![]() |
|
April 30, 2003
Bush hails Pakistan's recent Arrests
From the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) US President George W Bush has heaped praise on Pakistan for arresting six suspected members of Osama bin Laden's Al Qaeda network, calling it a major coup in the global war on terrorism. First Bali bomb suspect charged
Indonesian prosecutors have formally charged their first suspect in connection with the 2002 Bali bombings. U.S. Says Libya, Syria Reduce Support for Terrorism
The United States said on Wednesday Syria and Libya reduced their support for "terrorism" they remained on a U.S. list of seven "state sponsors of terrorism" along with Cuba, Iran, Iraq, North Korea and Sudan.Read the rest. U.S. General: Groups Supply Afghan Rebels
Renegade groups in Iran and Pakistan are providing a lifeline to rebels who continue to menace U.S. forces in Afghanistan's lawless border regions, a top U.S. commander warned Tuesday. The FBI Plans to Warn Nuclear Facilities
TIME has learned that sometime today the FBI plans to send a classified Intelligence Bulletin to 18,000 state and local law enforcement agencies over its secure telecommunications network, advising officials to pay attention to suspicious activities around nuclear power plants, and including people who are spotted photographing them and light aircraft flying near them. J&K militants have chemical weapons: Army
Press Trust of India/The Hindu The Indian Army has made a disturbing discovery on the Jammu and Kashmir militancy front, a development that would take the militancy to an entirely new level. Palestinian TV: Kill Jews of the Disputed Areas
IMRA: Official Palestinian Authority [PA] TV has broadcast a music video calling for the murder of Jews in the disputed areas, even showing scenes of Jewish teenage girls and a Jewish couple, who are among those targeted for death by PA TV. EU to redirect aid to Palestinian private sector, social services instead of direct payments for PA`s expenditures
Pakistan arrests USS Cole bombing suspect
Pakistan has arrested a Yemeni suspected of involvement in the October 2000 attack on the USS Cole in Yemen, according to officials. U.S. Accuses Iran of Cheating on Nuclear Arms Pact
See also Russia and Iran's Nuclear Program:
IDF Intelligence: Abu Mazen Has No Intention of Fighting Terrorism
U.S. Judge Holds PLO Accountable in Murder Lawsuit
A federal judge has ruled the Palestinian Liberation Organization should be held accountable for not responding to a lawsuit filed on behalf of an American man and his Israeli wife who were murdered in Israel. Yaron Ungar and his wife Efrat, both 25, were killed in a drive-by shooting in 1996. The suit was filed in 2000 on behalf of their two children and seeks $250 million. The Anti-Terrorism Act of 1991 allows American victims of overseas terrorism to seek monetary damages in U.S. courts. Experts say the April 18 ruling could ultimately hold the PLO responsible for the killings and allow the plaintiffs to extract damages. April 29, 2003
More on Tel Aviv Blast
Update on previous post Fox News is reporting that at least three people have been killed: At least three people were killed and 30 were injured after a huge explosion rocked a popular seaside promenade in Tel Aviv early Wednesday. Police said it was a terror attack. UPDATE: Fox is now reporting the death toll is five. Dozens injured in blast at cafe next to U.S. embassy in Tel Aviv
A loud explosion was heard at around 1 A.M. Tuesday night in a cafe next to the United States embassy on the beachfront Hayarkon Street in Tel Aviv. Three Different Perspectives
Eleven Pakistani terrorists and six security force personnel were killed in a fierce gunbattle in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir this afternoon, police sources said. Eleven freedom fighters and six Indian force personnel were killed in a fierce gunbattle in Doda district of Jammu and Kashmir on Tuesday afternoon, police sources claimed. Eleven suspected Islamic militants and six Indian soldiers have died in a bloody clash in southern Kashmir's Doda district today. $1.5 billion earmarked to aid states, municipalities
WASHINGTON -States and localities will receive $1.5 billion to help pay for the costs of increasing security during the war with Iraq, Homeland Security Director Tom Ridge said Tuesday. Hawash Charges Detailed
Hawash accused of aiding Al-Qaida The complaint alleges that in October and November 2001 Hawash stayed at the same three hotels in China on the same three occasions as some of the defendants. On Oct. 30, 2001, the complaint says, Hawash shared a hotel room with defendant Jeffrey Leon Battle in Kashgar, in northwestern China. "U.S. disputes Brazil ‘anthrax’ case"
From this:
See the earlier post "Egyptian sailor dies in Brazil from anthrax-police" for more information. UPDATE: Apparently he didn't die from anthrax: "Bob Fowler, regional director general of Health Canada Atlantic, said today that anthrax has been ruled out as the cause of the sailor's death... "The crewman did not, and I repeat did not, die from anthrax," he said during a news conference." As to why the Wadi al Arab received attention in Brownsville, TX, that remains to be determined. Arafat still calling shots, terror-fighting not mentioned at landmark ceremony
From Debka: Palestinian PM-designate Abu Mazen, requesting Palestinian council’s endorsement of his government, repeatedly deferred to Arafat as elected Palestinian leader, made no reference to fighting terror. He said Middle East road map must begin with halt on Israeli settlement. Arafat calls for assasinations of Americans in Iraq
From Debka: Arafat, who spoke as Middle East leader, demanded an end to US “occupation” of Iraq, called on “Shurfa” and “free men” to rise up against Americans in Iraq. (USAID official Laurence Foley was assassinated last October in Amman by “Shurfa” after his appointment by President Bush to oversee reconstruction of reformed Palestinian Authority.) Libya Admits Lockerbie Liability
[Sky News] Libya will pay £6.29m to each of the 270 victims of the 1988 Lockerbie airliner bombing after accepting civil responsibility for the blast. Palestinian PM Abu Mazen Funded Munich Massacre
Who would have thought that that Arafat's hand-picked successor would turn out to be a Holocaust-denier and terrorist? Here are two articles about President Bush's 'Man of Peace' that make that compliment seem appropriate for a president who termed Islam a 'Religion of Peace:' From IMRA: ISRAELI CIVIL RIGHTS GROUP ACCUSES ABU MAZEN OF HAVING FUNDED 1972 MUNICH OLYMPIC MASSACRE, CALLS FOR PROBE OF PALESTINIAN PM's ROLE Sports Illustrated: Abu Mazen funded Munich Massacre Palestinian Terror Leaders in Jail Still Incite Attacks
From Haaretz: Strikes by Israeli security forces on Palestinian terror networks during the past year have led to a situation in which many more prominent terrorists are locked in Israeli facilities than are at large. Yet according to a recent report by the Shin Bet, its prisons have become terror headquarters, with incarcerated leaders seeking to orchestrate kidnapping of Israeli soldiers and civilians in order to negotiate their own release. In addition, a rise has been detected in the number of attempts to smuggle firearms into the prisons and prepare bombs, to be used against the guards. Inmates manage to maintain communications with their people outside through mobile phones, letters, and oral messages conveyed by visiting attorneys and family members. Palestinian inmates possess hidden cellular phones on which they can be reached, although the IDF has recently installed devices designed to disrupt such calls. Israel: Sharp Drop Reported in Islamic Terror Funding
Haaretz reports a victory in the Financial War On Terror: There has been a drastic drop over the past few months in the amount of financial aid channeled from Islamic charitable organizations abroad to Islamic terror groups in the territories. April 28, 2003
Pope AFB Airman Killed In Afghanistan
From NBC 17: An airman from Pope Air Force Base was killed in Afghanistan last week, the Pentagon confirmed Monday. Seventh Charged With War Plot
From The Mercury (Australia): US federal authorities have charged a seventh person with plotting to aid al-Qaeda and Taliban forces fighting US soldiers a month after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. US Forces Unearth Explosives In Afghanistan
Even this far into the engagement, it appears the Afghanistan countryside still holds many secrets. From ABC (Australia): US special forces have discovered a massive haul of more than 200 tonnes of explosives in a cave complex in north-western Afghanistan, a military spokesman says. Ten 'Taliban' killed: official
TEN suspected Taliban fighters were killed in a clash with local security forces in south-east Afghanistan's Zabul province, governor Hameedullah Tokhi said. "Egyptian sailor dies in Brazil from anthrax-police"
From this:
A spokesman for Brazilian federal police in the Amazon state of Para said on Monday an autopsy of the Egyptian man, whom he named as Ibrahim Saved Soliman Ibrahim, showed that he had died after vomiting, internal bleeding and multiple organ failure. "He was the victim of anthrax," said Fernando Sergio Castro, adding that police were 90 percent certain that Ibrahim had died of anthrax. Ibrahim had traveled to Brazil from Cairo to join his ship, the Wabi Alaras, which loaded bauxite in the Amazon to take to Canada... Castro said Ibrahim had been given the suitcase in Cairo by an unidentified person and was due to deliver it to somebody in Canada. But he doubted Ibrahim knew what the content of the bag was otherwise he most likely would not have opened it. "Health Canada awaits anthrax ship results" says that Canadian officials are awaiting test results from swab samples taken on the quarantined ship. There appears to be confusion over the ship's name. The Globe & Mail report (second link) says it's "Wadi Al Arab." The Reuters report says "Wabi Alaras." I'd tend to go with "Wadi Al Arab." That ship name is also mentioned here and here ("Ship Guarded" from 2/28/03):
This story has been UPDATED. Caught: Fatah terror cells responsible for deaths of 9 Israelis
From The Jerusalem Post: Israeli security forces recently exposed five Fatah Tanzim terrorist cells whose members are responsible for the deaths of nine Israelis. Suicide Bomb Attack Prevented by Father's Tip-Off
From Haaretz:
April 27, 2003
Syrian Spokeswoman: Hizbullah Is Not A Terrorist Organization
Syrian Spokeswoman: Hizbullah Is Not A Terrorist Organization Syrian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Bouthana Shaaban told Fox News today that Hizbullah has "never targeted any civilian in Israel" and is "not a terrorist organization." However, Yonatan Peled, the spokesman for Israel's Foreign Ministry, told Arutz-7's Eli Stutz that Shaaban was not quite accurate in her portrayal of the facts: "Hizbullah is a terrorist organization, and has attacked Israeli civilians, both in Israel and abroad. In 1992, in Buenos Aires, it blew up the Israeli Embassy, killing 29 people. They have fired rockets over the border at Israeli [communities], and are actively involved with Palestinian terror organizations, assisting them in carrying out attacks against Israelis. Syria is not only supporting Hizbullah, but is actually harboring them." Just 14 months ago, on March 12, 2002, two Hizbullah terrorists infiltrated northern Israel outside Kibbutz Metzubah, shot at passing cars, and murdered five Israeli civilians and a soldier. US Congressman Tom Lantos, who met in Damascus with Syrian President Bashar Assad yesterday for an hour and a half, presented him with a series of demands that would enable the U.S. to "open a new page in its relations with Syria." These included closing down headquarters of terrorist organizations and withdrawing Syrian forces from Lebanon. Lantos said also that Syria must cease its support of Hizbullah, especially granting it use of the Damascus airport. Lantos said afterwards, Wiesenthal Center to press for [Nazi] Brunner's extradition from Syria
Wiesenthal Center to press for Brunner's extradition from Syria With the US pressing Damascus to cease supporting terrorism after the liberation of Iraq, officials of the Simon Wiesenthal Center believe the time is ripe to seek the extradition of Nazi war criminal Alois Brunner, who is believed to be living in Syria. ...."This is part of the wider Syrian picture of a country that harbors Nazi as well as Iraqi war criminals, and provides a haven and support for terrorist groups." ....Brunner, 91, was one of the henchmen of Adolf Eichmann and a leading official of the main security office that helped draft and implement the "final solution." He was responsible for the deportation to death camps of some 128,500 Jews: 47,000 from Austria, 44,000 from Greece, 23,500 from France, and 14,000 from Slovakia. Brunner reportedly fled to Egypt after the war, but later sought and was granted refuge in Syria. Following the capture and execution of Adolf Eichmann, Brunner has been at the top of the wanted list of Nazi war criminals and Holocaust perpetrators. 7 Russian soldiers killed, 11 injured in Chechnya.
Walla cites IDF radio, saying that 3 of the Russians were killed when their vehicle was blown up by a mine. Update on the German bus hijacking.
State prosecutors said the youth, a naturalized German citizen, had demanded the release of four suspects linked to al Qaeda, but police said they did not believe he had any ties to Osama bin Laden's network.From Reuters. Trial Opens for Accused Air India Bombers
Before the Sept. 11 attacks, before Pan Am Flight 103 over Scotland, there was Air India Flight 182, blown up by a bomb with 329 people aboard in what is still the worst terrorist attack on a commercial airliner. 82nd in Afghanistan - Names of killed servicemen
San Antonio (TX) Express-News: Del Rio airman's death mourned Family members Saturday were mourning the death of an airman from Del Rio, one of two U.S. servicemen killed in a battle with rebel fighters in Afghanistan on Friday. Salt Lake (UT) Tribune: Second G.I. Dies in Afghanistan After Battle The Pentagon on Saturday identified the first soldier killed as Pvt. Jerod R. Dennis, 19, of Oklahoma. Dennis was assigned to the 3rd Battalion, 504th Parachute Infantry Regiment at Fort Bragg, N.C. 11 Hurt in Jakarta Bomb Blast
Terrorists have been blamed for a bomb blast that ripped through an American fast food restaurant at Jakarta's international airport. Iran Regime Worried #2
IRANIAN REGIME WORRIED BY PEOPLE’S PRO-AMERICANISM This is from Iran's official news agency: As President George W. Bush has also warned the Islamic republic to stop meddling in Iraqi affairs, an influential French daily says Iranian officials are worried by the "obvious pro-Americanism sentiments" of " the Iranian people". Iranian officials are worried. Worried of the American presence next to their doors, on the East as well as to the West, worried of the invasion of Iraq "with so little popular resistance", worried of the fast fall of the Baghdad regime, worried of the sidelining of the UN, worried of the total disillusion of the Iranian people that, since the beginning of the Iraqi crisis, has resulted in a fierce pro-Americanism of the population... but, especially, worried of the vox populi, that asks for "a change of the regime with the help of the American marines", the daily "Le Monde" wrote. This demand is taken enough seriously in the political circles so that the resumption of the relations with America -- a 24 years-old taboo -- had moved forward on the political agenda in Tehran. These relations had been broken on the eve of the establishment of the Islamic Republic and the hostage taking of 55 American diplomats in 1979. Muslim Rebel Attack on Kashmir radio station, other violence leaves 14 dead
Muslim Rebel Attack on Kashmir radio station, other violence leaves 14 dead The new deaths came on a second day of bloody violence in the region, after 18 people were killed on Friday, including six in a suicide attack. Two Indian security men and three Muslim rebels were killed Saturday in a attack on the Radio Kashmir office in the heart of Srinagar, the summer capital of Indian Kashmir. Seven other security force personnel were injured in the attack. Police said three militants detonated a car laden with explosives near the main gate of Radio Kashmir, killing a policeman, before they tried to storm into building in the confusion. Federal troops deployed in and around the radio station opened fire killing one of the rebels, while the other two were shot by security forces after running away. A BSF trooper was also killed during the gunfight, a spokesman said. Officials described the assault as a suicide attack because at least two of the rebels had grenades strapped to their bodies. Iran regime worried
This news article, about Israel's legitimate fears of nuclear attack by Iran, concludes: No one in the Israeli establishment believes that after the war in Iraq, the United States will be in any mood for a far more difficult military campaign against Iran. Moreover, many are convinced that it is too late to stop Iran from going nuclear. Therefore, they argue, the best way to neutralize a nuclear Iran is to promote regime change from within. [Emphasis mine - JW]Well, the Israelis (and anyone else who finds Iran's current leadership a bit frightening) may get their wish. It seems that the mullahs are worried about so much democracy breaking out next door. "Evidently, I am afraid!" he exclaims. "How would I not be afraid of an America armed to the teeth and who demonstrated in Iraq its total disdain of respect for the sovereignty of the States? . . . according to him, "that the best defense of Iran against the Americans would be to reinforce its democracy in order to deprive them of their arguments".As I recall, this "democratic domino effect" was one of the hoped-for results of toppling Saddam's regime. A Tale of Two Checkpoints
A comparison of media reports from Iraq and Israel on civilian deaths at checkpoints.With lots of links to news reports. German bus hijacking
I am linking to the blog which translates the original German news item, and provides a link to the original. A 17-year-old Lebanese hijacked a bus in Germany, has "Islamist motivations." Afghanistan Wants Pakistan Action On Taliban
From Reuters: Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Dr Abdullah called on Pakistan on Saturday to act against Taliban leaders he said were operating from its territory. Three Sentenced To Death For Pakistan Killings
From Radio Australia: A Pakistani anti-terrorism court has handed down death sentences to three Islamic sectarian militants for involvement in the killing of minority Shi'ite Muslims. April 26, 2003
US congressman in Damascus urges Syria to cut support to Hizbullah
US Representative Tom Lantos, the senior Democrat on the House of Representatives International Relations Committee, urged Syria to cut support to Lebanon's Hizbullah. Second US Soldier Dies After Gun Battle With Suspected Taliban
Is it me, or is Afghanistan heating up? From FOX23/AP: The U-S military in Afghanistan says a second soldier has died of wounds suffered in a gun battle with Taliban fighters. Suspected Taliban Arrested In Afghanistan
Hmm ... I wonder why they always seem to be so close to Pakistan. From Reuters: U.S. and Afghan forces have arrested several suspected members of the Taliban near the southern border town of Spin Boldak, an Afghan military commander said on Saturday. Car Bomb, Gun Battle in Kashmir
From The Australian A CAR bomb and a gunbattle at state-run broadcast offices in the capital of Indian-controlled Kashmir killed three suspected Islamic militants and two soldiers today, police said. Hezbollah Reportedly Acquires SA-18 SAMs
Middle East Intelligence Bulletin According to a report in the Israeli daily Maa'riv early last month, the Lebanese Shiite group Hezbollah has acquired highly sophisticated SA-18 shoulder-fired anti-aircraft missiles. Acquisition of the Russian-manufactured SA-18, a much improved version of the SA-7 missiles used by Hezbollah in the past and employed by Al-Qaeda last November to attack an Israeli airliner in Kenya, would vastly upgrade the movement's air defense capabilities and strengthen the threat emanating from its massive stockpile of rockets capable of hitting Israeli population centers.[1]Found via SCMMDI. April 25, 2003
A Pakistan Diary Leads to Banks in Paraguay, Dallas
American authorities are investigating a suspicious money trail that leads from the jungles of South America to the suburbs of Dallas and may shed light on the interlocking finances of some key terrorist networks, including Hamas and Al Qaeda. Federal and Texas state investigators are seeking clues to the origin and destination of millions of dollars wired from a business in the lawless tri-border area where Paraguay, Brazil and Argentina meet, to apparent shell companies in Texas suspected of serving as fronts for either Al Qaeda, Hamas or both.Read the rest. Doctors against Terrorism
Russian-born American physician Dr. Daniel Branovan organized an international conference on "Doctors against Terrorism." Some 100 people attended the conference at Coney Island Hospital in Brooklyn, including victims of terror attacks and their relatives, local politicians and about 50 physicians who volunteered to treat terrorism victims overseas or in the United States. Israel plenty nervous about Iran
Israeli officials think Iran will have nuclear weapons within two years. Iran wants to use their nukes on Israel. Iran's #2 official, cleric Hashemi-Rafsanjani, has stated that annihilating Israel is worth Muslim collateral damage, and Iran was behind the 1992 and 1994 terrorist attacks on the Israeli Embassy and a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Iran regularly supplies Hezbollah with weapons, including long-range rockets, through Damascus, Syria; and in 2002, Iran tried to sell arms to the Palestinian Authority for use against Israel.What's more, the Israelis think Iran's nuclear weapons deveopment program is unstoppable. They are hoping for regime change from within. Yemen Sets Reward for Cole Bomb Suspects
Yemen offered a reward of $8,300 Thursday for information leading to the arrest of 10 fugitives wanted for the fatal bombing of the destroyer USS Cole. Indian major among 18 killed as violence rages in Kashmir
An update to this post that consolidates the information on several attacks reported in the previous post. Violence exploded afresh in Held Kashmir on Friday when at least 18 people, including an Indian major, were killed and nearly 50 injured in the bombing of a courthouse, a suicide attack on a security force post, a military ambush and attacks on politicians, police said.(Note: This is from a Pakistani source, hence the reference to "Held Kashmir.") Foiled German bus hijacker demanded Sept. 11 suspect's release
Foiled German bus hijacker demanded Sept. 11 suspect's release
Binalshibh, a Yemeni, is believed to have been the key contact between al-Qaida and the Hamburg cell that included three of the Sept. 11 suicide hijackers. Bremen's top security official, Kuno Boese, told a news conference that the teen-age suspect praised the hijackers in a letter left for his parents Thursday. "The crime has a radical Islamic motive," Boese said. But officials said there was no indication the bus hijacker was a member of terrorist group. Supermodel 'Tracks' Osama In Saudi
You can't make this stuff up. If you're looking for OBL, ask Naomi Campbell. From Sify News (India):
Thank You!
In the last few minutes The Command Post passed another milestone, reaching two million visitors since we started keeping track on March 21st. ![]() We thank you for your support, and our contributors for all they do to keep the site current. It's been a great ride, and while the war in Iraq is winding down, we're excited about moving forward and reaching the next million! All the best, Alan & Michele Terrorism Task Force Raids Sites In Seattle, New Jersey
No word of what they were doing in Newark, but Seattle may have been the People's Front For Free Cows. From Newsday (US): Federal agents on Thursday were mum about the Joint Terrorism Task Force's raid of a Seattle home and a site in Newark, N.J., this week. Nepal, US Sign Pact On Terrorism
From the Hindu (India): Nepal and the United States today signed a five-year agreement for cooperation in fighting against terrorism and preventing possible terror attacks ... Missiles Seized In Eastern Afghanistan
From the Kansas City Star / AP: Authorities have seized four anti-aircraft missiles in house in eastern Afghanistan, a senior Afghan official said Friday. The find was in the same Nangarhar province where suspected Islamic militants this week killed three Afghan soldiers with a land mine. Taliban Refine Guerrilla Tactics
And is Pakistan helping them along? From the Asia Times: [There are] growing allegations of the Pakistan army's direct involvement on behalf of Taliban remnants flexing their muscles in eastern and southern Afghanistan to unseat the US-backed Hamid Karzai regime in Kabul. With the approach of warmer weather, it is expected that the rebels will become more active, challenging the weak system over which Karzai presides. Seperate Taliban Gunbattle Kills 5 (No US)
This is NOT the same firefight that killed the US soldier (see below). From the Chicago Sun Times: Taliban fighters attacked a government office in southern Afghanistan with rockets and automatic weapons, setting off a four-hour shootout that left two Afghan soldiers and three assailants dead, a senior official said Thursday. Afghan firefight kills US soldier
BAGRAM, Afghanistan (CNN) -- A firefight near the Pakistan border in Afghanistan's Paktika province killed at least one U.S. soldier Friday and wounded five Americans and an Afghan soldier, U.S. Central Command said. The soldiers were reportedly from the 82nd Airborne Division. Bush: "I believe Abu Mazen is a man dedicated to peace"
Bush: I believe Abu Mazen is a man dedicated to peace Despite warning sings [my comment] Bush says "I believe Abu Mazen is a man dedicated to peace, and I look forward to working with him for the two-state solution." Powell to Arab World: No Mideast Peace without End to Terrorism
Powell says unless terrorism ends it will be almost impossible to go ahead with Mideast peacemaking Al-Qaeda Attacks Thwarted
From UPI: U.S. stopped al-Qaida plots against troops U.S. intelligence agencies and their allies disrupted a number of terrorist threats -- including some from al-Qaida against U.S. troops in the Gulf -- during the war against Iraq, U.S. officials have told United Press International. Immediate WMD Threat Removed
Those were the words of Australian Defence Minister Hill, at the ANZAC day dawn service held on board HMAS Kanimbla, off the coast of Iraq. From The Australian "Others of the like of Saddam Hussein, who hold weapons of mass destruction as a tool to strategic advantage, will know that the civilised communities will no longer tolerate such threats." Muslims Kill in Kashmir
From the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Suspected Muslim rebels have killed a ruling party official, two Indian soldiers and two alleged informers in restive Kashmir, while a sixth person died in a gun battle, police said. Documents show continued Terrorist Threat
From The Australian Indonesia's police chief Da'i Bachtiar warned today that terrorists would not give up despite the recent arrest of 18 suspected members of the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) regional terror network and the seizure of weapons and explosives. Helicopter Gunship Attacks Rescue Hostages
Updating an earlier post, the hostages taken by Moro rebels have been rescued in a co-ordinated attack by Helicopter Gunships. From The Australian As they fled, the rebels from the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) released scores of villagers, bus commuters and several policemen they had held hostage, local military commander Colonel Ernesto Boac said. Syrian ambassador spins
Shark Blog has a translation of a Der Spiegel interview with Syrian ambassador to Germany Mohammaed Walid Hezbor. (If the original was in English I would point there, but the Der Spiegel URL is in Shark's post, if you read German.) It kinda tells you want you need to know about Syria. April 24, 2003
Side effects of of terrorism
Maher, better known as Mike, Hawash was born in Nablus in the Palestinian territories, raised partly in Kuwait, and has been a US citizen for 15 years. He is married to a native-born American and has three children. He is an electrical engineer with Intel, most recently as a contract employee. On Thursday, March 20, 2003, our friend and colleague Maher (Mike) Hawash was arrested ("detained") as a "material witness" by the FBI and the Joint Terrorism Task Force in the parking lot of Intel Corp's Hawthorne Farms offices. Simultaneously, FBI agents in bulletproof vests and carrying assault rifles awoke Mike's wife Lisa and their three children in the home, which they proceeded to search. Since then, Mike has been held without charge in the Federal Prison at Sheridan, OR. All proceedings in his case are secret.Hawash's former boss at Intel is spearheading the campaign to free him. The most recent news story on the Hawash case, with speculations on the reasons for his arrest. A reflection on vulnerability to the caprices of the state from someone who knew Hawash in Houston. This case has all the earmarks of a litmus test on whether the United States can itself retain the civil liberties we hope to export to the dictatorships of the world. Keep watching this space. U.S. Says al-Qaida Hurt But Not Broken
From Michele's local paper, Newsday: Al-Qaida has been badly disrupted by the loss of several key leaders but continues to try to put together terrorist attacks, U.S. military and counterterrorism officials said Thursday.And then there's this from the same article ... Another emerging power center may be Iran, where U.S. and allied officials say several leaders have surfaced. 16 killed in Philippines rebel attacks
Muslim separatists have attacked a town and ambushed two buses in the southern Philippines, killing at least 16 people and taking policemen and commuters hostage. CyberTerrorist Disaster Predicted
From the Sydney Morning Herald A cyber "September 11" has been predicted by Mike McConnell, a former director of the US National Security Agency. McConnell has warned that an attack on information infrastructure - with an impact equivalent to the attack on the World Trade Centre in New York - will happen, owing to neglect of the country's critical networks.In the early 90's this type of attack was viewed as the greatest future threat to lives and property by many defence experts, with WMDs number 2, and airliner kamikazes (on nuclear facilities) number 3. 1 Killed, 10 injured -- 5 seriously, in blast in Kfar Sava, Israel
Ha'aretz reports: At least 10 people were injured, one critically and one seriously, when a suicide bomber blew up at the train station in the city of Kfar Sava, shortly after 7:00 A.M. on Thursday. Update: A security guard, who took most of the blast, was killed. April 23, 2003
Afghanistan's Karzai Hands Terrorist List to Pakistan
Afghanistan has begun submitting lists of wanted "war criminals and terrorists" to Pakistan in an effort to stamp out Taleban and Al-Qaeda extremists lurking along the neighbors' mountainous border, Afghan President Hamid Karzai said Wednesday, AFP reported. Afghan and United States forces hunting the extremists have come under repeated attack along Afghanistan's border with Pakistan, leading to suspicions that anti-U.S. and anti-Kabul groups have been regrouping on the Pakistani side. Los Alamos National Laboratory Unviels New Nukes
[Wired via Defense Tech] The United States' arsenal of 10,000 nuclear weapons isn't enough. The country needs more bombs, and the place to make them is the scandal-plagued Los Alamos National Laboratory. NYT - Judge Rules U.S. Must Provide Statements From Qaeda Leaders
The New York Times reports: The trial judge in the case against Zacarias Moussaoui has ordered the Justice Department to provide defense lawyers with any statement made by captured leaders of Al Qaeda that would tend to exonerate Mr. Moussaoui, according to court papers made public today. Judge Brinkema's orders, made in a pair of rulings on March 28 and April 1, could be an important victory for Mr. Moussaoui and his court-appointed lawyers, who have demanded access to the Qaeda leaders, an issue that has delayed his trial and has threatened to derail his prosecution in a civilian court. Prosecutors expected to demand death penalty for Aum founder
Seven years to the day after the trial of Aum Shinrikyo cult founder Shoko Asahara began on cases including the 1995 sarin gas attack on the Tokyo subway, prosecutors are expected to demand the death penalty for him on Thursday. Asahara, 48, whose real name is Chizuo Matsumoto, was indicted on charges of masterminding 13 criminal cases, including murder in the March 1995 subway gassing that killed 12 people and injured more than 5,000. 4 Afghan soldiers killed in separate incidents
An ambush by Taliban and a remote-control mine each killed two Afghan soldiers. Coalition forces also captured seven and killed one in an operation to apprehend those responsible for the murder of an International Red Cross worker. The dead is believed to be the killer. Emir Bashir faces Peers : Career of Fear Ends in Tears
From The Australian In a major test case for Indonesia's fight against terrorism, Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir today went on trial as the alleged leader of extremist network Jemaah Islamiah (JI). Gallipolli Concerns
Gallipolli holds a special place in Australia's history. At once, it's Yorktown, Gettysburg and Little Big Horn. It holds the same place in Turkey's History, both nations were forged in the same crucible. Every year, people from both nations make a pilgrimage there. From the Sydney Morning Herald : Prime Minister John Howard said he was in regular touch with ASIO over the safety of Australians going to Gallipoli for Anzac Day amid reports of possible terrorist attacks.ASIO is the Australian Security Intelligence Service - sort of like the UK Special Branch, and the nearest Australian equivalent to the US Homeland Security department. Anzac Day commemorates the landings at Gallipolli by the Australian and New Zealand Army Corps in 1915, and is when Australia commemorates all those who have ever served in wartime or "peacekeeping". Everyone from 'Z Force" who stayed behind the lines in East Timor from 1943-1945, through to the Royal Australian Regiment who are still serving in East Timor in 2003. Indonesian Terror Chief Nabbed
From the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Indonesian police say they have arrested the man who succeeded Abu Bakar Bashir as leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah terror network. Muslim cleric Bashir went on trial earlier Wednesday for treason. April 22, 2003
Palestinian restrictions on news coverage
We've read about how Saddam compromised CNN as it tried to keep its access to Iraq. Here's how the Palestinian Authority does the same thing. Philippines to allow only non-combat US troops in Abu Sayyaf stronghold
US troops are to assist Filipino soldiers in operations against Abu Sayyaf later this year. “We will have the American soldiers on the ground only for non-combat operations,” Defense Secretary Angelo Reyes later told reporters, explaining Arroyo’s comments. Hizbollah Urges Muslims to Defend Syria Against US
Hizbollah leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah called on Arab and Muslim states on Tuesday to defend Syria if the United States launched any military action against Damascus. 17 militants, one soldier killed in two clashes in Kashmir
Seventeen suspected militants and a soldier were killed on Tuesday in two fierce clashes in disputed Kashmir, a defence spokesman said. 13 indicted in Lebanon over blasts at US fast-food outlets
While three suspects are still on the run, 13 others have been indicted for the recent spate of explosions targeting US fast food restaurants, including two noncommissioned army officers. Florida Biotoxin Scare: Initial Tests Show Negative
A current roundup on the Florida / Washington state biotoxin scares, courtesy CNN: ... in Fort Myers, Florida, six Postal Service employees are being treated for contact with a potentially hazardous powdery substance at a cargo facility. Government trying to control source of MILF funding
The Philippine government is using a three-year old money laundering statute and help from foreign intelligence agencies to track down and halt the supply of money and weapons to the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), an organization that wants to set up an Islamic state in Mindanao. The network of the MILF's fund can be traced from many front organisations, private companies and charity institutions in China, Indonesia, Malaysia, North Korea and Singapore, said the Philippine Star. Sri Lanka on alert as Tigers suspend talks
Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunga has placed security forces on red alert after Tamil Tiger rebels suspended peace talks with her cohabitation government, a spokesman said on Tuesday. Tacoma Update: Tests Negative On White Powder
From HKNL (Hawaii): So far, tests on a white power that prompted a postal facility in Washington state to evacuate have come back negative. A federal Homeland Security official says comprehensive testing found no signs of any biotoxins in the powder. The official says the samples are being sent to the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta for a final review. The facility closed early this morning after the white powder was found in two envelopes. The captain of the Tacoma fire department says the mail center could reopen later today based on other test results from a state laboratory. Boston Woman Arrested
WCVB - Boston Woman Suspected Of Al-Qaida Ties Arrested A former Boston woman sought by the FBI for questioning about possible ties to the al-Qaida terror network is in custody in Pakistan, U.S. law enforcement officials said Tuesday. White powder updates 1300EDT
MSNBC - CNN - Fox - Comment - further testing appearing to yield negative results, timing of incidents coincidental? Suspicious Powder Found On Florida FedEx Flight
More on the substance in Florida, from WPLG (Florida): White powder found at a southwest Florida airport has sent six people to the hospital. BREAKING NEWS: US Postal Facility Evacuated After Powder Found
From Reuters: A postal facility was evacuated in Tacoma, Washington on Tuesday after white powder found on a mail sorting table initially tested positive as a biotoxin, MSNBC reported.UPDATE: MSNBC is reporting conflicting reports about whether the substance has been confirmed as a "biotoxin." They are also, however, reporting additional information about a substance found in a cargo area at Southwest Florida International Airport. Turkey Issues al-Qaeda Warning
From the Australian: TURKEY has warned that al-Qaeda terrorists are plotting to assassinate Australian government officials, in a security alert issued on the eve of Anzac Day ceremonies in Gallipoli. Soldiers Test For Bioterrorism At Major New York Buildings
From Ananova: A specially-equipped National Guard unit has reportedly been testing for biological agents in many of New York's major buildings. Kuwaiti Paper Criticizes Syria: Assad's Regime More Criminal than Saddam's
Kuwaiti Paper Criticizes Syria: Assad's Regime More Criminal than Saddam's Kuwaiti Paper Criticizes Syria: Assad's Regime More Criminal than Saddam's Muslims try to quash Bush nominee Pipes
Muslims try to quash Bush nominee: Washington Post backs radical group's opposition to Daniel Pipes Two arrested at border bridge
Two men were arrested after police saw them videotaping the Ambassador Bridge, the busiest U.S.-Canada border crossing, and found dynamite, a collapsible baton and shotgun shells in their car. April 21, 2003
Cleric's supporters grab him from police; He later surrenders
Dozens of supporters of a militant Muslim cleric stormed the prosecutors' office here yesterday and snatched him away from police custody.This article, written before he had turned himself back in, provides more information about Rizieq's group's activities. Rizieq’s Islamic Defenders’ Front (FPI) has raided establishments it believed were acting against Indonesian law and Islamic principles, and tried to sign up volunteers to go to Afghanistan and Iraq to fight the United States. Yemeni cites 'religious duty' in killings
AP via Boston Globe A Yemeni man with suspected Al Qaeda links told a court yesterday that he killed three American missionaries to defend Islam, believing they were sterilizing Muslim women and trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. Jailed Barghouthi a 'Mandela' to Some Palestinians
Via Reuters, a follow-up to the imprisoned pint-sized Palestinian terror-plotter: A year after his arrest in an Israeli commando raid, calls for his release echo almost daily in the Palestinian street and media. For some Palestinians, Marwan Barghouthi has become their Nelson Mandela. Abu Hamza will be stripped of state benefits
Abu Hamza, the radical Muslim cleric fighting an attempt by the Government to deport him back to Egypt, is to be stripped of his state benefits under an international ban on state funding of terrorism. Palestinian woman arrested for plotting suicide mission
Just in case you read in the New York Times or Washington Post that the Palestinians didn't commit any violence or terrorist acts over the Passover/Easter holiday, it's not for a lack of trying. From HA'ARETZ: Security forces operating the West Bank city of Nablus on Monday morning arrested a Palestinian woman suspected of planning to carry out a suicide attack inside Israel. The Israelis captured at least ten Palestinians planning or in the process of carrying out attacks over the Passover holiday. April 20, 2003
Indian Soldiers Kill 7 At Kashmir Border
AP - JAMMU, India - Indian soldiers killed seven Islamic militants sneaking into Indian-controlled Kashmir from Pakistan on Sunday, police said. Cleric Bahsir To Stand Trial In Jakarta
From Australia's Mercury: AN elderly Muslim cleric accused of leading a murderous terror network will stand trial on Wednesday in a spectacle that would have been unthinkable in Indonesia less than a year ago. Afghan Leaders Agree to Work Toward National Army
From Reuters: Afghan military leaders agreed on the need for a national army on Sunday as the country struggles to snuff out violence between regional warlords. 25 Arrested In Cole Suspects Escape Investigation
From the New Zealand Herald: Twenty-five people have been arrested in connection with the escape this month of 10 suspects in the fatal bombing of the USS Cole, but the fugitives themselves - some with alleged ties to al Qaeda - remain at large. Yemeni Man Admits Killing Three Americans
From the Guardian: A Yemeni man with suspected al-Qaida links told a court Sunday that he killed three American missionaries to defend Islam, believing they were sterilizing Muslim women and trying to convert Muslims to Christianity. Assad: Terror groups would 'fade away' if Mideast issue settled
From the Jerusalem Post: Two US Congressmen asked Syrian President Bashar Assad during a meeting in Damascus on Sunday to shut down the offices of Palestinian factions listed as terrorist by the US administration, The Associated Press reports. Now what exactly does Assad think the real "Mideast Issue" is? Editor's notes: 1. Islamic Jihad is the primary group responsible for the use of Jenin as a terrorist training and deployment zone, having killed scores of innocent Palestinians in the process of subverting that town. 2. Hezbollah is also responsible for the suicide bombing of the U.S. Marines in Lebanon and many other acts of terror against Israelis, Americans, and Lebanese Christians. Both are funded and supported by Syria and Iran. Palestinian Hate-Filled Music Video
Via Palestinian Media Watch, an example of incitement to terror by the Palestinian media: One of the new Palestinian Music Videos which has been broadcast regularly since January 2003 includes the following scenes, acted out by Palestinian actors: The video is available here. April 19, 2003
Pakistani helicopter downed, 3 Americans and 4 Pakistanis injured.
Walla (citing Reuters): the helicopter belongs to the Pakistany military, and was shot in the South of Pakistan. The helicopter is thought to be part of the American patrols of the Pakistani gas fields. US airline pilots get guns
The measure - which is being introduced in the wake of the 11 September 2001 attacks on the US - aims to protect crews and passengers from hijack attempts. If one of them is scheduled to fly on Sunday, then as early as Sunday we might have a pilot with a gun in a cockpit Foiled Legoland SAM Plot Details
From The Sun via The Australian The al-Qaeda network planned to shoot down an airliner from a theme park close to London's Heathrow airport earlier this year, a British newspaper has reported. April 18, 2003
Group allegedly planning suicide bombing during PM's visit
Security forces in Jammu and Kashmir were on Thursday put on high alert following two wireless intercepts that terrorists belonging to Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) were planning to carry out a suicide attack during the two-day visit of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee beginning on Friday. Security agencies intercepted a message sent from across the border by a LeT terrorist saying he would carry out the attack during Vajpayee's visit, especially targetting his public functions in the valley. April 17, 2003
Coalition troops uncover weapons caches in Afghanistan
Coalition forces have found three caches of heavy ammunition, including anti-tank rockets, anti-aircraft rounds and rocket propelled grenades in southeast Afghanistan, an army spokesman said on Thursday. The US Task Force Devil found 271 rocket propelled grenades, four RPG launchers, 40 mortar rounds and hundreds of cases of ammunition for heavy machine guns in the village of Khar Bolah in Ghazni province on Wednesday, Army spokesman Col. Roger King told a news briefing. Khar Bolah is 80 kilometers (50 miles) south of the capital, Kabul. UNICEF office in Jalalabad rocked by explosion
ISLAMABAD — A powerful bomb exploded inside the UNICEF office in Jalalabad in eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday night, damaging the building, Afghan Islamic Press (AIP) reported Thursday. Abu Abbas Update -
Reuters - "We are considering next steps right now, consulting with the Italian government," U.S. National Security Council spokesman Sean McCormack said. A U.S. official said the United States is unsure whether it could still prosecute him for the Achille Lauro incident because the statute of limitations may have expired and many anti-terrorism laws were not retroactive. Washington dropped a warrant for his arrest several years ago. Afghans say arrest notorious Taliban official
But will there be extradition? From Reuters: Afghanistan's Western-backed government said on Thursday it had arrested a notorious member of the former Taliban regime who served as the deputy head of its feared religious police. Iraq war helps terrorism recover
From the Washington Times: Battered by the war on terror, extremist groups in Southeast Asia apparently are recovering, thanks to the war in Iraq, according to an authority on Southeast Asia extremists.Read the rest ... U.S. troops step up hunt for al-Qaida and Taliban weapons
Raleigh News & Observer/AP KHAR BOLAH, Afghanistan (AP) - The chatter of the metal detector turned to a solid hum when it reached the center of the house's mud-baked floor. Sgt. Derrick Edwards dug his fingers into the earth, prying apart the flat stones. He shined his flashlight at the dark hollow below."It's a weapon," he called out, as the light caught the grip and metal of a rocket-propelled grenade launcher. Three hurt in Philippine bus bombing
The terrorist group most in need of a name, or acronym, change has apparently struck again. Three women were wounded when a bomb ripped through a passenger bus near an army checkpoint on the outskirts of this southern Philippine city, the military said on Thursday. Indictment claims cleric ordered assassination of Indonesian president while she was VP
AFP via The Straits Times Indonesian cleric Abu Bakar Bashir, accused of leading the Jemaah Islamiah (JI) terror network, had ordered the assassination of President Megawati Sukarnoputri when she was still vice-president, according to a copy of his indictment obtained yesterday. For those not familiar with Jemaah Islamiah, JI is blamed for the Bali blasts last October which killed 202 people, and for a series of other bombings or attempted bombings in the region. US warns N.Korea, Iran, Syria and Libya
From Deepika (India) Stating that the war on Iraq sends a clear message to countries possessing weapons of mass destruction, the United States has warned North Korea, Iran, Syria and Libya that it will be forced to take military action against them if they failed to get rid of their weapons. "In terms of countries that are closest to acquiring or actually have nuclear weapons, clearly North Korea and Iran are the two highest on our list. They are in two different parts of the world and they are at two different stages in their nuclear weapons programme," he said. Powell plans visit to Syria
Secretary of State Colin Powell is planning to travel to Syria "to have very candid and straightforward discussions" with President Bashar Assad and others. France Worried about Islamic Extremists
From The Times of India : Worried by the growth of Islamic fundamentalism in France, the country's interior minister has threatened to expel any foreign Muslim religious leader who disseminates extremist propaganda.(Hat Tip to James, one of our readers) Italian Police : Syria an Al-Qaeda Hub
From the LA Times, via the Sydney Morning Herald Syria has functioned as a hub for al-Qaeda operatives who moved Islamic extremists and money from Italy to north-eastern Iraq, where the recruits fought alongside the recently defeated Ansar al Islam terrorist group, according to an Italian investigation. April 16, 2003
Taliban fighters captured after killing of tourist
Afghan soldiers captured eight Taliban fighters, including two commanders, after a fierce battle left two soldiers dead in a mountainous southern region of the country, a senior government official said yesterday.This article also mentions that NATO has agreed to take over command of the peacekeeping forces in Afghanistan beginning sometime in late summer or beyond. Iran will not defend Syria militarily against US attack: president
Nevertheless he warned the US against attacking Syria. Iran will not defend neighbouring Syria militarily against the United States, Iranian President Mohammad Khatami said Wednesday. Terror Alert Lowered to Yellow
The Department of Homeland Security on Wednesday lowered the national terror threat level from orange, or "high," to yellow, which is "elevated." That means there is a significant risk of terrorist attacks. The threat level was raised to orange on March 17, when President Bush gave Saddam Hussein 48 hours to get out of Iraq or face military action by a coalition of the willing.
Posted by Van Houten at 11:31 AM
| Comments (2)
Aussie Cops give a hand to Phillipines
Extract from a transcript of the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) programme "The World Today" : A team of Federal agents, specialists in investigating terrorist bombings, has just returned to Australia from the Philippines, where they've been involved over the last month in investigating bombings around Mindanao in the southern islands of the Philippines. Worth reading in full.
Posted by Alan Brain at 06:44 AM
| Comments (1)
Nauru PM : "I know Nothing"
From the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) Nauru's President says he knows nothing about the arrest of six suspected terrorists in Asia allegedly carrying Nauruan passports. UPDATE : More details on the arrests, graft and corruption in The Australian. It's worth reading the whole article. Documents obtained by The Australian show those wanting to buy passports were required to undergo no more than a medical and HIV test. After approval was granted, $US30,000 ($50,000) was wired to a bank registered in Hong Kong.
Posted by Alan Brain at 05:54 AM
| Comments (2)
Terrorist Abu Abbas in U.S. custody in Iraq
Reuters: Palestinian guerrilla leader Abu Abbas, who masterminded the hijacking of an Italian cruise ship in 1985, was captured by U.S. special forces and is in U.S. custody in Baghdad. Abbas, also known as Mohammed Abbas, is the leader of the Palestine Liberation Front, which hijacked the Achille Lauro in the eastern Mediterranean, resulting in the death of a disabled elderly American man, Leon Klinghoffer.Full story »» AP: the US options »
Posted by Oskar van Rijswijk at 03:13 AM
| Comments (2)
Critics of Anti-Terror Law Warn about Dangers of Sequel
From Crosswalk / CNN: Libertarians still critical of the USA PATRIOT (Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism) Act find a further erosion of civil liberties in a leaked Justice Department memorandum outlining a second PATRIOT Act that is expected to be submitted to Congress in the coming months.
Posted by Alan at 12:21 AM
| Comments (1)
US renews alert against Taliban
Are things getting worse in Afghanistan? From the Daily Times (Pakistan): The United States believes that remnants of Afghanistan’s toppled Taliban militia plan to abduct and murder foreigners on highways in the north and east of the country, the state department claimed on Tuesday.
Posted by Alan at 12:10 AM
| Comments (1)
Muslim cleric faces US arrest
From the Times Online: The radical Muslim cleric Abu Hamza al-Masri faces arrest on an American extradition warrant on terrorism charges.
Posted by Alan at 12:07 AM
| Comments (3)
Treasury releases list of companies trading with opposition
From the Albuquerque Tribune: About 60 companies quietly settled with the government this month on charges of trade or other business with countries such as Iran, Iraq, Sudan and Cuba.
Posted by Alan at 12:00 AM
| Comments (1)
April 15, 2003
Seven Indian policemen killed in land mine blast
Maoist rebels thought responsible for attack. Seven policemen were killed in a land mine explosion triggered on Tuesday by suspected communist rebels near an eastern Indian village, police said.
Posted by Cranky at 09:29 PM
| Comments (1)
Six Abu Sayyaf Killed in Separate Clashes in Philippines
Arroyo's words backed with action. At least six Abu Sayyaf kidnappers have been killed in clashes while a grenade attack killed a local official in the strife-torn southern Philippines, the military said Tuesday.
Posted by Cranky at 08:40 PM
| Comments (1)
Security Council commends Al Qaida sanctions committee's 'proactive' approach
It's always good to be proactive. From the UN News Center: Commending the "proactive" approach taken by its committee monitoring sanctions imposed against Usama bin Laden, the Taliban and Al Qaida, the Security Council today strongly encouraged Member States to submit, whenever they are able, implementation reports on entities and persons subject to the measures because of their links to the group or other terrorist operatives.
Posted by Alan at 07:03 PM
| Comments (2)
Terrorism Scare Hits Upcoming Tashkent Conferece
From EurasiaNet: A recent State Department announcement counseled American citizens to "evaluate carefully the implications for their security and safety" of travel to Uzbekistan, citing reports that terrorists may be "planning attacks against hotels in Uzbekistan frequented by Westerners." While US officials provided no reason for the timing of the announcement, the reported discovery of bomb-like materials in the basement of a Tashkent hotel lend credence to the State Department’s expression of concern.
Posted by Alan at 06:59 PM
| Comments (1)
Countdown To The Apocalypse: Opium For Atoms
From SBS Australia: Al-Qaeda’s assets are now valued at $(US)5 billion. Pakistani journalist Hamid Mir says that when he interviewed Osama bin Laden in 2001, the terrorist leader claimed to have purchased nuclear weapons – as a defensive measure. Mir believes bin Laden has purchased a suitcase bomb – a device developed in Russia by the KGB.
Posted by Alan at 06:57 PM
| Comments (1)
Lashkar-e-Toiba leader urges jehad against India
Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) chief Hafiz Saeed has said jehad against India is paramount as the country is a ''threat'' to world peace.
Posted by Cranky at 06:34 PM
| Comments (5)
al Qaeda had planned to set up University in Pakistan
Prior to September 11 terror attacks on the United States, the al Qaeda of Osama bin Laden had planned to set up its own university and a few technical and medical institutions in Pakistan.
Posted by Cranky at 06:24 PM
| Comments (2)
Terrorism kept at bay - for now
Are we winning the GWOT? A view from the Christian Science Monitor: In the run-up to the US-led attack on Iraq, everyone from domestic security chief Tom Ridge to FBI whistle-blower Colleen Rowley warned of a nearly inexorable wave of terrorist attacks being unleashed on the American homeland during the war.
Posted by Alan at 06:12 PM
| Comments (1)
Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri has announced the resignation of his government
IBA radio, quoting Radio Monte-Carlo.
Posted by at 04:07 PM
| Comments (1)
Russia sees a threat in U.S. presence in republics
The Russian military sees the U.S.-led war in Iraq as a potential threat to Russian security, pointing to growing U.S. military presence in former Soviet republics and resumed flights of American U-2 spy planes along Russia's borders. The Air Force Commander, Alexander Mikhailov, went as far as to warn the Americans that Russia would shoot down any spy plane that intruded "as little as one kilometre'' inside the Russian air space.
Posted by at 01:30 PM
| Comments (1)
Syria Roundup
Some stories in WaPo seem to indicate that we are indeed not planning to go On To Syria but are simply using the Saddam example to get them back in line. That the regime has allowed Iraqi fugitives to escape into Syria seems clear. Otherwise, as this piece notes, most of our grievances with Syria are longstanding, although there is some evidence that they're stepping up chemical weapon production. The timing is convenient, though: Remarks by Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell and White House spokesman Ari Fleischer were a clear indication that the administration has turned its attention to recent and long-standing grievances with Damascus, and expects it to heed the lesson of the successful U.S. military campaign against Iraq.The threat is certainly more credible now than it would have been a month ago. Indeed, this Washington Times piece indicates that Russia, Iran, and others are taking it very seriously. Jim Dunnigan has a good explanation for why Syria risked the ire of the US to begin with: Syria has apparently decided to make a few billion bucks by offering some sanctuary for senior Saddam followers. Unlike the Persian Gulf nations, Syria has not got a lot of oil. With a population of 17 million, oil revenue is only about $3-4 billion a year. With a socialist dictatorship like Iraq's, the economy is a mess and only a ruthless police state keeps a lid on rebellion. Syria earns additional money by tolerating the drug trade in Lebanon, and the radical Shia groups (like Hezbollah) that operate in Lebanon against Israel. The Baath party that has run Syria for four decades is dominated by Alawite Moslems, a sect that comprises only 14 percent of the population. The Alawites make common cause with the ten percent Christian minority and the Druze (3-4 percent). But by adroitly handing out money and brutal treatment as needed, the Assad family has managed to stay in power. Syria has made deals with the United States as well, to provide information on al Qaeda. The Baath gangsters in Syria don't think the United States would invade, and that they can bargain and buy their way out of any problems.The current warnings by President Bush and others are making it clear that there are limits to what Syria can get away with. The NYT editorial page, somewhat surprisingly, acknowledges that Syria is dangerous but, quite predictably, does not think we should go to war with them. Update (9:20): The Canadians are scared, too. (via GoogleNews)
Posted by at 11:12 AM
| Comments (1)
April 14, 2003
Syrian Fears
The New York Times reports that: These are unsettled days in Damascus, a city that has long prided itself as the capital not just of Syria, but of all things Arab. The government of the young president, Bashar al-Assad, gained widespread popular support for its heated oratory against the United States over the war against Iraq. Indeed, hundreds of Syrian and other Arab volunteers rushed to fight in Iraq's defense.The Syrians, on the whole, increasingly seem to fear that they are next once Iraq is finished.
Posted by Dean Esmay at 11:49 PM
| Comments (3)
Jemaah Islamiya leader charged with treason
Prosecutors in Indonesia indicted a radical Islamic cleric yesterday on charges of treason and plotting to overthrow the Indonesian government and establish an Islamic state.
Posted by Cranky at 11:36 PM
| Comments (1)
Ujaama cops plea in exchange for “truth” in terror probes
A Seattle man under investigation for ties to Islamic terrorists pleaded guilty Monday to charges of conspiring to support the Taliban, the former rulers of Afghanistan.
Posted by Cranky at 09:53 PM
| Comments (1)
Lebanese arrest 4 unnamed terror suspects
Authorities arrested another four men Saturday suspected of belonging to a “terrorist network of Islamic extremists” responsible for the recent attacks on restaurants associated with the United States.
Posted by Cranky at 09:04 PM
| Comments (1)
Tamil Tigers fume as US steps into Sri Lanka peace process
The United States Monday took its biggest step yet into the Sri Lankan peace drive, but its decision to bar Tamil Tiger rebels from a major donor seminar injected new tensions into a vicious separatist conflict. "There is one partner for peace that is today conspicuous in its absence," Armitage told the seminar, which was designed to drum up support for the Tokyo talks.
Posted by Cranky at 02:54 PM
| Comments (2)
Arroyo orders no letup in operations v. Sayyaf
From Sun.Star (Philippines): President Arroyo ordered the military and police to maintain pressure on the Abu Sayyaf until all the group's hostages, including the Chinese-Filipino trader they abducted during the weekend, are rescued and the terrorist gang is neutralized.
Posted by Newshound at 02:52 PM
| Comments (1)
31 tourists missing in southern Algeria
The Independent: Sandstorms are obstructing an increasingly desperate search this weekend for 31 travellers who have vanished in the Sahara in six separate groups over a period of several weeks. (...) Some German and Algerian investigators suspect the tourists may have been taken hostage by a militant Islamist group known as the Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC), which has links to al-Qa'ida. The GSPC is fighting the Algerian authorities and has been active in the central Sahara for years.Full story »» Also see: Deutsche Welle
Posted by Oskar van Rijswijk at 01:47 PM
| Comments (1)
Reuters - Pakistan Convicts Four Over U.S. Consulate Bombing
Reuters reports that a court in Pakistan has convicted 4 people for a terrorist bombing last year in Karachi: A Pakistan court convicted four men on Monday for involvement in last year's suicide bombing outside the U.S. Consulate in the port city of Karachi, handing down death sentences to two of the men.An anti-terrorism court judge, Syed Aalay Maqbool Rizvi, found them guilty of organizing the June 14 bombing in which 12 Pakistanis were killed. Two men were given life sentences, while a fifth man was acquitted.
Posted by Martin at 12:23 PM
| Comments (1)
Sayyaf kidnaps businesswoman
From Sun.Star (Philippines): A female Chinese-Filipino trader was abducted on Sunday by guerrillas of the Abu Sayyaf kidnapping gang in an island in the south, the regional police chief said.
Posted by Alan at 12:37 AM
| Comments (2)
Terror suspects in wrong places
From UPI: They were secretive and spouted extremist ideology; they sought false documents and had sketches of alleged targets -- so say prosecutors of the four men on trial in U.S. District Court in Detroit, accused of being members of a terrorist sleeper cell.
Posted by Alan at 12:35 AM
| Comments (3)
April 13, 2003
From Bookish Boy to Focus of FBI Manhunt
From WaPo: The FBI has labeled El'Shukri-Jumah one of the five most dangerous fugitive terrorist suspects in the world and the most serious terrorism threat to the United States. Federal law enforcement sources have compared his organizational skills to those of Mohamed Atta, the leader of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. Law enforcement sources believe El'Shukri-Jumah has gained widespread notoriety in terrorist circles, assuming the battle name "Ja'far the Pilot" because of an apparent interest in aviation.
Posted by Alan at 11:31 PM
| Comments (1)
Beef up Afghan security, UNHCR warns
From ABC News (Australia): A recent wave of attacks on foreign and government targets has raised fears of a spring offensive by Taliban and Al Qaeda remnants, although the US military says such attacks are not out of the ordinary.
Posted by Alan at 11:25 PM
| Comments (1)
An inside job? Police held for al-Qaida escape
From The Guardian: Yemen was questioning two senior secret-police officers yesterday after 10 al-Qaida suspects, including two linked to the suicide bombing of the American warship USS Cole, escaped from a Yemeni jail, an official said.
Posted by Alan at 11:10 PM
| Comments (2)
Fugitives Still Loose, Others Arrested in USS Cole Case
From FOXNews.com: The massive manhunt for 10 escaped suspects in the fatal USS Cole bombing has led to the arrests of more than a dozen people with links to the men, but the fugitives remained at large Sunday.
Posted by Alan at 11:09 PM
| Comments (1)
Homeland Security for Sale
This article from WaPo provides an perspective on how firms are moving to capitalize on recent increases in security and defense spending. "We were selling it as a disaster-recovery solution but they strongly suggested we call it homeland security solution," said Julius N. Neudorfer, director of network services at the Hawthorne, N.Y., company. He happily obliged, revising billboards and brochures in time for an information technology exposition last week at the Washington Convention Center. "I hate to be blasé, but we just listen to what they tell us."
Posted by Alan at 11:03 PM
| Comments (1)
From Pakistan: Govt will not allow terrorist activities inside or outside country
From the Pak Tribune: Interior Minister Makhdoom Faisal Salah Hayat has said that government will not permit any organization or individual to indulge in terrorist activities in and out side the country from or outside the country.
Posted by Alan at 10:58 PM
| Comments (3)
Rally warned of terrorist backlash
We'll hope contributor Alan E. Brain is safe in bed. From The Age: Australia was exposed to a terrorist backlash from the Iraq war, a former intelligence officer told a Sydney peace rally.
Posted by Alan at 10:55 PM
| Comments (3)
Explosion kills four apparently plotting terrorist attack in Afghanistan
From KPCL / AP: Four people apparently planning a terror attack are dead after their explosive-filled car blew up by accident in eastern Afghanistan.
Posted by Alan at 10:46 PM
| Comments (3)
April 12, 2003
UK relaxes terror warning
The Foreign Office has stopped advising against travel to Kuwait, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Israel and Jordan - despite "evidence of terrorist plans to attack Western targets linked to events in Iraq". There remains "a high threat to British individuals and organisations in the region", it says.
Posted by Michele at 06:23 PM
| Comments (1)
Bali Still Recovering From Terror Attacks
Six months after terrorist bombs devastated two nightclubs and killed more than 200 people, the tourist island of Bali is still trying to get back on its feet.
Posted by Michele at 06:19 PM
| Comments (2)
Australia bans 6 "terror" groups
From CNN.com: Attorney-General Daryl Williams said Friday a list of major terrorist activities over the past few years had been reliably attributed to these six groups, which are based in Lebanon, Yemen, Egypt, Uzbekistan and Pakistan.
Posted by Alan at 05:29 PM
| Comments (1)
Toronto's link to terrorism grows
From The Star: Former Toronto resident Abdul Rahman Khadr has become the second Canadian citizen held at the United States base in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, the Star has learned.
Posted by Alan at 05:25 PM
| Comments (1)
Media seek end to Moussaoui case secrecy
From CCN.com: Acknowledging the need to protect classified information, 11 media organizations are asking a federal appeals court to end the near-total secrecy imposed in the case of Zacarias Moussaoui, accused in the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Posted by Alan at 05:21 PM
| Comments (1)
US Senate bans import of conflict diamonds
Not just a girl's best friend. From IOL / Reuters: The Senate unanimously approved a bill on Thursday to ban the import of uncut diamonds that help fund African civil wars and may also be a source of financing for Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network.
Posted by Alan at 05:13 PM
| Comments (1)
Scientists say anthrax in letters was made by simple methods
From The Olympian: Army scientists have reproduced the deadly anthrax powder mailed in letters two years ago and concluded that it was made using simple methods, inexpensive equipment and limited expertise, according to a report published Friday.
Posted by Alan at 05:10 PM
| Comments (1)
Photos appear of USS Cole attack fugitives
From UPI: An official Yemeni newspaper Saturday published the photographs of 10 prisoners, accused of a role in the USS Cole bombing two years ago, who broke out of prison Friday in the largest escape of its kind ever in the country.I'll try to find the photos online ...
Posted by Alan at 05:03 PM
| Comments (1)
Total Information Awareness Project Undergoes First Test
[via Defense Tech] Lt. Col. Doug Dyer, a program manager at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), told a privacy conference that the recent test examined records of over-the-counter drug purchases, "which could indicate planning of a bioterrorist attack."
Posted by Michele at 02:40 PM
| Comments (1)
July 4 Shooting at LAX Ruled Terrorism
From Newsday: An Egyptian immigrant who opened fire inside Los Angeles International Airport committed an act of terrorism, but he did it alone and was not tied to any terrorist organizations, federal officials have determined.
Posted by Alan at 12:44 PM
| Comments (5)
Intelligence officials say new bin Laden tape likely authentic recording
From KSFY: It's probably real.
Posted by Alan at 12:40 PM
| Comments (1)
US remains committed to Afghanistan
From Hi Pakistan: The US general leading the war on Iraq returned on Friday to Afghanistan with a US special envoy to assure the government and international troops that the United States can fight two wars at once.
Posted by Alan at 12:36 PM
| Comments (1)
|