More BRAC Suits, NYT Defends Iran, Hugo Loves Fidel, Brits Catch Osama's Bodyguard

Highlights of this report…

1. Two more states may file BRAC suit
2. Zambia nabs British suspect
3. NYT defends Iran’s president-elect
4. Small diameter bomb
5. Russia’s “global control system”
6. Hugo loves Fidel
7. IRA statistics
8. China’s strategic nukes
9. Oilver Stone does 9/11

Here’s what’s happening…

Delaware and Massachusetts may follow Pennsylvania’s lead and sue the federal government over BRAC.

Officials in Zambia have arrested a man who the British believe played an instrumental role in the 7/7 London bombings. Interestingly, Haroon, Rashid Aswat use to be Osama Bin Ladin’s personal bodyguard.

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The New York Times and San Jose Mercury News have come to the defense of Iran’s new president elect, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. After his election, some of the Americans who had been taken hostage at the embassy in 1979 said that Ahmadinejad was one of the student radicals who participated in the takeover. According to the Times article posted on today’s Mercury News website, officials have concluded that photos of Ahmadinejad at the embassy are not consistent with his modern day appearance. That said, he is not innocent. From the article:

No proof Iranian leader took U.S. captives in 1979

New York Times

WASHINGTON – A month after some former American hostages in the U.S. Embassy in Tehran asserted that the president-elect of Iran was among their captors in 1979, government officials say they have turned up no evidence to support that claim.

Detailed analyses by the CIA comparing photos from 1979 of an Iranian captor who resembles the president-elect, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, with recent pictures of Ahmadinejad clearly showed that the photos were of two different men, the officials said.

“There were some very serious differences,” one official said.

The White House released a statement Thursday saying, “Mr. Ahmadinejad was a leader of the student movement that organized the attack on the embassy and the taking of American hostages.” But the statement added that the government still did not know whether he “explicitly was one of the hostage takers.”

Iranian militants seized the embassy in Tehran on Nov. 4, 1979, and held 52 Americans hostage for 444 days. Ahmadinejad has denied accusations that he took part. “It’s not true,” he said early this month. “It’s only rumors.”

Two things about this story are troubling. The reports about Ahmadinejad’s connection with the embassy takeover first came out on blogs and in media interviews with former hostages. Today’s NYT’s article suggests that it was the White House who made the connection. Wrong.

Secondly, the Times headline ignores his leadership role in the radical student movement. By telling readers that there is “No Proof Iranian Leader Took U.S. Captives,” it implies no connection. But even if he was not present at the actual invasion of the embassy, does that absolve him from any responsibility? As a leader of the movement, isn’t he even more culpable than the rank and file soldier? If the Times’ logic were to hold true, we would have to conclude that, because he wasn’t on the airplanes, Osama Bin Ladin should not be held responsible for 9/11. Wrong.

The Air Force small diameter bomb is making progress.

Russia has no plans to abandon islands that it seized from Japan after World War Two.

Russia does plan, however, to include the Caspian and Barents Seas in its “global control system.”

Hugo the Magnificent in Venezuela and Fidel Castro are meddling in Boliva’s internal affairs.

Since 1970, the Irish Republican Army has killed 1,775 people. Newsday has several more interesting stats.

Bill Gertz has an interesting piece on China’s plans for its strategic nuclear weapons.

And Finally…

Oliver Stone is preparing to film a movie about 9/11 where he will characterize the Bush Administration as being overzealous and too willing to abuse its power. According to one story:

Controversial director OLIVER STONE has hit out at US President GEORGE W BUSH for “misusing” his powers after the terrorist attacks on September 11th.

The NATURAL BORN KILLERS filmmaker, who is currently preparing the first major Hollywood movie to deal with the 2001 atrocities, believes Bush is the wrong man to lead America at the moment, and he is particularly angry about the US invasion of Iraq.

Stone says, “There was an over-reaction after 9/11. Bush was given enormous powers and misused them. He created a war in Iraq that has further helped bust the economy, and has led to civil war there.

“He was the wrong leader at the wrong time. I always felt that. I wish I was wrong.”

Stone also believes that his pathetic film on Alexander the Great, which portrays Alexander as a conflicted homosexual, was panned because too many people have a poor understanding of ancient history. Stone told reporters:

He says, “Because of BRAVEHEART, I think kids see ancient times as, ‘Hey man, that’s violence!’ They don’t see it as separate cultures that in some cases had stronger values than ours.

“The Greek culture in its entirety is what I was going for, or the Persian culture. It’s not just a hero’s tale. Alexander was a flawed hero, a complex character.

The sad thing about Oliver Stone is that he actually believes his movies, which often include “historical facts” that are completely fabricated, as realistic representations of past events. By most accounts, JFK, Alexander, and his movie on the Nixon White House were warped and flawed. I cannot wait to see what he does with 9/11.

I wonder if Michael Moron will be involved?

Hawaii Needs Better Weapons, California Mess, Army Basing Plan

Highlights of this report…

1. Hawaii Guard needs better weapons
2. More trouble in California
3. Army basing
4. CIA book on Tora Bora
5. Russia’s arms market
6. New submarines
7. Who is behind Al Qaeda
8. Indonesia exports terror

Here’s what’s happening…

The commander of the Hawaii National Guard’s 29th Infantry Brigade says his soldiers need better weapons to protect convoys in Iraq.

A California Army National Guard unit has been placed on restrictive duty for allegedly using stun guns against detainees. The LA Times is also reporting that the unit has connections with an elite unit of the Iraqi police force that has been charged with similar practices.

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The Army announced where it plans to base the modular brigade combat teams in the years to come. The transcript of the press conference is here. The AP has its story here. Reuters has a great round up:

Following is a list of where the 43 new Brigade Combat Teams will be stationed:

Fort Benning, Georgia, 1 team; Fort Bliss, Texas, 4 teams; Fort Bragg, North Carolina, 4 teams; Fort Campbell, Kentucky, 4 teams; Fort Carson, Colorado, 4 teams; Fort Drum, New York, 3 teams; Fort Hood, Texas, 5 teams; Fort Knox, Kentucky, 1 team; Fort Lewis, Washington, 3 Stryker (combat vehicle) teams; Fort Polk, Louisiana, 1 team; Fort Richardson, Arkansas, 1 team; Fort Riley, Kansas, 3 teams; Fort Stewart, Georgia, 3 teams; Fort Wainwright, Arkansas, 1 Stryker team; Schofield Barracks, Hawaii, 1 team and 1 Stryker team; South Korea, 1 team; Germany, 1 Stryker team; Italy, 1 team.

A former CIA agent is suing the agency for not allowing him to publish a book on events at Tora Bora.

Russia’s special forces arms market is on display.

Russia is going to start producing its next generation submarines.

Michael Ledeen at NRO has made an assessment as to who is really behind today’s terrorist networks:

The centrality of Iran in the terror network is the dirty secret that most everyone knows, but will not pronounce. Our military people in both Iraq and Afghanistan have copious evidence of the Iranian role in the terror war against us and our allies. Every now and then Rumsfeld makes a passing reference to it. But we have known about Iranian assassination teams in Afghanistan ever since the fall of the Taliban, and we know that Iranians continue to fund, arm, and guide the forces of such terrorists as Gulbadin Hekmatyar. We know that Zarqawi operated out of Tehran for several years, and that one of his early successes

Pennsylvania Says BRAC a Weapon, Ten Insurgent Leaders, F-22 Cuts, No-Go Mexico

Highlights of this report…

1. Pennsylvania against BRAC
2. Ten men run insurgency
3. Troop redeployment complete
4. BCT stationing
5. Al Qaeda’s new organization
6. China’s secret defense spending
7. F-25 and F-22 cuts
8. SCO on the march
9. China in Jamaica
10. U.S. Department of State: Mexico travel unsafe

Here’s what’s happening…

Pennsylvania’s governor is telling the AP that the DoD has “misused” BRAC.

Secretary Rumsfeld says the Iraqi insurgency is led by approximately ten men.

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The plan to shift U.S. forces from Korea and Germany is now complete.

The Army will announce its stationing plan for the new BCTs today.

Tony Blair is downplaying any link between the IRA and Al Qaeda.

George Bryjak has a great piece on Al Qaeda’s new organization. According to the article:

<p

The recent terrorist attacks in London lend painful support to the position that al-Qaeda has changed dramatically over the past four years.

Peter Bergen, adjunct professor at Johns Hopkins University

TAGs Send Memo to BRAC, the Clash Between States and Feds, Osama The Drug Lord

Morning Update

Here’s what’s happening…

AGAUS has sent a memo to the BRAC Commission outlining a plan to keep the Air National Guard viable. No details were made available.

The Christian Science Monitor has a good piece on the clash between the Guard and the “feds” over BRAC.

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Australian Prime Minister John Howard has made a secret visit to Baghdad.

Australia’s willingness to sign a non-aggression pact with ASEAN members has paved the way for its membership in that organization.

Pakistan’s Pervez Musharraf has told local reporters that his country’s ballistic missiles are capable of defeating any missile defense system India fields.

Two of the London bombers have been traced to a training camp in Pakistan. Apparently, they trained there before launching their attacks on July 7.

Russia’s acting air force commander believes that his pilots do not have the legal authority to shoot down hijacked airliners.

And Finally…

A year after 9/11, Osama tried to buy a large quantity of cocaine, lace it with poison, and then sell it in the United States.

Misleading Morale Report, Guard Recruiting for Army, China's Plans After Taiwan

Last week, we made some modifications to the back end of the EA Daily Update’s server and basic programming. Because of this, there were no updates published. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Here’s what’s happening…

Editorialists are saying that the governor of Illinois is suing over BRAC strictly for political reasons. Dan England,

Is the National Guard Ready, China Threatens to Use Nukes, Troops Needed Elsewhere, The Arab Assassin

Here’s what’s happening…

South Dakota’s TAG is telling communities that, “As the Army changes, so does the National Guard.” He has taken some heat for closing smaller armories around the state.

The final BRAC law may limit NGB’s ability to redistribute aircraft around the country.

The American Chronicle is asking a basic question: Is the National Guard ready for homeland security?

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The folks over at STRATFOR have an extremely interesting analysis on why the Pentagon is planning on reducing U.S. troop levels in Iraq as soon as possible. The article implies that it isn’t because of political pressure. Instead, it

California Guard Issued Subpoenas, Pennsylvania's Suit Against Pentagon, Germany's New Iron Lady, French Tolerance

Here’s what’s happening….

The California state senate has issued subpoenas in National Guard “spy” probe.

Lt. Gen. Blum rejects the notion that members of the National Guard are more likely to die in Iraq than active duty soldiers. He is also praising the new Homeland Defense Strategy.

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NORTHCOM is supporting the space shuttle launch.

There is more information available on the lawsuit Pennsylvania has filed against the DoD over BRAC.

Pennsylvania is suing the Pentagon in an attempt to prevent an Air National Guard unit from being disbanded at the Willow Grove Naval Air Station.

The lawsuit, announced by state leaders Monday in Philadelphia, claims the Department of Defense is overstepping its bounds in recommending deactivation of the 111th Fighter Wing. The governor is commander of the Guard, so only he can recommend its dispersal, Gov. Ed Rendell said.

The air wing has 15 A-10 fighters, affectionately called Warthogs by their crews. Relatively slow and thickly armored, the jets typically fly low in support of nearby ground troops. The Persian Gulf War showcased their abilities.

DHS is being restructured so that it can deal with threats that are more likely to occur, rather than those that are simply possible.

Germany is about to get a new chancellor. She is already being called Europe’s new “Iron Lady.” Looks like Gerhard Schroder is finally having to pay the piper for years of political opportunism.

All the London bomb suspects were born in Britain. Also, The Scotsman is reporting that at least one of the bombers was recruited in a terror group’s religious school:

One of the suicide bombers who struck in London was probably recruited when he attended a religious school in Pakistan with strong links to al-Qaeda and its south-east Asian offshoot, Jemaah Islamiyyah, The Scotsman can reveal.

Security sources in Pakistan are investigating a tip-off that Shehzad Tanweer attended a religious school run by the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) during a recent visit to the country. The group’s founder has publicly stated that he believes suicide bombing to be the “best form of jihad [holy war]”.

Doug Feith has questions about our Iraq policy.

Russia is studying Spain as a model for how a democratic country should transform its military. This is historical irony at its best. According to the Russian News and Information Agency:

The Russian defense minister said Tuesday that Russia could draw on the experience of Spain when switching to a professional army.

“We are studying Spain’s experience of switching to a professional army and will continue to bear it in mind,” Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said at a press conference in Spain. He added that Spain’s experience could be useful for Russia because both countries had similar problems with their armies.

Ivanov said that over 100,000 Spanish soldiers had been given contracts and that the Spanish army no longer had any conscripts. The minister said that he had met with Spanish generals to discuss the switch to a professional army.

“As I have understood it, problems remained even after the switch to contracts,” the minister said. The problems included low salaries in comparison to the civilian sector and the shortage of specialists with advanced technical training.

Pakistan’s Foreign Office spokesman has told reporters that there are no terrorist training camps in his country.

The United States and Russia are cooperating to defend Russia’s nuclear sites.

Vladimir Putin’s top aide has given a speech on how Russia should fight “international conspiracies.”

Pakistan is buying frigates from China.

And Finally…

Jacque Chirac, President of France and the leader of the most enlightened and tolerant nation in Europe, has developed a sophisticated and humane way to deal with his country’s immigration issues. He has decided to deport 23,000 illegal aliens en masse.

Army Guard Will Miss Recruiting Goals for Year, Columbia Drug Lords Build Navy, London Bombers Died in Attacks

Here’s what’s happening….

Lt. Gen. Blum told reporters yesterday that the Army Guard will be about 19,000 soldiers short by the end of the year.

The California National Guard continues to be its own worst enemy.

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A retired battalion commander in South Dakota is questioning a plan to reorganize the state’s National Guard.

Islamic terrorism is moving to Dagestan.

Members of the FARC in Columbia have been caught building their own navy.

The Air National Guard has awarded $598 million in environmental contracts.

Four of the young men who carried out the bombings in London were British-born Islamists. All four died in the attacks. According to Sky News:

The four young men who carried out the London terror attacks were British-born suicide bombers, police sources have told Sky News.

At a minimum, it is “highly likely” one of the Tube attackers died in the strikes on the Underground network.

Police have stopped short of saying publicly Britain had suffered its first suicide strike, but Sky News correspondent Martin Brunt said senior anti-terror police were working on the assumption the men were British-born suicide bombers and had died in the blasts.

The four traveled by car from West Yorkshire to Luton and then by train to Kings Cross station shortly before the attacks were launched on Thursday morning, police said at a press conference.

Their images were captured by CCTV cameras – one police source said the men were chatting “as though they were going on a hiking holiday”.

Fox News is reporting that the bombers were from Pakistan.

South Korea has decided it must bribe Crazy Kim Jong Il to get him back to the negotiating table.

Iran wants Russia’s help in building twenty new nuclear plants.

Uzbekistan wants the United States to pay for using the air base there.

A massive anti-government rally is being planned in Manila.

Boston communists want a revolution.

Fiji’s military commander says that he will impose martial law if the government gives amnesty to a group who attempted a coup in 2000.

ASEAN is trying to pressure Burma to improve its human rights record.

Zawahiri is behind the assassination attempts on Pervez Musharraf’s life.

The Sydney Morning Herald is reporting that the Bagram prison break was probably an inside job.

Lebanon’s pro-Syrian defense minister survived a car bombing today.

And Finally…

Things are looking up for recruits in the Russian army. In an effort to improve morale, the Kremlin has decided to provide bonus pay to soldiers who perform hazardous duty on a regular basis, such as handling nuclear waste. According to MoSNews:

Russian soldiers who work with nuclear waste, fuel and reactors will from now on receive a regular bonus to compensate for the hazardous work, the Defense Ministry told the Moskovski Komsomolets daily.

The bonus will add 50 rubles

States File Suit Against Rumsfeld, U.S. Citizens Arrested in Belarus, Back to Mogadishu, When a Terrorist Can't Be Called a Terrorist

Here’s what’s happening…

The Army National Guard has missed its recruiting goals for nine months in a row.

The San Jose Mercury News is implying that the California National Guard is not only evil for spying on a “Mothers Day Rally,” but is filled with anti-Muslim bigots. According to a story in today’s paper.

Already under scrutiny for setting up a controversial new intelligence unit and keeping tabs on a Mother’s Day anti-war protest, the California National Guard is taking new heat for an anti-Islamic flyer that was hanging in its Sacramento headquarters.

Islamic groups and anti-war activists criticized the Guard on Monday after learning that one Guard soldier had a historically suspect flyer touting World War I General John J. Pershing as a hero for executing Muslim terrorists with bullets dipped in pig’s blood to deny them entry to heaven.

“Maybe it is time for this segment of history to repeat itself, maybe in Iraq?” states the flyer that was posted outside a cubicle in the Guard’s Civil Support Division. “The question is, where do we find another Black Jack Pershing?”

The flyer, which has circulated since Sept. 11 as a hard-line tale for fighting Islamic terrorists, raised concerns for some activists about the mind-set of Guard soldiers.

“It’s troubling to see a governmental organization dedicated to the security of our country promoting culturally and religiously insensitive ideas,” said William Youmans, media relations manager for the Council on American-Islamic Relations in Santa Clara. “It’s very possible to combat terrorism without offending the cultural values of a major world religion.”

Enough already.

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The London bombers used a military grade explosive. Also, officials believe one person assembled at least four of the bombs.

In a move that is sure to raise some eyebrows, Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich has told Pentagon officials that they can’t move the Illinois Air National Guard’s F-16s. According to the Chicago Tribune:

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich put the Pentagon on formal notice Monday that he will not approve its proposed move of F-16 fighter aircraft from the 183rd Fighter Wing in Springfield to Indiana.

In a letter sent to Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, the governor argued that under federal law if he does not consent to the realignment, the change cannot legally be made.

Blagojevich said that without the F-16 fighters in Springfield, the 183rd Fighter Wing at Abraham Lincoln Capitol Airport would no longer have a flying mission, even though the state needs it for dealing with potential threats to homeland security.

Meanwhile, Pennsylvania’s governor and two U.S. senators have filed suit against Donald Rumsfeld. According to Reuters: “The suit claims that federal law prohibits the changing, relocation or withdrawal of a National Guard unit without the approval of the governor of the state in which the unit is located.”

Northrop Grumman and EADS will decide this week whether to bid on the Air Force Tanker contract.

Twenty-three (23) U.S. citizens have been jailed in Belarus under shady circumstances.

Krygystan’s envoy to Moscow says that the U.S. will withdraw its forces there – gradually.

The Marine Corps is enhancing its BUST training.

Russia’s defense minister says that his country will not cooperate with NATO.

Moscow has also signed a $300 million deal to provide engines for China’s latest fighter jet.

There are reports that Al Qaeda “ordered the attacks” on London in May of this year. According to one report:

The Islamist extremist group, al-Qaeda, ordered attacks on Europe in a May 29 internet message that the Spanish secret service forwarded to their British counterparts at the weekend, reported a Spanish newspaper on Monday.

The Spanish national intelligence centre sent a copy of the Arabic-language message – signed by “Abu Hafs al-Masri Brigades – European division” – on Saturday to the British intelligence service MI5, and it was also published on Saturday by the daily El Mundo.

The Taipei Times has made a brilliant observation: Al Qaeda and the Taliban are teaming up!

Somalia is once again becoming a breeding ground for Al Qaeda.

The United States is also beefing up its counterterrorism efforts in Thailand.

South Korea, Japan, and the United States will meet in Seoul prior to the start of the next round of six-party talks with North Korea.

Asia Times is reporting that the proliferation of nuclear technology has entered a critical phase.

And Finally…

Despite the murder of over fifty British citizens last week, the BBC has decided to not call the terrorists “terrorists.” According to the London Telegraph:

The BBC has re-edited some of its coverage of the London Underground and bus bombings to avoid labeling the perpetrators as “terrorists”, it was disclosed yesterday.

Early reporting of the attacks on the BBC’s website spoke of terrorists but the same coverage was changed to describe the attackers simply as “bombers”.

The BBC’s guidelines state that its credibility is undermined by the “careless use of words which carry emotional or value judgments”.

Consequently, “the word ‘terrorist’ itself can be a barrier rather than an aid to understanding” and its use should be “avoided”, the guidelines say.

Rod Liddle, a former editor of the Today programme, has accused the BBC of “institutionalised political correctness” in its coverage of British Muslims.

A BBC spokesman said last night: “The word terrorist is not banned from the BBC.”

CDI Nails ANG BRAC Recommendations, Cargo Plane Launched Missile Being Developed, SEALS May Have Been Close to Bin Ladin, Remembering Srebrenica

Here’s what’s happening…

The Center for Defense Information has a great explanation of how the Air Force’s BRAC recommendations will take the “Air” out of the Air National Guard. According to the article:

Although the closure of several major airbases has attracted attention from senior political officials, BRAC