Tuesday, August 13, 2024

Some Background Regarding Voz Island

Excerpts from the upcoming book…"Digging Deep; The Voz Island Destruction Mission" by Mission Commander Brian Hayes

 

Before the start of the Cold War, Voz Island in the Aral Sea (then a part of the Soviet Union), was an unassuming place. Apart from a few locals working at a small fish processing plant, nothing much happened there. That all changed quite dramatically in 1948 after Stalin’s government decided to open a top-secret biological weapons research facility on the island.

 


Kantubek, a quiet village on the north of the island was closed to the outside world and transformed itself into a military town named Aralsk-7. The laboratories that were built just to the south for the next 40 years housed Soviet scientists who experimented with some of the deadliest pathogens known to man. In an attempt to weaponize these diseases, they conducted open-air tests on smallpox, anthrax, and bubonic plague across the island.

"Now that being said, Kantubek is literally a ghost town trapped in time and space and Vozrozhdeniye is no longer an island due to the shrinking of the Aral Sea. Irony really given that the USSR is no longer in existence either and yet that damage that has been done by this “superpower” in this one area of the globe is probably incalculable."

A Historical Perspective

A child of Stalinist paranoia and the “arms race” to develop biological weapons to use against the West, Kantubek was the Soviet’s largest research center devoted to the cause. Approximately 1,500 inhabitants lived on the island full time, all of which risked their lives, both in doing the job and if they spoke out about it.

Kantubek was chosen not only for its remote, off-limits location but also for the warm, dry climate of the Aral region…the reality this place gets HOT!

With a ground-level temperature of 100 degrees plus all summer long, the conditions were perfect for limiting the spread of pathogenic microorganisms. Professor Ivan Velikanov, a specialist in bacteriological warfare headed the facility, leading some of the most ambitious biological warfare testing ever conducted in a field like environment such as this site provided. However, after a decade in charge of the unit, he became a victim of Stalinist terror. For undocumented reasons, he was discharged and later, executed. For a short while, the facility was put on hiatus. This ended after a 1952 ratification by the Soviet authorities (still led by Stalin) to resume the experiments.

More funding saw a large-scale expansion of Vozrozhdeniye Island. An airport was added to the west of the island, the only one in the USSR with four tracks in a star-shape, created so that planes could land from any direction during strong winds prevalent on the island. (Note: See my previous article about Barkhan Airfield)

More sophisticated laboratories were developed. A port complex was also built to enable constant patrol of the waters around the island. Experiments were now being conducted on the most dangerous pathogenic agents in the world, including anthrax, various toxins, typhus, and brucellosis. Any data leak could have proved catastrophic to the Soviet government as these materials had the capacity to decimate populations on a grand scale.

That’s until the leak at on 2 April 1979, where spores of Anthrax were accidentally released from a Soviet military research facility in the city of Sverdlovsk, Soviet Union now Yekaterinburg, Russia.  

Overview

In 1988 orders came from Soviet leadership to quickly dispose of the anthrax at Sverdlovsk-19 in advance of a suspected international inspection. Under duress, germ scientists at the facility in Sverdlovsk (also known as Compound 19) scrambled to move hundreds of tons of anthrax with little to no warning. The infectious agent was loaded into stainless TR-250 containers and prepared for shipment out of the area.

To neutralize the anthrax Compound 19’s scientist’s added sodium hypochlorite - that when dissolved in water equals bleach - which served as a disinfectant and antimicrobial agent prior to transport. The containers were then sent to Voz Island, where they were emptied into eleven pits northwest of the laboratory complex in an area known as PRSL-52.

We located the burial pits with satellite imagery provided through intelligence contacts and hand drawn sketches obtained through exhaustive interviews with individuals who had worked on the island and “knew” the precise location as well as numerous trips to the island to confirm the precise geo locations and scouting for other sites place the team for future missions.

When finally excavated, it was evident that because spores tend to clump together when dry, some were protected from the bleach and remained viable. And this presented a new issue – we were dealing with a weaponized biological agent in the middle of the Aral Sea without ANY formal security measures to secure this material.

More to follow…..


Sunday, October 1, 2023

The Pre-Mission by Brian M. Hayes

 

Excerpts from the upcoming book…"Digging Deep; The Voz Island Destruction Mission" by Mission Commander Brian Hayes

The Flight In...

At roughly 1430 hours on 20 February 2002 we arrived back on Vozrozdeniya Island once again. I know because it was supposed to be at 1000 AM which would have afforded us the opportunity to establish camp during daylight hours, conduct a proper reconnaissance of the area to ensure that we were "alone" and to make sure that proper security measures had been put in place. None of what was supposed to happen on this mission actually went according to plan. Suffice to say it was haphazard at best but it was required predicated upon an immediate request from the Republic of Uzbekistan to address concerns about potential "catastrophic" contamination throughout the island - which come to find out was a euphemism for - "the amount of money you have programmed for the destruction of the anthrax buried on the island is not enough so therefore we are going to try and get more from you" - but I digress! 

The mood was a bit somber on this mission set as compared to previous trips and to be honest somewhat confrontational as the both the Ministry of Science and Health as well as the assets from the Ministry of Defense would also be with us on this little excursion to the biological wasteland known as Voz. Seems they were none too happy with how the US Departments of State and Defense had come up with the dollar figures for the elimination of the anthrax that was on the island and now were posturing and claiming that the island was so "dangerous" that even this trip could put us and our lives all in jeopardy - citing American "experts" from California with direct scientific knowledge that "rodents could bite us at any time!" I immediately called BS to Dr. N's antics and told him "Either get on the helicopter now or we were leaving you (here) at the airfield." 

I had been dealing with Dr. N on and off for several years while working with his Anti-plague Institute(s) throughout Uzbekistan securing dangerous pathogens left over from the days of the former USSR and found him to be very respectful - most of the time - and although I thought of him as a very competent and measured gentleman I was not in the mood for this bureaucratic rancor at this moment. 

His stalling was costing us valuable time considering where we were going and the aircraft (which WE already had paid for) had "blades spinning" and it was time to go...AND he was pissing off the pilots to no end! Not to mention I just cancelled a two-week ski trip back in the States for this!

"Get on the bird now!" I yelled! 

To state it lightly my patience was wearing thin.

He looked bewildered as I ascended the stairs with my team in tow and he then ran after me. Seconds later the MI-17 took to the air and finally headed for Vozrozdeniya Island. 

After a good 10-15 minutes in the air, it became readily apparent.... he does not like low level flying in vintage Soviet era helicopters! 

Presence Established on Site

There are certain things that are very hard to put away in your life - especially if you are a soldier. You know if you are going to the field for a day, overnight, or a week, that you bring certain things with you - a sleeping bag, a hat, extra socks, food, water, etc. Every member of my team was briefed before travel on what to bring with them as a minimum for this mission. It is something that is ingrained in you while in the service of our Nation. My second in command Scott made sure folks had all items necessary to stay on the island comfortably for 5 days in the "catastrophic" conditions laid out by our Uzbek minders and so we were well prepared. 

Unfortunately, our Uzbek counterparts did not get this same level of training which is ironic given they were keenly aware of the "catastrophic conditions" we would have encountered, and the necessary equipment and the remedial training needed to survive in this extreme environment. 

After watching us put up our military grade tents and roll out our sleeping bags they knew we were readily prepared for the next week...but THEY were not...and it showed! It was the difference between watching a varsity level and a junior varsity level football game when it came to preparedness. 

But that was the least of the concerns as the best (and funniest) was yet to come!

Since the island was now "heavily contaminated" Dr. N would need to don a 3M HAZMAT suit and go to some of the more "heavily contaminated" areas on the island to conduct sampling operations as the lead governmental agent on behalf of the Republic of Uzbekistan - I had to remind him of this several times! 

He never realized that this was part of his new assignment! Guess the ministry back in Tashkent forgot to tell him that one. Again, just like flying, he was not happy about this endeavor as mandated by his own government.

On 22 February he set out with Scott and a small party from the main element in full protective ensemble to conduct sampling operations across the island...all on foot to prove that Voz Island, for all its mystique and hyperbole was not this biological Chernobyl lying in wait for the United States to clean up. 

After 8 hours of walking through the test grid and taking hundreds of samples Dr. N came "walking back" to the campsite with help from Scott and several others with his 35mm camera dragging behind him and announced in front of the campfire for all to hear that "Vozrozdeniya Island is pathogen free" - I looked at Scott and laughed as Dr. N went to his bedroll in his 3M suit (which was in tatters!) and just before just before falling asleep for the remainder of the mission (go figure!) was able set Scott's canteen cup ablaze in the campfire while trying to prepare a cup a tea after suffering from fatigue he hadn't seen since his teens.   

After his whirlwind tour of the island, he did not wake up till the next day which was fine because we still had more work to do and I - nor the members of my team - did not need his type of distraction any longer. 

Again, a great guy but a bureaucrat at heart especially when it came to hard work. All his rancor about secondary contamination on the island turned out to be fantasy. We took hundreds of samples from across the island, the R&D facilities, and other structures and not a single sample came back positive. This trip was nothing but a ploy to garner additional funds for a project that was not to be. 

More on that later in the book.

Barkhan Airfield

I and a couple of others from the team had headed west to identify two key areas - the actual burial pits where the live anthrax had been buried and Barkhan Airfield - as this was going to function primarily as our resupply airfield for the pathogen destruction mission later in the year. Having found what was left of the airfield we quickly realized that the intelligence provided to us on was outdated and that it would not support our needs. 

For background, "Barkhan" as it was referred to was located close to the town of Kantubek on Vozrozdeniya in close proximity to our campsite so the trek should be relatively short. It was the only airfield in the former Soviet Union with four runways in a starburst pattern. The weather on the island changed frequently and planes landed on one of the four runways depending on weather and wind direction at the time. Since this was an unimproved dirt runway system it was deemed to be not usable by cargo aircraft for our upcoming mission given that atmospheric conditions had taken a toll on it since the late 1990's. To be blunt it was unrecognizable from the pictures provided by the intelligence community and would provide nothing more than photographic opportunities moving forward. As I said earlier - none of what was supposed to happen on this mission actually went according to plan - and finding Barkhan in a dilapidated state was just the beginning.

Identifying the Pits
With the airfield dilemma taken care of we now could focus on identifying the pits to get a better handle on the magnitude of the problem. Although I had a hand drawn map from a previous expedition having been on site several years prior and were given the illustration by "someone with direct knowledge of the burial site" it had to confirmed and that was one of our missions. Given I had been here just six months prior myself the topography continues to change, and nothing looked the same. 

Several "metal" markers that I put in place were indeed scavenged by locals continuing to look for scrap metal. I placed a call back to the US on the SATPHONE and spoke with one of the individuals in the intelligence community who was able "see" us on the island and who able walk us to the geographic location of each of the pits - or at least most of them - so they we could get a pretty could handle on the approximate size of the area we would be looking at. This was a pre-arranged call just in case this type of situation arose. Without this assistance we would have been "digging in the dark" trying to locate the exact location of the burial sites of this material. 

That call in conjunction with several others allowed us to section off the grid and precisely map out the pits during the pathogen destruction mission so that we were able to remove with absolute certainty the biological material and complete the remediation process. 

On the way out I had the pilots do a flyby just to make sure that what we were seeing on the ground was in fact the same from the air and that they matched precisely to our new map...and they did! 

There was only two people on this team who knew the exact location of the burial pits, but I wanted to make sure that the information I would share with the destruction team back in Washington DC was accurate so that they could put together a solid plan for the pathogen destruction mission which was forthcoming. I did not want any hiccups moving forward giving what was already going on with Uzbekistan and the likelihood that another monkey-wrench would be thrown into this mission. I learned a long time ago - "trust your instincts" and with a mission like this nothing could be further from the truth!  

A few days later, all tasks completed, and our reconnaissance done, we departed the island once again with the helicopter banking sharply to the east and then heading south, I looked over and could see Dr. N and the Uzbek contingent sleeping soundly for the first time in a week. 

Mission success!

More to follow.......



 


Friday, May 29, 2015

An Open Letter to My Youngest Son....on His Birthday

My Son – today is a special day – the day you leave the moniker “kid” behind you…and enter adulthood…for you are now 21…and with that comes more responsibility…more challenges and yes…even more expectations…but I know you have what it takes to succeed in this world…and I know you will do great things. You came into our lives on warm day in May, 1994…and you changed us forever. 
I have been sitting…thinking about this day for quite some time. Turning 21 is a “rite of passage” – a simple step from being known as that “young boy” to becoming a man…and I remember everything you have done so far…and look forward, with great anticipation, to what you will do here in the future. 
I remember the day you were born…and how you would fall asleep in my arms on the rocking chair…only to wake if I even tried to put you down…and how the simple act of singing to you would bring that smile to your face. How I would lift you out of your crib and you would hold me tightly…never wanting me to let you go…and I remember you sitting with Nan as she taught you and Jake how to crochet...
I remember placing you on the motorcycle sitting in front of me while you held the handlebars and we rode off through the streets of Ft. Bragg. How our dogs Renegade and Ranger welcomed you as a baby to the family and kept you company as you grew. I remember your first 4-wheeler; your first hockey game and how I would have to tie your skates before each and every practice. I remember how you proclaimed that you no longer went to a barber for haircuts…”Dad…we go to a stylist!” 
I remember teaching you how to drive a stick shift in Stafford and all the times you drove in my lap around town. How you and Jake would always fight about who sat up front with Dad in the truck. I remember you packed yourself in my suitcase when I was going overseas hoping I would take you with me…but really not wanting me to leave. I remember you and your brother running me off the road at the go-kart track in New Hampshire…and laughing when you drove away. I remember coaching your soccer team in Monterey and teaching you how to skate in North Carolina…and I remember your first goal as part of our undefeated championship team.
I remember with great clarity…all the ski trips; your first chair ride to the top of the Gunstock Mountain and your “one piece” ski suit! I remember your first time snowboarding and how quickly you took to it and how impressed I am every time we are on the mountain now. I look back on early morning hockey practice; your first car; the fun times at Holy Cross and the Colonial Forge days. I remember the day you asked to attend motorcycle safety class…and then watching you drive away on your first bike. I remember you asking me for money...and after I said yes you proclaiming…”Father this act of kindness shall not go unnoticed” 
I remember coming around the corner...and you being there...at mile 49 of 50 in the JFK Ultra-marathon...and you running that last mile of the race with me...
I was never more proud of you when you called me and told me that you had earned your Eagle Scout Badge…and that you wanted to keep it low key…no ceremony to mark the accomplishment…just the knowledge and understanding that this…was something very special…
I remember watching you with animals and remarking how proud I was at your compassion in how you handled them…and the maturity you showed in meeting new people as you moved through your teen years. I remember the travels; the people whose lives you touched…and how they touched yours...
And I will always remember…when I was sick…and you held my hand…and you cried with me…
Over the past several weeks, I have been looking back at the life (to date) that has been Ian Patrick Hayes. As a father I could not have asked for more; you are a shining example of what is good in the world and you have so much to look forward to. Your many athletic and civil achievements to date are a great starting point for you in preparation for military service and I – for one – know how well you will do in this endeavor. 
In the world we live you either “have it” or you do not…and you have “it” Ian – and now, it’s time to use it.
As I pen this note to you Ian, I have a tear in my eye – not out of sadness...but out of love and admiration for the man you have become. You have provided so much to so many over the past 21 years and yet…as you celebrate this day…I think back to the times when you would hold my hand in the mall or sit in my lap while we drove the car down the road…and I miss that young boy…who on this day in 2015…became a man.
Happy Birthday Ian – you have work to do my son…now get to it!
Love - Dad

Friday, November 9, 2012

IT IS A JEEP...IT HAS NO FEELINGS!
Good Morning – several years ago there was an IKEA commercial that showed – of all things – a lamp being discarded in the trash. Many of you watched in disbelief as the commercial moved from sunshine and rain and the “little lamp” was left on the street corner to wait with the rest of the garbage. Reality struck when the spokesperson from IKEA stated…”it is only a lamp…it has no feelings” and we were all bought back to reality. (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBqhIVyfsRg)
This morning I had my own “it has no feelings” moment as I have just sold my youngest son’s Jeep…and I will admit…I did so with a heavy heart!

I grew up learning how to drive on an old 53 Jeep my father had in the back yard. I can’t remember how I got it started but did and managed to drive right through the hedge row that separated my grandparents’ home from the neighbors. It was thrilling and scary all at that the same time. From that point on…I was hooked. Virtually every posting and city that I have lived in I have had a Jeep…but none meant more to me than the one I bought this past year for Ian. When you transition from your own wants and needs to those of your children and (luckily) they mirror your own…you become a very happy parent.
When the call came in that “I want a Jeep Dad” I was the quintessential happy camper! After cruising countless EBay and Craigslist postings I found our Jeep…in of all places Texas! I figured a couple of hundred bucks to transport it to Virginia ($500) and then I could teach Ian how to drive it! I soon realized that although I really liked this Jeep, eleven (yes…11) miles per gallon was not going to cut it for a commuter vehicle…but hey…I was not going to ruin his dream (or mine) by worrying about the economic impact this vehicle will have on my wallet!

Suffice to say that after spending another thousand dollars (yes…$1000) on a new exhaust we were in deep on this truck! Ian even went out and purchased additional items such as seat covers, sound bar and accent pieces for the outside of the vehicle. We had a bikini top installed as well. All told we sank a lot of money into our “baby” to make it what we wanted…and in the end the reality is that it is an 11 MPG vehicle that really does not fit what we need.
So here it is…a year later and our Jeep is no more. The young man who bought the truck is an Army guy with a large amount of disposable income and no kids. He will take the truck and paint it as well as change out some other items…all in an effort to make it his Jeep…and I applaud him for the effort. I could see that as soon as he had the keys in his hand he had “found her” and his day was now complete!

Ian and I discussed selling her many weeks ago – there was trepidation but reality as well plays into any decision. We both knew that eighty (yes…$80) dollars a week in gas is too much no matter how badly we like the vehicle – and so together – we made a decision…and we stuck to it!
We will probably buy another Jeep but like they say…”you never forget your first” and Ian and I will never forget our first Jeep that we had together!

Sunday, October 21, 2012

21 Years Ago Today my Son...You Changed My Life

21 Years Ago Today my Son...You Changed My Life

You came into our lives and changed us forever. I have been sitting thinking about this day for quite a while. Turning 21 is a “rite of passage” – a simple step from being a kid to becoming a man…and I remember everything you have done so far and look forward with anticipation to what you will do here in the future. I remember when you were born and would fall asleep in my arms on the recliner; how you would scream when we put you down and how a simple act of singing to you would bring us all joy.
I remember placing you on the motorcycle sitting in front of me while you held the handlebars and we rode off through the streets of Fayetteville and Ft. Bragg. How Renegade would walk up and pull the pacifier from your mouth ever so gently! How driving from Ft. Devens to Nana’s house in Revere and then realizing we forgot “your bunny” and had to go all the way back for it! I remember teaching you to drive at 8 and the officer pulling us over in the parking lot. I remember coaching your soccer team in Monterey and your hockey teams in North Carolina and at home in Virginia…and our undefeated championship team. I remember towing you behind the car at Ft. Bragg during that snow storm and “hoping” you will still on the rope as we hit 30 miles per hour in the 4x4!
I remember with clarity the trips skiing; your first chair ride to the top of the mountain and your “one piece” ski suit! I remember your first time snowboarding (“I hate this Dad!”) and how impressed I am every time we ski now. I look back early morning hockey practice; your first car; the fun times at Holy Cross (“and graduating…Jake Hayes”) and the Colonial Forge days. I remember all the injuries; the broken elbow playing roller hockey and the injury while playing High School Football – you scared your parents with that one! I remember the night we bought your new car and how proud I was that you choose something that would last – and how upset I was – a week later when you said “I don’t like it anymore!”
I was never more proud of you then the day you achieved your Eagle Scout Badge. When we stood there in the Marine Corp Museum with everyone in attendance I do not think even you fully understood what you had accomplished…but you did and we were all so very proud to have been a part of it…and when you thanked your younger brother for his help you took one step closer to becoming the man we knew you would always be.
While we spent time together this week and last in Martinsville, I have been looking back at the life (to date) that was Jacob Michael Hayes. As a father I could not have asked for more; you are a shining example of what is good in the world and you have so much to look forward to. You’re athletic and civil achievements to date are a great start for you as you prepare for military service and I – for one – know how well you will do in this endeavor too. In the world we live you either “have it” or you do not…and you have “it” Jake – and now it’s time to use it.  

As I pen this note to you I have a tear in my eye my son – not out of sadness but out of love and admiration for the man you have become. You have provided so much to all of us each and every day and yet…as you grow…I think to back to the times when you would hold my hand in the mall or sit in my lap while we drove the car down the road…and I miss that young boy…who on this day in 2012 became a man.

Happy Birthday – you have work to do my son…Now get at it!

Love - Dad   
 

Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Eighteen Years Ago Today...and I Remember!




I remember so much about the last 18 years my son...the day you were born and how were watching the Indy 500 "waiting" on you! I remember the snow storms where you came out in shorts and told me "I have shoes on Dad" even though they were only slippers!

I think about how smart you were in hiding baby bottles as Mom tried to take them away from you...and how I would sneak into your room...and you would wake from a nap or a deep sleep and place your arms around me and I would "lift you" to freeedom! I remember when you began skiing and took off down the mountain without care or regard...and I had to chase you only to be admonished by the ski patrol...and I rember the cat licking the cheese at the B&B and you laughing...right after I ate it!

I remember your first goal in hockey Ian Hayes...and how you were part of our championship team...how you skated so strong and always wanted to play on your brother's team...even though they were 3 years older than you. I remember your first day with braces...and the day you called me and said..."they are finally off!"

I remember how proud I was when you told me you completed your Eagle Project knowing how much effort you put into it...and I remember your hand...holding mine...when Nana passed away and how you comforted me when she left us.

Then there were the comments when I came back from Iraq...like "we don't go to a barber Dad...we go to a stylist" and so many more! I remember holding your hand at the mall; the first time you drove a stick shift and the many times we would ski together!

I look back today...and I remember it all Ian Patrick Hayes...all of it! Eighteen years is a long time and you still have so much to do and so many things to accomplish. Where others will not...I know you will!

You have made me proud over these past 18 years...enjoy this day and all that it brings you for you are my son...and I thank God everyday for that!

Love
Dad

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

When a General Officer Speaks...


Like many of you I grew up watching war films depicting the heroics that were WWII and the men and women who fought in that conflict. Front and center were the soldiers doing the impossible against all odds. Factor in some major performances by leading actors portraying famous General Officers of the period and you have the making of some incredible films.  Many of these classics will be re-run this weekend as we prepare to celebrate Memorial Day.

Fast forward nearly 50 years and the services continue to do a great job of selecting senior officers for “Flag” – a term used to denote those that have attained the rank of General (or Admiral for our Naval brethren) These officers in many cases represent the best of the best and usually have served their country for 22-25 years before attaining this rank.

There are only 11 four star generals on active duty in the U.S. Army. Fewer than one-half percent of commissioned officers make it to the top three ranks of Army general. Congress and the Department of Defense limit the total number of general officers to 302 general officers (generals, lieutenant generals, major generals and brigadier generals) in the U.S. Army.

If you have served in the armed forces or worked in close quarters with military retirees then no doubt you have run across a few General Officers in your day. Most are dynamic and well versed with a penchant for making things happen and a bit of a swagger in their step. I can list many from the Special Operations Community (past and present) as well as the Navy and the Marine Corp who I have been privileged to work with and serve under during peace and war. Great men born from a great country….

Which leads me to today’s posting about suicide and the words of a General Officer…

I will not try to imagine the frustration that comes from loosing men who have taken their own lives upon returning home from the battle but the Commanding Officer at Ft Bliss (in Texas) Major General Dana Pittard’s blunt and outrageous comments about suicide has raised eyebrows throughout the military and the US Department of Defense.  Suffice to say that many in the armed forces are upset and dismayed that a current “2 Star General” would call these warriors “selfish” in addressing the rising rate of suicides within the US Army.

I have attached a link so that you can read the article. In the end as a budding mental health practitioner focused on PTSD I can only hope that this General Officer realizes that the soldiers who serve under him at Ft. Bliss and around the globe look to his words and actions for encouragement and direction. When a General Officer fails his/her soldiers then it is time to go.

As soon as this hits the nightly news in the next day or so and with the advent of the Memorial Day weekend upon us…there will be 301 general officers on active duty in the United States Army quite quickly.  You can read the article at the following link:

http://www.nationaljournal.com/nationalsecurity/general-s-blog-entry-reignites-army-suicide-debate-20120522?mrefid=site_search

Warmest Regards and Happy Memorial Day!

Monday, March 26, 2012

A Very Important Article...for Every American

Good Morning! I very rarely post articles written by others however this piece by Gregg Miller of the Washington Post should be read by all. It is amazing what we are doing in the war against terror and the folks who spearhead that campaign deserve some recognition…even if they don’t want it! The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has led this effort and the attached piece discusses one of the most controversial programs that our Nation uses to protect itself; the armed UAV Program. The lethality of this platform coupled with its psychological effects has kept our Nation and the world safer since that ill fated day in 2001. Fast forward to 2012 and the program is the cornerstone of the efforts by senior leaders at keeping terrorism from gaining a foothold within the free world. I laud the efforts of those in the public service who give of themselves so that we can all enjoy the freedoms that many take for granted.  

I have attached the article as well as the links...please take a look!
Brian

At CIA, a convert to Islam leads the terrorism hunt By , Published: March 25

For every cloud of smoke that follows a CIA drone strike in Pakistan, dozens of smaller plumes can be traced to a gaunt figure standing in a courtyard near the center of the agency’s Langley campus in Virginia. The man with the nicotine habit is in his late 50s, with stubble on his face and the dark-suited wardrobe of an undertaker. As chief of the CIA’s Counterterrorism Center for the past six years, he has functioned in a funereal capacity for al-Qaeda.

Roger, which is the first name of his cover identity, may be the most consequential but least visible national security official in Washington — the principal architect of the CIA’s drone campaign and the leader of the hunt for Osama bin Laden. In many ways, he has also been the driving force of the Obama administration’s embrace of targeted killing as a centerpiece of its counterterrorism efforts.
Colleagues describe Roger as a collection of contradictions. A chain-smoker who spends countless hours on a treadmill. Notoriously surly yet able to win over enough support from subordinates and bosses to hold on to his job. He presides over a campaign that has killed thousands of Islamist militants and angered millions of Muslims, but he is himself a convert to Islam. His defenders don’t even try to make him sound likable. Instead, they emphasize his operational talents, encyclopedic understanding of the enemy and tireless work ethic.

“Irascible is the nicest way I would describe him,” said a former high-ranking CIA official who supervised the counterterrorism chief. “But his range of experience and relationships have made him about as close to indispensable as you could think. Critics are less equivocal. “He’s sandpaper” and “not at all a team player,” said a former senior U.S. military official who worked closely with the CIA. Like others, the official spoke on the condition of anonymity because the director of CTC — as the center is known — remains undercover.
Remarkable endurance
Regardless of Roger’s management style, there is consensus on at least two adjectives that apply to his tenure: eventful and long. Since becoming chief, Roger has worked for two presidents, four CIA directors and four directors of national intelligence. In the top echelons of national security, only Robert S. Mueller III, who became FBI director shortly before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, has been in place longer. Roger’s longevity is all the more remarkable, current and former CIA officials said, because the CTC job is one of the agency’s most stressful and grueling. It involves managing thousands of employees, monitoring dozens of operations abroad and making decisions on who the agency should target in lethal strikes — all while knowing that the CTC director will be among the first to face blame if there is another attack on U.S. soil.

Most of Roger’s predecessors, including Cofer Black and Robert Grenier, lasted less than three years. There have been rumors in recent weeks that Roger will soon depart as well, perhaps to retire, although similar speculation has surfaced nearly every year since he took the job. The CIA declined to comment on Roger’s status or provide any information on him for this article. Roger declined repeated requests for an interview. The Post agreed to withhold some details, including Roger’s real name, his full cover identity and his age, at the request of agency officials, who cited concerns for his safety. Although CIA officials often have their cover identities removed when they join the agency’s senior ranks, Roger has maintained his.

A native of suburban Virginia, Roger grew up in a family where several members, across two generations, have worked at the agency. When his own career began in 1979, at the CIA’s southern Virginia training facility, known as The Farm, Roger showed little of what he would become. A training classmate recalled him as an underperformer who was pulled aside by instructors and admonished to improve. “Folks on the staff tended to be a little down on him,” the former classmate said. He was “kind of a pudgy guy. He was getting very middling grades on his written work. If anything, he seemed to be almost a little beaten down.”

His first overseas assignments were in Africa, where the combination of dysfunctional governments, bloody tribal warfare and minimal interference from headquarters provided experience that would prove particularly useful in the post-Sept. 11 world. Many of the agency’s most accomplished counterterrorism operatives, including Black and Richard Blee, cut their teeth in Africa as well.

“It’s chaotic, and it requires you to understand that and deal with it psychologically,” said a former Africa colleague. Roger developed an “enormous amount of expertise in insurgencies, tribal politics, warfare — writing hundreds of intelligence reports.”

He also married a Muslim woman he met abroad, prompting his conversion to Islam. Colleagues said he doesn’t shy away from mentioning his religion but is not demonstrably observant. There is no prayer rug in his office, officials said, although he is known to clutch a strand of prayer beads.

Roger was not part of the first wave of CIA operatives deployed after the Sept. 11 attacks, and he never served in any of the agency’s “black sites,” where al-Qaeda prisoners were held and subjected to harsh interrogation techniques.

But in subsequent years, he was given a series of high-profile assignments, including chief of operations for the CTC, chief of station in Cairo, and the top agency post in Baghdad at the height of the Iraq war.

Along the way, he has clashed with high-ranking figures, including David H. Petraeus, the U.S. military commander in Iraq and Afghanistan, who at times objected to the CIA’s more pessimistic assessments of those wars. Former CIA officials said the two had to patch over their differences when Petraeus became CIA director.

“No officer in the agency has been more relentless, focused, or committed to the fight against al-Qaeda than has the chief of the Counterterrorism Center,” Petraeus said in a statement provided to The Post.

Harsh, profane demeanor

By 2006, the campaign against al-Qaeda was foundering. Military and intelligence resources had been diverted to Iraq. The CIA’s black sites had been exposed, and allegations of torture would force the agency to shut down its detention and interrogation programs. Meanwhile, the Pakistani government was arranging truces with tribal leaders that were allowing al-Qaeda to regroup.

Inside agency headquarters, a bitter battle between then-CTC chief Robert Grenier and the head of the clandestine service, Jose Rodriguez, was playing out. Rodriguez regarded Grenier as too focused on interagency politics, while Grenier felt forced to deal with issues such as the fate of the interrogation program and the CIA prisoners at the black sites. Resources in Pakistan were relatively scarce: At times, the agency had only three working Predator drones.

In February that year, Grenier was forced out. Rodriguez “wanted somebody who would be more ‘hands on the throttle,’ ” said a former CIA official familiar with the decision. Roger was given the job and, over time, the resources, to give the throttle a crank. Grenier declined to comment.

Stylistically, Grenier and Roger were opposites. Grenier gave plaques and photos with dignitaries prominent placement in his office, while Roger eschewed any evidence that he had a life outside the agency. Once, when someone gave him a cartoon sketch of himself — the kind you can buy from sidewalk vendors — he crumpled it up and threw it away, according to a former colleague, saying, “I don’t like depictions of myself.” His main addition to the office was a hideaway bed.

From the outset, Roger seemed completely absorbed by the job — arriving for work before dawn to read operational cables from overseas and staying well into the night, if he left at all. His once-pudgy physique became almost cadaverous. Although he had quit smoking a decade or so earlier, his habit returned full strength.

He could be profane and brutal toward subordinates, micromanaging operations, second-guessing even the smallest details of plans, berating young analysts for shoddy work. “This is the worst cable I’ve ever seen,” was a common refrain. Given his attention to operational detail, Roger is seen by some as culpable for one of the agency’s most tragic events — the deaths of seven CIA employees at the hands of a suicide bomber who was invited to a meeting at a CIA base in Khost, Afghanistan, in December 2009. An internal review concluded that the assailant, a Jordanian double-agent who promised breakthrough intelligence on al-Qaeda leaders, had not been fully vetted, and it cited failures of “management oversight.” But neither Roger nor other senior officers were mentioned by name.

One of those killed, Jennifer Matthews, was a highly regarded analyst and protege of Roger’s who had been installed as chief of the base despite a lack of operational experience overseas. A person familiar with the inquiry said that “the CTC chief’s selection of [Matthews] was one of a great number of things one could point to that were weaknesses in the way the system operated.”

Khost represented the downside of the agency’s desperation for new ways to penetrate al-Qaeda, an effort that was intensified under President Obama.

Roger’s connection to Khost and his abrasive manner may have cost him — he has been passed over for promotions several times, including for the job he is thought to have wanted most: director of the National Clandestine Service, which is responsible for all CIA operations overseas.

‘A new flavor of activity’

But current and former senior U.S. intelligence officials said it is no accident that Roger’s tenure has coincided with a remarkably rapid disintegration of al-Qaeda — and the killing of bin Laden last year.

When Michael V. Hayden became CIA director in May 2006, Roger began laying the groundwork for an escalation of the drone campaign. Over a period of months, the CTC chief used regular meetings with the director to make the case that intermittent strikes were allowing al-Qaeda to recover and would never destroy the threat.

“He was relentless,” said a participant in the meetings. Roger argued that the CIA needed to mount an air campaign against al-Qaeda “at a pace they could not absorb” and warned that “after the next attack, there would be no explaining our inaction.”

Under Hayden, the agency abandoned the practice of notifying the Pakistanis before launching strikes, and the trajectory began to change: from three strikes in 2006 to 35 in 2008.

A second proposal from the CTC chief, a year or so later, had even greater impact.

“He came in with a big idea on a cold, rainy Friday afternoon,” said a former high-ranking CIA official involved in drone operations. “It was a new flavor of activity, and had to do with taking senior terrorists off the battlefield.”

The former official declined to describe the activity. But others said the CTC chief proposed launching what came to be known as “signature strikes,” meaning attacks on militants based solely on their patterns of behavior.

Previously, the agency had needed confirmation of the presence of an approved al-Qaeda target before it could shoot. With permission from the White House, it would begin hitting militant gatherings even when it wasn’t clear that a specific operative was in the drone’s crosshairs.

Roger’s relentless approach meshed with the Obama mind-set. Shortly after taking office, Obama met with his first CIA director, Leon E. Panetta, and ordered a redoubled effort in the fight against al-Qaeda and the search for the terrorist group’s elusive leader.

From 53 strikes in 2009, the number soared to 117 in 2010, before tapering off last year.

The cumulative toll helped to crumple al-Qaeda even as CTC analysts finally found a courier trail that led them to bin Laden’s compound in Abbottabad, Pakistan.

Roger does not appear in any of the pictures taken inside the White House situation room when bin Laden was killed last May. Officials said he stayed in place at CIA headquarters and barely allowed himself to exult.

For all the focus on “kinetic” operations during Roger’s tenure, “he believes this is not a war you’re going to be able to kill your way out of,” said a former colleague. To him, “There is no end in sight.”

When the bin Laden operation concluded, he stepped outside to smoke.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Church...Special Operations and Human Trafficking

                                  Good Morning - for those of you that are not following us on Twitter, Facebook or Linkedin, we have been engaged in several operations outside of Burma that address human trafficking and the sex industry. I want to set the stage for you on what has transpired in the last 96 hours...and what we are doing to fight this emerging and dangerous threat. In Europe, the United States and Asia….the figures are overwhelming...the flesh trade generates an estimated $32 billion dollars annually making human trafficking the fastest-growing criminal activity in the world today. It is also the most lucrative. According to a 2010 International Labor Office (ILO) report, just a single female held for sexual exploitation yields an average of $67,200 annually in Western Europe and North America. The United Nations estimates that between 800,000 and 4 million men, women and children are deceived, recruited, transported from their homes and sold into slavery around the world each year. Eighty percent are women; girls and young boys trafficked into commercial sexual exploitation. Of these, more than 300,000 women and children from Russia and Eastern Europe who are forced into prostitution each year. Western demand for Eastern European prostitute’s fuels today’s sex-slave industry. Currently, the market for Slavic woman and children in brothels and in pornography in "developed" countries — particularly the EU and the U.S. — is the hottest compared to other parts of the world, and is drawing on an endless supply of impoverished and vulnerable women.
A multitude of recent studies try to explain why women get snared into the trade in flesh. Researchers point to poverty, chronic unemployment, domestic violence and drug addiction as the primary “push factors.” As we continue to work within this field, sadly, we realize there isn’t enough discussion of the real root of the problem — the men. Human trafficking is basically international sexual terrorism perpetrated against women and children on a mass scale by men. It is their demand for illicit or predatory sex that generates huge profits for the slavers and leaves behind the tortured minds and broken bodies of those women and children they violate. I have seen this firsthand in Asia (Burma/Thailand) but now we are addressing it throughout US and Europe.
Fast Forward…The Life On Point Group...Just a few weeks ago, I was contacted late one night and asked if I could assist…a young girl had been taken from her home in the former Soviet Union and was now working in Ireland…yes…I said…Ireland. She had been on the streets and was being abused and sold for sex. She was heavily abused; dependent on drugs and yet…smart enough to get a note to someone associated with the church…and the church contacted me…same group who just one year ago had spent time in the jungles in an effort to stem the tide of Asian women and children being shipped across the border to Thailand and beyond. I took the call and put into place mechanisms to ensure she received the medical care, finances and hope that soon she would be back home with her family…suffice to say that on 14 March 2012…we succeeded.
A  Holy Collaboration...Based on what we were able to accomplish…the “Father” stated it was a “collaboration...made in heaven”…and yet…the story does not end there. Europe and the US are ripe with stories of women and children being violently exploited.  After a trafficking journey that typically involves deception, rape, beatings, and constant threats, victims are often forced to live in confining and unsanitary conditions. Once formally put to work, human trafficking victims can be forced to service up to 100 customers a day. Malnutrition, forced sleep deprivation, as well as emotional and physical abuse become part of the day-to-day routine. 
This is what our victim endured before we were able to intervene. In addition to the abuse, forced abortions and the contraction of sexually transmitted diseases including AIDS are an ever looming probability. Life for a victim of sex trafficking is hell on earth! Some sobering facts for all of us to ponder...and ask why Life On Point is actively engaged in this arena:
       -        Human trafficking is the second largest global organized crime today, generating approximately 31.6 billion USD each year 
       -        There are 1.50 million victims of commercial sexual servitude worldwide
       -     Over 25 percent of sex trafficked victims are trafficked from Southern and Eastern Europe; many more emanate from Asia
       -        90% of victims trafficked into the European Union member states will end up in the sex industry in either Europe of the US
       -        Less than 2 percent of victims of trafficking are rescued, and only 1 in 100,000 persons  involved in trafficking are ever convicted      
       At the end of the day....The odds are against us...but still we will fight and press the issue...on behalf of those who can’t do this on their own...and for those that being held against their own will...that is what makes the “holy collaboration” so worthwhile! For additional information on sex trafficking in Europe please take a look at the following link...it is a real “eye opener” http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/features/4170464/Sun-investigation-uncovers-human-trafficking-is-still-rife-in-UK.html
Thank You