So does this mean that Shahzad was trained in Iran, too?

Probably so! You know they are a wilely lot those Iranians! They are capable of almost anything!

Did you know that reliable intelligence indicates Iran is responsible for training and equipping the monsters our kids fear are living in their closets too!

Booga! Booga!

Be afraid! Be very afraid!

How ironic that Obama would be such a weakling that he would allow himself to become so manipulated as to become the President who finally attacked Iran.

Watch yer tongue there, Peeg. That's heresy, I say.

Kandahar. Harhar.

This has nada to do with distractions. The build-up to an attack on Iran precedes the Obama administration. It's simply coming closer under Dem tutlege; which includes the primemovers in Congress.

Months ago, I read a quote from McCrystal that clearly indicated he saw the advanteges of Iranian cooperation in stabilizing Afghanistan. Again. Now this?

He's spreading the meme: doesn't matter if it's bullshit. Or so "they" think.

As per John McCain, the disinfo psyops folks bank on the targeted audience being ignorant of history and knowing the differences between Sunnis and Shiites.

The above phony "linkages", combined with reports of Israeli and American naval assets being moved into the region and the Petraeus declaration of special ops against Iran, sanctions, Israeli preparations on the civilian Homefront, etc...indicate it's game on.

To what end is still an open question.

Letter to James Howard Kunstler from William Shortino serving with the US military in Afghanistan:

In March I went to some training to help me unload the wounded from the helicopters that perform the Dust-off Missions in evacuating the wounded. I have been on several during this past month. I remember one where 3 wounded came in 2 American soldiers and an Afghani interpreter. They were hit with a dismounted IED. The first one off was hurt pretty bad, he had 3 tourniquets; he was sent out of Theater. The other two were walking wounded. I saw one of the guys a couple of days later by Green Beans- the Salerno coffee shop. He had a big bandage around the back of his neck. We got to talking a bit, he said that he has been in country for 3 months and that he was awarded his 2nd Purple Heart (a medal the military gives you for receiving wounds in combat) in as many months. He seemed to have difficulties focusing.

Since I have been to both Iraq and Afghanistan, I have the following thoughts. In Iraq the military finally figured out all the groups who were killing us. We found out who they were and then paid them not to kill us. In Afghanistan it is not as simple; there is no center of gravity to this insurgency(s). There are so many groups and players that we might as well send everyone money not to kill us. We could drop the money from helicopters.

I remember saying it takes courage and bravery to face every day, well some days it takes a little more. Since today is Mother’s Day, I think about a quote my own mother would say to me often as a boy, from Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar – “A coward dies many times before his death, but the valiant doth taste of death but once”. I guess she was preparing me.

I will write again next month – Inshallah –God-willing. Salerno out . . .

Sergeant First Class Bill Shortino
831st DDST / US Army
Forward Operating Base Salerno, Afghanistan

The simplest answer is probably correct -- the Pakistanis are STILL training and supplying the Taliban.

Fixed that for you. They've been training and supplying the Taliban for years, in no small part to provide deniable assets for action in Kashmir.

Iran has been the focal point of worldwide terror for decades, since 1980. They have been training and supplying the insurgents in Iraq. They taught them how to make shaped charges (EFP's) that could destroy armor. They are responsible for training and supplying Hezbollah and other factions in Israel and Lebanon. They are responsible for killing Americans around the world, and have been doing it for many years. Why do you doubt that they would train the Taliban? They have been sheltering them along the border for years. You have to be pretty damn arrogant to assert with no evidence that McChrystal is lying or wrong. What the hell do you know? Do you get daily briefings, sat photos, intell reports, etc. ? Are you there, on the ground? Or are you sitting in your mom's basement typing away, telling the world how smart you are?

Or are you sitting in your mom's basement typing away...

Apparently your mom's basement provides you with a lot more than laundry and ham sandwiches, because you "know" so much more about Iran than the rest of us.

For example, you "know" that Iran taught Iraqi insurgents to make shaped charges, because obviously ex-Iraqi Army bomb-makers couldn't figure it out for themselves.

And how do you "know" that?

Your mommy told you!

Oh, and as for McChrystal's statements about Iran training the Taliban he offered not one whit of evidence, never has, and never will. Know why? Because he is lying. That's why.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/12/world/africa/12iht-web.0212weapons.4560527.html

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/1526809/Three-Iranian-factories-mass-produce-bombs-to-kill-British-in-Iraq.html

If you're not too stupid to be able to read, which is questionable, you can see the evidence about Iranian EFP's. BTW, this is not something that you just 'figure out', it takes specific materials and knowledge.

You're welcome.

He has some interesting ideas on the turf wars that disempowered the DNI and empowered the CIA, which I hope to write about soon, too.

Needless to say, I have an immediate bias towards anyone who uses the CIA's sorry history against them.