Meet An Iraqi War Hero: U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Michael Clemens

A truly great tribute to a REAL here, Sergeant Major Michael Clemens is found here at Family Security Matters. I've excerpted the entire article below for your read. Who knows, maybe one day a story like this will be picked up by the MSM! (I know, I know).

Meet Our Decorated Heroes: God Bless Them!: U.S. Army Command Sergeant Major Michael Clemens

November 15, 2006 was day four of Operation Turki Bowl, a mission where Clemens and his fellow soldiers were tasked with clearing a volatile part of Iraq of insurgents and weapons. From his overwatch position, Clemens observed several insurgents in a village ahead and did not hesitate to launch a patrol of the area.
Under sporadic enemy fire, Clemens led three other American soldiers and four Iraqi Army soldiers towards the insurgent position. Peering around a corner, Clemens spotted a large truck - suspected of being packed with weapons - and heard the chatter of several insurgents. Clemens held his position and "lasered" the truck, bringing down pinpoint air support, ripping the truck apart and ending the insurgents' threat.
Over his radio, Clemens received word that his Captain, the ranking officer in the unit, was hit when his vehicle struck an IED and there were numerous other casualties. Quickly pulling back with his patrol, Clemens moved to secure the area of the attack and evaluate the situation.
Clemens boldly assumed leadership of the troops on the ground and coordinated with superiors, air support, and the medevac helicopters to continue the fight and help the wounded. Through his leadership, his company repelled two counter-attacks and killed 12 insurgents, with all but one of the wounded Americans surviving.
For his brilliant command under fire and tremendous operational success, Clemens was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor.FSM is so proud of all of you. Thank you for keeping us safe - and God Bless You!

Yes! ANOTHER Predator Missile Strike By U.S. Inside Of Pakistan, 5 Killed

Great, great news! The U.S. is operating full steam ahead even though the Pakistanis have been rumbling (and even shooting at U.S. Helicopters) about the air strikes inside of Pakistan. In this attack, which is the seventh attack in less than a month, five were killed when a predator UAV sent two hellfires from Heaven into a house in North Waziristan, Pakistan. Here's some of the details from the report at Reuters:

A U.S. pilotless drone fired two missiles at a house in northwest Pakistan killing five people, Pakistani intelligence agency officials said Wednesday.
Frustrated by an intensifying Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, U.S. forces have in the past month carried out seven missile strikes by pilotless drones and a commando raid on the Pakistani side of the border.
In the latest attack, a drone fired two missiles at a house near the town of Mir Ali in North Waziristan, at about midnight Tuesday (1800 GMT), two intelligence agency officials said.
The area is a known sanctuary for Pakistani Taliban and foreign militants near the Afghan border.
"We have reports of five dead including foreign militants," said one of the officers, who declined to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to the media.

This proves the resolve of the U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan and it also shows the full benefits of the UAV program. I simply cannot imagine how more successful the unmanned predator drone program could have been in both Iraq and Afghanistan and now, in Pakistan. The risks to our military are non-existent with these drones and their accuracy is already legend. Now granted, there are times when a drone's hellfire missiles are going to be a little on the "light" side for some buildings targeted but this is proof that a couple of hellfire can take out five jihadists inside a building.

The only thing left now is to find out who exactly these putzes were that just got exterminated. We have seen that the U.S. is not using these attacks willy nilly - they are targeting very high value targets and I'm sure the case is true here. I don't know about you, but I can't wait to get the names in a day or two.

U.S. drone strike kills five in Pakistan: officials

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (Reuters) - A U.S. pilotless drone fired two missiles at a house in northwest Pakistan killing five people, Pakistani intelligence agency officials said Wednesday.
Frustrated by an intensifying Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan, U.S. forces have in the past month carried out seven missile strikes by pilotless drones and a commando raid on the Pakistani side of the border.
In the latest attack, a drone fired two missiles at a house near the town of Mir Ali in North Waziristan, at about midnight Tuesday (1800 GMT), two intelligence agency officials said.
The area is a known sanctuary for Pakistani Taliban and foreign militants near the Afghan border.
"We have reports of five dead including foreign militants," said one of the officers, who declined to be identified as he is not authorized to speak to the media.
He said he had no more information about the casualties.
The U.S. strikes into Pakistan, in particular the September 3 raid by ground troops, have angered Pakistan, straining ties between the allies and leading to tension along the border which Pakistani forces have vowed to defend.
The government says the strikes are an infringement of Pakistani sovereignty.
U.S. commanders have spoken of respect for Pakistan's sovereignty but have suggested they will not stop cross-border strikes on militants.

Al Qaeda in Iraq 101: That Secret Meeting House You're Using? It's Not A Secret Anymore

Insurgent 101: A Pissed Off Apache Crew And You In A Truck...Wasn't Pretty, Was It?

Syria Resumes Covert Nuclear Projects With Help Of North Korea

According to this article at DEBKA, the Syrians are going to try the nuclear route again and they've re-enlisted the help of the North Koreans. Let's look at some of the details:

DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources report that it took Damascus a year to recover from the demolition of its plutonium project at El Kibar in northern Syria, but already the nuclear scientists and technicians who were to have been employed there have been hired for new projects. This time the installations are scattered in different parts of the country. North Korean nuclear experts are back too.

We have seen how North Korea is apparently back on their own nuclear development track in defiance of the West and of course, these deals with the Syrians are all about money. The North Koreans probably can't make it through the upcoming winter without some cash so the Syrians come to the rescue...as long as they get some nuclear weapons in return.

The DEBKA article mentions the recent bombing in Syria and that some of those killed and targeted in that blast are those involved in reinstating the nuclear program in Syria.

Let's face it...if Syria AND Iran BOTH get nuclear weapons, the fate of Israel is probably doomed. And while the Israelis are probably fairly certain of taking out the Syrian nukes at any stage of development, the Iranian situation is far more formidable.

Syria resumes covert nuclear projects in partnership with North Korea

DEBKAfile’s intelligence sources report that it took Damascus a year to recover from the demolition of its plutonium project at El Kibar in northern Syria, but already the nuclear scientists and technicians who were to have been employed there have been hired for new projects. This time the installations are scattered in different parts of the country. North Korean nuclear experts are back too.
Our military sources describe rising tension between Syria and Israel in the wake of the car bomb explosion Saturday, Sept. 27, which killed 17 people and injured 14 outside a Syrian security installation at Sidi Kadad on the highway to Damascus airport. The victims were not officially identified.
Various Arab sources report that one was a Syrian brigadier who was not named. After the attack, DEBKAfile’s sources raised the possibility that it might have targeted people involved in Iranian/Syrian nuclear activity.
Damascus has been wary of accusing Israel of engineering the blast, but unofficial Syrian intelligence sources have indirectly pointed the finger at Israel claiming it was an attempt to spoil Syria’s improving relations with the West.
Western intelligence sources note that Syria has been hit in the past year with attacks associated with its clandestine nuclear activities.
The El Kibar reactor was knocked out on Sept. 6, 2007 while it was under construction. On Aug. 2, 2008, Gen. Muhammad Suleiman was shot dead by a sniper in Latakia. He was a key man in the Syrian nuclear program and acted as liaison officer for Damascus with Iran and North Korea.
If Saturday’s blast did indeed cause the death of a high Syrian officer involved in the program, it would have been the third consecutive operation against Damascus’ revived application to clandestine nuclear projects.

Taliban's Mullah Omar Offers 'Deal' To U.S./NATO If They Withdraw From Afghanistan

I'm not sure if this message has been verified as truly from the Taliban leader, Mullah Omar, but if so, it is a pretty rare occurence, but Omar has made an offer to the U.S. and NATO in return for their withdrawl from Afghanistan. The deal is safe passage out of the country. What a moron. Here's the details from Reuters:

Taliban leader Mullah Omar on Monday urged U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan to withdraw or face a similar defeat to occupying Soviet troops a generation ago.

"Reconsider your wrong decision of wrong occupation, and seek a safe exit to withdraw your forces," said the message, which the Taliban said came from Omar.
"If you leave our lands, we can arrange for you a reasonable opportunity for your departure," he said, adding that the Taliban posed no harm to anyone in the world.
If the occupation persisted, "you will be defeated in all parts of the world ... like the former Soviet Union," Omar said.

This of course comes from Omar who has been cowering in a cave in Pakistan for about 6 years now. You see, the Taliban is kicking such ass in Afghanistan that of course, Omar doesn't even dare show his face in the country. Perhaps U.S. and NATO officials should send a signal to Mullah Omar that perhaps they'd like to discuss some of the details with Mullah Omar...face to face. You think he'd be up for that? hahahaha.

I think the Taliban are in for some surprises coming shortly - with General Petraeus now in a position to oversee Afghanistan operations coupled with recent statements by Defense Secretary Gates, the Taliban may see a bit of a change in their recent momentum. Although, the fly in the ointment could be the election of B. Hussein Obama as President. Obama has promised two new brigades of U.S. troops for Afghanistan but it's my view, that this is a lie. I think that after Obama withdraws troops from Iraq, he will more than likely pull U.S. troops out of Afghanistan within the next year. And if the U.S. pulls out of Afghanistan, you will see every NATO nation follow suit so fast it will make your head spin.

I think the U.S. and NATO outtta send a two word message to Mullah Omar in response to his offer: "Up Yours."

Taliban's Omar offers deal to U.S. on withdrawal

LONDON (Reuters) - Taliban leader Mullah Omar on Monday urged U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan to withdraw or face a similar defeat to occupying Soviet troops a generation ago.
In a rare message, posted on militant websites and monitored by the U.S.-based SITE intelligence group, Omar offered a bargain to the U.S.-led forces that drove the Taliban from power in 2001 but are now fighting a fierce insurgency by the Islamist militia.
"Reconsider your wrong decision of wrong occupation, and seek a safe exit to withdraw your forces," said the message, which the Taliban said came from Omar.
"If you leave our lands, we can arrange for you a reasonable opportunity for your departure," he said, adding that the Taliban posed no harm to anyone in the world.
If the occupation persisted, "you will be defeated in all parts of the world ... like the former Soviet Union," Omar said.
The Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan in 1979 to prop up a Marxist government against mujahideen fighters, but was ground down by guerrilla warfare and withdrew in 1988-89.
Omar's apparently conciliatory remarks were reminiscent of statements by al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden in which he has offered to spare Western countries from attacks if they cease what he calls a war against Muslims. Western governments have always dismissed such offers out of hand.

Pakistani Villagers In The NW Tribal Areas Organize Lashkars

What the heck's a "lashkar" right? Well, the Pakistani villagers in the Taliban-infested NW tribal areas are organizing their own militias or armies and they call those "lashkars" - I think most of us are familiar with the Iraqi version, called the "Awakenings." This is pretty fascinating in that we have really not seen this happen yet in Afghanistan but now, in Pakistan, where the Taliban have decided to put down more roots, the tribal people are rising up against the Taliban. Good for them! Here's some of the details here from the article at the Globe and Mail:

Villagers in parts of the North West Frontier Province and the tribal territory, faced with the violent advance of the Pakistani Taliban, have started to organize an armed indigenous resistance. They have decided that the state can't - or won't - come to their aid so they must defend themselves against a radical, and alien, form of Islam that is seeking to impose itself on them down the barrel of an AK-47.
The resistance relies on fierce tribal customs and widespread ownership of guns in the area to raise traditional private armies, or lashkars, each with the strength of hundreds, or several thousands, of volunteers.

"There's going to be a civil war. These lashkars are spreading," said Asfandyar Wali Khan, leader of the Awami National Party, which runs the provincial government in the NWFP. "It will be the people versus the Taliban."
Recently, in Dir - a long narrow valley in the NWFP sandwiched between Taliban strongholds in Bajaur and Afghanistan on its west side, and more militants in the valley of Swat to its east - about 200 elders from the Payandakhel tribe met in Wari, a small northern town. Using the dusty front yard of a high school to hold a traditional tribal meeting, or jirga, rousing speeches were given that resulted in a resolve to assemble their own lashkar. Anyone sheltering Taliban in the area would be severely punished, the elders also decided.

I think the article nailed one thing on the head and that is this is going to be bloody. Don't get me wrong, it's a great thing but I fear that if you throw the Pakistani military into the middle of this you are going to see a lot of mistaken targets. But the price is worth it when you consider what the Taliban have put these people through.

Also, the timing of this couldn't be any better because the Taliban might just decide that they don't want the hassle and potential danger of dealing with these lashkars and simply move on and the hope is that enough of these lashkars will develop that the Taliban will find it hard to find a calm and quiet place for wintering. It would be even better if the Taliban found that they had to cross back into Afghanistan - that would unleash a lot of NATO firepower on them. The Taliban apparently didn't learn anything from the al Qaeda failures in Iraq and now they have earned the wrath of the people they have abused.

Pakistani villagers start armed anti-Taliban push

WARI, PAKISTAN — Amid the brutal march of Islamic extremism in Pakistan, the beginnings of a popular resistance movement is emerging that could challenge the stranglehold of militants in the country's burning northwest.
Villagers in parts of the North West Frontier Province and the tribal territory, faced with the violent advance of the Pakistani Taliban, have started to organize an armed indigenous resistance. They have decided that the state can't - or won't - come to their aid so they must defend themselves against a radical, and alien, form of Islam that is seeking to impose itself on them down the barrel of an AK-47.

"The government forces cannot even save themselves; what good will they be to us? They are just silent spectators," Malik Zarene, a tribal elder, told the crowd. "We will rise for our own defence."
Many of the men at the jirga came with machine guns, some dating back to the 1980s Soviet invasion of Afghanistan. The meeting was a reaction to a scare a few days earlier, when a group of Taliban tried to seize a local school and take 300 children hostage. Without waiting for the authorities to act, tribesmen successfully tackled the assailants.
Those at the jirga said they have watched with horror in recent years as extremists pounced on neighbouring Swat, which used to be known as a tourist destination. A full-scale army operation in Swat since last November has not quelled the insurgency.
In Dir, local tribes have demanded that the army not be deployed, which has been agreed. "Once the army comes in, these Taliban fire at the army, and the whole thing escalates," explained a senior security official in Dir. "It is best this is tackled in the traditional way."
In southern Dir, the Sulthankheil tribe raised their anti-Taliban lashkar a month ago in villages around the town of Khall. There, 10,000 residents registered to serve. Every night now, 20 armed men patrol each village, with orders to shoot any intruders.
"If we had not formed this lashkar, we could soon be like Swat or Waziristan," said Akhunzada Sikandar Hazrat, a Sulthankheil tribal chief. "The police only exist inside their stations. If the people show they are against the Taliban, how can they come here?"

IED Team 101: You Never Even Heard Our Rotors, Did You?

Insurgent 101: The Odds Of You Getting Away From An Apache Crew In Your Truck Are NOT Good

Israel's Olmert (yeah, he's still around) Says Israel Must Give Up All Of The West Bank

Good grief, get Olmert out of there! I realize that Livni is having some issues getting a majority party in place for her to take over but get Olmert the hell out of the picture and away from any microphones and certainly away from any Palestinian leader! Olmert, in his latest venture into submitting to islamic terror, is suggesting that Israel give up about 98% of the West Bank to the Palestinians - here's some of the details of this disastrous stance from HotNewsTurkey:

Israel’s interim Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said Israel must give up virtually all the occupied West Bank including east Jerusalem, insisting in an interview published on Monday this was key to achieving peace with the Palestinians.

"We have to reach an agreement with the Palestinians, the meaning of which is that in practice we will withdraw from almost all the territories, if not all the territories," said Olmert, who heads an interim government following his September 21 resignation.

"We will leave a percentage of these territories in our hands, but will have to give the Palestinians a similar percentage, because without that there will be no peace," he told the mass-circulation Yediot Aharonot newspaper.

"Including in Jerusalem," he said in reference to the predominantly Arab eastern part of the Holy City which Israel occupied and annexed after the 1967 war and which Palestinians want as the capital of their future state.

His comments are expected to stir deep controversy. Israel officially considers Jerusalem its "eternal, undivided" capital, a view Olmert -- a former mayor of the city -- said he shared for many years.

This is insanity. It has been proven over the years, time and time again, that there is no use in giving ONE INCH of land to the Palestinians. They don't want the West Bank. They don't want most of Jerusalem. They want the whole damn country of Israel! Why is this so hard for Olmert to see? This guy has been brain-washed by every world leader that comes to him and tells him that Israel is an occupier and it's bullshit.

Here's my prediction. With Olmert's statements here, it will become even more difficult for Livni to get her Kadima party to pull together a majority and what will eventually take place, in my dreams...mind you, is that the Likud party is going to grab the reins of the country.

It's my feelings that right now, with Hezbollah at their strongest point in decades along with the Iranian nuke plans nearing completion, the only party that can stand up to save Israel from disaster is the Likud party. No, it's probably not a perfect solution but to see Olmert's gang offering even more appeasement to Abbas and the scumbag Palestinians is going to be too much for most Israelis to stomach.

Interim PM Olmert says Israel must give up almost all West Bank

"I am not trying to justify retroactively what I did for 35 years. For a large portion of these years, I was unwilling to look at reality in all its depth," said Olmert, who turns 63 on Tuesday.

But he stressed that giving up parts of the city is key to Israel’s security, pointing to deadly July attacks by Palestinians from east Jerusalem who ploughed through crowded streets with bulldozers.

"Whoever wants to hold on to all of the city’s territory will have to bring 270,000 Arabs inside the fences of sovereign Israel. It won’t work," Olmert said.

"A decision has to be made. This decision is difficult, terrible, a decision that contradicts our natural instincts, our innermost desires, our collective memories, the prayers of the Jewish people for 2,000 years.

"I think that we are very close to reaching agreements," he said, even though the peace process with the Palestinians has made little visible progress since it was relaunched at a US-hosted conference in November.

He said that also applied to indirect negotiations with longtime foe Syria which were relaunched in May after a eight-year hiatus, with Turkey acting as a go-between.

He made it clear peace would come at a price for both sides; with Israel having to give up the annexed Golan Heights and demanding Syria end its current ties with Iran and stop backing "the Hamas terrorism, the Al-Qaeda terrorism and the jihad in Iraq."

"In both cases, the decision we have to make is a decision that we have been refusing for 40 years to consider with our eyes open," he said, warning, however that there were no risk-free solutions.

He did not rule out military confrontation in Syria in the coming years or renewed bloodshed in the West Bank.

"We don’t know, for example, what will happen in the Palestinian Authority after January 9, 2009," he said.

On the one hand, Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, whose term ends that day, could remain in power "with some manipulation," he said.

"But we believe that there is a very great danger that there will be a bloody clash, which will thwart any possibility of continuing negotiations and perhaps will force us to be involved in the confrontation, with bloodshed, with everything that could happen as a result."

Olmert formally presented his resignation on September 21 amid deep political turmoil over a series graft allegations that caused police to recommend criminal indictments.

He will remain interim prime minister until a new government is formed. The governing Kadima party’s newly elected leader, Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni is scrambling to put together a government coalition in order to avert snap elections that could put the right-wing Likud party in power.

Car Bomb In Lebanon Kills 5 Lebanese Soldiers

Lebanon was rocked again today by terror as a military bus was targeted by a car bombing near the northern city of Tripoli - five Lebanese soldiers were killed in the blast. There is no question in my mind that this was the world of Fatah al Islam which is the al Qaeda linked group that vowed revenge against the government and its military after they were squashed in operations in northern Lebanon. Fatah al Islam is a Sunni group and of course, the landscape of Lebanon is dominated by Shia Hezbollah. Here's some of the details from the article on the bombing from Breitbart:

Five Lebanese soldiers were killed on Monday in a car bomb blast targeting an army bus on the outskirts of the restive northern city of Tripoli, security and military officials said.
A security official told AFP that another 24 people, 18 of them soldiers, were wounded in the explosion, the second deadly bombing targeting the Lebanese army in two months.
"Once again a treacherous hand has reached out to strike at the military establishment in a terrorist attack clearly aimed at undermining efforts at peace and stability," a statement by the army command said.
The bomb, placed under a parked car at the southern entrance to the city, was packed with nuts and bolts and police suspect the device was detonated by remote control.

The army last year fought a 15-week battle with the Al-Qaeda inspired Fatah al-Islam militia in a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli that left 400 people dead, including 168 soldiers.
The head of Fatah al-Islam, Shaker al-Abssi, earlier this year vowed revenge attacks against the army.

The Lebanese have tried to sweep Fatah al Islam under the rug ever since last year but as we can see, they aren't going away and they certainly haven't given up their vow of revenge. I would have to say that this bombing is going to probably force the government into a huge crackdown in the nothern areas and if that happens, it could really get bloody - and not just with Fatah al Islam ... everytime a crackdown happens, other groups feel threatened and it turns into some form of chaos with the Druze, Christians and Shias involved as well.

Five Lebanese soldiers killed in car bomb blast

Five Lebanese soldiers were killed on Monday in a car bomb blast targeting an army bus on the outskirts of the restive northern city of Tripoli, security and military officials said.
A security official told AFP that another 24 people, 18 of them soldiers, were wounded in the explosion, the second deadly bombing targeting the Lebanese army in two months.
"Once again a treacherous hand has reached out to strike at the military establishment in a terrorist attack clearly aimed at undermining efforts at peace and stability," a statement by the army command said.
The bomb, placed under a parked car at the southern entrance to the city, was packed with nuts and bolts and police suspect the device was detonated by remote control.
It blew up as the bus headed towards the capital Beirut during morning rush-hour. There were about 24 soldiers on board, most of them from the village of Akroum, located about 50 kilometers north of Tripoli near the Syrian border.
The owner of the booby-trapped vehicle was detained for questioning, a security official said.
Police and the army cordoned off the area as forensic experts began gathering evidence while residents rushed to the scene or to nearby hospitals to look for their loved ones.
One man in his 50s wept and appealed for news about his son who he said was on board the bus.
Ali Al-Khatib said his 37-year-old cousin Anwar Jasim Al-Khatib, a father of two, was among the soldiers killed.
"He spent the weekend with his wife and children buying clothes for the Muslim Eid and was supposed to come back for the holiday tonight," Al-Khatib said, as he stood outside Tripoli's Nini hospital.
The force of the blast shattered windows and damaged cars nearby. The Renault vehicle under which the bomb was placed was left a burned-out pile of twisted metal.
There was no immediate claim of responsibility.
A similar explosion in August left 14 people dead, nine of them soldiers, in the deadliest attack in Lebanon in three years.
Parliament speaker Nabih Berri said Monday's blast was aimed at scuttling measures toward reconciliation by the country's rival pro- and anti-Syrian factions. He also denounced the fact that the blast took place as Muslims prepared to celebrate this week the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
Several officials said they suspect the attack was aimed at undercutting the army's bid to secure Tripoli, which has has been rocked by deadly sectarian violence in recent months.
Tensions had eased in the past few weeks after Lebanon's rival factions signed a reconciliation accord aimed at putting the lid on a political crisis that took the country to the brink of a new civil war earlier this year.
"This attack targets the army's morale and seeks to rattle relations between the military and the residents of Tripoli... following the expanded deployment of troops," Tripoli MP Moustapha Alloush told AFP.
The army last year fought a 15-week battle with the Al-Qaeda inspired Fatah al-Islam militia in a Palestinian refugee camp near Tripoli that left 400 people dead, including 168 soldiers.
The head of Fatah al-Islam, Shaker al-Abssi, earlier this year vowed revenge attacks against the army.
In June and July, 23 people were killed in battles between Sunni Muslim supporters of the government and their Damascus-backed rivals from the Alawite community in Tripoli.

Video: Brits Rise Up To Counter Protest Islamists

hat tip to: Roger at Radarsite - http://radarsite.blogspot.com/

Good News of the Day: Pakistani Taliban Leader Mehsud In Coma

Break out the champagne so we can hopefully celebrate the end of the life of one of the world's real pigs, Baitullah Mehsud. Unfortunately, the clown has come back before from one of these diabetic attacks but this one sounds like it might be the real deal - let's hope so. Here's some of the details from NewKarala:

Baitullah Mehsud, the head of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has once again fallen seriously ill, leading to convergence of the top leadership of the TTP at Makeen area of South Waziristan Agency.
The sources said Baitullah Mehsud, who is suffering from high level of diabetes, had once again suffered a serious attack, causing a lot of concerns among the TTP leaders.
"This time also he seems to have gone into coma," The News quoted the sources, as saying.
"Militant commanders have rushed to Makeen after receiving the information about bad health condition of their top commander (Amir)," the sources said.

Mehsud has basically been involved in every single major bombing, assassination plot and coordination of attacks in Pakistan the past few years and believe me, this guy deserves to die. And also, I'm hoping his subesequent successor has seen all of the U.S. predators flying overhead lately and might think twice about taking over this regime's leadership role.

If I could ask for one thing to make this better...it would be for a tip to come out where these Taliban asshat leaders are all hovering over Mehsud's death bed so we could drop a couple of hellfires onto the party. Ahhhh....to dream.

Pak Taliban chief Mehsud seriously ill, slips into coma


Peshawar, Sep 28 : Baitullah Mehsud, the head of the Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), has once again fallen seriously ill, leading to convergence of the top leadership of the TTP at Makeen area of South Waziristan Agency.
The sources said Baitullah Mehsud, who is suffering from high level of diabetes, had once again suffered a serious attack, causing a lot of concerns among the TTP leaders.
"This time also he seems to have gone into coma" The News quoted the sources, as saying.
"Militant commanders have rushed to Makeen after receiving the information about bad health condition of their top commander (Amir)," the sources said.
"Last time the TTP Shura meeting was called after Mehsud went into coma. His condition was reportedly so bad that the meeting was about to nominate a new Amir."
"However, he regained consciousness and made a swift recovery," the sources added.
"This time, however, his condition may be more serious as his kidneys have failed because of the high level of sugar."

Insurgent 101: We Warned You Not To Snipe From A Mosque

U.S. Delivers Advanced Radar System To Israel

Great news! Israeli officials are confirming that the U.S. delivered an advanced radar system last week to the Israelis which will be manned by a 120 member U.S. military personnel attachment. Anything to say about that, Ahmadinejad? Let's look at some of the specifics about the system from the report over at Breitbart:

Defense News, the weekly that first reported the system's deployment, identified it as a high-powered radar known as FBX-T and said it will be linked to the U.S. military's Joint Tactical Ground Station.
The system, assisted by satellites, can pick up a ballistic missile shortly after launch and estimate the time and location of its impact. Those capabilities will cut the response time of Israel's Arrow anti-missile defense system, which currently works with a less advanced radar.
The new radar will give Israel an advantage but "is not something that changes the game," said Avi Schnurr, who heads the Israel Missile Defense Association.
How much of an advantage the system provides depends on factors such as where incoming missiles are launched, he said. "When you have longer-range acquisition, you have more opportunity to launch your own missiles earlier, to acquire, track and engage an incoming missile," he said.
Schnurr said it would take a missile "several minutes" to reach Israel from Iran.
Ephraim Kam, an analyst at Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies, called the new radar an "important addition" to Israel's defense.

Besides the advantages this gives the Israelis (which, believe me, are being way understated here), there's the psych out factor of the Iranians with this - the Iranians have continually boasted about how quickly they can respond with missiles fired at Israel but if the Israelis know the second those launches take place, the element of surprise is taken away.

The other part of this is that with such instant alert of a missile attack by Iran, it could be huge in how soon a retaliatory strike could be instituted by U.S. naval forces off of Iran. Hopefully, this news will hit home with the Iranians...right between their beady little eyes.

Israeli officials say US provides advanced radar

JERUSALEM (AP) - The U.S. has provided Israel with an advanced radar system that will give it early warning in case of an Iranian missile attack, Israeli officials said Sunday, confirming a new defense tool in what is potentially the Mideast's deadliest feud.
Israel considers Iran its biggest threat, a view reinforced by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's repeated calls for the destruction of the Jewish state.
The radar system, to be run by some 120 accompanying U.S. military personnel, was delivered last week, the Israeli defense officials said. It has been set up temporarily at the Nevatim air base in the Negev desert and will likely be moved to a permanent site in the next few months, they said.
The officials agreed to confirm a U.S. magazine's report that the radar had been delivered only if they were not quoted by name because the Israeli government had not announced the deal.
The Israeli military wound not confirm or deny the report.
"For years, the Israel Defense Forces have carried on strategic cooperation with the arms of the U.S. military. This cooperation is conducted in different ways as a matter of routine. As a rule, we do not detail content related to these channels of cooperation between the militaries," it said.
Defense News, the weekly that first reported the system's deployment, identified it as a high-powered radar known as FBX-T and said it will be linked to the U.S. military's Joint Tactical Ground Station.
The system, assisted by satellites, can pick up a ballistic missile shortly after launch and estimate the time and location of its impact. Those capabilities will cut the response time of Israel's Arrow anti-missile defense system, which currently works with a less advanced radar.
The new radar will give Israel an advantage but "is not something that changes the game," said Avi Schnurr, who heads the Israel Missile Defense Association.
How much of an advantage the system provides depends on factors such as where incoming missiles are launched, he said. "When you have longer-range acquisition, you have more opportunity to launch your own missiles earlier, to acquire, track and engage an incoming missile," he said.
Schnurr said it would take a missile "several minutes" to reach Israel from Iran.
Ephraim Kam, an analyst at Tel Aviv University's Institute for National Security Studies, called the new radar an "important addition" to Israel's defense.
The Arrow's current radar, known as Green Pine, can pick up incoming missiles only 500 to 600 miles away, he said. The new system has a range of around 1,200 miles, giving Israel vital minutes to respond by launching interceptors.
The distance from Iran to Israel is about 700 miles.
Kam said the U.S. is sending a message with the new system that "they are against any attack by Israel on Iran's nuclear facilities at this time but cannot leave us without protection."
At the same time, he said, the radar will allow Israel to better defend itself against retaliation if the U.S. or Israel should decide to strike Iran—an ambiguity intended to make Tehran think about its actions.
Israel, the U.S. and other nations believe Iran is trying to develop nuclear weapons. Israel sees an Iranian bomb as an existential threat, given Ahmadinejad's calls for Israel's destruction and his regime's aggressive development of long-range missiles.
Iran denies it is working on atomic bombs, saying its nuclear program has only the peaceful purposes of using nuclear reactors to generate electricity.
Israel and the U.S. both say they prefer to use diplomatic pressure to try to curb Iran's nuclear program, urging the U.N. Security Council to adopt tougher sanctions against Tehran.
But neither country has ruled out the use of force against Iranian nuclear facilities, and Israel has signaled it is preparing for a possible strike.
The Israeli military has bought 90 F-16I fighter-bombers that can reach Iran and is to receive 11 more by the end of 2009. It also has bought two new Dolphin-class submarines from Germany reportedly capable of firing nuclear-armed missiles—in addition to the three it already has.
Over the summer, Israel's air force carried out long-range maneuvers in the Mediterranean. The exercise touched off an international debate over whether it was a dress rehearsal for an imminent attack on Iran, a stern warning to Tehran or a way to get allies to step up pressure on Iran.
Further upping the ante, Israel is widely believed to be a nuclear power. Foreign experts believe Israel has the world's sixth-largest stockpile of nuclear weapons, including hundreds of warheads.

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China's Muslims Claim Repression During Ramadan

Good. What apparently the muslims of China's Xinjiang province don't seem to get is that when you rise up and commit terrorist attacks in China and kill Chinese people, when you threaten to disrupt the Olympic Games you risk having the Chinese government go medievel on your ass and that is exactly what happened. I mean, seriously, do the islamists in Xinjiang really think the Chinese government and security forces were going to just let them dabble in some terror here and there with no retribution? I have no love lost for the oppressive communist regime of China but quite frankly, this is how you deal with islamists - per the article over at Breitbart:

Several local governments have posted lists of warnings on their Web sites, including a detailed one by the township of Yingmaili in Xayar county, near Kuqa. Government employees, teachers and students can't fast during Ramadan. Mosques can't host out-of-town visitors or play video and sound recordings. Proselytizing in public is prohibited. Surveillance of mosques must be increased. Restaurants must stay open during the daylight fasting period.
"All effective means must be used to make sure that men shave their beards and that women remove veils that cover their faces," adds the notice.
A slogan painted on a wall in the area warns Muslims it is illegal to make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca except with a government-sanctioned tour group.

These muslims seem outraged at the lack of religious freedom - well, knock knock puddin' heads, Christians and Buddhists in China have been oppressed for decades and they are actual religions. What's fascinating to me is that the talking points of the islamists in western China are the same talking points as those jihadists in Great Britain and those at CAIR here in the U.S. They demand special rights, special treatment and of course, demand their right to blow up hundreds of people if they don't get their way.

I say this...China should drive the lot right out of their country into Pakistan and why stop there? Just continue the push until the islamists are all bottled up in one country - lemme see....Iran?...and let em kill each other off. That would do the world a favor.

China's Muslims say Ramadan a time of repression

For Muslims, Ramadan is a time of fasting and prayer. But for China's Muslim ethnic Uighurs, the holy month is also full of fear and seething resentment about increasingly tight restrictions on how they practice their moderate form of Islam, influenced by the Sunni and Sufi sects.
Managing the restive Turkic people is developing into one of China's biggest challenges. Like the Tibetans, the Uighurs have been unwilling to buy into the government's plan: greater economic prosperity instead of greater religious freedom or autonomy.
This year has been especially jittery in Xinjiang, a sprawling territory three times the size of France that is home to 9 million Uighurs (pronounced WEE-GURS). Despite ramped-up security in the region before the Beijing Olympics, a string of bombings and deadly attacks—the worst wave of violence in a decade—deeply embarrassed China under the global spotlight.
China blamed terrorists, but has yet to release evidence that links terror groups to attacks that killed 33 people in Kuqa and Kashgar in western Xinjiang.
With the Olympics over and the world's focus elsewhere, it seems to be payback time for Xinjiang. Overseas Uighur rights groups have accused the government of mass arrests, which police deny. Uighurs interviewed by The Associated Press in Kuqa and Kashgar complained of sweeping detentions but would not say more. In Kuqa, security officials followed an AP journalist for most of his visit.
The most obvious signs of tension are the tight restrictions on Ramadan, which ends this week.
Several local governments have posted lists of warnings on their Web sites, including a detailed one by the township of Yingmaili in Xayar county, near Kuqa. Government employees, teachers and students can't fast during Ramadan. Mosques can't host out-of-town visitors or play video and sound recordings. Proselytizing in public is prohibited. Surveillance of mosques must be increased. Restaurants must stay open during the daylight fasting period.
"All effective means must be used to make sure that men shave their beards and that women remove veils that cover their faces," adds the notice.
A slogan painted on a wall in the area warns Muslims it is illegal to make the annual pilgrimage to Mecca except with a government-sanctioned tour group.
Such restrictions have long been on the books but were selectively enforced, said Dru Gladney, an expert on Uighurs at the Pacific Basin Institute at Pomona College in California.
"The government has really been enforcing these restrictions in Xinjiang more than in the past," Gladney said. "In other Muslim areas in China, you certainly don't see these similar kinds of restrictions."

Israel Reveals Over 50 Thwarted Abductions By Hezbollah

If you recall, after the killing of superstar jihadist Mughniyeh in Syria, Hezbollah had vowed to target Israelis all over the world and now, Israel is revealing that 50 planned abductions and attacks on Israeli targets have been thwarted. Here's some of the details from the story over at The Daily Star:

Israel's defense establishment has reportedly received more than 50 warnings about Hizbullah attempts to abduct high profile public and security officials over the past few years, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Friday. Senior security officials briefed the Israeli cabinet on the warnings during a special meeting discussing the security risks Israelis face when traveling abroad

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the senior security officials told the cabinet that the defense establishment has most recently helped an Israeli military major-general escape a Middle East country after obtaining information that his life was in danger.
"Hizbullah's drive to abduct officers and other security personnel stationed outside Israel is skyrocketing," noted a source in the defense establishment.

Hezbollah's aim here is not just revenge for what they consider the assassination of Mughniyeh by the Israelis...no, Hezbollah has realized in the past the payback of abducting Israelis - both military and civilian. It is usually worth key prisoners held in Israeli prisons and other side benefits.

I'm not sure just how long the Israelis can ride this string of good luck in avoiding these abductions but I can assure you this, Hezbollah will not give up. This is their forte' - they are the world's best at hide-behind-a-rock warfare and sneak attacks and probably one of the worst examples of fighters who actually have a spine.

Israel claims to have thwarted 50 Hizbullah abduction attempts

Israel's defense establishment has reportedly received more than 50 warnings about Hizbullah attempts to abduct high profile public and security officials over the past few years, Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported on Friday. Senior security officials briefed the Israeli cabinet on the warnings during a special meeting discussing the security risks Israelis face when traveling abroad, as well as the recent travel advisories issued by the Counter Terrorism Bureau, according to Yedioth.
The senior security officials reportedly said that at least 10 of the foiled plots were supposed to mimic the abduction scenario of Elhanan Tannenbaum.
Tannenbaum, an Israeli businessman and a former Israeli military colonel, was abducted by Hizbullah in 2002, after being lured out of Israel under the false pretense of a drug deal. He was released from captivity in January of 2004 as part of a prisoner exchange deal.
The Counter Terrorism Bureau has repeatedly noted that the number of threats made against Israelis, especially senior Israeli military officers and security officials, has spiked since the assassination of Hizbullah's top commander Imad Mughniyeh in a Damascus car bombing in February. Hizbullah has blamed Israel for the killing and vowed revenge.
According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the senior security officials told the cabinet that the defense establishment has most recently helped an Israeli military major-general escape a Middle East country after obtaining information that his life was in danger.
"Hizbullah's drive to abduct officers and other security personnel stationed outside Israel is skyrocketing," noted a source in the defense establishment.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak urged all Israelis to abide by the Counter Terrorism Bureau's travel advisories: "The government, through its various security agencies, is doing its best to map out all of the threats and warn the public. But responsibility lies first and foremost on the travelers."

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Iranian Parliament Passes Death Penalty For Apostacy

The trouble with these islamic regimes in nations is shown here in the headline of this blog post - the government can literally enact laws derived from "religious" edicts and so, since Iranians by the plenty have been migrating from Islam over to Christianity and other religions, the Iranian parliament has made it official : If you convert FROM Islam, you die.

Here's some of the details from OneNewsNow:

Iran's parliament has passed the death penalty for apostasy, which is viewed in that country as converting to any other faith than Islam.

Thousands of Iranians have been converting to Christianity, and the underground church is thriving, according to reports. But other Iranians are returning to Zoroastrianism, which was the dominant religion in Iran at one time. Jonathan Rocho, with International Christian Concern (ICC), explains. "We, as a Christian organization, are very much concerned about this because this means many Christians who converted from Islam are going to face death, simply because of their decision to follow Jesus Christ," Rocho laments.

So, in my view, this is just another nail in the coffin of the islamic regime in Iran - they have openly called for the destruction of Israel, they are building nuclear weapons and now, they have declared that if you are not an islamist in their country, you will be put to death.

And as I have said before, if the U.S and/or Israel were to attack and take out the Iranian nuclear facilities, there wouldn't be a single outcry from any nation in this world - the violations against humanity by the Iranians are that stark, that blatant.

At the same time, this is further testament to my claim that islam is NOT a religion, but a violent political ideology. Name one other religion in this world that will kill you if you leave and convert to another religion...name ONE. At the same time, wouldn't you agree that a German citizen in 1939 who denounced Naziism and supported western ideals would be put to death as a traitor?

Iranian parliament: Death to non-Muslim converts

Iran's parliament has passed the death penalty for apostasy, which is viewed in that country as converting to any other faith than Islam.

Thousands of Iranians have been converting to Christianity, and the underground church is thriving, according to reports. But other Iranians are returning to Zoroastrianism, which was the dominant religion in Iran at one time. Jonathan Rocho, with International Christian Concern (ICC), explains. "We, as a Christian organization, are very much concerned about this because this means many Christians who converted from Islam are going to face death, simply because of their decision to follow Jesus Christ," Rocho laments. He says Iranians are questioning the Muslim faith after living under the regime, which has been dominated by the religion since the revolution in the 1970s. "They have not seen any change in their lives," Rocho adds. "There is even more repression, more problems going on in the country, so they are very much confused about the Islamic faith." Already, two Christian converts accused of apostasy have been given the death penalty. Since Iran does not easily succumb to international pressure, Rocho urges people to pray.

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Taliban Accused of Forced Conscription Of Young Males From Tribal Areas

And this would surprise who? :crickets: A Pakistani military official has, in essence, claimed that the Taliban have forced young males from family households in the tribal regions of NW Pakistan to join their fighting forces and if there is any refusal, the family's home is then destroyed. Here's some of the details from Breitbart:

Militants battling security forces in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan have forced families to give up sons to fight alongside Islamist extremists, a Pakistani military official said.

Insurgents had a stranglehold on Bajur prior to the offensive, officials said. The militants converted schools into Islamic courts, set up a traffic control system, and imposed taxes on the timber and marble industries, the region's two main industries.
On Friday, a Pakistani military commander accused insurgents of forced conscription.
"All families were asked to give their one male child to this (militant) movement, and this was done forcibly, and if somebody doesn't do it, his house would be destroyed," said Maj. Gen. Tariq Khan of the paramilitary Frontier Corps.

And while this is deplorable, this forcing of these young men to join the Taliban, it's all predictable in that the Taliban bring this to every location that they inhabit. They are like a plague of locusts - when they settle into a region, you see the kind of plague that settles upon that area just like they did when they contolled Afghanistan. In Afghanistan, they took all rights away from women, they shut down schools so that young people would not become educated, and they sapped any freedoms from the people. The Taliban state they are true followers of the Qur'an but in essence, they are all about control and keeping contol.

This is just one of the reasons why Pakistan has to keep up their efforts against the Taliban and has to come to some resolution with NATO forces in Afghanistan to finally wage a coordinated war on the Taliban with victory, wholesale victory, the final goal.

Official: Pakistan militants conscripted sons

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan (AP) - Militants battling security forces in a tribal region bordering Afghanistan have forced families to give up sons to fight alongside Islamist extremists, a Pakistani military official said.
Meanwhile, new violence in the region Saturday reportedly killed 16 insurgents.
Overall, more than 1,000 alleged militants have died since Pakistan launched a military offensive in the Bajur tribal area in early August, officials said. The effort has won praise from U.S. officials, who say al-Qaida and Taliban fighters involved in attacks on U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan use Bajur and neighboring tribal regions as a safe haven.
The offensive, which could last up to two more months, proceeds as Pakistan struggles with economic problems, power shortages, and violence throughout the country, including a massive attack that devastated the Marriott Hotel in Islamabad a week ago.
Insurgents had a stranglehold on Bajur prior to the offensive, officials said. The militants converted schools into Islamic courts, set up a traffic control system, and imposed taxes on the timber and marble industries, the region's two main industries.
On Friday, a Pakistani military commander accused insurgents of forced conscription.
"All families were asked to give their one male child to this (militant) movement, and this was done forcibly, and if somebody doesn't do it, his house would be destroyed," said Maj. Gen. Tariq Khan of the paramilitary Frontier Corps.
It is nearly impossible to independently confirm the details provided by Khan and others in the military. Journalists' access to Bajur is restricted, and the area is remote and dangerous. The government has traditionally had limited authority in the area, allowing tribes to wield tremendous influence, although that has suffered as militants have grown in power.
In a briefing to reporters visiting the region Friday on a special army-organized trip, Khan showed photos of militant tunnel systems and trenches and said Bajur had become a "center of gravity" for all sorts of insurgents from throughout the region.
Khan expressed "respect" for the militant fighters, saying they had good communications and command and control systems, as well as "top of the line" tactical understanding of the terrain.
"They are not people who are just picked up from the streets and haven't gone through any kind of formal training," Khan said. "I would have liked to have two or three of these people taken to our infantry school and teach some of our officers."
"My timeframe for Bajur is anything from between one and a half to two months to bring about stability," Khan added.

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Pakistan Captures Key Al Qaeda/Taliban Cell In Karachi

This is huge, wayyyy HUGE! I'm going to go right to the account of this raid on a key al Qaeda/Taliban linked cell from the report at Adnkronos:

A militant Al-Qaeda satellite cell linked to Pakistan's top Taliban commander, Baitullah Mehsud, and other jihadi organisations was targeted in a major raid by security forces in Karachi on Friday.

Three key militants died during the raid on the cell, which was allegedly planning a campaign of destruction. Their targets are believed to have included the bureau of the country's intelligence services (ISI), NATO supply lines from two Karachi ports and anti-Taliban politicians.The satellite cell had direct links to Baitullah Mehsud and Qari Zafar, the alleged mastermind of the devastating bomb attack on the Marriott Hotel, which killed at least 53 people and injured 260 others in Islamabad last week.

Security officials were reluctant to confirm it but it is understood to have been the same cell that was behind the 18 October assassination attempt on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto when she returned from exile. Bhutto was later killed in a second attack in December.A key Al-Qaeda militant, Rahimullah, alias Ali Hasan (Photo), was arrested during Friday's raid, that was conducted by a joint team of Pakistani police and intelligence agencies on the outskirts of Karachi's Baldia Town, near the border of restive Balochistan province.

While three militants died in the raid, Rahimullah was taken into custody. Sultan Umer, Siddiq Mehsud, cousin of Baitullah Mehsud, and Waseem Bengali are believed to be the men killed in the raid on Friday. All were members of Laskhar-i-Jhangvi, an Islamist terror group linked to Al-Qaeda.

I cannot express how major this is - look at all of the connections coming out of just one raid in one location - we have links to al Qaeda, we have links to Baitullah Mehsud, we have links to Qari Zafar, links to the Marriott Hotel bombing and links to the assassination of Bhutto. Not to mention the plans this terrorist cell was putting the finishing touches on.

What this raid presents in vivid detail is the way ALL of the terrorist organizations are working together in Pakistan - I bloggged earlier today about how it had appeared that al Qaeda had planned the Marriott bombing while two other groups handled the execution. And in the midst of this, you throw in the likes of the Taliban Baitullah Mehsud and you've got a bloody convention of jihadists operating together in Pakistan.

I have no idea where the tip came for this raid but reward that informant with huge $$$! Hopefully, the Pakistanis will get a ton of good intel from those captured in this raid.

Pakistan: Al-Qaeda satellite cell smashed in Karachi raid

Karachi, 26 Sept. (AKI) - By Syed Saleem Shahzad - A militant Al-Qaeda satellite cell linked to Pakistan's top Taliban commander, Baitullah Mehsud, and other jihadi organisations was targeted in a major raid by security forces in Karachi on Friday. Three key militants died during the raid on the cell, which was allegedly planning a campaign of destruction. Their targets are believed to have included the bureau of the country's intelligence services (ISI), NATO supply lines from two Karachi ports and anti-Taliban politicians.The satellite cell had direct links to Baitullah Mehsud and Qari Zafar, the alleged mastermind of the devastating bomb attack on the Marriott Hotel, which killed at least 53 people and injured 260 others in Islamabad last week.Security officials were reluctant to confirm it but it is understood to have been the same cell that was behind the 18 October assassination attempt on former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto when she returned from exile. Bhutto was later killed in a second attack in December.A key Al-Qaeda militant, Rahimullah, alias Ali Hasan (Photo), was arrested during Friday's raid, that was conducted by a joint team of Pakistani police and intelligence agencies on the outskirts of Karachi's Baldia Town, near the border of restive Balochistan province. While three militants died in the raid, Rahimullah was taken into custody. Sultan Umer, Siddiq Mehsud, cousin of Baitullah Mehsud, and Waseem Bengali are believed to be the men killed in the raid on Friday. All were members of Laskhar-i-Jhangvi, an Islamist terror group linked to Al-Qaeda.However, mystery surrounds the whole episode as police previously stated that the three men had committed suicide by blowing up their jackets but in the hospital their bodies were intact.Rahimullah, a Karachi-based ethnic Pashtun, has in the past been linked to Laskhar-i-Jhangvi and Harkat-i-Jehad-i-Islami, another jihadi group linked to Al-Qaeda and is alleged to have killed several high profile religious clerics.He was believed to have been involved in various incidents, including attacks on the US Consulate in Karachi which has been the target of several suicide attacks between 2002 and 2006.Security sources said while there was only a single cell that had been smashed in Friday's raid, Rahimullah’s arrest could help uncover the funding networks used by the Taliban and Al-Qaeda from the Middle East.Police also found the body of Shaukat Afridi, a contractor who transported NATO supplies from Karachi to Afghanistan through tankers. He was abducted from Clifton Karachi in May 2008 and his captors were demanding 64,000 dollars ransom.He was believed to be killed in a cross fire between the police and militants.Inspector General Police of Sindh province Salauddin Babar Khattack declined to make any comment to Adnkronos International (AKI) concerning the militants' links with South Waziristan.“It is confirmed that they belong to Laskhar-i-Jhangvi but we cannot confirm or deny their links with South Waziristan,” Khattack told AKI by telephone.Pakistani intelligence agencies have identified the southern port city of Karachi as the greatest potential terror target since the Marriott blast in Islamabad. Security agencies were on high alert on Friday outside the foreign missions in Karachi and around the strategic organisations like ISI which are heavily involved in anti-terror operations across the country and manned by mostly military officials.

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Investigation Of Marriott Bombing In Pakistan Leads To Al Qaeda and Two Splinter Groups

This is one of the best articles I have found regarding how the investigation of the Marriott bombing in Pakistan that killed 60 people, here at TheNews, and what I am going to do is excerpt the entire article below. It is worth reading every single word as this paints not only the details that have been discovered so far, but really is a revelation of how Al Qaeda, in general, works. The point I'd like to make before you read this article is this: where in the hell is the intelligence in Pakistan to address these suspects and groups PRIOR to this bombing? Once they have a tip here, it seems, they know everything about these jihadists so are Pakistani authorities keeping an eye on these types at all??!!

Here's the article:

Al-Qaeda, HUJI, LJ nexus suspected in Marriott attack

LAHORE: Authorities probing the Marriott hotel attack are trying to ascertain whether it was sponsored by al-Qaeda and coordinated jointly by its Pakistani affiliates — Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami (HUJI) and Lashkar-i-Jhangvi (LJ).Investigation officials have extracted some vital information during interrogations of two al-Qaeda-linked militants of the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi — Mursaleen and Fahad Munir alias Mithtoo.

Mursaleen was arrested on Sept 23, 2008 from Gujranwala in connection with the Marriott hotel attack following a laudatory phone call made to him from Islamabad soon after the bombing. Fahad Munir alias Mithtoo was detained on Feb 26, 2008 from Ferozwala near Lahore, along with the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami chief Qari Saifullah Akhtar, a day after the assassination of Lt-Gen Mushtaq Beig, the Surgeon-General of the Pakistan Army, in a suicide attack in Rawalpindi on Feb 25, 2008.While arresting Qari Saifullah from a secluded shrine near the Sagian Bridge, the Lahore police had announced the arrest of his three sons — Muhammad Asif Ali, Abdul Rehman and Mureed Ahmad as well as that of Fahad Munir alias Mithoo who, too, had received a suspicious call from Rawalpindi after the assassination of Lt-Gen Mushtaq Beg. While the HUJI Amir has already been set free in June 2008, Mithoo is still behind the bars and being re-interrogated following the Marriott hotel attack and subsequent arrest of Mursaleen, who is believed to have played a vital role in providing logistic support to carry out the bombing.

The information acquired by the investigators suggests the Marriott hotel attack might be an al-Qaeda-sponsored coordinated operation, jointly carried out by its Pakistani affiliates — the HUJI and the LJ.The Pakistani officials point out that the HUJI and the LJ are components of a five-member “Brigade 313”, which was launched in 2001 after the fall of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. Both the HUJI and the LJ belong to the Deobandi school of thought, they are pro-Taliban and their recruits are indoctrinated in the mould of radical Islam. Those involved in tracking down the Harkat-ul-Jihad-al-Islami and the Lashkar-i-Jhangvi network believe the two groups might be working as a delta force of al-Qaeda in Pakistan. As a matter of fact, most of the major terrorist operations carried out against Western targets in Pakistan since the 9/11 terror attacks indicate the involvement of the HUJI and the LJ, which appear to be the groups of choice today for hard-core Deobandi militants.

Officials probing the Marriott attack do not rule out the possibility of Qari Saifullah Akhtar and Matiur Rehman, the alleged architect of the August 2006 London transatlantic bombing plot, working in tandem to carry forward the anti-US Jihadi agenda of al-Qaeda in Pakistan. Information acquired by Pakistani authorities further suggests that Matiur Rehman, believed to be the operational commander of the LJ after the arrest of Akram Lahori, is playing the same role as had been played by Amjad Hussain Farooqi, a commander of the LJ, who was allegedly employed by Qari Saifullah to plan the Dec 25, 2003 twin suicide attacks on Musharraf’s presidential cavalcade in Rawalpindi.

Subsequent investigations had revealed at that time that Qari Saifullah, who was hiding in the UAE, was actually tasked by Abu Faraj Al Libi, then chief operational commander of al-Qaeda in Pakistan, to carry out the attacks, who in turn engaged Amjad Hussain Farooqi to plan the same by using two suicide bombers. Hardly a few days after Qari Saifullah was extradited from Dubai to Pakistan in August 2004 on charge of conspiring to kill Musharraf, Amjad Farooqi was killed in a shootout with the police. As far as the Marriott bombing is concerned, officials believe the plan might have been sponsored by Dr Ayman Zawahiri. Qari Saifullah might have been tasked with its execution. He in turn might have engaged Matiur Rehman to implement it.An expert in bomb-making, Mati was first reported to have been caught by agencies in 2006, which was then officially denied. The 35-year-old comes from Bahawalpur and carries a bounty of Rs 10 million because of his role as liaison between al-Qaeda and its Pakistani Jihadi affiliates. Matiur is rated as extremely dangerous because of his role as a crucial interface between the brains of al-Qaeda and its muscle that is mainly composed these days of militants belonging to several Pakistani Jihadi groups.Authorities believe the arrest of either Qari Saifullah Akhtar or Matiur Rehman in the light of the information being provided by Mursaleen and a few other Jihadis arrested from different parts of the country may bring them closer to unearthing the conspiracy behind the Sept 20 Marriott suicide bombing that killed almost 60 people.

Germans Arrest Two Suspected Terrorists On Flight Headed to The Netherlands

It's good to see the Germans are doing their due diligence in regards to the War on Terror as they arrested two men on a flight scheduled to leave Cologne for The Netherlands - the German police actually boarded the plane and arrested them in their seats. Here's some of the details from Breitbart:

German police boarded a plane at Cologne airport and arrested two terrorist suspects Friday just before the plane took off for Amsterdam.
A 23-year-old Somali man and a 24-year-old German man born in Somalia were arrested before the KLM flight left the airport, a spokeswoman for North Rhine-Westphalia state police said.
Police spokeswoman Katharina Breuer told The Associated Press that officers boarded the plane at 6:55 a.m. (0455 GMT) and arrested the men without incident. She said authorities do not think the men planned to abduct the flight.
Germany's top-selling Bild newspaper, citing police sources, said the men had been under observation for months and a suicide note was found in their apartment saying that they wanted to die for the "jihad" or "holy war."
Breuer would not disclose how authorities knew the men would be on board.

Later in the article, which you will see at the end of this post, there is mention of the high terror alert in The Netherlands even now since the release of the film Fitna which exposed Islam for the sham that it is.

It will be interesting to see if the Germans find anything on these two or if they find even more evidence in their homes - this could have been a helluva save on the Germany security forces' part.

2 terrorist suspects arrested on KLM flight

COLOGNE, Germany (AP) - German police boarded a plane at Cologne airport and arrested two terrorist suspects Friday just before the plane took off for Amsterdam.
A 23-year-old Somali man and a 24-year-old German man born in Somalia were arrested before the KLM flight left the airport, a spokeswoman for North Rhine-Westphalia state police said.
Police spokeswoman Katharina Breuer told The Associated Press that officers boarded the plane at 6:55 a.m. (0455 GMT) and arrested the men without incident. She said authorities do not think the men planned to abduct the flight.
Germany's top-selling Bild newspaper, citing police sources, said the men had been under observation for months and a suicide note was found in their apartment saying that they wanted to die for the "jihad" or "holy war."
Breuer would not disclose how authorities knew the men would be on board.
A KLM spokeswoman told NOS news in the Netherlands that police boarded the Fokker 50 jet when it was at its "point of departure" and grabbed the two suspects. She said all other passengers aboard KLM Flight 1804 were then forced to leave the plane.
"Then a 'baggage parade' took place to see if the two passengers who were taken by the police had bags with them," the spokeswoman said.
She said the plane took off after an hour delay and landed at Schipol airport in the Netherlands without further incident.
The Dutch anti-terror chief warned earlier this month that the country remains one of the top targets for Islamic terrorist groups because of publicity surrounding a lawmaker's anti-Islam film.
The National Coordinator for Combating Terrorism said in a report the film "Fitna" by lawmaker Geert Wilders has made the country a "preferred target." Fitna set Koranic texts against a background of violent images, which the agency said "is considered a major insult and provocation" by terrorist groups.
The terrorist threat has been rated as "substantial" since the film's launch in March.
Frank Wallenta, a spokesman for federal prosecutors in Germany, said the arrests in Cologne were not related to an announcement Thursday that two men linked to terrorist suspects may be on their way back to Germany.
On Thursday, prosecutors announced that Eric Breininger, 21, and Houssain Al Malla, 23 could be headed to Germany after leaving a terrorist training camp in the border region between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The men are linked to a foiled plot to attack American targets in Germany in 2007.

Video: How Barack Hussein Obama Will Lead America To Slaughter

Meet Medal Of Honor Hero Army Sgt. First Class Frederick Rowell

All I can say here about Sgt. Frederick Rowell is that I am extremely proud of this young man and I truly wish his story had been presented to the American people via the MSM, he deserves it! I'm going to excerpt the entire article here from Family Security Matters and perhaps we can start a succession of comments here that will tell Sgt. Rowell and the world that we are damn proud of him and all of our Troops! God Bless Our Troops!

Meet Our Decorated Heroes: God Bless Them!
Army Sgt. First Class Frederick Rowell

Sergeant First Class Frederick Rowell of the United States Army was deployed to Iraq for two tours, both of which took place during some of the most pivotal moments of that ongoing campaign, and both times he distinguished himself with valor and heroism.

In the “blitzkrieg” invasion of Iraq, then-Sergeant Rowell was involved in the critical fight for the Baghdad International Airport. April 4, 2003 was the first great test of this young non-commissioned officer’s dedication to his fellow soldiers. After dismounting its Bradley fighting vehicle, Rowell’s unit came under heavy automatic and rocket-propelled grenade fire. After assessing the severity of the fire, Rowell covered his comrades as they fell back to their Bradley when he noticed another squad was pinned down far from cover and taking heavy fire. Once his own squad was in the relative safety of its armored vehicle, Rowell did not hesitate to act.

Charging across open terrain under the aim of Iraqi forces, Rowell arrived at the scene of the isolated squad to find it without leadership and one soldier severely injured. Rowell sprang into action, laying down cover fire and applying first aid to the injured private. As the enemy attack became more focused and more intense, Rowell threw himself on top of the soldier, using his own body as a shield while a rescue vehicle closed in on their beleaguered position. Rowell took a direct hit from an AK-47 round in his back, luckily stopped by his body armor – a round that would have almost certainly killed the private under Rowell. With the evacuation vehicle blocked from coming any closer, Rowell hoisted the wounded private onto his back and ran some 100 meters to save the injured soldier.

With the “Surge” operations intensifying in Iraq in September of 2007, Rowell, now a Staff Sergeant, was in charge of a squad on a scouting mission to observe insurgent activity in a volatile part of Baghdad. His squad – split into two observation posts in two buildings – came under fire from multiple directions.

As enemy fire poured in on them, Rowell planned to move his team to the other observation post, but as the first soldier was severely injured by an IED as he stepped out of the door. Rowell was knocked unconscious by the blast, but regained his focus – despite being later diagnosed with a traumatic brain injury – and rose to his feet, running to the aid of his comrade. Under heavy fire, Rowell pulled the man back into the building and defended him from the numerous attackers. With a group of Stryker combat vehicles arriving on the scene, Rowell helped evacuate the wounded soldier, directed the reinforcements to the enemy positions. On the way out of the kill-zone, Rowell manned the roof gun on the Stryker as they evacuated the injured to a combat hospital.

In these two events, Rowell’s heroism was undeniable. By ignoring his own safety and using his body as a shield to protect a wounded soldier in 2003, he earned the Silver Star. For coming to the aid of another wounded soldier and displaying steadfast courage under harrowing fire in 2007, he earned the Bronze Star Medal with Valor.

FSM is so proud of all of you! Thank you for keeping America safe and God Bless You!

Good Grief! Pakistani And American Troops Trade Fire At Afghan/Pakistan Border

Just this morning I blogged here about the possibility of U.S., Afghan and Pakistani troops working together to patrol and conduct joint operations along the Afghan/Pakistan border and now, this breaking news that Pakistani troops at an outpost are trading small arms fire with American troops after the Pakistani military fired on U.S. Apaches.

Here's the breaking news from Breitbart:

A U.S. military official says American and Pakistani troops traded gunfire during a five-minute skirmish on the Afghan-Pakistan border.
The official says the exchange began when Pakistani forces fired on two American helicopters escorting Afghan and American ground troops along the volatile border.
The official says American forces responded with small-arms fire directed at the outpost, and that the Pakistani forces returned fire against the ground units.
There were no casualties reported in the exchange. The official said the helicopters were flying about a mile inside the Afghan border. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information.

Below, you will find more of the article posted where you can see the reporting about the Pakistani firing on the U.S. AH-64's.

But I'm at a loss here - does anyone in the Pakistani military know what the others are even doing? Is there ANY communication from top levels on down on how to handle these American airships? I've basically had it with trying to report any kind of consistency with the Pakistani government and military - it's chaos over there in more ways than one and if I was the U.S. military command in Afghanistan, I'd be rethinking any operations into Pakistan until we get some bloody commitment from Pakistani officials. I refuse to see one of our crews go down in flames because we risked the orders of a Pakistani outpost. And besides that...you can't tell me the U.S. can't navigate into Pakistan without zooming past one of these outposts - shit, there are 20,000 Taliban walking from Pakistan into Afghanistan and back in and not getting shot at...and our helicopter gunships are getting shot at every day????!!!

US, Pakistani troops trade gunfire at border

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A U.S. military official says American and Pakistani troops traded gunfire during a five-minute skirmish on the Afghan-Pakistan border.
The official says the exchange began when Pakistani forces fired on two American helicopters escorting Afghan and American ground troops along the volatile border.
The official says American forces responded with small-arms fire directed at the outpost, and that the Pakistani forces returned fire against the ground units.
There were no casualties reported in the exchange. The official said the helicopters were flying about a mile inside the Afghan border. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he wasn't authorized to release the information.
THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.
KABUL, Afghanistan (AP)—Pakistani troops fired at American reconnaissance helicopters patrolling the Afghan-Pakistan border Thursday, heightening tensions as the U.S. steps up cross-border operations in a region known as a haven for Taliban and al-Qaida militants. Pakistan's president said only "flares" were fired.
Two American OH-58 reconnaissance helicopters, known as Kiowas, were on a routine afternoon patrol in the eastern province of Khost when they received small arms fire from a Pakistani border post, said Tech Sgt. Kevin Wallace, a U.S. military spokesman. There was no damage to aircraft or crew, officials said.
"They did not cross the border and they did not fire back," Wallace said.
The Pakistani military disputed that assertion, saying troops fired warning shots after the helicopters crossed "well within" Pakistani territory.
"On this, the helicopters returned fire and flew back," the Pakistani military said in an English-language statement.
In New York, Pakistan's new president, Asif Ali Zardari, said his military fired only "flares" at foreign helicopters that he claimed had strayed across the border from Afghanistan.
Pakistani President Asif Ali Zardari said his forces fired only as a way "to make sure that they know that they crossed the border line."
"Sometimes the border is so mixed that they don't realize they have crossed the border," he told reporters before he began a meeting with Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
The Pakistani military said the matter was "being resolved" in consultations between the army and the NATO force in Afghanistan. A NATO statement said the militaries were "working together to resolve the matter."
The U.S. has stepped up attacks on suspected militants in the frontier area, mostly by missiles fired from unmanned drones operating from Afghanistan. The incursions—especially a ground raid into South Waziristan by American commandos Sept. 3—have angered many Pakistanis.
Pakistani army spokesman Maj. Gen. Athar Abbas said last week that Pakistani field commanders have previously tolerated international forces crossing a short way into Pakistan because of the ill-defined and contested nature of the mountainous frontier.
"But after the (Sept. 3) incident, the orders are clear," Abbas said. "In case it happens again in this form, that there is a very significant detection, which is very definite, no ambiguity, across the border, on ground or in the air: open fire."
On Wednesday, Pakistan's army said it had found the wreckage of a suspected surveillance drone in South Waziristan, but denied claims by Pakistani intelligence officials that troops and local people shot down the aircraft.
Abbas said Pakistan's military was awaiting a full report from Afghanistan on Thursday's shooting, but that Pakistani units had "very clear" orders not to fire across the border. "We are getting it investigated," he said.
In Washington, Defense Department spokesman Bryan Whitman said the coalition immediately requested an explanation from Pakistan for what he described as a "troubling" incident.