A More Islamic Islam

A small group of self-proclaimed secular Muslims from North America and elsewhere gathered in St. Petersburg recently for what they billed as a new global movement to correct the assumed wrongs of Islam and call for an Islamic Reformation…..(Washington Post op-ed, 17 Mar 07) READ the Comments to this op-ed

Iran Is Playing a Growing Role in Iraq Economy

…The economies of Iraq and Iran, the largest Shiite-majority countries in the world, are becoming closely integrated, with Iranian goods flooding Iraqi markets and Iraqi cities looking to Iran for basic services. After the two countries fought a devastating war from 1980 to 1988, Saddam Hussein maintained tight control over cross-border trade, but commerce has exploded since the American-led invasion of 2003…Statistics from the American Embassy’s economic section show that Syria accounted for 22 percent of Iraq’s imports in 2005, and Turkey 21 percent. Iran, which has the longest border with Iraq, would be likely to fall in that range, officials said. The C.I.A. World Factbook estimates Iraq’s total imports in 2006 at $20.8 billion….(New York Times, 17 Mar 07)

Swelling Crowds Across Pakistan Denounce Musharraf’s Suspension of Chief Justice

…The protests pose a serious political challenge for the current president, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, who suspended the judge, Iftikhar Muhammad Chaudhry, last week for reasons that have not been made public. Supporters say the move against the judge is politically motivated….(New York Times, 17 Mar 07)

Probe of Al-Qaeda Leader's Handling Sought

Two senators who observed last week's closed military proceedings against al-Qaeda leader Khalid Sheik Mohammed called for an investigation into allegations that the accused planner of the Sept. 11 attacks was physically abused while in CIA custody. Mohammed told the tribunal last Saturday that he had been mistreated during three years in CIA custody before his transfer to Guantanamo Bay, and he submitted a written description of the alleged abuse….(Washington Post, 17 Mar 07)

A New Generation of Al Qaeda Emerges in Lebanon

…Palestinian refugee camps in Lebanon have long been fertile ground for militancy, particularly focused on the fight against Israel. But militants in those camps now have a broader vision. In the Ein el-Hilweh camp, an hour's drive south of Beirut, another radical Sunni group, Asbat al-Ansar, has been sending fighters to Iraq since the start of the war, its leaders acknowledged in interviews. "The U.S. is oppressing a lot of people,"….(AINA, 16 Mar 07)

Islamic Republic of Iran News Network (IRINN TV) on '300': 'Zionist Warner Company' Propaganda Against Iran

The recently released Hollywood film "300" has stirred a great deal of negative reaction from the Iranian government and media, which is accusing it of "intentional insults to the country's ancient culture" and "serving the policy of the U.S. leadership."….(MEMRI, 16 Mar 07)

Cleric hits Ahmadinejad for making enemies

A leading cleric and close associate of the late Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini has joined critics of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who is coming under increasing criticism from Iran's political and religious authorities….(Washington Times, 16 Mar 07)

Sheikh Gamal Al-Bana: Social and Religious Moderation vs. Political Extremism
Egyptian Islamist thinker, author, and journalist Sheikh Gamal Al-Bana is a controversial figure in the Arab world. For the most part, his critics are devout extremist Muslims who oppose his unusual views on Islamic matters….(MEMRI, 16 Mar 07)

Arrest of Reformist Blogger Sparks Criticism in Egyptian Press

On February 22, 2007, Egyptian blogger Abdelkareem Nabil Suleiman, known by his web-pseudonym Karim Amer, was sentenced by an Egyptian court to four years in prison for "disparaging religions" and "insulting President Mubarak."…(MEMRI, 16 Mar 07)

Malaysia leader steps up drive for moderate Islam

Malaysia's leader stepped up a drive on Friday to promote his own brand of moderate Islam, taking a swipe at cynics who fear his message is being subverted by Islamic conservatives….(Reuters, 16 Mar 07)

Iranian anger at Hollywood 'assault'

…The latest issue to grip Iranian expatriates is the Hollywood blockbuster 300. According to the protesters, it projects an "irresponsible" and "distorted" image of ancient Persia….(BBC, 16 Mar 07)

Egyptian First Lady Suzanne Mubarak: Polygamy, Female Circumcision Can Be Abolished Only Through Education, Not Force; A Female Egyptian President - Not in the Near Future

The following are excerpts from an interview with Egyptian First Lady Suzanne Mubarak, which aired on Al-Arabiya TV on March 8, 2007….(MEMRI, 16 Mar 07)

Funding terror

…To avoid the abuse of this new technology by criminals and terrorists, the government needs to adopt a sophisticated digital tracking system now, as well as put in place a digital system to report in real time on transfers and block the flow of illicit funds…..(Washington Times, 16 Mar 07)

The new enemy at Bush's door

…In Lebanon, the administration has co-operated with Saudi Arabia's Government, which is Sunni, in clandestine operations that are intended to weaken Hezbollah, the Shi'ite organisation that is backed by Iran. The US has also taken part in clandestine operations aimed at Iran and its ally Syria. A by-product of these activities has been the bolstering of Sunni extremist groups that espouse a militant vision of Islam and are hostile to the US and sympathetic to al-Qa'ida….(Australian, 16 Mar 07)

Taliban spreads its influence into Pakistan

…Diplomats and concerned residents see the bombings as proof of a spreading "Talibanization", as Pakistan's President, General Pervez Musharraf, calls it, which has seeped into more settled districts of Pakistan from the tribal areas along the border, where the Taliban and al-Qaeda have made a home….(New York Time, 16 Mar 07)

Afghan opium crop booms

…Afghanistan is about to produce another bumper crop of opium, and narcotics specialists predict another major increase over last year's 60 percent rise in poppy cultivation. The number of Afghans involved in the illicit trade, either as farmers or dealers, rose last year from 2 million to nearly 3 million people…(Washington Times, 16 Mar 07)

Analysis: A new generation of Al Qaeda emerges in Lebanon

…"It seems there has been a debate inside the US Government over what's the biggest danger: Iran or Sunni radicals," Vali Nasr, a senior fellow at the Council on Foreign Relations, who has written widely on Shi'ites, Iran and Iraq, tells me. "The Saudis and some in the administration have been arguing that the biggest enemy is Iran and the Sunni radicals are the lesser enemies. This is a victory for the Saudi line."…(Ya Libnan, 16 Mar 07)

A New Face of Jihad Vows Attacks on U.S.

Deep in a violent and lawless slum just north of this coastal city, 12 men whose faces were shrouded by scarves drilled with Kalashnikovs. In unison, they lunged in one direction, turned and lunged in another. “Allah-u akbar,” the men shouted in praise to God as they fired their machine guns into a wall. The men belong to a new militant Islamic organization called Fatah al Islam, whose leader, a fugitive Palestinian named Shakir al-Abssi, has set up operations in a refugee camp here where he trains fighters and spreads the ideology of Al Qaeda. He has solid terrorist credentials. A former associate of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, the leader of Al Qaeda of Mesopotamia who was killed last summer….(New York Times, 16 Mar 07)

Video: Inside Fatah al Islam

Fatah Al Islam chief denies Al Qaeda link

The chief of a small Palestinian Islamist group has denied allegations that it is linked with the Al Qaeda terror network and that it was responsible for deadly recent bombings in Lebanon. "Our movement is not allied with any regime, nor with any organization on earth," Fatah Al Islam leader Shaker Abssi was quoted as saying in Friday's edition of L'Orient Le Jour daily….(Middle East Times, 16 Mar 07)

Escape from UK-run prison in Iraq

Eleven detainees have escaped from a British military prison in southern Iraq, the British Army has said. Ten of them had "swapped" places with visitors over the past week…(BBC, 16 Mar 07)

Afghan driver of Italian hostage executed: report

The Afghan driver of a kidnapped Italian journalist was killed after being found guilty of spying, a man claiming to be a top Taliban commander's spokesman told an Afghan news agency Friday….(Agence France-Presse, 16 Mar 07)

Bus stand explosion in Kashmir kills one, wounds 7

Suspected militants detonated a crude bomb at a crowded bus stand in Indian Kashmir on Friday, killing one person and wounding seven others….(Reuters, 16 Mar 07)

For U.S. and Sadr, Wary Cooperation

…After four years of hostility, Sadr and the Americans are cooperating uneasily as the United States and Iraq attempt to tame Baghdad's sectarian violence. American officials, who in recent months described Sadr's Mahdi Army and other Shiite militias as the biggest threat to Iraq's stability, now praise the Shiite cleric….(Washington Post, 16 Mar 07)

Attack on Sadr official creates tension

An attack against the top Sadr City official has created tension in the ranks of Shiite militiamen with some blaming a faction unhappy about cooperation with Americans, a local commander said Friday…(AP, 16 Mar 07)

 Israeli Arabs A Long-Term Danger To Israel's Existence

Israel’s General Secret Service (GSS -- Shin Bet) has produced an internal document that holds that Israel’s Arab population is a “genuine long-range danger to the Jewish character and very existence of the State of Israel.” The paper, which has been presented to Prime Minister Ehud Olmert, cites worrisome data in various spheres…(ZOA, 16 Mar 07)

U.N. weighs ban on Iranian arms exports

The Security Council on Thursday began considering new sanctions against Iran that would ban the country's arms exports and expand a list of people and organizations whose assets are to be frozen because of their ties to its nuclear activities….(LA Times, 16 Mar 07)

6 Powers Agree on Sanctions For Iran

…The pact was struck as Iran informed the United States that President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad intends to lead a delegation to the United Nations to address the 15-nation council when the resolution is formally adopted….(Washington Post, 16 Mar 07)

Hamas-Fatah Coalition Misses West’s Goals

…the political document guiding the new government does not fulfill the international community’s three demands — to recognize Israel, forswear violence and accept previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements — and Israel announced that it would therefore not deal with the new government or any of its ministers, Hamas or not….(New York Times, 16 Mar 07)

Two Senators Secretly Flew to Cuba for Alleged 9/11 Mastermind's Hearing

Two key congressional leaders secretly flew to Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, on Saturday to observe the closed military hearing for al-Qaeda leader Khalid Sheik Mohammed, according to Capitol Hill staff members and Pentagon officials….(Washington Post, 16 Mar 07)

Experts: Mohammed Arrest Slowed al-Qaida

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed's capture four years ago didn't shut down al-Qaida or bring the Americans to Osama bin Laden. But if his mega-confession is to be believed, his arrest was a crushing blow to bin Laden's plans for even more deadly attacks in the wake of 9/11…..(Washington Post, 16 Mar 07)

In Tribunal Statement, Confessed 9/11 Plotter Burnishes His Image as a Soldier

Above all else, Khalid Shaikh Mohammed considers himself a soldier… It is his zeal for combat that made Mr. Mohammed, a Pakistani raised in Kuwait who holds an engineering degree from an American university, indispensable to Al Qaeda’s relentless campaign….(New York Times, 16 Mar 07)

Confession at Guantánamo by 9/11 Mastermind May Aid Other Qaeda Defendants

…..(New York Times, 16 Mar 07)

Alleged 9/11 Mastermind’s Admissions Part Propaganda, Part Truth, Expert Says

…referring to Mohammed's admission of involvement in 30 other plots including a planned strike on the UK's Heathrow airport, the Panama canal as well as US cities and nuclear power stations, Ranstorp said: "The critical question is: what stage were these at? Were they just ideas or were they put in motion?" he asked, arguing that Mohammed's admissions are intended to be above all a propaganda coup for al-Qaeda…(AKI, 16 Mar 07)

Mohammed's Words Gives Look Into His Mind

….(AP, 16 Mar 07)

Confrontation in Pakistan deepens

Protesters in Pakistan have been defying security forces to rally in support of the suspended top judge in the Supreme Court….(BBC, 16 Mar 07)

The Danger of Terrorist Black Holes in Southern Africa

On March 13, a South African intelligence official warned that a number of international terrorists may be spending time in South Africa, using the country as a safehaven….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 15 Mar 07)

Malaysia's Role in Thailand's Southern Insurgency

Against a backdrop of escalating communal and sectarian violence and warnings that militants could extend their attacks to Bangkok, Thai Prime Minister General Surayud Chulanont met with his Malaysian counterpart Abdullah Badawi on February 11-12….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 15 Mar 07)

Internal Divisions Threaten Kurdish Unity

After years of infighting and repression by Saddam Hussein's regime, Iraq's Kurds were finally able to seize the opportunity for autonomy and influence presented by the 2003 U.S.-led invasion. Since then, they have solidified the de facto autonomy that was established under the No Fly Zone and retained power and influence over Iraq's national policies….(Global Terrorism Analysis, 15 Mar 07)

Iran to Appeal Interpol Arrest 'Notices'

…Argentina is seeking the Iranians in the 1994 bombing of a Jewish community center in Buenos Aires. Eighty-five people were killed and 200 were wounded when a van pulled up outside the seven-story building and exploded….(AP, 15 Mar 07)

The Biased Broadcasting Corporation

Last summer, the Archbishop of Algeria remarked to this newspaper that when satellite dishes first appeared in Algeria, they were typically positioned to receive French broadcasts. Now the majority receive programming from the Persian Gulf…..(New York Times, 15 Mar 07)

U.S. to give Pakistan $750 mln for border areas

The United States aims to give Pakistan $750 million over the next five years for the development of areas on the border with Afghanistan, a senior U.S. official said…(Reuters, 15 Mar 07)

4 U.S. Soldiers Die in Baghdad Bombing

…Car bombings _ the hallmarks of Sunni insurgents _ also struck the Baghdad area, killing at least 14 people. More than half of them died when a suicide driver detonated his explosives as a convoy carrying the head of the Baghdad City Council…(AP, 15 Mar 07)

Bomb kills 6 in Iraq, U.S. warns of sectarian warfare

A car bomb exploded as a bus carrying state employees passed by in a town south of Baghdad on Thursday, killing six people, as a Pentagon report said sectarian violence was the greatest security threat in Iraq….(Reuters, 15 Mar 07)

Threat Shows Neutral Nations Vulnerable

… It wasn't just that the online video warning was directed against famously neutral Austria, but that its grievances seemed so inconsequential: the presence of four Austrian liaison officers in Afghanistan, where they play no combat role at all….(AP, 15 Mar 07)

Death Sentence for Saddam Deputy Upheld

An Iraqi court has upheld the death sentence against Saddam Hussein's former deputy for his role in the killing of 148 Shiites in 1982…..(AP, 15 Mar 07)

Why KSM's Confession Rings False

…On the face of it, KSM, as he is known inside the government, comes across as boasting, at times mentally unstable. It's also clear he is making things up. I'm told by people involved in the investigation that KSM was present during Wall Street Journal correspondent Danny Pearl's execution but was in fact not the person who killed him…(Time Magazine, 15 Mar 07)

Transcript: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed confesses 9/11 role

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks, admitted to those attacks and numerous others during a U.S. military hearing on Saturday, according to an edited transcript of the hearing released by the Pentagon Wednesday. In a statement from him, read by a U.S. military representative, he said, "I was responsible for the 9/11 operation, from A to Z."…..(CNN, 15 Mar 07)

Profile: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed

Fast Facts: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Confessions

Transcript: Khalid Sheik Mohammed Hearing, Mar 07

9/11 planner confesses to many plots

…In his 31-point statement, Mohammed claimed responsibility for a wide range of terrorist plots, including the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center; the 2002 bombings of nightclubs in Bali, Indonesia; and the so-called shoe-bomber plot to down U.S. airliners traveling across the Atlantic. He said he took part in plans to kill former Presidents Carter and Clinton, as well as the late Pope John Paul II….(Newsday, 15 Mar 07)

Alleged Architect Of 9/11 Confesses To Many Attacks

Khalid Sheik Mohammed, the alleged mastermind of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks, confessed at a Guantanamo Bay military hearing that he planned and funded that al-Qaeda operation and said he was involved in more than two dozen other terrorist acts around the world, according to documents released by the Pentagon yesterday….(Washington Post, 15 Mar 07)

Pentagon Issues Dire Look At End of '06 in Iraq

The Pentagon yesterday released its bleakest assessment of Iraq yet, reporting record levels of violence and hardening sectarian divisions in the last quarter of 2006 as rival Sunni and Shiite militias waged campaigns of "sectarian cleansing" that forced as many as 9,000 civilians to flee the country each month….(Washington Post, 15 Mar 07)

Emerging Epicenter In the Afghan War

…With a weak government presence in Helmand, the Taliban has gained more control there than in any other province in the five years since U.S.-led forces ejected the Islamic militia from power, according to foreign and Afghan officials….(Washington Post, 15 Mar 07)

Palestinian PM unveils unity team

Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniya has unveiled a national unity cabinet after months of negotiations between his Hamas movement and Fatah. The key posts of finance, interior and foreign ministers will go to men who are not members of Hamas or Fatah….(BBC, 15 Mar 07)

U.S. Ends Bank Probe; Possible Step Toward N. Korean Reactor Closure

The Treasury Department said yesterday that it has ended its investigation of a Macau bank that it accused of facilitating money laundering and counterfeiting by North Korea, removing a possible roadblock to a six-nation agreement to shut down the reclusive nation's nuclear reactor….(Washington Post, 15 Mar 07)

4 al-Qaida Iraqi Militants to Be Executed

Jordan's military court on Thursday sentenced to death four Iraqi al-Qaida militants charged with terror attacks on Jordanians in Iraq. Of the four, only one is in custody while the other three remain at large and were tried in absentia….(AP, 15 Mar 07)

3 Pakistanis Stoned, Shot to Death

Two men and a woman were stoned and shot to death in northwestern Pakistan on the orders of a tribal council that found them guilty of adultery…(AP, 15 Mar 07)

Chiquita to pay $25 million for dealings with militants

Chiquita Brands International Inc. said Wednesday that it would pay a $25-million fine to settle a long-running Justice Department investigation of whether it knowingly paid "protection" money to Colombian paramilitary and rebel groups designated by the U.S. as terrorist…(LA Times, 15 Mar 07)

Affidavit: US vs. Chiquita Brands Intl 3.14.07

Chiquita to plead guilty in Colombia payment case

Chiquita Brands International Inc. said on Wednesday that it would plead guilty to one count of doing business with a terrorist group, ending a three-year U.S. government probe into payments made by the banana company's former Colombian unit….(Reuters, 15 Mar 07)

India's 'no' to Pakistan bid to de-link Kashmir and terror

Pakistan may want to de-link violence in Jammu and Kashmir from the joint anti-terror mechanism with India, but New Delhi is determined to keep raising 'Kashmir-related terror' in official meetings. 'They may try to back away. But all terror incidents in territories of India are very much within the scope of the joint mechanism,'….(Earth-Times, 15 Mar 07)

US discusses options against PKK terror organization

Also known as the representative for struggle against PKK retired US General Ralston has told reporters on Thursday that the US is discussing all options including a cross border operation to fight against PKK terrorist organization……(Sabah, 15 Mar 07)

Danish Firm Charged in Anti - Terror Case

Seven people who raised money for Colombian guerrillas and Palestinian militants through T-shirt sales have been charged under Denmark's anti-terror law….(AP, 15 Mar 07)

Terrorism: Germany on high alert

…Terrorist experts of the German Federal Criminal Office, or BKA, have advised the German government to raise the threat level, the Financial Times Germany newspaper reported Thursday, without citing sources…..(UPI, 15 Mar 07)

Police Seize 200 Kg of Explosive in Casablanca

Moroccan police found 200 kilograms of explosives following an extensive operation in Casablanca's Mulay Rashid neighbourhood as part of investigations into an apparent suicide attack on Sunday at an internet café….(AKI, 15 Mar 07)

49 Police Officers Killed in India

…The pre-dawn attack Thursday was the latest in a series of increasingly bold assaults by the rebels, who have been fighting for more than two decades in central and eastern India's long-impoverished hinterlands…..(AP, 15 Mar 07)

Thai southern insurgents launch attacks, a score of casualties

Suspected insurgents triggered a remote bomb at a mosque in Thailand's southernmost province of Yala Wednesday night and then bombed a tea house with a grenade, killing one local resident and injuring some 20 villagers….(Xinhua, 15 Mar 07)

Big powers reach tentative deal on Iran sanctions

Ambassadors from six major powers reached a tentative deal on imposing sanctions on Iran that they hope to introduce to the 15-nation U.N. Security Council on Thursday, providing their governments agree….(Reuters, 15 Mar 07)

Iraq Intensifies Efforts to Expel Iranian Group
For three years, thousands of members of a militant group dedicated to overthrowing Iran's theocracy have lived in a sprawling compound north of Baghdad under the protection of the U.S. military. American soldiers chauffeur top leaders of the group, known as the Mujaheddin-e Khalq, or MEK, to and from their compound, where they have hosted dozens of visitors in an energetic campaign to persuade the State Department to stop designating the group as a terrorist organization….(Washington Post, 14 Mar 07)

Iraq, U.S. at odds over Iranian rebels

Iraq and the United States are at odds over thousands of Iranian rebels living near Baghdad who help U.S. intelligence but who are considered terrorists. About 3,800 expatriate Iranians who belong to the Mujahedin-e Khalq, or MEK, receive U.S. military protection in their compound north of Baghdad, even though the State Department has designated the group a terrorist organization…The Iraqi government announced this week that roughly 100 members would face prosecution for human rights violations, a move MEK officials contend comes at the request of the Iranian government.…(UPI, 14 Mar 07)

Big blast at shop in Afghan capital, 4 killed

Four people were killed and eight wounded in a large explosion at an ammunition shop in the heart of the Afghan capital on Wednesday…(Reuters, 14 Mar 07)

U.S. sees no strong Qaeda link with home-grown groups

U.S. intelligence agencies have found no strong links between al Qaeda and radical home-grown Islamist groups in the country and such groups appear incapable of September 11-scale attacks….(Reuters, 14 Mar 07)

Pentagon: Iraq in Some Ways in Civil War

The U.S. military for the first time Wednesday said in a new report that some of the violence in Iraq can be described as a civil war….(AP, 14 Mar 07)

Suicide bombing kills 6 in E Afghanistan

A suicide blast killed six civilians, injured 31 persons in Khost city, capital of Khost province in eastern Afghanistan, on Wednesday afternoon…(Xinhua, 14 Mar 07)

Nine Buddhists murdered in Thai Muslim south

…Local police said three men and six women, including two girls aged 14 and 15, were shot in the head at point-blank range after armed rebels forced their minibus off the road….(Agence France-Presse, 14 Mar 07)

Study Examines Terror Risks on Waterways

…The study by the Government Accountability Office was expected to be released Wednesday. It urged the Energy Department to perform new research on the risks from a major fire or gas release in terror attacks or natural disasters on such tanker ships….(AP, 14 Mar 07)

DHS to study counter-intelligence function

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is to study setting up a counter-intelligence operation to prevent it from being infiltrated by terrorists or others….(UPI, 14 Mar 07)

Top Baluch militant caught in southwest Pakistan
Pakistani security forces arrested a senior nationalist militant with five of his men on Wednesday after a brief clash in the gas-rich province of Baluchistan….(Reuters, 14 Mar 07)

Two Alleged Jihadi Webmasters Arrested in Spain

…The 31-year-old Spaniard and the 23-year-old Moroccan - both male - are allegedly the webmasters of the Spanish jihadist website Al-Andalus Islamiya which publishes messages supporting and justifying Islamist terrorism….(AKI, 14 Mar 07)

Lebanon Detains 4 in Bus Bombings

Four Syrian members of a little-known radical group have confessed to carrying out the near simultaneous bombings on buses near Beirut that killed three people and wounded 20 last month…(AP, 14 Mar 07)

"Arc of radical Islamism" in north Africa

Extremist groups in north Africa are being merged into an "arc of radical Islamism" under the leadership of the main Algerian Islamist organization….(Expatica, 14 Mar 07)

Senate Passes Bill Containing Proposals of 9/11 Panel

The Senate overwhelmingly approved legislation yesterday to implement many of the remaining reforms suggested by the Sept. 11 commission, answering its three-year-old call for better emergency communications; more money for cities at high risk of terrorist attacks; and tighter security for air cargo, ports, chemical plants and rail systems….(Washington Post, 14 Mar 07)

Senate Passes Bill on Steps Advised by Sept. 11 Panel

The Senate passed legislation on Tuesday that would enact more recommendations made by the Sept. 11 commission, but the bill faces the threat of a White House veto because it offers expanded union rights to airport screeners….(New York Times, 14 Mar 07)

U.S. vetting Iraqi refugees for resettlement

The Department of Homeland Security has begun interviewing dozens of Iraqi refugees in Jordan for possible resettlement in the United States this year, and interviews will soon start in Syria and Turkey…(Washington Times, 14 Mar 07)

Local Man Tracks Terrorism Online

… Aaron Weisburd tracks the web activity of groups like Al Queda and Hammas from his home in Southern Illinois. His hope is to thwart plans for terrorist acts….(WSILTV, 14 Mar 07)

Poverty-stricken Morocco bomber served jail time

Neighbors of a Moroccan suspected suicide bomber portray him as a religious man who tried in vain to lift his family out of poverty after his release from a prison term for membership of a militant group….(Reuters, 14 Mar 07)

Suicide Bombings in Iraq Leave 10 Dead

Suicide bombers struck a market in northern Iraq and an Iraqi military checkpoint in Baghdad on Wednesday, killing at least 10 people, while an Iraqi general warned extremists that they will be "smashed under the foot of the Iraqi people" if they resist efforts to end the violence in the country….(AP, 14 Mar 07)

Colombian rebels kidnap 18-member geology team

Leftist Colombian rebels have kidnapped 18 employees of a mining services company, including nine geologists, who were prospecting for gold in western Colombia….(Reuters, 14 Mar 07)

Taliban hostage asks Italy to help free him

An Italian reporter kidnapped by the Taliban in Afghanistan nine days ago appealed to Italy's government to secure his release in a video distributed on Wednesday that proved for the first time he was alive…..(Reuters, 14 Mar 07)

Suspected German militant freed

Germany said on Tuesday that one of its nationals, arrested in Pakistan on suspicion of planning to attend a terrorist training camp, had been released…(Agence France-Presse, 14 Mar 07)

Report: Iranian army officer disappears in Iraq

Mohamed Shirazi, a senior Iranian army officer, has gone missing in Iraq, the Egyptian news agency A-Shark al-Awsat reported on Wednesday morning…..(Jerusalem Post, 14 Mar 07)

Russia warns Iran of 'irreversible consequences' for nuclear plant

…"We cannot wait longer for a decision by the Iranian side," Vladimir Pavlov, director for Russian contractor Atomstroiexport's Bushehr work, was quoted as saying. "Delays in restarting the financing will bring irreversible consequences."…(Agence France-Presse, 14 Mar 07)

Iran vows "no surrender" in face of new sanctions

…Iran is embroiled in an escalating dispute with the West over its nuclear program, which Washington and other capitals suspect is a cover for plans to make atomic weapons, a charge Tehran denies…(Reuters, 14 Mar 07)

U.S. treasury reportedly set to act to free North Korean money

The U.S. Treasury Department is expected to move formally this week to bar American banks from engaging in transactions with a bank in Macao linked to North Korea, clearing the way for North Korea to regain possession of money at the bank frozen since 2005…(New York Times, 14 Mar 07)

Ire grows in Pakistan over judge's removal

Pakistan's government, accused of using strongarm tactics and acting unconstitutionally over moves to sack the country's top judge, faces the prospect of growing opposition protests….(Reuters, 14 Mar 07)

Islamic Militants in Pakistan Bomb Targets Close to Home

…in recent weeks the suicide bombers have turned on Pakistan itself, carrying out six attacks and killing 35 people. Militant leaders have threatened to unleash scores more, in effect opening a new front in their war….(New York Times, 14 Mar 07)

Community Approach To Terrorism Needed
The July 2005 London bombings, the alleged August 2006 plot to blow up aircraft, and the arrests in Birmingham in January 2007 over an alleged plot to kidnap and murder a Muslim soldier are reminders of the seriousness of the threat from home-grown terrorism in the United Kingdom…..(Oxford Analytica, 14 Mar 07)

Flirting with Jihad?

Pakistani intelligence agents have arrested two men from Germany near the border with Afghanistan -- they are suspected of having contact with Islamic terrorists. Berlin is trying to gain access to the prisoners, and is hoping to avoid a replay of the Kurnaz case….(Spiegel, 14 Mar 07)

Beards - and polio - in Taliban country

…According to Khattak, missile and air attacks by the US on alleged "terrorist" targets inside Pakistan's tribal areas have worked to the advantage of the Taliban, who have increased their support base in these border regions…..(Asia Times, 14 Mar 07)

Muslim women can reshape Islam

Something special went unnoticed last week when the US State Department gave out its first awards for "women of courage" to 10 foreign recipients: Seven of the women had demonstrated their honored bravery within Muslim countries….(Christian Science Monitor, 14 Mar 07)

Iranian Envoy Says Iranians May Be Freed

…Hassan Kazemi Qomi said U.S. officials had informed Iranian delegates at a weekend security conference here that they were in "the final stage" of the investigation into the case. Qomi said he hoped the five could be released before the Iranian New Year, which falls on March 21…(AP, 14 Mar 07)

Growing insurgency and political intrigue feed fears of renewed chaos in Somalia
An increasingly sophisticated insurgency and political intrigue are threatening to tumble Somalia back into chaos and spread instability in the volatile Horn of Africa region….(AP, 14 Mar 07)

Muslim group stirs suspicion

… The group, the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), defines its mission as spreading the understanding of Islam and protecting civil liberties…. A small band of critics has made a determined but unsuccessful effort to link it to Hamas and Hezbollah, which have been designated terrorist organizations by the State Department, and have gone so far as calling CAIR an American front for the two….(New York Times, 14 Mar 07)

Halliburton execs may face more terror threats in Dubai

…The threat against Halliburton is likely to be increased, security analysts warn, by the company's high-profile support of the U.S. occupation of Iraq and its close ties to the Bush administration….(Houston Chronicle, 14 Mar 07)

U.S. ambassador: We won't stop Israel from talking to Syria

The United States is not preventing Israel from holding negotiations with Syria and the decision on whether to proceed on this matter is in the hands of the Israeli government, according to U.S. Ambassador Richard Jones…(Haaretz, 14 Mar 07)

Lebanese Media Discusses Hizbullah's Status in Lebanon
The February 2007 seizure in Beirut of a truck carrying arms to Hizbullah rekindled, for the first time since the end of the Israel-Lebanon war of July-August 2006, the public debate on Hizbullah's weapons and on the organization's status in Lebanon….(MEMRI, 14 Mar 07)

Lebanese Media Discusses Hizbullah's Status in Lebanon
The February 2007 seizure in Beirut of a truck carrying arms to Hizbullah rekindled, for the first time since the end of the Israel-Lebanon war of July-August 2006, the public debate on Hizbullah's weapons and on the organization's status in Lebanon….(MEMRI, 14 Mar 07)

Putin and Prodi want EU-Russia talks to start soon

…Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Romano Prodi said in a joint statement after talks in southern Italy that such a dialogue could help promote economic growth and security in all of Europe….(Reuters, 14 Mar 07)

Libya denies U.S. accusation of torture, abuse

Libya's government denied on Wednesday a U.S. accusation that it practiced torture, saying its judiciary was independent and human rights were protected….(Reuters, 14 Mar 07)

The Brotherhood and America Part Three

…There are various r