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. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report today.
Today's Winds of War briefing is brought to you by Bill Roggio and evariste of Discarded Lies.
Top Topics
- Hardliner Ahmadinejad wins the Iranian election, making European raproachment less likely. Here is a tame profile - but Dan Darling notes Ahmadinejad's connections to Qods Force, which is currently protecting al-Qaeda's leadership in Iran (more below). Publius Pundit, meanwhile, notes the Iranian people basically boycotted this election.
- Iraq's Prime Minister puts the pressure on Syria to close the borders to prevent the flow of foreign jihadis into Iraq, and says relations with the US won't change even if there's a US conflict with Iran. So much for "Shi'ite election winners = Iranian allies" idea...
- In Afghanistan, its been a tough week of fighting and the Taliban isn't holding up so well. Well over 130 have been killed and senior commanders have been killed or captured.
- Joe notes that the war's critics have acted in bad faith at every step - ignore or attack them, he says, and press on to Victory - on both fronts of the war.
Other Topics Today Include:
Al Qaeda in Iran; Ahmadinejad wants nukes, not US; Zarqawi's #2 bagged; Ansar al Sunnah leader caught; Negotiations with insurgents?; Unsettling times in Gaza for Israelis; Hamas sez more killing!; Mugabe destroys, rebuilds; Terror in Kashmir; Burning in Bangladesh; Choppings in Thailand; Sri Lankan Peace overtures; CIA agents charged for renditions; and much more...
IRAN REPORTS
- More on Iran's sheltering of al Qaeda, and a follow up from Dan Darling noting that MSNBC article and going into more detail. Dan then draws some connections between the people involved and Iran's new President.
- Ahmadinejad: No need for US ties.
- Ahmadinejad: we need out nukes!!!
IRAQ AND THE GULF
- Syria is the foreign jihadi's conduit to Iraq.
- Suleiman Khalid Darwish, Zarqawi's second in comand and potential successor, has been bagged.
- Congressman Dennis Kucinich and the Iraqi insurgent leadership agree on a withdrawal plan.
- Rumsfeld admitted on a Sunday morning show that the US has been meeting Sunni insurgency leaders to convince them to lay down their arms, but denied that any negotiation was taking place with Zarqawi's organization.
THE MIDDLE EAST
- Is Israeli Policy in Disarray? Sure looks like it.
- A Hamas leader recommends more terror attacks against Israel.
- Israeli settles and troops spar during the destruction of homes in Gaza. An Israeli soldier refuses to follow orders to assist with the destruction of settlements.
- The EU believes Egypt can play a crucial role in Gaza.
AFRICA
- Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe says leveling homes of the poor is just fine. But now he instructs the Army to rebuild the homes? Make up your mind.
ASIA & AUSTRALIA
- Bill Gertz is sounding the alarm on China's military buildup; meanwhile, China is set to produce a new generation of trainer fighter jets.
- Nine Indian soldiers are murdered in a roadside bombing in Kashmir.
- Uzbekistan is up for grabs after restricting US flights in country.
- Is the US meeting with Uzbeki terrorists?
- Islamists torch a mosque in Bangladesh.
- More beheadings in Thailand.
- Taiwan to install missile defense radars.
EUROPE
- Western Islamists are heading to Iraq, according to European intelligence.
* Aquitted 9-11 suspect Abdelghani Mzoudi considers suing the German government for prosecuting him.
- Spain will send 500 additional soldiers to Afghanistan to provide security for the election.
- Turkey Warns the EU not to change the rules for entry into the organization.
THE GLOBAL WAR
- Dispatches from the Jihadi belt: the latest releases by al-Qaeda in Iraq and Saudi Arabia, and what they tell us about AQ's mindset and reorganization.
- JK: speaking of mindsets, longtime liberal POed poet is very displeased with the recent Gulag accusations et. al., and offers a poed poem on the subject of evil and the corruption of language.
- General Abazaid believes they have a decent handle on Zarqawi's locaton.
- Musharraf refutes US claims that Osama's location has been discovered.
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PA urges Hamas leadership to relocate to Gaza - Mashall accepts.
Surely the PA would want to keep such men far away, where they cannot disrupt the Peace Process ™?
There's been some, but not enough, hew and cry over Mugabe's leveling the homes of poor people. Yet, if he's planning to redevelop the property for a public purpose, wouldn't that be OK? Perhaps a nice golf course, or a shopping mall with a new Starbucks.