War News Updates: May 2008

Saturday, May 31, 2008

Last Post For Tonight -- More Female Soldiers From Around The World

Peru's Shining Path Guerrillas On The Rise Again

From Yahoo News:

MATUCANA, Peru - Matucana's mayor is a worried man. The Shining Path rebels who terrorized Peru decades ago are back, moving across the jungle-draped slopes near his remote village and recruiting young fighters to their born-again insurgency.

And unlike before, the rebels have almost unlimited financial support. Earning cash by protecting coca fields and cocaine-smuggling routes, they are able to buy powerful weapons and pay salaries to men and women who take up arms against the government.

It is a nightmarish prospect for Peru, which saw nearly 70,000 people killed from 1980 to the mid-'90s in the Shining Path's brutal effort to impose a Maoist communist regime. Most of the victims were peasants, caught in the crossfire between guerrillas and security forces.

Read more ....
My Comment: Plus ca change ... Plus c'est le meme chose. Translated .... the more things change, the more they stay the same.

It's Official: May Saw Lowest Number Of US Fatalities In Iraq

From Gateway Pundit:

May was the least deadly month for US troops since the start of the war.

Numbers via ICasualties

May was the least deadly month for US troops since the beginning of the War 5 years ago.
The Iraqi news organization Aswat Aliraq reported:

The CIA has declared that al-Qaeda is virtually defeated in Iraq and that the country is seeing its lowest level of violence for four years, according to the British newspaper The Times.

Nineteen US military personnel have died in Iraq this month, according to the Pentagon, making May the least deadly month for US troops since the beginning of the war, writes journalist Tim Reid in an article.

The deadliest month for US troops was May 2007, when 126 died as the insurgency in Baghdad raged.

Read more ....

Update: US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,086 -- Yahoo News

My Comment: 44 people were murdered in Los Angeles for the month of May. Is Iraq more safer for an American? Probably not, but if one puts these statistics into perspective, the war is fundamentally over for the U.S. For the Iraqis, the war is still ranging on, but casualties for them are also dropping. As this continues, many of those who fought against the U.S. and its coalition allies will now start to rationalize if it makes sense to be the last "Iraqi resistance" fighter to die for a losing cause.

Iraq Deaths Down, But For How Long?

From Yahoo News:

BAGHDAD - U.S. military deaths plunged in May to the lowest monthly level in more than four years and civilian casualties were down sharply, too, as Iraqi forces assumed the lead in offensives in three cities and a truce with Shiite extremists took hold.

But many Iraqis as well as U.S. officials and private security analysts are uncertain whether the current lull signals a long-term trend or is simply a breathing spell like so many others before.

U.S. commanders also warn the relative peace is fragile because no lasting political agreements have been reached among the Shiite, Sunni and Kurdish communities.

Read more ....

My Comment: When Shiite Holy sites were deliberately target by Al Qaeda groups in February/March 2006, everyone knew that this was going to precipitate a major civil war. It was only through the intervention of American forces and a change in U.S. command/direction that stopped this religious conflict from spiraling out of control.

Do the same conditions exist to restart another civil war in Iraq? ..... The answer is no. Many of the leaders who were obsessed with starting such a civil war are now either dead or in hiding. In addition, Iraqi security forces are in the first phase of reconstituting themselves, and this in the long run will be the force that will stabilize the country.

If civil war is to return, it will come back under different circumstances. This includes foreign involvement from countries such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, and foreign extremists groups .... Al Qaeda still being one of them, as well as a lack of political will from Washington to stay for the long run in developing a "Just Society" in Iraq.

Expect the tally to go down further as temperatures rise during the summer months, but what will happen in the fall is anyone's guess at the moment.

Reality Check On The Mullahs

Another insightful opinion piece from Amil Imani at the American Thinker.

There is so much smoke around the Iranian Mullahs' bomb that it makes Tehran's smog feel like a fresh ocean breeze by comparison. Here is a partial list of misconceptions about the Mullahs, their capabilities and intentions about the bomb affair.

Read more ....

My Comment: Our present political environment makes it next to impossible for politicians who are sensitive on the dangers of Iran's nuclear program to focus on this alarming threat. Our democratic institutions usually gives us our strength, but in this case it is giving us a perception of weakness.

Expect nothing to happen until after the next President is inaugurated. If it is President Obama, move the doomsday clock closer to midnight.

After A Massacre, Silence Shrouds Mexican Town

The picture below is $205 million US seized in a drug raid in Mexico.

From The International Herald Tribune:

VILLA AHUMADA, Mexico: A massacre here two weeks ago has turned this once sleepy town into a ghostly emblem of the drug violence that has swept Mexico over the past year and a half, gutting local police forces, terrifying citizens and making it almost impossible for the authorities to assert themselves.

On the night of May 17, dozens of men with assault rifles rolled into town in several trucks and shot up the place. They killed the police chief, two officers and three civilians. Then they carried off about 10 people, witnesses said. Only one has been located, found dead and wrapped in a carpet in Ciudad Juárez.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is a perfect text case example of how drugs, if not curtailed, will produce a culture of violence, poverty, and a breakdown of the civil/legal/and political process. In the long run, this will produce the environment that civil strife and war feed on. Colombia, Afghanistan, are the end results from this lack of focus in stopping this trade.

Expect Bolivia, Ecuador, Venezuela, to soon follow Mexico's problems with a drug culture.

War News, Blogs, Opinions, And Wire Service Roundup -- May 31, 2008

WAR/TERRORISM NEWS SUMMARIES AROUND THE WORLD
United States Central Command
Global Security Briefs -- In Homeland Security
Complete Roundup Of World Trouble Spots -- Small Wars Journal
International, War, and Terrorism Headlines -- Rantburg
Morning Brief -- Foreign Policy
Global Incident Map
Global News -- Inform
Spotlight on Military News and International Affairs -- Canadian Perspective
Summary Of Wars & Conflicts: Right Hand Side Of Page -- Counter Terrorism Blog
Global Security News Roundup -- Global Security.org
Threatswatch
Latest News -- Strategy Page
Institute For War And Peace Reporting
Intelligence News Roundup -- Intelligence Online
Analysis And Commentaries -- International Relations And Security Network
Alertnet From Reuters -- Use Their Search Filter
Emerging Threats -- United Press International
International Forecasting And News -- Stratfor

IRAQ
Iraq News -- E I N News
Conflict In Iraq -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
War In Iraq -- MSNBC
Iraq News Online -- Times Online
Iraq News -- Inform
Iraq Weekly Status Report -- U.S. State Department
Iraq Updates
Iraq Coalition Casualty Count

AFGHANISTAN
Afghanistan -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Afghanistan Conflict Monitor
Afghanistan Update: April 1-30, 2008 -- Center For Defense Information
Operations In Afghanistan -- U.K. Ministry Of Defense

MIDDLE EAST
Mideast Conflicts -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Middle East Coverage -- Memri

SECURITY AND TERRORISM
Security -- MSNBC
Terrorism -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Terrorism -- MSNBC
National Terror Alert Response Center

U.S. MILITARY NEWS
U.S. Department Of Defense News
News in The Military -- Military News
Stars And Stripes
U.S. Armed Forces News -- Full Coverage From Yahoo News
Index Of Military Blogs: Stories Updated Daily -- Military.com
Milblogging: Stories Updated Daily -- Index Of Military Blogs
Directory Of Intelligence Sites -- Strategic IntelligenceComplete

Friday, May 30, 2008

The Internal Situation In Iran -- Will There Be A Counter Revolution?

From the Belmont Club:

Spengler at the Asia Times asked a year ago: what do you give someone who has everthing -- "cancer, AIDS, Alzheimer's, diabetes, kidney failure, and so forth. Iran's economy is so damaged that it is impossible to tell how bad things are. Except perhaps for the oilfields of southern Iraq, and perhaps also northern Saudi Arabia, there is nothing the West can give Iran to forestall an internal breakdown."

That degree of dysfunction was underscored by a recent Pajamas Media article describing the biggest case of corruption in Iran. Or possibly the Middle East. The chief auditor of the Iranian parliament has reported that $35 B of the country's oil revenues has just gone missing. Not that there's a heck of a lot to be stolen anyway. Despite record oil prices, the regime in Teheran has mismanaged its economy so badly that it is bankrupt. Losing the $35 billion is like a struggling retiree looking in the sugar jar and finding that the next six month's rent money is missing. Spengler writes:

Read more ....

Opinion Piece From David Brooks, New York Times: The Reality Situation
Mega-Scandal in Iran: $35 Billion in Oil Money Missing from State Coffers

My Comment: The rot is there. But for the frustration and anger to come to a boil a lot more must first happen. The religious authorities are entrenched in all aspects of Iran's economic,political, and social life. Will there be a revolution .... the answer is no. As long as oil is running at $130.00 a barrel, the Iranian regime will have the resources to be there for a long time.

Al-Qaeda's Terrifying Vision Of A Devastated America In The Wake Of A Nuclear Attack

From This Is London:

Washington is laid to waste. The Capitol is a blackened, smoking ruin. The White House has been razed. Countless thousands are dead.

This is the apocalyptic scene terrorists hope to create if they ever get their hands on a nuclear bomb.

The computer-generated image below was posted on an Islamic extremists' website yesterday.

It appeared as rumours swept the Internet that the FBI was warning that an Al Qaeda video was about to be released urging militants to use weapons of mass destruction to attack the West.

The information was said to be coming from 'groups that monitor Islamic militant websites'.

Read more ....

News From Other Sources:
SITE red-faced as Islamist 'Washington ruin' image turns out to be from Fallout 3 game -- Telegraph
Opinion: Why doesn't al Qaeda attack in the US? -- The Agonist
U.S. Cites Big Gains Against Al-Qaeda -- Washington Post
Murdoch Claims Video Game Came From al-Qaeda -- Infowars

My Comment: Nothing new here. Since 9-11 we have been bombarded with news and information that Al-Qaeda wants to completely destroy an American city. While I am sure that there are a lot of people who wish this, wishing for this and then having this happen are two completely separate things.

If there is a real threat against an American city, we will not know about it until it has happened.

War News, Blogs, Opinions, And Wire Service Roundup -- May 29, 2008

Thursday, May 29, 2008

Hezbollah Makes Al Qaeda Look 'Minor League'

From FOX News:

JERUSALEM — Homeland Security chief Michael Chertoff warned Thursday that the radical Islamic group Hezbollah "makes Al Qaeda look like a minor league team," and poses the greatest threat to national security.

"Someone described Hezbollah like the A-team of terrorists in terms of capabilities, in terms of range of weapons they have, in terms of internal discipline," Chertoff told FOX News. "To be honest, they make Al Qaeda look like a minor league team.

Read more ....

News From Other Sources:
Deal Imminent between Israel and Hezbollah -- South Lebanon
Hezbollah Triumphs in Lebanon -- Shalom New York
Nasrallah’s speech to Hezbollah supporters -- Chrisy's58 Weblog

My Comment: This is news!?!?!?!?! Hezbollah was responsible for the bombing of the Marine Barracks in Beirut in 1983, and that was when they were a small group.

Today, they are an army of thousands armed and trained to fight. Worse, their supporters are worldwide, even in the United States. Backed by Iran. Firmly in support of the goal of destroying Israel. This is a horrible organization that has made no secret of their long term goals.

The Sunni Arabs of the Middle East know how they dangerous they are .... Chertoff's comments and realization of this now makes me wonder if he is knowledgeable of what is happening.

Iran in Secret Talks With al Qaeda, U.S. Officials Say

From ABC News:

Sources Say Iranian Govt., Terror Group in Contact About Militants Under House Arrest

Senior U.S. officials tell ABC News that in recent months there have been secret contacts between the Iranian government and the leadership of al Qaeda. It's a development that has caught the attention of top officials in the White House, the Pentagon and the intelligence community.

According to U.S. officials familiar with highly sensitive intelligence on this issue, the contacts are on the status of high-level al Qaeda operatives, including two of Osama Bin Laden's sons, who have been under house arrest in Iran since 2003. The officials don't believe Iran will allow these operatives to go free, but said they don't know Iran's motivation for initiating the talks.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is another clear indication that close ties are maintained between Al Qaeda and Iranian Government officials. Because this involves two of Osama bin Ladin's sons, it is not hard to figure out who in Al Qaeda is directing these talks. The question is why Iran is doing this now. What is their strategy? This is an answer that I do not know.

EBooks On Terrorism -- Part 1

Terrorism has always been a part of history. To examine this more further we have browsed and collected from a number of websites the following books that focus on the history, culture, and reasons for terrorism.

Beyond al-Qaeda: Part 1: The Global Jihadist Movement -- Book Bank

Beyond al-Qaeda: Part 2: The Outer Rings of the Terrorist Universe -- Book Bank

Encyclopedia of Terrorism by Harvey W. Kushner -- Avaxhome

The New Terrorism by Walter Laqueur -- Avaxhome

The Culture Of Terrorism by Noam Chomsky -- Avaxhome

Psychology Of Terrorism by Various Authors -- Avaxhome

In The Name Of Terrorism by Carol K. Winkler -- Englishtips (free registration required)

Terrorism Reference Library, 1st Edition (3 volumes) by Various Authors -- Avaxhome

Deadly Connections: States that Sponsor Terrorism by Daniel Byman -- Avaxhome

Battling Terrorism in the Horn of Africa by Robert I. Rotberg -- Gigapedia (free registration required)

The Four Faces of Nuclear Terrorism by Various Authors -- Avaxhome

The Media and the War on Terrorism by Stephen Hess -- Gigapedia (free registration required)

Bookyards has a number of documents, speeches, and books that pertain to terrorism here.

Bookyards has also made a list of free online libraries that have a focus on terrorism and security issues. That link is here.

Where Is Al Qaeda Going?

These two articles have recently caught my eyes:

The revolt against al-Qaeda From The Belmont Club
Lawrence Wright, author of the Looming Tower, a best-selling account of the beginnings of al-Qaeda, may now be chronicling its end. In a 14-page article in the New Yorker, Wright describes the revolt of al-Qaeda's theological pillars against its version of the Jihad.

Read more ....

Al Qaeda Opens a New Front From All About Realestate
Al Qaedas military commander in Afghanistan claims that the terror group coordinated the effort that led to the assassination of former Pakistani Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto in Rawalpindi, Pakistan yesterday. In a telephone interview with Asia Times Online (NSA boys, did you get this one on tape?), Mustafa Abu al-Yazid said that the killing was part of an al Qaeda plan to destabilize Pakistan by hitting at precious American assets there.

Read more ....

My Comment: Al Qaeda has been fragmented. Military operations against it, as well as its own actions against civilians, has resulted with the organization losing it's moral authority within the Muslim community. The fact that the original intellectuals who gave the organization it's moral voice throughout the Islamic community are now abandoning it will only speed up this process.

What is left of Al Qaeda will stay make it a lethal force. But if they think that they will be successful in overthrowing the Government of Pakistan .... they are dreaming.

News Links -- June 4, 2008

Iran's supreme ayatollah vows that his country will continue with its nuclear program, but others are optimistic for cooperation and peace. Others are more realistic.

Somali groups seek U.N. sanctions on warmongers .... I guess everyone is now going to be sanctioned. But on the ground .... Aid Group: Somalia in Worst Crisis in 10 Years

An eye-witness account of South Africa's pogrom against foreigners. The argument in South Africa is where will these refugees will be put. More from Time Magazine.

Venezuela is revamping its internal security agencies, will now force its citizens to spy on each other. Skirmishes on the Colombia and Venezuela border are now starting.

U.S. Congress puts limits and conditions on U.S. support for Mexico in it's war with its drug lords .... Mexico naturally disagrees. From The Independent .... Mexico’s war on drugs: Journey into a lawless land.

What went wrong in Iraq - from Al Qaida's point of view. Related: Whatever happened to news from Iraq? Related: Remember the surge? (Hat Tip Maggie's Farm). Iraqi communities are no longer mixed, and violence is still happening.

The jihadist revolt against Bin Laden.

Change failing tactics on terror, Pakistan's leader urges the West. Also .... Father of Pakistan bomb denies passing on secrets.

Some believe that a deal between Israel and Hezbollah will occur, but in regards to Hamas it is business as usual. Meanwhile, Ahmadinejad says Israel to vanish with or without Iran

Over 100 countries have agreed to ban cluster bombs, why stop there? Guess what countries have not signed on.

The Pope's principle secretary is asking Muslim religious leaders to embrace peace, some countries have a problem with that.

Why oil prices are high: Nigeria, U.S. Congress, silly policies from other governments, China, India, and oil supplies. New hope will come from other countries .... Angola overtakes Nigeria as top African oil nation.

Iraq / Pentagon Briefings -- Courtesy Small Wars Journal

The two briefings are on the following:

Lieutenant General James Dubik, Commanding General, Multi-National Security Transition Command-Iraq; and Major General Kevin Bergner, Multi-National Force-Iraq spokesman provide an operational update, 28 May 2008.

Admiral Timothy Keating, Commander of US Pacific Command, speaks with reporters at the Pentagon, providing an update on recent relief operations to Burma and China, 28 May 2008.

The link to see these videos are at the following:

Syria's Nuclear Program

From The Washington Post:
The Bush administration is pressing U.N. inspectors to broaden their search for possible secret nuclear facilities in Syria, hinting that Damascus's nuclear program might be bigger than the single alleged reactor destroyed by Israeli warplanes last year.

At least three sites have been identified by U.S. officials and passed along to the International Atomic Energy Agency, which is negotiating with Syria for permission to conduct inspections in the country, according to U.S. government officials and Western diplomats. U.S. officials want to know if the suspect sites may have been support facilities for the alleged Al Kibar reactor destroyed in an Israeli air raid Sept. 6, the sources said.

Read more ....

This follows the following news article from The Telegraph:

Syria-bound missile components intercepted, claims US
Equipment bound for Syria which could be used to test ballistic missile components was intercepted during a previously undisclosed mission, the United States has announced.

Four member states of the Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI), a group of 90 countries who seek to prevent the shipment of weapons of mass destruction, were involved in the operation in February, 2007.

Read more ....

My Comment: After the attack on this Syrian nuclear reactor, the following article from the Danger Room was published. I see it as a good summary on the entire issue of nuclear proliferation by Syria.

It is clear that monies and resources are being diverted by Syria to develop a program that examines the production of nuclear material. The reactor is a small one, but its presence indicates a definite commitment to some nuclear program. The question that must then be asked is what programs and projects are in the works and/or are being developed. The interception of components necessary for ballistic missiles is a big red flag. Will stones start to be overturned to look for more of this program .... we shall see.

War News, Blogs, Opinions, And Wire Service Roundup -- May 29, 2008

Wednesday, May 28, 2008

Last post For Tonight -- Tribute To Female Soldiers in War Zones

Al Qaeda Intent On WMD Attack Against Americans

Summary Of News Stories
Al Qaeda Tape to Call for Use of WMD -- ABC News
Al Qaeda Intent on WMD Attack Against Americans -- New York Sun
U.S. Intelligence Group Dismisses Report of Al-Qaeda WMD Tape -- Bloomberg
Video Urges Nuclear Jihad Against US (UPDATE: "Code" Threatens September 2008 Attack?) -- Jawa Report
Al-Qaeda Video Calls For Jihadist Nuke Attack -- Gateway Pundit
Media and Intel Community Caught by Apparent Al-Qaida Nuke Message "Prank" -- Counter Terrorism Blog

My Comment: They have the manpower, the will, and the money that will buy the resources to produce a WMD .... whether nuclear, biological, or chemical. What they lack is the expertise, a location to put such a weapon together (the tribal regions of Pakistan are not ideal nor do they have a compliant country), and the means to transport such a weapon to the target country.

Lets keep it that way.

Today's Links -- May 28, 2008

President Bush compares today's wars with past wars.

Iran is playing hardball on nuclear issues with everyone. More here. But Ahmadinejad's rival is elected as speaker, but he still speaks the same language. Some in the West, including a U.S. Presidential candidate, have called for talks with the Iranian regime ..... Amir Taheri puts cold water on this idea.

Iraqi politicians are arguing and boycotting in Iraq while the Prime Minister is looking for money. Iraq's Triangle of Death is becoming peaceful. But keeping the peace is hard work.

The flow of Taliban and weapons from Pakistan to Afghanistan gets interrupted once in a while.

Israel and Hamas are exchanging fire, while Israel's P.M. is being told to step down.

In South Africa, refugee camps are now being set up, including near famous tourist spots. Is this a lull before the storm.

Sudan officials say that there will be no return to war, and talks are to return on Saturday. But things are different on the ground.

The Muslim insurrection in the South of Thailand is continuing.

Belgian woman wages war for Al Qaeda on the Web. Jawa Report has a list of Taliban websites here.

Conference accepts draft on cluster bombs ban. More here. Cluster bombs at a glance.

My Favorite War Blogs

My list of favorite bloggers covering the world's wars and conflicts are many. A few of my favorites are the following:
Abu Aardvark
Abu Muqawama
Armchair Generalist
Belmont Club
Blackfive
Blogs Of War
Captain's Journal
Counter Terrorism Blog
Danger Room
Defense Tech
Gateway Pundit
Global Guerrillas
Global Incident Map
Global News Blog
Global Security
Haft Of The Spear
Homeland Security And Insight
In From The Cold
Information Dissemination
Insurgency Research Group
Intel Dump
Jihad Watch
Kings Of War
Long War Journal
Memri
Michael Yon -- this is my personal favorite. Reason .... he is there. This article sums up nicely why he is one of the top in his field.
Middle East And Central Asia Security Report: News And Views
Middle East Journal
Middle East Strategy At Harvard
Military Blog
Military Watch -- Baltimore Sun
Miserable Donuts
Missing Links
Mountain Runner
Mudville Gazette
National Security Review
New Wars
Nukes And Spooks
Rantburg
Small Wars Journal
Space War
Strata-Sphere
Strategy And National Security Policy
Strategy Page
Talisman Gate
The Strategist
The Torch
Threatswatch
Ubiwar
War And Piece
War In Context
Westhawk
Zenpundit

Mexico's Drug Wars

From The International Herald Tribune:

MEXICO CITY: The assassination was an inside job. The federal police commander kept his schedule secret and slept in a different place each night, yet the killer had the keys to the official's apartment and was waiting for him when he arrived after midnight.

When the commander, Commissioner Édgar Millán Gómez, the acting chief of the federal police, died with eight bullets in his chest on May 8, it sent chills through a force that had increasingly found itself a target.

Read more ....
Colombia's lessons for Mexico in the war on drugs -- BBC
News On Other Sources:
Shootout in Mexico kills 7 federal police -- Yahoo News
Drug lords turn tables in Mexico with lists of wanted police chiefs -- Independent
E-mail 'bloodbath' threat paralyzes Mexican city -- Breitbart

Mexico's Drug War -- In2thefray
Mexico's Drug War Killing Its Own Police -- Huffington Post
Corruption in Police force leads to killings in Mexico Drug War -- Havoscope
Congress dithers as Mexico drug war rages -- Opinion Blog

My Comment: Billions of dollars and a culture of corruption with no respect for human life .... this is the situation on the Mexican side of the U.S./Mexican border. The more that this war continues, the more that the bloodshed will increase. But this is a war that must go on. Unfortunately ..... until the drug culture changes in the U.S. .... this is America's long war.

Peace Between China And Taiwan?

From The Telegraph:

China and its arch-rival Taiwan sealed a year of reconciliation with the highest-level official meeting between the two sides since they were split by civil war more than half a century ago.

China's President Hu Jintao welcomed Wu Poh-hsiung, the chairman of the Kuomintang, Taiwan's ruling party, in the Great Hall of the People in a ceremony filmed live on television.

Read more ....

News From Other Sources:
Hu Jintao meets KMT chairman -- Xinhuanet
Hu Jintao meets Taiwan's KMT head -- Asia News
Taiwan politician meets China president -- Yahoo News
Taiwan's Lee: Ma cautious on China ties -- Yahoo News
China's Hu calls for peace with Taiwan -- B92

My Comment: This is big. In Asia, the border between North and South Korea and the "border" between Taiwan and China (Taiwan Straits) are the two regions where a super power confrontation can quickly take place. The expenditure in military equipment, manpower, readiness, and planning makes all other regions of the world small and petty in comparison. A war in this part of the world would also make the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan puny in comparison.

The question that is being asked is ..... will something good come out of this. I believe that it will. Asia as a whole is now in a rush to be the economic super power in the world. This is their priority. The peoples in this region want what we in the West take for granted. Conflicts that have been around for 60 years is not in everyone's priority list. With each succeeding generation the priorities are evolving from political to economic and social. This meeting is the first of many.

Will Taiwan and China ever join together. The answer is yes. But maybe not in my lifetime.

War News, Blogs, Opinions, And Wire Service Roundup -- May 28, 2008

Tuesday, May 27, 2008

Final Post For Tonight -- Female Soldiers From Around The World

I know .... I am weak.

Iraq War News Updates -- May 27, 2008

US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,082 -- Yahoo News
Forty five Iraqis killed, injured in suicide car bomb west of Mosul -- KUNA
Iraqi Special Forces capture Special Groups commander in Baghdad -- Long War Journal
Iraq reopens bombed bridge, vows to defeat militants -- Yahoo News
Militant cleric urges protests on US-Iraq deal -- Yahoo News
Al Qaeda Discusses Losing Iraq -- Strategy Page
Al-Qa'ida in Iraq 'has never been closer to defeat' -- The Independent
The Demise Of Sadr, The Sadrists And The Mahdi Army -- Strata-Sphere
Iraq Is Thinking Big -- Strategy Page
McCain: Obama should go to Iraq -- Chicago Tribune
Attacks in Iraq Reach 4-Year Low, Military Says -- Wall Street Journal
Iran called primary threat to progress in Iraq -- Washington Times
Iraqi politicians squabble over election law -- Yahoo News
Feud over sports could keep Iraq out of Olympics -- Yahoo News

Afghanistan/Pakistan Tribal Regions War Updates -- May 27, 2008

Thirteen police and 11 civilians killed in Afghanistan -- Reuters
Bombs, attacks kill 24 in Afghanistan -- Yahoo News
NATO hopes militant deals enforced -- Daily Times
Optimism Grows as Marines Push Against Taliban -- New York Times
Night Mission: Flying With an Elite Search and Rescue Team in Afghanistan -- U.S. News And World Report
Afghanistan: Secret Taleban cells spread lessons of jihad in Kabul University -- Times Online
Afghans Beg US to Strike Pakistan -- Jawa Report

Sudan Is About To Break Out Into Civil War

A summary of recent headlines:

Fears of new civil war as Sudanese town razed -- The Independent
South Sudan ministers pull out of talks with U.S. -- Reuters
Appeasement? Bush straddles line with Sudan -- MSNBC
Egypt paper alleges Iran behind Khartoum attack -- Yahoo News
New Civil War In the Sudan? -- Impudent Observer
Sudan 'On Verge of Civil War': Southern Leader -- J.P. Ireland

My Comment: There is oil there. Everyone wants to have the wealth that it will bring. No one wants to share or compromise. Expect war to break out.

Todays Links -- May 27, 2008

As a gesture of good faith to the U.N. and the aid agencies that will now be coming in to help the victims of last months cyclone, the Myanmar junta has decided to extend Suu Kyi house arrest. The U.S. agrees.

With the Olympics only a few months away, and sensitive to the pressure that could (or is) being put on them, China urges progress in North Korea talks. South Korea has one more reason for the North to change its ways.

In Zimbabwe, Mugabe's thugs are starting their campaign of intimidation and murder.
While off Somalia it is business as usual .... proving that if you pay off kidnappers, they just come back for more. And with everything under control in South Africa, Mbeki decides to go to Asia .... but things are not under control.

Why is Israel talking to its enemies?

China wants only one thing from the Russians.

An international example of the mouse that roared at the Big Bad Bear.

Iran's new conservative-dominated parliament opens, while the IAEA watchdog if telling everyone that Iran is not cooperating. More from The New York Times. Instapundit makes a good point. This is one group that Iran is openly cooperating with.

The army in Venezuela is changing, and the Venezuelan Government is also going after its youth.

Another summit on the world's food crisis. Egypt is one of many countries suffering from this food shock.

The Taliban is getting ready to open a YouTube type of website. In the meantime the real YouTube is being sued.

Commentaries And Opinions -- May 27, 2008

How Bush Sold the War by Douglas J. Feith
Selling the Iraq war and chewing gum at the same time -- Protein Wisdom
Iraq Rising By Jacob Laksin -- Front Page
Is Sistani Promoting Attacks on Coalition Forces? -- Weekly Standard
Does Doug Feith understand StratComm better than Hassan Nasrallah? -- Abu Muqawama
Guerrilla diplomacy (Venezuela) -- Financial Times
The lessons of Colombia by Thomas Lifson, American Thinker
A homemade peace in the Mideast -- By Barbara Slavin, L.A. Times
Terrorist funding strings irk officials -- U.P.I.
The Rebellion Within, An Al Qaeda mastermind questions terrorism. -- New Yorker
When the Founding Fathers Faced Islamists by Michael Weiss, Pajamas Media
Why the Mullahs Will Keep on Fighting Us — and Destroying Iran -- Pajamas Media
al Qaeda fights the US and helps defeat themselves -- Protein Wisdom
Dealing With The Devil: Pakistan and the Taliban by Strategy Page
An Exurban Memorial Day by John Steele Gordon, Commentary Magazine

Terrorism Watch -- May 27, 2008

Summary Of Terrorism Incidents And News Reports:

Al Qaeda Tape to Call for Use of WMD -- ABC News

CIA Planning For Al Qaeda 'Succession Crisis' -- CBS

CIA Preps for al-Qaeda Succession -- Time Magazine

New al-Qaeda video calls for nuclear strike -- ADN Kronos

Officials: Teens trained for suicide bombings in Iraq -- CNN

New Al Qaeda Cell A Growing Threat To U.S. -- CBS News

Swiss Journalist Suspected By U.S. of Financing Al Qaeda Dies -- FOX News

Head Of Egyptian Muslim Brotherhood Says Bin Laden’s Actions Are Wrong -- Strata-Sphere

Pakistan must 'strike back at terrorism', says US -- Canoe

The Rebellion Within, An Al Qaeda mastermind questions terrorism. -- New Yorker

Release of radical cleric Abu Qatada puts Britain in a spot -- L.A. Times

Al-qaida group warns of retaliation for U.S. crackdown in Iraq -- Yahoo News

Belgian woman wages war for Al Qaeda on the Web -- International Herald Tribune

Living In A Fishbowl

Hat Tip To Protein Wisdom:

Here is an oddly sweet anecdote that deserves wider exposure. It appeared in Furman Magazine back in 2004, and concerns the research of the granddaughter of legendary Marine Evans Carlson.

The most surreal moment of an often-surreal four years for Karen Carlson Loving came last August as she interviewed a wizened Red Army veteran high in the remote mountains of northwest China. The old man–90 if he was a day–had been a Communist guerrilla fighter against Japanese invaders in 1937 and ‘38, and Loving’s grandfather had been a U.S. Marine intelligence officer assigned to observe the war.

Through her interpreter, Loving thanked the elderly soldier, explaining, “There was so much my grandfather learned from you that helped when the time came for the Americans to fight the Japanese.”

The Chinese man stared incredulously at his blonde Western visitor, possibly the first to his isolated village. ”You mean those bastards attacked the Americans, too?” he asked.

Osama Bin Laden Located in Himalayan Mountains?

From The Daily Times:

LAHORE: Al Qaeda chief Osama Bin Laden is hiding in the Karakoram segment of the Himalayan range, Arabic television network Al-Arabiya quoted its sources as saying on Monday. According to the Dubai-based network, in the past few days United States (US) security and military officials had a top-level summit at a military base in Qatar’s capital Doha to plan an operation to hunt for Osama. US commander in Iraq General David Petraeus and US ambassador to Islamabad Anne Patterson were reported to have attended the summit.

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Update From Gateway Pundit: Osama Bin Laden Located in Himalayan Mountains?

Update From Strata-Sphere: Is Bin Laden Within Our Sites?

My Comment: Go get the bastard