- MEMRI

"Secret European military intelligence reports indicate the transformation of the American humanitarian mission in Iraq into a profitable trade in the American markets through the practice of American physicians extracting human organs from the dead and wounded, before they are put to death, for sale to medical centers in America. A secret team of American physicians follow the troops during their attacks on Iraqi armed men to ensure quick [medical] operations for extracting some organs and transferring them to private operations rooms before they are transferred to America for sale.

"The reports confirm the finding of tens of mutilated cadavers or cadavers missing parts. Some were found without a head. The American military command could not offer reasons to explain the bewilderment about the missing parts, suggesting that this may have been caused by the penetration of bullets to the [missing] parts. But these excuses cannot be medically accepted. The reports also confirmed that the burning of bodies was deliberate in order to conceal the crime of organ extraction. [The reports] further indicate that American medical teams have [made] active and suspicious moves in Iraq to recruit some Iraqis to guide them to dead and critically injured individuals to engage in the extraction of organs. These teams offer $40 for every usable kidney and $25 for an eye. The reports confirm the finding of mutilated bodies in Fallujah. The reports indicate that the cadavers are immunized inside special cars to prevent the spread of the plague until the bodies are buried by their relatives.

I fully understand the need for a nation to demonize the enemy and of course this is nothing new. It happens on both sides of a war. During the Cold War for instance similar theories were written to demonize the United States.

My only question is this. Can't those who are trying to demonize the United States be a bit more realistic than this?

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Associated Press

CAIRO, Egypt - A posting on an Islamic Web site Friday made a rare admission of significant casualties among insurgents fighting U.S. forces in Iraq, saying 24 guerrillas, most of them non-Iraqi Arabs, were killed in battles in Fallujah the day before.

The posting on a site known as a clearinghouse for militant Muslim statements said three hours of fighting in Fallujah on Thursday resulted in the "martyrdom" of 24 fighters from different Islamic factions, 19 of them from Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, Bahrain, Egypt, Syria and Jordan. The rest were said to be Iraqis.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Reuters

MOSUL, Iraq (Reuters) - Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld paid U.S. troops in Iraq a surprise Christmas Eve visit after weeks of controversy over his handling of the war and perceived lack of sensitivity to U.S. forces and their families.

Rumsfeld's helicopter tour of Iraq on Friday took him to some of the country's most volatile cities -- Mosul, scene of this week's suicide attack on a U.S. military mess hall; Tikrit, ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein's hometown; and Falluja, where U.S. troops battled Iraqi insurgents last month.

His last stop was in Baghdad where he met Iraqi President Ghazi Yawar in the heavily fortified Green Zone before heading to a hospital to visit wounded troops.

In Mosul Rumsfeld visited staff and patients at the 67th Combat Surgical Hospital, which dealt with the casualties from the attack on Tuesday that killed 18 Americans, the deadliest such attack since the war in Iraq began in March 2003.

President Bush also called members of our armed forces to wish them a Merry Christmas. I guess someone refered to as a warmongering chimp also has a heart.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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About a week ago, MSNBC reported that former Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Tariq Aziz is "ready to name names" and implicate Saddam Hussein in murder. Also reported was that he appeared "frail in orange prison garb and plastic handcuffs."

Today, a report from Xinhua states that Aziz "is unwilling to testify against Saddam Hussein at a future war crimes trial." And, according to his lawyer, Badi Aref Izzat, Aziz is in "good heath [sic] and spirits."

Any questions?

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

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- Associated Press

"We, Al-Qaida in Iraq, declare that we are not responsible for the explosions and operations in Karbala and Najaf and we tell anyone who supports Americans and joins them in their atheism and criminality that we will continue our jihad against you by all means," it said in a statement posted on the Internet.

The denial came a day after the arrest in Karbala of six suspects, including a citizen of a former Soviet republic, on suspicion of involvement in the attacks. Police spokesman Rahman Meshaway said Thursday that the unidentified foreigner had admitted getting training from al-Qaida in a European country.

The six suspects that were arrested yesterday indicates an argument I've made before regarding jihadists training and being indoctrinated in Europe. As many of my readers know, these European jihadists travel to Syria where they are outfitted for terrorist activity and sent into Iraq. It is a disturbing cylce of events that we seem not to be able to handle. Then again, a little help from some of our European "allies" certainly could help curb the growing radical Islamic front in Europe.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The suicide bomber believed to have carried out this week's devastating attack on a U.S. military dining tent, killing more than 20 people, was probably wearing an Iraqi military uniform, a U.S. general said Thursday.

Even though it has not been confirmed the suicide bomber was wearing an Iraqi military uniform, for the sake of argument let's assume it has been confirmed. Naturally the question remains is how did a terrorist get an Iraqi military uniform.

The suicide bomber, according to the Ansar al-Sunnah website, worked at the base since October therefore he would have had access to whatever uniforms were left behind. His exact position within in the base however is not known so he very well could have been an Iraqi soldier, though no reports indicate this is the case.

Ansar al-Sunnah has systematically attacked Iraqi soldiers in several terrorist attacks. I have not found any reports indicating any clothing was taken from soldiers before they were executed, however based upon terrorists snatching up identification and other personal items of their victims this can be a reasonable explanation.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Times Online

IRAQ has confronted Syria with evidence indicating that senior Syrian officials have been assisting the Iraqi insurgency, it emerged yesterday.

The evidence includes photographs of Syrian officials taken from Iraqi fighters captured during the offensive against Fallujah last month.

US Marines in Fallujah also found a hand-held global-positioning system receiver with waypoints originating in western Syria and the names of four Syrians in a list of 27 foreign fighters contained in a ledger.

Hassan Allawi, Iraq’s newly appointed Ambassador to Syria, told The Times in Damascus: “Prime Minister Iyad Allawi wrote a letter to the Syrians saying he had the pictures but was not going to release them despite being under pressure from the Americans to do so.”

Mr Allawi said the photographs were found in the possession of Moayed Ahmed Yasseen, also known as Abu Ahmed, leader of the Jaish Muhammad group composed of former Baathist intelligence personnel. One picture showed Mr Yasseen standing beside a senior Syrian official, he said. Mr Yasseen was arrested in Fallujah in mid-November.

Syrian government officials fear Democracy inside of the Middle East and Iraq specifically because the idea alone has caused protests by the citizens of Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Iran already. Syria remains the one bordering country of Iraq where the people have not had a protest in favor of Democracy, though part of this could be the massive suppression by the Syrian government.

Syria has been, and still is, a thorn in the side of the United States, the Iraqi people and the entire civilized world through funding, supporting, indoctrinating and arming terrorists hell-bent on forming a radical Islamic state of Iraq. Before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, there were 18 trucks seen by satellite crossing the border from Iraq to Syria which allegedly carried any remaining WMD stockpiles left in Iraq. Of course the content of those trucks is in question, however the Syrian support of the terrorist acts in Iraq cannot be questioned.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Time

Michael Scheuer, an al-Qaeda analyst who recently retired from the CIA and once headed its bin Laden unit, tells TIME he believes that in their series of recent messages and tapes, bin Laden and al-Zawahiri have been subtly addressing criticism from some Muslim clerics that the Sept. 11 attacks violated Islamic edicts against surprise attacks. "The Prophet's guidance," says Scheuer, "was always, Before you attack someone, warn them very clearly and offer them a chance to convert to Islam." He contends that bin Laden, by making his warnings very explicit, has "done everything that's required" so that, in his mind, "the criticisms he got after 9/11 won't be valid this time around." Adds Scheuer: "I think what he's done is clearly set the stage for a large attack."

Scheuer says he was particularly alarmed by the video of al-Zawahiri, aired Nov. 29 on the Arabic TV network al-Jazeera, in which he offered a "final piece of advice for America ... You must choose between two ways of behaving toward Muslims: either you deal with them on the basis of respect and mutual interest or you treat them as easy prey." Scheuer says, "What bothered me is he said this is the 'final' time we're going to raise this. I had not seen them ever before say, This is the end of this discussion we're having with you." If al-Zawahiri intended his message to be a last warning to the U.S., bin Laden's latest could be seen as a corollary shift in focus toward the Muslim world.

The demeanor of all three was one of a diplomat rather than a terrorist. In all three tapes, I noted how both Bin Laden and Al-Zawahri were changing tactics from terrorists to diplomats in an effort to gain support not only in the Middle East, but the media and the rest of the world as well. What I had not done is piece together their appeals to the world with the post-9/11 reaction from Islamic clerics criticizing the attack.

In hindsight though, I do distinctly remember several Islamic clerics and nations condemning the attack because there was no warning, but only a few that condemned the attack period. In fact, Bin Laden's "personal" cleric condemned the attack based upon no warning or reaching out towards America.

Schuer, the author of 'Anonymous,' does have some credibility issues however he still remains probably the most knowledgable person in the intelligence community when it comes to Bin Laden. Whether or not his analysis concerning a future attack is correct, only time will tell. According to Schuer on a 60 Minutes interview, Bin Laden has been given clearence to launch a nuclear attack on U.S. cities. The question remains though whether or not Al Qaeda has either the weaponry or the ability to do so.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Sify

New Delhi: The government has notified 32 prominent organisations/groups as terrorist organisations operating mainly in Jammu and Kashmir, North-East and Naxal-affected states, Rajya Sabha was informed on Wednesday.

A number of terrorist groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir and North-East had their hideouts in neighbouring countries, Minister of State for Home Affairs Sri Prakash Jaiswal said in a written reply.

[snip]

Hizbul Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Toiba, Jaish-e-Mohammad, Harkat-ul Mujahideen, Harkatul-Jejad-e-Islami, Jamiat-ul- Mujahideen, Jammua and Kashmir Islamic Front, Al-Badr, Tehrik-e-Mujahideen and Al Umar are prominent militant groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir.

The United Liberation Front of Assam, All Tripura Tiger Force, National Democratic Front Bodoland and the People's Liberation Army are operating in the North-East region and are reportedly receiving funds from foreign countries.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Novinite

The Islamic Jihad movement said Tuesday the United States had forced its Web site host to close down Jihad Web sites. A statement sent to UPI by the Jihad media office in Gaza said the Ukrainian host had been forced by the US Defense Department to shut them down "to keep the Palestinian voice silent."The statement said the Ukrainian host had sent apologies saying it had been pressured by the United States.

Internet Haganah though reports the site was not taken down by the U.S. government, rather "'Al Haganah' type activity."

Perhaps the thing that has bugged me the most is the inability, or refusal more appropriately, of the United States to shut down these sites. Most terrorist websites are housed by U.S. hosting companies. There is the intelligence factor, and one would have to assume the CIA is actively pursuing the names and locations of those who both frequent and post on these sites, however the effect of a terrorist website on those that are easily swayed is the main reason why all of them need to be taken down.

There have been terrorist sites taken down permanently before, but when a small fraction is removed an even larger group opens up. Terrorists also hide their sites on the servers of unknowing participants.

In an effort to keep any willing participants who like to cause trouble with terrorists, specifically their sites, I will re-post a couple of email addresses of the Islamic Army of Iraq.

enas2009@hotmail.com Webmaster of the site
iaiiraq-subscribe@yahoogroups.com Permission email to be included in the "peaceful" Yahoo Group

Editor's Note: I do not condone hacking or spamming of email addresses. I only present the facts and let the readers decide what to do. Please act responsibly.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- CNN

WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) -- Islamic extremists with links to international terror groups are believed to be using New Zealand as a safe haven, the nation's top spy agency has warned.

Security Intelligence Service Director Richard Woods said in his annual report to Parliament that "increased vigilance and effort" was needed to ensure the country was neither the victim nor source of international terrorism.

"From the service's own investigations we assess that there are individuals in, or from, New Zealand who support Islamic extremist causes," Woods wrote.

The developments "indicate attempts to use New Zealand as a safe haven from which activities of security concern elsewhere can be facilitated and/or the involvement of people from New Zealand in such activities."

There have been various rumors as to where the next Afghanistan will be. Some say Bangledesh is the next Afghanistan based upon a growing Muslim population and poverty. Sure, New Zeland will probably never be close to Afghanistan in terms of supporting terrorism, however the alarm given by New Zeland's intelligence official raises a few eyebrows as to why this type of statement was made unless there is a viable threat.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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From MediaGuardian.co.uk comes the report (Free reg.) that the Lebanese al-Manar satellite television channel and broadcast station has been placed on the list of terrorist organizations by the U.S. Produced by Hezbullah, the station regularly broadcasts anti-Israel and anti-Semitic programs filled with hate propaganda. As an example, the station recently accused Israel of spreading AIDS to Arab populations throughout Africa.

The French-based media group, Reporters Sans Frontieres (Reporters Without Borders), has condemned the U.S. actions by stating that al-Manar doesn't broadcast terrorist propaganda all the time, sometimes they do news reporting. Understandably, the U.S. doesn't buy the 'part-time terrorist' argument and cut al-Manar's satellite feed to America and said that anyone with links to the station would be expelled from or refused a visa to enter the country.

My take is that it's about time. The terrorist organizations use the willful media as strategic weapons to incite hatred, recruit fanatics, and sway public opinion. Any prudent war planning would consider the terrorist media as targets. Al-Manar should be happy that it's only had the plug pulled.

Companion post at Interested-Participant.

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International Terror Consultant Evan F. Kohlmann of Global Terror Alert has released the communique given by the Ansar al-Sunnah Army claiming responsibility for the attack on the United States mess hall in Mosul. As I had questioned, as had Hyscience, the wording the Army of al-Sunnah regarding "martyrdom" raised a few eyebrows and questioned the initial reports.

Kohlmann too noticed this. The area in question of the communique reads as follows, translated by Evan F. Kohlmann:

Allah has aided the mujahideen who fight the enemies of Allah - the occupiers and the apostate - in causing a massacre among the crusade Americans. One of the mujahideen of the Ansar al-Sunnah Army carried out a martyrdom operation at 12 noon on Tuesday, December 21, 2004 at a restaurant belonging to the infidel occupation forces in the Al-Ghazlani camp in Mosul. Two medivac helicopters were seen carrying away the bodies of the dead and wounded. This heroic operation was videotaped and will be shown later, if Allah wills it.

Terrorists have long grabbed up credentials of Iraqi officials with clearence into U.S. bases either through killing the officials and grabbing them or stealing them. Is it completely plausible that the suicide bomber gained access to the base in this type of fashion.

You can read the entire communique here, again courtesy of Global Terror Alert.

Update:
- ABC News (via Wizbang)

Dec. 22, 2004 — New evidence shows the bombing of a U.S. military mess tent in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul on Tuesday — which killed 22 people and wounded 70 others — was a suicide attack, ABC News has learned.

Investigators at the base have found remnants of a torso and a suicide vest that was probably a backpack, sources told ABC News, indicating that the attack was a suicide bombing.

Update:
According to Fox News, information contained on Ansar al-Sunnah's website indicates a suicide bomber worked for the base for over two months. He was 24 years old and recently married. During his employment on the U.S. base, he collected intelligence and locations of specific targets.

Just as Craig said in the comments, we should realize what terrorists claim is not always accurate. This claim however has seemed to be proven accurate so right now I have no reason to doubt the suicide bomber was in fact a former employee on the base. There is no word though on what type of employment he held.

Update:
With the reports of a suicide bomber being confirmed by the U.S. military based upon the finding of several BBs or small pieces of shrapnel, it is newsworthy to show the link to a video of the development and testing of a suicide bomber bomb (video courtesy of Global Terror Alert). In the video you will see a bomber's belt being assembled as well as demonstrated against cardboard "people."

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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Tony Blair made a surprise visit to British soldiers in Basra and then flew into Baghdad for a meeting with Ayad Allawi. Following Blair's meeting with Allawi, Iraqi election officials and British consulate workers, both Allwai and Blair held a press conference.

Among the questions posed by journalists was this one (link via Power Line):

Q: Andrew Marr: Many thousands of people have died for this moment, including scores of British people, are you sure that this prize [word indistinct] was worth that price?

Tony Blair: When I meet the people working alongside the United Nations - Iraqis in fear of their life every day, because they are trying to bring freedom and democracy to their people - when I see their courage and their determination and know that they speak for the vast majority of people in Iraq who want that democracy and freedom, then I know that we are doing the right thing.

And whatever people felt about the original conflict, we the British aren't a nation of quitters. What's very obvious to me is that the Iraqi people here, they're not going to quit on this task either - they're going to see it through. And just imagine the difference that a stable and democratic Iraq would make - not just to people in Iraq but throughout the whole of the region and the world - now when I see that, yes, I believe we did the right thing.

And I will also say this to you, there are people dying in Iraq but the reason people are dying is because of the terrorism and the intimidation and the people who are deliberately killing anyone trying to make this country better.

Now what should our response be as an international community? Our response should be to stand alongside the democrats - the people who've got the courage to see this thing through - and help them see it through. I've got no doubt at all that that is the right thing for us to do.

Blair is one of those people who looks at things in the long-term rather than the short-term. Those who oppose Democracy in Iraq also look long-term which is why someone like Blair needs to project this type of leadership and resolve in bringing ultimate freedom to the millions in Iraq.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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Update:
The Ansar al-Sunnah Army has issued a communique detailing the operation which has been translated. As was suspected, there was a suicide bomber prior to any type of mortar/rocket attack.

- Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Rockets struck a mess tent at a military base in Mosul where hundreds of U.S. soldiers had just sat down to lunch Tuesday, and military officials said at least 20 people were killed and more than 60 were wounded. A radical Muslim group, the Ansar al-Sunnah Army, claimed responsibility.

The dead included U.S. military personnel, U.S. contractors, foreign national contractors and Iraqi army, said Brig. Gen. Carter Ham, commander of Task Force Olympia in Mosul.

Apparently the city of Mosul is divided by the Tigris River not just geographically, but ethnically as well. On the Eastern side of the Tigris, the Kurds live and U.S. soldiers can patrol with releative security. On the Western side of the Tigris is the side dominated by Arabs. The U.S. base in Mosul is on the Western side of the Tigris.

Almost every day terrorists do "drive-by" rocket attacks on the base and plant IEDs just outside the base. Of course most mortar rounds miss critical facilities within the base, however this one hit a crucial area.

Update:
Times-Dispatch reporter Jeremy Redmon was at the scene of the mortar attack in the U.S. mess hall. He has written a gripping account of what happened in a must-read (via Six Meat Buffet).

Update:
Supposedly Ansar al-sunnah has written something relating to this on their site, but unfortunately I do not read Arabic. I know there is someone that reads Rusty's site that can translate this for the masses. If there is, please contact me and I'll forward the link to the site so we can get a translation.

A translation is wanted because according to various reports, the Army of al-Sunnah claims this was a "martyrdom" killing which could mean the base infiltrated or compromised from within. As we all know, martyrdom requires the person who actually followed through with the attack to die in the act of committing the attrocity.

Update:
Hyscience has a huge roundup of the news coverage of the attack along with putting the story in context.

Update:
U.S. military explosives experts are invesitigating the cause of the explosion which gives further credence to the rumors indicating the explosion may have been from within rather than from a rocket attack.

Update:
According to the BBC, Mosul has a history of providing military commanders for Saddam's army as well as intelligence officials.

According to Charles Glass, who reported for the London Review of Books from Mosul, there are signs the city's anti-American insurgency is being marshalled by shadowy figures from the former dictator's Baath party.

A reporter in the city told the BBC News website in November that several Syrians were among the fighters captured by US forces.

I have changed the title of this post because the more information that comes out leads me to believe this was not a mortar or rocket attack as first reported. Even the U.S. military calls the attack a "blast" and is investigating what occured.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Associated Press

PARIS - Two French reporters held hostage for four months in Iraq were released Tuesday and handed over to French authorities.

"I have a profound joy in announcing to you that Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot have just been freed by the Islamic Army," Prime Minister Jean-Pierre Raffarin told the Senate, which erupted with applause.

Chesnot's brother, Thierry, said the two men were in good health. "It's the best Christmas present we could get," he said of the release.

Foreign Ministry spokesman Herve Ladsous said the two men were expected in France on Wednesday. They were handed over to French authorities in the Iraqi capital, he said.

Update 12/22:
Reuters reports the French hostages were not freed due to a ransom paid. I'm a bit skeptical about this however based upon other hostages being released because of a ransom. France also indicated they were paying a ransom for these two journalists over a month ago.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Iraq's interim prime minister warned Monday that insurgents are trying to foment sectarian civil war as well as derail elections, while thousands of mourners turned out for funerals in the Shiite holy cities of Najaf and Karbala a day after car bombs killed 67 people.

Prime Minister Ayad Allawi said the mainly Sunni Muslim insurgents, blamed for Sunday's bloody attacks, want to "create ethnic and religious tensions, problems and conflicts ... to destroy the unity of this country."

"These attacks are designed to stop the political process from taking place in Iraq," Allawi told reporters. He added that his administration would not be deterred despite expecting more strikes before key Jan. 30 parliamentary elections — the first free vote in Iraq since the overthrow of the monarchy in 1958.

Shiites in Iraq account to roughly 60-70 percent of Iraqis. Kurds stand around 15-25. Sunnis naturally fill in the bulk of the remaining percentages depending on which estimation you choose to go by. It is reasonable to assume that with Democracy Sunnis will lose the power they once held under Saddam.

What needs to happen in Iraq is the different tribal groups need to recognize nationalism over heritage. To coin a phrase from our president, it's going to be "hard work," but a good public relations campaign could help the nation's citizens pull for Iraq rather than their ethnic heritage. Then again, the public relations aspect of this entire conflict has been less than satisfactory.

There are also outside forces trying to derail Democracy from entering into the Middle East. Of course Democracy exists in Israel and Afghanistan, though having Democracy start in Iraq would be a boon for all freedom-lovers in the entire region. This is why the governments of Syria, Saudi Arabia, Jordan to an extent and Iran are so dead-set against Democracy in Iraq.

Saudi Arabia opened up their first day of voter registration to little fan fair which is fitting because any elections in Saudi Arabia would be a sham. They do not allow women to register to vote and the elections are for minor roles in the Saudi government. Of course you have to start somewhere, but the inclusion of women would be a major step into spreading Democracy into Saudi Arabia. The failure to include women demonstrates the lack of a desire to insert Democracy into Saudia Arabia by the Royal Family.

Syria and Iran have sent money, weapons and even spies as we learned earlier today into Iraq in an effort to both support the insurgency and defeat the idea of Democracy. A Democratic Iraq would give hope to those that live in either regime which naturally threatens the leaders of all nations of their reign.

Later on in the above article, there is an interesting quote from Ayatollah Ali Khamenei of Iran.

Ayatollah Ali Khamenei also accused America and Israel of being behind the bombings in Iraq. "I am sure that the hands of the U.S. and Israeli espionage networks are behind recent events," he told government officials, according to Iranian state television.

The second aspect of the statement is nothing new. We have heard this throughout the years though thankfully there have been more and more statements rebutting this type of assumption. The thought still persists however and the government of Iran furthers the thought with a statement as assinine as this one.

The threat of civil war in Iraq was also one of the concerns of the CIA in a leaked report in the run-up to the U.S. elections. This was also a concern prior to the decision to invade Iraq. The threat still looms because there are a minority of people inside of Iraq who have lost their power and wish to obtain power in another form. Of course the funding and inciting of violence by neighboring countries does not help.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Associated Press

FALLUJAH, Iraq - Fallujans are to begin trickling back this week, but a month after the battle for the city, devastation is everywhere. Burned out cars block streets, even homes that still stand are missing roofs or walls, dead dogs litter narrow alleys.

Destruction is not total. The only damage at a benzene storage facility on the edge of town is the deterioration from years of neglect. At the end of a long block of leveled homes, a children's clinic stands untouched.

"It really looks like a time warp: Somebody left for the day and was told not to come back because of the operation," said Lt. Cmdr. Larry Merola, a Navy Seabee reservist from Stoughton, Mass., who leads a team that checks buildings important to the city's life — pharmacies, offices, gas distribution points.

Even as the U.S. military pummeled parts of the city into rubble, engineers were laying plans for rebuilding. But much of that work remains, even as the first groups from the 250,000 people who fled are to start returning Thursday.

The consistent bias of the Associated Press continues to amaze me for whatever reason. Yes, I should be used to it, but I cannot get over the way the AP gladly jumps all over the United States yet defends and even embeds their reporters with terrorists killing innocent Iraqis.

Arthur Chrenkoff writes his 17th Good News from Iraq post which details where the Coallition is in rebuilding Iraq. While the AP would rather focus on the negative, Chrenkoff continues to dig through the global media and find positive stories.

Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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For some reason Rusty gave me the reigns to this ride while he's on vacation. In an effort to republish a story I originally published at In The Bullpen because of it's importance, I present to you the story of Sgt. Rafael Peralta. There are very few stories that move me, perhaps because of the often-boring written word, but this story is simply amazing.

On the morning of November 15, 2004, the men of 1st Battalion, 3rd Marines awoke before sunrise and continued what they had been doing for seven days previously - cleansing the city of Fallujah of terrorists house by house.

At the fourth house they encountered that morning the Marines kicked in the door and "cleared" the front rooms, but then noticed a locked door off to the side that required inspection. Sgt. Rafael Peralta threw open the closed door, but behind it were three terrorists with AK-47s. Peralta was hit in the head and chest with multiple shots at close range.

Peralta's fellow Marines had to step over his body to continue the shootout with the terrorists. As the firefight raged on, a "yellow, foreign-made, oval-shaped grenade," as Lance Corporal Travis Kaemmerer described it, rolled into the room where they were all standing and came to a stop near Peralta's body.

But Sgt. Rafael Peralta wasn't dead - yet. This young immigrant of 25 years, who enlisted in the Marines when he received his green card, who volunteered for the front line duty in Fallujah, had one last act of heroism in him.

Sgt. Rafael Peralta was the polar opposite of Pablo Paredes, the Petty Officer who turned his back on his shipmates and mocked his commander in chief. Peralta was proud to serve his adopted country. In his parent's home, on his bedroom walls hung only three items - a copy of the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights and his boot camp graduation certificate. Before he set out for Fallujah, he wrote to his 14-year old brother, "be proud of me, bro...and be proud of being an American."

Not only can Rafael's family be proud of him, but his fellow Marines are alive because of him. As Sgt. Rafael Peralta lay near death on the floor of a Fallujah terrorist hideout, he spotted the yellow grenade that had rolled next to his near-lifeless body. Once detonated, it would take out the rest of Peralta's squad. To save his fellow Marines, Peralta reached out, grabbed the grenade, and tucked it under his abdomen where it exploded.

"Most of the Marines in the house were in the immediate area of the grenade," Cpl. Kaemmerer said. "We will never forget the second chance at life that Sgt. Peralta gave us."

Unfortunately, unlike Pablo Paredes, Sgt. Rafael Peralta will get little media coverage. He is unlikely to have books written about him or movies made about his extraordinarily selfless sacrifice. But he is likely to receive the Medal of Honor. And that Medal of Honor is likely to be displayed next to the only items that hung on his bedroom wall - the Constitution, Bill of Rights and his Boot Camp graduation certificate.

The MSM should be ashamed of itself for not publishing such a story. This is the type of story that inspires greatness and heroism in every single person, not just the soldier fighting a war most of the MSM is against. We should all give thanks for heroes like Sgt. Peralta.

Stop by the The Enduring Freedom KIA Fund and help support the families of our other heroes who have fallen. The Christmas season is a time for generosity. We should show our nation's loved ones how generous we as a nation are and how much we sincerely appreciate the sacrifices made by so few. Read the memorial to CSM James D. Blankenbecler for inspiration.

For another inspiring story in Iraq, you must read this on Little Green Footballs.

Posted by: Chad at 12:50 PM | Comments (4) | Add Comment
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Arrest me. Fascists.

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Posted by: Rusty at 03:50 PM | Comments (81) | Add Comment
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