News from the Long War, Thread 4

Various | 4/15/07 | Knitting a Conundrum and Others

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Thread 4



Since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, our nation has fought a global war against violent extremists who use terrorism as their weapon of choice, and who seek to destroy our free way of life. Our enemies seek weapons of mass destruction and, if they are successful, will likely attempt to use them in their conflict with free people everywhere. Currently, the struggle is centered in Iraq and Afghanistan, but we will need to be prepared and arranged to successfully defend our nation and its interests around the globe for years to come. DOD

Our enemies include all the Muslims who dream of knocking Western Civilization off its perch atop humanity’s dung heap. Islam is fractured into any number of sects, tribes and ethnic groups, but the dream of destroying us cuts across all the fault lines. Islamic terrorists are merely the tip of a very large spear.

J. Peter Mulhern, the American Thinker, September 18

The determination behind that fight is real, the hatred is real, and the excuses for doing this are very real in the minds of those who have decided to walk that path. We can respond in two ways: Try to ignore or negotiate with people who do not want to negotiate in good faith, because what they want is our destruction, or to stand up against the darkness of those who see all of us, our way of life, our culture and our aspirations as something worth eliminating.

Either: "And God willing, with the force of God behind it, we shall soon experience a world without the United States and Zionism," Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

Or: "With vigilance, determination, courage, we will defeat the enemies of freedom, and we will leave behind a more peaceful world for our children and our grandchildren." GW Bush.

Here's where I will post news and info about the Long War. Let me know if you're interested.

Thread 1

Thread 2

Thread 3

[Bahbah]

we would demonstrate that our response would be just as limp and toothless as Britain’s....

That would make this half of the two Americas very, very upset :(

[Knitting A Conundrum]

One thing about being a former English teacher is the freedom of never having to grade someone’s grammar again...;)

[Knitting A Conundrum]

Long as Hitchens isn’t talking about people of faith and God, he says some good things.

[Bahbah]

Hitchens’ ability to see things clearly just does not translate to topics of God and faith. It’s too bad.

[Knitting A Conundrum]

He certainly has blinders there...

[Bahbah]

From AJ:

We are pushing the entire lot of al Qaeda eastward. Which is interesting since it seems maybe that is were they came from - via Iran. One interesting article I ran across outlines how al Qaeda might be moving its operations to Iraq because of a falling out with the Taliban:

Some observers of al Qaeda believe the global terrorist organization is on the move, transferring its operations, including its headquarters, from the Afghan-Pakistan border area to Iraq after a falling out with the Taliban.

Indications of this came with the CIA’s announcement at the end of March that it had in its custody Abdul Hadi al-Iraqi, a top al-Qaeda operative, since late last year. Al-Iraqi was captured after he had moved out of Pakistan’s rugged and nearly inaccessible Waziristan tribal area and was apparently making his way to Iraq.

According to Pakistani writer Syed Saleem Shahzad, the falling out between the Taliban and al-Qaeda occurred over a deal the former made with the Pakistani government. In the accord, Pakistan will allow the Taliban unhindered use of its territory to funnel men and supplies into the conflict in Afghanistan. What Pakistan receives in turn is a presence again in Afghanistan via the Taliban against the India-friendly Kabul government as well as a disruption of relations between the Taliban and the anti-Islamabad al-Qaeda.

Read the whole thing and take it with a HUGE grain of salt. I doubt seriously the claims that Pakistan is sending material into Afghanistan. But I would not be surprised that the general tone of the story is true. I would not be surprised if the agreement Pakistan made with the Waziristan tribes to allow them to exist peacefully if they purged the foreign fighters (al Qaeda) from their lands is why al Qaeda is now “all in” in Iraq. We saw weeks of fighting foreign terrorists in Pakistan. So maybe we are pushing al Qaeda back to where they came - via Iran. If we push al Qaeda back into Iran then we will have cordoned off the terrorists.

The act is beginning. The US and Iraqis are beginning their initial sweeps and rolling up terrorist cells and facilities. There are new stories everyday. They may still be nibbling at the edges. But al Qaeda is being herded eastward, and possibly into a box where we can pick them off more easily.

This is just an exerpt. The rest is here: http://strata-sphere.com/blog/index.php/archives/3861

[Bahbah]

This is from yesterday, so you may have seen it, but maybe it is worth seeing again. As always, you have to ignore the typos and such.

News From Diyala - And More On Iraq
What can I say - Bill Roggio has sources and I have Google, so of course he has much more on the Diyala front, including time tables regarding when the Province should start to turn around (early summer - which is soon).

The U.S. and Iraqi security forces have preparing the battlefield in Diyala until the full compliment of U.S. forces are in theater and able to finish securing the Baghdad “belts” - the regions surrounding Baghdad. The Diyala Campaign is only is its opening phase, with U.S. and Iraqi forces conducting raids, search and destroy missions, establishing forward operating bases and logistic nodes in preparation for the full assault sometime early this summer. The establishment of the yet to be named Diyala Salvation Front is a crucial element to establishing local intelligence networks and an auxiliary force to hunt al Qaeda.

The influence of Sheikh Sattar al Rishawi and his Anbar Salvation Council cannot be underestimated in the formation of the anti al Qaeda tribal alliance in Diyala. The Anbar Salvation Council has been operating outside its provincial boundaries and has sent emissaries into Diyala, Salahadin, Niwena and other provinces in an effort to expand his anti al Qaeda Awakening movement nationwide.

Yep, this is the ‘civil war’ we wanted. The Sunnis our taking back their country from al Qaeda and we are helping. And as the news of success in Anbar with our new Sunni allies is starting to percolate back here in the US we can see shifts in the American people’s perceptions. Check out this latest Gallup Poll for some interesting trends:

More at the link: http://strata-sphere.com/blog/index.php/archives/3858

[Uncle Ike]

Cognitive dissonance time — note the source of this article....
—

Syria’s Assad to Extend Rule!
Al Jazeera ^ | 5/11/2007 | Staff

Posted on 05/12/2007 7:49:12 AM CDT by Santiago de la Vega

Current policy is to attack any nation that harbors terror.

Why is Syria allowed to harbor terrorists that attack and kill our armed forces?

This is a major blunder in war strategy.

The Vietnam War was lost because of sanctuaries in neighboring countries, and sanctuaries in Syria and Iran will cause failure in Iraq unless current strategy is changed.

The war in Iraq is now in the General Pressure phase, where the enemy has been defeated, but will not accept the outcome.

To make Syria and Iran accept the outcome, the US must continue the attack.

Playing defense, as the US is now doing, is the weakest form of warfare, allowing the enemy to choose the time and place of battle. It is a sure path to defeat.

Offensive operations are the only solution, and that offensive must begin with Syria, and continue to Iran if necessary.

Only then will this war be successfully concluded.

*****

Included in this thread are some recent Syria stories.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1832450/posts

[Bahbah]

Al Jazeera, my goodness gracious!

[Bahbah]

Kurdish Leader Urges Decentralized, Free Market Policy on Iraqi Oil: Qubad Talabani - the main Kurdish Regional Government representative in th US and the son of Iraqi President Jalal Talabani - recently called for decentralized control of Iraq’s oil resources, and for a more free market policy on oil:

We’re trying to modernize Iraq, build a new Iraq, built on new foundations, new policies. The symbol of this new Iraq will be how it manages its oil infrastructure,” Talabani said. “And if people want to revert back to Saddam-era policies of a state-controlled oil sector with no accountability, with no accountability to the Parliament or the people of the country, with no oversight except from by one or two, then I’m sorry, that is not the Iraq that the Kurds bought into. That is not the Iraq that the Kurds would want to be part of.”

“If a centralized oil regime is imposed on us, we will not participate in the state of Iraq,” Talabani said. “And we have to make it absolutely clear to our friends in Washington, to our brothers in Baghdad, this is a make-or-break deal for Iraq.”

He said Iraq needs to embrace the free market and break free from the nationalized mindset. Numerous oil and Iraqi experts as well as key Iraq oil union leaders have told UPI that Iraqis see nationalized oil with pride.

More at the link: http://volokh.com/

You have to scroll down a bit.

[sofaman]

BUMP

[Knitting A Conundrum]

06:23 Study: 21% of Wisconsin Plan participants benefited from program (Haaretz)
05:29 Poll: 54% of Jerusalemites believe city becoming more ultra-Orthodox (Haaretz)
04:55 Poll: 96% of Israeli Jews won`t give up Western Wall for peace (Haaretz)
04:07 Lebanese President Lahoud: Won`t transfer power to anti-Syrian government (DPA)
03:33 Communications Ministry to ban 3-year contracts for cell phone companies (Haaretz)
02:49 Winograd Committee to consider PM`s request to reappear in front of panel (Haaretz)
02:27 Yemen recalls ambassador to Libya and Iran over alleged aid to Shiite rebels (DPA)
01:56 Algerian police arrest 3 Libyans set to join Al Qaida`s North African wing (Reuters)
01:23 Serbia beats out Ukraine, wins Eurovision song contest with song `prayer` (Ch. 1)
00:54 U.S. Vice President Cheney meets Saudi king, Iraq and Iran on agenda (Reuters)
00:23 NY Times reporter Thomas Freedman to receive Hebrew University award (TheMarker)

Palestinians activate explosive device in Jenin
(06:11 , 05.13.07)
Icelandic government seems set to lose majority
(06:08 , 05.13.07)
S. Korea says ship sinks with 16 missing
(04:42 , 05.13.07)
Iraq: US officers rejected Haditha probe request
(03:44 , 05.13.07)
Cheney works to overcome Saudi qualms about US Iraq policy
(02:42 , 05.13.07)
Serbia wins the 2007 Eurovision Song Contest
(01:20 , 05.13.07)
Cheney works to overcome Saudi qualms about US Iraq policy
(00:49 , 05.13.07)
34 killed in Pakistan political violence
(00:20 , 05.13.07)
Iraqi political leader calls for ‘security agreement’
(23:56 , 05.12.07)
Algeria holds Libyans on way to join al-Qaeda
(23:20 , 05.12.07)

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

This is my house-mate's Son's unit...

[1COUNTER-MORTER-68]

ping

[Uncle Ike]

From the “So There, Condi!!” file:

Poll: 96% of Israeli Jews won’t give up Western Wall for peace
Haaretz ^ | May 13, 2007 | Nadav Shragai

Posted on 05/13/2007 2:12:25 AM CDT by West Coast Conservative

Ninety-six percent of Israeli Jews are against Israel relinquishing the Western Wall, even in exchange for lasting peace and ending the dispute over Jerusalem, a new poll suggests. According to the poll, most Israeli Jews do not believe territorial concessions in Jerusalem would bring peace.

The poll, performed at the request of the Jerusalem Institute for Israel Studies, also reveals that 89 percent of Israeli Jews are unwilling to give up the Temple Mount for a similar arrangement.

The poll, which was performed by the Tazpit Research Institute headed by Dr. Aharon Fein, found that Israeli Jews were far more willing to give up the Arab neighborhoods of East Jerusalem, as long as Israel keeps the Western Wall and the Jewish Quarter - an arrangement favored by 43 percent of them.

Forty-three percent of participants said they were opposed to any form of concession in Jerusalem for real peace and the termination of the dispute. In the previous survey on the matter, only 37 percent of the participants were opposed to all forms of territorial concession in Jerusalem.

Religious and ultra-Orthodox participants expressed less willingness for concessions than their secular and traditional counterparts. For example, the survey showed that 76 percent of the religious participants were opposed to territorial concessions, as opposed to 24 percent of secular responders.

Despite the relatively high willingness among participants to give up the Arab neighborhoods of Jerusalem, most participants nonetheless indicated they did not believe such concessions would bring peace. In total, 75.7 percent believe peace is unattainable. Only 20.3 said they believed peace could be reached in return for territorial concessions in Jerusalem.

(Excerpt) Read more at haaretz.com ...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1832740/posts
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And — from downthread....

To: West Coast Conservative
A young Israeli soldier is assigned to security at the Western wall. Every morning an old man arrives first thing and prays for an hour. After several days the soldier approaches the man when he is done. “I couldn’t help but notice you pray here every day. You must be very devout.”

The man says, “Well, you see, my older brother was killed in the War of Independence. My younger brother was killed in the Suez War. My oldest son was killed in the Six Day War, and my youngest son was killed in the Yom Kippur War. My grandson was killed in Lebanon, and my granddaughter was killed in a bus bombing. So every morning I come here and pray for peace between the Arabs and Jews.”

The soldier says, “That’s terrible, I’m so sorry. Does praying make you feel better?”

The man sighs, “It makes me feel like I’m talking to a stone wall.”

7 posted on 05/13/2007 2:34:26 AM CDT by Hugin (Mecca delenda est.)
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[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Morning Ike :)

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

I’ve been looking for news of our captured men. The lack of news pains me.

[Uncle Ike]

Good morning, WB...

How ya feeling this fine morning??

News of captured men — according to FNC news-gloss-over a minute ago, they’re still missing — house-to-house search is ongoing...

In other words — no news.....

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Thanx Ike - I pray for those men.

I feel OK tired because I'm anemic, got a lot of brain fog - following threads can be difficult so I concentrate on single posts/issues. I'm working oround it.

And how are you this fine day?

[Uncle Ike]

” And how are you this fine day? “

(sigh) another (ugh) work day — gotta take off in an hour or so... (I hate big-box retail hours!!)

Other than that, I’m doing well....