Late Saturday morning update
Afghan security forces backed by coalition helicopters attacked a suspected Taliban hideout in southern Afghanistan, setting off an intense gunbattle that killed 41 rebels, a provincial governor said Saturday.
Six Afghan police officers also died in Friday's fighting in Sangisar, a town 25 miles southwest of Kandahar, said Asadullah Khalid, the provincial governor. Nine police and several militants were wounded. "Acting on intelligence reports that Taliban have gathered in Sangisar to plan an attack in Kandahar, we launched this operation Friday and the fighting continued from morning to evening," he said. Khalid said security forces were pursuing Taliban fighters who fled to a nearby village. He said security forces had seen the bodies of 41 rebels but had only retrieved 11.
AH-64 Apache helicopters provided by coalition forces fired rockets to support Afghan forces on the ground, said U.S. military spokesman Lt. Mike Cody. He declined to comment on casualty figures. An Associated Press reporter in Sangisar saw helicopters launch missiles but couldn't see if the barrage caused casualties.
Also this week, coalition and Afghan forces launched a major offensive, dubbed Operation Mountain Lion, in eastern Kunar province where militants from Taliban, al-Qaida and other groups are active.
Maps, charts and intelligence reports on computer drives smuggled out of a U.S. base and sold at a bazaar here appear to detail how Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders have been using southwestern Pakistan as a key planning and training base for attacks in Afghanistan.
The documents, marked "secret," appear to be raw intelligence reports based on conversations with Afghan informants and official briefings given to high-level U.S. military officers. Together, they outline how the U.S. military came to focus its search for members of Taliban, Al Qaeda and other militant groups on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border.
In one report contained in a flash memory drive, a U.S. handler also indicates that the United States discussed with two Afghan spies the possibility of capturing or killing Taliban commanders in Pakistani territory. Pakistan has long denied harboring Taliban leaders or training bases and has engaged in several well-publicized battles with insurgents in its tribal territories bordering Afghanistan. But the documents contained on memory drives sold at a bazaar in front of the main gate of the Bagram air base suggest that although Pakistani forces are working to root out foreign Al Qaeda fighters from the northwestern tribal regions, the Taliban has been using Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan in the southwest, as its rear guard for training and coordinating attacks, some by foreign Arab fighters, in Afghanistan.
The theft of the drives became the subject of a full-scale criminal investigation Wednesday, two days after the Los Angeles Times revealed the black-market operation. The contents of the flash drives appear to be authentic documents, but the accuracy of the information could not be independently verified. Military officials, however, acknowledged Thursday that the sale of the stolen drives posed a security risk. "Obviously you have uncovered something that is not good for U.S. forces here in Afghanistan," said Col. Tom Collins, speaking from the public affairs office at the Bagram base. "We're obviously concerned that certain sources or assets have been compromised." (worth reading entire article from the link)
Iran said it could defeat any American military action over its controversial nuclear drive, in one of the Islamic regime's boldest challenges yet to the United States.
"You can start a war but it won't be you who finishes it," said General Yahya Rahim Safavi, the head of the Revolutionary Guards and among the regime's most powerful figures. "The Americans know better than anyone that their troops in the region and in Iraq are vulnerable. I would advise them not to commit such a strategic error," he told reporters on the sidelines of a pro-Palestinian conference in Tehran.
"I would advise them to first get out of their quagmire in Iraq before getting into an even bigger one," General Safavi said with a grin. (clearly enjoying the use of a word favored by the American Left) "We have American forces in the region under total surveillance. For the past two years, we have been ready for any scenario, whether sanctions or an attack."
At a Friday prayer sermon in Tehran, senior cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Janati simply branded the US as a "decaying power" lacking the "stamina" to block Iran's ambitions. And hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told AFP that a US push for tough United Nations sanctions was of "no importance." "She is free to say whatever she wants," the president replied when asked to respond to comments by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice highlighting part of the UN charter that provides for sanctions backed up by the threat of military action. "We give no importance to her comments," he said with a broad smile.
At the Tehran conference, Iran continued to thumb its nose at the United States and Israel. "The Zionist regime is an injustice and by its very nature a permanent threat," Ahmadinejad told the gathering of regime officials, visiting Palestinian militant leaders and foreign sympathizers. "Whether you like it or not, the Zionist regime is on the road to being eliminated," said Ahmadinejad, whose regime does not recognise Israel and who drew international condemnation last year when he said Israel should be "wiped off the map."
There was no immediate reaction from Washington, but French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy severely condemned Ahmadinejad for his latest remarks on Israel.
For many devout Shiite Muslims, the Jamkaran Mosque is a place of miracles - the place of the Mahdi, the messiah. From lowly carpet weavers to Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, devotion to the Mahdi and anticipation of his return appears to be crescendoing in Iran.
Particularly on Tuesdays, the day most associated with the Mahdi's blessings, the night here is filled with fervent prayers, a reflection of the ardent faith that gave rise to the Islamic Revolution, and which conservative supporters of Ahmadinejad hope will sustain the nation in any confrontation with the West over Iran's nuclear program. All Muslims await the appearance of the Mahdi; the largest branch of Shiites, those known as Twelvers, await his return. To the majority of Shiites, the Mahdi was the last of the prophet Muhammad's true heirs, his 12 righteous descendants chosen by God to lead the faithful.
The Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam, the Imam of Our Times, was born Muhammad ibn Hasan and went into hiding around 878. Shiites believe he maintained contact with representatives until 941, when all communication from him ceased. When the time is ripe, they teach, he will reappear and, along with Jesus, will lead Muslims in a struggle to rid the world of corruption and establish justice. The Mahdi ordered a shrine built in Jamkaran nearly 1,000 years ago, Shiite teachings hold.
There are many who treat the Mahdi's return as figurative rather than literal. But at a time when many here believe that Iran, and by extension its brand of Shiism, is under threat by the West, the Mahdi can be a useful symbol for the government to rally the people. For Iran's opponents in Washington and elsewhere, the talk of the Mahdi's return, with its apocalyptic overtones, causes worry. Some critics of Iran fear that religious zeal might overcome reason when it comes to setting the nation's policies.
Ahmadinejad's particular attention to the Mahdi in his speeches and actions - soon after taking office, he allocated $20 million to improve and enlarge the Jamkaran Mosque complex - has been noted by Western critics. So, too was Ahmadinejad's appearance in September before the United Nations General Assembly, when he said a prayer calling for the Mahdi's return: "O mighty Lord, I pray to hasten the emergence of … the promised one … the one who will fill this world with justice and peace."
To Safr, a 34-year-old who has been studying in Qom for four years, the troubles that have racked the Persian Gulf region in recent years could be portents of the Mahdi's return. Just as some Christians see warfare in the Middle East as reflections of Biblical prophecy, some in Iran see a religious pattern in recent events. The destruction of an important Shiite shrine in Samarra, Iraq, the Mahdi's birthplace and where he went into hiding, and the sectarian violence in that country are seen as fulfillments of prophecies about the conditions in which he would reappear. "This is why Mr. Bush has put divisions in Saudi Arabia and Iraq - to kill the Mahdi and make Jesus the messiah," Safr said. "I am serious. There have been speeches in the Pentagon about it."
In a black chador, Akram Mirzails, 43, walked along the tree-shaded pavement among those people dropping letters to the Twelfth Imam into the wells. She carried what looked like a rainbow-colored feather duster as a symbol that she was a worker and advisor at the Jamkaran Mosque, helping pilgrims with directions and hints for their devotions. Visits to the mosque have climbed steadily, she says.
"Everyone is waiting for an appearance of the Imam because they feel there is a connection and they can feel his sacredness here." We have visitors from as far away as Pakistan, India, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. In the last few years, I don't know why, people more and more are drawn to this location on Tuesday nights, even those who are not religious. And there are many instances of healing, she asserted. Just that evening, she said recently, a 13-year-old who had been ill stood up, suddenly cured. People were crying. You could not even hear the loudspeaker," she recounted. "When the Imam appears, he will display many, many miracles," she predicted. "I myself have seen some already. Other people sometimes see or feel a guiding presence." As she walked away, a new crowd of supplicants made their way to the well, and the din of the crowd and the loudspeakers rose once more.
Israeli veteran statesman Shimon Peres, responding to the latest verbal attack on the Jewish state by Iran's president, said on Saturday that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would end up like Iraq's Saddam Hussein.
In a speech to a conference on the Palestinian issue on Friday, Ahmadinejad said: "The Zionist regime is a decaying and crumbling tree that will fall with a storm." Peres, in a statement quoted by Israel Radio, called Ahmadinejad's comments a direct threat to Israel's existence. "His statements are reminiscent of those voiced by Saddam Hussein. Ahmadinejad will end up like Saddam Hussein," he said, referring to the Iraqi leader ousted by a U.S. invasion in 2003 and on trial for the killings of 148 Shi'ites two decades ago. "Ahmadinejad represents Satan, not God," Peres said. "History has denounced the madmen and those who waved the sword."
Peres, a former prime minister, is a senior member of acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's centrist Kadima party. He is expected to hold a top cabinet post in the government Olmert is forming, following Israel's March 28 election.
Shiite politicians suggested a formula Saturday for replacing their nominee for prime minister to break the deadlock over Iraq's new unity government, officials said. At least 12 Iraqis died in a car bombing near a Baghdad restaurant and other attacks.
Two Shiite officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the sensitivity of the discussions, said the formula called for Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to step aside in favor of another candidate from his Dawa party. In return, the biggest Shiite party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, would not push Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi for the post, the officials said. It was unclear, however, whether al-Jaafari had signed off on the plan, and it appeared there was no agreement even among Dawa on a replacement. Al-Jaafari, who defeated Abdul-Mahdi for the nomination in a vote among Shiite lawmakers in February, and has refused to give up his bid for a second term.
On Friday, representatives of the main political blocs agreed to create a six-member committee to choose names of candidates for the posts of president, vice president and prime minister, said Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish elder statesman.The committee was to meet Saturday and, if necessary, Sunday, before parliament convenes the next day, he said.
Palestinian police sealed off a main road and briefly stormed a government building in this central Gaza town of Khan Younis on Saturday, angered by the Hamas-led government's failure to pay them.
The gunmen surrounded the building where town councilors have their offices, taking positions on the roof and on balconies and firing in the air. They left peacefully after holding talks with local government officials. The protest was the first sign of serious discontent with the new government since it took office two weeks ago, and it reflected a growing sense of desperation in the streets of Gaza as the already impoverished Palestinians begin to feel the economic repercussions of Hamas' rise. Western nations have cut off aid to the cash-starved Palestinian Authority, demanding Hamas renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist. Israel also halted the monthly transfer of about $55 million in taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinians. Stepping up the pressure, the U.S. government on Friday said it has barred Americans from most business dealings with the Palestinian government. Israeli officials say they hope the financial pressure forces Hamas - which is listed as a terror group by the United States and European Union - to moderate or stirs enough popular discontent to remove the government.
Rival armed factions seizing pieces of Gaza. Fatah and Hamas militias train in old Israeli settlements as anxiety grows over instability.
Jihad Watch has several interesting entries
"The best way out is always through." - Robert Frost
Six Afghan police officers also died in Friday's fighting in Sangisar, a town 25 miles southwest of Kandahar, said Asadullah Khalid, the provincial governor. Nine police and several militants were wounded. "Acting on intelligence reports that Taliban have gathered in Sangisar to plan an attack in Kandahar, we launched this operation Friday and the fighting continued from morning to evening," he said. Khalid said security forces were pursuing Taliban fighters who fled to a nearby village. He said security forces had seen the bodies of 41 rebels but had only retrieved 11.
AH-64 Apache helicopters provided by coalition forces fired rockets to support Afghan forces on the ground, said U.S. military spokesman Lt. Mike Cody. He declined to comment on casualty figures. An Associated Press reporter in Sangisar saw helicopters launch missiles but couldn't see if the barrage caused casualties.
Also this week, coalition and Afghan forces launched a major offensive, dubbed Operation Mountain Lion, in eastern Kunar province where militants from Taliban, al-Qaida and other groups are active.
Maps, charts and intelligence reports on computer drives smuggled out of a U.S. base and sold at a bazaar here appear to detail how Taliban and Al Qaeda leaders have been using southwestern Pakistan as a key planning and training base for attacks in Afghanistan.
The documents, marked "secret," appear to be raw intelligence reports based on conversations with Afghan informants and official briefings given to high-level U.S. military officers. Together, they outline how the U.S. military came to focus its search for members of Taliban, Al Qaeda and other militant groups on both sides of the Afghan-Pakistani border.
In one report contained in a flash memory drive, a U.S. handler also indicates that the United States discussed with two Afghan spies the possibility of capturing or killing Taliban commanders in Pakistani territory. Pakistan has long denied harboring Taliban leaders or training bases and has engaged in several well-publicized battles with insurgents in its tribal territories bordering Afghanistan. But the documents contained on memory drives sold at a bazaar in front of the main gate of the Bagram air base suggest that although Pakistani forces are working to root out foreign Al Qaeda fighters from the northwestern tribal regions, the Taliban has been using Quetta, the provincial capital of Baluchistan in the southwest, as its rear guard for training and coordinating attacks, some by foreign Arab fighters, in Afghanistan.
The theft of the drives became the subject of a full-scale criminal investigation Wednesday, two days after the Los Angeles Times revealed the black-market operation. The contents of the flash drives appear to be authentic documents, but the accuracy of the information could not be independently verified. Military officials, however, acknowledged Thursday that the sale of the stolen drives posed a security risk. "Obviously you have uncovered something that is not good for U.S. forces here in Afghanistan," said Col. Tom Collins, speaking from the public affairs office at the Bagram base. "We're obviously concerned that certain sources or assets have been compromised." (worth reading entire article from the link)
Iran said it could defeat any American military action over its controversial nuclear drive, in one of the Islamic regime's boldest challenges yet to the United States.
"You can start a war but it won't be you who finishes it," said General Yahya Rahim Safavi, the head of the Revolutionary Guards and among the regime's most powerful figures. "The Americans know better than anyone that their troops in the region and in Iraq are vulnerable. I would advise them not to commit such a strategic error," he told reporters on the sidelines of a pro-Palestinian conference in Tehran.
"I would advise them to first get out of their quagmire in Iraq before getting into an even bigger one," General Safavi said with a grin. (clearly enjoying the use of a word favored by the American Left) "We have American forces in the region under total surveillance. For the past two years, we have been ready for any scenario, whether sanctions or an attack."
At a Friday prayer sermon in Tehran, senior cleric Ayatollah Ahmad Janati simply branded the US as a "decaying power" lacking the "stamina" to block Iran's ambitions. And hardline President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad told AFP that a US push for tough United Nations sanctions was of "no importance." "She is free to say whatever she wants," the president replied when asked to respond to comments by US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice highlighting part of the UN charter that provides for sanctions backed up by the threat of military action. "We give no importance to her comments," he said with a broad smile.
At the Tehran conference, Iran continued to thumb its nose at the United States and Israel. "The Zionist regime is an injustice and by its very nature a permanent threat," Ahmadinejad told the gathering of regime officials, visiting Palestinian militant leaders and foreign sympathizers. "Whether you like it or not, the Zionist regime is on the road to being eliminated," said Ahmadinejad, whose regime does not recognise Israel and who drew international condemnation last year when he said Israel should be "wiped off the map."
There was no immediate reaction from Washington, but French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy severely condemned Ahmadinejad for his latest remarks on Israel.
For many devout Shiite Muslims, the Jamkaran Mosque is a place of miracles - the place of the Mahdi, the messiah. From lowly carpet weavers to Iran's president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, devotion to the Mahdi and anticipation of his return appears to be crescendoing in Iran.
Particularly on Tuesdays, the day most associated with the Mahdi's blessings, the night here is filled with fervent prayers, a reflection of the ardent faith that gave rise to the Islamic Revolution, and which conservative supporters of Ahmadinejad hope will sustain the nation in any confrontation with the West over Iran's nuclear program. All Muslims await the appearance of the Mahdi; the largest branch of Shiites, those known as Twelvers, await his return. To the majority of Shiites, the Mahdi was the last of the prophet Muhammad's true heirs, his 12 righteous descendants chosen by God to lead the faithful.
The Mahdi, the Twelfth Imam, the Imam of Our Times, was born Muhammad ibn Hasan and went into hiding around 878. Shiites believe he maintained contact with representatives until 941, when all communication from him ceased. When the time is ripe, they teach, he will reappear and, along with Jesus, will lead Muslims in a struggle to rid the world of corruption and establish justice. The Mahdi ordered a shrine built in Jamkaran nearly 1,000 years ago, Shiite teachings hold.
There are many who treat the Mahdi's return as figurative rather than literal. But at a time when many here believe that Iran, and by extension its brand of Shiism, is under threat by the West, the Mahdi can be a useful symbol for the government to rally the people. For Iran's opponents in Washington and elsewhere, the talk of the Mahdi's return, with its apocalyptic overtones, causes worry. Some critics of Iran fear that religious zeal might overcome reason when it comes to setting the nation's policies.
Ahmadinejad's particular attention to the Mahdi in his speeches and actions - soon after taking office, he allocated $20 million to improve and enlarge the Jamkaran Mosque complex - has been noted by Western critics. So, too was Ahmadinejad's appearance in September before the United Nations General Assembly, when he said a prayer calling for the Mahdi's return: "O mighty Lord, I pray to hasten the emergence of … the promised one … the one who will fill this world with justice and peace."
To Safr, a 34-year-old who has been studying in Qom for four years, the troubles that have racked the Persian Gulf region in recent years could be portents of the Mahdi's return. Just as some Christians see warfare in the Middle East as reflections of Biblical prophecy, some in Iran see a religious pattern in recent events. The destruction of an important Shiite shrine in Samarra, Iraq, the Mahdi's birthplace and where he went into hiding, and the sectarian violence in that country are seen as fulfillments of prophecies about the conditions in which he would reappear. "This is why Mr. Bush has put divisions in Saudi Arabia and Iraq - to kill the Mahdi and make Jesus the messiah," Safr said. "I am serious. There have been speeches in the Pentagon about it."
In a black chador, Akram Mirzails, 43, walked along the tree-shaded pavement among those people dropping letters to the Twelfth Imam into the wells. She carried what looked like a rainbow-colored feather duster as a symbol that she was a worker and advisor at the Jamkaran Mosque, helping pilgrims with directions and hints for their devotions. Visits to the mosque have climbed steadily, she says.
"Everyone is waiting for an appearance of the Imam because they feel there is a connection and they can feel his sacredness here." We have visitors from as far away as Pakistan, India, Iraq, and Saudi Arabia. In the last few years, I don't know why, people more and more are drawn to this location on Tuesday nights, even those who are not religious. And there are many instances of healing, she asserted. Just that evening, she said recently, a 13-year-old who had been ill stood up, suddenly cured. People were crying. You could not even hear the loudspeaker," she recounted. "When the Imam appears, he will display many, many miracles," she predicted. "I myself have seen some already. Other people sometimes see or feel a guiding presence." As she walked away, a new crowd of supplicants made their way to the well, and the din of the crowd and the loudspeakers rose once more.
Israeli veteran statesman Shimon Peres, responding to the latest verbal attack on the Jewish state by Iran's president, said on Saturday that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad would end up like Iraq's Saddam Hussein.
In a speech to a conference on the Palestinian issue on Friday, Ahmadinejad said: "The Zionist regime is a decaying and crumbling tree that will fall with a storm." Peres, in a statement quoted by Israel Radio, called Ahmadinejad's comments a direct threat to Israel's existence. "His statements are reminiscent of those voiced by Saddam Hussein. Ahmadinejad will end up like Saddam Hussein," he said, referring to the Iraqi leader ousted by a U.S. invasion in 2003 and on trial for the killings of 148 Shi'ites two decades ago. "Ahmadinejad represents Satan, not God," Peres said. "History has denounced the madmen and those who waved the sword."
Peres, a former prime minister, is a senior member of acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's centrist Kadima party. He is expected to hold a top cabinet post in the government Olmert is forming, following Israel's March 28 election.
Shiite politicians suggested a formula Saturday for replacing their nominee for prime minister to break the deadlock over Iraq's new unity government, officials said. At least 12 Iraqis died in a car bombing near a Baghdad restaurant and other attacks.
Two Shiite officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because the sensitivity of the discussions, said the formula called for Prime Minister Ibrahim al-Jaafari to step aside in favor of another candidate from his Dawa party. In return, the biggest Shiite party, the Supreme Council for the Islamic Revolution in Iraq, would not push Vice President Adil Abdul-Mahdi for the post, the officials said. It was unclear, however, whether al-Jaafari had signed off on the plan, and it appeared there was no agreement even among Dawa on a replacement. Al-Jaafari, who defeated Abdul-Mahdi for the nomination in a vote among Shiite lawmakers in February, and has refused to give up his bid for a second term.
On Friday, representatives of the main political blocs agreed to create a six-member committee to choose names of candidates for the posts of president, vice president and prime minister, said Mahmoud Othman, a Kurdish elder statesman.The committee was to meet Saturday and, if necessary, Sunday, before parliament convenes the next day, he said.
Palestinian police sealed off a main road and briefly stormed a government building in this central Gaza town of Khan Younis on Saturday, angered by the Hamas-led government's failure to pay them.
The gunmen surrounded the building where town councilors have their offices, taking positions on the roof and on balconies and firing in the air. They left peacefully after holding talks with local government officials. The protest was the first sign of serious discontent with the new government since it took office two weeks ago, and it reflected a growing sense of desperation in the streets of Gaza as the already impoverished Palestinians begin to feel the economic repercussions of Hamas' rise. Western nations have cut off aid to the cash-starved Palestinian Authority, demanding Hamas renounce violence and recognize Israel's right to exist. Israel also halted the monthly transfer of about $55 million in taxes it collects on behalf of the Palestinians. Stepping up the pressure, the U.S. government on Friday said it has barred Americans from most business dealings with the Palestinian government. Israeli officials say they hope the financial pressure forces Hamas - which is listed as a terror group by the United States and European Union - to moderate or stirs enough popular discontent to remove the government.
Rival armed factions seizing pieces of Gaza. Fatah and Hamas militias train in old Israeli settlements as anxiety grows over instability.
Jihad Watch has several interesting entries
"The best way out is always through." - Robert Frost