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Posted on 12/01/2006 8:36:14 PM PST by nwctwx
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Note: The following text is a quote:
http://off-topic.internet-haganah.com/archives/000643.html
December 07, 2006
Incoming Chair of House Judiciary Committee stands up for cop-killers
Via James Taranto's Opinion Journal - Best of the web, citing clerk.house.gov/evs/2006/roll527.xml as source for the votes.
Cop Killer's Caucus:
The House yesterday passed a resolution "condemning the decision of St. Denis, France, to name a street in honor of Mumia Abu-Jamal, the convicted murder [sic] of Philadelphia Police Office Danny Faulkner." The vote was 368-31, with 8 members voting "present." Here's a list of what one might call the Cop-Killer's Caucus, the congressmen who voted against the resolution, all Democrats:
Neil Abercrombie (Hawaii)
Carolyn Kilpatrick (Mich.)
Robert Scott (Va.)
William Clay (Mo.)
Barbara Lee (Calif.)
Jose Serrano (N.Y.)
Emanuel Cleaver (Mo.)
Cynthia McKinney (Ga.)
Fortney Hillman Stark Jr. (Calif.)
John Conyers (Mich.)
Gregory Meeks (N.Y.)
Edolphus Towns (N.Y.)
Jim Cooper (Tenn.)
Jerrold Nadler (N.Y.)
Mark Udall (Colo.)
Danny Davis (Ill.)
James Oberstar (Minn.)
Nydia Velazquez (N.Y.)
Raul Grijalva (Ariz.)
Major Owens (N.Y.)
Maxine Waters (Calif.)
Maurice Hinchey (N.Y.)
Ed Pastor (Ariz.)
Anthony Weiner (N.Y.)
Mike Honda (Calif.)
Donald Payne (N.J.)
Lynn Woolsey (Calif.)
Jesse Jackson Jr. (Ill.)
Charles Rangel (N.Y.)
Eddie Bernice Johnson (Texas)
Bobby Rush (Ill.)
The "present" votes came from
Sam Farr (Calif.), Al Green (Texas)
Luis Gutierrez (Ill.)
Sheila Jackson-Lee (Texas)
John Lewis (Ga.)
George Miller (Calif.)
Janice Schakowsky (Ill.)
Melvin Watt (N.C.).
Tellingly, every member of the Pennsylvania delegation who was present voted "yes."
The most disturbing name on the "no" list is that of John Conyers. Granted, this is only a symbolic vote, but is it really a good idea to entrust the chairmanship of the Judiciary Committee to a man who casts a symbolic vote for a cop-killer and against his victim?
Posted on 07 December 2006 @ 19:32 GMT
ON THE NET...
http://osint.internet-haganah.com/archives/000642.html
December 07, 2006
"Krekar and al-Ali make the short list"
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Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp191.htm
December 7, 2006
HP-191
Treasury Designations Target Terrorist Facilitators
The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated five individuals for providing financial support to al Qaida and other terrorist organizations, as well as facilitating terrorist activity. The individuals were designated pursuant to Executive Order 13224 and added to the Treasury's list of Specially Designated Global Terrorists.
"These individuals support every stage of the terrorist life-cycle, from financing terrorist groups and activity, to facilitating deadly attacks, and inciting others to join campaigns of violence and hate. The civilized world must stand united in isolating these terrorists," said Stuart Levey, Treasury's Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
This designation freezes any assets the designees may have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits all financial and commercial transactions by any U.S. person with the designees. In addition, in accordance with U.N. Security Council Resolution 1624, the U.S. Government condemns those who incite others to acts of terrorism and violence.
Identifying Information
Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad
Name: Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad
AKAs: Mullah Krekar
Fateh Najm Eddine Farraj
Faraj Ahmad Najmuddin
DOB: 7 JULY 1956
Alt. DOB: 17 JUNE 1963
POB: Olaqloo Sharbajer Village, Al-Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq
Citizenship: Iraq
Address: Heimdalsgate 36-V, 0578 Oslo, Norway
Krekar Provides Support to Ansar al-Sunnah
Najmuddin Faraj Ahmad, a.k.a. Mullah Krekar (Krekar), founded in December 2001 the Kurdish terrorist group Ansar al-Islam (AI), now known as Ansar al-Sunnah (AS), and served as AI's first leader.
As of spring 2005, a non-governmental organization founded by Krekar sent money to terrorist organizations and actively recruited European citizens into terrorist organizations. Branches of the NGO were, as of spring 2005, overtly and covertly gathering money and recruiting personnel for AS. Krekar has visited Germany several times and during these trips conducted fundraising for AS and performed logistical activities. Information shows that in January 2006, Krekar may have routed funds through associates in Bulgaria and Iraq to support AS in Iraq.
As of fall 2005, AS reportedly had established at least two sniper teams in Iraq; the founder of these teams claimed to be Krekar's representative in Iraq. Krekar also traveled regularly from Norway to the Iraqi Kurdish area. During one of his longer stays in northern Iraq, Krekar appears to have recruited and trained combatants.
Other Information
Apart from the instances of direct facilitation of terrorist groups which form the basis for his designation, Krekar has exhorted others to violence and supplied religious justifications for murder. In a 2004 interview, Krekar supported holy war in Iraq and identified legitimate targets, stating "Not just the officers, but also the civilians who help the Americans. If anyone so much as fetches them a glass of water, he can be killed. ... Everyone is a target. If an aid organization gives the Americans as much as a glass of water, they will become a target."
Hamid Al-Ali
Name: Hamid Al-Ali
AKAs: Dr. Hamed Abdullah Al-Ali
Hamed Al-`Ali
Hamed bin `Abdallah Al-`Ali
Hamid bin Abdallah Ahmed Al-Ali
Hamid `Abdallah Ahmad Al-`Ali
Abu Salim
Hamid `Abdallah Al-`Ali
DOB: 20 JANUARY 1960
Citizenship: Kuwait
Hamid Al-Ali is a Kuwait-based terrorist facilitator who has provided financial support for al Qaida-affiliated groups seeking to commit acts of terrorism in Kuwait, Iraq, and elsewhere.
Al-Ali Provides Support for al Qaida in Iraq
Evidence shows that Al-Ali's efforts include providing support for terrorist organizations, including those in Iraq. Along with Jaber Al-Jalamah and Mubarak Mushakhas Sanad Al-Bathali, also designated today, Al-Ali recruits jihadists in Kuwait for terrorist activity including for al Qaida in Iraq. Al-Ali has provided financial support for recruits, including paying for their travel expenses to Iraq.
Al-Ali Provides Funds for al Qaida-Associated Terrorist Cells in Kuwait
Al-Ali was a religious leader and financier for a Kuwait-based terrorist cell that plotted to attack U.S. and Kuwaiti targets in early 2005. The al Qaida-associated terrorist cell appears to have been under his supervision. Al-Ali reportedly visited the group's terrorist camps in Kuwait, providing funds supporting acts of terrorism.
In addition to financial support and recruiting services, Al-Ali also provided opportunities for potential recruits to obtain explosives training in 2004. He also used his website to provide technical advice for making explosives, chemical, and biological weapons.
Other Information
Separate from the financial and other services in support of terrorist groups for which Al-Ali is being designated, he has issued fatwas legitimizing suicide operations. One such fatwa sanctions "the permissiveness, and sometimes necessity, of suicide operations, on the condition of crushing the enemy ... or causing moral defeat to the enemy, to obtain victory." According to this fatwa, "in modern time(s) this can be accomplished through the modern means of bombing, or by bringing down an airplane on an important site that causes the enemy great casualties."
Jaber Al-Jalamah
Name: Jaber Al-Jalamah
AKAs: Jabir `Abdallah Jabir Ahmad Al-Jalamah
Jabir Abdallah Jabir Ahmad Jalahmah
Jaber Al-Jalahma
Abu Muhammad Al-Jalahmah
Abu Muhammad
Jabir Al-Jalhami
`Abdul-Ghani
DOB: 24 SEPTEMBER 1959
Nationality: Kuwaiti
Passport #: 101423404
Jaber Al-Jalamah is a Kuwait-based terrorist facilitator who has provided financial and logistical support to the al Qaida network in Afghanistan, Iraq and Kuwait. Al-Jalamah has also provided recruits for these efforts.
Al-Jalamah Recruits and Provides Financial Support for al Qaida in Iraq
As of 2006, Al-Jalamah supports activities and operations against coalition forces in Iraq. As early as 2004, Al-Jalamah was coordinating a recruitment effort to send fighters and funds to al Qaida in Iraq. He facilitated travel for men he recruited and for men recruited by Kuwaiti imams. Al-Jalamah sent three kinds of people into Iraq: suicide bombers, anti-coalition fighters, and couriers who go to Iraq to provide funds for anti-coalition fighters.
Al-Jalamah has sent a significant number of men to join al Qaida in Iraq. These operatives carried funds collected by Al-Jalamah for provision to the terrorist group. Trusted associates were sometimes given thousands of dollars to transport from Kuwait into Iraq.
Al-Jalamah Provides Support for al Qaida Associates in Kuwait, Afghanistan and Pakistan
As of 2004, Al-Jalamah was considered the leader of a group of terrorists in Kuwait, some of whom he recruited for activity in Afghanistan. Al-Jalamah collected and funneled money to al Qaida-associated individuals in Kuwait, providing thousands of Kuwaiti dinars to al Qaida-associated operatives on a regular basis, including to Muhsin al-Fadhli. Al-Fadhli is listed at the UN 1267 Sanctions Committee.
Soon after September 11, 2001, Al-Jalamah sent supplies to Afghanistan for use by trainees. In mid-2001, Al-Jalamah sent a Kuwaiti individual to Afghanistan where he attended the al Qaida-associated al-Faruq training camp. Al-Jalamah gave the Kuwaiti money to transfer to al Qaida. Al-Jalamah also sent recruits and supplies to al Qaida camps in Afghanistan. In the late 1990s/early 2000s, Al-Jalamah also visited the al-Faruq training camp, supplying global-positioning systems, laptop computers, and a video camera.
Al-Jalamah's role with al Qaida includes dealing personally with Usama bin Laden. Al-Jalamah went to Afghanistan three times in the late 1990s/early 2000s to provide bin Laden large sums of money. During a 2001 meeting, bin Laden agreed to set up a training camp especially for Kuwaitis in Afghanistan. This plan was reportedly never put into action.
Al-Jalamah Provided Support for an Attack against Americans
Al-Jalamah was involved in the planning of the January 21, 2003, al Qaida-linked terrorist attack on two U.S. civilian contractors in Kuwait. He provided support and assistance to one of the perpetrators.
Mubarak Mushakhas Sanad Al-Bathali
Name: Mubarak Mushakhas Sanad Al-Bathali
AKAs: Mubarak Al-Bathali
Mubarak Mishkhis Sanad Al-Bathali
Mubarak Mishkhas Sanad Al-Bathali
Mubarak Mishkhis Sanad Al-Badhali
Mubarak Mishkhas Sanad Al-Bazali
Mobarak Meshkhas Sanad Al-Bthaly
DOB: 1 OCTOBER 1961
Passport: 101856740 Kuwait
Citizenship: Kuwait
Mubarak Mushakhas Sanad Al-Bathali is a Kuwait-based terrorist facilitator. He also serves as a fundraiser and recruiter for the al Qaida network. Al-Bathali has spoken at several mosques in Kuwait to raise funds for provision to al Qaida operatives. As of 2006, Al-Bathali continues to facilitate travel for extremists planning to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan.
Al Bathali Provides Support to the al Qaida Network
Al-Bathali has raised funds in Kuwait for terrorist organizations for years. In 2004, Al-Bathali gathered several hundred Kuwaiti dinars each week for terrorist organizations, including al Qaida, Ansar al-Islam and Lashkar E-Tayyiba. In 2003 and 2004, Al-Bathali provided funds to al Qaida in Iraq through intermediaries. In 2002-2003, Al-Bathali contributed $20,000 to Ansar al-Islam through contacts in Syria. In 2001, Al-Bathali sent a courier to carry approximately $20,000 to an al Qaida finance manager in Pakistan. Prior to this, in 1999, Al-Bathali met with several top al Qaida members and gave them roughly $100,000.
Other Information
In 2002, Al-Bathali traveled to Saudi Arabia to meet with several radical leaders who were involved with al Qaida to discuss jihad and arrange for the transfer of funds to him.
In 2003, Al-Bathali reiterated his objectives of recruiting Muslim youth in the Arabian Gulf, especially in Saudi Arabia and Kuwait, to support the fighters in Iraqi Kurdistan. This support was to include collecting donations for Muslim fighters and distributing CDs about Ansar al-Islam.
In January 2003, Al-Bathali and Al-Jalamah met with an individual who was involved in the shooting of two U.S. contractors outside of Camp Doha, Kuwait, and discussed financing his militant training operations.
Mohamed Moumou
Name: Mohamed Moumou
AKAs: Mohamed Mumu
Abu Shrayda
Abu Amina
Abu `Abdallah
Abou Abderrahman
DOB: 30 JULY 1965
Alt. DOB: 30 SEPTEMBER 1965
POB: Fez, Morocco
Citizenship: Morocco
Citizenship: Sweden
Passport: 9817619, Expires 14 DECEMBER 2009 (Sweden)
Address: Storvretsvagen 92, 7 TR. C/O Drioua, 142 31 Skogas, Sweden
Address: Jungfruns Gata 413, Postal Address Box: 3027, 13603 Haninge, Sweden
Address: London, England
Address: Dobelnsgatan 97, 7 TR C/O Lamrabet, 113 52 Stockholm, Sweden
Address: Trodheimsgatan 6, 164 32 Kista, Sweden
Mohamed Moumou's extremist activities date back to the mid-1990's, when he traveled to Afghanistan to participate in the al Qaida-run Khalden terrorist training camp. A Moroccan national with Swedish citizenship, Moumou was the uncontested leader of an extremist group centered around the Brandbergen Mosque in Stockholm, Sweden. Moumou's leadership derives from connections to senior al Qaida leaders, some of whom he had met in Afghanistan and Pakistan in the late-1990s. Moumou reportedly served, at some time in the past, as Abu Mus'ab al-Zarqawi's representative in Europe for issues related to chemical and biological weapons. Moreover, Moumou reportedly maintains ties to al-Zarqawi's inner circle in Iraq.
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Note: The folloiwing text is a quote:
http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/actions/20061207.shtml
Office of Foreign Assets Control
Recent OFAC Actions
Full List | Previous | Next
To view or print the PDF content on this page, download the free Adobe® Acrobat® Reader®.
12/07/2006
The following individuals have been added to OFAC's SDN list:
AHMAD, Najmuddin Faraj (a.k.a. FARRAJ, Fateh Najm Eddine; a.k.a. KREKAR, Mullah; a.k.a. NAJMUDDIN, Faraj Ahmad), Heimdalsgate 36-V, 0578 Oslo, Norway; DOB 7 Jul 1956; alt. DOB 17 Jun 1963; POB Olaqloo Sharbajer Village, al-Sulaymaniyah Governorate, Iraq; citizen Iraq (individual) [SDGT]
AL-ALI, Hamid (a.k.a. AL-ALI, Dr. Hamed Abdullah; a.k.a. AL-'ALI, Hamed; a.k.a. AL-'ALI, Hamed bin 'Abdallah; a.k.a. AL-'ALI, Hamid 'Abdallah; a.k.a. AL-'ALI, Hamid 'Abdallah Ahmad; a.k.a. AL-ALI, Hamid bin Abdallah Ahmed; a.k.a. "ABU SALIM"); DOB 20 Jan 1960; citizen Kuwait (individual) [SDGT]
AL-BATHALI, Mubarak Mushakhas Sanad (a.k.a. AL BATHALI, Mubarak Mishkhis Sanad; a.k.a. AL-BADHALI, Mubarak Mishkhis Sanad; a.k.a. AL-BATHALI, Mubarak; a.k.a. AL-BATHALI, Mubarak Mishkhas Sanad; a.k.a. AL-BAZALI, Mubarak Mishkhas Sanad; a.k.a. AL-BTHALY, Mobarak Meshkhas Sanad); DOB 1 Oct 1961; citizen Kuwait; Passport 101856740 (Kuwait) (individual) [SDGT]
AL-JALAMAH, Jaber (a.k.a. AL-JALAHMA, Jaber; a.k.a. AL-JALAHMAH, Abu Muhammad; a.k.a. AL-JALAHMAH, Jabir Abdallah Jabir Ahmad; a.k.a. AL-JALAMAH, Jabir 'Abdallah Jabir Ahmad; a.k.a. AL-JALHAMI, Jabir; a.k.a. "'ABDUL-GHANI"; a.k.a. "ABU MUHAMMAD"); DOB 24 Sep 1959; nationality Kuwait; Passport 101423404 (individual) [SDGT]
MOUMOU, Mohamed (a.k.a. MUMU, Mohamed; a.k.a. "'ABDALLAH, Abu"; a.k.a. "ABDERRAHMAN, Abou"; a.k.a. "AMINA, Abu"; a.k.a. "SHRAYDA, Abu"), Storvretsvagen 92, 7 TR. C/O Drioua, 142 31 Skogas, Sweden; Dobelnsgatan 97, 7TR C/O Lamrabet, 113 52 Stockholm, Sweden; Jungfruns Gata 413; Postal Address Box: 3027, 13603 Haninge, Sweden; London, United Kingdom; Trodheimsgatan 6, 164 32 Kista, Sweden; DOB 30 Jul 1965; alt. DOB 30 Sep 1965; POB Fez, Morocco; citizen Morocco; alt. citizen Sweden; Passport 9817619 (Sweden) expires 14 Dec 2009 (individual) [SDGT]
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hamas
---
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/014327.php
December 08, 2006
Hamas: we will never recognise Israel
But that will not stop Bush and Baker and Rice from forcing Israel to make more concessions in the hopes of winning that chimerical recognition. From The Guardian Unlimited, with thanks to Kasper:
The Palestinian prime minister, Ismail Haniyeh, today said his Hamas-led government will never recognise Israel and will continue to fight for the liberation of Jerusalem.
"We will never recognise the usurper Zionist government and will continue our jihad-like movement until the liberation of Jerusalem," Mr Haniyeh told thousands of Friday prayer worshippers at Tehran University in Iran.
The comments underline the difficulty of the task confronting Tony Blair, who confirmed yesterday at a joint press conference in Washington with George Bush that he is to visit Israel and the Palestinian territories in a last push for peace before he leaves office next year. Mr Haniyeh, who is on his first foreign visit since his Hamas-led government took office in March after a surprise election victory, called Iran, a long-time ally of Hamas, the Palestinians' "strategic depth".
Difficulty? How about impossibility?
Posted by Robert at December 8, 2006 07:42 AM
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881853484&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
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Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1750744/posts?page=6#6
Russia Hopsital Fire
RUSSIA-HOSPITAL FIRE
Fire kills 45 women at hospital in Moscow, arson is suspected
MOSCOW (AP) _ At least 45 people are dead in Moscow, killed in the city's deadliest fire in three years.
All the victims from the fire in a drug treatment hospital were women.
Russian authorities say the blaze broke out early Saturday in a women's ward, filling it with heavy smoke. The chief fire inspector says he's "90-percent certain" that the fire was caused by arson. Although the ITAR-Tass news agency says investigators are also looking into other possibilities, including a trash fire.
Officials say the victims were trapped between the fire and a locked gate. Most died from asphyxiation. Some died from burns.
According to an emergency official, all the women were dead by the time firefighters arrived. He says "judging by the placement of the bodies, they really tried to get out."
A fire department spokesman says 160 people were evacuated from the five-story building. Ten of them are hospitalized with carbon monoxide poisoning.
6 posted on 12/09/2006 12:03:33 AM PST by jer33 3
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53301
MEDIA MATTERS
"More Web reporters going to prison
Report says Internet writers being targeted by government crackdowns"
Posted: December 9, 2006
1:00 a.m. Eastern
By Bob Unruh
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "For the second year in a row the number of journalists in jail because of their work has gone up, a new report says. But it also notes that, alarmingly, the number of Internet-based journalists in prison for their work has doubled in just three years and those people now make up more than one-third of the total.
According to the report from the Committee to Protect Journalists, as of Dec. 1, 2006, there were 134 journalists imprisoned, up nine from one year earlier, with China, Cuba, Eritrea and Ethiopia the top four prison-keepers."
ON THE NET...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hamas
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=chicago
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http://atlanta.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel06/supportingterrorists101106.htm
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/iln/indict/2004/marzook_et_al.pdf
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http://counterterrorismblog.org/2006/12/chicago_hamas_trial_update.php
"Chicago Hamas Trial Update"
By Steven Emerson
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=germany
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http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=26&story_id=34951
(DPA)
"Neo-Nazi crime doubles in Berlin, police chief says"
8 December 2006
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Berlin (dpa) - The level of violent neo-Nazi crime in the German capital more than doubled over the past year, Berlin's police chief said Friday.
There were 52 reported violent neo-Nazi attacks in 2005 and this year there will be over 100, said police chief Dieter Glietsch in comments to Deutsche Presse-Agentur dpa.
Officials are alarmed by growing neo-Nazi violence. Nationwide the level of rightist crime rose by 20 per cent during the first nine months of 2006.
"This is a new development which really fuels concern," said Glietsch."
https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=60147
you are here: Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report
"Warden Message: Nigeria Holiday Crime"
Consular Affairs Bulletins
Sub-Saharan Africa - Nigeria
8 Dec 2006
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NOTE: The following text is a quote:
https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=60100
Warden Message: Niger Delta Oil Threats
Consular Affairs Bulletins
Sub-Saharan Africa - Nigeria
8 Dec 2006
Printer Friendly Email Article
Related Reports
8 Dec 2006
Warden Message: Nigeria Holiday Crime
24 Nov 2006
Warden Message: Lagos Political Rallies, Traffic Congestion
17 Nov 2006
Warden Message: Avoid Lagos Area Mall November 17
2 Nov 2006
Warden Message: Unified Attack and Hostage-Taking Threat
19 Oct 2006
Warden Message: Niger Delta Oil Threat
U.S. Consulate Lagos issued the following Warden Message on December 8:
The U.S. Government has received information that a militant Niger Delta group has reportedly recruited and trained militants for renewed attacks on oil installations and expatriate oil workers in the Niger Delta region. The time, place, and specific targets of the attacks are not known.
The Consulate continues to advise Americans should review their security procedures, remain vigilant to their surroundings, and report specific incidences of targeted violence to the U.S. Consulate in Lagos at 01-261-0050. You may also email the Lagos Consular Section at lagoscons2@state.gov.
Americans are encouraged to read the Department of State's August 24, 2006 Travel Warning regarding travel to Nigeria (available online at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_928.html) and the Worldwide Caution announcement released on June 6, 2006 (available online at http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html).
U.S. citizens in Nigeria are strongly encouraged to register with the Department of State at https://travelregistration.state.gov. Those without Internet access may register in person at the U.S. Embassy in Abuja or the Consulate General in Lagos and obtain information there on travel and security in Nigeria.
U.S. Embassy Abuja is located at Plot 1075, Diplomatic Drive, Central Business District, Abuja; the telephone number is 09-461-4000.
The U.S. Consulate Lagos is located at 2 Walter Carrington Crescent, Victoria Island, Lagos; the telephone number is 01-261-1215.
For after-hours emergencies, call 011 [234] (1) 261-1414, 261-0195, 261-0078, 261-0139, or 261-6477.
Note: The following text is a quote:
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http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_927.html
Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520
This information is current as of today, Sat Dec 09 2006 01:47:51 GMT-0800.
NEPAL
December 08, 2006
This Travel Warning provides updated information on the security situation in Nepal. The Department of State continues to be concerned about the security situation in Nepal and urges American citizens contemplating a visit to Nepal to obtain updated security information before they travel and to be prepared to change their plans at short notice. This supersedes the Travel Warning issued on May 11, 2006.
The restoration of Nepal's parliament, formation of a new government, and the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement in November 2006 are positive developments. These developments have not, however, resulted in the end of human rights abuses, including murder, kidnapping and extortion. Despite the signing of a comprehensive peace agreement by the Government and Maoist insurgents, Maoist extortion and abductions continue. Maoists freely roam the countryside and cities, sometimes still openly bearing their weapons. Travel via road in areas outside of the Kathmandu valley is still dangerous and should be avoided. There have been attacks in the countryside involving foreigners. Trekkers and other individuals who resist Maoist extortion demands have been threatened, sometimes assaulted, and risk being detained. In March 2006, Maoists detained several Polish trekkers after the trekkers refused to pay extortion.
Since the cease-fire in April 2006, hotels and businesses frequented by American citizens have been the target of extortion demands and, in some cases, have become the focus of demonstrations. In November 2006, the Embassy received numerous first-hand accounts from resident American citizens that Maoist cadres had approached them and demanded food and lodging. These demands were often accompanied by threats of physical violence. Nepalese staff of Americans who resisted such demands were, in some instances, beaten.
Though the Maoist leadership has publicly prohibited their cadres from engaging in all human rights abuses, including extortion and kidnapping, local media outlets continue to report numerous incidents in which Maoist cadres extort money, kidnap, kill and threaten Nepalese citizens.
While widespread protests have abated, the potential for demonstrations and disruptions remains high. During recent demonstrations, protestors used violence, including burning vehicles, throwing rocks during street protests and burning tires to block traffic. Government security forces responded with force at times to quell demonstrations. Given the nature, intensity and unpredictability of disturbances, American citizens are urged to exercise special caution during times when demonstrations are announced, avoid areas where demonstrations are occurring or crowds are forming, avoid road travel and maintain a low profile. Curfews can be announced with little or no advance notice, and American citizens are urged to consult media sources and the Embassy's website (http://nepal.usembassy.gov) for current security information.
U.S. official personnel do not generally travel by road outside the Kathmandu Valley. All official travel outside the Kathmandu valley, including by air, requires specific clearance by the Regional Security Officer. As a result, emergency assistance to U.S. citizens may be limited. Active duty U.S. military and Department of Defense contractors must obtain a country clearance for official and unofficial travel to Nepal.
Crime in the Kathmandu Valley, including violent crime and harassment of women, has increased since April 2006. Police recently have reported a number of robberies by armed gangs, and in some cases victims have been attacked and injured. Solo trekkers have also been robbed by small groups of young men, even on some popular trails. In late 2005, two European women were murdered in Nargarjun Forest, a popular tourist destination in the Kathmandu Valley. The two murders occurred within weeks of each other and both involved women hiking alone. The body and valuables of one woman were recovered and theft did not appear to be the motivation behind the crime. Both crimes remain unsolved and no culprit(s) has been identified. Visitors should avoid walking alone after dark and carrying large sums of cash or wearing expensive jewelry.
U.S. citizens who travel to or reside in Nepal should factor the potential for violence into their plans, avoid public demonstrations and maintain low profiles while in Nepal. U.S. citizens are urged to register with the Consular Section of the Embassy by accessing the Department of State’s travel registration site at https://travelregistration.state.gov or by personal appearance at the Consular Section. The Consular Section is located at the Yak and Yeti Hotel complex on Durbarmarg Street. The section can be reached directly at (977) (1) 444-5577 or through the Embassy switchboard. The U.S. Embassy is located at Pani Pokhari in Kathmandu, telephone (977) (1) 441-1179; fax (977) (1) 444-4981, website http://nepal.usembassy.gov. The Consular Section can provide updated information on travel and security.
U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State's Consular Information Sheet for Nepal and Worldwide Caution Public Announcement via the Internet on the Department of State's home page at http://travel.state.gov or by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).
http://www.assistnews.net/images06/Web%20_blakey300.jpg
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Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/s06120037.htm
ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net -- E-mail: danjuma1@aol.com
Friday, December 8, 2006
British Christian Aid Worker Stoned To Death in India
By Patrick Reilly
Special to ASSIST News Service
DHARAMSALA, INDIA (ANS) -- Police in India have launched a murder investigation after the body of 23-year-old Michael Blakey, was discovered in a Gully near to the St John's Church in the Wilderness, Dharamsala in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh where he worshipped.
He disappeared on November the 23rd but his body was only discovered three day’s later, partially hidden by large stones
The area is the home of the Tibetan religious leader, the Dalai Lama and considered a safe area for tourists and backpackers.
Police sources in the region said that his injuries were consistent with him being stoned to death. The motivation for the killing remains unclear and police believe may have been committed by more than one person.
Michael, a graduate of Swansea University had taken a gap year to work with the Tong Len charity which he helped set up after hearing of the plight of the Tibetan refugees. It is reported that he developed a strong relationship with a ten year old boy named Suresh and they were “special mates”.
Michael was to return from India just day’s after his “brutal death” to spend Christmas with his family who live in Burnley, Lancashire, before returning to the region for six months.
Speaking of his son’s death Michael’s father told a local journalist, "Michael touched the lives of so many. He just wanted to go to India and help other people, but now we may never know what happened to him.
"Michael was always quite a happy boy but never more so than when he was in Dharamsala. He was doing what he loved best - helping others”.
The Reverend Richard Hall a Methodist minister at Swansea University where Michael gained a first class honours degree wrote of his anger of the British media’s reluctance to report Michael’s death on his blog website. Theconnexion.net/wp. Reverend Hall described Michael’s death as “heartbreaking”.
It is believed that Michael’s body has now been returned to the UK and his family have revealed that following his funeral his ashes will be returned to India and scattered on a sight where a permanent memorial will be erected in his memory.
In 2004 Michael wrote an article published on Theconnexion.net website of his coming to a faith in Jesus Christ and God our Father. The last paragraph reads “Only the good news of the love of God, and the saving grace that is there for us to receive, can do this. Only by acting through love can we truly work for the glory of God, and only by living with compassion can we do justice to the sacrifice made for us. To preach a gospel of fear is to remove all that is glorious about our relationship with God, and to deny people the essence of the good news. God is love, and without fear, we should accept him as such.”
Patrick Reilly is a freelance Christian journalist based in the UK. You can e-mail him at patrickr@fish.co.uk.
** You may republish this story with proper attribution.
PERSECUTION.ORG
http://www.persecution.org
ON THE NET...
Still following the poison trail...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=litvinenko
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=polonium-210
http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/1110AP_Chicago_Shooting.html
Saturday, December 9, 2006 · Last updated 12:45 a.m. PT
"Gunman, 3 others killed in Chicago tower"
By DON BABWIN
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
ARTICLE SNIPPET: "CHICAGO -- Carrying a cache of weapons into a bustling downtown office, a gunman chained a law firm's doors closed and fatally shot three people before a police sniper killed him as held a hostage at gunpoint, authorities said.
The standoff at the 43-story Citigroup Center, which also houses a train station, sent office workers fleeing and stranded commuters Friday as the work week drew to a close.
Police entered through another door in the U-shaped law office, and a SWAT officer shot the gunman from about 45 yards away, Police Superintendent Phil Cline said.
There were no negotiations and the hostage was unharmed, police said.
Cline said the gunman carried a revolver, knife and hammer in a large manila envelope and had security escort him to the Wood, Phillips, Katz, Clark & Mortimer office on the 38th floor."
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Sat Dec 09 2006 02:07:26 GMT-0800.
Worldwide Caution
October 11, 2006
The 9/11 hijackers practiced and trained in American gyms so that they would be better prepared to slit stewardess' and pilots' throats when hijacking airplanes - perhaps "Fitness USA" needs a reminder of that fact so they will reconsider being so compliant.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=threatmatrix
---
The threat matrix looks at threats (primarily terrorism threats) both foreign and domestic. We do go off topic at times and do look at other things affecting our world (ie recalls, health hazards, special events, etc.).
OPINION: I think the gynm incident, like the pool incident has more to do with pc vs common sense. What will win, political correctness or common sense? Time will tell.
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