Al-Sadr Looks to Lie Low, Outlast U.S.

Their rhetoric is still stridently anti-American, but Mahdi Army militiamen are tucking away their weapons and blending into civilian life. Their leaders are keeping out of sight…..(AP, 10 Feb 07)

Padilla Asks for Delay in Hearing

Attorneys for suspected al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla have asked a judge to delay a Feb. 16 competency hearing, saying they need more time to investigate a report that concludes he is fit to stand trial on terrorism charges….(AP, 10 Feb 07)

6 Charged In Alleged Terror Plot In Britain

British police charged six men arrested in Birmingham last week with terrorism-related offenses Friday, officially alleging for the first time that the suspects were plotting to kidnap and kill a British soldier….(Washington Post, 10 Feb 07)

Policy on Asylum-Seekers Faulted

…In recent weeks, Homeland Security officials have come under fire for interpreting anti-terrorism laws in a way that hurts people seeking asylum and refugee status in the United States. People who were forced to aid terrorist groups, and were even abused in some cases, have been labeled as sympathizers and deported….(Washington Post, 10 Feb 07)

For Eminent Sunni, Lessons in Weakness

Iraqi Deputy Prime Minister Salam Z. al-Zobaee's cousin has been in government custody for eight months. He hasn't been charged, Zobaee said, and the formal inquiries he himself has made to have the oil engineer released, or at least get the case before a judge, have been rebuffed…(Washington Post, 10 Feb 07)

Bomb explodes in Assam before national games

A bomb exploded inside a railway station on Friday in India's troubled Assam state, hours before Sonia Gandhi, head of the ruling Congress party, arrived to open the country's biggest sporting event….(Reuters, 9 Feb 07)

Taliban said to refuse talks on captured Afghan town

Taliban rebels who captured a southern Afghan town a week ago were fortifying their positions after rejecting talks, a tribal chief said as officials played down the situation. The Islamist guerrillas stormed and captured remote Musa Qala -- which British forces pulled out of last year in a controversial deal…(Agence France-Presse, 9 Feb 07)

Iraqi insurgents offer peace in return for US concessions

For the first time, one of Iraq's principal insurgent groups has set out the terms of a ceasefire that would allow American and British forces to leave the country they invaded almost four years ago…Al-Jeelani's group, which also calls itself the "20th Revolution Brigades'', is the military wing of the original insurgent organization that began its fierce attacks on US forces shortly after the invasion of 2003. The statement is, therefore, of potentially great importance, although it clearly represents only the views of Sunni Muslim fighters…..(Independent, 9 Feb 07)

Terror at the Nixon Library

A new exhibit at the Nixon Library inadvertently shows why Americans might be confused about terrorism, about what it is and how to fight it. "The Enemy Within: Terror in America, 1776 to Today," which opened January 27 in Yorba Linda, argues that the attacks of 9/11 were nothing new: "Ever since its founding," the show declares, "the United States has been threatened with attack from domestic terrorists."….(The Nation, 9 Feb 07)

Hamas to join U.S. funded militias?

A unity government deal signed today by leaders of the rival Fatah and Hamas factions includes a clause calling for the integration of Hamas militias into security forces controlled by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas Fatah party…..(World Net Daily, 9 Feb 07)

New Detectors Aim to Prevent Nuclear Terror

…Starting this spring, the Bush administration will assess new detection machines at a Staten Island port terminal that are designed to screen cargo and automatically distinguish between naturally occurring radiation and critical bomb-building ingredients….(New York Times, 9 Feb 07)

Ramsey Hired to Provide Anti-Terrorism Advice

Former D.C. police chief Charles H. Ramsey has been hired to study ways to make the U.S. Capitol more secure against a potential terrorist attack.....(Washington Post, 9 Feb 07)

Classified Documents From Iraq Are at Heart of Translator Case

A Brooklyn man whose identity is a mystery will go on trial February 20 for allegedly possessing classified documents that he obtained while serving in Iraq as a translator for American forces… Under the name Almaliki Nour, the man worked for L-3 Titan Group as a translator for American forces in the area west of Baghdad beginning in 2003…..(New York Sun, 9 Feb 07)

The Middle East on a Collision Course: Iran Steps up Threats to Retaliate in the Event of an American Attack

Iran has in the last three weeks also voiced increasingly severe threats to harm Western forces and interests, both in the Middle East and outside it. It has also threatened to use the "oil weapon," i.e. to stop the flow of oil through the Strait of Hormuz....(MEMRI, 9 Feb 07)

Anti-Americanism helps fuel terror, warns Australia

Anti-American feeling in Europe is playing into the hands of al-Qa'eda and unwittingly encouraging terrorism, Australia's foreign minister said yesterday. In an interview with The Daily Telegraph, Alexander Downer urged European politicians to weigh up the consequences of their words before they "leap out there and attack America"......(Telegraph, 9 Feb 07)

The Middle East on a Collision Course (4): Saudi/Sunni-Iranian/Shi'ite Conflict – Diplomacy and Proxy Wars
The Middle East is currently in the throes of a comprehensive crisis that manifests itself in three main modes of conflict - political-military, economic, and religious - and in three main arenas - Lebanon, Iraq, and Iran….(MEMRI, 9 Feb 07)

Israeli Official Faults Egypt Over Arms Flow Into Gaza

A senior Israeli official yesterday accused Egypt of failing to halt arms smuggling into Gaza, thus bolstering the militant group Hamas at the expense of the Palestinian leadership supported by the United States…..(Washington Post, 9 Feb 07)

Accord Is Signed by Palestinians to Stop Feuding

The main rival Palestinian factions agreed late Thursday to form a government of national unity aimed at ending a wave of violence between them and an international boycott…The accord, signed by Khaled Meshal of Hamas and Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian Authority president and leader of Fatah, its main rival, is the first time that the two parties have agreed to share authority…..(New York Times, 9 Feb 07)

Saudi Arabia to Aid Palestinian Gov't

Saudi Arabia put its credibility on the line by hosting a high-profile summit of rival Palestinian leaders. Now, with a deal reached, it wants to ensure the Palestinian government's survival and convince the U.S. there can be peace with Israel…Saudi Arabia quickly moved to bolster the new Palestinian government, promising $1 billion in aid, according to Haniyeh adviser Ahmed Youssef. The money will be a major help for Palestinians ….(AP, 9 Feb 07)

Palestinians Reach Deal on a Government
…It remained unclear whether the new government will meet conditions laid down by Israel and international donors to fully restore funding to the Palestinian Authority that they cut off after Hamas's victory in January 2006 parliamentary elections….(Washington Post, 9 Feb 07)

Muted response to Mecca agreement

Israel and the United States have reacted with caution to an agreement by Palestinian factions Fatah and Hamas to form a national unity government….(BBC, 9 Feb 07)

Indonesia urges Israel to stop mosque dig

Indonesia, the world's most populous Muslim country, urged Israel on Friday to stop excavations near Jerusalem's most important holy Islamic site, saying the move could worsen the Middle East conflict. Israel says the excavation is aimed at salvaging artifacts before construction of a pedestrian bridge leading to the complex, also sacred to Jews….(Reuters, 9 Feb 07)

British Deny ‘Witch Hunt’ in Arrest of Muslim

The British police on Thursday arrested an outspoken advocate of fiery Islamic views, a week after seizing nine people accused of a separate conspiracy to kidnap and kill a Muslim British soldier….(New York Times, 9 Feb 07)

British police charge five under terrorism laws

Five men are due to appear in court on Friday charged under anti-terrorism laws after a series of police raids in the central English city of Birmingham last week, British police said. Detectives arrested nine men on January 31….(Reuters, 9 Feb 07)

Canada-China Row Intensifies Over Terrorism Charges

The Canadian government came under fire Thursday for its handling of a diplomatic row with China, after the family of a Chinese-Canadian held on terrorism charges said he had been abandoned by Canadian diplomats. Huseyin Celil, a member of the Muslim ethnic Uighur community …(DPA, 9 Feb 07)

Iraqi Official Tied to Militia Jailed

U.S.-backed Iraqi forces stormed the Health Ministry and arrested the No. 2 official Thursday, accusing him of diverting millions of dollars to the biggest Shiite militia and allowing death squads use of ambulances and government hospitals to carry out kidnappings and killings….(AP, 9 Feb 07)

Lebanon seizes Hezbollah weapons

The Lebanese militant group Hezbollah has said a lorry intercepted by the authorities was transporting weapons for its fighters. Hezbollah has demanded the return of the lorry and the arms…..(BBC, 9 Feb 07)

London Police Arrest Radical Muslim

A British Muslim convert widely known for extremist outbursts was arrested Thursday for allegedly encouraging terrorism, police said. The Metropolitan Police gave no details about what prompted the arrest of Abu Izzadeen…(AP, 8 Feb 07)

Nigerian Muslim cleric detained over al Qaeda case

A Muslim cleric has been detained in northeastern Nigeria in connection with a man accused of taking $300,000 from al Qaeda to assist a group called the Nigerian Taliban, officials said on Thursday. The cleric, Mohammed Yusuf, is a well-known preacher in Maiduguri, capital of Borno state in the country's Muslim-dominated north….(Reuters, 8 Feb 07)

Top Iraqi official held in raid

US and Iraqi forces in Baghdad have arrested the deputy health minister during a raid at his offices. The minister, Hakim al-Zamili, is a key member of the political group led by radical Shia cleric Moqtada Sadr. He is accused of aiding Shia militiamen and using ambulances to move weapons, a ministry source told the BBC.…(BBC, 8 Feb 07)

Video: Crackdown in Iraq

Wardens seize Bali bombers' cell phones

Wardens seized cell phones from nine Muslim militants convicted in the 2002 Bali bombings, a prison official said Thursday amid concerns imprisoned Indonesian terrorists are contacting sympathizers outside. Police this week said a man on death row at a Bali prison for his role in the blasts gave religious instruction via cell phone to militants accused of attacking Christians on Sulawesi island….(AP, 8 Feb 07)

Extra troops plea for Afghanistan

NATO military commanders are set to make a further request from member states for more troops and resources to fight the Taleban in Afghanistan….(BBC, 8 Feb 07)

Country could be paralyzed by bioweapons, radioactive attack

The devastating impact of a terrorist attack in Britain using bioweapons or radioactivity could be further amplified by the panicked reaction and "alarmist media," a leading think-tank has warned….(Agence France-Presse, 8 Feb 07)

Iran closing checkpoint to travelers

Iran said Wednesday that it would temporarily bar travelers from a border crossing with Iraq, a day after two suspected Al Qaeda members were detained as they entered at the checkpoint…Iran provided no details on the two detainees…..(AP, 8 Feb 07)

Top Iraqi official held in raid

Iraqi forces on Thursday detained a senior Health Ministry official accused in alleged corruption and infiltration of the ministry that has funneled millions of dollars to Shiite militiamen blamed for much of the recent sectarian violence in the capital…(AP, 8 Feb 07)

Gonzales Tours Argentine Jewish Center

U.S. Attorney General Alberto Gonzales on Wednesday toured a Jewish cultural center bombed in 1994 and said the United States supports Argentina's efforts to seek justice for its worst terrorist attack…..(AP, 8 Feb 07)

The Iran Option That Isn't on the Table

…Economic sanctions, international ostracism, military strikes and even support for hopeless exiles are all contemplated with vigor and seriousness. One option, however, is rarely assessed: engagement as a means of achieving a more pluralistic and responsible government in Tehran…..(Washington Post, 8 Feb 07)

Hamas and Fatah Pledge to Meet Until They Agree

The leaders of the two main Palestinian political groups ended their first day of an emergency summit meeting on Wednesday promising to stay until they agreed on a new government to end a wave of violence in Gaza and the West Bank and salvage the moribund Israeli-Palestinian peace effort….(New York Times, 8 Feb 07)

Hu Defends China's Role in Africa

Chinese President Hu Jintao on Wednesday sought to reassure Africans that his country's aggressive investments in oil, copper and other natural resources do not amount to a new wave of colonialism, saying China would "not do anything harmful to the interests of Africa and its people."….(Washington Post, 8 Feb 07)

N. Korea May Begin to Dismantle Nukes
North Korea agreed in principle Thursday to take initial steps toward dismantling its nuclear programs at the start of international talks seeking the first concrete progress on disarming Pyongyang….(AP, 8 Feb 07)

Olmert spurns bid to reconsider Jerusalem dig

Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has spurned a call to consider halting excavation work near Jerusalem's most sensitive shrine, which has angered Muslims and threatened a Gaza ceasefire deal….(Reuters, 8 Feb 07)

US to finance fight against terrorism in Colombia

The The Bush administration will ask Congress for $3.9 billion over the next seven years to help Colombia fight illegal drugs and boost funding for social programs, a State Department official said on Wednesday…(Reuters,  8 Feb 07)

Progress in key Palestinian talks

Officials from the rival Palestinian factions, Fatah and Hamas, have reported progress in crisis talks in the Saudi city of Mecca. They say they have agreed to give key cabinet posts to independents, overcoming a major stumbling block…..(BBC, 8 Feb 07)

Arab League to hold crisis talks on holy site

Muslims urge action against Israeli mosque compound works, Israel minister demands halt to Jerusalem works….(Middle East Times, 9 Feb 07)

Tehran warns US against attacks

Iran will strike against US interests worldwide if it is attacked, the country's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has warned. "The enemies know well that any aggression will lead to a reaction from all sides,"…(BBC, 8 Feb 07)

The Taliban's Past and Future

An interview with Mullah Wakil Ahmad Mutawakil, former Taliban foreign minister….(Dominion Paper, 8 Feb 07)

Malaysia warns Thailand's restive south could become terrorist breeding ground

…Syed Hamid Albar said terrorist groups could seek to build bases in Thailand's restive south, where more than 2,000 people have died since the insurgency flared up in January 2004….(AP, 8 Feb 07)

Distrust Hinders FBI In Outreach to Muslims

.....The JIS affair is one of many incidents that have regularly challenged the fragile cooperation that law enforcement and Muslims nationwide are struggling to create after years of mutual suspicion. Without that cooperation, the FBI, sheriffs and police chiefs believe they will never penetrate the world of homegrown Islamic extremists and potential terrorists the officials are convinced is out there....(Washington Post, 8 Feb 07)

Homeland Security sees cyberthreats on the rise

…The more the technology industry becomes globalized through outsourcing and international expansion, the greater opportunity for flaws to be introduced, Greg Garcia, assistant secretary for cybersecurity and telecommunications at the Department for Homeland Security, said during a speech here at the RSA Conference…..(CNet, 8 Feb 07)

Government Sued Over Citizenship Delays

…The lawsuit was filed in U.S. District Court in San Francisco and names the FBI and the Department of Homeland Security among the defendants. It seeks to enforce regulations in which the federal government must act on a citizenship application within 120 days of the applicant's interview…..(AP, 8 Feb 07)

33 Iraqis killed, 58 wounded in several blasts
At least 33 Iraqis were killed and 58 wounded in a series of blasts across Iraq over a 24-hour period, sources said on Thursday. Fourteen Iraqis were killed and 15 injured, some seriously, when a remote-controlled car bomb went off Thursday morning at a public market in Azziziyah, south of Baghdad…(DPA, 8 Feb 07)

US seeks 20 years' jail for Hicks

…Hicks's Australian lawyer, Michael Griffin, said that during a recent meeting with officials in the United States to discuss his client's case the chief prosecutor, Colonel Mo Davis, said he would seek a 20-year sentence for Hicks….(Canbera Times, 8 Feb 07)

Lawyers for 3 Gitmo Detainees Slam Rules

Tight deadlines, rules allowing hearsay evidence and limited access to Guantanamo Bay will hamper efforts to defend three detainees facing military trials at the Navy base in southeast Cuba, their attorneys say…..(AP, 8 Feb 07)

Anti-Terror Funding Slashed in NYC, D.C.

Homeland Security officials slashed anti-terror funding to New York City and Washington last year after they decided to devote more attention and resources to the nation's suburbs, congressional investigators said Wednesday….(AP, 8 Feb 07)

Chertoff to Appear Before New Congress

House members want answers from Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff to a number of questions, from how his department manages multibillion-dollar contracts to how it assesses risk and divvies up scarce funds….(AP, 8 Feb 07)

Two suspected al-Qaida members arrested in Iran

…Iran says it has made a significant contribution to the global campaign against terrorism by detaining agents of Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, but the United States accuses the Teheran government of harboring al-Qaida fugitives….(AP/Jerusalem Post, 7 Feb 07)

Swiss bank: We won't freeze all Iranian clients

Switzerland's banking industry will not automatically block Iranian clients from opening or having a bank account, provided they are not involved with the regime or subject to international sanctions, the head of the Swiss bankers' association said Wednesday….(AP/Jerusalem Post, 7 Feb 07)

U.S., Africans Vow to Fight Terrorism

Military chiefs of nine African countries pledged Wednesday to work with U.S. forces to prevent the spread of terrorism in the Sahara desert region.

Since the rise of al-Qaida, security experts have worried that the Sahara's wide open spaces and porous borders could serve as a haven for terrorist groups, much the same way Afghanistan once acted as a terrorist incubator…(AP, 7 Feb 07)

Nuclear terrorism risk seen growing

Western governments must take seriously the possibility of terrorists exploding a nuclear bomb as the necessary materials and know-how become easier to acquire, security analysts argue in two new reports. "The threat of terrorists acquiring nuclear weapons is real ... moreover, the likelihood of terrorists acquiring such weapons is growing as more states aggressively pursue their own nuclear ambitions," the EastWest Institute said in a study…..(Reuters, 7 Feb 07)

Islamic Leader Held in Holy Site Scuffle

...Raed Salah, the fiery leader of the Islamic Movement in Israel, and six supporters were taken for questioning after "a brawl" with police guarding work near the hilltop compound known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary, home of the Al Aqsa mosque complex…(AP, 7 Feb 07)

Iranian Urges Action Vs. Holy Site Work

Iran's supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, on Wednesday called on Islamic nations to retaliate against Israel for its construction work at the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount, state TV reported. "The world of Islam should show a serious reaction to the Zionist regime's insult to Al-Aqsa Mosque," the report quoted Khamenei as saying….(AP, 7 Feb 07)

Columnist Hassan Haydar: Iran Spreads a 'Culture of Death'

In an article published February 1, 2007 in the English edition of the London daily Al-Hayat, columnist Hassan Haydar denounced the "culture of death" that Iran is spreading in the Arab world by means of the resistance movements in Lebanon and in Palestine.….(MEMRI, 8 Feb 07)

Dr. Sumaya Alyusuf: Jews 'apes' and Christians 'pigs'

Who is Dr Sumaya Alyusuf?  An outspoken female Islamic school principal in England who uses textbooks calling Jews "apes" and Christians "pigs" - and for these slanderous comments she is dead square in the center of a controversial lawsuit in the United Kingdom…..(Monsters & Critics, 7 Feb 07)

14-year-olds studying al Qaeda propaganda at school

…Popular course materials on the 9/11 atrocities fail to properly balance Osama bin Laden's rantings with opposing points of view and present "substantial" justification of terrorism. Historians say the web-based project, produced by the long-established Schools History Project, is a flagrant example of how the subject has been watered down by politically-correct teaching theories which state that children should learn to view the past through different "perspectives"….(This is London, 5 Feb 07)

Paris Court Hears Prophet Drawings Case

A French satirical weekly defended itself in court Wednesday against defamation charges over reprinting caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad that last year stoked outrage and violence across the Muslim world….(AP, 7 Feb 07)

Pilot projects target extremism

Pilot projects to root out Islamist extremists grooming young Muslims are being planned for British cities…"We need a holistic approach and that means dealing with very serious problems in all communities such as alienated youth - be they white men influenced by the BNP or Muslim youths influenced by ideological extremism….(BBC, 7 Feb 07)

Iraqi Govt Launches Broadside Against Al Jazeera

Iraq's government on Wednesday accused Al Jazeera television, which it kicked out of the country two years ago, of helping to “spread death and destruction” in its reporting….(Reuters, 7 Feb 07)

Embassy Warns Americans on Kenya Visits

The U.S. Embassy issued a strong warning Wednesday to Americans considering a visit to Kenya, saying violent crime was increasing and that Kenyan authorities have limited capacity to prevent it….(AP, 7 Feb 07)

Detained Saudis Described as Democracy Activists

…a lawyer and a prominent dissident said that at least seven of the men were Saudi democracy activists whose arrest was a government attempt to abort their civic rights work….(Washington Post, 7 Feb 07)

Terror trial on secrets

Secret evidence of French terror suspect Willie Brigitte's activities in Australia has emerged and will be unveiled at the start of his trial in Paris tonight. Prosecutor Vanessa Perree revealed information gleaned from recent interrogations of Brigitte would form the backbone of the case against him….(Daily Telegraph, 7 Feb 07)

Citizen Awarded $16M in Mideast Attack

A federal jury awarded $16 million to a Jewish man who claimed that Palestinian groups backed a terrorist attack in Israel in which he was injured, but he could get triple that amount under a law allowing U.S. citizens to sue organizations involved in overseas terrorism….(AP, 7 Feb 07)

U.S. Military Says Copter Down in Iraq

A Sea Knight helicopter went down northwest of Baghdad on Wednesday, the military said, the fifth helicopter lost in Iraq in just over two weeks….(AP, 7 Feb 07)

U.S. Declines to Join Accord on Secret Detentions
Representatives from 57 countries on Tuesday signed a long-negotiated treaty prohibiting governments from holding people in secret detention. The United States declined to endorse the document, saying its text did not meet U.S. expectations….(Washington Post, 7 Feb 07)

The Middle East on a Collision Course (3): The Lebanese-Syrian Front
Since the demonstrations of January 23 and 25, 2007 ended, calm has prevailed in the Lebanese streets. In addition, opposition leaders have stressed in their statements the aspect of a nonviolent political resolution to the crisis.….(MEMRI, 7 Feb 07)

Iran Alleges U.S. Role in Kidnap Of Embassy Official in Baghdad

Iranian officials in Iraq on Tuesday accused U.S. forces of collaborating with Iraqi soldiers in what they described as the kidnapping of an Iranian diplomat in downtown Baghdad….(Washington Post, 7 Feb 07)