The Sea Shadow is a unique top-secret stealth ship that cost the US government $195 million. Now, you can buy it in an online auction for $100,000. But you won’t be able to take it for a spin – the ship is to be broken down into scrap metal.
The Sea Shadow contains unique technologies still envied by navies around the world, so the new owner will have to disassemble the 563-ton vessel under strict government supervision inside US borders, until its parts have no value except “for their basic material content.”
AFP Photo / U.S. NAVY
From pride of the Navy to scrap heap
After introducing stealth technology in the air – the F-117 made its first flight in 1981 – US Forces wanted to recreate their success, this time at sea.
The Pentagon commissioned industrial giant Lockheed Martin to build a ship that could sneak up on larger enemy vessels to spy or conduct surprise missions. The new ship would also become a testing ground for the technologies that would shape naval warfare in the 21st century.
As one of the most secretive projects in history, it could not be assembled openly.
Lockheed Martin ordered parts from different suppliers, who were never shown the blueprints of the completed ship. They were then welded together inside a secret barge (the HMB-1, also included in the lot) to avoid detection from Soviet satellites.
The Sea Shadow took the water in 1985.
With submerged twin hulls for stability, a low profile to avoid easy visual detection, and sloped sides that reflect radar waves, the Sea Shadow resembles nothing as much as its airborne cousins.
The public were only informed of its existence in 1993, after the end of the Cold War.
And while the ship itself cost about $50 million to build, the entire program totaled nearly $200 million.
Whether the Sea Shadow justified the exorbitant price tag is debatable. Many of the innovations it pioneered have now become standard on new US vessels. On the other hand, the US Navy says it never took part in any real missions.
In fact the closest it came to a genuine conflict was as an inspiration for the Bond villain Elliot Carver’s stealth ship in the 1997 film Tomorrow Never Dies.
After retiring the Sea Shadow in 2006, the US Navy has fruitlessly searched for a museum that would take the ship off its hands. Finally, it decided to put it on an army surplus auction site – where there is currently only a handful of bidders.
And unless someone steps in before bidding ends on Friday, one of the most ambitious projects in US military history is set to meet a somewhat humbling end.
Sea Shadow exiting the HMB-1. The barge, also included in the auction, was built by mogul Howard Hughes to secretely retrieve the sunken Soviet submarine K-129 (Image via GSA auctions)
Monday, 30 April 2012
Ocean to auction block: Real Bond villain stealth ship yours for just $100,000 (PHOTOS) — RT
Judge Jim Gray announces as Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate.
Judge Jim Gray announces as Libertarian Vice Presidential candidate.
April 30, 2012Posted in Blog, News
JUDGE JAMES P. GRAY (Ret.)
LIBERTARIAN CANDIDATE
VICE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES
Dear Convention Delegates:
In 2001 I first met Gary Johnson when he, as a sitting governor of the State of New Mexico, endorsed the original edition of my book, which is entitled “Why Our Drug Laws Have Failed and What We Can Do About It: A Judicial Indictment of the War on Drugs” (Temple University Press, 2d edition, 2012). At the time when some governors who were ignorant of the issues were speaking nonsense about how we had to continue to put non-violent drug users in jail, and others who understood the issues were keeping silent, Governor Johnson was not only telling the truth, but he had the courage to act upon it.
In 2010 I had the honor to be on a panel about our failing educational system with Governor Johnson at “Freedom Fest” which, as you know, is a yearly forum in Las Vegas that discusses and promotes Libertarian values. At that time Gary made it clear to me that he understands the critical importance of re-introducing competition into the educational system, just as promoted by my all-time hero Dr. Milton Friedman.
Based upon those experiences, combined with the knowledge that he had actually vetoed more wasteful spending measures while governor than all other state governors combined – thus leaving New Mexico with a $1 billion surplus upon leaving office – I have been accurately quoted publicly as saying that Governor Gary Johnson is the most qualified person that I know of to be President of the United States.
Given the wrong-minded direction that our great country is now being taken by the two main political parties, I decided to take his election personally and do whatever I could for him to be elected. So when Gary asked me to be his running mate in this election, I simply had to agree. What an honor; what an opportunity; and what a necessity for our children, grandchildren and country!
I believe my background, experience and values will bring additional credibility and force to our team. I was an elected trial court judge for 25 years, federal prosecutor in Los Angeles, criminal defense attorney in the Navy JAG Corps, and Peace Corps Volunteer in Costa Rica. I formerly held a top secret clearance in the Navy, and was the recipient of National Defense, Vietnam Service and Combat Action awards while serving my country.
In addition, I have received the “Judge of the Year” award from the business litigation section of the local bar association, honorary degrees from two law schools, and the annual judge of the year award of my county’s chapter of the Constitutional Rights Foundation bears my name. I am married with four children, including one who was adopted from Vietnam while I was in the Navy, and am a member of the United Methodist Church. My Libertarian beliefs have been documented in my book “A Voter’s Handbook: Effective Solutions to America’s Problems” (The Forum Press, 2010), as have my teachings in a fun way to our children about the importance of ethics, staying in school and making good choices in my musical, which is entitled “Americans All,” and has been performed by several high schools as well as Vanguard University of Southern California.
So I directly request your invaluable support and vote at the upcoming Libertarian Convention as I seek the nomination to be your candidate for Vice President of the United States. I am committed to do whatever it takes to pursue this goal. But please do not vote for me, or for Governor Johnson, unless you are prepared to take this election personally as well, and help us in the days and months to come. With your help, together we can get this important work done!
Yours – and Ours – in Liberty
Judge James P. Gray (Ret.)
Chechen women in mortal fear as president backs Islamic honor killings - By Diana Markosian - Special to The Washington Times
Chechen women in mortal fear as president backs Islamic honor killings
A man and a woman on a date in the village of Serzhen-Yurt in Chechnya sit on opposite ends of a bench. Couples on dates must meet in public and sit a distance from each other. All physical contact is forbidden before marriage. Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov supports honor killings for women with “loose morals.” (Diana Markosian/Special to The Washington Times)
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ACHXOY-MARTAN, Chechnya — Chechnya's government is openly approving of families that kill female relatives who violate their sense of honor, as this Russian republic embraces a fundamentalist interpretation of Islam after decades of religious suppression under Soviet rule.
In the past five years, the bodies of dozens of young Chechen women have been found dumped in woods, abandoned in alleys and left along roads in the capital, Grozny, and neighboring villages.
Chechen President Ramzan Kadyrov publicly announced that the dead women had “loose morals” and were rightfully shot by male relatives. He went on to describe women as the property of their husbands, and said their main role is to bear children.
“If a woman runs around and if a man runs around with her, both of them should be killed,” said Mr. Kadyrov, who often has stated his goal of making Chechnya “more Islamic than the Islamists.”
In today’s Chechnya, alcohol is all but banned, Islamic dress codes are enforced and polygamous marriages are supported by the government.
Some observers say Mr. Kadyrov’s attempt to impose Islamic law violates the Russian Constitution, which guarantees equal rights for women and a separation of church and state.
“We are a traditional, conservative society, but the government has gone overboard,” said Lipkhan Bazaeva, head of the Women's Dignity Center, a nongovernmental organization promoting women’s rights in Grozny. “They are declaring unacceptable limits on women — as an individual, she has no rights even if her husband beats her, despite Russian laws.”
Though observers agree that honor killings are on the rise in Chechnya, the issue remains largely taboo among locals — making official statistics hard to come by.
“You hear about these cases almost every day,” said a local human rights defender, who asked that her name not be used out of fear for her safety. “It is hard for me to investigate this topic, yet I worked on it with [human rights activist] Natasha [Estemirova] for a while. But, I can’t anymore. I am too scared now. I’ve almost given up, really.”
Estemirova, who angered Chechen authorities with reports of torture, abductions and extrajudicial killings, was found in the woods in 2009 in the neighboring region of Ingushetia with gunshot wounds to the head and chest. Her killer or killers have not been found.
Few dare to openly challenge Mr. Kadyrov’s rule. But activists say some young Muslim women do so surreptitiously, placing themselves in a constant tug of war between two value systems.
Milana, a ninth-grader in Grozny, wears thick eyeliner, dons tight miniskirts, smokes cigarettes and dates boys: all things a proper Muslim girl is forbidden to do in Chechnya.
She said she has heard it from her father countless times: A Chechen girl who loses her virginity before marriage is a prostitute, and Allah will punish her.
“If only my parents knew some of the things I did,” she said with a giggle. “My parents are too strict with me, but it is like that here.”
Analysts say dating can be an escape for teenagers such as Milana who often live double lives.
“It is a great temptation to break from tradition when they are away from their family, said Ms. Bazaeva. “They have a good time, but it is not without consequences, not in Chechnya.”
In this small Chechen village, residents talk about the teenage girl who was killed in early February after she spent a night at her boyfriend’s house.
The 16-year-old’s body was wrapped in a traditional rug and returned to her mother’s house. Her relatives are suspected of killing her in the name of family honor.
To escape the strict mores, some of the young opt for early marriage, which they view as the gateway to independence, sexual activity and societal respect. That goes for young Chechen men, also.
Abu-Khadzh Idrisov, 20, married in his teens to simply experiment, he said. His first marriage at age 14 lasted barely a year. He married a second time at 18. He spotted his future wife at a park in Grozny and, with the help of his friends, kidnapped her.
“When I married her, I honestly knew only two things: her name and the school she studied at. We talked together once,” he recalled. “But we have traditions and extremely strict rules in Chechnya, and you can’t just ignore them. I carry my family’s name, and if I tarnish it, I will have problems.”
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