Category Archives: Insurgency

Meanwhile Back in Syria, Destruction

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Extremists destroy 13th century Muslim tomb in Syria

Nusra Front Islamist militants linked to al-Qaeda have blown up the 13th century tomb of a revered Islamic scholar in southern Syria, Syrian state news agency SANA and monitoring group, the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, reported.

The mausoleum of Imam Nawawi is in Nawa in Deraa province near the Jordanian border, a town captured by groups fighting the Syrian government in November.

The Nusra Front follows the same puritanical interpretation of Sunni Islam adopted by the Islamic State group that has also destroyed shrines in areas of eastern and northern Syria that it controls. They see tombs as sacrilegious.

Investigators confident that chlorine gas was used in 3 Syrian villages

UNITED NATIONS — Chemical weapons investigators concluded “with a high degree of confidence” that chlorine gas was used as a weapon against three opposition-controlled villages in Syria last year, affecting between 350 and 500 people and killing 13, according to a report obtained Tuesday by The Associated Press.

The third report by a fact-finding mission from the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons didn’t apportion blame but said 32 of 37 people interviewed “saw or heard the sound of a helicopter over the village at the time of the attack with barrel bombs containing toxic chemicals.”

The investigators said 26 people heard the distinctive “whistling” sound of the falling barrel bombs containing toxic chemicals and 16 visited the impact sites and saw the bombs or their remnants. They said 29 people smelled “the distinctive odor of the gas cloud” released after the bombs hit the ground, mainly describing it “as intense, chlorine-like, similar to cleaning material used to clean toilets, but much stronger.”

The report includes a description of 142 videos and 189 pieces of material obtained by the investigators as well as photos of impact sites and the inner chlorine cylinder from a barrel bomb.

The mission was established by the OPCW on April 29 to establish the facts surrounding allegations of the use of chlorine “for hostile purposes” in Syria. Chlorine gas is readily available and is used in industry around the world, but it can also be used as a weapon.

The U.N. Security Council has been intensely involved in the issue of alleged chemical weapons use in Syria. After an August 2013 sarin gas attack near Damascus in which the U.S. says more than 1,400 people were killed, the Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution backed by the U.S. and Russia on Sept. 27, 2013, ordering Syria’s chemical weapons stockpile to be destroyed. U.N. investigators could not find enough evidence to assess blame for the sarin attack. Syria’s declared chemical weapons stockpiles have since been destroyed under international supervision, but questions remain about whether it may still be hiding deadly chemical agents.

Chlorine gas is not listed as a chemical weapon. But eight council members, including the United States, said in a Dec. 30 letter accompanying the OPCW report that the 2013 resolution also states that any use of chemical weapons threatens international peace and security and must be condemned.

The 15 council members discussed the fact-finding mission’s report behind closed doors Tuesday, and diplomats said the U.S. and other Western nations who signed the letter along with Jordan urged Security Council action in response to the findings. But Russia, Syria’s closest ally, insisted that the report on chlorine attacks was an issue for the OPCW, which polices the Chemical Weapons Convention, the diplomats said, speaking on condition of anonymity because consultations were private.

Syria’s Deputy Foreign Minister Faysal Mekdad told an OPCW meeting on Dec. 1 that his government has never used chemical weapons or chlorine gas during the country’s four-year civil war, which has claimed over 200,000 lives and displaced one third of the country’s population. He said terror groups “have used chlorine gas in several of the regions of Syria and Iraq.”

But U.S. Ambassador Samantha Power tweeted that “only Syrian regime uses (helicopters).” She also tweeted that the Syrian “Regime must be shown it is not enough to destroy declared CW (chemical weapons); must stop dropping chemical-laden explosives on civilians.”

The investigators interviewed 14 people from the village of Talmenes in Idlib governorate about barrel bomb attacks on April 21 and April 24. At two houses that were hit, a 7-year-old boy, a teenage girl, and the matriarch of a family died from exposure to chlorine gas, they said. Domestic animals including cows, goats and sheep also died at both houses.

Fourteen people from the village of Al Tamanah, also in Idlib, were interviewed by the mission’s investigators about five incidents in April and May – all but one at night. Eight members of two families who had sought refuge in the village died shortly after separate attacks involving the toxic chemical, the report said.

Investigators said they interviewed nine people from Kafr Zita in Hama Governorate in northern Syria and were told that the village had been the target of hundreds of attacks with conventional weapons and 17 attacks using toxic chemicals between April and August.

Example of how Terrorists Arrive in the U.S.

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The Bush Administration worked diligently to stop terrorists from entering the homeland. At the time, there was an effort to determine all terror connections, travel, money flow and names. Below illustrate such a case. Today, we there is no confidence of CBP or DHS stopping terrorists given obvious and recent cases, conditions and the DACA executive order.

This previous method for entering the United States is happening again today. Now you will have some facts from not only through the Southern border but through every port and international airport in America.

This has been declassified:

SECRET 1120290910

DEPARTMENT  OF DEFENSE

JOINT TASK FORCE GUANTANAMO

GUANTANAMO BAY,C UBA

APO AE 09360

REPLY TO

ATTENTIONO F

JTF GTMO-CG l0 September 2004

MEMORANDUM FOR Commander, United States  Southern Command 35 11 NW 91st Avenue, Miami, FL33172.

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Retain  under DoD Control (DoD) for Guantanamo  Detainee,

ISN:U S9AF-00001l 3DP( S)

1. (FOUO) Personal Information:

* JDIM/NDRC  Reference Name: Ahmed, Esmatalla Fedah

*Aliases and Current/True Name: Ahmed Feda

* Place of Birth: Kandahar. Afghanistan (AF)

* Date of Birth: 5 February  1977

* Citizenship: Afghanistan

2. (FOUO) Health: He is in good health.

3. (S) Detainee Summary:

a. (S) Background and Capture Data: Unless otherwise noted, the following background

notes are based solely on the detainee’s statements.

.*Recruitment and Travel: Beginning in 2001,detainee began making his way to the

US from Pakistan( PK) via South  America and Mexico (MX). Detainee attempted to enter the US, so he could get a job and send money home to his family. Detainee had managed to pay $25,000 to the facilitator if he arrived safely in the US. After many months of travel, he was arrested by Mexican police in March of 2003. (Analyst Note: Detainee has not given a name to his facilitator as of this memo.)

*Capture Information: The detainee and Ahmad Jan were arrested by Mexican authorities while traveling without proper documentation .After being held for three months, Mexican authorities deported him to Kabul, AF, where he was turned over to the Afghan government. Detainee was in an Afghani prison for 10 months before being handed over to US authorities.

CLASSIFIED BY: Multiple Sources

REASON: E.O. 12958 Section 1.5(C)

DECLASSIFY ON: 20290910

SECRET I 120290910

SECRET I 120290910

JTF GTMO-CG

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Retain under D oD Confrol (DoD) for Guantanamo Detainee,

ISN:U S9AF-00001l 3DP( S)

b. (S) Transfer to JTF GTMO: Detainee was subsequently transported to Guantanamo Bay

Naval Base, Cuba, on 9 May 2003.

c. (S) Reasons for Transfer to JTF GTMO: To provide specific information on terrorist networks, financing, facilitators, recruiters, and travel in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Mexico.

d. (S) Reasons for Continued Detention:

*Detainee probably staged out of Ecuador to Guatemala prior to arriving in Mexico

(MX). His probable facilitator for that portion of the trip has been linked to Hizballah and Al- Gama’at Al-Islamiyya.

*The US escort officer on the return trip to Afghanistan from Mexico was able to

determine that the detainee and Ahmed Jan had staged out of Ecuador( EC) sometime in

February2 002 and traveled by vessel to the Chetumal port-of-entry area from Quayaquil, E C.

Detainee also admitted to being on a boat for 8-9 hours.

*The vessel that transported the detainee and Ahmed Jan into Mexico is believed to be one of the special interest vessels( vessels that carry any US-bound alien who is a citizen or

national of, or originates travel from, a country that is of special interest to the national security of the US (lraq, Iran, Egypt, Sudan, Indonesia, Yemen and Afghanistan).These  citizens or nationals are the focus of a joint INS, USCG and Mexican Navy operation called Operation Southern Watch.

*According to a member of the US Embassy Mexico City, several vessels were apprehended  by Operation Southern Watch during the time frame in which the detainee  and Ahmed Jan were smuggled in to Mexico. Five vessels made it to Mexico without being apprehended-two of which were the Nina Marie II and the Esperanza.

*The smuggler responsible for providing the Middle Eastern immigrants on the vessels  was a man named Maher Jarad ,aka Maher al-Palestinian, He has close ties with Fagr Almat, an individual known to help smuggling operations for members of Hizballah and A l- Gama’atA l-Islamiyya. Two of the vessels the Nina Marie II and the Esperanza are known to have departed Guayaquil, Ecuador between 22-23 February 2002.

*Detainee’s credibility is suspect. He has been consistently deceptive during interviews, and he has revised his story at least three times. His inability to provide accurate basic  information about family, past employment, airlines, information on his false passport etc., suggest he has had counter-interrogation training.

*Detainee initially claimed that he was being pursued to join the Taliban in Kandahar, A F. He claimed to pay his uncle$ 25,000t o find someone who would smuggle him into the US. His uncle introduced him to Khalid who facilitated his travels to the US. The $25,000 came from his father, who is a car salesman in Kandahar, A F.

*Subsequently detainee stated that everything he has said during prior interrogations is a lie.

2

SECRET 1120290910

SECRET 1120290910

JTF GTMO-CG

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Retain under DoD Control (DoD) for Guantanamo Detainee,

ISN:U S9AF-000011 3 DP( S)

*Detainee’s next version of his cover story claimed that his family moved to Karachi,

PK, where he and his family have been living for five to eight years. Detainee worked at

Habiladar Factory, making coats, and at the Zikayr Carving Company for one and a half years. (Analyst note: Contradictions from first story: Detainee now lived in Pakistan versus Afghanistan. Aunt and Uncle live in Pakistan versus Afghanistan. His father is a car  salesman in Kandahar.)

*When detainee arrived at JTF-GTMO, he provided a third version of his timeline. In the third version, the detainee had two separate employers in Karachi, PK. One was a leather jacket company; the other was a machine shop. Detainee does not remember the name of either the leather company or the machine  shop. (Analyst note: Contradictions- Detainee can no longer remember the names of the companies he worked for. Detainee does not mention his aunt or uncle in this version at all. His family will pay Khaled the money only after the detainee reaches the US. Father no longer sells cars, but he now is at an oil distribution company.

Money will come from father selling car and borrowing money from friends at the oil company.)

*Detainee provided erroneous information about the educational institutions he attended.

*Ahmed Jan, the other Afghani who was captured in Mexico with the detainee, also claimed he was looking for an “uncle” in the US, for whom he had no address. (Analyst

note; This would suggest that both Afghani’s were given the same covers tory to tell if they were captured)

*Detainee claims that due to his inability to read and write, he did not know where he was at any time during his travel to the US. His facilitator,” Khaled,” held his passport and tickets until detainee had to past through checkpoints.

*Detainee admits to being able to read and write in at least Pashtu.

*Detainee claims he never knew what airline he flew on en route to the US.

(Analyst note: Airline pilots normally announced departure and arrival locations just prior to take-of and departure. Destination locations are clearly displayed in airports and announcements for flights are always made. Detainee would have, a  minimum, been  aware of where the initial flight was destined since it was departing from his home area and language(s) being used would not be foreign to the detainee-)

*Detention personnel noted,” on 22 July 2003 at 0522 after the detainee was taken to reservation. A cell search was done and an extra toothbrush and toothpaste was found and also on the ceiling was written “Pakistan” in black. (Analyst note: Indicates he can write)

*Detention personnel  commented that the detainee preaches religion to ISN

US9AF-000964DP from Quoran” (Analyst note: Indicates he can read.)

*Detainee also stated that he heard of Usama Bin Laden (UBL) through

newspapers and television in Pakistan. (Analyst note: Indicates he can read.)

*While staying at one safehouse for two months during the trip to the US, detainee was ordered to remain in the house at all times, sleeping during the day and watching television at night. Analyst note: All information above dispels detainee’s claim of inability to read and write in at least English and Pashtu. Detainee would be able to see departure and arrival information on the ticket and in the airport and information held within the passport.

There are

C

JTF GTMO-CG

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Retain under DoD Control (DoD) for Guantanamo Detainee,

ISN:U S9AF-0001031D P( S)

also constant reminders on television of station and location, and to get news from a newspaper you have to be able to read. That being the case, it would be reasonable to believe that the detainee would have the capability to understand what country he was in, what airline he was boarding, and what his destination was.

*Detainee was administered two polygraph tests  and one Computer Voice Stress

Analysis( CVSA) test since his incarceration at Bagram.

* The first polygraph was given at Bagram prior to 4 May 2003. Detainee refused to

cooperate and did not answer questions.

* The second polygraph was conducted at JTF-GTMO  on 31 October 2003. The test resulted in a No Opinion.

* A CVSA was conducted at JTF-GTMO on 6 Jan 04. The purpose of the examination was to determine  the veracity o  his denial that he ever received  combat training (Al-Qaida  operatives have received t is training) and h is claim that he was not trying to enter the US to commit terrorist-related activities. It was determined that the detainee did not respond truthfully to the following questions.

. l Have you received combat training? Detainee answered no. Deception

Indicated(D I)

. 2. Were you trying to sneak into America, to hurt Americans? Detainee

answered n o. (DI)

 (S) Intelligence Focus: JTF GTMO has determined that this detainee is of high

intelligence value due to his knowledge of:

*Illegal alien smuggling routes from the Middle East to the Americas

*Safehouse used by smugglers between the Middle East and the Americas

*Organization and personnel used in smuggling operations

*Counter-interrogation techniques

 4. (S) Detainee’s Conduct: Detainee’s overall behavior has been generally compliant and nonaggressive.

He also has a few refusals and failure to follow the guards’ instructions in his record.

 5. (S) EC Status: Detainee’s enemy combatant status was reassessed 0n 24 February 2004, and he remains an enemy combatant.

6. (S) JTF GTMO Assessment:

a. (S) Summary: Detainee is a suspected A l-Qaida terrorist captured in Mexico attempting to reach the US border. Detainee has not explained how his family, who are Afghan refugees in Pakistan could afford to pay the smuggler’s fee of $25,000 to get the detainee to the US. It is proven that the detainee has consistently provided false information during interrogations. The detainee’s continued efforts to provide false information to authorities throughout his detention is

4

SECRET

JTF GTMO.CG

SUBJECT: Recommendation to Retain under DoD Control (DoD) for Guantanamo Detainee,

ISN:U SSAF-0001031D P( S)

not indicative of someone simply trying to enter the US. The detainee who knows four languages., one of which is English,-is of higher intelligence. To determine the motivation and extent of the detainee’s deception is key to determining whether or not the detainee is a highly trained terrorist. It has been determined that the detainee poses a medium risk, as he may possibly to pose a threat to the US, its interests and allies. e

b. (S) Recommendation: JTF GTMO recommends this detainee be retained under DoD control.

7. (S) Coordination: JTF GTMO notified the Criminal Investigative Task Force (C ITF) of this recommendation 0n 10 September2 004. CITF assessed this detainee on 23 April 2004 as a low risk. In the interest of national security and pursuant to an agreement between the CITF and JTF GTMO Commanders, CITF will defer to JTF GTMO’s assessment that at the detainee poses a medium risk.

716’JL

/ Jnv w. HooD

\-zbrigadier General, US ArmY

Commanding

CF: CITF-GTMO

5

SEcRET 1120290910

Apprehended in U.S. from Terror States

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Consider as you read below, how many we did not catch. Consider how many actually got a pass. Consider how many received visas from the State Department to come here under a green card.

Just consider Iraq, a worn torn country currently in a war. How many have been allowed into the United States and why? This is chilling only from 2013.

WASHINGTON—Two Iraqi citizens living in Bowling Green, Kentucky who admitted using improvised explosive devices (IEDs) against U.S. soldiers in Iraq and who attempted to send weapons and money to al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) for the purpose of killing U.S. soldiers were sentenced today to serve federal prison terms by Senior Judge Thomas B. Russell in U.S. District Court for the Western District of Kentucky.

The sentences was announced Lisa Monaco, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; David J. Hale, U.S. Attorney for the Western District of Kentucky; and Perrye K. Turner, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Louisville Division.

Mohanad Shareef Hammadi, 25, a former resident of Iraq, was sentenced to life in federal prison, and Waad Ramadan Alwan, 31, a former resident of Iraq, was sentenced to 40 years in federal prison, followed by a life term of supervised release. Both defendants had pleaded guilty to federal terrorism charges.

Iraqi Refugee Processing

Part of the humanitarian mission of the USRAP is to provide resettlement opportunities to especially vulnerable Iraqi refugees. Since large-scale Iraqi refugee processing was announced in February 2007, DHS and DOS have worked cooperatively to increase the number of Iraqi refugees admitted to the United States as part of the worldwide commitment. DHS and DOS have worked closely to expand processing capacity for Iraqi refugee applicants while ensuring the highest level of security. In support of these efforts, USCIS currently deploys approximately 55 officers per quarter to the Middle East to conduct refugee processing circuit rides. Since the inception of the program in 2007, 203,321 Iraqi nationals have been referred to the USRAP for resettlement to the United States. USCIS has interviewed 142,670 Iraqi refugee applicants; approved 119,202 for resettlement and, 84,902 Iraqi refugees have arrived in the United States.

Does Customs and Border Patrol coordinate with ICE, then DHS then the FBI? Well take a look at the FBI homepage on terrorism.

(CNSNews.com) – The Department of Homeland Security’s Customs and Border Protection reports that in fiscal year 2014 (Oct. 1 through Sept. 30) agents apprehended 1,191 individuals from 12 of the 14 countries that DHS and the State Department have considered as countries that have problems with terrorism.

In December, CBP released its apprehension statistics for 2014, which show that of the 486,651 apprehensions, 257,473 were from countries “other than Mexico.” Of those apprehended from countries “other than Mexico,” CBP provided CNSNews.com the countries of origin of those taken into custody.

Of those from countries “other than Mexico,” 1,191 were from 12 countries – Iran, Sudan, Cuba and Syria (state sponsors of terror), and Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen (“countries of interest”) – designated by the federal government to have terrorist links.

The breakdown of the apprehension of individuals from 12 countries designated as “countries of interest” is as follows, according to CBP: Afghanistan (4); Algeria (3); Cuba (1,061); Iran (4); Iraq (7); Lebanon (10); Nigeria (29); Pakistan (31); Saudi Arabia (16); Somalia (6); Syria (14); and Yemen (6).

As CNSNews.com reported in 2010, following the failed attempt to bring down Northwest Flight 253 on Dec. 25, the Transportation Safety Administration (TSA) announced enhanced airport screening for people traveling through or from 14 “countries of interest.” TSA did not specify which nations it considered “countries of interest.”

“TSA is mandating that every individual flying into the U.S. from anywhere in the world who holds a passport issued by or is traveling from or through nations that are state sponsors of terrorism or other countries of interest will be required to go through enhanced screening,” the TSA said.

“TSA directed the increased use of enhanced screening technologies and mandates threat-based and random screening for majority passengers on U.S. bound international flights,” it added.

But a Jan. 4, 2010 New York Times report, citing Obama administration officials, identified them as Afghanistan, Algeria, Lebanon, Libya, Nigeria, Iraq, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, Somalia and Yemen. The other four – Iran, Sudan, Syria and Cuba – were identified as state sponsors of terrorism by the State Department.

A Jan. 4, 2010 report in USA Today, citing the TSA as the source, described the full list of nations whose citizens would be targeted for enhanced security checks as “14 countries with terrorism problems.”

 

Streets of Paris, al Qaeda Cold Blooded Murder

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Cherif Kouachi, 26, and Thamar Bouchnak, 25, were arrested in Paris in January 2005 as they prepared to fly to Damascus. They were sentenced to three years, as requested by Xavier- Rolai.

Kouachi said on the stand that he was inspired by detainee abuse by U.S. troops at Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib prison, though he was relieved he was stopped. The court said Kouachi had wanted to attack Jewish targets in France, but Benyettou had told him that France wasn’t a “land of jihad” but Iraq was.

Update:  21.30. the three suspects have been identified. It comes from Saïd Kouchi., born in 1980 in Paris, Charles Kouchi., born in 1982 in Paris and Waleed M. Hamyd, born in 1996. All three are originating in Gennevilliers (Hauts-de-Seine). They were reportedly arrested but no official confirmation comes for the hour of the Ministry of the Interior.

21 h 20.According to Metronews, the three suspects have been identified. It would be two brothers of 32 and 34 years, born in Paris, and a young 18-year-old man, whose nationality is not known.

2110. thousands of people gathered Wednesday evening in several European cities, like Berlin, Brussels, Madrid, Vienna or London. In Berlin, they were 500 late afternoon outside the Embassy of France. Near the Brandenburg Gate, in the centre of the German capital, many demonstrators came with candles, waving placards proclaiming “I’m Charlie” or ancient some of Charlie Hebdo. And this sign: “Europe United in solidarity ‘. In Brussels, several hundred people gathered outside the Consulate of France and the European Parliament, where they brandished silently pencils or pens in solidarity. Candles, too, have been lighted, under the sign “I’m Charlie” clings to a statue. A little more than 200 people gathered in Liège. At Trafalgar square, in the heart of London, several hundred people gathered, serious faces, including many French. Many had brought with them placards ‘I am Charlie’ or displayed the message on the screen of their mobile phone.

In Madrid, they were several hundred outside the Embassy of France, in the presence of Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont. The crowd chanted “freedom of expression, freedom of expression, before singing the Marseillaise in front of a blue-white-red flag. The Socialist former President José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, was there, too, to show his support. In the Hague, a hundred people gave themselves go to the Spui, in downtown. Some waved french flags while others sang when you have that love, Jacques Brel. Stockholm, 70 people gathered outside the Embassy of France, some with flowers, others of candles.

20 h 57. «»”Trips, stays and outputs school, an exceptional nature, organized by region Île-de-France are, until further notice, suspended”, announced the Ministry of Education by way of press release. Same set sent to mayors, in charge of organizing extracurricular activities. “For the whole of the national territory, the presence of adults to the inputs and outputs is implemented.” A Visual inspection must be done on bags and “special attention is requested in order to avoid any gathering in the vicinity of these institutions.” Finally, the Department asked rectors, in relation to the prefects, to identify schools and sensitive schools. A minute’s silence will be observed in all schools and universities, at noon tomorrow

 

The gunmen (3) still at large, spoke perfect French. al Qaeda claims involvement. This is militant Islam, where Paris sadly had their own Benghazi. The media operation had unarmed security. Holland immediately called this a terror attack, as French intelligence had already foiled several like operations in recent weeks.

Jihadi chatter abounds now on all social media stating that Paris burns. Close but graphic video perspective is here. Signs are pointing to AQAP. AQAP put the publication on their target list.

Reactions On The Forum Jihadi Media Platform

Members of the pro-ISIS forum Jihadi Media Platform (alplatformmedia.com) lashed out at France. A member called Al-Dia’ Al-Gharib wrote: “France was [once] part of the land of Islam and will return to be the land of Islam, in spite the worshippers of the Cross.” Another, who goes by the name Muhib Al-Salihin, wrote: “France is one of the harshest enemies of Islam and of the Islamic State in particular.” Forum member Abu Al-Qassem Al-Shawqi commented: “[This] is news that quenches the thirst for revenge. By Allah, beloved ones, let us not think lightly of prayers. By Allah, they [the attackers] are soldiers of Allah.” And a member calling himself Abu Bakr Al-Zari’ni remarked: “Congratulations to France and to its people for reaping what their hands sowed. Did these evil cartoonists think that we were a nation that would remain silent in face of those who insult our Prophet…? Did [French President] Hollande and the governments that preceded him think that their interventions and despotism in the lands of the Muslims would not be met with retribution? No, by Allah, from now on the youths of Islam will no longer remain silent, especially since we have a state [ISIS] to mobilize armies if anybody insults the nation of Islam.”

Richard Clarke, the former White House counter-terrorism czar called this operation a military operation complete with AK-47’s and rocket launchers.

The video from a close by roof perspective is here.

Steve Gomez, former head of the Counter-Terrorism Division for the FBI in Los Angeles, said that the attack appeared markedly different from recent “lone wolf” attacks, such as the deadly incident in Ottawa in October.

“Many lone wolves are looking to die. Those are suicide operations. This, Paris, isn’t a suicide mission,” said Gomez, an ABC News consultant. “They went in, shot up people and they’re out. They probably have an escape hatch and, if they’re connected to terrorists, who knows what kind of support system could be helping them out.

French security forces are hunting for three gunmen who stormed the offices of satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in Paris, killing 12 people Wednesday. A cartoonist with the publication told a French newspaper of the moment she encountered the two attackers as they entered the office. “When I arrived in front of the door of the building of the paper, two men hooded and armed brutally threatened us,” she said. She indicated that the men spoke French perfectly, and that they claimed to be with al-Qaeda. An estate agent who also witnessed the attack said that, before launching the assault, the attackers approached another man in the street saying, “Tell the media that this is al-Qaeda in the [sic] Yemen.”

Here is what we know so far, as night falls in Paris:

A woman pays tribute during a gathering at the Place de la Republique in Paris.
A woman pays tribute during a gathering at the Place de la Republique in Paris. Photograph: Gonzalo Fuentes/Reuters

I’m now handing over this liveblog to my colleague Tom McCarthy, who will continue with updates throughout the rest of the day. Thank you for reading.

The Queen has sent a message to French president François Hollande:

Prince Philip and I send our sincere condolences to the families of those who have been killed and to those who have been injured in the attack in Paris this moming.

We send our thoughts and prayers to all those who have been affected.

Radio France, Le Monde and France Télévisions have put out a statement saying they will offer staff and other support to help the Charlie Hebdo magazine “continue to live”.

They invite all French media to do the same, “to defend the principles of independence, freedom of thought and expression, the guarantors of our democracy”.

General Shelton Slams Iran

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The summary below translates into a few questions. Why does Secretary of State John Kerry continue to legitimize Iran and to bring the country on equal footing globally as they are a rogue nation? The next question, will the White House continue to ignore Iran’s history of terrorism?

Iran is a dangerous ‘ally’ in Syria and Iraq

At the dawn of 2015, the U.S. has yet to articulate a comprehensive foreign-policy strategy to counter the influence and territorial gains of Islamic State, the terrorist group that emerged last year — and poses a dangerous and vexing threat to stability across the Middle East and North Africa. By the Pentagon’s admission, we neither understand the underlying ideology of the merciless group nor have a grasp of all the players in the region who have aggravated the crisis.

Indeed, the fog of war seems to have muddied Iran’s role in this dark chapter of regional affairs. Is Tehran an ally or a nemesis in the fight against Islamic State? At least initially, the U.S. believed that Iran could play a constructive role in combating a mutual adversary. Secretary of State John F. Kerry, touting the age-old axiom “the enemy of my enemy is my friend,” suggested that Iran could be part of the solution.

The only trouble is that Iran is a major part of the challenges we face.

Islamic State, also known by the acronym ISIS, rose out of the sectarian conflict that exploded in Iraq in 2004, shortly after the U.S.-led occupation. Iran immediately backed Shiite Muslim militant factions with training, money, weapons and intelligence, sparking a vicious Sunni Muslim militant counter-reaction that nourished Al Qaeda and, later, ISIS. The rise to power of Nouri Maliki, an inept and corrupt Shiite prime minister with strong ties to Tehran, sealed Iraq’s fate not only as a breeding ground for Sunni extremism, but as an Iranian satellite state.

Iran now has more than 7,000 Revolutionary Guards and elite Quds Force members in Iraq, according to the National Council of Resistance of Iran, an Iranian opposition organization. The killing of Iranian military advisor Hamid Taqavi, a brigadier general in the Revolutionary Guard, in December in Samarra put an exclamation point on the scope and significance of the Revolutionary Guard’s presence in Iraq. As the most senior commander of the Quds Force to die abroad since the Iran-Iraq war ended 26 years ago, Taqavi played a key role in Tehran’s training and control of Shiite militias in Iraq.

Amnesty International has pointed to the presence of Iran’s proxy militias in Iraq as a key source of instability and sectarian conflict there. In an October report called “Absolute Impunity, Militia Rule in Iraq,” Amnesty found that the growing power of Shiite militias has contributed to a “deterioration in security and an atmosphere of lawlessness” and that the Shiites “are ruthlessly targeting Sunni civilians … under the guise of fighting terrorism, in an apparent bid to punish Sunnis for the rise of the ISIS and for its heinous crimes.”

Iranian clerics’ paranoia over domestic discontent has made meddling in regional countries, Iraq in particular, a cornerstone of Tehran’s foreign policy and survival strategy. Speaking at Taqavi’s funeral, top Iranian security official Ali Shamkhani said, “Taqavi and people like him gave their blood in Samarra so that we do not give our blood in Tehran.”

Iran’s reasons for “fighting” ISIS diverge considerably from U.S. objectives. Whereas we seek a stable and nonsectarian government in Iraq, the mullahs’ interests are best served by the ascension of a subordinate Shiite leadership, enabling them to use the neighbor to the west as a springboard for their regional hegemonic, anti-Western designs. The Iranian government sees an opening in the turmoil in Iraq for consolidating its grip on that country, weakened by the ouster of Prime Minister Maliki.

Iran’s role in the civil war in Syria is following a similar dynamic: Through its proxy Hezbollah — the Shiite Muslim political and paramilitary organization — Iran has served as Syrian President Bashar Assad’s battering ram against his people, killing and enraging Sunnis and fueling ISIS’ exponential growth.

Aiding and abetting Iran’s destructive role in Iraq or Syria would be a strategic mistake for the U.S. that only exacerbates a profound crisis. It is a dangerous irony to even consider allying with Iran — which the U.S. State Department still considers the world’s most active state sponsor of terrorism — to fight the terrorism inspired by ISIS.

Iranian opposition leader Maryam Rajavi, who is well versed in the agenda and ambitions of Tehran’s mullahs, rightly describes a potential Western alliance with Iran against ISIS as akin to “jumping from the frying pan into the fire.” The eviction of the Iranian government from the region, especially from Syria and Iraq, must be part of the U.S. strategy for countering ISIS and resolving the sectarian divides that drive extremism throughout the region, Rajavi says.

She’s right. The U.S. must think beyond ISIS to what kind of region will be left in its smoldering wake. As the U.S. weighs its policy options, any scenario that leaves Iran in control of large swaths of the region must be rejected outright.
Gen. Hugh Shelton served as the 14th chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.