Bush To Iran: 'Give Back The Hostages'

The Washington Times

CAMP DAVID, Md. (AP) -- President Bush on Saturday said Iran's capture of 15 British sailors and marines was "inexcusable" and called for Iran to "give back the hostages" immediately and unconditionally. Bush said Iran plucked the sailors out of Iraqi waters. Iran's president said Saturday they were in Iranian waters and called Britain and its allies "arrogant and selfish" for not apologizing for trespassing. "It's inexcusable behavior," Bush said at the Camp David presidential retreat, where he was meeting with the president of Brazil. "Iran must give back the hostages. They're innocent. They did nothing wrong." It was the first time that Bush had commented publicly on the captured Britons. Washington has taken a low-key approach to avoid aggravating tensions over the incident and shaking international resolve to get Iran to give up its uranium enrichment program. [...] Bush would not comment about Britain's options if Iran does not release the hostages, but he seemed to reject any swapping of the British captives for Iranians detained in Iraq. "I support the prime minister when he made it clear there were no quid pro quos," Bush said.

Bush has played this right. He waited for the UN (albeit weak) and EU to make their statements. If he would've made a statement first, those organization would never have supported Britain. They would have assumed it was "war-mongering"

The Iranian Madman Speaks About British Sailors

FOXNews.com

LONDON  —  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad insisted Saturday that 15 captured British sailors trespassed in Iranian waters and called world powers "arrogant" for failing to apologize, the country's official news agency reported. "Instead of apologizing over trespassing by British forces, the world arrogant powers issue statements and deliver speeches," IRNA quoted Ahmadinejad as saying during a speech in the southeastern city of Andinmeshk. "The British occupier forces did trespass our waters. Our border guards detained them with skill and bravery. But arrogant powers, because of their arrogant and selfish spirit, are claiming otherwise," the hard-line leader told the crowd who was celebrating the Persian New Year holiday, IRNA said.

I will take a stab at this and say, if there was a large military build-up going on now, he wouldn't be running his mouth. It's just sickening that this has gone on this long. There should have been a harsh and severe punishment immediately. The HMS Cornwallis should not have let the Iranians kidnap those sailors. Those Iranians should have been fired on. However; due to the passive attitude in Britain and budget cuts, their military is barely able to function.

 

Technorati tags: Iran, Ahmadinejad, British Sailors, Britain

Obama: Bush Not Respecting Constitution

MSNBC.com

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. - Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Friday accused President Bush of failing to respect the Constitution amid the uproar over the firing of eight federal prosecutors. The Illinois senator also took a swipe at embattled Attorney General Alberto Gonzales. Obama has joined several other Democrats in calling for Gonzales to resign. "I was a constitutional law professor, which means unlike the current president I actually respect the Constitution," Obama told an audience at a campaign fundraiser. "I believe in an attorney general who is actually the people's lawyer, not the president's lawyer."

This man is such an idiot, it's frightening that he's considered a top contender for the White House. These prosecutors serve at the leisure of the sitting president. They are routinely replaced with people the president believes is part of "the plan". Clinton was not the first, Bush will not be the last. Hillary has said "if" she was elected, she would replace those federal prosecutors from the Bush Administration. Obama really has no political experience if he doesn't know about Clinton having Janet Reno fire ALL 93 federal prosecutors. Including those who were investigating the Clinton's various scandals.

This is from Time Magazine:

Last Tuesday, after being on the job only 11 days, Attorney General Janet Reno had the Justice Department moving and shaking. She requested the prompt resignation of all 93 U.S. Attorneys around the country "to build a team" that represents "my views" and those of the President. Although expected eventually, the move triggered alarms at the Washington prosecutorial office, which has been probing the finances of a key Democratic floor captain, House Ways and Means chairman Dan Rostenkowski. Reno insists there was "no linkage"' between the dismissals and the probe, which insiders say will continue.

So Clinton doesn't respect the Constitution either. Since his wife Hillary was the "Co-President", she too must not respect the Constitution. I wonder if he will go on record saying that.

Once again, we have a bunch of mindless knaves from the Democratic party that have absolutely no ideas. This is why they have been branded as the party of 'NO'. They want to oppose, but always fail to provide alternatives. With the exception of the War on Terror. Bush wants to win the War on Terror, and the Democrats want to "Cut and Run".

 

Technorati tags: Obama, Constitution, Bush, Federal Prosecutors, Clinton, Reno

Pelosi To Visit Syria, Ally Of Democrats

FOXNews.com

WASHINGTON —  House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will visit Syria, a country President Bush has shunned as a sponsor of terrorism, despite being asked by the administration not to go. "In our view, it is not the right time to have these sort of high-profile visitors to Syria," State Department spokesman Sean McCormack told reporters Friday. Pelosi arrived in Israel on Friday in what is her second fact-finding trip to the Middle East since taking over leadership in the House in January. Her repeat trip, an indication she plans to play a role in foreign policy, is also a direct affront to the administration, which says such diplomatic overtures by lawmakers can do more harm than good. Pelosi will not be the first member of Congress in recent months to travel to Syria, but as House speaker she is the most senior. White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said the speaker "should take a step back and think about the message that it sends."

The Democrats have to strengthen ties with allies. No doubt a trip to Iran will follow. I'll have to look up the exact treason law, but I thought giving aid and comfort to the enemy was treason. Since we have declared war on terrorists and those that harbor them (state sponsors of terrorism), I think Syria falls into the "enemy" category.

 

Technorati tags: Pelosi, Democrats, Syria, Treason

Iran Withheld Nuke Info Over Fears Of Being Attacked

FOXNews.com

VIENNA, Austria  —  Iran, in a confidential letter posted Friday on an internal Web site of the U.N. nuclear monitor, said its fear of attack from the U.S. and Israel prompted its decision to withhold information from the agency. [...] No enrichment is yet taking place at Natanz, but diplomats accredited to the IAEA said Friday it may start within days. If so, those cameras are crucial for IAEA experts in their efforts to monitor possible attempts to reconfigure machinery there into making weapons grade uranium — used in the fissile core of nuclear warheads. Iran insists it wants to enrich only to low levels, suitable for generating nuclear power. But the international community increasingly fears that the country may want to develop enrichment for weapons uses. Iran said Sunday it would no longer provide the IAEA with advance notice about any new nuclear facilities planned — a decision the government spokesman Gholan Hossein Elham said came in response to the "illegal and bullying resolution by (the) Security Council."

If they wanted to enrich uranium for nuclear power, why would they need to withhold information? Outlining plans to produce nuclear energy should've been the first thing they handed the inspectors. However; their reluctance to divulge information and their stubbornness only leads to the obvious assumption they want to do more than produce electricity. Also, their lack of openness about this is what will cause the United States or Israel to attack them.

 

Technorati tags: Iran, Nuclear, UN, United Nations, IAEA

Europe Threatens Action Against Iran

Guardian Unlimited

EU foreign ministers support British position and warn of 'appropriate measures' if 15 sailors and marines not released The EU threatened to act against Iran last night if it did not immediately and unconditionally release the 15 British sailors and marines it has been holding for more than a week. EU foreign ministers meeting in Bremen, Germany, threatened "appropriate measures" if Tehran did not let the group go, supporting Britain's position that the crew had been in Iraqi waters when they were seized eight days ago. The ministers did not spell out what measures would be taken, but British diplomats hoped they would involve an escalating array of punitive steps. The tough statement was the kind of direct rebuke Britain had sought in vain from the UN security council on Thursday night when, in the face of resistance from Russia and others, the council only expressed concern but threatened no action. Despite the EU statement, prospects for a quick resolution to the crisis dwindled yesterday after another propaganda video and letter featuring more dubious confessions and apologies by the captives.

Well this is more that what Britain got from the UN Security Council. Maybe a massive buildup of European armies in the Persian Gulf and bordering countries may make Iran realize they committed a grave mistake.

 

Technorati tags: Europe, EU, British Sailors, Britain

US troops attacked by Iranian military last year

Jerusalem Post

The US military confirmed Sunday that Iranian soldiers attacked American troops working with Iraqi border guards last year in a volatile province northeast of Baghdad, showing the recent capture of 15 British forces was not the first time Iranians have taken Western forces by surprise in Iraq. US News and World Report, citing a US Army report from Iraq, said American troops working with Iraqi border guards inside the frontier were attacked by a much larger Iranian military unit in September east of the Diyala province town of Balad Ruz, 70 kilometers northeast of Baghdad. The magazine reported that the Iranians were on the Iraqi side of the border when they fired at the Americans with rocket-propelled grenades and small arms. No Americans were hurt in the incident, but four Iraqi soldiers, an interpreter, and an Iraqi border policeman remain missing.

***UPDATE***

Time.com VIA Drudge

A short Army press release issued on the day of the skirmish offered the following information: U.S. soldiers from the 5th Squadron 73rd Cavalry 82nd Airborne were accompanying Iraqi forces on a routine joint patrol along the border with Iran, about 75 miles east of Baghdad, when they spotted two Iranian soldiers retreating from Iraqi territory back into Iran.  A moment later, U.S. and Iraqi forces came upon a third Iranian soldier on the Iraqi side of the border, who stood his ground. As U.S. and Iraqi soldiers approached the Iranian officer and began speaking with him, a platoon of Iranian soldiers appeared and moved to surround the coalition patrol, taking up positions on high ground. At that point, according to the Army's statement, the Iranian captain told the U.S. and Iraqi soldiers that if they tried to leave they would be fired on. Fearing abduction by the Iranians, U.S. troops moved to go anyway, and fighting broke out. Army officials say the Iranian troops fired first with small arms and rocket-propelled grenades, and that U.S. troops fell further back into Iraqi territory, while four Iraqi army soldiers, one interpreter and one Iraqi border guard remained in the hands of the Iranians.

I understand that our troops are becoming stretched thin, but massive carpet bombing would suffice. The fact is, something needs to be done. And, for all those silly people out there that think "negotiations" are the key to solving this, WRONG! They only understand death and destruction. Hopefully they will have a really good understanding of it soon.

 

Technorati tags: United States, Military, Iran, Iraq

Russia Suggests Independent UN Report On Sailors

Jerusalem Post

Russia's Foreign Ministry on Friday said the United Nations should conduct an independent investigation of circumstances surrounding the capture of 15 British sailors by Iran.

The ministry made the call in a statement released after talks between British Ambassador Anthony Brenton and Deputy Foreign Minister Alexander Yakovenko.

"Taking into consideration the fact that the British side insists the service personnel were fulfilling the mandate of the UN Security Council, we consider that that the UN Secretariat should prepare an independent report regarding this particular incident," the ministry said in a statement.

I don't understand what Russia sees to gain from this. The GPS coordinates given by Britain and Iran (the first time, before they realized it was in Iraqi waters) were close to being the same. I think it's safe to say, if this happened to Russia, several high-ranking members of the Iranian gov't and Revolutionary Guard would disappear or be found dead.

 

Technorati tags: Russia, Iran, British Sailors, Britain, United Nations, UN

14 Travel Agency Workers Arrested For Smuggling Illegal Immigrants

FOXNews.com

PHOENIX —  Fourteen travel agency owners or employees were indicted on human smuggling and other charges, accused of selling airline tickets they thought would be used by illegal immigrants, officials said.

Authorities said a records analysis showed six travel agencies sold tickets to an estimated 6,800 illegal immigrants in the United States since mid-2005. But Thursday's charges were connected only to the sale of tickets to undercover officers.

The travel agency employees were working independently of one another when they sold the tickets, said Bart Graves, a spokesman for the Arizona Department of Public Safety.

The undercover officers made it clear they were arranging travel for illegal immigrants and paid cash for dozens of one-way tickets across the nation, authorities said. The travel agencies offered advice on being discreet at airports, they said.

"They were so blatant about it because they hadn't been touched," Phoenix police Lt. Vince Piano said. "They would say, 'OK, you need to dress them like this. You need to walk them in through this. Does he have an ID?"'

The travel agency workers were charged under state human smuggling laws because they were facilitating the human trafficking, authorities said. Some faced charges of money laundering, conspiracy, racketeering and participating in fraudulent schemes.

This was one city! The next question that has to be asked is; How many other travel agency across the United States are doing the same thing? Cities like Dallas, Los Angeles, Miami or any other major southern city could have travel agencies doing it. Of all the ways to sneak into the US, buying tickets from travel agencies never entered my mind.

 

Technorati tags: Travel Agency, Illegal Aliens, Illegal Immigrants, Smuggling, Phoenix

Israeli Missile Now Gives Full Protection Against Iran

Jerusalem Post

Recent modifications made to the Arrow enable Israel's ballistic missile defense system to successfully intercept and destroy any ballistic missile in the Middle East, including nuclear-capable missiles under development by Iran, Arieh Herzog, the head of the Defense Ministry's Homa Missile Defense Agency, has told The Jerusalem Post.

In a rare interview that will appear in full in Monday's Post, Herzog provides an inside look at the decision-making process behind Israel's missile defense systems, led by the Israeli- and American-developed Arrow missile, one of the only operational ballistic missile defense systems in the world.

On Monday, the IAF successfully tested a newly modified Arrow interceptor.

With a few sets of missile defense systems along the way to Israel, and now Israel having a new missile defense system, hopefully nothing has a chance of hitting them.

 

Technorati tags: Israel, Missile Defense, Arrow, Iran

US Official: Russian Espionage At Cold War Levels

Jerusalem Post

A senior US counterintelligence official said Thursday that Russia has fully restored its espionage capabilities against the United States after a period of decline following the Cold War.

Joel Brenner, the head of the Office of the National Counterintelligence Executive, said the US is concerned that Russia is continuing to ramp up its operations.

"The Russians are now back at cold war levels in their efforts against the United States," he said at an event held by the American Bar Association, a lawyers' group. "They are sending over an increasing and troubling number of intelligence agents."

This isn't a surprise. Russia has been reverting back to its previous communist state. This has never been more evident than in the past several months. They have done everything possible to counter us.

 

Technorati tags: Russia, United States, Espionage, Cold War

Britain Takes Case Against Iran To U.N.

Yahoo! News

UNITED NATIONS - Britain took its case to free its 15 sailors and marines held by Iran to the United Nations on Thursday, asking the Security Council to support a statement that would "deplore" Tehran's action and demand their immediate release.

But Security Council diplomats said the brief press statement circulated by Britain's U.N. Mission is likely to face problems from Russia and others because it says the Britons were "operating in Iraqi waters" — a point that Iran contests.

Iranian state television on Thursday also broadcast a few seconds of footage it says was of the operation that seized the 15 British soldiers in Iranian territorial waters.

In the clip, about five seconds long, gunshots were heard and a helicopter is shown hovering above inflatable boats in choppy seas. Then, the British seamen and marines appear seated in an Iranian guard boat, presumably after their capture.

The British move came as Iran rolled back on its promise to release the sole female British sailor among the captives, who were seized last week. The Iranian military chief, Gen. Ali Reza Afshar, said that because of the "wrong behavior" of the British government, "the release of a female British soldier has been suspended," the semiofficial Iranian news agency Mehr reported.

 

Have the  British declared defeat? I fail to see how this will help the release of those 15 Sailors/Marines. Isn't it evident by now that Iran couldn't care less about what the U.N. thinks?

 

Technorati tags: Britain, Iran, United Nations, U.N.

Good News From The War On Terror 3/27-3/28

Iraqi Army Seizes 20 Trucks of Black Market Oil

QAYARRAH, Iraq, March 16, 2007 - Iraqi army soldiers seized a convoy of 20 illegal fuel trucks carrying crude oil in the Qayarrah region, south of Mosul, Feb. 20.

Crude oil is often sold on the black market in the Irbil Province, which has an oil refinery in eastern Iraq. Profits are believed to fund terrorism.

"We know black market (oil) profits are...used to support anti-Iraqi forces," said Master Sgt. Hernan Rincon, intelligence noncommissioned officer-in-charge for the "Black Dragons," 5th Battalion, 82nd Field Artillery Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 1st Cavalry Division, out of Fort Bliss, Texas.

Iraqi army soldiers, manning a check point, stopped the convoy of vehicles after determining they were illegal based on fake documents the drivers were carrying.

"As far as coalition forces and the Iraqi army are concerned, (oil smuggling is) a criminal act that the IPs deal with," said 1st Lt. Alexander Moen, a native of Winnebago, Ill.

"Once the (Iraqi Army) realized this was just illegal (oil) smuggling they contacted the IPs and the IPs came," Moen said, "It's a good working relationship between the two of them; it's a big step forward for the area."

It was also a big step forward for the Iraqi army and soldiers of 1st Platoon, Battery B, who a month prior had trained the Iraqi Army on these types of patrol operations. The platoon worked with them in the area to teach them how to search vehicles and how to spot fake documents.

 

Iraq ‘Headed in the Right Direction,’ Outgoing U.S. Ambassador Says

WASHINGTON, March 26, 2007 – Several positive developments indicate that Iraq’s leaders and its people will eventually surmount insurgent violence occurring in the country and ultimately achieve stability, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Iraq told reporters in Baghdad today.

“In my view, although difficult challenges lie ahead, and there is a long way to go, Iraq is fundamentally headed in the right direction and success is possible,” Zalmay Khalilzad said at the news briefing.

President Bush has nominated Khalilzad, who has served as the top U.S. diplomat in Iraq for the past 21 months, to become the new U.S. ambassador to the United Nations.

Taking stock of the situation in Iraq, Khalilzad said he’s buoyed and “cautiously optimistic” about that country’s future due to several indicators:

• The early success of the Operation Law and Order anti-terrorist campaign in Baghdad and western Iraq.
• The improved performance of Iraqi soldiers and police.
• The Iraqi government’s example of dealing evenhandedly with lawbreakers.
• More Iraqis are turning their backs on al Qaeda.
• Some Iraqi insurgent groups have agreed to fight al Qaeda terrorists and work toward reconciliation.
• Iraq’s leaders are reaching out to include all Iraqis in the sharing of the country’s oil wealth.
• Improvement in Iraq’s economic situation.
• Iraqi leaders’ comprehensive plan to achieve national reconciliation and stability.

Indeed, ongoing joint U.S., coalition and Iraqi security operations in Baghdad “appear to be having a positive effect,” Khalilzad said, noting violence has decreased in Iraq’s capital city by about 25 percent since Operation Law and Order began in mid-February.

The Iraqi security forces “are performing better and they are doing better in terms of carrying their share of the burden,” Khalilzad pointed out. Iraqis seem to appreciate the presence of their soldiers and police on the streets to help effect stability, he said, noting citizen-provided tips about insurgent activity have been flowing in steadily.

Also, the Iraqi government is bolstering its credibility among its citizens, Khalilzad said, by dispensing justice fairly without discriminating against any one group. Iraqi involvement with al Qaeda is on the wane, Khalilzad said, adding that some insurgent elements have openly turned against al Qaeda.

 

Bagram PRT rebuilds Afghanistan one school at a time

BAGRAM AIRFIELD, Afghanistan (AFNEWS) -- The Air Force-led Bagram Provincial Reconstruction Team attended a ceremony March 26 marking the first day of class at a high school in Kapisa Province.

[...]

General Miller said teaching children the importance of education can help build a stronger economy for Afghanistan and bring pride to its people.

Several additional key speakers addressed the crowd of hundreds of children, parents, students, educators and onlookers. After the speeches, a school bell was rung eight times to signify the beginning of a new school year.

During a tree-planting ceremony, an abundance of smiles flashed on many Afghan faces. Soon after, the school tour began where Air Force and Army personnel helped distribute the school supplies.

Inside a packed classroom, a group of schoolgirls stood awaiting their supplies. They each received several pens, markers, rulers and notebooks.

The governor of Kapisa Province, Abdul Satar Murad, was proud of what the ceremony meant to his people. Governor Murad said this is a great step for the security, reconstruction and future of Afghanistan.

"We feel great that our American friends are sincerely helping us rebuild our country and its capacity," he said. "We're very thankful for their assistance because a friend in need is a friend indeed."

With a healthy mixture of U.S. military and coalition forces, the PRT works to promote the conditions for a self-sufficient, secure and stable environment.

Once a PRT contract is awarded, the contractor hires local villagers to produce the work and labor.

"The idea is to keep the money in the village and district," said Army Maj. Donald Johnson, Civil-Military Operations director.

According to Major Johnson, the villagers put their time, sweat and effort into a project and take ownership of it.

 

Technorati tags: Iraq, Afghanistan, War On Terror, Good News

Iran: Britain Must Admit Navy Trespassed

Yahoo! News

RIYADH, Saudi Arabia - Iran's foreign minister said Wednesday that Britain must admit that its 15 sailors and marines entered Iranian waters in order to resolve a standoff over their capture by the Mideast nation.

Manouchehr Mottaki's statement in an interview with The Associated Press came on a day of escalating tensions, highlighted by an Iranian video of the detained Britons that showed the only woman captive saying her group had "trespassed" in Iranian waters. Britain angrily denounced the video as unacceptable and froze most dealings with the Mideast nation.

The Iranian official also backed off a prediction that the female sailor, Faye Turney, could be freed Wednesday or Thursday, but said Tehran agreed to allow British officials to meet with the detainees.

Mottaki said that if the alleged entry into Iranian waters was a mistake "this can be solved. But they have to show that it was a mistake. That will help us to end this issue."

"Admitting the mistake will facilitate a solution to the problem," he said late Wednesday night in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he was attending an Arab summit.

Well, this would be a good barometer of how much of a backbone Britain has left. We wait and see if Britain bows to the Iranians, or tell them no and give them an ultimatum.

Russian Intelligence Sees U.S. Military Buildup On Iran Border

RIA Novosti

MOSCOW, March 27 (RIA Novosti) - Russian military intelligence services are reporting a flurry of activity by U.S. Armed Forces near Iran's borders, a high-ranking security source said Tuesday.

"The latest military intelligence data point to heightened U.S. military preparations for both an air and ground operation against Iran," the official said, adding that the Pentagon has probably not yet made a final decision as to when an attack will be launched.

He said the Pentagon is looking for a way to deliver a strike against Iran "that would enable the Americans to bring the country to its knees at minimal cost."

He also said the U.S. Naval presence in the Persian Gulf has for the first time in the past four years reached the level that existed shortly before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Col.-Gen. Leonid Ivashov, vice president of the Academy of Geopolitical Sciences, said last week that the Pentagon is planning to deliver a massive air strike on Iran's military infrastructure in the near future.

A new U.S. carrier battle group has been dispatched to the Gulf.

The USS John C. Stennis, with a crew of 3,200 and around 80 fixed-wing aircraft, including F/A-18 Hornet and Superhornet fighter-bombers, eight support ships and four nuclear submarines are heading for the Gulf, where a similar group led by the USS Dwight D. Eisenhower has been deployed since December 2006.

The U.S. is also sending Patriot anti-missile systems to the region.

Honestly, I don't think we are going to attack Iran now. This is probably just a show and what they call "posturing". Chances are that the USS Stennis showed up a little early to replace the USS Eisenhower. I'm sure it was intended to have the illusion of a buildup. If the reason for all of this is the British Sailors/Marines, the British should be taking the lead or supplying many more troops.

 

Technorati tags: Iran, Military Exercises, Build up, United States