U.S. eyes cuts to Iraq embassy after troops exit

Tue, Feb 07 23:18 PM EST BAGHDAD (Reuters) - The U.S. government is looking to cut the size of its embassy in Iraq, by far its largest and most expensive mission, months after the last American troops withdrew, U.S. officials said Tuesday. A State Department spokeswoman told reporters in Washington the objective was to reduce the cost of the overall mission, which includes roughly 2,000 diplomats as well as 14,000 contractors who do everything from provide security to run the kitchens. The New York Times reported Tuesday that the U.S. government was preparing to slash its diplomatic presence, which includes consulate operations in Basra, Arbil and Kirkuk, by as much as one half. State Department spokeswoman Victoria Nuland said there were no plans to slash the number of diplomats in half, although some reduction was possible, and that she could not predict what cuts there might be in the number of contractors. "What we are doing ... is looking at how we can 'right-size' our embassy in Iraq and particularly how we can do more for that mission through the hiring of local employees rather than having to be as dependent as we have been in the past on very expensive contractors," Nuland told reporters in Washington. "What ultimate numbers will result from this in reductions in contractors, we don't know yet. This process has just begun," she added. "But we are trying to ensure that it is rigorous and that it gets us to a much more normal embassy like some of our big embassies around the world." Talks to reduce the size of the U.S. mission in Baghdad come after negotiations to keep around 3,000 American troops in Iraq as trainers fell apart over the sensitive issue of immunity from local prosecution for soldiers involved in crimes. Since the U.S. troop withdrawal, foreign contractors in Iraq, particularly those involved in security, have complained about increasing difficulty in securing visas and permits to work in the country. Many Iraqis have memories of abuses committed by U.S. troops and contractors after the March 2003 U.S.-led invasion such as the 2004 Abu Ghraib prison scandal and the 2007 incident in which 14 Iraqi civilians were killed by Blackwater private security contractors. The U.S. embassy in Baghdad, which sits inside the heavily fortified Green Zone, houses diplomats and thousands of support staff and security contractors. A handful of U.S. military personnel remain in the country, working with the embassy to help with arms sales and training for Iraqi forces. U.S. officials say there are about 16,000 people involved in the American diplomatic effort in Iraq. (Reporting by Patrick Markey; Additional reporting by Arshad Mohammed in Washington; Editing by Andrew Heavens) =================== As Iraq, Afghan wars end, private security firms adapt Sun, Oct 21 01:25 AM EDT By Peter Apps, Political Risk Correspondent WASHINGTON (Reuters) - On a rooftop terrace blocks from the White House, a collection of former soldiers and intelligence officers, executives and contractors drink to the international private security industry. The past decade - particularly the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan - provided rich pickings for firms providing private armed guards, drivers and other services that would once have been performed by uniformed soldiers. But as the conflicts that helped create the modern industry wind down, firms are having to adapt to survive. They must also, industry insiders say, work to banish the controversial image of mercenary "dogs of war" that bedevil many firms, particularly in Iraq. "This industry has always gone up and down," Doug Brooks, president of the International Stability Operations Association (ISOA), told Reuters on the sidelines of its annual conference in Washington. "What we're seeing now is that it is becoming much more mature - and much more responsible." The free-for-all atmosphere that pervaded the industry, particularly in the early years of the war in Iraq, insiders say, appears gone for good. A string of high profile incidents - often involving armed private guards firing on sometimes unarmed Iraqis - trashed the reputation of firms such as Blackwater, a Virginia-based firm since renamed several times, as well as the wider industry. Members of the ISOA - which include some but not all of the major contracting firms as well as smaller players - subscribe to a code of conduct that they say helps identify responsible firms. Despite these efforts, industry insiders and other observers say quality remains mixed. Some firms providing armed guards for merchant ships passing through the Somali pirate-infested Indian Ocean, for example, only hire elite personnel who have served in the Marines or special forces. Others, however, have a reputation for being less discriminating and for unreliable staff and weapons. In the aftermath of last month's attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi, which killed the U.S. ambassador to Libya and three other Americans, critics have seized on the hiring of a little-known British private security firm now accused of providing inadequate protection at the mission. The clear industry aim is to distance itself from groups such as that led by former British soldier Simon Mann, who was captured in 2004 by authorities in Zimbabwe as they apparently headed to Equatorial Guinea to mount a coup. The word "mercenary," Brooks makes clear, is simply taboo. "Calling private security contractors mercenaries is clearly derogatory and serious journalists and academics don't use the term," he says. The most vulnerable firms, many in industry say, may be those who have relied on ongoing U.S. military work that is now drying up as the Pentagon "Operational Contingency Allowance" - the additional funding earmarked for the wars - tapers off. At its peak, the U.S. Commission on Wartime Contracting, a bipartisan legislative commission established to study wartime contracting in Iraq and Afghanistan, estimated there might have been as many as 260,000 contractors in the two countries. TIDE GOING OUT? "At the moment, everyone is looking for work that is not OCA-funded," one industry executive told Reuters on condition of anonymity, saying he expected an era of mergers and even bankruptcies. "It's going to be like when the tide goes out at the beach and you suddenly find out who has been naked." New Pentagon priorities, many believe, will provide fewer openings for traditional private military contractors. Washington's strategic "pivot" to the Asia-Pacific region will involve mainly warships or uniformed Marines, with little need for extra hired muscle. Companies that take a broader approach and also provide logistic, intelligence and other functions, however, could have a much better decade.

"If your definition of a private security contractor is only someone with a gun at a checkpoint in Afghanistan, then yes, you may be seeing a decline," says David Isenberg, an adjunct scholar at the Cato Institute in Washington. "But if your definition is of private contractors performing tasks that would once have been done almost exclusively by government and military, it's a very different picture."

When it comes to conventional security, many in the industry believe the real growth will come from serving the private sector - particularly the oil, gas and mining industries. Even with U.S. troops gone from Iraq and the number of government contractors down, some companies say they are finding strong demand from energy firms for protection, particularly around Basra in southern Iraq. "We are as busy as ever and the need has never been greater," said Pete Dordal, senior vice president at GardaWorld, a global risk management and security services firm. "I don't want to say it's a gold rush, but business is very good." Private security firms, insiders say, evacuated the vast majority of the thousands of foreign nationals plucked from Libya as its civil war erupted early last year. Most were contracted by other private firms, although governments also used them heavily. London-based Control Risks told Reuters last year that China hired it directly to fly hundreds of its nationals out by airliner. STILL CONTROVERSIAL Some in the industry believe the number of contractors in Afghanistan could even rise with the planned departure of all U.S. combat troops in 2014, as mining companies exploit largely untapped mineral resources. It's a similar picture in Africa, where even in war-torn Somalia, a handful of companies are setting up shop. They often work with local tribes and other groups to safeguard visiting journalists, business representatives and prospectors. Focusing on finding reliable local staff, some say, may ultimately prove both cheaper and more reliable than foreign hired guns. In Libya, some energy firms long turned to local desert tribes to protect their facilities - a tactic that proved remarkably effective during last year's civil war after foreign security staff were swiftly withdrawn. The trick may be to avoid having grandiose ambitions. A handful of British firms in particular have made millions from providing on-board protection teams for Indian Ocean shipping. But those who have tried to go a step further and start their own private navies - hoping to escort merchant ships for cash - have struggled to find sufficient funding. Within Somalia some credit the hiring of private contractors with Gulf state money to bolster the Coast Guard of the independent enclave of Puntland as being behind recent drops in pirate attacks. But it proved so controversial that funding was eventually pulled, leaving behind half-trained local fighters that some worry could prove a regional security threat in their own right. Private contractors are increasingly central to operations such as the African Union's AMISOM peacekeeping mission in Somalia, performing roles such as bomb disposal, logistics and technical support. ISOA and some experts argued they could do much, much more. The few dozen foreign contractors from the now-defunct British firm "Executive Outcomes," together with the hundreds of local fighters they trained, are often credited with turning the tide in Sierra Leone's 2001 civil war. But after years of discussions at the United Nations, few of the world's governments appear enthusiastic about the idea of private security firms becoming the norm. "In some places, contractors might be more effective than some of the troops from contributing nations," said Edmond Mulet, U.N. Assistant Secretary General for Peacekeeping Operations. "But the U.N. is simply the sum of its member states and some of them are opposed to the use of contractors in some roles," he told the conference. (Reporting By Peter Apps; Editing by Paul Simao) ============== Navy Seals Make Great Real Estate Investors: Learn From Them By Richard Dolan, President, The Real Estate Investment Network Where you are in the context of team? Who have you underestimated as a part of your team, who have you forgotten is a part of your team, and what purpose and role do you play inside the context and the framework of team? One of the things that I started talking a little bit about was a reference to Navy SEALs. Some of you would say, “Hey, you know what, I’m just a nurse, I’m just a teacher, I’m just a father of two and just want to make some passive income; I’m no Navy SEAL,” and I say, “You know what? You’ve got to look past the idea of referencing someone like a Navy SEAL.” I thought it might be interesting to delve into this as the theme of this week, which is around the subject matter of a characteristic that embodies a SEAL, and that is to be tough; by the way, “tough”--not as in a macho thing--tough as in mentally tough.

Mark Twain once wrote, back in 1894, that, “courage is the resistance to fear and mastery of fear, not absence of fear.”

So, you can say that the idea of tough is the essence of a Navy SEAL. Only in being tough, can someone be unbeatable or unstoppable; but this is an attribute, folks, an attribute possessed by most extraordinary people. To be tough is to be strong and resilient and able to withstand great strain without tearing or breaking. This is certainly true of Navy SEALs, but not only in the physical sense. To be tough is not solely a male attribute; women can and are, in many cases, tough. I’ve got to tell you, by the way, as a footnote, my mother is far tougher than my father could ever dream of being, but keep that between us. You see, tough is not considered to be masculine. To be tough is an attribute that everyone possesses, but at their own level of proficiency. You see, women most definitely possess this particular element physically, emotionally, even intellectually, but I may have survived, for example, having endured much training in workshops in 20 years of being developed. Back to our good friend and mentor, Jack Schropp; this guy survived three tours to Vietnam, and Navy SEALs training, but he would admit that there’s no comparison to the toughness of a mother. So, the reality there is this: The idea of being tough is one thing, but look at Mother Theresa as an example. She was renowned for possessing this particular element--not just being compassionate, but being ferociously tough. So, to be tough is not to be the following, pretending to be fearless, or withholding your feelings from others, wearing the symbols or insignia like tattoos, gang colors; taking steroids isn’t tough, shaving your head isn’t tough, using foul language, trucking or owning a big old pickup truck, ignoring rules, or even fighting for that matter. Under the umbrella of success, in any given field, you will find the leader of the team fully expressing this particular element of being tough. You see, being tough means to play the game - whatever the game is—full out. Not acting like you are playing full out. This encompasses concentration on the job at hand and a focus on all of its details, moment by moment. To be tough is to be fully intent on fulfilling one’s commitments, so much that one is impervious to any adverse conditions or circumstances. You know, these adverse conditions can be physical, psychological, even emotional, by the way. Playing full out means playing the game without thought or hesitation. You see, often when people are playing full out and are being intentional, others can mistake this behavior as anger or edginess - I get this all the time by the way. This is no doubt where, to go back to our example, Navy SEALs, unwittingly, obtain their hard-ass reputation. This drive is not a by-product of edginess or anger, in fact, it is quite the opposite. It is while in a state of such extreme focus that the intentional person experiences peacefulness in the midst of action and in the face of external chaos and in adverse conditions, despite how others may interpret their actions. You see, on the outside, this drive might appear as one being stern or aggressive or even cold. When a person is directing their thoughts or attention towards the job at hand and has clarity about their objectives in the moment and, at the same time, is considering all steps like all the evolutions and details required to achieve the desired outcome, there’s no room to dillydally in emotions and feelings. You see, emotions and feelings are not part of the equation. In fact, when playing full out, emotions and feelings often require too much attention and energy and, therefore, hinder momentum. So, back to our lioness, the female tough image and/or mentor in our lives. Can you imagine Elsa, the famous lioness telling her mate Leo, “big guy, give that roaring a rest, will you; me and the pride are a little fed up of your bossiness and language.” It’s when we are uncommitted and playing haphazardly, that we experience temptation for something other than our committed goals. Whenever people are faced with adversity, one foot is often found moving out of the door considering option two, and breaking their commitment. Can it sound like should I or shouldn’t I? When this happens, we start to think about some things other than our commitments: We think about how hard we are working, or how we are not being appreciated, or we ask ourselves, “Why should I be committed; I’m not getting anything out of this anyway.” You see, our thinking gets us into trouble and we see this all the time, for example, at REIN, we’ve seen this for 20 years. Where, at the end of the day, people start moving away from what they’re committed to and they actually begin to dilute the toughness that they should, in fact, be exercising in the face of them not getting what they want. You see, when adversity strikes, our self-talk increases in volume and the problem is that the job of our self-talk is to dwell in our feelings and expectations about our life. When our feelings and expectations are not aligned with what’s happening in reality, we decide that reality, in that moment, should get aligned with our expectations. In other words, people resist what is actually occurring in reality and, when faced with adversity, most people would rather revel in their grand illusions about how life should be, rather than deal with the way life really, really truly is. This often shows up in conversations such as “he or she shouldn’t be this way” or “my company should be doing this or it should be doing that.” Life is simply what it is and is what it isn’t. You see, when we are cold we want heat, when a market plummets we want it to flourish. If, during combat, the SEALs would experience the cold or heat, they simply accept it and focus on the commitment. Those who groan about wanting the conditions to be other than they are, are ludicrous. It would have to make everyone have to say, “Hey, this has to be different and it won’t just change because you say so.” This is the case: Lack of commitment can best be expressed as, “well, stuff happens.” People might argue that Navy SEALs do what they do because they’re detached or cold-hearted or free from emotional involvement. Movie and television writers like to depict these guys this way but that’s just, maybe, a compliment; because to tell you the truth, I’ve gotten to know one quite well over the past two decades. You see, being detached is an attribute of saints and gurus; that certainly isn’t the case when you’re talking about the men with green faces covered in swamp slime or crawling into someone’s cave in Afghanistan. Anyone committed to anything greater than oneself, such as defending one’s country, is highly passionate and deeply emotionally connected whether they express it to anyone else’s satisfaction or not. To be committed is to be bound emotionally and intellectually, and some might say, spiritually, to an idea, a principle, a course of action, or to someone. What’s your commitment in REIN and your membership; what are you here to do? What are you here to get; what life changing direction are you here for? You see, it is to pledge a promise or a vow to someone else; it is to maintain this bond you made of your own free will on a moment by moment basis. So, look into your life to where you were suffering, for example. Maybe you have emotionally, financially, I don’t know—something, but think to yourself, if you look at some place that you’re suffering emotionally (this might include being worried, depressed, frustrated, maybe even angry), and in this area you consider holding this particular secret, this particular element, this particular lesson to be tough. If you feel you are working too hard or you experience defeat or fatigue, do you have one foot out of the commitment door? If not, everything you do will feel like a chore or like hard work or even like a hopeless pursuit. You might not be playing full out, except in your own sob story. So, being tough is an attribute you might want to enhance your romantic relationship, your family situation, or even something in your career--maybe even your financial status. If you find yourself criticizing others like “you stink” or “too bad you’re aggressive,” think again. Maybe they’re just expressing the secret called “tough” in its full glory. You just might be pointing your fingers to deflect, defend, or protect your own lack of commitment, laziness, or even scattered, disorganized behavior. People who are successful in their fields are tough, which is part of why they are successful. Those who are being tough are often considered the bad guys. In the media, for example, Martha Stewart been reported as being tough; but the media likes to interpret tough in association with terms like cold-heartedness or ruthlessness. Someone might very well be this way, but this is not the definition of tough. To be tough is to be strong, resilient, and able to withstand great strain without tearing or breaking. A tough person, not in the heat of action, might also have the capacity to be warm-hearted, thoughtful, considerate, or even open minded. Cold-hearted and ruthless are interpretations projected onto people by those who, most likely, have never committed themselves to something greater than themselves and played the game of life as though their lives were at stake. Michael Jordan and Larry Bird, for example, have actually been described by various media folk as “assassin-like,” which goes way beyond the idea of tough. The media’s interpretation was attempting, in my perspective, to describe some inner, extraordinary quality possessed by these two professional basketball players. So, people in your life such as your boss, are too tough and you’re making them wrong in some way or seeking an agreement of your point of view from others. We have given up and are now feeling bored or resigned. Reconsider that you have another option: If you’re interested in recreating your life as extraordinary, to be around tough people will provide you the opportunity to polish, within yourself, the secrets of commitment that we talked about; steadfastness, toughness, trainability. If this doesn’t interest you, then remember that your tough boss just might be the source that keeps shoes on your feet and food in your refrigerator, so you are the best to accept it. If you are proficient at this particular lesson and others say you are edgy and aggressive when you’re just playing full out, be responsible for your proficiency with this attribute. Express your commitment to your teammates, share your desire to achieve the team’s objectives, let them know that they need not personalize your perceived insensitivity. You also need not diminish this quality; on the contrary, to be tough is an attribute for which you should be proud. This is also not an argument for you to abuse people verbally at home or at work in the name of being tough. Remember, feelings and emotions thwart one’s intentions. To abuse someone is a highly reactive emotional state, and the emotional state that you’ve got to watch--and it’s the opposite of tough. So, be mindful that your spouse or your partner in life or your co-worker has the right to express their toughness in their own way. While they’re playing a game of baseball or basketball, family unity or professional success, or your real estate investment portfolio, whether for yourself, for one door or for many; we all want the tough ones on our side. You all want the toughness in your life, on your side. We all want our teammates to be absolutely extraordinary. Richard Dolan is the President and Founding Partner of The Real Estate Investment Network. This article is part of an ongoing Mastery Series available to REIN members. ============== Inquiry harshly criticizes U.S. State Department over Benghazi attack Tue, Dec 18 22:37 PM EST By Arshad Mohammed and Anna Yukhananov and Tabassum Zakaria WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Security at the U.S. mission in Benghazi, Libya was grossly inadequate to deal with a September 11 attack that killed a U.S. ambassador and three others because of systemic failures within the State Department, an official inquiry found on Tuesday. In a scathing assessment, the review cited "leadership and management" deficiencies at two bureaus of the department, poor coordination among officials in Washington and "real confusion" on the ground over who had the responsibility, and the power, to make decisions that involved policy and security concerns. The attack killed Ambassador Christopher Stevens and three other Americans and set off a political furor as Republicans used the issue to attack President Barack Obama before the November 6 election. The report's harsh assessment seemed likely to tarnish the four-year tenure of Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, who said in a letter accompanying the review that she would adopt all of its recommendations. "Systemic failures and leadership and management deficiencies at senior levels within two bureaus of the State Department ... resulted in a special mission security posture that was inadequate for Benghazi and grossly inadequate to deal with the attack that took place," said the report by the official "Accountability Review Board." The report specifically faulted the State Department's Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs and its Bureau of Diplomatic Security. The incident has raised questions about the adequacy of security at U.S. embassies around the globe and where to draw the line between protecting American diplomats in dangerous places while giving them enough freedom to do their jobs.

Jon Alterman, head of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies, said the assessment reflected poorly on Clinton and its recommendations would probably make life harder for diplomats in the field "This is a mark against Secretary Clinton. While she was not singled out, the report highlighted the lack of leadership and organization on security issues, and those fall into her bailiwick," Alterman said. "The report, however, relies a little too much on bureaucratic fixes," he added. "Sprinkling people throughout the system who are not only empowered to say 'no,' but have an institutional interest in doing so, will make it harder for diplomats to get out of tightly guarded facilities."

The political uproar in the United States over the Benghazi attack has already claimed one victim. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice, widely tipped as a front-runner to replace Clinton when she steps down as secretary of state early next year, last week withdrew her name from consideration, saying she wished to avoid a potentially disruptive Senate confirmation process. Republican lawmakers had blasted Rice for comments she made on several television talk shows in the aftermath of the attack in which she said preliminary information suggested the assault was the result of protests over an anti-Muslim video made in California rather than a premeditated strike. The review. however, concluded that no protest took place before the attack. Rice has said she was relying on talking points drawn up by U.S. intelligence officials. (Editing by Christopher Wilson) ===========

Taliban claim assassination of Karzai brother

Updated at: 1429 PST, Tuesday, July 12, 2011
KABUL: Taliban claimed responsibility for the assassination of President Hamid Karzai's younger brother on Tuesday, calling it "one of our biggest achievements" in nearly a decade of war.

Taliban spokesman Usuf Ahmadi told by telephone that the group had recently assigned a gunman to kill Ahmed Wali Karzai, a hugely powerful and controversial figure in the Afghan south. (AFP)

==

KABUL, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan President Hamid Karzai says his half brother's assassination reflects the suffering of all Afghan people.

Karzai said Tuesday in a press conference that Ahmed Wali Karzai's death is a pain he shares with all Afghans.

Officials say Ahmed Wali Karzai was assassinated by a bodyguard at his home in Kandahar.

The president says "in the houses of the people of Afghanistan, each of us is suffering and our hope is, God willing, to remove this suffering from the people of Afghanistan and implement peace and stability."

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — Afghan President Hamid Karzai's powerful half brother, a lightning rod for criticism of all that is wrong with the Afghan government, was assassinated by a bodyguard Tuesday at his home in the southern province of Kandahar, officials said.

Ahmed Wali Karzai, who was head of the Kandahar provincial council, had become a political liability for the Karzai government after a series of allegations, including that he was on the CIA payroll and involved in drug trafficking. He denied the charges, and the president repeatedly defended him, denouncing accusations that his brother was involved in criminal activities in the restive south.

Ahmed Wali Karzai's death was confirmed by Zalmai Ayubi, the spokesman for Kandahar province, and Sediq Sediqqi, a spokesman for the Ministry of Interior. A member of Karzai's private security team killed him with an AK-47, according to a person who witnessed the killing. The individual declined to be identified.

Rangina Hamidi, a resident of Kandahar and daughter of the city's mayor, said Ahmed Wali Karzai is survived by five children — two sons and three daughters. She says his youngest son was born about a month ago.

"It is his one-month-old child who is never going to see his father that I cry about," she said sobbing on the phone. "How many orphans and widows are we creating in this country?"

Ahmed Wali Karzai has been the reported target of multiple assassination attempts.

In May 2009, his motorcade was ambushed by insurgents firing rockets and machine guns in eastern Nangarhar province. One of his bodyguards was killed, but he was not harmed.

That attack came less than two months after four Taliban suicide bombers stormed Kandahar's provincial council office, killing 13 people in an assault that Ahmed Wali Karzai said was aimed at him. A Taliban spokesman said the attack targeted the general compound. The president's half brother had left the building a few minutes before that attack.

===

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (Reuters) - A brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and one of the most powerful men in southern Afghanistan was shot dead at his home on Tuesday, apparently by a senior and highly trusted bodyguard, officials said.

Ahmad Wali Karzai was a controversial figure, but his assassination will leave a dangerous power vacuum in Kandahar, the Taliban's birthplace and a focus of recent efforts by a "surge" of U.S. troops to turn the tide against the insurgency.

He also played a critical role in shoring up his brother's influence in the south, and President Karzai may find his reach there is now limited.

"My younger brother was martyred in his house today. This is the life of all Afghan people. I hope these miseries which every Afghan family faces will one day end," Karzai said at a news conference in Kabul. He gave no more details.

Ahmad Wali Karzai was shot dead by Sardar Mohammad, a senior member of his security detail who once guarded the president, a source at the National Directorate of Security, Afghanistan's intelligence agency, told Reuters.

"Sardar Mohammad was a senior bodyguard to Wali Karzai and highly trusted. He had been with Karzai's family for the last ten years," the source said, adding Ahmad Wali Karzai had died almost instantly because he was shot in the head and chest.

Mohammad was shot dead by other bodyguards moments after opening fire, the source said.

The killing cast a pall over the city of Kandahar. Police had set up extra checkpoints, security forces flooded into the city and shops were closed down in the central areas.

"MANY ENEMIES"

The Taliban claimed responsibility for one of the most high-profile assassinations of the last decade after news of his death became public. They have in the past taken responsibility for attacks that security services question their role in.

Years in power and his sometimes ruthless operating methods meant there might be many other people keen to target Karzai who was often known simply by his initials, AWK.

"I'm not sure whether I would assume that this was the Taliban because he had a lot of enemies down there," said Thomas Ruttig, co-director of the Afghanistan Analysts Network.

Officials in Kabul and Kandahar declined comment on whether they thought the killing was personal, connected to the insurgency or driven by other grievances.

Ahmad Wali Karzai had survived several other assassination attempts. He said in May 2009 he had been ambushed on the road to Kabul by Taliban insurgents who killed one of his bodyguards.

In November 2008, he escaped unscathed from an attack on government buildings in his home province which killed six, and in 2003 there was an explosion outside his home.

CRITICAL POWER BROKER

A half brother of the president, Ahmad Wali Karzai returned to Afghanistan after the ouster of the Taliban government, leaving behind a career as a restaurateur in Chicago to eventually become probably the most powerful man in Kandahar.

His power came not from his position as head of the provincial council -- a largely consultative role which normally carries limited influence -- but from his tribal and family connections and the fortune he accumulated.

He had been accused of corruption and ties to Afghanistan's huge opium trade that helps fund the Taliban-led insurgency. Ahmad Wali Karzai had strongly denied the accusations.

Foreign officials saw him as a polarizing figure who could complicate their efforts to win over the population and supplant the Taliban by bringing improvements to the way the province is governed.

But they also recognized his huge reach and worked closely with him despite misgivings.

"I'm certain that the killing of AWK will have profound political consequences, but it is too early to assess this more concretely now," said a senior Western diplomat in Kabul, who asked not to be named.

"We need to know more about the underlying motives of the killing and which actors now will move in to fill the lacuna after AWK."

(Additional reporting by Hamid Shalizi, Jonathon Burch and Michelle Nichols in Kabul; Writing by Emma Graham-Harrison; Editing by Nick Macfie)

===

Q+A-The impact of Ahmad Wali Karzai's death

13 Jul 2011 12:26

Source: reuters // Reuters

By Emma Graham-Harrison

KABUL, July 13 (Reuters) - Ahmad Wali Karzai, the younger half-brother of Afghan President Hamid Karzai and most powerful man in southern Afghanistan, was killed by a close associate on Tuesday.

His death leaves a dangerous power vacuum in southern Kandahar province, birthplace of the Taliban and focus of recent efforts by a surge of U.S. troops to turn the tide against the insurgency.

Below are questions and answers about Ahmad Wali Karzai and his role in southern Afghanistan.

Q: WHY DID HE MATTER?

A: Ahmad Wali Karzai was arguably the most powerful man in southern Afghanistan, who acted as a regent and enforcer for his brother across the volatile region. His influence belied his modest official title, as head of the provincial council.

Critics said he was tainted by brutality and corruption that helped drive ordinary Afghans into the arms of insurgents. He was reported variously to have ties to the opium trade, private militias and the CIA -- all charges he strongly denied.

But even enemies admitted he also brought a degree of ruthless control to a violent area through his unrivalled network of tribal and family connections and the personal fortune he was rumoured to have amassed and used deftly for political ends.

Short-term there is almost certain to be infighting among rivals to his crown; longer term the political structure of the south is likely to be irrevocably changed.

Q: WILL HIS DEATH HURT PRESIDENT KARZAI?

A: Analysts say Ahmad Wali Karzai all but won two presidential elections for his brother through his patronage and security networks, and ensured some continued, if not always enthusiastic, support for his rule.

Another Karzai brother has been chosen to succeed him as a senior elder of the Popalzai tribe, in what is likely an early bid by Karzai to curb the extent of the coming power struggle.

Shah Wali Karzai is respected but relatively unknown; he may eventually be able to build up a power base that matches his younger brother's, but for now President Karzai is likely to be diminished in an area that should be his natural heartland.

Q: WILL HIS DEATH HAVE A WIDER IMPACT ON SECURITY?

A: His death will almost certainly cause a short-term deterioration in the already fragile security situation in Kandahar, by fraying or shattering the complex patronage networks he presided over.

Kandahar City already saw over half of all assassinations nationwide in the second quarter of the year.

If fighting for a share of his power or wealth is protracted, it may sap energy from the battle against Taliban insurgents or further alienate locals exhausted and disillusioned by years of violence and corruption.

This could threaten recent security gains made by foreign forces around the city, particularly at a time when they are preparing to start a gradual, years-long security handover to the Afghan police and army.

In Kabul, senior officials warned that the psychological impact could be as significant as the actual impact, because the death of someone as powerful and well protected as Ahmad Wali Karzai implies no one can really be safe.

Q: WHO WILL REPLACE HIM?

A: Ahmad Wali Karzai had several roles, and his official title as head of the provincial council was the least important. Normally a consultative position, it may return to that status if a low-key successor is chosen.

Another Karzai brother has been anointed to fill a second role, as a leading elder of the Popalzai tribe and presumably as Karzai's unofficial representative in southern Afghanistan.

Shah Wali Karzai is a businessman and trained engineer, two years older than his murdered brother, who used to travel frequently between Dubai and Kandahar and kept a much lower profile. He may struggle to entirely fill his brother's shoes.

So Ahmad Wali Karzai's title as the uncrowned "King of Kandahar" may still be available for other ambitious and powerful leaders like Gul Agha Sherzai, currently governor of eastern Nangahar province but once Kandahar governor.

His transfer in 2004 allowed Ahmad Wali Karzai to consolidate his power, but Sherzai is reportedly interested in returning to his former base, and as a sometime ally of President Karzai might be favoured for the post.

Another powerful Kandahar player is the recently appointed Kandahar police chief Abdul Razeq.

Q: WHAT WERE HIS TIES WITH THE WEST LIKE?

A: Perturbed by the persistent reports of corruption and drug and militia links, some Western diplomats and soldiers dealing with Kandahar had misgivings about his role.

Ultimately though they seem to have decided that his influence was so ubiquitous, and his hold over politicians, officials and tribal leaders so strong that they were better working with him than against him.

Western ambivalence about him was summed up last year by British Major General Nick Carter, then the commanding officer for southern Afghanistan, at a news conference.

"It's also my sense that, in relation to Ahmad Wali Karzai, he would tell you -- and he's either a candidate for an Oscar or he's the most maligned man in Afghanistan -- that he is trying to help his country, that he's trying to help us and he's trying to help his people," he said.

(Editing by Michelle Nichols)

===


Five French soldiers killed in Afghanistan -statement

13 Jul 2011 12:06

Source: reuters // Reuters

PARIS, July 13 (Reuters) - Five French soldiers were killed after a suicide attack in Afghanistan on Wednesday, and four others were seriously wounded, French President Nicolas Sarkozy's office said in a statement.

"The French soldiers were protecting a council meeting in the Tagab valley," the Elysee said. "A terrorist set off a bomb close to the soldiers wounding four other French soldiers seriously and three Afghan civilians."

The statement said one Afghan civilian was also killed in the attack. (Reporting by Emmanuel Jarry and John Irish)

==

Pakistan's ISI chief heads to U.S. as ties founder

13 Jul 2011 11:22

Source: reuters // Reuters

* Pasha to discuss intelligence matters

* Visit follows deteriorating ties after bin Laden's death

* Prime minister says concerned over military aid suspension (Adds military official's, prime minister's comments)

By Zeeshan Haider

ISLAMABAD, July 13 (Reuters) - The head of Pakistan's powerful spy agency headed for Washington on Wednesday for unscheduled talks, the military said, days after the United States suspended a third of military aid over deepening tensions in their relationship.

Few details were available about Lieutenant-General Ahmad Shuja Pasha's one-day trip, but it comes at a time when the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI), the military's intelligence wing, is under intense pressure to sever ties with militant groups including those it has long nurtured as assets in Afghanistan and India.

Relations between the intelligence establishments of the two countries have been on a downward spiral since January after a CIA contractor killed two Pakistanis with joint operations against militants suspended soon after.

Then, in May, the killing of Osama bin Laden in a secret raid by U.S. special forces further damaged the relationship, with Pakistan branding the operation a violation of its sovereignty.

Pasha was going to Washington to "coordinate intelligence matters", the military said in a one-line statement and an official said it signalled efforts to patch up ties.

"Relations have not broken down. Intelligence sharing is going on... We are talking to each other despite difficulties," the senior military official said on condition of anonymity.

Incensed over the bin Laden raid, Pakistan drastically cut the number of U.S. military trainers allowed in the country and also set clear terms for U.S. intelligence activities in the country.

Washington responded by saying it would hold back $800 million -- a third of $2 billion in security assistance -- in a show of displeasure over the cutback of military trainers, limits on visa for U.S. personnel and other bilateral irritants.

Prime Minister Yusuf Raza Gilani expressed concerns over the U.S. suspension of some of the assistance.

"It is our military. We have concerns about (the suspension of) aid because we are in the middle of the war on terrorism and extremism," Gilani told a news conference in the southwestern city of Quetta.

"It's our own war but we are fighting this war for the entire world. For the peace, prosperity and progress of the whole world. The entire world is benefiting from this war."

Gilani's concern ran counter to a statement by the Pakistani military which played down the impact of the U.S. aid suspension saying that it would fight the militants with its "own resources".

Relentless missile strikes by U.S. drone aircraft in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt on the Afghan border are also a major bone of contention.

Despite protests by Pakistan in public, the United States has continued the strikes, killing at least 48 suspected militants this week, one of the largest death tolls to date in the controversial air bombing campaign. (Editing by Chris Allbritton and Sanjeev Miglani)

===

Afghan suicide bombing kills five French troops

13 Jul 2011 13:15

Source: reuters // Reuters

* Four other soldiers seriously injured, 1 Afghan killed

* Attack comes day after Sarkozy details withdrawal plans

* Worst attack against French troops since 2008

(Recasts with French confirmation, details, background)

By Ahmad Qiam

CHARIKAR, Afghanistan, July 13 (Reuters) - A suicide attack killed five French soldiers and seriously wounded four others in Afghanistan on Wednesday, the French president's office said on Wednesday, France's biggest one-day troop loss since 2008.

French President Nicolas Sarkozy had visited Afghanistan on Tuesday and detailed his plan to withdraw 1,000 troops by the end of 2012, around a quarter of France's troop commitment to Afghanistan.

"The French soldiers were protecting a council meeting in the Tagab valley," Sarkozy's office said. "A terrorist set off a bomb close to the soldiers wounding four other French soldiers seriously and three Afghan civilians."

The statement said one Afghan civilian was also killed.

A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) had earlier confirmed there had been an insurgent attack in Kapisa causing foreign casualties.

Most foreign troops based in Tagab in Kapisa province, 50 km (30 miles) outside the Afghan capital, are French.

"The head of state expresses France's determination to continue to operate at the heart of ISAF to establish peace and stability in the country and to contribute to its development," Sarkozy's office said.

Abdul Hakim, the district governor of Tagab, said earlier three foreign soldiers had been killed in the attack, and two Afghan civilians and a policeman had also been wounded.

He said the suicide bomber walked up to the soldiers who were standing next to their armoured vehicles before detonating his explosives.

Violence in Afghanistan is at its worst since U.S.-backed Afghan forces overthrew the Taliban in late 2001. More than 2,500 foreign troops have died in Afghanistan since the war began almost 10 years ago.

The attack on the French troops was the worst since 2008 when 10 soldiers were killed and 21 injured in a major battle against Taliban insurgents.

France has 4,000 troops in Afghanistan and has now seen 69 of its soldiers killed since it joined the U.S.- and NATO-led Afghanistan operation in 2001. The latest casualty was killed on Monday by an accidental shot from his own camp in Kapisa.

An opinion poll after the death of former al Qaeda leader Osama Bin Laden in May showed more than half of French people support a withdrawal from the nearly decade-old military campaign against Taliban insurgents. (Additional reporting by Hamid Shalizi in Kabul, John Irish and Emmanuel Jarry in Paris; Writing by Jonathon Burch and John Irish)


====

MP, top Karzai aide feared killed - police official

17 Jul 2011 18:02

Source: reuters // Reuters

(Adds details, background)

By Hamid Shalizi

KABUL, July 17 (Reuters) - Gunmen killed a top advisor to Afghan President Hamid Karzai and a member of the country's parliament in a residential district of Kabul on Sunday, just days after the president's brother was gunned down at home, officials said.

The spokesman for Kabul's police chief said two or three armed men started a gun battle around 8 o'clock at the house of Jan Mohammad Khan, a former governor of southern Uruzgan province and close aide to the president.

"The battle between gunmen and security forces is still going on," spokesman Hashmat Stanekzai said, adding that the attack began around 8.00 pm local time (1530 GMT).

Lawmaker Hashim Watanwal was also killed, said Stanekzai and Obaidullah Barekzai, a member of parliament from Uruzgan province who had seen the bodies of both men being brought out.

Hours after the attack began, gunfire could still be heard in western Karte Seh district, home to the country's parliament, many Afghan politicians and media and some embassies.

There was a heavy presence of security troops in the area and the streets leading to Khan's home were cordoned off.

The attack came on the day that Afghanistan began a long-promised transition to control of its own security, but the process kicked off in the relatively peaceful central province of Bamiyan, half a day's drive from Kabul.

A surge of U.S. troops has helped improve security in the south of the country over the last year, but there has been spreading insecurity in once peaceful northern areas, fiercer fighting in the east and record civilian casualties.

The first half of this year was the deadliest six months for civilians in the last decade of conflict, with nearly 1,500 killed, the United Nations said in a recent report.

(Writing by Emma Graham-Harrison, editing by Myra MacDonald)

===

Afghanistan says to "deal with" security firms

08 Aug 2010 09:38:05 GMT
Source: Reuters
By Sayed Salahuddin

KABUL, Aug 8 (Reuters) - Afghan security forces will be more than capable of safeguarding the country, the government said on Sunday, repeating in some of its strongest criticism yet that troublesome Western private security units should be disbanded.

Siyamak Herawi, a spokesman for Afghan President Hamid Karzai, said the push to scrap firms employing tens of thousands of private security guards was linked to Karzai's 2014 timetable for Afghan forces to take over all security and operational responsibilities from U.S. and NATO-led forces.

"The government wants to deal thoroughly with the companies and now that the capacity of the Afghan government is gradually increasing those entities in need of security individuals can use organised and educated Afghan soldiers," Herawi told Reuters.

Private security companies competing for contracts worth billions of dollars have long been an irritant for Afghan and U.S. and NATO forces in the country after a series of scandals.

The companies, who the Afghan government estimates employ 30,000-40,000 guards, work mainly for Western enterprises in Afghanistan. Last year, the U.S. government said it did not know how many contractors, of any kind, it employs in Afghanistan.

<^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

For more on Afghanistan click [ID:nAFPAK]

or see http://link.reuters.com/syx62d

Afghan blog: http://blogs.reuters.com/afghanistan/

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

Karzai has criticised private security guards often in the past but launched a stinging attack at the weekend, saying they were too costly and were "daily creating miseries".

"They trample our people's rights and disrupt security," Karzai told the Civil Services Institute in a speech on Saturday.

"We ask the international community to dissolve these private security companies because Afghanistan no more has the ability to afford these companies."

INSTABILITY

More than 140,000 foreign troops, and some 300,000 Afghan security forces, are battling the Taliban in an insurgency that has reached its worst point since the Islamist militants were ousted by U.S.-backed Afghan forces in 2001.

Casualties for troops and civilians have reached record levels but U.S. President Barack Obama, who has committed an extra 30,000 troops to the fight, wants to begin a gradual reduction from July 2011.

Herawi said Karzai was drawing up a plan to convince his allies the companies were causing instability.

Karzai's government tried unsuccessfully last year to register all of the firms, find out the amount of arms they had and where they came from, and how much money the industry was worth, an Afghan security source said.

Some of the firms also have ties with Afghan regional power brokers who are involved in multi-million dollar reconstruction projects by foreign forces. Afghans particularly see them as accumulating wealth and power rather than caring for Afghanistan.

The former commander of U.S. and NATO forces in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, said in April the use of private contractors to support military and security operations in conflict zones had gone too far.

This came soon after Washington said it was looking into accusations of a rogue unit using contractors to help hunt militants in Afghanistan.

The U.S. State Department said last year it would review its use of contractors at overseas embassies after a scandal over sexual hazing by security guards at the U.S. embassy in Kabul.

Also last year, U.S.-trained Afghan forces stormed the police headquarters in southern Kandahar province to remove a prisoner and killed eight police, including Kandahar's top policeman.

(Editing by Paul Tait) (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/afghanistanpakistan)



====================




Afghanistan shuts down private security firms
03 Oct 2010 15:03:58 GMT
Source: Reuters
* Eight foreign and local companies in first batch

* List includes Xe, formerly known as Blackwater

* Karzai decree in August ordered firms to disband

(Adds details and quotes from Karzai spokesman)

By Sayed Salahuddin and Jonathon Burch

KABUL, Oct 3 (Reuters) - Afghanistan said on Sunday it had begun disbanding private security companies and confiscating their weapons, starting with a group of eight Afghan and foreign firms.

President Hamid Karzai issued a decree in August calling for all private security companies to disband within four months, part of an ambitious plan for the government to take over all security responsibilities from 2014.

Karzai has been critical of the firms, saying they had been responsible for horrific accidents. Many Afghans see them as operating with impunity, and they have been accused of a series of killings, crimes and scandals but have rarely been convicted.

On Sunday, Karzai's spokesman Waheed Omer said the government had begun shutting down eight Afghan and foreign companies.

"The minister of interior today, in the national security meeting, announced the disbandment of eight private security firms. The process of dissolving and disbanding ... is very well under way," Omer told a news conference.

Omer said only operations involving the training of Afghan security forces or protecting the premises of international organisations would be allowed to continue after announcing the names of some of the first batch of firms affected.

The companies compete for contracts worth billions of dollars and employ up to 40,000 armed guards, mostly Afghans but including many foreigners.

Some train Afghan security forces and are also used to guard convoys, embassies and other mainly Western interests.

"We would like to be able at some point to provide security for embassies and international organisations and we would like to be in a position where we would no longer need security companies to train our national security forces," Omer said.

"But until that happens, that's not going to be in the focus of this programme."

WEAPONS SEIZED

Among the eight companies affected initially was U.S. firm Xe Services, formerly known as Blackwater, Omer said. Xe could not immediately be reached for comment.

Blackwater's reputation in Iraq suffered mainly over an incident in 2007 when its security guards were involved in a shooting in which 14 civilians were killed.

Blackwater has since changed its name to Xe and has several contracts in Afghanistan.

In January, two U.S. security guards working for Paravant LLC, part of Xe, were arrested in Afghanistan accused of murdering two Afghans in Kabul and wounding a third.

At least two other international firms -- White Eagle Security Services and Four Horsemen International -- were also among the first group of companies, Omer said.

At a separate news conference, Interior Ministry spokesman Zemarai Bashary said more than 400 weapons had been seized and the government had already closed down an Afghan security firm with 75 employees, as well as several smaller groups.

Bashary said he had no estimate of the total number of companies but 52 were registered with the government, half of them foreign.

Karzai's government tried unsuccessfully last year to register the firms, establish how many weapons they had and where they came from, and how much money the industry was worth, an Afghan security source has said.

When Karzai issued the deadline for the closure of the firms in August, the Pentagon called the deadline "very challenging" but said Washington would work with Kabul and try to improve oversight and management of private security companies. (Editing by Emma Graham-Harrison and Andrew Dobbie) (For more Reuters coverage of Afghanistan and Pakistan, see: http://www.reuters.com/news/globalcoverage/afghanistanpakistan)



=========

Afghanistan shuts down 150 Afghan, foreign aid groups
09 Nov 2010 09:39:53 GMT
Source: Reuters
(For more on Afghanistan, click on [ID:nAFPAK])

By Jonathon Burch

KABUL, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Afghanistan has ordered around 150 aid groups, including four foreign organisations, to shut down for failing to submit reports on their projects and finances, a government official said on Tuesday.

The ruling by a government-backed commission which monitors aid groups includes 145 domestic organisations and has immediate effect, said a spokesman for the Economy Ministry, which heads the commission.

The commission was established as part of an anti-corruption drive by President Hamid Karzai, who has long been critical of foreign organisations in Afghanistan and says they have been involved in widespread graft.

"The commission has decided the organisations should be dissolved because they have not submitted reports to the Ministry of Economy for the past two years," ministry spokesman Sediq Amarkhil said.

Amarkhil said he did not know why the NGOs had failed to submit reports, but suggested it may be because they were not registered with the government.

According to Afghan law, non-government organisations (NGOs) must submit reports every six months to the ministry, disclosing details about their funding and activities, Amarkhil said.

WARNING LETTERS

None of the NGOs ordered to close had submitted those reports despite warning letters from the ministry, Amarkhil said, adding government institutions and other donors had been informed not to provide any funding to the groups.

Laurent Saillard, director of the Agency Coordinating Body for Afghan Relief (ACBAR), an umbrella group for NGOs in Afghanistan, said they were presented with the list of groups and had no objections to their closure.

"The government is simply implementing the law. We don't even know if some of these NGOs on the list even exist at all," said Saillard, adding none of the groups came under ACBAR.

He said there were around 1,300 NGOs in Afghanistan, including 360 foreign organisations, employing 45,000 people.

In May, the commission shut down 172 NGOs, including 20 foreign groups, for the same reason. The government later that month suspended the activities of two Western aid groups on suspicion of proselytising. [ID:nSGE64A0L6] [ID:nSGE64U0DV]

The latest ruling also comes after a decree by Karzai in August calling for all private security firms to be disbanded, a move which spurred concern in Washington that aid work could suffer.

Last month, Karzai offered a small concession to those firms guarding aid projects by extending the deadline from December until next February. [ID:nSGE69Q0LN]

But ACBAR has said the ban would only affect profit-oriented development companies which rely on security guards for protection and would not hit the work of not-for-profit NGOs. (Editing by Paul Tait and Ron Popeski)
============

To start with Black water is working under eight new names. It is starnge that United Nations accepts the use of mercenaries by the Americans in their efforts to control their occupied territories. I seriously doubt the sincerety and honesty of Hameed Kharzai who was installed by the Americans. The Kharzai family starte to minvest huge sums of money in the Arab Gulf Region and in California where he used to work for UNOCAl before becoming president. The Americans should remove their troops, mercenaries and all the Afghani corrupt traitors, similar to what had happened in Vietnam.

Obama and US efforts are falling apart!


Obama is facing real challenges in Afghanistan as his aides and military commanders started to doubt his ability to represent the real America as a strong, brutal, barbaric and uncivilised force.
The current situation for Obama may be summarised as follows:
The Taleban are in control of 75% of the country.
Hameed Kharzai and his family are labelled as a corrupt incorporation.
Gen. Petreus' call for talks with the Taleban has been rejected.
The US and NATO casualties are mounting.
The US-Pakistani relations is close to a break up.
There is a doubt about Hillary Clinton ability as a foreign minister.
Netanyahu has been making a mockery out of Obama, Biden and Clinton.
To add insult to injury, most of Obama aides are deserting him.
Thanks to the Taleban, to the Iraqi resistance and to Netanyahu defiance for putting America on its knees.

Didn’t they say that Al-Qaeda is finished!!!!


The latest warning on 03.10.10 by the US administration for Americans travelling in Europe because of possible Al-Qaeda attacks deserves a pause. According to most ‘Terror Expert’ the likes of MI-6 Gardner, CIA Beyer and the Sanjay brothers, frequently interviewed on TV, Al-Qaeda is on the decline and its members don’t exceed few hundreds at most. But the reality on the ground is something completely different. After the US attack on Afghanistan in October 2001, Al-Qaeda address in Tora Bora caves was moved to more than one country. We have now Al-Al-Qaeda in the Arab West (Al-Maghrab Al-Arabi) headed by Abu Musaab Abdul Wadood. Al-Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula (Al-Jazeera Al-Arabia) headed by Nasser Al-Wahaishi. Al-Qaeda in Iraq led by Abu Umar Al-Iraqi. Al-Qaeda in the African Horn represented by Al-Shabab Movement. More addresses for Al-Qaeda may soon be established in Lebanon, Gaza and Egypt.
So after nine years of the American war on terror, two wars, a loss of $one trillion, close to 5000 dead and scores of unmanned drones’ attacks, the Americans are warned from Al-Qaeda attacks in Europe, mostly in countries supporting the war on terror/Islam; these are Britain, Germany and France. In other words, the Americans and their allies have lost. The increase in military and financial allocations worked like pumping air in a punctured tyre.

It is rather unfortunate that Obama followed closely Bush-Cheney’s strong-arm approach instead of dealing with the causes of terror or the reasons for the expansion of Al-Qaeda membership. To start with, the Americans are supporting Arab autocrats who are oppressing their own people. That is coupled with the American unlimited support for Israeli crimes and atrocities. It is a recipe for disaster. The Americans must call on the Israelis to abide by 39 UN Security Council Resolutions they ignore and to insist on pro-American Arab autocrats to adopt democracy and to give freedom of speech to their own people.
The Americans should not be surprised if Osama Bin Laden installs himself as a Caliph for a number of Arab and Muslim countries. The Arabs and Muslims are looking for a saviour (Grand Salvatore) from the Israeli Nazi-style atrocities supported by the Americans.
Adnan Darwash, Iraq Occupation Times