US Commanders Welcome Fallujah Revival

From New York Post:

FALLUJAH, Iraq (AP) -- Women shrouded in black shop for gold jewelry and fabric. Young boys tote trays of tea. The smell of tangerines wafts through the air. This is Fallujah 2008 - a former insurgent stronghold that U.S. commanders now hold up as an example for the rest of Iraq.

But a simmering provincial power struggle is threatening to raise new tensions among the fractured Sunni tribal chiefs and politicians of Anbar that some fear could distract them from the fight against al-Qaida in Iraq.

Read more ....

My Comment: I still always remember how happy the citizens of Fallujah were when 4 American contractors were ambushed and murdered in that city four years ago. I knew then that after such a public show of defiance to Coalition forces, the result will only be a massive military response. Over time American resolve, determination, and having the will to confront and kill the enemy is what then changed this situation. I guess it is better to be feared, and when American military might is unleashed it can be over whelming.

I personally hope that after so many dead and so much destruction that peace will stay and be maintained in that city. All sides certainly deserve that break.

Fears Of Sudan-Chad Proxy War

From News.com:

A SENIOR UN official warned that a reported proxy war between Sudan and Chad through rebel groups on each side of their border threatened to destabilise the region and could lead to a wider conflict.

Jean-Marie Guehenno, the French Under-Secretary-General of UN peacekeeping operations who toured Sudan's strife-torn Darfur last month, told the Security Council that the situation had been exacerbated by the violence in Chad over the past several days.

Read more ....

My Comment: Do we really want to get involved in this mess?

6 Palestinian Militants, 1 Teacher Killed In Gaza

JERUSALEM - Israeli forces on Thursday killed seven Palestinians, including a schoolteacher, in its campaign to stop daily rocket barrages from the Gaza Strip, while adding new economic pressure —approving a symbolic cut in electricity for the beleaguered territory.

Israeli Defense Minister Ehud Barak vowed even harsher military action if Gaza militants persist with their rocket fire at southern Israel. "If the (rocket) fire continues, we will intensify our activity and the other side's losses, until we resolve the (rocket) problem," he said.

In one incident, an Israeli rocket hit a field school, killing the teacher. News footage showed there was a rocket launcher near the school.

Read more ....

My Comment: The wall with Egypt now sealed .... misery and conflict returns to Gaza.

Afghan Failure 'Will Bring Terror To The West'

From The Telegraph:

The Nato secretary-general today warned that failure to bring peace to Afghanistan would result in further terror attacks on Western cities, as David Miliband and Condoleezza Rice began a surprise visit to the country.

Speaking ahead of a Nato meeting in Lithuania, Jaap de Hoop Scheffer urged member states to pledge more resources to help train the Afghan army.

"This is the front-line in the fight against terrorism, and what is happening in the Hindu Kush matters, because if terrorism is not dealt with in Afghanistan, the consequences will be felt not just in Afghanistan and the region, but also in London, Brussels, and Amsterdam," he told the BBC.

Read more ....

Rice, British Foreign Secretary Visit Afghanistan's Kandahar Province -- Voice of America

Update: Talking To The Taliban -- Belmont Club

My Comment: His comments are true ..... but are people in the West listening?

Iran Or Saudi Arabia: Pick Your Poison

A must read commentary from Pajamas Media:

What’s your poison: Saudi Arabia or Iran?

That is a choice the next U.S. president must make. In strategic gist the West too is at a point where its myriad of religious-political establishments must decide what wings of Islam, those sponsored by the Saudis or the Iranians, are adept for coexistence.

That a choice has to be made is clear from the savage wars between Shiites and Sunnis and those tearing at Sunni Muslim societies as well as nipping at the heels of Islamic democracies from Turkey to Pakistan and even the Muslim communities of Europe and America. That, too, is a war between Iran and Saudis over corpses of others.

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My Comment: There are no good choices available for the west to grab. Both sides are continuing with their centuries old conflict, and there is no desire for a reconciliation. The breaking point will come when Iran's oil reserves and production cannot meet the financial and economic needs of its people and government. To insure its legitimacy Iran will then start to lay the groundwork for conflict with its neighbors.

As a religious belief, Islam has always been used as an excuse by Middle Eastern elites to give them the authority to influence and control political/economic developments in their countries. Oil has complicated this picture completely, giving a false sense of expectation and further economic and political growth within their communities.

If oil prices decline and economic prospects diminish, religion will then be used for exerting political pressure on others. This is the worse case scenario .... a scenario that can easily get out of control.

How Can Pakistan Hang On To Its Nukes, If It Can’t Hang Tn To Its Prisoners?

From The Pajamas Media:

Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf clearly doesn’t like being asked about terrorists who “escape” his police force’s custody. This does not inspire Annie Jacobsen’s confidence.

During his recent European public relations tour, Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf was asked the world’s most pressing question by a London-based journalist named M. Ziauddin.

How can Pakistan hang on to its nukes, if it can’t hang on to its prisoners?

Read more ...

Commentary from Captain's Quarters.

My Comment: This article is written clearly and to the point .... Pakistan's nukes are not secure, and the country's leadership are in denial.

One District In Pakistan Now More Deadly Than All Of Iraq

From The Long War Journal:

More than two months after the Pakistani military launched an operation to clear the district of Swat in the Northwest Frontier Province, pockets of Taliban forces and safe havens remain. The Pakistani military and police have taken casualties comparable to the combined US and Iraqi forces have fighting the insurgency in Iraq, according to an Interior Ministry report obtained by the Daily Times.

Read more ....

My Comment: My credit goes to Bill Roggio for covering the growing conflict in Pakistan. His articles put everything in perspective. Our focus is on Iraq, but more important conflicts with long term implications are occurring elsewhere that need to be covered. This article is one of many that does this job.

Afghanistan War News Updates -- February 5, 2008

Condoleezza Rice Wants Nato Allies To Do More In Afghanistan -- Times Online

Raid On Taleban Hideouts Leaves Civilians Dead -- Times Online

19 Dead In Raids, Clashes In Afghanistan -- Yahoo News

Afghans Claims UK Planned To Train Ex-Taliban -- The Telegraph

Revealed: British Plan To Build Training Camp For Taliban Fighters In Afghanistan -- Independent

'Britain Planned Secret Camp In Afghanistan To Retrain Taliban Soldiers To Fight For Nato' -- Daily Mail

Teams Work To Rebuild Afghanistan -- Washington Times

Afghan Prison Blues -- Newsweek

Kabul Police Surround Home Of The Former Warlord Dostum -- International Herald Tribune

Rift In NATO Over Afghanistan Forces -- CBS News

A Flea In The Ear For Mullah Omar -- Asia Times

My Comment: NATO is in disarray, the British are pursuing an independent course of action, and the Taliban are organizing. The future is not looking bright.

Iraq War News Updates -- February 5, 2008

Prince Andrew Rebukes America Over Iraq -- The Telegraph

US Admits Killing Nine Civilians In Iraq -- Times Online

US Admits Killing Nine Iraqi Civilians -- Guardian

US Troops Kill 15 Suspected Militants, Detain 26 In Raids against al-Qaida in Iraq -- International Herald Tribune

The Surge In Iraq -- One Year Later: Photo Essay

U.S. Military Rules Kept Troops Out Of Mosques -- Washington Times

Iraq OKs Rehiring Baath Party Members -- CBS News

Iranian-Backed Terror Cells Still Active in Iraq -- Weekly Standard

The Final Mission, Part II -- Middle East Journal

Heavy Fighting Resumes In Chad's Capital -- Full Coverage

From Yahoo News:

N'DJAMENA, CHAD - Chadian rebels renewed their assault on the capital of this oil-rich central African country Monday, and tens of thousands of people fled as gunfire crackled and artillery shells exploded across the city.

The third day of fighting in N'Djamena threatened to further destabilize an already violent swath of Africa that is home to hundreds of thousands of refugees and borders Sudan's war-ravaged Darfur region.

Hours after the rebels went back on the attack following an overnight retreat, the U.N. Security Council authorized France and other nations to help Chad's government.

Read more ....

More News Updates From:

France Given Green Light To Intervene In Chad -- Telegraph

UN Backs French Help Against Chad Rebels -- Yahoo News

Support Chad President, Says UN -- BBC News

U.N. Urges Support For Chad's Government -- Reuters

Chad Rebels Forced Out Of N'Djamena -- Telegraph

Thousands Are Reported To Flee Chad's Capital -- International Herald Tribune

Thousands More Flee Deadly Rebel Fighting In Chad -- CNN

Dead In Street As Chad Forces In Three Day Clash With Sudan-Backed Rebels -- Times Online

Chad Rebels Pull Back From Capital -- Guardian

Chad Rebels Threaten New Assault -- Time Magazine

Rebels Fight for Chad's Capital -- Time Magazine

Fighting In Chad Could Affect Darfur -- LA Times

U.N. Condemns Rebel Attacks In Chad -- CBS News

Chad's Future Taliban Enters Capital While The West Is Asleep -- Counter Terrorism Blog

The Crisis In Chad -- Belmont Club

My Comment: Counter Terrorism Blog's analysis on this situation is dead on right. The West is asleep on what is happening in this Central African country. Now the French, with the backing of the U.N., are going to intervene with their military. They, with their vaunted intelligence services, clearly missed out on what has been a growing danger for the past year.