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In the 10th Year of War, a Harder Army, a More Distant America
Author Archives: Bill Roggio
Coalition continues pursuit of IMU commanders in the Afghan north
A Taliban district commander with links to the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan was among eight killed in a strike in Kunduz.
Iraq
Security forces killed two insurgents in Mosul and arrested 35 wanted men in Diyala, Basrah, Karbala, and Kirkuk. A suicide bomber killed two Awakening fighters in Samarra. A US airman died during an accident while exploding ordnance in Balad.
Somalia
Shabaab ordered three aid agencies – Mercy Corps, Med-Air, and Horn Relief – to be expelled from Mogadishu as they “propagated Western ideology.” Iranian President Ahmadinejad blamed “colonialist governments” for the violence in Somalia.
Afghanistan
UN evacuates a third of staff ahead of Afghan vote
Afghanistan
Coalition and Afghan forces killed and captured several Taliban, Haqqani Network, and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan commanders and fighters in Helmand, Kandahar, Zabul, Kunduz, Paktika, Khost, and Logar. ISAF troops killed an armed man who attempted to enter a base in Uruzgan during a protest. The Taliban killed three ISAF troops in attacks in the […]
Why has the US ramped up attacks in North Waziristan?
In a report at the Christian Science Monitor that attempts to explain why the US has ramped up Predator/Reaper attacks in North Waziristan, there is a great description of the strength of al Qaeda and allied groups in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency: According to US estimates, there are about 2,000 Al Qaeda militants in the […]
Riyad-us-Saliheen Martyrs’ Brigade claims suicide attack in southern Russia
Banner of the Riyad-us-Saliheen Martyrs’ Brigade, posted on Kavkaz Center’s website. Emir Adam, the leader of the Caucasus Emirate forces in Ingushetia, recently claimed that the suicide teams of the Riyad-us-Saliheen Martyrs’ Brigade executed the Sept. 9 suicide attack in Vladikavkaz that killed 18 people. Adam, who was one of two top commanders to come […]
Russia
Emir Adam, the leader of the Caucasus Emirate forces in Ingushetia, said the Riyad-us-Saliheen Martyrs’ Brigade carried out the Sept. 9 suicide attack in Vladikavkaz. “Our immediate goal is expulsion of invaders, the return to Muslims of the lands of the Caucasus and establishment of the Islamic rule on them,” Adam said.
Denmark
Police found 40 kilograms of explosives at the home of Lors Doukaiev, a Chechen national who lives in Belgium. Doukaiev was arrested in Copenhagen after what appears to be a letter bomb detonated prematurely and he was injured in the Sept. 10 blast.
Pakistan
The US killed 17 Taliban and Haqqani Network fighters in a pair of airstrikes in North Waziristan. Five soldiers were wounded in an IED attack in Khyber. Four members of Pakistani Jundallah were arrested in Karachi.
Latest US Predator strike kills 3 in North Waziristan
Three “rebels” were reported killed in the latest strike in the al Qaeda haven of Datta Khel. The strike is the fourth in two days and the 13th this month.
Iraq
Insurgents killed nine Iraqi soldiers traveling on leave in an IED attack in Mosul. Iraqi and US troops reportedly killed seven Iraqis during a raid in Fallujah. Ansar al Islam was involved in the murder of a Kurdish journalist in May.
Afghanistan
Commandos under the gun in secret Afghan probe
Pakistan
Drone strikes peak; can they help end the war?
Israel
The US Embassy in Tel Aviv, Israel, issued a warning to Americans in the region not to travel to the Gulf of Aqaba region. The embassy said it has “credible” information of an “imminent” threat and warned Americans to be aware of the location of the nearest bomb shelter.
US launches operation in Taliban stronghold of Zhari
Earlier today, the US military launched a brigade-plus-sized operation in the district of Zhari, the Taliban stronghold west of Kandahar known as “the heart of darkness.” From McClatchy: U.S. forces launched a major operation in southern Afghanistan early Wednesday in the district that gave birth to the Taliban movement, in what could be one of […]
Afghanistan
The US launched a brigade-sized operation in the Zhari district in Kandahar. Coalition and Afghan forces killed and captured several Taliban, Haqqani Network, and Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan commanders and fighters in Kunduz, Khost, Wardak, Nangarhar, and Kabul. The Taliban killed a pro-government tribal elder and four of his sons in Baghlan.
Somalia
Shabaab announced that it would hold demonstrations against the burning of Korans. Ethiopian troops entered Somali border towns to hunt ONLF rebels who entered the semi-autonomous region of Somaliland.
Siraj Haqqani’s cousin reported killed in Waziristan strike
Click to view slide show of commanders in the Haqqani Network. Pictured is a composite image of Siraj Haqqani. Pakistani intelligence officials are claiming that a Haqqani Network commander named Saifullah who also was one of Siraj Haqqani’s cousins was killed in the Sept. 14 Predator strike in the village of Qutabkhel. From AFP/Dawn: A […]
Iran-backed senior IMU commander captured in Afghan north
An Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan foreign fighter facilitator who worked with Iran’s Qods Force was captured during a raid in Kunduz.
Al Qaeda
Ayman al Zawahiri, al Qaeda’s second in command, released an audiotape in which he criticized the Pakistani and Turkish governments. Zawahiri called for Pakistanis and Turks to overthrow their governments as they supported the war in Afghanistan.
Russia
Police killed two “rebels” during clashes in the Shatoi district in Chechnya. A policeman was killed in an attack in Chechnya and an Islamic cleric was seriously wounded in an IED attack in Ingushetia.
Pakistan may free Sufi Mohammed
Sufi Mohammad. More than a year ago, a trusted source and expert on Pakistan said that if you wanted to know how serious Pakistan is about fighting terrorists in its midst, observe how it deals with its homegrown terrorist leaders. Pakistan has been unwilling (or unable, or both, depending on your point of view) to […]
US Predators strike again in Pakistan, killing 14 ‘militants’
Strikes were launched on two compounds in the village of Darga Mandi, which is on the outskirts of Miramshah; 12 missiles were fired. The US has launched 12 strikes this month, making it the most active since the campaign began in 2004.
Pakistan
The US killed 15 Taliban and Haqqani Network fighters in a pair of Predator strikes in North Waziristan. The Taliban assassinated a journalist in Hangu. Hakeemullah Mehsud threatened to attack the US if a Koran is burned.
‘It’s not a secret’ Mullah Omar is in Pakistan – France
Mullah Mohammed Omar, the Amir al Mumineen (“the commander of the faithful”) of the Afghan and Pakistani Taliban. While French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner’s statement that Mullah Omar is sheltering in Pakistan is no great revelation, kudos to him for stating the painfully obvious. From AFP via Dawn: “It’s not a secret for anyone, everyone […]
Afghanistan
Coalition and Afghan forces killed 23 Taliban fighters in Helmand and three more in Wardak, and detained a Haqqani Network sub-commander and several fighters in Khost. The Afghan central bank took control of the failing Kabul Bank.
Iraq
Eleven al Qaeda fighters were killed and 32 more were captured during fighting in Hadid in Diyala on Sept. 12. Security forces detained a “terror” cell leader in Karbala, and 14 wanted men in Diwaniyah and Diyala. Insurgents assassinated an intelligence colonel and a police officer in Baghdad.
Al Qaeda
Sanctuaries in Pak help revival of Taliban, al-Qaida post 9/11