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.
The Thursday Winds of War briefing is compiled weekly by Colt of Eurabian Times and Steve Schippert (aka USMC_Vet) of The Word Unheard.
Top Topics
- On one hand, Syria 'angrily rejected' the U.N. Resolution that demanded full Syrian cooperation with the Hariri assassination investigation. Pure bluster. Assad knows Syria is next, from within or without, as much to further isolate Iran (the Crown Jewel of the Global War on Terror) as to eliminate Iran’s client-state co-sponsor of terrorism. Assad’s geopolitical clairvoyance is evidenced by What’s on the other hand…Syria has given 'full access' to the UN investigative team, according to Syrian Expatriates Minister Bouthaina Shaaban. Interesting that Syria decided to put a female face to those words. Gender is the only explanation of why the ‘Expatriates Minister’ is making such a statement. She added, "Syria wants to cooperate because Syria wants to know the truth and wants to know who killed Hariri." In other developments, bin Laden has announced that he will be cooperating with US President George W. Bush because "... al Qaeda wants to know the truth and wants to know who killed 3,000 and brought down the World Trade Center towers."
- Hamas’ Mushir Al Masri has declared the de facto truce with Israel over at year's end. Israel withdraws from Gaza, Qassam Brigades then launches rocket attacks on Israel from Gaza, Israel then liquidates a Qassam Brigades commander, Fayez Abu Al Qaraa. Yet, according to Masri, Israel “started a war” by killing the local Qassam Brigades leader. Sounds crazy, right? It’s not, because Al Masri’s boys have bigger problems as some Hamas prisoners are breaking ranks and joining al-Qaeda because Hamas apparently isn’t quite radical enough anymore. Masri’s statements have likely been fueled by the prisoners’ perceptions (among others’) more than any Israeli action. Foreign policy for domestic consumption...Hamas can ill-afford to lose membership to al Qaeda in the midst of an internal Palestinian power struggle. Anxiously awaiting the coming shootout at the (new) AQ Corral…
- A minibus VBIED blast at a Shiite mosque in Musayyib, Iraq has killed at least 23 Iraqis just ahead of prayers marking the end of the Ramadan fast. Over 60 have been wounded.
- Western Embassies in Iran may be in danger of being overrun and occupied. The concerns arise after an explosion in front of the British Airways and British Petrolium offices in Tehran. "Participants at a rally to celebrate the anniversary of the 1979 occupation of the American embassy in Tehran, received a warning without any reason a few hours before the rally, not to go near the British embassy nor other British interests in the country." The bombing was "a result of anti-Iranian stances taken by 'certain countries' according to a deputy minister".
- The Iran-al Qaeda Axis is the most pressing Iranian threat. If you read but one thing this week, make it this Cicero article on Iran.
Other Topics Today Include: Iranian TNT & Iraqi IEDs; $10k per Rocket Attack on Israel; The Butcher of Basra; Tears shed for Gitmo detainees; DoD plans for Saudi invasion revealed; Bloodshed follows Ethiopian elections; Paris riots, and much more...
THE MIDDLE EAST & IRAN
- Abu Mazen (Palestinian PM Mahmoud Abbas) sponsored a funds distribution ceremony organized by the Iran-funded Al-Ansar Charity Association. Over $1 Million from Iran has been tagged for the families of brave and heroic homicidal attackers of buses and pizzerias for the glory of Allah. Faith-based initiatives, Iranian style. Arafatistan can now check off ‘Group Pension Plan’ for their largest industry on the Palestinian Authority Economic Development Plan.
- Add to that the fact that Iran is paying Islamic Jihad $10k for each rocket attack on Israel, and it is clear that the Middle Eastern Terror Industry thrives. While al Qaeda stock prices are down slightly, the news of investors has Islamic Jihad trading at $26.17 per share at the closing bell, up 13% from last year’s high. Finally, Middle Eastern entrepreneurship is paying off.
- Filed under 'Born to Die': An Iranian children's cartoon promotes suicide bombings. (Video Clip)
- DoD is mulling invasion plans for Saudi Arabia in the event of a fundamentalist coup. It should be noted that a major part of the motivation to invade Iraq was Saudi non-cooperation (re: intelligence sharing) in the War on Terror. Message sent.
- The Syrian media glorified the terrorist suicide bombing attack in Hadera, Israel: "One of the young heroes [of Palestine] took his life in his hands and stormed a group of Israeli war-criminal occupiers in the settlement of Hadera . [ Note : The casualties of the attack were innocent civilian victims minding their own business in the market in Hadera. The Syrian media refer to all Israelis as "war criminals."] [The young hero] sent some to their graves and dozens of others to hover between life and death."
- Iraqi security safeguards take money (25%) from reconstruction projects. "Mr. Bowen, a former aide to President Bush, has dispatched 10 investigators across Iraq to monitor contract awards and construction sites. He concludes that workmanship is improving, but warns of fraud and kickbacks involving Iraqi oil money that could result in the U.S. Justice Department filing charges against U.S. citizens."
- There is a stark interview of Ali Ibrahim Al-Tikriti: The Butcher of Basra by Jamie Glazov. He speaks of the psychology of Saddam's inner circle, WMD's, Zarqawi and the prospects of democracy in Iraq.
AMERICAN DOMESTIC SECURITY & THE AMERICAS
- After 9/11, can the State Department really still be running a "Diversity Visa Lottery"? Yes.
- From WaPo/MSNBC: Gitmo suicide tries seen as sign of desperation. Are you, too, struck by the lack of a parallel media characterization of American prisoners in Pelican Bay or Rahway? In Rahway, of course, prisoners are guilt-ridden and trying to avoid trial...while the persecuted jihadis are sadly just 'desperate' to be unbound from their unfair incarceration. Seek weeping elsewhere.
- Chavez threatens to send U.S. F-16s to Cuba and China. The next battle in the Western Hemisphere has the drums beating.
- DHS is mulling relaxing the background checks for HazMat truckers.
- DHS Secretary Michael Chertoff vowed to "gain control" of U.S. borders. His boss, however, vows to create a new amnesty...errr...'Guest Worker' program along those same borders.
AFRICA
- Fresh off the Jihadi Presses: al-Jama'a, a Periodic Magazine Devoted to Issues of the Algerian Jihad by the Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC). Oh…and there's Jihad TV, too.
- A Congo-U.N. operation has killed 32 militiamen.
ASIA
- Brave and charitable jihadis shot at an American chopper delivering aid. Of course, Pakistan tried to explain it away as roadside repair blasting. The US commander said, "Our air crew is familiar with RPG fire." Naturally, the al-Reuters report managed to omit the American (common sense) response in their report. Concurrently, local jihadis are spearheading recruiting...errrr...relief efforts. Apparently they don't like competition in the compassion department.
- Bail for Jihadis? Not a good idea as a terror suspect (out on bail, of course) plans fresh attacks in the Philippines.
EUROPE
- Russian President Vladimir Putin won't seek a third term in 2008...but he may just appoint himself dictator after the election.
- A French official defended policies despite rioting in Bobigny resulting in the tear gassing of a mosque. Eurabia simmers... There's great coverage at Dawn's Early Light. More here on the seventh night of Paris violence.
- Iraq is a quagmire, Kosovo is messy? Now who would make such an absurd analogy? All the bunk that's fit to print...
- British transportation authorities look to find July bombings lessons learned. Apparently, something was already learned.
THE GLOBAL WAR
- Marine Special Operations Command (MarSOC) is now official and will be joining Navy SEALs, Army Special Forces and Air Force Special Tactics units at Special Operations Command (SOCom) after opting out of SOCom in 1986. Semper Fi!
- Jeff Jacoby gets it: The good news from Iraq is not fit to print. Thank you Jeff and thank you Boston Globe.
- The 'suitcase nuke' myth is challenged convincingly by Donald Sensing.
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I disagree with Donald Sensing's "debunking" a suitcase bomb. To begin with, I don't think that anyone knowledgeable believes that you can produce a atomic device that will fit into a airline carry-on bag. It merely means a small man-portable device. I believe that most think of something that can be smuggled across borders without the need of a shipping container on a semi. Certainly a modern SUV of the Bronco/Blazer type can carry such a device across the US/Mexico border. It is true that such a device has a finite shelf life before it will not deliver its rated explosive power, however even if it was a semi-dud, the physical damage would be immense and the propaganda value to the jihadi would be in the megatonnage range.