THE DRAGON IN THE HORN OF AFRICA

THE SWIMMING DRAGON'S FIRST NEW NEST: 

CHINA MANS UP ITS FIRST OVER SEAS BASE

Reported from Beijing July 11, 2017

Report and Commentary by His Caatfishness, THE GREAT NAMAZU

 The Dragon stopped swimming recently long enough to establish its first apparently permanent over seas base. The tiny Horn of Africa nation of Djibouti won the lottery and gets to host the Dragon's troops. China sent its military minions of the Peoples Liberation Army, and the Army's navy (that always sounds odd to English speaking beings) after a send off ceremony at PLA Navy pier in the Southern Chinese port of Zhanjiang presided over by Vice Admiral Shen Jinlong. The PLA website described the ceremony but posted no numbers on the minions. It mention that they were being dispatched to the lucky receiving country by naval craft. Nothing like a little cruise before asserting some good old soft power over in a third world nation. Of course its not Djibouti that the Dragon really wants to control its the sea routes in and out of the Indian Ocean, it just needed a nest so it bought one from Djibouti , a nation that is hedging its bets by hosting US, French, and British, and Japanese military units as well. The area is easy commuting distance for regional rival of the Dragon India which may be why India doesn't  have a base in Djibouti. 

 A good time was had by all at the send off. PLA website images depict PLA  navy personnel and marines in battle dress lining the rails as the support ships and JIMGANGSHAN and DONGHAIDAO cast off.  The PLA claims that the base is a support center for their UN sanctioned anti piracy patrols and of course "peace keeping", and humanitarian relief missions. Well, with all the other nations squeezing into the little nation claiming the same thing who can blame Djibouti for taking advantage of a booming naval rental market. 

 The Dragon has been participating in anti piracy operations in the Gulf of Aden since 2008. We wish we could say good on 'em but it is no sense of altruism that draws the Dragon's fleet this far from home waters. Their presence in the Gulf of Aden gives the Dragon previously unprecedented access to the Mediterranean where temporary pal the Bear is actively interfering with Western interests daily.  My assessment? To put it mildly , the Great Catfish is not pleased. 

THE RAMADAN "SCORE" 2017 : PEACE ZERO / HUMAN DEATHS 1,639

THE RELIGION OF PEACE CELEBRATES ITS MOST SCARED TIME WITH THE SLAUGHTER OF 1,639 HUMAN BEINGS ACROSS 30 COUNTRIES

 Commentary by the Great Namazu

 The peaceful practitioners of the "Religion of Peace" really out did themselves with their peace offensive this Ramadan. The number of deaths they inflicted on those they identified as either not members of the religion of peace or insufficiently Muslim by juhadi standards increased markedly from the estimated 421 people murdered by the peaceful practitioners last Ramadan. Maybe the fasting makes them quicker to anger and commit homicide? We waited a bit to publish the statistics from this year's festivities as quite a number of reported casualties were on the critical lists. Admittedly a major reason for the increased count over last years tally was due to these victims of rigidly defined "peace" who succumbed to their injuries a few days after the closure of the festivities. The festivities this year included about 160 terror incidents spread over about 30 nations including one jihadi attack within the United States . Still, not much news coverage from the Main Stream Media on any of this.

 However such organizations as Breitbart News, The Afghan Government, The Pentagon and others did keep some sort of track and we dug enough to be able to put what we think are some reliable numbers on the score for this year's Ramadan rampage. It looks like 3,343 total casualties divided into 1,639 killed and 1.704 injured . Many of the injured are still in critical or serious condition. The True Death toll may never be known but we thought it advisable to post the score while everyone can still remember this year's celebration. The "religion of peace", really can anything be more peaceful than being dead? Islam is bringing peace whole sale. When will the West wake up?

EGYPTIAN JIHADIST WENT ON A CHRISTIAN KILLING SPREE RECENTLY.

As published in the EXPRESS

   Noted and posted by The Great Namazu

"COPTIC Christians in Egypt claim they are suffering a fresh spate of murders as part of a jihadist campaign against them after three were killed in the space of eight days."

"The three men were found murdered in the space of just eight days from the last week of June with a fourth man also slaughtered in late May.

"Coptic groups in the country fear that the killings may have been carried out by extremists with loyalties to groups such as Islamic State (ISIS)."

From an article by Jon Rogers published Friday July 7, 2012 in EXPRESS

Read more about the "Religion of Peace" as practiced in Egypt here: http://www.express.co.uk/news/world/826155/Coptic-Christians-Egypt-murders-IS-Islamic-State

NAMAZU'S PAL VIC ON "DRAINING THE SWAMP"

06 July 2017

From the Goat Locker

Master Chief Petty Officer Donald H. Horsley. U.S. Coast Guard photo.

One of the 14 CG Heroes that the new Fast Response Cutters are being named for. Master Chief Horsley served  in combat in WWII and Vietnam, He is not the "Boats" credited with penning this post, but looks a lot like him. 

AAB, Editors Note: In this post provided by the DAILY SOCOTRA  Namazu's old buddy Vic Socotra recounts a communication from an old Master Chief Boatswain's mate with a unique suggestion for the Commander in Chief for "Draining The Swamp". Namazu seems to know some very interesting if somewhat "crusty" people. Again we illustrate something that we have been saying since Vic first introduced us to the Great Catfish. If you're not reading your DAILY SOCOTRA you are suffering a deficiency of daily glib words to live by.

 

Editor's Note: The Goat Locker is where the Navy and Coast Guard Chiefs hang out on naval ships or revenue cutters underway. It is an honor (or horror) to be invited there, depending on your rank. But we all know who runs this complex business. And they always have. This is from my retired Master Chief Bo'suns mate pal, "Boats." Socotra LLC does not (necessarily) endorse the solutions aspoused in his/her potentially seditious comments, which remain the property of the Master Chief. I would not dare to contradict them. I would, if called, go to war with Boats anytime.

- Vic

Swampland Solutions

Here in the land of America's largest real (vice figurative) swamps we went to the beach for the 4th. Actually with the typical summer temperatures in the 90s we did the air conditioned version and went to the PCYC where we could see the beach and reach  the bar without difficulty. We pigged out on non Mediterranean fare (aka "rabbit food", what "She who would be obeyed" usually feeds me) like hot dogs, hamburgers, baked beans, French fries, fried chicken, barbecued pork butt, potato salad, apple pie, and ice cream. 

I had at least one of each. 

We dashed downstairs briefly when the sun went down and the temperature dipped down into the upper 80s and listened to several bars of the live band and watched young people dancing. We thought briefly of dancing but we were sweating just standing there (uh...sorry boatswains mates sweat, "she who would be obeyed" just "glistened") so we went back upstairs and had another rum and cola and watched the fireworks up and down the beach. I guess the big casino displays ran out of black powder about 10 PM. On the drive home which crosses the Pearl River Basin which some tree huggers suggested as a national park back in the 1930s, I thought about swamp drainage. 

In the 1930s, the tree-huggers feared that the Pearl River Basin would be drained and turned into farm land and eventually 'burbs. 

But Congress turned down the concept announcing that the the place was too wet, hot, humid, and jungle covered to draw any visitors. The Interior Department already had a semi-tropical swamp in the Everglades which at least had some scenic vistas over the saw grass meadows, the so called "River of Grass". The Pearl River Basin was covered in Bald cypress, Palmetto, Yucca, Water Gum, Water Oak, etc forming a dense jungle like wetland forest cut into only by the East and West Pearl Rivers and some canopied tributaries. 

As congress noted the place was full of alligators and snakes. So visitors from New Orleans to the Mississippi beaches simply sped across the two roads crossing  the southern half of the basin in about 15 minutes at 70 mph. No drainage, no farms, no burbs appeared between the 1930s and 1950s. Then we got the lunatic idea of going to the moon (really, I can see it from my back yard, go there? Why?) and NASA realized that they would need a place to test rocket engines. 

They would need a big un-populated  space that could absorb a lot of noise. This swamp, too wild to be a national park seemed perfect. We've been testing rocket engines in the northeast corner of the southeast section ever since. The East Pearl River gives the NASA Test Facility towboat and barge access for transport of the rocket engines. The noise from the engine tests spreads out over the vast wilderness and dissipates before reaching the ears of inhabited places. 

We've been doing this for about 45 years now and so far the only effect on wild life is that the rocket motors sound like bull alligators in mating rut on steroids. Hunters and fishermen say you can hear the big gators trying to out boom the rocket motors for days after a test (the females are off searching for that legendary super alpha male) . Locals love the rocket test facility for the jobs it brings and the boost those jobs bring to the local economy. Since in fact, the occasional noise (tests aren't even a monthly event) doesn't seem to harm the wild life the greenies have long ago backed off. The NASA sonic easement has protected the swamp about as well as national park designation would have. Then during the Elder Bush administration came the Department of Interior "No Net Loss Wet Lands Regulation" further protecting the swamp. 

But the swamp is limited in area cut off by the Gulf of Mexico to the South, the beach communities of Mississippi to the East South East, the urban development of New Orleans to the West South West, and high and dry pine barrens everywhere else (It is a swampy "basin" remember). I suppose in pre Colombian times the surplus gators wandered out into the pine barrens and discovered that they couldn't climb trees or chase down deer and died on the long trek back.  Now, they wander into back yards of Waveland, Slidell or New Orleans East.  The big cats seem to wander out into the few cattle ranches of the surrounding pine barrens about every ten to twenty years and take livestock, probably during a cyclical decline in the swamp's deer population. 

The feds don't like hunting near the rocket test facility (stray bullets could cause expensive damage) and hunting is regulated elsewhere even though few hunters visit much of the area. Seriously we have a problem. We have to find a new meat supply for the the region's apex predators. 

So maybe I'm over simplifying.  We Cajuns are prone to do so; but Houston: here is a solution to our environmental containment, management problem and the swamp drainage up there in Disneyland on the Potomac. We have hungry apex swamp predators, the DC swamp is full of fat meaty Deep State bureaucrats working in constant opposition to the national good. 

Why not drain your swamp into our swamp? Identify all those Deep State GS 14s.15s, and Senior Executive Corps types, et. al., and offer them big jobs at the NASA test facility down here. On arrival our special welcoming committee could lose them in the swamp. Your swamp is drained of the counter productive meat headed elements and our apex predators are fed. Drain your over flowing swamp into our over abundant swamp in need of meat species. Problem solved. 

 The world would run so much smoother minus all of the unrepentant miscreants out there. Really if we Cajuns ran the world it would go so much smoother. We know why God invented gators. 

"Boats"

Copyright 2017 Boats

www.vicsocotra.com

July 4, 2017 A Message before the Fourth;

A MESSAGE BEFORE STARTING THE FOURTH OF JULY HOLIDAY.

      Have A Great Time In, On, Or Around The Water On The 4th. But Take a Few Safety Precautions  So That We See You On The 5th.

U.S.Navy sailors Take A July 4th Break  In Kuwait

As the Fourth approaches it is a good time for parents planning pool side recreation to put some thought to safety , especially the recent discussions that we carried by MARIO VITTONE  on distinguishing drowning from the aquatic distress syndrome. Just by way of review the final stages of drowning is quiet, not accompanied by a lot of splashing about. Kids in the water make noise, if the noise stops find out why.  Now would be a good time to visit Mario's "BE SAFE BLOG". MARIO IS A FORMER COAST GUARD RESCUE SWIMMER WHO WILL KEEP YOU INFORMED ABOUT STAYING SAFE ON THE WATER:  http://mariovittone.com/

Recently the Coast Guard announced that it was doing a major crack down on drunken boaters over the Fourth. Keep in mind that the blood alcohol level that will get you in legal trouble is less than two beers consumed over a two hour period for a typical 150 pound individual. Out in sun on the water with a little wave action the effect of alcohol is magnified and your boat handling performance could be off with far less alcohol in your system. The penalties for operating a motor vessel under the influence can be even more expensive than a DUI. 

 At this time last year we reported that the Coast Guard recreational boating fatality statistics were up over the 2015 boating season. We don't have new statistics for 2016 yet but the indications were that things weren't improving. There will be a lot of of inexperienced, under trained boat operators out there some under the influence of alcohol. stay alert, stay awake, stay alive. If you have the helm, don't drink and don't surrender the helm to anyone who has been drinking. Have a great Fourth and be around with fond memories on the fifth.

Sincerely,

Johnas Presbyter, editor, and the crew of American Admiralty Books.

                                                                                                                            

PRESIDENT TRUMPS "TRAVEL BAN" PASSES INITIAL SUPREME COURT MUSTER

THE GREAT NAMAZU REPORTS ON THE MOST IMPORTANT TRUMP BORDER CONTROL ISSUE

The Great Namazu, AAB's Maritime and Political Analyst

Greetings Bipeds! 

 As most of you who follow my analysis know by now, just as I predicted ,(See: The Great Catfish Ponders An Islamic Ban ) Presidential control of visas, and traveler / immigration entry has passed initial muster with the U.S. Supreme court, on its first pass before actual legal scholars. The previous Federal District Court Hearings were all in forums controlled by judicial activists Clinton appointees (basically socialists with only contempt for anyone not a "liberal progressive" and no respect for the separation of powers or the constitution itself.)  We note that we described the approval of the present version of the entry and immigration controls as "initial".  We describe it as initial because the court announced in the face of immediate liberal announcements of coming legal challenges that the court would be willing to hear certain counter arguments  perhaps in September. The specific arguments that court indicated an interest in would have to be based on any lack of real security threat (fat chance of that argument taking root after the events of 9/11, ISIS threats against the US, and so many acts of Islamic terrorism inside our borders), or religious grounds (also not likely to be upheld since the present order makes no mention of Muslims specifically, and does nothing to change entry or immigration status of Muslims from other than the six nations judged by the President as high risk). 

 In fact if the treasonous rabble behind the opposition to executive control of our borders does launch such challenges, almost certain to fail, they could open a door to even more powerful executive control of border entry and immigration. If they challenge executive control claiming there is no real security threat, a claim that fails before tests of common sense, history, and specific evidence, they open the door to direct Supreme Court recognition of a real state of security emergency, opening more doors to direct executive control of the very object of their affection, open borders and the illegal registration of illegal aliens as US voters. If the libtards file based on religious discrimination they are sure to fail before the Supreme court. First none of the people affected by these executive orders are citizens of the United States, the only people the constitution applies to. The enabling statute that I described in a previous post allows the President to impose entry and immigration restrictions on any group for any reason if he and he alone suspects (no obligation to prove) that the targeted group represents a danger to the United States. If anything would open up a clear pathway to the absolute banning of Islamic immigration and the deportation of all non citizen Muslims it would be a loss in the Supreme Court based on a religious challenge.  

 We predict that any further challenges to executive control of entry, immigration, or borders will fail at the Supreme Court level each and every time. The President is simply doing his job under the constitution. Sorry Snowflakes, you lose.

 Again if you would like to examine some specific legal citations for my original argument that the President's acts were legal see: The Great Catfish Ponders An Islamic Ban . and THE GREAT CATFISH'S OPEN LETTER TO THE PRESIDENT

 The next issue is the much needed "wall" or otherwise enhanced border long physical barrier. For more on that issue see: Despite the early success of the opposition we that as another Trump campaign promise that will eventually be fulfilled. See: WHY MEXICO WILL PAY FOR THE WALL

HAPPY BIRTHDAY U.S. COAST GUARD AUXILIARY

Today, June 23, 2017 the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary celebrates its 78th anniversary as a formal organization. But the spirit of unpaid volunteerism within the ancestral organizations that became the U.S. Coast Guard go far back in the history of the service. Before there was a Coast Guard Auxiliary on the eve of World War II, there was an unpaid "Coast Guard Reserve" made up of local recreational boaters and water men and dedicated to inshore and near shore search and rescue. As war loomed this "Reserve" was split by law into an unpaid volunteer auxiliary and a paid military reserve modeled on existing War (Now Defense) Department models. There is a provision in the Coast Guard Reserve and Auxiliary enabling legislation allowing Coast Guard Auxiliary members to accept appointments for short duration service in the military post 1939 "Coast Guard Reserve". Called "TRs" such Auxiliary members manned a large ragtag antisubmarine force during the war and some accompanied General MacArthur into the Philippines providing near coastal transport , scout, and courtier service in the early days of the return of American forces.  

 Other Auxiliary members in the continental U.S. and its island possessions provided logistic support to Coast Guard stations and beach patrols, and continued search and rescue services to commercial fishermen, and occasionally to the survivors of U boat attacks off of our shores. The Auxiliary today numbers nearly 40,000 dues paying members providing their skilled services and the use of their own boats , air craft, and radio stations in support of the civil missions of the Coast Guard. This all volunteer unpaid force has nearly the same number of members as the military active duty component of the Coast Guard, The present day military Coast Guard Reserve which has been deployed domestically and over seas in military capacities many times since the Mariel Boat lift including both Iraq wars numbers about 8,000 ready reserve members. Many Auxiliary members are also members of the ready reserve. The savings to the nation for the incredible services of this virtual small craft navy, air arm, and communications and signals service is astounding. Members of the Auxiliary proudly wear the basic uniform of the Coast Guard but with "silver" markings where the military members wear gold. However, quite a number of Coast Guard commandants, and many active duty members who have worked with them refer to them as "the Platinum Coast Guard". In the maritime world, especially in the American and British Merchant Marine services silver usually connotes "staff" organizations and ranks, while gold usually represents "line" organizations and ranks. The Coast Guard Auxiliary members blur the whole staff / line concept, and they do it all without compensation. No wonder so many active duty personnel simply refer to them as the "PLATINUM COAST GUARD". 

 Going back before there was a Coast Guard one of the main ancestral organizations was the U.S. Life Saving Service which ran "Life boat stations" up and down the U.S. Coasts. The station "Captain" and a very small number of "Keepers" were uniformed Federal employees. But when the signal went up for a near coastal rescue the bulk of the "Oarsmen" or "Surfmen" responding were local volunteers.
The Coast Guard Auxiliary as a formal uniformed corps of volunteers may be 78 year old today. But the concept of well trained, formally organized volunteers in service to a core "coast guard" in America is over 200 years old. A few Auxiliary members have made the ultimate sacrifice in the last few decades and the service now insures that any member injured in the line of duty receives the benefits normally accorded a GS 9 in the Coast Guard's civil service. For certain missions Auxiliary members today may receive fuel reimbursement. The PLATINUM COAST GUARD really receives very minimal tax payer support, but the tax payers get a very robust return on investment. 

 Happy birthday PLATINUM COAST GUARD !  THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE TO AMERICA !