Election Day in Iraq is a little over a month away, and the violence against the Iraqi people and interim government increases. Last week, two election workers were gunned down in cold blood. Today, Muhammad Abd al-Hussein, a secular Iraqi politician critical of Syria was murdered, and Abdel Aziz al-Hakim, the head of the most […]
Belmont Club looks at the mortar attack on the mess hall in Mosul, and the media and European inclination to misrepresent, and in some cases ignore wholesale the nature of the Islamofascist enemy and the deeds of Saddam’s regime. The goal of the enemy in Iraq is to reduce our will to fight and push […]
Charles Johnson of little green footballs links to an article on the banning of Al-Manar (The Beacon), the satellite television station of Hezbollah. The United States government has officially designated Al-Manar a terrorist organization, and the broadcast of Al-Manar will not be allowed to be carried on American satellites. Any persons or companies collaborating with […]
As the Iraqi elections approach, the interim government has decided to press forward with the trial of members of Saddam’s former Ba’athist regime. Twelve senior leaders will be the first to be tried, including Ali Hassan al-Majid (AKA Chemical Ali) and Tareq Aziz. These men wielded great power in Saddam’s Iraq. Tareq Aziz was Saddam’s […]
Dr. Kaveh Afrasiabi, professor of political science at the University of Tehran has published an article outlining Iran’s strategy against a possible confrontation with the United States. As Colt stated in Thursday’s Winds of War Briefing, the article is a “rather optimistic (from the mullahs’ perspective) look at how Iran would fight back” , but […]
(This post will be updated with a link to the full transcript when it is available.) Osama bin Laden has released a new videotape where he praises the attacks in Jeddah, calls for the overthrow of the Saudi government and exhorts his followers to attack the lifeblood of the Middle East – oil and the […]
Last November Belmont Club reported on the scope of the Palestinian’s subterranean war along the “Philadelphi Route”, the border between Gaza and Egypt controlled by the Israeli Defense Force. While tunnels are typically used for smuggling of weapons, ammunition, drugs and terrorists, the IDF believed a tunnel pointed at one of their outposts in Rafah […]
Iraqi Interim President Ghazi al-Yawer, Jordan’s King Abdullah and United States intelligence officials have accused Syria of funding and supporting the Iraqi insurgency. President al-Yawer is blunt in his accusation against Syria,”there are people in Syria who are bad guys, who are fugitives of the law and who are Saddam remnants who are trying to […]
The Democratic Leadership Council, the purportedly moderate wing of the Democratic Party which includes members such as Evan Bayh, Joe Lieberman, Blanche Lincoln and former President Bill Clinton, recently published an article that seemingly called for the resignation of United Nations Secretary General Koffi Annan due to his complicity in the Oil for Food scandal. […]
A common misconception about the Global War on Terror is that Iraq is completely unrelated to the war effort, that it is a distraction. This could be seen in polling questions during the presidential election. When pollsters asked about the issues most important to voters, the “War on Terror” and “Iraq” was listed as two […]
After a long spring and summer filled with bombings, beheadings and clashes between Saudi security forces and al Qaeda, Saudi Arabia has enjoyed a quite period, marked by minor events such as arrests and roundups of suspected terrorists. Today the relative calm has ended. The American consulate in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah […]
The Washington Times, in two separate articles, disclosed some interesting developments on the status of the Iraqi insurgency. In the first article, Pamela Hess reports that the insurgency is considering forming a political front and purging itself of its violent and extremist elements: the foreign terrorists, criminals and radical sheikhs. Intelligence shows that the insurgency […]
Elections in Iraq are less than two months away, and despite calls from Sunni groups to postpone them, Iraq’s Sunni President Ghazi al-Yawer has thrown his support behind the scheduled date of January 30th. Media negativity and spin continues to be presented with regards to Iraq and Afghanistan, including the increase in American troop strength […]
In a recent interview, CENTCOM Commanding General John Abizaid calls for action against the dangerous Wahhabi and Salafi ideologies espoused by Osama bin Laden and other Islamist terrorists. General John Abizaid notes that al Qaeda has suffered a string of military failures on the battlefield against American forces but still remains a threat as a […]
As Coalition forces scour Fallujah for weapons caches and terrorist hideouts, the extent of the Islamofascists’ logistical chain becomes apparent. Contrary to the laws of war, the terrorists have no compunction about using mosques as fighting positions, arsenals and bomb factories of jihad. Military planners at U.S. Central Command said that every one of the […]
Coalition efforts to cleave the foreign element of the insurgency from the indigenous Iraqi elements are accelerating. The successful operations in Fallujah and elsewhere in the Sunni Triangle is fracturing the command, control and communications of the Islamofascists, and forcing them to fight in smaller groups that are more susceptible to infiltration and the application […]
Two separate reports, one from the Associated press, and another from ABC News (via Belmont Club), indicated that al Qaeda may be encountering difficulties due to recent operations in the Sunni Triangle. Abu Musab al-Zarqari, the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, is angry at Muslim leaders for not doing enough to incite the faithful […]
The push to secure the Sunni Triangle continues. As discussed in Into the Sunni Triangle, Fallujah was but one step in the ongoing offensive to restore order prior to elections and strike a blow to the insurgency. American, British and Iraq forces (estimated at around 5,000 troops) are now conducting operations to rout the Islamofascists […]
The much anticipated quagmire in Fallujah, like the other quagmires predicted by the media and intellectuals, did not materialize. Instead of detailing the unprecedented successes of the Coalition and the heroism of our soldiers, the media’s focus on the insurgency in Iraq has moved from Fallujah to outlying areas of the Sunni Triangle. The recent […]
Hit and run tactics continue throughout the Sunni Triangle. Baghdad, Mosul, Ramadi and other cities and towns continue to encounter attacks on police stations, coalition forces, and civilians in the form of ambushes and suicide bombings. The removal of Fallujah as a base of operations to the insurgents and terrorists is a blow to the […]
Sporadic fighting continues as Coalition forces continue to root out remnants of the Islamofascists in Fallujah. The Coalition nets intelligence on terrorist organizations during houes to house searches. Zarqawi’s main headquarters is believed to have been discovered, and information discovered in the city has lead to the capture of insurgents outside of Fallujah. Defying the […]
Pleased to meet you Hope you guessed my name But what’s confusing you Is just the nature of my game Just as every cop is a criminal And all the sinners saints As heads is tails Just call me lucifer ’cause I’m in need of some restraint So if you meet me Have some courtesy […]
Mop up operations continue in Fallujah, and the extent of the foreign jihadis’ involvement in the city comes to light. Iraq has attracted martyrs to al Qaeda’s cause, and American and Iraqi forces are helping them on their way to martyrdom. Allawi said up to 400 insurgents have been captured, including fighters from Syria, Saudi […]
(Note: I am assisting with Winds of Change Fallujah briefing. Joe Katzman has assembled an incredible briefing on the battle. Some of the information in this post is derived from entries I submitted for Sunday’s posting. As the battle of Fallujah is winding down, I expect the news from the city to dry up soon.) […]
“Our goal right now, we feel we’ve broken their back and their spirit, is to keep the heat on them.” Lieutenant General John F. Sattler, Commanding General, I Marine Expeditionary Force Coalition forces are in the mop-up phase in Fallujah. Pockets of resistance are still being encountered, mainly in Jolan in the northeast and in […]
(Note: the map used in this post has been copied from Global Security; the main roads are highlighted in green. I have modified this map to highlight Route 10, the Railroad, suspected Coalition positions and advances, and other terrain features. American/British forces are the blue boxes, friendly Iraqi forces are the green boxes. I think […]
Information on the Iraqi forces fighting in Fallujah is difficult to come by as the media is focusing on the front line battles, which are mainly conducted by American soldiers and Marines. The Iraqi Army and National Guard have been widely criticized by the American media for problems with training and morale. Most recently, before […]
The offensive in Fallujah has uncovered torture chambers run by the various terrorist groups that operated unfettered for the past year. Fallujah will no longer serve as a safe production studio for Zarqawi’s string of barbaric snuff films. “We have found hostage slaughterhouses in Fallujah that were used by these people and the black clothing […]
Two days into the Second Battle of Fallujah, Coalition forces appear to be making stunning progress. Toby Harnden continues his ride with the Phantoms of Task Force 2-2, composed of elements of the 1st Infantry Division. This unit entered the fray in the Askari district, in the upper Northeast corner of Fallujah (see map below […]
The Seattle Times and the Telegraph gives excellent narratives on the tactics used by the Marines and Army forces tasked to retake Fallujah. These articles also provide insight on the overall strategy to destroy the insurgents in Fallujah. Matthew McAllester of Newsday is embedded with the 2nd Battalion of the Army’s 7th Cavalry Regiment, and […]