Almost every other week some new intelligence analyst or defenise minister comes out with a new number on how many terrorists are operating in either the world or just Iraq. This week is no exception to the rule.

CAIRO, Egypt - As many as 30,000 well-trained terrorists are actively operating throughout Iraq at the behest of former regime leaders based in Syria, Iraq's intelligence chief said in Wednesday edition of a pan-Arab newspaper.

Maj. Gen. Mohammed Abdullah al-Shahwani told the daily newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that the men, who are well-organized and trained, include former Baath party members, Islamic militant groups and unemployed former army members.

"We officially call them terrorists," he told the London-based newspaper. "They are between 20,000 and 30,000 armed men operating all over Iraq, mainly in the Sunni areas where they receive moral support from about 200,000 people."

There was a report yesterday (I cannot find it now) that concluded terrorists outnumbered Coallition soldiers in Iraq. So just how many terrorists are inside of Iraq?

Frankly, who cares. The more emboldened the terrorists get the better chance they will meet their 72 virgins that much faster. The Coallition forces are literally wiping out the terrorists that have the 'marbles' to fight instead of the now-famous hit and run tactics they have been using on a more steady basis.

This is part of the reason why terrorists have increased targeting of Iraqis and Iraqi government leaders. They know the Iraqis at this time cannot defend themselves. Terrorists are in a struggle against the clock to derail the elections and they do not look like they will stop at anything.

The United States announced today they will have 35,000 soldiers (via Outside the Beltway) patrolling the streets of Baghdad on January 30. In a message to those terrorists who will try to derail the elections, Major General Peter Chiarelli said the following:

"We will find you, we will watch where you move, we will listen to you speaking to each other, we will fight and we will defeat you," he warned. "You cannot sleep, eat, move or meet without the clear understanding that you may be killed or captured at any moment. Cease your operations now and you will be choosing to live."

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Reuters

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait said on Wednesday two soldiers would stand trial in a military court on charges of plotting attacks against U.S. forces in the pro-Western Gulf Arab state.

Army Chief of Staff Yousef Abdelrazzak al-Mulla told state news agency KUNA that the two soldiers had been charged while an unspecified number of other detained military personnel were released after it was proved they had no links in a plot to attack "coalition forces."

"The two accused soldiers will be transferred to military courts to continue the legal procedures," Mulla said, without identifying the soldiers.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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Will the Muslim leaders in Indonesia reject the aid given by the United States?

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- AFP

BAGHDAD (AFP) - A member of Iraq's main Sunni Muslim party was kidnapped and later killed in Mosul, the party said in a statement.

"Yesterday Omar Mahmoud Abdullah, a senior leader in the Iraqi Islamic Party was kidnapped from his pharmacy and hours later was killed," it said Wednesday.

Another party official said Abdullah's bullet-riddled body was found seven hours after he was kidnapped dumped in the Al-Wihda neighbourhood on the eastern side of the city.

The party, which had recently announced its withdrawal from January's legislative elections, has also cast doubt over the legitimacy of the whole process.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- AFP

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq's Prime Minister Iyad Allawi insisted that holding elections on time on January 30 was crucial to defeating the insurgency and quelling the unrelenting violence.

"The violence, terrorists and the outlaws will not be allowed to stop the political process and destroy the country," he told reporters in Baghdad.

"The Iraqi government and myself personally urge Iraqis to vote and participate in the political process," he said Wednesday.

Terrorist groups inside of Iraq will presumably change their course of action of targeting Iraqi government and Iraqi personnel to U.S. and Coallition targets. They will spread propoganda that the U.S. rigged the election and that it is invalid. Some outside governments will do the same aiding the terrorists whether that is intentional or not.

Having the elections on January 30 as promised is needed, however it is not the fix all that Allawi believes it will be. More problems will arise due to number of terrorists operating inside of Iraq. I hope I'm wrong, but only time will tell.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- World Net Daily

Two Israeli Defense Force soldiers are feared kidnapped by Fatah, the terror organization likely to prevail in the upcoming Palestinian elections, an IDF source told WorldNetDaily.

Fatah claimed to the IDF to have abducted the soldiers hours ago from Maale Adumim, a large West Bank Israeli settlement about 8 miles north of Jerusalem that borders several Arab villages. They made the same claim on official Palestinian radio. Within minutes of the reported abduction, the IDF called all soldiers to determine their whereabouts and placed reserves on high alert, warning of intelligence indicating possible further abductions, the source said.

Check points in the West Bank and Gaza were immediately tightened, and army commanders just ended a meeting where it was decided if the abductions are confirmed, the IDF will enter Palestinian villages.

"The army is hoping it doesn't have to go into Palestinian areas because it will disrupt the elections next week," said the source.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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Ed. It should be noted that the Asia Times Online has had a tendency in the past to exagerate and prefers the extraordinary in reporting news.

There is an interesting article that appears in the Asia Times Online that is a must-read for those interested in terrorism, Al Qaeda specifically. It discusses the transgression of the terrorist group to a certain extent, however it addresses many topics that are not exactly known to the public including but not limited to:

By the time the Taliban had emerged as a force in Afghanistan in the mid-1990s, the Egyptian camp had settled on its strategies, the most important being:

To speak out against corrupt and despotic Muslim governments and make them targets, as this would destroy their image in the eyes of the common people, who interrelate state, rulers and nation.

Focus on the US role, which is to support Israel and tyrant Middle Eastern countries, and make everyone understand this.

The article also goes into depth as to why Al Qaeda is now targeting Arab regimes, however based upon several transcripts of communiques and tapes, both audio and video, I'm not sure the real reason is retribution against actions supporting the United States as the article suggests.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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In an update to the continued rumor concerning the arrest of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (Abo Mossab Zarqawi depending on which spelling you choose to use), an Iraqi blogger notes the news stems from Kurdish sources inside of Iraq (via Hyscience).

Again there are strong indications from the Kurdish sources about the news of the arrest of Abo-Mosaab Al-Zarqawi in Baqoba. Whether or not this terrorist was arrested and awaiting the DNA analysis we will get it live as soon as we know more.

We have to mention that the same Kurdish sources were the first to announce the arrest of Saddam and his deputy even before the US forces did so.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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If Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was in fact arrested, what could this mean in terms of the future GWOT?

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- BBC

Some 70,000 people received weapons training and religious instruction in al-Qaeda camps, German police says.

The claim came at the retrial of Mounir al-Motassadek, a Moroccan man accused of involvement in the 9/11 attacks, which were partly planned in Germany.

A German police officer told the court recruits at the camps were taught they had a duty to kill US citizens.

For the sake of argument, let's assume the 70,000 figure is accurate. Osama Bin Laden would have to be able to effectively communicate with heads of various cell leaders in order for the terrorist group to operate. We have learned Al Qaeda in the past has communicated via email extensively, though reports now indicate the majority of communications are being made via couriers. How many of these 70,000 terrorists are just couriers?

I do make the presumption that Al Qaeda has trained couriers, communications experts, hackers, etc. in the art of warfare based upon a key part of the training camps being indoctrinating jihadists with the ideology. The training camps do not just teach bomb making and marksmanship, they teach those willing to participate who their enemy is and why their enemy threatens Islam.

We do know this based upon the outreach program that has reached Europe, where hundreds of terrorists are attending mosques and learning the ways of jihad. The operational methods of Al Qaeda are most likely similar to that of the military of most nations. There are grunts, leaders, engineers, etc., but they are all trained with at least the basic combat tactical methods.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen assassinated the governor of the Iraqi province that includes Baghdad, Ali al-Haidari, on Tuesday, police officials said.

Al-Haidari was shot dead while in his car in Baghdad's northern neighborhood of Hurriyah, said the police officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He was a target of another assassination attempt last year.

The officials said al-Haidari left his house in the western al-Jama'a neighborhood and when he arrived in al-Hurriyah gunmen riddled his car with bullets. He died instantly, they said.

Update Al Qaeda in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the assassination on al-Haidari and has released a video. The video may be downloaded at Terrorist Media (registration required).

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi simply smiled during the live television show when a man called to praise terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The Iraqi leader then moved on, offering to find information about a woman's detained son and see why a student didn't get into the graduate program of his choice.

The surprisingly frank hour-long call-in program, "The Iraqi Podium," is a rarity for the region, giving Iraqis the chance to pepper Allawi with questions, from the mundane to the serious. Judging by the show's popularity, Iraqis are taking advantage.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Associated Press

BEIRUT, Lebanon - A videotape found in Baghdad after the ouster of Saddam Hussein shows a former manager for Al-Jazeera television thanking one of Saddam's sons for his support, the newspaper Asharq al-Awsat says.

The London-based Arabic paper, which has ties to an Al-Jazeera rival and has been feuding with the channel, said Sunday that the tape is dated March 13, 2000, and shows former Al-Jazeera manager Mohammed Jassem al-Ali telling Odai Saddam Hussein that "Al-Jazeera is your channel."

Odai reportedly says "some ideas" he proposed in previous meetings led to "some changes" in Al-Jazeera's political coverage, including new program hosts.

Al-Jazeera fired al-Ali shortly after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. No reason was given, but many in the Arab press speculated al-Ali had been receiving support from Saddam's government.

Even though someone who was pressured by the Hussein Regime to change formats and/or stories, it almost seems as if Al Jazeera is still working for Saddam and the Baathist Party. There has yet to be any kind of special on Al Jazeera concerning Democracy in Iraq or the upcoming elections that has not painted either in less than grim terms.

Political "pundits" in the Middle East describe Democracy as a tool used by the West and fail to give Democracy any merit on how it could and should improve the daily lives of Iraqis. The few commentators on Al Jazeera that have mentioned the positives of Democracy have neither re-appeared on Al Jazeera and were silenced out by critics of Democracy.

Have things really changed?

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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UPDATE: This is an archive page. For the latest information on terrorist communiques and videos, please go to the MAIN PAGE here.
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- AFP (via California Yankee by way of The Command Post)

DUBAI (AFP) - The Islamic Army in Iraq, one of the main armed groups fighting US forces in the war-torn country, has threatened to carry out attacks inside the United States, according to a statement posted on a website.

This year "will bring woes on America. The mujahedeen (holy warriors) have prepared big surprises for your sons outside America and a big surprise for you inside America," said the statement whose authenticity could not be confirmed.

The statement appeared to mark a disturbing shift in strategy by the shadowy Sunni Muslim group which has claimed a number of attacks and killings of hostages in Iraq, including an Italian journalist and two Pakistanis.

While the well-known terrorist groups in Iraq (Al Qaida in Iraq and Ansar al-Sunna) get almost daily press coverage, the Islamic Army of Iraq has not recieved the attention it craves. In order for a terrorist group to be effective, they must recieve attention for their demands. After all, terrorist groups operate on a fear-based system and many Americans have never heard of them.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- BBC

President George W Bush and two of his predecessors, Bill Clinton and George Bush Senior, have called on Americans to aid the Asian tsunami's victims.

The three men appeared together in the Roosevelt Room at the White House to issue a joint appeal to private citizens and businesses.

The appeals by both Bush 41 and Clinton are geared more towards businesses and wealthy individuals to donate to the Red Cross, which in turn is directly aiding tsunami victims.

I must caution my readers there are fake charities already in place and they have already accepted "donations." The American Red Cross of course is reputable and I would strongly urge my readers to only donate to organizations that have a history of humanitarian aid.

Captain's Quarters is putting together a blogger coallition of sorts to donate money directly to the victims as well. Ed Morrisey has marked January 12 as World Relief Day and asks for donations to be given on and prior to January 12 to World Vision.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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As I like to report good news from smaller nations directly effecting the GWOT, it is a pleasure to post on Pakistan sending out aid packages and military equipment to the tsunami ravages areas of SE Asia.

ISLAMABAD, January 03 (Online): Pakistan stepping up its efforts to provide disaster relief assistance to the countries hit by earthquake and tsunami in South and Southeast Asia would send seven military planes to Indonesia and two naval ships to Sri Lanka today.

Six to seven sorties of two C-130 aircraft are being sent to Indonesia from Monday to deploy one composite engineering task force and one field hospital.

Two Naval ships carrying helicopters together with a Marine Expeditionary force as well as doctors, paramedics, medical supplies, relief goods and foodstuff to Sri Lanka would be dispatched on Monday as well.

The State Bank of Pakistan has also announced that all of its branches as well as the branches of National Bank, Habib Bank, United bank, Muslim Commercial Bank and Allied Bank will receive donations to the President Relief Fund for Tsunami victims. Donations and contributions from foreign countries, will be received at Pakistan Missions.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- The Scotsman (via Hyscience)

The suicide bomber who killed 22 people when he blew himself up in a US army mess tent the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, was a Saudi medical student, an Arab newspaper reported today.

Saudi-owned Asharq Al-Awsat identified him as 20-year-old Ahmed Said Ahmed al-Ghamdi, citing friends of the manÂ’s father.

The friends said members of an Iraqi resistance group contacted al-GhamdiÂ’s father to tell him his son was the suicide bomber who carried out the December 21 attack, the deadliest on an American installation in Iraq.

US officials have said their investigation indicates the bomber was dressed in an Iraqi military uniform – but was not an Iraqi soldier – when he slipped into a mess tent packed with soldiers eating lunch in northern Iraq.

The father refused to discuss the suicide bombing, but told the newspaper his son had gone to Iraq to fight the Americans and had died there.

For background information on the mess hall suicide bombing, click here for the initial news, here for an update and here for the communique relased by Ansar al-Sunna.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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I'm a little late on linking to this, however better late than never. Jane at Armies of Liberation has written a great post on how she feels Osama Bin Laden is becomming a catalyst for Democracy, whether that is his intention or not. It is clearly a must-read and I urge all readers to go over and take a gander.

While you're thinking Democracy, Middle East and Iraq, read Arthur Chrenkoff's latest Good News from Iraq for the stories the MSM feels are not as newsworthy as the failures inside of Iraq. Chrenkoff continues to do amazing work in the area of sheding light on stories no one hears about.

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- Associated Press

DAMASCUS, Syria - Iraqi expatriates in Syria will have the opportunity to vote in this month's Iraqi elections under an agreement signed Sunday between the Syrian government and the Geneva-based International Organization for Migration.

More than 250,000 Iraqis are believed to be living in Syria. Many of them fled here to escape worsening security conditions since the onset of the U.S.-led war that ousted former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein last year.

The agreement says Iraqis wishing to cast their votes in Syria must prove their eligibility and register at a Damascus election center from Jan. 17 to 23. Polling will take place over three days, from Jan. 28 to 30.

Syria is controlled by the Baathist Party, very similar if not identical to the Baathist Party that used to run Iraq under Saddam Hussein. While the Syrian government is not as oppressive as Hussein's government, there are many similarties between the two. Hussein held elections in 1996 where he recieved 99 percent of the popular vote. Will the Baathists in Syria operate the Iraqi polling places in much the same way?

Syria is also housing Saddam loyalists who are working with terrorists entering Iraq. You might have heard of some of the terrorists the loyalists are working with. They include those who strap bombs to their waist and shout out Allah Akhbar before detonating their explosives belt in a crowded group of Iraqis. Why would the international community want these types of people to vote in an election that could help bring freedom to millions accross the region?

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Washington Post (via Hyscience)

Smith is part of an effort to track down 370,000 "absconders" -- illegal immigrants who have disobeyed orders to leave the country. As part of a get-tough approach after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, the Homeland Security Department has deployed 18 fugitive squads to catch these immigrants, including a team in Maryland.

[snip]

At the top of the list were 6,000 absconders from Muslim and Middle Eastern countries, officials announced.

But by early 2003, authorities had resolved only 38 percent of those cases, either by detaining the immigrants or by confirming that they had left the country or gotten legal status, according to the 9/11 Commission. In a report on terrorist travel, the commission concluded: "It is very difficult to find alien absconders without extraordinary effort or pure luck."

Our lax border policy, which is borderline attrocious under President Bush, is a primary concern of mine since numerous reports of people of Middle Eastern descent have crossed our pourus border with Mexico. Our Border Patrol is both undermanned and tied up with full jails and restrictions upon apprehending illegals crossing for them to do anything.

When the Intelligence Bill passed in December, the crisis of immigration was put off until 2005 with a promise to re-visit the topic to put the best policy in place. While the passing of the Intelligence Bill by Congress was neeeded, there is a further need to actively enforce our immigration policy and patrol our borders with more than unmanned drones and stationary Border Patrol Agents.

Digger's Realm has led the blogger front in combating immigration issues with more ferver than anyone else concerning this topic. While he has written too many posts to link to, check out his archives and you will see illegal immigration is a threat to our national security.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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