Victory Against Terror

My Tour's Up

2009-06-24T19:42:00.006-04:00

For those few of you who may still visit from time to time, I'm sure you've noticed that I haven't been posting lately. I'll be honest. Frankly, it's no fun anymore. When Obama took over the White House, I tried to keep going, but I just can't bring myself to do it...

When I started this blog, George W. Bush was fighting a Global War On Terror. The mainstream media paid little attention to his successes, but never missed an opportunity to point out his failures. The MSM painted the GWOT as a grotesque portrait of abject failure while rarely mentioning any of the good things that were happening. In Afghanistan and Iraq schools and hospitals were repaired, electricity and water services were upgraded, health care was provided, emergency assistance programs were conducted, and locals were taking responsibility for their own governance, etc.

The only news the MSM seemed to report was about U.S. military fatalities, accidental civilian deaths at the hands of coalition forces, the cost of the war, death tolls from roadside bombs, suicide attacks, military personnel who disagreed with the administration, and anything that besmirched the integrity of the U.S. military. The MSM repeatedly bemoaned our entrance into Iraq, and our failure to find WMDs. They relentlessly accused the Bush administration of lying to the American people and manipulating intelligence data to justify the Iraq invasion. They constantly mocked GWB about his failure to capture or kill Osama bin Laden. They said Iraq was a distraction from the "real" war on terrorism in Afghanistan. They even released classified information about successful top-secret, anti-terror programs, despite the urging of the Bush administration against doing so -- acts which in my opinion, were treasonable offenses.

The left-wing media bias was clearly obvious, and I was bitterly angry. I wanted to do something to show my support for GWB and for America's finest -- our heroes in the U.S. military who volunteered to put their lives at risk on the front lines. Thus, I started this blog: "Victory Against Terror". It's goal was to highlight the good news in the GWOT that the mainstream media was purposely ignoring for partisan political purposes. Just as they ignored the good news, I ignored the bad news. I tried to stay away from politics in this blog, unless it was incidental to the story. I also tried to stay away from "proposed" anti-terror programs, calls for action, commentary and analysis, etc. My sole purpose was to highlight 'victories' and the good news of accomplishments actually achieved.

When Barack Obama won the election, I was deflated. Obama was one of the GWOT's detractors. He showed little respect for the military before the election, as he does to this day. He campaigned on a promise to unilaterally disarm America. He accused the U.S. military of indiscriminately "air raiding villages and killing civilians". He insulted the Medal Of Honor recipients by failing to attend their inaugural ball -- the first President to do so since Dwight Eisenhower. He refuses to use the word "terrorism". He changed the name "Global War on Terror" to "Overseas Contingency Operations". He changed the name "act of terror" to "man-caused disaster". He has directed the focus of Homeland Security away from potential terror threats to the threat of "right-wing extremists" like veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan, and everyday conservatives like myself.

Obama has cut our missile defense system at a time when North Korea is threatening to launch missiles at Hawaii. He ordered the closing of Gitmo without a plan for how to handle the unrepentant terrorists there. He wants to try foreign enemy combatants in U.S. courts, affording them Constitutional privileges reserved for American citizens. He failed to denounce Russia when they invaded the country of Georgia until well after most other countries had already done so. He failed to denounce the Iranian government for electoral fraud in the recent elections there. He failed to denounce Iran for their bloody crackdown on thousands of legitimate freedom-seeking protesters until well after most other countries had already done so. And he is ready and willing to meet with America's enemies without preconditions, including Iran -- whose support of Shi'ite militias in Iraq has killed or wounded hundreds of Americans.

How can I in good conscience continue to promote our victories in the war on terror, when our President won't even acknowledge that we are at war? How can I promote our victories for which such a vile man would only take undeserved credit? How can I promote our victories when, by the definition of the DHS, a run-of-the-mill conservative like myself is defined as a "right-wing extremist"? Yes, I could do it for the troops. Yes, I could do it for the brave men and women who continue to put their lives on the line every day. But, like I said above, it's just no fun any more. So, I'm packin' it in. My tour's up.

To the brave men and women of the armed forces and our various security agencies... I salute you. Thank you for doing your jobs every day whether at home or abroad. Whether you participate in our "Overseas Contingency Operations" or you guard our cities, transportation networks, ports, or infrastructure... I salute you. Thank you for protecting us from "man-caused disasters" and may God be with you in the performance of your duties. God Bless the United States of America.

Terror Suspect In U.S. To Face Charges

2009-03-01T13:02:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'MSNBC': In what would be the clearest break yet from the Bush Administration's legal strategy in the war on terror, the Justice Department is preparing criminal charges against the only person still held inside the United States as an enemy combatant. Ali al-Marri, who has been held at the U.S. Navy brig in Charleston, S.C., would be charged and tried in regular civilian court under a plan now being worked out, Justice officials say. The Bush administration claimed al-Marri trained with al-Qaida in Afghanistan, had direct contact with Osama bin Laden and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, and was sent to the United States to help carry out further attacks.

Al-Marri arrived in Peoria in September 2001 with his wife and five children to do graduate work at Bradley University. Three months later he was charged with credit card fraud and possession of false ID's. Then in 2003, a month before he was to stand trial, President Bush declared al-Marri an enemy combatant and an al-Qaida agent. Since the day he was seized — June 23, 2003, al-Marri has been in Navy custody.

The transfer could avert a Supreme Court hearing in April and a subsequent ruling that would govern other cases against accused terrorists. To justify holding al-Marri, the Bush administration claimed the president has the wartime authority to send the military into any U.S. neighborhood, capture a citizen and hold him in prison without charge, indefinitely. One of the people familiar with the al-Marri case said prosecutors plan to charge al-Marri with providing material support to terrorists, a charge similar to what he would have faced if tried by a military tribunal.

Putting al-Marri into the federal court system follows a similar move made by the Bush administration with another enemy combatant, Jose Padilla. Padilla, once held at the same brig as al-Marri, was eventually convicted of terror-related charges in federal court in Florida. President Barack Obama's administration faces a mid-April deadline to tell the Supreme Court what it intends to do in his case. Al-Marri's lawyers have challenged the government's authority to pick up people on American soil, declare them enemy combatants, and detain them indefinitely.

The lower courts have been divided over the issue. But in the most recent decision, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 4th Circuit ruled 5 to 4 that the president can detain people in the U.S., including American citizens, indefinitely without charge. Obama's Justice Department was to have decided whether to pursue that claim of presidential power or change course. By charging al-Marri in civilian court, it would dodge that question of presidential authority. The Associated Press reported that prosecutors were planning to send al-Marri to a federal court in Illinois.

Justice Department spokesman Dean Boyd declined to comment on the plans for al-Marri. "If this is true, it's an important step," said Jonathan Hafetz, one of al-Marri's lawyers. "This is what should have happened seven years ago. Indefinite military detention, without charge, of people with legal residence in America is illegal." Yet such a move may derail the legal challenge Hafetz and the American Civil Liberties Union have brought to the Supreme Court. The new administration might not want to force the court to decide that issue, thereby preserving the possibility that Obama or future presidents could exercise that power. The government says al-Marri is an al-Qaida sleeper agent who has met Osama bin Laden and spent time at a terrorist training camp in Afghanistan.

After he was arrested as a material witness in late 2001, authorities first charged him with credit card fraud. Later, officials said he had strong links to al-Qaida terrorists, so President Bush declared him an enemy combatant and transferred him to the military brig. In court documents, the government contends that al-Marri met with bin Laden in the summer of 2001 and "offered to be an al-Qaida martyr or to do anything else that al-Qaida requested."

A government summary of the case — declassified in 2006 — indicated al-Marri was closely tied with senior al-Qaida leadership, including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the September 11 attacks. Al-Marri's brother was also seized by U.S. officials and sent to the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. "Al-Qaida sent al-Marri to the United States to facilitate other al-Qaida operatives in carrying out post-September 11, 2001 terror attacks," the government contended.

Gates: 'Significant Military Success' In Iraq

2009-03-01T13:01:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'AFP': US Defense Secretary Robert Gates on Sunday touted military success in Iraq, and stressed he did not expect changes to US troop drawdown plans there. Asked if the United States will have achieved victory when it withdraws from Iraq, Gates said "we have had a significant success (on) the military side," while acknowledging "the political side is still a work in progress in Iraq. "Frankly, I think before you start using terms like 'won' or 'lost' or 'victory' or 'defeat,' those are the kinds of things that I think historians have to judge," he told NBC television.

President Barack Obama on Friday ordered an end to US combat in Iraq within 18 months, by August 31, 2010. The announcement was politely received by an audience of Marines. The new US leader said up to 50,000 US troops, down from the current 142,000-strong force, would remain in Iraq under a new mission until the end of 2011, nearly nine years after his predecessor George W. Bush ordered an invasion to topple late Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein.

Asked about the projections for the troop levels of an interim force, which angered many Obama supporters eager for a full withdrawal, Gates said: "I don't think it was a concession (to commanders). I think that there was a lot of analysis of the risks that were involved. I think that if the commanders had had complete say in this matter that they would've preferred that the combat mission not end until the end of 2010," he said. So "it was really a dialogue between the commanders in the field, the joint chiefs here myself, the chairman and the president, in terms of how you mitigate risk and how you structure this going forward," Gates said. "Having a somewhat larger residual, or transition, force, mitigates the risk of having the combat units go out sooner," he explained.

Gates acknowledged the picture was anything but uncomplicated and rosy. "Mosul is a problem. The Arab/Kurd tensions are a problem. The need to get an oil law is a problem. So, there are problems," he said. "We have the concerns associated with a national election at the end of this year as one of the reasons why [US military commander in Iraq General Ray] Odierno wanted to keep those troops there as long as possible. Or a significant number of troops." While "there has been real progress on the political side ... there is clearly unfinished business in that arena, as well."

Mullen Comfortable With Iraq Timetable

2009-03-01T13:00:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Washington Post': The top U.S. military official says he's comfortable with the president's decision on a troop pullout timetable from Iraq. Admiral Mike Mullen says he was able to offer his best military advice to President Barack Obama. The Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman is reluctant to talk about "winning and losing" in Iraq. But he says the conditions are in place for the Baghdad government to successfully take control of the country.

Mullen says Obama listened extensively to the American military leadership and U.S. commanders in Iraq before announcing last week that the combat mission would end on August 31, 2010. Under Obama's plan, the 142,000 U.S. forces in Iraq would be drawn down to between 35,000 and 50,000 troops by the 2010 date. All forces would be withdrawn by the last day of 2011. Mullen spoke on "Fox News Sunday" and CNN's "State of the Union."

Iraq Assumes Responsibility For SoI In Kirkuk

2009-03-01T12:59:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'MNFI': A large and diverse crowd gathered at an Iraqi Army base known as K-1, in Kirkuk to witness the official transfer of responsibility of the Sons of Iraq (SoI) in Kirkuk province from the U.S. Military to the Iraqi Army's (IA) 12th Division on February 25th. The SoI program is regarded by Coalition Forces (CF) as an important security organization consisting of citizen Soldiers who assisted in the fight against terrorists and improving security in Iraq. The program began in 2007. The crowd consisted of SoI, IA leaders, Kirkuk Provincial Police and U.S. military. The historic event marks significant steps in transferring the SoI to the Government of Iraq, who will make the first payment to them by April 1st.

Major General Abdul Ameer, the division commander for the 12th IA Division, was present to represent the IA, and Major General Robert Caslen, commander, Multi-National Division-North, was present to sign on behalf of CF. The meeting was also an opportunity to discuss the future of SoI and how to best continue their efforts in the region. “This ceremony and what the SoI have done is very historic,” said Caslen. According to Caslen, this transition is very important to the security of the region. By joining the SoI and the 12th IA, we are bringing different groups together to make one force that can defend Iraq. “As we transition responsibility of the SoI to the GoI, it is important that we do it right and we must all be collectively committed to the success of this transfer,” said Caslen.

“We have a well-studied plan for the future of the SoI,” said Ameer. “We are coordinating with the leaders of the SoI. We are conducting meetings and planning for the future of the SoI.” The first step for the SoI’s integration will be arranging for payments to be made by the Government of Iraq (GoI) rather than CF, according to Ameer. “We are going to pay them the same way we pay our Soldiers,” said Ameer. “We want them to receive the same services as us. We are now in the process of making committees that will ensure the payments get to the SoI, and we are ready to assist and help them any way we can.”

Another step will be in determining the specific geographic operational areas for the SoIs. “Each SoI unit will have its area of responsibility,” said Ameer. As the SoI begin to integrate with the 12th IA Division, leaders are focusing on combining the efforts of both to increase security within the region. “Our goal is to join the SoI and the IA,” said Ameer. “We want them to participate in what the IA does. We want to integrate the SoI in our plans for securing the Kirkuk province. We are going to make combined checkpoints with both IA and SoI, and we will include them in raids and information-gathering in the region.”

Leaders within the 12th IA agreed with Ameer’s plans and added that they needed to have constant communication with the SoI in order to make this possible. The historic transition will be finalized April 1st when the SoI receive their first payment from the GoI. The consolidation of the AO’s and joint security efforts will continue to move forward in the coming months and the GoI will soon have complete responsibility of the SoI.

El Salvador Honors Soldiers Who Served In Iraq

2009-03-01T12:58:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Associated Press': Salvadoran President Tony Saca has declared the country's participation in Iraq a "mission accomplished," as the country honors the last returning contingent of soldiers who served there. More than 3,000 Salvadoran soldiers have served in Iraq performing reconstruction work since 2003. The last contingent of about 200 returned on February 7th, ending Latin America's military presence there. El Salvador says the troops carried out 353 water treatment, education, health care, road and electricity projects. Five Salvadoran soldiers were killed and 20 wounded during the five-year deployment. Saca distributed medals to soldiers who served in Iraq at a sports stadium on Saturday.

El Salvador President Tony Saca (right) reviews troops just back from Iraq

Pak Military: Taliban 'Lost' In Bajaur, Mohmand

2009-03-01T12:57:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'The Long War Journal': Two senior Pakistani military officers claimed the Taliban has been defeated in the tribal agencies of Bajaur and Mohmand, where the Taliban have held power for years. Major General Tariq Khan, the Inspector General of the Frontier Corps, said the Taliban "lost" in Bajaur after an eight-month military operation. "They have lost," Tariq said during a press conference in Bajaur, the Associated Press reported. "Their resistance has broken down."

The joint Army and frontier Corps operation destroyed Taliban command centers, bunkers, and fortifications, Tariq said. The roads in Bajaur are now under control of the military. Ninety-seven soldiers and paramilitary troops were killed during the operation and more than 400 were wounded. The military claims more than 1,800 Taliban have been killed, a claim disputed by the Taliban. "We think we have secured this agency," Tariq said, according to a report by the Times News Network. "The Taliban have lost their cohesion." The military plan on withdrawing some forces but will maintain a military presence, the general said.

In the neighboring tribal agency of Mohmand, Colonel Saif Ullah claimed the Taliban have been defeated and the region is "under the control of law enforcement agencies." Fighting spilled over into Mohmand as the fighting in Bajaur intensified last fall. The officer did not provide casualty numbers for the military or the Taliban.

The US has conducted several airstrikes Bajaur, including two attacks that targeted Zawahiri and another that killed Abu Sulayman Jazairi, a senior Algerian operative for al Qaeda who was the terror groups' operational commander tasked with planning attacks against the West.

ANP Detain 8, Prevent IED Attack

2009-03-01T12:56:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'DVIDS': Afghan National Police (ANP) assisted by Coalition Forces detained eight militants and prevented an improvised explosive device (IED) attack, today, in the Ghazni District, in Ghazni province, approximately 150 km southwest of Kabul. While conducting a combat reconnaissance patrol, in support of efforts to bring peace and stability to the region, the combined forces observed individuals placing an IED on the road. The combined forces convoy followed the individuals to a compound in Ghazni City. The ANP conducted a search of the compound, discovering a cache containing IED-making materials, including two remote-control devices, wire and pressure plate materials. Two AK-47 rifles were also discovered. The ANP took eight militants into custody.

The IED placed on the road was safely removed by the combined forces before it could cause injuries to Afghan civilians, or the combined force. No ANP, Coalition Force or non-combatant casualties were reported. “The vigilance and expertise of the ANP was key in stopping an insurgent attack today,” said Afghan Ministry of Interior spokesman, Zemarai Bashary. “The ANP continue to successful remove insurgents and increase the security of Afghanistan.”

Missiles Kill Seven In Pakistan

2009-03-01T12:53:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'BBC': Missiles said to have been fired by US unmanned aircraft have killed seven people close to Pakistan's border with Afghanistan, Pakistani sources say. Two missiles reportedly struck a house in Sararogha, in South Waziristan, and the dead are believed to include suspected militants. The region is a stronghold of Pakistani Taleban leader Baitullah Mehsud. US drones have targeted the area with missiles before, in attacks criticised by Pakistani politicians.

Local people said Taleban militants had been operating from the house which was attacked. When asked about the attack, Admiral Mike Mullen, chairman of the US Joint Chiefs of Staff, said he would not talk about the specifics of US operations. But, speaking to Fox News, he added that the military overall was "carrying out guidance from [US] President [Barack] Obama" in the region.

A villager, named by Reuters news agency as Hakeemullah, said that people were searching the rubble for more casualties. "It was a Taleban sanctuary, which was destroyed in the attack," an unnamed Pakistani security official told AFP news agency. "Some foreigners were possibly among those killed." At least four of the dead are believed to have been foreign militants, unnamed Pakistani officials told the Associated Press. They added that drones were seen in the air ahead of the strike and Taleban fighters afterwards surrounded the damaged house which was allegedly a militant training facility.

Previous US missile attacks have been aimed at militant groups such as al-Qaeda, which have used the region as a base for attacks inside Afghanistan. More than 20 such attacks have been carried out on targets in north-western Pakistan in recent months. The US and Pakistan have had serious disagreements over the Afghan border zone, with Washington unhappy at Pakistani efforts to tackle militants and Islamabad condemning the US drone attacks.

Pakistani leaders had expressed hope that the new US administration would halt the controversial air strikes, saying they fuelled public anger and complicated Pakistan's own counter-insurgency efforts. But the drone attacks have continued since Mr Obama was inaugurated as US president in January.

Pakistan Arrests 9 Terrorism Suspects

2009-01-31T13:07:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

Rao Iqbal, Pakistani police chief shows grenade to media allegedly captured from terrorists, in Rawalpindi, Pakistan, 29 Jan 2009

From 'Voice Of America': Pakistani police say they have arrested a gang of militants linked to al-Qaida and wanted in connection with a series of deadly bombings. The police say they arrested nine men this week during a raid in the central city of Rawalpindi. Authorities did not identify the suspects or describe the evidence against them, but they said the men had connections to the northern tribal regions where Taliban and al-Qaida militants operate.

Authorities said Thursday that the suspects are connected to last year's deadly bombings at the Danish embassy and an Italian restaurant in Islamabad. Police also tied the suspects to the killing of a senior medical official. Mustafa Abu al-Yazeed, al-Qaida leader claimed responsibility for the Danish Embassy bombing. Militant violence in Pakistan generally is concentrated in the country's northwestern region, bordering Afghanistan. Authorities in the northwest said Thursday that suspected militants shot and killed a tribesman from North Waziristan after accusing him of spying for the United States. In North West Frontier Province, which neighbors North Waziristan, authorities say security forces killed at least two militants in a gunfight overnight in the town of Bannu.

4 Militants Killed, 8 Arrested in Afghanistan

2009-01-31T13:06:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Xinhua': U.S.-led Coalition forces eliminated four militants and detained eight more suspected militants during operations to disrupt Taliban bomb makers and militants in Kandahar of southern Afghanistan Thursday, said a Coalition statement on Friday. The operation targeted a Taliban operator known to have employed roadside bombs in Arghandab district where Coalition forces searched the compound and engaged militants there killing four. "Eight men who surrendered were arrested", the statement said. "During the operation, the force found AK-47s, grenades and blasting caps, the latter used to initiate IEDs," it added.

Afghanistan To Create Anti-Insurgency Force

2009-01-31T13:05:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Khaleej Times' (UAE): A special force is to be formed to boost security in areas of Afghanistan hit by a Taliban-led insurgency, the country's interior minister said Saturday. The paramilitary-style force, which will be funded by the US government, will operate under the command of the interior ministry, the department responsible for the country's police force, Mohammad Hanif Atmar told reporters. "Considering the special situation in the country we've decided to... create public protection forces with a special security mission within the interior ministry frame," Atmar said.

Their tasks will include protecting communities, schools, other government installations and highways that are threatened by an ongoing Taliban-led insurgency, the minister added. He said the first units will be drawn from Afghan youths chosen by community leaders and placed into provinces where the Taliban is most active. He refused to give further details, such as numbers, saying this would depend on the need in each region.

Most of the violence is focused in the southern and eastern parts of the country, along the border with Pakistan. "The US military (in Afghanistan) is strongly supportive (of) this initiative," Atmar said. The new units would "help police to provide the necessary security in areas so police can implement the rule of law," he added. "This force will not be a militia force," Atmar said, addressing concerns the new force will degenerate into a militia similar to those that fought the bloody civil war that wracked the country in the 1990s. Once created, "these forces will be official security forces of the government of Afghanistan," the minister said.

Iraqi PM Hopes For Peace Boost

2009-01-31T13:04:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'International Herald Tribune': In neighborhoods once dominated by Shiite militias, Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki appeared to be riding high Saturday, with Iraqis saying they voted for his party in gratitude for driving the gunmen from the streets. "I have nothing to do with politics, but I voted for the man who made feel safe again," 71-year-old Zakiya Tahir said as she left a polling station in the Basra district of Hayaniyah, scene of fierce clashes last spring between government troops and Shiite gunmen. She pointed to a campaign poster featuring al-Maliki's dour face.

Al-Maliki, a Shiite, was not a candidate in Saturday's election, in which Iraqis chose members of ruling councils in 14 of Iraq's 18 provinces. But the prime minister was hoping that a strong showing by his Coalition of the State of Law alliance would bolster his position against Shiite rivals ahead of national elections expected by the end of the year. But interviews with voters in parts of Basra and Baghdad once dominated by Shiite militias indicated that al-Maliki's prestige was riding high because of his crackdown on the gunmen last year.

Haider Mahmoud, 40, who is unemployed, said he faced pressure from his family to vote for the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, the biggest Shiite party. "But I changed my mind and voted for al-Maliki's list, because if it weren't for him there would still be killing in the streets of Basra," he said. In Baghdad, the mood was festive in the Hurriyah neighborhood, scene of some of the most vicious Shiite-Sunni fighting in 2006. Whole families streamed out of the polling stations Saturday, and young boys took advantage of the vehicle curfew to play soccer in the streets.

"Al-Maliki has risen above partisan politics that have shackled political life in Iraq," said Ahmed Hussein after voting for the prime minister's coalition. "He has turned a very bad situation into a much better one. We can now move from one neighborhood to another feeling completely safe," Hussein said. Back in Basra, Ali Majid, 25, said he used to fear leaving home after sunset. All that changed after government forces regained control of the city after fighting last March. "When the militiamen were in charge, we used to see bodies lying in the streets every day," Majid said. "But now order and peace are restored. I voted for al-Maliki's representative because they proved they are trustworthy."

Iraqi Polls Close, No Major Violence

2009-01-31T13:03:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'FoxNews': Iraq's provincial elections have wrapped up without any reports of serious violence. Polls closed at 6 p.m. (10 a.m. EST) on Saturday — an hour later than planned — after millions of voters cast ballots for influential regional councils around most of Iraq. There were no reports of major violence. Iraqi authorities imposed a huge security operation around the country that included traffic bans in major cities and extensive checkpoints and surveillance posts. The U.S. military also was out in force but did not take a direct role in the election security. Results from the elections are not expected before Tuesday.

Iraqi voter smiles - Jan 31.

Read more HERE.

FBI Cuts Ties With CAIR

2009-01-31T13:02:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'FoxNews': The FBI is severing its once-close ties with the nation's largest Muslim advocacy group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), amid mounting evidence that it has links to a support network for Hamas. All local chapters of CAIR have been shunned in the wake of a 15-year FBI investigation that culminated with the conviction in December of Hamas fundraisers at a trial where CAIR itself was listed as an unindicted co-conspirator. The U.S. government has designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. An official at the FBI's headquarters in Washington confirmed to FOX News that his office directed FBI field offices across the country to cut ties with local branches of CAIR.

CAIR's executive director Nihad Awad - 2004.

The new policy marks a major shift for the FBI, which has long been close to CAIR. The agency has previously invited CAIR to give training sessions for agents and used it as a liaison with the American Muslim community. CAIR's executive director, Nihad Awad, attended a post-September 11th meeting with then-FBI director Robert Mueller, and he met with other top brass as recently as 2006. But that was before Awad was shown to have participated in planning meetings with the Holy Land Foundation, five officials of which were convicted in December of funneling $12.4 million to Hamas. Prosecutors identified CAIR's chairman emeritus, Omar Ahmad, as an unindicted co-conspirator in that trial, and Special Agent Lara Burns testified that CAIR was a front group for radical organizations operating in the U.S.

Read more HERE.

MNFI Press Release - Jan 31

2009-01-31T13:01:00.001-05:00

ISF, MND-B SOLDIERS FIND UXO, WEAPONS
Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) partnered with Multi-National Division – Baghdad (MND-B) Soldiers found unexploded ordnance (UXO) and confiscated weapons on January 29-30th, while conducting operations in Baghdad. Elements of 2nd Battalion, 24th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division uncovered a cache while conducting a dismounted patrol in the Resala neighborhood, west of Baghdad, at approximately 2 p.m. on January 29th. An explosives ordnance disposal team identified the items as (3) 120mm high explosive 843Bs and (1) 130mm projectile.

Iraqi Army (IA) Soldiers from the 1st Battalion, 24th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, partnered with Company B, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st BCT, 4th ID, MND-B, confiscated (6) AK-47 assault rifles while conducting operations in the Saydiyah neighborhood in southern Baghdad at approximately 4:15 a.m. on January 30th. The IA patrol hauled the weapons to a nearby Joint Security Station.

Israel Targets 'Terror Tunnels'

2008-12-30T12:48:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

BY: Nathan Hodge

From 'Wired Blog': One of the major objectives of the Israeli bombing raids in Gaza, it appears, was to destroy the network of tunnels on the Egyptian border used by Hamas to smuggle weapons and materiel. Israel News says fighter jets targeted as many as 40 tunnels in a carefully choreographed strike:

Masked Palestinian Tunnel Digger.

Destroying the tunnels was one of Operation Cast Lead's objectives. The tunnels, used to smuggle weapons and ammunition into Gaza escaped any major strike for the entirety of the ceasefire between Israel and the militant groups in Gaza, as well as for several months prior to it.

The tunnels, as it happens, were not just a conduit for smuggling weapons. According to a story by Bloomberg's Jonathan Ferziger, the tunnels had become an economic lifeline for Gaza, which has been under Israeli blockade. Residents of Gaza depended on the tunnels for everything from livestock and construction materials to stocks of the erectile-dysfunction drug Viagra and smuggled iPods.

Ferziger presciently adds: "It may also turn into a bombing target for the Israeli air force following the expiration of a six-month cease- fire with the Hamas leaders who rule Gaza, Israeli strategists say."

Diyala SoI Transfer Underway

2008-12-30T12:46:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'MNFI': Along with a new year, Iraq is ringing in an important step toward national reconciliation and sovereignty on January 1st, 2009. On that date, the nation’s government will take over control of the Sons of Iraq (SoI) from Coalition forces in four key provinces across the country -- including Diyala, one of the most diverse provinces, where al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) once terrorized and intimidated local residents. In all, 76 percent of the nation’s SoI members will be under Iraqi government responsibility by New Year’s Day. “We are beyond the tipping point with the Sons of Iraq,” said Lt. Colonel Jeffrey Kulmayer, the chief of reconciliation and engagement for Multi-National Corps – Iraq (MNC-I). “They have invested in the future of Iraq. And the Iraqi Government is offering them hope in the future. They’re going to be part of that.”

Sons of Iraq provide security and assist Coalition.
The transfer marks a dramatic turnaround in Diyala province in particular. “Diyala is a small Iraq,” said Iraqi Army Major General Muzhir al-Mawla, vice chairman of the Iraqi Follow-Up Committee for National Reconciliation. Home to Kurds as well as Sunni and Shi’a Iraqis, the region is more varied than Baghdad, where SoI members have already been successfully transferred to Iraqi control. In 2007, this mostly Sunni area northeast of Baghdad had been considered one of the most dangerous provinces in Iraq, and it lacked an infrastructure to support many basic services for its residents. But, as AQI’s targeting of innocent men, women and children in areas like Diyala took its deadly toll on residents, concerned local citizens joined a movement called the Awakening and organized neighborhood watches to roll back terrorist gains in their communities.

The following year, the movement’s members -- who came to be known as the Sons of Iraq -- joined forces with the Coalition to fight AQI, with spectacular results. The addition of more than 100,000 SoI members helped to thicken the security forces and enabled the improved security environment experienced today. “They have been critical to finding caches, bringing down IEDs, keeping al-Qaeda out of the towns, because they know everybody,” Kulmayer said. “They know who’s who in their towns and villages.”

Now, after helping bring greater stability to the region, 20,000 SoI members in Diyala, Babil, Wasit and Qadisiyah provinces will have opportunities to serve their country in new roles. In early December, they began to register with the Iraqi government to receive their regular paychecks. As responsibility for the SoI transfers to the government on January 1st, the group’s members will transition into a variety of meaningful jobs intended to secure the nation’s future. Twenty percent are slated to join the Iraqi Army or Police; the rest will enter public or private employment in a variety of roles, from civil engineering to electrical maintenance to working in the government’s multiple ministries.

“The goal of this program is to eventually hire these people into meaningful jobs,” said Lt. General Lloyd Austin III, commanding general of MNC-I. “While many of them are working in security positions right now, ultimately they’ll transition and go into other meaningful jobs, and that’s the goal.” The program has met with a number of challenges. Before working with the Coalition, many of the SoI actively resisted it. Some members worry that their previous activities might be held against them. So far, though, the SoI and the government have interacted well, confirming that this is “the leading edge of reconciliation,” according to Major General Michael Ferriter, deputy commanding general of MNC-I.

In the past three months, more than half of the country’s SoI have already been transferred smoothly to Iraqi control, including all the group’s members in Baghdad. SoI registration in Anbar Province is nearly complete, in preparation for a February 1st transfer to Iraqi control. Ninewa, Kirkuk and Salah Ah Din provinces are scheduled to transfer in early spring. Authorities said a rehearsal of the Diyala transfer on December 23rd went off without a hitch. “Diyala is considered to be a very complex province, but in fact the registration of the SoI has gone very well,” said Kulmayer, adding that nearly 9,000 SoI members would register with the government in the province. “We have a very large turnout there. It’s exceeding the expectation of how many would come in and register.”

“The Sons of Iraq feel as if they’re being taken care of,” Austin said. “They’re apprehensive, but that’s to be expected. This is new and building trust takes time.” Civil Service Corps projects continue to be the main focus of non-security job efforts, with more than 4,100 SoI currently enrolled in various apprentice programs. Iraqi-led jobs programs for the SoI, such as CSC and public works projects, remain in development. The government of Iraq is also looking at opening a number of job-training centers around the country to address the needs of unskilled SoI members.

“Those results have come about because of determined leadership,” Austin said. Ferriter echoed those comments, adding that, at the end of the day, all the parties were on the same page. “We have a common goal: We don’t want the Sons of Iraq to turn to al-Qaeda,” he said. “The Coalition forces don’t want that; the Iraqi Prime Minister doesn’t want that. Together, we’ll make this work.”

U.S. Forces Suppress Terror By Hunting Weapons

2008-12-30T12:44:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'UPI': Violence is way down in Iraq, but the U.S. armed forces and the Iraqi National Police are continuing to net large quantities of the weapons needed to sustain terrorist attacks and guerrilla war. In one recent operation, U.S. Black Hawk helicopters nosedived, banked hard to the left and then touched down in an open field. Soldiers jumped out, took three steps and then threw themselves on the ground, letting a vortex of dust and debris stirred up by the spinning props wash over them before they could sprint to a tree line.

It was an air assault -- the second in two days by units of the 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment -- and ahead of them was five hours of scouring palm groves and fruit orchards on a sliver of land in the Tigris River Valley to unearth any hidden arms and munitions caches terrorists could use to roil nearby Baghdad. The list of bomb materials terrorists use and could be found was long. On it are Iraqi Army munitions left over from the 2003 invasion -- mortars, grenades, rockets and artillery shells. And then there are newer imported devices, primarily the explosively formed projectiles (EFPs) from Iran and their components.

With the 40 Americans were about 30 members of the Iraqi National Police and three bomb-sniffing dogs. "This is one of a series of searches to reduce enemy resources," said Captain Brian Sweigart of 1-27's Alpha Company. "We're in full court press. The elections are coming up and we need to keep them (extremists) from trying to stir things."

Violence in Iraq is at its lowest in years -- a daily average of 10 attacks of all kinds compared with 180 a day a year ago, according to statistics kept by U.S. forces. In East Baghdad, where between 700 and 800 Shiite extremists were killed during street battles last spring, the daily average number of attacks is now about four per day. The amount of explosives used in bomb attacks has also decreased, a sign that terrorists are finding supplies hard to come by. U.S. officials said recently that bombs, whether IEDs or vehicle-borne devices, used 15 pounds or less of explosives compared with the 50 pounds regularly seen in guerrilla attacks that were carried out earlier this year.

"I think the fight we had from March through May certainly is a large contributory factor as to why they (Shiite extremists) are not continuing the operations they were doing prior to that," said Colonel John Hort, commander of the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, in charge of East Baghdad and its surrounding areas. "They've been disrupted and on the defensive more than ever before with all the attrition they took. We still search for bad guys, but we've been focusing heavily on their supply operations," Hort told United Press International.

MNFI Press Release - Dec 30

2008-12-30T12:43:00.000-05:00

IRAQI ARMY FINDS LARGE WEAPONS CACHE
Iraqi Army (IA) Soldiers discovered a large weapons cache in the Jurf region during a patrol on December 28th. IA Soldiers of the 4th Battalion, 31st IA Brigade reported to Coalition forces the location of a cache consisting of (657) 37 mm anti-armor munitions with cartridge cases. Members of the 760th Explosive Ordnance Disposal responded, cleared the area and disposed of all ordnance in place by controlled detonation.

ISF CAPTURE 5 TERRORISTS IN SEPARATE OPS
Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) captured five suspected terrorists during separate operations throughout northern Iraq on December 26-27th. During an operation on December 27th, Baqubah Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team arrested two suspected terrorists while serving warrants. These individuals are allegedly responsible for IED and rocket attacks against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces. In a separate operation on December 26th in Rabiah, elements from the 3rd Iraqi Army captured three suspected terrorists. The individuals are believed to be extorting money from civilian and commercial traffic then transferring it to other local terrorists’ cells.

IA SOLDIERS FIND IED IN NW BAGHDAD
Iraqi Security Forces from the 3rd Battalion, 54th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division discovered an IED in Baghdad’s Mansour district on December 29th at approximately 10 a.m. The ISF notified Soldiers from the 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, operationally attached to the 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division , Multi-National Division – Baghdad, who responded to the scene to search for secondary devices. An Iraqi Army explosives ordnance disposal team was called in and removed the IED, which consisted of a gallon of homemade explosives, ball bearings and a cell phone initiator. “The discovery of this device before its detonation is a victory for the ISF and a testament to their improved capabilities,” said Major Kone Faulkner, spokesman for the 2nd HBCT, 1st Inf. Div. “Each day the ISF prove they are more capable of providing for the citizens of Baghdad and we will continue to provide over watch and support as needed.”

Five Found Guilty In Fort Dix Terror Trial

2008-12-30T12:42:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'National Terror Alert Response Center': A jury has found five men guilty of conspiring to kill soldiers at Fort Dix, New Jersey, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s office said on Monday, December 22nd. The defendants were acquitted of attempted murder charges but face life in prison. The jury spent six days deliberating. Six men were arrested on May 7, 2007, in New Jersey, as two of them were meeting a confidential government witness “to purchase three AK-47 automatic machine guns and four semi-automatic M-16s to be used in an attack they had been planning from at least January 2006,” according to a criminal complaint. The sixth defendant, Agron Abdullahu, pleaded guilty in October to a reduced charge of providing firearms to illegal aliens and received a sentence of 20 months in prison and three years of supervised release.

Abdullahu told the court in October that, from January 2006 to May 2007, he and Turkish-born Serdar Tatar provided firearms to brothers Dritan Duka, Shain Duka and Eljvir “Elvis” Duka. The Duka brothers, born in the former Yugoslavia, were in the United States illegally. Tatar and Abdullahu are both legal U.S. residents. The other defendant, Jordanian-born Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer, is the only U.S. citizen among them. The alleged Fort Dix plot came to light when two men gave an 8 mm videotape to a clerk at a Circuit City store in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, and asked him to convert it to DVD format. Authorities said the tape showed 10 young men shooting at a practice range and shouting in Arabic, “Allahu Akbar,” or “God is great.”

Baghdad Celebrates First Public Christmas

2008-12-27T13:23:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'CNN': From a distance, it looks like an apparition: a huge multi-colored hot-air balloon floating in the Baghdad sky, bearing a large poster of Jesus Christ. Below it, an Iraqi flag. Welcome to the first-ever public Christmas celebration in Baghdad, held Saturday and sponsored by the Iraqi Interior Ministry. Once thought to be infiltrated by death squads, the Ministry now is trying to root out sectarian violence -- as well as improve its P.R. image.

Poster of Jesus. Caption: "Master of the Soul Festival".
The event takes place in a public park in eastern Baghdad, ringed with security checkpoints. Interior Ministry forces deployed on surrounding rooftops peer down at the scene: a Christmas tree decorated with ornaments and tinsel; a red-costumed Santa Claus waving to the crowd, an Iraqi flag draped over his shoulders; a red-and-black-uniformed military band playing stirring martial music, not Christmas carols. On a large stage, children dressed in costumes representing Iraq's many ethnic and religious groups -- Kurds, Turkmen, Yazidis, Christians, Arab Muslims not defined as Sunni or Shiite -- hold their hands aloft and sing "We are building Iraq!" Two young boys, a mini-policeman and a mini-soldier sporting painted-on mustaches, march stiffly and salute.

Even before I can ask Interior Ministry spokesman Major-General Abdul Karim Khalaf a question, he greets me with a big smile. "All Iraqis are Christian today!" he says. Khalaf says sectarian and ethnic violence killed thousands of Iraqis. "Now that we have crossed that hurdle and destroyed the incubators of terrorism," he says, "and the security situation is good, we have to go back and strengthen community ties." In spite of his claim, the spokesman is surrounded by heavy security. Yet this celebration shows that the security situation in Baghdad is improving.

Many of the people attending the Christmas celebration appear to be Muslims, with women wearing head scarves. Suad Mahmoud, holding her 16-month-old daughter, Sara, tells me she is indeed Muslim, but she's very happy to be here. "My mother's birthday also is this month, so we celebrate all occasions," she says, "especially in this lovely month of Christmas and New Year."

Father Saad Sirop Hanna, a Chaldean Christian priest, is here too. He was kidnapped by militants in 2006 and held for 28 days. He knows firsthand how difficult the lot of Christians in Iraq is but, he tells me, "We are just attesting that things are changing in Baghdad, slowly, but we hope that this change actually is real. We will wait for the future to tell us the truth about this." He just returned from Rome. "I came back to Iraq because I believe that we can live here," he says. "I have so many [Muslim] friends and we are so happy they started to think about things from another point of view and we want to help them."

Iraqi artist uses oil paint to create portrait of Jesus.
The Christmas celebration has tables loaded with cookies and cakes. Families fill plates and chat in the warm winter sun. Santa balloons hang from trees. An artist uses oil paint to create a portrait of Jesus. In the middle of the park there's an art exhibit, the creation of 11- and 12-year-olds: six displays, each about three feet wide, constructed of cardboard and Styrofoam, filled with tiny dolls dressed like ordinary people, along with model soldiers and police. They look like model movie sets depicting everyday life in Baghdad.

Afnan, 12 years old, shows me her model called Arresting the Terrorists. "These are the terrorists," she tells me. "They were trying to blow up the school." In the middle of the street a dead "terrorist" sprawls on the asphalt, his bloody arm torn from his body by an explosion. Afnan tells me she used red nail polish to paint the blood. A little plastic dog stands nearby. "What is he doing?" I ask. "He looks for terrorists and searches for weapons and explosives," Afnan says.

Her mother, the children's art teacher, Raja, shows me another child's display called Baghdad Today. "This is a wedding," Raja explains. "Despite the terrorism, our celebrations still go ahead. This is a park, families enjoying time. And this is a market where people go shopping without fear of bombings. This is a mosque where people can pray with no fear." In the middle is a black mound that looks like a body bag. Policemen and Interior Ministry forces surround it. "This is terrorism," she tells me. "We killed it and destroyed it, and our lives went back to normal." A Christmas tale perhaps, I think, but one that many Iraqis hope will come true.

11 Taliban Killed In Afghanistan

2008-12-27T13:21:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'AFP': The US-led coalition in Afghanistan said Friday it had killed 11 Taliban militants in an operation against a network behind a series of roadside bombings, including some that killed foreign soldiers. Another two suspected militants were arrested in a raid on Thursday in the southern province of Kandahar, the US military said in a statement. It said the head of the extremist cell was among those killed in the district of Maiwand, a Taliban stronghold about 75 kilometres (45 miles) west of the provincial capital of Kandahar.

US Soldiers in Afghanistan - Nov 2008.
Militants barricaded inside a compound had opened fire on the troops who retaliated with gunfire and hand grenades. "After neutralising the threat, the force searched the buildings, discovering 11 militants were killed," the statement said. They also found a wounded woman inside the building who was taken to a military hospital for treatment. The targeted cell had been responsible for "multiple roadside bomb attacks including recent attacks which killed multiple ISAF (International Security Assistance Forces) soldiers," the statement said. There was no independent confirmation of the incident.

The NATO-led ISAF and the coalition under US command have deployed a combined total of nearly 70,000 soldiers here to help the government tackle a Taliban-led insurgency and rebuild a country devastated by decades of war. Troops at the militant compound found dozens of landmines, grenades and machine-guns as well as bomb-making material, which they destroyed, the statement said. One building collapsed in secondary blasts caused by the mines.

MNFI Press Release - Dec 27

2008-12-27T13:07:00.001-05:00

IA, INP, MND-B SOLDIERS SEIZE CACHES IN BAGHDAD
Iraqi Army (IA) soldiers, Iraqi National Police (INP) and MultiNational Division – Baghdad (MND-B) soldiers seized weapons caches in the Baghdad area on December 26th. IA soldiers serving with 53rd Brigade, 14th Iraqi Army Division and Soldiers serving with Company A, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, MND-B, discovered a weapons cache containing (3) 100 mm high-explosive projectiles, (5) 115 mm projectiles, and (1) empty 152 mm projectile at approximately 12:40 p.m. northwest of Baghdad.

An Iraqi citizen turned in a cache found at his home to IA soldiers serving with 4th Battalion, 22nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, at approximately 7 p.m. north of Baghdad. The weapons seized included (2) silencers, (4) grenade fuses, 2.5 pounds of propellant, (2) 60 mm high-explosive mortars, (1) heavy machine gun body and (1) machine gun bolt. At approximately 7 p.m., Iraqi National Policemen turned in a weapons cache they found to Soldiers serving with Company A, 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd SBCT, 25th ID, MND-B. The cache contained (2) 57 mm mortars. At approximately 11 p.m., an Iraqi citizen turned in a 57 mm and a high-explosive anti-armor round to Soldiers serving with Co A, 1st Battalion, 14th Inf. Regt., 2nd SBCT, 25th ID, MND-B.

IA, MND-B SEIZE HOME-MADE EXPLOSIVES
IA soldiers found a large cache of home-made explosives in southern Baghdad on December 25th. IA soldiers serving with 2nd Battalion, 55th Brigade, 17th Iraqi Army Division discovered a cache that contained approximately 1,500 pounds of home-made explosives, at approximately 3 p.m. An explosive ordnance disposal team transported the explosives to another location and disposed of them.

IA SOLDIERS CONFISCATE WEAPONS IN GHAZALIYAH
Iraqi soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 22nd Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division confiscated a cache of weapons at approximately 6:50 p.m. during an operation in the Ghazaliyah district of northwest Baghdad on December 26th. The Iraqi soldiers notified the 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, which responded to the site to provide assistance. The effort uncovered (2) 60 mm mortar rounds, (15) propellant rods, 2 pounds of propellant and (2) silencers of an unknown caliber. “The confiscation of these weapons highlights the capability of the Iraqi Security Forces and allows Coalition force Soldiers to transition to a mentoring position,” said Major Kone Faulkner, a spokesperson for 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division. “The ISF are in the lead and are getting the job done, and we will do everything in our power to support their efforts and provide assistance as needed.”

2,000 IRAQI FAMILIES RETURN TO EASTERN BAGHDAD
Iraqi officials recently reported that more than 2,000 Iraqi families have returned to their homes in eastern Baghdad this year. The 2,084 returning families left their homes in the districts of Rusafa, Karadah and 9 Nissan due to security concerns. Categorized as Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), they have returned to a more secure and safe environment. The number of returnees in the area is a sign of vastly improved security conditions, said Lt. Colonel Eric Holliday, deputy team leader of Baghdad-2 embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team (e-PRT). “The more returnees we get back into the neighborhoods from where they were originally displaced tells us these people feel safe enough to return to those areas and they don’t think there is going to be further violence,” expressed Holliday. “When we have them return and we don’t have any incidents of further violence... then it has been fairly successful in our area. That is a measure of effectiveness telling us we are doing our job right."

Iraq’s Ministry of Migrations and Displaced Persons (MOMDP) is responsible for tracking IDPs and IDP returnees. They report the number of Iraqi citizens who register with IDP centers weekly. Holliday said there is an IDP center in Rusafa that issues reports about homeowners returning to eastern Baghdad. “Their job is to register all IDPs that have displaced into our area and also to register all returnees – those are IDPs that were displaced to other areas that are returning to their homes,” explained Holliday of the 308th Civil Affairs Brigade. “They (returnees) receive a stipend from the government. It’s been running somewhere around one million to three million dinars, which equates to about $1,000 to $3,000 per returnee.” To receive stipends and reclaim their homes, IDP returnees must register with the ministry and provide proof of ownership. Other forms of government support also are available to these citizens.

Dispatch From Michael Yon

2008-12-09T17:47:00.002-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Michael Yon Online': Michael Yon posted a dispatch at his online magazine on December 1st entitled: "The Art of the End of War". Clearly, Yon seems to suggest that the war in Iraq is essentially finished...

Yes, the war is over. And it will be a great day when the last American division leaves Iraq, and Americans and Iraqis never fire another shot at each other, and we can honestly call each other “friends.”

Here are a few more excerpts from the article...

SSG Foust explained that after the initial invasion of Iraq in 2003, his group spent long periods patrolling in the Sinjar mountains in Nineveh where many Yezidis live. He said there was no fighting with Yezidis and that the Yezidis were so friendly that they continuously invited the soldiers to eat with them in the villages...

I said to SSG Foust what I tell our pilots who fly near Yezidis: If your aircraft goes down near Yezidis, you might be sipping tea with your laundry being folded before search and rescue can get to you. And they’ll cook lunch for the rescue team. This is why a lot of Americans who know Yezidis are angered when al Qaeda attacks Yezidi people. Many personal bonds have been formed during this tragic war. We are no longer enemies with the Iraqis, and there is no good reason why Iraq and America should ever fight again...

We rumbled into various neighborhoods in south Baghdad. Nothing was going on. No gun battles. No mushroom clouds from car bombs or IEDs. I wore the headset and the incessant radio alerts about units fighting here or there were completely absent. In the old days, while the Iraq war was hot, there was constant chatter about fighting, car bombs, snipers, name it. Today, there were no alerts at all...

The Baghdad mission with 10th Mountain Division soldiers was uneventful, other than the soldiers being proud to say they haven’t had to fire a single shot in combat this year...

Al Qaeda was handed a vicious defeat in Iraq, and it can be said with great certainty that most Iraqis hate al Qaeda even more than Americans do. Al Qaeda can continue to murder Iraqis for now, but al Qaeda will be hard pressed to ever plant their flag in another Iraqi city. The Iraqi army and police have become far too strong and organized, and the Iraqis will eventually strangle al Qaeda to death...

Yes, the war is over. And it will be a great day when the last American division leaves Iraq, and Americans and Iraqis never fire another shot at each other, and we can honestly call each other “friends.”

You can read the whole article HERE.

HLF Defendants Guilty On All Counts

2008-12-01T20:40:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'National Terror Alert': After more than 15 years of investigation and two trials, the Holy Land Foundation and five of its former organizers were found guilty of illegally funneling more than $12 million to the Palestinian terrorist group Hamas. The verdicts by a Dallas federal jury are a significant victory for the Justice Department, which streamlined its case after a mistrial last year and worked hard to carefully educate jurors on the complex evidence presented in the massive case. Guilty verdicts were read on 108 separate charges.

The verdicts are a major triumph for the outgoing administration of President George W. Bush, whose efforts at fighting terrorism financing have been troubled. Two other similar high-profile prosecutions targeting supporters of Palestinian militants have ended in acquittals, deadlocked juries or convictions on lesser charges. “Today’s verdicts are important milestones in America’s efforts against financiers of terrorism,” Patrick Rowan, assistant attorney general for national security, said in a prepared statement. “This prosecution demonstrates our resolve to ensure that humanitarian relief efforts are not used as a mechanism to disguise and enable support for terrorist groups.”

Peter Margulies, a Roger Williams University law professor who studies terrorism financing cases said, “The government showed in a streamlined case that where special assistance to the families of terrorists is concerned, cash is the moral equivalent of a car bomb.” The jury also said Holy Land should forfeit $12.4 million because of several money-laundering convictions in the case. Prosecutors said the government probably will end up with about $5 million in Holy Land money frozen by federal authorities in 2001.

US Deaths In Afghanistan Drop Sharply In November

2008-12-01T20:26:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'AP': One American serviceman died in Afghanistan in November, a dramatic drop from earlier months, which the U.S. military attributed to their campaign against insurgent leaders, operations by Afghan and Pakistani forces and the onset of winter. Twice this year, monthly U.S. death tolls in Afghanistan surpassed the monthly toll in Iraq. U.S. troops suffered an average of 21 deaths in Afghanistan each month this year from May to October - by far the deadliest six-month period in Afghanistan for American forces since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. The Afghan Defense Ministry does not release fatality figures.

Lt. Colonel Rumi Nielson-Green, the spokeswoman at the U.S. base at Bagram, cautioned that one month of data does not make a trend "but may be an indicator." She noted that operations conducted by U.S. forces last summer against insurgent areas and bomb-making networks helped lower November's violence. Those efforts likely contributed to a 40 percent drop in IED attacks in October, compared with September, and may have pushed down troop death last month as well.

In addition, U.S. forces also pressed ahead in November with what commanders call the Winter Campaign. "This campaign is designed to create the conditions of lowering enemy capabilities, diminishing their support areas both by hard-power and soft, and continue strengthening border operations to complement the Pakistani efforts in the FATA," she said, referring to Pakistan's northwestern Federally Administered Tribal Areas. She said Pakistani military operations in Bajur have also helped security in Afghanistan.

Insurgents in Afghanistan, particularly in mountainous areas, typically scale back their operations during the winter months, and that may have contributed to the declining trend, U.S. military spokesman Colonel Jerry O'Hara said. "That's some of it," he said. "But really we attribute it more toward our improvement in our tactics and techniques and procedures, along with the increased capability of the Afghan security forces."

O'Hara said the number of attacks in the Kabul region was 50 percent lower in January to October this year than during the same 10-month period in 2007. "And again, we attribute that to not only the Afghan security forces, but you have to give credit to the Afghan people for their personal involvement in the form of tips and their reports to Afghan security forces," he said.

Eleven U.S. troops died in Afghanistan in November 2007, meaning the year-on-year drop is also significant. The U.S. still has about 150,000 troops in Iraq, but violence there has fallen off dramatically in recent months. Over the past six months it has become more dangerous to serve in Afghanistan, where the death rate among U.S. troops has been higher than in Iraq. A near-record 32,000 American forces are deployed in Afghanistan. Despite the vastly greater number of Americans deployed in Iraq, in two months this year more U.S. forces died in Afghanistan than Iraq. Sixteen U.S. troops died in Iraq last month.

O'Hara said the military mourns every death and that the number of casualties is not a measure of effectiveness for the military. "Our measures of effectiveness are increased security, increases in development, increases in people's attitudes toward their own well being," said O'Hara. "And certainly we're always adjusting our tactics based on what we see on the battlefield and what we are able to learn through intelligence about the insurgents."

The commander of NATO, General John Craddock, said last week that the Taliban insurgency was growing more "virulent," saying violence jumped by 40 percent this year. More than 5,900 people (mostly militants) have died in insurgency related violence in Afghanistan this year, according to an Associated Press count of figures from Afghan and Western officials.

Taliban Commander Killed In Afghanistan

2008-12-01T20:25:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Xinhua': Continued violence claimed the life of a Taliban local commander in Afghanistan, officials said Monday. Afghan security forces raided the hideout of a Taliban commander named Ghazi in Sarobi district 60 km east of capital city Kabul and eliminated him. "Security forces stormed Ghazi's hiding place late Saturday night and killed him along with some of his armed men," police chief of Sarobi district Abdul Jamil Shamal said. Taliban insurgents have yet to make comment.

MNFI Press Release - Dec 1

2008-12-01T20:24:00.000-05:00

IA, MND-B SOLDIERS SEIZE WEAPONS, MUNITIONS
Iraqi Army (IA) soldiers and Multi-National Division - Baghdad (MND-B) Soldiers seizee weapons caches near Baghdad on November 30th. Soldiers serving with 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 63rd Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armor Division, found two caches south of Baghdad at approximately 2 p.m. The first cache included (63) mortar rounds, (12) rockets, (1) rocket launcher, (60) boxes of ammunition, (2,000) loose rounds of ammunition, (15) bipods, (1) anti-aircraft mount, (15) fuses and an unknown amount of homemade explosive. The second cache consisted of (6) mortars, (39) rocket-propelled grenades, (2) rifle grenades, and (1) anti-tank warhead. At approximately 5:30 p.m., IA soldiers serving with 2nd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 9th IA Division, discovered a cache north of Baghdad, where (3) rockets and (1) rocket motor were turned over to 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, to be destroyed.

ISF CAPTURES CELL LEADERS
Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), with Coalition force advisors, captured two suspected AQI cell members and a Jaysh al-Mahdi Special Groups (JAM-SG) cell leader during separate operations in Iraq on November 29th. Hillah Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) conducted an operation capturing a JAM-SG cell leader. The individual is believed to be the leader of the A-Imam JAM-SG cell operating throughout the Babil province. The cell is allegedly responsible for conducting numerous attacks against Coalition force bases as well as IED attacks on Coalition convoys.

In Balad, elements from the 4th Iraqi Army captured two Ansar al-Sunna (AAS) cell members during an operation. One of the individuals is believed to be the AAS Central Northern Regional Commander whose cell conducts attacks against Coalition forces. “These series of operations are directed toward thwarting terrorists and criminal activities as the Government of Iraq demonstrates a determination to bring those operating outside the law to justice,” said Lt. Col. Neil Harper, spokesman for Multi-National Corps – Iraq.

UN: Afghanistan Not In Crisis

2008-11-30T12:17:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'AFP': Afghanistan is not in a security crisis, and disillusionment and recriminations about its situation should be avoided, a UN Security Council team said at the end of a three-day assessment tour. There were even reasons for "cautious optimism," the delegation told reporters before wrapping up a visit which comes as attacks linked to the insurgency led by the Islamic Taliban are at record levels. "There is undoubtedly a difficult security situation which is developing... but not a security crisis," said the head of the delegation, Italian ambassador Giulio Terzi.

"We should avoid any inclination to disillusionment and frustration or even worse to mutual recriminations between Afghanistan and its friends," he said. "Instead, this is the time for the Afghan people and for the international community to redouble efforts and to redouble the spirit of joint partnership in overcoming these difficulties."

In his meeting with the team on Tuesday, President Hamid Karzai demanded a "timeline" for the end of largely UN-mandated international military intervention in Afghanistan. The country is a key battleground for the US-led "war on terror" launched in 2001 with the invasion that toppled Afghanistan's Taliban regime for harbouring Al-Qaeda after the September 11 attacks on the United States. Terzi said there was an expectation among all involved that the international intervention would be as short as possible, but it would also have to be sustained as long as needed and requires an increased engagement.

MNFI Press Release - Nov 30

2008-11-30T12:15:00.001-05:00

ALLEGED AQI CAR BOMBER DETAINED
Coalition forces struck al-Qaeda in Iraq’s (AQI) Baghdad bombing networks during an operation on Saturday night, capturing a suspected car bomb operative. Forces were lead to a residence in the Karkh neighborhood after reports suggested the wanted man was there. The suspected terrorist, who is believed to have connections to a Baghdad-area AQI car bomb cell leader, was detained by ground forces without incident.

ISF CAPTURES 8 AQI SUSPECTS IN NORTH IRAQ
Iraqi Security Forces (ISF), with Coalition force advisors, captured eight suspected AQI terrorists during separate operations in northern Iraq on November 27th-28th. These operations demonstrate the commitment and capability of the Government of Iraq in their effort to reinforce the rule of law and bring stability to the region.

Third Iraqi Army elements conducted an operation on November 28th, capturing two AQI terrorists in Bulayj. One of the individuals is believed to be the Amir of a newly formed direct action cell operating in the area. The individuals are believed to be responsible for planning attacks against Coalition forces.

During an operation on November 27th, Baqubah Special Weapons and Tactics captured three suspected AQI terrorists operating within the district. These individuals are believed to facilitate AQI operatives and provide safe havens in the area. In a separate operation on November 27th, Iraqi Special Operations Forces arrested three suspected AQI cell members in East Mosul. These individuals are believed to be operating as an assassination cell and are suspected of killing local nationals and Iraqi Security Forces. Two of the individuals are allegedly responsible for facilitating the escape of insurgents from the Badush Prison in 2006.

IA SOLDIERS TAKE LEAD DURING JOINT PATROL
Iraqi Army (IA) and MultiNational Division – Baghdad (MND-B) Soldiers conducted a joint compliance neighborhood inspection patrol on November 26th in the town of Al Murtada in the Mahmudiyah Qada, south of Baghdad. IA soldiers from the 1st and 2nd Battalion, 25th Brigade, 17th Iraqi Army Division and MND-B Soldiers from Company D, 1st Battalion, 63rd Combined Arms Battalion, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Armored Division, conducted the dismounted patrol visiting more than 30 houses.

The Iraqi Army uses compliance patrols to hold residents accountable for the safety and sanitation of their neighborhoods. Each household is asked to sign a form stating they will keep their walls clean of graffiti and will report any suspicious behavior to an Iraqi Army soldier. “This patrol is a great way for the Iraqi Army to make the locals take an active stance in their neighborhoods,” said 1st Lt. Cameron Mays, mortar platoon leader, Company D. “The best part about the patrol though is that the Iraqi Army was in the lead; we were purely in a supervisory role.”

The Soldiers provided security to Iraqi Army soldiers as they went door to door speaking to the residents. “The Coalition Soldiers have been great partners throughout my time with them,” said Iraqi Captain Salah, the Iraqi Army mission Commander. “It is good to be able to show them how much we’ve learned from them in their time here.”

Arms Dealer Caught In Terror Sting Convicted

2008-11-21T22:03:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Associated Press': A wealthy arms dealer long suspected of aiding militants in some of the world's bloodiest conflicts was convicted on Thursday of conspiring to sell weapons to informants who posed as arms suppliers for terrorists willing to kill Americans. Syrian-born Monzer al-Kassar, 62, and a co-defendant, Luis Felipe Moreno Godoy, were convicted of conspiring over a four-month period last year to try to sell millions of dollars worth of heavy weaponry to Colombian militants. A federal jury in Manhattan convicted the men of conspiring to provide aid and equipment to a terrorist organization, conspiring to kill U.S. soldiers, conspiring to acquire and export anti-aircraft missiles and money laundering.

U.S. authorities said al-Kassar was willing to sell surface-to-air missile systems, rocket-propelled grenade launchers, thousands of machine guns and millions of rounds of ammunition to Colombian rebels. Prosecutors said al-Kassar believed undercover Drug Enforcement Administration agents were representing the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, a rebel army known as FARC that is classified in the United States as a terrorist group. The evidence included recorded phone calls, e-mails and meetings.

The agents struck a fictitious $8 million deal for al-Kassar to supply weaponry obtained in Romania and Bulgaria. No weapons were ever exchanged. Assistant U.S. Attorney Boyd Johnson said greed was the chief motivation. The men face up to life in prison when they are sentenced on February 18th. An indictment unsealed last year said al-Kassar had provided military equipment to violent factions in Nicaragua, Brazil, Cyprus, Bosnia, Croatia, Somalia, Iran and Iraq. It said his customers included known terrorist organizations determined to stage "attacks on United States interests and United States nationals."

Al-Kassar, long a target of U.S. investigators, was arrested on June 7th, 2007 after arriving at an airport in Madrid, Spain. Al-Kassar was acquitted in Spain of supplying assault rifles used by Palestinian militants in the 1985 hijacking of the Italian cruise ship Achille Lauro. The hijackers killed 69-year-old New Yorker Leon Klinghoffer, dumping his body and wheelchair overboard. Klinghoffer's daughters were in court for Thursday's conviction. "I wanted everyone there to know my father is in the courtroom in a spiritual way," said Lisa Klinghoffer, who wore a pin bearing his initials. As jurors stepped into an elevator to leave, Lisa Klinghoffer shouted: "Thank you! He provided the guns that killed my father. It's a long time coming."

US Forces Kill Senior Al Qaeda In Iraq Leader

2008-11-21T21:44:00.002-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Christian Science Monitor': An Al-Qaeda in Iraq leader believed by US officials to be responsible for one of the most notorious attacks on US soldiers was killed during American military operations earlier this month, military officials said Thursday. Hajji Hammadi, a regional Al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) leader, was shot dead by US forces in a raid in the upscale Mansour district of Baghdad on November 11th, according to US military spokesman Brigadier General David Perkins.

The killing, believed to have been a US special forces operation, is part of a series of American operations that have steadily eroded AQI’s command and control structure. The organization has also lost support from tens of thousands Iraqis who have turned against it and joined US forces in fighting AQI. But counterterrorism experts cautioned that while US operations have widely eroded AQI's ability to operate as a network, the organization was turning towards more targeted, high-profile attacks such as suicide bombings.

"Their ability to move resources around Iraq, to bring resources from outside the country, has been dramatically reduced," General Perkins told reporters. "They now have to operate in much smaller cells, much less capable cells, so it's much more difficult for them to mount large numbers of attacks, and attacks that create large amount of casualties," he said.

Hammadi, an Iraqi, was believed by US military officials to be responsible for the abduction and murder of US Army Staff Sgt. Matt Maupin in 2004. Sergeant Maupin, an Army reservist from Ohio, was captured after his fuel convoy came under attack near Baghdad's International Airport. He later appeared in a hostage video and was reported killed. Five civilians and two other US soldiers were also believed to have died in the ambush. Hammadi also planned and helped execute an attack in June in Anbar Province in which a suicide bomber dressed in an Iraqi police uniform detonated, killing three US Marines, two interpreters, and more than 20 Iraqi civilians, including a mayor and several tribal leaders, said Perkins.

"[Hammadi's] death removes a key AQI command and control node from the region," says US military spokesman Commander David Waterman. Two prominent counterterrorism analysts say they were unfamiliar with Hammadi or his level of influence in the organization, but agree that killings like this have steadily reduced AQI's operational capabilities. Meanwhile, AQI has lost support from Iraqis who have turned against it and joined US forces in fighting AQI.

"In late 2007 to 2008 we've really seen a decline in the effectiveness of AQI," said Brian Fishman, research director at West Point's Combating Terrorism Center in a telephone interview. The organization's ability to command and communicate has been curtailed by joint US forces and Iraqi military operations, said Mr. Fishman. At the same time he said, strategic errors by AQI, such as wide-scale attacks on civilians and claims to religious power, has also damaged the organization by turning a large number of Iraqis against it.

"I don't think Al Qaeda in Iraq is in charge of their own destiny. They used to be, but they screwed it up," said Fishman, who has recently observed AQI focusing more narrowly on military rather than civilian targets and on techniques such as suicide bombers disguised as soldiers. "They've lost the ability to do this across the board disruptive stuff so they're trying to be more creative and act like traditional terrorists rather than insurgents," said Fishman.

Afghanistan: Insurgents Killed, Civilians Saved

2008-11-21T21:44:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'American Forces Press Service': Afghan army commandos and their coalition partners killed four militants while simultaneously protecting nearly 90 civilians in an early morning operation today in western Afghanistan, military officials reported. The combined forces were conducting a raid on a compound, targeting a Taliban commander in Farah province's Dowlatabad village when they received fire from several enemy fighting positions. The combined forces quickly returned fire and also established a security perimeter to protect the civilians, who included 30 children, officials said. The exchange of fire resulted in the deaths of four enemy fighters who local residents confirmed were Taliban militants.

During the search for more militants, commandos discovered a fully operational explosive device in a local mosque. Commandos removed the bomb and destroyed it. The detonation caused minor damage to the mosque's exterior wall, for which the commandos provided compensation to village elders. The operation also uncovered numerous small arms weapons and bomb-making materials. No Afghan, coalition or civilian casualties resulted from the operation, officials said.

In other news from Afghanistan, Afghan and coalition forces killed 10 militants near Highway 1 in the Nahr Surkh district of Helmand province yesterday. The forces were conducting a security patrol when they were attacked by militants with small-arms and machine-gun fire. They returned fire, killing the 10 militants. During the engagement, an Afghan soldier was shot in the back. He was treated on site and transported to a nearby Coalition medical facility. No other Afghan or coalition forces or civilians were injured during the engagement, officials said.

Also yesterday, Afghan and coalition forces killed four armed militants and detained eight others yesterday during an operation in Kapisa province in which an Afghan woman and child were injured when the insurgents used them as human shields, officials said. In the Tagab district, coalition forces provided medical care to the Afghan woman and child, whom the forces believe lived with the militants. The two were injured when one of the militants detonated a hand grenade. They are recovering at a military hospital, officials said.

The operation targeted the Hizb-e-Islami Gulbuddin terrorist network, which is known to plan and coordinate attacks against civilians and coalition forces, including an attack in August that killed 10 French soldiers, officials said. As the force attempted to search the compound, they received a large volume of small-arms fire and hand grenades from militants barricaded in a section of the compound. Coalition forces responded with small-arms fire and killed them. A search of the compound revealed multiple AK-47 assault rifles, hand grenades and other military equipment, which were destroyed to prevent future use. The force detained three suspected militants as a result of the operation.

In Khowst province, Afghan and coalition forces captured a targeted Haqqani terrorist network operative and five other suspects during a combined operation in the Mandozai district. The wanted man is a suspect in roadside and suicide bombings, officials said. Troops searched the compound without incident.

MNFI Press Release - Nov 21

2008-11-21T21:42:00.000-05:00

MND-B SOLDIERS DETAIN SUSPECTED CRIMINAL
MultiNational Division – Baghdad (MND-B) Soldiers detained a suspected criminal in central Baghdad’s Mansour district at approximately 2:30 a.m. on November 20th. Soldiers with the 5th Squadron, 4th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Heavy Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, detained a man suspected of illegal weapons possession and attacks on Coalition forces.

MND-B SOLDIERS DETAIN 3 SUSPECTED CRIMINALS
MND-B Soldiers detained three suspected criminals on November 20-21 in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district. Acting on an anonymous tip, Soldiers from Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, detained a suspected criminal at approximately 6:30 p.m. on November 20th in the Abu T’shir community. The individual is suspected of participating in roadside bomb attacks. The Soldiers discovered roadside bomb making materials at the suspect’s residence. An explosive ordnance disposal team responded to analyze the bomb materials. At approximately 3:15 a.m. on November 21st, Soldiers from Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st BCT, 4th ID, detained two suspected criminals during an operation in the Risalah community. The individuals were suspected of participating in roadside bomb attacks.

MND-B SOLDIERS FIND HIDDEN WEAPONS
MND-B Soldiers seized caches in Baghdad on November 19th and 20th. While conducting a dismounted patrol northwest of Baghdad, Soldiers from Company C, 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 21st Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, found a small cache hidden in a field at approximately 11:45 a.m. on November 19th. Their find consisted of (3) 122 mm high explosive rounds. An explosive ordnance detachment collected the rounds for disposal. MND-B Soldiers with Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd SBCT, 25th ID, located a weapons cache containing (22) 57 mm rounds at approximately 9:30 a.m. on November 20th. Later that day, Troop C of the same cavalry squadron found another cache buried underground in Taji at approximately 1 p.m. This cache consisted of (9) grenades of various types, (50) linked 5.56 mm rounds and (100) linked 7.56 mm rounds.

IRAQIS SEND AID TO CALIFORNIA FIRE VICTIMS
A group of Iraqi Soldiers stepped up to help California residents victimized by recent wildfires raging throughout the state. Iraqi Army Colonel Abbas Fadhil, Besmaya Range Complex commander, and his team of "Abbas' Eagles" raised $500 for wildfire relief. "We want to send a message to the American president and the American people," Abbas said. "We feel that we are a family — one body. When one part of the body suffers, the other parts suffer, too." This is the fourth donation the Soldiers of Besmaya have sent to the American people recently. In September, they raised $1,500 for victims of hurricanes Gustav and Ike. The Eagles also donated $500 to the National September 11 Memorial.

Major Al-Qaeda Operative Killed

2008-11-19T21:36:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'AFP': ISLAMABAD — A major Arab Al-Qaeda operative was among the six militants killed overnight in a suspected US missile strike in northwest Pakistan, a senior security official told AFP Wednesday. Security sources identified the militant as Abdullah Azam al-Saudi, a senior member of Osama bin Laden's terror network. They said US intelligence officials had identified him as the main link between Al-Qaeda's senior command and Taliban networks in the Pakistani border region with Afghanistan. "He was the man coordinating between Al-Qaeda and Taliban commanders on this side of the border, and also involved in recruiting and training fighters," an Islamabad-based senior security official told AFP.

U.S. Predator Drone

Sources in the Taliban said al-Saudi was also a member of the Taliban's supreme council, or Shura, under its fugitive leader Mullah Mohammad Omar when it moved from Afghanistan to the Pakistani side of the border about a year ago. "He was closely linked to Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri," a Taliban source added. Following the strike, al-Zawahiri warned US president-elect Barack Obama against sending more troops to Afghanistan saying that US policy was "doomed to failure" in an Internet audio message.

A security official said the US missile strike was carried out on intelligence that al-Saudi was in a house belonging to a tribesman in the Bannu district, which borders restive North Waziristan. It was the first alleged US missile strike outside the tribal region which is described by the United States as home to Al-Qaeda's command and control structure. Terror network chief Osama bin Laden is also widely believed to be hiding in the rugged region, although there is no clear information about his whereabouts.

Al-Saudi is the second high-profile Al-Qaeda operative killed in recent apparent US missile strikes near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan. Egyptian Abu Jihad al-Masri, described by the US as the terror network's propaganda chief, was among several rebels killed in a November 1st missile strike in North Waziristan, a known hub of Al-Qaeda and Taliban rebels.

At least five Taliban militants were also killed when Pakistani artillery pounded their hideouts through the night in a restive tribal region near the Afghanistan border, local administration official Mohammad Jamil told AFP. The clashes took place in the Mamoon and Nawagai areas in Bajaur tribal region, where the military launched an operation against Taliban and Al-Qaeda-linked militants in August. "Troops fired artillery on militant hideouts and underground bunkers Tuesday night, killing five rebels and wounding three others," Jamil said.

U.S. Missiles Strike Deeper Into Pakistan

2008-11-19T21:35:00.002-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Associated Press': ISLAMABAD — A suspected American missile strike bombarded a village deep inside Pakistani territory Wednesday, officials said, marking what appears to be the first time the U.S. has struck beyond the tribal belt bordering Afghanistan. Six alleged militants were killed. Two missiles destroyed a house in Indi Khel village in Bannu district, Javed Marwat, a local government official, told The Associated Press. Two Pakistani intelligence officials said their agents reported that militants from Central Asia were among the six killed.

Site of missile strike: Indi Khel, Pakistan - Nov 19

The United States, which says Taliban and al-Qaida militants use pockets of northwest Pakistan to plan attacks on foreign troops in Afghanistan, has been blamed in about 20 cross-border missile strikes since August. The U.S. rarely confirms or denies the strikes, which are believed to be carried out mainly by the CIA. The attacks have killed scores of suspected al-Qaida and Taliban militants in the tribal regions that are a rumored hiding place of Osama bin Laden. The missiles are apparently fired from unmanned planes launched in Afghanistan, where some 32,000 U.S. troops are fighting the Taliban and other militants.

Pakistan has protested the strikes as violations of its sovereignty and international law but the attacks continue, leading analysts to speculate that the two nations may have a secret deal. General David Petraeus, the head of U.S. Central Command, has defended the missile strikes, saying at least three top extremist leaders, whom he did not identify, have been killed in recent months in the attacks. Until Wednesday, all the attacks since August were in North and South Waziristan, two tribal regions where the government has ceded much of its limited control to militants. U.S. officials say they want to help Pakistan regain sovereignty over such areas.

The Bannu district, which falls under the control of the regional government, begins roughly 18 miles away from the border with Afghanistan. Two other intelligence officials, both based in Bannu, said militants had begun moving farther away from the border, including to their district and other settled areas, in an apparent bid to avoid the missile strikes. All the intelligence officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to news media.

Even as the U.S. strikes have picked up, American officers in Afghanistan have stressed improved day-to-day Pakistani cooperation in squeezing militants nested along both sides of the lengthy, porous border. U.S. military officials said troops in Afghanistan coordinated with Pakistan on Sunday in shelling insurgents inside Pakistan who were launching rockets at the foreign troops. Pakistan's official statement on the matter referred only to militant activity in Afghanistan.

In the past month, NATO and Pakistan also have cooperated in so-called Operation Lion Heart — a series of complementary operations that involve Pakistani army and paramilitary troops, and NATO on the Afghan side, said Colonel John Spiszer, U.S. commander in northeast Afghanistan. "What we have done is worked very hard to refocus our ... intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance assets to do everything we can to identify transiting across the border," he told a Pentagon news conference in Washington via teleconference from Afghanistan on Tuesday.

Commanders hope pressure on both sides of the border will eventually mean militants will be "running out of options on places to go," Spiszer said. U.S. officials have praised Pakistani military offensives against militants in its border region, including an operation in the Bajur tribal area that the army says has killed some 1,500 alleged insurgents.

MNFI Press Release - Nov 19

2008-11-19T21:35:00.001-05:00

COMBINED OPERATION YIELDS RIFLE CACHE
MND-B Soldiers and Iraqi National Police (INP) confiscated a rifle cache on November 18th during a clearance operation in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. During the morning op, Soldiers from 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, MND-B, and INP from the 7th Brigade, 2nd National Police Division, seized (38) AK-47 assault rifles, (3) sniper rifles, and (14) AK-47 magazines in the Abu T’shir community.

MND-B SOLDIERS, ISF CONDUCT JOINT OP
To combat the threat in northern Adhamiyah, MND–B Soldiers and Iraqi Security Forces conducted a joint operation in Baghdad’s Istaqlal district on November 18th. Soldiers from MND-B’s 1st Combined Arms Battalion, 68th Armor Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, and 1st Battalion, 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, partnered with the Iraqi Army’s 1st Battalion, 42nd Brigade, 11th Division, and the National Police’s 3rd Battalion, 4th Brigade, 1st Division and 2nd Brigade, 1st Division, for the maneuver. The early morning operation netted seven detainees and, hopefully, safer streets for the Iraqi people as well as Iraqi Security and Coalition forces.

A coalition of American and Iraqi soldiers participated in clearing and searching buildings, vehicles and nearby fields. Some of those Soldiers were inserted into the area via helicopter to provide quick access to areas that would take too long to reach via ground transportation. Shortly after the sun rose, the Soldiers had cleared their target areas and returned to their bases across northern Baghdad. “This mission truly showed the value of the Iraqi Security Forces in helping prevent a dangerous and deadly tool of the enemy from hurting the good people of Iraq as well as other members of the security forces in northern Baghdad,” said Maj. Michael Humphreys, who serves as the public affairs officer for 3rd BCT, 4th Inf. Div.

TROOPS DISRUPT AQI LEADERSHIP, NETWORKS
Coalition operations further dismantled AQI's terrorist leadership and bombing networks throughout Iraq on Monday and Tuesday, as forces captured four wanted men and detained 14 suspected terrorists, military officials reported.
Forces continued to strike terrorist leadership in Iraq Tuesday night. During an operation in Beiji, south of Mosul, forces detained a man believed to be associated with a terrorist leader in the city. Forces in Sadiyah, northeast of Baghdad, detained four men believed to have connections to a senior courier in the Diyala AQI network.

Two synchronized operations Tuesday in Tarmiyah, north of Baghdad, degraded AQI’s bombing networks in the Tigris River Valley. During one op, Coalition forces captured a wanted man believed to house suicide bombers and facilitate AQI meetings in his residence. He and three other suspects were detained. A concurrent operation in Tarmiyah netted a second wanted man believed to train AQI operatives on IED construction and employment. The suspected terrorist, who reports suggest was actively planning a car bomb attack in the Tarmiyah area, surrendered himself to Coalition forces, officials said. Four other men believed to be associates of the wanted man were detained for further questioning.

Terrorist bombing networks also were the target of a coalition operation in Beiji yesterday. There, a wanted man associated with IED facilitation networks in the Tigris River Valley was captured. He surrendered himself to Coalition forces without incident. Ground forces in Mosul captured a wanted man, believed to be an IED facilitator, along with two additional suspects. The wanted man also is believed to be an administrator and operations planner for a terrorist organization affiliated with AQI, officials said.

In other Iraq news, two terrorists were killed and four men were detained during intelligence-driven ops in Mosul on November 16th and 17th. On the 16th, Iraqi Police and U.S. Soldiers from 3rd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment, killed two enemy fighters during an operation in the Amel neighborhood. The Police officers also confiscated a 9 mm pistol and two fragmentary hand grenades. During Monday’s op, Iraqi Soldiers and Soldiers with the 1st Battalion, 8th Infantry Regiment, captured four suspected terrorists in the Tameen neighborhood.

Iranian Detained In Iraq

2008-11-19T21:34:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'New York Times': BAGHDAD — An Iranian described as a senior officer in the Quds Force of Iran’s Revolutionary Guards was detained on Tuesday by allied forces at Baghdad International Airport on suspicion of smuggling weapons into Iraq, the United States military said in a statement. The military said the man, who was trying to leave the country, worked for an organization within the Quds Force “involved in the construction and repair of religious sites in Iraq.” It said the man was also carrying cocaine.

NATO-ISAF Press Releases - Nov 17, 18

2008-11-18T17:53:00.000-05:00

BRITISH FORCES SEE IMPROVEMENT IN KABUL
Source Article HERE. Members of ISAF’s Force Protection Company conducted a foot patrol in Kabul on November 16th in order to establish a presence in the area and meet with local civilians. The 4th Battalion, Yorkshire Regiment, of the British Territorial Army is in charge of force protection for the headquarters base. The battalion soldiers are trained in the tactics and operations necessary to provide perimeter security, in addition to conducting foot patrols around the city.

“Out of all the tasks we perform here in Kabul, getting out and patrolling is what we enjoy the most because that’s what we are, infantry soldiers,” said Delta Platoon’s Second in Command Sergeant Major Tony Archer, from Middlesbrough. The 4th Battalion Yorkshire Regiment is a reserve unit that was called to duty in May. The soldiers have been in Kabul for three months and have seen a variety of improvements in the city during their tour. “People are friendlier; they get to know our faces, know who we are,” Lance Corporal Kenny Wilson of Kingston Upon Hill said. “Throughout the city there is development everywhere; there are new buildings getting built left, right and centre. There are new road surfaces being laid. Traffic lights, street lights, electricity, running water and sewage systems have improved in certain areas. Community spirit is a lot better. You see more people out, and more women getting involved in daily activities.”

While performing foot patrols is tiring duty, many of the soldiers find it rewarding, especially when they interact with the children of the city. “The kids on the street are fantastic,” Wilson said. “They’ll run up to you and say hello, try to get sweets off you; they’re just kids like everywhere else. They’re just fantastic people.”

ISAF, PAKISTAN COORDINATE STRIKE ON INSURGENTS
Source Article HERE. Insurgents attacked an ISAF base in Paktika on November 16th leading to a coordinated artillery strike into Pakistan. The ISAF base received two separate rocket attacks from a location within Pakistan. Following the second attack, ISAF soldiers were able to identify the origin of the enemy rocket launches. Upon positive identification, ISAF coordinated with the Pakistan military and fired a total of 20 artillery rounds on the enemy location. The artillery fire caused a secondary explosion at the rocket launch site, which indicates additional munitions were in the location. ISAF and Pakistani soldiers observed all fired artillery rounds. The Pakistani soldiers assured ISAF that they would engage any insurgents attempting to flee deeper into Pakistan. There were no ISAF casualties.

ANSF, ISAF DEFEAT 2 INSURGENT ATTACKS
Source Article HERE. Afghan National Security Forces and ISAF defeated two insurgent attacks in eastern Afghanistan on November 16th. In Nangarhar, insurgents fired rocket-propelled grenades at the civilian-populated district center of Khogyani and a nearby ISAF base. Afghan National Army, Afghan National Police and ISAF forces returned fire by ground and air in defence of the area. A number of insurgents were killed, and one is in Afghan custody. No civilians or soldiers were injured. Insurgents also attempted to attack an ISAF base in Bermel district, Paktika. ISAF soldiers returned fired in self-defence and called in attack helicopters. A large number of insurgents were killed, while again no civilians or ISAF soldiers were injured. “We commend the Afghan National Army and the Afghan National Police for their outstanding defence of their fellow citizens. Their capabilities are improving, and ISAF will continue to support them in defeating these enemies of peace,” said Brigadier General Richard Blanchette, ISAF spokesperson.

5 Militants Killed, 14 Arrested In Afghanistan

2008-11-18T17:52:00.003-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Xinhua': KABUL -- US-led Coalition forces, during multiple operations, have killed 5 militants and detained 14 suspects in Afghanistan, said a Coalition statement. On Tuesday, Coalition forces tracked militants to a remote location about 75 kilometers northwest of Farah city in western Afghanistan where militants were observed loading weapons into a vehicle from a weapons cache, the statement said. Five militants were killed when Coalition forces called in air support with precision munitions. "There were no civilians or man-made structures in the vicinity of the operation."

During other operations on Monday, Coalition forces detained 14 militants in eastern Afghanistan, the statement said. Forces detained 6 suspected militants during an operation to disrupt attacks against Afghan and Coalition forces in the Tagab district of Kapisa province, it said. "The targeted militant is believed to be a Taliban commander who plans and conducts such nefarious activities." In another operation targeting a local Taliban commander believed to be in contact with senior Taliban commanders in the region, forces detained 4 insurgents following a search of a compound in Waghez district of Ghazni province. Four other suspected militants were captured in the Zurmat district of Paktya province during a Coalition operation targeting Al-Qaida and Taliban associated individuals suspected of coordinating and aiding the movement of foreign fighters to carry out attacks.

MNFI Press Release - Nov 18

2008-11-18T17:52:00.001-05:00

MND-B HELPS INP TAKE WEAPONS OFF STREETS
A tip led Iraqi National Police (INP) and MultiNational Division – Baghdad (MND-B) Soldiers to secure and remove a large amount of weapons in eastern Baghdad on November 18th. INP with the 2nd Battalion, 8th Brigade of the 2nd Division, and a Platoon from Company A, 2nd Battalion of the 30th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, acted upon a tip giving the location of a weapons cache in a New Baghdad field at approximately 9:45 a.m. Inventoried in the cache were (2) land mines, (7) grenades, (2) grenade fuses, a one-pound bag of C-4, (7) bricks of C-4, (12) assorted RPG-7s, (1) 100 mm artillery round, (1) six-inch copper plate, (8) RPG boosters, (2) bags of TNT, and a one pound bag of explosive.

MND-B SOLDIERS DETAIN SUSPECTED TERRORIST
On November 17th, MND-B Soldiers detained a suspected terrorist in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district. During an operation at approximately 11 p.m. in the Risalah neighborhood, Soldiers from Company B, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, MND-B, detained the individual, suspected of attacks against Coalition forces. “Capturing known criminals and getting them off the streets is part of the 1st ‘Raider’ Brigade’s primary mission to provide a safe and secure environment for the Iraqi people,” said Major Dave Olson, 1st BCT Spokesman, 4th ID, MND-B. He added however that, “The Iraqi Security Forces are continually taking on more responsibility by securing their country and the people of Iraq.”

NYPD Opens Hi-Tech Terror Threat Center

2008-11-18T17:51:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Newsday & AP': The New York City Police Department has quietly flipped the switch on a high-tech command center designed to protect lower Manhattan from terrorist threats. The center, located in a nondescript office tower, is part of an ambitious $100 million security initiative launched in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attack on the World Trade Center. Earlier this month, about 30 officers assigned to the command center for the first time began monitoring 150 closed-circuit cameras trained on Wall Street. Police say there will be 3,000 cameras in the financial district by 2011. The program was modeled in part after the "ring of steel" surveillance measures in London's financial district. But Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly says it will exceed that effort in scope and sophistication.

Libya Compensates US Terror Victims

2008-11-18T17:50:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Robert's US Government Info Blog': Libya has paid its $1.5 billion obligation to compensate American victims of Libyan terrorist attacks, according to U.S. Sen. Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ). The funds were paid under terms of the Libyan Claims Resolution Act, sponsored by Lautenberg. Compensation was paid by Libya for: the 1988 Pan Am 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland, which killed 279, including 38 Americans; the 1968 bombing of the Labelle discotheque in Berlin, Germany which killed 2 and injured approximately 90 Americans; and other U.S. deaths and injuries in still pending cases.

"American victims and their families have waited decades for Libya to pay for its deadly acts of violence -- and today they have received long-overdue justice," Sen. Lautenberg said in a press release. "I am pleased that our relentless pressure and support for terror victims has led to this historic moment." In 2004, President Bush lifted economic sanctions against Libya which had been in place since 1986, and in 2006, Bush removed Libya from the State Department’s list of state sponsors of terrorism. Both actions came before Libya had paid any compensation to American victims of its terror attacks.

Pakistan Kills 21 Militants In Bajaur

2008-11-17T21:21:00.004-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Press TV' (Iran): Pakistani military forces have killed 21 more Taliban militants during the ongoing offensive in the tribal areas bordering Afghanistan. Backed by helicopter gunships, military troops attacked militants' hideouts in the troubled Northwestern's Bajaur region on Sunday, a Press TV correspondent in Pakistan reported on Monday. Also, several militants were injured in the attack.

Northwestern Pakistan along the Afghanistan border has been the scene of insurgency since 2001 when Islamabad joined the US-led war on terror. More than 1,400 people have been killed over the past year as a result of violence in Pakistan's tribal regions.

And in a related story...

Five Taliban Militants Killed By Artillery

Source Article HERE.

From 'AFP': KHAR, Pakistan — At least five Taliban militants were killed overnight when Pakistani artillery pounded their hideouts in a restive tribal region near the Afghanistan border, an official said on Monday. The five were killed in Siprai village in Bajaur district, where Pakistani forces have been engaged in fierce clashes with Taliban and militants linked to Al-Qaeda for the past three months. "It was intense firing which continued until late Sunday night, killing five militants," local administration official Mohammad Jamil told AFP.

He said that the artillery fire resumed on Monday morning in several areas of Bajaur targeting underground bunkers and hideouts of militants. The Pakistani military said last month that around 1,500 rebels and 73 soldiers had died while hundreds more militants were captured since the military launched the operation in Bajaur in August. Pakistan's tribal belt became a safe haven for hundreds of extremists who fled Afghanistan after the US toppled the hardline Taliban regime in late 2001 and have since set up training camps.

Pakistan has been accused by the United States and Afghanistan of not doing enough to stop militants crossing the border to attack US and NATO troops in Afghanistan. But Islamabad says its operation in Bajaur is proof that it is committed to crushing insurgents.

Sri Lanka Army Takes Rebel Town

2008-11-17T21:21:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

Lt Gen Sarath Fonseka

From 'BBC': Sri Lankan troops have captured a strategically important town used by the Tamil Tigers as a key supply route to the island's north, the army says. Correspondents say it is the first time in recent fighting that the army has captured parts of the A9 highway leading to the Jaffna peninsula. Military spokesman Brigadier Udaya Nanayakkara said that the army took control of Mankulam town on Monday. He said that in capturing the town the army had cut off rebel supply routes.

The town has been in rebel hands since 1999 and lies near the A9. The army says that the town was captured after several hours of heavy fighting and is important because it lies on a strategically important junction of the road, giving them control of the north, south and east. The A9 is the main way of travelling overland from the centre of the island to the north. But correspondents say that the rebels seldom used the route because they knew it would make their forces vulnerable to land and air attacks by the army.

"In addition to capturing Mankulam, we are holding Panichchankulam which is 10km (six miles) north," army commander Lieut Gen Sarath Fonseka said. "Although the Sri Lankan army had control over this area 10 years ago we could not hold onto it. In capturing the area we have killed a large number of Tigers and chased many away."

On Sunday the army said it had entered the Tamil Tiger stronghold of Pooneryn and now controls the entire western coast. Sri Lanka's military is on a major offensive to try to crush the Tigers and end their fight for an independent state for the ethnic Tamil minority. The Tamil Tigers have been fighting in the north and east since 1983 and about 70,000 people have been killed in the violence.

[Editor's Note: The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), commonly known as the 'Tamil Tigers', is a militant nationalist organization that has waged a violent secessionist campaign against the Sri Lankan government since the 1970s in order to create a sovereign socialist Tamil state in the north and east of Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon). The LTTE is currently proscribed as a terrorist organization by 31 countries, including the United States.]

Coalition Forces Kill 38 Militants

2008-11-17T21:20:00.002-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'UPI': KABUL, Afghanistan -- Coalition Forces killed 38 militants in weekend clashes in Helmand province in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said. The fighting occurred in the Nahr Surkh district of the province, CNN reported, quoting a U.S. military statement. In another action in Paktia province near the border with Pakistan, coalition troops and the Afghan National Police killed five militants and took 18 others into custody, the U.S. military said. The operation had targeted al-Qaida militants in the area. Among those detained was a "significant al-Qaida associated militant," who had financed operations and helped the Taliban train and bring Arab and other foreign fighters into Afghanistan, CNN reported quoting the military.

MNFI Press Release - Nov 17

2008-11-17T21:20:00.001-05:00

MND-B SOLDIERS DISCOVER MORTAR ROUNDS IN RASHID
MultiNational Division – Baghdad Soldiers discovered a weapons cache on November 16th in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district. At approximately 8:30 p.m. in the Jihad community, Soldiers from Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, MND-B, discovered (5) 82 mm mortar rounds and an undisclosed amount of detonation cord while on patrol. An explosive ordnance disposal unit arrived on the scene to properly dispose of the munitions. “Thanks to the improved security situation in the Rashid district, citizens are able to move back to normalcy in their daily lives,” said Major Dave Olson, 1st BCT Spokesman, 4th ID, MND-B. “The 1st ‘Raider’ Brigade continues to conduct full-spectrum operations working closely with the Iraqi Security Forces in southern Baghdad.”

RASHID SPECIAL GROUPS CRIMINAL CAPTURED
MultiNational Division – Baghdad Soldiers detained a special groups criminal in Baghdad’s Rashid District on November 16th. At approximately 12:45 a.m., a combat patrol from Company C, 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, MND-B, detained a special groups criminal in the Shurta community. The patrol returned to a combat outpost with the detainee for further questioning. “There’s no place for criminals operating in Rashid,” said Major Dave Olson, 1st BCT spokesman, 4th ID, MND-B. “Raider Soldiers patrol day and night to ensure a peaceful environment for Rashid’s 1.6 million citizens.”

France Arrests Basque Terror Leader

2008-11-17T21:19:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

Rubina

From 'New York Times': The French police have arrested a leader of the Basque militant group ETA, the French and Spanish authorities said Monday. The leader, Garikoitz Aspiazu Rubina, also known as Txeroki (Cherokee), was detained in Cauterets, a town in the French Pyrenees near the Spanish border, a spokeswoman for the Spanish Interior Ministry said. A Spanish woman, also believed to be in ETA, was detained with him, said the spokeswoman, who spoke on condition of anonymity under government rules.

Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero of Spain, at a televised news conference here, said the arrest was a “definitive operation in the fight against ETA.” He described Mr. Aspiazu as the head of ETA’s operations and said he was suspected in the fatal shooting of two Spanish policemen in the French coastal town of Capbreton last December 1st. Mr. Aspiazu is also believed to have ordered a car bomb attack in a parking lot at Madrid’s Barajas International Airport in December 2006, the Interior Ministry spokeswoman said. That bombing killed two people. “Nobody doubts that his detention will save lives,” Mr. Zapatero said.

Mr. Aspiazu’s arrest is the latest in a series of captures of suspected ETA operatives, and the highest-profile arrest since May, when the French and Spanish police arrested the organization’s top commander, Francisco Javier Lopez Peña, also known as Thierry, in the French city of Bordeaux. ETA, which is considered a terrorist organization by the United States and the European Union, has killed more than 800 people in what it says is a struggle for an independent Basque homeland.

Mr. Aspiazu was born in 1973, according to Spanish press reports, and ascended to prominence in ETA from the militant Basque youth movement, which is behind spates of street violence and vandalism that plague many Basque towns. His age and apparent standing in ETA would be consistent with what Spanish security officials describe as a military structure increasingly composed of young militants.

The Associated Press quoted a French official as saying that guns, documents and computers had been confiscated from the house where Mr. Aspiazu was arrested. The French Interior Ministry said in a statement that the latest arrests brought the number of ETA suspects detained on French soil this year to 31.

Ramle Woman Arrested On Terror Suspicion

2008-11-17T21:18:00.002-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Haaretz': The Shin Bet security service and the Israel Police recently arrested Sumiya Abu Aanam, a young woman from Ramle suspected of planning to carry out a terror attack at the behest of militant Palestinian group - Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade. A gag order on the case was lifted Monday, revealing that Abu Aanam, a 21-year-old teacher's aide at a Ramle kindergarten, was arrested at the end of October. She was set to begin studying at an Israeli university this week.

The police investigation revealed that shortly before her arrest, Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigade activists from Gaza contacted Abu Aanam and asked her to help them kidnap a Jewish Israeli. She apparently voiced willingness to assist. The young woman was also asked to help smuggle a female suicide bomber from Gaza into Israel and to take her to a busy area. Her arrest effectively foiled the attack. An indictment was filed against Abu Aanam at the Petah Tikva District Court. She has been charged with maintaining contact with a foreign agent.

Abdulla Admits He's A Terrorist

2008-11-17T21:18:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

Abdulla Arrested

From 'ITV.com': An NHS (National Health Service) doctor on trial for crashing into Glasgow Airport in a car laden with petrol and gas canisters has admitted he is a terrorist. Woolwich Crown Court heard that junior doctor Bilal Abdulla, 29, an Iraqi, told Scottish police just minutes after his arrest on June 30th last year that he was a terrorist. He has admitted trying to set fire to home-made "car bomb" devices in London's West End and said he wanted to give Britons a "taste of fear" for the country's participation in the Iraq war. He insisted he was not part of a conspiracy to kill or injure anyone.

Abdulla, who worked at Glasgow's Royal Alexandra Hospital, planned the attacks on June 29th last year with engineer friend Kafeel Ahmed, 28, who created the "bombs" using petrol can, gas cylinders, nails and home-built electrical circuits. But he said he had no idea that Ahmed, who was driving him to the airport so he could flee the UK via Turkey, would then career the Jeep Cherokee into the building and set himself on fire. Ahmed, who was Indian, died one month after the attack.

Abdulla is on trial with Mohammed Asha, 28, accused of conspiracy to murder and to cause explosions. The two men deny the offences. Asked if he told an officer he was a terrorist as he arrived at a Glasgow police station, Abdulla said: "I said something along those lines, but it was more like a question." He continued: "Everyone was saying you are a terrorist, you are arrested under the Terrorism Act and so forth. That is my case in a nutshell. I am told I am a terrorist, but is your Government not a terrorist, is your army not a terrorist?

"By the definition of the Act, according to English law, yes. That is my aim to change opinion using violence, using fire devices." Abdulla admitted he threw a petrol bomb and fought with bystanders as he got out of the burning vehicle after his friend accelerated into the building.

'Sons Of Iraq' Beg Obama To Keep U.S. Troops There

2008-11-17T21:14:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Bloomberg': Omar Jaffar spends his days helping keep the streets of his Baghdad neighborhood safe for his fellow Sunni Muslims. He has an urgent message for President-Elect Barack Obama: "Don't take American soldiers away just yet," Jaffar said in his home in the capital's Adhamiyah section. They are needed for "maybe five years. Who knows? We need them."

Jaffar, 19, belongs to the Sons of Iraq, a paramilitary group of about 100,000 once-hostile Sunni Muslims that the U.S. pays to help pacify Baghdad and other regions. Though allied with the American military, the Shiite-dominated government of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki views the group with suspicion, expressing fears that it may become a belligerent militia.

That leaves the Sons of Iraq suspended between competing agendas: an American one aimed at minimizing violence and an Iraqi government goal to marginalize potential internal enemies, said Terrence K. Kelly, a senior operations researcher for the Rand Corp. in Pittsburgh. "They would be exposed" if U.S. forces left, he said. "Iraqi security forces could come get them. That's their big worry."

Jaffar and about 1,800 fellow Sons of Iraq members in Adhamiyah help the U.S. hunt terrorists. The neighborhood once harbored members of Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network. Before the Sunnis began joining forces with the U.S., it also was a bastion for Sunni Muslim insurgents who bedeviled American forces with ambushes and roadside bombs.

Read more HERE.

Key Afghanistan Insurgent Leader Captured

2008-11-15T17:46:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'FoxNews': KABUL, Afghanistan — Afghan and Coalition forces captured an insurgent leader in eastern Afghanistan, and in a separate operation 10 militants were killed in a firefight, the U.S. military said Saturday. U.S. forces said they grabbed a "key insurgent leader" in a joint raid with Afghan police Friday in a village in eastern Ghazni province. No shots were fired in the raid, the statement said. The captured man is responsible for the deaths of Afghan troops, bomb attacks on Coalition forces and the kidnapping of aid workers, according to the statement. A spokesman declined to give further information on the leader's identity while they search for his confederates.

Coalition forces also killed 10 militants in a strike against a bomb-making cell in the eastern Paktya province Friday, the U.S. military said. The troops were targeting several key figures in a network run by Jalaluddin Haqqani, a militant leader believed to operate out of Pakistan, the military statement said. The Coalition forces were attacked during the strike and returned fire, killing their assailants, it said. The U.S. military said those killed were Haqqani militants and foreign fighters known to have planned and conducted bomb attacks on civilians and Coalition forces, and to coordinate suicide bombings.

The military has not yet determined whether any of the targeted leaders were among those killed, said U.S. Army spokeswoman Master Sgt. Melissa Rolan. The United States once considered Jalaluddin Haqqani a "freedom fighter" against the former Soviet Union, but he and his son Sirajuddin are now seen as closely associated with the Taliban. Suicide attacks have been one of the Taliban's preferred tactics in their assaults against Afghan and foreign troops. Most of the victims of such attacks have been civilians.

Police thwarted a suicide attack in the eastern city of Khost on Saturday, officials said. Officers surrounded a suspect, who was on foot, and the man detonated the explosives on his body. The would-be attacker died, but no one else was injured, said health department director Gull Mohammedan Mohammadi. More than 5,400 people — mostly militants — have died in insurgency related violence this year in Afghanistan, according to a tally by The Associated Press of figures provided by Afghan and international officials.

Joint ANSF, ISAF Op Disrupts Insurgents

2008-11-14T22:27:00.002-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'NATO-ISAF': KABUL, Afghanistan - Afghan National Security Forces planned and conducted a joint operation on November 12th to disrupt an insurgent cell in Qalat district, Zabul. This cell was responsible for attacks on Qalat city and an ISAF base. Due to the nature of the information received, ANSF and ISAF only had one day to plan and execute an operation under the name “Iron Cage.” The Afghan National Army and Afghan National Police together with the ISAF seized several houses, which were suspected to be used by the insurgents.

In Sikhak village they discovered documents that proved the insurgents’ activity in the area. By the end of the operation, the ANP had detained nine people. Romanian Major Virgil Ovidiu Pop, ISAF’s battalion commander for the operation, explained, “During Iron Cage we showed our presence in the Qalat area and denied the insurgents’ activities. Close cooperation with our ANSF colleagues was key to the success of this operation.”

ISAF Defeats Insurgent Attack In Wardak

2008-11-14T22:27:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

Wardak Province

From 'NATO-ISAF': KABUL, Afghanistan - ISAF defeated an insurgent attack on an Afghan contractor convoy in Sayed Abad district, Wardak, on November 13th. ISAF forces responded to the attack with a ground reaction force and also called for close air support to the location. Having identified more than 10 insurgents in the area an airstrike was called in. Three civilian contractors were wounded during the insurgents’ attack and were admitted to a local hospital. A further local national was also lightly wounded, however, after initial assistance, required no further treatment. No other injuries to ISAF forces or civilians were reported.

Afghanistan: 4 Al-Qaeda Militants Killed

2008-11-14T22:01:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Voice of America': U.S.-led forces in Afghanistan say troops have killed four militants linked to al-Qaida in the country's eastern region. The U.S. military says the suspected militants were killed during a raid Thursday in the Zurmat district of Paktia Province, near the border with Pakistan. The statement says the operation was targeting a network of militants who, with the help of local Taliban leaders, were bringing Arab and other foreign fighters into Afghanistan.

Missiles Kill 12 In North-West Pakistan

2008-11-14T22:00:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Sydney Morning Herald': Suspected US missiles have killed 12 people in the al-Qaeda stronghold of north-west Pakistan. Several of the dead in the missile strike close to the Afghan border were foreign militants, intelligence officials said, but there was no immediate indication they were senior figures. The United States is suspected of having launched 19 missiles from unmanned drones based in Afghanistan since mid-August, killing scores of suspected extremists. The attacks are aimed at al-Qaeda and Taliban leaders sheltering in the region and blamed for rising violence in neighbouring Afghanistan. Some fear they could be planning terror attacks in the West.

Under fire from the missile strikes and a bloody Pakistan military offensive, the militants have hit back with suicide bombings, abductions and assassinations. About 20 km from Peshawar, army helicopters killed 20 alleged militants in several villages, said city police chief Mohammad Suleman. Interior Ministry chief Rehman Malik said he believed Pakistani Taliban fighters were behind the kidnappings. "Ultimately it leads to Tahreek-e-Taliban," Malik said, referring to the group by its Pakistani name.

The missile attack occurred in North Waziristan, a militant hotbed and the scene of most of the other suspected US strikes. Three Pakistani intelligence officials told AP at least two missiles hit a house in Ghari Wam, a village about 30 km from the border. Two officials put the death toll at 12 and said it included several suspected foreign militants. Taliban gunmen had cordoned the area and removed the bodies, one official said. Another official put the toll at 13 and said 10 were foreigners.

Joint Pakistan-US Operations

2008-11-14T21:59:00.002-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Daily Times (Pakistan)': US forces have begun working with Pakistan’s military to take on Taliban and Al Qaeda fighters along the Afghan border, a development US officials say reflects Islamabad’s new willingness to go after Taliban, the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) reported on Friday. The US and Pakistan are waging a co-ordinated military campaign known as Operation Lionheart, which involves US strikes on insurgent targets in the Kunar region of Afghanistan and a full-scale Pakistani campaign in the region of Bajaur, the report said.

According to the WSJ, US troops have recently conducted operations in Afghanistan in co-ordination with Pakistani forces across the border in Bajaur Agency. It quoted senior US official as saying they are sharing extensive real-time intelligence with their Pakistani counterparts. The two sides have also worked closely to seal the border and prevent insurgents from fleeing military operations in one country to havens in the other, the officials said.

In an interview in Kabul, Gen David McKiernan, the commander of US and NATO forces in Afghanistan, said the US-Pakistani relationship now appeared to “be moving cautiously in the right direction”. The report quoted ISPR spokesman Maj Gen Athar Abbas as saying support from NATO forces in sealing the Afghan side of the border helped stop the flow of Taliban fighters in Bajaur, where Pakistan says its forces have killed more than 1,500 Taliban since August. “The co-operation greatly helped our forces in combating the militants in the area,” Abbas said.

The report quoted US Ambassador to Afghanistan William Wood as saying Pakistan’s stance against the Taliban ‘has improved’ since a new government led by President Asif Ali Zardari took power. “What we’re talking about here is a new agreement or a new common understanding of what constitutes unacceptable behaviour and a new willingness to attack that unacceptable behaviour in a co-ordinated way,” Wood was quoted as saying. US Chief of Army Staff Gen George Casey said US commanders in Afghanistan have begun meeting their Pakistani counterparts once a week. “There’s good contact going on,” he said.

MNFI Press Release - Nov 14

2008-11-14T21:59:00.001-05:00

COALITION CAPTURES IED FACILITATOR
Coalition Forces captured a key Improvised Explosive Device (IED) facilitator in Mosul on November 14th. The intelligence-driven operation, which took place in the Al Rashidayah neighborhood around 8 a.m., was simultaneously conducted with another operation in the 30 Tamooz neighborhood, where another key terrorist was captured. “Maintaining a relentless approach to hunting down terrorists remains the focus of both Iraqi security and Coalition forces. We will continue to apply pressure where it is needed to reduce any threat to the population,” said Major Gary Dangerfield, Coalition Force spokesman, in Ninevah province.

MND-B SOLDIERS CAPTURE HOMEMADE ROCKET SYSTEMS
Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized an impromptu rocket launching system on November 13th in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. At approximately 11:45 p.m., Soldiers of Headquarters and Headquarters Troop, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, MND-B, discovered and seized eight rocket rails with wires and an initiating device in an abandoned house in the Abu T’shir community of the Rashid district. “The Soldiers of the 1st ‘Raider’ Brigade continue to remove weapons and munitions from throughout the Rashid district of Baghdad,” said Major Dave Olson, spokesperson for the 1st BCT, 4th ID, MND-B.

SUCCESSFUL TRANSFER OF SOI TO GOI
More than half of the Baghdad province Sons of Iraq (SOI) have received their first paychecks from the Government of Iraq (GOI), with eight other provinces slated to follow suit by the summer of 2009. “October 1st was the first transfer of the SoI to the Government of Iraq in Baghdad province, with 51,135 SoI [now under GoI control], and then throughout the month of October was the validation of the pay rosters and getting the pay sites ready,” said Lt. Colonel Jeffrey D. Kulmayer, chief, reconciliation and engagement, Multi-National Corps – Iraq. “The October pay period was just paid this first week of November and it is a milestone in the history of the program because the GoI is now paying the SoI for providing critical infrastructure security.”

Diyala is the next province to transfer, said Kulmayer. “We will begin Diyala SoI registration on December 1st, and the transfer date will be on January 1st. Simultaneously will be the transfers of SoI payment responsibility to the Iraqi Government in the provinces of Babil, Wasit and Qadisiyah. “The southern provinces are already underway with their registration, and the transfer date will be January 1st as well,” Kulmayer added. Meanwhile, the GoI and Coalition forces are working to transition the SoI into meaningful jobs in the Iraqi Security Forces and civilian workforce.

“The successful payment portion of the SoI in Baghdad completes the transfer, but there is still a transition of these men into permanent employment, and that’s going to take a little longer,” Kulmayer said. “Some of them are already starting to move into the jobs; we’ve had 1,378 go into the Iraqi Police since the first of October, which is a significant breakthrough in the terms of integration. A very important part of the whole process is to get 20 percent of the SoI integrated into the ISF. The rest of the men will go into the ministries, municipalities, public works projects or private enterprise. Those jobs are going to take longer to develop, and that will happen in the weeks and months ahead. The coalition is assisting and working with the Iraqi government to develop those jobs.”

Part of the development in non-security jobs includes vocational training, which will give the SoI the skills necessary to take jobs such as carpentry, plumbing and electrical work as well as garnering employment in various municipalities and government jobs. And this transition seems to be going smoothly, Kulmayer said. “The government is doing the right thing,” Kulmayer said. “Baghdad has gone quite well and we expect that the rest of the provinces will do the same.” As of November 14th, the GoI has paid over half of the SoI in Baghdad.

CIA: Al-Qaeda Stung By US Pressure

2008-11-13T22:40:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

Michael Hayden

From 'Reuters': U.S. pressure on al Qaeda near Pakistan's border with Afghanistan has put the group "off balance," but the region remains the biggest terrorism threat to the United States, the CIA's chief said on Thursday. Agency Director Michael Hayden also told a Washington think tank he and the head of Pakistan's intelligence service, Lt.-General Ahmed Shujaa Pasha, shared in a meeting last month common views on how to contain the militant threat.

This was despite heated Pakistani protests over U.S. military strikes inside Pakistan aimed at stopping al Qaeda and Taliban cross-border attacks in Afghanistan. "There's a lot more commonality on how the threat should be dealt with than many people seem to assume," Hayden told the Atlantic Council of the United States. He said there may be Taliban elements the United States could talk with to fracture its alliance with al Qaeda -- a view also expressed by advisers to President-elect Barack Obama.

The United States in recent months has stepped up drone-carried missile strikes against militants inside Pakistan, and in September launched a commando ground attack across the border. Washington has shrugged off protests from Pakistan, but some experts fear the raid may have undermined Pakistan's fragile democracy and cooperation with the United States. Hayden, without acknowledging the strikes or the U.S. role in them, said several veteran al Qaeda fighters and commanders had died over the past year, "by violence or natural causes."

This has shaken al Qaeda's sense of security, he said. "When we and our allies take terrorists like this off the battlefield ... those that remain are feeling some heat. We force them to spend more time and resources on self-preservation. And that distracts them ... from laying the groundwork for the next attack. We keep al Qaeda off balance." Still, he said, the border region remained the base of al Qaeda's leadership, which had developed a more durable structure and a deep reserve of skilled operatives. "Al Qaeda operating from its safe haven in Pakistan's tribal areas remains the most clear and present danger to the safety of the United States," Hayden said.

The United States has been frustrated by Pakistan's inability to eliminate the militants, but Hayden said it deserved credit for a fierce campaign against them in the border area's Bajaur region. As the war with al Qaeda continued, veteran enemy fighters were leaving Iraq, where the group was "on the verge of strategic defeat," and heading for Afghanistan, Lebanon, the Arabian Peninsula and North Africa. Others have attempted to plot against the United States. Al Qaeda has gained strength in North Africa, Somalia and Yemen while suffering deep setbacks in Saudi Arabia and Southeast Asia as well as Iraq, Hayden said.

Seven Years In Afghanistan

2008-11-13T22:39:00.000-05:00

By: HAMID KARZAI

Source Article HERE.

From 'Mmegi Online': KABUL - We began a journey in Afghanistan seven years ago with the war that ousted the Taliban from power. Much has been accomplished along the way, for Afghanistan and for the world. In less than 45 days in 2001, we Afghans were freed from the menace of terrorism and the Taliban. Back then, Afghanistan's people held great hopes for an immediately wonderful future. Some of those hopes were fulfilled. Our children are back in school. Roughly 85 percent of Afghans now have access to some health care, up from 9 percent before 2001. Child mortality - among the worst in the world in 2001 - has dropped by 25 percent. Democracy, a free press, economic gains, and better livelihoods - all of that is there.

But, sadly, we are still fighting the Taliban and Al Qaeda. What is it that we have not done right that makes us - and the rest of the world - less secure? After the liberation in 2001, the international community concentrated on Afghanistan alone as the place to fight extremism and terrorism, while we Afghans argued that our country is not the right place to fight. The war on terrorism cannot be fought in Afghan villages. Instead, a regional approach was and is needed. It must be concentrated on the sanctuaries of those who train, equip, and motivate the extremists and send them out to hurt us all.

Read more HERE.

MNFI Press Release - Nov 13

2008-11-13T22:38:00.001-05:00

IP, SOI LEAD TO 25+ CACHES IN NOVEMBER
Iraqi Police (IP) and the Sons of Iraq (SOI) in the Salah Ad Din Province have found or provided information leading to the discovery of two large weapons caches on November 11th and 12th. Tikrit police found Al Qaeda propaganda, which led them to the location of a cache with more than 150 mortars, more than 30 rockets, and bomb making materials on November 11th. SoI provided information that led to the discovery of a cache containing 220 mortar rounds of various sizes, a rocket, and bomb making munitions southwest of Samarra on November 12th. Both caches were handed over to Coalition explosive ordnance disposal forces to destroy.

SoI and IP, who together have found more than 25 caches this month, are continuing to take dangerous weapons and bomb making materials off the street. “I love working with the Sons of Iraq. They have turned in many caches, and call us whenever something suspicious is happening. They have really helped bring security to this province”, said Major Sean Brown, brigade plans officer, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). SoI, IP and local citizens provided information leading to the discovery of 47 caches in September and 24 caches in October, substantially contributing to the safety and security of Salah ad Din Province.

LITTLE CHANGE IN WASIT AFTER TURNOVER TO IRAQIS
For Iraqi Police in Wasit Province, the transition to full Provincial Iraqi Control (PIC) on October 29th was not a dramatic change, as they had taken the lead in security operations several months prior to the event. “After the problems in March, Iraqi Security Forces stepped up to take control of their destiny in [Wasit] province,” said Major General Abd al-Hanen Hammood Faisal, provincial director of police. “Since then, the primary role of Coalition Forces has been advising, training and providing information to the ISF.”

“I knew PIC was inevitable while I was here, so we wanted to put more and more responsibility on the ISF and less on CF,” said Colonel Richard Francey, 41st Fires Bde. commander and commander of CF in Wasit. “Day by day, we transferred security from CF to ISF, so when we got to PIC, day to day actions didn’t change much. From October 28th to October 30th, there should be very little apparent change.”

CF are still providing advice, training and support to Wasit’s ISF, said Captain Hayder Adnan Ali Al-Saedy, of the Iraqi Police. “They provide the training and advice we still need. We need to continue to build our skills. The Americans and the Iraqis are a team. As the Iraqi forces gain experience, the Coalition forces will have less of a presence.” One significant achievement for the Iraqi Police, with the increased security, has been the community’s increased confidence in the police’s ability to do their job, said Haneen. “They are happy to see their sons in the ISF doing joint missions, providing security to Wasit province.”

“We have a good relationship with the people of our district,” said Captain Al Fukar, commander of al Kut’s Falahea IP station. “That didn’t change with PIC. They want to help us. The people don’t want to go back to the militias. They want peace.” That relationship, and the assistance of the populace, is critical for continued stability in Wasit province, said Francey. “We are in a fragile time in the future of Iraq,” he said. “Day-to-day operations rely more and more on the Iraqi on the street to testify against bad people so those bad people may be put in jail and kept in jail.

“The days of an oppressive society are behind us, and we must protect against a return to those days while maintaining a secure and stable environment,” Francey added. “To do this, we need a strong security force and an honest and just judiciary, and the bridge between the two is an honest and brave populace who will step forward and speak against those who do wrong.”

India Terror Arrests Shock Nation

2008-11-13T22:36:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'TIME': Having suffered a dozen lethal terror attacks this year, Indians have almost stopped reacting to terror incidents with shock and horror. But recent news of the arrest of 10 people linked with two relatively small terror attacks earlier this year has created a national furor, and is likely to skew political parties' calculations ahead of next year's general elections.

The arrests by the Anti-Terrorist Squad of Maharashtra police have shocked India for two reasons. The nine accused are all Hindu right-wingers, confirming, for the first time, suspicions raised by political and security analysts that the Hindu extremist fringe has been organizing for terror attacks. Second, among the accused are a serving lieutenant colonel and a retired major of the army, an institution so far considered impervious to communal elements.

For years, Indian security and investigation agencies have had a trite, almost comically knee-jerk explanation for terror attacks — they have been blamed on Islamist fundamentalists aided by "foreign elements," meaning mostly Pakistan and China. Even where the majority of victims have been Muslims — such as the May 2007 blast at Mecca Masjid in Hyderabad, the attack on an Indo-Pak train in February 2007 and the April 2006 twin blasts at New Delhi's Jama Masjid — the first murmurs of suspicion have named Islamist groups. Investigation trails in these cases have led nowhere, yet no one has dared ask if non-Muslims, or more specifically, Hindu fundamentalists, could be responsible. The recent arrests point to either the security forces' inefficiency, or an implicit anti-Muslim bias, or both.

The 10 people arrested by the Maharashtra police have been charged with murder and conspiracy in a bomb blast during the month of Ramadan. The blast at a hotel near a mosque killed four people in Malegaon city near Mumbai. Among the accused is a Hindu nun with links to the right-wing Bharatiya Janata Party and its various sister organizations. The investigation is already uncovering a seemingly larger network of Hindu extremist activity in western India's urban centers of Nagpur, Indore and Pune that could help unravel unsolved terror strikes. "Let us not forget history," says political analyst Mahesh Rangarajan. "Mahatma Gandhi's assassin was a Hindu extremist."

Read more HERE.

California Man Indicted In Anthrax Scare

2008-11-13T21:18:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Mercury News': SACRAMENTO — A federal grand jury indicted a Sacramento man Thursday on 13 charges related to a series of anthrax scares across the country that turned out to be hoaxes. Marc Keyser, 66, was indicted on 10 counts of hoax mailings and three counts of mailing threatening communications. He has yet to enter a plea and remains free on $25,000 bond. He was arrested on October 29th after several newspapers, other media outlets, businesses and a congressman received threatening packages in the mail.

Prosecutors say the packages contained a computer disk labeled "Anthrax Shock and Awe Terror" and a packet of a grainy substance with a biohazard symbol and the words "Anthrax sample." In many cases, newspapers reported that the substance turned out to be sugar. According to the federal complaint filed in the case, some of the packages had Keyser's return address and agents found 11 more packets when they searched his car. Reached Thursday at his home, Keyser said he believes the nation has become lax about the threat of terrorism and said the mailings were "an act of conscience."

Read more HERE.

FBI Arrests Al Qaeda Blogger

2008-11-13T08:17:00.002-05:00

Source Article HERE:

From 'The Weekly Standard Blog': The FBI has arrested Tarek Mehanna and charged him with lying in an affidavit about his relationship to Daniel J. Maldonado, "a former Methuen resident who was suspected of training at an Al Qaeda terrorist camp to overthrow the Somali government." Maldonado pled guilty to receiving training from a foreign terrorist organization and is currently serving time in a U.S. federal prison.

The FBI picked up Mehanna, a U.S. citizen, as he was boarding a plane to "start a new job overseas," the Boston Globe reported. Mehanna's family and lawyer claim he is innocent of the charges, but the FBI recorded Mehanna's phone call in which he admitted to lying to the FBI. Mehanna's lawyer, J.W. Carney Jr., dismissed Mehanna's activities as small-time. "If this is the FBI's idea of a terrorist, they are using a net that is designed to catch minnows instead of sharks," he told the Globe.

But Dr. Rusty Shackleford at the indispensible Jawa Report notes that Mehanna did more than lie to the FBI. Mehanna was in fact one of several bloggers who incites others to fight jihad overseas and recites the words of al Qaeda ideologues:

Mehanna goes by the online handle "Abu Sayaba" and runs the "Iskandari" website which is devoted to promoting the Salafi ideology.

For instance, Tarek "Abu Sayaba" Mehanna has, literally, dozens of posts recounting the words of Abdullah Azzam, the intellectual backbone of al Qaeda. Also among his favorite authors are Sayyid Qutb.

Mehanna is part of a network of online jihadis here in the United States and in Europe who support al Qaeda and other jihadi causes. Their activities are out there for all to see, yet little effort is made to detain them or shut down their sites. As Rusty notes, it will be interesting to see if Mehanna is charged with aiding and abetting al Qaeda by serving as a propaganda mouthpiece on the Internet.

Iraq: Al-Qaeda's Beheading 'Emir' Captured

2008-11-13T08:10:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE:

From 'AKI': The Iraqi army arrested on Wednesday in volatile Diyala Province a militant who is allegedly responsible for many of the brutal beheadings carried out by Al-Qaeda, Arabic satellite TV channel Al-Arabiya reported on Wednesday. Ahmad Hasan al-Azzawi, known as 'the beheading emir' was arrested in a raid outside the provincial capital, Baquba, Al-Arabiya said. The raid reportedly took place early on Tuesday in the mountains north of the village of Khales, 15 kilometres from Baquba - an Al-Qaeda stronghold. Sunni tribesmen from the local United States-backed Awakening Council helped carry out the raid on a suspected militant hideout, according to Al-Arabiya.

Joint ISAF-ANA Op Disrupts Insurgents

2008-11-11T21:55:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'NATO-ISAF': Kabul, Afghanistan - A joint operation by troops from the ISAF (International Security Assistance Force) and the ANA (Afghan National Army) was successfully completed on October 27th in the Zhari District. The operation was aimed at disrupting an insurgent cell responsible for planting IEDs and staging ambushes against ISAF and ANA forces. The two-day operation, known as Operation ARTASH was launched in the area around Howz-e-Medad. ISAF and ANA troops worked hand-in-hand, with the support of other coalition assets, to seize several compounds that were suspected to be used by insurgents as a staging ground for their activities.

Under cover of darkness, Canadian armoured vehicles from Mike Company began blazing a trail into the location while ANA and ISAF soldiers from November Company and the Operational Mentoring Liaison Team (OMLT) discretely approached from a different direction. At first light the ANA and ISAF soldiers seized the compounds without resistance and called upon military working dog teams and engineers to clear the compounds for any potential threats. Many items commonly used to make IEDs, small arms ammunition, medical supplies as well as a small quantity of uniforms and cash were discovered in the area.

Major Rob McBride, the Officer Commanding November Company explained, "The success of this operation is two-fold. Not only have we disrupted a specific group of insurgents responsible for making IEDs, we have also proven once again that we are able to work effectively side-by-side with the ANA to assert our presence in this area and deny the insurgents the freedom to carry out their activities."

Later that morning, Afghan and ISAF soldiers came under fire from several insurgents who had moved into the area. The exchange of gunfire, however, lasted only a few minutes. "I think the insurgents were surprised to see such a powerful response from our presence on the ground," said Major McBride. "That also goes a long way to reminding them that we will continue to conduct deliberate operations alongside the Afghan National Security Forces against any insurgents who are a threat to ISAF, the ANSF and the people of Afghanistan."

Insurgent Leaders Arrested In Uruzgan

2008-11-11T21:53:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

Uruzgan Province

From 'NATO-ISAF': Kabul, Afghanistan - ISAF forces arrested Haji Mullah Shahabudin and two of his sons, Andalib and Ishadullah in their compound near Kalah Kalah, close to Chora in Uruzgan province. Haji Mullah Shahabudin is known as a ‘judge and cleric’ insurgent and was still acting as a judge for the insurgents. He is suspected of offering material support to his sons, and of undermining the legal authority of the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan.

His son Ishadullah, also known as Mullah Rasheed, was previously detained for armed robbery of a bus at a check-point, and was subsequently incarcerated in the Tarin Kowt National Defence Service prison. Both the arrested sons are suspected of fighting against Afghan National Security Forces and Coalition Forces, under command of the third brother, Najibullah, a known insurgent commander in the Chora area. Najibullah fled the scene before ISAF troops were able to apprehend him. All three detainees have been transferred to Kabul and handed over to the NDS authorities. Currently they remain in NDS custody.

MNFI Press Release - Nov 11

2008-11-11T20:32:00.000-05:00

IA SEIZES WEAPONS CACHE IN AMARAH
Iraqi Army soldiers seized a weapons cache while on a combined patrol in the southeastern portion of Amarah on November 8th. The Iraqi soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 38th IA Brigade with Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division found (100) 12.7 mm rounds, (250) 7.62 linked ammo, (13) RPGs with (1) launcher, (1) AK47, (12) AK47 magazines, (2) mortar tubes and an unknown number of mortar rounds. The 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment is partnering with the 38th IA Brigade in Amarah to rid the city of illegal weapons smuggling along the Iranian border.

The Money Trail: Finding, Following and Freezing Terrorist Finances

2008-11-11T08:21:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE:

By Matthew Levitt

From 'Counerterrorism Blog': U.S. and international efforts to combat terrorist financing are a little understood — and often unappreciated — aspect of the global counterterrorism campaign. With this in mind, soon after rejoining The Washington Institute after serving in the Treasury Department’s Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, Mike Jacobson and I decided that it would be worthwhile to conduct a comprehensive study of this issue. The produce is our just released study, "The Money Trail: Finding, Following and Freezing Terrorist Finances."

Read more HERE.

For a PDF download of the complete report, go HERE, or click on the icon in the right column under 'Documents'.

Bin Laden Aide Planned Escape

2008-11-10T21:11:00.002-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Sky News': A radical cleric, once described as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man, is back behind bars in the UK after he allegedly planned to escape the country. Abu Qatada was allegedly planning to escape the UK for the Middle East, but he is now back in jail accused of breaching his bail conditions. He will appear before an immigration hearing and could be sent to prison permanently. UK Border Agency officials allegedly discovered the 47-year-old Jordanian was planning to flee to the Middle East despite having his passport taken away. A judge cancelled his bail and Qatada was arrested.

Back in June, courts ruled it would breach his human rights if he was deported back to Jordan. Ministers are appealing the decision but in the mean-time the Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) said he should be released on bail. He is required to wear an electronic tag, stay for 22 hours a day in his west London home, and is barred from using the internet or mobile phones. He is also banned from associating with known terrorists, including bin Laden.

The Special Immigration Appeals Commission (SIAC) initially ruled Qatada should be deported as the UK had signed a "memorandum of understanding" with Amman guaranteeing he would not be tortured. But the Court of Appeal later overturned the ruling. Qatada was first arrested in 2001 by anti-terrorism police. He was carrying £170,000 in cash, including £805 in an envelope marked "For the mujahedin in Chechnya". He had been convicted in his absence in the Middle East of involvement with terror attacks in 1998 and of plotting to plant bombs for the Millennium.

Thousands Of Iraqis Return To Baghdad

2008-11-10T21:11:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'MNFI': Iraqi officials recently announced 1,330 displaced Iraqi families have returned to three districts in Baghdad since leaving due to violence. The Ministry of Migration and Displaced Persons tracks the return of the citizens on a week-to-week basis. They released the figures, which reflect the number of families who have registered with the ministry since returning to their homes.

To reclaim their houses, these families must provide documentation to the ministry to prove the homes belong to them. Displaced families who register with the ministry are eligible for support from the government of Iraq. Families may receive grants for as much as one million dinar and also may use the money however they deem necessary. While not specifically created to assist displaced persons, the civil services district program is available to them for assistance in securing employment.

An increase in security and stability is primarily responsible for fostering an environment that permits displaced persons to safely return without fear of reprisals from extremist and militant criminals. “We welcome these good citizens as they return to their homes in eastern Baghdad,” said Major Joey Sullinger, a spokesperson for 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), Multi-National Division – Baghdad. “We hope they fully embrace the Iraqi security forces responsible for the safety and security that allowed these residents to return to their neighborhoods.”

Sab Al Bour Iraq Emerges from Darkness

2008-11-10T21:10:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'MNFI': Only a year ago, reliable electricity in Sab al Bour, Iraq was just a dream. The city, just north of Baghdad along the Grand Canal, was practically deserted, with only diehard residents and pockets of insurgents sticking around in the dark. As of November 8th, residents in this small agricultural city are literally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel, according to sheik Nadeem Hatem al Tamimi, an influential leader in the area. Outside the city’s new electrical substation, the sheik spoke literally and metaphorically about the town’s emergence from darkness. “We had evil forces trying to kill Iraqis... and they destroyed all essential services,” he said, describing insurgent attempts to control the city and population. “Today, we are calling for unity between all people of Iraq.”

The top Coalition forces leader in the Taji area said he believes peace and stability starts with electricity, and was at the event to congratulate Sab al Bour on its achievement. “Reliable and sustainable access to power allows businesses to flourish, water to crops, schools to educate our children and light on the dark nights of the Iraqi winter” said Col. Todd McCaffrey, commander of 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team “Warrior,” 25th Infantry Division, Multi-National Division – Baghdad. “Sab al Bour is now postured to accept the return of its rightful residents.”

The rightful residents McCaffrey referred to is a large portion of Sab al Bour’s citizens that fled due to violence and lack of essential services. The internally displaced people are now returning at a rate of up to 50 families per week. If the substation opening only meant more electricity, it would be meaningful enough. But the impact of this substation doesn’t stop with keeping the lights on. It will have a direct and immediate positive effect on other essential services in the area. First, there’ll be more drinkable water. Purification stations of course rely on electricity to produce potable water.

Even more significantly, irrigation pumps in the area will work harder and longer. Soon, passing helicopters will notice large swaths of farmland turn from a dirty brown to lush green, all thanks to the substation, said Captain Mark Gillman, the engineer at Warrior Brigade in charge of electrical reconstruction. “The pump station, due to power improvements, will irrigate thousands of acres of farmland with little interruption from blackouts,” said Gillman, who provided oversight and expertise for the otherwise Iraqi-run project. Because the Sab al Bour area depends heavily on agriculture, the local economy should get a noticeable boost. Gillman, who is originally from Las Vegas, explained how all of the intertwined projects, which depend on electricity, are part of a “tailored network.”

“It started with the Ministry of Electricity, which brought up to 30 people in here at a time. They really set the pace for the other ministries,” Gillman said. “There was a lot of government of Iraq support for this small, mostly Sunni community.” Attendees marked the substation’s opening with a ribbon-cutting, tour and then singing and dancing. As they celebrated their victory and announced the lights were on to stay, they proclaimed they could move on to other goals. “Now we will ask for other things – forgiveness and unity,” said the last speaker at the event. “Let’s now bring together all Sunni and Shia in Iraq.”

Al-Qaeda Leader Dead

2008-11-10T07:45:00.000-05:00

Source article HERE:

From 'ABC News': The al Qaeda figure believed to be organizing a new terror attack against the United States is dead, a senior U.S. official tells ABC News. The official says the U.S. now has evidence that Khalid Habib was killed in an unmanned air strike two weeks ago in the South Waziristan region of Pakistan. Until now, there had been no official confirmation of reports of Habib's death from local militants in the area. "He was the person responsible for planning and organizing attacks in the Pakistan and overseas, including the U.S.," the senior official said. "This was a really big deal that has not received much attention."

Considered the number four leader of al Qaeda, Habib was a long-time associate close to both Osama bin Laden and Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri. Habib had been reported killed by Pakistani officials several times over the last few years, only to re-emerge at the center of what U.S. official say is the al Qaeda operational command. The death of Habib is the most significant result of a controversial two-month long U.S. offensive in Pakistan employing CIA-controlled unmanned aircraft, known as Predators, equipped with powerful Hellfire missiles.

There have been more than a dozen Predator strikes in the last two months as the U.S. has sought to disrupt efforts by al Qaeda to organize new terror attacks from its safe haven locations inside Pakistan. U.S. officials have detected advanced efforts in the Waziristan area by Habib and others to send terror teams to the U.S. and Europe. A number of suspected European and American recruits have been spotted in the area, officials have reported.

The U.S. and CIA officials will not confirm the role of the Predator missiles in the Pakistan attacks but their role is an open secret in Pakistan, where senior officials publicly complain about the strikes but privately agree to their necessity. The Predators are based out of a secret location in the region but the final decision to pull the trigger is made at CIA headquarters by either CIA director General Michael Hayden or a top deputy, according to former CIA officials.

MNFI Press Release - Nov 9

2008-11-09T15:25:00.001-05:00

COALITION REMOVES 8 SUSPECTS FROM TERROR NETWORKS
Two suspected terrorist were captured and six others were detained as Coalition forces continued to systematically dismantle terrorist networks during operations Saturday and Sunday. Forces operating in Baghdad on Saturday captured a suspect who is believed to be a financier for a terrorist group. He and one additional suspect were detained without incident. Coalition forces continued to disrupt AQI networks in Mosul on Saturday. During an operation targeting an alleged foreign terrorist involved in IED operations, forces detained three suspects.

In Tikrit on Sunday, about 25 km north of Baghdad, Coalition forces dealt a blow to terrorist communication networks. There, they captured a suspect who reports suggest is a courier for terrorists in the region. The suspected terrorist surrendered himself to ground forces during the operation, and two men believed to be his associates were detained for further questioning.

'Bali Bombers' Executed

2008-11-08T19:04:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Sky News': People on the holiday island of Bali are hoping that there will be no reaction to the execution of three of the 'Bali night club bombers'. The bombers, Amrozi, Mukhlas and Imam Samudra, were executed by firing squad at tea-time on Saturday.

The attack in 2002 shocked the world. Two hundred and two people died, including a hundred and sixty foreigners, of which eighty eight were Australian and twenty eight British. Susanna Miller from the UK Bali bombing Victims' Group says that the executions will only serve to give more publicity to the extremists. These men were not the master bombers just peripheral associates and their deaths will allow them to become martyrs.

And more on this story...

AGO: Bali Bombers Executed At 00.15

Source Article HERE.

From 'The Jakarta Post': The Attorney General’s Office (AGO) confirmed 2.40 a.m. on Sunday that the death penalty of three Bali bombers, Amrozi, Ali Gufron or Mukhlas and Imam Samudra, had been carried out. “They were executed by a firing squad ... at 0.15 a.m.,” AGO spokesperson Jasman Pandjaitan told reporters in a press conference in Jakarta. Jasman said that an autopsy had also been carried out to confirm the death of the terrorists and that the corpses had been bathed according to the Sharia Law by a family member. Amrozi’s younger brother, Ali Fauzi, was allowed a last-minute entry to the Nusakambangan island to be in charge of the bathing process. Earlier on Thursday the Cilacap Prosecutor's Office said that it had assigned nine local Ulemas to witness the execution. Jasman added that more details would be made public later on Sunday.

Canadian Journalist Freed In Afghanistan

2008-11-08T18:35:00.002-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'AFP': A Canadian journalist from national broadcaster CBC was freed Saturday in Afghanistan four weeks after she was kidnapped in the capital of Kabul, her employer said. Mellissa Fung "was released around noon Toronto time (1700 GMT) and is now safe within the Canadian Embassy in Kabul," the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation said in a statement. Her abduction on October 12 had been kept a secret by the broadcaster out of concerns for her safety.

Kabul, Afghanistan
Canadian Prime Minister said that no ransom had been paid to secure her freedom. "No ransom was paid. It's the government's policy not to pay ransoms and all policies were fully respected," he told a press conference. CBC News publisher John Cruickshank said in the statement that the decision to keep the kidnapping out of the news had been taken on advice of the company's security experts. "All of the efforts made by the security experts were focused on Mellissa's safe and timely release. For this reason, we can only share general information about the events of the last three weeks," he said.

The broadcaster did not provide details on who abducted Fung or where she had been held in its statement. A report on the CBC website said "Fung was taken by armed men who approached her in a refugee camp on the outskirts of Kabul on October 12" and was taken to mountains west of the Afghan capital.

Fung, who covered the Beijing Summer Olympics earlier this year, was to undergo a full medical evaluation, "but early indications are that she is well," CBC said. Fung was the second kidnapped female Western journalist in Afghanistan to be released in as many days. A Dutch journalist abducted by suspected Taliban rebels in Afghanistan a week ago was freed Friday and is in good health, according to her employer, Belgian P-magazine.

50,000 Muslims Reject Terror

2008-11-08T18:31:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Hindustan Times': The influential Islamic seminary Darul Uloom, Deoband, openly turned against violence on February 26th of this year (see story HERE). Nearly 6,000 senior Islamic clerics from around the country of India endorsed a fatwa (edict) against terror, which was issued on May 31st by the seminary (see story HERE). This Sunday, another 50,000 clerics are expected to put their signatures on it, making it the biggest and clearest rejection of terror by Muslims to-date. The fatwa had made headlines around the world and was first reported by Hindustan Times.

Darul Uloom, Deoband Seminary
Darul Uloom, some 100 km north of Delhi, is one of Islam’s two most-revered theological schools - the other being Al-Azhar in Cairo - and is often charged with propagating a radical version of the religion. On the first day of the 29th annual convention of Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind here on Saturday, clerics endorsed the fatwa, which was issued under the seal of Darul’s grand mufti Habibur Rehman. The fatwa was ratified by three other Darul clerics, as required.

Rajya Sabha Madni (third from left) reading out the fatwa against terrorism issued by Darul Uloom, Deoband. To his left is Moulana Marghub Ur Rahman, Rector, Darul Uloom, who signed the fatwa.

On Sunday, the open session of the convention, comprising 50,000 clerics and community leaders will endorse the fatwa. “We did not have a chance to endorse the fatwa when it was issued because people like me stay far away. I am happy to be part of the campaign now,” Syed Ahmed, a tribal cleric from the Northeast. Earlier, the working committee of the Jamiat decided to oppose both Muslim and Hindu organisations for trying to incite communal passion in the wake of bomb blasts in several cities.

FBI Handling Terror Threats Better

2008-11-08T18:30:00.002-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'The Washington Times': The Justice Department's internal watchdog said Friday that the FBI has improved in recent years how it tracks and handles terrorism threats. But Inspector General Glenn A. Fine's office also found room for further improvement with the bureau's Guardian Threat Tracking System, which stores tips and assigns agents to investigate and record the outcome of terrorist threats. 'Guardian' was developed in the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks as the FBI shifted its focus to counterterrorism.

FBI Headquarters - Washington, D.C.
The system takes in a massive amount of information. From July 2004 to November 2007, there were 108,000 terrorism-related threats, reports of suspicious incidents and terrorist-watchlist hits, according to a report from the Inspector General (IG). While the overwhelming majority of those tips didn't pan out, the IG found that 600 criminal and terrorism investigations came from information reported to Guardian from 2006 to 2007. Improvements made in 2006 increased the usefulness of the system, making threat information immediately available to agents and allowing users to search for trends and patterns, according to the IG report.

State, local and tribal police have access to an unclassified version of the information included in Guardian through the FBI Law Enforcement Online network, though the IG said the implementation of that program was delayed a year because the FBI changed the contractor developing the system. The IG also found that the FBI needed to improve the timeliness, accuracy and completeness of the information entered into Guardian.

FBI Assistant Director of Public Affairs John Miller said the bureau had already taken steps to resolve those issues and agreed with all seven recommendations included in the report. "The FBI will always strive for continued improvement in the conduct of the FBI's investigation and intelligence operation policies and procedures," Mr. Miller said. "We remain committed to working with the Department of Justice to increase coordination and to find best practices aimed at providing service and safety for our nation."

Recommendations from the IG included forwarding to the agency in a "timely manner" threats and suspicious incidents entered into Guardian. That suggestion came after the IG found that 60 routine threats, or 28 percent of the 218 cases analyzed, sat for more than 30 days without receiving any investigative activity. Other recommendations included making a schedule to end the delays in implementing technical patches to improve the system. The IG also called for FBI supervisors to review all threats entered into Guardian; the report found that supervisors did not review 12 percent of the 218 cases analyzed.

Developments In Afghanistan

2008-11-08T18:28:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Reuters': The following are security developments in Afghanistan reported on Saturday.

NANGARHAR - U.S.-led coalition forces killed six militants and detained ten others while targeting an insurgent's commander in the Acheen district some 115 km (72) miles east of Kabul on Friday, a U.S. military statement said.

KHOST - U.S.-led coalition troops killed three insurgents during an air strike while targeting Haqqani's network in the Sabri district some 150 km (95) miles southeast of Kabul on Friday, the same statement from U.S. military said.

KANDAHAR - Several Taliban fighters were killed and wounded during a battle with Afghan security forces in Kandahar province some 500 km (310) miles southwest of Kabul on Friday, a statement from the Afghan Defence Ministry said.

KHOST - An air strike killed three insurgents while they were planting roadside bombs in the Yaqubi district some 170 km (105) miles southwest of Kabul on Friday, a separate statement from Afghan Defence Ministry said.

Airstrike Kills 13 Militants

2008-11-08T18:27:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'L.A. Times': A suspected U.S. missile strike targeting a Taliban commander killed 13 people on the Pakistan side of the border with Afghanistan, officials said, indicating that America's new general for the region was ignoring pleas by Islamabad for a halt to the strikes. There has been a surge in U.S. cross-border attacks since August, angering Pakistani officials who say the raids are violating the country's sovereignty. Repairing ties while keeping pressure on Al Qaeda and Taliban commanders hiding in the lawless frontier area will be a key challenge for U.S. President-elect Barack Obama when he takes office in January.

Friday's attack by an unmanned plane hit Kam Sam village in North Waziristan, a stronghold of militants blamed for deadly attacks on U.S. troops in Afghanistan and suicide blasts in Pakistan. A Pakistani intelligence official said an agent who visited the village reported that 13 suspected militants had been killed. The official said the targeted house belonged to a local Taliban commander and that authorities were still trying to determine who was killed. A government representative in the region also put the toll at 13. The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the news media.

It was the first suspected U.S. attack since October 31st, when Gen. David Petraeus became head of Central Command, taking overall charge of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. He visited both Pakistan and Afghanistan this week. The rugged, mountainous region where the Pakistani government has never had much control is considered a likely hiding place for Osama bin Laden and his No. 2, Ayman Zawahri. There have been at least 18 missile strikes in Pakistan since August, more than three times as many as in 2007, apparently reflecting U.S. frustration over insufficient action by Islamabad against extremists along the border.

Afghanistan: 10 Militants Killed, 13 Detained

2008-11-08T18:26:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'News.Balita.Ph': U.S.-led Coalition forces killed 10 militants and detained 13 others during operations targeting the Taliban and Haqqani networks in eastern Afghanistan on Friday, said a Coalition statement issued on Saturday. Forces targeted a regional Taliban commander responsible for coordinating and directing improvised explosive device (IED), suicide and other attacks in Achin district of Nagahar province, killing six militants and arresting 10 suspects, the statement said. During a search of the hideout of militants, rocket-propelled grenades, AK-47s and other military style equipment have been found, it added.

In another operation in Spera district of Khost province, Coalition forces killed one militant and detained two while targeting a Haqqani militant, believed to coordinate and direct attacks against the government of Afghanistan and Coalition forces in the region, it further said. While in the engagement in Sabari district of Khost, Coalition forces targeted a known Haqqani associate who supports and assists with the movement of foreign fighters into the region, killing three armed militants and captured another one without incident, it said.

Eco-Terrorists Ordered To Pay $4M

2008-11-08T18:25:00.000-05:00

Ambrose

From 'Associated Press': An environmental activist who committed arson at Michigan State University in 1999 is now ordered to pay more than $4 million in restitution, a federal judge decided Monday. Frank Ambrose, 33, of Detroit was sentenced on October 20th to nine years in federal prison. He and Marie Mason committed arson at MSU's Agriculture Hall on New Year's Eve in 1999 to protest genetic-crop research in the name of the radical Earth Liberation Front. They also admitted to tree spikings in Indiana and fires at four homes under construction in the Detroit area.

U.S. Chief District Judge Paul Maloney had ordered $3.7 million in restitution but raised it to $4.14 million after a "discrepancy." He did not specify what the discrepancy was. Ambrose and prosecutors had until this week to file objections to the new payout. Nothing was filed. A quarter of the money is owed to the university. Mason, 46, will be sentenced in February. The Cincinnati woman, who is Ambrose's ex-wife, will share the multimillion-dollar tab, which will be split according to each person's income.

Progress Seen In Mosul

2008-11-08T18:24:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'MNFI': The Soldiers of 5th Battalion, 7th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, visited students at the Al Sahaba School for a good-neighbor mission in Mosul, Iraq on November 5th. The Mosul neighborhood around the school has gone through a great amount of change over the last few years. “This neighborhood used to be a very bad neighborhood,” said Col. Salah Adeziz, executive officer, 7th Bde., 2nd IA Division. “A lot of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices and terrorists were here.”

Progress has been seen with the citizens of Mosul, because the citizens are now helping out and calling the Iraqi Security force when they see terrorist activities. “We’ve built a relationship between us and the civilians here,” Salah said. “All the civilians now make good relationships with us. They warn us about any terrorists that come here and it’s very, very safe now. We came here and you see, nothing happened to us, so the relationship is working.”

The IA colonel had a positive attitude and showed great confidence about Mosul and the current progress. “I think from now on it will be good, because we are working with the civilians, said Salah. “We were working on the boundaries and now we are working inside Mosul... Believe me, the civilians in Mosul are very, very good people,” Salah said. “All the problems came from outside of Mosul, outside the boundary of Iraq.”

Mosul is in a difficult situation, different from some other areas of Iraq. The communities of Mosul have a large variety of diversity. Communities contain Kurdish, Arab, Turkish and other nationalities all living together. “I am from Mosul and I am Sunni,” Salah said. “My neighbor is Kurdish. In 2003, my neighbor protected my family. When problems started for the Kurdish in Mosul, I protected his family. We are brothers, eating from the same dish and working together. I know where the problems come from.”

After all Mosul’s past troubles Salah was certain of success and a peaceful future for his city. “I have a message to all the world, all of Iraq is working together,” Salah said. “Almost 90 percent of the terrorists have been caught. There is nothing that will make us stop working with our people. All are shaking hands and helping each other.”

MNFI Press Release - Nov 8

2008-11-08T18:22:00.000-05:00

TIPS LEAD IP, SOLDIERS TO WEAPONS
Iraqi Policemen (IP) and Multinational Division - Baghdad (MND-B) Soldiers seized weapons caches in and around the Baghdad area on November 7th. Iraqi Policemen on a joint mission with the 411th Military Police Company, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 25th Infantry Division, discovered a cache north of Baghdad at approximately 11AM. The items included 1,280 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition, (2) AK-47s, (1) .22-caliber pistol, and a pair of binoculars. A tip from a concerned citizen led to the seizure of a 120 mm mortar round and an oxygen tank by Iraqi policemen north of Baghdad at approximately 6PM. At approximately 7:15PM, a local citizen turned in seven fragmentary hand grenades he found in an open field to MND-B Soldiers at Joint Security Station Ameriyah in the Mansour district of Baghdad. The citizen advised them of a cache in the area.

Soldiers serving with Troop C, 4th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), seized a cache at approximately 12:30AM on November 8th. The munitions included (1) Dragonov rifle with scope, (9) sticks of explosives, (5) 82 mm mortars, (5) Dragonov magazines, (7) rocket-propelled grenade propellants, (1) 82 mm illumination round, (1) rocket of unknown size, (10) artillery fuses, (3) canisters of C4, (7) rifle grenade rods, (4) grenade fuses, (21) MP5 magazines, (3) PKC belts of ammunition, (5) M-203 rounds, (125) sniper rounds, (1) M-19 round, (3) project boxes, (100) feet of detonation cord, (1) spool of wire, (1) periscope, (1) RPG site, (1) potential pipe bomb, (1) washing machine timer with blasting cap and (2) wireless doorbell clickers.

“Iraqi citizens continue to step to the forefront and provide valuable information in removing these weapons from the hands of those who would cause them harm,” said Lt. Colonel Steve Stover, spokesman, MND–B and the 4th Infantry Division.

COALITION DESTROYING AQI; CAPTURE 22
During another round of devastating blows to al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) networks, Coalition Forces captured 22 suspects on Friday and Saturday throughout Iraq.

On Friday, forces operating in the vicinity of Tikrit, about 160 km north of Baghdad, targeted terrorist networks in the Tigris River Valley. One man believed to be associated with a local terrorist leader was detained for additional questioning. In Kirkuk, Coalition forces captured one wanted man believed to have ties with AQI leaders in the region. Four additional suspects were detained during the operation. About 160 km south of Mosul in the village of Bayji, forces detained three men assessed to have connections to a suspected terrorist associated with the city’s improvised explosive device networks.

On Saturday, AQI foreign terrorist facilitation networks were hit hard again. A suspected terrorist (who reports suggest smuggles foreign terrorists and weapons into Iraq) was captured by Coalition forces during an operation outside of Mosul. Two additional suspects were detained for further questioning. Coalition Forces continued to pressure AQI car bomb and suicide bomber networks. In Al Yusifiyah, about 35 km southwest of Baghdad, Coalition Forces targeted and captured a suspected terrorist believed to be associated with car bomb terrorists. Four additional suspects were detained during the operation. Finally, forces captured two suspected AQI operatives in Baghdad who are reportedly involved in the city’s suicide bomber operations. Three more suspects were also detained for further questioning.

COMBINED OP KILLS SENIOR AQI LEADER
A senior AQI leader was killed on November 6th, during a combined cache-clearing operation by Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) and a ‘Sons of Iraq’ (SoI) citizen security group, supported by Coalition Forces, military officials reported. Abu Ghazwan, a key link in the network operations for AQI, was killed during the cache-site raid in the Tarmiyah area, north of Baghdad, officials said. Coalition officials said Ghazwan commanded numerous terrorist cells in the Taji and Tarmiyah areas, and advised and financed other terrorist cells throughout northern Iraq and was responsible for building and facilitating vehicle bombs in the Baghdad area. Additionally, officials said, he was responsible for other terrorist groups that recruit and train children and females to conduct suicide attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces.

Based on tips from local citizens about possible enemy activities and caches at three locations, the combined forces moved to the areas to investigate. They found nothing at the first location and moved on to the second location, where they detained a suspected Ghazwan associate who was wanted on an Iraqi warrant. The patrol also found a cache consisting of various ammunition rounds, knives, gun powder and a small amount of plastic explosives. The patrol then moved to a house in a third location. An explosion detonated behind it, followed by small-arms fire. The patrol returned fire. Two SoI members were wounded in the explosion, officials said.

While searching the area, an SoI member found a trail booby-trapped with grenades and an unidentified man hiding in the grass. The man showed no movement or response to the patrol's commands, and it was later determined he was Ghazwan and that he was killed by SoI and Iraqi Army small-arms fire, officials said. Coalition Forces positively identified Ghazwan, and his body was turned over to the Iraqi Army.

ISF CAPTURE 14 AQI SUSPECTS IN SEPARATE OPs
Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) captured 14 suspected AQI terrorists during three separate operations in northern Iraq on November 6th. In Mosul, 2nd Iraqi Army elements captured a suspected IED cell leader and three more individuals. The cell is allegedly responsible for manufacturing and emplacing IEDs targeting civilians, Iraqi and Coalition forces. During a separate operation in Tal Uwaynat in northwest Iraq, 3rd Iraqi Army elements captured five suspected AQI weapons facilitators. The cell members were believed to be supplying weapons to AQI terrorists throughout Ninewah Province. In the Jedaydah Village of Diyala province, Baqubah Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team captured a suspected AQI cell leader and four cell members. The individuals are believed to be responsible for providing logistical support and safe housing for AQI terrorists in the Bani Sayd area. The cell leader is also believed to be leader of a sniper cell.

IA FINDS ROLLING WEAPONS CACHE IN MOSUL
An Iraqi Army unit received information about a possible VBIED, but instead discovered a rolling cache containing (14) 82 mm mortars on November 6th. The 3rd Battalion, 6th Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, received a tip about a VBIED that had been parked in the Al Islah Al Zarai neighborhood of Mosul for a couple of days. After setting up a cordon, the unit investigated the vehicle and determined the vehicle was used to store explosives and weapons and was not a VBIED. The explosives were removed from the neighborhood without incident. “Because of information provided by the community, the Iraqi Army was able to find this cache and get the weapons off the streets,” said Major Kevin Kugel, Iraqi Security Forces chief, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. “As people continue to gain confidence in the Iraqi Security Forces and work with them, the security situation will continue to improve.”

Treasury Department Pressures Iran

2008-11-06T21:10:00.000-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Miami Herald': The Bush administration Thursday ratcheted up the financial pressure on Iran by revoking an exemption that gave Iranian banks access to the U.S. financial system, but it stopped short of blacklisting the Islamic Republic's central bank. The announcement coincided with the fall in oil prices, which has hurt Iran's economy and put political pressure on President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who faces elections next June. Ahmadinejad on Thursday sent congratulations to President-elect Barack Obama, the first time an Iranian leader has done so since Iran's 1979 Islamic Revolution.

In an effort to derail Iran's suspected nuclear weapons program, the administration already had invoked U.S. law and United Nations resolutions to blacklist five large Iranian state-owned banks. The action, however, still allowed Iran access to the U.S. banking system through third-country transactions. This exception was called a "U-turn" provision because it allowed Iran to do business in dollars in the U.S. banking system through third countries that send the money back to Tehran, as if making a U-turn across traffic.

On Thursday, Stuart Levey, the undersecretary of the Treasury for terrorism and financial intelligence, said in effect that the Treasury would erect a "No U-turn" sign. "Iran was using the existence of the U-turn exemption to hoodwink foreign banks into handling transactions for them," Levey told reporters in a news conference. "They would say, 'Please handle this for us; don't mention there is any Iranian involvement,' and they were able to argue to financial institutions abroad that it was okay to do this because of the U-turn exemption, and therefore what the U.S. financial institution on the other end of the transaction didn't know wouldn't hurt anybody." Now, he said, foreign financial institutions will know that their U.S. subsidiaries cannot conduct any business in the United States on behalf of Iran.

Earlier this year, when oil prices surged past $140 a barrel, scrapping the exemption would have been risky it could have sent prices even higher. Now with a global financial crisis at hand and oil trading at just over $60 a barrel, Iran has less room to retaliate. Levey insisted that oil prices had nothing do with the action and acknowledged that the amount of money involved in U-turn transactions was "relatively small." He wouldn't offer even a ballpark figure, nor would he stipulate what U.S.-based foreign bank subsidiaries might be affected by Thursday's action.

U.S. banks have long avoided doing business with Iran because of the risk it poses to their reputation, so the action likely is intended to isolate Iran from European and Asian banks, said a U.S. banker familiar with financial sanctions. The banker spoke on the condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to discuss bank policies publicly. There was no immediate reaction from European governments, who were informed only Thursday morning that the new sanctions would be announced. U.S. officials claim that the tightening of sanctions is squeezing Iran's economy and making life uncomfortable for Ahmadinejad. They don't rule out further steps - including targeting Iran's central bank - during the 74 days that President Bush remains in office.

Thursday's actions prevent U-turn transactions not just by the blacklisted banks but also by any Iranian bank, including the central bank, which the Treasury thinks has been helping Iranian banks mask their international transactions. But taking that next step and trying to shut Iran's central bank out of the global financial system appears unlikely. "The central bank gets into a lot more complicated issues," said Matthew Levitt, a former deputy assistant secretary for intelligence at Treasury. "One of the things I think the Treasury Department does well is to weigh very carefully the potential anticipated and unanticipated consequences of their actions."

With the international financial system in crisis, it's not a good time to try to blacklist central banks, said Levitt, now a senior fellow at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy, a policy research organization. President-elect Barack Obama pledged during the campaign to continue putting economic pressure on Iran, even as he's promised to engage in direct diplomacy with Iranian leaders. Obama spokeswoman Wendy Morigi said in an e-mail Thursday that there'd be no comment on the Treasury move. Levey confirmed that the Obama team hadn't been consulted.

Bin Laden Videomaker Gets Life Sentence

2008-11-06T21:02:00.004-05:00

Source Article HERE.

Ali Hamza al Bahlul in a 2004 illustration.

From 'New Zealand Herald': GUANTANAMO BAY - A videomaker for Osama bin Laden who vowed that al Qaeda would never stop fighting America and claimed he volunteered for the September 11th attacks was sentenced to life in prison for encouraging terrorism. A jury of nine United States military officers deliberated for just under an hour before condemning Ali Hamza al-Bahlul at Guantanamo Bay's second war-crimes trial. Al Qaeda's propagandist was convicted of 35 counts of conspiracy, solicitation to commit murder and providing material support for terrorism.

The 39-year-old Yemeni defiantly admitted joining al Qaeda, accused the US of oppressing Muslims for 50 years and said, "We will fight any Government that governs America. "We are the only ones on earth who stand against you," al-Bahlul said, adding that the US had only itself to blame for the September 11th attacks. "Whoever said this happened out of nowhere is an idiot," he said in a hilltop courtroom overlooking Guantanamo Bay. "You have started the war against us." Al-Bahlul has been held at Guantanamo since 2002.

Iraq Combat Brigade Cut 6 Weeks Early

2008-11-06T21:01:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

Troops from 101st Airborne Division near Baghdad - 2007.

From 'Washington Post': General David H. Petraeus has decided to reduce the number of U.S. combat brigades in Iraq from 15 to 14 about six weeks earlier than planned, as a result of dramatically lower violence there, Pentagon officials said yesterday. "The hope is they can come home before Christmas," Pentagon press secretary Geoff Morrell said of the decision. The plan accelerates the withdrawal from Iraq of a 101st Airborne Division brigade of 3,500 to 4,000 troops that will not be replaced. Another brigade from the 10th Mountain Division that was scheduled to go to Iraq in its place will instead deploy to Afghanistan, as announced earlier this fall.

Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates has stated that further increases in U.S. troop levels in Afghanistan -- where American commanders say they need three more brigades and thousands of support forces to combat a growing insurgency -- will be contingent upon further withdrawals from Iraq next year. Underpinning the decision to speed the brigade's return is a continuing drop in attacks and troop casualties in Iraq, officials said. October had fewer than 1,000 "security incidents" nationwide in Iraq, the lowest monthly number since January 2004, Morrell said.

U.S. troop casualties are also falling. Twelve American service members died last month, including six from noncombat causes. That is the lowest number since July, when nine U.S. troops died. The departing brigade has served in Baghdad, where attack levels have plunged. Its troops will serve only a 13-month tour, instead of the 15 months expected when they deployed, before returning to their home base at Fort Campbell, Ky.

"The security situation is such that Petraeus has made a decision to bring them home about six weeks early," said Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman. Petraeus, who oversees U.S. forces in the Middle East and Central Asia as head of Central Command, informed the Pentagon of his determination in recent days. General Ray Odierno, who replaced Petraeus in October as the top U.S. commander in Iraq, recommended the faster withdrawal, officials said.

Petraeus and Odierno oversaw the "surge" of five combat brigades into Iraq last year, bringing the total to 20. That number was lowered to 15 as of July, after major improvements in security. Petraeus then called for a pause in withdrawals to assess the impact of lower troop levels. In September, Petraeus recommended that those reductions continue, calling for an additional 8,000 combat and support troops to leave Iraq by January, and President Bush approved that plan.

Still, Petraeus has emphasized in recent speeches that the situation in Iraq remains "fragile." He has also stated that while the troop increase was critical to lowering sectarian killings and other violence, equally important was the adoption of new counterinsurgency strategies that included negotiations with "reconcilable" insurgent groups and basing troops in small outposts where they could better protect local populations. The U.S. military in Iraq has hired about 100,000 local fighters, many of them Sunni tribesmen and former insurgents.

Man Charged Over 'Home Made Bombs'

2008-11-06T21:00:00.001-05:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Telegraph (UK)': A man has been charged with carrying two bombs on a train ahead of a planned terror attack. Neil Lewington is accused of possessing the explosives, bomb-making instructions and a Nazi-style booklet. The 43-year-old was stopped at Lowestoft station, in Suffolk, on October 30th, after allegedly being abusive to a member of the staff. Lewington was searched, arrested, and is being held by anti-terrorist officers from the Metropolitan Police. He is accused of possessing timers, weedkiller, firelighters and tennis balls in connection with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism, on the same day.

Lewington, of Tilehurst, Reading, will appear in custody at City of Westminster Magistrates Court charged with ten offences under the Terrorism Act, and another under the Explosives Act. He is accused on five counts of recording or possessing information or documents likely to be useful to a person committing or preparing an act of terrorism. The documents allegedly include notebooks, a folder containing drawings and handwritten notes, the WAFFEN SS UK Members Handbook, and a book entitled Counter Bomb.

He also faces four charges of possessing an article in circumstances which give rise to a reasonable suspicion that his possession was for a purpose connected with the commission, preparation or instigation of an act of terrorism. Lewington is also charged with preparing to commit acts of terrorism and possessing an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or cause serious injury to property.

MNFI Press Release - Nov 6

2008-11-06T20:53:00.000-05:00

ISF ARREST 5 SUSPECTED CRIMINALS
Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) captured five suspected criminals in separate operations throughout central Iraq on November 4th and 5th. On November 5th in Baghdad, the Emergency Response Brigade Assault Force arrested a suspected criminal for planning and coordinating multiple attacks against Coalition forces. The individual is also believed to be responsible for planning a rocket attack on Forward Operating Base (FOB) Warhorse in June. In a separate operation, Hillah Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, operating under the authority of a warrant issued by the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, arrested two suspected criminals in Hashimiyah. One of the individuals is believed to be a criminal company commander while the other is suspected of financing criminal operations. Also in Baghdad, Iraqi Special Operations Forces captured an alleged criminal with ties to kidnapping and extra-judicial killings in Karkh. He is also suspected of targeting Coalition and Iraqi forces with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). On November 4th, an Amarah SWAT team arrested a suspected criminal responsible for attacks on Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces.

VBIED FOUND, DESTROYED BY IP
Iraqi Police (IP) discovered an unexploded vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) in eastern Mosul, during the early morning hours of November 6th. The two IPs who discovered the VBIED, removed and reduced the explosives. “The Iraqi Security Forces have consistently displayed the type of discipline, efficiency and commitment that allows them to protect their citizens from dangerous threats like VBIEDs,” said Major Gary Dangerfield, Multi-National Division-North spokesperson.

WEAPONS CACHES FOUND
Soldiers with Company A, 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division discovered four weapons caches in the vicinity of Hawijah in Kirkuk Province on November 4th, during a route clearance mission. The caches yielded rocket propelled launchers, more than 200 mortar rounds, artillery and rocket rounds of different calibers, and materials for making improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The route clearance team along with explosive experts reduced, through explosion, much of the cache finds at the site of discovery and transferred the rest of the materials to Forward Operating Base Warrior in Kirkuk City, for further assessment. “This find will significantly reduce the amount of munitions in the hands of the insurgents that still reside in the Hawijah area,” said Lt. Colonel Kenneth Casey, commander of 1st Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment.

AQI NETWORKS TARGETED, 9 DETAINED
Coalition forces determined to destroy al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) networks in Mosul conducted multiple operations in the city on Thursday, capturing nine individuals with alleged ties to the group’s senior leader, weapons and communications networks. Three coordinated operations targeting the city’s terrorist networks resulted in the detention of two suspects. Mosul AQI leadership networks were dealt another blow when four men were detained during an operation targeting an AQI operative with links to the city’s terrorist leaders. Coalition forces also targeted an alleged weapons smuggler for northern AQI networks in Mosul Thursday. Three men assessed to be associates of the suspected terrorist were detained by forces without incident.

ISOF, CF KILL AQI CELL LEADER
Iraqi Special Operations Forces (ISOF) and Coalition Forces (CF) killed an AQI cell leader and captured two suspected AQI terrorists during an operation in East Mosul on November 4th. The individual was a cell leader in the village of Muhallabiyah responsible for the kidnappings and killing of wealthy local nationals. His cell is also responsible for the recent kidnapping and murder of the local mayor’s family in June. This operation was directed toward thwarting criminal activities as the Government of Iraq demonstrates a determination to bring those operating outside the law to justice.

ISF CAPTURES 6 SUSPECTED CRIMINALS
Iraqi Security Forces (ISF) captured six suspected criminals in separate operations throughout central Iraq on November 2nd-4th. On November 4th in Baghdad, elements from the 31st Iraqi Army arrested a suspected criminal company commander on a local warrant. The individual’s cell is allegedly responsible for conducting assassinations against Coalition and Iraqi forces in Kifl. In a separate operation on November 3rd, Hillah Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team, operating under the authority of a warrant issued by the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, arrested a suspected criminal leader. The individual is allegedly responsible for conducting IED attacks against Coalition and Iraqi forces. During the operation, one other suspected criminal was detained. On November 2nd, elements from the 6th Iraqi Army captured three suspected criminals in Huriya, a western neighborhood of Baghdad. These three individuals are believed to be responsible for IED attacks on Coalition forces and extra-judicial killings against the local populace.

“This series of operations is directed toward thwarting criminal activities as the GoI demonstrates a determination to bring those operating outside the law to justice,” said Lt. Col. Neil Harper, Multi-National Corps-Iraq spokesperson.

U.S. Raid In Syria Targeted Smuggler Of Iraq Fighters

2008-10-28T21:23:00.001-04:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Reuters': A raid by U.S. forces inside Syria on Sunday is believed to have killed a major smuggler of foreign fighters into Iraq, a U.S. official said on Monday. Syria condemned the attack as "terrorist aggression." The official spoke on condition of anonymity about the raid, in which residents and Syrian officials said U.S. troops landed by helicopter and killed eight civilians. A second U.S. official said U.S. forces had targeted only people they considered a threat and that women and children were alive at the site when they left.

The Pentagon and the White House have refused to officially confirm or deny U.S. involvement in the incident, which alarmed France and Russia. Both countries called on the United States to respect Syria's territorial sovereignty. If confirmed, it would be the first U.S. military strike inside Syria since the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

Syria says four helicopters attacked al-Sukkari farm in the Albou Kamal area in eastern Syria, close to the Iraqi border, and that U.S. soldiers stormed a building there. The first U.S. official said the raid targeted Abu Ghadiya, a former lieutenant of al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a U.S. airstrike in 2006.

"It was a successful operation," the U.S. official said by telephone. "He (Abu Ghadiya) is believed to be dead. This undoubtedly will have a debilitating effect on this foreign fighter smuggling network." The Bush administration, which will leave office in January after the U.S. presidential election on November 4th, blames Damascus for not doing enough to stem the flow of al Qaeda fighters and other insurgents into Iraq.

But Syrian Foreign Minister Walid al-Moualem said on a visit to London it was not possible for Syria to patrol the entire length of its long border with Iraq. He accused the United States of trying to derail recent diplomatic overtures between Europe and Syria. "The Americans do it in the daylight. This means it is not a mistake, it is by blunt determination. For that we consider this criminal and terrorist aggression," he told a news conference.

Reuters Television footage showed a small fenced farm and a truck riddled with bullet holes. Blood stained the ground. Syrian state television showed a building site and a nearby tent with food and blankets and spent bullets laying around. The official Syrian news agency SANA quoted a survivor, Souad al-Jasim, as saying U.S. soldiers fired on her and her children in the tent. "Then they opened fire on the workers on site," she said. Jasim's husband was killed in the attack and one of her children wounded. Thousands of people attended a funeral held for those killed in the raid, SANA said.

The second U.S. official said U.S. military forces acted in support of "another agency" in conducting the operation. The official declined to elaborate but that description could suggest the involvement of the CIA. He described Abu Ghadiya as a "bad dude" who ran one of the most prolific networks bringing foreign fighters and suicide bombers into Iraq.

Moualem said Syria would ask the United States and Iraq for an investigation into the raid, which the Iraqi government said targeted insurgents responsible for attacks inside Iraq. "We put the responsibility on the American government and the need to investigate and return back to us with the result and explanation why they did it," Moualem said. Asked whether the Syrians would use force if the Americans conducted a similar raid in future, Moualem said: "As long as you are saying if, I will tell you if they do it again ... we will defend our territories."

Iraqi government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh said the attack was launched against "terrorist groups operating from Syria against Iraq," including one which had killed 13 police recruits in a border village. "Iraq had asked Syria to hand over this group, which uses Syria as a base for its terrorist activities," Dabbagh said. Syrian Interior Minister Bassam Abdel Majeed said last week his country "refuses to be a launching pad for threats against Iraq."

Four Remanded On Terror Charges

2008-10-28T21:21:00.001-04:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'News.Scotsman.com': Four men held on terrorism charges after a series of raids in Birmingham last week were remanded in custody yesterday. Shahid Ali, Mohammed Nadim and Shabir Mohammed appeared at a London court charged with engaging in conduct with the intention of assisting in the commission of acts of terrorism. Abdul Raheem was charged with failure to disclose information.

Police Arrest Terror Suspects In Spain

2008-10-28T21:19:00.001-04:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'UPI': Four suspected members of the Basque separatist group ETA were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly plotting terror attacks, Spain's Interior Ministry said. Three individuals were arrested in Spain's northern Navarra region, which has Basque roots, while the fourth was arrested in Valencia on Spain's eastern coast, CNN reported. Authorities seized two guns and ammunition, timers, detonating cord and substances that could be used to make explosives, the Interior Ministry said in a statement.

MNFI Press Release - Oct 28

2008-10-28T20:40:00.000-04:00

INPs DISCOVER WEAPONS CACHE IN GHARTAN
Iraqi National Policemen (INPs) from the 5th Brigade, 2nd NP Division reported discovering a weapons cache on October 28th in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad. At approximately 10:30 a.m., Soldiers from the 4th Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, attached to the 1st BCT, 4th ID, reported that the 1st Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd NP Division, found (10) 60 mm mortar rounds, (4) 82 mm mortar rounds, (3) 120 mm mortar rounds, (2) 122 mm rockets, (1) 155 mm artillery round, (1) 60 mm mortar tube, (2) RKG3 rocket propelled grenades, (4) undisclosed rockets and (2) undisclosed artillery rounds while conducting a patrol in the Ghartan community. An explosive ordnance disposal unit retrieved the munitions for proper disposal.

RECONSTRUCTION IMPROVES LIFE IN TARMIYAH
When students in Tarmiyah returned to school in September, they were welcomed by new classrooms full of new furniture and supplies. Their school, northwest of Baghdad, also had new electrical and sewer systems. After conducting a final assessment of improvements made to the Huda Teacher’s School on October 20th, Army 1st Lt. Erik Peterson, a native of Littleton Colorado, who serves in Multi-National Division - Baghdad with the 25th Infantry Division’s 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, met with the contractor, paid him the remaining funds for completion of his work and thanked him for a job well done.

This school is one of many reconstruction projects throughout Tarmiyah designed to provide the city’s residents more opportunity and a better way of life. “When we first arrived here in December 2007, I visited a girl’s school that had no bathrooms,” Peterson said. “Now the schools have brand new classrooms, lights, chalkboards, furniture and sanitary bathrooms with septic systems. The students now have the ability to wash their hands.”

Fatima, a 6th grade student who attends one of the renovated schools, said her school is much better than it was. "The doors have been painted, and we have lights and fans in our classrooms,” she said. “We learn about animals, reading, writing and how to speak a little bit of English. I love going to school.”

About $3 million will be invested into the reconstruction of Tarmiyah, with 13 school renovations, a media center, a bank, an ambulance center, road paving and solar lights among the scheduled projects. Funding for the reconstruction is provided through the provincial council and the Iraqi Commanders Emergency Relief Program, or ICERP, which allows the local government to get money for projects quickly and efficiently and to participate in the planning process. “ICERP is Iraqi money managed by Coalition forces so that we can use our paperwork system to spend and track where everything goes,” Peterson said. “Unlike the United States government, the government of Iraq’s current budget system is in the initial stages of development for delivery of a capital budget to the [communities] from the provincial level.”

Although the system is still developing, Peterson said, those involved with the reconstruction projects are vital to success and have shown they have the planning and technical expertise behind them to take on large projects and ensure they are quality projects that will last well into the future. “We have shown them a taste of our democratic system, but no matter how much we show them, we must understand that their culture is different than ours, and it is up to them to decide what they want to take away from that,” Peterson said.

With more than half of the projects completed, quality of life has improved immensely, but there is still work to be done, Peterson said. Planning is focused now on essential services and possibly a new sewer system, he added. “This development of this city will continue,” he said. “And in five months, it will be completely different from what it is now.”

Not In Our Name, Say 63M Pakistanis

2008-10-12T17:07:00.002-04:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Times of India': In a gesture that has attracted record participation from ordinary Pakistanis, 63 million citizens - a third of the terror-battered country's population — have signed up to a unique anti-terror campaign. Billed as the biggest lobby effort anywhere in the world, Pakistanis signed a petition called "Yeh Hum Naheen (This is not us)" in a four-week period. It is seen as the strongest signal yet from Pakistanis - one could almost call it the cry of a nation stained with shame - that they don't want fundamentalism or terrorism to be known as the Pakistani way of life.

The campaign apparently ensured that most of the signatories were verifiable individuals. Given that the Taliban are raising suicide bombers and death squads from teens in the hardened badlands of FATA, children above 11 years were also allowed to sign. The campaign was launched in 2007 with a hit song featuring some of the country's biggest pop stars, including Ali Zafar. The idea originated with a British-Pakistani media consultant Waseem Mahmood, whose aim was to prove in a tangible manner that Pakistanis were against the violence that comes in the guise of Islamic "jihad".

"This is about giving people a common platform to fight terrorism," Mahmood was quoted as saying by a British daily. He said all signatures were verified and most signatures collected by direct promotions. The campaign was financed by Muslim businessmen from UK and Indonesia and has caught the imagination of Pakistani celebrities and media.

You can see a video of the original song with English subtitles HERE.

You can go to the Yeh Hum Naheen website HERE.

MNFI Press Release - Oct 12

2008-10-12T16:56:00.001-04:00

COALITION REMOVES 12 SUSPECTS FROM AQI NETWORKS
Coalition forces detained 12 suspected terrorists, including three wanted men, during operations Saturday and Sunday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) networks throughout the country.

Coalition forces captured a wanted man believed to be an AQI courier during an operation south of Mosul on Saturday. The man is also assessed to have links to local AQI leaders. Forces also pursued AQI regional leaders during an operation in Mosul on Saturday and detained one suspect. Coalition forces operating in Bayji Saturday, about 160 km south of Mosul, targeted a wanted man assessed to be connected to the city’s car bomb network. One suspect believed to be an associate of the wanted man was detained during the operation. In Baghdad on Saturday, forces targeted the city’s AQI foreign terrorist facilitation networks. Two suspects were detained during the operation.

A Sunday operation in Baghdad netted a wanted man who intelligence reports suggest is connected to the city’s car bomb and foreign terrorist facilitator networks. Two additional suspects were also detained. Three suspects were detained on Sunday just north of Mosul during a Coalition force operation targeting a wanted man assessed to be an AQI weapons facilitator and repairman. Also on Sunday, Coalition forces operating in Mosul captured a wanted man who intelligence reports suggest has connections to regional AQI leaders and may be involved in the terrorist network’s media operations.

Pakistan: Al-Qaeda Cell Smashed

2008-09-27T19:09:00.001-04:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'AKI': A militant Al-Qaeda cell linked to Pakistan's top Taliban commander, Baitullah Mehsud, and other jihadi organisations was targeted in a major raid by security forces in Karachi on Friday. Three key militants died during the raid on the cell, which was allegedly planning a campaign of destruction. Their targets are believed to have included the bureau of the country's intelligence services (ISI), NATO supply lines from two Karachi ports and anti-Taliban politicians.

The cell had direct links to Baitullah Mehsud and Qari Zafar, the alleged mastermind of the devastating bomb attack on the Marriott Hotel, which killed at least 53 people and injured 260 others in Islamabad last week. Security officials were reluctant to confirm it, but it is understood to have been the same cell that was behind the 18 October assassination attempt on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto when she returned from exile. Bhutto was later killed in a second attack in December.

A key Al-Qaeda militant, Rahimullah, alias Ali Hasan (Photo), was arrested during Friday's raid, that was conducted by a joint team of Pakistani police and intelligence agencies on the outskirts of Karachi's Baldia Town, near the border of restive Balochistan province. While three militants died in the raid, Rahimullah was taken into custody. Sultan Umer, Siddiq Mehsud, cousin of Baitullah Mehsud, and Waseem Bengali are believed to be the men killed in the raid on Friday. All were members of Laskhar-i-Jhangvi, an Islamist terror group linked to Al-Qaeda.

Rahimullah, a Karachi-based ethnic Pashtun, has in the past been linked to Laskhar-i-Jhangvi and Harkat-i-Jehad-i-Islami, another jihadi group linked to Al-Qaeda and is alleged to have killed several high profile religious clerics. He was believed to have been involved in various incidents, including attacks on the US Consulate in Karachi which has been the target of several suicide attacks between 2002 and 2006. Security sources said while there was only a single cell that had been smashed in Friday's raid, Rahimullah’s arrest could help uncover the funding networks used by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda from the Middle East.

Police also found the body of Shaukat Afridi, a contractor who transported NATO supplies from Karachi to Afghanistan through tankers. He was abducted from Clifton Karachi in May 2008 and his captors were demanding 64,000 dollars ransom. He was believed to be killed in a cross fire between the police and militants. Inspector General Police of Sindh province Salauddin Babar Khattack declined to make any comment to Adnkronos International (AKI) concerning the militants' links with South Waziristan. “It is confirmed that they belong to Laskhar-i-Jhangvi but we cannot confirm or deny their links with South Waziristan,” Khattack told AKI by telephone.

Pakistani intelligence agencies have identified the southern port city of Karachi as the greatest potential terror target since the Marriott blast in Islamabad. Security agencies were on high alert on Friday outside the foreign missions in Karachi and around the strategic organisations like ISI which are heavily involved in anti-terror operations across the country and manned by mostly military officials.

UK: 3 Men Held Under Terror Act

2008-09-27T18:52:00.000-04:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'BBC': Three men have been arrested in north London on suspicion of terrorism. The men, aged 40, 22 and 30 have been taken to Paddington Green police station where they remain in custody. They were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. It is thought that the men were suspected of attempting to set fire to a publishers in Islington, north London, the BBC understands. A small fire was put out at a property in Lonsdale Square.

Two of the men were stopped by armed officers and arrested in the street and the third was stopped in a car at 0225 GMT on Saturday. The men were arrested by officers from the Metropolitan Police's Counter Terrorism Command in a pre-planned, intelligence-led operation. Two men were arrested outside a property in Lonsdale Square, and the third following an armed vehicle stop near Angel Tube station on Upper Street. Police are searching four properties in Walthamstow, Ilford and Forest Gate.

Poll: Muslim Support For Bin Laden, Suicide Attacks Down

2008-09-27T18:51:00.001-04:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'AFP': The number of Muslims around the world who say suicide attacks are acceptable has fallen sharply in the past six years, as has Muslims' confidence in Osama bin Laden, a survey by a US think-tank showed Thursday. But, the Pew Research Center warned in its Global Attitudes Project, significant minorities of Muslims in eight countries surveyed continue to endorse suicide bombings and support the Al-Qaeda leader.

In Lebanon, the number of Muslims who said suicide attacks can be justified often or sometimes in defense of Islam fell by 42 percent between 2002 to this year, the study showed. But although down sharply from 74 percent six years ago, one in three Muslims in Lebanon still backed suicide attacks. In Pakistan, support for suicide bombings has fallen by 28 percent to a scant five percent in the past six years. In Jordan, support has dropped 18 points since 2002, but a quarter of Jordanian Muslims still support suicide attacks.

Even though numbers have fallen by 15 percent in six years, around 10 percent in Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim nation, continue to support suicide attacks. Nigeria, Africa's most populous nation, where around half the population is Muslim, also saw a 15 percent drop in support, but that left nearly one-third still in support of the deadly tactic. Turkey and Tanzania saw drops in support for suicide bombings of 10 and six points respectively since 2002.

Support in Turkey, which has been rocked by several deadly attacks in recent years, was the lowest of any of the countries surveyed, with only three percent telling Pew pollsters in March and April that they back suicide bombings. In Egypt, support for suicide bombings rose by five percent between 2007 and 2008; Egyptians were not surveyed in 2002.

Large numbers of Muslims in the eight countries also said they had lost confidence in bin Laden to do the right thing in world affairs, although support for the Al-Qaeda leader remained high in some countries. That was the case in Nigeria in particular, where nearly six in 10 Muslims expressed confidence in bin Laden, around the same percentage as five years ago. Support for bin Laden fell from nearly six in 10 Muslims in Indonesia and nearly half in Pakistan in 2003, to a still sizeable but significantly lower number of around one-third today.

In contrast, only two percent of Lebanese Muslims expressed a lot or some confidence in bin Laden, down from 20 percent in 2003, and in Turkey, the percentage was three percent this year compared with 15 percent five years ago. The most dramatic drop in support for bin Laden was seen among Jordanian Muslims: whereas six in 10 of them expressed confidence in bin Laden just three years ago, only 19 percent did this year.

The Pew Global Attitudes Project is a series of worldwide public opinion surveys covering a broad array of subjects ranging from people's assessments of their own lives to their views about the current state of the world.
More than 24,000 people in 24 countries were surveyed this year for the project, including just under 8,000 in the eight countries asked for their views on suicide bombings and bin Laden.

Muslims Reject Al-Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden

2008-09-27T18:49:00.000-04:00

Source Article HERE.

From 'Telegraph': In the wake of the Marriott Hotel bombing in Islamabad, which killed 60 people, it might seem perverse to express optimism about the struggle against global terrorism as espoused by al-Qaeda. After all, the Taliban, which provided asylum for Osama bin Laden's network before 9/11, is resurgent on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border. Indeed, the tribal areas nominally controlled by the government in Islamabad have succeeded Iraq as the epicentre of world jihadism.

Yet it is worth stepping back from last Saturday's carnage to look at the history of terrorism. This shows that all such movements come to an end, whether through divisions within the leadership, repression or co-option by the state or, most important, loss of trust among the people they claim to represent. In a paper for the International Institute for Strategic Studies (IISS), Audrey Kurth Cronin encourages Western nations to focus on the "plentiful weaknesses" of al-Qaeda and its associates. These she defines as "indiscriminate killing in the service of a largely fictitious narrative without a shred of hopeful vision".

Bin Laden has been weakened by allied military action in Afghanistan and tighter surveillance of international money transfers. More significant in the longer term is the criticism voiced within radical Islamic circles about the morality of what he is doing. This may seem a strange word to use in conjunction with an instigator of mass murder, but bin Laden set out with the self-proclaimed noble intention to defend the umma, or Muslim world, from Western encroachment.

Why, then, say his critics, do you condone the killing of Muslims in suicide bomb attacks? Bin Laden's former mentor, the Saudi scholar Salman al-Oudah, has deplored al-Qaeda's violence and suggested that its leader has allowed the means to become the ends. The jihadist ideologue Sayyid Imam al-Sharif, better known by his underground name of Dr Fadl, has described 9/11 as "a catastrophe for Muslims".

At this year's conference of Oxford Analytica, an international consultancy, one of the participants described al-Qaeda as "a profoundly moral project which contains the seeds of its own destruction because of its failure to live up to its own moral standards". Another thought it retained moral authority but had "little power in terms of organisation". The impression emerged of a movement with a puritanical, racist view of Islam which had proved a "very bad friend" to the Muslim world. This would explain its eclipse in Iraq in favour of Sunni-dominated militias and its limited success in the northern Caucasus.

Al-Qaeda's fortunes could revive should what the Muslim world might deem a further "outrage" be committed in the form of, say, an Israeli attack on Iran or of continued American ground incursions into the tribal areas. But beyond harping on a sense of victimhood, the network has little to offer the umma.

Compare, for example, its record with that of other radical organisations, such as the Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt, Hizbollah in Lebanon and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Taking advantage of a fixed base, which al-Qaeda lacks, they have won popular support by providing welfare denied by an incompetent state. Bin Laden may be able to boast of spectacular assaults on his enemies, but he can hardly claim to have contributed to long-term social and economic development.

The erosion of support for al-Qaeda presents those whom it targets with interesting opportunities. Professor Cronin argues that the best counter-terrorist policies are "those consciously synergistic with a group's natural tendency to implode". She adds that a government's top priority should be "not to win people's hearts and minds, but rather to amplify the natural tendency of violent groups to lose them".

This might suggest that America and its allies should withdraw forthwith from Iraq and Afghanistan and watch al-Qaeda self-destruct. If only it were that simple. However, in the case of Pakistan, Washington should refrain from stoking resentment of the West by further unilateral incursions into the tribal areas, which merely strengthen the conviction that this is America's war. And a distinction should be made between the foreign jihadists, whose goal is global revolution, and the Taliban, who, like the Basque or Corsican separatists, are motivated by local factors. Driving a wedge between the two will in due course require negotiating with the Taliban.

The eclipse of al-Qaeda does not, of course, mean that it is no longer a threat - modern historical experience indicates that waves of international terrorist activity last about 40 years, so we have some way to go. Bin Laden could still stage a hideous attack, and, even if he doesn't, there are many other terrorist groups around the world, either affiliated to his network or fighting for different ends, that could.

Nevertheless, it is a hopeful sign that the man who would forcefully unite all Muslims in a new caliphate is proving subject to the same constraints as previous terrorist movements with more modest aims. Self-defence, despite its moral connotations, has in his hands turned out to be nihilistic. Opinion polls show that the Islamic world is turning against him. And it is there that his evil acts will finally be thwarted.