Posted on 12/17/2006 4:03:30 PM PST by DAVEY CROCKETT
Thanks to Milford421 for this report:
Update: Analysis: Weapons seized in US-Mexican border town suggest large
http://www.homelandsecurityus.com/TamaulipasWeapons022507
-scale operation
Submitted by admin on Sun, 2007-02-25 14:53. U.S. News
By Sean Osborne, Associate Director, Military Affairs
Border town of Matamoros, Tamaulipas across from Brownsville, Texas
25 February 2007: Over the past couple of days, I have analyzed
additional imagery and data associated with the report of a large
cache of weapons and other military supplies seized in Tamaulipas,
Mexico across from Brownsville, Texas [Initial report HERE].
Contrary to various public assessments, my analysis suggests that
these weapons were not intended for an assault of one Mexican narco-
gang against a rival gang within the territory of Mexico, but were
intended for a larger and more specific operation within the United
States.
continued..........
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/business/story/0,,2020570,00.html
Economics of the suicide bomber
by Heather Stewart
Sunday February 25, 2007
The Observer
Better-educated suicide bombers are given harder targets and succeed in
killing more victims, according to research by American economists.
Efraim Benmelech and Claude Berrebi, of the National Bureau of Economic
Research, studied almost 150 Palestinian suicide bombings, and found
that older recruits, and those with more schooling, were assigned to
tougher targets.
'The suicide bomber's age and education and the importance of the
target
are strongly correlated,' they say.
Previous research has suggested that suicide bombers may make a
rational
economic decision that fame, honour and support for their families
outweigh any benefits they are likely to gain from a lifetime of
ordinary paid employment.
Benmelech and Berrebi suggest that, since more educated bombers could
earn more in the labour market, they may demand higher-profile targets,
with greater potential rewards. At the same time, terrorist
organisations are likely to want to direct their most educated recruits
to the hardest jobs.
Of 148 bombers examined, 18 per cent had stayed in education beyond
high
school, compared with 8 per cent in the Palestinian population as a
whole.
Southern Thailand and Islamic Terrorism
Dr. Isaac Kfir
February 23, 2007
http://ict.org.il/apage/10372.php
On February 18, 2007, death, carnage and destruction struck Southern
Thailand. As people celebrated the coming of the Year of the Pig, a
coordinated attack that began at 1900 (1200 GMT) saw 29 bombs (some
reports
suggest as many as 50[1]) each weighing around 6.5kg (11 pounds)[2]
explode
within 45 minutes across four provinces in southern Thailand leaving
eight
people dead and more than 60 injured. The bombings were followed by a
number
of shootings that killed four more people including a Thai army
officer.
Significantly, unlike the New Year's Eve bombings in Bangkok, the
attacks
were the work of Thai Muslims separatists, engaged in a violent
campaign for
the 'emancipation' Southern Thailand from Buddhist control.[3]
The insurgents focused their attacks on karaoke bars, hotels, power
grids
and commercial sites causing substantial power shortages across the
provinces of Yala, Narathiwat, Pattani and Songkhla. In the view of
Colonel
Wichai Thongdaeng, a military spokesman, they were designed to show
that
Muslims separatists still have the capabilities "to cause division,
create
fear among the people"[4] and also "frighten Buddhists and ethnic
Chinese
living there so that they will leave the region."[5]
Since January 2004, the insurgency in Southern Thailand has claimed
more
than 2000 lives (Muslim and Buddhist) through various acts of violence
such
as shootings, arsons and bombings. There has been a marked increase in
the
brutality (there have been instances of beheadings),[6] intensity,[7]
economic costs,[8] frequency[9] and sophistication[10] of the
insurgency. In
the Chinese New Year attacks it is believed that around 150 militants
were
involved,[11] indicating a significant change in the type of operation
conducted, as typically the insurgents use more ad hoc, opportunistic
and
somewhat unsophisticated methods of attacks centering on shootings and
arsons.[12]
The aim of this briefing note is to look at some of the key elements
surrounding events in Southern Thailand, and explore whether they are
part
of the global jihadi campaign. Ultimately, the paper seeks to encourage
further studies and attention into what is occurring in Southern
Thailand.
It also aims to highlight that unless more attention is placed on the
crisis, Southern Thailand has the potential of becoming a cause celebre
for
jihadists seeking to assist their Muslim brethren enduring kafir
(infidel)
occupation.
continues, this is a long and full report............
"Not in our name"
Spiegel 9/2007, 26 February 2007, print page 17
"Not in our name"
Mina Ahadi (50) a Cologne based human rigts activist of Iranian origin
in an interview on the "Central Council of Ex-Muslims"
[http://www.ex-muslime.de/], co-found by her, which will be presented
to
the public this week in Berlin.
SPIEGEL: Your group of 30 immigrants from Muslim countries states to
recant Islam. What's your goal?
Ahadi: I left Islam some 30 years ago and I'm critcal towards Islam and
handling of Islam by the German Gov't. German Muslim organizations like
the "Central Council of Muslims" [ZMD - http://zentralrat.de/] or Mili
Gorus [http://www.igmg.de/] try to be influental in German politics and
interfere in daily life. Both have been invited to the German
conference
on Islam [http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deutsche_Islamkonferenz]. But
their goals are misogynous and misanthropic.
SPIEGEL: Why?
Ahadi: They want to force women to wear a headscarf and intensify a
climate forbidding pre-marriage relations to girls, forbidding them
going out and demoniz homosexuality.
I know Islam first hand and to me it means death and pain.
SPIEGEL: What kind of activities are planned by your organization?
Ahadi: An exmaple: A representative of ZMD issued a statement that
Islamists with bomb belts as showed at carnival are an insult to
Muslims. I cant see a proof for that. We have to signal that this is
not
in our name. We are quite different, being secular humanists, and we
aim
to give such people a voice. We promote human rights.
SPIEGEL: There are members of your group active in communist
organizations in their countries of origin.
Ahadi: Yes, some have been active in leftist groups. But ours is a
different engagement. We collected more then a hundred applications for
membership during the last days. We want to create a movement acitve in
other European nations as well, I hope we will be about 10k in a short
while, represanting many more.
SPIEGEL: Don't you fear your group will harden fronts?
Ahadi: I do not believe that it is possible to modernize Islam, we want
to set an antipole to Muslim organizations. That we need police
protection doing so, only shows that there's an urgent need for our
initiative.
Jehanabad jailbreak due to intelligence lapses: Report
http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/feb/25lapse.htm
Jehanabad jailbreak due to intelligence lapses: Report
February 25, 2007 15:00 IST
An inquiry instituted by former Bihar governor Buta Singh into the
2005 jailbreak by the banned CPI-Maoists to facilitate the escape of
over 375 prisoners in Jehanabad has exposed 'serious lapses' on the
part of the state's intelligence agencies.
The two-member probe panel, comprising senior IAS officer Jayshankar,
currently posted in the state welfare department, and Inspector
General of Police A C Verma said in its report submitted recently to
the state government that there was 'complete failure of the state's
intelligence units', a senior official told PTI on condition of
anonymity.
Noting that had the information gathered by these units been looked
into seriously, the report said the first-ever jailbreak involving the
escape of such a large number of prisoners, particularly Maoist
rebels, could have been avoided.
"It is suprising that Special Branch sleuths and the Jahanabad
administration did not not get a smell of such a big mobilisation by
the Maoists," the official said, quoting the report.
Over 1,000 Maoists laid virtual siege to Jehanabad town on the night
of November 13, 2005 and freed over 130 Naxalites incarcerated in the
prison in seven-hour period.
Among those who escaped was jailbreak mastermind Ajay Kanu, who was
re-arrested a couple of weeks ago, officials said.
The report also highlighted the fact that security at the prison was
'lax' and there was a shortage of paramilitary personnel at the time
of the Maoist operation that claimed 11 lives.
© Copyright 2007 PTI. All rights reserved.
http://rofasix.blogspot.com/2007/02/iraq-jihadist-perspectives-on-us.html
Iraq: Jihadist Perspectives on a U.S. Withdrawal - STRATFOR
25 February 2007
After you read this one, answer one question. Is the 110th Congress playing directly into the hand of terrorists? After reading this, 'yes' is the only conclusion you can derive.
Iraq: Jihadist Perspectives on a U.S. Withdrawal
By Fred Burton
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a nonbinding resolution to express disapproval of the president's plan to send more troops to Iraq. Republicans in the Senate prevented a similar resolution from coming to the floor for a vote the next day. The congressional actions come during a period of vigorous debate about U.S. involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan -- a debate that is being heavily fueled as presidential hopefuls from both parties begin to position themselves for the 2008 election.
Naturally, this internal debate and media coverage have focused on the American perspective -- and, more specifically, on public opinion polls. But often missing in that discussion is the fact that Afghanistan and Iraq were not entered into as self-contained discrete wars, but as fronts in the wider U.S.-jihadist war. Therefore, though the Bush administration's troop strategy, the positioning of the Democrats and the anti-war statements of potential presidential contenders are by no measure unimportant, the intense focus on these issues means that another important perspective on the war -- that of the jihadists -- frequently goes unmentioned.
Al Qaeda leaders and the jihadist movement in general always have taken a long view of the war, and discussion of a U.S. withdrawal from either Iraq or Afghanistan has long been anticipated. In planning the 9/11 attacks, al Qaeda leaders clearly expected that the United States, once drawn into a war, eventually would weaken and lose heart. A study of al Qaeda's philosophy, mindset and planning -- conveyed through the words and actions of its leadership -- is a reminder of just how the current U.S. political debate fits into the jihadist timeline and strategy.
It also is an indicator that a U.S. withdrawal from Muslim lands is not al Qaeda's ultimate requirement for ending attacks against the United States or American interests abroad.
Perceptions of American Resolve
Long before the U.S. invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq, Osama bin Laden clearly stated that, in the jihadists' opinion, the United States was not prepared to fight a war of attrition.
Prior to 9/11, bin Laden's public statements conveyed his dim view of the U.S. military's capabilities and resolve, as well as of the willingness of the U.S. government (and to a larger extent, the American people) to take casualties in a sustained war. In a 1997 interview with Peter Arnett, bin Laden said, "We learned from those who fought [in Somalia] that they were surprised to see the low spiritual morale of the American fighters in comparison with the experience they had with the Russian fighters. The Americans ran away from those fighters who fought and killed them, while the latter were still there. If the U.S. still thinks and brags that it still has this kind of power even after all these successive defeats in Vietnam, Beirut, Aden, and Somalia, then let them go back to those who are awaiting its return."
It is widely believed that the U.S. withdrawal from Lebanon, following the 1983 Marine barracks bombing, and from Somalia in 1993 were important precedents in driving the 1996 bombing of the Khobar Towers in Saudi Arabia. The jihadists believed that if they killed enough Americans, U.S. forces would leave Saudi Arabia.
Bin Laden's opinion of U.S. resolve was not shaken by the "shock and awe" campaign that was unleashed in Afghanistan and, later, Iraq. In a February 2003 message, he said, "We can conclude that America is a superpower, with enormous military strength and vast economic power, but that all this is built on foundations of straw. So it is possible to target those foundations and focus on their weakest points which, even if you strike only one-tenth of them, then the whole edifice will totter and sway, and relinquish its unjust leadership of the world."
Bin Laden and other jihadist strategists often have stressed that the U.S. economy is one of the foundations to be attacked. However, another significant -- and in their view, vulnerable -- target is morale. In an October 2002 statement, marking the first anniversary of the Afghanistan invasion, bin Laden discussed the importance of "the media people and writers who have remarkable impact and a big role in directing the battle, and breaking the enemy's morale, and heightening the Ummah's morale."
He also noted that the Americans had failed to achieve their objectives in Afghanistan, saying, "The invading American forces in Afghanistan have now started to sink in the Afghani mud, with all of their equipment and personnel. The weird irony of the matter is that the Crusader forces, which came to protect the governing system in Kabul from the attacks of the mujahideen, have now come to need the protection of the regime's forces, having been dealt continuous blows by the mujahideen, so who protects who? The international and American forces had come to ensure the security [but] have become the biggest burden to security!!"
Orders given by Mullah Omar and his tactical commanders to Taliban fighters in Afghanistan also reflect this mindset. They are told not to go toe-to-toe with coalition forces in battle, but rather to increase the costs of doing battle in order to hasten the withdrawal of Western forces.
An al Qaeda military strategist and propagandist, Abu Ubeid al-Qurashi, expounded on this concept in an article titled "Fourth-Generation Wars," carried by the organization's biweekly Internet magazine, Al Ansar, in February 2002:
"Fourth-generation warfare, the experts said, is a new type of war in which fighting will be mostly scattered. The battle will not be limited to destroying military targets and regular forces, but will include societies, and will seek to destroy popular support for the fighters within the enemy's society. In these wars, the experts stated in their article, 'television news may become a more powerful operational weapon than armored divisions.' They also noted that 'the distinction between war and peace will be blurred to the vanishing point.'"
Al-Qurashi went on to extol jihadist successes in fourth-generation warfare, in settings ranging from Afghanistan to Somalia. He also noted that, like the Soviet Union, the United States was not well-suited to fight that type of war. And he predicted that al Qaeda's ideal structure for, and historical proficiency in, fourth-generation warfare ultimately would secure its victory -- despite the fact that jihadists were outgunned by the Americans in both types and quantities of weapons. Al-Qurashi said that while the U.S. military was designed and equipped with the concept of deterrence in mind -- that is, to deter attacks against the United States -- the guiding principle was not applicable in the struggle against a nonstate actor like al Qaeda.
"While the principle of deterrence works well between countries, it does not work at all for an organization with no permanent bases and with no capital in Western banks that does not rely on aid from particular countries. As a result, it is completely independent in its decisions, and it seeks conflict from the outset. How can such people, who strive for death more than anything else, be deterred?" he wrote.
In contrast, al Qaeda's leaders persistently have exhorted their followers to fight a war of attrition similar to that successfully waged by the mujahideen against the Soviets in Afghanistan. In bin Laden's words, "We don't articulate and we don't quit."
One principle that has been emphasized in many statements by bin Laden and others is that the jihadists love death the way Americans love life -- a concept originally stated by Abu Bakr, a companion of the Prophet Muhammad, as he led an army into battle against the Persians.
A Four-Part Strategy
The United States' military response to the 9/11 attacks was the reaction al Qaeda wanted and expected. The statements of al Qaeda leaders have made it clear that the jihadists' goal was to make sure these became protracted, painful and costly wars.
Ayman al-Zawahiri put it this way in August 2003, as the insurgency in Iraq was beginning to take hold: "We are saying to America one thing: What you saw with your eyes so far are only initial skirmishes; as for the real battle, it hasn't even started yet."
Now, whether al Qaeda or the jihadist movement actually retains the capability to achieve its long-term goals is a matter for vigorous debate, and one we have explored at other times. For purposes of this analysis, however, it is useful to examine just what those long-term goals, to which al-Zawahiri obviously was alluding, actually are.
Internal al Qaeda documents indicate that a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq and Afghanistan is but one of the stages factored into the movement's long-term planning. One of the most telling documents was a July 2005 letter from al-Zawahiri to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq, outlining a four-step strategy for establishing a caliphate in the "heart of the Islamic world." (The authenticity of the al-Zawahiri letter has been questioned by some, but our own analysis has led Stratfor to conclude it was bona fide.)
The steps he outlined were:
1) Expel the Americans from Iraq.
2) Establish an Islamic authority or emirate in Iraq.
3) Extend the jihad wave to secular countries neighboring Iraq.
4) Initiate a clash with Israel.
Al-Zawahiri said he was proposing the four-step strategy in order to "stress something extremely important" to al-Zarqawi, "and it is that the mujahideen must not have their mission end with the expulsion of the Americans from Iraq, and then lay down their weapons, and silence the fighting zeal." He clearly wanted the jihadists to press on toward bigger objectives following the U.S. withdrawal.
In the letter, he cautioned: "Things may develop faster than we imagine. The aftermath of the collapse of American power in Vietnam -- and how they ran and left their agents -- is noteworthy. Because of that, we must be ready starting now, before events overtake us, and before we are surprised by the conspiracies of the Americans and the United Nations and their plans to fill the void behind them. We must take the initiative and impose a fait accompli upon our enemies, instead of the enemy imposing one on us, wherein our lot would be to merely resist their schemes."
It follows from this that a U.S. withdrawal from Iraq would be construed by the jihadists as an opportunity to establish an important base or sanctuary -- and then to consolidate their gains and continue their "jihad wave" to other parts of the region. With that in mind, jihadist attacks against "Jews and Crusaders" could be expected to continue even after a U.S. departure from Iraq and Afghanistan.
The Ultimate Objective
Al Qaeda's grievances with the United States have been well documented by Stratfor and numerous others since the 9/11 attacks: Bin Laden was outraged by the presence of U.S. military forces in Saudi Arabia following the 1991 Gulf War, and by what he sees as an unholy alliance between Western powers and "apostate" secular regimes in the Islamic world. Historical conflicts between Muslim and Christian entities also have been referenced as a precedent for what bin Laden describes as "aggressive intervention against Muslims in the whole world" -- meaning the U.N. embargo against Iraq, the existence of Israel and U.S. support for said "apostate" regimes.
In a February 1998 statement, bin Laden declared that "The ruling to kill the Americans and their allies -- civilians and military -- is an individual duty for every Muslim who can do it in any country in which it is possible to do it, in order to liberate the Al Aqsa mosque and the holy mosque from their grip, and in order for their armies to move out of all the lands of Islam, defeated and unable to threaten any Muslim.
An important point is that al Qaeda defines terms like the "lands of Islam" as territory that includes present-day Israel, India and Spain. While Israel is clearly more significant to Muslims than other areas, given the importance of Jerusalem and the Al Aqsa mosque to Islam, Spain -- which was the Caliphate of al-Andalus from 711 to 1492 -- is also in the crosshairs. An equally important point is that the political shift in Madrid (which followed a 2004 commuter train attack in the capital) and the government's decision to withdraw Spanish troops from Iraq have not removed Spain from the jihadists' target list. In a July 2006 message -- in which he threatened revenge for the Israeli aggression against Lebanon and the Palestinians -- al-Zawahiri said, "The war with Israel ... is a jihad for the sake of God ... a jihad that seeks to liberate Palestine, the whole of Palestine, and to liberate every land which (once belonged to) Islam, from Andalus to Iraq."
In other words, at least as long as the state of Israel exists -- and the "apostate" governments in places like Iraq, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Algeria, Morocco and Kuwait remain in power, with U.S. support -- the jihadists will continue to complain about U.S. "aggression against Islam." And, insofar as they are able, they will carry on their war.
http://rofasix.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html
Testing the Son
An old southern country preacher from Alabama had a teenage son and it was getting time the boy should give some thought to choosing a profession. Like many young men, the boy didn't really know what he wanted to do, and he didn't seem too concerned about it.
One day, while the boy was away at school, his father decided to try an experiment. He went into the boy's room and placed on his study table five objects: a Bible, a silver dollar, a bottle of whiskey, a big chronograph style watch and a Playboy magazine. “I'll just hide behind the door," the old preacher said to himself, "and when he comes home from school this afternoon, I'll see which object he picks up”.
“If it's the Bible, he's going to be a preacher like me, and what a blessing that would be! If he picks up the dollar, he's going to be a businessman, and that would be OK, but if picks up the bottle, he's going to be a no-good drunkard, and, Lord, what a shame that would be. It he picks up the watch, he is going to worry about how much time he has left all the time. And worst of all, if he picks up that magazine he's gonna be a skirt-chasin' bum."
The old man waited anxiously, and soon heard his son's footsteps as he entered the house whistling and headed for his room. The boy tossed his books on the bed, and as he turned to leave the room, he spotted the objects on the table. With curiosity in his eye, he walked over to inspect them. Finally, he picked up the Bible and placed it under his arm. He slaps the watch on his wrist. He picks up the silver dollar and drops it into his pocket. He uncorked the bottle and took a big drink as he admired this month's Centerfold.
"Lord have mercy," the old preacher whispered disgustedly, “he's gonna be a helicopter pilot and probably in the CAV too!
Posted at 02:00 by NOTR. ~
http://rofasix.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html
The Problem with Prince Harry ...
23 February 2007
I understand Prince Harry's zeal to go to Iraq to be with his unit and his desire to be treated like any other soldier in the British Army. The problem is that it can't happen, because the enemy gets a vote. Now matter how much they want to believe the illusion that Prince Harry is the same as other soldiers, he isn't. His death would be too large a symbolic victory over the West.
The war is being fought both on the ground and in the media. The media war continues to be a rip roaring success for terrorists over a the west who remains so infected with moral relativism. Should the terrorists succeed in killing or maiming Prince Harry, I can see the press suggesting he "asked for it." Such crass stupidity is why the media can ignore the staccato series of terrorist crimes against Iraqis and war crimes against everyone, but get fixated about a bunch of terrorists in Guantanamo or indignities at Abu Ghraib.
Killing Prince Harry is going to be too attractive a target for the terrorists to pass up. For those who still have any illusion that the enemy is anything more than barbarian, one has only to look at the countless dead civilians and recent use of chlorine gas against civilians. It is why terrorists must kill Prince Harry in Iraq. They know the media impact would be equivalent to the pictures from Abu Ghraib. The killing of Prince Harry, ideally by beheading on video would be the final proof in the Middle East of Western impotence.
Prince Harry's presence will draw hordes of terrorists like a magnet, into the area of Iraq where his unit operates. Force protection will be a major British Army concern for the prince and they will have to devote resources to that task at the risk of others serving in the area. With the coming withdrawal of 1500 British troops from the region, that problem will be exacerbated.
But in a political war such as the one in Iraq, his head will be a top target, ranking even higher than that of General Petraeus. The British government needs to step in and do the right thing by saying "Sorry Harry, you ain't going."
Posted at 23:24 by NOTR. ~
http://rofasix.blogspot.com/2007_02_01_archive.html
HEROES
(by Major Duke Briley, US Army)
They didn't seek thanks or any praise for a job tasked out to do. It is taken as a given, they're there when you need them, forever willing, tried and oh so true.
Always ready for the call, the last they did receive, They stood to fight and die for in all that they believe.
Duty is not a hollow word and dedication is a creed, The flag and freedom, that we honor, our words are backed by deeds.
I will ever wonder, and ask the question, why dear lord, just why? They had to go, a family cries, another hero dies...
I see their faces in my dreams, tough and young and brave. They were good men we loved them all, we wish they could have stayed.
The hollow words mean nothing, or the blame for what went so terribly wrong. Our fallen comrades, they lay asleeping, will never hear, that same old tiresome song...
We bow our heads and wipe our eyes and look to a brighter day, Remembering and forever proud, those whose motto’s thusly read: "de oppresso liber, we do not quit, and we lead the way..."
Posted at 19:11 by NOTR. ~
[a must read]
Firebombs Used in India Rail Attack Have U.S. Officials Worried
February 23, 2007 1:48 PM
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/02/firebombs_used_.html
Richard Esposito Reports:
Crown stays charges against suspect in Toronto raids
OMAR EL AKKAD
Globe and Mail Update
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20070223.wtoterr0223/BNSt
ory/National/home
Terror-related charges against one of 18 suspects arrested in police
raids
last summer have been stayed, indicating that the accusations levied
against
at least some of those charged in connection with Canada's most
high-profile
anti-terror sweep are not nearly as strong as they first appeared.
A youth suspect, whose name cannot be identified, essentially avoided
prosecution after the Crown stayed charges against him related to
participating in an alleged terrorist training camp. Prosecutors could
decide to reactivate the charges within the next year, but lawyers say
this
rarely happens without the introduction of new evidence. The decision
was
made public in a Brampton courtroom on Friday morning.
Charges against two other youth suspects have been reduced to one count
from
two. Because trials have not begun for any of the suspects, the
evidence
already presented in court during the preliminary hearing remains under
a
publication ban.
On June 2 of last year, hundreds of police officers converged on 17
suspects
in the Toronto area (an 18th was arrested two months later). Members of
the
group face several charges in connection with an alleged plot to, among
other things, storm parliament hill, behead MPs and blow up several
Canadian
landmarks using truck bombs.
In the weeks after the arrests, media attention on the case was
intense. At
their first appearance at a Brampton courthouse last summer, friends
and
family of the accused were mobbed by hundreds of journalists from
around the
world, including TV news outlets CNN and al-Jazeera.
Over the course of the past months - during which a preliminary inquiry
for
the youth suspects was under way - it became clear to observers that
the
allegations against the youth suspects were not as serious as those
against
many of the adults, something that made the suspects' lawyers more
confident
at the preliminary inquiry progressed.
"After looking at the evidence, it's obvious the evidence against my
client
not insidious or sinister as it was first implied," said Nadir Sachak,
the
lawyer for one of the youth suspects who now faces one less charge.
The youth suspect who has been freed is the youngest of the 18 arrested
last
summer. He celebrated his 16th birthday in a detention centre in July,
2006,
one month after he was arrested. His Hindu parents said in an interview
last
year that he had befriended an older Muslim boy and appeared to have
forged
a school letter telling his parents he was going to a "fun camp" in
December
of 2005. The only charge all 18 accused had in common stemmed from an
alleged terrorist training camp that took place in December, 2005.
In the months after the arrests, three youth suspects were granted
bail,
including the one whose charges have been stayed. The other two - who
have
had the charges against them reduced from two counts to one - will now
likely proceed before a superior court judge. Each is charged with
participating in or contributing to the activities of terror group
between
March, 2005, and June, 2006.
But the trial for the young offenders itself may not come until much
later
in the year, if not in 2008. In front of a superior court judge,
elements of
the preliminary inquiry may be revisited. Also, some of the lawyers may
choose to launch constitutional challenges against Canada's anti-terror
legislation, another potentially time-consuming process.
Michael Block, the lawyer for the youth suspect who has had the charges
against him stayed, praised the decision to stay charges as an example
of
why preliminary inquiries can often be an important legal tool. While
he
said his client would obviously be happier if the charges were dropped
outright, he added that in practical terms stayed charges are very
rarely
reactivated.
"I think it's an astute decision by the Crown," he said. "I think it's
a
responsible decision by the Crown."
http://www.usdoj.gov/archive/index.html
This is an archive of US Department of Justice Web site documents. These documents are no longer updated. They may contain outdated information and links may no longer function. Please contact the DOJ Webmaster if you have any questions about the DOJ archive site.
* Office of the Attorney General
* Office of the Deputy Attorney General
* Office of the Associate Attorney General
* Civil Division, September 11th Victim Compensation Program
* Environment and Natural Resources Divison
* Justice Management Division
* Office of Community Dispute Resolution
* Office of Legislative Affairs
* Office of Policy Development
* Office of Tribal Justice
* U.S. Parole Commission
[To many to post, should have interesting googles]
http://www.treas.gov/offices/enforcement/ofac/sdn/sdnlist.txt
ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF SPECIALLY DESIGNATED NATIONALS AND BLOCKED
PERSONS:
February 16, 2007
HP-267
Treasury Targets Iranian Companies for
Supporting WMD Proliferation
The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated three Iranian companies supporting Iran's proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, Kalaye Electric Company, Kavoshyar Company, and Pioneer Energy Industries Company. This action was taken pursuant to Executive Order 13382, which is aimed at exposing and financially isolating proliferators of WMD and their supporters.
"Treasury is taking this action to deny Iran access to the materials and services that support its nuclear ambitions," said Stuart Levey, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI). "This designation is consistent with our international obligations under UN Security Council Resolution 1737."
Designations under E.O. 13382 prohibit all transactions between the designees and any U.S. person and freeze any assets the designees may have under U.S. jurisdiction.
The entities designated today are either owned or controlled by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) or acting for or on its behalf. President George W. Bush designated the AEOI in the Annex to Executive Order 13382, effective June 29, 2005. The AEOI manages Iran's overall nuclear program and reports directly to the Iranian President. The AEOI is the main Iranian institute for research and development activities in the field of nuclear technology, including Iran's centrifuge enrichment program and experimental laser enrichment of uranium program.
Kalaye Electric Company has been linked to Iran's centrifuge research and development efforts. Kalaye is also listed in the Annex to UN Security Council Resolution 1737 because of its involvement in Iran's nuclear program. Kavoshyar Company's sole shareholder is AEOI. Pioneer Energy Industries Company provides services to AEOI, including technological support.
Background on E.O. 13382
Today's action builds on President Bush's issuance of E.O. 13382, effective June 29, 2005. Recognizing the need for additional tools to combat the proliferation of WMD, the President signed the E.O. authorizing the imposition of strong financial sanctions against not only WMD proliferators, but also entities and individuals providing support or services to them.
In the Annex to E.O. 13382, the President identified eight entities operating in North Korea, Iran, and Syria for their support of WMD proliferation. E.O. 13382 authorizes the Secretary of the Treasury, in consultation with the Secretary of State, the Attorney General, and other relevant agencies, to designate additional entities and individuals providing support or services to the entities identified in the Annex to the Order.
In addition to the entities identified in the Annex to E.O. 13382, the Treasury Department has designated twenty three entities and two individuals as proliferators of WMD, specifically:
* Eight North Korean entities on October 21, 2005;
* Two Iranian entities on January 4, 2006;
* One Swiss individual and one Swiss entity tied to North Korean proliferation activity on March 30, 2006;
* Four Chinese entities and one U.S. entity tied to Iranian proliferation activity on June 8, 2006;
* Two Iranian entities on July 18, 2006;
* Three Syrian entities on January 4, 2007;
* One Iranian entity, one British entity, and one individual tied to Iranian missile proliferation on January 9, 2007; and
* Three Iranian entities on February 16, 2007.
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp267.htm
Thank you for the info on the Ghods.
Guess we may meet them here someday, if it continues this downhill plunge into insanity.
It is interesting that 3 countries will allow the flights.
It appears that the mid-east is more afraid of the mess a war with Iran will bring, than we are.
Post 5076....
"5. Direct the painful and devastating strikes of "Victory I" and "Victory II" [possible operation code names] at the ruined forces according to the set plan.<<<<<
A quick look, would make me think that 2 is for England, and a ship:
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Victory+II%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Code 1, is in the sky, airplane? Or a satalite?
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22Victory+I%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
"Expect a missile attack Israel and the UN, Lebanon:
http://www.google.com/search?q=Bani-Suhyun&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.google.com/search?q=Safavid&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&rls=org.mozilla%3Aen-US%3Aofficial&hs=fHa&q=Operation+Revenge+for+Sabrin+al-Janabi&btnG=Search
http://www.google.com/search?q=message+from+Abu-Hamzah+al-Muhajir&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.google.com/search?q=Al-Mu%27tasim+Brigades&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
Post 5089:
They are so anxious to hit our oil supply, and then go into details on the fact that we have not built nuclear plants, it looks as tho we can expect an attempt on the nuclear plants, for if they can hit one, and damage the oil supplies, we would be hurting..........granny
http://www.google.com/search?q=Oh+Muslims%2C+protect+yourselves+and+your+kinfolk+from+the+fire&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.google.com/search?q=Iranian+arms+deals&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.google.com/search?q=Every+Muslim+must+be+alert+to+what+will+occur+in+the+near+future&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.google.com/search?q=%22First+a+Whisper%2C+but+Now+a+Shout+in+Salman+al-Awdah%27s+Ear%2C%22&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.google.com/search?q=Shaykh+Yusuf+al-A%27iri&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.google.com/search?q=The+Muslims+have+heard+this+fatwa+that+calls+for+supporting+the+so-called+Hizballah&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.google.com/search?q=we+should+befriend+the+Venezuelan+president+and+back+him+in+his+hostility+to+the+United+States&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.google.com/search?q=Shaykh+Usama%27s+instructions+are+clear+and+open+about+targeting+oil+installations&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&aq=t&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a
http://www.xignite.com/xWorldNews.aspx?articleid=SEP20070223136002
HUNDREDS OF POLITICAL ARTICLES DAILY FROM THE WORLD's LEADING MEDIA SOURCES
Indonesia: 50 of 355 Stolen Detonators Recovered Near Warehouse
Attributed to Chazizah Gusnita: "50 Detonators Recovered"; Produced by OSC Partner, the Australian Government's OSB
Originally published on 2/22/2007 by detikcom WWW-Text in Indonesian
Jakarta, Detikcom - 355 detonators were stolen from a PT Vitrian Eka Manunggal warehouse in Gunun Merdi, Semarang [refer to item SEP20070222136002; 350 detonators were reported as stolen]. Fortunately, police have recovered a small proportion of the detonators.
"50 of the 355 missing detonators have been discovered nearby the warehouse," said Police spokesperson Senior Commissioner Bambang Kuncoko, at a press conference at Police headquarters in Jalan Trunojoyo, South Jakarta, on Thursday (22 Feb).
Kuncoko explained that thieves had broken through the wire fence, and climbed a ladder to a ventilation opening. Once inside the building, the thieves immediately seized the detonators.
Kuncoko described the detonators as, "... the size of a person's finger, similar in size to a birthday candle."
The detonators were used for the companies' quarrying operations.
: Jakarta detikcom WWW-Text in Indonesian -- Internet website updated regularly with fast-breaking national news. Widely read by urban, educated, middle-class readership; root URL as of filing date: http://www.detik.com
http://www.xignite.com/xWorldNews.aspx?articleid=GMP20070223006001
Highlights: Turkish Islamist Press 23 Feb
This product lists selected reports carried in the Turkish Islamist press on 23 February. To request further processing, please contact OSC at (800) 205-8615, (202) 338-6735; or fax (703) 613-5735.
Originally published on 2/23/2007 by Turkey -- OSC Summary in Turkish
Yeni Safak
Under the headline, "Assassination Weapon Obtained From Iraq," Yeni Safak publishes a front-page report which asserts that a total of eight firearms missing from the US weapons inventory in Iraq were used in a number of criminal incidents in Turkey including the attack on a group of State Council justices and the killing of Catholic priest Santaro in Trabzon.
In a 450-word article entitled "The New Iraq Strategy Does Not Inspire Hope" on page 7, Yeni Safak columnist Yasin Dogan argues that the Bush administration's new Iraq strategy is not likely to help Washington deal successfully with the problems it faces in Iraq because it does not factor in either Turkey's or the Iraqi people's and different sectarian groups' sensitivities. He asserts that the new strategy looks at the challenges in Iraq from a military rather than political perspective, with the Bush administration treating Iraq as a matter of prestige and allowing anxiety to get the better of rationality, adding that every step that the United States is taking is serving to consolidate Iran's position by enabling it to increase its influence over Iraq, Lebanon, and "Palestine."
In an 800-word article entitled "The Kirkuk-Diyarbakir Line and a Psychological Operation" on page 9, Yeni Safak columnist Ibrahim Karagul argues that while it is possible to regard the ongoing US military deployments to the Persian Gulf as part of a "psychological operation" against Iran being conducted "in parallel with the military and diplomatic crisis management," it would be very misleading, given the reality of the Iraq War, to treat the United States' preparations as "virtual." He also claims that Turkey is one of the countries that are likely to be most strongly affected by the "regional polarization" caused by the US-Iranian crisis, asserting that as the crisis escalates, Turkey's outlook on the PKK, the Kurdish issue, and northern Iraq will change, that Ankara might abandon its "hawkish" stance, and that Turkish-Iranian relations might get frosty. (processing)
In a 650-word article entitled "Have They Gone Out of Their Mind?" on page 12, Yeni Safak columnist Fehmi Koru accuses the ruling Justice and Development Party, AKP, of revealing a lack of respect for freedom of the press in (allegedly) getting the television serial "Valley of the Wolves" taken off the air in order not to let it increase the popularity of an opposing political party and placing a television channel, Kanalturk, under tax inspection "simply because" it opposes the Government's policies. [Istanbul Yeni Safak (Ankara edition) in Turkish -- Daily targeting Islamic reformists; close to the ruling Justice and Development Party -- URL: http://www.yenisafak.com ]
Vakit
Under the headline, "Should We Take to the Mountains?" Vakit carries a front-page report which highlights remarks Mustafa Aykal, Chairman of the Batman Branch of the Health Workers Union, criticizing the Higher Education Council, YOK, for not opening a medical faculty in Batman.
In a 1,200-word article entitled "A Religion Without Sharia or Islam Without Allah" on page 11, Vakit columnist Abdurrahman Dilipak comments on the results of a Gallup survey indicating that some 32 percent of the people in Turkey want the legal system to include principles of the Islamic sharia. He criticizes the Turkish media and intellectuals for what refers to as their mistaken concept of sharia as a dictatorial system of punishment and argues that for a Muslim citizen in this country to object to sharia is like saying, "I am a citizen of Turkey but I do not have faith and trust in the legal system of this country." He also claims that asking Muslims whether they believe in the sharia is no different from asking Hindus whether they eat cow meat.
In a 2,200-word article entitled "Which Alevism, Without Ali or Without the Qibla" on page 11, Vakit Editor-in-Chief Hasan Karakaya accuses a group of Alevi citizens led by Izzettin Dogan, Chairman of the Alevi Cem Foundation, of making a potentially divisive move that could polarize society in filing a court case against the Ministry of Education complaining about they claim to be the problems Alevi citizens face in their family lives owing to the exclusion of Alevism from religious textbooks and a religious curriculum that imposes the Sunni model on all students in Turkey. Karakaya asks Dogan whether he looks upon Alevism as a religion separate from Islam. [Istanbul Anadolu'da Vakit (Internet Version-WWW) in Turkish -- Islamic fundamentalist daily -- URL: http://www.vakit.com.tr]
Zaman
Under the headline, "Some 90 Percent of Public Buildings are Unsound," Zaman runs a front-page report which asserts that a study conducted in 60 provinces has revealed that many schools, military structures, and hospitals face the risk of collapse owing to the use of sea sand in their construction.
In an 1,800-word commentary entitled "Imputations, Insults, Kudos, Lessons" on page 20, Zaman writer Alev Alatli comments on reactions to a recent article in which she disclosed the "testimonial" of US marines (" ... a rough-looking, roving soldier of the sea, I am cocky, self-centered, overbearing, and ... do not know the meaning of fear, for I am fear itself ...") and criticized the decision to ban the broadcast of the serial "Valley of the Wolves." Alatli claims that from the standpoint of her critics including Yeni Safak writer Kursat Bumin and Sabah columnist Emre Akoz, sharing with the Turkish public information about the true character of the soldiers of "the world's largest army" is an eye-opening move that should be obstructed at all costs.
In a 650-word article entitled "Election Thoughts" on page 21, Zaman columnist Mustafa Unal asserts that the AKP is waiting for the result of the presidential election in May before it takes steps to announce an early election in September. He claims that "political engineers will work overtime" after May and be busy getting across messages along the lines of "We are headed for the most critical election in history. An AKP member has already become president. We should have the prime ministry. Let us join forces to this end." [Istanbul Zaman (Ankara Edition) in Turkish -- moderate pro-Islamic daily supportive of Nurcu Sect leader Fethullah Gulen -- URL: http://www.zaman.com.tr]
Today's Zaman
A front-page report entitled "Cicek: EU Offers Turkey an Out of Wedlock Relationship" quotes Justice Minister Cemil Cicek as saying that the European Union "wants to live together with Turkey but [is] unwilling to tie the knot. 'We cannot have relations on such a slippery ground.'" This story is expanded into a 2,550-word interview with Cicek on page 6. (processing)
In an 850-word article entitled "Respectable People at the Brothel" on page 5, Today's Zaman columnist Ali Aslan expresses regret at the fact that "although by all standards Zaman represents one of the most constructive and prominent newspapers in Turkey today, we are still on the fringe in the eyes of a small but influential group." He also relates how "a military officer once told a story to explain his relationship with me. There was a lady a man liked very much. She was so elegant, so respectable. But she worked at a brothel. Therefore it was impossible for the man to have any public affiliation with her ..." (processing) [Istanbul Today's Zaman (Ankara Edition) in English -- moderate pro-Islamic daily supportive of Nurcu Sect leader Fethullah Gulen -- Root URL: http://www.todayszaman.com/tz-web]
Milli Gazete
Under the banner headline, "Not for the Poor But for Rentier Circles," Milli Gazete carries a front-page report which quotes Cevat Ayhan, Deputy Chairman of the Felicity Party, SP, as saying that the mortgage bill is not designed to promote social policies but to increase the profits of rentier groups, banks, and financial circles.
In a 500-word article entitled "Do They Believe We Were Born Yesterday?" on page 3, Milli Gazete columnist Zeki Ceyhan accuses the United States of trying to "pull the wool over our eyes" in announcing "full support for the Iraqi government's stance against the PKK." In disputing the United States' sincerity in making such assurances, Ceyhan draws attention to press reports saying that Washington is providing the terrorist PKK with weapons and munitions.
In a 450-word article entitled "Fight Leaders of Heresy" on page 5, Milli Gazete columnist Mahmut Toptas asserts that Turkey's refusal to hold talks with Iraqi President Jalal Talabani and Kurdish leader Mas'ud Barzani on the grounds that they support the PKK invites the question "why we are talking with those who elected Talabani president of Iraq, has carried out all the preliminary work for the establishment of a [Kurdish] state in northern Iraq, and had sacks placed over the heads of Turkish soldiers ..." [Istanbul Milli Gazete (Internet Version-WWW) in Turkish -- Mouthpiece of the Felicity Party (SP), affiliated with Necmettin Erbakan's National View Organization -- URL: http://www.milligazete.com]
Bugun
In a 750-word article entitled "Putin's Criticism of Unipolarity and the Problems on the Agenda" on page 14, Bugun columnist Fatih Karaosmanoglu asks why the United States is not using its ability, proven by the developments that led to North Korea's discontinuance of its nuclear program, to use its diplomatic power to obtain results in the Middle East, adding that the United States will continue to suffer from a crisis of confidence among the peoples of the world as long as this contradiction continues. [Istanbul Bugun (Ankara edition) in Turkish -- Conservative paper supportive of the AKP government -- URL: http://bugun.com.tr]
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