Rebels Vow to Resist Turkish Incursion

The top commander of a Kurdish rebel group said his forces would resist any Turkish military incursion aimed at destroying rebel bases in northern Iraq….(AP, 2 Jun 07)

Judge Halts Award Of Iraq Contract

…The contract, worth about $475 million, calls for a private company to provide intelligence services to the U.S. Army and security for the Army Corps of Engineers on reconstruction work in Iraq. The case, which is being heard by the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, puts on trial one of the most controversial and least understood aspects of the Iraq war: the outsourcing of military security to an estimated 20,000 armed contractors who operate with little oversight…Brian X. Scott, a 53-year-old Colorado man, filed the complaint in early April. He argues that the military's use of private security contractors is "against America's core values" and violates an 1893 law that prohibits the government from hiring quasi-military forces….(Washington Post, 2 Jun 07)

DOJ statement on JFK Airport plot arrests

The following is a press release from the Department of Justice detailing the government's allegations against four men charged with conspiring to attack John F. Kennedy International Airport….(MSNBC, 2 Jun 07)

Terror Threat First for Pipeline Firm

… It was the first threat against Buckeye Pipe Line Co., which operates petroleum conduits in 18 states, the company said. Its pumping facility in Linden, N.J., has 45 storage tanks pumps turbine fuel, gasoline, diesel and other fuel and heating oils through two 12-inch pipes to customers in New York City, including JFK and LaGuardia airports. The network totals 35 miles within the city alone…..(AP, 2 Jun 07)

Gates Considers Roots of Terrorism

Declining to say whether the U.S. and its partners are winning the war on terror, Defense Secretary Robert Gates called Saturday for more focus on combating poverty and other underlying causes of extremism….(AP, 2 Jun 07)

Iraqi Bombers Thwart Efforts to Shield G.I.’s

American commanders are expressing frustration at the increasing death toll in Iraq caused by makeshift explosives, which have killed 80 percent of the Americans who died in combat over the last three months, despite the billions of dollars being spent to fight the threat….(New York Times, 2 Jun 07)

Rice: U.S. Not Preparing for War Vs Iran

The U.S. is not preparing for war against Iran and Vice President Dick Cheney supports that policy, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice says, taking a swipe at a U.N. official who says he's worried about "crazies" who want to start bombing. "The president of the United States has made very clear what our policy is. That policy is supported by all the members of his Cabinet and by the vice president of the United States,"…(AP, 1 Jun 07)

Sudanese Rally Against U.S. Sanctions

Hundreds of demonstrators gathered Saturday in front of the American embassy here, shouting "God is great!" and "Down with the CIA!" to protest new U.S. economic sanctions on Sudan….(AP, 2 Jun 07)

Colombian Man Offers Hostage Switch

…Campo Elias Medina said he will send a letter and photos of the children to the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, or FARC, asking if he can replace his daughter's boyfriend, Keith Stansell, who was kidnapped more than four years ago…..(AP, 2 Jun 07)

No Bail for Man in NYC Terror Gear Case

…Syed Hashmi, a 27-year-old former New York resident, was arrested in England last spring after one of his alleged collaborators began cooperating with British authorities. Last week, Hashmi became the first terrorism suspect extradited to the United States by British authorities. On Tuesday, he pleaded not guilty to being part of a conspiracy to equip Islamic fighters and help them stay warm and dry while battling U.S. forces in Afghanistan….(AP, 2 Jun 07)

Moldovan Released After 15 Years

…Andrei Ivantoc, 46, was a member of the Popular Moldovan Front, a political movement that called for the reunification of Moldova with neighboring Romania. Separatist authorities arrested him in 1992, and he and the three others were sentenced on charges of committing terrorist acts against citizens of Trans-Dniester a year later….(AP, 2 Jun 07)

Palestinian Kindergarten Graduates Vow to Die for Allah
A televised graduation ceremony at a Palestinian kindergarten in Gaza shows little boys dressed in black masks, camouflage fatigues, carrying toy guns, and waving green Hamas flags. The children vow that their most "lofty aspiration" is death for the sake of Allah….(CNS News, 1 Jun 07)

U.S. Terror Expert Says Nuclear Risk Low

Terrorists have little chance of obtaining enough fissile material to make a nuclear bomb, but governments must remain on guard against the possibility, a top U.S. expert said Friday. Only about 18 pounds of highly enriched uranium _ far too little to make a nuclear device _ is believed to have leaked into the global black market….(AP, 1 Jun 07)

Lebanese army battles militants around refugee camp

Battles raged around a Palestinian refugee camp in north Lebanon on Friday as Lebanese troops tried to tighten the noose around al Qaeda-inspired militants holed up there. Security sources said elite forces were trying to dislodge the group called Fatah al-Islam from some front positions on the edge of Nahr al-Bared camp while artillery batteries pounded the area. A Fatah al-Islam source said the militants had repulsed all attacks on its positions in seven hours of fierce fighting. The army has been battling militants in the camp -- many of them foreign fighters, Lebanese authorities say -- since May 20….(Reuters, 1 Jun 07)

6 Jailed on Terror Charges in Spain

A Spanish judge ordered six people held in jail on provisional charges of belonging to a terrorist group, while freeing six others…The 12 were among 16 people _ 14 Moroccans and two Algerians _ arrested Monday on suspicion of recruiting volunteers for the insurgency in Iraq and other countries….(AP, 1 Jun 07)

UK Profs Reject Plan to Spy on Students

A union of British academics voted unanimously to reject a government plan to tackle Islamic extremism in universities, likening the initiative to ''witch hunts'' that would single out Muslim students…..(AP, 1 Jun 07)

Padilla Judge Won't Toss FBI Wiretaps

A federal judge refused Friday to toss out FBI wiretap evidence in the Jose Padilla terrorism support case, rejecting an attempt by defense attorneys to prevent jurors from hearing conversations about Osama bin Laden and other well-known Islamic extremist leaders….(AP, 1 Jun 07)

The Perfect Enemy

Let's take a look at a map of the Middle East through the eyes of a jihadist strategist and ask, "Where to next after Iraq and Afghanistan?" A plausible answer would be Syria and Lebanon, and the latter would only be useful as a base from which to operate within Syria — the real prize for the jihadists. The ruling regime in Syria embodies the "Perfect Enemy" from a jihadist vantage point: it is equally tyrannical, ideologically abhorrent, and controlled by a sect that the jihadists view as heretical…..(New York Sun, 1 Jun 07)

Negotiating the Price for Peace

ABC News has learned new details of the military's efforts to reach out to insurgents, including secret face-to-face meetings with a notorious group that has bragged about multiple attacks on U.S. forces. The group is the 1920s Revolution Brigade, Sunni insurgents who have bragged of repeated attacks on Americans, including one just three weeks ago. "You name a mainstream insurgent group, and we're talking to them,"…The CIA is also involved in the effort, identifying insurgent leaders and bringing them in for talks with the military…..(ABC, 1 Jun 07)

‘Independent cells spreading Talibanisation across NWFP’

 “Independent cells” on the pattern of al-Qaeda inspired by the Taliban are actively spreading Talibanization across the NWFP, and Tank district is the “litmus test” for these cells to prove how serious a threat they pose to the state, officials said on Thursday….(Daily Times, 1 Jun 07)

Syrian Government Press in Reaction to Security Council Resolution to Establish International Tribunal for Al-Hariri Assassination: Resolution Entails 'Great Dangers' and 'Dangerous Repercussions' for Lebanon

On May 30, 2007, the U.N. Security Council adopted Resolution 1757 establishing an international tribunal to prosecute the killers of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Al-Hariri under Chapter 7 of the U.N. Charter. On May 31, the Syrian government dailies harshly attacked the resolution, writing that it entailed "great dangers" for Lebanon and may have "dangerous repercussions for Lebanese national unity."….(MEMRI, 1 Jun 07)

Military blasts allies for supporting PKK

Turkish Chief of Staff General Yasar Buyukanit accused Thursday some NATO allies of providing assistance to the PKK terrorists but did not name any countries. "It [terrorism] is supported by those who give us lessons on human rights," he lamented. "There are countries directly and/or indirectly supporting PKK terrorism, among our (NATO) allies," the military leader said at an international symposium on "New Dimensions of Security & International Organizations."….(New Anatolian, 1 Jun 07)

Taliban, al Qaeda enhance coordination

The Taliban has merged its propaganda and field operations with those of the global al Qaeda network led by Osama bin Laden, say senior Afghan officials and the group's former leaders. Afghan security officials say the association has enabled the Taliban to develop from a xenophobic, home-grown Islamist movement into a more outward looking force that is helping to advance al Qaeda's global interests…..(Washington Times, 1 Jun 07)

Footage of kidnapped reporter released

Kidnapped British reporter Alan Johnston appeared in a video posted on an Islamic militant Web site on Friday, saying he has been treated well, and calling for the lifting of international sanctions against the Palestinian government…(AP/Jerusalem Post, 1 Jun 07)

UK mulling Iranian help in Iraq hostage hunt

London is considering approaching Teheran for help in finding five Britons kidnapped in Baghdad, The Guardian newspaper said Friday, citing officials. The possibility was raised Thursday at a meeting of COBRA, the government’s crisis cell….(Agence France-Presse, 1 Jun 07)

Baghdad embassy plans appear on Internet

Detailed plans for the new U.S. Embassy under construction in Baghdad appeared online Thursday in a breach of the tight security surrounding the sensitive project...The images were removed by Berger Devine Yaeger Inc. shortly after the company was contacted by the State Department…..(AP, 1 Jun 07)

Detainee Found Dead Trained With U.S. Forces

A detainee found dead in his cell at Guantanamo Bay on Wednesday was a Saudi army veteran who trained with U.S. forces before fighting with the Taliban in Afghanistan, according to military hearing records. Abdul Rahman Ma'ath Thafir al-Amri had been imprisoned at the military detention facility in Cuba since February 2002 without meeting with a lawyer or being charged with a crime….(Washington Post, 1 Jun 07)

Fatal Blast Hits Market in Restive Area of Yemen

An explosion tore through a market in northwestern Yemen on Wednesday, killing at least six people, officials said, in the latest bloodshed of a simmering war that has pitted followers of a Shiite rebel leader against government forces…..(Washington Post, 1 Jun 07)

Afghan Fighting Kills 16 Police

…In the deadliest clash, Taliban ambushed a police convoy in Shahjoi district of southeastern Zabul province on Wednesday. The ensuing gunbattle left 16 police and 10 suspected insurgents dead and six police wounded, said Interior Ministry spokesman Zemeri Bashary…..(AP, 1 Jun 07)

Top Romanian terror suspect defends himself in unprecedented media appearance

Omar Hayssam, a businessman of Syrian descent who has fled Romania while facing terrorism charges made a rare media appearance on Thursday evening, claiming that he has managed to collect documents proving his innocence. Hayssam said the documents showed that accusations against him in a case involving the kidnapping of three Romanian journalists in Iraq two years ago were unfounded….(Hot News, 1 Jun 07)

A Back Door for Terrorists

Amid all of the xenophobia and nativism surrounding the immigration debate, there is a real security concern. In the language of the bureaucracy, the problem is referred to as the “O.T.M.’s,” or Other Than Mexicans. Thousands of non-Mexicans are caught crossing the United States border every year. They cannot be sent back to Mexico, but must be deported to their home country. Until recently, most were given a deportation hearing date and then simply released….(New York Times, 1 Jun 07)

Psychic Intelligence Gathering Used to Defend Homeland

…To avoid being left vulnerable, for 23 years, from 1972 until 1995, the American Defense and Intelligence Community sponsored research and deployed operational units of Psychic Warriors. The premise was simple, and the results staggering. While still controversial, the dire consequences of homeland defense errors are causing renewed interest in using the science of clairvoyance to help keep U.S. citizens out of harms way….(Business Wire, 1 Jun 07)

Counterterrorism conference ends with call to disrupt financing, recruitment

Counterterrorism experts ended a two-day conference in Vienna on Friday with a call to redouble global efforts to choke off the flow of cash to terrorist organizations and disrupt their attempts to recruit people for jihad. Security experts said civil society and the business community — and not exclusively the authorities — would play expanded roles in stopping terrorism…..(AP, 1 Jun 07)

Egypt intensifies arrests of Muslim Brotherhood: rights group

The Egyptian government has intensified arrests of Muslim Brotherhood members ahead of elections to the upper house of parliament…It cited lawyers for the Brotherhood -- Egypt's largest banned but largely tolerated opposition -- as saying that between May 12 and 19, security forces arrested 87 members….(Agence France-Presse, 31 May 07)

11 new charges filed in Jewish Federation shootings; defendant pleads insanity

King County prosecutors this morning filed 11 additional criminal charges against Naveed Haq, who is accused of killing one woman and wounding five others last summer during a shooting rampage at the Jewish Federation of Greater Seattle.In response, Haq's attorneys filed pleas of not guilty by reason of insanity to the new charges and the nine others he already faced, effectively announcing the defense strategy…..(Seattle Times, 31 May 07)

Jurors shielded from Klan

Jurors' names in a 40-year-old race murder case will be kept secret at the request of prosecutors who said some might fear Ku Klux Klan retribution. Jury selection began yesterday in the trial of a former Klan member charged over the brutal 1960s murders of two young black civil rights activists in Mississippi….(AP, 31 May 07)

Were heads turned in '64 killings?

…The Klan typically encouraged members to recruit law enforcement into their organization. During the 1960s, half or more the members of the Meridian Police Department were in the Klan. "In those days, you wouldn't talk to your partner," recalled former officer Tom Tucker of Meridian, "because you knew he was either in the Klan or working for the FBI."….(Clarion Ledger, 31 May 07)

Fannie Lee Chaney, mother of slain civil rights worker, dies at 84

Fannie Lee Chaney, a $28-a-week bakery worker who became a target of racial hatred herself after her son James Chaney and two other civil rights workers were killed by the Ku Klux Klan in Mississippi during the Freedom Summer of 1964, died last week in Willingboro, N.J. She was 84…..(New York Times, 31 May 07)

Lawmaker Queries SEC on "Terrorist" Disclosures

The head of the U.S. Senate Banking Committee expressed concern on Thursday about whether regulators are moving fast enough to force corporations to disclose any business ties to "terrorist-sponsoring states."….(Reuters, 31 May 07)

NYPD Divers Now Search for Bombs

Their main job used to be retrieving rusty murder weapons, the corpses of homicide victims and the occasional stolen car from the murky depths of the city's waterways.But in recent years, the New York Police Department's scuba team has quietly adopted a new role: scouring seawalls, bridge footings and ship hulls every day for explosives….(AP, 31 May 07)

U.S. invites terror suspect to dinner -- he declines

…A designated terrorist with ties to Oregon was invited to sit down with U.S. government officials and their guests at an embassy event Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Soliman al-Buthi, 45, is well known to the Treasury and Justice departments and the National Security Council….(Oregonian,  31 May 07)

Al-Qa'eda prepares for a new wave of terror

If international terrorism has a global headquarters, it is probably to be found in the barren mountains of Waziristan lining the ungovernable north-west frontier of Pakistan…For several years after the terrorist attacks on September 11, they were engaged in little else than avoiding capture and fleeing the American-led offensive in Afghanistan. Today, by contrast, they are probably secure enough to give strategic direction to al-Qa'eda cells across the world. Once, al-Qa'eda was best thought of as a "franchise" operation: a brand name adopted by numerous terrorist groups operating independently of the key leaders around bin Laden, who British counter-terrorism officials call "core al-Qa'eda"…..(Telegraph, 31 May 07)

Bomb plotters 'directed from the mountains'

Al-Qa'eda chiefs in Pakistan are thought to have planned all of the recent terrorist incidents in Britain, including the suicide attacks in London on July 7, the thwarted fertilizer bomb plot to blow up shopping centers and the alleged conspiracy to destroy transatlantic airliners. Two of the London bombers and the leader of the fertilizer plot had been to training camps in the Pakistan border areas. They were in direct contact with ''core al-Qa'eda leaders'' and had received orders and equipment from them or through them. A leaked quarterly intelligence report produced recently by the Joint Terrorism Analysis Centre (Jtac), based at MI5's London headquarters, said: ''Networks linked to AQ Core pose the greatest threat to the UK.''….(Telegraph, 31 May 07)

American Al-Qaeda Operative Adam Gadahn in Message to President Bush: Your People Will Experience Things That Will Make You Forget the Horrors of September 11, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Virginia Tech

The following is a video address by Adam Gadhan, aka "Azzam the American," which aired on www.tajded.net.tc on May 29, 2007…..(MEMRI, 31 May 07)

American Hostages Regain Freedom
The four American oil workers abducted on May 8 by militants in the Niger Delta were released last night to Governor Emmanuel Uduaghan at Government House Annex, Warri….(All Africa, 31 May 07)

Islamic Terror Groups Using Swiss Base: Government

Islamic militants are using Switzerland as a base because of its strategic location and different legal system from surrounding European Union countries…The country may also face terror attacks itself, although no concrete evidence of any plans has yet been discovered, said a report by the Federal Police Office. "Switzerland serves Islamic-motivated terrorism as a place for retreat, preparation, logistics and propaganda,"….(Reuters, 31 May 07)

Detainee Abuse Was Well Planned

Many of the controversial interrogation tactics used against terror suspects in Iraq, Afghanistan and Guantanamo were modeled on techniques the U.S. feared that the Communists themselves might use against captured American troops during the Cold War, according to a little-noticed, highly classified Pentagon report released several days ago…..(Time Magazine, 31 May 07)

Who let the kidnappers in, and who let them out?

According to Iraqi and British officials working on the case, the kidnapping of a British IT expert and four private security guards bore all the hall-marks of al-Mahdi Army, the militant group headed by Hojatoleslam Moqtada al-Sadr…The organisation was said to have had the motive to take the Britons and the opportunity to conduct the abduction and get away, as well as a previous record of similar operations. Al-Mahdi Army is the largest militia in Iraq and draws its support from the Shia underclass across the southern and central areas of the country…..(Times Online, 31 May 07)

25 Killed in Suicide Bombing in Fallujah

A suicide bomber hit a police recruiting center in Fallujah on Thursday, killing at least 25 people and wounding 50, police said. U.S. forces backed by helicopter gunships clashed with suspected al-Qaida gunmen in western Baghdad in an engagement that lasted several hours…..(AP, 31 May 07)

Lebanese Army, Islamists Clash; 3 Soldiers Wounded

Three Lebanese soldiers were wounded on Thursday in skirmishes with Islamist militants dug-in at a Palestinian refugee camp in northern Lebanon…The Lebanese army have been battling al Qaeda-inspired Fatah al-Islam fighters at Nahr al-Bared camp since May 20 when the militants attacked its positions there….(Reuters, 31 May 07)

13 Killed in Home Attack in Pakistan

About 100 suspected pro-Taliban militants attacked the house of a government official in northwestern Pakistan before dawn Thursday, killing 13 people, police said.The house belonged to Ameerud Din, the top administrator of the Khyber Tribal region in North West Frontier Province, bordering Afghanistan….(AP, 31 May 07)

Turkish General: Ready for PKK Strike

Turkey's top general said Thursday the military was ready to stage a cross-border offensive to fight Kurdish guerrillas in Iraq and that he already had sought government approval to mount military action….(AP, 31 May 07)

Death of Guantanamo Detainee Is Apparent Suicide, Military Says

A Saudi detainee at the U.S. military detention facility at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, was found dead in his cell from an apparent suicide yesterday afternoon, military officials said. He would be the fourth detainee to take his own life at the facility in the past year…..(Washington Post, 31 May 07)

U.S., China Meet to Discuss N. Korea Funds

Talks between China and the U.S. on how to resolve a financial dispute that is stalling North Korea's nuclear disarmament have ended without result, with the American envoy appealing Thursday for more action from Pyongyang….(AP, 31 May 07)

Ex-Con Tells of Talks at Florida Mosque

An ex-convict testified Thursday that he knew suspected al-Qaida operative Jose Padilla and a purported terrorism supporter while attending a Florida mosque, and that he considered becoming a fighter himself for Islamic groups overseas. Herbert Atwell, 38, said Adham Amin Hassoun frequently gave speeches at the mosque in the late 1990s about Muslim causes and sought to raise money and identify recruits…..(AP, 31 May 07)

Lawyer says Cabinet bypassed on judge

President Gen. Pervez Musharraf did not consult his Cabinet before suspending Pakistan's top judge, a lawyer told a court Thursday, claiming the move that has ignited a political crisis was unconstitutional….(AP, 31 May 07)

Iranian arms to Taliban bother NATO

As NATO troops in Afghanistan have begun intercepting sophisticated Iranian arms bound for the Taliban, US, NATO and Afghan officials are growing more concerned about Iranian policy in Afghanistan….(Daily Times Monitor, 31 May 07)

Police arrest Kurdish terrorist suspect in Majorca

Spanish police arrested a suspected Kurdish terrorist who has been wanted by Turkish authorities for several years. Judicial officials familiar with the case said Wednesday that the individual, identified only as Y.B., 36, was arrested around midday Tuesday at a hotel in Mallorca, where he was vacationing with a group of Germans…..(Expatica, 31 May 07)

Report: China drafting anti-terrorism law to combat threats from home and abroad

China is drafting an anti-terrorism law to safeguard against domestic and international threats, state media reported Thursday. The decision comes as "growing terrorist forces worldwide pose a serious threat to all countries, including China," the China Daily newspaper cited Li Qinglin, vice-president of the China Law Society, as saying…..(AP, 31 May 07)

Lawyers who delay expensive terrorism trials face the sack

Lawyers could be sacked if they cause delays during expensive terrorism trials under plans to speed up cases announced by the Government yesterday. Lawyers who act for several defendants accused of conspiracy charges will also face new measures. Law firms may be restricted to acting on legal aid for just one defendant per case….(Daily Times Monitor, 31 May 07)

NATO says hostile fire may have caused crash

NATO forces in Afghanistan said on Thursday Taliban fire may have brought down its military helicopter in which the alliance said seven soldiers were killed. The Taliban said 35 people died…..(Reuters, 31 May 07)

Britons' captors could demand swap

…A senior official in the Mahdi army militia told The Daily Telegraph that the captives - four security guards and a computer expert - had been taken to put pressure on Tony Blair and George Bush."We are holding the British until they release our brothers from Camp Bucca in Basra," the cell commander said. "There are hundreds there under British security, some of them for years. When they are released the British will be allowed to go."….(Telegraph, 31 May 07)

9 Terror Suspects Plead Not Guilty

Nine men accused of stockpiling bomb-making chemicals and plotting to avenge perceived injustices against Muslims pleaded not guilty to all charges Thursday in Australia's largest alleged terrorist conspiracy… The nine suspects are Mohammed Ali Elomar, Mazen Touma, Abdul Rakib Hasan, Khaled Cheikho, Moustafa Cheikho, Khaled Sharrouf, Mirsad Mulahalilovic, Omar Baladjam and Mohammed Jamal…..(AP, 31 May 07)