To Karbala They Traveled, by Foot, Donkey, S.U.V. and Helicopter

…Militant Sunni Arabs had tried turning this year’s event into a death march, using bombs and bullets to kill at least 150 pilgrims on the roadways through the week. But it seemed that the more they tried to wipe out the Shiites, the more the Shiites were determined to come….(New York Times, 11 Mar 07)

Video: Shiite Pilgrimage to Karbala

Video: Persecution of moderate Muslims in Canada Part I

Video: Persecution of moderate Muslims in Canada Part II

Mujaheddin-e Khalq Organization (MEK or MKO)

The roots of the Mujaheddin-e Khalq (MEK) reach back to the early 1960s formation of the Liberation Movement of Iran, a nationalistic, liberal party formed by supporters of then Prime Minister Mohammed Mossaddeq…In 1987, the MEK was driven from its headquarters in France and moved its base to Iraq, where Saddam Hussein gave the group shelter…(CDI, 11 Sep 02)

What happened to the Padilla interrogation videos?

…Ten days ago, Newsweek's Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball reported that the administration had produced all of the DVDs it claimed it possessed, but the March, 2004 interrogation video was not among them. The government began claiming that the video "mysteriously disappeared." Bush administration lawyers simply insist that they are "no longer able to locate the DVD."…(Salon, 10 Mar 07)

Thailand insurgency may have links to the broader world of radical Islam

A shallow river, deep jungles and an old 20-kilometer (12-mile) wall mark the divide not just between Thailand and Malaysia but between Southeast Asia's Muslim and Buddhist worlds. This ragged stretch of border is being viewed by some as a potential front in the Muslim insurgency wracking southern Thailand, mysterious in its goals and undeterred either by government crackdowns or by peace overtures…..(AP, 10 Mar 07)

Granting Al-Qaeda's Wish

Al-Qaeda sees a war between America and Iran as its fondest dream come true. For the terrorists who attacked America on 9/11 and have been waging war against our troops in Iraq and Afghanistan ever since, a war between the United States and Iran would be a tremendous strategic victory since two of their most deadly enemies would bleed each other. The Sunni Arab jihadist community would kill two birds with one stone….(Washington Post, 9 Mar 07)

Osama's mocking presence is still with us

As he turns 50, Osama bin Laden has achieved a victory of sorts over the “crusaders” he so despises. Simply by staying alive and retaining his status as the world’s most wanted man - however hunted and ethereal - he manages to mock the West in general and America in particular….(Telegraph, 9 Mar 07)

U.S. Holds First Hearings at Gitmo

The U.S. began a series of secret hearings Friday to determine whether 14 alleged terrorist leaders at its prison in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, should be declared "enemy combatants" who can be held indefinitely and prosecuted by military tribunals. No details were released….(AP, 9 Mar 07)

Tape of Padilla interrogation is missing

A videotape showing Pentagon officials' final interrogation of al-Qaida suspect Jose Padilla is missing, raising questions about whether federal prosecutors have lost other recordings and evidence in the case. The tape is classified, but Padilla's attorneys said they believe something happened during that interrogation that could explain why Padilla does not trust them and suspects they are government agents….(AP, 9 Mar 07)

Gunmen kill Shiite Muslim businessman in Pakistan

Two gunmen on a motorcycle killed a Shiite Muslim businessman in northwestern Pakistan on Friday, a day after an assailant fatally shot an activist of a Sunni extremist group in the same region….(AP/Jerusalem Post, 9 Mar 07)

Iran: Sunni Separatists Kidnap Four Pasdaran Soldiers

Militants with the Sunni separatist group Jondallah which is active in Iranian Baluchistan said they kidnapped on Thursday night four soldiers of Iran's Revolutionary Guard, the Pasdaran…(AKI, 9 Mar 07)

‘Taliban Video Message’ Demand Italian Troop Pull-Out

Italian government officials in Afghanistan are assessing the credibility of a video purportedly released by the Taliban which calls for the withdrawal of Italy's troops in Afghanistan and end to NATO bombardments in exchange for the release of an Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo…(AKI, 9 Mar 07)

Kidnapped Italian journalist may be freed: Taliban

The Taliban said on Friday they would free kidnapped Italian reporter Daniele Mastrogiacomo if he could prove he was not a spy….(Reuters, 9 Mar 07)

Hearing begins for suspected 9/11 mastermind

Hearings begin today at Guantanamo Bay for a group of 14 terrorist suspects including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the alleged September 11 mastermind. No lawyers or reporters will be present at the hearings so the only account of the outcome will come from the US military…(Telegraph, 9 Mar 07)

US sends spies into Pakistan to kill bin Laden

America is stepping up its hunt for Osama bin Laden by dispatching additional CIA operatives and paramilitary officers to Pakistan to kill or capture the al-Qa'eda leader. US officials said that the mission is intended to intensify the pressure on the terrorist leader, who turns 50 tomorrow, and perhaps force him into making a mistake…(Telegraph, 9 Mar 07)

Pakistani lawmakers threaten end to anti-terror cooperation

Pakistani lawmakers threatened Friday to halt counterterrorism cooperation with Washington if American military aid is made conditional on Islamabad's commitment to fighting the Taliban and al-Qaida….(AP, 9 Mar 07)

U.S. Ambassador Defends Pakistan Record

…In an interview with Pakistan's private Khyber television, Crocker said the U.S. must accept that the Taliban are a tough enemy operating in inhospitable terrain and stay committed to its partnership with Pakistan…..(AP, 9 Mar 07)

Morocco arrests Islamist suspected of bombings

Moroccan police have arrested the head of the military wing of the country's main Jihadist group, whom they suspect of involvement in bombings in Casablanca and Madrid….(Reuters, 9 Mar 07)

Official: China Terror Group Has Links to Al Qaeda, Taliban

Lawmakers from China's restive western Muslim region said Friday that 18 suspects killed in a raid on an alleged terror camp in January had links to Al Qaeda and the Taliban…..(AP, 9 Mar 07)

Ex-spy justifies German ban on Guantanamo inmate

The former head of Germany's foreign intelligence service on Thursday justified a decision to bar a German resident held in Guantanamo Bay from returning to Germany, saying the man was still considered a security risk….(Reuters, 9 Mar 07)

How a battered al-Qa'eda was rebuilt

Osama bin Laden could not have imagined as he fled the battlefield in Tora Bora in 2001 that he would have lived to see his 50th birthday. But he has done that and more — restructuring Al Qaeda despite its losses, creating new bases in Africa and Iraq, expanding into Europe, drawing in thousands of new recruits, reviving the Taliban movement in Afghanistan, and turning Pakistan into Terrorism Central…(Telegraph, 9 Mar 07)

Osama turning 50 in freedom

…While his location is unclear, so is the role bin Laden now plays in Al Qaeda. Some Western experts said they believe he has become more of a symbolic figure of Islamist resistance and terrorism rather than a direct organizer of attacks…(DPA, 9 Mar 07)

Iran cleric says US shares blame for Iraqi bloodshed

…Speaking at Friday prayers in Tehran, Ayatollah Ahmad Janati said: "While thousands of pilgrims go on foot, sometimes barefoot, to Karbala, suddenly a bomb explodes killing and dismembering hundreds of people. The United States is jointly responsible for the blood that is spilled."….(Agence France-Presse, 9 Mar 07)

Iran presses Russia for nuclear fuel

A top Iranian nuclear negotiator urged Russia on Friday to ship nuclear fuel this month for a Russian-built power plant, and promised to increase funding for the project after tense talks at which Russian officials complained of insufficient financing….(AP/Jerusalem Post, 9 Mar 07)

Iran worried by Yemen sectarian unrest

Iran has expressed concern over deadly clashes between a Shiite sect and government forces in Yemen, saying some elements were seeking to create sectarian strife there similar to Iraq…..(Agence France-Presse, 9 Mar 07)

Shiites in spat with Arabs over talks

…Sunni-led Arab governments plan to use the conference to press for a greater Sunni role in Iraq. That has rankled Iraq's Shiite leaders, who believe the Arabs are trying to reverse their newfound power after decades of being marginalized under Sunni minority rule….(AP, 9 Mar 07)

Iraq Security Meeting Risky for U.S.

The U.S. faces choices and risks this weekend at an international conference in Iraq: Does it sweet-talk or strong-arm adversaries Iran and Syria, and can it talk to them at all without raising suspicions from its moderate Arab allies?....(AP, 9 Mar 07)

Extradition of ex-Taleban official not sought: envoy

The United States has indicated that it would not ask for extradition of former Taleban defense minister Mullah Obaidullah Akhund, who was reportedly arrested from Quetta on February 26…..(Khaleej Times, 9 Mar 07)

Beijing Hits Back at U.S. for Raising Rights Concerns

Responding to U.S. complaints, China charged Thursday that the Bush administration has no standing to criticize other countries on human rights because its own record is full of blemishes at home and abroad…..(Washington Post, 9 Mar 07)

Osama free to enjoy birthday presence

…Despite a massive manhunt since he was believed to have fled to mountains straddling the border with Pakistan in late 2001, not to mention a US bounty of $US25million on his head, the leader of the al-Qa'ida terrorist network remains at large. And if the Taliban insurgents' top military commander, Mullah Dadullah, is to be believed, bin Laden is still alive…..(Australian, 9 Mar 07)

Arabic speakers monitor Net chats

The State Department has hired two native Arabic speakers to monitor Arabic political discussion forums on the Internet and to overtly participate in them in an effort to correct misperceptions about U.S. policy in the Middle East….(Washington Times, 9 Mar 07)

Are Farsi-language broadcasts helping?

...We find ourselves in this untenable position today due in part to our neglect of alternatives such as the development of radio stations oriented towards taking the American message directly to the Iranian people…..(Washington Times, 9 Mar 07)

Hamas Offers ‘Complete’ Ceasefire

…Tel Aviv daily Haaretz did not identify the official who on Wednesday was quoted as saying that the Palestinians "will offer a promise from Hamas and Fatah of a total cease-fire with Israel, including a complete halt to Qassam [rocket] fire and suicide bombings"….(AKI, 8 Mar 07)

Sadr renews demand for US forces to leave Iraq

Radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, whose whereabouts remain a mystery three weeks after US commanders said he had fled to Iran, renewed his demand on Thursday that US forces should leave Iraq….(Agence France-Presse, 8 Mar 07)

U.S. opens door to bilateral talks with Iran

The United States left open the possibility on Wednesday that U.S. diplomats could meet one-on-one with Iranian officials on the sidelines of a conference of Iraq's neighbors in Baghdad this weekend…..(Reuters, 8 Mar 07)

Report: Assad flips out at Ahmadinejad on phone

…the conversation reportedly turned ugly when Ahmadinejad voiced support for the establishment of an international tribunal on the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri - a sensitive subject for Syria, which has been suspected of involvement in the Lebanese leader's death….(Jerusalem Post, 8 Mar 07)

U.S.: Iraqi Insurgent Attacks Intensifying

Military force alone is "not sufficient" to end the violence in Iraq and political talks must eventually include some militant groups now opposing the U.S.-backed government, the new commander of U.S. forces in Iraq said Thursday….(AP, 8 Mar 07)

U.S. commander says no military solution to Iraq

U.S. and Iraqi security forces cannot solve the problem of violence in Iraq without political action and reconciliation with some militant groups, the U.S. commander in Iraq said on Thursday…..(Reuters, 8 Mar 07)

Muslims, Islam being Wrongly Linked with Terrorism: German Envoy
German Ambassador to Pakistan Dr. Guner Mulack Wednesday said that Islam and Muslims are wrongly being linked with terrorism by some quarters in West after the 9/11 incident…..(Pakistan Times, 8 Mar 07)

IAEA governors ratify cut in nuclear aid to Iran

U.N. nuclear agency governors on Thursday ratified cuts in technical aid to Iran over concern that Tehran might be trying to build nuclear bombs under cover of a civilian atomic energy program…(Reuters, 8 Mar 07)

EU urged to remove Iranian group from terror list

Thousands of Iranians rallied on Thursday near the venue of a European Union summit to demand that the EU comply with a court ruling and remove an exiled Iranian resistance movement from its list of terrorist organizations…(AP/Jerusalem Post, 8 Mar 07)

Israelis Arrest 18 Suspects in Raid on Palestinian Site

Israeli forces arrested 18 men suspected of being militants in a raid on the Palestinian Authority’s military intelligence headquarters near Ramallah early Wednesday, in what appears to be a growing security clampdown in the West Bank….(New York Times, 8 Mar 07)

Judge: Lindh Documents Can Remain Secret

The public cannot see the arguments American-born Taliban soldier John Walker Lindh made in the hope of shortening his 20-year prison sentence, a federal judge has ruled….(AP, 8 Mar 07)

NY pair given 15 years in FBI assassination sting

A U.S. judge sentenced an Iraqi Kurdish imam and a Bangladeshi pizzeria owner to 15 years each in prison on Thursday for their roles in an FBI sting operation involving a fake plot to kill a Pakistani diplomat. Yassin Aref, 36, and Mohammed Hossain, 51, agreed to take part in plot targeting the Pakistani ambassador to the United Nations in New York. Prosecutors had asked for sentences of 20 years to life for each of them, but U.S. District Judge Thomas McAvoy showed leniency because he said they "didn't actively pursue terrorist crimes. It was presented to (them)."…(Reuters, 8 Mar 07)

Aref and Hossain sentenced to 15 years in prison
Two Albany mosque leaders convicted of supporting terrorism have been sentenced to 15 years in federal prison. Yassin Aref and Mohammed Hossain were sentenced this morning in federal court in Albany. The two men were arrested in an FBI sting involving a fictional terror plot back in 2004….(AP, 8 Mar  07)

Hicks to plead not guilty

Australian terror suspect David Hicks would plead not guilty when he appeared in a US military court for arraignment later this month, his American lawyer said today. "It will be a plea of not guilty," Hicks's US civilian lawyer Joshua Dratel said….(LA Times, 8 Mar 07)

Australian to Appear at Military Panel

Australian terrorist suspect David Hicks will make his first appearance before a U.S. military commission on March 20 _ more than five years after he was imprisoned at Guantanamo Bay, Prime Minister John Howard said Thursday. Hicks, the only Australian at the American military prison in Cuba, was charged March 1 with providing material support for terrorism…(AP, 8 Mar 07)

Cartoon protester guilty of soliciting murder

Abdul Muhid, 24, led a crowd chanting "Bomb, bomb the UK" and produced placards with slogans such as "Annihilate those who insult Islam", the Old Bailey heard…(Telegraph, 8 Mar 07)

Treasury urges Middle East firms to avoid Iran

The U.S. Treasury's top anti-terrorism official on Wednesday urged Middle East-based companies not to do business with Iran, saying they could be helping to fund terrorist activities or weapons proliferation…..(Reuters, 8 Mar 07)

Terrorism, security law focus of book

Security Law and Methods, by James Pastor

…Pastor, who focused his thesis on the issue of terrorism while obtaining his master's degree at the University of Illinois, said he has dealt with that same issue at various points of his career and at different levels, such as when he worked in the Police Department's Gang Unit in Chicago. Dealing with terrorism at its most basic levels involves two issues that are fundamentally incompatible: individual rights and the need for public safety. Terrorism policy tends to see-saw back and forth between the two, depending on the situation….(NWI Times, 8 Mar 07)

Rebels say kidnap 4 Iran troops, issue video: TV

An Iranian Sunni Muslim rebel group said it kidnapped four Revolutionary Guards and issued a video purportedly showing the hostages, Al Arabiya television reported on Thursday. The video from the group called Jundollah (God's soldiers)…(Reuters, 8 Mar 07)

Parts sale sparked seizure of F-14s

A federal crackdown on the illegal sale of F-14 fighter jet parts to Iran led to the seizure of four privately owned military aircraft in San Bernardino County this week, after one jet owner surfaced in a sting operation to thwart the sale of an F-14 cockpit canopy…(LA Times, 8 Mar 07)

Air Force Is Quietly Scrapping Its Fleet Of Advanced Nuclear Stealth Missiles

The Air Force said Wednesday it will retire the most modern cruise missile in the U.S. nuclear arsenal, a “stealth” weapon developed in the 1980s with the ability to evade detection by Soviet radars….(AP, 8 Mar 07)

Homeland Security revives supersnoop

Homeland Security officials are testing a supersnoop computer system that sifts through personal information on U.S. citizens to detect possible terrorist attacks, prompting concerns from lawmakers who have called for investigations….(Washington Times, 8 Mar 07)

City Disputes Judge’s Power to Limit Police Taping

Lawyers for the city have asked a federal judge to reconsider a sweeping ruling last month that ordered the New York Police Department to stop routine videotaping of public gatherings, saying that he lacked the power to make the ruling and suggesting that it would hurt efforts to deter terrorism…..(New York Times, 8 Mar 07)

Racist attack scars park with noose, 'white power'

When Mayor Dick Ludwick saw the noose hanging from the gazebo at Unionville Memorial Park this winter, he wanted to cry. The following was scribbled in black marker on a wooden railing in the gazebo: "Who can hang a nigger? Hang him from a tree? Burn a cross in his front lawn and kill his family? The Ku Klux Klan!"….(Times Herald-Record, 9 Mar 07)

Aryan agenda includes creating white nation

The National Socialist Movement, scheduled to march Saturday in Columbia, is a neo-Nazi group seeking to create an all-white America….(Columbia Tribune, 8 Mar 07)

China: U.S. Violated Iraqis' Rights

…The charges came in a report titled the "Human Rights Record of the United States in 2006," China's response to U.S. criticism of Beijing's human rights record in a report released Tuesday by the State Department. "As in previous years, the State Department pointed the finger at human rights conditions in more than 190 countries and regions, including China, but avoided touching on the human rights situation in the United States,"…(AP, 8 Mar 07)

Area's Sunnis and Shiites Keep A Delicate Balance Across Divides

…"The issue of Iraq has opened a Pandora's box," said Haithem al Hassani, a consultant to the nonprofit Iraq Council in Washington. "I am a Shia, and my sister is married to a Sunni. There is still respect between families and colleagues. But there is also fear. Every day, people with neutral positions are lessening, and both sides are justifying wrong acts. We talk a lot about trying to bring people together, but feelings are still too raw."….(Washington Post, 8 Mar 07)

Al-Arabiyya TV Director-General: 'Why Do Islamist Extremists Who Incite Against the West Insist on Living There?'

…"The common denominator shared by Abu Qatada,(2) currently under arrest in Britain, Osama Nasser, who was kidnapped in Rome,(3) and Omar Bakri, who fled from London,(4) is that all of them want to [live] in the West, rather than in their native Islamic countries. Abu Qatada prefers to remain under arrest in Britain, and not to be deported to Jordan. The Italian imam Abu Omar Osama Al-Masri, who was kidnapped by the CIA [and taken] to Egypt, is likewise demanding to return to Milan…(MEMRI, 8 Mar 07)

Al-Jazeera TV Host Faysal Al-Qassem Interview on Syrian TV: Western Media - Neo-Goebbelism

…Faysal Al-Qassem: "The greatest lie is that there is free media in the West. Brother, how can the Western media be free, when it is partisan?...(MEMRI, 7 Mar 07)

Islam, culture and women
How can anyone justify Islam's treatment of women, when it imprisons Afghans under blue shuttlecock burqas and makes Pakistani girls marry strangers against their will?...(Press TV, 7 Mar 07)

Bin Laden's Trail No Longer 'Stone Cold' -- CIA Moves in Resources

Armed with fresh intelligence, the CIA is moving additional man power and equipment into Pakistan in the effort to find Osama bin Laden and his deputy Ayman al Zawahri… People familiar with the CIA operation say undercover officers with paramilitary training have been ordered into Pakistan and the area across the border with Afghanistan as part of the ramp-up…..(ABC, 7 Mar 07)

Dems Threaten Pakistan Over Jet Delivery

Senate Democrats are threatening to withhold delivery of jet fighter planes to Pakistan if it does not intensify its campaign against terrorists. The Bush administration opposed an even tougher move in the House that would condition U.S. military aid to stronger anti-terror efforts…(AP, 7 Mar 07)

Interpol may help nab Iranian suspects in JCC bomb

Interpol will discuss next week whether to issue "red notices," or international wanted requests, calling for the arrest of nine former prominent Iranian officials sought in connection with Argentina's worst terrorist attack….(AP, 7 Mar 07)

18 Fugitives Arrested in Israeli Raid

Israeli troops raided the Palestinian military headquarters early Wednesday and arrested 18 fugitives who had sought shelter there, Palestinian and Israeli officials said….(AP, 7 Mar 07)

Airlines told must pay for EU-U.S. air data scheme

Airlines will have to meet any costs they incur in a future EU-U.S. scheme on sharing air passenger data to fight terrorism, a senior European Union official said on Wednesday….(Reuters, 7 Mar 07)

Saudi Arabia warns foreigners of attacks

Saudi authorities have warned foreign embassies that a group blamed for last month's killing of four French nationals could strike again…(Reuters, 7 Mar 07)

Fresh attacks hit Shia pilgrims

Attacks on Shia Muslim pilgrims in Iraq are showing no signs of easing off, with at least 16 people killed on their way to the holy city of Karbala….(BBC, 7 Mar 07)

Taliban Claims Kidnapping of Journalist

The Taliban claimed Wednesday that it had kidnapped an Italian journalist, three days after an Italian newspaper lost touch with a veteran correspondent in southern Afghanistan….(AP, 7 Mar 07)

Man beheaded, two shot dead in restive Thai south

Suspected Islamic separatists have killed three people in Thailand's restive south, including one man they beheaded and set alight…(Agence France-Presse, 7 Mar 07)

Jordanian court sentences al-Qaida member to 8 years in prison for jail break plot

…In delivering the judgement, the judges said Azmi al-Jayousi had been sentenced to life imprisonment with hard labor, but they had decided to commute this to 8 years in prison….(AP, 7 Mar 07)

UK radical guilty of inciting murder over cartoons

A radical Muslim demonstrator was found guilty on Wednesday of two counts of inciting murder at protests in London last year against cartoons in a Danish newspaper which offended many Muslims….(Reuters, 7 Mar 07)

Mo. Indictment: 5 Sent Money to Iraq

Four associates of a Missouri-based Islamic charity and a fifth man in the Middle East were indicted on charges that they illegally sent money to Iraq, the U.S. attorney's office announced Wednesday. The five men are charged in a 33-count indictment that alleges they stole government and public money and falsely represented their fundraising goals to the public…(AP, 7 Mar 07)

Mesha'al gets Iran aid pledge

Hamas leader Khalid Mesha'al extracted from Iran yesterday a pledge to fund his radical Palestinian movement to compensate for the West's financial blockade of the Palestinian government….(Gulf News, 7 Mar 07)

U.S. halts imaginary Cubans in security drill

…"Operation Vigilant Sentry," the U.S. Department of Homeland Security's plan to halt a mass migration from the Caribbean, was put to the test by 325 agents from 85 law enforcement agencies during the exercise that ends on Thursday….(Reuters, 8 Mar 07)

Iran: We are building a new reactor

Iran has begun constructing a new nuclear reactor without any foreign assistance, the head of Iran's nuclear agency, Vice President Gholamreza Aghazadeh reported late Tuesday….(Jerusalem Post, 7 Mar 07)

Hearings for 14 Guantanamo Detainees to Be Held in Secret, Officials Say

Military tribunals are scheduled to begin Friday for 14 high-value foreign terrorism suspects held at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, but the hearings to determine whether they are enemy combatants will take place behind closed doors because of the risk that top-secret information could surface…(Washington Post, 7 Mar 07)

Legal Experts Rap Media Ban at Gitmo

…"The whole world is watching," said Scott Silliman, who was an Air Force lawyer for 25 years. "If Congress enacts what it claims to be a fair system for prosecuting these people, why is there a need to shield it from the press?"…(AP, 7 Mar 07)

Second al-Qaeda suspect ordered freed

Another immigrant accused of links to terrorism has been ordered released from custody and into house arrest by a Federal Court judge as Canada's faltering security-certificate law continues to unravel. Mahmoud Jaballah is the second Egyptian al-Qaeda suspect in as many months to be ordered released from prison….(Globe & Mail, 7 Mar 07)

ETA may plan attacks in France, trial reveals

Five ETA militants who declared themselves ready "to die and to kill" for  Basque independence were jailed for belonging to a terrorist group. All five of the accused received prison terms ranging from seven to 14 years….(Expatica, 7 Mar 07)

U.S. Hires Contractor to Back Somalis

The State Department has hired a major military contractor to help equip and provide logistical support to international peacekeepers in Somalia, giving the United States a significant role in the critical mission without assigning combat forces….(AP, 7 Mar 07)

'The Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb': The Evolving Terrorist Presence in North Africa

On January 24, 2007, with the blessing of Osama bin Laden, the Algerian Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) changed its name to The Al-Qaeda Organization in the Islamic Maghreb. Thus was cemented a union that had been announced several months previously…Along with joining Al-Qaeda, the former GSPC is working on incorporating other North African terrorist groups into it, on the basis of ties developed over years of cooperation. The organization has also been instrumental in recruiting North Africans for the jihad in Iraq….(MEMRI, 7 Mar 07)

Russia fears NATO more than terrorism

…In a statement posted on its website, Russia's powerful Security Council said it no longer considered global terrorism to be its biggest danger. Instead, Russia was developing a new national security strategy that reflected changing "geo-political" realities, and the fact that rival military alliances were becoming "stronger" - "especially NATO"…..(Sydney Morning Herald, 7 Mar 07)

Abdullah urges US to back peace

King Abdullah of Jordan has told top politicians in Washington that the US must throw its weight behind an urgent drive to make peace in the Middle East. In an address to Congress, the king said the status quo could not be allowed to continue. It "is pulling the region and the world towards greater danger...the cycle of crisis is spinning faster,"…(BBC, 7 Mar 07)

Afghanistan: Forgetting the Lessons of History

Afghanistan is again being lost to the West. The insurgency may drag on for many months or several years, but the tide has turned. Like Alexander's Greeks, the British and the Soviets before the U.S.-led coalition, inferior Afghan insurgents have forced far superior Western military forces onto a path that leads toward evacuation…(Global Terrorism Analysis, 6 Mar 07)

Troop Defections Threaten Pakistan's Operations in Tribal Regions

At the end of February, Vice President Dick Cheney visited Pakistan to pressure Pervez Musharraf's government to crack down on insurgent activity on the border with Afghanistan.…(Global Terrorism Analysis, 6 Mar 07)

French Intel Report Warns of Possible Terror Attack During Elections

According to a leaked secret French report examined by the Arab newspaper al-Hayat, Osama bin Laden plans to repeat the "Spanish scenario" by attacking selected French targets during the upcoming April presidential election campaign in an attempt to influence the results (al-Hayat, February 9).…(Global Terrorism Analysis, 6 Mar 07)

Bid To Arrest Iranian Aides Irks Tehran

Iran's liaisons to the world's largest police organization are expected next week to do everything they can to reverse a decision that recommends international law enforcement agencies arrest and detain five of the regime's former high officials…..(New York Sun, 6 Mar 07)

Sri Lanka police, soldiers arrested over abductions

Sri Lankan policemen and soldiers, as well as underworld figures, have been arrested in connection with a rash of killings and abductions in the latest chapter of the two-decade civil war…(Reuters, 6 Mar 07)

U.S. Working to Develop New Nuke Detectors

…About 600 scanners have been installed at ports and border crossings around the U.S. Government officials are working with several companies to develop new nuclear detectors that won't waste time and that can actually differentiate the potassium in a banana from that in highly enriched uranium….(AP, 6 Mar 07)

US: Scholarships didn't fund jihadists

The State Department said Monday there was no truth to a report that the United States had provided millions of dollars in financial support to two Palestinian universities, including one controlled by Hamas….(AP/Jerusalem Post, 6 Mar 07)

PJAK Claims Fresh Attacks in Iran

In recent months, fighters from the Iranian Kurdish group, the Party for a Free Life in Kurdistan (PJAK), have clashed several times with Iranian government forces.…(Global Terrorism Analysis, 6 Mar 07)

Qaeda-led militants storm Iraq jail, free 140

Dozens of al Qaeda-led militants stormed an Iraqi jail in the northern city of Mosul on Tuesday and freed up to 140 prisoners in one of the biggest prison breaks since the U.S.-led invasion in 2003….(Reuters, 6 Mar 07)

Analysis: Sunnis on the Attack

Sunni insurgents are striking back with attention-grabbing bombings in Baghdad and gruesome killings posted on the Internet...That is changing the nature of the conflict in Iraq, at least temporarily _ shifting the main focus from the Sunni-Shiite "civil war" of recent months to a renewed attention on Sunni insurgents as the root of the crisis. The shift could be temporary if Shiite death squads once again become active in Baghdad. But for now, the change indicates how all sides opposed to the U.S. presence show surprising resilience and ability to switch strategies to survive….(AP, 6 Mar 07)

Pakistan-US: Officials to Discuss War on Terror

The second session of the US-Pakistan strategic dialogue will be held in Islamabad next week at a time when relations between the United States and one of its key allies in the war against terror seem to be deteriorating rapidly….(AKI, 6 Mar 07)

Algeria and Tunisia to Join Forces Against Militants

Tunisian and Algerian authorities are going to cooperate in the fight against terrorism after recent intelligence reports suggested that a new cell called the Organization of al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb is inflitrating militants from Algeria to Tunisia….(AKI, 6 Mar 07)

Philippine Leader Signs Anti-Terror Law

President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo on Tuesday signed into law a package of anti-terror measures that has drawn protests as a threat to civil liberties….(AP, 6 Mar 07)

Ten years for terrorist trainers

Instructors at a terrorist training camp must be subject to a maximum of 10 years in prison if convicted….(Expatica, 6 Mar 07)

Bank denies charges of terror links

…The inquiry has found that the Jordan-based Arab Bank has channeled tens of millions of dollars from the kingdom to Palestinian groups that allegedly used some of the money to pay off suicide bombers and their survivors….(Gulf Times, 6 Mar 07)

U.S. envoy in Kenya warns of terror threat

The U.S. Embassy said Tuesday it has been alerted to a possible terrorist threat targeting this month's world cross-country championships in Kenya….(AP, 6 Mar 07)

NATO Launches Offensive Against Taliban

…The operation, which will eventually involve 4,500 NATO troops and 1,000 Afghan soldiers, was launched at the request of the Afghan government and will focus on the northern region of Helmand province…(AP, 6 Mar 07)

Israeli intelligence chief: Iran training Hamas

…Yuval Diskin, the director of Shin Bet, said that the militant movement had dispatched "tens" of fighters from the Gaza Strip to Iran for "months, maybe years" of instruction, and that Iran had promised to train hundreds more. A Hamas spokesman denied the assertion. The training, if confirmed, would mean that Iran is expanding its alliance with Hamas, which Israel and the United States list as a terrorist organization and which has controlled the Palestinian Authority government for nearly a year….(LA Times, 6 Mar 07)