Taliban In Pakistan Send Warning That Any Woman Not In Hijab Will Have Acid Applied To Her Face

Animals. Actually, animals is not the correct terminology for these...minnions of Satan. The Taliban is back to threatening business owners in Pakistan and this time, they are even warning Pakistani women that if they don't bow to them and wear the hijab (head scarf) they will face punishment in the form of acid being thrown in their faces. How bloody sick can you get?

Here's the report of this "behavior" from the Daily Times:

The message said that Western and Indian media was damaging the character of youths and madrassah students, the official said. The business of music and movies is ‘Haram’, it added. The message then warned that those who continued their businesses after the 15-day deadline expired would be dealt with sternly. Acid: The second paragraph said that within five days of the receipt of the letter, every woman not wearing Hijab would be disfigured with acid.

Now, this warning came in printed output from a computer and of course, had the image of Baitullah Mehsud on the warning. Let's look at one other sentence from this warning:

Very soon we would cleanse earth from the traitors of Allah, the third paragraph said.

There you have it. Straight from the mouths of the Religon of Peace. This is not the message of a single radical group but a message we hear every fucking day from every corner of the globe from these islamist asshats. Here we have maniacs threatening to throw acid in the face of defenseless women while the government of Pakistan signs peace agreements with the jack offs. It's time to simply exterminate this vermin from the planet.

Taliban warn ‘un-Islamic’ businesses of dire consequences

LAHORE: Tehreek-e-Islami Taliban Pakistan (TITP) has distributed a fifteen-days notice to several “un-Islamic” businesses in Kot Addu to shut down or face dire consequences. The TTIP wrote threatening letters to owners of CDs shops, Internet cafes and cable service providers urging them to close down their activities.Similarly, the group warned that women must wear hijab to ensure their safety. Muzaffargarh District Police Officer (DPO) Shahzad Sultan told Daily Times that Rao Yasin, owner of Nomi Video Center, at Railway Road received one such letter. Sultan said the police have increased the security though it could not independently confirm the group’s activities. Kot Addu Police Station House Officer (SHO) Irfan Khosa said that another person, who requested anonymity, received a similar letter and the police have registered a case in this regard.The letter, typed and printed on computer, had Baitullah Mehsud’s photograph on it along with two gunmen, Khosa said. There were also Quranic verses about Jihad around the picture, he added. The message said that Western and Indian media was damaging the character of youths and madrassah students, the official said. The business of music and movies is ‘Haram’, it added. The message then warned that those who continued their businesses after the 15-day deadline expired would be dealt with sternly. Acid: The second paragraph said that within five days of the receipt of the letter, every woman not wearing Hijab would be disfigured with acid. Very soon we would cleanse earth from the traitors of Allah, the third paragraph said. Name of Khalid Mehsud, purported local Taliban leader, was printed at the end.

U.S. Troop Toll For July Hits Lowest Point Since Start Of Iraq War

More and more signs that we are winning big time in Iraq - the latest report shows the total troops lost in July as 10 which is the lowest number since the beginning of the Iraq War. Now, to me, I want ZERO troop deaths so this is not a celebration but it does show the outstanding job that American troops are doing in Iraq. Here's some of the details from Breitbart:

The monthly U.S. toll in Iraq fell to its lowest point since the war began, with at least 10 American deaths as July drew to a close Thursday after the departure of the last surge brigade.
Iraqis also are dying at dramatically lower numbers with the war in its sixth year. July saw the lowest civilian toll since December 2005, though a series of suicide bombings this week and rising ethnic tensions in northern Iraq reflect the fragility of the security successes.
An Associated Press tally shows that at least 510 Iraqi civilians and security force members were killed in July, a 75 percent drop from the 2,021 deaths in the same period last year as the U.S. troop buildup aimed at quelling rampant Sunni-Shiite violence was nearing its peak.

And look at those numbers of Iraqi civilians killed - down 75% !

Looks like a perfect time for Senator Barack Hussein Obama's call for surrender - let's clear out as soon as possible, doofus, so that those Iraqi civilian deaths can climb back up into the thousands per month, right?

The American troops and their commanders have simply made one of the biggest military turnarounds in recorded history and instead of the limelight being on their heroic efforts, we are witnessing in America all of the eyes on some mamby pamby spineless rookie politician who thinks he can talk his way to a world wide Utopia. It makes my blood boil.

US toll in Iraq hits all-time low as month ends

BAGHDAD (AP) - The monthly U.S. toll in Iraq fell to its lowest point since the war began, with at least 10 American deaths as July drew to a close Thursday after the departure of the last surge brigade.
Iraqis also are dying at dramatically lower numbers with the war in its sixth year. July saw the lowest civilian toll since December 2005, though a series of suicide bombings this week and rising ethnic tensions in northern Iraq reflect the fragility of the security successes.
An Associated Press tally shows that at least 510 Iraqi civilians and security force members were killed in July, a 75 percent drop from the 2,021 deaths in the same period last year as the U.S. troop buildup aimed at quelling rampant Sunni-Shiite violence was nearing its peak.
The drastic decline in violence over the past year has led to increasing optimism among American commanders, who have been wary of declaring success after past lulls proved short-lived. It also has become a key issue in the U.S. presidential campaign.
"The progress is still reversible," President Bush said Thursday in Washington. But he said a new "degree of durability in gains" should permit him to announce further U.S. troop reductions later this year.
The last of five combat brigades sent as part of the so-called surge returned home in July, leaving about 145,000 U.S. troops in Iraq. That's still higher than the roughly 130,000-135,000 who were here before the troop increase.
But the American soldiers appear to be taking on more of a peacekeeping role after many Sunni and Shiite extremists agreed to stop fighting.
The U.S. military has pointed to a Sunni revolt against al-Qaida in Iraq and a truce by anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr as playing a large part in the drop in violence, along with the troop buildup and improvements in training Iraqi security forces.
Baghdad—the site of the some of the worst sectarian violence that pushed the country to the brink of civil war—has been turned into a maze of concrete walls and checkpoints that make it difficult for militants to function.
"The key mission for the United States looking forward is to maintain the cease-fires and prevent people from going back to the warpath," said Stephen Biddle, an analyst at the Council on Foreign Relations who has advised the U.S. military command in Iraq.

Taliban 101: How Are Those JDAM's Working Out For You?

Latest Jihadist Trend: Explosive Boxers?

Okay...I thought this story was a joke at first but it appears that the jihadists have come up with a new way to try and avoid detection when going through searches. Just as we have seen in Iraq where the use of female suicide bombers has become more prevalent because a woman in full islamic garb finds it much easier to escape physical searches, we see this trend out of Pakistan where the jihadists are using explosive-laden "briefs" to avoid the same detection. Here's some of the details from the Daily Times:

Sihala Police College forensic lab sources told Daily Times that the study of recent suicide attacks showed that suicide bombers used “explosives-laden” under-garments, briefs in particular, to carry out the attacks. The sources said that the explosives could weigh between five kilogrammes to seven kilogrammes, made deadly by adding glass splinters, metal ball bearings and bullets. The law enforcers normally search upper body parts sparing the “privates”, the sources said, hence assailants are increasingly using the lower body parts to dodge the searches.

After reading that, I went from a chuckle to more of an "ohoh" ....as we have always seen, the elements of jihad are constantly adapting new tactics to their mission of death. And if you look at the extremes that have gone on in this global islamic attack on life, liberty and decency, it makes you shudder what will be used down the line.

What I have been most disappointed in regarding the war on terror is the seemingly slow movement of technology and insight by the West as to counteracting a lot of these measures. My discontent started in Iraq when it took us a very long time to develop the means to better detect and preempt the IED devices used by al Qaeda in Iraq.

The conclusion I have come to in all of this is that the way of life in countries like Pakistan and Afhanistan and Iraq will eventually need to change - in that, these lands will probably see more and more restrictions on large groups forming in the streets, more curfews, more restrictions on motor vehicles, etc. Let's face it, after the 9/11 attacks in the U.S., we did an amazingly good job of altering our security in airports across the land and the results has been amazing. These peoples in the countries I listed are simply going to have to accept that to reduce their risk, to reduce their dead, they will have to leave the streets...at least for a span of time. If you take away some of the targets, you make it harder for the jihadists.

Terrorists develop ‘suicide underwear’

RAWALPINDI: Would-be suicide bombers could be using explosives “underwear briefs” rather than explosives jackets to evade “conservative” body searches, sources said on Wednesday. Sihala Police College forensic lab sources told Daily Times that the study of recent suicide attacks showed that suicide bombers used “explosives-laden” under-garments, briefs in particular, to carry out the attacks. The sources said that the explosives could weigh between five kilogrammes to seven kilogrammes, made deadly by adding glass splinters, metal ball bearings and bullets. The law enforcers normally search upper body parts sparing the “privates”, the sources said, hence assailants are increasingly using the lower body parts to dodge the searches. The sources said that forensic experts were trying to devise methods to pre-empt suicide bombing. The experts have achieved successes in “Post Bombing Investigation,” the sources said, adding that resources are sharpening “Pre Bombing Investigation” techniques

Bomb Blast Hits Near Pakistani Consulate In Western Afghanistan

Pretty brief little story here from Breitbart and there were only two people injured in this bombing but I've put it up because it is indicative of the strained relations between the countries of Afghanistan and Pakistan. Just yesterday, a Canadian U.N. envoy sided with Afghanistan's contention that Pakistani spies were involved to some degree in the Taliban attack on President Karzai a couple of months ago and of course, there is constant bloodshed at the border of these two countries. Here's a few details on this bombing in western Afghanistan:

Officials say that a blast outside a Pakistani consulate in western Afghanistan has wounded at least two people.
Naeem Khan, a spokesman for Pakistan's embassy in Kabul, says the explosives were placed on a bicycle outside the gates of the consulate in the city of Herat.

Now, I have no idea who might have set off this blast - it's almost reminiscient of the psychological goading that al Qaeda did in Iraq with bombings of rival sect mosques - in other words, the thought pattern here could be to bomb the Pakistan consulate so that images of dead Pakistani employees there would incite a reaction from Pakistan.

Either way you look at it, there is growing evidence that every bloody jihadist in the world seems to have a homing device for Afghanistan and Pakistan right now and it's my prediction at some point in the next few months, NATO will need to reevaluate the scope of their mission in both Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Blast outside Pakistani consulate in Afghanistan

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - Officials say that a blast outside a Pakistani consulate in western Afghanistan has wounded at least two people.
Naeem Khan, a spokesman for Pakistan's embassy in Kabul, says the explosives were placed on a bicycle outside the gates of the consulate in the city of Herat.
A police official, Mir Ahmad, says two people, including a police guard and a woman, were wounded.
Khan says no one inside the consulate was injured.

Turkey's Ruling Islamist Party Narrowly Escapes Ban

Horrible news from Turkey - the ruling party, the AKP, escaped being banned as a party in Turkey by the Turkish Constitutional Court today. The vote for banning was 6 to 5 (seven votes on the court were needed to actually ban the party). The Constitutional Court handed out some sanctions but it is nothing compared to what might have happened. Here's the details from BBC News:

Turkey's Constitutional Court has decided not to ban the ruling AK Party, accused of undermining the country's secular system.
But the judges did cut half the AKP's treasury funding for this year.
The AKP, which won a huge poll victory last year, denies it wants to create an Islamist state by stealth. It called the case an attack on democracy.

At least seven of the 11 court judges would need to vote in favour for the party to be banned. But six judges wanted a ban and five did not want to do so.

MP Suat Kinklioglu speaks of the AK Party's relief at the court's decision
"I hope the party in question will evaluate this outcome very well and get the message it should get," Mr Kilic said.

Now, I blogged about this recently and in that I described how the AKP, while being soundly the majority party among Turkish voters, had been charged with undermining Turkey's constitutional form of secular government. It had all started by the ruling party's rescinding a ban on head scarves for women in public universities.

The fact of the matter is this - the AKP are islamists who wish to see the secular nature of Turkey done away with and replaced with an islamic theocracy much like Iran. Sure, the AKP will deny that til the cows come home but that is the fact. This is a subtle attack on secularism by radical islamists and it is one damn shame that they escaped today. I'm sure they will be low key for awhile but mark my words, they will return to their agenda soon...and it may not be able to be stopped.

Turkey's ruling party escapes ban

Turkey's Constitutional Court has decided not to ban the ruling AK Party, accused of undermining the country's secular system.
But the judges did cut half the AKP's treasury funding for this year.
The AKP, which won a huge poll victory last year, denies it wants to create an Islamist state by stealth. It called the case an attack on democracy.
The powerful military sees itself as the guardian of the modern secular state founded by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.
Court president Hasim Kilic said the financial sanctions imposed on the AKP were a "serious warning".
Narrow decision
At least seven of the 11 court judges would need to vote in favour for the party to be banned. But six judges wanted a ban and five did not want to do so.

The court case followed a series of confrontations between the AKP, which has Islamist roots, and the secular elite. Turkish secularists have staged huge anti-AKP rallies.
The party's attempt to allow Islamic headscarves to be worn at universities was highly controversial.

Last month the constitutional court said the move to lift the existing headscarf ban violated the secular constitution.
Since the 1960s, more than 20 parties - mostly pro-Islamist or pro-Kurdish - have been shut down by the courts for allegedly posing a threat to Turkey's secularist principles.
However, this is the first time that a closure case has been brought against a governing party with a huge parliamentary majority.
EU officials expressed some relief at the court's ruling on Wednesday.
"It is positive. Turkey is living a tense situation and we very much hope that the decision by the court will contribute to restore political stability," said Cristina Gallach, spokeswoman for EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana, quoted by Reuters.

Israel's Olmert To Cash Out In September - Hallelujah!

Many prayers have been answered today as Israel's Prime Minister Olmert has announced that he will resign in September. This is the best news I've heard in months! Israel has languished in a state of appeasement and headburyinginthesand for the longest time with Olmert at the helm and during his tenure, we have seen Hamas emboldened, we have seen Hezbollah rearmed and ready to attack Israel with newfound strength and we have seen Iran call Israel's bluff on nuclear weapons. Here's some of the details of Olmert's announcement from Breitbart:

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, facing corruption allegations and plummeting approval ratings, announced Wednesday he will resign in September. The move threw his country into political turmoil and raised doubts about progress for U.S.-backed Mideast peace efforts.
Appearing angry and reading from a prepared text, Olmert made the brief statement at his official Jerusalem residence where he harshly criticized the corruption investigations against him. He said he was choosing the public good over his personal justice.
"I was forced to defend myself against relentless attacks from self-appointed 'fighters for justice' who sought to depose me from my position, when the ends sanctified all the means," he said. Olmert has consistently denied wrongdoing but pledged to resign if charged with corruption.

Look at one line of that:

"Appearing angry...."

Olmert is angry? Well, Ehud, if you want to talk about angry people let me give you a list:

1. The Israelis who live in Sderot who endured months of terror from Hamas rockets falling on them are angry at you Olmert!
2. The Israeli parents of the young people in the seminary in Jerusalem, who watched their children massacred and never saw you, Olmert, lift one finger to avenge those murder are angry as hell.
3. The Israelis who live in northern Israel who now are staring down a whole new battery of katayshu rockets that Hezbollah has put back in place are angry too.
4. Israelis and others across the world are angry at you, Olmert, for releasing Samir Kantar, the baby killer back to the Lebanese.

I could go on and on and on about the missteps of Olmert over the years, but I do want to extend one congratulatory remark to him. Let's face it, Olmert wasn't elected into this office of Prime Minister but was forced into it when Sharon went down. I think initially Olmert exceeded expectations for a man who was thrust into that mess but the War with Lebanon really showed his inexperience and lack of leadership.

This is a huge day for Israel to see this incompetent stepping down, but the pressure to fill his shoes with just the right woman or man is going to be incredible. The next Prime Minister of Israel will face the greatest challenges the Israeli nation has ever encountered.

Israeli prime minister to resign in September

JERUSALEM (AP) - Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, facing corruption allegations and plummeting approval ratings, announced Wednesday he will resign in September. The move threw his country into political turmoil and raised doubts about progress for U.S.-backed Mideast peace efforts.
Appearing angry and reading from a prepared text, Olmert made the brief statement at his official Jerusalem residence where he harshly criticized the corruption investigations against him. He said he was choosing the public good over his personal justice.
"I was forced to defend myself against relentless attacks from self-appointed 'fighters for justice' who sought to depose me from my position, when the ends sanctified all the means," he said. Olmert has consistently denied wrongdoing but pledged to resign if charged with corruption.
Olmert's term was to end in 2010 but he said he would not run in his party's primary election, set for Sept. 17, and would step down afterward "in order to allow the chairman to be elected and form a different government quickly and efficiently." He did not answer questions from reporters.
Olmert's popularity dropped below 20 percent at one point after his bloody but inconclusive war in Lebanon in 2006, and a string of corruption allegations and police interrogations have battered him in recent months. Political analysts here have predicted his resignation for weeks.
Dan Margalit, an Israeli political analyst and longtime friend of Olmert who recently fell from his favor, called the decision to step down "a sad end to a miserable career."
President Bush spoke to Olmert just before he announced his resignation and wished him well, White House spokesman Gordon Johndroe said. He said Bush intends to work closely with Olmert until he leaves office and has appreciated the Israeli leader's friendship, leadership and work for peace.
The State Department said Olmert's departure would not affect U.S. efforts to broker some kind of peace agreement between Israelis and Palestinians by the end of the year.
"The Israelis will work out their own politics," spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters. "We're going to continue working on the basis on which we've worked. We're going to look forward to working with all responsible Israeli leaders in the government, whether it's this government or some future government."
McCormack said there has never been a "perfect moment" for negotiating an end to the conflict and it would be unwise to wait for one.
Olmert, 62, served as Jerusalem mayor for 10 years until 2003, when he was appointed trade minister in former Prime Minister Ariel Sharon's government. He held that position until he became prime minister in 2006 after Sharon suffered a devastating stroke.

Insurgent 101: When The U.S. Army Comes Knocking, You'll Know It

Diyala Operation Off To Great Start - 35 Al Qaeda Captured

So far, so good. The huge Diyala operation in Iraq started yesterday and already 35 al Qaeda operatives and linked partisans have been arrested. Here's some of the details from the article here at Yahoo News:

"Up to midday our forces detained 35 wanted for terrorism and others involved in crime, murder and setting of explosions," defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari told AFP.
The operation involves Iraqi police and soldiers, backed by US troops, conducting searches for militiamen and illegal weapons in Diyala, which remains one of the most dangerous places in Iraq.

You can see here that the quote came from the Iraqi spokesman and so it is pretty clear that this operation is similar to the one in Mosul where the Iraqis took the lead and will probably be given the press on this. But don't be fooled - there are 10,000 U.S. troops involved in this, it is that big. And it's my guess that there will be considerable air support throughout this operation.

I don't have the link handy but there were also reports out that quite a few IED's were discovered in this initial phase of the operation, also.

It will be interesting to see if we see more of these "captures" as opposed to battle deaths - to see whether al Qaeda in Iraq is really willing to put their lives on the line for this final battle for Iraq.

Iraq nabs 35 in Al Qaeda crackdown

BAQUBA, Iraq (AFP) - Iraq forces supported by US troops said on Wednesday they had arrested 35 suspects as a major crackdown on fighters in the Al-Qaeda bastion of Diyala province entered its second day.

"Up to midday our forces detained 35 wanted for terrorism and others involved in crime, murder and setting of explosions," defence ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari told AFP.
The operation involves Iraqi police and soldiers, backed by US troops, conducting searches for militiamen and illegal weapons in Diyala, which remains one of the most dangerous places in Iraq.
Thousands of soldiers moved in on Tuesday, setting up a perimeter around the provincial capital city of Baquba, erecting extra police checkpoints to prevent non-residents from entering or leaving the area.
"Iraqi security forces are controlling the entry routes into Diyala to stop terrorists from escaping to other provinces," Askari said.
The US military said earlier this month that a force of 30,000 Iraqi soldiers and police would take part in the offensive, although Iraqi newspapers have said 56,000 are involved.
There has been no confirmation of the number from Iraqi officials.
The offensive follows similar Iraqi military operations in the southern provinces of Basra and Maysan, and the northern province of Nineveh, as Iraq forces try to shore-up recent security gains in the war-torn country.
Fed by the Euphrates and Diyala rivers, Diyala was once the granary of Iraq and the country's orange capital with its lush orchards, but its multi-ethnic population has proven one of the most dangerous to control.
In an interview with AFP last week, Colonel Ali al-Karkhi, commanding officer of Iraqi forces in Khan Beni Saad, said Diyala was "the most dangerous province in Iraq."
The province, which has a long border with Iran has been a centre of weapon smuggling, has suffered repeated suicide bombings, thought to be mostly orchestrated by Sunni Al-Qaeda operatives.

Iran's Khamenei Tells The West To Shove It

Well, the word has come down from the top of the Iranian food chain and that word is this:

"They (the West) know that the Iranian nation is after using nuclear energy to provide electricity but they say because this work gives you capability, we will not allow it," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted by state radio as saying.

"The Iranian nation by depending on its useful experience and advantages of 30 years of resistance does not pay any attention to such talk and will continue with its path," Khamenei, who has the final say in state policy, was quoted as saying.

So, there's the final word. The West can pack up their little bags of increased sanctions, Condi Rice's State Department and cancel any upcoming appeasement meetings and the U.N. can remove any further inspections from the upcoming calendar. Iran's leader has made it official: They will build their nukes and the rest of the world can kiss their ass.

The full article is here at Reuters. And if there may be any confusion in Khamenei's message, look at what Ahmadinejad said:

"One should not spoil negotiations by raising unreasonable conditions, since Iranians are not ready to deviate from their rights by one iota," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said late on Tuesday, Iran's Fars News Agency reported.

You know, if I had a nickel for everytime I've called for the taking out of Iranian nuke facilities, I'd be a wealthy individual. And now, at this point...I'd like to know from anyone out there what possible argument they would have with such military action? The end result of Iranian nuclear weapons is World War 3. And anyone following all of this over the past two years can see that Iran is incapable of reason or negotiation or any capitulation. What will they be like with an arsenal of nuclear weapons in their hands?

Iran to continue nuclear path: Khamenei

TEHRAN (Reuters) - Iran will pursue its nuclear path, the country's highest authority, Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Wednesday, speaking just before a deadline set by world powers in a nuclear dispute.
Western powers gave Iran two week from July 19 to respond to their offer to hold off on imposing more U.N. sanctions on Iran if Tehran would freeze any expansion of its nuclear work.
That would suggest a deadline of Saturday, although Russia, one of the six powers facing Iran, has opposed a deadline while also telling Iran not to drag its feet.
"They (the West) know that the Iranian nation is after using nuclear energy to provide electricity but they say because this work gives you capability, we will not allow it," Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei was quoted by state radio as saying.
The West accuses Iran of seeking to build nuclear warheads under cover of a civilian power program. Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, denies the charge.
"The Iranian nation by depending on its useful experience and advantages of 30 years of resistance does not pay any attention to such talk and will continue with its path," Khamenei, who has the final say in state policy, was quoted as saying.
The freeze idea is aimed at getting preliminary talks started, although formal negotiations on the nuclear, trade and other incentives will not start before Iran suspends uranium enrichment, which has both civilian and military uses.
Iran has rejected suspension in the past and has given no indication so far that it is ready for a freeze.
'NO CONSENSUS'
"One should not spoil negotiations by raising unreasonable conditions, since Iranians are not ready to deviate from their rights by one iota," President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said late on Tuesday, Iran's Fars News Agency reported.
The president made his remark to South African Foreign Minister Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma, who has joined other ministers from the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) meeting in Tehran.
NAM, a group of 118 developing nations, is expected to issue a final statement broadly backing Iran's right to use peaceful nuclear energy. But diplomats said the text had been watered down from an initial draft prepared by the Islamic Republic.
One NAM diplomat said Iran wanted "clear support from NAM, unconditionally" but said there had been several amendments to the Iranian draft "to make it more moderate". He said Iran should by "more flexible" on the issue of building confidence.

Huge Blast Rocks Hamas Training Camp In Gaza

Unfortunately, no Hamas were killed in a major explosion at one of their training camps in Gaza but five of their puke trainees were injured. Here's the key sentences from the article here at YNET:

It was not immediately known what caused the blast. Neither Hamas nor the IDF had an immediate comment.

Well, the IDF doesn't have a comment because they weren't involved, in my view - it would be obvious if this was an Israeli missile or helicopter attack (and there would have been a lot of dead Hamas pigs). And the reason Hamas isn't saying anything is because they it's finally hitting them, literally.

I've never been shy of conjecture here at Holger Awakens and I won't break that streak here. I mentioned here the other day that I felt the car bombing in Gaza that killed Hamas was NOT the doing of Fatah but that of the Salafi group linked to al Qaeda. And that is who I feel is responsible for this attack on the Hamas training camp. Now, mark my words...Hamas will come out with a statement that it was a weapons cache that inadvertently went off but that is a cover, just like the Fatah finger pointing.

Al Qaeda in Gaza is after Hamas' power and they just stepped up the ante for the prize. And believe me, Hamas is shaking in its boots. This is Hamas' worst nightmare as they face a bunch of Sunni/Salafi lunatics who view Hamas as mere puppets of Shia Iran. Hamas is the scourge of the Earth but in essence, this al Qaeda group in Gaza is like something out of a sci-fi novel - they don't give a shit about anything. They blow up people for the fun of it and they will not stop until Hamas has been displaced.

I think in the onset, this will be wonderful because they will be killing each other off but if al Qaedea was to get more of a foothold, the Israelis are going to face tactics they have never faced before. And they will be dealing with an enemy who isn't a chickenshit. Hezbollah is full of cowards and so is Hamas - half of them are weekend jihadists. A few Israeli gunships send half of Hamas into hiding for two weeks. Al Qaeda is different and while them killing and disrupting Hamas is welcome news...be careful what you wish for.

Blast rockets Hamas training camp in Gaza, 5 hurt

A huge blast late Wednesday rocked a training base run by Hamas in southern Gaza, and at least five people were hurt, witnesses and a health official said.
Ambulances raced to the scene of the blast late Tuesday, on the site of an evacuated Jewish settlement next to the southern Gaza city of Khan Younis. The explosion could be heard all over the city. It was not immediately known what caused the blast. Neither Hamas nor the IDF had an immediate comment.

Canadian U.N. Envoy Is First Westerner To Back Afghan Claims Of Pakistani Spy Attacks

Good for the Canadians! I'm almost speechless here considering that this envoy to the United Nations, yes, I said United Nations, has had the balls to call a spade a spade and quit the pandering to the new government of Pakistan. Let's look at the details here from the Globe and Mail:

Pakistan's intelligence agents are likely responsible for recent attacks in Afghanistan, and the international community should support the Afghan government's complaints about such activity, a senior United Nations envoy says.
Chris Alexander, a former Canadian ambassador now serving as a UN deputy special representative in Afghanistan, says he believes the Afghan authorities, who say their neighbour's spy service is sending terrorists across the border.
President Hamid Karzai has accused Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency of plotting many spectacular attacks in his country in recent months, including an attempt on his life and an embassy bombing that killed at least 41 people in Kabul.
"We have to ask ourselves, was Karzai right on this point?" Mr. Alexander said in an interview. "I think the answer is yes."

When you think back to the attack on Karzai, you cannot agree with Karzai and Alexander that foreigners were involved in that operation. To get Taliban into that position, to get that close was unheard of at the time and all of a sudden they are within shooting distance of the President of Afghanistan?! Bullshit. Let's face it, there are elements of Pakistan's government that have gone beyond sympathy for the Taliban...these are the ones behind all of the peace agreements in the Northwest Frontier provinces and the ones that turned their heads after the Bhutto assasination.

While the Taliban have not let go of the prize they once held in their hands, Afghanistan, they have MORE than a friend in Pakistan. And when the rest of the West goes along with this lone Canadian and calls out the Pakistanis for their involvement, it will be time to bring the hammer down and give Pakistan a choice - either you are with NATO against the Taliban or you are against it...and either way, we are going to bomb the shit out of your country as long as the Taliban are resting, planning and massing within your borders.

UN envoy backs Karzai against Pakistan

KABUL — Pakistan's intelligence agents are likely responsible for recent attacks in Afghanistan, and the international community should support the Afghan government's complaints about such activity, a senior United Nations envoy says.
Chris Alexander, a former Canadian ambassador now serving as a UN deputy special representative in Afghanistan, says he believes the Afghan authorities, who say their neighbour's spy service is sending terrorists across the border.
President Hamid Karzai has accused Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence agency of plotting many spectacular attacks in his country in recent months, including an attempt on his life and an embassy bombing that killed at least 41 people in Kabul.
"We have to ask ourselves, was Karzai right on this point?" Mr. Alexander said in an interview. "I think the answer is yes."

While many foreign officials and analysts have privately endorsed Mr. Karzai's view of the ISI, Mr. Alexander is the first Western diplomat to back the accusation in public.
"If we support him as President of Afghanistan, and we support the cause of peace and security in Afghanistan, we should be prepared to speak lucidly about these issues as well, and not be given pause or forced to back down simply because there's a reaction from someone who, quite frankly, is speaking for the spoilers," Mr. Alexander said.
"Let's have some international courage on this front."
Western diplomats have previously said they tread carefully with Pakistan in part because of the country's fragile politics, its mistrust of foreign pressure and its nuclear arsenal.
When asked how Islamabad might react to blunt accusations of waging a proxy war, Mr. Alexander shrugged. "I'm not sure, but there's only one way to find out. The project on which we're embarked - with its high stakes, with its serious investment, with its sacrifices - deserves at least that level of courage with regard to this issue. Otherwise we really are pretending that Niagara Falls doesn't flow."
Islamabad has consistently denied using intelligence services to interfere with its neighbour, but Prime Minister Yousaf Raza Gilani bowed to international pressure on the weekend by removing the ISI from military control and placing it under the Interior Ministry's civilian supervision.
The head of Pakistan's ruling party said the move was intended to deflect criticism of the spy agency and the announcement was timed to coincide with Mr. Gilani's visit to Washington today for talks with U.S. President George W. Bush.
But the switch to civilian oversight was only a symbolic gesture and could aggravate the chaotic situation in Pakistan as power brokers struggle for control of the spy agency, according to an assessment published yesterday by Strategic Forecasting Inc., a private intelligence firm.
"Increased civilian say over the affairs of the agency will, in the short term, add to the crisis of governance faced by the state," the assessment says.
After years of excusing rumours of Pakistani involvement as being the work of rogue agents or retired intelligence officials acting on their own, Western leaders have become increasingly blunt with Pakistan in private conversations about the ISI's role in the Afghan war.

Taliban 101: Did You Expect U.S. Soldiers To Run From Your Ambush?

Iran Has Become Major Entry Point For Jihadists Into Afghanistan, Pakistan

As if the world needs another piece of information that would prove Iran is worthy of a carpet bombing from border to border, the latest information suggests that Iran has become not only the major funneling route for foreign jihadists into the the war in Afghanistan and Pakistan but also has major amounts of weapons crossing the borders as well. Think about it...we are seeing more and more Egyptians, Saudis, Turks, Moroccans turn up in the fighting in Afghanistan and in Pakistan and one has to wonder....how did they GET THERE? Well, apparently Iran has decided that as long as these Arabs don't stay and agree to go kill Westerners in Afghanistan, they're welcome to use Persia as a launching pad. Here's the details from the report at Gulf Times:

Iran has become the main transit route for militants trying to join insurgents in Afghanistan, an Afghan government daily said yesterday.Some Western nations with troops in Afghanistan have said that Iranian weapons destined for the Taliban have been seized in Afghanistan, although they are unsure whether Tehran knew about the shipments

The daily Anis said three foreign militants, two from the Middle East and one from Turkey, were captured during a recent operation in Afghanistan and investigations of the three showed they had come via Iran.It said Iran had become a “tunnel for terrorists” to Waziristan, the tribal region of Pakistan, where the militants have sanctuaries and from where they enter Afghanistan to attack foreign and Afghan forces.

This does make sense as in the Iraq War, it was determined at one time that the vast majority of foreign fighters coming into Iraq to join al Qaeda had arrived using Syria as the entry and staging point. It wouldn't surprise me if the Iranians had overseen the funneling efforts through Syria and now have begun their own operations of this in their country in order to facilitate Arab entry into Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Iran main entry route for rebels, says Afghan paper

KABUL: Iran has become the main transit route for militants trying to join insurgents in Afghanistan, an Afghan government daily said yesterday.Some Western nations with troops in Afghanistan have said that Iranian weapons destined for the Taliban have been seized in Afghanistan, although they are unsure whether Tehran knew about the shipments.The Shia Islamic Republic, which is facing growing international pressure over its nuclear programme, has denied funding or arming the radical Sunni Taliban in Afghanistan.The daily Anis said three foreign militants, two from the Middle East and one from Turkey, were captured during a recent operation in Afghanistan and investigations of the three showed they had come via Iran.It said Iran had become a “tunnel for terrorists” to Waziristan, the tribal region of Pakistan, where the militants have sanctuaries and from where they enter Afghanistan to attack foreign and Afghan forces.“The people of Afghanistan can’t remain silent against such Iranian behaviours since this country sends those individuals to Afghanistan who kill and murder Afghans,” Anis said.The government daily in its editorial also said Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, the former key backers of the Taliban, had not taken serious steps to curb their nationals joining the Taliban or Al Qaeda.It said the Afghan government should act.“Iran under present conditions has become as the easiest entry for terrorists from the Middle East to Afghanistan and the government has to blockade this tunnel by whatever means.”Violence has escalated sharply in Afghanistan since 2006 when the Taliban, removed from power in a US-led invasion in 2001, regrouped and launched an insurgency against Afghanistan’s Western-backed government and foreign forces.Nearly 15,000 people, including more than 450 foreign troops, have been killed in Afghanistan in the past two years, the bloodiest period since Taliban’s ouster.The newspaper’s comments coincide with the recent threat by Iran to hit US interests in the region, should Washington attack Iran over its nuclear ambitions. US officials in the past have also accused Iran for arming militants in Iraq. Iran has denied the charge.The Afghan government has openly accused elements in Pakistan’s military and intelligence networks for organising a series of attacks in Afghanistan, including a bid to kill President Hamid Karzai in April. Islamabad has rejected the accusations.The violence in Afghanistan comes despite the presence of more than 71,000 foreign forces under the command of Nato and the US military and some Western officials have warned the country could slide back into anarchy.–Reuters

Iraqi, U.S. Offensive In Diyala Starts Early

The big offensive by close to 40,000 Iraqi and American troops started early with units fanning out across the province of Diyala today. This operation wasn't supposed to start until Friday and although I don't think this is necessarily a surprise attack, it's good to see it happening early in case some al Qaeda were planning to make their exit plans the next few days.

Here's some of the details from Breitbart:

U.S. and Iraqi forces fanned out in the volatile Diyala province Tuesday in a new operation aimed at clearing al-Qaida in Iraq from safe havens in an area considered the last major insurgent belt around the capital.
New checkpoints were erected across the province and authorities ordered a ban on unofficial traffic as search operations got under way in the provincial capital of Baqouba and surrounding areas, according to witnesses. Many residents said they were afraid to leave their houses.

What I have found unusual ever since it broke that this huge offensive was soon to take place, is that there hasn't been much noted of al Qaeda movement - I haven't seen any reports of al Qaeda trying to back track into Baghdad or back north into the Mosul area. That may be a good sign - meaning that either al Qaeda doesn't see an escape route available or they have decided to dig in for the final battle.

I'm still convinced that there will be some tough sledding here for the Americans and Iraqis and also, this operation is going to take some time. The last Diyala offensive saw a good number of booby trapped buildings and that should be expected again - and that takes a lot of time to clear.

But in the end, when this operation is over, it really should mean the end of any significant concentration of al Qaeda fighters in Iraq.

Military offensive under way in Iraq's Diyala

BAGHDAD (AP) - U.S. and Iraqi forces fanned out in the volatile Diyala province Tuesday in a new operation aimed at clearing al-Qaida in Iraq from safe havens in an area considered the last major insurgent belt around the capital.
New checkpoints were erected across the province and authorities ordered a ban on unofficial traffic as search operations got under way in the provincial capital of Baqouba and surrounding areas, according to witnesses. Many residents said they were afraid to leave their houses.
The U.S.-backed Iraqi military is hoping to build on recent security gains from similar offensives against Sunni insurgents in the northern city of Mosul and Shiite militiamen in Baghdad, Basra and Amarah.
The troops were focusing on chasing al-Qaida and other insurgents who sought refuge in Diyala to escape earlier crackdowns, said Gen. Ali Ghaidan, the commander of Iraqi ground forces in the province.
The province, which sits to the north of the capital and borders Iran, has been one of the hardest areas to control since the U.S.-led war began in March 2003. Baqouba, the provincial capital, was hit by a twin suicide bombing that killed at least 28 people on July 15 and has seen a number of female suicide attacks.
"The goal of the operation is to seek out and destroy criminal elements and terrorist threats in Diyala and eliminate smuggling corridors in the surrounding area," the U.S. military said in a statement.
The military said it was an Iraqi-led operation, stressing the point as the Iraqi government seeks to assert more control over military operations.
"We applaud the Iraqis' growing ability to lead, plan and execute complex combat, policy and humanitarian operations and we look forward to reducing our support footprint as security conditions on the ground permit," the statement said.
The religiously mixed area is critical to Baghdad's security because of its strategic importance as an entrance to the capital and a threat to supply routes going north.
Similar offensives against Shiite militiamen in Baghdad and southern cities have contributed to a sharp decline in attacks. But violence has been slower to decline in Diyala and elsewhere in northern Iraq despite several military operations in recent years.
Maj. Gen. Mark Hertling, who commands U.S. forces in northern Iraq, has expressed confidence that this effort will be more successful because Iraqi security forces are better prepared.
In Baghdad, hundreds of thousands of Shiite pilgrims gathered around a golden-domed shrine in a massive religious assembly on Tuesday, a day after three female suicide bombers struck their procession and killed 32 people.

Islamic Jihad In The Headlines

Okay, I've never done this before here at Holger Awakens but as I looked through headline after headline today, it occurred to me just how bad off our world was this day, July 28th, 2008, because of islamic jihad. We've all seen the clicker that shows the number of terror attacks since 9/11 - I've got one right over -----> there on the sidebar, but have you ever really looked at the impact in just one day? So what I'm going to do here is simply put up the headlines I've seen today - there won't be links (I don't have all day, folks), but I think it will really show just what kind of a mess we have on our hands. And hopefully, it will wake a few up to the fact that the world is under siege by islam. Anyway, here goes (by the way, a few of these may be spillovers from yesterday):

Terrorist Attacks Unsettling India

Bombings may threaten India-Pakistan relations

Suspected Indonesian Militants Executed Christian Teacher, Planned To Kill U.S. Teacher, Attack Court

Police Investigate Istanbul Bombings

Iraqi bombings kill dozens, wound more than 200

Al-Qaeda video urges Saudi monarch's killing for dialogue with Pope

(Philippines) Basilan launches drive vs kidnap-for-ransom gangs

(Iraq) Suicide attacks kill 57 in Baghdad, Kirkuk

(Afghanistan) Report: Insurgent attacks up by half in Afghanistan; aid groups under fire

Four female suicide bombers killed 70 Iraqis and wounded more than 300 in attacks in Kirkuk and Baghdad.

The death toll in yesterday's serial bombings in Ahmedabad climbed to 49.

Mullah Fazlullah threatened to launch suicide attacks if the government launches an operation in Swat.

At least 15 people were killed and 154 injured in a dual bomb attack in Istanbul.

Al Qaeda claims car bomb attack on Yemen police compound

Al Qaeda Slams Saudi King Abdullah Over InterFaith Conference

Gotta love it when the muzzies get all up in arms and in each other's face when it comes to which brand of ideology they think outta be followed. An al Qaeda spokesman reemed out Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah over the interfaith conference that the Saudis have set up for muslims, Christians, Jews, etc to attend. Here's the details from Reuters:

A key al Qaeda figure denounced Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, saying in an Internet video that an interfaith dialogue the monarch called for aimed to replace Islam with a "modern faith" acceptable to Jews and Christians.
The message from Abu Yahya al-Libi followed a groundbreaking Saudi-sponsored interfaith conference in Spain this month in which King Abdullah called on followers of the world's major faiths to turn away from extremism and seek reconciliation.
"The call for a rapprochement of religions issued by the (Saudi) tyrant ... is not a spontaneous call ... but is an integral part of the overt Crusader war against Islam and Muslims ... God's enemies only want us to abandon our religion," Libi said in the video posted on Islamist websites on Monday.
"This in fact is a call to turn one's back on Islam and ... to look for commonalities with Judaism and Christianity so whatever the three agree on would become the new modern religion which would be allowed to be propagated," Libi said.

Leave it to al Qaeda to take the theme of turning away from extremism to selling out to the Crusaders. I mean, what kind of a fool is this guy? The Saudis won't even be in the same room as a Jew, let alone shake their hand. This conference is an absolute sham to begin with and I'm as against it as al-Libi is - he's just got the reason wrong. The reason it is a sham is the fact that it is the Saudis way of further validating islam as a religion. The Saudis figure that if they can get all these Jews and Christians together and put em all up on a panel that the world will buy in even more to this bullshit "Religion of Peace" crap.

Well, the fact of the matter is the Saudis feel the need to do this because they no they have no religion to even compare to Christianity or Judaism. They have a maniac's version of a political ideology that has been dressed up as a religion for centuries. This is just further marketing of islam as a respectable religion.

How many times have you heard "islamic extremists?" That is a joke in itself. That would be like trying to make a difference between a Nazi guard at a concentration camp and a Nazi panzer commander in France. They were both Nazis and they both killed and tortured. This bullshit that Islam is a respectable religion but there are some extremists, is just baloney - it is an ideology that TEACHES death and violence and submission. Those that blow up buildings or people are just following the game plan of Mo.

Qaeda slams Saudi king over interfaith dialogue

DUBAI (Reuters) - A key al Qaeda figure denounced Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah, saying in an Internet video that an interfaith dialogue the monarch called for aimed to replace Islam with a "modern faith" acceptable to Jews and Christians.
The message from Abu Yahya al-Libi followed a groundbreaking Saudi-sponsored interfaith conference in Spain this month in which King Abdullah called on followers of the world's major faiths to turn away from extremism and seek reconciliation.
"The call for a rapprochement of religions issued by the (Saudi) tyrant ... is not a spontaneous call ... but is an integral part of the overt Crusader war against Islam and Muslims ... God's enemies only want us to abandon our religion," Libi said in the video posted on Islamist websites on Monday.
"This in fact is a call to turn one's back on Islam and ... to look for commonalities with Judaism and Christianity so whatever the three agree on would become the new modern religion which would be allowed to be propagated," Libi said.
Libi frequently issues messages on behalf of al Qaeda which appears to be grooming him as a top group spokesman since he escaped from a U.S. jail in Afghanistan in 2005.
The Madrid gathering aimed to draw Muslims, Jews and Christians closer together and isolate those who use religion to justify violence or intolerance. It was the first time Saudi Arabia, where non-Muslims cannot practice their faith openly, had invited Jews to such a meeting.
The king also invited Buddhists, Hindus and Sikhs as he showcased a more tolerant side to Saudi Arabia's strict Wahhabi Islam, under fire since 15 Saudis were among the 19 Arabs who carried out the September 11, 2001 attacks in New York.
The meeting could not take place in Saudi Arabia, where traditional clerics have shunned contact with non-Muslims and even seen other Muslims, particularly Shi'ites, as infidels.

Taliban 101: You Just Never Know When The Apaches Will Show Up

Indonesian Jihadists Killed Christian Teacher, Planned To Execute American

Officials in Indonesia have revealed the aftermath and the planning of Indonesian islamic jihadists that were arrested by authorities. Here's the details from the International Herald Tribune:

Indonesian terror suspects executed a Christian teacher in front of his young son and were planning to assassinate an American language teacher before their arrests this month, a top anti-terrorism official said Monday.
The 10 alleged militants have also told officers they were plotting to attack the Supreme Court to avenge the upcoming executions of the Bali nightclub bombers and attack a joint Singaporean-Indonesian military exercise, the security official said.

The Indonesians have been pretty good at cracking down on the islamic jihadists recently but this is a reflection of how ingrained the terror is in this predominantly muslim country. And all of this is over the sentencing and scheduled executions of the Bali bombers. The world has had its eye on Indonesia ever since the arrests of the Bali bombers just to see how they would carry out the sentences and of course, the terrorists are trying to influence that execution decision.

From the article, a bit more on the American hostage:

Late Sunday, the anti-terrorism officer revealed the men were also planning to execute an American teaching English in the town of Sekayu, which lies just west of Pekanbaru. He identified the teacher by his first name of Samuel.
A teacher at the SMU-2 school in Sekayu confirmed a U.S. citizen called Samuel used to work there, but left several months ago. She did not give her name. The U.S. Embassy in the capital, Jakarta, declined comment.

Sounds pretty vague cuz it is. But this is yet another example of the islamists going after anyone with a tie to the West - the Indonesian teacher was killed because he was Christian (and of course killed him in front of his boy, the macho men that they are).

Every day, every minute we witness this onslaught on humanity by the "Religion of Peace" - every continent is seeing the war waged on its soil. I still contend that only when this violent political ideology is revealed for what it is and the notion that it is a religion is dispelled, will this world ever see anything resembling peace.

AP Exclusive: Officials say militants killed Christian, planned to assassinate American

JAKARTA, Indonesia: Indonesian terror suspects executed a Christian teacher in front of his young son and were planning to assassinate an American language teacher before their arrests this month, a top anti-terrorism official said Monday.
The 10 alleged militants have also told officers they were plotting to attack the Supreme Court to avenge the upcoming executions of the Bali nightclub bombers and attack a joint Singaporean-Indonesian military exercise, the security official said.
The revelations point to the resilience of Islamist militant networks in Indonesia despite a U.S.-backed crackdown that has netted more than 400 suspects in recent years and reduced the risk of more large-scale attacks on Western targets, most experts say.
Since Sept. 11, 2001, Indonesia has been hit by a string of suicide bombings blamed on members and associates of the regional militant group Jemaah Islamiyah, including the 2002 nightclub bombings on Bali island that left 202 people dead, many of them foreign tourists. The last major strike was in 2005, also on Bali.
The militants were arrested in early July in a series of raids on Sumatra island. Officers have said one of the suspects was a Singaporean who trained in Afghanistan with al-Qaida. Twenty bombs packed with live bullets were seized from the men.

The men's lawyer Asludin Hatjani said Monday the group was responsible for shooting to death Dago Simamora, an Indonesian teacher, in front of his 9-year-old son last year in the south Sumatran town of Pekanbaru.
The crime had previously been unsolved.
"It's true, they did that," the lawyer told The Associated Press.
He gave no motive for the attack, but some militants believe it is permissible to kill non-Muslims.
Late Sunday, the anti-terrorism officer revealed the men were also planning to execute an American teaching English in the town of Sekayu, which lies just west of Pekanbaru. He identified the teacher by his first name of Samuel.
A teacher at the SMU-2 school in Sekayu confirmed a U.S. citizen called Samuel used to work there, but left several months ago. She did not give her name. The U.S. Embassy in the capital, Jakarta, declined comment.
The anti-terrorism officer spoke to The Associated Press on condition of anonymity, saying that revealing his identity would jeopardize ongoing anti-terror operations.
Hatjani declined to comment on that allegation, saying interrogations were continuing.
The officer also said the group planned to detonate a bomb in the car park of the Supreme Court in the capital, Jakarta, to coincide with the executions of three militants convicted in the Bali attacks.

Six Jihadists Killed In Missile Attacks In Pakistan...U.S. Suspected (smile)

The headline for this breaking story over at Breitbart (Note: The Breitbart story has disappeared for some reason so I've substituted with the NYT/Reuters version) says "suspected US missiles..." but we all know they were ours and that's a great thing! It's been far too long since we've sent a batch of missiles into Pakistan to take out the bad guys. Here's some of the details of the attack:

Suspected US missiles killed six people including three Arab militants in Pakistan's tribal belt on Monday, as the country's premier prepared for talks with US President George W. Bush.
Three missiles struck a house attached to a mosque in the tribal district of South Waziristan, an area bordering Afghanistan that is regarded by Washington as a haven for Al-Qaeda and Taliban extremists, officials said.

The identities of those killed were not known. A group of Arabs, believed to be Egyptians, had rented a compound containing the house and the madrassa from a local tribesman, Malik Salat, residents said.

Now first off, I think the U.S. is using a clever strategy here - if you notice in all of these missile attacks that the U.S. has pulled off in the Pakistani region near the Afghan border, the dead have almost ALL been Arabs...in other words, those with al Qaeda links. We have not seen a flat out attack solely on Taliban (which could be construed as an attack on local tribal fighters) - thus the U.S. is positioning itself in talks with Pakistan that al Qaeda is fair game, wherever they are. And at the same time, as the Pakistanis become more desensitized by these attacks, it will open the gates to attacks on gathering Taliban forces.

Now, another part of the article I want to point out:

Pakistani officials said the missiles were not fired by their forces but apparently came from US coalition troops deployed over the border, which lies some 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of Azam Warsak.
"This has been done by coalition forces, we did not do it," another Pakistani security official said.

You see how the Pakistanis go out of their way to cower to the Taliban and al Qaeda? You can almost see this guy shaking in his boots 'cause he thinks the Taliban and/or al Qaeda is going to retaliate against them. Good grief, grow a spine! Oh and look at the hidden commentary by the Paki AFP reporter for this story:

Residents said that they heard US aircraft and pilotless Predator drones flying above the area before and after the strike, adding that there had been alarm over similar flights throughout the weekend.

Yep, gotta get that propaganda in there where you can...have to manufacture that civilian fear of the bad old U.S. flying overhead.

Well, let me put it this way....these are the al Qaeda that have bombed the shit out of the people in Islamabad that this writer is trying to defend. These are the Taliban that have beheaded two women in front of an entire village. These are the forces that have held entire provinces hostage and murdered countless Paki military troops. But this AFP writer wants to point the finger at the U.S. What a bunch of scum.

Suspected US missiles kill six in Pakistan

Suspected US missiles killed six people including three Arab militants in Pakistan's tribal belt on Monday, as the country's premier prepared for talks with US President George W. Bush.
Three missiles struck a house attached to a mosque in the tribal district of South Waziristan, an area bordering Afghanistan that is regarded by Washington as a haven for Al-Qaeda and Taliban extremists, officials said.
"Six people are dead and three others injured after three missiles hit a house in Azam Warsak (village)," a senior security official told AFP. He said those killed were three "suspected Arab militants and three young boys."
Residents said that they heard US aircraft and pilotless Predator drones flying above the area before and after the strike, adding that there had been alarm over similar flights throughout the weekend.
Pakistani officials said the missiles were not fired by their forces but apparently came from US coalition troops deployed over the border, which lies some 20 kilometres (12 miles) west of Azam Warsak.
"This has been done by coalition forces, we did not do it," another Pakistani security official said.
The identities of those killed were not known. A group of Arabs, believed to be Egyptians, had rented a compound containing the house and the madrassa from a local tribesman, Malik Salat, residents said.
A number of Arab Al-Qaeda operatives are believed to be hiding in the tribal belt, including Osama bin Laden, blamed for the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
Military officials in Islamabad and the US-led coalition in Afghanistan were not immediately available to comment.
Pakistan has protested over a wave of missile strikes attributed to US-led forces in Afghanistan in recent months which have killed dozens of local people.
Officials including the governor of North West Frontier Province, which adjoins the tribal belt, have warned that the missile strikes are damaging support for Pakistan's new government.
The latest killings took place hours before the scheduled talks between Bush and Pakistani Prime Minister Yousuf Raza Gilani at the White House.
Bush said ahead of the talks that he was "troubled" by the movement of extremists from Pakistan to Afghanistan and would discuss the threat with Gilani, who is making his first White House visit since taking office in March.

70 Taliban Killed In Attack On Outpost In Khost, Afghanistan

The Taliban keep targeting NATO and U.S. outposts along the border with Pakistan and in this case, they got their asses handed to 'em, major. Reports are that 50 to 70 Taliban were killed in this latest outpost attack that happened in Khost. Let's look at the details from the report over at The Long War Journal:

The Taliban continue to attack outposts and district centers in the Afghan provinces along the Pakistani border. Today, the Taliban force assaulted a district center in Khost, and suffered massive casualties, according to the provincial governor. Upwards of 70 Taliban fighters were reported killed in the nighttime battle.
The Taliban launched their assault on the Spera district center at 2 AM local time, the International Security Assistance Force reported in a press release. The attacking force, estimated at 100 Taliban fighters, attacked using small arms and machineguns.
The Afghan National Police manning the outpost held of the attack and radioed US forces for backup. The US responded by sending ground forces and supporting fires from artillery as well as helicopter and aircraft.
US and Afghan forces then surrounded the Taliban force, and pounded the position with small-arms fire, artillery, and air strikes.

Did you get that? 100 Taliban staged this attack and 70 are left searching the fires of hell for some 72 virgins - and my guess is that the 30% that survived are not in good shape. What the Taliban have found out in these attacks on the outposts is that looks are deceiving. This was an outpost manned mostly by Afghan police and security forces but as soon as the Afghans made the call, the Taliban found themselves facing U.S. troops, heliccopters and aircraft.

The Taliban continue to underestimate the speed in which NATO and U.S. forces can respond to these attacks and as in this case, the losses for the Taliban are huge. Good, good news.

At the same time, it is apparent that the Taliban just aren't going to give up on this strategy of trying to dismantle these outposts along the Pakistan border. I'm sure the Taliban want more success stories to spread around but I think their strategy is really two fold: 1) If they keep attacking these forward bases, it will put NATO on the defensive and cut back on any NATO/U.S. attacks inside of Pakistan and 2) The Taliban needs more of a cushion - they are vulnerable in large numbers as they cross into Afghanistan with these bases so close.

Either way, 70 dead Taliban is a wonderful way to end the weekend.

US, Afghan forces beat back Taliban attack in Khost province

The Taliban continue to attack outposts and district centers in the Afghan provinces along the Pakistani border. Today, the Taliban force assaulted a district center in Khost, and suffered massive casualties, according to the provincial governor. Upwards of 70 Taliban fighters were reported killed in the nighttime battle.
The Taliban launched their assault on the Spera district center at 2 AM local time, the International Security Assistance Force reported in a press release. The attacking force, estimated at 100 Taliban fighters, attacked using small arms and machineguns.
The Afghan National Police manning the outpost held of the attack and radioed US forces for backup. The US responded by sending ground forces and supporting fires from artillery as well as helicopter and aircraft.
US and Afghan forces then surrounded the Taliban force, and pounded the position with small-arms fire, artillery, and air strikes.
The Taliban force was routed. "The number of insurgents killed is in double-digit figures," the International Security Assistance Force reported. Arsala Jamal, the governor of Khost, said between 50 and 70 Taliban fighters were killed. "A small number" of police officers were reported killed. No US troops were reported killed or wounded during the engagement.
The Spera district center is just nine miles from the Pakistani border. The Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan, which is run by the Haqqani family, borders Khost. The US military has singled out the Haqqanis as a major threat in eastern Afghanistan. Siraj Haqqani is one of the most wanted men in the region because of his close links with Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda.
The Taliban, al Qaeda, and allied terror groups based in Pakistan have launched numerous attacks on US and Afghan outposts in the provinces of Zabul, Paktika, Paktia, Khost, Kunar, Nangarhar, and Nuristan along the Pakistani border. US and Afghan forces have repelled every Taliban attack, often inflicting heavy casualties. The Taliban and al Qaeda were able to kill nine US soldiers during an attack on an outpost in Nuristan. US forces later abandoned the outpost, and the Taliban took control of the town.

Video: Don't Give Up Hope, America

New Terror Threat? 'Cards' Mailed In NYC Warning Of Terror Attacks

This is disturbing, to say the least - especially when we consider this is NYC and the favorite target on American soil for jihadist attacks. Look at the new threat that is hitting NYC via the article here at the NY Post:

NYPD detectives are investigating a chilling new terror threat - a series of cards from a "New York Jihad" that look like birthday-party invitations but warn of bombs in lower Manhattan this summer, The Post has learned.
The cards were mailed last week to the homes of seven city residents, including former Fox News television producer Kelley Vick and a person in the 26th Police Precinct, which covers West Harlem, according to Vick and police sources.
The card reads: "Bombs! Bombs! Bombs! Lower Manhattan. July, August, September. New York Jihad."
Vick, a news producer who left Fox in early July, got the creepy mailing Thursday. She said it arrived at her Chelsea building but did not list her apartment number and had no return address. She went to police on Friday.
"It says, 'You're invited to a party, so put on a happy face,' " she said. "There were faces of an elephant, a monkey, like cartoon animals.

I don't think there is anyone in America that won't take this seriously but the mailing of it is rather odd. Since when do jihadists target the media to "invite" them to a bombing or an attack? And with just a few days left of July, it appears that window is probably gone but the case still stands that whoever mailed these out has to know what penalty they would face if they were caught sending these.

Now, I personally think this sounds more like anarchists than some sort of islamic jihad cell in NYC and my guess is this is some nutcases capitalizing on the Republican and Democratic national conventions going on in the time frame they spell out here but I'm sure the authorities in NYC will view this as legitimate and go to any length to find the scum that sent these out.

TERROR THREAT IS IN THE CARDS

NYPD detectives are investigating a chilling new terror threat - a series of cards from a "New York Jihad" that look like birthday-party invitations but warn of bombs in lower Manhattan this summer, The Post has learned.
The cards were mailed last week to the homes of seven city residents, including former Fox News television producer Kelley Vick and a person in the 26th Police Precinct, which covers West Harlem, according to Vick and police sources.
The card reads: "Bombs! Bombs! Bombs! Lower Manhattan. July, August, September. New York Jihad."
Vick, a news producer who left Fox in early July, got the creepy mailing Thursday. She said it arrived at her Chelsea building but did not list her apartment number and had no return address. She went to police on Friday.
"It says, 'You're invited to a party, so put on a happy face,' " she said. "There were faces of an elephant, a monkey, like cartoon animals.
"Then you open the card, and inside is a piece of periwinkle paper and space for the date and time. That's where it says, 'Bombs! Bombs! Bombs!' in fancy type.
"My name is printed on the envelope. The stamp is green with a heart. Everything about it is like a cute little party invitation. It's really weird."
She said the postmark showed it had been sent Wednesday from Brooklyn.
Vick took the card and envelope to the 10th Precinct station house, where she met with a sergeant who works with the NYPD's Intelligence Division and who determined that the card was mailed about 2 p.m. Wednesday, she said.
"He said part of the postal code was missing."
Police told her another person had received the same card Wednesday. A detective called her Friday night and said a total of six others got it as well, she said.
Vick, who gave The Post a copy of the card, told cops she'd worked for Fox, helping produce shows for the news network's weekend line-up. She now works as a freelance journalist.
"The detective said he was going to check with the other people and see if they worked in the media," she said.
Investigators took the card and envelope and were set to test them for fingerprints and DNA evidence, police sources said.
"It's serious," said one source. "It's being investigated."
They are also looking closely at the postmarks and which stores sell the types of cards that were sent, sources added

Taliban 101: 'Crazy Yanks' Helping Out The Aussies

Israeli Troops Kill Hamas Jihadist In West Bank

Remember, the cease fire agreement that Israel has with Hamas applies to the Gaza Strip, not the West Bank and thus, IDF forces killed a Hamas jihadist in Hebron and totally destroyed the building he was holed up in. Good. And Hamas has vowed revenge - oh boy, big surprise there, eh? Here's some of the details from Breitbart:

Israeli troops killed a Hamas militant in the West Bank town of Hebron early Sunday, surrounding a house and exchanging gunfire with the man before bulldozing the structure.
A Hamas statement said the 25-year-old man was a group member who fought troops for 12 hours before he was killed. The statement threatened retaliation "at the time and place we choose."
The Israeli military said during the gunfight, troops heard explosions from inside the house, presumably from bombs stored inside. The militant's mangled body was seen being removed from the rubble.

It's pretty plain to see that this wasn't just some random firefight - the fact that this Hamas piglet's entire residence was razed along with the explosions inside of it during the firefight shows to me that this was a bomb center for Hamas and that is why it was targeted.

Now, there's one other part of this article I want to focus on as it was buried at the bottom of the article. Here it is:

In Cairo, Abbas said Egypt plans to relaunch reconciliation talks between his Fatah faction and Hamas.
Fatah has denied involvement in the blast. But Hamas said Sunday that Palestinian security forces loyal to Abbas have arrested 36 Hamas activists across the West Bank in retaliation for the arrests of the Fatah members.

I point this out not because Hamas and Fatah will eventually make nice nice again but that Egypt for one wasted no time in getting into the middle of it - Egypt is absolutely scared to death of what could happen if Gaza becomes a blood bath because they know the palis will flood into their lands yet again. The other point is all of the constant calls for the palestinian "state" when it has been obvious that the palis are incapable of evening ruling a territory - they are incompetents, they are whiners, they are dredges.

Israeli troops kill Hamas militant

HEBRON, West Bank (AP) - Israeli troops killed a Hamas militant in the West Bank town of Hebron early Sunday, surrounding a house and exchanging gunfire with the man before bulldozing the structure.
A Hamas statement said the 25-year-old man was a group member who fought troops for 12 hours before he was killed. The statement threatened retaliation "at the time and place we choose."
The Israeli military said during the gunfight, troops heard explosions from inside the house, presumably from bombs stored inside. The militant's mangled body was seen being removed from the rubble.
Israel and Hamas are observing a cease-fire in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip. But the agreement does not apply in the West Bank, ruled by moderate Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas. Israeli troops continue to target militants in the territory, despite objections from Abbas that such actions embarrass him and undermine his control.
According to Israeli defense officials, the militant helped to plan a February suicide bombing in the Israeli town of Dimona that killed a 73-year-old woman and wounded 11.
The officials spoke on condition of anonymity because the military had not officially made that information public.
Israel says Abbas' forces are not yet ready to assume control for security.
In Cairo, Abbas said Egypt plans to relaunch reconciliation talks between his Fatah faction and Hamas. The Islamic Hamas and the largely secular Fatah carried on a violent rivalry for control in Gaza for years. In June 2007, Hamas routed Fatah's forces and seized control of the territory. There have been few signs of Fatah resistance since.
Relations between the two Palestinian factions deteriorated sharply last week, after a car bombing killed six people in Gaza and sparked the toughest Hamas crackdown against its Fatah rivals in months.
Fatah has denied involvement in the blast. But Hamas said Sunday that Palestinian security forces loyal to Abbas have arrested 36 Hamas activists across the West Bank in retaliation for the arrests of the Fatah members.
Human rights groups said Hamas released over a dozen of the at least 160 Fatah men it arrested Saturday in connection with the bombing a day earlier, which killed five Hamas men and a 6-year-old girl. But Hamas police remained deployed in force around Gaza City, manning roadblocks and checking cars.