Noblesse Oblige

Frontier post reports on the rally of Jamia Hafsa and Lal Masjid, who are declaring Taliban style Sharia court in Islamabad. They are threatening waves of suicide bombers if they are opposed, and in this step they have gone too far both with the citizens of Islamabad and with the Government.

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The released British sailors retracted all statements they made while imprisoned by the Iranians, and now state that they were in Iraqi waters. See video here

For a contrasting view from a British Marine Colonel, please stop by LGF. Personally, I am not going to judge them as we don’t know full circumstance, the pressures brought to bear, and we probably never will.

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In Wana, Pakistan 20 more Uzbek Al Qaida were killed by mixed Taliban and tribal forces bringing the total deaths to 270, with aproximately 70 deaths since the Taliban brokered peace failed on the 19th. Seven tribals died in the fighting at the high houses near Wana.

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The Jawa Report, Little Green Footballs, and US Centcom are reporting that a new Osama Bin Laden video might be coming soon. This is coming from reports on extremist websites

UPDATE: This is up at CT Blog:

UPDATE, 4:45 pm ET: Experts on Al Qaeda tape releases, including Evan Kohlmann, doubt the reliability of the website on which this was posted. Rita Katz of SITE Institute has issued a press release stating, “These reports are inaccurate and are based only on inauthentic, unsubstantiated rumors on jihadist messageboards. There has been no word of a forthcoming bin Laden video through the traditional channels al-Qaeda uses to make such announcements.”

Here’s Tony Blair speaking of the released sailors, as well as the four British soldiers killed this morning by IED’s. Note how he tapdances around the fact that Iran is manufacturing and supplying IED’s capable of destroying armored vehicles to insurgents in Iraq (reported here last July,) and clandestinely supporting the insurgency in Southern Iraq.

Ynet reports on the roadside bombing in Shia-Majority Basra: 

Four British soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in a roadside bomb blast that destroyed their Warrior armoured fighting vehicle in the Iraqi city of Basra on Thursday, the British military said.

The deaths brought to six the number of British soldiers killed in Iraq this week, making it one of the deadliest for British forces since the US-led invasion in 2003. “Last night four soldiers and a civilian interpreter were killed in a roadside bomb attack on a Warrior to the west of Basra,” British military spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Kevin Stratford-Wright said from the southern Iraqi city. A fifth soldier was seriously wounded.

 The tactical and strategic considerations of this need to be examined.

Tactical first: 

First, review of Rules of Engagement is needed for everyone in theater vis-a-vis Iran.

Second, examination of the timing and what this sideshow distraction was for is definitely in order. (Did Iran want the Brits backed down from inspections in Shat Al Arab for a period of time, and if so, why? Who or what might have been smuggled into Southern Iraq during this timeframe?)

Strategic:

We have to expect more bellicosity if this wasn’t a temporary distraction, and have to look at this in light of their past practices (Straits of Hormuz engagements, previous kidnapping in 2004, and the arrest of Romanian Oil workers on platforms in the gulf.)

If this is purely a move to extend domain (as all the previous actions indicate,) what does that tell us? Is Iran after oil in this area?

What moves should we make to clearly overthrow the false claims? (Show the flag patrols? UN Hearings/resolutions?)

What are the ramifications for the government of Iraq, especially considering the past war with Iran over some of these boundaries?

If we do nothing, then once the USS Stennis and other carriers are moved, then Iran will continue to press claims and extend boundaries, threatening eventually all traffic through the gulf which obviously cannot be allowed.

Amadinejad has stated that he will free the kidnapped British sailors — this comes after an Iranian “diplomat” was freed in Iraq, and after assurances from Britain that they would not sail in Iranian waters.

from Reuters:

In a dramatic announcement, Ahmadinejad said while he was “saddened” by Britain’s violation of Iran’s borders and felt the country was not “brave enough” to admit it made a mistake, he was willing to forgive.

“Under the influence of the Muslim Prophet (Iran) forgives these 15 people and gives their freedom to the British people as a gift,” Ahmadinejad said at the end of an hour-long news conference.

The announcement, made with a dramatic flourish by the Iranian president, sent oil prices down after a sharp rise during the 13-day crisis. U.S. stock futures and the dollar rose.

“I ask Mr. Blair not to punish the soldiers with the charge of accepting and telling the truth,” he said in reference to taped “confessions” from the sailors and marines saying they had entered Iranian waters.

The Iranian president said the captives — 14 men and a woman — would be released immediately after the news conference.

My read of all this: Britain has caved. By their promise not to enter Iranian waters, they have acknowledged that the disputed area is Iranian. The only method left to re-establish the boundary now is for US Ships and sailors to patrol the waterway in tandem with Iraqi ships in “show the flag” excercises. Thank you very much Mr. Blair.

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The battles in Wana continue as local tribes and Taliban comb the countryside to expel Al Qaida aligned Uzbeks and Chechens. The war drums have not sounded in five years due to Taliban edicts against them. More tribes, including some which were previously aligned with the Uzbeks have joined in. Alliances in Pakistan’s tribal regions are always fickle, and can change with one slight, imagined or real, one breath of wind.

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