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Obama wouldn't release these files because they prove al Qaeda was working with Iran.

Kinda crazy to sign off on allowing Iran to get nukes and pay them a few hundred billion dollars when the Iranian regime is working closely with al Qaeda, isn't it?

One never-before-seen 19-page document contains a senior jihadist’s assessment of the group’s relationship with Iran. The author explains that Iran offered some “Saudi brothers” in al Qaeda “everything they needed,” including “money, arms” and “training in Hezbollah camps in Lebanon, in exchange for striking American interests in Saudi Arabia and the Gulf.” Iranian intelligence facilitated the travel of some operatives with visas, while sheltering others. Abu Hafs al-Mauritani, an influential ideologue prior to 9/11, helped negotiate a safe haven for his jihadi comrades inside Iran. But the author of the file, who is clearly well-connected, indicates that al Qaeda’s men violated the terms of the agreement and Iran eventually cracked down on the Sunni jihadists’ network, detaining some personnel. Still, the author explains that al Qaeda is not at war with Iran and some of their “interests intersect,” especially when it comes to being an “enemy of America.”

Bin Laden’s files show the two sides have had heated disagreements. There has been hostility between the two. Al Qaeda even penned a letter to Ayatollah Khamenei demanding the release of family members held in Iranian custody. Other files show that al Qaeda kidnapped an Iranian diplomat to exchange for its men and women. Bin Laden himself considered plans to counter Iran’s influence throughout the Middle East, which he viewed as pernicious.

However, bin Laden urged caution when it came to threatening Iran. In a previously released letter, bin Laden described Iran as al Qaeda’s “main artery for funds, personnel, and communication.” And despite their differences, Iran continued to provide crucial support for al Qaeda’s operations.

In a series of designations and other official statements issued since July 2011, the US Treasury and State Departments have repeatedly targeted al Qaeda’s “core facilitation pipeline” inside Iran. Sources familiar with the intelligence used to justify those designations say they are based, in part, on the Abbottabad files. It is likely that still more revelations concerning al Qaeda’s relationship with Iran remain to be found in the cache made available today.

Wrong? Not really, no. The point was that they weren't murdered. It's unfortunate that a couple of captives were killed as a consequence of legitimate military operations, but many captives of ISIS or al Qaeda's have wished for death given their treatment. It is reasonable to feel sorry for them. The others were generally there supporting or fighting on behalf of al Qaeda or ISIS and deserve little pity whether they were directly targeted like Anwar al Awlakis, or were accompanying a targeted individual as some of the other Americans were.

Poor Abdul Rahman Awlaki?? Not so much.

Anwar al Awlaki’s son hoped ‘to attain martyrdom as my father attained it’

Anwar al Awlaki’s son said he hoped “to attain martyrdom as my father attained it” just hours before he was killed in a US Predator airstrike in Yemen in mid-October, according to a journalist who sympathizes with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Abdul Rahman al Awlaki, Anwar’s 16-year-old son and an American citizen, made the statement to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula’s emir of the city of Azzam in Shabwa province. Azzan is one of several Yemeni cities currently under AQAP control. , , ,'

Abdul Rahman was killed in a Predator strike in Shabwa province on Oct. 14. The strike targeted Ibrahim al Bana, AQAP’s media emir.

(Not that Abu Muhammad al Maqdisi and Abu Qatada are "moderates" though. They favor al Zawahiri of al Queda.)

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/02/pro-al_qaeda_saudi_c.php

Last I checked, The Gubment isn't using drones to send hellfire missiles into American Citizen's homes without Judicial Review.

Check again; Anwar al Awlaki was an American citizen who was killed in a drone strike in Yemen.

Oh, I get it - you mean they haven't drone-struck (striked?) any American citizen on American soil! Well, technically, that is correct, although I recall it being discussed during the manhunt of Christopher Dorner, and in fact the President and Attorney General have already discussed the legality of such an action - they agree that it would be legal to murder US citizens without trial, on American soil.

Which means it's only a matter of time before it happens. Government types aren't likely to give up a power once they've established it.

Two points:

1) It's not murder if it's legal, by definition, so you've inserted your conclusion into your argument.

2) If cops can kill a guy in a shoot-out, why wouldn't they have the ability to kill him with a sniper rifle? If they can do it with a rifle, why can't they do it with the mechanical aid of a scope? If they can use that mechanical aid, why can't they use the mechanical aid of a drone?

The key question here has nothing to do with drone technology, it's do the cops/Army/etc. ever have the ability to blow the shit out of some dude who is not actively trying to kill them. And they do. If they have an honest belief that you're an insane serial killer who will open up on the next person you see, they can take your ass out. If they turn out to be wrong your family will get a really nice settlement check, but that doesn't mean they all get arrested for murder.

Last I checked, The Gubment isn't using drones to send hellfire missiles into American Citizen's homes without Judicial Review.

Check again; Anwar al Awlaki was an American citizen who was killed in a drone strike in Yemen.

Oh, I get it - you mean they haven't drone-struck (striked?) any American citizen on American soil! Well, technically, that is correct, although I recall it being discussed during the manhunt of Christopher Dorner, and in fact the President and Attorney General have already discussed the legality of such an action - they agree that it would be legal to murder US citizens without trial, on American soil.

Which means it's only a matter of time before it happens. Government types aren't likely to give up a power once they've established it.

I think your answer is here:

Anwar al Awlaki's son hoped 'to attain martyrdom as my father attained it'

Anwar al Awlaki's son said he hoped "to attain martyrdom as my father attained it" just hours before he was killed in a US Predator airstrike in Yemen in mid-October, according to a journalist who sympathizes with al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula.

Abdul Rahman al Awlaki, Anwar's 16-year-old son and an American citizen, made the statement to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula's emir of the city of Azzam in Shabwa province. Azzan is one of several Yemeni cities currently under AQAP control.

Abdul Rahman was killed in a Predator strike in Shabwa province on Oct. 14. The strike targeted Ibrahim al Bana, AQAP's media emir.

So, you are quite wrong in multiple aspects. If you think that a 16 year old with a bomb vest or AK is less dangerous than an 18 year old, you would be mistaken again.

Who is al Qaida to you? ...Who do you think they are? Friend? Enemy? No idea? Don't want to take sides?

You should take that question to Obama, congress. As this post above, so graciously points out:

"Al Qaeda" is a term of convenience. The Libyan "rebels" were 70+ % Jihadi "Al Qaeda".

The Syrian "opposition" is 80+ % "Al Qaeda" - funded by Qatar and Saudi, for the same regional purposes, with a generous assist from these CIA heroes, that you rush to defend.

http://syriareport.net/fsa-al-qaeda-fighting-under-the-one-flag/
http://www.cfr.org/syria/al-qaedas-specter-syria/p28782
http://rt.com/news/qaeda-militants-kill-fsa-commander-979/ [rt.com]

They laugh at your ignorance, and they count on it.

"Al Qaeda" is a term of convenience. The Libyan "rebels" were 70+ % Jihadi "Al Qaeda".

The Syrian "opposition" is 80+ % "Al Qaeda" - funded by Qatar and Saudi, for the same regional purposes, with a generous assist from these CIA heroes, that you rush to defend.

http://syriareport.net/fsa-al-qaeda-fighting-under-the-one-flag/
http://www.cfr.org/syria/al-qaedas-specter-syria/p28782
http://rt.com/news/qaeda-militants-kill-fsa-commander-979/

They laugh at your ignorance, and they count on it.

One wonders what could possibly go wrong regarding Syria.

Turkey claims evidence of Syrian chemical weapons use
UN accuses Syrian rebels of chemical weapons use
An Al-Qaeda Alliance in Syria Demands Response From U.S.
Al Qaeda's track record with chemical weapons

Even if there are chemical weapons laying around, they would still need to get them somewhere where they could be used. They would probably need help for that. Is any available?

US teen accused of seeking to join al Qaeda-linked Syrian group
Danish jihadist killed while fighting for Muhajireen Brigade in Syria

Iran recruiting volunteer troops for Syria
Hezbollah Steps Up in Syria as Israel Tries to Ease Tension

US Congressman: Hezbollah agents in US worse than al-Qaida
Peter King warns: Hezbollah agents in U.S.

Border porous for obvious reason
Official: Book of suicide bombers found in Arizona desert

. . .the book is published in Iran and contains biographies of Islamic suicide bombers and other Islamic militants who died while carrying out their attacks. . .

Yes indeed, what could possibly go wrong?

(1) And the reason they're lasting for that long is because they do not engage the military in battle. (2)Every time the Taliban have openly engaged the troops in anything resembling large-scale combat, they lost. They haven't won a single strategic or tactical battle, and the only reason we're getting out of there is because (3) we have no reason to be there.

(4)If the US military turns against its own population, it will be much more like Syria or Libya.

(1) Why would they? Head on, they'd get railroaded. Pot shots, IEDs and perhaps most importantly, propaganda are far and away more effective for their purposes. To assume that because they won't willingly throw themselves into a barely metaphorical meat-grinder they're somehow completely beaten is a logical leap of faith that is easily provable to be false. They're willing to fight, as much as they can without risking losing. Frankly, I respect the way they defend their ideals and home as much as I hate what that means - this from a former US soldier by the way. It's a grudging respect.

(2) For your reading pleasure, Afghani Taliban Victories: Uzbin Valley., Battle of Wanat, and while in Pakistan South Waziristan.

(3) Simply put... did we ever? Sure, it was more legitimate than Iraq, but that's not saying much. They've definitely made the cost of staying too high to be worth it. So we killed one guy - now we're leaving, and they're not gone. Their influence has waned, but it hasn't completely evaporated.

(4) I'm not sure what point you're trying to make. Is it that regular citizens will have a better chance against the US Government than the Taliban did? Then I want to disagree... Afghani Taliban have been in a constant struggle with $SOMEONE since the 70s. They've had a lot of experience and until the mid-90s, a lot of success. But I digress - if it will be more like Libya or Syria... isn't that what we want? A better fighting chance from having comparable weapons?

So now a theoretically declared war . .

It is actual, not theoretical.

against a poorly defined group of individuals

Rather like the war against the Barbary pirates, another group of Islamists. Not a problem, really.

is the same as a congressional deceleration of war against a sovereign nation?

Legally, yes.

In a genuine time of war exceptions to due process are made.

That isn't true. They are covered by different rules, the law of war versus criminal law. Rather like the rules of football don't apply when playing basketball.

The US is at war. It hasn't lost its way. You are misinformed and confused.

Anwar al Awlaki was not "considered to be a terrorist", he was a terrorist, a high ranking one at that. He was quite open about recruiting Muslims to kill Americas and was tied to multiple attacks and attempted attacks. His son hoped to follow his father's path.

Anwar al Awlaki's son hoped 'to attain martyrdom as my father attained it'

You are quite right to be alarmed about the potential loss of civil liberties in the United States. But let me ask you this - if the lives of the 175 children you speak of are so precious, will you not weep for the tens or hundreds of thousands of people killed by Al Qaeda planting bombs in markets and along roads? Wouldn't it be better for that to stop?

Of course, they don't plan to stop until they take over the Middle East, and then the world, even if it takes a thousand years. What would you do about that? This is about their ambition to establish Islam's rule over the world, not against real or imagined wrongs done to them by the US and the West, other than not already bowing down and becoming Muslims already. They even want to recapture Spain, both Al Qaeda, and Hamas, and no doubt others.

HAMAS Targets Spain
Alarm in Spain over al-Qaeda call for its "reconquest"

If you are still concerned about due process, let me offer you this. What way do you have to individually arrest, investigate, charge, try by a jury of peers, convict, and sentence these men before shooting them? Legally they are in the same position as al Awlaki.

The country has limits, you simply don't understand them and how they apply.

We've been in World War III since June 5, 1968. It's just a matter of noticing.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/
http://www.thereligionofpeace.com/index.html#Attacks
http://www.longwarjournal.org/

http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Southeast_Asia/LI11Ae01.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3126241.stm

Bonus info:

Mr. Yazid Sufaat, the guy who organized the "Kuala Lumpur Summit", which led to the bombing of World Trade Center in New York City, is a FREE MAN in Malaysia

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yazid_Sufaat

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/12/al_qaedas_anthrax_sc.php

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2009/07/us_predator_strikes_3.php

Since the first recorded US Predator strike inside Pakistan in June 2004, the US has killed a total of 22 High Value Targets (HVTs), which include some of the high- and mid-level Taliban and al Qaeda leadership in the tribal agencies. [see HVT list below]

Some of the most important al Qaeda and Taliban leaders killed by US airstrikes include: Abu Jihad al Masri, the chief of al Qaeda's intelligence council; Abu Sulayman Jazairi, the chief of al Qaeda's external operations branch; Khalid Habib, the commander of al Qaeda's paramilitary Shadow Army; Osama al Kini, the head of al Qaeda's operations in Pakistan; Abu Laith al Libi, the commander of Brigade 055; Abu Khabab al Masri, the chief of al Qaeda's WMD program; Abu Hamza Rabai, al Qaeda's operations chief in Pakistan; and Nek Mohammed, the leader of the Taliban in South Waziristan.

These may be useful to you:

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/insurgency/etc/graph.html

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2007/12/iraq_by_the_numbers.php

I can't speak of afghanistan, but in iraq the insurgent attacks were higher and more effective:

-when the ground was dry (moving around in iraq during the rainy season is a nightmare)
-lots of blowing dust in the air, drastically reducing visibility
-around dusk
-toward the end of ramadan

That's just a taste of all the factors that you'd have to account for to get an accurate map of insurgent behavior. Even then, I think it'd be pretty useless, since they are not a regular army and do not usually coordinate among cells. Maybe they want to attack, but the shipment from libya isn't here yet, so they wait for that but now the americans are getting suspicious so they launch all 20 of their libyan mortars at once and high-tail it out of there. Seems like a major, coordinated attack when in reality things are very different.

Guaranteed to make your brain hurt.

-b

You seriously lack perspective. Look again...with an open mind...

In response to items like:

"10/15/2008 Afghanistan Lashkar Gah 6 0 Six local police are taken out in a brutal Taliban ambush on their checkpoint."

I suggest:

US strike kills 9 al Qaeda and Taliban in North Wazirstan
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/10/us_strike_kills_9_al.php

US kills 6 in strike in Baitullah Mehsud's territory
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/10/us_kills_6_in_strike.php

US Kills al Qaeda in Iraq's deputy commander
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/10/us_kills_6_in_strike.php

When we do it, its framed as a 'strike against $evil_people' not as an invasion force killing people in their homes, like when they fight back.

In response to something like:

"10/14/2008 Afghanistan Uruzgan 9 6 Two children are among nine civilians murdered when Taliban bombers target a minibus."

how about:

Unmanned US drone kills school children...
http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=403793

What do you think would be written if it had been their unmanned drone and our children?

And as for this:

"10/13/2008 Pakistan Murid Wal 1 0 A young man is forced by honor to kill his mother when she refuses to break off an 'illicit' relationship."

Gee that sounds awful.. but doesn't REALLY sound much different than this:

"An 18 year old boy, Sean Powell, was shot to death in his car outside the home of the married teacher he had been having an affair with. Local police have arrested the woman's husband, Eric Mclean, in the shooting."

Same motivation, Same result, same difference. Oh wait... you mean to say it was a state sanctioned murder? gotcha...luckily we have those too...

"Kevin Watts, 27, was pronounced dead on Thursday at 6:17 pm Texas time (2317 GMT), spokeswoman Michelle Lyons told AFP.

It was Texas' tenth execution since the start of the year, and the second execution to take place this week. Ten more inmates are scheduled to be killed in Texas by the end of November."

Granted we don't do it for adultry... but on the other hand, we don't exactly have the best track record for even properly ensuring our victims are guilty...

http://www.abanet.org/irr/hr/fall97/deathpen.html

You seriously lack perspective. Look again...with an open mind...

In response to items like:

"10/15/2008 Afghanistan Lashkar Gah 6 0 Six local police are taken out in a brutal Taliban ambush on their checkpoint."

I suggest:

US strike kills 9 al Qaeda and Taliban in North Wazirstan
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/10/us_strike_kills_9_al.php

US kills 6 in strike in Baitullah Mehsud's territory
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/10/us_kills_6_in_strike.php

US Kills al Qaeda in Iraq's deputy commander
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/10/us_kills_6_in_strike.php

When we do it, its framed as a 'strike against $evil_people' not as an invasion force killing people in their homes, like when they fight back.

In response to something like:

"10/14/2008 Afghanistan Uruzgan 9 6 Two children are among nine civilians murdered when Taliban bombers target a minibus."

how about:

Unmanned US drone kills school children...
http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=403793

What do you think would be written if it had been their unmanned drone and our children?

And as for this:

"10/13/2008 Pakistan Murid Wal 1 0 A young man is forced by honor to kill his mother when she refuses to break off an 'illicit' relationship."

Gee that sounds awful.. but doesn't REALLY sound much different than this:

"An 18 year old boy, Sean Powell, was shot to death in his car outside the home of the married teacher he had been having an affair with. Local police have arrested the woman's husband, Eric Mclean, in the shooting."

Same motivation, Same result, same difference. Oh wait... you mean to say it was a state sanctioned murder? gotcha...luckily we have those too...

"Kevin Watts, 27, was pronounced dead on Thursday at 6:17 pm Texas time (2317 GMT), spokeswoman Michelle Lyons told AFP.

It was Texas' tenth execution since the start of the year, and the second execution to take place this week. Ten more inmates are scheduled to be killed in Texas by the end of November."

Granted we don't do it for adultry... but on the other hand, we don't exactly have the best track record for even properly ensuring our victims are guilty...

http://www.abanet.org/irr/hr/fall97/deathpen.html

You seriously lack perspective. Look again...with an open mind...

In response to items like:

"10/15/2008 Afghanistan Lashkar Gah 6 0 Six local police are taken out in a brutal Taliban ambush on their checkpoint."

I suggest:

US strike kills 9 al Qaeda and Taliban in North Wazirstan
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/10/us_strike_kills_9_al.php

US kills 6 in strike in Baitullah Mehsud's territory
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/10/us_kills_6_in_strike.php

US Kills al Qaeda in Iraq's deputy commander
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/10/us_kills_6_in_strike.php

When we do it, its framed as a 'strike against $evil_people' not as an invasion force killing people in their homes, like when they fight back.

In response to something like:

"10/14/2008 Afghanistan Uruzgan 9 6 Two children are among nine civilians murdered when Taliban bombers target a minibus."

how about:

Unmanned US drone kills school children...
http://feeds.bignewsnetwork.com/index.php?sid=403793

What do you think would be written if it had been their unmanned drone and our children?

And as for this:

"10/13/2008 Pakistan Murid Wal 1 0 A young man is forced by honor to kill his mother when she refuses to break off an 'illicit' relationship."

Gee that sounds awful.. but doesn't REALLY sound much different than this:

"An 18 year old boy, Sean Powell, was shot to death in his car outside the home of the married teacher he had been having an affair with. Local police have arrested the woman's husband, Eric Mclean, in the shooting."

Same motivation, Same result, same difference. Oh wait... you mean to say it was a state sanctioned murder? gotcha...luckily we have those too...

"Kevin Watts, 27, was pronounced dead on Thursday at 6:17 pm Texas time (2317 GMT), spokeswoman Michelle Lyons told AFP.

It was Texas' tenth execution since the start of the year, and the second execution to take place this week. Ten more inmates are scheduled to be killed in Texas by the end of November."

Granted we don't do it for adultry... but on the other hand, we don't exactly have the best track record for even properly ensuring our victims are guilty...

http://www.abanet.org/irr/hr/fall97/deathpen.html

There are plenty of places on the web for anyone that wants to be better informed about what is happening in Iraq. Just for starters...

Multi-National Force - Iraq website.
          Today's top stories:
          Iraqis Displaced from Homes Now Returning in Droves
          Soccer Stadium Opens with Tourney
          Mahmudiyah Hatchery Receives First Egg Shipment
          Soldiers Distribute Fertilizer to Farmers

The Long War Journal
Michael Totten's web site
Michael Yon's web site (He has just published a new book: Moment of Truth in Iraq )

Some Iraqi bloggers:
Iraq Pundit
Iraq the Model

Some useful news of the war does slip through:
Al Qaeda chief slams Muslims for lack of support
Iraq: After the bombs, the tomatoes
Violence Leaves Young Iraqis Doubting Clerics

The MoveOn.Org ad was highly offensive. For one it was a partisan political attack on somebody who is not an elected official. The attack claimed that Gen. Petraeus had betrayed America, in essense accusing a Commanding officer of treason by violating his oath to defend the country. It was also published before he even gave his report to Congress, so how could they know he was lying. Having listened to his report and read it as well, it was pretty clear that he was being honest about what was and was not working.

I am not sure why you think Gen. Petraeus has run the Irag war poorly as he has only been running it since January of this year. The media named "surge" is not just an increase in US troops, it is being waged with a change tactics, and a strategy to truly knock down Al Qaeda in Iraq so that some sort of political solution can take hold. Even the NY Times has reported that has made progress.

If you follow the actual bloggers who are in Irag, they are reporting it like they see it. Several of them have reported good and bad things that have happened. They have found a lot of postive results since the summer offensive kicked off last June. Here are links to three of them of have spent a lot of time in Iraq.

http://www.michaelyon-online.com/ ( Look for dispatches who probably has spent more time in Irag than anybody else)

http://www.longwarjournal.org/ (Bill Roggio and now other in the field bloggers reporting on Iraq and Afghanistan)

http://www.michaeltotten.com/