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Tag Archive for: ISAF
No, the War in Afghanistan Did Not End
December 29, 2014 /12 Comments/in War /by Jim White
Yesterday afternoon, an AP article proudly announced to us that the war in Afghanistan has ended:
Unfortunately, the AP headline is total bullshit. There was indeed a ceremony in Kabul yesterday. And yes, it did mark (for the second time), the end of the international force called ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) assembled under NATO as the lead in the war in Afghanistan. The new NATO mission, dubbed Operation Resolute Support, also under NATO leadership, is proclaimed most often to consist only of training and support to Afghan forces who will do all the fighting.
The problem with that description is that it is a lie. Just over a month ago, Barack Obama "secretly" expanded the role of US troops remaining in Afghanistan:
President Obama decided in recent weeks to authorize a more expansive mission for the military in Afghanistan in 2015 than originally planned, a move that ensures American troops will have a direct role in fighting in the war-ravaged country for at least another year.
Mr. Obama's order allows American forces to carry out missions against the Taliban and other militant groups threatening American troops or the Afghan government, a broader mission than the president described to the public earlier this year, according to several administration, military and congressional officials with knowledge of the decision. The new authorization also allows American jets, bombers and drones to support Afghan troops on combat missions.
In an announcement in the White House Rose Garden in May, Mr. Obama said that the American military would have no combat role in Afghanistan next year, and that the missions for the 9,800 troops remaining in the country would be limited to training Afghan forces and to hunting the "remnants of Al Qaeda."
The decision to change that mission was the result of a lengthy and heated debate that laid bare the tension inside the Obama administration between two often-competing imperatives: the promise Mr. Obama made to end the war in Afghanistan, versus the demands of the Pentagon that American troops be able to successfully fulfill their remaining missions in the country.
But to AP, the only message worthy of being in their headline and lede paragraph is that the war has ended:
The war in Afghanistan, fought for 13 bloody years and still raging, came to a formal end Sunday with a quiet flag-lowering ceremony in Kabul that marked the transition of the fighting from U.S.-led combat troops to the country's own security forces.
The reader has to hang in there for another dozen paragraphs or so before reaching the admission of the expanded role of US troops and the reason for that expansion:
Obama recently expanded the role of U.S. forces remaining in the country, allowing them to extend their counter-terrorism operations to the Taliban, as well as al-Qaida, and to provide ground and air support for Afghan forces when necessary for at least the next two years.
In a tacit recognition that international military support is still essential for Afghan forces, national security adviser Mohammad Hanif Atmar told the gathered ISAF leaders: "We need your help to build the systems necessary to ensure the long-term sustainability of the critical capabilities of our forces."
More than ten years after starting our "training" mission, Afghan troops remain unable to defend the country on their own and must rely on US troops.
Of course, the military knows that they have this expanded role. Here is the video the military provided on the transition ceremony:
Note that at around 38 seconds, the narrator says "combat by American forces on counterterrorism operations will continue". You can bet they will.
Oh, and for a righteous rant on this whole charade, scroll back to yesterday on James Risen's Twitter feed.
https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png 0 0 Jim White https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png Jim White2014-12-29 09:46:122015-05-26 08:26:55No, the War in Afghanistan Did Not End
US Pretends to End Combat Mission in Afghanistan
December 8, 2014 /5 Comments/in Terrorism, War /by Jim White
Lt. General Joseph Anderson, head of ISAF Joint Command, left, and Royal Army Maj. Gen. Richard Nugee, ISAF Chief of Staff, right, fold the ISAF Joint Command flag at a ceremony December 8 in Kabul commemorating the "end" of the combat mission in Afghanistan. U.S. Air Force photo by Staff Sgt. Perry Aston.
We need no other indicator of just how bad the situation in Afghanistan really is than that, with no previous announcement of the schedule that I am aware of, the US staged a ceremonial "end of combat operations" in Kabul today, more than three weeks before the December 31 scheduled end of the current NATO mission. The NATO mission is supposed to transition from a stated combat operation to one of support (as noted in its name: Resolute Support). We can only conclude that the date of the ceremony wasn't announced because it would become an obvious target for the increased number of Taliban attacks in Kabul and throughout Afghanistan.
But like most of what the US says and does in Afghanistan, this was all really just bullshit. In a visit to Kabul on Saturday, which, like today's ceremony also was unannounced due to the horrid security situation in Afghanistan, outgoing Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel admitted that the non-combat designation for US troops in Afghanistan from 2015 onward is in name only. First, the claim of support:
"As planned, Resolute Support will focus here in Kabul and Bagram with a limited regional presence," he said. "As part of this mission, the United States is prepared to provide limited combat enabler support to Afghan forces.
See? Right there, he says we only are there to enable Afghan troops to take part in combat.
Oops. Hang on, Hagel wasn't finished:
Hagel said U.S. forces in Afghanistan would "always" have the right and the capacity to defend themselves against attacks.
"We're committed to preventing al Qaeda from using Afghanistan as a safe haven," Hagel said, to threaten the United States, the Afghan people, and other U.S. allies and partners.
Also, the United States will take appropriate measures against Taliban members who directly threaten U.S. and coalition forces in Afghanistan or provide direct support to al Qaeda, he added.
Oh. So we are "only" combat support, unless we decide we aren't and that there are targets we need to hit because they pose a threat to us.
And why are our troops there threatened? Simply by being there:
Yet Obama's decision to allow American forces to remain behind in a more active role suggests the U.S. remains concerned about the Afghan government's ability to fight. Chances of Ghani restarting peace talks with the Taliban also appear slim as he signed agreements with NATO and the U.S. to allow the foreign troops to remain behind — a red line for the militants.
Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid told the AP that the group would continue to fight "until all foreign troops have left Afghanistan."
"The Americans want to extend their mission in Afghanistan, the motive being to keep the war going for as long as possible," Mujahid said. "And for as long as they do, the Taliban will continue their fight against the foreign and (Afghan) government forces."
And there we have it. The Taliban and US troops continue their sick cycle of co-dependency. The Taliban will fight us as long as we are there, and we refuse to leave while they still want to fight us.
https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png 0 0 Jim White https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png Jim White2014-12-08 09:20:362014-12-08 09:20:36US Pretends to End Combat Mission in Afghanistan
Did ISAF Joint Command Chief Leak Classified Information on Afghan Troop Capabilities?
November 6, 2014 /5 Comments/in War /by Jim White
Recall that back on October 30, the Special Inspector General for Afghanistan Reconstruction informed us in a quarterly report that the military suddenly has classified its evaluation of the capabilities of Afghan National Security Forces (ANSF). One of the key commanders who may have been involved in this classification decision, Lt. General Joseph Anderson, who is the head of ISAF Joint Command, held a telephone briefing yesterday. The attached partial screenshot here shows the rah-rah article that DoD News put out covering the briefing. The headline blares "Afghan Forces Winning, ISAF Joint Command Chief Says" and opens with gushing praise for ANSF:
In the final days of the International Security Assistance Force mission in Afghanistan, the Afghan national security forces are winning and the long coalition effort is taking hold, the commander of ISAF Joint Command said today.
In a teleconference with Pentagon reporters from his headquarters in the Afghan capital of Kabul, Army Lt. Gen. Joseph Anderson said that despite these gains, progress remains to be made.
The Afghan national security forces include Afghanistan's armed forces, national police, border police, local police and members of the National Directorate of Security.
"They are the most trusted government organization in Afghanistan," Anderson said. "They are trying to provide time and space for this society to grow and reduce the insurgency."
Ah, but did Anderson go too far? Recall that the evaluation of ANSF capability has been classified. Here is what comes next in the cheerleading article:
He called the Afghan national security forces a hugely capable fighting force that has been holding its ground against the enemy.
Hmmm. Is that a leak of classified information? Saying that ANSF is "a hugely capable fighting force" sure sounds like a statement based on an evaluation of ANSF capability similar to the evaluation that has been classified. Here once again is the SIGAR description (pdf) of the evaluation suddenly becoming classified:
This quarterly report also examines the reconstruction effort across the security, governance, and economic sectors. In the security sector, SIGAR was deeply troubled by the decision of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) to classify the executive summary of the report that assesses the capability of the ANSF. For years, SIGAR has used the ISAF report as a primary metric to show Congress and the public the effectiveness of the $61.5 billion U.S. investment to build, train, equip, and sustain those forces. Prior to this quarter, aggregate data on the operational effectiveness of the ANSF were unclassified in the Regional ANSF Status Report (RASR) as well as its predecessors, the Commanders' Unit Assessment Tool (CUAT) and the Capability Milestone rating system.
ISAF's classification of the report summary deprives the American people of an essential tool to measure the success or failure of the single most costly feature of the Afghanistan reconstruction effort. SIGAR and Congress can of course request classified briefings on this information, but its inexplicable classification now and its disappearance from public view does a disservice to the interest of informed national discussion. Moreover, while SIGAR understands that detailed, unit-level assessments could provide insurgents with potentially useful intelligence, there is no indication that the public release of aggregated data on ANSF capabilities has or could deliver any tactical benefit to Afghan insurgents.
So ISAF classifies the Regional ANSF Status Report but then unleashes the chief of ISAF Joint Command to make a statement that ANSF is "hugely capable" even though, as SIGAR notes, the public now has no way to have an "informed national discussion" on whether Anderson's claim has any basis.
I'm sure that leak investigation will get started any century now.
https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png 0 0 Jim White https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png Jim White2014-11-06 08:42:142014-11-06 08:42:14Did ISAF Joint Command Chief Leak Classified Information on Afghan Troop Capabilities?
Breaking: Green on Blue Attack at Afghan Officer Training School, High Ranking Casualties
August 5, 2014 /9 Comments/in Terrorism, War /by Jim White
The Khaama Press account of the shooting cites a terrorist as responsible in the headline, but then says it was an ANA soldier in the opening paragraph.
After there had been a lull in Green on Blue attacks in Afghanistan, I noted in describing an attack late last month that an extra layer of security has been added at training facilities for Afghan National Security Forces, so that foreign security personnel act as a buffer between Western and Afghan forces. Reports are just now beginning to filter in on a new Green on Blue attack today at a facility near Kabul. The facility, Camp Qargha, is a training facility for officers in the ANSF and is run by the British. It is often referred to as "Sandhurst in the Sand": a training facility for Afghan officers modeled after the British officer training school.
Although it is very early in the reporting on this incident (so all of this is subject to change as more is learned) there are at least two reports that suggest a US two-star general has been killed. This German article, using Google translate, tells us:
After the death of the two-star general of the U.S. Army was in NATO of a "black day" the speech Headquarters in Brussels. The ISAF announced that the incident was being investigated.
Further, Michael Yon has tweeted:
American 2 star general reported killed in Afghanistan. German general in bad condition. I asked HQ for more. Nothing yet.
— Michael Yon (@Michael_Yon) August 5, 2014
From the New York Times, we learn that those dead (reports vary from one to four, depending on the source) and wounded all appear to be high ranking officers:
An attacker in an Afghan army uniform killed at least three service members from the NATO-led coalition and wounded a senior Afghan commander on Tuesday in a shooting at a military training academy on the outskirts of Kabul, an Afghan official said.
Details of the shooting, which took place on Tuesday afternoon, were sketchy, and the coalition would only confirm that "an incident" had taken place at the Afghan National Army Officer Academy. An Afghan defense official said that at least three coalition officers had been killed, and that a number of other foreign and Afghan officers had been wounded. The dead coalition service members were believed to be senior officers, the Afghan official said.
The Der Spiegel article linked above confirms Yon's report that a German general was shot, describing his injuries as serious but also stating that he was out of danger and is receiving medical treatment.
The Times article goes on:
The Afghan official and a coalition official said that it appeared that the foreign casualties were high-ranking officers who were taking part in a meeting at the academy.
Lt. Gen. Afzal Aman, the director of operations at Afghanistan's Defense Ministry, said that the academy's commander, Brig. Gen. Ghulam Saki, was wounded in the shooting along with two other senior Afghan officers.
The most confusing issue for me at this point is that most accounts of the incident mention an argument between the shooter and other Afghan troops just prior to shots being fired. It seems very strange that both the shooter and the Afghan troops who eventually killed him in response would be armed in a spot so close to so many high ranking officers, which at this point would seem to be at least one general from Germany, the US and Afghanistan, all of whom appeared to have been shot in the disturbance. If shooting happened during a meeting, that seems like a lot of weapons to be present. Since reports are that the incident took place around noon, I am left to wonder if the shooting took place during lunch.
Since Qargha is a facility for training Afghan officers, I wonder if there is less emphasis on the buffer layer of security that we saw in the July Green on Blue event. The underlying assumption is that once an Afghan soldier is approved for training at Qargha, they would have been through more background checking than standard enlisted trainees. That then prompts the question posed by the strange juxtaposition of the headline and opening paragraph in the Khaama Press account of the shooting, as pictured above. Was the shooter an outside terrorist who gained access to the uniform (and presumably, some identification to go along with it) of an officer trainee, or was the shooter an actual ANA officer trainee who took advantage of an opportunity to inflict very high level damage?
I will track the story through the day and add updates as appropriate.
Update: The New York Times article has now been updated to confirm the death of an unnamed US general.
Update 2: The Washington Post has identified the victim as Harold Greene, who was Deputy Commander of CSTC-A. He was deeply involved in the training effort.
https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png 0 0 Jim White https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png Jim White2014-08-05 10:03:052014-08-05 17:50:43Breaking: Green on Blue Attack at Afghan Officer Training School, High Ranking Casualties
After Delaying Runoff, Afghan Taliban Announce Start Date of Fighting Season, Targets
May 8, 2014 /10 Comments/in Terrorism, War /by Jim White
One of the most enduring formulas throughout the nearly 13 year US quagmire in Afghanistan has been the persistent claims by our military and their fans that we are making tremendous progress and that the Taliban has been weakened significantly. That formula held true in spectacular fashion for the Afghan election, with broad instant claims of how successful and peaceful voting was. But alas, once real information started coming out, it turns out that election day was in fact extremely violent. Even less noticed is that the facilities of the Independent Election Commission have been attacked since the day of the vote and now it appears that there will be a delay in the runoff election because of that attack. As if that blow is not enough, the "weakened" Afghan Taliban has now announced the date for the start of their spring offensive and have provided a long list of the types of targets they will attack.
Here is ISAF patting itself on the back on the day of the elections because those ANSF troops they trained did so well:
The International Security Assistance Force congratulates the people of Afghanistan on today's historic election. Today's success clearly demonstrates that the Afghan people have chosen their future of progress and opportunity.
As the world watched, Afghan National Security Forces provided the opportunity for the Afghan people to choose their new President, securing over 6,200 polling centers across the country. Soldiers and policemen confidently patrolled the cities and countryside to protect innocent civilians and prevent insurgents from disrupting today's elections. Afghan voters displayed confidence in their army and police, turning out in unprecedented numbers to cast their ballot for the future of Afghanistan.
"The people of Afghanistan can be proud of their security forces," said General Joseph F. Dunford Jr., ISAF commander. "For months, they've conducted planning and security operations to ensure that the conditions were set for inclusive elections. What we saw today as a result of that effort was extraordinary. In addition to their physical performance, what equally impresses me is the sense of responsibility and determination they had in ensuring the Afghan people had a secure environment in which to vote and determine their own future."
Ah, but that carefully crafted narrative of peaceful elections was bullshit that took several days for the media to pierce. Ten days after the election, the Washington Post had this to say:
But on voting day, the country seemed unusually calm, prompting Afghan politicians to speculate that the Taliban had intentionally allowed the election to proceed.
"I don't think the other side put too much pressure," said Hedayat Amin Arsala, a presidential candidate. "They even prevented some people from attacking."
The statistics tell another story. Data released Monday by the U.S. military in Kabul show that April 5 was, in fact, an unusually violent day, spiking far above the norm, although falling 36 percent short of the peak number of attacks during the 2009 election, one of the bloodiest days of the war.
Of the 286 insurgent attacks during this election, the vast majority (226) occurred in eastern Afghanistan, followed by 21 in the Kandahar area of southern Afghanistan, 17 in the west, 14 in the north, seven in the Helmand region and just one in Kabul.
It now turns out that the fallout from Taliban attacks after the election could be huge, with the runoff possibly delayed:
Independent Election Commission (IEC) Chairman Ahmad Yusuf Nuristani admitted on Wednesday that the runoff round expected between Abdullah Abdullah and Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai could face delays.
A runoff is required by Afghan law if no presidential candidate gets over 50 percent of votes in the first round. As of now, no one has passed that threshold. Although the runoff round was originally scheduled for May 28, election officials have said a number of setbacks have made it more likely that the round will be delayed.
Mr. Nuristani cited the Taliban's attack on the IEC's headquarters in Kabul as the cause of the delay.
"The election law says that a run-off must be held two weeks after the final results' announcement, but the Taliban launched a rocket attack, and as a result of the attack we lost some of our critical materials, therefore, we will not be able to hold a run-off after two weeks," he explained.
So the Taliban, despite the early claims of a hugely successful election, has now managed to get a crucial delay in the runoff election. Remember that Hamid Karzai has refused to sign the Bilateral Security Agreement that would allow US troops to stay in Afghanistan after the end of this year. Although both Abdullah and Ghani have said that they would sign the agreement, a delay in the winner taking office increases the odds that the US will simply withdraw completely if they feel there isn't sufficient time to plan for the number of troops to leave behind.
And the Taliban are pressing ahead, announcing the start of their spring offensive: Read more →
https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png 0 0 Jim White https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png Jim White2014-05-08 09:59:422014-05-08 09:59:42After Delaying Runoff, Afghan Taliban Announce Start Date of Fighting Season, Targets
US, UK Just Can't Stop Hiding Prisoners in Afghanistan
April 30, 2014 /8 Comments/in Terrorism, War /by Jim White
It is a tradition that goes back to the very start of the Great War on Terror. Secret detention of prisoners has been both a central feature of the US approach to its response to terrorism and a rallying point for the creation of new enemies. In order to sustain this practice, the US has resorted to remarkable levels of dissembling and language engineering. Fresh controversy has arisen in Afghanistan centering around Afghanistan's insistence (rooted in Afghan law), that all Afghan prisoners must be under Afghan control (note: the issue of some 49 or so foreign prisoners the US maintains at Parwan prison is completely separate).
The New York Times first broke the story on this latest controversy on Saturday:
A commission appointed by President Hamid Karzai to investigate detention facilities run by American and British forces in southern Afghanistan claimed Saturday to have uncovered secret prisons on two coalition bases, an allegation that could not be immediately confirmed but that was likely to further complicate relations between the Afghan government and its allies.
"We have conducted a thorough investigation and search of Kandahar Airfield and Camp Bastion and found several illegal and unlawful detention facilities run and operated by foreign military forces," said Abdul Shakur Dadras, the panel's chairman.
Additional stories on the issue now have come out from both the Washington Post and AP. The Post story describes the facilities that were found:
Abdul Shokur Dadras, a member of the commission, said two of the jails were overseen by British soldiers at Camp Bastion in Helmand province, while a third jail at that base was under American military control. At Kandahar Airfield, also in the southern part of the country, three more foreign-run prisons were discovered — one controlled by American soldiers, one by the British and one managed by a joint coalition force, Dadras said.
The US, as usual, was quick to declare innocence. From the Times story:
Lt. Col. J. Todd Breasseale, a spokesman for the Defense Department, wrote in an email, "Every facility that we use for detention is well known not only by the government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, but also by the I.C.R.C.," a reference to the International Committee of the Red Cross, a nonpartisan organization that provides humanitarian care for victims of conflict.
The International Security Assistance Force, or I.S.A.F., as the coalition is known, said in a statement on Saturday that it was "aware of their investigative team looking into the detention facilities in Kandahar and Helmand and we are cooperating fully with the investigation on this matter."
Once again, it appears that a restriction that isn't really a restriction could be the basis for this latest controversy. From the Times story:
He [Dadras] said his team reviewed the number of prisoners as well as the details of their detention. The issue at Camp Bastion has been aired before. The British military must abide by rules that prohibit the transfer of prisoners to facilities where torture is believed to occur. For now, that concern is unresolved, and the sites where these detainees are held by the British forces could be the locations Mr. Dadras is referring to.
In Kandahar, the details are less clear. American forces are allowed to detain combatants seized on the battlefield for up to 96 hours before turning them over to the Afghan government. It was unclear whether Mr. Dadras was referring to such detainees or whether his commission had uncovered evidence of prisons that were illegally holding Afghans.
As we will see in a bit, this restriction to holding Afghan prisoners for 96 hours applies to British forces as well. Except that as with virtually all "restrictions" on coalition forces in Afghanistan, this one doesn't apply if they don't want it to. From the AP story: Read more →
https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png 0 0 Jim White https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png Jim White2014-04-30 10:18:272015-05-26 08:26:56US, UK Just Can't Stop Hiding Prisoners in Afghanistan
Why Did DoD Wait Over Three Months to Issue Records Preservation Order After SIGAR Request?
March 31, 2014 /2 Comments/in War /by Jim White
The $34 million building without a use. (SIGAR photo)
Back in July of last year, SIGAR issued an alert (pdf) regarding what SIGAR head John Sopko termed "a potentially troubling example of waste that requires your immediate attention". That statement was in Sopko's cover letter to Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel, Head of Central Command Lloyd Austin and ISAF Commander Joseph Dunford. It would appear that the folks in the Department of Defense missed that key word "immediate", as the subsequent responses from the Defense Department have been both troubling and, at least on the most important move, slow.
First, to set the stage on the evidence of wasteful spending in constructing a building that had no use at Camp Leatherneck in Helmand province. From the alert letter linked above:
I was told by senior U.S. military officials that the recently completed Regional Command-Southwest (RC-SW) Command and Control Facility, a 64,000 square feet building and related infrastructure with a contract award value of $34 million that was meant to serve as a command headquarters in Helmand to support the surge, will not be occupied. Based on documents provided to SIGAR, it appears that military commanders in Afghanistan determined as early as May 2010 that there was no need for the facility, yet the military still moved ahead with the construction project and continued to purchase equipment and make various improvements to the building in early 2013. Based on these preliminary findings, I am deeply troubled that the military may have spent taxpayer funds on a construction project that should have been stopped.
In addition, I was told that U.S. military officials expect that the building will be either demolished or turned over to the Afghan government as our military presence in Afghanistan declines and Camp Leatherneck is reduced in size. Both alternatives for how to resolve this issue are troubling—destroying a never-occupied and never-used building or turning over what may be a "white elephant" to the Afghan government that it may not have the capacity to sustain. Determining all of the facts on how we reached this $34 million dilemma and what can be done to prevent it from happening again is the reason for sending this management alert letter to you.
Even though the Camp Leatherneck Commander determined in May, 2010 that the building was not needed, construction began anyhow after February of 2011. Ironically, Sopko notes in his letter that this may well be the best-constructed building he has toured in his many inspections in Afghanistan, even though it was known before construction began that there would be no use for the building.
Sopko's letter continues, citing information collected that the building can accomodate 1200 to 1500 staff but that at the time of writing, only 450 people were available to use it. Furthermore, there was nobody on the base qualified to maintain the expensive HVAC system. But it gets even worse:
According to a senior U.S. military official, as the footprint of Camp Leatherneck decreases, the building could be outside the security perimeter, thereby making it unsafe for the U.S. military to occupy it. This leaves the military with two primary options—demolish the building or give it to the Afghan government.
However, to make it usable for the Afghan government, the building would require a major overhaul of existing systems, including the expensive heating, ventilation, and air conditioning systems. A high-ranking, senior U.S. military official also advised me that the facility was built to U.S. construction standards rather than Afghan standards. For example, the power runs at U.S. 60 cycles versus Afghan 50 cycles and U.S. 120 volts versus Afghan 220 volts. Therefore, it would not be easy to transfer the building to the Afghan government. These were some of the reasons why the U.S. military officials we spoke with believe the building will probably be demolished.
It appears that the Defense Department reacted to Sopko's letter, because Sopko states in a subsequent letter that he was informed that an investigation was underway and that his questions would be answered. But that process seems to have directly contradicted earlier work from DoD. Sopko wrote a new letter (pdf) to the same recipients on November 27 of last year: Read more →
https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png 0 0 Jim White https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png Jim White2014-03-31 12:46:232014-03-31 12:46:23Why Did DoD Wait Over Three Months to Issue Records Preservation Order After SIGAR Request?
US Decries Rule of Law in Afghanistan While Calling for Overruling Afghan Attorney General
February 12, 2014 /8 Comments/in Law, War /by Jim White
Update: Reuters is reporting that the 65 prisoners were released on February 13.
Without a single hint of awareness of the irony involved, the US military yesterday released a statement decrying Afghanistan's decision calling for the imminent release of 65 prisoners held at the Afghan National Detention Facility at Parwan, stating that the release would be a "major step backward for the rule of law in Afghanistan". There are 88 prisoners over whom the US and Afghanistan disagree, but so far only 65 are subject to the current release orders (with the release order for 37 of the 65 dating back to January). Recall that an independent commission, headed by Abdul Shakor Dadras, has been reviewing the status of the prisoners handed over from US control. Despite US bleating that Karzai and Dadras are releasing hardened insurgents bent on returning to battle, it is hardly noted that over 100 of the prisoners have been ordered held over for trial and that the US has not disputed the release of hundreds of others (648 out of 760 reviewed as of January) against whom there was no evidence of crimes.
In their rush to transcribe the complaints from the US military, articles by the New York Times and Los Angeles Times quickly brush over the fact that the results of the Dadras board have been reviewed both by the Afghan attorney general's office and Afghanistan's National Directorate of Security, which is the main intelligence agency. In fact, the New York Times doesn't mention the NDS review at all. From the Los Angeles Times article:
Afghan officials issued a sharp rebuttal, saying the attorney general's office and the National Directorate of Security – Afghanistan's CIA – had reviewed the U.S. information and found insufficient evidence to continue to hold the prisoners. "According to Afghan laws there is no information gathered about these detainees to prove them guilty, so they were ordered released," Abdul Shakoor Dadras, head of the Afghan government committee responsible for the prisoner issue, said in an interview Tuesday.
The New York Times has also posted a document (pdf) purporting to lay out the evidence against the 37 disputed prisoners cleared for release in January. Remarkably, although the military is expressing concern for rule of law, there is a strong reliance on failed polygraph tests in the evidence cited. Of course, polygraph results are so unreliable that they are not admissible in most US states, but that doesn't seem to matter to the military. Fingerprints and other biometric matches are also cited in the document for some prisoners, but whether these matches are strong or weak is not discussed, even though a court would be very interested in the level at which the match is said to occur. Similarly, evidence of explosive residue is cited for some of the prisoners without any discussion of how conclusive the test result was. Laughably, possession of firearms is cited for many of the prisoners, despite the fact that the country in which they live has been at war for over the last twelve years after the US military invaded.
Back in January, Dadras had this to say about some of the evidence:
Mr. Dadras said in an interview on Monday that he was only being true to Afghan law. He insisted that he had to discard any evidence that was collected without a defense lawyer present, which would appear to include anything in the suspect's possession when captured. He also said he distrusted evidence collected years after suspects were detained, and was not persuaded when lab analysis found residue from chloride chemical compounds used in explosives. Suspects could have picked up the residue other ways, he said.
"The air is contaminated with chlorides, given the fighting; there is bombing and the wind," Mr. Dadras said.
Returning to the US military statement, they do acknowledge that Afghanistan's attorney general's carried out a review of the disputed cases. However, they dismiss that review: Read more →
https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png 0 0 Jim White https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png Jim White2014-02-12 11:26:482014-02-13 07:36:00US Decries Rule of Law in Afghanistan While Calling for Overruling Afghan Attorney General
Does the Military Have a New Goal of Hanging Afghanistan Failure on Obama?
January 22, 2014 /17 Comments/in War /by Jim White
On Monday, I could only reply with the Twitter equivalent of uncontrolled laughter when Robert Caruso tweeted a quote from Stanley McChrystal, who was appearing on Morning Joe to hype the paperback release of his book. Responding to a question from Al Sharpton, McChrystal said, in Caruso's transcription, "the military doesn't have goals…we follow the policy of the nation".
Of course, as Michael Hastings so exquisitely documented, McChrystal and his band of merry operators had as their primary goal the advancement of their own careers while also promoting the concept of forever war. And as Gareth Porter points out, David (ass-kissing little chickenshit) Petraeus gamed Obama on the end date for the surge in Afghanistan, significantly extending the time of maximum troop presence (and maximum fund flow to contractors). It is equally important not to forget the Pentagon operation that places "analysts" with television news operations, somehow always finding analysts whose views align with Pentagon goals of forever war (and more purchases from the defense contractors who employ these same analysts when they go to the other side of the revolving door). Yes, Eisenhower foresaw all of this and yet we ignored his warning in 1961.
But somehow last night's headline from the Wall Street Journal seems on first blush to run counter to the concept of forever war. We are now told that the military's latest plan for a troop presence in Afghanistan beyond the end of this year (pending a signed BSA, which is certainly not a given) would be only 10,000 troops (a significant reduction from previous ideas that have been floated) and that these troops would be drawn down to essentially zero in another two years, ending precisely with Obama's term in office. The Journal offered this by way of explanation:
The request reflects a far shorter time frame for a U.S. military presence in Afghanistan than commanders had previously envisaged after the current international mission ends this year. The new approach is intended to buy the U.S. military time to advise and train the Afghan army but still allow Mr. Obama to leave office saying he ended America's longest war, the officials said.
So the military is pitching this latest plan as being an opportunity for Obama to claim "success" in ending the war. But we all know that the effort in Afghanistan has been an abject failure that has achieved absolutely nothing beyond killing a huge number of Afghans along with far too many coalition troops while squandering an obscene amount of US money. Instead, this looks to me more like the military moving to try to hang its failure on Obama by not extending the quagmire into yet another presidential administration. And that view seems to me to be reinforced by the military's framing of Obama's options:
Military leaders told Mr. Obama that if he rejects the 10,000-troop option, then it would be best to withdraw nearly all military personnel at the end of this year because a smaller troop presence wouldn't offer adequate protection to U.S. personnel, said officials involved in the discussions.
The military wants this debacle to end during Obama's term no matter what, and you can bet that is because their goal is to blame him for their failure.
But lest we raise our hopes that sanity has finally broken out within the walls of the Pentagon and that the generals finally have learned to hate war, we have this gem from Reuters: Read more →
https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png 0 0 Jim White https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png Jim White2014-01-22 09:33:102014-05-14 19:06:27Does the Military Have a New Goal of Hanging Afghanistan Failure on Obama?
Latest Night Raid Afghan Civilian Deaths Put BSA into Further Doubt
January 16, 2014 /6 Comments/in War /by Jim White
Back in October, I noted that one of Hamid Karzai's primary barriers to signing the Bilateral Security Agreement is his objection to night raids carried out by US-trained death squads because of the high rate of civilian casualties involved. Yesterday, yet another night raid went bad, but this time, instead of the death squad killing civilians, an air raid called in when the raiding party came under heavy fire was responsible for civilian deaths. In an attempt to deflect blame, ISAF tried to emphasize that this mission was Afghan-led:
International Security Assistance Force regrets that civilians were killed Jan. 15 during a deliberately-planned, Afghan-led clearing operation to disrupt insurgent activity in Ghorband district, Parwan province.
The mission, led by commandos of the 6th Special Operations Kandak and supported by ISAF special operations advisers, was conducted to disrupt insurgent activities in the district, including attacks on Bagram Airfield, and in support of Afghan National Security Forces' tactical priorities. Local district and provincial officials were informed in advance of the operation and were provided updates during and after the actions.
It would not surprise me if ISAF eventually blames the "local district and provincial officials" who were warned for tipping off the insurgents so that an ambush could be carried out. But note that "ISAF special operations advisers" were present, and as I have noted previously, this is the hallmark of the US-trained death squads that have previously operated with impunity but have infuriated Karzai. Even though ISAF is claiming that the intelligence for the operation was generated by the Afghans, you can bet that our "advisers" would not have ventured off their base if our own intelligence hadn't also been involved in planning the attack.
Strangely, the NYTimes article linked above puts the operation taking place at 6:30 am, but the Washington Post puts it at 1 am, which fits night raid timing much better. The details in the two stories differ substantially. From the Times:
Aziz Ahmad Zaki, a spokesman for the governor of Parwan, said that the coalition Special Operations advisers had come to assist the Afghan forces in the area, setting up alongside them in a district check post that quickly came under fire from Taliban attackers on Tuesday.
Around 6:30 a.m. Wednesday, Afghan and coalition forces began a clearance operation in the Wazghar Valley, but ran into a Taliban ambush, taking fire from several compounds in the area at once, officials said.
"Afghan and coalition forces returned fire and required defensive air support to suppress the enemy fire," according to the coalition statement.
But according to the Post, the raiding party attempted to enter a home at 1 am, rather than conducting a "clearing operation" at 6:30:
According to Karzai and the governor of Parwan province, the incident occurred about 1 a.m. when U.S. Special Forces attempted to enter a home. A gun battle ensued, resulting in a coalition airstrike that killed the children and a female relative in the house, they said.
This version says nothing about being attacked at a checkpost but instead follows a usual night raid routine.
Karzai is furious. From AFP:
President Hamid Karzai on Wednesday accused the United States of killing seven children and a woman in an airstrike in central Afghanistan — an incident set to further damage frayed ties between the two allies.
Relations between Washington and Kabul have been rocky for years, and negotiations over an agreement that would allow some US troops to remain in the country after this year have broken down into a long-running public dispute.
"As a result of bombardment by American forces last night… in Siahgird district of Parwan province, one woman and seven children were martyred and one civilian injured," a statement from Karzai's office said.
"The Afghan government has been asking for a complete end to operations in Afghan villages for years, but American forces acting against all mutual agreements… have once again bombarded a residential area and killed civilians.
The zero option in Afghanistan is looking more and more likely.
https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png 0 0 Jim White https://www.emptywheel.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/Logo-Web.png Jim White2014-01-16 08:53:062014-01-16 08:53:06Latest Night Raid Afghan Civilian Deaths Put BSA into Further Doubt


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Q: WiX [#filekey] is not being resolved and usable as a path in a managed CustomAction I am having a problem with using a deferred CustomAction where the parameter is passed as a file id reference in the style [#file.Product.exe.config]:
<Component Id="comp.Product.exe.config"
           Guid="{966DA007-E3F0-4BFE-94ED-63A66F82CA58}"
           Win64="$(var.Win64)">
    <File Id="file.Product.exe.config"
          Name="Product.exe.config"
          Source="$(var.SourcePath)\Product.exe.config"
          KeyPath="yes" />
</Component>

Then I have a property called ConfigurationFile which is later on passed in to the deferred custom action like so:
<Property Id="ConfigurationFile"
          Value="[#file.Product.exe.config]" />

I previously assigned the ConfigurationFile property Value="[APPLICATIONROOTDIRECTORY]\Product.exe.config" which worked just fine, but because we need to install the configuration to a different folder (the reason why this had to be done is irrelevant to this topic), I had to change it to resolve the location of the configuration file from the installer, using the [#file.Product.exe.config] syntax.
When the custom action receives the parameter, it is still in the [#file.Product.exe.config] format (that is, unresolved), and causing loads of problems. I was confused for quite a while because based on logging it seemed it should be working. It turns out that Session.Log() resolves this file reference, which resulted in the log "lying" to me about the actual content of the argument.
I have tried different approaches to "claning" this string, including session.Format()
which results in InvalidHandleException, using record (as stated below) and other ways with no luck.
using (Record formatRec = new Record(0))
{
    formatRec.FormatString = p0;
    return formatRec.GetString(0) // Or formatRec.ToString();
}

There are several custom actions provided in WiX that handles this convention. However, I have yet to find out how they do it. No luck as of yet when diving into the source code for these custom actions.
Arguments to the custom action is retrieved from Session.CustomActionData.
Is there a nice way of handling this?

A: You need a type 51 custom action to set the property:
<CustomAction Id="SetProductConfigPath"
              Property="ConfigurationFile"
              Value="[#file.Product.exe.config]"
              Execute="deferred"/>
<InstallExecute>
    <Custom Action="SetProductConfigPath"
            Before="InstallInitialize">/>
</InstallExecute>

You may need adjust the scheduling to something other than 'InstallInitialize'.
See blog post From MSI to WiX, Part 5 - Custom actions: Introduction for a list of all CustomAction types, and blog post Property does not exist or empty when accessed from deferred custom action for a detailed explanation of deferred custom actions.
I hope this helps.

A: After a few grey hairs and quite a bit of foul language, I came up with a solution. It is based on @Zachary Youngs answer, however, some modifications were required.
Using a deferred action does not allow access to properties. Using the action as immediate type 51 action to set a property resulted in the property's [#filekey] reference remaining intact.
Using the following solution works:
<!-- Custom action to set update [ConfigurationFile] to the resolved filename -->
<CustomAction Id="SetResolvedConfigurationFile"
              BinaryKey="LocusCA"
              DllEntry='SetResolvedConfigurationFile'
              Return="check"
              Execute="immediate" />
<!-- Set CustomActionData for MergeConfiguratioFiles custom action -->
<CustomAction Id="SetMergeConfigurationFiles"
              Property="MergeConfigurationFiles"
              Execute="immediate"
              Value="[ConfigurationFile]" />

<!-- Merge settings from old configuration file to the one being installed -->
<CustomAction Id='MergeConfigurationFiles'
              BinaryKey="LocusCA"
              DllEntry='MergeConfigFiles'
              Return="check"
              Execute="commit" />

<InstallExecuteSequence>
    <Custom Action="SetResolvedConfigurationFile" Before="InstallFinalize">NOT (WIX_UPGRADE_DETECTED = "") AND NOT (ConfigurationFile = "")</Custom>
    <Custom Action="SetMergeConfigurationFiles" After="SetResolvedConfigurationFile">NOT (WIX_UPGRADE_DETECTED = "") AND NOT (ConfigurationFile = "")</Custom>
    <Custom Action="MergeConfigurationFiles" After="SetMergeConfigurationFiles">NOT (WIX_UPGRADE_DETECTED = "") AND NOT (ConfigurationFile = "")</Custom>
</InstallExecuteSequence>

The custom action SetResolvedConfigurationFile is as follows:
[CustomAction]
public static ActionResult SetResolvedConfigurationFile(Session session)
{
    // Set property ResolvedConfigurationFile
    try
    {
        session["ConfigurationFile"] = session.FormatRecord(new Record(1) { FormatString = session["ConfigurationFile"] });
    }
    catch (Exception ex)
    {
        session.Log("Unable to find configuration file for merge from property 'ConfigurationFile'): " + ex);
        return ActionResult.Failure;
    }
    return ActionResult.Success;
}

Using session.FormatRecord to resolve the current value of [ConfigurationFile], and write it back to the property, the existing setup of my custom action works.
Note: using the shortcut of changing my action MergeConfigurationFile to execute immediate does not work, as the files I need to merge do not yet exist. Using session.FormatRecord directly within MergeConfigurationFile results in a InvalidHandleException when trying to format when Execute="commit", and using Record.ToString() or Record.GetString() just returns the [#filekey] reference.

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A few years ago a friend suggested I start a podcast. I remember thinking this was one of the strangest and funniest suggestions I had gotten in a while. It conjured up images of pirate radio geeks in their Mom's basement, at 30 years old, wearing old concert t-shirts and weird propeller hats. I remember thinking "Who the heck listens to a podcast?" "How would a podcast help me?" In addition, "What would I talk about?" Fast forward to 2017 and I have the answers to these questions, and more. Including seven reasons to podcast in private practice.
A podcast is a way for a therapist in private practice to reach your niche audience or clients by talking about the subjects related to the people you work with the best. According to Pew Research Center and Edison Research, in 2016, 21% of Americans aged 12 and older have listened to a podcast in the last month. This figure is up from 12% in 2013. Podcast listeners have consistently been on the rise each year and some call it the "Netflix of Radio".
In 2016, 64% of Americans aged 12 or older who have ever listened to a podcast said they were listening "most often" on a mobile device. Why does this matter? Because people are searching for healthcare professionals using a mobile device. Gone are the days of finding a therapist in private practice from a big book of names provided by your insurance company.
We now have websites and Psychology Today profiles that allow people to see your photo and read something to determine if it feels like a good match. Podcasting offers an enhanced way to connect. Have you ever misread a text or thought a text had a particular tone? Podcasting can take some of these misinterpretations out of it, by simply allowing potential clients to hear your voice. These listeners can convert to clients when you reference your products and website during or at the end of an episode.
Podcasts have a unique ability that other forms of social media do not. YOUR VOICE. Both literally and figuratively, your voice is expressed through this audio form of social media. Your listeners, who could be colleagues or future clients, get to know you in a much more personal way. They get to hear your enthusiasm, sense of humor, and communication style that can't be felt in written form. They also get to know what you stand for as a therapist and what you are passionate about. It helps to build a level of trust and take some fear of the unknown out when considering reaching out for help. Because they already feel like they know you. Your brand as a business and therapist are all of those things that give you an identifying mark in social media.
SEO or search engine optimization is the process that maximizes the number of visitors to a website by ensuring it appears high on the list of results in a search engine. For example, when people search for a particular topic or therapist in their area, you want your website to appear at the top of the search. When podcasting, listeners will go to a website to listen to or download a podcast. The link to the download can include a description of the podcast and usually a profile of whoever was on the episode, or who hosts the podcast. Links to your therapy website from your profile can help search engine optimization because you can be found and your website will be linked back to from more than one place.
In addition, websites that host podcasts will gain more authority in their online presence and more traffic from their listeners by virtue of having multiple forms of content (for example: written, audio, video, etc.). If you take things a step further, and include a transcript of the podcast episodes, you can increase SEO by telling search engines what is in your audio file. This makes it easier to find. If you are just starting out and don't want to go to the lengths of having a transcript, a paragraph description that includes keywords can also enhance your SEO.
There are limitations to your income potential as a therapist in private practice, if it is dependent solely on seeing clients. There are only so many hours in a day and so many clients you can see without getting burnt out. With podcasting, you can earn additional income through sponsorship and advertisements. Sponsorship being a fee you charge to indicate a podcast episode is being "brought to you by, or sponsored by….", while an advertisement is a fee companies pay you to recommend a product or tell them about a product. Podcast listeners often buy products they hear about on their favorite shows.
If you are knowledgeable about a subject, or have a niche market for your therapy practice, this is a great way to showcase it. If you have high-value content and interview industry leaders, by association, you can come to be known as an industry leader. As a result, you may be asked to be interviewed on other podcasts, or to speak at other events further increasing your recognition.
While people may read or skim this article, podcast listeners are much more likely to listen for a longer period of time. According to a survey, podcast listeners are loyal and 88% listen to most or all episodes of the podcasts they subscribe to. A podcast can be paused, replayed, and listened to anywhere you have a mobile device. That means when people are driving in their cars, cleaning, doing laundry, or going to the gym, they can listen to you and enhance the experience of whatever primary activity they are doing. This translates to increased potential for exposure for your business. Americans are busy and taking the time to read something requires a lot more commitment than listening. With podcasts, people don't have to give something up to listen to you.
While the initial outlay, monetarily, for podcast equipment is minimal (microphone, editing software, internet connection, etc.), it does take time and planning. The upside is the potential for a return on investment, exceeding the cost of your time and equipment expense, is substantially higher than blogging or mailing letters and possibly seeing clients.
A case example: Since the launch of Melvin Varghese's Selling the Couch podcast in March 2015, the podcast has surpassed 75,000 downloads and has over 130 5/5 Star Reviews (as of February 2016). I don't know what this has translated to for Melvin monetarily but, given the success and potential for advertising and sponsorship, he doesn't need to see 10 clients a day and work nights and weekends. The time spent creating his podcast has resulted in more time with his family. If you want more information on where to get started you can also check out Melvin's "Healthcasters", a community dedicated to helping you learn how to podcast and help to support you along your podcasting journey.
In summary, think about the unique voice you have and what information you have to share that could be great content for a podcast and potential for increasing your business!
For more information on podcasting and resources reach out and contact me via my website.


Maybe I'll cover those too in a second post, specially focusing on the Razer Hydra, Sixense, PrioVR, Virtuix Omni and ARAIG, once I have a chance to try them out. Note that each one of these addresses some of the issues caused by VR self-nature.
Before I start shooting technical details, it must be said that VR IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. And following the same concept, VR IS NOT FOR EVERY TYPE OF GAME either. It's just a really cool piece of tech (both hardware & software side of things) not applicable to everything nor to everyone. It can produce unprecedented sensations ever experienced by the consumer but at the same time it can result very annoying, troublesome, inconvenient… And the worst part is that most players feel a different experience, mostly on games that try to re-create real-life conditions. This is because each person has a different perception of the reality (different height, different walk/run speed, different inter-pupillary distance, different color perception, etc).
And we all know VR is not something new. The race started back in the eighties and continued over the nineties (Nintendo was there with its Virtual Boy) but the technology hasn't evolved enough to go mainstream yet.
So what do we need to enjoy a great VR experience?
The problem with the answer is that most people would provide a different affirmation although most of them would be correct or partially correct. Since any of us haven't yet experimented a truly VR experience is very difficult to tell. One way to achieve it could be "a way, by technological means, to pass sensorial information to our eyes, ears, nose, fingers, skin, muscles, etc, in order to simulate a virtual world that can be felt as close as it was real". Another theory, closer to Matrix's scenario, would be to "simply pass information to our brain in form of micro-electrical signals that we can naturally process". Even if both systems use completely different approaches (sending information external vs internal means), there's still one question waiting to be reveal: "how much information and what level of quality (that at the end, the quantity of information goes in pair with the quality of it) do we need to actually induce the subject into another world without he/she getting notice?" Be aware that I'm not referring to 3D rendering quality. For instance, being able to render New York in stereoscopic 3D at >=60hz with realistic materials and global illumination is out of the question here. Game designers might want a realistic representation of their worlds while others not (it depends on the type of game). Audio quality is out of the question as well, mainly because we have already been able to reproduce hi-def + true positional audio nowadays.
Definitively the InfinitEye represents the pinnacle of the field of view :-). By using two separate screens with high quality Fresnel lenses they achieve 210º FOV. In case there's a butterfly fluttering by your ear you would be able to see/notice it! For scary moments in horror games it would be great! Unfortunately, it is too much of a stone on your head… too much wide, too much heavy… Difficult to move your head fast without noting its weight… Although I haven't tested this device on my own, personally I don't see this form factor to be the winner, at least in the sort term.
There's also a new prototype coming to crowd-funding from Avegant called Glyph. It features integrated headphones (Stereo, 20hz-20000hz, 115dB) and 9 DOF headtracking, plus a micro-mirror-array display of 1280×720@120hz per eye.
Once briefly introduced each of these devices, I would like to focus my review in the OR and the T3, putting both into a comparison. You might think the OR and T3 has nothing to do one with each other, and in part that's true (45º vs 110º FOV is a long way to go), but after playing Doom 3 BFG edition on both I can share a couple of thoughts.
The good thing of Doom 3 BFG is that it supports both Oculus Rift as well as standard stereoscopic 3D in TVs, PC monitors and HMDs such us the T3 or the ST1080, so you can easily compare your experience across devices. And although I've loved playing Doom3 on the OR I must say I prefer the T3 experience after all. Even if my OR was 4K resolution and Doom3 had better support for VR, I would still prefer my T3 over the OR for "standard" gaming. Don't get me wrong, the Doom3's VR-mode is spectacular and really provides an immersive experience, but what you should ask yourself is whether it's really comfortable for long gaming sessions. For me it's not. The fact that you're actually immersed into the world but cannot move around with your own legs ends up with many annoying moments of frustration and sickness. Believe it or not, you really need some sort of Virtuix Omni for playing FPS on the OR, otherwise you're doomed to static games (where you only have to rotate your head) or cabinet-based games such as driving or spaceships simulators (where you can't actually move your legs and your body). The T3, as well as the ST1080 or the future Glyph, despite its low FOV, suits best for long gaming sessions using a gamepad just laying on your sofa. It feels like playing in the cinema with nothing catching your attention on the screen surroundings, thus avoiding distractions and getting more focused into the game, while limiting sickness thanks to a not-so-heavy FOV. Also, no need to fatigue your neck trying to aim at anything every time (but you have the option to do so installing a head tracking device), then better for the long term comfort. Also have in mind that since current HMDs are not able to track your eye-balls there's no way you can auto-focus wherever you want. Auto-focus and depth-of-field is always based in the center of the screen, not in your real focus, who might become very annoying when FOV is larger than ~45º.
So you see, VR is great in theory but it is not perfect technology in practice unless you go along with other peripherals such as the Virtuix Omni or the PrioVR, all being fully supported by the software/game itself.
That's it for now. I'll keep posting my thoughts on VR and HMDs as long as I continue testing different games and technical demos. In addition, as we keep developing for the OR, I'll eventually post some useful information about development challenges, technical constraints, game design considerations and so on!
Wearing glasses will prevent you from looking sharp at corners (although this is almost impossible even if you don't wear glasses), since your retinas will be a bit farther from lenses than usual. Also, independently of the glasses issue, text is not easy to read on the HMZ-T3 due to lack of resolution. 720p per eye is not enough DPI to make pixels invisible to your eye, so you can still notice aliasing issues (antialiasing is welcome in most games!) and low-res in finest details like small texts or small icons or game's HUD.


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Home › National Assembly Today › Communications in a Time of Crisis
Reframing newsletter
Communications in a Time of Crisis
Human service organizations across the country are playing a uniquely challenging role as part of the nation's response to COVID-19, delivering essential services during a constantly evolving public health crisis while planning for the long-term needs that communities will face in the recovery phase. Recognizing that the pandemic will place a strain on an already under-resourced sector, nonprofit leaders across the country are advocating for policymakers to include human services in immediate and long-term relief packages being considered at the federal and state levels.
The National Reframing Initiative offers the following tips for using research-based communications strategies to make a strong and fair case for human services in these advocacy asks.
Appeal to Interdependence and Collective Action. COVID-19 has shone a spotlight on our shared responsibility for the health and well-being of our neighbors. We are seeing unprecedented public and private actions to "flatten the curve" of the pandemic. Human service communications should reaffirm that we are all in this together, now and as the impacts of the pandemic are realized in the future, and avoid messages that activate individualistic views and behaviors.
Tell a Cohesive Story. Human service advocates have a complicated message to share right now, as a workforce on the frontlines of a public health crisis, as problem-solvers shoring up and reconstructing the systems of well-being that people of all ages rely upon on a regular basis, as committed leaders whose expertise will be vital to the rebuilding process facing our nation, and as employers who have a significant economic impact on their communities. To the extent possible, communicate this full story consistently and avoid pulling out single pieces that limit the sector's scope to just crisis or just economic impact. Any one of these points can be the emphasis of a particular communications piece, but acknowledging the full scope consistently will ultimately lead to a more comprehensive policymaking response.
Lean into Explanation with the Construction Metaphor. The public and policymakers have big gaps in their knowledge base about human services, which has resulted in limited support for the sector. It will not be enough to assert that human services need to be supported right now due to the crisis—we will have to fill in the blanks. The research-based Construction Metaphor meets this need because it helps people think through how human services work and what human services need to be successful by associating those unfamiliar concepts with a concept the public is familiar with (constructing a building). Communicators can rely on the Construction Metaphor to explain the role that human services are playing building well-being during the pandemic, how human services themselves are being impacted, and the role human services will play as communities rebuild. Feel free to use or adapt the message below in your communications.
Sample Construction Language:
We're all going through a storm right now that is destabilizing our health and well-being, it will be worst for those whose well-being was already on a shaky foundation. Human services are the construction crews that are shoring up our foundations in the near term by providing things like meal delivery and nutrition support, mental health services, and housing support. In the long-term, human services will be an essential part of the team rebuilding the structures of emotional, social, physical, and financial well-being that the pandemic is weakening. Our ability to weather this storm hinges on ensuring that human services have the resources now to function properly in an ever-changing environment and to plan and prepare for the rebuilding process that will follow.
Match Challenges to Solutions. As we've discussed in previous newsletters, weighting communications too heavily towards the challenges and problems, or "crisis" framing, can backfire by leading the public to believe that the problems identified are too big to solve. When identifying challenges brought on or exacerbated by COVID-19, identify solutions that can help address the challenge whenever possible. Maintaining a balance between recognizing the very real and serious challenges and presenting concrete steps that the nation or a community can take to address the challenges will keep more people engaged and open to seeing their role in participating as advocates and supporters.
The National Reframing Initiative plans to share additional communications resources and recommendations as this public health crisis unfolds. We invite and encourage you to share your ideas, examples, and challenges to ensure that we are helping you meet your most pressing communications needs. Please email Bridget Gavaghan, Director of the National Reframing Initiative.
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Following these tips can help keep your heart healthy for years to come.
February is American Heart Month, making the next few weeks the perfect time to make sure your ticker has what it need to feel its best! To help keep your blood pressure under control and reduce your chances of a serious illness, keep these heart healthy tips in mind.
Talk to your doctor – make an appointment with your doctor and find out what your blood pressure is and what it should be (if they are two different numbers). If your blood pressure is too high, figure out a plan with your doctor to help lower the pressure and start feeling your best.
Take your medication properly – if you are prescribed any blood pressure medication, make sure you take it exactly as directed. Setting a timer on your phone will help to make sure that you take it at the same time each day, helping it work more efficiently. If you have any side effects from your blood pressure medication, let your doctor know as soon as possible.
Quit smoking – if you are a smoker, quit as soon as possible. There are plenty of online resources that are available to help you quit smoking. If you are not a smoker, do not start.
Reduce your sodium intake – the typical American consumes too much sodium each day, which can lead to higher blood pressure. Consider adding these heart healthy recipes to your diet to help lower your sodium intake while filling your belly with delicious food.
Having the right health insurance policy can help to make sure you have the coverage you need to stay healthy. Contact the experts at Employee Benefit Plans Inc. in Greenwood Village, Colorado for all of your health insurance needs.


text:
SAINT ANTHOLIN: BUDGE ROW, CITY OF LONDON Records of the parish of Saint Antholin, Budge Row, City of London. Parish registers (baptisms, marriages, burials) survive from 1539, churchwardens'... London Metropolitan Archives 2010-07-04
SAINT ANTHONY, STEPNEY: GLOBE ROAD, TOWER HAMLETS Records of the parish of Saint Anthony, Globe Road, Stepney, comprising registers of baptisms and marriages. ... London Metropolitan Archives 2010-07-04
SAINT AUGUSTINE, HAGGERSTON: YORKTON STREET, HACKNEY Records of the parish of Saint Augustine, Haggerston, including registers of baptisms and marriages; church services registers; faculties; Parochial ... London Metropolitan Archives 2010-07-04
SAINT AUGUSTINE, HIGHBURY: HIGHBURY NEW PARK, ISLINGTON Records of the parish of St Augustine, Highbury, including registers of baptisms, marriages, confirmations, banns of marriage, and church services; r... London Metropolitan Archives 2010-07-04
SAINT AUGUSTINE, HONOR OAK PARK: ONE TREE HILL, LEWISHAM Records of the parish of Saint Augustine, Honor Oak Park, Forest Hill, including registers of baptisms, marriages, banns and church services; Vestry ... London Metropolitan Archives 2010-07-04
SAINT AUGUSTINE, PADDINGTON: KILBURN PARK ROAD, WESTMINSTER Records of the parish of Saint Augustine, Kilburn Park Road, Paddington, comprising registers of baptisms and marriages. Also registers of baptisms a... London Metropolitan Archives 2010-07-04
SAINT AUGUSTINE, STEPNEY: SETTLE STREET, TOWER HAMLETS Records of the parish of Saint Augustine, Settle Street, Stepney, comprising registers of baptisms and register of marriages. ... London Metropolitan Archives 2010-07-04
SAINT BARNABAS, HORNSEY ROAD: HORNSEY ROAD, ISLINGTON Records of the parish of St Barnabas, Hornsey Road, Holloway, Islington, including registers of baptisms, marriages and banns; registers of church se... London Metropolitan Archives 2010-07-04
SAINT BARNABAS, KENSINGTON: ADDISON ROAD, KENSINGTON AND CHELSEA Records of the parish of Saint Barnabas, Addison Road, Kensington, including registers of baptisms, marriages, burials, confirmations and church serv... London Metropolitan Archives 2010-07-04
SAINT BARNABAS, SAINT MARYLEBONE: BELL STREET, WESTMINSTER Records of the parish of Saint Barnabas, Bell Street, Saint Marylebone, comprising registers of baptisms and marriages. ... London Metropolitan Archives 2010-07-04


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Alphonse Kann (14 March 1870 in Vienna – 1948 in London) was a prominent French art collector of Jewish heritage. He was a childhood playmate and adult friend of the writer Marcel Proust, who incorporated several of Kann's features into the character Charles Swann (in Swann in Love).

Art collector
The name Kann, written with double "nn", was said in Paris to be "le plus chic du chic". Known for his discerning taste and shrewd collecting instincts, Kann shocked the art world in 1927 by auctioning off (at the American Art Association, New York City) most of his Old Master collection (including works by Bruegel, Cimabue, Fragonard, Pollaiuolo, Rubens and Tintoretto) in order to concentrate on the acquisition of 19th-century and modern art, which he collected vigorously over the following decade.

Nazi theft
Kann left France for England in 1938 without making an inventory of his eclectic art collection, which was kept in a St.-Germain-en-Laye mansion and subsequently looted in October 1940 by Nazi occupiers.  Included in the plunder were 1,400 paintings, sculptures and art objects, which were first taken to the Louvre and then to the Jeu de Paume. There they were inventoried by the Nazi art looting organization known as the Reichsleiter Rosenberg Taskforce or  ERR. Some of the objects were then taken to Germany or Austria.  Kann recovered only a small fraction of his large collection before his death in England in 1948. Although he did not live to see a copy, the Nazi inventory of Kann's art collection ran to 60 typed pages. Decades after the war, several paintings from Kann's collection were discovered in prominent European and U.S. museums. "Smoke Over Rooftops," a 1911 painting by Fernand Léger, was returned in October 2008 to Kann's heirs by the Minneapolis Institute of Arts after an eleven-year investigation.

In the 1990s, eight antique manuscripts once owned by Kann turned up in the vaults of Wildenstein & Company, still bearing the distinctive Nazi catalog numbers ("KA 879" to "KA 886", in red pencil) likely made by Bruno Lohse as he processed the Kann collection in the Jeu de Paume. The discovery of the missing manuscripts prompted a lawsuit by Kann's heirs against Wildenstein & Company.

References

External links

Warin v Wildenstein & Co., Inc.

1870 births
1948 deaths
French art collectors
Jewish art collectors
19th-century Austrian Jews
Subjects of Nazi art appropriations
Austrian emigrants to France

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


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Behavioral Observations from the Road: Denver Airport – Behavior Matters!
Humans are interesting, they are quirky, they are irrational.
We think we know what is best for us. Often, we even assume that we KNOW what is best for us.
The funny thing is – our behaviors do not always align with what's best. I recently observed an interesting example of the irrationality of human behavior while traveling through Denver International Airport on the way to meet a client.
If you see two lines moving at a similar pace between you and your destination, one long and one short, which do you jump into? I would get in the short, as I am betting you would too. Who wants to waste time waiting in line?
Let's throw a wrench in the gears – the longer line is the VIP line. You paid $180 to be in it and it's the line you jump right into every time you get here. You also get to avoid one quick and simple task that your counterparts in the short line must do. Keep in mind, the short line will still get you to your destination in less time – perhaps as much as two times quicker. Which line do you get in now?
So now let's explore that funny little scenario I observed.
Typically, upon arriving at the airport I run into a decent line to get through security. It's the annoying but unavoidable ritual of travel that stands between me and the pre-flight beer that will make my middle seat less miserable. Admittedly, yes, I should have woken up at 3:25 am to check in, but at the time my seat choice did not seem as valuable as sleep. I am a victim of my own time discounting. Our present-self fails to accurately predict the preferences of our future self and we at times value the 'here and now' over the future – even if it's not worth more.
Usually, when I am standing in line I glance up from my 'boredom social media surfing' and see a smaller group of people whisking past security: no wait. I make a mental note to sign up for TSA pre-check, global entry, or CLEAR (the fast-track, pay to pass security programs). Inevitably I forget to act on it and end up in the same spot a few weeks later, lamenting my negligence.
As I walk into the airport for this trip, however, I am confronted with a far different experience. The line for the CLEAR program is long. Rounding the corner, I dread the security line I am about to see. To my pleasant surprise, I find that it is almost non-existent. Surely, I must be tired and mixing up my lines?
So here I stand, looking at an almost empty security line and a significantly backed up CLEAR line. I can't help but wonder "why"?
I have never used CLEAR but from my research it appears that you are still required to go through regular security (e.g. remove shoes, laptops etc.). The difference appears to be that instead of waiting in line for the in-person ID and ticket check, you simply go through a fingerprint scan and then jump the line directly into the TSA screening (editor's note – please reach out and correct me if you are a member and my understanding is incorrect).
We ascribe greater value to things that we own.
CLEAR is a program that you pay for, it costs $179 per year to become a member – this purchase prescribes ownership. Subconsciously there is an "I paid for it, I need to use it" attitude that drives the behavior of jumping into the longer line.
Because of this; the user neglects to weigh the ACTUAL value of the investment with the time that would be saved by hopping into the regular line. This leads to my next point.
2. We have an innate inability to value time accurately.
We easily prescribe value to things, but we have a difficult time accurately examining that same value in everyday time (unless of course we are billing and invoicing).
Typically, professionals bill by the quarter hour, so the above numbers are the value that each of them would prescribe for that additional 15 minutes of time waiting in the CLEAR line in a billable environment. For the Lawyer, if that happens 2.4 times per year, then that time is the equivalent of what they paid for the program to begin with.
We are habitual creatures. Charles Duhigg introduced us to the idea of the habit loop "Cue -> Routine -> Reward". The idea is that when we come upon a specific cue, our brain automatically reverts to a routine that then provides a reward. This inevitably feeds the process, validating the cue and routine for the next go around. This loop clouds our ability to reassess that routine and break the cycle or act differently upon encountering that cue.
Could the CLEAR line be this routine?
The cue is entering the airport: the user sees the CLEAR sign, automatically walks up and enters the line, engaging in the routine. The user neglects to even assess that the normal security line is shorter because the habit takes over. The user goes through the line, is rewarded by the CLEAR agent who escorts them to the front of the screening area and is blissfully satisfied without ever recognizing that, in this case, they would have benefited from breaking that habit. Every time they get to this fork in the road they step into it without thinking. It's automatic.
Agree, disagree? Reach out or comment with your thoughts, conjectures, or input!!
1. Duhigg, Charles. The Power of Habit. Random House Trade, 2014.
IC Directors – Make APRIL Count!
Hmmm….may an amateur quibble a bit? Perhaps a more accurate measurement would be a random sampling of wait times rather than the single "n" sample size. It's probable that the CLEAR line on average provides its users with more time to leverage than the poor sops in the plebeian line.
Beyond that, though, is the single measurement of a monetary value to time. A professional gaining a quarter hour of time at the airport may or may not utilize that quarter hour to produce value for a client or be "billable." Just as plausibly, that professional uses the quarter hour advantage for R&R which is less available to the unwashed in the regular line. So the time value is not merely monetary but rewarding in stress reduction, mental health benefits and/or personal edification. All of which carry potential cumulative and/or exponential benefits which cannot be measured in traditional monetary values.


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OnQ Blog
Hexagon DSP is better than ever, with new ways to extend battery life
Qualcomm products mentioned within this post are offered by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries.
The newly announced Qualcomm Snapdragon 425, 618 and 620 processors are designed to deliver a huge performance punch, not to mention an array of very desirable multimedia features that include dual camera image signal processors, 192KHz/ 24 bit high-fidelity audio, and Qualcomm QuickCharge 2.0. But there is another hidden key feature that all three processors have in common, a dedicated customizable digital signal processor (DSP) processor that operates stealthily while sipping very little battery life for key use cases in speech, audio, sensors and more.
The Qualcomm Hexagon DSP is not new to Snapdragon processors—it has been used in modem and multimedia algorithms for many generations—but this latest iteration extends the Hexagon DSP to tackle an even larger array of tasks. These tasks commonly require very low power, real-time execution performance and programmability that the Hexagon DSP is better equipped to handle than other dedicated technology blocks inside the Snapdragon processor. The DSP supports programming in the C language, enabling quick porting and offers dynamic loadable code technology, allowing updates after the product has shipped. This allows developers and device manufacturers to move frequently used code from the CPU to the DSP, or add custom and proprietary features to the Qualcomm Technologies audio/speech framework where it can run at lower power and provide lower latency.
We involved leading audio brands, including AM3D, Audyssey, Dolby, DTS, Harman-Kardon, NXP Software, Waves, and others, to support audio in a software framework for a wide variety of features. The DSP is designed to run efficiently while allowing the entire application processor to shut off. The result is long listen modes, as evidenced in our OnePlus One music marathon experiment.
Furthermore, OnePlus recently announced a collaboration with Waves Audio to bring MaxxAudio® to the OnePlus One. MaxxAudio is a suite of sound enhancement technologies from Waves that also takes advantages of the capabilities of the Hexagon DSP designed to deliver hi-fidelity sound to your mobile device without compromising battery life.
Leading handset manufacturer OPPO has incorporated advanced speech processing from NXP Software's LifeVibes technology that enables full band technology to handle VoIP calls in hands-free mode with automatic background suppression to filter out city and office noises, seamless echo cancellation without the traditional increase in power, and MIPS (millions of instructions per second) utilizing the low-power characteristics of the Hexagon DSP.
Here's another example of how the Hexagon DSP is being used: If you are a proud owner of a Samsung GALAXY Note 4, powered by the Snapdragon 805, there are cool recording features called "meeting mode" and "interview mode" designed to allow users to intelligently select the voices they want to hear while filtering out the background noises using the multiple microphones built into the Note 4. These advanced audio recording algorithms are processed by the Hexagon DSP inside the Snapdragon 805 processor using Fortémedia's AMAP technology.
There are a multitude of applications that the Hexagon DSP is capable of processing on its own. In the near future, expect to see applications tied to image and video enhancement, speech, gestures, and sensors that will take a tremendous load off of the CPU, hence extending battery life.
The Hexagon DSP is available throughout our Snapdragon tiers, and the latest is implemented in the Snapdragon 425, 618, and 620 processors. Read more about what's so special about the DSP.
Qualcomm Snapdragon and Qualcomm Hexagon are products of Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.
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Opinions expressed in the content posted here are the personal opinions of the original authors, and do not necessarily reflect those of Qualcomm Incorporated or its subsidiaries ("Qualcomm"). Qualcomm products mentioned within this post are offered by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc. and/or its subsidiaries. The content is provided for informational purposes only and is not meant to be an endorsement or representation by Qualcomm or any other party. This site may also provide links or references to non-Qualcomm sites and resources. Qualcomm makes no representations, warranties, or other commitments whatsoever about any non-Qualcomm sites or third-party resources that may be referenced, accessible from, or linked to this site.
Jerry Chang
Senior Manager, Marketing, Qualcomm Technologies
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JGI Delvers Global Vision for Bombardier Aerospace Corporation.
JGI Delivers Challenger 650's for Bombardier Aerospace Corporation.
JGI delivers Challenger 350's for Bombardier Aerospace Corporation.
In 2017, JGI has supported various Global operators in Tokyo, Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, China, and throughout Russia.
JGI has supported 4 new Learjet 75 owners with support and Entry Into Service. We are continuing to support various customers in the Learjet 75 aircraft.
In 2017 JGI has supported new Challenger 350 owners with support to New Zealand, South Africa, Tokyo, Madrid, London, Tel Aviv, and Iceland.


Hydrangeas are growing in popularity and for good reason. So we've put together the ultimate guide for how to care for hydrangeas. This includes choosing the correct hydrangea for your space, planting, watering, fertilizing, pruning and more. This guide has the basic information needed to get started. But you can click on each topic for more in depth information.
First you need to choose the correct hydrangea, based off of what your needs are and what your space provides. How much sunlight does the location have? What type of soil do you have? How big of blooms and what color of blooms do you want? For more in depth information, we've put together a guide for the types of hydrangeas to help you determine which type works best for you.
All hydrangeas will bloom and grow well in morning sun and afternoon shade.
Second, we need to plant the hydrangea to ensure the plant stays healthy and thrives in the location you picked out. Choose a location so that the hydrangea can reach its full size without pruning. Plant the hydrangea in well drained soil. Make sure to not plant the hydrangea too deep in the ground. Plant at the same depth as the in the pot it comes in.
The best time to plant hydrangeas are early summer or fall. If you want to transplant a hydrangea, do so once the plant is dormant and has lost all leaves in late fall or winter.
Hydrangeas need moist but well drained soil to thrive. Instead of trying to stick to a "rule" for watering hydrangeas, it is better to water so the soil is moist at all times, but not too wet. Each type of hydrangea requires different levels of water. The location of the plant will also determine how much water the plant needs.
Typically, you will be able to tell when the plant needs water by looking at the foliage. The leaves will start to wilt when the plant needs water. Hydrangea macrophylla and hydrangea paniculata require more water than hydrangea aborescens (smooth hydrangeas) and Hydrangea quercifolia (oakleaf).
Specialty formulated hydrangea fertilizer is available, however it is not necessary. Commonly found all-purpose 10-10-10 fertilizer is the easiest to use. It should be applied in spring or early summer. Not in the fall as that is when the plants are preparing for dormancy, and the fertilizer could trigger new growth which isn't healthy for the plants. It is important to remember, that adding fertilizer will not cause a hydrangea to bloom.
Fertilizer will not change the color of the blooms. It's possible that extra ingredients added to fertilizers might change the color, but the fertilizer itself doesn't have this power. It is much easier to change a hydrangea from pink to blue than it is from blue to pink. Changing a hydrangea from pink to blue entails adding aluminum to the soil. Changing from blue to pink means subtracting aluminum from the soil or taking it out of reach of the hydrangea. You cannot change the color of white hydrangeas.
Mophead hydrangeas do not ever need to be pruned. You only need to remove dead branches. Different types of hydrangeas need to be pruned using different methods. To determine what method to use, read the more in-depth article. It is important to prune the correct way, so you do not cause the shrub to have less blooms.
Propagating hydrangeas is typically done from cuttings as the shrubs rarely produce seeds to use. It typically takes about 4 weeks to root from cuttings that are 6 inches long. While propagating, keep the plants out of direct sunlight so the leaves don't burn up.


United Commercial also offers management services of wireless infrastructure placed on existing assets. Whether you own a building, water tower, billboard or raw land, UC can market those assets for possible wireless equipment placement, negotiate with the interested carriers, oversee plans and construction in the asset owner's best interest and maintain that relationship for the duration of the agreement. Among others, these services have been rendered to AT&T, Orlando Utilities Commission and Florida Water.


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SPEEA technical employees approve 4-year Boeing contract
The following is from the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace, IFPTE 2001:
SEATTLE (Mar. 19, 2013)– Technical workers at The Boeing Company have approved a new four-year contract, putting an end to negotiations that have lasted nearly one year.
Votes tallied Monday, March 18 by the Society of Professional Engineering Employees in Aerospace (SPEEA), IFPTE Local 2001 show Technical workers voted 4,244 to accept and 654 to reject. Union negotiators told members a second rejection would likely result in a strike as Boeing was refusing to move on all issues.
Union members were voting on a contract offer that was identical to the offer the 7,191 Technical workers narrowly rejected and the larger Professional Unit of engineers narrowly accepted on Feb. 19. While engineers and technical workers bargain at the same time, the contracts are separate and independent agreements.
The new contract extends the terms of the previous contract, including 5% annual salary increase pools, no increases to employees for medical coverage and an increase to the retirement benefit. By the end of the new agreement, SPEEA represented technical workers, and also the engineers, will have received eight straight years of 5% salary increase pools, with guaranteed minimum wage increases each year of the contract.
The major area of contention during negotiations was the defined benefit retirement pension plan. While overwhelming member support and workplace action helped union negotiators continually get Boeing to improve most elements of the contract offer, the company steadfastly refused to move away from eliminating the pension for new technical workers hired after March 1, 2013. Like most new employees at Boeing, technical workers and engineers will now receive the company's "enhanced 401(k)" and not the defined benefit pension.
SPEEA and Boeing started negotiations in April 2012. Technical workers have been without a contract since Nov. 25.
While the majority of covered employees are in the Puget Sound region of Washington state, these contracts include employees in Oregon, Utah and California.
A local of the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers (IFPTE), SPEEA represents 26,560 aerospace professionals at Boeing, Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kansas, and Triumph Composite Systems, Inc., in Spokane, Wash. For more information, visit www.speea.org.
Posted by David Groves on Mar 19 2013. Filed under LOCAL. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0. Both comments and pings are currently closed.