Wednesday, December 27, 2006 | 8:40 AM ET
A Taliban official has confirmed a top military commander with close ties to Osama bin Laden and Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar was killed in an air strike on Dec. 19, according to a report out of Pakistan.
Akhtar Mohammad Osmani died when a U.S. plane fired at his vehicle in the southern province of Helmand, near Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, U.S. authorities said on Saturday. The area said to have been controlled by Osmani has been the scene of countless attacks against Canadian soldiers and other coalition forces since U.S. forces invaded Afghanistan to oust the Taliban regime in late 2001 for hosting bin Laden and other top al-Qaeda officials.
Taliban officials originally denied that Osmani had died. However, on Wednesday, an unnamed Taliban commander told the Reuters news agency that Osmani was indeed one of the three people killed in the air strike.
In a telephone interview, the commander told a Pakistan-based reporter that Taliban leaders had confirmed the death on the day it happened but warned members of the insurgent militia not to discuss it publicly.
Believe this? Sheesh, who knows. Mebbe they've finally realized that confirming our kills is a favor. Mebbe not.
They don't need to confirm our kills. We do. Osmani's dead? Check. Confirmed? Check. Next!
There has been no other sign of acknowledgment from the Taliban.
Osmani, regarded as one of three top associates of Omar, is the highest-ranking Taliban leader that the coalition has claimed to have killed or captured since the administration was ousted in late 2001. He was believed to have played a role in some of the most high-profile excesses of the Taliban's ultra-conservative rule in Afghanistan, including the destruction of the ancient Buddha statues in Bamiyan and the trial of Christian aid workers in 2001.
The governor also said that police raided a suspected Taliban compound in the same district and seized a bomb-fitted motorbike.
Afghan authorities on Tuesday said that they had arrested a Pakistani national who had allegedly been providing suicide bombers to the Taliban in eastern Paktika province. The man, whose name was not revealed, was in charge of recruiting suicide bombers and equipping them, provincial governor Mohammad Akram Khpolwak said. He was arrested from Bermal district in the bordering Paktika province on Monday, the governor said. He gave no further details saying that the case was under investigation.
The governor also said that police raided a suspected Taliban compound in the same district and seized a bomb-fitted motorbike. However the owner of the motorcycle fled before the raid, he added.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
"#5 truncheon, waterboard, and cordless drill, please"
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/27/2006 5:23 Comments ||
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#2
I have visions of Maximilian Schell in the Odessa Files.
As Ethiopian forces on Wednesday drew closer to the Somali capital, Mogadishu - the stronghold of the Union of Islamic Courts (UIC) - a second division of light infantry was present in the northern Guldug region, its sights set on the town of Beledwein, the director of the Rome-based Globe Research security think tank, Nicola Pedde, told Adnkronos International (AKI). "Its task is to divide the country in two. The aim is to capture Beledwein and prevent supplies reaching the UIC from it," he said, citing unnamed sources.
"They are afraid of two things - of outside aid reaching the Islamists and of possible reinforcements from Eritrea," said Pedde. Soldiers from the Ethiopian engineering corps are extending the airport in the southern town Badaoia - the seat of Somalia's largely ineffectual transitional government - to enable Ethiopian fighter planes to land and take off. "Work is progressing slowly, although they have installed radar towers," Pedde commented.
Globe Research sources have confirmed that the Ethopian forces have sustained heavy losses, Pedde stated. "This has occurred because they entered Somalia without armoured vehicles, just trucks, and they only have light infantry," Pedde said. Owing to these losses, the Ethiopian military command has removed the transitional government's generals, accusing them of having under-estimated the size and preparedness of the UIC afilliated Islamist militias, Pedde told AKI.
The security expert said he believes the Ethopian forces do not intend to conquer Mogadishu but to seize the strategic southern port of Kismayo. "One of their divisions is advancing towards Kismayo, with the objective of capturing the port," he said, citing sources.
"Ethopian troops in Somalia have received no orders to take Mogadishu. Their instructions are to reach its outskirts but not to advance on the city, unless for example the Islamist forces sally forth," he added.
Ethopian troops on Wednesday seized the strategic town of Jowhar, 90 kilomentres from the capital, from Islamist militias during a dawn attack. This followed a major offensive begun by Ethiopia over the weekend against the UIC, which since June had increased its control to much of central and southern Somalia.
Jowhar is a former UIC stronghold, and its loss leaves the Islamists with control of little more than the coast. The Ethiopian army has called on remaining Islamist fighters to surrender.
"Ethopian offensive is three-pronged at present. The newly reinforced main phalanx in Badoia contains 12,000 troops without heavy weapons. They are backed up by a squadron of helicopter gunships. Fighter jets are making incursions from Ethiopian soil against the airports controlled by UIC ," said Pedde.
Somalia has been in the grip of warlords and militias for years and has been without an effective national government since 1991 when military dictator Siad Barre was ousted. The transitional government was formed with UN assistance two years ago, but has failed to establish any real control outside the southern provincial town of Baidoa, where it is based.
#6
Ethopian forces have sustained heavy losses... because they entered Somalia without armoured vehicles, just trucks, and they only have light infantry... On the 22th, Tipper posted an article about moving Ethiopian tanks into battle. What happened? Were they all destroyed or did the referenced losses occur before armor was sent into battle?
Sheik Mohamoud Ibrahim Suley claimed that his forces had destroyed four Ethiopian tanks outside Baidoa by Dec 25th.
#7
the director of the Rome-based Globe Research security think tank, Nicola Pedde, told Adnkronos International (AKI).
and if you can't trust Rome-based think tanks, GK, whoya gonna trust? I for one, trust facts on teh ground. Those facts say the troops aren't advancing that far/fast without transport and support, including artillery and armor, however light....
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/27/2006 17:42 Comments ||
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#8
Is somebody in the WH/DOD paying attention? I'd feel a lot better if the ICU were complaining aobut foreigners.
#11
FG: and if you can't trust Rome-based think tanks, GK, whoya gonna trust?
This guy Pedde seems to be for real. He's written on a number of other geopolitical topics as well. Why would an Italian know anything about or have any sources in Somalia? Because part of Somalia used to be Italian territory. My feeling is that the Ethiopians are just another Third World military. If they advance quickly, it's the result of indifference towards casualties, not skill.
#12
I remain skeptical. If (unbiased?) reporters aren't there, I take all news with a saltlick. This is so fast developing, I figure old bias's substitute for analysis
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/27/2006 20:00 Comments ||
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#13
Let's say the SOCOM commander had friends in Somalia oct 3rd, he once commanded the 160th of Blackhawk Down fame. No there has been a JTF HOA there for a few years, very quietly doin HA/CA work. I smell payback.
Posted by: not a troll ||
12/27/2006 20:16 Comments ||
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#14
Let's say the SOCOM commander had friends in Somalia oct 3rd, he once commanded the 160th of Blackhawk Down fame. No there has been a JTF HOA there for a few years, very quietly doin HA/CA work. I smell payback.
#17
As of this post [Guam time], claims of heavy Ethiopian losses have still not been verified either on the TWO CNN's + FOX. In addition, GLOBAL RESEARCH has been labeled by many Conservative blogs as PRO-DEMOLEFT/ANTI-US.
Ethiopian-backed troops advanced on the Somali capital Mogadishu on Wednesday, but a Somali government envoy said they would not attack the Islamist stronghold. Ambassador Abdikarin Farah said the joint force of Ethiopian soldiers and government fighters would besiege Mogadishu until the Islamists laid down their arms. "We are not going to fight for Mogadishu to avoid civilian casualties. Our troops will surround Mogadishu until they surrender," Farah told reporters in Addis Ababa.
Earlier, pro-government forces seized Jowhar, a key southern town from their Islamist rivals in the closest battle yet to the religious movement's base. Many residents left their houses to cheer the victors, backed by Ethiopian tanks, who pursued the Islamists as sporadic gunfire echoed in the air. Farah said pro-government troops then took Balad, just 30 km (18 miles) north of Mogadishu on the road from Jowhar.
The rapid offensive came hours after Ethiopia, defending the Somali interim government, said it was halfway to crushing the Islamists, heightening fears its next step would be to use air strikes and ground troops to seize the capital.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 09:26 ||
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#1
Nuke the site from orbit. It is the only way to be sure.
#2
I severly under estimated Ethiopia. I am extremley impressed and glad to see a capable new ally added to the fold. I had expected we would have to run air cover ala Afghanistan to make such a run. This is very good news indeed. Reginal powers on our side willing able to fight thier front is extremeley valuable allies. I would even venture more so than some EU ally thats support ends at moral support or deployments with ROE that make them useless.
#4
"We are not going to fight for Mogadishu to avoid civilian casualties. Our troops will surround Mogadishu until they surrender," Farah told reporters in Addis Ababa.
Because sieges are SO much easier on civilians.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
12/27/2006 11:05 Comments ||
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#5
I think I smell some new basing agreements. I was so clueless about this war I wasn't sure if this was bad or good until this morning.
#8
"We are not going to fight for Mogadishu to avoid civilian casualties. Our troops will surround Mogadishu until they surrender," Farah told reporters in Addis Ababa.
Ambassador Farah:
Excuse me sir, if you've a moment. After Mogadishu, what plans do you and your generals have? By the way, do you like KBR chow? Have you ever considered a middle-eastern deployment?
#9
Let's not get too carried away by our new 'allies'. First, they're doing this for them, not for us. Our interests are similar here, that's all.
Second, the Ethiopian government is an odious regime that routinely imprisons people for their politics. They've also been engaged in some 'ethnic cleansing' elsewhere in the country. And their leaders, to a man, are thieves.
These aren't nice guys. I'm pleased as punch that they're whacking the Islamists, but that's all.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/27/2006 11:11 Comments ||
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#10
Rob, sieges are an integral part of warfare. If one can make locals switching allegiances just by standing by and because they run of essentials, it means expending little resources to achieve the desired end than going for street battles. The PC speak is just for media.
#11
I agree Steve but it is just nice to see some islamists get their asses kicked but good. Heck maybe they can reform the Ethiopians after we help them build a new port for their new navy in Somalia?
#14
Frank, I'd not mind it if they air dropped LIVE Jihadis into the city. The end result between our plans would be the same, in that the droppees would be unable to get back up, but mine has the advantage of being more satisfying.
#18
I suspect that the CIA is traveling to the surounding towns with sacks of cash, getting the tribes to change sides.
To paraphrase Osama bin Laden: "everyone likes a strong horse, but they like a rich horse more"
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
12/27/2006 12:07 Comments ||
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#19
Rob, sieges are an integral part of warfare.
Yeah, I know. And they tend to be rough on the civilian population.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
12/27/2006 12:26 Comments ||
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#20
SW: Let's not get too carried away by our new 'allies'. First, they're doing this for them, not for us. Our interests are similar here, that's all.
Second, the Ethiopian government is an odious regime that routinely imprisons people for their politics. They've also been engaged in some 'ethnic cleansing' elsewhere in the country. And their leaders, to a man, are thieves.
These aren't nice guys. I'm pleased as punch that they're whacking the Islamists, but that's all.
Not getting carried away at all. The Soviets carried out mass executions and used famines as a means of political control, killing millions. Then they made a deal with the Nazis - to divide Poland up - that enabled Germany to attack Western Europe without having to watch its back. And yet when WWII broke out, we cheered every time the Soviets thumped the Nazis. And we sent huge amounts of aid to the Soviets - aid that Khrushchev acknowledged kept the Soviet war effort alive when the Soviets were reeling from the initial Nazi onslaught. Let us acknowledge that we should not only cheer the Ethiopians on, we should send them whatever they need to exterminate the Islamic Courts.
It's more than that. The Soviet Union was our enemy, even before WWII. Its mission was to spread international communism by guile and by force. And yet we allied with them during WWII - an actual enemy. Ethiopia might not be the best-run country in the world, but its government is not our enemy.
There are some who say that we should only deal with governments that meet our standards for political freedom. Then why are we dealing with China? I think we need to get off our high horse and start dealing with the world as it is rather than the world as we would like it to be. There are those, like James Baker, who believe realism has to do with giving our enemies everything they want. I think realism has more to do with working with non-hostile governments to undermine the hostiles arrayed against us. We have enough real enemies in the world. There is no need to dig ourselves a bigger hole by working to undermine the friendly governments that may be dictatorial, but are just sitting around minding their own business - they might just be replaced by hostile ones, as has happened in South Korea, the Philippines and Indonesia.
#23
Again, I'm pleased as punch that the Ethiops are whacking the Islamic Courts. Let's just keep in mind that the Ethiopian government is a dictatorial regime. We'll help them and work with them, and when the work is done we'll expect them to clean up their act some.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/27/2006 13:20 Comments ||
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#24
JTF-HOA has spent a great deal of time working in Ethiopia, building schools, digging wells, training police, etc. If anyone believes that our assistance stops at civil affairs, I have a bridge in Brooklyn to sell you.
Almost unnoticed, JTF-HOA is doing some amazing things in Kenya, Yemen and elsewhere in the Horn. And they're working with the French to do it.
#25
Well, the Ethiopians that run my local 7/11 seem very happy lately ... even giving a jovial "Hello!" when I walk in the store when they had been somewhat stoic in the past. They even wished me a Merry Christmas!
Besides, they have pretty funky music and a culture with pretty funky music can't be all bad. Oh wait, these were the Ethiopians than LEFT Ethiopia, nevermind.
#26
I like their food - a LOT. There's this beef dish, hotter 'n the Sun, that my Ethiopian "housekeeper" in Saudi usedta make: has a thick rich red (from the cayenne) sauce and whole boiled eggs in it. Eat over rice, sweat like a dog, then die happy. That stuff could take chrome off yer bumper. If anyone knows the name of the dish, plz post. They gots some restaurants here in Sin City and I'd love the memory trip, lol.
#29
The chicken version is Doro Wat, Lamb is Sega Wat... she musta made it with beef just for me, lol. If you like HOT, try this at an authentic restaurant and tell 'em to make it like Momma used to make it, lol.
#30
anon4921 said: Did they carry the Ark of the Covenant into battle with them?
Because that would rule!
The inside skinny is that the Israelis now have the ark. Supposedly now under wraps in the same warehouse where the blocks and furniture for the End-time temple are being kept.
#33
We have enough real enemies in the world. There is no need to dig ourselves a bigger hole by working to undermine the friendly governments that may be dictatorial, but are just sitting around minding their own business -
Well shit. ZF is in his brilliant and I agree with him mode.
#34
There are 3 major reasons for the Ethiopians to initiate a siege of Mogadishu, rather than storming the city :
1) Right now, they enjoy a distinct media advantage based on their control of the media. A storming would immediately start the media vultures circling and screaming.
2) The TFG is the official recognized government of Somalia and is supporting the Ethiopians - causing the city to fall without leveling it is good politics with that ally.
3) The Ethiopians are mainly concerned with breaking the back of the ICU, so getting the civilian population to turn on the ICU to end a siege is a means to an end.
A fourth reason that goes undiscussed is that the Ethiopians are militarily concerned with demolishing the Eritreans sent to fight for the ICU. The Ethiopians REALLY want to exterminate the Eritreans, and give pause to that government's movements around their shared border.
One last point is that Mogadishu has been so striped of anything of value in the past 15 years, it is one of the least capable cities in the world to resist a siege. Most major cities in the world have a good portion of their electricity produced on site, have access to well water, and functional sewers, along with food stores in the city proper. Mogadishu has none of those to speak of.
#35
Oh, and for those complaining about the less-than-ideal aspects of the Ethiopian government, just remember one thing : they have been fighting a defensive war against Jihad for 1400 years now. That tends to make the leadership in the country a lot less tolerant of anything they view as interference in the running of the country, by anyone in the country.
#37
.com. I b'lieve the base for her special red sauce is called harissa. I used to have a recipe lying about waiting to be tried, but I'm sure you can buy it in bottles like Tabasco.
...
I looked, and Amazon.com sells it. There are recipes on the web just waiting to be googled, too, but I don't know how devoted you are to the culinary side of the pursuit. ;-) Good luck!
#38
"It does sound like Mog ain't gonna be looted."
I've been to the Mog. An H-bomb on the place would do about $200 worth of damage. Three drunken Ethiope soldiers could carry off all the valuables in the city in about 5 minutes.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
12/27/2006 21:19 Comments ||
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#42
Wowsers! Thanx tw & RC. I'll try it out at a restaurant and, if my plumbing can still handle it, lol, I'll give making it myself a shot. It really is excellent stuff. Unique, too, for all you weirdness junkies, lol.
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Attacking at dawn, Ethiopian and Somali government troops on Wednesday drove Islamic fighters out of the last major town on their road to the Islamic-held capital.
A former warlord who ruled the town of Jowhar before it was captured by the Council of Islamic Courts in June led the Somali government troops as they drove into the city, a resident said. "Ethiopian troops and Mohammed Dheere have entered the city," said Abshir Ali Gabre.
Hundreds of people fled Jowhar, anticipating major fighting, but others seemed resigned to it after suffering from drought and flooding over the last two years. "We do not know where to escape, we are already suffering from floods, hunger and disease," Abdale Haji Ali said from Jowhar. "We are awaiting death."
Ethiopia sent fighter jets streaking deep into militia-held areas Sunday to help Somalia's U.N.-recognized government push back the Islamic militias. Ethiopia bombed the country's two main airports and helped government forces capture several villages.
Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Tuesday that Ethiopian forces may soon wrap up their offensive against the Islamic militias that until recent days controlled most of southern part of the country.
The Islamic fighters, meanwhile, threatened a "new phase" in the war - a chilling pronouncement from a movement that has threatened a guerrilla war that would include suicide bombings in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia's capital.
Chilling is good in the Southern Hemisphere in December. Thanks.
Somalia has not had an effective government since warlords overthrew longtime dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, pushing the country into anarchy.
Two years ago, the United Nations helped set up a central government for the arid, impoverished nation on the Horn of Africa. But until the past week, it had little influence outside of its seat in the city of Baidoa, about 140 northwest of Mogadishu.
The country was largely under the control of warlords until this past summer, when the Islamic militia movement pushed them aside.
One critical issue is whether the central government can win the support of Somalis. Many resent Ethiopia's intervention because the countries have fought two wars over their disputed border in the past 45 years.
Salad Duhul | Mogadishu, Somalia - 26 December 2006 07:34 -- Sapa-AP
Islamic fighters retreated from the main front line in Somalia early on Tuesday after a week of artillery and mortar duels and attacks by government and Ethiopian troops, witnesses said.
Troops loyal to the Council of Islamic Courts withdrew more than 50km to the south-east from Daynuney, a town just south of Baidoa, the government headquarters. The retreat follows the bombing by Ethiopian jets of the country's two main international airports.
The Islamic forces also abandoned their main stronghold in Bur Haqaba and were forming convoys headed towards the capital, Mogadishu, residents in villages along the road told the media by telephone. "We woke up from our sleep this morning and the town was empty of troops, not a single Islamic fighter," Ibrahim Mohamed Aden, a resident of Bur Haqaba said.
Another resident, who asked not to be named, said locals were looting the food stockpile left behind by the Islamic militia.
Islamic fighters were also reportedly retreating on two other fronts in the war for control of Somalia. Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi announced on Saturday that he had sent troops into Somalia to fight international terrorists, defend Ethiopian interests and prop up the besieged United Nations-backed government, which only has a very small military force.
But Meles has said he does not intend to keep his forces in Somalia for long, perhaps only a few weeks. He has told visiting dignitaries in Addis Ababa that his goal is to severely damage the courts' military capabilities, take away their sense of invincibility and allow both sides to return to peace talks on even footing.
The Islamic group, which wants to rule the country on principles of the Qur'an, has been a source of grave concern by largely Christian Ethiopia. Since June, the group has seized control of the capital and much of southern Somalia.
No reliable casualty reports were immediately available. Both sides have claimed to have killed hundreds of their enemy, but independent observers were not given access to the battlefield.
On Ethiopian television on Monday night, the defence ministry said troops would move south toward Jowhar, 90km from Mogadishu. Later on Monday night, Ethiopia made a major military push in that direction, capturing Bandiradley, Adadow and Galinsor, according Yusuf Ahmed Ali, a businessman in Adadow.
The Arab League, which has mediated several rounds of talks between the Somali government and the Islamists, called for all parties involved to "immediately hold a comprehensive ceasefire."
Many Somalis are enraged by the idea of Ethiopian involvement because the countries have fought two wars over their disputed border in the past 45 years. Islamic leaders have repeatedly said they want to incorporate ethnic Somalis living in eastern Ethiopia, north-eastern Kenya and Djibouti into a Greater Somalia.
The Islamic group's often severe interpretation of Islam raises memories of Afghanistan's Taliban regime, which was ousted by a United States-led campaign for harbouring Osama bin Laden. The US government says four al-Qaeda leaders, believed to be behind the 1998 bombing of the US Embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, have become leaders in the Islamic militia.
Experts fear the conflict in Somalia could engulf the already volatile Horn of Africa. A recent UN report said 10 countries have been supplying arms and equipment to both sides of the conflict and using Somalia as a proxy battlefield.
The UN World Food Program airlifted several tons of food and other aid into Somalia on Monday, but had not yet been notified of any border closings, agency spokesperson Peter Smerdon said.
Government officials and Islamic militiamen have said hundreds of people have been killed in clashes since last Tuesday, but the claims could not be independently confirmed. Aid groups put the death toll in the dozens.
Somalia has not had an effective government since warlords overthrew long-time dictator Mohamed Siad Barre in 1991, plunging the country into chaos.
#2
BTW since the US backed warlords were whipped by the powerful Islamic Courts, where did the US interests move to? Is there any chance that it's the US backed Ethiopian forces kicking ass? Naw.
Bill Roggio's map shows all the movements current to within the last day.
Mogadishu 26, Dec.06 ( Sh.M.Network) Somalias Islamic Courts Union deserted several strategic towns in central and southern parts of the country. Islamists in Mogadishu said they retreated from Bur Hakaba, Dinsor and Daynunay near the government base of Baidoa to change the military tact.
Ethiopian troops accompanied by government forces occupied all strategic towns: Galkayo, Bandiradley, Adado, Buloburte and Baledweyn that all lie in central Somalia. Apparently, Islamists have also admitted they lost Bai provincial towns and tiny villages near the main town of Baidoa to Ethiopian backed government troops.
Witnesses say hundreds of Ethiopian troops along with their tanks have taken up Adado in Galgadud region, central Somalia. Residential militias in Abudwaq have taken control of the town on Monday evening after Islamist fighters left the town in fear of Ethiopian military attacks.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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#2
Maybe the Ethiopians will be able to show the US how to administer a mostly Islamic country (hopefully by shooting any armed Islamist they come across).
Strategy looks decent - engage along the border then run a 2-pronged assault straight for the country's capitol along the shortest route with diversionary assaults to the north and south.
Tanks, aircraft, artillery, and trained troops help, of course.
#3
The Ethiopians have one major advantage in the TFG : cover for NOT engaging in nation-building. The Ethiopians are simply fighting a war with their ally at their side, and will hand over all areas to the TFG. That means that the ICU can have its guerrilla war with the TFG troops, once the Ethiopians are done tenderizing the TFG.
#4
S: The Ethiopians have one major advantage in the TFG : cover for NOT engaging in nation-building.
I don't they need any cover at all. Most nations either annex conquered territories and drive the natives out or conduct punitive expeditions that kill everything in sight. Only Uncle Sam does the kinder and gentler thing.
Mogadishu 26, Dec.06 ( Sh.M.Network) Two Ethiopian fighter jets have air bombed Lego, the current Islamist defensive town, which is 140 km (88 miles) away from the capital Mogadishu. Witnesses said four civilians and three fluffy ducks have been wounded in the air raid. The Ethiopian fighter jets dropped bombs on Mogadishus international airport and Baledogle, 100 km away from the capital yesterday.
Islamists fledran awayskedaddledvamoosedyieldedvacated abandoned most of Bai province, southern Somalia and made their defensive line in Lego town after retreating from Bur Hakaba, which is 60 km south of Lego. Ethiopian troops supporting government forces reportedly occupied all key towns and tiny villages abandoned by the ICU fighters.
Islamic Courts fighters and the Ethiopian backed government troops are facing off settlements dubbed Fidow and Bur Weyn, with the Ethiopian troops advancing towards Jawhar, the main town of Middle Shabelle province, 90 km south of the capital Mogadishu.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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Um, no. Please don't post multiple images like this in a comment. It sucks bandwidth and slows loading of the Burg, particularly for our dial-up readers (and we have a number of those). AoS.
#4
For no other reason than the following lyrics usually rip the heart out of any soul-searching person ... and ... Repent for "American Pie". Cough!
In some strange sad way for Theo ... maybe above all.
[wistfully]
Starry, starry night.
Paint your palette blue and grey,
Look out on a summer's day,
With eyes that know the darkness in my soul.
Shadows on the hills,
Sketch the trees and the daffodils,
Catch the breeze and the winter chills,
In colors on the snowy linen land.
Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.
Starry, starry night.
Flaming flowers that brightly blaze,
Swirling clouds in violet haze,
Reflect in Vincent's eyes of china blue.
Colors changing hue, morning field of amber grain,
Weathered faces lined in pain,
Are soothed beneath the artist's loving hand.
Now I understand what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they did not know how.
Perhaps they'll listen now.
For they could not love you,
But still your love was true.
And when no hope was left in sight
On that starry, starry night,
You took your life, as lovers often do.
But I could have told you, Vincent,
This world was never meant for one
As beautiful as you.
Starry, starry night.
Portraits hung in empty halls,
Frameless head on nameless walls,
With eyes that watch the world and can't forget.
Like the strangers that you've met,
The ragged men in the ragged clothes,
The silver thorn of bloody rose,
Lie crushed and broken on the virgin snow.
Now I think I know what you tried to say to me,
How you suffered for your sanity,
How you tried to set them free.
They would not listen, they're not listening still.
Perhaps they never will...
#7
Thank you, ZENSTER! That song is one of my many guilty pleasures.
And that aircraft carrier is a sure sign of the end of western civilization! Too much free time on our hands and too much spending cash! Think of all the VICTIMS of our rapacious capitalistic wanton drstructive blah blah blah blah!
Sorry! Got off topic did we?
Posted by: Almost Anonymous5839 ||
12/27/2006 9:32 Comments ||
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#8
Just reading the lyrics hits as hard as the first time I heard it, Zenster. The man knew his way around a musical stave.
#12
I'll bet that Hawking chap find bricks spontaneously manifesting on his front lawn as that aircraft carrier inexorably sucks them into a space time disruption Lego gravity well.
Somalias Islamists are in full retreat after Ethiopian airstrikes and a ground offensive that have killed up to 1,000 of the religious movements fighters, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Tuesday. A joint Somali government and Ethiopian force has broken the back of the international terrorist forces... These forces are in full retreat, Meles told reporters in Addis Ababa, adding that up to 1,000 Islamist fighters had been killed. A few are Somali but the majority are foreigners, he said of the dead.
Addis Ababa has vowed to protect Somalias weak interim government from rival Islamists based in Mogadishu. A week of artillery and mortar duels between the two sides has spiralled into open war that both sides say has killed hundreds. Meles said most fighters of the Somalia Islamic Courts Council (SICC) had fled to their home areas. He said Ethiopian forces were now hunting down troops from his arch-foe Eritrea, which he accuses of supporting the Islamists. The Ethiopian Air Force (will) further intensify pounding selected targets in its lawless neighbour, the Information Ministry said in a statement, adding that it had inflicted heavy damages on institutions controlled by Islamists. The only forces we are pursuing are Eritreans who are hiding behind the skirts of Somali women, and terrorist mujahideen, Meles said.
Ethiopia says the SICC has recruited foreign jihadists, and that a handful of almost 300 prisoners taken after one battle for a central Somali town held British passports. Meles said he had sent between 3,000 and 4,000 Ethiopian troops into Somalia, but denied they were occupiers. He said it was a small force, but carried a lot of firepower. Our military is skirting the towns and attacking only military bases, he said. We have already completed half our mission, and as soon as we finish the second half, our troops will leave Somalia.
Who wants to bet that the imported jihadis had no clue what was coming their way? They thought they were coming to town to re-establish sharia, beat the loose women, terrorize the beardless men and in general have a good time. Instead they were fed into the Ethiop killing machine. Armor. Artillery. Aircraft. Combined operations. And even if the Ethiops aren't all that good at combined ops by western standards, they're about the best around in Africa. And they've had practice over the years. So when the balloon went up and the Ethiops came swarming over the crest of the hill there had to be a lot of jihadis saying, "curly-toed slippers don't fail me now!"
He said he had information 3,000 wounded had been taken to hospital in the Islamist stronghold Mogadishu. But he said there were few civilian casualties because most of the fighting had taken place away from settlements.
Somalias internationally backed government called on the SICC to surrender and promised them amnesty if they lay down their weapons and stop opposing the government, spokesman Abdirahman Dinari said from Baidoa, the seat of the government. Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed, leader of the Council of Islamic Courts executive body, said the group had asked its troops to withdraw from some areas. The war is entering a new phase, he said. We will fight Ethiopia for a long, long time and we expect the war to go everyplace.
On Monday, fighting raged for a seventh day near Daynunay, close to the town of Baidoa. Witnesses reported truck-loads of Ethiopian wounded being evacuated, and Islamist soldiers were said to be reciting the holy Quran as they went into battle. A MiG fighter struck Mogadishus international airport with machinegun fire soon after dawn, airport managing director Abdirahim Adan said.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
no complex ROE
no hostile media whining about the sad condition of the Islamist in civilian clothes (yet)
#2
I sincerely hope they catch Sheikh Ahmed fleeing in a dish towel burga
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/27/2006 10:47 Comments ||
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#3
You beat me to it on the Rules Of Engagement statement. These are people who know whats at stake and do not pretend that there is a nice, clean sanitized version of war.
Good for Ethiopia. The EU needs to pay attention for the future... it's always handy to know what a spine looks like.
Posted by: Army Life ||
12/27/2006 11:09 Comments ||
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#4
Claims killed up to 1,000 and 3,000 wounded in a week.
That's about the same as a company of Rangers and a Delta team did in less than 24 hours in 1993. Now the whole country is ready to collapse. If only Clinton didn't stop the Rangers from finishing off the Mog militias and instead turned tail, muslims wouldn't have gotten the idea the US are pussies and wouldn't have dared attack New York and Washington.
Finish them off and carry off the women.
Posted by: ed ||
12/27/2006 11:53 Comments ||
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#5
"British passports" again. If we don't weed out terror support groups in the rich West, endless funding to foreign terror will never end.
The Geneva Conventions on rules of war, should have permitted summary execution of aliens who participate in war. I recall Patton set up several firing squads for Germans that his troops caught in US uniform during the "Battle of the Bulge."
#7
uuhhh, ed, 'carry off their women'? WAAAY outside the bounds of PC, my friend.
However, considering Hirsi Ali is Somali, Somali have a very nice, exotic look. I don't generally like the looks of (West) African women, but the East Africans....gggggrowl.
(SomaliNet) Federal government's deputy minister of defense said his forces are going to Mogadishu in an interview with BBC Somali section. Mr. Jelle was upbeat about the current situation and the Islamic Courts unprecedented fast retreat from all fronts of the war in central and southern parts of Somalia.
A spokesman for the African Union told BBC Ethiopia has every right to defend its sovereignty and nodded Ethiopian military actions in Somalia. He blamed African Union of being slow on what was necessary to restrain Ethiopia from taking unilateral action.
An Arab League spokesman told Al-Jazeera TV that his organization would like all hostilities to stop and warring parties to respect the binding agreements they signed before world community. He said Somalia doesnt need outside intervention and Ethiopia must leave Somalia.
The Islamic Courts had their largest retreat today and abandoned Burhaka in Bay province and Bulo-Burte in Hiran. In the course of the last two days, the courts left completely Mudug, Galgadud, Hiran, Bay, and Bakool provinces. They are now clinging on to Middle Shabelle which may fall in the next one or two days. In other words, the courts lost over ninety percent of the land they occupied a week ago.
The government side says the courts are being cornered but defiant courts told the world that the real war which will last many years just begun and they are leaving cities and towns for important strategic tactics. Say hi to guerrilla war - Somalia version: The courts said repeatedly that their new form of Jihad will be hit and run and other guerrilla tactics like Afghanistan and Iraq. Afghani Talibans were chased from power more than five years ago. However, they are still strong and damaging. The Islamic Courts are adapting this strategy in hopes of defeating Somalia Ethiopia governments slowly. Time will tell if this formula will work in Somalia.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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If there is protracted war, then it will get dirty. I saw some of that when I was in Central America during the Sandinista subversion.
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Ethiopian forces and the forces of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia have broken the back of international terrorist forces in and around Baidoa, and the latter are now in full retreat.
"Not only did we get the names of those Eritreans, but the list of names of people who carry British Passports. So when we talk about international terrorists, we mean international. Not just Middle East."
Meles said the main forces that the Ethiopian defense forces and that of the TFG faced particularly around Baidoa were not Somali forces as such. They were Eritrean troops, international terrorists and some elements of the so-called Shabab," Meles said in a press conference he gave to local and international journalists here on Tuesday. Our commanders have got the list of international terrorists, people outside of Somalia who were wounded and being treated at a hospital in the town of Diinsoor when the town was occupied. Not only did we get the names of those Eritreans, but the list of names of people who carry British Passports. So when we talk about international terrorists, we mean international. Not just Middle East."
Meles said something like 290 non-Somalis, who were wounded, were being treated at the Hospital in Diinsoor. The whole of Middle Somalia is now free from these terrorist groups, and Baidoa is not under threat any more, Meles said.
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Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Shabab = youth? Is this some sort of Eritrean boogy man?
#5
"Ethiopias intention is not to circumvent the peace talks. Our intention is to protect ourselves from the threat that these people posed on us as Ethiopians. Once we do that, we hope the Somalis can do their homework without interference from any body, including Ethiopia.
So far, I'm liking this Ethiopian Prime Minister. Does anybody know anything more about him?
Saudi Arabia has freed 18 former Guantanamo Bay detainees after they completed their jail sentences, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. The men were among 28 Saudi nationals and one resident handed over this year by the United States from the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, it said. The Muslim kingdom had released 11 of the men earlier this month. The remainder, numbering 18 convicts, were freed ... after the necessary conditions were fulfilled, the official Saudi Press Agency said, quoting Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour bin Sultan al-Turki. Saudi Arabia said it would continue efforts to secure the return of other Saudi citizens. It did not say how many Saudis remained in US custody at the controversial prison camp. Many of the men held at Guantanamo Bay were captured in Afghanistan in the US-led war to oust the Taliban after the Sept 11 attacks.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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after the necessary conditions were fulfilled,
While striking the side of your head vigorously with an open hand, please repeat three times after me; "I hate and loathe the infidel Americans, I hate and loathe the infidel Americans,I hate and loathe the infidel Americans."
Allan be praised! Ok my brothers, you are free to go!
#2
IHT: Ministry spokesman Lt. Gen. Mansour al-Turki said 28 detainees who were released from Guantanamo in May and June confessed to "committing legal violations. They stood trial, and the court issued different sentences against them."
6 months in the hoosegow should be enough time for the infidels short attention span to forget that you tried to kill them.
Posted by: ed ||
12/27/2006 7:06 Comments ||
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Defense Secretary Robert Gates has signed orders that will send the 82nd Airborne Division's 2nd Brigade to Kuwait, shortly after the new year, senior defense officials said Tuesday.
The decision to send the unit was first reported earlier this month. The soldiers are expected to be deployed into Iraq early next year, and the move could be part of a short-term surge of troops to the battlefront to quell the current violence. The 82nd Airborne unit - which would include as many as 3,300 soldiers, will replace the 15th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which had served as the reserve force based in Kuwait, but has been deployed into Iraq.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
Wait! Didn't Pres. Biden say this wasn't going to happen on his watch?
The 325th Airborne Infantry Regiment's mission is to deploy worldwide within 18 hours of notification, execute a parachute assault, conduct combat operations, and WIN! Specifically, the Regiment will conduct a forcible entry to seize a defended airfield, build up combat power as quickly as possible and conduct follow-on military operations.
#6
Ya got that, Airborne and all, They also do peace keeping ops in Dominican, DC, and the Big Easy. They unfortunately are the fit all for events we don't have METL tasks for. No doubt they will be used to stop any riots associated with Saddams hanging.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
12/27/2006 13:22 Comments ||
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Low on funds and struggling against rival group Fatah in Palestine, the Hamas has sought alliance with Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Hizb-ul-Mujahideen, two Pakistan-based groups involved in terrorist activities in India, according to an Italian newspaper report. Hamas is a militant group that won the Palestinian Authoritys general elections early this year and is infamous for its terrorist activities aimed at Israel.
According to Corriere della Sera, a widely read Italian paper, Hamas has befriended LeT and Hizb, both close to Al-Qaeda. The report said the ties were forged during the visit of a Palestinian minister, a Hamas member, to Pakistan this summer. The report has caused a flutter among intelligence and security agencies here because if true, it will mean a major threat to all countries fighting the war against terrorism.
The report said the Palestinian minister, apart from his official engagements, had two separate meetings one with Hizb-ul-Mujahideens Syed Salahuddin and another LeTs Hafez Said. The report said the two, possibly with the help of the Pakistani intelligence, offered to the Hamas representative a briefcase containing $2 million. The paper quoted Islamabad sources saying this. The money was to be used to sustain the Hamas movement in Palestine (like running schools, hospitals) and to deal with economic emergency the government was facing. Another alarming aspect of the report was that the Palestinian minister was also exploring the possibility of strengthening military relation between the Hamas army and the Pakistan-based militants.
The paper alleged that an agreement was reached, based on three points. One that Hizb-ul-Mujahideen and LeT will have the possibility of going to West Asia (Syria and Lebanon) to learn new terror techniques from Arab Mujahideens; second, Palestinian elements will seek refuge in the centres managed by the Pakistani outfits in the Waziristan area and third, there could be exchange of information relating to the use of explosives and the methods to smuggle them, Ajai Sahni, executive director at the Delhi-based Institute for Conflict Management, said there had been sporadic dialogue among Islamic terror outfits in the past. The LeT has been talking to these people.
Posted by: john ||
12/27/2006 16:14 ||
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Pakistan will build a fence and lay mines at selected places on its side of the border with Afghanistan to restrict cross-border movement, Foreign Secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan said on Tuesday. This is a part of our established policy. We are taking measures to prevent any militant activity from Pakistan inside Afghanistan, Khan said in a press briefing at the Foreign Office. The Pakistan Army has been tasked to work out the modalities of the project. The 2,400-kilometre Pak-Afghan border has 700 crossing points.
Khan did not give any time frame for the completion of the project, nor mentioned the specific areas to be fenced or mined. However, he said that no foreign country was funding the project.
Mining (the border) is easier and can be done expeditiously while fencing, of course, requires a huge budget and time. However, the decision will be taken after we get suggestions from the armed forces, the foreign secretary said.
There is an extraordinary situation which needs extraordinary measures, he said. Pakistan needs no permission or agreement with any country, including Afghanistan, while carrying out any such project within its territorial boundaries. We have publicly stated this many times. He said Pakistan had also decided to strictly monitor Afghan refugees camps, expedite the registration and return of Afghan refugees, and relocate some camps close to the border. It had also decided to expand the Frontier Corps, increase the strength of Levies and their deployment along the Pak-Afghan border.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
In JDAMS I trust
Posted by: Captain America ||
12/27/2006 0:16 Comments ||
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Afghan Mexican border to be fenced and mined
Yawn, please ring me up when the headlines read something like this.
One person was killed and two were injured when a powerful time bomb, planted in a car, went off in a parking area outside Peshawar Airport on Tuesday. Bomb disposal squad officials said that the bomb weighed around two kilograms. It completely destroyed the car it was planted in, in addition to razing the boundary wall of Risalla Lane of the Pakistan Army ground.
The deceased was identified as Naveed from Buner, a bus conductor, while the injured included Siraj Mohammad of Regi, an employee of the car parking contractor, and Anwar Zaib Bakht of Swat, an airport employee. The explosion at 7:10am also damaged six other vehicles. After the blast, police, bomb disposal squad and intelligence officials rushed to the site and cordoned off the area.
The injured Siraj told reporters that smoke and dust covered the entire area after the blast and that he did not see anything as he fell unconscious. An eyewitness said that he had parked his car in the parking area at 6:15am and that there was no other car there at the time. He said he was sleeping in his car when the bomb went off. A police official said that no security measures had been taken for the parking area of the cantonment board outside Peshawar Airport.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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Men claiming to be local Taliban bombed a girls school in Noor Ali village in Darra Adam Khel on Monday night and threatened further attacks if the students did not wear veils. The militants also left Urdu pamphlets at the school saying, Be veiled, otherwise we will bomb you again.
The attackers planted the bomb near the principals office at the Government Girls Middle School. The bomb exploded at 12:45am, destroying three rooms and partially damaging four others, political authorities said. The blast also destroyed window panes around the school. There were no casualties reported. A source in the area, seeking anonymity, told Daily Times that the local Taliban had asked locals to stop their daughters from going to college. They have however allowed veiled students to go to middle and high schools, he added. He said most Darra Adam Khel residents had stopped their children from going to schools and colleges, but some were still sending their daughters to school.
Car-lifters and opium growers have also been warned to wind up their activities within six months or face action, he said. The local Taliban have already closed down video centres, and many shopkeepers are now selling their shops due to pressure from local militants.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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A three-day battle between government soldiers and suspected Islamic rebels in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir ended Monday, police and army officials said. Two senior leaders of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, one senior army officer and one civilian were killed in the fighting, local police official Viplav Kumar said.
The fighting in Tilgam, 45 kilometres north of Srinagar, started on Saturday when the army cordoned off the village following a tip that rebels were present in the area. Nearly 400 people fled their homes in the village as the fighting raged. The gunbattle has stopped but we are still searching the area, said Kumar, adding that the two killed militants were identified as commander Abu Tahir and his deputy, Abu Omair. There was no independent verification of the claim.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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Security forces have arrested a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant from Rajouri while 3.5 kg of explosives were recovered in Udhampur, officials said on Tuesday. LeT militant, identified as Mushtaq Shah, was arrested from Karag area in Rajouri district; they said adding security forces recovered one SLR with its magazines, two hand grenades and one mobile phone from him. Acting on a tip off, personnel of BSF and Rashtriya Rifles launched a joint operation in Kot Katha in Udhampur district and recovered seven packets of explosives weighing 3.5 kg.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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The IED:
The biggest killer of all. Can be anything from old Soviet anti-armor mines to jury rigged artillery shells. Most were detonated by cell phone, and the explosions are enormous. You're not safe in any vehicle, even an M1 tank. Driving is by far the most dangerous thing our guys do over there. Lately, they are much more sophisticated "shape charges" (Iranian) specifically designed to penetrate armor. Fact: Most of the ready made IED's are supplied by Iran, who is also providing terrorists (Hezbollah types) to train the insurgents in their use and tactics. That's why the attacks have been so deadly lately. Their concealment methods are ingenious, the latest being shape charges, in Styrofoam containers spray painted to look like the cinderblocks that litter all Iraqi roads. We find about 40% before they detonate, and the bomb disposal guys are unsung heroes of this war.
?Bad guy technology:
Simple yet effective. Most communication is by cell and satellite phones, and also by email on laptops. They use handheld GPS units for navigation and "Googleearth" for overhead views of our positions. Their weapons are good, if not fancy, and prevalent. Their explosives and bomb technology is TOP OF THE LINE. Night vision is rare. They are very careless with their equipment and the captured GPS units and laptops are treasure troves of Intel when captured.
?Who are the bad guys ? Most of the carnage is caused by the Zarqawi Al Qaeda group. They operate mostly in Anbar province (Fallujah and Ramadi). These are mostly "foreigners", non-Iraqi Sunni Arab Jihadists from all over the Muslim world (and Europe). Most enter Iraq through Syria (with, of course, the knowledge and complicity of the Syrian govt.), and then travel down the "rat line" which is the trail of towns along the EuphratesRiver that we've been hitting hard for the last few months. Some are virtually untrained young Jihadists that often end up as suicide bombers or in various "sacrifice squads". Most, however, are hard core terrorists from all the usual suspects (Al Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas etc.). These are the guys running around murdering civilians en masse and cutting heads off. The Chechens (many of whom are Caucasian), are supposedly the most ruthless and the best fighters (they have been fighting the Russians for years). In the Baghdad area and south, most of the insurgents are Iranian inspired (and led) Iraqi Shiites. The Iranian Shiia have been very adept at infiltrating the Iraqi local govt.'s, the police forces and the Army. They have had a massive spy and agitator network there since the Iran-Iraq war in the early 80's. Most of the Saddam loyalists were killed, captured or gave up long ago. ? Bad Guy Tactics: When they are engaged on an infantry level they get their asses kicked every time. Brave, but stupid. Suicidal Banzai-type charges were very common earlier in the war and still occur. They will literally sacrifice 8-10 man teams in suicide squads by sending them screaming and firing AK's and RPG's directly at our bases just to probe the defenses. They get mowed down like grass every time (see the M2 and M240 above). Jordan's base was hit like this often. When engaged, they have a tendency to flee to the same building, probably for what they think will be a glorious last stand.Instead, we call in air and that's the end of that more often than not. These hole-ups are referred to as Alpha Whiskey Romeo's (Allah's Waiting Room). We have the laser guided ground-air thing down to a science. The fast mover's, mostly Marine F-18's, are taking an ever increasing toll on the enemy. When caught out in the open, the helicopter gunships and AC-130 Spectre Gunships cut them to ribbons with cannon and rocket fire, especially at night. Interestingly, artillery is hardly used at all. ? Fun fact: The enemy death toll is supposedly between 45-50 thousand. That is why we're seeing less and less infantry attacks and more IED, suicide bomber shit. The new strategy is just simple: attrition. The insurgent tactic most frustrating is their use of civilian non-combatants as cover. They know we do all we can to avoid civilian casualties and therefore schools, hospitals and (especially) Mosques are locations where they meet, stage for attacks, cache weapons and ammo and flee to when engaged. They have absolutely no regard whatsoever for inflicting civilian casualties. They will terrorize locals and murder without hesitation anyone believed to be sympathetic to the Americans or the new Iraqi govt. Kidnapping of family members (especially children) is common to influence people they are trying to influence but can't reach, such as local govt. officials, clerics, tribal leaders, etc.).
The first thing our guys are told is "don't get captured". They know that if captured they will be tortured and beheaded on the internet. ? Morale:
[M]orale among our guys is very high. They not only believe that they are winning, but that they are winning decisively. They are stunned and dismayed by what they see in the American press, whom they almost universally view as against them. The embedded reporters are despised and distrusted. They are inflicting casualties at a rate of 20-1 and then see shit like "Are we losing in Iraq" on TV and the print media. For the most part, they are satisfied with their equipment, food and leadership. Bottom line though, and they all say this, is that there are not enough guys there to drive the final stake through the heart of the insurgency, primarily because there aren't enough troops in-theater to shut down the borders with Iran and Syria. The Iranians and the Syrians just can't stand the thought of Iraq being an American ally ...
Bill Roggio: Without getting into specific numbers or violating operational security, how would you rate the effectiveness of the IEDs being planted on daily basis, and your ability to defeat this threat? Are insurgents changing their tactics on a regular basis to overcome your countermeasures?
On October 12, 1984 the PIRA [Provisional Irish Republican Army] set off two bombs in the Grand Hotel, in Brighton, England. Prime Minister Margret Thatcher was there along with her entire cabinet. None of them were killed although several high ranking Conservative MP's were killed. When the PIRA claimed responsibility their statement said 'Today we were unlucky, but remember we only have to be lucky once. You will have to be lucky always.' Such is the way with IED's, I can take 5 IED's off the street in one night, but if one IED in another part of the country hits the right vehicle the effectiveness can be rated as high, no one hears about the ones that did not go off. Since we are so cagey about what we have done to fight this battle one big IED hit can look bigger than it really is in the military picture. This war though is about Information Operations as much as anything.
Our ability to defeat this threat is about manpower and equipment. Of course we need to be doing more than just looking for IED's - we need to set the conditions where the IED planter is no longer safe.
The insurgents change and we change. That's what Counterinsurgency is all about.
#6
Man that has got to be frustating to read something in the paper every day and know its pure bullshit. Also I heard that Anbar province hasn't seen a MSM type in many many months so whatever reports they are printing is at least second hand and probably third hand story. I love the AWR, I have got to get that on a T-shirt with approapriate picture (Jihadi cowering in a corner).
#7
Our armed forces in Iraq need "feedforward", which is a news link to them from the US, telling them what politicians and the media are saying, putting *names* on the individuals that are lying about what is going on in Iraq.
Think of it as a giant "enemies list" of names that the troops can access to find out if the pols and "journalists" are:
"red", that is, utterly lying bastards who fabricate hate and defeat about the troops, who either work for the enemy, on or their behalf;
"orange", who just report the 'bombing of the day' direct from the news wires without comment or fact-checking, and harp on US casualties;
"amber", who just repeat whatever stories would benefit their political or foreign national side;
"yellow", who make any effort to be "fair and balanced", but are still reliant for their news on "Green zone" reports only; or,
"green", who get news, opinion, and speculation from the troops, military experts in the know, objective analysts like 'Janes', and other high grade sources.
In turn, the troops no longer complain about the MSM as a group. They can select and *name* who and what news service are lying. This has a lot more impact, if you name names.
#8
nice note, well said, I only wish the NYT would publish it.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
12/27/2006 21:17 Comments ||
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#9
only disagreement is GoogleEarth images are at least 2 years old, where they're available....
Yeah, have to wonder about that. Perhaps they're using them for layouts of bases we took over?
To give an idea of how out-dated some of the pics on GoogleEarth are, they show a ride at DisneyWorld that shut down before 2001 in operation.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
12/27/2006 21:31 Comments ||
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#10
they don't seem to work well around certain sites either. I use it all the time for my youngest's basketball games around the County (SD, CA)to find the gyms, parking. When I was in Lawton, OK, next to Ft Sill. I was unable to get readable grids....go figure?
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/27/2006 21:57 Comments ||
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#11
Sheesh. I was expectin' a lot comments about the "Allah's Waiting Room" section. Did I mistakenly think this would cause a lot of merry comment? Come on, folks. LOL.
The fucking stoopid jihadis all run to the same hole to die together. Good call!
A top aide to anti-American cleric Muqtada al-Sadr was killed in a raid by US troops Wednesday in the Shi'ite holy city of Najaf, an Iraqi lawmaker said.
The US military, however, said American troops participated in a raid led by Iraqi forces that led to the death of a man with the same name as the aide, Sahib al-Amiri. The military described al-Amiri as a criminal involved in the use of roadside bombs.
Nassar al-Rubaie, the head of al-Sadr's bloc in parliament, said al-Amiri was killed when American forces entered his home at dawn.
"We offer our condolences to the Iraqi people and to the al-Sadr movement for the killing of Sahib al-Amiri, one of al-Sadr's prominent figures," al-Rubaie said. Later Wednesday, mourners carried al-Amiri's coffin, draped in an Iraqi flag, on a funeral procession through downtown Najaf.
#1
Back in this August article, Sahib had the title of general director of the Foundation for God's Martyrs. His name came up in a handful of articles, usually as supplying a "it wasn't the Mahdi Army what did it" quote. Maybe he was more than Muqie's media flak?
#2
MNF-Iraq: 8th Iraqi Army Division Forces, with coalition advisors, killed a suspected improvised explosive device facilitator and cell leader during operations Dec. 27 in Abu Sukhayr, near An Najaf. The person was implicated in an October 2006 IED attack on a police chief in An Najaf. The suspect allegedly provided recently several IEDs to his cell for an attack that he allegedly directed be carried out against Iraqi and Coalition Forces in the An Najaf area.
During operations, Iraqi forces and coalition advisors entered the individual's house to search for and detain him. Upon entrance, a man was observed moving up a set of stairs leading to the roof of the house. He ignored repeated verbal warnings to stop. Iraqi Soldiers and coalition advisors followed the man up the stairs and onto the roof.
First on the roof was an Iraqi Soldier, followed by a Coalition Forces Soldier. The Coalition Soldier observed the male, now armed with an assault rifle, turning his weapon toward the Iraqi Soldier. The Coalition Soldier observed the man's hostile intent against the Iraqi Soldier and shot the man, neutralizing the threat and resulting in his death.
The man was identified as the suspected IED facilitator.
There was minimal damage done to the objective. There were no Iraqi forces or Coalition Forces casualties.
via Terrorist Death Watch
BAGHDAD, Dec. 26 The American military said Tuesday that it had credible evidence linking Iranians and their Iraqi associates, detained here in raids last week, to criminal activities, including attacks against American forces. Evidence also emerged that some detainees had been involved in shipments of weapons to illegal armed groups in Iraq.
In its first official confirmation of last weeks raids, the military said it had confiscated maps, videos, photographs and documents in one of the raids on a site in Baghdad. The military confirmed the arrests of five Iranians, and said three of them had been released.
The Bush administration has described the two Iranians still being held Tuesday night as senior military officials. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell IV, the chief spokesman for the American command, said the military, in the raid, had gathered specific intelligence from highly credible sources that linked individuals and locations with criminal activities against Iraqi civilians, security forces and coalition force personnel.
Continued on Page 49
#1
The American military said Tuesday that it had credible evidence linking Iranians and their Iraqi associates, detained here in raids last week, to criminal activities, including attacks against American forces.
I really hope this isn't news. I would like to think there is a sting , in the works, but I am losing faith
#3
Iran claims USA is illegally detaining its DIPLOMATS
they would sure know how to do that. As someone else noted the other day, this shit is something you can't walk back from, once it's out in the media, and we're obviously making sure it is. Iranian ops will be increasingly causus belli, no matter what President Biden thinks. The American people are being prepped, as they should've been years ago. War with Iran is coming, either directly from us or open support for a self-defense run by the Israelis
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/27/2006 5:50 Comments ||
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#4
Iran and the US have no diplomatic relationship. This means Iranians can have no diplomatic immunity from American forces. In addition, it is clear that Iranians do not consider American diplomats to have diplomatic immunity, based on the 1979 embassy hostage incident. By the principle of reciprocity, Iranian diplomats should not enjoy diplomatic immunity from American forces.
#5
One would think the US has quite a collection of Iranians since the thousands of Iranian agents, spies and saboteurs crossed the border with Iraqi refugees since April 2003.
Posted by: ed ||
12/27/2006 7:22 Comments ||
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#6
Certainly it sheds a light on how ridiculous it would be to follow the Iraq Study Group/Baker strategy of getting Iran to "help" us.
#8
But that's ok, LOD, because those were the excess idiot sons their fathers are happy not to have to find wives for. I submit as proof that the Saudi government has expressed no interest in knowing what happened to the 2000++ mislaid souls (or their bodies).
#9
An official in the Iranian Embassy in Baghdad said its diplomats had tried to see the detainees but were not allowed to, a refusal that violated international rules, the official said.
BS. They're unlawful combatants; either saboteurs or mercenaries; they've also taken a role in attacks on civilian targets, removing them even farther from GC protections.
They should be milked for any information they have, then shot.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
12/27/2006 10:00 Comments ||
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#10
The American military said Tuesday that it had credible evidence linking Iranians and their Iraqi associates, detained here in raids last week, to criminal activities, including attacks against American forces
A clear act of war. It took our country 12 years to respond to Iraqi provocations. This time the Iranians have actually killed American forces.
#11
"#8 But that's ok, LOD, because those were the excess idiot sons their fathers are happy not to have to find wives for. I submit as proof that the Saudi government has expressed no interest in knowing what happened to the 2000++ mislaid souls (or their bodies)." Trailing Wife
I agree with your sentiments. The Kingdom may not care, but the Wahabbis do, constantly taking out obits in the Soddy papers for these martrys of Islam.
"According to the Saudi newspaper al-Watan, 2,000 Saudi subjects have been killed in Iraq since the beginning of the anti-Saddam intervention in 2003. This is an extraordinary news item, for the following reasons:
· The number of Saudis killed in the Iraq war is two thirds the number of Americans killed there, which now hovers around 3,000. Saudi personnel are clearly the backbone of the Sunni terror force on the ground in Iraq.
· The Saudi newspaper claimed that 40 percent of the dead were suicide terrorists or jihad combatants, and admitted that all were slain in sectarian conflicts.
· With at least 2,000 Saudis dead in Iraq since 2003 (a number that may be understated), the total of Saudi jihadists in Iraq must be much larger. If only 6,000 Saudis have gone north of the border in four years of war, they would certainly constitute, once trained in terror methods, a fearsome armed body for the disruption of Iraq. Many would be veterans of previous such activities."
#13
LOD, as I recall when I'd look over the foreign fighters page on the daily briefing, the leading nationalities of captured FFs (I may have them slightly out of order) were Egypt, Sudan, Saudi, Syria, Palestine. There were always an amusing number of one-sies and two-sies from the US, France, etc. as well.
This was for captured. As you know we don't actually kill anyone in combat, so we never announce enemy KIA (you wouldn't believe the discussions I had on this topic with uniforms and civilian DOD around the palace - one of Caldwell's predecessors actually agreed that the gag on enemy KIA was silly, but the elaborate and illogical rationalization that has grown up around the body-count paranoia is something to behold). So actually, while enemy KIA WERE given in the internal briefs, there was no break-out by nationality.
And the heart of the problem is not Saudis, nor Egyptians, nor Iranian or Syrian meddling. The heart of the problem is Sunni Iraqis, and obviously some Shi'a (though in an alternative history in which we actually crushed the Sunni resistance straight-away, I can't imagine the scenario that has the biggest and more violent Shi'a groups developing the public acceptance they have now as defenders against an unrelenting terror war that MNF-I failed to stop).
Like BASF's ads say, foreigners don't create Iraq's conflict, they make it bloodier. Yes, foreigners still constitute 99-100% of the suicide attackers - yet almost none of their operations could ever be launched without active/passive Sunni support and protection (whether via insurgent group, criminal gang, warlord, or a combo).
MNF-I's focus on AQ in Iraq has always been an extreme case of zooming in on symptom, not cause. Iraq's problems lie inside Iraq. No insurgency or meddling would last a month if Iraqis are persuaded or compelled to stop what they do or permit to be done. But we've famously chosen from the outset not to compel much of anything. Instead we've done the incredibly difficult thing - find the Zarqawis or the likes of an Emir of Mosul and hit them (incredible feats) - instead of the more straight-forward thing of making life unbearable for the Iraqis who would shelter or assist these folks.
But don't mistake the foregoing for a lack of desire to hit the Iranians - the minute the first hard evidence showed up of Iran-linked EFPs and triggering mechanisms (what, two years ago now?), we should have hit the Iranian intelligence service, and very hard. No need for public explanations - work accidents happen all the time with outfits that have bomb-making as one of their core competencies.
#16
The heart of the problem is Sunni Iraqis, and obviously some Shi'a (though in an alternative history in which we actually crushed the Sunni resistance straight-away, I can't imagine the scenario that has the biggest and more violent Shi'a groups developing the public acceptance they have now as defenders against an unrelenting terror war that MNF-I failed to stop).
It's that damn voice of reason and experience again.
#17
Iran's complaints of any mistreatment of diplomatic personnel ring hollow indeed. Iran still has a long overdue Butcher's Bill, dating back to 1979.
#18
The raids threaten to upset the delicate balance of the three-way relationship among the United States, Iran and Iraq.
What balance? Upset it? Hell, smash it!! There is every reason to not support those parts of the Iraqi government which are effectively agents of Iran.
#19
Classical Liberal, I really don't know the answer to your question. First of all, let me repeat that "this stuff is harder than it looks". Meaning I offer some specific prescriptions, but do not mean to imply that things will be easy or free or magically successful if done differently.
It's a tangled web, and must be approached from the start, as it evolved. Key things like the early return to sovereignty sharply limited our options. But as with many other choices, the early sovereignty strategy was not irrational, and in the circumstances didn't appear crazy. It was just the wrong judgment call. I recall being uneasy when it happened, but not convinced it wouldn't work.
Once we returned sovereignty, and set about letting Iraqis create a new, elected government, our options inexorably diminished. Things like mass preventive detentions and martial law and severe restrictions in known areas of enemy activity became very difficult to implement - even if we'd wanted to.
My main point was that external forces contribute to the problem, but that they do so mainly through Iraqi actors, the most important of whom have been Sunni. Sadr and his merry band have always been and always would have been trouble, ditto though with different characteristics for some of the older Shi'a militia outfits. But it's hard to see how they wouldn't have been much easier to deal with if the relentless Sunni terror onslaught had been dealt with decisively.
Instead, an attempt was made to split and defeat the insurgency politically, by carving off the non-Ba'athist Sunni political elites. This had some success, but to the looks of it failed to take account of the balance of power - of terror - in the Sunni community. Thus the elected Sunnis could not deliver the goods, in terms of a national reconciliation. While of course it would have been exceedingly tricky to pull off, a better approach might have combined the political pincer of Sunni engagement with a power pincer of harsh military action to make life miserable for non-compliant Sunni elements. But something was clearly needed to give meaning to the first part of the sound formula "no worse enemy, no better friend".
My impression was, and has been reinforced by recent Rumsfeld interviews, that the flawed light-footprint-heavy-political-element strategy was CENTCOM's and MNF-I's baby, endorsed by DOD and the WH. Everyone was on the same dubious page. Direct experience and lots of input from mid-level officers also suggests that risk-aversion and perverse career dynamics, especially in the Army, are exacerbating the damage done by the flawed COIN strategy.
Of course strong action against both internal and external adversaries would have been best. While the primary objective was achieved brilliantly (regime removed), the subsequent failure to stay serious has squandered much if not all of the Big Mo and intimidation factor gained thereby.
Of course refusing to engage the US populace, or to counter systematic media distortion, have helped undermine the domestic political base for aggressive action. That failure actually dwarfs the strategy missteps in Iraq itself - and it's a topic of daily discussion and garment-rending in the palace, or at least it was when I was there.
Then there's our pathetic political class. Though the administration badly dropped the ball on domestic political maintenance, even more disheartening is the absence of any compensating support by others. The part of the political class that supported the war has for the most part abandoned the ramparts in a panic, and if you look back, you'll see they did so almost the instant the public lost its enthusiasm.
The US can and will survive almost any mistakes, thanks to its overall power and success, but a warfare-averse Army and a spineless political class are a fairly alarming combination at this point in our history ......
#23
the arrests, in the compound of one of Iraqs most powerful Shiite political leaders
And who would that be?
the site was the compound of Abdul Aziz al-Hakim, one of Iraqs most powerful Shiite political leaders
So, are measures being taken to get this guy out of the loop? If not, why? If this is our hand-groomed new leadership, we really need to rethink our drink.
The Bush administration has rejected pressure to open talks with Iran on Iraq.
Good move. Dont let the neighborhood bully dictate terms.
Iraqs government and its fractured political elite
Ummm doesnt this sort of tell the whole story, right there? These chumps are only interested in power and could give a fig about establishing Iraq as a vital and self-sustaining nation of free people. Until this perfectly labeled political elite is cashed out and replaced with people who have Iraqs best interests in mind, not much is going to change. Their willingness to deal with an enemy like Iran should be proof positive of just how treacherous these bastards are.
My main point was that external forces contribute to the problem, but that they do so mainly through Iraqi actors, the most important of whom have been Sunni. Sadr and his merry band have always been and always would have been trouble, ditto though with different characteristics for some of the older Shi'a militia outfits. But it's hard to see how they wouldn't have been much easier to deal with if the relentless Sunni terror onslaught had been dealt with decisively.
Very interesting reading, Verlaine. It seems our original priority of hoping that the Sunnis would voluntarily embrace political integration resulted in a hands-off mentality that gave them too much latitude for terror ops. Crushing them at the outset certainly could have reduced chances of insurgent activity but would also have alienated them from any possible political alliance. By the time the Sunnis saw the train leaving the station and finally got on board, too much other subversive activity was in place and full-scale civil war was being waged.
#25
Verlaine: Thank you sir for the remarkable synopsis. I got what I was looking for--and I've not seen it anywhere else. The die was cast with an early return to sovereignty that limited our options for a strong response to Sunni intransigeance. That was further compromised by media distortion, feckless political leadership and a risk averse Head Shed. Foreign meddling and martyrdom seeking jihadi tourists exacerbate but don't drive the central problems.
I've still got a few questions:
-Given the shifting balance of powers, are we likely to see any diminution of Sunni attacks against our soldiers, or do their hard boys still like their chances in direct conflict with the Shia un-mediated by the US? Perhaps the question implies a level of logic and awareness of cause and effect that doesn't really exist...
-Suicide bombing: Is this strictly a Sunni tactic or are the Shia in on it as well? If so, are there indications of Iranians offing themselves for the cause? Iran has potential for a big martyr indoc pipeline and openly boasts of its supply of splodey-dopes. I'm curious as to whether this is merely rhetoric and posturing as it may have a bearing on how Iran responds to open conflict with the US.
-Who are the Iranians supplying these more deadly IEDs to? To what extent are the Shia militia targeting our troops with IEDs?
-Is the seeming pussyfooting around with the Iranians part of a broader strategy that will lead to concerted action at the right time, or is it just pussyfooting around?
As far as I know - which in this case is not very far:
* not aware that Shi'a (Iraqi or Iranian) are part of any "martyrdom" (suicide) ops; I think that's still strictly a Sunni, and non-Iraqi, specialty - however I do recall that Iran has been publicizing its "baseeji" corps - perhaps someone more informed could expand on that
* I've no idea what tactical or strategic premises - if any - the Sunni hardboyz operate under. Your implications about lack of logic are quite well founded, I'd guess. It seems to vary by location, tribe, ethnic mix, and AQ presence - one reason that my frequent jeremiads against our multi-faceted COIN/reconstruction strategy is really focused on the worst Sunni areas .... in much of the country security is not that bad, and to the extent it is it CAN be improved through economic stimulus, outreach, etc. - just not in Anbar, lots of Diyala, much of B'dad, or the mixed areas just south of B'dad
* don't know who's most lashed up with the Iranians in terms of IED/EFP ops.
* also don't know what's up with our Iran strategy, to the extent there is one. The admin's approach to the principal adversaries (Iran and Syria) has seemed hard to grasp for some time. Earlier on there was some jawboning of Damascus, predictably to little apparent effect. The way you frame it is the way I think of it (i.e., not too wonderful on the surface, but might look better as part of a larger or longer-term approach that remains hidden from view). However, given Dubya's track record of NOT really having a good hidden reason for not doing/doing something in particular, of late, I'm skeptical and pessimistic. Oddly enough, Dubya's two press appearances in one week just before the mid-terms (I was overseas but was aware of that fact), to me, was rather devastating. It confirmed that, in fact, these guys did NOT have a handle on their main business, and were making the sloppiest of last-ditch efforts to help their cause.
BTW, love your synopsis of my synopsis - outstanding!
As for a book - I honestly don't think I've got nearly enough real insights or limited-dist. info to form the basis for more than an essay - but we'll see .....
#27
shit, Verlaine! I just wish you were on Fox to provide reality. Your thoughts are SO welcome, thx
:-)
Posted by: Frank G ||
12/27/2006 21:55 Comments ||
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#28
double dittos Verlaine,
given the disaray of the major players within Iraq as well as the bad actors with bad intentions next door, I still like our chances for pulling the mission off eventually, ie. a mostly stable have-way friendly ally called Iraq.
At least 54 Iraqis died Tuesday in bombings, officials said, including a coordinated strike that killed 25 in western Baghdad. Separately, the US military announced the deaths of seven American soldiers. The three coordinated car bombs in western Baghdad injured at least 55 people, said a doctor at Yarmouk hospital, where the victims were taken. The attacks occurred in a mixed Sunni and Shiite neighbourhood.
In separate attacks, another car bomb exploded near a mosque in northern Baghdad, killing 17 people and wounding 35, a doctor at Al-Nuaman hospital said. A bomb also exploded in a central Baghdad market, killing five people and wounding 14, police said. Two roadside bombs targeted an Iraqi police patrol in an eastern neighbourhood of the capital, killing four policemen and injuring 12 people.
In Kirkuk, 180 miles north of the Iraqi capital, a roadside bomb killed three civilians - including an 8-year-old girl - and wounded six others, police said.
The US military on Tuesday announced the deaths of seven more American soldiers, pushing the US military death toll since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003 to at least 2,978 five more than the number killed in the September 11 attacks. The milestone came with a military announcement that three soldiers had been killed on Monday. Three more service members were killed on Tuesday in roadside bombings near Baghdad, and another died in a vehicle rollover, the military said.
At least 18 people died in bombings and clashes in Iraq on Monday. American troops fought gunmen in a Shiite militia stronghold in east Baghdad on Tuesday, witnesses said. Fighters loyal to Muqtada al-Sadr were engaged in the clashes with US forces in and near Sadr City, an official in al-Sadrs office said. There was no immediate word on casualties.
British soldiers were on alert for reprisals a day after they raided a police station in the southern city of Basra, killing seven gunmen in an effort to stop renegade Iraqi officers from executing their prisoners.
Iraqs President Jalal Talabani protested on Monday against the arrest by US forces in Iraq of two Iranian diplomats who US officials said were seized in raids against Iranians suspected of planning attacks on Iraqi security forces. Iran said the diplomats had been invited by the Iraqi government and warned their detention would provoke unpleasant repercussions, a local Iraqi news agency said. Two Iranian diplomats were detained by the Americans, said Hiwa Othman, media adviser for Iraqi President Jalal Talabani. The president is unhappy. He is talking to the Americans about it as we speak. The diplomats came to Iraq at the invitation of the president, Othman told Reuters. He said he was not aware if they had met Talabani.
The US State Department said a small number of Iranian diplomats were among those initially detained in the raids, but that they were turned over to Iraqi authorities and released. Several other Iranians remained in custody, it said. We suspect this event validates our claim about Iranian meddling, said a White House spokesman.
In Washington on Tuesday, Senator Joseph Biden, the incoming chairman of the Foreign Relations Committee, said he would fight President George W Bush if the administration decides to send more US troops to Iraq. He also warned that if congressional Republicans do not join him in speaking out to Bush, then they - not Democrats would suffer in the 2008 elections. I just think its the absolute wrong strategy, Biden, a potential presidential contender, said of an increase in troops.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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#1
While leaving Division Main last evening I stopped at the entrance to view two new plasma big screens which had computerized rolling names, photos, units of assignments, and cause of death, IED, fire fight, etc, of recent US soldiers, marines, and airmen KIA. Overtaken by both anquish and anger, I could only hope and pray these Iraqi son's of bitches and this fuc*ed up place is worth it. What a price American continues to pay. Damn what a price.
#2
Iraq and more importantly, the Iraqi "people" are not worth a single American soldier's bowel movement. F**k them! Ingrates. Bastards. Tribal primitives and religious fanatics. Let them have at each other and be done with Iraq.
Only the Kurds are worth protecting and embracing. If the Turks do not like that, f**k them as well.
Arab terrorists launched rockets at Sderot Tuesday night, seriously wounding two Jewish 9th-graders. Defense Minister Peretz says it's time for Prime Minister Olmert to start firing back.
One of the boys, 14-year-old Adir Basad, was in very critical condition throughout the night; after a series of operations, his condition stabilized in the early morning and he is no longer in danger of his life. The second boy, Matan Cohen, suffered moderate wounds. They are being treated at Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon. Three other people were treated for shock, and a house and nearby cars sustained heavy damage.
Neighbors who heard the rockets fall said they went to the street to see if anyone was hurt, and found the two boys embraced and bleeding profusely. The two had just completed a high school test and were walking home.
Islamic Jihad terrorists said they were behind the attack, bringing to more than 60 the number of rockets fired on Israel since the Palestinian Authority (PA) and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert announced a ceasefire a month ago.
Olmert announced that he would convene an emergency meeting of the security cabinet Wednesday morning. Similar meetings of late have not produced a change in the policy of restraint in the face of continued terrorist ceasefire violations.
The latest attack has put more pressure on Prime Minister Ehud Olmert to change his policy of restraint and concessions. He recently announced "goodwill" measures including the easing of travel restrictions for Arabs in Judea and Samaria.
Seven rockets were fired on Israel during the day, including a long-range rocket that hit a strategic facility in Ashkelon for the second straight day. Dangerous materials are stored at the strategic site.
Defense Minister Amir Peretz said last week that the government is "gambling with the lives" of residents of Sderot, where he lives, and added tonight that it was time for the government to give the orders to fire back.
Infrastructures Minister Binyamin Ben-Eliezer (Labor), during a visit to the site of a proposed new community for expelled residents of former Gush Katif communities, said that the time has come to react "with might" against terrorists who fire rockets.
IDF officers are currently under orders not to prevent Kassam rocket terror cells from launching attacks, unless the soldiers' lives are directly and immediately endangered. Olmert seems to have backpedaled on that, see below.
#2
IDF officers are currently under orders not to prevent Kassam rocket terror cells from launching attacks, unless the soldiers' lives are directly and immediately endangered.
Dec 27, 3:41 AM (ET) - JERUSALEM (AP) - Israel will renew pinpoint attacks against Palestinian rocket-launching cells, but otherwise continue to adhere to a month-old truce in the Gaza Strip, the prime minister's office said Wednesday.
The decision to renew operations against militants came after two Israeli teenagers were seriously wounded by rocket fire from Gaza on Tuesday night.
Militants have fired more than 60 rockets at southern Israel since the cease-fire, brokered by the moderate Palestinian president, Mahmoud Abbas, went into effect on Nov. 26.
#2
Israel will renew pinpoint attacks against Palestinian rocket-launching cells, but otherwise continue to adhere to a month-old truce in the Gaza Strip, the prime minister's office said Wednesday.
Hmm. Perhaps a use of "doublespeak" against the doublespeakers? If critics whine that pinpoint attacks against those launching rockets is, in reality, breaking the truce, then the response can be a demand to explain why the PRIOR rocket launches ttempt to launch the rocket is NOT a breaking of the truce?
JERUSALEM, - Palestinian terrorists militants in Gaza fired five rockets towards Israel Tuesday, without causing any casualties, in the latest breach of a month-old ceasefire between the army and terrorists militants, the army said.
An army spokeswoman said there had been two confirmed hits inside Israel -- one in the port city of Ashkelon which caused no damage, and one in the town of Sderot which damaged several vehicles. In Gaza City, the ultra-radical Islamic Jihadterrorist militant group said it had fired one rocket into Sderot and another into Ashkelon.
Posted by: Steve White ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the Kassam attack on Sderot that wounded two ninth-grade boys, one critically, on Tuesday evening. The rocket was the seventh to have been fired at Sderot since Tuesday morning.
Shortly after 10 p.m., the Red Alert alarm sounded throughout Sderot; 10 seconds later, the rocket landed near a group of schoolchildren who were headed for the nearest shelter. Ninth-graders Matan Cohen and Adir Bassad, however, had no time to reach the shelter and were hit by shrapnel. The two were evacuated to Barzilai Hospital in Ashkelon, where doctors began operating.
Following the attack, Defense Minister Amir Peretz called Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and urged him to change Israel's restraint policy. Peretz plans to convene defense officials for a consultation on the situation on Wednesday. "We cannot continue to restrain ourselves," Peretz told the prime minister. "We cannot let Islamic Jihad do whatever they want, and we need to take action to stop the Kassams."
Doctors told an Israel Radio interviewer shortly after 11 p.m. Tuesday that Bassad, who suffered hits to his chest and stomach, was not yet stabilized, and a surgical team was battling to save his life. Cohen, whose major wound was to his leg, was reported stabilized.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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A large bomb was detonated in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya on Monday next the workplace of the brother of an Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades commander. No one was wounded in the blast, which caused severe property damage. Fatah blamed Hamas for the explosion and Hamas said it was in retaliation for attempts by Fatah members to kidnap Hamas activists next to A-Najah University in Nablus.
Posted by: Fred ||
12/27/2006 00:00 ||
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MANILA, Philippines - Remains believed to be from the chief of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group, who was the target of a monthslong U.S.-backed manhunt, have been found in the southern Philippines, the military said Wednesday.
Khaddafy Janjalani is on a U.S. list of wanted terrorists with a $5 million bounty on his head for a series of beheadings, bombings and mass abductions. He has proven elusive in the dense jungles of the southern Philippines, and earlier reports of his demise have proven to be premature.
Lt. Col. Ariel Caculitan, the Philippine marines spokesman, said the decomposing remains were found buried in a remote part of Jolo island. Janjalani was believed to have been killed in a Sept. 4 clash with marines, Caculitan said, but DNA tests would be needed for confirmation.
More at link...
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
12/27/2006 12:27 ||
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Two Muslims and a Buddhist were shot dead and an elementary school was burned by g*ddamned jihadis suspected militants in Thailand's insurgency-torn south on Wednesday, police said. A 47-year-old Muslim security volunteer was killed by four jihadis militants at a tea shop in Pattani.
Also in Pattani, several insurgents set fire to a government-run elementary school, gutting its main building, police said. No one was injured in the arson attack. Later Wednesday in nearby Yala province, a 47-year-old Buddhist man was shot dead by two g*ddamned jihadis suspected militants, and a 52-year-old Muslim farmer was killed by gunfire as he travelled through Yala on his motorbike.
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.
Afghan authorities on Tuesday said that they had arrested a Pakistani national who had allegedly been providing suicide bombers to the Taliban in eastern Paktika province. The man, whose name was not revealed, was in charge of recruiting suicide bombers and equipping them, provincial governor Mohammad Akram Khpolwak said. He was arrested from Bermal district in the bordering Paktika province on Monday, the governor said. He gave no further details saying that the case was under investigation. 
Mogadishu 26, Dec.06 ( Sh.M.Network) Two Ethiopian fighter jets have air bombed Lego, the current Islamist defensive town, which is 140 km (88 miles) away from the capital Mogadishu. Witnesses said four civilians 
Somalias Islamists are in full retreat after Ethiopian airstrikes and a ground offensive that have killed up to 1,000 of the religious movements fighters, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said on Tuesday. A joint Somali government and Ethiopian force has broken the back of the international terrorist forces... These forces are in full retreat, Meles told reporters in Addis Ababa, adding that up to 1,000 Islamist fighters had been killed. A few are Somali but the majority are foreigners, he said of the dead. 
(SomaliNet) Federal government's deputy minister of defense said his forces are going to Mogadishu in an interview with BBC Somali section. Mr. Jelle was upbeat about the current situation and the Islamic Courts unprecedented fast retreat from all fronts of the war in central and southern parts of Somalia. 
Prime Minister Meles Zenawi said Ethiopian forces and the forces of the Transitional Federal Government (TFG) of Somalia have broken the back of international terrorist forces in and around Baidoa, and the latter are now in full retreat.
Saudi Arabia has freed 18 former Guantanamo Bay detainees after they completed their jail sentences, the Interior Ministry said on Tuesday. The men were among 28 Saudi nationals and one resident handed over this year by the United States from the Guantanamo Bay naval base in Cuba, it said. The Muslim kingdom had released 11 of the men earlier this month. The remainder, numbering 18 convicts, were freed ... after the necessary conditions were fulfilled, the official Saudi Press Agency said, quoting Interior Ministry spokesman Mansour bin Sultan al-Turki. Saudi Arabia said it would continue efforts to secure the return of other Saudi citizens. It did not say how many Saudis remained in US custody at the controversial prison camp. Many of the men held at Guantanamo Bay were captured in Afghanistan in the US-led war to oust the Taliban after the Sept 11 attacks.
Pakistan will build a fence and lay mines at selected places on its side of the border with Afghanistan to restrict cross-border movement, Foreign Secretary Riaz Muhammad Khan said on Tuesday. This is a part of our established policy. We are taking measures to prevent any militant activity from Pakistan inside Afghanistan, Khan said in a press briefing at the Foreign Office. The Pakistan Army has been tasked to work out the modalities of the project. The 2,400-kilometre Pak-Afghan border has 700 crossing points.
One person was killed and two were injured when a powerful time bomb, planted in a car, went off in a parking area outside Peshawar Airport on Tuesday. Bomb disposal squad officials said that the bomb weighed around two kilograms. It completely destroyed the car it was planted in, in addition to razing the boundary wall of Risalla Lane of the Pakistan Army ground. 
Men claiming to be local Taliban bombed a girls school in Noor Ali village in Darra Adam Khel on Monday night and threatened further attacks if the students did not wear veils. The militants also left Urdu pamphlets at the school saying, Be veiled, otherwise we will bomb you again. 
A three-day battle between government soldiers and suspected Islamic rebels in a village in Indian-controlled Kashmir ended Monday, police and army officials said. Two senior leaders of the Lashkar-e-Taiba militant group, one senior army officer and one civilian were killed in the fighting, local police official Viplav Kumar said. 
Security forces have arrested a Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) militant from Rajouri while 3.5 kg of explosives were recovered in Udhampur, officials said on Tuesday. LeT militant, identified as Mushtaq Shah, was arrested from Karag area in Rajouri district; they said adding security forces recovered one SLR with its magazines, two hand grenades and one mobile phone from him. Acting on a tip off, personnel of BSF and Rashtriya Rifles launched a joint operation in Kot Katha in Udhampur district and recovered seven packets of explosives weighing 3.5 kg.
At least 54 Iraqis died Tuesday in bombings, officials said, including a coordinated strike that killed 25 in western Baghdad. Separately, the US military announced the deaths of seven American soldiers. The three coordinated car bombs in western Baghdad injured at least 55 people, said a doctor at Yarmouk hospital, where the victims were taken. The attacks occurred in a mixed Sunni and Shiite neighbourhood.
The US military on Tuesday announced the deaths of seven more American soldiers, pushing the US military death toll since the beginning of the Iraq war in March 2003 to at least 2,978 five more than the number killed in the September 11 attacks. The milestone came with a military announcement that three soldiers had been killed on Monday. Three more service members were killed on Tuesday in roadside bombings near Baghdad, and another died in a vehicle rollover, the military said.
The US State Department said a small number of Iranian diplomats were among those initially detained in the raids, but that they were turned over to Iraqi authorities and released. Several other Iranians remained in custody, it said. We suspect this event validates our claim about Iranian meddling, said a White House spokesman.
JERUSALEM, - Palestinian 
A large bomb was detonated in the northern Gaza Strip town of Beit Lahiya on Monday next the workplace of the brother of an Al Aksa Martyrs Brigades commander. No one was wounded in the blast, which caused severe property damage. Fatah blamed Hamas for the explosion and Hamas said it was in retaliation for attempts by Fatah members to kidnap Hamas activists next to A-Najah University in Nablus.
MANILA, Philippines - Remains believed to be from the chief of the al-Qaida-linked Abu Sayyaf group, who was the target of a monthslong U.S.-backed manhunt, have been found in the southern Philippines, the military said Wednesday. 
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