Gonzales Revisits Deportation Remarks
Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales's claim this week that the Justice Department was not responsible for sending Canadian software engineer Maher Arar to a Syrian prison in 2002 was the result of imprecise wording by Gonzales and a misunderstanding by those who reported his remarks…(Washington Post, 22 Sep 06)

White House, Senators Near Pact on Interrogation Rules
The White House and dissident Senate Republicans reached a tentative accord yesterday on legislation that President Bush said would provide for continued tough interrogations of terrorism suspects by the CIA at secret detention sites…..(Washington Post, 22 Sep 06)

Court: Senator Can't Be Military Judge

It is unconstitutional for Sen. Lindsey Graham to serve as a member of Congress and a military judge at the same time, a military court has ruled. Graham, R-S.C., is a colonel in the U.S. Air Force Standby Reserve, and is assigned as a reserve judge to the Air Force Court of Criminal Appeals….(New York Times, 22 Sep 06)

Air Force says it will fund terrorism study at St. Mary's

The Air Force has announced that it will administer a $1 million grant to the St. Mary's University Center for Terrorism Law to study states' protection of information about infrastructure and cyber security….(AP, 22 Sep 06)

1,100 Laptops Missing From Commerce Dept.

More than 1,100 laptop computers have vanished from the Department of Commerce since 2001, including nearly 250 from the Census Bureau containing such personal information as names, incomes and Social Security numbers, federal officials said yesterday…(Washington Post, 22 Sep 06)

Hijackers Were Not Identified Before 9/11, Investigation Says

The Defense Department's inspector general has concluded that a top secret intelligence-gathering program did not identify Mohamed Atta or any other hijacker before the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, determining that there is no evidence to substantiate claims that Atta's name and photograph were on charts collected by military officials before the strikes….(Washington Post, 22 Sep 06)

At Home, Tehran Deals With a Restive Arab Minority

 … Iran wants to be a leader in the Islamic world, spreading its reach and influence among Arabs and Indonesians, Sunnis and Shiites. And with its support for Hezbollah in Lebanon and its defiance of the West, it has made some progress….(New York Times, 22 Sep 06)

Hezbollah to hold 'victory' rally

Hezbollah is due to hold a major rally in the southern suburbs of the Lebanese capital Beirut, to celebrate what it describes as its victory over Israel. The militant Lebanese group has declared a "divine victory" over Israel in the recent conflict….(BBC, 22 Sep 06)

Pakistan Tells of U.S. Threat After 9/11, CBS Reports

President Pervez Musharraf of Pakistan said yesterday that after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks the United States threatened to bomb his country if it did not cooperate with the American campaign against the Taliban in Afghanistan….(Reuters, 22 Sep 06)

U.S.-Pakistan Relationship Fragile

Threats of U.S. military action inside Pakistan to counter al-Qaida militants have highlighted the shaky relationship between these two key players in the war on terror….(AP, 22 Sep 06)

Iran Open To a Break In Nuclear Program
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said Thursday that his government is prepared to consider suspending its controversial uranium-enrichment program if Western governments meet unspecified conditions…..(Washington Post, 22 Sep 06)

U.S. report on Al-Qaeda funding in Russia a concoction - Russian Muftiyat

The Russian Mufti Council absolutely rejects a report from the U.S. Congressional Committee on Homeland Security that claims there are Al-Qaeda financing channels in Russia….(Interfax, 22 Sep 06)

CIA officers refused to work at secret prisons: report

The Bush administration emptied its CIA prisons and transferred top terrorism suspects to Guantanamo Bay partly because CIA officers refused to carry out interrogations, the Financial Times reported on Thursday….(Reuters, 21 Sep 06)

FBI wiretaps challenged

The man who allegedly recruited Jose Padilla to join al-Qaeda is challenging warrants obtained from a secret intelligence court by the FBI for wiretaps, which form the backbone of prosecutors' case against him…(Orlando-Sentinel, 21 Sep 06)

Chile Seeks U.S. Files on 1976 Assassination

Thirty years after a Chilean-organized hit squad assassinated former Foreign Minister Orlando Letelier and an American colleague on the streets of Washington, investigators here are drawing closer to implicating this country’s former dictator, Gen. Augusto Pinochet, in the killings. …(New York Times, 21 Sep 06)

Debate Over Chemical Plant Security Focuses on Strictness of Rules

After nearly five years of debate over whether the chemical industry should be required to protect plants better against a terrorist attack, a fierce struggle is going on behind the scenes in Congress to deal with what is considered one of the nation’s most serious vulnerabilities….(New York Times, 21 Sep 06)

Measures Seek to Restrict Detainees’ Access to Courts

Although the effort has been partly obscured by the highly publicized wrangling over military commissions for war crimes trials, the Bush administration and its allies in Congress are trying to use the same legislation to strip federal courts of their authority to review the detentions of almost all terrorism suspects….(New York Times, 21 Sep 06)

Vietnam deports U.S. citizen held on terror charge
A Vietnamese-born U.S. citizen who police said was detained on suspicion of plotting to overthrow the communist government and destroy the U.S. consulate, was released and deported on Thursday….(Reuters, 21 Sep 06)

U.S. citizen faces terrorism charge in Vietnam

…The accusations, sourced to Vietnam's security agencies were made against Cong Thanh Do, a 47-year-old computer engineer from San Jose, California, who was been held in Ho Chi Minh City since mid-August….(Reuters, 20 Sep 06)

Justice Dept. Amends Remark on Torture Case

In an embarrassing turnabout, the Department of Justice backed away Wednesday from a denial by Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales of responsibility for the treatment of a Canadian who was seized by American authorities in 2002….(New York Times, 21 Sep 06)

US still lacks understanding of al Qaeda - report

Five years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Bush administration still does not fully understand the threat from al Qaeda, a congressional report released on Wednesday said…(Reuters, 21 Sep 06)

German police shadowed man before CIA seized him: witness

German police were shadowing Khaled el-Masri and exchanging information on him with U.S. authorities before he was seized by the CIA and taken to Afghanistan, a German federal policeman said on Thursday….(Reuters, 21 Sep 06)

Afghan President Sees 15 - Year Fight Against Opium

Eradicating Afghanistan's surging opium production and weaning poor farmers from growing the raw material for heroin will take at least 10 to 15 years, the country's president said on Thursday…..(Reuters, 21 Sep 06)

U.N. Issues Grim Report on Iraq

It says violence targeting civilians 'is challenging the very fabric of the country.' A U.S. general notes a rise in attacks on American troops….(LA Times, 21 Sep 06)

U.N. Finds Baghdad Toll Far Higher Than Cited

…..(New York Times, 21 Sep 06)

Early October New Deadline for Iran

… Under the plan, reached by Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and her counterparts from five other nations over a late-night dinner Tuesday, Iran will have until early October to agree to suspend its nuclear activities as the negotiations take place…(Washington Post, 21 Sep 06)

U.S. Envoy's Darfur Warnings Went Unheeded

Darfur, the troubled western Sudan region, was barely a speck on the international horizon in October 2003 when Andrew Natsios, head of the U.S. foreign aid agency, traveled there to learn more about the area's developing humanitarian crisis….(AP, 21 Sep 06)

Thai leaders ban political action

Thailand's new leaders have banned all meetings and other activities by political parties, two days after taking power in a military coup. They also say they have assumed legislative powers and duties in the absence of a parliament….(BBC, 21 Sep 06)

Thailand Reinterprets the Rules of Democracy, Again

The generals billed it as a pro-democracy military coup, and although they had ousted one of the most popular prime ministers in Thailand’s history, most commentators here tended to agree on Wednesday.…(International Herald Tribune, 21 Sep 06)

Hamas refuses to bend on recognition demand

Hamas could accept two of the international community's three conditions for lifting a crippling six-month-old aid boycott, but it will not recognize Israel's right to exist, the top political adviser to Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh said in an interview….(Washington Times, 21 Sep 06)

Iraqis Using Kidnap Victims As Bombers

...The Iraqi announcement _ the latest development in the deadly war waged by the insurgency _ came as widespread lawlessness swept the capital Thursday with kidnappings, deadly attacks on police, the discovery of more mutilated death squad victims and a brazen daylight bank heist by men dressed as Iraqi soldiers…..(AP, 21 Sep 06)

World poll favors Iran diplomacy

World opinion opposes aggressive steps as a way of stopping a possible Iranian nuclear arms programme, according to a 25-nation poll for BBC World Service….(BBC, 21 Sep 06)

Iraq torture 'worse after Saddam'

…Manfred Nowak said the situation in Iraq was "out of control", with abuses being committed by security forces, militia groups and anti-US insurgents. Bodies found in the Baghdad morgue "often bear signs of severe torture", said the human rights office of the UN Assistance Mission in Iraq in a report….(BBC, 21 Sep 06)

Since Threat, Attacks on U.S. Troops Have Risen

Attacks against U.S. troops have increased in the two weeks since al-Qaeda in Iraq's new leader urged insurgents to target American forces, a U.S. military spokesman said Wednesday….(Washington Post, 21 Sep 06)

Failed Amman hotel bomber to hang

A Jordanian court has sentenced a failed Iraqi suicide bomber to death for her role in attacks on hotels in Amman which killed 60 people last year. …(BBC, 21 Sep 06)

Tribals help Pakistan arrest 10 Taliban suspects

Tribal elders in Pakistan's troubled North Waziristan region helped security forces arrest 10 suspected Taliban fighters believed to have been returning from Afghanistan….(Reuters, 21 Sep 06)

9 Investigated in Argentina Terror Probe

A federal judge has opened an investigation of former Judge Juan Jose Galeano and eight others in connection with the allegedly botched probe of a 1994 Jewish center bombing that killed 85 people…(AP, 21 Sep 06)

Old Tactics Used to Stop Iraq Smuggling

The soldiers of the Queen's Royal Hussars are traveling light, borrowing tactics from the British army's desert campaigns of World War II as they target arms smuggling across the rugged Iranian border…..(AP, 21 Sep 06)

Israel 'trains Iraqi Kurd forces'

…The BBC report will be like the smoking gun the Arab media has spent years looking for. Ever since the US-led invasion of Iraq began over three years ago, Arab journalists have been speaking of Israelis operating inside the autonomous region of Kurdistan…..(BBC, 21 Sep 06)

Timeline: Iraqi Kurds

NATO to Send Additional Troops To Afghanistan

NATO countries are sending thousands more troops to Afghanistan to help battle a surprisingly violent Taliban resurgence in the south -- the alliance's first test in ground combat for "a long, long time," NATO's top commander said yesterday….(Washington Post, 21 Sep 06)

Intelligence report: Romania on the terrorists' list
The Intelligence Agency's report shows that the number of people infiltrating Romania to get strategic information has gone up significantly since the country started engaging in the international anti-terrorism fight….(Bucharest Daily 21 Sep 06)

Bombings Kill 28 in Baghdad, Mosul

Separate bombings near an army base and a police building killed at least 28 people and wounded at least 56…(AP, 20 Sep 06)

Doubts Rise on Iraqi Premier’s Strength

Senior Iraqi and American officials are beginning to question whether Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki has the political muscle and decisiveness to hold Iraq together as it hovers on the edge of a full civil war….(New York Times, 20 Sep 06)

Iran's growing regional influence

…Iraq, weakened by the immense violence which has followed Saddam's overthrow, now regards Shia Iran as the dominant partner in the relationship….(BBC, 20 Sep 06)

DHS aims to keep more about security clearance applications secret

The Homeland Security Department is proposing to scale back what information can be viewed by clearance applicants under the 1974 Privacy Act, saying the investigative techniques of its Office of Security are jeopardized when documents are made available.…(Gov Exec,  20 Sep 06)

Pentagon to release report on September 11 claims

The Pentagon's inspector general will release a report in the coming days that is expected to refute claims that an Army intelligence unit had information that could have thwarted the September 11 attacks…(Reuters, 20 Sep 06)

Teens Ram Car Through CENTCOM Gates

The military was reviewing security procedures Wednesday after two teens managed to drive a stolen car through a security checkpoint and onto MacDill Air Force Base, which houses key command centers in the U.S. war on terrorism….(AP, 20 Sep 06)

Judge Orders More Gitmo Papers Unsealed

A federal judge on Wednesday ordered the Department of Defense to release documents containing the identities of some detainees at the U.S. prison camp in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, who were released or who suffered mistreatment by their handlers or other detainees….(AP, 20 Sep 06)

Sudanese march on U.S. embassy to protest troop plan

Thousands of Sudanese marched on the U.S. embassy in Khartoum on Wednesday to protest against Western pressure on Sudan to accept 20,000 U.N. peacekeepers in war-torn Darfur…(Reuters, 20 Sep 06)

Afghanistan, Pakistan clash over war on terror

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf on Wednesday angrily rejected Afghan charges that he was being soft on the Taliban and said Kabul should be doing more to stamp out the militant threat….(Reuters, 20 Sep 06)

Attempted Assassin Warns Pope Against Turkey Visit

The man who tried to kill Pope John Paul II in 1981 has warned the current Pope not to visit Turkey, saying his life would be in danger…(Reuters, 20 Sep 06)

U.S. Policy on Iran Evolves Toward Diplomacy

Before the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, U.S. officials confidently predicted that the toppling of Saddam Hussein would lead to renewed momentum on the Israeli-Palestinian peace track....(Washington Post, 20 Sep 06)

Somalia Militants Plan to Train Students

The Islamic militia that controls much of southern Somalia said Tuesday it will train students for holy war against foreign peacekeepers, an ominous development amid fears that a Taliban-style regime is emerging in the country….(AP, 19 Sep 06)

Yemen Leader Is Now Paying for Providing Open Election

It was supposed to be like other elections in the Arab world: the president portrays himself as a changed man, the respected opposition candidate is discredited and the opposition ends with an embarrassing loss. …(New York Times, 20 Sep 06)

Air marshals ousted over job injuries

The size of the federal air marshal force has been cut in half by on-the-job injuries that have sidelined nearly 2,100 marshals, while squabbling prevents health and safety policies from being implemented,…(Washington Times, 20 Sep 06)

Red Cross Workers to Meet With 14 Who Were Held in Secret Prisons

Representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross are scheduled to begin meetings Monday with the 14 terrorism suspects who were held for years in secret CIA custody, the detainees' first contact with the outside world since they were captured after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks….(Washington Post, 20 Sep 06)

White House Drops a Condition on Interrogation Bill

Seeking a deal with Senate Republicans on the rules governing the interrogation of terrorism suspects, the White House has dropped its insistence on redefining the obligations of the United States under the Geneva Conventions….(New York Times, 20 Sep 06)

Deportation to Syria Backed

… Arar, now 36, has said that he was interrogated for several days in New York, was refused access to a lawyer and was eventually sent to Syria. He and his family had moved to Canada when he was a teenager….(LA Times, 20 Sep 06)

Canadian Man Tortured in Syria Wants Explanation From U.S.

A software engineer who was exonerated of any involvement in terrorism by a Canadian government inquiry said Tuesday that he wanted the United States to explain why he was sent to Syria, where he was jailed and tortured….(New York Times, 20 Sep 06)

Project aims to foil hijack attempts

Five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, a hijack-proof airliner still seems the impossible dream, but the next best thing to it could begin guarding the world's airways within two to four years….(Washington Times, 20 Sep 06)

Iraq Appoints Special Coordinator, Closes PKK Offices
Following Turkey and the U.S., Iraq has also appointed a special coordinator to counter terrorism in the country. It has been reported that the Iraqi government said in a note sent to the Turkish Foreign Ministry that Gen. Amir Amet Hassun had been appointed as Iraq's special representative for combating terrorism….(Zaman, 20 Sep 06)

Alleged 9/11 Planner Faces Gitmo Hearing

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, accused of masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks, and other alleged terrorists linked to major attacks against the U.S. are expected to face hearings at the Guantanamo prison camp within three months….(AP, 20 Sep 06)

Terrorism Defendant Cites Fear of Pakistan

A major terrorism trial here was interrupted Tuesday when a defendant accused Pakistan's intelligence service of threatening his relatives in the South Asian nation after he testified that the spy agency played a role in training Islamic militants….(LA Times, 20 Sep 06)

Catholic chaplain jailed for contempt in Germany

A Catholic lay chaplain who secretly helped an al-Qaeda terrorist suspect detained in a German prison was sentenced Tuesday to six months in jail for contempt of court….(Expatica, 20 Sep 06)

Two more Australians to face terrorism trials

Two more Australian men will stand trial on terrorism charges, a court ruled on Wednesday, including one who prosecutors say had promised to carry out attacks on behalf of Osama bin Laden….(Reuters, 20 Sep 06)

Iraq shuts Kurdish rebel offices

Iraq announced today that it is to close all offices of the rebel Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a longstanding demand of neighboring Turkey, which has been fighting the group since 1984….(Herald Sun, 20 Sep 06)

'06 Cuts In Iraq Troops Unlikely
The U.S. military is unlikely to reduce forces in Iraq before next spring because the current contingent of more than 140,000 troops is battling sectarian violence that could prove "fatal" to the country if not arrested, the top American commander for the Middle East said yesterday…..(Washington Post, 20 Sep 06)

Thai Army Leaders Depose Prime Minister
Thai army leaders deposed Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, a longtime ally of President Bush, using tanks and soldiers to seize the capital Tuesday night without firing a shot. The coup was the first in 15 years…(Washington Post, 20 Sep 06)

Japan, Australia impose sanctions

Australia and Japan imposed financial sanctions yesterday on 11 North Korean companies and a Swiss company and its president based on charges they helped the communist nation's weapons programs….(AP, 20 Sep 06)

Al-Qaeda resilient and in control, counter-terrorism chief warns

Al-Qaeda’s senior leadership is still directing terrorist operations around the world, and camps for prospective jihadists are flourishing in and around Afghanistan, Scotland Yard's top counter-terrorism official says…(Sydney Morning Herald, 19 Sep 06)

Intelligence 'at core' of terrorism prevention

A national security conference has heard there are some key areas to be addressed if Australia is to prevent the development of home-grown terrorism….(ABC, 19 Sep 06)

Madrid train bombing trial to start in February

The trial of 29 people accused over the 2004 Madrid train bombings, which killed 191 people, is expected to get under way in February 2007…(Reuters, 19 Sep 06)

Chief Saddam trial judge pulled from case

The chief judge in Saddam Hussein’s genocide trial was replaced Tuesday amid complaints from Shiite and Kurdish officials that he was too soft on the former Iraqi leader, a move that could raise accusations of government interference in the highly sensitive case….(AP, 19 Sep 06)

Kurd Shows Burns Received in Iraq Attack

A Kurdish security officer testifying in Saddam Hussein's genocide trial on Tuesday showed the court body burns he allegedly received when Iraqi troops attacked his northern village in March 1988….(AP, 19 Sep 06)

'Coup' sparks Thailand emergency

Thai Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra has declared a state of emergency in Bangkok amid reports of a coup attempt. Soldiers have entered Government House and tanks have moved into position around the building....(BBC, 19 Sep 06)

Iraq puts off federal debate as civil war fears grow

Iraqi lawmakers again put off a divisive debate on federalism that was set for Tuesday after a fresh wave of violence killed 50 people and prompted a warning from the United Nations that Iraq was descending into civil war….(AP, 19 Sep 06)

Chavez warns against Iran attack

President Hugo Chavez of Venezuela has launched a robust defense of Iran's nuclear program….(BBC, 19 Sep 06)

Japan's nuclear view shifts
A few weeks ago, a former prime minister said the once-unspeakable, suggesting that it could be time for Japan to study whether to acquire nuclear weapons….(McClathchy Newspapers, 19 Sep 06)

Zarqawi had foes within al Qaeda

Iraq's national security adviser yesterday released a letter captured after the death of terrorist leader Abu Musab Zarqawi, in which he was criticized by another al Qaeda figure for his brutal methods…(Washington Times, 19 Sep 06)

Two Chinese Warships Visit San Diego

…China could have its first aircraft carrier by the end of this year, and Pentagon analysts have warned in recent years that China could present a major threat as its expanding "blue-water" navy increasingly is able to travel far from home….(LA Times, 19 Sep 06)

Pope’s Regrets Over Statement Fail to Quiet a Storm of Protests

…In the southern Iraqi city of Basra, protesters burned an effigy of the pope, and an Iraqi group linked to Al Qaeda posted a warning on a Web site threatening war against “worshipers of the cross.”…(New York Times, 19 Sep 06)

A Poor Yield For Afghans' War on Drugs

…Two weeks ago, the top U.N. anti-drug official aroused new international alarm when he announced here that the cultivation of opium poppies in Afghanistan had increased by 59 percent in the past year…(Washington Post, 19 Sep 06)

Bush Detainee Plan Adds to World Doubts Of U.S., Powell Says

Former secretary of state Colin L. Powell said yesterday that he decided to publicly oppose the Bush administration's proposed rules for the treatment of terrorism suspects in part because the plan would add to growing doubts about whether the United States adheres to its own moral code…(Washington Post, 19 Sep 06)

Canadian Was Falsely Accused, Panel Says
Canadian intelligence officials passed false warnings and bad information to American agents about a Muslim Canadian citizen, after which U.S. authorities secretly whisked him to Syria, where he was tortured….(Washington Post, 19 Sep 06)

Study: Prisons Used to Recruit Terrorists

U.S. prisons are becoming major breeding grounds for Islamic terrorists, but state and local authorities are too cash-strapped to prevent or track recruiting, a new report concludes. The report, to be released Tuesday, found there aren't enough legitimately trained Muslim religious leaders to counsel an estimated 9,000 U.S. prison inmates who want Islamic services….(AP, 19 Sep 06)

White House Offers New Proposal on Interrogations

White House officials sent Congress a revised proposal last night on rules governing the interrogation of detainees at secret CIA prisons, bending to the opposition of a growing group of Republicans who have balked at President Bush's proposal on military trials for suspected terrorists….(Washington Post, 19 Sep 06)

Armed Man Bursts Into Capitol, Leads Police on Four-Floor Chase

A man drove past security and onto the grounds of the U.S. Capitol yesterday morning and then ran deep inside the building, leading police on a wild chase covering all four main floors before he was cornered in the basement…Washington Post, 19 Sep 06)

U.S. sending team to Syria to examine embassy attack

The United States is sending a team of federal agents to Syria to investigate a failed attack on the U.S. Embassy in Damascus…(Reuters, 19 Sep 06)

Experts Say Bush’s Goal in Terrorism Bill Is Latitude for Interrogators’ Methods

In his showdown with rebellious Senate Republicans over bills to bring terrorism suspects to trial, President Bush has repeatedly called for clarity in the rules for what he calls “alternative interrogation techniques” used by the Central Intelligence Agency.….(New York Times, 19 Sep 06)

Israel pressed on cluster targets

...At least 350,000 unexploded bomblets litter southern Lebanon, the UN says, only 17,000 of which have so far been cleared, mostly from villages, schools and playing areas. At least 15 people including a child have been killed and 83 others wounded, 23 of them children…(BBC, 19 Sep 06)

Canadians Fault U.S. for Its Role in Torture Case

A government commission on Monday exonerated a Canadian computer engineer of any ties to terrorism and issued a scathing report that faulted Canada and the United States for his deportation four years ago to Syria, where he was imprisoned and tortured….(New York Times, 19 Sep 06)

Blasts in Kirkuk Kill 26; Police Bureau Destroyed

…The restive northern city -- considered a likely flash point for sectarian violence because of its combustible mix of Kurds, Arabs and Turkmens -- declared a state of emergency and hastily put up dozens of checkpoints to thwart further attacks, police Maj. Jalal Mahmood Aras said….(Washington Post, 18 Sep 06)

Suicide Bicycle Bomber Kills Four NATO Soldiers in Afghanistan

A suicide bomber on a bicycle killed four NATO soldiers as they distributed gifts to children in Afghanistan's southern Kandahar province…(Bloomberg, 18 Sep 06)

Somali leader survives bomb blast