I'm just SO excited that our incoming President wants to close Gitmo and bring dirtbags like this to the U.S. mainland...

By BEN FOX, Associated Press Writer

GUANTANAMO BAY NAVAL BASE, Cuba – Two alleged orchestrators of the 2001 attacks on America casually declared their guilt on Monday in a messy and perhaps final session of the Guantanamo war crimes court. This week's military hearings could be the last at Guantanamo — President-elect Barack Obama has said he would close the offshore prison and many expect him to suspend the military tribunals and order new trials in the U.S.

Ramzi Binalshibh and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the self-proclaimed architect of the terrorist attacks, were unapologetic about their roles during a series of outbursts as translators struggled to keep up and the judge repeatedly sought to regain control.

"We did what we did; we're proud of Sept. 11," announced Binalshibh, who has said he wants to plead guilty to charges that could put him to death. The judge must first determine if he is mentally competent to stand trial.

Mohammed shrugged off the potential death sentence for the murder of nearly 3,000 people in the Sept. 11 attacks.

"We don't care about capital punishment," said Mohammed, whose thick gray beard flows to the top of his white prison jumpsuit. "We are doing jihad for the cause of God."

He also boo-hooed about being "tortured." Probably didn't like the rice pilaf he was getting. Somehow, I really don't care how he was treated. Whatever we could dream up would probably be too kind for the likes of these two.

Funny how the rest of the world, which yells about us keeping "innocent" people at Gitmo, doesn't want their "innocents" back, isn't it?

You can read the rest of the article here.

Labels: 9/11, Al Qaeda, Gitmo, Religion of Peace?, terrorism, terrorists

Official: Senior Al Qaeda Commander Killed in Pakistan

Senior Al Qaeda commander Abu Saeed al-Masri has been killed in recent clashes with Pakistani forces in a Pakistani region near the Afghan border, a security official told Reuters on Tuesday.

"He was believed to be among the top leadership of Al Qaeda," the senior security official told the news agency on condition of anonymity.

More here

Here's hoping his 72 virgins have perpetual headaches.

Labels: Al Qaeda, Good News, terrorism, terrorists

Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Hartman, legal advisor to the convening authority for the Office of Military Commissions, announces at a June 30, 2008, Pentagon press conference, that charges have been sworn against 'Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, a Saudi national of Yemeni descent. It is alleged that Al-Nashiri, an al-Qa'ida operative, participated in the planning and preparation for the attack on the guided missile destroyer USS Cole on Oct. 12, 2000, that killed 17 U.S. sailors and wounded 47. Defense Dept. photo by R. D. Ward


By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service


WASHINGTON, June 30, 2008 – A Saudi Arabian national being held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, has been charged with planning and preparing for the attack on the USS Cole that killed 17 U.S. sailors and wounded 47 others, the Defense Department announced today.

Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri was charged today in connection with the Oct. 12, 2000, attack on the vessel as it awaited refueling in the Port of Aden in Yemen, Air Force Brig. Gen. Thomas Hartmann, legal advisor to the convening authority in the Office of Military Commissions, told Pentagon reporters today.

The chief prosecutor has recommended that the case be tried as a death-penalty case.

Susan J. Crawford, the convening authority, will review the case and determine which, if any, of the charges should be referred for trial by a military commission, Hartmann said. If she refers the case for trial, Crawford must also decide if she will refer it as a capital case.

The Nashiri swearing brings to 20 the number of detainees at Guantanamo Bay involved in the military commissions process, Hartmann said.

He noted that the military commissions process provides the accused several protections, including representation by a military counsel and a civilian counsel of his own choosing at no expense to the government. The protections, guaranteed by the Military Commissions Act, ensure that Nashiri “receives a fair trial consistent with American standards of justice,” Hartmann said.

Nashiri was charged today with conspiracy to violate the law of war, murder in violation of the law of war, treachery or perfidy, terrorism, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, providing material support to terrorism and attempted murder.

Charges brought against Nashiri today claim he rented apartments and facilities near the Port of Aden to prepare for an attack, bought the boat and explosives used in the attack and arranged for two co-conspirators to launch the attack.

During the attack, two men dressed as civilians are alleged to have piloted what looked like a small, civilian garbage barge up to the ship. The two men allegedly made friendly gestures to crewmembers aboard the ship before detonating explosives hidden in their boat that blasted a 40-foot hole in the side of Cole.

Nashiri also was charged with participating in the unsuccessful attack on the USS The Sullivans as it refueled in the Port of Aden on Jan. 3, 2000, and for helping attack the French supertanker SS Limburg in the Gulf of Aden on Oct. 6, 2002. That attack left one crewmember dead and spilled about 90,000 gallons of oil into the gulf.

Nashiri was arrested in October 2002 in the United Arab Emirates and was under CIA custody before being transferred to Guantanamo Bay in 2006.

Hartmann said the charges issued today result from an extensive investigation that brought together the intelligence and law enforcement communities. “We’d rather do it right. We’d rather do it thoroughly. We’d rather do it fairly than quickly,” he said.

If the Nashiri case goes to trial, Hartmann said the defense counsel will have the opportunity to argue points before the military judge, including allegations that Nashiri was subjected to the “waterboarding” interrogation technique by the CIA. “The judge, just as in any matter of law, will make a final decision as to the validity of any piece of evidence,” he said.

Pentagon spokesman Bryan Whitman emphasized the Defense Department’s commitment to “ensuring that both the process and the military commissions proceedings themselves are as transparent as possible, within the bounds of security and safety.”

The United States has used military commissions for war crime trials since the Revolutionary War, he noted.


Related Sites:
Transcript: USS Cole Briefing
Defense Department News Release
Military Commissions

Labels: Al Qaeda, Gitmo, Good News, GWOT, terrorism, terrorists, USS Cole, USS The Sullivans

From Multi-National Force - Iraq:


Sergeant Jeremy Haycox monitors battlefield activities at Combat Outpost Murray June 6. Haycox, of Albuquerque, N.M., said his vantage point allowed him to see the positive changes taking place in the south Baghdad area in a unique way. Photo by Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky.


Monday, 09 June 2008
By Sgt. Kevin Stabinsky
2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division

COMBAT OUTPOST MURRAY — As Spc. Robert Manchego sees the end of his deployment approaching, he reflects on a year of change. Most of the combat he now encounters is commanding virtual armies on his laptop computer during his downtime.

It wasn’t always so quiet for Machengo. When his unit, Company A, 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, first arrived into the area of Arab Jabour south of Baghdad, the place was anything but calm.

For four years following the liberation of Baghdad, the area was largely unoccupied by coalition forces; insurgents used the area as a base of operations.

“When we first got here it was pretty much all al-Qaida,” said Spc. Eric Strazeri, a driver for the battalion’s operations officer. “We had to fight our way all around the sector.”

The fight itself wasn’t only against al-Qaida. The 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division Soldiers also had to work to gain the local population’s trust, which was often the more difficult task.

“The people were very shy, wouldn’t come up to us,” Manchego recalled.

Sergeant Jeremy Haycox, a native of Albuquerque, N.M., had a different view of the battlefield from the battalion’s tactical operations center. He said although his job kept him from seeing the enemy or citizens face-to-face, the insurgents’ hostilities were evident on the screen of his work station.

“It was real bad, extremely hectic. I saw lots of red, enemy activities, on my screen,” he said. ”It was bad - lots of IEDs. We discovered some, set off others, had some guys hurt, had some guys die.”

As a veteran of several missions, Strazeri, a native of Miami, experienced some of the incidents on Haycox’s screen first-hand.

During one mission, Strazeri was accompanying the scout platoon and came under small-arms fire south of COP Murray.

“We took fire (and) returned fire,” he said, noting one Soldier was injured during the event.

Small-arms fire was always a concern, although not as big as the threat posed by IEDs, Manchego said. As the 1-30th Inf. Regt. pushed into the area, they performed a lot of missions – patrolling the streets, setting up observation points and going after targets such as insurgents, weapons caches or IEDs.

While putting a face on the insurgency, the Soldiers also tried to put the best face on themselves. To endear them to the local populace, the Soldiers worked to help improve the citizens’ quality of life.

“We did a lot of projects, getting the schools up and running, helping restore businesses through microgrants,” Strazeri said.

As they carted off weapons caches and removed IEDs from the streets, the Soldiers improved things in their place: water, humanitarian assistance and - most importantly - hope for a better tomorrow, Manchego said.

“It was cool to see little kids coming up to us for water,” he said, noting that with each good act, the fear and reservation of the citizens began to disappear. “I think once local nationals here saw we were here to help they were more receptive to us.”

Soon the citizens began to work with the Soldiers, pointing out insurgents and their weapons. Residents laid the foundation for the Sons of Iraq program in the area and began to take care of their communities.

That change, which Haycox attributes to the involvement of the SoI, came at a time when security gains began allowing the Baghdad-7 embedded Provincial Reconstruction Team to enter into the area.

The ePRT, which began working with the 2nd BCT in October, is a U.S. Department of State entity made up of experts in fields such as business, agriculture and governance. They worked hand-in-hand with 2nd BCT units to help rebuild Iraq’s infrastructure.

Through their help, and with funds from the Dept. of State and the Commander’s Emergency Response Program, things started to change.

“We did some very good projects here, opening shops and businesses; just working to improve the life of the people here,” Haycox said.

Although the 1-30th Inf. Regt. will soon depart, they leave behind their best wishes for the people they have come to win over, as well as the Iraqi army soldiers who will assume responsibility for the area.

“Hopefully the IA is able to sustain the fight against al-Qaida and maintain relationships with locals,” Strazeri said.

Haycox summarized his hopes in two words: “Maintain and improve. Maintain what we’ve done and help this place keep improving.”

Labels: 3rd ID, Al Qaeda, Arab Jabour, Baghdad, Combat Outpost Murray, Good News, Iraq, photos, US Army

From FOX News:

Thursday, May 8, 2008

A joint Iraqi-American raid in the northern city of Mosul has resulted in the arrest of the leader of Al Qaeda in Iraq, a spokesman for the Iraqi Ministry of Defense told FOX News on Thursday, but U.S. officials aren't convinced yet of the suspect's identity.

DNA tests are being conducted to confirm the man captured is Abu Ayyub al-Masri. U.S. officials are cautious because al-Masri is an elusive figure and previous reports of his death or capture all turned out to be false.

One U.S. source tells FOX News that the intelligence community is "extremely skeptical" that al-Masri has been arrested.

If al-Masri's identity is confirmed, however, the arrest would be a significant blow to Al Qaeda in Iraq, not so much because of the disruption to its leadership but because of the information he may be able to provide.

Read the Rest

Labels: Abu Ayyub al-Masri, Al Qaeda, Good News, Iraq, Mosul, terrorists

From Multi-National Force - Iraq:


A B-1B Lancer drops six 500-pound GBU-38 bombs onto an al-Qaeda in Iraq torture house and prison in northern Zambraniyah, March 10. U.S. Air Force photo by Master Sgt. Andy Dunaway.


Tuesday, 11 March 2008

FOB KALSU — A U.S. Air Force B-1B Lancer dropped six 500-pound GBU-38 bombs onto a recently discovered al-Qaeda in Iraq torture house and prison in northern Zambraniyah, March 10.

Members of a ‘Sons of Iraq’ (SoI) group led Coalition forces to the al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) torture house and prison in northern Zambraniyah last week.

The patrol was conducted based on intelligence provided by an SoI leader in the area, said Capt. Chris O’Brian, troop commander of Troop C, 6th Squadron, 8th Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, currently attached to 2nd BCT, 3rd Inf. Div.

“The guy wants to clean up the area,” said O’Brian, a native of Herndon, Va. “AQI killed half his family.” The SoI leader, who heads a group of 300 SoI, worked with his men in support of Troop C Soldiers on the patrol.

SoI are pointing out the bad guys in the neighborhood, O’Brian said, adding that they have also provided actionable intelligence.

Much of that intelligence indicated that there may be an AQI prison or torture house in the town, O’Brian said, noting that he was receiving reports on the possibility for the past week.

That intelligence led Soldiers to a house full of materials used by insurgents for torture.

O’Brian said they discovered hand cuffs, an electrocution system consisting of bare wires linked to an on/off switch running to handcuffs on a window bar, and hanging hooks used for humans.

Twelve interrogation books written in Arabic were found along with several sets of female clothing. A bloody handprint was also present.

Labels: Al Qaeda, Good News, Iraq, terrorists

Fox News is reporting that U.S. warplanes have fired on an Al Qaeda camp in Somalia, with casualties. Couldn't happen to a more deserving place - Somalia has long been a festering terrorist sewer.

No word on the specific intended target yet, but bombing Somalia for terrorists is more or less like shooting fish in a barrel.


UPDATE: Central Command is apparently stating that planes fired at least one precision guided missile at the town of Dobley, with the target being less than 20 Al Qaeda terrorists.

Reportedly, the military is confident that they hit the intended target. Central Command states that they are doing damage assessments, and should have more information later today.

Click the link at the top of this post for the latest information from Fox.

Labels: Al Qaeda, Somalia, terrorism, terrorists

Thursday, February 28, 2008

Two presidential hopefuls, Republican John McCain and Democrat Barack Hussein Obama, are trading shots on what could, would or should be done in the future regarding the Battle for Iraq in the War on Terror.

Obama said during a debate with his Democratic opponent, Hillary Clinton, that he wants US troops out of Iraq yesterday, but might send them back in "If Al Qaeda is trying to establish a base in Iraq."

That in itself is a less than rousing statement, but wait, there's more.

McCain responded during a campaign speech that Barack should have known that Al Qaeda already is in Iraq, and we have to deal with that reality. McCain added, and I am paraphrasing here, that surrender is not an option.

Barack then said in response that the only reason Al Qaeda is in Iraq in the first place is because George Bush and John McCain started a war there.

And that my friends is where Barack Hussein Obama dug himself into a hole he will never be able to get out of, regardless of whether or not he gets the Democratic nomination.


Read the Rest, at Winter's Soldier Story

Labels: Al Qaeda, Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton, Iraq, John McCain, Osama Bin Laden, politics, Ron Winter, Saddam Hussein, terrorism, Winter's Soldier Story

It's been quite a while since I went on a real rant. But it's time.

Representative John Murtha today said that the war is unwinnable - that there is nothing good that is coming of us being there. Among other things. He called for us to withdraw our troops from Iraq - basically, starting now:

"The war in Iraq is not going as advertised. It is a flawed policy wrapped in illusion...It is evident that continued military action in Iraq is not in the best interests of the United States of America, the Iraqi people or the Persian Gulf region."

Really? Right - 'cause throwing the Iraqi people to the terrorist wolves is a MUCH better idea. Letting Al Qaeda dictate government policy - like they did in Afghanistan - is a wonderful plan. Worked great in Afghanistan...oh, wait, no. I seem to remember this planes-into-buildings, coupla thousand Americans killed thing.... But once we leave Iraq, things will be rosy and sunny there; the streets will be paved with gold, and the terrorists will join hands, sing Kumbayah, and everyone will be happy, right?

I have about reached my limit of anti-Bush, anti-war rhetoric in the Democratic party. The reality is that the terrorists are looking to people like this to bolster their efforts. They are citing the comments from people like this as evidence that the U.S. will turn tail and run, "just like they did in Vietnam." The reality is that people like this are some of the terrorists' best friends.

Knowledgeable people on both sides of the political aisle say that even if they don't agree with the decision to go to war, pulling troops out before Iraq is in a stable position, and can take care of things themselves, is absolutely ridiculous. How can anyone possibly believe that an immediate and total withdrawal of troops from Iraq is a good idea?

My problems with Murtha's statements today are many.

For starters - nothing good? When was the last time Iraqis voted in free elections? And no, a choice between "Saddam is great and we swear eternal loyalty to him" and "Death" is NOT a free election. Maybe in pacifist, anti-Bush, anything-but-actually-standing-up-for-ourselves Wussland, but not in the real world.

Nothing good? Kurdish people not having to worry about the next time Saddam is going to gas several thousand of them in a campaign to exterminate them is a bad thing?

Nothing good? Roads rebuilt, power stations and water treatment plants rebuilt, women with seats in the government, and self-determination are bad things?

Nothing good? The removal of a psychotic dictator who murdered hundreds of thousands of his own people, sanctioned rape and torture ad nauseum, who killed anyone he thought might eventually be thinking about maybe not liking him much, is a bad thing?

Nothing good? The capture or elimination - and yes, I mean the killing - of lowlife terrorists is a bad thing? I don't lose a single minute of sleep over the death of a terrorist. In fact, I actually - gasp - am glad when we kill a terrorist - 'cuz one less terrorist makes the world a better place.

When are these people going to wake up? Harry Reid is saying we should take the "training wheels" off the Iraqis. Of all the insulting, pompous, arrogant statements....he's a jackass. Just like Kerry. John Kerry doesn't want to play the "politics of smear and fear." Oh, no. He just wants to play the game of turn tail and run. Duck and cover. Roll over, pull the blankets over your head, and hope the terrorists forget we exist. There's a reason they've got a jackass as their mascott.

And it was only recently that the President started fighting back. It's about flippin' time. As for the rest of our "wonderful" politicians, I'm with this guy - Not.One.Freakin.Dime. Grow a spine and we'll talk. Then again, if you have to fling that dime somewhere, here's a guy who deserves it: Texas Congressman Sam Johnson, who said yesterday that "Pulling our troops out of Iraq now is unconscionable and irresponsible...We’ve got to support our troops to the hilt and see this mission through." Bravo - maybe there is hope after all.

Of course, this kind of talk from the Left is nothing new -- the libs have been trying this stuff almost from day one in Iraq. And now they want closer oversight of operations there. Great - liberal politicians in charge of a war. Worked real well in Vietnam - NOT.

And they steadfastly refuse to deal with the reality that Saddam Hussein, and his Iraq, were absolutely threats to this country. They were absolutely the enemy. Hell, even the libs said so - often. Whether or not he had the immediate ability to launch a nuke is not the point. He was - Iraq was - an enemy of this country. And I, for one, am not of the opinion that we should have waited until he had weapons that could reach this country to deal with him. If we had, of course, they'd now be blaming Bush for NOT going in. These are, after all, the same people that griped about not "finishing the job" when we listened to the morons and left Iraq fairly quickly the last time. The people that have perfected the arts of surrender speak, "political correctness," and descending to any low as long as it's anti-Bush.

Apparently, we have lost the ability to identify the enemy. They're guerillas, freedom fighters, insurgents now. How civilized. Goodness, we wouldn't want to call a terrorist a terrorist. We might offend the terrorists. We wouldn't want to call a bunch of people who behead innocent people the enemy - that might upset them. Well, boo flippin' hoo.

No, Saddam did not apparently have a direct role in the planning or execution of the attacks on this country on September 11, 2001. Then again, Bush didn't say he WAS directly connected to the attacks. He said Saddam had ties to Al Qaeda. And he did, though it's unclear as to who approached who, and the exact extent of those ties. And, of course, he also had a nifty little mural that glorified the events of that day. Doesn't that tell you where he was at?

He DID fund terrorism. He paid rewards to the families of suicide bombers.

What happened to the resounding cry of "YES" uttered by Americans when President Bush said, "We fight the terrorists and we fight all of those who give them aid. America has a message for the nations of the world: If you harbor terrorists, you are terrorists. If you train or arm a terrorist, you are a terrorist. If you feed a terrorist or fund a terrorist, you're a terrorist, and you will be held accountable by the United States and our friends." ?

Saddam funded terrorists. He gave them aid. Ergo, he was a terrorist. He's not in power anymore. And I say, job well done on that score.

By early 2004, mass graves - almost 300 of them - had been found, representing the loss of approximately four hundred thousand people. And nearly another 300,000, by some estimates, may have just "disappeared."

If these numbers prove accurate, they represent a crime against humanity surpassed only by the Rwandan genocide of 1994, Pol Pot's Cambodian killing fields in the 1970s, and the Nazi Holocaust of World War II. (USAID)

He did have chemical weapons. He used them on the Kurds. He did work to develop nuclear and chemical programs. Am I supposed to feel sorry for him because he didn't quite get there? Because he couldn't nuke our troops? You're going to be waiting a L-O-O-N-N-G time for that one.

The UNITED NATIONS - not just the U.S. - gave him an order to fully disclose ALL records, or face action. He didn't. He jerked weapons inspectors around for over a decade. Throw them out here, deny them access there, and let them back in when it's convenient.

In the no-fly zone, he shot at our planes almost daily at some points. According to General Tommy Franks' statement to Congress in 2001, "Our forces have been engaged by surface-to-air missiles or anti-aircraft fire more than 500 times during the period, and coalition forces have responded to these provocations on 38 occasions."

Maybe it's me, but isn't that an act of war? Don't we see shooting at our pilots as something that we can respond to? Don't we see shooting at our pilots as something that identifies an enemy?

He did NOT comply with the U.N. resolution. Period. The resolution told him if he didn't comply, he'd face action. He didn't comply. He faced action. We kicked butt, and continue to, and I'm not one bit sorry about it.

Not to mention the fact that since I'm finally ticked off enough to wade into this WMD discussion after all, it's a little hard to say for sure he didn't have the things. Give the guy months and months while the U.N. drags its feet about enforcing its own resolutions - heck, give the guy TWELVE YEARS after he surrendered the first time we had to do the work of the U.N. in Iraq - and he can hide or move a whole heap of things. Geeeez, we dug MiG 25's out of the flipping desert!!!

He did have banned weapons - stuff he wasn't supposed to under the resolutions - things he'd claimed were destroyed. And the U.N. passed resolution after resolution after resolution. Stop it, or we'll tell you to stop it. Comply, or we'll.....well, we'll pass yet another resolution you can ignore.

Dammit, when are these people going to stop being such a bunch of spineless, fickle, self-serving cowards? When are they just going to realize that we can NOT afford to wait until we are attacked to deal with a threat? When are they going to stop playing this political game and realize that we are at war - and that it's a war we need to be in? Why don't they devote their energies to improving benefits for the military, improving equipment, assisting the wounded, saying "Thanks"?

I won't hold my breath. Nor will I apologize for supporting our troops - and the wars they're currently fighting.

Tracked at the Mudville Gazette

Labels: Al Qaeda, Iraq, John Murtha, Left-Wingnuts, My Two Cents, politics