Sochi SITREP - 4 Part article covering the current security threats facing the Winter Olympics

To help get you guys up to speed before the bad stuff happens:

Part One

Sochi, the Olympics, the Islamic Caucasus Emirate and the emerging "Russian Scalpel." Lots of folks are talking about Sochi and the Olympics. Not as many are truly cognizant of the threat level there. Can you imagine how much work Alfa and FSB are doing right now? Have you seen the Triple-A ring they've set up around the city? TOR M1s and Pantsir-s trucks all over the place. Grozny is just over 800 klicks from Sochi - Danger Close for Chechen Jihadis, they can ruck that far and hit a target. However, as today's guest writer Sean "Groz" Burke says, the Rodina looks to be prepping a Russian Scalpel vs. a Russian Hammer. Read what he has to say before. Burke's perspicacity, as you will see, is partucularly perspicuitous. Mad Duo

Part Two

Just as this article was being drafted Russian counter terror units have captured five terror suspects in Nalchik which is 185 miles from Sochi. The five suspects have yet to be identified, but were referred to by the Russians as being from an international terror organization. They had had grenades, ammunition, and an IED in their possession. These actions by ICE are standard operating procedure for the Chechens - launch several small attacks and monitor Russian procedures and reactions, then a dapt their TTPs to overcome any failures of their planning or execution. These attacks are the ICE Jihadis dialing in and prepare for attacks, most likely against the transport system that is so critical to movement inside the Olympic venue.

Part Three

ICE has not been silent in the face of Russian counter terror operations this last week. Dagestan has been the site of grenade and small arms attacks during the same time period. Also the much talked about and feared "Black Widows", the wives of slain ICE Jihadis, have once again come into the spotlight. Western media pulled out all the stops for wall to wall coverage of Russian Security Forces looking for 4 Black Widows supposedly already within the "Ring of Steel," which is what Purin has come to call the security measures around Sochi.

Part Four

People on the national news, Twitter and elsewhere are very focused on the borderline "third world" conditions to be found in Sochi, where the Winter Olympics begin tomorrow. Though unappetizing, the presence of dingy yellow tap water is not in our mind nearly as serious as the continued terror threat - though Putin's government continues to downplay it. We hope bad plumbing and a scarcity of lightbulbs are all the athletes have to deal with, but we'll see. There are more than "direct action threats" to worry about - remember, Sochi is closer to Chechnya than LA is to San Francisco, and those Jihadis have a proven track record for murderous efficiency. Here's the latest Sochi SITREP from Groz. Mad Duo

About the Author:

Sean "Groz" Burke is a former Assault Section Leader in the Marine Corps infantry with combat deployments to assorted sunny Middle Eastern and African locations. During his tenure as a gyrene many doors were kicked, gates blown and people's days excessively ruined. During these deployments Sean often instructed the use of foreign weapon systems, helped his command understand the armament capabilities of the enemy and was his unit's resident "terp wrangler." He attended numerous PME schools, including Sensitive Site Exploitation and the Iraqi Arabic and Culture Course. After departing the Marine Corps Sean graduated Temple University with a degree in history and is now (no #) a high school teacher. When not teaching he continues to compulsively study foreign weapon systems, world affairs and foreign policy. Groz is one of the biggest geardos the Mad Duo knows (which is really saying something). He is a wealth of information regarding al things Cordura, Steel and COMBLOC.

Something similar was posted here sir

www.abovetopsecret.com...

perhaps it is of your interest

reply to post by Indigent


Yes I saw that and felt the need to post this as well.

Some very sobering information in those articles!

I've got popcorn and scotch....

I'm ready for some fun to start....

zeroBelief


I've got popcorn and scotch....

I'm ready for some fun to start....

While I appreciate sarcasm more than anyone, I have a hard time looking at the possibility of innocent athletes, spectators, or journalists being killed as "fun".

But maybe I'm just grumpy today?

reply to post by boncho


It's a common expression when a massive show is about to ensue. It rarely ever is a fun thing that expression is directed towards.

Isn't English a fun language?

reply to post by boncho

While I appreciate sarcasm more than anyone, I have a hard time looking at the possibility of innocent athletes, spectators, or journalists being killed as "fun".

I couldn't agree more. Real people with real families and real hopes/dreams/desires are in that place right now. Some, having trained most of their natural lives for the few minutes of time they'll have in the coming days to prove to themselves and a panel of judges that it's all been worth that.

I hope the VERY best for them and it'll be a horrible day if the advisement from my journalism class last night comes to have meaning for how we should proceed in recording, documenting and ..yeah, for class anyway, reporting what goes wrong. I think we were all, including the instructor, sitting there hoping these were assignments never to actually see work and work never needing to be done.

Here's hoping America pulls a good showing on the winner's platform and takes it with the grace of being good winners, too.

FIRST ACT OF OLYMPIC TERROR AT SOCHI?

An airliner flying from Kharkov was diverted to Istanbul after a passenger on board claimed to have a bomb on board and demanded the aircraft be flown to Sochi. The airliner from Pegasus Airliners was escorted by a F-16 fighter from the Turkish Air Force. According to media reports, the would-be hijacker has been neutralized. “A citizen of Ukraine declared that he had a bomb on him, and demanded the plane to be directed to Sochi… The pilots calmly landed the plane at Sabiha Gokcen,” an official with the Turkish Transportation Ministry, Habib Soluk, said to the Wall Street Journal. The Winter Olympics were already a potential terror target, with Russia hunting at least one “black widow” bomber.

ETA:

Link

reply to post by Darce


Turns out he was drunk and had no bomb. Probably wanted a free ticket to watch. Picked the wrong method of persuasion.

....heavy use of sarcasm in this post......both implied and otherwise.....do not poke your eye out, fun will not be had.....please read and digest at your own risk....

boncho

zeroBelief


I've got popcorn and scotch....

I'm ready for some fun to start....

While I appreciate sarcasm more than anyone, I have a hard time looking at the possibility of innocent athletes, spectators, or journalists being killed as "fun".

But maybe I'm just grumpy today?

I'm thinking you're simply not seeing the implied sarcasm.

Sarcasm with regards to the current state of things in our world. Both with the extremist groups, and how I'd wager this is going to be an excellent opportunity for a "public disaster" of a "world stage" proportion level event.

I am suggesting it is theater. It is theater of the macabre.

Do I wish that these things happened to people, innocent or otherwise? No.


However, chaos is going to have a high probability of ensuing.

Don't look at me
like I am a monster
Frown out your one face
But with the other
Stare like a junkie
Into the TV
Stare like a zombie
While the mother Holds her child
Watches him die
Hands to the sky
crying Why, oh why?
'cause I need to watch things die
From a distance
Vicariously I,
live while the whole world dies
You all need it too, don't lie
Why can't we just admit it?
Why can't we just admit it?
We won't give pause until the blood is flowing
Neither the brave nor bold
The writers of stories sold
We won't give pause until the blood is flowing
I need to watch things die From a good safe distance
Vicariously I,
live while the whole world dies
You all feel the same so
Why can't we just admit it?
Blood like rain come down
Drawn on grave and ground
Part vampire Part warrior
Carnivore and voyeur
Stare at the transmittal
Sing to the death rattle
La, la, la, la, la, la, la-lie
Credulous at best,
your desire to believe in angels in the hearts of men.
Pull your head on out your hippy haze and give a listen.
Shouldn't have to say it all again.
The universe is hostile. so Impersonal. devour to survive.
So it is. So it's always been.
We all feed on tragedy It's like blood to a vampire
Vicariously I,
live while the whole world dies
Much better you than I

I do so love me my Tool.

So anyways....although sad I do see it as being inevitable. So, why not make a party of it? Pop some popcorn. Get some libations. Break out the TV trays. Let's make an occasion out of it!!!

Don't you remember being GLUED to the TV for WEEKS after 9/11? COME ON!!!

We MAY get to have that AGAIN!!!!

....heavy use of sarcasm in this post......please read and digest at your own risk....

Now, just because it states my case and makes my point eloquently on a number of levels.... [ MODS Please work with me on this...hang in there...I'm making a point that is germain to the topic at hand....]

"Angel of the Lord, what are these tortured screams?"
And the angel said unto me,
"These are the cries of the carrots, the cries of the carrots! You see, Reverend Maynard, tomorrow is harvest day and to them it is the holocaust."
And I sprang from my slumber drenched in sweat like the tears of one million terrified brothers and roared,
"Hear me now, I have seen the light!
They have a consciousness,
they have a life,
they have a soul!
Damn you!
Let the rabbits wear glasses!
Save our brothers!"

Can I get an amen? Can I get a hallelujah?
Thank you Jesus.

Life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on life feeds on........

This is necessary.

Personally, I'll admit it, I have a rather pessimistic outlook on the human condition, and life on earth as a general rule of thumb.

We live and thrive on drama. Drama leads to conflict. To even SURVIVE, we must eat, which means a living thing (plant or animal) must die for us to survive.

Ideologies need sacrifices as well. Whether it is the idea of purple forks (in which case white forks must die (insert sarcasm tag here)), or that there is no true God but Allah. Or Jesus Christ is the savior of our kind, sent to us by a kind and loving God who gave us his only son. Or Democracy is THE only way for a good and just society to be. Or that Oil is the only good method of providing energy for the world. Or that the American Colonies want to break off of the British rule of the Monarchy and establish their own Government of Democracy.

We are a violent animal. We are innately prone to resorting to violence when we do not get our way.



So, am I looking forward to some chaos, sitting comfortably in front of my large LCD HD TV? Scotch in hand....snacks at the ready...phone and tablet ready to order pizza or chinese to cater to my gastronomical needs while people around the world are dying?

Sure.

Theater of the Macabre

It is PART of being human

Deny it. Deny that you don't slow down to see the accident on the highway...knowing you're making EVERYONE else behind you late for their arrival at their destination...so that you...MIGHT...be able to see something GRUESOME....you never know...it's like a crapshoot...maybe there will be blood...maybe there won't...ooooh.....THRILLING......

why don't we just admit it....
why don't we just admit it....

Don't get me wrong. I realize I am one of a very small group who sees life this way. I realize most people are scared sh*tless at the thought that life is really like this. Religion, being good to your fellow man, turning the other cheek....all makes us able to sleep at night....feel better.....feel secure....

But, are we?