|
| This thread has been locked, it will not receive new replies. |
|
Locked on 07/01/2006 1:19:49 PM PDT by Admin Moderator, reason:
New thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1659022/posts |
Posted on 06/01/2006 7:04:43 PM PDT by nwctwx
|
"Philadelphia International Airport" AND "Newark Liberty International" duly noted.
Thanks all4one.
Note: The following post is a quote:
---
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1655432/posts
Iraq soldiers' phones hacked
The Daily Telegraph ^ | 6/26/06
Posted on 06/25/2006 1:57:19 PM PDT by TexKat
Soldiers have been warned of the danger of insurgents using electronic equipment to intercept their calls and obtain the numbers of their family in the UK.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed there was concern over reports of "nuisance calls" to servicemen's families.
It played down suggestions that the calls had included death threats.
A Territorial Army document warned that insurgents in southern Iraq had managed to obtain the home telephone numbers of British soldiers using electronic intercept devices.
It said there had been "many instances in the last weeks of relatives and friends of personnel serving abroad on operations getting nuisance phone calls".
The newspaper report suggested that the calls had included claims that a father or son serving in Iraq is dead or will soon be killed, as well as verbal abuse or silence.
The Ministry of Defence said: "There have been reports of nuisance calls to the families of service personnel. To our knowledge, nuisance calls have been just that - nuisance calls.
"We are not currently aware of any reports of anything more sinister."
TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; Government; News/Current Events; United Kingdom; War on Terror; Click to Add Topic
KEYWORDS: IRAQ; MOBILEPHONE; Click to Add Keyword
[ Report Abuse | Bookmark ]
MOBILE phone calls home made by British soldiers in Iraq may have been intercepted by insurgents, it was reported yesterday.
1 posted on 06/25/2006 1:57:19 PM PDT by TexKat
UPDATE: The Taliban lied AGAIN.
---
ON THE NET...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=taliban
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=taleban
===
===
Note: The following text is a quote:
---
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2006/20060625_5504.html
Taliban Makes 2nd Bogus Chopper Downing Claim, Two Troops Killed
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2006 – The Taliban made another false claim of shooting down a U.S. helicopter yesterday, while two coalition troops were killed, officials reported.
The Taliban claim came as at least 65 insurgents were killed during recent firefights with coalition forces in Afghanistan.
The Taliban falsely told the media June 24 that a U.S. helicopter was shot down yesterday in the Tarin Kowt area of Uruzgan Province. There's no truth to this claim, U.S. officials said, noting that all coalition helicopters are accounted for.
This is the second fake claim of downing a U.S. helicopter the Taliban have made in a week.
In other news, Afghan and coalition forces killed 65 insurgents in two separate actions June 23. More than 40 extremists were dispatched near the village of Mirabad, northeast of Tarin Kowt.
Another 25 insurgent fighters met their end fighting coalition troops during another action that lasted three hours near the village of Bayanzi in the Zharie district of Kandahar Province.
The two engagements were part the coalition's Operation Mountain Thrust offensive. Afghan and coalition forces "continue to demonstrate how well they work together to defeat our common enemies," said Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, a Combined Joint Task Force 76 spokesman.
"Afghan and coalition forces will continue to place heavy pressure on Taliban insurgents hiding in southern Afghanistan in support of Operation Mountain Thrust," Fitzpatrick said.
The two coalition soldiers died June 24 during anti-insurgent action in the Panjwayi district of Afghanistan's Kandahar Province. Names of the deceased are being withheld until the families are notified.
An estimated 45 extremists were killed in the firefight.
"Our prayers and deepest sympathies go out to the families of our soldiers killed yesterday, and our thoughts are with those who were wounded in this attack," said Maj. Gen. Benjamin C. Freakley, commander of Combined Joint Task Force 76. "The phenomenal bravery and repeated acts of heroism by Afghan and coalition forces continues to rapidly destroy enemy Taliban forces."
The Taliban have launched a multitude of attacks as part of their new spring offensive across southern Afghanistan.
(Compiled from Combined Forces Command Afghanistan and Combined Joint Task Force 76 press releases.)
ON THE NET...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=waziristan
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=northwaziristan
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=southwaziristan
Note: The following text is a quote:
---
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2006/20060625_5506.html
Terrorist Killed, 16 Detained During Iraq Raids
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2006 – Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained 16 others as the result of two separate raids conducted across Iraq today.
One terrorist was killed and five were detained in a sweep in southern Baghdad. Intelligence uncovered by the death of al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi led coalition forces to the insurgents' lair, officials said.
The coalition troops searched several buildings during the raid. Several women and children were present but none were harmed during the operation.
The other raid was conducted east of Ramadi and yielded 11 terrorist captives. Two enemy weapons caches bearing small arms, suicide-bomber vests, body armor, grenades and instructions on how to build an improvised explosive device were secured during the action.
Several women and children were also present during the Ramadi raid, which included searches of several buildings. None of the women or children were harmed and all were returned to their homes.
(Compiled from a Multinational Force Iraq press release.)
FYI thanks to granny
One-man train crew plan raises train fears
Critics say that the proposal could leave trains open to attack; railways say technology will boost security.
By JUDY L. THOMAS
The Kansas City Star
Chris Oberholtz/The Kansas City Star
Freight trains are a common sight on tracks throughout the Kansas City area. If an industry plan comes to fruition, some of these trains one day may have only one crew member aboard. That has led to worries over railway security.Freight trains hauling thousands of tons of toxic materials ¡X including chlorine, ammonia and radioactive waste ¡X are crisscrossing the United States every day, rolling past homes, schools and densely populated areas.
But now, railroad companies want to reduce the size of the crews that control those trains from two or three people to as few as one person.
Critics who point to the deadly bombings of passenger trains in London and Madrid, Spain, call the lone crewman proposal ¡§a prescription for disaster,¡¨ arguing that not enough has been done since Sept. 11, 2001, to safeguard the nation¡¦s rail system from terrorist attacks.
¡§Even one tank car of chlorine, if it derails and opens, has the potential of killing hundreds of people through a deadly cloud,¡¨ said Frank Wilner, a spokesman for the United Transportation Union, which represents conductors who probably would lose their jobs.
Rail officials, however, counter that the sophisticated satellite technology behind their proposal ¡X called Positive Train Control ¡X would actually improve rail safety, as well as increase profitability in their booming $42 billion a year industry.
¡§One person with the technology is safer than two people without the technology,¡¨ said Peggy Wilhide, a spokeswoman for the Association of American Railroads.
Wilhide said that railroads ƒè want the flexibility to decide how many people are in the locomotive depending on the route, the length of the trip and what they are hauling. ¡§So it isn¡¦t automatically one person in every cab,¡¨ she said.
But engineers and conductors argue that one person is not enough if the train encounters mechanical problems and the lone crew member must check them out, leaving the engine idling and the controls unattended.
The debate hits close to home because Kansas City is the second-largest rail hub in the country, with more than 300 trains coming and going daily ¡X many of them carrying deadly chemicals.
More than 64 percent of the chemicals that are toxic when inhaled are currently transported by rail, Kip Hawley, assistant secretary of the Homeland Security Department, told a congressional committee in October. Each tank car carries an average of 90 tons of chlorine or 30,000 gallons of anhydrous ammonia.
The big fear is that terrorists could take over a train and turn those tankers into weapons of mass destruction. A terrorist attack on just one chlorine car passing through Washington, D.C., could kill 100,000 in just 20 minutes, a scientist for the Naval Research Laboratory told officials in 2004.
Such concerns aren¡¦t unfounded. Between 1998 and 2003, trains, depots, ticket stations and rail bridges were the targets of about 180 terrorist attacks worldwide, according to the Rand Corp., a consulting firm that advises U.S. government agencies. Those attacks resulted in more than 400 deaths and thousands of injuries.
Indeed, terrorists may focus even more attention on rail targets. A new book excerpted last week in Time magazine describes an alleged plot by al-Qaida terrorists in 2003 to kill thousands of commuters by releasing cyanide gas in New York subways.
Last July, a series of suicide bombings on three commuter trains and a bus in London killed 56 people and injured 700. Bombings on the rail system in Madrid killed 192 and injured more than 2,000 in March 2004.
But it¡¦s not just terrorists who are a concern to critics of the single-person crew proposal. Derailments and train wrecks can release toxic chemicals, as well.
ď Last year in the United States, 36 accidents forced the evacuations of 7,636 people, according to the Federal Railroad Administration. Chlorine gas released in a derailment in Graniteville, S.C., killed nine people, injured hundreds and forced thousands to evacuate.ď
¡§It¡¦s scary,¡¨ said Eric Bunch, a Kansas City-area train engineer. ¡§Everybody¡¦s concerned about safety, especially with the terrorism issue. ¡K With only one person on the train, it would make it that much easier for someone to overtake the engine. It would be the same as if they took away the co-pilot and you just had one guy flying the plane.¡¨
Jim Hall, former chairman of the National Transportation Safety Board, said Positive Train Control systems could have prevented some of the fatal accidents that the board investigated during his tenure.
¡§So I think that it¡¦s a road that certainly both union and management ought to explore,¡¨ Hall said.
But because trains are potential targets of terrorists, he added, when it comes to single-person crews, ¡§You may want to have a different set of rules for trains that carry hazardous materials.¡¨
ď The Transportation Security Administration, which is part of the Homeland Security Department, said the agency has no position on one-person crews or Positive Train Control.ď
¡§However, if the rail industry chooses to implement it, we don¡¦t consider Positive Train Control a security risk,¡¨ said spokeswoman Carrie Harmon.
A contractual issue
The controversy over single-person crews surfaced in November 2004 in contract negotiations. Another round of talks is scheduled for Tuesday, but neither side expects any action on the single-person crew issue.
Rail company officials will not comment on the dispute. They refer questions to the Association of American Railroads, which represents North America¡¦s major freight lines.
But railway officials are publicly touting their Positive Train Control technology under which a single-person crew would operate a train. Positive Train Control allows the train to run without a conductor.
Using the Global Positioning System-based technology, if a train is going too fast or is exceeding its approved area of travel and the engineer fails to respond to warnings, the system can automatically slow or stop the train. Railway officials contend that this would cut down on human error ¡X the most common cause of train accidents ¡X and reduce collisions and derailments.
They also say the new system could prevent someone from hijacking a train.
¡§With this system, if somebody were to get on, they wouldn¡¦t be able to move the train,¡¨ said Patrick Hiatte, a spokesman for Fort Worth, Texas-based BNSF Railway, formerly the Burlington Northern Santa Fe. ¡§If that train didn¡¦t have authority, it wouldn¡¦t move.¡¨
Railroads are testing the system. Since October 2004, BNSF has operated a pilot program involving 50 trains traveling 135 miles between Beardstown and Centralia, Ill.
¡§We have run more than 1,700 trips,¡¨ Hiatte said. ¡§So far, it has stopped every train that it was supposed to stop, and it has not stopped any train that it should not have stopped.¡¨
Hiatte said BNSF already has asked the Federal Railroad Administration for permission to test its Electronic Train Management System on runs between Fort Worth to Arkansas City in south central Kansas. The company also has requested federal approval to use the technology throughout its network.
But union leaders argue that it is unknown whether the Positive Train Control system would improve rail safety or security, because it still is experimental.
¡§The technology that they¡¦re proposing is not proven yet,¡¨ said John Bentley, a spokesman for the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen. ¡§It¡¦s so new that it¡¦s not universal. Different railroads are trying out different systems, and those systems don¡¦t communicate with each other.¡¨
Earlier this year, union leaders said the railroad industry¡¦s attempts to reduce crew size would jeopardize public safety.
¡§Trains operating through populated areas and carrying deadly hazmat and considered a target of terrorists should not be permitted to operate with only a single person aboard. Railroads transport deadly hazmat (hazardous materials) on tracks that are within blocks of Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C. Train tracks are located in the heart of major population centers ¡K¡¨ union officials said.
They also pointed out that a single-person crew would be dangerous if:
„fA train broke down and blocked a crossing. One person could not quickly disconnect the train to unblock a crossing if an emergency vehicle needed to pass through.
„fAn air hose broke in the back of the train. One person would not be able to get to it quickly.
„fA train is involved in a grade crossing crash. One person would not be enough to handle such emergencies.
¡§Things go on in the operation of a railroad that aren¡¦t even being considered,¡¨ said Rick Inclima, director of education and safety for a division of the Teamsters Rail Conference.
Inclima said that, for example, a crew member is required to walk the length of the train to check a problem. ¡§If there¡¦s only one person on the train, are you going to leave the running locomotive unattended while the one guy goes out and walks a train that might be a mile long?¡¨ he asked.
But the crew-reduction proposal is just the latest in a series of rail cutbacks in recent decades. Until the late 1970s, train crews regularly consisted of five people ¡X an engineer, a conductor, a fireman and two brakemen. By the early 1980s, even cabooses started disappearing.
¡§So now we¡¦re kind of at the next juncture,¡¨ said rail industry spokeswoman Wilhide. ¡§And at this juncture, we¡¦re looking at having more flexibility on our crew size ¡X and in some instances, where it makes sense, to have one person in the locomotive.¡¨
Wilhide insisted that the railroads would not take that next step until they were certain the technology was in place. She added, however, that ¡§the technology could be ready to go very soon.¡¨
Security questions
Surprisingly, when it comes to the size of train crews, there are no federal regulations.
¡§Train-crew size is done through negotiated contracts,¡¨ said Steven Kulm, a spokesman for the Federal Railroad Administration.
But Kulm said that all the major railroads are working on Positive Train Control technology and that a decision by his agency on BNSF¡¦s request to operate it systemwide may come later this summer. Both the Federal Railroad Administration and the National Transportation Safety Board support development of the technology.
Even without the new technology, industry officials insist the railways are secure. A recent Association of American Railroads document revealed that after Sept. 11, 2001, the industry worked with a team of former U.S. military and government experts to develop a comprehensive railroad security plan.
That plan established four alert levels and described actions designed to thwart terrorist threats to railroad personnel and facilities. It also increased employee training to ensure that railroad workers became ¡§the eyes and ears of the railroad industry¡¦s security.¡¨
However, recent incidents suggest that it is not always that difficult to commandeer or derail a train:
„fƒè In October, a man used a makeshift bow and arrow to take over a freight train in Montclair, Calif. The would-be train robber boarded the Union Pacific train while it was stopped for a signal on its way from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles, then threatened the engineer and conductor.ƒè
„fƒè In March 2005, a train hauling chemicals derailed in Santa Fe Springs, Calif. Police arrested and later charged a 14-year-old boy in connection with causing the derailment.ƒè
Perhaps more disturbing was an FBI warning issued in 2002, which said the bureau had received information that terrorists might be planning attacks on U.S. railroads. Bureau officials said they had recovered al-Qaida photographs that showed railroad engines, cars and crossings.
A recent survey of thousands of railroad employees also found what unions called ¡§a disturbing lack of security¡¨ in rail yards and along the nation¡¦s 167,000 miles of track.
ď The survey, conducted in 2004 and 2005 by the Teamsters Rail Conference, found that freight trains carrying hazardous chemicals routinely sat unmanned. Trespassers often roam freely through rail yards and along the rights of way, and railroad police are rarely visible.ď
Moreover, the survey found, engineers often have no backup in an emergency and ¡X other than a radio ¡X there are no distress codes or signals to contact authorities in a crisis.
¡§In short, workers say, America¡¦s rail lines appear one step shy of disaster,¡¨ the survey¡¦s executive summary concluded.
Railroad workers maintain that warnings of potential attacks have largely been ignored. Eighty-four percent said they had not received any additional training on terrorism prevention and response in the past year. And 99 percent said they hadn¡¦t received training on the monitoring of nuclear waste shipments.
¡§It¡¦s not the rosy picture that the railroad industry portrays,¡¨ Bentley said. ¡§A lot of our members have been given a brochure or a DVD to watch at home, but that¡¦s not really intense training to prevent a terrorist from taking over your train.¡¨
Industry officials dismissed the union¡¦s survey, saying it lacked credibility. They predicted that it is just a matter of time before the single-person crew issue is resolved.
¡§If we¡¦re going to have a 21st-century railroad, designed to handle the dramatic increase in freight that we¡¦re going to have, we need new technology,¡¨ Wilhide said.
To reach Judy L. Thomas, call (816) 234-4334 or send e-mail to jthomas@kcstar.com.
http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/14896883.htm
Note: The following text is a quote:
---
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2006/20060625_5508.html
Coalition Raids in Iraq Kill Two Terrorists, Detain Six
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2006 – Two terrorists were killed and six were detained during two separate coalition operations conducted in Tikrit and Yusifiyan yesterday, military officials announced.
Coalition troops killed two terrorists and detained another during a raid north of Yusifiyan June 24. The terrorists were at a foreign-fighter safe house where recent intelligence indicated that they were holding meetings to plan terrorist acts, officials said.
One woman was injured in the action. She received medical care and was taken to a nearby military facility for further treatment.
The same house had been targeted in early May to disrupt a terrorist cell that was building vehicle-borne- and regular improvised explosive devices.
The June 24 raid in Tikrit yielded five detainees. Information provided as a result of the death of al-Qaeda in Iraq leader Abu Musab Al-Zarqawi was used to plan and conduct the coalition operation, officials said.
Early during the Tikrit raid, coalition forces came under small-arms fire by two insurgents, who they quickly overpowered and captured. An enemy weapons cache was discovered that yielded five AK-47 rifles, 13 loaded magazines, and two pistols. The captured enemy ordnance was destroyed on site.
A senior Sheik who was present in the area during the raid was detained and then released.
Note: The following text is a quote:
---
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Jun2006/20060625_5509.html
IEDs Kill Three U.S. Troops, Raids Net Bomb-making Cell
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, June 25, 2006 – Three American soldiers were killed by improvised explosive devices while on patrol in Iraq in recent days, officials in Iraq said today.
Separate IED explosions in Baghdad and Tikrit June 24 each claimed the life of one U.S. soldier. A roadside bomb explosion in Baghdad on June 23 killed another U.S. soldier.
Another U.S. soldier in Baghdad died of a non-combat incident June 23.
Names of the deceased are being withheld until their families are notified.
Coalition forces in Iraq are continuing operations to thwart enemy IED attacks, officials said. Iraqi forces captured three members of an IED construction cell during a June 23 raid in western Baghdad.
The captured cell members are believed to have conducted two IED attacks on coalition forces in the Baghdad area in March, and an April rocket attack on Baghdad International Airport. Five other suspected insurgents were caught up in the dragnet.
No Iraqi or coalition forces were harmed during the operation.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq news releases.)
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1655357/posts
"The Terrorist Round-up for 6/25/06"
6/25/06
Posted on 06/25/2006 10:55:47 AM PDT by Straight Vermonter
Thanks Lucyt I would have missed this;)
That's interesting...wanna bet they wouldn't decontaminate with showers in this country. They would probably get sued.
Thanks to a Special Freepmailer for pointing to this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1655524/posts
"Montana Mother Who Is Fighting Al-Qa'eda From Her Sitting Room"
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 6-26-2006 | Francis Harris
Posted on 06/25/2006 6:29:22 PM PDT by blam
Montana mother who is fighting al-Qa'eda from her sitting room
By Francis Harris in Helena
Adding to post no. 1372:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1655524/posts?page=23#23
God bless her and protect her.
The Tantheem-alqa3edah Yahoo! group had a message posted this morning with links to the video.
No doubt that lots of nasty stuff are transported by trains daily. A similar thing can be said about the trucking system. The big question is are the terrorists capable of getting a trains manifest with enough time to plan a terror strike that has potential to inflict a large number of casualities, or would one of their tried and tested bombing methods work better at a lower risk to the cell. Lots to think and weigh.
Ditto than and Amen.
ON THE NET...
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=jihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=terrorism
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=terrorists
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=insurgents
===
===
WARNING - DISTURBING - GRAPHIC
Adding to the links posted by LayoutGuru2 in post no. 1375:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1642083/posts?page=1375#1375
---
http://www.ogrish.com/archives/2006/june/ogrish-dot-com-russian_diplomats_executed.wmv
http://press-release.blogspot.com/
http://albayanat.blogspot.com/
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2977/2243/320/644e1a804d.1.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2977/2243/320/96b5d22cd9.1.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2977/2243/320/6fe31a55c2.1.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2977/2243/320/5d007469ff.1.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2977/2243/320/5eac55a775.1.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2977/2243/320/8abeebacdd.jpg
http://photos1.blogger.com/blogger/2977/2243/320/20425a1211.jpg
http://albayanat.blogspot.com/2006/06/blog-post_25.html
===
===
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alqa3daah
Links in post no. 1375:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/alqa3daah/message/119
http://share2net.com/?id=8039650
http://share2net.com/?id=63565745
http://www.sendspace.com/file/9wmlb4
http://www.sendspace.com/file/07r6nv
http://www.uploading.com/?get=CKP6SR5L
http://www.uploading.com/?get=X3CSRKM5
http://d.turboupload.com/d/725254/15..._NEW.rmvb.html
http://d.turboupload.com/d/725292/15..._NEW.rmvb.html
http://www.quickdump.com/files/891159547.html
http://share2net.com/?id=97208058
http://www.uploadspy.com/view.php?file=890fef7a
Note: The following post is a quote:
---
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1655603/posts
Army wives get phone death threats from Iraq
Sunday Telegraph ^ | June 25, 2006 | Sean Rayment
Posted on 06/26/2006 1:25:35 AM PDT by RWR8189
Wives and family members of soldiers fighting in Iraq have received telephone calls, believed to include death threats, from insurgents, according to military documents seen by The Sunday Telegraph.
The "nuisance" calls have been made with increasing frequency over the past few weeks after insurgents managed to obtain home numbers from soldiers' mobile telephones.
The growing number of calls has led to an investigation by the Royal Military Police, which has issued a warning to all soldiers in Iraq to take great care when using mobile telephones to call home.
document issued to soldiers of the London Regiment, a Territorial Army unit, which has soldiers from its ranks serving in Iraq.
The document warns soldiers preparing to take part in operations that insurgents in southern Iraq have managed to obtain the home telephone numbers of soldiers by using electronic intercept devices to hack into mobile phone systems.
It is understood that the threats range from claims that a husband or son is dead or will be killed fighting in Iraq, to verbal abuse. Many of those who have received calls say that they were made by people with a poor command of English or with a Middle Eastern accent.
The military document states that there have been "many instances in the last weeks of relatives and friends of personnel serving abroad on operations getting nuisance phone calls" from Iraq.
It adds: "Investigations indicate that the 'callers' of these nuisance calls have acquired the numbers from personnel using their own mobiles to phone. This is fairly easy using today's technology. It makes no difference whether the mobile is of UK origin or sourced abroad.
The MoD is keen to establish the extent of these nuisance calls, to determine whether there is a pattern to them. All ranks are to be aware of the possibility of receiving nuisance calls if using mobiles to phone home."
Since the start of the war in Iraq, a number of high profile soldiers are believed to have received death threats from opponents of the war.
Cpl Mark Byles, who won the Military Cross in 2004 after leading members of the 1st Bn of the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment in a bayonet charge, received a death threat after his story appeared in the press. Abu Baker Mansha was later sentenced to eight years imprisonment for plotting to kill the soldier.
The Ministry of Defence confirmed that families of soldiers serving in Iraq had received "nuisance calls", including people calling the homes of soldiers from Iraq then hanging up.
The spokesman said: "We would not describe this as sinister. We have no evidence of anyone receiving any death threats."
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.
