CT Studies | Counterterrorism News for August 12-18, 2007

Intelligence & Counterterrorism News for the week of:

August 12-18, 2007

Interpol issues wanted notice for Saddam's daughter

The international police organization Interpol on Saturday issued a wanted notice for Saddam Hussein's eldest daughter, who is sought by the Iraqi government on suspicion of terrorism. Interpol's "Red Notice" is not an international arrest warrant but is a request for foreign police forces to cooperate in tracking down 38-year-old Raghad Hussein and in extraditing her to face justice in Iraq. "A judicial order was issued against Raghad a year ago by the Central Criminal Court accusing her of funding terrorism," Iraqi interior ministry operations director Major General Abdel Karim Khalaf told AFP. "Her arrest would depend on Jordanian authorities as she is staying in Amman and the order of Interpol binds on all countries who are associated with it." Hussein has lived in Jordan since July 2003 and since last year has been on a list of 41 people associated with her father's regime that the new Iraqi government is seeking to prosecute for allegedly inciting violence…..(Agence France-Presse, 18 Aug 07)

Interpol Alert: Wanted - AL MAJID, Raghad Saddam Husayn

Hague Likely Host For Lebanon Trial

Responding to a U.N. request, the Netherlands is prepared to host the trial of suspects in the 2005 assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq al-Hariri, the Dutch Foreign Ministry said Friday. "I am working under the premise that the tribunal will be in The Hague," Foreign Minister Maxime Verhagen told Dutch radio. "Obviously we have to sort out some practical matters first, like financing and where possible convicts will go to serve their sentences."….(Washington Post, 18 Aug 07)

The Lost War

Poppies were the first thing that British army Capt. Leo Docherty noticed when he arrived in Afghanistan's turbulent Helmand province in April 2006. "They were growing right outside the gate of our Forward Operating Base," he told me. Within two weeks of his deployment to the remote town of Sangin, he realized that "poppy is the economic mainstay and everyone is involved right up to the higher echelons of the local government."…..(Washington Post, 18 Aug 07)

Omar urges Afghans to unite against Western troops

The Taliban's reclusive leader, Mullah Mohammad Omar, in a rare message on Saturday called on Afghans to shun their differences and join the militant Islamic movement's campaign to drive Western troops from Afghanistan. Omar made the appeal in a message through a Taliban spokesmen, Qari Mohammad Yousuf, on the eve of the 88th anniversary of Afghanistan's independence from Britain…"The enemies of the religion of Islam and independence of the country have launched satanic propagandas under the slogans of democracy and freedom and are trying to disperse Afghans and exploit from it,"….(Reuters, 18 Aug 07)

Padilla Case Offers New Model of Terrorism Trial

…the real innovation in Mr. Padilla’s case, some legal experts said yesterday, was more subtle than those dueling talking points suggested. The Justice Department’s strategy in the trial itself, using a seldom-tested conspiracy law and relatively thin evidence, cemented a new prosecutorial model in terrorism cases…..(New York Times, 18 Aug 07)

Russia, China start joint wargames

Russian and Chinese military forces started wargames on Friday, using a joint land and air assault on a mock town held by "terrorists" as a showcase for their military prowess… The SCO on Thursday sent NATO a thinly coded warning at its summit, saying the world must let the region resolve its own security. The West has been jockeying with regional powers Russia and China for influence over the energy-rich area. General Vladimir Moltenskoi, the Russian commander in charge of Friday's exercise, said the wargames involving 7,500 troops from the SCO members would help the grouping fight international and "internal terrorists."….(Reuters, 17 Aug 07)

Iran cleric warns U.S. not to pick on Guards

A senior Iranian cleric said on Friday that plans by the United States to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps as a foreign terrorist group invited a fight with the Iranian nation which America could not win. "Americans should know that in this field, as with nuclear energy, they are dealing with the whole nation. And the great nation of Iran will never abandon its revolutionary people," Ahmad Khatami told worshippers at Friday prayers in Tehran…..(Reuters, 17 Aug 07)

U.S. terror listing boon for Iran's Revolutionary Guard says cleric

The U.S. move to blacklist Iran's Revolutionary Guard as a terrorist group will be a matter of pride for the organization said a senior Iranian cleric in the official weekly sermon on Friday. Ayatollah Ahmad Khatami, who does not hold a government post but once a month delivers the official Friday prayer sermon, told thousands of worshippers at Tehran University in a speech broadcast on radio that the designation showed that the Guards were doing something right….(AP, 17 Aug 07)

Cutting Off Terror’s Money Supply

News this week that the Bush administration is on the verge of adding the Revolutionary Guard Corps of Iran to its ever-expanding list of foreign terrorist organizations — the count stands at 42 undesirables, headlined by Al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas — was not exactly music to the ears of Gary M. Osen, a lawyer on a personal and professional campaign to sue banks that he believes bankroll terrorist activities…the impending censure does strike him as progress in a war on terror that in his opinion has, until now, pretty much been the equivalent of “trying to shut down the phone company by going to people’s homes and apartments and individually smashing their phones instead of destroying the satellites and cables that conduct the signals.”….(New York Times, 17 Aug 07)

U.S. may declare Eritrea a 'state sponsor of terrorism' for Somalia role

The United States is considering designating the Horn of Africa nation of Eritrea a "state sponsor of terrorism" for its alleged support of Islamist militants in Somalia, the top U.S. diplomat for Africa said Friday. The State Department is now compiling data to legally back up such a move, which would impose severe sanctions on the impoverished nation and put it on the same diplomatic blacklist as Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Syria and Sudan….(AP, 17 Aug 07)

US Troops Fight Militants in Iraq Mosque

U.S. troops clashed with suspected Sunni insurgents holed up in a mosque north of Baghdad and launched an air-to-ground Hellfire missile into the structure. One American soldier was killed in the fighting…The soldier was killed and another was wounded when troops stationed at a nearby outpost came under heavy small-arms fire from the Honest Mohammed Mosque….(AP, 17 Aug 07)

Is Iran Aiding Iraq's Militias?

…since the Americans have offered no solid proof to support their allegations. Iranian officials have scoffed at the notion publicly. And Ryan Crocker, the U.S. ambassador to Iraq, says emissaries from Tehran he meets keep up the denials behind closed doors as well. No one associated with Iraq's militias is any more revealing. "Sorry but all these claims are not true," says Falah Shanshal, a parliamentarian loyal to Sadr. "We are not the bad guys as they think."…..(Time Magazine, 17 Aug 07)

In Iraq, Shattering Villages and Illusions

…two villages in northern Iraq, populated by an obscure religious sect, suffered what is now officially the deadliest terrorist attack of the war, with more than 400 people confirmed dead. The final toll is expected to rise, but the coordinated suicide truck bombings in the Yazidi towns already constitute the second-worst terrorist attack of modern times, trailing only the carnage of Sept. 11, 2001…The bombings Tuesday looked more like an act of genocide, an attempt to erase as many Yazidis as possible from the face of the earth. The motive for this atrocity might not have been political but religious; it might have been the work of Muslim fundamentalists trying to settle a centuries-old local grievance….(Washington Post, 17 Aug 07)

CAIR Cites Counterterrorism Blog in HLF Legal Filing

In the case of United States versus Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development (HLF), et al, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) clearly doesn't like it when the Counterterrorism Blog and the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) is presenting the news on this subject. In an Amicus Curiae brief by CAIR to the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Texas, Dallas Division, CAIR complains about the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) postings on the Counterterrorism Blog with news in regards to the HLF case and CAIR…..(Counterterrorism Blog, 17 Aug 07) Document: CAIR Amicus Brief

Events Prod U.S. to Make New Push for Mideast Deal

…In that sense, recent events here — the victory of the radical Islamic movement Hamas in Gaza and Fatah’s rapid collapse there — have focused the diplomatic mind and shaken Israel, the United States and the Sunni Arab states, like Egypt and Saudi Arabia, already nervous about a rising Iran….(New York Times, 17 Aug 07)

Iraqi Shiites, Kurds Announce New Political Alliance

...For weeks, politicians have discussed an alliance among the four leading Shiite and Kurdish parties, with the hope that marginalized Sunni factions would join the coalition. But politicians from the largest Sunni bloc in parliament said they would remain apart from the new group, asserting that the ruling Shiites still have not met their demands for greater participation. The Sunnis' stance effectively undermines the coalition's chances of breaking the political gridlock that has frustrated U.S. and Iraqi officials…..(Washington Post, 17 Aug 07)

Al-Jazeera Interviews - Muslim Brotherhood Leader in Sudan: The U.S. is Behind All Tragedies in Darfur; Sudanese Minister for Humanitarian Affairs: U.S. Civilization Feeds on Human Blood

The following are two clips from Al-Jazeera TV dealing with Darfur. The first clip is an interview with the leader of the Muslim Brotherhood in Sudan, Sheikh Sadeq Abdallah, which aired on July 28, 2007, and the second is an interview with Sudanese Minister of State for Humanitarian Affairs Ahmad Haroun, which aired on August 3, 2007….(MEMRI, 17 Aug 07)

Hamas Bee Nahoul Abuses Cats, Lions at Gaza Zoo, Calls for Liberation Of Al-Aqsa Mosque

Following are excerpts from an episode of the children's program Pioneers of Tomorrow, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on August 10, 2007…..(MEMRI, 17 Aug 07)

Sword Swallowing to Oblivion

Religion of Peace?-Why Christianity Is and Islam Isn't, by Robert Spencer

…Robert Spencer's sobering new book, Religion of Peace? reveals how the prevailing multicultural orthodoxy in the West -- rooted in self-hatred, uncritical, blanket pacifism, and complacency -- negates the profound differences between Judeo-Christian and Islamic civilization, obfuscating the existential threat posed by Islam's enduring, central institution: the jihad…..(American Thinker, 17 Aug 07)

Gadhafi Son Warns of More Europe Attacks

Islamic extremists are certain to carry out more terrorist attacks in Europe, and any country that engages itself militarily in Iraq or Afghanistan is a likely target, the son of Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi said Friday, according to an Austrian news agency. Radical Islam is making deeper inroads into Europe through young, disaffected Muslims who are receptive to the message of militancy, Seif al-Islam Gadhafi said in an interview….(AP, 17 Aug 07)

Three months on, Lebanese army still battling Islamists

Three months into the deadly standoff between the Lebanese army and Islamist guerrillas holed up in a refugee camp, troops are still battling to crush an unexpectedly well-armed and well-organised enemy. Located along the Mediterranean coast near the northern city of Tripoli, the Nahr al-Bared camp today is but an apocalyptic scene of twisted steel and ruins….(Agence France-Presse, 17 Aug 07)

Russia dismisses findings on Georgia missile

Russia dismissed on Thursday the findings of an international group of military experts convened by the Georgian government which said that a plane from Russia dropped a missile on Georgia last week… The Russians will travel on Friday to the field where the missile landed…..(Reuters, 17 Aug 07)

Former Red Army Member Ordered Released

A German court said Friday it ordered the early release on parole of a former Red Army Faction member who was convicted in the 1985 murder of a U.S. soldier. Eva Haule can be early next week after serving 21 years of her life sentence, the Frankfurt state court said in a statement…..(AP, 17 Aug 07)

Bomb Kills Afghan District Chief, 3 Kids

A suicide bomber killed a district chief and three of his children in southern Afghanistan on Friday, while five civilians were killed in fighting between NATO soldiers and Taliban in the east, officials said. The bomber blew himself up as Khariudin Achakzai, the chief of Kandahar's Zhari district, was coming out of his house with five of his children, said Abdul Ghafar, a police official….(AP, 17 Aug 07)

Dane released from Guantanamo arrested for fraud

A former Guantanamo detainee has been arrested in Denmark on suspicions he withdrew 105,000 kroner (€14,100; US$18,900) by using stolen debit cards and PIN codes, police said Thursday. Slimane Hadj Abderrahmane, a Danish citizen, was released from the Guantanamo Bay detention center in 2004 after nearly two years in captivity…..(AP, 17 Aug 07)

Bali Bombers' Sentences Cut

Ten Islamic militants jailed for suicide bombings on Bali that killed more than 220 people _ many of them foreign tourists _ had several months shaved off their sentences Friday to mark Indonesia's Independence Day. It is a local tradition to cut jail terms on holidays, but the decision was likely to anger countries that lost citizens in the 2002 and 2005 attacks on the resort island's crowded nightclubs and restaurants…..(AP, 17 Aug 07)

Padilla Is Guilty on All Charges in Terror Trial

…Mr. Padilla, a Brooklyn-born convert to Islam who became one of the first Americans designated an “enemy combatant” in the anxious months after Sept. 11, 2001, now faces life in prison. He was released last year from a long and highly unusual military confinement to face criminal charges in Federal District Court here. The government’s chief evidence was a faded application form that prosecutors said Mr. Padilla, 36, filled out to attend a Qaeda training camp in Afghanistan in 2000……(New York Times, 17 Aug 07)

Jihadism Is Rising

In a few weeks, the war in Afghanistan by one count will be six years old. By another, it has been going on for more than three decades. This war has made Afghanistan (especially its southeastern region, along with western Pakistan) the epicenter of global Islamist-jihadist terrorism. The war during the 1980s, directed, funded and waged for geopolitical reasons through irregular fighters often proudly praised as "mujahideen," led to three significant influences: the propagation of irregular sub-conventional war through terrorism in the name of religion; a phenomenal spread and diffusion of military-specification sophisticated weapons to the jihadist groups; and important perceptions of the outcome of that war…..(Daily Star, 17 Aug 07)

Jury Convicts Jose Padilla of Terror Charges

…Padilla and co-defendants Adham Hassoun, a Lebanese-born Palestinian, and Kifah Jayyousi, a naturalized U.S. citizen from Jordan, were found guilty of one count of conspiracy to murder, kidnap and maim overseas, an offense with a maximum penalty of life in prison. They also were convicted of one count of conspiracy to provide material support for terrorists and one count of material support for terrorists. Sentencing is set for Dec. 5…..(Washington Post, 17 Aug 07)

More than $55 million awarded for transit and port security

The Department of Homeland Security has awarded New York more than $55 million to enhance transit and port security systems and emergency management capabilities… In addition the Department of Commerce announced July 18 that New York will receive a more than $60 million grant to help state and local first responders improve public safety communications during a natural or man-made disaster…..(AP, 17 Aug 07)

Iraq bomb death toll reaches 344

The governor of the Sinjar region of north-western Iraq has said 344 people died in Tuesday's multiple bomb attacks against the minority Yazidi community. He said another 400 people had been injured by the blasts and that he believed 70 others were still buried in the rubble of destroyed buildings. About 600 local residents had been made homeless….(BBC, 17 Aug 07)

Terror Threat Grows Quietly, Report Warns

The most serious terrorist threat facing the United States cannot be seen by U.S. law enforcement and intelligence officials, according to a report issued yesterday by the New York City Police Department. The 90-page report, compiled by two police counterterrorism analysts, argues that the danger posed by homegrown radical Islamists is growing, fueled by Internet communications and the growing global popularity of jihadist ideology. But the report also concedes that "there is no useful profile . . . to predict who will follow this trajectory of radicalization" because those who end up being radicalized begin as "unremarkable" individuals "from various walks of life…The subtle and non-criminal nature of the behaviors involved in the process of radicalization makes it difficult to identify or even monitor from a law enforcement standpoint," the report concludes…..(Washington Post, 16 Aug 07)

Report: Radicalization in the West: The Homegrown Threat .pdf

Homegrown terrorists called biggest threat

Homegrown terrorists with clean records can operate under the radar of law enforcement and pose a more significant threat to homeland security than al Qaeda, says a report issued yesterday by the New York City Police Department. The report lists "incubators" such as mosques that become meeting places for homegrown terrorists, but says more likely places include cafes, cabstands, flophouses, prisons, student associations, nongovernmental organizations, hookah (water pipe) bars, butcher shops and bookstores…..(Washington Times, 16 Aug 07)

DHS Announces Additional $260 Million in Supplemental Grants Funding

…The supplemental announcement of $260 million is in addition to $567 million awarded from the regular FY 2007 appropriations for these programs, totaling roughly $827 million this fiscal year. "State and local governments will benefit from this additional influx of federal dollars to enhance security measures at our ports and transits systems," said Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff. "It will also assist emergency managers with even more tools to build on national preparedness goals."….(DHS Press Release, 16 Aug 07)

Yazidis fear annihilation after Iraq bombings

Angry members of a minority sect said on Thursday they feared annihilation and pleaded for help, after suicide attackers killed scores in possibly the worst such bomb attack of the Iraq conflict……(Reuters, 16 Aug 07)

Indonesia's president claims victory in war against terror

Indonesia's president claimed victory Thursday against terrorists in the world's most populous Muslim country, which has not suffered any attack in nearly two years following a crackdown on Islamic militants, but said more must be done to tackle terrorism's root causes. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said in his state of the union address that "the acts of terrorism that have caused unrest in our society in the past years have been handled. We have succeeded in preventing and tackling the acts of terrorism in the country,"….(AP, 16 Aug 07)

Scandal plagues mosque official

A former top official for the Islamic Center of Washington says he was framed in a pending embezzlement case in retaliation for his practice of barring Islamic radicals from the mosque. The more than $400,000 federal prosecutors say Farzad Darui stole stemmed an arrangement for the mosque's director to pay back Mr. Darui for "the housing and feeding" of the director's "additional 'wives' or mistresses," according to papers filed by his attorney in federal court in the District yesterday….(Washington Times, 16 Aug 07)

Mosque Bookkeeper Alleges Payments to Director's Mistresses

…The 140 pages filed by Darui's attorneys describe him as a patriot who was trying to keep extremists from seizing control of the mosque, whose board is made up largely of ambassadors from various Islamic countries. Darui says in motions that he was being pressured by Saudi funders of the center and its director, Abdullah M. Khouj, to allow in "individuals who adhered to a radical form" of Islam……(Washington Post, 16 Aug 07)

Iraqi officials: Truck bombings killed at least 500

The death toll in the suicide bombings Tuesday in northern Iraq has risen to at least 500, local officials in Nineveh province said Wednesday. Iraqi Army and Mosul police sources earlier put the number at 260, but said it was likely to rise. 320 were reported wounded…..(CNN, 16 Aug 07)

Italy's Underground Islamist Network

…The three, the imam of the Ponte Felcino Mosque, Perugia Province, and his two aides, had stored 60 chemical substances (including nitrates, acids and cyanide) in the mosque's cellar, the majority of which were of high toxicity and of the type to fabricate explosive artifacts (EuropaPress.es, July 21; Corriere Della Sera, July 21-23; La Vanguardia, July 21). The imam used the mosque to proselytize radical Islam and to train young men in the use of arms, explosives and toxic substances in terrorist operations. Police uncovered propaganda films and documents downloaded from the internet, used to instruct the recruits on how to prepare poisons and explosives, pilot a Boeing 747 and send encrypted messages……(Global Terrorism Analysis, 16 Aug 07)

Analyst: Iranian Force Gaining Power

…The Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, established during the 1979 Iranian revolution, has evolved into a powerful and influential organization that is believed to have custody over most or all of Iran's chemical, biological and radiological weapons, Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies says in a study to be published in late September. The force has some 125,000 men, and has exported thousands of rockets to Hezbollah militants in Lebanon and shipped arms to various Palestinian movements, including the Palestinian Authority….(AP, 16 Aug 07)

New York City Police Report Explores Homegrown Terrorism

...The study found that unassimilated Muslims in the United States are vulnerable to extremism, but less so than their European counterparts…Police analysts studied 11 cases from the past six years to better understand terrorist patterns. Their 90-page report highlighted how ordinary people in Western nations, with unremarkable jobs and with little or no criminal histories, sometimes come to adopt a terrorist ideology. It found a similar dynamic at work in recent terror plots in Britain, Spain, Canada, Australia and the Netherlands…..(New York Times, 16 Aug 07)

Hamas TV rapped for animal abuse

A US-based animal rights group says it will protest to a Hamas-run TV channel over a program, showing animals being abused at a zoo in the Gaza Strip. The group, Peta, criticised al-Aqsa TV for the children's show in which an actor was swinging cats around by their tails and throwing stones at lions…..(BBC, 16 Aug 07)

Hamas Representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan Justifies Suicide Bombings in Buses: Israeli Soldiers Ride Those Buses

The following are excerpts from an interview with Hamas representative in Lebanon Osama Hamdan, which aired on Al-Kawthar TV on August 6, 2007…..(MEMRI, 16 Aug 07)

20,000 flee Kashmir after threats

Some 20,000 migrant laborers have fled insurgency-hit Kashmir in the past three weeks after Muslim rebels told them to leave, officials said. The mainly Hindu migrants, who work as low-paid masons, carpenters, painters and barbers, began leaving last month when two of them were accused of raping and killing a teenage Muslim girl…..(Agence France-Presse, 16 Aug 07)

In imams' suit, status of 'John Does' in dispute

A legal squabble in a lawsuit brought by Muslim imam passengers is escalating among lawyers over the question of who is being sued over their removal from a flight last year. "John Doe" passengers are named as parties in the litigation for reporting suspicious behavior of the six men, which led to their removal from the flight. Employees of U.S. Airways and a Minneapolis airport are also targets of the lawsuit now proceeding through a federal court…..(Washington Times, 16 Aug 07)

Contingency Planning, for Technology and Terrorism

…A common piece of computer hardware -- a network interface card -- at a U.S. customs work station malfunctioned, taking down the agency's network at the airport. The system failure, which lasted nearly eight hours, delayed the arrivals of at least 17,000 international passengers and left many travelers stranded for hours in airplanes...Customs and Border Protection, part of the Department of Homeland Security, wasn't so lucky. The network card at LAX took down the local area network when the card repeatedly began seeking attention and assistance in performing its functions, setting off a "data storm," overloading the network's efforts to manage itself……(Washington Post, 16 Aug 07)

Inquiry Threatens Ex-Leader of Securities Agency

… Mr. Hills faces a federal investigation into whether his actions were wise, proper or even legal in helping Chiquita Brands International navigate troubled ethical waters. The crux of the inquiry involves an April 24, 2003, meeting between Mr. Hills, in his capacity as a director of Chiquita, and Michael Chertoff, who was then in charge of the criminal division of the Department of Justice and is now the secretary of the Department of Homeland Security….(New York Times, 16 Aug 07)

Suicide Rate Among Soldiers Shows Increase, Report Says

Army soldiers committed suicide last year at the highest rate in 26 years, and more than a quarter did so while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, a military report shows. The report, obtained by the Associated Press before its scheduled release today, found that there were 99 confirmed suicides among active-duty soldiers in 2006, up from 88 the previous year and the highest since the 102 suicides in 1991…..(AP, 16 Aug 07)

Extremist Reeducation and Rehabilitation in Saudi Arabia

For the past three years, the Saudi government has been quietly engaged in an ambitious strategy to combat violent Islamist extremist sympathies through an innovative prisoner reeducation and rehabilitation program. Following the May 2003 Riyadh compound bombings, the regime adopted a series of security measures to fight Islamist terrorism. In addition to the aggressive counter-terrorism steps taken by the government, Saudi officials have also sought to combat the support of extremist ideology in the kingdom through a series of lesser-known "soft" counter-terrorism measures aimed at combating the appeal of extremist takfiri beliefs……(Global Terrorism Analysis, 16 Aug 07)

An Inside Look at France's Mosque Surveillance Program

… the strategy has worked since the last terrorist attack on French territory dates back to 1996. In the past few years, despite increased threats emanating from al-Qaeda and the Algerian Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (recently renamed Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb), French intelligence services have successfully thwarted a number of plots and disrupted several cells recruiting French volunteers to fight in Iraq. Since radical mosques have played a critical role in the radicalization process of terrorists in the past, the Renseignements Généraux (RG), the French internal intelligence service, have been monitoring mosques, their clerics and their sermons since the mid-1990s……(Global Terrorism Analysis, 16 Aug 07)

How to be a jihadi: Taliban's training secrets

The Taliban has published its first military field manual detailing how to spring ambushes, run spies and conduct an insurgency against coalition forces in Afghanistan. At 144 pages, Military Teachings - for the Preparation of Mujahideen, is a minutely detailed "how to" book on subjects ranging from tactics and weapons to building training camps and spycraft. The guide, which is similar in its aims to British and American military field manuals, was obtained by The Daily Telegraph from a source in Pakistan who claimed to be close to the Taliban. Its cover bears the image of two crossed swords and the Koran, the arms of the Taliban's ousted government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. The book, written in the Pashto language, "will soon be made available to the commanders in Afghanistan as well as its adjacent tribal areas in Pakistan"….(Telegraph, 16 Aug 07)

In Pictures: TALIBAN HOW TO MANUAL

Iraqis Create Shiite, Kurd Alliance

The Iraqi prime minister and president announced a new alliance of moderate Shiites and Kurds in a push to save the crumbing government Thursday, saying a key Sunni bloc refused to join but the door remained open to them. The pact came amid a grim backdrop: more bodies being pulled from the rubble of the most deadly suicide bombing assault of the war……(AP, 16 Aug 07)

Haneef terror scandal colleague plans hasty exit

The remaining Gold Coast doctor engulfed in a terror scandal and two separate health inquiries is planning to quit his job and flee Australia.Dr Mohammed Asif Ali has asked the Australian Federal Police for his passport back and is expected to resign today from Queensland Health. Senior sources said if Dr Ali left the country it would further harm the AFP's case against freed terror suspect and former Gold Coast doctor Mohamed Haneef…..(Courier Mail, 16 Aug 07)

US documents show Pakistan gave Taliban military aid

…"The documents illustrate that throughout the 1990's the ISI [Pakistani intelligence] considered Islamic extremists to be foreign policy assets," Barbara Elias, a National Security Archive researcher, said. "But they succeeded ultimately in creating a Pakistani Taliban. Those years of fuelling insurgents created something that now directly threatens Islamabad." No one was available for comment at the Pakistani embassy in London yesterday. Privately, Pakistani officials concede that the ISI was instrumental in turning the Taliban into an organized force before 2001….(Guardian, 16 Aug 07)

Documents spotlight U.S.-Pakistan ties

….(AP, 16 Aug 07)

Documents Spotlight U.S.-Pakistan Ties

…The cables and letters between senior U.S. officials _ most of them stamped "confidential" and heavily redacted for public release _ lay out those concerns in language stripped of diplomatic niceties…They show that U.S. officials as early as 1994 believed Pakistan's intelligence services were deeply involved with the Taliban and its takeover that year of the southern Afghan city of Kandahar. It was the first major victory for the then-obscure religious militia that went on to capture the capital, Kabul, in September 1996 and then gain control of almost all of Afghanistan by mid-1997…..(Town Hall, 16 Aug 07)

Security increased for Holy Land Foundation trial

Police are on high alert as the Holy Land Foundation trial continues in downtown Dallas. The trial is centered around terrorism and The Holy Land Foundation, who is accused of funneling money to terrorist organizations… Several recent incidents prompted the Dallas Police Department and federal authorities to beef up security in some areas…(WFAA TV, 16 Aug 07)

Court that sentenced Saddam to hold uprising trial

The Iraqi special court that sentenced Saddam Hussein to death will try 15 people on August 21 for the suppression of a Shi'ite uprising in the wake of the 1991 Gulf War, the chief prosecutor said on Thursday. Those on trial include Saddam's cousin Ali Hassan al-Majeed, dubbed "Chemical Ali" by Saddam's opponents for his role in the gassing of Kurdish villages….(Reuters, 16 Aug 07)

As U.S. Steps Up Pressure on Iran, Aftereffects Worry Allies

America's allies are increasingly concerned about the Bush administration's plans to unilaterally escalate pressure on Iran, fearing that an evolving strategy may also set in motion a process that could lead to military action if Iran does not back down, according to diplomats and officials of foreign countries…..(Washington Post, 16 Aug 07)

Pakistan: "The Taliban's Godfather"?

…These new documents also support and inform the findings of a recently-released CIA intelligence estimate characterizing Pakistan's tribal areas as a safe haven for al-Qaeda terrorists, and provide new details about the close relationship between Islamabad and the Taliban in the years prior to the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan. Declassified State Department cables and U.S. intelligence reports describe the use of Taliban terrorist training areas in Afghanistan by Pakistani-supported militants in Kashmir, as well as Pakistan's covert effort to supply Pashtun troops from its tribal regions to the Taliban cause in Afghanistan-effectively forging and reinforcing Pashtun bonds across the border and consolidating the Taliban's severe form of Islam throughout Pakistan's frontier region……..(Oracle Syndicate, 16 Aug 07)

On the Move

The new National Intelligence Estimate caught the media’s attention in mid-July by discussing an aspect of the war on terror that some analysts have warned about for over a year: al Qaeda’s regenerated capabilities. This finding should not have taken observers by surprise, but sometimes our understanding of terrorist strategies and capabilities can be myopic….(National Review, 16 Aug 07)

Uncertainty stalls European arms deals

Libya's confusing statements and apparent uncertainty about its political direction have chilled European hopes for massive arms sales to Moammar Gadhafi's regime… Jean-Pierre Maulny, deputy director of the French Institute for International and Strategic Relations, said: "The market is open, the Arabs want to diversify, but dealing in that world is often playing with fire." Muddying the waters are reports of a conflict between so-called liberals and hard-liners in the nucleus of Libya's power structure……(Washington Times, 16 Aug 07)

US and Israel in $30bn arms deal

US Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns has signed a deal that will provide Israel with $30bn (£14.8bn) of military aid over the next 10 years. The Israeli prime minister, Ehud Olmert, has said the aid will preserve his country's military advantage over other countries in the Middle East…..(BBC, 16 Aug 07)

Defying the Fatwa

Fatwas and Islamist fury have not deterred Pakistani audiences from queuing up in record numbers for "Khuda Kay Liye" ("In the Name of God"), a slickly packaged three-hour-long polemic that is riling the mullahs and has become the Pakistani film industry's biggest blockbuster, counting even Pakistan's president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, among its fans. A musical, "In the Name of God" opened in Karachi and Lahore on July 20, amid tight security….(Newsweek, 16 Aug 07)

Minority Religions Under Attack in Iraq

The suicide bombings that ravaged the Yazidi sect in Iraq underscored the fears of violence and insecurity binding many of the nation's religious minorities, ranging from Christians who are fleeing their ancient enclaves to a dwindling sect that follows the teachings of John the Baptist. The various religious groups _ which in total account for no more than 3 percent of the population _ increasingly worry that they will be caught helplessly in the battles between the majority Shiite and Sunni factions or, as in the case in Tuesday's attack, directly targeted by extremists…..(AP, 15 Aug 07)

United States Condemns Terrorist Use of Landmines in Colombia

We condemn the continued and growing use of landmines and other explosive devices by the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) terrorist organization against innocent civilians and Colombian authorities. Colombia now has the world’s highest rate of casualties from these devices. The FARC’s cruel and wanton use of landmines and other “hidden killers” further demonstrates their disregard for Colombia’s rural poor….(US Dept of State Press Release, 15 Aug 07)

Bhutto Urges Action by Musharraf

…Speaking at the Council on Foreign Relations here, Bhutto said that her Pakistan People's Party has been engaged in negotiations with Musharraf "for almost a year" and that she is seeking to return to active politics in exchange for her support of Musharraf. She gave the president until the end of this month to take what she called "confidence-building measures" to keep the dialogue going……(Washington Post, 16 Aug 07)

U.S. Is Prodding Pakistan Leader to Share Power

The Bush administration, struggling to find a way to keep Gen. Pervez Musharraf in power amid a deepening political crisis in Pakistan, is quietly prodding him to share authority with a longtime rival as a way of broadening his base, according to American and Pakistani officials…..(New York Times, 16 Aug 07)

Iranian Guard holdings extensive

Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps, which faces the prospect of severe U.S. financial sanctions as a "terrorist organization," represents a tempting target given its multibillion-dollar commercial empire ranging from oil fields to honeybee farms. Bush administration officials yesterday insisted that no decision had been made on the terrorist designation, but acknowledged privately that the move to sanction Iran's Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) was under active consideration….(Washington Times, 16 Aug 07)

US 'to blacklist Iranian Guards'

The US is preparing to designate Iran's Revolutionary Guards force as a foreign terrorist unit, officials say. If confirmed, this will be the first time official armed units of a sovereign state are included in the list of banned terrorist groups. The classification would allow the US to target the force's finances…..(BBC, 16 Aug 07)

US would not hesitate to hit al Qaeda 'safe havens' in Pak

The US State Department has said that Washington would not hesitate to hit 'high-value' al Qaeda targets inside Pakistan's tribal areas bordering Afghanistan or any other country, but would do so in a way that it does not harm America's relations with that state. "If there is actionable intelligence on high-value targets, wherever they might be, we are going to do everything that we can to act on that information," State Department spokesman, Sean McCormack….(Daily India, 16 Aug 07)

Iran denounces US missile defense plans

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad on Thursday denounced a U.S. plan to deploy missile defense sites in Eastern Europe, calling it a threat to the region. Ahmadinejad spoke at the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, which includes Russia, China and four ex-Soviet Central Asian countries. Iran has observer status in the SCO…..(AP, 16 Aug 07)

NEFA Report: State of the Sunni Insurgency in Iraq: August 2007 .pdf

…while deposing Saddam and his cronies proved relatively uncomplicated, the U.S. and its allies did not sufficiently plan for post-war governance and reconstruction, causing Iraq to quickly fall into a chasm of anarchy and lawlessness. Before long, three categories of “bad actors” had stepped forward to fill this gaping political vacuum: organized criminal networks, Shiite-run militias (primarily the Mahdi Army and Badr Corps), and Sunni-led insurgent organizations (including Al-Qaida)…..(NEFA, Aug 07)

Jury finds Padilla guilty on terror charges

The jury in the Jose Padilla terror trial has found the American guilty of conspiracy to support Islamic terrorism overseas. Padilla was originally arrested on accusations that he planned to set off radioactive "dirty bombs" in the United States. Thursday's convictions are not related to those accusations, and prosecutors did not present the "dirty bomb" plot to the jury. Padilla's two co-defendants, Adham Hassoun and Kifan Jayyousi, were also found guilty on the three counts as charged: conspiracy to murder, kidnap, and maim people in a foreign country; conspiracy to provide material support for terrorists, and providing material support for terrorists….(CNN, 16 Aug 07)

Legal timeline in Jose Padilla's case since his 2002 arrest

A legal timeline for Jose Padilla since his arrest in May 2002 on suspicion of involvement in an al-Qaida plot…..(AP, 16 Aug 07)

Muslim Groups Oppose a List of ‘Co-Conspirators’

Two prominent Muslim American organizations took steps yesterday to reverse what they called a Justice Department effort to smear the entire Muslim community by naming some of its largest organizations as unindicted co-conspirators in a Texas terrorism trial… The unindicted co-conspirators were named in the case against the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development, which opened July 16…..(New York Times, 16 Aug 07)

Hizb-ut-Tahrir's Activities in the United States

Five years ago, most Western observers did not consider Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HT) much of a threat—its goal of overthrowing governments in order to replace them with a caliph who would implement Sharia law seemed unrealistic and unlikely to resonate with Muslims raised in the West… During the last five years, however, turbulent world events and the changing tide of public opinion toward the United States has given HT a framework to advance its agenda. Five years ago, scholars estimated HT had a presence in approximately 40 countries. Today, that estimation has risen to more than 45 countries……(Global Terrorism Analysis, 16 Aug 07)

Charity Drops Suit Against Terrorism Analyst

A children's charity that funnels money to Gaza, the West Bank, and Lebanon, Kinder USA, has dropped a libel suit it brought against a prominent terrorism analyst who suggested that the group was funding a terrorist organization, Hamas. In April, Kinder USA, formally known as Kids in Need of Development, Education, and Relief, Inc., sued Matthew Levitt over a brief passage about the group in his book, "Hamas: Politics, Charity and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad."….(New York Sun, 16 Aug 07)

KinderUSA and Al-Marayati Dismiss Lawsuit against The Washington Institute, Dr. Matthew Levitt, and Yale University Press on Hamas Book

Yesterday, KinderUSA and Dr. Laila Al-Marayati dismissed with prejudice their libel suit, recently filed in California, against The Washington Institute for Near East Policy, its senior fellow Dr. Matthew Levitt, and Yale University Press. The suit involved passages contained in Dr. Levitt's critically acclaimed and carefully researched book Hamas: Politics, Charity, and Terrorism in the Service of Jihad, published by Yale University Press….(Washington Institute, 16 Aug 07)

Hamas Rules

The Hamas terror organization that gained power through a violent coup in the Gaza Strip in June is now signaling that it will maintain its rule through a combination of violence, authoritarianism, and Islamism. Witness the Talibanization of Gaza. Forced Conversions. According to Fatah officials, Professor Sana al-Sayegh, a teacher at Palestine University in Gaza City, was kidnapped two weeks ago by Hamas and forced to convert to Islam against her will. Hamas Chief Ismail Haniyeh turned down repeated meeting requests from family members and leaders of the dwindling Christian minority in Gaza City….(National Review, 15 Aug 07)

Former Dean of Islamic Law at Qatar University Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari Speaks Out in Support of U.S. Presence in Middle East

The following are excerpts from an interview with former dean of Islamic law at QatarUniversity, Abd Al-Hamid Al-Ansari. The interview aired on Abu Dhabi TV on July 26, 2007…..(MEMRI, 15 Aug 07)

Nationalists, Caucasians Both Suspected In Russian Train Blast

Two days after a bomb attack on a Russian express train left 60 people injured, it remains unclear who is responsible for the blast. The Russian Prosecutor-General's Office says the August 13 explosion on the Neva express train running from St. Petersburg to Moscow was caused by a homemade bomb packed with the equivalent of 2 kilograms of TNT…..(RFE/RL, 15 Aug 07)

German authorities arrest man accused of recruiting people for terrorism in Pakistan

A man accused of recruiting a German citizen in Pakistan for terrorism was arrested as he re-entered Germany, Munich prosecutors said Wednesday. The man, a German citizen whose identity was given only as Tolga D., was arrested at Frankfurt airport on Tuesday, senior public prosecutor August Stern said. German Justice Ministry spokeswoman Eva Schmierer said the man was believed to have been deported from Pakistan for violating visa violations, and was not formally extradited…..(AP, 15 Aug 07)

Egyptians to face jihad charges

Nine Egyptians have been referred to the public prosecutor on charges of seeking to wage jihad after they were arrested on their return from neighboring Libya….(Focus, 15 Aug 07)

'House Bombs' a Growing Risk for U.S. Troops

…The growing use of house bombs is part of a larger pattern of more complex and coordinated attacks against U.S. forces by al-Qaeda in Iraq. On May 12, soldiers in two parked Humvees were struck by a roadside bomb near Mahmudiyah, south of Baghdad, then ambushed by gunmen in a synchronized attack that the group said it had staged. Four soldiers and an Iraqi interpreter were killed in the ambush and three soldiers were kidnapped. One was later found dead; two remain missing…..(Washington Post, 16 Aug 07)

Moroccan journalists get prison sentences over terrorist threat report

Abderrahim Ariri, publisher of the Moroccan weekly Al-Watan Al An, and Mustafa Hormatallah, a journalist for the paper, were convicted Wednesday by a criminal court in Casablanca of “concealing items derived from a crime” under article 571 of the Moroccan Penal Code, Ariri told the New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). He said the court sentenced Hormatallah to eight months in jail, while Ariri received a six-month suspended sentence…..(Newswatch, 16 Aug 07)

Afghan, U.S. forces assault al Qaeda in Tora Bora

U.S. and Afghan air and ground forces pounded al Qaeda militants for a second day on Thursday in the Tora Bora mountains close to the Pakistan border where Osama bin Laden once fled in the wake of the 2001 invasion…..(Reuters, 16 Aug 07)

Russian held over 'deaths' video

…The video apparently shows two men being killed, execution-style, by far-right extremists. A group calling itself the National Socialists of Rus says it carried out the attack. Russian police are investigating the authenticity of the video…Two men wearing masks and camouflage gear are shown giving Nazi salutes before the apparent killings go ahead…..(BBC, 15 Aug 07)

'Surge' Has Led to More Detainees

U.S. military operations associated with the troop increase in Baghdad have boosted the number of detainees held in American facilities in Iraq to about 23,000, up 5,000 from four months ago, according to Army Col. Mark Martins, the top military lawyer in Iraq. That number represents an all-time high since the U.S. occupation began in 2003. Iraqi security forces have picked up 4,052 detainees during the increase, bringing the overall number of security detainees now held in Iraqi prisons to 60,000…..(Washington Post, 15 Aug 07)

The New Enemy?

…Just who are the Quds Force? And how good is the intelligence on them, really?...The Quds Force was created by the IRGC—the powerful institution created to defend Iran’s 1979 Islamist revolution—toward the end of the Iran-Iraq War in the 1980s. Its purpose: to conduct operations inside Iraqi territory, especially the Kurdish region that operated somewhat autonomously from Saddam Hussein’s government. “Quds” means “Jerusalem” in Arabic, and the goal of the Islamist revolutionaries who started the group was to take over Jerusalem after capturing Baghdad….(Newsweek, 15 Feb 07)

Gaddafi's Libya: An Ally for America?

…Libya under Gaddafi has embarked on a journey that could make it the first Arab state to transition peacefully and without overt Western intervention to a stable, non-autocratic government and, in time, to an indigenous mixed constitution favoring direct democracy locally and efficient government centrally. Such a thought may seem absurd to Western observers who remember only Gaddafi's insurgent past and the heinous terrorist act over Lockerbie….(Washington Post, 15 Aug 07)

Captured amid the flames of holy war

…For the past 13 weeks, Lebanon's small but willing army has been engaged here in a fight to the death against a full-blown Islamic insurgency, launched from a rundown Palestinian refugee camp north of its second-largest city, Tripoli. The battle has been scrutinised by an array of regional players: the global jihadi leadership, their cadres, the US-led coalition in Iraq, the Israelis to the south, Syria to the east, and the toxic melting pot that makes up Lebanese politics, particularly the Shia militia and Opposition political force Hezbollah…..(Australian, 15 Aug 07)

Top general may propose pullbacks

…Petraeus has not told the White House where he might recommend reductions. But military commanders have indicated in recent briefings that Nineveh province in northern Iraq and its capital, Mosul, like Al Anbar in the west, could be an area from which it might be suitable for the U.S. to withdraw. American commanders have found that pulling out too soon and leaving pacified areas to unprepared Iraqi troops can lead to a resurgence of militant activity…..(LA Times, 15 Aug 07)

The religious state of Islamic science

In October, Malaysia's first astronaut will join a Russian crew and blast off into space. The news of a Muslim astronaut was cause for celebration in the Islamic world, but then certain questions started popping up. How will he face Mecca during his five daily prayers while his space ship is whizzing around the Earth? How can he hold the prayer position in zero gravity? Such concerns may sound absurd to us, but the Malaysian space chief is taking them quite seriously. A team of Muslim scholars and scientists has spent more than a year drawing up an Islamic code of conduct for space travel….(Salon, 14 Aug 07)

Lebanese Army Wants More From U.S.

The Lebanese military has been pounding the Nahr el-Bared refugee camp relentlessly for nearly three months, trying to wipe out Islamic militant fighters. But instead, it has given them a new form of protection: vast rubble in which to hide. As a result, the grueling battle shows no sign of ending soon….(AP, 14 Aug 07)

Iran, Afghanistan call for international cooperation to fight terrorism

The presidents of Iran and Afghanistan called on Tuesday in a joint statement for international cooperation to fight terrorism. The statement was issued at the end of Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's day-long visit to Afghanistan. The Iranian president, currently on a three-nation tour of region visited Afghanistan on Tuesday before leaving for Turkmenistan on the second leg of his regional tour….(IRNA, 15 Aug 07)

AL-HARAMAIN v. BUSH SURVEILLANCE HEARING

Not many people have heard of a court case that goes by the name Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation v. George W. Bush. But it's at the center of an epochal struggle over terrorism, surveillance, and the United States Constitution that's currently being played out in the courts……(Zombie Time, 15 Aug 07)

Report: FBI, ICE disputes impede terror probes

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents ignored or dropped leads and at times entire cases involving terrorist activities because of disputes with the FBI, says a report by federal officials released Monday. In examining 10 cases that began at ICE and were taken over by the FBI, the inspectors general of the Homeland Security and the Justice departments found that seven suffered from lack of cooperation until they were taken over by the Joint Terrorism Task Forces, which the FBI controls…..(AP, 15 Aug 07)

Report: Coordination Between FBI and ICE on Investigations of Terrorist Financing .pdf

U.S. agents accused of aiding Islamist scheme

A criminal investigations report says several U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services employees are accused of aiding Islamic extremists with identification fraud and of exploiting the visa system for personal gain. The confidential 2006 USCIS report said that despite the severity of the potential security breaches, most are not investigated "due to lack of resources" in the agency's internal affairs department….(Washington Times, 15 Aug 07)

Saudi at Heart of Eavesdropping Case

Soliman al-Buthi is a prominent religious leader in Saudi Arabia, a father of three and a ranking government official. He's also a terrorist, according to the United States and United Nations. His lawyers argue that much of the evidence against al-Buthi was misinterpreted by National Security Agency officials who eavesdropped on conversations between al-Buthi and his American attorneys. Those intercepted communications are at the heart of a constitutional challenge to the Bush administration's warrantless wiretapping program, which was to be heard Wednesday by a federal appeals court in San Francisco…..(AP, 15 Aug 07)