U.S. Used Base in Ethiopia to Hunt Al Qaeda in Africa

…The close and largely clandestine relationship with Ethiopia also included significant sharing of intelligence on the Islamic militants’ positions and information from American spy satellites with the Ethiopian military. Members of a secret American Special Operations unit, Task Force 88, were deployed in Ethiopia and Kenya, and ventured into Somalia…The counterterrorism effort was described by American officials as a qualified success that disrupted terrorist networks in Somalia, led to the death or capture of several Islamic militants and involved a collaborative relationship with Ethiopia that had been developing for years…..(New York Times, 23 Feb 07)

Ethiopia Denies Allowing U.S. Attacks

An Ethiopian official denied Friday a report in the New York Times that U.S. troops used Ethiopia as a staging ground for attacks against al-Qaida leaders in Somalia last month. ''This is simply a total fabrication,'' Bereket Simon, special adviser to Prime Minister Meles Zenawi…(AP, 23 Feb 07)

The Spanish Connection

…(Judge Baltazar Garzon, Spain's terrorism magistrate) Mr. Garzon has produced a 697-page investigative report for Madrid's central court in September 2003, which charges that the Spanish cell--through its connections to Mohamed Atta's Hamburg cell and some of the pilots it recruited--helped plan, finance and support the 9/11 attacks…..(Wall Street Journal, 23 Feb 07)

Raided arms 'factory' had gas canisters, U.S. says

U.S. troops in Iraq uncovered a "car bomb factory" near Fallouja this week that contained multiple canisters of chlorine, a potentially lethal gas that has been used in three insurgent attacks over the last month…(LA Times, 23 Feb 07)

Insurgents Broaden Arsenal in Battles With U.S., Iraqi Forces

Insurgents in Iraq are employing a variety of new tactics -- from an unprecedented string of helicopter shoot-downs to unusual chlorine bomb attacks and direct assaults on U.S. military bases -- that American commanders say are intended to create chaos and undermine the U.S. and Iraqi military push to quell violence in Baghdad….(Washington Post, 23 Feb 07)

Who the feds are holding

The Supreme Court rules Friday on the constitutionality of federal security certificates. Five men stand accused of terrorist links under the certificates. They are:…(Canadian Press, 23 Feb 07)

Defense Calls Padilla Incompetent for Trial

In a highly unusual competency hearing in federal court here Thursday, defense lawyers began to lay out their argument that Jose Padilla, the Brooklyn-born former enemy combatant, was rendered incompetent to stand trial on terrorism conspiracy charges by what they characterize as crippling mistreatment by the government….(New York Times, 23 Feb 07)

Nuclear Terrorism: New Threats, New Initiatives

…According to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the primary multinational institution involved in these issues, 662 confirmed cases of smuggling of radioactive materials occurred between 1993 and 2004…(World Politics Watch, 23 Feb 07)

Arab States, Wary of Iran, Add to Their Arsenals but Still Lean on the U.S.

As fears grow over the escalating confrontation between Iran and the West, Arab states across the Persian Gulf have begun a rare show of muscle flexing, publicly advertising a shopping spree for new weapons and openly discussing their security concerns….(New York Times, 23 Feb 07)

Nuclear agency finds US spy reports on Iran baseless

Intelligence on Iran's nuclear facilities provided to United Nations inspectors by US spy agencies has mostly turned out to be unfounded...The report sets the stage for a fierce international debate on imposing stricter sanctions on Iran. It also raises the possibility of US military action against Iranian nuclear sites…(Sydney Morning Herald, 23 Feb 07)

Reports on Iran's Nuclear Progress

Recently, the Iranian media have been citing Western sources on accelerated Iranian nuclear activity. It should be stressed that so far, the Iranian regime has neither denied nor confirmed any of these reports…..(MEMRI, 23 Feb 07)

Canada's high court strikes down anti-terrorism law that detains suspects indefinitely

The Supreme Court of Canada on Friday struck down the government's right to detain foreign terrorism suspects indefinitely and without trial, saying the system violates the country's bill of rights….(AP, 23 Feb 07)

British government in talks with US over missile defense
…The government confirmed reports that Britain was in talks with the US about the possibility of siting parts of 'Son of Star Wars' anti-ballistic missile defence system on UK soil…..(Deutsche Press Agentur, 23 Feb 07)

U.S. Plans To Ease Rule on Passports
…The U.S. Department of Homeland Security said Thursday that it will propose allowing teenagers 18 and younger traveling with teams or organizations, and all children 15 or younger, to use a certified birth certificate to cross the border, instead of a passport….(Washington Post, 23 Feb 07)

Pact with Pakistani Taliban bearing fruit - governor

Families of foreign fighters have begun leaving Pakistan's Waziristan region as a result of a controversial deal between the government and Taliban militants last year….(Reuters, 23 Feb 07)

Terrorism Seen as Spain's Biggest Problem: Survey

…Attacks by groups such as ETA and Islamist militants replaced unemployment as Spain's biggest problem in the poll published by the CIS research firm…..(Reuters, 23 Feb 07)

Fears grow over Iran

Tony Blair has declared himself at odds with hawks in the US Administration by saying publicly for the first time that it would be wrong to take military action against Iran. The Prime Minister’s comments came hours before the UN’s nuclear watchdog raised the stakes in the West’s showdown with Tehran….(Times, 23 Feb 07)

Rice Warns Iran It Risks Further U.N. Sanctions
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice warned Iran on Thursday that it will face further punishment and isolation if it forges ahead with efforts to develop a uranium-enrichment program, but she said the United States and other powers are prepared to restart talks aimed at ending the standoff if Iran suspends its most controversial nuclear activities….(Washington Post, 23 Feb 07)

Park Sentenced to 5 Years in U.N. Oil-for-Food Bribery Scandal
South Korean businessman and influence peddler Tongsun Park was sentenced Thursday to five years in prison for his role in the bribery scandal surrounding the United Nation's oil-for-food program for Iraq a decade ago….(Washington Post, 23 Feb 07)

Taliban Recruiting Hundreds of Suicide Bombers for Major Attack on NATO Forces in the Spring: Al-Jazeera Reports

…"The fighters of the Afghan Taliban movement are in a real race against time. The spring offensive – for which the movement is preparing by means of training, surveillance, and reconnaissance, and with which the NATO forces threatened [the Taliban] – is imminent, according to the movement's leaders. This is a diligent movement, which operates at night more than by day, away from any surveillance or reconnaissance….(MEMRI, 23 Feb 07)

Iraq insurgent groups vow revenge for alleged rapes

Two Iraqi insurgent groups, one linked to al Qaeda, have vowed to step up attacks on U.S. and Iraqi forces to avenge the alleged rapes of women by members of the security force, according to Web statements purportedly posted by the organizations on Thursday….(AP, 23 Feb 07)

New rape allegation jolts Iraq

A second Iraqi woman emerged Thursday accusing the nation's security forces of rape, further breaking a taboo about disclosing sexual violence and undermining public perceptions about Iraq's police and military…..(LA Times, 23 Feb 07)

Islamist Websites Monitor Project No. 68

….(MEMRI, 23 Feb 07)

Imposing Islamic law

…a new publication on British education: namely, a 72-page manifesto (sorry, "guidance") from the Muslim Council of Britain (MCB) on how British state schools might better accommodate children from the Muslim community, which, according to the 2001 census, makes up 2.7 percent of the British population….(Washington Times, 23 Feb 07)

Bomb plot trial shown film of balcony arrest

Dramatic images of the moment two of the alleged July 21 bombers surrendered to police were shown during their trial yesterday, in which they were seen emerging on to the balcony of a west London flat in their underwear and raising their arms….(Guardian, 22 Feb 07)

Changing minds

…The plot recalls a question that U.S. officials have been asking: Why hasn't the American Muslim community reached the same level of radicalism as Europe's Muslims? Al-Husein Madhany, an executive editor of Islamica Magazine, had been considering the same question. The beheading plot's announcement lent urgency to his thoughts because the scheme involved an extreme, rigid interpretation of Islam that can impel people to violence….(Washington Times, 22 Feb 07)

Police Protect Girls Forced to Convert to Islam

Extremist Muslims who force vulnerable teenage girls to convert to Islam are being targeted by police, Met chief Sir Ian Blair has revealed. Police are working with universities to clamp down on "aggressive conversions"…(This is London, 22 Feb 07)

Author asserts Muslim countries pouring oil revenues into spread of Islam

...says (Nonie) Darwish, Muslim leaders are pouring their oil wealth into the spread of Islam. "Arab oil money is directed to one purpose, and one purpose only : to spread Islam around the world," she states. But time is running out for that, she adds. "They only have one-hundred more years of wealth from oil and oil reserves, and the Saudi government and many Muslims across the world want to see Islam in the West, in America ...."....(AgapePress, 22 Feb 07)

A Message from the Mujahideen Army to the Sunni People and “Pure Females” in Iraq

The Mujahideen Army [Jeish al-Mujahideen] issued a message addressed to the Sunni people and “pure females” in Iraq today…(Site, 22 Feb 07)

Review: An illusion of Harmony: Science and religion in Islam

As modernity increasingly encroaches on Islamic culture, Muslims are forced to accommodate science within their world view. John Gray asks, is the conflict between science and religion the same in the Islamic world as it is in the west? After a century or more of keeping out of one another's hair, science and religion are once again locked in conflict….(New Scientist, 22 Feb 07)

Egyptian Blogger Sentenced to Prison

An Egyptian blogger was convicted of insulting Islam and President Hosni Mubarak and sentenced to four years in prison on Thursday in Egypt's first prosecution of a blogger. Abdel Kareem Nabil, a 22-year-old former student at Egypt's Al-Azhar University…(AP, 22 Feb 07)

Pakistan minister a victim of Islamist 'serial killer'

Pakistani investigators are probing whether a "serial killer" cleric who assassinated a female minister this week -- having previously confessed to four other murders -- had links to Islamist groups….(Agence France-Presse, 22 Feb 07)

Islamist Websites Monitor Project No. 67

…..(MEMRI, 22 Feb 07)

Britain Cuts Its Losses

…The British announcement has already served as the catalyst for other departures. Denmark, with 460 troops under British command, announced yesterday that it would leave by August. With the Pentagon already straining to find enough soldiers for Iraq, a troop drawdown by its most militarily capable ally can only add to the strain….(New York Times, 22 Feb 07)

Al Qaeda operating along Durand Line: US

Osama bin Laden and his Al Qaeda network continue to operate from the area that straddles the Durand Line, says the US State Department without specifying whether the alleged Al Qaeda camps are on the Afghan or Pakistan side of the border.“We continue to be concerned about the existence of Al Qaeda’s leadership that’s out there, Osama bin Laden among others,”…(Dawn, 22 Feb 07)

Al-Qaida took advantage of U.S. distraction in Iraq to rise from the grave

"Al-Qaida," President Bush declared confidently in October, "is on the run." The extremists, he said, had "played their hand." The masterminds of the organization had been "brought to justice." But just as we underestimated al-Qaida before Sept. 11, 2001, we risk making the same mistake now. Although al-Qaida is often spoken of as if it is in retreat — a broken and beaten organization incapable of mounting attacks, its leadership cut off, living in caves somewhere in remotest Waziristan — the truth is that the organization is not on the run but on the march….(LA Times, 22 Feb 07)

Secretive force at center of tensions between U.S., Iran

A band of religious warriors that Iran's clerical rulers created to spread their country's Islamic Revolution has joined Iran's nuclear program at the center of the rising tensions between Washington and Tehran….(McClatchy Newspaper, 22 Feb 07)

Iran Continues Nuclear Work Despite Deadline, Sanction Threat

Despite the threat of new sanctions, Iran is advancing work at its largest nuclear facility and has informed international inspectors in writing that it will not comply with a U.N. order to suspend the program, according to U.S. and European diplomats familiar with the inspectors' latest findings….(Washington Post, 22 Feb 07)

Al-Hayat Editor in Satirical Piece: Syrian Intelligence Reports Say Rafiq Al-Hariri Must Be Assassinated Again

In a satirical article titled "Reports Say He's Weeping," editor of the London daily Al-Hayat, Ghassan Shirbil, writes that Syrian authorities know from "Syrian intelligence reports" that assassinated Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri still lives, and that these reports recommend assassinating him again, this time with two car bombs….(MEMRI, 22 Feb 07)

Somali insurgents threaten suicide attacks

Extremists in Somalia threatened to carry out suicide attacks against African Union peacekeepers who are to begin deploying in the coming days, as gunmen fatally shot two local government officials in the capital….(AP, 22 Feb 07)

U.S. Tries to Ease Concerns in Russia on Antimissile Plan

Bush administration officials tried Wednesday to tamp down Russian concerns, voiced in strikingly harsh terms, over American plans to base missile defenses in Eastern Europe…..(New York Times, 22 Feb 07)

Russian, U.S. Advisers Acknowledge Feuds

….(AP, 22 Feb 07)

Two Hizb terrorists arrested in J&K

Two suspected Hizb-ul Mujahideen terrorists, including an overground worker, were arrested from Pattan area in Baramulla district of Jammu and Kashmir, an official said in Srinagar on Thursday….(PTI, 22 Feb 07)

Indian Train Blast Probe Widens to Several States

The hunt for the bombers of a train from India to Pakistan spread to several north Indian states on Thursday as investigators said they were pursuing new clues and had detained two people for questioning…..(Reuters, 22 Feb 07)

Pak. Intelligence warns of Taliban suicide attacks

…According to intelligence reports submitted to the Interior Ministry, the attacks have been planned by commanders such as Baitullah Mahsud, Abdullah Mahsud, Sheikh Khalid Mahmood and Nazir Wazir…..(Hindustan Times, 22 Feb 07)

Blair Plans To Withdraw 1,600 Troops From Iraq
…Even though Britain has only 7,100 troops in Iraq, compared with the 135,000-strong U.S. contingent, they carry symbolic importance as the largest allied presence. British forces make up half of the roughly 14,000 non-U.S. troops in the coalition in Iraq…..(Washington Post, 22 Feb 07)

Insurgents try new, deadly tactic

…The attack was the third in a month involving a combination of explosive devices and chlorine. All three attacks seem to have been poorly executed - burning the chemical agent rather than dispersing it - but Iraqi and U.S. officials said they see a pattern emerging, an apparent effort by insurgents to bring a new level of fear and havoc to Iraq as a new security plan for Baghdad takes shape….(Baltimore Sun, 22 Feb 07)

3 Killed, 25 Injured In Chlorine Attack
A tank truck carrying chlorine exploded in western Baghdad on Wednesday, killing three people and wounding at least 25 in the second such attack in as many days, according to a spokesman for Iraq's Interior Ministry….(Washington Post, 22 Feb 07)

Pakistan took out terrorist camps with US help: Durrani

…In an interview on C-Span, a public service TV channel, the Pakistani envoy said the US possessed the capability to provide such intelligence because of its satellites and other facilities. He stressed that the two countries were working closely in the war against terrorism….(Daily Times, 22 Feb 07)

Pakistan's Islamist tide pushed back on Lahore campus

She may be a model of Islamic modesty beneath her headscarf, but Nilofar has no time for religious political students who would dictate how she dresses, who she talks to, and what she can and can't study….(Reuters, 21 Feb 07)

In Pakistan, Student Sit-In in Defense of Mosques

…Nervous about a violent escalation by religious parties, and aware that other religious schools in the city could provide a huge pool of potential protesters, the government has balked at breaking up the occupation of the library. The police said they had to bring in more female police officers to handle the situation; no arrests have been made…..(New York Times, 21 Feb 07)

How Modern Terrorism Uses the Internet

…The story of the presence of terrorist groups in cyberspace has barely begun to be told. In 1998, around half of the thirty organizations designated as "Foreign Terrorist Organizations" under the U.S. Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act of 1996 maintained websites; by 2000, virtually all terrorist groups had established their presence on the Internet…..(Asian Tribune, 21 Feb 07)

Four Islamists Arrested in Bulgaria for Promoting Jihad

The Bulgarian police arrested four Bulgarians on Tuesday for posting what they said were radical Islamist ideas on two Web sites. Police said the four had called on Muslims to support 'holy war against infidels' and replace Bulgaria's secular order with a state based on Islamic sharia law….(News Bulgaria, 21 Feb 07)

Islamic State of Iraq Observes the Disintegration of the “Crusader Coalition” in Britain’s Withdrawal from Iraq, and Announces Intensification of Attacks in Revenge for Shi’ite Attacks on Sunni Women’s Honor

The Islamic State of Iraq responded to British Prime Minister Tony Blair’s announcement of a timetable for British troop withdrawal from Iraq in a statement issued today…(Site, 21 Feb 07)

Former mufti arrested in Bulgaria on terrorism-related charges

The former mufti of Sofia, Ali Kheiriddine, was arrested Tuesday under instructions of Bulgarian authorities on charges of spreading Islamist ideas on two Web sites in the Balkan country…(KUNA, 21 Feb 07)

Islamist Websites Monitor Project No. 66

……(MEMRI, 21 Feb 07)

Group: Pupils Given Anti-Islam Material

A high school teacher allowed a group whose declared mission is to "raise an awareness of the danger of Islam" to distribute literature in his class, including a handout titled "Do Not Marry a Muslim Man," according to an advocacy group….(AP, 21 Feb 07)

Anti-American feelings soar as Muslim society is radicalised by War on Terror

The War on Terror has radicalized Muslims around the world to unprecedented levels of anti-American feeling, according to the largest survey of Muslims ever to be conducted. Seven per cent believe that the events of 9/11 were “completely justified”. In Saudi Arabia, 79 per cent had an “unfavorable view” of the US….(Times, 21 Feb 07)

Lawyer Asks for Aquittal in Terror Trial

…Ziad Khalaf Raja al-Karbouly is accused of leading a 14-member group that plotted to stop trucks with Jordanian license plates on Iraqi roads and kill those on board….(AP, 21 Feb 07)

Shutting Hizballah's 'Construction Jihad'

On February 20, the U.S. Department of the Treasury designated Jihad al-Bina, Hizballah's construction company in Lebanon, effectively shutting the terrorist group's firm out of the international financial system…Offering insight into the firm's business philosophy, Jihad al-Bina is also referred to as "Construction for the Sake of the Holy Struggle," a loose translation of its Arabic name. Said to be modeled after a similar firm established in Iran after the Islamic revolution…(Washington Institute, 21 Feb 07)

EU Anti-Terrorism Chief Urges US to Change Tactics

The US needs to re-embrace basic human rights, abandon tactics such as rendition and rebuild trust with the Islamic world if the West's war against terrorism is to be successful, says the EU's anti-terrorism coordinator…..(Deutsche Welle, 21 Feb 07)

Morocco adds more names to al Qaeda wanted list

Moroccan police widened a search for suspected Islamic extremists on Tuesday, calling on citizens to help reveal the hiding places of two militants they say have links to al Qaeda, state news agency MAP reported….(Reuters, 21 Feb 07)

U.S. airline security is said to be 5 years behind schedule

The federal takeover of the checking of passenger names against terrorist watch lists, a top priority for aviation officials since the 2001 terrorist attacks, is not expected to be complete until 2010, more than five years behind schedule, a top Department of Homeland Security official has acknowledged….(International Herald Tribune, 21 Feb 07)

Justice Dept. Statistics On Terrorism Faulted
…Inspector General Glenn A. Fine found that only two of the 26 sets of important statistics on domestic counterterrorism efforts compiled by Justice and the FBI from 2001 to 2005 were accurate, according to a 140-page report….(.Washington Post, 21 Feb 07)

Department of Justice's report

Updated Intelligence, Clear Guidance, and Consistent Priorities Needed to Guide Investments in Collective Protection

The intelligence community is struggling with the changing security environment and communicating the uncertainties in the quality of chemical and biological threat information…..(EPICOS, 21 Feb 07)

Full GAO Report

Judge Dismisses Posada's Bid to Be Freed

…U.S. District Judge Philip R. Martinez threw out Luis Posada Carriles' lawsuit after federal prosecutors said immigration officials could not release him because he is in the custody of the U.S. Marshals Service…(AP, 21 Feb 07)

American Faces Charges in Qaeda Case

…The defendant, Daniel J. Maldonado, is a convert to Islam who grew up in Boston before moving here. Chained, Mr. Maldonado stayed impassive as F.B.I. witnesses and prosecutors said he had admitted to having guarded a suspected spy who was later killed, to praising the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and to offering himself as a suicide bomber…..(New York Times, 21 Feb 07)

Israel kills Islamic Jihad man behind foiled bombing

Israeli undercover forces killed an Islamic Jihad commander on Wednesday, a day after a Palestinian suicide bomber he had sent to Israel was apprehended near Tel Aviv. Witnesses said Israeli forces in civilian clothing sprayed Mahmoud Abu al-Jahim's car with bullets…(Reuters, 21 Feb 07)

2 Cousins Nabbed on Terror Charges

…Zubair A. Ahmed, 27, of suburban North Chicago, and Khaleel Ahmed, 26, of Chicago, were indicted by a grand jury in Cleveland. The indictment also brought additional charges against three other men already named in the case....(AP, 21 Feb 07)

Afghan Suicide Bomber Wounds 6 Soldiers

A suicide bomber disguised as a doctor blew himself up Tuesday morning at the opening of a hospital ward built by American forces in eastern Afghanistan, wounding six American soldiers as they tackled him at the entrance….(New York Times, 21 Feb 07)

Car bomb kills 13 in Iraqi Shiite holy city

A suicide car bomber attacked an Iraqi police checkpoint in the Shiite holy city of Najaf on Wednesday, killing at least 13 people and wounding dozens more…(Agence France-Presse, 21 Feb 07)

Gas Tanker Blast Kills Nine in Iraq

A hidden bomb ripped through a tanker carrying chlorine gas Tuesday, killing nine people and filling hospital beds with more than 150 wheezing and frightened villagers after noxious plumes covered homes and schools north of Baghdad….(AP, 21 Feb 07)

U.S. urged to reassess claim against North Korea

The United States should reexamine a questionable charge that North Korea has a covert uranium enrichment program, a key American complaint against Pyongyang that could complicate the new nuclear weapons deal…Physicist David Albright, who recently visited the isolated communist state, likened the enrichment program charge to the "fiasco" of flawed U.S. intelligence that mistakenly concluded Iraq had a secret nuclear weapons program in the runup to war…..(Reuters, 21 Feb 07)

Terror Watch: Behind the Iran Intel

…The White House is still trying to recover from the stumble, which happened during a much- anticipated Feb. 11 briefing. U.S. officials had hoped to use the event to ratchet up pressure on the Tehran regime…..(Newsweek, 21 Feb 07)

Losing Europe in the War on Terror

If the U.S. expects its allies to continue to lend a hand in the war on terror, it's high time we stop shooting ourselves in the foot. Two recent court decisions certainly will deepen the already serious differences between the United States and Europeans in dealing with terrorism….(Time Magazine, 21 Feb 07)

Europe and U.S. show split over Palestinian unity government

Fractures between the United States and Europe began to appear Wednesday over whether the new Palestinian unity government was likely to receive international economic support even as the Middle East peace negotiators officially continued their wait-and-see approach….(International Herald Tribune, 21 Feb 07)

Is Iraq turning into Yugoslavia?

The Iraq debate is starting to resemble the Yugoslavia debate of the early 1990s. Once again we are hearing that crazed foreigners are in the grip of ancient ethnic hatreds and that the U.S. has no cause to get involved in their internecine strife….(LA Times, 21 Feb 07)

Propagating terror

Six years after al Qaeda attacked the United States, many policy-makers and "terrorism experts" retain the misconception that terrorism does not require large amounts of money…..(Washington Times, 21 Feb 07)

Bush and Al Qaeda

Recent descriptions by intelligence officials of Al Qaeda's renewed control of terrorist networks and training camps in the tribal areas of Pakistan contrast with previous administration depictions of isolated leaders reduced to acting as little more than a source of ideological inspiration….(Boston Globe, 21 Feb 07)

Hezbollah Slams Assets Freeze

A Lebanese construction company that the U.S. government said is owned and operated by the militant Hezbollah group on Wednesday scoffed at Washington's decision to freeze its assets under U.S. jurisdiction, saying its projects would not be affected….(AP, 21 Feb 07)

Extremists' use of Internet poses challenge to Western intelligence: New Zealand official

…The Internet is now central to the work of extremists, the service's director, Richard Woods, said in his annual report to the New Zealand Parliament. The Internet allows extremists to meet people with similar views and to radicalize them through chat rooms, he said. "The use of the Internet by Islamic extremists poses a real challenge to all Western intelligence agencies," he said. Radicalization can occur quickly and can be sparked by as little as a single significant event in a person's life….(International Herald Tribune, 21 Feb  07)

Islamist Websites as an Integral Part of Jihad: A General Overview

…The media platform favored by the Islamist organizations is the Internet, which they prefer for several reasons: firstly, for the anonymity it allows - anyone can enter and post to a site without divulging personal information; secondly, due to the medium's availability and low cost - all that is required is a PC and an Internet connection; and thirdly, due to the ability to distribute material to a great number of people over a wide geographic area in a matter of seconds….(MEMRI, 21 Feb 07)

Antimissile Plan by U.S. Strains Ties With Russia

An increasingly angry dispute over U.S. plans to deploy a missile defense system in Central Europe is adding strain to already fragile U.S.-Russian relations….(Washington Post, 21 Feb 07)

Israeli Warplanes Fly Low Over South Lebanon

…U.N. peacekeepers and Lebanon say Israeli overflights violate Security Council Resolution 1701 that ended the July-August war between Israel and Hezbollah guerrillas…(Reuters, 21 Feb 07)

Army chief says Israel may have to confront Hezbollah attempts to re-arm

Israel's new army chief said Wednesday that Israel may have to confront Hezbollah to halt the guerrilla group's attempts to rearm after last summer's war in Lebanon….(AP, 21 Feb 07)

Pakistan needs to do more to fight terror: US

…"... We do believe that President (Pervez) Musharraf and his government are committed to fighting terror and to working with us," said State department deputy spokesman Tom Casey here Tuesday in response to a question about reports of Al Qaida resurgence in northern Pakistan….(Zee News, 21 Feb 07)

Blair announces Iraq troops cut

Prime Minister Tony Blair has told MPs that 1,600 British troops will return from Iraq within the next few months. He said the 7,100 serving troops would be cut to 5,500 soon, with hopes that 500 more will leave later in the year….(BBC, 21 Feb 07)

Iraq PM sacks 'rape case' critic

Iraq's prime minister has sacked an official who demanded an international enquiry into the alleged rape of a Sunni woman by Iraqi security forces. Moving to quash disquiet in his mixed government, Nouri Maliki, who is Shia, also released a copy of a US medical report saying no rape had taken place….(BBC, 21 Feb 07)

Italy government loses key vote

The Italian government has lost a key vote in its upper house of parliament on troop deployment in Afghanistan.…(BBC, 21 Feb 07)

Anders Fogh Rasmussen said Wednesday that his country will withdraw its 460-member contingent from southern Iraq by August and transfer security responsibilities to Iraqi forces. And in Lithuania, a government spokeswoman said the government there is strongly considering a withdrawal….(AP, 21 Feb 07)

Status of Coalition Forces in Iraq

A look at the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq….(AP, 21 Feb 07)

S Asia rivals sign nuclear pact

India and Pakistan have signed an agreement aimed at reducing the risk of accidental nuclear war in the region….(BBC, 21 Feb 07)

GOP Donor Hit With Terror Charges

A New York man accused of trying to help terrorists in Afghanistan has donated some $15,000 to the House Republicans' campaign committee over three years. Abdul Tawala Ibn Ali Alishtari (aka: Michael Mixon) pleaded not guilty Friday in U.S. District Court in Manhattan to charges that include terrorism financing, material support of terrorism and money laundering…..(AP, 20 Feb 07)

U.S. ARRESTS WESTCHESTER MAN FOR TERRORISM FINANCING AND PERPETRATING MASSIVE INVESTMENT FRAUD

…Alishtari, a 53-year-old resident of Ardsley, New York, facilitated the transfer of $152,000 with the intention that it be used in Afghanistan and Pakistan to help train terrorists. Specifically, in the latter half of 2006, Alishtari accepted payment to discreetly transfer these funds, believing that they were earmarked for Pakistan and Afghanistan....(Press Release, 20 Feb 07)

Show more evidence on terror suspect, FBI told

A U.S. federal court ordered the FBI on Tuesday to show more evidence against a U.S. citizen accused of training with al Qaeda militants in Somalia and delayed ruling on whether he can be held without bail. The government also alleges Daniel Joseph Maldonado, also known as Daniel Aljughaifi, "conspired to use a weapon of mass destruction" but has yet to provide evidence that he built or possessed a bomb….(Reuters, 20 Feb 07)

U.S. to stage biggest anti-terrorism exercise on Guam

The world's biggest anti-terrorism exercise will be held this year on Guam, underscoring the Pacific island's growing importance to Washington….(Agence France-Presse, 20 Feb 07)

Yemen Accuses Iran of Meddling in its Internal Affairs

In late January, a new round of fighting broke out between the Shabab al-Muminayn (The Believing Youth) and Yemeni forces in the northern governorate of Sa'dah. Government sources put the combined death toll at nearly 100….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 20 Feb 07)

New Sufi Group Joins the Iraqi Insurgency

…In September 2006, it was somewhat of an anomaly. At the time, it was only the second Sufi insurgent group operating in Iraq, and reports of Sufis joining the insurgency were dismissed by some as either inaccurate or abnormalities (the first group was the Sufi Jihadi Squadrons of Sheikh 'Abd al-Qadir al-Gilani) ….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 20 Feb 07)

Somalia's Islamist Leadership: Where Are They Now?

Bombings, shootings and mortar attacks continue in Somalia's capital of Mogadishu and the southern port city of Kismayo, as Somali Islamists engage Ethiopian occupation forces. Many Islamist leaders took refuge in Yemen's capital of Sanaa, where they were joined by Islamic Courts Union (ICU) second-in-command Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmad after his transfer from detention in Kenya….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 20 Feb 07)

Court Preparations Slow Detainee Trials

Military prosecutors are poring over thousands of pages of documents, and defense lawyers are traveling to the Middle East as the United States prepares to bring charges against dozens of detainees held at Guantanamo Bay. They include 14 once held secretly by the CIA….(AP, 20 Feb 07)

Australia tells Bush to speed up Guantanamo trial

Australian Prime Minister John Howard expressed concerns about Australian Guantanamo Bay detainee David Hicks directly to President Bush on Tuesday, urging the President to push for a speedy trial….(Reuters, 20 Feb 07)

Israel Threatens to Ignore Abbas

Israel said Tuesday it would stop dealing with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas if he goes ahead with plans to join Hamas in a new government….(AP, 20 Feb 07)

Terrorist Networks Lure Young Moroccans to War in Far-Off Iraq

…About two dozen men from Tetouan and nearby towns in the Rif Mountains have traveled to Iraq in the past 18 months to volunteer as fighters or suicide bombers, according to local residents and officials. Moroccan authorities said the men were recruited by international terrorist networks affiliated with al-Qaeda that have deepened their roots in North Africa since the invasion of Iraq four years ago…..(Washington Post, 20 Feb 07)

Mideast Turmoil Drives Boom in Lebanese Armored Vehicles
Wars, bombings and chronic insecurity in the Middle East are driving a multi-million dollar boom in business for Lebanese companies that specialize in manufacturing armored vehicles. "Between Iraq, Lebanon and Afghanistan, we have excellent business…(Agence France-Presse, 20 Feb 07)

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