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

[Uncle Ike]

” Where is the outrage. “

Where is the reportage??

Fighting and explosions should bring out the wall-to-wall coverage, instead of just the occasional mention-in-passing during the top-of-the-hour-headlines......

A more tinfoil-influenced person than I might postulate a conspiracy of silence.....

[Bahbah]

Palestinian fighters of the Fatah al-Islam group are shown undergoing military training in Nahr al-Bared refugee camp in northern Lebanon, in this March 23, 2007 file photo. (Reuters)

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

"A more tinfoil-influenced person than I might postulate a conspiracy of silence....."

Ya mean like a culture of non reporters?

[Uncle Ike]

” Ya mean like a culture of non reporters? “

Don’t know if I’d be able to bring myself to use “culture” and “reporters” in the same sentence.... ;~)

However, I’ve been struck over the past couple of months by the apparently growing “Dog that didn’t bark” phenomenon re events in the Middle East.....

The fact that I can’t make an educated guess as to the reason behind this phenomenon only makes it more worrisome.....

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

"Don’t know if I’d be able to bring myself to use “culture” and “reporters” in the same sentence..."

You would be amazed what you can grow in a petri dish ;)

"...re events in the Middle East....."

Ahh yes, it is a regeon of peaces.

[Uncle Ike]

” You would be amazed what you can grow in a petri dish ;) “

LOL!!

Point taken..... ;~)

[Bahbah]

RE: Phares on the Fighting in Lebanon [Steve Schippert]

Readers might also consider an excellent bit of analysis from Jonathan Spyer appearing in the Jerusalem Post Sunday.

Suspicions regarding Fatah al-Islam center on the fact that Shakir al-Abssi was sentenced in 2003 to three years in prison in Syria after being convicted of plotting attacks inside the country. This was an unusually lenient sentence. By comparison, for example, Syrians suspected of involvement in the Muslim Brotherhood are routinely given 12-year terms. Al-Abssi, after his release, turned up among pro-Syrian Fatah-intifada circles in Nahr al-Bared and shortly afterward emerged as the leader of the new group, Fatah al-Islam. These facts have led General Ashraf Rifi, head of the Lebanese Internal Security Forces (FSI), to conclude that “this is a Syrian creation to sow [sic] chaos.” Which raises the question, why might the Syrians wish to sow chaos in Lebanon, and why now?

Why now? Why ever? That little thing called the Hariri Probe.

The link to Spyer’s piece should be at this link: http://tank.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZDFlMGE1YzM1Nzc3YjE1ODk4MzU5MGVkZTU4NzkzYzI=

[Bahbah]

Here is a rather long piece on the situation in Lebanon.

22 troops, 19 Fatah al-Islam fighters dead
By Rym Ghazal
Daily Star staff
Monday, May 21, 2007

NAHR AL-BARED, NORTH LEBANON: At least 41 people were killed Sunday in a fierce battle here and in the streets of nearby Tripoli between the Lebanese Army and members of an extreme Islamist group, in the deadliest clashes involving the army since the Civil War. “We are being heavily shelled and many houses have already been destroyed,” Ashraf Abu Khurj, a Palestinian resident of the Nahr al-Bared refugee camp, told The Daily Star over the telephone on Sunday afternoon.

Army tanks shelled the camp throughout the day after militants from Fatah al-Islam took control of army posts at the camp’s entrance. The camp’s electricity, phone lines and water were cut off. Army sources said the shelling was targeting Fatah al-Islam’s headquarters inside the camp.

“There are bodies on the streets,” Khurj and other camp residents said by phone.

As fighting continued late Sunday, an army source told The Daily Star that “so far, 22 soldiers have been confirmed dead,” adding that a minimum of 17 militants had also been slain. AFP said at least two civilians had also perished in the crossfire.

At an emergency meeting Sunday night, Cabinet ministers decided to put off ordering the army to enter the camp pending a discussion on Monday.

The fighting broke out in the early morning after security forces raided a suspected Fatah al-Islam safehouse in Tripoli. Security sources said that troop were in pursuit of suspects in a Saturday bank robbery in Amioun in the Koura area in which several armed men made off with over $100,000.

Security forces raided several buildings in the Zahreyeh, Tel and Meateen areas of Tripoli, where the suspected robbers were thought to be in hiding.

“We traced the [bank robbers] to an apartment in Tripoli, which turned out to be an office for Fatah al-Islam,” Interior Security Forces chief Ashraf Rifi said.

He said that after a decision was made to storm the apartment, armed men emerged to confront security forces in several neighborhoods of Tripoli.

“The security forces have for two weeks been monitoring armed groups that have been infiltrating some neighborhoods in Tripoli in an attempt to control the city,” Rifi said.

Fatah al-Islam spokesman Abu Salim spoke with The Daily Star over the phone as the fighting raged Sunday.

“We will continue to defend ourselves and our honor until the end,” he said, setting his group’s death toll at five.

He said his group had taken control of four army positions “in reaction” to the early raid.

Medical and other security sources reported that between 11 and 19 militants and an unknown number of civilians had been killed. Medical sources inside the camp said there 17 civilians had been wounded there - seven critically - including women and children.

More at the link: http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=1&categ_id=2&article_id=82400

[Uncle Ike]

” 22 troops, 19 Fatah al-Islam fighters dead “

Here is the Western Media Politically Correct headline for basically the same story —

Lebanese army battles (Islamist) militants, 8 civilians dead
Yahoo News ^ | May 21,2007 | Yara Bayoumy

Posted on 05/21/2007 6:49:10 AM CDT by AmericanMade1776

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1837050/posts

[Bahbah]

Isn’t that interesting.

[WorkerbeeCitizen]

Freakin words. Why do they have to twist the freakin words all the time? /rhet

[Bahbah]

If anyone wants to watch some Marines at work, this one’s for you.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bh5SNU2_H3s

[Uncle Ike]

Lest we forget who the ‘players’ are....

Iran To Buy Russian Arms System Via Syria
Reuters ^ | May 21, 2007

Posted on 05/21/2007 7:40:11 AM CDT by Tailgunner Joe

Syria has agreed to supply Iran with at least 10 out of 50 air defence systems that Damascus is in the process of buying from Russia, Jane’s Defence Weekly reported in this week’s edition.

Jane’s quoted a source close to the deal as saying that while most of the Pantsyr-S1E systems were earmarked for Syrian Air Defence Command, “the end user for 10 of the systems is Tehran”.

It said Iran would take delivery of them in late 2008. To reward Syria for its middleman role, Tehran would part-finance Syria’s Pantsyrs as well as paying for its own.

Iran is locked in confrontation with the United States over its developing nuclear programme and delivered its latest warning to Washington last week that it would retaliate severely if attacked.

Iran denies U.S. accusations that it is trying to build atomic weapons under cover of a civilian nuclear programme. Washington emphasises it wants to resolve the standoff through diplomacy but has not ruled out military action to destroy Iran’s nuclear infrastructure.

Jane’s said Syria struck a $730 million deal with Russia earlier this year for some 50 Pantsyr-S1E self-propelled short-range gun and missile air defence systems.

Its source said Moscow had not been officially notified of the reported Syrian arrangement with Tehran, which flowed from a November 2005 strategic accord between the two countries on military and technological cooperation.

Russia, as a permanent member of the United Nations Security Council with veto power, is a key player in international diplomacy over Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

A Security Council resolution in March urged all states to exercise “vigilance and restraint” in the supply, sale or transfer of weaponry to Iran, including missile systems.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1837070/posts

[Uncle Ike]

And meanwhile, back at the ranch......

PAKISTAN: NEW STANDOFF AT RADICAL MOSQUE
AKI ^ | 5/21/07

Posted on 05/21/2007 7:42:45 AM CDT by Valin

Islamabad, 21 May (AKI/Dawn) - Tension mounted in the capital over the Lal Masjid (Red Mosque) on Sunday when police took 36 students of the mosque’s Islamic baording school Jamia Fareedia into pre-emptive detention, and the madrassa militants took to the streets and blocked traffic. Police claimed that the Jamia students had been picked up because they were reinforcing the militants, known as the Lal Masjid brigade, which had kidnapped four policemen on Friday. Two of the policemen were released in exchange for five Lal Masjid students being bailed but two are still being detained.

Heavily-armed Rangers, elite force and reserve police from the Punjab Police Constabulary were called out in Islamabad and, at one stage, it seemed that a massive crackdown on Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa was being planned.

Rangers and police personnel were deployed at exit and entry points of the city and blocks were placed to divert traffic from roads leading to Lal Masjid. Barbed wires were laid around the Aabpara police station, not far from Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa where masked militants carrying sticks took positions.

The deployment of security forces took place at about 7.30pm. At least 11 pickets were set up at exit and entry points to prevent “reinforcements” from reaching Lal Masjid.

The students of Lal Masjid and Jamia Hafsa also put up a show of strength by preparing trenches and hideout.

Lal Masjid deputy head Maulana Abdul Rasheed Ghazi warned the government that it would be responsible for “the consequences” if it launched any assault on the seminaries. Talking to newsmen, Maulana Ghazi ‘flatly’ refused to continue talks with the government and said his men were being picked up by intelligence agencies. “While the government is holding talks its intelligence agencies are picking up our students,” he added.
(snip)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1837072/posts

[Bahbah]

It said Iran would take delivery of them in late 2008.

Well, there's our time line then, no?

[Uncle Ike]

Another situation teetering on the brink??

N. Korea: NKorea Warns SKorea Over Border Dispute(another naval clash coming?)
Chicago Tribune ^ | 05/21/07 | JAE-SOON CHANG

Posted on 05/21/2007 7:49:48 AM CDT by TigerLikesRooster

NKorea Warns SKorea Over Border Dispute

By JAE-SOON CHANG

Associated Press Writer

Published May 21, 2007, 5:26 AM CDT

SEOUL, South Korea — North Korea’s navy on Monday accused South Korea of sending warships into its waters off the divided peninsula’s west coast, warning the South would face unspecified “consequences” if the alleged provocations continue.

The South’s Defense Ministry rejected the North’s accusation.

“We never violated the Northern Limit Line,” said a ministry official, referring to the U.N.-drawn sea border. The official spoke on condition of anonymity citing policy.

The North’s navy command claimed that the South’s “warlike forces infiltrated” warships into its territorial waters many times recently, according to a statement carried by the North’s Korean Central News Agency.

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

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1837077/posts
-
-
-
Looking like I picked a heckuva day to have to go back to (ugh) work......

[Uncle Ike]

****trail of breadcrumbs****

(darn it...)

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

Just finished reading through the last two days’ worth here and headed out to work as well.

MIGHT get back here late this afternoon.

Keep up the good work.

[Bahbah]

May. 21, 2007 11:19 | Updated May. 21, 2007 16:10
IAF guns down four Jihad operatives
By YAAKOV KATZ, HERB KEINON AND JPOST.COM STAFF

The IAF attacked a car in the northern Gaza Strip on Monday, killing four terror operatives, Palestinian security and medical officials said.

Islamic Jihad said four of its members were killed in the raid.

The army confirmed the attack in the Jabalya refugee camp.

Cabinet gives IDF green light on targeted killings

Earlier, the IAF attacked a metal factory in Gaza, killing one man who IDF sources said was a weapons manufacturer affiliated with Hamas.

Still, the rain of Kassams on the western Negev continued on Monday morning, as four more rockets landed in Sderot. No casualties or damage were reported. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the attack.

On Sunday, the security cabinet granted the IDF a green light to strike at terror chiefs, including politicians, involved in the nonstop Kassam rocket fire on Sderot.

Two hours after the cabinet dispersed, IAF aircraft fired a missile at a terrorist cell walking down a street in the Gaza City neighborhood of Sajiya, killing eight and wounding 13.

More at the link: http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1178708651678&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

[Bahbah]

Yahoo! Alerts
Monday, May 21, 2007, 5:40 AM PDT
BAGHDAD (AP) An Iraqi lawmaker says a mortar shell has hit the parliament building, causing no injuries.