Photos of Afghanistan Atrocities Horrify

We have been in Afghanistan far longer than the Russians were, and there is no end in sight. President Obama came into office in hopes of getting us out of Iraq and Afghanistan, but 3 years in we're still there.

Sometimes it takes a true shock to convince people to change the status quo. A rogue team of soldiers that photographed the atrocities they committed may be the catalyst. Warning: Photos on the attached article are deeply disturbing. And there are many more that remain unpublished for now.

It is feared that these pictures - which show the aftermath of the murders at the hands of a rogue U.S. Stryker 'kill team' - could be even more damaging as the trials of the 12 accused men are currently under way in Seattle...

Army officials attempted to keep the photographs under wraps as part of the war crimes probe fearing it could inflame feelings at a time when anti-Americanism in Afghanistan is already running high.

In their statement, the U.S. army said the photographs depicted 'actions repugnant to us as human beings and contrary to the standards and values of the United States Army.

Army deploys the Pulse Rifle from Aliens

While technology has continued to advance in the areas of communication, computation, and large scale weapons (like nuclear weapons and drones), the humble rifle has remained largely unchanged since the Vietnam war. No longer. The army has announced the XM25 Counter Defilade Target Engagement System, a high powered rifle with programmable rounds that can be set to explode at any pre-set range.

It also has the advantage of looking like everyone's favorite prop from James Cameron's version of the Alien movies.

Video Games inform the Battlefield

I love shoot-em-ups, especially the ones where you have lots of armor and can really vent your frustrations without worrying too much about the enemies. But have you ever stopped to look at all the information your virtual warrior has at his disposal? Ammo remaining, armor remaining, life remaining. Wouldn't it be great if our soldiers on a real battlefield had access to that kind of life-saving data? The army is working on a way to make it happen!

"As a kid, everyone played those video games that showed you how much armor you had left as a percentage bar," said John Wray, a TARDEC contractor. "That's exactly what we're working on here and more."

Intelligent armor is based on piezoelectrics, or materials that generate a small voltage when bent. The reverse is also true: Apply a small voltage, and a piezoelectric material will bend...By measuring just how much energy is lost, the TARDEC scientists can determine how damaged the armor is.

And, of course, if you add this to a wireless ad hoc network that is linked back to the commander, he can see which areas of the battlefield are in the most trouble, and send help. It may be another way to multiply the effectiveness of our soldiers, and save lives.

Ancient Persian Army Found!

C.S. Lewis coined a term "chronological snobbery" to refer to moderns who laugh off most ancient historical records as "mythological" or "inventions of oral history". The fact is that more often than not ancient historians - whether Josephus, Herodatus, or Luke - tend to be remarkably accurate. We have a new example in Egypt where a Persian army who disappeared 2,500 years ago has been found.

According to Herodotus (484-425 B.C.), Cambyses, the son of Cyrus the Great, sent 50,000 soldiers from Thebes to attack the Oasis of Siwa and destroy the oracle at the Temple of Amun. Alexander the Great had famously sought legitimization of his rule from the oracle of Amun in 332 B.C., but according to legend, the oracle would have predicted the death of Cambyses...After walking for seven days in the desert, the army got to an "oasis," which historians believe was El-Kharga. After they left, they were never seen again.

"A wind arose from the south, strong and deadly, bringing with it vast columns of whirling sand, which entirely covered up the troops and caused them wholly to disappear," wrote Herodotus.

As no trace of the hapless warriors has ever be found, scholars began to dismiss the story as a fanciful tale...Now, two top Italian archaeologists claim to have found striking evidence that the Persian army was indeed swallowed in a sandstorm. Twin brothers Angelo and Alfredo Castiglioni are already famous for their discovery 20 years ago of the ancient Egyptian "city of gold" Berenike Panchrysos.

Underestimate ancient historians at your own risk!