Court Tells U.S. to Reveal Data on Detainees at Guantánamo

A federal appeals court ordered the government yesterday to turn over virtually all its information on Guantánamo detainees who are challenging their detention, rejecting an effort by the Justice Department to limit disclosures and setting the stage for new legal battles over the government’s reasons for holding the men indefinitely….(New York Times, 21 Jul 07)

Musharraf Loses Fight Over Suspension of Judge

Pakistan’s Supreme Court ruled Friday that the suspension of the country’s chief justice earlier this year by President Pervez Musharraf was illegal, dealing the president a strong rebuke and raising new questions about his ability to continue his rule past this year…..(New York Times, 21 Jul 07)

Former Pelham man sentenced to 10 years on terrorism charges

…Daniel Maldonado, 28, showed little emotion in the Houston, Texas, courtroom where U.S. District Court Judge Gray Miller handed down the maximum sentence. As part of an earlier plea arrangement, a more serious charge of conspiracy to use a weapon of mass destruction was dropped. It carried a possible sentence of life in prison…Maldonado grew up in Newton and Pelham and attended Pelham High School. He later lived in Derry, Manchester, and Methuen, Mass. He lived in Houston for four months in 2005 before moving with his wife and three children to Cairo, Egypt. They later moved to Somalia, where Maldonado's wife, Tamekia Cunningham, died of malaria...In statements made to FBI agents after his arrest, Maldonado said he had "no problem" with killing Americans or with the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, according to the FBI…..(Eagle Tribune, 21 Jul 07)

Congressional leaders fail to protect terror tipsters from insane lawsuits

…….The amendment, which protects citizen whistleblowers who report suspicious activity from being sued, was sponsored by Rep. Peter King (R-N.Y.) after six imams who were removed from a U.S. Airways flight in November filed a lawsuit against the passengers who reported their behavior to flight crews…….(New York Daily News, 20 Jul 07)

Ex-Judge Pursues Terrorists on Web

Shannen Rossmiller isn't a terrorist. She just plays one on the Internet. In the wee hours of the morning, while her family sleeps, the former Montana judge goes online and assumes the identity of a Muslim extremist _ the better to strike up conversations with actual terrorists and, she hopes, ferret out their plans to harm the United States and its allies……(AP, 20 Jul 07)

Britain's New Leadership Fails To Prevent Terrorism, Threatens America

Part four of four……(FSM, 20 Jul 07)

British police arrest two after chemical find

British police said on Friday they had arrested two men under anti-terrorism laws after finding two containers marked "hydrogen peroxide," the chemical used in 2005 suicide bombings in London......"We've got one man from Afghanistan and one man from Somalia." .......(Reuters, 20 Jul 07)

Radiation Detector Program Delayed

A $1.2 billion program to deploy new radiation monitors to screen trucks, cars and cargo containers for signs of nuclear devices has been delayed by questions over whether Department of Homeland Security officials misled Congress about the effectiveness of the detectors…..(Washington Post, 20 Jul 07)

A Talk With a Suicide Bomber

Last week, at the Directorate of National Intelligence in Kabul, I met a failed suicide bomber. Arrested two weeks before in Jalalabad, preparing to assassinate the governor of Nangahar Province, Farhad was setting outside of Pakistan's Waziristan Province for the first time.  Only 17, he was terrified….(Times, Magazine, 20 Jul 07)

Al Qaeda widespread in Pakistan

Al Qaeda has strongholds throughout Pakistan, not just in the areas bordering Afghanistan that were emphasized in a terrorism assessment this week, according to U.S. intelligence officials and counter-terrorism experts who say Osama bin Laden's network is more deeply entrenched than described……(Los Angeles Times, 20 Jul 07)

Taliban kidnap 23 Koreans from Afghan bus: officials

Taliban insurgents have kidnapped 23 Korean Christians from a bus in Afghanistan, officials said on Friday, the biggest group of foreigners seized so far in the militant campaign to oust the government and its Western backers. The Taliban have increasingly turned to what Afghan officials call "terror tactics" -- kidnapping, suicide attacks and roadside bombs to demonstrate that the Afghan government is incapable of providing security to the people.……(Reuters, 20 Jul 07)

Deadly Violence Spreads in Pakistan

The wave of violence that has gripped Pakistan in recent days spread to new parts of the country and featured more ferocious tactics Thursday, with suicide bombers targeting a mosque, a police academy and a convoy of Chinese engineers in attacks that killed more than 50 people…..(Washington Post, 20 Jul 07)

The Fatah-Hamas Conflict: Roots and Implications

The Hamas takeover of the Gaza Strip was the culmination of two separate processes which began years ago. The first is the resurgence of Islam as the primary foundation of individual and collective identity in the Middle East……(MEMRI, 20 Jul 07)

How I shared a curry with bin Laden

……Akhtar claimed that his Saudi employer, who often grumbled about his health and was a picky eater, rarely let anyone else prepare his food, mainly due to worries about being poisoned. Life in bin Laden's cave close to the Pakistan border was predictably austere, dominated by prayer and talk of jihad. Bin Laden slept little, rising at midnight to fit in an extra set of prayers on top of Islam's standard five cycles…….(Daily Telegraph, 20 Jul 07)

Trail of an 'Enemy Combatant': From Desert to U.S. Heartland

…….Within weeks, a string of tips would lead FBI agents to the doorstep of the student, Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri. They eventually came to believe that he was al-Qaeda's senior operative in the United States, a sleeper agent who made an unexplained one-day trip to New York City in the summer of 2000 and who was planning a second wave of attacks........What was behind his travels between Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Afghanistan and the United States? What was the purpose of his computer research on hacking, and on how to buy and mix large quantities of chemicals into deadly hydrogen cyanide gas? Why did he possess more than 1,000 stolen credit card numbers? Does he have a connection to Dhiren Barot, the now-jailed British al-Qaeda leader who plotted to blow up buildings in the United States and England, and who may have inspired last month's attempted car bombings in London and Glasgow?........(Washington Post, 20 Jul 07)

From the Middle East to the U.S. Heartland Tracing the path of Ali al-Marri from Qatar to the Navy facility where he is held today. (Timeline)

US v al-Marri Affidvavit (2002)

Court of Appeals opinion (2007)

VIDEO: U.S. Justice Department officials said Ali Saleh Kahlah al-Marri, 37, was trained in the use of poisons.

Mother says her son not a terrorist

Since his capture in Kenya this year, Daniel Joseph Maldonado has been described as an American terrorist. The Muslim convert's identity morphed from accused al-Qaida operative in January, to federal detainee in February and admitted terrorist by April. Maldonado, 28, was the first American charged with training with a terrorist organization in Somalia……In handwritten statements during overseas interviews with U.S. agents, Maldonado confessed to going to training camps to prepare for jihad, or holy war, and acknowledged associating with al-Qaida while receiving firearms and explosives training. In one statement, he said he had "no problem" with fighting or killing Americans, nor with the Sept. 11 attacks. ………(Houston Chronicle, 19 Jul 07)

--USA v Daniel Maldonado 13 Feb 07 [pdf]

--US Citizen Charged With Training to Fight Jihad in Somalia ....(DOJ Press Release, 13 Feb 07)

--US Citizen Pleads Guilt to Training to Fight Jihad.....(DOJ Press Release, 19 Apr 07)

Al-Qaeda: The next generation

……In my former capacity as the Mossad’s counterterrorism liaison officer tasked with maintaining the intelligence dialogue with U.S. agencies, I would every so often be asked to provide briefings to CIA and FBI officers newly posted to Tel Aviv on the nastier list of usual suspects in the region. I informally entitled my briefing, “A short lesson on Islamic fundamentalist terror: welcome to the hood.” While this elicited chuckles from the fresh-faced crowd dispatched from Washington, the humour soon dissipated when I began to explain the scale, scope, and capabilities of our joint adversaries…….If I was to give the same briefing to my CIA and FBI colleagues today, I’d tell them that they should take a long, hard look at the urbane and well-educated doctors that tried to drive the jeep-bomb into Glasgow airport because it is the future of terrorism on our shores. I think I’d re-name my briefing, al-Qaeda: The next generation……….(The Suburban, 19 Jul 07)

Two suicide attacks kill 37 in Pakistan

Two suicide bomb attacks killed at least 37 people in Pakistan on Thursday, as a militant backlash intensified following the army's storming of radical mosque in Islamabad earlier this month….(Reuters, 19 Jul 07)

Afghan rebel leader says declares ceasefire

Afghan rebel leader and Taliban and al Qaeda ally Gulbuddin Hekmatyar has declared a ceasefire in his battle against Afghanistan's government, he said in a statement….(Reuters, 19 Jul 07)

Afghan rebel leader denies declaring ceasefire

……"We will continue our jihad and we will never give up our armed struggle against the foreign troops and the Afghan government."…….(Reuters, 19 Jul 07)

Islamabad slams U.S. terrorism report

Pakistan yesterday demanded proof of charges in a new U.S. intelligence report saying al Qaeda had rebuilt its operations there, as an influential U.S. foreign-policy analyst called for a much tougher U.S. military line against Islamic militants in the country's northwest……(Washington Times, 19 Jul 07)

Without a plot, is Padilla guilty?

A surprising question is emerging as a central issue in the high stakes terror trial of Jose Padilla and two other men. The three are facing charges that they plotted to spread violent jihad through a murderous campaign around the world…..(Christian Science Monitor, 19 Jul 07)

US: Top al-Qaida in Iraq Figure Captured

The U.S. command said Wednesday the highest-ranking Iraqi in the leadership of al-Qaida in Iraq has been arrested, adding that information from him indicates the group's foreign-based leadership wields considerable influence over the Iraqi chapter.

--Khaled Abdul-Fattah Dawoud Mahmoud al-Mashhadani, also known as Abu Shahid, was captured in Mosul on July 4

--al-Mashhadani is believed to be the most senior Iraqi in the al-Qaida in Iraq network

--al-Mashhadani was a close associate of Abu Ayub al-Masri, the Egyptian-born head of al-Qaida in Iraq.

--al-Mashhadani served as an intermediary between al-Masri and Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida No. 2 Ayman al-Zawahri.

--Communication between the senior al-Qaida leadership and al-Masri frequently went through al-Mashhadani

--Along with al-Masri, al-Mashhadani co-founded a virtual organization in cyberspace called the Islamic State of Iraq in 2006

--The Islamic State of Iraq is the latest efforts by al-Qaida to market itself and its goal of imposing a Taliban-like state on the Iraqi people."........(AP, 18 Jul 07)

Preventing the West from Understanding Jihad

Western apologist literature has convinced and confused readers, including those in America’s Defense intelligentsia, that Jihad is not as lethal as it is…….(Dr. Walid Phares, 18 Jul 07)

Al-Qaeda's Gains Keep U.S. at Risk, Report Says

Al-Qaeda has reestablished its central organization, training infrastructure and lines of global communication over the past two years, putting the United States in a "heightened threat environment" despite expanded worldwide counterterrorism efforts, according to a new intelligence estimate……(Washington Post, 18 Jul 07)

Al Qaeda 'evolving' against U.S.

Al Qaeda terrorists are rebuilding their capabilities and continuing to plan mass-casualty attacks inside the United States, according to an intelligence assessment made public yesterday. ..….(Washington Times, 18 Jul 07)

Four men jailed over cartoon demo

.....Mizanur Rahman, 24, Umran Javed, 27, and Abdul Muhid, 24, were each jailed for six years for soliciting to murder after telling a crowd to bomb the UK.....Abdul Muhid, 24, said to be the leader of the demonstration, chanted "Bomb, bomb the UK" and waved placards with slogans such as "Annihilate those who insult Islam".....(BBC, 18 Jul 07)

Death Sentences Given in Mumbai Bombings

Three Muslim men on Wednesday received the first death sentences for a series of bombs that ripped through India's financial capital in 1993, killing 257 people in the country's deadliest terrorist attack…..(AP, 18 Jul 07)

Stricter checks on hospital staff after terrorist arrests

Staff at Milton Keynes Hospital are to face tighter security checks than ever before following the recent terrorist attacks…..(MK News, 18 Jul 07)

Townsend: al-Qaida Plots New Attack

President Bush's White House counterterrorism adviser said Wednesday that U.S. officials believe al-Qaida wants to launch "a mass casualty, spectacular event" in the United States but don't think it can do so. …..(AP, 18 Jul 07)

British radicals 'are a danger to America'

Muslim radicals recruited to terrorism in Britain and Europe were labelled a major threat to US national security last night.....(Daily Telegraph, 18 Jul 07)

Women scrutinized at airports now facing weapons charge

Two women who have been the subject of police scrutiny because of their activities at area airports had materials in their home that could be fashioned into explosive devices, officials say. A pipe that had been fashioned into an illegal firearm was among the items fire officials seized from the Arlington home shared by Kimberly "Asma" Al-Homsi and Aisha Hamad, authorities said. Other items included black powder, shotgun shells, pipes and putty.....(Dallas Morning News, 18 Jul 07)

Jihadi Ideologue Justifies Attacks on Muslim Governments

......Al-Jethami begins his post with the assurance that he will "prove that the people of jihad are the most profound in knowledge and the closest to following the religious proof."....(Jamestown Foundation, 18 Jul 07)

Congressman Ellison Carries the Islamists’ Water

Why is Congressman Keith Ellison (D-MN), the first Muslim in the U.S. Congress, disgracefully spreading extremist propaganda and aligning himself with controversial Islamist groups?....(FSM, 18 Jul 07)

What is CAIR?

.....Is CAIR still fooling the establishment? For a while after 9/11, it certainly did so. The subsequent convictions of CAIR officials and employees for terror-related activities have made it increasingly difficult for CAIR to continue its charade with the same high level of success.....(PowerLine, 18 Jul 07)

"Jihad Will Destroy Us If We Don't Act Now"

…..“I was invited to write this first book – Islam Unveiled – after 9/11. I agreed, then I was surprised by how well it did, that there was this great thirst for this perspective. People realise they are being lied to in the mainstream.”….(Catholic Herald, 18 Jul 07)

Mariane Pearl sues al Qaeda over husband's killing

The widow of slain Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl filed a lawsuit on Wednesday against al Qaeda, other radical groups and Pakistan-based Habib Bank Ltd over the 2002 abduction, torture and murder of her husband….(Reuters, 18 Jul 07)

War Footing

.....Of course the one thing these clever terrorists have in common is Islam.  Nobody wants to say that out loud, though, because it’s too politically incorrect.  Whether it’s rioters in France or detained terror suspects in Great Britain, people are loathe to identify them as Muslim or to identify the current fight as a holy war.  Never mind that the enemy has no problem calling themselves holy warriors and their fight a jihad.....(Human Events, 18 Jul 07)

Terrorism is real. Just ask those who have lost loved ones

ONE OF the great myths of history is that communism never threatened Australia. It is a myth successfully propagated by generations of left-leaning academics……(The Age, 18 Jul 07)