Nov. 09., 2012. - ISAF Joint Command Morning Operational Update

KABUL, Afghanistan (Nov. 9) — An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani facilitator in Khost province today.

The arrested facilitator is suspected of coordinating the delivery of weapons, improvised explosive device materials and fighters to leadership operating throughout western Khost province.As a result of the operation, the security force also detained two suspected insurgents and seized homemade explosives, IED-making materials, several grenades, a large quantity of firearms with associated gear and ammunition, and numerous bayonets.

In other International Security Assistance Force news throughout Afghanistan:

North

Afghan Special Police members of Provincial Response Company Bhaglan, enabled by coalition forces, seized a large weapons cache of 36 RPG warheads and 15,000 rounds of 12.7 mm ammunition during a recovery operation in northern Bhaglan province yesterday. All materials were destroyed on location.

South

Afghan Special Police members of Provincial Response Company Uruzgan, enabled by coalition forces, killed a number of insurgents and seized anti-tank weapons, more than 100,000 rounds of ammunition and several hand grenades during an operation in central Uruzgan province yesterday. All seized materials were destroyed at the location. 

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Taliban leader in Helmand province today. The arrested leader is suspected of directing the purchase of IED components, and overseeing IED emplacements. The security force also detained two suspected insurgents.

East

An Afghan and coalition security force arrested a Haqqani senior leader in Logar province today. The arrested leader is believed to have planned and conducted attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in southern Logar province. During the operation, the security force also detained two suspected insurgents.
An Afghan and coalition security force killed Taliban leader Qari Munib during a security operation in Kunar province Thursday. Qari Munib was responsible for directing attacks against Afghan and coalition forces and coordinating the movement of weapons and ammunition for the attacks.

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Nov. 09., 2012. - RC-East operational update

BAGRAM, Afghanistan - Afghan and coalition forces detained an insurgent, located a weapons caches and cleared three improvised explosive devices during operations in eastern Afghanistan throughout the past 24 hours, Nov. 8.

Ghazni Province
Afghan National Security Forces and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Muqer district.

Kabul Province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Sarobi district.

Khowst Province
Afghan National Army soldiers and coalition forces found and safely cleared an IED in Sabari district.

Afghan Uniformed Police and coalition forces detained an insurgent during an engagement in Khowst district. The detained suspect was transferred to a base for questioning.

Afghan Border Police and coalition forces discovered a weapons cache in Bak district. The cache contained more than 30 mortar charges, a taped battery pack, two bundles of radio wire, two grenades and two pressure plate triggers.

Operations in RC-East are still ongoing.

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Tunisia arrests Ansar al Sharia member in connection with US Embassy assault

By Thomas Joscelyn - November 9, 2012 - LWJ

Bilel Chaouachi. Courtesy of Kapitalis.

The Tunisian government arrested Bilel Chaouachi, a Salafist imam who has openly praised Osama bin Laden and Ayman al Zawahiri, earlier this week. Chaouachi was allegedly involved in the storming of the US Embassy in Tunis days after terrorists struck the US Consulate in Benghazi, Libya.
"Bilel Chaouachi is suspected of involvement in the September 14 events of the attack on the embassy and the American school, but before that there is another case pending against him for incitement to violence," Tunisian Interior Ministry spokesman Khaled Tarrouche explained, according to Kapitalis.
The 26-year-old Chaouachi has been cited as a theology "student" in various press accounts because he attended a theological graduate school in Tunis. But Magharebia.com identifies him as a "a member of the salafist Ansar al Sharia group."
The rabblerousing Chaouachi has garnered more influence in recent months, culminating in a shocking appearance on Ettounsiya TV shortly before his arrest.
Salafists have clashed with the Ennahda government in recent weeks, leading to an escalation in violence. Chaouachi was unapologetic, however, claiming that the government was at fault. He also stunned viewers by openly praising al Qaeda's leaders.
"We, the jihadist salafist movement with our scholars and theoreticians headed by Sheikh Osama bin Laden, may Allah have mercy on him, and Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahiri, may God protect him, say that this country is a land of preaching and not a land of war, even when it is not ruled according to Islamic law," Chaouachi said during his television appearance, according to Magharebia.com.
Tunisian officials maintain that Chaouachi's television appearance was not the reason for his arrest, with the Interior Ministry saying it was "a simple coincidence."
Chaouachi has advocated for jihad against Bashar al Assad's regime in Syria. "It is the duty of all Muslims to support the struggle of the Syrian people against despotism," the Associated Press quoted Chaouachi as saying earlier this year.
Chaouachi is not the only Ansar al Sharia member implicated in the storming of the US Embassy in Tunis.
The head of Ansar al Sharia Tunisia is Seifullah Ben Hassine (a.k.a. Abu Iyadh), who is also wanted in connection with the Sept. 14 assault. Hassine has longstanding ties to al Qaeda. In 2000, Hassine co-founded the Tunisian Combatant Group (TCG) "in coordination with" al Qaeda, according to the United Nations.
The TCG helped execute the Sept. 9, 2001 assassination of Northern Alliance leader Ahmed Shah Massoud, who was killed by two Tunisians pretending to be journalists. Massoud's assassination was an integral part of al Qaeda's Sept. 11, 2001 plot, as it removed an influential adversary from the battlefield before American-led forces set foot inside Afghanistan.
Hassine formed a fighting group in late 2001 that was dedicated to defending Osama bin Laden at the Battle of Tora Bora. And the TCG was connected to several significant terrorist plots in Europe, including a planned attack on the US Embassy in Rome. [See LWJ report, Al Qaeda ally orchestrated assault on US Embassy in Tunisia.]

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/11/ansar_al_sharia_tuni.php#ixzz2BiZVZ2v7

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• Tunisia arrests Ansar al Sharia member in connection with US Embassy assault (longwarjournal.org)

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Veterans Day Discounts

Happy Veterans Day!
here is embedded PDF list what i found about discounts,
then above another list too from militarybenefits.info

VETERANSDAYDISCOUNTS2012.pdf


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another really long and good list from militarybenefits.info:

http://militarybenefits.info/military-discounts/ 

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and of course one of the biggest: http://militaryandveteransdiscounts.com/

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Happy 237th Birthday to the United States Marine Corps

Happy 237th Birthday to the United States Marine Corps!

And to all members of the U.S. Armed Forces, Happy Veterans Day...

...  from GoDaddy.com and the Bob & Renee Parsons Foundation.

Donate today: http://www.godaddy.com/holiday/usmc/usmc-2012.aspx

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US drone strike near Yemeni capital kills AQAP commander, 2 fighters

By Bill Roggio - November 8, 2012 - LWJ

In a strike near the Yemeni capital of Sana'a last night, US drones killed an al Qaeda commander involved in the attack on the US Embassy in Sana'a in 2008, along with two fighters. The strike near Sana'a and the previous one in Saada in northern Yemen indicate that the US is expanding drone operations from the traditional hunting grounds in the south.
The unmanned Predators or Reapers fired missiles at a vehicle traveling near Sana'a late last night. The exact location of the strike is in dispute; Xinhua reported that the airstrike took place near the village of Sayyan, about 25 miles outside of Sana'a, while AFP claimed the attack occurred near the village of Beit al Ahmar, about nine miles from the capital.
One Yemeni official described the attack as "a Yemeni-U.S. joint airstrike operation," while another said that "the raid was not carried out by any Yemeni warplane," Xinhua reported.
The strike was certainly carried out by the US-operated Predators or Reapers. US military and intelligence officials have repeatedly told The Long War Journal that the Yemeni air force does not have the ability to hit moving targets in a nighttime strike. And in early October, Yemeni President Abdu Rabbu Mansour Hadi admitted that the nighttime strikes were carried out by the US "because the Yemeni Air Force cannot carry out missions at night."
Adnan al Qadhi, an al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula commander who operates in Sana'a, and two of his bodyguards, Rabiee Lahib and Radwan al Hashidi, were confirmed to have been killed in the strike, Yemeni officials said. Al Qadhi's family told Abdul Razzaq al Jamal, a Yemeni journalist who is closely linked to AQAP, that Qadhi and the two bodyguards were killed in the airstrike.
Al Qadhi is "a former jihadist fighter in Afghanistan and al Qaeda member" who is wanted for the Sept. 17, 2008 complex attack on the US Embassy in Sana'a, according to AFP. More than 16 people were killed after terrorists detonated multiple bombs and then launched a ground attack in an attempt to breach the compound. Al Qaeda also deployed snipers dressed in Yemeni military uniforms during the attack.
Last night's strike is the first recorded in Sana'a since the US stepped up air and missile attacks against terrorist operatives in 2009. The US is expanding its use of drones against AQAP in Yemen; prior strikes have focused on the network in southern Yemen. But the previous strike, on Oct. 28, took place in Saada in northern Yemen. Four AQAP fighters, including two Saudis, were killed in the attack that targeted a compound of a wanted al Qaeda commander.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/11/us_drone_strike_near.php#ixzz2Bg4vRCC8

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3 police killed in Kandahar suicide blast (Video)

An Afghan policeman walks at the site of a suicide bomb blast targeting a police checkpoint in Kandahar November 8, 2012. (Ahmad Nadeem)

>

KANDAHAR CITY (PAN):  Three policemen were killed in a suicide attack on their check-post in southern Kandahar province on Thursday morning, officials said.

The incident happened at around 5am when a bomber on a motorcycle blew himself up in the Yarana Market area of the fourth police district of Kandahar City.

Javed Faisal, a spokesman for the Kandahar governor, told Pajhwok Afghan News three policemen were killed in the attack. No one suffered injuries, he added.

But an official at the Mirwais Civil Hospital said four men slightly injured in the attack were evacuated to the hospital.

from Pajhwok
By obaid Nov 8, 2012 - 16:08
By: Siddiqullah Alizai and Obaidullah Hussam

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10 Afghan civilians killed following blast in Helmand

According to local authorities in southern Helmand province of Afghanistan, at least 10 Afghan civilians were killed following a roadside bomb blast explosion in this province.

The officials further added the incident took place Thursday in Mosa Qala district, killing 10 civilians and injuring at least 7 others.

Mosa Qala district security chief Haji Amir Mohammad confirming the report said the incident took place early Thursday morning after a civilian vehicle struck with a roadside bomb planted by militants.

Mr. Amir Mohammad further added at least five women, 4 men and a child were among those killed following the blast.

He also said all those injured during the blast are Afghan kids.

This comes as 11 civilians were killed in a similar incident and some others were wounded in Mosa Qala district last week.

No group including the Taliban militants has so far claimed responsibility behind the incident.

Local officials blame Taliban group for such incidents as Taliba militants frequently use improvised explosive device to target Afghan and coalition security forces which normally leads to civlians casualties.

from KHAAMA
By Sayed Jawad - Thu Nov 08, 3:45 pm

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• Roadside bomb kills 10 Afghan civilians: police (dawn.com)

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Iranian fighters fired on U.S. drone in Gulf: Pentagon

Two Iranian fighter jets fired on an unarmed U.S. drone in the Gulf last week and missed, the Pentagon said Thursday, warning that the United States stood ready to protect its forces in the region.

The incident occurred on November 1 -- less than a week before America’s presidential election -- but the Pentagon kept it quiet until now.

“They intercepted the aircraft and fired multiple rounds,” spokesman George Little told a news conference.

The confrontation threatened to ignite a potential conflict between the arch foes amid a mounting crisis over Tehran’s nuclear program and a shadow war marked by cyberattacks and assassinations in Iran.

Tough new sanctions led by the United States are squeezing Iran’s economy while Washington is accused of staging cyber sabotage on Tehran’s uranium enrichment plants.

The U.S. military drone was “never in Iranian air space” and came under fire from Su-25 fighters off the Iranian coast over international waters, Little said.

The robotic Predator aircraft was conducting “routine surveillance” and the United States has told Iran it has no plans to suspend the flights, he said.

“The United States has communicated to the Iranians that we will continue to conduct surveillance flights over international waters over the Arabian Gulf consistent with longstanding practice and our commitment to the security of the region,” he said.

In a warning to Tehran, the Pentagon spokesman said the United States was prepared to safeguard its forces.

“We have a wide range of options, from diplomatic to military, to protect our military assets and our forces in the region and will do so when necessary,” Little said.

The Predator returned safely to an unspecified military base in the region following the incident that occurred at 4:50 am U.S. eastern standard time (0850 GMT).

The MQ-1 drone, a turboprop plane that flies at a much slower speed than the fighter jets, was pursued further by the Iranian warplanes but not fired on again, Little added.

The Predator was intercepted about 16 nautical miles off the Iranian coast, beyond the Islamic Republic’s territorial waters that extend 12 nautical miles off the country’s shore.

At the State Department, officials unveiled yet more sanctions on Iran, targeting the communications minister and the culture ministry among others for censoring the media and the Internet.

The move against Communications Minister Reza Taghipour came after he was blamed for ordering the jamming of international satellite TV broadcasts and restricting Internet access, a State Department official said.

The United States is determined to stop the “Iranian government from creating an ‘electronic curtain’ to cut Iranian citizens off from the rest of the world,” said State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland.

from AL ARABIYA NEWS

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• Iranian warplanes fired on U.S. drone over Gulf: Pentagon | Reuters (reuters.com)
• CNN: Iran Fired at Unmanned U.S. Drone Last Week (freebeacon.com)
• Meanwhile Over the Persian Gulf (mypetjawa.mu.nu)
• Iran Fired on US Drone in Gulf (voicerussia.com)

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5 Afghan soldiers killed following blast in Laghman

According to local authorities in eastern Laghman province of Afghanistan, at least 5 Afghan National Army soldiers were killed following an improvised explosive device blast in this province.

Provincial governor spokesman Sarhadi Zwak confirming the report said the incident took place after an Afghan national army vehicle struck with a roadside bomb at Todi-Cheni district.

Taliban militants group claimed responsibility behind the incident.

In the meantime Afghan defense ministry following a statement on Thursday announced at least 14 militants were killed following military operations by Afghan national army.

The source further added Afghan national army soldiers are also detained four militants and defused at least 16 improvised explosive device during the operations.

The operations were conducted in Mizan and Qalat city of eastern Zabul province of Afghanistan.

Anti-government armed militant groups yet to comment regarding the reports.

from KHAAMA
By Sadaf Shinwari - Thu Nov 08, 4:03 pm

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