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 normally given by Colt, of Eurabian Times. This week Colt is enjoying a well deserved break.

Today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by USMC_Vet of The Word Unheard.

TOP TOPICS

• Ken Timmerman’s new book, “Countdown to Crisis: The Coming Nuclear Showdown with Iran”, contains this document showing a definitive link between Iran and al Qaeda, detailing the smuggling of oil products into Iran in the early 1990’s. Timmerman has also written a brief al Qaeda-Iran Timeline, beginning with a relationship spun up by Zawahiri in Sudan in 1992.

• Now that the silly election inconvenience is over, the real Ahmadinejad confidently steps forward in Iran. You’ll remember him. Yes, him.

• Operation Sword has swung into action in western Iraq. So far, information has been sparsely available, save for official press releases and the re-working of them by the press they are released to. Weapons caches have been siezed and there is a report that 13 were captured and detained.

Other Topics Today Include:

Russia ready to build six more reactors in Iran; Iran’s Second Islamic Revolution; Iraq terror manula contains ‘moral justification for killing innocent Iraqis’; a ‘Defining Battle’ for Iraqi troops; Night Stalker down in Afghanistan; Zalmay Khalilzad’s would-be assassins arrested; Operation Diablo Reach Back; Hizballah attacks Israeli positions; Pastor tells congress of ‘North American Community’ borderless ‘security’ plan; Darfur War Crimes considered by ICC; US Coast Guard in Africa; China’s Unocal chase; France is demanding something else again; 70 Achievements in the War on Terrorism and much more.

Read the Rest…

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

• Hardliner Ahmadinejad wins the Iranian election, making European raproachment less likely. Here is a tame profile - but Dan Darling notes Ahmadinejad’s connections to Qods Force, which is currently protecting al-Qaeda’s leadership in Iran. Publius Pundit, meanwhile, notes the Iranian people basically boycotted this election.

• Iraq’s Prime Minister puts the pressure on Syria to close the borders to prevent the flow of foreign jihadis into Iraq, and says relations with the US won’t change even if there’s a US conflict with Iran. So much for that “Shi’ite election winners = Iranian allies” idea…

• In Afghanistan, its been a tough week of fighting and the Taliban isn’t holding up so well. Well over 130 have been killed and senior commanders have been killed or captured.

• Rumsfeld admitted on a Sunday morning show that the US has been meeting Sunni insurgency leaders to convince them to lay down their arms, but denied that any negotiation was taking place with Zarqawi’s organization.

Other Topics Today Include:

Al Qaeda in Iran; Ahmadinejad wants nukes, not US; Zarqawi’s #2 bagged; Ansar al Sunnah leader caught; Unsettling times in Gaza for Israelis; Hamas sez more killing!; Mugabe destroys, rebuilds; Terror in Kashmir; Burning in Bangladesh; Choppings in Thailand; Sri Lankan Peace overtures; CIA agents charged for renditions; and much more…

Read the Rest…

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

• Al-Qaeda in Iraq has announced the establishment of an all-Iraqi suicide squad, apparently to dissuade Iraqis that the murderous ‘resistance’ is foreign. The statement did not explain why it took al-Qaeda over two years since the invasion to form such a unit.

• JK: BBC interviewee Jeremy Binnie of Jane’s Terrorism and Insurgency Centre believes the “flypaper strategy” is working. Impearls has a fuller analysis, with some new developments in Europe.

• A survey of arms experts by a Senate committee has found that the experts believe there is a high risk of a WMD attack this decade.

• The IDF seems to have returned to targeted killings. The PIJ target in question escaped.

Other Topics Today Include: Brits arrest Iran dissidents; Russia to deliver nuclear fuel in months; spy-plane crashes; palestinian burn victim tries to blow up hospital; anti-Syrian politician killed; Red-on-Red; Saudis kill two jihadis; 9/11 suspect caught in Mexico; Hezbollah drug ring smashed; Hamas says they spoke to senior German official; Spain arrests five more; Chechens kidnapped young girls for suicide bombings?; Karzai says Pakistan interfering; Taliban kicked out of town; seven Abu Sayyaf get death penalties; more jihad in Thailand; Al-Qaeda’s Africa arm stirs; A-Q angry with Sudan for intelligence tips to U.S.; and much more.

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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.

Top Topics

• Further endearing his cause to the masses, Al Qaeda leader Ayman al Zawahiri issued a new tape, this time denouncing demonstration, people power and colored revolutions, insisting that peaceful change was impossible and armed struggle (the terrorist kind) was essential. Does he sound scared? One of his Pakistani hideouts may have been discovered.

• Mexican special forces replaced a border town’s entire police force (pop. 500,000), detaining hundreds of them on suspicion of being in cahoots with druglords. Operation Safe Mexico targets 14 cities that are overwhelmed by druglord paramilitary violence. American law enforcement, having shared information in the past that led to no action, is skeptical but keeping an open mind. Nuevo Laredo is across the border from Laredo, TX and is the site of a recent police chief slaying by a drug gang (reported in this space two weeks ago).

• Michael Chertoff plans to propose some big changes for the Department of Homeland Security, but they’re on hold for now while he trims the bureaucracy and tries to mold it into a more effective domestic counterterror force. The intelligence arm of the Department faces a major overhaul, the details of which are to be announced by the end of June.

• In a further blow to CIA’s independence (which isn’t a bad thing), its station chiefs around the world will now report both to NDI John Negroponte and their boss Porter Goss. Also, the House intelligence committee chairman says he’s dropping legislation to subject Pentagon intelligence operations, including tactical intelligence for the military, to CIA “coordination”. A bad idea, and it’s good that it was dropped. The CIA and FBI took steps to end their turf war as well.

• Rumors that Israel was being systematically left out in the cold were finally officially confirmed by the Pentagon. Just when Caroline Glick declared that the US was abandoning its alliance with Israel over arms sales to China, Silvan Shalom, Israel’s foreign minister, has formally apologized to the United States over the Harpy drones and Israeli insensitivity to US security concerns, simultaneously with a visit by Condi Rice in which she is said to be taking it easy on a politically shaky Sharon. Rice is seeking to ease Israeli fears over the Gaza pullout, but Israel is taking few chances, commencing construction of an underwater barrier to seal off Gaza. Meanwhile, two Israeli journalists, tapping into rising anti-disengagement sentiment in Israel, say that people close to Sharon think disengagement is more about protecting Sharon from an anti-corruption probe. Colt has more.

Other Topics Today Include:
Iran nuclear doings; Hamas rejects call to disarm; more foreigners in Iraq insurgency; Operations Spear, Dagger underway; Gangbusters bill; OTMs increase to 100,000; Patriot Act hobbled; Ugandan border security; Sudanese peace deal; Ethiopia crackdown denounced; Sudan intel chief visit controversial; Al Qaeda wants to make Afghanistan another Iraq; Aus Fed Police do counterterror in Phillippines; Mullah Krekar in Norway to be deported; 3 imams deported in Holland; German snit over Rummy snub; G8 security leaks, high-level doings and agreements; renditions program running into trouble overseas; UK to deploy 5000 more to Afghanistan and much more…

Read the Rest…

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

• A UAE paper claims that U.S. troops are massing near the Syrian border.

• Iran has been using plutonium for years. They also recieved technology for a weapons program - both things happened much earlier than Tehran had previously admitted.

• The Khadr saga has a good moment: the Mounties have found a cache of information on Zaynab Khadr’s laptop.

Other Topics Today Include: North Korea to build missile bunkers in Iran; al-Adel in Iran; Syria takes out ‘terror cell’; U.S. and Turkey part ways?; child-recruiting Fatah men arrested; Israel predicts more terror from Gaza; PA to collapse; Douglas Wood freed by Iraqi SF; carbomb-maker caught; IAEA tells KSA to cooperate; Congress considers KSA arms ban; Lebanese man given 4 1/2 years for aiding Hezbollah; Mexico ignoring AQ?; Yarkas took metro with Atta; Muslim migrants oppose Dutch gov’t immigration/integration plans; Spanish police net 16; Danes abuse anti-terror laws; Uzbekistan airbases less necessary; Taliban commander caught; Thai Buddhist beheaded by Muslims; U.S. exercises in North Africa; and much more.

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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

• Three more suspects are arrested in Lodi/al Qaeda sleeper cell case, raising fears that more cells are out there. Dan Darling reminds us that we shouldn’t be shocked that terrorist training camps exist in Pakistan, as the LeT is still open for business. Pakistan denies terrorist camps exist within their borders. The Counterterroism Blog weighs in as well.

• Bill Gertz reports that China analysts have missed a significant buildup in China’s military capabilities, and calls into question the policy of depending on area specialists.

• The humanitarian/authoritarian crisis in Zimbabwe worsens. Where is the UN? The opposition planned a strike, but it was a ‘flop’. More from Joe, who wants to arm the Zimbabwean opposition. Also, there are rumors Mugabe’s health is not so good (or very good, depending on your perspective).

• Salon.com states the Bush administration is trumping up “false” charges against the Assad Regime ala Iraq to precipitate an invasion. Syria’s Ambassador repeats the charges.

Other Topics Today Include:

Bombs in Iran; Iranian protest babes fight sexual discrimination; al Qaeda in Iran; Saudi Religious Police on the outs?; Syria not complying with Lebanon withdrawal; PATRIOT Games; Bolivian blowup; American prisons = Islamists breeding grounds; Africans high percentage of terrorists in Iraq; Darfur update; Resolution in Kashmir?; al Qaeda whereabouts; Thailand terror; Russian train derailed by bomb; ETA at it again; foreign jihadis swell the ranks of Iraqi insurgency; and much more…

Read the Rest…

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

• Outside Iraq, but Deep in the Fight. A long and fascinating look at the trails of jihad leading to Iraq from Syria. Bill Roggio chimes in with The Syrian End of the Ratline

• The Pentagon is looking to kill off the mid-level A-Q terrorists who enable the top-tier to function.

• Iraqi government officials have praised a Shi’ite organisation that many Sunnis say is behind the recent spate of murders of Sunni notables.

Other Topics Today Include: A-Q living in Iran; Iran to work with IAEA; Hezbollah does well; IDF wants to fight Hamas; Hamas willing to talk; PIJ test rockets in Judea and Samaria; poisoned melons; Sunni terrorists may disarm; Kurd president favours Israel ties; Saudi preacher changes tune; bloody-chainsaw man allowed to enter U.S.; father-son A-Q pair arrested in CA; al-Arian’s lawyers deny everything; HRW worried for al-Libbi; Dutch nab two Iraqi ‘resistors’; Zapatero says ETA talks will end terror; CSM picks up 3/11 weirdness; Uzbek jihadis threaten U.S.; Taliban finished as battle force; OIC says Thai terror not religious; GSPC claims attack; and much more besides.

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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

• Is Zarqawi wounded? Bill and Dan look at what his condition might be, and where he might have gone, as well as the repercussions of his death.

• Mystery Achievement has a translation of an Italian article, in which Iyad Allawi claims that Zawahiri was invited to Iraq in 1999.

• Operation Charm Offensive Towards Islamists. The U.S., now, not just the Europeans.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran diplomatic wrangling; Egypt’s reforms; Hezbollah admits to rocket arsenal; PA rejects prisoner release offer; Hitler to run in PLO elections; Syria quits co-operation with U.S.; Zarqawi guys nabbed; Iraq legalises alcohol; Roggio analyses; Hezbollah in the U.S.; U.S. looking to protect Europe from Islam; central America terror alert a false alarm; ETA bomb wounds 50+; Bosnian police chief retracts 3/11 detonator claim; E.U. improving Hezbollah, Hamas ties; petrol bombs thrown at Syrian embassy in Berlin; three dead civilians in Kashmir; Taliban commander caught; Thai A-Q teacher and students arrested; Taylor recieves A-Q cash; West Africa a potential al-Qaeda base; and much more.

Read the rest…

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

• Nathan Hamm has kindly assembled a briefing on the situation in Uzbekistan: Early Friday morning, gunmen stormed Andijon’s prison freeing 2,000 prisoners, including 23 men charged with belonging to a banned Islamic group who were at the center of protests that began May 10. During the day on May 13, about 10,000 people gathered in Andijon’s central square where troops opened fire on the crowd killing more than 200 people. First-hand reports describe a city under siege. The city is calm now, though unrest continues in two towns on the border with Kyrgyzstan. Though it is still unclear whether or not those who seized government buildings were protesters or militants taking advantage of the situation, the primary concerns of those who were protesting throughout the week are economic.

• Blogosphere counter-terror expert Dan Darling offers further analysis re: what’s going on in Uzbekistan.

• The Qu’ran abuse story reported by Newsweek has been retracted. This false story has cost over 16 lives and sparked numerous riots in the Muslim world. No one will riot when copies of Newsweek are flushed this week.

• Haitham al-Yemeni, the reported successor to captured al Qaeda commander Abu Farraj al-Libbi, has been reported to have been killed in a strike by a US Predator in Pakistan. The Pakistani government denies this, however. Musharraf is claiming al Qaeda in Pakistan has been broken by al-Libbi’s capture. Right…

Other Topics Today Include: Enriching Iran; US interferes in Iran; Is/Hezb deathmatch; Saudi democracy in action; Yemeni cell jugged; Egypt just says no to the Muslim Brotherhood; Airplane!; Fake badges and visas; Flight turned away; Somolia still a mess; UN causes rape, pilliage, plunder in Darfur; LPG tanker recovered; The Rising Sun?; US interferes in Myanmar; Kashmiri presents; Bomb Thailand; Nork’s Nukes; Ocalan’s unfair trial; US interferes in former Soviet republics; Basque bombs; The perils of al Qaeda middle managers; Osama bracketed; another Zarqawi aide detained, and much much more…

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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

• This analysis looks at the implications for US security and policies in the Mideast in light of Chinese paranoia and energy opportunism. Two specific recent events are cited as telling-an editorial exposing the Communist regime’s paranoia and hostility towards the US program of Middle East democratization, and a Chinese promise to Iran to block any moves against it in the Security Council.

• Sandia boffins want to “abolish anonymity, the terrorist’s friend, and establish a voluntary decentralized surveillance system.” This was one of a many different approaches under discussion via worksops, scenario sessions, etc. The Sandia article explains.

• The PLO is inviting Hamas and Islamic Jihad to join the party. Abbas cannot muster the will to crack down on Palestinian “gunmen” who attack his own seat of government. Now that’s moderate! When Palestinian security chiefs resign over the lawlessness, it must be real bad.

• Arthur Chrenkoff’s latest Good News from Afghanistan briefing is up today!

Other Topics Today Include:
The Islamic revolution is over; Khomeini set aside a cool 2.5 bil for nukes in 2004; Saudi terror duplicity; Hamas terrorist admits of Syrian training; Day 1 of the Minutemen; FBI to blame in intel turf wars; Al Qaeda can carry out attacks at will in N. Africa, Europe; Mugabe ready to forgive wicked Blair; Pakistan finna blow; AQ Khan met Al Qaeda; Musharraf imitates Comical Ali; Zarqawi wants to imitate Chemical Ali; Mullah Krekar faces deportation at sweet long last; Al Qaeda are bourgeois pigs; surprising Al Qaeda progress on weaponizing bioagent; Osprey undergoing final tests and much, much more…

Read the Rest…

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

• Al-Quds al-Arabi says Alistair Crook set up a meeting between Hamas, Hezbollah and PIJ representatives and U.S. notables in Beirut. This would fit with this, a State Department official telling journalists that Hezbollah disarming is “an issue that should be decided by the Lebanese government”. Update: praktike in the comments points to a report from ‘diplomats said’ that Bush and Chirac agreed to a strategy in Lebanon that would accept a political role for Hezbollah.

• The Arab world will show solidarity with Syria against further foreign intervention at the Algiers conference. Another bomb in a Christian neighbourhood has killed three people. More on that from Publius Pundit.

• New terrorist training camps are springing up in Iraq, and evidence suggests the trainees include foreigners. But Iraqi and U.S. forces are killing them now.

• Al-Qaeda has released a new document, charmingly titled The Management of Barbarism.

Other Topics Today Include: enrichment to restart; Khamenei: death to America; Shihab-3 breakthrough; Irangeles; Knesset vote on referendum; Britain’s Berlin Wall; Hamas martyr week; Abdullah says Hezbollah & Syria help terrorists; Turkish media supports Assad; Medhi murders; 50,000 Iraqi troops ready; A-Q scuba bombers; Panama as a base of operations; UK courts jihadis; GCHQ warns of electronic attack; Dutch MPs “captive”; exposure of jihadis attacked by Belgian gov’t, Muslims; Karachi protest against Musharraf; Indonesia to outlaw JI; North Korea says they’ve built more nukes; teenage bombmaker caught; GSPC threatens, seethes; U.S. official shot in Darfur; and much more.

Read the Rest…

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

• Condi Rice demanded a full and honest accounting from Pakistan of all its nuclear dealings with Iran. She even demanded access to interrogate AQ Khan. Sounds like she means business.

• The US is convinced Iran is pursuing nuclear weapons, and Regime Change Iran lays out the case..

• Final Historian has an interesting analysis that argues we’re in the third phase of the GWOT-“Breakout”. Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3. Great stuff, FH!

• Three US carrier battle groups converge on Middle Eastern waters; something’s up, sooner or later.

• Come and get it, Al Qaeda! Saudi Arabia’s oil facilities are extremely well-protected against terrorism-the phrase used is “colossal means”.

Other Topics Today Include:
Iran intransigence; Irangeles; Kurds inflitrating Iran; Arafat’s moolah; Al Qaeda wannabes busted; Full Lebanon pullout; bombings all over the Middle East; Homeland Security is vigilantly protecting the nation’s miniature golf courses; blowing up satellites; US weapons import sting operations net many bad guys; East Africa coast threat to shipping; UN to take more concrete action on Sudan?; Ethiopian troops to Somalia?; Taiwan invasion dress rehearsal; Russia offers plastic surgery for tips on Basayev; did we lose our wargame with India on purpose?; IRA threatens to bomb the UK mainland again; Spain arrests a Syrian; UK coppers stifled by bureaucracy, spend 90% of their time filling forms; the SEALs get a really nice new gun while the Marines get virtual marksmanship training; deserters; rendition; blood for oil and much more…

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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

• A member of the Israeli parliament that works closely on defense issues states that Israel will only attack Iran “as a last resort”. Israel has plans for a combined attack on the Natanz nuclear facility, including raids by the storied Kingfisher commando unit and bunker-busters dropped from F-15s. Ariel Sharon and his inner cabinet gave preliminary approval for a plan to strike last month in a meeting at his ranch.

• Secret FBI report (if it’s so secret why do we know what’s in it?): Al Qaeda can’t hit us spectacularly any more. Condi: don’t be so quick to write them off. Interpol: Al Qaeda still formidable. FBI chief Mueller is concerned about Al Qaeda members crossing the border with fake IDs. And what hope is there, really, to block fake IDs when authorities admit that college students are always one step ahead of them?

• Zarqawi’s thoughts on attacking the US mainland are disturbing, as he ponders hitting “soft” targets like schools and restaurants.

• This Daily Star editorial looks at Hezbollah’s poor strategizing in siding with Syria over the Lebanese it claims to represent.

• America’s still putting the heat on Syria as the first Syrian troops returned home from Lebanon. And not only America…even Russia.

Other Topics Today Include:

• Iranian nuclear games: Roulette; Fun in Palestine; Nour free at last; Legitimizing Hezbollah?; The Homeland update; Aryans hearts Islamists; The Blind Sheikh still can speak to his flock; GPSC thinks big; The Nigerian Time-bomb; JI heart MILF; China hearts hates Taiwan; Khan!!!!!!; The dangers of outsourcing, to the Indians; New sheriff in Chechnya; A variety of European failures on the policing front; Kofi hearts Hezbollah; UN Peacekeepers heart Rape; Terrorist marketing strategies; and much, much more…

Read the Rest…

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

• The Word Unheard looks at the indicators that al Qaeda may be planning another 9-11 style attack, based on the support of Iran. There is a Lebanon connection. Dan Darling follows up with some thoughts on Iran’s involvement.

• Did you read with dismay of China’s vast espionage outfit in the United States, and wonder if we were going to do anything about it? Wonder no more, Bill Gertz has the scoop. We’re doing something about it, and how.

• Chester puts it all together and ponders whether the US is preparing to invade Abu Musa island as an effective show of force against Iran that would nonetheless avoid attacking the Iranian mainland and triggering nationalist sentiment, and would neutralize much of Iran’s ability to impose the new oil shock they recently threatened us with if we dared impose sanctions. Final Historian doesn’t think they can make a closure of the Hormuz strait stick for very long, and will be the weaker for it.

• Can what this writer calls “The Mighty Japanese Navy” (second only to ours) become a force for the maintenance of Pax Americana in the Pacific, in the face of Chinese aggression and a military buildup powered by European technology? They’re drafting constitutional amendments to establish Japan’s right to military action. Rummy and Condi were in Japan meeting their counterparts and strengthening the bilateral alliance while Bush pretended to like Europe. The Japanese are lining up with us on every important issue, and they’re going to make their military interoperable with ours. That’s huge. As Japan grows closer to Taiwan, it’s built up a fleet of anti-submarine destroyers and can begin to pose a credible deterrent to China. Realignment, and much intrigue, is afoot.

• A bomb of a pro-Bashir demonstration in Damascus, only 3,000 show up. And the Bekaa valley remains an area of interest to Syria. Publuis offers up the latest Lebanon roundup.

Other Topics Today Include:
Iran tunnels; State trying to throw cash around; Clinton looks to extend his streak of pointless apologies; Iranian secret police murdering dissidents abroad; France and Spain want to legalize Hamas; Israeli technomagic; democracy in Lebanon? Fat chance; New glam shots of Zarqawi, who may be in custody; Shi’a win seats in Saudi elections; Palestinian economy minister in bed with Hamas; Hezbollah won’t beat its swords into ploughshares; Syria expels two terrorists; I believe I(raq) can fly; Syria’s best gambit in Lebanon is…more chaos!; Hamas could attack US; US WMD sensors not too shabby; military recruitment is really hurting; Air Force, Boeing patch things up; Waterways Watch program inaugurated; CIA claims innocence of torture; tunnels being found at alarming rates; Canadians confiscate an Al Qaeda laptop; the nature of submarine warfare; Chinese submarine development; B2s deploy to Guam; Smurfs actually shoot some people in the Congo; GPSC not done terrorizing Algeria yet; The wheels on the Kashmir bus go round and round; Pakistan raids Waziristan Al Qaeda hideout; Lashkar e Taiba killed and arrested in India, merely arrested in the UK; Swiss bag 5; info on Dutch and UK antiterror bills; Hillary to NK; Beslan killers killed; 200 AQ walk the streets of the UK; terrorists flourish in Germany, spirit fighters to Iraq; wandering Pakistani imams threaten Italian security; Italian kidnapping a hoax?; Singapore’s new elite maritime force; FSB wants global terrorist list and more…

Read the Rest…

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

• Russia and Iran signed a deal for Russia to provide nuclear fuel for the Bushehr reactor and collect the spent fuel, over US objections. Iran may start receiving fuel as soon as two months from now.

• Canada drops out of the North American Nuclear Missile Defense program. North Korea is developing a bigger, more accurate Scud missile that can be launched from anywhere in North Korea to assault the South. More ominously for us, missile tests of the Taepodong-II, which has already had a successful engine test and which can reach the US mainland, are next. Meanwhile, Canada insists there is no problem and we’re only being provocative by developing missile defense. The Navy conducted another successful test of its AEGIS Theater Missile Defense missile system, from the usually missile defense skeptics at DefenseTech.

• China is building a brand-new deep-sea port in Pakistan, and has extracted “sovereign guarantees” over the facility from Musharraf. The Pakistani and Chinese navies conducted their first-ever naval exercises this October.

Other Topics Today Include:
Iran is the greatest threat to peace; Iran to Europe: you can trust us to stay three months away from a nuclear weapon; Iran denies custody of bin Laden; Iran nuke threat has been fermenting for 20 years; terrorist recidivism shocka; Syria redeploying to Bekaa murmurs; Hezbollah, not IJ, behind latest suicide bombing; Trident submarines join the GWOT; more tidbits on brutal MS-13 gang; sting nabs 2 La. individuals untroubled by selling fake IDs to Abu Sayyaf; MANPAD attacks on airliners?; missing fuel rods found in Cali; cosmic rays detect nukes through shielding; smuggling tunnel from Mexico to US found; India a preeminent power within 15 years; China antisecession law brings repercussions; US ads in Pakistan may be paying off; Nepal blockade over-for now; NK wants six way talks resumption, has scary missiles in the pipeline; US to sell India arms; a look at the Philippines; Euros love wiretapping; Italian troubles and UK successes in combating terror; dumb IRA moves and tone-deafness; Jordanian Australian in chokey in Lebanon; Arab Bank ordered to cease wire transfers; Zarqawi’s inner circle shrinking; CIA recruiting at Guantanamo; Dutch upping Afghan commitment; Planespotters hurt CIA secrecy; maritime terrorism; and more.

Read the Rest…

Just breaking now [8:46am EST] on MSNBC and CNN (tv)- no link yet. Will update as soon as link is available.

Also notable in conjuction with this story:

Syria and Iran say to build ‘common front’

Iran and Syria, both locked in rows with the United States, said on Wednesday they will form a common front to face challenges and threats.

“We are ready to help Syria on all grounds to confront threats,” Iranian Vice-President Mohammad Reza Aref said in Tehran after meeting Syrian Prime Minister Naji al-Otari.

Otari told reporters, “This meeting, which takes place at this sensitive time, is important, especially because Syria and Iran face several challenges and it is necessary to build a common front.”

Update:

State TV: Powerful explosion in area with power plant

An unknown aircraft fired a missile on Wednesday in a deserted area near the southern city of Dailam in the province of Bushehr where Iran has a nuclear power plant, Iranian state television said.

“A powerful explosion was heard this morning on the outskirts of Dailam in the Bushehr province. Witnesses said that the missile was fired from an unknown plane 12 miles from the city,” Iran’s Arabic language Al-Alam said.

Sky News

Update: (Related)

Iran Threatens to Shoot Down U.S. Drones

Iran’s intelligence chief on Wednesday accused the United States of flying spy drones over its nuclear sites and threatened to shoot down the unmanned surveillance crafts.

Intelligence Minister Ali Yunesi comments backed a report in The Washington Post on Sunday that quoted unidentified U.S. officials as saying the drones have been flying over Iran for nearly a year to seek evidence of nuclear weapons programs.

“U.S. spying activities over Iranian airspace have been going since a long time ago,” Yunesi told reporters.

“Most of the shining objects that our people see in Iran’s airspace are American spying equipment used to spy on Iran’s nuclear and military facilities,” the minister told reporters

.

Related: Defense Tech: Drones Over Iran.

Update from Sky News:

Later reports suggested a fuel tank may have fallen off an Iranian plane.

Russia said there had been no attack on the plant.

The nuclear plant, being built with Russian help, is 90 miles from the port.

Local officials have been despatched to the site to identify the cause of the explosion, according to Arab-language television Al-Alam.

Iranian Interior Ministry spokesman said he could not confirm reports anti-aircraft fire had been shot off near the plant.

Israel said it was not involved.

More on Fox.

Update: Looks like there was no “bomb”

According to Iranian state television, an explosion that went off Wednesday not far from an Iranian nuclear plant may be the result of a fuel tank falling from a plane.

Few details were offered, but the broadcast cited local officials speculating that a falling part from an Iranian aircraft could be the cause.

Iran’s Interior Ministry said it is still investigating and cannot confirm any information. There had been earlier reports the blast might have been due to anti-aircraft fire in the region.

Two residents in the area, though, tell The Associated Press they didn’t hear any explosions.

However, Iranian officials are denying any reports of a fallen fuel tank. And some witnesses are claiming they saw a missile being fired.

More at the Guardian.

Update:

Pentagon Doubts Iran Under Attack

Update:

Friendly Fire?:

An Interior Ministery spokesman said “friendly fire” may have been the cause.

“We have no reason to say it’s a hostile attack,” he said.

“There is a big possibility that it was a friendly fire by mistake.

“Several such mistaken friendly fire has been reported there in recent days.”

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 evariste of Discarded Lies. Bill Roggio of the fourth rail returns to the briefing next week. He’s been doing yeoman’s work on a little matter called Easongate which you may have heard of. Happy Valentine’s Day! That’s your love quota for today, from here on out it’s all war.

Top Topics

• The FBI is now recruiting foreign nationals while they’re on US soil to spy in their home countries when they return, leading to a turf war with the CIA, whose role this has traditionally been. Porter Goss and Robert Mueller are exchanging letters and proposed memoranda of understanding over the matter, to solidify the relationship between the two agencies.

• The Chinese military is engaging in espionage on a vast scale in Silicon Valley.

• As China aggressively builds up its naval power, India seems to have decided that it will develop its navy as a strategic force. It’s equipping its navy with “nuclear powered and strategic bomber and maritime strike aircraft and submarines”.

• Palestinian sources say Hezbollah has threatened to assassinate Abbas for making too-genuine peacemaking noises at Israel.Both Israeli and Palestinian sources say that Iranian and Syrian backed Hezbollah is trying to recruit suicide bombers to derail the Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire. Al Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades: We must give Abu Mazen’s political and domestic steps a chance. Anyone who attempts to foil them will be treated as someone who wants to preserve a state of anarchy. I blame the Bush administration for the sudden flat tire that the Cycle of Violence seems to have suffered. Israel is allowing some 56 terrorists deported to Europe or Gaza to return to the West Bank in a bid to bolster Abbas’ negotiations with Hamas to honor the ceasefire-this had been one of Hamas’ conditions.

Other Topics Today Include:
Iran UFO mania: now they’re IFOs!; Iran: we won’t give up the heavy waters; US using MEK to infiltrate Iran; Iran develops stealth torpedo; Iran guns down dissidents in Pak; Rafsanjani echoes North Korea and demands to deal directly with Uncle Sam; Germany calls on US to give Iran more carrots and make nicer; Hamas to be next Hezbollah?; Syria wants Russian antimissile system; UAE to receive first batch of F16s; Saudi minister says ideology not unemployment behind terrorism; angry Israelis slash Bibi’s tires; Saudi Arabia’s Grand Mufti says “just say No to terrorism”; Homeland Security study to unleash gases upon NYC; 9790 faith-based ghosts will patrol the border along with 210 new agents; Russia to sell Chavez 100000 AK-74s to use as flowerpots; Nevada after drivers to report fishy individuals; 17+ Colombians killed in FARC ambush; Halliburton’s Americium can’t be found in Americia; USS San Francisco cmdr relieved, reprimanded; Castro blusters; Somalia sucks; African regional groups come into their own?; Hutu guerrillas still causing mayhem; Al Qaeda’s chances in Ethiopia; Nigeria and (maritime, not mp3) piracy; what’s behind Rummy’s renewal of China military ties; Pakistan failed state by 2015; Indonesia cleans up money laundering act; North Korea freaks everyone out; Pakistani army pays Al Qaeda a half mil; India’s carrots are bland and undergrown, and its sticks are skinny and twiggy; Nepal chaos; Belgium nearonazis grow cos Islamist menace not being dealt with by mainstream parties; Binnie claimed to have nuke material, tried to get blueprints; Al Zawahiri issues B-side of blah, blah, blah; NATO realigns in Afghanistan; El Baradei ouster still on US agenda and more…

Read the Rest…

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 evariste of Discarded Lies. Bill Roggio of the fourth rail is working on Easongate with several other fine bloggers like Chester and Blackfive, Brian Scott and Charles Goggin this week; he returns to the briefing next week.

Top Topics

• Iran continues to blatantly court Palestinian leaders, inviting Abbas himself to Iran for an official visit (he accepted). When is Israel going to stop letting Palestinian leaders visit Iran to conspire? Is Farouq Qaddumi’s welcoming of Iranian infiltration not a bad enough sign? Fatah officials are especially bad about this.

• Taiwan says China’s missile threat is gathering as China accelerates its buildup of ballistic missiles across the strait to 120 a year, bringing the total to 706.

• It’s official: Russia and China have a strategic partnership, and it’s aimed at foiling Uncle Sam. Great.

• Powered combat exoskeletons-on the cheap (like $15k)! That’s what I call good, old-fashioned American ingenuity.

• Tony Blair is setting up “tough tests” for immigrants to the UK, turning away those who do not bring professional skills or economic benefits to the UK, to preempt the Tories on an issue that’s very much in the public mind in the runup to the May 5th elections. Recently, Jane’s reported that the UK was rapidly becoming a base for members of Al Takfir wal Hijra due to lax asylum policies.

Other Topics Today Include:
US and Israel may be conducting surveillance into Iran; Halliburton, BP and GE will not do any more business with Iran; Rumsfeld says Iran is “years away” from a nuclear weapon; Iran not happy with Rice’s “threats”; Saudi Arabia trying to reform Islamists; Rice’s plans for a Palestinian “viable” state; Colorado seeks 4 illegal truckers; South Americans think local government is good government; 3rd world gangs, 4th generation warfare; fugitive Venezuelan general caught; Jacksonville security; Khartoum’s grip loosening further; More Beslans promised; Danger to India from Nepal developments; Singapore anti-maritime terrorism unit launched; Abu Sayyaf kidnapper caught; Madrid bombers sold drugs to pay for it; French jihadi cannon-fodder; Iranian terrorist infrastructure in the Balkans since the 90s; Communist informers and spies list leaked onto internet by Polish journalist; How the Euroblob will eat us all; NK gave Libya uranium; US troops get training in counterterrorism in India; lessons learned from eavesdropping on terrorists and more…

Read the Rest…

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said a U.S. attack on Iran “is simply not on the agenda,” despite the United States’ continued criticism of Iran’s human rights record and suspected nuclear weapons ambitions.

Rice would not say whether the United States supports a change of government in Iran, although Deputy Secretary of State Richard Armitage has expressly said that regime change is not the U.S. goal.

Speaking in London, first stop on a weeklong tour of European capitals, Rice said there is broad international agreement that Iran cannot be allowed to use a civilian nuclear power project to conceal a weapons program.

More…

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

• China is purchasing the capability to destroy entire carrier battle groups, the backbone of the US ability to project power globally. That turns out to be what the strategic bomber purchase from Russia we reported recently was about.

• Russia officers are implicated in the Belsan massacre. Two high ranking officers have been arrested.

• Al Qaeda failed to thwart the Iraq elections as it vowed to do.

• North Korea is reported to have purchased a complete nuclear bomb from a former Soviet Republic or from Pakistan. Speaking of which, is the Juche regime finally starting to collapse?

Other Topics Today Include:
U.S. possibly testing Iran’s air defenses; Iran is manufacturing chemical weapons; EU negotiations with Iran hit a wall; Iran nearing nuclear point of no return; El Baradei wants more intelligence on Iran; Turkey sounding alarm over Kurds in Kirkuk; Oman roundup; Hamas, Hezbollah stick to their suicide belts; Israel considering freeing schoolbus bombers; Iran, Russia equip Hezbollah, Syria with missiles respectively; contract awarded for new fleet of Marine One helicopters; domestic sabotage reports examined; Islamic charity terror links probed shocka; somebody set us up the antimatter bomb; Lenovo purchase of IBM PC division in jeopardy; tighter border security; Qaddafi whines; Sudan bombs Darfur; Phillippines bombs JI/Al Qaeda camps killing 40; Congress waking up to China threat; Pakistan breakup coming?; China wheels and deals with Chavez; Get your national security documents on Kazaa; UK officials lament loss of terrorist detention powers; Israelis develop TATP-explosives detection device; China reselling missile designs it developed for Iran; Hezbollah hiring European spies; bioterror response wargame shows preparedness gaps, Albright involved for unfathomable reasons; rogue elements in Nicaragua dealing in MANPADs and more…

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

• Ansar al Islam is seeding Europe with battle-hardened Iraqi veteran terrorists.

• Regime change is in the air as a once-defunct, now-revived Committee On The Present Danger, staffed by such luminaries as George Schultz and James Woolsey, advocates a comprehensive reengagement approach to overthrowing the mullahs.

• At Asia Times, an overview of the faultlines that could shake Asia in the next few years.

• James Dunnigan looks at the wars of 2004.

• A Kuwaiti intellectual asks why the Muslim Brotherhood isn’t on US terrorism lists.

• China’s Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan warned the United States to “mind its own business” in the three-way spat between China, Israel and the United States over Israeli-made Harpy drones that Israel is refurbishing and upgrading for China, and that the US is demanding Israel keep.

Other Topics Today Include:
Iran threatens Europe; Iran continues to brutally quash free speech; New group claims to hold missing Israeli woman; Libya ambassador asked to leave Saudi; 1st video of Dimona reactor; Belligerent Egyptian incursions into Israeli airspace; US gets foreign advice in the war on terror; Mideasterner tries to purchase McVeigh fertilizer explosive; Illegal immigrant detentions, crossings up; Threat chatter level down; Sudan - 1 war ended, 1 genocide ongoing; Philippines; 1st Aussie airport antiterror team; Turkey facing Islamist blowback; Stratfor 9/11 commentary; Afghan judge helped terrorists kill 10 Americans; UK closes Yemen embassy; Pakistan strife reports; US to sell Taiwan Hellfires, purchase 300mn bullets; Spain arrested 130 terrorists in 2004; Belarus authoritarian mocks democratic revolutions; New robotic warriors are coming to the battlefield and much more…

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

• Ansar al Islam is seeding Europe with battle-hardened Iraqi veteran terrorists.

• Regime change is in the air as a once-defunct, now-revived Committee On The Present Danger, staffed by such luminaries as George Schultz and James Woolsey, advocates a comprehensive reengagement approach to overthrowing the mullahs.

• At Asia Times, an overview of the faultlines that could shake Asia in the next few years.

• James Dunnigan looks at the wars of 2004.

• A Kuwaiti intellectual asks why the Muslim Brotherhood isn’t on US terrorism lists.

• China’s Defense Minister Cao Gangchuan warned the United States to “mind its own business” in the three-way spat between China, Israel and the United States over Israeli-made Harpy drones that Israel is refurbishing and upgrading for China, and that the US is demanding Israel keep.

Other Topics Today Include:
Iran threatens Europe; Iran continues to brutally quash free speech; New group claims to hold missing Israeli woman; Libya ambassador asked to leave Saudi; 1st video of Dimona reactor; Belligerent Egyptian incursions into Israeli airspace; US gets foreign advice in the war on terror; Mideasterner tries to purchase McVeigh fertilizer explosive; Illegal immigrant detentions, crossings up; Threat chatter level down; Sudan - 1 war ended, 1 genocide ongoing; Philippines; 1st Aussie airport antiterror team; Turkey facing Islamist blowback; Stratfor 9/11 commentary; Afghan judge helped terrorists kill 10 Americans; UK closes Yemen embassy; Pakistan strife reports; US to sell Taiwan Hellfires, purchase 300mn bullets; Spain arrested 130 terrorists in 2004; Belarus authoritarian mocks democratic revolutions; New robotic warriors are coming to the battlefield and much more…

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

• UPDATE: A senior official in the US administration has told the Jerusalem Post that the United States may strike Syria. Not full-scale hostilites, mind, and he emphasised that cross-border military action is still a matter of discussion.

• Asia Times Online reports that the Pakistani army is taking a firm line against the jihadists in their midst: Purging Pakistan’s jihadi legacy.

• A special analysis: A window in to al-Qaeda.

• A Hamas front is operating quite openly in the United Kingdom, with the blessings of the British government.

• Iraq says they have photographs of Syrian officials with insurgents and terrorists.

Other Topics Today Include: organ harvesting infidels; Iran’s nuclear efforts; Iran no match for U.S.; Ansar al-Sunnah primer; Arafat’s kosher investments; peace activists or Zionist saboteurs?; GCC pledges to fight jihadi cashflow; Egypt builds more tanks to fight Nile crocodiles; honeymoon suicide bombers; French journalists released; ‘I married a terrorist’; Spain terror cell busted; Basayev defrauding financiers; Basayev and Maskhadov key to Chechen jihad; Zio-drones in Kashmir; JI leader: “Jemmah what?”

Read the Rest…

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

• A secretive government scientific advisory panel called “The Jason Group” is telling the government that the current security classification system, devised in the 1940s, has grown too unwieldy and inflexible, and is hampering America’s warfighting and intelligence needs. Both under-classification (by warfighters who fear not being able to share intelligence freely enough) and over-classification (by zealous bureaucrats) are a problem. It’s a document-centered relic of the industrial age and does not fit into an information-age military-a fascinating alternative system is proposed that is better suited to the way intelligence is consumed today, based on the risk of compromise of any individual transaction rather than on the control of access to physical documents.

• Russia has broken the US monopoly on long-range conventional cruise missiles launched from strategic bombers, the closest comparison to them being called America’s Tomahawk missile in the Russian press. Russia plans to use them to preemptively strike terrorist bases much more cheaply, a policy it has announced but not begun to implement yet.

• Osama bin Laden released his latest tape praising the attack in Jeddah, calls for the overthrow of the Saudi government and directs his followers to attack the oil infrastructure in the Middle East.

• Dan Darling profiles Said al-Adel, al Qaeda’s commander of military operations.

• Canada’s Senate (an appointed body) has issued a scathing report on Canada’s lax border and interior security and cited the grave threat to $1.4 billion dollars a day in trade with the US if a terrorist attacker on the US arrived via Canada.

Other Topics Today Include: Russia builds Iran’s nukes; More terror in the Middle East; Iran meddles; Hezbollah TV banned; Congo Capers; Death in Darfur; Pakistan cleaning house?; Taliban finished?; Thailand points fingers; arrests in Europe; Is recruitment a problem?; The secrets of Gitmo; Contracting Colombians; Gaddafi speaks.

Read the Rest…

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

• A yet-to-be-authenticated message from Osama Bin Laden calls upon followers to attack oil targets in the Gulf and Iraq.

• Musharraf says he will not tolerate Jaish, Sipah or Lashkar or organisations like them.

• Will al-Qaeda focus more on Arab governments and Israel? According to these guys, yes

• The hijackers of an Athens bus were bluffing when they threatened to blow it up unless their demands were met.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran plots to attack NH reactor; Iran report; Hezbollah in P.A.; Israel-Syria talks?; Hamas vs PIJ; U.S. looks at Syria insurgency; Israeli airport security; the carnival of the liberated; Al-Manar = terrorists; A-Q responsible for anthrax?; LAX guards against SAMs; FSB report on A-Q; Belgian link to Van Gogh murder; 3/11 arrests; 10 years for Strasbourg plotters; LeJ prisoners in Karachi; Jaish & Sipah ‘neutralised’; LeT hang villager; spawn of Bashir denies terror role; New Year’s Eve plot thwarted?; and much much more.

Read the Rest…

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.

Top Topics

• Hamid Karzai, Afghanistan’s democratically elected president, was officially sworn into office last week, defying the al Qaeda and the Taliban’s attempts to prevent successful elections. Arthur Chrenkoff has more Good News from Afghanistan, and Winds of Change.NET has it organized by category, with special jump-links.

• A London police chief states a Madrid-style attack has been prevented, and hundreds of suspected terrorists are being processed through the legal system.

• Dan Darling explains the scope of the threat posed by al Qaeda, and documents the expansive nature of bin Laden’s Islamic International Front, which is an amalgamation of over 40 terrorists groups. Dan also provides the Cliff’s Notes summaries re: Osama bin Laden, Ayman al-Zawahiri and al Qaeda.

• American and Iraqi intelligence indicate that Iran and Syria are directing and funding the Iraqi insurgency from within their borders.

Other Topics Today Include: Wargaming Iran; More Iran reports; Peace progress for Israel; Intelligence reform; AQ through Mexico; Diplomatic failure over Darfur; Japan extends; Taliban amnesty; Indonesian bumbling; Euro AQ charge card scams; other Europe news; Honor killings; Asian alliances, Jihadis abducting children.

Read The Rest…

Winds of Change.NET Regional Briefings run on Tuesdays & Wednesdays, and sometimes Fridays too. This Regional Briefing focuses on Iran, courtesy of Gary Metz (DoctorZin) at Regime Change Iran.

TOP TOPIC

• Blogger Adventures of Chester looks at The Future of the Iranian Nuclear Program. A four-part series: first, second, third, and fourth.

• I have my own, faster recap of recent diplomatic maneuverings, andwhere Iran’s A-bomb program stands now.

• US News & World Report exposes Iran’s effort to see US efforts in Iraq fail. Dan Darling expands on the report in his 6-part series “The Elephant in the Room”, as he looks at everything from Iran’s strategy to its comparative threat and what the USA ought to do about it: Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Final Installment & Recommendations.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran’s secret nuclear tunnel, heavy water reactor, military action against Iran, expose of Iran’s efforts in Iraq, chatting with the Mullahs, Saudis and nukes, hardliners consolidate power, furor over National Geographic, execution for prostitutes, what Iranian’s want, Iranian’s view of America, China’s oil deal, Iran’s new friends, bloggers on a referendum in Iran, Kamezi update, Basij show of force in Tehran.

Continue Reading “Iran In Focus: 2004-12-01”

JERUSALEM POST: Iran group canvasses for suicide attacks on Israel

The 300 men filling out forms in the offices of an Iranian aid group were offered three choices: Train for suicide attacks against US troops in Iraq, train for suicide attacks against Israelis, or train to assassinate British author Salman Rushdie.

It looked at first glance like a gathering on the fringes of a society divided between moderates who want better relations with the world and hard-line Muslim terrorists hostile toward the United States and Israel.

But the presence of two key figures - a prominent Iranian lawmaker and a member of the country’s elite Revolutionary Guards - lent the meeting more legitimacy, and a clear indication of at least tacit support from some within Iran’s government.

Since that inaugural June meeting in a room decorated with photos of Israeli soldiers’ funerals, the registration forms for volunteer suicide commandos have appeared on Tehran’s streets and university campuses, with no sign Iran’s government is trying to stop the shadowy movement.

On November 12, the day Iranians traditionally hold pro-Palestinian protests, a spokesman for the Headquarters for Commemorating Martyrs of the Global Islamic Movement said the movement signed up at least 4,000 new volunteers.

Mohammad Ali Samadi, the spokesman, told The Associated Press the group has no ties to the government.

And Iranian Foreign Ministry spokesman Hamid Reza Asefi told reporters recently that the group’s campaign to sign up volunteers for suicide attacks had “nothing to do with the ruling Islamic establishment.”

“That some people do such a thing is the result of their sentiments. It has nothing to do with the government and the system,” Asefi said.

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

• Yasser Arafat is either dead or near death. Despite his unconciousness/critical state/coma/depends who you ask, he appointed a commission comprising Abu Mazen, Abu Queria and the PLC speaker Salim Zanoon to rule in the event of his death. Medical teams are flying in from Tunisia, Egypt, Jordan and Syria, as is Arafat’s wife, Suha.

• Dan Darling has 4 intel briefings for you: al-Qaeda & Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT); The LeT in Iraq; The ABC Video and Pre-election Plot; and Gerecht’s article asking if Iraq has made Al-Qaeda Stronger.

• Russia was involved in moving Iraq’s WMD before the war, according to the Washington Times. Ion Mihai Pacepa has been saying this for over a year.

• Fallujah is next. The British Black Watch is moving in to position to free up Marines for the job.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Report; Egypt arrests; SA-7s in Gaza; A-Q iced in Waziristan; Chechen banker financed theatre takeover; Khashiyev killed; Al-Qaeda in Bosnia; GSPC decapitates soldiers; Bashir faces more charges; Russia warns Azeris; more Beslans planned; Zarqawi’s group hit; and much more.

Read the Rest…

I’ve got several copies of this Washington Post article in my Inbox and while I think that there are a number of entirely valid (albeit, at least IMO, politically-timed) criticisms of the administration that can be made.

It is also my belief that the people, likely in the State Department, who leaked details of the early 2002 negotiations with Iran to the Post are not reporting the full details of what was going on. The article makes some valid criticisms of the administration’s approach to the war on terrorism, and I’d still recommend reading it. But there are some egregious errors that the Washington Post makes in this story, either out of ignorance or by design, and as such I thought I’d feel free to point them out.

I’ll briefly deal first with the issue of Iran and then with the al-Qaeda high-value target (HVT) list.

• The Iranians and their al-Qaeda “Detainees”
• The al-Qaeda High Value Target (HVT) List and the War

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

• Abu Musab al-Zarqawi has pledged allegiance to Bin Laden. If he’s Osama’s rival, this is a funny way to go about undermining the guy. Dan Darling had a piece last week on the cases for and against Zarqawi being an al-Qaeda member.

• The Pakistani Army has launched a major operation to destroy the terrorists protecting former Guantanamo inmate Abdullah Mehsud. His group kidnapped and threatened to behead two Chinese engineers, but Pakistani forces killed the terrorists - one of the two Chinese was killed during the operation. (There was a rumour of a major AQ leader being captured; Mehsud might be a little small-scale to be considered ‘major’. More on the attacks on Chinese in the region…

• Who attacked the Sinai hotels? A letter signed the International Islamic Front and given to a Lebanese paper claims responsibility. Another group claiming responsibility have threatened more attacks against Israel.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; Domestic Security Briefings from Europe & USA; Mortars in Syria fired at Coalition; Hamas declares war on U.S.; Manilla ferry disaster a terrorist attack?; Hezbollah to negotiate?; Saddam’s philanthropy of terror; French jihadist Willie Brigitte breaks; and much, much more.

Read The Rest…

The process of political marginalization continues in Iran:

IRAN Vice President Mohammad Ali Abtahi resigned today, saying he could not work with the conservative-dominated parliament.

A close ally of reformist President Mohammad Khatami, Abtahi first tendered his resignation in February, but it was not accepted.

Mr Khatami has appointed Majid Ansari as the new vice president for legal and parliamentary affairs, Abtahi told The Associated Press.

Mr Ansari is seen as acceptable to both reformers and hard-liners, who have long waged a power struggle over the future of Iran’s Islamic system.

Mr Abtahi had many enemies among conservatives who saw him as the voice of Mr Khatami’s attempt to introduce greater democracy and freedom. It was Mr Abtahi who exposed that hard-line officials had tried to pass off the death in detention of a Canadian photojournalist as being due to natural causes.

JERUSALEM POST: Sharon: Iran recruits Israeli Arabs for terror

Prime Minister Ariel Sharon has accused Iran of trying to recruit Israeli Arabs for terrorist activity and underlined the threat of Iran acquiring nuclear weapons.

The prime minister spoke Monday afternoon as he hosted soldiers in the Succah outside of his Jerusalem residence.

“Iran is without a doubt a very dangerous country which is operating among Israeli Arabs through the Islamic Movement,” Sharon said.

Although most of Israel’s Arabs would prefer to lead quiet lives, Sharon said, there exists a minority which is active under direct guidance from Iran.

“Iran is actively involved in terrorism, along with Syria, Lebanon, and the Hizbullah, and it is making great efforts to acquire nuclear weaponry.”

Iranian leaders have called openly for the annihilation of Israel and the extermination of the Jewish people, and considering Iran’s open anti-Israel stance, the prime minister emphasized the danger of Iran developing nuclear weapons.

“Iran stands not only as a danger to Israel but poses a worldwide threat,” Sharon said.

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

• Hassan al-Turabi, former president of Sudan and ideologue of IIF, has allegedly tried to overthrow the current president Omar el-Bashir. More details here. Dan has a long briefing on the terror threat from Sudan, which al-Turabi helped build.

• The terrorists holding British hostage Ken Bigley have released another video. He is shown in a a cage denouncing Tony Blair. Aaron of Internet Haganah says on the jihadi forums there’s a statement from Tahid wal Jihad saying that they will now release him in order to “emphasize the humiliation of the British government and its army”. As ever, that cannot be considered reliable.

• Several significant al-Qaeda men have been captured in Pakistan. It is thought they were involved in the brutal murder of Daniel Pearl and a plot to kill President Musharraf.

• There are several reports of clashes between the Iranian populace and Islamist militias. Alas, it is premature to say these are the sparks of rebellion. But if they are, a coherent Iran policy might suddenly become even more urgent than it already is.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; Domestic brief; Iraqi WMD in Syria?; shootings in KSA and Oman; Saudi-sponsored terror; car-bomb in Damascus; Chechens in Cyprus?; JI learns from Chechens; Indonesia hunts suicide bombers; released Taliban commander killed.

REad the rest…

AP: Israel Says Iran No. 1 Terrorism Exporter

UNITED NATIONS -- Intensifying its warnings about Iran, Israel on Thursday said Tehran has replaced Saddam Hussein as the "world's No. 1 exporter of terror," threatening the Jewish state and the entire world.

Israeli Foreign Minister Silvan Shalom also labeled Syria an "active" supporter of terror and called on the U.N. General Assembly "to address head-on" the activities of both Middle East states.

... The foreign minister, who on Wednesday said Iran must be taken before the Security Council over its nuclear program, said Tehran's missiles can reach London, Paris and southern Russia.

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

• Two Americans have been beheaded by al-Qaeda in Iraq (JK: multimedia links here). A video of the third hostage has been released. Ken Bigley is shown begging for his life. Zarqawi has demanded the release of all female prisoners. It has been suggested that the women that concern him the most are the delightfully named Doctors ‘Germ’ and ‘Anthrax’. Dr Germ was to be released today, but that has apparently changed. Two Italian aid-workers have also been murdered.

• U.S. intelligence still believes that al-Qaeda is planning a ‘spectacular’ for this election season.

• An al-Qaeda attempt to bomb European embassies in Lebanon has been thwarted.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; Domestic Brief; new al-Qaeda leader; dead Tawhid ideologue; Karzai attacked; Jerusalem bomb blast; JI attacks ‘every six months’; Kashmir fighting; FSG fights terror; Syrian troops out of Beirut; US in Niger; Nigerian Islamists on rampage; Islamists in Algiera; al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia.

Read The Rest…

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

• A good profile of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi from USA Today: Zarqawi ‘the next generation of al-Qaeda’.

• Die Welt reports that Syria has tested chemical weapons on Sudanese civilians in Darfur. It apparently marks the beginning of increased co-operation in the field of WMD between the two states. (We should not jump to the conclusion that the munitions used were Iraqi. Syria has had its own production facilities for decades.)

• Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda #2, has released a video to mark 9/11.

• What sort of support does Osama Bin Laden have in the Muslim world? Polls are rarely conclusive, but this one from Pew gives us real reason to be concerned - especially if you happen to be a Christian in an Islamic country.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran reports; domestic briefing; Jakarta breakthrough; Dagestani terrorists killed; GSPC - still a threat to Algeria; Japan introduces sky marshals; nuclear Syria?; Israel vs. P.L.O.; Brit shot dead in Saudi Arabia; China sentences ‘terrorists’; Osama sweepstakes.

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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

• About 20 Chechen terrorists have taken a school hostage in North Ossetia. Sky News put the total number of children held captive at 132, plus teachers and parents - the total might be as high as 300. The situation is progressing rapidly, but this blogger is translating Russian news as soon as he gets it. The leader of the group claims to be a representative of Salakhin Riadus Shakhidi, the suicide wing of Shamil Basayev’s organisation. They’re demanding the withdrawal of Russian forces from Chechnya and the release of 27 terrorists arrested after the June raid in Ingushetia. The gym in which the children are being held is said to be rigged with explosives, a la Moscow theatre. Dan Darling has some background here.

• The Russians have called a meeting at the UN Security Council. I’d speculate that this is the prelude to war between Russia and Georgia. Snippets from various news reports suggest that Russia desperately wanted to link this terrorism to ‘international terrorism’ - al-Qaeda. If that happens, Russia would feel free to act against Georgia; the Pankisi Gorge has long been a base of operations for al-Qaeda attacking Russia. (If anyone has more on this, please post it below.)

• A Chechen suicide bomber killed 11 and wounded over 50 outside a Moscow subway on Tuesday. She is thought to be the sister of one of the bombers who brought down a Russian airliner last week. As with the airliners, the Islambouli Brigades claimed responsibility. That morning, the Russian daily Izvestia said that the two Chechen women who blew up the airliners had been with two more suspected suicide bombers. One down… Presumably related, the Russians are increasing security at their nuclear sites.

• 16 Israelis were killed and 100 wounded when two suicide bombers simultaneously destroyed two buses in Be’ersheva. Hebron Hamas claimed responsiblity - the fence separating Hebron from southern Israel has yet to be completed. Hamas in Hebron is notoriously secretive - Shin Bet have yet to prevent one of their attacks. Israel’s Chief of Staff threatened to “deal with” the P.A., Syria, Hezbollah and Hamas (he hasn’t yet - why would he now?). An airstrike on Syria is certainly possible right now. A Hamas leader in Lebanon has threatened attacks abroad if any of it’s leaders outside Israel are targeted.

• Jeff Quinton at Backcountry Conservative has a good selection of links about the barbaric murders of twelve Nepalese hostages in Iraq. In Kathmandu, a curfew was imposed after mobs attacked a mosque and an Arab airline office.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran reports; domestic security; Pakistan arrests; Libya’s missing nuclear equipment; Syrian occupation of Lebanon; Baluchistan bomb; Taliban truck bomb kills 7 in Kabul; al-Qaeda in Africa; Vatican not a target; Syrian foreign policy; crotch-stuffing terrorists; U.S. photos show Iraqi WMD.

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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 will be given by me, Colt, of Eurabian Times.

TOP TOPICS

• Two Russian airliners went down within minutes of each other, killing all passengers and crew. The death toll stands somewhere between 89 and 94. There are reports that at least one of the aircraft signalled that it was being hijacked. A timeline of events is available here. Sky News (on British TV) is reporting that both aircraft sent hijack warnings, but that’s unconfirmed. The afternoon before, a bomb exploded at a bus stop opposite a Moscow police station, injuring four. The next election in Chechnya is set for Sunday. Russian intelligence and security forces have been on alert since the increase in attacks by Chechen rebels these past few weeks. Vladmir Putin arrived in Chechnya last Sunday to find that Chechen groups had seized several districts in Grozny.

• It looks like I was right to worry about the distribution of anti-radiation pills around Israel’s nuclear reactor at Dimona. An Iranian Revolutionary Guards spokesman has announced that The entire Zionist territory, including its nuclear facilities and atomic arsenal, are currently within range of Iran’s advanced missiles..

• Montreal police have seized a minivan containing at least 17 guns and 90-135kg of explosives.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; Domestic Security; GSPC ambushes soldiers; Hezbollah prepare for war; Jordan wants Syria truck bombs stopped; Abu Sayyaf bits and pieces; U.S. warns of more Uzbekistan terror as 17 convicted; Bali bomber goes unpunished for Bali murders; Pakistani PM calls for Jihad; Islamic Jihad calls for Sadr to attack pipelines; Liberia diamonds might have funded 9/11; Islamist Turkey?; Build your own Bush.

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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.

Round 2 of our auditions is in progress, and today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by blogger Bill Roggio of the fourth rail.

TOP TOPICS

• The United States is poised to redeploy about 100,000 troops from Europe and Asia back to the United States. This is a significant move to free up manpower to fight the GWOT, yanks economic support from Germany and also forces our reluctant allies to provide for their own security.

• Failure or success in Iraq? Fred Kaplan and Juan Cole believe Iraq is doomed for failure and Sadr’s actions will lead to a major Shiite rebellion. Iraqi bloggers Omar and Hammorabi see things differently, express support for the interim government and describe Sadr and his Mahdi army as a bunch of thugs with little support among the Iraqi people. The peace talks are off and the assault begins, we should know the answer soon.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran’s fingers in Iraq’s cookie jar; Army recruiting is A-OK; securing the Olympics; WWIII or WWIV?; behind Mauritania’s coup attempt; the FBI in Pakistan; al Qaeda’s Ghailani sings a song of Africa; the Philippines puts 17 on death row; is al Qaeda bulletproof? and the U.N.’s not-so-safe havens.

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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. Our in-depth Iraq Report is also up today.

Round 2 of our auditions is currently in progress. Today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by Joshua Foust of The Conjecturer - wish him well as he moves from Washington, DC to Boulder, CO.

TOP TOPICS

• Chalabi the Younger is in trouble. Salem Chalabi, nephew of the infamous Ahmad Chalabi, is now facing charges in connection with the murder of an Iraqi Senior Finance official. Chalabi, the man in charge of building the case against Saddam Hussein, is accused of threatening the man just before his death, and plans on returning to Iraq from London to fight the charges.

• Porter Goss has been nominated as the new Director of Central Intelligence. Based on his voting record in Congress (on both foreign policy and homeland security), it’s reasonable to have some doubts about Goss, but the fact that he is reviled by the anti-war folks makes me wonder if my fear is justified. Expect more from both sides of the aisle (c.f. Ledeen and Digby) in the coming days.

• What’s really happening in Najaf? Douglas Hanson has written an excellent analysis of the true state of affairs in that troubled Iraqi city, and what the future may hold for Mr. Al-Sadr. With luck, his Iraq-issued arrest warrant will be served, marking a major victory for the establishment of the rule of law.

Other Topics Today Include: Justified nukes?; EU monitoring US elections; Turkey & Iran; October surprise; l’affaire Plame; new Al-Qaeda leadership; Stasis in Sudan; Sharon’s freeze; the Axis of Democracy; Piracy and terrorism in the Straits of Malacca; and recalling Chavez.

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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.

Round 2 of our auditions is in progress, and today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by Colt of Eurabian Times.

TOP TOPICS

• British police are holding several men on terrorism charges. Babar Ahmad was in possession of strategic plans about a U.S. Navy battle group, but was charged with aiding Muslim joining the Taliban and Chechen groups. More in the Domestic Briefing.

• Diplomacy has failed to slow down Iran and North Korea in their development of nuclear weapons programs. “Senior administration and intelligence officials” say covert operations are the next American move.

• The Weekly Standard takes a look Inside the Zarqawi Network. Based on the interrogation of one of Zarqawi’s deputies, it details ties between the Tawhid and Jihad network, Ansar al-Islam, Iran and Syria. The most interesting details is about the Iraqi town of al-Qaim on the Iraq-Syria border, which serves as a depot for the group. This intelligence might have prompted Operation Phantom Linebacker. Al-Qaim, by the way, was a source of yellow cake for the Iraqi nuclear weapons program.

Other Topics Today Include: in-depth Iran Reports; Domestic Security Briefing; Dubai nets al-Qaeda big fish; Jordan tries to silence radical imams; the Mindanao hudna is over; Dahlan’s deadline for Arafat is tomorrow; al-Qaeda in P.A. territories; Abu Sayyaf update; Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan primer; top Saudi terrorist captured; suicide bombers psychologically “normal”; Australia fights Pacific terror; U.S. special forces hunt al-Qaeda in Sudan; Israel hands out radiation antidote; What, me worry?

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HAARETZ: Dichter: Iran trying to create fifth column among Israeli Arabs

The head of the Shin Bet internal security service Avi Dichter told the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee on Tuesday that “Iran is trying to create a fifth column among Israeli Arabs.”

Via Hezbollah, he said, Teheran is making an effort to recruit Israeli Arabs for terror activity. During the last year, 12 Israeli Arabs were arrested: two are allegedly connected to Hezbollah, seven have ties to Palestinian terror groups and three are suspected of independent involvement in terror activity.

Mohammad Khatami, President of the Islamic Republic of Iran, meets with French President Jacques Chirac at the Elysee Palace in Paris on October 27, 1999

Osama bin Laden. It was been reported in the Hindustan Times on February 16, 2003, that Osama bin Laden’s eldest son, Saad, believed to be a key figure in the Al-Qaeda terror network, moved to Iran and is living there with other members of the outlawed group.

Reuters/Yahoo News has reported that “Iranian officials approached al-Qaeda leadership after the bombing of the USS Cole and proposed a collaborative relationship in future attacks on the U.S.”

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It was reported in the Hindustan Times on February 16, 2003, that Osama bin Laden’s eldest son, Saad, believed to be a key figure in the Al-Qaeda terror network, moved to Iran and is living there with other members of the outlawed group.

Photographs of Iranian President Mohammad Khatami’s meetings with French President Jacques Chirac, in both Tehran and Paris, are available here.

The link to the nikita demosthenes post is here - where I’ve posted a couple of updates.

See also the diary on the same subject posted on Red State.

Paul Klebnikov, the Chief Editor of the Russian edition of Forbes Magazine, was recently shot to death in Moscow. Investigations are underway.

While his journalism in Russia may have contributed to the hit, there is at least one other possibility. Klebnikov was also the author of “Millionaire Mullahs,” which tore the lid off of the organized corruption that lies behind the terrorist theocracy of Iran:

“A looming nuclear threat to the rest of the world, Iran is robbing its own people of prosperity. But the men at the top are getting extremely rich.”

Ain’t that the truth. Later on, Klebnikov exposes Iran’s Mr. Big - Ayatollah Rafsanjani:

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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.

Auditions are in progress, and today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by Matt “Colt” of Eurabian Times.

TOP TOPICS

• According to a study by a former CIA agent, Islamic terrorists are well-educated, well-off, psychologically stable men with families .

• Saudi intelligence is so sympathetic to al-Qaeda that any Saudi efforts to combat them will fail. That is the opinion of senior Arab and Western officials, one of whom says Saudi intelligence is 80% sympathetic. Dan Darling has more…

• We’re probably all aware of the one-hour documentary released by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. You might not have heard that an Iraqi group has threatened to kill Zarqawi due to his attacks on Iraqis. Now the real fun begins.

• Friday is the anniversary of the Iranian student uprising of 1999 - also known informally as 18 Tir. Blog Iran! has more… and of course, Cox and Forkum have a great editorial cartoon.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; The Home Front; Libya thwarts deal to arrest GSPC leader; Libya discovers GSPC camp; Algeria braces for terror attacks; Yemeni forces hunt radical cleric; Saudi Salafis take root in the Balkans; Russians accuse Chechen ex-deputy PM of funding Ingushetia raids; Islamists have enough funds to continue attacks in Iraq; Arab states pledge to co-operate against terror financing; US military to train Filipino soldiers; two Abu Sayyaf leaders captured; Saddam relatives aiding terror; heavy weapons seized in Jordan near Syrian border; Cole suspects on trial in Yemen; al-Zarqawi’s brother arrested in Jordan; Saddam: I’m bored!

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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

• A member of the Eritrean Islamic Jihad has confessed to planning attacks on Eritrea from Sudan. The Eritrean Islamic Jihad is a key part of bin Laden’s terrorist coalition in East Africa and this is a key point to remember when discussing Sudan with respect to its ongoing genocide in Darfur - it is not simply a past state sponsor of al-Qaeda - it is a current one.

• The Saudi princelings have offered an amnesty to al-Qaeda fighters in the Kingdom in the wake of al-Muqrin’s death. I think Cox and Forkum summarizes my thoughts fairly accurately on this one. Prince Nayef, meanwhile, is assuring us that al-Qaeda hasn’t infiltrated Saudi security forces. Right.

• If only it were that simple, for al-Quds al-Arabi reports that even despite the recent surge of violence, some Saudi princes are still funding al-Qaeda. This would seem to square with reports that the princes are divided over how to deal with bin Laden’s thugs.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; USA Homeland Security Briefing; violence back on the rise in Kashmir; Ingush violence round-up; Turkish terrorists and cops in action as NATO summit begins; Spaniard arrested for selling explosives used in 3/11; Switzerland used by al-Qaeda as a logistics base for 9/11; Zarqawi’s wife sez he’s a good man; Dr. Azahari in Bandung; 40 JI in the Philippines; Abu Sayyaf leader killed in Tawi-Tawi; GSPC massacres 5; Bosnia a way station for Islamist extremists; Taliban kill election workers; and North Korea’s Soylent Green.

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World Net Daily reports:

Iranian Revolutionary Guards are attempting to conceal a spill of weapons-grade uranium delivered from North Korea at Tehran’s new airport, according to western intelligence sources.

…

The accident at the facility reportedly occurred in December 2002 when a North Korean cargo jet delivering nuclear technology and some weapons-grade uranium was being unloaded at night. During the delivery, a container slipped and cracked on the Tarmac. All personnel in the area were taken from the site and given thorough medical examinations.

Note: Weapons grade uranium, in sufficient quantity (a few tens of kilograms) is material which can easily be made into a fission weapon (“atomic bomb”). See here for nuclear weapons information and links.

(Associated Press) Tehran — “Iran said Monday it has seized 3 British naval vessels in Iranian waters and arrested 8 crew members. The Royal Navy acknowledged that it had lost contact with three small patrol boats on a routine mission in the waterway between Iraq and Iran.”

Well, isn’t that a nice thank-you for Britain’s accomodationist policy toward Iran and its nuclear program. FYI, The vessels in question were small river/coastal patrol boats seized in the narrow Shatt al-Arab waterway between Iran and Iraq, hence the small crew totals. The Sky News UK report notes:

“The report said that weapons and maps were found on board the vessels.”

Well, I should hope so. A patrol boat with no weapons and no maps would be a pretty ridiculous thing.

• Globe & Mail Link
• Full Google News roundup
• Scotsman.com discusses the troubled history of the Shatt-al-Arab waterway where the sailors were seized.

Still hard at work here at AEI (memorizing the complete works of Leo Strauss is tough, but then the benefits of becoming a second-degree neocon far exceed the risks ;), but I thought I’d drop by Winds of Change.NET long enough to point out a few items of note.

• Zarqawi has become the new al-Qaeda operations chief according to Dr. Rohan Gunaratna among others. This is the second time that these sentiments have floated to the fore in recent weeks and it certainly makes sense to me that Zarqawi and his buddy Mustafa Nasar are filling the void in al-Qaeda left behind by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. I would add, however, that the threat doesn’t just end with Zarqawi but rather ultimately leads to his boss Saif al-Adel, who is currently holed up in Iran with the rest of the surviving al-Qaeda leadership.

Other Items Include: The role & importance of tribes in Iraq; Norway gives up against Mullah Krekar; Transfer of sovereignty in Iraq; Iran massing on Iraqi border; What’s up in Saudi Arabia; Khalid Sheikh Mohammed’s relatives arrested; Dan’s birthday.

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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. Auditions are on, and today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by blogger Bill Roggio of the fourth rail.

In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report today.

TOP TOPICS

• Pakistan continues to press the hunt for al Qaeda in the tribal regions bordering Afghanistan, with former Taliban leader Nek Mohammed as a main target. Pakistani President Musharraf is under domestic pressure to halt operations and is also working to purge the military of radical Islamists and reform their intelligence services. Spring cleaning in Pakistan is rough work.

• A Libyan intelligence agent and American Abdurahman Alamoudi are implicated in a plot to assassinate Saudi Crown Prince Abdullah. Early reports are Libya contracted al Qaeda to do the job, and the plot was uncovered by new Saudi finance laws designed to track the movement of money in country. See Dan Darling’s Special Briefing - and the real question is, whom do you root for?

• Several European nations begin a serious crackdown on terrorism after the 3/11 Madrid attacks. A potential chemical attack on the United States as well at plots against NATO headquarters and other European targets are discovered. Seventeen al Qaeda suspects are arrested.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran - we must have the bomb, Padilla’s duds, the Patriot Act fails a test, Britain’s asylum policies insane; Something smells bad in Cologne, Afghan offensive, Al Asqa and Fatah on the ropes?, Bombs for kids, Everything’s fine in Saudi Arabia, A general is targeted, Democracy in the Middle East, Fireworks for the Philippines, Olympians are worried, Israeli settlers prepare to leave Gaza, and 2003 Terrorism report is half baked.

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From AZCENTRAL.COM

Toughening its stance in advance of a meeting of the U.N. nuclear watchdog agency, Iran on Saturday said it would reject international restrictions on its nuclear program and challenged the world to accept Tehran as a member of the “nuclear club.”

Foreign Minister Kamal Kharrazi rejected further outside influence on Tehran’s nuclear ambitions two days before the International Atomic Energy Agency board of governors meets to discuss Iran’s highly controversial program.

“We won’t accept any new obligations,” Kharrazi said. “Iran has a high technical capability and has to be recognized by the international community as a member of the nuclear club. This is an irreversible path.”

Iran has repeatedly insisted its nuclear program is geared toward generating electricity, not making weapons, but the United States and its allies say Tehran has a secret nuclear weapons program. The IAEA has wrestled with the dilemma for more than a year.

Comment: This could be bluster meant to change the decisions at the upcoming IAEA meeting, but if accepted will allow Iran to become a nuclear armed power fairly soon, regardless of stated Iranian goals.

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. Auditions are in progress, and today’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by blogger Josh Foust of The Conjecturer.

In addition, we also have our in-depth Iraq Report up today.

TOP TOPICS

• The biggest story, of course, is that the U.N. has officially adopted the U.S. Resolution transferring sovereignty in Iraq from the CPA to an interim government. It was passed unanimously, though many Iraqis doubt how representative the new government will be. Despite those doubts, the general tone has been positive.

• The U.S. will drastically reduce its forces on the Korean penninsula. By December 2005, approximately 12,500 soldiers will be sent back to the United States. ROK is waffling a bit, though, which may indicate that the security situation on the penninsula is about to undergo some rapid changes. Lately, the South Korean government has had to balance an apathetic populace with a U.S. seemingly eager to disengage. Neither scenario contributes much to South Korean security as long as DPRK remains nuclear.

• One of the Madrid bombers was arrested on Tuesday. “Mohammed the Egpytian”(Rabei Osman Sayed Ahmed) was picked up in a coordinated sweep across Italy, France, Belgium, and Spain. According to the Spanish Interior Ministry, “Mohammed”is one of the masterminds of the March 11 bombings.

Other Topics Today Include: Increased torture in Iran; Iran-Russia nuclear collaboration continues; the comeback of TIA; Doctors murdered in Afghanistan; Malaysia excluded from regional defense pact; Turkey & Israel; Recall for Venezuela’s Chavez?; and ancient Albanian curses.

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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’s Winds of War briefing is brought to you by down-under blogger Alan E. Brain, and his British associate “Max”.

TOP TOPICS

• The resignation of CIA chief George Tenet has raised more questions than it’s answered. The additional resignation of James Pavitt, the Deputy Director of Operations, raises even more. Instapundit has a roundup of who’s saying what. I’m inclined to take things as they appear until there’s data to the contrary. And Once is Happenstance, Twice is Coincidence, Three times is Enemy Action. So far it’s only twice.

• Focus on Shipping : With International Summits to Individual Threat Statements in the news, a major hole in our defences is gradually being plugged. The Next Big Thing in the War against Terror is to increase surveillance of merchant ships that possibly carry WMDs, either for delivery to third parties, or detonation in Western Ports. The first step in this is to decrease the number of merchant vessels pirated in the SE Asian region.

Other Topics Today Include: Big Name Terrorist Captures in Chad and Iraq; Moderate Islam in Britain; UK Terror Group List; Repression in Iran; First-hand reports from Iraq.

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HAARETZ: Report: Iran establishes unit to recruit suicide bombers

Iran has set up a new unit to recruit suicide bombers from around the world, the London-based Arabic newspaper A-Shark al-Awsat reported Friday.

According to the report, the secretary-general of the new unit began by drawing up a list of names of people who support suicide attacks in Iraq, Lebanon and the Palestinian territories.

The newspaper reported that the bureau, called “The martyrs of the resurrection of the Islamic world,” replaces a unit of the Iranian Republican Guard, which was known as the “department for the revolutionary freedom movements.”

(Does the list of names include Peter Hansen of the UNRWA?)

Many of you are familiar with our regular Winds of War Briefings over at Winds of Change.NET, offering a roundup of the global War on Terror that is cross-posted here (I neglected to cross-post Monday’s phenomenal briefing, so here it is).

We have a slot open right now.

Last time I put out this call for people to step up and take on these briefings, a guy named Dan Darling answered. We accepted, he delivered, his own blog Regnum Crucis grew in popularity, and now he’s headed to a Washington think-tank thanks to his briefings. USMA Instructor Robin Burk also answered, and she ended up becoming a team member on our blog.

Winds of Change.NET had over 1,000,000 visitors in 2003, and we’re on pace to top that in 2004. This is a great gig for the right person - and right now, 2 regular slots are open - including a weekly Winds of War briefing:

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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

• Time Magazine is now catching on to the problem of extremist Islam in southern Thailand. This primer on al-Qaeda in Thailand should hopefully prove useful to readers.

• Arab League foreign ministers have endorsed the concept of democracy in a document for the Arab League summit expected to take place in Tunis this month.

• The New York Times has some pretty good coverage of the Pan-Sahel Initiative, which is aimed at countering the threat posed by the Algerian GSPC.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; Taliban attack; LeT medical wing; new Pakistani lashkar formed; Chavez assassination plot; Afroze discharged; election violence in the Philippines; Zarqawi nephew jugged; Saudi princess calls for end to anti-Saudi campaign; Kadyrov assassination round-up; 3/11 investigation round-up; Sweden fighting image as terror haven; Syria’s uneasy truce with radical Islam; and a hermaphrodite suicide bomber.

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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

• Osama bin Laden, or someone who sounds like him, is offering $136,000 apiece in gold for the heads of top US administrator in Iraq Paul Bremer, UN envoy Lakhdar Brahimi, and UN secretary-general Kofi Annan. One might note that contrary to the news story, bin Laden earlier posted a $9,000,000 bounty on the heads of the CIA, FBI, State, and Defense departments, in addition to the more recent $15,000,000 bounty placed on the heads of Sanchez, Kimmit, and Rumsfeld.

• Russian-backed Chechen president Akhmad Kadyrov has been assassinated along with 31 others in a massive explosive in Grozny during the Victory Day celebrations. Details are sketching, but some accounts suggest that the culprit was a female suicide bomber.

• more and more is being learned about the elaborate web of financing that Jemaah Islamiyyah is relying upon in the Philippines. At least one of the individuals in question, Abdullah, still has a huge bank account that has been open since at least 1998. This financial network is run by Mohammed Jamal Khalifa, bin Laden’s brother-in-law and a free man in Saudi Arabia.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; warlords opposing Afghan disarmament drive; no breakthrough in Wana negotiations; more sectarian violence in Pakistan; Georgia reclaims Ajaria; Pattani separatists have Wahhabi and al-Qaeda ties; Islamists vs. Maosts in northern Bangladesh; Pekanbaru linked to Bali; 3 Bosnian charities identified as al-Qaeda fronts; al-Qaeda attack on Canada inevitable; every Iraqi mujahid an al-Qaeda member; Zarqawi ordered Casablanca bombings; al-Ansari is a Tora Bora veteran; Azizi met with 3/11 plotters; sectarian violence rocks Nigeria; Macedonian minister claims innocence; Indonesian Islamists want Bashir sprung; and the world’s nuttiest dictator.

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Welcome! Our goal is to give you power-packed briefings of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leave you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today we also have a separate in-depth Iraq Report. and both reports are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

TOP TOPICS

• Abu Walid al-Ghamdi, the leader of the International Islamic Peacekeeping Brigade in Chechnya and kin to 3 of the 9/11 hijackers, is dead in a major operation by Russian forces. Al-Ghamdi has been responsible for numerous high-profile attacks in both the Caucasus and throughout Russia.

• Hamas leader Rantissi is dead, killed in an Israeli missile strike. The Oompa-Loompas have some advice to offer.

• As is already widely known by now, Osama bin Laden or someone who sounds like him has offered a truce to European nations in return for staying out of the war on terrorism. He appears to have found quite a receptive audience for such an offer among many Euroean commenters on the BBC website. You can read my own analysis of the tape’s message as well as that of the Washington Post.

• The Arab newspaper al-Hayat is reporting that a planned attack in Jordan involved the use of chemical weapons. You can read my round-up as well as the ICT coverage of the thwarted attack.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; al-Qaeda wins round 1 in Waziristan; Pakistani tribals unite for terrorist hunt; LeT is the new al-Qaeda trainer post-Afghanistan; Taliban kill 10 in hit-and-run attack; Hekmatyar lieutenant captured; Zarqawi lieutenant ordered 3/11; David Hicks requested to serve as suicide bomber; Australian medical student arrested as LeT member; Saudi grand mufti issues fatwa on Fallujah; new al-Qaeda recruits in Saudi Arabia; JI hideouts identified in North Cotabato; Tunisia thwarts bomb plots; and the Star Trek communicator becomes a reality.

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Welcome! Our goal at Wonds of Cjange.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” is brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

TOP TOPICS

• After much debate, Iraq has signed an interim constitution, the full text of which you can read here. This constitution is easily the most liberal document of its kind in the Arab world and represents the best hope for the Iraqi people after decades of Baathist tyranny.

• Coordinated bombings kill around 150 people in Madrid, Spain. MaderBlog points to some analysis and says this is the new pattern. More updates here as they come in, plus some background on the Basque ETA terrorists.

• Khalid al-Zawahiri, the son of al-Qaeda’s second of command, is said to be spilling the beans on al-Qaeda operations in Waziristan. Or is he? Unfortunately, these types of reports are issued frequently when large numbers of al-Qaeda operatives are arrested.

Other Topics Today Include: Iraq Briefing; Iran Reports; USA Homeland Security Briefing; Afghan clashes; Taliban rule 70% of Zabul; Pakistan arrests Waziri elders; bin Laden trying to slip the dragnet; KSM and Swisscom SIMs; JI arrests in Southeast Asia; JI out of explosives; Commander Robot on Abu Sayyaf; Qadaffi interview; GSPC on US radar; GSPC stepping up operations in Africa; Yemen arrests al-Qaeda members; Dutch detain Moroccan man; double suicide bombing in Istanbul; Russian victories in Chechnya; IMU back in action; Khadr clan admits al-Qaeda ties; and the most interesting alibi I’ve ever heard.

Read The Rest…

VIENNA, Austria (AP) — U.N. inspectors in Iran have discovered undeclared designs for an advanced centrifuge used to enrich uranium, diplomats said Thursday, another apparent link to the nuclear black market emanating from Pakistan.

Preliminary investigations suggest the design matches drawings of enrichment equipment found in Libya and supplied through the network headed by Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan, the diplomats told The Associated Press.

The discovery came as Mohamed ElBaradei, the director-general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, called on the United States and other countries to relinquish nuclear weapons to make it more difficult for such weapons to fall into the hands of terrorists.

Filed at 12:20 p.m. ET

Via NYT

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.

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• Did Iran assist al-Qaeda in the 9/11 attacks? According to a witness in the case of accused Hamburg cell member Abdelghani Mzoudi as reported in Der Spiegel, that indeed appears to be the case. I’m still looking for a better translation, but in the meantime you can read my own translation via Alta Vista. Rantburg poster True German Ally (who lives up every bit to his screen name) has his own translation - it’s very chilling and a lot better than my own. Still, take a deep breath and remember the “7-day rule” for news like this.

• In recent weeks, Pakistan has launched series of crackdowns on both al-Qaeda as well as its domestic affiliates. I have a general round-up of the crackdown here as well as some thoughts as to just who the captured al-Qaeda leader in Karachi might be.

Other Topics Today Include: Iraq Briefing; Iran Reports; al-Qaeda training camps in Saudi Arabia; Russians destroy major armed formations in Chechnya; Basayev rants and raves; Victory Day bombing mastermind identified; FIS wants to negotiate; NPA forms an alliance with MILF; Saif al-Adel launches online terrorist manual; Mullah Krekar ordering suicide bombings over the Internet; al-Qaeda’s underground operation in Spain; Turkish al-Qaeda suspects confess training details; and Russia sends an army for beer.

Read The Rest…

OTB: From the front page of today's WaPo: The Appearance of Change in Iran

The young woman dressed in a manner forbidden by law was complaining about something she saw on a television channel that's illegal to watch.

"The stuff on Euro News," said Nesa Hamlehdar, exasperated. "They show Iranian women in chador. Boys as soldiers. Old cars."

She rolled her eyes. "This is the image the West has of us!"

In Iran, reality looks a lot more like Hamlehdar. Pausing in a fashion mall on her way home from a day of college classes, the 22-year-old language student wore tight bell-bottoms under a tunic cut not like the all-enveloping chador, which translates literally as "tent," but more like the little black cocktail dresses that now pass for outer garments in some parts of Tehran.

There was eyeliner and nail polish. And her scarf was pushed back to reveal fully half her hair -- something officially prohibited shortly after then-President Abol-Hassan Bani-Sadr in 1981 explained that women's hair emits rays that drive men insane.

"The limitations that used to be," Hamlehdar said, "do not exist now."

That basic fact of Iranian daily life signals a fundamental shift in politics. The dramatic relaxation of the theocracy's strict official dress code is but the most visible aspect of a grudging yet steady expansion of what Iranians call "personal space." The term describes the realm of purely personal liberties that extends from holding hands in public to watching satellite television without fear of a police raid.

Initially championed by reformers who also demanded political freedoms, these personal liberties are being granted by the conservative Islamic clerics who control the most powerful institutions in Iran's government. The hard-liners, who wrote the rules in the first place, now see a political advantage in allowing them to be widely ignored.

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" and in-depth Iraq Report are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

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* The Washington Post takes a look at the prime suspects in the assassination attempt on Musharraf and right now it looks like al-Qaeda, JeM, LeT, and LeJ are the primary suspects. Given the byzantine nature of Pakistani internal politics, it should be interesting to see what action, if any, is taken against the latter three organizations.

* The US is launching a worldwide manhunt for Midhat Mursi, also known as Abu Khabab. Mursi is reputed to be the top scientist for al-Qaeda's chemical and biological weapons program.

* Mansoor Ijaz has an alarming report that the IRGC is sending chemical or biological weapons across the Iraqi border for the purposes of attacking Baghdad as well as planning to launch a massive offensive into western Afghanistan (I assume with the assistance of their proxies there, Gulbuddin Hekmatyar and Ismail Khan). I don't have access to Ijaz's sources, so I have no way of judging the credibility of this information, but his last "big scoop" (that bin Laden and al-Zawahiri are likely in Iran and under the protection of the IRGC) was more or less confirmed as well as any new bin Laden report can be by a story in the Financial Times a week or so later.

* The Guardian has a fairly good primer up on al-Qaeda's European network that you can read my analysis of here. I would also note that Winds of Change first mentioned most of the revelations contained within the Guardian over a month ago.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; USA Homeland Security Briefing; Taliban attacks in Afghanistan; Afghan disarmament underway; MILF perfidy in the Philippines; Thai violence linked to al-Qaeda; Malaysia arrests Thai arms depot raiders; Indonesian nabs JI associate; BBC story on the women of JI; Fazul Abdullah Mohammed's undercover career in Kenya; Nabil Sahrawi interview; US anti-terrorist team bound for West Africa; Saudis acknowledge that al-Qaeda's in the National Guard; Israeli-Turkish alliance; France thwarts a chemical weapons attack; and Baghdad Bob returns to the airwaves.

Read the Rest...

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

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

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

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

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

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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 Glenn Halpern of HipperCritical. Glenn has a date with a hospital in his near future, so please everyone drop by his blog and wish him well!

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* New warnings have surfaced that Al Qaeda is looking to go for the big score against a US target, and WMD's may be in the plans. The lively dilaogue between Belmont Club and USS Clueless on America's likely response to a deadly WMD strike is eye-opening.

* Guest Bloggers (Hungarian Ambassador to the USA) Andras Simonyi, and Jeff "Skunk" Baxter of The Doobie Brothers & Steely Dan, talk about the role of Rock n' Roll in spreading freedom: ['Skunk' Baxter | Ambassador Simonyi | Q&A Session]

* This War on Terror is quite the rollercoaster ride, and it stretches around the globe. In the past week, high-profile arrests of suspected Al Qaeda-affiliated terrorists were made in Italy, Germany, London, Turkey, Syria, Yemen and Iraq. That the Coalition is tracking down terrorists all over the world is both heartening and worrying, no?

Other Topics Today Include: Iranian Mullahs rejoice over IAEA resolution; Iran-Israel geopolitical games; Iran elections discussion; Vote for Blogger Hoder!; US missile defense system to be deployed in 2004; More controversy over Guantanamo Bay; The 'Israelization' of Turkey; 5 regimes must go; Afghanistan reports; Terrorism futures; Support the Troops (Updated!)

Read the Rest...

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

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• Two suicide bombers attacked two synagogues in Istanbul on the Jewish Sabbath this last weekend. The Great Eastern Islamic Raiders' Front has claimed responsibility for the attack, but Turkish and Israeliofficials are pointing the finger at al-Qaeda. Both suicide bombers are believed to have undergone training in Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Iran before carrying out the attack. The mastermind of the attack has fled to Syria, where he may being trying to link up with members of the Iranian-backed Hezbollah.
  


• The conservative Weekly Standard has leaked a memo dealing with evidence supporting the US assertion that Iraq and al-Qaeda have a long-standing relationship with Osama bin Laden. For more on this memo and whether or not the information contained therein is accurate, check out my special analysis on the topic.
  


• Al-Qaeda leader Abu Salma al-Hijazi has claimed that the terror network plans to kill 100,000 Americans in upcoming attacks. Al-Hijazi (the surname likely denotes a Saudi nationality) also reinterated the order previously issued by Suleiman al-Dosari that the organization's primary target is currently the US, not Arab governments.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; USA Homeland Security Briefing; Taliban forming committees; new tape by Mullah Omar; letter from Afghanistan; possible al-Qaeda threat in the UK; Saudi conspiracy theories; Zarqawi's Italian associates' assets frozen; new Algerian attack on the GSPC; grim UN report on al-Qaeda; JI training in Mindanao; Filippino communists deny recruiting for JI; new JI supremo in Southeast Asia; Yemen releases 92 al-Qaeda members; Saudi cleric renounces violence; Arafat's slush fund; and computers can't recognize a Southern drawl.

Read the Rest...

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

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• Just 2 weeks ago, Russia announced that it would delay the launch of the Bushehr plant and EU ministers stated that they were 'deeply concerned' over the human rights situation in Iran. But all those sticks are history. Already, Russia sees no obstacle to the delivery of nuclear fuel to Bushehr and continues to train Iranian nuclear scientists. Meanwhile, the EU is looking forward to the expansion of economic relations with Iran.

• JK: It's a Liberal blog-panel on the U.S. Democratic Party & National Security - Roger L. Simon, Calpundit, Armed Liberal, & Matthew Yglesias. Plus a hundred or so commenters in A.L.'s blog posts alone, many with intelligent things to say.

read the rest...
 

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" and Iraq Report are brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

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• Osama bin Laden, or someone who sounds like him, has released an audiotape to al-Jazeera in which he issues his latest round of threats. You can read my point-by-point analysis as well as speculation on what it may mean here and here. In addition to propaganda, it seems that the message may have far more sinister undertones to it.

• Hosting Matters, which hosts a number of prominent warbloggers, recently experienced DoS attacks from what Powerline says was supporters of al-Qaeda. For more discussion on this topic, go here. If Powerline is accurate, bloggers should expect more of these DOS attacks in the future.

• I recently made a number of predictions regarding al-Qaeda's next course of action and its implications for the War on Terror. Now, 2 weeks later, we'll see how some of those predictions have panned out.

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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 Andrew Olmsted of Andrew Olmsted dot com.

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• Israel may be planning to strike Iran's nuclear plants; Charles Johnson takes a look at the reports. Daily Kos has a good roundup of the issues, although his conclusion is rather pat. A diplomatic solution always *sounds* great, but getting there is there real trick, and Kos doesn't offer an answer for that.

• Donald Sensing examines a Dan Darling post, discussing where al Qaeda stands right now, and what the U.S. needs to do to keep them down.

• One year ago, Islamofascists murdered 202 people in Bali for the crime of being Westerners, or too close to Westerners. Bali marked that anniversary this weekend with a reading of the victims' names and a speech from Australian Prime Minister John Howard. Australia remembers her dead, and the war goes on.

read the rest! »
 

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

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• Time Magazine is reporting that Hanbali has cracked and is spilling the beans on Jemaah Islamiyyah's ties to al-Qaeda and MILF, as well as other al-Qaeda plots in Southeast Asia.

• Mullah Abdul Razzaq Nafees, one of ten members of the new Taliban ruling council, has been killed by US and Afghan forces in Uruzgan province. Nine more to go...

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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.

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• The Valerie Plame Affair is disturbing - even if her husband is a bit of a nincompoop, there's no justification for blowing a CIA agent's cover like that. As expected, Instapundit has a fine roundup.

• Stefan Sharkansky, who translated & published Die Zeit's "Arafat Bombs, Europe Pays" expose, reveals an interesting anecdote from Abu Mazen that points to premeditated, deliberate support of the EU for Arafat's terrorism. If this is true, then the terror attacks on Israel are effectively E.U. policy.

• Fierce Highway: "Pape's work shows, convincingly to me... suicide terrorism is a successful tool. Groups are learning that it does work..." Our present approach of rewarding it is certainly doing a great deal to encourage that belief - and not just among Islamists.

read the rest! »
 

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. The briefing is being split today. One feature will deal with Iraq, while this feature handles The Wider War.

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• Fouad Ajami's Foreign Policy Magazine article on Anti-Americanism as a global phenomenon is also much-discussed these days. One of his more interesting points: the USA did not 'squander the world's sympathy' post-9/11 - in many places, it's clear they never had it. For my money, British writer Ian Buruma did an even better job in in "Wielding the Moral Club."

• * Mark Helprin, via OTB: "America has approached the war on terrorism as if from two dreamworlds.... And in between these dreamworlds of paralysis and incompetence lies the seam, in French military terminology la soudure, through which al-Qaeda, uninterested in our parochialisms, will make its next attack." Thought-provoking.

• The full Den Beste on the U.S. State Department, including Gingrich's "Rogue State Department" article and what could/should be done to reform it. SDB's central criticism, and a valid one: "overall the basic culture and values in State don't seem to match those of the voters of this nation. State seems to be trying to "do the right thing" in spite of us, rather than taking their cue on what the right thing is from us." This story snaps that tendency into clear focus as well as anything I've ever seen.

read the rest! »
 
 

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" is brought to you by Dan Darling of Regnum Crucis.

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• IAEA inspectors in Iran have discovered traces of weapons-grade uranium. See our Iran Reports for more.

• There was a major bombing in the Indian financial hub of Mumbai (Bombay) this week that killed at least 65. Local suspicion appears to be focused on either the Student Islamic Movement of India or the Pakistani-based Lashkar-e-Taiba that harbored Abu Zubaydah and acts as a secret police for al-Qaeda in Pakistan according to US or Indian intelligence. This event may well reingnite the possibilty of war between India and Pakistan if LeT involvement is confirmed.

• A transcript of Rumsfeld and Abizaid's press conference is definitely a must-read - right to the end. Tip of the hat to Blaster.

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.

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• Good intelligence is key to winning an asymmetrical war, and the U.S.'s decision to recruit former Iraqi agents for the task may be a good step in the right direction. But the decision carries a major political risk, and it gives anti-U.S. forces a golden opportunity to slip some double agents into the mix. In the long run, this is probably a good decision, but it's going to carry a stiff cost for the Administration. Hat tip: Instapundit.

• The attacks on soft targets in Iraq may be backfiring on the Islamofascists. Popular support for those attacking coalition forces has dropped in the wake of recent attacks. It's too early to be definitive, but this is good news for the Coalition as they fight for hearts and minds.

• The 'cease-fire' is over, and the fighting is ramping up in Israel as an Israeli helicopter attack killed four members of Hamas in Gaza City. Although it is to Israel's best interests for the fiction of the cease-fire to end, look for Europe and others to complain bitterly about Israel's 'perpetuating the cycle of violence.'

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.

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• While the death toll at the Baghdad U.N. headquarters continues to climb, FBI agents now reporting that at least 1,500 pounds of explosives from Saddam's arsenal were used in the blast.

• Breaking News: "Chemical Ali" has been captured in Iraq. He was the King of Spades.

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.

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• David Adesnik channels Steven Den Beste's strategic overview format, offers 3-part set of thoughts on the development of U.S. foreign policy over the course of the next 2-5 years: (Part i | Part ii | Part iii).

• Caerdroia's excellent piece on Homeland Security & distributed defense.

• A grim warning from Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon to President Bush that Iran is much closer to producing nuclear weapons than U.S. intelligence believes has triggered speculation that Israel is seriously considering a preemptive strike against Iran's Bushehr nuclear reactor.

read the rest! »
 

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" is brought to you by Andrew Olmsted - soon to be Major Andrew Olmsted.

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• Did the Administration inflate the Iraq threat to gain support for the war? The Washington Post has an in-depth feature that traces some of the Washington lineage of the Iraqi nuclear debate, and examines this question.

• JK: Armed Liberal discusses Iraq and the War on Terror, in terms of John Boyd's insights. We've covered Boyd a lot in our "4th Generation Warfare" category.

• JK: Trent discusses America's grand strategy in terms of "The Core, the Gap, and American Foreign Policy", a piece based on Esquire's article "The Pentagon's New Map." Some good material in the comments section, too, about the relationship between the War on Terror and The War on Drugs. Porphy's "America's 21st Century Foreign Policy Part IV" is also excellent.

read the rest! »

Welcome! Our goal is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Today's "Winds of War" is brought to you by Venomous Kate of Electric Venom.

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• Hossein Khomeni, grandson of the late Ayatollah Khomeni, is urging the U.S. to assist in overthrowing the country's regime with the goal of bringing about the security and contentment he says he has witnessed on his recent travels in Iraq.

• Vodkapundit says waging war the modern way makes waging war more difficult - and it makes waging the peace harder, too. Frederick W. Kagan adds a more in-depth analysis of this topic.

• Daniel Drezner, meanwhile, has lots of background links to go with his analysis of the prospects for democracy in Iraq and elsewhere. He thinks Fareed Zakaria is wrong, and explains why.

read the rest! »

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.

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• LA Times: "After more than a decade of working behind layers of front companies and in hidden laboratories, Iran appears to be in the late stages of developing the capacity to build a nuclear bomb." They've done a special investigative report. As WATCH/ notes, the NY Times has a similar investigative report.

• Fierce Highway has a great analysis of the missing 9/11 report pages, the Saudis, and U.S. policy. See also the sequel: "More Reason, Not Less".

read the rest! »

Saif al-eslam Gadhafi, son of Libyan dictator Moammar Gadhafi, tells CNN's Judy Woodruff:

"I would like to send this message to the American people and the American government that we, the Libyan people, we want to have a more constructive and fruitful relationship with the Americans. . . . We don't want confrontation and aggression and, you know, to fight anymore. It's over. It's behind us now. It's dead with the Cold War."

Just in case you had any lingering doubts, Saif.... As for Syria and Iran, another warning from U.S. President Bush to reinforce the concept.

New Flash from FOX News (full AP text is here).

President Bush said that Syria and Iran continue to harbor terrorists.

"...today Syria and Iran continue to harbor and assist terrorists. This behavior is completely unacceptable and states that support terror will be held accountable.

Supporting and harboring terrorists undermines the prospects for peace in the Middle East and betrays the true interests of the Palestinian people."

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. Dan Darling really ought to become a spook or something. Another unbelievable briefing today...

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• Earlier this week, Reuters ran a story that was apparently designed to debunk an audiotape claiming to be from al-Qaeda's Fallujah branch. Their experts were less than satisfactory in my own opinion, so I set about analyzing their claims for your reading pleasure.

• Robert over at Alphabet City notes that yet another Iraqi resistance group has emerged (guess we'll have to add that one to the pile) and correctly notes that the Democrats' criticism of the Bush administration over the Niger flap has likely emboldened the Iraqi insurgents and their foreign backers. He also has a nice analysis of the Virginia-based Lashkar-e-Taiba cell here and here. I would add that among the Lashkar-e-Taiba's various antics in Indian Kashmir, they also hosted Abu Zubaydah in Pakistan after the Taliban's defeat in Afghanistan.

• As other bloggers have noted, Cuba is jamming the US-based Iranian satellite TV stations, but there also appears to be a possibility that the jamming is also being orchestrated by Hezbollah operatives in Latin America, who have a substantial presence, along with al-Qaeda, in the Triple Border area. This also brings to mind Fidel Castro's remarks in 2001 that by working together Cuba and Iran can bring America to its knees.

read the rest! »

AP:

TEHRAN, Iran -- Iran said Monday it has identified some al-Qaida members it has in custody and promised to hand them over to their home nations, including Saudi Arabia.

The United States has been increasing pressure on Iran, accusing it of harboring operatives for Osama bin Laden's terror network -- including some Washington says may have been involved in last month's suicide bombings in the Saudi capital, Riyadh. Saudi Arabia has been pressing for the handover of any al-Qaida agents.

Iran has denied giving sanctuary to any al-Qaida figures and has been saying for weeks that it had some members of the group in custody -- but it was trying to determine who they were.

Monday's statement was Iran's firmest yet on al-Qaida, though it did not reveal the names of the identified members or how many are in its prisons.

Full article...

AP via NJ.com:

PARIS (AP) -- Masked and heavily armed police raided the compound of an Iranian opposition group Tuesday, detaining activists on suspicion of plotting terrorist attacks in France and building a support base for operations abroad.

The dramatic raids came a month after U.S forces disarmed the military wing of the group, the Mujahedeen Khalq, in Iraq. The organization, which the United States and European Union classify as a terrorist group, seeks to topple Iran's clerical regime.

French authorities detained 159 people in the raids on the compound north of Paris and 12 other sites outside the city. The authorities seized $1.3 million in U.S. currency, mostly 100-dollar bills, along with computers and satellite telecommunications equipment.

Full article...

Reuters:

Assistant U.S. Secretary of State for Non- Proliferation John Wolf told a UN meeting in Geneva that Iran had an "alarming, clandestine program" to get hold of nuclear technology as part of an illegal weapons effort. "Iran is going down the same path of denial and deception that handicapped international inspections in North Korea and Iraq," Wolf declared.

See also Russia and Iran's Nuclear Program:

Iran is much closer to acquiring a military nuclear capability than supposed, due to its unexpected progress in developing uranium enrichment facilities using centrifuge technology. By admitting that it has a uranium enrichment program, Iran is basically telling the world that it indeed has military intentions.

Since the mid-1990s, there has been a continuous stream of leakage of Russian technology, technicians, materiel, contracts, and activities to Iran from some 20 companies, institutes, universities, and engineering firms in the two critical domains of missile capability and nuclear development.

The Russians secretly negotiated additional nuclear cooperation agreements with Iran, with full knowledge that they were assisting Iran in its military programs. The result is an Iran that is within a short distance of having a first-generation, nuclear military capability coupled with a delivery capability.

We cannot be confident that reform in Iran will eliminate the strategic threat to Israel. Even the moderates are extremely problematic on a number of issues. Iran's attitude toward the West is basically hostile and the regime shows no signs of any sharp policy changes.

IRANIAN REGIME WORRIED BY PEOPLE’S PRO-AMERICANISM

This is from Iran's official news agency:

As President George W. Bush has also warned the Islamic republic to stop meddling in Iraqi affairs, an influential French daily says Iranian officials are worried by the "obvious pro-Americanism sentiments" of " the Iranian people".

Iranian officials are worried. Worried of the American presence next to their doors, on the East as well as to the West, worried of the invasion of Iraq "with so little popular resistance", worried of the fast fall of the Baghdad regime, worried of the sidelining of the UN, worried of the total disillusion of the Iranian people that, since the beginning of the Iraqi crisis, has resulted in a fierce pro-Americanism of the population... but, especially, worried of the vox populi, that asks for "a change of the regime with the help of the American marines", the daily "Le Monde" wrote.

This demand is taken enough seriously in the political circles so that the resumption of the relations with America -- a 24 years-old taboo -- had moved forward on the political agenda in Tehran. These relations had been broken on the eve of the establishment of the Islamic Republic and the hostage taking of 55 American diplomats in 1979.

This news article, about Israel's legitimate fears of nuclear attack by Iran, concludes:

No one in the Israeli establishment believes that after the war in Iraq, the United States will be in any mood for a far more difficult military campaign against Iran. Moreover, many are convinced that it is too late to stop Iran from going nuclear. Therefore, they argue, the best way to neutralize a nuclear Iran is to promote regime change from within. [Emphasis mine - JW]

"Evidently, I am afraid!" he exclaims. "How would I not be afraid of an America armed to the teeth and who demonstrated in Iraq its total disdain of respect for the sovereignty of the States? . . . according to him, "that the best defense of Iran against the Americans would be to reinforce its democracy in order to deprive them of their arguments".

Interrogated on the voices calling for "the American interference", Mr. Nabavi declares: "It is obvious that it is the result of our mistake. The fact that people prefer a foreign invasion to living in the Islamic Republic is only the sign of our failure. We have not been able to fulfill the people's democratic aspirations and it is normal that they are disappointed". If one admits that the Iraqis are delighted with Saddam Hoseyn's end, one must also think about the possibility that maybe, the Iranians would celebrate at the end of the Islamic Republic as well".

Israeli officials think Iran will have nuclear weapons within two years. Iran wants to use their nukes on Israel. Iran's #2 official, cleric Hashemi-Rafsanjani, has stated that annihilating Israel is worth Muslim collateral damage, and

Iran was behind the 1992 and 1994 terrorist attacks on the Israeli Embassy and a Jewish cultural center in Buenos Aires, Argentina; Iran regularly supplies Hezbollah with weapons, including long-range rockets, through Damascus, Syria; and in 2002, Iran tried to sell arms to the Palestinian Authority for use against Israel.