In Afghanistan, a NATO counteroffensive to retake the town of Musa Qala from Taliban militants resulted in the death of a high-ranking Taliban commander, Mullah Ghafour. A NATO airstrike was said to be the cause of death. The Taliban had overrun the town last week, despite an agreement with local officials who pledged to keep the Taliban out in exchange for a withdrawal of NATO forces. In Somalia, the ICU is regrouping with the aim of fighting a prolonged insurgency against the internationally recognized Interim Government. Bill Roggio reports on a wave of militant attacks against the Interim Government and its Ethiopian allies. In a bid to enlist the participation of moderate Islamists in the new government, the State Department has pushed for the release from Kenyan custody of Sheikh Sharif Ahmed, who is now heading to Yemen. Roggio notes “Sharif’s deep ties to radical Islam in Somalia and al-Qaeda. The U.S. State Department advocates promoting Sharif as a moderate, despite all evidence to the contrary.” Over at Counterterrorism Blog, frequent WEEKLY STANDARD contributor Olivier Guitta reports on the latest provocation from Hezbollah. According to Guitta, the terrorist group has raised its flag along the length of Israel’s northern border. Guitta speculates that the move may be intended to spark an Israeli response with the hope of reinvigorating Hezbollah’s dwindling support among Lebanon’s Shiite community, or to embarrass Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, who recently expressed his satisfaction with the UNIFIL operation in Lebanon and Hezbollah’s alleged withdrawal from the border.
