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
- The Battle of Fallujah is all but done. Your comprehensive briefing is here. The latest controversy involves a US Marine shooting an unarmed man in the head. A former Navy SEAL explains the possible motive here.
- There's a bumper pack of Dan Darling posts this week, looking at Iran's involvement in the Iraq insurgency and with al-Qaeda: One, two and three. Don't miss four tomorrow.
- A declassified US intelligence report from 1998 sheds more light on al-Qaeda. They cite Chechnya as a good location to establish themselves in because they believed it to be "unreachable by strikes from the West." It also highlights their intense interest in obtaining WMD, and stirring ethnic tensions to cause chaos.
Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; Domsetic briefing; Syria funds terror; Chechens in Pankisi; Russians take out Arab camp; Saudis release amnesty terrorists; Egypt releases 700 Islamists; Chadian rebels defect; breakthrough in Uzbek terror investigation.
IRAN REPORTS
- The political wing of the MEK says Iran recieved highly enriched uranium from AQ Khan. The MEK, while clearly partisan on this issue, have provided reliable intelligence on Iran's nuclear program before.
- Soon-to-finish SecState Colin Powell says that Iran is trying to adapt their missiles to carry nuclear warheads.
- Iran's deal with Europe, which would {snicker} halt Iranian uranium enrichment in exchange for European support for Iran is tottering.
- Iranian intelligence is reshuffled.
- Iran is getting chummy with China.
- Jack Straw compares an attack on Iran to 9/11. The next day, the Iranians announce they want more trade with the UK.
DOMESTIC SECURITY BRIEFINGS
- A Belgian Jew was gunned down in Antwerp. The police believe the motive was anti-Semitic - his money was not taken.
- The Dutch have expelled an Algerian man for being a threat to public safety.
- Dutch officials say that the network responsible for van Gogh's death maybe 1,000 strong.
- My favourite Spaniard, Judge Baltasar Garzon, has linked the van Gogh murder crew to the Casablanca bombings of 2003.
- A Spanish terror cell sent money to Daniel Pearl's killers, and to a man involved in the African embassy bombings.
- The British say they've thwarted a number of attacks.
THE WIDER WAR
- Syria is funding the Sunni insurgency in Iraq.
- Russia warns that Chechens are creating tension in the Pankisi Gorge.
- The Russians also say they've destroyed an Arab terrorist camp in Chechnya.
- The Saudis have released all terrorists who turned themselves in under the amnesty offered in June.
- Egypt, not to be outdone, released 700 members of al-Gama'a al-Islamiya.
- 150 Chadian rebels have defected.
- Kashmir news: more people killed.
- In Kazhakstan, a breakthrough in the investigation in to the terrorist campaign in Uzbekistan.
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* Russia warns that Chechens are creating tension in the Pankisi Gorge.
* The Russians also say they've destroyed an Arab terrorist camp in Chechnya.
It might be worth adding - even just as an aside - that the "warning" and "saying" are coming from the state-controlled Russian news service RIAN. Georgia, like Ukraine, is currently the target of a Russian government disinformation campaign.
Precisely 1 Arab terrorist was identified among the 32 hostage-takers at Beslan - which is probably also a reasonable indicator of the proportion of foreign to home-grown fighters in Chechnya.
See the interview with Russia's Deputy Prosecutor General, Nikolai Shepel, at: http://halldor2.blogspot.com/2004/11/trouble-at-top.html
Some reflections on the lessons of Fallujah, which I've learned by reading this blog and others like it, have been published by the American Spectator.