Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

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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!

Terrorists could be just getting started
Full Story

New York City and Washington. Bali, Indonesia; Riyadh, Saudi Arabia; Istanbul, Turkey; Madrid, Spain. And now London.

When will it end? Where will it all lead?

The experts aren't encouraged. One terrorism researcher sees the prospect of "endless" war. Adds the man who tracked Osama bin Laden for the CIA, "I don't think it's even started yet."

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

TM Terrorism Handbook

Link to Thread Twenty-Seven

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

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http://www.tribuneindia.com/2005/20050801/main2.htm

ANALYSIS
The metamorphosis of Al-Qaida
by Rajeev Sharma

New Delhi, July 31
The world of jihad is undergoing a never-before churning process
which is set to throw up significant new trends in international
terrorism in the months to come.

Today’s Al-Qaida has metamorphosed. Al-Qaida as an
organisation which emerged in the eighties when Saudi rulers
propped up Osama bin Laden with American help as a Deobandi
power centre opposed to Salafis or Wahabis who were raising
their heads in the desert kingdom, does not exist today. This
Al-Qaida was a creation of Saudi and American intelligence.

But, as an idea, a unifying concept or dream, this Al-Qaida is
alive and kicking and has become even more powerful. Only its
profile, modus operandi and operational culture have changed
and its operational character has become global, key
counter-terrorism officials of the Indian Government told The
Tribune. It is a fine distinction that has to be understood clearly.

The operational work at the country-level organisation like in
Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Afghanistan is being done by local outfits.
It may be the Taliban in Afghanistan, Hamas in Palestine,
Zarqawi in Iraq — not unlike an established company having
franchisees.

This is not just the metamorphosis of Al-Qaida alone. These are
the new patterns in global jihad. The new changes are making
themselves manifest on the radar screens of international
terrorism at several levels. At the international level, the
“franchisee” outfits are paying obeisance to Al-Qaida. These are
of two types.

In the first category are those cells which once were linked to
Al-Qaida’s ideological command chain and which no longer exist
in their original form. These cells are now setting their goals on
the basis of fatwas issued by the Al-Qaida previously. These
small cells have overlapping geographical inter-connections. For
example, if such a cell in Istanbul wants to stage action in
Lisbon, while the actual action will be done by Turks, the
logistical support and reconnaissance will be taken care of by the
Portuguese cell, simply because they belong to the same
ideological fraternity.

In the second category comes an outfit like the Lashkar-e-Toiba
(LeT). Apart from Al-Qaida, the LeT is the only jihadi organisation
today which has acquired worldwide established presence.

Experts divide jihadi organisations into three types: (i) national,
(ii) fragmented poly-national and (iii) monolithic multinational.
The LeT fits into the third type.

The LeT’s is a queer case. Though being denominationally
opposed to Al-Qaida — Al-Qaida is a Deobandi organisation while
the LeT is a product of Salafi-Wahabi ideology, the Ahle-e-Hadith
philosophy — the LeT has taken great care to be appearing to
change its spots. Despite the fact that the LeT is at variance with
the Al-Qaida ideologically, it is acting in sync with Al-Qaida.

The Pakistan Government has been telling the United States that
the LeT is against India. Slowly but steadily, the truth has
started dawning upon the West that the LeT now threatens to
become the staging post for the West.

The considered opinion in the higher echelons of Indian
counter-terrorism officials is that both Islamabad and the LeT
appear to have read the writing on the wall. But that does not
mean that the LeT would have to close its shop.

Their likely strategy would be complete disappearance of the LeT
and Jamaat-ud-Daawa infrastructure from Pakistan in the next
12 to 18 months. After some interregnum, terrorist attacks would
still be taking place all over the world, probably with more
ferocity. But it would be well-nigh impossible to determine the
identity of the progenitors of these acts.

This interregnum would mark the emergence of a new terror
entity as a latter-day Al-Qaida. But it will present itself as being
based anywhere in the world other than Pakistan. The new entity
may be seen to be operating from the jungles of Moro
(Philippines) or the coastal belt of Aceh (Indonesia) or some
vague place in Sudan. It will definitely not be seen to be
operating from Pakistan.

Western governments and agencies are already trying to peep
into the minds of future terror outfits. Consider the US State
Department’s April 2005 annual report on terrorist activity
around the world. The report concluded that Al-Qaida had been
supplanted as the most worrisome threat by unaffiliated local
groups of Islamic radicals acting on their own, without help from
bin Laden or his aides. The pattern of attacks in 2004, the report
stated, illustrates “what many analysts believe is a new phase of
the global war on terrorism, one in which local groups inspired by
Al-Qaida organise and carry out attacks with little or no support
or direction from A-Qaida itself.”

Iraq is another befitting example of how some regional Islamic
radical groups function independently of Al-Qaida but enter into
mutual alliances for specific operations or campaigns. One of the
primary networks of insurgents fighting the US military in Iraq is
led by Abu Musab Zarqawi, a Jordanian who has pledged his
loyalty to bin Laden and acts publicly on behalf of Al-Qaida but
has developed his own organisation.

The moral of the story: Al-Qaida is dead; long live Al-Qaida!

TerroristWarning.com Terrorism Headlines 07/31/2005 # 1

National:

[AP] TEXAS - Explosion and Fire Rock Texas Industrial Plant [ Editors Note - sounds familiar to the BP Texas City explosion case ]

"tractor-trailer that had just pulled in to deliver chemicals"

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGB3LR1NPBE.html

See also : http://www.portervillerecorder.com/articles/2005/07/28/ap/business/d8bkqp580.txt

[KGBT] TEXAS - Suspicious Package Shuts Down Part of Capitol

http://www.team4news.com/Global/story.asp?S=3654796&nav=0w0vchbc

[New York Times] USA - Police Chiefs Moving to Share Terror Data

http://www.nytimes.com/2005/07/29/national/nationalspecial3/29bratton.html?ex=1123300800&en=7bbfdda7068882cf&ei=5070&emc=eta1

[KTOK] OKLAHOMA - OKC Police Report on Tinker AFB Incident

"Oklahoma City police have made available a copy of a report they made on a man's claim he saw two Middle Eastern men

pointing what appeared to be a shoulder fired missile at a military plane approaching Tinker Air Force base earlier this month"

http://www.ktok.com/cc-common/feeds/view.php?feed_id=135&feed=/local.html&instance=1&article_id=26685

[Macon Telegraph] GEORGIA - Possible threat at Tinker spawns action at RAFB

"Base law enforcement searches target zones after report from AFMC, asks public to report anything suspicious"

http://www.macon.com/mld/macon/news/local/states/georgia/counties/houston_peach/12250641.htm

[Centre Daily Times] USA - Rocket launchers a bigger threat than handbags

http://www.centredaily.com/mld/centredaily/news/opinion/12249282.htm

[Wyoming Tribune-Eagle] WYOMING - Pipe bomb wasn't loaded - police [ Mailbox near grocery store ]

http://www.wyomingnews.com/news/more.asp?StoryID=105710

[MMV, CBS Broadcasting] CALIFORNIA - SF Streets Closed After Suspicious Package Found

http://cbs5.com/topstories/local_story_210200942.html

[KSAT] TEXAS - Bomb Scare Prompts Evacuation On NW Side

http://www.ksat.com/news/4786257/detail.html

[AP] NEW HAMPSHIRE - Bomb Squad Checks Suspicious Package At Airport [Narcotics]

http://www.thewmurchannel.com/news/4785224/detail.html

[ABC] ILLINOIS - Suspicious package shuts down CTA Blue Line station [Unattended suitcase]

http://abclocal.go.com/wls/news/072905_ns_suspicous_package.html

[The Jersey Journal] NEW JERSEY - Traffic stops, robot blows up suspicious package [False alarm]

http://www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-0/1122628424201950.xml&coll=3

[Xinhua] CANADA - Ottawa bus drivers coached on spotting terrorists

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-07/29/content_3283254.htm

[Tri-Valley Herald] CALIFORNIA - BART works on new security plan

"after a commuter complained she couldnt report a suspicious bag over the trains intercom"

http://www.insidebayarea.com/trivalleyherald/localnews/ci_2898414

[Louisville Courier-Journal] KENTUCKY - Bomb squad detonates package

"found in newspaper distribution boxes "

http://www.courier-journal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050731/NEWS01/507310563/1008/NEWS01

[Boston Globe] USA - In London attacks, US sees own suicide bombings threat

http://www.boston.com/news/world/europe/articles/2005/07/31/in_london_attacks_us_sees_own_suicide_bombings_threat/

[Norwich Bulletin ] CONNECTICUT - Volunteers prepare for nuclear disaster [Drill]

http://www.norwichbulletin.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050731/NEWS01/507310304/1002

[Denver Post] COLORADO - Supermax prison is a terrorist enclave

http://www.denverpost.com/opinion/ci_2897717

[Earthtimes.org] USA - US Muslim clerics issue fatwa against terrorism [ Editors note, read article, then read comments below article ]

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/3686.html

International:

[AP] KUWAIT - US Embassy warns Americans in Kuwait of possible terror attacks

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2005/July/middleeast_July826.xml&section=middleeast&col=

[Sun Star] PHILIPPINES - 4 wounded in twin explosions in Southern RP [ Cellphone trigger]

http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/zam/2005/07/31/news/4.wounded.in.twin.explosions.in.southern.rp.html

See also http://www.mindanews.com/2005/07/30nws-blasts.html

[EITB 24] SPAIN - Two bombs explode in central Spain

"Two bombs exploded on Spanish highways south of Madrid on Friday "

http://www.eitb24.com/noticia_en.php?id=79210

[PakTribune.com] PAKISTAN - A major sabotage attempt foiled in Quetta

"Police located and managed to defuse a 10 Kilo heavy locally made remote controlled explosives, at Aalmo Chowk (roundabout) on Airport Road"

http://paktribune.com/news/index.php?id=114366

[AP] RUSSIA - Chechen Rebel Admits He Is Terrorist, Says He Plans More Attacks to End Russian War in Chechnya

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBXNF2PPBE.html

[Stuff] NEW ZEALAND - Al-Qaeda expert claims 10 terror-linked groups are in NZ

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3362615a10,00.html

[New Zealand Herald] NEW ZEALAND - Security guards undergo bomb threat courses

"Security guards at some of the country's busiest public transport stations and airports are undergoing special training to

deal with potential terrorist bomb threats"

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/index.cfm?c_id=1&ObjectID=10338442

[Stuff] NEW ZEALAND - Device dumped at landfill causes bomb call out

http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3362761a10,00.html

[PTI] UNITED KINGDOM - Third terror cell planning suicide bomb attacks in London: report

http://www.ptinews.com/pti%5Cptisite.nsf/0/0F0425EF2614992E6525704F0020A8AE?OpenDocument

[AP] UNITED KINGDOM - Police Flood Transit System as Chief Warns Terror Cells Still Active

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBELCJKPBE.html

[AP] UNITED NATIONS - United States Seeks to Strengthen U.N. Sanctions Against Al-Qaida and Taliban

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBVIUGTPBE.html

[Press Association] UNITED KINGDOM - Live 8 firework attack probed [ Anarchists suspected ]

http://news.scotsman.com/latest.cfm?id=1693612005

[AP] UZBEKISTAN - K2 - U.S. Ally in Terrorism Fight Evicts American Forces From Central Asia Base

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBZG484SBE.html

[AP] IRAQ - Bombs Kill Two Britons in Basra, Seven Iraqis in Baghdad as Constitution Faces Impasse

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/index.htm

[AP] VENEZUELA - Rocks, Bottles Hurled at Opposition Protest March in Venezuela

http://ap.tbo.com/ap/breaking/MGBPRH4BSBE.html

[MedIndia] SINGAPORE - Death Of Singaporean Woman After Mysterious Illness [ Editors Note - For more articles on outbreaks,

quarantines, mystery deaths signup for free alerts at www.BioTerrorismNews.com ]

"Police are investigating the mysterious death of a woman whose entire body turned black, skin peeled off and blood oozed

from her ears"

http://www.medindia.net/news/View_news_main.asp?x=4147&t=gn

[US Department of Defense (press release)] AFGHANISTAN - Roadside Bomb Wounds 3 in Afghanistan

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jul2005/20050730_2280.html

[Daily Times] PAKISTAN - Bomb explodes outside church in Kohlu

“It was a homemade bomb that had been planted by unidentified terrorists near the church in Kolhu,”

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_31-7-2005_pg7_2

[AAP] INDONESIA - Bin Laden 'funded' Australian embassy bombing in Jakarta

http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/bin-laden-funded-australian-embassy-bombing-in-jakarta/2005/08/01/1122748533388.html

[Reuters] RUSSIA - Russia furious over airing of Basayev interview

"We take an extremely negative view of this insofar as it gave a public platform to a murderous terrorist."

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Rest+of+the+World&month=July2005&file=World_News2005073031722.xml

[Kuwait News Agency] IRAN - Isfahan plant will restart nuclear activities tomorrow-Iran

http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=756577

[Daily Times] AUSTRALIA / NETHERLANDS - Australia boosts terrorist defences around cities

http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_31-7-2005_pg4_7

[Reuters] NETHERLANDS - Netherlands faces major terrorist threat: Official

http://www.thepeninsulaqatar.com/Display_news.asp?section=World_News&subsection=Rest+of+the+World&month=July2005&file=World_News2005073131526.xml

[IMRA] ISRAEL - Activist from the terrorist Islamic Jihad Organization has been killed

http://www.imra.org.il/story.php3?id=26248

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1715113_2,00.html

British terror trail leads back to
Africa's Horn of Anarchy
Muslim extremism has built a power base in a little-known
but highly volatile region, write Tom Walker and Dipesh
Gadher

The Horn of Africa is the greatest intelligence void on the global
terrorist map, according to analysts.

Since America’s disastrous Black Hawk Down intervention in
Mogadishu, the Somali capital, in 1993 — the biggest firefight since
Vietnam, in which more than 1,000 people died — western presence
in parts of the anarchic region has all but disappeared.

However, the London bombings have again cast a spotlight on the
area. While the suicide attacks of July 7 involved three British-born
Muslims of Pakistani origin, taking the terrorist trail to the Indian
subcontinent, the roots of the July 21 bombers can be traced back to
Africa.

At least one member of the gang, Yasin Hassan Omar, was born in
Somalia, while another, Hussain Osman, originally came from
Somalia or Ethiopia. A third member, Muktar Said-Ibrahim, came to
Britain from Eritrea. Osman, 27, is now a naturalised Briton, while
Omar, 24, who arrived in the UK with his elder sister at the age of 11,
was granted indefinite leave to remain in May 2000.

Between 1993 and 2004, almost 46,000 Somalis — excluding
dependents — sought to escape famine and conflict in their homeland
by claiming asylum in Britain, according to Home Office figures. Of
these, more than 30,000 were given asylum or allowed to stay on
humanitarian grounds.

Today, Somalia remains a significant source of refugees, providing
the third biggest number of asylum applicants in the first quarter of
this year. Many Somalis have settled in inner London and other cities,
such as Birmingham.

Ibrahim’s family were granted exceptional leave to remain in 1992
after fleeing Eritrea, which was then fighting a bloody war of
independence with Ethiopia. Ibrahim, 27, gained British citizenship
last September.

Although the July 21 bombers were probably radicalised in Britain,
experts remain concerned about Al-Qaeda’s influence in east Africa
— the area all the would-be bombers may have looked back to for
identity in their formative years.

It was in this region that Osama Bin Laden was based in the early
1990s and his violent brand of Islam is still widespread there. In
Sudan he sponsored a network of terrorist training camps, including
bases at Lamu and Ras Kiamboni, along the Kenya-Somalia border,
and helped to finance attacks against American servicemen based
there.

In 1998 Al-Qaeda launched synchronised bomb attacks on the US
embassies in Kenya and Tanzania, claiming more than 220 lives. Four
years later Islamists attacked a hotel in Mombasa, killing 15 people,
and tried to shoot down an Israeli passenger jet with a surface-to-air
missile.

In March a team of United Nations investigators obtained
photographic evidence of 17 training centres in Kenya. It is believed
that they were set up by groups linked to Al-Qaeda with experience
of terror camps in Afghanistan.

The few diplomats familiar with Somalia warn that Al-Qaeda, through
its local affiliate Al-Itihadd Al-Islamiya, is gaining a stranglehold on
Mogadishu. They say that the jihadi group has a new leader,
Commander Aden Hashi Ayro, who has organised a Mogadishu
Islamist corps of about 100 extremist fighters.

Up until mid-April — the last time any reliable intelligence emerged —
they had killed at least 50 supporters of Abdullahi Yusuf, who was
chosen by warlords last year to be the country’s president.

Ayro is the protégé of Sheikh Hassan Aweys, spiritual leader of
Al-Itihadd, who has established a network of Islamic courts around
the country to fill the power vacuum. Ayro’s group is said to be
backed by a wealthy businessman with a compound in Mogadishu
bristling with arms, including armoured personnel carriers and an
anti-aircraft system.

“It’s not a large army but it’s organised,” said a diplomat watching
developments from Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital. “Their
objective is to keep any foreign intervention out of Mogadishu.”

The nearest American troops to Somalia are based in Djibouti.
Having learnt their lesson from the Black Hawk Down fiasco, the only
raids made into Somalia in the past year have been by proxy.
Warlords have been paid on four occasions to try to snatch Al-Qaeda
suspects wanted by Washington.

The operations are run by the Joint Task Force for the Horn of Africa,
whose command is based on the USS Mount Whitney, anchored in the
Red Sea. In May the unit warned that Somalia was a safe haven for
terrorist cells.

The International Crisis Group recently echoed this report. The think
tank said: “If Somalia’s protracted crisis is allowed to persist, its
stateless territory will continue to attract criminal and extremist
elements.”

Some of the best intelligence on Al-Itihadd comes from Ethiopia,
which tried to eradicate the group in 1996 in a battle around the
province of Luk in northwest Somalia.

The Ethiopian army destroyed several Al-Itihadd bases and the
bodies of several foreign fighters, including Pakistanis, were
subsequently discovered.

Although Somalis in Britain have described themselves as the
“invisible community”, it is inevitable that people will start asking how
many others, like Omar, have turned to extremism.

If the experience of radicalised immigrants from north Africa is
anything to go by, the omens do not bode well.

Events such as the train bombings in Madrid last year demonstrate
that Islamist groups linked to Al-Qaeda in Morocco and Algeria are
now bent on exporting violence to Europe. More often than not it is
the younger generations — either born or brought up in the West —
who are at the vanguard.

Last week Mohammed Bouyeri, a Dutch-born Muslim of Moroccan
descent, was sentenced to life in prison for murdering Theo van
Gogh. Bouyeri, 27, shot the film maker seven times and tried to
decapitate him after van Gogh portrayed Islam as a religion which
condoned violence against women.

Bouyeri showed no remorse for the killing and had earlier told the
court: “I should cut everyone’s head off who insults Allah or his
prophet.”

~~~~~~~~This amounts to how much money will you give me if I say we won't build nuclear weapons~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
UK warns Iran over nuclear plans
Iran says it wants to resume nuclear enrichment
The international dispute over Iran's nuclear programme appears to be escalating, with Tehran threatening to resume uranium conversion
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/4732587.stm

Jewish settlers begin withdrawal from Gaza Strip
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2005/July/middleeast_July829.xml&section=middleeast&col=

Israel vows to crush Palestinian attacks on Gaza pullout operation
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2005/08/01/wmid01.xml&sSheet=/news/2005/08/01/ixworld.html

Italy traces suspect's contacts in east Africa
http://news.ft.com/cms/s/dcdefd58-01e3-11da-9481-00000e2511c8.html

Latin American Drug Cartels Move into West Africa
http://www.voanews.com/english/2005-07-31-voa24.cfm

British terror trail leads back to Africa's Horn of Anarchy
Muslim extremism has built a power base in a little-known but highly volatile region, write Tom Walker and Dipesh Gadher
The Horn of Africa is the greatest intelligence void on the global terrorist map, according to analysts.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,2087-1715113,00.html

$2.5M fine for chemicals near tracks
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=14946341&BRD=1291&PAG=461&dept_id=523588&rfi=6

Hazmat teams always ready
http://www.news14charlotte.com/content/local_news/?AC=&ArID=99026&SecID=2

Russia not to oust ABC network after defense ministry ban
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-07/31/content_3292568.htm

Russia-China drill no source of concern: minister

www.chinaview.cn 2005-07-31 17:34:14

MOSCOW, July 31 (Xinhuanet) -- Russian Defense Minister Sergei Ivanov said Sunday the Russian-Chinese military exercise planned for next month should not be viewed as a source of concern for other countries.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2005-07/31/content_3291030.htm

Iraq's links to Iran create dilemma for U.S.
http://www.iht.com/articles/2005/07/31/news/iran.php

India must pressure Pak. to destroy terrorist camps: Advani
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200507311612.htm

US embassy in Kuwait warns about danger of terrorist attacks
http://www.itar-tass.com/eng/level2.html?NewsID=2276710&PageNum=0

Australia boosts terrorist defences around cities
http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/default.asp?page=story_31-7-2005_pg4_7

Netherlands faces substantial attack threat-official
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/L3056630.htm

Learn more about how the terrorist mind works
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=5&article_id=17245

Bin Laden still commanding attacks - Saudi envoy
http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2005-07-31T172127Z_01_MOL162460_RTRUKOC_0_BRITAIN-SAUDI-BINLADEN.xml

Bin Laden casts wide net in Indonesia
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16110987%5E2703,00.html

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