tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post116811188018319661..comments2024-03-28T06:32:24.557-04:00Comments on The Elephant Bar: Good News From a Bad WorldDeuce ☂http://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comBlogger22125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168138259382998272007-01-06T21:50:00.000-05:002007-01-06T21:50:00.000-05:00ppab says:"Piece in Our Time"ppab says:<BR/><BR/>"<I>Piece in Our Time</I>"Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16770268554450465514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168133172314711722007-01-06T20:26:00.000-05:002007-01-06T20:26:00.000-05:00Hope we have been successful in our dealings with ...Hope we have been successful in our dealings with Mara Salvatrucha and their middle eastern associates here in the U.S. Iran has their own surprises.<BR/><BR/>Egypt, Jordan, and Syria have given the green light (either take Iran out or watch a nuclear arms race in the Midle East).<BR/><BR/>Lebanon and Gaza - perhaps we will turn our enemies one against the otherElijahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09180395617090150228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168131925095688852007-01-06T20:05:00.000-05:002007-01-06T20:05:00.000-05:00Hope I can get a piece in time for the sorties.......Hope I can get a piece in time for the sorties....Martian Baristahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06289251598469195052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168130036549029042007-01-06T19:33:00.001-05:002007-01-06T19:33:00.001-05:00What kind of news is thisIf things go according to...What kind of news is <A HREF="http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2535177,00.html" REL="nofollow">this</A><BR/><BR/><I>If things go according to plan, a pilot will first launch a conventional laser-guided bomb to blow a shaft down through the layers of hardened concrete. Other pilots will then be ready to drop low-yield one kiloton nuclear weapons into the hole. The theory is that they will explode deep underground, both destroying the bunker and limiting the radioactive fallout.</I>Martian Baristahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06289251598469195052noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168130017766753672007-01-06T19:33:00.000-05:002007-01-06T19:33:00.000-05:00I nearly said, "Hell hath no Fury like a woman sco...I nearly said, "Hell hath no Fury like a woman scorned", but I thought it unnecessarily cruel.allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01798524644256471907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168129927770068342007-01-06T19:32:00.000-05:002007-01-06T19:32:00.000-05:00doug & DR,Soon he, skipsailing, and assistant vill...doug & DR,<BR/><BR/>Soon he, skipsailing, and assistant village idiot will be breaking out the pitchforks and building the pyre. Disappointed fanatics are dangerous - garbage in, garbage out.allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01798524644256471907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168129411862347652007-01-06T19:23:00.000-05:002007-01-06T19:23:00.000-05:00My o my.The Master of all Plans has lost faith?My o my.<BR/><BR/>The Master of all Plans has lost faith?desert rathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02369546288659566961noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168129255313281832007-01-06T19:20:00.000-05:002007-01-06T19:20:00.000-05:00Swerving back toward reality,Aristides said:"One h...Swerving back toward reality,<BR/>Aristides said:<BR/><BR/>"<I>One hopes that the Administration has been quietly and steadily building a rock-solid case against Iran, and that any time now it will unleash its accusations with such righteousness and in such number as to bring the issue to a head. Bush-as-pulsar and all that.<BR/><BR/>I think it would work. I just don't have any faith anymore that it will happen. <BR/></I>"Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16770268554450465514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168127661355558322007-01-06T18:54:00.000-05:002007-01-06T18:54:00.000-05:00Thanks elijah.Thanks elijah.Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168123358182135702007-01-06T17:42:00.000-05:002007-01-06T17:42:00.000-05:002164th,If I recall correctly, the information came...2164th,<BR/><BR/>If I recall correctly, the information came from The Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) website, a document titled - Iran: If Diplomacy Fails.Elijahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09180395617090150228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168123224359907152007-01-06T17:40:00.000-05:002007-01-06T17:40:00.000-05:00Is Egypt seeking a nuclear bomb?By Ynetnews Janua...Is Egypt seeking a nuclear bomb?<BR/>By Ynetnews January 5, 2007<BR/> <BR/> <BR/>Is Egypt declaring its intentions to develop nuclear weapons? Thus it appeared in a speech delivered by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak Thursday on the occasion of meeting with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert in Sharm e-Sheikh. <BR/><BR/>"We don't want nuclear weapons," Mubarak stated, "But since they appear highly present in the area, we must defend ourselves." <BR/><BR/>Recently Egypt announced that it was striving to attain nuclear capabilities. President Mubarak himself, as well as his son Jamal, were questioned on the issue and declared that their nation needed nuclear energy for peaceful purposes, and Egypt's nuclear program would be aimed at overcoming the deficiency in fuel and natural gas reserves. <BR/><BR/>However, now it appears that if Iran develops nuclear power, Egypt will no longer be satisfied with devoting its nuclear resources to peaceful purposes alone. <A HREF="http://web.israelinsider.com/Articles/Security/10244.htm" REL="nofollow"> link</A>Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168122136600233822007-01-06T17:22:00.000-05:002007-01-06T17:22:00.000-05:00Elijah, where did you get all that information?Elijah, where did you get all that information?Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168120117677574312007-01-06T16:48:00.000-05:002007-01-06T16:48:00.000-05:00elijah,Some commenters here and at the BC would ar...elijah,<BR/><BR/>Some commenters here and at the BC would argue that the "brawn" can function in the absence of the "brain". They are also people who would argue that anyone can manage GE.allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01798524644256471907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168120064747471902007-01-06T16:47:00.000-05:002007-01-06T16:47:00.000-05:00I do not believe in coincidences, more likely syte...I do not believe in coincidences, more likely sytematic interruption of Iranian command and control to disrupt the ability to plan operations and conduct them.<BR/><BR/>Maliki is playing a dangerous game as he will soon have to pick sides. <BR/><BR/>Why the troop surge now; to deal with Iran in Iraq? (Warning this is going to be a long post, sorry to those of you not interested.<BR/><BR/>Iran is entrenhed in Iraq. The first way is through the activities of the al-Quds Forces, the special command division of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard (IRGC). The second approach is by funding and arming Shi’ite militias, the most prominent of which is the SCIRI’s 25,000-strong armed wing, the Badr Organization of Reconstruction and Development. Senior members of the Badr Org. and the al-Quds Forces have a closely coordinated relationship. Intelligence reports have indicated that Iranian<BR/>officers are directing operations under cover in units of the Badr Organization. The Mahdi Army also<BR/>receives important Iranian assistance, but on a much smaller scale. The IRGC Commander is General Yahya Rahim-Safavi and the Deputy Commander is General<BR/>Mohammad Bager Zulgadr. The al-Quds Forces Commander is General Qassem Soleimani. Generals<BR/>Zulgadr and Soleimani are two most senior officers responsible for Iran’s large covert program in Iraq and have a direct link to the Office of the Leader. Additionally, intelligence estimates have identified four other IRGC generals and nine IRGC colonels that are directly responsible for covert operations in Iraq. The al-Quds Forces mainly function as a large intelligence operation skilled in the art of unconventional warfare. Current intelligence estimates puts the strength of the force at 5,000. Most of these are highly<BR/>trained officers. Within the al-Quds Forces, there is a small unit usually referred to as the “Special Quds<BR/>Force” which consists of the finest case officers and operatives. The senior officers attached to this unit conduct foreign covert unconventional operations using various<BR/>foreign national movements as proxies. The forces operate mainly outside Iranian territory, but maintain numerous training bases inside Iran as well. Al-Quds international operations are divided into geographic<BR/>areas of influence and various corps. The most important and largest cover Iraq, Saudi Arabia (and the Arabian Peninsula), and Syria / Lebanon. The smaller corps cover Afghanistan, Pakistan/India, Turkey, the Muslim Republics of the former Soviet Union, Europe / North America, and North Africa (Egypt, Tunisia,Algeria, Sudan, and Morocco). The goal of Iran is to infiltrate all Iraq-based militias by providing training and support to their members.<BR/>For example, al-Sadr’s estimated 10,000-strong Mahdi Army, which gets logistical and financial support from al-Quds, also receives training in IRCG camps in Iran. Moreover, nearly all of the troops in the Badr Org. were trained in these camps as well. In addition, most senior officers acquired their skills in<BR/>specialized camps under the control of the al-Quds Forces. Intelligence estimates that al-Quds currently operates six major training facilities in Iran, with the main facility located adjacent to Imam Ali University in Northern Tehran. The other most important training camps are located in the Qom, Tabriz, and Mashhad<BR/>governorates. There are also two similar facilities operating on the Syrian-Lebanese border.<BR/>According to a senior general in the Iraqi Defense Ministry and a critic of Iran, the Iranians have set up the most sophisticated intelligence-gathering network in the country, to the extent that they have infiltrated<BR/>“every major Iraqi ministry and security service.” There is also an intelligence directorate that has been set up within the Revolutionary Guard that is under the command of the al-Quds Forces devoted exclusively to<BR/>monitoring the movements of US and Allied forces in Iraq. Many members of the newly created police and Iraqi forces are controlled by Shi’ite officers who, in some form or another, previously belonged to SCIRI or other groups affiliated with Iran. Recent intelligence indicates that IRGC officers are currently operating in Iraq in certain Shi’ite militias and actual army and police units. The degree of penetration of these organizations is difficult to assess, and it is virtually impossible to distinguish between Iraqi Shi’ite militias and police units, both of which are profoundly influenced by Iran, and in some cases are under Iranian control. Iranian manipulation has filtered down to street level as well. Ordinary police and military officers now<BR/>have a stronger allegiance to the Badr Organization or the Mahdi Army than to their own units. And of course, these organizations are deeply connected to Iran. According to the head of intelligence of an allied<BR/>country that borders Iraq, “the Iranians have not just pulled off an infiltration, in certain regions in Baghdad and Basra, it’s been a complete takeover.”Elijahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09180395617090150228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168120019579037942007-01-06T16:46:00.000-05:002007-01-06T16:46:00.000-05:00rufus,With not too much effort, we could dream up ...rufus,<BR/><BR/>With not too much effort, we could dream up some unfortunate accident overtaking Mr. alSadr. So, yeah, it is the fault of the US.<BR/><BR/>It would be heartbreaking if both Mr. Maliki and Mr. alSadr came to bad ends, in a natural sort of way, of course.<BR/><BR/>;-)allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01798524644256471907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168118565033090832007-01-06T16:22:00.000-05:002007-01-06T16:22:00.000-05:00rufus said... Is Maliki getting religion, or just ...rufus said... <BR/>Is Maliki getting religion, or just "gaming" us, some more? <BR/><BR/><BR/>Is alSadr STILL alive?allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01798524644256471907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168117911316868272007-01-06T16:11:00.000-05:002007-01-06T16:11:00.000-05:00Gafney or Hewitt speculated it might be inside stu...Gafney or Hewitt speculated it might be inside stuff related to coming deaths/successions of leadership.Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16770268554450465514noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168116108266633192007-01-06T15:41:00.000-05:002007-01-06T15:41:00.000-05:00elijah, that is very interesting. is this a coinci...elijah, that is very interesting. is this a coincidence?Deuce ☂https://www.blogger.com/profile/13472858446242700869noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168115519799347642007-01-06T15:31:00.000-05:002007-01-06T15:31:00.000-05:00On topic, more good news... Almost exactly a year...On topic, more good news... <BR/><BR/>Almost exactly a year ago today. A small Falcon jet - favored by top Iranian military officers - crashed in northwest Iran near the Turkish border. Among those killed were Brig.-Gen. Ahmad Kazemi, commander of the elite Revolutionary Guard ground forces division, and at least 12 other officers. Kazemi had been responsible for the production and development of Iran's Shihab ballistic missile series, capable of delivering a nuclear warhead into the heart of Europe, not to mention Israel. <BR/><BR/>Since last January's crash, air travel for Iranian military officials has become increasingly dangerous. On November 27, a military transport plane crashed just after take-off from Teheran. More than 40 people were killed including 30 members of the Revolutionary Guard, some of them reported to be close advisers to President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. A week before, a helicopter crashed into the central town of Najafabad, killing six, including a senior Revolutionary Guard officer. <BR/><BR/>The combined effect of these crashes has diminished the high command of the Revolutionary Guard.Elijahhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09180395617090150228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168115434215091972007-01-06T15:30:00.000-05:002007-01-06T15:30:00.000-05:00How would these RoE work in Iraq?“‘They have dug h...How would these RoE work in Iraq?<BR/><BR/>“‘They have dug huge trenches around Ras Kamboni but have only two options: to drown in the sea or to fight and die,’ reported Colonel Barre "Hirale" Aden Shire, the Somali Defence Minister, who said that Ethiopian aircraft would be used in the attack.”<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://wizbangblog.com" REL="nofollow"/><BR/><BR/>The options of surrender, arrest, and catch & release are missing.allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01798524644256471907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168114632151577022007-01-06T15:17:00.000-05:002007-01-06T15:17:00.000-05:00whit,That divorce must have really hurt. I have no...whit,<BR/><BR/>That divorce must have really hurt. I have noticed his use of the blogosphere as a theraputic venting mechanism.allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01798524644256471907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21297199.post-1168112677887206512007-01-06T14:44:00.000-05:002007-01-06T14:44:00.000-05:00In a crazy world, I point out to readers of the EB...In a crazy world, I point out to readers of the EB and BC that "skipsailing" has gone off the deep end.<BR/><BR/><A HREF="http://tigerhawk.blogspot.com/2007/01/regarding-bringing-war-to-close.html" REL="nofollow">Comments</A>allenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01798524644256471907noreply@blogger.com