war updates

Wednesday, June 8, 2011

Yemen Leader Heavily Burned In Blast

US Officials: Yemen Leader Heavily Burned In Blast -- CBS News/AP

SANAA, Yemen (AP) — President Ali Abdullah Saleh was burned over 40 percent of his body and suffered bleeding in the brain from last weekend's attack on his palace, U.S. officials said Tuesday, indicating his wounds were worse than initially reported. The revelation casts doubts on a quick return to Yemen and spells a deepening power vacuum.

In the wake of Saleh's evacuation to Saudi Arabia for treatment, Yemen's violence escalated, with government troops battling Islamic militants and opposition tribesmen in two southern cities on Tuesday. The military said it killed 30 militants who were among a group that took over the city of Zinjibar last week amid the country's turmoil.

Read more ....

More News On President Ali Abdullah Saleh Injuries

Yemen Leader Hurt Worse than Thought -- Time
Yemeni leader's injuries worse than initially reported, officials say -- Tampabay.com/Times
Yemeni President Saleh said to be more seriously injured than first reported -- Cleveland.com/McClatchy-Tribune
Yemen president's rocket attack injuries worse than first thought -- Daily Mirror

Picture Of The Day

U.S. Army paratroopers of the 82nd Airborne Division march with other service members through the streets of Montebourg, France, June 3, 2011. The soldiers are marching to honor those lost in combat during the Allied invasion of France. U.S. Army photo by Sgt. Michael J. MacLeod

British Taxpayer Money Used To Fund Radical Islamic Groups

The Prevent scheme was set up by Labour in the wake of 7/7 to try and stop extremism - but actually enable racical groups to receive money from the government

Islamist Hatemongers Funded By The Taxpayer With Money Earmarked For Schools -- The Daily Mail

Hundreds of thousands of pounds of taxpayers’ money earmarked to counter terrorism was instead handed to extremist groups, it emerged last night.

Radical Islamists were bankrolled with money which should have been used to combat their anti-Western ideology, a Government report concluded.

The money was spent as part of the Prevent programme which was funded with hundreds of millions of pounds to try to stop young Muslims from becoming radicalized.

Read more ....

My Comment: 2,000 madrassas with over 100,000 students being taught to hate those who do not follow the dictates of Islam. What was/is the British government thinking?

Afghan Nation-Building Programs Are On The Brink Of Failure

STONE STEPS - U.S. Army Spc. Joshua M. McLay shows Afghan soldiers how to properly sight an M14 rifle during Operation Stone Steps at Nangalam Base in eastern Afghanistan's Kunar province, May 31, 2011. U.S. soldiers trained the Afghan soldiers on various marksmanship and weapons training throughout the four-day operation. McLay is an infantry squad designated marksman assigned to the 25th Infantry Division's Company A, 2nd Battalion, 35th Infantry Regiment, 3rd Brigade Combat Team. U.S. Army photo by Sgt 1st Class Mark Burrell

Afghan Nation-Building Programs Not Sustainable, Report Says -- Washington Post

The hugely expensive U.S. attempt at nation-building in Afghanistan has had only limited success and may not survive an American withdrawal, according to the findings of a two-year congressional investigation to be released Wednesday.

The report calls on the administration to rethink urgently its assistance programs as President Obama prepares to begin drawing down the number of U.S. troops in Afghanistan this summer.

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My Comment: Someone has to do the proper research and documentation that explains how spending billions in aid programs will never succeed in a country whose cultural, political, and social structures exist in the 7th century while aid agencies are trying to implement a 21rst century model.

$320 million a month on foreign aid in Afghanistan, and very little to show for it. This is a disaster in the making .... and one that will guarantee a Taliban victory after Western forces withdraw in 2014. Fortunately, this realization is starting to hit Democrat senators, and I predict that as the Afghan mess gets worse, Republican senators will be on board by the end of this year.

Al Qaeda's New Death Squad Is Stopped In Its Tracks With The Killing Of Al Qaeda Leader Ilyas Kashmiri

Ilyas Kashmiri Photo: REUTERS

Al Qaeda Leader Ilyas Kashmiri Planned New Death Squad To Avenge bin Laden -- The Telegraph

Al-Qaeda's chief military commander was plotting a new terrorist group called Lashkar-e-Osama to launch a wave of revenge suicide attacks when he was reportedly killed in a drone strike last week, Pakistani officials have claimed.

Ilyas Kashmiri had convened a meeting of militant leaders to discuss hitting foreign embassies and also trying to poison Nato food supplies en route to Afghanistan to avenge the death of Osama bin Laden.

The plans were disclosed as distrust between Washington and Islamabad still surrounded Kashmiri's reported death on June 3.

US officials said their working assumption was that he remained alive despite assurances from Pakistan.

Read more ....

My Comment: Al Qaeda Leader Ilyas Kashmiri was probably the most dangerous terror commander out there, and his demise (if true) would be a good thing. Unfortunately, it is the Pakistanis who are the ones who are insisting that he has been killed .... a source that I would not trust in view of their rotten history in apprehending and stopping these terrorists.