There were fierce confrontations last night in which government bases were attacked on the borders of Hiran and Bakool regions. Al-Shabaab has been suspected of carrying out the raids.
News reports indicate that the conflict went on for hours according to witnesses, and more than 10 people were killed and many more wounded.
Somali National Army officials at the battlefield have refused to comment regarding the clashes last night.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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[AnNahar] Forces loyal to rogue Libyan general Khalifa Haftar clashed Sunday with Islamist militias in the eastern city of Benghazi, killing four people and wounding nine, witnesses and a medic said.
The festivities were among the fiercest since Khalifa began his offensive against radical Islamist groups in Benghazi, dubbed "Operation Dignity," on May 16, when at least 76 people were killed.
The fighting on Sunday left at least four dead and nine maimed, according to the al-Abyar hospital southwest of Benghazi, where Haftar's forces are treated.
The hospital sources did not say which side the casualties were from, and Islamist militias in Benghazi rarely give indications of their dead and maimed.
The ex-general's forces launched an offensive early Sunday in the Sidi Fraj area of Benghazi, a stronghold of Islamists, including Ansar al-Sharia ...a Salafist militia which claims it is not part of al-Qaeda, even though it works about the same and for the same ends. There are groups of the same name in Libya, Tunisia and Yemen, with the Libyan and Tunisian versions currently most active... , which Washington classifies as a "terrorist organization."
The sound of heavy weapons fire could be heard on the streets of the suburb, and families fled affected areas, witnesses said.
Electricity was cut to a large part of the city, with state news agency LANA saying a rocket fire had hit a power station, and that technicians were trying to restore power supplies.
Since launching his offensive last month, Haftar has rallied support from the public and members of the security forces.
But the authorities have labeled him an "outlaw" and accused him of trying to mount a coup.
Near daily attacks in Benghazi, cradle of the 2011 revolt that ousted strongman Muammar Qadaffy ...Proof that a madman with money will be politely received for at least 42 years until his people get tired of him and kill him... , have killed dozens of members of the security forces. The attacks have been blamed on radical Islamist militias based in the city.
#1
Attacks blamed on radical Islamist militias killed dozens of members of the security forces. Haftar is fighting the radical Islamist militias killing the security forces and Haftar is the outlaw?
For perspective, Squinty, An Nahar gets a lot of their articles from the Agence France Presse (if I spelt that right, it's early here and French may never be one of my languages). So things have that editorial board's perspective, rather than AP's or Reuter's. As for the rest of your comment, I couldn't possible say.
#3
'Rogue' in the sense that he's neither part of the official Libyan government, nor part of the Islamic militias that essentially have control of the official Libyan government.
[AnNahar] An gang has kidnapped Lebanese citizen Jerjes Rashed Rashed, 51, in the strife-torn Libyan city of Benghazi, asking for a million dollar ransom, Leb's National News Agency reported Sunday.
The agency said Rashed was kidnapped four days ago from his house in Benghazi. He was taken to an unknown destination.
"The captors on Saturday telephoned the director of the company for which Rashed works, asking for a million dollar ransom to release him," NNA said, noting that the man's boss is also Lebanese.
The agency said Rashed hails from the southern district of Jezzine.
Benghazi has been witnessing fierce festivities since rogue general Khalifa Haftar began an offensive against radical Islamist groups in the city, dubbed "Operation Dignity," on May 16.
Haftar has won widespread support for his campaign, including from air force units which have carried out air raids on jihadist positions in and around Benghazi.
Near daily attacks in Benghazi, cradle of the 2011 revolt that ousted strongman Muammar Qadaffy ...Proof that a madman with money will be politely received for at least 42 years until his people get tired of him and kill him... , have killed dozens of members of the security forces. The attacks have been blamed on radical Islamist militias based in the city.
Gunmen in Kenya attacked a busy coastal town late Sunday, opening fire from two minibuses and setting two hotels on fire. There was no immediate confirmation of casualties, but residents said the attack lasted for hours.
Kenyan army spokesman Major Emmanuel Chirchir said the gunmen entered the western town of Mpeketoni and started "shooting people around in town". He said that the "assailants (are) likely to be Al-Shebab."
The shooting began around 8:00 p.m., with gunshots reported up to four hours later. Two hotels and local boarding houses in the town were "attacked and set on fire". A police station and a bank were also reportedly attacked, but officials could not confirm the extent of the fighting.
At least 26 people were killed when some 50 insurgents flying black Islamist flags swept into a Kenyan coastal town firing guns in an unprecedented attack, a local government official said Monday.
"So far we have collected over 26 bodies and taken them to the mortuary, but we are still looking for more," Benson Maisori, deputy commissioner for the district, told Agence France Presse. The town of Mpeketoni was reported calm Monday, the morning after the attack.
[AnNahar] Fresh festivities broke out Sunday between Yemeni government forces and Shiite Houthis, tribal sources said, ending an 11-day truce reached with mediation backed by United Nations ...an idea whose time has gone... envoy Jamal Benomar.
The renewed fighting in the northern province of Amran had shut off the road linking it to the capital, the sources said.
Clashes spread to the adjacent Sanaa province, where troops and rebels used heavy weapons in intense fighting in the Jarban and Jaess areas, according to the same sources.
It was not immediately possible to give a casualty toll, the sources said.
Government officials and representatives of the Houthis, also known as Ansarullah, reached a ceasefire deal on June 4 to end festivities in Amran province.
The agreement stipulated both sides would stop bringing military reinforcements to the area, impartial military monitors would be deployed, and the main road to the capital Sanaa reopened.
Huthis are suspected of trying to expand their sphere of influence as Yemen is split into six regions, pushing out from their mountain strongholds in the far north to areas closer to Sanaa.
The rebels complained Yemen would be divided into rich and poor regions under a federalization plan agreed in February following national talks as part of a political transition.
Huthis have been fighting the central government for years, complaining of marginalization under ex-president President-for-Life Ali Abdullah Saleh ... Saleh initially took power as a strongman of North Yemen in 1977, when disco was in flower, but he didn't invite Donna Summer to the inauguration and Blondie couldn't make it... , who was ousted in a 2012 uprising.
In February, they seized areas of Amran province in fighting with tribes that killed more than 150 people.
[Ynet] Eight people have been locked away Keep yer hands where we can see 'em, if yez please! in Spain and a further three in Germany for suspected links with jihadi groups, especially in Iraq and Syria, authorities said Monday.
A Spanish Interior Ministry statement said police detained the eight in Madrid early Monday on suspicion of recruiting jihadi turbans for the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original... , or ISIS.
It said the cell was led by a person who lives in Spain but had previously been nabbed Drop the heater, Studs, or you're hist'try! in Guantanamo Bay after being arrested in Afghanistan in 2001.
One assumes these are people who were watched for some time, but now the risk assessment has changed.
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06/16/2014 12:37 ||
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[AnNahar] Germany's federal police on Sunday announced the arrest of a French national suspected of fighting for radical jihadists in Syria.
A front man told Agence La Belle France Presse that the man was picked up in Berlin late Saturday after flying in from Istanbul and was believed to have spent time in Syria where he allegedly joined the jihadist Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original... He confirmed a report in the daily Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, which said the man, who was not named, was hurt while fighting in Syria and posted several pictures of himself with gunshot wounds on Islamic myrmidon websites.
The report added that German authorities believe the man was returning to Europe to recruit other fighters for Syria or plan an attack.
The front man declined to comment, saying that the federal police would release further details on Monday.
"We need to exchange some information with international partners first," he said.
The arrest came three weeks after a deadly attack on the Jewish Museum in Brussels, which police suspect was carried out by a Franco-Algerian who spent more than a year fighting for jihadists in Syria.
The French government unveiled an anti-terrorism plan in April to prevent the radicalization of nationals, thwart online recruitment and make it more difficult for aspiring jihadists to leave the country for Syria.
The German domestic security watchdog warned recently of the threat posed by Islamic gunnies returning from fighting in the Syrian civil war.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
Marcel? Francois?
Posted by: Frank G ||
06/16/2014 9:34 Comments ||
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[NY Times] Pak fighter jets attacked Taliban strongholds on Monday, and Islamist fighters retaliated with a roadside kabooming, as a long-expected military operation in North Wazoo, the country's most lawless tribal district, moved into its second day.
The Pak military command said in a statement that it had attacked six targets in the district and killed 27 hard boy fighters. Most of the strikes occurred in the Shawal Valley, a thickly forested highland area that Taliban and Al Qaeda gunnies use as a sanctuary.
Several hours later, the military reported that at least six soldiers were killed when an kaboom struck their convoy north of Miram Shah, the main town in North Waziristan.
The action on Sunday and Monday, with a combined reported corpse count of at least 167 people, suggested that the military's Waziristan campaign will initially be waged mainly from the air.
Continue reading the main story
RELATED COVERAGE
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The military has said little else about the scope of the operation, except to note that artillery and ground troops will also be used. One official told Agence La Belle France-Presse that as many as 30,000 soldiers could be involved.
The military's casualty figures could not be independently confirmed because the tribal belt is inaccessible to outside journalists, and local journalists operate under considerable restrictions.
Paks in the rest of the country are girding for possible reprisal attacks in major cities. Still, public opinion seems largely to support the operation, which the army calls Zarb-e-Azb, or Strike of the Prophet's Sword. "Operation at last!" read Monday's front-page headline in The Nation, a conservative English-language daily.
In a brief speech to the Pak Parliament on Monday, Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif ... served two non-consecutive terms as prime minister, heads the Pakistain Moslem League (Nawaz). Noted for his spectacular corruption, the 1998 Pak nuclear test, border war with India, and for being tossed by General Musharraf... tried to address speculation that there had been disagreement between his government and the military over the offensive. He called it a joint decision that became necessary after the Pak Taliban kept up a barrage of attacks during attempts to engage them in peace talks.
"We were talking to these groups and being attacked at the same time," he said. Mr. Sharif recounted attacks on an Islamabad court and last week's siege of the Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... airport, noting that Pak citizens no longer felt safe. He said his government was committed to restoring peace in Pakistain.
Mr. Sharif said that while there may have been different opinions about a military operation and peace negotiations in the past, "this chapter now has to be closed."
Mr. Sharif's main political rival, Imran Khan ... aka Taliban Khan, who ain't the sharpest bulb on the national tree... of the Pakistain Tehrik-e-Insaf ...a political party in Pakistan. PTI was founded by former Pakistani cricket captain and philanthropist Imran Khan. The party's slogan is Justice, Humanity and Self Esteem, each of which is open to widely divergent interpretations.... party, has routinely criticized the Sharif administration for not being serious about negotiating with hard boy groups. However, we can't all be heroes. Somebody has to sit on the curb and applaud when they go by... television channels reported on Wednesday that Mr. Khan's party would be backing the military operation.
Public opinion in Pakistain has long been divided on whether to try to end the Taliban insurgency through negotiations. But the hard boy attack on the Karachi airport last week, which killed at least 36 people and temporarily closed the airfield, has been seen as a humiliation and has galvanized opinion in favor of military action.
Even so, experts warn that the Taliban has a broad network of hard boy supporters across the country, some of them in allied jihadist groups, which could be used to hit back.
On Monday in Multan, a city in Punjab Province, unidentified gunnieskidnapped a nephew of the country's chief justice, police officials and family members said. There was no immediate claim of responsibility, and it was not clear whether the abduction was related to the North Waziristan offensive. But one of the victim's relatives, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the missing man worked as a junior official at Inter-Services Intelligence, the country's powerful spy agency.
The army said on Monday that it had blocked all entry points between North Waziristan and the rest of Pakistain, and had requested assistance from the Afghan government in sealing North Waziristan's border with the Afghan province of Khost ...which coincidentally borders North Wazoo and Kurram Agency... .
A Taliban capo, speaking by telephone from Waziristan, said that surveillance drones were seen in the skies over the district, showing that the United States was helping Pakistain with its offensive. "They are jointly conducting this operation against us, helping each other and sharing intelligence," he said.
The Mighty Pak Army, however, has its own drones and recently started using them over Waziristan. Unlike some American drones, the Pak drones carry no weapons.
The Taliban warned foreign companies and airlines to leave Pakistain or risk becoming targets in the conflict. "They should immediately suspend their ongoing matters with Pakistain and prepare to leave Pakistain, otherwise they will be responsible for their own loss," a Taliban front man, Shahidullah Shahid, said in a statement.
After seven years of bloodshed that has killed thousands of Pak civilians and soldiers, the military is trying to tackle the gunnies in their tribal-belt stronghold. "These enemies of the state will be denied space anywhere across the country," said a military statement issued shortly after the operation started on Sunday.
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06/16/2014 12:46 ||
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[ECONOMICTIMES.INDIATIMES] Several Uyghur faceless myrmidons from China's volatile Xinjiang province were among 50 turbans killed in air raids launched by Pak fighter jets in North Wazoo on the hideouts of foreign terror groups, Chinese official media reported today.
"There are reports of some ETIM gunnies also killed in the strikes," Pakistain military said in a new text message, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
The Pakistain military had said over 50 "terrorists, mostly Uzbek" were kill ..
Read more at:
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/articleshow/36667905.cms?utm_source=contentofinterest&utm_medium=text&utm_campaign=cppst
Posted by: Fred ||
06/16/2014 12:44 ||
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#2
As per CNN + Net, some of the 13 individuals Beijing repor executed for terrorism today either don't look Chinese andor are mixed-race.
* TOPIX > [Foreign Policy] SHOULD CHINA DECLARE A WAR ON TERROR? of its own, espec given that Xinjiang miltants have allegedly linked themselves to the global terror network which in turn indics or infers that Foreign Militant will be coming to attack + destabilize China???
See earlier Net Artics about the ISIS surge in Iraq poses a threat to RUSSIA.
Moreso iff ... ...
* GUARDIAN.UK > AL-QAIDA VIDEO URGES MUSLIMS IN KASHMIR TO WAGE JIHAD IN INDIA, + follow the inspiring example of their Jihadi Brothers in Afghnaistan, Syria, + now Iraq.
[AnNahar] Pakistain's military said Sunday it had launched a "comprehensive operation" to eliminate Taliban and al-Qaeda forces of Evil in a restive tribal region bordering Afghanistan, a week after a brazen krazed killer attack on the Bloody Karachi ...formerly the capital of Pakistain, now merely its most important port and financial center. It is among the largest cities in the world, with a population of 18 million, most of whom hate each other and many of whom are armed and dangerous... airport.
"On the directions of the Government, Armed forces of Pakistain have launched a comprehensive operation against foreign and local hard boyz who are hiding in sanctuaries in North Wazoo," a military statement said.
Continued on Page 49
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
If the Paks don't put a stop to it the ChiComs might. And who would come to Pakistan's aid? Obama?
RAWALPINDI/MIRANSHAH: Fighter jets launched air strikes Sunday against militant hideouts in North Waziristan, killing at least 105 insurgents including those linked to a brazen attack on Karachi airport, the military said on Sunday.
Mostly Uzbeks. That makes it okay then...
One official said that the alleged Uzbek mastermind of the Karachi attack had been killed in the strikes. "Abu Abdul Rehman Almani, who was mastermind of attack on Karachi airport, and several other commanders have been killed in the strikes," the official told AFP.
We need to see the severed head please...
Another security official said that "the number of the killed people was even more than 150".
"A number of terrorist hideouts in Dehgan, Datta Khel in North Waziristan were targeted by jet aircraft. The number of terrorists killed in early morning strikes has risen to 105, mostly Uzbeks," a military statement said.
"As of now North Waziristan Agency has been isolated by deploying troops along its border with neighboring agencies and FATA regions to block any move of terrorists in and out of the agency," the ISPR said. "Within the agency, troops have moved and cordoned off all terrorists bases, including in the town of Mirali and Miranshah."
Announcements will be made for the local population to approach designated areas for their orderly and dignified evacuation out of the agency, the ISPR said, and added that necessary logistics and administrative arrangements for IDPs have been made by political administration and the disaster management agency. "Registration points and IDP camps have been set up. Surrender points have also been made for those militants who chose to quit violence and give up their arms," the statement said.
Meanwhile, aerial surveillance of the area is being carried out by own aerial surveillance platforms. The Afghan National Army and Afghan Border Police have also been requested to seal the border on their side to facilitate elimination of terrorists who attempt to escape across the border, the ISPR said.
"They have also been requested to initiate immediate measures to eliminate TTP terrorists and their sanctuaries in Kunar, Nuristan and other areas of Afghanistan."
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06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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QUETTA: A railway track was damaged in improvised explosive device (IED) blast near Haji Shehr area of Kachhi District on Sunday, however, no causality was reported.
According to Levies Force, unidentified men planted the IED besides the railway track. The bomb damaged three-foot-long section of the railway track, but there was no loss of life. Railway service between Balochistan and other parts of the country was suspended after the explosion. Local administrations reached the site and cordoned off the entire area and launched a hunt for suspects.
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06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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ISLAMABAD: The Pakistan Army took over security charge of the federal capital on Sunday, hours after military launched a long-expected ground operation to eliminate Taliban and Qaeda terrorists from North Waziristan.
Reports said over 250 personnel of armyâs 111 Brigade were deployed at sensitive installations and buildings in Islamabad including Presidentâs House, Prime Ministerâs House, Parliament Lodges and the Diplomatic Enclave located in the Red Zone.
Sources familiar with the development told Daily Times that the Interior Ministry decided to hand over internal security of Islamabad to army following reports by intelligence agencies warning about possibility of terrorist attacks in the federal capital.
Islamabad has been on high alert since a suicide attack on an army vehicle in Tarnol area near Islamabad wherein two lieutenant-colonels of Pakistan Army were martyred, and the deadly gun-battle at Karachi airport that killed 38, including 10 attackers. Security officials fear that newly launched military operation against Taliban in North Waziristan will trigger militant backlash and they may resort to violence in big cities, especially the federal capital.
Spokesman of Interior Ministry Danial Gilani, when contacted to seek ministryâs version on the development, plainly refused to say anything on the ground that he was on leave, and instead suggested to contact Mojib Qadir. Mojib, however, told Daily Times that he is not empowered to say anything on such sensitive issues.
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06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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PESHAWAR: Fresh clashes between rival militant groups left seven dead on Sunday in Shawal Tehsil of North Waziristan Agency, as military launched a âcomprehensive operationâ to eliminate Taliban and Qaeda militants in the tribal region. Two people were also injured in the militant infighting.
Officials and tribal sources confirmed that the fresh clashes erupted between supporters of Sheharyar Mehsud and Khan Said Sajna groups. Over the last two months, the infighting within the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan factions has left over 100 dead and many more injured.
The Sajna and Sheryar groups of the TTP have been at odds since the death of Hakimullah and Waliur Rehman Mehsud in US drone strikes. The rival factions have accused each other of grabbing power in order to control South Waziristanâs Mehsud tribal area. Sajna had been considered the right hand man of Waliur Rehman, whereas Sheryar was a confidant of Hakimullah Mehsud. Their slain leaders had also been at loggerheads after the death of TTP founder Baitullah Mehsud.
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06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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ISLAMABAD: The military launched a long-expected full-scale operation against terrorists in the North Waziristan Agency on Sunday, days after a deadly gunfight with Taliban at Karachi airport killed 38, including 10 attackers.
"On the directions of the government, armed forces of Pakistan have launched a comprehensive operation against foreign and local terrorists who are hiding in sanctuaries in North Waziristan Agency," a statement issued by the Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) quoted Major General Asim Saleem Bajwa as having said. "The operation has been named Zarb-e-Azb."
This is the third full-scale military operation launched in the militancy-plagued north western belt since 2009, following operation Raah-e-Raast and operation Raah-e-Nijaat.
"Using North Waziristan as a base, these terrorists had waged a war against the state of Pakistan and had been disrupting our national life in all its dimensions, stunting our economic growth and causing enormous loss of life and property. They had also paralyzed life within the agency and had perpetually terrorized the entire peace loving and patriotic local population," the ISPR DG said.
"Plus, they were embarrassing us."
"Our mighty valiant armed forces have been tasked to eliminate these terrorists regardless of hue and color, along with their sanctuaries," he said, and added, "With the support of the entire nation, and in coordination with other state institutions and law enforcement agencies, these enemies of the state will be denied space anywhere across the country. As always, armed forces of Pakistan will not hesitate in rendering any sacrifice for the motherland."
With the launch of the military operation, a peace agreement struck between militant commander Hafiz Gul Bahdur and the government comes to an end, security officials said.
Neither "peace agreement" nor "military operation" have the meaning you'd expect when it comes to Pakistain...
On June 6, the military command and the civilian leadership had jointly given the elders of the Wazir tribes in NWA a 15-day deadline to expel foreign militants from the area. However, deadly terror attacks from Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) especially near Islamabad and at Karachi airport prompted the security forces to act even before the expiry of the deadline.
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06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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#5
Is there an asterisk next to these 275 non- boots on the ground troops so their presence on the ground doesn't count? After all, Chuckles said boots on the ground was off the table.
#9
I figured it was tennis shoes to reflect the new inclusive personel policy and maintain "no boots on the ground" "promiss". Might not even be carrying those icky assault gun thingees...
[CNN] One by one, Iraqi cities seem to be falling to a myrmidon group bent on continuing its march forward.
What's happening in Iraq now has all the makings of a civil war -- and a full-blown foreign policy crisis. The United States is mulling direct talks with Iran while it boosts security at the U.S. Embassy in Storied Baghdad with military personnel.
Why Iran? In recent days, Iran has sent hundreds of troops to fight alongside Iraqi government security forces in Diyala province, a security bigshot in Storied Baghdad told CNN.
Clearly, the crisis in Iraq is spilling far beyond its borders. Here's the latest:
Iraq's military strikes back at ISIS
After days of violent advances by the myrmidon group ISIS, the Iraqi air force killed more than 200 forces of Evil from the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria, Iraqi state TV reported Monday.
The air raids against ISIS took place in Saqlawiya, northwest of Falluja, according to state TV.
ISIS has been fighting to take control of Iraq, seizing cities across the country.
Iran enters the mix
In recent days, Iran has sent about 500 of its Revolutionary Guard troops to fight alongside Iraqi government security forces in Iraq's Diyala province, according to a security bigshot in Storied Baghdad who spoke to CNN on Friday.
But Iranian President Hassan Rouhani denied reports that some of Iran's elite forces are in Iraq to help bolster Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, a fellow Shiite.
"If the Iraqi government wants us to help, we will consider it," Rouhani said, according to an English translation of his remarks Saturday on state-run Press TV.
But "so far they have not asked specifically for help." Rouhani added that Iran could give strategic guidance, if it's requested.
The B.O. regime is exploring possible direct talks with Iran over the deteriorating situation in Iraq, two senior U.S. officials told CNN.
Both officials ruled out any type of teaming up with Iran because the United States and Iran don't have a lot of common interests -- other than a stable Iraq.
The United States is wary of furthering Iran's already considerable influence in Iraq. The Shiite Iranian regime is al-Malaki's closest ally in the region. And the B.O. regime is concerned that appearing to team up with Iran would both alienate Iraq's Sunni minority and worry Sunni allies of the United States in the region.
Posted by: Fred ||
06/16/2014 12:48 ||
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#2
An unconfirmed SITREP from someone within the US Gov't who has recently returned:
Subject: Situation update - Iraq (Baghdad focused) 6/14 Gents, thought you might want to hear from the front. Just returned from Baghdad day before yesterday checking on my folks. This is as current and objective as I have seen to date.
The current situation in Baghdad is best described as tense. Mass media coverage over the last few days of unfolding events has seen a run on supplies/fuel/at banks by civilians who are preparing in the event the worst does happen. It is not yet to the point of a panic but locals are nervous. The airport is extremely busy and flights elsewhere (especially to the Kurdish Region) are far overbooked. The overall situation in the country can only be described as very serious and with yesterdays call to arms by Ayatollah Sistani, the prospect of a sectarian civil war is the highest it has ever been and has the potential to even be worse than the 2006/2007 era.
But - before going any further - it is worth putting the overall situation into context, and describing the ISIS advance to Baghdad thus far. The portrayal in the media since this situation broke five days ago has been one of a relentless advance by ISIS. According to CNN etc, ISIS began by capturing Mosul, then advanced in a Blitzkrieg movement south, routing the Iraqi Army and capturing vast swathes of terrain as they went. This continuous sensationalization by the mainstream western media is the number one driving factor for the tension in Baghdad rather than a true appreciation of fact.
While the reporting of the folding of the Iraqi Army in Mosul and areas north of Baghdad is accurate (and is the reason why this situation has developed as it has), the rest of it is far less simple than is widely portrayed in the western media, and the true facts need putting into context. Most of this has already been covered in the GW Daily Reports from Jun 10-14 inclusive, and summarized in the GW weekly released last night. It is recommended these documents are reviewed for a balanced understanding of what has transpired so far. But to put some key points down on paper:
The last week in May/first week in June saw a substantial increase in insurgent activity across the country. Bombings and spectacular attacks ranged across the country, from VBIEDs near Karbala and Najaf, an assassination of a senior Sahwa commander in Anbar, an assault on Sammara and finally the attack on Mosul which caused the rout of the Iraqi Army and everything that then subsequently unfolded over the course of the last five days. The key takeaways, however are:
The advance from Mosul to the outskirts of Baghdad has been blown out of proportion. What in actuality happened was ISIS were masterful in capitalizing on their success in Mosul and then gaining and achieving momentum. But rather than a straightforward advance to Baghdad, it is more realistic to consider that news of the Mosul success and fleeing Iraqi Army traveled fast throughout the Sunni dominated areas north of Baghdad. ISIS units already in situ in their traditional locations rallied behind their flag and mobilized in their local areas all at once. Similar news spread amongst the Iraqi Army, whose commanders were the first to flee, which caused the mass pullout/desertion/withdrawal. ISIS then moved into the Iraqi Army positions, taking the majority of them without a fight or meeting only mediocre resistance. What is extremely import to note is: ISIS have yet to move outside of areas where they have always been traditionally strong. In addition, ISIS have met no resistance from the predominantly Sunni population in these areas who have been downtrodden and marginalized to the point where they are at least passively supporting ISIS, maintaining a laissez faire outlook. Some of this support though is no doubt through fear ISIS will have presented them with a You are either with us or against us ultimatum. In the total absence of official law and order, most Sunni locals will have little choice but to along with it for now. It should also at this point be noted that ISIS is not just ISIS. Other militant organizations and local Sunni tribes who are going along with it for now are involved. These ultimately are not interested in the level of radicalism that true ISIS demands so this is a fragile alliance at best, which will no doubt come to the fore once true resistance appears, or when ISIS start summarily executing peop0le for crimes and issuing strict laws on how to live etc (and we are already seeing evidence of this in Mosul and Tikrit).
Back to the Advance on Baghdad. Understanding the above it should now be clear that ISIS have not yet set one foot outside areas where they have traditionally been strong. Which is why the advance has stalled in the area of Samarra/Balad. In Diyala with its more mixed populace, they have not even advanced that far south in parallel Shia militia groups such as AAH are openly fighting them and the Iraqi Army is maintaining a presence there also. Not to mention in Northern Diyala, the limits of control are tested between ISIS/Peshmerga testing the Peshmerga are currently winning as they consolidate positions and expand their region (they will likely be the ultimate winners in all of this). The minute they step off their traditional turf into areas where they have no popular support (i.e. Shia parts of the country northern Baghdad for instance .) we will see how well they do trying to fight conventionally....
The massive Shia mobilization that is currently occurring in Baghdad and the south means that the advance in a conventional sense, is likely to remain stalled where it is if not beaten back some in the coming days.
So whats the realistic prognosis of the situation for Taji and Baghdad?
Taji has become the main reception point for falling back troops and the point from where counter offensives will be planned and organized. On current available information, the massing troops there and the size of the facility means that ISIS as yet will have very little chance of attacking it in a conventional sense, so will get back to what they do best car bombs, suicide attacks etc, along with IDF. The fact that the group has consolidated ground now with a frontline behind which they have almost unrestrained freedom of movement means that supply lines will be extended so possibly we will see the frequency of these kind of attacks increasing. Not to mention the masses of military equipment (and cash) they have captured (although it appears much of it has gone to Syria which is indicative that the campaign there may be of greater or least equal importance to the movement). Same goes for Balad airbase to the north of Taji as yet the facility has not been directly attacked despite ISIS proximity, and both will be extremely well defended but no denying the facilities will be ISIS priority targets.
It also goes for Baghdad itself. In addition to the northern axis, we need to consider what is happening Anbar to the west (and the linked Jurf al-Sakhr district of Babil province to the southwest of Baghdad). There has been a noticeable drawing back of Iraqi Army units from Fallujah (presumably so properly battle hardened veterans can redeploy elsewhere). The has led to more freedom of movement for ISIS/anti govt elements again with the implication of being able to stage closer to Baghdad. But again even from this axis at this juncture we are talking increased unconventional guerilla attacks in the capital rather than the media Lets all drive right into town sketch. I do see increased suicide attacks, car bombings possibly even IDF on the BIAP and IZ (and maybe even increased conventional clashes in Abu Ghraib and therefore encroaching on the outer BIAP perimeter), but based on current info, not a conventional type assault as the press is talking. Baghdad is absolutely teeming with Iraqi Army troops and now, Shia militia of all kinds, including the now gloves-off Jaish al Mahdi (JAM) and Asaib Ahl al Haq (AAH), and I dont doubt (as with some other parts of the country) Iranian Quds force too. Iranian involvement is set to increase as this progresses.
So to conclude for ISIS to just go strolling into Baghdad as they have in a similar fashion in the areas where theyve always been strong is currently completely unrealistic (again, media to blame for it). However what is likely is an increase in car bombings, suicide bombings, IDF threat to BIAP and IZ. Short notice lockdowns throughout the city are also possible, as is the potential for short notice vehicle movement restrictions and curfews (already one in place from 10pm till 6am). The other major burning issue right now is the mass Shia mobilization and the fighting that is to follow north of the capital: Once this begins, we are going to hear many reports of atrocities committed against both Sunni and Shia communities as such a mass, fast mobilization means that training will be poor as will discipline. And we already know what the other side is capable of. This has the very real potential to spark bitterness and a renewed civil war period. In Baghdad, this may well translate as mass sectarian killings on either side on the streets in capital in conjunction with attacks on Mosques etc (as happened in 2006/2007) depending as to what transpires over the coming days.
I get that ISIS/ISIL has an affinity for the Sunni dominated areas. By the same token the Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and their Shia malitias will have to fight in these same areas to dislodge ISIS/ISIL and Jaysh Rijal al-Tariqa al-Naqshbandia (JRTN) forces.
By abandoning the field to Iran Obama is vastly diminishing US influence in the area. Given that next president will do much to make the US energy independent we may not care. But Europe better wake up; they will be on their own and at the mercy of:
1. Whoever is running the middle east and
2. Putin
#4
It was inevitable. Best COA is to let them slug it out. If we involve ourselves, they'll likely all turn on us. Iraq is in Chapter-13, no additional investments should be made.
#5
Agreed B. So who will capture the oil fields? While we lost a lot of treasure in Iraq, letting them slug it out is probably the best plan. I cant see Iran being in there for very long and the old wounds from the Iran/Iraq war will resurface. I have not heard a chirp from Europe or China. I would expect something from China as I believe Europe has defacto surrendered to Putin and Sharia law.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
06/16/2014 17:57 Comments ||
Top||
#6
As of an hour ago, the feckless fok is now considering sending in SOF.
#7
If only to demo all of the US equipment and to help with the NEO. Might be good to have them on the ground for situational awareness and to track QUD forces, leaders and TTPs. They could also work to disrupt Qud ops. But knowing our feckless leader it will be to insure the golf courses are kept clean.
Posted by: 49 Pan ||
06/16/2014 18:03 Comments ||
Top||
#8
He's scratching his arse, looking for an answer. ANY answer.
Not at all unlike the Major General suddenly appointing as the new Bergdahl investigating officer. Of course the appointing authority can toss 'all or part' of an AR 15-6 [which appears to be what has happened]. We'll just investigate Bergdahl's actions until we get the right answer.
[AnNahar] Iraqi security forces have killed 279 "terrorists" in the past 24 hours, as they push back against a major turban offensive, a security front man said on Sunday, as Kurdish forces seized control of one the two official Iraqi border crossings with Syria
Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ... Prime Minister of Iraq and the secretary-general of the Islamic Dawa Party. Maliki imposed order on Basra wen the Shiites were going nuts, but has proven incapable of dealing with al-Qaeda's Sunni insurgency. Reelected to his third term in 2014... 's security front man, Lieutenant General Qassem Atta, made the announcement about the casualties during a televised news conference.
Continued on Page 49
#3
Not making $hit up. Looking forward, using my cynical best, at what I consider a possible outcome could be (forgot the question marks at the end of the sentences. Second glass of wine.).
Read the post for analysis, posting comments for snark/emo? ;>
#6
Maybe gonna' outfit my laptop with a car-type breathalyzer.
Don't do it, you'll be redirected to DemoUnderground or Roadside America. (which I kinda like)
#7
baghdad intl airport is on the west side of the city and it is relatively easy to get a mortar device within a few miles. As noted by others, mortars and such have been regularly coming down on the airport since 2005 or so.
Posted by: lord garth ||
06/16/2014 15:27 Comments ||
Top||
#2
If our embassy is threatened with being over-run by ISIS, I have a serious question whether Champ will or can do anything about it. The time to have done something would have been when these guys were heading south in a column.
#3
Having served in three embassies, and with the memory of Iran 1979 in mind, I sincerely doubt that the Marines would be ordered to defend the Baghdad complex against attackers.
#4
I could swear I saw something about the embassy being evacuated, but perhaps they only meant dependents and such. Or was a rumour prematurely passed into publication by the editor.
#6
Not enuff to intimidate ISIS/ISIL or to help the Iraqi Govt.
* TOPIX > [AEI] IRAQ IS BURNING, + THE US IS WATCHING.
Just being good OWG Globalists.
Again, as a reminder POTUS Obama is at the top of the US NatComAuth, i.e. is the US Politician-Leader directly or most responsible for the US' military response to variable International Crises, OR IN THE ALTERN THE LACK OF SAME.
* JAPAN TIMES > [Iraq = ME] CHAOS THREATENS OBAMA'S LEGACY OF ENDING WARS.
Ending wars???
1990's CLINTONISM = POST-9-11 OWG GLOBALISM = OBAMA-ISM > "ENDING WARS" = LIMITED "NOT FIGHTING A WAR", even when JUSTIFIED = NECESSARY???
Pray hard + keep your fingers crossed, as per CHINA-VS-US-N-EAST-ASIA/ASEAN.
* FYI IIUC WORLD MILITARY FORUM > QATAR TV: IRAQI COMMUNIST PARTY ALIGNS ITS MOVEMENT WID PRO-AL-QAEDA MILITANT GROUP ISIS.
Personally I blame the MILF-BIFF-Commie-NPA on MINDANAO.
* BHARAT RAKSHAK > [BreakingNews.IE] LATEST: MORTAR SHELLS HIT US CONSULATE AT HILLAH [Iraq].
Iran has sent 2,000 advance troops to Iraq in the past 48 hours to help tackle a jihadist insurgency, a senior Iraqi official has told the Guardian.
That's a larger force than previously reported. Once again, we have foreigners doing the work Americans won't do...
The confirmation comes as the Iranian president, Hassan Rouhani, said Iran was ready to support Iraq from the mortal threat fast spreading through the country, while the Iraqi prime minister, Nouri al-Maliki, called on citizens to take up arms in their country's defence.
Addressing the country on Saturday, Maliki said rebels from the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (Isis) had given "an incentive to the army and to Iraqis to act bravely". His call to arms came after reports surfaced that hundreds of young men were flocking to volunteer centres across Baghdad to join the fight against Isis.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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#1
"The Kurds have taken advantage of the current situation. They seized Kirkuk and they have other plans to swallow other areas," Mohammed Sadoun said.
You guys had a terrific opportunity to build a country, and you blew it. Now everyone will take advantage of your failure. Even Champ, but his will be journalistic triumphs.
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/16/2014 8:26 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Iranians soon to be seen as liberators, good guys. Sanctions against Iran are lifted, ValJar and her Shadow Gov't have accomplished their goad.
#4
Not sure. Iran's been harboring Al Qaeda leaders; there evidence that the Al Quds Force is arming groups across the Mid East, Africa and SE Asia that have ties to Al Qaeda.
If I was a really cynical bastid, I'd say Iran borrowed a page out of the Saudi playbook. That is, if I was a really cynical bastid.
The militant group that seized much of northern Iraq has posted photos that appear to show its fighters shooting dead dozens of captured Iraqi soldiers in a province north of the capital Baghdad.
The militants need to be hunted down and shot...
The pictures on a militant website appear to show masked fighters of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL, loading the captives onto flatbed trucks before forcing them to lie face-down in a shallow ditch with their arms tied behind their backs. The final images appear to show the bodies of the captives soaked in blood after being shot.
Captions say the killings were to avenge the death of an ISIL commander, Abdul Rahman Al Beilawy, whose death was reported by both the government and ISIL shortly before the Al Qaeda splinter group captured Iraq's second largest city Mosul and Saddam Hussein's hometown of Tikrit in a lightning offensive.
Iraq's top military spokesman, Lt. Gen. Qassim Al Moussawi, confirmed the photos' authenticity on Sunday and said he was aware of cases of mass murder of captured Iraqi soldiers in areas held by ISIL.
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay warned on Friday of "murder of all kinds" and other war crimes in Iraq, and said the number of people killed in recent days may run into hundreds, while the wounded could approach 1,000. Speaking safely in a cushy office in Geneva, she said her office has received reports that militants rounded up and killed Iraqi soldiers as well as 17 civilians in a single street in Mosul.
Her office heard of "summary executions and extrajudicial killings" after ISIL militants overran Iraqi cities and towns, the statement said.
Most of the soldiers who appear in the pictures are in civilian clothes. Some are shown wearing military uniforms underneath, indicating they may have hastily disguised themselves as civilians to try to escape. Many soldiers and policemen left their uniforms and equipment behind as the militants swept into Mosul, Tikrit and surrounding areas.
The captions did not provide a date or location, but Al Moussawi said the killings took place in Salahuddin province, the capital of which is Tikrit.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Islamic State of Iraq
#1
So are the soldiers who fled, and the ones killed the same? And were they Sunni of Shia?
Posted by: Bobby ||
06/16/2014 8:02 Comments ||
Top||
#2
ISIS aka ISIL proclaims to be executing Iraqi Soldats whom are Shias, or in altern Pro-Malicki [Shia or Sunni].
BAGHDAD -- The United States said Sunday it was evacuating some staff from its embassy and beefing up security as deadly explosions rocked the Iraqi capital and advancing militant Islamic insurgents released graphic images appearing to show its fighters massacring captured Iraqi soldiers.
Figures: we bug out just about the time the Iraqis begin to stiffen...
We're bugging out the embassy people. Good. Is anything being done about the contractors? They were surrounded by howling jihadis, last I heard. OldSpook was legitimately livid, as he reported knowing about 100 of them.
The concern about embassy staff is a little recent. Ask Mr. Stevens...
The U.S. State Department said in a statement that an undisclosed number of staffers will be moved to Amman, Jordan or U.S. consulates elsewhere in Iraq not immediately threatened by the insurgent group, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant, or ISIL.
It said the embassy would remain fully operational with "some additional U.S. government security personnel.'' The embassy, inside the Green Zone near the Tigris River, employs thousands of people, some local hires and others from the United States.
Posted by: Steve White ||
06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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[1 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic State of Iraq
#3
OldSpook, your cartoon is bending the Burg, though not breaking it. Would you be so kind as to repost it in width=500, and explain to the rest of us what you did to thus alter an outside image? Because several others have done the same thing recently, and I have faith that your coding skills are up to the task. ;-) Thanks!!
[AnNahar] The wife of Paleostinian President the ineffectual Mahmoud Abbas ... a graduate of the prestigious unaccredited Patrice Lumumba University in Moscow with a doctorate in Holocaust Denial... has been treated in an Israeli hospital, media reported Sunday, as Israel searched for teenagers believed to be held captive in Paleostinian territory.
Israeli news site Ynet said Amina Abbas was admitted to the private Assuta hospital in Tel Aviv on Thursday.
She underwent surgery on her leg before being discharged on Sunday.
The hospital refused to comment on the report, Ynet said.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had on Saturday held Abbas responsible for the safe return of three youths Israel said were kidnapped by the Islamist Hamas, always the voice of sweet reason, movement.
Gilad Shaer, 16, Naftali Frenkel, 16, and Eyal Ifrach, 19 disappeared on Thursday night, 10 days after the establishment of a new Paleostinian government of technocrats pieced together by Abbas' Fatah movement and Hamas.
On Sunday, U.S. Secretary of State John F. I was in Vietnam, you know Kerry Former Senator-for-Life from Massachussetts, self-defined war hero, speaker of French, owner of a lucky hat, conqueror of Cambodia, and current Secretary of State... said "many indications point to Hamas' involvement" in their kidnapping.
Paleostinian security in the West Bank was cooperating with Israeli forces in its efforts to find the youths, which included detaining 80 Paleostinians overnight -- many of them Hamas members.
Abbas is not the only Paleostinian leader to prefer Israeli medical facilities for family members.
Earlier this month, the mother-in-law of former Hamas prime minister Ismail Haniya was allowed into Israel from Gazoo for cancer treatment.
In November, his granddaughter was taken to an Israeli hospital to be treated for an infection in her digestive tract.
Communist militants killed one Philippine soldier and injured another in separate clashes, officials said on Sunday. The officials said New Peopleâs Army militants attacked a soldier in Zamboanga del Surâs Guipos town.
Capt. Franco Suelto, a spokesman for the 1st Infantry Division, said, "The soldier managed to return fire but was out-numbered by rebels and he sustained gunshot wounds on his chest and head that caused his instantaneous death. Troops of 53rd Infantry Battalion Immediately responded in the area found the lifeless body of the victim without his issued firearms."
He said the slain soldier was also a member of the armyâs peace and development team involved in various humanitarian programs in the province.
Suelto said one soldier was also injured in a clash over the weekend in the village of Midatag in Leon Postigo town in Zamboanga del Norte province. He said troops were patroling the village when they encountered a group of militants and a firefight broke out. The fighting lasted over 20 minutes.
[AnNahar] Syria's army has been pounding for 24 hours major bases of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original... in coordination with the Storied Baghdad government, a monitor said Sunday.
The strikes against ISIL -- which has spearheaded a week-long jihadist offensive in Iraq -- have been more intense than ever, said the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights.
"The regime air force has been pounding ISIL's bases, including those in the northern province of Raqa and Hasakeh in the northeast," which borders Iraq, said the Britannia-based group.
The regime of Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Leveler of Latakia... was responding to the fact that ISIL "brought into Syria heavy weapons including tanks" captured from the Iraqi army.
In Raqa, the air force bombed the area surrounding ISIL's main headquarters in Syria, as well as the group's religious courts, said the Observatory, adding there were no reported casualties.
Photographs sent by activists in Raqa that could not be independently verified showed craters in the ground and rubble in front of the main gates of the headquarters, a former town hall.
On Saturday, the regime also bombarded ISIL's headquarters at Shaddadi in Hasakeh, home to a frontier crossing from Iraq that is under the jihadists' control.
Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said the strikes were the regime's most "intense" against ISIL, and that they were being carried out "in coordination with the Iraqi authorities."
The government in Storied Baghdad has been gearing up for a counter-offensive against ISIL in areas where it and other Islamist forces of Evil have advanced in northern Iraq in the past week.
ISIL espouses a radical interpretation of Islam, and aims to set up a state stretching across the Syria-Iraq border. It has been accused of committing widespread human rights One man's rights are another man's existential threat. abuses in Syria.
Once welcomed in Syria by rebels seeking Assad's overthrow, the well-armed and well-organized ISIL soon gained the Syrian opposition's wrath because of its quest for hegemony and systematic abuses.
In 2013, it took part in operations against government forces. But in recent months, it has exclusively fought against the Syrian rebels, who accuse the group of serving the interests of Assad's regime.
A war pitting Syrian rebels against ISIL has killed more than 6,000 people, mostly fighters, since it broke out in January.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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Top|| File under: Islamic State of Iraq & the Levant
#1
No 'non-lethal & lethal aid' comments from Susan Rice ?
#5
Holy F, Susan Rice is a character from a one of the later T. Clancy novels, the one that wants to launch C-130s from CVNs (not that there is anything wrong with that). I guess I must have been very late to this realization,
I s'pose that after that little kerfuffle in Iraq is settled, the Quds lads could march home by way of Syria...
[AnNahar] Hizbullah ...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory... is mulling to increase the number of its fighters in the neighboring country Syria, the Saudi al-Watan daily reported on Sunday.
According to the newspaper, Hizbullah is seeking to cover-up for the shortage that is expected to occur due to the withdrawal of Iraqi fighters from Syria in order to participate in the fight against Sunni Arab faceless myrmidons who have seized a swathe of northern Iraq.
Iraqi commanders said on Saturday that soldiers had recaptured two towns north of Storied Baghdad as thousands of volunteers answered a call to arms from top Shiite holy man Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani.
The Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant ... the current version of al-Qaeda in Iraq, just as blood-thirsty and well-beloved as the original... (ISIL) has spearheaded a lightning offensive in Iraq this week that has seen faceless myrmidons sweep down from second city djinn-infested Mosul ... the home of a particularly ferocious and hairy djinn... towards Storied Baghdad.
A source told al-Watan daily that Hizbullah fighters were seen gearing up to enter Syria during the last two days.
Hizbullah has deployed thousands of fighters into neighboring Syria to back Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Supressor of the Damascenes... 's army as he battles Death Eaters who have been trying to overthrow him for the past three years.
Hizbullah, a long-standing ally of both Iran, Syria, and Iraq says it is supporting Assad against Takfiri ...an adherent of takfir wal hijra, an offshoot of Salafism that regards everybody who doesn't agree with them as apostates who most be killed... s (Sunni murderous Moslems) who are targeting Syria's Alawite and Christian minorities.
[AnNahar] Gunmen coming from Syria on Sunday crossed a Lebanese Army checkpoint in the Bekaa border town of Arsal before fleeing the area as troops opened fire, state-run National News Agency reported.
"Three gunnies coming from Syrian territory in a GMC SUV crossed an army checkpoint in Arsal's Wadi Ata, which prompted troops to fire towards them," NNA said.
"Consequently, they left the car and fled on foot to an unknown destination," the agency added.
The army carried out on Friday a wide-scale raid in the outskirts of Arsal in search of gunnies and wanted suspects linked to terrorist activities.
It incarcerated ... anything you say can and will be used against you, whether you say it or not... Syrians Zaher Abdul Aziz al-Ahmed for his connection to the al-Qaeda-linked Abdullah Azzam Brigades ... Leb's current al-Qaeda affiliate, named after a guy whose car the current head of al-Qaeda had boomed...
It also detained Nour Muheiddine Shameseddine, Haitham Nader Ghannoum, Adel Suleiman Ghannoum and Mohammed Nazih Ghannoum for the possession of cameras, computers and CDs that show their participation in training with terrorist groups.
Ever since the Syrian revolt erupted in March 2011, Arsal has served as a key conduit for refugees, rebels and maimed people fleeing strife-torn Syria.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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[AnNahar] Syria's army said on Sunday it had recaptured the strategic town of Kasab, near the only border crossing with Turkey in Latakia province, after it fell to rebels almost three months ago.
"After crushing many members of the mercenary terrorist gangs... units of our armed troops in collaboration with the (paramilitary) National Defense Force returned safety and security to Kasab this morning," an army statement said.
Kasab, an Armenian town, is important because it is located near the only border crossing with Turkey in sensitive Latakia province, the heartland of the Alawite sect from which Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir Pencilneck al-Assad Light of the Alawites... hails.
Rebel fighters including members of Syrian al-Qaeda affiliate al-Nusra Front withdrew without a fight from the town on Saturday, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said, leaving only a small number of men behind.
As they pulled back, Assad's troops backed by other pro-regime groups, among them Leb's Hizbullah ...Party of God, a Leb militia inspired, founded, funded and directed by Iran. Hizbullah refers to itself as The Resistance and purports to defend Leb against Israel, with whom it has started and lost one disastrous war to date, though it did claim victory... , advanced on the nearby village of Nabaein.
By Sunday, the Britannia-based Observatory said, pro-regime forces were back in control of Kasab -- the first time since they lost it to rebels on March 21.
Aside from Hizbullah fighters, the government forces, led by members of Syria's elite Republican Guard, had been boosted by Iranian troops.
Rebels were short on supplies and experienced Hizbullah fighters and Syrian special forces were able to advance, Observatory director Rami Abdel Rahman said.
Under frequent bombardment by government forces, Kasab was important for rebels who used it as a staging post to transport their maimed to Turkey, which backs the opposition.
The Syrian government had accused Ankara of helping rebel groups seize Kasab.
Posted by: trailing wife ||
06/16/2014 00:00 ||
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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.
Wazoo
RAWALPINDI/MIRANSHAH: Fighter jets launched air strikes Sunday against militant hideouts in North Waziristan, killing at least 105 insurgents including those linked to a brazen attack on Karachi airport, the military said on Sunday.
ISLAMABAD: The military launched a long-expected full-scale operation against terrorists in the North Waziristan Agency on Sunday, days after a deadly gunfight with Taliban at Karachi airport killed 38, including 10 attackers.
Nouri al-Maliki
BAGHDAD -- The United States said Sunday it was evacuating some staff from its embassy and beefing up security as deadly explosions rocked the Iraqi capital and advancing militant Islamic insurgents released graphic images appearing to show its fighters massacring captured Iraqi soldiers.
Communist militants killed one Philippine soldier and injured another in separate clashes, officials said on Sunday. The officials said New Peopleâs Army militants attacked a soldier in Zamboanga del Surâs Guipos town.
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
Hereditary President-for-Life Bashir 
