World Terrorism: News, History and Research Of A Changing World #6 Disinformation, Inc.

VEVAK learned its methodology from the Soviet KGB and many of the Islamist revolutionaries who supported Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini actually studied at Moscow's Patrice Lumumba Friendship University, the Oxford of terrorism. Documented Iranian alumni include the current Supreme Leader (the faqih) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, under whose Velayat-e Faqih (Rule of the Islamic Jurisprudent) apparatus it has traditionally operated. Its current head is Cabinet Minister Hojatoleslam Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Ezhei, a graduate of Qom's Haqqani School, noted for its extremist position advocating violence against enemies and strict clerical control of society and government. The Ministry is very well funded and its charge, like that of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (the Pasdaran) is to guard the revolutionary Islamic Iranian regime at all costs and under all contingencies.

From the KGB playbook, VEVAK learned the art of disinformation. It's not so difficult to learn: tell the truth 80% of the time and lie 20%. Depending on how well a VEVAK agent wants to cover his/her tracks, the ratio may go up to 90/10, but it never drops below the 80/20 mark as such would risk suspicion and possible detection. The regime in Teheran has gone to great lengths to place its agents in locations around the world. Many of these operatives have been educated in the West, including the U.K. and the United States. Iranian government agencies such as embassies, consulates, Islamic cultural centers, and airline offices regularly provide cover for the work of VEVAK agents who dress well and are clean shaven, and move comfortably within our society. In this country, because of the severance of diplomatic relations, the principal site of VEVAK activities begins at the offices of Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.

Teheran has worked diligently to place its operatives in important think tanks and government agencies in the West. Some of its personnel have been recruited while in prison through torture or more often through bribery, or a combination of both. Others are Islamist revolutionaries that have been set up to look like dissidents - often having been arrested and imprisoned, but released for “medical reasons”. The clue to detecting the fake “dissident” is to read carefully what he/she writes, and to ask why this vocal “dissident” was released from prison when other real dissidents have not been released, indeed have been grievously tortured and executed. Other agents have been placed in this country for over twenty-five years to slowly go through the system and rise to positions of academic prominence due to their knowledge of Farsi and Shia Islam or Islamist fundamentalism.

One of the usual tactics of VEVAK is to co-opt academia to its purposes. Using various forms of bribery, academics are bought to defend the Islamic Republic or slander its enemies. Another method is to assign bright students to train for academic posts as specialists in Iranian or Middle East affairs. Once established, such individuals are often consulted by our government as it tries to get a better idea of how it should deal with Iran. These academics then are in a position to skew the information, suggesting the utility of extended dialogue and negotiation, or the danger and futility of confronting a strong Iran or its proxies such as Hizballah (Hezbollah). These academics serve to shield the regime from an aggressive American or Western policy, and thereby buy more time for the regime to attain its goals, especially in regards to its nuclear weaponry and missile programs.

MOIS likes to use the media, especially electronic media, to its advantage. One of VEVAK's favorite tricks is setting up web sites that look like they are opposition sites but which are actually controlled by the regime. These sites often will be multilingual, including Farsi, German, Arabic French, and English. Some are crafted carefully and are very subtle in how they skew their information (e.g., Iran-Interlink, set up and run by Massoud Khodabandeh and his wife Ann Singleton from Leeds, England); others are less subtle, simply providing the regime's point of view on facts and events in the news (e.g., www.mujahedeen.com or www.mojahedin.ws). This latter group is aimed at the more gullible in our open society and unfortunately such a market exists. However, if one begins to do one's homework, asking careful questions, the material on these fake sites generally does not add up.

Let's examine a few examples of VEVAK's work in the United States. In late October, 2005, VEVAK sent three of its agents to Washington to stage a press event in which the principal Iranian resistance movement, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK), was to be slandered. Veteran VEVAK agent Karim Haqi flew from Amsterdam to Canada where he was joined by VEVAK's Ottawa agents Amir-Hossein Kord Rostami and Mahin (Parvin-Mahrokh) Haji, and the three flew from Toronto to Washington. Fortunately the resistance had been tracking these three, informed the FBI of their presence in Washington, and when the three tried to hold a press conference, the resistance had people assigned to ask pointed questions of them so that they ended the interview prematurely and fled back to Canada.

Abolghasem Bayyenet is a member of the Iranian government. He serves as a trade expert for the Ministry of Commerce. But his background of study and service in the Foreign Ministry indicates that Bayyenet is more than just an economist or a suave and savvy businessman. In an article published in Global Politician on April 23, 2006, entitled “Is Regime Change Possible in Iran?”, Bayyenet leads his audience to think that he is a neutral observer, concerned lest the United States make an error in its assessment of Iran similar to the errors of intelligence and judgment that led to our 2003 invasion of Iraq, with its less than successful outcome. However, his carefully crafted bottom line is that the people of Iran are not going to support regime change and that hardliner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad actually has achieved greater popularity than his predecessors because of his concern for the problems of the poor and his fight for economic and social justice. To the naive, Bayyenet makes Ahmadinejad sound positively saintly. Conveniently overlooked is the occurrence of over four thousand acts of protest, strikes, anti-regime rallies, riots, and even political assassinations by the people of Iran against the government in the year since Ahmadinejad assumed office. So too, the following facts are ignored: the sizeable flight of capital, the increase in unemployment, and the rising two-figure rate of inflation, all within this last year. Bayyenet is a regime apologist, and when one is familiar with the facts, his arguments ring very hollow. However, his English skills are excellent, and so the naОve might be beguiled by his commentary.

Mohsen Sazegara is VEVAK's “reformed revolutionary”. A student supporter of Khomeini before the 1979 revolution, Sazegara joined the “imam” on his return from exile and served in the government for a decade before supposedly growing disillusioned.

He formed several reformist newspapers but ran afoul of the hardliners in 2003 and was arrested and imprisoned by VEVAK. Following “hunger strikes”, Sazegara was released for health reasons and permitted to seek treatment abroad. Although critical of the government and particularly of Ahmadinejad and KhameneМ, Sazegara is yet more critical of opposition groups, leaving the impression that he favors internal regime change but sees no one to lead such a movement for the foreseeable future. His bottom line: no one is capable of doing what needs to be done, so we must bide our time. Very slick, but his shadow shows his likely remaining ties to the MOIS.

COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF WITHDRAWS TANKS;
Chechnya: the last conscript pulled out
Vasily Panchenkov

INTERNAL TROOPS COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF COLONEL GENERAL NIKOLAI ROGOZHKIN
ON HIS SUBORDINATES' TASKS IN CHECHNYA; An interview with Internal
Troops Commander-in-Chief Colonel General Nikolai Rogozhkin.

There are no more conscripts in Chechnya, Interior Minister Rashid
Nurgaliyev reported to the president. Professional servicemen alone
are in charge of law and order in the republic now. Here is an
interview with the Internal Troops Commander-in-Chief Colonel General
Nikolai Rogozhkin.

Question: What prompted this decision?

Nikolai Rogozhkin: Efforts of the law enforcement agencies and United
Army Group and actions of the federal and local authorities resulted
in a noticeable stabilization of the state of affairs in Chechnya.
Extermination of ringleaders (Basayev, Saidulayev, Abu Hafs) became a
breakthrough on a regional scale.

Question: What are the Internal Troops going to do in the area of
conflict now? And what is their numerical strength, by the way?

Nikolai Rogozhkin: Maintenance of law and order the and security of
noncombatants become priorities. More then 6,000 soldiers and officers
were withdrawn from Chechnya by December 1. We have the 46th Separate
Brigade permanently quartered in the republic, its numerical strength
increased to 15,000 men. Two new regiments were formed in Urus-Martan
and Gudermes. The United Army Group command center in Khankala was
reorganized as well. It is staffed only with contract servicemen from
the Caucasus District of the Internal Troops. Officers from other
Russian regions will be no longer be associated with the Internal
Troops group in Chechnya. The interior minister visited Chechnya and
told the supreme commander-in-chief that the Internal Troops group,
numbering 22,000 men, no longer includes a single conscript.

Question: But the Internal Troops also have commandant's offices in
Chechnya. What are they doing?

Nikolai Rogozhkin: They vigorously interacted with district
organizations and local police stations when the hostilities were
under way. These days, the commandant's offices coordinate the actions
of security structures and territorial bodies of the executive branch
of the government. Along with everything else, our soldiers and
officers help local organizations with post-war restoration.

Question: There are the rumors that some miracle hardware is to be
sent to Chechnya to maintain law and order...

Nikolai Rogozhkin: We do buy some hardware and not only for the units
in Chechnya... The Internal Troops have abandoned heavy military
hardware in favor of so called police gear. We will be rid of all
tanks by the end of 2007. Equipment is getting better. We have more
reliable individual protection and active defense measures now,
special vehicles like Tiger autos... Weapons too... We are now being
supplied with what is known as non-lethal weapons; they neutralize the
criminal without killing him.

Source: Rossiiskaya Gazeta (Moscow issue), January 20, 2007, p. 3

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chechnya-sl/

Thanks to Milford421 for this report.

QE2 Cruise Ship - Over 300 Ill

http://www.kron4.com/Global/story.asp?S=5985804

Cruise Ship Flu Outbreak Sickens Hundreds of Passengers

Posted January 24, 2007 at 3:50 P.M.

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A highly contagious form of stomach flu
sickened hundreds of passengers during a worldwide voyage on the
famed Queen Elizabeth 2 cruise ship in what health officials called
an unusually large outbreak.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported 276
passengers and 28 crew members had come down with norovirus by the
time the ship docked Wednesday in San Francisco for a regularly
scheduled stop, though only four passengers remained sick.

The infections amounted to nearly 17 percent of the ship's 1,652
passengers, a particularly high percentage, said Jaret Ames, acting
chief of the CDC's vessel sanitation program. By comparison, a
norovirus outbreak last month aboard the world's largest cruise
ship, Royal Caribbean's Freedom of the Seas, infected 338 passengers
out of 3823, or less than 9 percent.

The CDC boarded the QE2 on Friday in Acapulco, Mexico, to
investigate the infections. The agency defines an outbreak as an
illness that affects more than 3 percent of a ship's passengers.

Investigators determined the emergency sanitation measures put in
place by the QE2's crew, from disinfecting casino chips to halting
self-service at the ship's buffet, were containing the outbreak.

"This one was a good example where they had a lot of cases but they
did gain control over the spread of infection," Ames said.

In rare cases, the elderly and young children can die from
dehydration caused by norovirus symptoms. The infection, which ranks
second only to the common cold in reported cases, usually clears up
in two or three days with no lasting effects.

No passengers have canceled their tickets as a result of the
outbreak, said Brian O'Connor, a spokesman for Cunard Line, the
Valencia-based company that operates the QE2.

The ship departed Jan. 8 from New York on the first leg of its 106-
day cruise around the world. It was to leave San Francisco for
Honolulu on Wednesday night.

(Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)

'Osama was involved in Kandhar hijack'

*Arun Joshi*

Jammu, January 24, 2007

Osama bin Laden was intimately involved in the hijacking of IC-814 in
December 1999, and Al-Qaeda, the global terror network on which he
presides,
is consolidating its ties with Kashmiri extremist groups.

Senior fellow of Saban Centre for Middle East Policy, Bruce Riedel, in
his
article *Al-Qaeda Five Years After the Fall of Kandhar* for the
US-based
private non-profit organisation "The Brookings Institution", has traced
how
in the past years this terror network has become "Pakistanized" after
losing
control of Afghanistan, its original control and command centre.

In his nearly 6000-word well-researched piece, Riedel, among other
things
has made a startling disclosure about the December 1999 hijacking of
IC-814 from Kathmandu to Kandhar — the capital of Taliban ruled
Afghanistan.

"Al-Qaeda also moved closer to Kashmiri terrorist groups like Lashkar-e
Taiba and Jaish-e-Mohammad. These ties predated 9/11. In late 1999 for
example Bin Ladin had been intimately involved in the Kashmiri
hijacking of
an Indian airliner to Kandahar along with the Taliban and Pakistani
intelligence agents", the article points out.

India had released three hardcore terrorists — Maulana Azhar Masood,
Mushtaq
Zarar of Al-Umar Mujahadeen and Syed Umar Sheikh — from jail in lieu of
165
passengers of the hijacked airliner. Subsequently, all the three fled
to
Pakistan.

Azhar founded Jaish-e-Mohammad, Syed Umar Sheikh is in jail on charges
of
murder of American journalist Daniel Pearl and Mushtaq Zargar is
believed to
be in Pakistan occupied Kashmir.

Though it was suspected that Taliban and Pakistan's ISI were involved
in the
hijacking, it is for the first time that Osama bin Laden has been
directly
linked to the hijacking.

The author has also observed that the Al-Qaeda is consolidating its
ties
with the Kashmiri extremist groups. "In the wake of the loss of
Afghanistan
both the Taliban and Qaeda moved to consolidate their ties to the
Kashmiri
extremists."

On July 13, 2006, two days after the Mumbai train bombings in which
nearly
200 people perished — a caller identifying himself as Abu al-Hadeed had
told
a news agency Current News Service (CNS) on the phone that "Al-Qaeda
had
started its operations in Kashmir". His statement had led to a hot
chase of
the clues by the police and investigating agencies about Al-Qaeda
presence
in Kashmir, while the local terrorist outfits including
Hizb-ul-Mujahadeen
had strongly refuted that the Al-Qaeda had arrived in the Valley.

But LeT has been active in the state since 1994, while Jaish-e-Mohammad
first made its presence felt in April 2000, when a suicide bomber blew
himself up outside Badami Bagh cantonment in Srinagar.

http://hindustantimes.com/news/181_1910698,0008.htm

http://talismangate.blogspot.com/2007/01/jihadist-ratings-war.html

Wednesday, January 24, 2007
Jihadist Ratings War?

On December 30, 2006, the Ansar al-Sunnah organization released a video under the title ‘Merciful Amongst Themselves’ highlighting celebrations in Iraq around the time of the Muslim holidy Eid al-Fitr at the end of last Ramadhan (October 23-25, 2006).The video commences with Eid prayers and a sermon held at a rural mosque (the name of the mosque on the outside is purposely obscured), and we never get to see the face of the preacher, who is assumed to be one of the leaders of Ansar al-Sunnah. This 21 minute video even comes with an e-mail address (asdarat@yahoo.com) to which commentary about the production can be sent. The rest of the video shows jihadists doing a meet-and-greet in what seems to be a rural town in Diyala Province (…I’m guessing). They stop cars and do spot-interviews with random men who are asked what they think about the jihad and the jihadists, all of whom answer positively and in glowing terms; it is a propaganda video after all. Candy is given out to kids, and in one shot, the main jihadist (all the militants wear ski-masks) gives a 10,000 Iraqi Dinar bill to another man carrying a child in his arms.

The whole point is to show that the regular folk support the jihadists, or more specifically support the Ansar al-Sunnah, and that the jihadists can move around freely.

Yesterday, the Islamic State of Iraq, an umbrella organization in which Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia holds sway, released a 43 minute video under the title ‘The Joy of Muslims over the Establishment of the State of the Monotheists.’ What is interesting is that Al-Qaeda’s video is very similar in content to the aforementioned Ansar al-Sunnah one. Again, we see vehicle convoys of jihadists parading in the streets and doing a meet-and-greet among the townspeople. Al-Qaeda seems to upstage the Ansar by doing so on some of the main thoroughfares of Baghdad and Ramadi, and the video is interspersed with excerpts from the recent speeches of current Al-Qaeda head Abu Hamza al-Muhajir, as well as the ‘Prince of the Faithful’ Abu Omar al-Baghdadi, the head of the Islamic State of Iraq to whom Al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia has pledged allegiance to. Earlier audio excerpts and footage from Zarqawi and Bin Laden, as well as the segment in which Zawahiri calls upon Muslims to support the Islamic State of Iraq, are also shown throughout. There is also footage of similar parading that was covered on al-Sharqiya TV and Aljazeera. Several groups of jihadists are shown (again all are in ski-masks) pledging allegiance to al-Baghdadi, and the group in Salahuddin Province even pledges that “If you want to lead us to Washington, we shall brave the seas with you.”

The Al-Qaeda video also shows kids rejoicing and jumping up and down around a cloth banner heralding the establishment of the Islamic State of Iraq, and then in another shot insurgents are shown handing out new clothes to children. At one gathering in Haditha, the face of an elderly woman, in full hijab and abaya, is blotted out because she is insufficiently covered up, I presume.

These two videos seem to be a tit-for-tat among the Ansar al-Sunnah and Al-Qaeda; two groups that have traditionally been rivals in Iraq, but this rivalry had not resulted in a confrontation, so far.

I could be reading too much into the timing and content of these videos, since both could be inadvertent. But what I keep hearing is that Al-Qaeda insists on being the only game in town and that all must submit to its Islamic State, while Ansar al-Sunnah have been basically cast in the role of hold-outs. Al-Muhajir had earlier invited the Ansar to join, and I haven’t seen a negative response from the latter. Yet it is clear that there hasn’t been a positive response either.

The Ansar had always stuck their noses up at Zarqawi, and considered themselves to be more senior in the hierarchy of jihad.

Let’s watch for an imminent split among the two, which may even escalate into clashes as the funds dwindle and insurgent sanctuaries become harder to come by.

On a related note, the Ansar al-Sunnah are claiming that they shot down the Blackwater helicopter in the Fadhel neighborhood of Baghdad yesterday, and to bolster their claims, they showed the ID badges, credit cards and California driver’s license of one of the victims in that crash. However, on the Iraqi Rabita website, the claim goes to three ‘youths’ from that neighborhood who don’t seem to be affiliated with any single organization, and the pro-Ba’athist website suggests that these ‘youths’ have proof for their claim. The Islamic Army of Iraq also claimed responsibility for this attack.

posted by Nibras Kazimi äÈÑÇÓ ÇáßÇÙãí at 1:42 PM
1 Comments:

lester said...

the "last throes" aren't what you'd expect apparently. it actually looks very much like business as usual. how long does it go on? this throe-ing?

3:39 PM, January 24, 2007

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Name:Nibras Kazimi

Visiting Scholar at the Hudson Institute in Washington DC. I also write a weekly column on the Middle East for the New York Sun, and a monthly column for the Prospect Magazine (UK).

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1773261/posts

Toxins Ban To Beat Terrorist Threat (UK)
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 1-25-2007 | Laura Clout

Posted on 01/24/2007 7:54:14 PM PST by blam

Toxins ban to beat terrorist threat

By Laura Clout
Last Updated: 2:34am GMT 25/01/2007

Ministers are planning to restrict the use of nearly 60 types of toxins and pathogens amid increasing concern over the biological threat from terrorists.

Two months ago the head of MI5, Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, warned that al-Qa’eda terrorists were plotting mass casualty suicide attacks and would unleash chemical or biological attacks given the chance.

The Home Office yesterday moved to meet that threat by publishing orders which will ban people from holding samples of viruses such as rabies, polio, influenza and herpes B.

They add three types of salmonella bacteria and two types of poisonous fungi to a list contained in the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

The Home Office minister Tony McNulty said last night: “The terror threat is always changing and we must adapt to ensure it is combated effectively. As terrorists look for new ways to endanger life, we have to take action to be one step ahead.”

In her speech at Queen Mary’s College, London, in November, Dame Eliza said that an estimated 200 groups of more than 1,600 individuals were actively engaged in plotting terror attacks in the UK and abroad.

“Tomorrow’s threat may — I suggest will — include the use of chemicals, bacteriological agents, radioactive materials and even nuclear technology,” she warned.

The orders published yesterday follow a review by a group of governmental bodies of the existing pathogens and viruses listed as controlled substances under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act 2001.

Ministers now plan to increase the number of restricted agents to 103, including 45 viruses, 21 bacteria, 18 animal pathogens, 13 toxins, and two fungi.

The orders specify that the Secretary of State should be satisfied that terrorists could use the substances to “endanger life or cause serious harm to human health”.

One order issued yesterday includes pathogens and toxins which could affect humans and a second listed animal pathogens.

That adds 18 animal pathogens including foot and mouth, African swine fever, goat pox and Rift Valley fever to the list. Scientists who wish to use the deadly viruses and bacteria named in the list can now expect to undergo strict vetting procedures by police and government safety inspectors.

http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/world/01/25/25uranium.html

Sting catches bomb-grade uranium
U.S., Georgian officials say Russian man arrested trying to sell small amount of highly enriched uranium.
Listen to this article or download audio file.Click-2-Listen
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Thursday, January 25, 2007

WASHINGTON — Republic of Georgia authorities, aided by the CIA, set up a sting operation last summer that led to the arrest of a Russian man who tried to sell a small amount of bomb-grade uranium in a plastic bag in his jacket pocket, U.S. and Georgian officials said.

The operation, which neither government has publicized, represents one of the most serious cases of smuggling of nuclear material in recent years, according to analysts and officials.

The arrest underscored concerns about the possibility of terrorists acquiring nuclear bomb-making material on the black market, although there was no suggestion that this particular case was terrorist-related.

"Given the serious consequences of the detonation of an improvised nuclear explosive device, even small numbers of incidents involving (highly enriched uranium) or plutonium are of very high concern," said Melissa Fleming of the International Atomic Energy Agency.

Details of the investigation, which also involved the FBI and the Energy Department, were provided by U.S. officials and Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili.

Officials say they don't know how the man got the uranium or whether his claims of access to much larger quantities were true. He and three accomplices are in Georgian custody but not cooperating.

Georgian efforts to trace the uranium since the arrest and confirm the man's claims have foundered from a lack of cooperation from Russia. Merabishvili said he was revealing the story out of frustration with Russia's response.

An officer at the Russian Foreign Ministry said there was no one authorized to comment Wednesday night.

Find this article at:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/world/01/25/25uranium.html

http://news.google.com/news?q=Russian%20arrested%20with%20nuclear%20in%20Georgia&client=netscape-pp&rls=com.netscape:en-US&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&sa=N&tab=wn

http://www.google.com/search?q=Russian+arrested+with+nuclear+in+Georgia&client=netscape-pp&rls=com.netscape:en-US

http://www.ksat.com/news/10838576/detail.html

CIA-Aided Sting Nets Bomb-Grade Uranium
Man, Accomplices Not Cooperating With Investigators

POSTED: 2:42 am CST January 25, 2007
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WASHINGTON -- It was one of the most serious cases of smuggling of nuclear material in recent years: A Russian man, authorities allege, tried to sell a small amount of nuclear-bomb grade uranium in a plastic bag in his jacket pocket.

The buy that took place last summer, it turned out, was a setup by Republic of Georgia authorities, with the help of the CIA. Their quiet sting operation -- neither U.S. nor Georgian officials have publicized it -- is an unsettling reminder about the possibility of terrorists acquiring nuclear bomb-making material on the black market.

No evidence suggests this particular case was terrorist-related.

"Given the serious consequences of the detonation of an improvised nuclear explosive device, even small numbers of incidents involving HEU (highly enriched uranium) or plutonium are of very high concern," said Melissa Fleming of the U.N.'s International Atomic Energy Agency.

Details of the investigation, which also involved the FBI and Energy Department, were provided to The Associated Press by U.S. officials and Georgian Interior Minister Vano Merabishvili.

Authorities said they do not know how the man acquired the nuclear material or if his claims of access to much larger quantities were true. He and three Georgian accomplices are in Georgian custody and not cooperating with investigators.

Georgian attempts to trace the nuclear material since the arrest and confirm whether the man indeed had access to larger quantities have foundered from a lack of cooperation from Russia.

Merabishvili said he was revealing the story out of frustration with Russia's response and the need to illustrate the dangers of a breakdown in security cooperation in the region.

A message left with the press office of the Russian Embassy was not returned. A duty officer at the Russian Foreign Ministry told The Associated Press that there was no one authorized to comment Wednesday night.

Russia has tense relations with Georgia, like Russia a former Soviet republic. Georgia has been troubled by Russia's support for separatists in two breakaway Georgian border regions, Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The sting was set up after Georgian authorities uncovered extensive smuggling networks while investigating criminal groups operating in the breakaway republics, Merabishvili said.

"When we sent buyers, the channels through Abkhazia and South Ossetia began to expand, and we started seeing a huge flow of materials," he said. "Sometimes it was low-grade enriched materials, but this was the first instance of highly enriched material."

According to his account, during an investigation in South Ossetia, a Georgian undercover agent posing as a rich foreign buyer made contact with the Russian seller in North Ossetia, which is part of Russia.

After the Russian offered to sell the sample, the agent rebuffed requests that the transaction occur in North Ossetia, insisting the Russian come to Tbilisi, the Georgian capital.

At a meeting in Tbilisi, the man pulled out from his pocket a plastic bag containing the material.

"He was offering this as the first stage in a deal and said he had other pieces, Merabishvili said. "We don't know if that was true."

Uranium has a low level of radioactive emission and can be transported more safely than other radioactive materials.

The man was arrested and sentenced to eight to 10 years in prison on smuggling charges. His accomplices were sentenced on lesser charges.

Russian authorities took a sample of the material but failed to offer any assistance despite requests for help from the Georgians, Merabishvili said.

"We were ready to provide all the information, but unfortunately no one arrived from Russia, not even to interview this person," Merabishvili said. "It is surprising because it is in Russian interests to secure these materials. There are terrorist organizations in Russia who would pay huge amounts of money for this."

The Georgians asked for U.S. assistance. Agents from the FBI and the Energy Department took the material back to the United States, where it was tested by the Energy Department's National Nuclear Security Administration.

"The material was analyzed by agency nuclear experts and confirmed to be highly enriched uranium," said Bryan Wilkes, a spokesman for the agency.

Fleming, of the IAEA, said the agency was aware of the Tbilisi seizure and was expecting formal notification from Georgia soon.

The CIA would not comment on the case, and the FBI confirmed its involvement in the investigation but nothing more.

Merabishvili, who was visiting Washington this week, said he did not have some details of the investigation, including the exact date the arrest was made or the full name of the suspect. Further efforts to clarify with the Georgian Embassy were not successful.

None of the U.S. officials would confirm the weight of the seizure or its quality, but Merabishvili said it was about 100 grams (3.5 ounces) of uranium enriched by more than 90 percent.

Uranium enriched at 90 percent is weapons grade.

A nuclear bomb of a design similar to the one exploded over Hiroshima in 1945 would require about 50 kilograms (110 pounds) of uranium enriched at over 90 percent, according to Matthew Bunn, a senior research associate who focuses on nuclear theft and terrorism at Harvard University's Kennedy School of Government. Bunn said that a more sophisticated implosion type nuclear bomb would require 15 to 18 kilograms (33 to 40 pounds).

According to an IAEA database, there have been 16 previous confirmed cases in which either highly enriched uranium or plutonium have been recovered by authorities since 1993.

In most cases the recoveries have involved smaller quantities than the Tbilisi case. But in 1994, 2.72 kilograms (6 pounds) of highly enriched uranium intended for sale were seized by police in the Czech Republic. In 2003, Georgian border guards using detection devices provided by the United States caught an Armenian man with about 170 grams (5 ounces) of HEU, according to the State Department.

Fleming said examples of stolen or missing bomb-grade nuclear material, including highly enriched uranium and plutonium, are rare and troubling.

David Albright, a former U.N. weapons inspector and head of the Washington-based Institute for Science and International Security, said that lacking help from Russia, the CIA may be looking to other allies to help identify who has access to lost nuclear material.

"Russian cooperation in answering these questions is critical, but it has not been forthcoming," he said. "One way to identify who is active in trading these materials is to conduct sting operations."

Copyright 2007 by The Associated Press.

[snipped, also see chart for the 1990's, Iran is there]

Some preliminary observations can be made about these cases. First, public reports indicate that all nuclear material smuggled via Turkey originated in countries of the FSU. As the materials were seized, their ultimate destination cannot be determined with confidence; however, three cases reportedly involved material being sought by or shipped to Iran or Libya. In no case was the reported destination the government or any other entity in Turkey itself. Second, a number of these incidents apparently involved "amateurs" who acquired nuclear materials before identifying potential buyers, and who sought to peddle material of little or no utility for fabricating nuclear weapons. Third, the sheer number of cases indicates that Turkey may be a significant transshipment route for clandestine efforts to buy or sell nuclear material originating in the FSU. Turkey’s geographic setting could make it an attractive route for such transactions. Several countries of proliferation concern – Iran, Iraq, and Syria – share borders with Turkey. Three countries of the FSU – Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia– likewise have borders with Turkey. In addition, ongoing commercial exchange between Turkey and Central Asian countries may provide opportunities for smuggling. However, the concentration and types of incidents reported in Istanbul, and the lack of reported incidents on Turkey's borders with Armenia, Azerbaijan, and Georgia, are somewhat surprising. The former offer grounds to speculate that scam artists may seek buyers in the "international bazaar" of Istanbul; the latter could indicate that materials are not shipped across those international borders.

Public reports indicate that Turkish and other international authorities thwarted each of the nuclear smuggling schemes recounted in this study. However, other more sophisticated attempts may have escaped detection. The possibility that proliferation-relevant nuclear materials may be smuggled via Turkey continues to merit international attention.

http://cns.miis.edu/research/wmdme/flow/turkey/index.htm

http://www.google.com/search?q=nuclear+material+smuggled+via&client=netscape-pp&rls=com.netscape:en-US

http://www.google.com/search?q=sent+to+Iran+via+front+firms+in+Moscow+and+Dubai&client=netscape-pp&rls=com.netscape:en-US

http://www.google.com/search?q=Iraq+smuggled+nuclear+materials&client=netscape-pp&rls=com.netscape:en-US

xxx
http://www.google.com/search?q=existing+narcotics+transit+routes+are+being+used+to+smuggle+nuclear+materials&client=netscape-pp&rls=com.netscape:en-US

Mex. border.

http://www.google.com/search?q=smuggle+nuclear+materials&client=netscape-pp&rls=com.netscape:en-US

Russian exile cancels London visit after FBI security advice

By Jimmy Burns

Published: January 24 2007 02:00 | Last updated: January 24 2007 02:00

A Russian exile who co-authored a book with Alexander Litvinenko, the
murdered former KGB agent, has cancelled a visit to London after being
advised by the Federal Bureau of Investigation his safety might be at
risk, his publishers said yesterday.

Yuri Felshtinsky, an academic who lives in the US, was expected to
attend the launch of the new edition of the book in London on Friday
with a press conference and interviews.

But Gibson Square Books, his UK publishers, said they had postponed
the event indefinitely after receiving an e-mail from the author
confirming the FBI advice.

Martin Rynja, the publisher, said: "When the book was first written,
everyone thought Litvinenko's claims were ludicrous. Now people want
to know what he stood for, which is why we are publishing it. It does
seem now that if you are opposed to the KGB or its successors you are
in trouble."

The FBI denied any involvement. "The FBI has not issued any warning
and has no information of any threats in this situation," said Richard
Kolko, an FBI official.

The book that allegedly marked Mr Litvinenko as a target alleges the
1999 bombing campaign that precipitated Russia's second war with
Chechnya and propelled Vladimir Putin to the presidency was the work
of Russian security services.

It also gives an account of the conspiratorial world in which Mr
Litvinenko and other KGB officers lived, a network of alleged contract
killers and corrupt businessmen straddling the private sector and the
state.

The book was banned in Russia as soon as it was published in 2002.
Although a version appeared on the internet and in a limited edition
in the US, it remained largely ignored until the fatal poisoning of Mr
Litvinenko with radioactive polonium-210 last November sparked a
series of publishing and film projects.

Mr Felshtinsky's visit was cancelled 24 hours after the widow of Mr
Litvinenko appeared on a BBC Panorama programme and said no opponent
of Mr Putin's regime was safe. The claim was denied by the president's
spokesman.

The claim comes as police investigating Mr Litvinenko's murder are
close to handing a preliminary report to the Crown Prosecution
Service, which is thought to identify Russians they suspect of
involvement and who have not been arrested.

In Moscow, the Russian prosecutor's office denied it had suspended an
inquiry into Boris Berezovsky, the London-based exiled businessman
accused of planning a coup in Russia.

The UK government has so far refused a request from Russian
investigators to interview Mr Berezovsky on the grounds it is not
based on any evidence relevant to the Litvinenko case.

Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2007

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/chechnya-sl/

January 25, 2007 Anti-Terrorism News

(Iraq) Car bombs, blasts shake Baghdad - at least 10 killed
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070125/ts_nm/iraq_blast_dc_2

(Iraq) Huge explosion rocks central Baghdad
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070125/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_explosion

(Iraq) Baghdad: Motorcycle bomb kills four, wounds 18
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467810633&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Iraq PM vows no safe haven for militants
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070125/ts_nm/iraq_dc_56

US says its has proof Iran is interfering in Iraq
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2007/January/middleeast_January262.xml&section=middleeast&col=

(Afghanistan) 3 Taliban killed, 4 detained in S. Afghanistan
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467808667&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

(Afghanistan) Bush Plans New Focus On Afghan Recovery
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2007/01/24/AR2007012401877.html

(Narcoterrorism) Afghan govt. won't spray poppy crops
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070125/ap_on_re_as/afghan_drugs_5

(Pakistan) Analysts: Al Qaeda has safe haven in Pakistan frontier
http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/asiapcf/01/24/pakistan.qaeda/index.html

(Pakistan) Musharraf rejects US allegations - claims no Pakistan
intelligence support to Taliban, majority of Taliban outside of Pakistan
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\25\story_25-1-2007_pg1_6

Al Qaeda divided? "Bin Laden, Zawahri operating separately" --
according to Pakistan President Musharraf
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=2007\01\25\story_25-1-2007_pg7_9

Pakistan court adjourns Briton's airliner plot hearing - seeking to
restore terror charges against Rashid Rauf
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070125/wl_uk_afp/britainattacksairline_070125092410

Russian smuggled nuclear-bomb uranium, officials say - CIA "sting"
operation led to his arrest
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/01/24/uranium.sting.ap/index.html

U.S. security czar says world must keep nuclear weapons out of
terrorist hands
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/25/europe/EU-GEN-World-Forum-Terrorism.php

(UK) MI5 warns UK labs of threat from al Qaeda - al Qaeda operatives
are training in germ warfare and may try to steal deadly viruses
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/pages/live/articles/news/news.html?in_article_id=431292&in_page_id=1770

(UK) Toxins ban to beat terrorist threat
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2007/01/25/ntoxin25.xml

(Lebanon) U.S. opposes Iranian, Saudi meddling in crisis
http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20070124-100832-1152r.htm

(Philippines) Terror suspect hurt in Philippine raid
http://www.heraldnewsdaily.com/ViewArticle.aspx?id=49701&source=2

(Australia) Islamic exhortations to violence defended -- Authorities
investigate sermons supporting jihad, martyrdom
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53922

Indonesia to keep up campaign against Islamic militants in Sulawesi
island's Poso region
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070125/wl_nm/indonesia_violence_dc_2

(Indonesia) Demonstrators to protest death of Muslim militant
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467809123&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Indonesia Police Removes Bomb From Adventist Church
http://www.bosnewslife.com/news/2722-indonesia-police-removes-bomb-from-adventist

Indian Jammu and Kashmir: Terrorists Killing 3 Per Day (my title)
http://specials.rediff.com/news/2007/jan/24sd1.htm

Kashmiri separatist urges militants to support peace
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2007/January/subcontinent_January908.xml&section=subcontinent&col=

(Israel) Tanzim Terrorist Took Orders from Hizbullah
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=120263

(Israel) IDF, Shin Bet nab Tanzim terror suspect in Nablus
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1167467811928&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

(Switzerland) Verdicts in first Swiss trial against alleged al-Qaida
associates due end of February
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/25/europe/EU-GEN-Switzerland-Terror-Trial.php

U.S. Marines to assist Tajikistan in anti-terrorism training
http://en.rian.ru/world/20070125/59688619.html

(CAIR) U.S. senator, Muslim group say they have resolved award
controversy; CAIR refuses to condemn terror groups by name - "We're not a
government agency that classifies who's a terrorist and who's not"
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/25/america/NA-GEN-US-Senator-Muslim-Group.php

Spanish court rejects request to allow hunger-striking ETA member leave
jail
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/25/europe/EU-GEN-Spain-Basque-Prisoner.php

Myanmar accuses US of encouraging terrorist acts
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7598_1911484,000500020010.htm

(Sri Lanka) Terrorism crouching in fear: Rajapaksa
http://www.hindustantimes.com/news/7598_1911495,000500020002.htm

(Ireland) Sinn Fein deputy says IRA dissidents threatening to kill him
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/01/25/europe/EU-GEN-NIreland-Sinn-Fein.php

Other News:

From Aladdin to Lost Ark, Muslims get angry at 'bad guy' film images
http://film.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,1997959,00.html

Pakistan arrests over 300 Afghans deported from Saudi - to perform the
Muslim Haj ritual on fake Pakistani passports
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070125/wl_nm/pakistan_afghans_dc_1

Greek radical leftist group says it will carry out more attacks

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1251327.php/Greek_radical_leftist_group_says_it_will_carry_out_more_attacks

Greek radical leftist group says it will carry out more attacks

Jan 25, 2007, 10:45 GMT

Athens - A radical leftist group which carried out a rocket-propelled
grenade attack on the US embassy in Athens earlier this month
threatened
on Thursday to stage more attacks on Greek and foreign targets.

In a five-page proclamation published in a Greek weekly newspaper,
Revolutionary Struggle claimed responsibility for the January 12
attack,
criticizing the United States and Greece.

'We will get ride of US military bases and NATO from our country and
overthrow those who work with them,' Revolutionary Struggle said in the
proclamation published on Thursday in the weekly satirical newspaper To
Pontiki.

The group condemned US foreign policy in Iraq and said the accused the
Greek government of being a blind US ally.

According to the proclamation, the attack on the US Embassy was
dedicated to 'Iraqi resistance which is crushing the US war machine,'
and was a 'goodwill gesture towards the Lebanese, Iraqis and
Palestinians.'

'Our attacks against the U.S. embassy is a message that there is a
battle...an armed battle against the New Order,' it said.

In their proclamation, the group also attacked Greek Foreign Minister
Dora Bakoyianni and Public Order Minister Vyron Polydoras, who rushed
to
the embassy to publicly condemn the attack.

Greek anti-terrorist police were continuing their investigation into
the
embassy strike, seen as a symbolic attack against the most
heavily-guarded building in the country.

The attack caused minor damage and no injuries.

Police were questioning hundreds of witnesses, going over the tapes of
security camera footage and analyzing sound recorders.

Anti-terrorist police also said the origin of the grenade, a
Chinese-made RPG 7, would be likely to provide clues as it is not used
by the Greek military.

The Revolutionary Struggle group first emerged in 2003 with a bomb
attack on a courthouse and has become the country's most dangerous
organization since the arrest of members of the deadly November 17
terrorist group prior to the 2004 Olympics in Athens.

The group has since claimed responsibility for an assassination attempt
against Greece's culture minister in May of last year.

It staged similar attacks in June and December 2005 on the labour and
economics ministries in Athens, injuring three people and causing
extensive damage.

The economics ministry, located in the city's main Syntagma Square,
approximately 100 metres from parliament, was closed at the time of the
blast.

Anti-terrorism experts believe the group is composed of 'a younger
generation of terrorists' imitating the methods of the defunct Greek
extremist organizations November 17 and the Revolutionary People's
Struggle.

November 17, which has killed US and other foreign diplomats in the
past, was dismantled in 2002.
© 2007 dpa - Deutsche Presse-Agentur

Transparency stressed in Islamic money markets - Bahrain

http://www.menafn.com/qn_news_story_s.asp?StoryId=1093140477

Transparency stressed in Islamic money markets - Bahrain
Bahrain Tribune - 25/01/2007

(MENAFN - Bahrain Tribune) The need for well-developed and transparent
Islamic capital and money markets was stressed at a two-day
specialised,
technical conference, organised by the International Islamic Financial
Market (IIFM), which began yesterday.

Uniformity and standardisation are also critical issues on which the
future of the Islamic financial services industry (IFSI) depends, said
Khalid Hamad, Executive Director, Banking Supervision, at the Central
Bank of Bahrain (CBB), who is also Vice Chairman of the Bahrain-based
IIFM.

He was speaking at the event, which was inaugurated by Dr Shamshad
Akhtar, Governor of the State Bank of Pakistan. Fadjrijah, Deputy
Governor of Bank Indonesia, also attended, besides over 150 leading
officials from central banks of several countries, industry experts and
practitioners as well as academics.

The event, which focused on sukuk (Islamic bonds), real estate
investment trusts (REITs) and market uniformity and standardisation,
was
held under the theme, 'Setting the foundation of a robust and
sustainable Islamic financial market'.

"The industry is experiencing double digit growth which is expected to
continue for a foreseeable future. However, a lot of ground still needs
to be covered before we can proudly present the IFSI as a transparent
and robust financial system," Hamad told delegates on the opening day.
He said IFSI requires concerted efforts by regulatory bodies, market
participants, legal, Shariah and the development institutions. There is
a need for Islamic Capital and Money Market to have the necessary
regulatory, supervisory as well as self regulatory framework, which is
on a par with international best practices.

He added: "All of us are partners in the development of IFSI and it is
our duty to work and ensure that Islamic business activities take place
in an efficient, prudent and sound manner. At the same time, there has
to be an adequate financial infrastructure to enable the market
participants to conduct their business efficiently.".

Ijlal Alvi, Chief Executive Officer of IIFM, said the organisation was
working on a number of market development initiatives, including the
development of an Islamic Derivative Master Agreement in alliance with
the International Swaps and Derivatives Association (ISDA) and Master
Agreement for Treasury Murabaha Financing.

German court considers Islam as a Disease]

[story goes as such: a Muslim girl in Germany, 10th grade, did'nt want
to attend a school excursion, because she feared that she could not
live
up to islamic rulings during the excursion. She (her parents or
community I guess) sued the school for leaving her out of the excursion
- and they got what they wanted BUT FOR MEDICAL REASONS, since the
court
brought forward the argument that because of psychological pressure
caused by Islamic faith she was not able to attend; complete verdict
(in
german) here: http://tinyurl.com/yvfeor - the following is a quick and
dirty translation of the summary; dm+]

German court considers Islam as a Disease

The petitioner, a pupil at 10th grade of muslim faith, asked to order
the principal [of here school], to disengage her from a school
excursion, because, underlined by an expertise of an islamic centre
[which she presented], her faith does not allow her to travel and stay
overnight without her parents without being accompanied by a Mahram, a
close male relative.

The main administration court [of Nordrhein-Westfalen, western Germany,
bordering with The Netherlands and Belgium] could not find a reason to
give such an order, since the petitioner, accoring to the court's
opinion, anway does not have to attend the excursion for medical
reasons:

The petitioner drew a very impressive picture of constraints she is
subjected to - especially being a girl - by her religious beliefs,
which
lead to fear of situations which might emerge during the excursion.
Under oath she testified that she is a devoted Muslim and seeks to live
by her religion. A school excursion would make it impossible to live in
the way her faith asks her to. She especially pointed out:

- the permanent fear that by accident she could eat some pork while on
the school excursion.

- her fear that she might not be able to do her ritual washings and
prayers five times per day.

- her psychological suffering when not being able to follow those
rules.

- her fear that her way to take a shower might look strange to other
[female] pupils [pls someone enlighten me - how to Muslims take a
shower?].

- her fear to get undressed in front of other [female] pupils.

- her fear to loose her headscarf.

- her permanent fear to be always with a headscarf.

Although the petitioner especially emphasized that she does not feel
suppressed by her religious beliefes, obviously her fears are caused by
her religion. She fears situations as described above and in addition
she fears to travel without a Mahram, let it be her father,
grandfather,
brother or uncle. As she testified under oath those fears as described
are that strong that she is not able to attend to a school excursion
without a suitable escort [the Mahram]. This situation is characterized
by fears for the petitioner in a way that she can be compared to a
partial mental ill person, which can travel only escorted by a person
dealing with that mental illness. Fears pointed out by the petitioner
imply that it reached a level of disease for the petitioner, so
therefore she does not have to attend to the school excursion.

United passenger charged for alleged drunken behavior on flight

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — A United Airlines passenger faces federal charges
for
allegedly making statements about a hijacking, trying to open a cabin
door
and fighting with flight attendants while aboard a flight from Boston
to San
Francisco.
Erin Callahan Lambert, 28, who apparently was intoxicated during Flight
179
on Sunday, was taken into custody after the plane landed at San
Francisco
International Airport, authorities said. She was charged Monday with
assaulting a flight attendant and interfering with the performance of
duties
of flight crew members.
About halfway through the six-hour, non-stop flight, Lambert got up,
walked
to the back of the plane and began talking on her cell phone, FBI
Special
Agent Brian Gilhooly wrote in an affidavit filed in U.S. District Court
in
San Francisco.
When two flight attendants told Lambert to turn off the phone and
return to
her seat, she "refused and became combative," Gilhooly wrote. Asked who
she
was talking to, she said "I'm calling 911 because the plane is being
hijacked," the affidavit said.
Lambert eventually returned to her seat, but later she tried to take
her
luggage, including her pet dog in a carrier, to the restroom, according
to
the affidavit. When told to leave her belongings at her seat, she said,
"No,
you are going to have to kill me and my dog," then locked herself in
the
restroom, Gilhooly wrote.
Lambert exited moments later and "started walking rapidly toward the
front
of the airplane," saying, "I'm getting off the aircraft," he wrote.
Flight attendants and passengers stopped her as she headed for a cabin
door
and forced her into a seat, where the plane's purser handcuffed her,
according to the affidavit. She managed to wriggle free from those
handcuffs, so plastic ties were placed on her wrists, it said.
"During the entire assault, Ms. Lambert was yelling profanities,
cursing and
spitting on the flight attendants and other passengers," Gilhooly
wrote.
Lambert, a Bay Area resident, was turned over to San Francisco airport
police upon arrival at SFO, where she refused to be interviewed by the
FBI
and requested an attorney, the affidavit said.

[unknown url]

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