Post, Wall, Barriers to Erect for Security/Understanding

Graphic source: Washington Post

Please note the bias on the part of the respected source. The red part of Quds Street is about 3.2 miles according to NIMA, the US mapping agency. The Washington Post, with a cohort of local stringers and the efforts of Columbia University types, still make a mistake. The scale is wrong on such a basic aspect of mapping at 7.5 miles. On the other hand, perhaps its a typographical mistake. In this case, the 4 on the miles scale should be a 1. In any event, the Washington Post's typo seems to have permit a bias. By making Quds Street appear 2.5 times longer than it really is, they want to send a message that this project is doomed, and that JAM (the Mahdi) is unbeatable. They are not. The incorrect scale should be about 1.5 miles, which is not a standard. Thus the scale was arbitrary and pulled out of a hat to serve a bias.

The recent attacks in Sadr City have centered around the barrier that U.S. Army engineers are building. The Mahdi Army attacks are hampering progress here on Qods Street, dividing the Ishbilyah and the Habbibiyah neighborhoods, which are controlled by the US and Iraqi military, from the northern neighborhoods. The four goals are: to restrict the movement of weapons and supplies into the southern neighborhoods, prevent the Mahdi Army from using these areas as launch sites for mortar and rocket attacks against the International Zone, establish the writ of the government, and provide humanitarian assistance to Iraqis living in these areas in order to wrest control from the Mahdi Army, according to the Long War Journal. A total of 465 Mahdi Army fighters have been confirmed killed in and around Sadr City since March 25. The Iraqi government has stated that the Sadrist political movement would not be able to participate in upcoming provincial elections if it failed to disband the Mahdi Army.

Terrorist Attack Rise: al Qaeda Kills 2,400 Children

Recruits of Saudi-born Islamic militant Osama bin Laden are seen marching in this frame grab from an undated training video at an undisclosed location in Afghanistan.

Graphic source: REUTERS/Stringer (I would imagine this is an AQ photographer. Who else would be allowed inside a training camp to take a picture? Reuters is not going inside.)

Attacks for which al Qaeda claimed responsibility killed or wounded 5,400 civilians, including 2,400 children, and Muslims accounted for more than 50 percent of al Qaeda victims, the center's data showed.

The number of people killed in attacks rose to 22,685, from 20,872 in the previous year, the U.S. National Counterterrorism Center said. Al Qaeda claimed responsibility for killing or wounding 5,400 civilians: including 2,400 children, and Muslims accounted for more than 50 percent of al Qaeda victims.

More non-Italians Than Italians In Italy Oppose Mosques

Recently I noted that Italy was plagued by a new appearance of al-Qaeda in an Italian website. Today, one out of three Italians oppose the building of new mosques according to a survey. There are an estimated one million Muslim immigrants in Italy and 258 mosques throughout the country. Rome's Grand Mosque is the biggest mosque in Europe. The survey commissioned by the government and conducted by Italian consultants, Makno Consulting, revealed that 31% of Italians are against the construction of new mosques. The Italians are afraid of intolerance of Catholicism and possible terrorist attacks by Islamists. Interestingly, non-Muslim immigrants showed even less tolerance than their Italian counterparts and 50% of them rejected the idea of opening new mosques. 55% of Italians think that immigration from Islamic countries is the biggest problem. The survey also found that Italians should take precedence over immigrants--legal or illegal0--for social services, schools, nurseries, hospitals and emergency care. Italians desired a greater police presence, a limit on the number of immigrants per classroom in schools, and more frequent checks of mosques, licenses and businesses.

12 Somali Insurgents Killed in American Airstrike

Twelve people have been killed in an air strike by American planes which targeted an Islamist insurgent organisation in Dusamareb, central Somali. Reuters carried a story with a biography of the insurgents killed.

Two commanders of the Islamist militia died in the attack. The air strike targeted senior Shabab and al Qaeda leader Aden Hashi Ayro. In a propaganda audiotape released by Shabab in November 2007, Ayro expressed his wishes of "someday beheading women and children in Addis Ababa." The second commander killed is Fazul Abdullah Mohammad. Fazul is al Qaeda's operations chief responsible for planning the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, as well as the 2002 car bombing attack in Kenya and missile attack on an Israeli airliner.

The insurgents form part of the Somali branch of al-Qaeda. Since being removed ousted by allied Somali and Ethiopian troops, the insurgents have continued guerrilla attacks. The successful strike is the fifth known US-led air strike against al Qaeda operatives in Somalia since the Ethiopian operation to drive the Islamic Courts from power was launched in late December 2006.

Bill Roggio Appears on al-Jazeera and Gets a Word In Edge-wise

Peace talks between the Pakistani government and Taliban rebels have collapsed as the government refused to pull its troops out of its tribal border region with Afghanistan.

Part II of the interview including Bill Roggio in which a Taliban apologist attempts to denounce Bill Roggio. Even the al-Jazeera talking head attempts to intervene on Roggio's behalf.

US troops kill 28 Mahdi fighters in Sadr City

An additional 27 Mahdi Army fighters and a senior Special Groups leader were killed during a series of engagements in the afternoon and throughout the night in Sadr City. The US troops were attacked with rocket propelled grenades and small arms fire as they were building a concrete security barrier in Sadr City to prevent rocket attacks on the Green Zone. US soldiers responded and killed three Mahdi fighters. Ten minutes later, US troops killed seven Mahdi Army fighters as they attacked the soldiers with mortars and machine guns. No US casualties occurred in either incident.

US troops killed another 17 Mahdi Army fighters in a series of engagements throughout the day as they transported weapons, set up rockets for launching, planted roadside bombs, and attacked US troops in Sadr City.

Coalition Special Forces also conducted a daylight strike today inside Sadr City to target a known Iranian-sponsored senior Special Groups leader. The leader was killed.

463 Mahdi Army fighters have been killed in recent fighting.

The unprecedented buildup of forces indicates the Iraqi government and the US military are serious about advancing into Sadr City beyond the southern third of the district being hemmed in by the security barriers being erected.

Sadr City Cleaning Up for Fall Elections

U.S. troops killed six Mahdi Army fighters in a series of engagements, while the Iraqi government reported that 925 have been killed since fighting broke out in Sadr City at the end of March. 435 Mahdi Army fighters have been killed in and around Sadr City since the fighting broke out on March 25. Maliki seems committed against the militias. Clearing the impoverished areas will allow humanitarian groups in, will permit legitimate political activity without the intimidation of an armed group of thugs, and the Fall elections can continue on schedule. The rule of law came to Fallujah in ridding the area of AQ which is happening in Sadr.

وّات قتلوا ستّة مهدي جيش مقاتلات [إين ا سريس وف] إلتزامات, بينما الحكومة [إيرقي] أفاد أنّ قتلت 925 يتلقّى يكون منذ يتنازع [بروك ووت] في [سدر] مدينة في النهاية مارس - آذار. 435 مهدي جيش قتلت مقاتلات يتلقّى يكون في وحول [سدر] مدينة بما أنّ ال يتنازع [بروك ووت] في مارس - آذار 25. [مليكي] يبدو يرتكب ضدّ الميليشيا. سيسمح يخلي المناطق ناضب مجموعة إنسانيّة داخل, سيسمح نشاط شرعيّ سياسيّة دون التخويف من مجموعة مسلّحة سفّاح, والسقوط إنتخابات يستطيع استمرّت على جدول. أتى ال [رول وف لو] إلى [فلّوجه] في يخلّص المنطقة من [أق] أيّ يكون يحدث في [سدر].

Syrian Nuke Nuked

The Syrian reactor bombed by Israel last 6 September had the capacity to produce enough nuclear material to fuel one to two weapons a year according to CIA Director Michael Hayden. It could have produced enough material for at least one weapon. The reactor was of a "similar size and technology" to North Korea's Yongbyon reactor, Hayden said. This is the first we have really heard and seen the Syrian operation from an American view, a development that for the world's sake seems like a good thing to destroy.

28 Mahdi Killed in U.S. Rescue/Ambush

Another heavy-duty day found U.S. troops killed 28 Mahdi fighters during a Sadr City ambush. A four-hour battle in southern Sadr City erupted after a US soldier was wounded by gunfire and U.S. forces began to evacuate the soldier. In a standard tactic used by insurgents, during the evacuation, Mahdi Army fighters triggered three roadside bombs and fired rocket propelled grenades and machineguns at the U.S. patrol. Five more soldiers were wounded in the attacks; none of the soldiers' injuries are reported as life-threatening.

Daily Round-Up

US, Iraqi troops killed 41 Mahdi Army fighters in Baghdad clashes; there were no U.S. Soldier or ISF casualties in the attack. 11th Iraqi Army Division and MND-B Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 64th Armor Regiment, 3rd Infantry Division, attached to 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, were attacked by a large group of criminals engaging with small-arms fire while manning a security checkpoint. U.S. Soldiers used 120 mm fire from M1A12 Abrams tanks and small-arms fire to kill 22 criminals, forcing remaining enemy forces present to retreat. The criminals’ small-arms fire was ineffective. The same day, US soldiers killed 16 Mahdi Army fighters during a series of engagements in northeastern Baghdad. There were no U.S. casualties. US and Iraqi troops have killed 151 Mahdi Army fighters in northeastern Baghdad since Sadr issued his threat on April 20.

تل [أوس], قوّات [إيرقي] 41 مهدي جيش مقاتلات في بغداد صدامات; هناك كان ما من [أو.س.] جندية أو [إيسف] إصابات في الهجوم. [11ث] [إيرقي] جيش هاجمت تقسيم و [مند-ب] جنديات من [1ست] فرقة, [64ث] درع فوج, [3رد] ماشية تقسيم, يربط إلى [3رد] لواء قتال فريق, [4ث] ماشية تقسيم, كان بمجموعة كبيرة مجرم يشبك مع [سملّ-رمس] نار بينما يجنّد أمن نقطة تفتيش. [أو.س.] استعمل جنديات 120 [مّ] نار من [م112] [أبرمس] دبّابة و [سملّ-رمس] نار أن يقتل 22 مجرم, يجبر [إنمي فورسس] متبقّي حاضر أن ينسحب. المجرم [سملّ-رمس] كان نار غيرفعّال. [ث سم دي], [أوس] قتل جنديات 16 مهدي جيش مقاتلات أثناء [سري] الإلتزامات في بغداد شماليّ شرقيّ. هناك كان ما من [أو.س] إصابات. قد قتل [أوس] وقوّات [إيرقي] 151 مهدي جيش مقاتلات في بغداد شماليّ شرقيّ بما أنّ [سدر] أصدر تهديده في أبريل - نيسان 20.

"Truth Is the First Casualty of Warfare"

Graphic source: BBC

This is what happened today:

"US, Iraqi troops killed 41 Mahdi Army fighters in Baghdad clashes"

This is how NPR reported this event on "Morning Edition" today.

The statement was: "38 people killed in Iraq in the past 24 hours."

If you had not really listened, or since NPR did not identify who was killed, the unfortunate impression is that any number of random persons were killed, civilians and such, and many listeners would understand that simply more violence occurred. Buried within the story is that many fatalities were in fact, "militants."

On NPR's website, the story was re-written: "In Baghdad, the U.S. military is reporting the deaths of 38 Iraqi militants who launched attacks during a sandstorm."

The Philadelphia Inquirer did not run the story.

The BBC world edition ran: DOZENS KILLED IN BAGHDAD CLASHES, as the headline, in small print, "Thirty-eight Shia militia fighters have been killed in two days of fierce clashes in the Iraqi capital Baghdad, the US military has said."

CNN reports the story thusly, "U.S. authorities in Iraq reported more attacks in Baghdad's heavily fortified International Zone Monday following the deaths of 38 militants in battles on Sunday in the eastern section of the city."

In this version, it sounds as if damaging attacks occurred once militants were killed, as if so many were killed and then a counter-offensive followed.

The point I'm trying make here is that news sources are not reporting in a forthright manner. The alternative news sources are scooping the major outlets. Today, you have to look for the news to find a semblance of the truth.

Europol Votes for Jolly 'Ole England

Europol, the European police force, reports that terrorist plots linked to groups in Pakistan had been "almost exclusively focused on the UK." Just last week it was revealed that 15 plots to attack British targets have been foiled in the three years since the London bombings. British authorities said that 203 people had been arrested on suspicion of terror offences in 2007, representing a 30 per cent increase on the previous year. The motivation is attributed to Islam. In contrast, only 201 people were detained in the rest of Europe. French police made 91 arrests.

Pentagon Readying for Catostrophic Plans: and, Drones to Buzz U.S. Citizens

The Pentagon will be prepared by the Fall with the first specially trained task force designed to rapidly respond to a catastrophic attack against the U.S. The unit will consist of between 4,000 and 4,500 people. Interestingly enough, the Pentagon may also use unmanned aerial vehicles over the continental United States. The drones, remotely controlled aircraft, are considered a “critical enabler” that has proved its worth by helping firefighters battle wildfires and border patrol agents protect the northern and southern borders. The Air Force used the Global Hawk unmanned surveillance aircraft during the southern California wildfires last fall.

More Than Tang

Years ago the Universities were tied to the military establishment and they produced harmful chemicals. Then again, there were supposed to be advantages behind the millions poured into the space race. I would hope though for all the money spent there would be more than just Tang. The gaming video application dealing with PTSD from troops in Iraq has civilian applications as well for anyone struggling with a traumatic event.

Coalition Advance in Sadr: Karzai Escapes

US air weapons team killed seven Mahdi Army fighters in Sadr City on Saturday and early Sunday morning. Iraqi and US troops currently control the Ishbilya and Habbibiyah neighborhoods and have walled off these areas to restrict the movement of weapons and supplies. Afghan president Hamid Karzai narrowly escapes assassination after Taliban gunmen attack a military parade he attended in Kabul.

An Iraqi Army soldier used a flashlight to signal cars to turn off their headlights as a sandstorm enveloped central Baghdad, Iraq on Sunday. Militants fired rockets in the heavily guarded Green Zone, taking advantage of the sandstorm that blanketed the Iraqi capital and forced US helicopters and drones, which usually track militant activites, to be grounded.

Source: The Christian Science Monitor

Graphic source: Khalid Mohammed/AP

وس] [أير وبون] قتل فريق سبعة مهدي جيش مقاتل في [سدر] مدينة على يوم السّبت ومبكّر يوم الأحد صباح. يحتشد عراقيّ و [أوس] حاليّا تحكّم [إيشبيلا] و [هبّيبيه] جوارات ويحوّط من هذا أمنان أن يقيّد الحركة من أسلحة وإمداد تموين. يهرب رئيس [أفغن] حميد [كرزي] بشقّ النّفس إغتيال عقب [تليبن] رجل مسلّح يهاجمون إستعراض عسكريّة هو حضر في كابول.

Daily News

Mohammed Jahim al-Harbuni, an Iraq AQ operational head in Salaheddini, was killed in the Al-Jillam district northeast of Samarra, also killed were 2 Iraqis and 1 Saudi. The U.S. military reported a relative lull in fighting Saturday.

British troops in Afghanistan could hand control of key areas to Afghan forces in Helmand.

محمّد [جهيم] قتلت [أل-هربوني], العراق [أق] رأس عمليّاتيّة في [سلهدّيني], كان في ال [أل-جيلّم] من شمال شرق [سمرّا], أيضا يقتل كانوا 2 عراقيّ و1 [سودي]. ال [أو.س] أفاد جيش خمود نسبيّة في يتنازع يوم السّبت.

قوّات [بريتيش] في أفغانستان استطاع ناولت تحكّم من أمنان أساسيّة إلى قوّات [أفغن] في [هلمند].

"Let the soldiers of this Administration go to hell."

Graphic source: Actualite Internationale

Zawahiri pictured with Osama Bin Laden

On April 18th , a new 15-minute 52- second audio message by Al-Qa’ida's second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri entitled: "Five years after the Invasion of Iraq and Decades of Injustice by the Tyrants" was released. The message is produced by Al-Sahab Media Production Organization, the media wing of Al-Qa'ida organization. The following includes excerpts from the full translation of Al-Zawahiri’s audio message.

"Let the soldiers of this Administration go to hell."

Zawahiri summarizes and associates Americans, Asian colonialism, the French-British mandate, and Truman's decision to deploy atomic weapons. He states: "The age of the Monroe Doctrine, the Opium War, the Sykes-Picot Agreement, and the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki has gone, and the age of rejecting peace, capitulation, and normalization; the age of confronting the invaders in Chechnya, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Palestine, has begun."

The fact that Iraq is central to terrorist aims is clear. He states: ""Iraq today is now the most important arena in which our Muslim nation is waging the battle against the forces of the Crusader-Zionist campaign."

The young should "must transfer their anger to the streets. . . . high schools [are] . . . centers for supporting jihad and resistance." The entire Ummah (Islamic nation) must unite, everyone, including "children," in order "to drive out the Crusader and Jewish invaders from the land of Islam and establish the Islamic state that rules by the Islamic sharia."

Major Political Benchmark Possible

One of the unmistakable indications of counterinsurgency victory, and the recent promotion of Petraeus is a sound indication that events in Iraq have recently gone well, is when the insurgents stand down and join the political process. The Sunnis are formally announcing their intention to rejoin the Maliki government. What seemed unthinkable a year ago, the parties that walked out of Iraq's government have agreed to rejoin, in what could amount to a long-awaited political breakthrough. The necessary military step achieved by Petraeus and the surge allowed sufficient breathing room for the chaotic Iraqi political process to develop in a positive direction. And with this latest political development, the main Sunni Arab bloc, the Accordance Front, said it intended to submit a list of candidates for cabinet positions within days and could be back in Maliki's government soon. Its return has been a major goal of the United States.

Sadr Rebellion Quelled.

In less than a week the Sadr threat to rebel against the Iraqi government and US forces has collapsed. Muqtada al Sadr, the leader of the Mahdi Army, has called for his fighters to maintain the self-imposed cease-fire. The Maliki government has proved its mettle.

Interview: Not!

I find the indiscretion of a time gap on a resume amusing in this cartoon. Maybe its just me but I think its funny. What not to say in an interview.