Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

Thread Twenty-Seven (Index)

Yahoo News : Yahoo Images : News Hotlinks

The Threat Matrix

The title refers to a daily report given to the president of the United States detailing the most serious terrorist threats against the country. To tackle those threats, the government has formed a top-notch task force to infiltrate the terror cells and cut off the danger.

"Every morning, the president receives a list of the top ten terrorist threats - this list is known as the threat matrix."

We here at FR are trying to be in conjunction with the daily reports around the world that involve threats. We try to provide a storehouse of information that takes hours of research.

YOU be the judge and get informed!

Expert: Al-Qaida Has Presence In South Florida
Full Story

MIRAMAR, Fla. -- Despite the massive federal, state and local law enforcement effort to stop terrorists from entering the United States, there is no strong evidence of how well it is working.

Many experts are concerned that there are plenty of terrorists or sympathizers already in the country who have been here for years. Some are even citizens.

The Sept. 11, 2001, hijackers were the first wave and now the increasing number of arrests seems to signal a second wave of terrorism in South Florida.

"I will never cower before any master nor bend to any threat."

TM Terrorism Handbook

Link to Thread Twenty-Six

"Code Red Implications:
Code Red - Stay Home and Await Word."
From Tm'er and Freeper ~MamaDearest~

Arabic Links and Resources

TM 'Be on the Lookout'

ExSoldier's Invaluable Tips

Threat Matrix Book List

Godzilla's Summaries

Tracking the Chatter with TM

TM Code of Conduct

Threat Matrix HTML designed by: Ian Livingston

Note: The following text is an exact quote:
===

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2005/20050704_1946.html

Bush: Terrorists Can't Stop Advance of Freedom

By John D. Banusiewicz
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, July 4, 2005 – Terrorists may continue to kill innocent people, but they can't stop the advance of freedom, President Bush told an Independence Day audience in Morgantown, W.Va., today.
"Our enemies in this new war are men who celebrate murder, incite suicide and thirst for absolute power," Bush said. "They seek to spread their ideology of tyranny and oppression across the world. They seek to turn the Middle East into a haven for terror. They seek to drive America out of the region. These terrorists will not be stopped by negotiations, or concessions, or appeals to reason. In this war, there is only one option, and that is victory.

"We're denying our enemies sanctuary and making it clear that America will not tolerate regimes that harbor or support terrorists," he continued. "And we're spreading freedom, because the terrorists know there is no room for them in a free and democratic Middle East."

Terrorists from across the region are converging on Iraq to fight the rise of democracy, the president noted.

"The images of cruelty and suffering we see on television are real, and they are difficult for our compassionate nation to watch," he said. "Yet, the terrorist violence has not brought them any closer to achieving their strategic objectives. The terrorists tried to intimidate the Iraqi Governing Council, and they failed. They tried to delay the transfer of sovereignty to Iraq, and they failed. They tried to stop the free Iraqi elections, and they failed.

"They continue to kill in the hope that they will break the resolve of the American people," he continued, "but they will fail. The lesson of this experience is clear: the terrorists can kill the innocent, but they cannot stop the advance of freedom."

The president noted the work U.S. military members are doing in Iraq. "By helping Iraqis build a free and democratic nation," he said, "we will give strength to an ally in the war on terror, and we'll make America more secure. To continue building a free and democratic Iraq, Americans and Iraqis are fighting side by side to stop the terrorists and insurgents. And our military is helping to train Iraqi forces so they can defend their own liberty."

He repeated his pledge from a nationally televised June 28 speech at Fort Bragg, N.C., that as Iraqi forces stand up, U.S. forces will be able to stand down and return home.

Bush also offered thanks to military families. "I thank all the military families who are with us today," he said. "Times of war are times of great sacrifice, and the burden falls especially hard on the families. You're playing a vital role at a crucial time in our nation's history. All Americans are inspired by the strength and the sacrifice of our military families.

And noting that "some of America's finest men and women have given their lives in the war on terror," the president said the nation remembers them in celebrating its independence.

"We pray for the families who have lost a loved one in freedom's cause," he said. "And we know that the best way to honor their sacrifice is to complete the mission, so we will stay until the fight is won."

As he has on other occasions in recent days, the president encouraged the audience to visit a Defense Department Web site, www.AmericaSupportsYou.mil, to find ways to support the nation's men and women in uniform. "At this time, when we celebrate our freedom, our troops have got to understand that the American people support them all the way," he said.

Bush recalled the difficulty of America's revolution and the spirit it kindled in the nation's citizens for generations to follow. "During that hot summer in Philadelphia more than 200 years ago, from our desperate fight for independence to the darkest days of a civil war, to the hard-fought battles of the 20th century, there were many chances to lose our heart, our nerve, or our way," he said.

"But Americans have always held firm, because we have always believed in certain truths: We know that the freedom we defend is meant for all men and women, and for all times," he continued. "And we know that when the work is hard, the proper response is not retreat; it is courage."

Related Sites:
Transcript of President Bush’s Remarks
America Supports You

Here is a new disease from Promedmail.org ----------- [1] Date: Mon 4 Jul 2005 From: Alfonso Rodriguez Source: Yahoo News Australia & New Zealand [edited] Outbreak of rare bacterial infection hits students in South Korea ----------------------------------------------- More than 140 South Korean students have been infected in an outbreak of a rare bacterial disease in June 2005, the nation's state-run disease agency said on Mon 4 Jul 2005. According to the Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention (KCDC), a total of 142 school students in the city of Guri, located in the very east of Seoul, were infected with _Arcanobacterium haemolyticum_ starting on 20 May 2005. The non-lethal pathogen can cause tonsillitis, chronic skin ulcers and other illnesses and is known to affect animals as well as humans. "The infection of 142 students was discovered when the KCDC was conducting epidemiological tests on 10 patients at a Guri hospital suffering from unknown causes," said an official from the center. The KCDC said that it has confirmed the infection by _A. haemolyticum_ from samples taken from 8 patients. It is the 1st reported case of a mass infection by the bacteria in South Korea. ============================================================ -- ProMED-mail ****** [2] Date: Tue 5 Jul 2005 From: ProMED-mail Source: JoongAng Daily, Korea [edited] Tough strain of bacteria found in Gyeonggi kids ----------------------------------------------- A strong, antibiotics-resistant strain of bacteria [see below - Mod. LL] has been spreading in the outskirts of Seoul among children and teenagers with summer colds. The Korea Center for Disease Control and Prevention announced that the bacteria, known as _Arcanobacterium haemolyticum_, was found in more than 140 students with cold symptoms in Guri, Gyeonggi province. _Arcanobacterium haemolyticum_ is resistant to antibiotics, the center said. Health authorities have said the bacteria could be dangerous to people with compromised immune systems, who could experience liver damage and falling blood pressure. The center received information last month [June 2005] about 10 children hospitalized for an unidentified illness in Guri. While investigating, health authorities came across more than 100 elementary, middle and high school students with similar symptoms. Most students reported symptoms similar to those associated with scarlet fever, including fevers and rashes. In severe cases, students' blood pressure dropped, and doctors say their livers could have been damaged. "Of the patients, 90.8 percent are students at the same school in Guri," said Park Gi-dong, director general of the center. "The disease is thought to have spread through dormitories and classrooms where the students spend time together. The virus could have already spread throughout the country." [Byline: Kim Chung-soo] ============================================================ -- ProMED-mail [Initially named _Corynebacterium haemolyticum_, the bacterium now termed _Arcanobacterium haemolyticum_ was 1st described in 1946 as the pathogenic agent causing pharyngitis and cutaneous infections among US servicemen and indigenous peoples of the South Pacific in 1946. As a result of its close resemblance to _Corynebacterium pyogenes_, some investigators believed the bacterium to be a mutant of this species and appended a subspecies name, _C. pyogenes subsp. hominis_. Based on its biochemical and nucleic acid characteristics, the bacterium was renamed and reclassified as the 1st member of the genus _Arcanobacterium_, which means secretive bacteria, in 1982. Primarily causing an exudative pharyngitis with a rash that may look like scarlet fever, the spectrum of diseases caused by _A. haemolyticum_ has been expanded to include invasive infections, including sepsis and osteomyelitis. Epidemiologically, _A. haemolyticum_ is likely spread through an unknown route by human contact with people who are infected. The chronic carrier state appears to be rare. The pathophysiology of the rash is unknown; however, it is thought that the rash is caused by a bacterial exotoxin. Osterlund (Are penicillin treatment failures in _Arcanobacterium haemolyticum_ pharyngotonsillitis caused by intracellularly residing bacteria? Scand J Infect Dis. 1995; 27:131-34) found that, despite being fully sensitive to penicillin in vitro, penicillin treatment failures of _A. haemolyticum_ were frequent. The ability of _A. haemolyticum_ to survive intracellularly for 4 days, thus creating intracellular reservoirs of bacteria, might explain this dichotomy. Osterlund also showed that erythromycin, an antibiotic known to penetrate well intracellularly, efficiently killed these bacteria. - Mod.LL] ============================================================ [see also: 1997 ---- Rhodococcus equi & Arcanobacterium haemolyticum 19970929.2055] .......................ll/msp/lm *##########################################################*

I would call this writer an American traitor!!!!
granny

The Rumsfeld Solution; "liberating Iraq, one
journalist at a time"

Mike Whitney, Axis of Logic

July 3, 2005 -- "The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) is calling on the United States to
investigate 3 new cases of journalists killed in
Iraq in the last week...This brings to 17 the
number of journalists and media staff killed by US
soldiers." -- Iraq Press

Last week, Yasser Salihee, a reporter for Knight
Ridder news agency, was assassinated in a
perfectly executed gangland-style hit a few miles
outside of Baghdad. He was struck by a single
bullet to the head by an American sniper.
Salihee's murder resulted from his extensive
coverage of the torture and murder of "suspected
insurgents" by US-backed death-squads.

Many readers will remember Donald Rumsfeld
rushing-off to Baghdad a few months ago to
ensure that the "newly elected" Iraqi government
didn't fiddle with the new regime he'd installed in
the Interior Ministry. With the help of former
CIA-operative Iyad Allawi, Rumsfeld put together
a cadre of thugs who operate under the rubric of
"The Wolf Brigade". ( also referred to as
"Rumsfeld's Boys"). Salihee had uncovered the
gruesome details of how this counterinsurgency
unit really works; roaming the countryside in
white Toyota Land Cruisers, dressed as police,
rounding up anti-occupation suspects, and either
killing and torturing them as they see fit. These
special units are similar to the death squads that
were used by Ronald Reagan in El Salvador
during the 1980s. Now they are thriving in Iraq
under the auspices of the Defense Dept;
operating freely behind the façade of a
democratically elected Iraqi government.

The Wolf Brigade has enlisted members of the
Republican Guard as well as former members of
Saddam's feared secret police, the Mukhabarat.
Both groups are intimately familiar with torture
and the other instruments of state terror. Since
the elections the Brigade has played a major role
in the crackdown throughout the Sunni Triangle
that has resulted in the deaths of hundreds of
innocent Iraqis. Salihee was following these
developments when he was gunned down.

He discovered that corpses, which were being
dumped off at the Baghdad morgue, showed the
signs of being killed in a "methodical fashion.
Their hands had been tied or handcuffed behind
their backs, their eyes were blindfolded and they
appeared to have been tortured. In most cases
the dead men looked as if they had been whipped
with a cord, subjected to electric shocks, beaten
with a blunt object and shot to death, often with
single bullets to their heads."(Free Arab Voice)
Eyewitness accounts said that many of the
victims had been apprehended by people dressed
as police who bore all the hallmarks of the Wolf
Brigade.

There's been a steep increase in the number of
murders since the elections. "Before March
2003...the morgue handled 200 to 250 suspicious
deaths a month, about 16 of which included
firearm injuries." Now there are "700 to 800
suspicious deaths a month, with some 500 having
firearm wounds." Many of these have been killed
execution-style with a single bullet-wound to the
head.

Rumsfeld's post-election change in Strategy

The complexion of the conflict has changed
dramatically since the election. The Pentagon no
longer expects to win the war, so the strategy
has changed to inciting widespread violence with
the ultimate goal of destroying Iraqi society and
dividing up the nation. Every random act of
violence should be analyzed with this in mind.
Rumfeld's three-pronged attack now includes a
stepped-up counterinsurgency campaign (killing
and detaining hundreds, if not thousands of
innocent Sunnis), a savage Dresden-type, slash
and burn strategy of the main Sunni cities (so far,
Haditha, al-Qaim and Karabila have received the
"Falluja treatment"), and a "no-holds-barred"
assault on the press; ensuring that only sanitized
reports emerge from America's embedded
journalists.

Salihee, of course, veered from the Pentagon
strategy and paid with his life. He leaves behind
a wife and a daughter of two years. Regrettably,
Night-Ridder has tried to paper-over the death of
Salihee saying that, "(Civilians) die anonymously,
every day, at checkpoints and in raids and in
suicide attacks. They are crushed when bombs
fall on their homes; they are caught in crossfire
between insurgents and American troops. Like
Yasser, they die on lovely summer days, while
looking forward to splashing in the pool, enjoying
some rare time off. Little is known about the
innocent Iraqis who pay the ultimate price for a
war conducted in the name of their liberation."

Very prosaic, but total rubbish. Salihee was
murdered, Godfather style. The only noteworthy
aspect of the incident is that it was performed
with much greater proficiency than the attack on
Italian journalist Guliana Sgrena. It looks like
there's been a decided upgrade in the talent level
of the Pentagon's assassination teams.

Salihee's Death in Perspective

The Bush administration has developed a
coherent strategy for quashing the free press. It's
clear that they regard the free flow of information
as every bit as dangerous as a bomb-wielding
Ba'athist. Those who aren't already co-opted into
the fold have been subjected to withering attacks
from government-friendly stations and news
agencies. Hence, CBS anchor, Dan Rather is sent
packing while Time magazine executives are left
groveling before a national audience. Similarly,
private citizens like Ward Churchill have
withstood the scathing assault of an astonishingly
competent right-wing media machine that can
descend on its prey at a moments notice and
leave little behind save a few bleached bones. At
the same time, the BBC, NPR and PBS have all
been penetrated by hostile forces bound to
poison the few remaining bastions of independent
reportage and purge those errant journalists
whose coverage eschews the Pentagon filter.

This is 'Information Warfare' on a grand scale; a
conflict that the Bush administration intends to
win no matter how many people are sacrificed in
the process. Don't think that Dahr Jamail, Patrick
Cockburn or Robert Fisk don't understand the
meaning of Salihee's death. It's painfully clear.
The Defense Secretary is determined to see that
only one storyline will surface in Iraq. Anyone
who dares to deviate from the accepted narrative
can expect to find himself slumped over in the
front seat of his car with blood issuing from his
forehead. As Rumsfeld warned earlier this year,
"People need to be very careful about what they
say, just as they need to be careful about what
they do."

We've been forewarned.

Mike Whitney lives in Washington state, and can
be reached
at: fergiewhitney@msn.com.

:: Article nr. 13363 sent on 04-jul-2005 17:44 ECT

:: The address of this page is : www.uruknet.info?p=13363

:: The incoming address of this article is :
www.axisoflogic.com/artman/publish/article_18956.shtml

Interesting comments, Bangladesh plane crash.........

http://nation.ittefaq.com/artman/publish/printer_19693.shtml

New Nation Online Edition

EDITORIAL PAGE
DC-10 mishap
By
Jul 2, 2005, 13:16

THE home-bound flight of a DC-10 aircraft of Biman Bangladesh Airlines, from Dubai skidded off the runway at the
Shah Amanat International Airport in Chittagong. The accident occurred on Friday morning. Technical problems, that
were not manageable by the pilot and the crew, were behind the accident. The technical faults, forced the pilot to go
for a belly-landing. The aircraft skidded off the runway and stopped on the nearby land. As reported in the press, the
aircraft developed mechanical faults and its right wing caught fire. Two wheels on the right wing also broke in the
process. The damages are under investigation by a committee of inquiry. Air accidents at the time of landing or taking
off occur in all airports. Mechanical faults often lead to such accidents. Failures of pilots and other crew members to
run aircraft also sometimes create circumstances leading to accidents.

The pilot of the DC-10 aircraft and other members of the crew could not obtain guidance from ground engineers at the
airport. The weather conditions were not congenial for the pilot to keep the aircraft under control. Damages caused to
the engines and the body of the aircraft were quite substantial.

The passengers, 201 of them, however, are safe. Only five passengers including a child were injured. After the crash
landing of the plane, the injured passengers were given medical treatment. Fire that broke out in the right wing of
the aircraft was controlled by fire fighters. Since 1972 twelve air accidents involving civil aircraft occurred in the
country. As many as 53 passengers including a pilot and some crew members were killed in these accidents. The
accident at Chittagong luckily has not caused any loss of human life.

The civil aviation authority, the pilots and the crew members of different flights owe a great deal to passengers. The
flights are quite numerous. Many foreign airports have been upgraded and expanded for safety and comfort of
passengers and security of goods that are carried in aircrafts. The losses incurred due to accidents are quite huge.
The aircraft that are damaged are quite expensive. The civil aviation authority as well as the Biman Bangladesh
Airlines are yet to become profitable establishments. The DC-10 aircraft damaged on Friday was chartered by Biman
and was insured. The owners of the craft would get insurance claims. Biman apparently would sustain little financial
loss due to the accident. But its reputation of being a safe airlines would be seriously affected. Biman, the national
flag carrier, can hardly afford it at this period of lull in the industry and strong competition for survival.

© Copyright 2003 by ittefaq.com

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.