The Daughters Of Iraq

May Allah keep them safe and strong.

http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=3e4_1214287912

(Cross-posted at SnappedShot.com)

A Lost Cause

Personally, in response to 9/11, I think every country that sponsors Islamic terrorism should have been turned into a sheet of glass. I know many innocent people would have died in the process, but long term, it would have saved many more innocent lives. That is the same reasoning used in the bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. It brought a savage, unrepentant enemy to its knees and prevented a prolonged war which would have ultimately resulted in many more casualties.

The modern day Western idea of warfare seems to be to turn an enemy into a friend. Theoretically, that is a grand idea. Realistically, it is impossible when applied to a certain enemy. People whose entire existential ideology rejects democracy and human rights cannot change. People who abhor the freedom Americans take for granted do not want to be free. And people who would rather rejoice in the death of free people will never embrace them as friends.

There is a limit to kindness and compassion and democracy. You cannot force it on people who don't want it. The Iraqi war has become a lost cause - not because we are unwilling to fight for the oppressed, but because some people simply do not want to be free.

Actor Omar Sharif tried to explain this to George Bush. Apparently Bush was unable to comprehend an entire population who would rather remain slaves than to enjoy democracy:

Sharif said that he spoke with President Bush before the beginning of the Iraq War and told him that Arab nations are made up of sects resistant to becoming democratized.

"I said to Bush, even before he entered Iraq: Forget about all that. We, the Arabs... We are not like [regular countries]," said Sharif. "You will drown there.

After being asked what Bush's response was, the actor stated: "He didn't believe me."

(Cross-posted at SnappedShot.com)

America Imprisoning Children In Iraq

It seems the U.S. is once again rearing its ugly, racist, fascist head by refusing to allow insurgents to recruit young boys for Jihad duty in Iraq:

A total of 2,500 youths under the age of 18 have been detained, almost all in Iraq, for periods up to a year or more in President George W. Bush's anti-terrorism campaign since 2002, the United States reported last week to the U.N.'s Committee on the Rights of the Child.

Civil liberties groups such as the International Justice Network and the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) denounced the detentions as abhorrent, and a violation of U.S. treaty obligations.

But, I suppose, leaving these brainwashed hellions on the battlefields to be killed or used as human shields wouldn't be "abhorrent"... It is much more humane, in the ACLU's opinion, to allow these youngsters to die as martyrs than to find themselves detained in an American detainment camp with 3 squares and a clean bed the Great Satan's prisons of doom and torture.

In the periodic report to the United Nations on U.S. compliance with the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the United States confirmed that "As of April 2008, the United States held about 500 juveniles in Iraq."

"The juveniles that the United States has detained have been captured engaging in anti-coalition activity, such as planting Improvised Explosive Devices, operating as lookouts for insurgents, or actively engaged in fighting against U.S. and Coalition forces," the U.S. report said.

Oh, the shame of being an American these days. Denying these poor young sheep their right to a gruesome and unnecessary martyr's death, and in doing so, denying them their 373,248 virgins in paradise...

Women In Iraq Step Up To Defend Their Country

Some good news the mainstream media won't report:

YUSUFIYAH, Iraq — Entisar Yossif Yaqub’s closest brush with the terror that has paralyzed Iraq came a year ago.

She and her husband were on the road when a car full of masked men forced them to pull over. The couple were forced to get into the car with their armed kidnappers, driven to a house and questioned for three hours while blindfolded.

The men accused them of being members of the al-Qaida terror group, and when her blindfold was removed, she saw a long knife sitting on a table next to the Quran.

Their kidnappers eventually let Yaqub and her husband go. But she was furious.

“I want to fight them,” Yaqub said Thursday through a translator. “These people can attack civilians and cause trouble for them. I want to fight back against them.”

That’s why, when the Iraqi army and American soldiers offered her a chance to do something to keep her town safe, she grabbed the chance.

Now — under the guidance of five women soldiers from Fort Bragg — she is learning to supervise the first unit of the Daughters of Iraq.

It’s a program with several aims. One is to provide a force that can work with Iraqi soldiers and police at checkpoints — a force that can search other women without offense in a culture with strong taboos about men touching women. Another is to provide opportunities for women who need the money. And, at least for the American soldiers providing guidance to the Daughters of Iraq, this is a chance to show that Iraqi women can do more than their traditional roles.

Hudna Cleric Tests Old Tactics

Ever hear of the term "hudna"? It is an Islamic term. Muslim terrorists often call for a truce, or "hudna," when their enemies start to get the best of them in battle. Often, it is misinterpreted as a "peace" offering.

In the long run, many more people will die from hudna. The terrorists wreak havoc and destroy lives until weapons and supplies are diminished. They call for a temporary truce to 'negotiate peace.' Once the terrorists have re-armed themselves, they call off the truce or invent some asinine reason to accuse their opponent of 'violating' the truce. This pattern is repeated over and over again.

Ignorantly, the West and its allies in this war against terrorists are too happy to accept "hudna" over and over again:

The Iraqi government has welcomed an order by Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr to pull his fighters off the streets.

Government spokesman Ali al-Dabbagh told Iraqi state TV in an interview that the decision is "positive and responsive."

Fool us once, shame on you. Fool us hundreds of times, we deserve what we get.

Shiites & Sunni Muslims Agree To Both Hate Kurdish Muslims

The enemy of my enemy is my friend, but in the case of Islam, just hate everyone.

Iraqi lawmakers across a wide political spectrum chastised what they claim is overreaching by the Kurdish north, issuing a declaration Sunday opposing the self-ruled region's foreign oil deals and its ambitions in the disputed city of Kirkuk.

The declaration avoided mentioning the Kurdish government by name, but could create a new source of tension between Sunni Arab, Shiite and Kurdish groups, especially because a major Shiite party is now lobbying for the creation in southern Iraq of a self-ruled region modeled after the Kurdish one.

...

An unlikely mix of Shiite religious parties and Sunni Arab groups signed on to Sunday's declaration. Among the Shiites, they included supporters of radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr and a faction of Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's Dawa party. Among the Sunnis were one of the three parties that make up the Iraqi Accordance Front, parliament's largest Sunni Arab bloc with 44 of the house's 275 seats.

http://news.yahoo.com

Hope Rides Alone

(Hat Tip: AFLACK)

Some last words of a soldier who died in Iraq. SGT. Edmund John Jeffers wrote this article as an appeal for support for our brave troops who daily face the destructiveness and devastations of war.

Excerpt from "Hope Rides Alone":

The enemy slinks in the shadows and fights a coward's war against us. It is effective though, as many men and women have died since the start of this war. And the memory of their service to America is tainted by the inconsiderate remarks on our nation's news outlets. And every day, the enemy changes... only now, the enemy is becoming something new. The enemy is transitioning from the Muslim extremists to Americans. The enemy is becoming the very people whom we defend with our lives. And they do not realize it. But in denouncing our actions, denouncing our leaders, denouncing the war we live and fight, they are isolating the military from society...and they are becoming our enemy.

Read the entire letter at This War and Me: In Honor of Sgt. Jeffers.

Midday Prayer Call Disregarded To Celebrate New Iraqi Cardinal

Gateway Pundit is reporting an incredible development in Iraq. Covering the Papal ceremony, which was carried on live television, Al-Iraqiyya TV skipped broadcasting the Muslim midday call to prayer in order to keep transmitting.

No progress in Iraq? This is proof enough for me that there is progress being made. From The Talisman Gate via Gateway Pundit:

Al-Iraqiyya TV’s caption for the event was ‘The Symbols of Iraq’ and at one point the camera focused on a man in the audience holding up the Iraqi flag just as Cardinal Delli was named.

It was a very moving ceremony, and it was especially refreshing to find Iraq’s official media highlighting the event and describing the Chaldean patriarch as a national ‘symbol’. The channel even skipped the Muslim midday call to prayer in order to keep transmitting the proceedings, which were conducted in Latin but were translated into Arabic by a presenter.

A Sign of Hope

Thank you, Michael Yon! This is something we won't see in the mainstream media:

Thanks and Praise: I photographed men and women, both Christians and Muslims, placing a cross atop the St. John’s Church in Baghdad. They had taken the cross from storage and a man washed it before carrying it up to the dome.

A Muslim man had invited the American soldiers from “Chosen” Company 2-12 Cavalry to the church, where I videotaped as Muslims and Christians worked and rejoiced at the reopening of St John’s, an occasion all viewed as a sign of hope.

The Iraqis asked me to convey a message of thanks to the American people. ” Thank you, thank you,” the people were saying. One man said, “Thank you for peace.” Another man, a Muslim, said “All the people, all the people in Iraq, Muslim and Christian, is brother.” The men and women were holding bells, and for the first time in memory freedom rang over the ravaged land between two rivers.

Michael Yon - Thanks and Praise

News The Mainstream Media Won't Report

All the news the mainstream media refuses to report about the war in Iraq.

Did you hear about the Iraqi citizen tip that led to the discovery of a HUGE cache of weapons on October 29th? Do you know what "kurat il-qadam" means? Did you know Iraqi women are now volunteering for the security forces? That schools are opening again? That once fearful children now happily play when U.S. Troops are near?

You'd know all these things, and much more if you stopped by the 1st Cavalry website. There are audio reports direct from Baghdad, daily newpapers and weekly roundups (both on downloadable pdfs), pictures, videos and slideshows - all from our brave Troops in the field.

Garryowen!

1st Cavalry Division News

U.S. Diplomats Refuse Iraqi Tour: "Potential Death Sentence"

What a fine message to send our troops...

WASHINGTON -- Hundreds of U.S. diplomats Wednesday vented anger and frustration over the State Department's decision to force Foreign Service officers to take jobs in Iraq, with some calling it a "potential death sentence."

In a contentious hourlong meeting, they peppered officials with often hostile comments about the move announced last week that will require some diplomats -- under threat of dismissal -- to serve at the embassy in Baghdad and in reconstruction teams in outlying provinces.

Many expressed serious concern about the ethics of sending diplomats against their will to work in a war zone -- where the embassy staff is largely confined to Baghdad's protected Green Zone -- as the department reviews use of private security guards to protect its staff.

L.A. Times

Personally, I think every member of Congress should be ordered to tour Iraq. Maybe if they could see the limitations they have placed on our troops, the Rules of Engagement would be changed to give our guys a better advantage.

Hudna Cleric Angered By U.S. Attacks on Terrorists

Hudna = A false truce or cease-fire. Muhammad used this tactic to rearm before attacking an enemy. Hudna is frequently used by Islamic military forces. Commonly seen being used by Hizbollah and Hamas against Israel.

Another false cease-fire threatened by Infidels capturing and killing Muslim terrorists. This is true Islam. "We can attack you for being non-Muslim, but if you dare to fight back or defend yourselves, we will be forced to attack even more!"

BAGHDAD — Radical Shiite cleric Muqtada Al-Sadr could end a ban on his militia's activities because of rising anger over U.S. and Iraqi raids against his followers, an aide said Friday amid concerns about rising violence and clashes between rival factions in the mainly Shiite south.

Al-Sadr's call for a six-month cease-fire has been credited with a sharp drop in the number of bullet-riddled bodies that turn up on the streets of Iraq and are believed to be victims of Shiite death squads.

Baghdad police found three people slain execution-style and bearing signs of torture on Friday, compared with the dozens often found on a typical day before al-Sadr's declaration. The morgue in the southern city of Kut received two bodies, including one pulled from the Tigris River.

Another five Iraqis were killed in attacks nationwide, including a woman who was caught up in a suicide attack north of Baghdad while she was walking to the market.

The U.S. military reported that an American soldier was killed and four were wounded in southern Baghdad Thursday when their unit was hit with an explosively formed penetrator, or EFP. The United States claims Iran supplies Shiite militants with the weapon, which fires an armor-piercing, fist-sized copper slug.

The U.S. welcomed al-Sadr's August cease-fire declaration but has continued to target what it says are Iranian-backed breakaway factions of his Mahdi Army militia, and appears to have escalated the campaign in recent weeks.

Fox News

Kurds Up The Ante

SIRNAK, Turkey - The Turkish military confirmed Monday that eight of its soldiers were missing after an ambush attack by Kurdish rebels in which 12 other soldiers were killed.

The confirmation from the military came as dozens of military vehicles headed toward the Iraq border and protesters across the country demanded tough action against the rebels. The attack has pushed Turkey closer to a possible incursion into Iraq to target Kurdish insurgents hiding there.

"Despite all search efforts, no contact has been established with eight missing personnel since shortly after the armed attack on the military unit," the military said in a statement posted on its Web site.

http://news.yahoo.com

Remembering Fallen Heroes

Meet "Q", the creator of www.iraqwarheroes.org website. "Q" dedicates his website to "our deceased heroes that served in Operation Iraqi Freedom and Operation Enduring Freedom."

If you would like to help out or just show your support, please visit the site.

"Q" also operates www.vietnamwarheroes.org.

Insurgent Throws Grenade Into School

More compassion and mercy from the religion of peace.

BAGHDAD - An insurgent threw a hand grenade into a school compound in central Basra Thursday, wounding six boys, one seriously, according to police.

The morning attack took place on the grounds of a private middle- and high-school complex in the Kut al-Hajaj area of Basra, according to a police officer who requested anonymity because he was not authorized to release the information. Basra is Iraq's second-largest city, 340 miles southeast of Baghdad.

http://news.yahoo.com

Killing Children For Allah

More from the religion of peace. No longer can "moderate" Muslims claim their Jihad fighters don't target innocents. This is a deliberate attempt to kill (or maybe martyr?) children:

KIRKUK, Iraq (Reuters) - A bomb killed a child and wounded 13 others in a playground as they celebrated the Islamic festival of Eid on Friday in the northern Iraqi town of Tuz Khurmato, police said.

Police Colonel Abbas Mohammed said a would-be suicide bomber hid the explosives in a cart he was pushing that was filled with children's toys. The bomber was wounded and is in hospital.

The predominantly Shi'ite Turkmen town of Tuz Khurmato lies about 180 km (110 miles) north of Baghdad.

Mohammed said he feared the death toll might rise.

A police source who declined to he named said 23 were wounded in the playground blast and most were children.

http://news.yahoo.com

Five Years Ago

In the four years since the inspectors left, intelligence reports show that Saddam Hussein has worked to rebuild his chemical and biological weapons stock, his missile delivery capability, and his nuclear program. He has also given aid, comfort, and sanctuary to terrorists, including Al Qaeda members, though there is apparently no evidence of his involvement in the terrible events of September 11, 2001.

It is clear, however, that if left unchecked, Saddam Hussein will continue to increase his capacity to wage biological and chemical warfare, and will keep trying to develop nuclear weapons. Should he succeed in that endeavor, he could alter the political and security landscape of the Middle East, which as we know all too well affects American security.

Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton, October 10, 2002

U.N. Wants Private Security Contractors Prosecuted

BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The United Nations called on the United States government on Thursday to ensure that any private contractors committing offences in Iraq are prosecuted.

The killing of 17 Iraqis in a shooting involving U.S. security firm Blackwater last month has created tensions between Baghdad and Washington and sparked calls for tighter controls on private contractors, who are immune from prosecution in Iraq.

In a new human rights report, the U.N. mission in Iraq urged "U.S. authorities to investigate reports of deaths caused by privately hired contractors and establish effective mechanisms for holding them accountable for where the circumstances surrounding the killings show no justifiable cause."

http://news.yahoo.com

Keep in mind, the United Nations is the same body that identified only Israel for violating the rights of women, all the while ignoring Islamic state's brutal and inhuman treatment of women. This doesn't even begin to touch on the U.N.'s abysmal record with it's "Human Rights" Council.

The Religion of Peace Kills 19 In Car Bomb Explosions

As the Islamic Holy month of Ramadan comes to a close, militant Muslims rack up another 19 victims killed in the name of Allah:

In the homicide attacks, the nearly simultaneous bombings in Beiji were the deadliest in a series of bombings in recent days as the terror network apparently steps up its promised Ramadan offensive as the end of the Islamic holy month draws near.

The attackers in the oil hub 155 miles north of Baghdad drove a minibus laden with explosives into the house of a local police chief and detonated an explosives-packed Toyota Land Cruiser outside the home of a leading member of the local Awakening Council, a group of Iraqis who have turned against extremists in the area.

A Sunni mosque about 100 yards away from the police chief's house was damaged and three of its guards were among at least 19 people killed, according to police and hospital officials. They also said 28 people were wounded and six houses destroyed in the blasts, which occurred within minutes of each other and some 500 yards apart.

http://www.foxnews.com

Violence visited other areas in Iraq, as insurgents desperately attempt to portray Islam as a peaceful, merciful, compassionate religion (linked above):

Three car bombs in Baghdad killed 15 people, including eight who died in an attack near the Shiite Khulani mosque, itself a target of a truck bombing in June that killed 87 people.

Also Tuesday morning, drive-by shooters killed the deputy police chief in Mosul, 225 miles northwest of Baghdad, police said.

A roadside bomb ripped through and outdoor market near a bus station in Jisr Diyala on Baghdad's southeastern outskirts, killing two civilians and wounding 10 others, police said.

In the southern neighborhood of Sadiyah, gunmen in a speeding car fatally shot a Shiite father and his two sons as they were leaving their home, police said. The police officials all spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to release the information.

The bullet-riddled bodies of three men in their 30s also were found on a highway in Hillah, about 60 miles south of Baghdad, apparent victims of so-called sectarian death squads largely run by Shiite militias.

U.S. Military Offering Bounties For Taliban Leaders

Civilians can receive up to $200,000 for information leading to the capture of Taliban and al-Qaida leaders:

BAGRAM, Afghanistan (AP) -- The U.S. military has launched a new "Most Wanted" campaign offering rewards of up to $200,000 for information leading to the capture of 12 Taliban and al-Qaida leaders.

Posters and billboards are being put up around eastern Afghanistan with the names and pictures of the 12, with reward amounts ranging from $20,000 to $200,000.

"We're trying to get more visibility on these guys like the FBI did with the mob," said Lt. Col. Rob Pollock, a U.S. officer at the main American base in Bagram. "They operate the same way the mob did, they stay in hiding."

The list does not include internationally known names who already have large price tags on their heads like al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden - who has evaded U.S. capture since 2001 despite a $25 million bounty - or Taliban leader Mullah Omar with a $10 million reward.

Instead the list is filled with local insurgent cell leaders responsible for roadside and suicide bomb attacks.

"We want the people in that area to know who this guy is and know he's a bad guy, and when they spot him to turn that guy in," said Maj. Chris Belcher, a U.S. spokesman.

The program, in the works for weeks, comes despite peace overtures from President Hamid Karzai, who on Sunday said he would be willing to meet with Omar if it would help bring peace.

The posters and billboards will be put up by Afghan soldiers and police in areas where the military suspects the men are operating, said Belcher. Some on the list are also suspected to operate in Pakistan's tribal regions, where the U.S. military does not have the authority to operate.

The U.S. says it has killed around 50 mostly mid-level insurgent leaders over the past year, a strategy the military is continuing to push with the Most Wanted rewards program.

TBO.com