The answer is...NO!
They've published a "Green Mountain Manifesto" subtitled "Why and How Tiny Vermont Might Help Save America From Itself by Seceding from the Union." They hope to put the question before citizens at Town Meeting Day next March, eventually persuading the state Legislature to declare independence, returning Vermont to the status it held from 1777 to 1791.
Whether it's likely is another question.
But the idea has found plenty of sympathetic ears in Vermont, a left-leaning state that said yes to civil unions, no to slavery (before any other) and last year elected a socialist to the U.S. Senate.
About 300 people turned out for a 2005 secession convention in the Statehouse, and plans for a second one are in the works. A poll this year by the University of Vermont's Center for Rural Studies found that 13 percent of those surveyed support secession, up from 8 percent a year before.
[...]
The Vermont movement, which is being pushed by several different groups, has been bubbling up for years but has gained new traction in the wake of disenchantment over the Iraq war, rising oil prices and the formation of the pro-secession groups.
Ok. Who cares? Is there anything in Vermont that would adversely affect the United States should they secede? I can't think of anything right now. Maybe the price of maple syrup will go up a little, but I can accept that. I surely will not miss their congress-critters.
Who knew the mooselimbs couldn't swim ?
Kabul - Sixty suspected Taliban fighters drowned after they broke a siege and tried to cross a river in southern Afghanistan, while five family members of a police officer were killed by insurgents in an attack in the same region, officials said Saturday.
The militants drowned in the Kajaki district of southern Helmand province on Friday after joint Afghan and coalition forces surrounded a large group of insurgents, the Defence Ministry said in a statement.
'Some 60 of them wanted to cross the Helmand River by ship and flee from the area. The ship sank and all the militants on board were killed,' the statement said.
ERBIL, IRAQ -The Kurdish Regional Government (KRG) took official control of three provinces from Multi-National Force – Iraq at a formal ceremony in Erbil, Iraq May 30.
“Today’s event nearly doubles the number of provinces under Iraqi control and marks the fifth, sixth and seventh provinces to assume security responsibility, demonstrating another bold and courageous step forward in this country’s movement toward an independent and secure nation,” said Major Gen. Benjamin Mixon, Multi- National Division – North commanding general.
The ceremony, held at a convention center in Erbil, was attended by National Security Advisor Dr. Mowaffaq al-Rubaie, the keynote speaker representing Prime Minister Nouri Al-Maliki.
“The strength of the Kurdistan Region means the strength of all Iraq and the weakness of any region means the weakness of the entire country,” Dr. al-Rubaie said in his speech at the ceremony.
The memorandum of understanding outlining the security handover was signed by KRG Prime Minister Nechirvan Barzani, Major Gen. Mixon, and Multi-National Division – Northeast Commanding General Major General Yoon Young-Bum of the Korean Army.
“Here, we reiterate our commitment to the Iraqi constitution,” Barzani said at the ceremony. “This constitution is a reflection of the will and desire of the peoples of Iraq. It is the legal framework which will protect and secure the rights of all parties.”
The Kurdish region has been one of the most peaceful areas in Iraq over the past years. The region is often seen as taking the lead and demonstrating the necessary progress to self-govern and become prosperous.
“This [security handover] is a result of vigilance and experience gained from 15 years of self-rule,” Barzani said. “We continued to strive and sacrifice until the fall of the regime. Our sacrifices were made to secure our just rights in a democratic framework.”
Barzani thanked the Coalition for its role in Iraq.
“I wish to express my gratitude to the Multinational Force for liberating the peoples of Iraq. We value highly and pay homage to the sacrifices made in pursuit of that noble goal,” he said.
In assistance of the revitalization effort in KRG, the Korean Zaytun Division has worked hard to help with the reconstruction of infrastructure in the Kurdish Region insupport of MNF-I. This work is in addition to the peacekeeping commitment of the Coalition.
In total, slightly less than $436 million has been spent on all aspects of reconstruction in the area, funded projects that help self-sustainment across the region.
Emphasis on bringing local and international businesses to the area has also helped create new investments.
“Through your initiative, you have enabled the United States to bring an unprecedented number of American and international businessmen to this area,” Gen. Mixon said in his speech. “This is a reflection of your ability to self-govern and provide a secure environment that will foster investment opportunities and continued development throughout the region.”
The sustained security and new investors, coupled with the implementation of democratic and constitutional institutions, have made KRG a model for all of Iraq.
“We see no more noble a duty than to provide stability and safety to the people of our region,” Barzani said in his conclusion. “Political stability is the foundation of economic growth.”
The ceremony and signing of the document transferring authority over to the region was followed by a parade of various security forces in Kurdistan and a martial arts demonstration by female members of the Iraqi Army.
The northern part of Iraq, Kurdistan, has been governing itself and maintaining a lot of it's security for quite some time. I think is one of the reasons Iraq should be split into different countries. Kurdistan will have to suffer because of the Sunni-Shi'ite conflict going on in the middle and southern Iraq.
SIX TERRORISTS KILLED, VBIED DESTROYED, 18 SUSPECTS DETAINED
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed six terrorists and detained 18 suspected terrorists in operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq Thursday and Friday.
North of Fallujah Thursday afternoon, Coalition Forces conducted an operation to capture suspected terrorists allegedly associated with al-Qaeda senior leadership. Coalition Forces attempted to stop their vehicle, but when the suspected terrorists resisted, Coalition Forces used proper escalation of force measures and engaged the vehicle with automatic weapons, killing three men.
Inside the vehicle, Coalition Forces found two mortar rounds, a rifle and an approximately 100-pound improvised explosive device. The vehicle and heavy explosives were safely destroyed on site.
While Coalition Forces were at the scene, they received small arms fire from a nearby orchard. Taking appropriate self-defense measures, the ground forces engaged the armed terrorists, killing three. Coalition Forces also found grenades and assault vests in the orchard.
In a follow-on operation Friday morning, Coalition Forces detained one suspected terrorist in a building north of Fallujah for his alleged ties to al-Qaeda senior leaders.
Also Friday, Coalition Forces targeted an al-Qaeda in Iraq commander allegedly involved in IED attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces southwest of Baghdad Friday morning. Ten suspected terrorists were detained for their ties to the senior leader.
Two coordinated operations in Taji targeted an al-Qaeda senior leader and his network. Coalition Forces detained seven individuals linked to a group allegedly responsible for mortar and rocket attacks against Coalition Forces; IED and vehicle-borne IED attacks across western Baghdad; and the bombing of the Sarafiyah bridge.
Iraqi Army Soldiers seize explosives, weapons during maritime operation in western Iraq
BALAD – Iraqi Army Soldiers conducted a maritime operation June 1 seizing explosives and weapons during a cache sweep of river banks and caves in the vicinity of Rawah on the Euphrates River.
With Coalition Forces present as advisors, Iraqi Forces recovered more than 70 pounds of homemade explosives, one 57mm rocket and a sniper rifle.
This seizure will reduce the ability of anti-Iraqi Forces to conduct attacks on Iraqi and Coalition Forces in the area and deter their ability to exploit river banks in the region.
Suspect arrested, propaganda, IED materials seized
MAHMUDIYAH, IRAQ — Iraqi Army Soldiers conducting a search of a suspected insurgent’s home discovered a cache of propaganda and improvised explosive device materials, near Lutafiyah, Iraq at about 4:10 p.m., May 30.
A patrol from 1st Battalion, 4th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division and advisors from Battery B, 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment discovered anti-coalition/anti government books and CDs along with 42 rolls of copper wire, typically used to initiate IEDs.
The patrol detained the owner of the house. Detainee will be held for questioning by the Iraqi Army.
Paratroopers uncover cache north of Sadr City
BAGHDAD — Paratroopers with the 82nd Airborne Division’s 2nd Brigade Combat Team uncovered a weapons cache north of Sadr City, in the eastern portion of the Iraqi capital June 1.
A tip from a local citizen led the Soldiers to the cache.
It was found in an area known to locals as the “Jaish Al Mahdi Forbidden Zone,” where some rocket attacks on Baghdad’s International Zone have originated.
The cache contained 20 107mm rocket warheads, three fully assembled 107mm rockets, one 60mm mortar and a sandbag full of blasting devices.
An explosive ordnance disposal team arrived soon after the discovery was made and conducted a controlled demolition of the cache.
BAGHDAD – Acting on a tip from a detained insurgent, Iraqi Security Forces captured a suspected key leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq during a raid in Mosul May 29.
The targeted individual is allegedly responsible for constructing both vehicle-borne and emplaced improvised explosive devices that contain chlorine gas in order to attack and kill innocent civilians.
The captured individual is also suspected of assisting in the movement of insurgents from Syria into Iraq.
During a second operation in Tikrit May 29, Iraqi Army Forces detained four individuals believed to be members of the terrorist criminal networks of al-Qaeda in Iraq and Jaysh al-Islam engaged in murder and kidnappings for ransom.
Iraqi Forces also seized materials for building vehicle-borne and emplaced IEDs; weapons and ammunition.
Both operations disrupted terrorist networks intent on launching attacks on innocent civilians and Coalition Forces.
MND-B Soldiers capture two insurgents emplacing IED
CAMP TAJI, Iraq — Baghdad Soldiers captured two men attempting to emplace an improvised explosive device on a major road near Dubai, Iraq, north of Baghdad, May 31.
Soldiers from Company E, 2nd Battalion, 8th Cavalry Regiment were conducting a mounted patrol searching for insurgents responsible for IED attacks in the area when the incident occurred.
While on the patrol, the troops came across the two men attempting to emplace an IED.
The men ran when the mounted patrol drove up to the emplacement site on a major road, and the Soldiers engaged the men.
Both suspects were detained. Neither was injured during the engagement.
There were no Coalition casualties in the incident.
Upon closer inspection of the site, the Soldiers found two partially buried IEDs, one an 80mm mortar round and the other three 152mm rounds. The site was secured and the IEDs were later disposed of.
The two suspects were held for questioning.
SUSPECTED TERRORIST LEADER, 7 OTHERS DETAINED
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces killed one terrorist and detained eight suspected terrorists, including an alleged senior al-Qaeda in Iraq leader, in operations Saturday targeting the terrorist network.
Coalition Forces raided a building in Hit while tracking an al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist leader. The ground force detained three suspected terrorists there, one of whom is allegedly the military emir of the area and works directly with other high-level al-Qaeda operatives in Anbar province.
West of Baghdad, Coalition Forces detained four suspected terrorists, including one individual who allegedly builds and plants improvised explosive devices for use in the Karkh neighborhood of Baghdad. Coalition Forces also found two vehicles known to transport weapons and personnel for al-Qaeda in Iraq operations, which they destroyed on-site.
A suspected member of a vehicle-borne IED cell in Adamiyah was detained during a Coalition Forces raid east of Baghdad. Intelligence reports indicate the individual has also been involved in attacks against Coalition Forces.
Coalition Forces surrounded a target northeast of Fallujah looking for a suspected member of the al-Qaeda in Iraq network involved in car theft and weapons transport. While the ground force was searching a building, an armed man emerged from a nearby building and engaged the force with small arms fire. Coalition Forces returned fire in self-defense, killing the armed man. No suspects were detained at the scene.
In an interview with the Globe and Mail, Russian President Vladimir Putin has threatened to target Europe with missiles, including potentially nuclear weapons, in a dramatic escalation of his Cold War-style showdown with the United States.
Mr. Putin, in an interview at his country residence outside Moscow, said he considers U.S. plans to build an eastern European anti-missile site to shoot down Iranian missiles a provocation aimed at Russia.
Asked what he might do to retaliate, he said he would return Russia to the Cold War status where missiles were aimed at European targets.
"It is obvious that if part of the strategic nuclear potential of the United States is located in Europe, and according to our military experts will be threatening us, we will have to respond," he said.
"What kind of steps are we going to take in response? Of course, we are going to get new targets in Europe."
He suggested that this could include powerful nuclear-capable weapons.
"What kind of means will be used to hit the targets that our military believe are potential threats to the Russian federation? This is a purely technical issue, be it ballistic missiles or cruise missiles, or some kinds of novel weapons systems - this is a purely technical issue."
Once again, Russia and Putin are realizing their insignificance to the world. The only people that fear them are their own people who routinely disappear if they question the gov't. They are acting like 4 year olds who aren't getting enough attention, "look at me, look at me".
NEW YORK -- According to NewsChannel4's Jonathan Dienst, sources said federal investigators have made arrests in an alleged terror plot on Kennedy Airport.
Four people have been charged. One is in custody in New York. Three suspects are thought to be overseas.
Sources said a cargo worker at JFK allegedly began to plot attacking the US last July or August. The cargo worker sought help in carrying out a plan and went to an FBI informant, who gathered information about the plot.
The cargo worker is a U.S. citizen with roots in Guyana. Sources said he be a former government official in Guyana.
Sources said counter-terrorism officials have been following the plot for a little less than one year.
Sources said the plot involved a plan to blow up a jet-fuel pipeline at JFK setting off a potential massive explosion.
Aviation officials said there is no major threat to air travel related to this plot.
The destroyer USS Chafee fired her deck guns at two or three suspected "high-value terrorist targets" in the Puntland area along the northern coast of Somalia on Saturday, U.S. officials told NBC News. The three suspects are accused of taking part in the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania.
According to the officials, the U.S. had "actionable intelligence” gathered by U.S. Special Operations Forces and local tribal leaders that the suspects were in the area.
Out of fear that the suspects would leave the area, the decision was made to order the strike from the Chafee, which fired 20 five-inch rounds from her deck guns.
The Chafee was the U.S. military's closest asset, the officials said. Airstrikes would have come too late.
The Ethiopian Army, which was trained by the U.S. Military, wiped out most of these terrorists. I guess it shows that you need to apply constant pressure on these savages to keep them from regrouping.
This is still a sore spot for the military. If you've seen the movie "Blackhawk Down", you understand why.
When the late John F. Kennedy, Jr. failed to pass the New York State bar exam his first time out, it merited front page headlines like the New York Post's, "The Hunk That Flunked."
So where are the headlines now that President-in-waiting Hillary Clinton, aka one of America's top 100 lawyers, has admitted she flunked the Washington, D.C. bar exam in 1973?
After all, Mrs. Clinton's genius IQ is still routinely touted in press write-ups. Earlier this month, for instance, New York Post gossip maven Cindy Adams described her as, "the smartest, sharpest, savviest lady in captivity . . . so brilliant and focused . . . so far, ain't nobody smarter to come down the pike."
But there it is on page 64 of Hillary's own memoir "Living History"; her confession that she flunked the D.C. bar exam:
"I was lonely and missed Bill more than I could stand. I had taken both the Arkansas and the Washington, D.C., bar exams during the summer, but my heart was pulling me toward Arkansas. When I learned that I had passed in Arkansas but failed in D.C., I thought that maybe my test scores were telling me something."
I am absolutely shocked! Not that she failed the exam, but that I haven't heard of this until now. As Newsbusters mentioned, if this were George Bush or any other Republican, It would become part of their name. "George W. Bush, who failed the bar exam, went for his physical today."
But, alas, I take great glee in her failures. Another thing I noticed, in the last sentence, "I learned that I had passed in Arkansas but failed in D.C., I thought that maybe my test scores were telling me something." Um, insert your own joke here.
Well, he's done it. Hugo Chavez was already systematically silencing criticism of his autocratic rule through threats and intimidation. Journalists have been threatened, beaten and even killed. Now he's shut down the last opposition television networks in Venezuela and arrested nearly 200 protesters – mostly students. It’s a monumental tragedy and the Venezuelan people will pay the price for decades to come. Americans are also at risk as he funds anti-American candidates and radicals all over Latin America.
It’s equally tragic that the U.S. is in no position to provide the victims of this emerging dictator with the truth. There was a time, though, when Americans were on the front lines of pro-freedom movements all over the world. I'm talking about the “surrogate” broadcast network that included Radio Free Europe and Radio Liberty, often called "the Radios."
When Ronald Reagan was elected, he greatly empowered the private, congressionally funded effort and handpicked the Radios’ top staff to bring freedom to the Soviet Union. Steve Forbes led the group.
Cynics still say that the USSR fell of its own weight, and that President Reagan’s efforts to bring it down were irrelevant, but Boris Yeltsin and Mikhail Gorbachev say differently. Both have said that, without the Radios, the USSR wouldn't have fallen. The Radios were not some bland public relations effort, attracting audiences only with American pop music. They engaged the intellectual and influential populations behind the Iron Curtain with accurate news and smart programming about freedom and democracy. They had sources and networks within those countries that sometimes outperformed the CIA. When Soviet hardliners and reformers were facing off, and crowds and tanks were on the streets of Moscow and Bucharest, the radios were sending real-time information to the people, including the military, and reminding them of what was at stake.
Then we won the Cold War. The USSR collapsed in 1991, and America relaxed. Military downsizing began and the Radios began to reduce broadcast air time to target countries.
Now, of course, we know that the Islamofascists, many trained by the old Soviets, were making plans and plots of their own. Unfortunately, the plans to broadcast a pro-freedom message into Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Uzbekistan, Georgia, Kurdistan and Ukraine were shelved or diluted. Reagan's ideological audacity was replaced with a more "diplomatic" tone.
And see where it's got us? Not only has Islamic totalitarianism spread without a true ideological challenge, many of the freed Soviet bloc countries are slipping back into repression. Russia is making the same old threats and even protecting Iran's efforts to build nukes.
We'll never know if Afghanistan might have rejected al Qaeda if America had actively engaged that country as we did those Eastern Europeans. We can't know if Venezuelans would have chosen liberty over the false security of authoritarianism if they had been challenged to face the issues. I do know, though, that it's time for a new generation of Americans to stand up for freedom -- like others before us. And this time, we’ll have a whole new set of media technologies.
What political conservatives and on-the-ground Republicans must understand at this point is that they are not breaking with the White House on immigration. They are not resisting, fighting and thereby setting down a historical marker--"At this point the break became final." That's not what's happening. What conservatives and Republicans must recognize is that the White House has broken with them. What President Bush is doing, and has been doing for some time, is sundering a great political coalition. This is sad, and it holds implications not only for one political party but for the American future.
The White House doesn't need its traditional supporters anymore, because its problems are way beyond being solved by the base. And the people in the administration don't even much like the base. Desperate straits have left them liberated, and they are acting out their disdain. Leading Democrats often think their base is slightly mad but at least their heart is in the right place. This White House thinks its base is stupid and that its heart is in the wrong place.
This is what I've been thinking for about the past year.
IRAQI SPECIAL OPERATIONS FORCES DETAIN SUSPECTED JAM COMMANDER IN BAGHDAD RAID
BAGHDAD - Iraqi Special Operations Forces apprehended a Jaysh al-Mahdi commander during an early morning raid in Kadamiyah, a central suburb of Baghdad May 30. The target of this operation is alleged to be responsible for providing financial, logistical, and political support for multiple insurgent groups and terrorist organizations.
The individual is also suspected of managing operations to murder and intimidate local Iraqis and ordering several attacks on Coalition Forces. The alleged commander is also suspected of overseeing the training of insurgent recruits on terrorist methods including the construction and detonation of Improvised Explosive Devices and Explosively Formed Projectiles.
Acting on tips from the local population, Iraqi forces raided a house where the suspect was believed to be residing and detained him without incident.
No ISOF or Coalition Forces were harmed in the operation.
10TH MOUNTAIN, 1ST ACB DESTROY ENEMY URBAN ASSAULT VEHICLE
CAMP STRIKER, IRAQ - A team of Apache attack helicopter pilots discovered and destroyed a heavily armed vehicle south of Radwaniyah at about 8:10 a.m., May 30.
The Apache team from the 1st Air Cavalry Brigade observed the vehicle near a reed line of a canal. The vehicle had a heavy machine gun mount attached to the bed of the truck and re-enforced sidewalls with gun ports.
After coordinating with the 2nd Brigade, 10th Mountain tactical operations center, an unmanned aerial vehicle equipped with a camera was flown over the truck to observe the area. Once confirming the target and ensuring there were no civilians in the immediate area, the brigade authorized the helicopters to engage the truck.
The Apaches fired two Hellfire missiles and destroyed the vehicle.
No civilians were injured.
THREE SUSPECTED TERRORISTS CAPTURED
BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraqi and Coalition Forces detained three suspected terrorists during operations in central and eastern Iraq Thursday morning.
Iraqi and Coalition Forces detained two individuals in Sadr City during the first raid. They are believed to be members of the secret cell terrorist network known for facilitating the transport of weapons and explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs, from Iran to Iraq, as well as bringing militants from Iraq to Iran for terrorist training.
Intelligence reports indicate one of the targeted individuals detained during the operation is suspected of providing facilitation and logistic support for trafficking weapons used in operations against Coalition Forces.
In a separate raid in Khanaqin, Coalition Forces captured a suspected liaison to al-Qaeda in Iraq senior leaders, who assists in the movement of information and documents from al-Qaeda in Iraq leadership in Baghdad to al-Qaeda senior leaders in Iran.
Let me ask you a hypothetical question. What do you think America would do if Canadian soldiers were firing dozens of missiles every day into Buffalo, N.Y.? What do you think our response would be if Mexican troops for two years had launched daily rocket attacks on San Diego — and bragged about it?
I can tell you, our response would look nothing like Israel’s restrained and pinpoint reactions to daily missile attacks from Gaza. We would use whatever means necessary to win the war. There would likely be numerous casualties on our enemy’s side, but we would rightfully hold those who attacked us responsible.
More than 1,300 rockets have been fired into Israel from Gaza since Palestinians were given control two years ago. Israelis, however, have gone to incredible lengths to stop the war against them without harming Palestinian non-combatants. But make no mistake, Israel is at war. The elected Hamas government regularly repeats its official promise to destroy Israel entirely and replace it with an Islamic state. Hamas openly took credit for killing one woman and wounding dozens more last week alone.
The Palestinian strategy is to purposely target and kill Israeli civilians. Then, when Israel goes after those launching the attacks, Palestinians claim to be the victims. If Palestinian civilians aren’t hurt in the Israeli attacks, they stage injuries and deaths.
Too often, they garner sympathy and support from a gullible or anti-Semitic media in the international community.
Israelis, themselves, are often incapable of facing the damage they inflict in self-defense. Knowing this, Islamic extremists are using their own populations as human shields.
Imagine what it would be like to live, knowing that a rocket could fall on you or your children at any minute. Half of those who live nearest to Gaza have fled their homes. Those remaining are traumatized by daily warning sirens and explosions.
The irony is that Israel has the military might to easily win the war that is being waged against them today. They haven’t used that might, in the past, out of compassion for Palestinian civilians and because it could trigger a wider regional conflict.
That balance of power is about to change, though. If Iran develops nuclear weapons, the very existence of this tiny nation of Israel will be threatened. The Iranian regime has left little doubt that it intends to see Israel “wiped off the map.” Hamas is using the same language, not coincidentally, and has announced it will begin launching missiles into Israel from the West Bank too.
If the world doesn’t act to stop Iran’s nuclear ambitions, it must be prepared for the consequences of Israel defending itself.
These are only excerpts, the beginning and the end. Read the rest.
Actor Fred Thompson is giving up his role as a prosecutor on the TV series "Law & Order," perhaps for a run at the White House.
The show's creator and executive producer Dick Wolf said Thompson asked for his release Wednesday. Wolf said the former Tennessee senator told him he "has not made a firm decision about his political future," but the show's production schedule would create constraints.
Thompson has yet to announce he's seeking the Republican presidential nomination, but GOP officials with knowledge of his plans say he'll make his first formal campaign move soon. He's expected to establish an exploratory committee in the coming days, a move that would allow Thompson to hire a staff and begin fundraising.
The best thing to come from Fred running is bringing the Conservatives together. Hopefully this buries Giuliani, McCain, and Romney. The thought of either one of those candidates become president is frightening.
I was hesitant on promoting Fred too much because I believe there are a few Conservative candidates already in the race. Duncan Hunter, Mike Huckabee, and Sam Brownback are all conservatives which would be excellent choices. I was hoping after the first few debates, their stock would rise. It didn't happen. So now we have Fred to bring attention to the Conservatives in the Republican party.
Many people do not know much about Fred Thompson. Well, stay tuned, he blogs frequently and I will start posting excerpts here.
Weapons crossing the border from Iran to Afghanistan may be winding up in the hands of the Taliban, the hard-line Islamic militia that is battling U.S.- and NATO-led forces in Afghanistan, U.S. and British officials said.
Coalition officials in Afghanistan said they have intercepted Iranian-made AK-47s, C-4 plastic explosives and mortars. One explosively-formed penetrator bomb (EFP) that was found can pierce American armor, a NATO official said.
But a U.S. official who requested anonymity told CNN the United States believes Iran's supreme leaders know about these operations and could stop them if they wanted to.
Another U.S. official said Iran still sees the Taliban as an enemy but has a history of dealing with people it considers "nasty" as long as it is "congruent with Iran's overall objectives." In this case, Iran is "working the Taliban angle" to "bleed the U.S." in Afghanistan, the official said.
This is more of the proxy war Iran is engaging in towards the United States. Iran knows it cannot defeat us with their military, so they use terrorists to carry out their war. The sad part is we continue to let it happen.
It may be time to put those three aircraft carrier groups to good use. With that kind of firepower sitting off the coast of Iran, it would be over before they knew what happened.
