The separate US-led coalition, which works alongside ISAF and the Afghan security forces, said it killed around four dozen Taliban fighters in two straight days of fighting elsewhere in Helmand. Nearly three dozen were killed Saturday and more than a dozen on Friday in fighting in the Musa Qala area, an insurgent hotbed. Both battles were sparked by ambushes which Afghan and coalition soldiers beat back with return fire and help from war planes, the force said. The fighting was "part of a larger operation to disrupt terrorist activities in the Helmand province," it said in a statement.
Helmand produces most of Afghanistan's opium which the United Nations says accounts for up 93 percent of world supply. The top US commander in Afghanistan, General Dan McNeill, said this week he estimated up to 40 percent of the Taliban's income comes from opium, the raw ingredient of heroin. The Taliban have been in control of the Musa Qala district centre for months and officials have said the small town has become a headquarters for rebels who are assisted by foreign "jihadists" in their bid to topple the US-backed Kabul government.
In other bloodshed, two policemen were killed and four wounded Saturday when a bomb blew up their pick-up in the eastern province of Paktia, provincial police chief Ismatullah Alizai said, blaming the Taliban. Unknown gunmen meanwhile shot dead a tribal elder in the same province, he said.
A toddler died when she was struck by a gunshot from a NATO soldier while troops killed four dozen Taliban in two days of battles in Afghanistan's top opium-growing area, officials said Saturday. NATO's International Security Assistance Force said it deeply regretted the death of the child in the southern province of Helmand on Friday. Helmand provincial police chief Mohammad Hussain Andiwal said the girl was two years old and the incident had happened outside her home.
An ISAF soldier fired a single shot to stop a vehicle from coming too close to a military patrol, the force said in a statement. The bullet allegedly ricocheted and hit the child although the incident was being investigated, it said. "Sometime later, a family brought a child suffering from a gunshot wound to the head to an ISAF base for medical attention. Unfortunately, the child died," it said.
Several civilians have been killed in Afghanistan this year by warning shots fired to stop people approaching international security force checkpoints and patrols. Troops are the main target of Taliban suicide bombs, often delivered by car or fixed to a person who launches himself at the soldiers.
This article starring:
General Dan McNeill
Ismatullah Alizai
Mohammad Hussain Andiwal
Musa Qala
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
#1
The Talibs have made a concerted effort to hold this region. We have killed hundreds in the last three months in one pitched battle after another. They appear to believe that they can win by fighting us toe to toe. The Afghan Army has done quite well in these battles though without our air support it would be a much tougher fight.
In summary, we're killing them in droves on their battlefield, in their fight and at the time of their choosing. Can't beat that with a stick!
#2
Dying for a benighted strip of dirt seems to be their prime tradition, followed closely by misogyny, illiteracy, disease and corruption.
Posted by: M. Murcek ||
10/21/2007 8:27 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Sounds like they are down to the dumbasses and derelicts at this point. All the village idiots that they gathered throughout the region as a last resort, while the big shots hide in a cave somewhere in another country.
#4
The wizened village elders that nobly chose to stay behind so the young bucks could die in the way of jihad will have their pick of the comeliest maidens for their four wives.
#5
I keep saying this isn't war, this is bowling. The Talibunnies simply can't go toe-to-toe with our guys, not even with the ANA, and they're proving it.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/21/2007 13:15 Comments ||
Top||
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - Fighting at a refugee camp in southern Darfur has left several people dead and others missing, an African Union official said Saturday.
The clashes in the Kalama refugee camp broke out over differences among tribal groups that signed a peace agreement with the Sudanese government in 2006 and those who did not sign, according to Al Sahafa, an independent daily newspaper reporting from Darfur. Al Sahafa reported that at least five people were killed and nine were injured.
AU spokesman Noureddine Mezni said "a number of parties were implicated" in the fighting Thursday. He would not elaborate or provide an exact death toll, citing an ongoing investigation.
"We can confirm that a number of persons were killed and others are missing, and the investigations are still going on about the whole episode," Mezni said. "We call upon all parties to refrain from any escalation of the situation, especially at a time preparations are being made to engage in the peace negotiations in Sirte, Libya," Mezni said.
Al Sahafa reported that senior government officials, including the interior and defense ministers and the national intelligence chief, were in the region to try resolve the situation.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Sudan
BRITISH special forces have crossed into Iran several times in recent months as part of a secret border war against the Iranian Revolutionary GuardĀs Al-Quds special forces, defence sources have disclosed. There have been at least half a dozen intense firefights between the SAS and arms smugglers, a mixture of Iranians and ShiĀite militiamen.
The unreported fighting straddles the border between Iran and Iraq and has also involved the Iranian military firing mortars into Iraq. UK commanders are concerned that Iran is using a militia ceasefire to step up arms supplies in preparation for an offensive against their base at Basra airport.
An SAS squadron is carrying out operations along the Iranian border in Maysan and Basra provinces with other special forces, the Australian SAS and American special-operations troops.
They are patrolling the border, ambushing arms smugglers bringing in surface-to-air missiles and components for roadside bombs. ĀLast month, they were involved in six significant contacts, which killed 17 smugglers and recovered weapons, explosives and missiles,Ā a source said. It was not clear if any of the dead were Iranian.
Could have been Samoans, you never know ...
There have been persistent reports of American special-operations missions inside Iran preparing for a possible attack. But the sources said British troops were solely stopping arms smuggling.
Works for me. Let the SAS do their job and our SF guys will do theirs ...
The fighting comes amid an increase in US and British intelligence operations against Iran. BritainĀs forces have more than 70 Farsi experts monitoring Iranian communications, and the intelligence is shared with the United States. Seven American U2 spy planes have passed through RAF Fairford in Gloucestershire this year on their way to Akrotiri in Cyprus or Al-Dhafra in Abu Dhabi, the bases for flights over Iran.
Oh great, let's disclose more of our intel effort to the public sphere, the Iranians will never figure it out ...
The Al-Quds force has been increasing its arms supplies to both the ShiĀite militias in Iraq and the Taliban in Afghanistan. Officially, Britain has been careful not to blame the Iranian government. But senior British officials have confirmed to The Sunday Times that it would not happen without the backing of the Iranian leadership. They pointed out that Gen Qassem Suleimani, the head of the Al-Quds force, has direct access to Ayatollah Khamenei, supreme leader of Iran.
Correct. That's why it's perfectly okay for the SAS and US SFs to whack the Al Quds guys and the gun-runners, and why we shouldn't say a word about it publicly. Sauce, goose, gander ...
#1
snuff the runners and turn the weapons back into Iran for rebels to use
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/21/2007 13:42 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Raise the cost for Iranian mischief.. Flood the Zone with Madonna and Britney tunes.
Posted by: Red Dawg ||
10/21/2007 13:50 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Since the Iranians are sending more developed weapons to Iraq, if the lads happen to capture some of the more high tech samples, that would be good too. Funniest if Iranian SAMs start taking out Iranian aircraft with al-Quds in them.
#5
sounds like it's been the Brit hierarchy's testicular shortage, not the guys on the ground. Bad ROE can tie up the best of warriors, no?
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/21/2007 16:45 Comments ||
Top||
#6
The SAS: Yet another reason there will always be an England.
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
10/21/2007 19:12 Comments ||
Top||
#7
Now now, the SAS may have been doing this for quite a long time and we just didn't know about it. And frankly, I'd favor us continuing not to know about it; I'd equally favor the SAS continuing to do the good work they're doing ...
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/21/2007 19:45 Comments ||
Top||
#8
SAS? What SAS?
Posted by: Frank G ||
10/21/2007 19:49 Comments ||
Top||
#9
To whine an old whine - and with the slightest hope that in fact such things have been taking place in the dark - it almost pains me to hear of "intense firefights". There is really no excuse for any contact with our enemies of the sort described being anything other than a complete annihilation of the enemy. If there is "contact" inside Iran, the enemy should be obliterated from the air, at the least.
We took the momentous, amazing step of invading and occupying one of the key Arab countries, which just happens to border our main global enemy, and we SEEM to have failed to exploit this situation, especially when the enemy was so unwise as to directly intervene in the festivities next door.
The al-Quds force - and other IGRC or other Iranian outfits of interest - must sleep somewhere, they must have facilities, properties, etc. That is, the enemy has an address. We should have long ago seen the strains within Iran as a result of our relentless killing of IGRC, intel, and other personnel, including inside Iran. The outcome may be the same in the end, but I fear the cost in Coalition and allied Iraqi lives will be much higher than it should have been.
#10
PAYVAND.com > IRAN NEWS > A LESSON FROM HISTORY IN ATTACKING IRAN. Iran's greatest weapon agz US is TIME. As long as Iran controls the initiative vv America, Iran does NOT need sophisticated weapons, or Nukes-WMDS, or Terror proxies, etal. to defeat the US = US policies. AMERICA WILL MOSTLY DEFEAT ITSELF LONG BEFORE ANY US MILFORS EVEN TOUCH IRANIAN SOIL; + AN ANTI-IMPERIALIST CASE AGZ IRAN'S NUCLEAR PROGRAM.
Will that be a motive for an incursion within iraq?
ANKARA - The Turkish military said Sunday that 12 soldiers were killed in an attack by Kurdish rebels in southeastern Turkey near the Iraqi border.
A stupid move, but a move of calculated stupidity.
Turkish private television channel NTV said 16 soldiers were killed and 10 others were also taken hostage by the rebels of the Kurdistan Workers' Party, or PKK.
Since the parliament has just voted to allow the Turkish army to go into Iraqi Kurdistan to clean up the mess, the PKK obviously wants to make sure that happens. I'm guessing they think it will lead to internal convulsions within Turkey and advance their cause. I'm guessing the Turks are going to kick their tails.
One of the few things the quasi-Islamists and the military-seculars agree on in Turkey is the need to stomp the PKK ...
The military said it killed 23 guerrillas in an offensive launched in retaliation for the attack, according to the Associated Press.
See what I mean?
The attack by the PKK rebels occurred in Hakkari Province, according to NTV. The state-run Anatolia news agency reported that the rebels attacked the unit with heavy machinery, adding that several soldiers were injured. "A large PKK group that infiltrated across our borders launched a three-pronged attack on an infantry company near the town of Daglica, and in the ensuing clash 12 soldiers were martyred and 16 soldiers were wounded," the military said in a statement, according to AP. The attack comes four days after Turkey's Parliament passed a motion allowing the military to launch an offensive into neighboring northern Iraq to stamp out PKK rebels, hiding there.
#4
I think the Turkish army is going to have its hand full attacking the Kurds. I think the Kurds are good fighters, highly motivated and very well prepared.
They are also aware that it doesn't take an outright military victory to win. The fact that they fight the Turkish army wins lots of support amongst Kurds in Turkey. If they bloody the Turk's nose then they will get lots of recruits and probably a surge of unrest in Kurdish Turkey.
#5
Without Tactical Air Support the Kurds may regret pi^^ing off the Turks. The Kurds amy be good infantry but without Air and Artillery they are hamburger and I doublt the US will provide them to the PKK or the others Kurds trying to support the PKK. And I doubt the Turks will occupy & hold so they won't be stationary targets like we are.
No. You did this when you started supporting "Palestinians" & "Kosovars" rights to self determination. Helping Kurds is both just (the Kurds existed as a separate nation for thousands of years) & good politics (The, hypothetical, Kurdish state will give USA reliable bases---they can't survive without you).
About 6 cars were set on fire in Amsterdam last night. Tension is still building in Amsterdam's west side neighborhoods after Bilal Bajaka, age 22 stabbed two police officers and one of the heavily wounded officers shot him dead.
Posted by: Whomp Thater2782 ||
10/21/2007 06:42 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Global Jihad
#1
I hope the Amsterdam PD starts doing attitude adjustment to some of these wogs. Maybe some canal swimming lessons.
#3
They're burning mostly "immigrant" cars anyway. Sooner or later, the Moors that have jobs, are raising a family, just trying to be Dutch, will really get mad and join the punks and burn more cars.
Posted by: Jack is Back! ||
10/21/2007 17:15 Comments ||
Top||
#5
You don't think the city fathers are just looking for a means to make more parking available in a couple months? Not a whole lot of space along the canal [or for that matter, most other] streets. This sort of works like a self purging of mostly the types you'd like to see go first. Considering that the [in]famous red light district is under pressure of urban gentrification, I wouldn't be surprised if someone might be looking to push the tread into [and the present population out of] these neighborhoods. There's only so much land in Amsterdam. If the property pressure is building, guess who goes first?
#8
Probably here, Sock Puppet of Doom. Rantburg had a link to a Dutch blogger who posted photos of burning cars near the police station, if I recall correctly.
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) sent two men accused of involvement in a suicide attack on Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz, to Adiala Jail on a 14-day judicial remand on Saturday. Muhammad Usman and Maulvi Mohammad Imtiaz allegedly involved in the July 30, 2004, attack in Attock, have been in police custody. They are to be presented before the court on November 2.
Also, former Lal Masjid cleric Maulana Abdul AzizĀs lawyer filed an application in the ATC seeking medical treatment for his client, who he said had been suffering from typhoid fever for the last two weeks and had received no treatment. The court directed that Maulana Aziz be shifted to the Pakistan Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) for treatment.
This article starring:
MAULANA ABDUL AZIZ
Lal Masjid
MAULVI MOHAMAD IMTIAZ
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
MUHAMAD USMAN
Lashkar-e-Jhangvi
Shaukat Aziz
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Lashkar e-Jhangvi
Suspected Taliban militants on Saturday shot and killed two pro-government elders as they traveled through the northwestern tribal region of Bajaur. The men were part of a council of tribal elders that met last week with aides of militant leader Baitullah Mahsud, trying to forge a cease-fire between government forces and militants, said Fazal Rabi, a local government official.
This article starring:
BAITULLAH MAHSUD
Taliban
Fazal Rabi, a local government official
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[9 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
The Punjab Government on Saturday banned rallies and processions in several districts of the Punjab, including Lahore, after the Karachi incident that killed 140 people, a private channel reported. According to Geo news, the Punjab home department issued a notification in this regard following which local governments banned rallies and processions in their respective districts. Lahore District Coordination Officer Mian Ejaz told Geo news that the ban was imposed in the wake of the many lives lost in the Karachi blasts. He said the ban would be implemented strictly.
This article starring:
Lahore District Coordination Officer Mian Ejaz
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[9 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
(UPI) -- A bombing killed at least seven people Saturday in an area of Pakistan where militants have been fighting government troops for greater autonomy. The explosion in the town of Dera Bugti, in Balochistan province, injured at least six, the BBC reported. Militants in the mineral-rich province had been fighting for more power for the last five years, the BBC said.
The blast was not believed to be directly linked to Thursday's deadly bombings in Karachi during the homecoming of former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto as she returned from eight years of self-imposed exile.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
BAJAUR: An explosion in a girls' school razed the building to ground in Bajaur tribal agency on Saturday.
Miscreants had planted explosives at various spots in government girls' middle school building in Tangi area of Sallarzai tehsil in Bajaur tribal region, sources said. The building crumbled to ground as explosives went off with loud blast that rocked the area. No loss of life reported in the incident, sources added.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Taliban
#1
Can't have girls being educated can we now? They might decide they'd rather not be chattels and we can't have that, can we?
Posted by: Tony (UK) ||
10/21/2007 17:46 Comments ||
Top||
Google banned in Iran
As reported in daily Nawa-e-Waqt, the Iranian government banned the search engine Google and other websites. The National Council of Information secretary Hamid Shehryari said that it was part of the governmentĀs campaign to ban obscene and human rights websites that criticise the government.
APDM formed by agencies to split two big parties
According to daily Khabrain, Jamaat Islami head, Haider Farooq Maudoodi said that the secret agencies created APDM after IJI and MMA. He said that the purpose of APDM is to pitch the two big parties against each other. Qazi Hussain filed his petition against Pervez Musharraf to remove the obstacles against his presidential elections. The nation will remember that these people supported Musharraf with the 17th amendment. He said that they defrauded people in 1977 in the name of Islam to kill democracy and help impose dictatorship in the country.
Credit card businesses in decline
As reported in Daily Pakistan, according to a report by the State Bank of Pakistan, commercial banks are spending crores of rupees of advertising to promote credit cards business. During the last quarter of 2006-7 credit card business grew only 2.1 per cent. Credit card holders have to pay up to 40 per cent interest. Users complain that late charges are imposed even when the payments are paid on time.
Bomb blast in a hospital in Mohmand Agency
As reported in daily Khabrain, a local hospital Al Sehat hospital in Mohmand Agency was blown up by unknown assailants that destroyed the books, equipment and medicine worth lacs of rupees. The assailant dragged the guard of hospital and threw bombs on the hospital. A local jirga gave an ultimatum of one week to the shop owners of CD shops and drugs shops to wrap up their business.
Actor Mir Zaman planning four marriages
As reported in daily Khabrain, actor and director Mir Zaman married the actress Salma Shah. Mir Zaman is working in tele-films and directing Pashto films. He said this is his second marriage and he plans to marry two more as Islam allows four marriages. His three films are being released on Eid ul Fitr.
Supreme Court should support nation now
As reported in daily Jang, Qazi Hussain Ahmad, head of the Clerical Alliance said that the nation supported the Chief justice and now it is the duty of Supreme Court to support the nation. He said that Pervez Musharraf is illegally occupying the post of president and army chief. He said that the nation and they would not accept the wrong decision and they would continue the political struggle.
Javed Hashmi considers Fazl ur Rehman as Wali
As reported in daily Khabrain, during the press conference in Islamabad, Javed Hashmi said that Fazl ur Rehman told him earlier that he would meet Nawaz Sharif in Jeddah and his Umrah should not be spoilt by holding him in Pakistan. He said that he accepts the maulana as a Wali (saint) and that they canĀt harm their relations with Saudi Arabia.
French scholar looted in Makli
Daily Express editorial said that the French researcher and scholar, Madame Francis alias Farida, who is researching on mysticism went to Makli. But she was looted in the shrine of Darga Abdullah Shah Sahab. She lost all her manuscripts, documents and other valuables in her bag. She staged a protest in front of the TPO Thatta. Chief Minister Arbab Ghulam Rahim and the governor of Sindh will take note of her suffering before she raises the issue in international forum and causes damage. The government will make sure that culprits are nabbed and her belongings return to her.
MMA wants Supreme Court to clean their mess
Columnist Ayaz Amir wrote in daily Express, that the religious politicians of the MMA helped Pervez Musharraf with the 17th amendment and are now challenging a part of that agreement in the Supreme Court. They helped to spread this dirt and now they want the Supreme Court to clean it. It is unjust to expect the Supreme Court to solve all the problems in pakistan. Political parties have also some responsibilities.
Imam masjid arrested for sodomy
As reported in daily Jang, the Imam Masjid Qari Mujahid of famous Bilal mosque in Sabza Zar was arrested for sodomising a 12 year old student who was learning the Quran by heart. On the complaint of the student and the medical legal report, the police arrested the Imam Masjid and booked him for forced sexual assault.
Fake notes from ATM machines
As reported in daily Jang, a government servant drawing money on a cheque received a fake fuve hundred note from a bank. Consumers have also complained about getting fake currency notes from ATM machines. A bank executive said that itĀs impossible to stop the circulation of fake notes and consumers should check the notes.
Bomb blast to blow up Buddha sculpture in Swat
As reported in daily Khabrain, a local extremist tried to damage the statue of Buddha by bomb blast in Malam Jabba, Swat but the statue was safe. Local Taliban consider these images of Buddha to be un-Islamic. It should be remembered that the Taliban in Afghanistan also blew up the two largest rock carved standing Buddha sculptures in Bamayan. The act was condemned by the international community.
People selling marriage certificates as ĀantiquesĀ
In daily Jang, columnist and poetess Kishwar Naheed wrote that soon after the Westerners started buying antiques, people started selling the marriage certificates of their grandfathers as the agreements of Panipat. People were selling by stitching old cloth into new sheets as Āantique.Ā Western donors started funding Afghan women and crass commercial embroidery developed. Old traditional swati tanka hand sewn rillis, Punjabi, Sindhi and Balochi embroidery are now forgotten while Indians rediscovered their traditional tukra lukhnavi and patiala floral embroidery and made new innovations.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[8 views]
Top|| File under: Govt of Pakistan
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
10/21/2007 6:37 Comments ||
Top||
#2
she was looted in the shrine
I realize the wording is a result of "foreign engrish", but It just sounds bad, being looted instead of just being robbed! Makes it sound like she lost more than her stuff.
Posted by: N guard ||
10/21/2007 8:19 Comments ||
Top||
#3
Thanks fer the linky, T-Woof. I am much...enlightened, now.
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN Associated Press Imaginary Writer
BAGHDAD (AP) - U.S. forces backed by airstrikes raided Sadr City, Baghdad's main Shiite district, killing 49 militants on Sunday as they targeted a militia leader accused in high-profile kidnappings, the military said. Iraqi officials said at least 13 people were killed, including women and children.
And puppies and kittens and baby ducks and fluffy bunnies.
The statements by Iraqi police, hospital officials and witnesses were the latest claims of civilian deaths as a result of U.S. military action and recent shootings by private Western security teams protecting American diplomats and aid groups. The military said ground forces were unaware of any civilians killed in the Sadr City strike.
U.S. troops returned fire after coming under sustained attack from automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades from nearby buildings as they began to raid a series of buildings in the district, according to a statement, which added that some 33 militants were killed in the firefight. Ground forces then called in airstrikes, which killed some six militants.
The military said "an estimated 49 criminals" were killed in three separate engagements during a raid targeting a suspected rogue Shiite militia leader specializing in kidnapping operations for which he sought funding from Iran. U.S. troops returned fire after coming under sustained attack from automatic weapons and rocket-propelled grenades from nearby buildings as they began to raid a series of buildings in the district, according to a statement, which added that some 33 militants were killed in the firefight.
That was when Quackie and Hoppy bought it...
Ground forces then called in airstrikes, which killed some six militants. U.S. troops were attacked by a roadside bomb and continued heavy fire as they left the area and killed an additional 10 combatants in subsequent clashes.
They were holed up in a pet shop and a nursery, of course.
"All total, coalition forces estimate that 49 criminals were killed in three separate engagements during this operation. Ground forces reported they were unaware of any innocent civilians being killed as a result of this operation," the military said in the updated statement.
#9
Dear Darth, You heartless barbarian! No concern for the little kitties! the tangos, flush the poop.
Posted by: Steven ||
10/21/2007 14:28 Comments ||
Top||
#10
Actually, Sinan's a real person - I dealt with him when I was there.
What I pushed for relentlessly (and of course, mostly, in vain) for MNF-I public affairs to do was to include an aggressive, clear statement in each situation like this that Coalition forces did their utmost to avoid non-combatant casualties but that the sytematic, deliberate behavior of our various enemies - which in itself constitutes a war crime - in mixing their forces in with civilians was to blame for civilian deaths. Public affairs people generally refuse to recognize that in this disinformation environment, with a world seemingly glad to be misled and ignorant about who the bad guys are, we need a very aggressive, unapologetic, educational approach. The media filter, which has largely become a giant distortion mechanism, can still be overcome with enough repetition and determination to make the coverage itself a news issue.
Coalition forces were engaged in a heavy firefight this morning killing an estimated 49 criminals during operations in Sadr City.
The operationĀs objective was an individual reported to be a long time Special Groups member specializing in kidnapping operations. Intelligence indicates he is a well-known cell leader and has previously sought funding from Iran to carry out high profile kidnappings.
Upon arrival, the ground force began to clear a series of buildings in the target are and received sustained heavy fire from adjacent structures, to include automatic weapons and rocket propelled grenades, or RPGs. Responding in self-defense, Coalition forces engaged, killing an estimated 33 criminals. Supporting aircraft was also called to engage enemy personnel maneuvering with RPGs toward the ground force, killing an estimated six criminals.
Upon departing the target area, Coalition forces continued to receive heavy fire from automatic weapons and RPGs and were also attacked by an improvised explosive device. Responding in self-defense, the ground force engaged the hostile threat, killing an additional estimated 10 combatants.
All total, Collation forces estimate that 49 criminals were killed in three separate engagements during this operation. Ground forces reported they were unaware of any innocent civilians being killed as a result of this operation.
ĀWe continue to support the Government of Iraq in welcoming the commitment by Muqtada al-Sadr to stop attacks and we will continue to show restraint in dealing with those who honor his pledge. We will not show the same restraint against those criminals who dishonor this pledge by attacking security forces and Iraqi citizens,Ā said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. ĀCoalition forces will take the necessary action against these criminals to protect the Iraqi people against future terrorist acts.Ā
Posted by: Chuck Simmins ||
10/21/2007 09:21 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Mahdi Army
The men gathered in the evening at the schoolyard to execute their attack. By the time they finished, at least seven rockets had crashed down nearly four miles away inside the American military headquarters compound in Baghdad, killing two U.S. soldiers and wounding at least 38 other people, according to U.S. soldiers.
From the courtyard of his concrete-barricaded garrison in southwestern Baghdad that evening, Lt. Col. Patrick Frank heard the distinctive sound of rocket fire. He hurried inside his command office to flat-screen panels displaying aerial imagery to pinpoint the launch site. Within minutes, his cellphone began ringing. Several Iraqi informants told him the attack had originated near the decrepit school in al-Amil, recalled Frank, the battalion commander in the neighborhood. His sources agreed on another thing, too, he said: "There were several Iraqi police vehicles spotted leaving the scene."
In the days since the Oct. 10 rocket barrage, U.S. soldiers have arrested eight police officers suspected of collaborating with Shiite militiamen to target the U.S. base. Assaults by mortars and rockets on military installations across the country are relatively common -- though the missiles frequently land in unpopulated areas. But if the police are found guilty, the Camp Victory assault would represent one of the more glaring examples of Iraqi security forces turning on their American partners to devastating effect.
"It's no secret the Iraqi police have some systemic problems with corruption," said Maj. Bill Kinsey, operations officer for the 1st Infantry Division's 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment. "They've got dirty cops. I would say 'just like anywhere else,' but there's more of them and the stakes are higher. This is one of their more effective attacks. But it's not the first time. You've got to get rid of them so the rest of the police can start doing their job."
An Iraqi army unit in southwestern Baghdad was first to arrive at the school after the strike, and it found at least 14 rocket launchers in the courtyard, U.S. soldiers said. Members of Frank's personal security detail drove to the al-Amil police station, where they apprehended the occupants of a police vehicle returning to the station and captured another man who was on his way out.
In the following days, U.S. soldiers detained a total of 17 suspects, including eight policemen, said 2nd Lt. Andrew Dietrich, an intelligence officer from the battalion. Three of the detainees were subsequently released, although none was a police officer, he said.
The militant members of the Mahdi Army, the powerful Shiite militia led by cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, were "definitely" behind the attack, Dietrich said. The militiamen have been responsible for killing and displacing Sunni residents and setting roadside bombs for American soldiers. They have also gotten rich by controlling fuel distribution, the housing market and stolen car networks. Iraqi and U.S. officials acknowledge that Shiite militiamen have infiltrated Iraqi security forces, particularly the police.
Five days after the rockets fell, another American military unit detained four of the suspects hiding in a Ministry of Agriculture compound in eastern Baghdad. One of the men was among the five most-wanted criminals in Baghdad, but his affiliation was not disclosed in a U.S. military statement on the arrests.
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/21/2007 06:34 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[7 views]
Top|| File under: Iraqi Insurgency
#1
But if the police are found guilty, the Camp Victory assault would represent one of the more glaring examples of Iraqi security forces turning on their American partners to devastating effect
#3
And why is this bastard still among the living?
He's still across the border.
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
10/21/2007 8:58 Comments ||
Top||
#4
I gather that the police in the South have long been heavily infiltrated by militiamen, some units to the point where they could force the non-militia police to join or out. However, *which* militia in which police unit is the big question.
For example, in some areas they would be Mehdi, in others, Badr, and some are probably SCIRI, whatever they are calling themselves now. And until they start attacking each other, or us, we have no idea who the infiltrators are. The boundaries get hazy.
#7
It sounds like we're starting to get intelligence on who the bad guys are in the police force. It's only going to cascade, which is quite exciting. Won't it be nice when we can compare Iraqi police corruption to New Orleans or Los Angeles, instead of unfavourably to Pakistan?
#8
"There were several Iraqi police vehicles spotted leaving the scene."
Another good reason why we should have mopped up Iraq before being so worried about their self-governance. Iraqi corruption starts at the bottom and goes all the way to the top. Corruption is a congenital feature of Islamic societies and will only be rooted out once Islam itself is finally dismantled.
In violence across Iraq on Friday, at least 16 people were killed or found dead in apparent sectarian slayings. In the latest of a series of attacks on Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite political party, gunmen killed the organization's leader in a city south of Baghdad.
Mohammed Hashim, leader of the Supreme Iraqi Islamic Council's party operations in Iskandariyah, was shot to death as he walked near his home, police said. Iskandariyah is 50 kilometers south of Baghdad in a mixed Sunni-Shi'ite region.
This article starring:
Mohammed Hashim
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Iraqi Insurgency
In a series of early morning raids Oct. 20, Multi-National Division Ā Baghdad Soldiers killed one and captured several other individuals who are believed to be ranking members of Al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist cells operating in Doura, a southern district in the Iraqi capital.
When the troops entered the target house, one of the individuals later identified as a high-value individual began to surrender but then pulled out a pistol and shot one of the Soldiers. The terrorist was killed.
Soldiers assigned to Baker Company of the 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment ĀWarriorsĀ out of Fort Carson, Colo., but attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division conducted the operations in an area where extremists have attempted to impose their will on the populace.
When the troops entered the target house, one of the individuals later identified as a high-value individual began to surrender but then pulled out a pistol and shot one of the Soldiers. The terrorist was killed in the subsequent exchange of small arms fire.
A second high-value target believed to be an AQI improvised explosive device and sniper cell leader who has terrorized the people of Doura was also arrested at the scene and has been detained for further questioning. ĀTwo individuals we believe are responsible for numerous murders and other criminal acts in Doura are no longer able to wage their campaign of terror on the Iraqi people,Ā said Col. Ricky D. Gibbs, 4th BCT commander. ĀThis was a well-planned operation with a lot of cooperation across the entire brigade and is a real testament to our SoldiersĀ dedication and professionalism.Ā
A separate early morning raid by MND-B troops in Doura resulted in the arrests of two additional men believed to be responsible for making IEDs used to destroy mosques in West Rashid.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[5 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Iraq
#1
The bad guys have been blowing up mosques? Did we know that (besides the Golden Mosque, I mean).
Iraqi Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, detained two suspected terrorist leaders during two simultaneous intelligence-driven raids earlier this week in Northern Iraq.
In Mosul, an individual believed to be an emir for Jaysh Muhammad was detained after Iraqi Security Forces raided his residence. The emir is allegedly responsible for conducting vehicle-borne improvised explosive device, IED and other types of attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces in the area.
In another operation in Mosul, Iraqi Special Operations Forces raided two residential buildings, detaining a Jaysh Muhammad cell leader believed to be responsible for facilitating weapons, money, equipment and communications to terrorist cells. Another suspected terrorist was also detained.
This article starring:
Jaysh Muhammad
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Iraqi Insurgency
Coalition forces captured two wanted individuals and detained nine other suspected terrorists during operations to disrupt al-Qaeda networks early Saturday in central Iraq.
Coalition forces captured two wanted individuals and three additional suspected terrorists during an operation northwest of Muqdadiyah. One of the wanted individuals is believed to be an al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader operating in the northern Diyala area. The other wanted individual is his brother, and also a suspected associate of the terrorist network operating in the region. Intelligence gained from previous operations led Coalition forces to the target area, where they captured the brothers without incident. During the course of operations, the ground force also discovered an improvised explosive device which was safely destroyed on site.
In Bayji, Coalition forces detained six suspected terrorists during an operation targeting an associate of al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders. Reports indicate that the targeted individual is part of a logistics network responsible for supplying weapons and supplies to foreign terrorists. The individual is also believed to have many contacts within the southern belt terrorist network, which allegedly facilitates the movement of foreign terrorists and suicide bombers for attacks against Iraqi and Coalition forces. ĀThese captures are another step forward in disrupting the terrorist networks operating in Iraq,Ā said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman. ĀWe will continue to hunt down al-Qaeda in IraqĀs members and leadership, so Iraqis can have a future of their own choosing.Ā
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Iraqi Insurgency
An explosion occurred causing minor damage inside the abandoned JamiĀa Al Baraka Mosque in the Karkh Security District in the center of the Iraqi capital Oct. 19.
Evidence indicates three improvised explosive devices had detonated. There were no reports of injuries or deaths due to the attack. Iraqi Security Forces and troops from Company E, 1st Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division responded to the scene. Iraqi and Coalition explosive ordnance disposal teams entered the mosque to ensure there were no other explosives present. One unexploded projectile was removed.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Iraqi Insurgency
During the course of three days, paratroopers captured four high-ranking milita leaders from North Babil. Paratroopers from 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division conducted operations and captured the leader of the militia in Iskandariyah and several commanders and lieutenants Oct. 12-14. ĀWe captured four of our 10 most wanted,Ā said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Williams, from Abbottstown, Pa, the non-commissioned officer in charge of intelligence for the 3-509th PIR. ĀTwo of those guys were on the brigadeĀs most wanted list, including the second most wanted man in all of Babil.Ā
The paratroopers have been working hard to bring security and stabilization to the city with the help of Concerned Local Citizens and Iraqi Security Forces.
The Concerned Local Citizens programs in Iskandariyah are fighting back against a campaign of murder, kidnapping and intimidation waged by militias and extremist groups. Ā(CLCs) are a huge help. Those guys donĀt need militias or any other extremist groups,Ā Williams said. ĀWe took out their top level leaders and the (CLCs) are securing their own neighborhoods. Those things combined have put the militia on the defensive. It is something the militias have never had to deal with.Ā
The paratroopers recently launched a massive offensive to drive al-Qaeda out of the Euphrates River Valley. Following the paratrooperĀs offensive push, CLCs sprang up all throughout the Valley and Jurf As Sakhr region, making it one of the safest places in all of Iraq.
The Iraqi Security Forces working side-by-side the 3-509th PIR are emboldened as well. ĀThe ISF have more confidence in what they are doing. It is growing every day,Ā Williams continued. ĀThey want to do more because they are finally seeing the fruits of their labor pay off.Ā
While the majority of the militia leadership in Iskandariyah and Haswah have been captured, a challenge remains. ĀRight now the militia has started a huge propaganda campaign to try and undermine our efforts, but the locals arenĀt reacting to it,Ā Williams said. ĀIn fact, the locals are becoming more receptive and we are receiving a positive reaction to our efforts.Ā
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Iraqi Insurgency
A terrorist killed in Baqubah Friday has been positively identified as Thamir Aziz Abbas Ashuri. During an operation south of Baqubah, Coalition forces targeted Aziz for his role as an al-Qaeda in Iraq improvised explosive device cell leader. Reports indicate he led a group of an estimated 250 terrorists, whom he directed on emplacing IEDs and conducting attacks against Iraq and Coalition forces. He was also believed to act as a judge for an illegal terrorist court system in the area.
As the ground force cleared the target building, they discovered a woman in a room and directed her to get down. Aziz fired shots at the ground force from a corner of that room, they returned fire and killed him. The woman was not harmed during the engagement and one other suspect was detained.
Coalition forces recently conducted numerous other successful operations in Baqubah, including an Oct. 16 raid where Coalition forces captured a wanted associate of an al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leader in the al-Hadid region, a known terrorist stronghold. In addition to the targeted individual, the ground force detained one suspected terrorist.
"Successful operations like these will continue to systematically dismantle al-Qaeda in Iraq," said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman.
This article starring:
Thamir Aziz Abbas Ashuri
al-Qaeda in Iraq
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: al-Qaeda in Iraq
#1
Perfect: The cowardly land-mine maven shot dead in a face-to-face encounter.
(media lords and Demo-cong deeply saddened)
Posted by: Lord Piltdown ||
10/21/2007 17:19 Comments ||
Top||
So now we're moving into the Shi'a center-south region, south of Baghdad, doing what we did in Anbar province.
BAGHDAD (AP) - U.S. and Iraqi forces, backed by Polish army helicopters, swept through Shiite militia strongholds south of Baghdad on Saturday, rounding up dozens of militants and killing two. The prime minister met the provincial governor, who called for reinforcements to root out ``the criminals.''
Iraqi police said 30 suspected fighters linked to Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army were grabbed in a pre-dawn house-to-house search by U.S. and Iraqi raiders in two eastern neighborhoods in Diwaniyah, 80 miles south of Baghdad.
Various reports say that Mookie doesn't have much operational control over the Mahdi Army any more; various factions have split off, and a fair number of those aren't anything more than common criminal gangs. The new effort just might have some consierable success if we can provide basic security for the common citizens.
Rival Shiite militias are engaged in grabs for power in the oil-rich south of the country, as British forces are drawing down. But U.S. commanders have reported significant inroads against both Shiite militias and al-Qaida in Iraq fighters across the fertile agriculture belt nearer to the capital. They credit local residents, emboldened against the terror tactics of both al-Qaida and Shiite militants, with much of the success.
The residents have bought into a trend that started in Iraq's western Anbar province, where Sunni tribesmen rose up against al-Qaida and have methodically hunted them down in conjunction with U.S. forces.
South of the capital, Shiite militiamen are facing the same onslaught in communities where they have terrorized co-religionists. On Diwaniyah's east side, U.S.-led ground forces backed by two Polish army helicopters came under fire from machine guns and an anti-tank grenade launcher, the military said. Coalition forces reported no casualties but said two militants were killed in the sweep. The statement reporting the operation said the Polish helicopters were called in after ground forces were attacked with three roadside bombs and small-arms fire.
``There have been outlawed armed groups trying to take control of the province for a long time,'' he said at a news conference after the meeting. ``They are only criminals and we do not believe that there is [any] political party that backs them.''
The governor of the Qadisiyah province, which includes Diwaniyah, met with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki in Baghdad on Saturday to ask for help boosting security in the region. Gov. Hamid al-Khudhari dismissed concerns of rising tensions between al-Sadr's group and the governor's party, the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council, whose militia is known as the Badr Brigade. Al-Khudari replaced Gov. Mohammad al-Hassani, who was assassinated by a powerful roadside bomb in August. Mahdi Army militants were suspected in the attack. ``There have been outlawed armed groups trying to take control of the province for a long time,'' he said at a news conference after the meeting. ``They are only criminals and we do not believe that there is [any] political party that backs them.''
Al-Sadr and SIIC leader Abdul-Aziz al-Hakim signed a truce earlier this month. Al-Khudari appeared at pains to give the impression that the cease-fire was holding, and that Shiite fighters involved in the turmoil had broken with al-Sadr. ``We do have problems in the local security forces that make it difficult to ensure security and we asked the prime minister to fill the gaps in this regard,'' he said without elaborating.
Police also clashed with gunmen in the Shiite holy city of Karbala, 50 miles south of Baghdad, during a raid in which they detained a Sadrist leader, local authorities said without identifying the suspect. Late Saturday, a mortar crashed near the Shiite shrine to Imam Al-Abbas in the city center, killing one person and wounding two, according to police and an Associated Press employee who was at the scene.
To the north of Diwaniyah, police broke into the house of a leading al-Qaida member in a village near Hillah. They captured Raed al-Alwani, who was wanted in the slayings of more than 100 Iraqis, according to a police officer in the region who spoke on condition of anonymity because he not authorized to release the information.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Mahdi Army
Hamas police and a powerful clan allied with the rival Fatah movement traded automatic fire Saturday, killing a young man and a boy on the fourth day of some of the heaviest internal fighting since the Islamic militants seized Gaza.
Good Gawd! I hope it wasn't that nice little al-Durah boy.
Saturday's deaths brought to six the number of deaders people killed since the standoff started over a police demand that the Hilles clan hand over a government-issued car.
"Hand over the car, yew Hilles varmints!"
"Over our dead bodies!"
"Hokay."
[BANG! BANG! BANGETY BANG!]
Hamas said it was determined to impose order and was setting an example. Members of the clan warned that Hamas was making new enemies by taking on large families in tribal Gaza.
"Yeah. First the Dogmushes. Then us. The al-Durahs are next, ain't they?"
The fighting turned the clan's Shijaiyeh neighborhood in Gaza City into a ghost town. Smoke rose from the district, and gunfire was heard across town. Hamas snipers took over rooftops, while clan members blocked roads with rocks and mounds of sand. Both sides also fired mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades.
"Honey! Have you seen my grenades?"
"They're in your sock drawer! I had them cleaned!"
Electricity was cut in parts of the neighborhood and phone lines were down.
"Hello? Hello?"
Twelve people were injured,
"Ow!"
two seriously,
"Aaaaiiiieeee!"
medical officials said. Hamas has appeared to be increasingly jumpy about what it said is a Fatah attempt, allegedly directed from the West Bank, to try to destabilize Gaza with bombings. Earlier this month, three Fatah activists and a bystander were killed when a blast went off in a car in Gaza City, possibly because of mishandled explosives. Several small bombs have gone off near Hamas installations or policemen, causing some injuries.
"Ouch! My elbow!"
The Hamas-Hilles clashes began Wednesday when Hamas security forces demanded that a member of the clan hand over a government-issued car. The clan refused, and a gun battle erupted, killing three Hilles men and a Hamas police officer.
" We must have Dire RevengeĀ®!"
Largely affiliated with Fatah, the Hilles clan also includes members of Hamas and Islamic Jihad, who side with the family during any fighting.
"Yeah. Blood's thicker'n membership cards."
Abu Osama Hilles, a Fatah supporter, said Hamas is ignoring the tribal culture of Gaza. "They know our culture. They are not Americans coming to rule Gaza," he said. "They should respect big families ... so they don't turn into their enemies."
However, Mahmoud Zahar, a senior Hamas leader, said there would be no exceptions. "Every family should respond to the new administration. That is the will of the Palestinian people in the West Bank and Gaza ... to be governed by Hamas," he said in an interview. "We are going to make an end for this chaos."
This article starring:
Abu Osama Hilles
Fatah
Mahmoud Zahar
Hamas
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Hamas
#1
I read, I Lol'd. Fred is run wild.
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
10/21/2007 6:42 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Fred, I like it. It reminds me of the fun to be had with the RAB AAR's in B'desh. I wonder if this will wind up as a F5 macro?
Posted by: N guard ||
10/21/2007 8:26 Comments ||
Top||
#3
"Electricity was cut in parts of the neighborhood and phone lines were down."
Is 60 minutes looking at Al Gore in this? It looks like an attempt at delaying global warming, just like in San Francisco. Is he causing these battles just to shut off electricity?
Two Islamic Jihad operatives were killed on the coast of Gaza after an Israeli Navy ship fired towards them, Palestinian sources claimed Saturday. Others were wounded during the strike, the sources claimed. Reportedly, the two were Palestinian lifeguards and posed no threat to the vessel.
Throughout the weekend, IDF forces operated in the southern Gaza Strip against the terror infrastructure next to the security fence. A ground unit came under fire several times, but suffered no injuries. IDF troops also attacked several suspicious persons in the northern Gaza Strip on Saturday, the army said. Hamas and hospital officials told The Associated Press that Israeli ground forces fired a missile on the northern Gaza Strip, injuring two Palestinians. Ten mortar shells have been fired at Israel since Friday morning. Three landed in Israeli territory, the army said.
Meanwhile, in the West Bank, IDF soldiers arrested six fugitives overnight Friday and discovered ammunition in one of the buildings in which a fugitive was hiding. Troops manning the Ras a-Tira checkpoint discovered a pistol hidden on a Palestinian in a routine check Saturday morning. The pistol was confiscated and the Palestinian turned over to security forces for interrogation.
At the same time, soldiers manning the Beit Iba checkpoint discovered a Palestinian carrying two knives, 12 and 16 cm, also during a routine check. The knives were confiscated and the Palestinian turned over to the Israel Police.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Islamic Jihad
#1
Reportedly, the two were Palestinian lifeguards and posed no threat to the vessel
A 51-year old woman was killed Saturday during clashes between Hamas security members and militants from the small Islamic Jihad group in southern Gaza, medics and Hamas said. It was not clear how Hayam Sakr was caught in the cross fire. Eight other people were injured in the clashes that erupted the town of Rafah. The break down of injuries was not immediately available.
Hamas and Islamic Jihad had different stories of why the fighting started. Ihab al-Ghusain, a Hamas security spokesman, said the clashes erupted following a brawl between Islamic Jihad members and a Hamas supporter. Islamic Jihad officials said the fighting began after Hamas members stopped one of their members in his car, and refused to let him go. Mutual kidnapping followed and clashes spread around the town.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[4 views]
Top|| File under: Hamas
GAZA - An Israeli naval vessel killed two Palestinian lifeguards in a boat off Gaza City on Saturday, the Islamic Jihad militant group and local medics said. An Islamic Jihad official said one of its fighters and a civilian were killed when the Israeli ship fired at their boat in the Mediterranean off the Gaza Strip. The official said the two were lifeguards on duty and were not trying to attack the ship.
Humble lifeguards. With weapons.
Palestinian medics said they recovered one body from the water and were searching for the second. An Israeli army spokeswoman said the military were checking the report.
Posted by: Steve White ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Hamas
#1
The second (?) engagement of the Palestinian Navy does not go as well as the first.
Posted by: Bobby ||
10/21/2007 7:04 Comments ||
Top||
#2
Palestinian "lifeguards". Islam gifts us with yet another priceless oxymoron.
Military explosives were used in a huge bomb blast at a Manila shopping mall that left nine dead and 113 injured, Philippine police said Saturday. Evidence collected from Friday's Glorietta mall blast indicates that the bomb "contained RDX, the main chemical component of C4," the police said in a report to Philippines President Gloria Arroyo. In the Philippines C4 explosive is only used by the military.
The report was delivered at a top-level security meeting between the president and her security advisers at police headquarters in Manila. Arroyo immediately ordered the country's police chief General Avelino Razon to check its source and pin-point the culprits. "Is that already definitive... or is there going to be another more detailed finding of what kind of explosive was used?" Arroyo said during the briefing. "We need regular information bulletins on the status of the investigation."
Senior Superintendent Bert Ferro, who heads the police bomb data centre, said samples taken from the site leads him to "presume that those are of military ordnance components." A chemist from the centre told Arroyo that it was possible that more samples were being collected from the site, but "at this point in time, that is what we have."
Razon said the government was putting up a two-million-peso (45,454-dollar) reward for any information leading to arrests. No group has claimed responsibility for the blast, which came weeks after military intelligence foiled an alleged plot by Al Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Islamic militants to bomb the southern port city of Zamboanga.
National Security Adviser Norberto Gonzales said authorities were also looking at the Abu Sayyaf as possible suspects, noting that the group may have carried it out as part of their campaign to attract funding from international terrorist groups.
The 12,000-strong Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) said Saturday it is "prepared to gather intelligence for the Philippine authorities if asked to do so," spokesman Eid Kabalu told AFP. "We would like to help out if asked. This could help the military at least eliminate some groups from their list of suspects," he said, adding that the offer was being made as a "sincere gesture" that could also help revive stalled peace talks.
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under: Abu Sayyaf
Posted by: Fred ||
10/21/2007 00:00 ||
Comments ||
Link ||
[3 views]
Top|| File under:
#1
Thrweet, thrweet.
Posted by: Thomas Woof ||
10/21/2007 6:34 Comments ||
Top||
#2
One of Hollywood's great dames. I saw her in a production of "Woman of the Year". She was simply fantastic and I hate musicals. My sweetheart and I had so much fun we went back to see her a second time. Betty Bacall can scrape out more class from beneath her little toenail than what can be summoned up by the entire crop of modern so-called "talent" that the movie industry currently fields.
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.
The separate US-led coalition, which works alongside ISAF and the Afghan security forces, said it killed around four dozen Taliban fighters in two straight days of fighting elsewhere in Helmand. Nearly three dozen were killed Saturday and more than a dozen on Friday in fighting in the Musa Qala area, an insurgent hotbed. Both battles were sparked by ambushes which Afghan and coalition soldiers beat back with return fire and help from war planes, the force said. The fighting was "part of a larger operation to disrupt terrorist activities in the Helmand province," it said in a statement.
KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - Fighting at a refugee camp in southern Darfur has left several people dead and others missing, an African Union official said Saturday.
BRITISH special forces have crossed into Iran several times in recent months as part of a secret border war against the Iranian Revolutionary GuardĀs Al-Quds special forces, defence sources have disclosed. There have been at least half a dozen intense firefights between the SAS and arms smugglers, a mixture of Iranians and ShiĀite militiamen.
About 6 cars were set on fire in Amsterdam last night. Tension is still building in Amsterdam's west side neighborhoods after Bilal Bajaka, age 22 stabbed two police officers and one of the heavily wounded officers shot him dead.
An Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) sent two men accused of involvement in a suicide attack on Prime Minister 
Suspected Taliban militants on Saturday shot and killed two pro-government elders as they traveled through the northwestern tribal region of Bajaur. The men were part of a council of tribal elders that met last week with aides of militant leader 
The Punjab Government on Saturday banned rallies and processions in several districts of the Punjab, including Lahore, after the Karachi incident that killed 140 people, a private channel reported. According to Geo news, the Punjab home department issued a notification in this regard following which local governments banned rallies and processions in their respective districts. 
(UPI) -- A bombing killed at least seven people Saturday in an area of Pakistan where militants have been fighting government troops for greater autonomy. The explosion in the town of Dera Bugti, in Balochistan province, injured at least six, the BBC reported. Militants in the mineral-rich province had been fighting for more power for the last five years, the BBC said.
BAJAUR: An explosion in a girls' school razed the building to ground in Bajaur tribal agency on Saturday.
Google banned in Iran
By SINAN SALAHEDDIN Associated Press 
The men gathered in the evening at the schoolyard to execute their attack. By the time they finished, at least seven rockets had crashed down nearly four miles away inside the American military headquarters compound in Baghdad, killing two U.S. soldiers and wounding at least 38 other people, according to U.S. soldiers.
In violence across Iraq on Friday, at least 16 people were killed or found dead in apparent sectarian slayings. In the latest of a series of attacks on Iraq's most powerful Shi'ite political party, gunmen killed the organization's leader in a city south of Baghdad. 
In a series of early morning raids Oct. 20, Multi-National Division Ā Baghdad Soldiers killed one and captured several other individuals who are believed to be ranking members of Al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist cells operating in Doura, a southern district in the Iraqi capital.
Iraqi Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, detained two suspected terrorist leaders during two simultaneous intelligence-driven raids earlier this week in Northern Iraq. 
Coalition forces captured two wanted individuals and detained nine other suspected terrorists during operations to disrupt al-Qaeda networks early Saturday in central Iraq.
An explosion occurred causing minor damage inside the abandoned JamiĀa Al Baraka Mosque in the Karkh Security District in the center of the Iraqi capital Oct. 19. 
During the course of three days, paratroopers captured four high-ranking milita leaders from North Babil. Paratroopers from 3rd Battalion, 509th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division conducted operations and captured the leader of the militia in Iskandariyah and several commanders and lieutenants Oct. 12-14. ĀWe captured four of our 10 most wanted,Ā said Sgt. 1st Class Richard Williams, from Abbottstown, Pa, the non-commissioned officer in charge of intelligence for the 3-509th PIR. ĀTwo of those guys were on the brigadeĀs most wanted list, including the second most wanted man in all of Babil.Ā
A terrorist killed in Baqubah Friday has been positively identified as 
South of the capital, Shiite militiamen are facing the same onslaught in communities where they have terrorized co-religionists. On Diwaniyah's east side, U.S.-led ground forces backed by two Polish army helicopters came under fire from machine guns and an anti-tank grenade launcher, the military said. Coalition forces reported no casualties but said two militants were killed in the sweep. The statement reporting the operation said the Polish helicopters were called in after ground forces were attacked with three roadside bombs and small-arms fire.
Smoke rose from the district, and gunfire was heard across town. Hamas snipers took over rooftops, while clan members blocked roads with rocks and mounds of sand. Both sides also fired mortar shells and rocket-propelled grenades. 
We must have Dire RevengeĀ®!" 
A 51-year old woman was killed Saturday during clashes between Hamas security members and militants from the small Islamic Jihad group in southern Gaza, medics and Hamas said. It was not clear how Hayam Sakr was caught in the cross fire. Eight other people were injured in the clashes that erupted the town of Rafah. The break down of injuries was not immediately available. 
GAZA - An Israeli naval vessel killed two Palestinian lifeguards in a boat off Gaza City on Saturday, the Islamic Jihad militant group and local medics said. An Islamic Jihad official said one of its fighters and a civilian were killed when the Israeli ship fired at their boat in the Mediterranean off the Gaza Strip. The official said the two were lifeguards on duty and were not trying to attack the ship.
Military explosives were used in a huge bomb blast at a Manila shopping mall that left nine dead and 113 injured, Philippine police said Saturday. Evidence collected from Friday's Glorietta mall blast indicates that the bomb "contained RDX, the main chemical component of C4," the police said in a report to Philippines President Gloria Arroyo. In the Philippines C4 explosive is only used by the military.
