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

Interesting background of muslims in Europe:

http://euro-islam.info/pages/islamamerica.html

More on Europe

Euro-Islam.info includes demographic profiles of Muslim communities in each Western European country. Sponsored and staffed by social scientists from Harvard and Europe, the goal of the website is to provide "comparative and empirical research" research-based analysis on the impact of Muslim immigration to Western Europe.

~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2006/December/focusoniraq_December92.xml&section=focusoniraq

The Trojan Horse

AFP reports on the emerging (but long-expected) threat to Spain from seasoned terrorists returning home from the Iraq Jihad:

El Pais quoted anti-terrorist sources as saying that an unspecified number of formerly Spanish-based Algerians and Moroccans who had gained experience in handling arms and explosives in Iraq had now returned. ‘But they are doing nothing for the moment. They are biding their time, which complicates things when it comes to making arrests,’ one unnamed expert told El Pais.

Two years ago, Simancas told a parliamentary investigation into the March 11, 2004 Madrid bombings that Islamic terrorism was an ongoing major security threat and that it was not possible to know ‘100 percent’ where radical groups might strike. In midweek Spain arrested 11 suspected Islamist militants in Spain’s north African enclave of Ceuta on suspicion they were planning attacks ‘of a terrorist nature.’

~~~~~ ~~~ ~~~~~

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/December/middleeast_December310.xml&section=middleeast

US plans Gulf naval buildup to warn Iran: report
(AFP)

19 December 2006

WASHINGTON - The United States is planning to position an aircraft carrier group in the Gulf after the new year as a warning to Iran, CBS news reported Monday, citing unnamed officials.

The network said the Pentagon is deploying “a major buildup of naval forces in and around the Persian Gulf” in response to what the United States considers “increasingly provocative acts.”

CBS noted Iranian naval exercises, support of Shiite militias in Iraq and its enrichment of nuclear fuel as reasons for US concern.

The network stressed, however, that the US does not intend to attack Iran but rather, “discourage its leaders from spreading their Shiite revolution.”

The Pentagon declined comment on the report.

[There are several reports here that you will want to read]

http://www.makingsenseofjihad.com/

Like a Gem

A new edition of a Bin Laden's now-classic 1996 declaration of war was recently posted to popular jihadi forums. Translated, edited and published by Abdullah Faisal -- a radical imam and troublemaker operating in the UK -- and his followers, the edition is clearly intended for Islamist dawa and ideological training, as the introduction explains.

I have no way of critiquing the translation, but as a media product the edition is impressive. Other translations exist, why this? I believe it's part of a broader strategy to improve access and distribution of key ideological documents for an English-speaking audience. "I will be translating his speech workd-for-word," the translator "Amatullah" writes in the introduction. "Every word is like a gem..."

If they read it, we should too.

Download declarationofwar.PDF

December 06, 2006 at 09:19 PM in Jihad Apologetics, Jihad Media, Primary Source Material | Permalink | Comments (0) | TrackBack (0)

http://counterterrorismblog.org/

Syrian regime preparing exile to Iran?
By Olivier Guitta

In fact, according to the very well informed Kuwaiti daily Al Seyassah, the Syrian regime is quite worried of the results of the international tribunal investigating the death of former Lebanese PM Rafik Hariri. Allegedly, Syrian top leaders have already transferred $3 billion to Iran on accounts owned by Iranian central bank. These accounts cannot be touched in case of UN sanctions. It makes sense that only Iran as the main Damascus's ally would accept hosting the Syrian leadership.
December 17, 2006 05:53 PM Link TrackBack (0)

Merry Christmas to everyone.

We should know shortly. Look for a surge in commodity prices if this is true.

That's an interesting blog, Granny. Thank you!

Informative read, thanks.

Bin Laden and bankers' bonuses

November 2006

Terrorism has led to higher risk aversion for physical investment and
fuelled speculation in financial assets

V Anantha Nageswaran

At first glance, the title might seem to be bizarre. The point is
that Bin
Laden had helped bankers' bonuses ever since his Al Qaeda flew two
planes
into the WTC building on September 9, 2001. Let me explain.

In a recent speech, the perceptive Dr Raghuram Rajan of the IMF made
the
following comment as one of the three ingredients in his argument to
explain
why the markets were not out of kilter, although at first glance, they
seemed so: "The third, and perhaps the least understood, is global
investment in physical assets that has yet to return to past levels
despite
the higher productivity and available savings." He lists many reasons
for
this: countries are still working off past excessive investment;
investments
have changed from hard physical assets to investments in research and
development that are expensed and not tracked; corporate goods are
cheaper
and hence less amounts are being spent on investment; investment in
emerging
markets are held back by economic uncertainty which, in turn, is a
function
of uncertainty-in policy, and due to heightened competitive pressures.

Dr Rajan dismisses some of the explanations. There could be two-one is
that
most countries have invested inadequately, given the erosion of their
export- market share with China emerging as a major exporter. Also, as
China's savings are far in excess of its high investment spend, it has
been
unable to raise the overall level of investment spending globally.

The second explanation, and that's what the title alludes to, is that
global
terrorism has made corporations very cautious as their money is mostly
irrecoverable in the event of a collapse in demand caused by a major
act of
terrorism. Coming so close after the collapse of the technology bubble,
September 11 dealt a heavy blow to risk appetite. And the subsequent US
wars
in Afghanistan and Iraq have not gone as per plans. So, the perception
is
that of higher risk. Though there's been no terrorist attack on the
scale of
September 11 in the developed world, the risk perception is high enough
to
deter large-scale physical investment.

These savings have to be used elsewhere. Financial and real estate
assets
are easier (the former more so) to liquidate than investment in plant
and
equipment. So, these became the refuge for excess savings. That has led
to
share buy-backs, M&A transactions, investment in Emerging market bonds
and
US Treasuries. The result is lower cost of debt and equity capital and
rising real estate and financial asset prices almost everywhere. In
other
words, the normal rise in risk aversion caused by acts of terrorism has
paradoxically meant declining risk aversion indicators for financial
assets.
We can see high risk aversion for physical investment and low risk
aversion
for financial and speculative investment.

To an extent, Dr Rajan is correct in not holding central bankers fully
responsible for this excess liquidity. A less proximate but more
crucial
cause is the ability and the willingness of banks to misprice risks.
Globally, assets under hedge funds are $1.5 trillion. But, most
derivative
contracts they use are not exactly counted under 'Assets under
Management'
(AuM) as these contracts have only notional values. Thus, the AuM
figures
grossly understate the true size of investment positions that they
carry.

According to Morgan Stanley's Serhan Cevik (The curse of Alpha, Nov.
17,
2006), "the International Swaps and Derivatives Asso-ciation's data
compilation shows that the outstanding volume of over-the-counter
credit
derivatives incre-ased from $3.5 trillion in 1990 to $63 trillion in
2000
and over $283 trillion this year. Thus, the total amount of
exchange-traded
and over-the-counter structured financial instruments ballooned from
27.3%
of global GDP in 1990 to 772.8% this year."

A hedge fund manager told me that when the Fund has a short position in
USDINR (short US dollar against the Indian rupee) and a long position
in
USDPHP (long US dollar against the Philippine peso), their prime broker
treats this as a combined net exposure of zero as the short position in
US
dollar is cancelled by the long position. Of course, it is possible the
hedge fund is exposing itself to varied risks in both the rupee and the
peso
and might get its bets wrong on both counts. Obviously, risk
controllers
working for prime brokers of hedge funds don't see it that way. The
proclivity on their part to overlook risk has led to explosion in the
volume
of derivative trading described above. Thus, the combination of
liquidity
and mispricing of risk has inflated asset prices, re-ignited M&A
activity
and boosted trading and fee income for banks. Higher bonuses result.

To a large degree, banks created their own fortunes thus. But, Bin
Laden
triggered it. He made corporations reluctant to invest money into
creating
hard real assets, setting off the financial and speculative boom.
Bankers
therefore owe some, if not all, of their bonuses to him.

How would it end? The scourge of terrorism and the risk of further
attacks
persists. One could state that as long as this risk remains high,
financial
assets would be well bid, boosted by paper and notional money created
by
banks. Central banks can restore some sanity by raising the cost of
funds
and introducing an element of fear, which has been reduced in their bid
to
become transparent.

In the short term, fear of rate increase could come back into the
market as
it did in May-June this year but that would have a short-term impact.
In the
long term, this would only stop when hubris and the resultant overreach
results in spectacular blow-ups like the Long-term Capital Management.
There
is no way of telling when and how. Meanwhile, rational investors would
continue to stay on for the heady ride in asset prices.

-The writer is head of research, Asia-Pacific and Middle East, Bank of
Julius Baer, Singapore. These are his personal views. He can be
contacted at
jeevatma@gmail.com

URL:
http://www.financialexpress.com/fe_full_story.php?content_id=147263

Thank you for the lovely greeting.

It is beautiful.

I wish you a very Merry Christmas.

[November 2006]

Jihadist Forum Participant Posts 3 Stage Guerrilla Strategy

Jihadist Forum Participant Posts 3 Stage Guerrilla Strategy

On 13 November, a jihadist website posted an article written by "Dr.
Abduh."
In the article, Dr. Abduh explains a three-stage guerrilla warfare
strategy
which parallels that written about by the former Chinese leader Mao
Tse-Tung.

A translation of the article follows:

Guerrilla war is a revolutionary war that mobilizes civilians, or at
least
part of the civilian population, against usurping military forces. It
is
warfare by the simplest modes and cheapest implements by a weak and
poor
side against a powerful foe, foreign or domestic, superior in equipment
and
supplies. Such warfare is launched by fighting forces that use
guerrilla war
techniques characterized tactically by surprise, speed, violent action,
and
deception.

In their attacks, guerrilla fighters deploy from within
enemy-controlled
areas. The guerrilla bands are armed with light weapons, explosives,
mines,
hand grenades, and anti-vehicle rockets. There are no restrictions on
the
guerrilla fighter as to armaments: he uses whatever arms are available
to
him to wear out the enemy without having to come out into the open to
fight.

Although the guerrilla technique is a defensive technique
strategically,
tactically it is purely offensive. The guerrilla fighter has no
tactical
plans for defense; he needs no such plans because he is not defending a
particular district. Thus he is free in armaments and movement.

In the technique of guerrilla warfare it is important that the fighters
respect the phased nature of such warfare.

Guerrilla war has three stages, each of which must be given its due in
strategy and tactics. It is impossible to assign time limits to these
stages. What defines the end of one stage and the beginning of another
is
the completion of one stage as thoroughly as possible. Each stage is
distinct from the others in military, political, economic, and
propaganda
characteristics, subject to maneuvering and change in accordance with
the
stage. However, the ideological foundation is not subject to
maneuvering in
any of these stages, because it is the impetus for guerrilla war in its
three stages.

These stages are as follows.

Stage One: The Phase of Attrition

This is the longest stage in guerrilla warfare, because it is the stage
in
which the fighters focus on many small and rapid strikes in all
directions
or on the greatest possible area over which operations can be spread in
order to take advantage of the enemy's exhaustion and his need to fight
everywhere. The stage needs to be subject to the policy of hit-and-run
or
killing-by-a-thousand-wounds: in other words, exhausting the enemy by
small
strikes over a long period, until he drops of exhaustion.

During this stage, the guerrilla fighters' bases must be mobile, not
fixed,
and lightly equipped, so as not to impede movement and maneuvering.

The guerrilla fighters must use military strikes only to destroy
respect for
the regime, make propaganda against it, and encourage the people to
resist
in support of the guerrillas. Details of battles must be publicized to
the
broadest possible sector of the people so as to attract their support
and
assistance.

During this stage, these tactics must be maintained so that the stage
achieves its goal of maximum losses in the ranks of the enemy and
minimum
losses in the ranks of the guerrillas. For the sake of brevity, we
mention
here only a few of the characteristics of this stage:

1. Exhausting the enemy by continual strikes over a long period (pin
pricks).

2. Working against the enemy rear.

3. Establishing non-permanent safe bases.

4. Constantly widening the areas of warfare so as to force the enemy to
scatter and weaken him everywhere, thus confronting the enemy with a
major
dilemma: either scatter to protect all the targets, which will weaken
him
everywhere, or concentrate to obtain strength, which will make him lose
control over extensive areas that will fall into the guerrilla hands,
thus
increasing their strength.

5. Not holding on to territory and fighting positions.

6. Maintaining and developing one's own strength and destroying the
enemy's
material strength and morale.

7. Ensuring coordination between the activity of the guerrillas and the
activity of the regular forces launching operational warfare, if
present.

8. Continually striking at such times and in such places as to create a
state of insecurity.

9. Solidarity with the population.

10. Taking the initiative by launching attacks in the time, place, and
manner that suits the guerrilla fighters; not being drawn by enemy
provocations into fighting a battle at the time and place that the
enemy
wishes.

11. Attacks must be characterized by unexpectedness and violence.
Surprise,
speed, and decisiveness are important aspects of guerrilla tactics.

12. Challenging and insistence on defeating the foe in the field are
inappropriate for the guerrilla fighter at this stage. What is
appropriate
for this stage is striking and withdrawing. Impulsiveness and rashness
do
not serve guerrilla fighters in this stage. Everyone must learn how to
run
away.

13. Ambushes in all forms and using all techniques should be stressed,
along
with striking the enemy while he moves, since he is weakest while
moving.

14. Flexibility in massing and moving.

15. Reliance on rugged areas that provide protection.

16. Intelligence levels must be kept high to safeguard the guerrilla
fighters, along with relying on the cooperation of the populace in this
area.

17. Relying on the weapon of ideas and heightened political
consciousness in
order to even the balance of forces.

18. One must be on guard against being surrounded by the enemy and
withdraw
immediately at whatever cost as soon as one feels surrounded.

19. Attacks by the guerrilla fighters at this stage will use the
techniques
of silence and caution, as well as attempts to distract the enemy's
attention by stirring up a commotion in one direction and attacking
from the
opposite direction.

20. One must learn how to keep out of sight while moving and supplying
and
become skilled at blending in with the populace.

21. One must avoid routine or repetition in moving or attacking. One
must be
careful to vary techniques.

22. The guerrilla fighters must be self-sufficient. They must make
their own
efforts to support themselves so as to have cover, separating to
support
themselves and coming together to fight.

These are some of the characteristics of the first stage of guerrilla
warfare. As we have already said, it is the longest and most important
phase
of guerrilla warfare; one can move from it to the second stage only
after
one is sure of its full completion.

Stage Two: The Stage of Equilibrium (The Stage We Have Entered)

In this stage the guerrilla fighters, who in the first stage have been
able
to get a foothold and liberate territory, now reshape their military
formations into a style resembling regular forces. Once they have
become
certain of their need and their ability to move to the second stage,
there
will be a transition: formations will change and armaments increase so
as to
reach the level of heavy weapons and set battle lines with
quasi-regular
formations. At the end of this stage the fighters will come to have
regular
formations and be able to expand, so as to move into the third stage.

Stage Three: The Decisive Stage

This is the last stage in guerrilla war. It is the stage at which the
guerrilla fighters commence reshaping their forces into regular forces
after
having formed their government structure. Simultaneously there is an
information and political campaign at the beginning of this stage, so
as to
mobilize regular forces from both sides and launch conventional warfare
in
the course of which the enemy forces, exhausted by warfare in stages
one and
two, will be decisively eliminated through conventional techniques.

For more translations and news on terrorism, visit
http://www.lauramansfield.com
or visit our forum at http://www.lauramansfield.com/forum/

Strategic Translations is a service provided by Laura Mansfield through
http://www.lauramansfield.com

ttp://www.state.gov/r/pa/ho/pubs/fs/5902.htm

Significant Terrorist Incidents, 1961-2003: A Brief Chronology

First U.S. Aircraft Hijacked, May 1, 1961: Puerto Rican born Antuilo
Ramierez Ortiz forced at gunpoint a National Airlines plane to fly to
Havana, Cuba, where he was given asylum.

Ambassador to Guatemala Assassinated, August 28, 1968: U.S. Ambassador
to
Guatemala John Gordon Mein was murdered by a rebel faction when gunmen
forced his official car off the road in Guatemala City and raked the
vehicle
with gunfire.

Ambassador to Japan Attacked, July 30, 1969: U.S. Ambassador to Japan
A.H.
Meyer was attacked by a knife-wielding Japanese citizen.

Ambassador to Brazil Kidnapped, September 3, 1969: U.S. Ambassador to
Brazil
Charles Burke Elbrick was kidnapped by the Marxist revolutionary group
MR-8.

Attack on the Munich Airport, February 10, 1970: Three terrorists
attacked
El Al passengers in a bus at the Munich Airport with guns and grenades.
One
passenger was killed and 11 were injured. All three terrorists were
captured
by airport police. The Action Organization for the Liberation of
Palestine
and the Popular Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine
claimed
responsibility for the attack.

U.S. Agency for International Development Adviser Kidnapped, July 31,
1970:
In Montevideo, Uruguay, the Tupamaros terrorist group kidnapped AID
Police
adviser Dan Mitrione; his body was found on August 10.

"Bloody Friday," July 21, 1972: An Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb
attacks
killed eleven people and injure 130 in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Ten
days
later, three IRA car bomb attacks in the village of Claudy left six
dead.

Munich Olympic Massacre, September 5, 1972: Eight Palestinian "Black
September" terrorists seized eleven Israeli athletes in the Olympic
Village
in Munich, West Germany. In a bungled rescue attempt by West German
authorities, nine of the hostages and five terrorists were killed.

Ambassador to Sudan Assassinated, March 2, 1973: U.S. Ambassador to
Sudan
Cleo A. Noel and other diplomats were assassinated at the Saudi Arabian
Embassy in Khartoum by members of the Black September organization.

Consul General in Mexico Kidnapped, May 4, 1973: U.S. Consul General in
Guadalajara Terrence Leonhardy was kidnapped by members of the People’s
Revolutionary Armed Forces.

Attack and Hijacking at the Rome Airport, December 17, 1973: Five
terrorists
pulled weapons from their luggage in the terminal lounge at the Rome
airport, killing two persons. They then attacked a Pan American 707
bound
for Beirut and Tehran, destroying it with incendiary grenades and
killing 29
persons, including 4 senior Moroccan officials and 14 American
employees of
ARAMCO. They then herded 5 Italian hostages into a Lufthansa airliner
and
killed an Italian customs agent as he tried to escape, after which they
forced the pilot to fly to Beirut. After Lebanese authorities refused
to let
the plane land, it landed in Athens, where the terrorists demanded the
release of 2 Arab terrorists. In order to make Greek authorities comply
with
their demands, the terrorists killed a hostage and threw his body onto
the
tarmac. The plane then flew to Damascus, where it stopped for two hours
to
obtain fuel and food. It then flew to Kuwait, where the terrorists
released
their hostages in return for passage to an unknown destination. The
Palestine Liberation Organization disavowed the attack, and no group
claimed
responsibility for it.

Ambassador to Cyprus Assassinated, August 19, 1974: U.S. Ambassador to
Cyprus Rodger P. Davies and his Greek Cypriot secretary were shot and
killed
by snipers during a demonstration outside the U.S. Embassy in Nicosia.

Domestic Terrorism, January 27-29, 1975: Puerto Rican nationalists
bombed a
Wall Street bar, killing four and injuring 60; two days later, the
Weather
Underground claims responsibility for an explosion in a bathroom at the
U.S.
Department of State in Washington.

June 16, 1976: Ambassador Francis E. Meloy, Jr. and Economic Counselor
Robert O. Waring were kidnapped in Beirut while on their way to meet
with
President-elect Sarkis. Meloy, Waring, and their Lebanese chauffeur
were
found dead near a beach several hours alter. No demands were made, and
the
assassins remain unknown.

Entebbe Hostage Crisis, June 27, 1976: Members of the Baader-Meinhof
Group
and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) seized an
Air
France airliner and its 258 passengers. They forced the plane to land
in
Uganda. On July 3 Israeli commandos successfully rescued the
passengers.

Assassination of Former Chilean Diplomat, September 21, 1976: Exiled
Chilean
Foreign Minister Orlando Letelier was killed by a car-bomb in
Washington.

Kidnapping of Italian Prime Minister, March 16, 1978: Premier Aldo Moro
was
seized by the Red Brigade and assassinated 55 days later.

Ambassador to Afghanistan Assassinated, February 14, 1979: Four Afghans
kidnapped U.S. Ambassador Adolph Dubs in Kabul and demanded the release
of
various "religious figures." Dubs was killed, along with four alleged
terrorists, when Afghan police stormed the hotel room where he was
being
held.

Iran Hostage Crisis, November 4, 1979: After President Carter agreed to
admit the Shah of Iran into the US, Iranian radicals seized the U.S.
Embassy
in Tehran and took 66 American diplomats hostage. Thirteen hostages
were
soon released, but the remaining 53 were held until their release on
January
20, 1981.

Grand Mosque Seizure, November 20, 1979: 200 Islamic terrorists seized
the
Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, taking hundreds of pilgrims
hostage.
Saudi and French security forces retook the shrine after an intense
battle
in which some 250 people were killed and 600 wounded.

August 27, 1980: Unknown assailants in Beirut fired on Ambassador John
Gunther Dean's car. He and his party escaped unharmed.

U.S. Installation Bombing, August 31, 1981: The Red Army exploded a
bomb at
the U.S. Air Force Base at Ramstein, West Germany.

Assassination of Egyptian President, October 6, 1981: Soldiers who were
secretly members of the Takfir Wal-Hajira sect attacked and killed
Egyptian
President Anwar Sadat during a troop review.

Murder of Missionaries, December 4, 1981: Three American nuns and one
lay
missionary were found murdered outside San Salvador, El Salvador. They
were
killed by members of the National Guard, and the killers are currently
in
prison.

Assassination of Lebanese President, September 14, 1982: President
Bashir
Gemayel was assassinated by a car bomb parked outside his party’s
Beirut
headquarters.

1983

Colombian Hostage-taking, April 8, 1983: A U.S. citizen was seized by
the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and held for ransom.

Bombing of U.S. Embassy in Beirut, April 18, 1983: Sixty-three people,
including the CIA’s Middle East director, were killed and 120 were
injured
in a 400-pound suicide truck-bomb attack on the U.S. Embassy in Beirut,
Lebanon. The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.

Naval Officer Assassinated in El Salvador, May 25, 1983: A U.S. Navy
officer
was assassinated by the Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front.

North Korean Hit Squad, October 9, 1983: North Korean agents blew up a
delegation from South Korea in Rangoon, Burma, killing 21 persons and
injuring 48.

Bombing of Marine Barracks, Beirut, October 23, 1983: Simultaneous
suicide
truck-bomb attacks were made on American and French compounds in
Beirut,
Lebanon. A 12,000-pound bomb destroyed the U.S. compound, killing 242
Americans, while 58 French troops were killed when a 400-pound device
destroyed a French base. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.

Naval Officer Assassinated in Greece, November 15, 1983: A U.S. Navy
officer
was shot by the November 17 terrorist group in Athens, Greece, while
his car
was stopped at a traffic light.

1984

Kidnapping of Embassy Official, March 16, 1984: The Islamic Jihad
kidnapped
and later murdered Political Officer William Buckley in Beirut,
Lebanon.
Other U.S. citizens not connected to the U.S. government were seized
over a
succeeding two-year period.

Restaurant Bombing in Spain, April 12, 1984: Eighteen U.S. servicemen
were
killed and 83 people were injured in a bomb attack on a restaurant near
a
U.S. Air Force Base in Torrejon, Spain.

Temple Seizure, June 5, 1984: Sikh terrorists seized the Golden Temple
in
Amritsar, India. One hundred people died when Indian security forces
retook
the Sikh holy shrine.

Assassination of Indian Prime Minister, October 31, 1984: Premier
Indira
Gandhi was shot to death by members of her security force.

1985

Kidnapping of U.S. Officials in Mexico, February 7, 1985: Under the
orders
of narcotrafficker Rafael Caro Quintero, Drug Enforcement
Administration
agent Enrique Camarena Salazar and his pilot were kidnapped, tortured
and
executed.

TWA Hijacking, June 14, 1985: A Trans-World Airlines flight was
hijacked en
route to Rome from Athens by two Lebanese Hizballah terrorists and
forced to
fly to Beirut. The eight crew members and 145 passengers were held for
seventeen days, during which one American hostage, a U.S. Navy sailor,
was
murdered. After being flown twice to Algiers, the aircraft was returned
to
Beirut after Israel released 435 Lebanese and Palestinian prisoners.

Attack on a Restaurant in El Salvador, June 19, 1985: Members of the
FMLN
(Farabundo Marti National Liberation Front) fired on a restaurant in
the
Zona Rosa district of San Salvador, killing four Marine Security Guards
assigned to the U.S. Embassy and nine Salvadorean civilians.

Air India Bombing, June 23, 1985: A bomb destroyed an Air India Boeing
747
over the Atlantic, killing all 329 people aboard. Both Sikh and
Kashmiri
terrorists were blamed for the attack. Two cargo handlers were killed
at
Tokyo airport, Japan, when another Sikh bomb exploded in an Air Canada
aircraft en route to India.

Soviet Diplomats Kidnapped, September 30, 1985: In Beirut, Lebanon,
Sunni
terrorists kidnapped four Soviet diplomats. One was killed but three
were
later released.

Achille Lauro Hijacking, October 7, 1985: Four Palestinian Liberation
Front
terrorists seized the Italian cruise liner in the eastern Mediterranean
Sea,
taking more than 700 hostages. One U.S. passenger was murdered before
the
Egyptian government offered the terrorists safe haven in return for the
hostages’ freedom.

Egyptian Airliner Hijacking, November 23, 1985: An EgyptAir airplane
bound
from Athens to Malta and carrying several U.S. citizens was hijacked by
the
Abu Nidal Group.

Airport Attacks in Rome and Vienna, December 27, 1985: Four gunmen
belonging
to the Abu Nidal Organization attacked the El Al and Trans World
Airlines
ticket counters at Rome’s Leonardo da Vinci Airport with grenades and
automatic rifles. Thirteen persons were killed and 75 were wounded
before
Italian police and Israeli security guards killed three of the gunmen
and
captured the fourth. Three more Abu Nidal gunmen attacked the El Al
ticket
counter at Vienna’s Schwechat Airport, killing three persons and
wounding
30. Austrian police killed one of the gunmen and captured the others.

1986

Aircraft Bombing in Greece, March 30, 1986: A Palestinian splinter
group
detonated a bomb as TWA Flight 840 approached Athens airport, killing
four
U.S. citizens.

Berlin Discothèque Bombing, April 5, 1986: Two U.S. soldiers were
killed and
79 American servicemen were injured in a Libyan bomb attack on a
nightclub
in West Berlin, West Germany. In retaliation U.S. military jets bombed
targets in and around Tripoli and Benghazi.

Kimpo Airport Bombing, September 14, 1986: North Korean agents
detonated an
explosive device at Seoul’s Kimpo airport, killing 5 persons and
injuring 29
others.

1987

Bus Attack, April 24, 1987: Sixteen U.S. servicemen riding in a Greek
Air
Force bus near Athens were injured in an apparent bombing attack,
carried
out by the revolutionary organization known as November 17.

Downing of Airliner, November 29, 1987: North Korean agents planted a
bomb
aboard Korean Air Lines Flight 858, which subsequently crashed into the
Indian Ocean.

Servicemen’s Bar Attack, December 26, 1987: Catalan separatists bombed
a
Barcelona bar frequented by U.S. servicemen, resulting in the death of
one
U.S. citizen.

1988

Kidnapping of William Higgins, February 17, 1988: U.S. Marine Corps
Lieutenant Colonel W. Higgins was kidnapped and murdered by the
Iranian-backed Hizballah group while serving with the United Nations
Truce
Supervisory Organization (UNTSO) in southern Lebanon.

Naples USO Attack, April 14, 1988: The Organization of Jihad Brigades
exploded a car-bomb outside a USO Club in Naples, Italy, killing one
U.S.
sailor.

Attack on U.S. Diplomat in Greece, June 28, 1988: The Defense Attaché
of the
U.S. Embassy in Greece was killed when a car-bomb was detonated outside
his
home in Athens.

Pan Am 103 Bombing, December 21, 1988: Pan American Airlines Flight 103
was
blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland, by a bomb believed to have been
placed on
the aircraft by Libyan terrorists in Frankfurt, West Germany. All 259
people
on board were killed.

1989

Assassination of U.S. Army Officer, April 21, 1989: The New People’s
Army
(NPA) assassinated Colonel James Rowe in Manila. The NPA also
assassinated
two U.S. government defense contractors in September.

Bombing of UTA Flight 772, September 19, 1989: A bomb explosion
destroyed
UTA Flight 772 over the Sahara Desert in southern Niger during a flight
from
Brazzaville to Paris. All 170 persons aboard were killed. Six Libyans
were
later found guilty in absentia and sentenced to life imprisonment.

Assassination of German Bank Chairman, November 30, 1989: The Red Army
Faction assassinated Deutsche Bank Chairman Alfred Herrhausen in
Frankfurt.

1990

U.S. Embassy Bombed in Peru, January 15, 1990: The Tupac Amaru
Revolutionary
Movement bombed the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru.

U.S. Soldiers Assassinated in the Philippines, May 13, 1990: The New
People’s Army (NPA) killed two U.S. Air Force personnel near Clark Air
Force
Base in the Philippines.

1991

Attempted Iraqi Attacks on U.S. Posts, January 18-19, 1991: Iraqi
agents
planted bombs at the U.S. Ambassador to Indonesia’s home residence and
at
the USIS library in Manila.

Sniper Attack on the U.S. Embassy in Bonn, February 13, 1991: Three Red
Army
Faction members fired automatic rifles from across the Rhine River at
the
U.S. Embassy Chancery. No one was hurt.

Assassination of former Indian Prime Minister, May 21, 1991: A female
member
of the LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) killed herself, Prime
Minister Rajiv Gandhi, and 16 others by detonating an explosive vest
after
presenting a garland of flowers to the former Prime Minister during an
election rally in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu.

1992

Kidnapping of U.S. Businessmen in the Philippines, January 17-21, 1992:
A
senior official of the corporation Philippine Geothermal was kidnapped
in
Manila by the Red Scorpion Group, and two U.S. businessmen were seized
independently by the National Liberation Army and by Revolutionary
Armed
Forces of Colombia (FARC).

Bombing of the Israeli Embassy in Argentina, March 17, 1992: Hizballah
claimed responsibility for a blast that leveled the Israeli Embassy in
Buenos Aires, Argentina, causing the deaths of 29 and wounding 242.

1993

Kidnappings of U.S. Citizens in Colombia, January 31, 1993:
Revolutionary
Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) terrorists kidnapped three U.S.
missionaries.

World Trade Center Bombing, February 26, 1993: The World Trade Center
in New
York City was badly damaged when a car bomb planted by Islamic
terrorists
exploded in an underground garage. The bomb left 6 people dead and
1,000
injured. The men carrying out the attack were followers of Umar Abd
al-Rahman, an Egyptian cleric who preached in the New York City area.

Attempted Assassination of President Bush by Iraqi Agents, April 14,
1993:
The Iraqi intelligence service attempted to assassinate former U.S.
President George Bush during a visit to Kuwait. In retaliation, the
U.S.
launched a cruise missile attack 2 months later on the Iraqi capital
Baghdad.

1994

Hebron Massacre, February 25, 1994: Jewish right-wing extremist and
U.S.
citizen Baruch Goldstein machine-gunned Moslem worshippers at a mosque
in
West Bank town of Hebron, killing 29 and wounding about 150.

FARC Hostage-taking, September 23, 1994: FARC rebels kidnapped U.S.
citizen
Thomas Hargrove in Colombia.

Air France Hijacking, December 24, 1994: Members of the Armed Islamic
Group
seized an Air France Flight to Algeria. The four terrorists were killed
during a rescue effort.

1995

Attack on U.S. Diplomats in Pakistan, March 8, 1995: Two unidentified
gunmen
killed two U.S. diplomats and wounded a third in Karachi, Pakistan.

Tokyo Subway Station Attack, March 20, 1995: Twelve persons were killed
and
5,700 were injured in a Sarin nerve gas attack on a crowded subway
station
in the center of Tokyo, Japan. A similar attack occurred nearly
simultaneously in the Yokohama subway system. The Aum Shinri-kyo cult
was
blamed for the attacks.

Bombing of the Federal Building in Oklahoma City, April 19, 1995:
Right-wing
extremists Timothy McVeigh and Terry Nichols destroyed the Federal
Building
in Oklahoma City with a massive truck bomb that killed 166 and injured
hundreds more in what was up to then the largest terrorist attack on
American soil.

Kashmiri Hostage-taking, July 4, 1995: In India six foreigners,
including
two U.S. citizens, were taken hostage by Al-Faran, a Kashmiri
separatist
group. One non-U.S. hostage was later found beheaded.

Jerusalem Bus Attack, August 21, 1995: HAMAS claimed responsibility for
the
detonation of a bomb that killed 6 and injured over 100 persons,
including
several U.S. citizens.

Attack on U.S. Embassy in Moscow, September 13, 1995: A
rocket-propelled
grenade was fired through the window of the U.S. Embassy in Moscow,
ostensibly in retaliation for U.S. strikes on Serb positions in Bosnia.

Saudi Military Installation Attack, November 13, 1995: The Islamic
Movement
of Change planted a bomb in a Riyadh military compound that killed one
U.S.
citizen, several foreign national employees of the U.S. government, and
over
40 others.

Egyptian Embassy Attack, November 19, 1995: A suicide bomber drove a
vehicle
into the Egyptian Embassy compound in Islamabad, Pakistan, killing at
least
16 and injuring 60 persons. Three militant Islamic groups claimed
responsibility.

1996

Papuan Hostage Abduction, January 8, 1996: In Indonesia, 200 Free Papua
Movement (OPM) guerrillas abducted 26 individuals in the Lorenta nature
preserve, Irian Jaya Province. Indonesian Special Forces members
rescued the
remaining nine hostages on May 15.

Kidnapping in Colombia, January 19, 1996: Revolutionary Armed Forces of
Colombia (FARC) guerrillas kidnapped a US citizen and demanded a $1
million
ransom. The hostage was released on May 22.

Tamil Tigers Attack, January 31, 1996: Members of the Liberation Tigers
of
Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rammed an explosives-laden truck into the Central
Bank in
the heart of downtown Colombo, Sri Lanka, killing 90 civilians and
injuring
more than 1,400 others, including 2 US citizens.

IRA Bombing, February 9, 1996: An Irish Republican Army (IRA) bomb
detonated
in London, killing 2 persons and wounding more than 100 others,
including 2
U.S. citizens.

Athens Embassy Attack, February 15, 1996: Unidentified assailants fired
a
rocket at the U.S. Embassy compound in Athens, causing minor damage to
three
diplomatic vehicles and some surrounding buildings. Circumstances of
the
attack suggested it was an operation carried out by the 17 November
group.

ELN Kidnapping, February 16, 1996: Six alleged National Liberation Army
(ELN) guerrillas kidnapped a U.S. citizen in Colombia. After 9 months,
the
hostage was released.

HAMAS Bus Attack, February 26, 1996: In Jerusalem, a suicide bomber
blew up
a bus, killing 26 persons, including three U.S. citizens, and injuring
some
80 persons, including three other US citizens.

Dizengoff Center Bombing, March 4, 1996: HAMAS and the Palestine
Islamic
Jihad (PIJ) both claimed responsibility for a bombing outside of Tel
Aviv's
largest shopping mall that killed 20 persons and injured 75 others,
including 2 U.S. citizens.

West Bank Attack, May 13, 1996: Arab gunmen opened fire on a bus and a
group
of Yeshiva students near the Bet El settlement, killing a dual
U.S./Israeli
citizen and wounding three Israelis. No one claimed responsibility for
the
attack, but HAMAS was suspected.

AID Worker Abduction, May 31, 1996: A gang of former Contra guerrillas
kidnapped a U.S. employee of the Agency for International Development
(AID)
who was assisting with election preparations in rural northern
Nicaragua.
She was released unharmed the next day after members of the
international
commission overseeing the preparations intervened.

Zekharya Attack, June 9, 1996: Unidentified gunmen opened fire on a car
near
Zekharya, killing a dual U.S./Israeli citizen and an Israeli. The
Popular
Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) was suspected.

Manchester Truck Bombing, June 15, 1996: An IRA truck bomb detonated at
a
Manchester shopping center, wounding 206 persons, including two German
tourists, and caused extensive property damage.

Khobar Towers Bombing, June 25, 1996: A fuel truck carrying a bomb
exploded
outside the US military's Khobar Towers housing facility in Dhahran,
killing
19 U.S. military personnel and wounding 515 persons, including 240 U.S.
personnel. Several groups claimed responsibility for the attack.

ETA Bombing, July 20, 1996: A bomb exploded at Tarragona International
Airport in Reus, Spain, wounding 35 persons, including British and
Irish
tourists. The Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA) organization was
suspected.

Bombing of Archbishop of Oran, August 1, 1996: A bomb exploded at the
home
of the French Archbishop of Oran, killing him and his chauffeur. The
attack
occurred after the Archbishop's meeting with the French Foreign
Minister.
The Algerian Armed Islamic Group (GIA) is suspected.

Sudanese Rebel Kidnapping, August 17, 1996: Sudan People's Liberation
Army
(SPLA) rebels kidnapped six missionaries in Mapourdit, including a U.S.
citizen, an Italian, three Australians, and a Sudanese. The SPLA
released
the hostages 11 days later.

PUK Kidnapping, September 13, 1996: In Iraq, Patriotic Union of
Kurdistan
(PUK) militants kidnapped four French workers for Pharmaciens Sans
Frontieres, a Canadian United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees
(UNHCR)
official, and two Iraqis.

Assassination of South Korean Consul, October 1, 1996: In Vladivostok,
Russia, assailants attacked and killed a South Korean consul near his
home.
No one claimed responsibility, but South Korean authorities believed
that
the attack was carried out by professionals and that the assailants
were
North Koreans. North Korean officials denied the country's involvement
in
the attack.

Red Cross Worker Kidnappings, November 1, 1996: In Sudan a breakaway
group
from the Sudanese People's Liberation Army (SPLA) kidnapped three
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) workers, including a
U.S.
citizen, an Australian, and a Kenyan. On 9 December the rebels released
the
hostages in exchange for ICRC supplies and a health survey for their
camp.

Paris Subway Explosion, December 3, 1996: A bomb exploded aboard a
Paris
subway train as it arrived at the Port Royal station, killing two
French
nationals, a Moroccan, and a Canadian, and injuring 86 persons. Among
those
injured were one U.S. citizen and a Canadian. No one claimed
responsibility
for the attack, but Algerian extremists are suspected.

Abduction of US. Citizen by FARC, December 11, 1996: Five armed men
claiming
to be members of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC)
kidnapped
and later killed a U.S. geologist at a methane gas exploration site in
La
Guajira Department.

Tupac Amaru Seizure of Diplomats, December 17, 1996: Twenty-three
members of
the Tupac Amaru Revolutionary Movement (MRTA) took several hundred
people
hostage at a party given at the Japanese Ambassador's residence in
Lima,
Peru. Among the hostages were several US officials, foreign ambassadors
and
other diplomats, Peruvian Government officials, and Japanese
businessmen.
The group demanded the release of all MRTA members in prison and safe
passage for them and the hostage takers. The terrorists released most
of the
hostages in December but held 81 Peruvians and Japanese citizens for
several
months.

1997

Egyptian Letter Bombs, January 2-13, 1997: A series of letter bombs
with
Alexandria, Egypt, postmarks were discovered at Al-Hayat newspaper
bureaus
in Washington, New York City, London, and Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Three
similar devices, also postmarked in Egypt, were found at a prison
facility
in Leavenworth, Kansas. Bomb disposal experts defused all the devices,
but
one detonated at the Al-Hayat office in London, injuring two security
guards
and causing minor damage.

Tajik Hostage Abductions, February 4-17, 1997: Near Komsomolabad,
Tajikistan, a paramilitary group led by Bakhrom Sodirov abducted four
United
Nations (UN) military observers. The victims included two Swiss, one
Austrian, one Ukrainian, and their Tajik interpreter. The kidnappers
demanded safe passage for their supporters from Afghanistan to
Tajikistan.
In four separate incidents occurring between Dushanbe and Garm, Bakhrom
Sodirov and his group kidnapped two International Committee for the Red
Cross members, four Russian journalists and their Tajik driver, four
UNHCR
members, and the Tajik Security Minister, Saidamir Zukhurov.

Venezuelan Abduction, February 14, 1997: Six armed Colombian guerrillas
kidnapped a US oil engineer and his Venezuelan pilot in Apure,
Venezuela.
The kidnappers released the Venezuelan pilot on 22 February. According
to
authorities, the FARC is responsible for the kidnapping.

Empire State Building Sniper Attack, February 23, 1997: A Palestinian
gunman
opened fire on tourists at an observation deck atop the Empire State
Building in New York City, killing a Danish national and wounding
visitors
from the United States, Argentina, Switzerland, and France before
turning
the gun on himself. A handwritten note carried by the gunman claimed
this
was a punishment attack against the "enemies of Palestine."

ELN Kidnapping, February 24, 1997: National Liberation Army (ELN)
guerrillas
kidnapped a U.S. citizen employed by a Las Vegas gold corporation who
was
scouting a gold mining operation in Colombia. The ELN demanded a ransom
of
$2.5 million.

FARC Kidnapping, March 7, 1997: FARC guerrillas kidnapped a U.S. mining
employee and his Colombian colleague who were searching for gold in
Colombia. On November 16, the rebels released the two hostages after
receiving a $50,000 ransom.

Hotel Nacional Bombing, July 12, 1997: A bomb exploded at the Hotel
Nacional
in Havana, injuring three persons and causing minor damage. A
previously
unknown group calling itself the Military Liberation Union claimed
responsibility.

Israeli Shopping Mall Bombing, September 4, 1997: Three suicide bombers
of
HAMAS detonated bombs in the Ben Yehuda shopping mall in Jerusalem,
killing
eight persons, including the bombers, and wounding nearly 200 others. A
dual
U.S./Israeli citizen was among the dead, and 7 U.S. citizens were
wounded.

OAS Abductions, October 23, 1997: In Colombia ELN rebels kidnapped two
foreign members of the Organization of American States (OAS) and a
Colombian
human rights official at a roadblock. The ELN claimed that the
kidnapping
was intended "to show the international community that the elections in
Colombia are a farce."

Yemeni Kidnappings, October 30, 1997: Al-Sha'if tribesmen kidnapped a
U.S.
businessman near Sanaa. The tribesmen sought the release of two fellow
tribesmen who were arrested on smuggling charges and several public
works
projects they claim the government promised them. They released the
hostage
on November 27.

Murder of U.S. Businessmen in Pakistan, November 12, 1997: Two
unidentified
gunmen shot to death four U.S. auditors from Union Texas Petroleum
Corporation and their Pakistani driver after they drove away from the
Sheraton Hotel in Karachi. The Islami Inqilabi Council, or Islamic
Revolutionary Council, claimed responsibility in a call to the U.S.
Consulate in Karachi. In a letter to Pakistani newspapers, the Aimal
Khufia
Action Committee also claimed responsibility.

Tourist Killings in Egypt, November 17, 1997: Al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya
(IG)
gunmen shot and killed 58 tourists and four Egyptians and wounded 26
others
at the Hatshepsut Temple in the Valley of the Kings near Luxor.
Thirty-four
Swiss, eight Japanese, five Germans, four Britons, one French, one
Colombian, a dual Bulgarian/British citizen, and four unidentified
persons
were among the dead. Twelve Swiss, two Japanese, two Germans, one
French,
and nine Egyptians were among the wounded.

1998

UN Observer Abductions, February 19, 1998: Armed supporters of late
Georgian
president Zviad Gamsakhurdia abducted four UN military observers from
Sweden, Uruguay, and the Czech Republic.

FARC Abduction, March 21-23, 1998: FARC rebels kidnapped a US citizen
in
Sabaneta, Colombia. FARC members also killed three persons, wounded 14,
and
kidnapped at least 27 others at a roadblock near Bogota. Four U.S.
citizens
and one Italian were among those kidnapped, as well as the acting
president
of the National Electoral Council (CNE) and his wife.

Somali Hostage-takings, April 15, 1998: Somali militiamen abducted nine
Red
Cross and Red Crescent workers at an airstrip north of Mogadishu. The
hostages included a U.S. citizen, a German, a Belgian, a French, a
Norwegian, two Swiss, and one Somali. The gunmen were members of a
sub-clan
loyal to Ali Mahdi Mohammed, who controlled the northern section of the
capital.

IRA Bombing, Banbridge, August 1, 1998: A 500-pound car bomb planted by
the
Real IRA exploded outside a shoe store in Banbridge, North Ireland,
injuring
35 persons and damaging at least 200 homes.

U.S. Embassy Bombings in East Africa, August 7, 1998: A bomb exploded
at the
rear entrance of the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi, Kenya, killing 12 U.S.
citizens, 32 Foreign Service Nationals (FSNs), and 247 Kenyan citizens.
Approximately 5,000 Kenyans, 6 U.S. citizens, and 13 FSNs were injured.
The
U.S. Embassy building sustained extensive structural damage. Almost
simultaneously, a bomb detonated outside the U.S. Embassy in Dar es
Salaam,
Tanzania, killing 7 FSNs and 3 Tanzanian citizens, and injuring 1 U.S.
citizen and 76 Tanzanians. The explosion caused major structural damage
to
the U.S. Embassy facility. The U.S. Government held Usama Bin Laden
responsible.

IRA Bombing, Omagh, August 15, 1998: A 500-pound car bomb planted by
the
Real IRA exploded outside a local courthouse in the central shopping
district of Omagh, Northern Ireland, killing 29 persons and injuring
over
330.

Colombian Pipeline Bombing, October 18, 1998: A National Liberation
Army
(ELN) planted bomb exploded on the Ocensa pipeline in Antioquia
Department,
killing approximately 71 persons and injuring at least 100 others. The
pipeline is jointly owned by the Colombia State Oil Company Ecopetrol
and a
consortium including U.S., French, British, and Canadian companies.

Armed Kidnapping in Colombia, November 15, 1998: Armed assailants
followed a
U.S. businessman and his family home in Cundinamarca Department and
kidnapped his 11-year-old son after stealing money, jewelry, one
automobile,
and two cell phones. The kidnappers demanded $1 million in ransom. On
January 21, 1999, the kidnappers released the boy.

1999

Angolan Aircraft Downing, January 2, 1999: A UN plane carrying one U.S.
citizen, four Angolans, two Philippine nationals and one Namibian was
shot
down, according to a UN official. No deaths or injuries were reported.
Angolan authorities blamed the attack on National Union for the Total
Independence of Angola (UNITA) rebels. UNITA officials denied shooting
down
the plane.

Ugandan Rebel Attack, February 14, 1999: A pipe bomb exploded inside a
bar,
killing five persons and injuring 35 others. One Ethiopian and four
Ugandan
nationals died in the blast, and one U.S. citizen working for USAID,
two
Swiss nationals, one Pakistani, one Ethiopian, and 27 Ugandans were
injured.
Ugandan authorities blamed the attack on the Allied Democratic Forces
(ADF).

Greek Embassy Seizure, February 16, 1999: Kurdish protesters stormed
and
occupied the Greek Embassy in Vienna, taking the Greek Ambassador and
six
other persons hostage. Several hours later the protesters released the
hostages and left the Embassy. The attack followed the Turkish
Government's
announcement of the successful capture of the Kurdistan Workers' Party
(PKK)
leader Abdullah Ocalan. Kurds also occupied Kenyan, Israeli, and other
Greek
diplomatic facilities in France, Holland, Switzerland, Britain, and
Germany
over the following days.

FARC Kidnappings, February 25, 1999: FARC kidnapped three U.S. citizens
working for the Hawaii-based Pacific Cultural Conservancy
International. On
March 4, the bodies of the three victims were found in Venezuela.

Hutu Abductions, March 1, 1999: 150 armed Hutu rebels attacked three
tourist
camps in Uganda, killed four Ugandans, and abducted three U.S.
citizens, six
Britons, three New Zealanders, two Danish citizens, one Australian, and
one
Canadian national. Two of the U.S. citizens and six of the other
hostages
were subsequently killed by their abductors.

ELN Hostage-taking, March 23, 1999: Armed guerrillas kidnapped a U.S.
citizen in Boyaca, Colombia. The National Liberation Army (ELN) claimed
responsibility and demanded $400,000 ransom. On 20 July, ELN rebels
released
the hostage unharmed following a ransom payment of $48,000.

ELN Hostage-taking, May 30, 1999: In Cali, Colombia, armed ELN
militants
attacked a church in the neighborhood of Ciudad Jardin, kidnapping 160
persons, including six U.S. citizens and one French national. The
rebels
released approximately 80 persons, including three U.S. citizens, later
that
day.

Shell Platform Bombing, June 27, 1999: In Port Harcourt, Nigeria, armed
youths stormed a Shell oil platform, kidnapping one U.S. citizen, one
Nigerian national, and one Australian citizen, and causing undetermined
damage. A group calling itself "Enough is Enough in the Niger River"
claimed
responsibility. Further seizures of oil facilities followed.

AFRC Kidnappings, August 4, 1999: An Armed Forces Revolutionary Council
(AFRC) faction kidnapped 33 UN representatives near Occra Hills, Sierra
Leone. The hostages included one U.S. citizen, five British soldiers,
one
Canadian citizen, one representative from Ghana, one military officer
from
Russia, one officer from Kyrgystan, one officer from Zambia, one
officer
from Malaysia, a local Bishop, two UN officials, two local journalists,
and
16 Sierra Leonean nationals.

Burmese Embassy Seizure, October 1, 1999: Burmese dissidents seized the
Burmese Embassy in Bangkok, Thailand, taking 89 persons hostage,
including
one U.S. citizen.

PLA Kidnapping, December 23, 1999: Colombian People’s Liberation Army
(PLA)
forces kidnapped a U.S. citizen in an unsuccessful ransoming effort.

Indian Airlines Airbus Hijacking, December 24, 1999: Five militants
hijacked
a flight bound from Katmandu to New Delhi carrying 189 people. The
plane and
its passengers were released unharmed on December 31.

2000

Car bombing in Spain, January 27, 2000: Police officials reported
unidentified individuals set fire to a Citroen car dealership in
Iturreta,
causing extensive damage to the building and destroying 12 vehicles.
The
attack bore the hallmark of the Basque Fatherland and Liberty (ETA).

RUF Attacks on U.N. Mission Personnel, May 1, 2000: On 1 May in Makeni,
Sierra Leone, Revolutionary United Front (RUF) militants kidnapped at
least
20 members of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Sierra Leone
(UNAMSIL) and surrounded and opened fire on a UNAMSIL facility,
according to
press reports. The militants killed five UN soldiers in the attack. RUF
militants kidnapped 300 UNAMSIL peacekeepers throughout the country,
according to press reports. On 15 May in Foya, Liberia, the kidnappers
released 139 hostages. On 28 May, on the Liberia and Sierra Leone
border,
armed militants released unharmed the last of the UN peacekeepers. In
Freetown, according to press reports, armed militants ambushed two
military
vehicles carrying four journalists. A Spaniard and one U.S. citizen
were
killed in a May 25 car bombing in Freetown for which the RUF was
probably
responsible. Suspected RUF rebels also kidnapped 21 Indian UN
peacekeepers
in Freetown on June 6. Additional attacks by RUF on foreign personnel
followed.

Diplomatic Assassination in Greece, June 8, 2000: In Athens, Greece,
two
unidentified gunmen killed British Defense Attaché Stephen Saunders in
an
ambush. The Revolutionary Organization 17 November claimed
responsibility.

ELN Kidnapping, June 27, 2000: In Bogota, Colombia, ELN militants
kidnapped
a 5-year-old U.S. citizen and his Colombian mother, demanding an
undisclosed
ransom.

Kidnappings in Kyrgyzstan, August 12, 2000: In the Kara-Su Valley, the
Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan took four U.S. citizens hostage. The
Americans escaped on August 12.

Church Bombing in Tajikistan, October 1, 2000: Unidentified militants
detonated two bombs in a Christian church in Dushanbe, killing seven
persons
and injuring 70 others. The church was founded by a Korean-born U.S.
citizen, and most of those killed and wounded were Korean. No one
claimed
responsibility.

Helicopter Hijacking, October 12, 2000: In Sucumbios Province, Ecuador,
a
group of armed kidnappers led by former members of defunct Colombian
terrorist organization the Popular Liberation Army (EPL), took hostage
10
employees of Spanish energy consortium REPSOL. Those kidnapped included
five
U.S. citizens, one Argentine, one Chilean, one New Zealander, and two
French
pilots who escaped four days later. On January 30, 2001, the kidnappers
murdered American hostage Ronald Sander. The remaining hostages were
released on February 23 following the payment of $13 million in ransom
by
the oil companies.

Attack on U.S.S. Cole, October 12, 2000: In Aden, Yemen, a small dingy
carrying explosives rammed the destroyer U.S.S. Cole, killing 17
sailors and
injuring 39 others. Supporters of Usama Bin Laden were suspected.

Manila Bombing, December 30, 2000: A bomb exploded in a plaza across
the
street from the U.S. Embassy in Manila, injuring nine persons. The Moro
Islamic Liberation Front was likely responsible.

2001

Srinagar Airport Attack and Assassination Attempt, January 17, 2001: In
India, six members of the Lashkar-e-Tayyba militant group were killed
when
they attempted to seize a local airport. Members of Hizbul Mujaheddin
fired
two rifle grenades at Farooq Abdullah, Chief Minister for Jammu and
Kashmir.
Two persons were wounded in the unsuccessful assassination attempt.

BBC Studios Bombing, March 4, 2001: A car bomb exploded at midnight
outside
of the British Broadcasting Corporation’s main production studios in
London.
One person was injured. British authorities suspected the Real IRA had
planted the bomb.

Suicide Bombing in Israel, March 4, 2001: A suicide bomb attack in
Netanya
killed 3 persons and wounded 65. HAMAS later claimed responsibility.

ETA Bombing, March 9, 2001: Two policemen were killed by the explosion
of a
car bomb in Hernani, Spain.

Airliner Hijacking in Istanbul, March 15, 2001: Three Chechens hijacked
a
Russian airliner during a flight from Istanbul to Moscow and forced it
to
fly to Medina, Saudi Arabia. The plane carried 162 passengers and a
crew of
12. After a 22-hour siege during which more than 40 passengers were
released, Saudi security forces stormed the plane, killing a hijacker,
a
passenger, and a flight attendant.

Bus Stop Bombing, April 22, 2001: A member of HAMAS detonated a bomb he
was
carrying near a bus stop in Kfar Siva, Israel, killing one person and
injuring 60.

Philippines Hostage Incident, May 27, 2001: Muslim Abu Sayyaf
guerrillas
seized 13 tourists and 3 staff members at a resort on Palawan Island
and
took their captives to Basilan Island. The captives included three U.S.
citizens: Guellermo Sobero and missionaries Martin and Gracia Burnham.
Philippine troops fought a series of battles with the guerrillas
between
June 1 and June 3 during which 9 hostages escaped and two were found
dead.
The guerrillas took additional hostages when they seized the hospital
in the
town of Lamitan. On June 12, Abu Sayyaf spokesman Abu Sabaya claimed
that
Sobero had been killed and beheaded; his body was found in October. The
Burnhams remained in captivity until June 2002.

Tel-Aviv Nightclub Bombing, June 1, 2001: HAMAS claimed responsibility
for
the suicide bombing of a popular Israeli nightclub that caused over 140
casualties.

HAMAS Restaurant Bombing, August 9, 2001: A HAMAS-planted bomb
detonated in
a Jerusalem pizza restaurant, killing 15 people and wounding more than
90.
The Israeli response included occupation of Orient House, the Palestine
Liberation Organization’s political headquarters in East Jerusalem.

Suicide Bombing in Israel, September 9, 2001: The first suicide bombing
carried out by an Israeli Arab killed 3 persons in Nahariya. HAMAS
claimed
responsibility.

Death of "the Lion of the Panjshir", September 9, 2001: Two suicide
bombers
fatally wounded Ahmed Shah Massoud, a leader of Afghanistan’s Northern
Alliance, which had opposed both the Soviet occupation and the
post-Soviet
Taliban government. The bombers posed as journalists and were
apparently
linked to al-Qaida. The Northern Alliance did not confirm Massoud’s
death
until September 15.

Terrorist Attacks on U.S. Homeland, September 11, 2001: Two hijacked
airliners crashed into the twin towers of the World Trade Center. Soon
thereafter, the Pentagon was struck by a third hijacked plane. A fourth
hijacked plane, suspected to be bound for a high-profile target in
Washington, crashed into a field in southern Pennsylvania. The attacks
killed 3,025 U.S. citizens and other nationals. President Bush and
Cabinet
officials indicated that Usama Bin Laden was the prime suspect and that
they
considered the United States in a state of war with international
terrorism.
In the aftermath of the attacks, the United States formed the Global
Coalition Against Terrorism.

Attack on the Jammu and Kashmir Legislature, October 1, 2001: After a
suicide car bomber forced the gate of the state legislature in
Srinagar, two
gunmen entered the building and held off police for seven hours before
being
killed. Forty persons died in the incident. Jaish-e-Muhammad claimed
responsibility.

Anthrax Attacks, October-November 2001: On October 7 the U.S. Centers
for
Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) reported that investigators had
detected evidence that the deadly anthrax bacterium was present in the
building where a Florida man who died of anthrax on October 5 had
worked.
Discovery of a second anthrax case triggered a major investigation by
the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). The two anthrax cases were the
first
to appear in the United States in 25 years. Anthrax subsequently
appeared in
mail received by television networks in New York and by the offices in
Washington of Senate Majority Leader Tom Daschle and other members of
Congress. Attorney General John Ashcroft said in a briefing on October
16,
"When people send anthrax through the mail to hurt people and invoke
terror,
it’s a terrorist act."

Assassination of an Israeli Cabinet Minister, October 17, 2001: A
Palestinian gunman assassinated Israeli Minister of Tourism Rehavam
Zeevi in
the Jerusalem hotel where he was staying. The Popular Front for the
Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claimed to have avenged the death of
PFLP
Mustafa Zubari.

Attack on a Church in Pakistan, October 28, 2001: Six masked gunmen
shot up
a church in Bahawalpur, Pakistan, killing 15 Pakistani Christians. No
group
claimed responsibility, although various militant Muslim groups were
suspected.

Suicide Bombings in Jerusalem, December 1, 2001: Two suicide bombers
attacked a Jerusalem shopping mall, killing 10 persons and wounding
170.

Suicide Bombing in Haifa, December 2, 2001: A suicide bomb attack
aboard a
bus in Haifa, Israel, killed 15 persons and wounded 40. HAMAS claimed
responsibility for both this attack and those on December 1 to avenge
the
death of a HAMAS member at the hands of Israeli forces a week earlier.

Attack on the Indian Parliament, December 13, 2001: Five gunmen
attacked the
Indian Parliament in New Delhi shortly after it had adjourned. Before
security forces killed them, the attackers killed 6 security personnel
and a
gardener. Indian officials blamed Lashkar-e-Tayyiba and demanded that
Pakistan crack down on it and on other Muslim separatist groups in
Kashmir.

2002

Ambush on the West Bank, January 15, 2002: Palestinian militants fired
on a
vehicle in Beit Sahur, killing one passenger and wounding the other.
The
dead passenger claimed U.S. and Israeli citizenship. The al-Aqsa
Martyrs’
Battalion claimed responsibility.

Shooting Incident in Israel, January 17, 2002: A Palestinian gunman
killed 6
persons and wounded 25 in Hadera, Israel, before being killed by
Israeli
police. The al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed responsibility as revenge
for
Israel’s killing of a leading member of the group.

Drive-By Shooting at a U.S. Consulate, January 22, 2002: Armed
militants on
motorcycles fired on the U.S. Consulate in Calcutta, India, killing 5
Indian
security personnel and wounding 13 others. The Harakat
ul-Jihad-I-Islami and
the Asif Raza Commandoes claimed responsibility. Indian police later
killed
two suspects, one of whom confessed to belonging to Lashkar-e-Tayyiba
as he
died.

Bomb Explosion in Kashmir, January 22, 2002: A bomb exploded in a
crowded
retail district in Jammu, Kashmir, killing one person and injuring
nine. No
group claimed responsibility.

Kidnapping of Daniel Pearl, January 23, 2002: Armed militants kidnapped
Wall
Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl in Karachi, Pakistan. Pakistani
authorities received a videotape on February 20 depicting Pearl’s
murder.
His grave was found near Karachi on May 16. Pakistani authorities
arrested
four suspects. Ringleader Ahmad Omar Saeed Sheikh claimed to have
organized
Pearl’s kidnapping to protest Pakistan’s subservience to the United
States,
and had belonged to Jaish-e-Muhammad, an Islamic separatist group in
Kashmir. All four suspects were convicted on July 15. Saeed Sheikh was
sentenced to death, the others to life imprisonment.

Suicide Bombing in Jerusalem, January 27, 2002: A suicide bomb attack
in
Jerusalem killed one other person and wounded 100. The incident was the
first suicide bombing made by a Palestinian woman.

Suicide Bombing in the West Bank, February 16, 2002: A suicide bombing
in an
outdoor food court in Karmei Shomron killed 4 persons and wounded 27.
Two of
the dead and two of the wounded were U.S. citizens. The Popular Front
for
the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) claimed responsibility.

Suicide Bombing in the West Bank, March 7, 2002: A suicide bombing in a
supermarket in the settlement of Ariel wounded 10 persons, one of whom
was a
U.S. citizen. The PFLP claimed responsibility.

Suicide Bombing in Jerusalem, March 9, 2002: A suicide bombing in a
Jerusalem restaurant killed 11 persons and wounded 52, one of whom was
a
U.S. citizen. The al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed responsibility.

Drive-By Shooting in Colombia, March 14, 2002: Gunmen on motorcycles
shot
and killed two U.S. citizens who had come to Cali, Colombia, to
negotiate
the release of their father, who was a captive of the FARC. No group
claimed
responsibility.

Grenade Attack on a Church in Pakistan, March 17, 2002: Militants threw
grenades into the Protestant International Church in Islamabad,
Pakistan,
during a service attended by diplomatic and local personnel. Five
persons,
two of them U.S. citizens, were killed and 46 were wounded. The dead
Americans were State Department employee Barbara Green and her daughter
Kristen Wormsley. Thirteen U.S. citizens were among the wounded. The
Lashkar-e-Tayyiba group was suspected.

Car Bomb Explosion in Peru, March 20, 2002: A car bomb exploded at a
shopping center near the U.S. Embassy in Lima, Peru. Nine persons were
killed and 32 wounded. The dead included two police officers and a
teenager.
Peruvian authorities suspected either the Shining Path rebels or the
Tupac
Amaru Revolutionary Movement. The attack occurred 3 days before
President
George W. Bush visited Peru.

Suicide Bombing in Jerusalem, March 21, 2002: A suicide bombing in
Jerusalem
killed 3 persons and wounded 86 more, including 2 U.S. citizens. The
Palestinian Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.

Suicide Bombing in Israel, March 27, 2002: A suicide bombing in a noted
restaurant in Netanya, Israel, killed 22 persons and wounded 140. One
of the
dead was a U.S. citizen. The Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS)
claimed
responsibility.

Temple Bombing in Kashmir, March 30, 2002: A bomb explosion at a Hindu
temple in Jammu, Kashmir, killed 10 persons. The Islamic Front claimed
responsibility.

Suicide Bombing in the West Bank, March 31, 2002: A suicide bombing
near an
ambulance station in Efrat wounded four persons, including a U.S.
citizen.
The al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed responsibility.

Armed attack on Kashmir, April 10, 2002: Armed militants attacked a
residence in Gando, Kashmir, killing five persons and wounding four. No
group claimed responsibility.

Synagogue Bombing in Tunisia, April 11, 2002: A suicide bomber
detonated a
truck loaded with propane gas outside a historic synagogue in Djerba,
Tunisia. The 16 dead included 11 Germans, one French citizen, and three
Tunisians. Twenty-six German tourists were injured. The Islamic Army
for the
Liberation of the Holy Sites claimed responsibility.

Suicide Bombing in Jerusalem, April 12, 2002: A female suicide bomber
killed
6 persons in Jerusalem and wounded 90 others. The al-Aqsa Martyrs’
Brigades
claimed responsibility.

Car Bombing in Pakistan, May 8, 2002: A car bomb exploded near a
Pakistani
navy shuttle bus in Karachi, killing 12 persons and wounding 19. Eleven
of
the dead and 11 of the wounded were French nationals. Al-Qaida was
suspected
of the attack.

Parade Bombing in Russia, May 9, 2002: A remotely-controlled bomb
exploded
near a May Day parade in Kaspiisk, Dagestan, killing 42 persons and
wounding
150. Fourteen of the dead and 50 of the wounded were soldiers.
Islamists
linked to al-Qaida were suspected.

Attack on a Bus in India, May 14, 2002: Militants fired on a passenger
bus
in Kaluchak, Jammu, killing 7 persons. They then entered a military
housing
complex and killed 3 soldiers and 7 military dependents before they
were
killed. The al-Mansooran and Jamiat ul-Mujahedin claimed
responsibility.

Bomb Attacks in Kashmir, May 17, 2002: A bomb explosion near a civil
secretariat area in Srinagar, Kashmir, wounded 6 persons. In Jammu, a
bomb
exploded at a fire services headquarters, killing two and wounding 16.
No
group claimed responsibility for either attack.

Hostage Rescue Attempt in the Philippines, June 7, 2002: Philippine
Army
troops attacked Abu Sayyaf terrorists on Mindanao Island in an attempt
to
rescue U.S. citizen Martin Burnham and his wife Gracia, who had been
kidnapped more than a year ago. Burnham was killed but his wife, though
wounded, was freed. A Filipino hostage was killed, as were four of the
guerrillas. Seven soldiers were wounded.

Car Bombing in Pakistan, June 14, 2002: A car bomb exploded near the
U.S.
Consulate and the Marriott Hotel in Karachi, Pakistan. Eleven persons
were
killed and 51 were sounded, including one U.S. and one Japanese
citizen. Al
Qaida and al-Qanin were suspected.

Suicide Bombing in Jerusalem, June 19, 2002: A suicide bombing at a bus
stop
in Jerusalem killed 6 persons and wounded 43, including 2 U.S.
citizens. The
al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed responsibility.

Suicide Bombing in Tel Aviv, July 17, 2002: Two suicide bombers
attacked the
old bus station in Tel Aviv, Israel, killing 5 persons and wounding 38.
The
dead included one Romanian and two Chinese; another Romanian was
wounded.
The Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility.

Bombing at the Hebrew University, July 31, 2002: A bomb hidden in a bag
in
the Frank Sinatra International Student Center of Jerusalem’s Hebrew
University killed 9 persons and wounded 87. The dead included 5 U.S.
citizens and 4 Israelis. The wounded included 4 U.S. citizens, 2
Japanese,
and 3 South Koreans. The Islamic Resistance Movement (HAMAS) claimed
responsibility.

Suicide Bombing in Israel, August 4, 2002: A suicide bomb attack on a
bus in
Safed, Israel, killed 9 persons and wounded 50. Two of the dead were
Philippine citizens; many of the wounded were soldiers returning from
leave.
HAMAS claimed responsibility.

Attack on a School in Pakistan, August 5, 2002: Gunmen attacked a
Christian
school attended by children of missionaries from around the world. Six
persons (two security guards, a cook, a carpenter, a receptionist, and
a
private citizen) were killed and a Philippine citizen was wounded. A
group
called al-Intigami al-Pakistani claimed responsibility.

Attack on Pilgrims in Kashmir, August 6, 2002: Armed militants attacked
a
group of Hindu pilgrims with guns and grenades in Pahalgam, Kashmir.
Nine
persons were killed and 32 were wounded. The Lashkar-e-Tayyiba claimed
responsibility.

Assassination in Kashmir, September 11, 2002: Gunmen killed Kashmir’s
Law
Minister Mushtaq Ahmed Lone and six security guards in Tikipora.
Lashkar-e-Tayyiga, Jamiat ul-Mujahedin, and Hizb ul-Mujahedin all
claimed
responsibility. Other militants attacked the residence of the Minister
of
Tourism with grenades, injuring four persons. No group claimed
responsibility.

Ambush on the West Bank, September 18, 2002: Gunmen ambushed a vehicle
on a
road near Yahad, killing an Israeli and wounding a Romanian worker. The
al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed responsibility.

Suicide Bomb Attack in Israel, September 19, 2002: A suicide bomb
attack on
a bus in Tel Aviv killed 6 persons and wounded 52. One of the dead was
a
British subject. HAMAS claimed responsibility.

Attack on a French Tanker, October 6, 2002: An explosive-laden boat
rammed
the French oil tanker Limburg, which was anchored about 5 miles off
al-Dhabbah, Yemen. One person was killed and 4 were wounded. Al-Qaida
was
suspected.

Car Bomb Explosion in Bali, October 12, 2002: A car bomb exploded
outside
the Sari Club Discotheque in Denpasar, Bali, Indonesia, killing 202
persons
and wounding 300 more. Most of the casualties, including 88 of the
dead,
were Australian tourists. Seven Americans were among the dead. Al-Qaida
claimed responsibility. Two suspects were later arrested and convicted.
Iman
Samudra, who had trained in Afghanistan with al-Qaeda and was suspected
of
belonging to Jemaah Islamiya, was sentenced to death on September 10,
2003.

Chechen Rebels Seize a Moscow Theater, October 23-26, 2002: Fifty
Chechen
rebels led by Movsar Barayev seized the Palace of Culture Theater in
Moscow,
Russia, to demand an end to the war in Chechnya. They seized more than
800
hostages from 13 countries and threatened to blow up the theater.
During a
three-day siege, they killed a Russian policeman and five Russian
hostages.
On October 26, Russian Special Forces pumped an anesthetic gas through
the
ventilation system and then stormed the theater. All of the rebels were
killed, but 94 hostages (including one American) also died, many from
the
effects of the gas. A group led by Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev
claimed
responsibility.

Assassination of an AID Official, October 28, 2002: Gunmen in Amman
assassinated Laurence Foley, Executive Officer of the U.S. Agency for
International Development Mission in Jordan. The Honest People of
Jordan
claimed responsibility.

Suicide Bombing in Jerusalem, November 21, 2002: A suicide bomb attack
on a
bus on Mexico Street in Jerusalem killed 11 persons and wounded 50
more. One
of the dead was a Romanian. HAMAS claimed responsibility.

Attack on Temples in Kashmir, November 24, 2002: Armed militants
attacked
the Reghunath and Shiv temples in Jammu, Kashmir, killing 13 persons
and
wounding 50. The Lashkare-e-Tayyiba claimed responsibility.

Attacks on Israeli Tourists in Kenya, November 28, 2002: A three-person
suicide car bomb attack on the Paradise Hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, killed
15
persons and wounded 40. Three of the dead and 18 of the wounded were
Israeli
tourists; the others were Kenyans. Near Mombasa’s airport, two SA-7
shoulder-fired missiles were fired as an Arkia Airlines Boeing 757 that
was
carrying 261 passengers back to Israel. Both missiles missed. Al-Qaida,
the
Government of Universal Palestine in Exile, and the Army of Palestine
claimed responsibility for both attacks. Al-Ittihad al-Islami was also
suspected of involvement.

Attack on a Bus in the Philippines, December 26, 2002: Armed militants
ambushed a bus carrying Filipino workers employed by the Canadian
Toronto
Ventures Inc. Pacific mining company in Zamboanga del Norte. Thirteen
persons were killed and 10 wounded. Philippine authorities suspected
the
Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), which had been extorting money
from
Toronto Ventures. The Catholic charity Caritas-Philippines said that
Toronto
Ventures had harassed tribesmen who opposed mining on their ancestral
lands.

Bombing of a Government Building in Chechnya, December 27, 2002: A
suicide
bomb attack involving two explosives-laden trucks destroyed the offices
of
the pro-Russian Chechen government in Grozny. The attack killed over 80
people and wounded 210. According to a Chechen website run by the
Kavkaz
Center, Chechen warlord Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility.

2003

Suicide Bombings in Tel Aviv, January 5, 2003: Two suicide bomb attacks
killed 22 and wounded at least 100 persons in Tel Aviv, Israel. Six of
the
victims were foreign workers. The Al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades claimed
responsibility.

Night Club Bombing in Colombia, February 7, 2003: A car bomb exploded
outside a night club in Bogota, Colombia, killing 32 persons and
wounding
160. No group claimed responsibility, but Colombian officials suspected
the
Colombian Revolutionary Armed Forces (FARC) of committing the worst
terrorist attack in the country in a decade.

Assasination of a Kurdish Leader, February 8, 2003: Members of Ansar
al-Islam assassinated Kurdish legislator Shawkat Haji Mushir and
captured
two other Kurdish officials in Qamash Tapa in northern Iraq.

Suicide Bombing in Haifa, March 5, 2003: A suicide bombing aboard a bus
in
Haifa, Israel, killed 15 persons and wounded at least 40. One of the
dead
claimed U.S. as well as Israeli citizenship. The bomber’s affiliation
was
not immediately known.

Suicide Bombing in Netanya, March 30, 2003: A suicide bombing in a cafe
in
Netanya, Israel, wounded 38 persons. Only the bomber was killed.
Islamic
Jihad claimed responsibility and called the attack a "gift" to the
people of
Iraq.

Unsuccessful Hostage Rescue Attempt in Colombia, May 5, 2003: The FARC
killed 10 hostages when Colombian special forces tried to rescue them
from a
jungle hideout near Urrao, in Colombia’s Antioquia State. The dead
included
Governor Guillermo Gavira and former Defense Minister Gilberto
Echeverri
Mejia, who had been kidnapped in April 2002.

Truck Bomb Attacks in Saudi Arabia, May 12, 2003: Suicide bombers
attacked
three residential compounds for foreign workers in Riyadh, Saudi
Arabia. The
34 dead included 9 attackers, 7 other Saudis, 9 U.S. citizens, and one
citizen each from the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the Philippines.
Another
American died on June 1. It was the first major attack on U.S. targets
in
Saudi Arabia since the end of the war in Iraq. Saudi authorities
arrested 11
al-Qaida suspects on May 28.

Truck Bombing in Chechnya, May 12, 2003: A truck bomb explosion
demolished a
government compound in Znamenskoye, Chechnya, killing 54 persons.
Russian
authorities blamed followers of a Saudi-born Islamist named Abu Walid.
President Vladimir Putin said that he suspected that there was an
al-Qaida
connection.

Attempted Assassination in Chechnya, May 12, 2003: Two female suicide
bombers attacked Chechen Administrator Mufti Akhmed Kadyrov during a
religious festival in Iliskhan Yurt. Kadyrov escaped injury, but 14
other
persons were killed and 43 were wounded. Chechen rebel leader Shamil
Basayev
claimed responsibility.

Suicide Bomb Attacks in Morocco, May 16, 2003: A team of 12 suicide
bombers
attacked five targets in Casablanca, Morocco, killing 43 persons and
wounding 100. The targets were a Spanish restaurant, a Jewish
community, a
Jewish cemetery, a hotel, and the Belgian Consulate. The Moroccan
Government
blamed the Islamist al-Assirat al-Moustaquim (The Righteous Path), but
foreign commentators suspected an al-Qaida connection.

Suicide Bomb Attack in Jerusalem, May 18, 2003: A suicide bomb attack
on a
bus in Jerusalem’s French Hill district killed 7 persons and wounded
20. The
bomber was disguised as a religious Jew. HAMAS claimed responsibility

Suicide Bombing in Afula, May 19, 2003: A suicide bomb attack by a
female
Palestinian student killed 3 persons and wounded 52 at a shopping mall
in
Afula, Israel. Both Islamic Jihad and the al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades
claimed
responsibility.

Suicide Bombing in Jerusalem, June 11, 2003: A suicide bombing aboard a
bus
in Jerusalem killed 16 persons and wounded at least 70, one of whom
died
later. HAMAS claimed responsibility, calling it revenge for an Israeli
helicopter attack on HAMAS leader Abdelaziz al-Rantisi in Gaza City the
day
before.

Truck Bombing in Northern Ossetia, August 1, 2003: A suicide truck bomb
attack destroyed a Russian military hospital in Mozdok, North Ossetia
and
killed 50 persons. Russian authorities attributed the attack to
followers of
Chechen rebel leader Shamil Basayev.

Hotel Bombing in Indonesia, August 5, 2003: A car bomb exploded outside
the
Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia, killing 10 persons and wounding
150.
One of the dead was a Dutch citizen. The wounded included an American,
a
Canadian, an Australian, and two Chinese. Indonesian authorities
suspected
the Jemaah Islamiah, which had carried out the October 12, 2002 bombing
in
Bali.

Bombing of the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad, August 7, 2003: A car bomb
exploded outside the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq, killing 19
persons
and wounding 65. Most of the victims were apparently Iraqis, including
5
police officers. No group claimed responsibility.

Suicide Bombings in Israel and the West Bank, August 12, 2003: The
first
suicide bombings since the June 29 Israeli-Palestinian truce took
place. The
first, in a supermarket at Rosh Haayin, Israel, killed one person and
wounded 14. The second, at a bus stop near the Ariel settlement in the
West
Bank, killed one person and wounded 3. The al-Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades
claimed
responsibility for the first; HAMAS claimed responsibility for the
second.

Bombing of the UN Headquarters in Baghdad, August 19, 2003: A truck
loaded
with surplus Iraqi ordnance exploded outside the United Nations
Headquarters
in Baghdad’s Canal Hotel. A hospital across the street was also heavily
damaged. The 23 dead included UN Special Representative Sergio Viera de
Mello. More than 100 persons were wounded. It was not clear whether the
bomber was a Baath Party loyalist or a foreign Islamic militant. An
al-Qaeda
branch called the Brigades of the Martyr Abu Hafz al-Masri later
claimed
responsibility.

Suicide Bombing in Jerusalem, August 19, 2003: A suicide bombing aboard
a
bus in Jerusalem killed 20 persons and injured at least 100, one of
whom
died later. Five of the dead were American citizens. HAMAS and Islamic
Jihad
claimed responsibility, although HAMAS leader al-Rantisi said that his
organization remained committed to the truce while reserving the right
to
respond to Israeli military actions.

Car Bomb Kills Shi’ite Leader in Najaf, August 29, 2003: A car bomb
explosion outside the Shrine of the Imam Ali in Najaf, Iraq killed at
least
81 persons and wounded at least 140. The dead included the Ayatollah
Mohammed Bakir al-Hakim, one of four leading Shi’ite clerics in Iraq.
Al-Hakim had been the leader of the Supreme Council for the Islamic
Revolution in Iraq (SCIRI) since its establishment in 1982, and SCIRI
had
recently agreed to work with the U.S.-sponsored Iraqi Governing
Council. It
was not known whether the perpetrators were Baath Party loyalists,
rival
Shi’ites, or foreign Islamists.

Suicide Bombings in Israel, September 9, 2003: Two suicide bombings
took
place in Israel. The first, at a bus stop near the Tsrifin army base
southeast of Tel Aviv, killed 7 soldiers and wounded 14 soldiers and a
civilian. The second, at a café in Jerusalem’s German Colony
neighborhood,
killed 6 persons and wounded 40. HAMAS did not claim responsibility
until
the next day, although a spokesman called the first attack" a response
to
Israeli aggression."

Assassination of an Iraqi Governing Council Member, September 20, 2003:
Gunmen shot and seriously wounded Akila Hashimi, one of three female
members
of the Iraqi Governing Council, near her home in Baghdad. She died
September
25.

A Second Attack on the UN Headquarters in Baghdad, September 22, 2003:
A
suicide car bomb attack on the UN Headquarters in Baghdad killed a
security
guard and wounded 19 other persons.

Suicide Bombing in Israel, October 4, 2003: A Palestinian woman made a
suicide bomb attack on a restaurant in Haifa, killing 19 persons and
wounding at least 55. Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the
attack.
The next day, Israel bombed a terrorist training camp in Syria.

Attacks in Iraq, October 9, 2003: Gunmen assassinated a Spanish
military
attaché in Baghdad. A suicide car bomb attack on an Iraqi police
station
killed 8 persons and wounded 40.

Car Bombings in Baghdad, October 12, 2003: Two suicide car bombs
exploded
outside the Baghdad Hotel, which housed U.S. officials. Six persons
were
killed and 32 wounded. Iraqi and U.S. security personnel apparently
kept the
cars from actually reaching the hotel.

Bomb Attack on U.S. Diplomats in the Gaza Strip, October 15, 2003: A
remote-controlled bomb exploded under a car in a U.S. diplomatic convoy
passing through the northern Gaza Strip. Three security guards, all
employees of DynCorp, were killed. A fourth was wounded. The diplomats
were
on their way to interview Palestinian candidates for Fulbright
scholarships
to study in the United States. Palestinian President Arafat and Prime
Minister Qurei condemned the attack, while the major Palestinian
militant
groups denied responsibility. The next day, Palestinian security forces
arrested several suspects, some of whom belonged to the Popular
Resistance
Committees.

Rocket Attack on the al-Rashid Hotel in Baghdad, October 26, 2003:
Iraqis
using an improvised rocket launcher bombarded the al-Rashid Hotel in
Baghdad, killing one U.S. Army officer and wounding 17 persons. The
wounded
included 4 U.S. military personnel and seven American civilians. Deputy
Secretary of Defense Paul D. Wolfowitz, who was staying at the hotel,
was
not injured. After visiting the wounded, he said, "They’re not going to
scare us away; we’re not giving up on this job."

Assassination of a Deputy Mayor in Baghdad, October 26, 2003: Two
gunmen
believed to be Baath Party loyalists assassinated Faris Abdul Razaq
al-Assam, one of three deputy mayors of Baghdad. U.S. officials did not
announce al-Assam’s death until October 28.

Wave of Car Bombings in Baghdad, October 27, 2003: A series of suicide
car
bombings in Baghdad killed at least 35 persons and wounded at least
230.
Four attacks were directed at Iraqi police stations, the fifth and most
destructive was directed at the International Committee of the Red
Cross
headquarters, where at least 12 persons were killed. A sixth attack
failed
when a car bomb failed to explode and the bomber was wounded and
captured by
Iraqi police. U.S. and Iraqi officials suspected that foreign
terrorists
were involved; the unsuccessful bomber said he was a Syrian national
and
carried a Syrian passport. After a meeting with Administrator L. Paul
Bremer, President Bush said, "The more successful we are on the ground,
the
more these killers will react."

Suicide Bombing in Riyadh, November 8, 2003: In Riyadh, a suicide car
bombing took place in the Muhaya residential compound, which was
occupied
mainly by nationals of other Arab countries. Seventeen persons were
killed
and 122 were wounded. The latter included 4 Americans. The next day,
Deputy
Secretary of State Armitage said al-Qaeda was probably responsible.

Truck Bombing in Nasiriyah, November 12, 2003: A suicide truck bomb
destroyed the headquarters of the Italian military police in Nasiriyah,
Iraq, killing 18 Italians and 11 Iraqis and wounding at least 100
persons.

Synagogue Bombings in Istanbul, November 15, 2003: Two suicide truck
bombs
exploded outside the Neve Shalom and Beth Israel synagogues in
Istanbul,
killing 25 persons and wounding at least 300 more. The initial claim of
responsibility came from a Turkish militant group, the Great Eastern
Islamic
Raiders’ Front, but Turkish authorities suspected an al-Qaeda
connection.
The next day, the London-based newspaper al-Quds al-Arabi received an
e-mail
in which an al-Qaeda branch called the Brigades of the Martyr Abu Hafz
al-Masri claimed responsibility for the Istanbul synagogue bombings.

Grenade Attacks in Bogota, November 15, 2003: Grenade attacks on two
bars
frequented by Americans in Bogota killed one person and wounded 72,
including 4 Americans. Colombian authorities suspected FARC (the
Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia). The U.S. Embassy suspected
that the
attacks had targeted Americans and warned against visiting commercial
centers and places of entertainment.

More Suicide Truck Bombings in Istanbul, November 20, 2003: Two more
suicide
truck bombings devastated the British HSBC Bank and the British
Consulate
General in Istanbul, killing 27 persons and wounding at least 450. The
dead
included Consul General Roger Short. U.S., British, and Turkish
officials
suspected that al-Qaeda had struck again. The U.S. Consulate in
Istanbul was
closed, and the Embassy in Ankara advised American citizens in Istanbul
to
stay home.

Car Bombing in Kirkuk, November 20, 2003: A suicide car bombing in
Kirkuk
killed 5 persons. The target appeared to be the headquarters of the
Patriotic Union of Kurdistan. PUK officials suspected the Ansar
al-Islam
group, which was said to have sheltered fugitive Taliban and al-Qaeda
members after the U.S. campaign in Afghanistan.

Attacks on Other Coalition Personnel in Iraq, November 29-30, 2003:
Iraqi
insurgents stepped up attacks on nationals of other members of the
Coalition. On November 29, an ambush in Mahmudiyah killed 7 out of a
party
of 8 Spanish intelligence officers. Iraqi insurgents also killed two
Japanese diplomats near Tikrit. On November 30, another ambush near
Tikrit
killed two South Korean electrical workers and wounded two more. A
Colombian
employee of Kellogg Brown & Root was killed and two were wounded in an
ambush near Balad.

Train Bombing in Southern Russia, December 5, 2003: A suicide bomb
attack
killed 42 persons and wounded 150 aboard a Russian commuter train in
the
south Russian town of Yessentuki. Russian officials suspected Chechen
rebels; President Putin said the attack was meant to disrupt
legislative
elections. Chechen rebel leader Aslan Maskhadov denied any involvement.

Suicide Bombing in Moscow, December 9, 2003: A female suicide bomber
killed
5 other persons and wounded 14 outside Moscow’s National Hotel. She was
said
to be looking for the State Duma.

Suicide Car Bombings in Iraq, December 15, 2003: Two days after the
capture
of Saddam Hussein, there were two suicide car bomb attacks on Iraqi
police
stations. One at Husainiyah killed 8 persons and wounded 20. The other,
at
Ameriyah, wounded 7 Iraqi police. Guards repelled a second vehicle.

Office Bombing in Baghdad, December 19, 2003: A bomb destroyed the
Baghdad
office of the Supreme Council of the Islamic Revolution in Iraq,
killing a
woman and wounding at least 7 other persons.

Suicide Car Bombing in Irbil, December 24, 2003: A suicide car bomb
attack
on the Kurdish Interior Ministry in Irbil, Iraq, killed 5 persons and
wounded 101.

Attempted Assassination in Rawalpindi, December 25, 2003: Two suicide
truck
bombers killed 14 persons as President Musharraf’s motorcade passed
through
Rawalpindi, Pakistan. An earlier attempt on December 14 caused no
casualties. Pakistani officials suspected Afghan and Kashmiri
militants. On
January 6, 2004, Pakistani authorities announced the arrest of 6
suspects
who were said to be members of Jaish-e-Muhammad.

Suicide Bombing in Israel, December 25, 2003: A Palestinian suicide
bomber
killed 4 persons at a bus stop near Petah Tikva, Israel. The Popular
Front
for the Liberation of Palestine claimed responsibility for the attack
in
retaliation for Israeli military operations in Nablus that had begun
two
days earlier.

Restaurant Bombing in Baghdad, December 31, 2003: A car bomb explosion
outside Baghdad’s Nabil Restaurant killed 8 persons and wounded 35. The
wounded included 3 Los Angeles Times reporters and 3 local employees.

This document, based entirely on public sources, was prepared
for background information and reference purposes. It is not
intended to be a complete or comprehensive account of all
terrorist incidents during these years, and it is not an official
expression of U.S. policy. Please email questions or comments
to History@State.gov.

December 4th, 2006

http://www.irna.ir/en/news/view/line-17/0612034751162332.htm

Speaker declares Iran's investment in 7 scientific fields

Majlis Speaker Gholam-Ali Haddad-Adel here Sunday said that Iran has
invested in seven scientific fields, including nuclear energy, given
that
the future world is built by scientists specialized in these branches
of
science.

He made the remark at the conference on the role of teachers of basic
sciences in development.

Meanwhile, Haddad-Adel referred to information technology (IT),
technology,
genetics and biotechnology as other branches in which investments have
been
made.

Turning to scientific development as a complicated process, he said
that it
requires various tools and incentives.

"Besides, it is necessary to allocate the required budget to research,
draw
up the relevant laws, provide proper supervision and establish close
interconnections between industries and universities.

"We should come up with a suitable strategy for scientific development
and
be updated on modern knowledge which can bring us honor," he added.

He reiterated the need to develop universities and the country's
education
system.

"Given that we are living in a world, where unfortunately science and
technology are used to launch wars and knowledge are used for
aggression
against others, there is no way other than development of technology to
defend the country.

"Science is beneficial to national defence and this is a fact that
cannot be
denied," he added.

The speaker pointed to Iran's 20-year Vision Plan and said that in his
meetings with university instructors and students, men of culture and
high-ranking officials, the Supreme Leader keeps on urging the need for
scientific Jihad, software development and scientific movement.

Haddad-Adel noted that the world countries, which are advanced in
scientific
domains, first of all managed to develop their educational system.

"Therefore, if the educational system works properly, achievement of
success
is not impossible," he added.

http://www.aina.org/news/20061130222145.htm

U.S. Warns Financial Firms of Al Qaeda Threat

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- A Department of Homeland Security advisory
cautioning
that al Qaeda may be planning cyber attacks on banking and financial
institution Web sites was issued out of an abundance of caution,
although
there is no corroboration, a DHS spokesman told CNN Thursday.

The threat apparently was posted on a jihadist Web site, the spokesman
said.
It was discovered Nov. 27 by DHS and translated. The department decided
to
send an advisory out to financial institutions out of caution.

"There is no information to corroborate this aspirational threat," said
DHS
spokesman Russ Knocke, saying the advisory was sent out "as a routine
matter
and out of an abundance of caution."

The Web site warned that denial-of-service attacks would be launched
against
stock and banking sites during the month of December through what the
Web
site called the "infidel New Year's."

A denial-of-service attack involves repeatedly bombarding a server with
so
many hits that it shuts down.

The advisory was issued by the U.S. Computer Emergency Readiness Team,
a
partnership between the government and private industry.

It was necessary, the DHS spokesman said, because the Web site called
for
those with special skills to act on their own in launching the attacks.

In August of 2004, the Department of Homeland Security put financial
institutions in New York City and Washington, D.C. including the
headquarters of Citigroup and Prudential Financial on high alert
including,
saying it had specific intelligence of possible terror attacks.

Robert Albertson, a chief investment strategist for Sandler O'Neill &
Partners in New York, told Reuters it was unlikely al Qaeda members
could do
serious harm to financial Web sites.

"I'm not saying there aren't precautions to be taken, but I just can't
fathom how there would be serious havoc," Albertson said.

A government source told the news agency that government regulators
were
being briefed on the warning.

Johannes Ullrich, a cyber security expert at the Sans Institute
research
group, told Reuters he didn't put much stock in the threat, saying such
warnings cropped up from time to time and that penetrating databases of
financial institutions was far easier said than done.

[December 4th, 2006]

Foreign medics sentenced to die in Libya HIV case

http://za.today.reuters.com/news/NewsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-12-19T100916Z_01_BAN922935_RTRIDST_0_OZATP-LIBYA-TRIAL-PREVIEW-20061219.XML

Foreign medics sentenced to die in Libya HIV case

TRIPOLI (Reuters) - A Libyan court sentenced five Bulgarian nurses
and
a Palestinian doctor to death on Tuesday for deliberately infecting
hundreds of children with the HIV virus that causes AIDS.

"Justice has been done. We are happy," said Subhy Abdullah, who
daughter
Mona, 7, died from AIDS contracted at the hospital in the town of
Benghazi where the medics worked.

"They should be executed quickly," Abdullah told Reuters after the
guilty verdicts were announced by judge Mahmoud Haouissa at the end of
a
seven-month retrial of the case.

The six were accused of infecting 426 Libyan children, more than 50 of
whom have since died, with HIV at a hospital in Benghazi in the late
1990s. The prosecution had demanded the death penalty. The medics deny
the charge.

They were first convicted in a 2004 trial and sentenced to death by
firing squad. But the supreme court quashed the ruling last year and
ordered the case be returned to a lower court.

European Union Justice and Security Commissioner Franco Frattini said
he
was shocked and disappointed by the ruling.

Rights groups the world over had rallied to the medics' defence to stop
what they say may be a miscarriage of justice.

"After reviewing the documents and hearing the arguments by lawyers of
both sides, the court decided on death sentences," Haouissa said. "They
caused the spread of the disease that caused the death of more than one
person."

Relatives of the children attending the hearing broke down in tears of
joy and shouted, "God is greatest".

Referring to Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, relatives shouted: "Go
ahead, our falcon, in defiance of the West."

The six medics sat calmly as the verdicts were announced.

"The verdicts will change nothing. we are innocent," the Palestinian
doctor, Ashraf Alhajouj, told Reuters from behind the bars of the dock.

Luc Montagnier, a French doctor who first detected the HIV virus, has
said the infections were first present in the Benghazi hospital in
1997,
a year before the medics arrived.

Some Analysts say freeing the defendants would put the focus on alleged
negligence and poor hygiene in Libyan hospitals, which Western
scientists say are the real culprits in the case.

The case has hampered oil producer Libya's rapprochement with the West,
which moved up a gear when it abandoned its pursuit of nuclear,
chemical
and biological weapons in 2003.

Washington backs Bulgaria and the European Union in saying the medics
are innocent.

Tripoli has demanded 10 million euros in compensation for each infected
child's family -- "blood money" under which Islamic law lets victims'
relatives withdraw death sentences in return for reparations.

Bulgaria and its allies have rejected the idea, saying any payout would
be an admission of guilt. But, led by Brussels, they are trying to
arrange a fund for training and treatment at European hospitals for the
children and their families.

The EU's Frattini, who has sought greater cooperation with Libya on
migration control, said: "My first reaction is great disappointment. I
am shocked by this kind of decision. I strongly hope that somehow the
Libyan authorities will rethink this decision."

Analysts have said the case is embroiled in power politics and forecast
a solution could take many more months.

Christmas terror attack threat 'extremely high'

http://news.scotsman.com/uk.cfm?id=1872642006

Festive terror attack threat 'extremely high'

CHRISTOPHER CLAIRE

EUROPEAN intelligence and security chiefs are said to be on
"tenterhooks"
over the "extremely high" threat of a Christmas terror attack by
Islamic
militants.

A senior French counter- terrorism official has said that "all of the
warning lights are red", even though they had yet to uncover any
specific
plan.

http://servedby.advertising.com/click/site=0000721552/mnum=0000412086/genr=
1/tkdt=B0P0R1T0/cstr=9749373=_4586e2a1,5498431144,721552%5E412086%5E1%5E0,1_
/bnum=9749373

"The threat is at its highest level," said the official, who spoke
anonymously.

"All [security] services are on tenterhooks, and it's not just us [in
France]. Work is under way everywhere, but nothing concrete is
emerging."
Those fears were echoed in Britain, already on edge after the alleged
failed
plot to bring down airliners over the Atlantic in August.

Home Secretary John Reid said last weekend it was "highly likely"
terrorists
would attempt to mount an attack over the holiday period.

Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, the head of MI5, has said her agents are
tracking almost 30 terrorist plots involving 1,600 suspects, and that
at
least five major plots had been thwarted since the 2005 bomb attacks in
London.

In Washington, US intelligence and law enforcement officials said there
was
no specific, credible information pointing to a holiday threat.

The FBI recently sent a bulletin to state and local law enforcement
agencies, urging them to be on the lookout for suspicious activity
around
Christmas.

But the intelligence officials say authorities are more concerned about
an
attack in Europe than the United States at present.

French prime minister Dominique de Villepin announced this month that
he had
called in reinforcements for beefed-up military patrols of public
transportation, railway stations and airports.

Villepin also promised that a 1,000-man reserve force would also be
available in case of emergency. France's terror alert level remains at
red,
the second-highest rank out of four.

It was not immediately clear what measures, if any, other European
nations
were planning as Christmas approaches.

In Spain, police said they would increase security at airports only if
they
received word of a specific threat.

In Italy, officials said security was always put on high alert during
the
festive season, especially around the Vatican and other sites that
attracted
pilgrims and tourists.

http://www.focus-fen.net/index.php?id=n101670

Seven Suspected of Al-Qaeda Links Held for Further Questioning

Madrid. Top Spanish judge Baltasar Garzon on Saturday ordered that
seven men
arrested midweek on suspicion of links to Al-Qaeda be held for further
questioning, judicial sources said, as AFP News Agency reports.
The seven were among 11 people arrested in the Spanish enclave of Ceuta
on
the north African coast on Tuesday following an investigation launched
in
March last year.

Expanding on this subject and infiltration closer to home.

http://noiri.blogspot.com/2006/12/irans-security-apparatus.html

Al Qaeda of Iraq Video: Sheikh Omar Abdul Rahman

Less than a week after US authorities publicized concerns of terror
attacks which they suspect will occur after the death of Egyptian cleric
Omar Abdul Rahman, jailed in the US on terrorism charges, Al Qaeda of
Iraq has responded with a "tribute" tape for the "Blind Sheikh".

The tape, which has not yet been released by Al Qaeda of Iraq, was
obtained by LauraMansfield.com.

This video provides a brief biography of Sheikh Abdul Rahman, and calls
for him to be freed from prison.

A brief clip from an older Osama Bin Laden video is included in the
video, showing Bin Laden in front of a map discussing the Blind Sheikh.

Three different attacks in Iraq are shown, along with the young men who
carried out the attacks as suicide bombings using trucks and minivans.

Although video footage from the jihadist groups in Iraq is very common,
since the death of Zarqawi, videos from Al Qaeda of Iraq (Tanzim al
Qaeda fe belad al Rafidayn) have become much less frequent. Most videos
these days seem to come from the Ansar al Sunnah Army, the Islamic Army
in Iraq, and the Mujahideen Shura Council/Islamic State of Iraq, as well
as the smaller jihadist militias.

A full translation of the video is in progress and we will send it to
our subscribers when it is complete.

The video can be downloaded here.

For more translations and news on terrorism, visit
http://www.lauramansfield.com

December 19, 2006 Anti-Terrorism News

(Afghanistan) NATO jets kill several Taliban in Afghanistan
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061219/wl_afp/afghanistanunrestnato_061219070910

(Afghanistan) Attempt to assassinate governor foiled -- arrested a
would-be suicide bomber with explosives strapped to his body
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,20955073-1702,00.html

(Afghanistan) Bombing injures NATO soldiers in Kandahar
http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi/20061218-072210-9735r.htm

(Iraq) Another 10 released from Iraqi Red Crescent kidnapping
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/focusoniraq/2006/December/focusoniraq_December97.xml&section=focusoniraq

27 Iraqis detained on weapons charges
http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi/20061219-020108-3962r.htm

(Iraq) Report says radical Shiites greater threat than Al Qaeda
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-usiraq19dec19,0,6810349.story?coll=la-home-headlines

U.S. Taliban-Linked Fugitive Nabbed in Belize
http://the-muslim-question.blogspot.com/2006/12/us-taliban-linked-fugitive-nabbed-in.html

EU, U.S. should move fast on terror fund tracking: EU
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061219/wl_nm/security_eu_bank_dc_1

Judge orders psychiatric evaluation for terror suspect Padilla
http://www.latimes.com/features/health/medicine/la-na-padilla19dec19,1,2281371.story?coll=la-health-medicine

Somalia: Three Injured In Internet Cafe Attack - in Mogdishu
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Security&loid=8.0.370099740&par=0

(Nigeria) Terrorism: FG arraigns Nigerian leader of Al-Qaeda in court
http://www.vanguardngr.com/articles/2002/north/nt319122006.html

Indonesia increases security as US warns of holiday attacks
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20061219/wl_afp/indonesiausattackssecuritychristmasnewyear_061219072749

Malaysian terrorist suspect poses Christmas threat in Indonesia
http://www.brunei-online.com/bb/tue/dec19w9.htm

Israelis kill wanted Palestinian gunmen - in Nablus
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061219/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_militant_killed_1

Hizbullah Directed Operations of Three Terrorists
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/news.php3?id=117746

Gunbattles rage in Gaza, three dead
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L19192750.htm

Pakistani tribal leader dies in Baluchistan blast
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061219/wl_nm/pakistan_blast_dc_2

(Australia) Islamic school dangerous: former head
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20949596-5006785,00.html

(Australia) Terrorism suspects defy judge
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20949594-5006785,00.html

(Australia) Suspect 'said he was al-Qaeda member'
http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,20951673-5005961,00.html

(India) Bill to check terror funding
http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/News/PoliticsNation/Bill_to_check_terror_funding/articleshow/843977.cms

(Germany) Uranium move eliminates big terror target
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-12-18-nuclear-material-inside_x.htm

Saudis' Al-Qaeda Threat Killed BAE Fraud Probe
http://www.mediafax.ro/english/articole-free/Saudis----Al-Qaeda-Threat-Killed-BAE-Fraud-Probe-593032-9.html

Over 300 terror acts prevented in Russia in 2006 - Patrushev
http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/0/28.html?id_issue=11649513

Suspected Sri Lanka rebels abduct 23 schoolchildren
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061219/wl_nm/srilanka_abductions_dc_1

Commentary: A jihadist template
http://www.washingtontimes.com/op-ed/20061218-093209-3568r.htm

Commentary: The Smoky Bomb Threat
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/12/19/opinion/19zimmerman.html?_r=1&oref=slogin