Posted on 12/17/2006 4:03:30 PM PST by DAVEY CROCKETT
VEVAK learned its methodology from the Soviet KGB and many of the Islamist revolutionaries who supported Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini actually studied at Moscow's Patrice Lumumba Friendship University, the Oxford of terrorism. Documented Iranian alumni include the current Supreme Leader (the faqih) Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, under whose Velayat-e Faqih (Rule of the Islamic Jurisprudent) apparatus it has traditionally operated. Its current head is Cabinet Minister Hojatoleslam Gholam-Hussein Mohseni-Ezhei, a graduate of Qom's Haqqani School, noted for its extremist position advocating violence against enemies and strict clerical control of society and government. The Ministry is very well funded and its charge, like that of the Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps (the Pasdaran) is to guard the revolutionary Islamic Iranian regime at all costs and under all contingencies.
From the KGB playbook, VEVAK learned the art of disinformation. It's not so difficult to learn: tell the truth 80% of the time and lie 20%. Depending on how well a VEVAK agent wants to cover his/her tracks, the ratio may go up to 90/10, but it never drops below the 80/20 mark as such would risk suspicion and possible detection. The regime in Teheran has gone to great lengths to place its agents in locations around the world. Many of these operatives have been educated in the West, including the U.K. and the United States. Iranian government agencies such as embassies, consulates, Islamic cultural centers, and airline offices regularly provide cover for the work of VEVAK agents who dress well and are clean shaven, and move comfortably within our society. In this country, because of the severance of diplomatic relations, the principal site of VEVAK activities begins at the offices of Iran's Permanent Mission to the UN in New York.
Teheran has worked diligently to place its operatives in important think tanks and government agencies in the West. Some of its personnel have been recruited while in prison through torture or more often through bribery, or a combination of both. Others are Islamist revolutionaries that have been set up to look like dissidents - often having been arrested and imprisoned, but released for medical reasons. The clue to detecting the fake dissident is to read carefully what he/she writes, and to ask why this vocal dissident was released from prison when other real dissidents have not been released, indeed have been grievously tortured and executed. Other agents have been placed in this country for over twenty-five years to slowly go through the system and rise to positions of academic prominence due to their knowledge of Farsi and Shia Islam or Islamist fundamentalism.
One of the usual tactics of VEVAK is to co-opt academia to its purposes. Using various forms of bribery, academics are bought to defend the Islamic Republic or slander its enemies. Another method is to assign bright students to train for academic posts as specialists in Iranian or Middle East affairs. Once established, such individuals are often consulted by our government as it tries to get a better idea of how it should deal with Iran. These academics then are in a position to skew the information, suggesting the utility of extended dialogue and negotiation, or the danger and futility of confronting a strong Iran or its proxies such as Hizballah (Hezbollah). These academics serve to shield the regime from an aggressive American or Western policy, and thereby buy more time for the regime to attain its goals, especially in regards to its nuclear weaponry and missile programs.
MOIS likes to use the media, especially electronic media, to its advantage. One of VEVAK's favorite tricks is setting up web sites that look like they are opposition sites but which are actually controlled by the regime. These sites often will be multilingual, including Farsi, German, Arabic French, and English. Some are crafted carefully and are very subtle in how they skew their information (e.g., Iran-Interlink, set up and run by Massoud Khodabandeh and his wife Ann Singleton from Leeds, England); others are less subtle, simply providing the regime's point of view on facts and events in the news (e.g., www.mujahedeen.com or www.mojahedin.ws). This latter group is aimed at the more gullible in our open society and unfortunately such a market exists. However, if one begins to do one's homework, asking careful questions, the material on these fake sites generally does not add up.
Let's examine a few examples of VEVAK's work in the United States. In late October, 2005, VEVAK sent three of its agents to Washington to stage a press event in which the principal Iranian resistance movement, the Mojahedin-e Khalq (MeK), was to be slandered. Veteran VEVAK agent Karim Haqi flew from Amsterdam to Canada where he was joined by VEVAK's Ottawa agents Amir-Hossein Kord Rostami and Mahin (Parvin-Mahrokh) Haji, and the three flew from Toronto to Washington. Fortunately the resistance had been tracking these three, informed the FBI of their presence in Washington, and when the three tried to hold a press conference, the resistance had people assigned to ask pointed questions of them so that they ended the interview prematurely and fled back to Canada.
Abolghasem Bayyenet is a member of the Iranian government. He serves as a trade expert for the Ministry of Commerce. But his background of study and service in the Foreign Ministry indicates that Bayyenet is more than just an economist or a suave and savvy businessman. In an article published in Global Politician on April 23, 2006, entitled Is Regime Change Possible in Iran?, Bayyenet leads his audience to think that he is a neutral observer, concerned lest the United States make an error in its assessment of Iran similar to the errors of intelligence and judgment that led to our 2003 invasion of Iraq, with its less than successful outcome. However, his carefully crafted bottom line is that the people of Iran are not going to support regime change and that hardliner President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad actually has achieved greater popularity than his predecessors because of his concern for the problems of the poor and his fight for economic and social justice. To the naive, Bayyenet makes Ahmadinejad sound positively saintly. Conveniently overlooked is the occurrence of over four thousand acts of protest, strikes, anti-regime rallies, riots, and even political assassinations by the people of Iran against the government in the year since Ahmadinejad assumed office. So too, the following facts are ignored: the sizeable flight of capital, the increase in unemployment, and the rising two-figure rate of inflation, all within this last year. Bayyenet is a regime apologist, and when one is familiar with the facts, his arguments ring very hollow. However, his English skills are excellent, and so the naОve might be beguiled by his commentary.
Mohsen Sazegara is VEVAK's reformed revolutionary. A student supporter of Khomeini before the 1979 revolution, Sazegara joined the imam on his return from exile and served in the government for a decade before supposedly growing disillusioned.
He formed several reformist newspapers but ran afoul of the hardliners in 2003 and was arrested and imprisoned by VEVAK. Following hunger strikes, Sazegara was released for health reasons and permitted to seek treatment abroad. Although critical of the government and particularly of Ahmadinejad and KhameneМ, Sazegara is yet more critical of opposition groups, leaving the impression that he favors internal regime change but sees no one to lead such a movement for the foreseeable future. His bottom line: no one is capable of doing what needs to be done, so we must bide our time. Very slick, but his shadow shows his likely remaining ties to the MOIS.
http://www.ocnus.net/artman/publish/article_27144.shtml
http://www.prnewswire.com/cgi-bin/stories.pl?ACCT=ind_focus.story&STORY=/www/story/12-21-2006/0004495523&EDATE=THU+Dec+21+2006,+11:32+AM
Three Men Plead Guilty in Arson of Nine Alabama Churches
BIRMINGHAM, Ala., Dec. 21 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- MATTHEW LEE CLOYD,
BENJAMIN NATHAN MOSELEY, and RUSSELL LEE DEBUSK, JR., plead guilty today to
the offenses of conspiracy and arson in connection with a string of church
arsons that spanned from February 3 through February 7, 2006. The men have
remained in U.S. Marshal custody since their arrest on March 8, 2006, after
a criminal complaint was filed in U.S. District Court. CLOYD, MOSELEY and
DEBUSK were indicted in U.S. District Court on March 29, 2006.
"These senseless crimes have resulted in incalculable losses," stated
U.S. Attorney Alice H. Martin. "The devastation of nine church homes, as
well as the devastation of these young men's families - think before you
act is the lesson others should heed - some actions have dire consequences.
It is a sad day," adds U.S. Attorney Martin.
CLOYD, 21, of Pelham, and MOSELEY, 20, of Birmingham, plead guilty to
the ten count indictment which charges in count 1, that all the defendants
conspired to damage and destroy by fire nine churches in Bibb, Pickens,
Greene, and Sumter Counties. This conspiracy count also alleges that
persons were injured as a direct and proximate result of the charged
offense. Counts 2-6 charge all the defendants with damaging and destroying
by fire five churches located in Bibb County. Counts 7-10 charge CLOYD and
MOSELEY with damaging and destroying by fire four churches located in West
Alabama. The affected churches and dates of the fires are listed:
2/3/06 Rehobeth Baptist, Bibb County
2/3/06 Ashby Baptist, Bibb County
2/3/06 Old Union Baptist, Bibb County
2/3/06 Pleasant Sabine Baptist, Bibb County
2/3/06 Antioch Baptist, Bibb County
2/7/06 Dancy Baptist Church, Pickens County
2/7/06 Morning Star Missionary Baptist, Greene County
2/7/06 Spring Valley Baptist, Sumter County
2/7/06 Galilee Baptist Church, Sumter County
DEBUSK, 20, of Hoover, plead guilty without a written plea agreement to
counts 1-6 of the indictment.
The written plea agreements contain waivers of the right to appeal and
post-conviction relief. The factual basis contained in the plea agreements
for CLOYD and MOSELEY states that during the evening hours of February 2,
2006, CLOYD, MOSELEY, and DeBUSK traveled from Jefferson County, Alabama,
to Bibb County, Alabama, in CLOYD's dark green Toyota 4Runner to spotlight
deer while drinking beer. After a period of time, the three drove to
Rehobeth Baptist Church and broke into the church where artificial flowers
were set on fire. The three fled the scene and continued to other churches
in the area where they broke into those churches and set fires as well.
In the days following the church fires, the three men followed the
local news reports regarding the investigation into the first series of
fires. CLOYD and MOSELEY became concerned that the investigators were
getting close to discovering their actions, so they made a plan to divert
the investigation further away from Birmingham in to West Alabama. On the
night of February 6, 2006, CLOYD and MOSELEY drove to Galilee Baptist
Church located in Sumter County, Alabama, and broke into the church and
started a fire there. They repeated this act at three more churches in the
West Alabama area and returned to Birmingham.
Agents, in the meanwhile, were gathering evidence from the fire scenes
and were able to trace tire tracks to CLOYD's Toyota 4Runner. On March 8,
2006, CLOYD was arrested near his Birmingham apartment. Agents also
arrested MOSELEY and DeBUSK on March 8, 2006.
"Today's guilty pleas bring this case full circle; the young defendants
admitted to their actions," stated James Cavanaugh, Special Agent in
Charge, Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives. "Although good police
work has prevailed, the victimized church communities continue to heal."
"These guilty pleas represent the tireless efforts of many law
enforcement agencies to bring this matter to justice," stated Carmen S.
Adams, Special Agent in Charge, Birmingham Field Division, Federal Bureau
of Investigation. "The destruction of a house of worship is something the
FBI and our local, state and federal partners take very seriously. We
appreciate the efforts of everyone involved."
The minimum mandatory sentence faced by each of the three men is not
less than seven years and not more than forty years and a fine of not more
than $250,000 or both, for each count. In addition, each must serve a term
of supervised release following their prison terms of not more than five
years. Under the advisory federal sentencing guidelines, the sentences for
counts 1-10 can run concurrently. The sentencing hearing will be set and
punishment will be determined by the court at a later date.
Assistant United States Attorneys Herbert H. Henry and Michael W.
Whisonant are prosecuting this case on behalf of the U.S. Government.
Special Agents of ATF and FBI along with numerous local law enforcement
investigated this case.
United States Attorney's Office Press Releases are also on the
Internet, visit http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/aln.
Jill Ellis, Public Information Contact, 205-244-2015
SOURCE United States Attorney's Office
Related links:
# http://www.atf.gov
http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news/?fr=yalerts-keyword&c=&p=school+bus+accident&ei=utf-8
1. $600,000 settlement approved for Marysville teen who was hit, dragged by school bus Open this result in new window
The Olympian - Dec 21 8:38 AM
EVERETT -- The Marysville School District has agreed to pay $600,000 to resolve a claim over a school bus accident that badly injured a teenager. The agreement that was approved by a judge Monday settled one of two $25 million claims that were filed on behalf of in Keito Swan, 17, and his family.
Save
2. Several students injured in school bus accident Open this result in new window
KJRH-TV Channel 2 Tulsa - Dec 20 11:24 AM
VELMA, Okla. (AP) -- A school bus went out of control and landed in a ditch in southern Oklahoma Wednesday, leaving several children injured. Officials at Duncan Regional Hospital said the injuries appeared minor.
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3. Girl hit in school bus stop accident Open this result in new window
Deseret Morning News - Dec 20 12:55 PM
A 12-year-old girl was seriously injured after being hit by a pickup outside a school bus stop early Wednesday morning.
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4. Driver prevents tragedy after school bus forced off I-95 near Jupiter Open this result in new window
Sun-Sentinel - 1 hour, 24 minutes ago
When the brakes choked the final turn of the school bus wheels and the smoke cleared, it was a Christmas tragedy averted, the Florida Highway Patrol said.
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5. School Bus Involved In Crash On Pleasantburg Drive Open this result in new window
WYFF via Yahoo! News - Dec 19 8:44 AM
A Greenville County school bus was involved in a four-vehicle accident on Pleasantburg Drive on Tuesday morning.
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6. 2 students injured after school bus forced off I-95 near Jupiter Open this result in new window
Sun-Sentinel - Dec 21 11:26 AM
JUPITER Two middle school students were sent to area hospitals with minor injuries on Friday after their school bus was forced off Interstate 95 by a erraticly driven van, troopers said.
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7. Local School Bus Involved In Accident Open this result in new window
KWTX-TV Waco - Dec 19 10:40 AM
(December 19, 2006)No one was injured when a Killeen ISD school bus and an SUV collided Tuesday morning at the intersection of Stan Schleuter and Highway 190.
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8. Man Dies In Accident Involving School Bus Open this result in new window
CBS4 Denver - Dec 19 9:15 AM
A 59-year-old man died when he rear ended a school bus stopped at the railroad tracks on Highway 60.
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9. One killed in accident with school bus Open this result in new window
9 News Denver - Dec 19 3:48 PM
JOHNSTOWN - A man was killed Tuesday afternoon when his SUV crashed into the back of a school bus.
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10. Bus Accident Open this result in new window
KWQC-TV 6 Davenport - Dec 21 9:56 AM
It's the second time in a little more than week a North Scott School bus slides off the road. It happened this yesterday afternoon in Princeton, Iowa. There were students inside the bus but no one was hurt. Police say the bus hit a slick spot on a gravel road and slid into a ditch.
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Global Crisis Watch
December 20, 2006 | Episode #39
Midweek NatSec Panel - Somalia
Dahir Mirreh Jibril, Permanent Secretary in Charge of International Cooperation in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia, and Niagara University's Dr. Abdiweli Ali join Nick Grace to dissect the situation on the ground inside Somalia.
Link: http://www.GlobalCrisisWatch.com/gcw/gcw_061220.mp3
29:30 minutes | 13.7 Megs
Notable Quotes from the Podcast
"The free world cannot negotiate with al Qaeda and I don't think that surrender is an option for the Transitional Federal Government. The Transitional Federal Government will fight as much as it can and I believe that the perception that negotiation can happen there is a gross and misleading proposition for the current situation."
- Dahir Mirreh Jibril
"The Transitional Federal Government is in contact with United States officials both in Nairobi, Kenya, and in Addis Ababa. Also the TFG Foreign Minister has been here in Washington about 15 days ago and he has been in touch with the United States government... I believe the United States is the one country today that clearly understands what is at stake and what's going to happen if al Qaeda is allowed to take over Somalia... The fact that John Abizaid came to Addis Ababa shows you the gravity of the situation in the area. I believe that John Abizaid did not come to Addis Ababa to appease al Qaeda in Somalia. And I believe the United States at least politically is now there as stated by Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs Ms. Jendayi Frazer - there is no moderate in the situation now. The top layer (of the Islamic Courts Council) are terrorists. The top layer are people who want to destabilize the whole region and to fight a global jihadist war."
- Dahir Mirreh Jibril
"The TFG "captured one Oromo in Baidoa who was trying to - these kinds of operations are the kind that one person cannot execute. So the perception is that there are more in Baidoa or there are more who are probably coming and he was the lead agent. And also the same thing in Galkacyo and the police... did a good job and captured a few of those with the bomb making materials. So... what we found in Baidoa, the guy we captured in Baidoa and the group they captured in Galkacyo is the tip of the iceberg. The expectation is that we must be vigilant and the expectation is that there will be more."
- Dr. Abdiweli Ali on the capture of suicide bombers last week in Baidoa and Galkacyo
"I want to dissect the fighting force that the ICU has now. Essentially there are two groups: a group of foreigners and a group of Somalis. The Somali group is called al-Shabab (Youth)... They are offshoots of the old terrorist organization al-Ithaad al-Islami. We all know that. But they are more hardline than al-Ithaad al-Islami. The foreigners are composed of three groups. The global Islamic jihadists, which are essentially al Qaeda and al Qaeda-guided, the number is now between 2,500 and 3,000. And the other two groups who are also foreigners are Eritreans who are essentially looking to open a southern front against... Ethiopia. And the other group is the armed opposition groups that want to overthrow the Ethiopian government (Oromo Liberation Front and Ogaden National Liberation Front)."
- Dahir Mirreh Jibril
"We already know more than 300 suicide bombers who are already assigned to start bombing in the neighboring countries, the Ethiopian capitol, Addis Ababa, and Nairobi, the capitol of Kenya, and in Somalia, Baidoa, Galkacyo, Boosaaso, Hargeisa - the main population centers of Somalia."
- Dahir Mirreh Jibril
"Close to 1000 (Somali) youngsters were transported for training to Syria and to Hezbollah areas and many went there during the fighting between Israel and Hezbollah. Some of them died there and we have the proof, the families who lost youngsters there. The number of Hezbollah who are physically there in Somalia is very difficult to know. What we know is that they all look alike, most of them are Arabs, and they are in Somalia and they are in the thousands."
- Dahir Mirreh Jibril
Playlist
Hans Zimmer - Hunger
Wong Kar Wai - Angkor Wat Theme II
Global Crisis Watch is an independent and weekly 30-minute current affairs and news podcast focusing on the Global War on Terror, the War of Ideas, and indigenous pro-democracy efforts around the world. Hosted by Richard Lafayette in Minneapolis and co-hosted by Sasha Eckstein of BillRoggio.com and Nick Grace in Washington, DC, the show features interviews with brave activists and journalists about terrorism, democratization, and indigenous efforts to promote freedom and liberty.
Combating Holocaust Denial: Holocaust Deniers and Public Misinformation
This essay discusses Holocaust denial--the belief that the Holocaust
never happened--with a focus on refuting the reasons for these beliefs.
Includes links to related essays on Holocaust denial, annotated website
links, and a press release about the December 2006 Holocaust conference
in Iran, stating that it "will serve as nothing more than an
international platform for Holocaust denial." From the Holocaust Encyclopedia,
U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum.
URL TRUNCATED, SEE LII ITEM
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/23071
BNA's Web Watch Reading Room
"Here you will find links to government, industry, and academic
resources on selected topics" in politics, law, health and science, and social
issues. Sample focuses include the alternative minimum tax, aviation
security, data mining, fuel cells, global warming, nanotechnology,
pipeline safety, and Social Security. From librarian Laura Gordon-Murnane of
the Bureau of National Affairs (BNA), a "publisher of information and
analysis products for professionals in law, tax, business, and
government."
URL: http://www.bna.com/webwatch/
LII Item: http://lii.org/cs/lii/view/item/23080
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Associated Press report
[edited]
http://www.ajc.com/news/content/shared-gen/ap/Health_Medical/Restaurant_Sickness.html
600 Sickened After Eating at N.Y. Bar
[from 11-20-06, is this related to todays world wide threat of an attack?]
Merger of North African al-Qaeda Terrorists
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=8.0.361364266&par=0
http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=8.0.361364266&par=0
Barcelona, 20 Nov. (AKI) - Al-Qaeda has instructed the Algerian terror
formation the Salafite Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC) to take
under
its command other groups such as Morocco's Islamic Combat Group,
several
extremist Tunisian groups and Libya's Islamic Group, forming a single
terror
network for North Africa and Europe, Catalan daily El Periodico
reports,
citing unnamed Spanish anti-terror intelligence sources.
GSPC operatives are reported to be travelling all over Europe to put
the
various North African terror cells located there in touch with each
other,
worried anti-terror sources say. Investigators have noted extensive
contacts
and financial flows between groups in Spain, Italy (especially the
northern
city of Milan), Holland, Belgium and France, El Periodico said.
The new, unified terror network is called 'The Union of the Arab
Maghreb',
according to the Spanish intelligence sources quoted by the paper. In
France
alone, there are estimated to be 40 terror cells, most of which belong
to
the GSPC. A document containing a draft plan for the new 'merged'
terror
network was discovered by Moroccan police in a July raid, El Periodico
said.
The individual allegedly responsible for spearheading the 'merger' is
the
Algerian GSPC member Jaled Abu Basir, who has links with operatives in
Belgium, Holland, Fance, Spain, Britain, Demark and Germany, according
to El
Periodico.
The merger is intended to make it easier to organise attacks in the
various
countries, the Spanish intelligence sources said. The fusion of the
GSPC and
al-Qaeda was announced on 11 September - the fifth anniversary of the
9/11
attacks on the United States - by al-Qaeda's second in command,
Egyptian-born Ayman al-Zawahiri.
Cells belonging to the GSPC - which was founded in 1998 following a
split
within the other principal Algerian terror group, the Armed Islamic
Group
(GIA) - are believed to have operated in Italy and have been the
subject of
several anti-terror investigations.
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20793368-2703,00.html
Female terror 'honeytraps'
Bruce Loudon, South Asia correspondent
November 21, 2006
KASHMIRI terror group Lashkar-e-Toiba is believed to have recruited a
"honeytrap brigade" of female militants to gather vital information
from
Indian soldiers about troop deployments and strategy.
The existence of the brigade has reportedly alarmed Indian security
agencies
already concerned about incidents in which their soldiers have passed
on
classified information to the terror group linked to al-Qa'ida.
Intelligence agencies have become aware of a steady stream of women
returning to Kashmir after receiving arms and tactical training in
camps in
Pakistani territory.
The interrogation of a 20-year-old Kashmiri woman, Khalida Akhtar,
arrested
in Srinagar recently, revealed details of the band of women terrorists.
The woman had got to know an Indian army officer and had met him
several
times and attempted to get information from him. But the officer
approached
his superiors, and the woman was arrested when she arrived to meet him
at a
Srinagar park.
Members of the honeytrap brigade were being used "to trap army officers
and
jawans (soldiers) to monitor troop movements so LeT gains vantage
positions"
during encounters with the Indian armed forces, it was reported last
night.
The Black Book of the Sandinistas
http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=25408
http://www.gulfnews.com/region/Iran/10084096.html
US says Iran probably has biological warfare weapons
Reuters
Geneva: Iran probably has germ warfare weapons, North Korea may have
developed them and Syria could have carried out research into such
banned
weaponry, the United States told an arms control conference yesterday.
Addressing the opening session of the sixth review conference of the
Convention on Biological Weapons (BWC), US delegation head John C. Rood
said
those countries were of particular concern given their 'support for
terrorism'.
"We believe that Iran probably has an offensive biological weapons
programme
in violation of the BWC," Rood said. "We also believe North Korea has a
biological weapons capability and may have developed, produced and
weaponised for use.
"Finally, we remain seriously concerned that Syria ... has conducted
research and development for an offensive biological weapons
programme," he
said.
IAEA meeting
EU opposes atomic assistance for Tehran
The European Union urged a politically charged meeting of the UN
nuclear
agency yesterday to deny Iran's request for help with a facility that
could
yield plutonium for atom bombs.
The International Atomic Energy Agency's 35-nation governing board has
repeatedly asked Iran not to pursue the Arak heavy water reactor
project.
Tehran has vowed to complete it and applied for IAEA expertise to
ensure it
meets safety standards. "We cannot support providing technical
assistance to
a heavy water research reactor project that ... would in future produce
significant quantities of plutonium and involve a significant [nuclear]
proliferation risk," Finnish envoy Kirsti Helena Kauppi, speaking on
behalf
of the EU, told the IAEA board.
Wishing you all a happy, healthy, blessed Christmas.
Why are the Saudis and Iranians our friends?
Judge: Iran owes $254M in terror attack
Fri Dec 22, 12:40 PM ET
WASHINGTON - The Iranian government financed a 1996 terrorist attack that killed 19 Americans in Saudi Arabia and must pay $254 million to the victims' families, a federal judge ruled Friday.
The ruling by U.S. District Judge Royce C. Lamberth allows families of the victims of the Khobar Towers bombing to seek their compensation from assets that have been seized from the conservative Islamic regime in Tehran.
On June 25, 1996, a truck bomb exploded in a military housing area known as the Khobar Towers dormitory near Dhahran. U.S. authorities have long alleged that the bombing was carried out by a Saudi wing of the militant group Hezbollah, which receives support from Iran and Syria.
Though Lamberth has previously ruled that a survivor of the blast could seek payment from Iran, Friday's ruling was the first time Tehran has been blamed for the deaths of the Americans in the bombing.
"The defendants also provided money, training and travel documents to Saudi Hezbollah members in order to facilitate the attacks," Lamberth wrote. "Moreover, the sheer gravity and nature of the attack demonstrate the defendants' unlawful intent to inflict severe emotional distress upon the American servicemen as well as their close relatives."
The lawsuit was brought by the families of 17 of the 19 people killed in the attack. Iran never responded to the lawsuit, did not send an attorney to appear in the case and isn't expected to pay the award. Iran has denied any connection to the bombing of the Khobar Towers and has rejected U.S. allegations of its involvement as "unfounded."
But the family members can seek payment from seized Iranian accounts. The Iran-U.S. Claims Tribunal, which arbitrated such issues, has long been closed to new claims so the families likely would have to seek payment through foreign courts such as Italy that have seized Iranian assets.
Thaddeus C. Fennig of Wisconsin, whose son was killed in the explosion, was pleased by the opinion.
"It shows this is not forgotten," Fennig said. "Once in a while, for some reason or another, this comes up with people and many of them don't even remember it anymore."
Lamberth relied heavily on testimony by former FBI Director Louis Freeh, who investigated the bombings.
Two Iranian government security agencies and senior members of the Iranian government itself provided funding, training and logistical help to terrorists who carried out the attack on a dormitory that housed U.S. Air Force pilots and staff in Saudi Arabia, Freeh testified.
In 2001, the FBI announced it would charge 13 Saudis and one Lebanese in the attack. The U.S. indictment placed heavy blame on Iran for nurturing the attack but stopped short of mentioning any Iranians by name or linking them directly to Khobar.
All of the men charged were living oversees and at large at the time of the indictment. None has been extradited to the United States for trial and the case remains open.
The judge's decision comes as the U.N. considers imposing sanctions against Iran until it abandons its nuclear program. Iran insists its aims are peaceful; leading U.S. officials say they are convinced the Iranians intend to develop a nuclear weapon within the next decade.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20061222/ap_on_go_ot/terrorist_bombing_lawsuit_6
TerroristWarning.com Terrorism Headlines 12/22/2006 # 1
Most incidents appearing in TerroristWarning.com and TransitSecurityReport.com also appear at www.GlobalIncidentMap.com
National:
[KSBY] CALIFORNIA - Suspicious White Powder in Jury Summons Envelope Prompts Santa Maria HazMat Lockdown
http://www.ksby.com/news/headlines/4974301.html
[Young Broadcasting] VIRGINIA - Suspicious Package Found Downtown
"placed very deliberately so that someone would notice it"
http://www.wric.com/global/story.asp?s=5839137
See also http://www.richmond.com/news/output.aspx?from=rss&feed=localheadlines&article_id=4520825
[North County Times] CALIFORNIA - Use of database for analyzing terrorism threats to expand
http://www.nctimes.com/articles/2006/12/20//news/state/13_28_2512_19_06.txt
[Tennessean.com] TENNESSEE - Injuries reported after explosion at Nashville's Historic Courthouse
http://www.fairviewobserver.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061220/NEWS03/61220003
[Dayton Daily News] OHIO - FBI takes over probe of suspicious white powder
"FBI has taken over the investigation of unaddressed letters containing a suspicious white powder that a number of residents in the Washington Twp./Centerville area reported finding in their curb side mailboxes Tuesday"
" Letters also have been found in Miami Twp. and possibly in Kettering"
http://www.daytondailynews.com/localnews/content/oh/story/news/local/2006/12/20/ddn122006fbiweb.html?cxtype=rss&cxsvc=7&cxcat=16
[Palm Beach Post ] FLORIDA - Powder in mail temporarily closes Post building [False alarm]
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/pbccentral/content/local_news/epaper/2006/12/20/1220powder.html
[The Monitor] TEXAS - Bomb scare shuts down Chase tower
"A bomb threat forced workers at the citys tallest building out to the street late Wednesday afternoon. But an hour-long search turned up no evidence of explosives"
http://www.themonitor.com/SiteProcessor.cfm?Template=/GlobalTemplates/Details.cfm&StoryID=17001&Section=Valley
[Chariho Times] RHODE ISLAND - Eco-terrorist charges levied
"Mageau first tried to file his eco-terrorist complaint in a letter to the state police dated November 29, 2006"
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=17619103&BRD=1717&PAG=461&dept_id=74264&rfi=6
[AP] SOUTH CAROLINA - Suspicious mail at S.C. federal courthouse turns up nothing harmful
"small envelope didn't contain any explosive residue"
"Both local and federal officials refused to say what was in the envelope or who it was addressed to"
http://www.dailycomet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20061221/APN/612213858
International:
[AP] TURKEY - Kurdish militant group "Turkish Hezbollah" issuing terror threats
"A Kurdish Islamic militant group with reported ties to al-Qaida is re-emerging in Turkey after six years underground and has started issuing vague but worrying threats"
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/12/21/europe/EU_GEN_Turkey_Islamic_Terror.php
[AFP] IRAN - Ahmadinejad: Britain, Israel, US to 'vanish like the pharaohs'
http://www.breitbart.com/news/2006/12/20/061220094102.ixs3bo81.html
[Ynet] IRAN - Ahmadineajd: Iran now nuclear power
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3342489,00.html
[AFP] DUBAI - Zawahiri vows attacks on US, slams Hamas
http://uk.news.yahoo.com/20122006/323/zawahiri-vows-attacks-slams-hamas.html
See also http://www.middle-east-online.com/english/?id=18859
[AP] SOMALIA - Heavy fighting erupts in Somalia
"Heavy fighting broke out between Somalia's government troops and rival Islamic militia today, throwing a European Union's peace initiative into doubt"
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/nationworld/bal-somalia1220,0,4316293.story?track=rss
[The Sun] USA/IRAN - United States issues Iran alert
"US Warships were on standby last night to head to Iran in the nuclear weapons stand-off"
http://www.thesun.co.uk/article/0,,2-2006580837,00.html
[AP] PAKISTAN - Bomb Injures 7 People in Pakistan
"bomb rigged to a bicycle exploded Wednesday in the southwestern Pakistan city of Quetta, wounding seven people"
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/12/20/AR2006122000607.html
[India Daily] INDIA - Youth threatens to blow up US visa centre, held
"A youth carrying ingredients used in making crude bomb today entered the office of the US visa application centre here and threatened to blow it up but was overpowered by police"
http://www.indiadaily.com/breaking_news/83697.asp
[TodayOnline.com] NORTH KOREA - North Korea may hold second nuke test: SKorean lawmaker
http://www.todayonline.com/articles/162130.asp
[ThaisNews] THAILAND - A bomb exploded in a market in Pattani, no injuries reported
"explosive device was triggered by a remote control, and it was hid inside a trash can in front of Mor Wit market"
http://www.thaisnews.com/news_detail.php?newsid=199554
[Bangkokpost.com] THAILAND - Suspicious package sent to PM
"A security guard found suspicious package addressing to Prime Minister Surayud Chulanont at a bus stop in front of the Government House on Thursday morning"
http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=115322
[Washington Times] BELIZE - U.S. fugitive with terror ties arrested in Belize
http://wpherald.com/articles/2689/1/US-fugitive-with-terror-ties-arrested-in-Belize/American-Muslim-fugitive-pleased-guilty-in-2003.html
[ABC Australia] AUSTRALIA - Authorities doubt missing radioactive substance stolen
"canister containing radioactive material is missing somewhere in Western Australia"
http://www.abc.net.au/news/newsitems/200612/s1816828.htm
[AAP] AUSTRALIA - Parliament cleared, security scare at PM's office
http://www.news.com.au/story/0,10117,20961908-421,00.html?from=public_rss
[AP] AFGHANISTAN - Separate Afghan bomb attacks leave seven dead
"Two roadside bombs exploded almost simultaneously today in two separate parts of Afghanistan, killing three police officers and four civilians"
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20061221/afghan_bomb_061221/20061221?hub=World
[Reuters] INDIA - Grenade blast in market wounds 19 in Assam
http://in.today.reuters.com/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=topNews&storyID=2006-12-21T204802Z_01_NOOTR_RTRJONC_0_India-281101-2.xml
[Reuters] LEBANON - Lebanon seizes explosives from pro-Syrian group
"Lebanese police found and confiscated large quantities of explosives, detonators and timers in houses owned by members of a pro-Syrian group in north Lebanon on Thursday"
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L21356484.htm
[Prensa Latina] CHILE - Sharp Chile Cop Spots Bomb
"A homemade explosive device placed in the facade of the State Defense Council s building in this capital was defused by the Special Police Operations Group"
"bomb was made of a five-kilo gas cylinder full of gunpowder and accompanied by a timer"
http://www.plenglish.com/article.asp?ID=%7B886380DB-AEF3-4489-9651-338D3B5A9FD9%7D&language=EN
[LIP] PERU - 2 arrested for possessing more than 1000 dynamite cartridges
"2 people were arrested as they attempted to smuggle more than 1000 dynamite cartridges into Lima on a bus "
http://www.livinginperu.com/news/2909
[Interfax] TURKMENISTAN - Turkmenistan's armed forces on combat alert - source
"In connection with the death of President Saparmurat Niyazov Turkmenistan's armed forces have been put on combat alert"
http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28.html?id_issue=11651287
[Ynet] ISRAEL - Islamic Jihad claims responsibility for Qassam attack
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3343116,00.html
[PTI] INDIA - 20 hurt in blast in Guwahati
"when an improvised explosive device (IED) believed to have been planted by the ULFA in a bicycle exploded in the busy Athgaon area of the city "
http://www.newkerala.com/news4.php?action=fullnews&id=70230
[IANS] INDIA - Mumbai on guard against terror attack
"Anticipating terror attacks during the year-end and New Year's eve"
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2006/December/subcontinent_December735.xml§ion=subcontinent&col=
[IBN] INDIA - Qaeda threat puts Sonia's security on high alert
"Security around UPA chief and Congress President Sonia Gandhi has been put on a high alert following intelligence inputs suggesting threat to her life from an al-Qaeda supported outfit"
"Intelligence reports suggest that United Jehad Council - formed by al-Qaeda with support from ISI - whose India operations is headed by a Pakistani national Sajjad, has plans to target the Congress chief"
http://in.news.yahoo.com/061222/211/6ai7e.html
[WND] ISRAEL - Hamas threatens attacks on U.S. [U.S. Interests]
"Terrorist warns 'Middle East is full of American targets'"
http://www.wnd.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=53474
[Telegraph] UNITED KINGDOM - Tampering fears as glass found in bread
"third time in just over a year that glass has been reported in packs of Kingsmill"
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/12/21/uglass121.xml
[Reuters] UNITED KINGDOM - U.K. warned of Christmas terror threat
"Says no specific plan known, but risk of chemical, nuke attack 'unparalleled'"
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/16322214/
See also http://www.ktre.com/Global/story.asp?S=5845336
[Reuters] SERBIA - Kosovo officials arrested after huge weapons haul
"12.7 mm anti-aircraft gun and more than 100 rocket-propelled grenades"
" International Crisis Group (ICG) said the temptation to avoid a tough decision on independence must be avoided, or there could be a "major new crisis."
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061221/wl_nm/serbia_kosovo_weapons_dc_1
[The Times] HORN OF AFRICA - Declaration of war threatens stability of Horn of Africa
"The leader of Somalias Islamist militia said yesterday that his country was now at war with neighbouring Ethiopia"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,3-2514894,00.html
[Daily Tribune] PHILIPPINES - Assassination plots set for martial law
"before declaring an emergency rule, two congressmen and a senator will be assassinated"
http://www.tribune.net.ph/headlines/20061221hed1.html
[Associated Newspapers of Ceylon] SRI LANKA - LTTE abducts six bus passengers
http://www.dailynews.lk/2006/12/22/sec10.asp
[Reuters] ISRAEL - Fatah gunmen fire on Hamas activists in W.Bank
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20061222/ts_nm/palestinians_dc_1
Merry Christmas to you and your family.
May God keep all of you safe and give you special blessings.
Does Svni or any of the group speak english well enough to do an interview in America?
we have several top talk show hosts that are Freepers and some do interviews.
To me the Nord Ost story, could happen here, some say did happen in New Orleans and Waco.
I am so glad they are getting the publicity they deserve.
How can we help, could you do the interview for them?
"The defendants also provided money, training and travel documents to Saudi Hezbollah members in order to facilitate the attacks," Lamberth wrote. "Moreover, the sheer gravity and nature of the attack demonstrate the defendants' unlawful intent to inflict severe emotional distress upon the American servicemen as well as their close relatives." <<<
That puts it out in the open.
How many people realize the number of hezbollah that now live in the United States?
A look at the numbers of arrests over the years for money laundering would give one the idea that we have many cells active in the U.S.
http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?NewsID=1070666
Lucky escape for train passengers in spite of bomb and bullets
GUWAHATI: Passengers travelling in the Arunachal Express had a
miraculous
escape when militants exploded a powerful bomb and subsequently fired
causing damage to 10 coaches.
Chief public relation officer of the Northeast Frontier Railway
Trikalagya
Rabha said that no passengers were hurt after the militants exploded
the
bomb underneath the train travelling between Rangiya and Goreswar at
7.45 pm
on Thursday night.
Four coaches and about 50 cm of rail track were damaged after the blast
as
the ultras fired on six other coaches from automatic weapons which bore
81
bullet hits spread on both sides, Rabha said.
Despite the blast and subsequent firing, the train was not derailed, he
said.
Information about the incident was first given by the driver and guard
of
the train when they arrived at Goreswar station at around 7.47 pm.
Railway and security officials rushed to the site and found 55 metres
of
electrical wire.
They are investigating the case.
http://www.interfax.ru/e/B/politics/28.html?id_issue=11651871
Problems with Beslan counter-terror operation revealed - Torshin
MOSCOW. Dec 22 (Interfax) - The parliamentary commission investigating
the
terrorist attack in Beslan in 2004 has revealed a number of problems
related
to the professional skills of participants in the counter-terrorist
operation and officials who supervised it, Federation Council First
Deputy
Speaker Alexander Torshin, who heads the commission, said on Friday.
The functioning of the headquarters responsible for the operation was
not
smooth, either, he said.
"The headquarters did not include President of North Ossetia Dzasokhov,
Parliament Speaker Mamsurov, Interior Minister Dzantiyev and a number
of
other officials," Torshin said. tm la
'Only military action can stop Iran'
THE JERUSALEM POST Dec. 21, 2006
www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1164881949783&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
In a dramatic conclusion concerning the future of the state of Israel, the
latest edition of the Middle East Strategic Balance, compiled by the Jaffe
Center for Strategic Studies (JCSS) and released to the public on Thursday,
calls for military action to stop Iran's nuclear program.
Prepared annually by JCSS at Tel Aviv University, the Middle East Strategic
Balance provides an authoritative and indispensable guide to strategic
developments and military capabilities in the Middle East by offering a
comprehensive, insightful assessment of the complex strategic environment of
the Middle East. The report is considered something of a bible for military
analysts who follow developments in the region.
The 2005-2006 edition was compiled by former IAF Intelligence officer Yiftah
Shapir and Brig.-Gen. (ret.) Zvi Shatuber. Shatuber is a former ambassador
to the United Kingdom and was a member of Israeli delegations to peace talks
with Syria and the Palestinians.
"Our conclusion is that without military action you won't be able to stop
Iran," Shtauber told The Jerusalem Post Thursday.
The United Nations Security Council is set to vote Friday on a sanctions
resolution against Iran, which has been revised in response to Russian
objections. The latest draft, if approved, would order all countries to ban
the supply of specified materials and technology that could contribute to
Iran's nuclear and missile programs. The proposed sanctions would also
include freezing the assets of a list of companies and individuals involved
in the country's nuclear and missile programs.
Despite the impending vote and increased diplomatic action, Shtauber said he
believed it was too late for sanctions. "There is no longer a possibility
for effective sanctions to stop Iran," he said.
Shapir recently told the Post that Israel has the military capability to
destroy at least part of Iran's nuclear installations to the point that it
would be possible to delay Iran's acquisition of nuclear weapons.
Earlier in the week, Mossad chief Meir Dagan said that Iran had recently
increased efforts to enrich nuclear fuel. Dagan estimated that Iran would be
able to begin building a nuclear bomb by 2009.
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