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May 20, 2010 Don’ t You Just Love Hezbollah? It’ s So Interesting’Like Freddie Kruger As the extraordinary Andy McCarthy points out on The Corner, White House terror “expert” John Brennan–and his boss, President Obama– seem to think that we should be cultiv... May 20, 2010 The Flight of the Intellectuals Paul Berman is someone who takes ideas - especially pernicious and toxic ones - very seriously. After the September 11, 2001 attacks, Berman wrote a penetrating work, Terror and Liberalism... May 20, 2010 Afghan forces capture northern shadow governor Afghanistan's intelligence service has detained the Taliban's top leader for the northern province of Samangan. The National Directorate of Security said that Mullah Gul... May 20, 2010 A Gitmo Detainee’s Tall Tale More often than not, Guantanamo detainees’ claims are repeated verbatim, and uncritically, by the press. This is true both here in the U.S. and abroad. And it leads to some curious stories.... May 20, 2010 Kurdistan Notebook Erbil, Iraq - More than two months after elections, Iraq's parliamentarians have yet to cobble together a new government. Is this just the messiness that has to be expected in a fledgl... May 19, 2010 US troops repel complex Taliban assault on Bagram Aifrield US troops beat back a complex Taliban assault on the largest Coalition base in Afghanistan, killing an estimated 12 Taliban fighters. The Taliban launched the attack late at night... May 19, 2010 Next Up: Cultivating the Moderate Hezbos While the Obama administration’s foreign service team is out apologizing to Chinese Communist gulag-keepers over the human-rights violations of Arizona, the president’s crack national... May 19, 2010 The System Failed The Senate Select Committee on Intelligence has released an unclassified summary of its investigation into the attempted terrorist attack on Christmas Day 2009. The committee’s bottom line... May 19, 2010 Pakistani troops beat back latest Taliban assualt in the northwest Pakistani troops beat back yet another massed Taliban assault on a military outpost in the lawless tribal agency of Arakzai. In today's attack, more than 200 Taliban fighters... May 19, 2010 Ignore Turkey and Brazil: Iran Sanctions Are A Go Just as the momentum behind U.S. energy sanctions against Iran shifted into high gear, Turkey and Brazil this week tried to downshift with a much ballyhooed nuclear-fuel swap deal. Could Iran&#03... May 18, 2010 Suicide bomber kills 12 in Pakistan’s northwest A Taliban suicide bomber killed 12 Pakistanis during an attack on police convoy in northwestern Pakistan. The suicide bomber detonated his car packed with explosives as a police van passed by in the settled district of Dera Ismail Khan. Three policemen and nine civilians were killed, and 10 Pakistanis were wounded, according to Reuters. Today's attack is the first major suicide strike in Pakistan since the April 28 bombing in Peshawar that targeted a police checkpoint. Four policemen were killed in the attack. Pakistan's security forces in the Taliban-plagued northwest are a common target of suicide and organized attacks. The Taliban also focuses their attacks on pro-governemnt tribes and politicians in effort to demoralize the opposition. Military strikes at Taliban in Arakzai Further north, in the tribal agency of Arakzai, the military claimed it killed 47 Taliban fighters during clashes over the past two days. Two soldiers were also reported killed during the fighting. The fighting broke out after the Taliban attacked military checkpoints and convoys throughout the region. The military said it killed the Taliban fighters during counterattacks. The heaviest fighting took place in the Dabori area; 28 Taliban were reported to have been killed there alone. Dabori was the scene of a large Taliban attack on May 10. Nine Pakistani Frontier Corps troops were killed during that attack that saw their outpost overrun by Taliban fighters. The military claimed that 37 Taliban fighters were killed in the counterstrike. The Pakistani military has claimed that more than 720 Taliban fighters have been killed in Arakzai since March 21, while only 19 soldiers, including two today, have been killed, according to reports compiled by The Long War Journal. A US military intelligence official contacted by The Long War Journal believes the Pakistani military reports of Taliban casualties are over-exaggerated. More than a month ago, Pakistani military officials claimed the Taliban was defeated in Arakzai and "fleeing" to the Tirah Valley in Khyber. Akhunzada Aslam Farooqui is the leader of the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan in the Arakzai tribal agency. Farooqui took control of the Taliban after Hakeemullah Mehsud was promoted to lead the entire Taliban movement in Pakistan' s tribal areas and in the northwest. Farooqui was described as the "patron-in-chief" of the Taliban in Arakzai and a "close friend of Mullah Mohammad Omar" back in 2001. At the opening of Operation Enduring Freedom, Farooqui promised to have 12,000 tribesmen to battle US forces in Afghanistan and offered support such as sanctuary and weapons and ammunition. He claimed to lead 7,000 Taliban fighters. May 18, 2010 Taliban suicide bomber kills 18 in Kabul The Taliban claimed the deadly suicide attack that killed 18 people in the Afghan capital of Kabul today. The suicide bomber targeted and hit a Coalition convoy as it traveled on the Darulaman Road in Kabul at approximately 8 a.m. The International Security Assistance Force confirmed the attack and stated that six of its soldiers were killed in the blast. Twelve Afghan civilians who were on the road were also killed in the attack. "This sort of desperate brutality and aggression reminds us of the pessimism of an enemy who seek to kill the innocent and to stop the progress necessary for a better Afghanistan," ISAF spokesman Brigadier General Josef Blotz said in a press release. "This will not deter us from our mission of securing a better future for this country." The Taliban stated that one of its fighters carried out the attack, in a statement released on its website, the Voice of Jihad. The Taliban claimed that a suicide bomber named Mujahid Isamuddin, who is a resident of the Qara Bagh district in Kabul, detonated a car bomb packed with "about 750 kg explosives." The Voice of Jihad website has been hacked since the issuing of the press release. Images of Taliban atrocities, including public executions, hangings, and burying a woman alive are displayed on the Taliban's website and its sub-pages. The Taliban have been instructed not to launch suicide attacks that risk the lives of civilians. The order, which came from Taliban leader Mullah Omar Mohammed, has largely been ignored, and civilians are routinely killed during Taliban suicide and other attacks. Today's suicide attack is the second in Afghanistan in two days. Yesterday in Kandahar, a team of three suicide bombers armed with assault rifles attacked a border police headquarters. The first suicide bomber detonated at the outer wall, opening a hole that allowed the two other bombers to enter the compound. Police killed the two other bombers during a gunfight that lasted nearly an hour. May 18, 2010 Who Killed Daniel Pearl? At Commentary’s Contentions blog, Jen Rubin points out that President Barack Obama did not identify who killed Daniel Pearl at a signing ceremony for a bill that bears Pearl’s name &n... May 18, 2010 Italian Pols Urge Addition of Iranian Guard to EU’s Terror List BERLIN – A bipartisan group of legislators in Italy's Chamber of Deputies are seeking to have the country's Foreign Ministry put the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps on the EU's list of terroris... May 18, 2010 Stopgap Missile Amendment Is Critical House Republicans on the House Armed Services Committee will do their best Wednesday to ensure Americans are well-protected against an Iranian missile attack. They will offer up an amendment desi... May 17, 2010 The Pakistani Taliban’s top leaders After the failed car bomb attack in New York City's Times Square, the Pakistani Taliban have suddenly risen to the top of the list of concerns for Western intelligence and law enforcement of... May 17, 2010 Iran’s Game of Negotiations Give Iran credit then, as Jennifer and Jonathan note - it has just gained another few months. One unanswered question about the nuclear-swap deal: who provides the 120 kilograms of... May 17, 2010 Hot Tips on UN Waste, Fraud and Abuse: U.S. Mission Posts Scores of UN Internal Reports Hot tip for any reporters interested in newly disclosed documents on waste, fraud and abuse at the United Nations: Just days after I queried the U.S. Mission to the UN about its commitme... May 17, 2010 Holder Isn’t the Only One in the Administration Who Can’t Seem to Form the Words ‘Radical Islam’ As Jen Rubin points out, there is also The One himself. At the signing ceremony for the Daniel Pearl Freedom of the Press Act, the president couldn’t bring himself to mention who a... May 17, 2010 Sweet Home Iran This past week, Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman of the Associated Press reported a story that deserved to make a splash but didn’t. The CIA had a highly-classified program in place “to s... May 16, 2010 Time Square message: Many ‘lone wolves’ attempts makes it a terror campaign In the first few hours following the discovery of the car bomb in Time Square and the subsequent arrest of Faisal Shahzad at the airport, New York’s Governor David Patterson labeled the foi... May 15, 2010 US Predators carry out first strike in Khyber US Predators fired missiles a Taliban compound and a vehicle today in the first recorded airstrike in Pakistan's Khyber tribal agency. The unmanned Predators or the more deadly Reap... May 14, 2010 All You Need to Know About the UN: 155 Votes for Libya All you really need to know about the United Nations is that today, in the 192-member General Assembly, 155 member states – yes, 155 – voted in favor of giving Libya — yes, Liby... May 14, 2010 Al Qaeda appoints new ‘war minister’ for Iraq Al Qaeda in Iraq appointed a new 'war minister' for its Islamic State after the group's top two leaders were killed by Iraqi and US forces one month ago. Al Qaeda in Iraq... May 14, 2010 Re: The Battle for Islam I just watched the latest installment of Peter’s intriguing interview of Fouad Ajami. I’m sure Mark will have his own take on it, but, despite my admiration for Mr. Ajami, I was unimp... May 14, 2010 The State Department Can’t Be Trusted with Iran Sanctions The U.S. Congress is very close to sending President Barack Obama a bill designed to sanction Iran's energy industry -- and potentially stop Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad and his cot... May 14, 2010 Is The US Off-Target with its Focus on the IRGC? WASHINGTON – As the Obama administration presses ahead with imposing greater sanctions on Iran, designating Iran Revolutionary Guards Corps elements on Wednesday and pushing for the UN Security C... May 14, 2010 Fareed Zakaria GPS Iran's nuclear program and the green movement. Watch the video here.... May 13, 2010 The Middle East Vacuum The article is illuminating as a succinct but comprehensive summary of all that is wrong - and misunderstood - about present U.S. policies in the region: from the marginal relevance of the Palest... May 13, 2010 41 Taliban killed in heavy fighting in Afghan north Afghan security forces backed by US special operations teams killed 41 Taliban fighters during two raids last night in enemy strongholds in the northern province of Kunduz. Fighting brok... May 13, 2010 Al Qaeda Still in Iran A very significant piece of reporting from the Associated Press this morning. Matt Apuzzo and Adam Goldman report that Iran is allowing top al Qaeda leaders based in Iran to leave, "raising... May 13, 2010 Boeing, Exxon Say New Iran Sanctions Would Hurt Global Sales May 13 (Bloomberg) -- Boeing Co. and Exxon Mobil Corp. are lobbying to fend off tightened sanctions against Iran that business groups say may cost $25 billion in U.S. exports. Legislation be... May 13, 2010 The Long and Foggy War We Americans are uncomfortable with such ideas as holy war and religiously motivated mass murder. Raised to believe in equality, tolerance, and diversity, we cannot imagine slaughtering f... May 13, 2010 US State Department Designates Two al Qaeda Leaders in Yemen Today, the US State Department designated al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) commander Othman al Ghamdi as a Specially Designated Global Terrorist, under Executive Order 13224. Al Ghamdi is... May 13, 2010 Paging Ambassador Susan Rice In secret ballot, the United Nations General Assembly has just elected Libya's dictatorship to one of the 47 seats on the U.N. Human Rights Council. Where in the makings of this travesty was... May 12, 2010 Here Comes the UN’ s Libyan Blights Council Libya on the United Nations Human Rights Council? That sounds nuts. But this is the UN. By Thursday evening, with the Obama administration apparently AWOL on this outrage, it may be a done deal.... May 12, 2010 Fix Iran Energy Loophole The Senate Homeland Security Committee is scheduled to hold hearings Wednesday on companies that have provided Tehran with financial resources for its illicit nuclear program. These hear... May 12, 2010 It’s Smart Business To Get Out Of Iran Time is running out for Iran's energy partners. The U.S. Congress is exhibiting an obsessive and relentless focus on Iran's energy sector --the lifeblood of the Iranian regime -- and is... May 12, 2010 Top 10 Dumbest Terrorists (May 12) -- Failed Times Square bombing suspect Faisal Shahzad could join the ranks of terrorists who blundered while attempting to carry out violence against the U.S. or its allies. Whi... May 11, 2010 US pounds Taliban compound in North Waziristan The US launched a barrage of missiles at a Taliban compound today and a vehicle during a pair of airstrikes in a known al Qaeda haven in the Taliban stronghold of North Waziristan. In th... May 11, 2010 The Shape of Things to Come With Iran Just as Egypt’s judiciary handed down convictions in the case of a Hezbollah cell that it uncovered, reports surfaced that an Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps cell had also been broken up... May 10, 2010 American-born Shabaab commander releases recruitment tape An American-born member of Shabaab, al Qaeda's affiliate in Somalia, has released a propaganda tape that is aimed at recruiting Westerners to wage war against their home countries and establ... May 10, 2010 Taliban kill 9 Pakistani soldiers in ambush The Taliban killed nine Pakistani soldiers during a ambush in a region where the military has claimed success in the recent past. The Taliban ambushed the Pakistani military unit as it c... May 10, 2010 Another Way to Sanction Iran: Natural Gas A handful of legislators are hard at work this month, ironing out the differences between a House bill and a Senate bill designed to sanction Iran's energy sector as a way to make the Mullahs back... May 10, 2010 Civilian Trial For 9/11 Suspects Should Be Off The Table In a recent hearing before the Senate Judiciary Committee, Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. said that a civilian trial in New York City for Khalid Shaikh Mohammed and four other accused 9/11 plotter... May 10, 2010 Don’t Mention the War On Saturday, May 1, a crude car bomb composed of gasoline canisters, propane tanks, fertilizer, and fireworks failed to detonate in Times Square. A nearby T-shirt salesman saw the 1993 Nissan Pat... May 10, 2010 The Washington Post Talks Sense on Detention and Interrogation On Sunday, the Washington Post dropped many a jaw with a powerful editorial (“Questioning Suspected Terrorists”) that beseeched the paper’s champion, President Obama, to r... May 9, 2010 US airstrike kills 6 in North Waziristan Unmanned US strike aircraft fired missiles at a Taliban compound today in a known al Qaeda haven in the Taliban stronghold of North Waziristan. Two Predators, or the more deadly Reapers,... May 8, 2010 Iran Grabs a Seat at the UN’ s High Table ‘ By Hosting the Dinner Whatever the Farsi term might be for chutzpah, Iran’s despots put on a staggering display of such stuff this past week. Apparently it wasn’t enough for Tehran that Mahmoud Ahmadinejad... May 8, 2010 US pressures Pakistan to target North Waziristan The failed Times Square bombing that was hatched in Pakistan's Taliban-controlled tribal agency of North Waziristan has forced the US to ratchet up pressure on Pakistan to take out the terro...

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