Israel Strikes Make Strange Bedfellows

The IAF has launched three strikes in Sudan since the beginning of the year aiming to take out Iranian shipments headed to Hamas:

But actually, since January, Israel has conducted a total of three military strikes against smugglers transporting what were believed to be Iranian weapons shipments destined for Gaza, a U.S. official told ABC News.

The information matches recent reports from Sudanese officials of two airstrikes in the desert of eastern Sudan and the sinking of a ship in the Red Sea carrying weapons.

Jonathan Peled, a spokesman for the Israeli Embassy in Washington, would only say, "No comment," when contacted by ABC News on the matter.

Sudanese officials initially said this week that 39 people riding in 17 trucks were killed in a mid-January airstrike conducted by an unidentified aircraft in a desert area north of the Red Sea port of Port Sudan.

Interesting to say the least. Not only that the Israeli's could and would complete such missions but that there's been no outcry from the Egyptians or other Arab nations. It could be that they want Iran's ambitions of becoming the regional power to be checked but lack the political or military expertise to do so. So what we are seeing is Israel acting as a proxy for the Sunni nations who see the Shia Iran as the ultmate enemy.

Why not have a more capable military handle the problem of regional hegemony by a determined foe even if the more capable military is a bigger foe?

Developments that bear watching to be sure.

The Bush Legacy: Iraqi's Go to the Polls

You haven't heard much in the MSM because they've essentially stopped reporting anything from Iraq save a large bombing. Even when they do report about it, it's with a negative spin. They're pissed that George W. Bush had the nerve to order the surge and give Gen David Petraeus the tools needed to win. They wanted a loss and once it appeared we were victorious, all reporting stopped.

The Iraqi's are returning to the polls for provincial elections for the first time in four years. Expect much different results this time as the majority Sunni population will be out in force whereas last time they boycotted the elections.

Baghdad: Iraqis went to polls on Saturday to vote in the country's provincial elections, with a massive participation from Sunni Arabs and women, a candidate told Gulf News.

Ammar Al Zobaie, a Sunni Islamic Party's candidate in Fallujah, said many Sunni Arabs participated in the elections.
"Sunni Arabs [want] to redress the harm suffered by the Sunni cities because of their non-participation in the previous elections in 2005, which led to the suspension of development projects," Al Zobaie said.

Note I had to link to Gulf News to get any type of positive spin.

Another report, this one from Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, shows the exuberance of the Iraqi people:

A correspondent for RFE/RL's Radio Free Iraq, Adel Mahmoud, reported from Baghdad that spirits among residents and voters were "very high" around midday, with sunny skies contributing to the possibility of a high turnout in a vote that is seen as a bellwether for the national mood and a possible breakthrough in local governance for Iraqis.

Mahmoud said sectarian tensions that plagued the last vote were not in evidence and "the general atmosphere is like some kind of festival."

Our men and women who serve valiantly deserve the credit for this historic day. Their hard work, day in and day out, has given birth to a vibrant democracy in a place where one never existed before.

Congratulations to the Iraqi's as well.

Sunni Bomb Kills 11 in Iran

Iranian "rebels" exploded a bomb-rigged car in southeastern Iran today:

Iran suffered a rare bomb attack on its own territory today when an explosion killed at least 11 soldiers from the Revolutionary Guard.

The men were travelling on a bus in the town of Zahedan in south-eastern Iran when the blast occurred at about 6.30am. A booby-trapped car was positioned to destroy the vehicle carrying the Revolutionary Guards.

I can only say that turnabout is fair play. The Iranians have been propping up al-Sadr and others who have killed numerous U.S. soldiers and Marines using exactly these methods.

Here's the line of the day:

Iran has frequently accused America and Britain of supplying rebel groups with cash and weapons in order to cause unrest.

Payback is sweet. I think that if America and our allies could continue to filter weapons into Iran to be used by the Sunni minority, we could foment a civil war or a coup. At the very least, we'd make the statement that we can make things very uncomfortable for the Ayatollah's if they don't desist from arming our enemies in Iraq.