Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - Thread Twenty-Six

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is an exact quote:
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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Apr2005/20050416_633.html


'Desperate' Taliban Likely to Step Up Violence

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, April 16, 2005 – “Desperate” Taliban members and their al Qaeda allies are likely to launch more violent attacks with the approach of parliamentary elections this fall, the commander of coalition forces in Afghanistan told reporters in Kabul today.
Army Lt. Gen. David W. Barno, who heads Combined Forces Command Afghanistan, called the election of Hamid Karzai as Afghanistan’s president last October a “strategic defeat” for the Taliban and said much of the organization is close to collapse.

Some Taliban leaders have expressed interest in joining the political process in Afghanistan, Barno said, but others are clinging to hopes of reversing the country’s course.

“As the terrorists’ capability grows more and more limited,” he predicted, “hard-core fanatics would desperately try to do something to change the course of events in Afghanistan.”

These terrorists “want to reassert themselves,” Barno said. “And I expect they would be looking here, for the next six to nine months or so, to stage some type of high-visibility attack to garner media publicity.”

Despite the terrorists’ weakened capabilities, they continue to threaten the country’s stability, the general said. “I think we must be realistic and clear-eyed with the understanding that the enemy is still dangerous,” he said.

Barno delivered his comments after the Taliban’s threat to intensity attacks against U.S. and Afghan troops following a full in terrorist activity following the national elections last October.

The coalition has assured the Afghan government that it will help ensure security for the Sept. 18 parliamentary elections, Barno said.


Related Site:
Combined Forces Command Afghanistan

[Cindy]

Note: Thanks to piasa for the updates on this thread:

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1385295/posts


"Mystery Flight (More info about 2 pass. of KLM flight on the no fly list)"
Newsweek ^ | Apr. 25, 2005 issue | Mark Hosenball and Michael Hirsh

Posted on 04/16/2005 9:26:56 PM PDT by FairOpinion

[Cindy]

PERSECUTION.ORG
http://www.persecution.org

[freeperfromnj]

"Taliban Rebels"? Pleeeease.

Suspected Taliban rebels blow up tankers

4/17/2005, 5:47 a.m. ET
By NOOR KHAN
The Associated Press

KANDAHAR, Afghanistan (AP) — Suspected Taliban rebels set off a bomb next to a fuel tanker parked outside the main U.S. military base in southern Afghanistan Sunday, setting off a chain of large explosions that destroyed five tankers and injured three drivers, officials said.

The attack took place just after 3 a.m., while Pakistani and Afghan drivers waiting to deliver fuel to the U.S. base at Kandahar airport were sleeping, said Gen. Muslim Ahmed, the local Afghan military commander. No American soldiers were injured.

One of the injured drivers, Sher Alam, told The Associated Press he was woken by the initial blast and ran for his life.

"I was sleeping at the time and suddenly I heard an explosion. When I woke up there was a huge fire engulfing the fuel tanker near mine. We all ran away and there were more explosions," said Alam, whose feet and hands were injured by flying debris.

Gen. Ahmed said American troops arrived shortly after the blasts to put out the fire. No arrests were made, but suspicion immediately fell on the insurgents

"The Taliban perpetrated this terrorist activity," the general said.

By midmorning Sunday, black smoke still billowed from the charred hulls of the tankers.

Taliban rebels have kept up a drumbeat of attacks, particularly in the south, but have failed to launch any major uprising in recent months. On Saturday, the top U.S. general in the country predicted they might try to pull off a "high-visibility attack" in an effort to reverse their waning fortunes.

But Lt. Gen. David Barno added that the future was against them, and predicted the insurgency would be nearly completely destroyed within 12 months.

Tight security measures mean long waits for drivers delivering fuel to U.S. bases in Afghanistan. Alam said he had been sleeping in his truck for 10 days waiting his turn to enter the base.

In other violence, six Afghan soldiers were injured Sunday when a landmine went off as they traveled in central Zabul province, said local official Haji Wazir Mohammed.

[freeperfromnj]

FYI – as a follow-up, the reference to “two Muslim men” is back in the article. If you scroll down to “Eyewitness News Video” at the end of the article you’ll see a short one sentence reference to them. If you play the video, the reporter also mentions it in the description in his initial report.

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/news/wabc_041505_jfkincident5pm.html

http://abclocal.go.com/wabc/features/VideoHelp.html?video

[jimbo123]

Bizarre Incident on British Airways 0215 (Muslim Air Passenger Arrest on 4/3 on Boston-bound Flight)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1385409/posts

[Oorang]

You're welcome Ian. I also thought it was weird. Something just not right about those folks.

[Oorang]

Thanks for all your interesting and informative posts last night FairOpinion.

[Godzilla]

bookmark

[kingofhearts]

Stumbling into jihad in Memphis
http://www.memphisflyer.com/content...cleID=2&ID=7180

Cell Mates?
While investigating a Memphis-Morocco marriage scam, FBI agents find hidden weapons, $34,000 in cash, passports, and a gruesome Arabic videotape.
John Branston | 4/15/2005

[kingofhearts]

http://www.memphisflyer.com/content.asp?ArticleID=2&ID=7180

[Cindy]

Thanks for the links FReeperfromNJ and Velveeta.

A good Sunday morning to everyone.

[nw_arizona_granny]

NWCTWX, thank you for another good thread and all your work.

To all of you, my friends, I can't keep up on the thread, but can still google, so hope you will ping me to the "good stuff" that I
might miss.

Now the reason for asking for help here, remember the
guy that sold fruit and came and went? Is there any news?

Where was he located? In New Jersey?

Jersey Girl are you still digging on Pennsylvania?

What is your thought on it today?

No, I can't connect all of it, but have bits and pieces that
are rattling around the puny mind.

Penn. has seaports doesn't it?

It has been 50 years since I was there, to me Providence was the first entire town that all the young women were wearing the new mini-skirt.

We drove through it and I was shocked.

I guess it is water that I am being teased with......LOL

I don't want to do Kitty Hawk again.....LOL

Granny with half a mind, now that may be dangerous.

[freeperfromnj]

Hi granny. Nice to see you. I think you are referring to the fruit vendor who used to have a stand outside the rear entrance of Penn Station in NYC. He diappeared some time ago. It's funny that you bring it up because just last week I noticed that the same guy who used to sell fruit now sells the Daily News in the same area! I didn't mention it here because the "fruit guy" story sort of died out.

[JustPiper]

Bizarre Incident on British Airways 0215
This is Part VII of the ongoing series entitled "Terror in the Skies"
WWS Exclusive
By Annie Jacobsen
4/15/2005

http://www.womenswallstreet.com/columns/column.aspx?aid=836

[JustPiper]

Deflated Taliban may try big strike

http://whatcounts.com/t?ctl=CE9B8A:312D3A4

Airport screening no better since 9/11, official says

http://whatcounts.com/t?ctl=CE9BC8:312D3A4

[JustPiper]

Fallen Heroes - Agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena

http://www.policeone.com/policeone/frontend/parser.cfm?object=News&operation=full_newsline&id=98651

[JustPiper]

Terror database Matrix shuts down

http://www.bradenton.com/mld/bradenton/news/local/11408571.htm

[JustPiper]

Valley residents need to have terror-preparedness plan

Rancho Mirage, along with other cities in the Coachella Valley, is not immune from a single act of terror

http://www.thedesertsun.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050416/COLUMNS26/504160326/1215