The State of Worldwide Terrorism...

By BARRY SCHWEID, AP Diplomatic Writer Friday, April 28, 2006 09:15 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) -- Leaders of al-Qaida lost some control of the terror network last year due to the arrests and deaths of top operational planners, but the group remains the most prominent terror threat facing the United States and its allies, the State Department said Friday. In its annual report on worldwide terrorism, the department singled out Iran as the most active state sponsor of terrorism, saying that its Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps and Ministry of Intelligence and Security directly have been involved in the planning and support of terrorist acts. Overall, the report tallied about 11,000 terror attacks around the world last year, resulting in more than 14,600 deaths. That is almost a fourfold increase in attacks from 2004, though the agency blames the change largely on new ways of tallying the incidents. About 3,500 of last year's attacks occurred in Iraq and about 8,300 of the deaths occurred there, accounting for a large part of the increase over 2004. The report said Iraq is not a safe haven for terrorists, but Shiite and Sunni extremist groups are trying to turn it into one. While the U.S. and its allies have thwarted some attacks and kidnappings by groups like al-Qaida in Iraq, led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, "the battle is far from over," it said. The report said that Osama bin Laden and other al-Qaida leaders are scattered and on the run and Afghanistan is no longer a safe haven for the network. In addition, al-Qaida's relations with the Taliban that once ruled Afghanistan are growing weaker and the group's finances and logistics have been disrupted, the report said. "Al-Qaida is not the organization it was four years ago," the report said. However, "overall, we are in the first phase of a potentially long war," it said. "The enemy's proven ability to adapt means we will go through several more cycles of action/reaction before the war's outcome is no longer in doubt. It is likely we will have a resilient enemy for years to come." A new generation of extremists, some of them getting training through the Internet, is emerging in cells that are likely to be more local and less meticulously planned, the report said. These small groups, empowered by technology, are very difficult to detect or counter, it said. "We must maintain unrelenting pressure against al-Qaida," Henry Crumpton, the U.S. ambassador in charge of counterterrorism, said Friday at a briefing at the State Department. "We know they aim to attack the U.S. homeland." In 2004, the U.S. government's National Counterterrorism Center, which monitors terrorism, counted 3,192 terror attacks worldwide, including more than 28,000 people wounded, killed or kidnapped. Officials have said the government last year changed its system of counting global attacks and devoted more energy to finding reports of violence against civilians. Even so, the higher figures underscore how terrorism around the world has grown since the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. Safe havens for terrorists where they plan and inspire acts of terrorism tend to be located along international borders between and among ineffective governments, the report said. It cited the Afghanistan border, the intersection of Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil, the Celebes Sea in Southeast Asia, and Somalia. In Iraq, which the report called a key front in the global war on terror, a system of clandestine support networks funneled in foreign terrorists from the Middle East, Europe, North Africa, South and Central Asia and the Caucasus. Six countries — Cuba, Iran, Libya, North Korea, Sudan and Syria — remain classified as state sponsors of terror. Libya and Sudan, though, were credited with continuing to take significant steps to cooperate in the global war on terror. But in an unusual acknowledgment of cooperation by Syria, the report said Damascus has attempted to prevent terrorists from crossing into Iraq, saying it has upgraded security at their border. The U.S. has long accused Syria of using its territory to let terrorists enter Iraq. The report also cited allegations that Libyan officials played a role in an attempt to assassinate then-Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah in 2003 and said the United States continues to evaluate Libya's assurance to halt the use of violence for political purposes. Libya began working last year with Britain to curtail terrorism by the Libyan Islamic Fighting Group and extradited a suspect in a Cairo bombing to Egypt, the report said. In Israel and Palestinian-held territories, a range of groups, including Hamas, used a variety of tactics, including suicide bombs. The number of victims killed in Israel was less than 50, down from the nearly 100 people killed in 2004, the report said. The report said that Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, with whom the Bush administration has clashed repeatedly, has an "ideological affinity" with two terrorist groups operating in Colombia, the FARC and the National Liberation Army. It said these connections limit Venezuela's anti-terrorism cooperation with its neighbor.

"United Flight 93" Movie opens this weekend...

The following is an article written by Todd Beamer's father. You can see how Todd was such a hero- his family is amazing. My commissioning school in the Air Force pays homage to Todd Beamer and our heroes with our "Let's Roll" stone in the courtyard. One can not ask for much more than making a stand in life that lasts beyond your own. We will never forget their heroic sacrifice. No end but victory! United 93- The filmmakers got it right. BY DAVID BEAMER Thursday, April 27, 2006 12:01 a.m. EDT The calendar says it's April 25, 2006. At noon, my wife, Peggy, and I are walking around Battery Park--near the Tribeca area--in New York. It is our first time. The flowers are blooming; kids are fishing; people boarding the ferry to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty. Kids are laughing and noisy. The sun is shining. The vendors are hawking T-shirts, pretzels and some "designer" wares. And just up the street there is a hole in the skyline and in the ground. In the park, there is a memorial with walls standing tall. Walls filled with so many names of those who gave their all in the Atlantic in World War II. How fitting that the names are here to honor those who gave their lives to enable this fun, this laughter--on this sunny day. The sights and sounds of freedom continue. Fast forward--it is 10:30 p.m., April 25. We have just seen a movie premiere at the fifth annual Tribeca Film Festival. A film festival that has done so much to energize and revitalize the city, its people and especially the area that has that hole in the skyline and in the ground. This year the movie that had its worldwide premiere at the festival is titled "United 93." It is about the day when the hole in the skyline of New York was made--the day when a hole was made in the side of the Pentagon near Washington, D.C.--the day when a hole was made in a quiet mountain meadow in Pennsylvania. The day that our nation was attacked; the day when the war came home--Sept. 11, 2001. The day our son Todd boarded United 93. Paul Greengrass and Universal set out to tell the story of United Flight 93 on that terrible day in our nation's history. They set about the task of telling this story with a genuine intent to get it right--the actions of those on board and honor their memory. Their extensive research included reaching out to all the families who had lost loved ones on United Flight 93 as the first casualties of this war. And Paul and his team got it right. There are those who question the timing of this project and the painful memories it evokes. Clearly, the film portrays the reality of the attack on our homeland and its terrible consequences. Often we attend movies to escape reality and fantasize a bit. In this case and at this time, it is appropriate to get a dose of reality about this war and the real enemy we face. It is not too soon for this story to be told, seen and heard. But it is too soon for us to become complacent. It is too soon for us to think of this war in only national terms. We need to be mindful that this enemy, who made those holes in our landscape and caused the deaths of some 3,000 of our fellow free people, has a vision to personally kill or convert each and every one of us. This film reminds us that this war is personal. This enemy is on a fanatical mission to take away our lives and liberty--the liberty that has been secured for us by those whose names are on those walls in Battery Park and so many other walls and stones throughout this nation. This enemy seeks to take away the free will that our Creator has endowed in us. Patrick Henry got it right some 231 years ago. Living without liberty is not living at all. The passengers and crew of United 93 had the blessed opportunity to understand the nature of the attack and to launch a counterattack against the enemy. This was our first successful counterattack in our homeland in this new global war--World War III. This film further reminds us of the nature of the enemy we face. An enemy who will stop at nothing to achieve world domination and force a life devoid of freedom upon all. Their methods are inhumane and their targets are the innocent and unsuspecting. We call this conflict the "War on Terror." This film is a wake-up call. And although we abhor terrorism as a tactic, we are at war with a real enemy and it is personal. There are those who would hope to escape the pain of war. Can't we just live and let live and pretend every thing is OK? Let's discuss, negotiate, reason together. The film accurately shows an enemy who will stop at nothing in a quest for control. This enemy does not seek our resources, our land or our materials, but rather to alter our very way of life. I encourage my fellow Americans and free people everywhere to see "United 93." Be reminded of our very real enemy. Be inspired by a true story of heroic actions taken by ordinary people with victorious consequences. Be thankful for each precious day of life with a loved one and make the most of it. Resolve to take the right action in the situations of life, whatever they may be. Resolve to give thanks and support to those men, women, leaders and commanders who to this day (1,687 days since Sept. 11, 2001) continue the counterattacks on our enemy and in so doing keep us safe and our freedoms intact. May the taste of freedom for people of the Middle East hasten victory. The enemy we face does not have the word "surrender" in their dictionary. We must not have the word "retreat" in ours. We surely want our troops home as soon as possible. That said, they cannot come home in retreat. They must come home victoriously. Pray for them. Mr. Beamer is the father of Todd Beamer, a passenger on United Airlines Flight 93.

30 Years Ago a Great American Patriot..

From Major League Baseball "That means something, because this wasn't just a flag on the field. This was a flag that people looked at with respect." -- Rick Monday LOS ANGELES -- It was 1976, a fun year for America. It was the country's bicentennial, the war in Vietnam had ended a year earlier and everyone really wanted to put all the problems from the 1960s, Watergate and Vietnam behind them and just enjoy the country's yearlong 200th birthday party. On April 25, the Chicago Cubs were visiting Dodger Stadium for a three-game series. Playing center field for the Cubs was Rick Monday, the first player taken in the amateur draft that was created 11 years earlier. Monday was born and raised in Santa Monica, Calif., so playing in front of his friends and family was always special to him. On this day, fate would hand Monday a moment that people still talk about with reverence 30 years later. Monday recounts the moment in his own words. "In between the top and bottom of the fourth inning, I was just getting loose in the outfield, throwing the ball back and forth. Jose Cardenal was in left field and I was in center. I don't know if I heard the crowd first or saw the guys first, but two people ran on the field. After a number of years of playing, when someone comes on the field, you don't know what's going to happen. Is it because they had too much to drink? Is it because they're trying to win a bet? Is it because they don't like you or do they have a message that they're trying to present? "When these two guys ran on the field, something wasn't right. And it wasn't right from the standpoint that one of them had something cradled under his arm. It turned out to be an American flag. They came from the left-field corner, went past Cardenal to shallow left-center field. "That's when I saw the flag. They unfurled it as if it was a picnic blanket. They knelt beside it, not to pay homage but to harm it as one of the guys was pulling out of his pocket somewhere a big can of lighter fluid. He began to douse it. "What they were doing was wrong then, in 1976. In my mind, it's wrong now, in 2006. It's the way I was raised. My thoughts were reinforced with my six years in the Marine Corp Reserves. It was also reinforced by a lot of friends who lost their lives protecting the rights and freedoms that flag represented. "So I started to run after them. To this day, I couldn't tell you what was running through my mind except I was mad, I was angry and it was wrong for a lot of reasons. "Then the wind blew the first match out. There was hardly ever any wind at Dodger Stadium. The second match was lit, just as I got there. I did think that if I could bowl them over, they can't do what they're trying to do. "I saw them go and put the match down to the flag. It's soaked in lighter fluid at this time. Well, they can't light it if they don't have it. So I just scooped it up. "My first thought was, 'Is this on fire?' Well, fortunately, it was not. I continue to run. One of the men threw the can of lighter fluid at me. We found out he was not a prospect. He did not have a good arm. Thank goodness. "Tommy Lasorda was in his last year as third-base coach before he took over for Hall of Fame manager Walter Alston. Tommy ran past me and called these guys every name in the longshoreman's encyclopedia." "A lot of people don't know this, but he beat me to the flag," recalls Lasorda. "I saw Rick start running over from center field to left. I didn't know what it was, but as soon as I saw him start, I took off and I ran out there, and of course, by that time, Rick had picked up the flag and continued running. When I got there, I see these two guys and I told them, 'Why don't one of you guys take a swing at me?' because there were 50-something thousand people in the ballpark and I only wanted them to swing at me, so I could defend myself and do a job on them." Monday continued, "Doug Rau, a left-handed pitcher for the Dodgers at the time, came out of the dugout and I handed the flag to him. The two guys were led off the field through the Dodger bullpen. "After the guys left, there was a buzz in the stands, people being aghast with what had taken place. Without being prompted, and I don't know where it started, but people began to sing 'God Bless America.' When I reflect back upon it now, I still get goose bumps." Monday, who played for the Dodgers from 1977-83 and has been one of the team's broadcasters since 1993, then recalled the impact the moment had on a country that was wanting so badly to show its patriotism again. "The letters I've received from that day have run the gamut of emotions. They've been from children who were not born yet and had only heard about it. They've been from Vietnam veterans, including one yesterday. This soldier wrote that there were two things that he had with him in two tours of Vietnam. These two things kept him in check with reality. One was a small picture of his wife. The other was a small American flag that was neatly folded. The picture was folded inside the flag and in the left breast pocket of his uniform. "He would be in mud for weeks and months at a time. Those two things were what he looked at to connect him with reality, other than his buddies, and some of them were lost in battle. He wrote in the letter, 'Thanks for protecting what those of us who were in Vietnam held onto dearly.' "That means something, because this wasn't just a flag on the field. This was a flag that people looked at with respect. We have a lot of rights and freedoms -- not to sound corny -- but we all have the option if we don't like something to make it better. Or you also have the option, if you don't like it, [to] pack up and leave. But don't come onto the field and burn an American flag." Later that year, Monday was given the flag by the Dodgers' general manager at the time, Al Campanis. It hangs proudly in his home in Vero Beach, Fla. Monday and his wife, Barbaralee, would like anyone who was at that game or a veteran to share their thoughts -- in 500 words or less -- and photos for a book they are putting together about the event that was recently voted as one of the 100 Classic Moments in the History of the Game by National Baseball Hall of Fame. The address is mvpsportscorp@aol.com.

The latest CIA Leaker Case

As someone who works in the Intelligence field, I have many thoughts on the latest leak case. When we work with classified information, we know that it can only be released to those with the appropriate security clearances and on a proper “need to know” basis. Every member of the military and intelligence community is trained in these basic operational security concepts. Clearly there has been a small fifth column within Central Intelligence for the last four years. Whether it encompasses the leaked Al-Qaqa explosives story from Iraq the week before the 2004 elections (anyone else remember that one on 60 Minutes and the NY Times?) or the Abu Ghraib stories. From the secret prisons in Europe to the NSA intercepts of Al-Qaeda and their contacts located in the United States. From stories railing against “Rumsfeld micromanaging the war” to the “lousy pre-war “Bush Lied” intelligence”. From vehemently defending yet another CIA analyst (Valerie Plame’s use of husband Joe Wilson) and the Niger yellowcake issue, to now back around again to the latest Iranian intelligence leaks and how the US military is incapable of acting successfully against their WMD programs. At the same time, the main stream media has gone into full CYA mode, claiming that Mary O. McCarthy is a brave patriot once again letting the truth out from underneath the secretive Bush Administration. As to how the media deals with the case- we really can’t be too surprised that they are circling their wagons to defend one of their own. If it doesn’t make the President or Republicans look bad, the story will be buried on page A16 and more important stories such as the latest opinion polls will be given front page treatment. As Mark Levin has succinctly stated in his National Review blog, “The media will continue to downplay this story as they cover-up their own role in exposing our nation's secrets, including the supposed existence of CIA prisons in Europe. They're fixated with the weather and gas prices — and anything else that will divert the public's attention from the stunning revelation that a Sandy Berger crony has apparently been leaking top-secret information from her high post at the CIA. She'll be called a "whistleblower" and praised as some kind of patriot (a patriot, in the eyes of the media, is anybody who undermines this administration and the war effort by leaking national security secrets to them). They will downplay that McCarthy was a Clintonoid who somehow managed to land a top post at the CIA, ultimately winding up in the CIA's Inspector General's Office, from where she could monitor CIA internal investigations of, well, leaks, among other things.” What might have been motivating the fired CIA officer? The Just One Minute blog has several thoughts and has done some good background research into McCarthy: “The Times noted her $2,000 campaign contribution to John Kerry in their Friday coverage, but overlooked another $5,000 contribution that she had made to the Ohio DNC; they also overlooked her husband’s maximum contribution to John Kerry.” Others in the media (other leakers) have claimed it was possible that Mary McCarthy had grown increasingly disenchanted with the methods adopted by the Bush administration for handling Qaeda prisoners. How my heart bleeds for her! If every governmental employee or military officer could simply enact policies which we personally approve of, we really wouldn’t need those pesky little things like elections and a constitutional republican form of government. When President Bush took office in 2001, Ms. McCarthy’s career seemed to stall. A former Bush administration official who worked with her said that although Ms. McCarthy was a career C.I.A. employee, as a holdover from the Clinton administration she was regarded with suspicion and was gradually eased out of her job as senior director for intelligence programs. Wow! I wonder why?! She left several months into Mr. Bush’s first term. Rand Beers, who at the time was Mr. Clinton’s senior intelligence aide on the National Security Council, said he had hired Ms. McCarthy to be his deputy. Does that name ring a bell? Well, guess what? Rand Beers joined the John Kerry campaign for President as his national security advisor. (As an aside, yet another reason to thank G-d that President Bush won reelection). It is illegal to take classified intelligence data and distribute said data outside of proper channels. This is especially true in a time when the nation is at war. This was not simply the illegal leaking of information, this was a deliberate decision to wage a political war against the democratically elected government serving President Bush. If she leaked as has been reported, she should be arrested and charged with as many criminal counts as possible. Not only to punish her, but to serve as a marker for what our intelligence agencies demand in securing the Nation’s most closely held secrets.

An army at war getting overhaul..

Christian Science Monitor FORT RILEY, KAN. – On a bumpy patch of grass blurred by the predawn darkness, Lt. Col. Patrick Frank is building America's new Army one leg lift at a time. At first glace, this daybreak workout for the 1st Battalion, 28th Infantry Regiment looks not at all unusual - full of sweat, stomach crunches, and cries of "hooah!" But there, exercising with the infantrymen of the 1-28, is a company of cooks and mechanics. The fact that they are even present, puffing alongside 1-28, is part of the most comprehensive overhaul of the force since the end of World War II. When Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld speaks of creating a faster and more flexible Army, this is where it begins. The idea is to emphasize smaller units like the 1-28, pushing materiel and manpower - like these cooks and mechanics - further down the Army's organizational chain. By giving these smaller units more resources, the Army is making them more self-sufficient - and that gives Pentagon leaders more options. In the past, the smallest unit the Army could send to any global hot spot was a division of nearly 20,000 troops. By pushing its resources downward, now the Army can mobilize individual brigade combat teams as small as 3,500 troops. It is a fundamental change brought about by a new security environment. During the cold war, the threat was a massive war against the Soviets, so it made sense to organize the Army into a few massive pieces. Today, however, America is faced more and more with smaller conflicts, and the Pentagon is convinced that this requires smaller pieces that can be moved around the globe more easily.Yet the changes are already echoing beyond the arcane matter of military organization into soldiers' everyday lives. Not only will infantrymen train more frequently with soldiers they would rarely have seen in the old system - as was on display in the predawn workout. But as members of the Army's newly created brigade combat teams, they all will also spend three years at one post - training together, living together, and eventually going to war together. "The benefit is that we ... will be conducting all these day-to-day operations together," says Colonel Frank. "So when we transition to Iraq, we'll be better at it." In the peripatetic Army of the past, where soldiers moved from post to post like human hot potatoes, three years in one place - with one unit - were unthinkable. For soldiers with families, in particular, the new three-year rotation promises some semblance of normalcy. "If you've got a family, everybody gets to grow together," says Capt. Jermaine Hampton of the 2nd Battalion, 16th Infantry Regiment, which is part of the same brigade combat team as the 1-28. Yet for many of the officers, three years together offer something else perhaps just as significant: the opportunity to build a true team. That's what's happening at machine-gun Range 7. On a day when wind whips the Kansas dust sideways and nearby aluminum bleachers cook like silver-topped stoves in the sun, Capt. Gregory Escobar strides among his soldiers. These are recruits only a year out of basic training, and Captain Escobar is building them up, lesson by lesson. To one, he suggests moving a pile of shell casings aside. To another, he offers advice on why the tracers are whizzing high over the target. In the old Army, these soldiers would probably have moved to another unit by the time they deployed in a year. Now, Escobar will almost certainly take most of them to war in the 2-16. "Before, you were not able to figure out, 'Hey my boss likes to do things this way,' " says Escobar. "Now, you will know exactly how each guy will react in any given situation" because you know them and train with them. Moreover, it creates greater accountability in training. "You are going to fight the team you build," says Lt. Col. Ralph Kauzlarich, commanding officer of the 2-16. The buzzword for the change is "modularity," and it is based on the idea that each new brigade combat team is an independent "module" that can be plugged into any situation. "Our brigade combat team can go fight for any headquarters in the Department of Defense," says Colonel Kauzlarich. For Col. Rob Weaver, commanding officer of the 610th Support Battalion, this convergence at the brigade level is nothing less than a revolution. He deployed to Iraq in a unit that had not yet gone through modularization. That meant he had to go to the division to get the troops and equipment he needed. "I didn't have the mechanics, but I was still responsible for getting the stuff fixed," he says. "Now, I have all the equipment and soldiers, and I don't have to reach back [to division] to ask for it." "In Iraq, we had three mechanics in an infantry battalion," he notes. "Now, each battalion has ... 50 soldiers to do maintenance." Yet modularity does have its critics. Even in peacetime, the process of reorganizing the entire Army would be monumental, considering that it involves recasting the training, deployment, and rotation of every soldier. That the Pentagon is attempting to do it amid two wars is unprecedented.In many ways, the process is independent of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. And the frequent debate over the size of the Army has more to do with the total number of soldiers than with modularity - that is, how they are organized. Yet within that debate, both the Pentagon and critics point to modularity to support their positions. The Pentagon notes that a primary reason behind modularity is to free up more troops to fight. By reshuffling personnel and reorganizing the force, the Army hopes to increase the number of its brigades from 33 to 42 by 2010. That gives the Army more deployable units to help spread the load of repeated deployments. "We needed a force that was able to do a whole lot more than what they were in the past," says Lt. Col. Gregg Skibicki, a modularity expert at the Pentagon. Critics, however, cite a report by the Institute for Defense Analyses, which contends that modularity actually reduces the number of troops on the ground. By including engineers and military police (MP) and reconnaissance troops in a brigade, they suggest, the Army is reducing the number of infantrymen in a brigade who can patrol an area - a vital function in combating an insurgency. The Pentagon counters that many types of soldiers can patrol an area, so there will be no drop-off in force within a brigade. "Our MPs are actually holding checkpoints out there," says Colonel Skibicki. Undertaking this transformation during wartime, however, has had consequences. When the Iraq war began, many Army brigades were going through modularization and were not ready to deploy. The National Guard had to pick up the slack.In early 2005, 10 National Guard brigades were in Iraq. As more Army brigade combat teams have come on line, the reliance on the National Guard has fallen. Currently, only two National Guard brigades are in Iraq. Whether the modularization program can continue at its current pace is uncertain, analysts say. The estimated cost of the program has nearly doubled from $28 billion to $52.5 billion in the past two years, according to the Government Accountability Office. And some analysts disagree with the assertion that the Army can increase from 33 to 42 brigades without an increase in manpower and materiel. "There is some indication that they might not have the people and the equipment to do it," says Andrew Feickert of the Congressional Research Service. Among the commanders at Fort Riley, there is certainly an understanding of the difficulty of the task, but also a hunger to make it work. Says Kauzlarich: "We are building an airplane while in flight - and while we are in the fight."

Lots of good news from Iraq this month of April. Hopefully a decade from now we will look back and see April 2006 as the turning point of the war. Also, from the editors of National Review: "The selection of a compromise prime minister in Iraq is a major victory for that country’s fledgling political class, and for the Bush administration. Purveyors of doom on Iraq now have some explaining to do: If the country is in the midst of a full-scale civil war fatal to our project there, how is it that elected representatives of the major factions were able to sit down and hammer out an agreement on the top positions in a national unity government? Iraq pessimists act like they have a special immunity from ever having to recalibrate their view of the conflict, as they instead move on to the latest iteration of their metaphysical despair. Bill Crawford has been doing some great work on the Iranian issue: "I have been saying for months now that talking with Iran will not get it to abandon its nuclear ambitions, and I have received plenty of derision for it. Today, Iran's Foreign Minister came to my aid:Iran says its uranium enrichment work is "irreversible" and it will not abandon its nuclear program. The latest salvo in the international standoff comes just days before a U.N. deadline for Iran to stop enrichment. In related news:A New York rally by the Islamic Thinkers Society outside the Israeli consulate yesterday featured chants of "The mushroom cloud is on its way! The real holocaust is on its way!" The chants included: Leader (in Arabic): "With our blood and our lives we will liberate al Aqsa!" [The rest also respond in Arabic:] "With our blood and our lives we will liberate al Aqsa! Israeli Zionists What do you say? The real Holocaust is on its way" "Takbeer!" Response: "Allahu Akbar!" "Takbeer!" Response: "Allahu Akbar!" Zionists, Zionists You will pay! The Wrath of Allah is on its way! Israeli Zionists You shall pay! The Wrath of Allah is on its way! The mushroom cloud is on its way! The real Holocaust is on its way!" "Israel won't last long ... Indeed, Allah will repeat the Holocaust right on the soil of Israel" "Takbeer!" Iran Already Plotting Attacks Iran's president met with a top terrorist earlier this year at a "terror summit": IRAN’S president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, attended a meeting in Syria earlier this year with one of the world’s most wanted terrorists, according to intelligence experts and a former national security official in Washington. US officials and Israel intelligence sources believe Imad Mugniyeh, the Lebanese commander of Hezbollah’s overseas operations, has taken charge of plotting Iran’s retaliation against western targets should President George W Bush order a strike on Iranian nuclear sites. Mugniyeh is on the FBI’s “Most Wanted Terrorists” list for his role in a series of high-profile attacks against the West, including the 1985 hijacking of a TWA jet and murder of one of its passengers, a US navy diver. In other news: Elite Iranian army officers who arrived in south Lebanon this month have taken command of thousands of rockets aimed at cities across Israel. They are believed to have been given control of the missiles by Hezbollah to deter possible Israeli attacks against Iran’s nuclear facilities. And yesterday it was reported that Iran fired artillery into Iraq:Iranian artillery opened fire Friday at Kurdish rebel positions inside Iraqi territory but caused no casualties or damage, Kurdish officials said. Kamal Karkouki, deputy speaker of parliament for the Kurdish regional administration, said the Iranians used rockets and cannon fire in the brief barrage near the village of Haj Omran, terming it a "violation of Iraqi sovereignty."

Progress in Iraq...

Many great accomplishments have been made in April throughout Iraq. Check out this link to read story after story of good things that have been going on. One could legitimately ask, "why do we not hear any of these stories on the nightly news?" I mean, how hard can it be to go out to a newly completed border fort, to a new Police Academy, to the new Iraqi Air Force base? Instead, we hear about how three more people were wounded in shootings. The same day, there were about 100 murders throughout the United States. Check out the link, and post these stories on your own blogs.

Lots going on Today!!

1. The new Iraqi Government has begun to be formed. Finally after four months! Jawad Al-Maliki takes over as Prime Minister from Jaafari. President Talabani has been reelected to his prior post. Several deputies have been appointed as well. The good news is that 265 of 275 Parliament members were actually there today! Not sure they have ever had that good attendance in the past. Also, a national unity government looks likely. And the politicians are saying all the right things. I will have much more on this in the next few days. 2. The CIA leaker has been revealed as Mary McCarthy- from right in my neighborhood! I wonder if that is the SUV I have seen with a CIA tag making fun of President Bush? That would be the ultimate delicious irony if true. I hope that not only will she lose her pension, but will spend a few years behind bars. And guess what? Turns out she was a huge donor to John Kerry and the democratic party in Ohio. What a shock that is! And continuing with shocking information, she was brought in by Sandy Burger. Now we get to see how the democrats really feel about "leakers to the press." I am sure since Karl Rove was not frog marched out of the White House (guess Fitzmas is late this year!) that they are all for whistle blowers now. Hypocrisy knows no bounds. 3. The 2006 Military Bloggers conference was this morning. I watched online. It was pretty great. I will have more posts on this as well. Turning out to be a good weekend all around...

Iranians beefing up their Air Defense Assets...

Some great work by the OpFor officers in collating and analysing the latest on the Iranian ADA front. (www.opfor.com) And yet another example of the perfidy of the Russians. I guess "Putie Putes" heart is not as chivalrous as the President thought it was back in 2001.. Russia will deliver air defense systems to Iran 19/04/2006 20:19 MOSCOW, April 19 (RIA Novosti) - The chief of the General Staff said Wednesday that Russia would honor its commitments on supplying military equipment to Iran. "We discussed supplies of military equipment to Iran, including the Tor M1, in the framework of bilateral cooperation, but it does not fall into the category of strategic weapons," Army General Yury Baluyevsky said after talks in Moscow with NATO Supreme Allied Commander in Europe General James Jones. "And I can assure you it will be delivered under the control of the relevant organizations," he said. t the end of 2005, Russia concluded a $700-million contract on the delivery of 29 Tor M1 air defense systems to Iran. The Tor-M1 is a fifth-generation integrated mobile air defense system designed for operation at medium, low and very low altitudes against fixed/rotary wing aircraft, UAVs (unmanned aerial vehicle), guided missiles and other high-precision weapons. Despite strong criticism from the United States, Russia has maintained that the systems could be used only to protect Iran's air space. The Tor M1 is also known as the SA-15 GAUNTLET. Here are some specs: The principal advantages of Tor-M1 is its ability to simultaneously destroy two targets in any weather or at any time of day and night; the use of both the powerful and jamming-resistant radar with electronic beam control and vertically launched missiles able to maintain high speed and manoeuvrability inside an entire engagement envelope; the high degree of automation of combat operation provided by the electronic equipment suite. Tor detects targets at a distance of 25 kilometers and kills them at a distance of 12 kilometers. In combating manned aviation, Tor is thrice and 1.5 times more efficient than foreign systems of the same class - France's Crotale and Britain's Rapier, respectively. Although it is an autonomous system it can be interfaced into an integrated air defense network. SA-15b is designed to be a completely autonomous air defense system (at division level), capable of surveillance, command and control, missile launch and guidance functions from a single vehicle. The basic combat formation is the firing battery consisting of four TLARs and the Rangir battery command post. The TLAR carries eight ready missiles stored in two containers holding four missiles each. The SA-15b has the capability to automatically track and destroy 2 targets simultaneously in any weather and at any time of the day. Effective range limits are from 1500 to 12000 m with target altitude limits being between 10 and 6000 m. The maximum maneuvering load factor limit on the weapon is 30g. The missile launcher consists of a box container extending down below the level of the hull top, holding two groups of four ready to fire missiles in the vertical position. Each missile is in a maintenance-free factory-sealed container-launcher box. The system is reloaded by a dedicated transportation/loader vehicle. The Tor is not amphibious although it is airportable. An NBC system is fitted as standard as is a built-in training system. The chassis of the vehicle is almost identical to that used for the 2S6 self-propelled hybrid air defense system and is based on the GM-569 tracked vehicle. The three man crew consists of the vehicle commander, system operator and vehicle driver, seated at the front of the vehicle with the large box-like unmanned turret in the center and the engine compartment at the rear. This arrangement is similar to that of the Kub (SA-6) and Shilka (ZSU-23-4) vehicles. The vehicle suspension consists of six dual rubber tired roadwheels with the idler at the front, drive sprocket at the rear and three return rollers. According to GlobalSecurity.org, Iran’s air defenses consist of approximately 150 HAWK missile launchers, 50 SA-2, 50 SA-6, 10 SA-5 and 30 Rapier Systems. They also have 10 FM-80 systems, and many of the ADA systems can be deployed by coastal defense forces, as well as in fixed positions, and be used traditionally, to provide cover for large maneuver forces. The article did not specify if any accompanying Target Acquisition radar had been purchased from the Russians, but it is hard to imagine this equipment being transferred without trainers, material support, and spare parts/ammunition. According to old Russian doctrine, 29 SA-15 systems are roughly enough to fill out two air defense brigades which, theoretically, can provide effective air defense for two divisions of mechanized or armored troops. The systems can also be organized into two short range Air Defense Brigades, that in all likelihood, would be used to defend the nuclear-enrichment sites that Iran swears are for civilian purposes. This is bad news no matter how you slice it. Iran is beefing up its ADA capability, Russia is exporting its military expertise to anyone willing to pay for it, and the Persian Manhattan Project now has another ring of defenses. Not all is lost, though. Here’s some take-away analysis: Even with the addition of these ADA assets, Iran won’t be able to inflict serious harm to a US deep strike, and despite frequent military parades, probably lacks the tactical and operational expertise to deploy and maneuver units while effectively employing ADA assets. That being said, Iran is going to get some propaganda and psychological advantages by acquiring as many ADA assets as possible, by building a media template that Iran’s defenses are so impenetrable that the costs associated with a possible air strike would far outweigh the gains. Welcome (again) to 21st century warfare, where you don’t need to be proficient with your weapon system- or even field it effectively, to reap the benefits of its deterrent value. You gain the advantage by simply having the thing in the motor-pool if you bluster about your new ADA capabilities and let the media take it from there.

We need men like this in Congress...

Support Van Taylor in his run for Congress A 7th generation Texan, Van Taylor is a dedicated family man, successful businessman and a United States Marine who is committed to helping make America safer and our families more secure. Van’s always been deeply committed to serving our nation and her people. After graduating from Harvard College, Van joined the United States Marine Corps where he graduated from Infantry and Intelligence Schools and earned the privilege of leading a Reconnaissance platoon before serving as an intelligence officer. After four years of active duty, Van joined the Marine Corps reserves so he could keep serving his country, while he worked to earn a MBA from Harvard’s Business School. Van then volunteered for duty with the Marine Corps’ C Company, 4th Reconnaissance Battalion and was activated to fight in Iraq where he fought with the 2nd Force Reconnaissance Company. As a Captain, Van led missions behind enemy lines for the 4500 Marine Task Force Tarawa, including the leadership of the Task Force’s first platoon to enter Iraq before the start of the main invasion. During the war to liberate Iraq, Van’s platoon encountered, and defeated, several Fedayeen ambushes, participated in the operation to rescue American P.O.W. Jessica Lynch and rescued 31 wounded men-under-fire during a counter attack by several thousand Iraqi soldiers. Van was awarded the Navy Commendation Medal with “V” for Valor, the Combat Action Ribbon, and the Presidential Unit Citation.

Well isn't this just shocking...

From the always amazing Bill Crawford at ATC.. More CIA Blunders If there truly are any who still doubt that Iran isn't pursuing a nuclear weapon, this story should help change your mind. In a bungled operation approved by Bill Clinton, the CIA accidentally gave Iran erroneous blueprints to part of a nuclear weapon, but the flaw was easily spotted, and the plans corrected: In a hairbrained scheme that was personally approved by then-President Clinton, the CIA deliberately gave Iranian physicists blueprints for part of a nuclear bomb that likely helped Tehran advance its nuclear weapons development program. The allegation, detailed recently in the book "State of War," by New York Times reporter James Risen, comes as the Iranian nuclear crisis turns white hot, with Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad boasting ominously on Wednesday that his nation has joined the world's nuclear club. Reports Risen: "It's not clear who originally came up with the idea [to give Tehran nuclear blueprints], but the plan was first approved by Clinton." The result was that Iran's program actually advanced: He noted that thanks to the bizarre operation, Iran could now "leapfrog one of the last remaining engineering hurdles blocking its path to a nuclear weapon." Interesting, and given the performance of U.S. intelligence over the past decade, possibly true. If so, remember that these are the same charlatans who are leaking against Bush. Posted by Bill Crawford on April 19, 2006 Just another reason to thank Bill Clinton!!

Op Sec and the Military Blog world...

Two articles coming out in the last day discussing the necessity of military blogs providing for good operational security when talking about military matters. For me back in DC, it is not as critical unless I was to discuss things that I do during Drill. However, for our men and women in the Sandbox, every day they could post tidbits which prove useful for our enemies around the world. This is a real challenge for the DOD. On the other hand, we also learn secrets of the enemy so it is a two way street. Here is an article from the Washington Times discussing how Central Intelligence now uses open source reporting as a data point: And here is something I got from my chain of command: OPSEC expands focus, remains critical By Capt. Gideon McClure Air Education and Training Command Public Affairs RANDOLPH AIR FORCE BASE, Texas (AETCNS) - "Do you think you'll deploy this year? How long will you be gone? What do you think you'll be doing? Where? Will you be going with a lot of people?" At this point in the conversation you should be wondering who is asking, why are they asking and who else might get their hands on the answers. Although the answers to these questions may not be classified, when put together the information could reveal sensitive details of military operations that could endanger mission effectiveness or lives."Whether deployed or at home, every Airman has a responsibility to safeguard operational information," said Gen. William R. Looney, III, commander of Air Education and Training Command. "Airmen need to be aware of what they are saying and who might be listening. We need to realize that security starts at the source." This idea is not new. In 1988, President Ronald Reagan signed National Security Decision Directive 298, which required each executive department and agency supporting national security missions to establish an operational security program. The objective of this OPSEC program was clear-to prevent the inadvertent compromise of sensitive U.S. government activities, capabilities or intentions through an adversary's collection of unclassified information. While security programs were already in place to protect classified information, the OPSEC program was intended to protect pieces of publicly available information that could jeopardize military actions or intentions.NSDD 298 laid the foundation for the OPSEC process and established actions different agencies were required to take. Air Force Chief of Staff Gen. T. Michael Moseley, in a message released March 27, encouraged all Airmen to know and understand the critical information essential to mission success. In addition, General Moseley called on Airmen to recognize vulnerabilities in Air Force processes and apply OPSEC measures when a commander's risk assessment deems it necessary."Understanding and using OPSEC will protect our personnel and enhance our ability to conduct operations safely, securely and effectively," General Moseley said in his message. General Moseley not only called on Airmen to renew their OPSEC vigilance, but also pointed out that as the Air Force becomes more reliant on new technologies, such as Web logs and wireless communication devices, their attention to OPSEC procedures should be heightened as well. "Our Airmen are technologically savvy. That's one of the keys to our flexibility as a fighting force. But from an OPSEC perspective, there are vulnerabilities associated with cell phones, PDAs, flash drives, and blogs. With the increased use of these technologies comes an increased responsibility to carefully guard operational information from improper disclosure. Our enemies know how to use technology as well, and they are on the prowl," said General Looney. According to an al-Qaida training manual found by police in Manchester, England, terrorists have distinct guidelines on how to obtain information that would assist in subverting U.S. interests, policies and operations.

Big happenings at the Air Force Pundit...

So yesterday I was put forward by the "Save Our Soldiers Foundation" as one of the best 2006 Military Blogs. Check out the sweet logo banner image on the right of my blogroll. Then today, Brian Bender from the Boston Globe interviewed me for a few minutes about the milblog community. He brought up the issue of different viewpoints among the military blogosphere. It has been my experience that the closer to Washington one lives, the more political the blog will be. The closer to the action and forward deployed, the less domestic political issues will be discussed. At the same time, many on the front lines among our Marines, Soldiers, and Airmen do indeed call for increased support on the home front. They are often times baffled and bewildered at how the media here at home portrays what they are doing and the results of their actions. On the other hand, many of the best milblogs spend the vast majority of time focusing on foreign policy and military strategic issues. That is what I try to do here. It is impossible to fight a war without touching on domestic political issues, since we live in a constitutional democratic Republic. Therefore, all issues at the end of the day become political ones. Particularly when the two large parties differ substantially on their views regarding the use of force, force application, and warfighting doctrine and tactics. It would be nice if both parties saw the same problems, and then the military would only have to concern itself with finding out the solution to those problems. Unfortunately we are in a bifurcated world- not only in our United States but throughout the Western world as a whole. In that respect, Al-Queda and Iran/North Korea/Syria have a much easier task. Being dictatorships, they only have to concern themselves with application of force issues. While being an enlightened Western democracy, we have to worry about taxes, the price of oil, and elections every two years. This brings us back to the centuries long debate over whether democracies can triumph over dictatorship. The balance of history proves that when the will is there, a democracy can absolutely defeat totalitarian forces. Here is to the hope that we prove this adage true once again in the coming years...

Following today's Homicide bombing in Tel-Aviv...

"Either You Are With Us, Or You Are With The Terrorists" Posted by bulldogpundit on Monday, 17 April 2006 (09:30:52) EDT (anklebiting pundits) The President, in one of his finest hours, made the above quote in a speech to a joint Session of Congress on September 20, 2001. He also said:Quote: From this day forward, any nation that continues to harbor or support terrorism will be regarded by the United States as a hostile regime. I bring up this quote in light of the recent suicide bombing in Tel Aviv which killed at least 6 Israeli's and wounded 30. Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for the attacks. Hamas,has claimed the suicide bombing was an act of self-defense. Keep in mind that Hamas is a terrorist organization which is now in a position of authority as they were elected by the Palestinian people. Because they are terrorists the US has rightfully refused to send them any money. However, our purported "friends" such as Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and the UAE have pledged over $80 million, Russia has pleged aid, and Iran is ponying up about $50 million. President Bush made a clear statement to the world on September 20, 2001. It's time for him to talk to these so-called "friends" and let them know what they are doing is simply not acceptable. I've often said that if the Democrats want to get to the right of the President on national security, the issue of our "friends" the Saudi's and their blatant double-dealing, is the way to go. So long at the President turns a blind eye to this type of blatant support for terrorists, can he really say he is doing everything possible to win the war on terror? I think not.

Upcoming Flight 93 movie..

This movie opens on the 28th of April. I will see it that weekend. From the TKS blog on National Review.com: "So I watched the trailer for the upcoming film, “United 93.” I can understand if some people say, “it’s too soon. I just can’t watch it.” This trailer feels like a gut punch; your heart is in your throat from the first seconds. This movie has no stars, no flashy special effects. Just a real documentary feel as we see unknown actors reenacting the events of that day - in the airport, on the plane, in NORAD and air traffic control centers. It absolutely throws you back to that morning, and all of the fear, horror, pain and tears that went with that. I think you’ll be hard-pressed to find three minutes of film that could be more powerful. If somebody doesn’t want to walk into a theater and watch it and relive all that, I can’t begrudge them. For me... I think I’ll have to see it. It’s almost like attending a memorial service. Periodically, I want to remember, to be reminded of everything of that day, to know what this war we're fighting is all about, and what the world can be during its worst hours and what individuals can be at their finest hours. I wonder how many other folks feel like that. For starters, there’s been a lot of attacks on Universal for making the film, charging that it's “exploiting the victims” and “none of the profits are going to the families.” Actually, as Newsweek reported, writer-director Paul Greengrass proceeded with the film only after securing the approval of every victim’s family, and Universal plans to donate 10 percent of its opening weekend gross to the Flight 93 National Memorial Fund. We can argue whether that’s enough, but you can’t contend that Universal hasn’t made a serious effort to be sensitive to the victims’ families. During at least five of the passengers' phone calls, information was shared about the attacks that had occurred earlier that morning at the World Trade Center. Five calls described the intent of passengers and surviving crew members to revolt against the hijackers. According to one call, they voted on whether to rush the terrorists in an attempt to retake the plane. They decided, and acted. At 9:57, the passenger assault began. Several passengers had terminated phone calls with loved ones in order to join the revolt. One of the callers ended her message as follows: "Everyone's running up to first class. I've got to go. Bye." The cockpit voice recorder captured the sounds of the passenger assault muffled by the intervening cockpit door. Some family members who listened to the recording report that they can hear the voice of a loved one among the din. We cannot identify whose voices can be heard. But the assault was sustained.In response, Jarrah immediately began to roll the airplane to the left and right, attempting to knock the passengers off balance. At 9:58:57, Jarrah told another hijacker in the cockpit to block the door. Jarrah continued to roll the airplane sharply left and right, but the assault continued. At 9:59:52, Jarrah changed tactics and pitched the nose of the airplane up and down to disrupt the assault. The recorder captured the sounds of loud thumps, crashes, shouts, and breaking glasses and plates. At 10:00:03, Jarrah stabilized the airplane. Five seconds later, Jarrah asked, "Is that it? Shall we finish it off?" A hijacker responded, "No. Not yet. When they all come, we finish it off." The sounds of fighting continued outside the cockpit. Again, Jarrah pitched the nose of the aircraft up and down. At 10:00:26, a passenger in the background said, "In the cockpit. If we don't we'll die!" Sixteen seconds later, a passenger yelled, "Roll it!" Jarrah stopped the violent maneuvers at about 10:01:00 and said, "Allah is the greatest! Allah is the greatest!" He then asked another hijacker in the cock-pit, "Is that it? I mean, shall we put it down?" to which the other replied, "Yes, put it in it, and pull it down." The passengers continued their assault and at 10:02:23, a hijacker said, "Pull it down! Pull it down!" The hijackers remained at the controls but must have judged that the passengers were only seconds from overcoming them. The airplane headed down; the control wheel was turned hard to the right. The airplane rolled onto its back, and one of the hijackers began shouting "Allah is the greatest. Allah is the greatest." With the sounds of the passenger counterattack continuing, the aircraft plowed into an empty field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at 580 miles per hour, about 20 minutes' flying time from Washington, D.C. Jarrah's objective was to crash his airliner into symbols of the American Republic, the Capitol or the White House. He was defeated by the alerted, unarmed passengers of United 93.On the United 93 movie site, director Paul Greenberg's statement gives me a tip to why you will probably see the MSM play the "too soon?" card more and more every day."By a quirk of fate Flight 93 was delayed on the runway at Newark airport for 45 minutes. By the time it was airborne, the other three planes had reached their intended targets. As a result, the fourty passengers and crew on board Flight 93 were the first to inhabit our new and terrifying post 9/11 world. The terrible dilemma those passengers faced is the same we have been struggling with ever since. Do we sit passively and hope this all turns out to be okay? Or do we fight back and strike at them before they strike at us? And what will be the consequences if we do?" Since 9/11 there have been many who have tried to hide the significance of that day. To convince us that it was just an isolated incident that won't repeat. Still others would have us believe our own Government played a part. And I think there's some truth to the reaction from BizzyBlog, "Those who claim “we are not ready for this yet” never will be." Ed Driscoll has a good roundup, including a year-old comment from James Lileks, "Another producer of another upcoming 9/11 drama says they won't show planes hitting the towers because, "We're not ready for it yet." We're babies. Please take the scary pictures away. Tell me the fairy story about [the fictional country from "The Interpreter] Maboto again, Daddy."

Back from Europe...

It has been 10 days since I posted since I was in Europe on business and then even more conferences a few hours after I returned. Looking forward to getting caught up on things now. Thank goodness for Cynthia Mckinney- the gift that keeps giving..