Iran & Al Qaeda Influence

We need to watch Egypt as we could have a situation like Iran. Egyptians denounced President Hosni Mubarak and in February 2011 he resigned, ending his 30 year rule. However, because the US was friendly with Mubarak the Egyptian people do not trust us. Our troubles with Iran began when the US helped the Shah of Iran regain his power in 1953. Since 1979, when the Shah’s government was overthrown, Iran has been struggling against the western powers and continues to be a threat to world peace. To get hostages back in the 1980s, Reagan sold weapons to Iran with the profits going to Nicaragua; this is not the way we deal with such situations today.  

Iran invaded Lebanon in June 2011 and brought down its government. It has a strong influence in Syria and on October 24, 2011 the US withdrew the ambassador as anti-government protesters were killed. Also on October 24th, Gadhafi’s surviving son, on Syrian TV, promised to avenge his father’s and brother’s deaths. On October 29^th, it was reported that Syrian troops shelled protesters. On November 4^th, it was reported that the Syrian peace talks broke down and on November 12^th, it was reported that the Arab League is holding an emergency meeting regarding Syria’s 8 month brutal crackdown on its anti-government protesters; UN estimates 3,500 killed.

On October 11^th, ABC News reported that the Iranian government was trying to hire a hit man (an Iranian American from Corpus Christi, Texas) for $1.5 million. In Mexico, in August 2011, the hit man thought he was working with the Mexican cartel when he was taped; giving the FBI information on the planting of bombs in a Washington DC restaurant to kill the Ambassador from Saudi Arabia (it would have killed hundreds). The call giving the go ahead (project code name Chevrolet) was taped on October 6^th. This attempt as well as future attempts to bomb the Saudi and Israel embassies here in the US were thwarted. The Americans are saying the most damaging evidence is the $100,000 that was wired from Iran to an undercover FBI agent’s account as a deposit for the bombing. The US will go ahead with economic sanctions, diplomatic efforts to further isolate Iran, and spread the information to the world including Saudi and Muslim countries. The Iranians deny this occurred and call it a hoax to deter the media from the Wall Street protesters; the protesters are still in the news and their support is growing. I do wonder if the timing of this incident had anything to do with the release of the 2 students on September 21^st. Back in 2009 3 students were imprisoned for spying; they were each released with the payment of $500,000 for a total of $1.5 million; I don’t believe this a coincidence. Per the October 31^st issue of Time magazine Ayatullah Ali Khamenei, Iran’s Supreme Leader, warned the US against a response to the alleged plot saying ‘any unsuitable act, whether political or security, will meet a resolute response from the Iranian nation.’ On November 8^th, it was reported that a UN report came out saying that Iran has been secretly making a nuclear bomb for almost the last decade. Because oil distribution would be disrupted the price of oil goes up. On November 11^th, it was reported that the US is to sell bunker-busting bombs to the United Arab Emirates in an effort to counter Iran. The President is seeking common ground regarding Iran from Russia and China.

On October 21, 2011 it was reported that the Iraq war (March 19, 2003 with a surge in 2007) was over. There are about 39,000 troops currently left and we’ll be pulling them all out by the end of December; let’s hope they all come back safe. It’s being said that a shaky democracy is what we leave behind after spending more than $700 billion (more than 1 million troops served, 4,482 died and 32,213 were wounded). Contractors and Marines at the Embassy are staying. Although Saddam Hussein is gone, the violence has not ended. Defense Secretary Leon Panetta says the US military role after the New Year will be discussed with Iraq. He says we’re prepared to meet their training needs and exercises with them (Iraq asked for 5,000 troops) but they must guarantee immunity for our troops. Iran is trying to control Iraq thus getting control of the northern countries in the Middle East. I believe that Iraq will require our continued support to prevent the extremists from gaining control of the area. On November 1^st, I heard Condoleezza Rice say what I feel, Al Qaeda may not have been in Iraq when the war on terrorism started but going there was crucial in preventing a security threat to the region.  

Earlier this year UN offices in Nigeria were attacked, a bomb exploded outside the High Court in New Delhi, India killing at least 10 people and although it was a good month for killing Al Qaeda leaders, on October 23^rd the US warned Americans in or traveling to Kenya about a terrorist threat by a Somalia group linked to Al Qaeda and on October 31^st an American was identified as the bomber who attacked African troops in Somalia. The Islamist militants that control much of southern Somalia are lead by Al-Shabab who is accused of staging raids in Kenya and abducting tourists. In 2007 Ethiopia had an ill-fated intervention to stop Al-Shabab and now the Kenyans are trying.  

On October 28^th, it was reported that the US Embassy in Bosnia was attacked by an Islamic militant and on November 11, 2011 it was reported that Turkish forces shot a ferry hijacker and rescued 18 hostages.