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May 31, 2003
Olympics Bomb Suspect Rudolph Arrested
Eric Rudolph, the longtime fugitive charged in the 1996 Olympic Park bombing and in attacks at an abortion clinic and a gay nightclub, was arrested early Saturday in the mountains of North Carolina, a Justice Department official confirmed. Abbas vows end of attacks by radical groups
From CNN, the most trusted name in news: Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas predicted Friday that he would persuade all radical Palestinian groups to agree to a cease-fire -- and end their attacks against Israelis -- within three weeks. For his next trick, Yasser Arafat offered to drink a glass of blood while his puppet prime minister made the same vow. Bush Urges Europe To Unite Against Terror
Note the new anti-proliferation initiative. Also note the incredibly annoying pop-up banner at the top of the ABC News page. From ABC News in the US: President Bush sought to heal bitter wounds lingering from the Iraq war Saturday by calling on NATO partners new and old to unite against terrorism. May 30, 2003
Hamas: "Most Israelis Are Combatants"
(Hat tip: Marduk) From IMRA, Hamas claims not to be a terrorist organization: Hamas spokesman Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi told Newsweek: "Combatants are not just people who wear uniforms." He considers all Israeli men combatants because they at one time or another served in the army and do reserve duty, and the same goes for Israeli women, most of whom have served in the army. So the majority of the Israeli population are considered combatants. IMRA then provides a snippet from an article on Newsweek that seems to have vanished into their archives somehow: Q: What do you mean? How does Hamas define civilians? A: An Israeli civilian is someone who never took part in the fighting. If he participated in the fighting in the past, years ago, he is not a civilian. That's why Israelis are still pursuing the Germans who took part in the Holocaust, though some of these people are in their 80s. They are still considered soldiers. Q: So you consider all Israeli men combatants because they at one time or another served in the army and do reserve duty? A: Yes. Q: What about Israeli women? A: Most Israeli women served in the army. Q: According to these criteria, what percentage of the Israeli population do you consider combatants? A: The majority. We choose military targets. If civilians are liable to die, that isn't a reason to stop the attack. But we don't set out to kill civilians. Explain that to the students in the Hebrew University cafeteria, Abdel-Aziz al-Rantissi. Sure, most college campus cooking is effectively a biological weapons program, but the Hamas bomb was placed among ordinary students eating, not a military base. Level Yellow
Details on Alan's post: The Department of Homeland Security on Friday lowered the federal terrorism alert level one notch to yellow, or elevated. It had been at orange, the second-highest level on a five-color scale, since May 20. ORANGE INDICATES a high risk of terrorist attack. The lowest two levels, green and blue, and the highest, red, have not been used since the system was adopted in March 2002. The alert level was raised on May 20 after terrorists believed linked to al-Qaida struck in Saudi Arabia and Morocco. Seventy-five people were killed, including eight Americans. Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said it was feared the incidents could mark the beginning of a wave of worldwide attacks that could include U.S. targets. US Terror Threat Dropped To "Yellow"
From the red banner at the top of CNN.com: Bomb kills two in Spain
Source: Financial Times SANGUESA, Spain (Reuters) - 30 May 2003 15:41 ETA has been dormant for months after a heavy police crackdown, but the bombing in Navarre on Friday was in an area the guerrillas claim for a Basque homeland. It came amid heightened regional tension after nationwide local elections. "ETA has returned to commit a brutal attack," Deputy Prime Minister Mariano Rajoy told a news conference shortly after news broke of the bombing. "We will keep fighting within the law...against this terrorist group and those who support it." Rajoy said two police officers were killed and a third was in a serious condition in hospital after the bomb attack in the main square of the small town of Sanguesa, some 30 miles east of the regional capital Pamplona. A civilian was also receiving treatment for minor injuries, Rajoy said. There appeared to be no warning for the attack, which was not immediately claimed by ETA or any other group. Spanish Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar promptly cancelled a planned trip to Russia, while Interior Minister Angel Acebes was travelling to the scene of the attack. Police quickly threw a cordon round the town to check vehicles leaving and a Reuters photographer said he passed through three road blocks on his way in. GUERRILLA FORCE ETA, western Europe's most active guerrilla force, has killed 839 people since 1968 in a campaign for an independent state in northern Spain and southwestern France. Sunday's municipal elections raised tension in the Basque region as they were the first since Madrid banned the radical separatist party Batasuna on the grounds it supported ETA. The group is listed as a terrorist organisation by the United States and European Union. Officials said the victims of the latest bombing were members of a team of roving police who were in Sanguesa to renew national identity cards for local people. Navarre borders Spain's northern Basque region but is claimed by ETA as part of a Basque homeland straddling the border with France. The semi-autonomous region has been the scene of many ETA attacks although the majority of its population does not support Basque nationalist parties. After months of ETA keeping a low profile, three masked members said in a video, broadcast on May 15 by Basque public television, that the armed group had not declared a ceasefire. In the last fatal attack previously attributed to ETA, a hooded gunman shot and killed a local police chief in the Basque Country in a restaurant in February. (End of story) Chechen blast kills three
Source: Financial Times An explosion targeting a bus carrying workers to Russia's main military base in its turbulent Chechnya region has killed three people and wounded eight, security sources in the region say. The sources said the bus was taking about 20 workers to Khankala, the main Russian military base just outside the Chechen capital Grozny and had dropped them off when the explosion occurred on Friday. One person travelling in a nearby car died, along with two others in the vicinity. The bus driver was among the wounded. Interfax news agency quoted Grozny Mayor Oleg Zhidkov as calling for more mobile patrols in the capital but he opposed any increase in Russian forces or restrictions on residents' movements. "We don't need more troops or tougher measures. Setting up barbed wire won't work either," he was quoted as saying. "What we do need is more vigilance by security forces." Putin has refused to speak to Chechen separatist leaders and answered Western critics of two post-Soviet military campaigns by offering Chechnya autonomy. Results of a March referendum showed considerable support for keeping the region in Russia and elections are planned for a regional president and assembly. With rare exceptions, Western countries have toned down allegations of abuse by the Russian military since Russia gave its full backing to the U.S.-led anti-terror campaign after the September 11, 2001, airline attacks. Rebels have rejected the plan and vowed to pursue their fight against Russian rule. Recent incidents have included two suicide bombings last month which killed more than 70 people. (End of piece) Americans in Gaza warned of kidnap threats
From the Jerusalem Post: The US Embassy has received "credible reports" of plans to kidnap US citizens in Gaza, the embassy announced on its Web site Friday. "At this time, Americans are advised to be particularly cautious," the announcement said. Hamas responds: "We are battling with the Zionist enemy and not with the United States," Hamas leader Abdel Aziz Rantisi told The Associated Press on Friday, referring to Israel. Hamas "will not target any American or any other nationalities." Janis Ruth Coulter and Benjamin Blutstein would appreciate that sentiment from these practicioners of The Religion of Peace if they weren't dead, killed by Hamas at Hebrew University. In The Absence Of News, Entertainment
If you haven’t noticed, the past several days have been positively slow for news on the stories we follow. We expect today to be no different, and given the generally playful tone in our comments today, Michele and I thought perhaps it might be time to have some fun. After all … it’s a beautiful, warm spring day here in Philadelphia and New York, and while we’re certainly hard at work, it’s a day that just BEGS for distraction. So here’s the proposal: You likely noticed that last weekend we added an “Evildoer” photo and snarky caption to the top-right-column of this page. We’d like to change that snarky caption, and thought today may be a fine day for a caption contest. The “rules”: The photo will stay the samePost your suggestions in the comments to this post; we’ll select a winner in the next day or so and update the page accordingly! 19 killed in MILF attack
This is how the Moro rebels prepare for a ceasefire they themselves proposed? From the Manila Times: COTABATO CITY–At least 19 people, including 12 militiamen and 5 civilians, were killed after suspected Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) rebels stormed an Army detachment in Carmen, North Cotabato, at dawn Thursday, military officials said.Full story... Jemaah Islamiyah eyes new targets
From the Philippine Daily Inquirer/Agence France-Presse: SYDNEY -- An Indonesian group linked to the al-Qaeda network held a high-level meeting last month in Indonesia, possibly to identify new terrorist targets, The Australian newspaper reported Friday.Full story... May 29, 2003
Iran: al-Qaida Leaders May Be In Custody
I've typed it before; I'll type it again: "You are either with us, or against us." From the Grand Forks Herald (AP): In a reversal, Iran left open the possibility Thursday it may have top al-Qaida operatives in custody, including the terror network security chief suspected by U.S. officials of planning attacks in Saudi Arabia."Ohhhh ... you mean these al-Qaida operatives ..." Al-Qaida Planned Australian Attacks: Howard
From the China Post: The al-Qaida network plotted terror strikes in Australia well before the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, Prime Minister John Howard said Thursday ...Perhaps our Aussie contributor Alan E. Brain can provide more information here ... U.S.: Hamas truce must include steps to disarm terror groups By Haaretz Staff and Agencies
From Ha'aretz: Any Palestinian cease-fire deal with Hamas militants to stop attacks on Israel must also include steps to disarm and dismantle "terrorist infrastructure," White House spokesman Ari Fleischer said Thursday. "Should the Palestinians declare a cease-fire it must be accompanied by parallel steps to disarm and dismantle terrorists and terrorist infrastructure," Fleischer said. Hamas hints it may accept short-term cease-fire
From Jerusalem Post: Hamas leaders in the Gaza Strip said Thursday that talk about a cease-fire with Israel was premature, noting that the movement was still considering a proposal to this effect made by Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas (Abu Mazen). May 28, 2003
Shots fired at bus near Hebron; Israeli lightly wounded
From Jerusalem Post: An Israeli was lightly injured when Palestinians fired shots at Egged bus No. 160 at the Halhoul junction north of Hebron late Wednesday night. The man was taken to hospital with bullet shard wounds. Hebron had a spate of palestinian-on-palestinian violence in Hebron recently due to a clan-based riot, but apparently shooting Jews is something they can all agree on. US weighs a tougher Iran stance
High-level administration officials are expected to meet Thursday to begin formulating a clearer policy towards Iran. Another meeting set for earlier in the week involving lower-level officials was replaced when it was decided a decision was going to require high-level participation, sources close to planning for the inter-agency meeting said. Moroccan Blast Suspect Dies in Custody
The suspected mastermind of the suicide blasts that killed dozens in Casablanca has died in prison, the city's prosecutor has said. Philippine rebels call ceasefire
From the BBC News: Separatist Muslim rebels facing a military offensive by the government in the southern Philippines have declared a 10-day unilateral ceasefire.Here is the related report from the Manila Times. Bali Suspect Admits to Being Chief of Terror Group
A key Bali bombing suspect admitted in court Wednesday that he was the operational chief of the Southeast Asian terror group Jemaah Islamiyah, and said he knows Usama bin Laden "very well." May 27, 2003
Moroccans Turn Out Against Terrorism
Thousands of demonstrators marched against terrorism in Casablanca on Sunday. "I am here for myself and for them, the next generation," said Abdellatif Ghanam, an unemployed night watchman, gesturing to his 6-year-old son. "The people who did those attacks are not followers of Islam in its true sense." House of Lords takes on CPP-NPA chief's "terrorist" tag
[Philippine Star]: ... According to the Committee to Defend Filipino Progressives in Europe (Committee-Defend), defrocked Catholic priest Luis Jalandoni, chair of the communist-led National Democratic Front peace panel and head of its international relations office, was even further asked to discuss the issue before the chamber’s meeting held early this month at the Moses Room of the House of Parliament in Westminster, London. The gathering, with the theme, "This War of Terror Threatens Us All," was hosted by Lord Rea of UK’s Labor Party, and called for by the Haldane Society of Socialist Lawyers and the Campaign Against Criminalizing Communities.Full story... May 26, 2003
'Lone Wolves' Pose Explosive Terror Threat
One of the great things about managing the Command Post is that we're on the Christian Science Monitor's editorial preview email list. In tonight's preview is a link to this story: With the nation's terrorism alert ratcheted up to orange, terrorism experts cite concern about people who are not part of organized groups like Al Qaeda, but are inclined to act in sympathy with their aims. Such worry was heightened last week when Osama bin Laden's No. 2 lieutenant called on all loyal Muslims to wreak havoc on the West ...At this very moment I'm going to raise my gin & tonic in hoping this is the only time you read the term "leaderless resistance." Palestinian FM: Cease-fire agreement with Israel near
From the Jerusalem Post: Palestinian Authority Foreign Minister Nabil Sha'ath on Monday said a cease-fire agreement with Israel, including all Palestinian factions, is close at hand. Expects? Or what? Assad Doubts Existence Of al-Qaida
Boy, is this rich. From the Tri Valley Herald / AP: Syrian President Bashar Assad said in an interview published Sunday that he doubts the existence of al-Qaida, the terror group blamed for the Sept. 11 attacks and recent strikes in Saudi Arabia and Morocco.Of course, the question he begs but doesn't ask is: "Was it ever in Syria?" May 25, 2003
Al Qaeda in Iran Played Role in Saudi Bombings
The United States has intercepts that show senior Al Qaeda operatives in Iran probably played a big role in the recent bombings in Saudi Arabia, a senior U.S. official confirmed to Fox News. The official said the U.S. had intercepts for months prior to the bombings, which showed that senior Al Qaeda operatives in Iran were communicating with Al Qaeda operatives in Saudi Arabia about an upcoming attack, with cryptic language suggesting the attack was going to happen in Saudi Arabia. American Embassy In Saudi Arabia Reopens
From ABC (US): The U.S. Embassy in the Saudi capital reopened Sunday after a temporary closure due to terror threats in the days after suicide attackers bombed Western housing compounds. Afghan Security Forces Capture 'Notorious al-Qaeda Link'
From the Arab Times (Kuwait): Security forces in southern Afghanistan have reportedly captured five suspected Taliban including "notorious al-Qaeda link" Mullah Janan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Abdullah said on Sunday. Iran Says It Takes Fight Against Al Qaeda Seriously
Boy ... they seem much more serious now than they did on, say, March 18th? From Reuters: Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi, his country under mounting pressure from Washington, called Osama bin Laden's al Qaeda network a "dangerous organization" on Sunday and said Iran was serious about combating it. Philippines: MILF bomb expert, Egyptian pal arrested
[Philippine Daily Inquirer/AFP]: A BOMB expert of the Muslim separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) believed to be behind the Dec. 30, 2000 bombings in Metro Manila that left 22 people dead was caught Sunday at the Cagayan de Oro City airport, according to the military.Full story... Boeing Security Head Warns of Surveillance
Boeing's head of security sent his staff an e-mail this month warning that people had been conducting ``very disturbing surveillance'' of the company's facilities in the Seattle area and elsewhere. U.S. Embassy in Saudi Arabia Reopens
The U.S. Embassy in the Saudi capital reopened Sunday after a temporary closure due to terror threats in the days after suicide attackers bombed Western housing compounds. American consulates in the western port city of Jiddah and the eastern city of Dhahran also reopened Sunday. May 24, 2003
Two sites on terrorism
The Council on Foreign Relations has a site about terrorism. So does the Dudley Knox Library of the Naval Postgraduate School. (These are backgrounders rather than breaking news sites.) Pentagon: Al-Qaida Pursuing Sophisticated Germ Weapons Research Program
I suppose we should suspect this, but it's from the Bad News File nonetheless. from the North County Times / AP: Osama bin Laden's terrorist network has been pursuing a sophisticated biological weapons research program and is seeking chemical weapons, the Pentagon has told Congress.And then there's this: The report also said companies in Russia and China are the key suppliers of the know-how and equipment for countries like Iran trying to develop their own biological and chemical weapons. It said Iran and Syria have chemical weapons and may be trying to make biological weapons, and Libya is trying to make both. Kharrazi to Al-Hayat: Americans Were Not Serious So We Stopped Negotiating
From Dar Al-Hayat (Saudi Arabia): In an interview with Al-Hayat in Paris, Iranian Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi said that the Iranian-American dialogue had froze because the U.S. was not keeping its promises. He strongly criticized al Qaeda and said it shared nothing whatsoever with Iran, which has arrested a large number of its members who had illegally entered Iranian territories. He considered the presence of this organization in Iran to be against his country's interests.Read the rest ... The Calculus Of Terror
The online edition of the Atlantic Monthly offers an interview with Bruce Hoffman, world-renowned terrorism expert, about the strategy behind suicide bombings. You can read it here. I think, firstly, that the most important metric is the prevention of another 9/11-type attack, not only in the United States, but anywhere. Obviously we've been doing well in that sense, because there hasn't been one, and that's a towering achievement. I think, though, that the sniper case in Washington was a very important warning bell, because of the way that society was so easily unsettled. Read the rest ... May 23, 2003
Morocan Jews-Scared But Staying
Morocco's Islam has been moderate and its ancient Jewish community has been treated relatively well, but Moroccan Jews have mixed feelings after the bombings last week. The bombings at a Jewish social club, a Jewish cemetery, a Jewish-owned restaurant and a hotel popular with Israeli tourists was a blow to the prestige of the regime of King Mohammed VI, whose extensive security network had guaranteed the safety of Jewish sites during the U.S. war against Iraq. His predecessors on the throne protected Jews during World War II and during the 1991 Gulf War. . . . Though Moroccan Jewry traditionally boasts about the tolerance of Moroccan society and close ties with Muslim neighbors, the increasing influence of Muslim fundamentalists has increased tension in the Jewish community. Qaeda, Hamas, Chechens Show Coordination
The footprint of a new Islamist terrorist network, targeting Jews all over the globe, emerges from the attacks on three continents in one week: . . . Western analysts noted growing signs of coordination between Al Qaeda and regional Islamic groups previously seen as unrelated to it, including Hamas. . . . Fifteen attacks took place during the seven-days from May 12 to May 19 in Saudi Arabia, Chechnya, Morocco and Israel, killing a total of 164 persons, 90 of them in the two Chechnya bombings alone. Nine of the 15 attacks — five in Israel and four of the five in Morocco — were aimed at Jewish targets. Intelligence services warned of threats of new strikes in Kenya and the United States.Read the rest. Bomb Explodes in Gaza Strip
A bomb went off Friday near an armored bus carrying Israelis in the Gaza Strip, and at least one passenger was hurt, the military said. The bus was traveling from the Jewish settlement of Netzarim in central Gaza to Israel when the explosion went off. Philippines: 28 soldiers killed; 97 MILF rebels surrender
[Philippine Star]: ZAMBOANGA CITY — At least 28 soldiers were killed as fighting between government troops and Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) guerrillas raged overnight Wednesday in the areas of Maguindanao and Lanao del Norte, a rebel spokesman claimed. May 22, 2003
Iran admits holding al Qaeda operatives
Iranian officials Thursday told a U.N. representative that Iran has several unnamed al Qaeda operatives in custody, CNN has learned. "Reno nixed [1998] plan to nab bin Laden"
From at World Net Daily: * * * "The FBI had a clandestine plan to capture terror mastermind Osama bin Laden in 1998 – and even practiced the daring operation in the Texas desert – but former Attorney General Janet Reno scrubbed it, calling it "too dangerous," reports ABC News. Jack Cloonan, a former FBI agent who is now an ABC NEWS consultant, revealed the details of a secret team of federal investigators he was a part of whose sole purpose was to apprehend bin Laden." * * * "But when the details of the scheme went up the chain of command for approval, according to Cloonan, Reno killed it. 'They came to the decision that this plan was probably too dangerous, that the loss of life on the ground would have been significant,' Cloonan told the news network. There was concern that people around the bin Laden compound would be killed." At the time, the former attorney general was still answering to critics about her handling of the inferno at the Branch Davidians' Waco, Texas, compound in 1993." * * * "Reno declined to comment ..." * * * Apparently Attorney General Reno and President Clinton were more concerned with capturing David Koresh than they were with capturing Osama Bin Laden. Below is the entire text of the story from World Net Daily: The FBI had a clandestine plan to capture terror mastermind Osama bin Laden in 1998 – and even practiced the daring operation in the Texas desert – but former Attorney General Janet Reno scrubbed it, calling it "too dangerous," reports ABC News. Jack Cloonan, a former FBI agent who is now an ABC NEWS consultant, revealed the details of a secret team of federal investigators he was a part of whose sole purpose was to apprehend bin Laden. In 1996, the group set up shop in an unmarked office off the Beltway in Alexandria, Va., which was dubbed Alex Station. Cloonan said the agents discovered a great deal about bin Laden's al-Qaida network which was operating out of a compound in the Taliban's stronghold of Kandahar, Afghanistan at the time. "We had information, pretty good information on the particular house where he was," he told ABC, noting the team intended to act on the information. "There's no sense in getting involved in a case like this and seeking an indictment if you're not going to bring this to a logical conclusion," Cloonan told ABC. "And that logical conclusion for us was the arrest of bin Laden." The Alex Station team formulated a scheme to have a plane from Uzbekistan swoop into the area and execute an arrest warrant. They even practiced the mission in a desert area outside San Antonio, Texas, which has terrain similar to that in Afghanistan. "A U.S. plane was to fly in," Cloonan said. "And he [bin Laden] would have been greeted by an FBI agent, who would have said, 'Sheik bin Laden, there is a warrant for your arrest,'" he said. But when the details of the scheme went up the chain of command for approval, according to Cloonan, Reno killed it. "They came to the decision that this plan was probably too dangerous, that the loss of life on the ground would have been significant," Cloonan told the news network. There was concern that people around the bin Laden compound would be killed." At the time, the former attorney general was still answering to critics about her handling of the inferno at the Branch Davidians' Waco, Texas, compound in 1993. As WorldNetDaily reported during her failed bid for Florida governor last fall, Reno defended the use of force in the federal raid: "John Danforth, the person appointed to review Waco, said I did exactly the right thing. I couldn't walk away from four agents killed and 16 wounded. Neither could I stay there forever. ... David Koresh was out to create his own Armageddon." Reno declined to comment to ABC News' "Good Morning America" on the Alex Station plot, calling the incident classified. Israel Navy 'Seizes Hizbollah Boat'
The Israeli navy has seized a fishing boat carrying weapons from Lebanon, military sources said. CSIS arrests man in Montreal suspected of al-Qaeda links
Montreal man suspected of having links to terrorist groups tied to al-Qaeda was arrested Wednesday by Canadian Security and Intelligence Service agents, Montreal La Presse reported. via Damian Penny Saudis foil jet attack on skyscraper
The Daily Telegraph - Three men were arrested in Saudi Arabia as they were about to hijack an airliner and crash it into a Saudi skyscraper, security sources said yesterday. Indonesian court rules trial of Bali blast suspect to continue
Channel News Asia: Indonesian judges on Thursday ruled that the trial of key Bali bombing suspect Amrozi should continue. Philippines: Police foil 'bomb plot'
Even Manila is on a heightened alert especially after police foiled possible bombings in this Manila Times report: GOVERNMENT security forces on Wednesday averted a plot to launch a series of bombings in Metro Manila with the arrest of seven suspected members of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front in a predawn raid in Tondo. May 21, 2003
White House Says Iran Harbors Al Qaeda
"You are either with us, or against us." From FOXNews.com: The Bush administration on Wednesday accused Iran of harboring Al Qaeda members and said Iranian leaders had a responsibility to prevent terrorists from entering and operating in the country. Indonesian troops ordered to shoot on sight
Indonesian troops were on Wednesday ordered to shoot on sight anyone involved in burning, looting or kidnapping in the province of Aceh as the military intensified its offensive against separatist guerrillas. Military on Highest Domestic Terror Threat Alert
The U.S. Defense Intelligence Agency has raised its warning of possible terror attack against military facilities in the United States to its highest level, defense officials said on Wednesday. Explosion At Yale
At this hour, MSNBC and CNN are reporting an explosion in the mail room at the Yale University Law School. CNN adds the only other detail; that "one floor has collapsed." UPDATE: Matt Drudge links this story by Associated Press. No great detail, but it's the earliest that I've seen. UPDATER: MSNBC is now carrying live coverage from local affiliate WVIT-TV, reporting that they "have it confirmed from one source" that this explosion "was, in fact, a bomb". UPDATERER: MSNBC is now speaking to Yale Daily News reporter Nathan Francis, who says that the explosion actually took place in a classroom. This may mean that this story does not belong on this page, but we'll see. Al-Qaeda’s new war
Economist Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda network is fighting on, but in a new form. Officials around the world have issued a fresh wave of warnings about terrorist cells following a series of bombings linked to Osama bin Laden’s terrorist organisation, al-Qaeda. Security forces in Saudi Arabia and Morocco have detained a number of Islamic militants in the hunt for the organisers of suicide attacks in Riyadh and Casablanca; and Saudi police have arrested three men they say were planning to hijack a plane and fly it into a high-rise office block in the Saudi capital. Other cells may be lying dormant, waiting to carry out further atrocities, European ministers said after a weekend security meeting.Full story »» With some background stuff on al-Qaeda |