Posted on 12/17/2006 4:03:30 PM PST by DAVEY CROCKETT
El Salvador jail rioters kill 17
At least 17 inmates have been killed in a riot at a maximum-security prison in El Salvador.
Security forces have now regained control of the Apanteos jail, near Santa Ana, 66km (41 miles) west of the capital, San Salvador.
The riot broke out on Friday when a member of the infamous Mara 18 gang began fighting a guard, sparking battles between hundreds of inmates.
The jail holds 2,000 inmates, some of them the most dangerous in the country.
Makeshift weapons
Security sources described the scene in the jail as "horrible, a massacre", human rights prosecutor Beatrice Alamanni told AFP news agency.
"You can see feet and heads under rubble inside the cells," she said.
After the argument between the gang member and the guard, rival gang members began fighting among themselves with makeshift weapons such as shovels and pieces of broken masonry.
About 100 police were deployed to restore order and some inmates have been transferred to other jails.
Prisons in Central America are often overcrowded - Apanteos was built to hold 1,800.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6238345.stm
Published: 2007/01/07 04:25:16 GMT
© BBC MMVII
Nine bodies found in Mexico grave
Nine bodies have been found in a mass grave in Uruapan, in the western Mexican state of Michoacan.
A state official said the bodies were found buried with their feet and hands tied and their mouths covered with tape in a warehouse in the city.
President Felipe Calderon sent 7,000 soldiers to Michoacan state last month in an attempt to curb drug violence.
Drugs gangs have been blamed for more than 2,000 murders in Mexico last year, including some 500 in Michoacan state.
Anti-drug stance
The bodies, of eight men and one woman, were found after police received an anonymous tip-off.
All nine bodies were in advanced stages of decay and only one has been identified.
President Calderon, who was sworn in last month, has vowed to curb drug-related violence.
More than 50 people have been arrested in Michoacan since thousands of federal troops were deployed there in December.
Michoacan and Tijuana, on the US border in the north, have been the scene of much drugs-related violence recently.
In one incident, masked men burst into a bar in Uruapan and flung five human heads onto a crowded dance floor in an apparent warning to a rival gang.
Mr Calderon has also sent thousands of federal soldiers and police to Tijuana to help fight drug trafficking and gang violence.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6236497.stm
Published: 2007/01/06 08:36:30 GMT
© BBC MMVII
US team joins in search for plane
A team of US investigators has arrived on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi to take part in a search for a plane which disappeared without trace on Monday.
The six-man team, including two representatives from the plane's manufacturer Boeing, will investigate causes of the accident.
The search for the Boeing 737-400 was widened on Friday, as there has still been no sign of the wreckage.
A total of 102 people were on board the plane, which was operated by Adam Air.
Rescue teams are combing the west of the island for the plane, which vanished off radar screens on Monday.
The search is now focusing on the flight path and the weather in the area at the time, which may have caused it to veer off-course.
The flight was last identified halfway through its flight from Surabaya, on central Java island, to Manado, on the north-east tip of Sulawesi.
The search had previously concentrated on areas in western Sulawesi, where emergency signals from the plane were last received, but has now moved elsewhere.
"It's impossible that it just disappeared," said Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla. "Even if it takes a month ... we have to keep searching."
Bad weather has hampered the search, as have false leads. Government officials have apologised for erroneously saying earlier this week that the wreckage had been found.
Ferry investigation
Meanwhile, off the island of Java, another search and rescue operation is continuing, to find victims of a ferry which sank in the area last weekend.
So far, more than 230 people have been rescued alive, but twice that number are still believed to be missing.
President Sushilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered that the search should carry on, citing cases from the 2004 Asian tsunami where people stayed alive on rafts for up to three weeks.
An inquiry has begun into the causes of the disaster.
One of the investigators involved said initial reports from surviving passengers and crew suggested the ship had not been overloaded, and that bad weather may have contributed to the sinking.
But she said the committee had not yet reached any conclusions and investigators plan to interview the captain of the ship in the coming days.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/6233153.stm
Published: 2007/01/06 14:55:46 GMT
© BBC MMVII
Eyewitness: Java ferry survivor
One of the passengers on board the sunken Indonesian ferry the Senopati Nusantara, a man called Nardi, has told the BBC about how he survived.
"When the ship rolled over I tried to break my cabin window. I broke the window and I was thrown out to the sea, there were a lot of things on top of me - debris, furniture and luggage.
"I was under water for almost 15 minutes. Because I wanted to survive, I struggled and came to the surface.
"I looked to the right and I saw that barely one meter of the ship's body could be seen sticking out of water. I was afraid the ship was going to explode, and I swam away as hard as I could.
"After 10 strokes I looked again and the ship was gone. After the ship sank, all I could hear were the cries and screams of passengers on the surface."
Hundreds of passengers are still missing. Rescue workers flying over the Java Sea in helicopters have reported seeing many people clinging to life rafts.
Nardi said conditions at sea were so bad that even those who made it onto the life rafts had difficulty surviving.
"The morning after the ship sank, I came across three people on a life raft. It was very small. And they were weak," he said.
"I think the mother died first. An hour later the father began to die too. I heard him screaming 'help, help, someone please help my child'.
"I tried hard to save the child. But the rain started to pour down. And so we were being tossed up and down.
"There were three very big waves. They dragged us down, and when we re-surfaced I saw the child was dead. I took his body and tied him to the raft using my trousers.
"After three hours the fishing boat came and rescued us. Since then I haven't been able to stop thinking about the child. I wanted to save him and bring him out alive. But God had a different plan."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/6230063.stm
Published: 2007/01/04 09:10:01 GMT
© BBC MMVII
Web plea rescues Canadian child
By Lee Carter
BBC News, Toronto
Canadian police have taken a child from an allegedly sexually abusive situation after the child's anonymous e-mail plea for help was picked up in Australia.
The child knew enough about computers to enter "kids helpline" - the official name of a children's organisation in Canada - into the Google search engine.
But the e-mail went to a children's helpline in Australia instead.
Australian police teamed up with their colleagues in Canada to mount a successful international investigation.
Child traced
When the e-mail was picked up in Australia it was immediately forwarded to the Australian police's child exploitation unit.
It in turn contacted the local internet provider in New Brunswick, Canada.
Teaming up with Canadian police, the address of the computer and the child was located.
Royal Canadian Mounted Police Corporal Lana Prosper praised the child's ingenuity.
"A child doesn't have the same capabilities as an adult. If an adult had something being done to them they can report to the police," Cpl Prosper said.
"This child didn't have that and just said 'well, maybe I can get help this way'."
Cpl Prosper said the child was surprised at how far the message had travelled and grateful that so many people came to the rescue.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/americas/6236355.stm
Published: 2007/01/06 01:01:22 GMT
© BBC MMVII
Mass for Polish spying row cleric
One of Poland's most senior Church leaders, at the centre of communist-era spying revelations, is due to be installed as Archbishop of Warsaw.
The special Mass service, to be attended by Poland's president, follows Stanislaw Wielgus admission that he collaborated with the secret police.
The archbishop's appointment has been described as the most serious crisis in the Polish Church in recent times.
The decision has divided opinion in the staunchly Catholic country.
In one survey, two-thirds of people asked said Archbishop Wielgus should resign.
The BBC's Adam Easton in Warsaw says the 67-year-old archbishop will take his place on the throne of Warsaw Cathedral during a two-hour ceremony full of pomp and splendour.
The capital's auxiliary bishops and priests will pay homage to a man who, in a statement read out in churches across the country, admitted that he had not been truthful about his past.
His admission came after a Church commission acknowledged he had collaborated with the communist secret police.
Vatican statement
Archbishop Wielgus said he had had contacts with security agents, but denied informing on priests.
He said documents suggesting otherwise were drawn up only by communist "functionaries".
Our correspondent says that in a country where the Catholic Church plays such an important role, this scandal could hardly have been more shocking.
Pope Benedict XVI made the appointment last month.
Just before Christmas, the Vatican released a statement insisting the Pope had been fully briefed on Archbishop Wielgus' past and supported his appointment.
The Church plays a very prominent role in Polish society and was highly esteemed because of its leading role in the fight against communism in Poland and worldwide, particularly during the time of Polish Pope John Paul II.
But historians estimate that up to 15% of Polish clergy agreed to inform on their colleagues in the communist era.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6238165.stm
Published: 2007/01/06 22:40:18 GMT
© BBC MMVII
'Polish labour camp in UK' probed
West Midlands police have confirmed they have been contacted by Polish detectives investigating the possible existence of a "labour camp" in the UK.
Officers are "trying to establish the authenticity" of an anonymous "cry for help" handed to police in Poland.
The letter was reportedly found in a carton of chemicals made in the UK.
It said: "Help. I am in a Labour camp in England. I packed these things. Please give this to the police along with the address of the sender."
It is not clear at this stage whether the letter is a hoax or a genuine plea for assistance.
But police from Olsztyn, in north east Poland, and the Central Bureau of Investigations are understood to have launched an investigation, following reports of inhuman treatment of Poles at alleged "labour camps" in Italy.
According to a report on Polish international satellite television, the mystery letter was written in capital letters and was not signed.
It is also not clear where the chemical products it was found in were packed or whether they were repacked in Poland, the report added.
More than 600,000 East Europeans, mainly from Poland, have come to work in the UK since borders were opened in 2004.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6235659.stm
Published: 2007/01/05 19:38:41 GMT
© BBC MMVII
Italy to monitor mosque funding
By Christian Fraser
BBC News, Rome
The Italian government plans to introduce strict checks on the sources of foreign money used to build mosques in the country.
Italy's interior minister is considering setting up a foundation which would monitor foreign funding for religious buildings and mosques.
A similar system already exists in France.
Italy now has 1.2 million Muslims, making Islam the country's second biggest religion after Catholicism.
Giving alms is a religious obligation in Islam.
But some foreign charities distributing funds in Europe have been accused of supporting extremist groups.
It will help to protect the law-abiding majority
Yahya Pallavicin Italian Islamic council
Italian Interior Minister Giuliano Amato says he has little control over charitable money coming into the country, especially from foreign governments, who are helping to fund the building of mosques.
"There's something I don't like about it," he said. "In the future, I want to understand who is financing what."
He is advocating a foundation to monitor funding, based on the French model, within which the government would have some say.
Muslim welcome
Mr Amato, like his predecessor, wants to limit the influence of foreign Islamic groups that he believes are trying to get a foothold in Italy through fringe organisations.
The minister has promised that Islamic schools will also be more closely monitored than they were in the past to make sure they respect national standards, especially where teachers are concerned.
The proposals have so far won cautious support from leading Muslims in the country.
Yahya Pallavicini, one of the 16 members of Italy's Islamic council, set up to advise the government, said he welcomed the move.
"It will help to protect the law-abiding majority," he said.
"If everything is handled transparently, then there is no space left for ambiguous or hidden funding by these ideological organisations."
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6235451.stm
Published: 2007/01/05 18:17:05 GMT
© BBC MMVII
France probes 'cannibalism' case
A French prosecutor says he suspects an act of cannibalism was carried out on a prisoner by a cellmate in the northern city of Rouen.
Cannibalism was "very likely", the prosecutor said after an autopsy showed that some organ parts were missing.
The suspected killer claimed he had eaten the victim's heart.
The prosecutor, quoted by the AFP news agency, said some muscle had been removed from the victim's rib cage and part of one lung was missing.
But the heart remained intact, the prosecutor said.
The suspected killer and another prisoner were sharing the cell with the victim when the attack happened on Wednesday, French TF1 television reported.
All three were awaiting trial accused of sexual crimes, the TF1 website said.
The suspected killer, aged 35, is believed to have beaten up the victim, 31, and then suffocated him with a plastic bag.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/6234097.stm
Published: 2007/01/05 12:17:56 GMT
© BBC MMVII
EU free movement of labour map
After Bulgaria and Romania's accession to the European Union on 1 January, the map of free movement of labour in the EU is getting complicated.
LABOUR MARKET ACCESS
Subject to restrictions : Czech Rep, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia (all 2004); Bulgaria, Romania (2007)
Open doors for 2004 entrants : Finland, Greece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, UK
Open doors for 2007 entrants : Finland, Sweden, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Slovenia
They joined two-and-a-half years after eight other former communist states, whose workers still face barriers in some European countries.
Some of the countries which imposed no curbs on workers from those eight countries - or lifted them in May 2006 - have imposed curbs on Bulgarians and Romanians.
The curbs can be maintained for a maximum of seven years - until 2011 in the case of workers from the eight countries that joined in 2004, and until 2014 in the case of workers from Bulgaria and Romania.
Most of the countries which have thrown open their doors to Bulgarian and Romanian workers joined in 2004.
Click on the map below to check the state of play in each of the older EU member states.
Austria
Workers from the 10 former communist states have to apply for work permits, at least until 2009. Like Germany, Austria justifies the restrictions by pointing to its problems with unemployment and the fact that it is geographically close to the new members.
Belgium
Belgium imposed restrictions on the eight former communist states which joined the EU in 2004, but has made it easier since 1986 to get work permits in areas of the economy where jobs are hard to fill. For example, the Brussels region asked for privileged treatment for nurses, plumbers, electricians, car mechanics, builders, architects, accountants, engineers and IT workers. Restrictions have also been imposed on Bulgaria and Romania.
Denmark
Denmark allows workers from the eight states that joined in 2004 to look for a job for six months. If they find one, they can have residence and work permits. This system will be maintained until 2009, however the parliament has taken a decision to make the labour market increasingly flexible. The restrictions also apply to Bulgaria and Romania.
Finland
Finland lifted all restrictions on workers from the eight 2004 entrants on 1 May 2006. Previously, citizens of the new member states could get a job without a work permit only if the employment office decided there was no-one else available on the Finnish labour market.
It has imposed no restrictions on workers from Bulgaria and Romania.
France
France is imposing restrictions on workers from Bulgaria and Romania, as well as the eight countries which joined the EU in 2004. However, all will be eligible for fast-track work permits if they apply for any of a list of 62 jobs where recruitment is a problem. These include restaurant services, industrial maintenance, construction, public works and health.
Germany
Like Austria, Germany has insisted on continuing restrictions on workers from the former communist states, beyond its eastern borders. Workers from these countries will have to apply for work permits until at least 2009. However, the country issued 500,000 of these permits between 2004 and 2006. "In practice Germany has given as many people work as other big countries," EU Employment Commissioner Vladimir Spidla said on 2 May 2006. Germany has also imposed restrictions on workers from Bulgaria and Romania.
Greece
Greece dropped all restrictions on 2004 entrants, as of 1 May 2006. However, it has introduced restrictions on workers from Bulgaria and Romania.
Ireland
Ireland was one of three countries which opened up its labour markets to all new member states immediately. It did, however, introduce new rules whereby immigrants from all EU countries - not just the new members - would be ineligible for benefits for two years. Immigrants from the UK are the only exception.
Irish Prime Minister Bertie Ahern has accused countries sticking to a closed borders policy of taking a "negative position".
However, Ireland has introduced a work permit scheme for workers from Bulgaria and Romania, after it experienced an influx of an estimated 200,000 workers from Central Europe between 2004 and 2006.
The Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Micheal Martin, said: "We would argue that Ireland has more than done its bit in terms of supporting the concept of mobility of workers across Europe, and really can't be held to account on that score."
Italy
Italy initially imposed restrictions on 2004 entrants, but has now dropped them all. It has introduced restrictions on some categories of workers from Bulgaria and Romania.
Luxembourg
Luxembourg has restrictions against workers from the countries that joined in 2004, and Bulgaria and Romania. In 2006 it announced that it would be fast-tracking work permits for workers in certain sectors.
The Netherlands
The Dutch government had said it would lift all restrictions against workers from the 2004 entrants on 1 January 2007, but it was forced by parliament to backtrack. The question will now be reviewed in 2007. The Netherlands allows fast-track work permits in certain sectors.
Portugal
Portugal dropped all restrictions on workers from the 2004 entrants on 1 May 2006. Between 2004 and 2006 it had a 6,500 annual limit on immigrant workers of all nationalities.
Bulgarians and Romanians have to apply for work permits.
Spain
Spain dropped all restrictions on workers from the 2004 entrants on 1 May 2006. Foreign Minister Miguel Angel Moratinos has said Spain will operate a work permit system for workers from Bulgaria and Romania, for the first two years after their accession, and will then apply an open doors policy. Some 400,000 Romanians are already working legally in the country.
Sweden
Sweden was one of the three countries, along with the UK and Ireland, which chose to apply no restrictions to workers from the new EU member states. It has taken the same liberal line with regard to workers from Bulgaria and Romania.
UK
The UK was one of the three countries, along with Ireland and Sweden, to place no restrictions on workers from the 2004 entrants. However, workers have to register and only become eligible for benefits such as Jobseeker's Allowance and income support after working continuously in the UK for at least a year.
After an unexpectedly large influx of workers from Central Europe - an estimated 600,000 in two years - the UK announced that it would impose restrictions on workers from Bulgaria and Romania. Up to 20,000 will be allowed to take low-skilled jobs in agriculture or food processing, high-skilled workers will be able to apply for work permits to perform a skilled job, and students will be able to work part-time. Self-employed people from Bulgaria and Romania are already allowed to work in the UK, and this will continue.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/europe/3513889.stm
Published: 2007/01/04 15:39:23 GMT
© BBC MMVII
Hamas defiant on 'illegal' force
Ruling Palestinian movement Hamas has said it will double its armed force to 12,000 men, hours after President Mahmoud Abbas declared it illegal.
Mr Abbas had demanded the militia's integration into existing security structures.
Hamas and Mr Abbas's Fatah party have been locked in a power struggle since the Islamic group won parliamentary elections a year ago.
The dispute has centred around control of the Palestinian security forces.
Mr Abbas, who was elected in a separate presidential vote, claimed authority over most of the security forces.
But last year saw Hamas form its own unit, known as the "executive force". Members of the Hamas militia have clashed with the existing pro-Fatah security forces from time to time.
Mr Abbas has agreed in recent months to integrate the Hamas unit into existing security forces, but those efforts have failed to make progress.
'Misplaced and useless'
"In light of continued security chaos and assassinations that got to a number of our fighters... and in light of the failure of existing agencies and security apparatuses in imposing law and order and protecting the security of the citizens, President Mahmoud Abbas decided to reshuffle the security forces and its leadership and to consider the executive force, officers and members, illegal and outside the law," Mr Abbas's office said in a statement on Saturday.
"It will be dealt with accordingly so long as it is not immediately folded into the legal security forces."
Mr Abbas made the announcement two days after members of the Hamas force attacked the home of a senior security commander in Gaza.
The man, a member of a security service loyal to Mr Abbas's Fatah party, and several of his bodyguards were killed.
Hamas spokesmen described the announcement as "misplaced and useless", and accused Mr Abbas of giving the "green light" for attacks on Hamas security men.
Islam Shahwan, a spokesman for the executive force, said: "A decision was taken to increase the number of the executive force to 12,000.
"We call upon all sincere citizens to prepare themselves to join the force."
US funding
Friday saw Mr Abbas and the Palestinian Prime Minister, Ismail Haniya of Hamas, meet for the first time in two months.
After the meeting, Mr Haniya said they would appeal for calm and a return to negotiations on forming a government of national unity.
Separately, Reuters news agency reported that the US administration was planning to provide security forces loyal to Mr Abbas with $86.4m.
The agency quoted a US government document saying that the money would "assist the Palestinian Authority presidency in fulfilling PA commitments... to dismantle the infrastructure of terrorism and establish law and order".
Fatah advocates negotiations to found a state alongside Israel, while Hamas refuses to recognise Israel's right to exist.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/6237473.stm
Published: 2007/01/06 17:23:07 GMT
© BBC MMVII
Yes, it is the same author.
I doubt that this will ever be solved, unless they release a confession, signed by a prisoner, who just died with a heart attack.
You could be right and yes, it could be dis-information.
You would be amazed at how much of the muzzie propoganda I delete each night, from my emails.
Germany is having the nazi youths form here and there, and where they appear, the jihadi join them, a case of who is using whom.
Bahrain athlete loses citizenship
A Bahraini athlete who ran and won a marathon in Israel has been stripped of his citizenship.
Authorities said Mushir Salem Jawher, who was born in Kenya but moved to Bahrain in 2003, had violated the laws of the country.
Israeli media said Mr Jawher was the first athlete from an Arab country to compete in an Israeli marathon.
Bahrain has no official ties with the Jewish state but Mr Jawher said he was "very proud" to have taken part.
''Shock and regret'
Following the race on Thursday, Israel's Jerusalem Post newspaper quoted Mr Jawher as saying Bahrain was a "free country" and "people should live together in harmony".
"When I decided to come I didn't know it was history for me to be here, but when I arrived [I was] told no other athlete had competed in Israel.
"For me, it was no problem and I hope to come back and compete next year," he said.
In a statement issued on Saturday, Bahrain's Athletic Union said it had received news that a Bahraini national had competed in Israel with "shock and regret".
A committee of sport and government authorities decided to strike Mr Jawher's name off the sport union records and revoke his Bahraini nationality, the statement said.
It said Mr Jawher entered Israel with his Kenyan passport and that the runner had "violated the laws of Bahrain".
Mr Jawher won the Tiberias Marathon in just over 2 hours and 13 minutes.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/middle_east/6238217.stm
Published: 2007/01/06 23:39:20 GMT
© BBC MMVII
Iran nuclear chief in China talks
By Dan Griffiths
BBC News, Beijing
Iran's top nuclear negotiator Ali Larijani is on a two-day trip to China.
His visit comes after the UN Security Council imposed restrictions on Iran's trade in nuclear materials and technology.
The restrictions are designed to pressure Tehran to halt work on its nuclear programme.
Mr Larijani is believed to be carrying a message from the Iranian leader, Mahmoud Ahmedinejad, for Chinese President Hu Jintao.
Mr Larijani will also meet other senior Chinese officials during his trip, but no further details about this visit have been made available.
China has always faced a delicate balancing act in its dealings with Iran.
Beijing needs Iranian oil and gas for its booming economy, and China supports Iran's right to a nuclear programme.
But as a permanent member of the UN Security Council, it backed last month's resolution imposing sanctions on Iran.
Story from BBC NEWS:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/pr/fr/-/2/hi/asia-pacific/6229829.stm
Published: 2007/01/04 06:43:43 GMT
© BBC MMVII
[Laura, an excellent report, thank you]
Lee's Life for Lies: Islamic Army of Iraq releases another propaganda video
Lee's Life for Lies: Islamic Army of Iraq releases another
propaganda video
by Laura Mansfield
The Islamic Army of Iraq has just released a video that may very well
be the most powerful piece of enemy propaganda to emerge from the Iraqi
jihadist groups.
The video, entitled Lee's Life for Lies, is clearly stamped with the
Islamic Army in Iraq logo, and purports to tell the story of an American
"Marine" who was killed in Iraq in an ambush of his HUMVEE.
The Islamic Army in Iraq is the group that released the two Juba Sniper
videos showing American servicemen being shot by the so-called Baghdad
Sniper. In fact, some of the scenes used by the Islamic Army in the
Juba Sniper 2 video, released in October 2006, are reused in this video.
The video presents a compelling and emotional tale, in a documentary
quality production. It claims to use as the basis of its content a flash
drive that was found when Army Specialist Lee K. Tucker was killed when
his HUMVEE was attacked. It shows the video from his birthday
celebration with fellow servicemen in Iraq, as well as many photos of him.
In an attempt to gain credibility, the video shows certificates and
awards received by Lee for performance in the military, including an
"Outstanding Service Award" from the US Army. (Images of these videos were
apparently found on the "flash" drive.)
It then has a voice, that it implies belongs to "Lee", that reads a
letter that he has written home for the holidays where he denounces the
war in Iraq. He talks about he and his fellow servicemen committing acts
of murder and rape, and discloses rampant drug use. The letter ends
with "Lee's" death.
The Islamic Army of Iraq spokesperson then proceeds to explain the
"position" of the Islamic Army in Iraq, and the "difficulties' the group
encounters in discerning those US servicemen who mean no harm to the
people of Iraq, and those who do. He explains that they don't really want
to kill Americans.
Then, the spokesman interviews an "anti-war activist" who is identified
on the screen as "John Smith" from "New York". "Smith" explains the
anti-war movement position in detail.
There's one big problem with the video: it's presented as fact, but it
is largely fiction. It's basically unadulterated hogwash, designed to
manipulate both American public opinion and the morale of the US service
personnel serving in Iraq.
For starters, Lee K. Tucker was not killed in a HUMVEE attack in Iraq.
The US Military confirmed that he's very much alive. We'll have more on
that shortly. The Islamic Army describes him as a Marine, but the
documentation they provide to support this indicates he is in fact in the US
Army.
At this point, it appears that the Islamic Army of Iraq managed to get
their hands on the "flash drive", and basically stole the identity of
SPC Lee K. Tucker, exploiting it for the creation of this video.
This isn't uncommon. Just a few weeks ago, the Ansar al Sunnah Army
reported that they had killed an American Marine, David Leddy, and posted
his military ID cards as proof. A little checking showed Leddy was
alive and recovering from battle injuries in the hospital.
Clearly, the Islamic Army of Iraq intends to capitalize on the
propaganda value of this video, and intends widespread distribution.
Like they did for the Juba Sniper video, the IAI has set up a special
website as well as a blog for this video. The domain, lee-flash.com, is
registered to the same individual who is the owner of record for the
jubaonline.org, the domain used for the Juba Sniper video.
The website hosting the video has the following WhoIs information:
owner: Aaron Wilson
email: Whois Privacy and Spam Prevention by DomainTools.com
address: 17216 Saticoy Street Van Nuys
city: Los Angeles
state: Ca
postal-code: 91406
country: US
phone: +01.3142211554
This is a developing story, one that we will continue to update as
events warrant.
A copy of the video can be downloaded here.
The press release announcing the video from the Islamic Army of Iraq
says:
The Release is based on personal information found on a flash memory
device belongs to Spc.LEE KENDEll TUCKER (U.S Marine-590-80-5469),
captured after him being wasted during an ambush on his vehicle
LEE him self was an anti-war activist, proving that many of U.S
soldiers serving in Iraq are against this war and they have no reason to fight
and die
Download, Share, and Discuss the movie ... make your effort to
understand and reveal the bunch of American Government lies on which this war
was based
We know that there are many good people just like LEE, but we can't
verify them, as they are simply soldiers .. carrying weapons and wearing
the uniform, so do your best to make sure that good people won't be
deployed into "bad" situations .... Do your best to stop the war and get
your countrymen out of Iraq
Times: Israel plans nuclear strike on Iran
The London Sunday Times
January 07, 2007
Revealed: Israel plans nuclear strike on Iran
Uzi Mahnaimi, New York and Sarah Baxter, Washington
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2089-2535310,00.html
ISRAEL has drawn up secret plans to destroy Iran 's uranium enrichment facilities with tactical nuclear weapons.
Two Israeli air force squadrons are training to blow up an Iranian facility using low-yield nuclear "bunker-busters", according to several Israeli military sources.
The attack would be the first with nuclear weapons since 1945, when the United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki . The Israeli weapons would each have a force equivalent to one-fifteenth of the Hiroshima bomb.
Under the plans, conventional laser-guided bombs would open "tunnels" into the targets. "Mini-nukes" would then immediately be fired into a plant at Natanz, exploding deep underground to reduce the risk of radioactive fallout.
"As soon as the green light is given, it will be one mission, one strike and the Iranian nuclear project will be demolished," said one of the sources.
The plans, disclosed to The Sunday Times last week, have been prompted in part by the Israeli intelligence service Mossad's assessment that Iran is on the verge of producing enough enriched uranium to make nuclear weapons within two years.
Israeli military commanders believe conventional strikes may no longer be enough to annihilate increasingly well-defended enrichment facilities. Several have been built beneath at least 70ft of concrete and rock. However, the nuclear-tipped bunker-busters would be used only if a conventional attack was ruled out and if the United States declined to intervene, senior sources said.
Israeli and American officials have met several times to consider military action. Military analysts said the disclosure of the plans could be intended to put pressure on Tehran to halt enrichment, cajole America into action or soften up world opinion in advance of an Israeli attack.
Some analysts warned that Iranian retaliation for such a strike could range from disruption of oil supplies to the West to terrorist attacks against Jewish targets around the world.
Israel has identified three prime targets south of Tehran which are believed to be involved in Iran 's nuclear programme:
· Natanz, where thousands of centrifuges are being installed for uranium enrichment
· A uranium conversion facility near Isfahan where, according to a statement by an Iranian vice-president last week, 250 tons of gas for the enrichment process have been stored in tunnels
· A heavy water reactor at Arak , which may in future produce enough plutonium for a bomb
Israeli officials believe that destroying all three sites would delay Iran 's nuclear programme indefinitely and prevent them from having to live in fear of a "second Holocaust".
The Israeli government has warned repeatedly that it will never allow nuclear weapons to be made in Iran , whose president, Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, has declared that " Israel must be wiped off the map".
Robert Gates, the new US defence secretary, has described military action against Iran as a "last resort", leading Israeli officials to conclude that it will be left to them to strike.
Israeli pilots have flown to Gibraltar in recent weeks to train for the 2,000-mile round trip to the Iranian targets. Three possible routes have been mapped out, including one over Turkey .
Air force squadrons based at Hatzerim in the Negev desert and Tel Nof, south of Tel Aviv, have trained to use Israel 's tactical nuclear weapons on the mission. The preparations have been overseen by Major General Eliezer Shkedi, commander of the Israeli air force.
Sources close to the Pentagon said the United States was highly unlikely to give approval for tactical nuclear weapons to be used. One source said Israel would have to seek approval "after the event", as it did when it crippled Iraq 's nuclear reactor at Osirak with airstrikes in 1981.
Scientists have calculated that although contamination from the bunker-busters could be limited, tons of radioactive uranium compounds would be released.
The Israelis believe that Iran 's retaliation would be constrained by fear of a second strike if it were to launch its Shehab-3 ballistic missiles at Israel .
However, American experts warned of repercussions, including widespread protests that could destabilise parts of the Islamic world friendly to the West.
Colonel Sam Gardiner, a Pentagon adviser, said Iran could try to close the Strait of Hormuz , the route for 20% of the world's oil.
Some sources in Washington said they doubted if Israel would have the nerve to attack Iran . However, Dr Ephraim Sneh, the deputy Israeli defence minister, said last month: "The time is approaching when Israel and the international community will have to decide whether to take military action against Iran ."
Londoner named as Al-Qaeda 'banker'
The Sunday London Times
January 07, 2007
Londoner named as Al-Qaeda 'banker'
David Leppard and Robert Booth
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-2535240,00.html
Accounts frozen as suspect accused over terror pipeline
THE British and American governments have named a key Al-Qaeda suspect in Britain as one of the terror group's alleged bankers.
Mohammed al-Ghabra, whose bank accounts have been frozen by the Bank of England, last week denied any involvement in terrorism. He admitted he had "radical views" and said he was an active supporter of Respect, the anti-war party led by George Galloway, the maverick former Labour MP.
The American government has issued a statement "designating" al-Ghabra, who lives in east London , as someone "who provides material and logistical support to Al-Qaeda and other terrorist organisations".
The Americans and British intelligence officials allege in official documents that al-Ghabra, 26, is a key organiser in the international "pipeline" that sends terrorists from Britain to fight coalition troops in Iraq .
Al-Ghabra, a naturalised British citizen who was born in Syria , received a letter from the Treasury last month telling him: "The Treasury has reasonable grounds for suspecting that you are, or may be, a person who facilitates the commission of acts of terrorism."
Speaking at his home in Forest Gate, al-Ghabra said MI5 had repeatedly accused him in interviews with his friends of being a terrorist "moneymaker". He said: "If I am the moneymaker and this is why they have decided to put the sanctions against me, how could I have so many financial problems myself?"
In its statement, issued after his bank accounts were frozen, the US Treasury said: "Al-Ghabra has organised travel to Pakistan for individuals seeking to meet senior Al-Qaeda individuals and to undertake jihad training.
"Several of these individuals have returned to the UK to engage in covert activity on behalf of Al-Qaeda. Additionally, al-Ghabra has provided material support and facilitated the travel of UK-based individuals to Iraq to support the insurgents' fight against coalition forces."
Last month his home, a two-storey maisonette where he lives with his mother and sister, was raided by Scotland Yard's counterterrorist command. According to the search warrant, detectives were looking for "explosives, precursor chemicals, weapons, component parts of weapons or improvised explosive devices".
They were also looking for "documentation, maps, plans or any other data giving details of possible targets/venues subject to terrorist attack".
MI5 has apparently targeted al-Ghabra while conducting an investigation into the so-called "pipeline" that is fuelling the terrorist insurgency in Iraq .
The flow of young Muslim men from Europe to Iraq has increased in the past three years. The "pipeline" of suspected terrorists is being fuelled by growing resentment about American and British policy and scandals such as the maltreatment of inmates at Abu Ghraib prison.
Al-Ghabra says that MI5 is simply wrong to connect him to any of this. "I don't have the capability of supporting anyone financially, barely myself . . . If anyone has the evidence, please show it to me. I am not the banker."
He was charged with fraud and possession of a document or record that could be useful to terrorism and spent nine months in Belmarsh high-security prison in south London before being acquitted by a jury in 2004.
He says he is an active member of the Muslim Prisoner Support group, which campaigns for the rights of suspected Islamic terrorists. The group's website says he was a speaker at a demonstration it held outside Belmarsh last October.
British intelligence officials claim al-Ghabra is associated with several suspects who have been arrested in connection with alleged Al-Qaeda plots against British targets.
One is Haroon Aswat, currently in a British prison awaiting extradition to America on terrorism charges.
Al-Ghabra said he met Aswat at a religious school in the Pakistani city of Lahore .
He said their association was entirely innocent and he was "shocked" to see Aswat's picture on television when he was arrested in 2005 after the London bombings.
Al-Ghabra said he had attended several Respect meetings because he supported its views on Iraq and other issues. He claimed to have nominated some of its election candidates. The party said records were no longer available to confirm this.
"I don't believe I am a member of any party, but I help people who speak for people who are oppressed. I support their (Respect's) message. I like some of his (Galloway's) views on the anti-war campaign, even some of his taxation ideas."
A spokesman for Respect said: "He is not a member and we don't know him. But we also understand that he has not been charged with any offence or convicted in a court of law."
The American Treasury claims al-Ghabra is "in regular contact with UK-based Islamic extremists and has been involved in the radicalisation of individuals in the UK through the distribution of extremist media".
But al-Ghabra denied that his views were extreme. "My radical views are the same as any ordinary Muslim's radical views. Yes, I disagree with the invasion of Iraq . Yes, I disagree with the invasion of Afghanistan . . . I don't agree with people coming here and . . . fighting here, fighting the British public. Things like the July bombings I don't agree with."
UK terror threat of 100 British Muslims fighting in Iraq war
UK terror threat of 100 British Muslims fighting in Iraq war
06.01.07
January 7, 2006
http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-23380711-details/UK%20terror%20threat%20of%20100%20British%20Muslims%20fighting%20in%20Iraq%20war/article.do
A secret list of young Britons who have left to join the Iraqi
terrorists' cause has been drawn up by MI5.
Now the security service is preparing for a 'backwash' of highly
trained guerrilla fighters returning to Britain.
It fears the group will form a new hardcore of terrorist recruiters
similar to jailed cleric Abu Hamza, who came back from fighting in
Afghanistan to preach hatred at the Finsbury Park mosque.
Whitehall sources say MI5 has a 'working figure' of 50 known British
recruits involved in Iraqi terror attacks against coalition forces - but
the true figure is likely to be double that number because of the
difficulty in tracking movements in and out of Iraq.
"Immigration officials in Britain and across Europe are being warned to
be on the lookout for returning fighters,' the source said.
"These people have knowledge of weapons and are prepared to use them.
They are also potential recruiters for a new generation of terrorists."
Report: Terrorists may target UK energy facilities
Jan. 7, 2007 5:00 | Updated Jan. 7, 2007 5:35
Report: Terrorists may target UK energy facilities
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467675664&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
A British Sunday newspaper reported that the army would be deployed at British oil, gas and electricity facilities to defend them from possible terrorist attacks.
The News of the World cited an unnamed security source as confirming security will be increased around the facilities after intelligence suggested terrorists may target the country's infrastructure.
Britain 's Home Office, which oversees counterterrorism efforts, would not confirm the report, but said in a statement that it was reviewing security around key infrastructure facilities.
"We have been very clear that we face a severe threat of terrorism," the statement said. "It is therefore important that we consider all options for protecting our assets and infrastructure."
"This particular review does not come from any specific threat and the general threat level to the country has not changed," the statement continued.
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