The Talk Show American

THE TALK SHOW AMERICAN: 03/25/2007 - 04/01/2007

Saturday, March 31, 2007

Iran Dissidents: British Capture Ordered

An Iranian opposition group claimed Saturday that Iran's capture of 15 British sailors and marines was planned in advance and carried out in retaliation for the U.N. sanctions imposed against the country, as an Iranian diplomat said the case had entered a legal phase.

Gholam-Reza Ansari, the Iranian ambassador to Russia, made his comments to Russian television Vesti-24 on Friday and was quoted by IRNA on its Web site as saying, "the case of the detention of British sailors has taken on a judicial form."

IRNA originally quoted the ambassador Saturday morning as saying the sailors could be "tried if there is enough evidence of guilt." But the agency published a correction later claiming Ansari's comments were incorrectly translated by Russian television. The Russian TV station could not immediately be reached for comment.

Asked about Ansari's remarks earlier Saturday before IRNA reported that he was misquoted, British Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett urged Iran to resolve the crisis peacefully.

The National Council of Resistance of Iran the political wing of the Iranian MEK opposition group which is listed as a terrorist group by Britain, the U.S. and the European Union said the British crew's capture was planned in advance, but offered no evidence to support the claims.

Hossein Abedini, a member of the opposition group's foreign affairs committee, claimed the group had obtained information from sources within Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard and had passed details to the British government. He did not provide any evidence or give further details.

Britain's Foreign Office said it could not comment on Abedini's allegation, or say if it had evidence the operation was pre-planned. A spokeswoman said the MEK was a banned organization under British anti-terrorism laws meaning the government had no dealings with the group.

Abedini told a London press conference that an Iranian Revolutionary Guard naval garrison had been on alert from the night before the kidnapping, to prepare for the operation.

Mohammad Mohaddessin, who handles foreign affairs for the council, said in a statement that Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, had ordered the detention of the Britons in the hope of pressuring the British government over a threat to toughen U.N. sanctions.

"You can see that the clerical regime had in a premeditated act arrested British sailors in order to win concessions from the international community and divert attention from its nuclear project," Abedini said. "Claims that the sailors were arrested in Iranian territorial waters are baseless."

Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami told reporters on Saturday that he hopes the current standoff will be resolved peacefully "instead of facing a new disaster not only for Iranian-British relations, but for Iran internationally."

Power struggle in Iran Over Hostages

THE fate of the 15 British marines and sailors held in Tehran may depend on the outcome of a power struggle between two of Iran's top generals, write Uzi Mahnaimi and Marie Colvin.

According to an Iranian military source, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards has called for them to be freed.

Major-General Yahya Rahim Safavi is said to have told the country's Supreme National Security Council on Friday that the situation was "getting out of control" and urged its members to consider the immediate release of the prisoners to defuse tension in the Gulf.

However, Safavi's intervention was reportedly denounced by another senior general at a meeting of high-ranking commanders yesterday.

Yadollah Javani, the head of the Revolutionary Guards' political bureau, was said to have accused him of weakness and "liberal tendencies". Javani is said to have demanded that the prisoners be put on trial.

The developments followed a warning by Safavi, the Revolutionary Guards commander, that Iran should prepare for a possible invasion, which he believes could come as early as next month.

US military exercises in the Persian Gulf involving two aircraft carriers, 100 aircraft and 10,000 personnel have fuelled fears in Tehran that America may be on the verge of launching airstrikes against Iran's nuclear programme.

Many military officers believe the British naval party intercepted on March 23 was part of a ploy to test Iran's readiness for an invasion. Tens of thousands of Basij, the force that provided the shock troops for the Iran-Iraq war, have been sent to the Iraqi border.

Iranian military sources said the Supreme National Security Council had concluded on Friday evening that Ayatollah Khamenei, the supreme leader, should order the release of the British naval personnel on Safavi's advice.

Iran's ambassador to Moscow, Gholamreza Ansari, said a legal process was already underway. "If there is no guilt, they will be freed," he added. But he denied that he had said they could face trial. Other officials called on Britain to send a delegation to Tehran to resolve the crisis.

Passengers To Be Sued Over Imams' Removal

Six Muslim men removed from a plane last fall after being accused of suspicious behavior are suing not only the airline but the passengers who complained, a move some fear could discourage travelers from speaking up when they see something unusual.

The civil rights lawsuit, filed earlier this month, has so alarmed some lawyers that they are offering to defend the unnamed "John Doe" passengers free of charge. They say it is vital that the flying public be able to report suspicious behavior without fear of being dragged into court.

"When you drive up the road towards the airport, there's a big road sign that says, `Report suspicious behavior," said Gerry Nolting, a Minneapolis lawyer. "There's no disclaimer that adds, `But beware if you do that, you might get sued."

The six imams were taken off a Phoenix-bound US Airways flight on Nov. 20 while returning home from a conference of Islamic clerics in Minneapolis.

Other passengers had gotten nervous when the men were seen praying and chanting in Arabic as they waited to board. Some passengers also said that the men spoke of Saddam Hussein and cursed the United States; that they requested seat belt extenders with heavy buckles and stowed them under their seats; that they were moving about and conferring with each other during boarding; and that they sat separately in seats scattered through the cabin.

The plane was cleared for a security sweep, nothing was found, and the jet took off without the imams.

The Muslim clerics say they were humiliated, and are seeking unspecified damages from the airline, the Minneapolis airport and, potentially, the John Does.

Omar Mohammedi, the New York City attorney for the imams, said the intent is not to go after passengers who raise valid concerns about security. But he suggested some passengers may have acted in bad faith out of prejudice.

"As an attorney, I have seen a lot of abuse by the general public when it comes to members of the community creating stories that do not exist," Mohammedi said.

He denied the imams were talking about Saddam, and said that their seats were assigned and that they requested extenders because their seat belts didn't fit.

Some fear such lawsuits could weaken what has become the first line of defense against terrorism since Sept. 11 — an alert public. At airports and train and subway stations around the country, travelers are routinely warned to watch for unattended bags and suspicious activity and to notify authorities.

In reaction to the imams' lawsuit, Congress has taken steps to legally protect passengers who report suspicious activity. Earlier this week, the House approved an amendment to a rail transportation security bill that would make passengers immune from such lawsuits, unless they say something they know is false.

Mohammedi said he has not yet identified any of the complaining passengers. An airport police report listed a passenger and two US Airways employees as complaining about the imams. All three had their names blacked out before the lawsuit was filed by invoking a Minnesota law that allows it, airport spokesman Pat Hogan said.

Nolting said he has been contacted by several potential John Does.

Passenger Pat Snelson, who lives in a Twin Cities suburb, said he and his wife were not among those who reported suspicious behavior. But he said his wife noticed the men praying, and he saw them moving around the cabin while others were boarding.

"These guys were up to no good," Snelson said. "We think the airport people did a real good job in taking care of it."

Bomb-sniffing dogs examined the men and their baggage. FBI agents and other federal law enforcement officers questioned the men for several hours before releasing them.

Billie Vincent, a former director of security for the Federal Aviation Administration, said he is troubled by the mere attempt to identify the passengers who raised concerns.

Airline passengers "are your eyes and your ears," said Vincent, who now owns an aviation security company. "If attorneys can get those names and sue them, you put a chilling effect on the whole system."


Read More Here: Muslims offer to help 'John Does' sued by imams.

Michelle Malkin Has This

And Some Good News Out of Conress for a Change: Flying imams bill in House

How the British Were Captured by Iranian Gunboats

The British sailors and marines being held by Iran were ambushed at their most vulnerable moment, while climbing down the ladder of a merchant ship and trying to get into their bobbing inflatables.

Out of sight of their warship and without any helicopter cover, their only link to their commanders was a communications device beaming their position by satellite.

That went dead as they were captured. One theory is that it was thrown overboard to prevent the Iranians getting hold of the equipment and the information it contained.

The Ministry of Defence released the coordinates of the searched vessel yesterday to prove that the Iranian Revolutionary Guards made an unprovoked and improper attack in Iraqi waters.

The Iranians also blundered in diplomatic talks by giving the British their own compass reference for the place where they said the 14 men and one woman had been seized. When Britain plotted these on a map and pointed out that the spot was in Iraq's maritime area, the Iranians came up with a new set of coordinates, putting the seizure in their own waters.

The speed and cunning shown by the Revolutionary Guards has raised suspicions that their action was premeditated. A senior military officer described it as "deliberate".

It took only three minutes for the Iranians, moving at 40 knots, to move from their legitimate positions monitoring shipping in their waters to come alongside the British last Friday morning.

The sailors and marines from HMS Cornwall were in the Gulf, working under a United Nations mandate to protect Iraq from smuggling and threats to the oil industry, when an Indian-flagged vessel came under suspicion.

It was in shallow waters and the Cornwall was unable to go alongside without grounding. A boarding party jumped into two ribbed inflatable boats, or RIBs, and set out to investigate.

A helicopter hovered to observe the boarding but, after confirming that the Indian vessel was peaceful and friendly, returned to the ship. The Cornwall stayed in contact with the two launch boats via a communications link providing a GPS satellite position.

After the successful boarding of the innocent Indian vessel, the Britons began returning to their RIBs. At that moment one Iranian patrol vessel came alongside, adopting a friendly posture. As a second Iranian vessel arrived, the Revolutionary Guards turned aggressive.

HMS Cornwalllost communications with the launch boats and sent up the helicopter to investigate. The air crew watched as the small British inflatables were forced towards Iran. By now, up to four Iranian Revolutionary Guard vessels were swarming round the Britons.

Although the seizure has been widely linked to the taking of five Iranians by US forces in Iraq, Iranian diplomats have ruled this out. They say that there is no relation between the Britons' seizure and any other bilateral, regional or international issue.

From the start, the Iranian Ambassador to London gave British diplomats a set of coordinates for the location of the confrontation.

Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, told the Iranian Foreign Minister that these compass points actually indicated a spot clearly in Iraqi waters. She tried to give Iran an exit route by suggesting that it might all be a misunderstanding that could be resolved by an immediate release of the captives.

On Sunday, the helicopter from HMS Cornwall flew back over the Indian vessel, which was still anchored and had drifted only slightly. A photograph was taken of an airman holding a GPS device. The coordinates on this picture, the MoD insists, prove that the Britons were comfortably within Iraqi waters when captured.

On Monday, Iran surprised Britain by coming up with a "corrected" set of coordinates. "The two Iranian positions are just under a nautical mile apart, 1,800 yards or so," Vice Admiral Charles Style, a Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff, said yesterday.

Mrs Beckett told the Iranian Foreign Minister that she could not accept the Iranians' version of events. She told MPs in the House of Commons that it was "impossible to believe, given the seriousness of the incident, that the Iranians could have made such a mistake with the original coordinates, which after all they gave us over several days".

Outgunned

The two Iranian patrol ships that seized the Britons were equipped with rocket propelled grenades and heavy machine guns, enough for a small sea battle. By contrast, the Britons go lightly armed on vessels they search in the Gulf. Each man is issued with a rifle or a pistol

The Iranians struck at a vulnerable moment when the Britons were climbing down a ladder to jump into their inflatables

The Royal Navy does train its men in the techniques needed to fight at just such a dangerous stage. "They had all the rights available to act in self-defence under law," a senior military officer said. But they were in an "almost impossible position"

A similar decision to hold fire was taken by the six Royal Marines and two sailors captured by Iran in 2004 in similar circumstances. Scott Fallon, a former marine, said they did think about shooting their way free but knew it would be hopeless. He told BBC Radio 4: "They had antiaircraft guns. We would have stood no chance"

Poll: 91% of Americans Believe in God

The latest NEWSWEEK poll shows that 91 percent of American adults surveyed believe in God and nearly half reject the theory of evolution.

A belief in God and an identification with an organized religion are widespread throughout the country, according to the latest NEWSWEEK poll. Nine in 10 (91 percent) of American adults say they believe in God and almost as many (87 percent) say they identify with a specific religion.

Christians far outnumber members of any other faith in the country, with 82 percent of the poll's respondents identifying themselves as such. Another 5 percent say they follow a non Christian faith, such as Judaism or Islam. Nearly half (48 percent) of the public rejects the scientific theory of evolution; one third (34 percent) of college graduates say they accept the Biblical account of creation as fact.

Seventy three percent of Evangelical Protestants say they believe that God created humans in their present form within the last 10,000 years; 39 percent of non Evangelical Protestants and 41 percent of Catholics agree with that view.

Although one in ten (10 percent) of Americans identify themselves as having "no religion," only six percent said they don't believe in a God at all. Just 3 percent of the public self identifies as atheist, suggesting that the term may carry some stigma. Still, the poll suggests that the public’s tolerance of this small minority has increased in recent years.

Sunnis Try to Drive Al-Qaeda out of Iraq

Sunni insurgent groups that were previously allied with Al-Qaeda in Iraq have turned against it, killing its leaders, attacking its supporters and vowing to drive it out of the country.

At least two Al-Qaeda commanders have been killed by Iraqi insurgents in Baghdad. Others have been forced to flee after insurgents passed their details to US and Iraqi commanders. Fierce fighting has broken out between insurgent groups and Al Qaeda in Anbar province, west of Baghdad.

Some senior Sunni insurgents believe that Al-Qaeda in Iraq shares the agenda of Iranian-backed Shi'ite militias to plunge the country into ever more violent sectarian conflict rather than concentrating on the fight against the US led coalition.

"Both Al-Qaeda and Iran seem to have an identical agenda to try to widen the sectarian split between Sunnis and Shi'ites, maintaining instability," Abu Baker, a commander in the 20th Revolutionary Brigade, told The Sunday Times last week. "They stepped up their attacks on innocent Iraqi people and we could not accept that.""

A senior commander in the Islamic Army said Zubaie had promised not only to help to unify the Sunni groups but also to provide them with financial and logistical support to stop Iranian infiltration.

The insurgent groups set out to "cleanse" parts of Baghdad of Al-Qaeda influence. Shaker Zuwaini, an Al Qaeda emir, was assassinated by the 20th Revolutionary Brigade in the Adel district of Baghdad. The emir of the Amiriya district was also killed and another commander was chased away from the Khadra district.

Friday, March 30, 2007

U.S. to Attack Iran in April ?

Recently I have found several references to a report that the U.S. is planning an attack on Iran on April 6th. One has to wonder if this may be why the Iranians took these 15 British Servicemen hostage. They probably believe that with these servicemen in custody, the Coalition will not go through with the attack, not wanting to kill or injure the hostages or fear that the Iranians will do so as a result of the attack.

However, the Iranians may have given the Coalition even more justification than the refusal to stop enriching Uranium, in taking hostages who were clearly in Iraqi waters.

In my opinion this is an act of desperation by Iran. It is the only reason that makes any sense here.

Then again this reported leak could be a way to get the Iranians to stop enriching Uranium and to return the hostages safely, or it could be an all out fabrication.

One will have to wait and see.

Read More Here:
http://forum.mpacuk.org/showthread.php?p=316861

http://www.peacechicken.com/2007/03/26/war-on-iran-coming-april-6th/

http://www.irandefence.net/showthread.php?t=12234

http://fr.rian.ru/world/20070319/62260006.html

http://fr.rian.ru/world/20070321/62387717.html

http://newsru.com/world/30mar2007/bite.html

(The text below is a tranlation of this story provided by Google)

Related Item Here:
http://www.irandefence.net/showthread.php?t=12234



"The long awaited US military attack on Iran is now on track for the first week of April, specifically for 4 AM on April 6, the Good Friday opening of Easter weekend, writes the well-known Russian journalist Andrei Uglanov in the Moscow weekly "Argumenty Nedeli." Uglanov cites Russian military experts close to the Russian General Staff for his account.

The attack is slated to last for twelve hours, according to Uglanov, lasting from 4 AM until 4 PM local time. Friday is a holiday in Iran. In the course of the attack, code named Operation Bite, about 20 targets are marked for bombing; the list includes uranium enrichment facilities, research centers, and laboratories.

The first reactor at the Bushehr nuclear plant, where Russian engineers are working, is supposed to be spared from destruction. The US attack plan reportedly calls for the Iranian air defense system to be degraded, for numerous Iranian warships to be sunk in the Persian Gulf, and the for the most important headquarters of the Iranian armed forces to be wiped out.

The attacks will be mounted from a number of bases, including the island of Diego Garcia in the Indian Ocean. Diego Garcia is currently home to B-52 bombers equipped with standoff missiles. Also participating in the air strikes will be US naval aviation from aircraft carriers in the Persian Gulf, as well as from those of the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean. Additional cruise missiles will be fired from submarines in the Indian Ocean and off the coast of the Arabian peninsula. The goal is allegedly to set back Iran's nuclear program by several years, writes Uglanov, whose article was re-issued by RIA-Novosti in various languages, but apparently not English, several days ago. The story is the top item on numerous Italian and German blogs, but so far appears to have been ignored by US websites.

Observers comment that this dispatch represents a high-level orchestrated leak from the Kremlin, in effect a war warning, which draws on the formidable resources of the Russian intelligence services, and which deserves to be taken with the utmost seriousness by pro-peace forces around the world.

Asked by RIA-Novosti to comment on the Uglanov report, retired Colonel General Leonid Ivashov confirmed its essential features in a March 21 interview: "I have no doubt that there will be an operation, or more precisely a violent action against Iran." Ivashov, who has reportedly served at various times as an informal advisor to Putin, is currently the Vice President of the Moscow Academy for Geopolitical Sciences.

Ivashov attributed decisive importance to the decision of the Democratic leadership of the US House of Representatives to remove language from the just-passed Iraq supplemental military appropriations bill which would have demanded that Bush come to Congress before launching an attack on Iran. Ivashov pointed out that the language was eliminated under pressure from AIPAC, the lobbing group representing the Israeli extreme right, and of Israeli Foreign Minister Tsipi Livni.

"We have drawn the unmistakable conclusion that this operation will take place," said Ivashov. In his opinion, the US planning does not include a land operation: " Most probably there will be no ground attack, but rather massive air attacks with the goal of annihilating Iran's capacity for military resistance, the centers of administration, the key economic assets, and quite possibly the Iranian political leadership, or at least part of it," he continued.

Ivashov noted that it was not to be excluded that the Pentagon would use smaller tactical nuclear weapons against targets of the Iranian nuclear industry. These attacks could paralyze everyday life, create panic in the population, and generally produce an atmosphere of chaos and uncertainty all over Iran, Ivashov told RIA-Novosti. "This will unleash a struggle for power inside Iran, and then there will be a peace delegation sent in to install a pro-American government in Teheran," Ivashov continued. One of the US goals was, in his estimation, to burnish the image of the current Republican administration, who would now be able to boast that they had wiped out the Iranian nuclear program."


Another British Hostage 'Confesses'

Iranian Arabic language network Al Alam on Friday aired new video showing one of 15 British detainees apologizing to Iranians for "entering your waters without permission."

The British government responded by criticizing the treatment of the sailors and marines, with Prime Minister Tony Blair saying Iran faces "increasing isolation" for refusing to release the service personnel.

The video showed three UK personnel seated in front of a floral backdrop, with one of them later appearing on camera to read a confession to what Tehran claims was their illegal entry into Iranian territory a week ago.Watch detained British sailor make his 'confession'

"I deeply apologize for entering your waters," said the serviceman, identified as Nathan Thomas Summers of Hayle in Cornwall, southwest England.

"On the 23rd of March 2007 in Iranian waters we trespassed without permission," he said looking at someone or something off camera.

"I'd like to apologize for entering your waters without any permission. I know it happened back in 2004 and I know our government promised that it wouldn't happen again. Again I do apologize for entering your waters."

Summers added: "Since we've been arrested in Iran our treatment has been very friendly, we have not been harmed at all.

Friday's video showed three UK personnel seated in front of a floral backdrop, with one of them identified as Nathan Thomas Summers appearing later on camera to read a confession to what Tehran claims was their illegal entry into Iranian territory a week ago.

One of those shown in the video is Turney, while the third serviceman has not been identified.

Watch the Video of Confession

Talk Show America 3/30/2007

UN to Iran: Release the Hostages

Diplomatic knuckles were bared yesterday as the UN Security Council issued a statement calling on Iran to release 15 British sailors and marines seized last week by the Iranian military in the Persian Gulf.

The rebuke was a mild one, expressing "grave concern," and calling for "an early resolution of the problem." After four hours of heated debate, the divided council dropped stronger language censuring Iran, and the statement did not say, as Britain had hoped, that the British patrol vessels had been in Iraqi waters.

But even that low-key wording drew an angry response from Iran's UN mission, which shot back that the "British government's attempt to engage third parties" in the case was "not helpful." Iran's top negotiator Ali Larijani had already warned that Britain had "miscalculated" in taking its grievance to the Security Council, saying "they have created a ballyhoo" that would not resolve the issue.

Tensions rose earlier when Iran backtracked on an offer to release Faye Turney, the only woman in the group of British sailors and marines, broadcasting a video clip of her "confessing" she had "trespassed" inside Iranian waters, and demanding an apology from Britain.

Tensions rose earlier when Iran backtracked on an offer to release Faye Turney, the only woman in the group of British sailors and marines, broadcasting a video clip of her "confessing" she had "trespassed" inside Iranian waters, and demanding an apology from Britain.

Yesterday, Iran released another letter it claimed had been written by Turney, 26, that also said her group had "entered into Iranian waters," which Britain strenuously denies.

Read More Here: Toronto Star

Talk Show America 3/30/2007

US/Iraqi Forces Capture Terrorist Linked to Iranian EFPs

The U.S. military announced the capture Friday of a suspected militant linked to the import into Iraq of sophisticated roadside bombs that the Americans have asserted are coming from Iran.

The suspect, who was detained by U.S. and Iraqi forces during a raid in the Shiite militia stronghold of Sadr City, was believed to be tied to networks bringing the weapons known as explosively formed projectiles, or EFPs, into Iraq, the military said.

The suspect was believed to be involved with several violent extremist groups responsible for attacks against Iraqis and U.S. led forces, according to the statement.

It did not name the suspect or the groups, but the U.S. military has asserted in recent months that Iran's Revolutionary Guards and Quds force have been providing Shiite militias with weapons and parts for sophisticated armor piercing bombs. The EFPs are responsible for the deaths of more than 170 American and coalition soldiers since mid 2004, the military says.

The raid began at 2 a.m. and targeted four houses, and the American and Iraqi troops seized money, a computer and several cell phones.

Thursday, March 29, 2007

Is Pelosi Refusing to Support British on Iran?

Pelosi, not to be outdone by Rosie O'Donnell, refuses to support our allies....J.R.


According to the blog Powerline:

It's hard to believe, but that's what we're hearing from Capitol Hill. A resolution has been proposed in the House of Representatives that condemns Iran for the seizure of British sailors and marines, expresses support for our British allies. It's hard to see anything controversial in that. But apparently, the resolution has languished all week while Pelosi refuses to allow it to come to the floor.


Earlier today, Congressman Eric Cantor wrote the following letter to Pelosi:

Dear Madam Speaker: Fifteen kidnapped British marines and sailors recently became the latest victims of a systematic Iranian campaign of terror and international defiance. The illegal seizure of the British forces is a signal that Iran views us as powerless to prevent it from realizing its aggressive ambitions.

For the sake of our standing in the world, our allies and most importantly the 15 British personnel and their families, I urge you to bring H. Res. 267 to the floor today before we adjourn. The resolution calls for the immediate and unconditional release of the British marines and sailors. It would also call on the U.N. Security Council to not only condemn the seizure, but to explore harsher sanctions to counter the growing Iranian threat.


A Republican Congressional staffer writes:

It is simply staggering to me that Pelosi refuses to stand beside America's closest ally. I literally would not have thought this possible, until I saw it this week.

Talk Show America 3/30/2007

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

Proof: Brit Navy Personnel Were in Iraqi Waters


The Ministry of Defence has presented evidence which shows that the fifteen personnel detained by Iranian authorities on Friday 23 March 2007 were operating in Iraqi waters when they were seized.


"On 23 March a boarding team consisting of seven Royal Marines and eight sailors - who were embarked in two of HMS CORNWALL's boats - conducted a routine boarding of an Indian flagged Merchant Vessel which was cooperative throughout. They investigated this vessel after witnessing her unloading cars into two barges secured alongside. Since early March the force has conducted 66 routine boardings. So the one that I'm talking about was entirely routine business, and conducted in a particular area where four other boardings have been completed recently.

"As shown on the chart, the merchant vessel was 7.5 nautical miles south east of the Al Faw Peninsula and clearly in Iraqi territorial waters. Her master has confirmed that his vessel was anchored within Iraqi waters at the time of the arrest. The position was 29 degrees 50.36 minutes North 048 degrees 43.08 minutes East. This places her 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi territorial waters. This fact has been confirmed by the Iraqi Foreign Ministry."

"The Iranian government has provided us with two different positions for the incident. The first we received on Saturday and the second on Monday. As this map shows, the first of these points still lies within Iraqi territorial waters. We pointed this out to them on Sunday in diplomatic contacts.

"After we did this, they then provided a second set of coordinates that places the incident in Iranian waters over two nautical miles from the position given by HMS CORNWALL and confirmed by the merchant vessel. The two Iranian positions are just under a nautical mile apart – 1800 yards or so. It is hard to understand a reason for this change of coordinates. We unambiguously contest both the positions provided by the Iranians.

"I should just explain at this point that the boats remained connected at this point. One of the seaboats was connected via data link, which communicated its position continually to the ship where it was displayed, superimposed on an electronic chart, on a purpose built console. During the boarding this console was constantly monitored and indicated, throughout, that the boats had remained well within Iraqi territorial waters.

"Our boarding started at 0739 local time and was completed at 0910 with the merchant vessel having been cleared to continue with her business. Communications were lost with the boarding team as the boarding was finishing … at 0910. HMS CORNWALL's Lynx helicopter, which had been covering the initial stages of the boarding, immediately returned to the scene to locate the boarding team.

"The helicopter reported that the two seaboats were being escorted by Iranian Islamic Republican Guard Navy vessels towards the Shatt 'Al Arab Waterway and were now inside Iranian territorial waters. Debriefing of the helicopter crew and a conversation with the master of the merchant ship both indicate that the boarding team were ambushed while disembarking from the merchant vessel. Both boats were equipped with a GPS chart plotter.

"On Sunday morning, 25 March, HMS CORNWALL's Lynx conducted an overflight of the merchant vessel, which was still at anchor, and once again confirmed her location on Global Positioning System equipment. Her Master confirmed that his vessel had remained at anchor since Friday, and was in Iraqi territorial waters.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, my primary message is clear. HMS CORNWALL with her boarding party was going about her legal business in Iraqi Territorial waters, under a United Nations Security Council Resolution, with the explicit approval of the Iraqi government."

"The action by Iranian forces in arresting and detaining our people is unjustified and wrong. As such it is a matter of deep concern to us and the families of the people who have been taken. We continue not only to call for their safe, but for their safe and speedy, return, and we continue to seek immediate consular access to them as a prelude to their release."



Read More Here: MOD briefing proves Royal Navy personnel were in Iraqi waters

Talk Show America 3/29/2007



Iran Shows Video of British crew

Iranian state TV showed video Wednesday of 15 British sailors and marines who were seized last week, including a female captive in a white tunic and a black head scarf who said the British boats had "trespassed" in Iranian waters.

Britain called the broadcast "completely unacceptable" and said it was concerned that the statements from sailor Faye Turney were coerced. The British government earlier released what it called proof the boat crews were seized in Iraqi waters, and said it was freezing all contacts with Iran except negotiations to release them.

Iran's foreign minister said Turney, the only female captive would be freed on Wednesday or Thursday, but British Prime Minister Tony Blair's office said it had received no confirmation of that.

The British military said its vessels were 1.7 nautical miles inside Iraqi waters when they were taken Friday, and it released what it said were the GPS coordinates that proved that.

Several hours later, Tehran broadcast the video on an Arabic-language satellite channel, along with a letter from Turney saying the sailors and marines were inside Iranian waters when they were captured.

"Obviously we trespassed into their waters," Turney said, sitting by herself against a floral curtain and smoking a cigarette.

"They were very friendly and very hospitable, very thoughtful, nice people. They explained to us why we've been arrested, there was no harm, no aggression," she said.

Turney, 26, was also shown eating with several fellow sailors and marines.

What appeared to be a handwritten note from Turney to her family said, in part, "I have written a letter to the Iranian people to apologize for us entering their waters."

The letter said Turney sent her love to her family and 3-year-old daughter.

"Please don't worry about me," the letter said. "I am staying strong. Hopefully it won't be long until I am home to get ready for Molly's birthday party with a present from the Iranian people."

Before the video was broadcast, a Blair spokesman said any showing of British personnel on TV would be a breach of the Geneva Conventions. The chief spokesman for the International Committee of the Red Cross declined to comment, saying the ICRC was not involved.

"It's completely unacceptable for these pictures to be shown on television," the Foreign Office said after the broadcast. "There is no doubt our personnel were seized in Iraqi territorial waters."

The statement also demanded that British diplomats be given immediate access to them as a "prelude" to their release.

The Foreign Office said it had "grave concerns" about Turney's state of mind when she spoke on video.

"I am very concerned about these pictures and any indication of pressure on or coercion of our personnel," said Foreign Secretary Margaret Beckett. She added that Britain had "comprehensively demonstrated today that our personnel were operating inside Iraqi territorial waters."

Blair told the House of Commons that "there was no justification whatever for their detention, it was completely unacceptable, wrong and illegal."

"We had hoped to see their immediate release, this has not happened. It is now time to ratchet up the diplomatic and international pressure in order to make sure the Iranian government understands its total isolation on this issue," Blair said.


Vice Adm. Charles Style told reporters that the Iranians had provided a position on Sunday, a location that he said was in Iraqi waters. By Tuesday, Iranian officials had given a revised position two miles east, placing the British inside Iranian waters, a claim he said was not verified by global positioning system coordinates.


"It is hard to understand a legitimate reason for this change of coordinates," Style said.

Style gave the satellite coordinates of the British crew as 29 degrees 50.36 minutes north latitude and 048 degrees 43.08 minutes east longitude, and said it had been confirmed by an Indian-flagged merchant ship boarded by the sailors and marines.


See Video Here: Iranian TV Airs Seized Sailor Interview

More Video Here: Standoff Between Iran and Britain Heats Up

Russian Intel: U.S. military Buildup on Iran Border

According to an article in the RIA Novosti:

Russian military intelligence services are reporting a flurry of activity by U.S. Armed Forces near Iran's borders, a high-ranking security source said Tuesday.

"The latest military intelligence data point to heightened U.S. military preparations for both an air and ground operation against Iran," the official said, adding that the Pentagon has probably not yet made a final decision as to when an attack will be launched.


He said the Pentagon is looking for a way to deliver a strike against Iran "that would enable the Americans to bring the country to its knees at minimal cost."

He also said the U.S. Naval presence in the Persian Gulf has for the first time in the past four years reached the level that existed shortly before the invasion of Iraq in March 2003.

Col.-Gen. Leonid Ivashov, vice president of the Academy of Geopolitical Sciences, said last week that the Pentagon is planning to deliver a massive air strike on Iran's military infrastructure in the near future.

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

US Airways Passengers Who Reported 'Suspicious' Imam Activity May Be Sued

Six Muslim imams who were forcibily removed from a US Airways flight last year and are now suing the airline for discrimination may also be suing some passengers who were aboard the flight.

In the lawsuit filed last week, the imams say that unnamed "John Doe" passengers at the Minneapolis- St. Paul International Airport reported that they engaged in "suspicious" behavior — praying in the terminal — before they boarded the plane on Nov. 20.

Omar Mohammedi, the imams' New York-based lawyer, said that the imams have not yet decided whether to pursue this complaint, but if they do it would affect only those passengers who were prejudiced in their suspicions.

"I think there is a difference between someone reporting suspicious activity and someone making false reports about a fact that did not exist," Mohammedi said. "We are not saying that people should not report; we are saying people should not abuse that process just because someone was praying or someone looked religious."

He said that if the passengers were suspicious based only on the imams' appearance, "then they should be liable . . . these people should be careful not to abuse the process and be responsible. "

The lawsuit alleges that US Airways unlawfully removed the six imams from Flight 300 for discriminatory reasons based on race, religion, ethnicity, or other outside appearances when they tried to board a flight to Phoenix after attending a North American Imams Federation conference.

The lawsuit says US Airways has "falsely claimed" the imams' "suspicious" behavior, including saying "God is Great" in Arabic on the plane, talking about President Bush and Iraq and purchased one-way tickets with cash. Passengers also reported that some of the imams asked for seat belt extenders and switched seats.

Click here to read the full police report.

Poll: Gingrich Receives Big Backing on Web

An Internet poll sponsored by NewsMax.com reveals that an overwhelming number of Americans — nearly 7 in 10 respondents — favor former House Speaker Newt Gingrich as their presidential candidate in 2008.

The unscientific poll of nearly 90,000 people also shows that Gingrich would win handily in a GOP primary race against both Rudolph Giuliani and John McCain.

The results are surprising considering that Gingrich has not even announced that he would run for the White House. The popular conservative said he won’t make a decision until the fall, although he has been raising money with his new organization, American Solutions for Winning the Future, possibly laying the groundwork for a presidential campaign.

Here are the poll questions and results:

1) What is your overall opinion of Newt Gingrich?

Favorable: 87 percent

Unfavorable: 10 percent

No Opinion: 3 percent

2) Is Newt Gingrich your candidate for president in 2008?

Yes: 68 percent

No: 32 percent

3) In the following field, who is your 2008 candidate?

John McCain: 2 percent

Condi Rice: 4 percent

Mike Huckabee: 2 percent

Mitt Romney: 6 percent

Rudy Giuliani: 12 percent

Tom Tancredo: 5 percent

Ron Paul: 2 percent

Newt Gingrich: 58 percent

Duncan Hunter: 1 percent Other: 10 percent

4) In a Republican primary of Newt vs. Rudy Giuliani and John McCain, who would you vote for?

Rudy Giuliani: 17 percent

John McCain: 5 percent

Newt Gingrich: 78 percent

5) If the 2008 President race was between Newt Gingrich and Hillary Clinton, who would you vote for?

Newt Gingrich: 95 percent

Hillary Clinton: 5 percent

Zogby Poll: Media Bias is Real

The vast majority of American voters believe media bias is alive and well, 83% of likely voters said the media is biased in one direction or another, while just 11% believe the media doesn't take political sides, a recent IPDI/Zogby Interactive poll shows.

Nearly two thirds of those online respondents who detected bias in the media (64%) said the media leans left, while slightly more than a quarter of respondents (28%) said they see a conservative bias on their TV sets and in their column inches.

While 97% of Republicans surveyed said the media are liberal, two thirds of political independents feel the same, but fewer than one in four independents (23%) said they saw a conservative bias. Democrats, while much more likely to perceive a conservative bias than other groups, were not nearly as sure the media was against them as were the Republicans. While Republicans were unified in their perception of a left-wing media, just two-thirds of Democrats were certain the media skewed right and 17% said the bias favored the left.

The Zogby Interactive survey of 1,757 likely voters nationwide was conducted Feb. 20-26, 2007, and has a margin of error of +/- 2.4 percentage points.

Iraqi, Coalition Troops Begin Clearing Operation in Ramadi

Iraqi security and coalition forces began a major operation to clear al Qaeda from western Ramadi in Iraq's Anbar province, military officials reported today.

Task Force 1-9 Infantry and Iraqi army soldiers and police began offensive operations this morning to establish and maintain security in downtown Ramadi.

"This operation will benefit the people of Ramadi by establishing security and providing basic services and necessities," Army Col. John Charlton, commander of 1st Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, said.

"Al Qaeda has intimidated the people of Ramadi through murder, kidnapping and the destruction of their city," he said. "The sons of Anbar are here to establish and maintain security."

This is the fourth large-scale operation planned and coordinated by Iraqi security and coalition forces in Ramadi since the 1st BCT assumed control of the region in mid-February.

In other news from Iraq, coalition forces killed five terrorists and detained 22 suspected terrorists in operations during the past week targeting foreign fighter facilitation and al Qaeda in Iraq networks, military officials reported.

During a four-day operation near Karmah, coalition forces killed two terrorists after receiving enemy fire and detained 10 suspected terrorists. Three hostages were liberated and treated for injuries they suffered while in captivity.

Several weapons caches were discovered, consisting of five anti-aircraft heavy machine guns, 12 rocket-propelled grenade launchers, homemade rocket launchers, mortar tubes, 57 mm rockets, improvised explosive devices, and multiple wired propane tanks. The caches were destroyed at the scene to prevent future use by terrorists.

Coalition forces conducted a raid targeting known foreign fighter facilitators operating near Taji today, officials said. During the raid of one site, coalition forces encountered and killed an armed terrorist.

Two more terrorists ran from a targeted building and set up defensive positions along the embankment of an irrigation canal. Coalition forces used self-defense measures, killing the two terrorists, officials said. Near the targeted site, four suspected terrorists surrendered and were detained. Women and children were present during the operations, but none were injured.

"Terrorists continue to deliberately place innocent Iraqi women and children in danger by operating among them," rmy Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, said. "Coalition forces take extensive precautions to protect civilians while in pursuit of terrorists."

Coalition forces also captured seven suspected terrorists southwest of Karbala today during a raid targeting foreign fighter facilitators. Also, suspect with alleged ties to al Qaeda in Iraq was detained north of Karmah.

Elsewhere in Iraq, coalition and Iraqi forces discovered a cache containing homemade explosives southwest of Radwaniyah yesterday, officials reported.

Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion, 14th Infantry Regiment "Golden Dragons," 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division, discovered the explosives, totaling 700 pounds, in potato sacks along a reed line during a combat patrol.

The contents of the cache were destroyed during a controlled detonation conducted by an explosive ordnance disposal team.

Meanwhile in Baghdad yesterday, Iraqi security forces and Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers continued operations in support of Operation Fardh al-Qanoon to help set on-going conditions for a stable and self-reliant Iraq, officials report.

In the past week, elements from this MND-B unit have conducted 138 missions, resulting in the discovery of 21 improvised explosive devises successfully taking these insurgent-driven threats off the streets.

Finding the IEDs helps provide a more secure area for both the Iraqi people and U.S. and Iraqi security forces operating within the capital, officials said.

In other operations this week, officials report that Iraqi and coalition forces detained 62 suspected terrorists, discovered four improvised explosive devices and found a massive weapons cache in the Mahmudiyah, Iraq area near the QaQaa Weapons Facility, March 23.

Soldiers from the 10th Mountain Division's 2nd Brigade Combat Team detained the suspected terrorists and found the weapons cache during Operation Eagle Dive, an operation intended to disrupt anti-Iraqi forces within the 2nd Battalion, 15th Field Artillery Regiment, area of operations.

During the operation, soldiers discovered a series of small caches and consolidated it into one massive cache.

The nine caches contained a 120 mm mortar tube with a base plate, five 82 mm mortar tubes, a 82 mm base plate, three 82 mm tripods, a complete 60 mm mortar system, a mortar bore brush, 30 boxes of mortar primers, 70 loose mortar fuses, two sniper rifles with scopes, nine 155 mm projectiles, 122 82 mm projectiles, a 105 mm projectile, 122 82 mm projectiles, 106 60 mm projectiles, six rocket-propelled grenade systems, an RPG scope, an RPG night scope, 55 RPG-7 rounds, seven RPG rounds, 15 boxes of PKC ammunition, 18 AK-47s, 10 pounds of unknown explosives, 15 hand grenades, a partial 14.5 mm projectile, a M-759 fuse, 15 complete sets of Iraqi army uniforms, 20 feet of detonation cord, 24 blasting caps, three anti-aircraft platforms, two anti-aircraft barrels, 100 loose rounds, four acetylene tanks, three radios, an 8 mm video tape, various medical supplies, various propaganda compact discs and religious paperwork.

"These caches are probably related to larger trafficking of arms throughout that area," Army Lt. Col. Frank Andrews, the 2nd BCT executive officer, said. "The ... uniforms found in the cache were likely to be used by the terrorists to intimidate local nationals in the area in an effort to discredit the Iraqi army."

The caches were destroyed during a controlled detonation conducted by an explosive ordnance disposal team.

Also during operations, four improvised explosive devices were discovered in the area along one of the main routes leading into the Mahmudiyah area.

Troops Capture Seven Suspects, Find Weapons

Coalition and Iraqi forces captured seven terrorism suspects and destroyed illegal weapons today, military officials reported.

In Mosul, coalition forces captured two suspected terrorists with alleged ties to al Qaeda in Iraq. The suspects were accessing a weapons cache consisting of mortar tubes, rocket-propelled grenades, anti-aircraft rounds and several thousand rounds of small-arms ammunition. The cache was destroyed to prevent future use by terrorists.

A suspect reportedly involved with al Qaeda was detained in Tarmiyah, and another was captured in Fallujah with alleged involvement in a foreign fighter facilitation network.

Iraqi and coalition forces captured three suspected terrorists in Najaf. Intelligence reports indicated individuals in the targeted area were involved with the facilitation of weapons into Iraq.

Coalition, Afghan Forces Make Arrests, Find Weapons

Afghan and coalition troops arrested five suspected terrorists and seized illegal weapons in two operations today, military officials reported.

Afghan forces supported by coalition troops arrested a man near Asadabad, in Kunar province, early this morning. The operation targeted a regional militant commander with connections to roadside-bomb attacks and facilitating the movement of foreign fighters into the province.

In another operation early today, Afghan and coalition forces arrested four Afghan men and uncovered weapons near Jalalabad, in Nangarhar province.

Officials said credible information linked to multiple attacks in the Jalalabad area led the combined force to the compound, where they discovered rocket-propelled grenades and propellant. The rockets were removed from the compound and destroyed.

No shots were fired during either operation, and there were no reports of injuries to civilians or military personnel.

Iraq Headed in the Right Direction

Several positive developments indicate that Iraq's leaders and its people will eventually surmount insurgent violence occurring in the country and ultimately achieve stability, the outgoing U.S. ambassador to Iraq told reporters in Baghdad today.

"In my view, although difficult challenges lie ahead, and there is a long way to go, Iraq is fundamentally headed in the right direction and success is possible," Zalmay Khalilzad said at the news briefing.


Taking stock of the situation in Iraq, Khalilzad said he's buoyed and "cautiously optimistic" about that country's future due to several indicators:

-- The early success of the Operation Law and Order anti-terrorist campaign in Baghdad and western Iraq.

-- The improved performance of Iraqi soldiers and police.

-- The Iraqi government's example of dealing evenhandedly with lawbreakers.

-- More Iraqis are turning their backs on al Qaeda.

-- Some Iraqi insurgent groups have agreed to fight al Qaeda terrorists and work toward reconciliation.

-- Iraq's leaders are reaching out to include all Iraqis in the sharing of the country's oil wealth.

-- Improvement in Iraq's economic situation.

-- Iraqi leaders' comprehensive plan to achieve national reconciliation and stability.

Indeed, ongoing joint U.S., coalition and Iraqi security operations in Baghdad "appear to be having a positive effect," Khalilzad said, noting violence has decreased in Iraq's capital city by about 25 percent since Operation Law and Order began in mid-February.

The Iraqi security forces "are performing better and they are doing better in terms of carrying their share of the burden," Khalilzad pointed out. Iraqis seem to appreciate the presence of their soldiers and police on the streets to help effect stability, he said, noting citizen-provided tips about insurgent activity have been flowing in steadily.

Also, the Iraqi government is bolstering its credibility among its citizens, Khalilzad said, by dispensing justice fairly without discriminating against any one group. Iraqi involvement with al Qaeda is on the wane, Khalilzad said, adding that some insurgent elements have openly turned against al Qaeda.

Some of these insurgents are "in touch with the (Iraqi) government, seeking reconciliation and cooperation in the fight against al Qaeda terrorists," the ambassador said.

And the recent approval of a national hydrocarbon law that shares the nation's oil wealth with all citizens demonstrates that the Iraqi government is reaching out to all Iraqis, Khalilzad said.

Iraq's economic situation is looking up, and the Iraqi government has committed $10 billion for reconstruction programs, the ambassador said.

"Iraqi leaders have also adopted measures on fuel import liberalization, investment law reform and fuel subsidy reductions, as well as maintaining fiscal discipline," said he added.

Iraq's leaders also are taking steps to achieve good relations with neighboring countries, Khalilzad said, while continuing government efforts to achieve reconciliation between the nation's different sects and tribes.

"Also, the United States and Iraq have agreed on a combination of pressure and engagement to create incentives for changes in behavior on the part of states currently seeking to destabilize Iraq," the ambassador said.

Though these are all significant indicators and developments for Iraq, more needs to be accomplished, he said, to maintain the positive momentum.

Poll: Iran Poses Greatest Danger

A recent report from NewsMax stated:

A majority of Americans (59 percent) view Iran as a threat to the United States, and 41 percent believe it is the nation that poses the single greatest danger, a new UPI/Zogby Interactive poll shows.

Many of the Americans polled identify Iran as the greatest threat to the U.S. compared with North Korea (14 percent), Iraq (4 percent) and Afghanistan (4 percent).

Nearly three in four (73 percent) believe that Iran is providing military assistance to Iraqi insurgents, and more than half (56 percent) believe Iran is directly involved in attacks on U.S. troops in Iraq.

Nearly half (45 percent) would disagree that Iran’s help to the Iraqi insurgency would be a sufficient cause for the U.S. to take military action directly against Iran. However, more than a third (37 percent) favor U.S. action against Iran.

The latest UPI/Zogby poll shows that, if the U.S. were to announce that it possesses evidence that Iran has been supporting the Iraqi insurgency, a majority (60 percent) said they would believe the government’s claims. However, 36 percent said they would not be credible.

The vast majority of Republicans (94 percent) would find such intelligence credible, but Democrats are more skeptical – only 29 percent said they would feel the same. More than half of independents (59 percent) said they would believe the government’s claims.

There is also concern about Iran’s motivations for attempting to develop a nuclear program — 39 percent believe Iran would develop a weapon for their own military purposes while 18 percent believe Iran would develop a weapon to sell to terrorist organizations. But nearly a third said Iran aims to balance the nuclear threat posed by other regional nuclear states, such as Israel and Pakistan — just 6 percent said Iran seeks to develop nuclear capability as a means of generating energy.

A majority (64 percent) believes the U.S. has a responsibility to ensure Iran has limits on its nuclear capability.

Torture Case Against Rummy by Sniveling Terrorists Dismissed

Former Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld cannot be tried on allegations of torture in overseas military prisons, a federal judge said Tuesday.

U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan threw out a lawsuit brought on behalf of nine former prisoners in Iraq and Afghanistan. He said Rumsfeld cannot be held personally responsible for actions taken in connection with his government job.

The lawsuit contends the prisoners were beaten, suspended upside down from the ceiling by chains, urinated on, shocked, sexually humiliated, burned, locked inside boxes and subjected to mock executions.

"Despite the horrifying torture allegations," Hogan wrote, he could find no case law supporting the lawsuit, which he previously had described as unprecedented.

Government officials are normally immune from such lawsuits, and foreigners held overseas are not normally afforded U.S. constitutional rights.

Allowing the case to go forward, Hogan said in December, might subject government officials to all sorts of political lawsuits. Even Osama bin Laden could sue, Hogan said, claiming two American presidents threatened to have him murdered.

"There is no getting around the fact that authorizing monetary damages remedies against military officials engaged in an active war would invite enemies to use our own federal courts to obstruct the Armed Forces' ability to act decisively and without hesitation,"
Hogan wrote Tuesday.

Hogan also dismissed the charges against other officials named in the lawsuit: retired Lt. Gen. Ricardo S. Sanchez, former Brig. Gen. Janis L. Karpinski and Col. Thomas M. Pappas.


Read More here: NewsMax

50% of Adults Won't Vote for Hillary

According to a report from NewsMax:

Exactly half of voting-age Americans in a recent Harris Interactive poll indicate they would not vote for Hillary Clinton if she became the Democratic nominee for president in 2008.

The poll, which surveyed 2,223 potential voters, was released Tuesday. It revealed strong, negative opinions of the New York senator, who is viewed as a polarizing figure in American politics.

Nearly half of those polled said they don't like Clinton's political opinions and/or Clinton as a person. A majority - 52 percent - of those polled said "she does not appear to connect with people on a personal level."

Perhaps surprisingly, nearly half (45 percent) of the women polled would not vote for Clinton, while 56 percent of men said they would choose someone else instead. Self-proclaimed seniors (62 years and older) also tilted against Clinton in the poll, with 69 percent showing their disapproval of her as a 2008 candidate.

More than one in five Democrats and 48 percent of self-proclaimed independent voters also said they would choose another candidate over Clinton for 2008.

Insurgents Split from Al Qaeda in Iraq

The LA Times is Reporting that:

Insurgent leaders and Sunni Arab politicians say divisions between insurgent groups and Al-Qaeda in Iraq have widened and have led to combat in some areas of the country, a schism that U.S. officials hope to exploit.

Insurgent leaders from two of the prominent groups fighting U.S. troops said the divisions between their forces and Al-Qaeda are serious. They have led to skirmishes in Al Anbar province, in western Iraq, and have stopped short of combat in Diyala, east of Baghdad, they said in interviews with the Los Angeles Times.

The General Command of the Iraqi Armed Forces, a small Baath Party insurgent faction, told the Los Angeles Times it had split with Al-Qaeda in Iraq last September, after the assassination of two of its members in Al Anbar.

"Al-Qaeda killed two of our best members, the General Mohammed and General Saab, in Ramadi, so we took revenge and now we fight Al-Qaeda,"
said the group's spokesman, who called himself Abu Marwan.

In Diyala, the 1920 Revolution Brigade, a coalition of Islamists and former Baath Party military officers, is on the verge of cutting ties with Al-Qaeda.

"In the past, we agreed in terms of the goal of resisting the occupation and expelling the occupation. We have some disagreements with Qaeda especially about targeting civilians, places of worship, state civilian institutions and services,"
said Haj Mahmoud Abu Bakr, a fighter with the brigade.

The government has proposed a trial cease-fire period to the 1920 Revolution Brigade, the Islamic Army in Iraq and other factions in western Baghdad. In return, the Iraqi government would mount a major reconstruction drive in battle-scarred Sunni areas, a senior member of Prime Minister Maliki's Dawa Party said.

Fred Thompson Gets Some Giuliani Votes in Poll

Ed Morrissey from the Captain's Quarters reports:


USA Today and Gallup offer their latest in polling for both parties in the extended presidential primary race, and a couple of changes have raised eyebrows. First, even the rumor of a bid by Fred Thompson has dented Rudy Giuliani's momentum, while John McCain's decline in support appears to have leveled off:

"On the Republican side, former Tennessee senator Fred Thompson shook up the field with his announcement that he would consider getting into the presidential race. Thompson is familiar as the actor who plays District Attorney Arthur Branch on NBC's Law and Order. Chosen by 12% of Republican and Republican-leaning voters, Thompson is third in the Republican field. He trails former New York mayor Rudy Giuliani, at 31%, and Arizona Sen. John McCain, at 22%. Former House speaker Newt Gingrich is at 8%."

"Thompson's support seems to come largely from voters who had supported Giuliani. In the USA TODAY poll taken March 2-4, Giuliani's standing had been 13 percentage points higher, at 44%. McCain's support had been 2 points lower then."

"What does this mean? Conservatives who have supported Giuliani for his leadership and electability -- and plenty of them have -- would desert Rudy if a credible, consistent conservative entered the race... Thompson['s]... eight years in the Senate have left a more credible sense of consistency and center-right politics than Giuliani brings to the race. And according to the Post's blog The Sleuth, Thompson has begun seriously considering a run -- and has met with GOP powerhouse advisor Ed Gillespie."


Romney fared poorly in this poll... That has to be disappointing, especially since Hugh Hewitt's political biography and Romney's appearance at CPAC should have set the stage for a significant boost. Has Thompson's potential disrupted Romney's momentum as well? Possibly.

Rosie: Captured Brits a Hoax to Provoke War

Rosie O'Donnell is at it again. This Time she has stated that the captured British Servicemen (and woman)are a hoax being used to provoke war with Iran.

WorldNet Daily Reports That:

TV host Rosie O'Donnell implied today the Iranian seizure of British sailors was a hoax to provide President Bush with an excuse to go to war with Tehran.

In a discussion about the 15 British personnel seized Friday for allegedly entering Iranian waters, the controversial co-host of ABC's "The View" correlated the event to the Gulf of Tonkin incident that propelled the U.S. into the Vietnam War. President Johnson's administration was accused of provoking one incident in 1964 in the Gulf of Tonkin and making up another as a pretext for war.

O'Donnell, according to the media watchdog Newsbusters, said:
"But interesting with the British sailors, there were 15 British sailors and Marines who apparently went into Iranian waters and they were seized by the Iranians. And I have one thing to say: Gulf of Tonkin, Google it. Okay."


After O'Donnell's comment, the dialogue when like this:


JOY BEHAR: Some other time. Some other time.

O'DONNELL: Well, you know...

BARBARA WALTERS: It could be a decision-making time. It's a very difficult situation. It's at the United Nations. It's being examined now. Should there be sanctions? Militarily, we certainly don't seem to be in the position to do something militarily. But it is a decision-making time.

O'DONNELL: Yes, but it's very interesting too that, you know, these guys, they went into the water by mistake right at a time when British and American, you know, they're two, they're pretty much our biggest ally and we're considering whether or not we should go into war with Iran.

BEHAR: But the U.N. was about to sanction them, also have an embargo against Iran. And the, and the timing [unintelligible] so they distracted the whole world with this.

ELISABETH HASSELBECK: Right and they may be about to expel the inspectors right now, too, which could be considered [unintelligible]

O'DONNELL: Right or it could be just the Gulf of Tonkin, which you should all Google.

As WND reported last week, O'Donnell implied the World Trade Center brought down deliberately on Sept. 11, 2001, for the purpose of eliminating records of government investigations into corporate fraud.

The previous week O'Donnell defended 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. During the March 15 broadcast of "The View," she suggested the U.S. government elicited a false confession from Mohammed by using torture, robbing him of his humanity and treating him like an animal.

Listen To Talk Show America 3/27/2007

'Draft Fred Thompson' Movement Growing

According to WorldNet Daily:

The internet is abuzz with new political excitement.

A movement to draft Fred Thompson got started. Or, more precisely, several such movements got started.

The best known was formed by two prominent members of the Tennessee congressional delegation – Reps. Zach Wamp and John J. Duncan, Jr. They will serve as co chairmen of the "Draft Fred Thompson 2008" committee.

But there are a number of other ad hoc draft Thompson groups and websites springing up from coast to coast.

There's the official site of Wamp and Duncan: Fred08.com.

There's Grassrootsvoter.com.

There's DraftFredThompson.com.

And there are the petitions springing up all over.

"It is becoming increasingly obvious that a growing number of Americans want Fred Thompson to join the 2008 presidential campaign," said Wamp. "Senator Thompson's ability to communicate an optimistic vision for America, coupled with his strong conservative credentials, makes him an ideal choice for thousands of our fellow citizens."

For sure, Thompson seems to be exciting the Republican base in Tennessee. His political mentor, former Senate minority leader Howard Baker, has signed on in support. Sen. Bill Frist, former Senate majority leader, who considered a presidential run himself, has said he would support a Thompson bid.

. Gov. Ron Ramsey, the first Republican in that office since 1867, has joined the draft Thompson movement.

A third representative from Tennessee, freshman David Davis, also has agreed to become a member of the committee, according to Wamp and Duncan.

Thompson plans to travel to Washington April 18 to meet with 40-members of Congress interested in a Thompson campaign.

The co-chairmen said they believed scores of other prominent leaders from Tennessee and across the country will be joining the draft movement in the next several weeks.

"I believe that thousands of Americans from every walk of life will join this grass-roots effort," Duncan said. "They will help us send a clear message to Senator Thompson that he should take the next step and announce his candidacy."

Wamp said Thompson
"personifies strength and trust. His charisma, eloquence and exemplary public service have inspired Tennesseans and Americans alike. When I ask my conservative colleagues in Congress if Fred should run, it's like setting off fireworks above the Capitol."

Indeed, this is not a movement confined to Tennessee. Just yesterday, for instance, Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom began a statewide effort to encourage Thompson to get into the race.

"Nebraska Taxpayers for Freedom believes that the political and professional background and aura of Fred Thompson makes him an ideal candidate to continue the Reagan Era legacy,"
said Doug Kagan, chairman of the group.

According to an active member of the movement, there are now more than 4,000 volunteers in all 50 states ready to work full-time to make Thompson the next president. An additional 6,000 are expected shortly.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Hillary Finishes 5th in Democrat Poll

Senator behind Kucinich in survey by Howard Dean's grassroots group

Accordint to WorldNet Daily:

While she's widely regarded as the front-runner, Sen. Hillary Clinton finished a distant fifth behind Dennis Kucinich in a "pulse poll" of Democratic presidential candidates by Howard Dean's grassroots political action committee.

While the online survey is unscientific, the group says it uses such polls as a gauge to assist in its possible endorsement of a candidate.

Clinton was favored by just 8.7 percent of contributors to the Democracy for America survey last week, noted Mark Finkelstein in the Media Research Council blog Newsbusters.

Sen. Barack Obama of Illinois was first at 28 percent and former North Carolina Sen. John Edwards came in second at 25 percent.

The results were as follows, in percentage points:

Barack Obama 28.1

John Edwards 24.6

Other 12.4

Dennis Kucinich 10.3

Hillary Clinton 8.7

Bill Richardson 7.6

Undecided 4.9

Joseph Biden 1.9

Christopher Dodd 0.5

Mike Gravel 0.3

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School Won't Let Students Take Week Off to be With Father Who is on Leave From Iraq

According to the Arizona Daily Star:

Keila Rios could face a dilemma hen her husband comes home to Tucson on leave from Iraq.

She plans to take their children out of school for a week to spend time with their Army dad.

But when she asked for makeup work they could do at home, she initially was told
they'd receive zeroes if they didn't go to class
.

The head of the charter school they attend declared the absences inexcusable and told the Arizona Daily Star that Rios' children would not be allowed to make up missed assignments. It now seems the principal is reconsidering, though that couldn't be confirmed late Thursday.

"I couldn't believe what I was hearing,"
said Rios, 29, of her Monday conversation with Lee Griffin, principal and founder of Children Reaching for the Sky, an elementary charter school at 1844 S. Alvernon Way.

Her husband, Staff Sgt. Enrique Rios, 30, is due home sometime next week for a two-week rest and relaxation leave. Some of it falls during the school's spring break and the family asked for an extra week off.

Keila Rios said Griffin told her that families pull kids out of class for all kinds of reasons — from beauty contests to Disneyland vacations — and said it wouldn't be fair to approve her request for makeup work when he's refused the others.

"I said, 'We're not talking about Disneyland here. Their father has been at war for the last eight months and all we have is this little bit of time together.' God forbid if he goes back to Iraq and something happens to him,"
Keila Rios said.

Enrique Rios, a Cholla High Magnet School graduate, is overseas with the 82nd Airborne Division of Fort Bragg, N.C. His wife and children are living in Tucson with his parents while he's at war.

"I'm disgusted," Enrique Rios wrote in an e-mail to the Star. The principal "obviously isn't a patriot and has no understanding of what it is like to put your life on the line," he said.


Griffin told the Star he is a former soldier himself, and that he supports the troops and sympathizes with the family.

The Rioses are "awesome" parents and their children are exceptional students — but rules are rules, he said in a telephone interview Thursday morning.

"We have a policy saying we don't give out makeup work for unexcused absences. We can't pick and choose and give preferential treatment."

State law gives school principals discretion to decide when an absence is excusable. Several principals contacted Thursday said they'd have no problem accommodating a military family in the Rios' situation.
"Oh my goodness, yes," said Jerry Gallegos, principal of Manzo Elementary School, a public school on the West Side. "If the dad just came back from Iraq, I would honor the parents' wishes."

Clay Connor, principal of Academy of Tucson Elementary School, a Northeast Side charter school, said military families at his school have been in the same situation.

"We would try to come up with a win-win solution," Connor said. "We work with the parents when there are extenuating circumstances."


Read More Here: Arizona Star

Leftist Whackos Want this Polar Bear Cub DEAD!


A German zoo has been told it should let a baby polar bear named Knut die after it was rejected by its mother.

Knut, known as "cuddly Knut", and his twin brother were abandoned shortly after birth in December by 20-year-old Tosca, a former performing polar bear at an East German zoo.

The twin died in freezing conditions but Knut was saved and has since been hand-reared by Berlin Zoo keeper Thomas Doerflein, who sleeps by his side, bottle-feeds him and even plays Elvis Presley songs to him on a guitar, German news reports say.

Reuters says three-month-old Knut has become an unofficial Berlin city mascot and has also starred in a climate change campaign by world-renowned photographer Annie Leibovitz.

But the case has sparked debate over whether it is right for a human to nurture a polar bear.

Animal rights activist Frank Albrecht told Germany's Bild newspaper:
"Hand-rearing a polar bear is not appropriate and is a serious violation of animal rights.

"In fact, the cub should have been killed,"
he said.

However Berlin Zoo has rejected calls for Knut to be put down and says he is strong enough to go on public display soon.

"We are keeping Knut," Berlin Zoo's vet, Andre Schuele, told the BBC.

"He's staying alive. Knut was a healthy baby bear when we found him and so there was no reason for us to put him down ... And there's certainly no reason to do so now."

He said Knut was being left alone for a couple of hours each day and was slowly being weaned off the bottle to help him gain his independence.

He will eventually be introduced to other polar bears at a different zoo, the vet said.

Hat Tip: Mike's America

Poll: Fred Thompson Tied with Hillary

Former Republican Sen. Fred Thompson would be a tough opponent for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton in a presidental election, a new poll shows.

According to the first Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey involving Thompson, the actor turned politician turned actor is neck and neck with Clinton, leading her by a margin of 44 percent to 43 percent.

Thompson, who has not yet officially announced his candidacy, doesn't fare as well against Democratic Sen. Barack Obama. In the poll, Obama leads Thompson 49 percent to 37 percent.

Other results of the poll show:

41 percent of voters have no opinion on Thompson.

36 percent have a favorable opinion of Thompson.

23 percent have an unfavorable opinion of Thompson.

Obama's favorability rating is 54 percent.

Obama's unfavorability rating is 36 percent.

Clinton's favorability rating is 50 percent.

Clinton's unfavorability rating is 48 percent. In a different Rasmussen Reports poll:

46 percent of voters said they would definitely vote against Clinton.

37 percent said they would definitely vote against Obama.

50 percent said they would definitely vote against former House Speaker Newt Gingrich. The margin of sampling error for the survey is +/- 4 percentage points.

Iraq's Sunni Sheiks Join Americans To Fight Al Qaeda

Not long ago it would have been unthinkable: a Sunni sheik allying himself publicly with American forces in a xenophobic city at the epicenter of Iraq's Sunni insurgency.

Today, there is no mistaking whose side Sheik al Rishawi is on. Outside his walled home, a U.S. tank is on permanent guard beside a clutch of towering date palms and a protective dirt berm.

The 36 year old sheik is leading a growing movement of Sunni tribesmen who have turned against al Qaida linked insurgents. The dramatic shift in alliances may have done more in a few months to ease daily street battles and undercut the insurgency here than American forces have achieved in years with arms.

"I was always against these terrorists," Sattar said in an interview inside his American-guarded compound, adjusting a pistol holstered around his waist. "They brainwashed people into thinking Americans were against them. They said foreigners wanted to occupy our land and destroy our mosques. They told us, 'We'll wage a jihad. We'll help you defeat them.'"

The difficult part was convincing others it wasn't true, and that "building an alliance with the Americans was the only solution," Sattar said. His movement, also known as the Anbar Awakening, now counts 41 tribes or sub tribes, though Sattar acknowledges that some groups in the province have yet to join.

"I'd say 20 percent of the credit for the change in Ramadi could be taken by U.S. forces," said Strickland. "The vast majority of the turnaround is due to the sheiks."

Still, Sattar complained the Interior Ministry had given police "one-tenth" the resources they needed from equipment to guns to food, despite promises to do more. Some of the fighters use automatic weapons they brought from home. "If I had the tools, I could wipe al Qaida from Anbar within five months," Sattar said.

Sunday, March 25, 2007

U.S. Would Have Fired on The Iranians

A senior American commander in the Gulf has said his men would have fired on the Iranian Republican Guard rather than let themselves be taken hostage.

In a dramatic illustration of the different postures adopted by British and US forces working together in Iraq, Lt.Cmdr. Erik Horner, who has been working alongside the task force to which the 15 captured Britons belonged, said he was "surprised" the British marines and sailors had not been more aggressive.

Asked by The Independent whether the men under his command would have fired on the Iranians, he said:

"Agreed. Yes. I don't want to second-guess the British after the fact but our rules of engagement allow a little more latitude. Our boarding team's training is a little bit more towards self-preservation."

The executive officer, second-in-command on USS Underwood, the frigate working in the British controlled task force with HMS Cornwall,said:

"The unique US Navy rules of engagement say we not only have a right to self defence but also an obligation to self defence. They [the British] had every right in my mind and every justification to defend themselves rather than allow themselves to be taken. Our reaction was, 'Why didn't your guys defend themselves?'"

His comments came as it was reported British intelligence had been warned by the CIA that Iran would seek revenge for the detention of five suspected Iranian intelligence officers in Iraq two months ago but refused to raise threat levels in line with their US counterparts.

The capture of the eight sailors and seven marines, including one young mother, will undoubtedly renew accusations that Britain's determination to maintain a friendly face in the region has left its troops frequently under protected.

Vastly outnumbered and out-gunned, the Royal Navy team from HMS Cornwall were seized on Friday after completing a UN authorised inspection of a merchant dhow in what they insist were clearly Iraqi waters. The Iranian Republican Guard Corps Navy appeared in half a dozen attack speedboats mounted with machine guns.

Iran May Charge Captured Brits as Spies

BRITAIN'S crisis with Iran deepened last night after Iran's Foreign Minister accused a group of captured British servicemen of committing an act of "aggression", only hours after Tony Blair appealed for their release.

"The charge against them is their illegal entrance into Iranian territorial waters," Manouchehr Mottaki, the Foreign Minister, told a press conference in New York.

In a telephone conversation with Mr Mottaki last night Margaret Beckett, the Foreign Secretary, "made extremely clear our view that our personnel were operating in Iraqi waters, called for their immediate return, and asked for immediate consular access to them", a spokesman said.

But Mr Mottaki told the conference that Iran had already provided British officials with details, including GPS coordinates, of the servicemen's arrest. The British Ambassador to Tehran was summoned to the Foreign Ministry to explain why 15 service personnel in two inflatable boats had strayed into Iranian territorial waters.

"The Iranian authorities intercepted these sailors and Marines in Iranian waters and detained them in Iranian waters. This has happened in the past as well. In terms of legal issues, it's under investigation," Mr Mottaki said.

His comments were seen as a direct rebuff to the Prime Minister, who only hours earlier had called the seizure of the British servicemen "unjustified and wrong" and demanded their release.

"This is a very serious situation and there is no doubt at all that these people were taken from a boat in Iraqi waters," Mr Blair said.

"It is simply not true that they went into Iranian territorial waters and I hope the Iranian Government understands how fundamental an issue this is for us. We have certainly sent these messages back to them very clearly indeed. They should not be in any doubt over how seriously we take this act, which was unjustified and wrong."

So far the Iranians have refused to give any details about their fate, other than to say that they are being well treated. General Ali Reza Afshar, Iran's armed forces spokesman, said that they had been taken to Tehran for questioning and that they had "confessed" to an "aggression into the Islamic Republic of Iran's waters".