Morning Report: January 19, 2007

It's baaack. Morning Report returns with news of Iranian overreach and inflation, the latest on Kareem, a report from a Hezbollah stronghold ... and some interesting statements from an Iraqi official.

Iran "overplaying its hand", says Gates. Debka: 'Iran is overplaying its hand in the belief that the US is weakened by setbacks in Iraq, says defense secretary Robert Gates. He spoke at US 5th Fleet HQ in Bahrain Thursday, Jan. 18, where he is supervising US military and naval preparations to stress the US presence in the Persian Gulf and American opposition to Iran’s nuclear plans. He added: "I think our difficulties have given the Iranians a tactical opportunity in the short term, but the United States is a very powerful country." Gates is also visiting Gulf capitals to underline the US commitment to defend its allies. Washington has been applying pressure on Iran for harboring networks attacking US troops in Iraq. Thursday, Gates met with US and coalition naval commanders in Bahrain to plan operations in the Persian Gulf including the arrival next month of another US aircraft carrier, the USS Stennis has taken aboard 80 fighter-bombers, and 600 more Patriot anti-missiles meant as a warning to Iran. The secretary flew to Qatar for a private meeting with Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani. Later, he visited an air base that hosts a high-tech war room which is the nerve center of all US and coalition air operations through the Middle East and Central Asia. Reporters traveling with the secretary of defense were prohibited from identifying the base or the country in which it is located.'

TSOM: Runaway inflation is ruining Iran. The Spirit of Man: 'This post, in Persian, is basically about a chat I had with a friend of mine who lives in a northern Iranian town. He was telling me really awful stuff about how bad inflation is. One really funny but truly upsetting thing he told me was that eggs are getting expensive and also being hard to find in the market since poultries can't afford feeding their hens and chickens. And he also told me that 2 lbs of tomato cost around 6.5 US Dollars (5000 tomans). To give you a better picture of the conditions on the ground, I should say that a high ranking government clerk may receive a salary of up to 350 USD a month. It means nothing, especially if the individual is responsible for his/her family and has to pay rent and debts and also feeds his dependents. Iran, a rich country in natural resources, that can't even feed its own people yet it wants to take on the world and wipe that state or this nation off the map. ...' See post for Persian text.

FFE: Update on Kareem in English. Freedom for Egyptians:

“The pronouncement of a sentence on Egyptian blogger Abdel kareem Nabil Soliman Amer was adjourned to Thursday, January 25, 2007. He was accompanied in today’s court session by lawyers Ahmed Seif Al Islam from Hisham Mubarak Center, Rowda Ahmed from the Arab Network and Mohamed Baymoumy from the Legal Support Association. The session was adjourned upon a request from the lawyers for further case study and pleading preparations.

The session was attended by the three lawyers and two persons me (Jar El Kamar) and Mahmoud Al Banhawy. The latter took pictures with his cell phone for Karim. More pictures can be seen here. Karim seemed to be in a terrible situation. The accompanying state security officer to Karim prevented us from talking to him. He was hastily led to custody following the court session. The lawyers got a photocopy from the case file for study. Articles from some sites like Al Hewar Al Motamaden were attached to the file as evidence to Karim’s internet writings. Charges included religion disdain, insulting the president, attempts to flare up sectarian unrest and turmoil and disrupting public security.

The case file also included confessions for Karim during the first interrogation process. Confession records contained that he is no longer a Muslim except in the national identity card and that Karim calls for the deletion of any information in the identity cards that indicates religion. ... Please bear in mind that Karim is subject to a prison sentence up to nine years to expiate his crime of expressing his opinion peacefully or through a medium (internet), provided that this medium so far has no censor or limits. Sentencing Karim will be the first legal internet case in Egypt and that will set a precedence to violate internet freedoms.

Full post at the link. Arabic text at Jar al-Kamar. Kareem's homepage is here. Many thanks to FFE for making this available to us.

MJT: "Missile war may be replacing terrorist war." Michael Totten visits Haret Hreik, the Hezbollah "capital" in Lebanon. 'Haret Hreik is vertically packed with civilians, including the liberal cleric [ Sayyed Mohammad Ali El Husseini] who was my guide and who is completely innocent of this war. Tens of thousands of people live in the area. Some of their homes were destroyed. Those whose homes weren’t destroyed now fear theirs could be next. Haret Hreik also is packed with the infrastructure of a warmongering militia that unilaterally instigated the conflict on purpose. That’s why it was hit harder than any other urbanized section of Lebanon.' And while touring, Michael takes a trip down memory lane and pays a visit to Security Square: 'My old nemesis Hussein Naboulsi worked there, in that Security Square office that now is a crater ...' Read the rest at the link.

Iraqi Army patrol thwarts ambush. CENTCOM: 'BAGHDAD - An Iraqi Army patrol thwarted an ambush by a group of armed insurgents in western Baghdad Jan. 17. While conducting a routine patrol in Baghdad's Fahhama neighborhood, an element of the 1st Battalion, 1st Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army was ambushed by a group of insurgents armed with pistols and AK-47s. The patrol immediately returned fire on the men attacking them. Two insurgents were killed and four others wounded in the fire fight. After treating their wounds, the four wounded insurgents were taken into custody.'

Iraqi Police captures leader of Al-Qaeda In Iraq cell. MNF-Iraq: 'BAGHDAD – Iraqi Police Forces captured the suspected leader of several Al Qaeda in Iraq terror cells during operations with Coalition advisers Jan. 18 in Samarra. The suspect was detained on suspicion of directing several improvised explosive device and small arms attacks against Iraqi security and Coalition forces. The insurgent and his followers are reportedly involved in the continuing, indiscriminate violence against civilians, and resulting economic and security instability, in the area. Iraqi Police confiscated numerous assault rifles, ammunition and IED components during the operation. Iraqi forces also detained one additional person for questioning. The increasing capability and determination of Iraqi Security Forces to provide for their own security was demonstrated by this successful operation to capture insurgents responsible for attacks, violence and criminal activity in the area. There was minimal damage done to the objective. There were no Iraqi civilian, Iraqi forces or Coalition forces casualties.'

Commentary. Does the Iranian regime have the best interests of Iraq - and America - at heart? I think the answer is obvious, and I've been assuming that it's equally obvious to President Bush and his team. But if Eli Lake at the New York Sun (via Regime Change Iran) is right, then maybe I've been wrong.

Lake recalls the case of Larry Franklin, sentenced a year ago for discussing classified information with two former lobbyists from the American Israel Public Affairs Committee. Why'd he do it? Well, he had information which contradicted the cheerful beliefs about Iran prevalent in some quarters. 'He provided Aipac's Iran specialists, Steve Rosen and Keith Weissman, with his own list of specific instances of how Iran was sending teams from its Quds Force to sow terror, kill American soldiers, and pose a threat to Israeli operatives in northern Iraq. He hoped his list could find its way to the National Security Council, through the two lobbyists, to counter the intelligence from other channels suggesting that Iran had an interest in stabilizing Iraq.'

Why was Franklin so desperate to blow the whistle on the slick gangsters in Tehran? 'One reason was that in 2002, the Bush administration, as part of its efforts to coordinate the Iraqi opposition, was resigned to working with Iran's proxies, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq and the Dawa party.'

Which brings us to this news item at ThreatsWatch: 'Iraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari has pledged to Iran that Iraq will ensure the release of five Iranians the US is holding. The Iraqi Kurd has criticized the US raid on an Iranian office in Irbil and the detention of 5 Iranians linked to the IRGC’s Qods Force since the event happened late last week.' Tehran's ambassador provides comic relief by complaining that "[the Americans] want to destabilize relations between Iraq and Iran."

Debka has this on the incident: 'Leading Iraqi Shiite politician Abdel Aziz al-Hakim accuses US forces of violating Iraqi sovereignty by arresting Iranian nationals. The SCIRI leader’s comment to the BBC referred to two recent raids. In one, US troops last year attacked Hakim’s residential compound in Baghdad and detained two Iranian officials. They were later released. Last week, five more were taken into custody in the Iranian liaison office in the northern town of Irbil. US officials allege they are Revolutionary Guards agents who are training and arming Iraqi insurgents. ...'

So you'll notice it didn't take long for SCIRI's name to pop up in connection with this story. ThreatsWatch concludes: 'While Zebari states that the United States clearly and openly seeks to “destabilize relations between Iraq and Iran” the evidence shows that Iran has been fueling both sides of the rising sectarian violence - arming, funding and coordinating with both al-Qaeda in Iraq and Muqtada al-Sadr’s Mahdi Army. Iraqi politicians who defend Iran and seek to have members of their Qods Force released under the guise of diplomatic status should be looked at with much scrutiny.'

Indeed.

Update

I'm back in Portland from a short visit to San Francisco. I returned Tuesday to find the city buried under some six inches of snow - a blizzard by Portland standards - and what's more, I had a mild case of the flu. So it's probably a lot of rest and indoor time for me for the rest of the week.

By Sunday I expect to be back to regular posting, Morning Report, the works.

Also upcoming: I'll be posting on Rabbi Steven Greenberg's visit to Portland. Rabbi Greenberg, at present the world's only "out" gay Orthodox rabbi, was scheduled to speak at Portland State University on Wednesday night, but the event was postponed on account of, you guessed it, the weather. So we're looking at Tuesday evening, January 23 for the event, and yes, you can bet I'll be posting on it here at Dreams Into Lightning. And if all goes well, I may also be able to attend a private event with Rabbi Greenberg; I'll post updates as I find out more.

Alice Coltrane, 1937-2007.

Alice Coltrane has died.

Alice Coltrane, widow of the jazz saxophonist John Coltrane and the pianist in his later bands, who extended her musical searches into a vocation as a spiritual leader, died on Friday in Los Angeles. She was 69.

BlogCritics:

Alice Coltrane was already an accomplished bop pianist when she married John Coltrane in 1965, having played under luminaries such as Barry Harris, Stan Getz, Terry Gibbs and Yusef Lateef. She served as John's pianist in his final year and a half, replacing McCoy Tyner in 1966.

Along with former bandmate Pharoah Sanders, she has done the most to carry and even expand JC's vision of spiritual, free form, Eastern mysticism music that sometimes went well beyond the normal boundaries of what was widely held as being "jazz". She didn't just stick with the piano, but also organ and later, synthesizers. She could also play a mean harp. 1970's Ptah the El Daoud was an early post-John high point for her, which demonstrated that the modal form of jazz championed by her late husband was not quite yet exhausted for ideas.

Alice Coltrane homepage.

Remarks. Jazz was always an acquired taste for me, to the extent that I acquired it at all. Of the jazz classics, I learned to love John Coltrane, Miles Davis, and Thelonious Monk, but it took time to adapt my ears to their abstract sounds. (An exception was John Coltrane's "Blue Train", which I liked instantly.)

Alice Coltrane, though, was another matter. She seemed to be, literally, sui generis - a musical genre all her own. As a teenager in the 1970s my tastes tended toward the eclectic - Yes, Ravi Shankar, and Beethoven. When I discovered Alice Coltrane years later, her music seemed to pick up where progressive rock left off - where Rick Wakeman had provided excitement, Alice Coltrane added subtlety and grace.

I own most of Alice Coltrane's recordings, and if you haven't listened to her music I encourage you to experience it for yourself. My personal favorite (among many) is "Jagadishwar" from Translinear Light; it's probably my single favorite instrumental in contemporary music. Alice won't see the release of her forthcoming album Sacred Language of Ascension but you can be sure I won't miss it.

Alice Coltrane's passing is our loss. Rest in peace, Turiyasangitananda.

Americans Raid Iranian Consulate

Debka reports:

Kurdish sources report five helicopters carried US forces to pre-dawn raid of Iranian consulate in N. Iraqi town of Irbil. They were dropped on the roof while armored vehicles encircled the building. The troops used loudspeakers to call out in Farsi and Arabic to the consulate staff not to resist “or else they would be killed.” Five Iranian diplomatic staff members were detained and documents and computers impounded. Tehran has strongly protested this breach of its sovereign territory [Kinda sucks when that happens, doesn't it? - aa] and summoned the Swiss ambassador who represents US interests in Iran and the Iraqi ambassador to demand the immediate release of the Iranian diplomats. Later Thursday, Jan. 11, Tehran reported three large explosions shaking the southern town of Khorramshahr north of the oil port of Abadan on the Shatt al-Arb waterway. DEBKAfile: Khorramshahr, which faces the Iraqi town of Basra, is one of the key towns from which Iran delivers smuggled fighters, weapons and explosives to its Shiite supporters in Iraq. Our sources also report that some hours before President George W. Bush’s policy speech, a series of explosions were heard in Iranian Balochistan. Tehran imposed a blackout on the incident. These statements and events tie in closely with the new Iraq strategy announced by the US president of confronting Iran and Syria for “allowing networks to use their territory to attack US forces.”

Regime Change Iran reports that Iran's strategic guru Hassan Abbassi may have been among those arrested:

Iran Press News reported that based on unconfirmed received reports from reliable sources in Iraq, Hassan Abbasi was among those who was arrested in the Thursday, January 11th early-morning raid in the Iraqi town of Erbil. An excerpt:
Abbasi has been among the highest ranking members of the Islamic regime’s terror operations for many years, acting as Khamenei’s foreign policy and defense advisor. Abbasi has had an active voice under not only Khamenei but also Rafsanjani and Khatami as well. The Martyrdom Brigades of the Global Islamic Awakening is controlled by Abbasi.
The full text:
Based on unconfirmed received reports from reliable sources in Iraq, Hassan Abbasi was among those who was arrested in the Thursday, January 11th early-morning raid in the Iraqi town of Erbil.
Hassan Abbasi known by his friends as "The Dr. Kissinger of Islam," is the guru of the Islamic Republic's revolutionary guard corps which puts volunteers and recruits through rigorous training in four camps funded and run by the Revolutionary Guard. The boot camp includes physical training, ideological indoctrination, building explosives, code-cracking classes, and finally foreign languages classes, specifically Arabic and English as well as many other 'useful' languages.

Iran Press News (Farsi).

Stratfor (subscription) believes the recently announced "troop surge" in Iraq caught the IRI by surprise; the regime had been expecting a drawdown after the Democratic victory in November. Today's analysis also notes that regime officials are acutely aware of the "resourceful and treacherous" nature of their American adversary.

Radical Republicans

Hip Hop Republican:

Instead of calling ourselves Neo Cons lets resurrect the "The Radical Republicans."

Wikipedia:

The Radical Republicans were an influential faction of American politicians in the Republican party during the American Civil War and Reconstruction eras, 1860-1877. They took a hard line against the Confederacy during the war and opposed Lincoln's "too easy" terms for reuniting the nation. By 1866 they supported federal civil rights for freedmen, and by 1867 set terms that allowed free slaves the right to vote in the South but not ex-Confederates. They fought with moderate Republicans, especially president Abraham Lincoln, as well as with his successor Andrew Johnson. Using as a base the Joint Committee on Reconstruction the Radicals demanded a more aggressive prosecution of the war and the faster destruction of slavery and Confederate nationalism. After their victory in the Congressional elections of 1866 they finally had enough votes to enact their legislation over Johnson's vetoes. They replaced ex-Confederates with a Republican coalition of Freedmen, Carpetbaggers and Scalawags. They impeached Johnson in the House but failed by one vote to remove him from office.

During the war and the first part of Reconstruction, the leading Radicals were Thaddeus Stevens in the House and Charles Sumner in the Senate. After his election as president in 1868 Ulysses Grant became the leading Radical. ...

Richie at HHR adds:

-I say its about time we take back our name and use it more often. We have a proud history. Neo Con sounds to much like Neo Nazi and I am not too fond of it.

The Radical Republicans have come back they were resurrected on September 11th just as they arose during the fight against slavery. It was The Radical Republicans who pushed for the Civil Rights Act of 1866 which made African Americans American citizens and forbade discrimination against them, with enforcement in federal courts. It was also these same Radical Republicans who with courage and faith passed the 14th Amendment to the United States Constitution of 1868, (with its equal protection clause) It was The Radical Republicans led the Reconstruction of the South and the impeachment of President Andrew Johnson.

Today the Radical Republicans fight for justice and equal rights not just in America but also in the Middle East and around the world. As president Bush so eloquently stated I believe freedom is not America's gift to the world; I believe freedom is the almighty God's gift to each man and women in this world.

It was another Radical Republican who while fighting a war ignored the pundits and said "In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free - honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just - a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless." Lincoln's Second Annual Message to Congress, December 1, 1862.

The Radical Republicans who so long ago fought for equal rights and freedom for blacks against the racist segregationist who justified his acts by quoting holy scripture, today fight against Arab Islamist supremacist which is a racist ideology that holds the belief that Arab Muslims are superior to other races and religions.

Some Radical Republican quotes:

"The war will not end until the government shall more fully recognize the magnitude of the crisis; until they have discovered that this is an internecine war in which one party or the other must be reduced to hopeless feebleness and the power of further effort shall be utterly annihilated. It is a sad but true alternative. ... How, then, can the war be carried on so as to save the Union and constitutional liberty? Prejudices may be shocked, weak minds startled, weak nerves may tremble, but they must hear and adopt it. Universal emancipation must be proclaimed to all." - Thadeus Stevens

"The question is thus presented between Barbarism and Civilization; not merely between two different forms of Civilization, but between Barbarism on the one side and Civilization on the other side. If you are for Barbarism, join the Rebellion, or, if you can not join it, give it your sympathies. If you are for Civilization, stand by the Government of your country with mind, soul, heart, and might! ... Therefore, the battle which is now waged by the Union is for Civilization itself, and it must have aid and God-speed from all who are not openly for Barbarism. There is no word of peace, no tone of gentleness, no whisper of humanity, which does not become trumpet-tongued against the Rebellion. War itself seems to "smooth its wrinkled front" as it undertakes the championship of such a cause. The armed soldier becomes a minister of mercy." - Charles Sumner

"In giving freedom to the slave, we assure freedom to the free - honorable alike in what we give, and what we preserve. We shall nobly save, or meanly lose, the last best hope of earth. Other means may succeed; this could not fail. The way is plain, peaceful, generous, just - a way which, if followed, the world will forever applaud, and God must forever bless." - Abraham Lincoln

"I believe freedom is not America's gift to the world; I believe freedom is the almighty God's gift to each man and women in this world." - George W. Bush

Morning Report: January 3, 2007

Khamenei dead? AKI recently reported that 'Iran's top spiritual and political figure, Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Seyyed Ali Khamenei is seriously ill and will have to be replaced in the coming months as he is no longer capable of holding office, according to Assembly of Experts member Ayatollah Nasseri. The powerful clerical body appoints and oversees the country's supreme leader.' Khamenei succeeded Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini. AKI adds: 'The names of three possible successors to Khamenei are currently on the lips of Iranians: Khamenei's son, Mjtaba; Iran's former reformist president, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani; and Gholam Ali Mesbah Yazdi, the ultra-conservative ayatollah who is considered the spiritual father of Iran's current hardline president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.' Pajamas Media is now carrying conflicting reports of Khamenei's condition. Winston at The Spirit of Man says: 'I just talked to my folks and my mom said TV is showing video clips and music. Nothing extra ordinary out there at 7:30 am of 5th of Jan, 07. And you know what, if the regime wanted to prepare the masses for khamenei's death, they had to ask people to pray for him just like the way they asked people to do the same for khomeini in 1989 and before he died. Nothing of this sort is going on inIran right now but I keep my fingers crossed... '

Captain Jamil Hussein found? Via Little Green Footballs, the AP reports:

Ministry spokesman Brig. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, who had previously denied there was any such police employee as Capt. Jamil Hussein, said in an interview that Hussein is an officer assigned to the Khadra police station, as had been reported by The Associated Press.

The captain, whose full name is Jamil Gholaiem Hussein, was one of the sources for an AP story in late November about the burning and shooting of six people during a sectarian attack at a Sunni mosque.

The U.S. military and the Iraqi Interior Ministry raised the doubts about Hussein in questioning the veracity of the AP’s initial reporting on the incident, and the Iraqi ministry suggested that many news organization were giving a distorted, exaggerated picture of the conflict in Iraq.

Pakistan: Marriage without family approval a serious offense. The Muslim Woman: 'Rural areas of the Province are still drenched in dogmatic existence. Many men consider it an insult if their female relatives marry without their consent. Killing or attacking women and their partners in such cases is assumed to reinstate family honor. And to make the situation more worse, the offenders escape the lariat of justice just because of poor policing, corruption and legal loopholes. Lately, a young chap of 22 year old was severely battered by his wife’s relatives. His crime was that his wife belonged from so-called ‘upper caste’ family and they got betrothed against their wishes. The girl’s male relatives, around 30 in number, assaulted the man and slashed his nose and ears. Hundreds of women are killed in Pakistan every year in the name of ‘honor killings’.'

Belmont Club on Islamic insurgency in the Philippines. The Belmont Club: 'The story of the Islamic insurgency in the Philippines is the story of the gradual and partial reversion of Philippine territory, originally incorporated by the American wars against the Moros in the early 20th century, to its former state. Prior to the US pacification campaign against the Moros between 1899 and 1913 the Sultanates of Sulu, Maguindanao and Buayan -- Muslim Mindanao -- were effectively independent from Spain. Although the Spaniards nominally claimed the entire extent of what is now called Palawan, Mindanao and the Sulu archipelago, they did not exert effective control over it, anc could not have bequeathed it to a successor Filipino state. It was the Americans who accomplished that. ...' Read the full article at the link.

CTB on Bangkok bombing. Counterterrorism Blog:

With no claims of responsibility for the eight New Year’s Eve bombings and two confirmed defused bombs, that killed 3 and wounded 42, Bangkok is awhirl with speculation and rumors. Here are the different hypotheses that attribute the bombings to the deposed prime minister, his government, the police, the military and southern separatists.

In a three-page hand written letter faxed to his lawyer on 2 January, former Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra denied any role in the bombing. He attributed it to southern insurgents, which is interesting because for the past three years he almost denied that there was an insurgency, laying the unrest on drug gangs, and by denying that there could ever be bombings in Bangkok. In his letter he asserts that he warned government officials that the insurgents “will go to Bangkok” if they are not stopped. It is unlikely that Thaksin had any direct involvement: though unhappy with the 19 September coup that ousted him from power, he wants to return to Thailand and he clearly doesn’t want to give the authorities to go after his family’s assets, especially the illiquid fixed real estate holdings.

Thaksin’s Thai Rak Thai Party (TRT) likewise and unsurprisingly denied any involvement. All eyes at first were on them. Thaksin was corrupt, but he was smart enough to spread his wealth widely and a lot of people made their fortunes because of him. The coup led to a lot of lost earnings potential.

On Thursday, the interim Minister of Defense, Boonrawd Somtas, revealed that the bombers “were in uniform,” without elaborating. Rogue members of the police have been suspected. Thaksin, himself a former police, favored his former colleagues. After the coup, the police stood to lose a lot and were unhappy with the proposed reforms that the army was going to begin to impose on them.

But rogue elements in the military could also be blamed ...

Read the rest at the link.

Bush names new national security team. Fox News: 'President Bush named a new intelligence chief Friday morning during an official announcement that his current top spy man is stepping down. John Negroponte, an Iraq specialist, who oversees the nation's 16 intelligence agencies and reports directly to the president, resigned from his position to move over to the State Department. Bush tapped former National Security Agency Director Mike McConnell, a retired Navy vice admiral, as his replacement.' It's a good week for the Navy: ABC reports that 'the president intends to nominate Admiral William J. Fallon to replace General John Abizaid at Central Command. The announcement is expected next week, before the president gives his Iraq strategy speech, according to US officials. ... Fallon, who is in the Navy, is currently head of Pacific Command; he will be overseeing two ground wars, so the appointment is highly unusual.' Indeed. Iraq has very little coastline, and Afghanistan has none at all. So, what's with the Navy presence? Via Pajamas Media, Astute Blogger Reliapundit has an idea:

Could it really be because the NAVY would lead any military move - like an embargo - against Iran, and also launch any preemptive military attack on IRAN? I think so.The Navy would likely be our lead force against Iran: The Gulf Cooperation Council plans to launch its largest ever military exercise:
GCC sources said the six Gulf Arab members would conduct an exercise by the regional Peninsula Shield force over the next two months. They said the exercise, hosted by Oman, would contain air, ground and naval components in the Gulf region. "The exercise is designed to begin a serious effort at interoperability and regional defense," a GCC source said. "We have been planning this exercise carefully with our allies."

The source said Britain and the United States have been advising Peninsula Shield on the forthcoming exercise. The six GCC militaries employ mostly U.S. and British weapons platforms and also receive training from London and Washington.

More links at the post. See also Middle East Newsline.

Hamas critic shot dead outside of mosque. Fox News: 'A local religious leader who was a frequent critic of the Islamic militant group Hamas was killed in a drive-by shooting Friday as he walked out of a Gaza mosque, witnesses and medical officials said as violence seemed to be spiraling out control in the area. There was no claim of responsibility in the death of Adel Nasar, who was shot by gunmen who were waiting in a car outside the mosque in the Mughazi refugee camp in central Gaza. Nasar was not openly affiliated with any political party, but he was a well-known in the refugee camp and often spoke against Hamas in his sermons.'

Saddam hanging hijacked? As pleased as I was to report the execution of Saddam Hussein, some disturbing aspects of the hanging have come to light. FDD: 'Iraqi law provides that no executions shall be carried out on a major public holiday. This was the principal reason behind the rush to hang Saddam Hussein on Saturday December 30th, before the holy day of Eid al-Adha. Except, and shockingly, it is Shiites who celebrate Eid on the 31st; most Sunnis, however, celebrate it the day before, the very day Saddam Hussein was executed.' Sandmonkey:

Ok, so the timing made me a bit queasy. To kill him on the feast of sacrifise is disturbing and offensive. Think of it as Hitler getting crucified on Christmass Morning. Not exactly celebratory, is it?

And then I saw the video of his execution, and it just turned my stomach: They pulled the lever as before he finished the recitation of faith, as if to gurantee that he doesn't go to Heaven on something. The people executing him were screaming to Hell all the way through, and then started screaming Muqtada's Al Sadr's name afterwards. It looked like A Shia lynch mob more than anything. Add to this the fact that the people executing him, supposidly representing the legitimate authority of the Iraqi government were hiding their faces under masks but had the courage to chant to hell as they killed him, well, yeah. Not good.

This wasn't a professional execution of a man by the power of a state. This was personal. I am more and more convinced that the story that the US tried to delay the execution for 2 more weeks so it wouldn't co-incide with the feast to be true. This was Muqtada's little party. It was his men in the government who pushed for it, his men who hung Saddam and he is the one who now owns the rope Saddam was killed in. The message is clear: There is a new leader in town who is as crazy and brutal as the one he just killed.

Big Pharaoh:

* Readers of this blog know how I regard the Arab street. However, every now and then I find myself understanding a certain reaction emanating from the Arab street. I fully understand the repulsiveness many felt here towards executing Saddam on the first day of the Muslim feast. It was like executing a person on Christmas eve and airing the process instead of Christmas carols.

*No matter what evidence available indicating that it was solely the Iraqi government who executed Saddam, the average Middle Eastern (minus Kuwaitis) in the street believe that it was the US who executed the guy on the first day of the feast to continue its "ridiculing of Islam" and "humiliation of Muslims".

Counterterrorism Blog: 'According to the Saudi daily Al Riyad, citing a witness to the execution of Hussein, one of the masked men was indeed Moqtada Al Sadr. Knowing that Saddam Hussein had Moqtada's father killed, this would not be surprising. In fact the son would want to take part in taking revenge. But if this turns out to be true, this would be another major faux pas for Iraqi authorities.' IraqPundit: 'The cellphone footage of Saddam Hussein's hanging reveals that Iraq's government was content to let the execution become a circus. For example, it features a chant of "Moktada! Moktada! Moktada!" as the dictator is being led to the gallows. Who allowed the miserable, ignorant thugs who follow Moktada Al Sadr to participate in the execution? Was Al Maliki's government afraid that the execution might be a solemn event?' Healing Iraq: 'It utterly disgusts me that Sadr's supporters have infiltrated every level of the state, and that the witnesses, including Iraqi government officials, have made this look like a sectarian issue. They were doomed to repeat Iraqi history by hanging their former oppressor and labeling it as justice. In a perfect situation, Saddam's execution would have united Iraqis, but thanks to the actions of the new Iraqi rulers, it will only serve to divide further. I doubt any of them will prevail as much as Saddam did, though. ... Some Iraqis are saying this was part of the deal for the Sadrist bloc to return to parliament, that they would take care of Saddam's execution themselves.' Big Pharaoh notes this report from CBS indicating that the US tried to pospone Saddam's execution, but to no avail. LightningBaron has more.

Commentary. I've maintained from the beginning that the war against the jihadis and against Middle Eastern fascism is too important to be left to one ideological camp alone. As events progress in both the West and the Middle East, it becomes increasingly clear that Western liberals must see this as their battle too. Fortunately I think this is beginning to happen - and fortunately (but not coincidentally) the number one item on the agenda is Iran.

The Spirit of Man links to Andrei Codrescu who makes a similar claim: 'The Iranian drama is a great opportunity for American liberals to reassert their proud tradition of defending human rights at a time when radicals on the left and the right can’t see past their hatred of each other.'

Codrescu's claim, and that of Danny Postel whose book Codrescu cites, is that the neocon warmongers are using human rights as an excuse to pick fights with Middle Eastern countries. Now this simply isn't true, nor would it explain why Rolling Stone misrepresented the position of Michael Ledeen, who opposes armed intervention in Iran, or why Time Magazine misdirects its readers from an anti-regime website. But let's set all that aside and look ahead.

The objective is regime change in Iran. I suppose I could split hairs and talk about "changing the nature of the regime" but I think you get the point. And as to how this objective can be achieved, I'm going to say "whatever works best". We can come back to this point later.

I think it will be easier to get Western liberals on board for Iran (as compared to Iraq) for several reasons. First, Iran is not Iraq and its recent history with the West is different from Iraq's. No one who was alive at the time can forget the "444 days", and Ahmadinejad's rhetoric to this very day is a message of direct threats to the West. Even now, Iran is at war with America in all but name on the battleground of Iraq. It is simply impossible to claim, as the Iraq-era antiwar movement did, that the country in question does not pose a direct threat to the West.

Second, the facts on the ground are different. Saddam's Ba'athist regime was hated and despised, but its iron grip on the Iraqi people utterly precluded the possibility of an uprising from within. But Ahmadinejad's hold on power is questionable, and even the regime itself - though still firmly in command - is showing signs of stress. Over the last two years, anti-regime demonstrations and even riots, while not widely publicized by the Western media, have spooked the mullahs pretty good. Add to that the fact that Iran now has an American military presence across both its Afghan and Iraqi borders. (An Iraq hawk might point out that this is a consequence of the Iraq war.)

Third, there's Iran versus the Arab world. The neighboring Arab states will be the first ones threatened by Iran's nukes if it gets them. As much as those regimes may dislike dealing with America, they're going to prioritize. Add to that the ethnic aspect - for all the rhetoric of "we're all Muslims", it's clear that the Arab world is not keen about having a non-Arab (i.e. Persian) superpower in its midst.

Fourth, there's Iran versus Israel. Despite the impression you might have gotten from the Democratic Party of Howard Dean, there are pro-Israel Democrats out there. And there's a significant portion of the liberal world (not necessarily the folks you'll see at Zombietime) who are pro-Israel and who opposed the Iraq war mainly because they believed Iran's threat to Israel was the more urgent priority.

Fifth, the humanitarian case is easier to make becase (at least in my observation) the repressive nature of the Iranian regime has been better known to Westerners. And finally, politically speaking, there seems to be something about religious fundamentalism that stirs the ire of Western liberals on a visceral level that secular dictatorshops simply do not. It sucks that it's that way, but it is.

And the domestic picture in America is different from what it was a couple of years ago. George W. Bush, a "lightning rod" (as Michael Totten put it to me) for so much animus from the Left, is nearing the end of his presidency, and there's a Democratic majority in Congress. People often behave very differently when they acquire responsibility, and a majority Democratic Party may turn out to be a very different animal from the minority party of the same name.

What to do about Iran? This is the challenge before America and the West. But it is in particular a challenge to Western liberals, because their answer will shape the course of the liberal tradition in the future. If the West's liberals are truly liberal, they should embrace the cause of freedom and democracy in Iran, and the only debate should be about means, not ends. Do you oppose an American invasion of Iran? Very well - and you might be surprised how many "neo-cons" agree with you. So let's talk instead about what we can do, working together, to help the Iranian people topple the sadistic fundamentalists in Tehran ... and bring about a free, secular, liberal Iranian nation.

Personal note. As I posted earlier today, I'm going on hiatus. I need some time away from dealing with the day-to-day battles of the current conflict, and I want to broaden and deepen my understanding of the world. I enjoy maintaining this site, but it takes time: one Morning Report alone typically takes me about two hours to compile and post. That's two hours out of my morning that I don't have for doing other stuff.

It should be obvious that I'm not a Middle East expert. My only direct involvement in American foreign policy has been the few years I spent in the enlisted ranks of the Air Force and the Marines. (My day job is working as an office clerk for twelve dollars an hour.) What I can do is to speak as an interested layperson and direct you to the folks who do know what they're talking about, and occasionally throw in a few thoughts of my own.

As I've indicated in this post, I believe Western liberalism can and should play an important role in the struggle against the dangers of terrorism, jihadism, and secular Arab fascism - but only if it chooses. The blurb for this blog - "culturally liberal, politically neoconservative" - is a clumsy but descriptive way of saying where I'm coming from on this.

People who don't fit neatly into one political/ideological camp are going to take their lumps. Look at President Bush - the Left loves to portray him as a "right-wing fanatic" but that's only because they need their enemies to be right-wing fanatics. Meanwhile the conservatives are hitting Bush for his insistence on reaching out to moderate Muslims, and his administration's pursuit of a two-state solution for Israel/Palestine. Do the liberals give Bush any credit for the things he's liberal on? Ha!

I make a continuing effort not to get so attached to one faction or ideology that I can't think for myself. I never jumped on the neocon bandwagon about Keith Ellison because, frankly, if he wants to take the oath of office on the Jefferson Qur'an then that's fine with me. Sandmonkey thinks it's cool. He also wonders if you've read Ellison's statements on Israel and the Middle East:

The template set forth by the roadmap for peace currently provides the best outline for achieving a two-state solution to bringing about a lasting settlement. Right now Hamas represents the greatest obstacle to this path, and until Hamas denounces terrorism, recognizes the absolute right of Israel to exist peacefully and honors past agreements, it cannot be considered legitimate partners in this process. Sensible and moderate elements in Palestinian society could possibly provide credible negotiating partners. The United States should encourage dialogue with peaceful Palestinian leaders that recognize Israel, condemn terrorism, and honor past accords.

Terrorism is the greatest impediment to peace. At this point the Palestinian Authority (PA) has yet to dismantle the terrorist infrastructure in Gaza and the West Bank. ...

The other serious threat to the security of the region is Iran's pursuit of nuclear weapons. This must be stopped. A nuclear-armed Iran would upset the strategic balance in the region and pose a clear threat to world peace. Iran's sponsorship of international terrorism as well as financial aid to terrorist organizations endangers peace around the globe. I believe that the United States must engage Iran in a diplomatically meaningful way, through direct or multi-lateral negotiations, before resorting to military force.

Iran is the leading sponsor of international terrorism as well as the major financial supporter of many radical groups that threaten moderate regimes throughout the Middle East.

I'm going to let you read the rest at the link.

Have a great new year in 2007, and please keep an eye on this spot. I'll be posting updates periodically, and regular posting will resume before too long. Meanwhile, keep working for freedom, peace, and a better world.

Update

I'm going on hiatus. The next installment of Morning Report will be my last post here for a little while.

Don't worry ... I'll be back!

Morning Report: January 2, 2007

As the year 2007 opens with images of a notorious dictator swinging from the end of a rope, we take a look at emerging battlefields, and new weapons, in the struggle for freedom. Meanwhile, the Holy City mourns a leader.

Teddy Kollek dies. JTA: 'Jerusalem’s ex-mayor Teddy Kollek died.
Kollek, who served for 28 years as the head of Israel’s capital, passed away Tuesday. He was 95. Known by his nickname, Teddy, Theodor Kollek was born in Austria and moved to prestate Palestine in 1935. During World War II he served as an intelligence asset for Allied forces, a job that would prepare him for his next job: liaison for the fledgling State of Israel’s Haganah militia in the United States. After Israel’s founding, Kollek ran the office of Prime Minister David Ben-Gurion. He became Jerusalem’s mayor in 1965, and when eastern areas of the city were liberated in the Six-Day War two years later, worked to bring Jewish and Arab residents closer. Kollek was voted out of City Hall in 1993 and replaced by Ehud Olmert, now Israel’s prime minister. Kollek was married and had two children.'

Somalia: What next? Douglas Farah:

Ethiopia’s quick dispatch the Council of Islamic Courts in Somalia has opened the way for the next step, which is seldom any easier than the first: rebuilding shattered institutions while providing the security that brought the Courts the support that propelled the radical group to power in the first place.

The new government is in a very difficult position-beholden to a foreign power that will soon be resented as an occupying force, little leverage in negotiating with the different clans and warlords, and unknown in most of the country.

In addition, the new government faces the prospect of a prolonged conflict with the rump of the Islamist movement, and the strong possibility that the remnant will receive support from Islamist movements around the world, including al Qaeda. ...

One of the keys will be international support and recognition, with support clearly tied to the government’s willingness to take the necessary steps to rebuild a nation that has been without a central government for 15 years.

It was the Court’s ability to provide security for businesses, ordinary citizens and international trade that created the atmosphere where their excesses were tolerated. If the new government cannot provide that in the very near term, it will fail one of the first, most crucial tests in many people’s mind, and support will erode.

The Courts also provided a semblance of a working judicial system, under sharia law, where the cycle of impunity could be challenged and broken. Again, the new government must fill that void ...

ODIE: Trends for 2007. Or Does It Explode sees three trends continuing throughout the coming year: women's citizenship rights (particularly the transference of national status to children of transnational marriages); demands for religious freedom in the Middle East; and regional activist campaigns reaching across borders. Full post at the link.

Al-Qaeda leaders hunted in the Horn of Africa. Debka: 'Special US forces from Djibouti join the pursuit on the Somali-Kenyan border for three most wanted al Qaeda leaders in the Horn of Africa. They fled south with the defeated Somali Islamist fighters. DEBKAfile’s counter-terror sources identify them as: Abdullah Fazul, from the Comoro Islands, Ali Saleh Nabhan, from Kenya, and Abu Taha al-Sudani, from Sudan. Fazul, the most senior, is wanted for lead roles in the 1998 US embassy bombings in Dar es Salaam and Nairobi, the 1996 Ethiopian Airline hijack in which four Israeli air industry directors and 3 Israeli civilians were murdered; the ramming of the USS Cole in Aden Harbor which cost the lives of 19 US seamen, and the 2002 coordinated air-missiles attacks on the Mombasa Paradise hotel and the Israeli Arkia airliner bringing Israelis to the hotel. Fazul is also the highest ranking operative in contact with clandestine al Qaeda networks in the Sinai Peninsula. His capture and interrogation would for the first time provide access to a primary source on al Qaeda’s precise plans for operations against Israel, but he has more than once escaped when his pursuers were hot on his heels.'

Iran: Divestment is working. Vital Perspective: 'No doubt the sanctions imposed by the United Nations Security Council in late December are too weak to force Iran to abandon its nuclear ambitions. But, as the NY Times reports today, what could make a real difference is the oustanding job done by financial institutions and other private sector "street fighters" to cut ties with Iranian businesses and individuals beyond those involved in its nuclear and missile programs. The most notable of these efforts is Divest Terror organized by the Center for Security Policy in Washington. The results of the collective work are beginning to show. Last month, the Japan Bank for International Cooperation announced that it would not issue any new loans for Iranian projects until Iran resolved the nuclear impasse with the West. The Iranian economy is suffering a great deal as a result of the economic punishment. ...' Read the rest at the link.

ICU: Farewell Somalia, hello Kenya. ThreatsWatch:

Following the trend consistently seen throughout the duration of the advance driven by the Ethiopian army, approximately 3,000 Islamic Courts Union fighters fled the southern Somali port city of Kismayo overnight, the ICU’s final urban stronghold in Somalia. While the overrunning of the al-Qaeda backed Islamist forces that had taken control of the majority of Somalia is a positive development with global implications in the global conflict, Somalia’s strategic importance to al-Qaeda and aligned movements (AQAM) assures that unless the ICU’s force is blocked and decimated in-place, it will regroup with significant al-Qaeda investment and return to the Somali battlefields in relatively short order.

Understanding this, Somalia’s Transitional Federal Government urged Kenya to close its borders, potentially acting as an anvil to the Ethiopian-led hammer in pursuit of the Islamists. A spokesman for the Somali TFG said, “We request the Kenyan government to close its border since the remnants of the defeated Islamic Courts led by Hassan Dahir Aweys are heading towards the Kenyan border.” The abandoned Kismayo stronghold lies 100 miles north of the border with Kenya. Ethiopian reconnaissance aircraft reportedly observed the ICU fighters heading southward toward the border in convoys of light vehicles.

An initial response from Kenya was disappointing ...

Read the full article at the link. Steve Schippert concludes: 'The defeat of the ICU Islamist forces fleeing combat in Somalia requires more than allowing them to melt into the southern horizon. It remains to be seen, but there is little to suggest that the Kenyans are up to the anvil task in equal proportion to the capabilities and will evident in Ethiopia’s hammer.'

Commentary. With the new year, there's a new focus on the Horn of Africa. Watch this site for continuing developments from that region.

Today's items highlight the broad range of tools that can be brought to the struggle for freedom: trans-national activism, economic pressure, and local leadership. With continued effort, we can take advantage of the ground gained in 2006.

Saddam Hussein 1937-2006

A roundup of information about Saddam Hussein may be found at this link.

Saddam Hussein is dead.

God. I never thought I'd write those words.

CNN Breaking News: "Saddam Hussein is dead ... Iraqi TV stations report."

BBC news ticker: "Saddam Hussein executed by hanging, according to Iraqi media reports."

MSNBC Breaking News: "Reports: Saddam Hussein executed."

Debka:

Saddam Hussein, deposed ruler of Iraq, was executed by hanging before dawn Saturday, Dec. 30 for crimes against humanity. He was handed from US to Iraqi custody Friday. US and Iraqi forces on high alert

December 30, 2006, 5:15 AM (GMT+02:00)


He said in an earlier letter he is willing to sacrifice himself for the Iraqi people and would die as a martyr. The Iraqi government was under considerable international pressure not to execute sentence. The former Iraqi ruler was condemned together with his half-brother Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikrity and the former chairman of the Baath revolutionary courts Awad Ahmad al Bandar. The pleas came from the European Union, the Vatican and some UN agencies.

US and Iraqi forces are on high alert and some areas are under curfew.

Iraq’s Baath warned Thursday of grave consequences if their leader goes to the gallows. An internet message said the US would be held responsible. “The Baath and the resistance are determined to retaliate in all ways and places that hurt America and its interests.” Retaliation was also threatened against the Iraqi High Tribunal which upheld the death sentence. The largely Sunni-Arab Baathists who dominate the insurgency vowed to shut down national reconciliation negotiations.

UPDATE: CNN televises American Muslims dancing in the street at the news of Saddam's death. Kudos to CNN for showing this!

MSNBC: 'DEARBORN, Mich. - Dozens of Iraqi-Americans gathered late Friday at a Detroit-area mosque to celebrate reports that Saddam Hussein had been executed, cheering and crying as drivers honked horns in jubilation.

Dave Alwatan wore an Iraqi flag around his shoulders and flashed a peace sign to everyone he passed at the Karbalaa Islamic Educational Center in this suburb of Detroit, a city that has one of the nation's largest concentrations of people with roots in the Middle East.

"Peace," he said, grinning and laughing. "Now there will be peace for my family." ...'

More at this link: Saddam Hussein.

ITM: Saddam Won't See 2007

Mohammed at Iraq the Model:

Year 2007 will definitely be without Saddam walking on the ground….
It's very imminent now and might become a fact at any minute.
The situation in Baghdad is tense now and US and Iraqi forces are heavily deployed on the streets.

We're hearing and reading more confirmations that US military has already turned Saddam in to the Iraqi authorities and I don't think the government is willing, or able, to keep him in custody for too long.
Rumors are spreading fast through phones and text messages in Baghdad, mostly saying that curfew will be imposed in the city tomorrow. No word about that from state TV though.

Friends and relatives are calling me asking me whether he's been already executed, some are claiming he already has.
Meanwhile lots of updates are coming through news TV here; al-Arabiya reporter said the noose is already set in a yard in the IZ. Al-Hurra reported that preparations for the execution are underway and no delay is expected.

It's going to be a long night but it looks like the morning will bring the news Iraqis have long waited for….

See also: The Iraqi Holocaust

Morning Report: December 28, 2006

Jihadis are defeated in Somalia; a leading terrorist figure is killed; a Saudi activist yields to coercion; Americans rescue Iraqis and fight for Israel; and we take a look at the shape of the information war.

Islamist defeat in Somalia. BBC: 'Ethiopian and Somali government forces have reached the outskirts of the Somali capital, Mogadishu, after Islamist forces abandoned the city.' CNN: 'MOGADISHU, Somalia (Reuters) -- Triumphant Somali government forces marched into Mogadishu on Thursday after Islamist rivals abandoned the war-scarred city they held for six months before an Ethiopian-backed advance. The flight of the Islamists was a dramatic turnaround in the volatile Horn of Africa nation after they took Mogadishu in June and spread across the south imposing sharia rule. Terrified of yet more violence in a city that has become a byword for chaos, some Mogadishu residents greeted the arriving government troops, while others hid. "People are cheering as they wave flowers to the troops," said resident Abdikadar Abdulle, adding scores of government military vehicles had passed the Somalia National University west of the city center. ... "We have been defeated. I have removed my uniform. Most of my comrades have also changed into civilian clothes," one former SICC fighter told Reuters. "Most of our leaders have fled."'

TFR on islamist defeat in Somalia. The Fourth Rail: 'Nine days after the onset of open warfare between the al-Qaeda backed Islamic Courts and the Ethiopian backed Transitional Federal Government, the Islamic Courts have surrendered. "After having crucial and urgent meeting tonight in the capital, the leaders of executive and Shura councils of Islamic Courts Union and deputy leader of executive council of ICU, Sheik Hassan Dahir Aweys, Sheik Sharif Sheik Ahmed and Sheik Abdirahman Janaqow resigned and issued a joint press statement over the current situation in Somalia particular in Mogadishu," reports SomaliNet. ... The Ethiopians are looking for a quick exit from Somalia, and have indicated they will leave soon. "Once we accomplish the mission – half is already over and the rest will not take long – we will leave," said Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi. The Islamic Courts are signaling they will conduct an insurgency. ... The ICU may also be working to integrate its security forces and other elements of the organization into the new, TFG led government to destroy it from within.'

Lessons learned: The word is resolve. Froggy at Blackfive answers the question, "How deep to go?", and offers some reasons for the Ethiopian victory over islamist forces in Somalia: 'Off the top of my head, I would say that Ethiopia is not afflicted with a pernicious and defeatist media machine that is capable of manipulating public opinion, and even if it was, it doesn’t look like the Ethiopian president would give a damn in any case. The word that comes to mind is resolve. When a leader resolves to send men into battle, he is obligated to withstand the criticism of the media so that the troops who are withstanding hostile fire from the enemy are able to decisively defeat that enemy. This is the area where the President, Rumsfeld, and the Generals have been found wanting.' Steve at ThreatsWatch is of a similar mind: 'The absence of our engagement is a wholly arrogant and self-serving definition of peace and devoid of principle. Those who are guided by a fear of perceived American arrogance through her actions often arrive at the same result through their guidance toward inaction, comfortably removed from remaining conflict with clean and distant hands, eyes averted. Take from the Ethiopian advance the lesson of will.' Daveed Gartenstein-Ross at PJM makes the same point, and adds:

Moreover, Jibreel says that the ICU’s collapse has been hastened by its growing unpopularity. “The ICU was terrorizing villages and towns using technicals [pickups with heavy weponry mounted in the rear bed] that the population can’t stand up and fight against,” Jibreel tells Pajamas Media. “But they were not wanted by the people. They were alien. They were trying to use an alien ideology of fanatic Islam, and they had no clan backing.” One of the ICU’s major blunders was decreeing that women couldn’t leave the house without a mahram (male relative who would act as a guard). Professor Ali explains that because of the civil war that enveloped Somalia in the 1990s, more than half of the breadwinners in the country are women. This decree crippled their ability to earn a living. Nor was this the most draconian of the ICU’s rules: in one southern Somali town, the Islamic Courts threatened to behead citizens who failed to pray five times a day.

Sadr aide killed in raid. Hyscience: 'In a sign that the ROEs may be changing, a top deputy of Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr was killed Wednesday during a raid by U.S. and Iraqi troops in the southern holy city of Najaf. Sahib al-Amiri was shot and killed by a U.S. soldier during the early morning raid and is said to have provided explosives for use against Iraqi and U.S. forces.'

Hajj begins. AP via Jerusalem Post: 'Nearly 3 million Muslims from around the world, chanting "I am here, Lord" and raising their hands to heaven, marched through a desert valley outside Mecca on Thursday in the first day of the annual hajj pilgrimage. This year's hajj takes place amid increasing worries across the Islamic world - over the bloodshed in Iraq, violence in the Palestinian territories and a new war in Somalia. Amid the crises, tensions have increased between the two main sects of Islam, Sunnis and Shi'ites, who come together in the five days of hajj rituals centered around the holy city of Mecca, birthplace of Islam's Prophet Muhammad.'

Saudi writer buys freedom with silence. The Muslim Woman: 'Wajeha Al-Huwaider a Saudi-born writer and journalist is campaigning for women’s rights in the male chauvinistic society of Saudi Arabia. In August 2003, the Saudi Interior Ministry from writing in the Saudi press banned Al-Huwaider. Since then, she has published her articles on the reformist Arabic websites, and has gained international recognition. In November 2004, she was awarded the 2004 PEN/NOVIB Free Expression Award at The Hague for her work for freedom of expression and advancement of women’s rights. She staged a public protest on August 2006 on Saudi King Abdallah bin Abd Al-Aziz’s ascension to the throne. She came onto the streets with a sign saying ‘Give Women Their Rights.’ This was not acceptable to the authorities who however arrested her because of her self-expression. The authorities bartered her freedom with a pledge that would not only cease her but would also desist her from all her human rights activism. Security personnel threatened that if she broke her pledge, she would lose her job with Aramco. She was also not permitted to return to her home in Bahrain, and was forced to remain in Saudi Arabia. This ban was lifted on September 28.'

Russian plane lands after hijacking attempt. Fox News: 'PRAGUE, Czech Republic — A Russian Aeroflot airliner made an unscheduled landing at Prague's Ruzyne international airport on Thursday after an apparent hijacking attempt, police said. A passenger aboard was detained by police. The Airbus A320 flying from Moscow to Geneva, landed in Prague shortly before 11 a.m., airport spokeswoman Pavlina Hajkova said.'

Anbar outlook improving. CENTCOM:

RAMADI, Iraq— “In one of Iraq’s most turbulent areas, we’re seeing signs that the situation is changing,” says Navy Commander James Lee. He just finished a six-month tour with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as their representative on the Provincial Reconstruction Team (PRT) for Al Anbar Province that includes the cities of Ramadi and Fallujah. “At one point the local tribal leaders and the population at large fought against us. But as they observed our continuing efforts to improve their communities, they’ve taken noticeable steps switching their alliance from sympathizing with the insurgents to helping us get the security situation under control,” Lee explained.

“We’re working on schools, water and sewage treatment plants, hospitals and primary healthcare centers, electrical generation and distribution networks, waterway maintenance, roadways, police and fire stations and the local residents appreciate our efforts. Those times I would get discouraged about the ongoing challenges, it just took a stop in one of the many villages we were assessing for projects to get re-energized about our mission. The thankful smiles of their youngsters did it for me every time.”

Lee joined the PRT just as it was getting organized and he was one of the first on the ground at their new office in Ramadi. He worked directly with Al Anbar Governor Ma’Moun Sami Rashied, a fellow engineer. “He’s a courageous man, having survived over 20 assassination attempts on his life. I believe in my heart he’s a patriot of Iraq and there’s no question he loves the Al Anbar Province and its people. The sacrifices he and his family have made (including the kidnapping of his son who was eventually returned unharmed) is something to be admired.”

Ma'Moun is a believer in renewable resources and in Iraq's agricultural economy - particularly the succulent dates in Anbar Province. Read the full article at the link.

US Army rescues kidnapped Iraqis. MNF-Iraq: 'CAMP AL ASAD, Iraq – U.S. forces rescued two Iraqis who were held captive by insurgents in the Euphrates River-city of Hit, Iraq, Wednesday. Soldiers from the Friedburg, Germany-based 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment, 1st Armored Division rescued the kidnapping victims after pursuing insurgents who were fleeing in three vehicles containing the captives. In their escape, the insurgents fled on foot, abandoning their vehicles and victims. The soldiers found the victims under a palm tree, handcuffed near the abandoned vehicles. No one was killed or injured during the incident. ...'

Israel: American olim think army. Jerusalem Post: 'Yonatan Cooper always knew that he would immigrate to Israel, but it was the death of his close friend, Michael Levine, in the recent war in Lebanon that prompted the 24-year-old to pack his bags and join 220 olim on a Nefesh B'Nefesh/The Jewish Agency flight Wednesday. ... On the flight to Israel, Cooper was joined by 21 other olim who plan to join the IDF within the coming months, and one oleh, Eliyahu Joselit, who has already served two- and-a-half years. Joselit, who joined the IDF as a volunteer in the Nahal Haredi unit, was allowed to keep renewing his time with the IDF. He had served more than two years when he was suddenly told that it was "deeply, deeply against the rules" for him to continue to volunteer and that he must make aliya in order to continue serving in the IDF.'

Commentary. Richard Fernandez at The Belmont Club has an in-depth article on "The Blogosphere at War." It is impossible to do justice to Wretchard's analysis in a summary, so I'll just note that it examines the blogosphere's structure in terms of collection, analysis, and dissemination ("finders, thinkers, and linkers"), provides real-world examples including the Boxing Day tsunami of 2004 and the "Captain Jamil Hussein" debacle, and highlights the critical step of reaching the "legitimizer" - that established, entrenched organization or entity that lends authority to a fact or narrative. Go read the article as soon as you get the chance.

In Somalia, the military defeat of the islamist forces is nothing short of stunning. I think it's a given that they will try to conduct an insurgency and make life unpleasant for Somalis; there's no reason not to expect that. But as a military force, they're finished.

I'd like to return for a moment to the PJM article on the islamist defeat in Somalia. Gartenstein-Ross enumerates several key factors. The first, of course, is the will to win, and the absence of a defeatist leftist media follows close behind. As today's posts and earlier ones indicate, this is pretty well understood throughout the pro-victory blogosphere.

But Gartenstein-Ross names several other, more specific factors, which may be equally important, and which I think bear out the analysis of West Point's Militant Ideology Atlas.

Gartenstein-Ross:

Dahir Jibreel, the transitional government’s permanent secretary in charge of international cooperation, is in constant contact with transitional government leaders who are conducting the military campaign. He says two other factors were critical in Ethiopia’s military success. One is that the ICU committed a strategic blunder by spreading its forces too thin. ...

Moreover, Jibreel says that the ICU’s collapse has been hastened by its growing unpopularity. “The ICU was terrorizing villages and towns using technicals [pickups with heavy weponry mounted in the rear bed] that the population can’t stand up and fight against,” Jibreel tells Pajamas Media. “But they were not wanted by the people. They were alien. They were trying to use an alien ideology of fanatic Islam, and they had no clan backing.”

Combating Terrorism Center:

Jihadi propaganda—which is designed to reclaim this lost credibility—can be countered with the following messages:

— Jihadis want a totalitarian system of government in which no one is allowed to think for themselves. Not even the Saudi government is strict enough. Anyone who does not share their understanding of Islam will be declared an apostate and executed. If you want to know what a Jihadi state will look like, contemplate the Taliban—the only state in recent memory that Jihadis consider to have been legitimately Islamic. ...

DGR:

One of the ICU’s major blunders was decreeing that women couldn’t leave the house without a mahram (male relative who would act as a guard). Professor Ali explains that because of the civil war that enveloped Somalia in the 1990s, more than half of the breadwinners in the country are women. This decree crippled their ability to earn a living.

CTC:

Jihadis are routinely condemned for the following reasons:
— Declaring other Muslims apostates
— Attacking other Muslims
— Attacking women, children, and the elderly
— Attacking the sources of a nation's wealth, such as tourism and the oil industry
— Creating political and social chaos

DGR:

Nor was this the most draconian of the ICU’s rules: in one southern Somali town, the Islamic Courts threatened to behead citizens who failed to pray five times a day.

CTC:

— The Jihadi message is so weak and unappealing that they have to use violence to persuade people. They claim to be saving Islam, but they are giving it a bad reputation. They are hurting their own people and national resources.

So it appears that the insights of West Point's playbook are supported by the recent events in Somalia.

The information war follows some of the same principles as the ground war. Those of us who are intent on defeating the jihadis and fascists can optimize our efforts by being aware of what works and what doesn't. Few people become convinced of an idea by being lectured or shouted at; on the other hand, most reasonable, intelligent people tend to trust conclusions they've arrived at on their own when presented with the relevant facts. That approach - plus persistence and the will to win - will help us in advancing the cause of freedom.