Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

Al-Qaeda's Long March to War
(Full Story)

In recent weeks, media reports from both Iraq and Afghanistan have suggested the appearance of a slow evolution of the Islamist insurgents' tactics in the direction of the battlefield deployment of larger mujahideen units that attack "harder" facilities.

These attacks are not replacing small-unit attacks, ambushes, kidnappings, assassinations and suicide bombings in either country, but rather seem to be initial and tentative forays toward another stage of fighting.

	Karzai Condemns U.S. Troops Using Gunfire
	Taliban Kill, Kidnap Dozens of Afghan Police
	US Sends More Troops into Iraq
	Where does Karzai go from here?
	Kabul Comes Undone

Thread Thirty-Seven

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UPDATE...

Note: The following news brief is a quote:
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http://www.cnn.com/2006/US/06/22/miami.raids/

FBI raids targets in domestic terrorism probe

Thursday, June 22, 2006; Posted: 8:03 p.m. EDT (00:03 GMT)

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- FBI agents were raiding sites in Miami, Florida, on Thursday in connection with a domestic terrorism investigation, law enforcement sources said.

The FBI said one search warrant was being executed in the Liberty City area of Miami. Officials said no weapons or bomb-making materials had been found in the searches so far.

"We are conducting a number of arrests and searches, and we'll have more about that when the operation is completed, probably tomorrow morning," FBI Director Robert Mueller told CNN's Larry King in an interview to be broadcast Thursday.

Asked about the gravity of the operation, Mueller said, "Because it's an ongoing operation, we really can't get into details. But whenever we undertake an operation like this, we would not do it without the approval of a judge. We've got search warrants and arrest warrants and the like, so yes -- its a concern."

In a statement, the U.S. attorney's office in Miami said federal, state and local agencies had made several arrests Thursday in connection with a domestic "terrorist-related matter."

The FBI told CNN that several arrests were made, and documents related to the investigation have been sealed.

News conferences are planned for Friday in Washington, D.C., and Miami.

Note: The following text is a quote:
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http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/2006/06/011943print.html

June 22, 2006

Jihad Terror Suspects Arrested In Miami Housing Project

Jihad In America Update: "Terror Suspects Arrested In Miami Housing Project," from AP, with thanks to SC:

(AP) MIAMI After an operation that started about four months ago, the FBI has arrested several suspects of domestic terrorism in a Miami low-income housing project.
The arrests took place Thursday afternoon at the Scott Housing Projects in the area of NW 68th street and 15th Avenue. Miami Police officers were seen in the area securing a perimeter for the FBI to carry out their arrests.

Sources tell CBS4 News it is unclear whether weapons or bomb-making materials were found, but those detained are suspected of being involved in planning terrorist activity.

Neighbors say suspicious activity had been observed at the home recently....

A U.S. counterterrorism official said 17 suspects in Canada are an example of a type of group that authorities have been concerned about for some time: self-organized, ad hoc cells of homegrown extremists, a development first seen in Britain....

Canadian police say there is no evidence the suspect group had ties to al Qaeda, but describe its members as being sympathetic to jihadist ideology.

Posted at June 22, 2006 08:10 PM

ON THE NET...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=IRAN
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=IRAQ
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=prewardocs
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hezbollah
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hizbullah
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hizballah
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=lebanon

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=jihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=alqaeda
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=alqaida

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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2006/20060622_5490.html

Casey Confident of Success Over Security Threats Confronting Iraq

By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 22, 2006 – Iranian support for insurgents in Iraq has become a major factor in a "quite complex" security environment, the commander of ground forces in Iraq told Pentagon reporters today.
Army Gen. George W. Casey Jr., commander of Multinational Force Iraq, pointed to Iranian support for Shiia insurgents as a problem in what he said has become a constantly changing security environment. The environment hasn't necessarily worsened, but has increased in complexity since Iraq's December elections and the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra in February, he said.

"We are quite confident that the Iranians, through their covert special operations forces, are providing weapons, (improvised-explosive-device) technology, and training to Shiia extremists groups in Iraq," Casey told reporters during a joint briefing with Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld.

Casey said there's no evidence that Iranians are in Iraq actually directing attacks. "They are using surrogates to conduct terrorist operations in Iraq, both against us and against the Iraqi people," Casey said. "It is decidedly unhelpful."

The Iranians are most likely training these extremists in Iran and possibly Lebanon. "There are some indications that Lebanese Hezbollah is also used in some of the training functions for the Iranians," he said.

Meanwhile, al Qaeda continues to present security challenges in Iraq, even after terrorist leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's death, Casey said.

"Al Qaeda is hurt" through its loss of leadership as well as a steady stream of coalition and Iraqi raids, he said. "But they are not finished. And they won't be finished for some time. They are feeling the pain right now, but as you also see, they are still capable of conducting terrorist acts across Iraq."

Illegal armed groups -- a term Casey used in lieu of "militias" -- also pose a security challenge. "These are criminals, and they need to be dealt with through a combination of political influence and security forces, and they will be," he said. The Iraqi government "has stepped up to the challenge" and is committed to dealing with these groups, he said.

Similarly, the Iraqi government and coalition are working together to confront another major security challenge in Iraq: the Sunni insurgency. This group "has been reaching out and looking for ways to reevaluate their options and to come out of the resistance against occupation with honor," Casey said. "And we and the Iraqi government have several different strands of contacts going on, and there are opportunities in that regard that we just haven't had before," he said.

Casey praised the Iraqis for finalizing their national unity government, which he called "probably the single most important element of the future political success in Iraq."

He said he finds it "heartening" that Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki and his Cabinet "have been quick out of the box" in helping stabilize Iraq's security environment. He pointed to several measures they've taken, including releasing about 2,500 detainees to reinforce their commitment to national unity and implementing a vigorous Baghdad security plan to help secure the capital.

Casey also pointed to ongoing progress among Iraq's security forces and the fact that they will soon take full security of responsibility for Muthanna province. He said he expected several other positive steps like this within Iraq's other provinces later this year and into next year.

In addition, Casey expressed optimism over Iraq's national reconciliation program, which is in the final phases and expected to be presented to the parliament within the next week or so.

Overall, Casey said he has great hope for Iraq's new government. "The national government is committed to unity, security and prosperity," he said. "And they fully understand that to get prosperity, you have to have security, and to get security, you have to have unity. And they are committed to national reconciliation, and it's a very positive step."

ON THE NET...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=northkorea
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=nkorea
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=korea

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UPDATE:

Note: The following post is a quote:
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1654162/posts

U.S. Set to Down Korean Missile
Washington Times ^ | 06/23/06 | Stephen Dinan

Posted on 06/22/2006 11:05:50 PM PDT by mojito

Senior Bush administration officials said publicly for the first time yesterday that the United States is set to shoot down any North Korean missile launch that threatens the United States. National Security Adviser Stephen J. Hadley, briefing reporters during President Bush's brief visit here, said the United States has a missile defense system with "limited operational capability" that could be used to try to shoot down an incoming North Korean missile, but he added that U.S. officials were vigorously pursuing a diplomatic push to head off a test launch by Pyongyang. "The purpose, of course, of that missile defense system is to defend the territory of the United States from attack," Mr. Hadley said when asked if the United States would deploy the system should North Korea attack. Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld told reporters in Washington that Mr. Bush has the power to order a shootdown, using one of 11 ground-based interceptors now located in Alaska and California. "And the president would make a decision with respect to the nature of the launch, whether it was threatening to the territory of the United States or not, and the likely threat that it would pose," Mr. Rumsfeld told reporters at the Pentagon.

(Excerpt) Read more at washtimes.com ...

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Thanks to bitt for the ping to this post.
Note: The following post is a quote:
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1654154/posts

North Korea - Kim Jong-il's train Russia-bound
Reuters (excerpt) ^ | June 23, 2006

Posted on 06/22/2006 10:42:06 PM PDT by HAL9000

Excerpt -

A special train used by Kim Jong-il was spotted heading toward Russia, raising speculation the North Korean leader may be making a rare overseas trip, a South Korean daily reported today.
The Chosun Ilbo cited a source as saying witnesses in northeastern North Korea saw one of the heavily armoured, well-equipped trains that Kim uses for his visits overseas passing the northeast border and on a route that would soon take it to Russia.

The paper did not say exactly when the trip may have taken place, but indicated it may have occurred in recent days.

~ snip ~

(Excerpt) Read more at news.com.au ...

ON THE NET...

http://www.pmw.org.il/asx/PMW_yasserghalban.asx

http://www.memri.org/bin/search/search.cgi?nocpp=1&p%3Ats_udav=0&sort-method=3&Match=1&Terms=hamas&Realm=All

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hamas

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Note: The following text is a quote:
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http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/2006/06/011941print.html

June 22, 2006

Hamas: Islam will conquer US and Britain

Drawing this lesson from the Gaza withdrawal: terror pays. From Palestinian Media Watch:

A Hamas video just released on their web site focuses on the broader Palestinian Islamic ideology, promising the eventual conquering and subjugation of Christian countries under Islam. The way Israel "ran" from Gaza after terror is presented as the prototype for future Israeli and Western behavior in the face of Islamic force.
The video is a collection of statements by Hamas terrorist leader, Yasser Ghalban, killed last week by Palestinians, in the ongoing internal fighting.

To view this video, anticipating Islam's conquering of US and Britain, click here.

The following is the transcript of selections from the Hamas video:

"We will rule the nations, by Allah's will, the USA will be conquered, Israel will be conquered, Rome and Britain will be conquered… The Jihad for Allah... is the way of Truth and the way for Salvation and the way which will lead us to crush the Jews and expel them from our country Palestine. Just as the Jews ran from Gaza, the Americans will run from Iraq and Afghanistan and the Russians will run from Chechnya, and the Indian will run from Kashmir, and our children will be released from Guantanamo. The prisoners will be released by Allah's will, not by peaceful means and not by agreements, but they will be released by the sword, they will be released by the gun".

Posted at June 22, 2006 12:34 PM

ON THE NET...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1654178/posts?page=3#3

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Note: Adding to post no. 1254.
THANKS to TigerLikesRooster for this translation/post/thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1654178/posts

N. Korea:Kim Jong-il Visiting Russia?(A special train crossed(Russo-N. Korean) border)
Chosun Ilbo ^ | 06/23/06 | Lee Ha-won

Posted on 06/23/2006 12:33:16 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster

/begin my translation

Kim Jong-il Visiting Russia?

"A special train crossed the (Russo-N. Korean) border"

A VIP train leaving Pyongyang was seen crossing the border in N.E. area (of N. Korea), according to sources on N. Korea on June 22nd.

According to them, there are many who claimed that they saw the Kim

Jong-il's VIP train crossing the border. Considering that the train crossed the N.E. area rather than Shinuiju area, some observers find it highly likely that Kim Jong-il is visiting Russia. If he is visiting Russia, he could be there to talk over the tense situation with U.S. created by (the recent) missile launch event.

A government official, when asked about this allegation, replied, "We are not able to verify it at the moment. The government is looking into it after receiving this piece of intelligence." Kim Jong-il used his special train when visiting Russian Far East in Aug., 2002. He also visited Russia (including Moscow) in 2001 via train.

Lee Ha-won

/end my translation

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