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THANKS to freeperfromnj for pointing to this thread:

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1688550/posts

Terror Raid in Western New York
WGRZ.com ^ | Updated: 8/23/2006 7:06:52 AM | Lynne Dixon

Posted on 08/23/2006 6:13:01 AM PDT by freeperfromnj

The FBI says it's all part of an ongoing investigation into a group of Sri Lankans with terrorist plans. The FBI says there were no plans to attack Americans, but that the group, known as the "Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam" was targeting their home country of Sri Lanka. Officials say that terror group is responsible for assassinating a former prime minister of India.

The Joint Terrorism Task Force raided the Amherst home. Neighbors say three men were taken out in handcuffs. They say the task force also removed files, a computer and suitcases.

While it's not clear what role the three men arrested in Amherst allegedly played, the FBI says they've been watching the entire group, the Tamil Tigers, for years. The FBI's Leslie Wiser Jr. says the group was trying to purchase ten shoulder-fired surface to air missiles that can be used to bring down airplanes, and at least 500 A-K 47 assault weapons. According to Wiser, the terror group also asked for other sophisticated devises used in military operations.

Again, the FBI emphasizes there's no indication the weapons were to be used on U-S soil and it's still not clear what role the three men arrested in Amherst allegedly played.

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(Note: Click on the pdf url to read the full text of the press release.)

http://newyork.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel06/materiasupport082106.pdf

United States Attorney Roslynn R. Mauskopf
Eastern District of New York
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, August 21, 2006
WWW.USDOJ.GOV/USAO/EDNY

"EIGHT DEFENDANTS ARRESTED BY THE FBI AND CHARGED WITH
CONSPIRING TO PROVIDE MATERIAL SUPPORT AND RESOURCES TO A
FOREIGN TERRORIST ORGANIZATION AND RELATED OFFENSES"

PRESS RELEASE SNIPPET: "Four Defendants are Caught in an Undercover Sting Operation Attempting to Purchase a Large Number of Surface-to-Air Missiles, Missile Launchers, and Hundreds of AK-47 Automatic Rifles

BROOKLYN, NY — Two complaints were unsealed this morning in U.S.
District Court in Brooklyn charging eight defendants with multiple crimes, including conspiracy to provide material support and resources to a designated foreign terrorist organization – the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE or Tamil Tigers). Four of the defendants were arrested
on Long Island, New York, on August 19, 2006, after three of them traveled to New York from Canada to attempt to purchase from an agent acting in an undercover capacity Russian-made SA-18 surface-to-air missiles, missile launchers, AK-47s, and other weapons to be used by the LTTE in its rapidly escalating conflict against the Sri Lankan military. These four defendants were acting at the direction of senior LTTE leadership in Sri Lanka.
In the second complaint, multiple defendants are charged with providing material support to the LTTE that included the procurement of military equipment and dual use technology, fund raising, and money laundering through “front” charitable organizations and U.S. bank accounts. The complaint also charges that the defendants attempted to obtain classified information, conspired to bribe U.S. public officials in an effort to remove the LTTE from the U.S. State Department’s list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations, and dealt in illegal financial transactions with LTTE.

As alleged in both complaints, the defendants are closely connected with LTTE leadership in Sri Lanka, and many of them have personally met with LTTE leader, Velupillai Prabhakaran, and other senior leaders of the terrorist group."

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THANKS to fanfan for pointing to this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1688502/posts
"Persons Associated with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) Arrested"
Royal Canadian Mounted Police ^ | 2006-08-21 | (press release)
Posted on 08/23/2006 4:55:21 AM PDT by Clive

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http://www.rcmp-grc.gc.ca/news/2006_08_21_e.htm

Persons Associated with Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam (LTTE) Arrested

Ottawa - August 21, 2006— In recent days, the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has executed two search warrants and arrested one person under authority of a provisional warrant in Canada. The arrest is part of a joint operation involving the RCMP and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI).

Canadian resident, Suresh Sriskandarajah, age 26, arrested under the provisional warrant is awaiting extradition to the U.S.

Generally speaking, the RCMP does not reveal details regarding operational police matters in order to protect the privacy rights of individuals; to protect our investigations; and most importantly, to protect all Canadians.

Nevertheless, the following information can be confirmed: the investigation is a joint operation of the FBI and RCMP, specifically, the RCMP national security program and the Integrated National Security Enforcement Team (INSET) in Toronto, Ontario, and other US law enforcement partners. Several persons associated with the LTTE have been charged in the US for terrorist procurement activities. According to U.S. authorities, those persons are:

Sathajhan Sarachandran, age 26
Sahilal Sabaratnam, age 27
Thiruthanikan Thanigasalam, age 37
Nadarasa Yograrasa, age 52
Murugesu Vinayagamoorthy, age 57
Nachimuthu Socrates, age 54
Vijayshanthar Patpanathan, age 44
Thirukumaran Sivasubramaniam, age 27
Of these eight, three are Canadian residents.

The RCMP is continuing to pursue the Canadian component of this investigation with the potential to lay criminal charges in the future. There is no known direct threat against Canada.

These arrests demonstrate how integrated policing and international cooperation enhance the ability of the law enforcement community to protect the safety and security of the public. This has been and continues to be a complex and intensive investigation involving many partners.

As this investigation is ongoing, it is inappropriate to provide additional details at this time.

-30-

For media enquiries, please contact:

Sgt. Michele Paradis
NCO I/C Corporate Communications and Media Relations RCMP 'O' Division
Office: 416-952-4619
Mobile: 416-992-4409
Pager: 416-715-2375

For more information, please see: http://newyork.fbi.gov/press.htm

Content created: 2006-08-21
Content revised:
Page updated: 2006-08-21 Return to Top Important Notices

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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=529

Coalition Refutes Taliban Claims; Terrorists Captured

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 23, 2006 – A Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan recently made several claims to the media that were proven false by coalition forces, and in recent operations three suspected terrorists were captured and two civilians injured by extremists, U.S. military officials reported.
An unnamed Taliban spokesman in Afghanistan has made several claims recently to Afghan media outlets. Coalition forces have compared each of the claims with facts and information reported by coalition troops on the ground in each of the provinces mentioned, officials said.

The unnamed spokesman reported that Taliban fighters killed eight coalition members during an attack Aug. 21 on a coalition convoy in Qala Bazaar of Alishang district, located in Laghman province. The coalition had already confirmed that an attack occurred; however, there were no casualties and no damage to coalition vehicles or equipment, officials said.

The spokesman also claimed that 50 Afghan and coalition forces were killed during the last 10 days of fighting in the Laghman province. The spokesman went on to say that 15 coalition vehicles had been destroyed and 10 coalition weapons had been seized. These claims are not true, officials said. The only other incident that has occurred in Laghman province since Aug. 15 resulted in only one U.S. military member injured.

Finally, the Taliban spokesman claimed that an attack was conducted Aug. 21 on a U.S. patrol in the Lotta area of the Manoogi district in Kunar. The spokesman said that 14 U.S. military members were confirmed dead by Taliban fighters, and that two Taliban fighters were killed and four others were wounded during the attack.

An attack did occur in Pech district, Kunar province on Aug. 19, and coalition forces confirmed that three U.S. military members were killed and three wounded in that incident. The U.S. patrol was actually struck by an improvised explosive device and small-arms fire, officials said.

In operational news, Afghan and coalition forces conducted a pre-dawn raid on a compound housing suspected terrorists yesterday near Paru Kheyl village, in Khowst province. Three suspects were taken into custody. Assorted weapons and ammunition were confiscated in the operation. Weapons included automatic and bolt-action rifles, a shotgun and ammunition-carrying chest racks.

Three other men found in the compound were released after questioning. More than 20 women and children also were located within the facilities.

This operation was to capture a known al Qaeda facilitator. Credible intelligence linked the targeted individual to suspected terrorist activities and attacks against Afghan and coalition forces in Khowst province, officials said. The coalition is assessing information taken from the raid and determining the level of involvement of the three suspected terrorists taken into custody.

Elsewhere, several rockets fired by Taliban extremists struck a nomad encampment, injuring two civilians in Gardez on Aug. 21. Coalition medical personnel are treating the injured. Their condition is not known, officials said.

(Compiled from Combined Forces Command Afghanistan news releases.)