Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET 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. Monday’s Winds of War briefings are given by Security Watchtower.

Top Topics

• Syrian leader Bashar Assad met with representatives from 10 Palestinian militant organizations, and urged them to continue their struggle towards statehood. The meeting came as international pressure on Syria continues to build.

• The Palestinian leadership is blaming Hamas for the assassination of Moussa Arafat, with one official saying “we have confirmed information that Hamas participated in the assassination operation.”

• Bangladesh police seized explosives, jihad material, and over 200 homemade bombs from a house they raided in Dhaka. Since the August 17th bombings, authorities have been cracking down on the banned Islamic group, Jumatul Mujahedin.

• After a 38 year presence, Israeli forces have withdrawn from the Gaza Strip. Thousands of Palestinian security forces began moving in as Palestinians celebrated into the night.

Other topics today include: Hezbollah still refuses to disarm; Iran’s involvement in Iraq; al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia; Kudistan trail; Congressional hearings on Iran; Jordanian militants sentenced; 9/11 heroes honored; BRAC report; Islamic law in Ontario; Padilla detention; Liberia elections; Egypt elections; Georgian revolution; militants killed in Pakistan; U.S.-Britain labelled terrorists; Fast food bombings in Karachi; Conflict in Taiwan straights; Anti-terror measures in Australia; ties between London bombers & al Qaeda; Italy allows phone taps; suicide operations and more.

Read the Rest…

Reuters reports a Yemeni man was sentenced to 45 years in prison and fined $750,000 on Thursday for conspiring to support and fund al Qaeda and Hamas:

Mohammed Mohsen Yahya Zayed, 32, was convicted by a federal jury on March 10 of conspiring to provide material support and resources to al Qaeda and to Hamas.

[. . .]

His colleague Sheikh Mohammed Ali Hassan al-Moayad, 56, was sentenced in July to 75 years and fined $1.25 million in the same case. For each of five counts, al-Moayad received 15-year sentences, each to be served consecutively.

Prosecutor Kelly Moore said during the five-week trial that al-Moayad had ties to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden and had bragged about having “taught him about Islamic law.”

The sheikh was arrested in Germany in 2003 after telling a federal agent posing as an American businessman he would help him funnel money to militants, prosecutors said. The sheikh and Zayed, who prosecutors said worked in tandem, were later extradited to the United States.

Zayed’s plea for leniency fell on deaf ears. As he handed down the sentence, Judge Sterling Johnson said:

Everyone all over the world should condemn terrorists and terrorist organizations.