This is very important.  This is why the ROK government should provide support to the Korean entertainment industry to develop dramas that will help educate the Korean people living in the north about unification, as I have argued here:  http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2016/mar/30/north-korea-nuclear-threat-can-south-korean-made-t/

Actually what I would like the ROKG to do is articulate its plans and policies for unification and how it intends to address certain issues like economic and political integration; what they intend to do with the nKPA, etc and then let the entertainment industry build narratives to entertain (and subtly educate) the Korean people in both the north and South.  All the ROKG has to do is provide its vision, plans, and policies for unification and then let the entertainment industry create the dramas.

South Korea TV show going viral in North Korea

The movies are making it into the country on flash drives, according to a report.

By Elizabeth Shim    |   April 25, 2016 at 2:40 PM

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/04/25/South-Korea-TV-show-going-viral-in-North-Korea/7771461609006/

A South Korean television series is highly popular in North Korea, where people are secretly watching the show on flash drives. Image courtesy of KBS

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SEOUL, April 25 (UPI) -- The North Korean regime may celebrate founder Kim Il Sung's birthday as the "Day of the Sun," but more North Koreans are soaking up the rays of South Korean media trickling into the country.

A popular South Korean soap opera is circulating in the North, making its way across the border with China, where the television series has been downloaded 2 billion times, Asia Times reported.

Descendants of the Sun is so well received in North Korea even border guards in the country secretly watch the show in their spare time, Radio Free Asia reported.

The movies are making it into North Korea on flash drives and are pricey, costing $4 to $5 per episode, according to the report.

(continued at the link below)

http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2016/04/25/South-Korea-TV-show-going-viral-in-North-Korea/7771461609006/

After 13 years, CIA honors Green Beret killed on secret Afghanistan mission

I just want make sure everyone saw this story honoring Nate Chapman.  TM Gibbons-Neff, a journalist and former Marine infantryman, wrote this outstanding article that was published on the front page above the fold in the Washington Post.  Thank you TM for honoring Nate.

After 13 years, CIA 

honors Green Beret 

killed on secret 

Afghanistan mission

By Thomas Gibbons-Neff April 17 

Sgt. 1st Class Nathan Ross Chapman aboard a CH-53 in Pakistan in November 2001. (Courtesy of Scott Satterlee)

When Nathan Ross Chapman became the first military casualty to die by enemy fire during the war in Afghanistan, the only American flag available for his casket was a patch torn off the uniform of an airman loading his coffin for the long trip home. He was buried on Jan. 11, 2002, a week after his death, with full military honors in Tahoma National Cemetery, Wash.

It took another 13 years for the CIA to recognize on its Memorial Wall that Chapman, an Army Green Beret, was also one of its own — the sergeant first class had been officially detailed to the agency in the weeks after the 9/11 attacks and died acting as a CIA paramilitary team’s communications specialist.

(Continued at the link below)

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/checkpoint/wp/2016/04/17/after-13-years-cia-honors-green-beret-killed-on-secret-afghanistan-mission/

Current News and Commentary April 25, 2016

NightWatch for April 24: north Korea, Yemen

http://conta.cc/26nLpR4

A New Submarine-Launched Ballistic Missile for North Korea 

http://conta.cc/26pvYYK

Why I think Adm. McRaven is wrong by Tom Ricks

http://conta.cc/1qMRmq8

Distinguished person of the week: GEN Mattis

http://conta.cc/1qNnJVI

What Cyberwar Against ISIS Should Look Like

http://conta.cc/1qNobTN

How Women Can Be The Secret Weapon In The War Against Isis

http://conta.cc/26pw82c

Islamist militants behead Canadian man in southern Philippines

http://conta.cc/1qNoSfG

Current News and Commentary - April 24, 2016

N. Korea deploys 300 new MLRS along front line: sources

http://conta.cc/1qJkwpZ

The Leftists Who Turned Right (Book Review)

http://conta.cc/21ag2FY

AFRICOM boss scrutinizes US role in hunt for warlord Kony

http://conta.cc/21agrYL

Braiding New Narratives in Syria and Iraq - Narrative Exploration

http://conta.cc/1VRMhcV

An Amateur vs. ISIS: A Car Salesman Investigates and Ends Up in Prison

http://conta.cc/21ahx73

 Is China's authoritarianism decaying into personalised rule? 

http://conta.cc/1VRN2mm

EXCLUSIVE-Beijing auditions foreign agencies to polish China brand

http://conta.cc/1VRMEV5

William McRaven: A warrior's career sacrificed for politics

http://conta.cc/1VRSUMy

The Unpleasant Truth About Chinese Espionage

http://conta.cc/21avhP8

War Out of Sight, Sacrifice Out of Mind

http://conta.cc/1VS0wPb

April 24th 1980: Operation Eagle Claw

http://conta.cc/21axmur

The Common Denominator

http://conta.cc/26mdFDz

Kristin Beck Would Love to Train 1st Female SEALs -- On One Condition

http://conta.cc/1qJimXy

White House poised to release secret pages from 9/11 inquiry

http://conta.cc/26mefkZ

Military needs effective social media ops

http://conta.cc/26men3V

America was founded on secrets and lies

http://conta.cc/1qJkHl2

The Defense Department made a big gaffe that helps Putin and Assad in Syria

http://conta.cc/1qJkwpZ

Kim Jong-un: The Unauthorized Biography (Documentary on You Tube)

An hour long documentary on north Korea recently published on YouTube.  Some interesting footage and analysis.  

I was interviewed for this documentary about a year ago and it also includes others such as Dr. Victor Cha, Kieth Luse,  and Ambassador Joe DeTrani.

This was produced by a European documentary team (based in France).  It covers a lot of ground from Kim Jong-un's schooling to Jang Sang Taek's execution and much more.

I am not sure where the idea that Kim Jong-un is grooming his sister for succession came from.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9Lpd0pfoOaA

The 185 page report can be downloaded directly here. http://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR1200/RR1236/RAND_RR1236.pdf

This excerpt can be summarized as Special Operations Forces simply doing their job by relying on their training, long term relationships with the host nation military, understanding of the operational environment because of continuous training in country for decades and most important employing the fundamental SOF doctrine as it existed at 9-11.

• U.S. counterterrorism policy in recent years has sought to rely increasingly on indigenous forces. Some efforts have enjoyed greater success than others, including this Philippine example. The study found that key factors that contributed to success in this case were: 1) maintaining the sovereign government lead, which avoided U.S. dependency; 2) adjusting plans through regular assessments; 3) employing SOF and other capabilities in a synergistic way; and 4) creating and maintaining interagency coordination. These findings may be useful in developing policy options and plans for other long-term SOF and partner building missions.

U.S. Special Operations Forces in the Philippines, 2001–2014

by Linda Robinson, Patrick B. Johnston, Gillian S. Oak

http://www.rand.org/pubs/research_reports/RR1236.html

This report examines the 14-year experience of U.S. special operations forces in the Philippines from 2001 through 2014. The objective of this case history is to document and evaluate the activities and effects of special operations capabilities employed to address terrorist threats in Operation Enduring Freedom — Philippines through (1) training and equipping Philippine security forces, (2) providing operational advice and assistance, and (3) conducting civil–military and information operations. The report evaluates the development, execution, and adaptation of the U.S. effort to enable the Philippine government to counter transnational terrorist groups.

An average of 500 to 600 U.S. Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine Corps special operations units were employed continuously under the command of a joint special operations task force. They provided training, advice, and assistance during combat operations to both Philippine special operations units and selected air, ground, and naval conventional units; conducted civil–military and information operations on Basilan, in the Sulu archipelago, and elsewhere in Mindanao; provided intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, medical evacuation, and emergency care; aided planning and intelligence fusion at joint operational commands and force development at institutional headquarters; and coordinated their programs closely with the U.S. embassy country team. The authors conclude that Operation Enduring Freedom — Philippines contributed to the successful degradation of transnational terrorist threats in the Philippines and the improvement of its security forces, particularly special operations units. It identifies contributing and limiting factors, which could be relevant to the planning and implementation of future such efforts.

Research Questions

1. What effect did U.S. special operations forces' activities have on the transnational terrorist threat?
2. What effect did those activities have on the Philippine security forces' capabilities at the tactical, operational, and institutional levels?

Key Findings

U.S. Special Operations Forces' Activities in the Philippines Between 2001 and 2014 Contributed to a Reduced Transnational Terrorist Threat and Support for Threat Groups

• The number of enemy-initiated attacks has dropped, the number of Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) militants has decreased, and polls show reduced support for the ASG and a substantial majority reporting satisfaction with Philippine security forces.

U.S. Special Operations Forces' Activities in the Philippines During That Period Also Increased Philippine Security Forces' Capabilities at the Tactical, Operational, and Institutional Levels

• At the tactical level, U.S. special operations forces (SOF) provided training, advice, and assistance to conventional Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) units at all echelons throughout Mindanao, including Philippine Army, Marine Corps, Navy, and Air Force units. In the later years of Operation Enduring Freedom — Philippines, U.S. SOF also provided training, advice, and assistance to the PNP Special Action Forces. U.S. SOF interviewees judged that Philippine SOF are among the most proficient of those Asian SOF units with which they had worked.
• At the operational level, U.S. SOF advised and assisted the AFP headquarters to improve its joint processes and integrate command and control, planning, and intelligence functions.
• At the institutional level, U.S. SOF contributed somewhat to strategy, planning, and coordination at the AFP national headquarters, and they helped Western Mindanao Command develop its plans and intelligence analysis and fusion capabilities.

Activities During That Period Had Other Effects as Well

• The activities enhanced the bilateral defense ties between the United States and the Philippines.

Recommendations

• U.S. counterterrorism policy in recent years has sought to rely increasingly on indigenous forces. Some efforts have enjoyed greater success than others, including this Philippine example. The study found that key factors that contributed to success in this case were: 1) maintaining the sovereign government lead, which avoided U.S. dependency; 2) adjusting plans through regular assessments; 3) employing SOF and other capabilities in a synergistic way; and 4) creating and maintaining interagency coordination. These findings may be useful in developing policy options and plans for other long-term SOF and partner building missions.

Table of Contents

• Chapter One
  Introduction
• Chapter Two
  U.S.-Philippine Relations in Historical Perspective
• Chapter Three
  2001–2004: The Initiation of Operation Enduring Freedom — Philippines
• Chapter Four
  2005–2007: The Move to Jolo and Operation Ultimatum
• Chapter Five
  2008–2010: Expansion of Effort
• Chapter Six
  2010–2012: Transitioning Up
• Chapter Seven
  2012–2014: Zamboanga Siege and Transitioning Out
• Chapter Eight
  Conclusion
• Appendix A
  Balikatan 02-1 Terms of Reference
• Appendix B
  Plan Analysis Tool

8251st Army Unit - 14th Special Forces Operational Detachment (FD)

Back when we understood operations in a denied area.  When less is more and small units mean agility and resiliency or as Nassim Taleb says "anti-fragility."

1st Special Forces Group Veterans

6 hrs · 

Sixty years ago today, the 8251st Army Unit was activated at Fort Bragg, NC. This was the cover designation for the 14th Special Forces Operational Detachment (FD), which was designed to operate as a command & control unit within a "denied area". The 14th SFOD would be the cadre of the new 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne). In the next two years, it would PCS twice -- to Fort Shafter, Hawaii and then to Fort Buckner, Okinawa -- while executing "foreign internal defense" missions in Thailand, the Republic Of China, and South Vietnam. The 14th SFOD was commanded by LTC Albert Scott Madding; Master Sergeant Robert L. Voss was the Sergeant Major

https://www.facebook.com/10150153697780646/photos/a.10150179415485646.420390.10150153697780646/10156777731490646/?type=3&theater