NEFA: TerrorWatch on Fatah al-Islam and Samina Malik Powerpoint
By Evan Kohlmann
The NEFA Foundation has posted a new edition of its TerrorWatch video cybercast, this time examining Al-Qaida's growing focus on the plight of the Palestinians and the emergence of apparent Al-Qaida cells in lawless regions of the Gaza Strip. In a January 2008 audio recording, Fatah al-Islam leader Shaker al-Absi told his followers, "“We ought to think about our brothers in the blessed land in Jerusalem and in the Gaza Strip, the heroes of Fatah al-Islam who were granted success by Allah in their first blessed operation, of whom we ask Allah… to grant them and us success… We say to them, ‘Your will play a major role in the future. You are part of one of the most important fortresses and frontlines… Our Lord has poured out patience over us and allowed us to gain a foothold… against the infidels… This battle is only the beginning, and we shall see who will be the victor.”
Separately, in the wake of the U.K. Court of Appeals decision to overturn the conviction of the "Lyrical Terrorist" Samina Malik, the NEFA Foundation has released a PowerPoint briefing, authored by NEFA Senior Analyst Josh Lefkowitz, that provides an overview of Operation Orbile, the British counterterrorism investigation that targeted Malik and Sohail Qureshi. The briefing includes more than a dozen exhibits entered into evidence in the course of those prosecutions, including email correspondence between Malik and Qureshi in which Qureshi sought information on airport security from Malik, who worked at a newsstand in Heathrow Airport: "Wat is the situation like at work? Is the checking still very harsh? or have things cooled down a bit?...Delete after read!" Qureshi, who trained at an Al-Qaida camp in Pakistan and was arrested at Heathrow on his way "to commit acts of terrorism overseas, possibly against coalition forces in Afghanistan," pled guilty to terror charges. In addition to providing Qureshi with details on airport security, Malik compiled an extensive library of jihadist material, including The Al Qaeda Manual, The Terrorists Handbook, The Mujahideen Poisons Handbook, a manual for a Dragunov Sniper Rifle, The Firearms and RPG handbook, and a document titled "How to Win hand to hand fighting." In announcing its decision not to retry Malik, the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) stated, "Ms Malik was not prosecuted for her poetry. She was prosecuted for possessing documents that could provide practical assistance to terrorists." However, with the redefining of Section 58 of the Terrorism Act 2000, some of the documents CPS "relied on in Ms Malik's trial would no longer be held capable of giving practical assistance to terrorists."
June 20, 2008 12:20 PM Print
Saturday, June 21, 2008
Wednesday, June 18, 2008
Loan Wolf Terror Threats
Canadian intelligenceBy Stewart Bell
A newly declassified Canadian intelligence report is warning about the emerging threat posed by "lone wolf" Islamist terrorists who operate completely on their own.
Terrorists inspired by al-Qaeda have, in the past, tended to work in cells, but the report says they are beginning to use the solo strategy once associated with the militant far right.
"Lone wolves motivated by Islamist extremism are a recent development," it says. "Islamist terrorist strategists are now advocating that Muslims take action at a grassroots level, without waiting for instructions."
It adds that lone wolf Islamist extremist attacks and conspiracies "seem to be on the increase" and that "several such cases have been recorded since 9/11" although the list of examples appears to have been censored from the report.
read more...
Canadian intelligenceBy Stewart Bell
A newly declassified Canadian intelligence report is warning about the emerging threat posed by "lone wolf" Islamist terrorists who operate completely on their own.
Terrorists inspired by al-Qaeda have, in the past, tended to work in cells, but the report says they are beginning to use the solo strategy once associated with the militant far right.
"Lone wolves motivated by Islamist extremism are a recent development," it says. "Islamist terrorist strategists are now advocating that Muslims take action at a grassroots level, without waiting for instructions."
It adds that lone wolf Islamist extremist attacks and conspiracies "seem to be on the increase" and that "several such cases have been recorded since 9/11" although the list of examples appears to have been censored from the report.
read more...
The bad, the real bad and whats worse
Thats A Lot of Bananas
Posted: 17 Jun 2008 02:46 AM CDT
Two men caught with $372,000 in cash near the Costa Rica-Panama border told police that they just wanted to buy some bananas.
Police said the two appeared to be nervous after their car was stopped over the weekend. Officials searched the vehicle and found the cash in a briefcase.
Read More
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Washington D.C. Increases Surveillance
Posted: 17 Jun 2008 02:36 AM CDT
From a dimly lit room in a secure command center, 21 streaming video feeds from 4,775 surveillance cameras around the nation’s capital are projected across three screens and monitored at all hours. Every few seconds, footage from a different location pops up — a busy road, a picnic bench, the entrance to the new baseball stadium.
Seven years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is trying to set up one of the most comprehensive centrally controlled visual surveillance systems in the world. In the nerve center, which opened last month, the city’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency can monitor video from four city agencies covering streets, schools, housing projects, parks and roads for threats and other nefarious activities.
For those who have accepted the city’s fate as a prime terrorist target, this may be cause for relief. But to the many civil liberties groups headquartered in Washington, the move undermines privacy, encourages abuse and represents the first step toward a surveillance system like London’s, where a person’s every public move can be tracked on about 10,000 government-funded cameras that have been dubbed a “ring of steel.”
Source - Read Article
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UK Raises Terror Threat Level For United Arabs Emirates ‘UAE’
Posted: 17 Jun 2008 02:22 AM CDT
The UK has raised its assessment of the risk of terrorist attack in the United Arab Emirates to reflect a “high level of known terrorist activity” in the business and tourism hub of the oil-rich Gulf Arab states.
Security analysts say the foreign office’s decision to raise the UAE’s terrorism risk to high comes amid increasing intelligence surrounding a potential strike on one of the many western interests in the UAE, from the oil infrastructure to Dubai’s tourist playground.
For years, there have been concerns that this strong US ally could become a target for Islamist extremists, but no attacks of significance have taken place in the UAE, in spite of the arrest of several alleged al-Qaeda operatives.
“We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE,” the updated foreign office travel advice says. “We continue to advise a high level of security awareness in public places, but we are not advising a change to travel plans,” an embassy spokesman said. Changes to travel advice are made according to intelligence, local knowledge and input from diplomats.
The US embassy in Abu Dhabi said it was aware of the UK warning and was monitoring the security situation but had no new advice for its citizens.
Raising the assessment from general to high puts the UAE in the same risk band as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, both of which have been subject to serious campaigns of terrorist violence.
Source - Read More
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Government Plays Down Threat of Terror Attack At Hong Kong Olympics Equestrian Event
Posted: 17 Jun 2008 02:06 AM CDT
A warning of a terror attack during the Olympic events in Hong Kong from the citys immigration chief was played down by the government last night.
The terrorist threat level remains moderate, a government spokesman said, but police will maintain close liaison with mainland authorities and overseas law enforcement agencies to ensure timely exchanges of intelligence.
The governments response followed comments earlier yesterday by Director of Immigration Simon Peh Yun-lu that the department has received intelligence the equestrian events are under threat of attack.
Speaking at his first media reception since assuming office in April, Peh said intelligence said some people are plotting to sabotage the Olympic Games, including the equestrian events.
Of course this kind of intelligence will continually change right now the main individuals who might sabotage the event are terrorists, Peh added, without giving any specifics on the terrorists. If we know some are plotting to sabotage the Games, or to damage the solemnity of the events or disrupt the smooth processing of the events, we will ban their entrance.
Lawmaker James To Kun-sun, deputy chairman of the Legislative Councils security panel, said it was unusual for a director of immigration to reveal intelligence on a potential threat of terrorist action.
He said it was possible Peh was laying the groundwork with which to ban peaceful demonstrations during the Games or to prevent people from entering the city.
In his briefing, Peh refused to be specific about the intelligence his department had received.
The department estimates 42,000 visitors will arrive in Hong Kong to see the equestrian events as well as 3,000 athletes.
In addition to maintaining close liaison with mainland authorities, police will step up security measures at strategic locations, in particular the airport, the public transport system and other critical infrastructures.
The Standard - Hong Kong’s First FREE English Newspaper
Background
Security concerns over a possible terrorist attack during the Beijing Olympics spread to Hong Kong on Monday, with a top immigration official warning the city’s hosting of Olympics equestrian events could be targeted.
“Intelligence reports suggest to us that there are some people who will come to sabotage Olympics events including equestrian events,” said Simon Peh, Hong Kong’s director of immigration, in an interview to a select group of local media.
“Of course this kind of intelligence will continually change … right now the main individuals who might sabotage the event are terrorists,” Peh added, without giving any specifics on where these terrorists might come from or their affiliation.
The head of Interpol, Ronald Noble, said in April there was a “real possibility” that the Beijing Olympics would be targeted by terrorists, but this was the first time that specific intelligence had suggested a possible security threat involving Hong Kong.
The former British colony will have a fringe Olympics role this August, hosting equestrian events on behalf of Beijing after the capital city failed to set up a disease-free zone for horses.
Source - Read More
ShareThis
Posted: 17 Jun 2008 02:46 AM CDT
Two men caught with $372,000 in cash near the Costa Rica-Panama border told police that they just wanted to buy some bananas.
Police said the two appeared to be nervous after their car was stopped over the weekend. Officials searched the vehicle and found the cash in a briefcase.
Read More
ShareThis
Washington D.C. Increases Surveillance
Posted: 17 Jun 2008 02:36 AM CDT
From a dimly lit room in a secure command center, 21 streaming video feeds from 4,775 surveillance cameras around the nation’s capital are projected across three screens and monitored at all hours. Every few seconds, footage from a different location pops up — a busy road, a picnic bench, the entrance to the new baseball stadium.
Seven years after the Sept. 11 attacks, Mayor Adrian M. Fenty is trying to set up one of the most comprehensive centrally controlled visual surveillance systems in the world. In the nerve center, which opened last month, the city’s Homeland Security and Emergency Management Agency can monitor video from four city agencies covering streets, schools, housing projects, parks and roads for threats and other nefarious activities.
For those who have accepted the city’s fate as a prime terrorist target, this may be cause for relief. But to the many civil liberties groups headquartered in Washington, the move undermines privacy, encourages abuse and represents the first step toward a surveillance system like London’s, where a person’s every public move can be tracked on about 10,000 government-funded cameras that have been dubbed a “ring of steel.”
Source - Read Article
ShareThis
UK Raises Terror Threat Level For United Arabs Emirates ‘UAE’
Posted: 17 Jun 2008 02:22 AM CDT
The UK has raised its assessment of the risk of terrorist attack in the United Arab Emirates to reflect a “high level of known terrorist activity” in the business and tourism hub of the oil-rich Gulf Arab states.
Security analysts say the foreign office’s decision to raise the UAE’s terrorism risk to high comes amid increasing intelligence surrounding a potential strike on one of the many western interests in the UAE, from the oil infrastructure to Dubai’s tourist playground.
For years, there have been concerns that this strong US ally could become a target for Islamist extremists, but no attacks of significance have taken place in the UAE, in spite of the arrest of several alleged al-Qaeda operatives.
“We believe terrorists may be planning to carry out attacks in the UAE,” the updated foreign office travel advice says. “We continue to advise a high level of security awareness in public places, but we are not advising a change to travel plans,” an embassy spokesman said. Changes to travel advice are made according to intelligence, local knowledge and input from diplomats.
The US embassy in Abu Dhabi said it was aware of the UK warning and was monitoring the security situation but had no new advice for its citizens.
Raising the assessment from general to high puts the UAE in the same risk band as Saudi Arabia and Egypt, both of which have been subject to serious campaigns of terrorist violence.
Source - Read More
ShareThis
Government Plays Down Threat of Terror Attack At Hong Kong Olympics Equestrian Event
Posted: 17 Jun 2008 02:06 AM CDT
A warning of a terror attack during the Olympic events in Hong Kong from the citys immigration chief was played down by the government last night.
The terrorist threat level remains moderate, a government spokesman said, but police will maintain close liaison with mainland authorities and overseas law enforcement agencies to ensure timely exchanges of intelligence.
The governments response followed comments earlier yesterday by Director of Immigration Simon Peh Yun-lu that the department has received intelligence the equestrian events are under threat of attack.
Speaking at his first media reception since assuming office in April, Peh said intelligence said some people are plotting to sabotage the Olympic Games, including the equestrian events.
Of course this kind of intelligence will continually change right now the main individuals who might sabotage the event are terrorists, Peh added, without giving any specifics on the terrorists. If we know some are plotting to sabotage the Games, or to damage the solemnity of the events or disrupt the smooth processing of the events, we will ban their entrance.
Lawmaker James To Kun-sun, deputy chairman of the Legislative Councils security panel, said it was unusual for a director of immigration to reveal intelligence on a potential threat of terrorist action.
He said it was possible Peh was laying the groundwork with which to ban peaceful demonstrations during the Games or to prevent people from entering the city.
In his briefing, Peh refused to be specific about the intelligence his department had received.
The department estimates 42,000 visitors will arrive in Hong Kong to see the equestrian events as well as 3,000 athletes.
In addition to maintaining close liaison with mainland authorities, police will step up security measures at strategic locations, in particular the airport, the public transport system and other critical infrastructures.
The Standard - Hong Kong’s First FREE English Newspaper
Background
Security concerns over a possible terrorist attack during the Beijing Olympics spread to Hong Kong on Monday, with a top immigration official warning the city’s hosting of Olympics equestrian events could be targeted.
“Intelligence reports suggest to us that there are some people who will come to sabotage Olympics events including equestrian events,” said Simon Peh, Hong Kong’s director of immigration, in an interview to a select group of local media.
“Of course this kind of intelligence will continually change … right now the main individuals who might sabotage the event are terrorists,” Peh added, without giving any specifics on where these terrorists might come from or their affiliation.
The head of Interpol, Ronald Noble, said in April there was a “real possibility” that the Beijing Olympics would be targeted by terrorists, but this was the first time that specific intelligence had suggested a possible security threat involving Hong Kong.
The former British colony will have a fringe Olympics role this August, hosting equestrian events on behalf of Beijing after the capital city failed to set up a disease-free zone for horses.
Source - Read More
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Thursday, June 12, 2008
New Doc Found From Al-Qaeda
Derailed Train In Colorado No Accident - Reward Offered For Information
Posted: 12 Jun 2008 03:13 AM CDT
Investigators say someone purposely sabotaged the railroad tracks that caused a freight train derailment in Westminster.
The railroad company is offering a $10,000 reward for information in the case.
The huge cleanup project continued Wednesday morning in Westminster where the freight train derailed and cars and locomotives stacked up against each other.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway officials say it was a tree stump purposely left on tracks that derailed four locomotives and 16 cars of the freight train late Monday night near Wadsworth Parkway between 92nd and 100th Avenues.
BNSF officials offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for sabotaging the tracks. BNSF asks anyone who has information to call toll-free 1-800-832-5452.
BNSF spokesman Steve Forsberg didn’t know the exact size of the stump but said it would have most likely required at least two people to move it.
Westminster police say they believe the stump was actually placed on the tracks about two hours before the derailment Monday night. They say they received a call about the stump on the tracks, and an officer responded and used his own muscle to push it off of the tracks.
But investigators say someone put it back, and then the freight train hit it.
Forsberg said Tuesday the stump got caught on a switch on the tracks, causing the first of four locomotives to lift up, triggering the derailment.
The train carrying lumber and building materials jumped the tracks about 10:35 p.m. Monday. The train included four engines and 37 rail cars.
Source - Read More
Additional - Photo Credit
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Top Secret al-Qaeda Files Left On Train - UK
Posted: 12 Jun 2008 02:55 AM CDT
The Metropolitan police has launched an investigation after top secret intelligence documents on al-Qaida and Iraq were left on a train in London, the Cabinet Office confirmed today.
It is understood the two documents, relating to al-Qaeda activity in Pakistan and the security situation in Iraq, were lost yesterday.
The files were left at Waterloo station, on a train heading to Surrey, by a senior security official. They were found by a passenger who handed them to the BBC’s security correspondent, Frank Gardner.
The documents, which were compiled by the government’s joint intelligence committee, contained the latest assessment of al-Qaida and a “top secret and, in some cases, damning” assessment of Iraq’s security forces, said Gardner.
A full-scale police inquiry was launched immediately as officials were concerned the sensitive papers could find their way into the wrong hands, he said.
The al-Qaida document, commissioned jointly by the Foreign Office and the Home Office, was classified “UK top secret”, said Gardener. It was so sensitive that each page was numbered and marked “For UK, US, Canadian and Australian eyes only”.
The second document, on Iraq, was commissioned by the Ministry of Defence.
Gardner said: “This was a clear breach of government rules. They should be sealed in a briefcase if they are taken out.”
A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said: “Two documents which are marked as ’secret’ were left on a train and have subsequently been handed to the BBC.
“There has been a security breach, the Metropolitan police are carrying out an investigation.”
The spokesman declined to discuss the contents of the documents, but said the papers had been in the possession of a senior intelligence officer based in the Cabinet Office.
Asked how many people would have had access to the papers, he said: “‘Secret’ is a high classification so they would have had limited circulation.”
A Met spokesman said: “We are making inquiries in connection with the loss of documents on June 10.”
The Conservative shadow security minister, Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones, attacked the government for its record of security lapses and called for an independent parliamentary inquiry.
“This is just the latest in a long line of serious breaches of security involving either the loss of data, documents or government laptops, further highlighting the most basic failures in this government’s ability to maintain our security.
“The government must make an immediate statement to parliament and an inquiry must be launched.”
The Liberal Democrat home affairs spokeman, Chris Huhne, said: “This is an appalling breach of security, which suggests that procedures on such sensitive matters are lax to the point of utter carelessness.
“There should be strict guidelines about when such secret documents are outside carefully monitored premises.
“It beggars belief that the government could have scored such a devastating own goal on the very day that it was pushing draconian counter terrorism laws through parliament.”
In January, the Ministry of Defence was forced to contact the security agencies MI5 and MI6, as well as banks and individuals, after the theft of a laptop computer from a car.
The computer held the personal details of 600,000 Royal Navy, Royal Marine and RAF recruits, and other people who applied to join the services.
Source - Read More
UPDATE:
The Cabinet Office has suspended the civil servant at the centre of an inquiry into the loss of top-secret documents on al-Qaeda and Iraq.
The unnamed Cabinet Office employee was questioned in an internal inquiry after the sensitive papers were left on the seat of a commuter train.
ShareThis
Lafayette Bridge Shooting - Two Cars Struck Multiple Times - St Paul
Posted: 12 Jun 2008 02:42 AM CDT
Two cars and one of their passengers were struck by bullets tonight while traveling over the Lafayette Bridge Wednesday evening, according to St. Paul police.
About 8:20 p.m., four men pulled into Regions Hospital in a car that had been riddled with bullets. One of them, a 22-year-old passenger from South St. Paul, had two bullet wounds himself, though police said he would live.
The men told police they had been shot at while driving north on the Lafayette Bridge, a part of Highway 52 connecting downtown St. Paul to the West Side. They said they did not see anything, but “heard popping sounds” before their car was struck, police officials said.
Shortly thereafter, the driver of another vehicle contacted police, saying his car had also been struck by bullets while traveling north over the bridge this evening. The man drove to his home on St. Paul’s East Side and called police from there.
Police searched the bridge within the hour and discovered shell casings in the northbound lanes. There are no pedestrian walkways on the bridge.
The men in the first car were still being questioned late this evening.
Source
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Rumor - Did U.S. Missile Strike Get al Qaeda #2 al Zawahiri ?
Posted: 12 Jun 2008 02:27 AM CDT
There is rumor and speculation that a U.S. fired missile in Pakistan earlier this week was more than a response to a clash on the Afghan border. Several blogs and other sources are speculating that it may have been a surgical strike against an al Qaeda high value target (HVT), and the target may have been al Qaeda #2 man, Ayman al Zawahiri.
AJStrata Has more, including comments
as does Rusty at My Pet Jawa
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
Background Info
U.S. Drone Suspected of Firing Missile In Pakistan
A pilotless U.S. drone was suspected to have fired a missile into a Pakistani area on the Afghan border on Tuesday, but there was no word on the target or casualties, a government official said.
The missile was thought to have been fired into the Mohmand ethnic Pashtun tribal area in northwest Pakistan where this year, U.S.-controlled Predator aircraft have struck at least four sites used by al Qaeda operatives, killing dozens of suspected militants.
“There was an attack by a spy plane close to the Afghan border but we don’t have information about casualties or damage,” said the government official based in the region. He declined to be identified.
Mohmand has not been a hotbed of support for al Qaeda and the Taliban but militants are known to operate there.
A Pakistani military spokesman said there had been a clash in the area but on the Afghan side of the border, where Afghan forces had been battling militants.
Neither U.S. nor Pakistani authorities usually confirm U.S. missile attacks on Pakistani territory, which would be an infringement of Pakistan
U.S. Military Confirms Pakistan Missile Strike
The United States military has confirmed that it carried out a missile strike on Pakistan soil near the Afghan border that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers.
Our South Asia correspondent Peter Lloyd, says it appears the Pakistani troops died during an operation, which was meant to be targeting Taliban militants.
The US was responding to an earlier incident in which insurgents launched an attack into Afghanistan.
The incident is said to have occurred at a border post in the Mohmmand Tribal area in northwestern Pakistan.
Officials say the Pakistani post was hit during an exchange of fire between Taliban militants and troops in Afghanistan’s neighbouring Kunar Province.
Source
ShareThis
Posted: 12 Jun 2008 03:13 AM CDT
Investigators say someone purposely sabotaged the railroad tracks that caused a freight train derailment in Westminster.
The railroad company is offering a $10,000 reward for information in the case.
The huge cleanup project continued Wednesday morning in Westminster where the freight train derailed and cars and locomotives stacked up against each other.
Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway officials say it was a tree stump purposely left on tracks that derailed four locomotives and 16 cars of the freight train late Monday night near Wadsworth Parkway between 92nd and 100th Avenues.
BNSF officials offered a $10,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of those responsible for sabotaging the tracks. BNSF asks anyone who has information to call toll-free 1-800-832-5452.
BNSF spokesman Steve Forsberg didn’t know the exact size of the stump but said it would have most likely required at least two people to move it.
Westminster police say they believe the stump was actually placed on the tracks about two hours before the derailment Monday night. They say they received a call about the stump on the tracks, and an officer responded and used his own muscle to push it off of the tracks.
But investigators say someone put it back, and then the freight train hit it.
Forsberg said Tuesday the stump got caught on a switch on the tracks, causing the first of four locomotives to lift up, triggering the derailment.
The train carrying lumber and building materials jumped the tracks about 10:35 p.m. Monday. The train included four engines and 37 rail cars.
Source - Read More
Additional - Photo Credit
ShareThis
Top Secret al-Qaeda Files Left On Train - UK
Posted: 12 Jun 2008 02:55 AM CDT
The Metropolitan police has launched an investigation after top secret intelligence documents on al-Qaida and Iraq were left on a train in London, the Cabinet Office confirmed today.
It is understood the two documents, relating to al-Qaeda activity in Pakistan and the security situation in Iraq, were lost yesterday.
The files were left at Waterloo station, on a train heading to Surrey, by a senior security official. They were found by a passenger who handed them to the BBC’s security correspondent, Frank Gardner.
The documents, which were compiled by the government’s joint intelligence committee, contained the latest assessment of al-Qaida and a “top secret and, in some cases, damning” assessment of Iraq’s security forces, said Gardner.
A full-scale police inquiry was launched immediately as officials were concerned the sensitive papers could find their way into the wrong hands, he said.
The al-Qaida document, commissioned jointly by the Foreign Office and the Home Office, was classified “UK top secret”, said Gardener. It was so sensitive that each page was numbered and marked “For UK, US, Canadian and Australian eyes only”.
The second document, on Iraq, was commissioned by the Ministry of Defence.
Gardner said: “This was a clear breach of government rules. They should be sealed in a briefcase if they are taken out.”
A spokesman for the Cabinet Office said: “Two documents which are marked as ’secret’ were left on a train and have subsequently been handed to the BBC.
“There has been a security breach, the Metropolitan police are carrying out an investigation.”
The spokesman declined to discuss the contents of the documents, but said the papers had been in the possession of a senior intelligence officer based in the Cabinet Office.
Asked how many people would have had access to the papers, he said: “‘Secret’ is a high classification so they would have had limited circulation.”
A Met spokesman said: “We are making inquiries in connection with the loss of documents on June 10.”
The Conservative shadow security minister, Baroness Pauline Neville-Jones, attacked the government for its record of security lapses and called for an independent parliamentary inquiry.
“This is just the latest in a long line of serious breaches of security involving either the loss of data, documents or government laptops, further highlighting the most basic failures in this government’s ability to maintain our security.
“The government must make an immediate statement to parliament and an inquiry must be launched.”
The Liberal Democrat home affairs spokeman, Chris Huhne, said: “This is an appalling breach of security, which suggests that procedures on such sensitive matters are lax to the point of utter carelessness.
“There should be strict guidelines about when such secret documents are outside carefully monitored premises.
“It beggars belief that the government could have scored such a devastating own goal on the very day that it was pushing draconian counter terrorism laws through parliament.”
In January, the Ministry of Defence was forced to contact the security agencies MI5 and MI6, as well as banks and individuals, after the theft of a laptop computer from a car.
The computer held the personal details of 600,000 Royal Navy, Royal Marine and RAF recruits, and other people who applied to join the services.
Source - Read More
UPDATE:
The Cabinet Office has suspended the civil servant at the centre of an inquiry into the loss of top-secret documents on al-Qaeda and Iraq.
The unnamed Cabinet Office employee was questioned in an internal inquiry after the sensitive papers were left on the seat of a commuter train.
ShareThis
Lafayette Bridge Shooting - Two Cars Struck Multiple Times - St Paul
Posted: 12 Jun 2008 02:42 AM CDT
Two cars and one of their passengers were struck by bullets tonight while traveling over the Lafayette Bridge Wednesday evening, according to St. Paul police.
About 8:20 p.m., four men pulled into Regions Hospital in a car that had been riddled with bullets. One of them, a 22-year-old passenger from South St. Paul, had two bullet wounds himself, though police said he would live.
The men told police they had been shot at while driving north on the Lafayette Bridge, a part of Highway 52 connecting downtown St. Paul to the West Side. They said they did not see anything, but “heard popping sounds” before their car was struck, police officials said.
Shortly thereafter, the driver of another vehicle contacted police, saying his car had also been struck by bullets while traveling north over the bridge this evening. The man drove to his home on St. Paul’s East Side and called police from there.
Police searched the bridge within the hour and discovered shell casings in the northbound lanes. There are no pedestrian walkways on the bridge.
The men in the first car were still being questioned late this evening.
Source
ShareThis
Rumor - Did U.S. Missile Strike Get al Qaeda #2 al Zawahiri ?
Posted: 12 Jun 2008 02:27 AM CDT
There is rumor and speculation that a U.S. fired missile in Pakistan earlier this week was more than a response to a clash on the Afghan border. Several blogs and other sources are speculating that it may have been a surgical strike against an al Qaeda high value target (HVT), and the target may have been al Qaeda #2 man, Ayman al Zawahiri.
AJStrata Has more, including comments
as does Rusty at My Pet Jawa
We will continue to update this story as more information becomes available.
Background Info
U.S. Drone Suspected of Firing Missile In Pakistan
A pilotless U.S. drone was suspected to have fired a missile into a Pakistani area on the Afghan border on Tuesday, but there was no word on the target or casualties, a government official said.
The missile was thought to have been fired into the Mohmand ethnic Pashtun tribal area in northwest Pakistan where this year, U.S.-controlled Predator aircraft have struck at least four sites used by al Qaeda operatives, killing dozens of suspected militants.
“There was an attack by a spy plane close to the Afghan border but we don’t have information about casualties or damage,” said the government official based in the region. He declined to be identified.
Mohmand has not been a hotbed of support for al Qaeda and the Taliban but militants are known to operate there.
A Pakistani military spokesman said there had been a clash in the area but on the Afghan side of the border, where Afghan forces had been battling militants.
Neither U.S. nor Pakistani authorities usually confirm U.S. missile attacks on Pakistani territory, which would be an infringement of Pakistan
U.S. Military Confirms Pakistan Missile Strike
The United States military has confirmed that it carried out a missile strike on Pakistan soil near the Afghan border that killed 11 Pakistani soldiers.
Our South Asia correspondent Peter Lloyd, says it appears the Pakistani troops died during an operation, which was meant to be targeting Taliban militants.
The US was responding to an earlier incident in which insurgents launched an attack into Afghanistan.
The incident is said to have occurred at a border post in the Mohmmand Tribal area in northwestern Pakistan.
Officials say the Pakistani post was hit during an exchange of fire between Taliban militants and troops in Afghanistan’s neighbouring Kunar Province.
Source
ShareThis
Tuesday, June 3, 2008
Trends
Israelis Cite Escalating Trends in Terrorism PDF Print E-mail
by Joe Charlaff
Monday, 02 June 2008
Panel discussion tracks Hamas build-up
In 2008, there was a significant increase in the number of Israelis who were killed as a result of the latest escalation of terrorism directed from the Gaza Strip, and an improvement in Hamas operational capabilities, according to Israeli military and intelligence officials who recently outlined current trends in anti-Israel terrorism.
The officials who spoke to journalists this week were on a panel discussion in Jerusalem that was sponsored by the Israel Project and Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.
Of significance, the officials said, has been the increase in rocket attacks from Gaza, coupled with the acquisition of longer range missiles that have been supplied by Iran. These developments have put Ashkelon – which is only 12 miles from the Gaza border - within range of Hamas rocket fire from Gaza.
Meanwhile, however, authorities said, there has been a marked decrease in suicide bombings since 2002 when 56 Israelis were killed. There was one attack in February, which coincided with the latest escalation of violence between Hamas in Gaza and Israel.
The success of Israeli counterterror measures is attributed in large part to the significant reduction in the number and severity of attacks. Many suicide bombers have been prevented from entering Israel because of the tight security checks that are carried out at the various crossings into Israel from the Palestinian territories.
In addition, Israeli military and intelligence officials told HSToday.us during a ten-day visit to Israel in February that the Israeli border fence also has played a significant role in reducing the number of suicide and other bombings inside Israel. See the HSToday.us report, “In Israel, Proof that a Security Fence Works.”
There also has been significant changes on the Palestinian front, the panel’s speakers said. In the period from 2007 when Hamas took over the Gaza strip, rocket and mortar fire from Gaza increased, with these weapons becoming the organization's main form of attack.
Brigadier General Yossi Kuperwasser (former Director, IDF’s Military Intelligence Research Branch) pointed out that Hamas has steadily built up its military infrastructure, and that its aim is to inflict as much damage on Israel as possible.
Consequently, to this end Hamas’s militia have equipped themselves with the longer range rockets and to arm themselves in a way that if Israel eventually decides to attack, it will be extremely difficult for the IDF to carry out a ground operation without incurring heavy losses.
Hamas's military build up has manifested in several ways, the officials explained:
* An increase in training by sending operatives to Iran and Syria;
* Improving its tunnel network;
* Acquiring weapons, especially rockets and advanced anti-tank missiles; and developing and manufacturing powerful explosive devices and anti-tank weapons.
Hamas’ principal benefactor is Iran, with whom ties have become increasingly tight. During the past two years, the terrorist organization is said to have received more than $100 million from Iran, as well as much more sophisticated rockets and other weaponry.
With Iranian assistance, last year Hamas was able to accelerate the military buildup of its military-terrorist wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, which focuses on terrorist attacks against Israel.
Hamas also has learned how to militarily fight better, learning from the experiences of Hezbollah in the Lebanon war of 2006. Hamas has modeled its defenses and tactics on Hezbollah’s lessons learned.
Hamas has formed brigades along the lines of a regular army, with an estimated military-style fighting force of 15,000 soldiers. Its aim, Israeli officials said, is to arm itself with high trajectory weapons in order to avoid having to attempt breaches of the fence to attack Israel. This year, 30 long-range Grad rockets supplied by Iran wreaked substantial damage on Israeli civilian areas.
Elsewhere, to the north of Israel in Lebanon the military build up of Hezbullah and the activities of the global Jihadi terrorist networks have become increasingly worrisome.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah this week said in an address carried live by Hezbollah-owned al Manar TV, that:
* Hezbollah has won the war in Lebanon;
* Hezbollah has defeated the democracy movement in Lebanon and the government it produced;
* The United States and its allies know they are unable to defeat Hezbollah in Lebanon or in Iran by military force;
* Hezbollah demonstrated to Washington that it cannot move forward with its Middle East freedom and democracy strategy, particularly from Lebanon;
* That Hezbollah has seized real power in Lebanon and that it does not have to make it formal;
* The Lebanese Army will never be used to disarm Hezbollah because its commander, a Hezbollah ally, is now president;
* Hezbollah will fight any international move or intervention to disarm it;
* Hezbollah will grow militarily in Lebanon with the backing of Iran, in parallel to its presence within the Lebanese Army;
* Hezbollah has offered a successful model of combat-confrontation against its enemies, thus it will not accept diplomatic solutions; and
* Hamas and Islamic Jihad - using Hezbollah’s model - will continue their terror operations against Israel and the Palestinian Authority; and
* Hezbollah supports the armed insurrection against the political process in Iraq.
These assertions have not been well reported by the international media. Neither has the intelligence indicating the conspicuous construction of a new Hezbollah rocket arsenal in southern Lebanon which threatens Israel.
On the eve of the second Lebanon war, Hezbollah possessed approximately 20,000 rockets, among which Israel was successful in destroying the longer range variety. But now a rehabilitated Hezbollah arsenal has been established with the help of Iran and Syria. This missile stockpile poses a formidable new threat to Israel, with many of the missiles believed to be capable of striking Tel Aviv and cities farther to the south.
The extent of Iran's assistance to Hezbollah – which Iran helped found and has consistently bankrolled, trained, and armed - is considerable. It’s estimated to be in the hundreds of millions to perhaps as much as $1 billion. And this doesn’t include the money Iran gave Hezbollah to rebuild after the 2006 war.
Hezbollah suffered a major blow, however, when its chief of terrorist operations, Imad Fayez Mughniyeh, was assassinated in February. Mughniyeh had been at the heart of every major Hezbollah terrorist attack for the better part of the last 25 years, and was the mastermind behind many attacks on American targets in Saudi Arabia and Africa.
On February 13 he was assassinated in Damascus. Hezbollah and Iran have blamed Israel for the assassination, which was quite sophisticated, and vowed to retaliate for his death.
Asked if Hezbollah’s promise to retaliate is still a concern, Brig. Gen. David Tzur, Director General, Israel Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Center, said yes, but hesitated to specify in what manner Israel expects Hezbollah to seek its retribution - or when.
But, it’s just a matter of time, Tzur said.
So far this year, Israel's northern border has been quiet. Hezbollah has continued its current policy of avoiding attacks on Israel, focusing instead on efforts to rehabilitate its military infrastructure.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, meanwhile, are the dominant terrorist organizations in Gaza and the territories, and are concentrating on expanding their own relationships with Teheran.
With hundreds of rockets and long-range missiles provided by Iran now positioned throughout Gaza, and possibly the West Bank, the threat to Israel is steadily growing. And the chances of reaching a ceasefire are slim.
by Joe Charlaff
Monday, 02 June 2008
Panel discussion tracks Hamas build-up
In 2008, there was a significant increase in the number of Israelis who were killed as a result of the latest escalation of terrorism directed from the Gaza Strip, and an improvement in Hamas operational capabilities, according to Israeli military and intelligence officials who recently outlined current trends in anti-Israel terrorism.
The officials who spoke to journalists this week were on a panel discussion in Jerusalem that was sponsored by the Israel Project and Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center.
Of significance, the officials said, has been the increase in rocket attacks from Gaza, coupled with the acquisition of longer range missiles that have been supplied by Iran. These developments have put Ashkelon – which is only 12 miles from the Gaza border - within range of Hamas rocket fire from Gaza.
Meanwhile, however, authorities said, there has been a marked decrease in suicide bombings since 2002 when 56 Israelis were killed. There was one attack in February, which coincided with the latest escalation of violence between Hamas in Gaza and Israel.
The success of Israeli counterterror measures is attributed in large part to the significant reduction in the number and severity of attacks. Many suicide bombers have been prevented from entering Israel because of the tight security checks that are carried out at the various crossings into Israel from the Palestinian territories.
In addition, Israeli military and intelligence officials told HSToday.us during a ten-day visit to Israel in February that the Israeli border fence also has played a significant role in reducing the number of suicide and other bombings inside Israel. See the HSToday.us report, “In Israel, Proof that a Security Fence Works.”
There also has been significant changes on the Palestinian front, the panel’s speakers said. In the period from 2007 when Hamas took over the Gaza strip, rocket and mortar fire from Gaza increased, with these weapons becoming the organization's main form of attack.
Brigadier General Yossi Kuperwasser (former Director, IDF’s Military Intelligence Research Branch) pointed out that Hamas has steadily built up its military infrastructure, and that its aim is to inflict as much damage on Israel as possible.
Consequently, to this end Hamas’s militia have equipped themselves with the longer range rockets and to arm themselves in a way that if Israel eventually decides to attack, it will be extremely difficult for the IDF to carry out a ground operation without incurring heavy losses.
Hamas's military build up has manifested in several ways, the officials explained:
* An increase in training by sending operatives to Iran and Syria;
* Improving its tunnel network;
* Acquiring weapons, especially rockets and advanced anti-tank missiles; and developing and manufacturing powerful explosive devices and anti-tank weapons.
Hamas’ principal benefactor is Iran, with whom ties have become increasingly tight. During the past two years, the terrorist organization is said to have received more than $100 million from Iran, as well as much more sophisticated rockets and other weaponry.
With Iranian assistance, last year Hamas was able to accelerate the military buildup of its military-terrorist wing, the Izzedine al-Qassam Brigades, which focuses on terrorist attacks against Israel.
Hamas also has learned how to militarily fight better, learning from the experiences of Hezbollah in the Lebanon war of 2006. Hamas has modeled its defenses and tactics on Hezbollah’s lessons learned.
Hamas has formed brigades along the lines of a regular army, with an estimated military-style fighting force of 15,000 soldiers. Its aim, Israeli officials said, is to arm itself with high trajectory weapons in order to avoid having to attempt breaches of the fence to attack Israel. This year, 30 long-range Grad rockets supplied by Iran wreaked substantial damage on Israeli civilian areas.
Elsewhere, to the north of Israel in Lebanon the military build up of Hezbullah and the activities of the global Jihadi terrorist networks have become increasingly worrisome.
Hezbollah Secretary General Sayyed Hassan Nasrallah this week said in an address carried live by Hezbollah-owned al Manar TV, that:
* Hezbollah has won the war in Lebanon;
* Hezbollah has defeated the democracy movement in Lebanon and the government it produced;
* The United States and its allies know they are unable to defeat Hezbollah in Lebanon or in Iran by military force;
* Hezbollah demonstrated to Washington that it cannot move forward with its Middle East freedom and democracy strategy, particularly from Lebanon;
* That Hezbollah has seized real power in Lebanon and that it does not have to make it formal;
* The Lebanese Army will never be used to disarm Hezbollah because its commander, a Hezbollah ally, is now president;
* Hezbollah will fight any international move or intervention to disarm it;
* Hezbollah will grow militarily in Lebanon with the backing of Iran, in parallel to its presence within the Lebanese Army;
* Hezbollah has offered a successful model of combat-confrontation against its enemies, thus it will not accept diplomatic solutions; and
* Hamas and Islamic Jihad - using Hezbollah’s model - will continue their terror operations against Israel and the Palestinian Authority; and
* Hezbollah supports the armed insurrection against the political process in Iraq.
These assertions have not been well reported by the international media. Neither has the intelligence indicating the conspicuous construction of a new Hezbollah rocket arsenal in southern Lebanon which threatens Israel.
On the eve of the second Lebanon war, Hezbollah possessed approximately 20,000 rockets, among which Israel was successful in destroying the longer range variety. But now a rehabilitated Hezbollah arsenal has been established with the help of Iran and Syria. This missile stockpile poses a formidable new threat to Israel, with many of the missiles believed to be capable of striking Tel Aviv and cities farther to the south.
The extent of Iran's assistance to Hezbollah – which Iran helped found and has consistently bankrolled, trained, and armed - is considerable. It’s estimated to be in the hundreds of millions to perhaps as much as $1 billion. And this doesn’t include the money Iran gave Hezbollah to rebuild after the 2006 war.
Hezbollah suffered a major blow, however, when its chief of terrorist operations, Imad Fayez Mughniyeh, was assassinated in February. Mughniyeh had been at the heart of every major Hezbollah terrorist attack for the better part of the last 25 years, and was the mastermind behind many attacks on American targets in Saudi Arabia and Africa.
On February 13 he was assassinated in Damascus. Hezbollah and Iran have blamed Israel for the assassination, which was quite sophisticated, and vowed to retaliate for his death.
Asked if Hezbollah’s promise to retaliate is still a concern, Brig. Gen. David Tzur, Director General, Israel Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Center, said yes, but hesitated to specify in what manner Israel expects Hezbollah to seek its retribution - or when.
But, it’s just a matter of time, Tzur said.
So far this year, Israel's northern border has been quiet. Hezbollah has continued its current policy of avoiding attacks on Israel, focusing instead on efforts to rehabilitate its military infrastructure.
Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, meanwhile, are the dominant terrorist organizations in Gaza and the territories, and are concentrating on expanding their own relationships with Teheran.
With hundreds of rockets and long-range missiles provided by Iran now positioned throughout Gaza, and possibly the West Bank, the threat to Israel is steadily growing. And the chances of reaching a ceasefire are slim.
Local Idiots
Police Find Explosives In Vehicle’s Trunk
Posted: 03 Jun 2008 02:01 AM CDT
A routine traffic stop in Lake Villa Sunday night turned into some mighty blasts as authorities got rid of 28 pounds of explosives found in the trunk of a vehicle.
Deputy Chief Roger Schroeder said police made a traffic stop at Monaville Rd. near Fairfield Road for a defective brake light around 9 p.m. and found the driver, Adrian Phillips, 32, of 25128 N Ellrie Court, Lake Zurich, had a revoked driver’s license.
As they were processing the vehicle after he was taken into custody they came across some cargo in the trunk.
“There were 28 pounds of explosives,” said Schroeder, noting that the handmade items were equal to a quarter to a half stick of dynamite and there were 379 pieces altogether. The Waukegan Bomb Squad was called as well as the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and firearms (ATF).
Authorities detonated the explosives on village property near the Lehmann mansion.
“These homemade explosives were volatile and you can’t store them or move them safely so they were destroyed,” he said. Which is why some people, even those as far away as Route 173 and Deep Lake Road, heard several explosions during the early morning hours Monday.
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Posted: 03 Jun 2008 02:01 AM CDT
A routine traffic stop in Lake Villa Sunday night turned into some mighty blasts as authorities got rid of 28 pounds of explosives found in the trunk of a vehicle.
Deputy Chief Roger Schroeder said police made a traffic stop at Monaville Rd. near Fairfield Road for a defective brake light around 9 p.m. and found the driver, Adrian Phillips, 32, of 25128 N Ellrie Court, Lake Zurich, had a revoked driver’s license.
As they were processing the vehicle after he was taken into custody they came across some cargo in the trunk.
“There were 28 pounds of explosives,” said Schroeder, noting that the handmade items were equal to a quarter to a half stick of dynamite and there were 379 pieces altogether. The Waukegan Bomb Squad was called as well as the United States Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and firearms (ATF).
Authorities detonated the explosives on village property near the Lehmann mansion.
“These homemade explosives were volatile and you can’t store them or move them safely so they were destroyed,” he said. Which is why some people, even those as far away as Route 173 and Deep Lake Road, heard several explosions during the early morning hours Monday.
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Monday, June 2, 2008
A whole new set of problems!
Danish Embassy Bombing - Several Dead In Massive Explosion - Islamabad
Posted: 02 Jun 2008 02:58 AM CDT
UPDATE: A suicide bomber in a car was responsible for the blast outside the Danish embassy in the Pakistani capital on Monday in which several people were killed, a security official said.
“It was a suicide attack carried out in a vehicle, apparently targeting the Denmark embassy,” the senior security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
State television said eight people were killed in the attack.
Original Post
Several people have been killed in a massive explosion outside the Danish embassy in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
The huge blast has left a large crater in the city and two nearby buildings were damaged, as well as dozens of cars.
Witnesses said people were being carried off on stretchers after the blast which took place at around midday local time.
Rescue workers dragged away at least one bloodied person, covering his torso with an orange blanket
Residents also reported windows being broken from the impact of the blast.
There was also a huge dark cloud of smoke in the sky above the buildings.
Dawn News TV reported the explosion this morning.
Witness, Arjmund Azhar said at least three people were dead or wounded.
Interior Ministry secretary Kamal Shah confirmed there had been a blast outside the embassy but had no further details.
Denmark has faced threats at its embassies following the reprinting in Danish newspapers of a caricature depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims generally consider depicting the prophet to be sacrilegious.
“It was a bomb blast. We have three dead and three wounded,” said a city official at the scene, Rana Akbar.
Reuters correspondent Kamran Haider said one body was just inside the gate of the embassy and two were outside.
The blast, apparently caused by a car bomb, left a crater about three feet (one metre) deep on the road, Haider said.
Television pictures showed considerable damage to the mission and nearby buildings and vehicles. One of the dead appeared to be a Pakistani guard.
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7 Months Later Palo Verde Bomb Case Still Unsolved
Posted: 02 Jun 2008 02:12 AM CDT
After seven months, it’s still a mystery how a pipe bomb made it into a contract worker’s truck at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station.
The bomb was discovered Nov. 2, triggering a lockdown and trapping employees at the plant for hours. Investigators soon ruled out the pickup’s driver, but have been unable identify a suspect.
“They’re basically at a standstill,” said Deputy Lindsey Smith, a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman.
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The investigation was expected to close by the end of last week.
The Sheriff’s Office report, released before the investigation was completed, shows there were no fingerprints on the pipe bomb discovered in Roger W. Hurd’s truck.
The investigation focused on relationships in Hurd’s work group, according to the report.
One employee had been fired for sexual harassment a couple of weeks before the incident, while there had been some complaints about management and pay.
Source -Read More
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Women Extremists Want The Right To Join Jihad
Posted: 02 Jun 2008 02:01 AM CDT
Muslim extremist women are challenging al-Qaida’s refusal to include or at least acknowledge women in its ranks, in an emotional debate that gives rare insight into the gender conflicts lurking beneath one of the strictest strains of Islam.
In response to a female questioner, al-Qaida No. 2 leader Ayman Al-Zawahri said in April that the terrorist group does not have women. A woman’s role, he said on the Internet audio recording, is limited to caring for the homes and children of al-Qaida fighters.
His remarks have since prompted an outcry from fundamentalist women, who are fighting or pleading for the right to be terrorists. The statements have created confusion, because suicide bombings by women seem to be on the rise, at least within the Iraq branch of al-Qaida.
A’eeda Dahsheh is a Palestinian mother of four in Lebanon who said she supports al-Zawahri and has chosen to raise children at home as her form of jihad. However, she said, she supports any woman who chooses instead to take part in terror attacks.
Another woman signed a more than 2,000-word essay of protest online as Rabeebat al-Silah, Arabic for “Companion of Weapons.”
“How many times have I wished I were a man … When Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahri said there are no women in al-Qaida, he saddened and hurt me,” wrote “Companion of Weapons,” who said she listened to the speech 10 times. “I felt that my heart was about to explode in my chest … I am powerless.”
Such postings have appeared anonymously on discussion forums of Web sites that host videos from top al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. While the most popular site requires names and passwords, many people use only nicknames, making their identities and locations impossible to verify.
Groups that monitor such sites say the postings appear credible because of the knowledge and passion they betray. Many appear to represent computer-literate women arguing in the most modern of venues — the Internet — for rights within a feudal version of Islam.
“Women were very disappointed because what al-Zawahri said is not what’s happening today in the Middle East, especially in Iraq or in Palestinian groups,” said Rita Katz, director of the SITE Intelligence Group, an organization that monitors militant Web sites. “Suicide operations are being carried out by women, who play an important role in jihad.”
It is not clear how far women play a role in al-Qaida because of the group’s amorphous nature.
Terrorism experts believe there are no women in the core leadership ranks around bin Laden and al-Zawahri. But beyond that core, al-Qaida is really a movement with loosely linked offshoots in various countries and sympathizers who may not play a direct role. Women are clearly among the sympathizers, and some are part of the offshoot groups.
In the Iraq branch, women have carried out or attempted at least 20 suicide bombings since 2003. Al-Qaida members suspected of training women to use suicide belts were captured in Iraq at least three times last year, the U.S. military has said.
Hamas, another militant group, is open about using women fighters and disagrees with al-Qaida’s stated stance. At least 11 Palestinian women have launched suicide attacks in recent years.
“A lot of the girls I speak to … want to carry weapons. They live with this great frustration and oppression,” said Huda Naim, a prominent women’s leader, Hamas member and Palestinian lawmaker in Gaza. “We don’t have a special militant wing for women … but that doesn’t mean that we strip women of the right to go to jihad.”
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Chertoff: No al-Qaida Negotiations
Posted: 02 Jun 2008 02:01 AM CDT
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in an interview broadcast Sunday that negotiations with al-Qaida would be futile.
In a television interview with Britain’s Sky News, Chertoff said al-Qaida’s ideology was one of total antagonism toward democracy and toward other religions.
“Nobody wants to negotiate their own demise or their own surrender so it strikes me as a kind of academic exercise,” he said.
Chertoff was responding to a question about Northern Ireland police chief Hugh Orde, who said in an interview with the Guardian newspaper published Friday that officials should consider negotiating with al-Qaida.
Chertoff said he did not believe such talks were possible.
“Their (al-Qaida’s) interest is in the destruction of the West, and unless you are prepared to negotiate about how you want to be destroyed, it strikes me as a totally speculative and unrealistic exercise,” he said.
He added that al-Qaida has grown stronger in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the past year but has weakened in Iraq.
Chertoff said he’s not aware of any specific terror plots, but said people should be vigilant during the summer months, as terrorists tend to operate during periods of high travel.
Source
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Bomb Squad Called to St. Cloud Residence after Explosion
Posted: 02 Jun 2008 02:01 AM CDT
Bomb squads removed two pipe bomb type explosives from a St. Cloud duplex Sunday after a similar device blew up in a man’s hand in the same residence.
Police said a large amount of bomb-making material was removed from the two-story duplex.
The victim was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with substantial injuries to his left hand and arm. His name has not yet been released and he has not yet been able to provide a statement to St. Cloud Police.
Police were called to the residence early Sunday afternoon. Houses on each side were evacuated and there were no other injuries.
The victim is not the owner of the property.
Two additional devices were taken away by the Bloomington Bomb Squad to be safely detonated.
Neighbors reported hearing the blast as far as a block away.
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High School Hazmat Culprits Caught
Posted: 02 Jun 2008 02:00 AM CDT
Two students admitted to causing the HAZMAT scare at East Lee County High School, according to school leaders. Those students now face expulsion and possible criminal charges.
Richard Shafer, Principal of East Lee County High, says two freshman boys, whose names have not been released, confessed to spraying some sort of chemical into a bathroom air vent - the bathroom right next to one of the classrooms.
“The students that confessed showed us how they sprayed into the air vent,” said Shafer. “Mace, pepper spray, tear gas - there are several possible chemicals. I can’t tell you what it was.”
The reaction to the chemical sent every student inside the class, as well as all the students next door, to the hospital. Two teachers, a nurse, the assistant principal and 38 others had to be decontaminated.
Principal Shafer immediately suspended the two freshmen. They now face possible criminal charges as well.
“After my investigation, I turned it over to law enforcement and they are continuing to investigate,” said Shafer.
But with only a week left in the school year, the students may not be returning. Shafer did say the students face up to two years expulsion.
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Several Injured After Being Doused With Unknown Acid Chemical - Louisville Kentucky
Posted: 01 Jun 2008 08:43 PM CDT
Several people were injured Saturday night after they were splashed with a caustic substance believed to be some type of acid during a fight. It happened just after 9 p.m. on Oak Street near 17th Street.
Metro fire, police, and HazMat crews responded to the scene, where at least six to seven people had chemical burns. One victim had second degree burns.
“The reports are that someone stopped, got out of the car, and slung from some kind of a squirt bottle some type of liquid on the crowd,” said Major Richard Albers with Louisville Fire & Rescue.
One person received second degree burns.
Police are investigating, but so far there have been no arrests.
Anyone with information is asked to call the crime tipline at 574-LMPD (574-5673).
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Universal Studios - Large Fire Breaks Out
Posted: 01 Jun 2008 09:47 AM CDT
More than 100 Los Angeles-area firefighters are battling a large fire on a back lot at Universal Studios, fire authorities said.
Filming may have been going on at the time the fire broke out early Sunday on the Universal Studios back lot.
There were also reports of an explosion in the studio’s adjacent amusement park, said Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Frank Reynoso.
The three-alarm blaze began about 4:45 a.m. PT (7:45 a.m. ET) Sunday and reportedly damaged two “prop” buildings, including a chapel, and a popular ride called the “Cyclone,” Reynoso said.
“It will be awhile before we have it under control,” he said.
Television footage showed the blaze burning through the roofs of structures at the park and large plumes of smoke.
Firefighters were dropping water on the blaze from helicopters. Video Watch footage of copters trying to douse the huge fire.
“We don’t know what the cause of this is,” Reynoso said.
There is nothing to indicate that any type of criminal or terrorist activity is involved.
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Live Video - MyFoxLa.com
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Posted: 02 Jun 2008 02:58 AM CDT
UPDATE: A suicide bomber in a car was responsible for the blast outside the Danish embassy in the Pakistani capital on Monday in which several people were killed, a security official said.
“It was a suicide attack carried out in a vehicle, apparently targeting the Denmark embassy,” the senior security official told AFP on condition of anonymity.
State television said eight people were killed in the attack.
Original Post
Several people have been killed in a massive explosion outside the Danish embassy in the Pakistani capital Islamabad.
The huge blast has left a large crater in the city and two nearby buildings were damaged, as well as dozens of cars.
Witnesses said people were being carried off on stretchers after the blast which took place at around midday local time.
Rescue workers dragged away at least one bloodied person, covering his torso with an orange blanket
Residents also reported windows being broken from the impact of the blast.
There was also a huge dark cloud of smoke in the sky above the buildings.
Dawn News TV reported the explosion this morning.
Witness, Arjmund Azhar said at least three people were dead or wounded.
Interior Ministry secretary Kamal Shah confirmed there had been a blast outside the embassy but had no further details.
Denmark has faced threats at its embassies following the reprinting in Danish newspapers of a caricature depicting the Prophet Muhammad. Muslims generally consider depicting the prophet to be sacrilegious.
“It was a bomb blast. We have three dead and three wounded,” said a city official at the scene, Rana Akbar.
Reuters correspondent Kamran Haider said one body was just inside the gate of the embassy and two were outside.
The blast, apparently caused by a car bomb, left a crater about three feet (one metre) deep on the road, Haider said.
Television pictures showed considerable damage to the mission and nearby buildings and vehicles. One of the dead appeared to be a Pakistani guard.
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7 Months Later Palo Verde Bomb Case Still Unsolved
Posted: 02 Jun 2008 02:12 AM CDT
After seven months, it’s still a mystery how a pipe bomb made it into a contract worker’s truck at Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station.
The bomb was discovered Nov. 2, triggering a lockdown and trapping employees at the plant for hours. Investigators soon ruled out the pickup’s driver, but have been unable identify a suspect.
“They’re basically at a standstill,” said Deputy Lindsey Smith, a Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office spokeswoman.
advertisement
The investigation was expected to close by the end of last week.
The Sheriff’s Office report, released before the investigation was completed, shows there were no fingerprints on the pipe bomb discovered in Roger W. Hurd’s truck.
The investigation focused on relationships in Hurd’s work group, according to the report.
One employee had been fired for sexual harassment a couple of weeks before the incident, while there had been some complaints about management and pay.
Source -Read More
ShareThis
Women Extremists Want The Right To Join Jihad
Posted: 02 Jun 2008 02:01 AM CDT
Muslim extremist women are challenging al-Qaida’s refusal to include or at least acknowledge women in its ranks, in an emotional debate that gives rare insight into the gender conflicts lurking beneath one of the strictest strains of Islam.
In response to a female questioner, al-Qaida No. 2 leader Ayman Al-Zawahri said in April that the terrorist group does not have women. A woman’s role, he said on the Internet audio recording, is limited to caring for the homes and children of al-Qaida fighters.
His remarks have since prompted an outcry from fundamentalist women, who are fighting or pleading for the right to be terrorists. The statements have created confusion, because suicide bombings by women seem to be on the rise, at least within the Iraq branch of al-Qaida.
A’eeda Dahsheh is a Palestinian mother of four in Lebanon who said she supports al-Zawahri and has chosen to raise children at home as her form of jihad. However, she said, she supports any woman who chooses instead to take part in terror attacks.
Another woman signed a more than 2,000-word essay of protest online as Rabeebat al-Silah, Arabic for “Companion of Weapons.”
“How many times have I wished I were a man … When Sheikh Ayman al-Zawahri said there are no women in al-Qaida, he saddened and hurt me,” wrote “Companion of Weapons,” who said she listened to the speech 10 times. “I felt that my heart was about to explode in my chest … I am powerless.”
Such postings have appeared anonymously on discussion forums of Web sites that host videos from top al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden. While the most popular site requires names and passwords, many people use only nicknames, making their identities and locations impossible to verify.
Groups that monitor such sites say the postings appear credible because of the knowledge and passion they betray. Many appear to represent computer-literate women arguing in the most modern of venues — the Internet — for rights within a feudal version of Islam.
“Women were very disappointed because what al-Zawahri said is not what’s happening today in the Middle East, especially in Iraq or in Palestinian groups,” said Rita Katz, director of the SITE Intelligence Group, an organization that monitors militant Web sites. “Suicide operations are being carried out by women, who play an important role in jihad.”
It is not clear how far women play a role in al-Qaida because of the group’s amorphous nature.
Terrorism experts believe there are no women in the core leadership ranks around bin Laden and al-Zawahri. But beyond that core, al-Qaida is really a movement with loosely linked offshoots in various countries and sympathizers who may not play a direct role. Women are clearly among the sympathizers, and some are part of the offshoot groups.
In the Iraq branch, women have carried out or attempted at least 20 suicide bombings since 2003. Al-Qaida members suspected of training women to use suicide belts were captured in Iraq at least three times last year, the U.S. military has said.
Hamas, another militant group, is open about using women fighters and disagrees with al-Qaida’s stated stance. At least 11 Palestinian women have launched suicide attacks in recent years.
“A lot of the girls I speak to … want to carry weapons. They live with this great frustration and oppression,” said Huda Naim, a prominent women’s leader, Hamas member and Palestinian lawmaker in Gaza. “We don’t have a special militant wing for women … but that doesn’t mean that we strip women of the right to go to jihad.”
More
Source - Read More
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Chertoff: No al-Qaida Negotiations
Posted: 02 Jun 2008 02:01 AM CDT
U.S. Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff said in an interview broadcast Sunday that negotiations with al-Qaida would be futile.
In a television interview with Britain’s Sky News, Chertoff said al-Qaida’s ideology was one of total antagonism toward democracy and toward other religions.
“Nobody wants to negotiate their own demise or their own surrender so it strikes me as a kind of academic exercise,” he said.
Chertoff was responding to a question about Northern Ireland police chief Hugh Orde, who said in an interview with the Guardian newspaper published Friday that officials should consider negotiating with al-Qaida.
Chertoff said he did not believe such talks were possible.
“Their (al-Qaida’s) interest is in the destruction of the West, and unless you are prepared to negotiate about how you want to be destroyed, it strikes me as a totally speculative and unrealistic exercise,” he said.
He added that al-Qaida has grown stronger in Pakistan and Afghanistan in the past year but has weakened in Iraq.
Chertoff said he’s not aware of any specific terror plots, but said people should be vigilant during the summer months, as terrorists tend to operate during periods of high travel.
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Bomb Squad Called to St. Cloud Residence after Explosion
Posted: 02 Jun 2008 02:01 AM CDT
Bomb squads removed two pipe bomb type explosives from a St. Cloud duplex Sunday after a similar device blew up in a man’s hand in the same residence.
Police said a large amount of bomb-making material was removed from the two-story duplex.
The victim was taken to St. Cloud Hospital with substantial injuries to his left hand and arm. His name has not yet been released and he has not yet been able to provide a statement to St. Cloud Police.
Police were called to the residence early Sunday afternoon. Houses on each side were evacuated and there were no other injuries.
The victim is not the owner of the property.
Two additional devices were taken away by the Bloomington Bomb Squad to be safely detonated.
Neighbors reported hearing the blast as far as a block away.
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High School Hazmat Culprits Caught
Posted: 02 Jun 2008 02:00 AM CDT
Two students admitted to causing the HAZMAT scare at East Lee County High School, according to school leaders. Those students now face expulsion and possible criminal charges.
Richard Shafer, Principal of East Lee County High, says two freshman boys, whose names have not been released, confessed to spraying some sort of chemical into a bathroom air vent - the bathroom right next to one of the classrooms.
“The students that confessed showed us how they sprayed into the air vent,” said Shafer. “Mace, pepper spray, tear gas - there are several possible chemicals. I can’t tell you what it was.”
The reaction to the chemical sent every student inside the class, as well as all the students next door, to the hospital. Two teachers, a nurse, the assistant principal and 38 others had to be decontaminated.
Principal Shafer immediately suspended the two freshmen. They now face possible criminal charges as well.
“After my investigation, I turned it over to law enforcement and they are continuing to investigate,” said Shafer.
But with only a week left in the school year, the students may not be returning. Shafer did say the students face up to two years expulsion.
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Several Injured After Being Doused With Unknown Acid Chemical - Louisville Kentucky
Posted: 01 Jun 2008 08:43 PM CDT
Several people were injured Saturday night after they were splashed with a caustic substance believed to be some type of acid during a fight. It happened just after 9 p.m. on Oak Street near 17th Street.
Metro fire, police, and HazMat crews responded to the scene, where at least six to seven people had chemical burns. One victim had second degree burns.
“The reports are that someone stopped, got out of the car, and slung from some kind of a squirt bottle some type of liquid on the crowd,” said Major Richard Albers with Louisville Fire & Rescue.
One person received second degree burns.
Police are investigating, but so far there have been no arrests.
Anyone with information is asked to call the crime tipline at 574-LMPD (574-5673).
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Universal Studios - Large Fire Breaks Out
Posted: 01 Jun 2008 09:47 AM CDT
More than 100 Los Angeles-area firefighters are battling a large fire on a back lot at Universal Studios, fire authorities said.
Filming may have been going on at the time the fire broke out early Sunday on the Universal Studios back lot.
There were also reports of an explosion in the studio’s adjacent amusement park, said Los Angeles County Fire Capt. Frank Reynoso.
The three-alarm blaze began about 4:45 a.m. PT (7:45 a.m. ET) Sunday and reportedly damaged two “prop” buildings, including a chapel, and a popular ride called the “Cyclone,” Reynoso said.
“It will be awhile before we have it under control,” he said.
Television footage showed the blaze burning through the roofs of structures at the park and large plumes of smoke.
Firefighters were dropping water on the blaze from helicopters. Video Watch footage of copters trying to douse the huge fire.
“We don’t know what the cause of this is,” Reynoso said.
There is nothing to indicate that any type of criminal or terrorist activity is involved.
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