Saturday, June 30, 2007
CENTCOM NEWS June 07
BOMB-MAKING MATERIALS, WEAPONS SEIZED FROM TWO RASHID DISTRICT MOSQUES
6/29/2007
BAGHDAD — Iraqi Security Forces and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers entered two mosques in the Rashid District of the Iraqi capital June 27-28 and uncovered two weapons caches.
Early in the morning June 27, Company A, 1st Battalion, 38th Infantry Regiment, and Iraqi Security Forces entered the Al Mahada Mosque in the Saydiyah portion of the city and found eight AK-47s with 40 magazines and body armor.
On June 28, the same company entered Al-Sadiq Mosque in the same neighborhood and found six AK-47s and one bag of hand grenades buried in the courtyard.
Inside the mosque, they found one PKM machine gun, one PKC machine gun, one drum of PKM ammunition, 22 assault rifle magazines, one expended rocket-propelled grenade booster, seven demolition boosters, 30 feet of detonation cord, one stick of dynamite, two RPG warheads, 10 blocks of TNT, one 122mm mortar round, one sniper scope, three RPG fins, 14 blasting caps, more than 500 loose 7.62mm rounds, six pressure switches, six timers, 12 9-volt batteries, one 6-volt battery and assorted communications devices.
The cache, enough to build numerous roadside bombs, was destroyed by an explosive ordnance disposal unit. Under Iraqi law, citizens are allowed one assault rifle and one 30-round magazine for protection.
FOR QUERIES, CONTACT MULT-NATIONAL DIVISION - BAGHDAD PUBLIC AFFAIRS, MNDB_PAO_CIC@MND-B.ARMY.MIL OR BY PHONE AT COMMERCIAL (914) 822-8174 OR IRAQNA 011-964-890-192-4674.
More from Centcom:
Duty to Country Is Family Affair for Edmondsons.aspx
Posted: 29 Jun 2007 04:57 AM CDT
FORWARD OPERATING BASE MAREZ, Iraq— Many children follow in their parents footsteps, but very rarely do the parents follow their in their children’s footsteps.
VTC brings servicemembers closer to home.aspx
Posted: 29 Jun 2007 04:41 AM CDT
CAMP FALLUJAH, Iraq -- Deployments can put a lot of stress on servicemembers and their families. Sure, they could use the phone, write letters and send e-mails to stay in touch, but nothing can substitute for real-life interaction with their families.
Navy mechanics keep missions rolling at PRT Farah.aspx
Posted: 29 Jun 2007 04:32 AM CDT
FARAH PROVINCE, Afghanistan — The sound of air-power tools, wrenches clanging and engines turning can be heard throughout the makeshift motor pool here.
3 TERRORISTS KILLED, 26 SUSPECTS DETAINED IN COALITION RAIDS
Posted: 29 Jun 2007 05:43 AM CDT
3 TERRORISTS KILLED, 26 SUSPECTS DETAINED IN COALITION RAIDS
CLEARING CONTINUES: DRAGONS INTERDICT IEDS, CAPTURE IRANIAN ROCKET MATERIALS
Posted: 29 Jun 2007 05:28 AM CDT
CLEARING CONTINUES: DRAGONS INTERDICT IEDS, CAPTURE IRANIAN ROCKET MATERIALS
POLICE RECRUITING IN NASIR WA SALAM, ABU GHRAIB A ‘RESOUNDING SUCCESS’
Posted: 29 Jun 2007 05:23 AM CDT
POLICE RECRUITING IN NASIR WA SALAM, ABU GHRAIB A ‘RESOUNDING SUCCESS’
TROOPS NAB CACHES, INSURGENTS IN THREE SEPARATE EAST BAGHDAD OPERATIONS
Posted: 29 Jun 2007 05:09 AM CDT
TROOPS NAB CACHES, INSURGENTS IN THREE SEPARATE EAST BAGHDAD OPERATIONS
NORTH BABIL’S POLICE GRADUATES, READY FOR ERU TRAINING
Posted: 29 Jun 2007 05:04 AM CDT
NORTH BABIL’S POLICE GRADUATES, READY FOR ERU TRAINING
INSURGENTS LAUNCH MORTARS AT EAST BAGHDAD MARKET
Posted: 29 Jun 2007 05:01 AM CDT
INSURGENTS LAUNCH MORTARS AT EAST BAGHDAD MARKET
Allied Airpower 28/07
AIRPOWER SUMMARY FOR JUNE 27
6/28/2007
SOUTHWEST ASIA — Coalition airpower supported Coalition ground forces in Iraq and the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan in the following operations June 27, according to Combined Air and Space Operations Center officials here.
In Afghanistan, a U.S. Air Force A-10 Thunderbolt II performed a show of force expelling multiple flares to make insurgents aware of an air presence above Orgun-E. The Joint Terminal Attack Controller called the show of force successful.
French Air Force Mirage 2000s conducted shows of force over friendly forces in Orgun-E. The pilots also monitored a bunker for possible insurgents.
A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer showed force to protect a disabled vehicle in Khowst. There were no attacks reported after the show of force.
U.S. Air Force F-15E Strike Eagles conducted multiple shows of force with flares over Gereshk and Tarin Kowt to deter enemy activities in these areas. The shows of force were all successful.
Other F-15s searched a compound for insurgent firing positions in Garmsir.
Later in Garmsir, a B-1 destroyed enemy compounds with multiple Guided Bomb Unit-31s and 38s.
A-10s conducted shows of force with multiple flares over Asadabad to stop the enemy from firing on Coalition forces in the area. Other A-10s provided overwatch for convoys in the area.
In Sangin, an A-10 provided a show of force with flares to reassure Coalition forces and deter enemy activity. The show of force was called successful by the JTAC.
In total, 36 close air support missions were flown in support of the International Security Assistance Force and Afghan security forces, reconstruction activities and route patrols.
Ten U.S. Air Force Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Afghanistan. Additionally, two Royal Air Force aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.
In Iraq, a Royal Air Force Tornado GR-4 provided overwatch of a suspected insurgent in Al Amiriyah.
A U.S. Air Force F-16C Fighting Falcon provided a show of force over a rooftop containing suspicious individuals in Samarra. F-16s also watched over an improvised explosive device detonation area and monitored activity along a river in the area.
In Basrah, a B-1 conducted shows of force expelling multiple flares to help friendly forces exit an area where they had come under fire. The shows of force allowed Coalition forces to move out.
In support of Operation Arrowhead Ripper, an F-16 hit a building being used as a weapons cache with GBU-38s and GBU-12s in Baquba. The attacks destroyed the center and south walls of the building.
Following up the first F-16 attack, another F-16 hit the building with a GBU-38 to ensure it was completely destroyed.
Also in Baquba, U.S. Navy F/A-18F Super Hornets monitored the area for suspicious activity. There were no reported attacks while the F-18s were in the area.
F-16s also provided successful shows of force expelling flares over Baghdad.
F-18s also watched over areas in and around Baghdad.
A GR-4 provided a show of force with flares over Baghdad and monitored a mosque possibly being used as a safe house.
In total, Coalition aircraft flew 69 close air support missions for Operation Iraqi Freedom. These missions supported Coalition ground forces, protected key infrastructure, provided overwatch for reconstruction activities and helped to deter and disrupt terrorist activities.
Sixteen Air Force and Navy ISR aircraft flew missions in support of operations in Iraq.
Additionally, five Air Force and Navy fighter aircraft performed tactical reconnaissance.
U.S. Air Force C-130s and C-17s provided intra-theater heavy airlift support, helping to sustain operations throughout Afghanistan, Iraq and the Horn of Africa.
Approximately 158 airlift sorties were flown; 455 tons of cargo was delivered, and approximately 2,322 passengers were transported.
Coalition C-130 crews from Australia, Canada and Iraq flew in support of operations in Afghanistan or Iraq. This included approximately 27,790 pounds of troop re-supply air-dropped in Afghanistan.
On June 26, U.S. Air Force, Royal Air Force, French Air Force aerial refueling crews flew 44 sorties and off-loaded approximately 2.5 million pounds of fuel to 225 receiving aircraft.
For more information or for high-resolution photos, contact U.S. Central Command Air Forces Public Affairs at commercial 011-974-458-9555 then connect to DSN 436-4381/4014/4379 or at afforpa@auab.centaf.af.mil <mailto:AFFORPA@auab.centaf.af.mil>
Thursday, June 28, 2007
God Speak- Lightning
WHEN LIGHTNING STRIKES: VIEWERS REPORT EXPERIENCES AS GOD SPEAKS IN THUNDER
The Bible is alive if we realize that God speaks through the nature around us.
Lightning!
It's that time of year, and when we ran an article recently about a bolt of lightning that struck at a most curious point during a presidential debate (yes, during an answer about abortion), we heard from many of you about your own experiences.
And why not?
It is biblical.
Job 36:30: "Behold, He spreads His lightning about Him."
Job 36:32: "He covers His hands with the lightning, and commands it to strike the mark."
Job 37:3: "Under the whole heaven He lets it loose, and His lightning to the ends of the earth."
It seems that God sends lightning to punctuate, to spur, to warn; can we not take it that way?
He cast Satan down as "lightning" or "like lightning" (Luke 10:18). The devil also seems to use it -- now that he is down here and "prince of the power of the air."
So there is also the whirlwind! But we'll stay with the lightning for now.
"I have no doubt about it being a sign," writes one believer, Jim Hepler. "A few years after I converted to the Faith, in the mid-90's, I was at the Good Friday Afternoon Services at St. Louis Church in Clarksville, Maryland.
"At literally the exact second during the readings that the earthly death of Jesus was proclaimed, lightning struck a power pole to the rear of the Church. The lights went out and due to the proximity of the bolt the entire church shook from the strength and loudness of the thunder.
"Needless to say, there was a collective gasp and all present were awestruck. I will never forget this experience. It would be foolish and imprudent to say this was mere 'coincidence.' Every Good Friday, I personally remember this experience, and it reminds me of what it must have been like to be truly there at Golgotha on the real day, when similar events happened."
"On the subject of lightning, I had an experience with it at the very beginning of my conversion, before I was even admitted to the Catholic Church," writes Craig Adams from Perth, Australia.
"It was at a time when the Holy Spirit was working very powerfully in my life, leading me towards Jesus.
Leaders Wanted MUST have the Following:
We need men that have deep and abiding faith in God right now, not problem solvers, not guys with money and ambition. We need men like a Moses...reluctant leaders, but those chosen by God, and not by man. Men that serve something higher than themselves, or history, or ideology. Men that know good and evil, and do not waver from calling evil for what it is, and standing up to that evil. Men that are not diplomats, but men that speak the truth, and care not one bit if they are popular.
comment from lgf
Reality is rated R
Mingle2 - Online Dating
This rating was determined based on the presence of the following words:
· kill (6x)
· dead (4x)
· gun (3x)
· suicide (2x)
· pain (1x)
http://mingle2.com/blog-rating
More Quizzes & Fun Stuff from Mingle2
· How Addicted to Blogging Are You?
· The Cadaver Calculator - How Much is Your Body Worth?
· The Geek Quiz
· Could You Pass 8th Grade Science?
· How Addicted to Coffee Are You?
· What Are Your Chances of Surviving a Zombie Apocalypse?
· More Quizzes & Fun Stuff
h/t:
http://nzconservative.blogspot.com/
Air Power
B2 bomber - JDAM test
Modern Marvels - B2 Stealth Bomber 1 of 5
B-2 Bomber our 'Grim Reaper'
B-52 Tribute - 50 years of Air Power
Rockwell B-1
Modern Marvels - B2 Stealth Bomber 1 of 5
B-2 Bomber our 'Grim Reaper'
B-52 Tribute - 50 years of Air Power
Rockwell B-1
Peace Kills
Winds of War
Iran is making a mistake that may lead the Middle East into a broader conflict.
BY JOSHUA MURAVCHIK
Monday, June 25, 2007 12:01 a.m. EDT
Several conflicts of various intensities are raging in the Middle East.
But a bigger war, involving more states--Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Iran, the Palestinian Authority and perhaps the United States and others--is growing more likely every day, beckoned by the sense that America and Israel are in retreat and that radical Islam is ascending.
Consider the pell-mell events of recent weeks. Iran imprisons four Americans on absurd charges only weeks after seizing 15 British sailors on the high seas. Iran's Revolutionary Guard is caught delivering weapons to the Taliban and explosives to Iraqi terrorists.
A car bomb in Lebanon is used to assassinate parliament member Walid Eido, killing nine others and wounding 11 more.
At the same time, Fatah al-Islam, a shady group linked to Syria, launches an attack on the Lebanese army from within a Palestinian refugee area, beheading several soldiers.
Tehran trumpets further progress on nuclear enrichment as President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad repeats his call for annihilating Israel, crowing that "the countdown to the destruction of this regime has begun."
Hamas seizes control militarily in Gaza. Katyusha rockets are launched from Lebanon into northern Israel for the first time since the end of last summer's Israel-Hezbollah war.
Two important inferences can be distilled from this list.
One is that the Tehran regime takes its slogan, "death to America," quite seriously, even if we do not. It is arming the Taliban, with which it was at sword's point when the Taliban were in power.
It seems to be supplying explosives not only to Shiite, but also Sunni terrorists in Iraq. It reportedly is sheltering high-level al Qaeda figures despite the Sunni-Shiite divide.
All of these surprising actions are for the sake of bleeding the U.S. However hateful this behavior may be to us, it has a certain strategic logic:
"The enemy of my enemy is my friend."
-
The apparent meaning of all of this pointless provocation and bullying is that the axis of radicals--Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah--is feeling its oats.
-
The apparent meaning of all of this pointless provocation and bullying is that the axis of radicals--Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hezbollah--is feeling its oats.
In part its aim is to intimidate the rest of us, in part it is merely enjoying flexing its muscles. It believes that its side has defeated America in Iraq, and Israel in Gaza and Lebanon.
Mr. Ahmadinejad recently claimed that the West has already begun to "surrender," and he gloated that " final victory . . . is near." It is this bravado that bodes war.
---
Warnings from Gaza
By Newt Gingrich
June 26, 2007
The Hamas victory in Gaza is a warning that World War IV (as Norman Podhoretz has called it) is going to be long and hard. It is also a warning that the West is currently losing that war.
These defeats are not a function of the courage and will of the American people. In a June poll sponsored by American Solutions, 85 percent of the American people said it was important to defend America and its allies. Only 10 percent were opposed.
These defeats are not a function of the courage and will of the American people. In a June poll sponsored by American Solutions, 85 percent of the American people said it was important to defend America and its allies. Only 10 percent were opposed.
On an even stronger question, 75 percent said it was important to defeat America's enemies. Only 16 percent disagreed.
So the hard left in America is only 16 percent. It is outnumbered almost 5-1 by those who would defeat our enemies.
The source of failure is not to be found in the American people but in the inarticulate and unimaginative leaders all across government who now preside instead of lead.
So the hard left in America is only 16 percent. It is outnumbered almost 5-1 by those who would defeat our enemies.
The source of failure is not to be found in the American people but in the inarticulate and unimaginative leaders all across government who now preside instead of lead.
link:
To Secure Peace is To Prepare For War -Metallica
Chimera the Human - Hybrid Embryo
Chimera embryos have right to life, say bishops
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:03am BST 27/06/2007
· Embryonic stem cells explained
By Jonathan Petre, Religion Correspondent
Last Updated: 2:03am BST 27/06/2007
· Embryonic stem cells explained
Human-animal hybrid embryos conceived in the laboratory - so-called “chimeras” - should be regarded as human and their mothers should be allowed to give birth to them, the Roman Catholic Church said yesterday.
Under draft Government legislation to be debated by Parliament later this year, scientists will be given permission for the first time to create such embryos for research as long as they destroy them within two weeks.
But the Catholic bishops of England and Wales, in a submission to the Parliamentary joint committee scrutinising the draft legislation, said that the genetic mothers of “chimeras” should be able to raise them as their own children if they wished.
But the Catholic bishops of England and Wales, in a submission to the Parliamentary joint committee scrutinising the draft legislation, said that the genetic mothers of “chimeras” should be able to raise them as their own children if they wished.
The bishops said that they did not see why these “interspecies” embryos should be treated any differently than others.
The wide-ranging draft Human Tissue and Embryo Bill, which aims to overhaul the laws on fertility treatment, will include sections on test tube babies, embryo research and abortion.
Ministers say that the creation of animal-human embryos - created by injecting animal cells or
DNA into human embryos or human cells into animal eggs - will be heavily regulated.
They insist that it will be against the law to implant “chimeras” - named after the mythical creature that was half man and half animal - into a woman’s womb.
The bishops, who believe that life begins at conception, said that they opposed the creation of any embryo solely for research, but they were also anxious to limit the destruction of such life once it had been brought into existence.
In their submission to the committee, they said: “At the very least, embryos with a preponderance of human genes should be assumed to be embryonic human beings, and should be treated accordingly.
“In particular, it should not be a crime to transfer them, or other human embryos, to the body of the woman providing the ovum, in cases where a human ovum has been used to create them.
“Such a woman is the genetic mother, or partial mother, of the embryo; should she have a change of heart and wish to carry her child to term, she should not be prevented from doing so.”
The draft Bill will also allow the screening of embryos for genetic or chromosomal abnormalities that might lead to serious medical conditions, disabilities, or miscarriage. It will permit doctors to check whether an embryo could provide a suitable tissue match for a sibling suffering from a life-threatening illness.
The draft Bill will also allow the screening of embryos for genetic or chromosomal abnormalities that might lead to serious medical conditions, disabilities, or miscarriage. It will permit doctors to check whether an embryo could provide a suitable tissue match for a sibling suffering from a life-threatening illness.
The Bill would abolish the requirement for fertility clinics to consider the need for a father when deciding on treatment. This means clinics will no longer be able to deny treatment to lesbians and single mothers.
The Catholic bishops said that most of the procedures covered by the Bill “should not be licensed under any circumstances”, principally on the grounds that they violate human rights.
link:
Scarey Stuff!
Digital Angel - just say NO!
God Bless America Against Verichip - Must SEE!!
Operation Lie and Deceive Verichip Style
Seen as mark of the beast by many.
Operation Lie and Deceive Verichip Style
Seen as mark of the beast by many.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Time to side up
Former Muslim to Western journalists: Who's side are you on? . . .
Journalists must acknowledge incompatible differences between Islamic and Western beliefs to effectively facilitate debate between them, [said] Ayaan Hirsi Ali, an advocate for women's rights in Islamic cultures.
Journalists must acknowledge incompatible differences between Islamic and Western beliefs to effectively facilitate debate between them, [said] Ayaan Hirsi Ali, an advocate for women's rights in Islamic cultures.
Speaking at the National Press Club [on June 18], the Somali-born Hirsi Ali said the 21st century began with a battle of ideas "about the values of the West versus those of Islam."
"Journalists face the unpleasant reality of taking sides or getting lost in the incoherence of the so-called middle ground," she said.
"Why are Westerners so insecure about everything that is so wonderful about the West: political freedom, free press, freedom of expression, equal rights . . . . and especially faith?" Hirsi Ali asked.
She said Western journalists appeared hesitant to defend free speech - "the very right from which they earn their bread." . . . .
German TV
Hitler, The Mufti Of Jerusalem And Modern Islamo Nazism
This news report from Bayerischer Rundfunk explains in detail the cooperation between the Nazis and the Muslim Arab leaders during WW2.
This news report from Bayerischer Rundfunk explains in detail the cooperation between the Nazis and the Muslim Arab leaders during WW2.
British Supacat Weapons Kit
The 80mph ‘Mad Max’ monster targeting the Taliban
By CHRISTOPHER LEAKE
23 June 2007
It looks more like a vehicle from one of Mel Gibson’s Mad Max movies.
But this four-ton monster truck is the British Army’s new weapon designed to take on insurgents on the front lines of Iraq and Afghanistan.
British-made, the Supacat Weapons Mounted Installation Kit boasts awesome firepower which will be unleashed early next year. British and other Nato troops are being targeted by roadside bombs and daily firefights.
Infantry soldiers have complained existing Land Rovers provide insufficient protection from the bombers.
Now, the Ministry of Defence is buying 130 of the light-armoured beasts – which can reach a maximum 80mph – and will take delivery of the first early next year.
They will use a grenade machine gun which fires at up to 340 rounds per minute, usually in bursts of three to five rounds, at targets up to a mile away.
The Supacats will also employ a 7.62mm-calibre General Purpose Machine Gun, which fires 750 rounds per minute with a range of nearly a mile.
The vehicles, made at Honiton in Devon, will also have a mounted 0.5in-calibre heavy machine gun, which fires huge rounds more than a mile at a rate of 485 to 635 a minute.
They are powered by a 5.9-litre turbo-diesel engine and will carry three or four crew.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Western Honor
An honor worth defending
By Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Published: June 25, 2007
WASHINGTON:
By Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Published: June 25, 2007
WASHINGTON:
Imagine if a crowd of Englishmen marched in London carrying effigies of Muhammad, peace be upon him, stacks of the Koran, miniatures of the Kaaba in Mecca and Saudi flags. Imagine if they then built a bonfire and hurled the items one at a time into that fire screaming "Long Live the Queen!" each time the flames shot up.
This would be the equivalent of what hardline Muslim students did in the eastern Pakistani city of Multan, to take just one example, when they burned effigies this week of Queen Elizabeth II and Salman Rushdie, chanting "Kill him! Kill him!" in response to his recently bestowed knighthood.
Such raging crowds, of course, rarely appear in the modern West (unless as soccer hooligans). But they have become a common site across the Muslim world every time a pope, some cartoonist or, now, the British queen, step over some line in the sand drawn by the forces of intolerance.
An ever growing number of Muslims worldwide feel that they are engaged in a life-and-death struggle with the West for power, for territory, for limited resources and ideas.
As with all wars, symbols are important. But this is especially true in the Muslim mind which is governed by a rigid code of honor and shame. In this context symbols are not just images, but a matter of life and death. He who stands by and watches as his symbols are trashed has lost his honor.
The honor-and-shame code affects all Muslim societies from top to bottom - family, tribe and the Umma, or the Muslim nation. An insider who breaches this code, which is Salman Rushdie's great "crime," must be put to death. He shamed Muslims in two very serious ways: He left Islam, and he insulted Islam's infallible founder.
The queen, in this view, added insult to injury by honoring him - a slap in the face of 1.5 billion Muslims. In the tribal mindset - and Islam is a tribal religion and political movement combined - if one's icons are destroyed without consequence then one has essentially surrendered.
Westerners have too often shrugged their shoulders at the trashing of their icons - such as when the queen is burned in effigy - by the foot soldiers of tribal barbarism. This perceived weakness makes the foes of the West more ferocious and helps recruit more jihadists.
Instead the West should join together to vigoroulsy defend its symbols and civilization that, with all its flaws, still offers the best life to the most people.
Strident demands for apologies from power holders should be met with stoicism. Not one inch should be given.
Governments like that of Pakistan, which encourage and even stoke the flames, ought to be brought to account instead of coddled.
The United States and Britain ought to demand that Pakistan's religious affairs minister, Mohammed Ijaz ul-Haq, resign for saying, in the Pakistani Parliament:
"The West is accusing Muslims of extremism and terrorism. If someone exploded a bomb on his body he would be right to do so unless the British government apologizes and withdraws the 'sir' title."
With this episode involving Sir Salman, the Nigerian playwright Wole Soyinka is absolutely right: It is a fatal mistake for the West to let the forces of intolerance "define the territory of insult." The West must stand its ground.
By knighting Salman Rushdie, the queen has honored the freedom of conscience and creativity cherished in the West, making her a symbol of the essence of our way of life.
Ayaan Hirsi Ali, a Somali emigrant and former member of the Dutch parliament, is an outspoken defender of women's rights in Islamic societies. Distributed by Tribune Media Services.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/06/25/opinion/edali.php
Monday, June 25, 2007
Eagle 1
Iran Says Zero Chance Of US Attack
Agence France-Presse Jun 25, 2007
Tehran: A top Iranian security official said on Saturday that there was "zero chance" of a US attack on Iran to thwart its nuclear ambitions, the state IRNA news agency reported.
Agence France-Presse Jun 25, 2007
Tehran: A top Iranian security official said on Saturday that there was "zero chance" of a US attack on Iran to thwart its nuclear ambitions, the state IRNA news agency reported.
"There is about zero possibility of a US military attack on Iran," deputy interior minister Mohammad Baqer Zolghadr said.The United States has never ruled out a military option to halt Iran's controversial nuclear drive, which it claims is a cover for efforts to build the atomic bomb.
Iran insists it has a right to uranium enrichment to make nuclear fuel as a signatory of the Non-Proliferation Treaty and says its atomic programme is solely aimed at energy generation.
An Israeli press report said on Friday that the Jewish state's army was in training for long distance missions, after agreeing a timetable with the United States for sanctions against Iran's nuclear programme to work.
Israel, which considers Iran its number one enemy, is believed to be the only nuclear-armed nation in the Middle East although it has always refused to confirm or deny its nuclear capability.
Zolghadr, the former deputy head of Iran's elite ideological army the Revolutionary Guards, said the United States remained the only foreign threat.
"America's arrogant power is the only foreign threat against Iran's national security but Iran's resistance and capability has neutralised all US strategies for a regime change or behaviour change in Iran," he said.
The Islamic republic does not recognise Israel and its hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has drawn international condemnation by saying the Jewish state should be wiped off the map.
h/t:
Non-Muslim Aussies LUV Israel
Ignore this situation at your own peril, Australia.
I support Hezbollah: Aussie cleric
Richard Kerbaj
June 23, 2007
THE nation's most senior Shia Muslim cleric has attacked John Howard for backing Israel against Arabs and openly declared his allegiance to the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah.
Kamal Mousselmani -- head of the Supreme Islamic Shia Council of Australia -- said yesterday his entire community considered Hezbollah a "resistance group", not a terrorist network, and lashed the Howard Government over its support for Israel.
"They (the Australian Government) are encouraging terrorism," the Lebanese-born cleric told The Weekend Australian in an interview conducted in Arabic. "Australia is encouraging Israel to kill our people daily. Write that down, we are not afraid of anyone."
Sheik Mousselmani said all of Australia's approximately 30,000 Shi'ites were avid supporters of Hezbollah (Party of God) and haters of Israel.
"Shia in Australia consider Israel a terrorist organisation and also view those who support Israel in the same light," he said. "That's what we believe.
"If Australia supports Israel, they are defending terrorism. Because we believe terrorists come from Israel -- not from our people -- I support Hezbollah."
Hezbollah's military arm, the External Security Organisation, is a proscribed terrorist organisation in Australia, and supporting Hezbollah's political and military wings is illegal under UN counter-terrorist financing declarations.
Sheik Mousselmani said Hezbollah was responsible for financially assisting and providing food and shelter for victims of the 34-day war in southern Lebanon last year.
The cleric said neither he nor Hezbollah condoned suicide terrorism missions.
"We are against the suicide bombings going on around the world," he said.
"And Hezbollah is against it.
"Our opinion is that Hezbollah is not a terrorist group. We consider Hezbollah a resistance group. Put those words down, we are not afraid to say that."
Sheik Mousselmani's comments come as national security agencies step up their investigation into the Shia community in Australia, which until now has not been as closely monitored as the Sunni Muslims.
The Weekend Australian understands security authorities are monitoring financial transactions between community members and organisations abroad. Sydney's Arncliffe Mosque, the largest Shia place of worship in Australia, and Melbourne's Fawkner Mosque are also understood to be of interest to the authorities.
Sheik Mousselmani confirmed his community sent money to war victims in Lebanon following last year's conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, but said none of the money went to Shia militants. "People send money to their families ... just like Greek people and Chinese people send to their families," he said. "No one from our community sends money directly to Hezbollah.
Hezbollah is not expecting us to send them money. They don't need our money." Asked if his organisation would send money if Hezbollah were to ask for it, he said: "If they need it, that would be an entirely different matter." Sheik Mousselmani said there was no threat of his views radicalising young Shia men in Australia because Hezbollah's ideology was limited to Lebanon.
His community was law-abiding and would staunchly oppose any attack against Australia. "None of our people think this way," said Sheik Mousselmani, rejecting extremism. "We love Australia, we respect Australia, we are part of the multicultural society. We protect Australia and we work for Australia. "But it does not mean we like Israel.
If John Howard wants George Bush and Israel, that's his problem. We've got nothing to do with him." Sheik Mousselmani said Hezbollah did not have a branch in Australia. "Hezbollah is not operating outside of Lebanon," he said.
"Hezbollah is defending Lebanon against Israel. We either back Hezbollah or we back Israel, and Israel is killing our people." He said the Arncliffe Mosque, Al Zahra, in Sydney's inner south, was strictly a place of worship and was never used as a political platform.
The 36-year-old cleric dismissed claims his community received funds from Iran to spread the ideology of religious hardliners in Tehran. He said the Shia community in Australia took its religious orders and advice from Iraq's supreme Islamic leader, Grand Ayatollah Ali Husaini al-Sistani.
"The Shia community has nothing to hide."
from:
--UPDATE
Aussie Muslims unite against Israel
Richard Kerbaj
June 25, 2007
Richard Kerbaj
June 25, 2007
AUSTRALIA'S Sunni Muslims have pushed aside ideological differences with their Shia counterparts to form a united front against Israel and declare their support for the Iranian-backed terrorist network Hezbollah.
The unity among the two Muslim sects, which have been at war with each other for centuries, comes as the nation's Jewish community accuses top Shia spiritual leader Kamal Mousselmani of creating hatred towards Jews by calling Israel a "terrorist" state and expressing his allegiance to Hezbollah militants.
The Howard Government yesterday also accused Sheik Mousselmani of sending the wrong message to his followers through his adverse views on Israel.
Sunni Muslim leader and community spokesman Keysar Trad yesterday said his sect largely championed Sheik Mousselmani's support for Hezbollah (Party of God), which was revealed by The Weekend Australian.
"Sunnis outside of Lebanon, yes, they still have a great deal of respect for Hezbollah," he said.
But Mr Trad, who does not believe the Lebanese-based Hezbollah is a terrorist group, said Sunni Muslims in Lebanon were less inclined to back the terrorist organisation because of political differences with the Shi'ites.
But Mr Trad, who does not believe the Lebanese-based Hezbollah is a terrorist group, said Sunni Muslims in Lebanon were less inclined to back the terrorist organisation because of political differences with the Shi'ites.
"I don't believe that Hezbollah is a terrorist organisation," he said. "I agree with (Mousselmani) that the state of Israel has ... consistently engaged in acts of terror which have brought a great deal of pain to the poor Palestinian population and the Lebanese population."
The new mufti of Australia, Sunni spiritual leader Fehmi Naji el-Imam, last year called Hezbollah militants "freedom fighters" during an anti-war rally in Melbourne. Sheik Fehmi's spokesman said yesterday the cleric could not be reached.
Sunni Muslim spiritual leaders contacted by The Australian, including several who formerly served on John Howard's Islamic advisory council, yesterday refused to put their support for Hezbollah on the record for fear of upsetting the federal Government and jeopardising future community funding.
A senior Sydney-based cleric who refused to be named said "you won't see any Muslim standing with Israel against Hezbollah even if they hate Hezbollah's politics".
The Australia-Israel and Jewish Affairs Council executive director, Colin Rubenstein, said Sheik Mousselmani was an embarrassment to his community whose views brought into sharp focus the Shia extremism on which Hezbollah was founded.
"One would think that the sheik should be telling his followers to obey Australian law rather than being so supportive of such an organisation with such an appalling track record," he said.
Hezbollah's military arm, the External Security Organisation, is a proscribed terrorist organisation in Australia, and supporting Hezbollah's political and military wings is illegal under UN counter-terrorist financing declarations.
Dr Rubenstein said Hezbollah was committed to the destruction of Israel and espoused "genocidal intentions for Jews everywhere".
This follows The Weekend Australian's revelations in which Sheik Mousselmani attacked the Howard Government's support for Israel against Arabs and said Hezbollah was a resistance group, not a terrorist network.
It was also revealed that national security authorities have stepped up their investigations into the nation's Shia community, whose members were not as closely monitored as Sunni Muslims.
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock yesterday said Israel was entitled to exist and the federal Government's foreign policy was against any terrorist group that threatened Israel's sovereignty.
Attorney-General Philip Ruddock yesterday said Israel was entitled to exist and the federal Government's foreign policy was against any terrorist group that threatened Israel's sovereignty.
"Those who threaten its sovereignty do so, in our view, in breach of international law and we've always counselled not only Hezbollah but Hamas and Fatah to recognise the right of Israel to exist," he said.
--UPDATE :
Seven Aussies held in Lebanon
By Martin Chulov and Richard Kerbaj
June 25, 2007 12:00am
Seven Aussies held in Lebanon but not charged
Authorities suspect they have links to terror group
Two arrested after bloody 10-hour siege in Tripoli
SEVEN Australians suspected of involvement with an al-Qaeda-linked terror group have been arrested following raids by the Lebanese army in which 11 people were killed.
Foreign militants were among the dead, including one man who may be Australian. Lebanese authorities were working last night to establish his nationality.
Five of those arrested, among them Sydney accountant Ibrahim Sabouh, were seized during a round-up of foreigners near the northern city of Tripoli last Thursday.
Information believed to have been passed on as a result of that raid led the Lebanese military to an apartment building in the city.
Security sources said that as troops approached on Saturday morning, a militant posing as an ice-cream seller outside the building opened fire with an automatic rifle, sparking a 10-hour siege that ended with six extremists, a soldier, a policeman and three civilians dead. Fourteen people were wounded.
The policeman, his two daughters, aged four and eight, and his father-in-law died after being used as human shields.
Two Australians were captured as they attempted to flee across open fields.
It was reported last night that those arrested were not members of the al-Qaeda-linked terror group Fatah al-Islam, which has been engaged in a brutal insurgency in northern Lebanon for the past month.
But Lebanese authorities confirmed that the seven Australians were being held on suspicion of being members of a terrorist organisation, although no charges had been laid.
The Australian understands that Mr Sabouh, an accountant from Auburn in Sydney's west who migrated to Lebanon with his wife and three children more than a year ago, was arrested during a raid on his Tripoli home.
Sources said the other Australians were arrested in his home.
Mr Sabouh's wife is understood to have contacted relatives in Australia and told them the authorities had not found any weapons or other incriminating material at her home.
Last night, The Australian visited the house in Auburn were Mr Sabouh lived before he left for Lebanon and was told by a man that the family did not wish to comment.
It is believed Mr Sabouh is a follower of the Salafist brand of Islam – a hardline interpretation espoused by the Fatah al-Islam terrorist group which has been fighting to overthrow the Lebanese Government. The group claims the Government is un-Islamic and unrepresentative of the people.
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade yesterday said the reasons for the arrests were still not clear but consular officials from the Australian embassy in Beirut were in contact with the Lebanese security forces and had requested consular access to the arrested men.
Consular officials in Canberra were also assisting the men's families in Australia, a spokesman said.
The arrests follow an announcement last Thursday that the uprising by Fatah al-Islam had been crushed.
Authorities had been battling the insurgency since last month after militants launched attacks on troops on the outskirts of the Nahr al-Barad Palestinian refugee camp in the north of the country.
In a statement issued last night, Lebanese authorities said the policeman and his daughters killed on Saturday were visiting the father-in-law, who lived in the building, when the militants stormed their flat and seized them at the start of the clashes. The militants later killed them.
The army said it had found weapons, ammunition and electronic booby-trap equipment in the apartment. Two floors of the five-storey building were blackened and burned in the fighting. Holes from shells, grenades and bullets punctured its facade. A pool of blood lay on the pavement.
Last week's declaration by Lebanese Defence Minister Elias Murr that Fatah al-Islam had been smashed followed a month of heavy fighting in which more than 60 Lebanese soldiers were killed.
from:
links:::::
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=25986_Australias_Huge_Problem#comments
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/017063.php#comments
http://www.eyeonislam.com/the-hezbollah-charter/
Web ccomment from lgf:
Hizballah is an extension of the Iranian Revolutionary Guards, and also has an extensive terrorist network around the world.
The Shiite Mahdaviat regime of Iran is seeking nuclear weapons in order to wage nuclear jihad and bring about the chaos in the world that they think will bring the 12th imam, the Mahdi, out of the well in Qom where he has been hiding for many centuries, and to establish the Islamist conquest of the world.
Their first effort, after they get nuclear weapons, will be to wipe Israel off the map, as they have already stated (without much veiling of their intentions). After that, they will seek dominance of the oil-rich region -- the Persian/Arab Gulf, making suitable threats. They are also a threat to Europe, and to the Western world in general.
If there is trouble with Iran, count on Sheikh Mousselmani to incite the tens of thousands of Shiites that he says are his flock, to carry out terrorist jihad against the kafir where they live (that is, in Australia).
Even before that happens, Sheikh Mousselmani might become involved in setting up Hizballah jihaditerrorist cells in Australia, or in helping that Hizballah enterprise.
Mousselmani should be regarded as an enemy agent.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
COD4
Call of Duty 4: Modern Warfare Preview
Hilary Goldstein
Hilary Goldstein
Multiplayer Call of Duty multiplayer on the PC received a lot of praise, but Infinity Ward wanted to try something different for COD 4. While the Kill Cam is back, you're no longer just an anonymous soldier running around the online battlefield. Modern Warfare has a Halo-like party system and introduces a new class-based system to the franchise. Before you moan about medics tossing out health packs and engineers fixing fences, know the COD 4 is doing its class system in a unique way.
Each class is defined by three perks. Some of the perks are fairly straightforward. Dead Silence lets you walk without making a sound; GPS Jammer keeps you from showing on radar. But there are also some unique and very interesting perks to compliment the standards. The one that seems certain to pique the interest of many gamers is Last Stand. When you take enough damage that you should be dead, you won't fall to the ground.
Instead, you pull out your pistol and have a full clip to fire before shuffling off this mortal coil (unless someone pops you). You can't keep yourself from dying, but you might be able to take someone with you. Or, you can choose the"coward's way out"by holding down a button and take your own life to deny your opponent a full kill.
Some of the other base classes include Assault, Heavy Gunner, Spec Ops, and Demo.
Link to the rest:
Saturday, June 23, 2007
The Clash
The Clash London Calling Video (re-mastered)
The Clash - Rock The Casbah
The Clash - Should I stay or should I go
The Clash - Rock The Casbah
The Clash - Should I stay or should I go
Straight Talk
"Open Season" - Stuck Mojo
Stuck Mojo Open Season Remix
HERITAGE FOUNDATION: "How Modern Liberals Think"
Stuck Mojo Open Season Remix
HERITAGE FOUNDATION: "How Modern Liberals Think"
Concept car of the year - Aussie FJ
Bold Holden wins top US award
June 22, 2007
Article from: AAP
June 22, 2007
Article from: AAP
HOLDEN'S EFIJY hot rod, a 21st century version of the iconic Australian FJ Holden, has been named the United States concept car of the year.
The award was announced today at a ceremony at the Automotive Hall of Fame in Dearborn, Michigan.
It was picked from a field of 33 concept vehicles and 11 production preview models which debuted during the 2007 North American auto show season.
The EFIJY was created by Holden's Melbourne design team for the 2005 Sydney Motor Show.
The pillarless coupe, finished in Soprana purple, was fitted with a 480KW V8 and included state-of-the-art technology throughout.
Holden designer and project leader Richard Ferlazzo said the car existed purely for automotive entertainment.
"It is particularly gratifying for the car to be recognised in this way in the US which is historically the home of flamboyant automotive design," Mr Ferlazzo said.
"It's nice to know that there is still a place in the concept car arena for a purely expressive design."
GM Holden's director of design Tony Stolfo said the car had been well received wherever it was shown.
"It was a real labour of love from all those involved in its creation and the end result is a testament to their dedication and creativity," he said.
"This award is further recognition of that and a further advertisement for the talent and versatility of the designers we have here at GM Holden."
Friday, June 22, 2007
Robust Aussies
Australians repelled Iranian navy: report
The Australian sailors re-boarded the vessel they had just searched and held off the Iranians until they were choppered off.
June 22, 2007 - 7:14AM
June 22, 2007 - 7:14AM
The Defence Department has confirmed a report Iranian naval forces in the Persian Gulf tried to capture an Australian navy boarding team but were repelled in the face of machine guns and "highly colourful language".
According to the BBC, the incident took place months before Iranian Revolutionary Guards seized 15 British sailors and marines in March., setting off a tense two-week diplomatic stand-off that might have been avoided if Britain had learned from the Australian encounter.
The Britons were captured over a boundary dispute while they were searching a cargo boat.
Quoting a "military source", BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner reports Iranian forces made a concerted attempt to seize a boarding party from the Royal Australian Navy and that the Australians "were having none of it".
Quoting a "military source", BBC security correspondent Frank Gardner reports Iranian forces made a concerted attempt to seize a boarding party from the Royal Australian Navy and that the Australians "were having none of it".
"The BBC has been told the Australians re-boarded the vessel they had just searched," Gardner reports, "aimed their machine guns at the approaching Iranians, and warned them to back off, using what was said to be 'highly colourful language'."
"The Iranians withdrew, and the Australians were reportedly lifted off the ship by one of their own helicopters."
Speaking to the ABC today, Gardner said the Australian encounter was similar to that in which the 15 British were captured.
"What I've been told by several sources, military sources, (is that) there was a similar encounter, in this case between the Royal Australian Navy and Iranian gunboats, some months ago, or at least some months prior to the seizing of the British sailors,'' Gardner told ABC radio.
"The Australians escaped capture by climbing back on board the ship they'd just searched. I'm told that they set up their weapons.
"No shots were exchanged but the Iranians backed off and the Australians were able to get helicoptered off that ship and they didn't get captured.''
He did not mention the name of the Australian ship. Australians ships rotate through duties in the Gulf, chiefly searching ships.
"What I'm hearing is that it was a pretty robust attitude by the Australians,'' Gardner told the ABC.
"The words that somebody said to me was that they used pretty colourful language but I'm sure that alone didn't make the Iranians back off.
"They reacted, I'm told, incredibly quickly, whereas the Brits were caught at their most vulnerable moment, climbing down off the ship (and) getting into their boats.''
Gardner said the British should be embarrassed about the incident but the issue was whether military intelligence had been passed on.
"The point of this story is not that the Aussies were fantastically brave and the Brits were a bunch of cowards, although I'm sure some people will interpret (it that way),'' he said.
"Lessons should have been drawn from what happened to the Australian crew.''
Prime Minister John Howard told the ABC this morning that he could not confirm that an Iranian party had attempted to board an Australian vessel but knew of similar incidents taking place in the past.
"I can't tell you anything about that particular report. In the past incidents like this have occurred. There is a lot of disputed territory in this area," Mr Howard said.
"What the Australians are doing in this area is very dangerous work. I can't, however, confirm this particular report,"
theage.com.au, with AAP
Related links from:
SMH:
LGF:
JihadWatch:
From BC to BCE
A conservative's answer to Wikipedia
Andy Schlafly was appalled. He was teaching a history class to home-schooled teens and one student had just turned in an assignment that dated events as "BCE," before the common era - rather than "BC," before Christ.
"Where did that come from?" he demanded.
Her answer: "Wikipedia."
At that, Schlafly knew he had to act.
Andy Schlafly was appalled. He was teaching a history class to home-schooled teens and one student had just turned in an assignment that dated events as "BCE," before the common era - rather than "BC," before Christ.
"Where did that come from?" he demanded.
Her answer: "Wikipedia."
At that, Schlafly knew he had to act.
A nice looking ship - F101
The Spanish Navy 100 Class Frigate ALVARO DE BAZAN (F101)
A web comment:
Definitely looks like a good coastal defence ship, pretty good range, and speed. Good air defence missiles, and good anti-ship missiles. Definitely a ship to be reckoned with, also it looks like a stealth ship, I wonder if it has some limited steath capabilites?