Back on Anglesey, Wales, and seeing Spen for the first time in 3 months. This mischief disguised as an angel is always a little shy at first. That’ll last for about 15mins. Then in 12 hours Spen will start saying, on repeat: ‘Michael go home.’😂
2. Update 24 Feb 2020|
#Wales 24 Feb 2020| wanted to give you a little peek into our walk today. The wind was blowing hard, the rain had turned the paths into streams, and although it was around 8DegC, the wind was bringing the temperature down to around 3DegC.
#Wales But to be honest, it doesn’t matter what the weather is, Spen’s happiness comes from walking hard in the hills. So, you get the right gear, and you head out, come rain wind or shine.
I do this 4/5 times a year. Charlotte my sister, does it week-in week-out, she is the legend, and Spencer’s gatekeeper. And between the 2 of us and our love of the hills, Spen gets the best form of medicine possible - simply known as ‘the great outdoors.’
5. #Autism| last day on #Anglesey w/ Spen-the beach where we grew up. Chatting to himself purges his mind. It’s buys him another day, it’s buys Charlotte & his carers another day too. The cycle is 24hrs. Get up, eat, expend energy in all weathers, eat, sleep — repeat for life.👍🏼
#Autism| 26 Feb 2020| saying goodbye at the train station as I head to London. After two fun but exhausting days, Charlotte will now drop Spen off at his house to be picked up by one of his carers, who will take care of Spen next.
The dedication of Charlotte and the team is second to none - giving Spencer an unparalleled quality of life. I can’t help but think about the super-human that mum was — to take care of Spencer, day in, day out, for over 35years.
Mum never spent a night away from Spen. Phenomenal loyalty and resilience — I couldn’t do it for a week. But mum’s story isn’t a one-off. There are mum’s & dad’s everywhere on a similar journey. One that they fight in silence & with honour.
They don’t want sympathy, just a little help from local services, especially when their little ones turn into adults. And you? You can offer a smile and maybe even a conversation or a helping hand, when you see a mum or dad on that journey.
Your interest makes all the difference in a mum or dad’s day (or a carer’s). Thanks for all the lovely words over the last few days. It’s #AutismAwareness month in April. 😊
• • •
Missing some Tweet in this thread? You can try to
force a refresh
The targeting & killing of AQ #1 in a Kabul safe-house raises a number of questions for me.
1. This type of targeted strike by the CIA needs needs massive amounts of intel. SIGINT & IMINT (usually from drones), and HUMINT (informants). Talibs? 2/
Should it come as a surprise that the AQ #1 is found in Kabul? Just one year after the chaotic and tragic withdrawal of coalition forces from Afghanistan (Biden), and a complete capitulation of power to the Taliban (generated by Trump at Doha) 3/
Reminder, the reason for the U.S commencing kinetic activity in Afghanistan was post 9/11 and to eradicate AQ training camps from Afghan. The efficacy of the strategy was poor as most senior AQ operatives fled across the porous PAK border (Bin Laden). 4/
Gut wrenching. Key point: a #NFZ wouldn’t prevent this. There are 2 main air operations: Defensive Counter Air (DCA) & Offensive Counter Air, Surface Attack (SA). An NFZ comes under DCA. 2/
To target RU rockets/artillery *inside Ukraine* you need Close Air Support (CAS), a subset of Offensive Counter Air Surface Attack (OCA SA) missions. 3/
#Ukraine| thread here by @aldin_ww showing RU Su-25 Frogfoot ac ultra-low level over Donetsk. The Frogfoot is a RU Close Air Support platform [CAS], and an old one - 1975. And from what I can see, the pair are manoeuvring over Donetsk in what looks like a show of force 2/
Cont’d: the pair have no precision guided munitions (PGMs). Just rocket pods and dumb bomb pylons. This recent video below is one of the Su-25s that took a MANPADs to its rear. There’s a number of takeaways from these videos. 3/
3. #Ukraine| the U.S, U.K and other NATO partners are well versed in CAS using multiple modern platforms and PGM weaponry to degrade the enemy. The U.K have been using Typhoon w/ Paveway 500lb PGMs, and Storm Shadow (inertial nav missiles) in N.Iraq. F-35 now in the mix. 4/5.
Agree w/ @jensstoltenberg. If the aim is to disrupt and deter RU use of Ukraine airspace, Stinger is your option. Lots of them, closely monitored by SF. Benefits?
1. Air Crews are shit scared of Stinger which has superior counter counter measures. 2/
When I flew in Iraq and Afghanistan, even the idea of MANPADs being part of our threat, created all sorts of additional protocols. And Stinger, that’s a nightmare. As soon as a RU ac is taken out by Stinger, RU aircrews’ morale will head south. 3/
The logistical tail of creating a 24/7 NFZ is huge. Where will the NATO ac be located? Baltic Air Policing is based out of Lithuania and Estonia. If based out of there, tanking will be required, and you risk Putin striking the bases. Escalation. 4/
War is brutal. It shows you sadness and despair that stays with you forever, no matter how good life might get in the future. If they are extremely lucky, they’ll walk away with their limbs in tact. But mentally, they are likely to be haunted. #Ukraine 2/
2. #Ukraine| I do admire them. It’s an unnecessary fight for national survival. The alternative isn’t any better - living under Putin. But the following days, weeks, and months will rely on a lot of luck and organic judgement. 3 days training gives them next to nothing. 3/
3. #Ukraine| while just a few hours away from Kyiv, in London, Paris, Madrid, Berlin and other major European capitals, we in the West go about our days pretty much as normal, these young lads will be embarking on a journey with low odds of survival. 4/
Just look at city’s like Aleppo in Syria to learn no one wins from this. But the civilian population loses desperately. It will take decades to reconstruct. Kharkiv’s citizens will be displaced, forced to find a new life. Then vilified for hoping to find a better life 😞#Ukraine
2. #Ukraine| evidence suggesting Putin is using cluster munitions in #Kharkiv.
The Convention on Cluster Munitions (CMs) was established in 2010. It bans the munition & requires member countries to clear areas contaminated by cluster munition remnants within 10 years 3/