Taliban Announces Spring Offensive "Badr"

It is little surprise to read the released statement from the Shura Council of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan and note their choice of name for their "spring offensive".

The statement begins with the classic, "Fight in the cause of Allah..."

This is to be a targeted ops with a May 1st starting point.

Targets of interest? They are varied and include both military and civilian components. On the military side of the house: soldiers, air bases, military communities and logistical convoys. On the civilian side of the house are members of Parliament, heads of companies and our civilian contractors.

The next blog will move into the Battle of Badr to take a look at the symbolism and actions of the battle.

Tammy Swofford

French Hostages of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb

Although AQIM released the video of the French hostages to jihad sites on the 26th, I am just now seeing it for myself. Above are some of the thumbnails from the video release. The men in the video are *Daniel Larribe, *Pierre Legrand, *Thierry Dol and *Marc Furrer. AQIM kidnapped these men and three other individuals on September 16, 2010.

The voice of Pierre Legrand (in the white pants) rings out in strong manner, and the 3.5 minute video is a work of propaganda.

Pray for the safe return of these men to their families.



Tammy Swofford

The Royal Wedding: The Heritage of Children

The pageantry and beauty of a royal wedding is still on full display. Lady Catherine's wedding dress is elegant and reminiscent of the style worn by Princess Grace of Monaco.

The nuptials were administered with grace. The choir and choice of music was excellent.

And talk about hats! Fergie's daughter's Princess Beatrice and Princess Eugenie were a bit strangely dressed, but the one hat looked like a deer rack. I cringed....

Victoria Beckham had an elegant hat.

Sir Elton John looked quite old.

What touched me most was the blessing pronounced over the royal couple - the heritage of children. Yes, the purpose of marriage is to produce children and provide a safety net for society. It is to bring the branch of the next generation made in the image of God and the image of man to the family tree. May Prince William and Lady Catherine be blessed with the proverbial "heir and a spare".

"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."

Psalm 127:3

Tammy

Of Fairy Tales and Veils

My latest contribution to the Daily Times. smile

Article Link


Tammy Swofford

tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Soliloquy For Syria

"Can a corrupt throne be allied with you -
one that brings on misery by its decrees?
They band together against the righteous
and condemn the innocent to death.
But the Lord has become my fortress,
And my God the rock in whom I take refuge."

Psalm 94:20-22

"As nightfall does not come all at once, neither does oppression. In both instances, there is a twilight when everything remains seemingly unchanged. And it is in such twilight that we all must be aware of change in the air however slight, lest we become unwitting victims of the darkness."

- William O. Douglas

Continue to pray for the people of Syria.

Tammy Swofford

Syria Protests and Massacre April 25th: Video Coverage

It has been my policy to exclude graphic videos from any commentary. This will be a one time departure from my policy due to the gravity of the situation in Syria.

Reports tell of dozens of buses with security forces moving into key cities, tanks on the streets, and the sound of heavy machine gun activity. Snipers are killing citizens and one area has had electricity and water cut off. How long can a toddler live without water? There are reports of execution of soldiers unwilling to fire on their citizens.

But what is the word to describe what you will see in the short video below? Let there be no sanctuary, no mercy, no searching for a haven for "leadership" which commits atrocities against their unarmed citizens to stay in power. Some of the men in videos and still images are wearing their suits. Perhaps they knew they were dressing in the best they had for their funeral? These are men and women like you and me. These are humans made in the image of God. We must pray. We must fall on our knees and cry out to a Merciful God.

Graphic Video of Syria Violence

Tammy Swofford

Kandahar Prison Break: The Taliban Shows their Operational Muscle

The Kandahar prison break is the big news today. According to the debriefing released by the Taliban 541 prisoners escaped. One hundred and six of them are considered leadership. The tunnel took five months to dig and the coordination of the escape was assisted by three prisoners inside the facility. The operation started at 11p.m. last night and ended at 3:30 a.m. this morning. Interestingly, there was a cadre of "martyrs" awaiting, should the plan go south. A bold plan.

Tammy Swofford

Al-Qaedah: Evolution of Message for Political Survival

The current issue of Foreign Affairs sports the following screech: "The New Arab Revolt....What just happened.... Why no one saw it coming....What it means.... What comes next...."

I didn't read the essays. It was just a bit too much when considering their musings on the cover. "Why no one saw it coming..." had the sound of a nail hitting the coffin of our foreign policy.

Fortunately, Al-Qaedah didn't see it coming either and it has been a three month scramble for them to regain their footing and produce an intellectual flank. There is a video which proclaims "Prayer under the roar of bullets", which keeps pace with the Qur'anic ayat for prayer in the time of fear, but even video offerings from terror organizations are becoming more sparse and the bloom of scholarship is apparent. This is Al-Qaedah in the suit from Picadilly Square. It is Al-Qaedah on the front of GQ Magazine. It is Al-Qaedah with the kalashnikov hidden behind the back as opposed to front and center.

Mini-me, Sheikh Al-Zawhiri, has released five video messages, Sheikh Abu Yahya al-Libi has released his own message "To our people in Libya" and lofty thoughts abound. It is one thing to be the organization trying to uproot the stump of a government in the West and quite another thing to be portrayed as an organization pulling up the sprout of desire for a new government in a Muslim-majority nation. So AQ was caught off-guard, and has lost media market share. Who cares about the threat of anti-West jihad thugs when security forces in Syria are shooting unarmed citizens and showing themselves perfectly capable of acts devoid of conscience no different than those of Al-Qaedah?

So now AQ must present as the knight in shining armor, the tangible political option when the dust settles in the various regions where it has been stirred. They are momentarily dusting the chemicals used for explosives off their fingers and looking around furtively. They will continue to produce their dung but they will attract their new flies with sophistry.

Tammy Swofford

Easter 2011: Gift Bonanza for the Unwashed Masses

Easter in the DFW metroplex brings out the marketing czars from hell.

One church is giving away ten luxury vehicles, one thousand bags of groceries and 50,000 Easter eggs lined up for the kiddies. Throw in Texas Rangers tickets and vacation packages for good measure. I am tempted to abandon my own house of worship because one of the cars is a Mercedes-Benz. I am a bit tired of driving my Jeep Grand Cherokee.

At one church the minister is constructing a cross while he speaks to his congregation. I can live with that plan.

An area mega church has flown in a noted Christian artist for their eighteen Easter services.

Sure, I understand the Christmas-n-Easter pack-the-churches programs to bring in the unwashed masses.

But in all the hype and beyond all of the expense may nothing overshadow the beauty of the Christian faith:

Jesus Christ, Son of God.

Crucified, entombed and resurrected on the third day.

He is Risen!

Tammy Swofford

tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Syria Protests: Identifying Security Forces within the Protests

Well, it would be funny if it weren't so serious. This security member lost his cover within the crowd of protestors when he dropped his cell phone. It was quickly noted that his picture stored on the phone showed a tattoo of the president on his arm. Yep.

Now an "urgent warning" to be aware of security forces infiltrating the protests is the screech on a jihad site.

Dumb and dumber, as far as the tale attached to the image.

Bullets appear to be flying again. A large demonstration is headed toward the cemetery. I guess that is to be expected, since security forces fired on a funeral procession the previous day. The security ruffians are hijacking ambulances so the injured cannot be transported to the hospitals and abducting families of the wounded from the hospitals to intimidate their citizens.

Do I believe all of this? Sure. Why not? President Bashar al-Assad will soon be joining the ex-leaders club.

Tammy Swofford

tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Syria Protests: Friday, April 22, 2011

Jihad sites, message boards, sites dedicated to the Syrian protest and Facebook all seem in sync with the videos and messages coming out today. Estimated deaths: 75 Estimated injuries: 250 The only account which is not yet being reported by mainstream media is the use of security forces to storm an area hospital where the wounded are being taken. All sites are reporting use of tear gas and live ammunition against the protesters.

Tammy Swofford

Daily Times Article

Here is my latest attempt to sound intelligent. wink


Article Link


As we move into the Easter weekend I want to wish everyone a wonderful commemoration. As for me, I can't wait to bite the ears off the chocolate bunny.... smile

Tammy Swofford

tammyswofford@yahoo.com

The Alternative Easter Music: For the Brave....

My family loves to visit the Cistercian Abbey in Irving, Texas during this season to attend mass with Catholic friends. The highlight for me is the Gregorian chants which bounce off the stones of the Abbey. The voices of the monks are like the ebb of the tide. The word "majestic" comes to mind.

Last night I attended an area event with Eddie James Ministries. Eddie James provides a vibrant music venue which includes male and female dance troupes who exhibit energy which needs to be bottled and marketed to the rest of us. He takes kids off the streets, mentors them as disciples of Christ and takes their talent to the streets. The video link does not adequately convey the musical repetoire of Eddie James nor the total package of experience. One song in particular reminded me of music from "River Dance". The band included several excellent guitarists, a drummer worthy of his sticks, flute and violin, with a great keyboard accompaniment.

It is good to remember that worship finds definition in the personality of the individual. It was just a fun evening and a reminder to me that "church" does not look the same to all of us. Only the Savior is unchangeable. smile

Eddie James: "You are Worthy"

Islam in Iran: Fido Gets a Death Sentence

Islamic culture is not equivalent to American culture. We get a glimpse of these issues when nations such as Iran announce a plan to rid the landscape of family dogs. It seems a good time to move a bit into Islamic Distance Learning and discuss the evils of our little poochies.

Jurisprudence which pertains to dogs is located within the Qur'anic Sciences of Ahadith and Seerah literature. There is a dog which is part of the stage for Surah Al-Kahf (The Cave) but the animal is not named and I have never received a straight answer from any scholar regarding the meaning of the dog in relation to the companions in the cave.

Essentially, dogs are only allowed for the hunt. The hunter is to proclaim the name of Allah over the arrow as it is released from the bow and also the dog as it pursues the prey. But dog saliva is considered unclean; it is "haram", or forbidden. So dogs may not be kept as pets in a Muslim home. They are to be kept outdoors and without affection attached to them.

Cats and kittens are mentioned in Islamic literature but they receive kind literary treatment. There is a Hadith about a woman who mistreated a cat and ended up in hell. It is from one of the "Sahih" collection of Ahadith.

Lest this be too upsetting to doggie lovers in our nation, save the anger for women and elevators. When President Ahmadinejad was the mayor of Tehran he made it illegal for women to ride on the same elevators with men. God forbid men see an ankle and feel a bit of healthy lust. I could throw in a punch line here, but it seems unnecessary. smile

But anyway, all of this is just off the top of my head - I was too lazy to pull a book off the shelf today. But throw your little doggie a treat and be glad you don't live in Iran.

Article Link

Greg Mortenson: Create a Legendary Lie and the American Public will Respond

Greg Mortenson. Greg the Bodacious Liar. Greg, "I Gotcha!"

I never purchased the author's book, "Three Cups of Tea". The story just seemed a bit too surreal. But truth always appears in the end. Truth escapes the dark shadows and springs forth in surprising fashion from day to day. It just so happens that truth came calling for Greg Mortenson this time. There is no design flaw when it comes to truth. The Creator will have none of it.

The "story" was one which Mortenson merely produced as a convenient tale for public consumption for an American public wishing to desperately see the good hand of America within the landscape of Afghanistan. Yes, we are inherently good people in America. And nothing warms our hearts more than stories which illustrate our ability to better the lives of small children. And what tears in our eyes, to imagine the man who gives his life in sacrificial manner so that little girls can be educated? Meanwhile, Mortenson's tears are of the crocodile variety.

We remain incredibly gullible. We easily fall prey to the intellectual laziness bred by our motivational and feel-good entertainment programs. It is the Oprah-fication of our society. It is not enough to live within the ebb and flow of normal living. No longer enough to be content with being the family man, the mother who loves her children, or the neighbor who lends a helping hand. We must appear legendary, uniquely gifted, abnormally talented and exuding charm to feel good about ourselves. And we love the Greg Mortenson's of this world. He is everything which we hope to be, yet can never attain. What a guy!

Too bad his primary gift is that of spinning a good yarn. But I find it unforgivable for publishing houses to lend credence to self-made legends due to their own lack of diligence to confirm the facts of a story. Perhaps a refund is in order for those who have been duped by the legend?

Article Link

Libya: A Mission Which Expedites a Greater Political Fracture

The mission was ill-conceived and mounted for the wrong reasons. Nations do not traditionally pursue bombing campaigns unless it is a preparatory maneuver for the insertion of awaiting ground forces. Neither do nations use bombplomacy as intervention in humanitarian crisis brought on by civil war. Quagmire.

The NATO mission now expedites a greater political fracture. The leader of a nation stated he would stand his ground to the last bullet. NATO be damned, sez Gaddafi.

The rebel's mast of an uprising is traditionally held aloft under the identity and direction of one leader or a strong political cadre of leadership. No such leader nor even identifiable hybrid was in place when the Libya uprising began. It was a revolt of mimicry.

Political identities and loyalties will move to regional commanders in control of cobbled parcels of real estate whether it be cities, transportation routes or village alliances.

The plan was bad, the outcome will be poor and lack of genius always gives a full historical account in the end.

Abduction: A Woman's Worst Nightmare

The details are scanty. Holly Bobo was last seen disappearing into a wooded area near her home. Undoubtedly her cell phone and computer are receiving a thorough forensic investigation. Search teams have located one personal item belonging to her.

The frightening aspect of the story is the manner in which she was taken by a man wearing camouflage. It speaks of a stalker, an emotionally imbalanced personality. My own family tree contains a frightening history of a relative who suffered violence at the hands of a stranger. Her routine was noted as she was stalked from the woods adjacent to her home. Shortly after her husband left for work one day the assailant struck. As the front door was being smashed in she took precious moments to seek to rescue her young baby in a nursery crib. What happened to her next does not bear repeating.

Do we talk to our daughters often enough regarding these issues? Panic can paralyze but perhaps discussion with a firm plan of action for such an eventuality may help.

Do we want our daughters to passively submit to a threat or do we want them to aggressively fight for their safety to the last breath and ounce of strength? Talk to your daughters today. Let them know they have less than sixty seconds to react in aggressive manner when confronted with danger. Teach your daughters the art of counter aggression.

Tammy Swofford

From the Propaganda Flank: More of the Same and Pretty Damn Boring

The topics remain predictable and the propaganda churns out much the same from month to month. This is the "People's Magazine" of the Mujahideen - big pictures and small thoughts.....

TALIBAN

Mubarak's Sons Head to Tora Prison: Cell Phones Held Aloft

Youtube video link

Nothing excites the soul like seeing the children of a former president headed to prison. At least that seems the case in Jihadville. The post seven hours ago of a video stating that Alaa and Gamal Mubarak are taken to Tora prison creates a viewing stir. 1,225 readers have now viewed the video from this particular site. The link was on a download. I prefer to offer it from a Youtube venue.

For the Love of Pakistan

Below, my latest contribution to the Daily Times. It remains a joy to contribute to their pool of thought.

******************************************************************************** Writing on the Wall ********************************************************************************* Blogspot continues to misbehave, as far as formatting. sigh

Peeps Diorama 2011: An American Tradition

It is that time again! I need to make the trek to my favorite cafe and Belgian chocolatier in Dallas. Neuhaus Cafe, on the intersection of Preston and Royal Lane offers a fabulous assortment of truffles and Easter chocolates. Their menu is excellent and they brew a stout cup of Italian coffee. Seating is both indoor and out of doors and within walking distance a yogurt shop, two clothing shops and a Barnes and Noble. Neuhaus also carries the tasteless Easter favorite: Peeps.

Neuhaus Cafe Photos

Fortunately, Peeps have found fame as part of yearly Peeps Diorama contests held by regional news organizations. The most hideous of entries this year was one titled, "Elvis". But I found the diorama of Tikal, Guatemala a good one. I have climbed the narrow steps to the top to survey the surrounding lanscape and it is worth the climb. So join the fun and check out any number of Peeps Diorama.

Peeps at Tikal

RISE OF THE CLERICS: The 3rd Movement of the 21st Century

The emancipation and self-determination movements have been on full display within the Muslim-majority nations. What is less understood is the 3rd movement which is energized by the salvo of the former two - the rise of the clerics.

The lack of recognition of Islam as a gestalt, the reduction of Islam in the eyes of intellectual midgets to a religion, and the lack of domestic and foreign policy to tackle a diplomatic interface with "the powers" within the chain of command structures will continue to haunt us.

The rise of the clerics moves forward with distinct operational levers dependent on regional political climate and allowances. The administrative capabilities of the Grand Ayatollah structure and the global Muslim Brotherhood network have been historically tested in a furnace of political oppression which has separated out the dross from the silver.

What is not grasped in totality is the manner in which Islam can function as a wax seal on documents of governance, whether it be a republic, democracy, etc. The chatter in the U.S. platforms off the "Sunni mosque network" within the fabric of our own nation. Yet the architects for cultural adaptation to accept Islamic principles in the West are not primarily of the Sunni flank.

Just to remind the readership of the definition of Gestalt which I find applicable to Islam:

"A physical, biological, psychological, or symbolic configuration or pattern of elements so unified as a whole that its properties cannot be derived from a simple summation of its parts."

Tammy Swofford

tammyswofford@yahoo.com

Malchus' Ear: A Lesson for the Chinese

"China views itself as a nation intent on rising peacefully, its behavior marked by humility, noninterference, and friendly relations with all." _The Post American World_ Fareed Zakaria p.114 *********************************************************************************

Two years ago when I read the aforementioned by Fareed Zakaria, it was with the usual critical gaze. All reading must proceed with an open mind which accepts that what is written is possibly not the truth, written for unknown motive, and possibly the literary creation of the author for either a particular benefactor or target audience. I have also advised my own audience, "Do not believe a word I say." smile

The Chinese Communist government would do well to review the incident of Malchus' ear. (Gospel of John 18:10,11)

It is unlikely the Christians of China pose a threat to the central organ of government. We follow our Master. The faith is not to be defended by acts of violence.

Beijing police arrest Christians

Saturday Music

Beautiful day here! Enjoy this: Lynyrd Skynyrd Or possibly this: Kari Jobe

Government Shutdown: Troop Welfare

"I despise my Countrymen. I wish I could say I was not born in America. I once gloried in it but now am ashamed of it. The Rascally Stupidity which prevails, the Insults and Neglects which the army have met with, Beggars all description. It must go no farther. They can endure it no longer. I am in Rags, have lain in the Rain on the Ground for 40 hours past, & only a Junk of fresh Beef and that without salt to dine on this day, rec'd no pay since last December, and all this for my Cowardly Countrymen who flinch at the very time when their exertions are wanted, & hold their Purse Strings as tho they would Damn the World, rather than part with a Dollar to their Army."

Colonel Ebenezer Huntington to his brother, 1780 ********************************************************************************

"I see nothing before us but accumulating distress. We have been half our time without provisions and are like to continue so. We have no Magazines nor money to form them. And in a little time we shall have no Men, if we had Money to pay them. We have lived upon expedients until we can no longer live. In a word, the history of the War is a history of false hopes and temporary devices, instead of system and economy."

George Washington to Cadwalader, 1780 ********************************************************************************* The words above speak of desperation. The quotes are taken from _Rabble in Arms_ by Kenneth Roberts.

While it is true that our troops will not face the level of difficulty as expressed by men engaged in the hard work of liberty to become a Republic, the emotional level of desperation expressed by the families of military members serving abroad is a great risk.

With all due respect to SecDef Gates and his remembrance of living paycheck-to-paycheck, many of us have lived in such manner. Our troops live in that manner for the most part. This is especially true for the enlisted ranks.

But living half-paycheck to half-paycheck may bring eviction notices to the doors of troop families. I can imagine the conversation:

"Hey kids! Daddy is living in a tent in Afghanistan. We are going to live in a tent for a few days too!"

Yes, I am being a bit dramatic. Perhaps it is based on an understanding of what keeps our volunteer military force at the correct strength levels to avoid a draft. The families must be cared for in as careful manner as the military member. It is what works.

Morale problems are always leadership problems. But if morale becomes low due to financial concerns of soldiers, sailors and Marines within our theaters of operation, leadership begins to shoulder an added and difficult responsibility. It is hard to tell a man to "Be a man!" - if part of his identity as a husband and father is the care of his family. The backbone for war will remain, but the testicles may feel like they are missing when that first phone call comes from the wife telling of her trip to an area food bank.

Article Link

The Martyr's Underground: From the Levant to the Land of Two Rivers

The history of the underground railroad during the Civil War era is well-known. Runaway slaves from the southern states were ferried by human hands and financial help into the waiting hands of their northern brethren.

Today there is a modern underground from the Levant to Bilad al-Rafidayn (Iraq, Land of Two Rivers). It is unusually malignant. It is the martyr's underground. There was stark example of this underground yesterday as I perused a major jihad portal. Profiles of the non-state players were varied.

* Names and Nicknames:

This in itself is interesting. While the West employs the liberal use of avatars on social networking sites, the kunya of a man (nickname) is important within Arabic tradition. The most common example of a kunya is that of Abu Hurayrah, which means "Father of the kitten". He was known for carrying a kitten around in his arms. His real name was 'Abdur-Rahman ibn Sakhr. But the kunya stuck. A kunya was applied to Prophet Muhammad by an adversary. It is obscure in nature. But the nickname may support stage identity or identity crisis.

Birth dates of future martyrs:

Range from early 1980's forward. This is important due to the fact that many players also identify their travel as being passport-based on aircraft and other means of transportation as they cross borders. It appears the passports are relinquished to the "coordinators" on the last leg of the journey prior to movement into Iraq. But this speaks of a mature operative. These are not the fourteen year old boys blowing up shrines in Pakistan. Lethal strength increases with age.

Stages of access into Iraq:

These martyrdom-bent fools have starting points from Algeria, Riyadh, Syria, Morocco, Tunisia, Makkah, Turkey and Lebanon. The most wildly imagined stage of access claims, "White House, Turkey, Damascus." Perhaps a symbolic spit on the sidewalk started this man's journey?

These flights toward martyrdom have civilian employment noted all the way from a simple muezzin (the one who calls to prayer) to a student of economics at a university. There is also a financial declaration of funds which the martyr possesses.

The "work" section does indeed state "martyr" or on occasion "fighter". Surely there should be a slogan for the job of a martyr. Perhaps, "The job which carries you into retirement and beyond" is a good one.

The coordinators, er.... underground travel agents.... are at times named and one appears with an interesting name of Abdul Hai. Here is a link to one man named "Abdul Hai" who started with a kunya of Qari (reciter, reader) and switched to one of Asadullah (Lion of God). This type of trivia information provides a glimpse of the psychopathology of the non-state player within the marketplace of terrorism. Abdul Hai may be as common as Smith or Jones, but I include this example to add a link. These players present as complex individuals with variable levels of tactical abilities and networking influence.

Link

But a vibrant Martyr's Underground is worrisome as I begin to track the rise of the third movement in Islam. Whether the stream of information is accurate or it self a work of stagecraft is unimportant. Undoubtedly, the Martyr's Underground is in existence, and will present a continued threat to our troops on the ground within our theaters of operation. It will also present a threat for those capable of penetrating the security membrane which protects our sovereign soil.

2015. My gut tells me 2015 will be a difficult year.

Tammy Swofford