Afghans arrange marriages for toddler brides

…The minimum legal age of marriage in Afghanistan is 16 for girls and 18 for boys. Yet child marriages account for 43 percent of all marriages, according to the United Nations. The reasons are often economic: The girl's family gets a "bride price" of double the per capita income for a year or more, according to the World Bank. In March, the women's ministry and rights group Medica Mondiale started a campaign to encourage marriage registration before a judge, which they hope will cut down on forced and child marriages. Marriage registration is already mandated but rarely practiced…..(AP, 13 Oct 07)

Israeli air strike was on Syrian nuke reactor: paper

Israel's air strike inside Syria last month was directed at a site judged by Israeli and U.S. intelligence analysts to be a partly constructed nuclear reactor, The New York Times reported in Sunday editions. Citing U.S. and foreign officials who had access to the analysts' intelligence reports, all who spoke under condition of anonymity, the Times said the reactor was apparently modeled on one in North Korea used for stockpiling nuclear weapons fuel……(Reuters, 13 Oct 07)

Germany to Keep Troops in Afghanistan

The German government won a crucial vote in Parliament on Friday to keep its troops in Afghanistan for another year, despite recent polls indicating that a majority of Germans want them to come home. The lower house of Parliament voted for the extension of the military mandate by a convincing 453 to 79, with 48 members abstaining…..(New York Times, 13 Oct 07)

UK seeks extradition of terror suspect from Pakistan

…Rashid Rauf, a Briton, was detained in Pakistan in August last year after security agencies in the two countries zeroed in on him as the possible ringleader of the plot. Britain has been making efforts to extradite him since then…..(Times of India, 13 Oct 07)

Report: Disrupting Threat Finances: Utilization of Financial Information to Disrupt Terrorist Organizations in the Twenty-First Century .pdf

First U.S. Defense Department Study on Disrupting Terrorist Financing Released

The U.S. Army Command and General Staff College has released to the public a study titled, "Disrupting Threat Finances: Utilization of Financial Information to Disrupt Terrorist Organizations in the Twenty-First Century" (166-page Acrobat document). To my knowledge, it's the first dedicated and publicly available monograph or study of terrorist financing by the Defense Department, which indicates the increased concern by DoD and the importance of integrating the discipline within counterinsurgency doctrine…..(Counterterrorism Blog, 12 Oct 07)

Terror suspects' assets unfrozen

Four men arrested but released in relation to an alleged plot to attack airliners have had their finances unfrozen. The Bank of England said the men had now been taken off a list of suspects. The announcement came as a Treasury minister told Parliament eight suspect terrorists have had assets frozen…..(BBC, 12 Oct 07)

In Egypt, Debate on Press Freedom Follows Imprisonment of Opposition Press Editors
Recently, Egyptian courts handed down prison sentences for editors of Egypt's opposition press for publishing material against senior government officials. These rulings have sparked public debate over freedom of the press in Egypt; the debate is also fueled by unconfirmed reports on the declining health of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak……(MEMRI, 12 Oct 07)

Iran Promises "Final Response" to US and Israel on

Iran has promised a devastating “final response” to supporters of the Jewish State on October 12, the Islamic Republic’s Quds (Jerusalem) Day. “Supporters of the Zionist regime will receive their response during the world Quds Day's rallies,” Iranian government spokesman Gholam-Hossein Elham said at a weekly press conference Wednesday…"The US loses all opportunities to cooperate with regional and other world states by trying to support a regime (the Zionist regime) which is now at its weakest political and social position," Elham said. "Supporters of the Zionist regime will definitely receive the final response for their support on Quds day." Quds Day is held each year on the last Friday of the Islamic month of Ramadan. It was instituted in 1979, following the Islamic revolution by Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khomeini……(Israel NN, 12 Oct 07)

West aware of peaceful nature of Iran's nuclear program - Kashani

Substitute Friday Prayer Leader of Tehran Ayatollah Mohammad Emami-Kashani said in his second sermon here Friday enemies resort to Iran's nuclear program as a pretext, knowing about its peaceful nature. Addressing thousands of fasting Tehrani worshipers at central campus of Tehran University, Tehran's Friday preacher this week emphasized, "They say Iran should not conquer scientific peaks, and in fact they are opposed to the prospering of our universities' scientific identities."….(IRNA, 12 Oct 07)

Taliban chief urges Afghanistan's neighbors to help drive out foreign troops

Fugitive Taliban leader Mullah Omar called on Afghanistan's neighbors to help his militants oust the government of President Hamid Karzai and force foreign troops out of the country……(AP, 12 Oct 07)

Iraqi Liberal Khudayr Taher: My Journey from Darkness to Light; America Is the Prophet of Liberty

Khudayr Taher, a liberal Iraqi author now living in the U.S., is a regular commentator for the liberal Arab e-journal Elaph. In a series of articles published September 21-25, 2007, he described his transformation from an ardent Shi'ite sectarian in his native Karbala to a liberal devotee of Enlightenment values. Earlier, on September 11, he published "An Apology to America for the Crimes of the Arabs and Muslims," in which he called the U.S. "the prophet of liberty." The following are excerpts from the series and from the September 11, 2007 article…..(MEMRI, 12 Oct 07)

In Al-Jazeera Report

 Showing U.S. Citizen Training Islamist Militants, A Leader of the Al-Qaeda-Affiliated Somali Islamic Courts Union Vows to Annihilate Ethiopia

The following are excerpts from an interview with Sheikh Hassan Al-Harsi of the Islamic Courts Union of Somalia, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on September 30, 3007…..(MEMRI, 12 Oct 07)

New Federal Task Forces Take Aim at U.S. Goods Being Used For Terror

…FOX News has learned that federal officials will be putting together task forces, housed in the Justice Department, to monitor and clamp down on these types of transactions with rogue states and individual groups suspected of links to terror. "The concept of terrorists, criminals or rogue nations obtaining weapons and other restricted technology is chilling," Homeland Security Assistant Secretary Julie Myers said Thursday. Myers oversees illegal export investigations as head of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The United States has strict laws governing the export of such items — known as dual-use materials — but government officials often have complained that the laws are not being enforced, in part because federal agencies are not communicating enough among themselves……(Fox, 12 Oct 07)

US Says Illegal Weapons Exports Growing

… Last week, two Utah men were arrested for allegedly trying to sell parts over the Internet for F-4 and F-14 fighter jets _ which are only flown by Iran. The week before, two engineers were indicted in San Jose, Calif., on charges of stealing computer chip designs intended for the Chinese military. Government lawyers and investigators Thursday described a growing number of unauthorized exports that could be dangerous if the parts and supplies end up in the hands of terrorists or hostile nations……(AP, 12 Oct 07)

DHS Noting Union Affiliation Of Air Travelers Is Protested

…As part of an agreement reached in July between the United States and European Union, airlines are required to provide personal data on millions of U.S.-bound passengers, such as names and credit card information. European negotiators won restrictions on the use of such sensitive information as religion, sexual orientation and union membership. But the Passenger Name Record Agreement states that that data can be used in exceptional cases, "where the life of a data subject or of others could be imperiled or seriously impaired," such as in a counterterrorism investigation. "We agree with the department's objective to identify those representing a genuine threat, but we categorically reject the notion that union membership has any bearing on this determination,"…..(Washington Post, 12 Oct 07)

Detainee's Lawyers Fear That Mail Is Uselessly Slow at Guantanamo

Majid Khan -- also known as Detainee No. 010020 at the U.S. detention facility in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba -- has been in U.S. custody for more than four years. First, it was in secret prisons run by the CIA, and now, for more than a year, in Cuba, where he has had contact only with his captors and with representatives from the International Committee of the Red Cross……(Washington Post, 12 Oct 07)

U.S. Reviews Gitmo Combatant Hearings

The U.S. military is reviewing its decision to classify hundreds of Guantanamo Bay inmates as "enemy combatants," a step that could lead to new hearings for men who have spent years behind bars in indefinite detention.Navy Capt. Theodore Fessel Jr., the lead officer at Guantanamo for the Defense Department agency that oversees the panels, said authorities have begun seeking new or previously overlooked evidence that may warrant new hearings after the process came under fire."With all the outside eyes looking in at the process, it's forcing us to say, 'OK, did we take everything into consideration when we did the Combatant Status Review Tribunals?'…..(Washington Post, 12 Oct 07)

Al-Qa'ida behind attacks on Pakistan troops

AL-QA'IDA's involvement in the huge surge of fighting in Pakistan's Islamic fundamentalist heartland was revealed last night as reports indicated that more than 50,000 people had been forced to flee their homes after being caught in crossfire. Islamabad's top military spokesman, Waheed Arshad, said in the past few days of fighting, more than 50 "foreign militants" had been killed -- code for al-Qa'ida terrorists based in an area where Osama bin Laden is believed to be dug in. According to Major General Arshad, the "foreign militants" killed have been from among the Uzbeks, Arabs, Tajiks and Afghans who form the backbone of the force surrounding bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, in the region of North and South Waziristan……(Australian, 12 Oct 07)

Relations Sour Between Shiites and Iraq Militia

In a number of Shiite neighborhoods across Baghdad, residents are beginning to turn away from the Mahdi Army, the Shiite militia they once saw as their only protector against Sunni militants. Now they resent it as a band of street thugs without ideology…The sectarian landscape has shifted, with Sunni extremists largely defeated in many Shiite neighborhoods, and the war in those places has sunk into a criminality that is often blind to sect. In interviews, 10 Shiites from four neighborhoods in eastern and western Baghdad described a pattern in which militia members, looking for new sources of income, turned on Shiites. The pattern appears less frequently in neighborhoods where Sunnis and Shiites are still struggling for territory…The street militia of today bears little resemblance to the Mahdi Army of 2004, when Shiites following a cleric, Moktada al-Sadr, battled American soldiers in a burst of Shiite self-assertion. Then, fighters doubled as neighborhood helpers, bringing cooking gas and other necessities to needy families....(New York Times, 12 Oct 07)

Southeast Asia Beats Back al-Qaida

…The unusual gathering late last month was a striking example of what has emerged as a key plank in Indonesia's anti-terror campaign: co-opting former militants as informers or preachers of moderation. The evening party also underscored Southeast Asia's progress in the fight against al-Qaida, five years after a devastating al-Qaida-linked bombing on the Indonesian resort island of Bali stoked fears of a sustained terror campaign throughout the region……(AP, 12 Oct 07)

Two remote-controlled aircraft seized from LTTE: Colombo

The Sri Lanka Navy on Thursday claimed to have recovered two “remote-controlled aircraft”, following an attack on two “small size logistics boats” of the LTTE in the coastal waters north of Thallaimannar…..(Hindu, 12 Oct 07)

U.N. Report on Iraq Details An 'Ever-Deepening' Crisis
…The assessment by the U.N. Assistance Mission for Iraq, which covered a three-month period ending June 30, found that civilians were suffering "devastating consequences" from violence across the country. It documented more than 100 civilians allegedly killed by U.S.-led forces during airstrikes or raids.The report described Iraq in more dire terms than last month's congressional testimony from top U.S. military and embassy officials, which stressed improvements in the security situation. "The killings are still taking place, the torture is still being reported, the due process issues are still unresolved,"…..(Washington Post, 12 Oct 07)

Militants holding soldiers speak to BBC

The commander of about 280 Pakistani soldiers held by pro-Taliban militants told the BBC his superiors’ delay to act led to their capture more than a month ago. Given access to the militants’ base near the border with Afghanistan, the BBC spoke to the militants’ spokesman and three of the prisoners, one of whom was the commanding officer. The report said the soldiers talked only under pressure from their captors. The commander said after pro-Taliban tribesmen stopped his supplies convoy in South Waziristan, he was told by his superior officers to wait as they negotiated with the militant leadership. But after waiting for more than four hours, the soldiers realized they had been surrounded…..(UPI, 12 Oct 07)

Army fumes at BBC interview of abducted soldiers

The chief military spokesman has reacted angrily to a BBC report in which three army officers held hostage by the Taliban in South Waziristan were interviewed. “This is an attempt to carry out propaganda,” Maj-Gen Waheed Arshad told Daily Times on Thursday after militants led by Baitullah Mehsud allowed the BBC access to the three officers for the first time since they and some 250 other soldiers were abducted on August 30. BBC reporter Haroon Rashid wrote that the officers “did not want to talk but were pressurised by the Taliban to do so”. Gen Arshad warned Pakistani journalists against “becoming spokesmen of militants”…….(Daily times, 12 Oct 07)

Nominated Pakistan army chief says 'no let up' in war on terror

President Gen. Pervez Musharraf's designated successor as army chief said Friday there would be "no let up" in Pakistan's effort in the U.S.-led war on terror. Gen. Ashfaq Kayani is to replace Musharraf as army chief by Nov. 15, provided the Supreme Court confirms Musharraf's victory in last weekend's presidential election…..(AP, 12 Oct 07)

AQ Khan won’t be handed over: Aziz

Prime Minister (PM) Shaukat Aziz said here on Thursday that Dr Abdul Qadeer Khan would not be handed over to anyone and foreign forces would not be allowed to conduct any operation inside Pakistan. The prime minister was speaking at an Iftar dinner hosted by Pakistan Muslim League (PML) leader and former president Sardar Farooq Ahmed Khan Leghari. The PM said the PML and its allied parties would participate in the next general elections together and it would not form any electoral alliance with any other party……(Daily Times, 12 Oct 07)

Venturing into the Taleban's backyard

Sitting inside a cramped shop in the town of Jandola in Pakistan's restive tribal area of South Waziristan, we are hoping to be taken to meet the man who is arguably Pakistan's most feared militant. Baitullah Mehsud has been accused of organising some of the most devastating suicide attacks in the country. His exploits have included the capture of over 200 Pakistan soldiers on 30 August…..(BBC, 12 Oct 07)

Al Qaeda Breach Called ‘Serious' but ‘Reparable'

…In yesterday's interview, Mr. Gunaratna praised Ms. Katz, who had told the Sun that her operation was ruined as a result of last month's leak to ABC News and other news organizations. Ms. Katz's work was unique, according to Mr. Gunaratna, because he said Ms. Katz is "obsessive." "There are endless methods of deception," he said. "It is an infinite game, I can deceive you once, but I need to find another way. We have not seen anyone on the government side with the same dedication and passion as Rita in this,”……New York Sun, 12 Oct 07)

N Korea Criticizes Bush Remark

North Korea's state media criticized President Bush on Friday for calling Pyongyang one of the world's "brutal regimes," saying the remark shows an inconsistent U.S. policy toward the communist country and damages efforts to resolve their nuclear dispute.Bush made the remark at a U.N. General Assembly address last month, describing Belarus, North Korea, Syria and Iran as "brutal regimes (that) deny their people the fundamental rights enshrined in the Universal Declaration (of Human Rights)."….(AP, 12 Oct 07)

On Anniversary of Bali Bombing, Terrorist Group Still Dangerous

Five years ago, explosions tore through two nightclubs in Bali, Indonesia, killing 202 people. The blasts put a terrorist group called Jemaah Islamiyah on the map. But they also put it squarely in the sights of the Indonesian government. More than 400 arrests later, analysts say Jemaah Islamiyah is now a much weaker organization. But they warn it could still come back. Trish Anderton reports from Jakarta…..(Voice of America, 12 Oct 07)

Islamic Jihad: No Peace for Israelis

…Israel's military says Gaza militants have fired some 980 rockets into Israel since June, when Hamas seized power in the coastal territory. That compares to 440 in the preceding four months. In all, thousands of crude rockets fired over the past seven years have killed 12 Israelis, wounded dozens and disrupted life for thousands. Israeli troops and settlers withdrew from Gaza more than two years ago _ and Israel has begun a fledgling peace process with the moderate Palestinian forces now in control of the West Bank…..(AP, 11 Oct 07)

Amateur intelligence delivery methods by web sleuths, not White House, responsible for intelligence

…investigators with the Northeast Intelligence Network watched this series of events unfold, after one well respected and long-time researcher and contributor to this agency had already properly secured and provided the bin Laden video information to the appropriate contacts at the appropriate government intelligence levels. Therefore, having “no dog in this fight,” the Northeast Intelligence Network can objectively offer insight into this intelligence morass with unsurprising findings…Although our agency provides reports on the very events we reference, it is only after a very specific vetting process is completed, with those who are responsible for the security of our nation. Oftentimes, we here at the Northeast Intelligence Network do not publish our intelligence data in its purest form at the request of our government contacts or simply due to sound judgment….(Canada Free Press, 11 Oct 07)

Rice: Iran 'Lying' About Aim of Nuke Program

Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice on Thursday accused Iran of "lying" about the aim of its nuclear program, saying there's no doubt Tehran wants the capability to produce nuclear weapons and has deceived the U.N.'s atomic watchdog about its intentions. "There is an Iranian history of obfuscation and, indeed, lying to the IAEA," she said, referring to the International Atomic Energy Agency. "There is a history of Iran not answering important questions about what is going on and there is Iran pursuing nuclear technologies that can lead to nuclear weapons-grade material,"…..(AP, 11 Oct 07)

Terrorist suspects, drugs seized at ports

U.S. Customs and Border Protection inspectors at the nation's ports of entry arrested 25,000 people during fiscal 2007 — including 270 suspected of having terrorist ties — and seized 300 tons of marijuana and 93,000 pounds of cocaine..…..(Washington Times, 11 Oct 07)

Taliban suicide bombs not strategic threat: NATO

The NATO-led force in Afghanistan on Thursday rejected Taliban rebel claims that suicide bombs were an effective weapon to drive out foreign troops, saying the effects on the military were strategically insignificant. The number of Taliban suicide attacks in Afghanistan -- more than 100 so far this year -- is set to top last year's record of 123, the United Nations says, and most victims are civilians……(Reuters, 11 Oct 07)

Beyond Islamic enlightenment

…It means that Islamic rationalism - the act of a Muslim using his (or her) individual reason to access the Quran and Islamic tradition - has triumphed so emphatically that both Muslim liberals (Wadud) and illiberals (Qutb), rely upon it. It means that the whole time people have been talking in terms of civilizations, we should have been talking in terms of individuals, because reason is an individual act. In fact, some of the most unsavoury characters of 20th century Islam have essentially confirmed that there won't be any turning back from Islam's individualist revolution… The age of individual, personal, idiosyncratic Islam, is coming if not already with us. The more one surveys the Muslim world, the more examples of idiosyncratic Islams will be found (and it is the responsibility of journalists to bring all of these to light)……(Guardian, 11 Oct 07)

Reviewing the A Q Khan saga

Benazir Bhutto's comment on allowing IAEA talk to A Q Khan sparked an interesting debate. Though nearly all felt that it was a 'calculated' remark some defended it particularly on the score that the case of A Q Khan was yet another instance of the 'army passing the buck to the civilians' in Pakistan. A stronger defence of Bhutto's remark produced yet more dazzling analysis of how A Q Khan was the army's 'Jesus Christ' going to the cross to pay for the sins that the army had committed. Some rightwing strategists working for the Pakistan government were understandably outraged that Bhutto had ignited a 'closed issue'…….(The News, 11 Oct 07)

Somali forces shut radio station after Islamist interview

Somali government forces on Thursday raided and shut a radio station that interviewed a top Islamist insurgent commander who claimed responsibility for an assassination bid on the prime minister. The forces ordered Mogadishu-based Simba Radio off the air and arrested its chief Abdullahi Ali Farak and a journalist, according to a reporter who works there……(AFP, 11 Oct 07)

Syria refuses to participate in Middle East peace conference

Syrian President Bashar Assad announced on Thursday that his country would not participate in the Middle East peace conference in Annapolis next month… Egypt, Jordan and Saudia Arabia have yet to confirm their participation in the conference, which is scheduled for November…..(Jerusalem Post, 11 Oct 07)

UN Urges U.S. to Hold Security Firms in Iraq Accountable

The U.N. urged U.S. authorities Thursday to hold private security firms accountable for unjustified killings of Iraqi civilians while protecting government-funded work and warned that increasing reliance on the heavily armed teams risks eroding the distinction between civilians and combatants…..(AP, 11 Oct 07)

Analyst Warns Against Partitioning Iraq

Limiting the power of Iraq's central government and giving more control to ethnically divided regions might lead to large-scale violence and intervention by neighboring countries, an analyst says. Such programs sometimes are federalism or ''soft partition.'' Their adoption could mean widespread bloodletting and ''local atrocities seem all too likely,'' according to Anthony H. Cordesman of the Center for Strategic and International Studies……(AP, 11 Oct 07)

Inside Intel / The story of Iranian oil and Israeli pipes

In recent months, Israel and Iran have been playing a game of cat-and-mouse. This is not the predictable game of intelligence, counter-espionage and field security. Such games have been taking place for years. Israel's intelligence community tries to obtain information about the development of Iran's nuclear program, and is preparing in case it has to attack Iran; while Iran tries frustrate these efforts… Iran is trying to locate property and assets belonging to the Israeli government and three Israeli oil firms abroad, and Israel is trying to thwart it. This affair arises from an international arbitration that determined more than three years ago that the Paz, Sonol and Delek oil companies must compensate the National Iranian Oil Company (NIOC) hundreds of millions of dollars….(Haaretz, 11 Oct 07)

Palestinians Begin Returning To Devastated Lebanon Camp

…The camp's population had consisted mainly of Palestinians who in 1948 fled or were forced to flee what is now northern Israel, and their descendants. Like Lebanon's 11 other Palestinian refugee camps, Nahr al-Bared had become a dense accumulation of concrete buildings separated by narrow streets. The refugees, arriving at a checkpoint in cars, small trucks and buses operated by the United Nations Relief and Works Agency, were escorted by military personnel to their houses. UNRWA aids Palestinians in Lebanon and other parts of the Middle East…..(Washington Post, 11 Oct 07)

Treasury Department Announces Designation of 3 Saudi Nationals for Their Support of Abu Sayyaf

…The three, Abdul Rahim al-Talhi, Muhammad Abdullah Saikh Sughayr and Fahd Muhammad Abd al-Aziz al Khashiban, were proscribed for their financial support of the Philippines Based Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) since the early-1990s. According to the Treasury Department’s Press Release, Abdul Rahim al-Talhi is a “loyal colleague of Usama bin Laden, and a member of the Saudi Arabia-based donor network funding terrorists and supporting extremist activity..….(Counterterrorism Blog, 10 Oct 07)

Treasury Designates Three Key Terrorist Financiers

The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated as Specially Designated Global Terrorists (SDGTs) three individuals based in Saudi Arabia who have served as significant sources of financial and other support to individuals and entities in Southeast Asia previously named as SDGTs and listed pursuant to United Nations Security Council Resolution (UNSCR) 1267…..(US Treasury Press Release, 10 Oct 07)