You have commented 339 times on Rantburg.

Your Name
Your e-mail (optional)
Website (optional)
My Original Nic        Pic-a-Nic        Sorry. Comments have been closed on this article.
Bold Italic Underline Strike Bullet Blockquote Small Big Link Squish Foto Photo
Iraq-Jordan
Iraq 'Fear Factor, hosted by Joe errr, the Wolf Brigade
2005-06-07
Iraqi reality-TV hit takes fear factor to a another level
By Neil MacDonald, Correspondent of The Christian Science Monitor
This man understand Arab psychology and Arab sensibilities very well.
BAGHDAD - Forget the worm-eating contestants on "Fear Factor." And don't look for teen singers trying to become the next "Iraqi Idol." Here in Iraq, reality TV has a grittier visage.
How do I get this channel? I'd love to watch these asshats being treated like the human scum they are.
In one recent opening scene of "Terrorism in the Grip of Justice," viewers see a group of tired, scruffy men sitting on bare ground, squinting in the glare of floodlights and waiting to confess. The camera then pans to Abul Waleed, the mustachioed, red-bereted commander of the elite Wolf Brigade police squad. Waleed is addressing about 30 terrorism suspects hauled in during Operation Lightning, a massive Iraqi-led sweep (now in its second week) aimed at rooting out car bombers and other insurgents in Baghdad.
His men look very happy with him. He is a fearless leader.
"Grip of Justice" dominates the 9 p.m. to 10 p.m. time slot in Iraq - at least anecdotally. There are no Nielsen ratings here.
Almost like "The Lone Ranger" when I was growing up.
It's broadly popular and considered a key tool in fighting the insurgency. But critics say the show violates prisoner rights by publicly humiliating suspects before they are proven guilty.
Awwwww. Where is the nano-violin?
As domestic detainees, these men are not covered by Geneva Convention rules for prisoners of war.
Heh. Kewler.
Posted by:Brett

#7  You cannot have a show called Grip of Justice without signing Steven Segal as the host. It's just not done.
Posted by: BH   2005-06-07 10:02  

#6  Thanks, Badanov and the other posters.
Posted by: Brett   2005-06-07 08:56  

#5  Sounds more like "Cops" (How do you say "BAD boys BAD boys, what you gonna do, whatcha gonna do when they come fer yu..." in Iraqi?)

Produced by locals, and it shows. Contrast "Terrorism in the Grip of Justice" with timid Pentagon efforts. http://www.strategypage.com//fyeo/howtomakewar/default.asp?target=HTIW.HTM
Posted by: Dave   2005-06-07 06:53  

#4  More, April 2004

Jordanian authorities said Monday they have broken up an alleged al Qaeda plot that would have unleashed a deadly cloud of chemicals in the heart of Jordan's capital, Amman.
http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/meast/04/26/jordan.terror/

/backpeddle> I believe that several of these events *may* have taken place before 9/11.
Posted by: Red Dog   2005-06-07 04:48  

#3  
Brett I hope we can find Iraqi reality-TV links somewere. In the meantime here's the latest MEMRI
transcript. video there also.

Afghanistan,Syria,Iraq,Jordan. I believe that several of these events took place before 9/11.

Commander of Al-Qaeda Cell in Jordan: Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi Sent Me to Carry Out Attacks

The following are excerpts from an interview with the commander of an Al-Qaeda cell in Jordan, 'Azmi Al-Juyusi, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on May 19, 2005.

Al-Juyusi: In Iraq I began training for Abu Mus'ab (Al-Zarqawi) – I had advanced training in the use of explosives and poisons. After that I took an oath of allegiance to Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi, and swore to obey him. Then, Afghanistan fell and I met with Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi once again in Iraq. After returning from Afghanistan to Iraq I met with Abu Mus'ab Al-Zarqawi. He was with Muwafaq 'Adwan, a Jordanian whom I knew in the past in Afghanistan. Abu Mus'ab instructed me to go to Jordan with Muwafaq 'Adwan, to establish the military operations in Jordan. He arranged for me to be smuggled into Jordan. When I arrived in Jordan, I met with one of Abu Mus'ab's people – a Syrian national called Haytham 'Omar Ibrahim, who arranged safe houses for me.

After that, Muwafaq and I began to gather the necessary intelligence on targets. Then we got hold of the chemicals needed for manufacturing explosives. I began to look for these chemicals at all of the companies that sell such chemicals. I managed to buy large quantities from all of these companies. I collected around twenty tons, which would be enough for all of the operations in Jordan. I began to produce explosives.

The cars were all loaded up. I thought of renting warehouses in Biyadir Wadi Al-Sir and bringing the cars there, so that they would be close to the intelligence headquarters, no more than a seven-minute drive. The cars would leave from Biyadir Wadi Al-Sir. There would be two or three people in each car. The Caprice would take the lead, and we thought of having a BMW get-away car, for those who'd stay alive. The men in the Caprice would be armed with RPGs, and their mission was to shoot and kill the guards. Then the big MAN truck, which has a plow attachment, would remove any roadblocks in its way. I took into account that even if there were a wall in its way it could destroy it and continue without stopping, and would reach the center of the headquarters, opposite the command center, the command's main building –there the truck would blow up. After it blew up there would be no more guards – they would all die. Any survivors would be in shock or wounded, or suffer internal bleeding, and wouldn't be able to fight. The other cars would come in slowly, one after the other, and would each go their way uninterrupted.

I believed that after the operation – and I am an explosives expert – the intelligence headquarters would be totally destroyed. There would be nothing left of it or anything around it. The destruction would even reach distant areas.

We used pre-paid calling cards to communicate. Whenever I had any suspicion, or if the line was too noisy, and I feared someone was tapping it… I didn't use it more than ten days. I destroyed it and brought a new one. Another way (of communicating) was messengers and letters from here to Syria and also the other way around. They would bring me messages, money, forged documents and passports, and everything I requested.

/What was that big shot commision called?
Posted by: Red Dog   2005-06-07 04:19  

#2  Anothner ikdiot who don't know what he speaks about. First of all Geneva conventions cease automatically to apply if the opponent violates thelm and second it is foertunate for those "domestic" terrs they are not covered by the Geneva conventions: the penalty for actions like shooting from hospitals/religious buildings, hiding between civilians or fighting out of uniform is DEATH.
Posted by: JFM   2005-06-07 04:03  

#1  Nice job, Brett. Well done.
Posted by: badanov   2005-06-07 00:21  

00:00