The Talk Show American

THE TALK SHOW AMERICAN: 04/15/2007 - 04/22/2007

Saturday, April 21, 2007

An Open Letter to Senator Reid on his declaration of Defeat From An Officer in Baghdad

JR,

As I'm sure you've heard Senator Reid has come down with Iraqnophobia,the fear of victory in Iraq. I was pretty upset about Reid's words, I saw it on Michelle Malkin, she asked soldiers to reply. I calmed down and
sent him a fairly rational email on his website and sent it to Michelle,
she put it on her site with a bunch of others.

Here is my letter to Senator Reid. I'm no poet, so it's pretty
straightforward. If it will help you on your show feel free to quote it, if not no worries. Unfortunately there seems to be a surplus of
stupid things being said about the war, I imagine you run out of time
before you do things to say.

Jason


Senator Reid:

When you say we've lost in Iraq, I don't think you understand the effect
of your words. The Iraqis I speak with are the good guys here, fighting
to build a stable government. They hear what you say, but they don't
understand it. They don't know about the political game, they don't know
about a Presidential veto, and they don't know about party politics.

But they do know that if they help us, they are noticed by terrorists
and extremists. They decide to help us if they think we can protect them
from those terrorists. They tell us where caches of weapons are hidden.
They call and report small groups of men who are strangers to the
neighborhood, men that look the same to us, but are obvious to them as a
foreign suicide cell.

To be brief, your words are killing us. Your statements make the Iraqis
afraid to help us for fear we'll leave them unprotected in the future.
They don't report a cache, and its weapons blow up my friends in a
convoy. They don't report a foreign fighter, and that fighter sends a
mortar onto my base. Your statements are noticed, and they have an
effect.

Finally, you are mistaken when you say we are losing. We are winning, I
see it every day. However, we will win with fewer casualties if you help
us. Will you?

Respectfully,
LT Jason Nichols, USN
MNF-I, Baghdad
Jason

Read More Letters from Soldiers to Reid Here:Michelle Malkin

Sergeant Dela Cruz Ordered To Tesify, There Was No Plea Deal

On Tuesday, the Marine Corps announced that all charges had been dropped against Sergeant Sanick Dela Cruz. He had been charged with murder for the incident in Haditha, Iraq, on November 19, 2005.

And that was the only part of the story the media got right.


There were reports of a plea deal, that this was terrible for the defense. Lawyers said prosecutors must have had the sergeant over a barrel. He's saving his own skin! He's a traitor!

And no one had the facts.

There was no deal, no pretrial arrangement of any kind for testimony, sources close to Sergeant Dela Cruz's defense told me.

Lieutenant General James Mattis ordered Sergeant Dela Cruz to cooperate and testify eleven days before the charges against Sergeant Dela Cruz were dropped.

General Mattis had come to the conclusion that, on balance, the charges against Sgt. Dela Cruz should not go forward. Still, Sergeant Dela Cruz was a witness and (like Corporals Mendoza, Salinas, and others) he will be required to testify truthfully. It would be incredible if he wasn't.

Many have said that Sergeant Dela Cruz's testimony regarding Sergeant Frank Wuterich firing on suspects at the taxi will convict Wuterich. More nonsense.

Here's what some people have a hard time grasping.

Sergeant Dela Cruz only knows what he saw. He doesn't know what Sergeant Wuterich saw.

Dela Cruz doesn't know how the situation looked through Wuterich's eyes when he came to a split-second decision to fire at the five Iraqis beside a white taxi.

And Dela Cruz, who likes and respects Wuterich, is not going to second-guess the way his fellow Marine saw things.

November 19, 2005 was Wuterich's first day in combat. Dela Cruz was in Operation Iraqi Freedom with the 4th Marines. His second tour was with the 1/4 in hellholes like Najaf. His third tour (with the 1st Marines) brought Dela Cruz to Haditha that morning.

The two may have seen the situation completely differently, tell different stories about the event, and both be telling the truth as they saw it when one man saw a reason to act.

Sergeant Sanick Dela Cruz is an honorable Marine. When the full story of Haditha is known he will be recognized as a heroic Marine. His coolness in taking prisoners that day is just one instance, among many, that belies the media's tale of Marines on a rampage.

The sergeant will testify to the truth as he saw it. So will the accused. If the cases go to courts-martial, a jury will weigh the evidence and reach a verdict.

I believe that all the accused will be exonerated, if they all get the defense they deserve.

In the meantime, here's advice for anyone following this case. Be glad that justice prevailed for Sergeant Dela Cruz, and believe very little of what you read about the Haditha Marines.
From the beginning, the media got it wrong and it's not getting it right yet.

Attorney Issues Statement Correcting News Commentary About Haditha Marine

Richard T. McNeil, an attorney representing First Lieutenant William T. Kallop has issued a statement correcting yesterday's news commentary regarding his client.


Mr. McNeil stated,
"The government has ordered First Lieutenant William T. Kallop to cooperate with government investigators and all counsel with regard to events in Haditha, Iraq on November 19, 2005, and it has granted him immunity from prosecution as required by law before the government could issue such an order. Lt. Kallop has not been charged and has not been threatened with charges of any kind. He is cooperating with the investigation and he is providing information to both prosecutors and defense counsel. Lt. Kallop wants the real truth about these events to be revealed, and he hopes that a fair and impartial judgment of these events can then take place."


Mr. McNeil continued,
"News coverage of this event and Lt. Kallop's involvement has contained numerous inaccuracies and false statements. I will not comment on this except to say that I am confident that the true facts of the situation will be revealed in the course of legal proceedings, and like Lt. Kallop I am hopeful that a fair and impartial judgment of these events can then take place."


Mr. McNeil concluded,
"I continue to be concerned about the numerous leaks of confidential information in this case, much of which has been misleading, biased and/or inaccurate."

J.R.'s Take: Senator Reid: Iraq War is Lost

J.R.'s Take: Senator Reid: Iraq War is Lost



According to Press TV an Iranian news source Democratic Majority Leader Harry (the traitor)Reid had this to say:

"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week,"

Reid stated.

Patriots, stand up ! E-mail Reid



Thanks for Listening -- Jay Are

Friday, April 20, 2007

J.R.'s Letter to Senator (the traitor) Reid

Dear Senator Reid,

Your recent statement that you believe the Iraq War is lost and the surge isn't accomplishing anything was very irresponsible. Do you not realize that our enemies are listening to your remarks ? Do you not realize that our brave men and women fighting in the war on terror are listening to your remarks ?

If we had the attitude that you and some of your colleagues have about the present war on terror, during World War Two, we would probably be speaking German or Japanese at this time.

While as an American citizen you certainly have the right to voice your opinion, ( a right secured for you by the brave men and women who fight for this country) a person of your position should be more careful with your public comments about the Iraq Theater Campaign in the War on Terror.

When you make statements such as you did the other day, you embolden our enemies, (I read about your remarks from an Iranian News Agency while surfing the web)you affect the morale of the brave men and women who are fighting this war and their families as well. All for a political agenda to appease the Anti-American groups who voted for your party.

Have some respect for our troops who are fighting valiantly to keep America safe and their families who await their return. Stop pandering to Anti-American crowd at the expense of our troops and to the delight of our enemies.

Senator Reid, some of the men in my department are or have been deployed in Iraq, some of the residents of my town are or were as well. In speaking with them as well as speaking with many members of the military via phone and email on my blog and talk show, they do not present the attitude you do. They are overwhelmingly positive and upbeat about the mission and believe we are making progress there, it is not and will not be easy, they say, but we are getting the job done.

One thing they do tell me, Senator, is that they are disheartend by the attitude of the Main Stream News Media and some of the politicians here at home who seem to be hell bent on trying to lose this war.

I'll close by telling you how appalled I was to read your comments on an Iranian News site. How disgusted I was to be hearing that these remarks were made by a U.S. Senator in a time of war. It is a sad day in America when we see that our own politicians who voted to send these brave soldiers into battle, are now turning their backs on them.

Shame on all of you who have done so.

Respectfully Submitted,
Jay Are



Talk Show America 4/20/2007




Thanks for Listening -- Jay Are

Veterans Group Calls for Email Campaign Against Reid

From: Veterans For America

Date: 04/19/07 16:48:52

Subject: Nevada Sen. Harry Reid says "the war is lost"...

Dear Fellow Veterans,

Today, as a result of Nevada U.S. Senator Harry Reid's comments saying "the
war is lost," an outcry from fellow Veterans all across America has now
emerged.

Veterans for America's work now turns to the removal of Sen. Harry Reid from
the U.S. Senate when he runs for reelection in 2008 .

We will begin starting an email campaign reminding Sen. Reid that he has
undermined our brave Military men and women's efforts in the Global War on
Terror. He has also further emboldened our sworn enemies with his comments.

As always, thank you for your continued support of Veterans for America.

Sincerely,

Veterans for America

1025 Vermont Ave NW 7th Floor

Washington, DC 20005

202-483-9222


Patriots, stand up ! E-mail Reid !

Talk Show America 4/20/2007




Thanks for Listening -- Jay Are

Thursday, April 19, 2007

Coalition, Afghan Forces Counter Taliban Offensive

Coalition and Afghan National Army operations have blunted the Taliban spring offensive in eastern Afghanistan, Army Brig. Gen. Joseph Votel said at a Pentagon news conference today.

Votel, the deputy commanding general for operations for Combined Joint Task Force 82, spoke to reporters via a video hook-up.

Votel said coalition operations seem to have countered the long-anticipated Taliban spring offensive.

"We have been more offensive than I think they have in our posturing and in our ability to dominate areas on the battlefield," Votel said. "As a result of that, I think we've seen a decrease in activities along the border. And our ability to be in more places, along with our Afghan national security force partners, has enabled us to address a broader area across Regional Command East."

Coalition and Afghan leaders began preparing to counter the Taliban offensive over the winter. More NATO and U.S. troops are in the country, there is closer cooperation with Pakistani forces, and more Afghan forces moved to the border area to stop Taliban infiltration. This seems to have paid off, Votel said.

"So I would not necessarily characterize it as any kind of offensive," he said. "We certainly haven't seen it manifest itself to any great degree."


There have been attacks, the general said,
"but we have not seen what I would describe as a spring offensive by the Taliban."

Regional Command East is part of the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan. U.S., NATO and Afghan forces continue to hunt Taliban and al Qaeda terrorists. The command helps train Afghan soldiers, police and border patrol personnel. It also helps extend the influence and control of the central and provincial governments.

The command is in the midst of Operation Eagle Teamwork, which builds on the counterinsurgency strategy of clear, hold and build.

"In the clear phase, we are focusing on separating the insurgents from the population," Votel said. "This requires the Afghan national security forces' participation at all levels to kill or capture the enemy and disrupt his command and control capability. To this end, we are conducting military operations in the interior of the country and along the border area with Pakistan."

In the hold phase, the command helps the Afghan government establish a permanent presence in the region. In the build phase, the command invests in developing and expanding government capabilities into these provincial and district areas, the general said.

"We are working very closely with the U.S. Agency for International Development and other national and international non-governmental organizations to ensure our military operations are quickly followed by reconstruction and development activities that extend the reach and influence of the district, provincial and national governments,"
he said.

Regional Command East has spent more than $125 million of the Commanders Emergency Response Program funds to make a difference in the lives of Afghans in the region, Votel said.

"Our top development efforts are focused on provincial coordination centers, district coordination centers, the development and capacity building within the Afghan national security forces, roads, agriculture, border security, education and health care,"
he said.

In the past three months, the command has funded 14 agricultural projects, more than 60 educational projects, about 20 electricity projects and more than 40 health care projects.
"Water is a key aspect here in Afghanistan, and as a result, we've worked 25 irrigation projects, repairing dams, water systems, flood walls and canals,"
Votel said.

Roads are key in the landlocked country. The command has nearly 65 transportation projects -- roads, bridges, and retaining walls -- under way, the general said.

U.S. soldiers have taken the news that they must serve 15-month tours in Afghanistan in stride, Votel said. "Nobody wants to stay any longer than they're required to stay here in Afghanistan," he said. "But that said, you know, we are relatively early on in our deployment here. It was not unexpected completely that we might be extended.

"I think in talking to most soldiers out there - and I do have a pretty good opportunity to get around and visit with them and talk to them - they are glad to be here participating in this mission," he continued. "They believe in it. And I think they're committed to stay and accomplish the mission. And we will trust that our leaders will be taking care of our families and get us back as soon as we can and when we've completed our portion of the mission."



Talk Show America 4/20/2007




Thanks for Listening -- Jay Are

Marines in Anbar Express Optimism

Marine leaders here told Defense Secretary Robert M. Gates that they are "cautiously optimistic" about the situation in Anbar province during a briefing today.

Gates called the situation in the once very violent province, "a good news story," during a news conference afterward.

"(Anbar) is a place where the Iraqis have decided to take control of their future and the sheiks have played a key role in making good things happen out here," Gates said, "along with the Iraqi police and the Iraqi army with our help."

While Gates was attending meetings and briefings, Brig. Gen. Mark Gurganus, ground combat element commander for Multinational Force West, spoke with press traveling with Gates.

Gurganus said conditions in Anbar have turned for the better. He said violence is down, tribal leaders and sheikhs of the province are signing on with the government, and the Iraqis are taking on the security mission in the province.

He also said construction projects are moving ahead, and that bodes well for the long-term security of the province. Provincial and local governments are embracing rule of law initiatives.

Two years ago, the only policeman in the province was the police chief of Fallujah.
"Today, we've got about 11,500 police on the rolls right now and about another 2,000 that will become what we would consider county sheriffs back in the United States,"
he said.

The province has two Iraqi Army divisions that are gaining strength and are recruiting from the local Sunni population. Gurganus said the last three basic combat training classes have been full of local recruits.

There has been a lot of progress on the governance side, he said. The governor and provincial council chair recently walked through the streets of Ramadi, a feat unthinkable seven months ago. Last year at this time, there were 84 attacks in Ramadi per week. Now the number is around six.

Last year, there were four forward operating bases in Ramadi. There are now 32 Joint Security Stations manned by coalition and Iraqi security forces. There are nine police stations with 29 substations in the city.

"The police presence in Ramadi is the biggest thing that turned the city around,"
said Maj. Jeff Pool, public affairs officer for 2nd Marine Expeditionary Force here.

For the past four years, coalition forces have worked to pacify the province. All that effort is starting to pay off now, Gurganus said.

The sheikhs of the province are fully behind the fight against al Qaeda in Iraq, he said. The terrorist group frankly scared the sheikhs with their violent tactics against fellow Muslims. With the sheikhs concurrence, recruiting for police and the Army boomed.

Gurganus said key leaders in the Iraqi army and police are stepping forward and doing better in developing the soldiers and police on the beat.

Some spots in the province are rougher than others, he said. Things are far better in Ramadi and Hit than they were a year ago. Both cities have police and Army presence. The area around Haditha and Haqlaniyah still causes problems, but the recent surge of coalition troops has allowed more troops to be deployed to hold the area, and the Haditha Triangle is starting to come around.

In Al Qaim - a city on the Syrian border - the picture is very bright, Gurganus said.
"We're looking forward to the opening of the port of entry with Syria in late July or early August,"
he said.

More can be done, he said. About half the promised plus-up of coalition troops have arrived, the general said. The additional troops allowed the coalition to place forces in every major population center in Anbar.

The province is almost the size of Utah - 84,000 square miles.
"Even with additional troops you can't be in every place, all the time,"
he said. More than 90 percent of the people of the province live within five miles of the banks of the Euphrates River. Insurgents can be contained.

"As long as they stay out of the population centers they are not able to carry out their murder and intimidation campaign," Gurganus said. "As long as they don't have a firm hold on the population centers, then they don't have much of an insurgency."

Operations in Baghdad are causing some "squirting" of insurgents out of the city, he said.
"We're positioned pretty well to handle the squirters coming out of Baghdad and we're also positioned to stop further insurgents from going in to the city," he said. "We deal with them here so they don't have to deal with them in Baghdad."


Drawing down forces in the province now would have an adverse impact on the gains made.

While the situation here is much better than in the past, Gurganus said he is still cautious.

"I don't want to jump up on the bandwagon and say everything is done and we're just waiting around now," he said. "There are still problems that we need to confront. We're doing some awful good things with the troops we have here now."



Talk Show America 4/20/2007




Thanks for Listening -- Jay Are

Al Qaeda in Iraq Announces "Islamic Cabinet"

An insurgent coalition announced an "Islamic Cabinet" for Iraq in a Web video posted on Thursday, naming the head of al-Qaida in Iraq as "minister of war", AP reported.

The announcement appeared to be a propaganda move by the Islamic State in Iraq coalition to present itself as an alternative government opposed to the U.S.-backed, Shiite-led administration of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki.


Talk Show America 4/20/2007




Thanks for Listening -- Jay Are

IRAN MEDIA: US Has Lost War in Iraq Says Democrat Reid

Leader of the Democratic majority in the US Congress, Harry Reid, has said the US has lost the Iraq war, and Bush's troop surge has failed.

According to Press TV an Iranian news source Democratic Majority Leader Harry (the traitor)Reid had this to say:

"I believe ... that this war is lost, and this surge is not accomplishing anything, as is shown by the extreme violence in Iraq this week,"
Reid stated.

The same comments were made to President Bush when he had convened with senior lawmakers to persuade them to pass the emergency war funding bill.

Congress is trying to confine the war spending bill to a timetable for the removal of troops from Iraq.

Reid's comments came a day after 200 fatalities were reported in bombings in Iraq, despite a much touted US Security Plan which the White House said sought to root out insurgency.


Talk Show America 4/20/2007




Thanks for Listening -- Jay Are

VA Tech Shooter Sent Videos to NBC Between Shootings

Talk Show America 4/19/2007



J.R. talks about the disturbing videos sent to NBC by VA Tech Shooter, Discusses the Recent Ruling from the SCOTUS on Partial Birth Abortion Ban, Four Car Bombs Kill 140 and injure 120 in Iraq.



Multiple Car Bombs in Baghdad Kill 131 Iraqi Civilians

Four separate car bombs detonated today in the Iraqi capital, killing 131 Iraqi civilians and wounding about 164, military officials reported.

Iraqi security forces responded quickly to the first car bomb attack that occurred in the electronics district of the Karadah Peninsula at about 12:50 p.m. A patrol from 4th Brigade, 1st Iraqi Army Division, arrived on the scene with Iraqi emergency services and reported five people had been killed and nine wounded. The casualties were sent to a local hospital for medical care.

A second car bomb detonated near the Sadr City District Joint Security Station at 3 p.m., on a bridge just south of their location. Iraqi security forces and emergency services quickly responded to the site, reporting 10 locals killed, 15 wounded and 11 vehicles damaged.

At about 4:15 p.m., a third car bomb detonated in a parking lot near the al-Sadriyah market area in central Baghdad, killing 115 local Iraqis and wounding about 137 more. The blast damaged 40 vehicles.

Iraqi police and Iraqi army troops have secured the area and are working with Iraqi emergency services to transport all casualties to nearby hospitals. The vehicle bomb targeting the al-Sadriyah market area did not penetrate the emplaced barriers surrounding the restaurant-laden market area.

A fourth attack, a suicide car bomb, detonated as it targeted the Kaizaran Iraqi national police checkpoint in Baghdad's West Rashid district at about 7 p.m., killing the suicide bomber and one Iraqi national policeman, while wounding another Iraqi policeman and two Iraqi civilians.

Soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 18th Infantry Regiment, and 1st Battalion, 2nd Brigade, 1st National Police Division, responded with Iraqi firefighters to extinguish burning vehicles and provide aid to those injured in the attack.

These incidents are under investigation.

Wednesday, April 18, 2007

SUPREME COURT UPHOLDS PARTIAL BIRTH ABORTION BAN

The Supreme Court upheld the nationwide ban on a controversial abortion procedure Wednesday, handing abortion opponents the long-awaited victory they expected from a more conservative bench.

The 5-4 ruling said the Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act that Congress passed and President Bush signed into law in 2003 does not violate a woman's constitutional right to an abortion.

Click here to read the full Partial Birth Abortion Ban Act.

The opponents of the act
"have not demonstrated that the Act would be unconstitutional in a large fraction of relevant cases,"
Justice Anthony Kennedy wrote in the majority opinion.

The decision pitted the court's conservatives against its liberals, with President Bush's two appointees, Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito, siding with the majority.

Justices Clarence Thomas and Antonin Scalia also were in the majority.

It was the first time the court banned a specific procedure in a case over how, not whether, to perform an abortion.

Abortion rights groups have said the procedure sometimes is the safest for a woman. They also said that such a ruling could threaten most abortions after 12 weeks of pregnancy, although government lawyers and others who favor the ban said there are alternate, more widely used procedures that remain legal.

The outcome is likely to spur efforts at the state level to place more restrictions on abortions.

More than 1 million abortions are performed in the United States each year, according to recent statistics. Nearly 90 percent of those occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and are not affected by Wednesday's ruling.

The procedure at issue involves partially removing the fetus intact from a woman's uterus, then crushing or cutting its skull to complete the abortion.

Abortion opponents say the law will not reduce the number of abortions performed because an alternate method, dismembering the fetus in the uterus, is available and, indeed, much more common.

The VA Tech Shooting and the Aftermath

Talk Show America 4/18/2007



J.R. continues his analysis of the VA Tech Shooting and the aftermath as the gun control arguments begin on both sides.

All the latest information backs my statements on the show yesterday that this was not a shooting spree based on a domestic squabble. Some professors of VA Tech say they saw signs of this from this guy. Chaining doors, carrying multiple firearms and lots of ammunition, lining people up against the wall and shooting them (execution style)(that's personal),these are all indications of something that was pre-planned. It's even beginning to look like many of his victims may have been chosen as targets before he took action. (The lining of certain people against the wall and executing them.)




Thanks for Listening -- Jay Are

Tuesday, April 17, 2007

Analysis of the VA Tech Shooting

Talk Show America 4/17/2007



J.R., a 27 year veteran Police Sergeant, analysis of the VA Tech shooting, and the aftermath. He believes this was a planned event by the shooter based on information from eyewitnesses. There are also questions about why the Campus was not locked down while searching for an active shooter.

"Chains to lock doors keeping police out and victims in, two handguns and a multipule magazine carrier vest loaded with ammunition ...these are not the actions of a random shooter, or someone who kills in the heat of blood or passion"....J.R.

(This analysis is based on the information at hand at this time, it in no way reflects any criticism toward the Campus Police or any other law enforcement agency involved in this investigation. )




Thanks for Listening -- J.R.

Acid Bomb Attack Foiled in Iraq

A truck laden with nitric acid and explosives overturned before the driver could attack a joint security station operated by U.S. and Iraqi troops north of Baghdad, the U.S. military said on Tuesday.

The use of nitric acid in bomb attacks could mark another shift in tactics by insurgents, who in recent months have rigged nearly a dozen truck bombs with chlorine gas, mainly in western Anbar province.

In a statement, the U.S. military said a security patrol went to assist the driver of the truck after it overturned and found it loaded with eight containers of nitric acid and explosives.

It said the driver confessed he had been paid to attack the joint security station in Mushada, which also houses the town's police station, north of Baghdad.

Monday, April 16, 2007

Coalition Kills, Detains Extremists in Afghanistan, Rescues Civilians

Coalition forces killed and captured several extremists in Afghanistan over the past few days, U.S. military officials reported.

Coalition forces detained an extremist and discovered makeshift bomb-making material in a compound in Afghanistan's Paktika province today.

The compound consisted of multiple safe houses that use natural terrain to facilitate the movement of fighters from Pakistan. The bomb-making materials were destroyed in place. No shots were fired and no one was injured during the operation, officials said.

Meanwhile, Afghan National Army and coalition troops operating in Afghanistan's Helmand province received rocket-propelled grenade and small-arms fire from an unknown number of Taliban fighters yesterday.

Afghan and coalition troops returned fire and maneuvered to the enemy observation site. After pinning down the Taliban fighters, coalition close-air support was requested and destroyed the enemy observation site.

Six Taliban fighters were killed, and there were no Afghan civilian injuries reported, officials said.

"The Taliban are fighting a losing battle," said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, Combined Joint Task Force 82 spokesman. "The Afghan people demand peace in the Sangin District area; and the Afghan National Army and Coalition forces will attain it."


In addition, members of the Afghan National Police, advised by U.S. Special Forces soldiers, and U.S. paratroopers rescued five civilian contractors from a mechanically disabled helicopter April 12 in Afghanistan's Ghazni province, U.S. military officials reported.
.
Five civilian contractors on a helicopter made a precautionary landing near the village of Oaleh-e Ghafur due to mechanical problems, just before the hours of darkness.

Coalition forces operating near Ghazni were notified of the distress call and immediately began making their way to the helicopter site. The civilian contractors began receiving small-arms fire from Taliban extremists, shortly after the helicopter landed. The civilian contractors evaded the Taliban fighters until coalition close air support arrived and engaged the pursuing enemy fighters. Three extremists were killed in the engagement, officials said.

Coalition soldiers secured the helicopter site, conducted a link-up with the civilian contractors and transported them to a nearby coalition base. The civilian contractors were treated for minor injuries and released.

No Afghan civilian injuries were reported during the rescue mission, officials said.

Also on April 12, 1st Kandak, 209th Afghan National Army Corps, and coalition forces operating in Afghanistan's Helmand province positively identified and engaged several groups of Taliban fighters with close-air support, direct and indirect fire.

During the engagement, Afghan and coalition forces pursued fleeing Taliban fighters northward, near the village of Kaj Gerd, as they were attempting to break contact. More than 35 Taliban fighters were killed by Afghan and coalition forces during the 5-hour afternoon battle, officials said.

"Afghan National Army and coalition soldiers have dealt the Taliban fighters a severe blow in the Sangin District," said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, Combined Joint Task Force 82 spokesperson. "The small remnants of Taliban fighters that remain have two choices; reconcile with the Afghan government or face elimination."

Terror Suspects Killed, Captured in Iraq

Iraqi and coalition forces killed five terrorist suspects and detained two others during an operation yesterday in Basrah, U.S. military officials reported.

During the raid, Iraqi and coalition forces began receiving enemy small-arms fire. Ground forces returned fire killing five terrorists.

Ground forces also discovered three men running electric wire used to detonate roadside bombs. The three men fled as ground forces approached.

"As the Iraqi prime minister has repeatedly stated, militias that do not adopt to the rule of law have no place in Iraq's future," Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a spokesperson for Multinational forces Iraq, said. "Those who use terror as a weapon against the Iraqi people will be targeted and eliminated."

In addition, coalition forces also detained 17 suspected terrorists including a reported al-Qaeda in Iraq military emir during other operations yesterday.

Northwest of Taji, eight suspected terrorists were detained during a coalition forces raid. Among the suspects detained was the accused al Qaeda emir of Rusafa and former makeshift car bomb cell leader.

In Mosul, coalition forces captured two suspects with ties to recent al Qaeda attacks on Iraqi and coalition forces.

During a raid in Baghdad, three al Qaeda in Iraq suspects were captured, and four more were captured east of Amiriyah.

Talk Show America 4/16/2007

Political News & Commentary


Talk Show America 4/16/2007



Iraqi Parliment Meets in "Defiance" of Terror, Al Qaeda Bombing Backfires: Iraq's Parliment Uniting Against Terror, Iraqi Police Arrest Chlorine Bomb Suspects, 60 Taliban Killed in Afghanistan, An Email From a Haditha Marine's Father:



Thanks For Listening -- Jay Are

Sunday, April 15, 2007

Bombing Backfires By Uniting Iraq's Parliment

The bombing of Iraq's parliament by suspected al-Qaeda militants appears to have backfired by uniting Sunni and Shia politicians against a common enemy.

At an extraordinary session of the parliament on Friday, politicians from both sides condemned the suicide attack and vowed to press forward with the political process, calling for unity against extremism.

There were also signs that Sunni insurgents had had enough of their erstwhile al-Qaeda allies.

"They have realised that those people are not working for Iraq's interests. They realised that their operations might destroy Iraq altogether,"

said Alaa Makki, a Sunni MP.

Other politicians indicated that the bombing had worked against al-Qaeda.

"The relationship between [Sunni and Shia MPs] is better than before, because now they have agreed to fight terrorism together,"


one commentator noted. Officials say three people, believed to be workers in the cafeteria where the bomb went off, have been detained.

The government has been rallying the tribes of Anbar province in the western desert against al-Qaeda, which appears to have made a tactical error by targeting tribal leaders who had been reluctant to join their bombing campaign against Shia civilians. The result has been a wave of clan-based retribution against the foreign terrorist network in the Sunni heartland.

Talk Show America 4/16/2007



Iraqi Parliment Meets in "Defiance" of Terror, Al Qaeda Bombing Backfires: Iraq's Parliment Uniting Against Terror, Iraqi Police Arrest Chlorine Bomb Suspects, 60 Taliban Killed in Afghanistan, An Email From a Haditha Marine's Father:



Thanks For Listening -- Jay Are

Iraqi Insurgents Being Trained in Iran

raqi insurgents are being trained in Iran to assemble weapons and Iranian-made weapons are still turning up in Iraq, the U.S. military said Wednesday.

The statement comes two months after the United States said it had asked Tehran to stop the flow of weapons into Iraq.

Coalition forces found a cache of Iranian rockets and grenade launchers in Baghdad on Tuesday, spokesman U.S. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell said Wednesday.

"The death and violence in Iraq are bad enough without this outside interference," Caldwell said. "Iran and all of Iraq's neighbors really need to respect Iraq's sovereignty and allow the people of this country the time and the space to choose their own future."


Caldwell showed reporters photographs on Wednesday that he said were found in the weapons cache. In February, Caldwell said the United States had asked Iran to stop the transfer of weapons.

President Bush has said a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard called the Quds Force is behind the supply of Iranian weapons. Tehran has denied interfering in Iraq.

Caldwell also said Wednesday that two militants who were recently detained said they had received training in Syria, another nation the Bush administration has accused of meddling in the region.

Caldwell offered no other details about the report.

He accused the Quds Force of supplying Iraqi insurgents with armor-piercing roadside bombs, called explosively formed penetrators, or EFPs. Caldwell said extremists are getting training on how to "assemble and employ EFPs."

"We know that they are being in fact manufactured and smuggled into this country, and we know that training does go on in Iran for people to learn how to assemble them and how to employ them," Caldwell said. "We know that training has gone on as recently as this past month from detainees' debriefs."


He said Shiite extremists are being trained inside Iran and said the use of such weapons requires "very skilled training." Much of the violence in Iraq is blamed on fighting between Shiite and Sunni insurgents. An overwhelming number of Iranians are Shiite.

"There has been training on specialized weapons that are used here in Iraq. And then we do know they receive, also, training on ... what we call a more complex kind of attack, where we see multiple types of engagements being used from an explosion to small-arms fire, to being done in multiple places," Caldwell said.


Munitions from Iran were found in a black Mercedes sedan in Baghdad's Jihad neighborhood on Tuesday after a tip from a civilian, he said. An Iranian-made rocket was found in the back seat and Iranian weapons were found in the trunk and around a nearby house, Caldwell said.

In an unusual development, he said coalition forces have found evidence that Sunni insurgents in Iraq received help from intelligence services in the Shiite nation of Iran.

"We have in fact found some cases recently where Iranian intelligence services have provided to some Sunni insurgent groups, some support," Caldwell said. "We do continue to see the Iranian intelligence services being active here in Iraq in terms of both providing funding and providing weapons and munitions."