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Posted on 12/17/2006 4:03:30 PM PST by DAVEY CROCKETT
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.
http://www.ocnus.net/artman/publish/article_27144.shtml
Rebels accused of kidnapping children
Associated Press
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
By DILIP GANGULY, Associated Press Writer
Sri Lanka's government accused Tamil Tiger rebels on Wednesday of
abducting more than 400 underage boys and girls from government-controlled
areas this year to be trained as combatants and asked the insurgents to
stop the practice.
The government said the rebels had recruited at least 455 underage
combatants and the U.N.'s children's agency, UNICEF, also said insurgents
are known to have recruited 539 young fighters this year through Nov.
30.
"This figure is based on actual police reports that were lodged after
parents complained," military spokesman Brig. Prasad Samarasinghe told a
news conference. "The figure will be much higher as many parents do not
come forward fearing retribution."
Rebel spokesman Rasiah Ilanthirayan denied the charges.
"This is a false propaganda being carried out by the Sri Lankan
government and the Sri Lankan military to defame our freedom movement,"
Ilanthirayan said from the group's headquarters in Kilinochchi.
"When Sri Lankan government people and military speak about Tamil
children, we laugh as they are the people who are responsible for the plight
of Tamils in general and children in particular," Ilanthirayan added.
The abduction accusation came after the military said Tamil Tiger
rebels kidnapped 16 girls, seven boys and two teachers from a class in
eastern Ampara, an area under government control.
It was the latest alleged abduction by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam, who say they are fighting the Sri Lankan government to carve out
a separate state for the country's 3.1 million ethnic Tamil minority.
The rebels said the teenagers wanted to join their movement and went
voluntarily to insurgent-held areas. They were asked to return home after
guerrillas learned they were underaged, Ilanthirayan said.
On Wednesday, UNICEF spokesman Francis Mead said the mainstream rebels
had released 80 of the 539 underage combatants they recruited this
year.
UNICEF also said a breakaway faction of the mainstream rebels was
responsible for recruiting 186 underage combatants during the same period.
The breakaway Karuna group, named after its leader, released 21 of the
underage combatants, it said. The mainstream rebels say the breakaway
group enjoys the support of the Sri Lankan military, a charge the army
denies.
"Our figures come from parents," Mead said. "Our estimate is that the
figures reflect about one-third of the actual cases. ... We have no
evidence to suggest that the children are volunteering to join the groups."
The Tamil Tigers have in the past used thousands of underage combatants
in their war against government forces, according to the government,
U.N. agencies and rights groups.
They say they have stopped the practice of recruiting underage
combatants.
Although a cease-fire went into effect in 2002, the two sides have
resumed almost daily fighting.
The insurgents control a vast area of northeast Sri Lanka where they
have their own laws and run their own courts, police and administrative
system.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
[3 pages of accidents]
http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?fr=yalerts-keyword&c=&p=school+bus+accident&ei=utf-8
1. Several students injured in school bus accident Open this result in new window
KJRH-TV Channel 2 Tulsa - Dec 20 11:24 AM
VELMA, Okla. (AP) -- A school bus went out of control and landed in a ditch in southern Oklahoma Wednesday, leaving several children injured. Officials at Duncan Regional Hospital said the injuries appeared minor.
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2. Girl hit in school bus stop accident Open this result in new window
Deseret Morning News - Dec 20 12:55 PM
A 12-year-old girl was seriously injured after being hit by a pickup outside a school bus stop early Wednesday morning.
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3. School Bus Involved In Crash On Pleasantburg Drive Open this result in new window
WYFF via Yahoo! News - Dec 19 8:44 AM
A Greenville County school bus was involved in a four-vehicle accident on Pleasantburg Drive on Tuesday morning.
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4. Local School Bus Involved In Accident Open this result in new window
KWTX-TV Waco - Dec 19 10:40 AM
(December 19, 2006)—No one was injured when a Killeen ISD school bus and an SUV collided Tuesday morning at the intersection of Stan Schleuter and Highway 190.
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5. Man Dies In Accident Involving School Bus Open this result in new window
CBS4 Denver - Dec 19 9:15 AM
A 59-year-old man died when he rear ended a school bus stopped at the railroad tracks on Highway 60.
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6. One killed in accident with school bus Open this result in new window
9 News Denver - Dec 19 3:48 PM
JOHNSTOWN - A man was killed Tuesday afternoon when his SUV crashed into the back of a school bus.
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7. School bus involved in accident Open this result in new window
Naples Daily News - Dec 18 9:09 PM
A school bus bringing 14 Lely High School students and two chaperones back from a parade on Marco Island on Saturday night was involved in a wreck with a drunken driver, the Florida Highway Patrol reported.
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8. School Bus Involved In Crash On Pleasantburg Drive Open this result in new window
WYFF News 4 - Dec 19 8:55 AM
GREENVILLE, S.C. -- A Greenville County school bus was involved in a four-vehicle accident on Pleasantburg Drive on Tuesday morning. The wreck happened in front of the Little Caesar's between Wade Hampton Boulevard and East North street.
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9. School bus accident takes life of Milliken's new town administrator Open this result in new window
Greeley Tribune - Dec 20 5:35 PM
A traffic wreck east of Johnstown on Tuesday afternoon left many in the town of Milliken in shock Wednesday morning.
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10. Children injured in Sydney bus accident Open this result in new window
ABC via Yahoo!7 News - Dec 19 10:07 PM
The Ambulance Service says 10 children have been taken to hospital after a bus accident in Sydney's south-west.
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ISLAMIST WEBSITES MONITOR No. 38:
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=iwmp&ID=SP140306
Inquiry & Analysis-Jihad & Terrorism Studies Project
December 21, 2006
No. 308
Islamist Sites in French - An Overview
By Nathalie Szerman*
http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=IA30806 .
For Islamist terrorist organizations, the Internet is a major platform for indoctrination and incitement. Most of these sites are in Arabic, but some are in European languages. The following is an overview of Islamist sites in French that promote Islamist ideology and disseminate anti-Western and anti-French incitement.
This dispatch is the third in a series of MEMRI reports presenting comprehensive overviews of terrorist activity on the Internet. The first two reports were published in 2004,(1) and led to the closing of several sites hosted on servers in the U.S. MEMRI has also recently launched the Islamist Websites Monitor project, which monitors Islamist websites in Arabic on a daily basis.
The Voice of the Oppressed (La Voix des Opprimes)
http:// news.stcom.net/index.php(2)
This is a sizeable site featuring articles on Islam and jihad. The "Subjects" section (accessible from the main menu) includes the following: "Islam," "Jihad in Afghanistan," "Jihad in Iraq," "Jihad in Palestine," "Jihad in Chechnya," "The Martyred Heroes of Jihad" and "The World." The "Top Articles" section features the most frequently accessed items on the site, including several announcements by bin Laden. The first item in this section (with nearly 80,000 hits) is a video titled "Lion Praying to Allah," showing a lion in the Bakou zoo which, it is claimed, prays to Allah five times a day. The second item (with about 74,000 hits) is an article titled "We Thank Osama bin Laden" by Sheikh Mouhammad Saleh Ibnoul Outhaymine,(3) which is presented as an account of the author's meeting with bin Laden.(4)
The forum includes discussions on jihad all over the world, as well as images and videos, including an animated image of bin Laden on horseback with the White House on fire in the background (http://news.stcom.net/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=3534). The forum includes "all the communiqués from the mujahideen in Afghanistan," which appear to be updated regularly, and "all the videos from the mujahideen in Afghanistan" (http://news.stcom.net/modules.php?name=Forums&file=viewforum&f=21).
The homepage features a prominent link to the Islamist English portal World of Islam (http://news.worldofislam.info/), which features war videos from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Chechnya, including a "documentary" showing "martyrdom operations against the coalition forces in Iraq" and "interviews with suicide bombers before they carry out operations."
The Voice of the Oppressed incites against the U.S. and the West, and in particular against France and its government. An April 30, 2006 article, which is accompanied by a photo of French Interior Minister Nicolas Sarkozy in which he appears to be giving a Nazi salute, says: "Sarkozy and the Zionist Bureau of Terrorism (DST(5) have invented the Chechen [terrorist] network to cover up their state terrorism in the war which is aimed at controlling the oil of the Caspian Sea." Another article (6) states that "the world must know that the French government - which controls almost all of the 'Islamist' networks in Morocco - was heavily involved in the May 16, 2003 attacks in Casablanca."(7) On September 8, 2005, the site published an article titled "French Terrorism in Algeria - Will France Be Able to Exploit the Saharan Algerian Oil As It Pleases?"(8) A September 11, 2005 article is titled "Dominique [de Villepin], Jacques [Chirac], Nicolas [Sarkozy] and Others: French Involvement in the
March 2004 Attacks in Madrid."(9)
Al-Maurabitoune
http://www.ribaat.org/ (10)
This is another large site dealing with Islam and jihad. The name Al-Maurabitoune refers to the Muslim jihad warriors who held the front line against Christianity. Its "Most Recently Updated" section(11) includes an article by Muhammad Asood Azhaar titled "The Virtues of Jihad - Part 1" (http://www.ribaat.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2135)(12) which states: "During the Night of Al-Miraj [i.e., the Night Journey(13)], the Prophet was shown the magnificent palace that awaits the martyrs [in Paradise]. The martyr sacrifices his life in the battle for Allah's way, and this sacrifice is his dearest and most precious possession."
Another article, by Sheikh Muhammad Maso'ud Azhar Hafizahullah, titled "The Virtues of Jihad - Part 3"(14) (http://www.ribaat.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2148), includes a section headed "Children Needed in the Cause of Jihad," which states: "Suleyman the son of Daoud said: 'By Allah, tonight I will have sexual intercourse with 100 women - or 90 women - and each of them will give birth to a knight who will fight in the path of Allah.'" It also states: "All Muslims should be willing to turn their children into soldiers defending the faith..."
The site also has pages devoted to da'wa (dissemination of Islam), to fatwas and to jihad. The fatwa section includes an article on the "status of martyrdom operations in Islam," which characterizes martyrdom as "one of the contemporary methods of resistance" and lists the circumstances under which it should be used (http://www.ribaat.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=508). Another article in this section explains that, contrary to the claims of some European preachers "who have very little knowledge," Jews and Christians are indeed apostates (http://www.ribaat.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=510).
The page titled "Top 10" includes a document titled "When Death Becomes Beautiful, Mr. Sarkozy" (http://www.ribaat.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1517) and another titled "The End of the People of Israel: A Koranic Truth" (http://www.ribaat.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=1206).
The "Animation" page features a clip titled "Heroes of Islam," which shows bin Laden killing President Bush and the mujahideen guide in Chechnya Mohamed Al-Khattab (who died in early 2003) killing Russian President Vladimir Putin.
The site also features videos documenting jihad around the world - in the Caucasus, the Balkans, Palestine, Khorasan, and Iraq. A film titled "The Apostates' Hell"(15) (http://www.ribaat.org/modules.php?name=Videos&d_op=viewdownload&cid=6) shows mujahideen from the Salafist group for Preaching and Combat - the Jama'at As Salafiyah lil Da'wah Wal Qital Brigade - setting out on an attack against the "Algerian apostate government," as well as announcements by bin Laden.
Inshaallah.over-blog
http://inshaallah.over-blog.com (16)
This is an Islamic site dealing with Islamic history and religion. The page headed "Veils" (http://inshaallah.over-blog.com/album-30215.html) features photos of women - including young girls and even infants (for the images please visit: http://www.memri.org/bin/opener_latest.cgi?ID=IA30806 ) - wearing the hijab, a veil that covers the hair and ears and in some cases also the face (except for the eyes).
The articles section includes a piece that lists "the 70 Worst Sins in Islam." Among the sins listed are "fleeing the battle during jihad," "an unrighteous government that does not follow the edicts of Islam," "disobedience on the part of a wife whose husband is a righteous man" and "a slave's escape from a righteous master" (http://inshaallah.over-blog.com/article-3316090.html).
An essay for women, titled "How to Make Your Husband Happy" includes several sections.(17) Following are excerpts:
Section 7, titled "Gratitude," includes the following: "According to the Prophet's sayings, most of the people in Hell are women, because [women] are ungrateful and deny good [deeds] that are done for them..."(18)
Section 9, "Obeying Him [i.e. one's husband]" includes the following: "[Obey your husband] in everything he asks of you, except for things that are haram [forbidden]."(19)
Section 11, "Being in Charge of the Home While the Husband is Away" includes the following: "Don't leave home without [your husband's] permission, and [when you do leave], cover yourself properly with your hijab."(20)
Section 14, "Patience and Emotional Support" includes the following: "When [your husband] abuses you, react to his unkindness with kindness...(21) Take part in organizing da'wa activities for women and children...(22) With your husband, devote part of your time to da'wa...(23) Encourage [your husband] to wage jihad if necessary."(24)
Quibla
www.quibla.net(25)
Quibla is presented as the "Online Daily of Free and Active Muslims and Their Allies." As such, it regularly posts news on Islam and the Middle East. It is pro-jihad and anti-West.
The "Agenda" section on the homepage urges visitors to contribute to the Iranian conference on "A Critical Examination of the Holocaust: Its Impact on the World," which was held December 11-12, 2006 at the Iranian Institute for Political and International Studies (IPIS) in Teheran. The site also presents the winning cartoons in the international Holocaust cartoon contest held recently in Iran, and reports that the first-place winner received $12,000.(26)
Quibla also has a subsidiary site called "Echoes of France" (http://www.quibla.net/echos/lesechos.htm), This site is a response to the fiercely anti-Islam site "France Echoes" (www.france-echos.com) which claims to have joined the "resistance" against the "Islamization" of Europe. France-Echoes repeatedly uses such expressions as "Eurabia" and "Francarabia."
For its part, "Echoes of France" is fiercely anti-French. Its May 20, 2005 editorial concludes: "...Our new site will present... the dark urges of the French who have not yet converted to Islam, in order to show the bastards which [of us] is the more civilized."(27)
The site has taken a pro-Syrian stance regarding the November 21, 2006 assassination of Lebanese Industry Minister Pierre Gemayel.
Islamiya
http://www.islamiya.info/(28)
This French-language Islamist portal began operating in 1998, and claims to have received over 5 million hits to date.
A page titled "Combat" reads: "Today, Islamiya.net is the ultimate defender of the resistance on the Internet. It fights like the Resistance during WWII. It is, and will remain, inshallah, the voice of the voiceless who refuse to submit..." The "Mission" page includes the following: "We believe that Islam is an all-encompassing [religion] which regulates all aspects of life... Some people erroneously believe that Islam is limited to cultural or spiritual practices, thus restricting their understanding to these narrow [aspects]."
A pro-Syrian editorial on the assassination of Pierre Gemayel calls Gemayel "The Lebanese Le Pen." The editorial mocks his death: "Poor kid! How cruel it is to die so young!"(29) Another editorial refers to Sarkozy as "The Führer."(30)
The forum (http://www.islamiya.info/club/forums/showthread.php?t=3178) features videos showing converts to Islam, including a woman convert who appears fully veiled, with only her eyes showing.
*Nathalie Szerman is Director of MEMRI's North African Reformists Project.
Endnotes:
(1) See MEMRI Special Report No. 31, "Islamist Websites and Their Hosts - Part I: Islamist Terror Organizations," July 16, 2004, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sr&ID=SR3104;
MEMRI Special Report No. 35, "Islamist Websites and their Hosts - Part II: Clerics," November 11, 2004, http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sr&ID=SR3504;
MEMRI Special Dispatch No. 1039, "Terrorist and Inciting Messages on Yahoo," December 6, 2005,
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=sd&ID=SP103905.
(2) OrgName: DNS Services, OrgID: DNSSE, Address: 2280 Lakeshore Blvd, City: Jacksonville, StateProv: FL, PostalCode: 32210, Country: US, Registrant: S.T.C., ATTN: STCOM.NET, c/o Network Solutions, P.O. Box 447, Herndon, VA. 20172-0447, Domain Name: STCOM.NET, Productions, Niaguis f88rk3c23cw@networksolutionsprivateregistration.com, Niaguis Productions
ATTN: STCOM.NET c/o Network Solutions, P.O. Box 447, Herndon, VA 20172-0447, 570-708-8780, Technical Contact: Network Solutions, LLC. customerservice@networksolutions.com, 13861 Sunrise Valley Drive, Herndon, VA 20171, US, 1-888-642-9675 fax: 571-434-4620.
(3) A Saudi Wahhabi sheikh who died in January 2001.
(4) The article was originally posted on a different Islamist site: http://www.ribaat.org/modules.php?name=News&file=article&sid=2079.
(5) "Direction de la Surveillance du Terrorisme" (DST) is a government authority for the monitoring of terrorist activity. Here, its name is distorted to "Direction Sioniste du Terrorisme" (meaning "Zionist Bureau of Terrorism").
6 French title "Révélations sur les attentats de Madrid, de Casablanca et les massacres en Algérie mis au compte du 'terrorisme islamiste'."
(7) In French: "Le monde doit savoir que le gouvernement français qui contrôle la quasi totalité des réseaux « islamistes » au Maroc est largement impliqué dans les attentats de Casablanca du 16 mai 2003." http://64.233.161.104/search?q=cache:22IO9_t_4OkJ:news.stcom.net/modules.php%3Fname%3DNews%26file%3Darticle%26sid%3D682+gouvernement+fran%C3%A7ais+qui+contr%C3%B4le+r%C3%A9seaux+islamistes+au+Maroc+attentats+de+Casablanca+&hl=en&lr=lang_ar|lang_en|lang_fr|lang_iw .
(8) "Terrorisme français en Algérie: La France pourra-t-elle exploiter le pétrole algéro-saharien comme elle l'entend?"
(9) "Dominique, Jacques, Nicolas et les autres : l'implication française dans les attentats de Madrid de mars 2004"
(10) OrgName: WeHostWebSites.com, OrgID: WEHOST-1, Address: 391 Inverness Parkway, Address: Suite 150, City: Englewood, StateProv: CO, PostalCode: 80112, Country: US, Domain Name: RIBAAT.ORG, Created On: 31-May-2004 21:09:44 UTC, Expiration Date: 31-May-2007 21:09:44 UTC, Sponsoring Registrar: eNom, Inc. (R39-LROR), Registrant ID: O-847145-GANDI, Registrant Name: Abu Malhamat, Registrant Street1: Sector H-9 Islamabad, Registrant City: Peshawar, Registrant Postal Code: 25120, Registrant Country: PK, Registrant Phone: +92.911379113, Registrant FAX: +92.911379117, Registrant Email: 37dd8676bae891dfc816806b742fc486-848934@owner.gandi.net.
(11) "10 dernières mise à jour."
(12) "Les vertus du Jihad 1/8", April 9, 2005.
(13) Koran 17:1.
(14) "Les vertus du Jihad 3/8", November 24, 2005.
(15) "L'Enfer des renégâts."
(16) OrgName: RIPE Network Coordination Centre, OrgID: RIPE, Address: P.O. Box 10096, City: Amsterdam, PostalCode: 1001EB, Country: NL, netname: JFGNETWORKS, country: FR, address: JFG Networks, 5 Avenue Daumesnil Saint Mande 92600, phone: +33562483390, fax-no: +33562483390, e-mail: ndd@jfg-networks.com, person: Frederic Montagnon, Domain name: over-blog.com, Registrant Contact: SARL J.F.G Networks; Julien ROMANETTO (admin@over-blog.com), +33.680598918, 5 avenue Daumesnil, Saint Mande, 94160, FR, Administrative Contact: Registrar France, Laurent Sence (hostmaster@registrar-france.com), 144780566, 242-244 rue Saint Martin, Paris 75003, FR.
(17) The essay has been removed from the site, but can be found on other websites, including Immaniat.over.blog.com: http://imaniatte.over-blog.com/article-2150514.html.
(18) "D'après les dires du Prophète, la majorité des gens en Enfer sont des femmes parce qu'elles ne sont pas reconnaissantes et renient les bienfaits qu'elles ont reçus."
(19) "Dans tout ce qu'il vous demande, hormis ce qui est interdit (Haram)"
(20) "Ne pas sortir de chez vous sans sa permission et portez complètement le hijab."
(21) "Quand il vous maltraite, contrebalancer son mauvais traitement par un bon traitement."
(22) "Prenez part à l'organisation d'activités de Da'wah pour les femmes et les enfants."
(23) "Donnez une partie de votre temps avec votre mari pour la Da'wah."
(24) "Encouragez-le à aller au Jihad si nécessaire..."
(25) OrgName: Everyones Internet, OrgID: EVRY, Address: 390 Benmar, Suite 200, City: Houston, StateProv: TX, PostalCode: 77060, Country: US, domain:QUIBLA.NET, owner-name: Fausto Giudice, owner-address: 1 impasse Général-Laperrine, owner-address: 11 000 Carcassonne, France, phone: +33.468478122, fax:+33.468478122, e-mail: quibla@stcom.net
(26) http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:maw5ANXrR8QJ:quibla.net/edito2006/coupsdedents-3.htm+holocauste+concours+2006+12000&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=9.
(27) "...notre nouveau site donnera une large place... aux mauvais penchants des français non encore convertis à l'Islam pour bien montrer au bâtard qui sont les plus civilisés."
(28) OrgName: RIPE Network Coordination Centre, OrgID: RIPE, Address: P.O. Box 10096, City: Amsterdam, PostalCode: 1001EB, Country: NL, Domain ID: D2623424-LRMS, Domain Name: ISLAMIYA.INFO, Created On: 30-Mar-2003 16:56:06 UTC, Expiration Date: 30-Mar-2007 16:56:06 UTC, Sponsoring Registrar: Name Bay (R123-LRMS), Registrant ID: C3053753-LRMS, Registrant Name: islamiya info, Registrant Organization: L'Agence de Presse IN, Registrant City: Zurich, Registrant Postal Code:8008, Registrant Country: CH, Registrant Phone: +33.45142323, Registrant FAX: +33.45142323, Registrant Email:agence-presse@isuisse.com .
(29) http://www.islamiya.info//modules.php?name=edito-makhlouq&file=article&sid=6457 .
(30) http://www.islamiya.info//modules.php?name=edito-makhlouq&file=article&sid=6392 .
Dear Reader:
Ken Livingstone, the mayor of London, England, has invited me to debate him on Saturday, January 20, 2007, 10-12 a.m., at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in London. This event will be the centerpiece of a conference organized by the Greater London Authority, the city’s government, titled “A World Civilization or a Clash of Civilizations.”
For more details on the conference, see http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/equalities/clash-conf.jsp.
To sign up for (free) tickets, go to http://www.london.gov.uk/mayor/equalities/clash-form.jsp.
I would be delighted if you can attend.
Yours sincerely,
Daniel Pipes
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
[unknown url, more info[
Al-Qaida hints at power status in Iraq
Associated Press
Wednesday, December 20, 2006
By MAGGIE MICHAEL, Associated Press Writer
The deputy leader of al-Qaida, Ayman al-Zawahri, told the United States
it is negotiating with the wrong people in Iraq, suggesting in a video
released Wednesday that his terror group was the real power broker in
the country.
The terrorist chief warned that al-Qaida would keep fighting U.S.
troops in the Muslim world and target Western nations in retaliation. But he
also criticized rival Islamic militant groups, such as the Palestinian
Hamas, for being too soft in waging "jihad" or holy war.
"The mujahedeen (holy warriors) will keep their weapons pointed at you
until you leave our lands and cease backing our corrupt leaders,"
al-Zawahri said, addressing Americans in excerpts of the video aired on
Al-Jazeera television.
The video - which bore the logo of al-Qaida's media production house
al-Sahab - was the 14th time this year that al-Zawahri has issued a
statement. As in previous videos, he appeared in a black turban and white
robe with a rifle behind him leaning against a plain brown backdrop. He
frequently wagged his finger at the camera for emphasis.
In his comments on Iraq, al-Zawahri appeared to suggest that Washington
should be negotiating with al-Qaida over the fate of the country. The
Bush administration has been reaching out to numerous players in Iraq
and to allied Mideast governments in an attempt to calm escalating
violence amid calls in the U.S. for a troop reduction.
"I want to tell the Republicans and the Democrats together ... you are
trying to negotiate with some parties to secure your withdrawal, but
these parties won't find you an exit" from Iraq, al-Zawahri said.
"It seems that you will go through a painful journey of failed
negotiations until you will be forced to return to negotiate with the real
powers," he said, referring to al-Qaida's branch in the country, which has
allied with some Sunni Arab insurgent groups.
But Diaa Rashwan, an Egyptian expert on radical Islamic groups, said
al-Qaida had no intention to negotiate with Washington over Iraq.
Al-Zawahri's statement was largely rhetorical and aimed at destabilizing U.S.
opinion, he said.
"He's just trying to tell the American public that their government is
failing in peace as it has failed in war in Iraq," Rashwan said.
In a January audiotape, al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden offered a
"truce" to the United States for unspecified conditions - the only previous
suggestion of a negotiation with Washington. But al-Zawahri said in a
later video the offer was retracted after the U.S. rejected it.
In Wednesday's video, al-Zawahri vowed that al-Qaida would "never stop
striking" at the United States and other countries that sent soldiers
into Muslim nations such as Iraq and Afghanistan.
He addressed a range of topics in a video that appeared aimed at
emphasizing al-Qaida's leadership of jihad and mobilizing support against the
U.S. and a range of Middle Eastern players - Palestinian President
Mahmoud Abbas of Fatah, Hamas and Iran and its Shiite allies in Iraq and
elsewhere.
Al-Qaida's leaders "see the jihad as a global effort and all issues as
interconnected," said Ben Venzke of the U.S.-based IntelCenter, a U.S.
government contractor that studies al-Qaida messaging. He noted that
al-Zawahri was increasingly responsive to regional developments and fast
at broadcasting al-Qaida's take on recent news events.
Al-Zawahri made references to the call made by Abbas for early
elections, indicating the video was made since the Palestinian president spoke
out on Saturday.
A technical analysis of the tape indicated that the voice was
al-Zawahri's, said one U.S. intelligence official. The official spoke on
condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak about it on the
record.
Al-Zawahri, who is largely regarded as al-Qaida's main theoretician,
criticized Abbas for calling early elections and Hamas for having
participated in January elections, then forming a government after it won.
"Aren't they an Islamic movement? Aren't they campaigning for the word
of God to be supreme?" he said, adding Hamas should have insisted on
"an Islamic constitution for Palestine."
Al-Zawahri "wants to remind the Muslim world and radical militants that
jihad should not compromise with democracy," Rashwan said. But the
attack on Hamas could backfire, because many Arabs may reject criticism of
the Palestinian movement, he said.
Al-Zawahri's comments were expected to have little influence in the
West Bank and Gaza Strip. Hamas has distanced itself from al-Qaida, saying
its struggle is against Israel, not the West. In Gaza, Hamas spokesman
Fawzi Barhoum brushed off al-Zawahri's criticism.
"Our Palestinian institutions are in need of reform, and to fix them we
need to participate in the parliament and other institutions," Barhoum
said.
___
AP writer Katherine Shrader contributed to this article from
Washington.
Copyright © 2006 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Steinmeier Heads to Moscow to Discuss G8, EU Plans
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hmh0hIfwf2zzI1
German Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier will meet Russian
President Vladimir Putin on Thursday for talks on Berlin's
presidencies of the G8 and the EU starting next month, his
ministry said.
Austrian Court Frees Holocaust Denier Irving
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hmh0hIfwf2zzI2
Self-professed historian David Irving has been released from
prison in Austria after winning an appeal against a three-year
prison sentence for denying the Holocaust.
Germany Considers Tighter CEO Laws
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hmh0hIfwf2zzI3
The Siemens bribery scandal has caused the German government
to consider forbidding retired CEOs from moving over to head
their companies' supervisory boards, according to a report
released this week.
Kidnapped, Abused Girls Remain in Spotlight After Liberation
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hmh0hIfwf2zzI4
Natascha Kampusch, who was kidnapped, abused for eight years and
finally escaped in August, recently gave a new interview about her
ordeal. But was it a good idea? DW-WORLD.DE spoke with a psychologist
and trauma expert.
German Government Plans New Nuclear Waste Dump
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hmh0hIfwf2zzI5
The German government, in its ongoing search for final storage
locations for its nuclear waste, is considering constructing an atomic
dump in the north-eastern state of Saxony-Anhalt, according to a
German newspaper.
Euro Rises on Positive German Business Confidence
http://newsletter.dw-world.de/re?l=1hmh0hIfwf2zzI6
American vacationers at Germany's Christmas markets didn't have
much to smile about when they exchanged their travelers cheques
as the European currency benefited from robust German business
confidence figures.
http://www.number-10.gov.uk/output/Page10661.asp
Speech to Business Leaders in Dubai
20 December 2006
Speaking to business leaders in Dubai at the end of a six-day tour of the Middle East, Mr Blair said Iran was at the heart of a "monumental struggle" between the forces of moderation and extremism around the world.
* World must "wake up to challenge of Iran"
speech is on this page.
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=35d15d08-7129-46a5-abe6-0e8ce20dbe80
Bomb Threat Grounds Delta Connection Jet
Wed, 20 Dec '06
Note Found Inside Magazine
Police are still searching for the writer of a note found onboard a Chautauqua Airlines regional jet earlier this week, claiming there was a bomb on the plane.
The Fort Wayne Journal-Gazette reports 25 passengers and three crewmembers were pulled off the flight bound for Cincinnati Monday afternoon, after one of the passengers found the handwritten note inside a magazine.
The plane was rolling to the runway at Fort Wayne International when the passenger, believed to be seated in row 12, alerted crewmembers to the note.
All persons onboard the Embraer 135 were taken to the terminal and held in a boardroom as Fort Wayne police, assisted by a bomb-sniffing dog and a robot, searched the aircraft.
One of the passengers, Lynnette Whitaker, said they waited for several hours before FBI began interviews. The passengers were allowed to leave the airport at approximately 6 pm, after being interviewed.
No bomb was found, said Fort Wayne police deputy chief Marty Bender.
"These types of incidents have occurred many times since 9/11, and we’d rather err on the side of caution," said FBI special agent Wendy Osborne.
FMI: www.fbi.gov, www.flychautauqua.com/
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=38901010-a24a-47f3-bff8-ca941abfcca5&
DOT Certifies World's First Hydrogen-Powered Sleigh
Thu, 21 Dec '06
Should Cut Reindeer Emissions By Staggering Percentage
Saying that Santa "is going green," on Wednesday US Secretary of Transportation Mary Peters certified the first-ever hydrogen powered sleigh as safe to operate in US airspace this holiday season.
"Santa’s new sleigh is a hybrid vehicle that can fly using either the traditional eight tiny reindeer or modern hydrogen fuel cells. The hydrogen sleigh is quieter, so Santa can make his deliveries without waking children and disturbing the visions of sugarplums dancing in their heads," Peters said.
Secretary Peters and members of the Department’s Research and Innovative Technology Administration Holiday Team inspected Santa’s sleigh -- including the hydrogen fuel cell that powers it -- as well as new crash avoidance technology, and the GPS unit that will get Santa to all the houses on his list.
Sources at the DOT tell ANN the hydrogen fuel cells provide sufficient power needed to pull the sleigh at speeds in excess of 650 miles-per-second -- give or take a nanosecond or two -- necessary for Santa to complete his mission in one night. That is particularly impressive, as Santa must travel against the jet stream for a large part of his annual journey.
Of course, Santa's sleigh was already the fastest non-turbine general-aviation vehicle in existence, by a sizable margin... although we're sure there's a Columbia 400 owner out there who'd challenge that.
After the inspection, the Secretary signed a "Hydrogen Prototype Vehicle Waiver" that authorizes Santa, aka Kris Kringle, to operate the vehicle in US airspace and on rooftops.
The waiver signed by the Secretary expressed the Department’s wishes to promote the safe, efficient and environmentally-friendly passage of holiday goodies by a well-trained crew of reindeer and Santa’s prototype hydrogen-powered sleigh.
"Santa’s new sleigh guarantees on-time delivery of toys to millions of good girls and boys this holiday season," Secretary Peters said.
Of course, using hydrogen power should also drastically reduce a little-reported, but very real, problem with Santa's previous method of propulsion. The DOT says holiday carolers and other pedestrians need no longer worry about being nailed by, um, reindeer "emissions" traveling at speeds in excess of 650 miles-per-second.
FMI: www.dot.gov, www.noradsanta.org
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=bb3778e8-23ec-4258-b328-1d99bc9ff858&
Oklahoma Accident Pilot Free On Bail
Thu, 21 Dec '06
Charged With Manslaughter In Deaths Of Three Passengers
The pilot who survived a fatal weekend crash of a Bellanca Viking into an Oklahoma reservoir bonded out of jail Wednesday, after a judge cut his $300,000 bail in half.
As Aero-News reported, 30-year-old Thomas Brent Caldwell was flying with three passengers Saturday night when the aircraft went down in Grand Lake, east of Tulsa, OK. Police say Caldwell was intoxicated when they found him, and that he does not possess a valid pilot license.
Caldwell is charged with first-degree manslaughter for the deaths of 15-year-old Mariano Carlos, 20-year-old Eduardo Robles and 33-year-old Campos Gonzalez.
KOTV-6 in Tulsa reports Caldwell's attorney, Chris Lyons, told the court his client has no prior criminal history, and does not pose a flight risk.
"You're dealing with a man who has character, who has heart, he is going to do what is right," said Lyons.
Results of a blood test administered following the accident have not been released.
The National Transportation Safety Board is investigating the cause of the accident. Witnesses say the Bellanca's propeller was not spinning when the plane went into the water.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=f916ef7e-5115-455d-9b46-190e7d30d223&
[Las Vegas radio and Kingman radio, still had alerts out for this plane on the news, as far as I know it is still missing]
FAA Says Nevada ELT Signal Not From Missing Plane
Wed, 20 Dec '06
Alert Issued After Plane Fails To Arrive At Destination
ANN REALTIME UPDATE 12.20.06 1300 EST: The Federal Aviation Adminstration says an emergency beacon signal picked up Tuesday was apparently from a boat, and is not connected to a missing Cirrus SR22.
Agency spokesman Ian Gregor told the Associated Press the signal was picked up west of the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, NV. As Aero-News reported, the missing plane took off Monday from Winslow, AZ bound for Henderson Executive Airport.
The Las Vegas Review-Journal reports the missing plane is registered to JTS Group, in Henderson. The pilot's husband reported the plane missing Monday night, after it failed to arrive in Henderson. An alert notice was then issued.
The area along the plane's intended flight path was hit with winter weather conditions Monday, with snow falling in Las Vegas. Conditions cleared Tuesday and are reported clear and sunny today -- which should assist search crews trying to locate the missing plane.
FMI: www.faa.gov
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=1dc912ec-2a71-4c87-90e1-fdcaf716b525&
TSA Tightens Security At Air Carrier Airports
Wed, 20 Dec '06
Those With SIDA Badges Can Expect To Be Questioned
If you have been issued a security identification display area (SIDA) badge or other airport-issued ID that gives you access to an air carrier airport, the Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association says you can expect airport staff to ask you for additional information, including proof of citizenship. You will need to provide this information in order to continue to have access to the airport.
"This is part of the Transportation Security Administration's ongoing effort to ensure safety and security at air carrier airports," said Rob Hackman, AOPA director of security and regulatory policy, "and is not specifically directed at general aviation. We have discussed our members' potential concerns about this procedure with the TSA and will continue to closely follow the implementation of this procedure to make sure it doesn't adversely affect pilots."
The administration is requiring those who already have these passes -- including airport employees, maintenance workers, and caterers, as well as GA pilots and aircraft owners -- to resubmit their personal information, along with proof of citizenship, to continue using their existing pass or to get a new one.
Proof of citizenship is the only new information pilots will need to provide. A passport or birth certificate accompanied by a government-issued photo ID (including a driver's license) are two examples.
AOPA says airports will collect this information for SIDA badges no later than February 1, 2007, and no later than March 1, 2007 for other airport-issued IDs.
FMI: www.tsa.gov, www.aopa.org
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=d2d06300-68eb-4507-943c-7f3363fd55d3&
Pilot Warned Of Altitude Before Waco, TX Cessna 310 Fatal
Wed, 20 Dec '06
NTSB: Night IMC Conditions Prevailed During Approach
The NTSB has released a preliminary report on a Cessna 310 (file photo of type below) crash from December 10. The aircraft, on approach to Waco Regional Airport in Waco, TX, crashed short of the runway killing all three aboard.
The aircraft was on an IFR flight plan from Natchez, MS with a clearance to fly direct to Waco. Pilot Justin Cardneaux reported nearly 3,300 hours on his last medical issued in March 2004. He was rated as a commercial pilot for both single- and multi-engine aircraft, and also a CFII for single-engine aircraft.
When approaching Waco TRACON at around 18:45 local time, controllers vectored Cardneaux for an ILS to Rwy 19 at Waco Regional. Controllers also passed a PIREP from a pilot who had just flown the approach and landed safely. That pilot reported breaking out at 800 ft MSL a mile from the runway.
At 18:54 Cardneaux received an approach clearance and was directed to maintain 2000 MSL until established on the localizer. He acknowledged and was handed off to tower who cleared him to land on Rwy 19. At 18:56 Cardneaux acknowledged a call from tower reporting a 200-foot overcast with 2 miles visibility at Waco Regional.
At 18:54, 2.5 miles from the final approach fix (FAF), radar data shows the aircraft at 1800 ft MSL with a speed over the ground of 76 knots. The controller directed Cardneaux to maintain 2000 until established on the localizer. The ILS or LOC RWY 19 approach for Waco shows a glideslope intercept altitude of 1800 ft MSL.
Radar data shows the aircraft crossed the FAF 4.5 miles from the runway at 2,100 MSL (300 ft above the glideslope intercept altitude) and 81 knots. At 2.3 miles from the airport, the aircraft was at 900 ft MSL and 81 knots. The decision height for the approach is 705 ft MSL which is 200 AGL.
At that point, a tower controller radioed, "N677...low altitude alert...check altitude immediately." Radar shows a momentary climb back to 1,100 ft before a descent to 600 ft over the next 30 seconds. The final radar target shows the aircraft at 600 ft MSL and 59 knots -- the field elevation is 516 ft MSL.
Both a tower controller and a witness driving near the airport saw the aircraft explode on impact with terrain short of the runway. The fire department was on the scene within five minutes but the aircraft was consumed by fire precluding a successful rescue attempt.
The aircraft's wreckage was oriented on a heading of 160 with impact marks on the ground several ft to the right consistent with the wings, tip tanks and engines.
The official weather reported at the time of the accident was winds 140 at 8, temperature 50 degrees Fahrenheit, dewpoint 48 degrees Fahrenheit, altimeter setting 30.15, visibility two miles, mist, ceiling 200 ft overcast.
FMI: www.ntsb.gov
http://www.aero-news.net/index.cfm?ContentBlockID=1e64b1e3-c78c-4846-8b57-ba4dfb06d9d4&
Baby OK After Being Put Through X-Ray Machine At LAX
Wed, 20 Dec '06
TSA Asks Passengers "To Use Some Common Sense"
Doctors report a one-month-old baby who was accidentally put through an X-ray machine at Los Angeles International Airport this weekend will be just fine, and that he did not receive a dangerous dose of radiation.
The Los Angeles Times reports a 56-year-old woman placed her grandson in the scanner Saturday morning. TSA workers did not see the unnamed woman put the baby on the belt, but a worker pulled the bin out of the machine when he noticed the outline of a baby on the machine's monitor.
Officials say the woman spoke Spanish, and apparently did not understand English. She initially resisted efforts by airport staff to have her grandson taken to a local hospital for examination -- security officials called the paramedics anyway. After an examination, the woman and her grandson were allowed to board a flight to Mexico City.
The incident, while unusual, is not unprecedented. Paul Haney, deputy executive director of airports and security for the city's airport agency, said an infant in a car seat went through an X-ray scanner at LAX in 1988.
"Since then LAX has served more than 1 billion travelers without an incident of this type," he told the Associated Press.
Officials are questioning whether the TSA has enough screeners at checkpoints to catch similar errors.
"Rather than focus on the radiation dose, which is a small amount, we need to focus on why this happened, so it doesn't happen again," said Dr. James Borgstede, a diagnostic radiologist at Penrose-St. Francis Health Systems in Colorado Springs, CO and president of the American College of Radiology. "Human beings weren't meant to go through those things."
Borgstede says the infant was subjected to the same dose of radiation in the machine, that he would naturally receive from cosmic rays in a day.
"The screeners are still reporting that they're being pushed," said retired FAA security agent Brian Sullivan. "If a baby can get through, what the hell else can get through?"
The TSA says its workers can't monitor everything passengers place on the belt -- and notes there are signs posted at ticket counters and near checkpoints, in both English and Spanish, warning people to place all metal objects into bins for x-ray surveillance.
"There's an obligation on the traveler to use some common sense," said Larry Fetters, the TSA's federal security director at LAX. "If they don't understand, they should ask somebody. If they ask us, we are generally able to find someone who speaks that language and assist them."
FMI: www.tsa.gov, www.lawa.org
http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=926612
U.S. embassy in El Salvador gets bomb threat
23 Hours,17 minutes Ago
The United States embassy in El Salvador on Tuesday received a warning about a bomb in its precinct, according to reports reaching here.
The embassy "has received a bomb threat today. We appreciate the help of the El Salvador government, especially the National Civil Police, in securing the embassy and making sure our neighbors are safe," said the U.S. embassy.
The police said that the embassy, which is located in Antiguo Cuscatlan on the outskirts of El Salvador's capital, San Salvador, had been evacuated and that bomb experts had searched the compound for explosives. They did not say if anything had been found.
The embassy evacuated all staff and suspended all services to the public. Authorities sealed some nearby streets in order to safeguard residents.
The embassy said it would make new appointments for the people who were seeking visas and other documents.
El Salvador is one of the United States' strongest allies in the Central America region and one of the few nations to support the U.S.-led war in Iraq with troops.
http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=926443
Police bust telemarketing fraud ring
25 Hours,15 minutes Ago
Police and RCMP in Montreal have dismantled an international telemarketing fraud ring that allegedly targeted thousands of seniors, mostly in the U.S. but also in Canada.
Early Tuesday morning, officers with the Centre of Operations Linked to Telemarketing (COLT) fraud, led by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, swooped down on "boiler rooms" used to make misleading telephone calls to potential victims and conducted about 50 searches.
"We had to stop this crime from being committed at this point, because a lot of seniors -- mainly in the U.S. -- were losing their life savings," Montreal police Const. Sylvain L'Heureux told CTV News.
"Several suspects are expected to be arrested on fraud charges," the RCMP said in a statement.
Since 2003, this organization allegedly victimized 500 people a week, grossing between $8 million and $13 million annually. An unknown number of victims have lost $1,500 to $65,000 each after they were convinced to pay by a variety of schemes, according to the RCMP.
Telemarketers would contact people throughout North America to convince them to pay fake taxes, buy medical kits or subscribe to lotteries, according to police.
Some victims mortgaged their houses to pay fees demanded by marketers. About $20,000 in cash was seized in the raids.
Western Union management has also agreed to collaborate with COLT by closing seven agent locations in Montreal that have been used to transfer money generated through fraudulent telemarketing.
"We do believe that some of those locations were involved in the fraudulent padouts, so to protect consumers and prevent any further losses, we are voluntarily closing those locations," said company spokesperson Sherry Johnson.
Two additional places with business licences from another company specializing in electronic money transfers will also be searched by the investigators.
L'Heureux said the most flagrant fraud scheme involved a fake lottery.
The telemarketers would call people telling them they were winners, and that they needed to pay a tax ranging from $1,500 to $60,000 in order to collect their winnings. Approximately 90 per cent of the victims in this case were over 60 years of age.
L'Heureux said what was particular about this scheme was that most of the victims are in the U.S., while all the criminals are "home grown."
Further, police are seeing more and more hardened criminals becoming involved in telemarketing schemes.
"Most of the people that were arrested today (were arrested) without warrants, and most of these people have criminal records related to violence or drugs," said L'Heureux.
In the mass telemarketing schemes, the fraudsters used various methods including telling people they were eligible to receive a $7,000 grant, or selling health care kits to companies or billing them for services never rendered.
"The common feature to every scheme in this kind of fraud is that the victims are asked to pay less than $500. And all telemarketing schemes require that the victims send money in the form of a certified cheque or money order," said the RCMP.
The Phonebusters Canadian anti-fraud call centre estimates that 500 to 1,000 criminal telemarketing boiler room operations are conducted on any given day in Canada, grossing about $1 billion a year.
Check out the South America stories, Chile, Cuba and more:
http://www.keralanext.com/news/morestories/?c=America
http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=926818
Traces of polonium found in Swedish tourist
20 Hours,4 minutes Ago
A Swede who stayed at the same hotel as the poisoned Russian former spy, Alexander Litvinenko, has been found to have increased levels of polonium in his body, Swedish news agency TT reported on Tuesday.
Following Litvinenko's death in London in November, three Swedes were tested to see if they too had traces of the substance in their bodies, according to TT.
The Russian appeared to have been poisoned with a high dose of polonium 210, but the circumstances surrounding his death have so far baffled British police.
The results of the tests on the Swedes show that one of them has slightly raised levels of polonium.
"In one case it has been possible to see a slight increase of polonium in the urine, but it's not at a level that poses a health risk," said Jonas Holst, a medic at the crisis management unit at the National Board of Health and Welfare.
The person with the increased level of polonium visited the barat the hotel in London where Litvinenko stayed. No treatment is required, said Holst.
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Every page of this book is a valuable document. In it are the affidavits of the former hostages who lived through that nightmare at the theatrical center on Dubrovka. There are also the autopsies and legal resolutions about the criminal case, papers that until recently were hightly classified.
"AFTER A TERRORIST ATTACK PEOPLE ARE ON THEIR OWN"
"TIMELY MEDICAL ASSISTANCE"