Turkish Airliner Hijacked By Al-Qaeda

This is a breaking story. It's sure to be updated several times.

Self-proclaimed al-Qaida members hijacked a Turkish airliner on its way from Northern Cyprus to Istanbul on Saturday, the private television station NTV reported. The hijackers demanded that the airplane be flown to Tehran, Iran, said Tuncay Doganer, CEO of the private Atlasjet airline company. But the plane landed at an airport in Antalya, a Turkish province on the Mediterranean coast, after pilots said there was not enough fuel to fly to Iran, Doganer said. There were 136 passengers and six crew on board the plane, Doganer said. He said some of the passengers had been released. However, a relative of one of the passengers on board the plane told NTV that passengers broke down the rear exit of the plane and escaped, and that only the airliner's crew remained on board. The hijackers appeared to be Turkish, the man said, as he spoke to his nephew by telephone. Cyprus has been divided between a Greek Cypriot south and a Turkish- occupied north since 1974, when Turkey invaded after an abortive Athens-backed coup by supporters of union with Greece.

 

 

Technorati tags: Istanbul, Turkey, Cyprus, al-Qaeda, Hijacking, Terrorism

Good News From The War On Terror 8/17

13 terrorists killed, 12 suspects detained east of Tarmiyah

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed 13 terrorists and detained 12 suspected terrorists east of Tarmiyah Friday during an operation targeting an al-Qaeda in Iraq cell leader who provides guidance to senior terrorist leaders. As Coalition Forces approached the targeted area, they immediately received heavy small arms fire from several buildings in the area.  The ground forces returned fire, but when the enemy did not yield, Coalition Forces called for close air support.  Enemy fire continued from other areas and ground forces used small arms and rocket launchers to return fire. Still under fire, Coalition Forces moved to secure individual buildings.  Despite the ground forces’ repeated calls to come out of the building, hostile occupants of one building refused to comply.  The assault force called for them to send out any noncombatants to be taken to a safe area, but again the armed terrorists did not comply.  Coalition Forces escalated their level of force, including using airborne firepower against the enemy, until four armed terrorists emerged from the building firing at the ground forces.  The four terrorists, including a female wearing a ski mask and wielding a rifle, were killed by aircraft and sniper fire.  Secondary explosions erupted from the building after it was engaged by the aircraft, indicating explosives stored inside. The ground forces, still taking fire from enemy positions, called in an additional force to help repel the terrorists’ attack.  The assault force continued to secure individual buildings as aircraft and additional units suppressed enemy fighters with small arms fire. Coalition Forces assessed that aircraft and sniper fire killed nine more terrorists in the fighting.  Additionally, despite Coalition Forces’ appeals for the terrorists to send out women and children to be taken to safety, a boy was killed in a building with an armed terrorist who had engaged the ground forces. The ground forces detained 12 suspected terrorists during the operation.

 

14 suspects detained for ties to al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained 14 suspected terrorists Thursday and Friday around central and northern Iraq during continuing operations to remove senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq. Coalition Forces conducted three precision raids in and around Baghdad.  Thursday, ground forces captured an individual suspected of leading an al-Qaeda in Iraq car bombing cell.  Friday, Coalition Forces captured a suspected terrorist with ties to senior terrorist leaders in Baghdad.  Near Taji, ground forces captured an alleged weapons facilitator working for al-Qaeda in Iraq’s emir of the northern belts around Baghdad and detained two additional suspects. In Salah ad Din province, Coalition Forces also targeted senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq during three operations Thursday and Friday.  During a precision raid Thursday west of Balad, Coalition Forces detained one suspected terrorist while targeting an individual associated with the al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of northern Iraq who allegedly facilitates the movement of terrorist leaders.  Five suspected terrorists were detained during operations Friday near Balad and Samarra targeting the al-Qaeda in Iraq communications network and an al-Qaeda leader known to conduct car bombings, kidnappings, assassinations and extortion. Based on information from suspects detained earlier in the week, Coalition Forces conducted an operation Friday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders and their associates in Mosul.  The ground forces detained three individuals with alleged ties to the terrorist leaders.

 

Weapons recovered, suspect seized in raid

FORWARD OPERATING BASE LOYALTY, Iraq — Soldiers with the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division and the 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division captured one suspected insurgent and recovered a weapons cache during a raid in eastern Baghdad Aug. 16. During Operation Chesterfield in the New Baghdad District, Soldiers of Company A, 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment based out of Fort Riley, Kan., and attached to the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, joined with their Iraqi counterparts in capturing the suspected insurgent, recovering two AK-47s, two pistols and 900,000 Iraqi dinar.  The suspect is being held for further questioning.    The capture comes as insurgents have stepped up their activity against Iraqi civilians and police officers. U.S. and Iraqi forces have responded by driving into insurgent strongholds and setting up combat outposts and joint security stations as part of the Baghdad Security Plan to secure the capital.

 

Gunfight ends with release of hostages, two insurgents dead

TAJI, Iraq – After returning from a family member’s funeral, four women and six small children were kidnapped by armed men wearing ski masks on a Baghdad street on May 1.   The women and children were taken after having to witness the execution of their male family members. They were held for more than a month’s time, during which the women endured daily rapings and beatings and were constantly threatened with beheading, one of the women later said in a statement given to U.S. Special Forces.  On June 1, their ordeal came to an end as Iraqi Security Forces and a U.S. Special Forces team freed the hostages during an air assault raid that targeted an al Qaeda in Iraq kidnapping cell south of Balad. The operation, called Operation Falkirk, was a combined operation conducted with U.S. Special Forces Soldiers and Iraqi Army Scouts to locate and detain suspected terrorists in Balad with ties to the kidnapping of two U.S. Soldiers taken captive after their combat patrol was ambushed May 12.  The raid resulted in a sustained firefight that left one U.S. Special Forces Soldier wounded, two insurgents dead, and the primary target of the operation captured and seriously wounded. During the operation, the Special Forces team and their Iraqi counterparts conducted the late-night air assault against three remote houses reportedly sheltering the terrorist group. Shortly after beginning the assault, the team came under heavy, small-arms fire from terrorists inside one of the houses. One Special Forces Soldier was hit and evacuated. Other members of the team immediately assaulted the house and overwhelmed the terrorists. When the gunfire ended, two insurgents were dead, one of them in the stairwell leading to the roof where the women and children were discovered, the team sergeant said. At that time, the women and children were believed to be the family members of the insurgents, not victims of mental and physical abuse by their captors. As the women and children were being escorted down from the roof, the sergeant said he noticed something didn’t seem right. The other insurgent was also in open view as they proceeded through the house.  But again, the sergeant said, “the women and children gave no reaction.” U.S. Special Forces team members began questioning some of the women, but soon received word that the house was wired with explosives. The team immediately evacuated everyone from the house. During the evacuation, the team received word that another terrorist had fled the area on foot during the initial assault. The fleeing insurgent had entered an adjacent canal and was hiding in thick reeds several hundred meters from the original objective.   Members of the Special Forces team, together with Iraqi soldiers, entered the canal in pursuit of the fleeing terrorist. In chest-deep water, a Special Forces sergeant eventually located the hiding terrorist.  The terrorist then lunged at the sergeant and was shot in the chest by an Iraqi Scout providing security for the sergeant. The assault force immediately pulled the individual from the water and rendered first-aid, saving his life. When the assault force returned to the target house, they discovered the women and children had run away, stated the team sergeant.  It wasn’t known until the following morning, when local villagers thanked the team for freeing the captives, that the women and children had been held hostage for more than a month. Upon removing this specific terrorist cell from the area, the team began to receive numerous reports from local Iraqis that detailed the extent of this group’s activities, the sergeant further relayed.  The group was active for more than two years and responsible for the murder of dozens of innocent Iraqis, including women, children, and infants.  They were also reportedly responsible for improvised explosive device activities and the murder and beheading of at least 20 Iraqi Police. Although the original mission of Operation Falkirk had a considerably different objective, the Iraqi forces and the U.S Special Forces team said they are proud of the mission they were a part of.

 

MND-B aircrews respond to checkpoint attack, kill four insurgents

BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division-Baghdad attack helicopter crews killed four insurgents at approximately 9 p.m., Aug. 15, north of Baghdad after the insurgents attacked a civilian infrastructure security checkpoint. Apache crews from the 1st “Attack” Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, arrived on station at about 8 p.m. and observed about 150 civilian security personnel defending the neighborhood near the checkpoint. The combination of civilian security personnel, the Apache crews and ground forces from Troop D, 1st Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav. Div., caused some of the insurgents to flee in vehicles. Up to six insurgents were unable to rejoin the vehicles and fled on foot to a nearby house, where they forced women and children to leave the house and provide a barrier between themselves and the Coalition Forces. Ground forces and civilian security personnel moved to the house, and a local sheik confirmed that the five insurgents in the house were involved in the attack on the checkpoint. About 15 minutes later, the Apache crews observed the five insurgents fleeing the house on foot. The ground forces from Troop D, 1-82 FA, cleared the Apaches to engage the insurgents, and the aircrews fired on them – killing four. One insurgent was detained by the ground forces and a civilian security hostage was released.

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Military, Coalition, MNF, Terrorists, Insurgents, al-Qaeda, Middle East

Fidel Castro Dead?

The celeb gossip site PerezHilton.com, is reporting that there is rumors from Cuba that Fidel Castro has died, or has been dead. The National Post is also covering this. Hey, the worst that can happen is he's still alive.

There's an strangely ominous post on celebrity news site PerezHilton.com tonight wondering aloud if Cuban dictator Fidel Castro has died. We know, we know, how many times have you heard that one. Believe us, we know better than to take this sort of thing too seriously here at Posted, but admittedly, Mr. Hilton has piqued our interest — as intrepid night reporter noted, "He's never wrong!" (Well, at least when it comes to celebrities, anyhow.) Here's what he wrote: Is Castro Dead???  We are hearing very loud rumblings that Cuban dictator Fidel Castro has died, though it could be just a flare-up of the health rumors that have dogged the tyrant recently. No official confirmation yet, but we will be following this story closely.  Because we're just so darn dedicated here at the Post, we have a call out to Mr. Hilton now. Hopefully we'll learn something as to where this rumour originated. Will update with quotes shortly. UPDATE 9:50 p.m.: Post reporter Katie Rook spoke with Mr. Hilton and files these quotes: "I've been hearing rumblings for days coming from Miami and now finally, I am hearing even louder rumblings. Take that for what it is. Hopefully, there will be some announcement either way: a confirmation or a denial." "I am working every angle. I work hard and hard work gets good results." "I've been hearing a lot of things coming from Miami for a couple of days now and then today, I just got some new information that is leading me to believe that he is [dead.] But, you know, it may just be rumours. He had his birthday on Monday, so maybe it's just a new flare-up of rumours." "Hopefully, we can get an answer either way because Castro hasn't been seen out in public in a year. The Cuban government has been very HUSH HUSH about his health. He could have been dead for months now, really."

 

 

Technorati tags: Cuba, Fidel Castro, Communism, Miami

Hurricane Dean Projected Path

With apologies to anyone who has or will become a victim of the storm hurricane Dean, this is too funny to pass up. I present to you... Hurricane Dean's Projected Path.

 

Technorati tags: Hurricane Dean, Howard Dean, Democrat, Liberal, Weather, Politics

The Trouble With Islam

***NSFW***

 

 

 

Technorati tags: Islam, Muslim, Religion of Peace, Religion

Good News From The War On Terror 8/16

Iraqi Army, U.S. Special Forces detain seven suspected terrorists in western Ninewa Province

BAGHDAD – Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade, 3rd Iraqi Army Division, with U.S. Special Forces advising, conducted a cordon and search operation in the village of Abu Bareyj, near Bulayj, and detained seven suspected terrorists Aug. 14. One of the alleged terrorists was detained during the initial search on the east side of the village.  The individual is a suspected cell leader and is believed to be operating a safe-house used by anti-Iraqi forces to conduct attacks in the Bulayj area.  One other suspicious individual was also detained.  Another five individuals were detained during a search of the west side of the village who are believed to be part of a terrorist cell that is responsible for attacking an Iraqi Army checkpoint in Bulayj two weeks prior.

 

Coalition Forces Kill Three, Detain Six, Capturing a High-Priority Special Groups Weapons Smuggler

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces captured a highly sought Special Groups weapons facilitator before dawn Thursday northeast of Baghdad.  Coalition Forces conducted a raid to capture a known weapons smuggler and distributor connected to various Special Groups.  The captured high priority individual was responsible for smuggling explosively formed penetrators (EFP), Katusha rockets and other weapons from Iran into Iraq.  The target was also responsible for the distribution of those weapons to Special Groups and extremist militants operating throughout Baghdad.  The weapons smuggler had direct ties to senior militant leaders and the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps-Quds Force. On the approach to the objective, Coalition Forces were fired upon by three armed gunmen.  Coalition Forces returned fire, killing the three gunmen. Five others detained during the raid are suspected of distributing weapons smuggled into Iraq from Iran. Four of the detainees tested positive for explosives residue. One of the buildings searched during the raid produced money and questionable documents that were confiscated for analysis and evaluation.

 

Six terrorists killed, 5 suspects detained in coordinated operations

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed six terrorists and detained 26 suspected terrorists linked to al-Qaeda in Iraq during coordinated operations east of Balad the week of Aug. 9-14. Coalition Forces conducted the two operations to disrupt terrorist operations in the area.  During a 24-hour operation Aug. 10, they found a small cache of machine gun rounds and components used to make improvised explosive devices.  The ground forces detained 21 suspected terrorists for their alleged ties to al-Qaeda in Iraq.  Several women on the scene wept while the men were detained.  They told ground forces they were crying because they were happy that their sheikh, who had been run out by terrorists, could return to the community. Coalition Forces followed up the 24-hour operation with a precision raid Aug. 14.  As they began the operation, surveillance teams observed several men maneuvering into a previously secured area near the assault force.  Coalition Forces, responding to the organized enemy force, requested close air support to engage the men.  After the air strike, ground forces assessed six terrorists were killed in the engagement, and detained five suspected terrorists on the scene.

 

Iraqi Forces, U.S. Special Forces target terrorist operations in Northern Iraq, detain 8 suspected terrorists

TAJI, Iraq – Iraqi Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, targeted Al Qaeda in Iraq and and other terrorist operations in two intelligence-driven operations Aug. 15 across northern Iraq. The forces detained eight suspected terrorists, including the leader of a sniper cell in western Mosul. In the first operation in the Al Mansour district of western Mosul, Iraqi Security Forces detained an alleged sniper amir who operates in western Mosul. Intelligence indicates the targeted individual actively recruits snipers to his cell from other groups and smuggles these snipers back and forth over the western Iraqi border in order for them to receive advanced sniper training in Syria.   The forces also seized weapons, ammunition and assorted documents at the suspect’s residence. In a second operation, the 3rd Brigade 5th Iraqi Army Division forces detained leader of an Al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist smuggling cell in the Hamrin Ridge region.  Five other suspicious individuals were also detained.  The forces also found weapons and ammunition at the targeted location.

 

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Military, Coalition, MNF, Terrorists, Insurgents, al-Qaeda, Jaysh al-Mahdi, Iran, Revolutionary Guard, Quds, Middle East

Pentagon Paid Nearly $1,000,000 To Ship Two 19-Cent Washers

The good news is...it was caught and the distributors face jail time. A summary of what happened, the washers were priority and priority orders don't have oversight so they are paid automatically. After the Pentagon later reviewed the orders, they haul distributors into court. They were charged and convicted of wire fraud and money laundering. I think treason should've been added.

A small South Carolina parts supplier collected about $20.5 million over six years from the Pentagon for fraudulent shipping costs, including $998,798 for sending two 19-cent washers to an Army base in Texas, U.S. officials said. The company also billed and was paid $455,009 to ship three machine screws costing $1.31 each to Marines in Habbaniyah, Iraq, and $293,451 to ship an 89-cent split washer to Patrick Air Force Base in Cape Canaveral, Florida, Pentagon records show. The owners of C&D Distributors in Lexington, South Carolina -- twin sisters -- exploited a flaw in an automated Defense Department purchasing system: bills for shipping to combat areas or U.S. bases that were labeled "priority'' were usually paid automatically, said Cynthia Stroot, a Pentagon investigator. C&D and two of its officials were barred in December from receiving federal contracts. Today, a federal judge in Columbia, South Carolina, accepted the guilty plea of the company and one sister, Charlene Corley, to one count of conspiracy to commit wire fraud and one count of conspiracy to launder money, Assistant U.S. Attorney Kevin McDonald said. Corley, 46, was fined $750,000. She faces a maximum prison sentence of 20 years on each count and will be sentenced soon, McDonald said in a telephone interview from Columbia. Stroot said her sibling died last year. ... The price the military paid for each item shipped rarely reached $100 and totaled just $68,000 over the six years in contrast to the $20.5 million paid for shipping, she said. ... "C&D was a rogue contractor,'' Stroot said. While other questionable billing has been uncovered, nothing came close to C&D's, she said. The next-highest billing for questionable costs totaled $2 million, she said. Stroot said the Pentagon hopes to recoup most of the $20.5 million by auctioning homes, beach property, jewelry and "high- end automobiles'' that the sisters spent the money on.

 

 

Technorati tags: Pentagon, Department of Defense, Wire Fraud, Money Laundering, Military

German Scientists Claim To Have Broken The Speed Of Light

It's an amazing achievement. However; it could lead to backwards time travel, which I think could do more harm than good.

A pair of German physicists claim to have broken the speed of light - an achievement that would undermine our entire understanding of space and time. According to Einstein's special theory of relativity, it would require an infinite amount of energy to propel an object at more than 186,000 miles per second. However, Dr Gunter Nimtz and Dr Alfons Stahlhofen, of the University of Koblenz, say they may have breached a key tenet of that theory. The pair say they have conducted an experiment in which microwave photons - energetic packets of light - travelled "instantaneously" between a pair of prisms that had been moved up to 3ft apart. Being able to travel faster than the speed of light would lead to a wide variety of bizarre consequences. For instance, an astronaut moving faster than it would theoretically arrive at a destination before leaving. The scientists were investigating a phenomenon called quantum tunnelling, which allows sub-atomic particles to break apparently unbreakable laws.

 

Technorati tags: Light Speed, Time Travel, Germany, Physics

Jose Padilla Convicted Of Supporting Terrorism

He was originally accused of planning to detonate a "dirty bomb" in an American city. He was convicted of conspiracy to commit murder, kidnapping, and maim people overseas. He now faces life in prison with the possibility of a pardon by a Democrat president, should one be elected.

Jose Padilla was convicted of federal terrorism support charges Thursday after being held for 3 1/2 years as an enemy combatant in a case that came to symbolize the Bush administration's zeal to stop homegrown terror. Padilla, a U.S. citizen from Chicago, was once accused of being part of an al-Qaida plot to detonate a radioactive "dirty bomb" in the U.S., but those allegations were not part of his trial. Padilla, 36, and his foreign-born co-defendants, Adham Amin Hassoun and Kifah Wael Jayyousi, were convicted of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim people overseas, which carries a penalty of life in prison. All three were also convicted of two terrorism material support counts, which carry potential 15-year sentences each. Jurors deliberated a day and a half after a three-month trial. U.S. District Judge Marcia Cooke set a Dec. 5 sentencing date. The three were accused of being part of a North American support cell that provided supplies, money and recruits to groups of Islamic extremists. The defense contended they were trying to help persecuted Muslims in war zones with relief and humanitarian aid.

 

Technorati tags: Padilla, Terrorism, Dirty Bomb, Islam

Good News From The War On Terror 8/15

Coalition Forces kill 11 terrorists, detain four

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed 11 terrorists and detained four suspected terrorists during operations Wednesday targeting al-Qaeda operations in central and northern Iraq. Coalition Forces continued to attack Baghdad’s car bombing network, targeting an individual who has attempted to coordinate carjackings and use the vehicles and drivers as suicide car bombers.  As the assault force approached the target building, four armed men maneuvered to a position on a nearby rooftop.  Coalition Forces, responding to the organized hostile group, engaged the men, killing all four.  Inside an associated building, ground forces found a cache of weapons and terrorist media.  During the engagement, the roof of the targeted building caught fire.  Coalition Forces called Iraqi emergency crews, who responded to the scene and contained the fire. North of Muqdadiyah, Coalition Forces raided a suspected safe house complex while targeting a foreigner who provides weapons to al-Qaeda in Iraq.  As ground forces approached the targeted buildings, three men scrambled for their weapons.  Responding appropriately, Coalition Forces engaged the three armed men, killing them.  When the ground forces called the remaining people out of the building, one man resisted and made threatening movements toward the assault force.  Coalition Forces, perceiving a hostile threat from the man who was part of an armed group, engaged the man in self-defense and killed him. Three more armed men ran into a building in a nearby palm grove.  Coalition Forces called in close air support to engage the maneuvering terrorists, and surveillance teams confirm three terrorists were killed in the strike.  The building where they hid was destroyed.  Two individuals on the scene were detained for their suspected involvement in facilitating the movement of weapons to al-Qaeda in Iraq for terrorist activities. Coalition Forces also raided three buildings in Kirkuk while hunting an al-Qaeda in Iraq leader known for extortion, kidnapping, weapons trafficking and directing car bombings.  Ground forces detained two suspected terrorists during the operation.

 

Iraqi Army, U.S. Special Forces detain Shi’a extremist leader

BAGHDAD – Soldiers from the 8th Iraqi Army, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, conducted a raid in eastern Najaf Aug. 14 and detained a former battalion commander of the rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi militia who is currently suspected of leading an independent Shi’a extremist group. The former commander’s Jaysh al-Mahdi cell is suspected of conducting aggressive insurgent attacks using explosively formed penetrators throughout southern Iraq during late 2005 and early 2006.   After leaving Jaysh al-Mahdi, he allegedly formed an independent cell of more than 150 Shi’a extremists that is believed to have conducted attacks on Iraqi and Coalition Forces.  His cell is also believed to have taken part in the August 2006 battle in Diwaniyah, fighting against Coalition Forces.

 

Iraqi Special Operations Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain rogue JAM brigade leader, three cell members

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Special Operations Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisors, detained four suspected members of the rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi militia, including a brigade commander, Aug. 14 in the Baghdad area. The Shi’a extremist brigade commander directs more than 150 insurgents who conduct improvised explosive device and indirect fire attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces in the area. Reports indicate the brigade commander and his team buy and sell weapons in Sadr City and transport them to Al-Hurriya. Additionally, the commander allegedly directs the extra-judicial killings of innocent civilians and government employees who oppose their criminal activities. Further intelligence shows the group also sets up illegal checkpoints to stop and hunt down Sunni citizens. The commander’s rogue JAM cell developed an extensive and complex system to use cell phones and laptops to detonate IEDs in order to ambush and kill Coalition and Iraqi Forces and citizens. On the way to detain the brigade commander, Iraqi and U.S. team members came under ineffective small arms fire. No U.S. or Iraqi members were harmed in the intelligence-driven operation. The men are currently being detained for questioning about their alleged actions to attack and kill Iraqi and Coalition Forces, and other various illegal activities.

 

Iraqi Army, U.S. Special Forces detain 3 Al-Qaeda in Iraq high-level leaders

BAGHDAD – Soldiers from the 1/6th Iraqi Army Scouts, with U.S. Special Forces as advisors, detained three suspected key Al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders during an intelligence driven operation Aug. 14 in the Mansour area of Baghdad.  The forces detained an alleged group leader and both his cell leaders. Both cells traffic weapons into the Mansour area and conduct mortar and rocket attacks to harm Iraqi and Coalition Forces.  One cell leader is suspected of coordinating extra-judicial killings against innocent civilians and Iraqi government personnel. Intelligence reports indicates the other cell leader finances al-Qaeda with money supplied to him by foreign associations and has also orchestrated numerous vehicle-borne improvised explosive device attacks against Iraqi military and political figures. The forces also seized weapons, ammunition, military uniforms, and computer equipment at the detainees’ locations.

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Military, Coalition, MNF, Terrorists, Insurgents, al-Qaeda, Jaysh al-Mahdi, Middle East

Good News From The War On Terror 8/14

MND-B Apache crews destroy homemade explosives cache

CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Multi-National Division-Baghdad Apache helicopter crews located and destroyed a cache of homemade explosive materials at approximately 11:30 p.m., Aug. 12 north of Baghdad. The Apache crews from the 1st “Attack” Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, reported finding a suspicious stockpile of drums and other materials. The area had recently been identified as a location used by insurgents for producing homemade explosives. Ground forces from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cav. Div., cleared the Apache crews to engage the cache. The crews fired on the drums, destroying them. A follow-up reconnaissance the next day revealed that insurgents had gone to the location and removed the remnants of the explosive materials.

 

IA, CF rescue six hostages from AQI hold in Mosul

TIKRIT, Iraq – Iraqi army and Coalition Forces, working with tips from local citizens, rescued six people while detaining five terrorists in the al-Intisar neighborhood of Mosul, in Nineveh province, the morning of Aug. 13. While searching for caches, soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 2nd Iraqi Army Division, and Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 7th Cavalry Regiment, discovered the suspected al-Qaida in Iraq prison. They freed the six hostages, made up of Kurdish and Christian men, and detained a guard. The hostages, bound and blindfolded for over two weeks, were being held for ransom of $100,000 each. The rescue also yielded a cache containing weapons, rocket-propelled grenades and money. While continuing to search the area, CF stopped a suspicious vehicle containing four males that had been circling the area. The men tested positive for signs of handling explosives and were promptly detained. $4,500 in U.S. currency and identification cards were taken.

 

Volunteers reveal multiple weapons caches north of Baghdad

BAGHDAD — Volunteers fed tips to Soldiers from the 1st “Ironhorse” Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division which led to the finding of four weapons caches and the detaining of two suspects in multiple operations north of Baghdad Aug. 8-9. Troops from Battery B, 1st Battalion, 37th Field Artillery Regiment, attached to the 1st BCT, acting on a tip from a neighborhood watch volunteer, uncovered an IED cache near the town of Sab Al Bor Aug. 8. The cache included five complete IEDs and 12 incomplete IEDs. The cache also included 20 munitions of varying sizes, 100 pounds of homemade explosive, one can of nitric acid, some command wire as well as the tools necessary to manufacture IEDs. The same day acting on a tip from a volunteer, Soldiers of Company D, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, also of 1st BCT, found a 100 millimeter projectile, ten 80 mm mortars, six IED timers, two rocket-propelled grenades and an accompanying booster. In two separate incidents also involving information garnered from volunteer sources, Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment  working with their Iraqi counterparts from the 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) unearthed two caches and detained two suspects. In the first, while draining a canal, engineers from 2-8 Cav’s Sapper company found three 60 millimeter mortar rounds, two 82 millimeter mortar rounds, one 120 millimeter mortar round and one 122 millimeter projectile Aug. 9 near Kem, Iraq. In the second find, during a cordon and search, 2-8 Cav. troops and Iraqi troops found 1 sniper rifle with two scopes, one AK-47 assault rifle with five magazines, a 9 millimeter Glock pistol, a hand grenade and detained two suspects in connection with the cache near Al Dhabtiya also on Aug. 9. All of the finds were further evidence of Ironhorse Soldiers’ success in working with Iraqi communities and volunteers to root out insurgents and extremists alike, said Lt. Col. Peter Andrysiak, 1st BCT’s deputy commanding officer. Local Iraqis have grown tired of the Al Qaeda stranglehold and they are taking back their communities and their lives, according to Andrysiak. Soldiers from the 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment working with their Iraqi Army counterparts in the 3rd Brigade, 9th Iraqi Army Division (Mechanized) uncovered two weapons caches and detained two suspects near the villages of Kem and Al Dhabtiya, Iraq Aug. 9. Pictured above are several of the weapons found by the battalion’s troopers. The weapons were found thanks to information provided by local volunteers.

 

Coalition Forces Kill Four Terrorists, Detain Eight in Search for Militant Extremist Leader

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed four terrorists and detained eight during a raid in Sadr City early Tuesday morning.  The rogue Jaysh-al-Mahdi (JAM) leader and his operatives are suspected of coordinating and conducting attacks against Coalition Forces and moderate Iraqis within the Baghdad area. The purpose of the raid was to capture or kill an extremist militant and his operatives.  These militants have split with JAM and threaten the stability and security of areas within Baghdad.  These militants are also known to have ties to illicit materials smuggled from Iran that have been used in extra-judicial killings. Coalition Forces searched three buildings during the operation.  Ground troops confiscated miscellaneous documents, photographs and identification cards.  As Coalition Forces armored vehicles were departing the area, they were attacked by two improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and small arms fire from multiple locations.  Coalition Forces called for rotary-wing aircraft to fire warning shots in order to allow the ground forces to break away from the firing extremists.  Coalition ground forces also returned fire, killing four armed gunmen.  There were no Coalition Forces casualties during the operation.

 

16 suspects detained from foreign terrorist and bombing networks

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained 16 suspected terrorists during operations Tuesday targeting foreign terrorists and bombing networks in the Tigris River Valley. Coalition Forces captured a suspected terrorist when he identified himself as the targeted individual to ground forces during a raid west of Baqubah.  The man allegedly specializes in weapons facilitation for terrorists in Diyala province. North of Taji, Coalition Forces conducted two operations targeting associates of an al-Qaeda emir whose network is responsible for most of the bombings in the northern belts around Baghdad.  Ground forces detained six suspected terrorists associated with the network’s military leader, and five suspected terrorists associated with an individual believed to conduct beheadings for the network. Coalition Forces also conducted operations against the car-bombing network in western Baghdad targeting a direct associate of a media and car bombing cell leader with contacts in several foreign countries.  Ground forces detained two suspected terrorists who were assessed to be foreigners. Northwest of Balad, Coalition Forces detained two individuals believed to be part of the network facilitating the movement of foreign terrorists in Iraq.  The two are allegedly associated with suspects detained in Coalition operations on Apr. 28 and Aug. 8.  An Iraqi citizen provided important information to the ground forces on the scene.

 

Iraqi Special Operations Forces, U.S. Special Forces capture key leadership of rogue JAM element

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Special Operations Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisors, conducted synchronized intelligence driven operations that detained 12 rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi insurgents Aug. 13 in Baghdad. The detainees include eight high-level leaders linked to JAM Special Groups that carry out attacks on Iraqi and Coalition Forces. The suspects include a brigade commander, battalion commander, two company commanders and one leader of an extra-judicial killing cell. In addition, the forces captured several JAM cell members suspected of carrying out EJK and improvised explosive device attacks. The brigade commander is responsible for five groups under his control. Reports indicate that he transports IEDs from Iran into Iraq and recently ordered an IED attack that caused the death of two U.S. Soldiers. The suspect also reportedly ordered his JAM members to set up illegal checkpoints to hunt down and assassinate Sunni citizens. One alleged EJK cell leader is accused of emplacing an IED which detonated inside the Mareiam market on June 10 killing two Coalition soldiers. The alleged insurgents are suspected of a long list of criminal activities, including the kidnapping and torture of Sunni citizens, and the assassinations of local government officials.

 

Iraqi Army, U.S. Special Forces detain high-value rogue JAM Special Groups leader

BAGHDAD – Soldiers from the 8th Iraqi Army and U.S. Special Forces detained a high-value rogue Jaysh al-Mahdi special groups facilitator during an early morning operation Aug. 12 in An Najaf, Iraq. The Shi’a extremist operates the Amin Allah Cultural and Humanitarian Establishment in An Najaf and allegedly funnels humanitarian funds through the establishment in order to coordinate rogue JAM activities.  The suspect is believed to use the smuggled funds for recruiting foreign fighters, training rogue JAM operatives in lethal attack tactics and trafficking illegal weapons from Iran. The suspect is also believed to have played a prominent role in the murder of a Chief of Police in Kufa in 2004, and has allegedly facilitated improvised explosive device attacks, which resulted in several coalition deaths. The suspect is believed to have assembled more than 200 rogue JAM members and ordered them to conduct assassinations on local citizens and government officials who oppose the group’s illegal activities.

 

Desert Rogues uncover two cache sites

BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers uncovered two weapon caches in the western Baghdad neighborhoods of Adl and Khadra Aug. 10. Acting on tips, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment “Desert Rogues,” attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, raided a home in the Adl neighborhood and discovered the first of two cache sites. The abandoned home contained 51 artillery rounds and 30 pounds of homemade explosive material. The second cache site, located in Khadra, consisted of 27 pounds of homemade explosive material and a pre-fabricated improvised explosive device. An assortment of other bomb-making materials was also found at the second abandoned home. An explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the caches with controlled detonations. Fifty-one artillery rounds are lined up for inventory and destruction in a controlled detonation by an explosive ordnance disposal team Aug. 10. The artillery rounds were found in an abandoned house in the western Baghdad Adl neighborhood following a targeted raid by Coalition troops. This munitions cache discovery was the first of two caches uncovered by the “Desert Rogues” from the 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment.

 

Rashid residents provide tip, three suspects detained

BAGHDAD — Multi-National Division – Baghdad troops detained three suspected insurgents during raids in the Rashid District Aug. 12. In the early morning hours, Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 77th Armor Regiment, Task Force 1-18, attached to the 4th Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, detained a suspected insurgent based on tips from concerned Iraqis. Two residents signed sworn statements regarding the suspect’s activities. Later in the day, “Tomahawks” of the 2nd Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, detained two individuals suspected of ties to the emplacement of improvised explosive devices.

 

Operation Lightning Hammer pursues al-Qaeda

TIKRIT, Iraq – Operation Lightning Hammer, involving approximately 16,000 Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces, began Aug. 13 with a large-scale offensive to defeat al-Qaeda and other terrorist cells seeking safe haven throughout the Diyala River Valley. This operation is a key part of Multinational Corps-Iraq’s overall operation, Phantom Strike. Soldiers from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, partnered with members of the 5th Iraqi Army Division, initiated the operation with a late-night air assault into targeted locations to capture or kill al-Qaeda responsible for the violence against Iraqi civilians. Taking advantage of concentrated forces in Diyala province, Lightning Hammer’s goal is to target al-Qaeda elements that fled from Baqouba into the outlying regions north of Diyala’s capital city. In addition to the thousands of Soldiers and their ISF counterparts participating in Lightning Hammer, attack helicopters, close-air support, Bradley Fighting Vehicles and tanks compliment the combined effort. In addition to 3-1 Cavalry Division, elements of the 3rd Brigade, 25th Infantry Division; 3rd Brigade, 82nd Airborne Division; 3rd Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division; 4th Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division and 25th Combat Aviation Brigade are also conducting operations in support of Lightning Hammer. Elements of the 4th and 5th Iraqi Army Divisions, along with Iraqi Police units from Diyala province are teamed with Coalition Forces in a majority of Lightning Hammer operations.

 

Troops uncover cache, capture two suspects

FORWARD OPERATING BASE RUSTAMIYA, Iraq — Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers uncovered a weapons cache and captured two suspected insurgents during raids in eastern Baghdad Aug. 14. Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, based out of Fort Riley, Kan., and part of the 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division, detained two suspects and recovered two large civilian trucks, six rifles, one homemade silencer, .308 sniper rounds, two bolts and one bandoleer of ammunition in an operation in the New Baghdad District of the Iraqi capital. The two suspects are being held for further questioning. The captures and cache discovery came as a result from a tip received from a resident of the area.  Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces continue to reach out to Baghdad residents, encouraging them to turn in insurgents.  These tips, together with other intelligence-driven efforts, have led to a steady increase in captures.

 

Operation ‘Lightning Hammer’ pounds al-Qaida in Diyala

BAQOUBA, Iraq – Operation Lightning Hammer kicked off with a powerful barrage of artillery fires and air strikes on carefully selected targets in Diyala province, Iraq, Tuesday, sending al-Qaeda in Iraq a strong message that they have no safe haven there. More than 300 artillery munitions, rockets and bombs were dropped throughout the night and into morning, blocking al-Qaeda movements and suppressing suspected al-Qaeda targets.  This barrage set the stage for subsequent nighttime helo-borne and ground assaults into the Diyala River Valley by 5th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, and 6-9 Armored Reconnaissance Squadron, respectively. These forces combined with other units already conducting operation Lightning Hammer elsewhere in Diyala and Salah ad Din provinces, totaling approximately 10,000 Coalition Forces and 6,000 Iraqi Security Forces. The 5-73 Soldiers defeated several ineffective small arms attacks, killing three al-Qaeda gunmen, detaining eight, and uncovering a weapons cache, numerous IEDs and a booby-trapped house.  In a supporting offensive north of Baqouba, the 5th Iraqi Army Division and 5-20th Infantry Regiment discovered an AQI hideout, complete with bedrolls, believed to house 25 fighters, along with a substantial weapons cache of IED making material, mortars and rocket propelled grenades.  The cache was destroyed in place.

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Military, Coalition, MNF, Terrorists, Insurgents, al-Qaeda, Jaysh al-Mahdi, Middle East

Iranian Revolutionary Guard To Be Named "Terrorist Organization"

It's widely known by those who seek information outside the MSM that the Iranian Revolutionary Guard is causing us problems in Iraq. They are deserving of the "terrorist organization" label. But, why stop there? The whole government is a terrorist organization too.

The United States has decided to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, the country's 125,000-strong elite military branch, as a "specially designated global terrorist," according to U.S. officials, a move that allows Washington to target the group's business operations and finances. The Bush administration has chosen to move against the Revolutionary Guard Corps because of what U.S. officials have described as its growing involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as its support for extremists throughout the Middle East, the sources said. The decision follows congressional pressure on the administration to toughen its stance against Tehran, as well as U.S. frustration with the ineffectiveness of U.N. resolutions against Iran's nuclear program, officials said. The designation of the Revolutionary Guard will be made under Executive Order 13224, which President Bush signed two weeks after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to obstruct terrorist funding. It authorizes the United States to identify individuals, businesses, charities and extremist groups engaged in terrorist activities. The Revolutionary Guard would be the first national military branch included on the list, U.S. officials said -- a highly unusual move because it is part of a government, rather than a typical non-state terrorist organization. The order allows the United States to block the assets of terrorists and to disrupt operations by foreign businesses that "provide support, services or assistance to, or otherwise associate with, terrorists."

 

Technorati tags: Iran, Revolutionary Guard, Quds, Terrorists, War on Terror, Executive Order, Middle East

Michael Vick Sued By Inmate For $63 Billion, Alleges Terrorist Ties

This guy should be Vick's cell-mate.

Embattled NFL quarterback Michael Vick, facing federal charges related to his alleged participation in dogfighting, has been hit with a "$63,000,000,000 billion dollar" lawsuit filed by a South Carolina inmate who alleges the Atlanta Falcons star stole his pit bulls and sold them on eBay to buy "missiles from Iran," FOX News has learned. Jonathan Lee Riches filed the handwritten complaint over "theft and abuse of my animals" on July 23 in the U.S. District Court in Richmond, Va. Riches alleges that Vick stole two white mixed pit bull dogs from his home in Holiday, Fla., and used them for dogfighting operations in Richmond, Va. The complaint goes on to allege that Vick sold the dogs on eBay and “used the proceeds to purchase missiles from the Iran government.” The complaint also alleges that Vick would need those missiles because he pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda in February of this year. “Michael Vick has to stop physically hurting my feelings and dashing my hopes,” Riches writes in the complaint. Riches wants $63 billion dollars “backed by gold and silver “ delivered to the front gates to the Williamsburg Federal Correctional facility in South Carolina. Riches is an inmate at the facility serving out a wire fraud conviction.

 

Technorati tags: Michael Vick, Atlanta Falcons, Dog Fighting, NFL, Iran, al-Qaeda

Terrorist Sympathizer Dumped From Ohio Homeland Security

Recently, terrorist sympathizer Abukar Arman was appointed to a panel that oversees Ohio Homeland Security. When details of his past and present came to light, he erupted into a full-scale temper tantrum. Finally, someone in the government has realized that his appointment may not have been the greatest of ideas.

So they tossed him.

Abukar Arman admits that it has been a tough few weeks following a FrontPage exposé last month that examined his extensive online writings in defense of terrorist organizations and individuals, all while he sat on the blue-ribbon Franklin County Criminal Justice Planning Board that oversees Central Ohio Homeland Security programs. As a direct result of that report, Arman was forced to resign last Friday from the Planning Board after officials discovered that as a non-US citizen he wasn’t eligible to be on the board; and in a curiously-timed bureaucratic move, he also lost his Columbus Public Schools adult education job after they discovered that he hadn’t kept up his teaching credentials and the grant funding his position suddenly disappeared. A CPS spokesman said the move had absolutely nothing to do with the FrontPage report though these events occurred immediately after it was published, though Arman told a local paper that he believed the FrontPage story had everything to do with his present woes.

This is a victory for common sense. The wins are very few these days.

 

Technorati tags: Abukar Arman, Terrorist Sympathizer, Ohio Homeland Security

Coalition Forces Rescue 2 Year Old Iraqi Boy From Well

CAMP TAJI, Iraq – Multi-National Division

Baghdad Soldiers rescued a 2-year-old Iraqi boy from a dry well in which he fell Aug. 9. Soldiers with Company B, 2nd Battalion, 5th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division responded to the pleas for assistance from the father of a 2-year-old boy who had fallen into a dry well near the family’s residence. The company commander, Capt. David Powell of Newport Beach, Calif., was about to begin a scheduled security patrol when the boy’s father approached the gate of his Coalition outpost on foot.  Using an interpreter,  Powell quickly assessed the situation and sent the patrol to assist with the recovery of the child. The father directed the Soldiers to the location of the well and Powell used his flashlight to find the child at the bottom. “I could see that the baby had fallen some 25 feet and was lying at the bottom of the well,” Powell said. “He appeared to be breathing, but would not answer to our calls.” Using a back hoe from the outpost, the patrol began a slow and meticulous process of digging a parallel shaft to the dry well, then tunneling to the well horizontally, being careful not to cause the well to cave in. “The back hoe made quick work of the rescue shaft just to the south of the well.  Then the real digging began,” said Powell. Because of the instability of soil, a fear of a cave-in and desire to not risk any of his Soldiers, Powell selected himself and Staff Sgt. Raul Torres, a native of San Venito, Texas, to dig the horizontal shaft to the well. Using an entrenching tool, a flat-head screwdriver, rebar and other primitive farming tools, Powell and Torres went to work. After several hours of digging, a faint crying was heard from the boy. “He sounded scared, but OK,” said Powell. “I don't think I have ever heard a more beautiful sound.” After five hours of digging the horizontal shaft reached the well. The well was basin shaped at the bottom, making the boy very difficult to locate. After several attempts to reach for the boy, Powell was able to pull the boy to safety. Coalition medics on the scene quickly assessed the boy, finding no serious injuries. The child was then returned to his mother and father, who were thankful for the assistance. The patrol then filled in the hole they dug, and returned to their outpost. The following day, Powell visited the family’s residence with a medic to ensure the child was not having any medical issues from the fall. The medic determined the child was in perfect health. “In my 18-years in the Army,” Powell said, “this is, by far, the greatest thing I have ever done.”

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Military, Coalition, Middle East

Good News From The War On Terror 8/13

Iraqi, U.S. Special Forces detain key rogue JAM leader, capture Al Qaeda in Iraq medic

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Special Operations Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisors, detained a suspected platoon leader of the rogue Shi’a militia Jaysh al-Madhi during an intelligence driven operation Aug. 12 in central Baghdad. The forces also detained five of the suspected leader’s associates. The forces detained the targeted individual and his associates without incident. The primary suspect is suspected of conducting attacks targeting Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces in the vicinity of Karada. In a second operation Aug. 12, Iraqi Security Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisors, detained an Al Qaeda in Iraq medical doctor in the vicinity of Ghazalijah in Baghdad.  The doctor is suspected of harboring Al Qaeda in Iraq terrorists following their operations. He is also accused of providing logistical support to the terrorist group.

 

Coalition Forces clamp down on al-Qaeda senior leaders

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces conducted synchronized operations in Tikrit and Mosul targeting senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq and detained 17 suspected terrorists Sunday and Monday. Coalition Forces conducted a cluster of operations in Tikrit Sunday and Monday targeting senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq and their close associates.  The ground forces captured an individual who allegedly aids senior terrorist leaders and provides lodging during their visits to the area.  Coalition Forces detained 14 more suspected terrorists during seven coordinated operations.  During one of the raids, a man and woman received minor injuries when Coalition Forces used explosives to breach a door.  They were treated on site.  During a related operation in Mosul, Coalition Forces captured a close associate of al-Qaeda in Iraq’s senior leaders and detained one other suspected terrorist.

 

MNC-I conducts Operation Phantom Strike

BAGHDAD – Multi-National Corps-Iraq launched a major offensive, Operation Phantom Strike, on August 13 in a powerful crackdown to disrupt AQI and Shia extremist operations in Iraq.  It consists of simultaneous operations throughout Iraq focused on pursuing remaining AQI terrorists and Iranian-supported extremist elements. Recent Coalition offensive operations, such as Fardh Al-Qanoon and Phantom Thunder, have reduced the effectiveness of extremist groups. The operations denied AQI safe havens, disrupted extremist support zones and supply lines, captured or killed significant AQI and Shia extremist leaders, and liberated large segments of the Iraqi population from AQI.  These combined operations included the coordinated and synchronized efforts of Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces, appreciably improving the lives of the Iraqi people. Operation Phantom Strike is a joint Iraqi Security and Coalition Forces operation to eliminate remaining elements of AQI and other extremist groups, preventing them from causing further terrorism and inciting sectarian violence. Additionally, it will intensify pressure on extremist networks across the entire theater.

 

Coalition Forces Capture Key Financier of Special Groups Terrorists

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces captured a key financier of Special Groups terrorists during a pre-dawn raid Monday in Western Baghdad.  The detained individual is believed to be a Special Groups leader for the Bayaa province in Western Baghdad. No shots were fired when Coalition Forces conducted a ground assault to capture or kill a suspected key financier of the “Special Groups” that are believed to have direct ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps – Quds Force (IRGC-QF). These Special Groups terrorists are suspected of killing Iraqi citizens, directing attacks against Coalition Forces, and promoting sectarian violence.  Coalition Forces confiscated a vehicle, two computers, photographs and various documents that may lead to future operations targeting Special Groups.

 

Coalition tips lead Coalition Forces to underground caches

PATROL BASE WARRIOR KEEP, Iraq — Large amounts of ammunition and bomb-making material were found in a series of caches, alongside a road southeast of Baghdad Aug. 7. Soldiers of Company C, 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) out of Fort Drum, N.Y., were searching along the road when they found two caches buried in red water tanks one foot below the ground. The weapons and gear inside the tanks were wrapped in burlap bags. The caches included 32 120mm mortar rounds, 12 60mm mortar rounds ,13 rocketpropelled grenades, a set of night-vision goggles, six motorcycle batteries, a high-powered wireless antenna, 200 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition for AK-47 assault rifles, a roll of electrical wire and assorted RPG parts, 50 flares, a roll of detonation cord and a tripod for a mortar tube. Shortly afterward, Soldiers detained two local men who lived in the house next to the cache. A source had identified the two as being responsible for burying the weapons. At 3 p.m., in a separate incident, concerned local citizens brought a cache to a patrol base. The citizens said they found the cache along the nearby Mulla Fayad highway. It contained 11 82mm mortar rounds, a rocket-propelled grenade and four anti-tank rounds with Cyrillic writing on them. The men were taken to a nearby patrol base for questioning. The explosives were destroyed in a controlled detonation by an explosive ordnance disposal team.

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Military, Coalition, MNF, MDF, Terrorists, Insurgents, al-Qaeda, Jaysh al-Mahdi, Middle East, Quds, Iran

Terrorist Training Camps In Pakistan Abandoned

Just like they did in Afghanistan 10 days before 9/11 and 2 weeks before the USS Cole bombing. There has been "chatter" that an attack was imminent, possibly a dirty bomb in LA, NY, and/or Miami.

 

Hopefully al-Qaeda and the Taliban abandoned these training camps because they feared an attack.

The ongoing three-day peace jirga (council) involving hundreds of tribal leaders from Pakistan and Afghanistan is aimed at identifying and rooting out Taliban and al-Qaeda militancy on both sides of the border. This was to be followed up with military strikes at militant bases in Pakistan, either by the Pakistani armed forces in conjunction with the United States, or even by US forces alone. The trouble is, the bases the US had meticulously identified no longer exist. The naive, rustic but battle-hardened Taliban still want a fight, but it will be fought on the Taliban's chosen battlegrounds. Twenty-nine bases in the tribal areas of North Waziristan and South Waziristan on the border with Afghanistan that were used to train militants have simply fallen off the radar. The US had presented Islamabad with a dossier detailing the location of the bases as advance information on likely US targets. But Asia Times Online has learned that since early this month, neither the North Atlantic Treaty Organization-led coalition in Afghanistan nor Pakistan intelligence has detected any movement in the camps. Human intelligence on both sides suggests the bases have been dismantled, apart from one run by hardline Islamist Mullah Abdul Khaliq. All other leading Taliban commanders, including Sirajuddin Haqqani, Gul Bahadur, Baitullah Mehsud and Haji Omar, have disappeared. Similarly, the top echelons of the Arab community that was holed up in North Waziristan has also gone.

Bill Roggio from The Fourth Rail discusses the nukes in Pakistan and the empty training camps.

 

Technorati tags: Pakistan, Afghanistan, Terrorist Attacks, Dirty Bomb, Radioactive, al-Qaeda, Taliban, New York, Los Angeles, Miami

What Breed Of Conservative Are You?

Here is my result:

My Conservative Identity:

You are a Freedom Crusader, also known as a neoconservative. You believe in taking the fight directly to the enemy, whether it’s terrorists abroad or the liberal terrorist appeasers at home who give them aid and comfort.

Take the quiz at www.FightLiberals.com

Take the quiz and find out your breed.

 

Technorati tags: Conservative, Quiz, Identity, Neo-Con

Woman Calls Police After Buying Fake Crack

Apparently she had smoked some earlier. If you buy crack, then call the police to examine it, you will be arrested.

Juanita Marie Jones, 53, of 957 Gordon St. called Rochelle Police late Thursday night after she purchased what she thought was a $20 piece of crack cocaine, she said. She told officers she broke the rock into three pieces and smoked one, only to discover the rock was “fake.” She told Officer Joel Quinn and Deputy John Shedd of the Wilcox County Sheriff’s Office that she wanted them to get her money back. Jones took the officers into her kitchen and showed them the alleged “fake” rock at which time they arrested her on charges of possession of cocaine. She was taken to the Rochelle Police Department where she is awaiting a bond hearing.

 

Technorati tags: Drugs, Crack, Cocaine, Police, Idiot

Good News From The War On Terror 8/12

Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Special Forces detain 16 al-Qaeda in Iraq

TAJI, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, conducted multiple cordon and search operations detaining 16 suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq insurgents Aug. 11 in the village of Subayat Hamash, near Sinjar. Four of the detainees are suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq cell leaders wanted by the Iraqi Army for improvised explosive device and mortar attacks, facilitation of al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist attacks against civilians, and hijacking food shipments.  Their actions have resulted in the deaths of numerous innocent Iraqis in the Sinjar area. Six vehicles, including four passenger cars, a pick-up truck and a dump truck, were seized during the operation. This operation was conducted in order to provide security to the people of Subayat Hamash, while simultaneously limiting al-Qaeda in Iraq the ability to operate.  The expanded purpose was the continued degradation of insurgency support activities in an effort to weaken threats against the Government of Iraq.

 

Attack helicopters engage and kill eight insurgents

TIKRIT, Iraq – The 25th Combat Aviation Brigade continued its lethal fight against insurgent forces when attack helicopters engaged and killed eight insurgents Aug. 9 in Salah ad Din province. An attack helicopter received a “troops in contact” call from Coalition ground forces. The group of insurgents broke contact by the time the attack helicopters arrived to the location of the engagement.  Moments later, the team observed 12 gunmen moving tactically near their attack position. After confirming positive identification of the enemy with ground forces, the attack team fired on the gunmen, killing eight.

 

30 suspects detained in raids targeting al-Qaeda and bombing networks

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces detained 30 suspected terrorists during operations around Iraq Sunday targeting bombing networks and senior leaders of al-Qaeda in Iraq. Coalition Forces raided a series of buildings north of Karmah targeting terrorist operatives working for the al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of the area.  The emir’s network is responsible for car bombings, including attacks using chlorine.  Ground forces detained 17 suspected terrorists for their alleged ties to the network. During an operation south of Tarmiyah, Coalition Forces detained five suspected terrorists while targeting an explosives expert believed to be part of the Baghdad car bombing network.  In a nearby operation, Coalition Forces detained one suspected terrorist involved in weapons trafficking for al-Qaeda in Iraq. Coalition Forces targeted close associates of al-Qaeda in Iraq’s senior leaders during operations in western Baghdad and Mosul.  The ground forces detained two suspected terrorists in the two raids. Northeast of Samarra, ground forces raided several buildings associated with the al-Qaeda in Iraq emir of Samarra. Two men were discovered outside the buildings and were detained.  Coalition Forces targeted the al-Qaeda in Iraq network in Tikrit with an operation there that netted three suspected terrorists.

 

Iraqi, U.S. Special Forces detain two suspected terrorist cell leaders in Baghdad operations

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Special Forces, with U.S. Special Forces as advisers, detained two suspected terrorist leaders and three other suspected terrorists during early morning operations in Baghdad, Aug. 10.  During the first operation, joint forces conducted a systematic search of the three buildings in the town of Yusufiyah and detained their primary target; a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq Amir.  The suspected terrorist is believed to command a large cell involved in improvised explosive devices, mortar and small arms attacks. Two other suspected al Qaeda in Iraq cell members were also detained during the operation. A passport, a camera, a video cassette tape and various documents were seized. In another operation, forces detained a suspected commander of Jaysh al-Mahdi, a Shi’a extremist group, Aug. 10 in western Baghdad.  The primary suspect allegedly commands a JAM cell whose members conduct extra-judicial killings of Iraqi civilians. His group is also believed to be responsible for attacks on an Iraqi National Guard checkpoint using mortars and small arms. In addition, one other suspicious individual was also detained.

 

Coalition Forces Kill An Estimated Three-to-Five Terrorists, Detain 13

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces captured 13 suspected terrorists with ties to extremist militia Special Groups in a pre-dawn raid Sunday in Sadr City.  Coalition Forces conducted the raid to capture or kill highly-sought weapons facilitators with connections to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps – Quds Force in Iran.  Those detained are suspected of facilitating the transport of weapons and personnel from Iran into Iraq.  They are also believed to have facilitated the transport of deadly Explosively Formed Projectiles (EFPs) from Iran into Iraq to be used against Coalition Forces. As Coalition Forces were departing the area, they encountered and destroyed a light utility truck that posed a threat to the force.  Coalition Forces attempted to signal the vehicle, however when the vehicle failed to respond, Coalition Forces fired on the vehicle with small arms fire.  During the raid, Coalition Forces confiscated a computer hard-drive, documents and photographs.  A Coalition air strike also engaged the same light utility truck, destroying the truck and killing an estimated three to five people in the truck believed to be terrorists.

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, War on Terror, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Military, Coalition, MNF, Terrorists, Insurgents, Jaysh al-Mahdi, al-Qaeda, Middle East