By Count Friedrich von Olsen
Things have always been complicated and they are getting even more so. Of late the conversation has turned to eradicating ISIS – the Islamic State in Syria. There have been all sorts of suggestions. A major complicating factor is that the Russians – the Soviets – are already at the focal point of this whole thing – Syria – and they have some different alignments and different goals than do we in the West. The move by ISIS recently in which they downed a Russian tourist jet over Egypt, notwithstanding, which would seem to put us both, if not on the same page at least in the same book as the Soviets, there is still tremendous tension in the American-Russian relationship. Thus, when I hear people say that we should join forces with the Russians to eradicate ISIS, I must shake my head because I know it is not that simple…
A case in point is what the Russians are doing to us in Syria. They are blinding us. They have a device, called the Krasukha-4, which they have deployed in that war torn part of the world. This is really quite surprising because the Krasukha-4 is a very advanced piece of military hardware and one would think they would be holding it in reserve, and not let us know about it or its capabilities. The Krasukha-4 is an advanced version of the Krasukha, the Krasukha-2 and the Krasukha-3. The Krasukha is a mobile broadband multifunctional jamming station intended to guard against and defeat electronic surveillance and communications, including ground, air and satellite-based radar and radios.
The Krasukha-4 is able to effectively shield objects on the ground against radio-locating surveillance satellites, ground-based radars, or aircraft-installed Airborne Warning and Control Systems, our vaunted AWACS, as well as space-based systems up to 170 miles away. This means that we – our military, the Pentagon, the DIA, the NSA and the CIA cannot see what is going on in Syria. We don’t know where the Russian troops are, we can’t see them and we can’t listen in on their communications. For most of the day and night, the United States in Syria is no different than I am when I’ve dropped my monocle. At such times, I can’t see a damn thing…
The United States and our ally, Britain, have always been way ahead of the game in our military endeavors because of our surveillance capability, and we have known what our enemies are doing or about to do in many cases well before they did it and in some cases, from our being able to listen into wavelength channels by which commanders would communicate to troops in the field, even before the forces that were to actually carry out those missions knew themselves what they were to do…
Because of the Krasukha-4. that is no longer the case, at least in Syria most of the time. Actually, for very short periods during the day, we do have an electronic window on Syria that works. As I said, the Krasukha-4 is effective out to roughly 170 miles. This is within the range of our geosynchronous satellites stationed over Syria, the stationary ones that hover directly above that country permanently. We do have some other surveillance satellites that orbit around the earth, passing for a short time of their continuous circular or oblong looping trajectory over Syria. Thus, for maybe 15 minutes or so a half dozen times or so a day, we can get a fleeting glimpse of things there. But that is problematic because the Russians are tracking those satellites and they know when they are in range of Syria…
This is not to mention, of course, the interference the Krasukha-4 can cause, interrupting and jamming our communications or signals, rendering our radio-controlled missiles or drones ineffective. I am told that the generals and admirals and colonels and commodores in the Pentagon are so frustrated by the Krasukha-4 that they sent someone to very politely and very diplomatically ask Vladimir Putin to have them turned off. I don’t know whether his reply was polite or diplomatic, but my understanding is Vladimir Putin refused…
Another complicating factor in the struggle against ISIS is Captagon…
What is Captagon? It is a very powerful stimulant – an intensified amphetamine if you will. It is similar to or indistinguishable from the synthetic drug known as fenethylline. It has become the drug of choice of your radicalized al-Qaeda warrior, Islamic Iraqi insurgents, Arab jihadist or ISIS member. Shortly after ingesting it, its user slips into a semi-euphoric state, yet filled with fervor and energy. On Captagon, I am told, one can stay awake and alert for as long as 48 hours and remain in a fearless and intense demeanor in which he can ruthlessly and recklessly inflict destruction upon an enemy even in the most demanding of circumstances.
There are anecdotal accounts of Iraqi insurgents, Syrian soldiers and ISIS jihadists using it to fuel their murderous rampages. And while the drug’s addictive power is known to eventually consume those who repeatedly make use of it, turning them into chronic users and addicts whose vital organs are racked and destroyed by this narcotic’s ravages, that demise, alas comes too late for the victims lost to its users’ homicidal frenzies…