Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel says instead of selling missiles to Syria, Russia should work with the U.S. to prevent the Syrian Civil War from erupting into a wider, regional war. – The Pentagon Channel

Military Ethics Twitter Course

We’re getting ready to start our electives period at the Command and Staff College, where I have the good fortune of teaching 17 Majors, Lieutenant Commanders, and GS-14s about military ethics. The course runs 10 sessions over five weeks, and as I’ve been preparing I had one of those ‘flash of the obvious’ moments:

I love teaching. I love military ethics. I love twitter.

Would it be possible to combine the three? I honestly don’t know, but I figure we might as well take a crack at it.

Here’s what I propose:

1.  You can see a readings list at Twitter Military Ethics Course. Very graciously, @khanserai has created a googledocs that has the readings for the first couple of weeks. For the others, you’re smart; you can find them. If you have better ideas for readings, videos, etc., lemme know and I’ll update. Nothing like crowd sourcing learning!

2.  I intend to loosely mirror the same pace as my seminar course, which means we’ll cover 2 topics per week. Unlike seminar, we’re not constrained by a two-hour window. We’ll have roughly 3 days to develop our thoughts (in 140 character chunks!).

3.  All are welcome. Come and go as you please.

4.  I’ll post a brief backgrounder on this blog at the start of each topic to kick things off. Then I’ll tweet specific learning points and questions with the hashtag #METC. All you need to do is follow along and ask me questions or give your thoughts on the questions I ask. Just make sure to use the hashtag #METC so everyone catches it. I’ll do my best to storify conversation threads as we go.

5.  Since I’ve never done this before, I expect there will be a pretty sharp learning curve. Apologies in advance for whatever I mess up; please let me know how I can help make it more productive for you! Always remember: you get what you pay for.

6.  There will be an honor grad. There will be an honor grad prize. That is all I have decided so far.

Any questions? Hit me up at @johnsonr. Here are the general windows for each topic:

Class 1: Introduction to Professional Military Ethics (January 21-23, 2013)

Class 2: Moral Dilemmas (January 24-26, 2013)

Class 3: Motivating Moral Behavior (January 28-30, 2013)

Class 4: Setting the Command Climate (January 31-February 2, 2013)

Class 5: Moral Development (February 4-6, 2013)

Class 6: Targeted Killings (February 7-9, 2013)

Class 7: Emerging Issues – Unmanned Systems (February 11-13, 2013)

Class 8: The Stoic Warrior (February 14-16, 2013)

Class 9: Responding to the Command Climate (February 18-20, 2013)

Class 10: Ethical Fitness (February 21-23, 2013)

February 25, 2013 GRADUATION!!!

We are also currently working on an interview which you will hopefully see here in the next couple of weeks. In the meantime you can follow him on Twitter and at PowerfulPeace.net.

Chapter 1 – Hate

September 11, 2001

The history of violent conflict traces back in many oral traditions to the very first humans. This opening chapter offers a first-hand account of one of the most hate-based and hate-producing events of modern history. Close the book for a moment, and take a second look at the cover. The number in the bottom-right corner of my photo is the original date stamp of that shot, taken while training Arab SEALs at their base in the Middle East. It was exactly seven days before September 11, 2001. And it was exactly seven days after my wife and children flew out of Boston on a flight number that two weeks later would be incinerated and immortalized in fire and blood. Yes, friends…I am familiar with hate.

In hatred as in love, we grow like the thing we brood upon. What we loathe, we graft into our very soul. – Mary Renault

Teammate Shaun Marriott and I perfect the art of force application. (Note brass shell ejecting above scope.)

My American SEAL platoon and our Arab SEAL hosts watched in living color on satellite television as the second plane dissolved into the second of the Twin Towers. It was approaching evening where we were, several months into a deployment to the Persian Gulf. We sat frozen, burning in silent rage, staring as nearly twenty deluded murderers exploited the most advanced technology to carry out the most primitive evil. Having slashed women to death with razor knives, these “men” committed suicide, proving they were brave enough and strong enough to kill thousands of innocents—among them unsuspecting office workers, little old ladies, and infants.

These murderers called themselves “warriors.”

We were all naval commandos in that room, some American, others the “local nationals” we had been sent to train. Ironically painful and poignant, we had been teaching our hosts skills that would make them better at killing terrorists. Yet not one of us could lift a finger to prevent what was happening in the United States.

As we sat together in that remote Middle Eastern barracks, each was very much alone with his thoughts. The Americans thought of loved ones and Teammates a world away. My Arab friends thought of…well, I hope to one day share another cup of tea and ask them. (As you may imagine, things got a little busy during the days that followed. Within weeks, I would be conducting reconnaissance for the invasion of Afghanistan.)

There we all were. Nearly twenty Arabs and Americans, living together in those barracks; nearly twenty Arabs, dying together in dispersed teams of terrorist hijackers. Had those cowardly bastards chosen to face our little international group, man to man, 9/11 would have turned out differently. They wouldn’t have had to work so hard to make their way to hell, for one thing. At our hands, hell would have come up roaring to greet them.

And three thousand gentle, innocent souls would still be alive with their families.

Not one word was spoken for hours during the spectacle. If one of the local SEALs had laughed or expressed any satisfaction in what we were witnessing, I believe I would have killed him on the spot. This is not a boast. It’s a confession, a shameful admission. I’m very ashamed it’s true. These were my friends, but we were so choked with hurt; we were so thirsty for revenge.

Here was a bitterly painful sense of helplessness, for some of the most dangerous men on earth. We were supposed to be the protectors of our countrymen. Each December Seventh at the SEAL Delivery Vehicle (SDV) Team in Hawaii, in fact, we swam the five miles around Pearl Harbor’s Ford Island. Commemorating the original Day of Infamy in 1941, this ceremony sent the message that hostile actors were welcome to attack again if they wished…we would be ready this time.

Instead, in September sixty years later, we were on the wrong side of the planet.

We were supposed to be the ones who would sacrifice all so fellow citizens could sleep safe in their beds at night. Yet we would sleep through that night with troubled dreams, safe in our own beds, while thousands of innocents under our protection suffered and died in a crushing, inescapable nightmare.

In addition, within our platoon I had the unique awareness that only two Tuesdays earlier, my wife and children had flown from Boston to California, just as a plane I had watched disintegrate had been scheduled to do. Later, my wife would tell me a strange detail. During the early part of their flight on August 28th, a man of apparent Middle Eastern descent had been roaming the cabin and studying the passenger seating, crew stations, wings and more. He had been carrying an Arabic language newspaper. She wrote it off as unreasonable suspicion on her part, but remained troubled by his intense focus on surveying the airplane…especially the wings. Of course, this may have all been coincidence.

It is no coincidence, however, that I have a personal understanding of hatred. That’s the first thing I want you to understand.

Unlike my loved ones sobbing through a tortured morning rush hour in the United States, I sat among Arab friends and allies in the Middle East and watched 9/11 unfold. Some in my mixed group of highly trained commandos may have empathized with the grievances of the al Qaeda (AQ) terrorists piloting those improvised cruise missiles.

If that last statement strains your comfort level, I’m satisfied. Peacemaking is not the fluffy stuff of rainbows and unicorns. It is not exclusive to well-intentioned activists shouting “Ban War!” Peacemaking is the right—and the burden—of all of us, and it sometimes includes the use of force. Without just war, Hitler’s quest would have destroyed millions more. Genuine conflict reduction requires the capacity and willingness to strike, combined with a determined restraint and the guts to stare straight into the face of hate…and then choose a reasoned response.

Yes, some of my friends did (and do) empathize with the grievances AQ uses to justify hijacking airplanes. Note the careful use of this phrase “empathize with the grievances.” I know none of our Arab partners in that host platoon were radicalized terrorists. If one had been, he would have exploited our trust and killed us while we slept. The symbolic value of slaughtering a few American SEALs would have been irresistible. As demonstrated by the 9/11 hijackers, even sacrificing his own life to accomplish this would have been acceptable to an extremist with an opportunity.

This may be difficult to reconcile according to our ordinary sense of reality, but we are in extraordinary times. Extraordinary times call for extraordinary effort. If we have the courage to consider the Other’s reality, empathy with grievances is possible and productive.

Here’s one poorly hidden elephant in the room: Unresolved grievances and the anxieties they compel keep solutions at arm’s length. In many of the countries I’ve visited around the Middle East, the horror of Palestinian children killed in Israeli attacks is advertised widely and discussed passionately. For Israelis, on the other hand, the constant threat of devastating Palestinian rocket and suicide bomber attacks is a deep and chronic pain that can make reasoned negotiation seem unreasonable. Neither side will ever run out of iron-clad reasons to avenge the pain it has suffered; nor will either side ever accept its own marginalization or elimination, so all the struggle and rhetoric in pursuit of dominance for either extreme can only serve to prolong the suffering of innocents within both populations.

Many participants can sense this. Isn’t it time many more admitted it? Isn’t it time both parties, with their thoughts on their children, stared straight into the face of hate and said “Enough?”

As mentioned earlier, actor/director Don Cheadle and humanitarian John Prendergast have done exactly that in another abscess of raging human conflict in another part of the world. You’ll read about their “Enough Project” and book, The Enough Moment, in chapter 25 on Commonality.

Only the absolute cessation of violence allows space to work through underlying issues and pursue stability and reconciliation to benefit both parties. Yet all too often, hatred is so intense that a participant will choose personal suffering over personal peace as the price required to cause his adversary pain.

Until squabbling siblings, barroom brawlers or aggressing armies establish at least a cold truce, until the participants can “cause a pause,” the cycle of retaliatory violence continues to escalate and solutions fly ever further from reality…and more innocents suffer for our folly. At the most basic level there is no such thing as a corporation, an army, a nation, or even the book club where you may be reading this—each of these entities is nothing more than a collection of individual human beings in willing cooperation, backed up in some cases by lists which are also nothing more than shared understandings between individuals.

The human is the lowest common denominator, from the smallest to the greatest social organization we have ever established. This universal individuality, to be revisited later on in the sections on Heart and Soul, is the reason peace cannot spread except by individual choices and actions…like yours. Understanding and peace don’t come about by some mysterious accident while we squabble over crumbs. Boardroom, bedroom and battlefield are universally populated only by individual human beings, and only those who consciously choose and act can improve conditions for all of us.

The solution lies not at but between the extremes. Only here can balance—and peace for those under your care—be found.

Iran defense minister confirms Hezbollah drone was Iranian
“Whatever we have at our disposal will be used at the proper time in defending the Muslim community and Islamic territories and that’s natural,” Brigadier General Ahmad Vahidi said on Sunday adding, “Given the Zionist regime’s frequent incursions into the Lebanese airspace, we see it as the natural right of Lebanon’s Hezbollah to fly its drone above the Occupied Territories.” The minister added that the flight of the Hezbollah drone proved the weakness of the Jewish entity’s iron dome. “The so-called iron dome of the Zionist regime’s defense space collapsed by this action and it became clear that the Zionist regime could not be safe from the fury of the Muslim community,” Vahidi said.”

Former Lebanese PM: UAV not a state decision
Former Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora said that the Hezbollah-dispatched unmanned aerial vehicle that flew over Israel was sent at Iran’s behest, and was not a Lebanese decision, a statement issued by Siniora’s press office said on Sunday. “Sending the drone over Israel is not a Lebanese decision, however the move was made at an Iranian behest. Such act needs techniques only available in Iran,” Lebanese news site The Daily Star quoted Siniora as telling his visitors at his Sidon’s office.

Israel unveils enhanced drone
As part of Sunday’s showcase, held in central Israel, the Shoval drone flew towards the sea and identified a commercial vessel on the Mediterranean, dozens of kilometers away from Israeli shores. Live footage displayed in HD quality on the control screens showed foreign reporters virtually every detail on the ship, including its Japanese flag, the name on its front and the sailors walking on board. The drone can also identify aircraft flying over the sea and determine whether they are suspicious. Its radar, which has a 300km (190 mile) range, can reach as far as Cyprus, Turkey and Egypt. “The system can inquire and intercept any object within just a few minutes,” a senior IAI official said. The UAV weighs 1,200 kilograms (2,645 pounds) and can carry 256 kilograms (565 pounds) in surveillance cargo. “The Shoval has satellite communication abilities, which means any footage it takes will be broadcasted online to distant location like Paris. This capability allows it to operate during bad weather, in which case it will fly under cloud height and will not be affected by the rain,” the official said.

Iran to Use New Drone for Air Defense, Bombing Missions
A senior Iranian military commander said that the country’s newly unveiled Haazem (Determination) drones are multi-purpose and multi-range vehicles with air-defense, reconnaissance and aerial bombardment capabilities. Commander of Khatam ol-Anbia Air Defense Base Brigadier General Farzad Esmayeeli stressed that Iran’s defense industries enjoy a high capability in designing and producing Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), and stated that Haazem is a drone designed and manufactured by Iranian air defense experts in three short, mid and long range models and for air defense missions. He said that the drone can be used as a target for air defense systems and also for reconnaissance missions. Esmayeeli said the UAV can also be equipped with missiles and used for aerial bombardments as well.

Hezbollah drone photographed secret IDF bases
The Hezbollah drone that infiltrated the Negev last week beamed back live images of secret Israeli military bases, the Sunday Times reported on Sunday. According to the report, the drone was airborne for three hours before being intercepted by an F-16I jet. It is believed to have transmitted pictures of preparations for Israel’s joint military exercise with the US, as well as ballistic missile sites, airfields and, perhaps, the nuclear reactor in Dimona, the Sunday Times reported.

Israel terrified by outlook of future Iran, Hezbollah combat UAVs: Analyst
“The fear of Israelis is that these UAVs, Iran or Hezbollah can develop them to become combat UAVs meaning [having] the capability of launching missiles or themselves being used as guided missiles against targets in Israel. So personally, I think we will see it more in any future conflict between Hezbollah and Israel,” CEO and founder of the Institute for Near East and Gulf Military Analysis (INEGMA), Riad Kahwaji said in a Press TV interview.

Israel’s IAI wins $958M India drone deal
Israel Aerospace Industries, flagship of the Jewish state’s defense sector, is reported to have secured a $958 million contract from India’s military to upgrade its IAI-built Heron and Searcher unmanned aerial vehicles. UAVs are one of the biggest money-spinners for Israel’s defense industry and India, which is engaged in a massive multiyear rearmament program, is a key customer. Israel’s Globes business daily cited Indian media reports that the deal covers some 150 UAVs acquired from IAI since the 1990s that are operated by India’s army, air force and navy.

South Korea’s Kamikaze UAV Could Scare the Ojom Out of Kim Jong-un
South Korea’s aptly named the Devil Killer fits that bill; it’s a portable kamikaze UAV currently under development by Korea Aerospace Industries in conjunction with Konkuk and Hanyang Universities. It measures five feet in length and weighs approximately 55 pounds. When unfolded, its boasts a four foot wingspan. The Devil Killer will be powered by an electric motor and reportedly reach speeds in excess of 250 MPH, allowing it to strike North Korean targets up to 25 miles away in just 10 minutes.

Photo: Lockheed Martin Cormorant

It’s an impressive bit of video but little is known about the drone or its origins:

From the moment that it was identified, a squadron of F-16I fighter jets were scrambled from the Ramon airbase in the Negev, and accompanied the UAV. The air force was able to shoot down the UAV at any time, but chose to fly along with it for several minutes. For safety reasons, the air force took a decision to shoot down the UAV over the northern Negev.

IDF Chief of Staff Lt.-Gen. Benny Gantz received real-time updates throughout the incident, the IDF said.

IDF ground forces collected the fragments and were analyzing them.The IDF did not believe that the UAV was on an attack mission, but rather sent to gather intelligence. There were no explosives attached to the air craft, and it did not originate in the Gaza Strip, contrary to Palestinian reports.

It remains unclear where the UAV took off from.

While facts are hard to come by at the moment speculation is tightly focused on Lebanon, Hezbollah, and of course Iran. And it should be. Miri Regev, a former IDF spokeswoman, quickly offered her thoughts on her Facebook page:

This may have been something like Hezbollah’s Mirsad-1 but I haven’t seen any mention of that specific platform. It would be helpful if there was a less destructive way to take these out of the sky so they could be analyzed. The giant fireball of death brought forth by the IDF is cool and all but it probably doesn’t leave much to look at.

Anyway, is going to be a increasingly common challenge for Israel. There are plenty of state sponsored bad actors who can get within drone distance of their territory and that problem isn’t going away. However, this technology is getting cheaper and more accessible by the minute. State sponsorship or particularly deep pockets are not required to build a moderately capable UAV and it is getting easier and cheaper with each passing day. Building and deploying weaponized UAVs poses an even greater challenge but advancing technology continues to boost the killing power of the individual and so that too will get easier and more common.

Still, DIY ISR and weapon delivery platforms are likely to remain just an annoyance for some time. The value of the intelligence they generate is questionable at best. And if the aim is to kill or destroy the impact will be minimal unless someone gets extremely creative with the payload. In most cases these platforms are more likely to benefit conventional forces, rather than non-state actors, who can deploy them with greater frequency and effectiveness.

It is just a matter of time:

“Before they were blind, deaf and dumb,” Mark Maybury, chief scientist for the U.S. Air Force, told AFP. “Now we’re beginning to make them to see, hear and sense.”

Ronald Arkin, a professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology, believes that drones will soon be able to kill enemies on their own independently.

“It is not my belief that an unmanned system will be able to be perfectly ethical in the battlefield, but I am convinced that they can perform more ethically than human soldiers are capable of,” Arkin told AFP.

These stories make for great headlines and feed a lot of silly drone paranoia but I think they are essentially accurate. The killer drones of science fiction will become a reality but probably not on a massive scale and probably not soon.

I think the real story and ultimate benefit is in the development of greater drone autonomy in virtually every other (non-lethal) aspect of their operation. We are not terribly far off from being able to build drones and support systems that autonomously synthesize vast amounts of battlefield intelligence, self-launch, fly to potential targets, and notify human specialists of their intent or target opportunities. We are laying the groundwork for much of that right now. However, in most cases, it will still make sense to allow that human specialist final decision making authority at the execution phase even while the mechanics of flight, targeting, and firing can be fully handled by the drone itself.

When full offensive autonomy does come I think it could initially be in an air superiority role where it is easier to envision fully autonomous drones being turned loose for tasks such as enforcing no-fly zones. That is typically a less complex set of rules than say chasing down two guys with RPGs in the middle of Baghdad. Not easy – but easier. Either way, there are countless applications for this technology and many ways that these capabilities can be implemented short of the “fully autonomous killer drones” that are so effective at capturing imaginations and headlines.

Thousands of people are tweeting moving tributes to the fallen this weekend. I created this Memorial Day Monitor to capture as many of those tributes as possible.

I think it is important to remember on this day that countless, often silent, sacrifices are made by men and women who are not in uniform. And also that pain and suffering reaches well past the battlefield to touch those who send husbands, sons, fathers, wives, daughters, mothers, and friends off to war. All of them are worthy of remembrance today.

“In great deeds, something abides. On great fields, something stays. Forms change and pass; bodies disappear; but spirits linger, to consecrate ground for the vision-place of souls… generations that know us not and that we know not of, heart-drawn to see where and by whom great things were suffered and done for them, shall come to this deathless field, to ponder and dream; and lo! the shadow of a mighty presence shall wrap them in its bosom, and the power of the vision pass into their souls.” – Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

Thank you all for your service and great deeds.

Tweets and video related to the Chicago summit and its associated protests will be streaming live this week. The monitor is currently focused on:

Chicago2012 – Tweets using the event’s official hashtag.

Protests – The Occupy Movement and countless groups from the fringe left have been actively planning (and carrying out) counter-NATO protests. This stream aggregates several of their hashtags. This column now features live streaming video from anti-NATO protests in Chicago.

Video – This surface links to video tweeted by anyone from protestors streaming live video on the streets of Chicago to NATO itself.

If you are only interested in the counter-NATO protests there is a monitor dedicated to the Occupy Movement that will stream much of the NATO protest activity – also with live video. ThreatStream has a permanent collection of streams for NATO focusing on NATO-led operations and potential involvement in Syria that will stay up long after the summit ends.

The launch of the Agni V on Thursday, which can carry nuclear warheads and has a range of 5,000 km, will thrust the country into an elite club of nations with intercontinental nuclear defence capabilities.

The launch of the Indian-made Agni V, if successful, would be the crowning achievement of a missile programme developed primarily to counter any threat from China.

Only the UN Security Council permanent members – China, France, Russia, the United States and Britain – have such long-range weapons.

An India Monitor has been added to ThreatStream to track developments.

This story is still developing. You can watch live video and streaming tweets here.

The conference runs through the 28th in Washington DC. Click here to launch a live stream that aggregates event t hashtags, official tweets, and relevant chatter.

 
Robot swarm in the battlespace may not be as far off as many think. Sure, many obstacles remain but we’re advancing at an amazing pace. Imagine these weaponized – with just enough intelligence and payload to find and kill a human target within a mile or two. The effect on battlefield tactics will be profound but it may have an even greater impact on policy. Going to war is only going to get easier – as long as the robots are on your side.

Franklin D. Roosevelt’s Infamy Speech

December 8, 1941

Yesterday, December 7, 1941 – a date which will live in infamy – the United States of America was suddenly and deliberately attacked by naval and air forces of the Empire of Japan.

The United States was at peace with that nation and, at the solicitation of Japan, was still in conversation with its Government and its Emperor looking toward the maintenance of peace in the Pacific. Indeed, one hour after Japanese air squadrons had commenced bombing in Oahu, the Japanese Ambassador to the United States and his colleague delivered to the Secretary of State a formal reply to a recent American message. While this reply stated that it seemed useless to continue the existing diplomatic negotiations, it contained no threat or hint of war or armed attack.

It will be recorded that the distance of Hawaii from Japan makes it obvious that the attack was deliberately planned many days or even weeks ago. During the intervening time the Japanese Government has deliberately sought to deceive the United States by false statements and expressions of hope for continued peace.

The attack yesterday on the Hawaiian Islands has caused severe damage to American naval and military forces. Very many American lives have been lost. In addition American ships have been reported torpedoed on the high seas between San Francisco and Honolulu.

Yesterday the Japanese Government also launched an attack against Malaya. Last night Japanese forces attacked Hong Kong. Last night Japanese forces attacked Guam. Last night Japanese forces attacked the Philippine Islands. Last night the Japanese attacked Wake Island. This morning the Japanese attacked Midway Island.

Japan has, therefore, undertaken a surprise offensive extending throughout the Pacific area. The facts of yesterday speak for themselves. The people of the United States have already formed their opinions and well understand the implications to the very life and safety of our nation.

As Commander-in-Chief of the Army and Navy, I have directed that all measures be taken for our defense.

Always will we remember the character of the onslaught against us. No matter how long it may take us to overcome this premeditated invasion, the American people in their righteous might will win through to absolute victory.

I believe I interpret the will of the Congress and of the people when I assert that we will not only defend ourselves to the uttermost but will make very certain that this form of treachery shall never endanger us again.

Hostilities exist. There is no blinking at the fact that our people, our territory and our interests are in grave danger.

With confidence in our armed forces – with the unbounded determination of our people – we will gain the inevitable triumph – so help us God.

I ask that the Congress declare that since the unprovoked and dastardly attack by Japan on Sunday, December seventh, a state of war has existed between the United States and the Japanese Empire.”

Another air show photo that I took a couple of years ago. Here’s that gun in action.

Obama is sending 100 troops after Joseph Kony and his rebels:

In a letter to Congress, President Obama said, “On October 12, the initial team of U.S. military personnel with appropriate combat equipment deployed to Uganda. During the next month, additional forces will deploy, including a second combat-equipped team and associated headquarters, communications, and logistics personnel. The total number of U.S. military personnel deploying for this mission is approximately 100. These forces will act as advisors to partner forces that have the goal of removing from the battlefield Joseph Kony and other senior leadership of the LRA.”

Mr. Obama added, “Although the U.S. forces are combat-equipped, they will only be providing information, advice, and assistance to partner nation forces, and they will not themselves engage LRA forces unless necessary for self-defense. All appropriate precautions have been taken to ensure the safety of U.S. military personnel during their deployment.”

I just added a new monitor for the Lord’s Resistance Army, Uganda, Congo, and Joseph Kony. Watch the stream at LRA.blogsofwar.com

There’s a fairly robust entry on the LRA over at Wikipedia.