This ain't Hell, but you can see it from here

Category: Terror War

  • Will Germany Spain-out on us?

    Deutsche Welle reports that al Qaeda released a video today warning Germany of an attack there if the election doesn’t go the terrorists’ way;

    In the video, a man identified as Bekkay Harrach from Bonn demanded an end to Germany’s military mission in Afghanistan. He spoke German, and was dressed in a suit and tie and stood in front of a red curtain.

    “If the people choose to continue the war, they have passed judgment on themselves. The parliamentary election is the only opportunity for the people to influence its country’s politics,” Harrach says, “When the last German soldier is withdrawn from Afghanistan, the last mujahedeen will be withdrawn from Germany.”

    Although the war hasn’t been an issue in the upcoming September 27th election, this could effect the outcome if the Germans go all Spain on us. The Germans government has warned of increased travel from terrorists before the release of this video.

    A lot may depend on how much Germans can’t count on the US to be there for them in an emergency.

  • Some Hump Day perspective

    beaumont_soldierart_g0p671dk1_beaumont_soldier14869525

    TSO emailed me about the fellow in the picture, Specialist Reed Jones III with whom TSO got the opportunity to spend the afternoon among other wounded veterans. Here’s the story of the picture from the San Antonio News;

    Although doctors initially were against him making the trip from Brooke Army Medical Center, where he is recovering from his injuries, Jones insisted.

    “He would do it for me, so I’d do it for him, so here I am,” he said in an interview in the reclining wheelchair in which he attended the funeral Friday.

    Jones arrived at Borden Chapel Baptist Church in an ambulance, accompanied by medics.

    Despite the pain of the 283-mile journey, the 45-year-old Beaumont native would not have missed his father’s funeral.

    Reed Jones Jr. died at age 70 Tuesday after a long series of illnesses. Toward the end, in a weakened state, it was unclear how much he understood of his son’s injuries. He’d been told of the incident, but spared any details that might worry him too much, said the elder Jones’ sister-in-law, Faye Johnson.

    TSO sends; “I wish I could convey how great a guy he was. Is on a ton of painkillers and just kept thanking us for visiting.”

    Make sure you read the whole story.

  • Mullen calls for more troops

    Stars and Stripes reports this morning that Admiral Mullen, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff told Congress yesterday that he may need more toops and more resources to win in Afghanistan;

    Adm. Mike Mullen, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, said the war is growing more complicated and the enemy gaining in sophistication. Winning will require more resources from outside Afghanistan, including more troops, Mullen told Congress.

    “A properly resourced counterinsurgency probably means more forces, and without question, more time” and dedication, Mullen said.

    Last week, as reported by McQ at Blackfive, Nancy Pelost doesn’t see the “support” for increasing forces and resources in Afghanistan. Uncle Jimbo reminds us that this is just an echo from our past.

    Also echoing from our recent past is Pete Hegseth and the Vets For Freedom who are passing around a petition asking Congress to give our troops the funding they need and give our military leaders the resources they need to fight this war. You can sign the petition at this link.

  • The War Against Terror

    Fox News reports that a task force of law enforcement officers took down a suspected cell of terrorists in New York City this weekend;

    Law enforcement agents raided residences in New York City before dawn Monday as part of a terrorism investigation.

    One senator briefed Monday by federal law enforcement authorities on the raids said a terrorist attack was not believed to be imminent.

    Fox News also reports that a SEAL force conducted a raid in Somalia to take down a terror leader;

    Navy Seals from US Special Operations Forces conducted a raid in southern Somalia on Monday that killed Saleh Ali Saleh Nabhan, one of 4 co-conspirators wanted in the 2002 bombing of an Israel owned hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, two senior U.S. military officials told Fox News.

    Ten days ago President Obama signed the Execute Order for Nabhan….

    That’s a war against terror I can support and anyone who wants to take real action against terrorists has my complete support.

    Of course, if Bush were still president, and I was an opposition blogger, I’d try to make the argument that he’s only trying to take the focus off of his domestic agenda failures – I’m not making these allegations against President Obama. I hope this president continues to make these kinds of decisions regardless of the political circumstances.

  • Amateur hour

    US gunship watches an IED being placed in the roadway while they hold fire.

    This is why you keep the clacker in your pocket when you’re setting up your claymore mine;

  • Troops at Bagram Airbase remember 9-11

    bagram-9-11-run

    The AP and Stars & Stripes report that the folks at Bagram Airbase in Afghanistan remembered 9-11-2001 with a 9.11 km run today;

    About 1,000 service members ran 9.11 kilometers (5.5 miles) at the main U.S. base, both to commemorate the anniversary and remember troops who have died in nearly eight years of fighting.

    The U.S. and its allies first invaded Afghanistan in October 2001 to oust the Taliban regime for sheltering al-Qaida leaders who planned the attacks. The Taliban were quickly routed, but the militants regrouped and have mounted an increasingly strong insurgency over the past three years.

    Organizers of Friday’s race, which also was held at two other bases, called it an act of defiance against insurgents who have killed more American troops this year than in any other since the beginning of the conflict. August was the deadliest month for U.S. troops so far, with 51 killed.

    Now, if we only had an administration which found value in acts of defiance.

    There’s more on remembering 9-11 at Blackfive; one post by Mr. Blackfive and another by Uncle Jimbo. More from Mr. Greyhawk and Mrs. Greyhawk.

    ADDED: El Marko has a really excellent photo essay of 9-11-2001 at Looking at the Left.

  • Iranian fingerprints on weapons in Afghanistan

    Fox News is reporting that Defense Department officials have told them that they’ve found a weapons cache chocked full of Iranian-made weapons;

    Afghan and NATO forces uncovered the weapons cache on Aug. 29 in Herat. It included a small number of Iranian-made “explosively formed penetrators,” hyper-powerful roadside bombs similar to the weapons used to kill U.S. forces in Iraq, a senior U.S. Defense Official told FOX News.

    Also seized during the raid were 107 Iranian-made BM-1 rockets and dozens of blocks of Iranian C4 plastic explosives.

    It’s not shocking news, of course, but at least there’s a bit of proof. Not that proof would effect anything like policy under this particular administration. It still makes overtures to Iran politically awkward.

    Kuwaiti sources say that Iran has also supplied Hezbollah with chemical weapons and protective masks. The United Arab Emirates intercepted a weapon shipment from North Korea to Iran earlier this month.

    Geez, I hate to say it but i think I detect an axis of evil or something.

    I’m sure Bill Clinton and Jimmy Carter can get it all straightened out though.

  • BBC Podcast

    Here’s the Podcast of the debate Uncle Jimbo and I had with some fellows from across the pond. Podcast We come in about 25 minutes into the broadcast.

    I’ll have you know I wasted the whole morning reading Kipling aloud to work on my accent.

    I guess what really made me angry was when Jimbo made the point that AP had proven themselves a dishonest broker in the information business when they released the picture of LCPL Joshua Bernard against his family’s wishes. The interviewer declared Jimbo’s point moot by proclaiming that they’d already talked about that on Monday. WTF?

    And one of the bangers and mash aficionados said that Farrell didn’t expect to be rescued so that somehow made him better than the military who hadn’t bothered to tell leaky-ass New York Times they were going to rescue him. Another WTF?

    But I had a good time – I’m glad Jimbo was there and we sure could have used Alex in there, too. Thanks for listening. Now back to the paying job.