You forgot this item: Dutch police have arrested two men of Iraqi ancestry on allegations they are members of a terrorist network, one of whom was allegedly involved in aiding the Iraqi resistance against US troops.

Full article

One in four captured foreign jihadis in Iraq are from sub-Saharan Africa.

As believable as Hollywood movies in which the Allies use black men to infiltrate Nazi occupied Europe.

(it also could be true but the situation of the US is than even worse than i believe)

So I did. Thanks.

I am inclined to say: of course the French paid a ransom for the release of Florence Aubenas. The kidnapping of lefty journalists sympathetic to the "resistance" and their release against cash is evidently becoming a major source of financing for the Baathist-Jihadi alliance in Iraq. The number being tossed around in connection with Aubenas is $15 million. I've written about it in “More Euros for Terror?” as well as a follow up here. There are also serious questions about Aubenas's Iraqi "guide" and supposed fellow hostage Hussein Hanoun, who evidently has connections to "insurgent" groups in Iraq. The man does not hide his sympathies. The AFP report you cite (AFP is owned by the French state and anything it publishes, especially on the the doings of the French government, should be taken with a substantial grain of salt) left out the following gem from Hussein Hanoun's interview with Le Monde: speaking of his own alleged captors, he says, “They were very, very nice to me during the whole time we were held captive. You understand: they are Islamist Iraqi patriots....” It is particularly interesting that Hanoun would say they were so "nice", since Aubenas claims that she was held in the same cellar as Hanoun and that when the guards once believed they were trying to talk, they got a beating. Is that "nice"?

#4 John Rosenthal

I wouldn't be even slightly surprised if the whole thing was staged. Thanks for the additional information.

Oh, would that it were true, our troops actually massing on the Syrian border, in preparation for a raid on "insurgent" camps.

And as far as the Saudis, and others, have concerns about us taking preemptive action against such enclaves, I'd tell them to go(in politically correct terms... ) pass water and make it flow up a stout cord of strands twisted together.

Just my $.02
DRK

Im willing to bet Iran is significantly farther along in their nuke program than we think. Why? The CIA estimates them at a couple of years out. No we all know that whatever the CIA thinks is catastrophically wrong, meaning that either Iran is many years away, or much less. Having been so wrong on Iraq in the one direction, symmetry strongly suggests they are radically underestimating Irans WMD program. Now I defy anyone to argue with that logic!

"Saudi police have shot and arrested a man acting suspiciously... "

But not necessarilly in that order.

"Read the whole goddamn thing - I put a lot of work in to it."

It takes time. I'm constantly amazed people can comment so much and so quickly. Of course some just talk without first having read the thread and looked at the information linked, but others obviously do read first, and think, and can chat our ears off. It can't be easy.

At the moment though: "Has the U.S.-Turkey strategic relationship come to an end?" Not till I hear a lot more than that.

David, I nearly posted a link about how Turkey was to be the guest of honour (and only non-Arab guest at that) at an Arab economic forum. There have been lots of snippets about Turkey increasing ties with the Arab world here and there. The strategic relationship may not be over, but I suspect it is heading in that direction.

Here's that link I was talking about previously: ARAB ECONOMIC FORUM - NON-ARAB TURKEY GUEST OF HONOUR.

Damn. Looks like the comments problem with the main page and long URLs is NOT fixed.

Anyway, take note of Turkey's footsie with Pakistan, as well.

Three arrested in Germany as well this week.

The three are accused of having provided money to Ansar al-Islam that they either raised or donated out of their own pockets, as well as providing other assistance such as courier services, prosecutors said.

Prosecutors said Kawa H. and Najat O. took orders from one of three alleged Ansar al-Islam members who were arrested in Germany in December on suspicions that they planned to attack then-Iraqi Prime Minister Ayad Allawi during a visit to Berlin.

3 Terror Suspects Arrested in Germany

>>Russian troops have killed a Chechen gunman

I'd like to point out a small factual error: according to news reports, the gunman who was killed in Makhachkala was not a Chechen, but a Dagestani, like the others who took part in the siege.