The presence of the USA Crusader military forces on land, sea and air of the states of the Islamic Gulf is the greatest danger threatening the largest oil reserve in the world. The existence of these forces in the area will provoke the people of the country and induces aggression on their religion, feelings and prides and push them to take up armed struggle against the invaders occupying the land; therefore spread of the fighting in the region will expose the oil wealth to the danger of being burned up. The economic interests of the States of the Gulf and the land of the two Holy Places will be damaged and even a greater damage will be caused to the economy of the world. I would like here to alert my brothers, the Mujahideen, the sons of the nation, to protect this (oil) wealth and not to include it in the battle as it is a great Islamic wealth and a large economical power essential for the soon to be established Islamic state, by Allah's Permission and Grace. We also warn the aggressors, the USA, against burning this Islamic wealth (a crime which they may commit in order to prevent it, at the end of the war, from falling in the hands of its legitimate owners and to cause economic damages to the competitors of the USA in Europe or the Far East, particularly Japan which is the major consumer of the oil of the region).
From Wikipedia: Operation Achilles is an ongoing NATO operation, part of the War in Afghanistan (2001–present). Its objective is to clear the Helmand province of the Taliban. The operation began on March 6th of 2007 and the offensive will be the largest NATO based operation ever held in Afghanistan to date. NATO officials reported that, contrary to what happened in previous operations, Taliban fighters were avoiding direct confrontation in favor of guerilla tactics. It is led by British ISAF forces and focuses on the Kajakai Dam, which is a major power source for Afghanistan that has not been functioning for a number of years. One part of the mission was Operation Volcano, where British Royal Marines successfully cleared a large Taliban complex near the Kajakai Dam. [1]
According to the Al Jazeera article posted on the main page, Operation Achilles is specifically trying to clear the "northern tip" to safeguard the construction of the dam.
This is exactly the sort of thing we need to be doing in 'Iraq. Rather than the purely military "clear and hold" strategy that has made Baghdad the pleasant place it is today, it uses military action as a tool with which to make rebuilding the country possible. Its objective is peace, not war, which makes a huge difference in public opinion. By opposing the "clear and hold" tactics of the Coalition in 'Iraq, the insurgency opposes invaders, and is well received by the people. By opposing Operation Achilles, however, the Taliban opposes the construction of a hydroelectric dam, which has a tendency to piss off the people who would be benefiting from the dam. Last month, for example, the Taliban attacked some engineers (who were Indian nationals, if my memory serves me). Even though the engineers were unarmed, not a single one was killed, because several hundred civilians (who tend to be armed in Afghanistan) immediately swarmed the attackers, killing several and forcing the rest to flee. This is the sort of victory we should be seeking.
The US Marine Corps has dropped all charges against a sergeant accused in the killings of 24 Iraqi civilians in the town of
The decision to drop charges against Sergeant Sanick Dela Cruz, 24, was made on Tuesday by Lieutenant-General James Mattis who is overseeing the case.
Military prosecutors have since given immunity to at least seven marines and they may be called to testify at the trial of troops accused in the Haditha killings, according to leaked documents obtained by the Associated Press.
Charges dismissed
Dela Cruz had been charged with unpremeditated murder and could have received up to life in prison for the deaths of five Iraqi civilians in the November 19, 2005, killings.
He has been granted immunity from prosecution and must testify at upcoming hearings for other marines charged in the Haditha case.
Dan Marino, Dela Cruz's lawyer, declined to comment.
On the day of the killings, a marine squad was in Haditha, a town in Anbar province, when their convoy was hit by a roadside bomb killing one marine. In response, the marines raided several homes and killed 24 Iraqis, including women and children.
Dela Cruz and three other marines were charged in December with unpremeditated murder in the deaths.
The marines say they believed they were under attack in the wake of the roadside bomb blast and followed procedures to defend themselves.
Other marines granted immunity include an officer who told troops to raid a house and a sergeant who took photographs of the dead but later deleted them from his camera, according to the Associated Press.
The immunity orders ensure that any testimony the marines volunteer cannot be used against them.
Lieutenant-Colonel Sean Gibson declined on Friday to comment on individual cases due to the ongoing nature of the investigation.
Iraqis 'devalued'
In a separate investigation, a
A report by Major-General Eldon Bargewell found officers may have willfully ignored reports of the civilian deaths to protect themselves and their units from blame.
Bargewell concluded that commanders fostered a tendency that devalued Iraqis to the extent that US soldiers considered the deaths of innocents insignificant.
The report, now unclassified, focuses on the reporting of the Haditha incident and the training and command climate within the Marine Corps leadership.
It does not address the November 19, 2005, incident in detail.
The US marines corps has dropped charges against a soldier accused of killing five civilians in the Iraqi town of
Sgt. Sanick P. Dela Cruz of
A Marines spokesman refused to elaborate when contacted by AFP news agency.
"We've said all we are going to say about it," he said.
Dela Cruz was one of four marines charged last year with killing civilians in Haditha, 260km west of
Prosecutors alleged that the marines went on a killing spree in the town, shooting unarmed men, women and children after a comrade, Miguel Terrazaz, was killed by a roadside bomb while on patrol.
Defence lawyers said the marines followed established wartime rules of engagement and the deaths occurred after the soldiers became embroiled in a furious firefight with insurgents.
Four other marines - including 3rd Battalion Commander Jeffrey Chessani and Captain Lucas McConnell, neither of whom was in Haditha during the bloodshed - face charges of failing to properly investigate or report the killings.
One of Iraq's main armed groups has confirmed a split with al-Qaeda, according to a spokesman for the dissenting organisation.
A US citizen has been charged with joining al-Qaeda and conspiring to bomb tourist resorts in Europe and US government and military facilities based there, according to a federal indictment.
Abdel Karim Dahmen, a member of the ruling party, referred to the blasts as "bombs of terror" and said they could be an attempt to destabilise the country before elections due next month.
Omar Dalal, the editor of the Al Shaab newspaper, was near the scene when one blast happened at 11:30am local time and said it took place in the street parallel to the 17-storey building that houses the prime minister's office and several ministries, including the interior ministry.
The main anti-government rebel group, the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (the GSPC) has claimed responsibility for several attacks in recent months and has also declared itself to be a part of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda organisation.
More than 100,000 Algerians died in a civil war between the government and Islamist fighters in the 1990s.
In tribal tradition the beating of the drum announces a danger or emergency.
The army vowed to force the foreign fighters from the tribal lands and punish any Pakistanis sheltering them.
Government officials say that more than 200 people have been killed, most of them Uzbek fighters, since early last month.
Residents say up to 1,200 Uzbek fighters are in the region, most from the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan commanded by Tahir Yuldashev.
Pakistani authorities have reached pacts with tribesmen in several areas near the border in the hope of driving a wedge between them and the foreign fighters.
