The Talk Show American

THE TALK SHOW AMERICAN: 06/11/2006 - 06/18/2006

Friday, June 16, 2006

Iraq to Take Over Security Responsibility

A top government official said Friday that Iraq has an agreement to take over security responsibilities from foreign forces in southern Iraq this month.

Deputy Prime Minister Salam Zikam Ali al-Zubaie was responding to a Japanese news report that British, Australian and Japanese troops will transfer security responsibilities in southern Iraq to Iraqi authorities next week, and soon withdraw from the area.

"There is an agreement to take over the security responsibilities from the British, Australian and Japanese forces in southern Iraq during this month," al-Zubaie said. "There is such a plan and such news is not based on nothing. We hope that the Iraqi security forces will live up to their duties there. It is the dream of all Iraqis that our forces will handle security issues all over Iraq."

The Kyodo News agency, citing people close to the coalition forces, reported that British officials told their counterparts in the other two countries last week that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki will announce the transfer of security authority in southern Iraq on Tuesday.

Officials in the Iraqi prime minister's media office said they could not confirm or deny the report.

Al-Zubaie said he knew nothing about plans for such an announcement and could provide no other details.

Japan has about 600 troops in Muthanna's capital, Samawah, carrying out other humanitarian tasks. Australia has about 1,320 troops in Iraq and the Middle East, including around 460 soldiers guarding Japanese engineers in Samawah. Britain has about 8,000 troops in southern Iraq, and roughly 2,000 others in Gulf region.

HOUSE VOTES TO REJECT TIMELINE FOR TROOP WITHDRAWAL

House lawmakers rejected a timetable to withdraw U.S. forces from Iraq on Friday in a Republican push to put war positions on the record.

The House passed a nonbinding resolution in a 256-153 vote that would praise U.S. troops, link the Iraq war to the global War on Terror and reject an "arbitrary date for the withdrawal or redeployment" for not being in the national interest.

"I will vote against this resolution because it is an affirmation of the president's failed policy in Iraq," said House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif. "The war in Iraq has been a grotesque mistake .. stay the course? I don't think so, Mr. President."

Republicans countered Democrats' arguments by defending the war and the need to keep U.S. forces in war-torn Iraq to hunt down terrorists and insurgents.

�This is a war of necessity that we must fight,� said House Majority Leader Rep. John Boehner, R-Ohio, adding that "retreat is not an option in Iraq."

The House vote follows the Senate's rejection in a 93-6 vote Thursday to a similar proposal that would allow "only forces that are critical to completing the mission of standing up Iraqi security forces" to stay in Iraq in 2007. Click here to see how your senator voted.

Senate Democrats promised to bring the issue back up next week through a proposal to start redeploying troops this year.

Republicans pushed the debate with four months left before voters hit the polls for midterm elections that could make changes to the control of the House and Senate.

Rep. Mark Foley, R-Fla., voted for the resolution because he said he supports U.S. troops and believes in the mission in Iraq.

�We must defend the values of this country, we must protect our allies � and we must be resolute in how to protect the men and women in the field,� Foley said. �There are young men and women who are in harm�s way and for us to be second guessing them here at home in the sanctity of the chamber of the United States Congress, undermines their commitment."

Click here to see how your representative voted.

Kennedy: Vote Shows 93 Senators Out of Mainstream

After the Senate voted 93-6 today against setting a timeline for withdrawal from Iraq, Massachusetts Sen. Edward M. Kennedy held a news conference to announce that his 93 colleagues are �clearly out of the mainstream of American opinion.�

Senators Kennedy and John Kerry of Massachusetts voted for the timeline, along with Democrat Senators Tom Harkin of Iowa, Barbara Boxer of California, Robert Byrd of West Virginia and Russ Feingold of Wisconsin.

�The six of us represent the heart�s cry of every red-blooded American,� said Sen. Kennedy. �We hear the voice of the people, and the people say they want immediate, unconditional withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq.�

Senator Kerry, the presumptive runner-up for the 2008 Democrat presidential nomination, criticized the legislation introduced by Republicans as a cheap stunt designed to preempt his own forthcoming Iraq pullout bill.

�I have a plan for a strategic withdrawal from Iraq,� said Sen. Kerry. �I plan to release my plan about the same time the Democrat National Committee unveils its plan for America�s future, or right after Microsoft releases its new Vista operating system, whichever comes first.�

Hat Tip to my good friend "Mike" at "Mike's America"

Bush May Meet Vow To Halve The Deficit Three Years Early

Aided by surging tax receipts, President Bush may make good on his pledge to cut the deficit in half in 2006 � three years early.

Tax revenues are running $176 billion, or 12.9%, over last year, the Treasury Department said Monday. The Congressional Budget Office said receipts have risen faster over the first eight months of fiscal '06 than in any other such period over the past 25 years � except for last year's 15.5% jump.

The 2006 deficit through May was $227 billion, down from $273 billion at this time last year. Spending is up $130 billion, or 7.9%.

The CBO forecast in May that the 2006 deficit could fall as low as $300 billion. Michael Englund, chief economist of Action Economics, has long expected a deficit of about $270 billion this year. Now he thinks there's a chance the "remarkable strength in receipts" will push the deficit even lower.

With the economy topping $13 trillion this year, a $270 billion deficit would equal less than 2.1% of GDP, easily beating the president's 2.25% goal. Bush made his vow when the White House had a dour 2004 deficit forecast of 4.5% of GDP, or $521 billion. The actual '04 deficit came in at $412 billion, or 3.5% of GDP, before falling to $318 billion, or 2.6% of GDP, in 2005.

A CBO analysis last week noted that withheld individual income and payroll taxes are up 7.6% from a year ago, with the gains picking up in recent months.

"Those gains suggest solid growth in wages and salaries in the national economy," CBO said.

While gains are broad, those at higher-income levels are enjoying bigger salary hikes. Because they pay higher rates, federal tax revenues soar when they do well.

Those making over $200,000 now pay 46.6% of total income taxes, presidential adviser Karl Rove recently said. That's up from 40.5% � despite Bush's tax cuts.

Nonwithheld income tax receipts are up about 20% vs. a year ago. That may reflect year-end bonuses and capital gains.

Corporate income taxes are up about 30% from last year's pace.

Mike's America Has More

New Poll: Americans Say Sen. Hillary Clinton Frightens Them

by Jim Kouri, CPP

A recent poll reveals that out of the group of politicians who are
regarded as contenders for nomination as presidential candidates, more
Americans fear Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) than any other
contender -- Democrat or Republican.


According to a just-released Fox News/Opinion Dynamics poll, when asked
which candidate frightens you the most, 36% told pollsters Sen. Hillary
Clinton. The closest to Clinton's 36% number was former New York City
mayor Rudy Guiliani with 17% of Americans saying he frightens them.


Lower on the list with single digits were former Vice President and
loser 2000 presidential candidate Al Gore with 8% and Senator John McCain
(R-AZ) with 4%.


Clinton had the highest "fright" rating among Republicans, at 58%.
Independents also feared Clinton 2-1 over Giuliani, 25% to 12%. Among
Democrats, Clinton came in as the second most feared candidate, trailing
former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani by just 7 points. The poll was conducted
with a sample of 900 Americans made up of 42 percent Democrats, 34
percent Republicans and 19 percent Independents. The poll has a plus or minus
3 point accuracy.


And apparently it isn't conservatives alone who are fearful of Sen.
Clinton. During her appearances for organizations representing the
Democrat Party's base -- the anti-war, hard-left -- Clinton is being booed and
shouted down by her one time soulmates. Her attempt to appeal to
center-right voters has created disdain among those who actually believe
she's not a socialist in disguise.

While the Clinton camp dismisses the Fox/Opinions Dynamic poll as
"right-wing," she's been polling poorly this year in matchups with
Republican candidates. In a Zogby poll, Clinton loses to Sen. McCain 54% - 39%,
and to Rudy Guiliani 52% - 39%. The only candidate she beat in that
poll was Florida Governor Jeb Bush, who is an unlikely candidate unless
his brother the president experiences a surge in his poll numbers.


While the news media -- Hillary's pro-bono public relations firm --
will continue to support her, among the Democrat base she's nowhere near
Sen. Russ Feingold in popularity. And conservatives and some moderates
know she's a bigger flip-flopper than her friend Sen. John Kerry (D-MA).

Marines' Lawyers Question Haditha Tape Source

Attorneys for the U.S. Marines accused of killing unarmed Iraqi civilians in Haditha will question the authenticity of a videotape at the heart of the case and the credibility of the group that provided it, sources close to the Marines say.

The videotape, given to Time Magazine in January by the Hammurabi Human Rights Group, purports to show the aftermath of a massacre in Haditha and has prompted a U.S. military probe into the November 19 incident.

Time reported that the footage shows men, women and children who have been shot to death, some in their nightclothes, as well as walls and ceilings marked with blood, shrapnel and bullet holes.

The defense sources agree the tape depicts grim war images but does not prove that a massacre took place in Haditha, especially when so much is still unknown about the source of the tape and how it was made.

"It's clearly going to be one of the themes of the defense: How accurate is this tape and is (Hammurabi) credible?" said a source close to one of the Marines under investigation. The source, who asked not to be identified, said: "Any (prosecutor) who wants to present a videotape in court, they have to demonstrate that it's authentic and hasn't been tampered with."

Witnesses have said Marines opened fire on Iraqi civilians, killing 24 men, women and children in three homes and a car to retaliate for the death of their comrade in a roadside bomb. The Marines are expected to argue that the civilians died during a chaotic battle that followed the bombing.

'WE DON'T ANSWER SUCH QUESTIONS'

Time initially reported that the tape was shot by a "journalism student" the day after the incident and described Hammurabi as working with "the internationally respected Human Rights Watch."

The magazine subsequently issued a correction on its Web site, writing that Human Rights Watch "has no ties or association with Hammurabi."

Defense lawyers say the man described by Time as a journalism student, 43-year-old Thaer Thabit al-Hadithi, was in fact the founder of Hammurabi and one of only two employees.

"Not that a 43-year-old can't be a student or that an organization can't be two people, but these are the kinds of things that you would bring up" in court, the source said.

A lawyer for one of the Marines under investigation, who also declined to be identified, said that Hammurabi was not a known or registered human rights organization and had no track record of reporting any other abuses.

"And it turns out these two employees have family members spending time in local prisons for insurgent activity," the attorney said. "I think the origins of the tape would have been better suited if it came from somebody who really did have altruistic motives in their heart."

Abdul Rahman al-Mashhadani, director of Hammurabi Human Rights and Democracy Monitoring, declined to answer questions from Reuters about the organization.

"We don't answer such questions that we consider as intelligence and information gathering," he said. "They (Reuters) should have monitored the media so that they can get a good image of us."

He added: "We call for a fair investigation and we are confident that the American judicial system is fair."

The source said the tape also lacked credibility because there was nothing in the footage to establish that it was shot where and when Hammurabi claims and because it did not surface until four months after the incident.

Iraqi Forces Capture Terrorist Leader; Coalition Forces Foil Kidnapping

June 15, 2006 - Iraqi forces captured a high-ranking
terrorist network commander during an early morning ground assault raid in
Karbala, Iraq, today and coalition forces in eastern Baghdad stopped an
alleged kidnapping June 13, military officials reported.

Iraqi army soldiers, assisted by coalition advisers, captured Sheik
Aqeel in the Karbala raid. Aqeel commands a Karbala terrorist network and
is wanted for assassinating Iraqi citizens and planning and ordering
attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces, officials said. The terrorist
network commander provides financial support to subordinate leaders and
supplies them with improvised explosive devices.

The IEDs supplied by Aqeel are linked to the deaths of at least six
coalition soldiers in 2005 and the deaths of a coalition soldier and an
interpreter on June 8, officials said.

Aqeel is also linked to a 2005 attack on the Mukhayim Iraqi police
station and the killing of Iraqi intelligence officers in Karbala. Iraqi
forces captured one other terrorist during the raid and seized a
substantial weapons cache.

Coalition forces in eastern Baghdad conducting combined curfew
enforcement stopped two vehicles June 13 and seven Iraqi citizens jumped out,
claiming to have been kidnapped.

Soldiers from Multinational Division Baghdad's Company E, 3rd
Battalion, 67th Armor Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne
Division, were conducting curfew enforcement at about 11 p.m. when they spotted
two vehicles carrying the suspected kidnappers and their victims.

During a search of the suspected kidnappers, soldiers discovered three
pistols.

Following the search and questioning, the soldiers detained four
suspected kidnappers and took the seven victims to a nearby forward operating
base. The kidnapping victims had been seized June 10 near Namiyah where
they work for an engineering firm. They were released after providing
sworn statements.

Text of al-Zarqawi Safe-House Document

Text of a document discovered in terror leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's hideout. The document was provided in English by Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie:

The situation and conditions of the resistance in Iraq have reached a point that requires a review of the events and of the work being done inside Iraq. Such a study is needed in order to show the best means to accomplish the required goals, especially that the forces of the National Guard have succeeded in forming an enormous shield protecting the American forces and have reduced substantially the losses that were solely suffered by the American forces. This is in addition to the role, played by the Shi'a (the leadership and masses) by supporting the occupation, working to defeat the resistance and by informing on its elements.

As an overall picture, time has been an element in affecting negatively the forces of the occupying countries, due to the losses they sustain economically in human lives, which are increasing with time. However, here in Iraq, time is now beginning to be of service to the American forces and harmful to the resistance for the following reasons:

1. By allowing the American forces to form the forces of the National Guard, to reinforce them and enable them to undertake military operations against the resistance.

2. By undertaking massive arrest operations, invading regions that have an impact on the resistance, and hence causing the resistance to lose many of its elements.

3. By undertaking a media campaign against the resistance resulting in weakening its influence inside the country and presenting its work as harmful to the population rather than being beneficial to the population.

4. By tightening the resistance's financial outlets, restricting its moral options and by confiscating its ammunition and weapons.

5. By creating a big division among the ranks of the resistance and jeopardizing its attack operations, it has weakened its influence and internal support of its elements, thus resulting in a decline of the resistance's assaults.

6. By allowing an increase in the number of countries and elements supporting the occupation or at least allowing to become neutral in their stand toward us in contrast to their previous stand or refusal of the occupation.

7. By taking advantage of the resistance's mistakes and magnifying them in order to misinform.

Based on the above points, it became necessary that these matters should be treated one by one:

1. To improve the image of the resistance in society, increase the number of supporters who are refusing occupation and show the clash of interest between society and the occupation and its collaborators. To use the media for spreading an effective and creative image of the resistance.

2. To assist some of the people of the resistance to infiltrate the ranks of the National Guard in order to spy on them for the purpose of weakening the ranks of the National Guard when necessary, and to be able to use their modern weapons.

3. To reorganize for recruiting new elements for the resistance.

4. To establish centers and factories to produce and manufacture and improve on weapons and to produce new ones.

5. To unify the ranks of the resistance, to prevent controversies and prejudice and to adhere to piety and follow the leadership.

6. To create division and strife between American and other countries and among the elements disagreeing with it.

7. To avoid mistakes that will blemish the image of the resistance and show it as the enemy of the nation.

In general and despite the current bleak situation, we think that the best suggestions in order to get out of this crisis is to entangle the American forces into another war against another country or with another of our enemy force, that is to try and inflame the situation between American and Iraq or between America and the Shi'a in general.

Specifically the Sistani Shi'a, since most of the support that the Americans are getting is from the Sistani Shi'a, then, there is a possibility to instill differences between them and to weaken the support line between them; in addition to the losses we can inflict on both parties. Consequently, to embroil America in another war against another enemy is the answer that we find to be the most appropriate, and to have a war through a delegate has the following benefits:

1. To occupy the Americans by another front will allow the resistance freedom of movement and alleviate the pressure imposed on it.

2. To dissolve the cohesion between the Americans and the Shi'a will weaken and close this front.

3. To have a loss of trust between the Americans and the Shi'a will cause the Americans to lose many of their spies.

4. To involve both parties, the Americans and the Shi'a, in a war that will result in both parties being losers.

5. Thus, the Americans will be forced to ask the Sunni for help.

6. To take advantage of some of the Shia elements that will allow the resistance to move among them.

7. To weaken the media's side which is presenting a tarnished image of the resistance, mainly conveyed by the Shi'a.

8. To enlarge the geographical area of the resistance movement.

9. To provide popular support and cooperation by the people.

The resistance fighters have learned from the result and the great benefits they reaped, when a struggle ensued between the Americans and the Army of Al-Mahdi. However, we have to notice that this trouble or this delegated war that must be ignited can be accomplished through:

1. A war between the Shi'a and the Americans.

2. A war between the Shi'a and the secular population (such as Ayad 'Alawi and al-Jalabi.)

3. A war between the Shi'a and the Kurds.

4. A war between Ahmad al-Halabi and his people and Ayad 'Alawi and his people.

5. A war between the group of al-Hakim and the group of al-Sadr.

6. A war between the Shi'a of Iraq and the Sunni of the Arab countries in the gulf.

7. A war between the Americans and Iraq. We have noticed that the best of these wars to be ignited is the one between the Americans and Iran, because it will have many benefits in favor of the Sunni and the resistance, such as:

1. Freeing the Sunni people in Iraq, who are (30 percent) of the population and under the Shi'a Rule.

2. Drowning the Americans in another war that will engage many of their forces.

3. The possibility of acquiring new weapons from the Iranian side, either after the fall of Iran or during the battles.

4. To entice Iran towards helping the resistance because of its need for its help.

5. Weakening the Shi'a supply line.

The question remains, how to draw the Americans into fighting a war against Iran? It is not known whether American is serious in its animosity towards Iraq, because of the big support Iran is offering to America in its war in Afghanistan and in Iraq. Hence, it is necessary first to exaggerate the Iranian danger and to convince America and the west in general, of the real danger coming from Iran, and this would be done by the following:

1. By disseminating threatening messages against American interests and the American people and attribute them to a Shi'a Iranian side.

2. By executing operations of kidnapping hostages and implicating the Shi'a Iranian side.

3. By advertising that Iran has chemical and nuclear weapons and is threatening the west with these weapons.

4. By executing exploding operations in the west and accusing Iran by planting Iranian Shi'a fingerprints and evidence.

5. By declaring the existence of a relationship between Iran and terrorist groups (as termed by the Americans).

6. By disseminating bogus messages about confessions showing that Iran is in possession of weapons of mass destruction or that there are attempts by the Iranian intelligence to undertake terrorist operations in America and the west and against western interests.

Let us hope for success and for God's help.

Thursday, June 15, 2006

U.S. identifies al-Zarqawi's successor (Our Next Target is...)

The U.S. military said Thursday the man claiming to be the new al-Qaida in Iraq leader is Abu Ayyub al-Masri, an Egyptian with ties to Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahri.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said al-Masri apparently is the same person that al-Qaida in Iraq identified in a Web posting last week as its new leader � Abu Hamza al-Muhajer, a nom de guerre. Al-Muhajer claimed to have succeeded Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, who was killed in a June 7 U.S. airstrike, and vowed to avenge him in threatening Web statements in recent days.

The military showed a picture of al-Masri wearing a traditional white Arab headdress at a Baghdad news conference.

The Afghanistan-trained explosives expert is a key figure in the al-Qaida in Iraq network with responsibility for facilitating the movement of foreign fighters from Syria into Baghdad, Caldwell said.

He has been a terrorist since 1982, "beginning with his involvement in the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, which was led by al-Zawahri," Caldwell said.

The spokesman added that raids in April and May in southern Baghdad recovered material confirming his high-level involvement in the facilitation of foreign fighters.

"Al-Masri's intimate knowledge of al-Qaida in Iraq and his close relationship with (al-Zarqawi's) operations will undoubtedly help facilitate and enable them to regain some momentum if, in fact, he is the one that assumes the leadership role," Caldwell said.

Documents: Al-Qaida sought U.S.-Iran war / Insurgency Was Weakening

A blueprint for trying to start a war between the United States and Iran was among a "huge treasure" of documents found in the hideout of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, Iraqi officials said Thursday.

The document, purporting to reflect al-Qaida policy and its cooperation with groups loyal to ousted President Saddam Hussein, also appear to show that the insurgency in Iraq was weakening.

The al-Qaida in Iraq document was translated and released by Iraqi National Security Adviser Mouwafak al-Rubaie. There was no way to independently confirm the authenticity of the information attributed to al-Qaida.

Although the office of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki said the document was found in al-Zarqawi's hideout following a June 7 airstrike that killed him, U.S. military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said the document had in fact been found in a previous raid as part of an ongoing three-week operation to track al-Zarqawi.

"We can verify that this information did come off some kind of computer asset that was at a safe location," he said. "This was prior to the al-Zarqawi safe house."

The document also said al-Zarqawi planned to try to destroy the relationship between the United States and its Shiite allies in Iraq.

While the coalition was continuing to suffer human losses, "time is now beginning to be of service to the American forces and harmful to the resistance," the document said.

The document said the insurgency was being hurt by, among other things, the U.S. military's program to train Iraqi security forces, by massive arrests and seizures of weapons, by tightening the militants' financial outlets, and by creating divisions within its ranks.

"Generally speaking and despite the gloomy present situation, we find that the best solution in order to get out of this crisis is to involve the U.S. forces in waging a war against another country or any hostile groups," the document said, as quoted by al-Maliki's office.

According to the summary, insurgents were being weakened by operations against them and by their failure to attract recruits. To give new impetus to the insurgency, they would have to change tactics, it added.

"We mean specifically attempting to escalate the tension between America and Iran, and American and the Shiite in Iraq," it quoted the documents as saying, especially among moderate followers of Grand Ayatollah Ali al-Sistani, the most influential Shiite cleric in Iraq.

"Creating disputes between America and them could hinder the U.S. cooperation with them, and subsequently weaken this kind of alliance between Shiites and the Americans," it said, adding that "the best solution is to get America involved in a war against another country and this would bring benefits."

They included "opening a new front" for the U.S. military and releasing some of the "pressure exerted on the resistance."

Marine may call Murtha as witness

A criminal defense attorney for a Marine under investigation in the Haditha killings says he will call a senior Democratic congressman as a trial witness, if his client is charged, to find out who told the lawmaker that U.S. troops are guilty of cold-blooded murder.

Attorney Neal A. Puckett told The Washington Times that Gen. Michael Hagee, the Marine commandant, briefed Rep. John P. Murtha, Pennsylvania Democrat, on the Nov. 19 killings of 24 Iraqis in the town north of Baghdad. Mr. Murtha later told reporters that the Marines were guilty of killing the civilians in "cold blood." Mr. Murtha said he based his statement on Marine commanders, whom he did not identify.

Mr. Puckett said such public comments from a congressman via senior Marines amount to "unlawful command influence." He said potential Marine jurors could be biased by the knowledge that their commandant, the Corps' top officer, thinks the Haditha Marin! es are guilty.

"Congressman Murtha will be one of the first witnesses I call to the witness stand," Mr. Puckett said yesterday.
Mr. Puckett represents Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, an eight-year Marine who was a key participant in the Haditha operations that resulted in the 24 civilian deaths.

The attorney said his client strongly rejects accusations in the press from Haditha residents that Marines lined up some of the civilians and executed them. Mr. Puckett said Sgt. Wuterich maintains that such an incident never occurred, and that M! arines followed proper procedures in clearing the three houses! .

"What's being reported out there, it seems an awful lot of it is inaccurate," Mr. Puckett said. He said his client, stationed at Camp Pendleton, Calif., has been promoted to platoon leader and is not under confinement.

"How would you feel to be falsely accused of killing innocent people," the attorney said. "He was angered and hurt by it because he doesn't understand how the public could think he and his Marines could do such a thing."

Al-Qaeda 'coming to end in Iraq'

The killing of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi marks the "beginning of the end" of al-Qaeda in Iraq, the country's national security adviser has said.
Mowaffaq al-Rubaie said the seizure of documents after the raid that killed Zarqawi provided key information about the militant group and its leaders.

"Now we have the upper hand," he told a news conference in Baghdad.

Mr Rubaie said a pocket hard drive, a laptop and documents were found in the debris after the strike.

The documents and records revealed the names and whereabouts of other al-Qaeda in Iraq leaders, he said, adding that more information has since been found in raids on other insurgent hideouts.

"We believe that this is the beginning of the end of al-Qaeda in Iraq," Mr Rubaie said.

"They did not anticipate how powerful the Iraqi security forces are and how the government is on the attack now."

One of the documents showed Zarqawi planned to widen the rift between the US and Iran by carrying out attacks on US interests falsely attributed to Iran, the prime minister's office said.

The news comes on the second day of tough new security measures that have been put in place in Baghdad amid fears al-Qaeda in Iraq is preparing new attacks after Zarqawi's killing.

There were noticeably fewer reports of violence in Baghdad than usual, though a chemicals worker was reported to have been shot dead in the west of the city.

Post Zarqawi raids kill 104 Terrorists

American and Iraqi forces have carried out 452 raids since last week's killing of terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, and 104 insurgents were killed during those actions, the U.S. military said Thursday.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a U.S. military spokesman in Baghdad, said the raids were carried out nationwide and led to the discovery of 28 significant arms caches.

He said 255 of the raids were joint operations, while 143 were carried out by Iraqi forces alone. The raids also resulted in the captures of 759 "anti-Iraqi elements."

Wednesday, June 14, 2006

Bush Baghdad Visit Draws Praise From Troops

President Bush's surprise visit to Baghdad
yesterday caught the troops here unawares. But most were thrilled their
commander in chief made the perilous trip.

Bush visited Baghdad to congratulate Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri
al-Maliki on Iraq's new government and to thank the troops for their hard work
and dedication.

"Baghdad and Iraq is a front in the war on terror. It is a part of our
mission to help make sure that the world is a better place. I truly
believe the work that you're doing here is laying the foundation of peace
for generations to come, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart,"
Bush said in his address to the troops in a former Saddam Hussein
palace.


The surprise visit caught most troops off guard.
"Dangit! I bought into
it," said Indiana National Guard Spc. Laura Asher referring to the post
exchange and several other shops closing prior to the president's
arrival.

"My friend told me the president is here, and I said, 'No, it's a
teleconference,'" said Asher, a 798th Area Support Medical Company combat
medic.


Bush's publicized schedule had called for a videoteleconference from
Camp David, Md., with Iraq's prime minister.

"I was so excited," said Asher, a Valparaiso, Ind., native, who
immediately called her father following Bush's speech.


While many troops were surprised, they also said they admired the
president for coming to visit them and Maliki.


"This place is pretty 'hot' (because Iraq is a combat zone)," said Army
Capt. Christopher Swatty, a Civilian Police Assistance Training Team
technical liaison. "It's encouraging to see him come over and say hello."


"I think it shows he cares a lot about Iraq, what's going on here,"
said Marine Lance Cpl. Michael Virgilio, a 3rd Battalion, 8th Marine,
rifleman. "His visit shows he cares about us."


Many other troops agreed.

"Due to the dramatic shift in events -- the final three seats of the
new Iraqi government being filled and the death of (terrorist leader Abu
Musab) al-Zarqawi -- (Bush's visit) shows Iraq and its government that
Bush is standing behind his words," said Army Spc. Tashina Venters, a
Coalition Press Information Center coordinator.


Visit the Defense Department's Web site "America Supports You" at
http://www.americasupportsyou.mil, that spotlights what Americans are
doing in support of U.S. military men and women serving at home and
abroad.

Tuesday, June 13, 2006

Music Video About Marine Sparks Anger

A music video posted to the Internet, telling a tale about a U.S. Marine killing members of an Iraqi family, is being condemned by an Islamic group and investigated by the Marine Corps.

The four-minute video, called "Hadji Girl," appears to be sung by a Marine in front of a cheering audience. The lyrics talk about the Marine gunning down members of an Iraqi woman's family after they confront him with automatic weapons.

Lt. Col. Scott Fazekas, a spokesman for the Marines, said Tuesday that the Marines were aware of a video posted on the Internet that "purports to show a Marine singing an insensitive song about Iraqis." Fazekas said officials don't know the identity of the singer or whether he is in the military.

The song was "inappropriate and contrary to the high standards expected of all Marines," Fazekas said. He said Marine officers are looking into the matter.

Nihad Awad, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, said that in light of recent allegations of atrocities committed by Marines in Haditha and other towns in Iraq, the video should be investigated by the Pentagon and Congress.

"The inappropriate actions of a few individuals should not be allowed to tarnish the reputation of all American military personnel," said Awad.

The video was posted anonymously on the http://www.youtube.com Web site, but was removed. It is still available on CAIR's web site. A Hadji is a pilgrim who journeys to Mecca, but CAIR said the word has often been used as a disparaging term by U.S. troops in Iraq.

"The video is not reflective of the tremendous sacrifices and dedication demonstrated, on a daily basis, by tens of thousands of Marines who have assisted the Iraqi people in gaining their freedom," Fazekas said. "We agree with the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations that the inappropriate actions of a few individuals should not tarnish the reputation of all American military personnel."

The singer is shown playing a guitar and singing about meeting an Iraqi woman and then being confronted by her brother and father, who have guns. The lyrics describe the Marine pulling the woman's little sister in front of him and watching blood spray from her head.

He then sings about blowing the father and brother "to eternity."

See the video here:http://www.cair.com/video/marine-hadji-girl.wmv

'Fitzmas in July' Canceled, Dems Distraught

Democrats are distraught over reports that leakgate special prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald has decided not to indict senior White House adviser Karl Rove.

A sampling of liberal Web sites shortly after the news was announced Tuesday morning featured reaction ranging from disbelief to denial to the desperate hope that Rove has turned states' evidence against Vice President Dick Cheney.

"How could this snake slither away from an indictment?" complained one visitor to the Huffington Post Web site - where bloggers had confidently predicted that Fitzgerald's probe would yield up to 23 White House indictments.

"This man lied to the D.C. Grand Jury and he gets off scot-free? Where's the justice?" the same poster complained.

Another disappointed Huff Post Democrat simply lamented: "There is no God."
Over at the Daily Kos, reaction was even more harsh: "This is appalling, and any D.C. jury, and many main street USA juries, would find them guilty . . . It really, really is a bad precedent to allow a criminal to have free rein in the White House."

Another Daily Kos poster was in abject denial, insisting; "I personally will believe nothing about this until I hear it from Patrick Fitzgerald himself."

Still another Kos poster saw a silver lining in the Rove non-indictment cloud, explaining: "If Rove flipped, then Fitzgerald believes it will give him Cheney. And he may damn well be right."

Source: Iran Has Secret Uranium Enrichment Sites

New evidence is emerging that Iran has built several secret uranium enrichment plants in defiance of the International Atomic Energy Agency and its nuclear inspection efforts.

The evidence comes to NewsMax from Western diplomats and a former Iranian intelligence officer.

One of the secret plants, located some 20 kilometers to the northeast of Tehran near the Lashgarak dam, houses a clandestine centrifuge uranium enrichment plant, where Iran is making nuclear weapons material, according to an Iranian intelligence officer who has defected to the West.

A Chinese contractor began work in 1995 on the Lashgarak plant, disguised as part of a bridge near the Latian dam on the fast-flowing Jajerud river, he said.

The plant was buried in a series of nine tunnels beneath the lake that were disguised as bridge pilings, the former intelligence officer said. Once the underground facility was installed, construction work on the bridge across the Jajerud river was abandoned.

The 2,200-square-meter buried plant now houses uranium enrichment centrifuges and is run by the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, or Pasdaran, he said.

The existence of the secret centrifuge plant, code-named Zirzamin 27, was first revealed by the Telegraph newspaper in London yesterday.

The Persian word zirzamin means "underground," and is used to describe underground cellars, presses, or springs.

According to the Telegraph, "27 refers to the 27-year-old Iranian revolution."

Another, possibly related site has been disguised as a fish farm near a village 60 kilometers north of Iran's Busheir power plant on the Persian Gulf.

The second site was completed around six to eight months ago, the former Iranian intelligence officer said. Part of it was built by a Canadian company that specializes in building warehouses using material that cannot be scanned by airborne sensors.

The former Iranian intelligence officer has provided information in the past regarding clandestine Iranian nuclear and missile locations that has been verified by Western intelligence agencies.

United Nations inspectors first suspected Iran might have a parallel military program in 2004, when efforts to visit a military site at Lavizan, in an area of Tehran controlled by the Revolutionary Guards, were thwarted. To prevent U.N. inspections of the Lavizan site, the Tehran municipality (then headed by Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who became Iran's president last year) razed the laboratories to the ground and carted away the earth.

Commercial satellite images, obtained by the Institute for Science and International Security, documented Iran's destruction of the site in early 2004 following IAEA requests to inspect it.

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Troops Reducing Illegal Border Crossings

The arrival of U.S. National Guard troops in Arizona has scared off illegal Mexican migrants along the border, significantly reducing crossings, according to U.S. and Mexican officials.

U.S. authorities said Monday that detentions along the U.S.-Mexico border decreased by 21 percent, to 26,994, in the first 10 days of June, compared with 34,077 for the same period a year ago.

Along the Arizona border, once the busiest crossing spot, detentions have dropped 23 percent, according to the U.S. Border Patrol.

The desert region's blistering June temperatures typically drive down the number of migrants, but not so drastically, said Mario Martinez, a spokesman with the U.S. Border Patrol in Washington.

The 55 soldiers who arrived June 3 are the first of some 6,000 troops to be dispatched along the border as part of President Bush's plan to stem illegal immigration to the United States.

The soldiers aren't allowed to detain migrants and have been limited to projects like extending border fences and repairing roads, but the military's presence is keeping would-be crossers away from the area, migrant rights activists said.

Francisco Loureiro, who runs a migrant shelter in Nogales, Mexico, across the border from Arizona, said migrants are afraid of the U.S. troops after hearing reports of abuse in Iraq.

"Some migrants have told me they heard about the troops on television and, because the U.S. Army doesn't have a very good reputation, they prefer not to cross," Loureiro said. Others have been discouraged by smugglers' fees that have nearly doubled to more than $3,000.

Jorge Vazquez, coordinator for Mexico's Grupo Beta migrant aid agency in San Luis Rio Colorado, across from San Luis, Ariz., said that before the troops arrived, his agents encountered at least two dozens migrants daily, most waiting for nightfall to begin their trek through the sandy desert.

"There have been days ... when we've found only three migrants," Vazquez said.

Some migrants may be moving to the California-Mexico border, the only stretch of border that saw a spike in detentions, which were up 7 percent to 5,965 in the first 10 days of June.

But it was too early to tell if the deployment would have a permanent effect on migrant routes and crossings of the 2,000-mile border.

Karl Rove Won't Be Charged in CIA Leak Case

President Bush�s political adviser Karl Rove won�t be charged with any wrongdoing in connection to the investigation of the leak of a covert CIA officer�s identity, Rove's lawyer said Tuesday.

Rove learned of Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald's decision on Monday after he stepped off a plane in New Hampshire where he was delivering a speech to state Republican officials.

�We believe that the special counsel's decision should put an end to the baseless speculation about Mr. Rove's conduct,� Rove attorney Robert Luskin said in a statement. "In deference to the pending case, we will not make any further public statements about the subject matter of the investigation."

Fitzgerald�s decision ends speculation into the investigation that started in 2004 that Bush could lose his longtime political aide if criminal charges came down against him.

Mark Corallo, a spokesman for Rove, said the White House official "is elated" and said that "we're done."

Rove has testified five times in the case; his last appearance before a federal grand jury was in April when Fitzgerald told him he was not a target of the investigation.

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Monday, June 12, 2006

AL QAEDA IN IRAQ ANNOUNCES SUCCESSOR TO ABU MUSAB AL-ZARQAWI

� Al Qaeda in Iraq announced in a Web statement posted Monday that a militant named Abu Hamza al-Muhajer was appointed the group's new leader to succeed the slain Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

The name was not immediately known. The name al-Muhajer, Arabic for "immigrant," suggested he was not Iraqi.

"Al Qaeda in Iraq's council has agreed on Sheik Abu Hamza al-Muhajer to be the successor for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in the leadership of the organization," said a statement signed by the group on an Islamic militant Web forum where it often posts messages.

It said al-Muhajer was "a beloved brother with jihadi (holy war) experience and a strong footing in knowledge."

The authenticity of the statement could not be independently confirmed. Zarqawi, who founded the group, was killed Wednesday in a U.S. airstrike northeast of Baghdad.

Marine denies cover-up in Haditha killings

Sergeant Describes Hunt for Insurgents in Haditha, Denies Coverup

A sergeant who led a squad of Marines during the incident in Haditha, Iraq, that left as many as 24 civilians dead said his unit did not intentionally target any civilians, followed military rules of engagement and never tried to cover up the shootings, his attorney said.

Staff Sgt. Frank D. Wuterich, 26, told his attorney that several civilians were killed Nov. 19 when his squad went after insurgents who were firing at them from inside a house. The Marine said there was no vengeful massacre, but he described a house-to-house hunt that went tragically awry in the middle of a chaotic battlefield.

"It will forever be his position that everything they did that day was following their rules of engagement and to protect the lives of Marines," said Neal A. Puckett, who represents Wuterich in the ongoing investigations into the incident. "He's really upset that people believe that he and his Marines are even capable of intentionally killing innocent civilians."

Wuterich's detailed version of what happened in the Haditha neighborhood is the first public account from a Marine who was on the ground when the shootings occurred. As the leader of 1st Squad, 3rd Platoon, Kilo Company, 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, Wuterich was in the convoy of Humvees that was hit by a roadside bomb. He entered the house from which the Marines believed enemy fire was originating and made the initial radio reports to his company headquarters about what was going on, Puckett said.

Wuterich's version contradicts that of the Iraqis, who described a massacre of men, women and children after a bomb killed a Marine. Haditha residents have said that innocent civilians were executed, that some begged for their lives before being shot and that children were killed indiscriminately.

Wuterich told his attorney in initial interviews over nearly 12 hours last week that the shootings were the unfortunate result of a methodical sweep for enemies in a firefight. Two attorneys for other Marines involved in the incident said Wuterich's account is consistent with those they had heard from their clients.

Kevin B. McDermott, who is representing Capt. Lucas M. McConnell, the Kilo Company commander, said Wuterich and other Marines informed McConnell on the day of the incident that at least 15 civilians were killed by "a mixture of small-arms fire and shrapnel as a result of grenades" after the Marines responded to an attack from a house.

Gary Myers, a civilian attorney for a Marine who was with Wuterich that day, said the Marines followed standard operating procedures when they "cleared" the houses, using fragmentation grenades and gunshots to respond to an immediate threat.

Autopsy Concludes Zarqawi Died From Inuries Caused By Bomb Blast

Col. Steve Jones, command surgeon for Multinational Forces, said an autopsy concluded that al-Zarqawi died from serious injuries to his lungs. An FBI test positively identified al-Zarqawi's remains.

Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a spokesman for the U.S. military in Baghdad, said U.S. forces arrived about 28 minutes after a fighter jet bombed al-Zarqawi's hideout outside Baqouba on Wednesday. Medics secured al-Zarqawi's airway but his breathing was shallow and labored, and he expelled blood from his mouth.

"It was very evident he had extremely massive internal injuries," Caldwell said

Al-Zarqawi died 24 minutes after coalition forces arrived, he said.

Jones said the autopsy conducted Saturday showed that al-Zarqawi died from injuries to his lungs.

"Blast waves from the two bombs caused tearing, bruising of the lungs and bleeding," he said. "There was no evidence of firearm injuries."

The al-Qaida in Iraq leader also suffered head and facial wounds, bleeding in his ears and a fracture of his lower right leg.

Caldwell said an F-16 dropped a 500-pound bomb on the house at 6:12 p.m. A second bomb followed immediately after.

U.S. troops arrived at 6:40 p.m. and found Iraqi police at the site. He said a coalition medic treated al-Zarqawi, who lapsed in and out of consciousness.

"At 7:04 p.m. on 7 June, Zarqawi was dead," Caldwell said.

"These autopsies were performed to make a definitive determination as to the cause of both Zarqawi's and Rahman's deaths," Caldwell said. "The scientific facts provide irrefutable evidence regarding the deaths of terrorists will serve to counter speculation, misinformation and propaganda."

Read More here

...and here:Autopsies Show Blast Injuries Killed Zarqawi, Rahman

Sunday, June 11, 2006

Army Meets Recruiting Goal Again

The Army said Friday it surpassed its recruiting goal for May, marking the 12th consecutive month of meeting or exceeding its target.

Before it began the streak in June 2005, the active Army had missed its target four consecutive months. And even though results improved during the summer months, it missed its full-year target for the first time since 1999. The Army National Guard and Army Reserve also fell short of their 2005 goals but are doing better now.

The regular Army signed up 5,806 new recruits last month, compared with its target of 5,400, and the Army National Guard and Army Reserve also exceeded their May goals, according to statistics released by the Pentagon.

The Air Force, Navy and Marine Corps also met their May recruiting goals, the Pentagon said.

Read more Here

Poll: Most Support Troops, believe military doing all it can to avoid killing Iraqi civilians.

The latest Associated Press-Ipsos poll found that many Americans perceive the alleged atrocities against Iraqi civilians by U.S. forces as isolated incidents.

The survey of 1,003 adults was completed Wednesday.

Some 76 percent of those questioned said they were following reports about allegations that U.S. troops killed unarmed Iraqi civilians.

Regardless of whether the allegations turn out to be true, 63 percent of those surveyed said they thought the killings of civilians were isolated incidents. That view was especially true among Americans over 35, whites and those living in the South, where the military has a strong presence.

"I think they're doing everything possible to avoid such things," said Christine Berchelmann, a retired nurse and Republican-leaning independent from San Antonio. "The people they are seeking out, they are in dwellings right in the middle of all these civilians. There are always going to be casualties."

Sixty-one percent in the survey said the military is doing all it can to avoid killing Iraqi civilians.

Read More here

Bush's Approval Up On Zarqawi's Death



For one day at least, President Bush was more popular than he's been all year.

The president's lagging poll numbers got a swift boost from Thursday's news that U.S. warplanes had killed Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the most wanted-terrorist in Iraq.

Polling done on Thursday for the IBD/TIPP Presidential Leadership Index gave Bush a 44.2 rating, up from 39.1 in the prior days of June and 38.9 in May. The last time the Index reached this level was in December, when it hit 44.3.

Raghavan Mayur, president of TIPP, a unit of TechnoMetrica Market Intelligence, said the sudden rise in sentiment on a range of issues, including America's standing in the world, suggests Bush's bounce is "totally attributable" to Zarqawi.

Bush got a similar jump after the capture of Saddam Hussein in December 2003.

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Judge to decide if eavesdropping legal

The National Security Agency's domestic spying program faces its first legal challenge in a case that could decide if the White House is allowed to order eavesdropping without a court order.

Oral arguments are set for Monday at U.S. District Court in Detroit at which the American Civil Liberties Union will ask Judge Anna Diggs Taylor to declare the spying unconstitutional and order it halted.

The case goes to the heart of the larger national debate about whether President Bush has assumed too much power in his declared war on terrorism.


Bush said he authorized NSA intercepts soon after the September 11 attacks, allowing the NSA to monitor the international phone calls and e-mails of U.S. citizens without first obtaining warrants if in pursuit of al Qaeda suspects.

The ACLU sued the NSA on behalf of scholars, journalists and attorneys, claiming that warrantless wiretaps violate the U.S. Constitution and the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978, or FISA.

"The NSA has the capability of eavesdropping on anyone, anywhere, anytime," said James Bamford, an NSA expert and author who is supporting the ACLU suit.

Justice Department lawyers have asked the judge to dismiss the suit because it would reveal state secrets.

Regardless of how the judge rules on state secrets, the government lawyers say Congress granted Bush surveillance privileges by authorizing the use of force against al Qaeda following the September 11 attacks, and that he has the inherent right to order the wiretaps under presidential war powers.

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Al-Zarqawi death prompts attack warning

Al-Qaida in Iraq vowed Sunday to carry out "major attacks," insisting in a Web statement that it was still powerful after the death of leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

The statement did not name a successor to al-Zarqawi, who was killed by a U.S. airstrike Wednesday. But it said the group's leadership "renews its allegiance" to Osama bin Laden.

Bin Laden "will see things that will bring joy to his heart," it said, vowing "to prepare major attacks that will shake the enemy like an earthquake and rattle them out of sleep."

The authenticity of the statement could not be independently confirmed. It was posted on an Islamic militant Web forum where the group has posted statements in the past.

Gen. George Casey, the top U.S. commander in Iraq, told "Fox News Sunday" he expected the statement from al-Qaida in Iraq because "they're hurt badly." He said there had been a "steady drumbeat" of operations against al-Zarqawi's network since the leader's hideout was bombed.

"It's expected but I think we'll be prepared for it," Casey said of the threat. "But again, you can't stop terrorist attacks completely."

The statement was issued in the name of al-Qaida in Iraq but was put out by the Mujahedeen Shura Council, an umbrella organization of five insurgent groups that al-Zarqawi helped create.

The statement said al-Qaida in Iraq's leadership met after al-Zarqawi's death and "agreed to continue jihad (holy war) and not be affected by his martyrdom."

"The organization has strengthened its back, regained its footing and has been renewed with fresh blood," it said, listing previous prominent members who had been killed without setting back the group's attacks.

"For those who were waging holy war for the sake of al-Zarqawi, al-Zarqawi is dead. But for those who were fighting for the sake of God, God is alive and eternal," it said.

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Iraqi raises questions about al-Zarqawi death

Man says U.S. troops beat man resembling terrorist after bombing

U.S. officials have altered their account of the death of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, saying he was alive and partly conscious after bombs destroyed his hideout, and an Iraqi man raised fresh questions about the events surrounding the end of Iraq�s most-wanted militant.

The man, who lived near the scene of the bombing, told AP Television News on Friday that he saw U.S. soldiers beating an injured man resembling al-Zarqawi until blood flowed from the victim�s nose.

When asked about the man�s allegations, military spokesman Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said he would check. In Washington, Pentagon spokesman Jeffrey Gordon said Saturday he was unaware of the claim.

The Iraqi, identified only as Mohammed, said residents put a bearded man in an ambulance before U.S. forces arrived. He said the man was found lying next to an irrigation canal.

�He was still alive. We put him in the ambulance, but when the Americans arrived they took him out of the ambulance, they beat him on his stomach and wrapped his head with his dishdasha, then they stomped on his stomach and his chest until he died and blood came out of his nose,� Mohammed said, without saying how he knew the man was dead.


A dishdasha is a traditional Arab robe.

A similar account in The Washington Post identified him as Ahmed Mohammed.

No other witnesses have come forward to corroborate the account of a man resembling al-Zarqawi being beaten. U.S. officials have only said al-Zarqawi mumbled and tried to roll off a stretcher before dying.

Read More Here

The Captain's Quarters has more on this...