ANOTHER KEY WORD MYSTERY , MAYBE A PUZZLE ONE OF OUR READERS CAN SOLVE?

EDITOR'S NOTE: We noticed that we are getting visitors almost daily on key word searches that feature the word "ugly" with modifiers such as "women", "girls", "people". Neither the word "ugly" nor the modifiers appear much if at all together in our various texts. Eventually we did notice that visitors clicked on this June 2013 post a lot on the same days we saw the "ugly searches". If you scroll down to the bottom of the post past the photo of the lovely Jeri Ryan, an early Bot Backer you will see an IMAGE of a really ugly woman. You have to read the blog to understand the context of why this image is there. What we can't understand is how an image can result in a positive "hit" in key word search...or is that in fact happening. We have no other explanation that we can find of why our site gets referred to on key word searches involving the word "ugly". Is there a reader out there with serious "geek" credentials who can enlighten us?
We also remind our readers that the BOT still needs backing even if a particular fund raising event is not being advertised in these pages at the moment. Use the links in the post below to learn how to contact and donate to the Bot developers. If you never read Namazu's explanation on how donating to the Bot's development can improve your sex life be sure to use the link in the article below and read it. This is the Great Catfish at his wittiest, have a good laugh then please contact the developers ( a university consortium) and donate. BACK THE BOT!  

Back The Bot

BACK THE BOT!   

 And Now A Few Words From  The Great Namazu, The Earth Shaker; Famous maritime journalists, and star of legend, stage, screen, and outer space,not to mention Music video cover model. 

Click here to donate:  http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/restoring-coral-reefs-with-robots
   OK Bipeds listen and listen tight!

Namazu, Giant Japanese Catfish and former Demigod                As you all know by now I'm a 3,000 year old giant catfish the size of Japan. I was formerly employed as a demigod in charge of coastal earthquakes and tidal waves. As I mentioned in my dialogue with the religious right when I began a career in Journalism I didn't select the job title of demigod, that was an unfortunate usage of the era. I've always thought of myself as simply a personification of the forces of nature behind destructive coastal events of natural origin. That job kind of fell apart when people started thinking about cause and effect in such circumstances in a supposedly "scientific" vice holistic way. Some people tend to think that science is a sort of destructive testing lab, but regardless of the cause of the attitude, I was forced to seek new employment. Being a 3,000 year old catfish it seemed to me that my sort of (pardon the pun) "in depth" wisdom would serve best somewhere in journalism, and my best area of expertise tends, as one would suspect of a catfish, in things of a maritime nature. So far dear gentle biped readers you have been most kind in accepting my reports and opinions and I would hope that some trust has evolved around me. That is why I'm so very disappointed in your response to my "Back The Bot" fund raising drive.  We have explained in our most honorable and reliable blogosphere that this project is vital, needed, scientifically sound, and of political necessity at the moment, must be funded by public donations or it will be left undone. Yet we have not made our goal. Please reconsider any of the following:

  The Bot is sexy and backing it will make you more sexy. Really, twice we tried to give you precise instructions on how to use your bot contributions to improve your sex appeal. Could there be a anything more motivational to a biped than improving his or her sex appeal? Just in case you missed that all important blog we re-post the link here: "Namazu sez: ....And don't forget that contributing to the CoralBot project 

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/restoring-coral-reefs-with-robots vastly improves your sex appeal. Click here to read how the CoralBot program can vastly improve your sex appeal:"

http://americanadmiraltybooks.blogspot.com/2013/06/642012-back-bot-back-bot-great-namazu.html

The Bot is backed by the best people and famous personalities:  I personally back the bot. Johnas Presbyter ancient mariner and editor in chief of this publication backs the bot.
  Jeri Ryan backs the bot: Really, check it out at:
 https://plus.google.com/u/0/+JeriRyan/posts

On the other hand :  This woman did not back the bot....we think that you get our drift. It's not too late to upgrade your associations back the bot today!

http://www.indiegogo.com/projects/restoring-coral-reefs-with-robots 

AT LAST SOME USEFUL JOURNALISTIC COVERAGE

Mystifying Deaths for 2 Anti-Piracy Guards Story by the New York Times

Finally a Reliable News Source Tells Exactly Where the Bodies Were Found and Where the Heroin Traces and Syringe were Found.

MAERSK ALABAMA, "THE CAPT. PHILLIPS SHIP" (Photo U.S. Navy

"It was in Mr. Kennedy’s cabin, more than 12 hours later, that a ship security officer discovered the two men on Feb. 18. Mr. Reynolds was slumped on the bed, and Mr. Kennedy was lying face up on the floor, a syringe in his left hand, brown heroin powder in the room, according to police reports. It was unclear how long they had been dead." NY TIMES Article

 Where ever you see the words "New York Times" in this post in different color from the rest of the post that is a direct link to the pertinent NY Times story. The story contains a lot more details of the two security officer's last night alive. 

OUR ANALYSIS: We can now rule out accidental asphyxiation in a long closed compartment. However, given the location and the condition of the bodies we absolutely can't understand the almost immediate pronouncement that the deaths were not related to the decedent's security duties and that there as no evidence of foul play. The New York Times article tracks the known movements and what contact information was available during the final hours of the two security officers. The movements and contacts to our minds are consistent with either of two purposes the two may have had in going ashore . The most common explanation is that the two had somehow developed a drug addiction and went out to try to make a score, came back to the ship and accidentally over dosed or the drugs were cut with something toxic. However, the New York Times also did a pretty decent job of exploring the men's back grounds. The problem with the most common explanation is that it is completely inconsistent with the character of both men. What is not inconsistent with their character is the idea that they may have been out in the night spots that evening looking for leads to confirm or deny that the ship might be targeted for "mule work", the unknowing transport of a container or partial container load of drugs. They may have been killed for what they knew. We have to ask; why the rush to judgement? Why is it that almost as soon 

as the bodies were discovered the media was being told basically "NOT WORK RELATED".

 We certainly don't have all of the answers but we do have questions, and can't understand the rush to judgement. Check out the latest at the NEW YORK TIMES

Egypt Court Sentences 26 To Death Over Suez Terrorist Plot 

Story by:

AGENCE FRANCE PRESSE as published by the ANADOLU AGENCY
Thursday 27 February 2014

(Photo PD) U.S. Aircraft Carrier transits the Suez Canal

"CAIRO 

A court on Wednesday slapped 26 people with the death penalty after convicting them of forming a "terrorist cell" that targeted Egypt's strategic Suez Canal, judicial sources said.

The court sentenced 26 out of 27 defendants in the case to death. Legal sources told Anadolu Agency that the verdict was still subject to appeal.

All the defendants were tried in absentia, the sources said, adding that defense lawyers had not attended the session.

Investigations of the defendants began in February of last year. They were later released pending trial.

The defendants were charged with threatening national security by establishing a "terrorist cell" that sought to target ships passing through the canal, which is vital to international shipping."  TO READ THE FULL STORY  CLICK HERE: ANADOLU AGENCY

THE TIGERS ARE HAVING SUBMARINE PROBLEMS

India’s Navy Chief, Admiral D.K. Joshi Resigned As 

Chief Of The Indian Navy, Owning “Moral 

Responsibility For The Accidents And Incidents 

During The Past Few Months”

Photo of Admiral D.K. Joshi and story by the HINDU

 We urge our readers, and especially our Indian readers, to check out the complete story in THE HINDU the details are all there, all that we can do is present our own perspective. Around here we call the Indian Navy the "Tigers" because we admire them for all they have done in such a short time and on limited resources. In only a few years they have built up a formidable fleet from a start of almost randomly acquired foreign built equipment. With it they soon mastered such world class naval skills as the operation of aircraft carriers, underway replenishment at sea, the operation of nuclear submarines, and the firing of missiles from submerged submarines. Now the Indian Navy has begun to develop the specifications for its own equipment that will be largely Indian built. By world naval standards India now ranks among the top four navies on earth and is highly respected and admired by naval professionals of all nations, including the begrudging respect of potential enemies. 

 We have been following the development of the Indian Navy for about two years now. We have marveled in print at the skill and team work of both the officer corps and the ratings to be able to do all that they have done on a budget and in such a short time frame. The Navy made great forward progress under Admiral Joshi. It has experienced some deadly accidents in its submarine program of late, apparently the admiral judged the third incident to be indicative of a an unsustainable pace. He judged it time to slow down and look into the details and fix what is wrong in the submarine program. But he also decided to save the Navy the wasted effort of the blame game. With the Indian Navy at this point in history, it is difficult to determine if Admiral Joshi set the pace or went with the flow of his hard charging officers and ratings. But it is clear that he led from the front and decided to take personal responsibility for being a bit late at slowing the pace. He gave up the job he worked a lifetime for and took the responsibility for things that he in fact had little real control over.

However by doing so he set the stage for new leadership and saved the Navy a lot of useless hand wringing. In doing so he both reigned in the pace that was over running the adoption and mastery of the technology in the submarine program and set the stage for a fast restart when that task is done. He knows his tigers will do it and be charging ahead shortly. The admiral's resignation may look like an admission of failure to those untutored in naval ways. But it is a gift of self sacrifice to the Navy he loved who we are confident will take the opportunity to fix the submarine program, and then excel at it. The global naval community sees Admiral Joshi and his tigers as a roaring success. We see his resignation as an admirable and generous gesture, and a strategic gesture that will help propel the Indian Navy forward without  the typical political blame game. The tigers will man up and move forward, the people of India can be assured of that.

History will record Admiral Joshi as a pivotal and important leader of exceptional professional vision, leadership, and moral courage.

 Every naval leader from Chief Petty Officer to Admiral knows that if we don't die in service to our fleet and nation, the day always comes when we have to leave. It never comes in ripe old age but usually at mid life at the peak of our powers. But manning a navy is a young man's game and we are only there for the duration of our watch. The life of a navy is as long as that of the nation whose flag it flies.  The transition to the new watch must be smooth, and prepared for, and the moment must be right. We don't stand relieved with water running into our watch station. The moment must be right. The admiral picked his moment suddenly with situational  insight and handed off the watch to his relief in the best shape he could regardless of the personal cost. Admiral Joshi will be well remembered in the history of the Indian Navy, and over the longer haul of history his resignation will be possibly judged as his finest hour. Calm winds and following seas to you Admiral in your future endeavors. rest assured you leave held in the highest esteem by the world's naval professionals....so say us all! 

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






SUBMARINE BOOK SHELF

AN NBC NEWS EXCLUSIVE THAT CAUGHT US BY SURPRISE

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/exclusive-mole-who-met-bin-laden-killed-al-qaeda-bosnia-n39306

Exclusive: Mole Who Met Bin Laden Killed by Al Qaeda in Bosnia

BY RICHARD ESPOSITO, An NBC NEWS EXCLUSIVE

 THERE IS LITTLE WE COULD ADD TO THIS EXCLUSIVE STORY BY NBC NEWS. EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD read it. in case you missed yesterday here is the link. enough said:

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/investigations/exclusive-mole-who-met-bin-laden-killed-al-qaeda-bosnia-n39306

THE BEAR IN OUR BACK YARD

 A RUSSIAN SPY SHIP JUST DOCKED IN HAVANA HARBOR

MORRO CASTLE AT TH E ENTRANCE TO HAVANA HARBOR
The Carol M. Highsmith Archive, Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division. 

The Cuban commies usually make a little news splash locally when the Bear pays them a visit. But a recent Bear ship entered the harbor February 26, 2014 with no notice by the local Havana press what so ever and no invitation for locals to visit. The Russian naval vessel VIKTOR LEONOV CCB-175 , a 300 ft spy ship is parked in Havana's cruise ship Harbor near the Russian Orthodox Cathedral. The ship comes with a crew of 200 a lot more than is needed to handle mooring lines and keep the paint up. The VIKTOR LEONOV bristles with electronic eaves dropping devices. These take a lot of eyes and ears to tend. The visit comes as Havana's current patron Venezuela is undergoing violent protests against President Nicolas Maduro's government. Will the Bear step back in as Cuba's patron? Probably, but oddly continued major support might be hinged on dropping communism and adopting crony state capitalism, an economic system that actually seems to be working for the bear at the moment. China of course has a big investment in Cuba as well. Unfortunately for Cuba economic dependency on self serving foreign interests seems to be a way of life now. SOURCES: AAB Confidential contacts

THE FISHING IS GREAT IN TEXAS

POLAR VORTEX GOT YOU DOWN?

Things are always better in "Greater Texas" (the U.S. Gulf Coast exclusive of Florida). 

"Fishing Report 2/23/2014-

Steve Booker with a 27" Trout caught on "Wood Pecker" Bass Assassins. Very Foggy & wind went Dead Calm".  

Photo from Charlie Paradoski's fishing site: If you're looking to escape that pesky Polar Vortex, and Al Gore's assurances that the climate is warming are wearing thin, try a fishing trip down on the Texas Gulf Coast With Charlie Paradoski.  Check out his latest at : 

• www.captcharlieparadoski.com 
  Professional Fishing Guide

Why Freeze?....migrate or relocate.  Greater Texas is looking for new residents, winter home buyers, investors, and visitors. We're open all year. Yes we do have hurricanes but blizzards are strictly prohibited. Where do you think you're more likely to get an honest deal today; Wall Street or Houston? In Houston deals are still often closed on little more than a handshake and the "greed is good" school of business never took root. Ya'll come!

NEWS FLASH: THE RUSSIANS ARE COMING! NOW BY TRUCK

RUSSIAN MILITARY TRUCK CONVOYS ENTERING UKRAINE TERRITORY PEACEFULLY UNGUARDED AND UNOPPOSED.

(Photo U.S. Army). Notice these elements in the above photo of a U.S. Army truck convoy on an exercise in the Continental United States.  Traps cover much of the cargo both offering weather protection  and some protection from prying eyes. There are no guards or mounted weapons visible outside of the truck cabs. The trucks proceed in a neat line along the right hand "slow lane " at a sedate speed. Compare this to the Russian convoy in the linked YouTube "dashcam" video. They look very similar but is their purpose the same, a mere "drill? We don't think so.

On Tuesday we published our first report of the Russian "invasion"of the Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula and how it was simply the re-enforcement of the 26,000 Russian troops already in the Crimea occupying naval bases ( some legally) and maritime installations, (most illegally) by sea. The transports carrying additional and special forces type troops and are quietly arriving at an already held (by treaty) Russian base. Yesterday we read the news of major Russian military exercises in the regions of Russia adjacent to the Ukraine. Of course according to Russian military spokesmen these are just exercises not focused on any particular goal or objective. Naturally, exercises on a large scale might well involve the movements of large amounts of military material and personnel by any means of transport and it would not be illogical for some of that transport to occur in an immediate adjacent nation where the exercising force has bases.Well, that all sounds logical and its the Bear's official position. But frankly we don't believe the Bear and we believe that those ships are simply quietly and without opposition invading the Ukraine's Crimean Peninsula. 


 The ships are no longer alone. Truck convoys are coming across the border. There don't seem to be any media questions about that at the moment and if the main stream media were to report on these movements we already know the Russian response will be that its all part of a large exercise planned before the recent troubles. Below is a link to a YouTube published "dashcam" video taken on the road several miles from NOVOROSSIYSK near the village of Gaiduk. There is no narration and the written commentary underneath has not been translated. However, we are convinced that the video depicts a Russian military motor convoy proceeding deeper into Ukraine territory peacefully motoring along in the slow lane being overtaken by civilian cars. Despite Russian reassurances, we believe that Russia is preparing for the partition of the Ukraine along lines favorable to Moscow's long range plans for the Black Sea region, none of which will ever be good for the rest of the nations ringing the Black Sea. Here is the link, you can decide for your self what it means: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D2ptvoXOZDs#t=12





 

DO YOU READ THIS MAN'S PUBLISHED ARTICLES?

MEET CAPT. JAMES FANELL, THE U.S. Navy's EYE ON CHINA. 
James Fanell

Director, Intelligence and Information Operations

(Information from the website of Commander U.S. Pacific Fleet)

Editor's note 2/2/2015 "The strategic trend lines indicate the Communist Party of China is not only ‘rejuvenating’ itself for internal stability purposes, but has been and continues to prepare to use military force,” Navy Capt. James E. Fanell said on Saturday during his retirement speech Saturday at Pearl Harbor."

EDITOR's NOTE: Not everyone in the U.S.Navy, or the U.S. State Department agrees with his analysis of China's actions, and intentions. We generally do and regard him as a reliable source in his public pronouncements about that swimming Dragon. It's our job to point you to the most reliable sources of maritime information as well as to offer professional opinion posts by our own analysts..Whenever time, space, and other editorial considerations allow we like to introduce you to the sources our analysts refer to. Sometimes we link you to periodical articles, or books. In this case we want to introduce you to an important commentator on China individually before we try to link you to some more of his writings. Actually we have already quoted from some of his writings on occasion or referred you his "RED STAR RISING information service. Some have called our views on China alarmist. Critics question our sources. We want our readers to know that while we may not always be right on the mark in our opinion posts that offer observations and predictions, we always base our information on reliable sources. Every now and then we want to introduce to our readers to some of our reliable or authoritative sources" so that you can judge for your self what we mean when in our blogger "shorthand" we tell you "authoritative sources" say......." These folks don't communicate with us directly, they publish, very often in peer reviewed periodicals. Our job is to read everything in the Maritime context,evaluate it, and vector you to the best of it. We also offer analysis and we believe that good analysis has to come from the review of reliable sources. 

FROM COMMANDER PACIFIC HOME PAGE:

"Capt. Fanell, a native of California, is a graduate from San Diego State University in 1985 with a B.A. degree in History and Political Science and the University of Hawaii with a M.A. in History in 1997. Commissioned through OCS in 1986, he graduated from Naval Intelligence Officer Basic Course in Virginia in 1987. He reported as a plankowner to Electronic Attack Squadron (VAQ) 141 and deployed to the Mediterranean aboard USS Coral Sea (CV 43) with VAQ-133. During that deployment Capt. Fanell was diagnosed with cancer and underwent chemotherapy and surgery in Madigan Army Hospital in Tacoma, Washington.

Upon recovery, he was assigned to the Intelligence Center of the Pacific (IPAC) at Camp H.M. Smith, Hawaii, where he was assigned to the Targeting Division, responsible for Soviet Far East air defense targets. As a distinguished graduate of the USAF Combat Targeting Officer Course, he was a team chief for one of Pacific Command’s bomb damage assessment (BDA) teams responsible for BDA reporting of Iraqi targets during Operations Desert Shield andDesert Storm.

In 1991, he reported as a plankowner to the Joint Intelligence Center, Pacific (JICPAC), where he was selected as one of the first Chinese maritime watch officers, was one of the last Soviet bastion watch officers and served as the operations intelligence officer, responsible for the current operational intelligence support to all of Pacific Command’s deployed forces.

In 1993, Capt. Fanell again reported as a plankowner, this time to the Joint Intelligence Training Activity, Pacific (JITAP) where he developed joint training courses, instructed Targeting, BDA and JFACC courses and served as the assistant operations officer for JITAP and the collocated Fleet Intelligence Training Center, Pacific (FITCPAC). He also conducted a four-month temporary assignment as the Joint Task Force Southwest Asia (JTF-SWA) J2’s chief of targets supporting Operation Southern Watch during the summer of 1994.

From 1996 to 1998, he was assigned to Carrier Air Wing (CVW) 11 as the intelligence officer, with deployments to the Arabian Gulf aboard USS Kitty Hawk (CV 63) and aboard USS Carl Vinson (CVN 70). From 1998-1999, Capt. Fanell was a distinguished graduate of the USAF Air Command and Staff College, earning a Master of Military Operational Art and Science degree. From 1999 to 2003 he was assigned to the staff of Commander, U.S. Pacific Fleet Intelligence Directorate as the Fleet Support, Intelligence Readiness, and as a plankowner for Joint Task Force 519 as its first targeting officer.

From 2003 to 2005 he served as the Carrier Strike Group 5 intelligence officer again aboard Kitty Hawk this time with the Forward Deployed Naval Forces (FDNF) home-ported in Yokosuka, Japan. Capt. Fanell continued his analysis of China and their navy as a national security affairs fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University from 2005 to 2006. From 2006 to 2008 he served as the Office of Naval Intelligence (ONI)’s China senior intelligence officer. Capt. Fanell returned to the Far East when from 2008 to 2010 he served as the assistant chief of staff for intelligence to Commander U.S. 7th Fleet aboard USS Blue Ridge(LCC 19).

Capt. Fanell is the moderator of the defense and academic related Red Star Rising information service dedicated to monitoring the rise of China and its impact upon U.S. national security interests throughout Asia. He has also authored several articles in the Hoover Digest, Proceedings, and Naval Intelligence Professionals Quarterly.

Capt. Fanell most recently served as the deputy director for the Navy’s Information Dominance Corps Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Capabilities Division. He has earned his Private Pilot, Single Engine Land (SEL) license and completed Ironman Australia."

If you have about an hour and half here is a link to a USNI conference on the Chinese Navy with four excellent speakers , one of whom is Capt.Fanell: USNI WEST COAT CONFERENCE


READ MORE ABOUT CHINA'S NAVAL AMBITIONS:

                                           

Respiratory Failure Named Tentative Cause of Deaths of 2 Former US SEALs Aboard The "Capt. Philips Ship", MARESK ALABAMA 

Updated 7:54 am, Monday, February 24, 2014   http://www.seattlepi.com/news/science/article/Respiratory-failure-named-in-deaths-of-2-US-SEALs-5262197.php 

 Photo U.S. Navy

According to BBC news reports two former U.S. Navy SEAL security officers on the container ship MARESK ALABAMA who were found dead aboard last week apparently died of "respiratory failure after suspected heart attacks". The MAERSK  ALABAMA was made famous after the kidnapping from it of Captain Phillips, and the subsequent movie by that name in which the actual ship was used in the filming. We find it strange that two physically fit men in their forties both died of heart attacks within minutes of each other on the same ship, in the same compartment. We have seen such events before associated with entering long sealed compartments that have become oxygen depleted due to rust. The early press coverage indicated that the deaths were not related to the men's security duties and that there was no "evidence of foul play". Those two facts are what we'd expect at the scene of a compartmental entry mishap.


 We don't doubt that they died of respiratory failure, or that shorty after they stopped breathing that their hearts failed. Notice, that we think the actual order of physical events is that their breathing stopped and then their hearts failed, no one breaths after their heart has come to a complete stop..  What was reported at first was  exactly what we'd expect if they entered an oxygen depleted compartment. Seychelles police have indicated that drugs may be involved because "a syringe and traces of heroin were found in the cabin".


 Compartment vs cabin; that is our first disconnect between proper maritime terminology and what may be a lack of nautical vocabulary among the police investigators, and news reporters. What do they mean by "found in the cabin" when speaking of the syringe and heroin traces. Certainly both men were quartered in a cabin or cabins (one each?) but is that where their bodies were found, in a cabin? Or, were the syringe and heroin traces found in a cabin associated with one or both of the deceased. We haven't found any news accounts that describe exactly what type of compartment the men were found in.



 A cabin is a Compartment, but so is a void. A cabin is a compartment that by definition is suitable for human habitation, thus ventilated and highly unlikely to be subject to oxygen depletion. Where were Mark Daniel Kennedy 43 and Jeffery Keith Reynolds 44, found in a cabin or a compartment, if a compartment what type of compartment? Where exactly were the syringe and the heroin traces found? Were the syringe and heroin traces near the bodies in the same compartment, or in a cabin associated with at least one of them?  Either the police statements to the media aren't specific enough or the reporters aren't reporting accurately, but these questions have to be answered. From the reporting we've found so far we can't tell if the two bodies, and the syringe and heroin traces were all found in the same cabin, or the bodies were found in one compartment and later the syringe and heroin traces were found in a cabin associated with one or both security officers.



 Some very different potential scenarios become possibilities depending on which of these two sets of circumstances apply. If the bodies, drug traces and paraphernalia were all found in a single cabin one possibility might be an accidental overdose by two Security officers who were secretly addicts. Another possibility is that the drug traces and drug paraphernalia were evidence that the two security officers were examining when they were assaulted by persons unknown who somehow managed to suffocate them without a struggle.(Two perpetrators acting in concert could discharge very large co2 fire extinguishers into the faces of the intended victims then finish up and insure fatal results with plastic bags over their heads. .   If the officers were found in a non ventilated compartment the most likely culprit is oxygen depletion. Once that compartment was opened at some point after the officer's deaths the air exchange from the now opened void and the ventilated parts of the ship would have allowed those who discovered the bodies some time later to enter without hazard. The drug traces and paraphernalia if found in their cabin(s) may be immaterial to the cause of death. It troubles us that in the public accounts of the event it is not clear at all what type of compartment the bodies were found in and if the syringe and heroin traces were in the same compartment. 




 If the bodies and the heroine related evidence were all in a compartment subject to potential oxygen depletion such as a void it is possible that someone with compartmental entry training entered the compartment with breathing apparatus prior to the entry by the security officers who were given some reason to investigate the compartment, but not being trained in the oxygen depletion hazard simply open the compartment from a ventilated space, spot the drug "evidence' and go towards it deeper into the the seriously oxygen depleted atmosphere. Respiratory distress would occur in less than 30 seconds and unconsciousness  seconds later. Brain death would be in about six minutes.  Maybe 15 or 20 minutes later someone comes along in the ventilated passageway and notices the watertight door open or the cover plate removed and two bodies within. By this time the compartment has aired out and all of the investigating personnel come and go from the compartment with no problem. But just about a quarter hour before the atmosphere in the same compartment was deadly. Quite an elaborate ambush by someone with a serious knowledge of ship compartmentalization. Perhaps the two security officers had been on the trail of a crewman addict who decided to end their investigation.. Facing two trained and experienced ex Navy SEALS, the perpetrator wasn't likely to be able to physically assault either one of them and quickly throw them overboard. That is more likely the case in cruise ship rape cases where the perpetrator is a big burly crew member and the victim a 110 pound woman.



 To our inquiring minds nothing is making sense that is making it into the media.  The deceased,  Mark Daniel Kennedy, 43, and Jeffrey Keith Reynolds, 44, were found dead on 18 February as the ship was berthed in Port Victoria, the capital of the Indian Ocean island nation of Seychelles. Both men were employed by the US-based Trident Group, which was founded in 2000 by former US Navy Seals and recruits former special forces operatives. All U.S. military personnel including special operatives are subject to random drug testing. The U.S. armed forces today are nothing like the services of the 1960s, drug use is not common, and strictly suppressed. Of all of the people in the military, special forces personnel, especially middle aged former or retired personnel, are probably the least likely to be drug abusers. Meanwhile the Seychelles police are checking out the possibility that the men may have ingested something that caused breathing cessation. But if that answer comes back affirmative was their ingestion voluntary? 


 Meanwhile a week after the event the news accounts still don't tell us with any specificity any of the details that allow any of these and other possibilities to be eliminated. If we simply knew if the bodies were found in a "cabin" or a ventilated compartment we might be able to eliminate the oxygen depleted long closed compartment theory, the single most common cause for finding unexplained multiple bodies aboard ship. Again we have no idea if the police aren't communicating with the media adequately or the media just doesn't "get it". For the sake of the families of the deceased and the security of other Maersk line personnel we hope what we are seeing is not a sign of investigative incompetency, or lack of "due diligence",but just inadequate journalism.

NEWS FLASH: RUSSIA ACTING TO SECURE ITS FIRST CLAIM ON UKRAINE TERRITORY

Ukraine Crisis: Russia Deploys Ships and Troops in Crimea

 Photo of SARYCH  southern most point of Ukraine  on the Crimean Peninsula and used by the Russians as a naval base with Russian troops illegally occupying several maritime structure such as light houses. The territory around the Sarych headland has long been closed to non Russians by Russian troops and above the barbed wire the Russian flag has flown over the headland since Ukraine's independence from the former Soviet Union. As more Russian troops enter they already hold without contest important beach heads and bases of operation. Expect no opposed landing. Few headlines outside of the Ukraine. They will move out from these bases that they illegally never left and relatively quietly take what they want of the rest of the Peninsula.  

(Photo Credit: Sergiy Klymenko Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license). http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sarych_(Crimea).jpg

EDITOR'S NOTE: ACCORDING TO OUR CONFIDENTIAL SOURCES THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES CARRIED THIS NEWS THIS MORNING.  WE ARE SO FAR UNABLE TO FIND AN INTERNET LINK TO THE ARTICLE.  HOWEVER, WE PREDICTED RUSSIAN INTERVENTION YESTERDAY AND DESCRIBED RUSSIAN MARITIME INTERESTS.  THE PHOTO CAPTION ABOVE PROVIDES THE REASON WHY THE ARRIVAL OF RUSSIAN SHIPS AND TROOPS IN THE TERRITORY OF THE UKRAINE HASN'T DRAWN MUCH GENERAL MEDIA INK. THE TROOPS WILL DISEMBARK QUIETLY AT BASES THEY ALREADY HOLD. NOT ALL LAND GRABS BY THE BEAR ARE NOISY.

FROM THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES

"Russia is believed to be deploying military ships carrying troops in the disputed autonomous Crimea region of Ukraine, as Moscow continues to refuse to recognize the interim administration which has taken control of Kiev.

Reports suggest the movement of Russia's large landing ship Nikolai Filchenkov, with at least 200 soldiers on board, at the Russian Black Sea Fleet's base at Sevastopol.

The ship is said to be accompanied by at least four other vessels with an unknown number of Special Forces Troops on board, sailing from the Russian port of Anapa to the Crimean/Ukrainian Sevastopol." -Source: INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES

By  Vasudevan Sridharan , February 25, 2014  No internet link found.

AS THE BASIS OF THIS INFORMATION THE INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS TIMES NOTED: 

"Oleh Tyahnybok, leader of the nationalist Ukrainian Svoboda, said he has proof of the movement in the form of a text message. Citing security sources in Crimea, Tyahnybok said: "I can show sms. Today at 12:00 foreseen arrival of Temryuk port in the Russian Federation in the city of Sevastopol large landing ship 'Nikolai Fil'chenkov' from the Black Sea Fleet of the Russian Federation."

EDITORIAL NOTE: It is estimated by sources we consider reliable that the existing Russian bases on the Crimea Peninsula already house approximately 26,000 Russian troops. The Crimea Peninsula is an "autonomous"part of the Ukraine.  The Russians will simply take what they want of it. The Western Reaction according to our predictions, less than the exertions over Hungary when the soviet tanks moved in during the Cold War. 

READ MORE ABOUT THE UKRAINE:

       

THE DRAGON IN TROUBLED WATERS

Chinese Ships In Disputed Waters, According to Japanese Coast Guard

 Photo by Japanese Coast Guard depicts Chinese Coast Guard transit within the territorial waters  (12 miles from shore or less) of Japan. 

A week ago Sunday: Three Chinese Coast Guard ships sailed through disputed waters off Tokyo-controlled islands in the East China Sea Sunday, the latest such incident in a bitter territorial row between the Asian giants..China doesn't admit to the transgression but rather brags about it:

      "China's State Oceanic Administration said on its website: "On February 23rd, China's coastguard ships 2151, 2113 and 2102 patrolled together into territorial waters surrounding China's Diaoyu islands".

The so called Diayou Islands are one and the same as Japan's Senkakus. Under the name "Senkakus" these islands have been administered by Japan since 1865. The islands have no history of Chinese administration or even of Chinese interest until oil was discovered in nearby waters in recent years. The Islands are specifically mentioned in the 1950 defense  treaty between the United States and Japan as part of Japan which the United States is obligated to defend against attack. We don't report every incident of Chinese incursions into Japan's southernmost waters simply because they are too numerous to be considered news worthy individually. Yet the American main stream media hadrly accords any notice at all of China's dangerous incursions. We bring up this latest episode simply as an illustration of the type of behavior that China engages in as the Dragon pushes Japan towards war.

 Tomorrow we'll start to take another look at China's potential war with Japan, and by virtue of our defense treaty with Japan, the United States. 


                                           





Shop Amazon - Samsung Galaxy S5 - The Next Big Thing is Here 

UP DATE ON A PREVIOUS POST RELATED NEW BOOK ANNOUNCEMENT

EDITOR'S NOTE: Since we published our posts on the USS PUEBLO back in July a new book is out on this still unresolved incident at sea. In case you mised the author's recent comment describing his book in the comments section of this post where it originally appeared in the line up we thought we'd provide you with a link and a description and rerun the post in case you missed it. Technically a state of armed conflict still exist between the United States and North Korea. Legally the ship remains U.S. property and a sort of North Korean prize of war. We have every legal right to take the ship back by force, but the ship itself doesn't have that kind of value. We also have every legal right under international law to "scuttle" it, thus denying the enemy the propaganda value they apparently now place on it. Unless you are older than 44 it is likely this ship was taken before you were born. A blog post can't do the history of the incident justice. But the book suggestion posted below may. 

Saturday, July 27, 2013 (Original publication date:

USS PUEBLO'S LOCATION CONFIRMED

N Korea to Put Captured US Ship on Display

The USS Pueblo is North Korea'­s greatest Cold War prize, a potent symbol of how the country has stood up to the great power of the United States. (USN/AP Photo )

By ERIC TALMADGE Associated Press

PYONGYANG, North Korea July 25, 2013 (AP)

If there was ever any doubt about what happened to the only U.S. Navy ship that is being held by a foreign government, North Korea has cleared it up. It's in Pyongyang. And it looks like it's here to stay.

With a fresh coat of paint and a new home along the Pothong River, the USS Pueblo, a spy ship seized off North Korea's east coast in the late 1960s, is expected to be unveiled this week as the centerpiece of a renovated war museum to commemorate what North Korea calls "Victory Day," the 60th anniversary this Saturday of the signing of the armistice that ended the fighting in the Korean War. 

To Read The Full AP Story click here: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/north-korea-put-captured-us-spy-ship-display-19767500

EDITOR'S NOTE; We were among the few early reporters of the disappearance of the USS Pueblo from its usual berth in North Korea. The ship was out of sight of U.S. satellite surveillance for months. There was quite a bit of speculation about its whereabouts. With the AP report linked above (the mainstream media finally tuned in) we close our file on the issue until the next episode erupts. We will however express an opinion. Frankly we should deny this lost ship as a symbol to North Korea by the equivalent of scuttling it. Since we apparently can't take it back we should destroy it.  Our last dispatch concerning the Pueblo's disappearance is reprinted below the link to our suggested back ground reading. ACT OF WAR by Jack Cheevers Which illustrates a second opinion that we firmly hold. Those with maritime interests need to follow maritime media, depending on the main stream media for accurate and timely reporting of naval/maritime stories is a non starter.. To depend on America's infotainment media outlets for maritime news is, to borrow a phase from General Schwarzkopf, "like going hunting without your violin". Our "NEWS SECTION" carries links to most of the world's English language maritime media. Click on the "NEWS SERVICE" for in the special interest pages listings in the right hand column opposite our daily "STATION IDENTIFICATION AND NOTICE BOARD.  

 Look Inside:LOOK INSIDE

"Act of War tells the riveting saga of Bucher and his men as they struggled to survive merciless torture and horrendous living conditions in North Korean prisons. Based on extensive interviews and numerous government documents released through the Freedom of Information Act, this book also reveals new details of Johnson’s high-risk gambit to prevent war from erupting on the Korean peninsula while his negotiators desperately tried to save the sailors from possible execution. A dramatic tale of human endurance against the backdrop of an international diplomatic poker game,Act of War offers lessons on the perils of covert intelligence operations as America finds itself confronting a host of twenty-first-century enemies."

2/ 23/2013

WHERE IS THE  USS PUEBLO?

USS PUEBLO, OFFICIAL  U.S.NAVY PHOTO

Officially the USS Pueblo, a U.S. Navy intelligence gathering ship captured by North Korea in 1968, is still a commissioned vessel of the United States Navy. She was captured by the North Koreans in International waters in 1968 and crew held captive and tortured. This low point in the Cold War known as the Pueblo Incident dragged on for 11 months before the crew was repatriated. The ship has never been returned and the United States has never relinquished any rights in it, it remains as we said, a commissioned ship of the U.S. Navy. The North Koreans had previously docked it on the Taedong River in Pyongyang as a museum. Then, as we reported several months, ago it mysteriously disappeared. There was quite a bit of speculation over what was being done with it. 

 We learned today ( 2/23/2013)  that the ship has undergone some work and is being returned to Pyongyang where it will be a center piece for a new museum. The new museum has the rather pretentious name of  Victorious Fatherland Liberation War Museum, according to the official government news service. North Korean President for Life Kim Jong Un visited the construction site recently and referred to the planned museum as a base for "anti U.S. education.

Well, we're happy to know where our ship is and to know that it still floats, even though what we want to see happen is a scuttling of the ship by U.S. agents.. Letting the North Koreans have it and exploit it while still commissioned is unacceptable. This is unfinished business. In the midst  of the other tensions in the area we don't need to invade and recapture we should have done that in 1968. There isn't enough intrinsic value in the ship to risk American lives over it, but if we can kill a terrorist with a drone strike we ought to be able to sink a museum ship. Its time to scuttle her and strike her from the naval list. By keeping her in commission and allowing North Korea to display her we dishonor American sailors. Scuttle her now!





Shop Amazon - Samsung Galaxy S5 - The Next Big Thing is Here