Ralph Peters sounds a particularly cheery note in a New York Post editorial which begins with the rather bold statement,

EVEN if terrorists attack our homeland before the stroke of midnight, 2003 will still have been a year of remarkable progress on every front in the global War on Terror - and the greatest year for freedom since the Soviet Union's collapse.

While one could quibble about the further erosion of freedom domestically, it's certainly true that removing Saddam made the world a better place. Whether Iraq will be "free" in a Western sense five or ten years ago is not something I'd want to bet on, but it's almost inconceivable that its people won't be far better off than they were a year ago. And, as Peters notes, the effects are being felt outside Iraq as well:

* Our president's courageous decision to target Saddam himself while sparing innocent Iraqis upset the traditional rules of warfare, according to which the draftees die while the ruler survives by signing a peace treaty.

Even though our attempted "decapitation strikes" failed, the message sent to the world's dictators and sponsors of terror had far more force than Western pundits yet realize. And our ultimate, humiliating capture of Saddam left every remaining tyrant worried that he might topple next.

* As a result, Libya has opened its nuclear facilities for inspection, while Iran hastened to strike a no-nukes deal with European governments anxious to save face after their support of Saddam backfired disastrously. North Korea has grown remarkably subdued. Syria treads cautiously. No tyrant wants G.I. Joe as his houseguest.

* Even Saudi Arabia, the great incubator of terror, has become newly cooperative, both because the terrorists - predictably - bit the many hands that fed them and because Riyadh's relative importance has declined precipitously with G.I. Jane in Baghdad.

* We've continued to kill and capture terrorists by the thousands, dismantling their networks, seizing their assets and destroying their bases. Terrorism won't disappear in our lifetimes, but its reach and capabilities have been powerfully reduced.

I largely agree with this assessment, although I'm less sanguine that terrorism as a political tool has been seriously hampered. As Peters notes, this war proved once again that the United States is simply unstoppable in traditional combat operations. Thus, terrorism or other asymmetric means are the only options for those who want to fight back. But Peters' larger point is right: by attacking the infrastructure of the large terrorist networks, we render them less potent. And by demonstrating our resolve by fighting back as aggressively as we have (although I believe much less aggressively than we should have) we have proven that our enemies will not achieve their goals with terrorism.

And this is worth noting as well:

Whether facing down Taliban remnants in Afghanistan or shaming the rest of the world into providing more assistance to Africa's struggle against AIDS, we've made an epochal break with the tradition of wealthy states embracing easy short-term solutions instead of engaging long-term problems. Future historians will regard 2003 as one of the dates when history made a great turn, as a global 1776.

I'm not going to predict how historians will view this from a distance; my guess is September 11, 2001 will be seen as the turning point if indeed it looks like a sea change actually occured. It's not like the United States hasn't given humanitarian assistance in the past, but it may well be that the AIDS fund is the most emblematic harbinger of a new era. This is a problem that we've largely ignored for two decades. That we've suddenly gotten involved in a massive way at a time when it would have been easy not to--given huge budget deficits, a weak economy, and a multi-front war--does seem to indicate a reassessment of our global priorities.

Cross-post from OTB

Flights banned over Rome: The Italian authorities Tuesday banned flights over Rome until Jan. 6 as a security measure against terrorist attack, the Italian news agency Ansa reported. This was part of a heightened state of alert in Italy, Ansa said.

Terror Alarm in Hamburg

NYC security "tightest ever" for New Year's Eve, including restricted airspace, but congressman tells revelers to stay out of Times Square tomorrow night.

France and Mexico put armed guards on flights.

The World Almanac people defend Homeland Security.

[several links via Jeff Jarvis]

But you already know about that.

[CNN]

City police said they had received a tip suggesting that extremists were planning a suicide car bomb attack.

"Those potentially involved are believed to come from an Islamic, terrorist background," police said in a statement quoted by the AP news agency.

Several streets around the hospital have been sealed off and will remain so until further notice, police said.

David Medienkritik thinks the terrorists are being ungrateful.

Fox: Nevada will close airspace over the Las Vegas Strip on New Year's Eve. A spokeswoman with McCarran International Airport said the ban — known as a temporary flight restriction — will be implemented from 9 p.m. to 3 a.m. that evening.

Also at Fox: Al Qaeda has turned its terror sights to the sea, targeting luxury cruise liners in an expansion of its "jihad" against the West. Owners of the recently launched $1.3 billion Queen Mary 2 yesterday confirmed threats of terror hang over its maiden voyage early next year.

[CP Contributor] Late Final: At least a couple of Air France flights from both L.A. and New York to Paris were scuttled yesterday, according to the airline's online flight information.

Yahoo [Singapore]: Five suspects are being held in connection with the deadly spree of attacks in Karbala, a spokesman for the coalition's multinational forces in this southern Iraqi city told AFP. "We have captured five people and the investigation is ongoing," said Major Dezso Kiss, a Hungarian attached to the Polish-led multinational division of the US-commanded coalition in Iraq.

Of people carrying almanacs.

That's what the FBI says: The FBI is warning police nationwide to be alert for people carrying almanacs, cautioning that the popular reference books covering everything from abbreviations to weather trends could be used for terrorist planning.

Really.

The War on Terror has had an unintended, and welcome, side effect; world peace. Since September 11, 2001, and the aggressive American operations against terrorist organizations, several long time wars have ended, or moved sharply in that direction. Many of these wars get little attention in American media, but have killed hundreds of thousands of people over the last decade. These include conflicts in Nepal, Sri Lanka, Colombia, Chad, Congo, Kashmir, Israel, Kurdistan, Philippines, Burundi, Somalia and Sudan. Some of these conflicts diminished because they had been going on for a while and, as is usually the case with wars, eventually the participants are worn down and make peace. But in all these sudden outbreaks of peace there was another factor; an American crackdown on terrorist activities around the world.

Read the rest of this very interesting piece at Strategy Page.

Amid a heightened state of alert for terrorists, the U.S. government said Monday it will require international air carriers in certain cases to place armed law enforcement officers on flights over the United States.

The Homeland Security Department said the directive, which is effective immediately, will further enhance security on commercial and cargo aircraft flying to, from and over the United States.

WaPo:

Saudi security forces have seized light planes packed with explosives near Riyadh's King Khalid airport, foiling a plot by suicide pilots to blow up a Western airliner on the runway, a British newspaper said on Sunday.

Two pilots apparently intended to crash their light planes into a Western jet as it taxied slowly on the tarmac, the Mail on Sunday quoted Patrick Mercer, homeland security policy chief for Britain's opposition Conservative Party as saying.

It's believed that the intended target was a British Airways flight. A BA spokesperson said they had no information on such a story, but a British newspaper, The Mail, quoted homeland security policy chief Patrick Mercer as confirming the incident, which happened sometime in the past few weeks.

Although authorities have not found any evidence connection with the Air France groundings, there are still fears that al Qaeda will be using foreign commercial or passenger jets to attack the U.S. and other countries, the L.A. Times is reporting.

"This is a broad and serious threat that is not going to disappear with the cancellation of one or two flights," said one U.S. official who, like others, spoke on condition of anonymity.

"There is a lot of crisscrossing [intelligence] data that points to certain flights, certain times and certain countries," the official added. "It's not just in one location, point of departure or arrival. It's not only France and it's not only L.A."

Another official said: "It was not just coincidence of names," the official said. "There were other indicators that raised concerns."

[Source: L.A. Times]

While most media sources are saying that the cancellation of Air France flights this week were only pre-emptive and not based on specific threats, the The Washington Post government sources in reporting that one of the scheduled Paris to Los Angeles flights was intended to crash into Las Vegas.

Despite French statements suggesting some American fears about the Air France flights were groundless, U.S. government officials said they believe they might have averted a terrorist attack by arranging for the flights' cancellation. Officials said they feared al-Qaida operatives planned to hijack one of the flights and use the plane as a missile to attack a site on or near its route.

Officials are suspicious of several people who did not show up for the scheduled flight, including one who is a trained pilot.

News on this is inconsistent, but here are the basic facts so far from CNN:

Air France flights 68 and 70 from Paris to Los Angeles and Thursday's flight 68 to Los Angeles, were grounded.

As a result, three other Los Angeles flights were canceled because the planes will remain in Paris and cannot continue to their final destinations.

Air France also cancelled a flight to Cincinnati, Ohio, because of issues not related to security concerns.

The flights were 747 Jumbo Jets.

A Pentagon official told CNN on Wednesday the possibility of an attack using an airliner -- either one coming to the United States from Mexico or an Air France plane -- remains a major concern.

The intelligence suggests major cities such as Las Vegas, Nevada; Los Angeles; New York; and Washington, are possible targets, although the names of small, rural communities have come up as well, the officials said.

Military teams with expertise in chemical, biological and nuclear attacks are on alert for a possible terrorist attack and may already be deployed to key locations as threat information develops.

We'll keep an eye on the news as the day unfolds.

Reported widely, and here by the Ledger, two suicide bombs exploded as Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's Musharraf's motorcade passed Thursday, the second attempt to assassinate him in two weeks, officials said. Musharraf's car was damaged though he was unhurt, and at least 14 bystanders were killed.

"These flights have been canceled for security reasons. It comes out of a disposition given by American authorities in France," said Anna Laban, deputy press attache at the French consulate in Los Angeles.

Three of the flights were scheduled to depart Wednesday -- two from Paris and one from Los Angeles. Air France gave the flight numbers as 68, 69 and 70. The three other flights were scheduled to leave on Christmas Day -- two from Los Angeles and one from Paris. Air France listed those flight numbers as 68, 69 and 71.

Full story at Fox

Reuters reports that France cancels US-bound flights over security:

PARIS (Reuters) - France says that national carrier Air France has cancelled three U.S.-bound flights from Paris due to security concerns.
An Air France spokeswoman confirmed on Wednesday that a flight due to leave Paris at 1235 GMT for Los Angeles had been grounded "for security reasons".

An Interior Ministry spokesman said that two further flights to the United States had also been cancelled. It was not clear whether these flights were bound for Los Angeles or elsewhere.

FOX News (from TV replayed on PVR)

[paraphrased]
Three flights out of Paris bound for Los Angeles International Airport from Paris have been cancelled today by France. Two were Air France bound for L.A. and one was Air Tahiti with a stop in L.A. Also, tomorrow's Paris to L.A. flights have been cancelled.

The action was taken by the French Transport Ministry after the French Foreign Ministry received calls from the U.S. Embassy with specific information that led them to believe that a flight from Paris to L.A was being targeted by Al Qaeda.

The cancelled Air France flights are 068 and 070. Also Flight 069 LA to Paris has been cancelled [it is probably the return aircraft of flight 070]

Additional now from BBC.

Per Eye on the Left:

* * *

New intelligence information indicates that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden and his top deputy personally approved the suspected terrorist attack plan that led the government to raise the nation's terror threat assessment this week, U.S. officials told NBC News on Tuesday.

The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said U.S. intelligence agencies had gathered detailed information about the plan, in which they said al-Qaida operatives would hijack foreign airliners and fly them into targets in the United States. In some instances, the intelligence is so detailed as to include specific flight numbers, they said.

Current internet "chatter" is particularly disturbing but it should be noted that comments like these have appeared before:

"Our Muslim brothers in America, this is our final warning. We ask you, as fast as you can, to leave the following cities immediately: Washington D.C., New York City, Los Angeles," the message said.

Katz said she noticed al Qaeda's stepped-up cyber propaganda began Nov. 15 after the terror bombings in Istanbul, Turkey when a known al Qaeda group warned in a communiqué that the "death cars will not stop."

Katz said the electronic vitriol has continued almost daily, and just last night a message was published in which al Qaeda's mouthpiece, the Global Islamic Media Society, took delight that Americans are now "living in a state of anxiety and constant fear."

It ended with, "You will forget about Manhattan events. Be prepared."

* * *

Newsweek reports that recent events have made the capture of Osama bin Laden more likely:

U.S. intelligence officials agree that trapping the Qaeda leader, who has eluded pursuers for more than a decade, will be much more difficult than getting Saddam. But U.S. manhunting teams in Afghanistan, recently united with similar teams in Iraq under the umbrella of Task Force 121, have actually come close to nailing their quarries on several occasions, sources say. They are also using, in some cases, similar techniques. NEWSWEEK has learned that software used to track wanted Iraqis is also being used to piece together and identify weaknesses in the ethnic, family and tribal links of bin Laden's network, according to intelligence analysts and company officials. The software, called Analyst's Notebook, was developed by i2 Inc., a Springfield, Va., company. Analyst's Notebook allows investigators to turn huge volumes of data into actionable intelligence, creating charts of complex networks by identifying, for example, frequent phone calls between members. The same program traced the "love bug" computer virus of 2000 to an obscure hacker in the Philippines and has been used to nab serial killers, said Chuck Izzo, an i2 spokesman.

Even Zabihullah says that bin Laden had a close call not long ago. He says the terror chieftain and his protective entourage scurried into the bushes when a U.S. aircraft streaked overhead as they were walking along a mountain trail. The plane did not see them. Another Taliban fighter who calls himself Assadullah Zarafat says that several months ago, U.S. and Afghan forces brushed by Mullah Omar in Uruzgan province without recognizing him. Omar and his security detachment had stopped at a local mosque to say their afternoon prayers. As they were finishing, several pickup trucks and Humvees carrying Afghan and U.S. soldiers pulled up to the mosque and the Afghans went in to pray. Mullah Omar told his men to hide their weapons and not to react. He then led the newcomers in prayer.

***

The real test of bin Laden's vulnerability may now come in Pakistan. If the attack on Musharraf proves to be Qaeda-linked--rather than an "inside" assassination attempt, perhaps by members of the Pakistani military--it could backfire against bin Laden by provoking the Pakistani president into decisive action. U.S. intelligence officials say their ability to capture bin Laden and his associates is largely dependent on intelligence assistance from Pakistan, an ally that once supported the Taliban and whose loyalties have sometimes been in doubt. "Most of Musharraf's actions against jihadis have been reluctantly taken under tremendous U.S. pressure, often preceding or just following a high-level American visit," says Husain Haqqani, a former Pakistani diplomat. One U.S. intel official, asked about a potential breakthrough against bin Laden, responds simply: "That's going to be a Pakistani thing."

Cross-post from OTB

Air Force fighter jets will be deployed around D.C. in the wake of the raised terror alert level.

This orange threat is being called a "true orange" as opposed to other orange level threats that were not taken as seriously.

In other homeland security moves, anti-aircraft missiles may also be deployed in New York and State Troopers will be riding the New York subways. New York is in what Police Commissioner Ray Kelly calls an "Orange Plus" alert.

Today, a continuity of government exercise will take place, with some government officials in D.C. moving to undisclosed locations.

The orange level alert is expected to last throughout January.

Authorities are concerned that some terrorists may be fullly trained pilots for foreign airlines, giving them easy entrance into the U.S.

In addition to the major cities that are considered to be terror targets (NY, D.C., L.A.), two rural areas are also thought to be targets; one in the east and one in the southwest. Other possible locations of attacks include Rappahannock, Virginia, and Valdez, Alaska.

Officials are particularly concerned with intelligence reports that al-Qaeda may have developed a dirty bomb and is ready to use it.

[Sources: CNN; MSNBC; AZ Central; Fox News]

From the Department of Homeland Security:

High Condition (Orange)

A High Condition is declared when there is a high risk of terrorist attacks. In addition to the Protective Measures taken in the previous Threat Conditions, Federal departments and agencies should consider the following general measures in addition to the agency-specific Protective Measures that they will develop and implement:

- Coordinating necessary security efforts with Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies or any National Guard or other appropriate armed forces organizations;

- Taking additional precautions at public events and possibly considering alternative venues or even cancellation;

- Preparing to execute contingency procedures, such as moving to an alternate site or dispersing their workforce; and

- Restricting threatened facility access to essential personnel only.

December 21 - Today, The United States Government raised the national threat level from an Elevated to High risk of terrorist attack - or from Code Yellow to Code Orange. We know from experience that the increased security that is implemented when we raise the threat level, along with increased vigilance, can help disrupt or deter terrorist attacks.

The U.S. Intelligence Community has received a substantial increase in the volume of threat related intelligence reports. These credible sources suggest the possibility of attacks against the homeland around the holiday season and beyond.

In addition to knowing that homeland security professionals at all levels are working to keep our communities safe, we ask individual Americans to do a few additional things during this time of heightened alert. I have said it before - and I am saying it again - homeland security begins at home. Never has that been more true. Your awareness and vigilance can help tremendously, so please use your common sense and report suspicious packages, vehicles, or activities to local law enforcement.

Finally - no matter your faith or culture - now is the time of year for important celebrations. So, I encourage you to continue with your holiday plans. Gather with your family and friends and enjoy the spirit of this season. There is no doubt that we have a lot to be thankful for - not the least of which the opportunity to live in the greatest country in the world. It is a country that will not be bent by terror. It is a country that will not be broken by fear. But instead, we are a country blessed with a population marked by goodwill and great resolve. We will show the terrorists both this holiday season - goodwill toward our fellow men, readiness and resolve to protect our families and our freedom.

"Extensive and considerable protections have been or soon will be in place all across the country. Your government will stand at the ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to stop terrorism during the holiday season and beyond."

The government on Sunday raised the national threat level to orange, the second-highest, saying attacks were possible during the holidays and that threat indicators are "perhaps greater now than at any point" since Sept. 11, 2001.

"Extensive and considerable protections have been or soon will be in place all across the country," Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge (search) said at a hastily arranged news conference at department headquarters.

"Your government will stand at the ready 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to stop terrorism during the holiday season and beyond."

Said Ridge: "These credible sources suggest the possibility of attacks against the homeland around the holiday season and beyond. These strategic indicators, including Al Qaeda's continued desire to carry out attacks against our homeland, are perhaps greater now than at any point since Sept. 11."

Libya has pledged the following:

• Eliminate all elements of its chemical and nuclear weapons programs
  
• Declare all nuclear activities to the IAEA
  
• Eliminate ballistic missiles beyond 300 km range, with a payload of 500kg
  
• Accept international inspections to ensure Libya's complete adherence to the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty, and sign the Additional Protocol
  
• Eliminate all chemical weapons stocks and munitions, and accede to the Chemical Weapons Convention
  
• Allow immediate inspections and monitoring to verify all of these actions
  
• Fully participate in the war against terror.

[Source: Fox News]

From Fox
Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi confirmed that his country sought to develop weapons of mass destruction but plans to dismantle all such programs immediately, Prime Minister Tony Blair said Friday.

Britain and the United States have been talking with Libya for nine months, Blair said.

"Libya came to us in March following successful negotiations on Lockerbie (search) to see if it could resolve its weapons of mass destruction issue in a similarly cooperative manner," Blair said in the northern city of Durham.

"Libya has now declared its intent to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction completely and to limit the range of Libyan missiles to no greater than 300 kilometers (187.5 miles)."

More links: Bush spoke minutes [after Tony Blair], saying if Libya followed through with its commitment, "its good faith can be returned."

In an apparent warning to Iran and North Korea, Bush said, "I hope other leaders will find an example" in Libya's decision to acknowledge that it had tried to develop such weapons and in its commitment to end the effort.[AP]

Blair's statement, in part:

"Libya came to us in March following successful negotiations on Lockerbie to see if it could resolve its weapons of mass destruction issue in a similarly cooperative manner."

"Libya has now declared its intent to dismantle its weapons of mass destruction completely and to limit the range of Libyan missiles to no greater than 300 kilometers."

"Libya's actions entitle it to rejoin the international community."

Libya's decision "will make the region and the world more secure."

It demonstrates, the U.K. prime minister said, that countries can abandon programs "voluntarily and peacefully."

"This decision by Col. Gadhafi is a historic one and a courageous one and I applaud it," said Blair. [Nasdaq]

According to the Associated Press:

The U.S. Navy has seized a boat in the Persian Gulf carrying two tons of hashish and four people tied to the al-Qaida terrorist network, the military said Friday.

The guided missile destroyer USS Decatur intercepted the boat on Monday, U.S. Central Command said in a statement. On board were two tons of drugs worth an estimated $8 million to $10 million and 12 people, four of whom have suspected ties to al-Qaida, the statement said.

The boat, a wooden vessel known as a dhow, was near the Straits of Hormuz, the narrow part of the gulf between Iran and Oman, the statement said. The area is a known smuggling route used by Osama bin Laden's terrorist network, the statement said.

American forces searching the boat found 54 70-pound bags of hashish, the statement said. The investigation which followed found clear ties between the drugs and al-Qaida, the military said.

The Decatur is part of a U.S. Navy force including the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise.

U.S. intelligence has received information about a credible and imminent threat to New York City, ABCNEWS has learned.Sources say the threat involves a suicide bomber, possibly a female. The information was received through communication intercepts, and no specific target has been identified. Discussions between local and federal law enforcement officials are currently under way to develop a response.

More if anything else comes in.

UPDATE: They've now added the phrase "and other cities" to the warning:

In the past 48 hours, there has been an increase in terrorist threats to a number of cities in the U.S., including New York City, Los Angeles and Washington D.C., ABCNEWS has learned.

It sounds less imminent and specific than it did twenty minutes ago.

UPDATE 2: As someone in the comments on my weblog posted, plenty of other media outlets have picked up on the story of the dollar dropping due to the threat, but not many have followed the story of the threat itself.

Reuters did pick it up.

Update 3

From CNN:

Homeland security officials told CNN on Friday that they are weighing the credibility of information regarding threats to target the United States, particularly New York City, Washington D.C. and Los Angeles, California.

Officials at the Department of Homeland Security stressed they had no specific threat information beyond a mention of New Year's Eve as a possible date. No targets have been mentioned, they said, but suicide bombing has come up as a possible tactic.

Related: An audiotape purportedly from Osama bin Laden's deputy in al-Qaida, aired on Arab television Friday, warned that the terror group would target Americans "in their homeland" and would drive U.S. forces from bases in the region.

-- In a setback to the Bush administration's anti-terrorism policies, a federal appeals court ruled Thursday that the president does not have the power to detain an American citizen seized on U.S. soil as an enemy combatant.

In a 65-page decision, a three-judge panel of the 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals voted 2-1 that the U.S. government must release Jose Padilla from military custody within 30 days.

"The government can transfer Padilla to appropriate civilian authorities who can bring criminal charges against him," the order said.

Full story...

The chairman of the federal commission investigating Sept. 11 (search) said Wednesday the terrorist attacks could have been prevented.

Tom Kean (search) said his 10-member commission was wrapping up its report.

"As you read the report, you're going to have a pretty clear idea of what wasn't done and what should have been done," he told one television station.

"I mean, this was not something that had to happen."

Kean promises major revelations in public testimony beginning next month from top officials in the FBI, CIA, Defense Department, National Security Agency and, maybe, President Bush and former President Clinton.

911 Commission site

Posted by Michele at 10:34 AM | Comments (10) | TrackBack

The AP is reporting that a suspect in the bombings in Istanbul says that bin Laden personally authorized the attacks:

The information came from interrogations of a top suspect in last month's deadly bombings in Istanbul that authorities believe were carried out by Turkish militants trained by al-Qaida in Afghanistan, according to the officials.

The suspect, Fevzi Yitiz, told interrogators that bin Laden approved attacks in Turkey on condition that Turks were not killed, a top intelligence source told the AP this week.

But the militants instead bombed two synagogues, a London-based bank and the British Consulate, killing 62 people, mostly Muslims.

* * *

"They planned and carried out the attack independently after receiving the blessing of bin Laden," said the Turkish intelligence official who is part of the investigation. The official and others spoke on condition of anonymity.

* * *

A break in the case came when Yitiz was arrested on Dec. 10 after infiltrating Turkey from Iran, a police official said.

Yitiz, a bearded man who appears to be about 30, confessed to police that he was trained by al-Qaida in Jalalabad, Afghanistan, in 1994 and helped make the bombs used in the attacks inside a front workshop called "Rainbow Detergents" that was set up in an industrial section of Istanbul, the police official said.

Yitiz told police that two of his accomplices — Habib Aktas and Ibrahim Kus, who have been identified as key suspects — met with bin Laden in Afghanistan in 2002, the intelligence official said.

The two militants told bin Laden "they wanted to do something in Turkey for the jihad," the intelligence official said. Yitiz told police bin Laden replied, "I am approving it on condition that it is directed against the Americans and their allies but not the Turks."

Read the rest here.

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by guest blogger Robin Burk. Note that these entries are a private effort, and do not represent the official position of the U.S. Military Academy at West Point.

TOP TOPICS

• Are we at the tipping point in the War on Terror? Victor Davis Hanson thinks we may be at that point in Iraq, at least. And he wrote that before they captured Saddam!

• The military success that VDH cites is due in large part to the strong professionalism of the US armed forces, who have stayed the course to patiently dismantle militant networks, extract intelligence and fight back when attacked. That applies to our reservists and National Guard as well, as this first-hand account of October's Battle of the Boneyard outside Kabul last October shows.

Other Topics Today Include: Why Gitmo is so important; the UN prepares to leave Afghanistan; Assasination attempt on Musharraf; Iran's nuclear program; IAEA ineffective; Another Canadian al-Qaeda; Chaplain Yee; JI in Indonesia; Venezuela; expanding the U.S. military; Saddam - riches to rags.

Read The Rest...

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

TOP TOPICS

* US News and World Report has an excellent article on how Saudi money finances al-Qaeda's war against the West. You can read my analysis of the situation here. As the article notes, the Saudis have paid off numerous individuals from both sides of the political fence in order to further their objectives, one of whom appears to be Republican Grover Norquist, whose connection with what I have affectionately termed the "Wahhabi lobby" you can read about here.

* Alphabet City and yours truly (along with several other bloggers) have taken a look at the wiretap transcripts made by Italian authorities in Milan on Ansar al-Islam. It's quite chilling and provides a good look at how al-Qaeda operates in Europe as well as fitting yet another piece of the puzzle together, namely that Hizb-ut-Tahrir is an al-Qaeda front organization.

* Newsweek is reporting that bin Laden is increasingly diverting resources to support the Iraqi insurgency, resulting in him cutting $1.5 million from the Taliban's monthly budget and pulling over 300 operatives from northern Pakistan to send them to the Gulf.

* The Center for Defense Information has a nice profile up of the Turkish Hezbollah, the al-Qaeda affiliate that orchestrated the Istanbul bombings along with the Great Islamic Eastern Raiders' Front.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; USA Homeland Security Briefing; Operation Avalanche; Taliban arrests in Spin Boldak; Zadran arrested in Pakistan; Chechen suicide bombing in Moscow; Sufaat may be freed; internal debate in JI; Islamists and commies fighting side-by-side; the Robot is caught; and elephant hijackers!

Read the Rest...

From The Australian :

Hundreds of US troops backed by helicopters launched an air assault Tuesday against suspected militants in southeastern Afghanistan, a US military spokesman said.

Soldiers from the first battalion 501st parachute infantry regiment raided an area in the frontier province of Khost, US Lieutenant Colonel Bryan Hilferty told reporters.

The assault was part of the massive Operation Avalanche, the biggest US military offensive since the hardline Taliban regime was wiped out two years ago.

Khost, bordering Pakistan's remote tribal regions where Taliban fighters have been regrouping, has been the site of several attacks on US troops.

Around 2,000 US troops backed by warplanes have poured into southern and southeastern Afghanistan since early December to flush out Taliban fighters.

From the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) :

An explosion in the centre of Moscow has killed five people and injured at least seven others.

Police have closed off the area after detonating a second explosive device.

The blast appears to be the work of a suicide bomber and has left the city's traffic gridlocked.

From AFP via News.com.au: (See also this Philippine Daily Inquirer report.)

A TOP Abu Sayyaf rebel leader implicated in the kidnapping of dozens of mostly European hostages in April 2000 was captured in an operation in the southern Philippines today, the military chief said.

Galib Andang, popularly known as Commander Robot, was held after a gunfight on the island of Jolo, Armed Forces of the Philippines chief General Narciso Abaya said.

"This is one big step in our international fight against terrorism," Abaya said, without giving details.

Andang, who was wounded in the gunbattle, was part of a band of Abu Sayyaf members who raided Malaysian resorts in Sipadan island in April, 2000, seizing 21 European, Malaysian and Filipino hostages.

Sydney Morning Herald [ Full story »» ] reports:

A string of recent arrests of terrorist suspects has shown that al-Qaeda and groups linked to it have established a network across Europe that is moving recruits into Iraq to join the insurgency against US and allied forces, European intelligence and law enforcement officials say. Over the past year, the officials have estimated, the network of recruiters working in at least six European countries - Italy, Germany, France, Spain, Britain and Norway - have helped hundreds of young men trying to get to Iraq. The network had provided high-quality fake documents, training, money, and infiltration routes into the country

Nine children were found dead Saturday after an American air raid in eastern Afghanistan, and the military was investigating whether U.S. forces were responsible, a spokesman said.

An American A-10 aircraft struck a site south of Ghazni, 100 miles southwest of the capital, Kabul, where a "known terrorist" was believed to be hiding at about 10:30 a.m. Saturday, Army Maj. Christopher E. West told The Associated Press.

"At the time we initiated the attack, we did not know there were children nearby," he said.

The target was a suspected militant believed responsible for the killing of two foreign contractors who were working on an Afghan road, West said. He did not identify the contractors and had no information about their deaths, but two Indian engineers were reported kidnapped while working on the road Saturday.

An investigation is underway to determine if the U.S. forces were at fault.

Full story at WaPo

BBC [ Full story »» ] reports:

A statement from the US embassy in Riyadh said it had restricted diplomats in visiting the city's housing compounds, where many Westerners live. There is evidence at least one such compound was under active surveillance by "terrorists", the statement said.

From VOA:

Russia says it will find those responsible for a bomb attack on a commuter train near Chechnya that killed at least 36 people and wounded dozens of others ...

... The blast occurred in Russia's southern Stavropol region, aboard a train traveling to the town of Mineralnye Vody. The region borders the war-torn Chechen republic, where separatists have been engaged in guerrilla war with Russian forces for years.

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report. Today's briefings are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

TOP TOPICS

* The Middle East Intelligence Bulletin has an excellent primer available on the situation in the Palestinian refugee camp Ein al-Hilweh, which is easily one of the most screwed up places on the planet. If you want proof, just go to Rantburg and see what entries pop up when you search for "Hilwe."

* Jemaah Islamiyyah spiritual leader Abu Bakar Bashir has been cleared of treason by an Indonesian appeals court. Laksamana offers a helpful timeline of Bashir and his activities in Indonesia. It also seems that Amien Rais, a key Indonesian politician, has had enough with Bashir and his terror academies.

* Canadian teenager Abdul Rahman al-Khadr is back in Canada after a trip through Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iran, Turkey, and Bosnia after being released from Guantanamo Bay and has admitted training at Khalden camp in Afghanistan in 1998, whose graduates include such notable alumni as Zacarias Moussaoui and Ahmed Ressam.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; UK Gitmo detainee's confession; the Turkish Hezbollah is an al-Qaeda affiliate; Istanbul bombing masterminds met with Ayman al-Zawahiri; GSPC kills a Saudi prince; Sudanese atrocities in Darfur; Sudanese military is harboring the LRA; French bankers supporting dictatorships; Professor Volokh on the EU's anti-Semitism report; Donald Sensing on Saudi deprogramming; bloody week in Chechnya; JI still training in the Philippines; UK and France step up efforts against al-Qaeda; Afghan warlords disarm; and Richard "Dick" Gephardt.

Read The Rest...

The NYT is reporting that Saudi officials have found a vast arsenal, including surface-to-air missiles ... in the hands of a suspect in the bombing of a residential compound in Riyadh on Nov. 8, which killed 17 people.

Reuters reports Senegal Imam Mamour Fall's support for bin Laden: "I know bin Laden. People want me to insult him and I will not do it. He is a great man, a great strategist, a great Muslim, and that is what interests us and not the fact that he is accused of killing people," he told Reuters in Senegal.

That's got to make you feel good.

The Moro Islamic Liberation Front has reportedly “given up hopes” of securing a peace deal with the Philippine government under President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo. From Reuters via ABS-CBN:

...Eid Kabalu, MILF spokesman, told Reuters it would be almost impossible for both sides to sign a peace agreement before President Arroyo’s current term ends next June, just after the polls.

“Personally, even if President Arroyo returns to power after the elections, the peace process cannot be finished,” Kabalu told Reuters.

“Whether we like it or not, we have to wait for a new administration. The way I look at it, the government is not determined to resolve the issue within the president’s term.”

Kabalu said there were three issues delaying the resumption of formal peace talks, including the failure to deploy 25 foreign cease-fire observers in Mindanao, where the MILF and other rebel groups are based.

He said the government should also comply with an agreement to withdraw all criminal cases against MILF leaders and pull its troops out of Buliok, a marshy guerrilla enclave in Mindanao.

“If government cannot implement these minor agreements, what guarantee could we get that government can honor much larger political, social and economic commitments under a final peace agreement,” he said.