Californian Arrested on Terror Charges

Federal authorities said Friday that a California man has been arrested on terrorism-related charges and indicted along with his Malaysian brother, a fugitive and suspected leader of Jemaah Islamiyah…Bali, Indonesia. Rahmat Abdhir, 43, a United States citizen of Malaysian descent living in San Jose, was arrested at his workplace in Sunnyvale on Thursday after officials issued a 16-count indictment charging him with conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, lying to federal officials and contributing goods and services to a “global terrorist.”…..(New York Times, 4 Aug 07)

In Iraq, a Perilous Alliance With Former Enemies

…U.S. commanders are offering large sums to enlist, at breakneck pace, their former enemies, handing them broad security powers in a risky effort to tame this fractious area south of Baghdad in Babil province and, literally, buy time for national reconciliation. American generals insist they are not creating militias. In contracts with the U.S. military, the sheiks are referred to as "security contractors." Each of their "guards" will receive 70 percent of an Iraqi policeman's salary. U.S. commanders call them "concerned citizens," evoking suburban neighborhood watch groups. But interviews with ground commanders and tribal leaders offer a window into how the United States is financing a new constellation of mostly Sunni armed groups with murky allegiances and shady pasts…..(Washington Post, 3 Aug 07)

Pakistan urges UK to pull out of Afghanistan

Britain and America have been urged to prepare an exit strategy from Afghanistan by sources within the Pakistan government as the number of fatalities among Nato forces fighting the Taliban grows. The remarks, by a senior foreign ministry official, reflect the growing belief in Islamabad that Nato is as much to blame for the endurance of the Islamic rebel army as Pakistan, which has been accused by the United States of failing to destroy Taliban training camps on its border. Nato has had to review tactics after a series of blunders in which large numbers of civilians were killed in raids intended to hit Taliban fighters. The Afghan government has claimed that the attacks acted as a recruiting sergeant for the rebels seeking to restore a hardline Islamic regime…..(Telegraph, 3 Aug 07)

Nuclear: US-India deal may ignite arms race, Pakistan body warns

… In what could be described as an indirect criticism of the discriminatory US policy in favor of India, the NCA, which held its first meeting after the US-India agreement, observed: “The objective of strategic stability in South Asia and the global non-proliferation regime would have been better served if the United States had considered a package approach for Pakistan and India, the two non-NPT nuclear weapons states, with a view to preventing a nuclear arms race in the region and promoting restraints while ensuring that the legitimate needs of both countries for civil nuclear power generation are met.”…..(AKI, 3 Aug 07)

Terror outfits strike a goldmine in coal pockets

…India is home to the world’s third-largest coal deposits, and RDX, gelatine sticks and ammonium nitrate are among the most commonly-used explosives in mines. So much so that industry observers estimate that as much as one tonne of explosives is used daily in coal mines. Terrorist organizations such as the People’s War Group (PWG), Maoists and United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa) have figured out that stealing RDX from mines is the easiest option. The threat is real enough to have made the central government sit up and take note…..(Economic Times, 3 Aug 07

Iran-U.S. to hold expert level talks on Iraq: envoy

Iran, the United States and Iraq will hold expert level talks next week to define the work of a security committee they agreed to set up in July to help restore security in Iraq, an Iranian news agency reported on Friday. The two arch foes Tehran and Washington, which cut diplomatic relations shortly after Iran's 1979 Islamic revolution, held two rounds of rare talks in Baghdad in May and July to find ways to improve security in Iraq….(Reuters, 3 Aug 07)

U.N. says thousands flee Mogadishu

Somali children are at risk from unexploded ordnance around the capital Mogadishu, where daily fighting has forced 27,000 people to flee since June…Bombing and gun battles in the capital prevent families from working or buying food, and children are out of school because of the dangers and closed roads, the United Nations refugee agency (UNHCR) said…..(Reuters, 3 Aug 07)

Afghans check reports of civilian bombing deaths

Afghan authorities were checking on Friday reported heavy civilian casualties after air strikes by Western forces in the southern province of Helmand. At least 20 wounded civilians were brought to a main hospital in Lashkar Gah, the provincial capital, Helmand's police chief Mohammad Hussein Andiwal said….(Reuters, 3 Aug 07)

Accused of terrorist links, Kurdish lawmakers to press for minority's rights

To some, they are terrorist sympathizers. To others, they are champions of Turkey's ethnic Kurd minority. On Saturday, 21 lawmakers backed by a political party accused of links to the Kurdish rebel group PKK take the oath of office in Turkey's new Parliament, marking the first time the group is represented in the legislature since its ouster in 1994 over alleged ties to the militants…..(AP, 3 Aug 07)

Libya has letters of intent for arms sale

Libya has signed letters of intent to buy anti-tank missiles and radio systems from European aerospace and defense group EADS, French defense Minister Herve Morin said on Friday. The purchases would be Libya's first arms deals with a Western country since the 2004 lifting of an international weapons embargo….(Reuters, 3 Aug 07)

US spy plane hits Allawi's home
Iraqi sources have confirmed that an American surveillance plane has crashed into Iyad Allawi's residence. The aircraft slammed into Allawi's house in Baghdad on Thursday. The incident comes as US support of the former Iraqi prime minister is heightening while at the moment he is the most vocal opposition to the current Iraqi government…..(Press TV, 3 Aug 07)

Iraq: Al-Qaeda 'parade' in Baquba

Two months after US and Iraqi troops announced they had routed al-Qaeda affiliated militants in the city of Baquba, photographs have appeared on the Internet suggesting the Islamists continue to operate in the area. The photographs purport to show a parade by the 'Islamic State of Iraq' - the monicker used by the al-Qaeda militants - through the mostly Sunni city which lies some 50 kilometres north of Baghdad……(AKI, 3 Aug 07)

Israeli special forces assassinate Islamic Jihad activist

Israeli special force units assassinated on Friday a prominent Palestinian activist from the Quds Brigades, the military wing of the Islamic Jihad, in the city of Nablus. Eyewitnesses said Israeli troops shot dead Raed Abu Al-Adass while he was driving his vehicle during a raid in the West Bank city of Nablus….(KUNA, 3 Aug 07)

'Swiss seize Iran nuke plant equipment'

Swiss customs authorities seized mechanical equipment weighing over two tons which they suspected was destined for an Iranian nuclear plant, Al Watan reported on Friday. The equipment's estimated value was 0.5 million euros. According to the report in the Saudi-based newspaper, a Swiss company was suspected to be involved in the deal…..(Jerusalem Post, 3 Aug 07)

U.S. force said on table in hostage crisis

The United States apparently hasn't ruled out the use of force to rescue the 21 South Korean hostages in Afghanistan…Simultaneously, the news agency, quoting sources, said South Korean officials were talking to the Taliban to decide on a venue for face-to-face talks about the hostages, most of whom are reported quite ill since being abducted on July 19 and held prisoner in the central Afghanistan town of Ghazni……(UPI, 3 Aug 07)

Oakland, Fremont descend on Your Black Muslim Bakery

Authorities say more than a dozen people were detained early this morning in Oakland as the result of a yearlong police investigation. Just what exactly was being investigated has not been detailed…..(AP, 3 Aug 07)

Lawyer Seeks Mental Testing of Suspect in J.F.K. Case

The lawyer for a former air cargo worker charged in a plot to detonate fuel tanks at Kennedy International Airport asked a federal judge yesterday to allow a psychological examination of the man to determine his “intellectual limitations.” The lawyer said the worker, Russell M. Defreitas, understands that he has been charged in a terrorist plot but cannot read and may have a fairly low intelligence…..(New York Times, 3 Aug 07)

Border Computers Vulnerable to Attack

The U.S. government's main border control system is plagued by computer security weaknesses, increasing the risk of computer attacks, data thefts, and manipulation of millions of identity records including passport, visa and Social Security numbers and the world's largest fingerprint database…U.S. officials have called the US-VISIT system a cornerstone of the nation's efforts to stop terrorists at the borders and stanch the flow of illegal immigrants. It automates the collection of fingerprints and digital photographs, and links border control officers to FBI, border enforcement, immigration and State Department watch lists and databases……Washington Post, 3 Aug 07)

Anti-Terrorism Grant to Fund Upgrades, New Projects

The D.C. area will use a major anti-terrorism grant to upgrade its bomb squads and provide law enforcement with new intelligence analysts and computer systems -- including one dubbed "Google for cops," authorities said yesterday. Those were among the details released by state and local officials, who met this week to carve up a recent $61.6 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The funds are a 30 percent increase over last year's award to the region, but still far less than the $140 million officials had sought….(Washington Post, 3 Aug 07)

Bush signs homeland security bill

President Bush signed legislation Friday that intensifies the anti-terrorism effort at home, shifting money to high-risk states and cities and expanding scrutiny of air and sea cargo. The bill elevates the importance of risk factors in determining which states and cities get federal security funds. That would mean more money for such cities as New York and Washington. It also puts money into a new program to ensure that security officials at every level can communicate with each other…..(AP, 3 Aug 07)

Three killed, seven injured in attack against Iraq''s Islamic party building

Three people were killed and seven injured Thursday when mortar shells slammed buildings surrounding headquarters of the Islamic Party in Baghdad, a security source said. The source, asking not to be named, told KUNA three mortar shells fell near the headquarters, located in the Yarmouk neighborhood in western Baghdad……(KUNA, 3 Aug 07)

Taliban Terror Not Relevant to Jihad

The Taliban are claiming this kidnapping is to save their people and establish a government on behalf of the beliefs of Islam. However, many Islam experts have denounced their brutality as being far from the Islamic tenet and distort its original spirit. “Jihad is used 33 times in the Quran and the term means to strive or struggle. That doesn't mean to take innocent lives,”…..(Korea Times, 3 Aug 07)

Finsbury Park: Inside the British Jihad

…Throughout the 1990s and early 2000’s, the Finsbury Park Mosque became a symbol of Britain’s problem with radical Islam and the eerie face of “Londonistan.” The mosque was conceived at the Prince of Wales’ request. King Fahd of Saudi Arabia donated over 2.3 million pounds to construct the building, which was designed to serve the large Bangladeshi community of North London. From 1997 until his dismissal in 2003, however, the fiery Egyptian-born preacher Abu Hamza al-Masri took over as the mosque’s imam…..(Global Politician, 3 Aug 07)

My View of Islam: On holy war, apostasy and the rights of women in Islam.

The undisputed definition of Islam by all her adherents is “submission to the will of Allah.” This divine will is outlined in the Koran and in the teachings and deeds of Muhammad, as recorded in the Hadith or Sunna…..(Newsweek, 2 Aug 07)

Iran's Challenges from Within: An Overview of Ethno-Sectarian Unrest

Iran continues to face international pressure over its nuclear program and heightening tensions with the United States regarding its role in Iraq and Afghanistan. A pillar of U.S. strategy in the Middle East after the fall of the shah has been to check Iranian power in the Gulf region and Eurasia through a policy of strategic encirclement. U.S. support for Iraq during the Iran-Iraq war is widely perceived as the first salvo in this plan….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 2 Aug 07)

The Threat of Islamic Radicalism to Greece

Al-Qaeda and affiliated Islamist terrorist organizations have extended their reach to many countries in Europe, including Greece (To Bhma, April 20). The war on terrorism has turned Greece into a key entry and transit point for Islamic fundamentalist networks. This is partly due to Greece's long and porous coastal borders and proximity to the Middle East, making it a potential source for terrorist infiltration to many Western countries. French intelligence sources dating back to the pre-9/11 period claim that organized networks of radical Arab groups that have operated in Greece in the past have been used by al-Qaeda affiliates and other fundamentalist networks….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 2 Aug 07)

Iraq Snapshots Give 2 Views

…In war, good news and bad news often coexist. But in Iraq, where battle lines are murky, the snapshots emerging from the American counterinsurgency campaign can seem particularly contradictory. Ever since American troops first rumbled through Iraqi cities more than four years ago, the war has produced both victories and defeats, and most have been short-lived…..(New York Times, 2 Aug 07)

Pentagon sold plane parts sought by Iran: report

The Pentagon has mistakenly sold the public about 1,400 aircraft parts that Iran is known to be seeking for its aging fleet of U.S. F-14 "Tomcat" fighter planes, according to a government report. The Government Accountability Office, the investigative arm of the U.S. Congress, told lawmakers the aircraft parts were subject to controls that should have kept them from the public but that a technical glitch allowed for their sale…..(Reuters, 2 Aug 07)

Padilla Testimony Focuses on Relief Aid

A defense witness in the Jose Padilla terrorism support trial described Thursday how an organization operated by a Padilla co-defendant generated tons of clothing, medicine, food and toys for relief efforts in war-torn Chechnya…..(AP, 2 Aug 07)

Terror suspect's deal leaves many questions

A plea deal in the case of a Somali man the government says plotted to blow up an Ohio shopping mall raised nearly as many questions as it answered, including what a convicted al-Qaida terrorist might have said on the witness stand. Nuradin Abdi, 35, pleaded guilty Tuesday to conspiring to provide material support for terrorists, in an agreement that traced Abdi's life from illegally entering the United States in 1995 to threatening comments he made about an unspecified mall in August 2002. The Justice Department accused Abdi of suggesting an attack on an unidentified Columbus shopping mall during an August 2002 meeting at a coffee shop with now-convicted al-Qaida terrorist Iyman Faris and a third suspect, Christopher Paul. The alleged plot was never carried out….(Cleveland Plain Dealer, 2 Aug 07)

US marine guilty over Iraq plot

A US marine has been found guilty of conspiracy to murder an Iraqi, but was cleared by a US jury of premeditated murder and kidnapping. Cpl Marshall Magincalda was one of four marines who seized Hashim Ibrahim Awad, a neighbour of the suspected insurgent they were hunting, the jury heard. Mr Awad was driven from his home in Hamdaniya, west of Baghdad, and shot…..(BBC, 2 Aug 07)

Frontline terrorism

States such as Pakistan and Afghanistan have come to the fore in recent years as part of the frontline in the war against terrorism. Their geographic location, social trajectory and political history have resulted in circumstances that have made their immediate proximity particularly prone to a burrowing terrorist network or other radical militia. It is believed that the two top al-Qaeda leaders -- Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri -- are lodged in hiding around the Pakistani-Afghan border……(Jakarta Post, 2 Aug 07)

Imams not suing flight passengers

Six imams removed from a U.S. Airways plane said they would not sue the passengers whose concerns led them to being kicked off a flight in November. In federal court Tuesday, the attorney for the imams said, "We don't contemplate naming any private passenger as a defendant."….(KSTP, 2 Aug 07)

Tapping into terror

By every official assessment, there is a growing risk that a resurgent Al Qaeda will try an attack on the U.S. The danger is great enough that a week ago, National Intelligence Director Mike McConnell warned he has "deep concern about the current threat situation." Out there, somewhere, the followers of Osama Bin Laden are plotting, and America's spy agencies bear the awesome responsibility of preventing a strike. They need to be at the top of their games, but they are not…..(New York Daily, 2 Aug 07)

Iraq: Suicide bomb kills 13

A suicide car bomber slammed into an Iraqi police station northeast of Baghdad on Thursday, killing at least 13 people, police said. Most of the victims were policemen and recruits lining up outside the station in Hibhib, the same small Sunni town near Baqouba where al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was killed….(AP, 2 Aug 07)

11 killed in attacks in south Thailand

Rebels staged an ambush and set off bombs across southern Thailand in violence Wednesday that left 11 people dead, including two soldiers and five suspected Muslim insurgents, police said. Five suspected Muslim insurgents were shot dead in a gunbattle with Thai soldiers in a violence-wracked region of Yala Province….(AP, 2 Aug 07)

8 killed, 20 wounded in Mogadishu

Mortars slammed into homes in the Somali capital after fighting between insurgents and Ethiopian troops, killing eight people, including a mother and her two daughters…Police spokesman Yusuf Osman Hussein blamed the attacks on remnants of an Islamic militia driven from Mogadishu in December by Ethiopian troops backing Somalia's fragile government…..(AP, 2 Aug 07)

Dozens killed in South Darfur clashes between two Arab nomad tribes; African nations agree to send peacekeepers

Dozens of people were killed in clashes this week between two Arab nomad tribes in southern Darfur, local reports said Thursday, as officials there downplayed the reports, claiming the situation was under control. The development came as the United Nations on Tuesday passed a resolution to send 26,000 peacekeepers to Darfur….(AP, 2 Aug 07)

Hamas Leader Khaled Mash'al Praises Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi for His Support of Suicide Operations and States: Holocaust Exaggerated, Being Used to Extort Germany, and Zionist Holocaust Against Arabs Much Worse

The following are excerpts from speeches delivered by Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al and Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi at a conference honoring Al-Qaradhawi. The speeches aired on Al-Jazeera TV on July 16, 2007…..(MEMRI, 2 Aug 07)

In Terrorism-Law Case, Chiquita Points to U.S.
On April 24, 2003, a board member of Chiquita International Brands disclosed to a top official at the Justice Department that the king of the banana trade was evidently breaking the nation's anti-terrorism laws...Justice officials have acknowledged in court papers that an official at the meeting said they understood Chiquita's situation was "complicated," and three of the sources identified that official as (Michael) Chertoff. They said he promised to get back to the company after conferring with national security advisers and the State Department about the larger ramifications for U.S. interests if the corporate giant pulled out overnight. Sources close to Chiquita say that Chertoff never did get back to the company or its lawyers. Neither did Larry D. Thompson, the deputy attorney general, whom Chiquita officials sought out after Chertoff left his job for a federal judgeship in June 2003…..(Washington Post, 2 Aug 07)

Graphics: Chiquita's Dealings With Paramilitaries

Rice says Olmert ready to discuss "fundamental issues" leading to creation of Palestinian state

U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Thursday that the Israeli leader is ready to discuss "fundamental issues" leading to the creation of a Palestinian state. The top U.S. diplomat met in Ramallah with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and signed an agreement granting the Palestinians $80 million for reform of their security services…..(AP, 2 Aug 07)

One in 11 British Muslims backs suicide bombers, says Brown aide

As many as one in 11 British Muslims agree with and proactively support terrorism, a Government adviser has warned police. Haras Rafiq also told officers at Scotland Yard that up to 20 per cent of the Muslim population ' sympathize' with militants, while stopping short of being prepared to 'blow themselves up'…..(Daily Mail, 2 Aug 07)

Mujahid Dokubo-Asari: The Niger Delta's Ijaw Leader

Among the restive Ijaw population in Nigeria's troubled, energy-rich delta region, one man stands alone as the most recognizable face of resistance: Mujahid Dokubo-Asari. Asari has been a central figure in the Ijaw cause, forming in late 2003 one of the delta's most notorious Ijaw militant groups, the Niger Delta People's Volunteer Force (NDPVF). Through this militant youth organization, Asari fought rival gangs, siphoned oil and gas from pipelines, destroyed energy infrastructure and declared an "all-out war" on the Nigerian state….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 2 Aug 07)

Bosnia Plans to Expel Arabs Who Fought in Its War

…While many former fighters who stayed have managed to fit into Bosnian society, others stand out. Imad al-Hussein, a former medical student from Syria with a thick beard, became the public face of the Muslim fighters, or mujahedeen, after the war. He is one of six former fighters the government wants to expel first….(New York Times, 2 Aug 07)

German authorities arrest 4 suspected leftist extremists in terror, arson case

…Three of the men, identified only as Florian L. and Oliver R., both 35, and 36-year-old Axel H., are suspected of belonging to an extreme left organization calling itself mg, or "militant group," prosecutors said in a statement. The men were caught attempting to set fire to a truck owned by the German army in the eastern state of Brandenburg early Tuesday….(AP, 2 Aug 07)

SE Asia leading way on terror, Australia says

Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer on Thursday praised Southeast Asia's role in fighting terrorism, saying the region was leading the way, from security cooperation to winning hearts and minds….(Hindustan Times, 2 Aug 07)

'No proof of Haneef's alleged link to Al-Qaida'

…SBS Channel on Wednesday night revealed a dossier said to be made by Bangalore police on Haneef which alleges he "must have come into contact with members of terrorist entities and assisted". One entry in the file, which is marked "restricted", said "Organizational set up: alleged links with Al Qaida".  But the document does not provide any evidence and it is not clear whether police were just outlining suspicions to be further investigated…..(Times of India, 2 Aug 07)

Sunnis Quit Cabinet Posts; Bombs Kill 75 in Baghdad

Iraq's largest Sunni political group partially withdrew from the Shiite-dominated government Wednesday, the latest indication of growing Sunni frustration with Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. The announcement by the Iraqi Accordance Front came on an especially violent day in Baghdad, as three car bombs killed at least 75 people in the capital. Meanwhile, the U.S. military announced the deaths of four U.S. troops….(Washington Post, 2 Aug 07)

Sunnis Asked to Reconsider Quiting Gov't

The Iraqi prime minister's party asked the country's largest Sunni Arab bloc Thursday to reconsider its withdrawal from government, in a last-ditch effort to restore Iraq's national unity government. All six Cabinet ministers from the Iraqi Accordance Front quit Nouri al-Maliki's regime a day earlier to protest what they called the prime minister's failure to respond to a set of demands. Among them were the release of security detainees not charged with specific crimes, the disbanding of militias and the participation of all groups represented in the government in dealing with security issues…..(AP, 2 Aug 07)

Sunni Faction Quits Iraqi Cabinet; Blasts Kill 76 in Capital

…The Sunni Arab bloc’s withdrawal, announced at the beginning of a monthlong break by Parliament, is another serious blow to hopes that Iraq’s feuding political parties could pass legislation sought by Congress as evidence of progress by Sept. 15. That is the date on which Gen. David H. Petraeus, the commander of American forces in Iraq, and Ambassador Ryan C. Crocker will present their official assessment in Washington. Although Mr. Maliki’s Shiite-dominated coalition still retains a parliamentary majority, most analysts believe that any legislation on matters of reconciliation passed without the backing of the main Sunni bloc, the Iraqi Consensus Front, would be virtually meaningless…..(New York Times, 2 Aug 07)

Terrorists may target MPs: intelligence officials

Intelligence agencies have warned of terrorist attacks at Parliament House and Parliament Lodges in Islamabad as revenge for the Lal Masjid operation…..(Daily Times, 2 Aug 07)

Man charged over failed London bombings remanded in custody

A man charged over attempted London bombings two years ago was remanded in custody Thursday for failing to disclose information that "might help in bringing a terrorist to justice" in Britain. Lukimon Sulaimon, a 23-year-old garage worker from Hove, on England's south coast, appeared briefly before City of Westminster Magistrates' Court in central London. Another hearing was scheduled at the same court next Thursday….(Agence France-Presse, 2 Aug 07)

Afghan gov''t shelves plan for military operation to release S. Korean

The Afghan government has put off plans Thursday to secure the release of the 21 Korean hostages through military action. Earlier, the Defence Ministry had dropped pamphlets in Ghazni province asking residents of Taliban stronghold areas to leave their houses and move to safer places to avoid any threat to their lives or property damage….(KUNA, 2 Aug 07)

Sri Lankan police find 700 detonators inside passenger bus

…The bus was traveling from the northern town of Vavuniya to the capital, Colombo, and the detonators were concealed in a bag of corn, an official at the ministry's information center said on condition of anonymity in line with policy. He said police stopped the bus after a tip-off in Nochchiyagama of Anuradhapura district, about 160 kilometers (100 miles) northeast of Colombo…..(AP, 2 Aug 07)

S. Korea seeks US help over Afghanistan hostages

…These kidnappings that are occurring not far from Kabul are just another sign of how insecure Afghanistan has become over the past two years, despite a dramatically increased NATO and U.S. military presence of some 50,000 troops. Not only are abductions a constant danger, so are the roadside bombs known as IEDs and suicide bombers, who have even struck inside Kabul. This insecurity, especially the kidnappings, is further hindering the delivery of aid and reconstruction assistance to the eastern and southern provinces. Among the recent kidnapping victims is a four-man Afghan medical team that was abducted on Monday.….(Agence France-Presse, 2 Aug 07)

Nigerian Shia base knocked down

Nigeria's security forces have demolished the headquarters of a Shia sect, whose members were accused of killing a rival Muslim cleric. The security forces destroyed a school, a clinic and the living quarters of the sect in the north-western Sokoto state. Although no official explanation was given for the demolition, it is being suggested that it is part of a plan to expel the group from the city. Shia leader Kasimu Rimin Tawaye and some 100 followers remain in detention….(BBC, 2 Aug 07)

US 'loses' 190,000 weapons in Iraq

…According to its July 31 report, the military “cannot fully account for about 110,000 AK-47 assault rifles, 80,000 pistols, 135,000 items of body armour and 115,000 helmets reported as issued to Iraqi forces”. The weapons disappeared from records between June 2004 and September 2005, as the military struggled to rebuild the disbanded Iraqi forces from scratch amid increasing attacks from Sunni insurgents and Shiite militias…“Since 2006 the command has placed greater emphasis on collecting the supporting documents. However, GAO's review of the January 2007 property books found continuing problems with missing and incomplete records.”…..(Agence France-Presse, 1 Aug 07)

Italy: North African jihadists pose 'biggest' terror threat

Italy faces its "biggest terrorism risks" from North African jihadists, including some linked to Islamist networks in the Balkans, the Middle East and Central Asia, according to a report by the Italian secret services. "Collaboration and synergies" exist between radical groups within the North African community in Europe and Italy and "events in Tunisia, Morocco and Algeria", the secret services said in the latest update of a periodical report presented to the Italian government….(AKI, 1 Aug 07)

Lockerbie case, arms deal key to medics release: Kadhafi son

A deal with Britain that could see a Libyan convicted for the Lockerbie bombings extradited home and a French arms agreement were key to last week's release of six foreign medics, Libyan leader Moamer Kadhafi's son said in comments published Wednesday. Former Libyan secret agent Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed Al-Megrahi, who was jailed for the 1988 bombing of a US airliner over Lockerbie, Scotland, won the right to a new appeal in June after a court ruled he may have been wrongly convicted…..(Agence France-Presse, 1 Aug 07)

Taliban Commander: Why We Took the Koreans

…Karzai is under intense pressure not to give in again. But the South Korean government is pleading with him and the U.S. to "use flexibility" in dealing with the Taliban's demands. Seoul and the Korean public clearly favor a deal. But this time Karzai seems to be siding with his allies in the belief that striking such an agreement would only encourage more Taliban abductions, turning kidnapping into a Taliban growth industry. "I think as a principle we shouldn't encourage kidnapping by accepting their demand," says the president's spokesman, Humayun Hamidzada….(Newsweek, 1 Aug 07)

Pakistani Journalists Blame Government in Lal Masjid Showdown

In two recent articles in the Pakistani press, Pakistani journalists blamed the Pakistani government for the Lal Masjid showdown. Just before the mosque was stormed, Najam Sethi wrote in the pro-Kashmir Roznama Nation to describe the history of the Ghazi brothers' ties with Pakistani intelligence services; following the confrontation, Hamid Mir wrote in the right-of-center Roznama Jang ("The War Daily") that the government had mishandled the situation and alienated public opinion…..(MEMRI, 1 Aug 07)

Ammonium nitrate sent to U.S. Rep.

Rep. Peter King and his staff evacuated their office by the U.S. Capitol for more than an hour Wednesday afternoon after receiving a hand-addressed envelope with the words "ammonium nitrate" underlined on the front…King, who has championed a bill to regulate the sale of ammonium nitrate, a commonly used fertilizer that when combined with fuel oil can make a lethal bomb, said he knew nothing about the envelope until after an aide had notified police…..(Newsday, 1 Aug 07)

DOD creates new counterterrorism panel

Senior Pentagon officials have created a new panel in charge of integrating Defense Department activities that could aid the military in fighting terrorism worldwide, Pentagon sources told Federal Computer Week. The group, dubbed the Combating Terrorism Coordination Council, is headed by Joint Staff Director Army Lt. Gen. Walter Sharp and Ryan Henry, principal deputy undersecretary of Defense for policy….(Fed Computer Week, 1 Aug 07)

Playing into Taliban's Hands

The kidnapping of South Korean and German hostages has created a dilemma for Afghanistan and the West. Should governments negotiate with kidnappers? German commentators on Friday also ask what Korean Christian relief workers were doing traveling without adequate security… The death of the second Korean hostage comes at a time when Germans are also fearing for the well-being of 62-year-old engineer Rudolf B., who is currently being held by kidnappers demanding the withdrawal of German troops from Afghanistan. Arab news station Al-Jazeera aired a video of Rudolf B. on Tuesday evening, and negotiations with his kidnappers are continuing…….(Spiegel, 1 Aug 07)

Islamists want Pakistan province renamed "Afghania"

An Islamic alliance ruling Pakistan's North West Frontier Province bordering Afghanistan has proposed changing the region's name to "Afghania," a provincial minister said on Wednesday. The NWFP government's request to the federal government in Islamabad is likely to rekindle an old debate over the name of the region dominated by ethnic Pashtuns, who live on both sides of the border between Pakistan and Afghanistan…..(Reuters, 1 Aug 07)

Taliban Warns Against Hostage Rescue Plan

A local Taliban commander in Afghanistan's Ghazni province has told CBS News that Afghan and U.S. soldiers are going door to door in the area in a new effort to rescue 21 South Korean hostages. "There weren't any Taliban there, but now they are going there to ambush the troops and clear them from the area," the militant, who identified himself as Haji Nurullah, told CBS News in a telephone interview. Nurullah said there hadn't been any gunfire or other combat yet, but that coalition troops were knocking on doors in three villages in the Shelghar and Karabagh districts, asking residents to support the government rather than the Taliban. He said troops had also knocked on the door of a well-known madrassa, or Islamic religious school, in a nearby village…..(CBS, 1 Aug 07)

Saudis Plan Diplomatic Mission to Baghdad

After four years of resisting diplomatic ties to Iraq, the Saudi Arabian government plans to send a mission to Baghdad to explore the possibility of opening an embassy there, a potentially significant first step in what U.S. officials hope will be increased efforts by Iraq's neighbors to stabilize the war-ravaged country…..(Washington Post, 1 Aug 07)

The Pakistan Policy Predicament

The Administration is wrestling with policy toward Pakistan. The intelligence estimate about al Qaeda using the border areas of Pakistan as a safe haven has put Pakistan's role in Afghanistan on the front pages. The United States would much prefer to address this problem with Pakistan rather than mounting a military intervention that would surely turn all of Pakistan, including its army, against the U.S. President Bush and the administration's key personalities still believe Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf is the best hope for U.S. interests in the region…..(Washington Post, 1 Aug 07)

Sunni Arab Bloc Quits Iraqi Government

Iraq's largest Sunni Arab political bloc announced its withdrawal from the government Wednesday, threatening Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki's efforts to seek reconciliation among the country's rival factions. Violence continued unabated, with at least 50 people killed when a fuel tanker exploded near a gas station in western Baghdad….(AP, 1 Aug 07)

Taliban leaves tribal roots for Al Qaeda tactics

By killing two South Korean hostages and refusing to release the remaining 21, including 18 women, the Taliban is taking a new path that suggests it is becoming an Afghan branch of Al Qaeda. In the past 18 months, the Taliban has adopted more aggressive tactics – such as kidnappings and suicide bombings – imported directly from the Al Qaeda-led global jihad. It marks a departure from the Taliban of the recent past…..(Christian Science Monitor, 1 Aug 07)