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| Locked on 07/11/2005 8:20:21 PM PDT by Admin Moderator, reason: |
Posted on 06/02/2005 9:27:09 PM PDT by nwctwx
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Hot on the trail of al-Qaeda
By Syed Saleem Shahzad
KARACHI - The high-profile arrests of al-Qaeda operatives in Pakistan, the most recent being Abu Faraj al-Libbi, have led to intense speculation that the really big names could be next: Tahir Yuldash of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan, Ayman al-Zawahiri, and the biggest catch of them all, Osama bin Laden.
But Asia Times Online investigations reveal that these top figures in the international struggle against the US are not together in one place, and remain a step ahead of their pursuers.
Pakistani intelligence agencies indicate that Shabkadar (a town near Peshawar in Pakistan's North West Frontier province), and Bajur and Mohmand agencies (two federally administered tribal areas) have been under close surveillance for more than a month as strong information emerged about bin Laden being in the vicinity, or in adjoining areas - Nanghar and Nooristan - across the border in Afghanistan.
In Shabkadar and Bajur especially, the Pakistani military increased its presence and conducted exhaustive search operations. These activities did not meet with any resistance as the local tribals, though sympathetic to Arab fighters, would not put themselves in a conflict situation with the Pakistani army. (This in stark contrast with the South and North Waziristan tribal areas, where similar military intervention has met with fierce and bloody resistance.) Al-Qaeda sympathizers, nevertheless, might have spread the word in advance of the operations.
According to analysis based on information extracted from detainees and ground checks in the Pakistani tribal areas, bin Laden was likely recently in Nooristan in Afghanistan for meetings with close aides. Nooristan is a rugged, remote mountainous region where the population is Salafi. The area was previously the stronghold of a famous commander of the anti-Soviet resistance of the 1980s, Abdul Aziz Nooristani, who later also fought in Bosnia. Veteran Afghan mujahideen leader and former Afghan premier Gulbuddin Hekmatyar also dwelled in Nooristan for some time after returning from exile in Iran in 2002.
Ever elusive
That al-Qaeda's top members remain on the loose can in some ways be attributed to the training cadres receive. They are well versed in withstanding interrogation and in engaging their interrogators by appealing to their religious sentiments - at least in the short term. This buys other members vital time to change their positions, an intelligence operator told Asia Times Online.
Meanwhile, there have been reports that Yuldash was sighted in the Afghan region of Birmal, where he is believed to have grouped dozens of guerrilla fighters of Chinese, Pakistani, Afghan, Uzbek, Chechen and Arab origin. They have been engaged in acts of sabotage in Paktika province, notably a recent attack on Argon in which two US soldiers were killed. US convoys and their military bases are constant targets.
Some of the world's most difficult terrain starts at Argon and continues to Birmal and then Shawal (part of which is in Afghanistan and part in Pakistan). It is wholly pro-Taliban. Guerrillas carry out attacks and then melt into the local population, either in Birmal or in the thick forests of North Waziristan across the border. Recent US bombing in North Waziristan followed guerrillas being chased by US gunships and fighter aircraft - some stray bombs and missiles landed in Pakistani territory.
Zawahiri, bin Laden's deputy, has also reportedly been seen in different places in the past few weeks, from Zabul (Afghanistan) to South Waziristan. Both foreign and Pakistani intelligence agencies conclude that the frequent sightings indicate that Zawahiri is acting as the main go-between among Arab, Uzbek, Chechen, Pakistani and Taliban fighters in Afghanistan.
These intelligence agencies believe that Khost, Paktika, Paktia and Zabul will emerge as the key hotbeds of the Afghan resistance. About a dozen murders in and around South Waziristan of pro-government tribal leaders indicate that the nerve center is again near South Waziristan.
Thanks for the post nw. I glad some progress is being made to get the agencies to work together, but, could they speed up the process just a bit?
Interesting link Davey, thanks.
Canadian air passenger acts weird and dies
Citibank says UPS lost financial data including social security numbers
Trying to find more info on this. Could use some help if anyone else has some time. Thanks in advance.
I'm searching for anything on this story, nothing yet.
In the meantime I came across this:
Food safety officials look at possibility of terrorists targeting school lunches
KANSAS CITY, Mo. The government has been looking at the possibility of terrorists targeting food destined for school cafeterias.
That's according to a federal food safety official, who says "the school lunch program is particularly vulnerable."
U-S-D-A official Carol Maczka spoke to the annual conference of the Association of Food and Drug Officials in Kansas City, Missouri. She offered no evidence of specific threats to school lunches.
She said her office has studied the vulnerability of three products: milk, spaghetti sauce and egg substitutes. Currently, officials are looking at how a popular lunchroom staple, chicken nuggets, may be susceptible to tampering.
Weird story about the Canadian passenger MamaD.
Two other devices were found in front of a Citibank bank branch in Flores and in front of a Mc Donald's restaurant in Once, also located in Buenos Aires.
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Indonesia:
Jakarta police officials stated on 6 June 2005 that security has been increased at Western diplomatic facilities and hotels amid intelligence reports indicating that Azahari Husin -- a suspected leader for Jemaah Islamiah -- may be on the outskirts of Jakarta.
Security forces have been placed on high alert; however, police officials state that there is no indication that a terrorist attack is imminent.
The increased security comes after several Western governments issued travel advisories on 3 June warning of the possibility of bomb attacks targeting hotels frequented by Western nationals. It is not known if Azahari's alleged presence prompted these warnings.
Police officials previously stated on 25 May, however, that Azahari's group was planning an attack and had previously issued bomb threats against oil refineries in Kalimantan. Azahari is thought to be involved in the 2002 Bali bombings, the Jakarta Marriott bombing and the bombing of the Australian Embassy.
Yup, I was hoping there would be something on the 11pm news. Still nothing on the D.C. television news websites.
Thanks for the update a_d.
India's Jet Airways slams U.S. firm's allegations that it has al-Qaida links
Iran says it has deported 5,000 al-Qaida operatives over 3 years
Looks like the school lunch food threat is not local to DC. Nice job Oorang!!
Heads up folks!
Singing off folks, I need to be back online in 6 hours. Gotta get some shut-eye.
Thanks again for your vigilance folks. I'm with you all in spirit even if I can't post that much.
God Bless.
Afghans capture 2 Taliban chiefs
Afghan Army forces captured two senior Taliban commanders whom they blame for a string of bombings and other violence in western Afghanistan, said General Zaher Azimi, an army spokesman.
The two prisoners were immediately handed over to U.S. forces, he said Sunday.
One of those captured was Hajji Sultan, the former Taliban military commander for the western zone of Afghanistan covering Farah and Nimruz Provinces and the Shindand region.
"He is accused of assisting in the construction and emplacement of improvised explosive devices in western Afghanistan," the U.S. military said in a statement.
"He is also accused of harboring a large cache of weapons stolen while he was a division commander under the Taliban government and having ties to narcotics smuggling operations," the U.S. military said.
Sultan was the main facilitator for insurgents in the western region during the past three years, said Muhammad Rasul, who was the security chief in Farah until recently.
"He was like a financier," Rasul said. "Money would come from Pakistan, and he would distribute it to other Taliban members to do their attacks."
The other arrested commander was Mullah Muhammad Rahim, a former deputy frontline commander from western Afghanistan.
The Afghan police and the army had been following the two Taliban commanders for some time.
They were captured in a raid on a house in Farah on Saturday, Azimi said.
Farah, a remote desert land that borders Iran, has been troubled more with other crime than with insurgent activity by the Taliban, which remain stronger in southern and eastern Afghanistan.
A NATO peacekeeping force took over military command of the western region, including Farah, from U.S.-led forces last month.
In a separate incident, the U.S. military reported that a joint U.S.-Afghan patrol was ambushed Saturday in southeastern Afghanistan, south of Qalat in Zabul Province.
One insurgent suspect was killed and three others were detained in the clash, a statement issued from Bagram Air Base said. No Afghan or U.S. troops were wounded, it said.
http://www.sabawoon.com/news/miniheadlines.asp?dismode=article&artid=23457
"Every Iraqi household is permitted to have one AK-47 assault rifle to help protect their family from terrorist and criminal attacks."
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