NATO's Operation Medusa this month killed 1,000 to 1,500 Taliban fighters, its top operational commander said on Wednesday. Gen James Jones, NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, said allies of the alliance had committed to provide at least 2,000 of the roughly 2,000-2,500 extra troops he had sought to strengthen the NATO force in Afghanistan. Jones provided a higher enemy death toll than NATO had previously given for the two-week operation, which ended last weekend. NATO had said more than 400 insurgents were killed. The Taliban denied such losses.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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#5
Who cares? There are plenty more recruits waiting to be trained in Pakistan. As long as the Taliban have a safe haven to rearm and recuperate, they won't go away. You can kill thousands of them with smart bombs and the outcome of the war will not change.
#6
G: You can kill thousands of them with smart bombs and the outcome of the war will not change.
Do you mean to say they will win or that no definitive end to the war can be established until the sanctuaries are destroyed? My feeling is that this could go on for decades, Kashmir-like, but we'll leave most of the fighting to the Afghan military. As long as we continue funding or at least supplying the Afghan military, and provide air support, I can't see the Afghan government crumbling. We lost China, South Vietnam and Iran because we cut off supplies. (That is why it is risky for any government to buy exclusively American military supplies - you never know when you'll be cut off).
#7
Where's our newest Beltway Defense Expert for comment?
I'm primarily impressed that it was done by NATO troops. It's good to see them in action, getting the experience under their belts and being comrads in arms, rather than bitching wusses.
It's always good to kill the enemy but it reminds me of the definition a computer engineer gave me of MIPS; Meaningless Indicator of Processor Speed. Body count is nice, but so what? Are they replacing them faster than we can kill them, like the Yankees in the recent unpleasantness? Or are they all gone? At this rate how long will it take? Etc.
These are all questions begged by the body count, sure to be exploited to deride the war effort by the MSM, and reasons it should not be a focus of attention for the general public. Releasing bodycounts is foolish PR.
We are approaching the day when more Americans will have died in Afghanistan and Iraq than on 9/11. That will be a day of great MSM hand wringing. Does that number make any difference?
#9
Killing these thugs is good. Killing large quantities of these thugs is even better. Have no doubt about it. That NATO is sprouting a set and getting the job done is just icing on the cake. However, nothing is going to change significantly until we choke off the endless stream of these scum coming from Pakistan. That is the real issue. Until that changes, Afghanistan is just another live fire exercise held in a rough terrain shooting gallery.
#14
This is good news. If we killed 1,500, then we wounded 3,000. They may replace them, but the replacements will be inexperienced and they too will die in great numbers. The Taliban is in a downward spiral. The fall offensive may be cancelled. Ticket money will not be refunded.
#15
Oh the outcome of the war will most certainly change. Our kill rate is way above their replacement rate for their population. Either we are gonna kill all the men 16-40, or enough nuts will die that only the sane men that decide that keeping their asses in PakLand is a much better life choice.
#16
It won't stop until the ideology known as "Islam" is thoroughly discredited and relegated to the ash heap of history. So long as significant numbers of grown adults pretend that there is anything "honorable" about an ideology that teaches that its adherents are PREDESTINED to an earthly reign over "infidels", there will always be extremists literalists who spring forward in a violent attempt to make it so.
#17
Great job, I bet it's not easy to kill 1,500 men off of large rocky mountains.
I was watching an interesting show on the Military Channel about rules of gorilla warefare. It broke down both sides of the Vietnam and first Afghan Wars with these 6 ordinal rules.
Both Sides will:
1 State Clear Objective
2 Attempt for Hearts and Minds
3 Build Up Forces in Region
4 Attrition, jocking positions, guriella tactics
5 Tranformation to Convential War, tanks, artillery
6 Take Over Government
The mistake the gorillas usually make is prematurely trying to tranform from gureilla warefare to conventional. So any time the Taliban gather in numbers their going to get wiped out.
The only way we could lose, is if we pull out and leave the country hanging, like South Vietnam.
#18
You know, getting rid of this many men, leaves a lot of Muslim women out there who will need husbands to beat them per the Koran. We have alot of men who think that is there mission in life to beat women. Send them to these women. Aatch made in heaven
When we hit 3000 combat dead, I will bet you a bottle of anything you want that at least some politicians and a bunch of MSM types will start saying that we are now doing nothing but 'taking revenge'.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
09/21/2006 11:47 Comments ||
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#22
"We're pickin' up the pieces of their sweet shattered dreams."
-- unknown Quartermaster Branch NCO, after an A-10 attack.
#23
I'm in the process of reading Steven Pressfield's 'The Afghan Campaign'. I suspect our guys in Afghanistan sympathesize with the main character of the book. Some things never change ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
09/21/2006 13:13 Comments ||
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#24
Mike, that's not a bet, it's a metaphysical certainty.
#25
The talk about killed/wounded ratios makes me wonder if we shouldn't just maim them and send them back. Make them a burden on their society to the point that they have to spend all their energy dealing with people without a leg, etc.
#26
Not to worry, gorb. The muzzies don't like to leave their dead or wounded on the battlefield. They do not have the advanced triage or medical practices that we do, so I believe their are many everyday reminders of what can happen to those who face the Great Satin around the ME.
#27
Almost all Taliban recruits are Pashtun, either on the Paki or Afghan side of the border. There are about 12 million in Afghan, about 28 million in Paki. A total potential recruiting pool of 40 million. But plenty of Afghan Pashtuns really arent in that pool - from relatively secular, educated inhabitants of Kabul (including old commie types) to aristocratic zai types associated with the old monarchy, to particular tribes that are on the Kharzai side of the ledger. Say a recruiting pool of only a few million Afghan Pashtuns really. OTOH, the pool on the Paki side could be much larger, depending on how you read the tribal politics of the FATAs.
So winning by attrition, even at this high rate, would probably take a very long time. The better strategy is to use periods of Taliban weakness to rebuild the economy in Kandahar and Helmand provinces, to strengthen loyalty to the central govt. Even if at this point most Taliban are actually Pakistani (a point of some dispute) they will have a harder time moving without support from locals. The stronger the Afghan state is, the better position we will be in if and when we eventually confront the Pakistani state.
#28
The stronger the Afghan state is, the better position we will be in if and when we eventually confront the Pakistani state.
One is obliged to wonder if the F-16 sale to Pakistan isn't some sort of Iranian Air Force bamboozle. Sure, go ahead and sell them the jets. After we've got their three billion dollars, cut off all pilot training, spare parts and ground support so they're stuck with a big fleet of expensive lawn darts.
Lawn darts that we know very well how to shoot down.
#30
Body counts are worth every bit as much as my opinion - zilch. I did Bomb Damage Assessment in Vietnam. Much of it was a joke. When we did hit a viable target, the ability to do a body count just wasn't there. We tried to do a bomb damage assessment of a major truck park in Laos after an ARCLIGHT strike - totally worthless. Anything there had either been pounded into oblivion, or the secondaries reported wiped it out. Any assessment of destruction after the ARCLIGHT strike was worthless.
The same is true in Afghanistan. How many bodies have been hit by more than two 30mm shells from an A-10? How much is left (hint - it'll all fit in one gallon-size Ziplock bag)? The only measure of success we can rely on is the number of attacks against NATO or US forces. If that number decreases significantly, we've really hurt them. If the number stays about the same, but the capability of the attackers is degraded, we've hurt them significantly, but they've got replacements. If the attacks continue as they are, we haven't hurt them enough, but wasted a lot of ammo on live-fire training - that troops obviously NEED.
In the end, we will probably wear them down to about the same capability as a small group of criminals in a gang. As someone mentioned, there will be a shortage of marriage-age men. Ask Japan or Korea how that hurts the overall population. We may have a reverse-China problem to deal with - all girls, no boys,vs China's mostly boys and no girls. Maybe they could arrange a swap...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
09/21/2006 17:16 Comments ||
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#31
Any assessment of destruction after the ARCLIGHT strike was worthless.
#32
The attrition warfare is already bearing fruit : a couple of months back, a large group of Afghan tribal leaders met with US military officials to try to work out an accord, where we would capture their young men rather than kill them outright. These Afghani Pashtun leaders were complaining that their villages were becoming empty of young men, and that their tribes were in danger because of that lack {basically, we were killing all of the breeding stock BEFORE they reproduced}. Now, Pakistan has a much larger population of Pashtuns than Afghanistan, so the desired effect will take much longer there - but it will happen. For a similar period of anti-tribal warfare, refer to the US Indian Wars : same killing of the young and crazy lead to the cessation of hostilities by tribes too weak to carry on.
One further point is that the Taliban is now pulling almost all of their cannonfodder from the Paki side of the border, and that is alienating a lot of the Afghanis in the south, who are being to view those "mujis" as foreign mercenaries and hillbillies who burn schools and hospitals.
#33
Thanks, OP. I find that absolutely unsurprising. The point about the Indian Wars is right on target. I have been reading Utley's book. The resemblance in almost all respects to today's war is uncanny.
It is comforting to realize, after a fashion, that they still haven't figured out the flypaper thingy. I am grateful that most of our enemies are dumber than rocks. Stupid is as stupid does. Over and over and...
Bodycounts are a 4 or 5-edged thing... OP covers it beautifully.
#36
"We're pickin' up the pieces of their sweet shattered dreams."
A Gordon Lightfoot reference.
Cool.
Posted by: Mike ||
09/21/2006 18:29 Comments ||
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#37
The attrition warfare is already bearing fruit : a couple of months back, a large group of Afghan tribal leaders met with US military officials to try to work out an accord, where we would capture their young men rather than kill them outright.
Why send them back? Keep killing them! They were just about to figure out their first cause<==>effect relationship ever! They might actually generalize it to other cause<==>effects, too!
How "verifiable" is this? I say cut off a foot or something and then give them back. Whatever it takes to ensure they won't be caught fighting again.
These Afghani Pashtun leaders were complaining that their villages were becoming empty of young men, and that their tribes were in danger because of that lack
Well, if they look anything like Mariyah Moten, I'll be happy to go over there to help out wherever I can! :-P
#38
Interesting perspective on the bodycount thingy, Old Patriot. Could we be relying on the claims of our shooters perhaps? That could at least give an indication...
Shieldwolf, that is good to know. The other part of it is that the Afghanis are still thinking of this as their traditional raiding behaviour, they still don't understand the Western-style, for-all-the-goodies war.
As for the girls, they should go to India, which is growing its own missing girls problem. They'll be happier there in a similar enough culture and climate, not to mention the foods. But in reality, a numerical excess of Pakistani or Pashtun girls just means that Pakistani/Pashtun men who in the olden days of last year would have only gotten one wife now have the possibility of getting a second or third.
#39
But in reality, a numerical excess of Pakistani or Pashtun girls just means that Pakistani/Pashtun men who in the olden days of last year would have only gotten one wife now have the possibility of getting a second or third.
TW makes the point I was going to make. I'm kind of curious, though....I was thinking that to the Pashtuns, it would be less of a bug, more of a feature. Unless it was a lot of high ranking sons of local warlords getting iced, thereby lessening the glory of the family name going on for another generation?
#40
The family line is continued through the sons, Swamp Blondie, and lost if there are only daughters. I assume the complainers are starting to lose family names. I don't know if the Pashtuns are a dowry or bride price culture, but if it's dowry, then there's the injury of being in a very costly balance of payments situation where they are paying out to get the girls married off, getting nothing from incoming brides for non-existing sons, and enduring the insult of seeing the family come to an ignominious end all at once.
#41
If it's a bride price culture, then there's nothing coming from the non-existent husbands for their daughters, or less as they go off to be lower-ranked second or worse wives, and still the family name dies with the dead sons. We win, they lose, buh-bye suckers -- thanks for playing!
(Xinhua) -- Twelve suspected rebels were detained on Wednesday following a roadside bombing in the southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement. The suspects were arrested by ISAF in Pashmush area in the morning after a roadside bombing, it said, adding the explosion caused no casualties. A second roadside bomb exploded nearby, also not bringing casualties. "The men detained were seen to be acting suspiciously while observing recovery following the first explosion," the statement said. They were taken to an ISAF facility where they tested positive for traces of bomb residue, it added.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
What do they do with all these bozos? Lock them up until after the war has been decided? Push them out the back of a c130 and see if they can fly? What? You can't hold onto all of them forever!
#2
Every birdie has to leave the nest and learn to fly sometime. If you give them more space, like 30,000 feet, they have more time and a better chance to learn the flapping technique.
(Xinhua) -- Up to 10 insurgents were killed in the southern Helmand province of Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement on Wednesday. ISAF soldiers received incoming fire from small arms and rockets in Garmser district on Tuesday afternoon, it said, adding that ISAF fought back with machine guns and close air support. "Battle damage assessment indicates that three insurgent vehicles were destroyed with up to ten insurgents killed," the statement said. There were no ISAF casualties, it added. Garmser, locating in eastern Helmand, has been plagued by rising insurgence in the past months, during which the Taliban occupied the district center briefly several times.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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Islamabad, Sept. 22 (PTI): China, an all-weather ally of Pakistan, has blocked efforts by the United States to seek an international ban on Pakistan-based outfit Jamaat-ud-Dawah, an offshoot of the outlawed Lashkar-e-Toiba.
US has already declared JUD, founded by Lashkar founder-leader Hafeez Saeed, as a terrorist outfit and moved its case to the UN Security Council's Al-Qaeda and Taliban, (UNSCAT) sanctions committee seeking an international ban.
However, China which is one of the five UNSC permanent members, put the request on technical hold and sought credible evidences indicating the outfit's linkages with al-Qaeda, Pakistan daily The Post said.
As JUD was considered to be the off-shoot of LeT that was declared a terrorist outfit by the UNSCAT on May 2, 2005, US sought the inclusion JUD in the list of terrorist organisations on the same lines.
But Pakistan officials adopted a different strategy and managed to thwart it by denying its links with Al-Qaeda, the newspaper reported.
The status quo continues to prevail as the US has failed to provide the required information, the newspaper quoted Pakistan Foreign Office spokesperson, Tasnim Aslam, as saying.
She said the technical hold requires information demanded by any UNSC member for processing the request. She, however, denied divulging the nature of information the China had sought. "It is confidential," she said.
The Chinese intervention in JUD's case adds new dimension to the Pak-China relations.
This was perhaps the first time China, which has been pressing Pakistan for its part to crackdown on Al-Qaeda militants from the bordering Muslim-dominated Xiangxiang province, to have intervened on issues related to militant groups and terrorism.
Posted by: john ||
09/21/2006 17:17 ||
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#1
The Chinese intervention in JUD's case adds new dimension to the Pak-China relations.
#2
China is slowly removing any compunctions we should have about taking Iran offline. Just keep it up, guys, and we'll be selling you Iraqi oil for $200.00 a barrel.
President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan said that after the September 11 attacks the United States threatened to bomb his country if it did not cooperate with America's war campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Musharraf, in an interview with CBS news magazine show "60 Minutes" that will air Sunday, said the threat came from Assistant Secretary of State Richard Armitage and was given to Musharraf's intelligence director. "The intelligence director told me that (Armitage) said, 'Be prepared to be bombed. Be prepared to go back to the Stone Age,'" Musharraf said. "I think it was a very rude remark." The Pakistani leader, whose remarks were distributed to the media by CBS, said he reacted to the threat in a responsible way. "One has to think and take actions in the interest of the nation, and that's what I did," Musharraf said about the cooperation extended by Pakistan. Musharraf said some demands made by the United States were "ludicrous," including one insisting he kill Qazi, Fazl, and Hafez Saeed suppress domestic expression of support for terrorism against the United States. "If somebody's expressing views, we cannot curb the expression of views," Musharraf said.
Posted by: Destro in Panama ||
09/21/2006 14:32 ||
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#1
My recollection is that as of Wednesday or Thursday right after 9/11, Pakistan was refusing us overflight or overland access to Afghanistan and they were dismissing U.S. requests for such as completely out of the question.
By the following day, IIRC, their position had switched around to something like, "Oh, of course, it goes without saying that we'll give America all the access it wants; no problem."
Regardless of the particulars it was a sudden and total switcheroo, and I've always wondered what triggered it. I would not be surprised at all if this story were true.
Posted by: Dave D. ||
09/21/2006 15:45 Comments ||
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#2
Considering their actions... maybe we should have bombed them to the Stone Age.
#11
It was a rude remark and a big mistake was made, but no surprise given that it was Armitage. We should simply have reiterated the "If you're not against the terrorists, you're with the terrorists." judgement. Let him come to his own conclusion. We'd have been a lot better off if we'd taken Pakistan out at the same time as Afghanistan.
#12
He's lucky he was given a choice. Sept 11 was caused by Al Queda who was being shelterd by the Taliban which was created and supported by Pakistan. Pakistan was guilty up to their eyeballs.
I don't think it would have been difficult to arrange to bomb him and restore the democratically elected crook that he couped out of power. Either that or work with India to dismantle Pakistan once and for all.
#14
Recall that right after 9/11 Wolfowitz talked about "ending states" that supported terrorism.
And Bush was quite clear - "you are either with us or against us"
So Armitage's warning about Pakistan choosing between the 21st century and the stone age would be quite understandable.
Posted by: john ||
09/21/2006 17:44 Comments ||
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#15
This isn't actually new news. Armitage wasn't free-lancing either - the verbiage came directly from the White House (State Department people can leak, but they can't disobey a direct order to say some specific thing). What Musharraf then did was go to Beijing to ask the Chinese if they would back him if he stiff-armed Uncle Sam. The Chinese gave him the back of their hand, since they wanted no direct part in the Muslim world's covert jihad against Uncle Sam.
This is the meaning of Chinese cooperation in the War on Terror - they refused to align themselves with terror-sponsoring states. The Chinese will sell weapons (cash on the barrel) to them, but not actually fight their wars for them. This represents Chinese prudence rather than any love for Uncle Sam, of course. And Muslim fanatics are being silly when they attempt to use China to fight their enemies - only Uncle Sam is naive enough to fight other people's battles in their behalf.
My feeling is that Rumsfeld's repeated assertion that "all options are on the table" (at the behest of the White House) wasn't necessarily directed at the Taliban. Pakistan and China might have been the intended recipients of the message.
#17
As I recall reading somewhere, we directly threatened their nuke sites and leadership with a USBN out there in the ocean. 24 missiles with up to 8 warheads each. One SSBN could turn pakiland into glass.
I am sure we knew about the ISI/AQ Khan/AlQ links and told them this was WAR. Pick your side, Perv.
Indian troops gunned down five militants in separate incidents in Kashmir. Indian troops shot dead three members of Lashkar-e-Taiba in the Gandoh range of southern Doda district late on Tuesday, a police spokesman said on Wednesday. A fourth militant managed to escape under the cover of darkness, he added. "Two of the slain militants were local Kashmiris, while the third was a Pakistani resident," he said.
In another incident, Indian soldiers gunned down two men in the forests of Indian Kashmir, claiming they were militants, but villagers said one of the men was a carpenter who mistakenly wandered into an army ambush.
In a separate development, a senior army field commander was removed after his unit was found to have killed three civilians in August, the Times of India newspaper reported Wednesday. The army could not be reached for comment.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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PESHAWAR: The victim of Tuesday's bomb blast in Bajaur Agency succumbed to her injuries at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), a spokesman of NCHD said. Wasia 22, a health worker of the NCHD, was admitted to the hospital after receiving severe head injuries in the blast on Tuesday. The health worker was travelling in a NCHD vehicle, which was hit by a bomb. Wasia,s dead body was taken to her native village in Malakand Agency, where she was buried. The spokesman Taimur Ahmed Shah said that NCHD was not a non-governmental organization as was reported in some newspapers.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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WANA: Suspected pro-Taliban militants killed a government official and his two friends in South Waziristan tribal region on Wednesday, an intelligence official said. The attackers riding in a car ambushed the car of Gul Zada, an official in the local administration, as he was coming out of a regional court along with four friends. "Gul Zada and two of his friends were killed. Two others are wounded." He said pro-Taliban militants were suspected of the attack.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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MIRANSHAH: Security forces with help from tribal elders raided a village near Afghanistan on Wednesday and arrested 10 tribals for allegedly sheltering Taliban militants, an intelligence official said.
The suspects were caught in Alwara Mandi, a town in North Waziristan, said the official. "So far, it is not clear whether any among the detainees is involved in attacks on coalition forces, but they are suspected of sheltering Taliban," said the official. A council of tribal elders and security forces were dispatched to the village a day after Taliban attacked the coalition forces in Afghanistan, not far away from Alwara Mandi. The official gave no further details, but the arrests came after militants and elders, under a Sept 5 deal with the government, agreed to help authorities stop militants from crossing over to Afghanistan. Under the accord, militants also agreed not to attack Pakistani troops in the region.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
the arrests came after militants and elders, under a Sept 5 deal with the government, agreed to help authorities stop militants from crossing over to Afghanistan.
Why would militants be involved in such an agreement? Did I just develop Altzheimer's or am I sensing some kind of BS agreement here?
Under the accord, militants also agreed not to attack Pakistani troops in the region.
The Government of Iraq took control of the southern province of Dhi Qar on Thursday in a move Coalition officials called "another sign of progress toward a stable and secure Iraq," placing the country one step closer to full self governance.
Dhi Qar is the second of Iraqs 18 provinces transferred to provincial Iraqi control. With the change in status, Coalition security forces are helping local police and the Iraqi military take full control of security in the region.
Coalition officials and Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki say they hope to have all 18 of the countrys provinces under Iraqi control by the end of next year.
"Today we received the security file for the province of Dhi Qar which follows the handover of Al-Muthanna," al-Maliki said during the handover ceremony.
"We will continue to receive control of other provinces as we manage to get our country back from the hands of the Baath dictatorship..."
...The responsibility for Dhi Qars transfer was mostly handled by the Italian contingent there, led by Brig. Gen. Carmine De Pascale, commander of the Italian Joint Task Force Iraq.
This result was attained by Dhi Qar provincial authorities and Coalition forces through a long and intense period of sacrifices and efforts, De Pascale said.
A task force of about 1,500 Italian troops, along with Romanian, Australian and some British Soldiers worked closely with the local government in the province training and equipping the local Police and Army, mentoring government officials, and organizing construction projects like schools and clinics.
"We will continue the program of peace as we say good bye to the Italian troops," Alwan said. "I call upon the Iraqis to stay together given the sacrifices that they have made."
The Coalition transferred neighboring Al Muthanna province on July 13. Since then, Al Muthannas local police and military forces have had full responsibility for the province's security and continue to run operations there without Coalition prodding.
I wish all the best to the provincial leaders and to the people of Dhi Qar, De Pascale said.
Dhi Qar is especially important to archeologists, historians and tourists. It contains the site of the ancient city of Ur, purported to be the hometown of the biblical figure Abraham. Near the ruins of the ancient city stands the Ziggurat of Ur, a towering ancient temple dating back more than 4,000 years.
Iraqis and tourists can freely visit this area, something they could not do under the oppression of Saddam Hussein, said Cichowski.
The Iraqi army assumed control Thursday of nearly 100 square miles of territory in northern Babil province, following a spirited ceremony in which Iraqi troops pumped their fists and chanted "Leave it, we can handle it!"
The 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 8th Iraqi Army Division, which shares a section of Forward Operating Base Iskandariyah with U.S. forces, will take over a share of patrol and operation responsibilities from the 2nd or "War Horse" Brigade of the 4th Infantry Division.
The Iraqi battalion will patrol areas close to the base, which lies along the Sunni-Shiite fault line 35 miles southwest of Baghdad. The handover was the latest in a nationwide campaign to transfer authority and control from coalition troops to the new Iraqi government and military.
"This is a step toward normalcy," said Col. John Tully, commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th ID. "The time is right for the Iraqi army to take the lead in north Babil province."
Responsibility for the area now belongs to Brig. Gen. Imad Majhool Somyday Mutalak Alslawi.
Iraqi troops will continue to be assisted by U.S. forces in logistics, intelligence and attack aviation, Tully said.
A year ago, only seven Iraqi army battalions owned their own operational territories nationwide. Now, three Iraqi army divisions, nine Iraqi army brigades and 24 Iraqi army battalions are responsible for patrolling their own sections of Iraq.
The Army promoted its only Soldier listed as captured to Staff Sergeant with an effective promotion date of August 3, 2006.
Keith Matt Maupin is a member of the 724th Transportation Company from Bartonville, Illinois. On April 9th, 2004, Staff Sgt. Maupins convoy was attacked by enemy forces with rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire. Missing after the attack, he was immediately placed in an accountability status referred to as Duty Status: Whereabouts Unknown. On April 16, 2004, his status was changed to Missing-Captured.
The U.S. Armys Warrior Ethos I will never leave a fallen comrade makes clear the Armys unwavering commitment to finding Staff Sgt. Maupin. Coalition forces continue to actively search for Staff Sgt. Maupin, and will do so until he is found. Until that time, he remains on active duty status with all rights and privileges for pay and promotions.
God bless and protect this man; I know our people will continue their search for him.
#2
Besoeker - you talking about the Senators and other talking heads who whine about our need to treat the enemy better than they've ever treated our guys?
#4
So... has the International Red Cross been able to visit him, yet? What about Human Rights Watch... any of the usual international prisoner/POW affairs busy-bodies, kicking up a stink because they haven't able to visit with him?
No, I thought not.
So, the Geneva Convention is good for... exactly what, in this present war?
#5
That poor kid has been toast for a long time SGT Mom, and the sad thing is... nobody in our national "leadership" gives a damn. If they did, they'd be mowing muzzies down by the hundreds.
#6
That is probably very likely, B. But I have always hoped that he is still alive, and that it is feared that if much of a fuss is made over him officially, that the "insurgents" would have a reason to make some sort of big bargaining chip out of him.
My daughter (who is not Swamp Blondie, BTW, but posts under the nick of Sgt. Blondie at TDB) was driving in convoys from Kuwait and into Iraq during her tour there in 1993. She had some "intesting" experiences there, some of which she has just now been able to talk to me about. One of them was how she and the other Marines had a nice long chat about how they would not permit themselves to be taken alive, and the steps they would take to ensure that. Her personal plan included having one of her male buddies shoot her. Nice thing, to hear from your daughter. Reminded me of the Old West, and the threat of captivity by Indians, actually.
#7
the sad thing is... nobody in our national "leadership" gives a damn
I call bullshit on that, Besoeker. Plain BS.
If you have 1/10th the combat experience you keep hinting at, you know damned well that commanders make tough decisions. Or maybe you never got so far as to lead anything or be responsible for anyone.
Harsh? Maybe ... but I'm a little tired personally of your snide sniping at the men and women who have to make the tough decisions. The Army has not abandoned this guy and if they had any idea where he was they'd have him back.
You're just jerking off at the idea of killing Muslims and using him as your excuse.
Posted by: Army and mad ||
09/21/2006 18:47 Comments ||
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#8
There's way too many people around here who seem to think all the hard decisions would just go away if they had absolute power. Actually doing what you can to make things better without having absolute power only seems to draw more criticism from the malcontents.
"Tired" of my rant are you? Make it so! You and your fine Pentagon "leadership" Rumsfeld, whomever, mount your asses up and go GET HIM YOURSELF! Too many dead 19 and 20 year olds on the news every night for my liking. Far too many dead. My experience means nothing, yesterday's story. None of your phueching business I assure you.
#13
That poor kid has been toast for a long time SGT Mom, and the sad thing is... nobody in our national "leadership" gives a damn. If they did, they'd be mowing muzzies down by the hundreds.
#14
Ok Pappy, pile on, your certainly good for it. You've had a case of the red ass at me for over a year. I used the term "National Leadership" does that term somehow denote field "command?" I think not. My view are no different than anyone elses, they are just opinions, views, etc. If you don't care for them... ignore them, or hit the delete key. Thats what I generally do.
#15
Do you really think if you were the secretary of defense, or the president, you could arrange it so there'd be absolutely no casualties or no US soldiers taken prisoner?
(KUNA) -- Iraqi police arrested 12 armed men on Wednesday among them members of Al-Qaeda in Iraq in an operation called "Lions" in the city of Mosul.
A statement by Iraqi police chief, Brigadier Watheq Al-Hamdani said Iraqi forces arrested the gunmen in a security operation which started last night. Al-Hamdani added large amount of weapons and car license plates were seized. The gunmen use the license plates for deception, kidnapping, and killing operations, the police chief said. Al-Hamdani also said those arrested included a group known as the "sniper group".
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Anybody know what the "sniper group" is famous for?
I guess I'm asking if these guys killed any of the good guys, in what kind of numbers, etc. Is this going to put a serious crimp in the bad guy's ability to mess with the good guys?
#5
Oh, well if you're going to ask technical questions, gorb, I yield the floor to someone who actually knows what they're talking about in these matters. ;-) The only thing I know is that the bad guys have legacy snipers who used to work for Saddam Hussein. It would be nice if these were them - apparently they're quite good and are responsible for an uncomfortable number of successful kills of our guys.
At least 22 people were killed and 24 were wounded in a suicide bombing in a busy market in Tal Afar in northwest Iraq yesterday. Police sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that a suicide bomber wearing an explosives belt blew himself up in the heart of the market. The death toll in the attack was expected to rise. Many nearby vehicles and shops were damaged in the blast, which comes as the death toll from two explosions in a northern Iraqi town on Tuesday rose to 19, police said.
At least 19 people were also injured in the attacks in the town of Sharqat. A car packed with explosives was detonated near an Iraqi Army office and later, as people rushed to the scene, a suicide bomber blew himself up. Of the 19 dead, six were soldiers and another two policemen, security sources said in the nearby city of Tikrit.
Also in Tikrit, an American soldier was killed Tuesday and two other coalition soldiers were wounded when the vehicle they were traveling in was hit by a suicide car bomb, coalition forces said yesterday. Authorities in the northern city of Kirkuk have decided to station Kurdish army units at the outskirts if the city following a string of terrorist attacks.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
I think this is the same blast reported yesterday here.
When the press keeps adding in how many were killed yesterday, and the day before, and earlier in the week - sometimes I get confused over how much violence there is. How many deaths are reported two and three times?
Sometimes the press does, too.
Posted by: Bobby ||
09/21/2006 6:37 Comments ||
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A JORDANIAN military court has sentenced a failed female suicide bomber and six others to death for planning attacks which killed 60 people in Amman last year.
Sajida al-Rishawi, the only defendant in custody, and the others who were tried in absentia were all found guilty of conspiracy to carry out terrorist acts causing death and destruction, and illegal possession of weapons and explosives.
The simultaneous bombings of three hotels in the Jordanian capital last November was claimed by al Qaeda's leader in Iraq at that time, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.
Rishawi, from the western Iraqi town of Ramadi, wore a Muslim headscarf and a blue prison gown in court and showed little reaction to the verdict.
"She expected either the death sentence or to be sent back to Iraq," said her lawyer Hussein al-Masri, who said she had not helped him gather information or documents from her family in Iraq to help her defence.
He said he would appeal against the verdict.
Charges against Zarqawi, who originally was also charged in the case, were officially dropped after the court accepted that he had been killed in Iraq in June.
Prosecutors said Rishawi tried to blow herself up with her suicide bomber husband, who struck at the Radisson hotel during a wedding reception on November 9, 2005.
Two other hotels - the Hyatt and Days Inn - were targeted in simultaneous attacks.
Rishawi made a televised confession a few days after the blasts, appearing in a headscarf and a long black coat as she described her attempts to detonate an explosives-laden belt.
But in court she pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Mr Masri said earlier this year that Rishawi told him her confessions were extracted under torture, but that he had no proof of this.
The lawyer said Rishawi, who told the court she had married her husband Ali Hussein al-Shimeri a day before coming to Jordan, only knew about the bomb plot when her husband forced her to wear the suicide belt hours before the attack.
She was arrested shortly afterwards when she tried to hide with the family of her sister's husband, a Jordanian killed in clashes with US forces in Iraq.
Zarqawi claimed responsibility for the bombings that killed 60 people and defended them in an internet audiotape, saying the hotels were home to US and Israeli spies.
Zarqawi, a Jordanian, had already been sentenced to death in absentia for involvement in plots to destabilise Jordan.
#1
I'm obliged to wonder whether Rishawi's death sentence is the result of any strong opposition to terrorism or has more to do with the high profile nature of those Palestinian intelligence (oxymoron alert!) officials that got snuffed in the blast.
Palestinian sources in the Gaza Strip reported Wednesday that IDF special forces had arrested a prominent Islamic Jihad operative in Rafiah. According to the report, the IDF forces laid a trap for Sallakh Bahalul, 40, luring him closer to the security fence, where he was arrested.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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luring him closer to the security fence, where he was arrested
What did they do, troll a stick of dynamite on a fishing line?
IDF forces arrested four Palestinian fugitives in the southern Gaza Strip on Wednesday night. The four, who were suspected of involvement in terrorist activities, were detained by security forces for interrogation.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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An alleged Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader yesterday pleaded "innocent" to charges of terrorism before Jordan's State Security Court (SSC), judicial sources said. Ziyad Khalaf Karbouli, an Iraqi, told the tribunal that he was "innocent," the sources said.
According to the indictment sheet, Karbouli and 13 others who are still at large are accused of "carrying out acts of terrorism that led to the death of a human being, the possession of explosives for illegal use and belonging to an illegal group." They allegedly formed part of the Jihad and Tawhid Brigades, formerly led by the Jordan-born arch terrorist Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a US airstrike inside Iraq on June 7. Karbouli, 23, appeared on the state-run Jordan television shortly after his arrest in May and confessed to have killed a Jordanian truck driver in September last year and abducted two Moroccan diplomats while on their way from Amman to Baghdad.
The Jordanian authorities then described Karbouli as a leading Al-Qaeda operative who worked as a customs official on the Iraqi side of the border. In a previous hearing the SSC appointed a lawyer for Karbouli after he said he did not have money to recruit and attorney. He also disputed the prosecutions version that he was captured inside Iraq in a joint operation of the Jordanian army and intelligence on May 10. He instead told the tribunal that he was kidnapped from Lebanon on May 6.
He pleaded innocent to terror charges Wednesday, but lashed out at Jews, Christians and moderate Arabs and confessed to killing a truck driver he called 'a nonbeliever, a Jordanian apostate.'
An al-Qaida suspect jailed in Jordan pleaded innocent to terror charges Wednesday, but lashed out at Jews, Christians and moderate Arabs and confessed to killing a truck driver he called "a nonbeliever, a Jordanian apostate."
Al-Karbouly also shouted insults, accusing moderate Arab leaders of being 'servants' to Jews and US President George W. Bush, who he said have 'declared war on Islam.'
Ziad Khalaf Raja al-Karbouly is accused of leading a 14-member terror cell that plotted to stop trucks with Jordanian license plates on roads in Iraq and kill their passengers. His 13 co-defendants - believed to be hiding in Iraq - are being tried in absentia. The 14 men - all Iraqis - are also charged with belonging to al-Qaida in Iraq and with possession of rockets. If convicted, they could face the death penalty. Al-Karbouly also shouted insults out into the courtroom, accusing moderate Arab leaders of being "servants" to Jews and US President George W. Bush, who he said have "declared war on Islam."
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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THREE Indonesian Christians who were on death row for inciting violence against Muslims in 2000 were executed by firing squad, their lawyer said.
"They have been executed. Their bodies are now undergoing an autopsy at the police hospital," lawyer Roy Rening said.
Mr Rening said he was informed of the executions of Fabianus Tibo, Dominggus da Silva and Marianus Riwu by the prosecutors office in Palu, the capital of religiously-divided Central Sulawesi province, where the men were being held.
Indonesia authorities typically do not inform the public of executions, which are carried out by firing squad and held at undisclosed locations, until several hours after an autopsy is completed.
Mr Rening added that he refused to be present at the deaths to protest a rejection by the state of their last demands, including that their bodies be flown back to their home towns or laid in wake at Palu's main Catholic church.
He was unable to give further details about the precise time of the death, but a flurry of activity had occurred around midnight local time (0400 AEST) at the tightly-guarded jail, where a steady rain drizzled overnight.
The trio were initially scheduled to be shot last month but authorities granted a last-minute reprieve - even following the preparation of their coffins - shortly after Pope Benedict XVI issued a plea for clemency, though a link was denied.
A spokesman for Pope Benedict XVI said the executions were a "defeat for humanity".
"It is very sad and painful news. Every time capital punishment is used is a defeat for humanity," said Federico Lombardi.
Amnesty International's South-East Asia researcher, Isabelle Cartron, said Amnesty was "deeply disappointed".
"Such state-sanctioned killings are all the more unacceptable where, as in this case, there have been serious doubts about the fairness of the trials," Ms Cartron said.
She said defence witness testimony had been ignored by the court and the men's lawyers had endured death threats and a bomb being planted at one of their homes.
The case of the trio has raised fears of sectarian violence flaring again in Central Sulawesi, where more than 1000 people lost their lives in 2000-01 as Muslims and Christians clashed.
Tibo, da Silva and Riwu were convicted of leading a Christian militia that carried out attacks against Muslims in the province, but they categorically denied they were the masterminds behind the unrest.
The case of the three poor farmers drew international concern from rights activists, who criticised the fairness of their trial and saw the men as scapegoats targeted while few others were convicted over the violence that began six years ago, leaving those most responsible on the run.
On Thursday, the men had met for the last time with their relatives, their priest and their lawyer, Mr Rening, who criticised authorities for declining to meet their final requests.
"They should just do the execution and return their bodies to the family... This is a new crime, and I protest this attitude," Mr Rening said.
Typically authorities do turn bodies over to families after executions, following a routine autopsy. Authorities may be concerned that the bodies could become a focal point for protest.
The men's priest, Father Jimmy Tumbeleka, said he was concerned that a refusal to hand over the bodies could "trigger more anger from the family and others" in the province, where Muslims and Christians live in roughly equal numbers.
More than 4000 security forces have fanned out across the province in the past two days in anticipation of the executions.
Christian leaders had urged their faithful to stay calm and refrain from any violence ahead of the executions, with widespread prayer services for the men being held.
The executions were carried out just a few days ahead of Ramadan, the Muslim holy month of fasting which is expected to begin this weekend.
According to Amnesty International, which had raised questions about the fairness of the men's 2001 trial, the most recent previous execution in Indonesia was in May 2005.
#4
Christian leaders had urged their faithful to stay calm and refrain from any violence ahead of the executions, with widespread prayer services for the men being held.
An action not emulated by Muslim Imams and Mullahs.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, is expected to face a hearing at the Guantanamo prison camp within three months, a military official said Wednesday. Mohammed and 13 other "high-value" detainees recently transferred from CIA custody to the U.S. Navy base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba will face Combatant Status Review Tribunals, said Navy Capt. Phil Waddingham, director of the Office for the Administrative Review of the Detention of Enemy Combatants.
The 14 new detainees will be invited to appear at the hearings, held in a small room inside a prefab building here, which will determine whether they are combatants, Waddingham told reporters. If Mohammed appears, it would mark the first time he has been seen since he was captured more than three years ago. Detainees can refuse to appear but the tribunals will be held regardless, Waddingham said. Army Brig. Gen. Edward A. Leacock, the deputy commander of Guantanamo, said the 14 new detainees are being treated humanely. "They're all adapting well to their new environment," Leacock told reporters here, adding that they're fed three times a day, have recreational opportunities and have opportunities to pray five times per day.
Posted by: Fred ||
09/21/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
could be one hairy hearing
Posted by: Captain America ||
09/21/2006 1:21 Comments ||
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#2
I wonder how that guy decides where to stop shaving.
#7
Widows and Orphans, Ready on the Right! Ready on the Left! All ready on the Firing Line!!
Posted by: Joe of the Jungle ||
09/21/2006 8:23 Comments ||
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#8
Leacock told reporters here, adding that they're fed three times a day, have recreational opportunities and have opportunities to pray five times per day.
Mustn't Abuse any Members of the Cockroach Family Master Race.
Posted by: Orkin Pest Control ||
09/21/2006 8:50 Comments ||
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#9
Gitmo sharks circle and smile
Posted by: Captain America ||
09/21/2006 9:23 Comments ||
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#10
I just got to wonder, if a poll were taken today, asking USA folks, yes or no, "Do you know that the USA has Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the mastermind of 9/11, that made it happen, in American hands, in an American prison?" what would be the percentage of folks really knowing this information.
Taking odds, cause I think, there are lots of Americans that have no idea who this guy is, and what he has done. W speaks of him, but my extended family has no idea who KSM is, what he has done and that he is at Gitmo. They know we moved some guys to Gitmo, but lost in the translation, this is the guy that made 9/11 happen.
#12
i also understand what you are goping through with the extenede family sherry because my father in law is one of those "it's bushs fault " idiots.Makes me wanna strangle him every time he opens his mouth on politics
#13
Whoo! Whoo! If Fred keeps this up, Rantburg will no longer be safe for work. Not that I work or anything...
(Hint, hint!)
She does look like a redhead - and Irish. From the look on her face, I wouldn't want to do anything to make her angry. I probably wouldn't like her angry...
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
09/21/2006 17:01 Comments ||
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#14
Can I put in a minority request for some classic hunky-guy beefcake? For the straight female/gay male demographic here at the 'Burg? There must be a few of us... me, TW, Swamp Blondie? Heaven knows how many lurkers! Pretty please? Just once a month would be fine. It would be enough to keep us from drownding in the drool output...
#16
Research? You are joking, right? There's at least half of Michelangelo's output (y'all remember his David, I'm sure), the ancient Greek and Roman gods -- you can hang your hat on a good many of them -- and lots of male movie stars gazing soulfully either toward or away from the camera over the years. Shoot, I'll bet the Rantburg ladies would be happy with a nicely lit picture of dear Donald Rumsfeld or Dick Chainey (woops! Cheney -- muck4doo, my dear, you've had an impact I see), or Our Lads In Uniform getting ready to find new toys to play with. There's no need for Fred's sensibilities to get in a tizzy, truly, and the Rantburg gentlemen might find the concept isn't actually as disturbing as when they thought we wanted to see Boys With Fans. *shudder*
Actually, I don't think she's enjoying her "job," unlike most of the other lovely ladies featured on the front page Good Mornings. Probably being used by skanky "photographer" types.
#19
Likely true, ex. In her day (40's? 50's?) doing this put a woman on a very slippery slope. No matter how much she was getting paid, and it was prolly not very much, I seriously doubt it was worth the social stigma.
#21
She was French, and did her thing in the 20's and 30's. Married to Errol Flynn for a few years. Google on her and look at some of her photos. She seems to specialize in the "pouty" look though there's some where she's pretty darn exhuberant. Yowza!
Fans/sunrays emanating outta her crotchety area seems to be a common theme...
Posted by: Dave D. ||
09/21/2006 20:15 Comments ||
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#22
Fans/sunrays emanating outta her crotchety area seems to be a common theme...
Posted by: Dave D. 2006-09-21 20:15
I think you're on to something Dave. I call it the 'camel toe paradox.' Appears we men spend 9 months trying to ESCAPE that region, and the rest of our lives attempting to get back in!
#24
There must be a few of us... me, TW, Swamp Blondie? Heaven knows how many lurkers! Pretty please? Just once a month would be fine. It would be enough to keep us from drownding in the drool output...
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
NATO's Operation Medusa this month killed 1,000 to 1,500 Taliban fighters, its top operational commander said on Wednesday. Gen James Jones, NATO's supreme allied commander Europe, said allies of the alliance had committed to provide at least 2,000 of the roughly 2,000-2,500 extra troops he had sought to strengthen the NATO force in Afghanistan. Jones provided a higher enemy death toll than NATO had previously given for the two-week operation, which ended last weekend. NATO had said more than 400 insurgents were killed. The Taliban denied such losses.
(Xinhua) -- Twelve suspected rebels were detained on Wednesday following a roadside bombing in the southern Kandahar province of Afghanistan, the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) said in a statement. The suspects were arrested by ISAF in Pashmush area in the morning after a roadside bombing, it said, adding the explosion caused no casualties. A second roadside bomb exploded nearby, also not bringing casualties. "The men detained were seen to be acting suspiciously while observing recovery following the first explosion," the statement said. They were taken to an ISAF facility where they tested positive for traces of bomb residue, it added.
Indian troops gunned down five militants in separate incidents in Kashmir. Indian troops shot dead three members of Lashkar-e-Taiba in the Gandoh range of southern Doda district late on Tuesday, a police spokesman said on Wednesday. A fourth militant managed to escape under the cover of darkness, he added. "Two of the slain militants were local Kashmiris, while the third was a Pakistani resident," he said. 
PESHAWAR: The victim of Tuesday's bomb blast in Bajaur Agency succumbed to her injuries at the Lady Reading Hospital (LRH), a spokesman of NCHD said. Wasia 22, a health worker of the NCHD, was admitted to the hospital after receiving severe head injuries in the blast on Tuesday. The health worker was travelling in a NCHD vehicle, which was hit by a bomb. Wasia,s dead body was taken to her native village in Malakand Agency, where she was buried. The spokesman Taimur Ahmed Shah said that NCHD was not a non-governmental organization as was reported in some newspapers.
WANA: Suspected pro-Taliban militants killed a government official and his two friends in South Waziristan tribal region on Wednesday, an intelligence official said. The attackers riding in a car ambushed the car of Gul Zada, an official in the local administration, as he was coming out of a regional court along with four friends. "Gul Zada and two of his friends were killed. Two others are wounded." He said pro-Taliban militants were suspected of the attack.
MIRANSHAH: Security forces with help from tribal elders raided a village near Afghanistan on Wednesday and arrested 10 tribals for allegedly sheltering Taliban militants, an intelligence official said.
(KUNA) -- Iraqi police arrested 12 armed men on Wednesday among them members of Al-Qaeda in Iraq in an operation called "Lions" in the city of Mosul.
At least 22 people were killed and 24 were wounded in a suicide bombing in a busy market in Tal Afar in northwest Iraq yesterday. Police sources told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that a suicide bomber wearing an explosives belt blew himself up in the heart of the market. The death toll in the attack was expected to rise. Many nearby vehicles and shops were damaged in the blast, which comes as the death toll from two explosions in a northern Iraqi town on Tuesday rose to 19, police said.
An alleged 
