Security forces detained 18 wanted men in Basrah, 17 in Maysan, and two more in Al Kut; 16 insurgents in Mosul and four more in Fallujah; and 10 al Qaeda fighters in Jalawlaa. Insurgents wounded five policemen in Diyala and Baghdad, and two soldiers in Fallujah.
Syria said it is willing to send a team of investigators to look into claims that last week’s truck bombs in Baghdad originated from Ba’athists inside the country. If the Iraqi government does not allow the team in country, Syria “will consider anything the Iraqi media presents as fabricated evidence made for domestic consumptions, or […]
Indonesia widens list of Jakarta bombing suspects
I’ve had several inquiries on this piece, “Behind the Carnage in Baghdad”, by Washington Post columnist David Ignatius. According to Mr. Ignatius, Iraq will be a fully-owned Iranian subsidiary in a few years. Iraq expert Nibras Kazimi over at Talisman Gate has a masterful response to Mr. Ignatius’ column. Here is a sample, but read […]
If you want to understand just how the news outlets in Pakistan, particularly the TV news outlets, are manipulated, read “Sensationalism, not journalism” at Dawn, one of Pakistan’s best newspapers. Here is a clip: In unstructured societies like Pakistan, where fixing responsibility and holding accountability is not part of media routines, there is considerable damage. […]
Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is believed to have killed two paramilitary personnel and one civilian during a complex ambush on a convoy passing through Ain Defla province, which lies about 120km west of Algiers. Gunmen opened fire after a roadside bomb struck the convoy. The gunmen escaped into the woods.
Taliban confirm commander’s death
A suicide bomber killed four police officers in the Shali region of Chechnya. The Caucasus Emirate has issued a fatwa endorsing the right to kill moderate-separatist Akhmed Zakayev. Zakayev has come under the scrutiny of Islamist separatists for recently holding talks with representatives of Kadyrov’s Moscow-backed government. Despite being critical of Kadyrov’s policies, Zakayev has […]
Hakeemullah and Waliur Rehman Mehsud confirmed that Baitullah died of wounds suffered in the Aug. 5 Predator strike. Waliur said Hakeemullah is the new Taliban leader.
A car bomb hidden inside a Toyota pickup truck exploded outside a restaurant filled with government officials in Narathiwat town, wounding 42 people, including the chief of the district. The bombing was the largest attack carried out by Muslim separatists since last November, when two bombs killed 1 and wounded 70 in Narathiwat.
The latest issue of the Weekly Standard contains my article on Daniel Patrick Boyd, who authorities say was the ringleader of the alleged jihadist cell arrested in the Raleigh, North Carolina area on July 22. My article — the product of several days of research in the Raleigh area — highlights the two faces of […]
The terror group said the goal of the attacks was to destroy the Iraqi people’s faith in the government.
Q A-Is the Pakistani Taliban in transition or disarray?
The Taliban killed 41 civilians in a bombing in Kandahar, four US soldiers in southern Iraq, four civilians in an IED attack in Paktia, and a policeman in Kunduz. Coalition and Afghan forces killed a Taliban commander in Uruzgan and captured an IED maker in Logar.
The government resumed mass trials of opposition figures; top aides of former President Khatami have been accused of fomenting a “soft coup.” A spokesman said sanctions will not stop Iran from pursuing its “legal rights” to possess nuclear power.
UN supports Afghan vote fraud probe
US military provided Philippines assistance with communications during raids
CIA abuse cases detailed in report on detainees
The Pakistani-Taliban-is-collapsing meme has taken hold in the blogosphere. From Hot Air: The death of Baitullah Mehsud appears to have done even more damage to the Taliban terrorist network in Pakistan than first thought. Without their charismatic leader to unite them, the Taliban has begun to splinter across ideological and tribal lines, and the council […]
The Taliban killed two intelligence operatives in Nowshera and killed an anti-Taliban Afghan journalist in Khyber. Police arrested six members of the Punjabi Taliban in Sargodha. The Jamiat Ulema-i-Islam-Fazl warned the government not to arrest its members or raid its seminaries.
Nearly 1,250 Darul-Islam sect members were deported from Minna in Niger State to their respective Nigerian states of origin. Many members were sent to Sokoto and Kano states. They were escorted by police to ensure that they had safe passage.
Young Guantanamo prisoner back in Afghanistan
Afghan minister claims Karzai poll win, UN says wait
Pak raids unravel Taliban-drugs link
UAE Prosecutor Claims US Man had al-Qaeda Ties
Profile: Hakeemullah Mehsud
Fifteen Iraqis were killed and 21 were wounded during separate bombings that targeted buses north of Al Kut. Securiy forces detained 46 wanted men in Amara, 28 in Karbala, and 13 more in Basrah. A US soldier was killed during combat in Baghdad on Aug. 23.
Iraq: Maliki promises a crackdown that could reach political figures
An update of the status of the Afghan ANAAC. The total cost of building the ANAAC is approximately $5 billion. 
Hakeemullah Mehsud, left, or his body double?. AFP photo. Pakistani intelligence officials and Interior Minister Rehman Maik are now claiming that Hakeemulah Mehsud is dead and his twin brother is standing as the new Taliban chief.From The Times of India: The Taliban, in order to save their image, are giving the impression that Hakeemullah Mehsud […]