The Political Conundrum!

The NEFA Foundation has obtained video-recorded "martyrdom" wills of the Al-Qaida suicide bombers responsible for the September 2008 terrorist attack on the U.S. embassy in Sanaa, Yemen. In his address to the camera, assailant Lufti Bahr--a former cleric at a local mosque--mocked, "O' American aggressors, we have come to know cowards, but we have never found any people more cowardly than you. For this reason, only a few of us are needed to fight you, efficiently, at a minimum cost… To further clarify and explain these words, we have decided to teach you a practical lesson with our suitable methods--suitable methods for people such as you who are in our land, by Allah. And this lesson will also be demonstrated in your own homeland-and soon, Allah-willing."

Another Al-Qaida suicide bomber, Walid al-Gharam, offered similar threats of further terrorist attacks: "We are coming for you, not just in the Arabian Peninsula, the peninsula of Mohammed, prayer and peace be upon him. But, Allah-willing, we will attack the infidels everywhere, on any land and under any sky. O' America, we will attack you both inside Yemen and outside Yemen. We will attack you in Qatar and the [United Arab] Emirates and everywhere else. We will attack you, so be aware, by Allah, that we are thirsty for your blood and flesh."

English-subtitled excerpts from the "martyrdom" wills can be viewed on the NEFA Foundation website.

It is an oft-spoken truth in Washington these days that American success in its wars overseas will come at the hands of those not in uniform as much as those who are. But when it comes to Afghanistan, the problem is that a "civilian surge" probably won't happen.

Lawmaker and combat veteran Duncan Hunter is proposing a panel of Medal of Honor recipients to serve as a "sounding board" for valor award nominations.

Military officials say they're investigating why an upstate New York man was told his son had been killed in Afghanistan when the soldier was alive and well.

More American troops are likely to be needed to win the war in Afghanistan, the top U.S. military officer told skeptical Democrats on Tuesday, citing a need to demonstrate U.S. resolve in an increasingly unpopular war.

The Iraqi journalist who threw his shoes at former President George W. Bush was released Tuesday after nine months in prison and in a defiant address, he accused Iraqi security forces of torturing him with beatings, whippings and electric shocks.

Four mortar shells landed in the Green Zone as Vice President Joe Biden arrived in Iraq Tuesday on a previously unannounced mission to help the country resolve its differences ahead of America's military withdrawal.

Last week I had the opportunity to address the plenary session of the annual international conference of the Institute for Counter-Terrorism (ICT) in Herzliya, Israel. The lecture highlighted the aggressive and proactive nature of Iran's support for terrorism, and concluded noting that this behavior should inform the world's analysis of and response to Iran's pursuit of a nuclear capability. I argued that were Iran to either have an actual nuclear weapon or the capacity to produce one quickly, the destabilizing impact on the region would be significant. Iran's proxies and allies throughout the Gulf, the Levant and beyond would be emboldened and empowered. And Iran, shielded by a nuclear deterrent, would likely increase its support for terrorist groups knowing other nations would be less likely to respond directly to a nuclear power with a proven track record of aggressive behavior.

One critical common denominator between Iran's support for terrorism and its pursuit of a nuclear weapon is the IRGC. As policymakers grapple with how to tackle Iran's aggressive behavior and the regional and international threats presented by such behavior, it is critical that all tools be on the table. "Smart power," today's preferred term of the trade, does not mean the absence of kinetic tools but the strategic use of such tools in tandem with all other elements of national power. Whatever tools are leveraged to deal with these threats, it is clear that we must refocus our attention on the IRGC, the Qods Force, and the front organizations, bonyads, affiliated companies and other entities that comprise its sophisticated, international support network.

Al-Qaeda, its affiliate groups and local groups inspired by al-Qaeda all continue to pose immediate threats to international security. The stability of both Pakistan and Afghanistan cannot be taken for granted, the international economic crisis is far from over, and health officials now expect another round of Swine Flu. There is no shortage of crises to distract our attention. But the international security threats posed by Iran's support for terrorism and pursuit of a nuclear weapon are at least as formidable as these other policy priorities, and perhaps even more immediate.

The complete lecture is available here.

I am so humbled and honored when a family member of a fallen warrior reaches out to me via my blog. It has happened several times and I am always in awe that a family going through the tragedy of losing a loved one takes the time to reach out to me.

On July 6th, I wrote about two young paratroopers who were killed on the fourth of July whom were not old enough to even drink a beer.

I then wrote about this same incident again on September 2nd as there was a series of videos put together by the 4th BCT, 25th ID about the specific attack that happened on July 4th and these videos discuss the brave acts of one young man, PFC Justin Casillas.

The original report from the Army and to the family was that PFC Casillas and PFC Fairbairn were killed when their checkpoint was attacked. Part of this story gained worldwide attention when PFC Fairbairn’s father tweeted on Twitter “They killed my son..”.

We now know the initial report given to the Fairbairn and Casillas family was not accurate. The videos released by the unit mentioned above tell the real story.

Thanks to PFC Justin Casillas Mom reaching out to me and sharing some stuff with me, I now have the first-hand account also. This first-hand account came in the form of a letter sent from the Sr. officer on the ground at COP Zerok to Ms. Casillas. I have re-typed the contents of this letter below, verbatim.

I will tell you first-hand knowledge of the day of the attack. Our Combat Outpost (COP) took heavy indirect fire (IDF) and small arms fire (SAF) from almost all directions. Your son, being a mortar gunner (mortars are the company’s most lethal weapons), knew we needed to get suppressive fire on the enemy’s positions. He ran to the Command Post (CP) and received a fire mission to destroy those enemy positions. Justin was able to run back under fire and return fire with our 60mm mortars. Due to the effectiveness of the enemy fire, one IDF round landed next to the mortar pit and wounded one of the other mortarmen. At that point, they all ran back inside and Justin along with another Paratrooper dragged the other wounded Paratrooper back in to safety. Realizing that the Paratrooper needed to be taken to the Medics, Justin picked him up and ran back outside under enemy fire to get him immediate medical fire. Justin made it outside the mortar pit when another IDF round landed about five feet away and mortally wounded him. Justin paid the ultimate sacrifice for this country while trying to save a fellow Paratrooper. Your son’s actions on July 4, 2009, speaks volumes on his character. Justin most definitely has left a lasting impression on me and on the entire company.

Now you know the whole story.

From what I understand PFC Casillas has been put in for a Silver Star because of his actions on this day. Not that an award will bring him back, but it is important to recognize the unselfish and heroic actions performed on that day. PFC Justin Casillas and PFC Aaron Fairbairn ran out under enemy fire to perform their jobs. They were doing what they were trained to do, put effective indirect mortar fire on the enemy in order to suppress the attack. Both had more courage than can ever be measured. Then after being hit themselves and Aaron Fairbairn being seriously wounded, Justin Casillas took it on himself to get Aaron to the medical help he needed in order to survive. Justin did this without any regard for himself or his safety. Because of his courage, his training and the care he had for his fellow soldier, he gave his life. He gave it not only for his country, his Army, his unit, but for his fellow man. I hope this story is told far and wide, because there is a lot that not only soldiers could learn from, but also Americans in general.

Justin’s actions remind me of a quote from a book that I have carried with me since about 1991. To me it says it all….

“..And men don’t exhibit uncommon valor for scraps of metal and ribbon to pin to their uniforms. They don’t do it for a couple of hundred bucks a month they’re paid. They don’t do it because they want promotions or because they’re afraid of a court-martial. When the chips are really down, they don’t even do it for the Constitution of the United States. That may be why they enlist, but it isn’t why they become heroes. When the chips are down, they do it for each other…” (William Roskey, 1988, “From the novel Muffled Shots”}

 

A 60’x20’ flag that was flown by a crane over the cemetery on the day that Justin Casillas was buried (Photo provided by Ms. Casillas)

The Global Islamic Media Front (GIMF)--an Al-Qaida online propaganda center officially responsible for distributing communications from Shabaab al-Mujahideen in Somalia and other armed jihadi factions--has released a new message from the notorious "Rakan Ben Williams." Williams is a purported underground Al-Qaida operative living inside the United States who offers occasional commentary about American counterterrorism policies and the prospective of renewed terrorist attacks in the U.S.

Now, the GIMF has released a new document written by Ben Williams, titled, "Obama, What's Up?" During his essay, Ben Williams referred to Obama as "Kunta Kinte" and accused him of "forgetting about the black man... Do you remember who Kunta Kinte is now, Mr. Hussein Obama? ...This is you, Mr. Obama, who has failed to understand the true mentality of racism." Ben Williams also suggested that the recent peace summit in Annapolis, Maryland was tainted by racism as well: "We have not forgotten that Annapolis is the same town where Kunta Kinte was sold! It is a symbol of slavery and evil."

Ben Williams likewise aimed vitriol at President Obama's efforts to free U.S. serviceman Bowe Bergdahl who is currently being held prisoner by the Taliban in Afghanistan. Ben Williams mocked Obama's interest in Bergdahl: "What are you doing, Mr. Obama? Are you going to liberate the white man and withdraw your soldiers from Afghanistan, offering a lesson and example to the world with this unprecedented step! Or will you take revenge for your ancestor Kunte Kinte and leave the white man Bowe Bergdahl to meet his inevitable fate?"