Baghdad Blast

Two quick notes before I head in to day 2 of the Tactical Information Operations Course. On a side note, this is the third time I’ve taken the same Tac IO course, so I’m really in no rush to get in there.

My old friend Ernesto Londono from the Washington Post reported on six attacks across Baghdad that claimed the lives of at least 112, and wounded an additional 425. Over the past four months 500 people have been killed, mostly around government buildings in Baghdad. Attacks will likely continue at this clip through the March 6^th elections, as terrorists attempt to disrupt forward progress in governance. Read more here.

This has nothing to do with CT, COIN, or terrorism, but I felt obligated to share my disgust with the current US deficit and spending. The US tacked on $1.42 trillion to the current deficit in 2009 alone. NPR originally reported today that Moody’s came out with a report suggesting that if the US (and Britain) do not curb spending and begin to whittle away at current deficits that they would be forced to cut our current Aaa rating by 2013. A credit rate cut would have a tremendous negative impact on US efforts at home and abroad; this is the most significant economic story of the year and one that will likely (unfortunately) blow over after today. Without our current credit rating, there will be serious economic repercussions for the US, it could lead to the use of another currency in the trade of oil, and lead nations to use something other than the dollar as the current chosen international reserve. Inflation will undoubtedly increase, and our international trade advantage will disappear. Read more about this extremely important story here and here.

-User81