AJC: Ship Seizure Proves Iran is Fanning Flames of War

/PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The American Jewish Committee warned that yesterday's seizure by the Israeli Navy of a ship ferrying 500 tons of weapons from Iran to Hezbollah, the Lebanese terrorist organization, is an unmistakable sign that the Tehran regime is fanning the flames of war and conflict in the Middle East.

"We applaud the Israeli Navy for taking this decisive action," said AJC Executive Director David Harris. "The deadly cargo the ship was carrying would have enabled Hezbollah to broaden its murderous assault against Israel - a country which these terrorists, just like their Iranian paymasters, seek to wipe off the map."

The haul of weapons was ten times larger than that intercepted on the "Karine 'A'" ship in January 2002, when Iran sent weapons and ordnance to the Palestinian Authority under Yasser Arafat.

"In shipping these weapons, Iran has engaged in a major violation of UN Security Council Resolutions 1701 and 1747, which expressly forbid Iran from exporting or trading any form of weapons," Harris said. "Such flagrant violations have become routine for Iran's leaders, whether they are providing support to terrorist organizations or covertly developing their nuclear program."

Harris urged the international community to impose a new round of tough, robust sanctions against Iran. "Thirty years to the day that Ayatollah Khomeini's enforcers seized the US Embassy in Iran, little has changed: the regime continues to repress its own people and threaten its neighbors," Harris said.

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Forces Probe Rocket Attack, Detain Suspected Terrorists in Iraq

U.S. forces made headway in an investigation of a rocket attack on a base in Iraq, and Iraqi-led forces detained suspected terrorists and seized weapons in recent operations in Iraq, military officials reported.

U.S. soldiers pursued criminals suspected of launching a rocket attack against Contingency Operating Base Basra on July 16 that resulted in the deaths
of three Multinational Division South soldiers.

Following the attack, U.S. troops were flown by helicopter to the suspected launch location, northeast of Basra Airport, where the soldiers were met by 14th Iraqi Army Division soldiers.

A U.S. patrol pursued a suspicious vehicle to a nearby house and searched for evidence related to the rocket launch. Meanwhile, a joint U.S.-Iraqi patrol investigated another house nearby. Three men were questioned and released, and the investigation into the attack continues.

"The quick action of the 14th Iraqi Army Division inspires confidence that the criminals who committed this act will be brought to justice," said Army Maj. Gen. Rick Nash, commanding general of Multinational Division South. "We will not tolerate such acts of violence against our soldiers."

Elsewhere, the Iraqi 4th Emergency Response Battalion, aided by coalition advisors, arrested a suspected terrorist July 19 in Salahuddin province, north of Baghdad. The suspect is believed to have built and emplaced roadside bombs in support of a terrorist cell that targeted Iraqi security forces convoys.

In southern Iraq, Iraqi police from the Basra special weapons and tactics team, along with coalition advisors, arrested two suspected terrorists July 18 during an Iraqi-led operation.

The suspected terrorists are believed to be linked to an insurgent cell operating in Basra and are suspected of murder and roadside bomb and rocket attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.

The force also uncovered four previously used 107 mm launch tubes, four 107 mm high-explosive rockets, a 107 mm rocket-launch rail system and various bomb-making materials.

(American Forces Press Service; Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
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Muslim Caliph Warns: Economic Depression Could Lead to World War

/PRNewswire/ -- A Caliph (Spiritual Leader) followed by tens of millions of Muslims has warned that a world war is inevitable if world powers fail to resolve the global economic crisis.

Speaking at a major conference held at the Baitul Futuh Mosque in Morden (south London) this weekend attended by over 900 including Parliamentarians, faith representatives, civic leaders and professionals, Hadhrat Mirza Masroor Ahmad drew parallels between the Great Depression of 1929 leading to the Second World War, and the present-day recession where bank bailouts and bonuses have been exacerbated by wealth being channeled into the hands of the few. This, he said, could only propel mankind into deeper distrust, desperation and ultimately danger.

His Holiness also criticized the United Nations for falling short of its responsibilities and the absence of absolute justice and fair dealing between member states.

The Caliph, who heads the international Ahmadiyya Muslim Community, said:

"The UN was formed for the establishment of peace but its attempts to do so in any country where disorder exists, have never achieved the level of success that such a large institution ought to.

"The UN is failing due to the influence of superpowers and because of this the circle of unrest is escalating. We cannot simply close our eyes to this. The cause of the Second World War was such unrest and mini wars."

His Holiness expressed a desire that the world learns from its past mistakes and thus avoids another major catastrophe:

"Governments, providers of capital and the UN should understand their responsibilities. These are to fulfil the requirements of justice and to give due regard to the rights of each other. They should think, deliberate and find a solution based on justice. They should selflessly endeavour to establish peace. And most importantly they should fulfil the rights owed to their Creator and avoid His displeasure."

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Statement by National Security Advisor Stephen Hadley

Sunday's (December 7, 2008) New York Times contains an editorial expressing inaccurate and incomplete statements on pre-war intelligence and the war in Iraq.

While the President has repeatedly acknowledged the mistakes in the pre-war intelligence, there is no support for the Times' claim that the President and his national security team "knew or should have known [the intelligence] to be faulty" or that "pressure from the White House" led to particular conclusions. Nothing in the many inquiries conducted into these matters supports the view of the Times' Editorial Board. Indeed, the independent Silberman-Robb Commission and the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence concluded that no political pressure was brought to bear on the Intelligence Community.

As the President has stated, he regrets the intelligence was wrong, but it was intelligence that members of Congress, foreign governments as well as the Administration all believed to be accurate. Working with Congress, the President has since put in place a number of intelligence reform measures to try to ensure that such mistakes do not happen again.

While Saddam Hussein did not have stockpiles of weapons of mass destruction, he was a threat, and his removal has opened the door to a democratic Iraq in the heart of the Middle East that is an ally of the United States.

The New York Times continues to have difficulty acknowledging the undeniable success of the President's decision to surge an additional 30,000 troops into Iraq. Because of the surge, Iraq is a more stable and secure country. It is the success of the surge that is allowing American troops to withdraw from Iraq and return home with a record of heroic service and still unheralded success.

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