Open Source Daily INTSUM: Tuesday, Nov. 15, 2005

**Airbornelawyer** · 11-15-2005, 10:13

From Various Sources:

Middle East

Steel Curtain Continues in Ubaydi "Iraqi Army soldiers and Marines, Soldiers and Sailors with Regimental Combat Team–2 continue Operation Al Hajip Elfulathi (Steel Curtain) in the town of Ubaydi Nov. 15. It is suspected that many of the terrorists who are now fighting in Ubaydi fled from Husaybah and Karabilah, the first two cities that were secured by Iraqi and Coalition Forces at the beginning of the operation. While the fighting has been sporadic, it has been characterized by commanders on the ground as some of the heaviest since Operation Steel Curtain began Nov. 5. Intelligence reports indicate that the strong resistance to the Iraqi and Coalition push into the city is due in large part to the fact that terrorists believe they are trapped and have nowhere else to go. …" (Source: U.S. Central Command)

Coalition Forces Capture High Level Ba'ath Party Leader "Coalition Forces captured Hamid Sharki Shadid, the leader of the New Ba’ath Party in Diyala Province, during a patrol November 9th. … Shadid is a former member of the Ba’ath Party in Diyala Province and is suspected of being responsible for all anti-Iraqi forces Ba’ath Party activities in that area. …" (Source: U.S. Central Command)

Two killed in clashes as tensions rise in SE Turkey "Two people were killed and at least 10 injured on Tuesday when police clashed with pro-Kurdish rebel demonstrators in Turkey's troubled southeast, security officials and eyewitnesses said. Tensions have escalated in the province of Hakkari, which borders Iraq and Iran, since a Nov. 9 bombing widely blamed on members of Turkey's security forces. Two people were killed in the blast and the protests it then sparked. …" (Source: Reuters Alertnet)

South & Central Asia

UK tries to form coalition to fight in Afghanistan "Britain is attempting to build a coalition to pursue counter-insurgency combat operations against al-Qaida and Taliban fighters in southern Afghanistan after the withdrawal by the Bush administration of 4,000 US troops early next year. Talks with Australia, Canada, New Zealand and several other countries are being held before a Nato meeting in Brussels on December 7. They follow the refusal of European allies, such as France and Germany, to allow their troops to become involved in counter-insurgency. …" NOTE: there is a statement in this article to the effect that "[d]espite US pressure, France, Germany, Spain and Italy have refused to expand the mandate for their peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan to include 'war on terror' combat operations." This is misleading but sort of accurate (which for The Guardian is the best one might expect. These countries have "refused to expand the mandate" of their ISAF peacekeeping forces, but certain ones there currently have special operations forces involved in "'war on terror' combat operations."

Afghan Police: al-Qaida Responsible for Suicide Attacks in Kabul "Afghan police are blaming al-Qaida for Monday's twin suicide car bombing attacks against the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force in Kabul. Area police commander Mohammed Akbar told reporters Tuesday that the bodies of the two suicide attackers appeared to be those of Arabs. He said al-Qaida terrorists apparently were working with Taleban insurgents. …" (Source: Voice of America)

Car bomb kills 3 outside KFC in Karachi - police "A car bomb exploded outside a KFC fast-food restaurant in the Pakistani city of Karachi on Tuesday, killing three people and wounding 15 in an attack thought to have been carried out by Islamist militants, police and doctors said. …" (Source: Reuters Alertnet)

Militant attack on Kashmir rally kills 2, wounds 60 "Suspected Muslim militants threw a grenade and opened fire at a political rally in Indian Kashmir on Tuesday, killing two people and wounding at least 60, including a former state minister, police said. The attack took place near Tangmarg, 45 km (30 miles) west of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir where Muslim militants are fighting New Delhi's rule since 1989. …" (Source: Reuters Alertnet)

The Americas

Africa

SUDAN: First APCs to arrive in Darfur on Friday "The first armoured personnel carriers (APCs) intended to enhance the peacekeeping capabilities of the African Union (AU) forces are expected to arrive in the western Sudanese region of Darfur on Friday, according to an AU official. Noureddine Mezni, spokesman of the AU in Khartoum, said on Tuesday that the Sudanese authorities had authorised the deployment of 105 APCs donated by the government of Canada. …" (Source: Reuters Alertnet)