Syrian General Killed By Maritime Sniper

Over at Abu Muqawama, Charlie posts a information bleg from Andy Exum, abu muqawama himself:

Charlie got this email this morning:

Uh, Abu Muqawama wants to send out an RFI to the readership of, uh, AbuMuqawama.

Can one of you link to these two stories about this assassinated Syrian general -- who was allegedly shot from a boat, in the sea -- and ask the readership whether or not shooting someone with a sniper rifle from a f*cking boat (which is, presumably, rocking and unsteady) is or is not the hardest thing in the world. I mean, how feasible is this?

AM (from Beirut)

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Text The Troops For Thanksgiving

You'll notice the new button under the Winds banner. It will be there for the next week. It's a program launched by 'America Supports You', a DoD-sponsored organization that attempts to engage citizens in activities supporting troop welfare and morale.

This Thanksgiving, they have set up a program to allow us to send a text message of support to the troops.

Look, you can agree or disagree with the policies and decisions that led to the war. You can believe that we need to push the war forward, keep it going, or end it and bring the troops home.

But young men and women are following orders, far from home, often in danger - and it seems incumbent on us to remind them that we care about them individually, and that we're aware of what they are doing for us.

Grab your cell, and send a few nice words.

"...Imposing A Formula For Failure"

The Senate is voting on funding the war - again - and the Democratic leadership is pushing hard to fund conditional on withdrawal.

Senator Lieberman has a response that puts it better than I could:

Over the past nine months, American forces have begun to achieve the kind of progress in Iraq that, until recently, few in Washington would have dared to imagine might be possible.

Working together with our increasingly capable Iraqi allies, U.S. troops under the command of General David Petraeus have routed al Qaeda in Iraq from its safe havens in Anbar province and Baghdad -- delivering what could well prove to be the most significant defeat for Osama bin Laden's terrorist network since it was driven from Afghanistan in late 2001.

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Go Tell The Marines

Over at Blackfive, Grim posts a request from Marine Col. Simcock:

COL. SIMCOCK: (Chuckles.) I'll tell you what, the one thing that all Marines want to know about -- and that includes me and everyone within Regimental Combat Team 6 -- we want to know that the American public are behind us. We believe that the actions that we're taking over here are very, very important to America. We're fighting a group of people that, if they could, would take away the freedoms that America enjoys.

If anyone -- you know, just sit down, jot us -- throw us an e- mail, write us a letter, let us know that the American public are behind us. Because we watch the news just like everyone else. It's broadcast over here in our chow halls and the weight rooms, and we watch that stuff, and we're a little bit concerned sometimes that America really doesn't know what's going on over here, and we get sometimes concerns that the American public isn't behind us and doesn't see the importance of what's going on. So that's something I think that all Marines, soldiers and sailors would like to hear from back home, that in fact, yes, they think what we're doing over here is important and they are in fact behind us.

The address is RCT-6lettersfromh@gcemnf-wiraq.usmc.mil.

Someone will read and vet the emails, and then hand them out.

Say something nice...

Memorial Day 2007

South High is about a mile from my house.

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Victory PAC is $100 away...

...from $13,000 in pledges. Not as good as I'd hoped, not as bad as I feared.

If someone would go over and pledge $100, we'd be over $13,000.

Just click here...

I'll do a link roundup tonight when I'm done with work.

VICTORY PAC

Q: "What would you like to say to those who want American troops to leave Iraq tomorrow?"

A:

"I can only imagine the tragic consequences that would follow...and the blood... and the price we'd have to pay....a disaster..."

Let's do something about it.

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Pakistan wants the US out of Afghanistan

On the very day a 'senior administration official' from the Bush administration had lunch with Gen Musharraf, by sheer coincidence, the Pakistanis arrested a senior administration official from the Taliban.

Such antics apart, Pakistan would like nothing better to get the US off its back in Afghanistan. Here's a post that Winds readers must read on this subject.

Saddam is Dead

Arabiyah reports that the execution of Saddam has occurred, after the first call to prayer and a little while before the sun rises in Baghdad.

No official confirmation by the Iraqi government yet and no word on the 2 co-defendents also sentenced to death.

UPDATE: The Iraqi state-run TV service Iraqiya confirms Saddam's execution. Al Arabiya reports that the co-defendents, Saddam's half-brother Barzan al-Tikriti (who headed the secret police) and Awad Hamed Al-Bander (chief judge under Saddam) have also now been executed. Al Arabiya also reports that the executions were held at a location outside the Green Zone.

UPDATE: WOC commenter Beard asks "Why not keep him alive in prison?" and "Is the mission over now?" My response is summarized in the comment thread here.

The clash of convictions and the remaking of the world of wars

The outcome of modern wars is decided in the mind

Armed combat, of course, is not about to disappear, although it may increasingly take the form of 'asymmetric warfare' as seen in Iraq and Afghanistan. It could also take the shape of proxy war, like the one India is fighting in Jammu & Kashmir and the United States and NATO are fighting in Afghanistan. But days in which armed combat alone decided the fate of wars ended a long time ago: with World War II and perhaps, the India-Pakistan war of 1971.

This is old hat. All out war became unimaginable as soon as the major powers acquired nuclear weapons. Those that didn't have their own usually came under the umbrella of one of those that did. The game of nuclear deterrence--in spite of bizarrely escalating to the level where there were thousands of warheads--kept the peace. The stability/instability paradox argued that while nuclear deterrence ensured stability at the highest (nuclear) level of escalation, it nevertheless created instability at lower (non-nuclear) levels. The United States relied on this to drive the Soviets out of Afghanistan. But the Pakistani general staff realised just how low the ceiling was at Kargil in 1999-2000. They were fine so long as they were only arming and injecting jihadis into Jammu & Kashmir. But when they decided to take a step further and actually try to capture and hold territory, they quickly found out exactly where the buck stopped.

But the outcome of most of these asymmetrical, low-intensity wars can go either way.

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Give Me Your Tired Arguments, Yearning To be Free

David Corn has a piece in Slate piling on Christopher Hutchins - who needs my rhetorical support about as much as (pick and insert your own example of coals to Newcastle metaphor).

But the point he raises is such a sore point to me that I have to flag it and bitch loudly.

I summed up my issues in a post a while back.

Here's Corn:

Bush's claim that Iraq had "recently sought significant quantities of uranium from Africa"—one sentence in his speech—led to controversy and scandal. It begot the op-ed by former Ambassador Joseph Wilson (whom the CIA sent to Niger to check out this report) that accused the White House of having misrepresented the prewar WMD intelligence. That op-ed begot the Robert Novak column that outed Wilson's wife as a CIA operative. And that article begot the criminal investigation that targeted the White House and produced an indictment of Scooter Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff, for allegedly lying to the FBI and a grand jury.

It's now accepted by the U.S. intelligence community that there was nothing to the Niger charge. Even the White House in July 2003 disavowed its use of the allegation. Proponents of the war in Iraq no longer cite it as justification for the invasion. But there is one holdout: Christopher Hitchens.

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What Would You Ask?

Monday night, I'm going to hear Warren Christopher talk about "The Iranian Hostage Crisis and the Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal: Implications for International Dispute Resolution and Diplomacy"

I may get a chance to chat with him. My impressions of the US response to the Iran hostage crisis are pretty bleak.

So - what should I ask him? What should I read tomorrow?

A Smart Post - And Two That Aren't

Three articles caught my attention today, and I thought I'd pass them along with some quick comments before I have to go outside and grill dinner.

First, Gary Hart - who I like and generally have wished would be one of the most-heard voices in the Democratic party on issues of national security has a - delusional? - post up at Huffpo. His point, simply, is that we ought to expect a US airstrike on Iran before the 06 elections. An 'October surprise', as he calls it.

It should come as no surprise if the Bush Administration undertakes a preemptive war against Iran sometime before the November election.

Were these more normal times, this would be a stunning possibility, quickly dismissed by thoughtful people as dangerous, unprovoked, and out of keeping with our national character. But we do not live in normal times.

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So, I've been Thinking About This Whole War Thing

So obviously, the main issue (other than "what's for lunch") that I thought about while riding on my trip was the war. In my mind, it is centrally the broader "war" between an aggressive sect of Islamic radicals and the governments that have a symbiotic relationship with them. The battlefield in Israel and environs, Iraq and Afghanistan is the most visible front in the war - today.

What I want to do it set out in a fast pass the issues that I've been chewing over, and then try and return to the key ones in greater depth to talk about them - hopefully with my thinking and questions amplified by yours. It's obvious that this is a time that requires more than a bit of serious thinking for people on all sides of the issue, and none more than folks like me - those who supported the invasion of Iraq and must now step back and look at the situation - which is neither as good as we'd hoped nor, I still believe, as awful as it is painted in some corners - and think hard about where we stand today.

So I want to start with questions and sketches of answers. Note that the answers may well be contradictory - it's definitely true that I am conflicted and that I hope in my blogging in the next little while to dig into those contradictions.

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Monday's Winds of War: 18 September 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by C.S. Scott and Jeff Kouba of Security Watchtower.

Top Topics

• About 7,000 U.S. and Afghan government forces launched an offensive against the Taliban in central and eastern Afghan provinces on Saturday, as a blast near Kabul killed three Afghan aid workers. Operation Mountain Fury is the third offensive launched in recent weeks against a resurgent Taliban who have unleashed the worst phase of Afghan violence since they were ousted in 2001.

• Gunmen killed an Italian nun at a children's hospital in Mogadishu on Sunday in an attack that drew immediate speculation of links to Muslim anger over the Pope's recent remarks on Islam. The Catholic nun's guard also died from pistol shots in the latest attack on foreign personnel in volatile Somalia.

• More than 200,000 people have died in Sudan's Darfur conflict, according to a new scientific study. US researchers writing in the peer-reviewed journal Science say that their figures are the most compelling and persuasive estimate to date.

• In response to comments made by Pope Benedict, at least five churches in the Palestinian Authority have been targeted in a series of attacks since Friday. One Islamic terrorist group threatened to blow up all the churches in Gaza.

Other topics today include: Yemeni terror plot; PPK bombing; terror interrogations; U.S. border fence; NATO in southern Afghanistan; Fighting in Sri Lanka; Bombings in southern Thailand and more.

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Monday's Winds of War: 11 September 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by C.S. Scott and Jeff Kouba of Security Watchtower.

Top Topics

• On Friday the Senate Intelligence Committee released its Phase II report on the assessment of prewar intelligence on Iraq. Reaction from Thomas Joscelyn, Mark Eichenlaub, Flopping Aces, A Blog For All, Ray Robison and Michael Tanji.

• Nato-led forces in Afghanistan say they have killed 40 more Taleban in an ongoing offensive in the south. The latest clashes occurred in Kandahar province, bringing to about 300 the number of insurgents killed since the operation began a week ago, Nato says. The fighting came as member countries met in Poland to consider calls to boost deployments in Afghanistan.

• Iran's top nuclear negotiator, Ali Larijani, and the EU foreign policy chief, Javier Solana, met in what may be a last chance to avert UN Security Council moves to hit Tehran with sanctions over its atomic ambitions. Today the IAEA begins hearing a report on the situation in Iran.

Other topics today include: US Treasury blacklists Iranian bank; Olmert and Abbas ready to meet; Israeli navy ends blockade; Palestinians support terror; West Bank pullout off table; Yemeni student investigated for 9/11 ties; Khatami visits U.S.; Tourists nabbed in Yemen; Bush speeches on war on terror; 9/11 rememberance; More funding to hunt al Qaeda; Controversy over 9/11 show; Central Asia nuclear-free pledge; Tensions in Georgia; Fighting in southern Afghanistan; US embassy in Kabul attacked; Bombing in Balochistan; Bombings in India; Raid on police station in Kashmir; Tamil Tigers threaten war; Fighting in Sri Lanka; Filipino military hunting Abu Sayyaf; Australia's terror threat; British authorities question terror suspects; Updates from Somalia; and more.

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Friday Winds of War: September 08/06

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Friday's Winds of War briefings are given by Matt 'Colt' of Eurabian Times.

TOP TOPICS

• Pakistan has more or less surrendered Waziristan to the Taliban, which is already discussing the establishment of the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan. Bill Roggio has the terms of the so-called truce. Worse, a Pakistani general was recorded saying Osama bin Laden would not be arrested in Waziristan, so long as he is a 'peaceful citizen'. Pakistan are denying the report, but ABC's trancript says what it says. A post at Donklephant posits that al-Qaeda and the Taliban have essentially swapped Afghanistan for Waziristan, to their advantage, since we won't act against a terrorist haven inside Pakistan for fear of formenting an Islamist revolution. ThreatsWatch notes that a terrorist involved in the murder of Daniel Pearl will be released, as part of what Steve calls an 'apparent Pakistani realignment'. In other words: Hello al-Qaeda, goodbye America.

• President Bush gave a major speech Tuesday addressing terrorism and the U.S. response to it. Bush admitted the existance of secret prisons, prompting another display of ivory tower disdain from our friends in Europe. He urged Congress to support warrantless wiretapping of terrorists, and outlined plans to try captured terrorists in military tribunals. President Bush also defended tough interrogation techniques of senior terrorists like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, saying those techniques prevented an attack in the U.S. and led to the capture of Hambali.

• Don't tell anyone, but the U.S. has just struck black gold. The oil found in the Gulf of Mexico has prompted estimates of the United States' energy reserve to increase by 50%. Publius Pundit looks at the global repercussions of this 15 billion barrel find.

If you'd like to contribute to the Winds of War briefings, email me at eurabiantimes [at] gmail [dot] com.

Other Topics Today Include: six powers can't agree on sanctions; Iran plans new purge; new Iranian weapons; anti-Syria officer targeted; Jordan terrorist kills Briton; no Shalit exchange; Lebanese approve of Hezbollah war strategy; Egpyt destabilised by anti-Israel, pro-Hezbollah groups; Iraq's military future; the break-up of Iraq?; munitions explosion in Aden; Mexico leftists still won't shut up; no innocents at Gitmo; Europe blockades Israel; France expels imam; Germany train bombers; Denmark arrests; Islamist dies in Kyrgyzstan; U.S. servicewoman missing in Kyrgyzstan; Georgians thwart coup?; NATO wants more troops in Afghanistan; Kashmir round-up; India successes vs LeT; China brief; Thai violence increases; offensive against Abu Sayyaf, JI; Sudan sends more troops to Darfur; Islamic courts gain support from interim gov't, Puntland; new Osama video, AQ-Iraq tape; BMD advances; and much more.

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Monday's Winds of War: 28 August 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by C.S. Scott and Jeff Kouba of Security Watchtower.

Top Topics

• A coalition forces airstrike killed a local Taliban commander and 15 other militants in fighting in southern Afghanistan, the U.S. military said Saturday. The strike brought rebel casualties to 28 over a 24 hours period.

• This week the US House Intelligence Committee released a report on the strategic threat posed by Iran.

• An Iranian plant that produces heavy water officially went into operation on Saturday, despite U.N. demands that Tehran stop the activity because it can be used to develop a nuclear bomb. President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad inaugurated the plant, which Tehran says is for peaceful purposes. ThreatsWatch has more commentary and links.

Other topics today include: US prepares to freeze Iranian assets; Fox news crew released; Saudi counterterror efforts; Nasrallah's hindsight; Jordanian prisoner hunger strike; Iran tests new missile; Bombings in Turkey; IED in Nablus; Jordanian anti-terror legislation; Israel's Dolphine submarines; Egypt arrests Muslim Brotherhood members; NY man helped Hezbollah; Homeland security developments; TNT on flight; Fighting in North Caucasus; Dagestani warlord killed; fighting in southern Afghanistan; al Qaeda hunt in eastern Afghanistan; Fighting in Pakistan; Arrests in Sri Lanka; Fighting in southern Philippines; More on German train plot; and much more.

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Monday's Winds of War: 21 August 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by C.S. Scott and Jeff Kouba of Security Watchtower.

Top Topics

• Afghan and NATO troops used rockets, planes and artillery in rolling battles with Taliban insurgents this weekend in Afghanistan's volatile south, leaving 71 militants and five Afghan soldiers dead in one of the bloodiest clashes since the 2001 U.S.-led invasion. The fierce fighting began late Saturday and continued into Sunday after the Taliban attacked a police convoy in Kandahar province's Panjwayi district, said Niaz Mohammad Sarhadi, the district government chief.

• Pakistan has detained the father of British airline bomb plot suspect Rashid Rauf, making him the third member of the family in custody, officials said Friday. Senior security officials said Abdul Rauf, 52, met his son shortly before the arrest in early August of 25-year-old Rashid, who is described by Pakistan as a ‘key man’ in the conspiracy with links to Al-Qaeda. Also, C.S. Scott of Security Watchtower has commentary on Pakistan's arrest of Matiur Rehman, a wanted Pakistani militant.

• Iran has announced that they will not suspend uranium enrichment, the key point of contention between the United Nations security council and the regime in Teheran, as a deadline for their reply quickly approaches.

Other topics today include: IDF raid in Bekaa; Olmert and the West Bank; Saudi fighter deal; IDF grabs Hamas leader; Iranian war games; Turkish pipeline blown; Mubarak warns against strike on Iran; Clashes between IDF and Hamas; Naval blockade of Lebanon; Egyptians arrested in Iraq; Hamas terrorists blownup; US wants better bomb-detection technology; Court rules on NSA; Chavez claims to capture 4 US spies; Russian war games; Chechen amnesty program; Russian police killed; Tensions in Abkhazia; Fighting in southern Afghanistan; Teachers targeted in Afghanistan; Pakistan's jihadists; Reported bin Laden sighting; Shootout in Kashmir; Indian troops deployed to Taj Mahal; Fighting in Sri Lanka; Counterterrorism in southern Philippines; Indonesian terrorist released; Australian counterterror efforts; North Korea nuclear test; Germany dodges terror attack; French soldiers in Lebanon; More on London airline plot arrests; Peacekeeping in east Africa; and more.

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Friday Winds of War: August 18/06

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Friday's Winds of War briefings are given by Matt 'Colt' of Eurabian Times.

TOP TOPICS

• Pakistani authorities have arrested senior al-Qaeda terrorist Matiur Rehman. Rehman is thought to have met with alleged terror cell leader Rashid Rauf. More on the plot below.

• U.S. officials believe North Korea may be preparing to test a nuclear weapon.

• Officials have discovered explosives, apparently in liquid form, in the possession of a woman of Pakistani descent at a West Virginia airport. The woman had bought a one-way ticket to Detroit via Charlotte. More information as it becomes available. Update: False alarm. FBI testing has found no trace of explosives.

Winds of War needs a new briefing team. Interested? Read this.

Other Topics Today Include: The airliners plot; Lebanon; Iran's new war games; mullahs vs satellite TV; Egypt democrats want end to Israel peace; Fatah-Hamas unity?; Mossad hit thwarted?; Turkey's radicalisation; PUK office attacked; worst month yet for Iraqis; wire-tapping struck down; Obrador and his thugs; Germans think bombs part of terror plot; Brits reject U.S.; Chechen Weekly; Afghan medics snatched; India kills terrorists; Pakistanis nab 29 Taliban in Quetta; JI recruits, trains in Mindanao; Bali bomber walks; Thais fear terror campaign will spread; Somali Taliban; Mugabe threatens; and much more.

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Winds of War wants you...

Due to interference from my personal life, I'm resigning my position as Thursday/Friday Winds of War briefer. I apologise now for the lack of briefings in recent weeks, particularly in the light of the war in Lebanon, the busted terror cell in Britain and the overall increase in serious news. No 'silly season' as far as the war on terror goes...

With me gone, there will be a position (or positions) opening up to do a briefing on the war on terror and other news related to international crises and tensions. This is, therefore, not a job for someone who thinks Osama bin Laden sorta has a point, or that the 'spiritual leader' of Hezbollah is a little bit like the Dalai Lama.

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Monday's Winds of War: 14 August 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by C.S. Scott and Jeff Kouba of Security Watchtower.

Top Topics

• The United Nations passed a security council resolution on Friday, aimed at ending the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah by having the Lebanese army deploy to the south to disarm Hezbollah. Lebanese officials are saying that will not happen. The Bellmont club has more commentary & links.

• British authorities arrested 24 terror suspects involved in a major terror plot that involved detonating liquid explosives aboard airliners in flight from Britain to the United States. According to reports, authorities acted following recent arrests in Pakistan, and reportedly the order to move forward with the plot was given. Authorities continue to hunt for additional suspects as they interrogate those detained.

• Pakistani intelligence agents have arrested as many as 17 people, some of them British nationals, in the plot to blow up jetliners flying from Britain to the U.S. Britain hailed Pakistan's help in thwarting the planned attack, but the arrests on Pakistani soil showed that despite its successes against al-Qaida, the country remains a fertile ground for Islamic militancy.

• Sri Lankan war planes bombed Tiger rebel positions as the fiercest fighting since a 2002 ceasefire left at least 127 people dead, the military said, amid mounting concern for civilians. The government said the new fighting was undermining a Norwegian-backed peace initiative and accused the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) of seeking to return the island to full-scale war. "The LTTE has intensified its terrorist activities to such an extent it appears that they want a full-scale confrontation," government spokesman Keheliya Rambukwella said on Saturday. "It may appear that we are at war," he said.

Other topics today include: Iran defiant; IDF suffers casualties; Fighting in southern Lebanon; Hezbollah rocket attacks; IDF chopper downed; Hezbollah UAVs shot down; Kurdish-Turkish conflict; Egyptians loose in U.S.; politics of terror; airport screening; Muslims in Ohio jailed; Clashes in Chechnya; Tensions in Kodoro Gorge; Explosion in Transdniester; Fighting in southern Afghanistan; Pakistani ties to UK terror plot; Clashes in Pakistan; Indian counterterror efforts; Tamil Tiger attacks; Key agreement in Nepal; Thai troops mobilize; Fighting in southern Philippines; Arrests in Italy; UK terror plots thwarted; and more.

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On the Virtues of Killing Children

There are some things we can no longer avoid discussing. Let us begin.

Proportionality And History

One of the issues bandied about has been that of "proportionality", or for that fillip of insider jargon, the question of in jus bello, or justice in war.

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Monday's Winds of War: 7 August 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by C.S. Scott and Jeff Kouba of Security Watchtower.

Top Topics

• In Somalia, the streets of Baidoa are filled with red-eyed militiamen holding AK47s in one hand and bags of qat in the other. The town is home to a government in crisis, rocked by thirty-six resignations in the past nine days and hemmed in on all sides by militias linked to Somalia’s dominant Islamic courts.

• With three weeks left before a UN Security Council deadline expires, Iran has officially indicated they will not surrender uranium enrichment activities as requested, a move that could lead to economic sanctions and further isolation.

• Both sides in Sri Lanka's civil war are preparing for what is likely to be a bloody and prolonged resumption of the conflict. In operations now under way, the Sri Lankan army is having to fight its way across well-fortified and heavily mined terrain. Many informed observers believe that the military remains incapable of totally defeating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), one of the world's most ruthless and capable insurgent organizations.

• On Sunday the United States and France came to an agreement on a draft resolution calling for an end to the fighting between Israel and the Shi'ite terrorist group Hezbollah, but Chinese and Russian concerns on Sunday prevented a unified position and the issue is expected to be taken up again on Monday. Hezbollah also rejected the draft resolution, saying it was an attempt to give Israel a political victory despite its military defeat (also see Walid Phares' commentary on this).

Other topics today include: Israeli/Hezbollah fighting; IAF airstrikes; Zawahiri tape; Clashes between Turks and Kurds; Palestinian suicide bomber thwarted; Jordanian lawmakers sentenced; IDF Commando raids; Saudi terror trials; Attack on prison in Jericho; Iran's hunt for uranium; Hunt for al Qaeda in Iraq; Saudi cleric condemns Hezbollah; Rumsfeld under fire; 9/11 conspiracy; Agroterrorism; Padilla trial delayed; The politics of war; Anti-Israeli protests; Bombing in Columbia; Chavez wants air defense shield; Tensions in Kodori Gorge; Russia to extradite Uzbek terror suspects; IMU suicide bombing; Heavy fighting in southern Afghanistan; and more.

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Monday's Winds of War: 31 July 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by C.S. Scott and Jeff Kouba of Security Watchtower.

Top Topics

• The five permanent members of the UN security council have reached an agreement on a draft resolution that gives Iran until August 31st to suspend uranium enrichment. The resolution could be put to a vote as early as Monday. In response, Iran is vowing to no longer consider proposals if the UN resolution is passed.

• According to reports, an Israeli airstrike in the southern Lebanese village of Qana on Sunday has left 54 people dead, including two dozen children. The attack drew immediate condemnation from the United Nations, Jordan, Iran, UAE, Syria, Spain, France and Egypt among others. Lebanese citizens in Beirut stormed the UN embassy and burnt American flags, while Islamic Jihad and Hamas are vowing to carry out suicide attacks. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert defended the airstrike, noting that residents of the village were warned before hand to leave because Hezbollah had turned the village into a base to fire rockets into northern Israel. The IAF has suspended airstrikes for 48 hours to allow civilians to leave areas of heavy fighting.

• An American-Muslim entered the Jewish Federation in downtown Seattle on Saturday and open fired, killing one woman and wounding five others. According to reports, Naveed Afzal Haq ambushed a 13-year old girl before gaining access and announcing "I am a Muslim-American angry at Israel" right before he began shooting. Gates of Vienna has commentary and notes that the issue here isn't "terrorism" but "jihad."

Other topics today include: Arab support for Hezbollah; Hamas rocket attacks from Gaza; Israel thwarts suicide attacks; Hezbollah rocket attacks; IAF drone crashes; Abbas wants ceasefire; Islamic Jihad commander killed; IAF strikes on road to Damascus; IDF withdraws from Bint Jbail; Nasrallah declares victory; Hezbollah commando naval unit; Hezbollah commander killed in Bekaa strike; Bombing in Turkey; Chavez in Iran; Police find Chechen weapons caches; Chechen militants surrender; Tensions in Abkhazia; Taliban thumped in Uruzgan; NATO deploys to southern Afghanistan; Taliban in Waziristan; Threat from LeT; Pace in Kabul; Taliban fighters captured in Helmand; al Qaeda operatives nabbed in Khost; Pakistan-India relations; Fighting in Sri Lanka; Bombing in India; North Korea remains defiant; Bali bombers appeal death sentences; Riots in Australia; Bashir touring Indonesia; Shootout in Philippines; Assassination in Somalia; and more.

read the rest! »

Monday's Winds of War: 24 July 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by Security Watchtower and Peace Like a River.

Top Topics

• Suicide bombers killed two coalition soldiers and six Afghan civilians in two near-simultaneous blasts Saturday in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, officials said. A purported Taliban spokesman claimed responsibility for the attacks, which came as NATO prepares to take command of the volatile region. Eight more soldiers were wounded when a suicide bomber rammed an explosive-laden car into a coalition vehicle, said Maj. Scott Lundy, the spokesman for the U.S.-led coalition forces. He refused to disclose the nationality of troops killed and wounded.

• The Sunday Times is reporting on the existence of a fifth suspect in the 2005 London bombings, who was talked out of participating in the attacks on that morning. Gateway Pundit has additional commentary and analysis.

• Somalia's Islamist militia briefly fought government forces on Saturday -- the first clash between the two sides and one that many Somalis fear may signal a slide to war in the Horn of Africa country. Government militia seized and set on fire two "technicals" -- heavily armed pickup trucks that are Somalia's version of tanks -- in fighting in the remote Qoryooley district, an Islamist source told Reuters.

• A Hezbollah rocket attack on Sunday killed 2 Israeli citizens and wounded twelve others in the Haifa area. Hezbollah has reportedly fired 2,200 rockets into Israel during the latest fighting. The attacks on Haifa are reported to be originating from Hezbollah units in the southern Lebanese city of Tyre.

Other topics today include: Bahrain anti-terror legislation; Ahmadinejad warns Israel; Terror plot thwarted in Tel Aviv; Hezbollah sleeper cells; Saudi reaction to Hezbollah; More on fighting between Israel and Hezbollah; IAF strikes Gaza rocket factory; Clashes between Turkey and PKK; IAF airstrikes in Lebanon; Miami suspect pledged oath to al Qaeda; Canadian citizen named al Qaeda conspirator; Paracha gets 30 years; U.S. Congressional support for Israel; Tensions between Georgia and South Ossetia; Russia opposing resolution on Iran; Attack in Kandahar; Fighting in southern Afghanistan; Dutch commandos kill 18 Taliban; Building the Afghan police force; Violence in Kashmir; Developments in Mumbai terror attacks; The communist insurgency in Philippines; Terror suspects to appear in Australian court; Bulgaria intercepts Iranian bound shipment; Ethiopian troops move into Somalia; and more.

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Friday Winds of War: July 21/06

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Friday's Winds of War briefings are given by Matt 'Colt' of Eurabian Times.

TOP TOPICS

• Ahmadinejad: 'the Muslim world around the globe know that after the announcement they will not have to worry about Israel's nuclear arms or nuclear capability ever again' - source.

• Click on the 'read more' link below for full coverage of the situation in Lebanon.

• India are considering punitive steps against Pakistan, after Pakistan-backed terrorists bombed Mumbai trains last week, killing around 200 people. Musharraf says that for India to delay dialogue with Pakistan plays in to the hands of the terrorists. Indian forensic teams have identified the explosives as an unusual combination of RDX, ammonium nitrate and fuel oil. Indian police are paying particular attention to the one body that has not been claimed by family members. For now, they are considering the claim of responsibilty from the unknown 'Lashkar-e-Qahhar' as a hoax. India is still pressing the British to act against the financiers of Lashkar-e-Taiba, but to no avail.

• Ethiopian troops arrived in the Somali town of Baidoa to protect the interim government from an expect assault from the Union of Islamic Courts. The presence of around 100 Ethiopian troops in armoured cars and 'technicals' prompted the Islamic Courts to say it never intended to attack the town. That said, Somali jihadists have promised to wage a 'holy war' against Ethiopian forces. Somalia's interim government has accused Eritrea of training Somali jihadists.

• The use of Kurdish terrorists of northern Iraq as a base of operations to attack Turkey is causing serious concern in Turkey. The Turks have told the U.S. and Iraq they want to see concrete steps to halt the activities of the PKK and other groups. If that doesn't happen, Turkey has said they will exercise their right to self-defence and perhaps conduct 'cross-border operations'.

• Is Osama bin Laden hiding on the Pakistan-China border? Al-Hayat says that Pakistan evacuated hundreds of tourists and foreigners from an area in northern Pakistan, due to reports that bin Laden, al-Zawahiri and other deputies are hiding nearby. Western embassy sources confirmed the intelligence reports had been recieved, and noted that the U.S. is unlikely to bomb near the Chinese border.

Other Topics Today Include: Iranian Hezbollah threatens U.S.; more bait-and-switch from Iran; Jordan warns of Hamas attack; Israelis nab suicide bombers; Iraq may expel MEK; Sunni-Shia fighting kills 10,000 in three months; A-Q shifts strategy in KSA; Badr Sec-Gen killed?; FBI hunts Hezbollah cells; DHS investigates floating bomb; FARC murders 10, kidnaps 170; Germany, France alert for Iran terrorism; Islamists in Switzerland; Georgia-Russia-S.Ossetia tensions; Basayev death ramifications; Kyrgyz nab 5; Taliban halt offensive; Sri Lanka prepares for LTTE war; Maoists attack Indian camp; India alert for LeT air force infiltrators; more Kashmir killings; North Korea on wartime alert; Japan, U.S. plan PAC-3 batteries for south Japan; more Abu Sayyaf killings; Islamic Somalia and the sealanes; Iranians present at NK missile launch; and much more.

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C-802 Missile Likely Shore Launched

JK: "Situational Awareness" is a blog run by the former editors of the professional publication eDefense Online, whose financial demise was a real loss. We welcome them to Winds of Change.NET, and look forward to their ongoing perspectives on military matters.

Rumors persist that a UAV was used in some capacity to launch the missiles that struck an Israeli missile corvette and sank an Egyptian merchantman last Friday. While there is some possibility that Hezbollah used a UAV for observation and reconnaissance, there is no possibility that the C-802 antiship missile credited as the weapon employed was launched from a UAV.

Here is the entry on the C-802 antiship missile from the International Electronic Countermeasures Handbook, 2004 Edition (published by Horizon House):

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Monday's Winds of War: 17 July 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by Security Watchtower and Peace Like a River.

Top Topics

• On Sunday, Hezbollah rockets struck the northern Israeli city of Haifa, killing nine and wounding dozens others. In response, Prime Minister Ehud Olmert warned there will be long-term consequences, while Hezbollah is threatening to destroy the city. Israel has moved three Patriot missile batteries to Haifa as well.

• The bombers who targeted Bombay's rail system had support from inside Pakistan, India's prime minister said Friday, warning that the nuclear-armed rivals' peace process could be derailed unless Islamabad reins in terrorists. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's unusually blunt comments appeared to signal a major shift in relations between India and Pakistan, whose ties had warmed over the past two years.

• Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than 40 militants across southern Afghanistan on Saturday, including 10 in a large-scale air assault aimed at wresting a desert town from Taliban control. More than 300 British paratroopers, backed by U.S. and Canadian forces, launched an early morning raid on Helmand province's insurgent stronghold of Sangin, where hundreds of Taliban had massed in preparation for launching attacks, coalition spokesman Maj. Scott Lundy said.

• Iran has reiterated their support for Damascus, and warned Israel of "unimaginable losses" if they took military action against Syria. Amir Taheri has commentary in Asharq Alawsat on the proxy war transpiring.

Other topics today include: Israel introduces cease-fire conditions; Syria given 72-hour ultimatum; reports Nasrallah wounded; Hezbollah rockets hit northern Israel; IDF moves into Gaza; stampede at Rafah; IAF pound Hezbollah positions; Preparing for ground war; Tourists & foreigners flee Lebanon; Hezbollah strikes Israeli ship; Israelis huddled in bomb shelters; Emergency Arab summit in Cairo; Iran banking on Russia & China; Turkey prepares response against Kurd militants; al Jazeera crew arrested in Haifa; Padilla examines terror documents; Stepped up security in Manhattan; Behind the killing of Basayev; Bombing in Tskhinvali; US secures lease for Manas; Russian amnesty offer to Chechen rebels; Indian bombers trained in Bangladesh; India names suspects & conduct interrogations; al Qaeda in Kashmir; Bombing in Karachi targets Shi'ite cleric; Bombings in southern Afghanistan; Taliban suffer heavy losses in fighting; Violent protests in Karachi; Baluch tribesmen surrender; Fierce firefight in Sri Lanka; Sanctions on North Korea; Arroyo declares all-out war against communists in the Philippines; Protests in Indonesia; Indian bombing financiers in Britain; European press condemns Israel; Peace talks in Somalia breakdown; and more.

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Monday's Winds of War: 10 July 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by Peace Like a River and Security Watchtower.

Top Topics

• The FBI has uncovered what officials consider a serious plot by jihadists to bomb the Holland Tunnel in hopes of causing a torrent of water to deluge lower Manhattan, the Daily News has learned. The terrorists sought to drown the Financial District as New Orleans was by Hurricane Katrina, sources said. They also wanted to attack subways and other tunnels. Three of the eight men are in some form of custody, and the rest have been at least partially identified, FBI Assistant Director Mark Mershon told reporters

• The Sunday Times of London is reporting that Mohammad Sidique Khan, the leader of the cell that carried out the 7 July 2005 bombings in London, collaborated with two other British suicide bombers to recruit Muslims for al Qaeda terror training camps in Afghanistan as far back as the summer of 2001. New evidence also connects Khan with a pair of British-Muslims that went to Israel to carry out suicide bombings, which one suspect did. The other suspect remains at large.

• Seven members of Afghanistan's U.S.-led coalition force have been wounded and six Taliban killed in the latest clashes in the bloodiest phase of Afghan violence since the Taliban were ousted nearly five years ago. A joint coalition-Afghan operation was launched in the Panjwai district of the southern province of Kandahar early on Saturday. Roberge said intelligence showed that the Taliban had massed in the area, which is 35 kilometres (22 miles) southwest of Kandahar, the biggest city in southern Afghanistan.

• Israel has rejected a Hamas call for a ceasefire, vowing to continue their offensive until Cpl Shilat is freed. Since the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Palestinian terrorists have fired over 700 rockets into southern Israel.

Other topics today include: Terror arrest in Lebanon; Israeli offensive in Gaza continues; al Qaeda suspects escape Saudi prison; West awaits Iranian response; Ahmadinejad says Israel root problem; The Islamic conflict in the Saud kingdom; al Qaeda suspects acquitted in Yemen; Jordanian prosecutor wants death for Iraqi bomber; Terror law held up in Bahrain parliament; Abbas sends envoys to Syria; Palestinians support kidnapping IDF soldier; IDF forces kill terrorist in Nablus; Inside the Assad regime; More on the New York tunnels plot; al Qaeda's American voice; Preventing money transfers; Canada deports terrorist; Tensions between Georgia and South Ossetia; Inside Beslan attacks; Karzai wants more help; Pakistani-Afghan border remains a major concern; Fighting continues in southern Afghanistan; Afghan officials destroy narcotics; bombings in Kabul; Pakistan's madrassas; Arrest in Pakistani plots; More on Balochistan; Grenade attack in Kashmir; 33 terror arrests in Kashmir; Maoists shot in Nepal; North Korean crisis; Lebanon to extradite terrorist to Australia; 9/11 suspect arrested in Germany; London bombers and ties to al Qaeda; New British threat system; EU demands to know more about U.S. finance tracking; Anniversary of the 7/7 London attacks; Anniversary of Srebrenica; Kidnapping in Nigeria; Violence continues in Mogadishu; Journalist killed in Congo; G8 Conference; and more.

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Monday's Winds of War: 10 July 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by Peace Like a River and Security Watchtower.

Top Topics

• The FBI has uncovered what officials consider a serious plot by jihadists to bomb the Holland Tunnel in hopes of causing a torrent of water to deluge lower Manhattan, the Daily News has learned. The terrorists sought to drown the Financial District as New Orleans was by Hurricane Katrina, sources said. They also wanted to attack subways and other tunnels. Three of the eight men are in some form of custody, and the rest have been at least partially identified, FBI Assistant Director Mark Mershon told reporters

• The Sunday Times of London is reporting that Mohammad Sidique Khan, the leader of the cell that carried out the 7 July 2005 bombings in London, collaborated with two other British suicide bombers to recruit Muslims for al Qaeda terror training camps in Afghanistan as far back as the summer of 2001. New evidence also connects Khan with a pair of British-Muslims that went to Israel to carry out suicide bombings, which one suspect did. The other suspect remains at large.

• Seven members of Afghanistan's U.S.-led coalition force have been wounded and six Taliban killed in the latest clashes in the bloodiest phase of Afghan violence since the Taliban were ousted nearly five years ago. A joint coalition-Afghan operation was launched in the Panjwai district of the southern province of Kandahar early on Saturday. Roberge said intelligence showed that the Taliban had massed in the area, which is 35 kilometres (22 miles) southwest of Kandahar, the biggest city in southern Afghanistan.

• Israel has rejected a Hamas call for a ceasefire, vowing to continue their offensive until Cpl Shilat is freed. Since the Israeli withdrawal from Gaza, Palestinian terrorists have fired over 700 rockets into southern Israel.

Other topics today include: Terror arrest in Lebanon; Israeli offensive in Gaza continues; al Qaeda suspects escape Saudi prison; West awaits Iranian response; Ahmadinejad says Israel root problem; The Islamic conflict in the Saud kingdom; al Qaeda suspects acquitted in Yemen; Jordanian prosecutor wants death for Iraqi bomber; Terror law held up in Bahrain parliament; Abbas sends envoys to Syria; Palestinians support kidnapping IDF soldier; IDF forces kill terrorist in Nablus; Inside the Assad regime; More on the New York tunnels plot; al Qaeda's American voice; Preventing money transfers; Canada deports terrorist; Tensions between Georgia and South Ossetia; Inside Beslan attacks; Karzai wants more help; Pakistani-Afghan border remains a major concern; Fighting continues in southern Afghanistan; Afghan officials destroy narcotics; bombings in Kabul; Pakistan's madrassas; Arrest in Pakistani plots; More on Balochistan; Grenade attack in Kashmir; 33 terror arrests in Kashmir; Maoists shot in Nepal; North Korean crisis; Lebanon to extradite terrorist to Australia; 9/11 suspect arrested in Germany; London bombers and ties to al Qaeda; New British threat system; EU demands to know more about U.S. finance tracking; Anniversary of the 7/7 London attacks; Anniversary of Srebrenica; Kidnapping in Nigeria; Violence continues in Mogadishu; Journalist killed in Congo; G8 Conference; and more.

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Monday's Winds of War: 3 July 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by Peace Like a River and Security Watchtower.

Top Topics

• The Supreme Court declared 5-3 that the president's attempt to resurrect a type of military trial last used in the aftermath of World War II violates U.S. military law and the Geneva conventions that set international standards for dealing with people captured in armed conflicts. Lots of commentary and reaction from Bench Memos, Mark Levin, SCOTUSBlog, Michelle Malkin, and Bainbridge.

• During a hunt for kidnappers police detained six men for suspected involvement in the kidnapping. The Taliban have threatened to target Afghan nationals working for the foreign military or civilian companies. Meanwhile, two suspected Taliban fighters were killed and four others were injured, also on Thursday, after they attacked a police building in neighbouring Zabul province, police chief Noor Mohammad Paktin said.

• Hamas is threatening to attack targets inside of Israel if the IDF does not end their Gaza offensive. Syrian government officials say they will pressure Hamas only if the Israeli operations in Gaza are halted. Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert is ratcheting up the pressure as strikes continue.

Other topics today include: Iranian militias; Kuwaiti elections; Turkey expands anti-terror laws; Kurds attack Turkish troops; Israeli offensive in Gaza; Foreign fighters in Iraq; FBI raid in Pittsburg; More on Guantanamo; Updates on Florida terror suspects; Canada increases military expenditures; Putin offers reward for Iraq killers; Russian anti-terror exercises; Russia to improve security at embassies; Heavy fighting in southern Afghanistan; Executions in Pakistani tribal land; Bombings in Baluchistan; Violence in Kashmir; Terror convictions in India; Islamic charity tied to terror; Clashes in Bangladesh; Tamil Tigers attack Sri Lankan naval vessel; Police station in southern Thailand attacked; Five JL suspects arrested in Singapore; Australia-Philippine cooperation against terror; Fighting intensifies in southern Philippines; Detained Iraqis were to attack UK; British reports on the war on terror; Janjaweed continue attacks in Sudan; Somalia Islamic group tied to al Qaeda; Ethiopian troops enter Somalia; Somalian terror camps; terror support network in Europe before 9/11; Osama bin Laden audio messages; Zarqawi buried in Baghdad; and more.

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Monday's Winds of War: 26 June 2006

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Friday. Monday's Winds of War briefings are given by Peace Like a River and Security Watchtower.

Top Topics

• NRO's MediaBlog says that "The duo of Eric Lichtblau and James Risen have published the details of yet another classified national-security program. This time, they exposed the workings of a database of financial records that the administration has used to track al Qaeda's banking transactions." Reactions and roundups from Hugh Hewitt, BizzyBlog, Patterico, All Things Beautiful and GroupIntel. VP Cheney vigorously defended the program.

• A fundamentalist Muslim who is listed by the U.S. State Department as a suspected al-Qaida collaborator was named Saturday as the new leader of an Islamic militia that has seized control of Somalia's capital. The militia, which changed its name Saturday from the Islamic Courts Union to the Conservative Council of Islamic Courts, said in a statement it had appointed Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys as its new leader. The Bush administration has said Aweys was an associate of Osama bin Laden in the early 1990s.

• Saudi Arabia announced the arrest of 42 terror suspects, some of them since a shootout in Riyadh between gunmen and Saudi security forces left six al Qaeda operatives dead. Minister of Interior Prince Naif said terror cells would continue to exist unless international action was taken to dry up their sources.

• Israel is threatening strong military action against Palestinian terrorists in Gaza after two Israeli soldiers were killed and another kidnapped by Hamas after members tunneled under the border 300 yards. Corporal Gilad Shalit is the first Israeli soldier kidnapped in over a decade, and in response Israel is