ARMED FORCES DAY MAY 18, 2013 USA

President Harry S. Truman led the effort to establish a single holiday for citizens to come together and thank our military members for their patriotic service in support of our country.

On August 31, 1949, Secretary of Defense Louis Johnson announced the creation of an Armed Forces Day to replace separate Army, Navy, Marine Corps and Air Force Days.
The single day celebration stemmed from the unification of the Armed Forces under the Department of Defense.

---

from MARINES.MIL:

ARMED FORCES DAY 2013

Date Signed: 5/06/2013
ALMARS Active Number: 016/13

R 061212Z MAY 13
UNCLASSIFIED/
ALMAR 016/13
MSGID/GENADMIN,USMTF,2007/CMC WASHINGTON DC DMCS(UC)/F002//
SUBJ/ARMED FORCES DAY 2013//
GENTEXT/REMARKS/1. FOR MORE THAN HALF A CENTURY, AMERICANS HAVE OBSERVED ARMED FORCES DAY TO EXPRESS GRATITUDE FOR THE COURAGE AND SELFLESS SACRIFICE OF OUR MEN AND WOMEN IN UNIFORM. THOSE WHO PROUDLY SERVE IN OUR NATION'S MILITARY FORCES ACCEPT A GREAT RESPONSIBILITY; ONE THAT ENTAILS PERSONAL HARDSHIP, RISK AND SACRIFICE.
2. ON THIS ARMED FORCES DAY, LIKE SO MANY IN OUR PAST, ACTIVE DUTY AND RESERVE SERVICE MEMBERS REMAIN VIGILANT IN DEFENSE OF FREEDOM. AROUND THE WORLD, MARINES, SAILORS, SOLDIERS AND AIRMEN CONTINUE TO COMBAT TERRORISM, PARTNER WITH ALLIES, RESPOND TO CRISES, AND PROVIDE HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE. THESE SERVICE MEMBERS, WHO MAKE UP LESS THAN ONE PERCENT OF THE U.S. POPULATION, CONTINUE TO KEEP AMERICA STRONG AND SECURE.
3. AS WE HONOR THE MEMBERS OF THE GREATEST MILITARY IN THE WORLD, TAKE A MOMENT TO REFLECT ON ALL WHO SERVE AND HAVE SERVED, ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO GAVE ALL IN DEFENSE OF FREEDOM. TO ALL MARINES WHO HAVE EVER WORN OUR CLOTH, THANK YOU FOR YOUR FIDELITY AND SERVICE TO COUNTRY AND CORPS.
4. SEMPER FIDELIS! JAMES F. AMOS, GENERAL, U.S. MARINE CORPS, COMMANDANT OF THE MARINE CORPS./

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UAE Arrests Al-Qaida-Linked 'Terrorist Cell'

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Authorities in the United Arab Emirates have arrested seven people they say are part of an al-Qaida-linked terrorist cell.
 
The official WAM news agency said Thursday the group was "planning to carry out acts" in the UAE, as well as to recruit others and promote al-Qaida.

It said the seven people arrested were of "Arab nationalities" but did not give additional details.

The statement also said the group was providing money and logistical support to help al-Qaida further its activities in the region.

Middle East Policy Council Executive Director Thomas Mattair says support for Islamist extremism is rife throughout the region. He says counter-terrorism efforts, while successful in some areas, tend to drive recruits across borders.

"The Saudis, the Emiratis, they cooperate with us strenuously to root out these people and there have been successes in both countries," he said. "But the result is that a lot of [the terrorists] have been driven into Yemen, and that's really where the problem is most critical. They could have been transiting the UAE on their way somewhere else, possibly to Syria."

Mattair says when Sunni Arabs across the region see their co-religionists under siege in Syria, which drives some into the hands of extremist groups.

In December, UAE authorities arrested what they called a "deviant group" in connection with a terrorist cell planning attacks in the Gulf kingdom, Saudi Arabia and nearby states.

Mattair says that a serious U.S. commitment to helping push the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to resolution would deprive al-Qaida of a major source of propaganda.

Mattair says al-Qaida recruitment videos feature Palestinians or Iraqis who it says have been killed and that the group "blames [their deaths] on the United States."

from VOA News
April 18, 2013

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Taliban vows revenge on US troops over Guantanamo shootings

 DoD photo by Petty Officer 1st class Shane T. McCoy, U.S. Navy. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The Taliban militants group in Afghanistan following a statement vowed to take revenge on US troops in Afghanistan after guards at Guantanamo prison fired non-lethal rounds at inmates to quell unrest.

According to US military officials, guards at the US-run prison in Cuba fired the rounds last Saturday to halt unrest as they relocated inmates into individual cells.

The incident took place after the inmaates started resistance while they were being moved from communal housing to individual cells however the officials said that no detainees were seriously injured.

This comes as dozens of etainees are in the third month of a hunger strike at the prison.

Taliban group spokesman Zabiullah in his statement said, “The Mujahideen of the Islamic Emirate… vow to avenge these wronged prisoners by targeting the American invaders in Afghanistan with all might at their disposal, Allah willing.”

Mujahid further added, “such cowardly actions of America and take a firm stance against it based upon evident humane principles.”

He urged the rights activists and groups to condemn the attack.

According to reports several prisoners including former Taliban members captured during the US-led invasion in Afghanistan in 2001, are serving in the jail based in Cuba.

from KHAAMABy Mirwais Adeel - 18 Apr 2013, 11:31 am

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Bob Bergdahl, the father of current POW, Sgt Bowe Bergdahl speaks Out

today Patrick J. Hughes has left a new comment on my site,
so i'm posting this video now here:

Published on Apr 10, 2013

On Tuesday, 9 April 2013 there was a Freedom March held in Washington, DC. by P.O.W. Activist Organization "Honor-Release-Return"

Bob Bergdahl, the father of current POW, Sgt Bowe Bergdahl and Former POWs Mike Benge, Larry Stark, Carmel Whetzel to speak.

Beginning with a wreath-laying at the war memorials, followed by a march to the steps of the U.S. Capitol building, and featuring speeches by Bob Bergdahl, father of current POW, SGT. Bowe Bergdahl, Afghanistan, captured June 2009, currently being held by the Taliban aligned Haqqani network in Pakistan, Mike Benge, Prisoner of War, Vietnam, Larry Stark, Prisoner of War, Vietnam, Carmel Whetzel, Prisoner of War, WWII, and Roger Hall, POW/MIA activist and Bob 'Bulldog' Ousley, Major, US Army (Retired) They will focus on demanding that the U.S. government formally request and negotiate for the return of all live Americans who are in captivity in foreign countries, and negotiate for information concerning Americans unaccounted for and believed to be held captive in Southeast Asia, Russia, North Korea, Afghanistan and Pakistan.

Patrick J. Hughes U.S.M.C. ChuLai 67-68
Rolling Thunder Inc. National Photographer
www.patrickjhughes.org
www.patrickjhughes.com
YouTube: mag12chulai
God Bless America 

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Vietnam Veterans Day 2013

Statement by Secretary Chuck Hagel on Vietnam Veterans Day

            Today and this weekend, communities across the country commemorate Vietnam Veterans Day.

            This year we also mark forty years since the end of U.S. combat operations in Vietnam.  On March 29, 1973, the last of our combat forces departed the country and the final release of American prisoners of war drew to a close.

            When Vietnam veterans reached their hometowns, many were not greeted with the appreciation and respect they very much deserved.  In our time we must take every opportunity to thank all veterans and their families for their service and sacrifice.

            More than 1,600 service members remain unaccounted for from the Vietnam War.  Their families still seek answers.  Today, the Department of Defense reaffirms its commitment to take all steps to account for our missing personnel and bring closure to their families.  And we salute and thank our Vietnam veterans and their families.

U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Release
On the Web: http://www.defense.gov/Releases/Release.aspx?ReleaseID=15898
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 193-13
March 29, 2013
 ---

The United States Of America Vietnam War Commemoration

http://www.vietnamwar50th.com 

--

 

Veterans' Stories of the Vietnam Memorial, 30 Years Later 

by AARP, Published on Oct 31, 2012

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26 inmates freed during first day of Bagram prison transfer

The full responsibility of Bagram prison was handed over to the Afghan government on Monday after US troops handed over around 4,000 prisoners to Afghan security forces during the Afghan year 1391.

According to reports around 100 prisoners are currently kept by US troops and are due to be handed over to Afghan security forces by next week.

Around 26 prisoners were freed from the Bagram prison during the first day of prison transition to Afghan governmnet.

Afghan officials said around 949 prisoners were in the custody of US troops despite an agreement on the transfer of prisoners was signed by the two nations.

The transition of Baram prison to Afghan government was completed during a ceremony held in Bagram on Monday which was attended by Afghan defense minister Bismillah Mohammadi, Gen. Joseph Dunford NATO commander and a number of other high level Afghan and American officials.

Chief of the security transition committee Ashraf Ghani Ahmadzai said, “One of the national ambitions of the Afghan people was completed by the transition of Bagram prison today.”

Mr. Ahmadzai further added that the transfer of Bagram prison to Afghan government reflects the respect of United States towards the Afghan constitution and law and this will to further improve bilateral ties between the two nations.

In the meantime NATO commander Gen. Joseph Dunford said United States remains committed to assist Afghanistan.

Afghan defense minister Bismillah Mohammadi said Afghan defense ministry is prepared to take security of the prison and assured that the ministry had taken necessary steps for the security of Bagram prison.

from KHAAMA
By Ghanizada - 25 Mar 2013, 8:49 pm

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Benghazi suspect fled to Pakistan, recently detained in Libya

By Thomas Joscelyn - March 14, 2013 - LWJ

A suspect in the Sept. 11, 2012 terrorist attack in Benghazi has been detained in Libya, according to multiple press outlets. CNN reports that, according to one source, Faraj al Chalabi (or al Shibli) "was detained within the past two days and had recently returned from a trip to Pakistan." Reuters reports that al Chalabi "fled to Pakistan after the attacks and only recently returned to Libya."

Both CNN and Reuters note that the precise role al Chalabi is suspected of playing in the Benghazi attack is "unclear."

Al Chalabi was first fingered as a suspected terrorist in 1998. At the time, Muammar Qaddafi's regime said that he was involved in the murder of two Germans, an intelligence official named Silvan Becker and his wife. The German couple had been killed under mysterious circumstances in 1994.

The Libyan regime's intelligence led to an Interpol arrest warrant in March 1998. In addition to al Chalabi, two other Libyans and Osama bin Laden were named as the alleged perpetrators of the attack. The Libyans were accused of being members of the al Qaeda-linked Libyan Islamic Fighting Group (LIFG).

In June 2004, the Libyan government reiterated its allegations against al Chalabi, his fellow Libyans, and bin Laden in a filing with the United Nations Security Council. "It is worth noting that the elements that carried out that act and Osama bin Laden's arrangements are still wanted and that their organizational connection to the Al Qaeda organization has been confirmed," Qaddafi's regime claimed. Al Chalabi was specifically listed as one of the suspected terrorists tied to al Qaeda.

According to some accounts, the Libyan regime's claims were not taken all that seriously at first. Perhaps this was because of Qaddafi's own prolific role in sponsoring terrorism and his ruthless suppression of the opposition.

CNN notes that "some analysts have cast doubt on the [Qaddafi] regime's assertion that Libyan Islamist Fighting Group members carried out the attack on the German couple."

In late 2001, however, the German press linked al Qaeda to the murder of Becker and his wife. According to those accounts, the FBI itself discovered the link after the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

Citing a report by Focus, a German weekly news magazine, Agence France Presse (AFP) reported in October 2001 that the FBI "had come across the bin Laden links to the murder of the two Germans...in the course of its probe into the September 11 assault on the United States." AFP continued: "The magazine said that one of the chief suspects in the case belonged to a bin Laden terrorist cell and was involved in the 1998 bombings of the US embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, which US authorities have linked to bin Laden's al Qaeda movement."

The FBI reportedly gave the details of al Qaeda's involvement to German authorities.
In November 2001, the German newspaper Die Welt followed up with its own brief account of al Qaeda's ties to the attack. The account was headlined, "Bin Laden allegedly implicated in murder of German agent." Germany's criminal investigators had no further information at the time, Die Welt reported, but this "may be related to the fact that this mystery has an intelligence services context."

Die Welt also cited the FBI as the source of information on one of the suspects, who was purportedly tied to the 1998 embassy bombings.

The FBI is leading the investigation into the Benghazi attack. If the German accounts from 2001 are accurate, then the Bureau may already have a dossier on al Chalabi.

In his 2002 book, Inside Al Qaeda, Rohan Gunaratna reported that Becker's death hampered Germany's efforts to track bin Laden's operatives.

"According to the German secret service," Gunaratna wrote, "Becker was their Arabist and his untimely death gravely affected Germany's ability to effectively monitor the growing Al Qaeda infrastructure in Germany."

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/03/al_qaeda-linked_beng.php#ixzz2NcLFG4AO

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Algeria Says 80 Dead at Gas Complex

Smoke rises above following demining operations at the In Amenas gas plant, January 20, 2013.

Algeria's prime minister is expected to announce Monday the latest details of the militant takeover and military raid of a desert natural gas complex that left at least 80 people dead, including militants.

The toll jumped Sunday when officials combing through the complex found 25 more bodies, which they said were so disfigured it is hard to tell if the remains were of militants or hostages.

Officials in the Philippines said Monday that six of the victims were Filipinos, and that four of its nationals remain missing.

Many of the dead were foreign hostages held when Islamist militants seized the In Amenas gas complex Wednesday.  So far, nationals from Britain, Romania, the United States, Japan and France have also been confirmed dead.

Islamist militant leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar claimed responsibility for the attack. In an Internet video posted Sunday, he said he was acting in the name of al-Qaida and that 40 militants from Muslim and Western nations carried out the raid.

Belmokhtar said the attack was an answer to the French military operation against other al-Qaida-linked militants in Mali.

Algerian forces captured five militants alive during a Saturday raid on the complex.  Algeria's official news agency said the militants killed seven hostages during the raid, while Algerian troops killed 11 of the kidnappers.

A number of militants and hostages were also killed earlier during the crisis, while other hostages escaped unharmed.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Sunday that responsibility for the killings "lies squarely" with what he called the "terrorists who launched this vicious and cowardly attack." French President Francois Hollande welcomed what he described as Algeria's "most appropriate" response to "coldly determined terrorists."

Algerian Communications Minister Mohamed Said said the Islamist assailants came from six nations. He said Algerian experts are tying to clear away land mines the militants laid around the gas complex.

Nearly 700 Algerian workers and more than 100 foreigners escaped the militant attack last week.

The foreign hostages included Americans, Austrians, Belgians, Britons, Colombians, French, Japanese, Malaysians, Norwegians and Romanians. The complex is jointly run by Algerian, British and Norwegian firms.


Some information for this report was provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.

from VOA NEWS
January 20., 2013.

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Algeria: Death Toll from Hostage Crisis May Rise

Algeria says the death toll from the hostage crisis at a natural gas complex could rise. The government said Sunday several countries have indicated some of their citizens remain missing after an end to the bloody conflict at the complex in eastern Algeria.

On Saturday, Algeria's Interior Ministry said the nation's hostage crisis had ended with 23 hostages and 32 militants killed.

British Prime Minister David Cameron said Sunday that three British nationals are confirmed dead, and another three are believed to have been killed. U.S. officials previously said at least one American is known to have died.

Algeria's Interior Ministry said security forces managed to free 107 foreign hostages and 685 Algerians.

Algeria's official APS news agency said the country's special forces stormed the complex Saturday in their "final assault" on Islamists who had been holding scores of hostages in the desert facility.  However, few details have emerged from the remote location where the rescue mission took place.

An Algerian soldier stands at a checkpoint near a road sign indicating 10 km (6 miles) to a gas installation in Tigantourine, the site where Islamist militants have been holding foreigners hostage according to the Algerian interior ministry, in Amena Janu

France endorsed Algeria's handling of the situation Saturday, saying it was the "most appropriate" response since it was not possible to negotiate with the "coldly determined terrorists."

In Washington, President Barack Obama condemned the actions of the kidnappers, saying they were entirely to blame.

British Defense Secretary Philip Hammond also said the terrorists bear the "sole responsibility" for the deaths.

Several Americans were among those being held.  Defense Secretary Leon Panetta said in London after meeting with Hammond that he had only "sketchy information" about the American hostages and would not comment until he had better details.  He also renounced terrorist attacks on Americans across the globe.

"Just as we cannot accept terrorism attacks against our cities, we cannot accept attacks against our citizens and our interests abroad. Neither can we accept an al-Qaida safe haven anywhere in the world," he said.

Foreign hostages at the gas complex are believed to have included nationals from the U.S., Britain, Japan, Norway, Romania, the Philippines, France, Malaysia and Austria. The complex is jointly run by Algerian, British and Norwegian firms.  Japanese officials say several of their nationals are missing.

The U.S. State Department has issued a travel warning Americans in Algeria, saying there are credible threats of the kidnapping of Western nationals.

The militants say they attacked the facility Wednesday in retaliation for French military operations in Mali.

Some information for this report was provided by AP and AFP.
from VOA News
January 20, 2013

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Seven hostages, 11 militants killed in final onslaught by Algerian army

The final onslaught of Algerian special forces on a gas installation where foreigners were being held by Islamist militants killed 11 kidnapers and seven hostages, the state news agency reported.

Algerian Press Service says the troops stormed the facility on Saturday after a four-day standoff in which militants occupied the Ain Amenas natural gas facility in southern Algeria.

Al Arabiya reporter from Algiers said two Americans, one Japanese and one Norwegian were among those killed on Saturday.

The heavily armed gunmen from a group known as "Signatories in Blood" had been holed up in the In Amenas gas complex since they took up to 41 foreign worker hostage in a dawn assault on Wednesday.

"The (army) assault took place mid-morning. Eleven terrorists lost their lives along with the foreign hostages," the security source told AFP.

"We think they were killed in retaliation" for the army attack, the source said.

"Signatories in Blood," led by Algerian Mokhtar Belmokhtar, a former senior Al-Qaeda commander in north Africa, were demanding an end to French intervention against Islamists in neighboring Mali, ANI reported earlier.

Belmokhtar also wanted to exchanging American hostages for the blind Egyptian sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman and Pakistani Aafia Siddiqui, jailed in the United States on charges of terrorist links.

The plant is jointly run by BP, Norway's Statoil and Algeria's state-owned oil company.

An international outcry mounted over the Algerians' handling of the crisis. Experts noted that this is how they have always dealt with terrorists, refusing to negotiate.

The standoff has put the spotlight on militancy plaguing the region and al-Qaida-linked groups roaming remote areas from Mali to Libya, threatening vital infrastructure and energy interests.

The militants attacked the plant Wednesday morning, creeping across the border from Libya, 60 miles (100 kilometers) from the natural gas plant, and fell on a pair of buses taking foreign workers to the airport. The buses' military escort drove off the attackers in a blaze of gunfire that sent bullets zinging over the heads of the crouching workers. A Briton and an Algerian, probably a security guard, were killed.

Frustrated, the militants turned to the vast gas complex, divided between the workers' living quarters and the refinery itself, and seized hostages, the Algerian government said. The gas flowing to the site was cut off, though the circumstances of the cutoff remain unclear.

from AL ARABIYA
Saturday, 19 January 2013

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4 U.S. experts injured during de-mining exercise in Cambodia

Location map of Cambodia with Kampong Chhnang Province highlighted Equirectangular projection, N/S stretching 105 %. Geographic limits of the map: * N: 14.8° N * S: 9.9° N * W: 102.2° E * E: 107.9° E (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

PHNOM PENH, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- Four American demining experts got injured on Tuesday afternoon while an unexploded ordnance (UXO) exploded at a mine clearance training field in Cambodia's northern Kampong Chhnang province, Heng Ratana, director general of Cambodian Mine Action Center (CMAC) said.
"Two of them are in critical condition," he told Xinhua over telephone. "Our officials had sent them to hospital in Phnom Penh by a helicopter soon after the incident."

He said that the incident happened at the CMAC Training Center in Kampong Chhnang, about 91 kilometers north of Cambodian capital Phnom Penh.

"The UXO exploded at the UXO disposal training field," he said, adding that the injured experts were sent from the U.S. Department of Defense to train Cambodian de-miners for a 3-week course.

He said that there was no Cambodian de-miner hurt in the incident.

U.S. Embassy spokesman John Simmons confirmed on Tuesday evening that "four U.S. personnel were injured today in Kampong Chhnang during a mine clearance training exercise."

He did not share the details of the incident.

It was the first time that foreign experts were injured during the mine clearance course in the country.

Cambodia is one of the world's worst countries affected by mines as the result of almost three decades of war and internal conflicts from the mid-1960s until the end of 1998.

Since 1979 to November 2012, landmines have killed 19,661, injured 35,623 others and amputated 8,898, according to the government record.

The country needs an estimated 30 million U.S. dollars a year until 2020 to totally eliminate mines and explosive remnants of war.

from XINHUA
2013-01-15 20:27:27

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Taliban promise 'sacred jihad' if US forces remain in Afghanistan past 2014

By Bill Roggio - January 5, 2013 - LWJ

The Taliban have vowed to continue their "sacred jihad" if the Afghan government agrees to allow the United States to keep forces in Afghanistan past 2014. The Taliban made the statement as the Afghan government is freeing hundreds of Taliban prisoners and the US government is debating the size of a residual force for post-2014.

The statement, which was released today on Voice of Jihad, the official website of the Afghan Taliban, is signed by "The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan."

"If America wants peace in Afghanistan and the region as well as a way out for its people from this ongoing quagmire then it should immediately remove all its troops from Afghanistan and practically put an end to this futile war," the Taliban said.

The Taliban said "the American presence in Afghanistan" is the cause of "all this turmoil and anarchy in the region."

"Therefore if America wants to leave a small or large number of its troops for whatever length of time then it means war and destruction will continue in the region for that same length and it shall only be America that shall suffer the most," the statement continued.

The Taliban rejected any security agreement between the US and the Afghan government as "a personal deal between Karzai and America," and said "it shall hold no legal credibility."
"The Islamic Emirate shall continue its sacred Jihad against it just as it has for the past eleven years," if a "even a single American soldier" remains in country, the Taliban stated.

Over the years, the Taliban have consistently stated that a key condition for any peace negotiations with the Afghan government must include the full withdrawal of US and NATO forces. The Taliban have also insisted that the Taliban's Islamic Emirate be restored; that sharia, or Islamic law, be enforced; and that any prisoners held at Guantanamo Bay, Bagram, and other US facilities be released. In addition, the Taliban have refused to denounce al Qaeda, but despite this, the Obama administration has been eager to conduct negotiations.

The Obama administration is currently debating the size of the stay-behind force after US and NATO combat troops withdraw at the end of 2014. The administration is expected to settle on a rump advisory force of between 6,000 to 9,000 troops, according to the Los Angeles Times.

The bombastic Taliban statement occurs as the US, NATO, and the Afghan government have been upbeat about the prospects for a negotiated settlement with the Taliban. The Afghan government has freed more than 250 Taliban prisoners and plans on releasing an additional 150 this week. Additionally, Pakistan has been allowing Taliban leaders who have been detained to return to Afghanistan. The Afghan government has not been able to track the freed prisoners, and some are thought to be returning to the battlefield.

Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2013/01/taliban_promise_sacr.php#ixzz2H9KjShQK

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US soldier killed in the Dr.Dilip's rescue action

official ISAF release:

U.S. Forces-Afghanistan Casualty

2012-12-US-001 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE KABUL, Afghanistan (December 9, 2012) – A U.S. Forces-Afghanistan service member died in eastern Afghanistan today. It is USFOR-A policy to defer casualty identification procedures to the U.S. Department of Defense, who will release the name once next of kin have been notified.

--- U.S. Department of Defense Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs) News Release IMMEDIATE RELEASE     No. 961-12 December 09, 2012 Secretary Panetta's Statement on Operations in Afghanistan             “I want to commend the U.S Special Operations team who rescued an American citizen captured by the Taliban in Afghanistan.  I was deeply saddened to learn that a U.S. service member was killed in the operation, and I also want to extend my condolences to his family, teammates and friends.  The special operators who conducted this raid knew they were putting their lives on the line to free a fellow American from the enemy's grip.  They put the safety of another American ahead of their own, as so many of our brave warriors do every day and every night.  In this fallen hero, and all of our special operators, Americans see the highest ideals of citizenship, sacrifice and service upheld.  The torch of freedom burns brighter because of them.”

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US citizen rescued from Taliban

International Security Assistance Force HQ Public Affairs
Date Posted:12.08.2012 18:48

KABUL, Afghanistan – United States Forces – Afghanistan rescued a U.S. citizen, Dr. Dilip Joseph, today during an operation in eastern Afghanistan.

Joseph was abducted Dec. 5 by Taliban insurgents in the vicinity of Sarobi district, Kabul province.

“Today’s mission exemplifies our unwavering commitment to defeating the Taliban,” said Gen. John R. Allen, the commander of USFOR-A. “I’m proud of the American and Afghan forces that planned, rehearsed and successfully conducted this operation. Thanks to them, Dr. Joseph will soon be rejoining his family and loved ones.”

Allen ordered the mission when intelligence showed that Joseph was in imminent danger of injury or death.

Joseph is now undergoing evaluations.

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Iraq frees Hezbollah commander who helped mold Shia terror groups

By Thomas Joscelyn & Bill Roggio - LWJ - November 16, 2012

Iraq has freed Musa Ali Daduq, the senior Hezbollah commander who was tasked by Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps-Qods Force (IRGC-QF) to mold Shia terror groups into a Hezbollah-like entity. Daqduq was involved in the murder of five US soldiers in 2007. The US government transferred Daqduq to Iraqi custody in December 2011.

Daqduq was freed by Iraqi authorities last night and transferred to Lebanon, his lawyer told Reuters.

"There was no reason for his detention. Last night the decision was made to release him. He is out now and arrived in Beirut two hours ago," Daqduq's lawyer told Reuters. "There are no charges against him in Iraq. His detention was political, not legal."

Daqduq's release from Iraqi custody has been foreshadowed for months. In May, an Iraqi court ordered him to be released from custody, but Daqduq remained in prison while his case was appealed. In June, the US requested that Iraq extradite Daqduq so he could be tried in an American federal court. In August, an Iraqi court blocked his extradition to the US.

When the US transferred Daqduq to Iraqi custody last December, White House National Security Council spokesman Tommy Vietor said that Iraqi officials assured the US they would prosecute Daqduq.

At the time of Daqduq's release from US custody, American officials said that they feared the Iraqi government would be pressured by Iran and Shia political parties to free him outright. The US Department of Justice had planned to prosecute Daqduq in a US court, but Republican Senators opposed the transfer of the terrorist to US soil for prosecution. Some wanted Daqduq to be tried by a military court at Guantanamo Bay, but the Obama administration has refused to allow the transfer of terrorists to the prison and instead has sought to close it.


Read more: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2012/11/iraq_frees_hezbollah.php#ixzz2CTpaETVd

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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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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

Related articles

• 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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Somalia: U.S. Journalist Fears to Be Handed to Al Shabab

Hobyo — A US journalist held hostage by pirates in central Somalia town said on Wednesday that he fears to be handed to the Al Qaeda linked militants of Al shabab by his current kidnappers.

Micheal Scott, an abducted American journalist in Hobyo town of Mudug region said his captors are planning to transfer him to Al shabab, if their ransom demand is not paid three days.

"I appeal to the News agency I worked for and my government of United States to safe myself as soon as possible from falling to Al shabab hand," he cried.

It is unknown the healthy condition of Michael Scott, the US journalist held detainee in central Somalia.


from allAfrica/Shabelle
by maalik_eng October 10, 2012

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