Threat Matrix: April 2008

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[nwctwx]

Afghanistan to Ask NATO for Bigger Army

Afghan officials will go to the NATO summit in Romania Thursday with a request: pay to increase our national Army by 40 percent. A bigger Army, Afghan officials argue, will allow the US and other coalition members to scale back in the coming years.

This appeal comes amid pleas from the US and Canada for other NATO members to commit more to the Afghanistan mission, which many analysts say has floundered over the past year for lack of resources and a coherent strategy. France is expected to contribute another 1,000 forces and Germany is likely to make a bigger commitment.

But American and Afghan government sources with knowledge of the expected Afghan proposal say that an increase from the current authorization of 86,000 Afghan Army soldiers to 120,000 is the only way to create an enduring defense against a resurgent Taliban and elusive Al Qaeda operatives. Read More

	France May Send More Troops to Afghanistan
	Special Operations Increase Possible for Iraq
	Al-Qaeda Grooming Militants Who 'Look Western': CIA Chief

Threat Matrix:
April 2008

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[Cindy]

blog:

http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/192125.php

April 05, 2008
“In An Absolut World (c. 750)...”

#

RECAP:

http://internet-haganah.com/harchives/006277.html

04 January 2008
“MOURNING THE LOSS OF AL-ANDALUS”

[Cindy]

Unsurprising and more details...

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/aclu/

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080404/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/guantanamo_defense_lawyers

“2 groups offer to defend Gitmo detainees”
Fri Apr 4, 11:08 AM ET

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico - The American Civil Liberties Union and the National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers said they are assembling teams of civilian attorneys to help defend some of the most notorious terror suspects at Guantanamo Bay.

The two groups said they will offer assistance to “high-value” detainees — a group including Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the suspected mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks — who could face execution if convicted at the first U.S. war-crimes trials since World War II.

In a statement Thursday night, ACLU executive director Anthony Romero said his group wants to make the proceedings “as fair as possible.””

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1997726/posts

#

blog:

http://www.powerlineblog.com/archives2/2008/04/020230.php

APRIL 6, 2008
“A WORD FROM OUR MAN IN BAGHDAD”

SNIPPET: “One of our most faithful readers writes from Baghdad, where he is serving as an officer in the Army Reserve:

I’m back over here for my fourth Army Reserve stint since 2004. What a difference a year makes.”

[Cindy]

blog:

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/04/afghanistan_graphing.php

“Afghanistan: Graphing the violence”
By BILL ROGGIO
April 5, 2008 9:48 PM

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/mexico/

#

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1997727/posts

At least 3 dead in gunbattle in Mexican border state
Houston Chronicle/AP ^ | April 6, 2008
Posted on 04/06/2008 5:48:24 PM PDT by SwinneySwitch

CIUDAD JUAREZ, Mexico — At least three people were killed and three more wounded in a highway gunbattle in northern Mexico, officials said Sunday.

The shootout took place Saturday in the southern part of the border state of Chihuahua, said Rene Medrano, a spokesman for the state attorney general’s office. Authorities believe the battle was between rival drug gangs.

Mexico City newspaper El Universal reported that 14 people died in the violence.

Last month, the government sent more than 2,500 soldiers and federal police to crack down on soaring violence in Chihuahua.

About 200 people have been killed this year in Ciudad Juarez, a Chihuahua city of 1.3 million across the border from El Paso, Texas.

On Friday, U.S. Ambassador Tony Garza said the United States could issue a heightened travel alert in the coming week “to better reflect the increasing insecurity in the state of Chihuahua.”

[Cindy]

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html

Travel Alert

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Sun Apr 06 2008 17:58:10 GMT-0700 (PDT).

Mexico

October 24, 2007

[milford421]

Thanks very much for these Oorang.

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/thallium/

#

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1997709/posts

“’Russian spy poisoned me’ says former double agent Gordievsky”
scotsman.com ^ | 07 April 2008 | Paula Fentiman
Posted on 04/06/2008 5:18:00 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/zimbabwe/
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/mugabe/

#

Thanks to Clive for the ping to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1997777/posts

“Deep inside Mugabe’s mindset”
The Star ^ | 4/5/08 | Heidi Holland
Posted on 04/06/2008 8:31:41 PM PDT by Dawnsblood

[Cindy]

ADDING 1 link to po. no. 308:

Thanks to Lucy T for pointing to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1997787/posts

“Police probe ‘new KGB poison attack’ as defector Gordievsky is found unconscious in Surrey home”
Daily Mail ^ | 6th April 2008
Posted on 04/06/2008 9:03:14 PM PDT by nuconvert

[Cindy]

RECAP and UPDATED:

YNET NEWS.com (AP): "TURKISH COURT CHARGES 24 SUSPECTED AL-QAEDA MILITANTS" (Published April 5, 2008, 13:09)

OSINT.INTERNET-HAGANAH.com (THE MEDIA LINE NEWS AGENCY): "45 AL-QAIDA SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN TURKEY" (April 3, 2008)

RADIO NETHERLANDS.nl: Istanbul - "POLICE ARREST 45 AL-QAEDA SUSPECTS IN ISTANBUL" (Last updated April 2, 2008, 14:12 UTC)

FreeRepublic.com - Discussion Forum (DAWN): "4 AL QAEDA SUSPECTS ARRESTED (Turks in Pakistan)" (Posted April 5, 2008)

THE MEMRI BLOG.org ("Source: Yeni Safak, Turkey, April 3, 2008"): "PRESIDENT GUL: TURKEY WILL NOT SEND COMBAT TROOPS TO AFGHANISTAN" (Posted April 3, 2008)

THE MEMRI BLOG.org ("Source: Hurriyet, cihaderi.net, velfecr.com, March 29, 2008"): "TURKISH ISLAMIST WEBSITES GLORIFY TURKISH JIHADIST WHO KILLED TWO U.S. SOLDIERS, TWO CIVILIANS IN SUICIDE ATTACK IN AFGHANISTAN" (Posted March 30, 2008)

Video - Link

THE MEMRI BLOG.org (”Source: Velfecr.com, Turkey, running since March 18, 2008”): "RADICAL ISLAMIST IN VAN: "There Are Many Brave Sons In Every Corner Of This Country Who Yearn To Sacrifice Their Lives To Defend Palestine Against The Rabid Jews Whom Allah Declared Our Enemy"") (Posted April 3, 2008)

THE MEMRI BLOG.org ("Source: Velfecr.com, running since March 18, 2008"): "IMAM OF UNIVERSITY IN VAN: "Listen And Hear! Your Worst Enemy Is The Jew, the Jewish infidels; Even Allah Announced And Warned Us That The Jews Are Our Eternal Enemies"") (Posted April 2, 2008)

THE MEMRI BLOG.org: "RADICAL ISLAMIST VAKIT COLUMNIST TO CROWDS: "ALLAH WANTS YOU TO BECOME SHAHIDS"" (Posted March 30, 2008)

Link

Link

[Cindy]

blog:

http://www.westernresistance.com/blog/archives/004018.html

April 5, 2008
“UK: Police Failure To Take Honor Killing Seriously”

[Cindy]

Note: The following news brief is a quote:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3528464,00.html

3 Qassams land south of Ashkelon; no injuries reported
Published: 04.07.08, 07:11 / Israel News

Three Qassam rockets were fired Sunday night from northern Gaza and landed in open fields near a kibbutz south of Ashkelon.

No injuries or damage were reported in the attack. (Shmulik Hadad)

[Cindy]

RECAP and UPDATED:

TERRORISM-INFO.org.il - INTELLIGENCE AND TERRORISM INFORMATION CENTER (IICC): "AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI, OSAMA BIN LADEN'S RIGHT-HAND MAN, AGAIN CALLED UPON MUSLIMS TO STRIKE JEWS IN ISRAEL AND AROUND THE WORLD" (April 6, 2008)

MEMRI IWMP.org - No. 1887: "'OPEN MEETING WITH SHEIKH AYMAN AL-ZAWAHRI'" (April 4, 2008)

INTERNET-HAGANAH.com: "MEETING WITH ZAWAHIRI, Part 1" (April 3, 2008)

Link (pdf)

SITE Intelligence Group: "FIRST PART OF RESPONSES BY DR. AYMAN AL-ZAWAHIRI TO OPEN MEETING COORDINATED BY AL-FAJR CENTER AS-SAHAB" (April 2, 2008)

Link

Link

Link

Link (pdf)

[Cindy]

Thanks to bd476 for starting this thread.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1997802/posts

“This Day in History: U.S. Enters World War I April 6, 1917”
The Library of Congress: American Memory ^ | April 6, 2008
Posted on 04/06/2008 11:46:05 PM PDT by bd476

[Cindy]

UPDATE fyi:

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1380373
(WTOP;AP)

“65 people from Washington-area convention fall ill with norovirus”
April 5, 2008 - 5:13pm

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “LARGO - Prince George’s County public health officials have confirmed to WTOP Radio that norovirus sickened 65 people who attended a medical convention.

The illnesses were first noted when the Metropolitan Washington Airports Authority’s fire department received calls for a dozen sick people at Reagan National Airport Thursday evening.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Health Department staff interviewed staff and inspected the facility to try to figure out what caused the illness. It could have been by a lack a lack of handwashing, said department spokeswoman Erin Bradley. A private cleaning company has already started cleaning all hard surfaces, rooms, linens, and carpet at the hotel, health officials said.”

[Cindy]

ADDING to post no. 309:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1997807/posts?page=1#1

#

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1997807/posts

“Mugabe supporters raid white farms”
The Australian ^ | April 07, 2008 | Catherine Philp
Posted on 04/07/2008 12:52:31 AM PDT by a_chronic_whiner

[Cindy]

ADDING to post no. 277 and post no. 279.

QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1997489/posts?page=7#7

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/tamiltigers/
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/ltte
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1995304/posts?page=277#277
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1995304/posts?page=279#279

#

A bit off topic.

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080407/NATION/280220219/1001

“Sri Lankan rebels set up U.S. branch”
By Jen Haberkorn
April 7, 2008

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The Tamil Tigers, a terrorist organization whose suicide bombings and political assassinations have killed 4,000 people in the past two years, have quietly established a U.S. presence to help bankroll and equip its brutal secessionist campaign in Sri Lanka, authorities said.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “To that end, its political wing has established “branches” in at least 12 countries, including the United States, as part of a global expansion in which the LTTE seeks to purchase millions of dollars worth of anti-aircraft weapons, automatic rifles, grenade launchers, ammunition, explosives and other military equipment, according to federal law-enforcement authorities.

That expansion has included operations in Maryland, New York and New Jersey in an effort to help raise cash and procure weapons.”

7 posted on 04/07/2008 1:30:07 AM PDT by Cindy

[Cindy]

RECAP:

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp683.htm

November 15, 2007
hp683

Treasury Targets Charity Covertly Supporting Violence in Sri Lanka

Washington - The U.S. Department of the Treasury today targeted the support network of the designated terrorist group Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) by designating a charitable organization that acts as a front to facilitate fundraising and procurement for the LTTE. Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation (TRO) was designated today under Executive Order 13224, which is aimed at financially isolating terrorist groups and their support networks.

“TRO passed off its operations as charitable, when in fact it was raising money for a designated terrorist group responsible for heinous acts of terrorism,” said Adam J. Szubin, Director of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC).

The LTTE is a terrorist group that has waged a violent secessionist campaign for over two decades to secure a separate state for Tamil-majority regions in Sri Lanka’s North and East. The conflict between the LTTE and Sri Lankan military forces has claimed over 60,000 lives and displaced hundreds of thousands of Sri Lankan citizens.

In the United States, TRO has raised funds on behalf of the LTTE through a network of individual representatives. According to sources within the organization, TRO is the preferred conduit of funds from the United States to the LTTE in Sri Lanka.

TRO also has facilitated LTTE procurement operations in the United States. Those operations included the purchase of munitions, equipment, communication devices, and other technology for the LTTE.

TRO’s efforts worldwide reportedly have allowed the LTTE to use humanitarian aid, which TRO collected from the international community after the December 2004 tsunami, to launch new campaigns to strengthen LTTE military capacity.

According to its website, TRO maintains a headquarters office in Kilinochchi, Sri Lanka and operates branch offices throughout Sri Lanka and in seventeen countries worldwide, including the United States, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Malaysia, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, South Africa, Sweden, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom.

The LTTE oversees the activities of TRO and other LTTE-linked non-governmental organizations (NGOs) in Sri Lanka and abroad. Directives issued by the LTTE suggest that LTTE-affiliated branch representatives are expected to coordinate their efforts with the respective TRO representatives in their locations and report all activity to the LTTE.

Recent information indicates that the LTTE has ordered international NGOs operating in its territory to provide all project funding through local NGOs, which are managed collectively by TRO. This arrangement allows TRO to withdraw money from the local NGO accounts and to provide a portion of the relief funds to the LTTE. The LTTE has reportedly exerted pressure to comply on a few international NGOs that have resisted these arrangements.

The U.S. Department of State designated the LTTE a Foreign Terrorist Organization (FTO) on October 8, 1997, in accordance with Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act, as amended. On November 2, 2001, the U.S. Department of State named the LTTE a Specially Designated Global Terrorist (SDGT) under E.O. 13224. Additionally, the LTTE is listed as a terrorist organization by the European Union and Canada.

The Treasury Department is taking this action today pursuant to Executive Order 13224, which freezes any assets the designees may have under U.S. jurisdiction and prohibits U.S. persons from transacting with the designees.

The United States continues to support a just, negotiated political settlement to the conflict in Sri Lanka that meets the aspirations of all communities, including Sri Lanka’s Tamils. The U.S. will continue to vigorously support efforts to stop human rights violations against Tamils, including abductions and threats against Tamil journalists.

Identifier information for Tamils Rehabilitation Organisation, including AKAs and address information for its branches worldwide, can be found at the following link: http://www.treasury.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/actions/index.shtml.

-30-

[Cindy]

ADDING to post no. 318:

http://www.satp.org
http://www.saag.org

http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/searchb10.asp?search=LTTE&searchtype=all&B1=Submit

###
###

http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/notes5/note437.html

Note no. 437

07-Apr.-2008
“SRI LANKA: Fernandopulle’s Assassination Likely to Trigger Fresh Offensive-Update No 136”
By Col R Hariharan (retd.)

#

http://hariharansintblog.blogspot.com/
http://hariharansmiblog.blogspot.com/