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.

Lawfare for Dummies (back)

February 15, 2007

Yesterday the US ambassador Robert McCallum told the National Press Club that lengthy appeal processes by Guantanamo Bay inmates were the cause of their extended imprisonment. McCallum said al-Qaeda trained its recruits in 'lawfare', where they used democratic systems and judicial processes to their advantage.

Crikey was getting ready to scoff at this suggestion, until we were told to consult the al-Qaeda manual, specifically, 'Lesson Eighteen':

UK/BM-176 TO UK/BM-180 TRANSLATION

The object of bin Laden is to establish a 'Caliphate according to the prophet’s path.' To accomplish this objective he must induce others to engage in acts and would bring about a world economic collapse and social upheaval that would bring about the deaths of hundreds of millions. To contain this mad man the best weapon is the truth.

Lesson Eighteen

PRISONS AND DETENTION CENTRES

IF AN INDICTMENT IS ISSUED AND THE TRIAL, BEGINS, THE BROTHER HAS TO PAY ATTENTION TO THE FOLLOWING:

1 . At the beginning of the trial, once more the brothers must insist on proving that torture was inflicted on them by State Security [investigators ]before the judge.

2. Complain [to the court] of mistreatment while in prison.

3. Make arrangements for the brother’s defence with the attorney, whether he was retained by the brother’s family or court-appointed.

4. The brother has to do his best to know the names of the state security officers, who participated in his torture and mention their names to the judge. [These names may be obtained from brothers who had to deal with those officers in previous cases.]

5. Some brothers may tell and may be lured by the state security investigators to testify against the brothers [ie, affirmation witness], either by not keeping them together in the same prison during the trials, or by letting them talk to the media. In this case, they have to be treated gently, and should be offered good advice, good treatment, and pray that God may guide them.

6. During the trial, the court has to be notified of any mistreatment of the brothers inside the prison.

7. It is possible to resort to a hunger strike, but it is a tactic that can either succeed or fail.

8. Take advantage of visits to communicate with brothers outside prison and exchange information that may be helpful to them in their work outside prison [according to what occurred during the investigations]. The importance of mastering the art of hiding messages is self evident here.

Source: http://www.crikey.com.au/Politics/20070215-Lawfare-for- Dummies-consulting-the-al-Qaida-manual-on-how-to-rort-the-lega l-system-.html

FBI Rules out Terrorism in Mall Shooting (back)

February 15, 2007

Ladies and Gentlemen,

Regarding the FBI determination that the SLC Mall murders were not terrorism related -- This is the 'resonant chord' I spoke of when offering what I came away with in reading LTC Joseph Myers review essay of the 'Quranic Concept of War' by Brigadier S.K. Malik -- specifically as it applies to Islamic terrorism on US soil.

The salient points from LTC Myers review essay of Malik's book:

LTC Myers writes:

'Malik's most controversial dictum is summarized in the following manner: in war, 'the point where the means and the end meet' is in terror. He formulates terror as an objective principal of war; once terror is achieved the enemy reaches his culminating point. 'Terror is not a means of imposing decision upon the enemy; it is the decision we wish to impose . . . ' Malik's divine principal of Islamic warfare may be restated as 'strike terror; never feel terror.'

'This statement struck a resonant chord in me and was the catalyst for thought provocation on something I have long suspected, but have had no viable explanation for regarding our current success in the domestic counter-terrorism front' ... (I then briefly list a couple of sub-themes before arriving here-) ... 'The resonant chord I heard is this: In denying ANY terrorist successes, and by suppressing any knowledge or admission of terrorist success or of active planning in their CONUS operations - the U.S. federal government has effectively mitigated and outrightly denied the primary goal of the Islamists. Thus the U.S. government has prevented the terrorizing of the American population.'

Again, 'Simply restated, the goal is that there will be no log-term terrorizing of the American population.'

On Monday, Solejman TALOVIC succeeded in attacking American citizens in a shopping mall where Derrick SHAREEF (A/K/A Talib Abu Salam Ibn Shareef) had failed just before this past Christmas.

The difference?

In the case of SHAREEF the FBI was lucky that Shareff had a big mouth and they had an informant in the right place at the right time which led to a timely preemption of his plot. In the case of TALOVIC they did not.

Here's a refresher on how the felony case against SHAREEF was handled. Hint: not terrorism related, no charges relating to the attempted murder of American citizens were ever made depite his statements to the contrary.

http://www.sweetness-light.com/archive/muslim-arrested-for-plotting-terrorist-attack-on-mall

Oh, by the way, there's one other difference in these two cases. TALOVIC is dead. SHAREEF is recruiting more jihadi's in the US prison system.

Not-terrorism related... 'just unexplainable'...i.e. no other explanation...has the FBI never heard of Islamic martyrs and jihadists...

So I suppose the investigation is over and they will not search his home, his computer, talk to his friends, go to his mosque, look at his e-mails and library books and web downloads and searches...

...Somehow I anticipated this, am I wrong, but no Muslim that has killed and injured in this Country post 9-11 has been found to have terror links or their crime attributed to any particular motivation...just unexplainable.

FBI rules out ; authorities tracing shooter's guns

By Paul Foy

The FBI said Wednesday it has no reas on to believe the shooting spree that killed five people in a shopping mall was an act of Islamic terrorism, leaving a young Bosnian immigrant's motives a mystery.

'It's just unexplainable,' FBI agent Patrick Kiernan said. 'He was just walking around and shooting everybody he saw.'

Sulejman Talovic, 18, fired randomly at shoppers Monday, killing five and leaving four others with bullet wounds before he was shot dead by police.

Source: http://www.postindependent.com/article/20070214/ FRONTPAGE/70214004

Gang Activity in the U.S. Military (back)

February 12, 2007

by Rod Powers

According to a recently released FBI report, Gang-related activity in the US military is increasing and poses a threat to law enforcement officials and national security.

The report, Gang Activity in the U.S. Armed Forces Increasing, dated January 12, states that members of nearly every major street gang have been identified on both domestic and international military installations. Members of nearly every major street gang, including the Bloods, Crips, Black Disciples, Gangster Disciples, Hells Angels, Latin Kings, The 18th Street Gang, Mara Salvatrucha (MS-13), Mexican Mafia, Nortenos, Surenos, Vice Lords, and various white supremacist groups, have been documented on military installations. Although most prevalent in the Army, the Army Reserves, and the National Guard, gang activity is pervasive throughout all branches of the military and across most ranks, but is most common among the junior enlisted ranks, according to the report.

The extent of gang presence in the armed services is often difficult to determine since many enlisted gang members conceal their gang affiliation and military authorities may not recognize gang affiliation or may be inclined not to report such incidences.

Since 2004, the FBI and El Paso Police Department have identified over 40 military-affiliated Folk Nation gang members stationed at the Fort Bliss Army Installation in Texas who have been involved in drug distribution, robberies, assaults, weapons offenses, and a homicide, both on and off the installation.

Fort Hood , Texas , Army Installation officials have identified nearly 40 gang members on base since 2003. Military-affiliated Gangster Disciple members at Fort Hood have been responsible for robberies, assaults, theft, and burglaries on and off base.

Nearly 130 gang and extremist group members have been identified on the Fort Lewis , Washington , Army Installation since 2005. These gang members are believed to be responsible for many of the criminal misconduct incidences reported on base.

The FBI reports that accurate data reflecting gang-related incidences occurring on military installations is limited, since the military is not required to report criminal offense statistics occurring on post to the FBI. Consequently, military data reflecting criminal incidents are not incorporated into the Uniform Crime Report (UCR).

Why Do Gang Members Join the Military?

The FBI believes that gang members may enlist in the military to escape their current environment or gang lifestyle. Some gang members may also enlist to receive weapons, combat, and convoy support training; to obtain access to weapons and explosives; or as an alternative to incarceration. Upon discharge, they may employ their military training against law enforcement officials and rival gang members. Such military training could ultimately result in more organized, sophisticated, and deadly gangs, as well as an increase in deadly assaults on law enforcement officers.

In May 2005 an Army recruit and suspected Crip member was assigned to the US Army Finance Battalion where he engaged in drug distribution. He was eventually discharged from the Army for misconduct.

According to open source reporting and multiple law enforcement reporting, soldiers—including gang members—are currently being taught urban warfare for combat in Iraq , including how to encounter hostile gunfire.

The Defense Criminal Investigative Service reported in 2006 that gang members, particularly MS-13 members, are increasing their presence on or near US military installations.

Even though the policy violates Military recruiting regulations, US criminal courts have allowed gang members to enter the service as an alternative to incarceration. Several incidences wherein gang members have been recruited into the armed services while facing criminal charges or on probation or parole have been documented. In many instances, a gang member facing criminal charges may be provided the option to join the military or serve a jail sentence. Furthermore, some army recruiters have been known to conceal recruits' gang affiliation to help boost their enlistment numbers.

Increased Crime

Gang membership in the armed forces can disrupt good order and discipline, increase criminal activity on and off military installations, and compromise installation security and force protection. Gang incidents involving active-duty personnel on or near US military bases nationwide include drive-by shootings, assaults, robberies, drug distribution, weapons violations, domestic disturbances, vandalism, extortion, and money laundering. Gangs have also been known to use active-duty service members to distribute their drugs.

The Aurora Police Department reports that in July 2006 a Marine reservist and Maniac Latin Disciple gang member who had served in Iraq was charged with attempted murder in the shooting of three teenagers in Aurora , Illinois .

According to FBI investigative data, in April 2006 a Blood member and active duty soldier at Fort Lewis allegedly robbed a bowling alley on base and is a suspect in a home invasion robbery in Olympia , Washington .

In January 2005 a Fort Hood soldier and Gangster Disciple leader was convicted of two aggravated robberies in Killeen, Texas.22 According to open-source reporting, he allegedly directed 30 to 40 Fort Hood Gangster Disciple members to commit illegal activities including drug dealing, identity theft, and armed robberies.

Dangerous Situation

Military-trained gang members also present an emerging threat to law enforcement officers patrolling the streets of US cities. Both current and former gang-affiliated soldiers transfer their acquired military training and knowledge back to the community and employ them against law enforcement officers, who are typically not trained to engage gangsters with military expertise. Gang members in the military are commonly assigned to military support units where they have access to weapons and explosives. Military personnel may steal items by improperly documenting supply orders or by falsifying paperwork. Law enforcement officials throughout the United States have recovered military-issued weapons and explosives-such as machine guns and grenades-from criminals and gang members while conducting search warrants and routine traffic stops.

In June 2006 an incarcerated US Army soldier and active gang member identified 60 to 70 gang-affiliated military personnel in his unit allegedly involved in the theft and sale of military equipment and weapons. The solider reported that many of the military personnel in charge of ammunition and grenade distribution are sergeants who are active gang members.

A May 2006 interview with a former Marine and Gangster Disciple member incarcerated in Colorado detailed how easily soldiers-many of whom were gang members-stole military weapons and equipment and used them on the streets of US cities or sold them to civilian gang members.

In December 2005 a National Guard soldier allegedly smuggled several machine guns back from Iraq and sold them to a gun dealer in Georgia , according to open-source information.

In a May 2006 interview with the Colorado Department of Corrections, an incarcerated Gangster Disciple member and former Marine discussed the advantages of military training and how it assists gang members in bank robberies, home invasions, and confrontations with police.

A 2006 news interview revealed that a Marine, who was a King Cobra member, stationed at MCAS Camp Pendleton, taught members of his gang how to engage in military-style ambushes and how to position themselves for tactical advantage. He further admitted that he joined the Marines 'to learn how to shoot guns.'

Threat to Dependents

Gang members commonly target dependent children of military personnel for recruitment. Military children are considered potential candidates for gang membership because the transient nature of their families often makes them feel isolated, vulnerable, and in need of companionship. Dependents of service members may be involved in drug distribution and assaults both on and off of military bases. Lax security at open installations may facilitate recruitment by allowing civilian gang members to access the base and interact with military personnel and their children.

Fort Bragg officials report that a number of violent incidences occurring on post often involve gang members and transpire at on-post nightclubs.

In May 2005 the Fort Bragg Provost Marshall (PM) closed the Fort Bragg Fair early because of multiple fights prompted by youths flashing gang signs. The PM remarked that similar incidences had also occurred at the prior year's fair.

A retired Special Forces soldier and President of the Hells Angels Fayetteville, North Carolina, chapter regularly visits Fort Bragg .

US Department of Defense (DoD) youth program staff have acknowledged that military children are heavily influenced by gangs. However, many military spokespersons have dismissed these children as 'wannabe gang members.'

According to the Office of National Drug Control Policy, military facilities in the continental United States as well as overseas military facilities have all experienced gang activity committed by dependents of service members.

Getting in the Military

Gang members have been known to enlist in the military by failing to report past criminal convictions or by using fraudulent documents. Some applicants enter the criminal justice system as juveniles and their criminal records are sealed and unavailable to recruiters performing criminal background investigations. Many military recruiters are not properly trained to recognize gang affiliation and unknowingly recruit gang members, particularly if the applicant has no criminal record or visible tattoos.

In August 2006 a Latin King member from Milwaukee joined the Marines while under federal indictment for racketeering. The recruiter reported that despite the gang member's indictment, he was still eligible for military service because he had not yet been convicted. He was, however, ultimately denied enlistment from service before reporting for duty.

In 2006 an MS-13 member stationed at Fort Lewis , Washington reported that he and several other MS-13 members joined the military after their clique's leader was incarcerated. The soldier claimed that he was candid about his gang membership when recruited.

In 2005 a Latin King member was allegedly recruited into the Army at a Brooklyn, New York , courthouse while awaiting trial for assaulting a New York police officer with a razor. He was reportedly instructed by the recruiter to conceal his gang affiliation.

In 2005 a California probation officer reported that they were lobbied by Army recruiters to support early probation terminations for gang-affiliated probationers to facilitate their military recruitment.

The FBI report concludes that while allowing gang members to serve in the military may temporarily increase recruiting numbers, US communities may ultimately have to contend with disruption and violence resulting from military-trained gang members on the streets of US cities. Furthermore, most gang members have been pre-indoctrinated into the gang lifestyle and maintain an allegiance to their gang. This could ultimately jeopardize the safety of other military members and impede gang-affiliated soldiers' ability to act in the best interest of their country.

Army Disagrees

In sharp contrast to the FBI report, an Army Criminal Investigation Command (CID), Gang Activity Threat Accessment for FY 2006, calls the threat of gang activity in the Army LOW. Their report concludes:

Overall, the assessment of the threat of gang activity in the Army is considered LOW.

There are indicators that gangs remain active in some military communities. During FY 2006, the CID initiated 16 gang investigations and reported 44 gang related incidents which occurred on Army installations or in Army communities.

Reports indicated there is a small number of Soldiers involved in gangs or gang related activity. However, there has been an increase in violent gang related investigations in FY06. Gang related violence in FY06 resulted in the loss of life of one US Army Soldier.

The majority of subjects in gang related investigations are junior enlisted (E-1-E-4) and/or youthful civilian dependent family members. During the period of October 2003 to September 2006, a total of 35 CID investigations were identified as felony crimes with gang related activity There have been no Senior NCOs or Officers identified in any gang related incidents or investigations.

Military communities continue to be a more stable, secure and lawful environment than their civilian counterparts, especially given recent access control and other security enhancements.

Much of the gan growth across the US can be attributed to the influence of the gang subculture rather than actual gang migration. Many communities are experiencing gan emulation of nationally recognized gangs.

Forming multi-agency task forces and joint community groups is an effective way to combat the problem. However, decreases in funding and staffing to many task forces have created new challenges for civilian communities. Limitations on recourses for authorized spaces, especially criminal intelligence spaces, have had a similar effect on CID's ability to be proactive in this area.

Source: No url

Islamist Forum Participants Discuss Threat to Islamist Sites (back)

February 15, 2007

Special Dispatch—Jihad and Terrorism Studies Project February 15, 2007 No. 1462

A recent discussion on an Islamist forum reflected Islamists' growing concern over the threat posed to their websites by Western intelligence agencies, and over the danger of exposure mujahideen face when online. Forum participants suggested various strategies for ensuring the circulation of Islamist materials and for protecting the Islamists' online anonymity.

The following are the main points of the discussion:

Addressing the issue of the threat to Islamist websites, one of the forum participants wrote: 'We are all aware of the Zionist-Crusader campaign that has been launched against the Islamist websites... The most recent [manifestation of this campaign] is... the effort of American intelligence to completely eliminate websites that distribute communiqués [by the mujahideen] and films [documenting] attacks of the Iraqi resistance, or which encourage so-called terrorism.... As part of this campaign, [the Americans also] threaten TV networks that broadcast videos [documenting] attacks... or that report [Coalition] casualties not reported by the U.S.military.'

To safeguard the distribution of jihad-related materials, the forum participants suggested posting them on multiple sites, both jihadist and non-jihadist, thus making them more difficult for U.S. authorities to remove. The participants compiled a list of suggested sites, and, in order to keep it out of the hands of non-Islamists, proposed that the list be posted on a special site and the URL sent to the mujahideen in private messages.

Regarding the danger of discovery by intelligence agencies, a participant wrote: 'The various intelligence agencies have realized the significance of [the jihad websites and forums] and have seized upon them as an opportunity... to hunt down 'terrorists'... The [agencies] attempt to infiltrate the forums and plant their own [agents] in them, in order to [detect the terrorists] or in order to pressure the website owners into cooperating with them in this matter...'

Several suggestions were made for minimizing this danger, including tips on maintaining anonymity when posting and reading material and when communicating with other forum members. One writer, for example, reminded mujahideen that not all forum participants were authentic Islamists, so identifying information should never be revealed. Participants cited a number of messages posted on Islamist websites which they suspected of being 'bait,' surmising that the messages had been placed by agents posing as Islamists in an attempt to win the trust of forum participants, with the aim of getting them to cooperate with the agent offline and thus expose themselves.

Mujahideen were advised to be wary when posting jihad-related materials at Internet cafés, since 'many of [these cafés] spy on their own customers, especially [those] with a Muslim appearance,' and since their servers are insufficiently secure and easily accessed by intelligence agencies. They were also advised to avoid using Internet cafés near their homes.

Another recommendation was to provide false information when registering on jihad websites, since the servers of these websites could be hacked by intelligence agencies. It was pointed out that using the same user name and password on all Islamist websites could jeopardize the user's anonymity.

Users were also advised to suspect every downloadable file being circulated on the forums, because some contained spyware.

The discussion also focused on common software and built-in computer tools to protect online anonymity. For example, members were advised to use proxy sites when accessing forums, to configure browsers to block 'cookies,' to empty the 'Temporary Internet Files' and 'History' folders each time they closed their browsers, and not to save encrypted pages to disk. They were further told to use anti-spyware programs and various other tools available to the general community of users.

Source: v

[unknown url]

Summary of Information for Operation Gamble (back)

February 14, 2007

by Benjamin Kuperberg

Operation Gamble ( UK Kidnap / Beheading Plot): Summary of Events

Description of Plot

United Kingdom police interdicted a plot to kidnap a British Muslim soldier on leave from Iraq or Afghanistan and behead him 'Iraq-style' on camera.

On January 21, 2007, nine Birmingham-area men were arrested, suspected of planning to kidnap and murder a British Muslim soldier. The suspects are mostly of Pakistani origin. Twelve addresses in the Sparkhill, Washwood Heath, Kingstanding, and Edgbaston areas were raided and searched. A white transit van was removed from one of the Alum Rock locations. The suspects may have planned to abduct the target off the street, putting him into the van.

Based on the charges, the suspects started supporting terrorism in March 2006, but planning for the kidnap plot itself appears to have begun in November 2006. Police decided to make the arrests after one of the suspects was observed buying a camcorder that police believed would be used to film the execution.

The suspects planned to force the soldier to plead for his life on camera by denouncing British policies in Iraq and Afghanistan. They would then torture and behead him. The video would have been broadcast on an extremist website. It is possible that the group planned multiple kidnappings, with sources suggesting between 2 and 25 targets, and they may have expanded the plot to include non-Muslim British soldiers.

Police reportedly asked a number of potential target soldiers to act as bait, walking around the areas where the suspects congregated to lure them out. One of the potential target soldiers is identified as Zeeshan Hashmi, although he denies that he was a target. He is the brother of Jabron Hashmi, who was the first British Muslim soldier killed in Afghanistan. The website of al-Ghurabaa, a splinter group of al-Muhajiroun (a radical British Islamist organization) praised his death, calling him a traitor. Zeeshan was allegedly threatened by one of the suspects at a snooker hall recently. He was told that he was a 'traitor' and 'he should have his head chopped off.'

A few weeks ago, an SAS unit was permanently deployed to London. This was done as a direct response to this plot. Law enforcement and intelligence services planned to use the SAS unit to rescue any hostages and capture the suspects if the plot went into action.

Motivation / Leadership

The plot may have been ordered from al-Qaeda leaders in Pakistan and Iraq. After the Operation Overt (Bojinka-II) interdiction in August 2006 which stopped a plot to blow up aircraft flying from Great Britain to the United States, al-Qaeda leadership decided to switch to 'low-tech' operations that could be planned and carried out without attracting the attention of intelligence and law enforcement services. Police are investigating whether the 7/7 bombings and this plot were masterminded by the same person or group.

Omar Bakri Mohammed, a radical preacher who fled from the United Kingdom to Lebanon just after the July 7, 2005 bombings and the leader and founder of al-Muhajiroun, called British Muslim troops apostates just after Jabron Hashmi’s death. In a video on an Islamist website, he called for the capture of more soldiers, warning that 'we will strike your neck.' It is believed that Bakri Mohammed may have been the inspiration for this plot. He has specifically called for abducting British Muslims who serve in the army, and in a recording from June 2006 made from his home in Beirut, he discusses slicing the necks of Islam’s enemies, specifically traitors to Islam.

Suspects

The suspects had allegedly sent equipment and computer hardware to al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan, and at least one suspect had just returned from a trip to Pakistan. Other reports say that four suspects had recently visited training camps in Pakistan.

· Zahoor Iqbal (29 yrs old): Iqbal is a father of two, a secondary school teacher, and a skilled cricket player nicknamed 'The Terminator' for his abilities. He drank with his cricket team, although other team members say that he stopped playing with them after 2003. Iqbal grew up on Third Ave. in Birmingham, very close to the home of Jabron Hashmi. Iqbal’s mother moved back to Pakistan a few years ago after her husband (and Iqbal’s father’s) death. He appeared clean-shaven, and his wife, who runs a fashion firm, wore the headscarf but never the full veil. Iqbal owned two houses: a large house with a pool on Elmbridge Road in the Kingstanding area, and a run-down council house in Aston, which has been abandoned for nine months. The Aston house was previously rented out to asylum-seekers. Both Iqbal and his wife drive new, expensive cars. Iqbal is charged with supplying equipment and funding for terrorism.

· Pervez / Parviz Khan (36): Khan is an unemployed father of four. He was arrested at his home on Foxton Road, in the Alum Rock area. He is known to be deeply religious and espouse anti-western views. Khan is charged with intent to commit a terrorist act, namely to kidnap and kill a member of the British Armed Forces. He is also charged with supplying equipment and funding for terrorism.

· Amjad Mahmoud (29 or 31): Mahmoud is a shopkeeper at his father’s store, Khan’s General Store. He is known as a die-hard soccer fan and is well-known in his community. He works 12-hour days at the store, seven days a week. His brother, Ziah Khan, said that he is always working and never has time to leave the country. Mahmoud has a wife and 2 sons, and they live on Jackson Road, in Alum Rock. His father is good friends with the leadership at the Ludlow Road mosque, but Amjad rarely, if ever, attended. He is charged with supplying equipment and funding for terrorism, as well as failing to disclose knowledge of a terrorist plot.

· Basiru Gassama (29): Gassama is a Gambian national who worked at Khan’s General Store with Amjad Mahmoud. He is charged with failing to disclose information about a potential act of terrorism.

· Mohammed Irfan (30): Irfan is charged with supplying equipment and funding for terrorism.

· Hamid Elasmar (43): Elasmar is charged with supplying equipment and funding for terrorism.

· Azzar Iqbal (30’s): Iqbal lives at Ward End Park Road, in Ward End. He is married with a family and runs a take-out pizza shop. Iqbal moved from Kashmir to the U.K. in 1977. His relatives say that he prayed at the 'Jamia Mosque' in Sparkbrook, where radical preachers were secretly taped. Iqbal has not been charged, and has likely been released, although he has not been mentioned as one of the released men.

· Abu Bakir (27) was released without charge after being arrested in the Sparkhill area. He has a wife and two kids, and manages and works at the Maktabah Islamic book shop. Abu Bakir says that he was never questioned about any kidnap plot while in custody.

· LNU FNU: One man was arrested at a property on Asquith Road.

· LNU FNU: One man was arrested on the M6 motorway, hours after the raids in Birmingham.

· The tabloid newspaper The Sun reports that 2 other Asian, presumably Pakistani suspects had escaped the police presence in Birmingham and were on the run.

NOTE: There were nine people arrested in all. Of those, three were released, and the other 6 were charged (Zahoor Iqbal, Pervez Khan, Amjad Mahmoud, Basiru Gassama, Mohammed Irfan, and Hamid Elasmar.) Abu Bakir is the only man confirmed to have been released. It is assumed that Azzar Iqbal was also released.

Locations Raided

· Jackson Road and Foxton Road, in Alum Rock – Pervez Khan’s house

· Poplar Road and Stratford Road, in Sparkhill – Abu Bakir’s house

· Showell Green Lane and Stratford Road, in Sparkhill – Blade Cybercafé and Communications, owned by Imran Khan (see below)

· 384 Stratford Road, in Sparkhill – the Maktabah al-Ansar Bookstore. The bookstore has been raided three times. In 1999, the store commissioned 'Army of Madinah in Kashmir,' written by Dhiren Barot (aka Issa al-Hindi,) currently serving a life sentence for terrorism offences. The book accuses western troops of invading Muslim countries and calls on Muslims to fight back. Numerous other radical books and cds are sold at the property. In 2000, police raided and took away books, files, and computers. The store is owned by Imran Khan and Moazzam Begg. Khan, who owned the store, also founded the Blade Cybercafé and Communications down the street. In 2003, both stores as well as Khan’s office were raided. Khan now lives in Pakistan and no longer runs the shop, although Nanji Gohil, who owns the property from which the store operates, says that Khan is still involved in running the store. MI5 is rumored to have attempted to recruit Khan as an undercover agent. Moazzam Begg was captured in Afghanistan and spent three years at Guantanamo before being released without charge in 2005.

· 106 Ward End Park Road, in Alum Rock – Azzar Iqbal’s house

· Golden Hillock Road, in Sparkhill – Dah Makkah International bookstore. A wholesale book warehouse which sells books to the approximately 30 bookstores in the area.

· Alum Rock Road and Jackson Road, in Alum Rock – Khan’s General Store.

· Asquith Road, in Alum Rock / Washwood Heath – a 'grimy, terraced house.'

· Florence Road

· Leatherhead Close, in Aston – Videos of beheadings were found at a run-down, abandoned house on Leatherhead Close. The house backs up to Aston High School. It is believed that the execution would take place here. This property is owned by Zahoor Iqbal, who rented it out to asylum-seekers. The property had been empty since the summer of 2006.

· Elmbridge Road, in Kingstanding – Zahoor Iqbal’s house

· 3 other locations were added to the search as of 2/2/07

Other Locations of Interest

· At least one suspect attended the 'Hamza mosque' in Sparkhill. Tablighi Jamaat, a secretive Muslim missionary and revival movement, is known to have a strong presence at that mosque. Tablighi is also called the 'conveyor belt for terrorism,' for its links to terrorist groups.

· A Tipton area house was also 'earmarked' by the plotters as a possible execution site.

· The Markaz-e- Jamiat Ahl-e-Hadith mosque in Small Heath, where Abu Usamah (presumably Abu Usamah al-Thahabi, an American-born radical imam) was secretly recorded giving 'hate sermons.' At least one of the suspects, possibly Zahoor Iqbal, attended this mosque.

MAJOR QUESTIONS TO BE ANSWERED

· While there was ample motivation for the plot, from Omar Bakri Mohammed’s speeches to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi’s beheading videos in Iraq, who was the operational mastermind of this plot? Was this plot sent down from al-Qaeda leadership in Pakistan? Or was it a home-grown operation without extensive connections to al-Qaeda leadership?

· Where did the group meet? How were they radicalized? How did the cell select its target? Did they have a mole in the army who supplied information? Did they simply plan to kidnap anyone in an army uniform who 'looked Muslim?' Or did they plan to target Zeeshan Hashmi, who was already known to at least one of the suspects?

· What roles did the Maktabah bookstore and Blade Cybercafé play in the plot? Were they meeting places? Was the camcorder purchased at Blade? Did they plan to use that location to stream the execution video?

· Why do British Pakistani cells consistently have one 'foreigner' in their cells?

The July 7, 2005 cell had Germaine Lindsey, the Crevice cell had Anthony Garcia, and this cell has Bassiru Gassama. Is this a signature of British Pakistani terror groups, or just coincidence?

· Are there still two suspects on the run? Or is this report erroneous?

· Who is running the Birmingham 'factory of jihad?' Birmingham continues to be a focal point for jihadis in Britain.

The Rauf family, who has at least one suspect in the August 2006 'Bojinka-II' aircraft bombing plot, lives in Birmingham.

A suspect in the failed July 21, 2005 bombings, Yassin Omar, fled to Birmingham after his botched attempt.

Faisal Mostafa, a Birmingham-based terrorist, was convicted of a 1996 assassination plot and served four years in prison.

In 2002, Mostafa was acquitted of possessing explosives while his colleague, Moinul Abedin, was convicted and is serving a 20-year sentence.

Afzal Shaan was named as a Birmingham-based bombmaker who may have taught Shehzaad Tanweer and Mohammed Siddique Khan how to build the explosives that they used on July 7, 2005.

Source: No url

Tariq Ramadan Terrorist (back)

February 14, 2007

A Swiss intelligence informant confirms links between Ayman Al Zawahiri and the Ramadan brothers

According to a former informant for the Swiss intelligence who claims to have been recruited to infiltrate the Islamic Center of Geneva, managed by members of the Ramadan family, including Hani and Tariq, Ayman Al Zawahiri attended two meetings there in Geneva in March 1991.

The information was revealed this week in a Swiss German newspaper quoting the spy's own memos after a trip to Egypt he made in 2005 at the request of Hani Ramadan. His records show he was able to confirm at least one contact between Hani Ramadan and Ayman Al Zawahiri in March 1991; his information indicates 'several trips' of Zawahiri in Geneva. It also mentions the fact that the Al Qaeda leader was holding a Swiss passport under the name of Amin Othan (one of Zawahiri known aliases is Amin Othman).

[http://www.terrorfinance.org/the_terror_finance_blog/2006/09/tariq_ramadan_n.html]

Tariq Ramadan new links to terror

Following a decision of the US government not to appeal a court ruling ordering it to either issue a visa or provide good reasons for not doing so, Tariq Ramadan is on the eve of entering the United States, two years after his visa was revoked, based on provisions of the US Patriot Act allowing exclusion of foreign citizens who have 'endorsed or espoused terrorism'.

Tariq Ramadan has always denied endorsing terrorism or having any contact with terrorists in Europe. When confronted with the evidence I provided during a face to face debate on Swiss TV in December 2003, he again denied these contacts. On terrorism and the use of suicide attacks against civilians he used his favorite 'double standard' position: he condemned these acts 'globally', but found them justified 'contextually'.

The evidence provided included the following:

- A Spanish Police General Directorate memo dated 1999 stating that Ahmed Brahim (sentenced to 10 years in prison for incitement to terrorism in April 2006) maintained 'regular contacts with important figures of radical Islam such as Tariq Ramadan'.

- The minutes of Djamel Beghal’s (sentenced to 10 years in prison in March 2005) first appearance testimony on October 1st, 2001 (following his indictment by a French antiterrorist judge for his participation to a foiled terrorist attack against the US Embassy in Paris), where he stated that before 1994, he 'attended the courses given by Tarek Ramadan'. According to the final prosecution documents, during his first interrogation before UAE authorities who arrested him, Beghal stated on September 22, 2001, that 'his religious engagement started in 1994' when 'he was in charge of writing the statements of Tariq Ramadan'.

- A Swiss intelligence memo of 2001 stating that 'brothers Hani and Tariq Ramadan coordinated a meeting held in 1991 in Geneva attended by Ayman Al Zawahiri and Omar Abdel Rahman', respectively Al Qaeda leader and planner of the terrorist attack against the World Trade Center in 1993, and sentenced to life in the United States.

- A human source testimony corroborating this information and stating that at the end of a friday prayer at the Islamic Center of Geneva in 1991, Hani Ramadan, brother of Tariq Ramadan, told the audience that a conference will be held few days later with Ayman Al Zawahiri, describing him as an 'Islamic Mujahideen'.

- An abstract of the Al Taqwa Bank (listed as SDGT) phonebook seized at Youssef Nada's house in 2001 where the Ramadan’s family name precedes the mention of 'Said Ramadan', Tariq and Hani Ramadan’s father.

New documents reveal that Tariq Ramadan had contacts with other terrorists in Europe.

According to the final French prosecution filing (dated December 8, 2005) against the 'Chechen networks', who had planned chemical attacks in France 'under the supervision of Abu Musab Al Zarqawi', Menad Benchellali (Head of the network who was sentenced to 10 years in prison in June 2006) traveled to Switzerland 'one or two times in 2000 to attend conferences on Islam provided by Tariq Ramadan'.

Source: http://www.terrorfinance.org/the_terror_finance_blog/2006/ 10/a_swiss_intelli.html

Warning to the Banks: Stop Providing Services to the Terrorists (back)

February 14, 2007

The Almog v. Arab Bank case was brought by victims or family members of victims of suicide and other bombings carried out by various terrorist organizations who allege that Arab Bank had 'knowingly provided banking and administrative services to various organizations identified by the US government as terrorist organizations that sponsored suicide bombings and other numerous attacks on innocent civilians in Israel'.

Arab Bank filed a motion to dismiss on the basis, among others, (1) that a heightened pleading standard should apply to terrorist financing cases, and (2) that providing banking services to, and allowing its bank to be used for the transfer of funds to, terrorists and organizations affiliated with terrorists constitutes nothing more than 'ordinary banking transactions'.

On January 29, 2007 (almog_v. Arab Bank Opinion and Order 29012007.pdf), the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York partially denied Arab Bank’s motion to dismiss in ruling on two critical issues often arising in terrorism financing cases:

Pleading standards in TF cases

The Court ruled that 'None of provisions of the Anti-Terrorism Act imposes a heightened pleading standard, nor do any require that Arab Bank have had the specific intent to cause the specific acts which injured plaintiffs… It is sufficient that Arab Bank played a role in a well-publicized plan to reward terrorists killed and injured in suicide bombings and other attacks in Israel; knew that the groups to which it provided services were engaged in terrorist activities; and knew that the funds it received as deposits and transmitted to various organizations were to be used for conducting acts of international terrorism'.

Bank liability standard for business transactions

To escape liability, banks usually argue in terrorism financing cases that they’ve 'merely provided routine banking services'. The Court rejected that argument by ruling that 'Arab Bank ignores that acts which in themselves may be benign, if done for a benign purpose, may be actionable if done with the knowledge that they are supporting unlawful acts … Given plaintiffs’ allegations regarding the knowing and intentional nature of the Bank’s activities, there is nothing 'routine' about the services the Bank is alleged to have provided'. The Court here confirmed a previous ruling in Linde v. Arab Bank in 2005 providing that where 'the Bank knows that the groups to which it provides services are engaged in terrorist activities' even the provision of basic banking services may qualify as material support'.

Source: http://www.terrorfinance.org/the_terror_finance_blog/2007 /02/a_clear_warning.html

Brigitte Link to Gutnick Death Plot (back)

February 14, 2007

Frenchman Willie Brigitte has been linked for the first time to an al-Qa'ida plot to murder Australian businessman and orthodox rabbi Joseph Gutnick, according to evidence heard in a Paris terror trial.

On day two of Brigitte's trial in Paris, where he stands accused of associating with terrorist groups and plotting attacks on Australia, presiding Judge Jacqueline Rebeyrotte said Australian investigators had found a notebook on Brigitte when he was arrested in Sydney in 2003 with a list of names including Gutnick's.

Judge Rebeyrotte said Brigitte's notebook also contained the names of terrorist leader Sajid Mir under the alias 'Uncle B' (the Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba leader Sajid Mir who allegedly sent Brigitte to Australia on a mission to form a terror cell and plan attacks); (subsequently convicted Australian terrorist) Jack Roche, and a reference to the so-called terror twins, Jemaah Islamiah leader Abdul Rahim Ayub, and the Afghani-trained jihadist Abdul Rahman Ayub.

The court heard Australian investigators 'made a connection' between the names in Brigitte's notes and an ongoing investigation into Roche's research on potential targets, including Mr Gutnick.

But Brigitte, who the court was told yesterday had played an 'important role' in a planned project to bomb Australian targets, including a nuclear site and military installations, told investigators at the time that he collected the names while he was watching television.

Mr Gutnick said last night he had no idea whether Brigitte might have been involved in the al-Qa'ida plot to kill him.

'I don't know what it means,' Mr Gutnick told The Weekend Australian from his home in New York. 'It is the first time I have heard about it. It is all a puzzle until we hear more information.'

Brigitte did not arrive in Australia until May 2003, six months after Mr Gutnick was told by the Australian Federal Police of the plot against him.

Mr Gutnick, a mining magnate, is also an orthodox Jewish rabbi whose financial support for right-wing policies in Israel has long raised the ire of Palestinians.

According to testimony from Brigitte's estranged third wife, Australian Melanie Brown, read out in the court at Paris's Palais de Justice yesterday, Brigitte 'hated Americans and Jews' and believed 'non-believers should die'.

The AFP believed the Gutnick murder plot was hatched in early 2000 and approved by three al-Qa'ida lieutenants.

It also involved convicted Australian terrorist Jack Roche, who told police that while he was in Afghanistan in 2000 hewas given money by al-Qa'ida and instructions that included gathering information on Gutnick.

The al-Qa'ida operatives behind the plan included military commander Abu Hafs, who was killed in Afghanistan in November 2001; Khalid Shaikh Mohammed - a mastermind of the September 11 terror attacks captured in 2003 - and Saif al-Adel, a former security chief to Osama bin Laden.

Brigitte's lawyer Jean-Claude Durimel told The Weekend Australian that his client simplynoted down the names of Mr Gutnick, Roche, Mir and others 'while he was watching television'.

Brigitte, who is refusing to answer questions in his terror trial, listened impassively to the damning testimony from Ms Brown, who was detained when she tried to visit Brigitte soon after his deportation and detention in France.

She has told investigators Brigitte began to question her about her knowledge of military secrets including encryption and transmissions two weeks into their marriage, which took place with what she thought was 'astonishing rapidity'.

She eventually burned her notebooks containing sensitive military information and refused to answer his repeated questions, even after Brigitte said 'Allah' needed to know.

Ms Brown told investigators Brigitte acted suspiciously and was highly secretive, with frequent visits from a friend who knocked at the door almost daily with a specific type of knock. She was 'not surprised' when Brigitte was arrested and alleged to have been involved in a terrorist cell planning attacks on Australia.

'All the elements we have show that Willie Brigitte's role in planning a bombing attack in Australia was important,' Judge Rebeyrotte said yesterday, reading out the investigating team's conclusions. 'He significantly played down his part in Australia, and his mission was dictated by Sajid Mir.'

But Brigitte has told investigators he was pressured by later convicted terror plotter Faheem Lodhi and Mir to carry out their plans for terror attacks in Sydney.

Source: http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,212014 53-601,00.html

Grand Delusion: The European Union's Contacts with Hamas (back)

January 20, 2006

The history and prospects of European Union contacts with Hamas – the Islamist organization responsible for repeated terrorist attacks in Israel and the Palestinian territories – assume special significance as the Palestinians prepare for legislative elections on January 25, 2006, with opinion surveys showing Hamas gaining ground against the factionalized governing party, Fatah. While the U.S. government has sanctioned no dialogue with Hamas, and the U.S. Congress would likely halt aid to the Palestinian Authority were Hamas to assume power, the European position has been more ambiguous, and may evolve further in response to the outcome of elections.

Close observers of Hamas, which is categorized by the EU and Washington as a terrorist organization, express grave reservations about the utility of EU-Hamas dialogue – past, present or future. 'Any dialogue with Hamas will only legitimize the terrorist activities of this Islamist organization,' according to Dr. Reuven Erlich, director of the Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, in Israel. 'How would an American official react if he was told that Al-Qaeda was going to sit in the Afghani parliament?' asks Erlich. 'Just like Al-Qaeda, Hamas – a terrorist organization that kills innocent civilians – cannot be considered a political partner.' Erlich insists that there is no ideological difference between the two organizations.

The only difference between Al-Qaeda and Hamas, according to Dr. Eli Carmon, of the Interdisciplinary Center in Herzliya, is of a strategic nature: Al-Qaeda's goal is to throw Americans out of Muslim countries in order to defeat 'moderate' regimes and restore the Caliphate (in other words, the unity of the Muslim nation), which will in turn allow for the liberation of Palestine. Hamas, however, thinks of the establishment of an Islamic Palestinian state as a catalyst to accelerate the Islamist revolution. In fact, Al-Qaeda and Hamas pursue the same final goal: the establishment of the Caliphate. The unity of the Muslim nation, in the ideology of both extremist organizations, is a precursor to the Islamicization of the world, accomplished through the conquest of the West, starting with Europe.

The foregoing analysis poses a challenge to those – particularly in the European Union – who maintain a distinction between so-called 'nationalist Islamists' (with whom they consider dialogue possible, and with whom Hamas is sometimes grouped), and those Islamists who are engaged in a global struggle (with whom no dialogue is possible). Carmon is alarmed at the history and extent of contacts between EU officials and Hamas representatives. In particular, Carmon makes note of a transcript, seized by the Israel Defense Forces in June 2002 at the headquarters of Palestinian Preventive Security Services, of a secret meeting between Hamas and Alistair Crooke, who was at the time EU Middle East Envoy Miguel Moratinos's advisor for security affairs. Crooke met with a delegation led by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin (Hamas's founder and spiritual leader), of whom he specifically asked – according to the transcript – that their meeting remain secret, so that Israel and the U.S. would not be able to use the information.

During the Crooke-Yassin meeting, the EU official expressed his desire to pursue dialogue with Hamas, whose 'social works' he said he admires. He also underlined that he did not consider Hamas's political branch a terrorist organization.

Carmon further mentions a declaration made by Javier Solana, Secretary-General of the Council of the European Union, on the BBC on November 25, 2004, in which he affirms having had direct contact with Hamas. This information was corroborated by an article published in March 2005 by the London-based Arab paper al-Shark al-Awsat, which told of meetings between EU representatives and Hamas in Damascus and Beirut, in which the removal of Hamas from the list of terrorist organizations was discussed. EU views on Hamas evolved as the election approached. In December 2005, Solana hinted that continued EU engagement with the PA in the event that Hamas gained power in the January election would depend on Hamas renouncing violence. Just this week, EU External Relations Commissioner Benita Ferrero-Waldner declined to rule out a suspension of EU aid to the PA should Hamas assume power – although direct budgetary assistance is now frozen over financial irregularities. Ferrero-Waldner said the EU 'will continue to offer our support to all those who seek peace by peaceful means.'

According to Carmon, Prime Minister Ariel Sharon erred when he did not demand that the Palestinian Authority disarm Hamas prior to the Gaza disengagement. Egypt, he says, compounded the error when it treated Hamas as the PA's equal during the negotiations in Cairo of a cease-fire that was supposed to engage all Palestinian factions.

Agreeing with Erlich, Carmon thinks that European and other officials would be weakening the PA and undercutting the prospects of long-term stability and peace if they pursued dialogue with Hamas; with the Palestinian legislative elections looming, signaling the possibility of such dialogue now would only further legitimize and embolden the organization, to the detriment of the PA and of the authority of PA President Mahmoud Abbas. Allowing Hamas – without abandoning its weapons or renouncing its charter, which calls for Israel's destruction – to participate in the Palestinian elections goes against EU laws that disqualify from the political process any party that advocates violence or racism. And such participation disserves the goal of establishing Palestinian democratic processes and traditions. In Israel, it should be noted, in order to protect the integrity of the state's democratic institutions, authorities have banned the extremist party Kach, founded by the late Rabbi Meir Kahane. Including anti-democratic, armed factions in elections – and in government – does not advance democracy; it retards it.

Substantial parliamentary representation by Hamas, now considered likely, will pose a significant obstacle to efforts to reinvigorate the peace process, says Carmon. Unwilling, for ideological reasons, to recognize and engage Israel, and unable to succeed against Israel militarily, Hamas will likely prefer to assume a blocking role, complicating efforts by Abbas – should he retain power – to advance relations with Israel through negotiations. In this context, Abbas deludes himself if he thinks he will be able to disarm Hamas and dismantle its armed branch after the elections. Carmon has no doubt that Hamas will resume terrorist activities after the elections. He recalls Sheikh Yassin's declaration: 'Israel will be destroyed in 2043, which will allow for the establishment of an Islamist state in Palestine.'

Kadoura Fares, a representative of the young Fatah guard in the National Palestinian Council and someone close to Marwan Barghouti, does not share these views. 'It is in our interest to integrate Hamas in the political system,' he said. 'By rejecting it to the extra-parliamentary opposition, we would only help radicalize it, pushing it in the path of Al-Qaeda.'

Fares nonetheless recognizes that a political party that sponsors its own armed militia poses a problem. 'All the militias will have to disappear, including Fatah's – but the collective decision to lay down arms has not been taken yet because of the continuation of the occupation.' According to Fares, the end of the armed struggle will occur when Israel enters into serious negotiations; for now, despite the Gaza disengagement, he sees no contradictions between the existence of the armed branch of Hamas and the fact that the organization is actively participating in elections. He suggests that sooner or later, the different Palestinian armed factions will have to integrate into the official forces of the PA. In the meantime, Fares favors dialogue between Hamas and the international community. 'Hamas has to understand that it is in its own interest to participate in the political game,' he says. 'Acceding to the rank of interlocutor can only encourage Hamas to renounce terrorism and become a real political party.'

'In any case,' declares Dr. Nabil Kukali, director of the Palestinian Center for Public Opinion, 'the EU must respect the right of the Palestinians.' In his view, Western rejection of Hamas would strengthen the organization's standing among Palestinians, stirring hostility to outside pressure. Kukali foresees increasing Hamas involvement in Palestinian political institutions, and suggests the organization should be encouraged in that direction – despite its violent record and rejectionist charter. Today, he asserts, there is an agreement between Hamas and the PA, and Hamas accepts the agreements between Abbas and Sharon matter-of-factly. He believes it is important to entertain a dialogue with the organization, even if it does not lay down arms and renounce armed struggle.

In any event, while dialogue at the highest levels appears to have fallen off, EU contact with Hamas in recent months has continued. Kukali confirms that in June 2005 meetings took place between EU officials and Hamas, following Hamas's victory in municipal elections in the Palestinian territories. At the time, the paper al-Shark Al-Awsat and the Agence France Presse in Jerusalem referred to these meetings and quoted a European official as saying that they were devoted to 'technical matters.' Following these meetings, the then-Israeli Foreign Minister, Silvan Shalom, voiced grave concern about the long-term risks of such contacts.

Kukali's position may reflect the sentiments of a significant portion of Palestinian public opinion that considers violence an acceptable accompaniment to any negotiation with Israel. According to him, Hamas is first and foremost a nationalist movement, despite being Islamist, and de facto acknowledges the Oslo Agreements by taking part in the parliamentary elections. Hamas, he thinks, is not in a position to destroy the policies of Mahmoud Abbas, who was elected by the people and whose expressed opposition to violence is widely known. But whether Hamas as a rejectionist – and murderous – movement behaves when in power as it has in opposition, only the election and time will reveal.

Nabil Amr, former Palestinian Information Minister and survivor of an assassination attempt in 2004 attributed to loyalists of then-PA Chairman Yasir Arafat, prefers not to counsel the EU on whether dialogue with Hamas is desirable or potentially fruitful. 'Europeans,' he says, 'know exactly what they ought to do or not. It is not for us to say whether they should talk to Hamas. What is very important, however, is that they establish an open dialogue with Mahmoud Abbas. To fully support peace and democracy, unflinching support must be given to the PA.'

The question of disarming the militias is first a matter for the Palestinians, Amr continues. 'The initiative must come from the Palestinians and, in particular, from Hamas.' Amr is in favor of Hamas's participation in the January 25 elections, but he also thinks that the organization must commit to respecting the democratic political process. Hamas must recognize there is only one authority, one rule and one armed force which is legal and legitimate. Amr is convinced that the problem of armed militias has to be solved, because their very existence is incompatible with the establishment of a democratic regime. The results will be clear very soon, he adds. 'After the elections, the Europeans, the Americans and the Israelis will be able to draw their own political conclusion.'

This Transatlantic Backgrounder was prepared with the assistance of proche-orient.info. Date: 1/20/2006

Source: http://ict.org.il/apage/9772.php

January 13, 2007

by Jonathan Fighel

The Da’awa influence of Saudi Arabian Wahhabbism

In series of videotaped lectures by Sheik Feiz Mohammed, head of the 'Global Islamic Youth Center' in western Sydney, Jews were called 'pigs' and pronounced 'on their way to hell', in addition to children being urged to become martyrs for Islam. The Sheik made his remarks on a series of videotaped lectures for sale in Australia and overseas, but drew widespread condemnation. 'We want to have children and offer them as soldiers to the jihad', the Australian-born cleric said on a portion of one of the tapes, aired on Australian television.[1][1] The cleric said many parents were stopping their children from attending Islamic lessons for fear that they 'might create a place in their hearts, the love, just a bit of love, of sacrificing their lives for Allah'. 'We want to have children and offer them as soldiers defending Islam', he added. 'Teach them this: There is nothing more beloved to me than wanting to die as a Mujahid.' [1][2]

The state of Islam - Undercover

Many of Sheik Feiz Mohammed's online lectures focus on preparing oneself for death, but do not explicitly mention jihad or martyrdom. However, in a fiery lecture about the state of Islam posted on the video sharing network 'You Tube', Sheik Mohammed says that today’s Muslims are not as inclined to martyrdom as their ancestors.[1][3]

United Kingdom's Channel 4 has investigated a number of mosques run by high profile national organizations that claim to be dedicated to moderation and dialogue with other faiths. But an undercover reporter joined worshippers to find a message of religious bigotry and extremism being preached. The reporter captures chilling sermons in which Saudi-trained preachers proclaim the supremacy of Islam, hatred for non-Muslims and for Muslims who do not follow their extreme beliefs and predict a coming jihad. 'An army of Muslims will arise,' announces one preacher. Another preacher said British Muslims must 'dismantle' British democracy; they must 'live like a state within a state' until they are 'strong enough to take over'.

Channel 4's investigation reveals Saudi Arabian universities recruiting young Western Muslims for training in extreme theology, then sending them back to the West to spread the word. The dispatched reporter discovers that British Muslims can ask for fatwas, religious rulings, direct from the top religious leader in Saudi Arabia, the Grand Mufti.

According to the Channel 4 investigation, Saudi-trained preachers are also promoted in DVDs, CDs and books on sale at religious centers and sermons broadcasted on websites. These publications and webcasts disseminate beliefs about women by saying, 'Allah has created the woman deficient, her intellect is incomplete', and girls by saying, 'by the age of 10 if she doesn't wear hijab, we hit her,' as well as an extreme hostility towards homosexuals.

The investigation reveals that the influence of Saudi Arabian Islam, Wahhabbism, extends beyond the walls of some mosques to influential organizations that advise the British government on inter-community relations and prevention of terrorism. The dispatched reporter attends talks at mosques run by key organizations, whose public faces are presented as moderate and mainstream, and finds preachers condemning the idea of integration into British society, condemning British democracy as un-Islamic and praising the Taliban for killing British soldiers.

Undercover Mosque features interviews with moderate British Muslim figures who are speaking out against the influence of Saudi Arabia's extreme brand of Islam, which is seeking to overturn Islamic traditions of diversity and peaceful co-existence. 'We are losing our children to extremists,' says Haras Rafiq of the Sufi Muslim Council. Dr. Al Alawi of the Islamic Heritage Foundation also warns, 'If this continues, you will have extremist mosques in every corner of the UK. You will not have moderate Muslims walking on our streets anymore'.[1][4]

[1][1] Associated Press, 15 January 2007

[1][2][ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL2g5nltqks&mode=related&search= ]

[1][3] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D6R6GBZs6z8]

[1][4] [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IL2g5nltqks&mode=related&search=]

Source: http://www.instituteforcounterterrorism.org/apage/9410.php

MT: Retrial in Klebnikov Case Delayed

Friday, February 16, 2007. Issue 3598. Page 3.
Retrial in Klebnikov Case Delayed
By Carl Schreck
Staff Writer

Yury Mashkov / Itar-Tass
Sadretdinov appearing Thursday in court. The Moscow notary is serving
a nine-year sentence for illegal registration.

Two Chechens accused of murdering U.S. journalist Paul Klebnikov
failed to appear in Moscow City Court on Thursday, delaying jury
selection in the high-profile case.

Kazbek Dukuzov and Musa Vakhayev are being tried for a second time for
the July 2004 shooting of Klebnikov, 41, the former editor of the
Russian edition of Forbes magazine.

They were acquitted in May, but the Supreme Court reversed that ruling
in November, sending both men back to court.

But they were nowhere to be found Thursday. "We have no written
explanation of why they did not show up," court spokeswoman Tatyana
Zubaryova said.

The proceeding was closed to the public.

Vakhayev's lawyer, Vladimir Gorulkov, said in court that his client
had "valid reasons" for his absence, Zubaryova said. No one showed up
to represent Dukuzov, Zubaryova said. Ruslan Koblev, the lawyer for
Moscow notary Fail Sadretdinov, said Dukuzov had received his court
summons but was in Chechnya; he said he did not know whether Dukuzov
would return to Moscow for the trial.

Koblev said Vakhayev was in Moscow but stayed home Thursday because he
was ill.

Sadretdinov is suspected of ordering Vakhayev and Dukuzov to kill a
Moscow businessman in an unrelated killing.

Authorities were unable to convict Sadretdinov, but they did manage to
get him for illegally registering an apartment. Last month, he was
sentenced by the Preobrazhensky District Court to nine years in
prison. Authorities are now retrying Sadretdinov for ordering the
murder of the Moscow businessman.

The same jury that is being selected to hear the retrial in the
Klebnikov killing is also slated to hear Sadretdinov's case.

The Klebnikov retrial has been postponed until March 14, Zubaryova
said.

Ruslan Khazanov, who served as Dukuzov's attorney in the first trial,
said he was no longer representing Dukuzov. He added that did not know
why the suspects did not show up to court. "But clearly they know they
won't get a fair trial," Khazanov said.

Koblev, Sadretdinov's lawyer, said the harsh sentence handed down to
his client for the illegal registration might prompt Dukuzov and
Vakhayev to flee the country to avoid the retrial in the Klebnikov
case.

Alexander Vasilyev, a spokesman for the Prosecutor General's Office,
said Thursday that he could not comment on Vakhayev's and Dukuzov's
wherabouts, but he did indicate that the trial was unlikely to be open
to the public.

The Klebnikov family and media watchdog groups have criticized the
decision to close the first trial and have called for opening the
second trial.

"You and I both know that the case is full of secret documents,"
Vasilyev said.

But Koblev said only four pages -- out of 38 volumes of case materials
-- contained classified information.

That classified information was said to detail secret methods used by
the Federal Security Service to collect evidence against the
defendants.

"The first trial was riddled with procedural violations that were
hidden from the public with closed-door proceedings and a gag order on
all participants," Joel Simon, executive director of the New
York-based Committee to Protect Journalists, said in a statement
Wednesday.

"We call on Russian court officials to open the hearing to the public
to ensure a fair trial."

Prosecutors contend Vakhayev and Dukuzov had been ordered to kill
Klebnikov by Khozh-Akhmed Nukhayev, a Chechen separatist who appeared
in Klebnikov's 2003 book "Conversation With a Barbarian."

The Klebnikov family communicated through a spokesman Thursday that it
had nothing to say. In a statement released in November, after the
Supreme Court ordered a retrial, the family said it would "suspend for
the time being our own direct participation in the case due to the
enormous emotional toll on us."

But family members said they "reserve the right to become involved
again at any time, as the trial unfolds."

Larisa Maslennikova, the lawyer representing the Klebnikov family,
said on Ekho Moskvy radio Thursday that it was "above all" the
government's job to bring the slain journalist's killers to justice.

Recent history suggests that may be asking a lot.

While the killings of Russian journalists Dmitry Kholodov, Vladislav
Listyev and Larisa Yudina in the 1990s all captured headlines, none of
these cases has actually seen a single conviction.

Nor has anyone been convicted in the October 2006 killing of Anna
Politkovskaya.

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

http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?fr=yalerts-keyword&c=&p=explosive+device+found+at+school&ei=utf-8

1. Bombs found in home Open this result in new window
The Natchez Democrat - 1 hour, 36 minutes ago
NATCHEZ — Four homemade bombs were found at an Adams County residence Sunday, according to sheriff’s office reports. A 16-year-old was arrested late Monday afternoon on charges of unlawful possession of explosives, Maj. Jody Waldrop of Adams County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday.
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2. Student's explosive device destroyed Open this result in new window
Hattiesburg American - Feb 10 3:10 AM
PETAL - A loud noise that alarmed some Petal residents Thursday was the result of a controlled detonation of an explosive device found about three weeks ago in the possession of a Petal Middle School student, district officials say.
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3. Suspicious Device Removed From Home Open this result in new window
ClickOnDetroit - Feb 15 10:35 AM
Detroit police and fire responders were at a home Thursday where a suspicious device was thrown inside, Local 4 reported.
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4. Gun found in student's backpack Open this result in new window
Los Alamos Monitor - Feb 14 11:10 AM
A gun was found Tuesday in a student's backpack at Los Alamos High School. Principal Lynne Saccaro sent an e-mail alert out to parents Tuesday afternoon regarding the discovery.
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5. Second juvenile investigated for bombs Open this result in new window
The Natchez Democrat - 1 hour, 45 minutes ago
VIDALIA — Police are investigating another juvenile who might have been involved in the creation of what police said were homemade bombs found in an Adams County house Jan. 21.
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6. Thursday, February 15 Open this result in new window
CNN.com - Feb 15 3:54 PM
BAGHDAD (CNN) -- Iraqi police have wounded the leader of al Qaeda in Iraq and killed his top aide, a spokesman for the Iraqi Interior Ministry told CNN Thursday.
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7. Police Report Open this result in new window
Southlake Times - 3 minutes ago
*2600 block of North Carroll Avenue; an officer stopped a Ford pickup for minor traffic violations on Feb. 2. After speaking with the driver, the officer noticed that the driver, a male juvenile, was under the influence of alcohol.
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8. Westwood Bomb Open this result in new window
The Enumclaw Courier-Herald - Feb 14 11:07 AM
A bomb rocked the back side of Westwood Elementary School Monday night, causing minor damage but disrupting the Tuesday morning routine for faculty members and approximately 400 students.
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9. PTC couple makes go of it in Iraq Open this result in new window
The Fayette Citizen - Feb 15 2:10 PM
Wife signed up with reserve to join hubby’s unit in Baghdad Kathryn and Bill Carter of Peachtree City can say with honesty that their marriage is just like living in a war zone.
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10. Officials regret handling of blast Open this result in new window
Hattiesburg American - Feb 13 4:41 AM
The detonation of two homemade fireworks confiscated about four weeks ago from a student at Petal Middle School should have been handled differently, Petal School District officials say.
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Note:

kdwn.com, on the radio news, they are saying that including the arrest today, they have arrested in Las Vegas kids with 14 guns in school, since Jan. 1, 2007

http://www.armytimes.com/news/2007/02/dnalqaida070215/

War helping al-Qaida regroup, Congress told

By William Matthews - Staff writer
Posted : Thursday Feb 15, 2007 10:22:37 EST

Al-Qaida is alive and well and thriving thanks in part to the Internet, terrorism experts told a House Armed Services subcommittee Wednesday.

A panel of experts painted a picture of an Islamic terrorist organization far different from the one President Bush portrays: that al-Qaida “is on the run.”

On the contrary, said Bruce Hoffman, a professor at Georgetown University, “al-Qaida is on the march.”

The organization has regrouped from the setbacks it suffered when U.S. military forces drove it out of Afghanistan.

Hoffman credits al-Qaida with some degree of involvement in attacks that were planned and prevented in August 2006 to blow up 10 airliners flying from Britain to the U.S., in the 2005 subway and bus bombings in London, and 2004 attacks that were foiled in London, New York, Newark, N.J., and Washington.

Hoffman warned that Bush’s strategy of surging an additional 21,500 troops to Iraq to try to quell the rising sectarian violence there “is exactly what al-Qaida wants.”

“Iraq, for them, has been an effective means to preoccupy American military forces and distract U.S. attention while al-Qaida has regrouped and reorganized since the invasion of Afghanistan in 2001,” he said.

Hoffman quoted al-Qaida’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahiri, as saying, “The Americans are facing a delicate situation in [Iraq and Afghanistan]. If they withdraw, they will lose everything and if they stay, they will continue be bleed to death.”

Hoffman argued that moving U.S. troops out of Iraq and strengthening the capabilities of U.S. allies in the region “would affirm, not undermine U.S. commitments” in the region and enable the U.S. to focus more on dealing with al-Qaida.

Daniel Benjamin of the Brookings Institution agreed that al-Qaida “appears to have recovered” from any damage inflicted during the expulsion from Afghanistan. Al-Qaida now is based in tribal areas of Pakistan along the Afghanistan border, where the Pakistani government “shows little inclination to dislodge it,” he said.

The U.S. invasion and occupation of Iraq “gave the jihadists an unmistakable boost,” he said. Among “self-starter jihadists,” the U.S. invasion and occupation is universally cited as justification for terrorism. The U.S. presence in Iraq has turned the country into “a sanctuary for jihadists better than Afghanistan ever was,” he said.

Military force is ill-suited to battling terrorism, Benjamin said. The presence of military forces alienates local civilians, and military operations invariably result in civilian deaths that turn local populations against the U.S.

Much of al-Qaida’s comeback can be credited to the Internet, said Rita Katz, director of the SITE Institute. Katz said she spends her days monitoring al-Qaida Web sites, message boards, blogs, e-groups and other cyber-sites where she said a “virtual jihadist network” indoctrinates, communicates, recruits and plans attacks.

The Internet is home to a highly organized al-Qaida presence that features recruiting videos and communiqués, anti-American and anti-Western broadcasts, pro-Caliphate programs, even online libraries of books the justify jihad, she said.

Katz said when she reported some of this to U.S. government authorities, they were uninterested.

The Turkish alternative
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/826188.html
By Pierre Besnainou

The Muslim world deserves a more respectable spokesman than Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the extremist and hateful president of Iran. That voice could well belong to Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.

For almost half a century, the Muslim world has been witness to a variety of movements intended to unify it: nationalism that was a response to decolonization; the pan-Arabist ideologies of Gadhafi, Nasser and Saddam Hussein; and more recently, the Sunni version of Islamic radicalism typified by Al-Qaida, or the Shi'ite strain whose leader is the Islamic Republic of Iran. The dream of a unified Arab-Muslim world has imperceptibly metamorphized into the utopia of a unified Muslim world, bringing together the Umma, the community of believers. Today, the man who claims to personify this unity is President Ahmadinejad, even though he belongs to a minority within Islam, Shi'ism.

But that's not the worst of it. The type of rhetoric cultivated by the Iranian leader, which is based largely on the concept of jihad, "holy war," reflects an attitude of violence never before seen expressed toward the West, and specifically toward the United States and Israel, the latter of which he has threatened with annihilation. This warlike language is perceived as threatening even within the Muslim world, whose moderate regimes fear the creation of a Shi'ite crescent in the Middle East, one that could be a redoubtable force for destabilization. This impression is reinforced by the behavior of Iran's Lebanese client, Hezbollah, over the past few months.

On Iran's border, however, at the crossroads of West and East, is a country that manages to subtly maintain a balance between tradition and modernity: Turkey. Turkish society seems to have succeeded in making the transition to modernity by adapting Western values: secularism, freedom of thought and belief, and of course, democracy.

Here is a country that puts paid to all the theories characterizing Islam as incompatible with democracy. On the contrary, while clearly affirming its Muslim culture, Turkey manages to maintain a rights-based regime in the image of Western democracies.

Another measure of the openness of Muslim societies is gained by looking at the relations maintained by their governments with the United States, on the one hand, and Israel, on the other. Even if the Ankara government was in 2003 unwilling to have its territory used by the Anglo-American coalition against the Iraqi regime, partnership with the U.S. remains strong and of strategic importance.

In addition, Turkey was the first Muslim country to recognize Israel, in 1949, and for 30 years it was the only one as well. For several years now, Turkey has been an essential strategic partner to Israel's foreign policy. It is a partnership based on several pillars: a strong military alliance, a common cause of fighting terrorism, dynamic trade agreements, particularly on the very significant matter of water, not to mention the ongoing fact that the Anatolian peninsula is a favored tourist destination for many Israelis.

Some people believed that the rise to power of a party close to the Islamist movement, Erdogan's Justice and Development party, would bring that partnership to an end. The contrary is the case, however. Several years after Erdogan became prime minister, it can be said that the Israeli-Turkish alliance is still very much alive. Indeed, even if the speech or the tone sometimes changes, there has been no substantial modification of Turkish policy. In 2005, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul visited Israel, with the purpose of strengthening bilateral relations, and a few months later, it was Prime Minister Erdogan's turn to visit, a reminder of the friendship of his country toward the Jewish state.

During my own recent visit to Ankara, I told Prime Minister Erdogan that I am convinced of the leading role he can play in the Middle East. Respected by the entire Muslim world, from the Gulf monarchies to the states of Central and Eastern Asia, from the Islamists of Hamas to the moderate Palestinians, Turkey has succeeded in maintaining a strong and loyal partnership with the United States and Israel as well. It thus has the legitimacy to be able to interact with all the influential participants in the area.

This position makes Turkey a natural choice to serve as regional leader, in place of the harmful influence of Iran. Prime Minister Erdogan, who agrees with this analysis, is, without any doubt, willing to work for rapprochement between Palestinians and Israelis. It is now up to us to take this friendly attitude into account, and to evaluate with an open mind the role that Turkey might be able to play in the peace process. This could finally lead to a significant weakening of President Ahmedinejad's leadership.

This is the reason why Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's visit in Ankara today is of special importance. That is the reason why the European Union should not brutally turn away from Turkey.

We can only hope that the next Nobel Peace Prize can be bestowed on someone who, within Islam, has succeeded in stopping the progression of hatred and resentment, bringing light and peace over an area plunged into the darkness of violence for too long a time.

The writer is president of the European Jewish Congress.

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