ROBOT SOLDIERS A THREAT TO HUMANITY

Robot arms race? Let's get it on!

Increasingly autonomous, gun-totting robots developed for warfare could easily fall into the hands of terrorists and may one day unleash a robot arms race, a top expert on artificial intelligence told AFP.

"They pose a threat to humanity," said University of Sheffield professor Noel Sharkey ahead of a keynote address Wednesday before Britain's Royal United Services Institute.

Intelligent machines deployed on battlefields around the world -- from mobile grenade launchers to rocket-firing drones -- can already identify and lock onto targets without human help.

There are more than 4,000 US military robots on the ground in Iraq, as well as unmanned aircraft that have clocked hundreds of thousands of flight hours.

The first three armed combat robots fitted with large-caliber machine guns deployed to Iraq last summer, manufactured by US arms maker Foster-Miller, proved so successful that 80 more are on order, said Sharkey.

But up to now, a human hand has always been required to push the button or pull the trigger.

It we are not careful, he said, that could change.

Military leaders "are quite clear that they want autonomous robots as soon as possible, because they are more cost-effective and give a risk-free war," he said.

Several countries, led by the United States, have already invested heavily in robot warriors developed for use on the battlefield.

South Korea and Israel both deploy armed robot border guards, while China, India, Russia and Britain have all increased the use of military robots.

RUSSIA INVADES GEORGIA!

The return of the evil empire. How's that army set to defend itself EU?

Russia sent troops and dozens of tanks into the breakaway Georgian province of South Ossetia today, throwing the two former Soviet neighbours into a sudden yet undeclared state of war.

In the most serious regional crisis since the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, at least 50 tanks – and possibly many more – rumbled through the Roki tunnel, which cuts through the Caucasus mountains separating South Ossetia from the Russian province of North Ossetia.

"One hundred and fifty Russian tanks, armoured personnel carriers and other vehicles have entered South Ossetia,” President Saakashvili of Georgia told reporters in Tbilisi. “This is a clear intrusion on another country’s territory. We have Russian tanks on our territory, jets on our territory in broad daylight."

Mr Saakashvili added that Georgian forces had downed two Russian jet fighters over Georgian territory.

Georgia mobilised its reservists yesterday and launched a military offensive to regain control over South Ossetia, which broke away from Georgia after it gained independence.

Fighting raged today around the city of Tskhinvali, the South Ossetian capital, as Georgian troops backed by tanks and warplanes pounded separatist forces, who are mostly Russian citizens backed by Moscow. This afternoon as the Russian tanks rolled in, Georgian officials declared that they had secured the city.

I don't know, these Georgians look like they mean well, but...

WAR PORN

US Army Soldiers From 2/3 A Co 4th Platoon Misfits Tearing Up Insurgent House With AT-4s, 203s, SAWs, 50cals, and M4s.

ON PATROL IN AFGHANISTAN

On patrol with British troops in Helmand province.

OBAMA'S TROOP MEETINGS STAGED: ROAD SHOW NOT SELLING WITH TROOPS

This from someone who knows some soldiers that weren't part of the dog and pony show the media is forcing down our throats:

As you know Obama visited troops this weekend in Kuwait, and Afghanistan. Prior to this weekend I, along with a few friends had been sending information to a few soldiers on an email list referencing Obama and his anti-military entourage and exhorting them not to be “deceived” by his “jive”. From what I’m getting back they were not in the least.

From Camp Eggers I’m told that the mess hall photo op was hugely staged, and if you look at the video you can see it was sparsely attended. The soldier at the end of the video was “selected” and not random.

“Dude showed up in a suit”, one email reads describing clothes Obama wore. Generally visits - as with McCain are in some type of Kaki or other uniform. Obama and all his entourage looked like they were going to a dinner party, or perhaps just trying to project that “authority” thing he’s always talking about.

In any case the response is generally negative, although troops will generally show some type of appreciation I can tell that they can sense that Obama’s only doing this for his own ends, not for their benefit. Soldiers know when they are being part of photo op ed. Not that we mind it, but it depends on who it is. I can remember former president Jimmy Carter coming to visit us at Fort Stewart Georgia back around 1979, the reception was icy to say the least. We had absolutely no respect for the man - none at all.

Obama’s getting the same reviews. That’s what talking about defeat for the last two years will do for you. He’s not fooling anyone, especially where the rubber meets the road.

I’ve sent a few more “information” packets for troops on the Iraqi leg of the tour, so as to help soldiers understand even better what his true positions are.

DID ABC MISREPRESENT AMOUNT OF SOLDIERS THAT SAY THEY ARE GOING TO VOTE FOR OBAMA?

Interesting passage from Right Wing Dog:

Just in case you happened to see the ABC News piece
(if you watch ABC News) with interviews of 5 military folks in Iraq - 3
planned to vote for Obama and 2 for Hillary; no mention of any McCain
supporters. Well, here’s the ”Rest of the Story.”

This from Major General (ret) Buckman

My niece, Katelyn, stationed at Baluud , Iraq was assigned, with others of her detachment, to be escort/guard/ watcher for Martha Raddatz of ABC News as she covered John McCain’s recent trip to Iraq

Katelyn and her Captain stood directly behind Raddatz as she queried GI’s walking past. They kept count of the GI’s and you should remember these numbers. She asked 60 GI’s who they planned to vote for in November. 54 said John McCain, 4 for Obama and 2 for Hillary.

Katelyn called home and told her Mom and Dad to watch ABC news the next night because she was standing directly behind Raddatz and maybe they’d see her on TV. Mom and Dad of course, called and emailed all the kinfolk to watch the newscast and maybe see Katelyn.

Well, of course, we all watched and what we saw wasn’t a glimpse of Katelyn, but got a hell’uva view of skewed news. After a dissertation on McCain’s trip and speech, ABC showed 5 GI’s being asked by Raddatz how they were going to vote in November; 3 for Obama and 2 for Clinton .. No mention of the 54 for McCain.

I don't doubt this account for one minute.

SOLDIERS GIVE AMERICA UNIQUE GIFT ON INDEPENDENCE DAY

Thank you ladies and gentlemen.

More than 1,200 US troops serving in Iraq signed up for extended service in the military to mark America's national day on Friday.

At least 1,215 troops re-enlisted for periods ranging from two to six years at the ceremony held at the spacious Al-Faw palace of executed dictator Saddam Hussein near Baghdad airport.

General David Petraeus, the head of US-led coalition forces in Iraq, said he was "proud of their decision to re-enlist and help the people of Iraq win their most important battle ... freedom."

The US military has regularly re-enlisted service members in Iraq but Friday's swearing-in was one of the largest, the military said.

God bless America.

THIS MAN NEEDS TO BE TRIED FOR TREASON

What the hell is the holdup?

IRAN "PAID IRAQI INSURGENTS TO KILL UK SOLDIERS"

Yeah...This sound about right doesn't it?

Iran has secretly paid Iraqi insurgents hundreds of thousands of American dollars to kill British soldiers, according to a leaked government document obtained by The Telegraph.

The allegations are contained in a confidential "field report" written by a British officer who served in Basra during one of the most dangerous periods of the conflict. The report, which has never been made public, shows the full level of Iran's involvement in the insurgency for the first time.

The document states that the Jaish al-Mahdi (JAM) – also known as the Mahdi Army – one of the most violent insurgent groups operating in Basra, used money from Iran to recruit and pay young unemployed men up to $300 (£150) a month to carry out attacks against the British. The findings have been passed to the highest levels in the military.

The leak comes at a time of rising tension between Iran and the international community, as Tehran continues to stonewall UN inquiries into allegations that it has carried out research to develop a nuclear weapon.

In the report, Major Job discloses that in the course of five months his base was attacked 350 times. Old State Building, which is in the centre of Basra, is the most-attacked British base in recent history.

In an attempt to discover who was behind the attacks, the officer says he established a network of informers, who supplied him with detailed intelligence on the actions of the insurgents and who was behind their funding.

The officer states that the reports of Iran's involvement came from a network of 25 sources, which included a former Iraqi army general, prominent businessmen, local sheikhs and council leaders.

"JAM, using funding from Iran, paid the unemployed youths in the region of $300 per month to attack Multi National Forces. We also learnt that JAM had a drugs culture and that youths literally got hooked on being associated with JAM."

SOLDIERS IN IRAQ HUMOR COMPILATION

Yeah...funny.

SUNDAY VIDEOS

"Thriller" - Apache gun ship camera captures refuelers gettin' their groove on...

Sadr City firefight at night