Insurgent 101: An Apache Will Always Make Your Van Ride...Your Last

Iraqi Army Claims They Have Captured Finance Chief Of Al Qaeda in Iraq

Okay, there's a bit of skepticism on my part for any announcement of a capture by the Iraqi Army that hasn't been substantiated by the U.S. command but I'll keep my fingers crossed that it is factual. This, from the article at Aswat Aliraq:

An Iraqi army force on Monday afternoon arrested the finance minister of the self-styled Islamic State in Iraq armed group during a security operation in western Baghdad, the official spokesman for the Baghdad's operations command said."A force from the 24th brigade of the Iraqi army arrested Wafer Hassan Ulwan, the finance minister of the Islamic State in Iraq, during a crackdown operation in Abu Gharieb region in western Baghdad," General Qassem Atta told Aswat al-Iraq

Now, if true, this could be a helluva snag for the Iraqis. One has to believe that the payroll for al Qaeda in Iraq has probably been a mess for the past six months, anyway and now, if the finance chief is locked up, it could really get hairy. At the same time, I have to believe that al Qaeda in Iraq recruiting will suffer if they don't have funds to wave in front of some of those wandering foreign fighters.

For those unfamiliar, "Islamic State in Iraq" is the farce of a name adopted by al Qaeda in Iraq to try and show some unity between them and all of the Sunni insurgency factions. Al Qaeda in Iraq has lost dozens of leaders in the past few months to death or capture and this would be another serious blow. I have held back in making statements about the demise of al Qaeda in Iraq because I think they still have some teeth but I have to admit, it is looking brighter and brighter every day that these scum may be on their last legs.

Islamic State in Iraq's leader captured in Baghdad

BAGHDAD, July 7 (VOI) - An Iraqi army force on Monday afternoon arrested the finance minister of the self-styled Islamic State in Iraq armed group during a security operation in western Baghdad, the official spokesman for the Baghdad's operations command said."A force from the 24th brigade of the Iraqi army arrested Wafer Hassan Ulwan, the finance minister of the Islamic State in Iraq, during a crackdown operation in Abu Gharieb region in western Baghdad," General Qassem Atta told Aswat al-Iraq - Voices of Iraq - (VOI).Meanwhile, Atta said that "a force from the 2nd brigade of the police managed to release one kidnapped child and arrested two of the kidnappers in al-Husseiniyah region, northeastern Baghdad.He did not add further details.

Hamas, Abbas At Odds Over When Abbas' Rule Ends

Hamas says that Mahmoud Abbas' term as Palestinian president ends in six months while Abbas' supporters say he is at the helm through 2010. I'd say that's a bit of a difference! Hahaha. Look at this line from the article at Breitbart:

A debate over when Mahmoud Abbas' term expires is threatening the Palestinian president's ability to head off a permanent split between Gaza and the West Bank—and Washington's goal of forging some sort of Mideast peace deal by year's end.

I mean, can these guys actually be serious? Israel and Hamas can't even keep a truce together for five days and Washington actually thinks some sort of peace deal can be made by the end of 2008? Apparently, every single U.S. President dating back to Eisenhower thinks that a peace deal in the Middle East is imminent and doable. Well, it's 50 years later and it's about as close to happening as hell freezing over while a flock of pigs fly overhead.

As for Hamas and Abbas - this is like the absolute worst Hollywood marriage in recorded history. I've never seen two factions so "on again", "off again" in my entire life. One day they are killing each other, the next day they are celebrating together. In my opinion, the chances of Hamas and Fatah getting along, let alone the Israelis and any of its neighbors are probably as good as every islamic jihadist laying down his weapons and suicide belt today and converting over to Baptist.

Tiff over term could hurt Palestinian president

RAMALLAH, West Bank (AP) - A debate over when Mahmoud Abbas' term expires is threatening the Palestinian president's ability to head off a permanent split between Gaza and the West Bank—and Washington's goal of forging some sort of Mideast peace deal by year's end.
Gaza's Hamas rulers say their recognition of Abbas' presidency—a key ingredient for any future reconciliation—will end in six months. After that, they say, Abbas' term ends and they plan to hold elections for a new leader.
Abbas aides maintain he can stay in office until 2010.
The debate is not just about fine print. The Hamas deadline coincides with President Bush's target date for at least the outline of an Israeli-Palestinian peace deal. Few expect Bush's Mideast peace initiative to bear fruit unless Abbas can restore his rule in Gaza—an outcome that would probably require renewed deal making with Hamas.
Abbas has been in control of only the West Bank since Hamas seized Gaza by force a year ago, and he'll probably keep his truncated job no matter what Hamas decides. But failure to lead his people to independence, along with a decision by Hamas to withdraw its recognition, would further weaken an already unpopular president and cement the rift between Hamas and Abbas' pragmatic Fatah movement.
"If the year ends without a peace deal, as people were promised, then Abbas and the entire Palestinian Authority, which was established to bring about this solution, would come under a big question mark," said political analyst Ali Jerbawi.
The dispute stems from conflicting interpretations of legislation.
Abbas was elected president in January 2005, winning 62 percent of the vote in the West Bank and Gaza. A year later, Hamas defeated Fatah by a landslide in parliamentary elections. The Basic Law, a forerunner to a Palestinian constitution, says both president and parliament are elected to four-year terms.
Before Hamas was elected, parliament passed a law stipulating that future presidential and parliamentary elections be held simultaneously. However, the subsequent Hamas-controlled parliament never amended the Basic Law to include this new clause. The upshot: Fatah believes Abbas has the right to stay in office an extra year.
Until now, Hamas has not challenged Abbas' position as president—even allowing him to negotiate peace with Israel.

U.S. Navy: In Your Face, Iran !

I love this story. Just a few days after Iran issued a bunch of new threats about what would happen if they were attacked and they mentioned closing the Strait of Hormuz, the U.S. Naval commander of the Fifth Fleet commenced naval exercises in the Gulf specifically aimed to practice tactics against any interference. I see it this way...the U.S. Naval commander is saying to the dipshits in Iran: Okay, you want to throw out some threats, we'll SHOW you what we'll do to your threats!

Here's what the commander, actually said from the article here at Khaleej Times Online:

"The aim of Exercise Stake Net is to practise the tactics and procedures of protecting maritime infrastructure such as gas and oil installations," Commodore Peter Hudson said in a U.S. Fifth Fleet statement.

Here's some more specifics about Exercise Stake Net:

Two U.S. vessels were taking part in the exercise alongside a British warship and one from Bahrain, a Gulf Arab ally which hosts the Fifth Fleet. "Stake Net seeks to help ensure a lawful maritime order as well as improve relationships between regional partners," the fleet's statement said.
Western powers say they fear Iran is seeking to develop nuclear weapons under cover of a civilian nuclear programme. Tehran says the work aims to generate electricity.
A cargo ship hired by the U.S. military fired warning shots at two unidentified boats which approached it in the Gulf in April. In January, the United States said five small Iranian speedboats aggressively approached three U.S. Navy ships in the Strait of Hormuz and a radio message was transmitted, warning they could explode.

It's been quite some time since the U.S. Navy has really been tested and I have scoffed a bit at the threats of the Iranians, but I think the Iranian scheme is pretty simple. They will try to avoid and sustained attacks on their land by doing serious damage to the Strait of Hormuz so that the impact economically on the World is immediate. They are betting that the World will pressure the U.S. and whoever joins us to back down under this economic and diplomatic pressure. What I think the Iranians have overlooked is that most of the world won't care - they want to see the Persians get their asses kicked and that means even the Russians.

And I think some naval commanders are in the mood for kicking some ass - if not just for revenge over the U.S.S. Cole.

US holds navy exercise after Iran comments on Gulf

DUBAI - The U.S. Navy said on Monday it was carrying out an exercise in the Gulf, days after vowing that Iran will not be allowed to block the waterway which carries crude from the world's largest oil-exporting region.
"The aim of Exercise Stake Net is to practise the tactics and procedures of protecting maritime infrastructure such as gas and oil installations," Commodore Peter Hudson said in a U.S. Fifth Fleet statement.
The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards said in remarks published late last month that Tehran would impose controls on shipping in the Gulf and the strategic Strait of Hormuz if it was attacked.
Speculation about a possible attack on Iran because of its nuclear programme has risen since a report last month said Israel had practised such a strike.
Vice-Admiral Kevin Cosgriff, the commander of the U.S. Navy's Fifth Fleet, said last week the United States would not allow Iran to block the Gulf.
Fear of an escalation in the standoff between the West and Iran, the world's fourth largest oil producer, has helped propel oil prices over $140 a barrel.

Iraqi Prime Minister Sets Forth Issue Of U.S. Withdrawl Timetable

Okay, this whole subject is chock full of a bunch of legal mumbo jumbo, but the significance here is that this is the FIRST time that Prime Minister Maliki has publicly expressed a need for a timetable of withdrawl from the United States. Like I said, there are about twenty different angles this is being looked at with both sides trying to settle on an agreement - let's look at some of the article at Breitbart:

Iraq's prime minister said Monday his country wants some type of timetable for a withdrawal of American troops included in the deal the two countries are negotiating.
It was the first time that Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki has explicitly and publicly called for a withdrawal timetable—an idea opposed by President Bush.
He offered no details. But his national security adviser, Mouwaffak al-Rubaie, told The Associated Press that the government is proposing a timetable conditioned on the ability of Iraqi forces to provide security.

One of the reasons for Maliki to make this public now may be in his attempt to get an agreement of withdrawl with the U.S. without having to bring it to his parliament for ratification. Here's where that is discussed:

With the latest moves, Iraq's government appeared to be trying to blunt opposition in parliament to any deal.
Al-Maliki also could be trying to avoid parliament altogether. He has promised in the past to submit a formal agreement with the U.S. to the legislative body.
But his spokesman indicated Monday that the government might feel no need to get approval from parliament for a shorter-term interim deal.
"It is up to the Cabinet whether to approve it or sign on it, without going back to the parliament," said spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.

It's all a bit too complicated for my liking but this announcement by Maliki does raise some interesting points:

1. Is Maliki feeling a little too over confident? And would a publicized time table prepare Iraq's enemies for a resurgence? (President Bush has opposed a timetable)
2. What does this do to Obama's key political strategy of getting votes because he will withdraw troops? If it looks like they are coming home fairly soon anyway, isn't B. Hussein, shit outta luck?
3. At the same time, what about McCain? Conversely, McCain has used Obama's weak position on Iraq to gain ground - could this pull the rug out from under that?

I'm sure any kind of withdrawl agreement is far off but it's both encouraging to see the talk and frightening as hell, at the same time.

Iraq raises idea of timetable for US withdrawal

"This falls in the category of ongoing negotiations, and I'm not going to talk about every single development, every single development in the negotiations," spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters.
Al-Maliki said in a meeting with Arab diplomats in Abu Dhabi that his country also has proposed a short-term interim memorandum of agreement rather than the more formal status of forces agreement the two sides have been negotiating.
The memorandum "now on the table" includes a formula for the withdrawal of U.S. troops, he said.
"The goal is to end the presence (of foreign troops)," al-Maliki said.
Some type of agreement is needed to keep U.S. troops in Iraq after a U.N. mandate expires at year's end. But many Iraqi lawmakers had criticized the government's attempt to negotiate a formal status of forces agreement, worried that U.S. demands would threaten the country's sovereignty.
U.S. officials have said little publicly about the negotiations. Adm. Michael Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, did not comment directly on the specifics when asked about it on a trip to Baghdad.
"We'd all like to see U.S. troops get out of here at some point in time," Mullen said. "However, from a military perspective I need the laws and the regulations and the agreements from the government of Iraq in order to continue operations beyond the 31st of December of this year."
With the latest moves, Iraq's government appeared to be trying to blunt opposition in parliament to any deal.
Al-Maliki also could be trying to avoid parliament altogether. He has promised in the past to submit a formal agreement with the U.S. to the legislative body.
But his spokesman indicated Monday that the government might feel no need to get approval from parliament for a shorter-term interim deal.
"It is up to the Cabinet whether to approve it or sign on it, without going back to the parliament," said spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh.
Legal experts said the form of the deal was less significant than its substance.
"You could theoretically include everything in a memorandum of understanding that you could in a formal status of forces agreement," said Michael Matheson, an expert on international law at George Washington University Law School.

Insurgent 101: You Get The Feeling We Have PLENTY Of Bombs?

U.S. Airstrikes Kill 20 Taliban Along Pakistan Border

Another huge hit! The U.S. brought air strikes back to the area of Tora Bora which is in Nangarhar province and killed 20 Taliban in the operation. Here's the details from The Long War Journal:

US forces killed 20 Taliban fighters during airstrikes in Nangarhar province today in the latest in a series of attacks along the Pakistani border.
The US military targeted “a large group of militants” with “precision airstrikes” in the mountains of the Deh Bala district in Nangarhar, a press release from Combined Joint Task Force – 101 reported. Intelligence report indicated the Taliban were operating in the area. Geo TV reported 20 Taliban were killed in the attack.

Now, this attack by U.S. air forces was inside of Afghanistan but it underlines just how much of the action lately has been right on the Pakistan border. This shows two things- first, that the U.S. and NATO are not leary of that Pakistan border and that there is a lot of Taliban activity coming into Afghanistan from Pakistan.

One of the other reasons the U.S. and NATO are having the kind of success they are with these high body counts of Taliban is the fact that the Taliban are sending in larger and larger groups at a time now. It appears that the Taliban are trying to assemble more fighters together so they have the firepower to take on forward operating bases and unfortunately for them, these larger groups are a much better target for airships.

US forces kill 20 Taliban on Pakistani border

Nangarhar is home to Tora Bora, the location of the last major battle of US and Afghan allies aginst the Taliban and al Qaeda in the winter of 2002. Osama bin Laden and numerous senior al Qaeda leaders slipped the cordon and escaped into Pakistan.
The Deh Bala district borders the lawless Khyber tribal agency in Pakistan. Pakistani forces claim to be conducting an operation to root out extremists laying siege to Peshawar, but peace talks between the Lashkar-e-Islam and the government began just six days after the operation began.
The attack in Nangarhar is the latest in a series of engagements with company-sized Taliban forces in eastern Afghanistan. On July 4, the US military said it killed 16 Taliban fighters after an attack on a base in Kunar province, which borders Nangarhar to the north. The governor of Kunar claimed Afghan civilians were killed in the airstrike, and President Hamid Karzai has called for an investigation.
The Afghan Army and police and the US military have repelled a series of attacks in the border provinces of Paktia, Paktika, and Khost over the past three weeks. The Taliban are attempting to destabilize the eastern region and overrun Afghan government centers. Attacks in the east are up by more than 40 percent from last year, according to the US military. More than 200 Taliban fighters have been killed during the clashes. Many of the attacks have originated from Pakistan.

40 Dead In Suicide Bombing Of Indian Embassy In Kabul

Religion of Peace. The Religion of Peace struck out at a Hindu symbol in Afghanistan today as a car bomber drove into the Indian embassy in Afghanistan's capital of Kabul. The latest report shows 40 dead but I have the feeling that is going to rise as the day goes by. Here's some of the latest details from Breitbart:

A car bomb ripped through the front wall of the Indian Embassy in central Kabul on Monday, killing 40 people in what appeared to be the deadliest attack in Afghanistan's capital since the fall of the Taliban, officials said.
The massive explosion detonated by a suicide bomber damaged two embassy vehicles entering the compound, near where dozens of Afghan men line up every morning to apply for visas.
President Hamid Karzai condemned the bombing and said it was carried out by militants trying to rupture the friendship between Afghanistan and India.

While when one sees a car bomb do this kind of damage, it is tempting to blame al Qaeda...this is probably a Taliban attack in that many in the Taliban have roots in Pakistan and of course, Pakistan and India have been at odds for decades. However, at the latest count, only four Indians were killed in this bombing, with the vast majority of casualties being Afghans.

40 dead in Indian embassy blast in Afghan capital

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) - A car bomb ripped through the front wall of the Indian Embassy in central Kabul on Monday, killing 40 people in what appeared to be the deadliest attack in Afghanistan's capital since the fall of the Taliban, officials said.
The massive explosion detonated by a suicide bomber damaged two embassy vehicles entering the compound, near where dozens of Afghan men line up every morning to apply for visas.
The embassy is located on a busy, tree-lined street near Afghanistan's Interior Ministry in the city center. Several nearby shops were damaged or destroyed in the blast, and smoldering ruins covered the street. The explosion rattled much of the Afghan capital.
"Several shopkeepers have died. I have seen shopkeepers under the rubble," said Ghulam Dastagir, a shopkeeper who was wounded in the blast.
Najib Nikzad, an Interior Ministry spokesman, said the blast killed 40 people. Earlier, Abdullah Fahim, the spokesman for the Ministry of Public Health, said the explosion killed at least 28 people and wounded 141, but an update of the number of injured was not immediately available. The Interior Ministry said six police officers and three embassy guards were among those killed.
In Delhi, India's foreign minister said four Indians, including the military attache, were killed in the attack.
The explosion appeared to be the deadliest attack in Kabul since the fall of the Taliban in 2001. It was the deadliest in Afghanistan since a suicide bomber killed more than 100 people at a dog fighting competition in Kandahar province in February.
Shortly after the attack, a woman ran out of a Kabul hospital screaming, crying and hitting her face with both of her hands. Her two children, a girl named Lima and a boy named Mirwais, had been killed.
"Oh my God!" the woman screamed. "They are both dead."
No one has claimed responsibility for the attack.
President Hamid Karzai condemned the bombing and said it was carried out by militants trying to rupture the friendship between Afghanistan and India.

Insurgent 101: I Don't Think Ahmed Will Be Back Tonight For Evening Prayers

Israel/Hezbollah Prisoner Swap's First Phase To Happen Thursday

Okay, originally I was all for this prisoner swap as I know the importance of bringing home their own is to the Israelis, but then, as I read more and more of the account of the brutal murders committed by Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar, the more I changed my mind...eventually coming to the conclusion that this was not worth it. Go ahead do the exchange for hundreds of Pali prisoners or as many Hezbollah as you want, but never, EVER let Kuntar go.

And now I read the account of the "three phases" of the prisoner exhange between Israel and Hezbollah, with the first coming on Thursday and my blood is boiling. How in the hell can Olmert justify the phased sequence of this? If you haven't seen it, read it and weep - here it is from the article at Haaretz:

The exchange is to occur over three phases, the first of which will include the release of Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar and three other prisoners, according to the Ma'an report. According to the report, the second phase will begin six days later and the third a few days after that. The report does not detail under which phase Hezbollah will release captured Israeli reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev.

I'm blown away by this. The Israelis release this madman, Kuntar, and then six days later, they hope that Hezbollah will release Goldwasser and Regev (more than likely their bodies).

First of all, this is a humiliation for the Israelis for them to have to release the killer of Jewish children. Now, to further the humiliation, the Israelis have to release Kuntar FIRST! I'm convinced that the reason there are three phases to this and why Kuntar is being released is this - in the second phase, the body of either Goldwasser or Regev will be released showing a body that basically was killed during the capture. The final phase is to happen last because I firmly believe it will show the other body, had lived for much longer and that he was tortured. The Israelis will determine this after the exchange and if this had happened first, they would not have released Kuntar.

This is deplorable - there has to be a way for the Israelis to make the scum of Hezbollah pay for this after the exchanges are done. If my hypothesis is correct, there will be an outcry in Israel and there should be the same from the entire World.

Israel set to exhume bodies of Hezbollah dead

Israel will begin exhuming the bodies of Hezbollah fighters buried in the north ahead of a swap deal with the Lebanon-based guerrilla group, which has been holding two Israeli soldiers for nearly two years, a military official said on Sunday. The official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the army would begin exhuming the bodies on Monday. The Palestinian news agency Ma'an reported on Sunday that the first phase of a prisoner swap between Israel and the Lebanon-based Hezbollah militant group would begin as early as Thursday.

The exchange is to occur over three phases, the first of which will include the release of Lebanese terrorist Samir Kuntar and three other prisoners, according to the Ma'an report. According to the report, the second phase will begin six days later and the third a few days after that. The report does not detail under which phase Hezbollah will release captured Israeli reservists Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev. In an indication the exchange may be imminent, Major-General Gabi Eizenkot, the IDF officer in charge implementing the swap declared a cemetery in the north where the bodies of enemy fighters are buried to be a "closed military zone."