Israel - An 'Act of War' Declared - Day Sixteen

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Israel - An 'Act of War' Declared
Day Sixteen
Thursday, July 27, 2006

Today's top quote by Ayman al-Zawahri
"It is a jihad for the sake of God and will last until (our) religion prevails... from Spain to Iraq... We will attack everywhere."
Read more on his Audio released today HERE
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>>> 8:55am CDT
IsraelNationalNews.com has this article this morning... Ground Offensive Will Not be Expanded... Click it out HERE
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> JNewswire.com has this read this morning... A young IDF soldier wounded during fierce fighting in southern Lebanon Wednesday recounted the tremendous courage and heroism displayed by his comrades, and said morale and a desire for absolute victory were as high as ever... Read this story HERE

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>>> 10:00am CDT
HAARETZ.com has this report. It goes in part like this... Ministers taking part in the meeting were told that the Syrians are on high alert, and fear an Israeli attack. Peretz is of the opinion that a wide-scale call up of reservists would exacerbate Syrian concerns that the operation is directed at them... The cabinet agreed that everything must be done to avoid hostilities with Syria, or any actions that could result in Syria being dragged into the conflict...
Read this story HERE

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>>> 10:25am CDT
Ynet.com reports... Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said Thursday that the release of Gilad Shalit, the Israel corporal abducted in Gaza, could be "imminent."

Read this short report HERE

(Like Fox News is reporting... I would take this announcement with a grain of salt. We have heard similar claims in past and have seen no results. One hopes it to be true though... AJ)

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> Update at Forbes.com... A Palestinian lawmaker and a spokesman for the Hamas military on Thursday denied that the release of a captured Israeli soldier in the Gaza Strip could be imminent. Earlier, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had been quoted by an official Italian translator at a news conference as saying there could be an "imminent solution" for the release of the soldier, captured June 25. Read in full HERE

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>>> 4:45pm CDT
Guardian.co.uk has a good update of the events on ground. Goes in part like this... In Damascus, Syrian and Iranian officials gathered to hold meetings on the crisis, according to Iranian and Kuwaiti news reports. Hezbollah leader Sheik Hassan Nasrallah was also to take part in the meeting along with Syrian President Bashar Assad, according to Kuwait's Al-Siyassah newspaper, known for its opposition to the Syrian regime... Read in full HERE

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U.S. Department of State

Travel.State.Gov

(Current information - A message to American citizens in Lebanon)

More info can be found HERE

**************************

Daily UPDATES of EVENTS on GROUND at IDF Official Website
**** (Has Photos & Videos) ****

.

NOTE: More ongoing updates can be found at:

EuroNews

(Has Videos- Photos)

..

YnetNews.com

HAARETZ.com News Flashes

IrishExaminer.com

IsraelNationalNews.com

And

*New- IsraeliNewsNow.com

*New- IsraelNewsDesk.com

*New- Fox News Free Video

.
A good Summary of all the day/night events can be viewed at:

IBA (Israel Broadcasting Authority) -TV NEWS in ENGLISH

And at

JerusalemOnline.com -Has TV NEWS in ENGLISH

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Note: When all Foreign Citizens, (who wish to leave,) are out of Lebanon and on safe turf... (I think that day officially came today, 7-26-06,) it would not surprise me one bit... if within days of this event... we finally see this war escalate and flow quickly over other boarders. This would only be a few days from now if this should sadly become true...
Oh Yeah... Keep an eye on our

Homeland Security Advisory System

AubreyJ.........

July 24, 2006

4:00pm CDT

(Updated 8:00pm CDT - July 26, 2006)

John Bolton Confirmation Could Be Decided by Jewish Support

"I believe almost every Republican will be supporting" Bolton in the Senate, and "you're going to have a surprising number of Democrats supporting him because of his record" of "courage, intelligence and eloquence," said Morton Klein, president of the Zionist Organization of America (ZOA).
Read story in full at CNSNEWS.COM

Today in Afghanistan

Coalition Forces Respond to Afghan Helicopter Crash
Coalition forces from Combined Joint Task Force 76 responded to a helicopter crash that killed at least a dozen people yesterday in the rugged mountains of Afghanistan's Paktia province, military officials here reported.

A Russian-made Mi 8 helicopter, owned by the Afghan government, crashed in the Qalandar Mountains near the Khost border. Initial reports indicate between 12 and 16 people were killed, officials said.

A logistics company ferrying supplies and fuel from Kabul to Khost airport operated the helicopter... Read story in full at DoD

Chron.com reports... Fighting in southern Afghanistan killed 22 suspected Taliban militants, officials said Wednesday, as NATO nations approved expanding the alliance's peacekeeping force into the region. Read this story in full HERE

Stars And Strips has a nice photo gallery post...
Click it out- On patrol in Afghanistan

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 721-06 July 27, 2006
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Spc. Andrew Velez, 22, of Lubbock, Texas, died on July 25 in Sharona, Afghanistan, from a non-combat related injury. Velez was assigned to the Corps Support Battalion, Theater Support Command, Fort Irwin, Calif. This incident is under investigation.
Media with questions about this soldier can contact the Fort Irwin public affairs office at (760) 380-3078.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 719-06 July 27, 2006
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Staff Sgt. Christopher W. Swanson, 25, of Rose Haven, Md., died on July 22 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his patrol encountered enemy forces small arms fire. Swanson was assigned to the 2nd Battalion, 6th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division, Baumholder, Germany.
Media with questions about this soldier can contact 1st Armored Division public affairs office at 011-49-611-705-4862.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 718-06 July 27, 2006
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Capt. Jason M. West, 28, of Pittsburg, Pa., died on July 24 in Ar Ramadi, Iraq, when he encountered enemy forces using small arms fire. West was assigned to the 1st Brigade, 1st Armored Division, Friedberg, Germany.
Media with questions about this soldier can contact 1st Armored Division public affairs office at 011-49-611-705-4862.

Saddam Trial adjourned until October 16th when Verdict is Expected

Saddam Hussein did not appear in court for the final session of his trial today.
Read this story in full HERE

Israel - An 'Act of War' Declared - Day Fifteen

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Israel - An 'Act of War' Declared
Day Fifteen
Wednesday July 26, 2006

Today's top quote by...
IDF Spokesperson, Brigadier General Miri Regev
"I can inform the Israeli people that we are advancing very well. We have many operational successes but this is not something that can be timed. I can inform that we successfully hurt many terrorists and terror infrastructures. We must have patience. The homefront has patience, we have patience, and the press as well must maintain patience.
.

We continue our operations, and work according to an organized plan to distance the Hezbollah from the northern border as much as possible, and to allow the citizens of the north to live in quiet.
.

Every decision is of course made by the government,
and the IDF will execute it accordingly."
Read short summary of warfare in Lebanon yesterday at IDF
(Has two airstrike videos)
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>>> 11:55am CDT
Lets start today off with a story by IsraelNationalNews.com. It goes in part like this... The battle for the Hizbullah stronghold of Bint Jbeil sparked again this morning into a major conflagration. Israel suffered 25-30 casualties, and dozens of Hizbullah bodies are strewn in the area. Read this story in full HERE

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>>> 2:40pm CDT
Chron.com gives us the latest developments out of Lebanon-Israel. It goes in part like this... Israel suffered its bloodiest day in Lebanon in its offensive against Hezbollah, with militants killing at least eight soldiers in a battle for the strategic town of Bint Jbail. Read report in full HERE

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>>> 3:45pm CDT
Yubanet.com has this good read on the toll this war has put on Haifa. Click it out HERE

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>>> Recap on rocket attacks of the day by jpost.com. Goes in part like this... Hizbullah continued to fire rocket barrages at northern Israel on Wednesday afternoon. Rocket impacts were reported in the Tiberias area, Safed, Rosh Pina, and Kiryat Shmona. All the rockets landed in open territory and no one was reported wounded... Read story in full HERE

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>>> Update by IDF... Four officers and five soldiers were killed and 23 additional soldiers wounded yesterday (Wednesday) during an operation in the city of Binat Jbeil and the village of Maron A-Ras in southern Lebanon. The eight killed included three officers and five soldiers. Of the 22 other casualties, two officers and three soldiers were wounded severely, four moderately, and 16 lightly. Read this report in full HERE

*********************

.
U.S. Department of State

Travel.State.Gov

(Current information - A message to American citizens in Lebanon)

More info can be found HERE

.

************************

Daily UPDATES of EVENTS on GROUND at IDF Official Website
**** (Has Photos & Videos) ****

.

NOTE: More ongoing updates can be found at:

.

EuroNews

(Has Videos- Photos)

..

YnetNews.com

HAARETZ.com News Flashes

IrishExaminer.com

IsraelNationalNews.com

And

*New- IsraeliNewsNow.com

*New- IsraelNewsDesk.com

*New- Fox News Free Video

.
A good Summary of all the day/night events can be viewed at:

IBA (Israel Broadcasting Authority) -TV NEWS in ENGLISH

And at

JerusalemOnline.com -Has TV NEWS in ENGLISH

.

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.

Note: When all Foreign Citizens are out of Lebanon and on safe turf... it would not surprise me one bit... if within days of this event... we finally see this war escalate and flow quickly over other boarders. This would only be a few days from now if this should sadly become true...

Oh Yeah... Keep an eye on our

Homeland Security Advisory System

AubreyJ.........

July 24, 2006

4:00pm CDT

U.S. Military Involvement in Lebanon Evacuations Coming to End

The U.S. military today performed its final scheduled evacuation of U.S. citizens from Lebanon, a U.S. military spokesman in Cyprus said.

The military has worked with the U.S. State Department and the governments of Turkey and Cyprus for the past 10 days to evacuate U.S. citizens from Lebanon, which has suffered extensive damage in 15 days of conflict between Israel and Lebanese Hezbollah militants.

The military has evacuated almost 14,000 U.S. citizens from Lebanon, Marine Brig. Gen. Carl B. Jensen, commander of Task Force 59, said in a news conference via satellite. The U.S. Embassy in Beirut estimates that the vast majority of U.S. citizens wishing to leave Lebanon have now been evacuated, Jensen said.
Read story in full at DoD

Why Didn’t Kofi Annan Order Peacekeepers to Leave?

... Neither Annan nor Israel has said anything about why the unarmed peacekeepers... who were supposed to be monitoring a ceasefire... were left in what's become a war zone. Israeli officials flatly refused comment about that on Wednesday...
Read this story in full at CNSNEWS.COM

Ariel Sharon Transferred to Intensive Care Unit

The Sheba Medical Center in Tel Hashomer has transferred former prime minister Ariel Sharon to an intensive care unit, after finding a germ in his blood. The hospital said Sharon's condition continues to be serious but stable.
Read this story at ynetnews.com

IRAQI SOLDIERS, MARINES RESCUE THREE HOSTAGES, RECOVER LARGE WEAPONS CACHE

CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq – Marines from Regimental Combat Team 5’s, 1st Battalion, 25th Marine Regiment, and soldiers from 2nd and 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, rescued three Iraqi hostages in an intelligence-driven operation July 23.

The three were personal assistants and bodyguards to Dr. Rafa Hayid Chiad Al-Isaw, an Iraqi government official in Baghdad.

“We are extremely pleased we were able to recover these three Iraqi citizens,” said Col. Larry D. Nicholson, commanding officer for RCT-5. “The safety of Iraqi citizens to move freely about their own country without fear is a priority for U.S and Iraqi forces and we will continue to assist the Iraqi Army and Iraqi Police in ensuring their citizens have a future that is free of terrorism.”

The three were held captive by al-Qaeda insurgents in a spiderhole complex for 27 days. The hostages were beaten with electrical cords, bitten and threatened with their lives at gunpoint by their captors. They were treated by Coalition Forces medical personnel.

The three were taken hostage by al-Qaeda insurgents west of Zaidon, a rural area south of Fallujah. They were rescued near Fuhaylat, southwest of Fallujah.

Also recovered nearby was a significant weapons cache, including a fully-assembled suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device. Marines also recovered IEDs and IED-making material, mortar tubes and round, artillery rounds, machine guns, bulk explosives, anti-tank mines, rocket-propelled grenades and launchers, AK-47 assault rifles, small-arms ammunition and video cameras.

Regimental Combat Team 5, partnered with Iraqi Security Force units, is currently conducting counter-insurgency and security operations in the greater Fallujah area.
(Courtesy of CENTCOM and written by Matthew Hasson)
Heads-up by U.S. Central Command Public Affairs - Spc. Patrick A. Ziegler - Spc. Chris Erickson - 1Lt. Anthony Deiss

IRAQI FORCE RAID TAKES DOWN 'DEATH SQUAD' CELL IN BAGHDAD

BALAD – Iraqi Army forces conducted a pre-dawn raid in Baghdad on July 25, capturing six targeted insurgents, all of whom are believed to be involved in ‘death squad’ activities.

As coalition force advisers looked on, Iraqi forces raided an objective in southwest Baghdad consisting of four separate buildings and captured the cell leader and five other key members of an insurgent ‘punishment committee.’

Iraqi forces also seized two AK-47 assault rifles, one pistol, and one set of body armor.

The operation occurred without incident; there were no Iraqi or coalition force casualties.

(Courtesy of Multinational Corps, Iraq - Joint Operations Center - Public Affairs Officer and taken from Press Release Number 06-07-02P)
Heads-up by U.S. Central Command Public Affairs - Spc. Patrick A. Ziegler - Spc. Chris Erickson - 1Lt. Anthony Deiss

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 714-06 July 26, 2006
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Dennis K. Samson Jr., 24, of Hesperia, Mich., died on July 24 in Taqaddum, Iraq, of injuries sustained by enemy small arms fire. Samson was assigned to 1st Battalion, 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.
Media with questions about this soldier can contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at (270) 798-3025.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 709-06 July 25, 2006
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
Sgt. David M. Hierholzer, 27, of Lewisburg, Tenn., died on July 24 in Pesch, Afghanistan, of injuries sustained when his platoon encountered enemy forces small arms fire. Hierholzer was assigned to the 1st Battalion, 32nd Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, Fort Drum, N.Y.
Media with questions about this soldier can contact the Fort Drum Public Affairs Office at (315) 772-5463.

Saddam Hussein Appears at Trial Today - Requests Death by Firing Squad

A thinner but still combative Saddam Hussein appeared at his trial today for the first time since his hunger strike and asked to be executed by firing squad if the court sentences him to death.
Read this story at TimesOnline.co.uk

Israel - An 'Act of War' Declared - Day Fourteen

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Israel - An 'Act of War' Declared
Day Fourteen
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The following statement by UN Secretary-General Kofi Annan was issued today in Rome:

I am shocked and deeply distressed by the apparently deliberate targeting by Israeli Defense Forces of a United Nations observer post in southern Lebanon that has killed two United Nations military observers, with two more feared dead.

This coordinated artillery and aerial attack on a long established and clearly marked United Nations post at Khiyam occurred despite personal assurances given to me by Prime Minister Ehud Olmert that United Nations positions would be spared Israeli fire. Furthermore, General Alain Pelligrini, the United Nations Force Commander in south Lebanon, had been in repeated contact with Israeli officers throughout the day on Tuesday, stressing the need to protect that particular United Nations position from attack.

I call on the Government of Israel to conduct a full investigation into this very disturbing incident, and demand that any further attack on United Nations positions and personnel must stop.

The names and nationalities of those killed are being withheld pending notification of their families. I extend sincere condolences to the families of our fallen peacekeepers.
(Courtesy of UN NEWS CENTRE)

********************************

>>> 6:25am CDT

Let’s get a quick timeline update this morning... of the events on ground... from our friends at ynetnews.com

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> ynetnews.com also reports this-- this morning... Iranian threats against Israel continue... Iranian media outlets published sections of interviews given by Iranian Ambassador to Lebanon Mohammad-Reza Sheybani, who said that Hezbollah’s military capability has greatly increased in the last decade, and threatened that if Israel harmed Syria, the Iranians would respond with force... Sheybani stressed that Iran would support Syria if it is attacked by Israel. "There should be no doubt on this issue...

Read this story in full HERE

.

>>> 12:55pm CDT
Here’s two good reads from late this morning at Reuters.com. They go in part as follows:
> Israel intends to control a security zone in southern Lebanon until an international force can be deployed to take it over, Defense Minister Amir Peretz said on Tuesday... Israel believes a 10,000- to 20,000-member stabilization force will be needed and that it could be deployed one to two weeks after Western powers approve it...

Read this story HERE
> Egypt and Saudi Arabia, facing popular anger over Israel's offensive in Lebanon, toughened their stance on Tuesday, warning the United States that Israeli militarism could lead to a wider conflict in the region... "Saudi Arabia warns everybody that if the peace option fails because of Israeli arrogance, there will be no other option but war..."

Read this story HERE

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> News.com.au also has a good take on events of the last few days. It goes in part like this... The bombing on the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital ended a 24-hour lull that coincided with a lightning visit to the region by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice... With no end in sight to a conflict that has already claimed at least 390 lives on the Lebanese side alone, Defence Minister Amir Peretz warned Israel could establish its own security zone in southern Lebanon if multinational troops were not deployed along Israel's border...

Read this story in full HERE

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>>> 1:55pm CDT
Here’s one story that got by me... but thanks to our friends at The Neo Con Blogger(™)...we got it. This story is from ynetnews.com and goes in part like this... Lebanese sources say Revolutionary Guard units aiding Hizbullah against Jewish state, report bodies of dead Iranian soldiers transferred to Tehran via Syria. Read this story in full HERE

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>>> 2:15pm CDT
IsraelNationalNews.com reports... Katyusha rockets rained on the northwestern coastal city of Nahariya in the last hour and injured about 20 people...

Read this short report HERE

> Short Note: Approximately 100 Hezbollah Rockets hit northern Israel Tuesday. Places hit include Haifa, Kiryat Shmona, Safed, Acre, Nahariya and Tiberias. Haifa was again rained down on by rocket attacks today with at least seven rockets hitting inside the city. One rocket hit a bus and two more were said to have struck near a hospital injuring five. A rocket was also said to have hit a house in Haifa today but thankfully no one was injured. Sadly though, one man was reported to have died of a heart attack while running for a bomb shelter.

AJ

>>> 5:15pm CDT
FoxesNews.com has a lengthy read on the events of the day. It goes in part like this... A U.N. observer post was hit by an Israeli airstrike in south Lebanon Tuesday, killing four peacekeepers, U.N. officials said. Read this story HERE

>>> 8:40pm CDT
A short report from IDF (Israel Defense Forces)... It goes in part like this... In the last few days IDF has intensified its operations in Lebanon. Alongside the Air Force activity that has been ongoing since the operation's start, IDF has started sending ground forces including infantry, engineers, and armor into southern Lebanon for the eventual takeover of Hezbollah strongholds. Read in full HERE

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>>> 10:30pm CDT
The leader of Hezbollah has threatened a new phase in the war with Israel and said his fighters will not accept any "humiliating" conditions for a ceasefire.

Read this story in full at Aljazeera.net

*******************

U.S. Department of State
Travel.State.Gov
(Current information - A message to American citizens in Lebanon)
More info can be found HERE
**************************
Daily UPDATES of EVENTS on GROUND at IDF Official Website

**** (Has Photos & Videos) ****
.
NOTE: More ongoing updates can be found at:
EuroNews
(Has Videos- Photos)
.
YnetNews.com
HAARETZ.com News Flashes
IrishExaminer.com
IsraelNationalNews.com
And
*New- IsraeliNewsNow.com
*New- IsraelNewsDesk.com
*New- Fox News Free Video
.

A good Summary of all the day/night events can be viewed at:
IBA (Israel Broadcasting Authority) -TV NEWS in ENGLISH
And at
JerusalemOnline.com -Has TV NEWS in ENGLISH
***********************************************
Note: When all Foreign Citizens are out of Lebanon and on safe turf... it would not surprise me one bit... if within days of this event... we finally see this war escalate and flow quickly over other boarders. This would only be a few days from now if this should sadly become true... Oh Yeah... Keep an eye on our
Homeland Security Advisory System
AubreyJ.........
July 24, 2006
4:00pm CDT

Photo for the Day- July 25, 2006

07/22/06 - White smoke is seen from the television tower in the mountains of Lebanon from the deck of USS Iwo Jima (LHD 7), which is on station off the coastline of Beirut, Lebanon, July 22, 2006. The Iwo Jima Expeditionary Strike Group is assisting in the departure of U.S. citizens from Lebanon. (Courtesy of DoD)
USN photo by Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Robert J. Fluegel

Saddam's Army Heads Rebellion

Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri, the highest-ranking figure from Saddam's regime still at large and the "king of clubs" on the most wanted list, said Saddam blundered by having his army confront the U.S.-led invasion instead of holding it in reserve to fight a guerrilla war, but he said the old army has bounced back.
(Photo courtesy of DOD)
Read this story in full at www.abqtrib.com
See my Slide titled “Deck of Cards” HERE

SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AREA IS CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN TEXAS

TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK
NWS TPC/NATIONAL HURRICANE CENTER MIAMI FL
TUESDAY, JULY 25, 2006
5:30pm EDT

FOR THE NORTH ATLANTIC - CARIBBEAN SEA AND THE GULF OF MEXICO

A SURFACE LOW PRESSURE AREA CENTERED OVER SOUTHERN TEXAS BETWEEN EDINBURG AND HARLINGEN IS MOVING NORTHWARD AT 5 TO 10 MPH. THIS SYSTEM IS GENERATING A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS... THUNDERSTORMS AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS IN SQUALLS OVER PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN GULF OF MEXICO AND THE ADJACENT COASTAL AREAS. UPPER-LEVEL WINDS HAVE BECOME SOMEWHAT MORE FAVORABLE FOR A TROPICAL DEPRESSION TO DEVELOP... BUT ONLY IF THE SYSTEM CENTER MOVES OR REFORMS OFFSHORE OVER THE GULF OF MEXICO. REGARDLESS OF WHETHER A TROPICAL CYCLONE FORMS... THIS SYSTEM IS LIKELY TO BRING LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL TO PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN TEXAS...THE TEXAS COASTAL BEND REGION AND SOUTHERN LOUISIANA DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.

A WESTWARD-MOVING TROPICAL WAVE IS LOCATED ABOUT 550 MILES EAST OF THE LESSER ANTILLES. ALTHOUGH THERE HAS BEEN A SLIGHT INCREASE IN SHOWER ACTIVITY... ANY FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF THIS SYSTEM SHOULD BE SLOW TO OCCUR.

ELSEWHERE... TROPICAL STORM FORMATION IS NOT EXPECTED THROUGH WEDNESDAY.
Forecaster - Stewart
(Above and Satellite Imagery courtesy of NOAA/National Weather Service- National Hurricane Center- Tropical Prediction Center)

>>> GULF IR LOOP HERE
>>> Get up to date info at......
NOAA/National Weather Service- National Hurricane Center- Tropical Prediction Center

President Bush and Prime Minister Maliki of Iraq Participate in Press Availability

About photo: President George W. Bush shakes hands with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki at the conclusion of their joint press availability in the East Room of the White House Tuesday, July 25, 2006. (Courtesy of The White House)
White House photo by Kimberlee Hewitt
Read Press Availability in full HERE (Has Video)

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 710-06 July 25, 2006
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Cpl. Adam J. Fargo, 22, of Ruckersville, Va., died on July 22 in Baghdad, Iraq, of injuries sustained when his convoy encountered enemy forces small arms fire. Fargo was assigned to the 4th Brigade Troop Battalion, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division, Fort Campbell, Ky.
Media with questions about this soldier can contact the Fort Campbell public affairs office at (270) 798-3025.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 708-06 July 25, 2006
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Spc. Stephen W. Castner, 27, of Cedarburg, Wis., died on July 24, of injuries sustained when an improvised explosive device detonated near his HMMMV during combat operations in Tallil, Iraq. Castner was assigned to the Army National Guard's 1st Battalion, 121st Field Artillery, Milwaukee, Wis.
Media with questions about this soldier can contact the Wisconsin National Guard Public Affairs Office at (608) 242-3050.

COALITION FORCES CONDUCT RAID NORTH OF BALAD

BAGHDAD, Iraq
7/25/2006

Coalition forces killed one terrorist, wounded another and detained one associate during a raid north of Balad on the morning of June 24.

Reliable intelligence indicates that the targeted terrorists were associated with numerous senior al-Qaida in Iraq members including two local Emirs. The group is also reported to be tied to another recently captured individual who had previously led the overall network and has since admitted to countless attacks on Iraqi civilians.

While the troops were moving to the target area they encountered two armed terrorists who attempted to engage the ground force. The ground force immediately engaged the terrorists killing one and wounding the other. The wounded terrorist was provided immediate first aid on site.

Multiple men fled the immediate target area upon arrival of the assault force. The ground force then quickly contained and secured the target area.

The troops pursued and ultimately detained another suspect.
(Above courtesy of CENTCOM and taken from Press Release Number 06-07-02P)
Heads-up by U.S. Central Command Public Affairs - Spc. Patrick A. Ziegler - Spc. Chris Erickson - 1Lt. Anthony Deiss

Half of America now says Iraq did have WMD

Here’s a good read I found this morning over at WashingtonTimes.com. It goes in part like this... Half of Americans now say Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when the United States invaded the country in 2003 -- up from 36 percent last year, a Harris poll finds. Pollsters deemed the increase both "substantial" and "surprising" in light of persistent press reports to the contrary in recent years...
Read this story in full HERE

News from DoD – AFIS

I see we had several good reads come out today from DoD – AFIS. Click them out below...

> The leader of U.S. Central Command said he believes sectarian violence in and around Baghdad is the "gravest threat" facing Iraq today... This is a decisive period in the country, Army Gen. John Abizaid told National Public Radio's John Hendren in a recent interview. "First and foremost we have to stabilize the situation in Baghdad before we need to get overly focused on leaving," Abizaid said. Read this story here... Abizaid Calls Sectarian Violence Gravest Threat in Iraq

> Bush told reporters he is sympathetic to Lebanon's plight and of the suffering of its people... "I assured the prime minister that I care deeply about the suffering that takes place, that we understand the anguish of leaders in the region who see innocent people losing their lives," the president said... Bush said the United States will provide $30 million in humanitarian aid. "We care about the people; we will help to get aid to the people," Bush said. Read this story here... America to Help Lebanese Displaced by Warfare, Bush Says

> The Defense Department evacuated 957 U.S. citizens from Lebanon to Cyprus yesterday aboard the contracted cruise ship Orient Queen, bringing the total to 12,870 since the crisis in Lebanon began July 16, DoD officials said today... Also, DoD airlifted the first humanitarian supplies promised to those in the war-torn country, Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said. Three helicopters delivered three kits of medical supplies to Red Cross personnel. Each of the three medical kits has enough medicine and supplies to meet the needs of 10,000 people for three months. Seven other kits have arrived in Cyprus and will be delivered later. Read this story here... DoD Continues Lebanon Evacuation, Delivers Humanitarian Aid

Israel - An 'Act of War' Declared - Day Thirteen

(Note: This post will stay on top for the rest of the day – More post below this one)
Israel - An 'Act of War' Declared
Day Thirteen

Today's top quote: "We are going to make Israel not safe for Israelis. There will be no place they are safe."
Said by Hossein Safiadeen... talking to a conference that included the Tehran-based representative of Hamas and ambassadors from Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian Authority. Read more of Safiadeen words HERE
********************************

>>> 4:55am CDT - (Post time 5:27 am CDT)
IDF (Israel Defense Forces) The Official Website, have a good summary of IDF activities in Lebanon Sunday...
.
Here’s what IDF wrote:
On Sunday, July 23 more than 90 Katyusha missiles were launched at Israel, killing two civilians and wounding dozens more.
.
The IDF continues to operate in order to defend the citizens of Israel from the barrage of missiles fired by Hezbollah, which operates from within Lebanese villages, using the local population as human shields.
.
During the day IDF carried out more than 120 aerial attacks in Lebanon, on targets including the following:
.
> More than 80 missiles-launching areas.
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> The Al Manar television station in Beirut that serves the Hezbollah terror organization.
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> Approximately 20 vehicles suspected of serving the Hezbollah terror organization in the launching of missiles at Israel, and were seen fleeing from or staying at missile-launching areas.
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> Missiles launchers used to fire missiles at Israel.
.
> Structures serving Hezbollah terrorists for hideout and storage of Hezbollah weaponry.
.
The IDF will continue to use all means at its disposal in order to secure the citizens of Israel against the terror attacks originating from Lebanese territory, and to return the two abducted IDF soldiers, Eldad Regev and Ehud Goldwasser to their homes safely.

View Video of Airstrikes HERE
(Above courtesy of IDF)
.
>>> 5:05am CDT
I’m watching the Fox News Channel and I can tell you it is on right now just inside the boarder of Lebanon. Fox News Correspondent Mike Tobin is reporting HEAVY fighting for a good while now just over the hill from his location and I can hear rapid heavy gun fire going off constantly in the background and lots of smoke everywhere.
.
Oh Lord... An Apache Attack Helicopter has just crashed back behind Mike on the Israeli side of the Boarder. I see a ball of fire way of in the distance and lots of smoke. UPDATE: Two were killed in the above Chopper Crash. IAF is now saying it was a new Chopper just put into action and crashed due to mechanical problems of some kind. Short read on crash by IDF HERE

.

>>> 7:45am CDT
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice flew to Beirut on Monday to seek a "sustainable" ceasefire in Lebanon... Rice arrived by helicopter from Cyprus and Lebanese political sources said she would meet Prime Minister Fouad Siniora and Shi'ite Muslim Parliament Speaker Nabih Berri... Read this story in full HERE

Special NOTE: Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice will give a Live Joint Press Briefing with the Lebanese Prime Minister Fouad Siniora anytime now in Beirut, Lebanon. Links here: Travel to the Middle East and Europe... Remarks - Audio & Video

>>> 8:05am CDT
While watching Fox these last few minutes... I see there was one round of Sirens go off in Haifa but no rockets hit in the City. Then maybe two minutes after that... three rockets hit within the city of Kiryat Shmona and six... hit just outside of town in the hills. Small fires started in and outside of town. No reports of casualties as of yet.
AJ

>>> 12:15pm CDT
IsraelNationalNews.com reports...The battle for Bint Jbel, which is considered the capital of Hizbullah and nearby villages, began last night. Bint Jbel lies 12 kilometers due north of Israel's Mt. Meron... Nine soldiers were reported lightly wounded in the course of the fighting early this morning...
Read this story in full HERE

>>> 6:55pm CDT
The BismarckTribune.com recaps the events of the day pretty good for us. It goes in part like this... Israeli ground forces pushed deeper into Lebanon on Monday in heavy fighting and captured two Hezbollah guerrillas, while two aid convoys carrying food, generators and other badly needed supplies left Beirut for two southern cities. Read story in full HERE

*********************
U.S. Department of State
Travel.State.Gov
(Current information - A message to American citizens in Lebanon)
More info can be found HERE
**********
.
Daily UPDATES of EVENTS on GROUND at IDF Official Website

**** (Has Photos & Videos) ****
.
NOTE: More ongoing updates can be found at:
EuroNews
(Has Videos- Photos)
.
YnetNews.com
HAARETZ.com News Flashes
IrishExaminer.com
IsraelNationalNews.com
And
*New- IsraeliNewsNow.com
*New- IsraelNewsDesk.com

*New- Fox News Free Video
A good Summary of all the day/night events can be viewed at:
IBA (Israel Broadcasting Authority) TV NEWS in ENGLISH
And at
JerusalemOnline.com – Has TV NEWS in ENGLISH
****************************************
Note: When all Foreign Citizens are out of Lebanon and on safe turf... it would not surprise me one bit... if within days of this event... we finally see this war escalate and flow quickly over other boarders. This would only be a few days from now if this should sadly become true... Oh Yeah... Keep an eye on our...
Homeland Security Advisory System
AubreyJ.........
July 24, 2006
4:00pm CDT

Photo for the Day- July 24, 2006

Leaving Lebanon - A U.S. Navy landing craft air cushion departs the shore of Lebanon after picking up American citizens, July 22, 2006. The U.S. Navy is assisting in the departure of U.S. citizens from Lebanon. (Courtesy of DoD)
USN photo by Petty Officer 1st Class Robert J. Fluegel

Muslims in Southeast Asia Say They Will Join Hizballah's Fight

Muslims in Southeast Asia are protesting Israel's offensive against Hizballah, and in Indonesia, Islamists reportedly were registering as "volunteers" to travel to the region to fight against the Jewish state... The foreign ministry in Jakarta said it knew of no Indonesians who had yet left the country headed for the Middle East, although spokesman Desra Percaya said it was aware that some were prepared to do so...
Read this story in full at CNSNEWS.COM

A Bruising Fight Coming Over John Bolton’s Renomination

Matt has a good post today over at “Blogs For Bush.” It goes in part like this... "I think the main thing is allowing the nomination to come to a vote on the floor of the Senate, and then people can vote how they wish," Bolton said.
Read this good news story in full HERE

John's a good man and has done an excellent job in the short time he has been in his position. Especially these last couple of months!!!
AubreyJ.........

Afghanistan’s Guns and Poppies

Here’s a good read from our friends at “The Moderate Voice.” It goes in part as follows... Remember Afghanistan? I won't blame you if you don't. It's hard to see it through the fog of war in Iraq and Lebanon, not to mention through the fall-out of nuclear crisis in Iran and North Korea. Not so long ago, Afghanistan was the focus of much of our attention. After 9/11, the U.S. went in and routed the al Qaeda-friendly Taliban, or at least sent Osama bin Laden, Mullah Omar, and their supporters scurrying into the mountains and across the border into Pakistan, a short war of revenge that was neither lost nor entirely won.
Read this story in full HERE

Another good read on Afghanistan, from yesterday, can be found at DoD. It goes in part like this... Coalition forces continue to aid and develop Afghanistan, even as they fight back terrorist extremists who are determined to stop progress, U.S. military officials reported today.

Aid and reconstruction efforts include a rebuilt mosque in the Paktya province and medial and humanitarian aid to hundreds of Afghan villagers in the Kandahar province, said Combined Forces Command spokesman Army Col. Thomas Collins...
Read this story in full HERE

Baghdad Central to Fight for Iraq, U.S. General Says

July 24, 2006
Iraqi security forces are increasingly taking the lead in operations as Baghdad becomes the focal point in the fight for Iraq, a senior U.S. military officer told reporters today.

Iraqi soldiers and police are at the forefront of operations "to make their capital safer, to set the stage for their capital to emerge as a center not of violence and strife, but some day for business and learning, for commerce and for culture," Army Maj. Gen. William B. Caldwell IV said at a Baghdad news briefing.

Insurgents have blanketed Baghdad with bombings, murders and kidnappings over the past week and a half as insurgents "seek to uproot democracy and derail the legitimate governance process," Caldwell, spokesman for Multinational Force Iraq, told reporters.
Read this story in full at DoD

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 705-06 July 24, 2006
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Capt. Blake H. Russell, 35, of Forth Worth, Texas died on July 22 of injuries sustained from enemy forces munitions while investigating a possible mortar cache during combat operations in Baghdad, Iraq. Russell was assigned to the Army's 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), Fort Campbell, Ky.
Media with questions about this soldier can contact the Fort Campbell Public Affairs Office at (270) 798-3025.

DoD Identifies Army Casualty

No. 704-06 July 24, 2006
DoD Identifies Army Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a soldier who was supporting Operation Enduring Freedom.
1st Sgt. Christopher C. Rafferty, 37, of Brownsville, Pa., died on July 21 in Sharana, Afghanistan of injuries sustained on July 20, when his unit encountered small arms fire during combat operations. Rafferty was assigned to 37th Engineer Battalion, Fort Bragg, N.C. This incident is under investigation.
Media with questions about this soldier can contact the Fort Bragg Public Affairs Office at (910) 396-5600 or (910) 309-2843.

DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

No. 703-06 July 24, 2006
DoD Identifies Marine Casualty

The Department of Defense announced today the death of a Marine who was supporting Operation Iraqi Freedom.
Capt. Christopher T. Pate, 29, of Hampstead, N.C., died July 21 while conducting combat operations in Al Anbar province, Iraq. He was assigned to 2nd Air Naval Gunfire Liaison Company, Command Element, II Marine Expeditionary Force, Camp Lejeune, N.C.
Media with questions about this Marine can call the 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force Public Affairs Office at (910) 451-5260 or (910) 451-7200.

Saddam Hussein’s Trial Resumed Today Without Him

... Saddam Hussein's trial resumed Monday for closing arguments... a day after the former Iraqi leader was hospitalized and fed with a tube during his hunger strike to demand better security for his lawyers... Prosecutor Jaafar al-Moussawi said Saddam's condition had stabilized and he should be fit to appear in court this week...
Read this story LeesvilleDailyLeader.com

Israel - An 'Act of War' Declared - Day Twelve

Israel - An 'Act of War' Declared
Day Twelve
.
Today's top quote: “If Israel invades Lebanon over ground and comes near to us, Syria will not sit tight. She will join the conflict.” Said by Syrian Information Minister Mohsen Bilal during an interview today.
Read more of what he had to say at TVNZ.co.nz
********************************

>>> 9:55am CDT
Let’s get the morning started with a read by IHT.com. Hezbollah rockets badly damaged a house and slammed into a major road in Haifa, 30 miles south of the border, killing two people, and at least 13 others were wounded across northern Israel.

Read story in full HERE

.

>>>2:55pm CDT
Jpost.com is reporting former prime minister Ariel Sharon's condition at Sheba Medical Center has taken a turn for the worse in the past two days, the hospital announced on Sunday night... His kidney function has declined, causing serious edema (swelling due to accumulation of liquids) in his body... Read this story in full HERE

.

>>> 3:35pm CDT
SeattlePI.com reports the [Israeli] troops describe Hezbollah guerrillas hiding among civilians and in underground bunkers two or three stories deep - evidence, they say, that Hezbollah has been planning this battle for many years. Read this story HERE - Another take can be found at HAARETZ.com
.
>>> 4:00pm CDT
IsraelNationalNews.com has this troubling news to report... Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said this today: “Israel has pushed the button of its own destruction,” said the Iranian president, who pulls the strings of its terrorist proxies on both of Israel’s fronts. “The Zionists made their worst decision and triggered their extinction by attacking Lebanon." Read this story in full HERE

.

>>>8:35pm CDT
BBC.News.co.uk has a good read tonight. It goes in part like this...The administration of US President George Bush sees in this crisis the chance of enforcing change by breaking Hezbollah and through that diminishing Syria and, above all, Iran...

Read this story in full HERE

.

>>> 8:45pm CDT
AFIS has this report on how evacuations are going. It goes in part like this... Over the past two days, the U.S. military has transported more than 5,000 American citizens out of Lebanon, bringing the total number evacuated to more than 10,000, a Defense official speaking on background said today. Click it out in full HERE

.

>>> 10:15pm CDT
Yahoo News - Mideast Conflict in Pictures

War is Hell...
Click them out HERE

.

>>> 11:15pm CDT
The Jerusalem Post reports... Hizbullah "sleeper" terror cells set up outside Lebanon with Iranian assistance have been put on standby The Jerusalem Post learned on Sunday, and are likely planning attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets throughout the world. Read more on this story at counterterrorismblog.org

*********************
U.S. Department of State
Travel.State.Gov
(Current information - A message to American citizens in Lebanon)
More info can be found HERE
**********
.
Daily UPDATES of EVENTS on GROUND at IDF Official Website

**** (Has Photos & Videos) ****
.
NOTE: More ongoing updates can be found at:
EuroNews
(Has Videos- Photos)
.
YnetNews.com
HAARETZ.com News Flashes
IrishExaminer.com
IsraelNationalNews.com

And
*New- IsraeliNewsNow.com
*New- IsraelNewsDesk.com

.
A good Summary of all the day/night events can be viewed at:
IBA (Israel Broadcasting Authority) TV NEWS in ENGLISH
And at
JerusalemOnline.com – Has TV NEWS in ENGLISH
***************************************************

Note: When all Foreign Citizens are out of Lebanon and on safe turf... it would not surprise me one bit... if within days of this event... we finally see this war escalate and flow quickly over other boarders. This would only be a few days from now if this should sadly become true...

* Oh Yeah... Keep an eye on our

Homeland Security Advisory System

AubreyJ.........

July 24, 2006
4:00pm CDT