be willing to maliciously embellish his or her story in an attempt to have your gun seized by police or to get you arrested. An alarmed citizen who reports a "man with a gun" is going to be more credible to police than you when you are stopped because you match the suspect's description, and you are found to have a concealed handgun in your possession. Under these circumstances, you have been accused, apprehended, and are in a defensive position. If you must draw your gun, make certain you are the first to notify police.
Before you deliberately expose your gun in public, ask yourself: "Is this worth going to jail for?" The only time this question should warrant a "yes" response is when an adversary has at least, both ability and intent, and is actively seeking the opportunity to do you great harm.

5. Don't let your emotions get the best of you.
Develop and practice self control. If, despite your best efforts to the contrary, you do get into some kind of heated dispute with another person while you are armed, never mention, imply or exhibit your gun for the purpose of intimidation or one-upmanship. You will simply make a bad situation worse -- for yourself. You can carry a gun, or you can have a temper. You may even do both for a while, but it will not last very long.

With the growing population of gun toters, it is imperative that we establish a few simple guidelines to help introduce others into the world of concealed carry. These five are the best I've found.

START TO STOCKPILE FOOD

Food Riots are Coming to the U.S. 

      

By         BINOY KAMPMARK

      

       

"I don’t want to alarm anybody, but maybe it’s time for Americans to start stockpiling food.  No this is not a drill."

       

--Brett Arends

      

      

There is a time for food, and a time for ethical appraisals.  This was the case even before Bertolt Brecht gave life to that expression in Die Driegroschen Oper. The time for a reasoned, coherent understanding for the growing food crisis is not just overdue, but seemingly past.  Robert Zoellick of the World Bank, an organization often dedicated to flouting, rather than achieving its claimed goal of poverty reduction, stated the problem in Davos in January this year.  ‘Hunger and malnutrition are the forgotten Millennium Development Goal.’

      

Global food prices have gone through the roof, terrifying the 3 billion or so people who live off less than $2 a day.   This should terrify everybody else.  In November, the UN Food and Agricultural Organization reported that food prices had suffered a 18 percent inflation in China, 13 percent in Indonesia and Pakistan, and 10 percent or more in Latin America, Russia and India.   The devil in the detail is even more distressing: a doubling in the price of wheat, a twenty percent increase in the price of rice, an increase by half in maize prices.

      

Finger pointing is not always instructive.   In this case, it may be.  The US and various European countries are moving food crops into the bio-fuel business, itself an environmentally unsound business.  This, in addition to encouraging developing countries to not merely ‘liberalize’ their agricultural sectors, but specialize in exporting specific cash crops (cotton, cocoa), has done wonders to precipitate the shortages. Consumption in developing economies, added to the vicissitudes of climate change, water availability, and rising fertilizer costs, are others.

      

Political stability is being undermined.  Food shortages are proving endemic. Food riots are becoming common.  Riots have been sparked in Cameroon, Egypt, Burkina Faso, Uzbekistan and Yemen.  There have been riots over spiraling grain prices in Mauritania and Senegal. In Mexico City, mass protests were sparked by a price hike in tortillas.  In Haiti, biscuits are being made from a mud compound.  The Somali capital Mogadishu bore witness to the deaths of five people.

      

Governments, indifferent and incautious to the demands of a hungry public, have already fallen victim to the food crisis.  Prime Minister Jacques Edouard Alexis was dismissed by a senate vote in Haiti after skirmishes between UN forces and protesters.  The UN commander Major General Carlos Alberto Dos Santos Cruz urged calm amidst the carnage. ‘It is important for the people to have a peaceful life in Haiti,’ he claimed in April 2008.   The message then: be peaceful on an empty stomach.

      

The Bush administration, so often in arrears on the relief front, has earmarked some 770 million dollars or so in funds dealing with the problem.  There is one glaring hitch: the money would only start flowing in 2009.  ‘There is definitely a lag time when it comes to assistance,’ states the senior manager of the Foreign Aid Reform Project at the Brookings Institute, Noam Unger. 

      

More troubling is the critique offered of the crisis by officials within the administration.   US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, at the Peace Corps conference held at the end of April, targeted various culprits.  The audience barely stirred at some of the explanations: distribution, oil prices, and the ‘alternate fuels effort’.  They duly woke up when Rice moved on to targeting the export strategies of various countries – India and China foremost amongst them.  ‘We obviously have to look at places where production seems to be declining and declining to the point that people are actually putting export caps on the amount of food.’

      

The problem, for Rice, is rising food consumption.   Improved diets within China and India are bothering free market fundamentalists who insist that export caps stifle trade.  According to this rationale, Indians are far better off buying the rice from the global market than eating their own in times of crisis.   How silly of them to ensure a domestic supply first before shipping off the rest for the global market.  Rice is crying foul at such protectionist deviancy, will ‘have a look at it’ and take the matter to the World Trade Organization.

      

Members of the American public are not so sure.  A narrative of catastrophe is gradually building – stockpile or perish.  The Wall Street Journal (April 25) was one of the first to issue the clarion call: ‘Start Hoarding Food Americans!’ The paper had various suggestions.  Stock up on some products – dried pasta, rice, cereals, canned products.  Buy them all in bulk to save.  Sit the children down give them a good talking to – no, not about the birds and the bees, but about ‘how our generation and the two behind it, screwed their world into a death spiral through greed and predatory capitalism.’

      

Solutions suggested by such economists as Jeffrey Sachs, somewhat patchy yet desperately needed, are forthcoming: allow easier access for sub-Saharan African farmers to fertilizers; reduce the amount of crops going into bio-fuel development; shore-up climate change policies. 

      

Sachs, in his work Common Wealth, also advocates the abolition of states in the face of a crowded planet.  But it was state regimes besotted by neoliberal economics that brought us here.  They can take us back and remedy the damage. Abolishing them would simply absolve their regimes.

      

In the meantime, the US and some countries in the West may have to brace themselves for a starving army guided by the morality of the stomach. The food riots are coming.

      

Binoy Kampmark was a Commonwealth Scholar at Selwyn College, University of Cambridge.  He can be reached at: bkampmark@gmail.com

"OLMERT" MUST RESIGN

               

                Ehud Olmert Must Resign                        

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View Current Signatures    -    Sign the Petition

 

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To:  Prime Minister of Israel, Ehud Olmert

Dear Prime Minister:

After the mishandling of the Second Lebanon War, the non-stop flow of contradicting statements on various State matters & the pending criminal investigation against you, we the Undersigned, from Israel and all parts of the concerned international community, call on you to resign your position as the Prime Minister of the State of Israel.

Before the start of the Second Lebanon War, you made a passionate speech in the Knesset where you laid out the goals for the war:

“On the Palestinian front, we will conduct a relentless battle until terror ceases, Gilad Shalit is returned home safely and the shooting of Qassam missiles stops … We will do everything and make every effort to bring them home … We will defend all of them, on behalf of all of them we will fight, and with all of them before our eyes – the civilians in the line of fire, the kidnapped fighters and their families – we will continue, without hesitating, without capitulating and without fear, until our goals are achieved.”

There is no need to even dissect the ineptitude your government showed during the war as not one of your stated goals was achieved. The bottom line is your leadership failed miserably. Three Israeli soldiers are still in enemy hands, and the citizens of Sderot and other southern cities are still being traumatized by daily Qassam rocket fire. The responsibility for the war’s failure is yours, as is the failure to push for the complete implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701. It has been over five months since the war ended, and the unconditional release of the abducted Israeli soldiers, as stated in the resolution, has yet to occur. As the leader of this country, that should be one of your main goals and yet you have not mentioned it directly at all while on any of your trips abroad. Have you forgotten which people you represent?.

Your leadership must also be called into question as you are continually making statements and then contradicting yourself shortly thereafter. Your unilateral ‘Realignment Plan’ was the major policy you wanted to push while in office, and yet only recently, you told the Chinese news agency Xinhua, "Under the existing circumstances, it would be more practical to achieve a two-state solution through negotiations rather than [unilateral] withdrawal." When Syria offered to discuss a peace treaty with Israel without any preconditions, you quickly stated, “Now isn’t the time to starts talks with Syria.” Yet a few days later, most newspapers came out with a story where you proclaimed, “I hope we will be able to arrive at dialogue with Syria.” A leader cannot be swayed back and forth. Doing that only shows how unsure you are of how to lead this country and what in fact is good for her.

On January 12th, Haaretz reported that the Justice Ministry was expected to announce the opening of a criminal investigation against you, mainly focusing on the state's sale of a controlling interest in Bank Leumi. Only five days later, Yaron Zelekha, the Finance Ministry's accountant general, commented that Israel is the most corrupt country in the West. This corruption, which has now become the ‘norm’ in the Israeli government, starts with you Mr. Olmert.

Besides the aforementioned failings, your actions are unbecoming of the Prime Minister of Israel. You are embarrassing the public, and lowering our faith in our country’s government bodies and the Israeli Defense Forces.

Please, for the sake of this wonderful country which you claim to love, step down. You were given a chance to push Israel forward after the difficulties of the disengagement, and you’ve failed miserably on every level. The future of this nation still glows brightly – please don’t dim it any further with your deficiencies as a leader.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

 

 

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CELL PHONES - WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

Cell Phone Spying: Is Your Life Being Monitored?

May 5, 2008 by JR Raphael |

By JR Raphael
Contributing Writer, [GAS]

It connects you to the world, but your cell phone could also be giving anyone from your boss to your wife a window into your every move.  The same technology that lets you stay in touch on-the-go can now let others tap into your private world — without you ever even suspecting something is awry.

The new generation

Long gone are the days of simple wiretapping, when the worst your phone could do was let someone listen in to your conversations.  The new generation of cell phone spying tools provides a lot more power.

Eavesdropping is easy.  All it takes is a two-minute software install and someone can record your calls and monitor your text messages.  They can even set up systems to be automatically alerted when you dial a certain number, then instantly patched into your conversation.  Anyone who can perform a basic internet search can find the tools and figure out how to do it in no time.

But the scarier stuff is what your phone can do when you aren’t even using it.  Let’s start with your location.

Simple surveillance

You don’t have to plant a CIA-style bug to conduct surveillance any more.  A service called World Tracker lets you use data from cell phone towers and GPS systems to pinpoint anyone’s exact whereabouts, any time — as long as they’ve got their phone on them.

All you have to do is log on to the web site and enter the target phone number.  The site sends a single text message to the phone that requires one response for confirmation.  Once the response is sent, you are locked in to their location and can track them step-by-step.  The response is only required the first time the phone is contacted, so you can imagine how easily it could be handled without the phone’s owner even knowing.

Once connected, the service shows you the exact location of the phone by the minute, conveniently pinpointed on a Google Map.  So far, the service is only available in the UK, but the company has indicated plans to expand its service to other countries soon.

Advanced eavesdropping

So you’ve figured out where someone is, but now you want to know what they’re actually doing.  Turns out you can listen in, even if they aren’t talking on their phone.

Dozens of programs are available that’ll turn any cell phone into a high-tech, long-range listening device.  And the scariest part?  They run virtually undetectable to the average eye.

Take, for example, Flexispy. The service promises to let you “catch cheating wives or cheating husbands” and even “bug meeting rooms.”  Its tools use a phone’s microphone to let you hear essentially any conversations within earshot.  Once the program is installed, all you have to do is dial a number to tap into the phone’s mic and hear everything going on.  The phone won’t even ring, and its owner will have no idea you are virtually there at his side.

Legal loopholes

You might be asking how this could possibly be legal.  Turns out, it isn’t - at least, not in the ways we just described.  Much like those fancy smoking devices designed “for tobacco use only,” the software itself gets by because of a disclaimer saying it doesn’t endorse any illegal use.

I did a little digging with our friends from Flexispy.  You won’t find it on the flashy front page, but buried a bit further in the site, the company says you’re fine to use their program only “on a phone that you own, for protecting your children,” or for purposes like “archiving data.”  It’s a bit of a contrast from the bold suggestions of “uncover[ing] employee espionage,” “catch[ing] cheating husbands,” and “bug[ging] meeting rooms” that fill the company’s materials.  After a little more explanation, their answer as to the legality of the service ends with a broad statement: “Please consult a qualified lawyer in your country for the correct answer to this question.”

Let me make it easier for you: Once you get into listening in to private conversations without either party’s consent, you’re treading rough water that could sweep you straight into jail.  Whether it’s an employee or a spouse on the receiving end of your mission, neither federal nor state privacy laws take violations lightly in America. Getting caught could cost you several years behind bars, among other serious penalties.

Detecting and protecting

Finding spyware on your phone isn’t easy.  There are dozens of bug detectors available from surveillance companies, but the only true fix is taking your phone to your provider and having them wipe it out altogether. That will restore the factory settings and clear out any hidden software that’s running on your phone.

Security experts say there may be some subtle signs your phone is invaded:

• You seem to have trouble shutting it off, or it stays lit up after you’ve powered down.
• The phone sometimes lights up when you aren’t making or receiving a call, or using any other function.
• You regularly hear odd background noises or clicks when you’re on the phone.

Unfortunately, there isn’t much you can do to safeguard your cell just yet.  I’m sure it’s only a matter of time until we see McAfee-style programs to firewall your phone and keep intruders out. For now, though, the only sure-fire form of protection is to keep a close guard on your phone.  Don’t accept Bluetooth connections unless you know what they are.  Most important, make sure no one has access to install something when you aren’t watching.  Otherwise, they may soon be watching you when you least expect it.

THE END OF A SUPER POWER

Joel HillikerColumnist

The End of the World as You Know It

May 7, 2008 | From theTrumpet.com

America’s global dominance is over, and smart people say we shouldn’t have a problem with that.

 

Joel Hilliker

    You and I are living through a seismic shift in human history: the end of the American era.

    Maybe it’s for the best.

    Or so Fareed Zakaria would have you think.

    “[T]he distribution of power is shifting, moving away from American dominance,” says Zakaria, a journalist and foreign affairs commentator, in his new book, The Post-American World. “In terms of war and peace, economics and business, ideas and art, this will produce a landscape that is quite different from the one we have lived in until now—one defined and directed from many places and by many peoples.”

Yes, this trend is off the Richter scale in magnitude, he says. But the grown-up thing to do is not to worry. Accept it. Embrace it.

“The post-American world is naturally an unsettling prospect for Americans, but it should not be,” he writes. A recent poll shows four out of five Americans believe the U.S. is on the “wrong track.” There is a general sense of pessimism over this clearly perceptible drift from power. But Zakaria argues that what we’re seeing is a good thing—borne not of America’s decline but of the rest of the world’s success. “It is the result of a series of positive trends that have been progressing over the last 20 years, trends that have created an international climate of unprecedented peace and prosperity.”

    Zakaria’s editor at Newsweek, Jon Meacham, acknowledges that America faces some “enormous challenges” in the world today, but adds, “to act as though the sky’s falling is not a particularly mature reaction to the actual data.”

In this remarkable worldview, everything is a matter of perspective. Yes, Islamist terrorists are a problem—but they’re on the run and their numbers are dwindling; oh, and most Muslims don’t support violence. Okay, anti-Americanism is boiling over in the Middle East—but those nations are enjoying unprecedented prosperity; the more they modernize, the less they’ll want to wage war. Granted, Iran could get nuclear weapons and incinerate Israel—but that’s nothing compared to the German threat in World War ii. Sure, it feels like the economy is reeling and the world is burning—but that’s only because everything gets exaggerated in the Internet Age.

The appropriate American response, Zakaria argues, is to let go of outmoded pretensions of superpower and adapt. Settle into second-tier status and enjoy the everybody-wins atmosphere of our new multipolar world. “[A]s other nations become more active internationally, they will seek greater freedom of action. This necessarily means that America’s unimpeded influence will decline,” he writes. “But if the world that’s being created has more power centers, nearly all are invested in order, stability and progress. … This benefits them but also us. It’s the ultimate win-win.”

    Are you as excited as he is?

If we are really to believe, as Zakaria apparently does, that “This is one of the most thrilling stories in history,” we must overlook several stark realities.

The first is that, his sunny spin on a few select statistics notwithstanding, this is not merely about “the rise of the rest”—though rising they are. America as we know it is, in fact, going down—and fast.

Consider the dollar’s rapid decline as the world’s reserve currency; the loss of global confidence over America’s financial mismanagement; the corruption in American business; the flight of American industry; the loss on a variety of fronts of American self-sufficiency; the decay in infrastructure; the breaching of borders; the aging of military equipment; the decline in educational standards; the decay in morality; the vacuum of history and identity; the breaking of will; the fracturing of long-held alliances; the inability to achieve international priorities in peacemaking and war-making—these are just a few of the stories we’ve tracked recently.

These developments are inextricably linked with the reality that, as the rest of the nations rise, they are often making a deliberate point to stand independent of—and hence in contradiction to—America’s interests. In some cases, they are purposefully, maliciously working to knock the United States down a peg.

And we’re not only talking about Venezuela and Iran, but also big players like Russia and China. Even alliances the U.S. has nurtured over decades—with Turkey, with Pakistan, with Egypt, with Saudi Arabia and others, not to mention with Britain, Israel and Australia—are, to various degrees, fraying.

The idea that, as other countries grow, “the pie expands and everyone wins” hinges on a fundamental trust in these foreign powers to play fair, to embrace America in its diminished global role and essentially commit to a new peaceful, global equilibrium. History has proven time and again that trust is woefully misplaced.

There are always actors on the world scene determined to flip the status quo on its head. A weakened superpower isn’t a signal of a peaceful transition to something better. It’s an invitation to revolution.

The idea that the comfortable era of Western (particularly American) dominance we are leaving behind will be replaced by a comfortable era of harmony among numerous great powers ignores the seemingly hardwired human tendency, in the absence of a strong outside authority, to compete for supremacy. You see it on an elementary school playground as readily as you do on the international stage. And that competition, history shows, invariably turns violent.

The signs are already there. Today as the United States declines in strength, three significant power blocs have emerged: a radical Islamic resurgence led by Iran, a united Europe, and an integrating Asia. Efforts to dethrone the U.S. are visible in all three. Just as important, the seeds of future competition among the three have already begun to sprout.

This world is hurtling toward a time when American influence will be not only countered by these three power blocs, but also eliminated from global politics. Then these three superpowers-in-waiting will scramble for the lead.

    Believe it or not, that competition among them was specifically prophesied by Jesus Christ.

During Christ’s ministry, His disciples asked, “[W]hat will be the sign of your coming and of the close of the age?” (Matthew 24:3, Revised Standard Version). Jesus didn’t dismiss the idea that the world as we know it would come to an end. No—He responded by warning His disciples of specific events to beware of (found in Matthew 24, Mark 13 and Luke 21). He concluded with the words, “Watch ye therefore, and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all these things that shall come to pass, and to stand before the Son of man” (Luke 21:36).

One third of the world’s population considers itself Christian. So it should hardly seem unusual or unorthodox to take Jesus at His word. Do you?

In one of these specific signs, Christ said that the people of “Jerusalem” would “fall by the edge of the sword, and shall be led away captive into all nations: and Jerusalem shall be trodden down of the Gentiles, until the times of the Gentiles be fulfilled” (verse 24).

    Who are the Gentiles? If we are to watch for this sign, we must know.

The common idea that any non-Jew is a Gentile is false. A careful study reveals that the modern identity of the tribes of the biblical nation of Israel—of which Judah, or the Jews, is only one—includes, most prominently, the United States. If you have not proven this truth, a reading of our free book The United States and Britain in Prophecy by Herbert W. Armstrong is critical.

Christ prophesied that—barring mankind’s repentance—we are about to enter a time when America’s global influence will be snuffed out, and Gentile powers will wreak unimaginable havoc on the Earth.

Jerusalem, the literal city located in modern-day Judah, will be “trodden down of the Gentiles.” Revelation 11:2 also shows how the Gentiles shall “tread under foot” the “holy city” for 42 months—or 3½ years. But Bible prophecy also uses Jerusalem, the capital of ancient Israel, to denote the entirety of prophetic Israel—chiefly the American and British peoples.

This seismic shift in geopolitical momentum—away from America and toward a clutch of non-Israelite, or Gentile, powers, accompanied by an escalation in brutal violence and war—is one of the visible signs Jesus Christ gave of His imminent return!

The darkness and evil that are about to flood this globe presage the most wonderful news in human history! They signal the hope of a new world, governed by God, which will begin when the darkness has passed.

But what darkness. Christ said “the times of the Gentiles” would be a period of suffering “such as was not since the beginning of the world to this time [the end time—our day today], no, nor ever shall be” (Matthew 24:21). That time is just ahead.

That is how close we are to the ringing down of this present age! And still the world at large is almost wholly unaware of what is about to occur. Despite the tumult of change and clamor of irreconcilable interests worldwide, people carelessly assume, with irresponsible, unfounded optimism, that mankind will somehow work things out.

It will not. In fact, the Bible says unequivocally that if God Himself did not intervene to stop it, mankind would annihilate itself! (verse 22). The fact that God will intervene is the only hope for a world bent on its own destruction. But it is a sure hope!

    You must not ignore these momentous global shifts, nor should you fail to understand them. The Trumpet is your guide. Your early-warning news source.

The inexorable march of end-time events is happening. The years ahead will be full of horrifying shocks to a world asleep. We urge you to prepare yourself by taking the Trumpet seriously—and acting upon what you read. •

"OBAMA" & AMMO

FBI AWARDS SECOND AMMUNITION CONTRACT TO WINCHESTER

Winchester Ammuniton

Winchester® Ammunition is proud to announce that it recently was awarded a second contract to service the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). In addition to its contract with the FBI to supply 40 Smith & Wesson loads, Winchester Ammunition will also supply 9mm Luger ammunition. The new 9mm Luger contract is worth a maximum of $54 million, and the two contracts combined will be worth a maximum of $108 million over five years — the largest ammunition contracts in the history of federal law enforcement. Winchester Ammunition will produce 9mm bonded service ammunition, training ammunition, reduced lead training ammunition and frangible ammunition for the FBI for one base year, with four, one-year renewal options. “With the latest advancement in our ammunition lines, the 9mm bonded design combines all the best-known technology features into one bullet to deliver the superior performance required by the FBI,” said Dick Hammett, president, Winchester Ammunition. “It’s sure to be a success with our nation’s law enforcement.” Winchester’s 9mm service ammunition utilizes a 147-grain, bonded hollow point bullet and was selected over all other rounds tested. The FBI evaluates the terminal ballistics of each round by shooting a specific test protocol through various barriers such as heavy cloth, wallboard, plywood, steel and auto glass into ballistic gelatin. In addition to the FBI, the contract impacts many agencies both inside and outside the Department of Justice, including the Drug Enforcement Administration, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and U.S. Marshal Service. “On behalf of Winchester, we are extremely proud that our nation’s premier law enforcement agency has elected to use Winchester Ammunition in its mission of protecting and defending the United States,” said Hammett. For more information about Winchester Ammunition and its complete line of products visit www.winchester.com.

NEW RUGER "LCP"

The Ruger LCP

Rugerlcp.com is a retailer, and is in no way affiliated with Sturm, Ruger & Co., Inc., the manufacturer of the Ruger LCP.

 

 

The new Ruger LCP is one of the smallest and lightest ultra-compact 380 ACP pistols on the market today. With over 50 years of experience in the production of firearms Ruger Arms is an industry leader in firearms quality and the new Ruger LCP 380 auto is no exception.

By combining a lightweight glass-filled nylon frame with a Blued Through-Hardened Steel slide  Ruger’s reliability is unquestioned. The Ruger is produced to be the ultimate concealed carry pistol. With an unloaded weight of just 9.40 ounces the Ruger LCP is one the smallest and lightest pistols available without sacrificing reliability. With a length of 5.16 inch , a height of 3.6 inch and an amazing width of just .82 inch the Ruger LCP is the best option for carring when concealment and comfort are top priority. Whether you are a law enforcement officer looking for an Ultra –Compact Back-up or off duty pistol or a civilian in need of lightweight CCW pistol the Ruger LCP is the right choice. 

The lightweight and compact size also make the Ruger LCP perfect for women wanting a personal defense firearm that is easy to carry  and light whether on the body or in a purse. With the light trigger pull weight of 8 pounds the Ruger Arms offers the safety of a conventional revolver while the half inch trigger travel affords it the ease of the auto pistol.

The latest Ruger pistol, with some of the most ideal features for concealed carry. The Ruger Arms newest innovation will soon be on the market. We will soon be taking orders for the Ruger LCP. The Ruger LCP or lightweight compact pistol, which is a long over due Ruger solution to concealed carry pistols.

 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

Caliber	.380 Auto	Trigger Pull Weight	8 Pounds
Capacity	6+1 (If Chambered)	Trigger Pull Length	.5 Inches
Barrel	2.75 Inches	Slide Finish	Blued Steel
Weight	9.40 Ounces	Slide Material	Through-Hardened Steel
Overall Width	.82 Inches	Frame Material	High Performance Glass-Filled Nylon
Overall Length	5.16 Inches	Compatibility	Fits Most Kel-Tec P-3AT Holsters & Other .380 Compact Pistols
Overall Height	3.6 Inches	Includes	Soft Case             One Magazine             External Lock             Instruction Manual

"RPG" = Rocket Propelled Grenade

Rocket-propelled grenade

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RPG-7

RPG, or rocket-propelled grenade, is a loose term describing hand-held, shoulder-launched anti-tank weapons capable of firing an unguided rocket equipped with an explosive warhead. RPG is a transliteration of РПГ, the Russian abbreviation of Reaktivnyy/Ruchnoy Protivotankovyy Granatomyot (реактивный/ручной противотанковый гранатомёт), "hand held anti-tank grenade launcher".

Most modern main battle tanks (MBTs) are largely immune to hand-held unguided anti-tank weapons due to advances in armor design requiring more precise aiming to hit vulnerable weak spots. RPGs, however, are still used very effectively against lightly-armoured vehicles such as armored personnel carriers (APCs) or unarmored wheeled vehicles, as well as against buildings and bunkers. They can still be a threat to an MBT under certain tactical conditions. One exception is the RPG-29, the most advanced model, which uses a tandem-charge HEAT warhead to penetrate explosive reactive armor (ERA). It is capable of destroying even modern MBTs such as the T-90.^[1] In August 2006, an RPG-29 round penetrated the frontal ERA of a top-of-the-line Challenger 2 tank during an engagement in al-Amarah, Iraq.^[2]

Contents 1 History 2 Description 3 Warheads 4 Tactics 4.1 Afghanistan 4.2 Angola 4.3 Chechnya 4.4 Iraq 4.5 El Salvador 4.6 Lebanon 4.7 Anti-aircraft 5 References 6 See also 7 External links

  History

The RPG has its roots in the 19th century, with the early development of the explosive shaped charge. The development of practical rocketry provided a means of delivering such an explosive, and such a weapon was invented just before the end of World War I; the end of the war led to the abandonment of the project. Later research, occasioned by World War II, produced such weapons as the famous bazooka, which combined portability with effectiveness against armored vehicles such as tanks.

The most widely distributed and used RPG in the world is the Soviet Union-developed RPG-7. The Soviets developed the basic design of this RPG during World War II, combining important design features of the US Bazooka and the German Panzerfaust. Today, advanced armies such as that of the United States, have implemented armor on their tanks that are invulnerable to grenades. Because of this, the RPG has become much more effective for guerrilla and insurgent fighters that have no accessibility or money to buy better weapons. However, new rounds have been developed to use with the RPG-7 launchers, that can defeat advanced armor types such as ERA.

  Description

An RPG comprises two main parts: the launcher and the rocket, which is equipped with a warhead. The most common types of warheads are high explosive (HE) or high explosive anti-tank (HEAT) rounds. These warheads are affixed to a rocket motor and stabilized in flight with fins. Some types of RPGs are single-use disposable units similar to the U.S. M72 LAW; others are reloadable, such as the Soviet RPG-7.

The RPG launcher is a hollow tube that concentrates the rocket exhaust to create an over-pressure within the tube. This over-pressure propels the warhead at a higher speed than from the specific impulse of the rocket alone. This higher speed is necessary for the rocket to be stable in flight. The launcher is also designed so that the rocket burns completely within the tube and exits the launcher without discharging an exhaust that would be dangerous to the operator. The high-temperature rocket exhaust is hazardous fifteen to twenty meters to the rear of an RPG launcher. The launcher must be cleaned periodically, as built-up residue will result in an excess of over-pressure, causing the sighting mechanism to be driven into the operator's eye when the rocket is fired. Blindness in one eye often results.

All RPGs are similar in concept, however, there are significant differences in their operation.

An RPG is an inexpensive way to deliver an explosive payload a distance of 100 yards (91m) with moderate accuracy. Substantially more expensive, wire-guided rockets are used when accuracy is important. These rockets trail a thin wire behind them during firing and can be steered by the operator while in flight. In 1982, British troops were sent to the Falklands War armed with a number of wire-guided MILAN anti-tank missiles even though there were no Argentine tanks in the Falklands Islands. The British used these expensive weapons to destroy Argentine bunkers at longer ranges. The British also used cheap 66 mm M72 LAW unguided rockets and recoilless 84mm against Argentine bunkers. The popularity and usefulness of such weapons prompted the U.S. military to field the SMAW, the U.S. equivalent of the RPG.

  Warheads

The HE (high explosive) warhead is a general-purpose explosive warhead for use against unarmored targets such as infantry, unarmored wheeled vehicles, and fixed positions. The HE warhead detonates upon impact. The warhead case and charge generate a moderate amount of fragmentation.

The HEAT (high explosive anti-tank) round is a standard shaped charge warhead, similar in concept to those used in tank cannon rounds. In this type of warhead, the shape of the explosive material within the warhead focuses the explosive energy on a copper (or similar metal) lining. This crushes the metal lining and propels some of it forward at a very high velocity. The resulting narrow jet of metal can punch through the armor of most APC's and IFV's. However, the warhead on older RPG systems is too small to penetrate the main armor of most modern battle tanks, although it is still capable of causing secondary damage to vulnerable systems (especially sights, tracks, rear and roof of turrets) and can disable or destroy most lightly armored or unarmored vehicles.

Specialized warheads are available for illumination, smoke, tear gas, and white phosphorus. Russia, China, and many former Warsaw Pact nations have also developed a fuel-air explosive warhead. Another recent development is a tandem HEAT warhead capable of penetrating reactive armor.[1]

Accuracy limits the standard RPG-7 to a practical range of 50 m, although it can reach 150 or even 300 m in skilled hands. It has an indirect fire (bombardment) range to 920 m, limited by the 4.5-second self-destruct timer.*

So-called PRIGs (Propelled Recoilless Improvised Grenade) were improvised warheads used by the Provisional IRA.

  Tactics

RPGs were used extensively during the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan by the Mujahideen and against South Africans in Angola and Namibia (formerly South West Africa) by SWAPO guerillas during what the South Africans called the South African Border War. Twenty years later, it is still being used widely in recent conflict areas such as Chechnya, Iraq and Sri Lanka.

One of the first instances when it was used by terrorists was on 13 January 1975 at the Orly airport in France when Carlos the Jackal together with another member from the PFLP used two Soviet RPG-7 grenades to attack an Israeli El Al airliner. Both missed, and one of them hit a DC-9 of Yugoslav Airlines instead. ^[3] The RPG-7 has also been used in Belfast by the IRA.^{[citation needed]}

Because of the inherent inaccuracy of the RPG, the operator must fire relatively close to the intended target, increasing the chances of being spotted and captured, shot or killed. Most modern armies deploy anti-tank guided missiles (ATGM) as their primary infantry anti-tank weapon, but the RPG can still be effectively employed against tanks under certain tactical conditions, especially urban warfare, where they are favored by low-tech armies. They are most effective when used in restricted terrain as the availability of cover and concealment can make it difficult for the intended target to spot the RPG operator.

The operator must move after firing the RPG as the ignition of the rocket generates a flash visible to the enemy and usually leaves a smoke trail leading back to the firing position. In Afghanistan, Mujahideen RPG shooters who remained in position after firing were often killed by Soviet counter-fire.

When deployed against personnel, the warhead can be aimed at a solid surface to detonate, popular choices being trees or buildings. Another option is an indirect method of firing the warhead over the intended target area at ranges of 800–1000 m where the warhead would detonate automatically. More skilled shooters can use the RPG self-destruct feature to make it explode over the enemy at closer range.

Although they can be used against hovering helicopters, they should not be confused with anti-aircraft shoulder fired surface-to-air missile systems such as the Stinger or SA-7 Grail. Furthermore, firing at steep angles poses a danger to the user, because the backblast from firing reflects off the ground. In Somalia, militia members sometimes welded a steel plate in the exhaust end of an RPG's tube to deflect pressure away from shooter when shooting upwards at US helicopters. RPGs are used in this role only when more effective weapons are not available.

  Afghanistan

In Afghanistan, Mujahideen guerrillas used RPG-7s to destroy Soviet vehicles. To assure a kill, two to four RPG shooters would be assigned to each vehicle. In areas where vehicles were confined to a single path (a mountain road, swamps, snow, urban areas), RPG teams trapped convoys by destroying the first and last vehicles in line, preventing movement of the other vehicles. This tactic was especially effective in cities. Convoys learned to avoid approaches with overhangs and to send infantrymen forward in hazardous areas to detect the RPG teams.

Multiple shooters were also effective against heavy tanks with reactive armor: The first shot would be against the driver's viewing prisms. Following shots would be in pairs, one to set off the reactive armor, the second to penetrate the tank's armor. Favored weak spots were the top and rear of the turret.

Afghans sometimes used RPG-7s at extreme range, exploded by their 4.5- second self-destruct timer, which calculates to an almost 1-km range. This performed expedient indirect antipersonnel bombardment and was sometimes used to discourage reconnaissance by aircraft.

During the conflict some Soviet Hinds had a red star painted under the rotors; the Muhahideen aimed at the star, and sometimes brought the helicopter down.^{[citation needed]}

 Angola

Soviet RPGs posed a serious threat to lightly armored South African APCs, which would be targeted as soon as they stopped to let off troops. In reaction to ambushes, units such as Koevoet (Afrikaans for crowbar) developed the unique tactic of driving the APCs in widening circles, using automatic gunfire from one side to destroy the RPG teams. By not stopping to let off troops, the APCs were difficult to target. The secondary effect was also to confuse and surprise their attackers by deploying tactics not known or studied elsewhere that they could not have been trained or prepared for. The tactic was developed informally in the field and passed on to new drivers as it required good coordination between the vehicles which seldom numbered fewer than 2-4.

  Chechnya

During the First (1994–1996) and Second Chechen Wars (1999–), Chechen guerrillas used RPGs to attack Russian tanks from basements and high rooftops. This tactic was effective because the tanks' guns could not be depressed or raised far enough to return fire. Russian forces had to rely on artillery suppression and infantry screens to prevent such attacks. Russian tank columns were eventually protected by attached self-propelled anti-aircraft guns (ZSU-23-4, Tunguska-M1) used in the ground role to suppress and destroy Chechen ambushes.

Chechen fighters formed independent "cells" that worked together to destroy a specific Russian armored target. Each cell contained small arms and some form of RPG (RPG-7V or RPG-18, for example). The small arms were used to button the tank up and keep any infantry occupied while the RPG gunner struck at the tank. While doing so other teams would attempt to fire at the target in order to overwhelm the Russians' ability to effectively counter the attack. To further increase the chance of success, the teams took up positions at different elevations where possible. Firing from the third and higher floors allowed good shots at the weakest armor (the top).^[4]

When the Russians began moving in tanks fitted with ERA (Explosive Reactive Armor), the Chechens had to adapt their tactics, because the RPGs they had access to were unlikely to result in the destruction of the tank. Several RPG teams would position themselves in such a way that they could all hit the same section of a tank, but from different angles. One would fire and detonate the reactive armor to create a spot where the base armor was exposed. The other teams would aim for this spot, since it was now as vulnerable as if there were no ERA on the tank at all. This was a crude, but apparently effective, way to get the effect of a tandem warhead without actually having one.

  Iraq

During the 2003 invasion of Iraq and the subsequent in-country status, the RPG has become a favorite weapon of the insurgent forces fighting U.S. troops. Since most of the readily-available RPG-7 rounds cannot penetrate M1 Abrams tank armor from the front or sides^{[citation needed]}, it is primarily effective against soft-skinned or lightly armored vehicles, as well as an anti-personnel weapon against infantry. However, even basic RPG-7 rounds can disable tanks and occasionally even lead to permanent losses if the tank is hit in the right place where armor is weak. Even if the RPG hit does not completely disable the tank or kill the crew, it can still damage external equipment, lowering the tank's effectiveness. Newer RPG-7 rounds are far more capable, and the RPG-29 is decidedly lethal, which has caused various armies and manufacturers to develop add-on tank armor and other systems for urban combat, such as the Tank Urban Survival Kit (TUSK) for M1 Abrams, slat armor for the Stryker, ERA kit for the FV432, AZUR for Leclerc, and others. The more radical solutions are active protection systems, engaging closing projectiles such as the Russian Drozd and Arena and Israeli TROPHY.

  El Salvador

RPGs were a main tool used by the FMLN's guerrilla forces in the Salvadoran Civil War. During the June 19, 1986 overrun of the San Miguel Army base, sappers used RPGs to initiate the attack and blow through the wall and kill a number of Salvadorn soldiers. FMLN sappers dressed only in black shorts, the faces blackout with grease sneaked through barbedwire and avoiding guard lights made it to within range of the outer wall. Taking out outer guards and lights with the rockets, they made it into the inner wall which they punched through. They were then able to create mayhem as a their comrades attacked from the outside.^[5]

  Lebanon

Controversy surrounds the During the 2006 Lebanon War. Hezbollah fired thousands of antitank missiles during the course of the conflict, 50 tanks were hit, and armour was penetrated in the case of 22 tanks, 14 at the Battles of Marjayoun and Wadi Saluki, killing 23. The penetrations were caused by tandem warhead missiles supplied by the Syria and Iran, including the RPG-29 'Vampir', AT-5 Spandrel 'Konkurs', AT-13 Saxhorn-2 'Metis-M', and АТ-14 Spriggan 'Kornet' missiles. 18 of the damaged tanks were Mark IVs, although eight of the tanks were still serviceable. Two tanks were completely destroyed by powerful improvised explosive devices, although one was equipped with underside armour, limiting casualties in that tank to 1 of the 7 soldiers. The Israeli military said that it was satisfied with the tank's performance, and linked problems to lack of proper training prior to the war.^[6][7]

  Anti-aircraft

The RPG is somewhat useful in the anti-aircraft role. Helicopters are typically ambushed as they land or hover. In Afghanistan, the Mujahideen would modify RPGs for use against helicopters by adding a curved pipe to the rear of the launcher tube to divert the back blast, allowing the RPG to be fired upward at aircraft from a prone position. This made the operator less visible prior to firing and decreased the risk of injury from hot exhaust gasses. Mujahideen also utilized the 4.5-second timer on RPG rounds to make the weapon function as a flak battery. Multiple launchers were needed in order to increase the chances of a hit.

At the time, Soviet helicopters countered the threat from RPGs at landing zones by first clearing them with anti-personnel saturation fire. The Soviets also varied the number of accompanying helicopters (two or three) in an effort to upset Afghan force estimations and preparation. In response, the Mujahideen prepared dug-in firing positions with top cover, and again, Soviet forces altered their tactics by using air-dropped fuel-air bombs on such landing zones. As the U.S.-supplied Stinger surface-to-air missiles became available, the Afghans abandoned RPG attacks.

Both of the Black Hawk helicopters lost by the U.S. during the Battle of Mogadishu in Somalia in 1993 were downed by RPG-7s. In Iraq and the second Afghanistan campaign, RPGs were deployed with mixed success against Coalition helicopter forces.

  References

1. ^ T-80U and T-90 Trials 20.10.99
2. ^ Sean Rayment. "MoD kept failure of best tank quiet", Sunday Telegraph, May 12, 2007. 
3. ^ Grant wardlaw, Political terrorism: Theory, Tactics and Counter-Measures (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1989), 27
4. ^ Foreign Military Studies Office Publications - Russian-Manufactured Armored Vehicle Vulnerability in Urban Combat: The Chechnya Experience
5. ^ Spencer, David E. From Vietnam to El Salvador: The Saga of the FMLN sappers and Other Guerrilla Special Forces in Latin America; Praeger Publishers (1996)
6. ^ Why did Armored Corps fail in Lebanon?. Ynet.
7. ^ "Defense establishment favors Rafael tank protection system", Amnon Barzilai, Globes Online. Retrieved September 26, 2007.

  See also

• Grenade launcher
• Shoulder-launched missile weapon
• Panzerfaust and Panzerfaust 3
• Soviet and Russian RPG models: RPG-2, RPG-7, PG-7VR, RPG-16, RPG-18, RPG-22, RPG-26, RPG-27, RPG-29
• Chinese PLA models: Type 69 RPG
• Palestinian models: Yasin
• M72 LAW, MK-153 SMAW, M136 AT4—similar weapons used by US Armed Forces
• RPG-43, RPG-40, RPG-6—Soviet anti-tank handgrenades in use during World War II

  External links

• RPG-7
• Countering The RPG Threat
• M72 LAW
• Most Valuable Weapon: the RPG, Gary Brecher on the history and use of the RPG
• Patrick Henry updated, with Missiles, Richard J. Maybury Washington Times Commentary

Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rocket-propelled_grenade"

Categories: Anti-tank rockets | Grenade launchers

BUY SUPPLIES THAT WILL KEEP YOU ALIVE

Robert MorleyColumnist

You Can’t Eat Gold

April 29, 2008 | From theTrumpet.com

How good is money when you can’t buy food? The Japanese are finding out—and Americans are only a drought away.

 

Robert Morley

    The world teeters on the edge of economic crisis. The main question now seems to be how big and how long. Numerous financial experts warn of a Great Depression repeat. But surviving the next Great Depression won’t be so easy. Last time, few people had money, but if they did, for the most part there was food available. This time, the depression may well be accompanied by widespread food shortages. As the Japanese are coming to realize, when there is no food, the value of money rapidly approaches zero.

Many economic analysts clearly see the economic problems facing America: the crashing housing market, insolvent banks, massive monetary inflation, the devaluing dollar, falling real wages, rising food and oil prices, and so on. Many also see the danger in the global food shortages. But at the same time, it is amazing how many think that all you need to do is invest in gold, or silver, or buy some agricultural commodity stocks, and you will be okay.

There is a fatal flaw in this thinking. Yes, as the United States continues to unravel, the price of gold may temporarily soar into the stratosphere. But no matter how many gold coins you have, if food supplies run out, bars of gold won’t quell the hunger pains. You can’t eat gold.

    TheAge.com reports that Kazakhstan, the world’s fifth-biggest wheat exporter, is the latest major country to prohibit grain exports. If Kazakhstan were alone, it might not be a big deal—but unfortunately Kazakhstan is joining a growing list of other countries, including Russia, Ukraine and Argentina, that are also limiting wheat exports.

At the same time, America’s wheat stockpile is at dangerously low levels—levels not seen in over 60 years. And 60 years ago, America had a population of less than 150 million. That figure has more than doubled since that time.

    The Department of Agriculture says that in the year ending May 31, U.S. wheat inventories could be down 47 percent to 6.6 million tons. That means there is a U.S. emergency wheat reserve supply of only about 43 pounds per person.

    Expecting record-low food reserves to provide for record-high populations is asking for record-breaking hunger.

But wheat is only one of many foods in short supply; rice, corn and other agricultural commodities are near multi-decade lows too. All it would take is one bad global harvest and America, along with the rest of the world, would be in big trouble. Just one bad year! We had seven of them in a row during the 1930s.

    It wouldn’t matter how much money a person had; money can’t buy what doesn’t exist.

    Take Japan for example.

Japan is the world’s largest net food importer. The nation imports 86 percent of its wheat and approximately 60 percent of its daily food requirements.

Japan’s problems began when countries such as Thailand, Vietnam and China imposed export curbs on rice to conserve food for domestic populations. Then Japan got hit again when global shortfalls in cattle feed led to a butter shortage, and again when global wheat prices went through the roof.

    Food shortages have intensified to the point that, as Bloomberg reports, Japan will ask the World Trade Organization (wto) to introduce rules to prevent countries from restricting exports of wheat, rice and other grains. Japan may be about to find out that wto rules don’t mean much when people are at risk of starvation.

The shortages have come as quite a shock to many Japanese who, like Americans, are accustomed to being able to buy whatever they want as long as they have the money. “Until now Japan could rely on purchasing food from anywhere in the world because consumers can afford to pay,” relates Yasuhiko Nakamura, head of the government’s food education council. “In the future, it may be impossible to import even if we have money” (emphasis mine throughout).

    There is nothing like a food shortage to wake up a nation.

    Obviously, America isn’t Japan—we don’t import two thirds of our food. But we are much more vulnerable than many realize.

    In 2005, the Wall Street Journal reported that America had become a net importer of food. Bill Bonner, writing for the Daily Reckoning, confirms: “If we understand that correctly, there is no longer enough food Made in the USA to feed Americans’ appetites” (February 25). That means that even if America cut all exports, it would still need to import food to maintain current consumption levels.

America used to be the world’s breadbasket. Now, as is the case in just about every other former category of production, America is becoming a gigantic food-consumption sinkhole.

“[O]utsourcing your supply of food and water … depending on unfriendly or unreliable trading partners to keep sending fresh fruit and poultry … or thinking the global system of trade will forever expand and never again contract … these are all dangerous assumptions that could leave you with an empty national stomach at night,” warns the Daily Reckoning (ibid.).

Yet for the most part, Americans remain on the sidelines of the current food shortages—at least so far. Besides some comparatively minor rice and cooking oil rationing at a few Costcos and Sam’s Clubs, most Americans are content to grumble about rising food and fuel prices and watch the food riots in Haiti, Indonesia, and elsewhere—so far.

    But the fact that there is rationing at all should be a big wak