World Terrorism: News, History and Research Of A Changing World #6 Disinformation, Inc.

Global Politician/Ocnus.Net ^ | Dec 17, 2006 | Professor Daniel M. Zucker

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

VEVAK learned its methodology from the Soviet KGB and many of the Islamist revolutionaries who supported Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini actually studied at Moscow's Patrice Lumumba Friendship University, the Oxford of terrorism. Documented Iranian alumni include the current Supreme Leader (the faqih) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, under whose Velayat-e Faqih (Rule of the Islamic Jurisprudent) apparatus it has traditionally operated. Its current head is Cabinet Minister Hojatoleslam Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Ezhei, a graduate of Qom's Haqqani School, noted for its extremist position advocating violence against enemies and strict clerical control of society and government. The Ministry is very well funded and its charge, like that of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (the Pasdaran) is to guard the revolutionary Islamic Iranian regime at all costs and under all contingencies.

From the KGB playbook, VEVAK learned the art of disinformation. It's not so difficult to learn: tell the truth 80% of the time and lie 20%. Depending on how well a VEVAK agent wants to cover his/her tracks, the ratio may go up to 90/10, but it never drops below the 80/20 mark as such would risk suspicion and possible detection. The regime in Teheran has gone to great lengths to place its agents in locations around the world. Many of these operatives have been educated in the West, including the U.K. and the United States. Iranian government agencies such as embassies, consulates, Islamic cultural centers, and airline offices regularly provide cover for the work of VEVAK agents who dress well and are clean shaven, and move comfortably within our society. In this country, because of the severance of diplomatic relations, the principal site of VEVAK activities begins at the offices of Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.

Teheran has worked diligently to place its operatives in important think tanks and government agencies in the West. Some of its personnel have been recruited while in prison through torture or more often through bribery, or a combination of both. Others are Islamist revolutionaries that have been set up to look like dissidents - often having been arrested and imprisoned, but released for “medical reasons”. The clue to detecting the fake “dissident” is to read carefully what he/she writes, and to ask why this vocal “dissident” was released from prison when other real dissidents have not been released, indeed have been grievously tortured and executed. Other agents have been placed in this country for over twenty-five years to slowly go through the system and rise to positions of academic prominence due to their knowledge of Farsi and Shia Islam or Islamist fundamentalism.

One of the usual tactics of VEVAK is to co-opt academia to its purposes. Using various forms of bribery, academics are bought to defend the Islamic Republic or slander its enemies. Another method is to assign bright students to train for academic posts as specialists in Iranian or Middle East affairs. Once established, such individuals are often consulted by our government as it tries to get a better idea of how it should deal with Iran. These academics then are in a position to skew the information, suggesting the utility of extended dialogue and negotiation, or the danger and futility of confronting a strong Iran or its proxies such as Hizballah (Hezbollah). These academics serve to shield the regime from an aggressive American or Western policy, and thereby buy more time for the regime to attain its goals, especially in regards to its nuclear weaponry and missile programs.

MOIS likes to use the media, especially electronic media, to its advantage. One of VEVAK's favorite tricks is setting up web sites that look like they are opposition sites but which are actually controlled by the regime. These sites often will be multilingual, including Farsi, German, Arabic French, and English. Some are crafted carefully and are very subtle in how they skew their information (e.g., Iran-Interlink, set up and run by Massoud Khodabandeh and his wife Ann Singleton from Leeds, England); others are less subtle, simply providing the regime's point of view on facts and events in the news (e.g., www.mujahedeen.com or www.mojahedin.ws). This latter group is aimed at the more gullible in our open society and unfortunately such a market exists. However, if one begins to do one's homework, asking careful questions, the material on these fake sites generally does not add up.

Let's examine a few examples of VEVAK's work in the United States. In late October, 2005, VEVAK sent three of its agents to Washington to stage a press event in which the principal Iranian resistance movement, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK), was to be slandered. Veteran VEVAK agent Karim Haqi flew from Amsterdam to Canada where he was joined by VEVAK's Ottawa agents Amir-Hossein Kord Rostami and Mahin (Parvin-Mahrokh) Haji, and the three flew from Toronto to Washington. Fortunately the resistance had been tracking these three, informed the FBI of their presence in Washington, and when the three tried to hold a press conference, the resistance had people assigned to ask pointed questions of them so that they ended the interview prematurely and fled back to Canada.

Abolghasem Bayyenet is a member of the Iranian government. He serves as a trade expert for the Ministry of Commerce. But his background of study and service in the Foreign Ministry indicates that Bayyenet is more than just an economist or a suave and savvy businessman. In an article published in Global Politician on April 23, 2006, entitled “Is Regime Change Possible in Iran?”, Bayyenet leads his audience to think that he is a neutral observer, concerned lest the United States make an error in its assessment of Iran similar to the errors of intelligence and judgment that led to our 2003 invasion of Iraq, with its less than successful outcome. However, his carefully crafted bottom line is that the people of Iran are not going to support regime change and that hardliner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad actually has achieved greater popularity than his predecessors because of his concern for the problems of the poor and his fight for economic and social justice. To the naive, Bayyenet makes Ahmadinejad sound positively saintly. Conveniently overlooked is the occurrence of over four thousand acts of protest, strikes, anti-regime rallies, riots, and even political assassinations by the people of Iran against the government in the year since Ahmadinejad assumed office. So too, the following facts are ignored: the sizeable flight of capital, the increase in unemployment, and the rising two-figure rate of inflation, all within this last year. Bayyenet is a regime apologist, and when one is familiar with the facts, his arguments ring very hollow. However, his English skills are excellent, and so the naОve might be beguiled by his commentary.

Mohsen Sazegara is VEVAK's “reformed revolutionary”. A student supporter of Khomeini before the 1979 revolution, Sazegara joined the “imam” on his return from exile and served in the government for a decade before supposedly growing disillusioned.

He formed several reformist newspapers but ran afoul of the hardliners in 2003 and was arrested and imprisoned by VEVAK. Following “hunger strikes”, Sazegara was released for health reasons and permitted to seek treatment abroad. Although critical of the government and particularly of Ahmadinejad and KhameneМ, Sazegara is yet more critical of opposition groups, leaving the impression that he favors internal regime change but sees no one to lead such a movement for the foreseeable future. His bottom line: no one is capable of doing what needs to be done, so we must bide our time. Very slick, but his shadow shows his likely remaining ties to the MOIS.

http://www.ocnus.net/artman/publish/article_27144.shtml

[nw_arizona_granny]

Interfax: Kadyrov confirms he does not seek Chechen presidency

Kadyrov confirms he does not seek Chechen presidency

MOSCOW Feb 5 (Interfax) - Chechen Prime Minister Ramzan Kadyrov has
again stated that he does not aspire to become the Chechen president.

"I do not have presidential ambitions. Though many say that I am young
and ready to become president, this is not true I am tired of politics
I am against being referred to as a politician, I am an economic
executive," the Chechen premier said in an interview with Profil
magazine published on Monday.

However, he criticized current Chechen President Alu Alkhanov, who, as
Kadyrov claims, "is hard to understand as president,"

"His recent speech brought about a revolt in Chechnya. His statements
on the death of imam Shamil and Konto Hajji is the height of
indelicacy and political shortsightedness," Kadyrov said.

Imam Shamil and Konto Hajji "are our main saints, who are worshipped
by the majority of Chechens, and we await their return and are
convinced that they will return," he said. "Tens of thousands of
people believe that they are still alive, and he [Alkhanov] made such
statements," Kadyrov said.

Asked about how he acquired the six Porsche Cayenne vehicles
registered in Moscow with '777' on the plates that escorted him to the
Palace of Youth in Grozny, Kadyrov said that some were gifts of
friends and the rest he bought himself.

"I was a businessman before assuming the office of Chechen prime
minister. The '777' on the plates shows that I love Russia and its
capital, Moscow. That is why the vehicles are registered in Moscow,"
he said.

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chechnya-sl/

[nw_arizona_granny]

Rossiyskaya Gazeta: Interview with Russian Deputy Interior Minister

http://www.rg.ru/2007/02/02/edelev.html

BASAYEV'S SUCCESSORS ARE IN PERSONAL FILES;
The chief of the operational staff in the Chechen Republic disclosed
the names and the hiding places of the bandit underground

Timofey Borisov

DEPUTY INTERIOR MINISTER ARKADY YEDELEV: "THERE ARE 46 SMALL BANDIT
GROUPS WITH OVERALL STRENGTH OF APPROXIMATELY 450 MILITANTS OPERATING
IN THE CHECHEN REPUBLIC"; Interview of Deputy Interior Minister Arkady
Yedelev

Question: An amnesty for the former militants has recently occurred.
Unfortunately, the figures of the amnestied militants differ
dramatically. How many people have laid down their arms?

Yedelev: Six hundred and thirty-two people surrendered in the whole
North Caucasian region in six months. Of course, this is a huge
achievement because before the amnesty, only six people have come out
of the forest in six months. Besides, we can multiply the figure of
632 by at least four because the relatives who have been hostages of
the underground have returned to a normal, peaceful life together with
the militants. Due to national customs, the relatives had to support
and hide the militants who were living a kind of double life.

Question: Many amnestied people began working for authorities and
law-enforcement agencies. Are you afraid of former militants receiving
access to the power levers?

Yedelev: I am not. If the state forgives a person, this means that it
recognizes that he is not guilty of gross crimes and breaches of the
law. It would be logical to give people the opportunity to prove
themselves and to have a productive future.

Question: Are you sure the process of normalization in Chechnya is
irreversible?

Yedelev: Absolutely. The steps of both the federal center and Chechen
government headed by Ramzan Kadyrov assure us that a peaceful life has
come to this subject of the Federation forever.

Question: Did the general statistical data include the amnestied
militants detained in 2006 by the law-enforcement agencies? Not those
who have surrendered voluntarily, but have been caught and claimed
they surrendered to save themselves?

Yedelev: No, there are separate data registered for this category per
person. I can say that 174 bandits were neutralized in the North
Caucasian region in 2006 and 1,171 bandits were detained. They will be
put to trial according to the law.

Question: What were the losses of the federal forces?

Yedelev: In 2006, all security agencies in all subjects of the
Federation where antiterrorist operations were conducted lost 239
people, or almost 100 people less than in 2005. Losses could be much
bigger. Fortunately, we managed to prevent 112 terrorist and
subversion acts prepared by terrorists in the North Caucasus.

Question: Kidnapping has been called the plague of the North Caucasus
for a long time. Did anything change?

Yedelev: This criminal business is deteriorating. In 2006, the
prosecutor's office of the Chechen Republic registered the kidnapping
of 28 people; 108 people disappeared in 2005 and 153 people
disappeared in 2004.

Question: Now, after the end of the amnesty, how many militants remain
in service? We are concerned about data on the number of the
militants. Why do we hear the same figure of 1,000-1,500 militants
from top-ranking officials every year?

Yedelev: I understand your concern. We neutralized hundreds of bandits
and carried out dozens of successful special operations, but the
figure of 1,200-1,500 militants remains unchanged. Why? Federal
services established dense control over the terrain and only small
groups remained in hiding. Attempts to reinforce these gangs from
foreign training camps result in extra losses for the militants.

At present, there are 46 small bandit groups with an overall strength
of approximately 450 militants operating in the Chechen Republic.
However, no one can say for sure. In any case, if foreign centers
allocate money for subversion activities in Russia, again the quantity
of bandits will grow not only from local residents, but also from
mercenaries and adventurers in the CIS countries. The war has become a
lucrative business some time ago.

Question: How many foreign mercenaries are left in the territory of
the Caucasus?

Yedelev: Approximately 30.

Question: Which of them are the most dangerous and influential in the
bandit hierarchy?

Yedelev: I would single out two of them. This is Yasir from North
Africa, or to be more accurate, Algeria. Along with this, I think that
the most dangerous is Seif Islam from Jordan. This terrorist carried
out the most significant action on August 14 of 2005 when he gathered
up to 250 militants and personally commanded an attack at Roshni-Chu
village of the Urus-Martan District. The terrorist attack was foiled.
However, we lost a military commandant and five soldiers. Now Seif
Islam is the bag-man of Doku Umarov.

Question: Who remains the leader of bandit forces in Chechnya and
Ingushetia after the liquidation of Shamil Basayev?

Yedelev: Imurzoev, better known under the nickname of Khairulla, is
the most likely successor of Umarov. There is also Doka Umarov,
himself from the mountain village of Kharsenoi. We know a good deal
about Umarov. It is difficult to trace him because his hiding places
are difficult to access. To get to Kharsenoi or its environs it is
necessary to climb up the mountains in the Argun Gorge first and to
descend from the side of Shatoi afterwards. The movements of big
forces are always noticeable. There is no approach from the plain
below and heavy vehicles cannot pass there. Despite this, we have
nearly caught him on one occassion. Umarov was lucky. He was laying in
a small cave in the area of the Zumsoi village while we were searching
the terrain.

Speaking about the leaders of bandit forces, we need to understand
that we deal with very well trained terrorists. When we almost caught
Basayev in Baksan in Kabardino-Balkaria in 2004, he hid with his wife
in a corn field for 36 hours. It turned out later that he had a
communication system interfaced not only with GPS, but also with a
professional encryption system that delivered information to a
satellite in a few seconds and transmitted it to the addressee. That
is why we could not tap into his conversations. In turn, he heard us
quite clearly because he had a scanner allowing him to receive
conversations even in helicopters. Thirty-six hours later accomplices
brought Basayev on horses to Geldagen where the Yarmuk gang was hiding.

Another factor that helps the bandits is the feeling of suspicion
aggravated by a background of extreme danger. According to available
information, Doku Umarov killed three of his closest aides recently,
suspecting them of treason. Not long before his death Basayev killed
several his aides, too.

Our policy is focused on saving the maximum number of lives of
policemen and soldiers during operations. If bandits resist bitterly,
we do not send our people to attack headlong, unlike in previous wars.
This gives a break to us and to the bandits.

Question: The availability of special equipment and professional
knowledge to saboteurs suggests there are special services assisting
the bandits. Can you confirm this conclusion?

Yedelev: We knew that Basayev maintained contacts with representatives
of some foreign special services.

Question: After the liquidation of Shamil Basayev, some mass media
reported that the bandits allegedly became victims of the incautious
handling of weapons. The mass media also said that security agencies
did not report the death of Basayev immediately, but announced it only
when they studied the place and actually attributed the results of
this tragic mistake of the terrorists to themselves. Is this so? And
if not, can you disclose at least some of the details of the operation
and tell us about Basayev's mistakes?

Yedelev: I can declare unequivocally and competently that the
liquidation of Basayev was the result of a well and carefully planned
special operation managed by the Federal Security Service. I cannot
disclose all the details because not all bandits are neutralized yet,
and we can use experience of the successful liquidation of Basayev in
the future. I can only say that Basayev's main mistake was greed. He
should not have taken that truck himself.

Question: Did the neutralization of Basayev become a kind of milestone
in the history of Chechnya, or was his death just a consequence of the
in-depth changes that already took place in the republic, which he did
not understand and finally paid for with his life?

Yedelev: The Chechen Republic is not, so to speak, the leader of
instability in the North Caucasus anymore.

Question: Which region has this dubious first place now, if not
Chechnya?

Yedelev: Ingushetia, Dagestan and Kabardino-Balkaria. For example,
there are two well-trained and deeply disguised terrorist groups
operating in Kabardino-Balkaria. These are gangs of Astemirov and
Mukozhev and a group of Solpagarov.

Question: Does this mean that leaders and ideologues of religious
extremism manage to implement their new program for spreading
hostilities from Chechnya to the entire North Caucasus?

Yedelev: No, the statement about the expansion of the military
conflict beyond the borders of the Chechen Republic is maintained by
the enemies of Russia and is not based in reality. This is strictly
propaganda-a very old strategy. Terrorists have tried to broaden the
zone of combat operations beyond the limits of the republic before as
well.

For example, houses in Moscow and Volgodonsk were blown up not by
Chechens but by residents of Karachaevo-Cherkessia. Mine and explosion
specialists were well trained because there was a plant making radio
components for the Soviet Navy in the Malokarachaevsky District.
Naturally, the youth fooled by extremist slogans and with
microchip-handling skills were attracted for subversion activities.
The processes of gang formation were underway in other regions too. In
the Chechen Republic, the population, with assistance of the federal
forces, managed to do more from the standpoint of sparing the republic
from the extremist threat.

Question: Speaking about significant achievements in Chechnya, is it
high time to abolish sending police units from other regions to
Chechnya or is the Interior Ministry of Chechnya still unable to cope
with the situation?

Yedelev: The moment when it will be possible to abolish sending police
units from various subjects of the Federation to the Chechen Republic
is close. The Interior Ministry of Chechnya copes with its duties
well. However, there is no definite deadline for reassigning all power
to the Chechen police yet.

Source: Rossiyskaya Gazeta, February 02, 2007, p. 1

[nw_arizona_granny]

Thanks to Milford421 for this report:

Update: TN Man Pleads Guily to Ricin Possession

Tenn. man pleads guilty to possessing ricin, explosives in plea deal
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — A Nashville man pleaded guilty Monday to
federal charges of possessing the deadly poison ricin along with
firearms silencers and explosives under a plea deal with prosecutors
to spare himself from life in prison.

Neither William Matthews nor the authorities explained why the 56-
year-old had the poison.

Matthews was charged after a tip from his estranged wife led police
and federal agents to search his property May 31. They found the
ricin in a sealed baby jar, two functional pipe bombs, five gun
silencers, three blasting caps and bomb-making materials.

Matthews was already in a Davidson County jail serving a nine-month
sentence for violating orders of protection taken out by his wife
when he was charged with ricin possession. He has remained in
custody since then.

His guilty plea Monday calls for a prison term of 7 years and 3
months when he is sentenced April 27. The ricin charge alone could
have been punished by up to life in prison.

Mr. Matthews, I think, chose this (deal) as the best of the
available options," his lawyer, public defender Sumter Camp, said
after court.

Matthews, who worked at the city's drug court before he left amid a
sexual harassment investigation, testified that in the 1960s he was
diagnosed with schizophrenia and bipolar disorder and received
treatment then.


http://www.courttv.com/news/2007/0205/matthews_ap.html#storycont

[nw_arizona_granny]

Man arrested for pointing laser at helicopter

COLLIER COUNTY: A Collier County man is charged with pointing a laser
light
at a sheriff’s helicopter.

Eric Newsome, 28, is being held in the Collier County Jail and faces up
to
five years in prison.

The pilots of the sheriff’s office helicopter said on January 20th
while
they were flying over the area of Bayshore Drive and US 41 around 1:20
a.m.
someone shined a laser at them four times.

The pilot directed deputies to the home where the light came from. When
they
spoke to the man inside, later identified as Newsome, he told them that
he
did have a laser and that his five-year-old son must have pointed it at
the
helicopter.

[snipped]

Based on the new charge, a judge raised Newsome’s bond from $2,500 to
$50,000.

[snipped]
http://www.nbc-2.com/articles/readarticle.asp?articleid=10950&z=3&p=

[nw_arizona_granny]

Jet Landing At DIA Misses Snowplow By 200 Feet

Incident Is Second At Airport In Month

DENVER -- A United Airlines jet landing at Denver International Airport
was
forced to brake to a complete stop to avoid hitting a snowplow on the
active
runway, the National Transportation Safety Board said Monday.

The incident, which happened about 5:38 p.m. on Friday, involved a
Boeing
737 on a flight from Billings, Mont., to Denver.

According to the NTSB, the pilot used maximum braking power and full
thrust
reverses to bring the jet to a stop just 200 feet before hitting the
snowplow.

There were no injuries to the 101 passengers on board the jet.

[snipped]


http://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/10934886/detail.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

2 killed in private jet crash in French Alps

GRENOBLE, France: (AP) A private jet crashed near a ski station in the
French Alps and burst into flames Monday, killing the pilot and a
passenger,
police said.

The Jodel twin-seat jet went down near the slopes in Val Thorens in
mid-afternoon after taking off from nearby Courchevel, police said. The
pilot died on impact, and the passenger died from his wounds.

No further details were immediately available. An investigation was
under
way.
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/02/05/europe/EU-GEN-France-Jet-Crash.php

[nw_arizona_granny]

Northwest jet lands safely after pilot reports flap problems

BISMARCK, N.D.(AP) - A Northwest Airlines jet landed safely in Bismarck
(North Dakota) after the pilot reported mechanical problems.

The airplane landed last night at about 6:35 without incident. There
were 45
people aboard.

Tim Thorsen is the airport operations manager. He says the airport's
rescue
and firefighting crew was notified that there were flap problems with
the
jet.

He says emergency crews stood by as a precaution while the plane
landed.

A passenger says the pilot notified the occupants about the mechanical
issue.

Thorsen says the plane was flown to a maintenance facility.
[unknown url]


Tug Collides With NWA Airplane At MSP

(WCCO) Minneapolis A Northwest Airlines DC-9 aircraft was damaged when
it
was struck by the tug vehicle pulling it, according to airline
authorities.

According to an NWA spokesperson, the tug came loose and slid
underneath the
plane, sending the nose of the aircraft into the air and damaging it
"significantly."

No passengers were on the plane at the time of the accident.

The accident happened at the end of the E concourse.

The tug driver was injured in the collision, but authorities said his
injuries were not life-threatening.
http://wcco.com/topstories/local_story_036143026.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

Bulgaria Strips 160 Aircrafts of Flight Certificates

Bulgaria's national aviation administration announced it took away the
flight certificates of 160 planes and helicopters on Monday.

The aircrafts will not be allowed to fly, as they do not cover the
European
Commission's safety standards.

The measures include the cargo and farming An-12 and An-24 aircrafts.
They
will not be certified, which means they will not be allowed to take
flights
within the EU, administration's director Zahari Alexiev said.

Most of these aircrafts were manufactured in the former Soviet Union
and are
already obsolete, he added.

None of the air carriers will be affected by this decision.
http://www.novinite.com/view_news.php?id=76300

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.techniguy.com/Newsletters/archives/Afghanistan.htm

Afghanistan
JOHN W. HUNT, CPT, US ARMY Operations Officer Bagram Afghanistan
Submitted by Duane Clarridge

Hi everyone.

I'm still alive but freezing my tail off. We got 8 inches of snow last week and it reached 5 degrees below zero that night. That's not why I'm e-mailing though. You may have heard about a suicide car bomb attack in Kabul last Thursday. It was at one of our FOB's (Forward Observation Bases) about 27 miles from here.

But the real story is why no one was killed. We employ several thousand Afghans on our various bases. Not to mention the economy that is fed by the money these locals are making. Anyway, there is this one Afghan that we call Rambo. We have actually given him a couple of sets of the new ACU uniforms (the new Army digital camouflage) with the name tag RAMBO on it. His entire family was killed by the Taliban and his home was where our base currently resides. So this guy really had nowhere else to go.

He has reached such a level of trust with US Forces that his job is to stand at the front gate and basically be the first security screening. Since he can't have a weapon, he found a big red pipe. So he stands there at the front gate in his US Army ACU uniform with his red pipe. If a vehicle approaches the gate too fast or fails to stop he slams his pipe down on their hood. Then once the gate is lifted the vehicle moves on the 2nd gate where the US Army MP's are. So he's like the first line of defense.

Last Thursday at 0930 hrs a Toyota Corolla packed with explosives and some ******* that thinks he has 72 Virgins waiting for him approached the gate. When he saw Rambo he must have recognized him and known the gig was up. But he needed to get to that 2nd gate to detonate and take American lives. So he slams his foot on the gas which almost causes the metal gate to go up but mostly catches on the now broken windshield.

Rambo fearlessly ran to the vehicle, reached thru the window and jerked the suicide bomber out of the vehicle before he could detonate and commenced to putting some red pipe to him. He detained the guy until the MPs got there. The vehicle only exploded when they tried to push it off base with a robot but none was hurt.

I'm still waiting for someone to give this guy a medal or something. Nothing less than instant US citizenship or something. A hat was passed around and a lot of money was given to him in thanks by both soldiers and civilians that are working over here.

I guess I just wanted to share this because I want people to know that it's working over here.

They have tasted freedom. This makes it worth it to me.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.techniguy.com/Newsletters/archives/My_View_of_Iraq.htm

My view of Iraq
Received Jan. 25, 2006

The following was received from a subscriber and sent by SPC "Doc" Shurley, a soldier currently serving in Iraq.

Following the article I sent about Bush's national address and troop increase, I thought it was a good idea to let you all know what the perspective is over here. I'm tired of hearing the media's skewed version, the politicians squabbling over what they read in a report, and the average ill-informed American ranting about things he knows NOTHING about.

I've been over here a couple of months now, and I've learned more about this country than a year's worth of watching CNN. I've sat in mission briefs with Colonels, talked with village elders, had tea with Shieks, played with the kids. And I agree with the President. We need more troops and we need to take greater action.

There are 3 major factions here. The Sunnis, Shiites, and Kurds. The Shiites are in the majority, but Saddam was a Sunni, so he kept the Shiites in check. Everyone hates the Kurds, who are Christian and in the vast minority. The Kurds received the brunt of Saddam's murderous tyranny. Now that Saddam is gone, the Shiites have taken control of Baghdad. The largely peaceful Sunnis are now the victims of radical Shiite terrorism. So the young Sunni men, who can no longer go to work and support their families, do what all young men would do. They join the Sunni militia and battle the Shiites. And thus the country sits on the brink of civil war.

But this war is between them. They do not concern themselves with the U.S. troops. The insurgents who battle the Coalition Forces are from outside the country. And the biggest problem down here isn't the insurgents. Its the politicians. The local politicians. Even though the country is controlled by Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki, downtown Baghdad is controlled by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr.The Shiites follow al-Sadr and thus the Prime Minister does what al-Sadr says. Think of it as if a warlord controlled New York and blackmailed the President into diplomatic immunity.

When 1st Cav (mainly 2/5 Cav) came here in 2004, they took downtown Baghdad (known as Sadr City) by force. It cost many lives, but after a year, we held an iron grip on the largest insurgent breeding ground in Iraq. The insurgents were afraid of the Horse People, and rightfully so. But when 1st Cav left, al-Sadr influenced the Prime Minister to kick out the Coalition forces from that area of Baghdad. He said the Iraqi military forces could hold the city. But all that happened was al-Sadr regained control of his city, and it is now a heavily guarded fortress. A place where insurgents and terrorists can train and stockpile arms. And we cannot go back in becuase the Prime Minister won't let us. Our hands are tied.

So where does al-Sadr get his backing? From Iran and Syria. Iran supplies him with money and Syria supplies the terrorists. The insurgents that battle the Coalition Forces are from Syria, Somalia and dozens of other places outside of Iraq. Iraq is literally a terrorist breeding ground. They have terrorist and sniper schools here. Why not? They train by teaching them to attack the military forces here. And they have an endless supply of these training tools. They have factories in Sadr City to build bombs.

Both Iran and Syria have openly proclaimed their number one goal in life is to destroy the great Western Devil and the little Western Devil (America and Britain). Iran wants to control Iraq to further this purpose. Al-Sadr will get to "run" the country and live like a king, but in reality Iran will pull the puppet strings. Iran will have access to thousands of radical Shiites who will do whatever al-Sadr tells them to. And Iraq will be used as a breeding ground for terrorism. Terrorism that will be targeted directly at America and Britain. The Iraq Study Group advised we should let Iran and Syria help with rebuilding? Bravo to President Bush for striking that idea down and vowing to keep those two countries out of Iraq.

So how do the Iraqi people feel about everything? Of course they don't want the Americans here. But they would far rather have us here than the Iranians. My platoon visited an average Sunni village on a patrol a few days ago. Their only source of income was to farm, as they could not go to the city to work for fear of violence. Many of the young men had already run off to join the militia for no other reason than to feed their families. They had no school or hospital near them and the community was dying. The village elder's granddaughter was very sick and I was able to treat her.

Afterwards he invited me and my Platoon Leader to sit in his house and have tea with him,and we talked about the situation. The people want peace. The Shiites kill the Sunnis because al-Sadr tells them to do so. The Sunnis fight back because they have no choice.They are glad Saddam is dead (Sunni or not), but do not want to replace him with another dictator in a politician's clothes (which is what al-Sadr will become). And they especially don't want Iran in charge. Many innocent Iraqis will die if this happens. These are the words that came out of the elder's mouth:

"We do not want America here, and America does not want to be here. But you cannot leave because the militias control the country. America must use the might of its giant army and sweep through, root out and destroy the militias. Then Iraq can be free and you can leave."

What appears to have happened within our diplomatic community, is that Prime Minister finally realizes that his days are numbered. If al-Sadr remains, he will be kicked to the curb. So hopefully he is about to allow us to reenter Sadr City, root out and destroy the enemy. A dramatic troop increase will allow us to do this. And the Horse People are back and ready to finish what they started over 2 years ago.

If we leave now, it will be a failure for democracy. Iran will control Iraq and the end result will be more terrorist attacks on America. The American people don't want soldiers dying over here, but its better than American civilians dying over there. Do NOT forget 9/11. They will do it again. The moment we loosen our grip on the noose, they will do it again. And the only way to root out the evil here is to stop beating around the bush, increase troops and destroy the insurgents once and for all. The Iraqi government cannot do this on their own. The Iraqi security forces are inadequate for this task. We are the only ones who can stop al-Sadr.

Feel free to share this with whomever wants a real soldier's opinion about the war.
SPC "Doc" Shurley
2/5 Cav, 1st CB
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
-TRUTH is Unchangeable, No Matter What is Politically Correct

Editor's note: Iraqi oil would be most helpful to Iran's failing economy.

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ABC News Links Iraq and al Qaeda...back in 1999!

This is too good!

Click here for mp3 file (2.94mb) or the url below



"A talk radio show host named Quinn (FM News Talk 104.7 - Pittsburgh, PA) has the goods. Apparently ABC was concerned enough about an Iraqi/ Al Qaeda link to do a documentary about it."

Audio clip from Quinn's show is here: http://www.techniguy.com/Newsletters/archives/ABCNews[1].mp3 (2.94mb)

You can find more info here:
http://www.openfire.us/blog/archives/2005/07/2797.php
ABC News Links bin Laden to Saddam
BY Jeff Swanson · July 19, 2005

And here:
http://ripnread.blogspot.com/2005/07/rip-read-129-2005-07-15.html#second

A video clip from the actual documentary from which the audio was taken is here: http://www.mediaresearch.org/rm/cyber/2004/binladen061704/segment1.ram

Quinn's website is here: http://www.warroom.com/

The Quinn tape was found by Roger L. Simon and posted in his blog here: http://www.rogerlsimon.com/mt-archives/2005/07/which_side_are_13.php

above from:

http://www.techniguy.com/Newsletters/ABC%20News%20Links%20Iraq%20and%20al%20Qaeda.htm

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http://commentary.threatswatch.org/2007/02/parallel-universe/

Parallel Universe
Insulated By Criticism, Iran Is Killing Americans ...And Everybody Knows It
By Steve Schippert

Some in the US Intelligence Community seem to operate in another realm and in a world with significantly different realities, dangers and potential outcomes. How else can it be explained that United States political leadership has been persuaded to withhold releasing intelligence regarding Iranian actions in Iraq, including arming, funding and training both Sunni and Shi’a groups killing US soldiers, sailors, airmen and Marines, let alone the mind-boggling toll upon Iraq’s civilian population?

continued.......

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New York Police Department

Report:

Planned attacks, more than I recalled, arrests of Iranian spies, and much more, past and future.

http://hsgac.senate.gov/_files/091206Falkenrath.pdf

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http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/stories/canada602/


The Cell
Next Door
Map of Canada
SYNOPSIS & VIDEO Synopsis and Video
REACT Add Comments
READ COMMENTS Read Reacts
RESOURCES


THE STORY The Story In a story close to home, FRONTLINE/World and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation go inside a homegrown terrorist cell accused of planning mass destruction and murder on North American soil. The Cell Next Door retraces events leading up to last year's arrests in Toronto of 18, mostly young, Muslim men - who are now standing trial -- and talks to the radical Muslim informant within their ranks who helped foil the attacks.

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http://counterterrorismblog.org/2007/02/london_warning_a_new_step_in_j.php


Counterterrorism Blog
London warning: A new step in Jihad Terror
By Walid Phares

Last Thursday a security report from the UK may have been a low level announcer of a new benchmark in Jihadi Terrorism. British Police said it arrested nine, including an Amjad Mahmoud, for “allegedly plotting” what authorities called “Iraq-style kidnapping.” Counter Terrorism units arrested the men for planning on “kidnapping a British Muslim soldier and post his beheading on internet.” According to the reports the serviceman, in his 20s, has served in Afghanistan. The suspects, per the reports are of Pakistani origin wanted to act a la Zarqawi. They had been monitored for six months by Scotland Yard before the arrests would take place. Besides, the city of their “plot” had witnessed a previous sweep. Last summer, raids foiled a plot involving suspects from Birmingham, London and other British cities who had planned to blow up ten trans-Atlantic flights. Last week's arrests, conducted in Birmingham, would be a crossing of a new benchmark in the Jihadi war against Britain, perhaps even in Europe. Here is why:

1) “A factory”: The repetitive arrest in this important city, if anything, tells us that a hub is producing successive waves of Jihadists, ready to strike within Great Britain. If over a period of time, one particular location is producing more than one plot, aimed at the same global target and inspired by the same ideology this logically leads observers to conclude that a “factory” is in place. In other words there are ideologues who, seem to be convincing more individuals, from the same doctrinal pool, to devise and launch repetitive Terror operations.

2) “Urban pocket:” The concentration of Jihadi Terror activities in this one city (along with other possible sites) could mean that the militants have formed an “urban pocket” out of which they can coordinate activities, and in which they have established one or more safe havens. I have mentioned this potential mutation in my book Future Jihad as well as in several presentations to US and European, including British, audiences in the past few years.

3) “Urban Battlefield”: The decision to conduct a kidnapping operation against a British soldier, to behead him and to post the criminal scene online presumes that the British Jihadists have chosen the option of “Urban battlefield.” They seem to be confident in several matters: One, that they have the necessary numbers to wage successive operations. Two, that they have established a “feeder,” that is a continuous flow of new recruits. Three, that they can engage against open targets, and stretch the operation for hours, maybe a day or more. This means that the cells, networks and their “strategic thinkers” inside Britain believe they have reached urban survival: They can project a variety of operations, focusing on the nerve systems of the enemy: In this case soldiers, particularly Muslim ones. Four and probably most importantly, to carry out such types of complex and horrific plans, assumes that the ideologues wanted to trigger wider waves among greater pools. If one cell assassinates a serviceman, other cells will emulate them and more military will be targeted later. That is very indicative of a specimen of operations which –if multiplied on a wider scale in the future- would create the objective conditions for the “Urban Jihad” I have warned from.

4) “Seizing the community”: One of the most dangerous Terrorist tactics is to apply violence within a particular community, so that the Terrorist leadership would break the ties between the group and the general society. A very risky choice, but from a Jihadi thinking process, it is unstoppable. Comparing to the Algerian model, note how the Salafists have waged a savage war against Muslims who oppose them in the 1990s: Thousands of policemen, women, children and elderly were killed. In Iraq, Jihadists have also conducted notorious murders against Iraqi civilian and military claimed they were “purifying” their midst from “traitors.” But seizing a community through fear and Terror "within" the West will have unique consequences. In the mind of the Jihadists, eliminating moderate Muslims, starting with the ones who work with Government, particularly in defense and security matters, will spread terror in the hearts of the community, further isolating it. And by doing so, the Jihadists will seize power within the social group, while the ideologues would seize its political message.

Thus, the Birmingham Jihadi plot is not just “another” Terrorist happening. It is a crossing of a line, a benchmark. Somewhere in a British city, a war room has decided to create an enclave of terror. The arrests are certainly important, but what the Terrorists wanted to achieve is even more important. It is one of these signals, that in Britain and probably in many European cities, a new phase has begun.

* * * * *

Dr Walid Phares is the Director of the Future Terrorism Project at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and a visiting scholar with the European Foundation for Democracy. He is the author of Future Jihad: Terrorist Strategies against the West.

By Walid Phares on February 5, 2007 9:17 AM

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070206/wl_nm/pakistan_violence_dc_1;_ylt=Au2qo9gEiLSdKpCEJg61EnvOVooA;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Pakistani Taliban kill two accused "U.S. spies"

Tue Feb 6, 1:54 AM ET

MIRANSHAH, Pakistan (Reuters) - Suspected pro-Taliban militants killed two men they accused of being U.S. spies in a Pakistani region near the Afghan border, residents said on Tuesday.


It was the second such incident in the North Waziristan region since late last week.

Militants in North and South Waziristan have killed dozens of people suspected of supporting the Pakistani government or of spying for the United States in the past three years.

continued.............

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http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/02/spain_emerges_a.html

Spain Emerges as Base for AQ-Linked Terror Groups

February 05, 2007 3:13 PM

Alexis Debat and Hoda Osman Report:

Barcelona_nr_1Pakistani militant groups linked to al Qaeda have established a "strong presence" in northern Spain, according to senior French and Pakistani intelligence officials, who expressed concern that Islamist extremists were establishing Spain-based cells to launch terror attacks on western Europe.

A top Pakistani intelligence official told ABC News that following a "crunch" by British counterterrorism authorities on Pakistani militant networks in the U.K. after the July 2005 bombings, "dozens of local leaders for groups, such as Jaish e Muhammad ('Army of Muhammad' in Arabic) and Lashkar e Tayyba ('Army of the Pure' in Urdu) moved to Spain," settling in the area around Barcelona.

They have since established a very strong "rear base" in Barcelona to support terrorist activity in Britain, setting up logistics and recruitment networks in the local Pakistani community, the source said.

continued............

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http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/02/update_2_heroin.html

Update: $2 Heroin 'Cheese' Spreads to Fourth Grade

February 01, 2007 8:51 AM

Anna Schecter Reports:

Kids_cheese_nr The potentially lethal heroin-Tylenol PM combination known as "cheese" is now showing up among some fourth graders, according to Texas law enforcement officials and drug treatment therapists who say the problem has "exploded" in the last few months.

"We've had 71 arrests for cheese over the past few months of children between the ages of 10 and 16," said Detective Monty Moncibais of the Dallas Police Narcotics Division.

continued..............

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http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1250349,00.html

Second Mail Bomb Blast
Updated: 13:33, Tuesday February 06, 2007

Two people have been injured after an "item of mail" exploded at offices in Wokingham just a day after a similar incident in central London.

Thames Valley police said the incident took place at the Oaklands Business Centre and the injuries were minor.

The building was evacuated and a cordon was placed around it.

Police said they were aware of the incident in London but said it was "too soon" to speculate on a connection.

Vantis, the latest company targeted, describes itself as an "accounting, business and tax advisory group".

Initial reports said that it also deals with the enforcement of speeding fines, but the company has flatly denied the claims.

A spokesman said that the package did not appear to have been targeted at Vantis and is understood to have been addressed to a different company.
Monday's scene in London
Monday's scene in London

He added: "We act for lots of companies and lots of companies have their registered offices at our office, it is standard practice."

The London device was sent to the London HQ of congestion charge firm Capita.

The first reports over Vantis led to speculation that it had been targeted because it was also connected to motoring enforcement.

South Central Ambulance Service, which covers Wokingham, said two men in their 30s were treated for blast injuries to their hands and upper bodies.

They did not require hospital treatment.

Sky's crime correspondent Martin Brunt said the injuries seemed "to have followed pretty closely the kind of injury sustained by a woman in the minor explosion at Capita."

Sky reporter Sarah Hughes, who was at the scene, said there was an ambulance, people in army uniform and police officers, with some forensic officers going into the building.

She said 14 people had been evacuated and examined after the incident.

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http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30000-1250302,00.html

Litvinenko 'Named Killer'
Updated: 09:32, Tuesday February 06, 2007

A close friend of the ex-spy murdered in London has broken his silence - and he claims Alexander Litvinenko revealed the name of the killer on his death bed.

Oligarch Boris Berezovsky has pointed the finger at a former KGB agent.

He has said that Mr Litvinenko feared Andrei Lugovoi was responsible for the assassination.

Mr Lugovoi was also named last week by police sources as the "most likely poisoner".

Mr Berezovsky, who is in exile in Britain, has spoken to BBC2's Newsnight programme.

He talked about the death of his friend, who was poisoned with polonium-210 in November last year.
Suspect: Andrei Lugovoi
Suspect: Andrei Lugovoi

The 43-year-old left a note, read out after his death, claiming Vladimir Putin's government had been responsible for killing him.

Russian detectives on Sunday asked the Home Office for permission to come to the UK to question Russian exiles in London, including Mr Berezovsky.

The Metropolitan Police has said a decision on the request would be made in due course.

Mr Berezovsky who, like Mr Litvinenko, is a critic of Russian President Vladimir Putin, said he would be happy to talk to British and Russian authorities.

"I am absolutely open to meet people from Russia if it helps to investigate Alexander's case," he said.