HOME PAGE: No matter what your political views might be... One thing is for certain. In these days of fast news and even faster life styles... We all seem to have forgotten those moments in history that so abruptly and tragically changed this beloved Country of ours... 9/11… How soon we forget…
* CNN brings us the following troubling news this Monday afternoon and it starts off like this…This story is based internal al Qaeda documents, details of which were obtained by CNN. Hundreds of documents were discovered by German cryptologists embedded inside a pornographic movie on a memory disk belonging to a suspected al Qaeda operative arrested in Berlin last year. The German newspaper Die Zeit was the first to report on the documents…
Sorry, nothing new to report at this time… But if you haven’t already, be sure to watch this VERY informative video below…
This must see, CNN News Video is just under 11 ½ minutes long
………………………..
.
I’m REALLY surprised that there isn’t more being made of this out of the MSM. I’ve found only a few reports on Google this morning, nothing new there on this story… and even FOX News hasn’t even mentioned it!
This past Friday, Mr. Holbrooke was rushed to the hospital after becoming ill and was found to have a torn aorta. He went through more than 20 hours of surgery Saturday to repair the tear but sadly, he died this evening at the aged of 69. Richard Holbrooke was President Obama’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan. Richard C. Holbrooke - Official photo by DoS .
Afghanistan/Pakistan On Ground Updates Casualties Show Tough [past] Week in Afghanistan Wednesday, June 16, 2010 .
This story originally posted on the DVIDS’ website 06/09/2010 WASHINGTON - It has been a tough week in Afghanistan with 23 servicemembers killed in attacks since Monday, [last week], including four killed when their helicopter was shot down in Helmand province, June 9th. . Operational tempo for NATO International Security Assistance Forces in Afghanistan is at an all-time high. . "There are more ISAF forces [in Afghanistan] than at any other time, so the level of activity is high and I think as we conduct our operations and engage with the enemy, obviously the opportunities for hostile contact have gone up," Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman said, June 9. . There now are about 94,000 U.S. servicemembers in Afghanistan with 48,000 allies. The number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan will grow to about 98,000 by September. The number of NATO and other allied troops also will increase. . NATO troops are entering areas in Afghanistan where they previously have not been. In cases such as in Marja, Helmand province, the Taliban had established a shadow government to rule the area and intimidate the people. . The oncoming summer season is the traditional battle time in Afghanistan. Winter is over and snow has melted in the passes. Crops have been sown and – in the case of poppies – harvested. . "We have active operations going on in Afghanistan and we have more forces there than we've ever had," Whitman said. "It is a period of time in which you'll see the Taliban try to conduct their own operations. While we conduct our operations carefully and try to mitigate the risk in all our operations, the fact of the matter is that we have taken casualties and we've taken quite a few this week. It's been a tough week." . U.S. and NATO commanders have stressed the importance of the civilian component in operations in Afghanistan. Civilian experts are key to economic and governmental progress. . The number of civilian experts in Afghanistan has risen and they are providing the advice and guidance the country needs. For example, the U.S. State Department has more people in Afghanistan than it ever has, Whitman said. . "If you talk to our military commanders, they are having a significant impact," he said. "We finally have some much more robust resources in that regard and they are having an effect." . The strategy in Afghanistan takes into consideration the differences among the different parts of the country. For example, Kandahar is a large city with a diverse population. It was the spiritual home of the Taliban and the home of Mullah Omar, the Taliban chief. Marja is a rural agricultural center. . Consequently, there are differences between the kinds of actions conducted in Marja, and those underway in Kandahar. Each operation is assessed by battlefield commanders and the actions they take are dictated by the situation on the ground. . However, the overall strategy of clear, hold and build applies to operations conducted in both Kandahar and Marja. This means that in both places the idea is to clear the area of the Taliban, hold the area so the group cannot get back in, and build the economic structure. . How this occurs will be tailored to the specific area. Officials continue to say there will not be a "D-Day" for military operations in Kandahar. In fact, the offensive against the Taliban there is underway.
. Story by Jim Garamone - Office of the Secretary of Defense Public Affairs . ........................ AubreyJ.........
Afghanistan/Pakistan - On Ground Updates - Afghanistan could become the “Saudi Arabia of Lithium” Besides for having an abundance of Lithium... an abundance of Iron and Copper deposits could make Afghanistan one of World's Top Producers Monday, June 14, 2010 . *NYTimes.com brings us the following news today and it starts off like this...The United States has discovered nearly $1 trillion in untapped mineral deposits in Afghanistan, far beyond any previously known reserves and enough to fundamentally alter the Afghan economy and perhaps the Afghan war itself, according to senior American government officials... The previously unknown deposits - including huge veins of iron, copper, cobalt, gold and critical industrial metals like lithium - are so big and include so many minerals that are essential to modern industry that Afghanistan could eventually be transformed into one of the most important mining centers in the world, the United States officials believe... Read the rest at link below... U.S. Identifies Vast Mineral Riches in Afghanistan . * ABC News has the following take and it starts off like this... United States officials say a survey has uncovered at least $US 1 trillion in mineral deposits in Afghanistan, but there are doubts as to how the war-torn and graft-prone country can manage the windfall... Read the full report at link below... Afghanistan hits $1 trillion mineral motherlode . ................................................. . Afghan Mineral Find May Be Worth $1 Trillion
About this video: U.S. geologists have discovered vast mineral wealth in Afghanistan, possibly amounting to $1 trillion, President Hamid Karzai's spokesman said Monday. This video posted on YouTube by AssociatedPress . ....................... AubreyJ.........
Afghanistan/Pakistan: On Ground Updates U.S. Counterterrorism Officials Believe Taliban Commander Hakimullah Mehsud Is Dead/Potential Successors Reportedly Killed Too Thursday, February 04, 2010
.
.USAF Courtesy Photo
. * FoxNews.com brings us the following report from yesterday and it starts of like this... U.S. counterterrorism officials believe Pakistani Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud is dead following a missile attack last month, a senior intelligence official said Wednesday in the strongest signal that Washington has offered about the militant’s fate... Read the rest at link below... Intel Official: U.S. Believes Mehsud Is Dead . * The Times of India had the following report posted up on their website yesterday and it starts off like this... Pakistani Taliban chief Hakimullah Mehsud’s close aide Qari Hussain, the top trainer of suicide bombers and one of his potential successors, was killed in the same US drone attack that fatally injured him, sources said... Read this report in full at link below... Hakimullah’s likely successor also killed’ . * The Wall Street Journal has a different take on all this today and their report goes in part like this ... "We won't know for certain until the Taliban wants us to know," said Rustam Shah Mohmand, a former Pakistani official who spent much of his career in the tribal areas where Mr. Mehsud operated and may have perished... The tribal areas of Pakistan—the home base for much of the Taliban's and al Qaeda's senior leadership—remain in some ways an intelligence black hole... Read today’s report in full at link below... U.S., Pakistan Puzzle Over Militant's Fate
. ................................... . Again I say... I SOOOO hope they killed him... deader than dead! Time well tell... AubreyJ........
Afghanistan/Pakistan: On Ground Updates Pakistani Official Says American Man Pick Up Near Country's Famed Khyber Pass Leading to Afghanistan Monday, February 01, 2010 .
* The Washington Post brings us the following short report this Monday morning and it starts off like this...A local Pakistani official says authorities have detained an American man near the country's famed Khyber Pass leading to Afghanistan because he did not have government permission to travel there... Read this report in full at link below... Pakistan detains American man near Afghan border . *Meanwhile... News24.com has the following AFP update on the fate of Pakistan Taliban leader Hakimullah Mehsud and their report goes in part like this ...The New York Times [Link HERE] said Pakistani and US officials were increasingly convinced that Mehsud died from wounds suffered in a drone strike, although they could not offer proof... Read the full report at link below... Taliban leader's death a mystery
. ................................... . More to come on both of these stories, I’m sure, before the week is out... AubreyJ.........
Afghanistan/Pakistan: On Ground Updates Reportedly... Taliban Commander in Pakistan Hakimullah Mehsud Reported Wounded in Drone Attack this Month, and Has Died Sunday, January 31, 2010 . USAF Courtesy Photo .
* CNN.com brings us the following... and possible GREAT NEWS... and their report starts off like this...The Pakistani military on Sunday was looking into a local report that the region's Taliban leader had died, officials said... State broadcaster PTV reported that Hakimullah Mehsud, the Taliban commander in Pakistan, was wounded in a drone attack this month, and that he died and was buried last week. PTV cited local sources and its correspondent in North Waziristan... Read the full report at link below... Report: Pakistani Taliban leader killed . * FoxNews.com has this take on the news out of Pakistan today... The head of the Taliban in Pakistan, Hakimullah Mehsud, was killed in a U.S. drone attack, Pakistan state television reported Sunday... The report stated Mehsud had been injured in a drone attack in the Shaktoi area January 14 and died three days later. He reportedly was buried in the village of Mamuzai in the North Waziristan region... But a Taliban spokesman denied the report on Sunday, calling it a "total lie" in an interview with Reuters... The Pakistani army said it is investigating the reports... Read the rest of this lengthy report at link below... Pakistan Taliban Chief Reportedly Killed in U.S. Drone Strike . * Aljazeera.net has this report... Profile: Hakimullah Mehsud . *SKY News has a Great read and News Video posted up on their websiteHERE
................................... . We will know the truth, one way or another... on this matter soon enough. In my opinion... this attack was a response for the killing of our CIA Agents in the Afghanistan suicide bombing a few months ago... and I for one SOOOO hope they killed him... deader than dead. AubreyJ.........
Afghanistan/Pakistan: On Ground Updates Al Qaeda Leader Saleh al-Somali killed by Drone Strike last Tuesday - Al-Somali was on Central Intelligence Agency's list of Top 20 al Qaeda Targets Saturday, December 12, 2009 . USAF Courtesy Photo . *CBS News has the following report posted up on their website this Saturday afternoon and it goes in part like this...The man responsible for executing part of al Qaeda's strategy to move the terrorist groups' Arab militant fighters out of the Afghanistan-Pakistan region to Yemen may be dead, senior Pakistani security officials and Arab diplomats in Pakistan have told CBS News... Reports of the likely death of Saleh al-Somali, a Somali-born key al Qaeda operational planner, in a U.S. drone strike in northwestern Pakistan Tuesday prompted at least one knowledgeable Arab diplomat in the country to describe him as "a lynchpin in al Qaeda's well-considered new strategy."... Read the full report at link below... Al Qaeda's Yemen Connection May Be Dead . *The Wall Street Journal reports this bit of good news this way today on their website...U.S. officials said Saleh al-Somali, who was responsible for al Qaeda's operations outside of Afghanistan and Pakistan, was killed in the strike Tuesday. He was on the Central Intelligence Agency's list of the top 20 al Qaeda targets, according to an official familiar with the list... On Friday, officials in Pakistan said intelligence officers on the ground had identified the dead militant as Abu Yahya al-Libi, a senior al Qaeda figure higher on the CIA's list of terrorist targets... Read the rest at link below... Drone Kills a Leader of Al Qaeda . ..................... AubreyJ.........
Afghanistan/Pakistan: On Ground Updates Saturday, December 05, 2009 . Pakistani Offensive Pushes Extremists, Petraeus Says Originally posted Friday, December 4, 2009 .
As the Pakistani military achieves success against extremists operating in Pakistan, the campaign also is aiding anti-insurgent efforts in Afghanistan, the commander of U.S. Central Command said today. . In fact, the months-long Pakistani offensive is putting the Taliban, al-Qaida and other extremists in the region "under significant pressure," Army Gen. David H. Petraeus told National Public Radio host Steve Inskeep during a segment of the "Morning Edition" news program. . The Pakistani campaign is assisting U.S. and coalition efforts in Afghanistan, Petraeus said, noting Afghan Taliban leader Mullah Omar "is generally thought to be located most of the time, if not all the time, in Pakistan." . Pakistan's military has been engaged over the past nine months or so in several actions targeting extremist groups in Pakistan that are known to cross the border to create mayhem in Afghanistan, Petraeus said. . The offensive, the general said, indicates that Pakistan's government and citizens now recognize "that the most pressing threat to the very existence of Pakistan as they know it is the extremist syndicate" that operates in the region, which includes Afghan and Pakistani Taliban and other insurgent groups. . Pakistani troops have conducted "quite impressive" operations against insurgents in the Swat Valley area in the northwestern frontier section of the country, Petraeus said. . Pakistani soldiers also have moved against Pakistani Taliban elements based in the country's eastern-south Waziristan region and also are targeting other extremists operating in northern Warizistan, he said. . Pakistan has committed thousands of troops to deal with extremists operating within its borders, Petraeus said, adding "you cannot underestimate" the importance of the steps Pakistan has taken to deal with its internal terrorist threat. . The campaign has come at a cost, he pointed out, noting many Pakistani soldiers and civilians have been killed or injured over the past 9-10 months. . As the anti-insurgent campaigns in Afghanistan and Pakistan continue, Petraeus said, there needs to be very close coordination along the Afghan-Pakistani border. . The general observed that Pakistan's military campaign against extremists "has achieved a good bit" over the past nine months or so. . "But, we have a very long way to go in that regard," he said.
. Taken from a DoD’s American Forces Press Service News Article - Written by Gerry J. Gilmore . .................................................... . Marines Start Operation in Helmand Province Originally posted Friday, December 4, 2009 .
More than 1,000 International Security Assistance Force troops are partnering with Afghan forces to begin a large-scale operation in northern Helmand province. . About 900 U.S. Marines and sailors and British forces began partnering today with 150 Afghan soldiers and police to start Operation Khareh Cobra, or Cobra's Anger, to clear insurgent forces in the Now Zad valley. . Marines from 3rd Battalion, 4th Marine Regiment, Regimental Combat Team 7 and 3rd Reconnaissance Battalion are partnered with Afghan army and police. The forces began helicopter and ground operations in the Now Zad valley early this morning. . Now Zad was once Helmand's second largest city, but is now empty due to years of fighting. Insurgents have heavily mined the area, and a key purpose of the operation is to provide enough security for the Afghan government and non-governmental organizations to begin clearing the mines and improvised explosive devices in order to enable the eventual repopulation of the city. . A company of Marines is stationed in Now Zad along with 150 Afghan soldiers and police.
. Taken from a new article by DoD’s American Forces Press Service - Compiled from a Marine Expeditionary Brigade-Afghanistan news release . ********************************************* .
* CNN.com had the following report posted up on their website earlier this Saturday afternoon and it starts off like this... The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for Friday's bombing of a mosque in Rawapindi and vowed to carry out more attacks, according to an e-mail message from the group... The assault targeted a mosque frequented by Pakistani military personnel, and killed 36 and wounded 75, the military said... The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan took responsibility for the action on Friday but reiterated its claim in an e-mail to CNN on Saturday because media outlets quoted analysts and some officials who doubted the group's participation... Read this report in full at link below... Pakistani Taliban claims responsibility for mosque strike >Watch a News Video report about the attack HERE or at link above . *NYDailynews.com has this report and it starts off like this...A sketchy BBC report Friday says Osama Bin Laden may have been in Afghanistan earlier this year... The account cited an unnamed detainee in Pakistan claiming he met a trusted "friend of mine" in January or February who said he had seen Bin Laden about 15 to 20 days earlier in Afghanistan... Read the rest at link below... BBC report: Detainee says friend saw Osama Bin Laden alive in Afghanistan earlier this year . * ABCNews.com reports this little bit of news on bin Laden like this, has short news video with it too... Where is bin Laden? Secretary Gates Says No Intel in 'Years'
. ************************************ . Secretary Clinton says... More Troops Needed in Afghanistan
. About this news video: Secretary Clinton says more troops are needed in Afghanistan to reverse Taliban gains and that withdrawal in 2011 will be based on conditions on the ground at the time. Secretary of State Clinton, Secretary of Defense Gates, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Admiral Mullen appear before the Senate Foreign Affairs Committee
Osama bin Laden’s son, Saad bin Laden Apparently Killed in U.S. Missile Strike Osama bin Laden’s son, Saad bin Laden, who’s also an al-Qaeda member, was apparently Killed in past missile strike by an unmanned CIA Predator Thursday, July 23, 2009 .
* The Washington Post brings us the following report this Thursday afternoon and it starts off like this…The second-oldest son of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden was apparently killed in a U.S. missile strike inside Pakistan this year, U.S. counterterrorism officials said Thursday… Saad bin Laden, 27, an al-Qaeda member who has been linked to terrorist bombings in Saudi Arabia, is believed to have been among the victims of a series of strikes by unmanned CIA Predator aircraft in the past few months, the officials said. If confirmed, he would be the closest relative to bin Laden killed by U.S. forces since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on New York and Washington… Read this report in full at link below… Officials: Son of Osama bin Laden Believed Killed in U.S. Missile Strike . * BBC News reports it this way…One of Osama Bin Laden's sons is believed to have been killed by a US missile strike in Pakistan earlier this year, a US intelligence official says… Read the rest of this short report at link below… Bin Laden son 'believed killed'
. ………………………………………… . Son of Osama Bin Laden Killed in Pakistan by Hellfire Missiles
This Fox News Video posted on YouTube by LamePseudonym1 . ………........…..…… Can we PLEASE get the OLD MAN too!!! AubreyJ………
On Ground Updates: Pakistan Suicide Attackers Set Off Massive Blast Just Outside Luxury Hotel Wednesday, July 10, 2009 . * Bloomberg.com had the following report up on their website Tuesday afternoon and it begins like this…A United Nations worker and as many as 10 other people were killed in a bomb attack on a hotel popular with foreigners and well-to-do Pakistanis in Peshawar, in the country’s northwest, said media reports and the UN… Television pictures showed the front of the five-star Pearl Continental Hotel a shattered wreck of twisted steel and collapsed concrete slabs, as bloodied guests and workers staggered to waiting ambulances… Suicide attackers in a pickup truck entered the hotel compound spraying security guards with gunfire before slamming the vehicle into the building and detonating the charge, Agence France-Presse reported. No one claimed immediate responsibility for the blast, according to news agency reports… Read the full report at link below… Pakistan Hotel Suicide Blast Kills 11, Including UN Aid Worker . ………………………………………… . Raw Video: Blast at Pakistan Luxury Hotel
About News Video: Officials says a huge bomb has exploded at a luxury hotel in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, killing at least five people and wounding 25 others.(Video post date June 9th) This News Video posted on YouTube by AssociatedPress
**************************
.* VOANews.com has this updated report posted on their website early Wednesday morning and it starts off like this…Investigators are sifting through the rubble of the Pearl Continental Hotel in northwest Pakistan, searching for clues to Tuesday night's devastating truck bombing that killed at least 15 people and injured 70 others. Closed-circuit footage aired on Pakistani television stations shows how easy it was for the attackers to hit the five-star star hotel in Peshawar... Light Security Contributes to Pakistan Hotel Bombing . ****************************** . Search for Clues in Pakistani Hotel Blast
About News Video: Investigators are searching a wrecked luxury hotel in northwestern Pakistan for evidence, a day after a bold suicide bombing killed 11 people. (Video post date - June 10th) This News Video posted on YouTube by AssociatedPress ******************** AubreyJ………
Telegraph.co.uk has the following article today and it starts off like this… Pakistan's President Asif Ali Zardari has raised the prospect that Osama bin Laden could be dead after he said that intelligence officials could find "no trace" of the al-Qaeda chief… Read the full article at link below… Pakistan's President says Osama bin Laden could be dead . AP reports it this way… Pakistani leader: Bin Laden 'may be dead' _ or not. ……………………… AubreyJ………
On Ground Updates: Afghanistan/Pakistan President Obama unveils new comprehensive strategy today on Afghanistan/Pakistan War Friday, March 27, 2009 .
President Obama unveiled from the White House today a new comprehensive strategy to defeat Al Qaeda and ensure stability in Afghanistan and Pakistan which in part includes sending an additional four-thousand U.S. troops to Afghanistan. White House photo by Lawrence Jackson ……………………………………... The White House Blog has the following posting on their website this afternoon and it goes in part like this…
.
…The President put forth the central question: . Many people in the United States -- and many in partner countries that have sacrificed so much -- have a simple question: What is our purpose in Afghanistan? After so many years, they ask, why do our men and women still fight and die there? And they deserve a straightforward answer. . And gave his answer: . So I want the American people to understand that we have a clear and focused goal: to disrupt, dismantle and defeat al Qaeda in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and to prevent their return to either country in the future. That's the goal that must be achieved. That is a cause that could not be more just…
. REUTERS has this report today on President Obama’s new Afghan/Pakistan War Strategy and it starts off like this… In the space of a month, President Barack Obama has shifted U.S. strategy from George W. Bush's fixation on Iraq to a renewed focus on Afghanistan, where many Americans thought it should have always been… After outlining in February an 18-month timetable to end U.S. combat operations in Iraq, Obama announced on Friday a policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan that will funnel more military and civilian aid to the two countries where Islamic extremism is the biggest threat to U.S. interests… In so doing, Obama made some not-so-subtle jabs at former President Bush, saying for example that the United States would not "blindly stay the course" -- a turn on the phrase Bush sometimes employed to describe his persistence in Iraq… Read the full report (which is more of a BUSH/Iraq War bashing) at link below… Obama shifts strategy from Bush policy . . ABCNews.com brings us the following report and News Video today… Obama Declares U.S. Must Push Harder Against the Taliban, Al-Qaeda… Obama Says Afghanistan Is 'Increasingly Perilous' * Watch their News Video HERE . . Telegraph.co.uk had this take on the new Obama Strategy…Mr. Obama's talk of an exit strategy is premature and dangerous…
About this news video: President Barack Obama says the US will adopt new tactics for defeating al Qaeda and the Taliban-led insurgency in Afghanistan, including broader diplomatic engagement, the deployment of 4,000 more troops and new reconstruction efforts This news video posted on YouTube by france24english . ****************** AubreyJ………
Sen. Dianne Feinstein's blurt during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing Leads to U.S. Confirmation That It Uses Pakistani Air Base
Thursday, February 19, 2009
. FOXNEWS.COM BRINGS US THIS REPORT TODAY... Sen. Dianne Feinstein's blurt during a Senate Intelligence Committee hearing last week forced the U.S. intelligence and military community to acknowledge on Thursday that the U.S. is targeting Al Qaeda and Taliban operatives using unmanned drones based in Pakistan…The senator's slip sent reporters into overdrive and led to the discovery of a 2006 picture provided by Google Earth that appears to show Predator drones at Shamsi air base 200 miles southwest of Quetta… A senior U.S. official confirmed to FOX News that Pakistani leaders -- despite their public protests and denials -- have been giving the U.S. some targets in the tribal areas of their own enemies, and have given the U.S. blanket permission to go after any "Arabs" in those areas because they are assumed to be Al Qaeda operatives… The Pakistanis themselves are still officially denying the arrangement, a decision predicated on the weak federal government and extreme anti-Americanism in tribal communities, particularly the Federally Administered Tribal Area in the Northwest, where Taliban and Al Qaeda support is strongest… Feinstein's remarks, which were characterized as "foolish" by U.S. officials, were unusual for the experienced chairwoman of the intelligence panel... Read the full report at link below… Feinstein's Blurt Leads to U.S. Confirmation That It Uses Pakistani Air Base
US Senator Dianne Feinstein Official Photo . ************************** . Inside Story - Sharia in Pakistan's Swat From original posting on Wednesday, February 18, 2009-Part 1
About this Video Report: Some are celebrating, while others are worried as Sharia law is introduced in North West Pakistan. Announced on Monday, this was part of the agreement between the government and Pakistani Taliban…Will it help to restore peace or just trigger chaos in the already volatile region? Video posted on YouTube by AlJazeeraEnglish
The Wrath of Khan begins Saturday, February 07, 2009 . WashingtonPost.com had this article up on their website Friday evening and it starts off like this...Early yesterday,[Friday] the Pakistani scientist at the center of one of history's worst nuclear scandals walked out of his Islamabad villa to declare his vindication after five years of house arrest."The judgment, by the grace of God, is good," a smiling Abdul Qadeer Khan told a throng of reporters and TV crews... Moments earlier, a Pakistani court had ordered the release of the metallurgist who had famously admitted selling nuclear secrets to Iran, Libya and North Korea. Through years of legal limbo, Khan, 72, had never been charged, and now he never will be. "The so-called A.Q. Khan affair is a closed chapter," a Pakistani government spokesman said...In Washington, the news sparked criticism but little surprise... Read the full story at link below... Nuclear Scientist A.Q. Khan Is Freed From House Arrest . *********************** . Pakistan Frees Nuclear Weapons Proliferator
About this News Video: The scientist who helped Pakistan develop nuclear weapons and allegedly leaked atomic secrets to North Korea, Iran and Libya, was freed from years of de facto house arrest. U.S. officials say Abdul Qadeer Khan is a security risk. (Feb. 6) News Video posted on YouTube by AssociatedPress . **************** Well that’s just great. The Wrath of Khan begins, again... Yep -- The world sure is a safer place now!!! AubreyJ.........
On Ground Updates: * Afghanistan/Pakistan * Widespread Anger/Outrage in Pakistan over Latest US Missile Strike In Northwest Pakistan Thursday, November 20, 2008
. ... VOANews.com has this report about the widespread anger and outrage in Pakistan over the latest U.S. missile strike against a terrorist target deep inside their country. It starts off like this...There is a widespread anger and outrage in Pakistan over the latest suspected U.S. missile strike against a terrorist target deep inside the country. Taliban militants have threatened to launch revenge attacks across Pakistan unless the United States puts an end to the attacks. Ayaz Gul reports from Islamabad the foreign ministry summoned the U.S ambassador to protest the missile strikes, saying they are undermining public support for Pakistan's anti-terror campaign... In the past two months, the United States is believed to have launched about 20 missile strikes targeting al-Qaida and Taliban bases in Pakistan's semi-autonomous tribal region that borders Afghanistan. The attacks are said to have killed dozens of people... The United States neither confirms nor denies it is behind the missile strikes, but U.S. officials are reported as saying they have killed key al-Qaida operatives in Pakistan in recent months... Read the full report at link below... Pakistan Protests Missile Strikes . * AFP.Google.comreports it this way... Pakistan protests US drone attacks, Taliban warns of reprisals
Major Arab Al Qaeda Operative Among Militants Killed Overnight In Suspected US Missile Strike In Northwest Pakistan Wednesday, November 19, 2008
Predator file photo by USAF
* LongWarJournal.org brings us this bit of good news this morning and their report starts off like this... US intelligence officials contacted by The Long War Journal would not confirm or deny Azzam's death. "It is far too soon to know, and northwestern Pakistan isn't the easiest place in the world to find out if these strikes succeed or fail," one senior official said. "We've had far too many false positives this year to be certain this hit was successful."... The strike in Bannu is the first recorded US attack outside of Pakistan's seven Taliban-controlled tribal agencies, and appears to be the deepest US strike inside Pakistani territory to date... Read this report and much more, at link below... Senior al Qaeda leader targeted in airstrike in Bannu, Pakistan (Lots of informative reports/links at above site) . * AFP.Google.com has this take... A major Arab Al-Qaeda operative was among six militants killed overnight in a suspected US missile strike in northwest Pakistan, a senior security official told AFP Wednesday... Security sources identified the militant as Abdullah Azam Al-Saudi, a senior member of Osama bin Laden's terror network who they said US intelligence officials had identified as the main link between Al-Qaeda's senior command and Taliban networks in the Pakistani border region... "He was the man coordinating between Al-Qaeda and Taliban commanders on this side of the border, and also involved in recruiting and training fighters," an Islamabad-based senior security official told AFP... Read the full report at link below... Major Al-Qaeda operative killed in US drone strike: Pakistan security
Afghanistan/Pakistan: On Ground Updates Airstrike Kills Senior al Qaeda Leader in North Waziristan Saturday, November 01, 2008
... The website, ‘The Long War Journal’ brings us this bit of good news today... Reports from Pakistan indicate a senior al Qaeda leader was killed in yesterday's airstrike in North Waziristan... Mohammad Khalil Hasan al Hakaymah, who is better known as Abu Jihad al Masri, is thought to have been killed in an airstrike that targeted a vehicle outside of Mir Ali in North Waziristan, AFP reported... "The strike was aimed at a vehicle carrying Abu Jihad and two others," senior Pakistani security official told AFP. "The target was successfully hit and all three people were killed." US intelligence has yet to confirm Abu Jihad's death... Read the full report at link below... Senior al Qaeda Leader thought killed in North Waziristan strike
Coalition, Afghans Kill Taliban Commanders, Dozens More
Wednesday, October 22, 2008 -Coalition and Afghan forces killed dozens of militants, including two Taliban commanders, in two days of fighting in Afghanistan, military officials reported.
Today, in the largest-scale battle,coalition troops killed at least 55 militants in the Deh Rawood district of Oruzgan province, in the south-central part of the country, officials said. Coalition forces later identified Taliban commander Sharif Agha and 14 others near a river bed in a remote area of a known insurgent compound, they said, noting that Agha was a known leader in bombings in the Helmand and Oruzgan provinces.
Reports confirmed that the militants were coordinating an attack against coalition forces, officials said.
Coalition and Afghan forces were patrolling the area when they were attacked by a large group of militants with small-arms and rocket-propelled grenade fire. The troops responded with small-arms, rocket-propelled grenade, heavy-weapons and supporting fires, killing 55 militants. The troops called in close air support, which killed Agha and others in a precision air strike.
No coalition, Afghan or civilian casualties were reported.
In other reports today from Afghanistan:
-- Afghan and coalition forces killed three insurgents and uncovered a weapons and ammunition cache in the Bala Boluk district in the western province of Farah. As Afghan and coalition helicopters entered the area, they were attacked by insurgents with small-arms and heavy-weapons fire coming from inside a cave. The troops returned fire, killing three insurgents. A search of the area uncovered a cache of several weapons and ammunition. No coalition, Afghan forces or civilian casualties were reported.
-- Coalition and Afghan troops patrolling in the Khas Oruzgan district of Oruzgan province were attacked by militants with small-arms fire. The troops responded with small-arms, heavy-weapons and supporting fires, killing three militants. One Afghan and one coalition servicemember were wounded and were taken to a coalition facility for treatment. They were reported to be in stable condition.
-- Coalition forces identified one of three militants killed in an Oct. 20 air strike in Helmand province as Taliban commander Mullah Ghafar. Ghafar was responsible for conducting ambushes and attacks on checkpoints and coalition convoys in Farah, Nimruz and Helmand provinces, officials said. Coalition forces positively identified Ghafar entering a vehicle and traveling south on a road through Helmand province and called for close-air support. Ghafar was killed and two other militants were wounded by precision air strikes.
In operations yesterday, coalition troops killed six armed militants and detained seven suspects while targeting the Haqqani terrorist group and Taliban leadership in Paktia, Khowst and Ghazni provinces:
-- In Paktia, searched a compound in the Zadran district, targeting a Haqqani commander and financier, known to coordinate and direct terrorist attacks in the region. The force searched the compound without incident, detaining two suspected militants.
-- In the Shamal district of Khowst, a group of armed militants attacked a coalition convoy. Coalition forces returned fire, killing six armed militants and destroying a vehicle. No coalition forces were injured during the engagement.
-- An operation in Ghazni province netted four suspected militants as coalition forces targeted the Taliban leadership in the Waghez district. The targeted Taliban commander is suspected of facilitating and coordinating bombings in the region, officials said. As the force searched the targeted compound, one man attempted to flee. Coalition forces, with the use of a military working dog, were able to track and apprehend the man. Four suspected militants were detained during the operation.
In other news, military officials reported today that coalition forces may have mistakenly killed and injured Afghan National Army soldiers last night in Khowst province near Afghanistan's eastern border.
As a coalition convoy was returning from a previous operation, troops were involved in multiple engagements in which Afghan soldiers were killed and injured, officials said. Initial reports from troops on the ground indicate that this may be a case of mistaken identity on both sides, they said.
The number of killed and injured has not been made available.
Coalition forces are coordinating with the Afghan government and the Afghan National Army for a joint investigation into this incident, officials said.
Taken from a news article by DoD’s American Forces Press Service - Compiled from U.S. Forces Afghanistan news releases
.
********************************
...
Here’s some news out of Pakistan:
...
* CNN.com brings us the following good news out of Pakistan today... A senior al Qaeda operational commander is believed to have been killed recently in Pakistan's South Waziristan region, several U.S. officials told CNN Wednesday... The officials identified the man as Khalid Habib, who is considered to have been an operations coordinator for al Qaeda in the tribal region along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border where al Qaeda leaders, including Osama bin Laden, are believed to be hiding... One official described him as the "chief of external operations" for al Qaeda... Read the rest at link below... U.S.: Al Qaeda commander believed killed in Pakistan
Pakistan: On Ground Updates U.S. Drone Strike Said to Kill Al-Qaeda’s #4 Saturday, October 18, 2008
* The New York Times has the following report on their website this Saturday morning and it starts off like this...A missile attack from a remotely piloted American aircraft is believed to have killed a senior member of Qaeda in South Waziristan on Thursday, a former member of a militant group in the region said in an interview... The operative, Khalid Habib, an Egyptian who was chief of operations in Pakistan’s tribal region, is described by the Central Intelligence Agency as the fourth-ranking person in the Qaeda hierarchy... Read the full report at link below... U.S. Strike Is Said to Kill Qaeda Figure in Pakistan
* CNN brings us the following troubling news this Monday afternoon and it starts off like this… This story is based internal al Qaeda documents, details of which were obtained by CNN. Hundreds of documents were discovered by German cryptologists embedded inside a pornographic movie on a memory disk belonging to a suspected al Qaeda operative arrested in Berlin last year. The German newspaper Die Zeit was the first to report on the documents…
USAF Courtesy Photo
USAF Courtesy Photo
