StormWarning’s Counterterrorism

Anyone who reads this space knows that I’ve frequently made predictions. Those among you also know that at the predicted time, it is time to step back, reflect and recognize the validity of those predictions. On December 26, 2007 Austin Bay wrote, “Sometime within the next six months or so, al Qaeda or Saddamist terrorists will attempt a Tet offensive.” The article urged readers to believe that the jihadists sought to emulate the strategic political effects North Vietnam’s 1968 attack obtained.

Mr. Bay then went to draw an historic parallel between the peacewing of the Democratic party during the Civil War led by Clement Vallandigham to Senator Harry Reid (who Bay called “our era’s Vallandighams”). And further, Mr. Bay predicted that:

Their “ultimate Iraqi Tet” would feature simultaneous terror strikes in every major Iraqi city. These simultaneous strikes would inflict hideous civilian casualties with the goal of discrediting Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki’s and General David Petraeus’ assessments that Iraqi internal security has improved. The terrorists would reduce Iraqi government buildings to rubble.

Well, I don’t want to be proven wrong by near term events, but given the “effectiveness” of the surge. there is reason to expect that no Iraqi Tet will occur (too soon at least). Of course, Bay bought himself a bit of leeway by then saying that the Election period in November would give al Qaeda, the jihad, the Islamic Fundamentalists etc. the opportunity to inflict “sensational carnage that even momentarily seeds the perception of defeat is their only chance of victory.”

But I’ll bet that Bay got his 10 votes within minutes…LOL And yes, I’ve had this article bookmarked since it first appeared simply to see if the bold prediction played out in reality.

Austin Bay, Terrorists Tet

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Let us crystallize the issues facing the US as we approach this “election of a lifetime.” Live in peace and remember that at following the attacks of Sept. 11, we were once again united, many people from many walks of life at a moment of great dispair. Now, nearly 7 years later, regardless of whatever you may think of the War in Iraq, or the broader, Global War on Terrorism, our enemies mock us for being divided and for not understanding that their’s is a very long war. Without resolve (by us as a country and a people), there is reason to beware (the enemy does not bicker among themselves). They watch…they plan…they wait.

So what are the issues for this coming Presidential Election? [More later]

GWOT, Presidential election

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Enabling and promoting terrorism while supressing free speech is what the United Nations seems to be these days. In fact, the UN Human Rights Council not only frowns on speaking about jihad, terrorism and shariah law, but also is promoting the conspiracy theory that the Sept. 11 attacks were an “inside job.”

This is discussed at length here

The UNHRC ban on debate regarding Sharia came as a result of a three minute joint statement by the Association for World Education with the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) to the Human Rights Council on women’s rights and the impact of Sharia law. These NGOs sought to address international issues of violence against women, specifically, the stoning of women, “honor killings” of women, and female genital mutilation, as a result of Sharia law.

In more detail, the bozo (Richard Falk) who is the special rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories and investigates alleged Israeli violations of human rights law for the U.N.’s Human Rights Council also wants to investigate the World Trade Center and Pentagon tragedies to determine if they were, in fact, an “inside job.”

…investigate whether “some sort of controlled explosion from within” destroyed the Twin Towers, he told FOXNews.com.

“I do think there are questions that haven’t been answered, questions about the way the buildings collapsed and the failure to heed a variety of signals that there was danger coming,” Falk said.

John Bolton comments that while this position may be “conventinal wisdom” among some delegations at the UN, Falk’s beliefs are “fruit cake city.”

The executive director of UN Watch, the NGO that watches the UN, Hillel Neuer has called for Falk’s removal.

“He should resign,” said Neuer, who raised concerns about Falk’s ability to be an objective observer. Neuer has also criticized Falk for being biased against Israel.

“If he were a principled person he would recognize the fact that he has very extreme views,” Neuer said.

I’ve said it many times in the past. The best use for the United Nations now is to through them out of the United States, make them relocate to the Hague, and then let Donald Trump devleop an entire community on the East River. That would also eliminate the persistent problem of diplomats parking illegally on the streets of Manhattan, blocking thru-traffic and ignoring the fines.

Hillel Neuer, Human Rights Council, John Bolton, UN Watch

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It should come as no real surprise that appointments to “plum” positions are controlled by the political party in power, and that politics do indeed, influence selection. So a new report by the DoJ Office of the Inspector General and the Office of Professional Responsibility concludes that political persuasion entered into the hiring practices for the DoJ Honors Program and Summer Law Intern Program.

While DoJ’s position is that the statistics reflect a coincidence, reflect on this:

…the approval rate for applicants who belonged to the liberal American Constitution Society was 0%. The approval rate for applicants who belonged to the conservative Federalist Society: 93%.

- AND -

“Many qualified candidates were deselected by the screening committee because of their perceived political or ideological affiliations” in 2006, says the report…

As I said…not surprising…but still, one would hope…Nah! Politics pervades every decision, and probably has for many years. Its the guile that has diminished.

Dept. of Justice Honors Program, summer law intern program

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George O’Dowd had been denied a U.S. entry visa, apparently because he has a pending trial in the United Kingdom on charges of false imprisonment and battery. As a result, all of his U.S. appearances have been cancelled. This seems to be a case of what’s good for the gander is good for the gander.

“This is not in respect of anything he has done in the past but because he is facing a trial in November in London for something that happened in April of last year,” the singer’s management said in a press statement. In a U.K. criminal trial set for November, George (whose real name is George O’Dowd) faces charges of false imprisonment and battery — he has been accused of chaining a Norwegian male model to a wall. (Don’t you hate when that happens?)

So, paraphrasing Don Imus, I ask, what is O’Dowd’s “preference?” OH! Did I forget to mention that O’Dowd is also known as BOY GEORGE???  He was to appear in NY City at a free concert for the New York City Department of Sanitation’s Family Day in AugustIn the meantime, ticketholders can keep tabs on developments at BoyGeorgeLive.com., and fans can express themselves via e-mail at the State Department’s Visa Services’ Public Inquiries Branch usvisa@state.gov.

false imprisonment, George ODowd

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Never ever forget that we are dealing with cold blooded killers who have co-opted Islam. Even when they are found “not guilty” of writing bad poetry, “these” people are dangerous.

NEFA has released a new slide presentation about a woman known as the “Lyrical Terrorist” Samina Malik, who along with Sohail Qureshi was accused of planning terrorism in Afghanistan and other places against coalition. Malik was prosecuted for possessing the documents, and not for her poetry. See Kohlmann’s post at Counterterrorism Blog.

Excerpt from “How to Behead” by Samina Malik
It’s not as messy or as hard as some may think.
It’s all about the flow of the wrist.
Sharpen the knife to its maximum.
And before you begin to cut the flesh.
Tilt the fool’s head to its left.
Saw the knife back and forth.
No doubt that the punk will twitch and scream.
But ignore the donkey’s ass.
And continue to slice back and forth.
You’ll feel the knife hit the wind and food pipe.
But Don’t Stop.
Continue with all your might.
About now you should feel the knife vibrate.
You can feel the warm heat being given off.
But this is due to the friction being caused.

More of Malik’s poetry:
• In a poem titled “Raising Mujahideen Children,“ Malik suggested that indoctrination should begin at 7 years of age: “Show the children videos and pictures of mujahideen and tell them to become strong like them…Explain how the Mujahideen fear no man - they fear Allah alone, and for his sake they are able, willing and capable to do anything in defence of Islam.”
• In a poem titled “The Living Martyrs,” Malik wrote: “For the living martyrs are awakening and Kuffars [non-believers] world soon to be shaking.”
• She also wrote, “Let us make Jihad/ Move to the front line/ To chop chop head of kuffar swine,” as well as that “Kafirs your time will come soon, and no one will save you from your doom.
• Malik argued: “to partake in something and to write about something are two different things.” She continued, “this does not mean I wanted to convert my words into actions.” She even claimed she “did not realise there was such a thing as extremism.”
• Her defense team also drew parallels with the WWI poetry of Wilfred Owen: “Poetry can be described as disturbing, shocking, even repulsive. What is the intent? Is it to shock, to revolt? That in itself doesn’t make it criminal and it doesn’t help you to get into the mind of who has written it.”

And now for the “punch line.” While at first convicted, she was let go because the British courts rules that actions and not thoughts were illegal.

Lyrical Terrorist, Samina Malik

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I read this morning what is said to be at least a partial list of Obama’s possible VP’s. Briefly, here is my handicapping of 9 of the reported 20 on the list.

John Edwards - why?
Sam Nunn - Great Choice (strong on defense and security) and author of pre-Sept. 11th warnings of attacks (even if a bit old and tired)
Al Gore - why?
Pennsylvania Rep. John Murtha - a really bad choice
Ohio Governor Ted Strickland - OK
Joe Biden - my vote for smartest guy in Senate; big mouth; Nunn a better choice
Chris Dodd - weak
Kansas Gov. Kathleen Sebelius - recently strong
Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano - took action against illegal aliens (might be a good choice)

There will be more. But not now. Just my opinion.

Obama VP list

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Researchers are now reporting that an experimental immune system therapy using his own cells has put a male patient’s melanoma into a two year remission. The patient had suffered from melanoma in his lungs and groin. The Hutchinson Cancer Center reminds that this is only a small step forward, and is not ready for widespread use.

“It’s taken us many years to get to this point,” Yee says. “Hopefully, we’ll eventually streamline the process a bit, but it’s not something most labs do.”

No side effects were seen. Details of the melanoma patient’s case appear in The New England Journal of Medicine.

Published n the NE Journal of Medicine, the study describes this new approach.

The researchers grew T cells (that target a specific protein, or antigen, on the tumor cells) in the lab until they had a population they believed was large enough to destroy the cancer.

They infused five billion of the cloned cells into the patient. Two months later, PET (positron emission tomography) and CT (computed tomography) scans did not reveal any tumors—and the patient has remained disease-free for two years, Yee says.

“This is the first example that I can think of where someone actually grew CD4+ T cells outside the body and gave [them] back and got results,” says Willem Overwijk, an immunologist at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Houston, who was not involved in this study.

A small step, but an important step.

Cassian Yee, Experimental Melanoma Treatment, Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center

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When is it time to shut your mouth and keep your foot in it? When you’re Retief Goosen and you issue a “just kidding” statement that Tiger was faking his knee pain just a few hours before Tiger announces season ending knee surgery.

According to sources, Tiger Woods has made a decision to go ahead with season-ending knee surgery.

He experienced a small stress fracture in his left leg about two weeks before the U.S. Open, which was causing him pain, and ultimately the doctors felt that he needs ACL surgery and rest to get him back to 100%.

Hey Goose! You’re an idiot, even if you were “just kidding.”

ACL, just kidding, Retief Goosen, Tiger Woods

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This will be short since I have to admit to having heard the concept while driving and hearing Limbaugh rant on about this. The mastermind of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing, the blind Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, stood trial and was convicted of convicted of “seditious conspiracy” and now serves a life sentence in the Butner NC Correctional Facility. That was before we knew what we know now.

Affording terrorists or enemy combatants rights under the U.S. Constitution as the recent Supreme Court ruling does, leads to the presumption of innocence. This means that if Osama bin Laden was to be captured and brought to trial, he would be presumed innocent until proven guilty. What proof would we need? Or, worse, what reasonable doubt could be established to enable the man who ordered the murder of nearly 3,000 the morning of September 11, 2001 to walk free? The simple answer is that not only is the Supreme Court decision wrong headed, but the utter ignorance by Barack Obama that we are a Nation (and a World) at War with Terrorism by indicating a return to treating terrorism as a criminal act, is emptyheaded.

Obama, politics of ignorance

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I like Mike Huckabee.  Frankly, my favorite slate for the Republicans would have been Newt Gingrich-Mike Huckabee (strange choice for someone who is often enough accused of being a liberal - but I think Newt is one of the smartest guys out there, especially about health care).  I also like John McCain…and have supported his nomination since it became clear that Newt couldn’t/wouldn’t run.

Well, “Pastor” Mike has come out publicly with what I believe are “words of wisdom.” In noting that he felt that the Republican Veep nominee “would be a surprise” he said:

…he would be surprised if Republican candidate John McCain asked him to be the vice-presidential nominee, and he also doubted Hillary Clinton will be No.2 on the Democratic ticket.

In the same speech (I think, in Japan) Mr. Huckabee said if the Republicans (he really meant the far right conservatives) demonized Obama (which they already are doing), it would be a mistake:

The Republicans will make a fundamental, if not fatal mistake, if they seek to win the election by demonizing Barrack Obama,” Huckabee told reporters in Tokyo. “Don’t underestimate the extraordinary, substantive moment that Barack Obama’s nomination represents in our country.”

Its sad how I have commented often in the past about how polarized this country had become (since the 2000 Election) and the advent of political blogging. The future, unfortunately, is that this Nation is about to become even more polarized. In a way very different from the way that John Edwards meant it, we are in fact a Nation of “two Americas.” I am not smart enough to know the future or what it holds. I do know/believe that a Nation divide cannot stand. In these days, a Nation divide as we are, and as we will become, most certainly will become more vulnerable to terrorism (and not because or if the Democrats carry the next election - it will be because we are polarize and not of a single mind).

The “sock Obama“/curious George incident is just the beginning. IMO, there is the GWOT, and then there is the war that we are already fighting among ourselves.

polarization, Sock Obama

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If you read certain reports like this one, you might take the position that the War in Afghanistan against the Taliban is over (I like “brink of defeat” and “decapitated” - chuckle). Then there is the statement by Agha Lalai Wali, an official with the government-sponsored Peace and Reconciliation Commission in Kandahar who said, “The Taliban are getting stronger and stronger, and after they attacked the prison, that gave them higher morale.” How can that be?

Hundreds of Taliban fighters took control of seven villages in southern Afghanistan on Monday in what appeared to be a major offensive near the country’s second-largest city, according to Afghan officials.

Some people believe that the “sophisticated” and well planned jail break is an indication of the Taliban’s growing strength. IF the Taliban is losing the fight in Afghanistan, but moving to the Pakistani side of the Durand Line which in essence is a non-existent and arbitrary border between the two countries largely unrecognized by the mountain tribes, then I wonder who is actually winning or losing.

Kandahar jail break

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It’s the day after Fathers Day. Maybe people are tired of the Tim Russert story; maybe a few heartless souls could see his son Luke on the Today Show this morning and not be drawn to the emotion of the moment.  Ask, however, this question of yourself.  Have you a good or bad relationship with your Dad?  And what about the relationship that you have with your son?

Life tends to play horrible tricks on you. When you least expect it, your Dad is gone, perhaps suddenly, or maybe after a long drawn out illness like my Dad experienced. But suddenly, it becomes “your time” and you are no longer there…either for your son, or daughter, or your Dad is no longer there for you.

My own relationship with my father was no where near the long and loving relationship that apparently Tim Russert had with his Dad (”Big Russ”) or with his son Luke; it was not like the relationship we know that a man named Tiger Woods had with his Dad (yes, perhaps that Tiger’s Dad, Earl, was the ultimate of the overbearing “stage fathers” - but maybe, just maybe, the inner strength that Earl instilled in his son left Tiger with that air of invincibility and belief that anything was possible). Mine was conflicted.

I was able to reconcile with my father about a decade before he died a few years ago. And I learned through the all too long period of conflict that he and I experienced, that I had to avoid at all costs the same with my own son. Today, my son and I are close. He confides in me, and yet, often just calls to “shoot the shit.” Maybe most importantly, people I do not even know have told me in different ways how good a young man my son has grown to be (I should not exclude from my “kvelling” that my daughter is also quite the young lady). When a stranger tells you that your son (or daughter) is honest, hard working, a “good person,” how much more could a parent ask?

I can only say…”to love your parents with all of your heart and soul…spend as much time with them as you can while they are healthy as if today could be their last day…remember the good times they and you have had when they begin to fade…and spend your last times with them as quality time, regardless of their condition…”

It’s the day after Fathers Day. Make the most of the next year and work toward having the kind of relationship with your son or daughter, or with your father if you are lucky enough that he is still alive, that is ever-lasting. 

fathers and sons

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I very quietly confided to my friend that I was having an affair. She turned to me and asked, “Are you having it catered”?

And that, my friend, is the definition of ‘OLD’!!!

Definition of Old

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Coming on the heels of the U.S. bomb strike on the Afghan-Pakistani border that killed a dozen or so security and civilians, and the escape of nearly a 1000 Taliban from the Kandahar prison, we now witness the boastful Karzai saying that the Afghan army will pursue the Taliban on the Pakistani side of the border. I must be seeing things!

The Afghan government announced that 870 of the jail’s 1,005 inmates had escaped — including the vast majority of its 398 suspected rebels, the ones they call “political prisoners.”

It is said by Canadian officials that they hope that the newly reintroduced insurgents would not negatively impact on their troops. Further, in Friday’s Canadian National Post, they commented on the premature assessment that the Taliban was on its last legs.

That message has been one that NATO has been pounding home over the last several months. Canadian commanders hailed their latest mission, Operation Rolling Thunder, as proof coalition forces could pretty much go where they wanted in southern Afghanistan.

A couple of weeks ago, the top NATO commander in the country, U.S. Gen. Dan McNeill, told a journalist that the Taliban in southern Afghanistan had been routed and were fleeing toward safe havens in Pakistan.

In February, Britain’s Brig. Andrew Mackay said the Taliban had been brought to their knees in Helmand province. The insurgency was lacking fighters because of the large numbers killed by coalition troops, he added.

 
So ontop of this less than optimistic assessment there is Hamid Karzai threatening to invade neighboring Pakistan to pursue the Taliban escapees.

Afghan President Hamid Karzai threatened Sunday to send Afghan troops after notorious Taliban leaders inside Pakistan in an angry warning to his eastern neighbor that he will no longer tolerate cross-border attacks.

The threat — the first time Karzai has said he would send forces into Pakistan — comes only days after a sophisticated Taliban assault on Kandahar’s prison freed 870 prisoners, and six weeks after Karzai survived his fourth assassination attempt.

Now, in my opinion, the confluence of the events described above suggests strongly that the Taliban is far from dead and defunct; that while there are those who “wish” the Taliban to be kaput in Afghanistan to defuse calls from some camps to fight (and complete) the “real” war in Afghanistan by redeploying forces from Iraq. The other implications are that there is no real border. A number of people do not acknowledge the importance and controversy over the Durand Line. As I wrote “elsewhere” and earlier:

The Taliban are far from dead (IMO of course). The dynamics and ebb and flow of the battle in that region of the world are hard to follow for some. It isn’t as simple as moving pieces on a game board (like “Risk”). An oversimplification of the newly declared, and once again, premature death of the Taliban in Afghanistan is belied by the facts. One article in a British newspaper on line quoting British (NATO) forces does not strike the end of the Taliban. Whether in Afghanistan or Pakistan (or more likely in the tribal regions that “buffer” both pseudo-countries along the mythical border established by the Durand Line is inconsequential to the way things evolve. The prison break in Kandahar, not discussed I believe in any comment in this thread, in which 800-1000 Taliban fighters were sprung loose is an example. The ongoing poppytrade and the sex trade remain as a foundation for another rebirth.

Nearly three years ago the Taliban were declared dead and gone and defunct by NATO…they were not…and the NATO expert with whom I had a running on-line debate suddenly disappeared from the discussion. I remain hopeful, and yet I remain realistic and suprised that Karzai has survived. Frankly, I still believe that Karzai lives each day, only at the pleasure of the warlords (drug lords). If you decalre an end to the Taliban in Afghanistan, by default you are suggesting that the jihad is over there. That is a premature conclusion…

The implications further are that by challenging the Taliban so outwardly, Karzai, in my opinion, is simply putting a target on his back. Anyone want Karzai in the death pool?

Kandahar prison break, Karzai, NATO, Taliban

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