Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Thursday's Winds of War briefings are given by me, Colt, of Eurabian Times.
TOP TOPICS
- Outside Iraq, but Deep in the Fight. A long and fascinating look at the trails of jihad leading to Iraq from Syria. Bill Roggio chimes in with The Syrian End of the Ratline
- The Pentagon is looking to kill off the mid-level A-Q terrorists who enable the top-tier to function.
Other Topics Today Include: A-Q living in Iran; Iran to work with IAEA; Hezbollah does well; IDF wants to fight Hamas; Hamas willing to talk; PIJ test rockets in Judea and Samaria; poisoned melons; Sunni terrorists may disarm; Kurd president favours Israel ties; Saudi preacher changes tune; bloody-chainsaw man allowed to enter U.S.; father-son A-Q pair arrested in CA; al-Arian's lawyers deny everything; HRW worried for al-Libbi; Dutch nab two Iraqi 'resistors'; Zapatero says ETA talks will end terror; CSM picks up 3/11 weirdness; Uzbek jihadis threaten U.S.; Taliban finished as battle force; OIC says Thai terror not religious; GSPC claims attack; and much more besides.
IRAN
- A must read: What ails Iranians? Via Regime Change Iran, link from Joe Katzman.
- Hasan Rowhani, head of the Supreme National Security Council, says Iran has deported some 500 al-Qaeda terrorists.
- Hmm. Well, intelligence seems to indicate that many al-Qaeda members are living in Iran.
- Nuke news? Okay. Iran will continue co-operating with the IAEA.
- Sort of related, the U.S. has dropped the campaign against ElBaradei.
- Rafsanjani has warned against a low-voter turnout in the upcoming 'elections'. U.S. plots, instability, that sort of thing.
THE MIDDLE EAST
- The Hezbollah coalition won all 23 seats in the South Lebanon elections, running on a platform of continuing to kill Jews. Christian turnout was low. A Daily Star editorial comments, the discrepancy between Christian and Muslim voting rates contrasts with the concept of national unity.
- In the wake of a fatal terrorist missile strike in Gaza, I ponder the problems facing the Israelis in hunting down Qassam missile crews.
- The tunnel leading in to Gush Katif, blocked by the PLO police? They did it because the IDF were going to do it.
- Hamas says they are willing to talk to the U.S. and Europe, amidst reports that the U.S. stance on Hamas has softened.
IRAQ AND THE GULF
- The always-interesting Carnival of the Liberated is up. The Six-Day War, the complicated insurgency, the federal system and more.
- Suspected al-Qaeda terrorists have poisoned U.S. soldiers with a cyanide-injected melon.
- Two major Sunni Iraqi terror gangs, including the hostage-murdering Islamic Army of Iraq, may lay down their arms.
- Bill has another good post up: Progressing in Iraq.
- The president of Iraq's Kurdistan province says he has no problems with establishing relations with Israel, and requested the Israelis set up a consulate in Erbil when they open an embassy in Baghdad.
- A Saudi preacher who has personally financed the expeditions of jihadis to Iraq now says that Saudis should not go.
THE AMERICAS
- An American citizen carrying a blood-stained chainsaw, amongst other weapons, was allowed in to the United States after being fingerprinted. He has been arrested on suspicion of carrying out a gruesome double-murder in Canada.
- Proposals in a new bill proposed the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence would give the CIA more power to act overseas.
- A father and son have been arrested in California, after the son admitted that both men had attened A-Q camps in Pakistan to learn 'how to kill Americans'.
- Gangs and guerillas versus the state - interesting stuff.
- Al-Arian's lawyers say the suspects have no ties to terrorism, and have perfectly innocent explanations for their rather interesting comments recorded by investigators
- A man has been arrested for possession of ricin - it doesn't sound terrorism-related.
- A Canadian teenager who hates Americans has been arrested for trying to blow up his school (in America).
EUROPE
- Mohammed B., the killer of Theo van Gogh, kidnapped his younger sister for 'dishonouring the family'.
- Dutch authorities have arrested two men of Iraqi origin for involvement in the 'resistance' in Iraq.
- Zapatero says that dialogue with ETA will mean they will end their terrorism 'forever'.
- Danish doormen are arming themselves with handguns to defend themselves against violent immigrant gangs.
- Yet another weird link between the 3/11 terrorists and other well-connected persons.
- The Christian Science Monitor is picking up the story about the events surrounding 3/11. I've been following this pretty closely, starting with a guy named Fernando Huarte. Every story I've posted on Winds of War about this, plus several more, can be viewed here: 3/11 questions. Be sure to check Barce-Pundit, too.
ASIA & AUSTRALASIA
- U.S. and Filipino troops are conducting joint exercises.
- You'll be shocked to learn that the Organization of the Islamic Conference has concluded that the jihadist violence in southern Thailand is not religiously motivated.
AFRICA
- Internecine fighting between the two main Darfur rebel groups has claimed 11 groups. The two groups have issued an apology.
'OTHER'
- Bioterrorism and biodefence - cheerful reading.
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"Oh, so, like, you immigration guys noticed the goalie mask, eh? Oh yah, lots of good Canadians wear them. It's, like our protest at the hockey strike.
Uh, the chainsaw... well, y'know, the last thing we want up thar in Canda is to have those trees fall on our igloos, eh? Every have a tree fall on your igloo? Well, no wonder you don't carry a chainsaw! And don't even get me started about your beer...."
LOL! I still can't get my head around it (poor choice of words, in the context).