Free Republic

SNIPPET: "RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — Increasing numbers of English-language Web sites are spreading al-Qaida's message to Muslims in the West. They translate writings and sermons once largely out of reach of English readers and often feature charismatic clerics like Anwar al-Awlaki, who exchanged dozens of e-mails with the Army psychiatrist accused of the Fort Hood shootings. The U.S.-born al-Awlaki has been an inspiration to several militants arrested in the United States and Canada in recent years, with his Web-based sermons often turning up on their computers."

KABUL, Nov. 20, 2009 – Afghan and international forces in Afghanistan killed an enemy militant and detained several terrorism suspects today, military officials reported. A combined Afghan-international security force killed an enemy militant in Takhar province while pursuing a facilitator for the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan terrorist organization who is responsible for financing militant activities and transporting foreign fighters into the region. The force searched a compound in the rural Bangi district east of Kunduz City. During the search, the enemy militant displayed hostile intent and was killed. The search was completed without further incident. There has been an increased...

KABUL, Nov. 19, 2009 – Afghan and international forces killed several militants and detained terrorism suspects in two Afghanistan provinces yesterday, military officials reported. A combined Afghan-international force detained several suspected militants in northern Kandahar province while pursuing a senior Taliban commander. The force targeted two vehicles near the village of Sahabey in the province’s Ghorak district after intelligence indicated militant activity. One of the vehicles contained a rocket-propelled grenade launcher and several rounds, as well as a machine gun and ammunition. The vehicles’ occupants were detained for further questioning, and the force safely destroyed the RPG launcher and other...

Lawmaker decries U.S. demand to halt Jewish construction - JERUSALEM – A member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud Party today slammed as "racist" President Obama's longstanding demand for a halt to Jewish construction in the strategic West Bank and eastern sections of Jerusalem. "President Obama should not interfere with the rights of the Jewish people to live in Jerusalem," said Likud Knesset Member Danny Danon. "This ... is a racist demand, saying that Jews cannot live in Jerusalem, only Arabs." Danon continued: "Our duty is to the nation that chose to deepen the settlement across Judea and Samaria, and...

KABUL, Nov. 18, 2009 – Afghan and international forces killed several enemy militants and detained numerous terrorism suspects in Afghanistan today, military officials reported. A combined Afghan-international force detained a group of suspected militants in Zabul province while pursuing a Taliban commander responsible for several attacks in the area. The force searched buildings on the west side of Qalat City where intelligence indicated militant activity and detained the suspected militants without incident. In a separate operation, a combined force killed several enemy militants in Khost province, including a Haqqani terrorist involved with attacks in the area. The force targeted a...

"Welcome to Spin Boldak. I am Commander Mullah Manan," he said, "second in command to Mullah Abdul Hakeem, commander of Helmand Province." "I just returned from a council meeting in Kandahar," he said."The only true Taliban shura is the one led by Mullah Omar. It has 29 members and some hold key government posts.""Mullah Omar’s orders are written down and given to the shura members. They pass them on to a chosen eight or nine others. No one uses any form of telecommunications or electronic devices," Manan added."We are not safe in Quetta," Manan answered. "These days, Pakistani security forces...

Top Obama Bundler Who Stormed Stage During Sarah Palin’s RNC Speech Admits Meeting With Taliban November 17, 2009 Jim Hoft One of Barack Obama’s top 500 bundlers who raised nearly $100,000 for the Democratic nominee rushed the stage during Sarah Palin’s speech at the Xcel Center during the Republican Convention. The Secret Service dragged her away. Democratic mega-donor Jodie Evans was nearly on the stage when the Secret Service stopped her. (AP) ** Video Here at the 13:46 mark in Sarah Palin’s speech. Jodie Evans entered the Xcel Center with the stolen identity of an RNC delegate. Now her friend...

Top Obama donor and fundraiser Jodie Evans met with the Taliban in Afghanistan on a recent trip there, according to a report by Jane Fonda of a discussion she had with Evans last month. The meeting with the Taliban took place just weeks before Evans was videotaped directly handing to President Barack Obama a package of information about her trip to Afghanistan at a high dollar fundraiser in San Francisco.The meeting with the Taliban was kept secret by Evans and her group Code Pink in reports she and the group posted from Kabul and in interviews with the media and...

KABUL, Nov. 17, 2009 – Afghan and international forces worked together to kill or detain numerous enemy fighters and terrorism suspects in operations over the last two days, military officials reported. A combined Afghan and international security force killed several enemy militants, including a sought-after Taliban district commander, and detained several suspected militants in Afghanistan’s Wardak province early today. The force searched a compound near the village of Mayshin Kala in the province’s Sayed Abad district where intelligence indicated militant activity. Upon entering the compound courtyard, the force came under attack and returned fire, killing several enemy militants. During the...

It all boils down to this simple question: Do you want to win the war or not? Barry O, Sen. Kerry and others are frittering the days away while the man that knows -- General McChrystal -- has stated he needs 40,000 more troops to win the war in Afghanistan. And he’s also said that if we don’t do this smart, hard and fast we will -- within a year -- be unable to defeat the Taliban. So what did Barry do? Nothing. So far, he’s wasted almost ninety days of that year working hard to feed Fedzilla another one-sixth...

SARAROGHA, Pakistan (Reuters) – Pakistani forces have captured most main Taliban bases in their offensive in South Waziristan and will soon fan out into the rugged countryside to hunt for militants there, commanders said on Tuesday. Soldiers have advanced faster than expected in their month-long offensive, seizing main roads and Taliban bases but militant leaders have apparently melted away while their bombers have unleashed carnage in towns. The United States, weighing options for how to turn an intensifying insurgency in Afghanistan, has welcomed the offensive but is keen to see Pakistan tackle Afghan Taliban factions based in lawless enclaves along...

One of the most wanted Taliban leaders in Pakistan has escaped to Afghanistan and is planning new attacks on Pakistani forces, he has told the BBC. Maulana Fazlullah founded the Swat Taliban to enforce a hardline version of Islamic law. The government at first accepted his demands, but later accused the militants of reneging on a peace deal and sent troops into the valley. Maulana Fazlullah was said by officials to have been wounded or killed in July. Threats "I have reached Afghanistan safely," Maulana Fazlullah told BBC Urdu. "We are soon going to launch full-fledged punitive raids against the...

These drones are no bees, but they can sting, and one of their operators is a local congressman who says they are integral to the war effort in Afghanistan and Iraq. U.S. Rep. Chris Carney, also known as Navy Reserve Cmdr. Chris Carney, is one of the military's remote operators of unmanned Predator, Reaper and Global Hawk drones that fly and spy over the Middle East countries. "I want to be on the cutting edge of our national defense and our defense technology," Mr. Carney said. "And this is it." The drones look like smaller, thinner planes. From thousands of...

The CIA has paid millions of dollars to Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) since 9/11, "accounting for as much as one-third of the foreign spy agency's annual budget", says a media report. The ISI also collected "tens of millions of dollars through a classified CIA programme", which pays for the capture or killing of wanted militants, a newspaper reported on Monday citing current and former US officials. An intense debate has been triggered within the US government due to "long-standing suspicions that the ISI continues to help Taliban extremists who undermine US efforts in Afghanistan and provide sanctuary to Al Qaeda...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 16, 2009 – Combined Afghan and international forces killed or detained numerous enemy fighters in Afghanistan in recent days, military officials reported. A combined force in Nangarhar province today detained several suspected militants, including a sought-after Taliban facilitator believed to be responsible for numerous weapons shipments to other militant elements in the area. No shots were fired, and no civilians were harmed during the operation. In eastern Paktika province yesterday, a combined force killed a group of enemy militants and detained two suspected militants while pursuing a Haqqani terrorist network commander with ties to the local Haqqani leadership....

Washington: US President Barack Obama has written a letter to his Pakistani counterpart Asif Ali Zardari, asking him to step up the offensive against the Taliban and al Qaeda. The New York Times reported on Sunday that the Obama administration was leaning on Pakistan to step up its fight against the Taliban and al Qaeda. Obama’s National Security Adviser General James L. Jones was sent to Islamabad with a letter for Zardari, The New York Times quoted sources, as saying. “His (President Obama’s) message, officials said, was that the new American strategy would work only if Pakistan broadened its fight...

James Galyean wrote a post on Friday afternoon that I think we probably ought to focus on a bit more. The left is celebrating Barack Obama’s decision to send Khalid Sheikh Mohammed to New York City for a criminal trial in a civilian court. In fact, since Friday I have gotten a lot of hate mail from leftists saying I must not trust our due process system. The problem, however, is just the opposite. I very much trust our due process system to be exceedingly fair to a terrorist who will put great value in his opening statement. But, that...

In Afghanistan, IEDs (Improvised Explosive Device, a roadside, or suicide car bomb) now cause over 70 percent of NATO casualties. It has also been discovered that there was one big difference between the IEDs in Iraq and Afghanistan; the explosives used. In Iraq, there were thousands of tons of munitions and explosives scattered around the country after the 2003 invasion was over. This was the legacy of Saddam Hussein, and the billions he spent on weapons during his three decades in power. The Iraqi terrorists grabbed a lot of these munitions, and used them for a five year bombing campaign....

In the wake of an attack that nearly overran a U.S. military outpost in Afghanistan’s Nuristan province, the Taliban have released a statement in the name of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan describing the attack as part of a larger campaign to drive the U.S. military out of their bases in Nuristan. The statement appeared in the October-November issue of the Taliban’s Al-Sumud magazine. An October 3 attack by some 300 Taliban and Hizb-i-Islami fighters on Combat Outpost (COP) Keating (occupied jointly by U.S. and ANA forces) left eight Americans dead and 24 wounded. The attack on COP Keating was...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2009 – Combined Afghan and international security forces detained several suspected militants, including an alleged Taliban commander, in operations in Afghanistan today and yesterday, military officials reported. A combined force killed enemy militants and detained several militants in Wardak province, including an alleged Taliban commander believed to be responsible for several attacks in the area. The combined security force searched buildings near the village of Badam Kalay in Nerkh district where intelligence sources indicated a Taliban commander was located. The force surrounded a mosque, known to be used by the Taliban commander to cache weapons, and called...

NANGARHAR PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Nov. 13, 2009 – Four provincial governors and a 21-member executive committee from the eastern Afghanistan peace and development jirga – a group of elders -- met in the Nangarhar governor’s compound Nov. 10 to discuss the group’s charter and its top priorities. U.S. Army Col. Randy A. George, Task Force Mountain Warrior commander, center left, meets with Afghan leaders, including four provincial governors, and a U.S. State Department official to discuss ways to reconcile with Taliban and other Afghans who do not support the central government, Nangarhar governor’s compound, Afghanistan, Nov. 10, 2009. U.S. Army photo...

Nov. 13 (UPI) -- One hopes that the Obama administration's soon-to-be-announced new strategy for Afghanistan will at least be as successful as the Soviet strategy executed between 1986 and 1992. The McChrystal plan, presumably the basis for the Obama strategy, will initially focus on critical high-population areas that are contested or controlled by insurgents, not because the enemy is present but because it is here that the population is threatened by the insurgency. These fortified population centers will then be connected by securing the roads between them and protecting key infrastructure. The assumption is that this strategy would prevent Taliban...

A suicide car bomb devastated Pakistan's main spy agency building in the northwest city of Peshawar, striking at the heart of the institution overseeing much of the country's anti-terror campaign. At least 11 people have been confirmed dead and 39 injured in the blast, the police co-ordination officer Saebzada Anees confirmed. The attackers struck at the headquarters of the ISI intelligence agency, which was completely razed by the blast, in the city's most high security neighbourhood. The homes of the chief minister, provincial governor, the army corp commander and the American consultate are all close by.

President Barack Obama has demanded the inclusion of an exit plan in the new US strategy for Afghanistan. White House officials said that in a meeting with Pentagon chiefs Mr Obama had made clear he wants his decision on troop reinforcements to offer a strong suggestion of when and how responsibility for security would be turned over to the Afghans. After two months of discussions with his advisers he rejected all four options they had touted on the number of troops to be sent, in a surprise move that risked provoking further allegations of “dithering”. While he is still expected...

On 29 October 2001, while the Taliban's rule over Afghanistan was under assault, the regime's ambassador in Islamabad in neighbouring Pakistan gave a chaotic press conference in front of several dozen reporters sitting on the grass. On the Taliban diplomat's right sat his interpreter, Ahmad Rateb Popal, a man with an imposing presence. Like the ambassador, Popal wore a black turban, and he had a huge bushy beard. He had a black patch over his right eye socket, a prosthetic left arm and a deformed right hand, the result of injuries from an explosives mishap during an old operation against...

There are no girls choosing colorful bangles, no women buying dresses anymore in the narrow, dusty, aisles of Mina bazaar, one of the few markets in this frontier town that used to cater to families. Instead, most of the small, fragile shops are now piles of bricks, destroyed two weeks ago by a massive car bomb that gutted this crowded corner of the city. The explosion was one of the most violent acts of terrorism in Pakistan's history. The official death count was more than 110, but residents here say at least 60 more bodies were never found, obliterated in...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 12, 2009 – Afghan and international forces in Afghanistan today captured a sought-after Taliban commander following a firefight in Afghanistan’s Ghazni province, and also captured a Haqqani terrorist group leader in another area, military officials reported. In the first incident, the combined force killed several enemy militants and detained others in Ghazni’s Zankhan district. During the operation, the force received and returned fire, killing several enemy militants. A security element of the combined force searched the enemy position and recovered a rifle, multiple grenades, ammunition and communication gear. The force then searched the compound and detained a group...

THE INTERNET IS NOT A VIRTUAL SAFE HAVEN... ...but Malaysia is. Witness, for example, the current set of Taliban sites operating in Malaysia:

Ladies and Gentlemen, I apologize up front for this vanity, but this photo is very telling. In the photo, we see our military rendering honors to the Veterans (both deceased and still with us). Why is it that this punk stands there with his hands folded? He makes it really obvious that he could really care less about America and our great Soldiers, Airmen, Marines, Sailors, Coast Guardsmen and Merchant Marines. Why does he fail to salute our Veterans and our great society?

In surveying the cultural carnage in the wake of the worst terrorist attack on a military installation in US history, it bears noting that there have been seismic shifts in America. When America was free of the shackles of Islam, say, fifty years ago, the current response to such an attack by an enemy faction would have been unthinkable. I have watched in abject horror the stunning reaction of elites in this country to this act of war. The denial, the submission, the excuses, the dodging, the self-flagellation, the shame, the deceiving of the American people by the media, the...

I am missing something here. After the attack and murder of 13 innocent people by an apparent imbedded radical Jihadist in the US Army, General Casey said on Meet The Press, "Our diversity, not only in our Army, but in our country, is a strength. And as horrific as this tragedy was, if our diversity becomes a casualty, I think that's worse." I have some questions for any military officer who swore an oath on several occasions to support and defend the Constitution. How many innocent Americans have to be murdered by someone who displayed every single modus operandi of...

We know absolutely no one in Bush family circles and have never met former President George W. Bush or his wife Laura. If you have been reading us for any length of time, you know that we used to make fun of “Dubya” nearly every day…parroting the same comedic bits we heard in our Democrat circles, where Bush is still, to this day, lampooned as a chimp, a bumbling idiot, and a poor, clumsy public speaker. Oh, how we RAILED against Bush in 2000…and how we RAILED against the surge in support Bush received post-9/11 when he went to Ground...

Recently on ABC television news, one of their videos showed a U.S. Marine hunkered down in Afghanistan complaining on camera that he was not allowed to shoot back when under fire. This situation resulted from Obama’s new rules of engagement from his new Afghanistan commander. General McChrystal explained it to BBC news that they are now advising troops to break off from firefights with the Taliban, "If you are in a situation where you are under fire from the enemy... if there is any chance of creating civilian casualties or if you don't know whether you will create civilian casualties,...

Via Michelle Malkin, a reminder that, in addition to killing 13 people and wounding 30 at Fort Hood last week, Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan also murdered soldier Francheska Velez's baby. Velez's cousin told the Washington Post that Private Velez "was supposed to be coming very, very soon. Everyone’s devastated. Everyone’s at a loss for words. She was very young. She wasn't supposed to die the way she died.” Under the Unborn Victims of Violence Act, Hasan is "guilty of a separate offense" for causing "the death of, or bodily injury (as defined in section 1365) to, a child, who is...

IsraelNN.com) U.S. Undersecretary of State for Political Affairs William Burns told the Middle East Institute in Washington on Tuesday that the U.S. recognizes the Iranian regime’s “right” to nuclear power, does not seek regime change and is ready for more talks with Iran. "We seek a relationship with the Islamic Republic of Iran based upon mutual interest and mutual respect. We do not seek regime change. We have condemned terrorist attacks against Iran.

"The shooting incident which was executed by the Muslim American soldier Nidal Malek Hasan, against the American soldiers at Fort Hood base in the state of Texas last Thursday, and caused the death of 13 and injury of 38 [soldiers], has caused fright and trance and enormous fears within the military and civil circles in America.” “Some of the Western organizations and media sources say—regarding the factors that made the American soldier Nidal Hasan carry this attack—it might be caused by psychological illness and stress, which spread amongst the soldiers in the battlefields in Afghanistan and Iraq, and it is...

Exhorts Islamic faithful to target planes carrying '82nd Airborne' - A Council on American-Islamic Relations adviser and regular speaker at its events has suggested Islamic law permits Muslims to attack C-130 military transport planes carrying the 82nd Airborne out of Fort Bragg, N.C., according to a stunning new book exposing Washington-based CAIR's inner workings. Radical Islamic cleric Zaid Shakir, a frequent guest speaker at CAIR events, tells his Muslim audiences: "Jihad is physically fighting the enemies of Islam to protect and advance the religion of Islam. This is jihad." Acceptable targets of jihad, he says, include U.S. military aircraft. "Islam...

In most of our cities and towns, you’ll see memorials to brave Americans – some in uniforms of wars from long ago – who defended freedom. If you look down at their inscriptions, you’ll see that they were dedicated by the mothers, fathers, wives and orphans of the veterans who gave all for their country. In distant lands across the globe, you’ll find silent fields of white markers with the names of Americans who never came home, but who showed their dedication to their country by where they died. Today we honor those who served and made the ultimate sacrifice,...

Attorney General Eric Holder has agreed to give a keynote speech next week to a Michigan group which includes the local branch of the Council on American-Islamic Relations even though the FBI has formally severed contacts with the controversial Muslim civil rights organization. On Nov. 19, Holder is scheduled to speak in Detroit to the first annual awards banquet of Advocates and Leaders for Police and Community Trust, a coalition of several dozen law enforcement and community groups. An online registration form for the event includes the Council on American Islamic Relations-Michigan on a list of “official & participating organizations.”...

KABUL, Nov. 10, 2009 – Afghan National Police and international forces seized 250 tons of suspected bomb-making material and detained 15 people in a Nov. 8 raid in southeastern Afghanistan, military officials reported. Based on reliable information, the combined force searched a warehouse in Kandahar province, where they seized 1,000 100-pound bags of ammonium nitrate fertilizer and detained 15 people. They found an additional 4,000 100-pound bags of fertilizer at a nearby compound, and also seized 5,000 components used in improvised explosive devices. Ammonium nitrate fertilizer is a key ingredient in IEDs and is illegal in Afghanistan. “This was a...

I want to see the whole thing. Every American should demand to see the whole damned thing. And then you need to demand to know the names of every higher-ups in the military and the government who read or saw this thing and did nothing about it. I’m talking about the chilling slide presentation that Fort Hood jihadist Nidal Hasan gave at Walter Reed Hospital while a senior-year psych resident in June 2007. The Washington Post publishes details of the slide presentation, though not the original document itself. [Update: Good! WaPo publishes the full slide presentation here.] http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2009/11/10/GA2009111000920.html Goodbye, “Do...

PRESIDENT OBAMA: "Well, look, we -- we have seen, in the past, rampages of this sort. And in a country of 300 million people, there are going to be acts of violence that are inexplicable. Even within the extraordinary military that we have -- and I think everybody understands how outstanding the young men and women in uniform are under the most severe stress -- there are going to be instances in which an individual cracks. I think the questions that we're asking now and we don't have yet complete answers to is, is this an individual who's acting in...

Violence and instability in Afghanistan continue to rage in the form of an organic insurgency shaped by local identities, networks, and interests. Operating under the nebulous rubric of the Taliban, the insurgents in Afghanistan have evolved in sophistication, lethality, and geographic scope in recent years. While the presence of transnational radical Islamists led by al-Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan augments the tactical and operational capabilities of the insurgents, myriad factors help fuel the violence that confronts the American-led Coalition. The reach of regional state actors, for instance, impacts the insurgency in Afghanistan. The machinations of Afghanistan’s neighbors, in essence, define...

WASHINGTON, Nov. 9, 2009 – More than 750 Afghan and international forces in recent days completed the largest operation to date in Afghanistan’s Kunduz province, clearing the northern border area of hundreds of insurgent fighters, military officials reported. Afghan soldiers hand out supplies to Afghans who had been evicted from their villages by Taliban fighters in Konduz, Afghanistan, Nov. 6, 2009. Supplies included new shoes, blankets, clothes, tea, food, and other items to aid the local Afghans through the winter months. U.S. Army photo by Spc. Christopher Baker   (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. The combined forces conducted operations...

HELMAND PROVINCE, Afghanistan, Nov. 9, 2009 – Marines have an uncanny ability to call any place “home,” even if it’s a mixture of sand and gravel, or in this instance, a Taliban compound. U.S. Marines walk down an alley during a patrol in the Nawa district of Afghanistan’s Helmand province, Sept. 21, 2009. U.S. Marine Corps photo by Lance Cpl. John M. McCall  (Click photo for screen-resolution image);high-resolution image available. Marines with Weapons Company, 1st Battalion, 5th Marine Regiment, have been operating out of what Marines refer to as “the mansion” here, since Aug. 1. Local Afghans have told Marines the...

Arif Alikhan, currently deputy mayor for the city of Los Angeles, was appointed as assistant secretary for the Office of Policy Development at the Department of Homeland Security. "Muslim Democrats welcome Alikhan’s appointment" At a banquet/fundraiser for the Islamic Shura Council of Southern California last weekend, the first speaker was Arif Alikhan (Deputy Mayor of Los Angeles - in charge of public safety for the city). He bid farewell, as he is going to take a post as Assistant Secretary at the Department of Homeland Security. Arif Alikhan is a devout Sunni and the son of Pakistani immigrants. Professor Agha...

This was a terrorist attack on America by a U.S. soldier. In a saner country in a saner time, "Major" Hassan would be immediately tried for treason and face a firing squad. ------ Definition of Treason: Main Entry: trea·son Pronunciation: \ˈtrē-zən\ Function: noun Etymology: Middle English tresoun, from Anglo-French traisun, from Latin tradition-, traditio act of handing over, from tradere to hand over, betray — more at traitor Date: 13th century 1 : the betrayal of a trust : treachery 2 : the offense of attempting by overt acts to overthrow the government of the state to which the offender...

KUNDUZ, Afghanistan (Reuters) – NATO and Afghan officials claimed on Monday their forces had killed at least 130 Taliban fighters in a major operation over the past week in an area of Afghanistan's north where militant activity has surged. A combined force of 700 Afghan troops and 50 NATO soldiers cleared villages of fighters, killing more than 130 insurgents including eight Taliban commanders during a five-day operation, NATO spokesman Lieutenant Colonel Todd Vician said. Kunduz province governor Mohammad Omar told Reuters the combined force had killed 133 fighters during the operation, which took place in and around Kunduz's Char Dara...

A number of experts think the U.S. should abandon its “top down” strategy of building an Afghan national army and should switch to arming and paying local tribes to fight the Taliban. Former national security adviser Zbigniew Brzezinski, appearing Thursday at a Capitol Hill conference sponsored by RAND, said he closely examined former Soviet counterinsurgencies in Poland and the Ukraine. In both cases, the Soviets successfully levered small, locally recruited militia forces to successfully battle numerically superior anti-regime insurgents. He warned of the perils of trying to police xenophobic Tajiks, Uzbeks and Pahstuns with an Afghan national army. A better...

policymakers continue to debate U.S. strategy in Afghanistan, we asked Rick Nelson, senior fellow at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, to weigh in on the possibility of reconciling Taliban fighters, efforts to track down Al Qaeda and the potential risks that an escalation of the war in Afghanistan might pose to neighboring Pakistan. Nelson is a former Navy helicopter pilot with operational and intelligence experience in counterterrorism including assignments at the National Counterterrorism Center and National Security Council. Earlier this year, he returned from Afghanistan where he directed a Joint Task Force. Below is an email Q and...