Category Archives: Iraq

No Way to Fight a War

posted by Christopher W. Holton

The left-wing Guardian in the UK has been focused on the so-called “air war” waged by the Royal Air Force in Syria and Iraq, with the emphasis being on accusing the RAF of covering up civilian casualties.

The Guardian essentially discounts the British official claim that RAF air strikes caused only one civilian casualty.

The RAF may be wrong. But to dispute the RAF claim the Guardian relies on “Airwars,” an NGO that in turn relies on local claims and reports in Syria and Iraq. Anyone who has served in the Middle East knows just how problematic it can be to get the truth out of locals…we’ll leave it at that.

Then there is “Airwars” itself. It’s staffed by a hodgepodge of leftists, mainly with journalism backgrounds. There is no mention among their staff of anyone with any military background at all, much less experience in bomb damage assessment.

The tragic and sad fact is that in war civilians die. That has always been the case and will probably always be the case. But focusing on the alleged mistakes of the side in this conflict that was clearly fighting on the side of human rights and civilization is misguided and clearly one-sided.

Why focus only on “air wars?” Isn’t it true that the Jihadists in Iraq and Syria have killed far more innocents than the coalition fighting them have? Why ignore those numbers? Is there a hidden agenda here?

A case can be made that air strikes inflicting heavy casualties on Jihadist terrorists actually prevent the barbarians from killing innocent civilians. Why isn’t that taken into account?

The forces of freedom have a distinct advantage over our Jihadist enemies in terms of air power. We should continue to exploit that advantage to minimize casualties to our side as well as to innocent civilians.

JIHAD ISN’T ALL ABOUT ISRAEL

By Christopher Holton

If you listen to some political pundits on both sides of the aisle, you might get the misimpression that Jihadists target America and America is viewed negatively in the Islamic world because of our support for Israel.

The problem with that line of thinking is that ignores some 1400 years of Islamic doctrine.

Each Jihadist terror organization around the globe has a specific goal in mind and that is the formation of an Islamic state ruled by Shariah.

This is very important to understand because this is a common goal of all the major Jihadist organizations across the world. It is shared by Al Qaeda, HAMAS, Lashkar e Taiba, Abu Sayyaf, Jemaah Islamiyah, Boko Haram, Al Shabaab and others and transcends any localized disagreements over borders and pure politics.

Israel could evaporate tomorrow and the overriding goal of the formation of Islamic states ruled by Shariah would not change a bit.

Those who blame Jihad on Israel need to ask themselves some important questions:

  • Did ISIS wage Jihad in Iraq and Syria to establish an Islamic state ruled by Shariah law because America supports Israel?
  • Did the Jihadist terrorist group Boko Haram in Nigeria kidnap 300 young girls this spring because America supports Israel?
  • Did the Taliban seize power in Afghanistan in 1996 to establish an Islamic state ruled by Shariah law because America supports Israel?
  • Did the Jihadist terrorist group Al Shabaab attack the Westgate shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenya, in September 2013, killing 67 innocent civilians, because America supports Israel?
  • Did the Jihadist terrorist group Lashkar e Taiba launch terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India in 2008, killing 154 innocent civilians because America supports Israel?
  • Did the Jihadist terrorist group Jemaah Islamiyah bomb resorts in Bali, Indonesia in October 2002, killing 202 innocent civilians because America supports Israel?
  • Did Chechen Jihadist terrorists massacre 334 people, mostly school children, in Beslan, Russia, because the US supports Israel?
  • Did Jihadist terrorists with the group Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) detonate a bomb in Marrakesh, Morroco in April 2011, killing 17 innocent civilians, because America supports Israel.

Of course, the answer to each and every one of these questions is no and the questions and answers prove a point. Jihad is truly global. Tragically, it is one of the most successful “exports” in the world over the past decade.

None of the regions mentioned above have a thing to do with Israel. Most don’t have anything to do with America.

The doctrine behind global jihad is over a thousand years old. In other words, the jihadist doctrine has been around far longer than America has even been in existence.

The Jihadists are not motivated only by our actions. They don’t just react to what we do. They have their own reasons for waging violent Jihad which have nothing to do with America, Israel or anything that you or I have any control over.

The quicker our politicians—both Democrat and Republican—gain a full understanding of this, the better.

Rest in Peace Peter Kassig

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Former Army Ranger Peter Kassig has been murdered by the barbaric savages of the Islamic State.

This unfortunate turn of events was certainly not a surprise. The Islamic State doesn’t release hostages. They behead them or crucify them, based on Islamic religious doctrine.

We have viewed the 16-minute propaganda video from the Islamic State. We will not link it here.

The video actually depicts an orchestrated mass beheading, not just the murder of Kassig.

One thing stood out in the video when we were looking at the twenty or so Jihadis doing the beheadings (see image below): There were many different ethnic groups represented.

Clearly, the Islamic State has gathered recruits from Muslims around the world.

This is something we already knew, but there are still many in the West who are in denial about the widespread support for and outright popularity of the Islamic State amongst the umma around the world.

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A late report here from The Muslim Issue blog: evidently, one of the Jihadis doing the beheadings was a former medical student from the UK. This is one of a succession of Muslim physicians or medical students who have committed acts of Jihad…

http://themuslimissue.wordpress.com/2014/11/16/british-medical-student-seen-beheading-syrian-soldier-on-latest-islamic-state-video-release/

 

You Can’t Outsource Our National Security

Excerpt and LINK from my guest article in The Hayride…

Putting off defeating the Islamic State militarily until we can stand up a force of anti-Assad rebels who are also interested in fighting fellow Muslims is a fool’s errand.

By declaring ahead of time to the enemy what his intentions are and, especially what he is NOT willing to do, President Obama has lost the initiative. Telling the world that you have ruled out American “boots on the ground,” tells the world that you either don’t take the threat from the Islamic State seriously or that you simply don’t have your heart in the fight to make the hard decisions that great leaders have always had to make throughout history to defend our republic and its people.

http://thehayride.com/2014/09/holton-you-cant-outsource-our-national-security/

 

HOLTON: The Enemy Knows We’re In A World War, But We Don’t

Excerpt and LINK from my guest article in The Hayride…

The Islamic State is not simply an Iraqi problem or a Syrian problem. IS has metastasized into a worldwide organization with 20,000 recruits from Iraq, Syria, Pakistan, Somalia, the U.S., Great Britain, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Austria, Spain, India, Malaysia, Indonesia and Germany. Even worse, Jihadists from Boko Haram in Nigeria, Abu Sayyef in the Philippines, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb in Northwest Africa and Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula from Yemen have all pledged allegiance to IS.

There can no longer be any doubt that the global Islamic insurgency that some have been warning about for some time, amounts to a world war. Nevertheless, policymakers here in the U.S. continue to ignore or deny this reality.

Over the period of a generation, the West has allowed itself to be thoroughly infiltrated by a savage and barbaric belief system. This is evidenced by the global base of recruitment that the Islamic State has been able to take advantage of and the numerous public displays of support for IS in the West.

http://thehayride.com/2014/08/holton-the-enemy-knows-were-in-a-world-war-but-we-dont/

 

 

Denial from the Obama Administration and the American Left on the Islamic State Threat

By Christopher Holton

Stupidity and cowardice is latent in the DNA of the American Left when it comes to the threat from Jihad.. In a recent article in The Hill, it is clear that the administration refuses to acknowledge the terror threat to the US posed by ISIS/ISIL/IS.This is part of a long-standing pattern of denial to make Obama appear triumphant, particularly since the death of Bin Laden, but also before. The denial of the Jihadi connections and intentions of the Fort Hood and Little Rock shooters are examples as well…

“We have said if there is a counterterrorism target that involves potential plotting against the United States, we always reserve the right to act,” said Ben Rhodes, deputy national security adviser for strategic communications, said on MSNBC on Friday. 

“That would be separate, though, from the two missions that the president authorized yesterday,” he said. 

If you’re having a tough time deciphering that statement by Ben Rhodes, you’re not alone.

At what point can we depend on our bureaucratized counter terror apparatus to warn us of a terrorism “plot” prompting us to “act?” After all, back in January, Obama himself dismissed this threat as the “jayvee.” One gets the impression from that incredible statement (which should echo in everyone’s ears for the remainder of Obama’s term) that the “intelligence community” whiffed yet again on getting a read on the threat from Jihad.

It is instructive to note that ISIS/ISIL/IS is still not listed among the US State Department’s designated Foreign Terrorist Organizations:

http://www.state.gov/j/ct/rls/other/des/123085.htm

Check out THIS quote from Rep. Jim McGovern (D-Mass.):

“When we bomb ISIS, which is a horrible group, we have to realize that we are heading down the path of choosing sides in an ancient religious and sectarian war inside Iraq,”

ISIS is already targeting Christians. They haven’t targeted Jews because there are no Jews to target–yet. America is a nation with predominantly Judeo-Christian values. ISIS has overtly threatened the US homeland. Does the moron McGovern think that we should not take seriously the threats from a Jihadist terrorist group that is already committing genocide?

When exactly would it be appropriate for the US to act? After 3000 Americans lay dead?

Moreover, McGovern demonstrates a profound ignorance of the ISIS/ISIL/IS organization. The organization is not made up chiefly of Iraqis trying to overthrow the Iraqi government. No, it is made up of Jihadis from around the world, including Westerners (US, UK, Spain, The Netherlands, France to name a few), Syrians, Turks (said to make up 10%), Iraqis, Saudis, Indonesians and, most recently, Filipinos.

This isn’t about a sectarian war inside Iraq. This is about a large Jihadist organization of global reach hell-bent for leather on committing genocide–and one that has expressly threatened the USA to boot.

We don’t need folks like McGovern in Congress in a time of war and, make no mistake about it, the war is still raging. Just because Obama wants to quit does’t mean the war will end.

It should also be pointed out that this same Left-wing crowd is the gang who are in a race to disarm America unilaterally–starting with the very troops needed to fight against organizations like ISIS/ISIL/IS–in an apparent effort to prevent us from being able to deal with threats overseas. (They have their useful idiots on the Right too, chiefly the Pauls and their fellow travelers.)

The country is not being run by responsible adults. The Obama regime is populated by amateurs from top to bottom and its most reliable allies in Congress refuse to recognize the severe threat to Western Civilization posed by ISIS/ISIL/IS. This will not end well…

http://thehill.com/policy/defense/214752-left-frets-over-mission-creep-in-iraq#ixzz39tojI1yr

 

Syrian Muslim Brotherhood Working Toward Same Goal As ISIS

There is a great deal of confusion about the role of the Muslim Brotherhood in the global jihadist insurgency.

The best way to describe the MB’s role is to say that it is the political wing of the insurgency and groups like ISIS, Al Qaeda, HAMAS and others are the military wing of that insurgency.

In terms of their goals, they are the same.

ISIS has established an Islamic state in parts of Iraq and Syria. Al Qaeda seeks to to the same globally and regionally (in the Arabian peninsula and the Maghreb for instance). HAMAS seeks to replace Israel with an Islamic state. It goes without saying that these Islamic states are to be ruled under Shariah.

The Muslim Brotherhood has the same goal: the establishment of Islamic states ruled by Shariah, culminating in the (impossible) dream of a worldwide caliphate.

If you want evidence of this, just view the recent screen capture from the Muslim Brotherhood’s official web site.

The main headline reflects that the MB seeks to overthrow the regime in Syria–the same goal as ISIS.

Further down, a smaller headline expresses support for Jihadists fighting the regime in Yemen.

 

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The ISIS Threat is Greater Than You Realize

ISIS has been allowed to metastasize. It is now operating in Iraq, Syria and Lebanon. There are reports it is operating in Libya. Aby Sayyaf in the Philippines has pledged allegiance to ISIS. ISIS has recruits from the US, the UK, Western Europe and just about every Islamic nation on the globe–some 20,000 fighters by some estimates. There have been demonstrations in support of ISIS in The Netherlands, Austria and Indonesia. ISIS leaders have promised to “see us in New York.”

Sooner or later, we will have to fight ISIS, whether we want to or not. We are squarely in their sights. The longer we wait, the more difficult the task will become. I have zero confidence that Obama will recognize these facts. He is in the process of hollowing out the US military precisely to prevent such operations, not just in his regime, but in future presidential administrations as well. We are in far deeper trouble than even most conservatives realize.

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Terror Alert Sign of Resurgent Al Qaeda

The terror alerts issued by the US State Department, Interpol and the foreign offices of Great Britain, France and Germany should worry Westerners very much.

US embassy in Sanaa, Yemen

US embassy in Sanaa, Yemen

 

If there is indeed specific information about a credible threat that closed down US embassies in 22 nations, grounded 6 international airline flights (so far) and resulted in the most serious global travel advisory put out by the US State Department in several years (covering an entire month) then it is an indication that Al Qaeda is not only NOT “on the run,” but is evidently more prolific than ever in terms of its reach.

Under such circumstances, it’s not a question of “if” Western targets will be struck again, but “when.”

We have been lied to about the magnitude and scope of the Jihadist terrorist threat. That is the unmistakable conclusion.

Some cynics and skeptics seem to think that the whole issue has been contrived by the Obama administration for political purposes, but this makes no sense at all.

Obama has repeatedly declared victory over Al Qaeda. He essentially declared that the killing of Osama Bin Laden placed the terrorist organization on the ropes and all but announced an end to the war on terror, complete with a re-orientation of the US military toward a significantly smaller force primarily focused on the Asia-Pacific region.

Moreover, his policy of drone strikes was supposed to have decimated Al Qaeda’s leadership structure.

Apparently none of what Obama told us was correct.

So for Obama now to use that same terrorist threat to improve his political fortunes makes no sense at all.

Think about it: So when Obama repeatedly says Al Qaeda is on the run and for all practical purposes defeated—-it’s regarded as propaganda for the masses. And then when the State Dept issues a global travel advisory and closes 22 embassies because of a threat from Al Qaeda, that’s also propaganda for those same masses?

It doesn’t add up.  I think Obama lied about Al Qaeda in the first place. It was in his best interests to remove a major national security threat from the public sphere and, with the aid of a compliant media, he successfully did so. But it was never anything more than words on paper and talk in pretty speeches.

Al Qaeda isn’t on the run. They aren’t defeated. And this terror alert, unfortunately, isn’t phony.

The alert coincides with the end of Ramadan, a holy month in Islam in which America has often restrained itself in fighting Islamic enemies, but during which Jihadists have actually escalated their attacks. The closure of the embassies comes on the Ramadan “Night of Power.” Without getting into obnoxious detail about Islamic doctrine, all you really need to know about the “Night of Power” is that it was the day on which the USS Cole was attacked in Aden harbor in Yemen in 2000. And this is the same week during which the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania in east Africa were bombed back in 1998.

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So, when intelligence emerges suggesting that US targets will come under attack at this time, it is something to take seriously, especially given the fact that Al Qaeda leader Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri released a statement in the past week instructing Al Qaeda’s followers to attack US targets now.

Perhaps the most significant evidence that this terror alert should be taken seriously comes from the fact that France, Germany and Great Britain have all shut their embassies in Yemen down as well and issued travel advisories to their citizens. Unless they’re in on some scheme to help Obama’s approval rating, my guess is there is a real threat out there.

German diplomatic post in Yemen

German diplomatic post in Yemen

Al Qaeda is real, folks. They’ve been real for decades now and they’re deadly. To assume otherwise is suicidal. To make matters worse, there is evidence to indicate that they are now as capable as they have been at any time since 1998.

Consider the fact that in the past month there have been large-scale prison breakouts in nine Islamic nations, including Iraq, Libya, Pakistan and Yemen. The timing and scale of these breakouts in which mostly Jihadi fighters made their escapes, is unprecedented. Interpol suspects Al Qaeda involvement and coordination and has issued an advisory to that effect. On 22 July, 500 Jihadis, including senior level Al Qaeda operatives, escaped from Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq. Five days later, on 27 July, 1100 inmates escaped from a prison near Benghazi, Libya. And four days after that, on 31 July, the Taliban led a breakout from a prison in Pakistan in which an unknown number of Jihadis escaped.

Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq

Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq

These operations were almost certainly orchestrated and coordinated, most probably with help from the inside in each country. This was a massive undertaking that demonstrates Al Qaeda’s military as well as political power in the Islamic world. With so many Jihadis back on the loose, Westerners better brace themselves.

 

 

 

 

Hostage Status Update from IntelCenter

 

James Foley, held hostage in Syria since November 2012 by an as yet unknown gunmen who captured him near the Turkish border

James Foley, held hostage in Syria since November 2012 by as yet unknown gunmen who captured him near the Turkish border

IntelCenter is an invaluable resource for information and updates on Jihadist terrorism. We highly recommend their services:

http://www.intelcenter.com/

Their latest email bulletin included this update on hostages held by Jihadist terrorists around the globe, in places like Yemen, Somalia, the Philippines, Nigeria, Syria, Mali, Afghanistan, Niger, Iran and Iraq. The overwhelming majority of hostages are Western; 8 are Americans:

• French national Tanguy Moulin-Fournier held hostage in Cameroon/Nigeria for 20 days
• French national Albane Moulin-Fournier held hostage in Cameroon/Nigeria for 20 days
• French Moulin-Fournier family uncle held hostage in Cameroon/Nigeria for 20 days
• French Moulin-Fournier Child, age 5, held hostage in Cameroon/Nigeria for 20 days
• French Moulin-Fournier Child, age 8, held hostage in Cameroon/Nigeria for 20 days
• French Moulin-Fournier Child, age 10, held hostage in Cameroon/Nigeria for 20 days
• French Moulin-Fournier Child, age 12, held hostage in Cameroon/Nigeria for 20 days
• Canadian Jernoc Wobert held hostage by ELN in Colombia for 1 month, 21 days
• Austrian national held hostage in Yemen for 2 months, 18 days
• Finnish female national held hostage in Yemen for 2 months, 18 days
• Finnish male national held hostage in Yemen for 2 months, 18 days
• French national Francis Collomp held hostage by Ansaru in Nigeria for 2 months, 20 days
• American journalist James Foley held hostage in Syria for 3 months, 17 days
• French national Alberto Rodriguez Leal held hostage by MUJAO in Mali for 3 months, 19 days
• Ukrainian journalist Anhar Kochneva held hostage by Abu Husayn Squadron in Syria for 4 months, 27 days
• American journalist Austin Tice held hostage in Syria for 6 months, 26 days
• Canadian Astrid Shel held hostage in Somalia by al-Shabaab for 8 months, 11 days
• Canadian Korat Sadazi held hostage in Somalia by al-Shabaab for 8 months, 11 days
• Filipino Glenn Costes held hostage in Somalia by al-Shabaab for 8 months, 11 days
• Norwegian Stephen Denis held hostage in Somalia by al-Shabaab for 8 months, 11 days
• Saudi diplomat Abdullah Mohammed Khalifa al-Khalidi held hostage by al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in Yemen for 11 months, 11 days
• German/American Michael Scott Moore held hostage in Somalia for 1 year, 1 month, 18 days
• Australian Warren Richard Rodwell held hostage by Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) in Philippines for 1 year, 3 months, 6 days
• Swedish national held hostage in Mali 1 year, 3 months, 14 days
• Dutch national held hostage in Mali 1 year, 3 months, 14 days
• British national held hostage in Mali 1 year, 3 months, 14 days
• French national Serge Lazarevic held hostage by al-Qaeda Maghreb (AQLIM) in Mali for 1 year, 3 months, 15 days
• French national Philippe Verdon held hostage by al-Qaeda Maghreb (AQLIM) in Mali for 1 year, 3 months, 15 days
• Spaniard Blanca Thiebaut held hostage by al-Shabaab in Somalia for 1 year, 4 months, 26 days
• Spaniard Montserrat Serra held hostage by al-Shabaab in Somalia for 1 year, 4 months, 26 days
• American aid worker Warren Weinstein held hostage by al-Qaeda in Pakistan for 1 year, 6 months, 26 days
• Canadian tourist Colin Rutherford held hostage by Taliban in Afghanistan for 2 years, 4 months, 7 days
• French national Marc Feret held hostage by al-Qaeda Maghreb (AQLIM) in Niger for 2 years, 5 months, 23 days
• French national Thierry Dole held hostage by al-Qaeda Maghreb (AQLIM) in Niger for 2 years, 5 months, 23 days
• French national Daniel Larribe held hostage by al-Qaeda Maghreb (AQLIM) in Niger for 2 years, 5 months, 23 days
• French national Pierre Legrand held hostage by al-Qaeda Maghreb (AQLIM) in Niger for 2 years, 5 months, 23 days
• American soldier Bowe Bergdahl held hostage by Taliban in Afghanistan for 3 years, 8 months, 11 days
• Brit Murray Watson held hostage by al-Shabaab in Somalia for 4 years, 11 months, 10 days
• American Robert Levinson held hostage in Iran for 6 years, 2 days
• German Sinan Krause held hostage by Arrows of Righteous Brigade in Iraq for 6 Years, 1 month, 5 days
• South African Johann Enslin held hostage in Iraq for 6 years, 3 months, 1 days
• South African Hardus Greef held hostage in Iraq for 6 years, 3 months, 1 days
• South African Callie Scheepers held hostage in Iraq for 6 years, 3 months, 1 days
• South African Andre Durant held hostage in Iraq for 6 years, 3 months, 1 days
• American Jeffrey Ake held hostage in Iraq for 7 years, 11 months
• American Dean Sadek held hostage by 1920 Revolution Brigades in Iraq for 8 years, 4 months, 9 days
• American Aban Abdel Malek Mahmoud Elias held hostage in Iraq for 8 years, 10 months, 8 days
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