Iran Says It Will Not Suspend Uranium Enrichment

Yeah, I know...what else is new. But the fact of the matter is the Iranians have come out today saying this while the five world powers were just submitting another "incentive" package for the Iranians to halt that very activity. This game has been going on for years now and am I the only one fed up with it? I am at the point where I want to grab the Russians and the Brits AND the Americans around the throat and scream: "They will NEVER EVER stop the enrichment, you fools!" Anyway, here's what the latest asshat from Iran had to say about it all from the Reuters story here:

Iran will not give up its right to enrich uranium, a senior Iranian official said on Saturday, days before major powers submit an upgraded package of incentives to try to coax Tehran into halting the work.
"Suspending enrichment is not negotiable ... Depriving Iran of its right cannot be on offer," Gholamhossein Elham, the government spokesman, told a weekly news conference.

So there is it. The Iranians have a "right" to enrich uranium and build nuclear weapons, just as they have the "right" to wipe Israel off the map? Where do their rights end? Or do they see themselves as rulers of this world?

The World, bowing to the wishes of the Europeans, continues to dangle silly carrots in front of Iran for them to stop nuclear proliferation and the hold time they do this, you can hear the new centrifuges humming away.

Some may ask...why did Iran even put their nuclear plans out in the open? Why didn't they just obscure it and hide it like the Syrians? Well, in my mind, the Iranians WANTED this public faceoff. The Iranians have ALWAYS wanted to put themselves "in the face" of the world. They did it with the American hostages in the 70's, they did it just recently with the British marines and they have been doing it now for three years with their nuclear plans. You see, the Persians are an arrogant bunch. They still feel they have the "right" to own this planet and they seem to think the bloodlines of Xerxes still run through the midget veins of Ahmadinejad.

If the world was a human body, the country of Iran would be a malignant tumor. You would waste no time in excising that tumor, blasting the area with radiation and then commencing a prolonged period of chemo treatment. That is my prescription: Excise the tumor of Iran by a swift and lethal bombing run on their nuke facilities, trade lanes and harbors and their refinery. Blast the areas of the Revolutionary Guard with carpet bombs and target the mullahs and upper regime. Then, when the dust settles you start the follow up treatment of embargos and penalties.

Iran says its right to enrichment is non-negotiable

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will not give up its right to enrich uranium, a senior Iranian official said on Saturday, days before major powers submit an upgraded package of incentives to try to coax Tehran into halting the work.
"Suspending enrichment is not negotiable ... Depriving Iran of its right cannot be on offer," Gholamhossein Elham, the government spokesman, told a weekly news conference.
Iran has agreed to a visit by EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana to submit the package of incentives, in exchange for a full suspension of uranium enrichment.
The five permanent members of the U.N. Security Council -- the United States, France, Britain, China and Russia -- and Germany, known as the P5+1, offered a package to Iran in 2006 that also required Iran to halt enrichment.
Tehran rejected those proposals and the latest package is an enhanced version.
Elham said no date had been set for Solana's trip. "We have agreed on the trip, but no specific date has been set yet."
A Western diplomat told Reuters Solana was expected to visit Iran on June 14.
Iran has handed over what it calls a "proposed package for constructive negotiations". But it ignores the West's main demand, which is suspending enrichment.
The U.N. Security Council has imposed three sanctions resolutions on Iran for refusing to halt the sensitive activity.

Taliban 101: Your Worst Nightmare Just Arrived - The 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit Is In Helmand Province

Insurgent 101: Do NOT Stay In A Building With An M1A1 Tank In Front Of It

U.S. Commanders In Iraq: Fleeing Sadr Commanders Now Taking Orders From Iran

Whoa! Let's take a look at the first paragraph from this story here out of Kuna:

The US military in Iraq said on Saturday that "special commanders" from Sadr armed militia are fleeing Sadr city in eastern Baghdad and are now taking their orders and training from Iranian revolutionary guards.

And that news is followed by this:

The US military said in a statement that based on intelligence reports those commanders who used to be involve with the Mahdi army are on the run every time the US or Iraqi security forces arrest one of them.

These Sadr commanders from the old Mahdi Army in Sadr City have been beaten to a pulp and we have seen HUGE death tolls for them and their fighters and now of course, they are running for the hills but it appears they have switched allegiance - from al Sadr himself to the Iran Revolutionary Guards.

Here's my prediction: at some point in time here, U.S. forces are going to nab a couple of the highest ranking of these Sadr commanders and there is going to be an interrogation of them that will yield an amazing detail of just how Iran's Revolutionary Guards have implemented the training of Sadr forces as well as supplied them with weapons and also, I believe some direct involvement by Iranians in the leadership of fighting in Iraq. What will be different in this interrogation is that it will yield actual names of Iranians as well as locations of training facilities and supply routes.

And hopefully, all of this info will be added to the hopper of information that will be used to release the might of America on the mullahs of Iran.

Fleeing Sadr commanders taking orders from Iran -- US army

BAGHDAD, May 31 (KUNA) -- The US military in Iraq said on Saturday that "special commanders" from Sadr armed militia are fleeing Sadr city in eastern Baghdad and are now taking their orders and training from Iranian revolutionary guards.

The US military said in a statement that based on intelligence reports those commanders who used to be involve with the Mahdi army are on the run every time the US or Iraqi security forces arrest one of them.However such maneuver was not successful enough since the US army arrested one of the special commanders on Saturday in Al-Rasafah in Baghdad.

The US military said the arrested commander was involved in financing and kidnapping operations in Sadr city.The statement added intelligence reports also led to the suspect's house where he was discovered to be a prominent assistant to one of the main group commanders who were trained in Iran and lately fled Sadr city.Last April, the US forces conducted a wide military campaign against the militia in Sadr city which resulted in killing more than one thousand people and confiscation of weapon caches.(end) ahh.mb KUNA 311620 May 08NNNN

Insurgent 101: When You Place IEDs And Hide In A Building, Do NOT Do It In Front Of Three Apaches

War In Iraq Improves Daily So Who Decides To Show Up? France!

The French, they are something else, aren't they? It's like a whole country set as a scientific experiment to study cowardism. The biggest opponent to any use of force in Iraq originally was Chirac's France - they brought the French-U.S.A. relations to the low point of history....and at one point DURING the Iraq War, French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner called for Iraqi Prime Minister Maliki to resign. The French were more aligned with Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi than anyone. They had already signed the surrender papers.

So guess who showed up in Iraq today, unannounced? Yup - French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner! Here's what the foreign ministry had to say, from Breitbart:

"This visit reflects the renewed political commitment of France with regard to Iraq and the Iraqi people," the foreign ministry said in a statement issued in Paris.
During his stay, Kouchner will have talks with President Talabani, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari.

So there you have it...the free world's most serious critic of the War in Iraq is now on the ground there trying to mend fences...why? Simple. Money. Before the Iraq War, France was one of the biggest customers of Iraqi oil from Saddam Hussein and if I'm not mistaken, Iraq was one of the biggest importers of French goods. That is why Chirac fought any military action against Iraq.

So now, now that the country of Iraq is looking safe - because of the blood, sweat and tears of American troops, the French swoop in for some of the booty. Disgusting assholes.

France expresses renewed commitment to Iraq

French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner arrived in Iraq on Saturday on an unannounced visit to underline the "renewed political commitment of France" to the war-ravaged nation, diplomats said.
Kouchner arrived in Nasiriyah in southern Iraq at the start of a two-day trip during which he was due to meet Vice-president Adel Abdel Mahdi, said a diplomatic source who asked not to be named.
Mahdi, a Shiite Francophone who lived in exile in France, is one of the leaders of the Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council (SIIC), a key member of the governing coalition.
Kouchner attended a conference of investors at Nasiriyah university and also visited the archaeological site of the ancient Sumerian civilization of Ur, 18 kilometres (11 miles) southwest of the city.
His full programme has not been disclosed for security reasons, although he is also expected in Baghdad later on Saturday.
He is in Iraq at the invitation of President Jalal Talabani, the diplomatic source said.
"This visit reflects the renewed political commitment of France with regard to Iraq and the Iraqi people," the foreign ministry said in a statement issued in Paris.
During his stay, Kouchner will have talks with President Talabani, Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki and his Iraqi counterpart Hoshyar Zebari.
The French minister was also expected to travel to Arbil, capital of the autonomous Kurdish region 350 kilometres (215 miles) north of Baghdad, on Sunday to open a French representative office.
France has an embassy in Baghdad, but had announced it would also open two more diplomatic offices in Iraq -- one in Arbil and the other in the oil-rich port of Basra, 550 kilometres (340 miles) south of the capital.
The visit will be "an opportunity to express the availability of France to work to promote national reconciliation in Iraq," the French foreign ministry said.
Kouchner previously travelled to Baghdad in August 2007, the first visit by a member of the French government since the invasion of the country by US-led forces in 2003.
France under former president Jacques Chirac strongly opposed the invasion.
Shortly after his previous visit Kouchner had to apologise to Maliki for calling for his resignation in an interview with the American magazine Newsweek.
His latest trip comes two days after the International Compact with Iraq (ICI) conference in Stockholm where the international community hailed the Baghdad government's progress in security and reconstruction

Syria Had/Has THREE Nuke Facilities, Not One

This is not good at all. The article on this is over at DEBKA and here's a portion of it:

According to the Washington Post, US officials have identified at least three suspected nuclear sites in Syria, two more than the Al Kibar reactor Israel bombed last year, and passed the information to the International Atomic Energy Agency. This confirms the Oct. 25, 2007, disclosure by DEBKAfile military sources that the Israeli raid of Sept. 6 had destroyed at least two nuclear sites in Syria.
Washington released its request to the IAEA now - both to point up its disapproval of the Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert’s peace talks with Damascus and to continue the pressure on Syrian president Bashar Assad. More such disclosures are therefore expected.
CIA Director Michael V. Hayden told the WP that the intelligence community’s insight into Syria’s nuclear ambitions had deepened since the Israeli raid. “Do not assume that Al Kibra exhausted our knowledge of Syrian efforts with regard to nuclear weapons.”

I don't think this is a bad play for the U.S. at this time. We certainly know that alerting the IAEA means nothing and absolutely zero will get done but what it does is set the stage for actions against Iran. The U.S. , in my view, is putting out there for the world to see how the Syrians had secretly deceived the World and had/has three nuclear facilities capable of producing nuclear weapons. And with that knowledge out there, it becomes a matter of just pointing to Iran and saying that they have done the same thing.

Let's face it, the Israelis leveled the one (or two) nuke facilities in Syria and the world had nothing to say - most of everyone was shocked to hell by it - that Assad had come that close. So, in my opinion, a U.S. or Coalition strike on Iran's facilities would garner NO outrage in the World other than from Iran and Syria. The time is now for the Iranian facility to be taken out. The proof is out there that the Syrians had just about completed it and Iran can't be far behind and in fact, a case could be made that Iran has another facility that the world doesn't even know about.

Washington asks nuclear watchdog to search for two more Syrian nuclear sites – report

According to the Washington Post, US officials have identified at least three suspected nuclear sites in Syria, two more than the Al Kibar reactor Israel bombed last year, and passed the information to the International Atomic Energy Agency. This confirms the Oct. 25, 2007, disclosure by DEBKAfile military sources that the Israeli raid of Sept. 6 had destroyed at least two nuclear sites in Syria.

Washington released its request to the IAEA now - both to point up its disapproval of the Israeli prime minister Ehud Olmert’s peace talks with Damascus and to continue the pressure on Syrian president Bashar Assad. More such disclosures are therefore expected.
CIA Director Michael V. Hayden told the WP that the intelligence community’s insight into Syria’s nuclear ambitions had deepened since the Israeli raid. “Do not assume that Al Kibra exhausted our knowledge of Syrian efforts with regard to nuclear weapons.”

Our military sources add: The fact that Syria was building three interconnected nuclear sites, a North Korean reactor and facilities for supplying nuclear fuel rods and fuel processing for extracting plutonium, proves Damascus was close to completing a weaponization program fueled by plutonium rather than enriched uranium. Both American and Israeli sources reported that the reactor was only weeks or months away from being ready for production.
Our sources add that if Syria was that close, how much closer must Iran, the senior partner in the alliance, be to its goal of a homemade nuclear weapon?
Syria has not responded to any IAEA requests for a date to conduct inspections.

Senior Taliban Commander Killed Dead, Dead, Dead in Eastern Afghanistan

Great, great news. NATO and Afghan forces went into Logar province in eastern Afghanistan to try and gut out some real bad IED cells of the Taliban there and came up with a nice prize head for the wall: Maulawi Abdul Malik. Malik is about now finding out that those 72 virgins are actually 72 minnions of Satan that will be blowtorching his ass for eternity. Malik, by the way, was a senior leader with direct ties to such manly operations as burning down girls' schools in Afghanistan. Good riddance maggot. Here's the link to the story at NATO.int and a small portion of that piece:

Maulawi Abdul Malik, a senior insurgent leader, has been killed in an Afghan led operation in eastern Afghanistan, May 27.
“The removal of Malik will not only deal a significant blow to the insurgents’ capacity to attack Afghan and ISAF security forces but will also create a safer environment for the local population who have already suffered as a result of the activities of this insurgent cell,” said ISAF Spokesmen Brigadier General Carlos Branco.

One thing we have seen in Afghanistan is that there are more and more of these senior leaders being killed and the hope is that with Pakistan still harboring the Taliban, at least more of these leaders will start staying OUT of Afghanistan - and hopefully leaving their jihadist minnions out there without a rudder. At the same time, knocking off these IED experts is important as that has become the new Taliban strategy for 2008.

Senior insurgent leader killed

The operation, in Logar province, was designed to disrupt IED bomb-making cells and operations throughout the region.
Four other suspected insurgents were detained during the operation but have since been released.
“The removal of Malik will not only deal a significant blow to the insurgents’ capacity to attack Afghan and ISAF security forces but will also create a safer environment for the local population who have already suffered as a result of the activities of this insurgent cell,” said ISAF Spokesmen Brigadier General Carlos Branco.
“The group has been linked to the burning down of two girls’ schools and threats to locals attending English and computer courses.”
General Branco said the Afghan National Security Forces and ISAF were committed to enhancing security to allow progress and development in Afghanistan.

U.S. Army General In Charge Of NATO Afghan War Admits Marines Are "Better Than Anticipated"

Hooray for the Marines in Afghanistan, huh? High praise for them from the U.S. Army General who has been leading NATO forces in Afghanistan, Gen. Dan McNeill, who is stepping down shortly.

Here's what he said specifically about the Marines that just recently joined the fray against the Taliban:

But he also said the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, which has been battling militants in the Garmser district of southern Helmand province, "is producing some really good effects ... and I'm also going to admit that they're a little better than anticipated."

McNeill's main message here in the article at Breitbart is that the Afghanistan War against the Taliban is going to be a very long one if the Taliban continue to be able to use Pakistan as a refuge. Here's a bit from the article:

The outgoing American commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan said the insurgency there will last for years unless Pakistan shuts down safe havens where militants train and recruit.
Gen. Dan McNeill also blamed new peace agreements in Pakistan's tribal areas for a spike in violence in eastern Afghanistan, where U.S. forces operate along the volatile border.
"If there are going to be sanctuaries where these terrorists, these extremists, these insurgents can train, can recruit, can regenerate, there's still going to be a challenge there," McNeill said in an interview with The Associated Press.

Nothing really new there but at the same time, McNeill specifically talks about how Pakistan's refuge "regenerates" the enemy - a good point. I've been saying it for a long time here that any peace agreements with the Taliban will prove not only fruitless but detrimental. Apparently Pakistan's new government is going to have to see the total destruction of their country by the Taliban before they wise up.

I, personally, hate to see General McNeill go as he really turned things around in Afghanistan, especially with his rewriting the terms of engaging the enemy. This guy has been ruthless and it has shown with two years in a row without even a smidgen of a Spring Offensive out of the Taliban. Given the right number of troops, McNeill could have done so much more.

NATO general sees long fight in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - The outgoing American commander of NATO forces in Afghanistan said the insurgency there will last for years unless Pakistan shuts down safe havens where militants train and recruit.
Gen. Dan McNeill also blamed new peace agreements in Pakistan's tribal areas for a spike in violence in eastern Afghanistan, where U.S. forces operate along the volatile border.
"If there are going to be sanctuaries where these terrorists, these extremists, these insurgents can train, can recruit, can regenerate, there's still going to be a challenge there," McNeill said in an interview with The Associated Press.
NATO has said there was a 50 percent spike in violence in eastern Afghanistan in April when compared with 2007.
"We've also monitored and reported in the past what happens when there are so-called peace negotiations with these terrorists and extremists inside those sanctuaries," McNeill said. "And when there have been (negotiations), there has been a spike in the untoward events on our side of the border."
McNeill, a 61-year-old four-star general from North Carolina who has fought in most American conflicts since Vietnam, will step down next week as commanding officer of the 40-nation International Security Assistance Force. He will be replaced by U.S. Gen. David D. McKiernan, the commanding general of the U.S. Army in Europe.
McKiernan will inherit a greatly expanded force compared to the one McNeill took command of in February 2007, when it had 36,000 troops. Today it has 51,000. McNeill said in the interview on Wednesday that the increase was proof of the international community's commitment to success in Afghanistan.
"That says to me that all the wags who in late 2006 and early 2007 who were predicting the failure and the fracture of the NATO alliance here probably got it wrong. And I'm not trying to smirk or anything, I'm just saying people ought to go back and see what was being written," he said.
There is also a record number of U.S. forces in the country—33,000, including 2,400 Marines who arrived this spring to battle insurgents in the south, where ISAF has not had enough troops. McNeill said the U.S. will probably send more troops to the south next year.
Violence and the drug trade have also spiked on McNeill's watch. Insurgents last year set off a record number of suicide bombs—more than 140. More than 8,000 people, mostly militants, died in violence, according to U.N. analysts. Former military officers have warned that the international effort is in danger of failing.
McNeill said the NATO force in Afghanistan is short of troops. "It's an under-resourced force. That's been a constant theme since I've been here," he said.

Insurgent 101: You Know, It IS Hard To Hear A Kiowa OH-85 Coming!

Insurgent Sniper 101: When Hiding On a Balcony, Beware of U.S. Soldiers With a SMAW

Israeli Poll Shows That Netanyahu Would Win Election For Israeli Leadership

An Israeli poll out shows that Benjamin Netanyahu would win an election in Israel if current PM Olmert were to be ousted or resign. But before we set this in stone, it should be noted that the poll surveyed a "whopping" 467 people. Here's a snippet from the article here at the AP:

Hardline Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu would win national elections if a corruption probe topples Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, an Israeli poll showed Friday.
The Dialog poll indicates that popular Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni would come in second and Defense Minister Ehud Barak would come in third.

Do I think Netanhyahu is the answer for Israel? I simply don't know. But I do think that Israel needs Likud at the helm of the country right now - Israel is going to need hardliners over the next two years and if my predictions come true of some major attacks on Israel over the next nine months, they will need a supreme coordination with the defense ministry to stave it all off.

I personally don't think Olmert is going to be able to weather this storm as it is all over the place now. And it is not only the corruption scandal at the heart of this but the fact that the defense minister has come out with a vote of no confidence of him and of course, swelling opposition among the Israeli citizens.

Israeli poll finds Netanyahu would win elections

JERUSALEM (AP) -- Hardline Likud Party leader Benjamin Netanyahu would win national elections if a corruption probe topples Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, an Israeli poll showed Friday.
The Dialog poll indicates that popular Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni would come in second and Defense Minister Ehud Barak would come in third.
The corruption probe involves a Jewish-American businessman who testified he had given Olmert about $150,000 that was used in part to fund a lavish lifestyle.
The poll, published in the Haaretz daily newspaper, surveyed 467 people and has a margin of error of 5.1 percentage points.

News of the Day! 30 Dead Taliban...Count 'em .. 30!

Holy smokes what a day in southern Afghanistan! 30 dead Taliban isn't bad for a week but in one day, in one air strike, is phenomenal! Here's the crux of what went on from the story here at AFP:

NATO warplanes pounded a militant compound in southwest Afghanistan,
killing 30 Taliban fighters, after clashes that left three Afghan police and
troops dead, officials said Thursday.
The rebels, who included
Pakistani fighters, had moved into Farah province from neighbouring Helmand a
few days earlier, an Afghan army commander and a police chief
said.

In initial fighting two Afghan soldiers and a policeman were killed and
several were wounded.
"Later, ISAF air planes bombed the fort and 30 Taliban
including their ranking commanders were killed," said the commander, Jalandar
Shah Behnam. "There is no one left inside the fort," he said.

Isn't it terrific? I do want to take a closer look at the one line of the article that I bolded above - "...had moved into Farah province from neighbouring Helmand..."

Now, that may not seem significant but considering the fact that right now in Helmand province there are about 3,000 U.S. Marines kicking Taliban ass backwards every single day and laying down a big body count of rag heads, it makes this understandable. The Taliban are trying to avoid Helmand to some degree, shifting over to Farah and probably trying to swing around the area the Marines are in. Well, if that was the plan, these 30 are evidence that it doesn't work too well.

The other part of this is how swiftly our aircraft were able to respond to this. The Taliban are not stupid and when they saw the troops start to engage or try to corner them, I'm sure they had an escape plan but the aircraft must have been sent in pronto and man oh man, what a sweet result!

NOTE: At the end of the article excepted below, you will see that there are reports of ANOTHER 15 dead Taliban in the same Farah province from another bombing run by NATO planes. Gotta love it, eh?

At least 30 Taliban killed in fighting: Afghan officials

HERAT, Afghanistan (AFP) — NATO warplanes pounded a militant compound in southwest Afghanistan, killing 30 Taliban fighters, after clashes that left three Afghan police and troops dead, officials said Thursday.
The rebels, who included Pakistani fighters, had moved into Farah province from neighbouring Helmand a few days earlier, an Afghan army commander and a police chief said.
Afghan soldiers and police and troops from NATO's International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) on Wednesday surrounded their compound in the Bala Buluk district, the army commander for western Afghanistan told AFP.
In initial fighting two Afghan soldiers and a policeman were killed and several were wounded.
"Later, ISAF air planes bombed the fort and 30 Taliban including their ranking commanders were killed," said the commander, Jalandar Shah Behnam. "There is no one left inside the fort," he said.
The Farah deputy police chief, Mohammad Nabi Popal, also said 30 Taliban were killed and one of his policemen.
"They were mostly Taliban from Helmand and some Pakistani Taliban who infiltrated our province from neighbouring Helmand province," he said.
ISAF did not immediately comment.
The NATO force has been carrying out intense operations in Helmand over the past weeks, saying it has caused significant losses to rebels particularly in the Garmser district on the border with Pakistan.
The district is said to be a Taliban gateway into Afghanistan from Pakistan, where extremists are said to have bases and training camps.
Popal said ISAF planes also bombed another area of Farah overnight after Taliban attacked police, wounding three of them.
"Heavy casualties were inflicted to Taliban but we don't have confirmed figure," he said, adding "up to 15 may have been killed."

Insurgent 101: If You Fire Mortars At Us, There IS A Price To Pay

Mahdi Militia 101: You Outta Hide Your Rocket Launchers Better

U.S. Troops Kill 10 Militia Special Groups Jihadists In E. Baghdad

Great job for the U.S. troops on this one and quite frankly, I can't wait to get the video on how this one came down. It appears that 10 special groups militiamen (more than likely Mahdi Army) got caught doing some IED emplacement in east Baghdad and were targeted for an early morning raid by U.S. troops and well, those 10 aren't going to be doing anything, anymore. That story is here from Australian Broadcasting Company and here's a bit of it:

US troops have killed 10 militiamen who were planting roadside bombs in eastern Baghdad, just outside the Shiite stronghold of Sadr City, the US military said.
"Coalition forces killed 10 special group extremists ... in Baghdad after positively identifying [that] they were conducting militant activities, primarily Improvised Explosive Device emplacement," a statement said.

The disturbing part of this is that we are still seeing this type of IED emplacement inside the metro area of Baghdad where there could really be some significant damage done to U.S. troops. At the same time, most of Baghdad has been fairly quiet lately so the U.S. command can really focus on the main problem which of course is the Sadr City grid.

What I'd like to know about this story is whether the info on these 10 asshats came in from a tip from local residents or not.

US troops kill 10 Baghdad militiamen

The US military has coined the term "special groups" to describe gunmen it says are trained by Iranians to direct attacks against US-led troops and incite sectarian violence in Iraq. Iran consistently denies any involvement.
The Americans first claimed the victims were killed in an operation planned and led by Iraqi troops, but later said coalition forces carried out the pre-dawn attack, which also left one militia member wounded.
Meanwhile, in Sadr City itself, Iraqi troops have seized a large quantity of weapons, explosives and ammunition during the past eight days, the US military added.
Authorities discovered 88 roadside bombs, 201 rocket propelled grenades, 34 artillery rounds, 18 tank rounds, 144 mortar rounds and 107 anti-tank mines.
Fighters from radical cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army fought deadly street battles with US forces in Sadr City for seven weeks until a May 10 truce deal between Sadr and the Government took effect.
The US troops have kept up attacks against the so-called "special groups," including in Shiite neighbourhoods of Baghdad.
Iraqi security officials said three more people were killed and five wounded yesterday in two separate roadside bomb attacks in the Diyala province, north-east of Baghdad.

More Rocket Attacks On Israel - No Injuries

This isn't a huge impact story in that no Israelis were injured in the latest rocket attacks from Gaza but it is important to note that there were 2 Qassam rockets fired into southern Israel as well as a mortar round. This just might mean a buildup to more attacks and possibly even the heavy sustained activity that we saw a couple of months ago. Here's the short story on it out of YNET here:

2 Qassam rockets, 1 mortar shell fired towards Israel, no injuries

Two Qassam rockets were fired from northern Gaza towards Israel early Thursday morning. One rocket landed near a kibbutz south of Ashkelon and the second landed near a kibbutz in the Sha’ar Hanegev Regional Council.
The mortar shell landed near the Nahal Oz area. No injuries or damage were reported in any of the incidents.

This is typically a game of cat and mouse between Hamas, Islamic Jihad and Israel - the goons from Gaza will keep increasing the rocket attacks until they see some action taken by Israel while the terrorists gauge how IDF troops react to each firing, the time it takes to see movement of IDF, etc.

I've said all along that this has been part of a larger strategy by Hamas to make the attacks a constant occurence - this accomplishes two things: 1. It will dull the reactions to it by Israel and 2. It will desensitize the world as to Hamas' aggression towards Israel.

Let's face it, if the morning headlines every single day mention a few Qassam rockets landing in Israel, at some point in time, the world won't even notice it and if one Israeli is killed fairly frequently, that will happen as well. There is only one way to stop these attacks consistently over a long period of time and that is for Israel to take out some mid-level and top leadership of Hamas.

Israel's Defense Minister Barak Demands Olmert Resign

Whoa! I guess somebody's cards are on the table, eh? Here's a portion from the story out at DEBKA here:

In a tensely awaited statement, defense minister Ehud Barak said: “Considering the situation and the weighty challenges facing the country – Hamas, Hizballah, Syria, Iran and the peace process – Ehud Olmert cannot be considered fit to manage affairs of state and I call upon him to withdraw as prime minister - whether by resigning, taking leave or suspending himself.

Now, Barak is using the veil of the current corruption charges against Olmert as leverage here but bottom line is the defense minister and Olmert have been oil and water since day one. Last time I think they agreed was NOT to go after Hezbollah recently but we don't know all the details of that decision.

But how in the world can Israel operate now with this big tuna laying on the kitchen table? A defense minister who cannot and will not trust the Prime Minister to protect the country is a damn big deal.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out in the next few days but my gut feeling is that Olmert will succumb to his Kadima party's officials who could see him damage the party even more than the country at the moment. But who knows...the Democrats in America can't get rid of Hillary - maybe Olmert's got a bitch streak in him too.

Barak appeals to Olmert’s Kadima party to replace him as prime minister, but no ultimatum

In a tensely awaited statement, defense minister Ehud Barak said: “Considering the situation and the weighty challenges facing the country – Hamas, Hizballah, Syria, Iran and the peace process – Ehud Olmert cannot be considered fit to manage affairs of state and I call upon him to withdraw as prime minister - whether by resigning, taking leave or suspending himself.
Should Kadima, the party headed by Olmert, prove unable to choose an alternative prime minister, Labor, which Barak heads, will seek an early general election on an agreed date.

“We are not waiting for Kadima with a stop watch, but would hope they move quickly,” he said.
DEBKAfile’s political sources note that the Barak announcement disappointed his own party, the political establishment and the population at large, who expected him too take Labor out of the government coalition and schedule a general election.
The defense minister was responding to the corruption case pending against the prime minister, which was strengthened Tuesday, May 27, by the pre-trial testimony of American businessman Morris Talansky at the Jerusalem District Court. Talansky’s affirmation that he handed the prime minister $150,000 in envelopes and unpaid loans over a 15-year period, caused widespread popular outrage and demands for Olmert to step down or otherwise remove himself by taking leave of absence.

A year ago, the defense minister went back on his pledge to quit if the Winograd panel rules against Olmert’s management of the Lebanon War.
Four members of Olmert’s own Kadima have called on him to step down.
DEBKAfile’s political sources note that the prosecution and police investigation of the case against the prime minister has turned up more of the prime minister’s past funding sources in addition to the businessman Talanaksy. The case against him is therefore far from complete.

8 Taliban Killed In Pakistan - Was It A Drone Or Munitions Gone Wrong?

I found this story here from Yahoo News pretty funny (I do chuckle whenever 8 Taliban leave the Earth) as the story first tries to portray a truck carrying 8 Taliban as exploding from "grenades" it was carrying then suggesting perhaps a U.S. drone may have done it. Look at the two references IN THE SAME STORY!:

The suspects were travelling in a pick-up truck when it blew up near the town of Salarzai in militant-infested Bajaur tribal district, local administration official Adalat Khan told AFP.
He said the explosion was probably caused by hand grenades loaded in the truck.

Okay, that was Version 1, here is Version 2:

However residents said a US drone from neighbouring Afghanistan was in the air when the explosion ripped apart the heavy truck, suggesting it might have been targeted from the air.

So, what do YOU think? I think a vehicle blown up to that degree, not only killing the 8 Taliban inside and wounding others outside of it HAD to have been hit by a drone's hellfire. Grenades? First off, when's the last time we saw Taliban using grenades? RPG's yes, grenades no. Secondly, there would have had to have been a lot of other explosives in this vehicle to cause that damage if it exploded from inside - and with 8 Taliban in it, highly unlikely.

Nope, I vote that another drone from the U.S. forces in Afghanistan scored a big one and it sure seems to me that until the new Pakistan government throws a huge hissy fit this will continue - let's face it, there is a smorgasboard of targets in this region of Pakistan and it appears to be like shooting fish in a barrel. :smile:

Blast kills eight Taliban in tribal Pakistan: officials

KHAR, Pakistan (AFP) - At least eight suspected Taliban were killed and several others wounded Wednesday when a blast ripped through their vehicle in a Pakistani tribal region bordering Afghanistan, officials said.

The suspects were travelling in a pick-up truck when it blew up near the town of Salarzai in militant-infested Bajaur tribal district, local administration official Adalat Khan told AFP.
He said the explosion was probably caused by hand grenades loaded in the truck.
"The explosion killed eight people and destroyed the truck completely," a senior security official said.
Militant sources said the Taliban were heading to a tribal meeting which was deciding the fate of one of their captured fighters, who was blamed for an attack on an officer of the government-backed tribal police this week.
However residents said a US drone from neighbouring Afghanistan was in the air when the explosion ripped apart the heavy truck, suggesting it might have been targeted from the air.
The region is a known stronghold of Taliban and Al-Qaeda fighters. A US missile strike in Damadola in Bajaur earlier this month killed 14 militants.

Insurgent 101: Tonight's Menu - An Order of Hellfire With A Side Of 30mm

Insurgent 101: You Plant An IED, You Better Hide Better Than That!

U.S. State Department Claims Hezbollah Hurt Itself In Latest Lebanon Offensive

I like the angle taken by this article here from AFP, as it explores the political, social collateral damage that may have come out of Hezbollah's offensive recently in Lebanon. Here's what State Department officials are saying:

Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's claim that his group does not want to control Lebanon may reveal how self-defeating its recent armed offensive in Beirut was, a senior US official said Tuesday.

"They (Hezbollah) showed a willingness to use arms to kill their fellow citizens. Perhaps these words are a recognition of the real political damage done to Hezbollah," he said.
"Any pretense of it as a liberation organization, or an organization designed to protect Lebanese from outsiders has really been torn away," McCormack added.

Now, I think this is a pretty obvious statement if you consider the position of Sunnis, Christians and Druze living in Lebanon but the majority Shia certainly don't. But that is, afterall, the issue with Lebanon - it is such a melting pot of so many factions and sects that it has always been a nightmare to govern.

But at the same time, I don't want to minimize that indeed this could really backfire on Hezbollah. Hezbollah has traditionally tried to portray themselves as "protectors" of the Lebanon people from the "threat" of the Israelis. A similar position was taken for years by Hamas. What Hezbollah has tried to play out is that the Lebanese army is actually weak and only a puppet and that if the Lebanese people REALLY want protection and security, they must rely on Hezbollah. And the recent offensive showed Hezbollah for what they are - thugs and terrorists. Hezbollah arms were fired on Lebanese Druze, Christians, Sunnis and Lebanese armed forces.

This reminds me a bit of the PR nightmare that Hamas went through after they decided to rise up against Fatah in the Gaza Strip - here Hamas had won elections but ended up in a bloody offensive in Gaza that left many civilians dead.

I personally think the only reason that Hezbollah did not wish to move forward into an all out governmental takeover of Lebanon was the horrible example they saw of what happened to Hamas in Gaza.

US suggests Hezbollah speech shows self-inflicted damage

WASHINGTON (AFP) — Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah's claim that his group does not want to control Lebanon may reveal how self-defeating its recent armed offensive in Beirut was, a senior US official said Tuesday.
"I think their actions belie the statements," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters when asked to comment on Nasrallah's speech to his supporters in Lebanon on Monday.
"They (Hezbollah) showed a willingness to use arms to kill their fellow citizens. Perhaps these words are a recognition of the real political damage done to Hezbollah," he said.
"Any pretense of it as a liberation organization, or an organization designed to protect Lebanese from outsiders has really been torn away," McCormack added.
The Hezbollah-led opposition, which won admiration in the past for fighting Lebanon's southern neighbor Israel, staged a spectacular armed takeover of large swathes of mainly Sunni west Beirut earlier this month.
The assault angered many Lebanese but led to negotiations to end an 18-month political feud between the Hezbollah-led opposition and the Western-backed ruling majority that left the nation without a head of state for six months.
As part of a deal brokered in Qatar last week by the Arab League, General Michel Sleiman was elected by parliament Sunday in a first step towards national reconciliation.
The following day, in a speech marking the eighth anniversary of Israel's pullout from south Lebanon after a two-decade occupation, Nasrallah pledged that his Shiite Muslim group would not use its weapons for political gains.
"Hezbollah does not want power over Lebanon, nor does it want to control Lebanon or govern the country," Nasrallah said.
But he also warned that the new government should not try to use the army to tackle the weapons of Hezbollah or any of its political allies.
Analysts give some credence to US State Department arguments that Hezbollah has lost popular support by turning its guns on fellow Lebanese rather than its traditional enemy Israel.
But analysts said that, at least in the short term, it was the US-backed government of Fuad Siniora that suffered the political setback, not Hezbollah, which they said achieved political gain through force of arms.

Car Bomb Attack In Tehran, Iran

Interesting, to say the least. It wasn't long ago that we saw the mosque "explosion" in Iran that the Iranians finally broke down and admitted had been a bombing and now, this mysterious car bombing in Tehran happens. As would be expected, there isn't much for details on this so I will excerpt the whole article here from Adnkronos:

Iran: Carbomb explodes in Tehran

Tehran, 26 May (AKI) - A carbomb exploded in a western suburb of the Iranian capital Tehran on Monday. No one was hurt in the blast but some buildings were damaged. The area where the car bomb exploded was immediately isolated by security forces. No one has claimed responsibility for the incident. According to a report on the Fars news agency, one person has been arrested in connection with the blast.

Couple of things to note here. First, the damage from this car bombing had to have been pretty significant for the Iranians to not have tried to cover this up and second, this happened in Tehran - not some podunk village or secondary city in outerland Iran.

Now, I'm sure the Iranians will blame this on the MEK - an Iranian group opposed to the government of Iran and also a terrorist group listed on America's list of terrorists. The Iranians will point the finger at MEK and probably spin it that the Americans were behind it. Haha.

It's hard to say if this IS MEK or if the mullahs are looking at their own "insurgency" but it might just be interesting to note how long before another one of these accounts - the last bombing of the mosque in Iran was really treated as a real fluke but now....

U.S. Marines Are Kicking Ass In Southern Afghanistan

Okay, it pains me GREATLY to have to link to ANY story from the rag, the New York Times here, but it was the only story up on the progress of the U.S. Marines that were brought into Afghanistan just a short while ago. Trust me, the NYT takes plenty of potshots at our Marines so reading the whole article may leave a bittersweet taste in your mouth but the facts in the article are OUTSTANDING and I wanted you to see them:

For two years British troops staked out a presence in this small district center in southern Afghanistan and fended off attacks from the Taliban. The constant firefights left it a ghost town, its bazaar broken and empty but for one baker, its houses and orchards reduced to rubble and weeds.

But it took the Marines, specifically the 24th Marine Expeditionary Unit, about 96 hours to clear out the Taliban in a fierce battle in the past month and push them back about 6 miles.

“They have disrupted the Taliban’s freedom of movement and pushed them south, and that has created the grounds for us to develop the hospital and set the conditions for the government to come back,” said Maj. Neil Den-McKay, the officer commanding a company of the Royal Regiment of Scotland based here. People have already started coming back to villages north of the town, he said, adding, “There has been huge optimism from the people.”

This obviously is great news and it is NO surprise - the Marines were brought in for this very reason - to get things done. I'm not downgrading the Brits or Canadians at all, because they have been undermanned but the Marines were brought in from Iraq because they had successfully flushed al Qaeda elements out of Ramadi and Fallujah and that is what they are doing here in southern Afghanistan.

The Taliban are not giving up but believe me, their number of dead will soar and at some point, the Taliban are gonna be in real trouble on supply lines to this area.

A BIG "waytogo" to the Marines in Helmand province - we're all proud of the ass kickin' you are doing!

Optimism Grows as Marines Push Against Taliban

This time, the performance of the latest unit of marines, here in Afghanistan for seven months to help bolster NATO forces, will be under particular scrutiny. The NATO-led campaign against the Taliban has not only come under increasing pressure for its slow progress in curbing the insurgency, but it has also been widely criticized for the high numbers of civilian casualties in the fighting.
The marines’ drive against the Taliban in this large farming region is certainly not finished, and the Taliban have often been pushed out of areas in Afghanistan only to return in force later. But for the British forces and Afghan residents here, the result of the recent operation has been palpable.

For the marines, it was a chance to hit the enemy with the full panoply of their firepower in places where they were confident there were few civilians. The Taliban put up a tenacious fight, rushing in reinforcements in cars and vans from the south and returning repeatedly to the attack, but they were beaten back in four days by three companies of marines, two of which were dropped in by helicopter to the southeast.
In the days after the assault began, hundreds of families, their belongings packed high on tractor-trailers, fled north from villages in the southern part of the battle zone, according to marines staffing a checkpoint. The Taliban told them to leave as the fighting began, they said. Hospital officials in the provincial capital, Lashkar Gah, reported receiving eight civilian casualties as a result of the fighting, including a 14-year-old boy who died from his injuries. The marines did not sustain any casualties, but one was killed and two were wounded in subsequent clashes.

CIA Sees ' Succession Crisis ' For Al Qaeda

I was just blogging about all the chatter out there that we may just be zeroing in on bin Laden and this article here, from MSNBC, comes out about how the CIA is expecting a crisis in fill the top roles of leaders at al Qaeda. Let's look at a bit from the article:

The CIA is equally interested in those jockeying to replace bin Laden in what he predicted will be a "succession crisis."
"It will be really interesting to see how that plays out. The organization is a lot more networked than it is ruthlessly hierarchical," Hayden said of the group behind the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. "How do you pick the next overall leader?"

Despite al-Qaida's resilience, taking out bin Laden would be a psychological blow to the organization, Hayden said.
"If there ever was a sense of invulnerability I think killing or capturing him would shatter it once and for all," he said.

I think the fact that Hayden is making these kind of statements is a clear indication that we are getting closer to old Osama...at this very moment. I'm not big on predictions because my accuracy rate isn't that great (I'm sure some of you remember my prediction of all out retribution by Israel over the seminary massacre in Jerusalem) but I gotta gut feeling that we will see an attack on bin Laden himself within the next two weeks. There are just too many signals that something is up.

Hayden goes on in the article to talk about how there have been successes against al Qaeda and that it has paid off - and he's right - the Bush strategy of keeping these peons on their heels HAS worked. We definitely have thrown off the communications and coordination of al Qaeda in the past few years and while we can't count them out, ever, the fact of the matter is they are going to have trouble planning attacks when their cell phones are ringing non-stop about something coming over the next mountain peak.

CIA planning for al-Qaida 'succession crisis'

WASHINGTON - The U.S. is making "a big and continual push" to capture or kill al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden, but his demise won't end the organization's menace, CIA Director Michael Hayden said Tuesday in an Associated Press interview.
The CIA is equally interested in those jockeying to replace bin Laden in what he predicted will be a "succession crisis."
"It will be really interesting to see how that plays out. The organization is a lot more networked than it is ruthlessly hierarchical," Hayden said of the group behind the 9/11 attacks on the U.S. "How do you pick the next overall leader?"

The CIA has been using armed drones to attack alleged terrorists inside the tribal area, as U.S. military forces are barred from pursuing al-Qaida and Taliban fighters across the Afghan border.
Hayden would not say what else the CIA is doing, if anything, to target terrorist enclaves there.
"It's hard for me to get into any details. I understand the situation there and I'm comfortable with the authorities we've been given," he said.
"There's an awful lot of senior leadership killed or captured including even in the last several months," he said.
Although bin Laden remains at large, Hayden said, "On balance I think we are doing pretty well on the war on terror."
"It's not luck," he said. "We've made it more difficult for people who would do us harm. That's not a guarantee. It doesn't mean they won't be back. It doesn't mean we'll always be successful."

Insurgent 101: You REALLY Want To Know How Fast Our Guys Can Get 5 Artillery Rounds Off?

Insurgent 101: Pssst...It's Called A "Multiple Launch Rocket System"

Hezbollah's Nasrallah Says He Is Backing Iraqi Insurgency

This is the first time that Nasrallah has poked his nose into the Iraq War, publicly, but of course, after recent developments in Lebanon where this clown has come out the winner, we more than likely are going to see him spouting off about everything from the Iraq War to the Great Satan in America to what the price of oil should be. Here's a bit from the article over at Al Jezeera:

Hassan Nasrallah, 'the secretary-general of Hezbollah, has said that his organisation "is siding with the resistance in Iraq" in a speech to hundreds of thousands of supporters in Beirut, the Lebanese capital.

"The Iraqis, Shia and Sunni, who took part in the political process wanted to give it a chance," he said in his address on Monday.
"But now that the real American goal in Iraq has been exposed the Iraqi government is put to a test."

Two observations I have about this:

1. Iraq's leader Maliki has just gone through his most trying time politically as he stood up to fellow Shia leader, al Sadr, and the Mahdi Army and I'm pretty sure that Maliki isn't going to appreciate Nasrallah sticking his nose in Maliki's plans.

2. This buffoon, Nasrallah, may have just put a bullseye on his back with America military command. There is plenty of evidence of Hezbollah backed fighters having been in the middle of things down in Basra and with this speech, Nasrallah has legitimized his backing of the attacks on Iraqi Army and U.S. troops.

Personally, I think these are the actions of a wannabe world leader who let his overthrow of the Lebanon government go to his head. This asshat just aligned himself with al Qaeda in Iraq. He has shown the world that he is FOR the killing of innocent Iraqis, Iraqi military and American troops.

This was a mistake Nasrallah. You may not pay today or tomorrow for it but just remember one thing: there are a lot of Americans that still remember what you did to our Marines in Lebanon many years ago. We have never forgotten. And you may have just given us the acceptable reason to finally take your fat ass out.

Hezbollah 'to back Iraq resistance'


Hassan Nasrallah, 'the secretary-general of Hezbollah, has said that his organisation "is siding with the resistance in Iraq" in a speech to hundreds of thousands of supporters in Beirut, the Lebanese capital.

"The Iraqis, Shia and Sunni, who took part in the political process wanted to give it a chance," he said in his address on Monday.
"But now that the real American goal in Iraq has been exposed the Iraqi government is put to a test."

It is the first time Nasrallah has issued a challenge to the Iraqi government to take a stand against the US military presence in Iraq.

"The Americans allowed the elections and the formation of parliament and a government so that they get an Iraqi legitimisation of the occupation," he said, referring to a reported Iraqi-American agreement that would allow the US to have a permanent presence in Iraq.

The speech by Nasrallah, aired over a video link to supporters, was part of celebrations to mark eight years since Israeli forces withdrew from southern Lebanon.

Israel And Hezbollah Make Prison Swap Deal - Goldwasser And Regev Coming Home?

Okay, I am far from calling this a certainty - Haaretz, here has the story and they are usually fairly reliable but I'm not seeing it at Breitbart or Reuters. Anyway, the story has it that Hezbollah and Israel have come to terms to swap prisoners, the Israelis getting back their two IDF soldiers, Goldwasser and Regev and Hezbollah getting back a couple of their piles of shit along with some Hezbollah corpses. Here's from the article:

Israeli sources said Monday that Israel and Hezbollah had struck a deal securing the release of two Israeli soldiers captured by the Lebanon-based militant group in a July 2006 cross border raid that sparked the Second Lebanon War. The sources explained that in exchange for the captives, Israel would release Samir Kuntar, a Lebanese militant currently imprisoned in Israel for the 1979 murder of a Nahariyah family, an Israeli citizen jailed for espionage on Hezbollah's behalf and four other Hezbollah men captured by Israel during the 2006 war. The deal reportedly will also include the return of the remains of ten Lebanese, currently held by Israel, to Hezbollah.

As for how certain this all is, there is this also in the same article so we outta take this all with a grain of salt:

Meanwhile Monday, another source involved in the negotiations over the release of the two captive soldiers said "a prisoner exchange deal with Hezbollah is yet far off."

One thing I'm concerned about is the numbers here - Hezbollah and/or Hamas usually ask for hundreds of released prisoners in these exchanges and also, there is the thought that at least one of the Israeli soldiers was originally reported as severely wounded in the abduction by Hezbollah and many had speculated that he could not have survived those wounds.

Let's hope this story does come true and these two valiant soldiers are returned to their people. Finally.

J'lem sources say Israel and Hezbollah strike prisoner swap deal

Earlier Monday, Hezbollah Secretary General Hassan Nasrallah hinted that a prisoner swap would soon be completed, telling supporters in Beirut that Kuntar would soon be freed.
The sources refrained from commenting on whether the Israeli captives, Ehud Golwasser and Eldad Regev, were alive. However, a medical report encompassing evidence from the site of the kidnapping near Israel's northern border maintained that at both Israel Defense Forces soldiers were seriously hurt at the scene.

The sources added that the fact that the deal did not include any Palestinian prisoners held in Israel may be indicative of the Israeli captives' condition. The timetable for the exchange of prisoners is not yet clear. Meanwhile Monday, another source involved in the negotiations over the release of the two captive soldiers said "a prisoner exchange deal with Hezbollah is yet far off." According to the source, Israel has not received any information in recent days to indicate that a deal is in fact within reach. The source added that the German mediator who has been working on the deal was not in Beirut last week, in contrast with media reports to the contrary. "Nasrallah doesn't coordinate his speeches with Israel," the source stressed, saying that the fact that Nasrallah hinted in his speech Monday that Samir Kuntar would soon be released from the Israeli prison in which he has been held since 1979, was not a new revelation.

As long as four years ago, Nasrallah proclaimed that Samir Kuntar would be released in the second part of the exchange deal that saw another Israeli Hezbollah captive, Elhanan Tenenbaum, returned to Israel. However, after Nasrallah failed to fulfill his part of the deal - to provide Israel with information regarding the missing navigator Ron Arad - Israel responded in kind and refused to release Kuntar. The source stressed that one may take solace in the fact that Nasrallah, in the sole sentence in which he referred to any prisoner exchange, did not mention the release of Palestinian prisoners, as he has consistently done in the past. Nasrallah's demand for the release of Palestinian prisoners held in Israel has, in the past, been the main obstacle standing in the way of an agreement between Israel and Hezbollah.

As was reported in Haaretz last week, Israel has made it clear, via the German mediator, that it would not release Palestinian prisoners in an exchange with a Lebanese organization. Israel explained that the negotiations surrounding the prisoner exchange was underway within the framework of United Nations Security Council resolution 1701, the resolution that ended the 2006 conflict between Israel and the Hezbollah, which applies only to Lebanon, and not to the Palestinian Authority.

Report: Bin Laden Is In Pakistan's K2 Mountains

You know, it actually has been quite some time since there has been talk about bin Laden's location and according to the report, seen here at Adnkronos, U.S. forces are actually talking about going to get him:

Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden is hiding in the K2 mountains of northern Pakistan, according to sources cited by Arabic television network, Al-Arabiya.The report also said US secret services were intending to drive him out in a major military operation encompassing the northern Pakistani tribal areas. According to the Dubai-based network, in the past few days US security and military officials had a top-level summit at a military base in the Qatari capital, Doha, to plan an operation to hunt for the al-Qaeda leader.

Now, first off, if this is true, this is going to ante up real quickly how the U.S. and Coalition forces stand with the new government of Pakistan. Let's face it, Musharraf never allowed this kind of operation and he had a helluva lot more of a beef with al Qaeda than the new kids on the block do. But, I think there may be more to this story.

First, let's look at where exactly the K2 mountains are and where they feel bin Laden is holed up:

Reports say that the CIA has located the Saudi terrorist in so-called "rooftop of the world", the area of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan to the west, in particular the chain of mountains of Nurestan and China to the north.

Now, this is just conjecture on my part, but with this being publicized and obviously, bin Laden is privy to the same thing you and me are reading...it's my contention that U.S. intelligence knows just about where he is and wants him to start moving to safer ground. I think this may be a ploy to get him on the run and the "operation" is basically some special ops forces in the area coupled with unmanned drones.

I'm hoping that a major operation DOES take place because not only will that show that the Pakistanis have given in a little, but it will show to the Taliban and all of the other fringe groups that their safe haven ain't so safe anymore.

Wouldn't it be a helluva 4th of July present to America to unveil the scattered remains of Osama bin Laden?

Terrorism: Bin Laden in Pakistan's K2 mountains, says report

Dubai, 26 May (AKI) - (by Hamza Boccolini) - Al-Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden is hiding in the K2 mountains of northern Pakistan, according to sources cited by Arabic television network, Al-Arabiya.The report also said US secret services were intending to drive him out in a major military operation encompassing the northern Pakistani tribal areas. According to the Dubai-based network, in the past few days US security and military officials had a top-level summit at a military base in the Qatari capital, Doha, to plan an operation to hunt for the al-Qaeda leader.General David Petraeus, the US commander in Iraq and the US ambassador to Islamabad, Anne Petersen, were reported to have attended the summit.

Last week Petraeus testified before a US Congressional committee about security in Iraq and warned that members of al-Qaeda based in Pakistan's tribal areas were planning a new September 11 attack.Reports say that the CIA has located the Saudi terrorist in so-called "rooftop of the world", the area of Pakistan that borders Afghanistan to the west, in particular the chain of mountains of Nurestan and China to the north.There are fears that Bin Laden is planning new attacks on the west using Arabs but also Europeans who have converted to Islam. Meanwhile support for al-Qaeda is reportedly broadening, not only among the Afghan Taliban and Pakistani tribes that deny Bin Laden's presence in the area, but also fundamentalists including the Muslim Brotherhood that has changed its strategy.

The leader of the Egyptian-based brotherhood, Mahdi Akef, has called the Saudi leader "a mujahid that sincerely fights against foreign occupation to be closer to Allah".In an interview published on the Arab website, Elaph, read by many young Saudis, Akef said he supported the activities of al-Qaeda against occupiers and not those against the people. The first victim in this strategy was Libyan Abu Laith al-Libi, al-Qaeda's number three, killed in a US air raid in January in Mir Ali, in Pakistan's tribal areas. Two Kuwaitis were also killed in the attack and a Libyan who was one of the group's leaders.The US aircraft had targeted an al-Qaeda summit where al-Libi was meeting Abu Obeida Tawari al-Obeidi and Abu Adel al-Kuwaiti. Another Libyan leader, Abdel Ghaffar al-Darnawi, who was previously responsible for links in Iran before moving to the frontline in Afghanistan, was also at the meeting.

Insurgent 101: The AH-64 Apache Is The Deliverer Of Your Virgins

Olmert Says He Is Willing To Make 'Significant' Concessions To The Syrians

Will somebody not stop this man? You don't make deals with the Devil! Here's some of what is being reported from Olmert and his discusssions with critics in Israel regarding the peace talks with Syria, from Breitbart:

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that he has made no promises to Syria about a future peace agreement but made clear he is prepared to make significant concessions, telling skeptical lawmakers that "sometimes the truth is unpleasant."

"All those who held negotiations with the Syrians in the past were willing to make the most painful concessions. I know it's hard to hear. Sometimes the truth is unpleasant," Olmert said, according to the meeting participant.
During the sessions, three hardline lawmakers accused Olmert of preparing to give up the Golan.
"You hate peace. You don't want peace. You're just drawing Israel into more wars," Olmert responded, according to the participant.

Let me look at that last statement from Olmert where he accuses fellow Israeli lawmakers of "drawing Israel into more wars" ...that, to me, is where he is erring so badly. First of all, does Olmert ACTUALLY BELIEVE the Syrians would abide by any agreement? This are muj, they are islamists, they are idol worshipping minnion of Satan - they will break an agreement faster than you can blink your eye. Second, if Omert gives up the Golan Heights, he won't have to worry about drawing Israel into a war, as there will be no choice as Syria sets up missile rocket launchers towering over all of northern Israel - you know, there WAS a reason why Israel kept the Golan after the '67 war.

So why is Olmert taking this route? Why is Olmert not giving up on these futile peace negotiations and considering the concessions? Let me give you my best guess. I believe that when Hezbollah captured the two Israeli soldiers and took them hostage, Olmert listened to a couple of military commanders and other lawmakers that insisted on a full fledged assault into Lebanon. Olmert was green at the time and gave the okay and since that war in Lebanon against Hezbollah was wrought with some pitfalls and the internation media astrocized him, he has become gunshy. And not only gunshy, but he has become uncertain. Olmert, in my view, is uncertain as to whether Israel can win a major campaign against Hezbollah teamed up with Syria and backed by Iran. In other words, he is scared. And believe me, the last thing that Israel needs right now is a leader who is not emphatically certain that the Israelis can defeat any foe.

Olmert: No promises to Syria so far in talks

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Monday that he has made no promises to Syria about a future peace agreement but made clear he is prepared to make significant concessions, telling skeptical lawmakers that "sometimes the truth is unpleasant."
Israel and Syria announced last week that they had resumed peace talks after more than a year of indirect contacts through Turkish mediators.
The surprise announcement has raised speculation that Olmert is preparing to relinquish the Golan Heights—Syria's central demand for any peace deal.
Israel captured the strategic plateau in the 1967 Mideast war and later annexed the area. Many Israelis are reluctant to relinquish the Golan, which overlooks northern Israel and borders the Sea of Galilee, a key source of drinking water.
Olmert told a closed parliamentary hearing on the contacts with Syria that he has made no promises to Damascus, though it is clear what each side must do. Olmert has repeatedly said Syria must end its support for Hezbollah guerrillas in Lebanon and Palestinian militants for there to be peace.
"What I said was I know what you want. You know what I want. Have I sold something? Have I given up anything?" Olmert said. "Let's sit and talk. There is nothing in writing and no other commitments, except what I have said."
Olmert was quoted by a meeting participant who spoke on condition of anonymity because the session was closed.
While Olmert was evasive about what he would offer Syria, he noted that his predecessors have agreed to sweeping territorial concessions in previous peace efforts.
In the most recent talks, conducted by then-Prime Minister Ehud Barak, Israel reportedly offered to withdraw from the Golan, but the talks broke down because Syria wanted Israel to pull back several hundred yards more to the eastern shore of the Sea of Galilee.
"All those who held negotiations with the Syrians in the past were willing to make the most painful concessions. I know it's hard to hear. Sometimes the truth is unpleasant," Olmert said, according to the meeting participant.
During the sessions, three hardline lawmakers accused Olmert of preparing to give up the Golan.
"You hate peace. You don't want peace. You're just drawing Israel into more wars," Olmert responded, according to the participant.
On Sunday, Olmert told his Cabinet that the talks with Syria would be kept out of the public eye.
Israel and Syria have fought three wars, their forces have clashed in Lebanon, and more recently, Syria has given support to Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas and Palestinian militant groups in the Gaza Strip. Israel is also concerned about Syria's close ties to Iran.
The Israeli public opposes giving up the Golan, home to a thriving tourism and wine industry. An opinion poll last week found that only 19 percent of Israelis are willing to cede the entire plateau—even in exchange for peace.

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Hamas May Receive Iran's Lethal EFP Roadside Bombs

Slowly but surely we are seeing the tactical and weaponry landscape of those terrorists neighboring Israel change. And it has gone beyond concern...it should be causing a huge increase in Israeli preparations. Look at this from an article out at DEBKA:

DEBKAfile’s military sources report that Hamas’ Damascus leader, Khaled Meshaal secretly met the Revolutionary Guards commander, Gen. Qassem Soleimani during his visit to Tehran Saturday, May 24.
First, he was taken around the IRGC factories manufacturing the roadside bombs known as explosively-formed penetrators (EFPs), which are dreaded for their extra armor-piercing capabilities and can be remotely operated by radio.
US armored vehicles in Iraq were this year fitted with extra side armor plates for protection after these roadside bombs had begun to account for 5 percent of American combat casualties.
According to intelligence sources, Hamas will soon receive EFPs from Iran with which to blow up Israel armored vehicles by remote control from inside the Gaza Strip.

These EFPs are the IEDs that the Iranians have developed to make most armor obsolete and the fact of the matter is that if these are brought into play in Gaza, we could see Israeli military casualties we have never seen before. Now, the one advantage that the Israelis have is their watchful eye on Gaza and the very small geography to watch for IED/EFP placement - the challenge in Iraq has been the huge area just can't be monitored so insurgents often have all the time in the world to place IEDs.

But what this all means is further escalation of Iran's influence in the Hamas and Hezbollah wars on Israel - Hezbollah has the sophisticated anti-tank weapons from Iran as well as the longer range rockets and Hamas has seen their stockpiles of rockets triple in the past year.

Hopefully, the Israelis will strike up some real conversations with U.S. military minds on the IED/EFP subject as the U.S has become experts on it in Iraq.

Exclusive: Hamas may receive lethal Iran-made EFP roadside bombs

Shin Bet director Yuval Diskin reported to Israel’s weekly cabinet meeting Sunday, May 25, on Hamas’ rapidly expanding arsenal. He said it is only a question of time before Palestinian rockets from Gaza fly past Ashkelon to Israel’s main port of Ashdod, 25 km south of Tel Aviv and the town of Kiryat Gat, 30 km further south. Hamas, in Diskin’s view, is steadily building up its war stocks and unlikely to accept a ceasefire.
Ashdod, which handles most of Israel’s marine cargoes, has a population of 200,000, Kiryat Gat 50,000.
DEBKAfile’s military sources report that Hamas’ Damascus leader, Khaled Meshaal secretly met the Revolutionary Guards commander, Gen. Qassem Soleimani during his visit to Tehran Saturday, May 24.
First, he was taken around the IRGC factories manufacturing the roadside bombs known as explosively-formed penetrators (EFPs), which are dreaded for their extra armor-piercing capabilities and can be remotely operated by radio.
US armored vehicles in Iraq were this year fitted with extra side armor plates for protection after these roadside bombs had begun to account for 5 percent of American combat casualties.
According to intelligence sources, Hamas will soon receive EFPs from Iran with which to blow up Israel armored vehicles by remote control from inside the Gaza Strip.
Internal security minister Avi Dichter divulged to the ministers the mechanism whereby the Israeli taxpayer indirectly bankrolls Hamas.
The Israeli government last year transferred more than $1 billion to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority headed by Mahmoud Abbas and Salam Fayyad. The funds covered the PA’s public sector payroll, which expanded this year from 160,000 to 200,000 earners. They include members of the various terrorist groups, such as the ruling Fatah and its branches, but also a massive transfer to the Gaza Strip to pay 70,000 administrative workers, most of them members of Hamas. In this way, Dichter reported, the Israeli government is putting up the cash for terrorists.

Insurgent 101: Next Time You Plan An Attack, Do NOT Forget About The U.S. Soldiers On The Hill

Document Leaked: Iran Paid Iraq's Mahdi Army To Kill British Troops In Basra

It really would take me a MONTH of Sundays to list all of the reasons why the world would be justified in wiping the Iranian nation off the face of the Earth and now we have Reason #374 where documents have been leaked that show how Iranian funding was used by the Iraqi Mahdi Army to recruit and train fighters to kill British troops in Basra. Here's the details from the report at the Telegraph:

Iran has secretly paid Iraqi insurgents hundreds of thousands of American dollars to kill British soldiers, according to a leaked government document obtained by The Telegraph.
The allegations are contained in a confidential "field report" written by a British officer who served in Basra during one of the most dangerous periods of the conflict. The report, which has never been made public, shows the full level of Iran's involvement in the insurgency for the first time.
The document states that the Jaish al-Mahdi (JAM) – also known as the Mahdi Army – one of the most violent insurgent groups operating in Basra, used money from Iran to recruit and pay young unemployed men up to $300 (£150) a month to carry out attacks against the British. The findings have been passed to the highest levels in the military.

Now, we could discuss how the Brits have been slapped around by the Iranians for three years now, or we could talk about how Iran will deny this report along with the hundreds of other ones that have them dead to rights, but I want to point out something else - that the Iranians are a race of people with no back bone. Yes, the Persians are simply gutless cowards.

Ever since the Islamic Revolution in Iran took place (thanks a bunch Jimmy Carter), the Persians have been intent on molding world opinion, world events and world behavior to suit their radical violent political ideology but unlike their predecessors, the Nazis or the Maoist or the Stalinists, the Iranians have hired others to do their dirty work. The Iranians hate Israel so they set up Hamas and Hezbollah to do their dirty work. The Iranians wanted to control Lebanon so they had Syria assassinate most of the upper echelon of Lebanon's governmental leadership. The list goes on and on.

The sissified Persians have only had one war in recent history in which they actually took up weapons themselves and fought an enemy - the war with Iraq - and they nearly got their asses handed to them. And in that war, the Persians were fighting their Shia brethren.

My point is this: it is high time the world puts an end to this yellow belly regime's use of hired guns around the world. It's way past due that the Persians are called on the carpet for their use of violence in the name of allah. And it is long overdue that this country, this cesspool of hate and perversion be wiped off the map. You can justify it by their development of nukes or now you can simply post a picture of a British soldier killed in Basra, but either way they deserve to breathe their last.

Iran 'paid Iraq insurgents to kill UK soldiers'

The leak comes at a time of rising tension between Iran and the international community, as Tehran continues to stonewall UN inquiries into allegations that it has carried out research to develop a nuclear weapon.
The report, "Life Under Fire in the Old State Building", details the activities of British troops under the command of Major Christopher Job, of the 2nd Lancashire Regiment, between November 2006 and March 2007.
In the report, Major Job discloses that in the course of five months his base was attacked 350 times. Old State Building, which is in the centre of Basra, is the most-attacked British base in recent history.
In an attempt to discover who was behind the attacks, the officer says he established a network of informers, who supplied him with detailed intelligence on the actions of the insurgents and who was behind their funding.
The officer states that the reports of Iran's involvement came from a network of 25 sources, which included a former Iraqi army general, prominent businessmen, local sheikhs and council leaders.
He writes: "We learnt from a number of our Key Leadership Engagements [local contacts] that the source of the problem was the level of unemployment in Basra.
"JAM, using funding from Iran, paid the unemployed youths in the region of $300 per month to attack Multi National Forces. We also learnt that JAM had a drugs culture and that youths literally got hooked on being associated with JAM."
Twenty-seven members of the Armed Forces died and dozens were seriously injured in southern Iraq between November 2006 and May 2007, the period that Major Job covers in his report.
A senior British officer who has recently returned from southern Iraq said that the existence of "Iranian finance teams" in Basra was widely known by the British military and Foreign Office, although always officially denied.
He said: "It suited Iran to arm JAM in order to allow them to have the means to hit us."
Patrick Mercer, the Tory MP and a former infantry commander said: "This report makes it quite clear that Iran is directly involved in funding the insurgency."
He added: "The Government must confront Tehran over the deaths of British troops – anything else is appeasement."
A spokesman for the Ministry of Defence said: "There is evidence to suggest a malign influence in Iraq by Iran, including the supply of equipment and armaments which are used by insurgents against UK forces in Iraq.