Bill Would Ease CIA Interrogation Limits

To many of President Bush's allies, it is time to free intelligence officials from "legislative purgatory" and get the CIA back in the business of effective interrogations of suspected terrorists….(AP, 9 Sep 06)

Italy Says Syria OKs EU Border Personnel

Italy's prime minister said Saturday that Syrian President Bashar Assad has agreed to the deployment of European Union personnel along Lebanon's border with Syria…(AP, 9 Sep 06)

Report Details Errors Before War

The long-awaited Senate Intelligence Committee report released yesterday sheds new light on why U.S. intelligence agencies provided inaccurate prewar information about Saddam Hussein and his weapons programs, including details on how Iraqi exiles who fabricated or exaggerated their stories were accepted as truthful because they passed Pentagon lie detector tests….(Washington Post, 9 Sep 06)

Postwar Findings about Iraq's WMD Programs and Links to Terrorism and How they Compare with Prewar Assessments

The Use by the Intelligence Community of Information Provided by the Iraqi National Congress

Explosions Hit Indian Mosque, Stoking Fear of Further Violence

A series of explosions struck in and near the largest mosque in a flashpoint textile town in western India on Friday, killing more than two dozen people, wounding more than 100 and raising the specter of renewed sectarian clashes….(New York Times, 9 Sep 06)

Blast in Kabul Kills 14 Afghans, 2 U.S. Soldiers
A suicide bomber rammed a Toyota sedan into a U.S. military convoy Friday morning on a busy Kabul street, triggering a blast that killed 14 Afghan civilians and two U.S. soldiers, officials here said. At least 17 other people, including a U.S. soldier, were injured…..(Washington Post, 9 Sep 06)

Iraq's Alleged Al-Qaeda Ties Were Disputed Before War
A declassified report released yesterday by the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence revealed that U.S. intelligence analysts were strongly disputing the alleged links between Saddam Hussein and al-Qaeda while senior Bush administration officials were publicly asserting those links to justify invading Iraq….(Washington Post, 9 Sep 06)

C.I.A. Said to Find No Hussein Link to Terror Chief

The Central Intelligence Agency last fall repudiated the claim that there were prewar ties between Saddam Hussein’s government and an operative of Al Qaeda, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, according to a report issued Friday by the Senate Intelligence Committee…..(New York Times, 9 Sep 06)

U.S. Bars Iranian Bank’s Access to System

Bush administration raised the pressure on Iran on Friday, cutting off one of its main state-owned banks from any dealings with the United States financial system….(Reuters, 9 Sep 06)

Police on the Lookout for Terrorists With Missiles Near Airports

Police officer Steven Benner was on patrol in northern Anne Arundel County, driving his unmarked sport-utility vehicle through parking lots, climbing onto rooftops and peering down access roads that wind through wooded areas….(Washington Post, 9 Sep 06)

Indonesia Demands Access to Terror Chief

Indonesia demanded access to alleged Asian terror chief Hambali after receiving confirmation from Washington that he was alive and being detained somewhere in the United States, a Foreign Ministry spokesman said Friday….(AP, 8 Sep 06)

Confirmation of CIA Prisons Leaves Europeans Mistrustful

…….(Washington Post, 8 Sep 06)

Europeans’ Views Mixed on News of C.I.A. Camps

Reaction in Europe and Afghanistan to the United States’ transfer of 14 top terror suspects from secret C.I.A. camps to Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, for trial has been sharply mixed, welcomed by some but termed a half-measure by others….(New York Times, 8 Sep 06)

U.S. officials urge nations' discretion on CIA prisons

The Bush administration yesterday cautioned countries with secret CIA prisons in their territory against disclosing the sites' existence, even as the European Parliament renewed its demand that its members come clean if they host such detention centers…(Washington Times, 8 Sep 06)

Bush says U.S. watching Pakistan deal with militants

A peace deal between Pakistan and pro-Taliban militants does not give "safe haven" to terrorists who may be hiding on tribal lands near the Pakistani-Afghan border…(Reuters, 7 Sep 06)

Israel Lifts Blockade of Air Access To Lebanon
Israel lifted its eight-week-long air blockade of Lebanon on Thursday, but maintained its sea cordon after determining that not enough international forces had taken up positions along the coast to enforce an arms embargo against the Shiite Muslim militia Hezbollah….(Washington Post, 8 Sep 06)

At Cathedral, Iran's Khatami Urges Dialogue

Amid noisy protests and tight security, former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami issued a call at the Washington National Cathedral yesterday for leaders in both the West and the Islamic world to launch a historic dialogue to "rescue life from the claws of the warmongers and violence-seekers and ostentatious leaders." ...(Washington Post, 8 Sep 06)

Body Count in Baghdad Nearly Triples
Baghdad's morgue almost tripled its count for violent deaths in Iraq's capital during August from 550 to 1,536, authorities said Thursday, appearing to erase most of what U.S. generals and Iraqi leaders had touted as evidence of progress in a major security operation to restore order in the capital….(Washington Post, 8 Sep 06)

Kabul suicide bomb hits US convoy

A suicide car bombing in Kabul has killed at least 16 people, as Nato military chiefs prepared to discuss a plea for more troops for Afghanistan. The attack on a US military convoy occurred near the American embassy, killing two US soldiers and injuring two others, the US military said….(BBC, 8 Sep 06)

Army Faces Rising Number of Roadside Bombs in Iraq

Roadside bombs in Iraq rose to record numbers this summer -- to about four times as many as in January 2004 -- as tips from Iraqi citizens warning of the bombs and attacks have dropped sharply amid a flaring of sectarian violence, according to a senior U.S. defense official….(Washington Post, 8 Sep 06)

Blasts in India kill at least 25: TV

At least 25 people were feared killed in a series of explosions on Friday in a town in the western Indian state of Maharashtra…(Reuters, 8 Sep 06)

Baghdad violence 'not declining'

The Iraqi ministry of health says more than 1,500 people were killed in attacks in Baghdad last month. …(BBC, 8 Sep 06)

Tape Reportedly Features Voice Of Zarqawi Heir
The new leader of al-Qaeda in Iraq called on insurgent groups to unite against the American occupation and vowed to avenge the death of his predecessor, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi…(Washington Post, 8 Sep 06)

Al Jazeera Shows Tape of bin Laden and Planners of 9/11

….(New York Times, 8 Sep 06)

Senate Approves $470B Defense Bill

The Senate agreed to spend an additional $63 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan as lawmakers on Thursday passed a massive bill that funds the Pentagon….(AP, 8 Sep 06)

L.A. to Get Key Role in Terrorism Battle

LAPD Chief William J. Bratton revealed plans Thursday to create a national anti-terrorism academy in Los Angeles where law enforcement officers from around the country could learn to identify threats and prevent attacks….(LA Times, 8 Sep 06)

Terror Expert Warns NYC Still a Target

Five years after the attack on the World Trade Center, Islamic extremists _ including members of Hezbollah _ still view the city as a prime target for another terrorist strike…(AP, 8 Sep 06)

Progress, Setbacks Among Bush's Workforce Reforms

Bold changes in the government's organization and ambitious plans to reshape personnel management continue to swirl around the federal workforce five years after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks….(Washington Post, 8 Sep 06)

Pentagon: Bomb Detection Improves

The Pentagon is making progress against the No. 1 killer of U.S. troops in Iraq _ roadside bombs _ but a sharp drop in intelligence tips from Iraqis could hurt…(AP, 7 Sep 06)

U.S. Moves Against 2 Lebanese Companies

…The Treasury Department's action covers Bayt al-Mal and its head, Husayn al-Shami, and the Yousser Company for Finance and Investment…(AP, 7 Sep 06)

Miami airport Trains Workers in Security

...Authorities at about a dozen airports around the country are using "behavior pattern recognition" _ monitoring passengers' actions and expressions in hopes of spotting terrorists….(AP, 7 Sep 06)

US generals criticize Bush plan on terrorism trials

The U.S. military's top legal officers on Thursday criticized a White House plan for military tribunals to try foreign terrorism suspects because it would allow convictions based on evidence never seen by the defendants….(Reuters, 7 Sep 06)

Panel Set to Release Just Part of Report On Run-Up to War
A long-awaited Senate analysis comparing the Bush administration's public statements about the threat posed by Saddam Hussein with the evidence senior officials reviewed in private remains mired in partisan recrimination and will not be released before the November elections, key senators said yesterday….(Washington Post, 7 Sep 06)

Homeland Security sifts data in terror war

The Homeland Security Department is using a dozen different data-mining systems to track terrorist and criminal activity, according to a study released yesterday by the agency's inspector general….(Washington Times, 7 Sep 06)

Bush admits to anti-terror CIA program

President Bush yesterday publicly acknowledged the CIA is running a classified program to interrogate top terror suspects, saying it has prevented attacks and demanding that Congress act quickly to give it official status….(Washington Times, 7 Sep 06)

President Moves 14 Held in Secret to Guantanamo

President Bush said Wednesday that 14 high-profile terror suspects held secretly until now by the Central Intelligence Agency — including the man accused of masterminding the Sept. 11 attacks — had been transferred to the detention center at Guantánamo Bay, Cuba, to face military tribunals if Congress approves…..(New York Times, 7 Sep 06)

Officials Relieved Secret Is Shared

Employees at CIA headquarters stood transfixed at television sets yesterday in a moment one senior official called "electric" as President Bush told the nation about the agency's covert prison system -- a program once considered so secret that even Bush did not know the details…(Washington Post, 7 Sep 06)

Bush Says Detainees Will Be Tried
….(Washington Post, 7 Sep 06)

New Rules of Interrogation Forbid Use of Harsh Tactics

Pentagon officials yesterday repudiated the harsh interrogation tactics adopted since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, specifically forbidding U.S. troops from using forced nudity, hooding, military dogs and waterboarding to elicit information from detainees captured in ongoing wars….(Washington Post, 7 Sep 06)

FBI: Homegrown Terror Is a Minority

FBI Director Robert Mueller sees a rising threat from homegrown terrorists but cautions that foreign groups are far from vanquished and still consume more bureau resources….(AP, 7 Sep 06)

3 Indicted in Military Secrets Case

Three men accused of trying to obtain secret defense information and stolen military equipment to send to Yemen were indicted Thursday...The men, all born in Yemen but now U.S. citizens, face conspiracy charges…..(AP, 7 Sep 06)

Militant Gets 18 Years for Bali Bombings

Judges sentenced an Islamic militant to 18 years in prison Thursday for his involvement in the 2005 Bali bombings that killed 20 people _ the second verdict in the terrorist attack in as many days…(AP, 7 Sep 06)

Abducted Sudanese Journalist Found Dead

A Sudanese newspaper editor who infuriated Muslim fundamentalists last year by printing an article that concerned questions about the parentage of the prophet Muhammad was found dead Wednesday in Khartoum, the capital…..(Washington Post, 7 Sep 06)

2 Muslims Are Charged in Plot for a Bombing in Denmark

The case against nine Muslim men arrested in an alleged terrorist bombing plot has generated anger in Denmark’s Muslim immigrant community even as police officials admitted Wednesday that they were scrambling to hold the case together…(International Herald Tribune, 7 Sep 06)

Lebanese Documentary Unveils 1980’s Tape of a Prisoner

Videotape of an Israeli airman captured 20 years ago has surfaced in a Lebanese television documentary, touching a raw nerve for Israelis anxious for the return of soldiers taken by Hezbollah two months ago….(New York Times, 7 Sep 06)

Euro-MPs demand CIA jail answers

Members of the European Parliament have called on European governments to come clean about alleged secret CIA prison camps on their territory….(BBC, 7 Sep 06)

EU Lawmakers Demand to Know Location of CIA Jails

.…(Reuters, 7 Sep 06)

Shiites Push Laws to Define How to Divide Iraqi Regions

Shiite lawmakers are pushing ahead with legislation that would provide a mechanism to carve Iraq into largely autonomous regions, angering some Sunni Arab lawmakers who say Shiites should first follow through on a promise to allow Parliament to re-examine the issue of federalism….(New York Times, 7 Sep 06)

NATO commander seeks troops for Afghanistan

NATO's top commander of operations, General James Jones, acknowledged on Thursday the alliance had been taken aback by the extent of violence in southern Afghanistan and urged allies to provide reinforcements….(Reuters, 7 Sep 06)

Top Iraqi warns of civil collapse

Iraq's leaders have just months to mend their differences or see their country collapse, the speaker of parliament told wrangling deputies yesterday after a car bomb caused dozens of casualties during the morning rush hour….(Washington Times, 7 Sep 06)

US hands over Iraq army control

The Iraqi authorities have begun taking control of their armed forces from the US-led coalition….(BBC, 7 Sep 06)

Key Iran talks 'set for Saturday'

EU foreign policy chief Javier Solana says his key nuclear talks with Iranian envoy Ali Larijani will now take place on Saturday, but he announced no venue…(BBC, 7 Sep 06)

Baghdad hit by co-ordinated bombs

Two bombs have exploded within minutes of each other in Iraq's capital, Baghdad, leaving eight people dead and 46 injured….(BBC, 6 Sep 06)

Iraqi Qaeda kills national guards

An Iraqi militant group led by al Qaeda posted a Web video on Wednesday showing the killing of two Iraqi national guardsmen whom it branded collaborators with the U.S.-backed Iraqi government….(Al Arab, 6 Sep 06)

Individuals, Small Groups Cited as Terrorist Threats
A new counterterrorism strategy released yesterday by the White House describes al-Qaeda as a significantly degraded organization, but outlines potent threats from smaller networks and individuals motivated by al-Qaeda ideology, a lack of freedom and "twisted" propaganda about U.S. policy in the Middle East….(Washington Post, 6 Sep 06)

U.S. to Encourage Iranians to Visit

The Bush administration wants to open cultural exchanges with archrival Iran this fall, starting with invitations for U.S. visits to about 200 young Iranian professionals and foreign language teachers. The administration has asked Congress for $5 million to fund the program….(AP, 6 Sep 06)

US fears attack using nuclear, biological weapon

While most Americans focus on the threat of another aviation attack like the Sept. 11 hijackings, the U.S. government is quietly working to prevent something far worse -- a catastrophic strike with a weapon of mass destruction….(Reuters, 6 Sep 06)

Bowing to critics of its tough interrogation policies, the Pentagon is issuing a new Army field manual that provides Geneva Convention protections for all detainees and eliminates a secret list of interrogation tactics…..(LA Times, 6 Sep 06)

GOP Senators Differ With President on Military Trials
Key Republican senators have drafted a legislative plan for special military trials of suspected terrorists that diverges from a recent Bush administration plan by granting defendants rights that the White House has sought to proscribe….(Washington Post, 6 Sep 06)

Pakistan, Afghanistan hold anti-terror talks

Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf arrived in Kabul on Wednesday for talks with his Afghan counterpart on combating terrorism and improving security cooperation between the two nations, both key players in the US-led war on terror….(AP/Jerusalem Post, 6 Sep 06)

U.S.-Russian Exercises Postponed by Moscow

…The exercises were drawing increasing criticism from the Communist Party and other groups angry over the prospect of U.S. troops on Russian soil….(Washington Post, 6 Sep 06)

NATO Chief Unswayed by Afghan Violence

NATO will not be deterred by the resurgence of the Taliban in southern Afghanistan and will go ahead with its planned takeover from U.S.-led forces in the volatile east, the alliance's head said on Wednesday…..(Reuters, 6 Sep 06)

China, U.S. Discuss N. Korea Nuke Program

China and the United States discussed warning North Korea against conducting a nuclear test, a top American envoy said Wednesday. He also blamed Pyongyang for holding up international talks on the isolated regime's nuclear program….(AP, 6 Sep 06)

Nato's Afghan mission under pressure

"We're fighting a war in southern Afghanistan. This is not an enhanced peace support operation."…(BBC, 5 Sep 06)

Europe Confronts Suspected Terrorists Home-Grown and Inspired Abroad

The evolution of terrorism in Europe in the five years since the Sept. 11 attacks can be told as a tale of two threats…..(LA Times, 5 Sep 06)

Iraq extends state of emergency; British foreign secretary says security handover key

Iraq's parliament voted to extend a state of emergency Tuesday, while Britain's foreign secretary stressed that transferring control of security from the U.S.-led coalition to the government was key….(AP, 5 Sep 06)

The Bush administration proclaimed significant progress in the war on terror Tuesday but said the enemy has adjusted to U.S. defenses and that ''America is safer but we are not yet safe.''…(AP, 5 Sep 06)

National Strategy for Combating Terrorism
September 2006

Congressmen want probe of Yee case wrapped up

Two U.S. congressmen are pressuring the Pentagon's internal watchdog to complete its investigation into the military's treatment of former Muslim Army chaplain James Yee….(Olympian, 5 Sep 06)

Congressmen want probe of Yee case wrapped up

Two U.S. congressmen are pressuring the Pentagon's internal watchdog to complete its investigation into the military's treatment of former Muslim Army chaplain James Yee….(Olympian, 5 Sep 06)

Interview with

 Mohammad Khatami

On Iran's long-term intentions for its peaceful nuclear energy program and the dangers of developing a weapons capability….(Washington Post, 5 Sep 06)

Bush, Kuwaiti Emir Discuss Mideast

…Recently ended fighting between Israel and Islamic militants in Lebanon heightened anti-U.S. sentiment in Middle East. There were frequent protests in moderate U.S. allies like Egypt, Jordan and even Kuwait, where such anti-American displays are rare….(AP, 5 Sep 06)

Four American Allies in Deep Trouble
Karzai, Olmert, Maliki and Musharraf -- all close allies to George W. Bush, and all threatened with severe crises that, in one way or another, could lead each to his downfall…(Middle East Online, 5 Sep 06)

Pakistan 'Taleban' in peace deal

Pakistan has signed a deal with pro-Taleban militants on the Afghan border aimed at ending years of unrest. The North Waziristan accord calls on tribesmen to expel foreign militants and end cross-border attacks in return for a reduced military presence…(BBC, 5 Sep 06)

Khatami Arrives As U.S. Weighs Sanctions on Iran
The stormy saga between the United States and Iran takes one of its most unusual turns since the 1979 revolution as former Iranian president Mohammad Khatami arrives in Washington to give a major address on Thursday, the same day that the Bush administration holds talks in Europe on new U.N. sanctions on Tehran….(Washington Post, 5 Sep 06)

7 U.S., British Troops Killed In Iraq Attacks
Seven American and British troops were killed in separate incidents across Iraq over the past 48 hours, military officials said Monday….(Washington Post, 5 Sep 06)

U.S. Planes Mistakenly Hit Canadians In Afghanistan
U.S. jets mistakenly strafed Canadian soldiers in Afghanistan on Monday, killing one and bringing to five the number of Canadian troops killed during a major push against the Taliban this weekend….(Washington Post, 5 Sep 06)

Lebanon bomb blast kills one

A roadside bomb blast killed an escort of a senior Lebanese intelligence officer, who was among five people wounded in the attack near Lebanon's southern city of Sidon on Tuesday….(Reuters, 5 Sep 06)

Web designer jailed over Bali bombings

An Indonesian who set up a militant Web site on behalf of the alleged mastermind of last year's deadly bombings in Bali was jailed for eight years on Tuesday….(Reuters, 5 Sep 06)

Trial in Plane Plot May Wait Till '08
Suspects in an alleged plot to bomb U.S.-bound jetliners are unlikely to face trial before 2008, a prosecutor said in court Monday….(Washington Post, 5 Sep 06)

Mass Kurdish graves found in northern Iraq

The remains of 80 people, believed to be Kurdish victims of Saddam Hussein's regime, were unearthed in two mass graves near the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk on Monday….(Reuters, 5 Sep 06)

Danish Police Arrest 9 Terror Suspects

Police in Denmark on Tuesday arrested nine people suspected of plotting a terror attack with materials they acquired to build explosives…(AP, 5 Sep 06)

U.S. and Iraq near handover

The United States and Iraq hope to sign an agreement by next week to hand operational command of Iraq's new army to Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, Iraq said on Monday, after wrangles on wording had held up the accord….(Reuters, 5 Sep 06)

Lebanon Seeks to Reassert Sovereignty Over Borders

The Lebanese government sought to reassert authority over its air and sea borders Monday in the face of a seven-week-old Israeli blockade….Washington Post, 5 Sep 06)

Russia and South Africa forge closer ties

Russian President Vladimir Putin met South African leader Thabo Mbeki on Tuesday at the start of a visit intended to forge closer ties between the mineral and diamond superpowers….(Reuters, 5 Sep 06)

Scores of Taliban Fighters Killed in NATO Offensive
Warplanes and artillery pounded Taliban fighters hiding in orchards Sunday during a NATO-Afghan offensive in southern Afghanistan that the alliance said killed more than 200 insurgents in its first two days. Four Canadian soldiers were also killed…(AP, 4 Sep 06)

A Mystery Man Who Keeps the FBI Up at Night

… Law enforcement officials and terrorism experts now believe Shukrijumah is one of several young, street-smart leaders of Al Qaeda handpicked by Khalid Shaikh Mohammed, the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks, to keep the terrorist network alive and humming in the face of U.S.-led efforts to unravel it….(LA Times, 4 Sep 06)