KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A double bombing tore through the centre of AfghanistanÂ’s southern city of Kandahar Thursday, killing seven security guards and policemen, a provincial police chief said. Both blasts were apparently caused by remotely detonated bombs.
The first blast struck the vehicle of a private security company, killing four of the guards, Kandahar police chief Ismatullah Alizai told AFP. The bodies of the four men killed in the first blast were hurled from the vehicle by the force of the explosion, the AFP reporter said. The vehicle was destroyed and burst into flames.
About half an hour later, as police and reporters gathered at the site, a second bomb exploded just metres (yards) away, an AFP reporter at the scene said. ‘In the second explosion, three policemen were killed and some police were wounded,’ Alizai said. A policeman at the scene, Mohammad Jan, said four policemen were wounded including the deputy provincial police chief, Abdul Hakim Angar. A reporter was also slightly wounded.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/18/2007 00:00 ||
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A roadside bomb targeted the Somali prime minister’s convoy in Mogadishu on Thursday but no one was hurt, a day after four Ugandan peacekeepers died in a similar attack by rebels vowing an Iraq-style insurgency. Thursday’s blast rocked a street near the former parliament building as Premier Ali Mohamed Gedi drove to the airport to see off a plane carrying the dead African Union (AU) soldiers home. “The bomb exploded away from the vehicle. One of two men suspected of planting the bomb was captured on the site,” said government spokesman Abdullahi Muhyidin Mohamed. Another suspect fled and was being hunted, he said. It was at least the third attempt to kill Gedi, a former veterinary lecturer with no previous political experience, since he took office in late 2004. The government blames rebels from a militant Islamist group who have threatened an Iraq-style insurgency in the capital and have increasingly copied Iraqi guerrilla tactics - including roadside bombs and targeted assassinations.
Posted by: Fred & Seafarious ||
05/18/2007 00:00 ||
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Islamist militants in Bangladesh are preparing to launch car bomb attacks and carry out other deadly missions, one self-described militant commander said in a rare interview with a private television channel.
"We have regrouped, received funding from Saudi Arabia, acquired training and (are) now recruiting drivers to operate suicide vehicles."
“After going somewhat slow following the execution of our top six leaders, we have regrouped, received funding from Saudi Arabia, acquired training and (are) now recruiting drivers to operate suicide vehicles,” he told Ekushey television (ETV). ETV aired the interview late on Wednesday night, showing the militant hooded in a black robe from head to toe, and only revealing one eye. “I cannot give my name for security reasons,” he said, describing himself as the commander of the Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen, an outlawed group seeking to introduce tough Islamic sharia law in Bangladesh.
The Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen and another outlawed organisation, Jagrata Muslim Janata Bangladesh, are blamed for exploding some 500 small bombs in simultaneous attacks across Bangladesh on August 17, 2005, killing three people. They are also alleged to have killed at least 30 more people and wounded 150 in attacks through the rest of that year. The victims included judges, lawyers, policemen and others. Six Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen leaders were hanged in March and many of its followers are on the run. “The executions did not break our morale, rather inspired us to carry forward their mission,” the militant said in the interview, conducted in an undisclosed jungle location. “We have several thousand cadres ready, including many to operate suicide missions.”
The militant said one funding means was “our people who work in Saudi Arabia”, who send some of their own savings and collect from other sources. “We are ready to strike again, soon,” he added.
The Islamists faced some operational difficulties because of a state of emergency in Bangladesh now, but hoped to overcome those soon, the militant said. “Now we have drafted young and old, and even women. They are all trained and equipped.”
Asked what mission he wanted to achieve, the militant said “to establish Allah’s rule in the soil of Allah”. “Anyone who accepts our demand is a friend, anyone who don’t is an enemy. And we will finish them.” He denied any links with the Taliban or other violent groups outside Bangladesh. Defence analyst retired major-general Shahedul Anam Khan told ETV the threat of car bombings could be real, but it might take some time before there was an attack.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/18/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
"We have regrouped, received funding from Saudi Arabia ..."
#3
When does India play Bangladesh? Losing a cricket match is always a good excuse to go boom.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
05/18/2007 10:35 Comments ||
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#4
I'd like India to "play" Bangladesh with about 10 Infantry divisions, 5 armored divisions, 2 engineer divisions, and enough aircraft to turn the sky black. Herd all the mooselimbs into the Bay of Bengal and let them drown. Mooselimbs can pray to allan to give them a bridge. If he doesn't, gee, that's TOUGH!
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
05/18/2007 13:39 Comments ||
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#5
I expect there will be a Jihad-Crossfire edition of RAB activities in the not-too-distant future.
Fatwah vs. shutterguns and the dreaded Round of Bullet.
A Colombian police officer held hostage by leftist guerrillas for almost nine years has escaped after slipping from his captors and fleeing through the jungle for more than a fortnight.
Jhon Frank Pinchao walked, swam and crawled for 17 days through the dense Amazonian rainforest before running into a counter-narcotics patrol on Wednesday.
Exhausted, emaciated and tearful, the policeman told how he had been held by guerrillas of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or Farc, in a jungle camp alongside three American intelligence contractors and a French-Colombian former presidential candidate. They are among about 60 hostages held by the Farc as bargaining chips in a hoped-for prisoner exchange with the Colombian Government.
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THE Taliban said today it had arrested a close aide to the rebel movement's slain commander Mullah Dadullah for treachery that led to his killing. “We have captured the spy who helped US forces kill Mullah Dadullah,” Taliban spokesman Shohabudin Atal said from Quetta an undisclosed location.
Dadullah, known as the Taliban's top military strategist, was killed in southern Afghanistan's Helmand province last Friday in a joint Afghan and international operation. One-legged Dadullah was the most senior Taliban figure to be killed since the 2001 toppling of the extremist group's government. Spokesman Atal declined to disclose the name of the captured man but said Dadullah had stopped at the house of the suspect in Helmand's Bahramcha district when he came under attack from Coalition forces. Atal said the fate of the suspected informer was undecided, but the hardliners have previously executed people they have accused of spying for foreign forces operating in the country.
The spokesman said Dadullah's body was removed by his fighters but the same suspect passed on the information to Coalition forces, who moved in and seized the corpse, which was later displayed to the media. Asked how the rebels knew the man was a spy, Atal said: “Each time there was a (Coalition) strike the man would disappear and then reappear after the bombing was over.”
Atal said the man had confessed to being a spy for the US. The Afghan national intelligence department in Kabul said Wednesday the rebel commander was tracked “with (the) most modern intelligence technology from the Pakistani border before being killed”. NATO forces, which helped in the operation, said “as soon as we had information he was in the country, we pinpointed him very well and we started tracking him”.
#1
I hope that the guy they're holding is a loyal Talibunny that we framed with a nice little collateral disinformation campaign.
(I'd like to think we're devious enough to think of it and crafty enough to pull it off, anyway.)
Mr. Atal, please be advised that there's more where he came from. Your organization is riddled with double agents. Better lay on a full-scale purge while you're at it.
Posted by: Mike ||
05/18/2007 9:58 Comments ||
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#2
I think the Taliban have a patsy. Or the one guy that was peeing in a bush when the bomb hit. Must have been a traitor, huh?
#11
If this is true then i can only hope the extraction scheme failed, because if the good guys made promises they coundn't keep, it may become harder to turn others.
#12
Why would you assume it has any truth. About as likely to catch a real US spy as are the Paki talibs, i.e. 0%. Pick a stooge and make a public spectacle of his "confession" and execution for the rubes. It's to deter any Afghans or Pakis from even thinking about turning them in.
Posted by: ed ||
05/18/2007 13:59 Comments ||
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Dadullah had stopped at the house of the suspect in Helmand's Bahramcha district when he came under attack from Coalition forces.
Now renamed the Baroomcha District.
“Each time there was a (Coalition) strike the man would disappear and then reappear after the bombing was over.”
"Real Taliban don't take cover when bombs are falling. Muslim pride, ya know!"
Three U.S. soldiers slaughtered in a grisly kidnapping-murder plot south of Baghdad last June were not properly protected during a mission that was poorly planned or executed, a military investigation has concluded. Two military officers have been relieved of their commands as a result of the litany of mistakes, but neither face criminal charges, a military official familiar with the investigation told The Associated Press on Wednesday.
A report on the investigation said the platoon leader and company commander -- whose names were not released -- failed to provide proper supervision to the unit or enforce military standards. A seven-page summary of the investigation provided to the mouthbreathers at AP also said it appears insurgents may have rehearsed the attack two days earlier, and that Iraqi security forces near the soldiers' outpost probably saw and heard the attack and "chose to not become an active participant in the attack on either side."
"This was an event caused by numerous acts of complacency, and a lack of standards at the platoon level," said the investigating officer, Lt. Col. Timothy Daugherty, in the summary.
... the platoon did not get the supervision or direction it needed.
According to the investigation of last June's attack, Tucker, Menchaca and Babineau were ordered to guard a mobile bridge over a canal to prevent insurgents from planting mines. Other members of their platoon, who were at two locations up to three-quarters of a mile away, heard small-arms fire at 7:49 p.m. When they arrived at the checkpoint about 25 minutes later, Babineau was dead and the others were gone. Daugherty said the soldiers were told to stand guard for up to 36 hours with just one Humvee, and there were no barriers on the road to slow access to them or provide early warning. To expect them to operate an observation post for 24 to 36 hours was unrealistic, he said. "From the time a vehicle was seen, it would have been in front or beside the (Humvee) in a matter of seconds," he wrote.
Daugherty concluded that the platoon did not get the supervision or direction it needed. And he said the unit was hurt by the loss of 10 troops, including several leaders, who were killed in action as well as by the need to shuffle the platoon's leadership three times. Daugherty said there was no malicious intent by the officers who were leading the unit. "Although the leaders in this platoon care and are staying in the fight, the platoon is frayed," he said in his report.
Lt. Gen. James D. Thurman, who was serving as the commander of U.S. forces in Baghdad last year, ordered the investigation, and later handed out the punishments. His decision to remove the two officers -- a lieutenant and a captain -- from their commands was a harsher penalty than the one recommended by Daugherty, who suggested they get letters of reprimand. Thurman, who is now commander of Fifth Corps in Heidelberg, Germany, also accepted Daugherty's recommendations that the platoon be ordered to stand down for 10 days to address combat stress and get refresher training. In addition, administrative actions were taken against an unknown number of other officers, but those have not been disclosed because they are protected by the privacy act.
#2
"and that Iraqi security forces near the soldiers' outpost probably saw and heard the attack and "chose to not become an active participant in the attack on either side."
Forgot this. Isn't this just dandy ? Not only did they stand by without alerting US forces, they were probably clapping, screaming in joy at Allan's Snackbar, and ululating until they fell down and writhed on the ground. They may have tipped off the perps as to precise location of US troops. Why is it again we give one damn about these camels ?
Great. Don't terrorists sort of depend on the population they are parasites to not rising against them? I would call that tacitly siding with the terrorists.
#5
The CO was screwed either way. Had he requested more troops, he would have been laughed at, and told to just get it done. So he tried to just get it done, and didn't. Now he is screwed because he had to divide his forces into units too small to defend themselves from any kind of coordinated attack. I've been there....and sometimes in war there are no good options.
The death toll from a bomb blast at one of India's oldest mosques has risen to nine, while three more people have reportedly died in later protests.
Police say an improvised explosive device went off in the Mecca Mosque in the southern Hyderabad city as thousands of worshippers attended prayers. Authorities say at least 17 others received shrapnel injuries in the deafening blast. They say the bomb was placed close to the prayer area in the ancient shrine and exploded close to around 1,000 devotees.
Officials say two other unexploded "improvised devices" were later defused.
Body parts appear to have been flung into the air in the explosion, according to footage shown by the Aaj Tak news television network.
The Press Trust of India says anti-riot police appear to have shot dead three people in violent protests following the attack on the 17th-century shrine. "There is confusion whether the other three [shot dead] succumbed to injuries or in subsequent police firing on people protesting in the aftermath of the explosion," the domestic news agency said.
Thirty-two protesters were hurt in the clashes with the police in Muslim-majority Hyderabad. The Intelligence Bureau has confirmed at least two deaths in police firing.
Reports are coming in of a blast at the Mecca Masjid in Old Hyderabad. The blast occurred during Friday Prayers as the mosque. Mecca Masjid is the largest mosque in Hyderabad and is located near the famous Char Minar.
Terrorists have targeted Hindu Temples and Moslem Mosques in attacks in India over the past 5-6 years, with designs of starting religious riots. The Indian society has not seen riots since 2002 Godhra incident and has stood firm against malicious designs of the enemy.
There is also sufficient reason to suspect a maoist/naxal link to this attack.
Maoism is traditionally opposed to all religion and Hinduism and Islam are two of the largest religious groups in India, often having hostile relations with Maoists.
Rubbish. The Indian left is a big supporter of the Islamists, seeing them as allies against the establishment. The communists and the Islamists both seek the destruction of the state. There is no history of Naxal violence against muslims.
Mecca Masjid is known as the city's oldest mosque. Nearly 10,000 people gather at the mosque for Friday prayers. Police said the explosion appeared to have been caused by an unsophisticated device. However, the motive behind the blast was still not clear. Further details are awaited.
Posted by: John Frum ||
05/18/2007 07:16 ||
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#1
And the response of the muslim mob to this bombing, most probably the work of fellow muslims?
Why they pelt the Police with stones of course.
And set fire to cars...
Posted by: John Frum ||
05/18/2007 7:26 Comments ||
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Video and CD shop owners in NWFP have been warned to close their business within the next 10 days or “be ready to face severe results”, Geo television reported on Thursday. The channel said an anonymous letter was delivered to a main video and CD dealer in Noshehra warning the shop owners to stop supplying video films and CDs to retailers. In meeting the video shop owners said they were closing their businesses. The channel said the Noshehra district nazim also gave a 48-hour ultimatum to stop the sale of videos and CDs.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/18/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Who the hell will be able to distribute Binny's docu-dramas and Zawa's sermons? Sort of self defeating isn't it?
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
05/18/2007 10:42 Comments ||
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Authorities on Thursday pardoned a Taliban leader with suspected links to Al Qaeda after he renounced terrorism and pledged loyalty to the government. Maulvi Faqir Mohammad agreed not to participate “in any terrorist activity in the country and pledged support to the government in defending the country’s borders,” local administration chief Shakil Qadir told AFP. Mohammad, from Bajaur, succeeded Maulvi Liaqat who died in a military airstrike on a religious school that killed 80 people in October.
Mohammad signed a formal agreement with the 12-member jirga promising that he would cooperate with the government in maintaining stability of the country and defence of its borders, Qadir said. “All doubts and suspicions about him had been removed” after the jirga met Faqir and his supporters in his home village of Damadola on Thursday, Qadir said.
This article starring:
MAULVI FAQIR MOHAMAD
Taliban
MAULVI LIAQAT
Taliban
Posted by: Fred ||
05/18/2007 00:00 ||
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Why sure, renounced, that'll work?
Posted by: Captain America ||
05/18/2007 0:27 Comments ||
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CA, happens, in rare instances, I could name at least 2 converts from jihad. Of course, within Pakiwaki, unheard of.
A curfew was imposed in Tank city on Thursday after unidentified men attacked security check posts and government buildings on Wednesday. A contingent of 200 soldiers has been deployed in the city to restore peace. Tank police chief Mumtaz Zareen confirmed to NNI that troops had been deployed in the city. He said that militants were present in several areas of the city. In another development, police arrested 25 suspects for involvement in attacks on security forces on Wednesday. Also, intermediate examinations in Tank starting from May 19 have been postponed for an indefinite period. Education Department Chairman Bashir Ahmed said the exams had been postponed due to the tense situation in Dera Ismail Khan district.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/18/2007 00:00 ||
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LAKKI MARWAT: Three officials of Salinity Project of Pakistan Atomic Energy Commission of Pakistan (PAECP) were seriously injured when some unknown Taliban militants entered the office at midnight and opened firing on them, police said on Thursday. Unknown armed assailants posing as Taliban militants
entered the office of Salinity Project run by PAECP by scaling up the wall, roused the officials from sleep and asked them to hand over the keys of vehicles, an official in Serai Naurang police station quoted Site In Charge of the project Aasim as saying in his FIR and told that on refusal the militants opened fire leaving three employees identified as field assistant Iftikhar of Dargai Malakand Agency, a cook Nazir of Kot Kashmir and a watchman Mir Salam of Baistkhel (Lakki Marwat) seriously injured.
The injured were rushed to civil hospital Serai Naurang wherefrom they were shifted to Bannu in a precarious condition", police further told and added that a case had been registered against the unidentified accused persons under relevant section of law as the incident was reported by Site In Charge of the project Aasim and investigation was underway.
Also five officials of a cellular company were kidnapped along with vehicle they were travelling in near Kurrum bridge on Indus Highway in the area limits of Dadiwala police station, officials sources confirmed. The officials of Mobilink Cellular Company had come to the area to overlook/supervise the ongoing work on laying out optical fiber", sources said.
#2
How do they know that they were unknown armed assailants posing as Taliban militants? They could've been Taliban militants posing as unknown armed assailants.
#1
This guy has sound, reasoned analysis. I wonder if anyone in Washington is listening?
Posted by: Mac ||
05/18/2007 18:51 Comments ||
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Sistani’s appeal does not end at the Iraqi border, as Iranians increasingly observe his leadership with interest and fondness. Some are “intrigued by the more freewheeling experiment in Shi'ite empowerment taking place across the border in Iraq,” which is fundamentally different in approach than the Iranian theocratic brand of dictated observance and obedience.
Much like the proverbial sunken busload of lawyers, it's a good start.
At the end of the day, it must be acknowledged – particularly by American political leaders – that the situation is improving going forward, particularly because Iraqis themselves are taking ownership of the survival and security of their own country, neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city and troubled province by troubled province. While the Sunni tribal leaders increasingly reject al-Qaeda and transform into the terrorists’ newest and most damaging new enemy, the Shi’a leadership also has begun to internally acknowledge the shallowness and duplicity of Iran’s stated support for them.
This is much better. If continued progress of this clear a nature can be maintained then there may yet be hope.
#3
I hope Steve Schippert is correct in his assessment. That would be really good news. I didn't think one man (Petreaus) could turn things around--hope it's true for the sake of Iraq and for the sake of the West.
#4
At the end of the day, it must be acknowledged – particularly by American political leaders – that the situation is improving going forward
If by "American political leaders" the author means "Democrats in Congress", I think that if it is acknowledged it will be in a very backhanded way: by redoubling and trebling the effort to cut off funding.
Right now, I believe the Dems' game is to continue to present Bush with bills they know he will turn down until the time comes when
a) the time is up. The war will be defunded not through a grandiose act on the floor of the House or Senate, but through political posturing.
or
b) Not wanting to let it get that far, Bush will sign whatever craptastic bill they present him at the 11th hour.
What the political toll will be on Democrats to follow is unknown. I suspect that their reputation as Weak On Defense will be cemented for another generation.
I pray for a good resolution and our troops in the field. I believe that if allowed to do what they do best, our fighting men and women will succeed.
I think Dems know they will, too... and it scares 'em to think of what will happen if they do succeed despite their best efforts.
#5
If you think Murtha went crazy when a Republican congressman didn't vote for an earmark for a defense company in Murtha's district, just think what he will do when the services start terminating contracts for "the convenience of the Government" in his district because there is no longer sufficient money to complete them. That day is coming for Murtha and his compatriots. In April, DoD transferred $1.6B from Air Force and Navy personnel accounts to the Army to pay for Iraq. Last week DoD moved another $1.4B. As this drags on, the drain will hit procurement accounts as well. When the choice is between a makework project in Johnstown and bullets for the troops, Murtha's earmarks are going to be rescinded. The services' normal fear of pissing off a powerful chairman like Murtha is going away. After all, what's he going to do, not fund them?
I cannot believe my eyes and ears in Anbar. Very quiet where I am. Did a foot patrol today with Iraqi Army and a couple of Marines. Local population was friendly. Have not heard a shot fired in anger in days. (Whereas before the sounds of war were nearly always in the air.)
Posted by: Mike ||
05/18/2007 12:26 ||
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#1
Have the sunni terrorists moved to Diyala or Baghdad, or have they truly laid down their arms? If the former, the problem has simply moved down the line; if the latter, we're winning.
Posted by: Jonathan ||
05/18/2007 12:36 Comments ||
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#2
With Clear and Hold, it's the Hold part that remains problematic. Still, it's a good sign.
#3
Jonathan,
If they have moved out of Anbar, that is very good news. The other hot spots are near the Iranian border.
It means the only thing keeping the "Sunni insurgency" alive is Iran. (Plus our own media, of course).
Al
Posted by: Frozen Al ||
05/18/2007 12:58 Comments ||
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#4
Why would Iran (Shia) keep a Sunni insurgency alive? I think the Sunni insurgency is basically the Baathist tribes loyal to Saddam and his inner circle plus the AQ and the released Abu Grahib prison population (on eve of the war). What is happening is the Petraeus Theory of CI in practice - get the other tribes on your side, give them money to do the things they want to do (not what some State ninny wants to do), make yourself visible (not barracked) and protect them while they wean out the bad guys. Seems to be working.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
05/18/2007 13:42 Comments ||
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#5
According to Yon and others, the Anbar tribes, most of them, have switched sides. They are actively going after the al Q foreigners and have even sent a force to another province to fight briefly.
The recruits for the police and army have to take a number and the locals are showing up at Marine OPs with IEDs they've found.
Possibly the result down the road would be enough organization and power to become semi-autonomous.
But, in any event, the Sunnis don't want to pay what the Shia want to collect for their part in Saddaam's repression.
They can't avoid that if they lose, so doing the best they can to position themselves on the winning side is their best bet.
Now that the jarheads have demonstrated that they'd lose.
Posted by: RIchard Aubrey ||
05/18/2007 14:48 Comments ||
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From Steve Schippert at The Tank of National Review... from his observations, Diyala is going the way of Anbar... join together and fight
The sectarian violence of Sunni v. Shi'a is not an intrinsic Iraqi development, but rather a foreign instigation. Al-Qaeda in Iraq is led by foreign terrorists, its funding and direction comes from foreign sources and 80-90% of its suicide bombers are foreign (the majority of the 'shaheeds' being Yemeni).
On the Shi'a side, the majority of the extra-judicial killing (EJK) cells are professionally trained by the IRGC in Iran and paid by the Iranian government. They are the extremist core (appx. 3,000) of what once was Muqtada al-Sadr's 'Mahdi Army' that remains active. The rest of Muqtada's 'army' (estimated by the Baker Commission at around 60,000) has been splintered and largely returned to the basic street thuggery and neighborhood criminal activity.
The Iranian-backed and directed EJK cells' express mission is to hunt and kill Sunnis to drive them from mixed Baghdad neighborhoods and instigate sectarian violence through Sunni reprisals. The goal: Chaos.
Al-Qaeda in Iraq employs the 'spectacular' car and truck bombs expressly to kill two groups of Iraqis. First are the Sunni tribes who have refused to submit to al-Qaeda rule and surrender their sons to al-Qaeda's jihad, such as the Abu Issa tribe of the Fallujah area, which is split along rural/urban lines regarding al-Qaeda. Indeed, the 'recalcitrant' bands of the Abu Issa have been targeted with at least one of al-Qaeda's widely publicized chlorine-laden bombs. The Goal: Tribal Submission.
The second group targeted by al-Qaeda are Shi'a civilians for the purpose of instigating sectarian violence though Shi'a reprisals. After all, foreigner-led al-Qaeda successfully touched off the debilitating sectarian violence by bombing the Shi'a al-Askari mosque in Samara on February 22, 2006 only after talk of reconciliation following the successful Iraqi elections and constitutional referendum. This earned them the perception of Iraqi civil war. The Goal: Chaos.
Essentially, over one year later, if the sectarian killings are down, al-Qaeda must address this. And with the security in Baghdad tighter (because of that horrible phrase, "The Surge") and the holes within it fewer, the number of opportunities have declined. Therefor, when a hole is found, al-Qaeda's going to get their money's worth. The attacks are far fewer, but each bomb is far larger.
So when 'some critics' point out that violence from death squads is down but car bombs are still going off and killing people, it should be considered that the 'Mahdi Army' has been splintered with its leadership (Sadr and his top men) driven from Iraq, and that al-Qaeda in Iraq has not been dealt such a blow yet. But the rise of Sheikh Abdul Sattar's Anbar Salvation Council and the defection of Iraqi tribes from al-Qaeda to his anti-al-Qaeda movement is 'putting the squeeze' on al-Masri and his terrorist cohorts.
Yes, they are still capable of loading explosives into cars and trucks. And they are even capable of conducting a successful Hamas/Hizballah-style troop abduction. But they didn't relocate their corporate headquarters from Anbar province to the smaller Diyala province because the rent was cheaper and the amusement parks better. And even in Diyala, the Sattar-aligned Diyala Salvation Council has risen from the dusty streets, already taking on al-Qaeda to reclaim their home.
Meanwhile, the observant will note that US and Iraqi forces are taking positions around Diyala, still gathering to sufficient numbers. And likely in a matter of weeks, General Petraeus will finally loose the dogs of war.
TIKRIT, Iraq, May 17, 2007 — As coalition and Iraqi security forces continue to provide security and stability throughout Diyala Province, Iraq, many tribal leaders are also united in their efforts to bring peace and stand up against al-Qaida in Iraq.
After a peace agreement was signed between the paramount sheiks of the Karki and Shimouri tribes, April 30, other tribal leaders gathered throughout the region to do the same – provide peace and protection for their people and their lands.
At the Al Abarrah Iraq Army compound, local leaders gathered, May 10, to pave a way ahead for peace between some of the rival villages and gain a commitment toward a unified stand against al-Qaida while supporting the government. The leaders also focused on establishing a police force in Zaganiyah.
“We’re beginning to have real success in the area,” said U.S. Army Capt. Michael Few, A Company, 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment commander, who is attached to the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division. “As long as we can continue these talks, there is hope for the people of Diyala.”
You might want to read that entire article. Diyala may become the teorrists last stand if Petraeus does "loose the dogs of war".
#12
Why would Iran (Shia) keep a Sunni insurgency alive?
Because their interests lie more in stirring up trouble than in taking over. By keeping the violence at a fever pitch, they make the US look bad -- might even hand the US another defeat. They also prevent a stable, free, Arab nation with a Shia majority from popping up and challenging their dictatorship.
Posted by: Rob Crawford ||
05/18/2007 18:23 Comments ||
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Kill journalists to control the information flow to the public. Rather uncivilized, don't you think? Must be another Bush war crime. Or Muslim act of righteousness - I sometimes get them mixed up.
And it works: this is why western journos generally don't go outside the Green Zone and instead rely on native stringers. The latter are controlled either by the Ba'athists or by the Sadrists. Any wonder why we get the reporting we do?
BAGHDAD - Two Iraqi journalists working for ABC News were ambushed and killed as they drove home from work, the television network announced Friday. The attack took place Thursday afternoon when unknown assailants attacked the car carrying cameraman Alaa Uldeen Aziz, 33, and soundman Saif Laith Yousuf, 26, from the network's Baghdad bureau, ABC News President David Westin said in a statement posted on the ABC News Web site.
Journalists have been frequently targeted by violence in Iraq. The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists has recorded 102 journalists and 39 media support workers killed and 48 journalists abducted since the 2003 U.S.-led invasion of Iraq. Those numbers do not include those killed in the latest attack.
Last week, three journalists were killed along with their driver in a drive-by shooting near the northern city of Kirkuk. Gunmen also stormed the offices of the independent Radio Dijla in a predominantly Sunni area in western Baghdad earlier this month, killing two employees and wounding five before destroying the building and knocking the station off the air.
#1
Is it the British Journalists' Union who want to make killing reporters a war crime? Of course, they'd intended that to be a knife in the throat of the Bush Administration...
#3
I agree with both of you - when do you think the jouros will catch on?
Yeah, I didn't think so either.
Posted by: Bobby ||
05/18/2007 9:35 Comments ||
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#4
By taking sides, as the journalists have done, and allowing themselves to be used as weapons of war, journalists made themselves combatants.
I predicted this several years ago - that the media's willingness to be used to influence the outcome of the war would result in their becoming legitimate targets. I'm surprised it took so long.
About 50 suspected insurgents attacked a U.S. base in the center of a city north of the capital Friday, sparking a battle with U.S. soldiers and helicopters that killed at least six militants, the Iraqi army said. They attacked the base, but the AP still calls them "suspected insurgents"
The fighting took place in Baqouba, a Sunni insurgent stronghold that has seen a recent spike in violence largely blamed on militants who fled a 3-month-old security crackdown in Baghdad. Poor little insurgents! Forced out of Baghdad, were they?
At 7 a.m. Friday, the day of rest in mostly Muslim Iraq, about 50 suspected insurgents who might have just been quail hunting opened fire on a U.S.-Iraqi base in downtown Baqouba, 35 miles northeast of Baghdad, wounding two Iraqi soldiers, an Iraqi army officer said. U.S. forces and helicopters responded at 7:30 a.m., killing at least six insurgents, the Iraqi army officer said on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media.
Residents said the fighting sent smoke billowing up from neighborhoods in the area. One resident, who spoke on condition of anonymity for fear of reprisals from militants, said he heard heavy machine gun fire and then men shouting "Allahu Akbar," or God is great in Arabic. Others said they saw U.S. tanks and armored vehicles driving through the street, while aircraft flew overhead.
The base was set up two months ago in a three-story city office building that was abandoned because of the violence in the area, the Iraqi officer said. The U.S. military had no immediate comment on the incident.
Posted by: Bobby ||
05/18/2007 07:05 ||
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#1
This score just in from Baqouba; SIX
More sports later, now back to our program.
#3
Gee, what do you think made them "suspected"? Why not go further and call them unassuming innocence in white frocks holding daisys out to the soldiers behind their bayonets and razor wire fences?
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
05/18/2007 13:45 Comments ||
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#4
They attacked the base, but the AP still calls them "suspected insurgents"
Hey, they might have just been protesters against the latest security wall or Mohamhead cartoon or something.
Iraqi troops backed by US military advisers have detained 16 more suspects in their hunt for three US soldiers captured by Al Qaeda, the US military said on Thursday. “Acting on tips received from the local population, Iraqi special operations forces detained 16 individuals during a search for three US soldiers missing since May 13,” a statement said.
Definitely a moment for genuine Craftsman® tools.
US and Iraqi forces, meanwhile, distributed flyers offering a 252 million dinars (200,000 dollars) reward for information leading to the return of the soldiers “safely to their families.”
The three US soldiers went missing on Saturday after their position was attacked by Al Qaeda insurgents in a pre-dawn raid. Four other US troops and an Iraqi interpreter were also killed during the raid. Thousands of US and Iraqi troops have poured into the area where the attack took place. Meanwhile, at least 14 people were killed on Thursday in separate attacks across the country.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/18/2007 00:00 ||
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#1
Well, their is the alternative of playing endless Barry Manilow or Barbara Streisand music to make em talk.
#2
Resulting from this manhunt, coalition forces have rolled up hundreds of suspects. After water board swim lessons, we should have a mass of info on operations, names, and places. June could be a very busy month.
#4
Well, there is the alternative of playing endless . . . Barbara Streisand music to make 'em talk . . .
That, sir, would be a human rights violation. Fearful torture. Fearful.
So, what'cha waitin' for, guys? Here's a copy of Color Me Barbra and a Yentil soundtrack to get you started. Crank those amps up!
Posted by: Mike ||
05/18/2007 13:10 Comments ||
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#5
Record fingers scraping across a blackboard, put it on endless repeat, and crank the amps up to about 200dB. They'll either crack or go deaf - a win-win situation either way.
Posted by: Old Patriot ||
05/18/2007 14:07 Comments ||
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#6
We don't do torture. Maybe we should, but we don't. I'd like to think we've developed effective pharmacologicals to help bring out useful information in situations like this - but since I haven't seen it in the New York Times I guess we don't.
Of course, we do things in Guantanamo that are called torture: "...he also had his baby pictures taken from him, that cleaners left marks on his cell walls and that detainees have no DVD players or other entertainment. (he) had his beard shaved twice and was forced to wear a protective suicide prevention smock. And he complained that he was only given cheap unscented soap and shampoo, and that in the recreation room there is "no weight lifting machine, no toilet, no sink, no hoops, and even balls them self have little air in them; they hardly bounce." (Fox News)
#2
"We'll shoot till they say 'stop'!" a defense establishment source told Ynet on Thursday after IDF activity in the Gaza Strip was expanded.
"We plan to operate against those who are guilty, not around them; they will be the ones to pay the price. We are aware of their Qassam launching abilities, but the more they launch, the more they will get back," the source said.
Looks like Israel may have finally put down the crack pipe.
#6
This situation calls for just the proportionate response that the Israelis have used so far. That will cause real pain for anyone launching these rockets without the political/military risks of an invasion. Also, it will not give the Palestinian factions any excuse to unite.
#7
the IDF probably has gotten an indication that its agents in Gaza will be able to provide more precise intel than in the past
however, even with this intel, sooner or later there will be some significant civilian causalties or else Hamas will be able to fake some-- then the IDF must say, "well we mourn the innocent but the guilt belongs to Hamas..." and they must repeat and repeat this message.
#12
Bibi doesnt care if Fatah loses. He may want Fatah to lose.
The current govt of Israel, does not want Fatah to lose. A Hamas victory would be a disaster, from their POV. Maybe Egypt will go in, but as a wise man once said "Egypt is a weak reed".
Israel CANNOT afford to do things that cement support for Hamas in Gaza. Any Israeli raids that are not exquisitely precise, any cutting off of water, would do that. At this point they need to figure out if funding and arming Fatah massively is a worthwhile endeavour, or if the arms would only be captured.
Somehow, they need to get Dahlan, whos been sick at a Cairo hospital, back in action.
#13
I'll believe it when I see it. Israel, like so many western governments, may be tough in the beginning, but then weakens and caves. Popular support is a bitch, yo. Especially when the media is supporting the other side.
#14
Which is why the journalists will be the first against the wall if things go very badly. Once the jihadis nuke, say, Paris and Denver and Sydney their treason may be received very differently by whatever form of government the electorate chooses to address the problem.
#16
One problem with cutting off water, electricity, etc. is that the IDF currently depends on an extensive network of informants consisting of disgruntally Hamas troopers, Fatah-informed free lancers, a few genuine pro-freedom types, Israelis posing as Gazans, etc.
The blunt tactics Bibi is advocating tend to suppress the information obtainable from these sources for various reasons.
#17
The only information Israel needs from Gaza is when the Paleo's are leaving. There will be no two state solution because Arabs can't be trusted to hold to their word.
#20
1) CUT OFF ELECTRIcITY,not water.DON BE NASTY WITH THE POOR CIVILIANS THAT VOTED FOR HAMAS.
2) Lots of chaos in Gaza may mean that we can return that piece of "****" to their original owners: THE EGYPTIANS. They know how to deal with the Muslim Brotherhood baby's.......Let the egyptians deal with Gaza. Then while the Egyptians are busy in Gaza, Israel can return part of the West Bank to the Jordanians, who not only have a Palestinian Queen, but also will deal with Hamas et al in a similar fashion as King hUssein did.
#21
INTERESTING:Jihad Al-Khazen: Arab Countries Must Cut Off Relations With Palestinian Gov't
The former editor of the London daily Al-Hayat, Jihad Al-Khazen, has reversed his recognition of the Palestinian unity government, of Fatah, and of Hamas, and has called on Arab countries to cut off relations with the Palestinian government.
In an article, he stated that Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas should resign because of his weakness as a leader, and because of the smuggling into the Gaza Strip of weapons designated not against Israel but for civil war.
He said that the U.S. had pressured for elections in the PA knowing that Hamas would win, so that it would be able to boycott and besiege the Palestinians on the pretext that Hamas is a terror organization.
Summation and follow-up to the parts of the story we heard yesterday.
GAZA CITY, Gaza Strip (AP) - Israel pounded more Hamas targets with airstrikes, killing 10 people and wounding dozens as it stepped deeper into fighting between the Islamic militants and the rival Fatah fighters of ineffectual Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas.
The latest attack came early Friday morning as Israeli aircraft fired missiles east of Gaza City, killing four Palestinians, at least three of them Hamas militants, and wounding six people, Hamas and Palestinian doctors said. There was no immediate Israeli comment. Two other strikes followed but there was no word of any casualties, the doctors said.
The strikes, a series of Israeli attacks Thursday, and the reported movement of a handful of tanks a few hundred yards into the northern Gaza Strip, followed days of Hamas rocket barrages into Israel. There was no sign of any Israeli military buildup that would indicate plans for a serious intervention into chaotic Gaza, though a few tanks and soldiers moved just across the Gaza border. Israel's government said its attacks were intended solely to discourage rocket attacks on southern Israel.
``Israel will take every defensive measure to stop these rocket attacks. We will defend our citizens against the rockets, against the weapons, against the Iranian-backed Hamas who are attacking Israel,'' government spokeswoman Miri Eisen said.
Analysts said Israeli policy makers were likely trying to walk a narrow line to avoid uniting Palestinian factions into a common front against Israel. Although Israel said it wasn't taking sides, the airstrikes did make it harder for Hamas gunmen to move around and that could help Fatah's fighters, who appeared to have been outfought in the latest round of battles. Hamas fighters have clearly been more motivated in the current fighting and earlier battles in December.
And if Fatah begins to get the upper hand, the Israelis zap some of them. With careful balancing this could go on for months.
Posted by: Steve White ||
05/18/2007 00:00 ||
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#2
No. Israel (well most of Israel) wants Fatah to win. Note there are different views on the effectiveness of the Fatah fighters. they seem to be losing, and Hamas is said to be better trained and more eager, but western diplos per Haaretz said that the Fatah men at the Karni crossing fought well, but were outnumbered.
The Maldives coast guard opened fire on and sank a vessel carrying suspected Tamil Tiger rebels on Thursday after a 12-hour standoff at sea in the island nationÂ’s southern territorial waters, the government said.
However, one man who threw himself overboard before the clash and surrendered, spoke the south Indian language Malayalam and not Tamil, and officials were treating the alleged rebel link with caution. “We have sunk the vessel. We have captured the five people aboard,” Foreign Minister Ahmed Shaheed told Reuters by telephone from the Maldivian capital of Male.
According to a government spokesman, one of the captured men said four people he believed to be Tamil Tigers had boarded his 80-ft fishing trawler at sea and loaded it with guns and mortar bombs. He said confusion arose over an initial coast guard report saying the man had identified himself as a Tamil Tiger.
“We are now treating this with caution, because the man was speaking Malayalam and not Tamil,” said chief government spokesman Mohamed Shareef. The Tigers denied any involvement. “We are not operating in that area,” Tiger military spokesman Rasiah Ilanthiraiyan said from the rebels’ de facto state in Sri Lanka’s far north. “These guys are not our people.”
Neighboring Sri LankaÂ’s navy has sunk several boats and trawlers in recent months suspected of trafficking weaponry for the Tigers across the Palk Strait that separates Sri Lanka and India amid a new chapter in a two-decade civil war. The incident took place several hundred nautical miles off the south of the Maldives archipelago, which in turn sits 800 km off the toe of India and is famed for palm-fringed desert islands and luxury holiday resorts that attract Hollywood stars such as Tom Cruise.
Posted by: Fred ||
05/18/2007 00:00 ||
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#4
She's had since midnight last night to eat that thing and she hasn't made any progress! I'm sure she must be waiting for someone to put their hand on the back of her head . . .
The Rantburg staff would like to welcome the newest addition to the moditorial crew. John Frum has graciously agreed to lend Fred a hand when he isn't tracking down pictures of Indian army hardware.
#6
Look, we really need a permanent link to the mad rainbow of Rantburg mods. I've long given up on remembering who's gray and who's cerulean and who's aquamarine.
If this new feller is poached salmon, is Steve White farm-raised salmon?
#11
Congratulations, John Frum. Have fun herding the Rantburg cats! I'm not so sure about letting Dave D. name colours, though -- he believes his own is Baby Poop Brown, a characterization we discussed. ;-) Granted, though, he can describe exactly where on the colour matrix each colour is, to a level of detail I can't even see. So when he says, "not pink," I have to believe the fault lies in my computer screen... all three of them.
graciously agreed to lend Fred a hand when he isn't tracking down pictures of Indian army hardware.
:-)
You'll like this one
Indian President's Bodyguards, the oldest regiment in the Indian army, raised in 1773 as the "Governor's Troop of Moghuls"
Posted by: John Frum ||
05/18/2007 6:43 Comments ||
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#14
Thanks for taking on the job, John. Sometimes the 'Burg's inhabitants get a bit rowdy but certainly no more than a dustup between Muzzys and Hindus!
Posted by: Mac ||
05/18/2007 6:58 Comments ||
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#15
Nice to see the Indian Army still has cavalry. The British were obsessed with how to get enough suitable horses to equip their cavalry in India. Never did solve the problem as I recall.
#31
Fred, your color chart looks like the pants rack in my closet. Mrs. Remoteman is from those parts of Long Island where they speak without moving their jaw and everyone dresses like they were an ice cream cone.
#34
RB mods are an impressive group and John's addition will make it an even more impressive one. Congrats, always look forward to your posts and comments.
btw who knew twobyfour was once a mod? >:>
common knowledge: everyone knows that Pappy is old and grey!
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
Rantburg was assembled from recycled algorithms in the United States of America. No
trees were destroyed in the production of this weblog. We did hurt some, though. Sorry.
KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A double bombing tore through the centre of AfghanistanÂ’s southern city of Kandahar Thursday, killing seven security guards and policemen, a provincial police chief said. Both blasts were apparently caused by remotely detonated bombs.
Islamist militants in Bangladesh are preparing to launch car bomb attacks and carry out other deadly missions, one self-described militant commander said in a rare interview with a private television channel. 
THE Taliban said today it had arrested a close aide to the rebel movement's slain commander 
Iraqi troops backed by US military advisers have detained 16 more suspects in their hunt for three US soldiers captured by Al Qaeda, the US military said on Thursday. “Acting on tips received from the local population, Iraqi special operations forces detained 16 individuals during a search for three US soldiers missing since May 13,” a statement said.
