11.15.2005

WW4

Terror Warning In India >>> Rather than any specific intelligence, this is most likely a combination of the increased caution after the Amman bombings and upcoming holidays in India.

Are You Listening, Zarqawi? >>> It is quite possible that the divisions here go far deeper than we first imagined. While there are certainly tactical differences between the Zarqawi Doctrine and the bin Laden/Zawahiri Doctrine, this could be the beginning of a major schism within al-Qaeda. At this point it seems strictly ideological, but it is possible that these differences could spark violence within the organization, much like the recent fighting between al-Qaeda in Iraq and the home-grown Iraqi insurgency.
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OIF

French Help In Iraq >>> The French antics in the Balkans were notoriously under-reported, but thankfully the Pentagon remembered them. Stereotypical French bashing aside, France has a well-trained military and an excellent intelligence service, but they clearly had ulterior motives concerning possible involvement in Iraq, as the Oil For Food fallout has made clear.

Ubaydi >>> Another update here. Make sure to view the aerial photos, as they give a real sense of just how small these towns are. The insurgency is no longer making its stand in the Fallujahs and Mosuls, but in the tiny backwater frontier towns on the Syrian border. The only exceptions to this are sections of Ramadi and Baghdad. Slowly but surely the Iraqis, with Coalition help, are solidifying their control over their own country.
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DEFENSE & TECHNOLOGY

Cold War Sabotage >>> 23 years later, all this seems kind of funny....
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