Intelligence & Counterterrorism News for the week of:

April 1-7, 2007

Insurgents transform US military jails into ‘terror training camps’

America’s high-security prisons in Iraq have become “terrorist academies” for the most dangerous militant groups, according to former inmates and Iraqi government officials. Inmates are left largely to run their blocks, which are segregated on sectarian lines. The policy has created a closed world run by Iraq’s worst terrorists and militias, into which detainees with no links to insurgent groups are often thrown. Inmates from Camp Cropper, the US prison at Baghdad airport, described to The Times seeing al-Qaeda terrorists club to death a man suspected of being an informer. Others dished out retribution with razor wire stolen from the fences….(Times Online, 7 Apr 07)

Saudi Arabia calls for blocking sources of terrorism funding

Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdulaziz called Saturday for global action to block sources of funding for terrorist groups, saying that terrorism had become a phenomena that threatened the international community as a whole…..(KUNA, 7 Apr 07)

Karzai Says He's Met With Taliban to Pursue Peace; Insurgents Deny It

President Hamid Karzai acknowledged for the first time Friday that he has met with Taliban militants in attempts to bring peace to Afghanistan, which is struggling to quell a rising insurgency. Karzai's assertion -- immediately rejected as false by a spokesman for the hard-line Islamic movement….(AP, 7 Apr 07)

Thirty hurt in fuel attack on Yemen mosque

Attackers poured fuel over worshippers at a mosque in northern Yemen, locked the doors and set fire to it, wounding 30 people, the official Saba news agency reported….(Reuters, 7 Apr 07)

Insurgents Claim Downing of U.S. Chopper

…The Islamic State of Iraq _ which groups al-Qaida in Iraq and several other Sunni extremist groups _ said in the statement posted on an Islamic Web site commonly used by the militants that it was behind the shooting of a U.S. Black Hawk on Thursday south of the Iraqi capital….(AP, 7 Apr 07)

Iraqi military: Libyan al-Qaida leader killed in Baghdad

Iraqi troops killed a Libyan al-Qaida figure Saturday in a raid on his Baghdad hideout just before the man could detonate an explosives belt he was wearing, a military spokesman said. Abu Baraa al-Libi, a little-known junior al-Qaida leader….(AP, 7 Apr 07)

Judge Orders Bail for Accused Jet Bomber

A federal judge Friday ordered Cuban militant Luis Posada Carriles set free on bail pending trial on charges that he lied in a bid to become a U.S. citizen. The government immediately asked that he remain jailed while it determines if it can appeal the judge's decision….(AP, 7 Apr 07)

London bombing suspects appear in court

Three men appeared in court on Saturday charged with conspiring with the suicide bombers who killed 52 commuters in attacks on London's transport system on July 7, 2005…Mohammed Shakil, 30, Sadeer Saleem, 26, and Waheed Ali, 23, were accused of conspiring with the four British Islamists to cause explosions on the transport network or at tourist attractions in the capital….(Reuters, 7 Apr 07)

Airport watch figure confirms terrorist tie

One of the subjects of a Dallas police intelligence bulletin, Asma Al-Homsi, says she's known convicted terrorist Wadih el Hage and his wife for more than two decades. Mr. el Hage, a former Arlington resident and naturalized U.S. citizen, was the personal secretary of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden before he was sent to prison….(WFAA-TV, 7 Apr 07)

War on terrorism doomed to fail, says professor

.....Preoccupied with hunting the militants’ leadership, the U.S. strategy lacks understanding of the motivation and religious ideology behind the insurgency in Iraq and terrorism globally, said Hoffman, who was the keynote speaker last week at “Sacred Violence: Religion and Terrorism,” a conference presented by Case Western Reserve University’s Institute for Global Security Law and Policy. “It’s a monumental failure.”....."Until we know the enemy’s motivation, “we can’t penetrate cells and sow discord. We can’t think like them or anticipate how they’ll act,” .....“Until we do this, we will remain on the defensive, reactive rather than proactive.”....(Cleveland Jewish News, 6 Apr 07)

Searches at 5 Airports After JFK Breach

Passengers aboard five flights from New York were evacuated and screened at their destination cities as authorities tried to find a man who breached security at John F. Kennedy International Airport, officials said Friday. No arrests were made and no one was detained at any of the five airports where the flights landed Thursday…(AP, 6 Apr 07)

Retrial Sought in Lodi Terror Case

Shaky testimony and prejudice by the jury foreman should be enough to grant a new trial to a Lodi man convicted last year of terrorism-related charges…Hamid Hayat's sentencing has been postponed while Judge Garland E. Burrell Jr. considers a defense motion seeking a new trial….(AP, 6 Apr 07)

Here’s a way to deal with the scorpion

While everyone should be happy that the 15 British servicemen are home from Tehran, it is, perhaps, too early to uncork the bubbly. For the undeclared war that the Islamic Republic has waged against Western democracies since 1979 is far from over.....(Times of London, 6 Apr 07)

Chlorine Truck Bomber Kills 27 in Ramadi

A suicide bomber driving a truck loaded with TNT and toxic chlorine gas crashed into a police checkpoint in western Ramadi on Friday, killing at least 27 people and wounding dozens....Two more of the bombs were discovered planted along routes heavily traveled by U.S. and British diplomats in Basra. Weeks earlier, the American military had claimed Iran was supplying Shiite militia fighters in Iraq with the powerful weapons, known as EFPs....(AP, 6 Apr 07)

'Terror plot to blow up tourist attractions'

The July 7 bombers planned to attack Big Ben, the London Eye and other tourist attractions, it emerged yesterday, as three men were charged with helping the terrorists plan their attacks....(6 Apr 07)

7/7 bombing charges: Police statement in full

Man with al-Qaeda links connected to train plot

Fresh details emerged Thursday about an Islamist attempt last year to blow up two German trains, with a claim that there may have been a third plotter with al-Qaeda links...(DPA, 6 Apr 07)

Sharia gangs roam streets of capital city to enforce their law with threats

...But this was just one of several signs in the past ten days that a creeping campaign to “Talebanise” Pakistan has spread from tribal areas on the Afghan border right to the heart of the capital. And to judge from the Government’s response, even here it is reluctant to confront the radical clerics who openly preach jihad (holy war) and defy the writ of the state......(Times of London, 6 Apr 07)

Radical Pakistani Cleric Threatens Terrorist Acts if Authorities Raid His Mosque

Pakistani security forces are on high alert after an extremist cleric threatened suicide attacks if the authorities try to raid his mosque in the capital. The religious hardliner says he is opening a religious court in the city to combat what he calls unIslamic behavior.....(VOA, 6 Apr 07)

The Flying Imams: A Defining Moment in American Values?
....If this case is not thrown out early by the courts it stands to chill civilian reporting of suspicious behavior which will further embolden those who target our American citizenry—Muslim and non-Muslim....(FSM, 6 Apr 07)

In Overture to Iran, Qaddafi Declares North Africa Shi'ite and Calls for Establishment of New Fatimid State
On March 31, 2007, Libyan leader Mu'ammar Qaddafi called, in a speech in Niger to Tuareg tribal leaders , for the establishment of a second Shi'ite Fatimid state in North Africa....(MEMRI, 6 Apr 07)

Symposium: Apes, Pigs and Anti-Semitism

A wide-held belief prevails in the Arab Middle East that Jews are literally apes and pigs. What engenders this mindset and psychology?...(FP, 6 Apr 07)

Algeria detains 120 suspected Iraq fighters

Algerian authorities are holding 120 men on suspicion of involvement in the insurgency in Iraq...(Reuters, 6 Apr 07)

Saudi Arabia kills wanted Qaeda-linked militant

Saudi Arabia said on Friday it killed a suspect linked to al Qaeda, who was involved in the killing of four Frenchmen. It said the suspect, Waleed bin Mutliq al-Radadi, one of the most wanted militants in the kingdom, was killed when police stormed a residential building in the city of Medina, one of Islam's holiest sites....(Reuters, 6 Apr 07)

AFP widens probe into Hilali 'al-Qaeda' donations

THE Australian Federal Police has seized documents and will question key Islamic community figures after widening its investigation into allegations Australia's mufti Sheik Taj al Din al-Hilali gave charity funds to supporters of al-Qaeda and Hezbollah terrorist outfits in Lebanon last year....(Australian News Network, 6 Apr 07)

Alleged al-Qaeda terrorist faces legal setback

The Supreme Court of Canada will not hear an appeal from alleged al-Qaeda terrorist Mohammad Momin Khawaja, clearing the way for the Ottawa man to face trial next month on seven charges of helping fashion a detonator for a fertilizer bomb.....(Globe and Mail, 6 Apr 07)

Analysis: This isn't 'thought police', it's a question of civic duty

Ruth Kelly said yesterday that she wanted to win the ''hearts and minds'' of the Muslim community....(Daily Telegraph, 6 Apr 07)

Turkey's Combat against the Religionist Terrorism

When we compare the Al Qaeda and other Islamist activities in Turkey and other Sunni Muslim countries of the Middle East, we see a success story in the Turkish case in terms of murders, number of terrorist attacks and the people’s support to the security forces.....(Turkish Weekly, 6 Apr 07)

Bomber near Afghan parliament kills 4

A suicide bomber killed three civilians and a policeman in a blast near Afghanistan's parliament in Kabul on Friday....(Reuters, 6 Apr 07)

Passengers detained at OIA

Passengers arriving on a Delta Air Lines flight from New York City were evacuated from the jet and detained Thursday night on the tarmac at Orlando International Airport while armed federal agents boarded the craft and searched it.....(Orlando Sentinel, 6 Apr 07)

Parts of 2 JFK airport terminals in New York evacuated after security breach

A man breached security at John F. Kennedy International Airport in New York, causing security officials to evacuate parts of two terminals and delaying some flights for hours....(AP, 6 Apr 07)

Terrorist Informant Arrested by Former FBI Employers
Jack Mustafa, whose real name is Jawad al-Arouri, was arrested Thursday in Hickory Hills in an FBI-Justice Department sting and charged with impersonating an FBI agent. Mustafa, a former FBI informant himself who was once the key witness against accused Palestinian terrorist Mohammed Salah of Bridgeview, tried to use the fake FBI identity to scam Arab Americans of huge sums of money......(Southwest News-Herald, 6 Apr 07)

Security checks begin at train stations
...Starting Friday, the Transportation Security Administration, the same people who screen luggage at the airport, will begin doing the same thing at train stations.....(News 10, 6 Apr 07)

Homeland Security & The British Terrorist Threat

The security situation in Britain is dire, where extremism has proliferated for two decades. With America’s Visa Waiver Program which allows British citizens unencumbered to enter our home, all Americans are in immediate and grave danger as DHS Secretary Chertoff recently announced.....(FSM, 6 Apr 07)

Singaporean pleads guilty to aiding foreign terrorists

A 55-year-old Singaporean man pleaded guilty yesterday in federal court in Baltimore to charges of conspiring to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and money laundering....(Washington Times, 6 Apr 07)

Iraqi Insurgents Chastise Al-Qaeda

…One of the most influential nationalist insurgent groups in Iraq has asked Osama bin Laden to remember his religious duty to his fellow Muslims and "bring in line" his organization in Iraq…(Time Magazine, 6 Apr 07)

Is Al Qaeda's influence spreading to Morocco?

Troubling signs are emerging that Morocco is becoming fertile ground for more sophisticated militant groups. The latest evidence: A trial of 50 Islamists who allegedly planned to attack the US Embassy in Rabat, a military base, and tourist destinations. And unlike the groups behind previous terrorist bombings in this moderate Muslim monarchy, this group was drawn not from the slums of Casablanca, but from the society's upper echelons.....(Christian Science Monitor, 6 Apr 07)

Sailors 'blindfolded, bound and threatened'

The British service personnel held hostage in Iran said they were blindfolded, bound and threatened with seven years in prison if they didn't admit they had strayed into Iranian waters. At a press conference the sailors and Marines confirmed that they were well inside Iraqi waters when they were captured two weeks ago. They said that fighting back was "not an option" against the heavily armed Iranians. Once captured the personnel were subjected to "constant psychological pressure" during their time in captivity and agreed to comply with their captors wishes in order to win their freedom. At one point they were lined up against a wall while weapons were cocked, making them "fear the worst".....(Daily Telegraph, 6 Apr 07)

Sailors' statement in full

Freed captives describe Iranian threats and pressure

...Captain Air said that Leading Seaman Turney was separated from the group straightaway and later told that the men had returned to Britain and she was now alone in Iran.....(Times of London, 6 Apr 07)

The Muslim Brotherhood in Holland

Over the last few weeks Dutch media have published information gleaned from Dutch intelligence files regarding the Muslim Brotherhood....(Counterterrorism Bog, 6 Apr 07)

Hussein's Prewar Ties To Al-Qaeda Discounted

Captured Iraqi documents and intelligence interrogations of Saddam Hussein and two former aides "all confirmed" that Hussein's regime was not directly cooperating with al-Qaeda before the U.S. invasion of Iraq, according to a declassified Defense Department report released yesterday.....(Washington Post, 6 Apr 07)

Pentagon probe fills in blanks on Iraq war groundwork

Just four months after the Sept. 11 attacks, then-Deputy Defense Secretary Paul D. Wolfowitz dashed off a memo to a senior Pentagon colleague, demanding action to identify connections between Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein's regime and Al Qaeda.....(Los Angeles Times, 6 Apr 07)

IG Report on DoD Intel Office Declassified

At the request of Sen. Carl Levin, the Department of Defense has declassified most of its February 2007 Inspector General report (large pdf) on the pre-Iraq war activities of the DoD Office of Special Plans, led by Douglas Feith.....(Secrecy News, 6 Apr 07)

JI raids reveal new networks

JEMAAH Islamiah remains an extraordinarily resilient and lethal terrorist organisation despite a string of recent arrests and the dismantling of a key JI cell in East Java by Indonesian and Australian police...(The Australian, 6 Apr 07)

Tension rises between Qaeda and insurgents in Iraq

An influential Sunni Arab insurgent group has called on al Qaeda in Iraq to "review" its behaviour in what is evidence of a growing rift between home- grown insurgents and al Qaeda....(Reuters, 6 Apr 07)

Women at Love Field 'acting suspiciously'

Dallas police and federal terrorism officials are investigating two women, both dressed in camouflage pants under their traditional Muslim robes and scarves, who were seen conducting what appeared to be surveillance and acting suspiciously at Dallas Love Field....(Dallas Morning News, 5 Apr 07)

They're free, but Britain has been humiliated

Relief at the freeing of the British sailors and Marines in Iran is tempered with dismay at the humiliation to which they and the country they serve have been subjected....(Daily Telegraph, 5 Apr 07)

21st C. Newspeak

...There, internal European Union directives now advise government spokesmen to avoid the term "Islamic terrorism" because it is "offensive." Other banned terms reportedly also include "jihad," "Islamic" and "fundamentalist."....(Washington Times, 5 Apr 07)

U.S. officials question Islamists held in Ethiopia

U.S. officials have questioned suspected Islamist militants in Ethiopia in hopes of uncovering details about al Qaeda activities in East Africa, officials said on Wednesday. A main focus of the questioning by CIA and FBI agents has been the 1998 attacks on the U.S. embassies in Kenya and Tanzania and three al Qaeda suspects believed to be in the Horn of Africa.....(Reuters, 5 Apr 07)

3 Charged in 2005 London Transit Attacks

Prosecutors filed charges Thursday against three people who allegedly conspired with suicide bombers in the attacks that killed 52 subway and bus passengers in London on July 7, 2005. For the first time, authorities alleged that the plot's targets may have included London tourist attractions. "The allegation is that they were involved in reconnaissance and planning," said Susan Hemming of the prosecutors' office......(AP 5 Apr 07)

Three charged with planning 7/7 bombings

Three men were today charged over the July 7 terror attacks on London.....(Daily Telegraph, 5 Apr 07)

Sweden extradites Islamist to Germany
Sweden has extradited a 32-year-old Islamist, Thaer A, to Germany on charges that he is the chief fund- raiser of a new terrorism group planning to operate in Sudan.....(DPA, 5 apr 07)

Moves to marginalise extremists

The government is planning to intervene in some mosques to support Muslims who want to marginalise extremists...(BBC, 5 Apr 07)

Britain takes step toward regulating mosques and imams

The British government took a first step toward regulating Muslim religious leaders and mosques on Thursday, declaring that imams working in government prisons and hospitals would be required to meet certain criteria, including a good grasp of English....(International Herald Tribune, 5 Apr 07)

Kelly defends 'extremism Asbos' plan

An action plan for forging a new coalition against violent extremism has been unveiled today by Ruth Kelly, to a mixed reaction....(Daily Telegraph, 5 Apr 07)

Pentagon Goes Digital With YouTube Postings

....Information technology analysts say the site is a good way to counter the "information jihad," the boost that groups like Al Qaeda in Iraq receive every time a news organization focuses on the bombs exploding......(Fox News, 5 Apr 07)

Iraq detains 2 men over massive truck bomb attack

Iraqi security forces have detained two men believed to be behind a truck bomb attack in the northern town of Tal Afar last week that killed 152 people, the U.S. military said....(Retuers, 5 Apr 07)

Europe giving in to radical Islam

....The world is on fire, but Britain and much of the rest of Europe are not paying attention — but its enemies are noticing. And while Europe’s enemies arm themselves for war, they regard the European attitude toward them as unilateral surrender. Winston Churchill would have called it the gathering storm. As it has done before with severe consequences, modern Europe prefers to ignore the clouds....(Cal Thomas, 5 Apr 07)

The spying game

Some 300 members of the public crowded into a lecture theatre last month to learn how to help the Metropolitan Police combat terrorism....(New Statesman, 5 Apr 07)

EU, U.S. commit to swift air passenger data deal

The European Union and United States have made progress in talks on sharing air passenger data and are confident of reaching an agreement before a July deadline...(AP, 5 Apr 07)

Dalai Lama's security raised after threat reports

Tibetan officials in exile in India have stepped up security for the Dalai Lama following media reports that he faced threats from Islamist militants.....(Reuters, 5 Apr 07)

Ahmadinejad’s Plan “B”: The Circus Continues

Perception management by Iran (Walid Phares/FSM, 5 Apr 07)

Hardliner who gained power with help of mullahs

When Mahmoud Ahmadinejad was mayor of Teheran, he ordered the police to arrest any couples seen holding hands in the street....(Daily Telegraph, 5 Apr 07)

Freed Sailors Return to Britain

...British Prime Minister Tony Blair used the moment to welcome the 15 home -- but also to remind that he, the U.S. and other allies should remain concerned about the Iranian regime, its pursuit of nuclear technology, and its support for Iraqi and other militant groups....(Washington Post, 5 Apr 07)

Freed Britons back home, ending Iran standoff

..."Your average Briton now will be much more aware that Iran is a potential threat, despite the way it ended.".....(Reuters, 5 Apr 07)

Tehran Likely to Pay Long-Term Price

..."They got what they wanted," said Bruce Riedel, a former CIA and National Security Council Middle East specialist now at the Brookings Institution. "They sent a message: If you don't deal with us, if you think you can push us around, you're in for some nasty surprises. But if you deal with us, you can get a 'gift.' " Ahmadinejad described the release as a "gift" in honor of the prophet Muhammad's birthday and Easter.....(Washington Post, 5 Apr 07)

CIA hires terrorist group to operate inside Iran

Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has hired a Pakistani terrorist group that has carried out a series of deadly terrorist attacks inside Iran, ABC News has reported on Wednesday.....(Iran Islamic Republic News Agency, 5 Apr 07)

How Yemen aids and abets Iraqi insurgents

Yemen operates largely under the radar as a supporter of the global jihad...(Weekly Standard, 5 Apr 07)

Iran's ploy buys time for weapons programme

Iran's volte-face over the 15 sailors and Royal Marines may be a public relations ploy to buy time for its nuclear programme. Defying the West over his country's nuclear programme, he has used numerous public speeches to call for Israel to be "wiped off the map".....(Daily Telegraph, 5 Apr 07)

Terrorist group operating in southeastern Iran hired by CIA

America says its Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has hired a Pakistani gang to carry out terrorist operations inside Iran. The gang, called Jondollah, includes members of Baluch tribes and is led by Abdul Malek Rigi who is operating from Pakistan's part of the Sistan and Baluchistan province in southeastern Iran, the ABC News said on Wednesday.....(Iran Press TV, 4 Apr 07)

Al-Qaeda in Iraq Gains Strength

As al-Qaeda grows more diffuse, its franchise operations in places like Iraq appear to be gaining in strength and numbers...(CFR, 5 Apr 07)

Bronx Man Pleads Guilty To Pledging Fealty to Qaeda

....In the presence of the agent, Shah swore fealty to Osama bin Laden in 2005, according to the indictment. As part of that oath, taken in a Bronx apartment, Shah promised to train Al Qaeda operatives in hand-to-hand combat, prosecutors said....(New York Sun, 5 Apr 07)

Bronx Man Pleads Guilty in Terror Case....(New York Times, 5 Apr 07)

American Taliban Seeks Reduced Sentence

The lawyer and parents of American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh asked President Bush to commute his 20-year prison term, citing the case of an Australian man who was sentenced to less than a year for aiding terrorism.....(AP, 5 Apr 07)

Singapore Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to a Foreign Terrorist Organization and Money Laundering

Haniffa Bin Osman, age 55, a citizen of the Republic of Singapore, pleaded guilty today to conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and money laundering, announced U.S. Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein....(DoJ, 5 Apr 07)

Iraq Withdrawal Would Spawn Danger

President Bush said Wednesday he knows the nation is weary of war and wondering if the U.S. can win. Still, he said efforts to pull troops home from Iraq only make the U.S. more vulnerable to attack from an enemy that is "pure evil."....Bush used a horrific tale in Iraq -- one in which terrorists put children in a car to get through a checkpoint, then exploded the vehicle -- to describe why he won't pull back. "It makes me realize the nature of the enemy we face, which hardens my resolve to protect the American people," Bush said. "People who do that are not -- it's not a civil war, it is pure evil. And I believe we have an obligation to protect ourselves from that evil.".......(AP, 5 Apr 07)

Feds May Move On Local Mosques

After 23-year-old Lodi resident Hamid Hayat was convicted last year of training at a terrorist camp in Pakistan, government officials warned that terror investigations in Northern California were ongoing. Now, members of the Bay Area's Muslim community believe that the FBI is close to making additional high-profile arrests of one or more terror suspects who frequent mosques in Silicon Valley and the East Bay......(Metro Active, 5 Apr 07)

Two still held in burning of flag ......(Yale Daily News, 5 Apr 07)

Australia bars Canadian Muslim preacher

The Australian government has barred a hardline Canadian Muslim preacher from entering the country, citing national security concerns...(National Post, 5 Apr 07)

Anti-madrassa protest in Pakistan

Hundreds of Pakistani human rights activists have staged a protest calling for action against a major madrassa, or religious school, in the capital....(BBC, 5 Apr 07)

Terror defendant objects to CIA witness' disguise

Allowing a covert CIA operative to testify in disguise about terror defendant Jose Padilla's alleged al Qaeda application would be like putting a ''ghost'' on the witness stand at his upcoming federal trial in Miami, his legal team said Thursday....(Miami Herald, 5 Apr 07)

Beslan memorial plan angers Russian Muslim leader

Plans to build a memorial to the 333 hostages killed three years ago in the Beslan school siege have sparked a row between Christians and Muslims in Russia..."It is not acceptable to present this tragedy as the tragedy of followers of only one religion," Sheikh Ravil Gainutdin, chairman of the Council of Russian Muftis, said in a statement.......(Reuters, 5 Apr 07)

‘Terrorist training camp’ found in Diyala province

American and Iraqi troops uncovered what they described as a “terrorist training camp” for al-Qaida in Iraq while conducting operations in Diyala province, north of Baghdad...(Stars and Stripes, 4 Apr 07)

Yale students charged after American flag is set ablaze

Three Yale University students, including one who translated for U.S. troops in Afghanistan and testified at a former CIA contractor's trial, have been charged in the burning of an American flag. Said Hyder Akbar, 23, Nikolaos Angelopoulos, 19, and Farhad Anklesaria, 19, were charged with arson, reckless endangerment and other crimes.....(AP, 4 Apr 07)

Guilty Plea in New York Terror Case

A martial arts expert pleaded guilty Wednesday to pledging to help al-Qaida by teaching his fighting skills, the third of four defendants and the second this week to admit guilt in the case......(AP, 4 Apr 07)

Operation BIT Captures Russian Attention

....Russian officials have been accusing Washington of preparing a sneak attack on Iran called "Operation Bite" and of instigating a constitutional crisis in Ukraine to topple the pro-Moscow government....(Eurasia Daily, 4 Apr 07)

Briton 'could stage another September 11'

…In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Michael Chertoff, who arrives in Britain tomorrow for talks with John Reid, the Home Secretary, said the US was determined to build extra defenses against so-called "clean skin" terrorists from Europe…Mr Chertoff insisted that the US required additional information, including email addresses and credit card details, to vet European passengers and rejected "the idea that we're going to bargain with the European Union over who's going to come into the United States" under the visa waiver scheme….(Telegraph, 4 Apr 07)

U.S. to use al Qaeda suspect's words against him

Evidence from alleged al Qaeda operative Jose Padilla can be used against him at trial despite defense claims the American's arrest was based on information obtained through torture, a U.S. judge ruled....(Reuters, 4 Apr 07)

Terrorists planned huge blasts

A suspected terrorist group foiled by Australian and Indonesian police was planning an attack twice the size of the first Bali bombings, the Australian Federal Police (AFP) says….(Herald Sun, 4 Apr 07)

Seminaries Plan to Launch ‘Islamic Revolution’ on Friday

Two religious seminaries or madrassas in Pakistan, Jamia Faridia and Jamia Hafsa, are adamant to enforce 'Sharia' in Islamabad and across the country and said they will announce their movement at the Lal Masjid or mosque in Islamabad on Friday. They warned the government of serious consequences if it tried to create hurdles in implementing the "Islamic law"….(AKI, 4 Apr 07)

22 arrested over bombmaking in religious school raid in western Afghanistan

Six Afghan teenagers confessed to being part of a bombmaking cell after police raided a religious school in western Afghanistan and arrested 22 people…(AP, 4 Apr 07)

The British Detainees: Why a Rescue Attempt was Never in the Cards

.......this was not the Iranians' first rodeo when it comes to holding captives, and they undoubtedly would have taken measures to thwart any rescue attempt. While some of these measures would have been military, the most important ones would have been in the realm of intelligence. The Iranians understand that intelligence drives any rescue mission and that by denying the British the required intelligence, they could prevent a rescue attempt from ever getting off the ground.....(Strafor, 4 Apr 07)

MI5 'tried to recruit' Guantanamo detainee

A British resident was seized by the CIA and secretly flown to Guantanamo Bay days after MI5 tried to recruit him as an informer…Jamil el-Banna, one of nine British residents still being held at the US military facility in Cuba, was visited by the security services in October 2002 and an officer tried to get him to spy on a cleric suspected of belonging to al-Qa'eda….(Telegraph, 4 Apr 07)

Pakistani militants staging raids inside Iran: ABC

The U.S. has been secretly advising and encouraging a Pakistani militant group that has carried out a series of deadly guerrilla raids inside Iran, ABC News reported on Tuesday, citing U.S. and Pakistani intelligence sources….(Reuters, 4 Apr 07)

Iran 'access' to Iraq detainees

Iran's state news agency says an envoy is being given access to five Iranians detained by US forces in Iraq. The unconfirmed Irna report said Iran's embassy in Baghdad was sending a representative to see the detainees. Tehran maintains the five, seized from the consulate in Irbil, northern Iraq, are diplomats, but the US accused them of providing support to insurgents….(BBC, 4 Apr 07)

Freed British sailors to fly home from Iran tomorrow

The 15 British sailors held captive in Iran will fly home on Thursday after Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad agreed to free them as a 'gift' to Britain. President Ahmadinejad was seen shaking hands with each of the sailors at his presidential office today having pardoned them minutes before. At a news conference in Tehran, he also theatrically awarded medals to the coastguards he said had captured the sailors and marines…..(This Is London, 4 Apr 07)

Iraq's Sadr group fires two deputies over U.S. talks

…Abdul Mahdi al-Mtiri, a member of the political committee which took the decision, told Reuters the committee fired former transport minister Salam al-Maliki and member of parliament Qusay Abdul Wahab who met American officials two days ago. Mtiri said Sadr approved the sackings which were the first public signs of tensions in the movement which holds a quarter of the seats in parliament of the ruling Shi'ite Alliance of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki….(Reuters, 4 Apr 07)

Muslim meeting urges U.S. troops to leave Iraq

Around 20 Muslim clerics from around the world called on Wednesday for the withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq....(Reuters, 4 Apr 07)

Britain Ready To Send Team To Iran for Negotiations

Britain urged direct talks with Iran, is willing to send a "technical delegation" to help ease the 12-day crisis over 15 British navy personnel detained in Iran, and is waiting for clarification from Tehran on the purpose and substance of such talks, according to sources familiar with the back-channel diplomacy…..(Washington Post, 4 Apr 07)

Captors Release Kidnapped Iranian Diplomat in Baghdad

An Iranian diplomat kidnapped by armed men wearing uniforms of the Iraqi security forces was freed here on Tuesday….(New York Times, 4 Apr 07)

Gold: Western Inaction Pushing Saudi Arabia to Hamas, Hizbullah

…"What is shaping Saudi Arabia's new diplomatic activism," Gold explains, "is the rapidly expanding Iranian threat and the weakness of the Western response."…(Israel Natl News, 4 Apr 07)

Gunmen kidnap 22 Iraqi shepherds
Gunmen wearing police uniforms kidnapped 22 shepherds and their sheep in southern Iraq near the Shia city of Karbala on Wednesday…(Agence France-Presse, 4 Apr 07)

6 Killed in Ambush West of Kirkuk

Gunmen opened fire on a minibus carrying power plant workers in a predominantly Sunni area west of Kirkuk on Wednesday, killing six men…..(AP, 4 Apr 07)

Securing the Afghan-Pakistani border

Pakistan is pushing ahead with its controversial peace strategy in the tribal areas on the Afghan border, and, despite criticism in Washington, the US wants to fund it to the tune of $750 million….(ISN, 4 Apr 07)

Many said killed in Pakistani clashes

Fresh clashes erupted in a Pakistani tribal region on Wednesday after a tribal force launched an offensive to expel foreign al Qaeda-linked militants from their lands…(Reuters, 4 Apr 07)

Turkish Troops Made Anti-terror Operation in Syria

Turkish special anti-terror team made operation against the PKK terrorists in Syria. The 'Cudi' nick-named Sadik Aslan and 6 more PKK terrorists were captured in the operation….(Turkish Weekly, 4 Apr 07)

U.S. Holds Suspects In War Crimes
Ernesto Guillermo Barreiro seemed to fit in well with his neighbors in Virginia's placid horse country. The quiet, genteel man from Argentina opened an art and antiques store after moving into a farmhouse last year in The Plains…..(Washington Post, 4 Apr 07)

Captured militia boss faces murder, terrorism charges

…Ever Veloza, one of the few top paramilitary bosses who fled into hiding rather than embrace a government peace deal, was arrested Tuesday in the turbulent banana-growing Uraba region on the Caribbean coast….(AP, 4 Apr 07)

The Trouble With Islam

...As a former member of Jemaah Islamiya, a group led by al Qaeda's second in command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, I know firsthand that the inhumane teaching in Islamist ideology can transform a young, benevolent mind into that of a terrorist. Without confronting the ideological roots of radical Islam it will be impossible to combat it. While there are many ideological "rootlets" of Islamism, the main tap root has a name--Salafism, or Salafi Islam, a violent, ultra-conservative version of the religion.......(Opinion Journal, 3 Apr 07)

Briton Appeals Sentence for Terror Plots

A confessed al-Qaida operative sentenced to 40 years in prison for plotting terrorist attacks against the New York Stock exchange and London hotels appealed the length of his sentence Tuesday. Dhiren Barot, 34, was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole for 40 years, one of the toughest punishments ever handed down in a British court….(AP, 3 Apr 07)

Former D.C. Taxi Driver Pleads Guilty in Terrorism Case

A former D.C. cabdriver pleaded guilty yesterday to conspiring to aid a group on the U.S. terrorism list by attending one of its training camps in Pakistan, Justice Department officials said. Mahmud Faruq Brent, 32, of Baltimore was arrested in 2005….(Washington Post, 3 Apr 07)

The New Issue of Technical Mujahid, a Training Manual for Jihadis

The al-Fajr Information Center, a jihadi organization, recently published the February 2007 issue of Technical Mujahid, a magazine released once every two months that is available online. The release marks the second issue of the publication…..(Terrorism Monitor, 3 Apr 07)

Al-Qaeda and Algeria's GSPC: Part of a Much Bigger Picture

…The GSPC's proven combat capabilities, willingness to send fighters to Afghanistan, Iraq and other Islamist insurgencies, widespread presence in Western European cities, connections and working relationships to criminal enterprises in Europe and its status as a potential al-Qaeda-related threat to Western oil and natural gas supplies emanating from Algeria are all positive benefits for al-Qaeda….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 3 Apr 07)

Muslim Radicals Strengthen in Serbia

The discovery of a mountain cave packed with plastic explosives, masks and machine guns _ and the recent arrests of men devoted to radical Islam _ have fueled fears that extremists are trying to carve out a stronghold in this remote corner of Europe….(AP, 3 Apr 07)

Taliban-style vice squads spread fear

Brandishing bamboo staves and driven by radical Islam, dozens of bearded madrassa students storm into DVD shops in Pakistan's leafy capital and order them to close -- or else. The scenes look more like Taliban-era Afghanistan where the harsh movement's "Vice and Virtue" squads once spread terror….(Agence France-Presse, 3 Apr 07)

New Issue of the Martyrs' Biographies Released

On March 12, a jihadi website posted links to the 29th issue of Martyrs' Biographies (http://emara.goodbb.net). The latest issue, which is part of a series of biographies released by al-Furqan Media Production Establishment, is the biography of Tunisian Ziyad al-Mahrazi, also known as Abu Tariq al-Tunisi, who was killed when he allegedly drove an explosives-laden car into a building occupied by U.S. forces and detonated the car amid a group of 15 Humvees….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 3 Apr 07)

Aussie, Indonesia police foil terror cell

Australian and Indonesian police have foiled terrorists with links to Jemaah Islamiah during raids in East Java, the Australian Federal Police have said. “The close co-operation between the two agencies has resulted in the arrest of eight men linked to Al Jama'ah Al Islamyah,”…(Australian, 3 Apr 07)

Hicks turns al-Qaeda informant

David Hicks has turned al-Qaeda informant. The Australian has begun a new round of interviews with American interrogators about his links with the terror group…..(Nine MSN, 3 Apr 07)

Defense report underlines terrorist threat to oil refineries

…The newly released study comes as the Canadian Forces gearup to practise protecting such facilities and other energy infrastructure in an exercise to run April 16 to 27 in the Northwest Territories…..(Ottawa Citizen, 3 Apr 07)

Arctic 'attack' to test terrorism response

…..(Canadian Press, 3 Apr 07)

Zulkifli bin Hir: JI's U.S.-Trained Engineer

On March 27, the U.S. government added Malaysian national Zulkifli bin Hir to its list of most wanted terrorists. At the same time, it upped the bounty on his head to US$5 million….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 3 Apr 07)

Yemeni Sheikh al-Zindani's New Role as a Healer

Despite being designated by the United States and the United Nations as a "global terrorist," Yemen's Sheikh Abdul Majid al-Zindani continues to be protected by the Yemeni government….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 3 Apr 07)

Man Missing in Iran Named; He Worked for DEA and FBI

A former FBI agent missing in Iran since early last month has been identified as Robert A. Levinson of Coral Springs, Fla., according to U.S. officials and a former colleague. Levinson was a 28-year veteran of both the Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI, according to a biography on the Web site of Business Integrity International, a consulting firm where he worked until two years ago….(Washington Post, 4 Apr 07)

Iranians release British sailors

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says 15 British naval personnel captured in the Gulf are free to leave. He repeated Iran's view that the British sailors and marines "invaded" Iranian waters, but said they were being released as a "gift" to Britain….(BBC, 4 Apr 07)

UK, German embassies evacuated in Venezuela

The British and German embassies in Venezuela were evacuated for hours on Monday from the building housing them both in Caracas after a hoax bomb threat to the British mission....(Reuters, 3 Apr 07)

Report: British Fighter Pilots Asked to Consider Suicide Mission Against Terrorists

Air Vice-Marshal David Walker told crews to consider the scenario at a training conference, Britain's The Sun tabloid newspaper reported. Walker asked pilots what they would do if they suffered weapons failure as they pursued terrorists attempting to fly an aircraft into a British city, or as they chased ground vehicles carrying militants to a target….(AP, 3 Apr 07)

Suspect in Terror Plot Admits Training in Pakistan and Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy

A man accused in an elaborate federal sting operation of plotting to provide training and money to terrorists pleaded guilty yesterday to attending a training camp run by the Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba in 2002. The man, Mahmud Faruq Brent, a paramedic from Washington, was one of four men accused in the plot and the first to make a deal…(New York Times, 3 Apr 07)

Extremism leading society towards decline, say president and PM

President General Pervez Musharraf and Prime Minister Shaukat Aziz on Sunday urged the nation to shun extremism, saying that some individuals had hijacked Islam and were creating disturbance in society. “Those having no understanding of Islam have hijacked the religion. We have to correct ourselves if we want to attract people to Islam,” ….(Daily Times, 3 Apr 07)

Lloyds TSB Targets Islam

Lloyds TSB has launched the UK's first High Street business bank account aimed at fitting in with Shariah law. The Islamic Business and Corporate account is the latest financial product to be run in line with Shariah principles that forbid all forms of paying interest….(Sky, 3 Apr 07)

Christians seek visas to flee from Lebanon

Christians are fleeing from Lebanon to escape the rise of radical Islam and growing fears that the trend will result in a Sunni-Shi'ite civil war, with minority Christians trapped in the middle….(London Sunday Telegraph, 3 Apr 07)

‘Jihad’ declared against Uzbeks

Religious leaders here on Monday declared ‘jihad’ against Uzbek militants as local tribesmen and militant commanders continued to face stiff resistance from them….(Dawn, 3 Apr 07)

Turkish Radio and TV Council Issues Warning to Turkish Radio Stations for Broadcasting Islamist Messages and Calling for Jihad

Turkey's Radio-Television Supreme Council (RTUK) has determined that some Istanbul and Ankara radio stations have been broadcasting programs with Islamist content, and has issued warnings to three of them….(MEMRI, 3 Apr 07)

Suicide bomber slaughters nine Iraqi schoolgirls
A truck bomber carrying food supplies killed eight Iraqi schoolgirls and a baby in the northern oil city of Kirkuk on Monday as suspected militants executed 21 Shiite workers north of Baghdad….(Daily Star, 3 Apr 07)

Prominent Islamist lawyer arrested, accused of membership in militant group

…Mamdouh Ismail, who has been defending Islamic militants since early 1990s, was arrested last Thursday, the officials said on customary condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to talk to the media…..(AP, 3 Apr 07)

Somali battles killed nearly 400 civilians

The recent battles in Mogadishu pitting Ethiopian and Somali troops against insurgents killed 381 civilians and wounded another 565, a local human rights group said on Tuesday….(Reuters, 3 Apr 07)