Daily Terrorist Round-up Stories - April 1, 2005 (6 Al-Qaeda Members Captured in Pakistan)

4/1/05

[Straight Vermonter]

Six Qaeda suspects held in Peshawar

Staff Report

PESHAWAR: The anti-terrorism police and an intelligence agency arrested six foreigners, allegedly linked to Al Qaeda, in a combined raid on Wednesday, said an intelligence official on Thursday.

The official said that the suspects, allegedly Afghans and Central Asians, were arrested during a raid on their hideout in Abdara following a tip-off. “Two hand-grenades, a pistol, computer disks and literature glorifying militancy were seized during the raid,” the official told Daily Times.

“These people have been under surveillance for some time and we have credible information that they are linked to Al Qaeda,” said the official.

“When their hideout was raided the suspects were caught by surprise and were unable to resist. They had been living in a rented house in Peshawar’s University Town neighbourhood for a few weeks,” he added.

Meanwhile, Information Minister Sheikh Rashid Ahmed told Pakistan Television that none of the arrested were on the most-wanted terrorists list. “We have arrested six suspects and interrogations are underway,” said Rashid.

Since President Pervez Musharraf allied himself with the United States, Pakistan has arrested around 700 Al Qaeda suspects, most of whom have been handed over to US custody and taken to Guantanamo Bay in Cuba. Pakistan’s major catches have included Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the chief planner of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States that killed around 3,000 and were blamed on Al Qaeda.

In January, Islamabad said it had handed Tanzanian Ahmad Khalfan Ghailani, who was on the FBI’s most wanted list for the 1998 bombing of US embassies in East Africa, over to American custody. Last year Pakistani forces killed Al Qaeda kingpin Amjad Farooqi, who was indicted in the gruesome 2002 abduction and beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl.

Police sources said the latest raid was conducted by an elite Pakistani intelligence group in coordination with the United States’ Central Intelligence Agency. “The police just provided security cover and the suspects were not handed to our custody,” said a senior Peshawar police official.

The US embassy in Pakistan recently ran television, radio and newspaper ads in Pakistan offering up to 25 million dollars for information on key Al Qaeda figures including Bin Laden. US officials believe Bin Laden and other key militants have been sheltering somewhere along the mountainous border between Pakistan and Afghanistan. However most of the key figures caught in Pakistan to date have been apprehended in major cities.

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Palestinian arrested for suspected links with Abu Sayyaf group: TV report 
 
    MANILA, March 31 (Xinhuanet) -- A Palestinian suspected of training Abu Sayyaf group members was arrested in the southern city of Zamboanga over the weekend, a local TV reported Thursday.
  According to the ABS-CBN news channel, the military and police jointly arrested the suspect, identified as Fawaz Zi Ajjur, who isan alleged al-Qaeda member.

    Bureau of Immigration and Deportation Commissioner Alipio Fernandez told the TV that Ajjur was seized by the immigration agents when he arrived at the Zamboanga airport by a South-PacificAirways flight from Malaysia.  According to the visa record, Ajjur has been in Russia, Thailand, Malaysia before returning to the Philippines, Fernandez said.  The TV report said that captured Abu Sayyaf members identified Ajjur as one of the militants who trained them in bomb-making in Patikul, Jolo, which he denied.  Philippine authorities said that the suspect has links with theAbu Sayyaf militants and has possibly been involved in plotting terror attacks in the country.

    The Abu Sayyaf, which was notorious for kidnap-for-ransom crimes, has been also blamed for deadly attacks, including the bombing of a Super Ferry ship that killed 118 people in 2004 and the Valentine's day bombings in February. Enditem

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Two HMPPR commanders eliminated in Rajouri

Jammu/rajouri, March 30: IN a pre-dawn operation, joint operation group of BSF and Army today eliminated two Pakistani ultras, including a self-styled area commander of Hizbul Mujahideen Pir Panchal Regiment (HMPPR) outfit in Rajouri district.

According to BSF spokesperson, last night they got an information that group of militants were holed inside a house in Lal Thandapani village in Parmandal area of Kalakote tehsil in Rajouri district.

Following specific information, 26 and 91 Battalion of BSF along with two companies of Mountain Brigade of Army launched a search and cordon operation in the area.

On seeing the troops coming the militants hiding there opened indiscriminate fire on them. In the ensuing encounter, two HMPPR commanders were killed. One of the slain ultra have been identified as Ali Mohammad alias Abu Burhan, self-styled area commander of HMPPR. However, the identification of another militant was not confirmed till late evening.

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Three Brothers on Trial for Aiding Hamas
 
By DAVID KOENIG

DALLAS -- Three brothers went on trial Thursday on charges of aiding terrorists by funneling money to a high-ranking official in the militant Palestinian group Hamas.

Prosecutor James T. Jacks said the men tried to hide a $250,000 investment from the political official -- who was declared a terrorist by the U.S. government in 1995 -- in the brothers' computer company by making it look as if it came from the Hamas official's wife.

Ghassan, Basman and Bayan Elashi face 21 counts of conspiracy, money laundering and dealing in the property of a terrorist.

The three men, plus two of their brothers, were arrested in December 2002. Then-Attorney General John Ashcroft said the arrests showed authorities would prosecute terrorists and "the terrorist supporters who write the check."

All five were convicted in July on charges of making illegal computer shipments to Libya and Syria, countries that the U.S. government had declared state sponsors of terrorism. Four are in custody; Ghassan Elashi is free pending sentencing.

The brothers were also involved in a Muslim charity that was raided and closed in December 2001 by federal agents, who accused the Holy Land Foundation for Relief and Development of being a funding arm of Hamas. President Bush announced the action against the charity.

In the current case, Mousa Abu Marzook, the political official in Hamas, and his wife, Nadia, who is a cousin of the Elashis, were also indicted but never arrested. Authorities believe Marzook is in Syria.

Prosecutors allege Marzook invested $250,000 in the Elashis' computer business, InfoCom Corp., by early 1993 in exchange for 40 percent of the company's future profits. Jacks said the arrangement was threatened when the U.S. government declared Marzook a terrorist in 1995, making it illegal to hold his assets.

Jacks said that led Marzook and the Elashis to rework their deal and send future payments instead to Marzook's wife.

Defense attorneys argued there was no sinister motive to Marzook's investment in the computer company. Michael P. Gibson said Marzook relinquished any claim on proceeds from the investment.

"There was not a crime in this transaction," Gibson said.

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The Syrian-Yemen Anti-Terror Axis

by James Dunnigan
Many Moslem countries that once tolerated, or even supported, Islamic terrorism, have changed their minds. Sort of. It’s a complicated situation. Take, for example, Syria and Yemen. Both nations have long been the home of many Islamic terrorists. For Syria, it was state policy. Islamic terrorists who hurt Syria’s enemies, and did not attack Syria, were welcome to set up shop, openly or covertly, in Syria. But the American invasion of Iraq fired up Islamic radicals, especially the ones in Syria, to such an extent that the government feared for its own existence. Thus the recent willingness by Syria to cooperate in cracking down on Islamic terrorism.

Islamic conservatism, and radicalism, have long been popular in Yemen. The bin Laden clan is Yemeni, and Osama bin Laden still has some family there. In the late 1990s, the government, worried about Islamic radicals getting out of hand, and under pressure from the United States, shut down al Qaeda, and other Islamic radical organizations. But many Islamic radicals simply went underground. The Yemeni government has never been able to control the Yemeni tribes, and the tribes are the most enthusiastic about Islamic radicalism. If the tribes give Islamic radicals sanctuary, and this happened often, there was little the government could do about it.

Syria and Yemen have even been exchanging information on Islamic terrorism, as their two countries were often seen as convenient hiding places for Islamic radicals. There are still factions in Syria that can “protect” pet radicals. Up to a point. The same with the pro-terrorist tribes in Yemen. So both Syria and Yemen try to keep track of terrorists that move back and forth between the two countries. There have apparently been some prisoner swaps as well. The United States wants more access to this information, and some of the imprisoned terrorists, but that has proved difficult to accomplish. You can still trade favors with Islamic terrorists. A little protection here gives you a little immunity-from-attack there. It’s a dangerous game, and Syria and Yemen are cooperating with each other in an attempt to increase their survival odds.

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Abbas Expels Militants From Headquarters After Shooting Incident
Brad Kurtzberg
 
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas expelled 26 wanted militants from his headquarters in Ramallah Thursday after the group went on a shooting rampage through the town last night. The gunmen, wanted by Israel for allegedly carrying out terrorist attacks against Israelis, were originally offered 'asylum' in the president's headquarters by the late Yasser Arafat. They are affiliated with Abbas's Fatah organization.

About a half dozen gunmen went on a shooting spree last night. The dispute arose when the militants refused to hand in their weapons and agree to end terror attacks. President Abbas was inside his headquarters at the time of the shooting but he was not injured. The militants then went outside and shot at shops and signs throughout the city. Nobody was hurt in the incident according to local authorities.

After the militants were expelled by Abbas, they reportedly went into hiding in Ramallah. It is not clear if they kept their weapons with them. A spokesman for Mr. Abbas told reporters, 'Abbas has issued an order to prevent any security violations and harm to citizens' property. Security units have been deployed to prevent further attacks.'  So far, the uneasy peace in Ramallah is holding.

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Terrorist Captured (Excerpt)

Iraqi police announced the capture of Mohammed Abed, a member of the militant group Ansar al-Sunnah Army sought for attacks on security forces. Col. Sarhad Qader said he was caught Tuesday night in a raid near Hawija, 150 miles north of Baghdad.

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IRAQ : Iraqi, U.S. Forces Gain Ground Against Terrorists  (Nice summary of recent stories)
 

WASHINGTON, March 30, 2005 – American, coalition and Iraqi security troops and police landed a series of blows against international terrorists in Iraq in recent days, the military officials in Iraq reported today.

Near Kirkuk on March 29 U.S. soldiers detained an individual for throwing a grenade at a combat patrol. The patrol was securing the site of an improvised explosive device detonation when the suspect drove by and tossed a grenade at the soldiers, who returned fire and destroyed the vehicle.

No injuries to U.S. soldiers or equipment damage occurred.

Also March 29, U.S. soldiers engaged the vehicle of a known terrorist, killing one terrorist and injuring another during action in Tal Afar. The troops of the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade, 25th Infantry Division (Stryker Brigade Combat Team), also seized a number of weapons found in the vehicle, to include a machine gun, two AK-47s, two hand grenades and six rocket-propelled grenade rounds.

The injured terrorist was taken to a hospital and will be detained after being treated. No injuries to coalition forces were reported during the operation.

Also, American soldiers seized a weapons cache in Tikrit March 29. The cache consisted of two 107 mm rockets, two 120 mm and two 152 mm artillery rounds, two homemade launch tubes, and preset timers. Some items were kept for study by coalition forces, and some were identified for future destruction.

On March 28, Iraqi security forces found a large terrorist base in Salman Pak, south of Baghdad. The Iraqi forces stormed the base, overcame light resistance and disabled several improvised explosive devices. Several weapons, munitions and two IEDs were found on the scene. More than 90 suspected terrorists were captured and are being questioned.

"This operation was the first major joint operation between the (Iraqi Special Operations Forces) Brigade, Iraqi police forces and conventional coalition forces," said Brig. Gen. Karl Horst, assistant commander to Task Force Baghdad. "This operation represents the significant progress that Iraqi Security Forces are making to make all of Iraq a safer place for it's citizens."

And U.S. soldiers discovered eight weapons caches near a U.S. military supply route south of Baghdad March 27. The soldiers used metal detectors to find the hidden weapons, which included 58 assorted artillery and mortar rounds, 11 rocket-propelled grenade heat rounds and three RPG launchers.

The Americans also uncovered six RPG anti-personnel rounds, 1,000 6.3 mm primers, a machine gun, an AK-47 rifle, and more than 400 rounds of ammunition. Other munitions found include 100 time fuses, 39 booster charges of various sizes, 10 blasting caps, five mortar fuses, two armored vests, detonation cord and a wide assortment of electronic equipment.

Also March 27, Iraqi soldiers with the 1st Army Brigade, 6th Division, arrested an Iraqi police master sergeant accused of being the leader of a terror cell. The suspect is also believed to be responsible for the bombing of the Al-Baratha Mosque. The Iraq soldiers also found three RPGs and arrested an individual who fired one of them.

U.S. soldiers in central Baghdad found an IED in a shoebox March 27. A Navy explosive ordnance detachment was on the scene and safely detonated the device. Also, other American soldiers reported an IED on a military service route. The device was made from a 130 mm projectile. EOD arrived on the scene and conducted a controlled detonation.

“In IED attacks initiated against Multinational Division Baghdad, 70 percent have been ineffective at producing a casualty," said Lt. Col. Clifford Kent, Task Force Baghdad spokesperson. This, he said, “can be attributed to the technological advances in equipment, armor protection and the fact that we are capturing or killing experienced anti-Iraqi forces."

Iraqi police responded March 27 in south central Baghdad when U.S. soldiers came under small-arms fire. The Iraqi police pursued the suspect down the street. The Iraqis and Americans secured the area and searched for the suspect. The Iraqis later caught the suspect and took him in custody.

On March 26 Iraqi Army troops arrested a Pakistani father and two of his sons after receiving a tip. The men were found with cell phones, false passports, passport-making equipment and anti-coalition literature. 

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Tanzanian gets five years in L.A. mall bomb hoax

By Matt Krasnowski
LOS ANGELES – A Tanzanian man who admitted making a phony report that terrorists planned to bomb a West Los Angeles shopping mall last year was sentenced on Thursday to five years in prison.

U.S. District Judge Percy Anderson sentenced Zameer Mohamed, 24, who most recently lived in Canada, to a longer term than the maximum 46-month term recommended in federal sentencing guidelines because of the disruption the hoax caused in the city and to make others think twice before making such false reports.

"The callousness that you exhibited warrants a substantial prison sentence," Anderson told Mohamed.

The judge said that Mohamed's actions scared thousands of people, wasted an immeasurable amount of law enforcement resources and brought unnecessary scrutiny on four people Mohamed said were behind the bomb plot.

Mohamed pleaded guilty in December to one federal felony count of using a telephone to convey false information about an explosive attack.

He allegedly called the Department of Homeland Security and said that four al-Qaeda operatives planned to attack a mall near UCLA and a federal building in Westwood on April 29. He said the four people would try to enter the United States from Canada.

The threat sparked police to send extra patrols to shopping malls throughout the Los Angeles area.

Mohamed was arrested April 29 after he crossed the U.S.-Canadian border in Montana.

At the time authorities said it appeared Mohamed didn't have any terrorist links and that the hoax was part of a plan to get even with his Toronto girlfriend and three of her co-workers.

During the sentencing hearing, Anderson said that Mohamed had been investigated by authorities in Texas, where he once resided, and gave conflicting information about his background to court officials.

"It seems you are nothing more than a small-time thief and a con-man," Anderson said, adding it seemed that Mohamed didn't have any remorse for what he did or grasp the seriousness of his offense.

"There is no denying that what you did scared people," the judge said.

Earlier, Mohamed apologized.

"I am sorry for what I have done and all of the havoc it has caused," he said.

Mohamed, who was representing himself during the hearing, was asking for a sentence of 12 to 18 months.

But Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian told Anderson that such a sentence was too light considering the disruption Mohamed caused.

"This is not your typical bomb threat case," Missakian said.

[FairOpinion]

You forgot to ping your ping list to this!

[Straight Vermonter]

Doh!

Let me know if you want on/off the terrorist roundup ping list.

Terrorist Scorecard

[Deetes]

6 AQ's , hope they get some good intel :)

[csvset]

Good news is breaking out all over.

[Coop]

On March 28, Iraqi security forces found a large terrorist base in Salman Pak, south of Baghdad. The Iraqi forces stormed the base, overcame light resistance and disabled several improvised explosive devices. Several weapons, munitions and two IEDs were found on the scene. More than 90 suspected terrorists were captured and are being questioned.

I'm really quite surprised that such a large concentration of evil cowards would have collected back at Salman Pak - a known terrorist training site before the war.

[Coop]

Huh?