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July 26, 2005
Special Analysis: Degrees of Decentralization
[by counter-terror analyst Dan Darling] Dan Nexon, who is among other things an assistant professor at Georgetown, asked some very interesting questions as to whether or not there is an organized terror network. As an advocate of this position, I feel inclined to answer them and hope that others will agree. Dan writes in the comments of this thread:
Ah, but do we? I don’t think so and neither does Michael Scheuer, the man who once headed up the CIA’s bin Laden unit. Regardless of one’s opinion of his views on other issues, I think that we can definitely agree that Scheuer is in a position to know on these topics and one of the reasons he wrote Through Our Enemies’ Eyes was to demonstrate to other CIA analysts the value of open-source information in intelligence analysis. Like its successor Imperial Hubris, Through Our Enemies’ Eyes definitely supports the idea that there is an organized terror network, as does Richard Clarke’s Against All Enemies if one desires another insider account. Other statements and court documents issued by European anti-terrorism judges as Baltasar Garzon and Jean-Louis Bruguiere likewise support this opinion. Newsweek even took the administration to task for assuming otherwise in an August 2004 article entitled “Like Clockwork” that includes the following statement: June 19, 2005
Time: 10 Questions For Porter Gross
TIME has a brief interview with CIA boss Porter Goss. WHEN WILL WE GET OSAMA BIN LADEN? That is a question that goes far deeper than you know. In the chain that you need to successfully wrap up the war on terror, we have some weak links. And I find that until we strengthen all the links, we’re probably not going to be able to bring Mr. bin Laden to justice. We are making very good progress on it. But when you go to the very difficult question of dealing with sanctuaries in sovereign states, you’re dealing with a problem of our sense of international obligation, fair play. We have to find a way to work in a conventional world in unconventional ways that are acceptable to the international community. For a long time I would have read this and thought “Pakistan.” But frankly, now I’m inclined to think “Iran.” You? June 16, 2005
Special Analysis: Saif al-Adel, Zarqawi, al Qaeda and Iran
News on the Zarqawi front has gone cold; however the Coalition continues its efforts to dismantle his organization by attacking the middlemen. Abed Dawood Suleiman, Zarqawi’s military aide, and his son Raed, a former captain in Saddam’s army, have been captured outside of Baghdad. Jassim Hazan Hamadi al-Bazi, a bomb maker who “built and sold remote-controlled bombs used in roadside attacks from an electronic repair shop in Balad, 50 miles north of Baghdad” has also been detained. While the hunt continues for Zarqawi and his murderers, Dan Darling points us to interesting information on the relationship between Saif al-Adel, Zarqawi, al Qaeda and the Islamic Republic of Iran. Saif al-Adel is widely believed to be the nom de guerre of former Egyptian Army Colonel Muhamad Ibrahim Makkawi (Special Forces), who fought in Afghanistan with the mujahedeen against the Soviet Union. He is purported to have been involved with the Black Hawk Down battle in Somalia, which resulted in the deaths of 18 US servicemen, the 1998 embassy attacks in Kenyan and Tanzania, the training of several of the 9-11 hijackers, and the Riyadh bombing in 2003. After the death of Mohammed Atef, al-Adel is believed to have taken on some of the Atef’s responsibilities in al-Qaeda. He is believed to be the third ranking member in the organization. May 30, 2005
Winds of War: May 30/05
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. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report today. Today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by Bill Roggio and evariste of Discarded Lies. Top Topics
Other Topics Today Include: Iran roundup, Iran set to resume nuclear bomb; A look at the political process in Lebanon; Fleet surge; Hamas still building bombs; CIA cyberwar simulation; Los Zetas; Algerian Jihad; new Crisis in store for southern Sudan; Pakistani bomb blast kills 20; Indonesia bomb kills 22; Schapelle Corby; Protests in China; Terrorist bases in Europe; ETA Arnaldo Otegi; Russian power; Japanese hostage Akihiki Saito murdered. Two Americans Charged With Aiding Al Qaeda
Authorities said Sunday that Rafiq Abdus Sabir , 50, a Boca Raton physician, and Tarik Shah, 42, a self-described martial arts expert in New York, conspired to treat and train terrorists. Both are American citizens. May 23, 2005
The Palestinian Jundallah: Al-Qaeda's Hand in Gaza
Finding Palestinians (particularly the Jordanian variety) among al-Qaeda is nothing new, but over the last two days it seems that the network’s infrastructure in Gaza has finally organized into a distinct group according to media reports. Called Jundallah, the majority of its members consist of former Hamas and Islamic Jihad members who decided that the other groups were “too moderate” for their liking. Jundallah, not surprisingly, denies any connections to al-Qaeda but does adopt a far more strident line with respect to carrying out attacks on US targets (Hamas usually tries to skirt this issue with a “Maybe we will, maybe we won’t” kind of approach) and refuses to accept any kind of truce or cease-fire with Israel. To be fair, accusations about al-Qaeda activity in the Gaza Strip are nothing new - Sharon mentioned them in 2002 following the failed attack on the El Al airliner in Mombasa, Kenya, but the general consensus at the time had been that whatever infrastructure the network had in the area was pretty spread out, in large part because most Palestinian Islamists who would normally be attracted al-Qaeda tend to join Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades instead for a variety of reasons. Now that all of the major terrorist groups seem more interested in establishing and securing their own power base post-Arafat rather than attacking Israelis, al-Qaeda appears to have been able to exploit the situation by recruiting any disaffected members who happen to cross their path. May 20, 2005
Koran Desecration at Guantanamo Began in 2002 Says Red Cross
In a rare break of protocol, a report by The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has been made public which details how the organisation told US authorities of detainee allegations of Koran misuse from early 2002 to mid 2003. It says that they believe action was taken by the Americans after mid 2003 because reports of desecration of the holy Islamic book ceased after that. ICRC representatives have frequently visited the camp since it was established in early 2002. Perhaps coincidentally, a memo released on January 19, 2003 by the Defence Department gave guidelines as to how the Koran should be handled and inspected at Guantanamo, including places where it should not be placed including toilets and floor. May 10, 2005
Monday Winds of War: May 10/05
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. Today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by Bill Roggio of the fourth rail and evariste of Discarded Lies. Also be sure to check out Andrew’s Iraq Report and Arthur’s Good News From Iraq briefings. Top Topics
Other Topics Today Include: May 04, 2005
Pakistan Arrests Top Al Qaeda Figure
Abu Farraj al-Libbi , a senior Al Qaeda suspect wanted in two attempts to assassinate President Gen. Pervez Musharraf, has been arrested in Pakistan, the government said Wednesday. May 02, 2005
Monday Winds of War: May 02/05
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. In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report today. Today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by Bill Roggio of the fourth rail and evariste of Discarded Lies. Top Topics
Other Topics Today Include:
April 28, 2005
Winds of War: April 28/05
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. Thursday’s Winds of War briefings are given by me, Colt, of Eurabian Times. TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: lashing for student; Iran pushes to join a-bomb club; Syria nearly out; Hamas leaders to go to Gaza; Russia will sell Syria SAMs; Sadrists on the march in Basra; Islamists dominate Jeddah vote; jihadis on meth?; Akbar stabs M-P; arms dealer convicted; LAX bomber rolled; Yarkas trial; Russia using jihadis?; Bradford Taliban; Pearl killers tied to banned charity; India convicts terrorist; JI camp found in Indonesia; warning of A-Q attack in Tunisia; jihad in Nigeria; GSPC killings; and more. April 22, 2005
Moussaoui's Target Was The White House
When Zacarias Moussaoui pleaded guilty today to conspiracy charges linked to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks he said his mission included flying a commercial jetliner into the White House. In its article on Moussaoui’s guilty plea, Bloomberg reports on Moussaoui’s admissions:
From California Yankee. April 20, 2005
Jordan tries terror cell in plot to strike kingdom
JERUSALEM POST: Jordan tries terror cell in plot to strike kingdom State witnesses testified in court Wednesday that alleged terror allies of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi collected data on producing germ weapons, destroying public infrastructure, attacking airports and carrying out assassinations. April 07, 2005
Thursday Winds of War: April 07/05
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. Thursday’s Winds of War briefings are given by me, Colt, of Eurabian Times. TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: Iran-EU shenanigans; Canada shows spine; PLO police recruit suicide bombers; IDF prepares for new terror war; Hamas-Hezbollah accord; Syria builds intel network in Lebanon; new A-Q beheading video; Saudi cleric offers slavery instead of death after MEMRI exposure; 14 terrorists killed in Saudi Arabia; U.S. holds WMD attack plotter; Pentagon produces pessimistic study for Bush doctrine; Dutch court acquits terrorist despite obvious; Iraqis in Sweden charged with aiding Zarqawi; Albania worried about Salafis; 100 kilos of Semtex found in France; tension in North Ossetia; Kashmir bus complex attacked; Chinook crash kills 16 Americans; police officer behind church attacks in Indonesia; GSPC moves east; and much more. April 05, 2005
Two al-Qaida Suspects Die in Saudi Gun Battle
Saudi forces overpowered a group of gunmen last night after a ferocious three-day battle in which officials said they had killed two of the kingdom’s most wanted men. March 30, 2005
Egypt charges three over October Sinai blasts
HAARETZ: Egypt charges three over October Sinai blasts Three Egyptians will stand trial for murder over the killing of 34 people in bombings at Egyptian Red Sea tourist resorts in October, the public prosecutor’s office in Cairo said on Wednesday. March 21, 2005
Supreme Court Won't Hear Moussaoui Appeal
FOX: The U.S. Supreme court on Monday declined to settle a long-running dispute in the government’s case against terror suspect Zacarias Moussaoui ). Examining al-Qaeda: How to Read Intelligently
To simplify this entire post into one sentence, Jonathan Schanzer is a superb counter-terrorism analyst and his book, Al-Qaeda’s Armies: Middle East Affiliate Groups & The Next Generation of Terror is something that should probably be on any aspiring terror watcher’s reading list. The broader context of the post, however, deals with all of the terror literature that has cropped up since 9/11 and why I think that we need more books of this nature in stores. March 18, 2005
Terrorists Training Scuba Divers To Attack Ships
The Associated Press reports that two al-Qaida-linked groups in Southeast Asia are training terrorists in scuba diving for seaborne terror attacks.
From California Yankee. March 17, 2005
Winds of War: March 17/05
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. Thursday’s Winds of War briefings are given by me, Colt, of Eurabian Times. TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: Iran murders opponents; U.K. supplies body armour; Hezbollah needs guns to kill Zionists; palestinan terrorists build up strength; Abbas to release senior P.F.L.P. terrorist; the P.K.K. returns; Zarqawi wants to inflitrate from Mexico; D.H.S. warns of hijack vulnerability; converts under threat; Paris bomber sentenced; Kashmir roots lead to London; Socialist aided GIA, later 3/11, terrorist; FBI busts SAM smugglers; Bangladeshi cops arrest Zionist provocateurs; India wants LeT listed; pirates kidnap Japanese in Indonesia; and much more. March 15, 2005
Pakistani Forces Got Close to Capturing Bin Laden
The Associated Press reports that Pakistani security forces came close to capturing Osama bin Laden about eight to 10 months ago.
From California Yankee. March 14, 2005
Al-Qaida Ability Diminishing
The Associated Press, via ABC News, reports that Pakistani officials say al-Qaida effectively decapitated.
From California Yankee. March 12, 2005
Al Qaeda Slams 'Infidel' Conference in Spain
Al Qaeda Organization in Iraq has slammed as a gathering of infidels an international conference to mark the first anniversary of the Madrid train bombings, and said Islam will prevail. February 24, 2005
Thursday Winds of War: 2005-02-24
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. Thursday’s Winds of War briefings are given by me, Colt, of Eurabian Times. TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: diplomatic delusions with Iran; mass-release of terrorists; Lebanon as a model for retreat; NATO would send troops to Israel; A-Q may go for soft targets in Kuwait; successes in Yemen; American Muslim charged with plot to kill president; Saudis extradite American jihadi; Madrid tower fire - arson?; Dutch intelligence watch Saudi-funded mosques; Theo van Gogh revisited; FSB nails Beslan financier; GSPC more of a threat post-Hattab; Pakistani troops to fire on U.S. forces; Taliban to give in?; serious warning of attack in Aceh; Phillipines arrests thwart attacks; three arrested suicide bombers in Kenya; GSPC ambushes army; and much more. February 07, 2005
9/11 hijacker used bypass code to obtain California [driver's] license
SACRAMENTO — The terrorist believed to have flown a hijacked airliner into the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 2001, obtained a California driver’s license without providing the required Social Security number for identification, officials are acknowledging for the first time. 184,000 such licenses were issued between 12/2000 and 2/2002. There are various bills being proposed in other states to tighten or loosen the rules regarding driver’s licenses. Rep. Sensenbrenner [R-WI] has authored a bill that would set nationwide standards. In California, state Sen. Gil Cedillo [D] recently continued his multi-year attempt to give driver’s licenses to illegal aliens: “Actors, writers and musicians push for [illegal] immigrant drivers licenses” (commentary here, picture of the ad here.) Security checks would supposedly be performed. Governor Schwarzenegger vetoed the last such Cedillo bill that was passed, saying the security safeguards weren’t stringent enough. The 9/11 hijackers reportedly had a combined total of 63 driver’s licenses from various states, although the exact number is disputed, albeit without providing direct contradictory evidence. Various DMVs across the country have had scandals where employees issued licenses to those without the proper ID; the AP offers a roundup here. Other 9/11 terrorists had driver’s licenses from Virginia or Florida. The procedure they used to obtain some licenses is detailed here. February 01, 2005
FBI Nabs Saudi Al Qaeda
The New York Daily News reports that the FBI nabbed a Saudi military official with ties to al Qaeda. The Saudi was arrested just after he finished training with the U.S. Air Force:
From California Yankee. January 25, 2005
Zarqawi financier now on Terrorist List
One might say,”It’s about d@mn time!”… From CounterTerror blog, the folks who brought us Diplomad. Treasury {Dept} Designates al-Zarqawi & al Qaida Financier - Involved in Jordan Chemical Bomb Plot January 23, 2005
White House To Double Osama Bounty?
Is the White House about to double the bounty on Osama bin Laden’s head to $50 million? TIME magazine thinks so. Anyone think this will help? Suppose there’s someone, huddled in north Pakistan, who’s now going to say, “For $25 million, I wouls never give up brother Osama. But $50 million? Hmmm …” John Venlet doesn’t think so. Further, a careful reading of social network analysis would also prompt an answer of “No.” Close networks, like al Qaeda, like clans, are not prone to this type of influence. Still, it can’t hurt, can it? I just hope we’re not banking on that particular solution (pardon the pun). While on the topic of social network analysis an AQ, see this Global Guerrillas post, which points to Connecting The Dots—a social network analysis of the terror network. Militant Eyed as Link to 9/11, Madrid Attacks
International counterterrorism authorities are looking for a Moroccan fugitive who may have attended a pivotal meeting with the plotters of the attacks of September 11, 2001, and is believed to have played a logistical role in the train bombings last year in Madrid, Spain. January 06, 2005
Boston Street Gang Linked to Al Qaeda
The Boston Herald reported yesterday that federal law enforcement agencies have warned the Boston police that an East Boston street gang with roots in El Salvador is cooperating with Al Qaeda: A burgeoning East Boston-based street gang made up of alleged rapists and machete-wielding robbers has been linked to the al-Qaeda terrorist network, prompting Boston police to “turn up the heat” on its members, the Herald has learned. [snip] The theory that Salvadoran criminals manage to smuggle people over the border was bolstered this month when two Boston men described as MS-13 leaders were spotted on the North Shore days before Christmas - a year after they were deported by Boston Homeland Security Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigators for gang-related crimes. Read the whole thing. December 30, 2004
Special Analysis: The 12/04 Bin Laden Tapes
[by Dan Darling] Reading through the rants of Osama bin Laden is not the way I imagine most people would want to spend the week before New Year’s, but I figure somebody has to it, so why not yours truly? And my is there a lot of a bile to sort through this time around, so I apologize in advance for the length of this post. All the same, I’ve been out of circulation for awhile so I hope to make it worth your while. The Saudi Tape
Etc. December 21, 2004
Dan Darling: Report on al-Qaeda
Back during the Cold War, the rule with intelligence was, “If it’s sensational, don’t believe it.” Of course, back then we were fighting something resembling a rational enemy, whereas these days it seems like we’re reliving the plots of far too many bad novels. I’ve got half a mind to recommend that they open up US intelligence to all of these comic book geeks who keep track of every detail of their favorite characters online. They, at least, could remember all of these damned names. As some of you already know, last weekend I was at a counter-terrorism conference in New York City at the behest of my patrons, who were nice enough to fly me out there and for the purposes of me posting on the Internet would prefer to remain anonymous, if for nothing else than so they can plausibly deny everything they say ;) I’ve also been finishing finals and watching the extended edition of The Return of the King, so I apologize in advance for the number of Tolkien references that are likely to be used here. The conference’s attendees included a wide variety of law enforcement, intelligence, military or former military, and think tank types from pretty much across the ideological spectrum and I learned a great deal both from the presentations and in conversation. None of the information that was shared at the conference was classified or anything like that, and I have my own doubts (and in some cases extreme disagreement) about some of what was said. Still, I figure that this may all be valuable to you, perhaps because it runs against some of what I have argued. December 08, 2004
Al-Qaeda: The Scope of the Threat
I’m sitting out the whole Armed Liberal/Kevin Drum debate for a number of reasons, not the least of which being that the partisan half of me isn’t going to cry too much if the Democratic Party can’t articulate a consistent national security approach, but one of the things that I do think that needs to be understood to anyone seeking to understand how to fight al-Qaeda is the true scope of the threat. Unfortunately, a great many authors and analysts, even the entirely intelligent and articulate ones, have developed a somewhat skewed perspective of al-Qaeda in that they only focus on the organization when it attacks Western or American targets. The problem with this approach is that it drastically under-estimates the threat. Scope Note I’ve mentioned before that I’m a big fan of Dr. Rohan Gunaratna’s Inside Al-Qaeda for a whole reasons, not the least of which being that I have an enormous amount of professional respect and admiration for the author, but also because he covers, if only scratching the surface in some cases, the full width and scope of the international terrorist network. He also isn’t a “neocon” by any stretch of the term and as such should be more than immune to the infantile phobia that many on the left seem to hold towards them, but he does a pretty good job of expressing who the enemy is and what they’ve done. If you want an introduction to what al-Qaeda is and to understand why it’s a threat, this is the book for you to read. The problem is that most “histories” of al-Qaeda don’t include any definitive break-down of the organization’s role in the following:
December 02, 2004
Winds of War: Dec 2/04
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. Thursday’s Winds of War briefings are given by me, Colt, of Eurabian Times. Apologies for my enforced absence last week. My ISP is giving us trouble. To make up for it, this week’s Winds of War is a bit of a bumper edition. There’s a new layout, too, which may or may not stay the same - depending on the number and locations of news items. Enjoy! TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: Iran’s deal with Europe; martyr sign-up; Hamas to claim attacks for A-Q; Egypt aids Gaza terrorists; chopper down in Sinai?; Yemeni A-Q apologise, released; EU did/didn’t contact Hamas; 9/11 linked to 3/11; Qaeda has WMD know-how, and use is inevitable; foreign intelligence agency involved in Beslan; Basayev flees Chechnya; Zarqawi called Chile/Cyprus; Barghouti for pres!; KSM and Bosnia; progress against JI; bounty hunters chase Abu Sayyaf; JI may use biochem; Sudan bombs villages; A-Q in East Africa; and much more. November 30, 2004
Al-Zawahiri Vows to Keep Fighting U.S.
Top Usama bin Laden lieutenant Ayman Al-Zawahiri vowed in a videotape excerpt shown Monday to continue fighting the United States until its policies change. November 23, 2004
Jordan's military judge urges terror suspects to surrender
HAARETZ: Jordan’s military judge urges terror suspects to surrender A military judge called on Jordanian terrorist Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi and three other fugitives to surrender Tuesday, a step toward opening a terror conspiracy trial involving a foiled chemical attack that could have killed thousands. Why didn’t we think of doing that? November 17, 2004
Terrorist involved in Pearl kidnapping killed
JERUSALEM POST: Terrorist involved in Pearl kidnapping killed An Islamic militant wanted in connection with the abduction and beheading of American journalist Daniel Pearl was killed Wednesday in a police raid in Karachi, an officer said. November 01, 2004
Special Analysis: Osama's Message
Osama bin Laden’s recent videotape, combined with the recent message from Adam Gadahn/Azzam al-Ameriki, have left more than a few Americans and intelligence and law enforcement analysts puzzled as to what his apparent purpose is and why he would break cover this late in the game. This analysis will attempt to puzzle out the meaning of bin Laden’s statement on a point-by-point analysis, and what I think his objectives are in making it. I’m going to be using the MEMRI, BBC, and al-Jazeera transcripts of the excerpts that were broadcast on al-Jazeera on Friday, shifting between the three as differences arise. I should note that because we’re dealing with a non-Roman language (Arabic), there are going to be differences in how to properly translate some portions of the tape. If you’re familiar with all of the differences inherent in various translations of the Old Testament from Hebrew or Aramaic into English, we’re kind of dealing with the same thing here. Al-Jazeera is using the English subtitles provided by the al-Sahab propaganda company that produced the video in their translation. Egypt: Sinai bombings not linked to Al-Qaida
HAARETZ: Egypt: Sinai bombings not linked to Al-Qaida An inquiry into the Red Sea resort attacks targeting Israeli tourists did not indicate the bombers were linked to Al-Qaida or part of a wider organized militant network, Egypt said on Monday. October 31, 2004
"Bin Laden, in Tape, May Have Sights on New Role"
From the L.A. Times:
…In fact, what has caught the attention of the U.S. intelligence community is the strangely conciliatory nature of Bin Laden’s new message, said some government officials and outside experts. Time: 10 Questions For Yeslam bin Laden
TIME magazine has 10 Questions with Yeslam Bin Ladin (OBL’s brother). A sample: WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT OSAMA’s LATEST VIDEOTAPE? October 29, 2004
Bin Laden Surfaces
Reuters reports:
Fox News is reporting the CIA has verified that Bin Laden is on the tape, and that he refers to a recent event in Iraq. Comment: Until this tape surfaced, the evidence suggested that Bin Laden was dead. Unfortunately, that no longer appears to be the case. [Admin note: We’ll update as soon as someone reports a translation of the video - so far Fox has only shown a still photo of Bin Laden. Al Jazeera only has a news flash up, no story yet] October 28, 2004
Dan Darling: 4 WoT Intel Briefings
This is likely going to be my last post prior to the election (and God willing, this time we’ll know by November 3 who the president is) so I’ll try to cover as many bases as possible on this one. There’s been two very interesting articles out over the last several days, one of which I want to provide actual commentary for, and there is also a purported al-Qaeda videotape that was obtained by ABC News from an “intermediary” (Jamaat-e-Islami or Jamaat-e-Ulema-e-Islami, one wonders …) in Waziristan. I’ll also deal with the issue of what I know about the pre-election plot stuff and we’ll go from there. Several of these remarks were prepared in response to questions that WoC reader praktike made on my own blog and I thought would be interesting enough to reference here. October 27, 2004
Ben Laden Sighting Reported In Northeastern Pakistan
The South Asia Tribune reports that Osama bin Laden has been spotted in the Tibet-Laddakh region, close to the North-Eastern tip of Pakistan, bordering India and China:
From California Yankee. October 20, 2004
Analysis: The Fate of Osama bin Laden
This was inspired somewhat by a recent post by Gregory Djerejian over at the Belgravia Dispatch. Now just to be clear so that nobody mistakes this as an attack on him, I like Greg, I respect him, and his blog is on my daily reading list right next to such daily Darling reads as Rantburg, Roger Simon, Belmont Club, ect. Unfortunately, I tend to disagree with Greg’s most recent conclusion that Osama bin Laden is among the deceased. I also think that a number of people (Greg not amongst them) don’t adequately understand where it is that bin Laden falls into the grander picture of what al-Qaeda and its allied groups are. This is key, because if he is at some point confirmed as being captured or killed it will be imperative that the US understand what we’ve done - and what we’ve not done - in terms of the long-term destruction of our current adversary, meaning al-Qaeda and its allies in the International Islamic Front. This post is an effort to demonstrate this, as well as to tie together a number of semi-incoherent threads that have been floating through my feebled mind of late. October 19, 2004
Al-Qaida threatens more attacks against Israel
JERUSALEM POST: Al-Qaida threatens more attacks against Israel The al-Qaida affiliated terrorist organization that claimed responsibility for the series of brutal attacks two weeks ago in Sinai published a threatening message promising to continue attacks against Israel and Israeli interests. Al-Zarqawi's Pledge May Show Weakness
AP: Al-Zarqawi’s Pledge May Show Weakness The purported pledge by terror mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi to unite with Osama bin Laden’s group raises the horrifying specter of two of the world’s most dangerous terrorists working together, though it may be a sign of weakness rather than strength. October 15, 2004
Germany Nabs Suspected al-Qaida Financier
AP: Germany Nabs Suspected al-Qaida Financier Authorites on Friday arrested a Syrian-German businessman who is wanted by Spain on charges he helped fund the al-Qaida terrorist network for years and who appeared in a wedding video at a mosque with some of the Sept. 11 hijackers, German officials said. Lebanese newspaper: Al-Qaida claims Sinai attacks
JERUSALEM POST: Lebanese newspaper: Al-Qaida claims Sinai attacks A statement purportedly signed by al-Qaida claimed responsibility for last week’s deadly bombings which targeted Israeli tourists visiting Sinai, a Lebanese newspaper reported Friday. There was no way to verify its authenticity. October 14, 2004
Analysis: Is Zarqawi al-Qaeda?
Over the last several months, there’s been a great deal of discussion with respect to Abu Musab Zarqawi and whether or not he’s ally of Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda network. Originally there was no real question about this - nor is there still among actual governments, a point I’ll get to later in the post. Recently, however, the issue has become politicized in the United States by people inside the intelligence community who do not agree with the conventional characterization being put out by the administration. Some have chosen to air those disputes to the press. This is augmented by the fact some intelligence-security officials in Europe, particularly in Germany, adopt a similar view of the man. In this piece, I’m going to try to put up and the evidence for and against Zarqawi being an al-Qaeda leader and why I believe that the body of evidence swings decisively in favor of the al-Qaeda conclusion. October 12, 2004
CIA has 11 Al-Qaida suspects in Jordan facility
HAARETZ: CIA has 11 Al-Qaida suspects in Jordan facility The Central Intelligence Agency runs a top secret interrogation facility in Jordan, where at least 11 detainees who are considered Al-Qaida’s most senior cadre are being held, Haaretz has learned from international intelligence sources. IDF chief: Qaida tried, but failed, to infiltrate territories
HAARETZ: IDF chief: Qaida tried, but failed, to infiltrate territories Israel Defense Forces Chief of Staff Moshe Ya’alon said Tuesday that Al-Qaida has tried in the past to infiltrate the West Bank and Gaza Strip, but that the efforts were foiled by the Israeli defense establishment. October 09, 2004
Egypt Detains Suspects in Resort Blasts
AP: Egypt Detains Suspects in Resort Blasts Security officials said several dozen Bedouin tribesmen were being questioned about suspicions they provided explosives to the attackers. A senior police official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said later that 20 people were being held, some of them quarry workers who presumably had access to explosives. October 08, 2004
Annan deplores bomb attacks in Egypt
UN NEWS: Annan deplores bomb attacks in Egypt United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan today condemned the bomb attacks that took place Thursday in Taba, Egypt, in which more than 30 people were killed and another 120 injured. (Read UNSC resolution by Algeria that ignores Qassam rocket attacks on Sderot, which Senator Danforth said was unbalanced and used silence to tacitly accept that intentional terrorism upon innocents. Read previous GP - GWOT statements attributed to palestinians and PLO officials that say these carbombings were a justified response to what’s happening in Gaza. When they’ve stopped dancing and passing out candy, that is.) “He denounces the attack against a site that has long been a tangible example of peaceful coexistence in the Middle East.” (The foot-dragging of the ill-equipped Egyptian rescuers and the significant delays in their receiving orders to allow Israeli rescue teams and equipment to reach the scene must be a glitch then.) The statement said the Secretary-General “hopes that the perpetrators will be speedily brought to justice. He extends his condolences to the families of the victims, as well as their Governments, and sends his best wishes for a speedy recovery to all those injured.” (Hit Control-A for Fisk-o-Magictm righteous outrage.) October 02, 2004
S.Korea on High Alert After Warning on Al Jazeera
REUTERS: S.Korea on High Alert After Warning on Al Jazeera South Korea put its security forces on alert after Muslims were urged to resist the United States and its allies around the world in an audio tape believed to be from al Qaeda’s deputy leader, government officials said Saturday. September 30, 2004
Al-Qaeda's Kidnapping Template
Juan Herveda of Netwar notes that Issue no. 10 of al-Qaeda’s training manual Al-Battar has special coverage of kidnapping. Juan offers a series of excerpts for your perusal. Since so many countries seem happy to pay ransoms and change their foreign policies in response to kidnappings, we can expect this to become an income-generating staple for Islamists in the Middle East. Kidnapping already fills this role in places like Colombia and other parts of Latin America, where the “Terror, Inc.” model is more established, and Alaa’s Sept. 16 post indicates that Iraq is moving in this direction as well. [Joe’s personal bet:] I expect the Islamists to take further steps toward the Colombian model, as a likely extrapolation of current trends. The key difference from Latin America will be the monetary stakes involved if it begins to slow the inflow of expertise. Given the Middle East’s much higher dependence on foreign experts in order to produce its main sources of income and run its societies, it will be interesting to see how Middle Eastern governments react if kidnappings start becoming more widespread in the region as a whole. September 27, 2004
Bin Laden 'alive and in Pakistan'
CNN: Bin Laden ‘alive and in Pakistan’ Intelligence indicates Osama bin Laden is alive, Pakistan’s president says, and the top U.S. military official in Afghanistan believes the al Qaeda leader is probably in Pakistan. September 12, 2004
New Terror Threat: Piracy & Oil Tankers As Floating Bombs
While trolling our referrals this morning I came across this post at Petrified Truth, which points to this Telegraph article, and notes: Fanatics from the Islamic terror faction blamed for last week’s suicide attack on the Australian embassy in Indonesia are planning to hijack an oil tanker or freighter and turn it into a floating bomb, The Telegraph has learned. We’ve posted about the piracy/terrorism threat in the area before, and Petrified Truth also has some interesting ancillary links, including “Straits, Passages and Chokepoints: A Maritime Geostrategy of Petroleum Distribution (2004)” and the “IMB Piracy Reporting Centre - Weekly Piracy Report.” I’ve read the Piracy Report in the past, and it’s interesting browsing. September 09, 2004
Pak Airforce Bombs Al Qaeda Base
From the Pakistani news site The News comes this report (you may have to scroll down as there is no separate link): 80 dead in S. Waziristan bombardment I don’t know, but I’ve never heard of an air raid successfully taking out a terrorist camp and all the terrorists present. We’ll see how this develops. First published at Southern Watch 50 killed in attack on al-Qaida camp in Pakistan
JERUSALEM POST: 50 killed in attack on al-Qaida camp in Pakistan Pakistani jets pounded a suspected al-Qaida training facility in a two-hour barrage Thursday in tribal South Waziristan, killing at least 50 people - among them Uzbek, Arab and Chechen fighters - senior intelligence and military officials said. September 06, 2004
Al Qaeda Linked GSPC Appoints New Leader
Reuters reports: ALGIERS (Reuters) - Algeria’s largest Islamic rebel group with ties to al Qaeda said it has appointed a new chief, known as an explosives expert, as it tries to regroup following the loss of key leaders in recent gun battles with authorities. Indepth at Southern Watch September 01, 2004
Pakistan Arrests 2 Al Qaeda
Pakistani security forces have arrested two important al Qaeda operatives, including an Egyptian and a Saudi national, officials said Wednesday. Cross-posted: Backcountry Conservative August 31, 2004
Algerian Army Strikes Al Qaeda-linked GSPC Hideouts
UPI reports: Algiers, Algeria, Aug. 31 (UPI) — Algerian troops killed four armed Muslim extremists in two incidents in eastern and western Algeria in the past two days, reports said Tuesday. Continue reading at Southern Watch (which has more). August 26, 2004
Yemeni Poet Asks to Represent Himself
AP: Yemeni Poet Asks to Represent Himself A Yemeni poet accused of crafting terrorist propaganda asked to represent himself Thursday before a U.S. military commission, but the panel said it was not allowed. August 21, 2004
Italy Faces Multiple Terror Threats?
Silvio Berlusconi brushed off fears yesterday of a fresh terrorist threat in Italy, insisting he would finish his holiday in Sardinia despite a bomb scare in the seaside town where Tony Blair ended a flying visit yesterday. AFP: A group linked to Al-Qaeda on Friday purportedly issued yet another threat to attack targets in Italy and across Europe after Rome ignored an ultimatum to leave Iraq and other European countries spurned a truce offer. Cross-posted at Backcountry Conservative. August 03, 2004
Terror Arrests in England (UPDATED)
More details forthcoming - I was studying for finals when I noticed a crawl across the bottom of the screen (volume is muted.) 4:47 UPDATE: Police say they have arrested 13 people in anti-terrorism raids around Britain. 5:00 UPDATE: Sky News has updated the same story from above with more details: They have been arrested on suspicion of being concerned in the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism. The BBC still just has the breaking news banner I posted above with no other details. 5:15 UPDATE: It has finally hit the AP wire: Police conducted anti-terrorism raids in London and several towns Tuesday, arresting 13 people believed involved in preparing terrorist acts. The current BBC story has nothing new from any of the other reports. Other news stories: 5:30 UPDATE: Reuters has the same basic facts, along with some new ones: Earlier, Britain resisted calls to match the United States’ high state of alert after warnings that al Qaeda bombers might strike and played down concerns of an immediate security threat. 5:43 UPDATE: The BBC has eyewitness accounts of the arrests: A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the suspects would be brought to a central London police station for questioning. 6:00 UPDATE: The Age reports: The police said the arrests were in north-west London, suburban Hertfordshire and Bedfordshire and in Lancashire, north-western England. The Lancashire raid was in the town of Blackburn and the Hertfordshire arrests were in Luton, police said…. 6:13 UPDATE: The Independent: The spokesman said the plan for the arrests “predated the weekend just gone”, suggesting they had nothing to do with recent publicity about possible threats to London’s financial district. 6:27 UPDATE: Sky News has produced the below map of the locations involved: 6:32 UPDATE: I failed to notice the line about nationalities in any of the other feeds of the AP story I saw, so this might be an update (via Fox News): The suspects, who are all in their 20s and 30s, will be brought to a central London police station for questioning by anti-terrorism officers, police said. They declined to specify the men’s nationalities. 7:30 UPDATE: BBC reports have been updated. I edited one of the previous BBC reports quoted so it matches their updated one, specifically concerning the identity the make of the car previously described. The timing of the raid has also been questioned. Cross-posted at Backcountry Conservative. Report: U.S. Banks in London Targeted
UPI: British intelligence officials say U.S. financial institutions in London have been targeted for terror attacks by al-Qaida, The Times of London said Tuesday. Cross-posted from Backcountry Conservative. Al Qaeda Suspects Arrested in Pakistan
AP: Several more arrests of al-Qaeda suspects have been made in Pakistan in the past several days, including one man arrested trying to leave the country from an airport in the eastern city of Lahore, and another seized in a nearby town, a senior government official and police said. Pakistan has arrested two more foreigners believed to be members of al Qaeda in the last 24 hours, local intelligence officials said Tuesday. Cross-posted at Backcountry Conservative. Al Qaeda Alpha Geek Captured
From the AFP via the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) : Pakistani authorities claim they have arrested an Al Qaeda-linked computer engineer and discovered significant information on his computer and email. Analysis: One of the many things I’ve done in my Brilliant Career is to engage in Computer Forensics. UPDATE : the New York Times story describes him as no more than a ‘messenger’, so the odds of this being a big deal are diminished. UPDATE : Looks like my initial estimate was right after all. July 29, 2004
Pakistan Says It Captures a 'Most Wanted' Qaeda Man
Reuters reports: DUBAI (Reuters) - Pakistan has arrested a senior al Qaeda figure with a bounty of up to $25 million on his head, Interior Minister Makhdoom Faisal Saleh Hayat told CNN television Thursday. July 28, 2004
Al Qaeda Suspect Arrested in Texas
A South African woman picked up in Texas almost 10 days ago may turn out to be a key, high-level al-Qaida operative. (Via Rusty Shackelford.) Cross-posted at Backcountry Conservative. July 27, 2004
Guantanamo inmates back in France
BBC: Guantanamo inmates back in France Four French nationals captured by US troops in Afghanistan have been transferred home from the US military base in Guantanamo Bay. July 23, 2004
Al-Qadea mastermind planned to crash plane into Eilat
MAARIV: Al-Qadea mastermind planned to crash plane into Eilat Al-Qaeda mastermind Khalid Sheik Mohammed offered Osama Bin Laden in the spring of 2001 to perpetrate a terror attack on the Israeli resort town of Eilat, the report published by the 9/11 investigative commission reveals. July 22, 2004
9-11 Commission: Richard Clarke Leak Cost Chance At Bin Laden
![]() 9-11 Commission Report: “[L]ess than a week after [Richard A.] Clarke’s phone call [to an Arab government] the bin Laden camp was hurriedly dismantled, and the site was deserted.” According to the 9-11 Commission Report, the Clinton Administration had bin Laden’s camp in its sites, but the camp was “hurriedly dismantled … and … deserted” after a leak to an Arab government by Richard A. Clarke: Via the 9-11 Commission Report: - - - - - - - Even after bin Laden’s departure from the area, CIA officers hoped he might return, seeing the camp as a magnet that could draw him for as long as it was still set up. The military maintained readiness for another strike opportunity. On March 7, 1999, Clarke called a UAE official to express his concerns about possible associations between Emirati officials and bin Laden. Clarke later wrote in a memorandum of this conversation that the call had been approved at an interagency meeting and cleared with the CIA. When the former bin Laden unit chief found out about Clarke’s call, he questioned CIA officials, who denied having given such clearance. Imagery confirmed that less than a week after Clarke’s phone call the camp was hurriedly dismantled, and the site was deserted. CIA officers, including Deputy Director for Operations Pavitt, were irate. ‘Mike’ thought the dismantling of the camp erased a possible site for targeting bin Laden. - - - - - - - Richard A. Clark earlier this year was critical of the Bush Administration, and its policies for combating terrorism, during his 9-11 Commission testimony. During Clarke’s public testimony, at least, Clarke made no mention of the above-discussed lost chance to capture or kill bin Laden in 1999, during the Clinton Administration. The full 9-11 Commission Report is here. Via The Corner and Instapundit. The link to the nikita demosthenes post is here. July 14, 2004
Bahrain arrests 'al-Qaida' suspects
AL-JAZEERA: Bahrain arrests ‘al-Qaida’ suspects Bahrain has arrested seven men suspected of having al-Qaida links and for allegedly plotting attacks in the kingdom. July 07, 2004
Yemen Begins USS Cole Bombing Trial
MSNBC carries an AP report on the opening of the trial in a court in Yemen of charges against Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the al Qaeda-linked accused mastermind of the USS Cole bombing who is presently held in U.S. custody, and five other Yemenis in the October 2000 terror attack that claimed the lives of 17 American sailors. U.S. officials believe the Saudi-born al-Nashiri is a close associate of bin Laden. In addition to the Cole attack, he is suspected of helping direct the 1998 bombings of U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania. U.S. officials say al-Nashiri gave telephone orders to the Cole bombers from the [United Arab] Emirates. July 05, 2004
Libya Exposes Al Qaeda Camp
the Bahraini Gulf Daily News writes about a report from the French weekly Le Journal du Dimanche (link unavailable), in which a source with the intelligence services of a European country claims that Libyan agents some ten days ago discovered an Al Qaeda camp on the Libyan border with Chad. The French newspaper said that the GSPC - the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat - was recruiting actively in the Tibesti region and buying arms and vehicles with German ransom money paid for the release of tourists in the Sahara in 2003. The GSPC has seen a lot of activity against it lately. It seems however that, despite all efforts to eradicate this Algerian terrorist group, they are still operational. “Above all, it appears that the GSPC is clearly preparing terrorist attacks in Africa, on American or European targets - including French ones - be they economic, diplomatic or tourist sites,” the newspaper said. The article then notes the downplayment of European governments of the recently repeated threat by Al Qaeda to strike Europe again if they fail to take them up on their truce offer. Most poignantly so did the German interior ministry. The same German government that last year paid this ransom to the GSPC in the first place. Update: Algeria’s Le Matin (French) has more. July 01, 2004
US, UK, Australia Beefing Up Sharing of Timely Intelligence
The Financial Times reports on a collaborative effort between the three major partners in the global war on terror - the U.S., Britain, and Australia - to build a global, real-time intelligence-sharing operation to track and counter Al Qaeda and other terrorist groups: Counter-terrorism chiefs in the US, Britain and Australia are aiming to build a global intelligence-sharing structure that will allow security services to assess threats and issue warnings continuously across all time zones. June 30, 2004
Hezbollah and Fahrenheit 9/11: A "natural" pair?
A couple weeks ago, news broke that Hezbollah had approached distributors of Fahrenheit 9/11, asking how they could help support the movie: In terms of marketing the film, Front Row is getting a boost from organisations related to Hezbollah which have rung up from Lebanon to ask if there is anything they can do to support the film. And although Chacra says he and his company feel strongly that Fahrenheit is not anti-American, but anti-Bush, “we can’t go against these organisations as they could strongly boycott the film in Lebanon and Syria.” [Originally published in ScreenDaily, 6/9/2004] News of this connection has been decried by many as right-wing conspiracy-fostering, but those complaints miss the point. The fact that terrorist groups would approach the distributor is not scary; those groups are rational, and they see that this film is the better propaganda than they could ever make (after all, it’s not like American movie theatres would ever show al Qaeda training tapes). Gianluca Chacra, the managing director of Front Row Entertainment, the movie’s distributor in the United Arab Emirates, confirms that Lebanese student members of Hezbollah “have asked us if there’s any way they could support the film.” While Hezbollah is considered a legitimate political party in many parts of the world, the U.S. State Department classifies the group as a terrorist organization. Chacra was unfazed, even excited, about their offer. “Having the support of such an entity in Lebanon is quite significant for that market and not at all controversial. I think it’s quite natural.” The right can’t make up stuff as absurd as this. (Hat Tip: Blogs for Bush) June 22, 2004
Murderous Methods
Nick Berg was beheaded in Iraq early in May and it received a great deal of attention because of the video. More recently, Robert Jacob was murdered in Saudi Arabia on tape, but he was shot to death. It didn’t receive quite the same amount of attention as the videotaped beheadings - either in the mainstream media or the blogosphere. The Saudi arm apparently learned their lesson from this and proceeded to behead Paul Johnson on video and it received a great deal of media attention. The news of today’s beheading of Kim Sun-il means beheading on videotape is probably now cemented as the method of choice of Al Qaeda in the region. With 10 hostages reportedly still being held, I am reminded of something someone said recently ( UPDATE: Bryan also discusses the P.R. savvy of the terrorists and mentions that the video is getting heavy play on South Korean television. He reminds me that it was Steven Taylor who discussed what I mentioned above. Bryan also previously discussed the evolving tactics of the terrorists dealing with the media. All very tragic, and yet again underscoring the barbaric nature of this enemy. One wonders if the beheading routine will continue, or if they will have to find new and more terrible methods of execution to maintain the attention of the public/to maintain the appropriate level of fear. Cross-posted at Backcountry Conservative. June 21, 2004
NYT reports: "Commission, Bush agree!"
Amidst the weekend’s barrage of news that the Bush Administration and the 9/11 Commission were disagreeing over whether there were connections between al Qaeda, the NYT admitted, in an easily-overlooked item, that the Bush Administration indeed never> claimed that Iraq was involved in the terrorist actions on September 11: Critics of the Bush administration argue that it falsely created a link between Saddam Hussein and the 9/11 attacks to help justify the war. Last week, the administration countered that it had never made such an assertion — only that there were ties, however murky, between Iraq and Al Qaeda. A survey of past public comments seems to bear that out — although whether there was a deliberate campaign to create guilt by association is difficult to say. You can see the NYT’s words for yourself in this NYT graphic. Both indictments offer new information about Mr. bin Laden’s operations, including one deal he is said to have struck with Iraq to cooperate in the development of weapons in return for Mr. bin Laden’s agreeing not to work against that country. You can read the indictment for yourself: Al Qaeda also forged allieances with the National Islamic Front in the Sudan and with the government of Iran and its associated terrorist group Hebollah for the purpose of working together against the perceived common enemies in the West, particularly the United States. In addition, al Qaeda reached an understanding with the government of Iraq that al Qaeda would not work against that government and that on particular projects, specifically including weapons development, al Qaeda would work cooperateively with the Government of Iraq. Not surprisingly, the good folks at The Free Republic are going apeshit over this. Apparently Rush Limbaugh talked about it on Friday, too. June 17, 2004
Bush: "[T]here was a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda."
President Bush’s statement at today’s cabinet meeting: The reason I keep insisting that there was a relationship between Iraq and Saddam and al Qaeda, because there was a relationship between Iraq and al Qaeda. This administration never said that the 9/11 attacks were orchestrated between Saddam and al Qaeda. We did say there were numerous contacts between Saddam Hussein and al Qaeda. For example, Iraqi intelligence officers met with bin Laden, the head of al Qaeda, in the Sudan. There’s numerous contacts between the two. I always said that Saddam Hussein was a threat. He was a threat because he had used weapons of mass destruction against his own people. He was a threat because he was a sworn enemy to the United States of America, just like al Qaeda. He was a threat because he had terrorist connections — not only al Qaeda connections, but other connections to terrorist organizations; Abu Nidal was one. He was a threat because he provided safe-haven for a terrorist like Zarqawi, who is still killing innocent inside of Iraq. No, he was a threat, and the world is better off and America is more secure without Saddam Hussein in power. The response from Senator Kerry: Democratic presidential candidate John Kerry said the commission’s report is evidence that Bush misled the nation in setting out the case for war against Iraq. [snip] Kerry, a four-term U.S. senator from Massachusetts, said the report by the Sept. 11 commission, a 10-member bipartisan panel, bolsters his argument that the war in Iraq was a distraction from the hunt for al-Qaeda. June 02, 2004
Trial of four Kenyan al-Qaida attackers resumes
AP: Trial of four Kenyan al-Qaida attackers resumes The trial of four Kenyan men charged with murder for their alleged roles in an al-Qaida attack on Israeli tourists resumed Wednesday. May 25, 2004
18,000 Potential Al Qaeda Terrorists Still at Large?
An AP report in the Washington Post bears grim news: Far from being crippled by the U.S.-led war on terror, al Qaeda has more than 18,000 potential terrorists scattered around the world and the war in Iraq is swelling its ranks, a report said Tuesday. It’s not entirely clear what IISS’ angle is here; the report “suggested that the two military centerpieces of the U.S.-led war on terror - the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq - may have boosted al-Qaida” for contradictory reasons: Driving the terror network out of Afghanistan in late 2001 appears to have benefited the group, which dispersed to many countries, making it almost invisible and hard to combat, the story said. The report’s methodology seems rather simplistic as well: The IISS said its estimate of 18,000 al Qaeda fighters was based on intelligence estimates that the group trained at least 20,000 fighters in its camps in Afghanistan before the United States and its allies ousted the Taliban regime. In the ensuing war on terror, some 2,000 al Qaeda fighters have been killed or captured, the survey said. None of which suggests that the report shouldn’t necessarily be taken very seriously, but as usual bear in mind the difficulty of getting accurate information in this context as well as any possible biases of the source. May 20, 2004
Special Analysis: The Amman Chemical Plot
While what little media coverage there was of the recent chemical weapons plot in Amman, Jordan was over within a day, it received wide coverage within blogosphere. I myself consider the possibility of terrorists using chemical weapons to kill thousands of innocent people to be worthy of at least as much airtime as anything else these days, but then it’s probably just as well that I got out of the the whole media business to begin with. In any case, this analysis will deal with both the Amman plot and other aspects of what we know about al-Qaeda’s WMD program, as well as the potential future implications from this. May 05, 2004
Europe Simulates Nuclear Hit
International Herald Tribune: What If? Europe Simulates Qaeda Nuclear Hit European officials have conducted a simulation showing how Al Qaeda could kill 40,000 people and plunge the continent into chaos if a crude nuclear device were detonated outside NATO headquarters in Brussels. Some commentary at OTB. April 30, 2004
Al-Qaida: If we had chemical bomb, we would have hit Israel
HAARETZ: Al-Qaida: If we had chemical bomb, we would have hit Israel A purported message from Al-Qaida operative Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi said Friday his group did plan to blow up a Jordanian intelligence building, but not with chemical weapons as the authorities have alleged. If Al-Qaida had chemical weapons, he said, it would have used them to attack Israel. April 26, 2004
Jordan to air confessions of alleged chemical bomb attack planners
HAARETZ/AP: Jordan to air confessions of alleged chemical bomb attack planners State television will air confessions from Al-Qaida suspects who allegedly planned chemical and poison gas attacks against the U.S. Embassy and other targets in Jordan, officials said Monday. April 23, 2004
Patriotic NFL Star - Pat Tillman - KIA in Afghanistan
This early breaking news is from the Drudge Report. The NFL plans a 1:00 p.m. ET press conference. Pat Tillman turned down a three-year, $3.6 million contract with the Arizona Cardinals to volunteer as an Army Ranger. Here are some background articles on Pat Tillman from the NFL, USA Today, the Las Vegas Sun, Veterans Advantage, ESPN, and the Army Times. ![]() Former Arizona safety Pat Tillman turned down a three-year, $3.6 million contract offer from the Cardinals to pursue his dream of being a Ranger in the U.S. Army On the U.S. Army Rangers: Members of the 75th Ranger Regiment - Pat Tillman’s unit - make up an “elite combat unit.” Candidates must pass a stringent orientation course, where they are challenged physically and mentally, before they can even be selected. The Rangers are an infantry force trained to fight against any threat. Their creed: “Rangers lead the way!” This is a duplicate of the original post from the nikita demosthenes website. UPDATE: Pat Tillman, KIA. Reports from Army Ranger.com, CNN, and MSNBC. Per MSNBC: - - - - - - - In Afghanistan, Tillman’s batallion was involved in “Operation Mountain Storm,” part of the U.S. campaign against Taliban and al-Qaida groups along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, military officials said. He was killed during action in the past 24 hours, they said. - - - - - - - SECOND UPDATE: A true American hero: the sad news of patriot Pat Tillman’s death, fighting al Qaeda in the line-of-duty along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, reverberates throughout the United States and the world. See: Fox News, ![]() NFL.com - (April 23, 2004) — Former Arizona Cardinals safety Pat Tillman, who gave up an NFL contract to join the Army Rangers, reportedly has been killed in Afghanistan. ![]() NFL.com - (April 23, 2004) In the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks in 2001, Tillman turned down a three-year contract with the Cardinals to enlist in the Army. More from the Arizona Cardinals Official Website: - - - - - - - Tillman was a member of the 75th Ranger Regiment, and the Army refers to them as an “elite combat unit.” Candidates must pass a stringent orientation course, where they are challenged physically and mentally, before they can even be selected. The Rangers are an infantry force trained to fight against any threat. Their creed: “Rangers lead the way!” An unrestricted free agent in 2002 when he made his decision, Tillman declined an offer from the Cardinals to play football that year. That wasn’t the first time Tillman had proven his loyalty — in 2001 he turned down a chance to play with the St. Louis Rams to stay with Arizona for another year. - - - - - - - ![]() Tillman walked away from a $3.6 million contract with the Cardinals in the spring of 2002 to join his brother as an Army Ranger. He made the move quietly, staging no press conference, granting no interviews and issuing no public remarks about his decision. The move was a personal one for Tillman, who, according to those around him, was deeply moved by the attacks of 9-11. He wanted to “pay something back,” Cardinals defensive coordinator Larry Marmie told reporters at the time. THIRD UPDATE: Per Iowa Hawk: - - - - - - - Pat Tillman 1976-2004 MSNBC reports that Pat Tillman, the NFL star turned Army Ranger, has been killed in Afghanistan. In 1972 Major League Baseball recognized Jackie Robinson’s remarkable story of selflessness and sacrifice by universally retiring #42. I believe the NFL should do no less in honoring the memory of Pat Tillman. Please contact the office of NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue and encourage him to universally retire #40. Commissioner Paul Tagliabue (212) 450-2000. - - - - - - - April 20, 2004
King Abdullah: al-Qaida tried to "decapitate" the government of Jordan with WMD from Syria
This is more in the wealth of evidence indicating that many of Saddam Hussein’s WMD’s ended up in Syria. - - - - - - - Jordan’s King Abdullah revealed on Saturday that vehicles reportedly containing chemical weapons and poison gas that were part of a deadly al-Qaida bomb plot came from Syria, the country named by U.S. weapons inspector David Kay last year as a likely repository for Iraq’s weapons of mass destruction. “It was a major, major operation. It would have decapitated the government,” King Abdullah told the San Francisco Chronicle. Jordanian officials estimated that the death count could have been as high as 20,000 - seven times greater than the Sept. 11 attacks. King Abdullah said that trucks containing 17.5 tons of explosives had come from Syria… - - - - - - - In his testimony before Congress last year, weapons inspector Kay said U.S. satellite surveillance showed substantial vehicular traffic going from Iraq to Syria just prior to the U.S. attack on March 19, 2003. While Kay said investigators couldn’t be sure the cargo contained weapons of mass destruction, one of his top advisers described the evidence as “unquestionable.” “People below the Saddam-Hussein-and-his-sons level saw what was coming and decided the best thing to do was to destroy and disperse,” said James Clapper in comments reported by the New York Times on Oct. 29. Clapper heads the National Imagery and Mapping Agency. - - - - - - - By Saturday morning European news services were quoting an unnamed Jordanian official, who revealed that the al-Qaida plotters planned to use weapons of mass destruction in the foiled attack. “We found primary materials to make a chemical bomb which, if it had exploded, would have made nearly 20,000 deaths … in an area of one square kilometre,” the official told Agence France-Press. Another operation planned by the network was to use “deadly gas against the US embassy and the prime minister’s office in Amman,” he added. A car belonging to the al-Qaida plotters, containing a chemical bomb and poisonous gas, was intercepted just 75 miles from the Syrian border. - - - - - - - It’s past time to give Syrian President Bashir Assad an ultimatum: voluntarily let the U.S. search Syria for Saddam Hussein’s WMD, or we’ll send in some troops. The rationale for the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq (to prevent Saddam’s WMD from being used against the U.S. by al Qaeda or other terrorists) is precisely the same rationale present now for the U.S. to go into Syria. This is a duplicate of the original post on the nikita demosthenes website. April 14, 2004
Tenet: U.S. Lacks Tools to Combat al-Qaida
AP: Tenet: U.S. Lacks Tools to Combat al-Qaida CIA director George Tenet predicted Wednesday it will take “another five years of work to have the kind of clandestine service our country needs” to combat al-Qaida and other terrorist threats. (Thank you, Frank Church.) April 09, 2004
Uzbek Terrorists Said Trained by al-Qaida
AP: Uzbek Terrorists Said Trained by al-Qaida The suspects behind a wave of suicide bombings and attacks on police in Uzbekistan got military training from Arab instructors who also taught al-Qaida fighters, the country’s top prosecutor said Friday. April 06, 2004
Al Qaeda Absent In Final Clinton-Clarke National Security Report
Via today’s Washington Times: - - - - - - - The final policy paper on national security that President Clinton submitted to Congress — 45,000 words long — makes no mention of al Qaeda and refers to Osama bin Laden by name just four times. The scarce references to bin Laden and his terror network undercut claims by former White House terrorism analyst Richard A. Clarke that the Clinton administration considered al Qaeda an “urgent” threat, while President Bush’s national security adviser, Condoleezza Rice, “ignored” it. The Clinton document, titled “A National Security Strategy for a Global Age,” is dated December 2000 and is the final official assessment of national security policy and strategy by the Clinton team. The document is publicly available, though no U.S. media outlets have examined it in the context of Mr. Clarke’s testimony and new book. . . . the Clinton administration’s final national security document, written while Mr. [Richard A.] Clarke was a high-level national security adviser, never mentions al Qaeda. - - - - - - - More detail on how the national security failures of Clinton and Clarke helped unleash global terrorism, see the recent book on the subject, “Losing Bin Laden: How Bill Clinton’s Failures Unleashed Global Terror” by Richard Miniter: ![]() Losing Bin Laden: How Bill Clinton’s Failures Unleashed Global Terror Per Amazon.com’s review of Miniter’s book: - - - - - - - Book Description Years before the public knew about bin Laden, Bill Clinton did. Bin Laden first attacked Americans during Clinton’s presidential transition in December 1992. He struck again at the World Trade Center in February 1993. Over the next eight years the archterrorist’s attacks would escalate killing hundreds and wounding thousands - while Clinton did his best to stymie the FBI and CIA and refused to wage a real war on terror. Why? The answer is here in investigative reporter Richard Miniter’s stunning exposé, Losing bin Laden: How Bill Clinton’s Failures Unleashed Global Terror, that includes exclusive interviews with both of Clinton’s National Security Advisors, Clinton’s Counter-Terrorism Czar, his first Director of Central Intelligence, his Secretary of State, top CIA and FBI agents, lawmakers from both parties and foreign intelligence officials from France, Sudan, Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates, as well as on-the-scene coverage from Sudan, Egypt, and elsewhere. Bill Clinton had countless opportunities to nab Osama bin Laden during his presidency, but time and time again, bin Laden slipped out of the Clinton administration’s grasp, In Losing bin Laden you’ll learn: - How the Northern Alliance was criticized by the Clinton Administration for trying to kill bin Laden-and why they kept trying anyway. - The never-before-told story of the Saudi government attempt to assassinate bin Laden. - Why Bill Clinton refused to meet with his first Director of Central Intelligence. - Drawn from secret Sudanese intelligence files, the never-before-told story of bin Laden’s role in shooting down America’s Black Hawk helicopters in Mogadishu, Somalia-and how Clinton manipulated the news media to keep the worst off America’s TV screens. - How the Clinton administration turned down repeated offers from Sudan to hand over bin Laden to the U.S. because they didn’t want him in a U.S. court. - How the Clinton administration never took a look at offered Sudanese intelligence files, a database of names, movements and locations of bin Laden and hundreds of al Qaeda operatives. - The 1993 World Trade Center attack-why Clinton never visited the site; why the CIA was kept out of the investigation; how one of the FBI’s most trusted informants was actually a double agent working for bin Laden. - Why the CIA never funded bin Laden-despite the liberal myths. - The untold story of a respected congressman who repeatedly warned Clinton officials about bin Laden in 1993-and why he was ignored. - Revealed for the first time; how Clinton and a Democratic senator stopped the CIA from hiring Arabic translators-while phone intercepts from bin Laden remained untranslated. - How the Predator spy plane-which spotted bin Laden three times-was grounded by bureaucratic infighting. - Why the Clinton administration refused to retaliate for the attack on the U.S.S. Cole. Plus much more, including appendices of secret documents and photos, as well as the established links between bin Laden and Saddam Hussein’s Iraq. Losing bin Laden is a dramatic, page-turning read, a riveting account of a terror war that bin Laden openly declared, but that Clinton left largely unfought. With a pounding narrative, upclose characters, and detailed scenes, it takes you inside the Oval Office, the White House Situation Room, and some of the deadliest terrorist cells that America has ever faced. If Clinton had fought back, the attacks on September 11, 2001, might never have happened. Losing bin Laden is a story-and one hell of a lesson-that the reader will never forget. - - - - - - - For more on this story, see: Instapundit, Captain’s Quarters, National Review, QandO, and Croooow Blog. Via Instapundit. This is a duplicate of the original post at the nikita demosthenes website. US Embassy in Jordan warns it was potential target
JERUSALEM POST: US Embassy in Jordan warns it was potential target The US Embassy was the target of a terror plot hatched by armed Muslim terrorists detained in Jordan last week and believed to be linked to al-Qaida. March 26, 2004
Did Rice Know About Al Qaeda?
Here is a quote from Condi Rice in October of 2000 [before the election]: Osama bin Laden, do two things, the first is you really have to get the intelligence agencies better organized to deal with the terrorist threat to the United States itself. One of the problems that we have is a kind of split responsibility, of course, between the CIA in foreign intelligence and the FBI in domestic intelligence. There needs to be better cooperation because we don’t want to wake up one day and find out that Osama bin Laden has been successful on our own territory. Here is the quote from Richard Clarke’s new book: … as I briefed Rice on Al-Qaeda, her facial expression gave me the impression she had never heard of the term before. So I added, ‘Most people think of it as Osama bin Laden’s group, but it is much more than that, it’s a network of affiliated terrorist organizations with cells in over 50 countries, including the U.S. Listen to the sound byte at Rush Limbaugh. March 24, 2004
CNN Reports Rice Releasing Email From Clarke Post-Septmeber 11
CNN is reporting that Condi Rice just held a press conference to release an unclassified portion of an email sent to her from Dick Clarke just after September 11 in which he states that he worries the Bush Administration might be accused of not doing enough to prevent September 11, and listing actions that the Administration had taken against terrorism and Al Qaeda to combat that perception. 6:04 update: CNN reports Rice says on July 5, 2001, she met with Clarke and instructed him to put all domestic agencies on a higher alert, because there was a chance of a domestic attack, even though the evidence principly indicated a foreign attack. March 17, 2004
Almost, but not quite
JERUSALEM POST/AP: Frenchman tries to run over Bin Laden look-alike A Frenchman was convicted for trying to run over a pedestrian he mistook for Osama bin Laden. March 11, 2004
UPI: Madrid bombings carry al-Qaida hallmark
From UPI: While all fingers in Spain are pointing at the Basque separatist movement ETA as the perpetrators of Thursday’s atrocious train bombings that left some 186 dead and 600 wounded, the attacks carry all the markings of al-Qaida and its jihadi affiliates. First, ETA generally warns Spanish authorities moments before launching their attacks in which civilians are likely to be harmed. This, obviously, was not the case on Thursday. February 28, 2004
Tehran Radio: Osama bin Laden Captured; US & Pakistan Deny Report
Osama bin Laden has been captured along the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan, according to a report Saturday on Tehran Radio. The United States and Pakistan on Saturday denied the reports. February 23, 2004
The CIA in Iraq & Afghanistan
Amygdala excerpts and links to a report on the state of the CIA in Iraq & Afghanistan. It’s not a comfortable read, but it is enlightening. This situation has been developing since the mid-70s, and post-9/11 criticisms from ex-agents like Robert Baer and Reuel Marc Gerecht were unsparing and accurate. While CIA Director Tenet’s Georgetown speech trumpeted significantly improved human intelligence capabilities, the truth is that even an incomplete fix will probably take at least five years. Until then, this is what things will often look like on the ground. UPDATE: StrategyPage adds some further thoughts on the CIA’s “human intelligence” difficulties. It also offers a very vivid look at the moral and political challenges inherent to this kind of intelligence work, especially when viewed from a left-lib perspective. I suspect this is why my colleague Armed Liberal is always so stunned when he hears other liberals blithely propose extensive covert action, SOG teams, etc. as the preferred way to deal with al-Qaeda - so if you’re one of those, please read it. February 21, 2004
Rumors/Reports that Bin Laden is 'Boxed In'?
I was going to wait for more credible sources but looks like it’s about to take off in the blogosphere so here is the rumor. (Please note these are Australian wires reporting that a British paper will be making the official report - if there is really anything to this no one should be reporting on it becuase, well, Bin Laden might have a radio!) First reports; The Weekend Australian and News.com.auand The Sunday Mail OSAMA bin Laden is reportedly surrounded by United States special forces in a mountain range that straddles north-west Pakistan and Afghanistan. February 12, 2004
NBC: Soldier accused of trying to aid al-Qaida
According to MSNBC, a National Guard member has been arrested for helping Al Qaeda. Spc. Ryan G. Anderson has been charged with “aiding the enemy by wrongfully attempting to communicate and give intelligence to the al-Qaida terrorist network,” U.S. officials told NBC News. The officials said that Anderson was caught up in a sting operation conducted jointly by the Army, the Justice Department and the FBI. Anderson, however, is currently being held and charged only by the Army. Anderson is a Muslim, officials said. February 10, 2004
Islamic Extremists Enter US, Join Sleepers
Wash Times reports on Islamic extremists entering the the US. Islamic radicals are being trained at terrorist camps in Pakistan and Kashmir as part of a conspiracy to send hundreds of operatives to “sleeper cells” in the United States, according to U.S. and foreign officials. Pakistani officials are denying the accusations. January 08, 2004
Dan's Winds of War: Jan 8/03
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 * Saudi Arabia, friend or foe? This is an issue that I've dealt with in the past here on Winds of Change, but right now I'm taking to task a recent article in Foreign Affairs that, as noted by the Belmont Club, seeks to Kremlinize the issue of Saudi Arabia into traditional Cold War divisions of moderate/hardliner, much the same way that has unfortunately been done in many media outlets on the issue of Iran in regards to the civilian government and the unelected clergy. Michael Scott Doran, the author of the article, is wrong in many interesting ways. * For those of you just joining us, I have an analysis of recent events that have been largely ignored by Western media outlets in Dagestan, Thailand, Nigeria, and Iraq. * Recent investigations by European law enforcement have identified London as al-Qaeda command and control center in Europe. I would note that blogosphere was talking about these Milan transcripts several weeks ago thanks to the efforts of Alphabet City. Other Topics Today Include: Iraq Briefing; Iran Reports, USA Homeland Security Briefing; Osama's new video; the UK a terrorist haven; arrested Americans in the Philippines tied to MILF; Ahmed Hussein Abu al-Khir possibly captured; radical Islam in Bangladesh; 150 Saudis petition against education reform; Taiwan targeted by al-Qaeda; Nigerian Taliban; bin Laden's legacy; Taliban bombing in Kandahar; and suing the television. January 01, 2004
Deputy to Al-Zawahiri arrested?
NewsMax is carrying a story, citing the Middle Eastern Media Research Institute, which claims that Ahmad Hassan Abu Al-Khir, the top deputy of Al-Qaeda second-in-command Ayman Al-Zawahiri, has been arrested. The intel apparently comes from “Islamist sources in London”, in contact with MEMRI. December 23, 2003
BIN LADEN NEXT?
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.Cross-post from OTB December 19, 2003
AP: Boat With Drugs, Ties to al-Qaida Seized
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 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. October 20, 2003
Bio-terror link in raid on JI hideout
Sydney Morning Herald/AFP: Security forces recovered a bio-terror manual and traces of possible biological weapons in a raid on a Jemaah Islamiah hideout in the southern Philippine city of Cotabato, the army said today. October 08, 2003
Special Analysis: Al-Qaeda Reorganizing
2003 has not been a good year so far by al-Qaeda. In the course of less than six months, key members of their military committee have been captured or killed as a result of the US-led campaign against terrorism. Their two biggest losses so far this year include that of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the head of their military committee, and Hanbali, the operations chief of Jemaah Islamiyyah. The network's terror theoretician, Yusuf al-Ayyeri, was killed in a gunfight in Saudi authorities. Ali Abd al-Ghamdi has been captured and over 600 members of the Salafi Jihad have been arrested in Morocco. In addition, any number of senior commanders and mid-level leaders have been arrested worldwide since the beginning of the year, many of them since the fall of Saddam Hussein's government in Iraq. The capture of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed likely served as the catalyst to spur this reorganization of the terror network..... September 25, 2003
Dan's Winds of War: Sept 25/03
TOP TOPICS
Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; more intrigue at Guantanamo Bay; al-Qaeda in desperation in the US; the terror network's spinal problems; Hanbali's successor; an arrest warrant for the Sahara kidnapper; more fighting in Algeria; Taliban bases in Pakistan; MMA ranting in Baluchistan; Saudi foot-dragging on terror financiers, Mullah Omar's latest war council; Afghan women learning to defend themselves; the Venezuelan recall; Chechens targeting schoolchildren; US bases in Africa; and a smuggler with snakes in his pants! September 17, 2003
Saudi Arabia, Pakistan & Bin Laden
The blogosphere has been on the Saudis' case for a long time now over their role in al-Qaeda and beyond. Now doubts about the Saudis are going mainstream, and similar doubts are growing about Pakistan and the role of its ISI intelligence service. They too have been on the blogosphere's hit list for quite some time now, but a combination of recent events and the work of a French anti-Idiotarian intellectual are beginning to bring their role into mainstream consciousness as well. Dan Darling & I are currently engaged in a research project into "The Saudi-Pakistani-Bin Laden Triangle," and we'll be drawing together sources and analysis to paint a more complete picture for our readers. In the meantime, we thought it might be a useful service to hand our readers some advance sources and reading materials... September 12, 2003
Al-Jazeera Releases Video of Sept. 11 Hijacker
More from Fox News... September 11, 2003
Sept 11: Two years on, Asean breaks terrorism's deadly lock
A summary about the progress of GWOT since 9/11 on the South East Asian front from the Straits Times: ...while terrorism in South-east Asia has suffered certain setbacks over the past two years, it remains a threat. Terrorists are unlikely to be able to overthrow or endanger the survival of any government, but they have the capacity to inflict serious economic harm by damaging investor sentiment and the tourism industry. 9/11 al-Qaeda Enablers: Where Are They Now?
The 19 hijackers of the September 11 attacks are dead, along with the 3,000 innocent people they murdered on that fateful day. While the FBI believes that the hijackers did not act with the support of a vast conspiracy inside the United States (thereby providing support to Joe Katzman's contention that al-Qaeda is weak in the continental USA), we know that they did not act alone. After 9/11, President Bush vowed that whether we bring our enemies to justice or justice to our enemies that justice would be done. In this analysis, I take a look at the key enablers and co-conspirators for September 11. Where are they now, after 2 years of the War on Terror? Dan Darling does some excellent research, and answers those questions.... September 07, 2003
Al-Qaeda promise more attacks
More from iTV... August 13, 2003
Saudi names al Qaeda held by Iran
CNN:
More... July 31, 2003
Top al Qaeda operative told of hijackings
CNN:
More... Al-Qaeda may have funded Bali blasts, trial witness says
More... July 30, 2003
Israel Says It Nabbed Al-Qaeda Operatives
Israeli security forces have nabbed al-Qaeda operatives who were preparing to recruit others and establish a terrorist base in Israel, Israeli Deputy UN Ambassador Aryeh Mekel told the Security Council. Mekel said the operatives were carrying foreign passports when they were picked up attempting to enter the country. July 29, 2003
Qaida targets Israeli interests in E. Africa
More... July 28, 2003
Andrew's Winds of War: July 27/03
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. Today's "Winds of War" is brought to you by Andrew Olmsted of AndrewOlmsted.com. TOP TOPICS * The U.S. is adopting more aggressive tactics in Iraq. MSNBC does a very good job of describing the tactics, the adjustments from both sides, and the results: 300 Iraqi fedayeen dead, rewards for U.S. troops up over 1500% to induce cooperation, more intelligence, fewer 'contact' incidents of fire. I'm not big on body counts etc., but the tactical descriptions tell us a lot. The Toronto Star adds more first-hand accounts. * Bring 'em on? Apparently terrorists are taking President Bush at his word. U.S. commander Ricardo Sanchez reports that Iraq has become a magnet for foreign terrorists looking to attack Americans. In the long run this will be a good thing, but it also means a higher casualty rate for the foreseeable future. * JK: Andrew won't link to this, but I will: his initial thoughts about the 9/11 Congressional Report. Matt Yglesias, meanwhile, notes some interesting things about Afghanistan, and the Saudis. Just ask Omar Bayyumi. Other Topics Today Include: WMD updates; Japan to Iraq; al-Qaeda in Iran; FBI & TTIC; Israel releases 200 terrorists from jail; Syria; Phillipines aftermath & implications; Malaysia warns Burma; America marks the 50th anniversary of the Korean War armistice as NK prepares for a nuclear test; and the humourous "Ig Nobel" prizes. July 26, 2003
Classified Section of Sept. 11 Report Faults Saudi Rulers
NY Times (reg. req'd)
More... ‘9/11 Attacks Plotted in Manila’
More... I'll post the link to CNN's story when I find it. Casablanca Terror Suspect Admits Failure
AP:
More... July 14, 2003
Lawmakers: Report to show al Qaeda-Saudi ties
CNN :
More... July 10, 2003
Al-Qaida called Sept 11 attacks 'Operation Holy Tuesday'
More... Dan's Winds of War: July 10
Winds of Change.NET runs "Winds of War" every Monday & Thursday - a fast, convenient, high-powered round-up of global developments that matter in the War on Terror. Thanks to a scheduling glitch, we have 2 editions today. Venemous Kate's Winds of War: 2003-07-10 is up right now on Winds of Change.NET. As a bonus, I'm posting excerpts from Dan Darling's Winds of War bulletin here in relevant areas of The Command Post.
July 04, 2003
Jewish museum 'was terror target'
CNN:
More... Saudi Crackdown Uncovers Terror Plots
AP:
More... Terror web in SE Asia bared in court
BBC News and CNN: East Asia are linked together across the region, an Indonesian court has heard. July 03, 2003
Saudi Suspect "Blows Self Up"
"AP: JIDDAH, Saudi Arabia - The top al-Qaida fugitive wanted in the Riyadh suicide bombings died in an explosion Thursday, an Interior Ministry official said. A television report said he killed himself as police moved in to capture him. Turki Nasser al-Dandani blew himself up in the northern province of al-Jawf, 560 miles north of the capital Riyadh, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. The official gave no further details on the blast." (Hat Tips: Winds of Change.NET uber-reader M. Simon, & VikingPundit) To quote the SNL Church Lady: "isn't that conveeeenient." Doesn't leave a body to identify, or a suspect to talk. Winds of War: 2003-07-03
JULY 3/03: 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. Today's "Winds of War" is brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis. TOP TOPICS July 02, 2003
Saudis Arrest Suicide Bombings Suspect
AP:
Full article... FBI Says Al Qaeda Has Blank Saudi Passports
Full article... See also, the FBI's Congressional report on "The State of the Terrorist Threat Facing the United States." June 30, 2003
Key Bali bomb suspect captured
BBC News: One of the main suspects in last October's Bali bombings in Indonesia has been arrested, a senior official has said.Full story »» Special Report: Abu Musab Zarqawi
Dan Darling briefs us all on al-Qaeda commander Abu Musab Zarqawi, the man Colin Powell mentioned by name in his pre-war speech to the U.N: "Over the last six months, claims of a tie between al-Qaeda and the Iraqi regime have centered around an infamous Jordanian national named Ahmed al-Khalayeh, who operates under the nom de guerre of Abu Musab Zarqawi. Yet some European and even American intelligence sources question the designation of him as an al-Qaeda operative, instead citing Zarqawi as the leader of an independent terrorist organization called al-Tawhid....Dan delivers on that promise. Oh boy, does he ever. June 29, 2003
Pakistan Finds Video on al-Qaida Suspect
AP:
Full article... June 27, 2003
Bin Laden Named in Asian Terror Plots
WaPo:
Full article... June 26, 2003
Terrorists Possibly Targeting Texas
Full article... Sources: Private bin Laden letters called for attacks
CNN:
Full article... June 24, 2003
Five Al Qaeda Suspects Held in Malawi
Full article... June 20, 2003
Kurds Warn That Al-Qaida Linked Militia May Be Returning to Northern Iraq
AP: TUWELLA, Iraq -- Beyond the ridge where the Zagros Mountains divide Iran and Iraq, several hundred Islamic militants vanished into the early spring snow. Full article... June 19, 2003
Spanish Police Arrest 2nd Casablanca Bomb Suspect
MADRID - Spanish police have arrested a Moroccan man suspected of involved in bombings in the city of Casablanca last month that killed 43 people, including 12 suicide bombers, police said on Thursday. US driver planned to destroy bridge
BBC: A US lorry driver has admitted taking part in a plot to sabotage the Brooklyn Bridge in New York, US officials have said. Full article... June 18, 2003
Two Al Qaeda Suspects Nabbed in Pakistan
PESHAWAR, Pakistan — Two suspected Al Qaeda members -- including one believed to be a longtime aide to Usama bin Laden -- were arrested Wednesday in northwestern Pakistan, the information minister said. Full article... June 17, 2003
Britain: al-Qaeda capable of unconventional attack
LONDON (AP) — al-Qaeda is still capable of a deadly attack, and it is only a matter of time before terrorists target a Western city with unconventional weapons, the head of Britain's domestic intelligence agency said Tuesday. Full article... Indon bombing suspect trained in the Philippines
Under the guidance of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front, of course. No surprise there. (See this previous TCP post.) ABS-CBN News: JAKARTA - A suspect in a deadly McDonald's restaurant bombing told a court Tuesday that he and other Indonesian Islamic militants had trained at a rebel camp in the southern Philippines.Full story »» June 01, 2003
Philippine Camps Are Training Al Qaeda's Allies
From the New York Times: The southern Philippines has become the training center for Al Qaeda's Southeast Asia affiliate, Jemaah Islamiyah, drawing recruits from a number of countries, according to Western and Philippine officials.Full story »» May 22, 2003
"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. May 16, 2003
AP- At Least 20 Die in Casablanca Blasts
According to the Associated Press:
The previous version of this story read: According to the Associated Press: RABAT, Morocco - Four car bombs exploded in the coastal city of Casablanca Friday, leaving several people dead or wounded, Moroccan security officials said. Here's the Reuters version of the story. May 15, 2003
Strategy Page: Eyewitness Accounts of the Riyadh Bombings
The Strategy Page has what they say are two first hand accounts of the Riyadh attacks:
By the second heavy burst of fire I ran to the stairs and hollered to my housemate Dave who was already in bed on the second floor. he jumped up and left his room. the shooting lasted about sixty seconds before the bomb detonated. At this point I remember everything in slow motion. As I turned from the stairs to grab my shoes and start turning off the lights (since it sounded like they were inside the perimeter and heading our way) I turned one step to my right, into a small alcove where my shoes were, & the world suddenly turned orange. There was a massive flash, and I could actually see the shockwave as the window and doors blew in, things blew by me, glass shattered, and the blast picked me up and shoved me back against a wall, -hard...the noise was .. incredible, undescribale, aparently they detonated a truck full of RDX about 200 meters from me. the blast seemed to last forever. as the front rooms came apart it reminded me of those slow motion nuke test films.. See the Strategy Page for the rest of this account, and for the second one. May 01, 2003
Pakistani Ruler Says Bin Laden May Be Alive
Pakistani Ruler Says Bin Laden May Be Alive Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, said Thursday there were indications Osama bin Laden was alive and might be hiding in tribal territory on the Pakistani-Afghan border. |