From Michael Yon:

“Iraqi Islamic Party: “Al Qaeda is Defeated”

……Speaking through an interpreter at a 31 October meeting at the Iraqi Islamic Party headquarters in downtown Baghdad, Sheik Omar said that al Qaeda had been “defeated mentally, and therefore is defeated physically,” referring to how clear it has become that the terrorist group’s tactics have backfired. Operatives who could once disappear back into the crowd after committing an increasingly atrocious attack no longer find safe haven among the Iraqis who live in the southern part of Baghdad. They are being hunted down and killed. Or, if they are lucky, captured by Americans.

The call for the citizens of Iraq to stand up and defend their country may have been heard. That would be good new indeed.

Nathaniel Helms at Defend Our Marines has written a very interesting piece with information on the Haditha case which I have read no where else to this point.

Buried in the mountain of exhibits attached to the once secret Haditha, Iraq murder inquiry prepared by US Army Maj. Gen. Eldon A. Bargewell is an obscure Marine Corps intelligence summary (see pdf) that says the deadly encounter was an intentional propaganda ploy planned and paid for by Al Qaeda foreign fighters.

Veteran military defense attorney Gary Meyers said he never understood why the Naval Criminal Investigative Service special agents leading the Haditha criminal investigation didn’t “examine the linkage” between Al Qaeda, the local insurgency and the events at Haditha. Meyers was an attorney on the defense team that successfully defended Justin Sharratt, a Marine infantryman accused of multiple murders at Haditha.

The report – apparently overlooked by a Washington press corps awash in leaked Bargewell documents and secret Naval Criminal Investigative Service reports – shows that Marine Corps intelligence operatives were advised of the scheme to demonize the Marines by an informant named Muhannad Hassan Hamadi. The informant was snared by 3/1 Marines on December 11 2005 and decided to cooperate.

I too would be puzzled as to why this angle was not pursued further. With no other sources on this particular aspect of the case, it is difficult to draw any conclusions. However, in reading this entire article, it seems as though there was enough intelligence and information to believe that the Haditha attack may very well have been set up by the enemy and used as propaganda when filtered through the American press.

What leads me to believe there is far more to this case then the public has been told is the fact that it has unraveled to the point where all major charges have either been dropped or it has been recommended that they be dismissed or reduced. We shall know more soon I believe, but until then, the article noted may answer some questions for those of us who have questioned this entire case from its inception.

HT:
Clarice Feldman

On several occasions we have posted links to the work of civilian embeds who travel with our troops in Iraq. I have a great deal of admiration for these individuals, as they are risking their own lives and existing in the same difficult conditions as our military on a daily basis.

The good and the bad, the failures and successes and the bravery and fortitude of our forces always come through in the articles by each of these men.

This piece from Bill Roggio gives us an up close and personal look at the situation in Baghdad. The capital has been the topic of much discussion and difference of opinion in the American press so I thought perhaps you might like a bit of firsthand information.

Compared to other regions south of Baghdad, where the Iraqi Police Volunteers and the Concerned Citizens have organized to fight al Qaeda, the eastern neighborhoods of Doura have no such organized security movement. The locals are “organized in an intelligence capacity but not in a security capacity,” Coffey stated. “There are no sheikhs or influential tribal leaders for the men to turn to,” as the tribal influences are marginalized in the bigger cities.

Coffey and his soldiers are seeking influential community leaders to organize the Sunnis and Christians to stand against al Qaeda. But in the interim, the local intelligence network is paying off dividends with IED finds and weapons caches turned in. The Iraqi sources tipped off US troops to the location of multiple IEDs during a single day’s operations. “Each day we get better and better tips,” Coffey said.

“The tide of anti-al Qaeda cooperation has rolled from Anbar province to the south of Baghdad and now into Baghdad itself,” said Coffey. “But it will take time.”

The question is, will the American people have the patience and understanding to allow for the time needed to bring peace to the country of Iraq. Only time will tell.

HT: Transterrestrial Musings

Usama bin Laden is reported to be releasing another of his speeches, perhaps in a few days.

The announcement of the upcoming message came as Al Qaeda released a new video in which bin Laden’s deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, boasted that the United States was being defeated in Afghanistan, Iraq and other fronts. Speakers in the video promised more fighting in Afghanistan, North Africa and Sudan’s Darfur region.

The messages are part of a stepped-up propaganda campaign by Al Qaeda around the anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks against the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Earlier this month, bin Laden released two messages — including his first new appearance in a video in nearly three years.

A banner posted on an Islamic militant Web site on Thursday advertised that another message would be released, though it did not say whether bin Laden would appear in video or speak in an audiotape.

“Soon, God willing: [Ed note: Allah---not the real God'] Come to Jihad (holy war)’, from sheik Usama bin Laden, God protect him” the banner read. [Ed: The Devil protects his own.]

“Urgent, Al Qaeda declares war on the tyrant Pervez Musharraf and his apostate army, in the words of Usama bin Laden,” it read.

What a coward to hide out and declare all these things while not participating in them himself.

In the meantime, his chief sandal-licker Aymen Al-Zawahiri put out an 80 minute video that shows him in a room with books. Maybe they’ve made a studio in their cave, or maybe they’ve escaped the mountainous region of Afghanistan/Pakistan.

Al-Zawahiri began by condemning the Pakistani military’s July assault on Islamic militants who took over the Red Mosque in Islamabad, and he paid tribute to one of the militants’ leaders, Abdul Rashid Ghazi, who was killed in the fighting.

The siege “revealed the extent of the despicableness, lowliness and treason of Musharraf and his forces, who don’t deserve the honor of defending Pakistan, because Pakistan is a Muslim land, whereas the forces of Musharraf are hunting dogs under (U.S. President George W.) Bush’s crucifix,” al-Zawahiri said.

“Let the Pakistani army know that the killing of Abdul Rashid Ghazi and his male and female students … has soaked the history of the Pakistan army in shame and despicableness which can only washed away by retaliation,” he said.

Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri are thought to be hiding in the lawless Pakistan-Afghanistan border region, where many analysts believe they have rebuilt Al Qaeda’s core leadership.

The tone of Thursday’s video was triumphalist, with al-Zawahiri calling for attacks on French and Spanish interests in North Africa and on U.N. and African peacekeepers expected to deploy in Sudan’s wartorn Darfur region.

The French and the Spanish? Gosh, I thought the French didn’t fight them and the Spaniards switched governments to get out of Iraq when one of their trains got blown up by Al Qaeda.

Folks, I truly believe this is a war between the forces of good versus the forces of evil.

Remember we didn’t do anything to them to provoke the 9/11 attacks either, no matter what people who want to appease them say.

They want the entire world to do one of two things: convert to Islam or die. Period. The only reason they are fighting is to convert the world to Islam, which they feel is their duty.

If we were to walk out of Iraq today we could count on them coming to get us again and again until they have achieved their goal. Convert or die.

Heck, we can’t even convince some people God is real and Christ died for their sins so they can have eternal life in heaven, but I’ll bet a lot of the appeasers would be more than happy to convert to Islam before dying.

We no longer have any Nathan Hales in our Congress to declare, “Give me liberty or give me death.”

Some in Congress would lead the conversion effort if they thought it meant more power for them. Unfortunately, there would be no women in power and the rest of us would be in burkas if bin Laden were to get his way.

I will attempt to transcribe the President’s address to the nation made this evening.

President Bush:

Good evening.

In the life of all free nations there come moments that decide the direction of a country and reveal the character of its people.

We are now at such a moment. In Iraq, an ally of the United States is fighting for its survival. Terrorists and extremists who are at war with us around the world are seeking to topple Iraq’s government, dominate the region, and attack us here at home.

If Iraq’s young democracy can turn back these enemies it will mean a more hopeful middle east and a more secure America. This ally has placed its trust in the United States and tonight our moral and strategic comparitives are one. We must help Iraq defeat those who threaten its future and also threaten ours.

Eight months ago we adopted a new strategy to meet that objective, including a surge in U.S. forces that reached full strength in June.

This week General David Petraeus and Ambassador Ryan Crocker testified before Congress about how that strategy is progressing. In their testimony these men made clear that our challenge in Iraq is formidable, yet they concluded that conditions in Iraq are improving; that we are seizing the initiative from the enemy and that the troop surge is working.

The premise of our strategy is that securing the Iraqi population is the foundation for all other progress. For Iraqis to bridge sectarian divides they need to feel safe in their homes and neighborhoods.

For lasting reconciliation to take root Iraqis must feel confident that they do not need sectarian gangs for security. The goal of the surge is to provide that security and to help prepare Iraqi forces to maintain it.

As I will explain tonight our success in meeting these objectives now allows us to begin bringing some of our troops home.

Since the surge was announced in January it has moved through several phases. First was the flow of additional troops into Iraq; especially Baghdad and Anbar Province.

Once these forces were in place our commanders launched a series of offensive operations to drive terrorists and militias out of their strongholds.

And finally, in areas that have been cleared we are surging diplomatic and civilian resources to insure that military progress is quickly followed up with real improvements in daily life.

Anbar Province is a good example of how our strategy is working. Last year an intelligence report concluded that Anbar had been lost to Al Qaeda. Some cited this report as evidence that we had failed in Iraq and should cut our losses and pull out.

Instead we kept the pressure on the terrorists. The local people were suffering under the Taliban-like rule of Al Qaeda, and they were sick of it so they asked us for help.

To take advantage of this opportunity I sent an additional 4,000 to Anbar as part of the surge. Together, local sheikhs, Iraqi forces and coalition troops drove the terrorists from the capital of Ramadi and other population centers.

Today, a city where Al Qaeda once planted its flag is beginning to return to normal. Anbar citizens who once feared beheading for talking to an American or Iraqi soldier now come forward to tell us where the terrorists are hiding.

Young Sunnis who once joined the insurgency are now joining the army and police. And with the help of our provincial reconstruction teams new jobs are being created and local governments are meeting again.

These developments do not often make the headlines, but they do make a difference. During my visit to Anbar on Labor Day local Sunni leaders thanked me for America’s support. They pledged they would never allow Al Qaeda to return and they told me they now see a place for their people in a democratic Iraq. The Sunni governor of Anbar Province put it this way: “Our tomorrow starts today.”

The changes in Anbar show all Iraqis what becomes possible when extremists are driven out. They show Al Qaeda that it cannot count on popular support, even in a province its leaders once declared their home base. And they showed the world that ordinary people in the Mid-East want the same things for their children that we want for ours: a decent life and a peaceful future.

In Anbar the enemy remains active and deadly. Earlier today one of the brave tribal sheikhs who helped lead the revolt against Al Qaeda was murdered. In response a fellow Sunni leader declared, “We are determined to strike back and continue our work.” And as they do they can count on the continued support of the United States.

Throughout Iraq too many citizens are being killed by terrorists and death squads, and for most Iraqis the quality of life is far from where it should be.

Yet General Petreaus and Ambassador Crocker report that the success in Anbar is beginning to be replicated in other parts of the country.

One year ago much of Baghdad was under seige. Schools were closed, markets were shuttered, and sectarian violence was spiraling out of control. Today most of Baghdad’s neighborhoods are being patrolled by Coalition and Iraqi forces who live among the people they protect. Many schools and markets are re-opening, citizens are coming forward with vital intelligence. Sectarian killings are down and ordinary life is beginning to return.

One year ago much of Diyala Province was a sanctuary for Al Qaeda and other extremist groups, and its capital of Baquoba was emerging as an Al Qaeda stronghold. Today Baquoba is cleared, Diyala Province is the site of a growing popular uprising against the extremists. And some local tribes are working alongside Coalition and Iraqi forces to clear out the enemy and reclaim their communities.

One year ago Shiia extremists and Iranian-backed militants were gaining strength and targeting Sunnis for assassination. Today, these groups are being broken up and many of their leaders are being captured or killed.

These gains are a tribute to our military. They are a tribute to the courage of the Iraqi security forces and they are a tribute to an Iraqi government who has decided to take on the extremists.

Now the Iraqi government must bring the same determination to achieving reconciliation. This is an enormous undertaking after more than three decades of tyranny and division. The government has not met its own legislative benchmarks, and in my meetings with Iraqi leaders I have made it clear that they must.

Yet Iraq’s national leaders are getting some things done. For example, they have passed a budget, they’re sharing oil revenues with the provinces. They are allowing former Baathists to rejoin Iraq’s military or receive government pensions. Local reconciliation is taking place. The key now is to link this progress in the provinces to progress in Baghdad. As local politics change, so will national politics.

Our troops in Iraq are performing brilliantly. Along with the Iraqi forces they have captured or killed an average of more than 1,500 enemy fighters per month since January. Yet ultimately the way forward depends on the ability of Iraqis to maintain security gains.

According to General Petraeus and a panel chaired by retired General Jim Jones the Iraqi Army is becoming more capable, although there’s still a great deal of work to be done to improve the national police.

Iraqi forces are receiving increased cooperation from local populations and this is improving their ability to hold areas that had been cleared.

Because of this success General Petraeus believes we have now reached the point where we can maintain our security gains with fewer American forces. He has recommended that we not replace about 2,200 marines scheduled to leave Anbar Province later this month. In addition, he says it will soon be possible to bring home an army combat brigade for a total force reduction of 5,700 troops by Christmas. And he expects that by July we will be able to reduce our troop levels in Iraq from 20 combat brigades to 15.

General Petraeus also recommends that in December we begin transitioning to the next phase of our strategy in Iraq. As terrorists are defeated, civil society takes root, and Iraqis assume more control over their own security our mission in Iraq will evolve.

Over time our troops will shift from leading operations to partnering with Iraqi forces and eventually to over-watching those forces. As this transition in our mission takes place our troops will focus on a more limited set of tasks including counter-terrorism operations and training, equipping and supporting Iraqi forces.

I have consulted with the Joint Chiefs of Staff, other members of my national security team, Iraqi officials and leaders of both parties in Congress. I have benefitted from their advice and I have accepted General Petraeus’ recommendations.

I have directed General Petraeus and Ambassador Crocker to update their joint campaign plan for Iraq so we can adjust our military and civilian resources accordingly. I have also directed them to deliver another report to Congress in March. At that time they will provide a fresh assessment of the situation in Iraq and of the troop levels and resources we need to meet our national security objectives.

The principle guiding my decisions on troop levels in Iraq is Return on Success. The more successful we are the more American troops can return home. And in all we do I will insure that our commanders on the ground have the troops and flexibility they need to defeat the enemy.

Americans want our country to be safe and our troops to begin coming home from Iraq. Yet those of us who believe success in Iraq is essential to our security and those who believe we should begin bringing our troops home have been at odds. Now because of the measure of success we’re seeing in Iraq we can begin seeing troops come home. The way forward I have described tonight makes it possible for the first time in years for people who have been on opposite sides of this difficult debate to come together.

This vision for a reduced American presence also has support of Iraqi leaders from all communities. At the same time they understand that their success will require U.S. political, economic, and security engagement that extends beyond my presidency. These Iraqi leaders have asked for an enduring relationship with America. And we are ready to begin building that relationship in a way that protects our interests in the region and requires many fewer American troops.

The success of a free Iraq is critical to the security of the United States. A free Iraq will deny Al Qaeda a safe haven. A free Iraq will counter the destructive ambitions of Iran. A free Iraq will marginalize extremists, unleash the talent of its people and be an anchor of stability in the region. A free Iraq will set an example for people across the Middle East. A free Iraq will be our partner in the fight against terror, and that will make us safer here at home.

Realizing this vision will be difficult but it is achievable. Our military commanders believe we can succeed. Our diplomats believe we can succeed and for the safety of future generations of Americans we must succeed.

If we were to be driven out of Iraq extremists of all strains would be emboldened, Al Qaeda could regain new roots and new sanctuaries. Iran would benefit from the chaos and would be encouraged in its efforts to obtain nuclear weapons and dominate the region. Extremists could control a key part of the global energy supply. Iraq could face a humanitarian nightmare, democracy movements would be violently reversed. We would leave our children to face a far more dangerous world. And as we saw on September 11, 2001, those dangers can reach our cities and kill our people.

Whatever political party you belong to, whatever your position on Iraq we should be able to agree that America has a vital interest in preventing chaos and providing hope in the Middle East. We should be able to agree that we must defeat Al Qaeda, counter Iran, help the Afghan government, work for peace in the Holy Land and strengthen our military so we can prevail in the struggle against terrorists and extremists.

So tonight I want to speak to members of the United States Congress: Let us come together on a policy of strength in the Middle East. I thank you for providing crucial funds and resources for our military and I ask you to join me in supporting the recommendations General Petraeus has made and the troop levels he has asked for.

To the Iraqi people: You have voted for freedom and now you are liberating your country from terrorists and death squads. You must demand that your leaders make the tough choices needed to achieve reconciliation. As you do have confidence that America does not abandon our friends and we will not abandon you.

To Iraq’s neighbors who seek peace: The violent extremists who targeted Iraq are also targeting you. The best way to secure your interests and protect your own people is to stand with the people of Iraq. That means using your economic and diplomatic leverage to strengthen the government in Baghdad. And it means the efforts by Iran and Syria to undermine that government must end.

To the international community: The success of a free Iraq matters to every civilized nation. We thank the 36 nations who have troops on the ground in Iraq and the many others who are helping that young democracy. We encourage all nations to help by implementing the international compact to revitalize Iraq’s economy, by participating in the neighbors’ conferences to boost cooperation and overcome differences in the region and by supporting the new and expanded mission of the United Nations in Iraq.

To our military personnel, intelligence officers, diplomats and civilians on the front lines in Iraq: You have done everything America has asked of you and the progress I have reported tonight is in large part because of your courage and hard effort. You are serving far from home. Our nation is grateful for your sacrifices and the sacrifices of your families.

Earlier this year I received an email from the family of Army Specialist Brandon Stoudt of Michigan. Brandon volunteered for the National Guard and was killed while serving in Baghdad. His family has suffered greatly, yet in their sorrow they see larger purpose. His wife Audrey says that Brandon felt called to serve and knew what he was fighting for. And his parents Tracy and Jeff wrote me this: “We believe this is a war of good and evil and we must win even if it cost the life of our own son. Freedom is not free.”

This country is blessed to have Americans like Brandon Stoudt who make extraordinary sacrifices to keep us safe from harm. They are doing so in a fight that is just and right and necessary. And now it falls to us to finish the work they have begun.

Some say the gains we are making in Iraq come too late. They are mistaken. It is never too late to deal a blow to Al Qaeda. It is never too late to advance freedom. And it is never too late to support our troops in a fight they can win.

Good night, and God bless America.

I felt the president touched on every important subject in this debate over Iraq.

The surge is working and if allowed, the new strategy will also work and we can bring most of our troops home in victory instead of defeat.

We already know the Democratic leadership has denounced the Petraeus report and the president’s speech before either was ever heard, but this speech is meant to keep those who have opposed the cut and run strategy of that leadership on the side of victory.

I believe the president succeeded.

If you’d rather see the video go here.

I know I’m late with this but I was away last week and didn’t get to see the bin Laden speech to America.

I’ve been catching up on my email reading and found this issue of the Omega Letter by Jack Kinsella to be an interesting read.

With much advance fanfare, world’s most wanted man resurfaced via videotape, fit, (and fat), and sporting an obviously fake beard. In the video, he looks more like one of the Smith Brothers (of the cough drop box fame) than Osama bin Laden.

Transcripts of his rambing, thirty minute speech have already been vetted by the government and released to the public. According to voice analysis, the beard might be fake, but the voice is Osama’s.

The video calls into question if he is even still in the region. Until now, authorities have been looking for a tall, gaunt Saudi fighter wearing a long beard among a population of gaunt Arab fighters in Afghanistan and Pakistan.

If Osama shaved off his beard, shed the robes and combat fatigues for a sweater and jeans, he could walk down a main street in Brooklyn without attracting notice.

Judging from his condition, the persistent rumors of his imminent death from kidney disease are pretty much dashed. And Osama, now fifty years old, doesn’t look like he’s seen the inside of a cave for years.

Counterterror and intelligence officials confirmed it was bin Laden on the tape, which they said appears to have been recently made. Bin Laden mentions the Aug. 6th sixty-second anniversary of the bombing of Hiroshima. By itself, that proves nothing about when the video was made.

But Osama also mentions British Prime Minister Gordon Brown among leaders of the West with a “flagrant disregard for the intellects of human beings.” That inclusion dates the video sometime after June 27, when Brown became PM. Taken together with the reference to Hiroshima, it suggests sometime after August 6th.

Osama specifically expresses disappointment in his erstwhile allies, the Democrats — for whom Osama stumped in October, 2004 by endorsing John Kerry) — for failing to force a withdrawal from Iraq.

“Thus, you elected the Democratic Party for this purpose, but the Democrats haven’t made a move worth mentioning. On the contrary, they continue to agree to the spending of tens of billions to continue the killing and war there, which has led to the vast majority of you being afflicted with disappointment.”

Osama’s speech is addressed to the American people, but it is clear that his intended audience was exclusively the American Left. “People of America: the world is following your news in regards to your invasion of Iraq, for people have recently come to know that, after several years of tragedies of this war, the vast majority of you want it stopped.”

He hit all the ‘hot buttons’ that stir them; Vietnam, corporate greed, hinted at the reemergence of the 1960’s “Military-Industrial Complex” and even took pains to deny involvement in the Kennedy assassination so as to not further alienate his perceived allies.

Osama even singled out Noam Chomsky, one of America’s most prominent Marxists and iconic thinker of the American Far Left, calling him “the most capable of those from your own side.”

“And I tell you: after the failure of your representatives in the Democratic Party to implement your desire to stop the war, you can still carry anti-war placards and spread out in the streets of major cities, then go back to your homes, but that will be of no use and will lead to the prolonging of the war.”

Osama is very specific here; “your representatives in the Democratic Party” and, “your desire to stop the war. . .” — it doesn’t leave much doubt as to where Osama believes he’ll find a sympathetic ear, does it?

Having carefully and specifically identified his intended audience, Osama launches into a tirade against the Republicans that could have been scripted by Nancy Pelosi’s scriptwriter:

“And with that, it has become clear to all that they are the real tyrannical terrorists. In fact, the life of all of mankind is in danger because of the global warming resulting to a large degree from the emissions of the factories of the major corporations, yet despite that, the representative of these corporations in the White House insists on not observing the Kyoto accord, with the knowledge that the statistic speaks of the death and displacement of the millions of human beings because of that, especially in Africa. This greatest of plagues and most dangerous of threats to the lives of humans is taking place in an accelerating fashion as the world is being dominated by the democratic system, which confirms its massive failure to protect humans and their interests from the greed and avarice of the major corporations and their representatives.”

Then, still speaking to those Americans ‘whose Democratic representatives failed to stop the war’, Osama offers them one more chance to surrender or die.

“However, there are two solutions for stopping it [the war]. The first is from our side, and it is to continue to escalate the killing and fighting against you. This is our duty, and our brothers are carrying it out, and I ask Allah to grant them resolve and victory. And the second solution is from your side. . . I invite you to embrace Islam . . . ”

Osama goes on to say, “embracing Islam will also achieve your desire to stop the war as a consequence, because as soon as the warmongering owners of the major corporations realize that you have lost confidence in your democratic system and begun to search for an alternative, and that this alternative is Islam, they will run after you to please you and achieve what you want to steer you away from Islam.”
(So you don’t really have to believe it — you can just use Islam as a tool to get what you want politically.)

And wait. . . there’s more! Low taxes!
“There are no taxes in Islam, but rather there is a limited Zakaat [alms] totaling only 2.5%. So beware of the deception of those with the capital. . .”, meaning, of course, the Republicans.

Assessment:

As already noted, anybody with a brain the size of a walnut can see that Osama views as his strong suit in his war against America — the Democrats in general and the American Left in particular.

It has been the Democrats’ practice to continually bring up analogies to Vietnam. Continuing the analogies, Osama is simply using the same tactics that resulted in Saigon being renamed Ho Chi Minh City three decades ago.

Uncle Ho learned it from Josef Stalin, who learned it from Vladimir Lenin. Referring to those in the West who denied the existence of the Communist police state, Lenin called them “useful idiots,” noting that the “capitalist dupes will sell us the rope with which to hang them.”

Osama is just tapping into his “Useful Idiot” tool box.
What is remarkable to me is the way that the mainstream press is reporting the story. Sean Hannity was blistered by them for saying Osama sounds just like the Democrats.

Thundered the website “Newshounds” (slogan: “We watch Fox News so you don’t have to”):

“Perhaps at a loss as to how to spin the new video of Osama Bin Laden in favor of President Bush, Sean Hannity decided he’d use it to attack his fellow Americans. The self-styled “Great American” proved just what kind of patriot and freedom lover he truly is by twice likening Democrats to Osama bin Laden.”

Asks Newshounds, “Is there any partisanship more despicable?”
(Actually, yes. The kind of blind partisanship that would find Sean Hannity more despicable than Osama bin Laden)

It isn’t partisan to say Osama sounds like the Democrats — which is what Hannity said — IF Osama sounds like the Democrats. It would only be partisan to say that if he didn’t.
But not only does Osama sound like he’s reading from the DNC’s talking points, he makes a point of addressing the Democrats by name!

Following Osama’s description of “their side” to the letter, the Democrats immediately reacted to Osama’s speech by attacking the “other side” — not Osama bin Laden, but George Bush.
Senator Robert Menendez said bin Laden was “out there and breathing easy, in a safe haven, and helping direct global attacks” because the US military is distracted by Iraq.

(Osama: “This war was entirely unnecessary, as testified to by your own reports.”)
“Not only is Osama bin Laden at large and back in business, but the Department of Homeland Security continues to receive failing grades.”

(Osama: America’s “prestige was broken globally and it was bled dry economically.”)
Fellow Democratic senator Bob Casey said the Iraq war was a ‘digression’ from the hunt for bin Laden. “Having to police a civil war is drawing resources from that effort,” he said.

(Osama: “Then Bush talks about his working with al-Maliki and his government to spread freedom in Iraq but he in fact is working with the leaders of one sect against another sect, in the belief that this will quickly decide the war in his favor. And thus, what is called the civil war came into being and matters worsened at his hands. . “)

Frankly, I think Hannity got it exactly backwards. Osama doesn’t sound like the Democrats. It’s the Democrats that sound like bin-Laden.

I wonder how much major news coverage this story will get?

Audio portions of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s testimony from his Combatant Status Review Tribunal were released by the Pentagon Thursday.

The audio clips contain admissions by the suspected mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks that he plotted to kill President Clinton and Pope John Paul II.

“I was responsible for the assassination attempt against President Clinton during his visit to the Philippines in 1994 or 1995,” Mohammed says in English during his testimony before the tribunal. “I was responsible for the assassination attempt against Pope John Paul the second while he was visiting the Philippines,” Mohammed says.

Al Qaeda is no friend of Americans and pandering to their demands or wishes will not make make them our friends. Look at how far back it was that they planned to assassinate Bill Clinton, who was our sitting president at the time.

The party of FDR is now the party of George McGovern on steroids. Fold, give in, appease, kill them with kindness and all will be well. All will not be well, and anyone who is seriously thinking of the safety of our country will understand that, although we may disagree on how to handle the snakes. But never, ever leave that snakepit unattended until the last viper is gone or we will be sorry.

To read a summary of the full transcript go here.

If you wish to read the entire report go here. Both are pdf files and require a pdf viewer.

I’ve done a quick search and looked at the DOD site but I can’t find the audio. Strangely, I can’t find the story except on Fox, but it was partially written by the AP.

Update:

Must be talking about some of that actionable intelligence that candidates keep talking about needing before going to war. This is just plain crazy.

As many as 60 people within the CIA read a cable referring to two of the 19 hijackers involved in the attacks on America on September 11 2001 before the event, yet the information was not shared with the parts of the organisation able to do anything about it, according to the agency’s own internal investigation.
The revelation is one of several damning findings from the CIA’s own watchdog, the inspector general, drawn up in June 2005. He accuses the CIA’s top officials in the run-up to 9/11, including the then director, George Tenet, of failure to devise a strategic plan to counter Osama bin Laden in advance of the attacks.

A 19-page summary of the inspector’s report was published yesterday under a new congressional law passed earlier this month, having been kept secret since it was written. It underlines the depth of infighting between the CIA and the National Security Agency which prevented clear lines of responsibility in the fight against al-Qaida.

Though the report found no evidence of misconduct or illegality, it bluntly stated that CIA officers “did not discharge their responsibilities in a satisfactory manner”. The inspector, John Helgerson, went as far as to recommend further panels of inquiry into the conduct of key individuals within the agency to see whether disciplinary action should be taken against them.

Story

On the night of June 30 some of our soldiers were on patrol in Ramadi. Some of them had never experienced combat and didn’t expect to that night, but they ran upon some Al Qaeda in the midst of planning a major offensive.

This Washington Post story explains what happened.

Yes, there were American dead that night, and yes, there were Al Qaeda dead that night, along with some civilians who were killed in their tents while sleeping.

I think the following sums it up pretty well. Please read the rest to see what happened that night.

In the end, the battle of Donkey Island left 11 U.S. troops wounded and two dead, while an estimated 32 insurgents were killed. The heavy fighting between the Americans and the al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgents had deep repercussions across Ramadi.

Iraqi police officers close to Buchan “lost it” when they heard of his death, Rosa said.

“I love Sergeant Buchan. When he died, all of the police cried,” Col. Jabbar Hamid Ajaj said in his Ramadi office, plastered with posters he had made featuring Buchan.

At his mansion near the main U.S. base in Ramadi, Sattar, the tribal leader, was alarmed to learn that he had been the insurgents’ prime target but took comfort in the U.S. tank stationed outside his home.

“If al-Qaeda gets away from the Awakening, they won’t get away from the American forces,” Sattar said. “We are allies,” he added as he shared a tiny cup of bitter coffee with Lt. Col. Miciotto Johnson, commander of the 1-77. “I defend Col. Johnson, and Col. Johnson defends me.”

U.S. commanders said the battle was a major defeat for al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgents, showing how hard it is for them to operate in Anbar, where they face an increased U.S. troop presence and rejection by the Sunni population.

“Al-Qaeda is on its back foot,” said Gen. David H. Petraeus, the top U.S. commander in Iraq. “They have largely lost Anbar province.”

But U.S. officers in Ramadi say it is only a matter of time before al-Qaeda in Iraq strikes again.

“We’re still expecting attacks similar to this one,” said Maj. Andrew Wortham, the 1st Brigade Combat Team’s intelligence officer in Ramadi.

Soldiers who fought in the battle say they feel extremely lucky to have happened upon the insurgents — and to have survived. They’re concerned that if U.S. forces leave, the insurgents will return and easily kill local police and officials. “I worry about pulling out of this area early. If we do, these guys are dead meat,” Lauer said.

Spannagel, the scout leader, said the fighting revealed “a false sense of security that we’d won the battle in Ramadi.”

In fact, he said, “this shows the enemy is patient. This is his land. He’s got all the time in the world. . . . They’re going to continue to fight in Anbar.”

Mr. President my hat goes off to you if you can accomplish this.

President Bush said Monday that with the right intelligence U.S. and Pakistan governments can take out al-Qaida leaders, and wouldn’t say whether he would consult first with Pakistan before ordering U.S. forces to act on their own.

“With real actionable intelligence, we will get the job done,” Bush said.

He was asked whether he would wait on permission from Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf before committing the U.S. military to move on “actionable intelligence” on the whereabouts of terrorist leaders in Pakistan. He did not answer directly.

Bush was at the presidential retreat at Camp David for two days of meetings with Afghan President Hamid Karzai. The two held talks on a rash of crises confronting Afghanistan: civilian killings, a booming drug trade and the brazen resurgence of the Taliban.

Karzai said that he and Musharraf would discuss how to tackle the problem of lawlessness and extremist hideouts along Pakistan’s border area with his country.

Afghanistan has a distrustful relationship with neighboring Pakistan, yet top tribal leaders from both countries are expected to meet this week to try to lessen tensions. Musharraf and Karzai are likely to attend, with Karzai sure to bring up his concern about the flow of foreign fighters into his country from Pakistan.

Bush and Karzai put a positive spin on Afghanistan’s progress since the 2001 defeat of the repressive Taliban, but they stressed that serious problems remain.

“There is still work to be done, don’t get me wrong,” Bush said. “But progress is being made, Mr. President, and we’re proud of you.”

Story

It appears the surge is working now that the full complement of troops is in place.

Fed up with being part of a group that cuts off a person’s face with piano wire to teach others a lesson, dozens of low-level members of al-Qaeda in Iraq are daring to become informants for the US military in a hostile Baghdad neighbourhood.

The ground-breaking move in Doura is part of a wider trend that has started in other al-Qaeda hotspots across the country and in which Sunni insurgent groups and tribal sheikhs have stood together with the coalition against the extremist movement.

“They are turning. We are talking to people who we believe have worked for al-Qaeda in Iraq and want to reconcile and have peace,” said Colonel Ricky Gibbs, commander of the 4th Brigade, 1st Infantry Division, which oversees the area.

The sewage-filled streets of Doura, a Sunni Arab enclave in south Baghdad, provide an ugly setting for what US commanders say is al-Qaeda’s last stronghold in the city. The secretive group, however, appears to be losing its grip as a “surge” of US troops in the neighbourhood – part of the latest effort by President Bush to end the chaos in Iraq – has resulted in scores of fighters being killed, captured or forced to flee.

“Al-Qaeda’s days are numbered and right now he is scrambling,” said Lieutenant-Colonel Stephen Michael, who commands a battalion of 700 troops in Doura.

A key factor is that local people and members of al-Qaeda itself have become sickened by the violence and are starting to rebel, Lieutenant-Colonel Michael said. “The people have got to deny them sanctuary and that is exactly what is happening.”

Read the rest.

This is all I could find on this story. They are calling it breaking news in Great Britain.

US forces say they have arrested a senior member of al-Qaeda in Iraq, the group accused of being behind some of Iraq’s deadliest violence.
The man was named as Khaled Mashhadani. He was captured earlier in July in the northern city of Mosul, officials said.

US military officials said he had told interrogators that the group’s supposed leader, Omar al-Baghdadi, was a front.

They added Mashhadani was a “conduit” between its real Egypt-born leader in Iraq and top al-Qaeda figures globally

Story

~J~ adds: US command is verifying the story.

This article speaks for itself.

President Bush’s top counterterrorism advisers acknowledged Tuesday that the strategy for fighting Osama bin Laden’s leadership of Al Qaeda in Pakistan had failed, as the White House released a grim new intelligence assessment that has forced the administration to consider more aggressive measures inside Pakistan.

The intelligence report, the most formal assessment since the Sept. 11 attacks about the terrorist threat facing the United States, concludes that the