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HUMINT: Kill the MessengerHUMINT: Interpreters in Iraq have reason to be terrified. They’re the messengers of all news, good or bad. But should they be more worried for their lives than an average Coalition foot soldier? I tend to think so. My thinking on this developed because I’ve repeatedly been asked why I think terrorists in Iraq, AKA insurgents, are targeting Iraqis more so than American and other Coalition forces. I think they are murdering Iraqi civilians in cold blood for two primary reasons. HUMINT: FIRST – the terrorists are trying to sever the bonds that form naturally between Iraqis and Americas through their daily interactions. These kinds of bonds are essential in Iraq. The kind of war American soldiers are fighting there can only be won when a healthy, symbiotic relationship forms between the people of Iraq and members of the armed forces serving there. To complete the mission in Iraq, both the liberated and the liberator must perceive themselves as connected to each other. The insurgents are desperate to disrupt those kinds of relationships. Without those relationships the terrorists will undoubtedly dominate the future… and what an ugly future it will be, HUMINT: SECOND – Iraqis are softer targets. Coalition forces are better equipped and better trained than the insurgency. Meeting the Coalition head-on, outside of a planned hit and run ambush, is a guaranteed ass beating for terrorists. By my estimation, the vast majority of terrorists dumb enough to slug it out toe to toe with Coalition forces are already dead. Those that have managed to escape the hail of superior fire power – bullets, air strikes… – changed their tactics. Now they murder targets of opportunity, slowly bleeding the New Iraq to death. That said, the juiciest of the soft targets are the Coalition’s interpreters. Without them, the process by which new relationships form is dramatically retarded.
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HUMINT: Bending IdentityHUMINT: Democratization is about bending Identity. This work refers specifically to US and Coalition democratization efforts in Iraq and the Middle East in general. As liberators, Americans can only provide the conditions by which liberty can grow and eventually thrive. One articulation of what is occurring across the region may be that Americans have demonstrated they can "bend" the political environment of the Middle East but cannot directly bend the identity of Middle Easterners. If social change is introduced externally it is reasonable to assume that any changes of the individual identities of Middle Easterners will lag behind that change. Instances of terrorism and despotism from the newly liberated is of little consequence to the democratization process as long as the political environment is sustained until the guarantee of individual liberty becomes the socio-political norm. If the democratic environment is not sustained, their pre-liberation identity will be reinforced and therefore validated. HUMINT: The election of members of the terrorist organization Hamas to seats of power in the Palestinian territories, and members of the terrorist organization Hezbullah in Lebanon were setbacks in terms of bending the identities Palestinian and Lebanese citizens toward democracy but it was a step forward with respect to a democratic political environment in which they live. One day democratic tendencies will be the norm across the region. The transitional phase is a toll that must be paid before sustainable peace can be achieved. HUMINT: To be sure, the Middle East is a culturally heterogeneous environment whose parts have little to do with the political boundaries familiar on maps. Oddly, the nationalism that does exist in the Middle East is often the product of brutal dictatorships. Saddam, through the commission of atrocities, forced Iraq to behave as a nation of Iraqis. As democracy strengthens there, a peaceful political process will replace the iron fist as the force that holds Iraq together. But what of the elements that are ripping Iraq apart? HUMINT: It is absolutely astonishing that the sign carying, uniform wearing representatives of militias in Iraq are not considered targets for Coalition Forces in this war. Ralph Peters makes a valid point in his essay, Kill Muqtada. If the elected officials of Iraq make choices that drive the country away from democracy and peace they have to pay for their transgression with their lives. If these traitors to the new Iraq are not targeted, then the entire exercise has been a costly mistake. The power vacuum will be filled by the most vile enemies of the United States and from their Iraqi safe havens they will be able to sustain strikes against American interests around the world. HUMINT: So is the answer to build big walls around our troops in the deserts of Iraq and let the militias slaughter freshly trained Iraqi police? I don't think so. In my opinion, the opposite needs to occur. Coalition forces should be as integrated with the Iraqi people as they reasonably can be. The Iraqi people are the coalition's best ally and to separate them from coalition forces could have terrible repercussions for sustainable democracy in Iraq. HUMINT: With the introduction of available command and control communications technologies, primarily to prevent friendly fire, US troops might consider dropping their uniforms (not body armor) in favor of Iraqi attire. In uniform and on patrol, coalition forces are regularly subjected to ambush tactics. It is conceivable that undercover US troops might be able to instead, ambush insurgents. HUMINT: Civil society is not only possible in the Middle East, it is probable. Islam is not an obstacle but fascist interpretations of it are. The individuals who hold an anti-democratic interpretation of Islam should be considered prime targets. In the case of Muqtada Alsadr and the Mehdi Army, obstacles to democratization have presented themselves time and time again but each time, the obstacle is confronted without being removed. The behavior is more like police craft than war craft and is ultimately self defeating. HUMINT: Tactically speaking the US should revisit the practice of castle warfare (people and troops inside the walls) and begin facing off with their enemies in Iraq as though they themselves were an indigenous tribe. It will take two steps backward to take three steps forward. For coalition forces to seriously consider bending the identity of Iraq toward democracy, we are going to have to have some flexibility of our own - temporarily anyway. SOURCE EXCERPTS Update on Iraq
HUMINT: NOTE - Two format changes introduced in this work are 1. My commentary is above the commentary of others. In the past, my writings have gone beneath the writings of other authors. 2. Until this post, my source material has been mostly news items, quotable comments from officials and article length commentaries. In the future, source material will be intentionally diversified - to include material pre 9/11/2001 - books - and my own speculative analysis. Source diversity appears a reasonable way to marry the daily dynamics of the Iraq War to philosophical, ideological, historical, religious and relevant points in order to produce informed political commentary. |
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HUMINT: Studying Amara The Amara lesson Thursday, October 26, 2006 Perhaps the lesson from the recent troubles in Amara when militias took over large parts of the city gives a clear answer and offers Iraqis and the allies a forecast of what the future holds for us should we make the wrong decisions. Reporters' log: Iraqi elections 30 January, 2005 Christian Fraser : al-Amara : 1405 GMT - Across the south of the country, thousands of people have turned up to the polls, so many that a number of polling stations are staying open past the 1700 (1400 GMT) closing time. In Maysan, home to the Marsh Arabs so long oppressed by the Saddam regime, many turned up before 1100, but so busy were polling stations in the town of al-Asaya that two of them had to close while officials marshalled the crowds. There have been few reported incidents, although there have been several close calls. In the town of Maja al-Kabir, north of Basra, three rocket propelled grenades were fired at a British regiment. There were no casualties, but a nearby truck was hit and destroyed. In Kalet Sulli, two men were discovered trying to set up a homemade rocket launcher fixed on election centres. Police opened fire and the men ran off. Tit-for-tat: Iran accuses Britain of weapons smuggling Wed. 12 Oct 2005 The top police commander in the [Khuzestan, Iran] province also said, “With the efforts of the State Security Forces in the province of Khuzestan and during an intelligence operation, 117 guns were discovered and confiscated from four weapons smugglers in the province”. “These smugglers said during interrogation that the weapons had been brought in from the Iraqi province of al-Amara”, Brig. Gen. Isa Darai said. “According to the confessions of the smugglers, there are several markets in the Iraqi province of al-Amara where weapons are bought and sold. British and American military forces are fully aware of the illegal actions and the smuggling of weapons to Iran. This is happening at a time when control in al-Amara is the responsibility of British troops”, the SSF chief in Khuzestan said. Iraq attack kills two UK soldiers 28 February 2006 Two British soldiers have been killed and another injured by a roadside bomb in Amara, southern Iraq, the Ministry of Defence has said. The three were attached to a battlegroup mainly made up of members of the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards. Britain takes a misstep in Iraq Aug 30, 2006 British commanders are sanguine as to the military challenges. In the wake of the Camp Abu Naji withdrawal in Maysan they say they will be conducting new guerrilla-style operations in the borderlands of eastern Maysan province. Deploying a highly mobile force of around 600 men - modeled on British Special Forces fighting in North Africa during World War II - commanders say its role will be to chase and finish off insurgents. HUMINT: Going Guerrilla 9/4/2006 Beatings, abductions, shootings: on patrol with the al-Mahdi army October 03, 2006 US intelligence believes that the militia in the capital boasts 15 special forces companies and at least eight intelligence companies. Basra and Amara in the south are places where the cleric has had difficulty guarding his authority, he said. But military officials admitted that it may suit him to have some elements operating under the cover of being a rebel faction. “There are probably elements that are not rogue but are deniable,” the officer said. The British officer said: 'We are now just another tribe' Saturday October 14, 2006 "We are in a tribal society in Basra and we [the British army] are in effect one of these tribes," said Lt Col Simon Brown, commander of the 2nd Battalion. "As long as we are here the others will attack us because we are the most influential tribe. We cramp their style." 'We have liberated Amara from the British. Basra next' Saturday October 21, 2006 Ten days ago I sat on a mattress on the floor of a Mahdi army safe house talking to Abu Mahdi, a slim 40-year-old, bearded former Arabic teacher and low level commander in the Shia militia. I had first encountered him in Najaf in August 2004, when the Mahdi army seized the holy city. Now he boasted of how his comrades were effectively in control of his home town, 200 miles south of Baghdad."As we have liberated Amara from the British, Basra is next," he said. "My men are everywhere, can you see the British anywhere? For the people in the street it's my men who rule the town." Meanwhile the militias rained down mortars on the camp daily and ambushed supply lines. According to Lt Col David La Bouchere, commander of the Queens Royal Hussars battle group, around 283 mortars were fired in from last March to August. The camp needed constant resupplying by around 160 trucks every couple of weeks. "It was a very stupid situation, we needed six to seven companies of soldiers just to protect the base," said Lt Col La Bouchere. "The answer was to leave the base and depend on a more mobile force." When the British left two months ago, officers called it a tactical redeployment; the people of Amara called it a retreat. |
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HUMINT: Vehicle to Victimhood  Magazine censored in Iran on left - original image on the right.Vehicle to Victimhood, by HUMINT Islam is used today as a vehicle to perpetuate the self perception of victimhood across the greater Middle East. Some Mulsims use the spiritual tools of their religion to justify destructive behavior. Fortunately, not all Muslims are willing to be victims. The US War effort in Iraq and Afghanistan has indeed shaken long established Middle Eastern world views of Western colonialism and imperialism. Today, some of the Middle East's best authors are engaging in thoughtful introspection. It is in the West's interest that they succeed in reshaping the views of their countrymen. Often times their countrymen travel abroad and blaspheme liberty as was the case recently in Australia. Australian Mufti Sheik Taj Aldin Alhilali made the following statement during a Ramadan sermon to 500 worshippers in Sydney last month: "If you take out uncovered meat and place it outside on the street, or in the garden or in the park, or in the backyard without a cover, and the cats come and eat it...whose fault is it, the cats or the uncovered meat," the sheik told the congregation. "The uncovered meat is the problem. "If she was in her room, in her home, in her hijab (Islamic headdress), no problem would have occurred." Sheik Alhilali also spoke of women who "sway suggestively" and wear immodest dress, appearing to suggest rapists are not entirely to blame. "Young Muslim men who now rape women can cite this in court, can quote this man ... their leader in court," the Federal Sex Discrimination Commissioner Pru Goward said in response. "It's time we stopped just saying he should apologize. It is time the Islamic community did more then say they were horrified. I think it is time he left," Ms Goward said. Goward's point is clear; hold the correct party responsible and insist justice be done. Sheik Alhilahi is asserting that all men are victims of their carnal impulses and if a woman triggers a man to perversion, he is not responsible. The Sheik's logic is designed to relieve himself and his congregation of accountability for their sex crimes. Non-consensual sex is indeed a crime and it's called rape. There is nothing spiritual about Sheik Alhilahi's sermon. This is a clear case of spiritual fraud. Islam in this case is just Alhilahi's vehicle to victimhood. Alhilahi's perceives himself and other men to be victims of their own lack of self control, subverting the core mechanics of responsability. Alhilahi is not a victim and his dysfunctional self perception cannot make him one. According to the website drozur.com The victim's basic stance is that he or she:
These points describe the behavior of Alhilahi and many of his fellow Muslims. These points apply broadly, extending well beyond excusing sex crimes. The self perceived victimhood across the greater Middle East is using religion as a vehicle to perpetuate the perception. Imperialist forces are forever oppressing and colonizing. There is always an invisible hand guiding the destiny of Middle Easterners. That hand however is never God's hand. God forsakes those unwilling to help themselves but the hand that holds men like Alhilahi down is never perceived to be God's hand. With the US war effort in Iraq, the days of Middle Easterners blaming others for their own failures may be at an end. With all the pain and suffering of the Iraq War, what is happening there does not resemble America expanding an empire. The insurgents there are sabotaging progressive social projects. The insurgents are indeed losing their grip on any chance at establishing a montage of neighboring mini-empires. Saddam was and imperialist. Ayatollah Khomeini was an imperialist... Their world may be coming to an end. The death of their despotic dreams will not come from bullets, rather it will be the rational introspection of the average Middle Easterner that will finally bring the nations of the Middle East into alignment with the free world. Turki al-Hamad writing for Asharq Alawsat does a superb job of dissociating himself from the likes of Alhilahi through a thoughtful defense of the Prophet of Islam - (pbuh = peace be upon him): Although Islam calls for diligent and productive work, for example, we find that Muslims are among the majority of people who do not fulfill their work efficiently even though they read the Quran five times a day. Moreover, Islam encourages seeking knowledge, “even if it is as far as China” and yet we find that Muslims are the most fearful of science and its advancements in today’s world. And although Islam promotes freedom of choice, such as in the verse that reads, “The right path is clearly distinct from the wrong”, we still find many Muslims nowadays are intolerant while rejecting, fearing and mistrusting others. The Prophet (pbuh) endured all kinds of opposition and harm in Mecca but he was patient in the face of adversity and pain and moreover forgave this unfair treatment in the end.These words of introspection are indeed the light at the end of a long tunnel. This is the birth of a new Middle East[ a Middle East with citizens who take personal responsability for themselves and ask their countrymen to do the same. |
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SPENGLER: Embarrassing It is embarrassing to read the musings of American strategists about their supposed options in Iraq. In an October 20 essay in the Wall Street Journal, Professor Eliot Cohen listed as candidates for "Plan B" the following: (1) ask Iran and Syria to help, (2) withdraw, (3) send in more US troops, (4) let the civil war proceed with US troops sheltered in secure bases, (5) put a military strongman in charge, and (6) partition the country. "All of the options for Plan B are either wretched to contemplate or based on fantasy," concluded Cohen. In fact, there is another option, namely to stop treating the conflict as an Iraqi matter and extending it to the whole region, first of all by attacking Iranian nuclear installations, and second by destabilizing Iran. Regime change as such may be a fantasy, but keeping the Iranians busy with problems inside their own borders is not. Widening the conflict is just what the US could not do in Vietnam without risking war with Russia or China. HUMINT: Spengler has a point. A very selfish point, but an important one nonetheless. I call his point selfish because the suggestion only addresses the immediate concerns of the West. While I agree that this war is regional and certainly stretches outside Iraq's boarders, I disagree that the next logical target should be Iran's nuclear facilities. In terms of what this war is about, Iran's nuclear installations are a symptom of a regional disease. The disease is despotic governance that willfully puts the lives of its citizens and tourists at risk. I've described here how Ahmadinejad intends to use European tourists as human shields to protect his nuclear installations. Under the circumstances, Ahmadinejad's behavior is extremely reckless. Ahmadinejad - AND his nuclear weapons manufacturing facilities - deserve to be wrecked. I think his ability to function is a threat to Iranian, Middle Eastern, American and European citizens. His continuing dysfunction is the threat whereas the nuclear crisis is but one symptom. Like Spengler, I too consider these suggestions embarrassing. No one is talking about finding a cure for the disease. |
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HUMINT: Bleeding Iraq Iraqi Insurgent Leader: Premier's Initiative Rejected, Dialogue With US HaltedAsharq Al-Awsat Exclusive - 23/10/2006 - By Ma'ad Fayad [BEGIN ITEM] A leader of an armed Iraqi group has denied the existence of any dialogue with the current Iraqi Government or US Ambassador in Iraq Zalmay Khalilzad. The armed leader, who goes by the name Abu-Umar, stated that "resistance factions" have rejected the national reconciliation initiative proposed by Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, “because it is not a comprehensive plan, and lacks a lot of the objectives for which thousands of Iraqis were martyred." [EXCERPT]Regarding the proposal for establishing an Islamic State and including the Al-Anbar Governorate in it, "The Islamic State plan will not succeed in Iraq; some are promoting this plan to steal more money from Iraq. The government depended on some tribal sides to protect Al-Anbar. This side is known as a money-stealing gang although it works for the security apparatuses."He admitted that there are, "Sunni militias, but they are there to protect the Sunnis who are in power. The power of these militias does not exceed 5 percent of the power and activity of the Shia militias." [EXCERPT] The field commander admitted that there is coordination among the armed factions. He said, "The real resistance does not inflict harm on any Iraqi civilian, even if that costs us the loss of a US target." He divided the axes of the resistance, in order of importance, as follows: The Baath Party Organizations; the Islamic resistance movement, which includes several factions; and the Mujahidin Shura Council (Al-Qaeda) and its strong factions. There are also other unconnected factions, which are not acting under a unified leadership, but which are very influential in their areas. Some of them are identified, such as the Islamic Army, the Mujahidin, Ansar Al-Sunnah, and Jaysh Muhammad. HUMINT: This interview is typical of someone who is unwilling to admit he is contributing to Iraq's problems. After reading these questions and answers four or five times it appears more and more as if this individual does not have a rational grasp of Iraq's situation. He's not alone. Lessons have been learned and changes do need to be made - as in any conflict. Although some of his points appear coherent, his ideas are not realistically achievable through violence. How many people does this person have to kill, and why are his insurgent teams killing them? Is he targeting Iraqi versions of himself while striking out at American targets of opportunity? I think Rumsfeld and Cheney are right to call people like Abu-Umar "dead enders" because they are hurling themselves toward a dead end. The question is however, how many dead enders have to die before "the end"? Opponents of the war in Iraq surmise that because the Abu-Umars are fighting harder it is wrong to call them "dead enders". With so many enemies fighting for multidimensional ambitions, men like Abu-Umar are only bleeding Iraq. |
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DOS: Iran Misbehaving QUESTION: The Iranians this weekend made several statements and including President Ahmadi-Nejad today, but this weekend the Foreign Minister said that if the international community would sanction, we will take appropriate measures. - How do you assess the risk for the sanctions to give way to an influence, negative influence of Iran in Middle East, in Iraq, in the Palestinian territories -- MR. MCCORMACK: They are already doing that. They're already doing that. They already are a negative influence in the region. I think the rest of the world and especially Iran's neighbors would very much like for Iran to play a positive role in the region. Iran as a country and as a culture has a lot to offer, has a lot to offer the rest of the world, has a lot to offer the rest of the region. But the situation you have now, given Iranian behavior and under the current leadership, you have Iran really on the other side of the line from where the rest of the region is heading. The rest of the region is heading towards greater openness, greater freedoms, greater democracy, looking for solutions to avoid conflict, to work out differences through dialogue. Whereas, you have the Iranian regime which is just headed the other way. They're the sponsors of Hezbollah, which started a war in the region. They are clearly playing an unhelpful role in Iraq. The Iraqi Government has talked to them about that. They are probably the most significant state sponsors of terror in the world and they are now working to develop a nuclear weapon, which if they accomplish that would be probably one of the single most destabilizing events that we have ever seen in the Middle East. So Iran already is playing, unfortunately, a negative role in the region and Iran's neighbors, more than anybody else, are concerned about that and have spoken out about it. QUESTION: But this is a real threat so it could be worse. That's what they are saying. It could be even worse. MR. MCCORMACK: Well, you know, again, I don't think that that argues in favor of not doing anything with respect to their nuclear program. As I said, it could get worse, absolutely. It could get a heck of a lot worse if you have a nuclear-armed Iran in the heart of the Middle East. Think about that. And Iran's neighbors have been thinking about that and they are alarmed at the prospect. The rest of the world, the international community is alarmed by that prospect. That's why you had -- that's why you had a Security Council resolution that was passed that called upon them to suspend all their enrichment and reprocessing- related activities. And you've also had others who looked at what happened when Hezbollah started a war in the Middle East and were quite concerned about that fact, quite concerned about the fact that a terrorist group sponsored by Iran could drag the entire region down into conflict. That got people's attention. And I think that in terms of Iranian behavior, there is a lot of concern over a variety of things. I haven't even mentioned human rights and the just terrible record that this regime has on human rights and the way it treats its own people. So there's a lot to be concerned about concerning this regime's behavior. And certainly looking the other way because they might do -- they might lash out in some other way is certainly not how we're going to respond. And I don't think you're going to see the rest of the world turn a blind eye, because that is just -- once you start going down that pathway that is a pathway that just leads to a very, very negative place. |
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HUMINT: Vatican and Mecca ROME, Oct 22 (Reuters) - Pope Benedict called on Iraqis and religious and political leaders worldwide on Sunday to stop the violence between religious factions in Iraq that has cost the lives of innocent Muslims and Christians. The Pope, who is trying to mend fences with Muslims offended by a speech of his seen as portraying Islam as a violent faith, used his regular Sunday address to send "cordial greetings" to Muslims celebrating the end of their annual Ramadan fast. "In dramatic contrast with this happy atmosphere there comes news from Iraq of the grave situation of insecurity and cruel violence to which many innocent people are exposed just because they are Shi'ite, Sunni or Christian," he said. The U.S.-backed Iraqi government is led by Shi'ite Muslims who are struggling to rein in Shi'ite militias battling Sunnis in a sectarian conflict that kills about 100 Iraqis every day. Since the Pope's speech, Christians in Iraq fear they could become the targets of more violence. Iraq's main Shi'ite and Sunni Muslim parties all denounced the Pope's remarks as an attack on the Prophet Muhammad, while demonstrators burned a white effigy of the Pope last month. A recent U.S. government report on religious freedom in Iraq estimated the number of Christians has shrunk to about 1 million from 1.4 million in 1987. Most are Catholics known as Chaldeans. HUMINT: The Vatican and Mecca are on board with peace in Iraq - but are the insurgents listening? They had better start listening to their spiritual leadership before they burn in hell with the Iraqi insurgents who were killed in battle before them. Mecca, 20 Oct. (AkI) - Iraqi Sunni and Shiite religious leaders are due on Friday to ink a 10-point peace accord in the holy Saudi city of Mecca aimed at ending the sectarian bloodbath in Iraq, pan-Arab daily al-Sharq al-Awsat reported. Representatives from the Sunni Ulema Council - Iraq's highest Sunni religious authority - and Shiite clerics from the holy Shiite city of Najaf will attend the signing of the document, which condemns the slaying of civilians and the destruction of mosques, and calls for the withdrawal of American troops and for national unity. At least 100 civilians are being killed each day in Iraq, according to the United Nations. The latest figures from the Iraqi health ministry stated that 2,667 people were killed in the Iraqi capital, Baghdad during September, 400 more than in August. In July and August, 6,599 people were killed across the country, of which 5,106 were killed in Baghdad, according to the UN. |
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HUMINT: Islam's Peace Treaty THE MECCA DOCUMENTIRAQ THE MODEL - [Excerpt] Shia and Sunni Iraqi clerics were in Mecca last night to sign a document (or decree or treaty or whatever its name is!). In my opinion choosing Mecca was not only for religious or spiritual reasons, actually I tend to believe that Saudi Arabia offered to host the meeting with such enthusiasm only to improve its image and change the general impression about it so that it's viewed as a country that supports peace and tolerance instead of a country that breeds extremism. [Excerpt] There's one other important point about the meeting that makes it rather impossible to expect it to make a difference on the ground; the two most vicious murderous factions that are responsible for most of the sectarian violence, i.e. al-Qaeda and Sadr's militia will not drop their weapons or stop their crimes just because some clerics signed a decree. However, the document can possibly be of practical value only if it gets used in the right way; that is since the document alienates anyone who violates the points stated within, the MNF and the reluctant PM Maliki can take advantage of it and do what they have to do with people like Sadr who had long enjoyed unwritten immunity. I mean if Sadr or certain Sunni groups refuse to abide by the articles of the decree and continue doing their daily dirty job then clerics and religious parties that signed the decree will have the pretext to stop the government or the MNF from taking action against them. HUMINT: This is an outstanding post from ITM. If accurate it shows that the current leadership in the Middle East – theocratic leadership – is of little if any value at all. It is however difficult to turn my back on anything that might save civilian lives in Iraq. If this letter is the birth of justice from ranking Muslim clerics, then we should give it the respect it deserves. That can only be known in due time. Let’s hope this analysis is wrong. |
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HUMINT: Shields of Flesh Gone fission: Iran offers visits to nuclear plants After the surprise announcement by President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the Islamic Republic of Iran’s nuclear facilities will be opened to tourists, Persian Voyages says it is “awaiting formal instructions” on how to arrange visits, but is considering including nuclear plant stop-offs in its next trip in December. Nasrin Etemadi, managing director of Persian Voyages, the UK’s leading tour operator of trips to Iran, said: “We were very surprised by the announcement. I think it was made to show that Iran is a peaceful place. If even tourists can see nuclear facilities then it must be peaceful.” HUMINT: Either this man is a naive tool or an operative working for the Iranian government! Consider the history of such tours... World Briefing | Middle East: Iran: Reporters Visit Underground Nuclear Plant - Published: March 31, 2005 President Mohammad Khatami gave journalists a a rare look at the heart of its contested nuclear activities: a once-secret underground complex that the United States says aims to produce material for bombs. The tour at the Natanz facility, south of Tehran, and another nuclear plant in Isfahan was intended to show that Iran was not breaking its promise to suspend its uranium enrichment program but that it could resume whenever it wished. The United States dismissed the event as a media stunt. HUMINT: In a brilliant stroke of propagandist genius, Mohamed Khatami marched naive journalists around a section of his Natanz nuclear facility that appeared as though it was being prepped to receive new equipment. Innocent enough, if that were the entire story. While that tour was taking place International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) inspectors were not permitted to visit other suspect sites. What a sham. This latest move by Mahmud Ahmadinejad appears to be an upgraded version of Khatami's propaganda. British tourist would make perfect human shields in the event of an attack on any nuclear facility in Iran by either the United States or Israel. Welcome to the new way of warfare. Human shields that are willing to pay for the pleasure. |
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HUMINT: Popes and Ayatollahs OPEN LETTER TO HIS HOLINESS POPE BENEDICT XVI In an unprecedented move, an open letter signed by 38 leading Muslim religious scholars and leaders around the world was sent to Pope Benedict XVI on Oct. 12, 2006. The letter, which is the outcome of a joint effort, was signed by top religious authorities such as Shaykh Ali Jumu‘ah (the Grand Mufti of Egypt), Shakyh Abdullah bin Bayyah (former Vice President of Mauritania, and leading religious scholar), and Shaykh Sa‘id Ramadan Al-Buti (from Syria), in addition to the Grand Muftis of Russia, Bosnia, Croatia, Kosovo, Slovenia, Istanbul, Uzbekistan, and Oman, as well as leading figures from the Shi‘a community such as Ayatollah Muhammad Ali Taskhiri of Iran. The letter was also signed by HRH Prince Ghazi bin Muhammad bin Talal of Jordan and by Muslim scholars in the West such as Shaykh Hamza Yusuf from California, Professor Seyyed Hossein Nasr of George Washington University in Washington, D.C., and Professor Tim Winter of the University of Cambridge. WITH REGARDS TO YOUR LECTURE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF REGENSBURG IN GERMANY ON September 12th 2006, we thought it appropriate, in the spirit of open exchange, to address your use of a debate between the Emperor Manuel II Paleologus and a “learned Persian” as the starting point for a discourse on the relationship between reason and faith. While we applaud your efforts to oppose the dominance of positivism and materialism in human life, we must point out some errors in the way you mentioned Islam as a counterpoint to the proper use of reason, as well as some mistakes in the assertions you put forward in support of your argument. [Snip] [Snip]Something New? You mention the emperor’s assertion that “anything new” brought by the Prophet was “evil and inhuman, such as his alleged command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.”What the emperor failed to realize—aside from the fact (as mentioned above) that no such command has ever existed in Islam—is that the Prophet never claimed to be bringing anything fundamentally new. God says in the Holy Qur’an, Naught is said to thee (Muhammad) but what already was said to the Messengers before thee (Fussilat 41:43), and, Say (Muhammad): I am no new thing among the messengers (of God), nor know I what will be done with me or with you. I do but follow that what is Revealed to me, and I am but a plain warner (al-Ahqaf, 46:9).Thus faith in the One God is not the property of any one religious community. According to Islamic belief, all the true prophets preached the same truth to different peoples at different times.The laws may be different, but the truth is unchanging. [Snip]
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HUMINT: The Iranian Devil In Iran, the regime's ideology holds that the authority of the Supreme Leader is granted by God. In America, our ideology holds that our individual liberties are the guaranteed by God. This put's the theology of Iran’s Khomeinists in conflict with the philosophical greatness of John Locke and the legislative genius of Thomas Jefferson. Interestingly enough, Shi’ite theology, before the 1979 Revolution in Iran was supportive of separation of Mosque and state. The post revolutionary Iranian theological doctrine however is on a collision course with the ideology that founded the United States. That’s why the regime in Tehran is gunning for a fight with the United States. That’s why the Iranian government demonizes the effigy of the Statue of Liberty. That’s why the Basij are on the streets burning American flags. That’s why the theocrats of Tehran cannot be appeased. That’s why every attempt at negotiations with the Iranian government has been an abysmal failure.Now have conversations like this one with average American college graduates. I’m serious. If you comprehend the source of our liberties on earth, I believe you are obligated to do so. As often as I can, I discuss these issues with whomever I can, as I do here. It’s not difficult to confront socialists, communists, atheists, academics and activists who work night and day to undo what the Founding Fathers did. I say it’s not tough because they hold demonstrations and sell newspapers on every college campus and on every major street corner. They make themselves far more accessible than do successful Jeffersonians. This is the other war, the war against moral ambiguity. Fortunately, our heavy weapons in these two wars work well on both fronts. But we’re lacking soldiers. It’s time to dust the philosophy off, go out into the street and go to battle with these brilliant ideas. I assure you, WE, not Mahmud Ahmadinejad, are destined to win. |
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HUMINT: American Street The American Street, by humintSTREET CORNER CONVERSATION: "I think your missing context in your life so I'm going to give you some. Did you know, I can read the headline off that Revolutionary Communist Party newspaper you’re selling on this street corner through the scope of a rifle 300 yards away? That’s not a threat; in fact it's the exact opposite. I mention what an average marksman can do because that's how enemies in most places around the world communicate. In this country, however, ideological enemies like you and I can communicate non-violently. That’s context. That’s a beautiful thing isn’t it? The beauty of this nation and our government is that you and I can have a polite conversation about politics - live and let live - and learn. But if you succeed in your ambition to overthrow the United States Government, what makes you think that you and I wouldn't communicate at a distance of 300 yards with riffles? Your ideas threaten my way of life. In fact, your ideas threaten your way of life too. You’re freely expressing your ideas right now on this street corner aren’t you? Try proselytizing your opinions on this street without a guarantee of liberty. Why not visit Tehran and risk your neck for your bad ideas. Neither you nor I could speak our minds freely on the street there. The fact is, your ideas have made disparaging the fundamental principles of liberty popular and I've had enough. Explain your theory of civil government and how it’s an improvement over what we have today. You can’t can you?" In the United States, Americans live in an age of liberty and happiness like none other in history. Success has befallen calloused American hands in preordained fashion. Thomas Jefferson once said, "The harder I work, the more luck I seem to have." Jefferson's compatriots and their descendents were also endowed with the same brand of luck. The very first Americans generated a new ideological force when they signed the Declaration of Independence. A genius in his own right, I believe too much credit for the American Revolution is given to Jefferson for the act of penning the Declaration of Independence. While he displayed uncommon valor and transcendent leadership in those turbulent revolutionary days, it is the names of his compatriots, the signatories to the Declaration, our generation of Americans should recall with reverence. Jefferson, by his own articulation, could not have prosecuted the American Revolution on his own. It was accomplished by a team. Their work product was a righteous rebellion. It was rooted in philosophy and rationalism. It established the American direction that is as righteous today as it was in 1776. Those individuals are the reason success tends to favor contemporary Americans. Obviously the country they created is not perfect. They never suggested it would be. The "pursuit of liberty and happiness" is guaranteed, not "liberty and happiness". Therefore the onus is on the individual in America, implicitly suggesting that personal responsibility generates the momentum for society to migrate towards utopia, whatever that may be. In other words, protecting individual liberty has the uncanny consequence of propelling society toward a collective success in every organized effort. American philosophers, theologians, artists, scientists and engineers operate in a natural social environment. In America they are free to test the limits of their craft. As a result, their organic work product is typically superior to foreign equivalents, often emulated and occasionally improved upon by cultures without such freedoms. With the immaculate conception of the United States, why then are there no guarantees for America's future? Arguably, the most significant idea in America’s ideological toolbox is the embrace of dissenting opinion. The American political machine treats dissent like a vaccine. But what happens when a strain of dissent has no constructive intention? If left unchecked and unbalanced what we think is a vaccine will be our terminal disease. I beg you, leave your riffles at home, but instead face your enemies armed with the kind of context that will win the American street back, for liberty. |
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HUMINT: Stoppage at Baiji Stoppage at Baiji Refinery Baghdad-East : An official at the Baiji refinery, the biggest plant for refining crude oil in |
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HUMINT: Anti-Iran in Baku Another anti-Iran protest in Baku dispersed - AssA-Irada 16/10/2006 23:58 Shakh Aivazov -- Associated Press Photo A group of opposition Party for National Independence of Azerbaijan (PNIA) activists attempted to picket the Iranian embassy in Baku on Friday to support Azeris advocating for their rights in the neighboring country. The police blocked the protesters. Five of them were detained and taken to a police precinct. Nonetheless, the picketers managed to submit a resolution to the embassy employees urging the Iranian authorities to provide suitable conditions for Azeris to receive education in their mother tongue and free prisoners. This follows similar attempts to picket the Iranian embassy by PNIA on September 22 and September 29 and by another group, entitled the Committee for Support to the South Azerbaijan National Freedom Movement, on September 25. Iran is home to 30 million Azeris, or about 25% of the overall population, which is predominantly Persian. NOTES The Iranian Federal Congress Iran is a multinational country composed of Arabs, Baloch, Kurds, Fars, Turks, and Turkmen. These nations live in integral geographical parts and are also spread in different part of country. The Iranian government follows chauvinistic policies, by discriminating against citizens based on their religion, language and ethnicity. The present theological government, as did the previous monarchist government, treats Arabs, Baloch, Kurds, Turks, and Turkmen as second and third class citizens. This has resulted in policies that do not regard other languages and religions as equal to Persian and Shi’a Islam. The present system has hindered the economic, cultural and social progress of all oppressed nations in Iran. Except for the Persian and Shias, minorities are subject to reactionary and discriminatory government policies. Iran strengthens border with Azerbaijan - Issue No.8 (294), 2003 According to reliable information from Tabriz, the Iranian regime has recently begun to strengthen its military positions bordering Turkey and even more so along the Iranian-Azerbaijani border. Pundits attribute these emergency military measures to possible US war against Iraq, the raising of ethnic problems in South (Iranian) Azerbaijan to the agendas of international organizations and enhanced US and Israeli influence in Turkey and Azerbaijan. It is also claimed that the number Ardabil army personnel in charge of protecting the main Iranian-Azerbaijani border has been increased from 3,500 to 16,000 and a 280 strong special force has been added. F-5 and Miq-29 jets have been brought to combat readiness. The Sardurud defense staff located 10km from Tabriz have been provided with rockets and missiles. The Iranian armed forces have also been brought to combat readiness in the Naxcivan and Qarabag sections of the border with Azerbaijan. Moreover, an armored unit in Qazvin is ready to quell possible internal rioting in cities populated by Turkic and Kurdish speaking communities in South Azerbaijan. Intelligence devices have been installed in the Bilasuvar, Astara and Julfa regions of the South Azerbaijan to control mobile and wireline telephone talks in a 300-km distance from the border. Furthermore, mobile bridges in the Iranian-Azerbaijani border to ensure the passage of armored forces and tanks have been made ready. These mobile bridges can be fixed in any section of the Araz river in five minutes. Combat readiness activities have also been carried out in the Hamadan military airport, Rasht airport and Enzali port. The Rasht and Enzali military staff have been supplied with Jet-Ranger 206 intelligence helicopters. This information was furnished by the South Azerbaijan National Freedom Movement. According to the movement, in total, the Iranian army consists of 700,000 personnel. Though South Azerbaijan constitutes 13 per cent of the Iranian territory, 25 per cent of the army has been deployed in this region. |
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HUMINT: Iran Smuggling Oil?  “An amount of 250 tons of gas oil hidden in large underground tanks in Khowesan district (10 km south of Basra) in preparation for smuggling was seized on Friday,” lieutenant colonel Abd al-Zahra Jabr told the independent news agency Voices of Iraq (VOI) over the phone. “More than 150 soldiers from the custom police took part in the operation which is one of the biggest operations we launched in terms of the fuel seized,” Jabr, deputy-commissioner of the fourth district custom force, added. Jabr, however, said the smugglers could not be detained as they fled the area.HUMINT: Basra is so close to Iran, Iran is the only logical recipient of smuggled oil. I find it interesting that the smugglers were not caught in this raid. No doubt the Iranian government would be caught with blood and oil all over thier hands. |
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Guvelioglu: Fundamentalism By Recep Guvelioglu - rguvelioglu@thenewanatolian.com - 09 October 2006 For almost of a week now, the Turkish media has been debating just what the real meaning of "Islamic fundamentalism" is. As usual, this has not resulted in a common definition. That situation has given me the opportunity to say some words about the matter. Islam has many rules. To give a simplified explanation in this limited space, it has three kinds of orders, just like other religions. Islam tells about certain historical events, dictates the rules of faith, and governs lifestyles or social relations. In some cases, the three kinds of rules overlap each other. I don't want to give a sermon about Islam. All I want to say is that religion touches daily life and that Islamic principles in some cases contradict the rules of civil law. Without solving these contradictions, we cannot reach any solution. For instance, interest (faiz) is illicit, unlawful, according to the Koran. Money should not produce money or material that is worth money. But the whole financial life of our world is based upon interest. Then what are we going to do? We have to disregard either religion or the law. This is true even though our new breed of religious people invented a new concept of "profit sharing" (kar payi), which is an example of sheer spin. In layman's words, they are trying to fool God. Another example; According to canonic law (fikh), the punishment for theft is to cut off the thief's right hand. But not even the Ottomans carried out this order most of the time. Otherwise the whole empire would have been full of one-handed people. I think what we call people who are in favor of carrying out religious principles even in the case of contradictions is "fundamentalist." Now let's talk about our fundamentalists. - I deliberately gave the two examples above. Even though it is forbidden, no one wants to talk about "interest." They don't want to touch that problem. Many of them -- with the exception of the really fanatical ones – don't defend punishments such as hand-cutting or stoning to death (recm). They mostly focus on the headscarf problem. - Even "fundamentalism" is a funny concept in this country. Then what are we going to define? |
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HUMINT: Iran Blames U.S. Iran Blames U.S. For Sectarianism In Iraq October 13, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Iran's Supreme leader Ali Khamenei today accused the United States of interfering in Iraq's internal affairs and creating religious divisions in the country. Khamenei said there is plenty of evidence that "the occupiers" are promoting terrorism committed in Iraq in the name of Shi'ite and Sunni Islam. Ayatollah Khamenei, who was speaking at Friday prayers in Tehran, also said that Israel and the United States had lost the recent conflict in Lebanon, which he described as a "historical phenomenon." Khamenei said the conflict demonstrated that resistance is the key to victory, warning, though, that the "losers" in the war will look to compensate for their defeat. The United States represents freedom of religion, freedom of expression, tolerance for dissent whereas the Islamic Republic of Iran does not and cannot. The Supreme Demon of Iran is doing the devil's work. The devil calls -*- up, down -*- black, white -*- freedom, tyranny -*- democracy, evil! While American Muslims, both Sunni and Shi'ite have more spiratual authority than Iran's Supreme Leader, there is no evidence they are using their spiritualism to interfere in Iraq. The reality is, the United States is playing a positive role in Iraq and the greater Middle East. The region finaly has a chance at trancending despots like Khamenei. Of course Khamenei is terrified. |
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HUMINT: Iran Assassinating Iraq Explosion kills Secretary General of the Islamic Unity Party in Iraq BAGHDAD, Oct 12 (KUNA) -- Mohammad Al-Mousawi Al-Qasimi, Secretary General of the Islamic Unity Party, was assassinated Thursday when he was targeted by a bomb in Babel province south of here. The party's political office condemned the assassination and claimed that Iran was behind it. The political activist was known for his efforts to expose secret foreign agendas in the country. He also unveiled several illegal activities that pose threat to Iraq's national security. Iraq National Accord, led by the well-known politician Ayad Allawi, released a statement mourning the late Iraqi political activist and said that Al-Qasimi was known for his good character and high national values. HUMINT: There have been a string of assassinations in Iraq over the last six months that have primarily served the interests of Iran. Evidence to tie Iran directly to the killings is not always available however; a war zone cannot be mistaken for a crime scene. The investigative procedures in a war zone hardly resemble those of a peacetime investigation. What is clear about the Iranians is that they are selective in their sponsorship. Some Iraqis they have sponsored have been implicated in acts of terrorism against Iraqi civilians. Assassinations are only one dimension of Iran’s interference in Iraq. Political manipulation manifests itself in the form of state produced broadcasts, Iraqi ballot fixing and hiring clerics to go to Iraq to preach Iran’s theology to Iraqis. |
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HUMINT: New Iran Policy?HUMINT: New Iran Policy? - 12 October 2006 - by humint The United States Government has finally formulated an Iran policy. Or so it would seem. The moves, in concert with global partners, are apparently geared to isolate the Iranian government economically while simultaneously preventing proliferation of WMD tech. Active in UAE observing Iran and with a Naval Operations scheduled for the Persian Gulf, directly aimed at preventing proliferation, the United States is poised to deal with Iran. Courting the Iranian people by relieving sanctions on aircraft components is probably the boldest move the US is making right now. The message is likely to be lost among the masters of propaganda in Tehran. Fortunately, average Iranians are savvy enough to decipher spin when they see it. Unfortunately, many Iranians still have trouble dissociating American political ambitions of global democracy from corporate America’s economic ambitions and their relation to the global petroleum market. It may take all the broadcasting skills of the BBC and their new Farsi Television Channel to set the record straight – assuming the BBC has such intent with its new channel. The new policy is long overdue. In the preceding months if not years the Iranian Government has shown it is either Incapable or unwilling to respond to US carrots or stick. Being that Tehran has been unresponsive, the US appears to have moved ahead with a policy that includes carrots for the Iranian people and sticks for the Iranian government. In this recent atmosphere of hot rhetoric and little official action, the Iranian Government has been making strides in neighboring Iraq. Iran’s Material and rhetorical support for the insurgency there is both directly and indirectly responsible for the lost lives of hundreds if not thousands of innocent Iraqi civilians. While the new policy appears to be taking shape in terms of actions on the ground, observers can only hope that the policy has clear goals and an effectual timeline. At this point, Iran’s nuclear program continues unabated. If progress isn’t made by the United States there should be little doubt that the next Iran Policy to manifest itself will be an Israeli, Iran Policy. Iran poses an existential threat to Israel and has threatened to wipe the small nation off the face of the map. Given the seriousness of the situation for Israel, Israel’s Iran Policy is unlikely to have the humanitarian dimension apparent in this new US, Iran Policy. In the coming months, observers should look to Iranian officials for a reaction. As the noose slowly and methodically tightens around their neck, Iran’s leadership will have to make a choice between capitulation and outright war with the United States and it partners. Let’s hope peaceful capitulation is the choice they make. Yes, it is possible, there is a first time for everything. Naval Interdiction Exercise Said Planned for Persian Gulf |
