SURVIVAL HANDGUNS - MY PERSONAL OPINION

WELCOME TO THE NO BS ZONE OF TEDDY JACOBSON

FINALLY - THE TRUTH FROM A THREE STAR GENERAL
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Its not often that I get the time to write my personal commentaries but this one is long over due. The clock is ticking and I get this information from my Bible. As you all know by now its a little late to start preparing your supplies for the day after because what ever is going to happen to this world is beyond our control.

I still look at this world as a runaway train that is speeding out of control and there is no engineer and the brakes are gone. I think you should plan your survival handgun strategy on what type of ammunition you either have or can still find. Having said that let me break it down for you, if you have always been a rimfire shooter then thats a starting point and a basis to buy a Ruger 22 pistol and or a Beretta bobcat model 21 in 22 LR for starters. What I am telling you is that if you already have a supply of a specific caliber ammunition why not take advantage of that.

My handgun of choice still remains the Glock 19 or Glock 17 or Glock 26. I think and still am convinced that a 9mm will be your best survivable caliber. Can you name me any commodity that will be in demand for barter for food and water and gasoline beside ammunition. ??

YOU CAN NOT EAT GOLD OR SILVER, but everyone will want 9mm for their very own survival. Remember you will only barter the hardball target ammo and you will keep the hi performance ammunition for your very own use. Always seal the primers of your carry ammo. Never put any lubrication on your breech face and never any on your extractor.

There is no reason to put any grease or oil on your feed ramp and or in your chamber. If your feed ramp has already been polished then you can apply some carnuba wax to it and be sure to rub it off like car wax.

I am not very optimistic about current events and the more you can do in order to prepare now for hard times the better off you will be. DO NOT forget you will need a water filter like the campers use as made by KATADYNE. There are other good brands also but make sure you have an extra filter cartridge for it.

None of us know exactly what we will need nor do we know how much, but its getting to late to procrastinate much longer. UNLESS YOU OWN A HANDGUN AND KNOW HOW TO USE IT YOU WILL BECOME A VICTIM. All I know what to do is to point you in the proper direction.

I believe the best cartridge that you can buy at this point in time is the new Federal Expanding Full Metal Jacket. Its hard to find and its not cheap, but its for protection of life and property. This new cartridge comes in three calibers, 9mm, 40s&w, 45acp.....

I spend almost every night reading about the Hebrew prophets and what they went through. In reality the best times of my life were in the 1950's, that was the America we cared about, that was the America that made men, that was the America that people cherished. And yes I could easily buy a rifle in Brooklyn at any Sears store.

NOW - its time to really get serious about survival. If you need a knife buy Cold Steel or CRKT or Benchmade. There are many newer type knife steels at this point in time. NO ONE MAKES A SHARPER KNIFE THAN COLD STEEL. Their RECON 1 is a best buy in a tactical folder. The Benchmade Griptillian is another good choice and they both can easily be opened with one hand.

My rule of thumb is to buy two of each item. Its just something I have always liked to do. There are so many good flashlights out there now I would not know where to start, but I would recommend the FENIX flashlight with the strobe incorporated into the unit. This feature alone could save your life.

CONTINUED FRIDAY 10-12-07

Let me explain why its very difficult to write these commentaries. My neck is super bad and I can not sit in front of a computer for very long. I reserve my working time for my work bench as that is a must and a priority for me and my customers.

I still do work that I want to take in, I turn down a great deal of work that puts a strain on my neck and shoulders, as I have no choice. I never turn down special ops or people in harms way.

Before I forget let me tell you that if you carry high capacity magazines be sure and put in a tracer cartridge the fourth from the bottom so that if you ever see that tracer fired you always know you have 3 cartridges left in your magazine.

Things are going to get more difficult as we get into the fall season, this world is a powder keg and it will not take much to ignite it. If you want to actually reason out why man is so greedy, and you put the Bible Prophecies aside, just follow the money trail and you will then understand why we are on self destruct.

I believe that G-D is in control and he will make the U.S. and the UK and ISRAEL a second rate power, its all in LIVITICUS CHAPTER 26, VERSE 19 & 20. At one time the UK ruled the seas for 400 years and now they are a 25 ship navy. This is all by devine intervention, its all pre ordained, just wait and see if I am right.

Why would the entire world care about a country like ISRAEL that is the size of Delaware and has a total population of 6 million people ?? The narrowest point in ISRAEL is but 9 miles wide. ITS PRE ORDAINED. If you will read ZECHARIAH CHAPTER 12,13,14 you will understand why everyone will go to war over JERUSALEM the city of peace that is owned by G-D alone.

None of this helps you and me survive, you must have at least one good reliable handgun. I can not stress upon you how important this is but with out ammunition you just have a paper weight.

TELL NO ONE WHAT YOU OWN OR WHERE IT IS. SEPARATE YOUR AMMO INTO FOUR OR FIVE AREAS OF YOUR LIVING AREA AND TELL NO ONE. These "MORONS" on these forums that brag about not only what they have and how much they have are insane.
They will be the very first to have it confiscated. The world monitors gun forums.

I do not want to know a single thing of what you own or where it is. I always help the authorities but when we get "HIT" it will be chaos and bands of people will take what they want from you if they know you have it. Listen to me, this is a world gone insane.

If any of you have specific questions you can email me through my website or call me. I may be able to point you in the right direction.
I have lived a long time and these are the very worst of times, I had it better in 1955 when I made $12.00 per week and I lived in the America I loved.


Teddy
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DEBKAfile Exclusive: Cairo is daunted from freezing Hamas smuggling through Sinai by fear of combined Hamas-al Qaeda terror in Egyptian towns

October 15, 2007, 6:11 PM (GMT+02:00)

Hamas prepares for fresh onslaught after Ramadan, before Annapolis

This was how Cairo explained to Washington its failure to act on Israel’s bitter complaints against the heavy traffic of arms, explosives, missiles and fighters crossing Sinai into Gaza on behalf of Hamas, Jihad and al Qaeda.

US officials checking on Israel’s complaints found Cairo’s answer extremely disquieting.

In the first place, Egypt was leaving Hamas in charge of Gaza's borders, recanting on responsibility for border security with Gaza, which it assumed under accords brokered in 2005 by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. Furthermore, Cairo was admitting for the first time that cooperation between Hamas and the Egyptian al Qaeda cells planted in the Gaza Strip and Sinai was close enough to afford Hamas access to Egyptian cities for hitting back at restraints on its smuggling activities.

According to DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources, Egyptian security services are afraid of attacks in Cairo and Alexandria, as well as the Suez Canal cities of Port Said and Ismailia, where al Qaeda maintains broad networks.

Our military sources note Egypt’s security chiefs have a far healthier respect for Hamas’ true strength and perniciousness than the Israeli government. Rather than confront the Palestinian Islamists, Cairo has lifted its military siege on the Gaza Strip under Hamas rule since June and opted out of the US-Israeli-European anti-Hamas boycott.

Israeli military officers serving in the region term the new situation “a security catastrophe” and warn that the Negev population and the army will eventually pay a heavy price for today’s negligence.

The Olmert government has so far opted for diplomatic pressure on Cairo through Washington. Egypt has now shut that door.

In the last two weeks, the volume of smuggled materiel entering Gaza has increased dramatically, comprising thousands of guns, hundreds of different types of missiles and hundreds of tons of explosives. Egypt let 85 Hamas fighters return to Gaza after training in Iran.

The end of the Eid festival and Ramadan this week is expected to release a fresh outburst of violence on two fronts. Some of the incoming hardware may be funneled to the West Bank for suicide attacks in Israel and operations to overthrow Mahmoud Abbas’ government and prime minister Salam Fayyed in time to sabotage the international peace conference US Secretary Rice is trying to set up next month.

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Isaiah Chapter 34

א קִרְבוּ גוֹיִם לִשְׁמֹעַ, וּלְאֻמִּים הַקְשִׁיבוּ; תִּשְׁמַע הָאָרֶץ וּמְלֹאָהּ, תֵּבֵל וְכָל-צֶאֱצָאֶיהָ.	1 Come near, ye nations, to hear, and attend, ye peoples; let the earth hear, and the fulness thereof, the world, and all things that come forth of it.
ב כִּי קֶצֶף לַיהוָה עַל-כָּל-הַגּוֹיִם, וְחֵמָה עַל-כָּל-צְבָאָם; הֶחֱרִימָם, נְתָנָם לַטָּבַח.	2 For the LORD hath indignation against all the nations, and fury against all their host; He hath utterly destroyed them, He hath delivered them to the slaughter.
ג וְחַלְלֵיהֶם יֻשְׁלָכוּ, וּפִגְרֵיהֶם יַעֲלֶה בָאְשָׁם; וְנָמַסּוּ הָרִים, מִדָּמָם.	3 Their slain also shall be cast out, and the stench of their carcasses shall come up, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood.
ד וְנָמַקּוּ כָּל-צְבָא הַשָּׁמַיִם, וְנָגֹלּוּ כַסֵּפֶר הַשָּׁמָיִם; וְכָל-צְבָאָם יִבּוֹל--כִּנְבֹל עָלֶה מִגֶּפֶן, וּכְנֹבֶלֶת מִתְּאֵנָה.	4 And all the host of heaven shall moulder away, and the heavens shall be rolled together as a scroll; and all their host shall fall down, as the leaf falleth off from the vine, and as a falling fig from the fig-tree.
ה כִּי-רִוְּתָה בַשָּׁמַיִם, חַרְבִּי; הִנֵּה עַל-אֱדוֹם תֵּרֵד, וְעַל-עַם חֶרְמִי לְמִשְׁפָּט.	5 For My sword hath drunk its fill in heaven; behold, it shall come down upon Edom, and upon the people of My ban, to judgment.
ו חֶרֶב לַיהוָה מָלְאָה דָם, הֻדַּשְׁנָה מֵחֵלֶב, מִדַּם כָּרִים וְעַתּוּדִים, מֵחֵלֶב כִּלְיוֹת אֵילִים: כִּי זֶבַח לַיהוָה בְּבָצְרָה, וְטֶבַח גָּדוֹל בְּאֶרֶץ אֱדוֹם.	6 The sword of the LORD is filled with blood, it is made fat with fatness, with the blood of lambs and goats, with the fat of the kidneys of rams; for the LORD hath a sacrifice in Bozrah, and a great slaughter in the land of Edom.

Stephen Camp - Sig Sauer DAK P

Range Report: SIG-Sauer DAK P-220 SAS .45 ACP

By Stephen Camp

At one time when the words "forty-five automatic" were heard, the Colt Government Model immediately came to mind. Times have changed and more than a few different pistols are chambered in this American favorite, though the great 1911-pattern pistol continues to reign at or near the top of popularity polls. I have long been an ardent fan of the single-action autoloader and have made no secret of my love for both the 9mm Hi Power and .45 1911-style handgun.

To legions of shooters, including me, these two premiere single-actions remain near perfect.

But if that's the case, why have all of these other forty-five pistols come along? Could it be that "perfection" is dependent upon the eye (and hand) of the beholder? Might external forces such as law enforcement agency rules, public pressure and personal preference exhibit a role in this determination? I think that the answer to these questions is yes.

At one time, if a shooter wanted a forty-five in something other than a single-action design, he was pretty well forced to go with a conventional DA/SA pistol. This is no longer true and a fellow can pick between conventional DA/SA, Glock "Safe Action", as well as a sort of disguised SA in Springfield Armory's XD line of pistols. He (or she) can also choose a DAO (Double-Action-Only) pistol but though better than in the past, these usually have rather stiff trigger pulls.

One of the newer designs comes from SIG-Sauer. It is a DAO design but is called DAK for "Double-Action Kellerman" in honor of the fellow who came up with the system. Without going into great detail, the DAK action is significantly lighter and smoother than the standard DAO pistols. Rather than a "partially cocked" design, the main difference is in an extended "leg" on the hammer that allows considerably greater leverage against the mainspring when the trigger pull cocks and releases the hammer. It is much smoother and lighter than I expected. In their literature, SIG-Sauer lists it at 7.5-lbs…and I believe it.

The pistol used for this report is one that I purchased NIB and is the SAS version of the P-220. SAS stands for "SIG Anti-Snag". Essentially, the sharp edges of the pistol have been "melted" from the factory. The trigger face is smooth and the gun has a stainless steel slide. The rear sight is the usual dovetailed affair with a white vertical stripe in the center. The front sight, also dovetailed, is tritium. This version of the P-220 comes with checkered wooden stocks. The frame is aluminum and is nicely black anodized. Unlike earlier P-220's, this one's slide is machined from a billet of steel. It is not a folded steel shell with a solid steel breach block pinned in place as on the earlier P-220's. (I find this neither an advantage or disadvantage, as I've not seen heavily shot older P-220's exhibit any catastrophic slide failures. Some SIG-Sauer aficionados prefer the older design, remarking that the heavier machined slides are too "top heavy." This would be a decision for the individual shooter to decide. I own both types and do not favor one over the other in this regard.)

This is the test pistol used for this report. It is stock other than for a narrow strip of "anti-skid" tape on the front grip strap. The takedown lever is in the place normally associated with the 1911's slide release. On this pistol, the slide release is located over the left grip panel. There is no decocking lever on SIG-Sauer's DAK pistols as it is not needed whatsoever. The pistol's barrel is 4.4" long and twist rate is 1:16". It weighs in at 31.2 oz. and has a 6.3" sight radius. The P-220 SAS measures 7.8" long and 5.5" high. It has the "green" spring, which is for service level loads.

Ammunition Used: I have fired this pistol several times and have found it to be utterly reliable with the following factory loads:

Corbon 165-gr. DPX (Compact Gun Load)

Corbon 165-gr. Pow'RBall +P

Taurus 185-gr. Hex Head Hollow Point

Corbon 185-gr. DPX +P

Federal 185-gr. JHP

Corbon 200-gr. JHP +P (discontinued load)

Winchester 230-gr. Ranger JHP

Remington 230-gr. Golden Saber

Speer 230-gr. Gold Dot

Federal Classic 230-gr. JHP

Federal 230-gr. HydraShok

Chronographed velocities were in line with what I've seen from the 4.25" Commander.

For today's shooting, the following ammunition was used:

Kead 230-gr. CRN

6.3-gr. Unique

WLP Primer

Winchester Case

Hornady 230-gr. JFP

6.3-gr. Unique

WLP Primer

Winchester Case

Speer 230-gr. Gold Dot

6.3-gr. Unique

WLP Primer

Winchester Case

Precision 200-gr. CSWC

5.0-gr. Bullseye

WLP Primer

Winchester Case

One factory load was tried today. It is Remington's 185-gr. FMJ. This flat-point bullet averaged 991 ft/sec based on 10 shots fired approximately 10' from the chronograph screens. The 200-gr. Precision CSWC averaged 857 ft/sec. The 230-gr. handloads were all in the 820 to 840 ft/sec range.

Five different loads were used in today's shooting. The only factory load fired is second from the right and is Remington's 185-gr. "MC Flat Nose".

Shooting: Though the DAK system was not envisioned as a bullseye shooter's action, I did shoot a few slow-fire targets at 15 yards. These were fired seated and using a two-hand hold with my wrists braced.

Several "practical" defensive type drills were also done. Past sessions at 25 yards and 50 yards have shown me that one can do some pretty nice informal "target shooting" if desired.

Both of these groups were fired at 15 yards. The group on the left was the best of the day while the one on the right, even though containing more shots, was typical.

The P-220 DAK SAS fed the Speer Gold Dot handload just as reliably as it has every other load that I've tried in it…100% reliably.

Higginbotham Standard Handgun Controllability Drill: Mr. Higginbotham, a veteran federal law enforcement firearm trainer, has a simple test that he recommends to see how well a given handgun is handled by a given individual. In its pure form, a piece of folded typing paper is used as to make a rectangular target measuring 5 1/2 x 8 1/2". I didn't use this target. Instead, I used my hand drawn "Gort" targets. The circular dotted area has about a 5 or 5 1/2" diameter.

To perform the drill, one starts in the low-ready position using two hands and must get 5 shots on the target in no more than 2 seconds from a distance of five yards.

Here are the results of ten runs of Mr. Higginbotham's controllability test using the 230-gr. Hornady handload. Using a Pact timer for each of the ten runs, average time was 1.80 seconds. I am certain that other folks can easily best this but I suspect this would probably be satisfactory in a serious situation.

Draw-and-fire: This one is just what it sounds like: At 7 yards, at the timer's signal, I drew and fired (two-hands) one round into a target and repeated ten times. I neglected to photograph that target but results were similar to the previous picture. Average time: 1.41 seconds.

Failure-to-Stop Drill: Also referred to as the "Mozambique Drill", this one has both its fans and detractors. I am neither recommending nor condemning it for "real world" use. It is used only to see how well the DAK P220 SAS might or might not be able to perform. Many folks have shot this exercise and know their average times with their weapons of choice. It is included so that they can compare the DAK's times with the ones they're familiar with using their own guns.

Repeated seven times from the low-ready and using two hands, average time was 1.86 seconds. This is 0.06" longer than the time I required firing five shots in the controllability test. Obviously, more time was taken making the precise shot to the head. Ammunition used was the Kead 230-gr. CRN handload.

Observations: This part is subjective: I like the DAK system. From what I've seen and read, those of us more comfortable with the revolver tend to like DAK. Those of us preferring the tuned 1911-pattern pistol view it less favorably. I see it as a viable and imminently useable DAO for people simply uncomfortable with cocked-and-locked or who are forbidden to use it. Though not an "officially recommended" mode of carry, the DAK might very well cause its user less concern if a situation arose in which the gun (with a chambered round) was simply stuck in the waistband than a cocked single-action.

It might be of use in the household where one member might be most familiar with the proper technique for effectively employing a single-action automatic but another is not. Like the Glock, double-action revolver, and the XD, SIG-Sauer's DAK line of handguns are "point-and-pull" firearms. There are no thumb safeties to be forgotten by the unpracticed. It is for this very reason that I use the one in this article as a "house gun"; my wife can make it fire w/o fail. In no way am I urging anyone to abandon his or her preferred "serious gun". I am suggesting that if you have not been able to make a decision or have to exclude the single-action auto, the DAK (also available in other SIG-Sauer modes & calibers) might be worth a serious look.

Positive Observations: First, the pistol has now fired roughly 1000 shots. It has had exactly zero malfunctions. There have been no failures to feed, extract or eject. Chambering of all round tried has been flawless and smooth. (A nice surprise was that this particular pistol feeds the 200-gr. Precision CSWC as slick as butter on glass. My other P-220 (conventional DA/SA) will only feed reliably with no more than five rounds in any magazine. This one feeds off of a full eight-shots loaded in either of the two stainless steel magazines coming with the gun, as well as with several 7-shot magazines, both new and older manufacture.)

The pistol has had no failures to lock the slide back when the last shot has been fired nor has it locked open with rounds still in the magazine. The magazine seats reliably without undue force when fully loaded and none have failed to drop freely when the magazine release is depressed.

Ejected cases are rarely dented and then it is very minor. They land 8 to 10 feet to the right of the shooter and in a consist area.

The pistol has plenty of mechanical accuracy. It is capable of better grouping than I am and the gun has exhibited no "first round flyer syndrome". All shots smack the same POA for me.

Primer strikes are centered and there have been no failures to fire and the internal firing pin lock does not affect the trigger pull that I can detect.

The trigger pull does not stack and it allows for the "surprise break" that many find conducive to accurate shooting.

The spurless hammer helps eliminate concerns over snagging from a concealed draw. (I have not seen spur hammers snag when drawn from a holster, whether concealed by either a coat or jacket but the spurless lowered hammer does lessen this miniscule possibility.

Mechanical lock-up of the barrel is tight but smooth, as is the slide's operation. There is very little vertical or lateral movement of this pistol's slide on the frame; i.e. slide-to-frame fit is very good.

Though I have no intention of changing this pistol's sights, front and rear sights of varying heights are available from SIG-Sauer as well as other makers. The tritium (front) night sight glows very brightly in the dark and there's no missing it. Though subjective, I find the sight picture on the SIG-Sauer very satisfactory as it comes from the factory but for those who don't, several other aftermarket sights are readily available.

There is neither a damned key lock ala current S&W revolvers nor a magazine disconnect.

Though I've only fired about a thousand shots through this pistol, visible wear is almost nonexistent.

Negative Observations: Earlier I alluded to putting a piece of anti-skid tape on the pistols front grip strap. The P-220 SAS DAK comes with a smooth one. I would much prefer that it be checkered or grooved for better purchase with sweaty hands or in a wet environment.

Though I find them very attractive, the factory wood grips are fairly thick. I find them about at my outer limit for easy use. Folks with smaller hands will probably find them too large. (Factory plastic or thinner aftermarket grips are available but be sure to specify that they are for the DAK version.)

Purely subjective, I find the rounding of the sharp edges on the slide to be too much. I would have preferred these to have been rounded but not so severely.

The beveled magazine well is minimal but that said, I've not had any problems with "speed reloading" and certainly none with "tactical reloads". Top competition shooters might feel slowed down with the level of beveling on this particular model. On the other hand, more aggressive beveling would result in a much thinner wall around the magazine well than the current thickness.

The DAK system has two different reset distances. The lighter one is employed when the trigger is completely released between shots. Releasing the trigger approximately halfway allows for a shorter reset, but one that is a little heavier. A barely audible "click" can be heard when releasing the trigger reaches that reset point. For me it is too difficult to "find" in a hurry. I just release the trigger completely and begin my next trigger pull, ala double-action revolver shooting.

I like it that this model comes without the accessory rail on the frame but others will find this appalling.

I would prefer this pistol with a full 5" barrel. While some versions of the P-220 can be had in this length, I don't believe that the DAK can be. For me, the hard part of the gun to conceal is the butt and that would be the same on either a 4.4 or 5" gun. Gained would be tiny bit more sight radius as well as velocity for the not so fast .45 ACP. That said, I'm not going to whine much about the missing 0.6" of barrel.

Conclusion: From what I've seen on a statistically invalid number of P-220 DAK SAS pistols, this one and a friend's, they appear to be well-made and reliable in the extreme with more than adequate mechanical accuracy. I believe that for many, their design will provide plenty of "practical" or "user" accuracy. This handgun can hold 9 shots of .45 ACP in normal trim. I believe that for most of us, we'll either solve the problem or run out of time before we do ammunition. SIG-Sauer does offer a 10-shot magazine for the pistol for those wanting all they can get in a single-stack magazine.

This pistol is easy to carry in a quality holster and with a good gun belt. For a service-size handgun, it is not that difficult to conceal in my experience but for me it shines as either a non-concealed holster sidearm or one for home defense.

I have read of shooters having some problems with some types of ammunition in their 8-shot stainless P-220 magazines. I have not experienced this in either the 8 or 7-shot, the latter being both older and current manufacture. There have also been some complaints concerning failures to feed and eject. All makers apparently have some guns that get out when they shouldn't and I reckon that includes SIG-Sauer. Having said that, I have experienced no problems whatsoever with my P-225 or P-229R 9mm pistols. Ditto, my older P-220 mentioned earlier.

Assuming that the pistol "fits" the shooter, I truly believe that the DAK system and the P-220 SAS can provide a very effective "serious gun"…as well as one that's just a heck of a lot of fun to shoot!

DEBKA EXCLUSIVE

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DEBKAfile Exclusive: The US plans new military presence in Lebanon including big air installation close by Syrian border

October 9, 2007, 9:42 PM (GMT+02:00)

Click HERE to see the full-size map.

The air base, according to DEBKAfile’s military sources, will be located at Kleiat in northern Lebanon roughly 75 air miles from Damascus, which these days doubles as a shared Syrian-Iranian military hub and Tehran’s eastern Mediterranean forward base. The American air installation will also lie 22 air miles from Tartous, Syria’s main naval base and the Russian Mediterranean fleet’s command center. And the aircraft posted there will be minutes away from the joint Syrian-Iranian arms and missiles industries at Homs and Hamma.

DEBKAfile’s source report the Bush administration’s drastic change of policy on Lebanon was settled in consultations at the Pentagon and National Security Council after the talks the chief of the US Central Command Adm. William Fallon held with Lebanese government heads on July 29.

This new direction was confirmed after the Israeli air raid over Syria of Sept. 6.

It brings the American military back to Lebanon after a 25-year absence. In 1983, President Ronald Reagan pulled US troops out of the country after Syrian military intelligence orchestrated terrorist bombing attacks on the US embassy and Marines headquarters in Beirut, which left more than 300 soldiers, diplomats and CIA agents dead.

The first stage of construction will reactivate the small defunct air base at Kleiat as a joint US-Lebanese venture. Prime minister Fouad Siniora will explain that the four months of bloody fighting to crush the Fatah al-Islam revolt in the northern Nahar al-Bared camp demonstrated how badly the Lebanese army needs an operational air base in the region. US Air Force engineers and technicians have begun work on the new air field. At a later stage, it will be expanded for American military use.

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The Iran War Theater's "Northern Front": Azerbaijan and the US Sponsored War on Iran by Prof. Michel Chossudovsky

Global Research, April 9, 2007

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In a timely decision, Azerbaijan recently (mid-March) granted NATO the permission to use two of its military bases and an airport to "back up its peace-keeping operation in Afghanistan" including support for NATO's "supply route to Afghanistan". NATO's special envoy Robert Simmons insists that the agreement has nothing to do with US plans to wage aerial bombardments on Iran. Media sources in Baku have intimated that this timely agreement is directly related to ongoing US-Israeli-NATO war plans. Its timing coincides with US naval deployments and war games in the Persian Gulf. The airport and two military bases are slated to be "modernized to meet NATO standards". Washington has confirmed in this regard that it would "support the modernization of a military airport in the framework of the Individual Partnership Action Plan (IPAP) signed between Azerbaijan and NATO. Meanwhile, the Defense Ministry of Azerbaijan released a statement to the effect that "Azerbaijan's territory will not be at the disposal of any country for hostile acts against neighbours [Iran] " (See Mardom Salari (Farsi), BBC translation, 5 April 2007). This announcement by the Azeri Defense Ministry was in response to an off-the-cuff statement by US Undersecretary of State Matthew Bryza, at a press conference in Georgia (March 30) to the effect that "The United States hopes for permission to use airfields in Azerbaijan for military purposes." (emphasis added) "A lot of planes overfly Georgia and Azerbaijan on the way to Afghanistan. Should it prove necessary, we would like to be able to use an airfield in Azerbaijan," the US diplomat said, answering a question concerning the modernization of a military airfield in Azerbaijan with the Americans' help. (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, April 2, 2007) Maj. Eric Lehman, GSSOP Task Force commander (Left), briefs Mr. Matthew Bryza, deputy assistant secretary of state for Eurasian affairs(Center) and Ambassador Richard Miles (Right) during convoy ambush training July 29th 2006 at Krtsanisi National Training Center about 25 kilometers south of Tbilisi, Georgia According to Azerbaijani political scientist, Zardusht Alizade, the NATO/US military agreement with the Baku government pertains to several Azeri airfields, which could be used to receive and service US/NATO aircraft: "Baku may also help the United States with data on ballistic missile defense'... Moreover, the words of the Azerbaijani authorities do not always match their deeds, and the statement of the Defense Ministry may be anything but the last word on the subject. "If the US Administration appeals to Aliyev and the latter summons the courage to turn the request down, all the better for him," Alizade said. "I do not really think that he will want to peeve Washington." According to the political scientist, the consequences of this step may be quite dire. Tehran has already proclaimed its readiness to strike at strategic objects nearby which are important for the United States. "Iranian capacities are not to be underestimated. A single division of its armed forces can occupy all of Azerbaijan without a second thought. I only hope that this is some sort of political game and that the United States does not really intend to strike at Iran," Alizade said" (Nezavisimaya Gazeta, April 2, 2007) (emphasis added) Strategic Caspian Sea Maritime Border with Iran Azerbaijan is also strategic in view of its maritime border with Iran in the Caspian sea. In this regard, the U.S. Navy is involved in supporting the Azeri Navy, in the area of training. There is also an agreement to provide US support to refurbish Azeri warships in the Caspian sea. The US sponsored Caspian Guard Initiative was launched in 2003 to "coordinate activities in Azerbaijan and Kazakhstan with those of U.S. Central Command and other U.S government agencies to enhance Caspian security." The initiative was implemented under the cover of preventing narcotics trafficking and counter- terrorism, Its ultimate objective, however, is to provide USCENTCOM with a strategic naval corridor in the Caspian sea basin. The US has also participated in joint Naval exercises with the Azeri Army’s 641st Special Warfare Naval Unit, headquartered at the Azeri Naval Station outside Baku. More generally, both the US and NATO are in the process of deepening their military cooperation with Azerbaijan. In recent developments, military-political consultations between the US and Azerbaijan are scheduled to be held in Washington in the second half of April, according to a US Embassy source in Baku. (APA News, 4 April 2007) "the consultations will cover issues on strategic cooperation, Azerbaijan-NATO relations, the mutual activity of both countries in Iraq and Afghanistan and some other issues.[Iran] (ibid) The timing of these consultations is crucial. They coincide chronologically with a process of advanced military planning. Azerbaijan could be the object of retaliatory strikes by Iran, if the country's military bases are used by NATO-US forces as a launch pad for waging war on Iran. Media sources in Baku have suggested that retaliatory bombings by Iran could include Azeri oil fields and oil and gas pipelines. The strategic Baku-Ceyhan pipeline, which links the Caspian Sea to the Eastern Mediterranean could also be a target. The Baku Ceyan pipeline is controlled by an Anglo-American consortium led by British Petroleum (BP). In early April, Iran deployed troops and military hardware along the Iranian-Azerbaijani border. According to an April 4 report of the Azerbaijani news agency Turan: "Military experts think that the deployment of troops and hardware pursue defence ends. This means that the troops are being pushed forward to repel attacks... The start of an information [propaganda] war is obvious. An intelligence expert has told Turan that recent publications in the media saying that Iran has drawn up a list of facilities in Azerbaijan that will be bombed in case of a US attack [on Iran] are a glaring example of this. Most likely, the reports were prepared and passed to the mass media by the Iranian secret services to exert psychological pressure on Baku. The goal is to deter Baku from supporting Washington in a military conflict with Tehran. (Turan, 4 April 2007) (emphasis added) The Iran War Theater's "Northern Front" US and allied naval deployments are concentrated in the Persian Gulf and the Eastern Mediterranean. The March NATO/US agreement with Baku, while building upon previous military cooperation agreements, specifically reinforces what might be described as a "Northern Front" whereby Azeri military bases including airfields and naval facilities in the Caspian sea would be used by NATO and US forces in the case of US sponsored attacks on Iran. If this were to occur, several Central Asian countries could be drawn into the conflict, leading to a process of military escalation. The latter could also extend into a ground war in which Iran would target US, British and NATO facilities in Iraq and Afghanistan.

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