Warlord splits with Taliban

Yahoo! News

 

KARACHI, Pakistan - Fugitive Afghan rebel leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar told The Associated Press that his forces have ended cooperation with the Taliban and suggested that he was open to talks with embattled President Hamid Karzai. In a video response to questions submitted by AP, Hekmatyar said that his group contacted Taliban leaders in 2003 and agreed to wage a joint jihad, or holy war, against American troops.

"The jihad went into high gear but later it gradually went down as certain elements among the Taliban rejected the idea of a joint struggle against the aggressor," Hekmatyar said in the video, which was received Thursday. Hekmatyar wore glasses and a black turban as he spoke in front of a plain white wall at an undisclosed location.

He offered no details of the split or its timing, but said his forces were now mounting only restricted operations, partly because of a lack of resources.

"It was not a good move by the Taliban to disassociate themselves from the joint struggle," he said. "Presently we have no contact with the Taliban."

Hekmatyar's Hezb-i Islami fighters, who have been most active in eastern Afghanistan, were central to the CIA-backed resistance to the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan in the 1980s, and in the civil war that followed, but were sidelined by the Taliban militia's rise to power in the mid-1990s.

Hekmatyar nevertheless opposed the U.S.-led invasion in late 2001 that pushed the Taliban from power, and his followers have since waged a campaign of violence against American and allied forces. Hekmatyar's exact whereabouts have been unknown since he returned to Afghanistan from exile in Iran in 2002.

There seems to be quite a bit of turmoil in the Afghani region. We have the Taliban breaking away from Al-Qaeda, and a powerful warlord breaking away from the Taliban.

 

Technorati tags: Afghanistan, Taliban, War on terror, warlord, Pakistan

Smuggling Uranium For Peaceful Purposes

Congo's Atomic Energy Chief Arrested for Selling Uranium

KINSHASA, Congo — The head of Congo's atomic energy commission has been arrested on suspicion of illegally selling uranium found in the Central African mineral giant, officials said Wednesday.

Fortunat Lumu, the director of the country's only nuclear center, and one of his aides were arrested Tuesday "because they were accused of having illicitly sold a quantity of uranium," Attorney General Tshimanga Mukendi said.

Mukendi refused to give information on the amount of uranium or the alleged buyer, saying those details were part of an investigation.

He added only that they were accused of orchestrating illicit contracts to produce and sell uranium.

National police representative Michel Kanka confirmed the arrest, but also refused to give details.

In August, Congo's government emphatically denied a report in The Sunday Times of London that a uranium shipment left its territory in 2005 bound for Iran, saying the dangerous element was tightly controlled by international agencies. Officials declined to say if there was any connection between the arrest and the alleged 2005 shipment.

The Sunday Times said the uranium was suspected of being extracted illegally from Congo's southeastern Shinkolobwe mine, which was closed in 1961.

Now for Part II

Iran's plot to mine uranium in Africa

IRAN is seeking to import large consignments of bomb-making uranium from the African mining area that produced the Hiroshima bomb, an investigation has revealed.

A United Nations report, dated July 18, said there was “no doubt” that a huge shipment of smuggled uranium 238, uncovered by customs officials in Tanzania, was transported from the Lubumbashi mines in the Congo.

Tanzanian customs officials told The Sunday Times it was destined for the Iranian port of Bandar Abbas, and was stopped on October 22 last year during a routine check.

[...]

A senior Tanzanian customs official said the illicit uranium shipment was found hidden in a consignment of coltan, a rare mineral used to make chips in mobile telephones. The shipment was destined for smelting in the former Soviet republic of Kazakhstan, delivered via Bandar Abbas, Iran’s biggest port.

“There were several containers due to be shipped and they were all routinely scanned with a Geiger counter,” the official said.

“This one was very radioactive. When we opened the container it was full of drums of coltan. Each drum contains about 50kg of ore. When the first and second rows were removed,the ones after that were found to be drums of uranium.”

In a nuclear reactor, uranium 238 can be used to breed plutonium used in nuclear weapons.

The customs officer, who spoke to The Sunday Times on condition he was not named, added: “The container was put in a secure part of the port and it was later taken away, by the Americans, I think, or at least with their help. We have all been told not to talk to anyone about this.”

Just look away, apparently there is nothing to see here.

 

Technorati tags: Iran, Nuclear, Uranium, Africa, Congo, Smuggling, IAEA

OK, It's Not Official: Fmr. Iranian Defense Minister NOT Cooperating with U.S.

Missing Iranian Official Not Cooperating With U.S., Official Says

A former Iranian deputy defense minister who disappeared from Turkey last month is not cooperating with Western intelligence agencies and his whereabouts remain a mystery, a U.S. official told FOX News Thursday. The Washington Post reported Thursday that Ali Rez Asgari, who is credited with founding the Lebanese terror group Hezbollah, was fully cooperating with and divulging information to U.S. and other intelligence services. However, a senior U.S. official flatly denied the report. U.S. intelligence agencies remain extremely interested in Asgari's case, the official said, but they do not know his current whereabouts. The official did not rule out the possibility that Asgari, who once commanded Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards and served as the country's deputy defense minister, was conducting negotiations with an intelligence organization, but denied that there was any type of cooperation with the U.S.

Time to get the ol' waterboard out. Lets see how long it takes him to 'cooperate' then.

 

Technorati tags: Iran, defense minister, official

Conflicting Headlines Of The Day

New House Panel to Study Global Warming

WASHINGTON (AP) -- House Democrats, intent on making climate change a marquee issue, created a special panel Thursday to study and offer recommendations on how to deal with global warming.

 

This February was the 34th coolest February in 113 years

UNITED STATES

Climate Summary

February 2007

The average temperature in February 2007 was 32.9 F. This was -1.8 F cooler than the 1901-2000 (20th century) average, the 34th coolest February in 113 years. The temperature trend for the period of record (1895 to present) is 0.3 degrees Fahrenheit per decade.

I really wish someone would put an end to this 'global warming' nonsense. It really is ridiculous. I know of two 'global warming' conferences that had to be canceled because of incliment weather. I'm sure there was more. Sure it's hot during the summer, but it's REALLY cold during the winter. Seems to me that should average out.

 

Technorati tags: Global Warming, Congress, NOAA, Climate Change

Israel unveils portable hunter-killer robot

Reuters.com

 

An Israeli defense firm on Thursday unveiled a portable robot billed as being capable of entering most combat zones alone and engaging enemies with an onboard armory that includes a machine-pistol and grenades.

 

The VIPeR, roughly the size of a small television, was invented as part of Israel's efforts to develop weaponry that could reduce the risks to its forces from hand-to-hand fighting against Palestinian or Lebanese Hezbollah guerrillas.

 

The manufacturer, Elbit Systems Ltd., said that the VIPeR's small size and dual treads enable it to move "undeterred by stairs, rubble, dark alleys, caves or narrow tunnels".

As well as bomb-sniffing and bomb disposal equipment, the VIPeR can carry an Uzi machine-pistol or plant a grenade. The weapons would be aimed using an onboard video camera.

According to Elbit, which has close links with the Defense Ministry, Israel plans to deploy the VIPeR among its infantry units after field tests. The robot could also be of interest to foreign police units or U.S. forces in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Any advantage to save lives and kill terrorists would be welcome anywhere. Hopefully this thing works well enough for the U.S. military to use in the War on Terror.

Technorati tags: Israel, robot, terrorism

Why Were Fighter Jets Over Northern Ohio Today?

I didn't even notice until I heard about it on the radio. I was listening to 1100 AM out of Cleveland and the host was talking about all the fighter jets patrolling northern Ohio. The jets were executing severe turns and increases in altitude. As the show went on, more and more reports were coming in from all over northern Ohio from people who spotted the jets. Some callers said jets were scrambled from Wright-Patterson AFB and an AF reserve base at about 10:00am. They said it didn't seem to be a drill because the jets were gone longer than usual and were being refueled in mid-air.

Some local news stations reported on this, but a contact with the Air Force said they routinely conduct exercises over northern Ohio. I have lived in Ohio my whole life and have rarely seen fighter jets. I've seen and heard several today. Other callers to the radio show said this was the most activity since 9/11.

Hopefully someone will have more information as to what was going on today.

Democrats Demand Retreat by Fall 2008

BREITBART.COM

 

In a direct challenge to President Bush, House Democrats unveiled legislation Thursday requiring the withdrawal of U.S. combat troops from Iraq by the fall of next year.

Speaker Nancy Pelosi said the deadline would be added to legislation providing nearly $100 billion the Bush administration has requested for fighting in Iraq and Afghanistan.

She told reporters the measure would mark the first time the new Democratic-controlled Congress has established a "date certain" for the end of U.S. combat in the four-year-old war that has claimed the lives of more than 3,100 U.S. troops.

The White House had no immediate reaction, although Bush has repeatedly rejected talk of establishing a deadline for troop withdrawals.

Within an hour of Pelosi's news conference, House Republican Leader John Boehner attacked the measure. He said Democrats were proposing legislation that amounted to "establishing and telegraphing to our enemy a timetable" that would result in failure of the U.S. military mission in Iraq.

"Gen. (David) Petraeus should be the one making the decisions on what happens on the ground in Iraq, not Nancy Pelosi or John Murtha," the Ohio Republican added. Murtha, a Pennsylvania Democrat, has been heavily involved in crafting legislation designed to end U.S., participation in the war.

It's unbelievable that these people think they control the military. The last thing this country needs is several hundred 'Commander's-in-chief'. They have shown though the past few months they have no idea what they're doing. It took about 10 years to stabilize Germany after WWII. We are now in year 5 of the Iraq part of the War on Terror. All indications from those 'knowledgeable' say we are well ahead of schedule.

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, Congress, retreat, war on terror, democrats, lunatics, pull out, troop withdrawals

U.S. reports 80 percent drop in Iraq insurgency attacks

WorldTribune.com

 

BAGHDAD — The U.S. Army has reported a sharp decrease in insurgency attacks in Baghdad.

In the week of Feb. 24 to March 2, officials said, insurgency strikes and suicide bombings dropped for the fourth consecutive week in Baghdad. They linked this to the steady increase of security patrols in the city.

The army said violence has decreased by 80 percent in the most insurgency-ridden areas of Baghdad. Officials said Shi'ite and Sunni insurgents have been overwhelmed by the current joint Iraqi-U.S. operation in the Iraqi capital.

However as Shi'ite fighters have gone underground, Sunnis have launched a campaign of car bombings and other violence against Shi'ite civilians.

Brig. Gen. John Campbell, deputy commander of Multi-National Division-Baghdad, told a briefing on March 6 that 19 people were killed in insurgency strikes in Baghdad in February 2007. Campbell said 254 were slain in the city in December 2006.

Campbell said Iraqi and U.S. forces have been raiding insurgency strongholds and capturing weapons caches. He said that from Feb. 24 to March 2, the forces seized 74 weapon caches. This exceeded the previous week's total by 11.

Officials said the security operation in Baghdad has increased the coalition presence in insurgency-ridden neighborhoods. They said Shi'ite insurgents, particularly those from the Iranian-sponsored Mahdi Army, have gone underground, leaving the Iraqi-U.S. forces to battle Sunni fighters.

This can be interpreted two ways. The first is that this is great news as less people are dying. The second is, it appears that the shi'ite militias are well organized and know they just have to bide their time before leftwing nuts in congress force us to lose in Iraq. Once that happens, it will all break loose over there and full-out civil war will ensue.

 

Technorati tags: iraq, insurgency, war on terror, sunni, shi'ite, mahdi, military, coalition

It's Official. Former Iranian Defense Official Defected.

 Former Iranian Defense Official Talks to Western Intelligence Via Jawa Report

A former Iranian deputy defense minister who once commanded the Revolutionary Guard has left his country and is cooperating with Western intelligence agencies, providing information on Hezbollah and Iran's ties to the organization, according to a senior U.S. official.

Ali Rez Asgari disappeared last month during a visit to Turkey. Iranian officials suggested yesterday that he may have been kidnapped by Israel or the United States. The U.S. official said Asgari is willingly cooperating. He did not divulge Asgari's whereabouts or specify who is questioning him, but made clear that the information Asgari is offering is fully available to U.S. intelligence.

Asgari served in the Iranian government until early 2005 under then-President Mohammad Khatami. Asgari's background suggests that he would have deep knowledge of Iran's national security infrastructure, conventional weapons arsenal and ties to Hezbollah in south Lebanon. Iranian officials said he was not involved in the country's nuclear program, and the senior U.S. official said Asgari is not being questioned about it. Former officers with Israel's Mossad spy agency said yesterday that Asgari had been instrumental in the founding of Hezbollah in the 1980s, around the time of the bombing of the U.S. Marine barracks in Beirut.

Just thinking about the Iranians freaking out over this makes me smile. Hopefully we get information to the inner workings of the Iranian gov't and the Hezbollah terror organization.

 

Technorati tags: Iranian, defense official, defected, intelligence, axis of evil, terrorists

4000+ Taliban To Die Soon

Leader: Taliban has 4,000 fighters ready

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan - A top Taliban commander said Wednesday the group has 4,000 fighters bracing to rebuff NATO’s largest-ever offensive in northern Afghanistan, now in its second day.

Suicide bombers are ready, land mines have been planted and helicopters will be targeted, Mullah Abdul Qassim, the top Taliban commander in Helmand province told The Associated Press.

NATO, meanwhile, announced the capture of a senior Taliban fighter who had eluded authorities by wearing a woman’s burqa. Mullah Mahmood, who is accused of helping Taliban fighters rig suicide bomb attacks, was seized by Afghan soldiers at a checkpoint near Kandahar, the alliance said.Speaking by satellite telephone from an undisclosed location, Qassim said the Taliban has 8,000 to 9,000 fighters in southern Helmand province, including some 4,000 in the northern part of that area where NATO launched its largest-ever offensive Tuesday. He said all the fighters were Afghan, denying reports of hundreds of foreign fighters in the region.

“All of them are well-equipped and we have the weapons to target helicopters,” Qassim said. “The Taliban are able to fight for 15 or 20 years against NATO and the Americans.”

I hope someone has a stopwatch to time how long it takes these animals to run away like cowards.

Good News From The War On Terror 3/7

Usually I do this every couple days, but today there is so much news that it requires it's own post.


IRAQ

24 SUSPECTED TERRORISTS CAPTURED THROUGHOUT IRAQ

BAGHDAD, Iraq -Coalition Forces detained 24 suspected terrorists during raids Wednesday morning targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq networks.
Ground forces detained eight suspected terrorists during a raid in South Baghdad when they targeted a group reported to be involved in the coordination, movement and emplacement of vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices used against Iraqi and Coalition Forces.
During a raid in Rutbah, Coalition Forces detained five suspected terrorists while targeting a suspected weapons dealer who is known for providing IED-making material and is also believed to be involved in foreign fighter facilitation.
Coalition Forces also detained two suspected terrorists in Samarra.
Intelligence reports indicate terrorists in the targeted area are involved in weapons trafficking and the acquisition of identity cards and passports.
Northeast of Karmah, Coalition Forces detained nine suspected terrorists with alleged ties to senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leadership.
"Coalition Forces operations continue to systematically dismantle the al-Qaeda in Iraq network," said Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, MNF-I spokesperson. "The al-Qaeda in Iraq network is contrary to the peace and stability Iraqi citizens deserve."

STRYKERS CAPTURE 22, SECURE AMMUNITION AND EXPLOSIVES

KALSU, Iraq - Multi-National Division - Baghdad Soldiers detained 22 insurgent suspects and secured weapon and ammunition caches south of Baghdad March 6.
Soldiers of 3rd Stryker Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division conducted targeted raids to capture known terrorists and secure weapons and ammunition near Jabella, Iraq.
Besides the 22 detainees taken into custody, several caches were found.
The caches consisted of one 60mm mortar round, two sticks of dynamite, nine feet of detonation cord, three blasting caps, one set of desert camouflage uniform, three AK-47 ammunition magazines, three passports, one machine gun barrel, one AK-47 butt stock, two empty ammunition boxes, one box of primers, two AK-47s, six 7.62mm ammunition magazines, one 8mm round, two 8mm mortar fuses, five blasting caps and one rocket-propelled grenade booster.
The suspects are being detained for further questioning.

OPERATION WHITE ROCKETS NETS TWO CACHES, TWO SUSPECTS SOUTH OF BAGHDAD

KALSU, Iraq - Iraqi Army troops and paratroopers from Multi-National Division - Baghdad worked together to successfully complete "Operation White Rockets" March 6, finding two ammunition caches and detaining two suspects.
Soldiers of 5th Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and 1st Squadron, 40th Cavalry Squadron dismounted to clear out suspected insurgent sanctuary areas near Bin Muhammad, Iraq, south of Baghdad.
The caches consisted of various amounts of homemade explosives, 50 five-gallon plastic fuel cans, a table with a white crystal substance, blue barrels filled with a white crystal substance, one gas can with a white crystal substance with red detonation cord, one 50-pound sack filled with a fine gray powder, one 75-pound bag filled with a white crystal powder, one 15-foot length of pipe, two mortar sights, three bags of detonation cord, one AK-47 receiver, 100 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition and 11 rounds of 5.56mm ammunition.
While clearing buildings, two suspects were detained. The ammunition caches were secured by an explosive ordnance disposal team for controlled detonation. The unknown substances are being tested for identification.
Both suspects were detained for further questioning.

AFGHANISTAN

AFGHAN, COALITION FORCES PREVENT VBIED ATTACK IN KAPISA PROVINCE

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan – Afghan National Police interdicted a vehicle-borne improvised explosive device yesterday in Kapisa Province near a Coalition fire base in Nejrab.
The ANP had chased the vehicle after AK-47 ammunition was observed falling from the vehicle. The driver fled the vehicle, and the ANP discovered the right side of the vehicle was wired with explosives. The ANP secured the area and notified Afghan National Army and Coalition forces of their discovery.
A combined Afghan and Coalition patrol responded, and a thorough search of the vehicle was conducted by trained personnel. They determined that the device was too dangerous to disarm, and ANA and Coalition forces rigged the vehicle with explosives to detonate it and deem it safe. The charges blew up, and multiple secondary explosions occurred, destroying the right side of the vehicle, ensuring the VBIED was no longer a threat. There were no injuries to local Afghans, ANP, ANA or Coalition forces during the conduct of this operation.
“Afghan civilians are fed up with the violence and destruction Taliban insurgents bring,” said Army Lt. Col. David Accetta, Combined Joint Task Force-82 spokesman. “The successful interdiction and disposal of this vehicle before it could be used in an attack increases security and reduces the danger posed by criminals and insurgents who have no regard for Afghan life and would harm innocent civilians, Afghan National Security and Coalition forces.

TERRORIST FACILITATOR, IED EXPERT CAPTURED

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, AFGHANISTAN – A suspected al-Qaeda facilitator and improvised explosive device expert along with five other suspected terrorists were captured during an assault by Afghan and Coalition forces on a compound near Jalalabad in the Nangarahar Province early this morning.
Credible information indicated that a suspected terrorist with strong ties to al-Qaeda and the Tora Bora Front was within the compound. The suspected terrorist was an IED expert and logistics officer for the Tora Bora Front, which facilitates the movement of fighters from Pakistan to Afghanistan. The suspected terrorists were taken into custody for questioning.
No shots were fired and no civilians or forces were injured during the assault.

ALL

AIRPOWER SUMMARY FOR MARCH 6

Bush says Libby verdict should be respected - Politics - MSNBC.com

MSNBC.com

WASHINGTON - President George W. Bush said on Wednesday that the guilty verdict for a top aide to Vice President Dick Cheney must be respected, though he was saddened for Lewis "Scooter" Libby and his family.

"This was a lengthy trial on a serious matter and a jury of his peers convicted him and we've got to respect that conviction," Bush told CNN Espanol in an interview.

It's sad to say, but it's become apparent that the president is now useless. He has cowered from the Democrats on just about every issue since he was elected in 2000.

Report: Former Iranian Defense Minister Defecting To U.S.

FOXNews.com

The mystery of a missing former Iranian deputy defense minister deepened Wednesday with the report by an Arab newspaper that he is being interviewed somewhere in northern Europe before defecting to the U.S.

Retired Revolutionary Guards general Ali Reza Asghari disappeared in Turkey nearly a month ago and reportedly hopes to seek asylum in the United States, according to a report in the London-based al-Sharq al-Awsat.

The newspaper quoted senior Iranian sources as saying Asghari is headed for the United States "along with the secrets he carried."

A Senior U.S. official told FOX News that Asghari is not in CIA hands but said that it's a "mystery" why he disappeared "and the U.S. intelligence community is seeking more clarity."

Al-Sharq al-Awsat reported that Asghari is being questioned by intelligence personnel before being transferred to the United States.

This is looking to be a devastating loss to Iran. This man probably knows more about the Iranian military and security than anyone else in the country.

Moose vs Helicopter, Draw.

Angry Moose Brings Down Helicopter in Alaska

ANCHORAGE, Alaska —
A helicopter is not necessarily a match for an angry moose.

Instead of lying down after being shot with a tranquilizer dart, a moose charged a hovering helicopter used by a wildlife biologist, damaging the aircraft's tail rotor and forcing it to the ground.

Neither the pilot nor the biologist was injured, but the moose was maimed by the spinning rotor and had to be euthanized, wildlife officials said.

A Middle East Lover's Quarrel

Jerusalem Post

Syrian President Bashar Assad exchanged harsh words with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad during a phone conversation, the Kuwaiti newspaper Al-Siyassah reported on Wednesday.

Sources close to the Syrian leader told the newspaper that Assad had initially called the Iranian president to discuss Ahmadinejad's meeting with Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah in Riyadh.

However, the conversation reportedly turned ugly when Ahmadinejad voiced support for the establishment of an international tribunal on the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri - a sensitive subject for Syria, which has been suspected of involvement in the Lebanese leader's death.

The report said that Assad became enraged and launched into an angry tirade, cursing the Iranians at the end of the conversation.

Iran and Syria have been allies for decades. They have been particularly united in their criticism of Israel and the United States.

Just when gay marriage was going to become a reality in the Middle East, they break up. At least one of them didn't get left at the Muslim sacrificial altar.