Mapping Jihad Journal – 6/30/08

Notes on the Epicenters of Jihad
Gary H. Johnson, Jr.
6-30-08 (5:46am)
Currently, in the war on terror, two major epicenters of jihadi activity exist: Lebanon and Pakistan. Hezbollah in Lebanon is the most organized, nimble and accomplished of all terror organizations in the world in terms of Jihad. The Taliban in Pakistan are a disorganized motley group of bickering tribes who move in and out of alliances so quickly that it seems no one can follow their aims or machinations. Both tracks have their advantages over world opinion and response. Hezbollah has a set leader with concrete goals which has established itself as a state within a state. The Taliban has multiple leaders, and multiple tribal connections that are allowed to operate within a No-Go Zone as they generate an army of unknown size and strength. Both groups hold singular ideologies that drive their efforts, aims and objectives. Most striking, though, is that both groups have achievable aims.

Hezbollah Journal, 1 year and 55 minutes ago

The 2006 Hezbo-Israeli War:  A Panther in Wolf’s Clothing?

The Hezbollah attack on Israel on July 12th 2006 was an insurrectionary movement against the Lebanese Administration framed as a Resistance movement against Israel.  In 2005, the assassination of Rafik Hariri, a charismatic Sunni Leader that Nicholas Blanford has iconized as Mister Lebanon, began a process of political assassinations of the anti-Syrian cabinet members in the Lebanese Government which eventually led to the declaration of a State of Emergency by the President Lahood in 2007 as his cabinet’s ability to govern the country collapsed, leaving Prime Minister Siniora naked.  Blamed by many in Lebanon on Syria, the assassination of Hariri, was but one focal point in a long line of Shia resistance to the confessional system of democratic politics practiced in Lebanon for over 70 years. 

What is necessary to understand is the nature of the Hezbo-Israeli conflict in terms of this prism.  For as much as Islamic martyrs sought the destruction of the Zionist state as 4,000 katyusha rockets were loosed, the most important motivating and mitigating factors of the Hezbollah cause in the 34-day war of 2006 revolve around the control of the Lebanese government, not around the defeat of Israel.

The nature of a veiled insurrection is hard to ascertain, but not far out of the realm of the attainable…particularly if world opinion and focus is on the perceived continuation of conflict that for 60 years has crippled the region into multiplicative hatreds.  The most devastating reality of all is the simple fact that until now, the world has missed this obvious national populist movement riding the rails of the jihadi juggernaut right onto the Human Rights rolls of ignobility.  The question that must be asked and answered in the short run, that we might defeat this movement in the long run, is:  does Nasrallah seek to usher in the age of a Jerusalem Caliphate by manipulating Lebanese public opinion into full blown war with Israel, allied with Syria, Iran, Egypt, the Palestinians, and Jihadi brigades the world over…or does he simply seek local power for the sake of its built in corruptions?  Moreover, it must be understood, irregardless of the answer that rises to the forefront of public perception, both options of powerpolitik are harmful to the cause of Peace in our Age…

By Nasrallah’s own admission, he did not believe that attacking an Israeli military patrol and kidnapping those remaining alive to seek ransom from the IDF or the Israeli Government in the form of prisoner exchanges was enough cause to garner a response of war from Israel.  By other admissions, Nasrallah has stated that the mission was a successful one, which was five months in the planning stage before going operational.  The questions the world should ask in the face of these admissions are: When did conspiracy to murder, kidnapping, and extortion become a tool of Statecraft and dispute resolution rather than the tool of Piracy and Villainy?  And, when did Katyusha Diplomacy’s mass attempted murder barrages trump Peacable Talks as an acceptable mode of Resistance?

In full, it must be considered that the “genuine resistance” of Hezbollah in the Shia mold is nothing more than a “veiled insurrection” against the established confessional politics of the day.

Why else would Nasrallah compare the strength of Israel to a spiderweb?  In the history and mythology of Islam, there is only one moment when a spiderweb was of importance to the success and continuation of the faith.  During his famed flight from Mecca to Medina, Muhammad and Abu Bakr hid in a cave from his pursuing foes.  Miraculously, the cave he was hiding in was covered over in the night by a spiderweb, which led the seekers to believe that the cave in question was undisturbed by the likes of Muhammad.  Thus, in the Koran, in the traditions of the Hadith, a spiderweb provided a veil which allowed the founder of Islam to survive in order to establish the Caliphate and the armed forces capable of taming and subjugating the unruly deserts of idolatrous nomadic mercantilism. 

In the case of Hezbollah, the resistance against and war with Israel provided a veil for the triumph of an insurrection against the leaders of Beirut, an insurrection whose salvos were released with pinpoint accuracy from Israeli turrets.  The words of Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah are important but should not be taken at face value, for in Islam, deception is the definition of War.  And at the end of the day we must ask ourselves:  do the US relations with Israel in the Middle East act as a spiderweb, veiling the truth of Nasrallah’s aims, gains, and machinations?

Gary H. Johnson, Jr.
Gray, GA
4-29-08
(3:15pm)

Obama Moves to Legitimize Hamas

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-obama-hamas27-2009apr27,0,4563512.story

Obama move alarms Israel supporters
David Scull / Bloomberg News
Rep. Adam B. Schiff (D-Burbank) says the proposal sounds “completely unworkable.”
The administration seeks changes that would permit aid to Palestinians even if officials backed by Hamas, which has been designated a terrorist group, become part of a unified Palestinian government.
By Paul Richter
April 27, 2009
Reporting from Washington — The Obama administration, already on treacherous political ground because of its outreach to traditional adversaries such as Iran and Cuba, has opened the door a crack to engagement with the militant group Hamas.

The Palestinian group is designated by the U.S. government as a terrorist organization and under law may not receive federal aid.

But the administration has asked Congress for minor changes in U.S. law that would permit aid to continue flowing to Palestinians in the event Hamas-backed officials become part of a unified Palestinian government.

FP 2009 Update – Week 16 – The Cable

Laura Rozen hammers Harman this week on The Cable.   It is obvious Harman was involved in a scandal; however, the only reason we know is because of the FISA wiretapping of a Senator’s phones.  This case demonstrates the fact that, since Obama decided to maintain the current policy on domestic wiretapping, any contact Republicans have with FBI surveiled “suspected” moles will be known publicly at politically heightened moments like elections and democrat faux pas.  For Harman to lawyer up is an indication that she is worried about a lawsuit for her lunge for political power.  The most interesting element of Rozen’s blog this week, to me, was the development of Lute’s expansion of “war czar” reach to the extents of the MENASA region.  No mention was made of the Brussels Somalia donor conference, which was disappointing, just as it was disappointing that the Tokyo conference was not fully covered by Rozen, considering billions are on the table.  The Democrat yoke seems to have the attitude, ”The Kerry-Lugar initiative to Pakistan is only 7.5 billion dollars over 5 years, what is that compared to 11 billion dollars for one month of US Occupation in Iraq…oh, a billion more for reconstruction and stability…what is that compared to the cost of US occupation?”   This mentality bleeds into the Western Media as stories are omitted based on fffinancial rather than strategic value.   Indeed, apparently it is not real money, in terms of National Media coverage, until it crosses the 11 billion dollar barrier.   It is disconcerting that the cost of war and the cost of stability are being measured in terms of the cost of US occupatio:  US occupation or invasion, ideally, has nothing to do with money and everything to do with principles, values, law and freedom.  To measure the use of US invasion or occupation forces on their financial cost rather than their strategic aim is a mistake that is noticeable only in terms of omission.  

Rozen covers Hillary Clinton’s 100 day mileage and then notes her landing in Iraq.  A dinner held in Saudi Arabia by Prince Turki al Faisal is going to draw a crowd from Washington.  No doubt, the Taliban are the issue on the table.  The Iranian-sponsored Shia-Taliban are apparently holding the Afghanistan Opium routes open all along the Helmand River valley.    The Balochistan Steppe of Pakistan to Afghanistan’s South and Iran’s East is the staging area for all parties to the storm.  The fact that Prince Faisal with Gul created the Taliban nightmare will no doubt be on the docket for discussion in the closed, smoky circles around hookas and other teas as Saudi Arabia helps to formulate a masterplan for the MENASA region, while attempting to secure the Pakistani Nukes from the backlash of the raising of 15 or so Frankenstein Monsters in the Deoband Wahhab Madrassas and ISI training grounds…a Talibani force that is less than a hundred miles from overtaking Islamabad.  With Ross heading to the region, from Egypt on the 28th to start indicates that messages from the Palestinian Front will be couriered to the Saudi Heads directly from Ross to Turki at a nice sit down meeting we will read about in books 5 or 6 years from now by aids and soon to be outed insiders.  The main question is whether or not economic issues will be discussed in this meeting or whether or not these discussions will be put on hold for the Fiscal Stability Board.   Since Ross is heading in and he is meeting with Prince Turki, the main issue will be containing and dismantling the threat of the Taliban while leaving the road open to Iran’s maintenance – you know, to make sure that the leadership of Iran get their black market money while curtailing and stabilizing the opium trade into manageable gangs. 

Gary H. Johnson, Jr. (4/29/09, 3:11pmEST)

FP 2009 Update – Week 15 – The Cable

Laura Rozen of The Cable does it again.  The Foreign Policy correspondent is always on the cutting edge of the events that effect Washington, DC.   Week 15 saw the confirmation of ex-Korea Ambassador Christopher Hill to the position of Iraq Ambassadorship.  Questions loom over whether Michael Oren will become the Israeli Ambassador to the United States.  Judith McHale and a host of other names were set forward by the Obama Administration for confirmation to begin week 15, including: Fred P. Hochberg for the position of President and Chairman of the Export-Import Bank of the United States; and Francisco “Frank” J. Sánchez to become the Under Secretary for International Trade, Department of Commerce.  Laura makes note of the Obama Administration’s indication that he will not seek regime change in Iran and the fact that paranoia on the Iranian front, particularly in the jailed journalist case will be a telling indicator of the success of the new diplomatic posture of constructive engagement.  Hillary Clinton squares off with Pirates in the Somalia Jihadist sphere, and interestingly, Rozen updates her post about the tough stance against piracy with the following: “The U.S. will be represented at the Somalia donors conference in Brussels by Acting Assistant Secretary for African Affairs Phillip Carter and an as yet unnamed representative from USAID, State Department spokesman Robert Wood said Thursday.”  It is interesting that noone else but Rozen is speaking of the donor conference in Brussels for Somalia on April 23rd, the fact that there is a Contact Group, and in the same breath that she pledges an unknown sum of money to the government in Somalia which has declared Shariah Law, Clinton says that the State Department will not accept bribery or ransom as a methodology.   The Summit of the Americas was preceded by Obama heading to Mexico to discuss the situation with Calderon, but Rozen does not mention that the IMF suddenly held $45 billion for extending more Mexico grants and loans.  Obama also opened up to the Castro regime in Cuba and laxed the embargo, but Rozen’s blog decidedly skipped over the handshake with Chavez and the three days of the conference, which makes one wonder if she is writing an article on the topic.  Nye seems a lock for the “Tokyo” Ambassador Slot, while Inderfurth declined to comment on the possibility that he is headed to South Asia.  It looks like Holbrooke and Biden have plans for the Presidency in Afghanistan that the Karzai clan is not a part of with the Presidency up for grabs in August.  Rozen’s analysis of the “whys” are weak…in reality Hekmatyar has been in contact with the Democratic Party in the US for some time, lobbying to remove the Tajik government – Karzai leads Tajiks and usurped the position from his Quetta (Baluchistan, Pakistan) home.  Bush felt he would fight the Taliban because they assassinated his father…the problem is, Baluchistan is the source of the drug and gun financiers in the region.  As Laura notes, “Feltman and Daniel Shapiro, the NSC senior director for the Middle East and North Africa, met with Syrian foreign ministry officials in Damascus last month” while discussing the coming elections in Lebanon and Iran and the slow process that seems to be smoothing out with Saudi Arabia’s rapproachment attempts with Syria.  Romer is headed to India, after losing out on the CIA head slot.  Is Brownback jockeying for a Governorship with Sibelius heading to HHS?  Former CIA heads buck back on Obama’s decision to release torture memos of the Bush era.   Strategy meeting on Afghanistan held by Holbrooke in Washington that was closed to the public: “Obama’s Af-Pak czar Richard Holbrooke is headlining the invite-only and off-the-record pow-wow at the U.S. Institute of Peace Thursday.”  Why would the meeting be closed?  What happened to transparency?

Gary H. Johnson, Jr. (4/29/09, 12:33pmEST)

Ya Libnan 10-day Roundup – 4/28/09

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2009/04/saturday_news_b_39.php
Saturday News Briefs
Published: Saturday, 18 April, 2009 @ 5:18 PM in Beirut
Beirut- Today marks the 13th anniversary of the Qana massacre, which took place on April 18, 1996 in Qana, a village in Southern Lebanon, when Israeli artillery hit the area of a UN compound near Qana. Of the 800 Lebanese civilians who had taken refuge in the compound to escape the fighting, 106 were killed and around 116 injured. Four Fijian United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon soldiers were also seriously injured.

The incident took place amid heavy fighting between the Israeli Defense Forces and Hezbollah during “Operation Grapes of Wrath”.

Speaker Nabih Berri spoke Saturday to his Amal Movement supports in Qana . He told them: The 1996 Kana Massacre “ended the turning of a blind eye to the war crimes and terrorist acts of Israel.” He stressed : The Lebanese know that their sole enemy is Israel which violated their borders, invaded their country and committed massacres.

Ya Libnan Weekly Roundup – 4/18/09

http://yalibnan.com/site/archives/2009/04/saturday_news_b_38.php
Saturday News Briefs
Published: Saturday, 11 April, 2009 @ 7:28 PM in Beirut
Beirut – Finally Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah admitted in his televised speech last night that one of those arrested in Egypt over terrorism charges is a member of Hezbollah, but at the same time he rejected all accusations by Egypt that his group was plotting attacks in Cairo.
“I fully reject and deny all charges that Hezbollah was intending to launch an act of aggression in Egypt or at any part of the world,” Nasrallah said .

Nasrallah escalated his attacks against Egypt. “The Egyptian regime should be charged and condemned for besieging Gaza. The regime works day and night on destroying Gaza tunnels,” Nasrallah charged.

His statement comes two days after Egyptian Public Prosecutor Abdel-Magid Mohammed accused Nasrallah of dispatching agents to Egypt during Israel’s offensive in the Gaza Strip with the aim of recruiting local agents to conduct attacks, and to incite the people and the armed forces to revolt, to spy on Egypt and to smuggle weapons and cash to Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

UAIS Journal Entry – 4/21/09

When considering the myriad Islamic Supremacist groups in the world, it is hard to determine the geopolitical realities of their rise, due to the blood and carnage of martyrdom operations and the putrid clouds hazing the wakes of suicide bombers.  Typically, when analyzing the terrifying signatures of the gruesome events in Islam’s cultural upheaval, the Western observer is immediately struck by a genocidal cult ideology that has driven what were once normal men or women to the point of the ultimate act of sacrifice for a twisted aim.  When considering the reality of modern Islamic extremism, to maintain a reasoned and objective focus, it is important to identify the drivers that give oxygen to the flames of contemporary jihadism that lie beyond the veil.  Today, when attempting to map the modern suicide cults of jihad and Islamism, two areas hold particular prominence in the Western eye:  the Levant and the Peshawaar.  When the Islamic Supremacist ideology is placed in the backseat, and societal barometers and geopolitical markers man the wheel what becomes remarkably clear from the shotgun is the fact that the primary elements that unite a Jihadist Movement into an Organization of global reach or into a dominant political role in a culture or localized tribal setting are instability, corruption, and perceived injustices in the Muslim demographic.  Indeed, if one were to identify the chief ideological element in the ideology of Islamic Supremacism that defines the nature of geopolitical power at the local or tribal level, the Dawa of Islam is the crucible of legitimacy for establishing both entrenched presence and popular support at the Islamic Street level.  To establish a nuanced and objective view of the trials of the Peshawaar and the Levant, the epicenters of modern Islamic Supremacist Extremism, a proper balance of geopolitical and ideological drivers must be attained.   

Gary H. Johnson, Jr. (4/21/09, 1:14amEST; updated 3:25pmEST))

Haaretz Notes – 4/20/09

http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1079213.html

Last update – 11:39 19/04/2009     
 
U.S.: Palestinians need not recognize Israel as Jewish state before talks 
By Akiva Eldar 

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s demand that the Palestinians recognize Israel as the state of the Jewish people as a condition for renewing peace talks is unacceptable to the United States, the State Department said during special envoy George Mitchell’s visits over the weekend to Ramallah and Cairo.

The State Department released statements saying that the United States would continue to promote a two-state solution. In Ramallah, Mitchell met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas.

Mitchell’s talks also seem to indicate that the United States does not accept Netanyahu’s position that the renewal of negotiations should be postponed until the Iranian nuclear threat is removed.

Jerusalem Post Notes – 4/20/09

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1239633075317&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Apr 13, 2009 21:19 | Updated Apr 14, 2009 9:02
Our World: Iran’s Western enablers
By CAROLINE GLICK
Egypt’s recent actions against Hizbullah operatives are a watershed event for understanding the nature of the threat that Iran constitutes for both regional and global security. For many Israelis, Egypt’s actions came as a surprise. For years this country has been appealing to Egypt to take action against Hizbullah operatives in its territory. With minor exceptions, it has refused. Believing that its operatives threatened only us, the Mubarak regime preferred to turn a blind eye.

Then too, now seems a strange time for Egypt to be proving Israel correct. Senior ministers in the new Netanyahu government have for years been outspoken critics of Egypt for its refusal to act against Hizbullah and for its support for the Hizbullah/Iran-sponsored Hamas terror group. By going after Hizbullah now, Egypt is legitimizing both their criticism and the Netanyahu government itself. This in turn seems to go against Egypt’s basic interest of weakening Israel politically in general, and weakening rightist Israeli governments in particular.

But none of this seemed to interest Egyptian officials last week when they announced the arrest of 49 Hizbullah operatives and pointed a finger at Hizbullah chief Hassan Nasrallah and his bosses in Teheran, openly accusing them of seeking to undermine Egypt’s national security.

The question is what caused Egypt to suddenly act? It appears that two things are motivating the Mubarak regime. First, there is the nature of the Hizbullah network it uncovered. According to the Egyptian Justice Ministry’s statements, the arrested operatives were not confining their operations to weapons smuggling to Gaza. They were also targeting Egypt.