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Intelligence & Counterterrorism News for the week of:

February 25-March 3, 2007

 

Asia-Pacific countries set for counterterrorism conference in Indonesia

Government leaders and security chiefs from six Asia-Pacific nations will gather Monday to discuss ways to better fight terrorism and an apparent rise in Muslim extremism in the region, officials said. Participants from Indonesia, Australia, the Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore — nations seen as especially vulnerable to terrorist attacks — will also stress the importance of making sure militants do not acquire unconventional weapons….(AP, 3 Mar 07)

 

8 Sentenced in Morocco for Plotting Terror Attacks

A Moroccan court on Friday sentenced eight Islamists to prison terms of up to 15 years for plotting terrorist attacks in France, Italy and Morocco, the government news agency in Morocco reported….(New York Times, 3 Mar 07)

 

Arab Bank accused of funding terrorists

A three-year investigation into the activities of one of the Middle East's largest and most influential banks is producing extensive evidence of how tens of millions of dollars have flowed from wealthy Saudi Arabians to Palestinian groups that allegedly used some of the money to pay off suicide bombers and their survivors. The information being turned up by government inquiries and lawyers suing Arab Bank 'will give people a better understanding of the way money moves in that part of the world to support Hamas' and other militant groups in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, said Stephen Kroll, a terrorism finance specialist and until recently counsel to the U.S. Senate Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs'…(Los Angeles Times, 3 Mar 07)

 

Al-Qaida linked group posts Internet video of execution of 18 Iraqi troops
An al-Qaida-affilated organization posted on Saturday a video of the execution of 18 Iraqi security troops, shot in the back of their heads while kneeling on the ground near a citrus grove.  The 3-minute video, on a Web site known to be used by the Islamic State of Iraq, claimed the 18 kidnapped government security forces were slain in retaliation for the alleged rape of a Sunni woman by members of the Shiite-dominated police….(AP, 3 Mar 07)

 

Militant May Lead Philippine Terrorists

A little-known militant is being considered to lead an al-Qaida-linked terrorism group in the Philippines after U.S.-backed troops killed its two top leaders, security officials said Saturday. Philippine Army Lt. Gen. Eugenio Cedo, who is overseeing a massive U.S.-backed offensive against the Abu Sayyaf terror group on the southern island of Jolo, identified the militant as Yasser Igasan….(AP, 3 Mar 07)

 

IS KLAN GROWING AGAIN?

Recent headlines announce a revival of the Ku Klux Klan. The Christian Science Monitor warns that the KKK "appears to be on the rise again after years of irrelevance." The Associated Press reports white supremacists are "significantly more active" and "focused on stirring anti-immigrant sentiment," particularly against Latinos…..(LA Times, 2 Mar 07)

 

Benin Islamic Militants Destroy Church And Training Center

Islamic militants in Benin destroyed a church established by Christ Power Ministries (CPM) in the latest attack against the indigenous evangelical mission group in the African nation, missionaries told BosNewsLife Friday, March 2….(BosNewsLife, 2 Mar 07)

 

Egyptian Researcher Muhammad Al-Buheiri Discusses Protocols of the Elders of Zion and Blood Libel Which Still Occurs Today

The following are excerpts from an interview with Egyptian researcher Muhammad Al-Buheiri, which aired on Nile Culture TV on February 25, 2007. Al-Buheiri is a past recipient of an Egyptian Ministry of Culture scholarship [1] and maintains a website. [2]…(MEMRI, 2 Mar 07)

 

Islamic hard-liners chip away at Indonesia's secular traditions

Women are jailed for being on the street alone after dark in parts of Indonesia, long held up as a beacon of moderate Islam. Gamblers are caned as punishment, Christian schoolchildren are forced to wear headscarves and a proposed law would sentence thieves to amputation of the hands. Though most people in the world's most populous Muslim nation practice a tolerant form of the faith, a small but determined group of conservatives are chipping away at the sprawling archipelago's secular traditions and trying to reshape it in the image of orthodox Middle Eastern countries......(AP, 2 Mar 07)

 

Kuwaiti Columnist: Interference of Religious Groups in Curricula Damages Education

The Kuwaiti daily Al-Qabas recently reported that the Kuwaiti education ministry plans to delete Article 18 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights from the high school curriculum. This article states that everyone has the right to freedom of religion, including the freedom to change his religion and beliefs. Dr. Rashid Al-'Anzi, chairman of the committee on human rights curricula, explained that the article was deleted "because it is contrary to the Islamic shari'a… and is not in accordance with what we want the pupils to learn."...(MEMRI, 2 Mar 07)

 

Sudan and Iran pledge to defeat ‘enemies of Islam’

Iran and Sudan’s presidents, whose hardline regimes are under intense international scrutiny, struck a defiant pose yesterday in the face of Western pressure vowing to defeat the “enemies of Islam.”....(The Peninsula, 2 Mar 07)

 

The Salt Lake City Murders: A Jihad?

....Given my education, training, and almost 25 years of service in the US Air Force and most recently as a civilian federal agent in the Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) as a counterterrorism expert, I am convinced we face a most daunting task: To fight the war against Islam oversees while we protect ourselves from the Jihad within....(IC, 2 Mar 07)

 

Virtual crime, real prisoner

....Abdel-Karim comes from a conservative family and many of his peers follow a Salafist interpretation of Islam. His father has since denounced Suleiman for "adopting Western secular views which have driven him away from his religion". His son, he said, should face "the most severe punishment as an atheist who has renounced Islam".....(Al-Ahram, 2 Mar 07)

 

KSU prof defends right to free speech

A Kent State University faculty member accused of authoring an anti-American Web site said Thursday he "absolutely" does not support jihad, even though his photo and writings by him appear on the site.....(Akron Beacon Journal, 2 Mar 07)

 

Kent State denies ties to jihadi site

An Internet story on Wednesday identified a Kent State faculty member as the author of a jihadist news service on the Web.....(Akron Beacon Journal, 2 Mar 07)

 

Hasty U.S. pullout from Iraq could spread Muslim militants to Afghanistan, elsewhere

A quick withdrawal of U.S. forces from Iraq could allow victorious Muslim extremists to fan out into other countries, with some militants going to Afghanistan to fight alongside a resurgent Taliban, Vice President Dick Cheney says...(AP, 2 Mar 07)

 

Nuclear Terrorism: Technology May Be Thwarted by Human Element

....At a time when the U.S. is grappling with the specter of nuclear weapons in North Korea and Iran, security experts warn that a vast supply of radioactive materials -- enough to make hundreds of so-called dirty bombs -- lies virtually unprotected in former Soviet military bases and ruined factories....(Government Technologies, 2 Mar 07)

 

Latest Reports on Iran and North Korea Show a Newfound Caution Among Analysts

For more than three years, American intelligence officials have insisted that they learned from their mistakes in the months leading to the Iraq war, when murky information about Saddam Hussein’s weapons programs was presented as fact and inconclusive judgments were hardened into statements of near certainty….(New York Times, 2 Mar 07)

 

Arab Reformist Website: 'Britain is the Largest Exporter of Terrorism in the Non-Muslim World'

In a February 8, 2007 article, Omran Salman, editor of the Arab reformist website www.aafaq.com, wrote, that Britain had become one of the principle exporters of Islamic terrorism in the world. The following are excerpts…(MEMRI, 2 Mar 07)

 

14 Centuries of Holy Terror
Three expatriate French nationals in Saudi Arabia were murdered by machinegun-wielding terrorists on 26th February....(FSM, 2 Mar 07)

 

Leading woman novelist condemned for ‘insulting Islam’

Al Azhar, one of the leading religious centres in the Muslim world, is threatening legal action against the celebrated Egyptian writer and activist Nawal El Saadawi....(IFE, 2 Mar 07)

 

Dubai mufti okays divorce through SMS

Muslim authorities in Dubai yesterday confirmed that a Muslim divorce can be carried out via a mobile phone text message...(DPA, 2 Mar 07)

 

Islamic State of Iraq Announces Shari’a Courts Order to Execute the Eighteen Captured Employees of the Iraqi Ministry of Interior, Denies Claims of Arresting Thirty Mujahideen in al-Saqlawiyah......(SITE, 2 Mar 07)

 

A last-ditch sit-down

....Will, or even can, Muslims blend into mainstream Australian society? Are Muslims, particularly the young, pushed towards more radical views by the hardening of hearts towards them in the age of terror? ....(The Australian, 2 Mar 07)

 

Australian Detainee Is Charged Under '06 Law

Pentagon officials announced yesterday that David M. Hicks, an Australian detainee in U.S. custody for more than five years, will face two counts of providing material support for terrorism, the first time anyone has been charged under the U.S. law passed last year governing military trials for some foreign terrorism suspects....(Washington Post, 2 Mar 07)

 

Pakistan arrests one of top three Taliban: sources

Pakistani security forces captured one of the Taliban's three top leaders just hours after U.S. Vice President Dick Cheney's unannounced visit to Pakistan earlier this week......(Reuters, 2 Mar 07)

 

Former Taliban Defense Minister Arrested

Pakistan security forces raided a militant hideout and arrested a former Taliban defense minister, regarded as a top figure in the Afghan insurgency...(AP, 2 Mar 07)

 

Israel's Test

What are the dire threats Israel now faces? Will it be able to equip itself to face them?....(FrontPage, 2 Mar 07)

 

Guilty plea deal could allow David Hicks to come straight home

DAVID HICKS could walk out of Guantanamo Bay a free man and return to Australia if he agrees to plead guilty to the lesser charge of supporting a terrorist group, the Federal Government believes...(Sydney Morning Herald, 2 Mar 07)

 

Blast in Pakistan kills at least 2, wounds judge

....."It was a time device and, judging by the impact of the blast, it appears to be very heavy explosive," Ali said. "I would call today's attack religious terrorism.".....(Reuters, 2 Mar 07)

 

7 at a Baghdad Wedding Are Killed by a Car Bomb

A car bomb that was apparently aimed at a policeman’s wedding party in Falluja, west of Baghdad, killed seven guests on Thursday and wounded six....(New York Times, 2 Mar 07)

 

Islamic Group Claims It Kidnapped 18 Iraqi Government Workers

An al-Qaeda-linked Sunni group claimed Friday that it kidnapped 18 government workers and soldiers in retaliation for the alleged rape of a Sunni woman by members of the Shiite-dominated police force....(AP, 2 Mar 07)

 

Securing America and its Allies by Defeating America's Enemies Challenge Number One

Imagine the morning after an attack even more devastating than 9/11. It could happen. The threats are real and could literally destroy our country....(FSM, 2 Mar 07)

 

Cost and Privacy Concerns Cited In New Rules for Driver's Licenses

A law enacted after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to secure U.S. driver's licenses will cost $23.1 billion over 10 years, require motorists born after 1935 to present birth certificates or passports, and add $28 to the cost of issuing each license....(Washington Post, 2 Mar 07)

 

Force for change in Islam is lightning rod for debate

Irshad Manji is an internationally known Muslim activist and feminist whose new PBS documentary makes fun of Yemeni women who wear veils, argues that Muslims don't need to pray five times a day and accuses Muslim leaders around the world of being soft in their opposition to violence.....(Detroit Fee Press, 1 Mar 07)

 

Retracing the Steps of JI's Abdullah Sunata

The January 20 killings of the top leader of the al-Qaeda-linked Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG), Khaddafy Janjalani, and his aides under the Philippine military's "Oplan Ultimatum" have created a leadership vacuum….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 1 Mar 07)

 

Weapons and Tactics of the Somali Insurgency

…The government estimates that 3,000 Islamist fighters are still active in Mogadishu. In light of these threats, it is important to assess the tactics that insurgents will use in their operations against TFG, Ethiopian and other foreign troops deployed to Somalia….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 1 Mar 07)

 

Cheney Attack Reveals Taliban Suicide Bombing Patterns

…While Afghanistan had 25 suicide bombings in 2005, in 2006 it experienced as many as 139 suicide attacks. Recent media images from Afghanistan of bombed buses, shattered markets and burnt out U.S. Humvees further support the notion that the carnage that has shredded the fabric of Iraqi society has come to the so-called "Forgotten War" in Afghanistan….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 1 Mar 07)

 

Moqtada al-Sadr's New Alliance with Tehran

…Iran-Sadr relations, however, have undergone a major transformation since the January 2005 and December 2005 elections, when the followers of al-Sadr were able to win a considerable number of parliamentary seats in the Iraqi National Assembly. Realizing the effectiveness of al-Sadr's well-organized militia and emerging popular base, Tehran then began to establish closer ties with al-Sadr and started to treat him as a major political figure….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 1 Mar 07)

 

The Naked Truth: Is New Passenger Scanner a Terrorist Trap or Virtual Strip Search?

For the next two to three months, passengers randomly selected for additional screening at Phoenix's Sky Harbor International Airport will have the option of a typical pat down by security personnel or a one-minute, full body scan from a new type of x-ray machine that allows screeners to see through clothes....(Scientific American, 1 Mar 07)

 

America's Islamist Threat

For decades, adherents of the Muslim Brotherhood (al-Ikhwan al-Muslimun) have threatened the existence of their respective governments, considering them to be secular, illegitimate and traitorous.  As more and more of this brand of fundamentalist – and many times fanatic – Islam reaches our shores, will the same threat for us become reality?..... (FrontPage, 1 Mar 07)

 

Becoming American

....The central question of American immigration policy is how this country can help facilitate the emotional attachments of immigrants and citizens alike to the American national community.....(Centre for Immigration Studies, 1 Mar 07)

 

The Star of Afghanistan's Jihad

The Taliban are gearing up for their "spring offensive" in Afghanistan. A series of brutal propaganda films is heralding thousands of suicide attacks. And the Taliban have a new bloodthirsty leader, whom Western intelligence agencies are taking very seriously: Mullah Dadullah....(Spiegel, 1 Mar 07)

 

"Al Qaeda" invoked in U.S. embassy Jakarta threat

A bomb threat against the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta on Thursday was conveyed to authorities by a pair of cell phone text messages signed, "al Qaeda."....(Reuters, 1 Mar 07)

 

Taliban: Suicide army is ready

The Taliban's top military commander said his forces have assembled a hundreds-strong army of suicide attackers poised for a spring offensive against NATO troops in Afghanistan. In a rare interview with Britain's Channel Four, Mullah Dadullah -- the man in charge of day-to-day military operations for the hardline Islamic militia -- also claimed he had a regular line of communication with Osama bin Laden....."We exchange messages with each other to share plans," the Taliban commander said of bin Laden "We actually meet very rarely -- just for important consultations. It's hard for anyone to meet bin Laden himself now, but we know he's still alive."......"For the Taliban, Islam is more important than anything else," he said. "It's our religious duty to shelter any Muslim brother who's on the run from the infidels, even at the cost of our government.".......(CNN, 1 March 07)

 

Brothers in Arms: Fatah and Palestinian Islamic Jihad

....The similarity in religious discourse between Fatah's Aqsa Martyrs and Hizbullah is not accidental.....(JCPA, 1 Mar 07)

 

Ex-Muslims form anti-religion group in Germany

....Arzu Toker, deputy chairwoman, used a news conference to announce her separation from Islam: "I herewith resign from Islam. That's it." She does not accept its Sharia system of rules at all, saying they contradict both human rights and the values of the German constitution.....She said she did not distinguish between Islam and fundamentalism. "Islam is inherently radical," she said..... ...(DPA, 1 Mar 07)

 

Islam is taking over, says Dutch politician

An anti-immigrant politician is making a meteoric rise with his call on the Dutch - once one of the most tolerant nations in the world - to stop Islam from taking over Europe......(Daily Telegraph, 1 Mar 07)

 

Appeal over baby named Jihad

The German interior ministry is appealing against a decision by the Berlin authorities to allow an Islamist to name his son Jihad.....The father defended the terror attacks on the United States on September 11 2001, and on Bali in 2002....(Guardian, 1 Mar 07)

 

Europe's Stark Options

Europe's long-term relations with its burgeoning Muslim minority, the continent's most critical issue, will follow one of three paths: harmonious integration, the expulsion of Muslims, or an Islamic takeover. Which of these scenarios will most likely play out?.....(National Interest, 1 Mar 07)

 

Canada's Jihadist Fifth Column

.....Eighteen Muslim men, many of them Canadian citizens, were arrested before they could execute their plan, which included truck bombs exploding on the streets of Toronto and the beheading of Canada’s prime minister after a storming of the Parliament buildings in Ottawa....(FrontPage, 1 Mar 07)

 

Launch of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist finance strategy

....."Money underpins all terrorist activity. The disruption of terrorist financing is a key element of the Government's overall fight against terrorism. .....(Media Newswire, 1 Mar 07)

 

Taliban: Suicide army is ready

The Taliban's top military commander said his forces have assembled a hundreds-strong army of suicide attackers poised for a spring offensive against NATO troops in Afghanistan. In a rare interview with Britain's Channel Four, Mullah Dadullah -- the man in charge of day-to-day military operations for the hardline Islamic militia -- also claimed he had a regular line of communication with Osama bin Laden....."We exchange messages with each other to share plans," the Taliban commander said of bin Laden "We actually meet very rarely -- just for important consultations. It's hard for anyone to meet bin Laden himself now, but we know he's still alive."......"For the Taliban, Islam is more important than anything else," he said. "It's our religious duty to shelter any Muslim brother who's on the run from the infidels, even at the cost of our government.".......(CNN, 1 March 07)

 

Ex-Muslims form anti-religion group in Germany

Former Muslims in Germany publicly launched a group Wednesday with the provocative name National Council of Ex-Muslims, and said they would be a voice for non-religious people of Islamic cultural origin....Arzu Toker, deputy chairwoman, used a news conference to announce her separation from Islam: "I herewith resign from Islam. That's it." She does not accept its Sharia system of rules at all, saying they contradict both human rights and the values of the German constitution.....She said she did not distinguish between Islam and fundamentalism. "Islam is inherently radical," she said..... ...(DPA, 1 Mar 07)

 

Judge rejects request by Muslim charity

A federal judge in Dallas has denied a request to declassify thousands of pages of FBI evidence in the prosecution of a Muslim charity but called it "disturbing" that one recently unsealed document falsely accused charity officials of anti-Jewish slurs....(Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar 07)

 

Al-Qaida suspect found competent for federal trial

Suspected al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla is competent to stand trial on terrorism charges because he understands the case against him and has shown himself capable of assisting in his defense, a federal judge ruled yesterday.....(Los Angeles Times, 1 Mar 07)

 

ASIO criticised over terror group bans

Government and ASIO processes for banning terrorist organisations have been criticised by a parliamentary committee....(Sydney Morning Herald, 1 Mar 07)

 

Warlord splits with Taliban

Fugitive Afghan rebel leader Gulbuddin Hekmatyar told The Associated Press his forces have ended cooperation with the Taliban and suggested that he was open to talks with embattled President Hamid Karzai…(AP, 8 Mar 07)Profile: Gulbuddin Hekmatyar

The latest fighting in Afghanistan has again thrown the spotlight on the warlord Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, reported to be allied to the men battling against US forces. …(BBC, 28 Jan 03)

 

Me and Julio Down by the Schoolyard

.....Associate Professor Julio Pino – a Muslim convert who teaches at Kent State University.....his website now  reads "Are You Prepared for Jihad?" IN THE NAME OF OBL. 2007: THE YEAR OF ISLAMIC VICTORY!"....(TownHall, 28 Feb 07)

Kent State Professor's website

More about Pino

 

Treasury sets up hit squad to halt funding of terrorism

A dedicated money-laundering hit squad inside the Treasury is being set up as it seeks to choke off the supply of illicit funds to terrorist cells operating inside the UK and overseas.....(Guardian, 28 Feb 07)

 

Terror Watch: The Missing Padilla Video

…The missing DVD dates from March 2, 2004. It contains a video of the last interrogation session of Padilla, then a declared “enemy combatant” under an order from President Bush, while he was being held in military custody at a U.S. Navy brig in Charleston, S.C. But in recent days, in the course of an unusual court hearing about Padilla’s mental condition, a government lawyer disclosed to a surprised courtroom that the Defense Intelligence Agency—which had custody of the evidence—was no longer able to locate the DVD…..(Newsweek, 28 Feb 07)

 

Egypt Freezes Muslim Brotherhood Assets

A court ordered a freeze Wednesday on the assets of 29 known financiers of the Muslim brotherhood, Egypt's most powerful opposition movement....(AP, 28 Feb 07)

 

Europe's tolerance finds its limit: Death of multiculturalism

......"We have had enough Islam in the Netherlands. I believe Islam is a violent religion and the Koran is a violent book. There is no such thing as moderate Islam."....(CBC, 28 Feb 07)

 

The liquid explosives sought six months after foiled al Qaeda airline terror plot from the UK are found in Lebanon

The plot for 10 airliners to crash over US cities by detonating liquid explosives, hidden in hand luggage, disrupted British and transatlantic air traffic last August...(DEBKAfile, 28 Feb 07)

 

Ex-insider: Cuba has bioweapons

The former chief of Cuba's military medical services is calling for international weapons inspections of a secret underground lab near Havana, where he says the government is creating biological warfare agents like the plague, botulism and yellow fever....(Miami Herald, 28 Feb 07)

 

'Not Possible to Modernize Islam'

Human rights activists have formed a "Central Council of Ex-Muslims in Germany" to help women renounce the Islamic faith if they feel oppressed by its laws. Its Iranian-born founder Mina Ahadi, under police protection after receiving death threats, talks to DER SPIEGEL about its goals....(Spiegel, 28 Feb 07)

 

Criticism of Islam makes author a target

.....Ayaan Hirsi Ali, the Somali-born former Dutch parliamentarian, defends her depiction of Islam as "backward" and a "faith rooted in oppression.".....(National Post, 1 Mar 07)

 

Critic of Islam has the gall to speak her mind

Secularists in Europe rap a Dutch-Somali author for rejecting religion in favor of secularism.....(Washington Post, 1 Mar 07)

 

Saudi Columnists on the Holiday Atmosphere in Saudi Arabia and on the Muslim Attitude towards Non-Muslim Holidays.....(MEMRI, 28 Feb 07)

 

U.S. Sees New Al-Qaeda Threat

The new director of national intelligence said yesterday that the United States is "very concerned" that Osama bin Laden and the al-Qaeda leadership are attempting to rebuild their terrorist network and establish training camps in a region of northwest Pakistan "that has never been governed by any power.".....(Washington Post, 28 Feb 07)

 

McConnell fears Iran nukes by 2015

Iran's development of nuclear arms is "very dangerous," and Tehran could deploy the weapons within the next several years, the nation's most senior intelligence official told the Senate yesterday......(Washington Times, 28 Feb 07)

 

Top spy: Iran training Iraqis to use explosives

Iran is training anti-American Iraqi Shi'ites at sites inside Iran and Lebanon in the use of armor-piercing munitions blamed for the deaths of 170 U.S. troops in Iraq, the top U.S. intelligence official said....(Reuters, 28 Feb 07)

 

Multiculturalism's eloquent enemy

It's not every day you see a film that cost the director his life, and it's even more remarkable to watch it in the presence of the co-producer while a dozen RCMP bodyguards protect her from Islamic terrorists.....(National Post, 28 Feb 07)

 

The Mecca Agreement – A Strategic PLO-Hamas Alliance for Establishing a Palestinian State Without Hamas Recognizing Israel ....(MEMRI, 28 Feb 07)

 

Bombing Near Cheney Displays Boldness of Resurgent Taliban

Vice President Cheney was inside the main U.S. air base in Afghanistan yesterday when a suicide bomber detonated his explosives just outside the gates, killing as many as 23 people and showcasing insurgents' growing capabilities in advance of a widely expected spring offensive....(Washington Post, 28 Feb 07)

Germany Rejects Easing Jail Conditions for RAF Terrorist

German authorities said Wednesday that they will not ease jail conditions for former Red Army Faction terrorist Christian Klar after he called for the "defeat of capitalism" in a letter....(Deutsche Welle, 28 Feb 07)

 

The Return of the Red Army Faction

....From its inception in 1970 until its rejection of violence in 1992, the RAF, a splinter of the Baader-Meinhof gang, waged a sporadic campaign of terror in social-democratic West Germany that targeted the alleged perpetrators of capitalist injustice and generally sowed chaos....(Front Page, 28 Feb 07)

 

Qaeda Rebuilding in Pakistan, Spy Chief Says

The new director of national intelligence told members of Congress on Tuesday that senior leaders of Al Qaeda were steadily rebuilding the network’s bases inside Pakistan and that future attacks against the United States could be planned from Pakistan’s remote western mountains....(New York Times, 28 Feb 07)

 

Afghan Bombing Sends a Danger Signal to U.S.

The audacity of a suicide-bomb attack on Tuesday at the gates of the main American base in Afghanistan during a visit by Vice President Dick Cheney underscores why President Bush sent him there — a deepening American concern that the Taliban and Al Qaeda are resurgent....(New York Times, 28 Feb 07)

 

Spy Chief Pushes for Action in Pakistan

More must be done to go after al-Qaida, which is trying to establish training camps and other operations in some of Pakistan's most ungoverned territory, the new U.S. spy chief said Tuesday....(AP, 28 Feb 07)

 

Many Houston Muslims coping with fear, frustration

When Daniel Maldonado was led out of the Federal Courthouse in Houston, many Muslims here said it was another dark day. Not because the former resident was charged with conspiring to use weapons of mass destruction, but because they knew the latest news would make 'their lives even more difficult....(KHOU, 28 Feb 07)

 

New Profiling Program Raises Privacy Concerns

The Department of Homeland Security is testing a data-mining program that would attempt to spot terrorists by combing vast amounts of information about average Americans, such as flight and hotel reservations....(Washington Post, 28 Feb 07)

 

New Light Shed on CIA's 'Black Site' Prisons

....Jabour had spent two years in "black sites" -- a network of secret internment facilities the CIA operated around the world. His account of life in that system, which he described in three interviews with The Washington Post....(Washington Post, 28 Feb 07)

 

Madrid bomb suspect loses UK extradition fight

A Syrian-born man accused of complicity in the Madrid train bombings in 2004 on Wednesday lost his final appeal against being extradited from Britain.....(Reuters, 28 Feb 07)

 

Southeast Asia Terrorist Group Splits, But Retains Islamic Militancy

The Southeast Asia group Jemaah Islamiyah (JI), which has been blamed for a series of bombings over the past several years, has splintered into factions and may be heading in new directions.....(VOA, 28 Feb 07)

 

Another front on the Sunni-Shiite war

While the media focuses on the aggressive Iranian expansion in the whole Middle East, another insidious campaign is being orchestrated by Iran to control the region. Proselytizing is the new name of the game....(Examiner, 28 Feb 07)

 

Madrid bomb: New prime suspect sought

A Spanish judge has charged a Moroccan man as an additional prime suspect in the Madrid train bombings, and ordered that he be brought to Spain from Morocco, where he is currently in jail on other charges...(CNN, 28 Feb 07)

 

Shin Bet to ease security checks of Arabs at airport

According to MK Hilou, new technology will eradicate practice of physical searches of Arab passengers......(Haaretz, 28 Feb 07)

 

Padilla Was Deprived, Not Abused, Court Told

During his 3 1/2 -year detention as an "enemy combatant," accused al-Qaeda operative Jose Padilla was at various times deprived of a clock, windows and a Koran, and forced to sleep on a metal bed frame without a mattress, according to testimony Tuesday from an official at the Navy brig where he was held in Charleston, S.C....(Washington post, 28 Feb 07)

 

N. Georgia cleric gets 8 years for Hamas aid
The imam of a small North Georgia mosque who confessed to aiding the Islamic militant group Hamas was sentenced Tuesday by a federal judge to nearly eight years in prison.....(Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 28 Feb 07)

 

Georgia Man Sentenced to Federal Prison For Material Support of Foreign Terrorist Group.....(DOJ Press Release, 27 Feb 07)

 

Cole lawsuit will proceed

A federal judge cleared the way yesterday for a trial March 13 in an unusual lawsuit against the Republic of Sudan by families of the 17 sailors killed in the terrorist bombing of the U.S. Navy destroyer Cole......(TimesDispatch, 28 Feb 07)

 

False quotes shake up terror trial

The mystery of how and why a government wiretap summary falsely attributed anti-Jewish slurs to officials of a Muslim charity remained unanswered Tuesday as federal prosecutors pledged to look into the matter......(Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb 07)

 

Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for murder of Erez Levanon

The Islamic Jihad has claimed responsibility for a stabbing attack which left an Israeli man dead on Sunday night....In a statement released on Islamic Jihad's website on Monday evening, the group said two members of its al-Quds Brigades were "able to lure a settler into an agricultural area, and fatally stab him several times." ....(Ynet News, 27 Feb 07)

 

Extremists can turn violent fast

THE director-general of ASIO has warned that there are still small, loosely affiliated groups of extremists in Australia who could quickly turn to violence.....(The Australian, 28 Feb 07)

 

Protect the U.S. From British "Homegrown" Terrorists by Ending Visa Waiver Program

The war on terror is continuing and many of the countries that are America's staunchest allies are becoming increasingly aware of the threat that terrorists pose within their own borders....(Counterterrorism Blog, 27 Feb 07)

 

ASIO concerned at extremists' conversion

THE varying scale of the current terrorist threat to Australia and the speed at which extremists could become radicalised is causing alarm in Australian intelligence circles.....(The Australian, 27 Feb 07)

 

Muslim cabbies tell airport they won't bend in alcohol dispute

...."I am Muslim. I'm not going to carry alcohol," Mohamed, a driver for Bloomington Cab, told a Metropolitan Airports Commission panel that gathered public opinion Tuesday regarding proposed penalties for cabbies who refuse service to passengers carrying alcohol......(AP, 27 Feb 07)

 

Dozen Islamic militants 'infiltrated army base'

A dozen radical Islamists have infiltrated the Spanish army garrison in Madrid's North African enclave of Ceuta, a magazine claimed on Tuesday. Spanish military intelligence discovered the infiltration.....(EFE, 27 Feb 07)

 

Govt. needs legal umbrella for "de-radicalization"

The government is still waiting for the creation of a legal umbrella for its "de-radicalization" program aimed at stopping the establishment of hard-line religious groups and countering terrorism, a national security official said....(Jakarta Post, 27 Feb 07)

 

Georgia Imam Sentenced for Aiding Hamas

.....Prosecutors have said that between 1997 and 2001, Shorbagi provided financial support to Hamas, a group designated by the United States as a foreign terrorist organization. He also was accused of conspiring to provide material support to Hamas.......(AP, 27 Feb 07)

 

Catering to extremists?

The terrorist bombings that struck London in 2005, killing 52 persons and wounding 700, revealed long-ignored problems in Britain's response to Islamist extremism -- problems explored by British journalist Melanie Phillips in her book, "Londonistan."....(Washington Times, 27 Feb 07)

 

Former Islamic Extremism Speaks on 'Radicalization Process'

Radical Islam has the power to seduce young people who are spiritually unsatisfied, according to a former radical who now cooperates with the FBI and writes on terrorism.....(CNS News, 27 Feb 07)

 

The New Demographic Balance in Europe and its Consequences

.....The growth of Islam in the Western societies of Europe, America, and Australia is quite a new phenomenon, and as its numbers increase, either via immigration (legal or illegal) or by natural growth, the awakening of a Muslim identity discourages integration and gives rise to problems....(JCPA, 27 Feb 07)

 

In a Satirical Poem, Saudi Author Laments Conditions in the Arab World ........"When you find that the large majority of people oppose freedom and find joy in slavery - do not be too distressed, you are in an Arab country."....(MEMRI, 27 Feb 07)

 

First "Secular Islam Summit" to convene early next month in Florida

The first ever "Secular Islam Summit," to be convened in St. Petersburg, Florida, on March 4-5, will bring together hundreds of thinkers and activists worldwide to counter the voices of reactionary Islam which have been speaking on behalf of all Muslims, the organizers of the event said late Monday....(KUNA, 27 Feb 07)

 

A Muslim Declaration for Freedom

Dr. Chesler will be chairing the opening panel in the upcoming Secular Islamic Summit Conference of Muslim and ex-Muslim dissidents. The Conference will be held on March 4th and 5th in St Petersburg, Florida at the Hilton Hotel. The dissidents are planning to issue a Declaration for freedom throughout the Islamic world....(FrontPage, 27 Feb 07)

 

The unpredictability of war

The intelligence assessment presented to the government Sunday conveyed a message that features an inherent contradiction: Top intelligence officials warned that Iran, Syria, Hamas and Hizbullah are rapidly accumulating advanced weapons, improving their modus operandi, undertaking extensive preparations for a wide-scale confrontation, and continuing to resort to and encourage terrorism.....(YNet, 27 Feb 07)

 

U.S. Base in Afghanistan Targeted During Cheney Visit

Vice President Cheney was shuttled into a bomb shelter at a U.S. military base in Afghanistan this morning after a suicide bomber blew himself up outside the main gate in an attack Taliban officials say was aimed at the vice president.....(Washington Post, 27 Feb 07 )

 

Cheney OK after Afghan blast; 23 killed

..."We knew that Dick Cheney would be staying inside the base," purported Taliban spokesman, Qari Yousef Ahmadi told AP by telephone from an undisclosed location. "The attacker was trying to reach Cheney."...(AP, 27 Feb 07)

 

Taliban 'knew of Cheney visit'
A suicide attack at an Afghan air base where US vice-president Dick Cheney was staying shows that the Taliban and al-Qaeda have penetrated local intelligence agencies, analysts and officials said...(SA, 27 Feb 07)

 

Al-Qaeda the 'worst threat' to US

Al-Qaeda represents the most serious threat to US interests, followed by Lebanese militant group Hezbollah, the new US spy chief has said....(BBC, 27 Feb 07)

 

Ambassadors Slightly Wounded in Sri Lanka Rebel Attack

Sri Lanka says Tamil Tiger rebels deliberately targeted foreign ambassadors on a humanitarian mission to the east of the country....(VOA, 27 Feb 07)

 

Cousins sought `training in Jihad,' prosecutors say

Two Chicago-area cousins linked to a terrorism conspiracy last week traveled to Egypt in 2004 and planned to head to Pakistan for military training, federal prosecutors told a judge Monday....(Chicago Tribune, 27 Feb 07)

 

2 terror defendants lose bid for new trial

A federal judge has refused to grant a new trial for two leaders of an Albany mosque convicted of conspiring to support terrorism through money laundering in what turned out to be an FBI sting....(AP 27 Feb 07)

 

Upsurge in Afghan suicide attacks

Suicide bombing was once unheard of in Afghanistan, but it has now become common as insurgents seek to destabilise the internationally-backed government in Kabul.....(BBC, 27 Feb 07)

 

Britain switches tactics to undermine the Taliban

Britain has launched a "reconciliation" drive to undermine support for the Taliban after Whitehall strategists concluded that a decisive military victory in Afghanistan cannot be won....(Guardian, 27 Feb 07)

 

Sarkozy warns of terrorist threat to election

An Islamic terrorist group linked to al-Qa'eda could launch suicide attacks in France during the presidential election campaign, intelligence chiefs working for the interior minister, Nicolas Sarkozy, warned yesterday....(Daily Telegraph, 27 Feb 07)

 

Taliban launch violent purge

Taliban fighters say they have executed dozens of suspected informants, as they hunt for the spies who helped NATO target several of their leaders in recent weeks....(Globe and Mail, 27 Feb 07)

 

JI transforming itself, expert warns

JEMAAH ISLAMIAH is regrouping and concentrating its efforts on preaching an extreme brand of Islam, fuelling sectarian violence and winning recruits through charitable works and social welfare programs, a leading terrorism expert has warned....(Sydney Morning Herald, 27 Feb 07)

 

JI resurgent, conference warned

INDONESIAN terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah (JI) is a resurgent terror force, spreading influence through charitable work and sectarian violence, an Australian security conference has been told...(The Australian, 27 Feb 07)

 

Terror group JI 'spreading influence'....(AAP, 27 Feb 07)

 

Our Very Politicians Ensure That Al Qaeda Destroys Us…Unless

With each passing day, I’m finding it more and more plausible to believe that Al Qaeda or its imitators, will inflict catastrophic and lasting damage upon our republic. The evidence is everywhere, but most of us choose to ignore that which enables the evil intent on killing us all.....(TownHall, 27 Feb 07)

 

Jihad In America

After Ali Abu Kamal shot and killed a man and wounded six others on the observation deck of the Empire State Building in 1997, his wife claimed he had been despondent over losing a great deal of money. Now, 10 years later, Kamal's 48-year-old daughter, Linda, said her father "wanted to punish the U.S. for supporting Israel — and revealed her mom's 1997 account was a cover story crafted by the Palestinian Authority."....(New York Sun, 27 Feb 07)

 

The ‘Net as terrorist tool

A popular book among terrorists, “39 Ways to Serve and Participate in Jihad,” explains how wannabes who can’t fight on the front lines can still help the cause. For instance, mothers can show children violent videos of attacks on Americans to breed enthusiasm about the jihadist movement....(Capitol Hill Blue, 27 Feb 07)

 

Padilla abuse claim is al Qaeda tactic, U.S. says

....Prosecutors contend that Padilla underwent al Qaeda training and that his claims of abuse and refusal to cooperate with his lawyers are typical al Qaeda tactics....(Reuters, 27 Feb 07)

 

Wife of alleged terrorist sought a better life

....Maldonado is in a federal detention center in Houston awaiting trial for allegedly training with al-Qaida in Somalia....(Houston Chronicle, 27 Feb 07)

 

Police: Depressed student said he had bomb, anthrax

Nearly two dozen people were being decontaminated Tuesday after a white, powdery substance was found on a student who claimed to have a bomb and threatened "terrorist-type" actions at the University of Missouri-Rolla, officials said.....The man's identity and nationality were not released, though a school spokesman said he was an international student.......(AP, 27 Feb 07)

 

26 February 1993

On this day fourteen years ago, Islamic jihadists set off a bomb in the World Trade Center, killing six people, wounding 1,000, and causing $500 million in damage. Over eight years later, Islamic jihadists brought down those same Towers.

 

British Imam Urges Terror Attacks

Here is a video of British Imam Omar Bakri Mohammed urging Muslims to bring jihad to European soil. In it, he urges would-be jihadis to follow the example of the Madrid al Qaeda attackers and fight the infidels on their own soil rather than making Muslim lands the battlefield....(JAWA Report, 26 Feb 07)

 

CIA Evidence Used to Confront Musharraf; Showdown in Pakistan

In a highly unusual move, the deputy director of the CIA, Stephen R. Kappes, was flown to Pakistan to personally present President Pervez Musharraf today with "compelling" CIA evidence of al Qaeda's resurgence on Pakistani soil, U.S. officials say. Kappes joined Vice President Dick Cheney for the surprise showdown meeting in Musharraf's office in Pakistan. The CIA evidence reportedly included satellite photos and electronic intercepts of al Qaeda leaders operating in Pakistan....(ABC News, 26 Feb 07)

 

Three French nationals shot dead in Saudi

Three French nationals, some of them Muslims, were shot dead in Saudi Arabia on Monday in what appeared to be a militant attack...(Reuters, 26 Feb 07)

 

Chronology of attacks on Westerners in Saudi Arabia....(Reuters, 26 Feb 07)

 

Reid wins battle to deport cleric

...A court ruled that Abu Qatada, a radical Muslim cleric described as Osama bin Laden’s spiritual representative in Europe, can be deported to his homeland.....(Daily Telegraph, 26 Feb 07)

 

Extremist who came to UK on fake passport

Almost from the moment he arrived in Britain, Abu Qatada has been providing religious and spiritual advice to extremist groups, according to the Home Office. He has offered guidance in response to requests for authority to carry out attacks and inspiration to terrorist cells motivated by his speeches and writings.....(Daily Telegraph, 26 Feb 07)

 

Jihad's Campus Collaborators

The key to beating the global Jihad is victory in the battlefield of ideas. Unfortunately, as the trends on Western campuses demonstrate, we are a long way from victory.....(Jerusalem Post, 26 Feb 07)

 

Terrorists may switch focus to Afghanistan, warn security chiefs

....Assessment documents circulating in Whitehall security circles suggest Afghanistan could soon replace Iraq as the prime focus for radical Muslims wanting to pursue jihad against western interests......(Scotsman, 26 Feb 07)

 

Al-Qa'eda 'plotted to kill Blair in front of Queen'

Tony Blair defied an assassination threat from al-Qa'eda to take part in the Queen's Golden Jubilee celebrations in central London....(Daily Telegraph, 26 Feb 07)

 

Terrorist paraphernalia found in "1/7 bombers flat, court hears

....Woolwich Crown Court heard that when police searched Osman's flat in Stockwell on July 27, soon after he was arrested in Rome, they found a large amount of Islamist paraphernalia, footage of beheadings and references to martyrdom.....(UK National News, 26 Feb 07)