VP Cheney Unhurt In Explosion

Fox News-Breaking News

An explosion outside the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan went off Tuesday as Vice President Dick Cheney was visiting, causing an unknown number of casualties but apparently not putting the vice president in danger, officials said.

The blast happened at the first gate outside the base at Bagram, and there were an unknown number of casualties, said Kabir Ahmad, the district chief of the Bagram region.

Maj. William Mitchell said it did not appear the explosion was intended as a threat to the vice president, who was "safely inside the base" during the blast.

Updated Story:

BAGRAM, Afghanistan — An explosion outside the main U.S. military base in Afghanistan killed 19 people and wounded 11 on Tuesday during a visit by U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney, though the vice president was apparently not in danger, U.S. and Afghan officials said.

The blast happened near the first security gate outside the base at Bagram, killing 19 people, said Khoja Mohammad Qasim Sayedi, chief of the province's public health department. Gov. Abdul Jabar Taqwa said "18 to 20 dead bodies" lay on the ground after the blast.

Good News From Iraq 2/22-2/26

MND-B TROOPS ENGAGE WEAPONS SMUGGLERS IN SE BAGHDAD

BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers engaged gunmen attempting to smuggle weapons across the Tigris River by boat in a southeastern section of the Iraqi capital Feb. 23.

Members of 1st Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, initially engaged two armed men on the west bank side of the Tigris River. The smugglers fled in their boat to the east side of the river, where they were joined by three other gunmen.

After an initial firefight, the five gunmen took cover in a bunker and a large shipping container along the river bank. They continued firing across the river at the troops. The Soldiers returned fire with small arms, and eventually used tank rounds to destroy the bunker and end the attack.

THREE-DAY OPERATION LEADS TO 15 TERRORISTS KILLED, IED FACTORY DESTROYED

BAGHDAD, Iraq - During a recent three-day operation in Salman Pak targeting al-Qaida in Iraq terrorists, Coalition Forces killed 15 terrorists involved in an improvised explosives device cell, destroyed an IED factory and thwarted two explosives emplacements.

On Feb. 14, Coalition Forces began receiving enemy contact on the ground from a fortified building in the area. Determining the targets too hostile for ground troops, Coalition Forces called for close air support. Fixed wing aircraft used precision fires to destroy the building killing five terrorists and wounding four suspected terrorists.

Also during this raid, Coalition Forces disrupted two separate groups of terrorists who were in the process of emplacing IEDs alongside a road.
Due to the high level of danger, fixed wing aircraft were used to destroy the IEDs. Ten terrorists are believed to have been killed as a result.

Coalition Forces continued their raid the following day and found a male Iraqi citizen shackled in one of the rooms of a targeted building.
Ground forces detained four males who were hiding near the building.
During a search, Coalition Forces found the hostage's cell phone on one of the detainees.

According to the hostage, he was tied up with a hood over his head for three days. He said he prayed and fasted during his captivity because he believed his captors were going to execute him. He was transported to a nearby military medical facility for an examination.

On the third and final day of the operation, Coalition Forces performed a controlled detonation destroying an IED factory. During a search of the targeted building, ground forces found a large amount of IED-making material including 1,000 pounds of various types of explosives, including nitric acid.

An explosives ordnance disposal team determined the material was too unstable to move. Ground forces cordoned off the area and ensured local citizens were moved to a safe distance during the controlled detonation.
The IED-making materials and building were destroyed to prevent future use by terrorists.

A total of 13 suspected terrorists were detained during the three-day operation.

"Coalition Forces continue to tear apart the al-Qaida network inside Iraq. This operation contributes to the reduction of this IED terrorist network's ability to operate, and increases the safety of all Iraqi citizens, Iraqi forces and Iraq's Multi-national partners," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson.

CAVALRY TROOPS FIND CACHE, DETAIN SUSPECT

2nd BCT, 10th Mtn. Div. (LI) Public Affairs
KORESH, Iraq - Multi-National Division - Baghdad troops found a weapons cache near the village of Koresh, Iraq during a security patrol at approximately 9:30 a.m. Feb. 24.
Soldiers of the 1st Squadron, 89th Cavalry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light Infantry) found a weapons stockpile consisting of two rocket-propelled grenade warheads, a star-cluster flare, 600 rounds of linked 7.62mm ammunition, an assault rifle, two machine guns, a machine-gun barrel and two bipods for rifles.
The Soldiers detained the owner of the property where the cache was discovered for questioning. An explosive ordnance disposal team was called in and conducted a controlled detonation to destroy the weapons and munitions.

SUSPECTED SENIOR AL-QAeDA LEADER CAPTURED IN MOSUL

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Coalition Forces killed two terrorists and captured a suspected senior al-Qaida leader during a raid Sunday morning in Mosul.
While approaching the first targeted building, Coalition Forces began receiving enemy fire from an adjacent building. Coalition Forces fired back, killing one terrorist.
Upon entering the adjacent building, ground forces were confronted by an armed terrorist who began maneuvering on the ground forces. Ground forces took proper self-defense measures and killed the armed terrorist.
During the raid, Coalition Forces detained six suspected terrorists, including the targeted individual who is believed to be a senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leader operating a terrorist cell in Mosul.
This operation was part of ongoing efforts to empower the Iraqi people to defend, govern and rebuild their country. Coalition Forces will continue to hunt down and capture or kill terrorists trying to prevent a peaceful and stable Iraq," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson.

IRAQI ARMY, COALITION FORCES DISRUPT TERRORIST CELLS IN TITTEN

BAQUBAH, Iraq - The 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 5th Iraqi Army, in conjunction with a Military Transition Team from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, conducted a cordon and knock operation targeting improvised explosive device and ambush cells in Titten, Iraq, Saturday.
During the operation, the IA Soldiers detained six suspected terrorists who were transferred to the Khalis detention facility for further questioning.
A small cache of small arms munitions was discovered in the yard of one of the detainees.
"The Iraqi Soldiers and officers are continuously showing their commitment to making Diyala a safer province," said. Col. David W.
Sutherland, 3/1 Cav. commander and senior U.S. Army officer in the Diyala province. "They are now conducting targeted operations independent of Coalition Forces, and are experiencing the successes of well-planned and executed operations."
Following the cordon and knock, the Soldiers delivered school supplies throughout the area. The school supply drop was received very well by the local population.

SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA EMIR, 14 OTHERS CAPTURED

BAGHDAD, Iraq -Coalition Forces detained 15 suspected terrorists including a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq emir during raids Monday morning targeting foreign fighter facilitators and the al-Qaeda in Iraq network.
During an operation in Baghdad, Coalition Forces captured a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq emir and one of his associates.
Three suspected foreign terrorist facilitators were captured in operations northeast of Samarra, and eight more were captured in a foreign fighter safe house west of Mahmudiyah.
In downtown Ramadi, Coalition Forces captured two suspects in a foreign fighter safe house. Intelligence reports indicated members of the cell were allegedly planning suicide operations against Coalition or Iraqi Forces.
"Coalition Forces are making progress dismantling the foreign fighter and al-Qaeda terrorist networks inside Iraq," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson. "These operations send a message to terrorists that they will be caught and prosecuted for their crimes under the Iraqi justice system."

IRAQI POLICE, COALITION FORCES DISCOVER LARGE EFP CACHE

BAQUBAH, Iraq - Information provided by a concerned citizen led Iraqi Police officers from Judidah, Iraq, and Coalition Forces from the 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, to a large improvised explosive device cache in the Baqubah area Saturday.
The cache consisted of:

* 2 explosively formed projectiles in various stages of
assembly
* One completed improvised mine and more than a dozen
others in various stages of construction
* More than two dozen mortar rounds and 15 rockets
* Over 150 disks capable of producing as many individual
EFPs
* Six rocket launchers
* Five anti-aircraft rounds
* Over two dozen RPG warheads
* More than 400 plastic and steel containers in various
stages of fabrication for IED construction
* Large quantities of IED-making material such as
detonation cord, C4, blasting caps, fuses, EFP launching tubes, bags of ball bearings and voltage regulators

"The vigilance of the Iraqi Police and the willingness of the people of Diyala to end the cycle of violence led to this discovery,"
said Col. David W. Sutherland, 3-1 Cav. commander and senior U.S. Army officer in Diyala province.
A Coalition Forces explosive ordnance disposal unit safely disposed of some of the munitions with the majority of the cache being transferred to Forward Operating Base Warhorse.
"The terrorists and sectarian fighters who use these explosives have no other desire than to stop the progress of the country,"
Sutherland said. "Their hatred manifests itself in the weapons that these supplies would have been used for. The people realize this and understand that progress is impossible without stopping the violence.
"The people are choosing, and they are choosing progress and development by providing information," he added.
Discovery
An Iraqi Police officer from Jadidah, Iraq, and a Soldier from the 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, unearth a large improvised explosive device cache discovered near Baqubah, Iraq, Saturday.

Iraqi Police officers from Jadidah, Iraq, in partnership with Coalition Forces from 1-12 Combined Arms Battalion, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, discover a large improvised explosive device cache containing supplies for explosively formed projectiles near Baqubah, Iraq, Saturday.

CAVALRY PARATROOPERS FIND, DESTROY CACHE

KALSU, Iraq - Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers discovered a cache while conducting a reconnaissance patrol south of Baghdad Feb. 23.
Paratroopers from Troop A, 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division uncovered the cache in a two-foot deep hole near Hawar Rajab, Iraq.
The cache consisted of one AK-47 rifle, a bandolier with two magazines, copper command wire, two cell phones, one 155mm artillery round, and one rocket-propelled grenade round.
An explosive ordnance disposal team was called to the site and performed a controlled detonation of the cache.

Ahmadinejad: Tomato price hikes an enemy plot

Jihad Watch

TEHERAN - Iran’s president said on Sunday the country’s enemies had hatched a range of plots to push the Islamic Republic to give up its disputed nuclear programme, including driving up the price of tomatoes and other food.


Rising prices, particularly the cost of tomatoes which form an important ingredient in Iranian food, have prompted growing public criticism of Ahmadinejad’s government. The president has often dismissed complaints as media exaggeration.

‘In order to harm us, they (enemies) make plots, for instance they come and push tomato prices up in the market. They think we will give up our ideals with their plots,’ Ahmadinejad said in a speech in which he said Iran would not reverse its atomic plans.

That's right! No need for bombings or targeted assassinations. We just raise the cost of tomatoes. They will bow before us in no time and worship the great satan that is the United States.

Algore Home Uses 20x The National Average

Tennesseepolicy.org via DRUDGE REPORT

Al Gore’s Personal Energy Use Is His Own “Inconvenient Truth”
Gore’s home uses more than 20 times the national average

Last night, Al Gore’s global-warming documentary, An Inconvenient Truth, collected an Oscar for best documentary feature, but the Tennessee Center for Policy Research has found that Gore deserves a gold statue for hypocrisy.

Gore’s mansion, located in the posh Belle Meade area of Nashville, consumes more electricity every month than the average American household uses in an entire year, according to the Nashville Electric Service (NES).

In his documentary, the former Vice President calls on Americans to conserve energy by reducing electricity consumption at home.

The average household in America consumes 10,656 kilowatt-hours (kWh) per year, according to the Department of Energy. In 2006, Gore devoured nearly 221,000 kWh—more than 20 times the national average.

Last August alone, Gore burned through 22,619 kWh—guzzling more than twice the electricity in one month than an average American family uses in an entire year. As a result of his energy consumption, Gore’s average monthly electric bill topped $1,359.

Since the release of An Inconvenient Truth, Gore’s energy consumption has increased from an average of 16,200 kWh per month in 2005, to 18,400 kWh per month in 2006.

Gore’s extravagant energy use does not stop at his electric bill. Natural gas bills for Gore’s mansion and guest house averaged $1,080 per month last year.

“As the spokesman of choice for the global warming movement, Al Gore has to be willing to walk the walk, not just talk the talk, when it comes to home energy use,” said Tennessee Center for Policy Research President Drew Johnson.

In total, Gore paid nearly $30,000 in combined electricity and natural gas bills for his Nashville estate in 2006.

Algore wins an award that only 5 people care about.

FOXNews.com

The documentary that turned former vice president Al Gore's power-point presentation on global warming into an engaging and entertaining film won the Oscar Sunday night.

When will these global warming lunatics kill themselves? I've grown quite bored with the rhetoric. The ice caps on Mars is shrinking. I'm sure that's our fault too. Didn't they find that Antarctica used to be tropical? Maybe that's what it was when the earth wasn't coming out of ice age like we are now. I've also read that 95% of the greenhouse gases is water vapor. Seems to me the only way man can stop that is to set up giant dehumidifiers.

Lastly, Algore attempt at a joke was so lame his face almost broke:

"I am Al Gore. I used to be the next president of the United States of America,"

I thank god everyday that he and John Kerry were not.

A Funny

From Free Republic

Last Tuesday, as President Bush got off the helicopter in front of the
White House, he was carrying a baby piglet under each arm.

The squared-away Marine guard snaps to attention, salutes, and says:
"Nice pigs, Sir."

The President replies "These are not pigs. These are authentic Arkansas
Razorback Hogs. I got one for Senator Hillary Clinton and I got one for
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi."

The squared-away Marine again snaps to attention, salutes, and says,
"Excellent trade, Sir."

Sadr slams Baghdad security plan

I look forward to the day when the quotes stop coming from this primate.

Reuters.com

Radical Iraqi Shi'ite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr withdrew his support for a security crackdown in Baghdad on Sunday, hours after a female suicide bomber wearing a vest packed with explosives killed 40 in a student college


"There is no benefit in this security plan because it is controlled by the occupiers," said an aide to Sadr, reading a statement from the cleric in front of thousands of chanting supporters in the firebrand's stronghold of Sadr City.

"(The United States) is watching car bombs explode, taking the souls of thousands of innocent Iraqi people."

First he wants us to leave, then he blames us for not stopping the suicide bombings. It just goes to show you that no matter what we do, it's wrong.

Cleric in CIA Kidnapping Case: Americans Tortured Me

FOXNews.com

CAIRO, Egypt — An Egyptian cleric allegedly kidnapped off the streets of Italy by CIA agents in 2003 claimed Sunday that the Americans who abducted him "savagely" tortured him while deporting him to Egypt for interrogation.

Good! Apparently they didn't torture him enough, he's still able to cry about the injustice against him.

Israeli Troops Uncover Explosives Labs, Weapons Caches in Large West Bank Raid

FOXNews.com

NABLUS, West Bank — The largest Israeli raid in the West Bank for months entered its second day with tens of thousands of Palestinians confined to their Nablus homes as soldiers searched the a crowded, poor section for suspected militants.

The military said soldiers uncovered the second explosives laboratory in the city in two days on Sunday, pledging to maintain the open-ended sweep through the overcrowded warren of paths and streets in Nablus until it fulfills its goal — nabbing the city's top militants and heading off attacks against Israelis.

Now for the best part:

Palestinian officials charged the offensive threatened efforts to restart peace negotiations.

U.N. Food Aid Ship Hijacked off Somalia

FOXNews.com

NAIROBI, Kenya — Pirates hijacked a cargo ship delivering U.N. food aid to northeastern Somalia on Sunday — at least the second time in recent years that a vessel contracted to the United Nations has been hijacked off the country's dangerous coast.

The ship, MV Rozen, had just dropped off more than 1,800 tons of food aid in the semiautonomous region of Puntland in northeastern Somalia when the pirates struck, said Stephanie Savariaud, a spokeswoman for the U.N.'s World Food Program.

It was not immediately known if any of the 12 crew members aboard — six from Sri Lanka and six from Kenya — were injured in the attack.

"We know it has been hijacked by pirates but we do not know how many pirates there are," Savariaud said. "We are very concerned about the safety of the crew."

There was an attempted hijacking on the same ship in March last year by five pirates armed with machine guns and rocket-propelled grenades, but the vessel managed to outrun them.

"The pirates have not made any demands yet," said Andrew Mwangura, head of the Kenyan chapter of the Seafarers Assistance Program.

Y'all think they should have a naval escort? The U.N. would probably object because it may be seen as antagonistic.

Dutch politician doubts Muslim ministers' loyalty

Reuters.com

AMSTERDAM (Reuters) - The leader of a Dutch anti-immigration party will call for a vote of no-confidence in two Muslim government ministers next week, citing their dual nationality as the issue, a newspaper reported on Saturday.

Geert Wilders said in an interview with the Dutch daily NRC Handelsblad the appointment of Moroccan-born Ahmed Aboutaleb and Turkish-born Nebahat Albayrak as junior ministers was wrong because both could have loyalties toward countries other than the Netherlands.

----------------------

In Saturday's interview, Wilders said: "I do not want to live in a country where some day six or seven members of cabinet could be Muslim," adding that Islamic laws were "barbaric", referring to four people who were beheaded in Saudi-Arabia this week.

"I want to encourage Muslims to leave the Netherlands voluntarily. The demographic development should become such, that the chance is small that we again have two Muslims in the cabinet." About 1 million Muslims live in the Netherlands out of a population of 16 million.

Last week Wilders called on Muslims to ditch half the teachings in the Koran and said he would chase Islam's Prophet Mohammad out of the country if he were alive today.

I can help but chuckle at the last sentence. I admire Mr. Wilders for his courage. There is no doubt fatwas will be issued.

Theft of radioactive device in Canada cause for concern

Well isn't this just great. You would think they would have these things locked up. Not only are they potentially dangerous, but I'm sure they're not cheap either.

homelandsecurityus.com via Jawa Report

25 February 2007: Sometime on or shortly before Tuesday, February 20, 2007, a portable radioactive nucleodensimeter (pictured above) was stolen from a construction site in Vaudreuil-Dorion, outside of Montreal. Weighing about 75 pounds, the specialized device is clearly labeled with radioactive warning stickers and contains radioactive material used to take soil samples and measure ground water. The radioactive substance inside, however, can be potentially dangerous if improperly exposed – or used for nefarious purposes.

Second theft in the same area

This is the second time a nucleodensimeter has been stolen from the greater Montreal area. On September 23, 2002, the same type of device was stolen from an engineer’s truck while the vehicle was parked at his residence in Laval, Canada, just outside of Montreal. Based on inquiries to police officials by the Northeast Intelligence Network, that device was never recovered.

There is a growing level of concern among police officials that the radioactive material contained in these devices, in part, could be used in the construction of a "dirty bomb," where radioactive products are mixed with explosives, thus creating a radiological dispersal device that could spread radiation over a large area.

Report: 3 Gulf states agree to IAF overflights en route to Iran

Nope, it's Israel that's going to bomb Iran.

Haaretz.com via LGF

Three Arab states in the Persian Gulf would be willing to allow the Israel Air force to enter their airspace in order to reach Iran in case of an attack on its nuclear facilities, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyasa reported on Sunday.

According to the report, a diplomat from one of the gulf states visiting Washington on Saturday said the three states, Qatar, Oman and the United Arab Emirates, have told the United States that they would not object to Israel using their airspace, despite their fear of an Iranian response.

Al-Siyasa further reported that NATO leaders are urging Turkey to open its airspace for an Attack on Iran as well and to also open its airports and borders in case of a ground attack.

If this does turn out to be true, it shouldn't be a surprise. As I said before, many countries in the middle east are not happy about Iran's nuclear ambitions and would rather end it before Iran has a chance to hold the whole middle east hostage.

Iran Gets A Taste Of It's Own Medicine?

Please read the whole thing

Telegraph

America is secretly funding militant ethnic separatist groups in Iran in an attempt to pile pressure on the Islamic regime to give up its nuclear programme.

In a move that reflects Washington's growing concern with the failure of diplomatic initiatives, CIA officials are understood to be helping opposition militias among the numerous ethnic minority groups clustered in Iran's border regions.

The operations are controversial because they involve dealing with movements that resort to terrorist methods in pursuit of their grievances against the Iranian regime.

In the past year there has been a wave of unrest in ethnic minority border areas of Iran, with bombing and assassination campaigns against soldiers and government officials.

Such incidents have been carried out by the Kurds in the west, the Azeris in the north-west, the Ahwazi Arabs in the south-west, and the Baluchis in the south-east. Non-Persians make up nearly 40 per cent of Iran's 69 million population, with around 16 million Azeris, seven million Kurds, five million Ahwazis and one million Baluchis. Most Baluchis live over the border in Pakistan.

Wait! We're the ones to bomb Iran.

Reuters.com

NEW YORK (Reuters) - Despite the Bush administration's insistence it has no plans to go to war with Iran, a Pentagon panel has been created to plan a bombing attack that could be implemented within 24 hours of getting the go-ahead from President George W. Bush, The New Yorker magazine reported in its latest issue.

The special planning group was established within the office of the Joint Chiefs of Staff in recent months, according to an unidentified former U.S. intelligence official cited in the article by investigative reporter Seymour Hersh in the March 4 issue.

The panel initially focused on destroying Iran's nuclear facilities and on regime change but has more recently been directed to identify targets in Iran that may be involved in supplying or aiding militants in Iraq, according to an Air Force adviser and a Pentagon consultant, who were not identified.

The consultant and a former senior intelligence official both said that U.S. military and special-operations teams had crossed the border from Iraq into Iran in pursuit of Iranian operatives, according to the article.


Oops, wrong again.

"The United States has been very clear with respect to its concerns regarding specific Iranian government activities. The president has repeatedly stated publicly that this country is going to work with allies in the region to address those concerns through diplomatic efforts," Whitman said.

Pentagon officials say they maintain contingency plans for literally dozens of potential conflicts around the world and that all plans are subject to regular and ongoing review.