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Authorities are on the lookout for a terrorist who has served as al Qaeda's spokesman for the past few years. Incredibly, this person has been living in the United States the entire time and was last seen terrorizing a small handful of women who normally just get together to gossip. Authorities say this person should be considered loud and obnoxious. If spotted, you are urged to run away or you might get hit by a Tickle Me Elmo doll.
Eli Lake, reporting in The New York Sun, tells of how tribes that had previously allowed Al Qaeda to operate in their area are now beginning to turn on the terrorist group.For those officers overseeing the new tribal diplomacy, signs are emerging that Iraq's deepest social networks — its tribes — are withdrawing their tacit acceptance of Al Qaeda and are becoming more willing to cooperate with American authorities to combat the terror network.
The plan is inspired by some successes that the Marines and the Army had with tribes in Anbar province, but it is still in the early stages. While the military and CIA have tried to reach out to Iraq's tribes since before the war, those efforts yielded mixed results. The majority of Sunni tribes cut deals with Al Qaeda for cash — between $30,000 and $40,000, according to sheiks here — to turn a blind eye to Al Qaeda's activities. That arrangement is starting to fall away.
"I see what I think is becoming a national trend, especially in areas influenced by Al Qaeda, where they have made inroads, and even in places where you see other forms of religious extremism, such as Jaish al-Mahdi, you have it from the South. It's coming, it's there," Lieutenant Colonel Richard Welch said in an interview. Colonel Welch, a public prosecutor in Ohio, spends his days meeting Iraqi tribal chiefs as he oversees tribal and religious outreach for the Multi-National Force in Baghdad.
Sheikh Hussein al-Tamimi, whose tribe has been friendly to American forces since the invasion, agrees that many of his fellow chieftains have changed their position on Al Qaeda in recent months. "I think the motivation behind the change is to protect their interests," he said in an interview. "They lose business."
Sheikh Hussein, as well as other sheikhs interviewed for this piece, said the turning point for the tribes was in September when Al Qaeda in Iraq declared the formation of the Islamic State of Iraq, a shadow state that in pockets of the country has established Islamic sharia courts and tried to provide some social services. The declaration was a direct challenge to the centuries-old tribal system that has prevailed in most of Iraq. As a result, the terrorists once seen as allies against the American invaders have also come to be seen as invaders.
The entire article is well worth the read.
Here's the latest wrapup of the Air Force's contribution to the war. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt IIs dropped 500-pound bombs on insurgents firing on a coalition convoy near Sangin. The attack by the A-10s was confirmed a success by an on-scene joint terminal attack controller.
Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles provided shows of force to deter enemy activity around a coalition convoy near Sangin. The aircrews also provided reconnaissance information of a possible insurgent compound and watched over a second convoy in the area that had received small-arms fire.
In total, 39 close-air-support missions were flown in support of ISAF and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols.
n Iraq, an Air Force F-16 Fighting Falcon dropped a guided bomb unit-38 on a building near Baquba from which coalition forces had been receiving small-arms fire. The bomb drop resulted in the destruction of the building and no further small-arms firing was reported.
Other F-16s provided successful shows of force supporting ground forces in Balad hit by an improvised explosive device and receiving small-arms fire. The enemy fire stopped after the F-16s flew by. The F-16s also supported Iraqi Army forces who were under small-arms attack.
Near Baghdad, F-16s provided a show of force for convoy members after a rocket-propelled grenade attack. They also watched over a suspicious compound and passed the information gathered to a JTAC.
Also near Baghdad, F-16s provided armed overwatch during two coalition raids. Insurgents were captured and detained during the raids.
Over Muqdadiyah, RAF GR-4 Tornados provided shows of force and overwatch for coalition forces receiving small-arms fire in the area. The small-arms fire stopped after the shows of force. The Tornado crews also searched for mortar positions and watched over a coalition convoy.
In total, coalition aircraft flew 46 close-air-support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions supported coalition ground forces, protected key infrastructure, provided overwatch for reconstruction activities and helped to deter and disrupt terrorist activities.
Ann Coulter had a great piece after the Democrat presidential debate (I use the term "presidential" loosely). Thanks to Marcus for the heads-up.Someone needs to tell the Democrats to stop talking about their families. I know they're trying to demonstrate their "family values," but using actual, live human beings to illustrate the freakish ideas of the Democratic base just makes normal people uncomfortable.
When Chris Dodd was asked about gay marriage, he said he always thinks of his little daughters — aged 2 and 5 — and imagines them turning out to be lesbians, saying he would want them treated equally.
To prove his bona fides to the environmentalist nuts, Obama said: "We've also been working to install lightbulbs that last longer and save energy. And that's something that I'm trying to teach my daughters, 8-year-old Malia and 5-year-old Sasha."
So we finally have an answer to the question: What do Democrats teach their daughters? Is it:
(a) integrity
(b) character
(c) the importance of always telling the truth
No! The answer is: (d) They teach their daughters to use low-energy lightbulbs. This is so important that it apparently bears mentioning during a debate under high-intensity TV studio lights.
ANDThe not-visibly-insane Democrats all claim they'll get rough with the terrorists, but they can't even face Brit Hume.
In case you missed this profile in Democrat machismo, the Democratic presidential candidates are refusing to participate in a debate hosted by Fox News Channel because the hosts are "biased." But they'll face down Mahmoud Ahmadinejad!
At this, even Hillary Clinton was thinking, "Come on, guys — let's grow a pair."
Foxnews.com is reporting that archeologists have found what they believe is the tomb of King Herod.Herod became the ruler of the Holy Land under the Romans around 74 B.C. The wall he built around the Old City of Jerusalem still stands, and he also ordered big construction projects in Caesaria, Jericho, the hilltop fortress of Massada and other sites.
It has long been assumed Herod was buried at Herodium, but decades of excavations had failed to turn up the site. The 1st century historian Josephus Flavius described the tomb and Herod's funeral procession.
CNSNews.com is reporting that ABC will air a debate between evangelists Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron and two atheists from a group called the "Rational Response Squad". The debate will be about the existence of God."We are excited that the network has decided to do this because we have something very relevant to present," Cameron stated in the news release. "Most people think that belief in God is simply a matter of blind faith and that His existence can't be proven.
"We will not only prove that God exists, but as an ex-atheist, I'll show that the issue keeping so many people from believing in God -- Darwinian evolution -- is completely unscientific," he added. "It's a fairy tale for grownups."
Bill Roggio does his usual job of excellent reporting from Iraq in The Roggio Report. His latest report begins with the effort to stem car bombings by placing barriers up to segment the city.These barriers stem the flow of traffic through checkpoints and prevent the infiltration of death squads through back alleys and side streets. The news of the creation of the "Adhamiya Wall" sparked protests and the temporary halting of the barrier's construction. Opportunists likened the barrier to the fence separating Israelis and Palestinians in the West Bank.
But, as Omar Fadhil noted early last week, "Work to construct similar walls started weeks ago in the Amiriya and Ghazaliyah districts. The 'news' went utterly unnoticed then." Mr. Fadhil noted the barrier has had some effect in Amiriya and Ghazaliyah, and speculated that insurgents might have stirred up the local protests in an attempt to halt the building of the wall.
Dave Kilcullen, the Senior Counter-Insurgency Advisor for Multi-National Force Iraq, explained that Prime Minister Maliki restarted the project after he was briefed on the need for the barrier and how the protests had come about. "As I understand it, once the reasons for the project and the likely benefits in terms of lives saved were explained to the PM, he was happy for it to continue. I understand that the evidence of extremist manipulation was also a factor." Kilcullen likened the barrier to an "urban tourniquet," and explained that the propaganda campaign to disrupt its construction came from none other than al Qaeda in Iraq.
Roggio also tells of how Anbar, once the deadliest city in Iraq, has become much safer. Last summer, there were 50 attacks happening per day. Now, it is just down to 2 a day. Markets are reopening, children are returning to school and Iraqi and American security forces are conducting patrols throughout the most dangerous neighborhoods in the city.
Part of the success of the Anbar Salvation Council is that it provides the Sunnis in Anbar with a political voice as well as security against al Qaeda. The Anbar Salvation Council's political component is the Anbar Awakening. Seven new tribes have just joined the political party. The Awakening is now expanding beyond Anbar province, and is becoming a national movement. The Anbar Awakening is facilitating the creation of the Iraq Awakening, a national political party which would "oppose insurgents such as Al Qaeda in Iraq and reengage with Iraq's political process." The Iraq Awakening is scheduled to meet in May, and will be the first Sunni political party to openly oppose al Qaeda in Iraq.
Sensing that the Awakening movement was gaining steam in Iraq--branches are said to be forming in Salahadin and Diyala--I asked Omar Fadhil, and Iraqi blogger living in Baghdad, about the perception of the movement inside Baghdad and prospects of the Awakening expanding into the capital. Omar responded that the tribal dynamics were different, and that it was difficult to draw conclusions about Baghdad based on trends in Ramadi.
The following day, Omar noted a report in As Sabah on the creation of the Adhamiya Awakening. "Some community leaders in Adhamiya are working on forming a salvation council for their own district they will be calling The Adhamiya Awakening," reported Omar. "Sources close to the leaders said they [the leaders] have managed to win the support of some hundred people who agree with the new position. The sources asserted that the goal of the Awakening is to rid Adhamiya of the terrorists."
Read the entire post for even more reason for optimism. In the wake of Congress's passing of the foolish funding bill which would set a timetable for a hasty exit from Iraq, it is a good time to write your Congressman and Senator to let them know how upset you are with the Democrats' shameful conduct. They have no idea how idiotic they are appearing to the American public. Read this story about Senator Biden's latest exhibition of his mental prowess.
