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Locked on 10/01/2006 6:19:30 PM PDT by Lead Moderator, reason:
October thread here: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1711848/posts |
Posted on 09/01/2006 8:57:29 PM PDT by nwctwx
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ON THE NET...
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_3028.html
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Sun Oct 01 2006 15:25:21 GMT-0700.
Mexico
September 15, 2006
---
http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_2100.html
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT
U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Sun Oct 01 2006 15:25:55 GMT-0700.
Mexico (Oaxaca)
August 24, 2006
===
===
Thanks to Little Jeremiah for the ping to this thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1711398/posts
"Mexican Military Conducting Overflights of Oaxaca City--Prelude to Armed Intevention? (Translation)"
El Universal ( Mexico City ) ^ | September 30, 2006 | Jorge Octavio Ochoa ( translated by self )
Posted on 09/30/2006 5:06:24 PM PDT by StJacques
Helicopters Flying Over Oaxacan Encampments
Due to the presence of Navy forces in the airspace of the zone where protestors of the teacher's union and APPO are located, a maximum alert is decreed; warning that a dislocating operation may be carried out tonight
Jorge Octavio Ochoa/Correspondent
El Universal
Oaxaca City, Oaxaca
Saturday 30 September 2006
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===
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1711797/posts
"Mexican Military Movements in Oaxaca Reported -- Is Crackdown on Leftists Imminent? (Translation)"
El Universal ( Mexico City ) ^ | October 1, 2006 | Alberto Lopez ( translated by self )
Posted on 10/01/2006 3:05:44 PM PDT by StJacques
Movement of Naval Troops Reported in Salina Cruz [Oaxaca]
Alberto Lopez
El Universal (Mexico City)
Sunday 1 October 2006
Juchitan, Oaxaca
NOTE: The following text is a quote:
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http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/060929baltimore.htm
September 29, 2006
Six charged in conspiracies to export arms and to provide material support to Tamil Tigers terrorist organization
Surface-to-Air Missiles, Grenade Launchers, Machine Guns, and other weapons involved in plots
BALTIMORE, MD -- Two complaints and an indictment were unsealed today charging six defendants with conspiracy to export arms and munitions, and three of those defendants with the additional crimes of conspiracy to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization and money laundering, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein.
The defendants were arrested in Guam after traveling there to attempt to purchase night vision devices, sniper rifles, submachine guns with suppressors and grenade launchers to be used by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (Tamil Tigers) or customers in Indonesia. Four of the defendants were acting at the direction of senior Tamil Tigers leadership in Sri Lanka.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein said, “The Tamil Tigers relies upon brokers and supporters throughout the world to acquire military weaponry and launder money in its attempt to violently overthrow the elected government of Sri Lanka. They have waged a civil war in Sri Lanka which has cost tens of thousands of lives, and often use suicide bombers. We will not allow any such terrorist organization and its middlemen to use the United States as a source of supply for weapons, technology and financial resources.” Mr. Rosenstein added that the investigation is continuing.
“In today's world, keeping sophisticated U.S. weapons from falling into the hands of terrorists has never been more important. As this case demonstrates, ICE has no tolerance for international arms brokers looking to equip terrorist organizations with Stinger missiles and other advanced American weaponry. Arming a radical organization with more than 200 suicide bombings to its credit jeopardizes the security of the United States and nations around the globe," said Julie L. Myers, Assistant Secretary for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
William D. Chase, Special Agent in Charge of the Baltimore Field Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, said, “I would like to commend all of the Agents and employees of ICE, DCIS and the FBI who worked so diligently on this highly complex investigation. It is a prime example of the results that can be achieved through cooperative law enforcement. After the events of 9/11, the American people expect no less from us. I would also like to thank the U.S. Attorney’s Office for its aggressive pursuit of this case.”
Conspiracy to Export Arms and Provide Material Support to the Tamil Tiger Terrorists; Money Laundering
The 3-count indictment returned on September 19, 2006 charges Haniffa Bin Osman, age 55, a citizen of the Republic of Singapore; Erick Wotulo, age 60, and Haji Subandi, age 69, both citizens of the Republic of Indonesia, with conspiracy to export arms and munitions, conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization and money laundering. A complaint was also filed in the U.S. territory of Guam charging Thirunavukarasu Varatharasa, age 36, a citizen of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka, with being a member of that conspiracy as to the export of arms and munitions (Varatharasa Complaint).
The indictment and Varatharasa Complaint allege that beginning in April 2006, the defendants conspired to export state-of-the-art firearms, machine guns and ammunition, surface to air missiles, night vision goggles and other items to the Tamil Tigers. The defendants acted as brokers between manufacturers of military technology and the Tamil Tigers, requesting price quotes and negotiating the purchases.
Founded in 1976, the Tamil Tigers has advocated the violent overthrow of the Sri Lankan government, employing acts of violence, including suicide bombings, against both civilian and military targets. Approximately 200 such attacks have been attributed to the Tamil Tigers to date. The Tamil Tigers relies heavily upon supporters throughout the world to raise and launder money, acquire intelligence and purchase military use technology. The U.S. Department of State designated the Tamil Tigers as a Foreign Terrorist Organization in1997. As such, the Tamil Tigers cannot legally raise money or procure operational equipment in the United States.
According to the indictment, from March 2004 to April 2006 Subandi made numerous requests on behalf of Tamil Tigers representatives for price quotations and technical specifications of military items, including night vision goggles, special forces weaponry and equipment, communication devices, spare parts for helicopters and military aircraft, sonar technology and unmanned aerial vehicles. On May 3, 2006 Subandi sent undercover ICE agents a list of 53 military weapons, including sniper rifles, machine guns and grenade launchers, that he wished to acquire for the Tamil Tigers.
A couple days later, Subandi advised undercover agents that the Tamil Tigers requested immediate pricing for numerous military equipment and that a high ranking Tamil Tigers representative requested that Subandi and an undercover agent travel to Malaysia to further discuss the arms purchases and arrange payment. On May 6, Subandi identified Osman and Wotulo as Tamil Tigers representatives who were willing to travel to a U.S. territory to meet with undercover agents. Subandi told undercover agents on May 18 that Tamil Tigers representatives in Malaysia sent Osman to Sri Lanka to report the details of the ongoing negotiations to superiors of the Tamil Tigers. On May 24, Subandi reported that Osman requested delivery of sniper rifles, submachine guns with suppressors and grenade launchers in international waters 200 km from Sri Lanka.
The indictment alleges that on May 26, 2006 Wotulo identified himself to undercover agents as a retired Indonesian Marine Corps General and discussed the proposed arms purchases. In June Wotulo advised that he and his associates were preparing a purchase order and that the chief of the Tamil Tigers requested that he and Osman travel to Baltimore to meet with undercover agents. Wotulo submitted a purchase order for nine Munitions List items totaling approximately $3 million, including sniper rifles, submachine guns with suppressors and grenade launchers.
According to the indictment, on June 16, 2006 Osman advised undercover agents that he intended to meet Wotulo in Jakarta, Indonesia to finalize arrangements for a meeting with undercover agents and to make an initial payment for the weaponry. The next day Subandi advised that the Tamil Tigers had accepted price quotes provided by undercover agents. During an initial meeting in Baltimore with undercover agents on July 26, Osman stated that the weapons were for the Tamil Tigers. The next day, Osman discussed the illegality of the arms transfer to the Tamil Tigers, provided navigational coordinates for a delivery in the Indian Ocean, and asked about serial numbers on the weapons in the event they fell into the hands of the Sri Lankan Army. Osman stated that if the first transfer of weapons was successful, the second order could be worth as much as $15 million. Osman also inquired about pricing for unmanned aerial vehicles.
The Varatharasa Complaint alleges that Osman test-fired several of the weapons in Maryland on July 28, 2006. Osman advised that Varatharasa would inspect the weaponry before it would be accepted by the Tamil Tigers.
The indictment and Varatharasa Complaint allege that on August 2 an international wire transfer of $250,000 from a bank in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia was credited to an account maintained by an undercover business in Maryland as a down payment for the weapons purchase invoiced by undercover agents at approximately $900,000. According to Osman, the money was wired from a business controlled by a member of the Tamil Tigers. On August 5, Osman provided undercover agents with passports in the names of Osman and Varatharasa in preparation for their travel to the Northern Mariana Islands and/or Guam to accept delivery of the weapons.
In August, 2006 Osman allegedly requested photos and technical specifications for surface to air missiles to be used against the Sri Lankan Air Force. According to the Varatharasa Complaint, Osman and Varatharasa met with undercover agents in Guam on September 25, 2006 and discussed the weapons, as well as how the weapons would be shipped from Guam and then off-loaded by Tamil Tigers members at a destination in the Indian Ocean. The next day they inspected the machine guns, sniper rifles and ammunition. They agreed to take steps to have additional funds of $450,000 transferred to an undercover bank account as further payment for the weapons.
Conspiracy to Export Arms to Indonesia
According to the complaint filed against Reinhard Rusli, age 34, Helmi Soedirdja, age 33, both citizens of Indonesia, and Subandi, the defendants conspired to ship night vision goggles to customers in Indonesia. The defendants acted as brokers, making inquiries to an undercover business in the United States on behalf of individuals and/or entities in Indonesia to acquire military equipment. In August, 2006 Subandi ordered a monocular night vision device and holographic weapons sight from the undercover business for $2,950. This purchase was intended as a sample for a larger order in the future for the same or similar devices. Subandi sent a wire transfer of $2,950 on August 31, 2006 from an Indonesian bank to a bank in the United States.
According to the complaint, Subandi stated that an individual named “Reinhard” had contacts within the Indonesian military and would help in the transaction. On September 22, 2006 Subandi met with undercover agents in Guam and discussed delivery of the night vision devices. Subandi described Rusli and Soedirdja as his financial partners who were providing the funds for the current transaction as well as future deals. The defendants met with the undercover agents the next day and discussed the delivery. They asked to examine the devices and other night vision equipment. The defendants acknowledged that the proposed transaction was illegal and discussed the safest method to smuggle the devices through the Guam airport. The defendants took possession of the night vision devices on September 24, agreeing to wire transfer additional funds.
Each of the defendants faces a maximum sentence of 5 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy to export arms. Subandi, Osman and Wotulo also face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the conspiracy to provide material support; and 20 years in prison and a $500,000 fine for money laundering. The defendants had their initial appearances today in Guam and will be transferred to federal custody in Maryland.
An indictment is not a finding of guilt. An individual charged by indictment is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty at some later criminal proceedings.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein praised the investigative work performed by the U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Baltimore City Police Department. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant U.S. Attorneys for the District of Maryland James G. Warwick, Christopher Gramiccioni and Assistant U.S. Attorney Marivic P. David for the District of Guam, who are prosecuting the case; and Assistant U.S. Attorney Harvey Eisenberg, Chief of National Security, who is supervising the case.
-- ICE --
Note: The following text is a quote:
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http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/060927sandiego.htm
September 27, 2006
West African man arrested in plot to export weapons to the Ivory Coast
SAN DIEGO - A West African national was arrested here Tuesday by agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Defense Criminal Investigative Service (DCIS) for attempting to illegally export various handguns and high-capacity magazines to the Ivory Coast.
Yssouf Diabate, 40, is expected to make his initial appearance in federal court tomorrow to face one felony count of violating the Arms Export Control Act. The Act requires that anyone seeking to export items on the U.S. Munitions List register with the State Department and apply for and receive a license or other approval for the export of such articles.
The self-employed electronics salesman from New York was taken into custody yesterday afternoon after meeting with an ICE undercover agent at a storage facility in the Oak Park area. There, Diabate paid the agent $13,200 for the weapons and accessories. That money was in addition to a $10,000 down payment the New York man made last month. After taking possession of the items, the defendant concealed them inside two television security monitors and packaged them for shipment. Diabate and the agent then drove to a local UPS store in Kearny Mesa where the suspect paid to ship one of the boxes before agents arrested him in the store's parking lot.
The investigation into Diabate began about three months ago after ICE received a tip from an industry source. During the subsequent probe, the ICE undercover agent negotiated with Diabate by email and telephone, and met with him twice in San Diego.
“In the wrong hands, arms and sensitive technology pose a serious threat to national security,” said Mike Unzueta, special agent in charge for the ICE office of investigations in San Diego. “This case demonstrates the pivotal role ICE plays not only in protecting our country, but in ensuring the safety of other nations as well.”
“The illegal transfer of Department of Defense weapons and technology is one of the top investigative priorities at DCIS,” said Rick Gwin, special agent in charge for the DCIS Western Field Office.
The weapons Diabate purchased and attempted to export are all listed on the United States Munitions List. The cache included 38 handguns manufactured by Glock, Beretta, Smith and Wesson, and Sig-Sauer. In addition to the weapons, Diabate purchased 10 high-capacity magazines, 10 tactical flashlights, and 5 laser sights.
Diabate, who is a legal permanent resident of the United States, immigrated to this country from West Africa in 1995. He currently resides in Brooklyn, New York.
-- ICE --
As best as I can tell at the moment, this is how I understand it:
1) this 6-year old tape was given to the British newspaper by al Qaeda via proven intermediaries with high level contacts with al Qaeda leadership
2) one of the links in this "chain of custody" was the Jazeera reporter mentioned by Mir (Peter Bergen on CNN vouched for this same reporter a couple hours later)
3) Mir seems to say that this al Jazeera reporter was given this exact same tape years ago by KSM, presumably before his arrest in 2003, and perhaps to prove al Qaeda's direct involvement in the planning of 9/11 when all this was still poorly understood in the year or so after 9/11. But the tape was not intended for public release at that time.
4) U.S. authorities themselves have had this tape for some time (maybe since the time of the KSM arrest in 2003) but did not release it.
5) Mir believes that the decision to release the tape right now, over 6 years since it was made, is significant. And the decision to release this comes directly from UBL himself
6) It was released after *6* years (remember UBL mentioning 9/11 six times in the last tape), and the release took place 2 days after a Zawahiri tape where he repeatedly mentions KSM *12* times - - who coincidentally, was the one who first gave the tape to this "widely respected reporter" possibly years ago. And in his last video in late 2004, UBL made the reference to the "wills and testaments" of the victims of 9/11 that "should be researched and studied" (even though the victims had no time to make such recordings . . . but their attackers did).
7) To my knowledge, Mir has never gone on TV after any of the dozens of UBL and Zawahiri tapes since 9/11 and said "this is a signal for an attack"
Botulism cases lead to recall of pasteurized carrot juice
The Gainesville Sun ^ | Oct 1, 2006 | DIANE CHUN
Posted on 10/01/2006 5:48:30 PM EDT by neverdem
Sun staff writer
The Food and Drug Administration is warning consumers not to drink carrot juice from Bolthouse Farms. The warning comes in response to a fourth case of botulism being linked to the brand, produced by Bolthouse Farms of Bakersfield, Calif.
Consumers should discard any 450 milliliter or 1 liter plastic bottles of the carrot juice with a "best if used by" date of Nov. 11 or earlier.
The FDA is also reiterating its advice to consumers to keep carrot juice - including pasteurized carrot juice - refrigerated.
The fourth case of botulism poisoning involves a woman in Florida who is currently suffering from paralysis. The name and location of the victim has not been released.
To date, one link between the illness and those who have become ill appears to be that the juice they drank was not properly refrigerated once it was in the home, which allowed the Clostridium botulinum spores to grow and produce toxin. The FDA is investigating other possible links.
Clostridium botulinum is a bacterium commonly found in soil. Under certain conditions these bacteria can produce a toxin that can result in botulism, a disease that may cause paralysis or death.
Cases of botulism from processed food are extremely rare in the United States.
Symptoms of botulism can include: double-vision, droopy eyelids, altered voice, trouble with speaking or swallowing, and paralysis on both sides of the body that progresses from the neck down, possibly followed by difficulty in breathing.
Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek immediate medical attention.
Diane Chun can be reached at 374-5041 or chund@gvillesun.com
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1711792/posts
Thanks Cindy,
I've been following StJaques' posts about the problems in Mexico. I've felt for quite a while that things could get rather heated rather quickly down there. Just as Syria and Iran are pulling strings in the MidEast, I sense Venezuela, Bolivia and Cuba are trying to do the same in our hemisphere.
At once time, Oaxaca was a wonderful place to visit.
FDA lifts ban on most fresh spinach
Houston Chronicle ^ | Sept. 29, 2006 | LISA LEFF
Posted on 09/30/2006 4:58:29 PM EDT by neverdem
Associated Press
SAN FRANCISCO — The U.S. Food and Drug Administration lifted its two-week-old consumer warning on most fresh spinach Friday, revising the alert to say it now covers only specific brands packaged on certain dates.
The warning now applies only to spinach recalled earlier this month by Natural Selection Foods of San Juan Bautista and four companies that it supplied, said Kevin Reilly, deputy director of prevention services for the California health department.
A week ago, the FDA had said it was safe to eat spinach grown anywhere outside of three Salinas Valley counties, and some stores began restocking. Dr. David Acheson, chief medical officer of the agency's Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition, said Friday that only spinach that had already been recalled shouldn't be eaten.
Other spinach "is as safe as it was before this event," Acheson said.
Natural Selection's recall covered 34 brands it packaged bearing "Best if Used By" dates of Aug. 17 through Oct. 1 _ this Sunday. Reilly said the recall and the expiration dates make it likely the tainted spinach that led to a nationwide E. coli outbreak has mostly worked its way out of the food supply.
River Ranch Fresh Foods of Salinas, Pacific Coast Fruit Co. of Portland, Ore., S.T. Produce of Seattle and RLB Food Distributors of West Caldwell, N.J., recalled products that contained spinach supplied by Natural Selection.
Natural Selection and nine farms that supplied the company with spinach have been the focus of inspectors searching for the source of the E. coli outbreak that has sickened 187 people in 26 states, with one confirmed death. Nine packages of Dole baby spinach, one of the brands Natural Selection bagged, have tested positive for E. coli.
The FDA action came on the same day California growers and produce processors presented preliminary food safety guidelines the agency set as a prerequisite for removing its spinach warning after the E. coli outbreak.
But state health officials told reporters Friday afternoon that the FDA's decision to tell consumers they could resume eating all but a very limited supply of spinach was unrelated to the industry blueprint submitted earlier in the day.
"Our recommendation is that the public should not consume the spinach specifically cited in the recall," Reilly said. "As I've said pretty persistently, there are some concerns about systemic contamination in the Salinas Valley, and it's really critical the farms, the ranchers, implement good agricultural practices routinely and on every farm, every day."
Even as it reassured consumers that it's OK to eat spinach, the FDA once again told California farmers Friday to get serious about fighting E. coli in their fields.
The recent nationwide outbreak is the 20th connected to leafy green vegetables _ lettuce or spinach _ since 1995, half of them linked to farms in central California's Salinas Valley. Investigators don't yet know how the greens linked to the current outbreak became tainted, and may never know for sure, Acheson said.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1711351/posts
I agree with you -- there is a lot going on globally.
I guess it simply boils down to:
"You're either for us or against us."
Oh how awful.
THANK YOU very much for the info, TheLion.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1711792/posts
The Octobe TM will be up in the next hour or so.
Yet another elucidating post. I always look forward to reading your well-reasoned opinions. Thanks.
Your #7 may cause a sleepless night. At least my husband is back "in country". Must leave for the airport soon to pick him up. RR, Jr. returns tomorrow from China. When he is home, perhaps I can exhale............at least 'til the next trips.
Still think I shall hold off a couple of weeks before I buy any fresh spinach. And I won't buy any pre-packaged greens at all. Just don't like them. They seem to taste "off" to me and smell the same. Thankfully, my garden is still producing (no hard frost yet, which is kind of unusual here). My husband and I are both "salad-holics". Sure glad that I don't like carrot juice, though. Wonder if that re-call will affect my V-8?.......which I love.
Black Flag posts here.
http://www.freepowerboards.com/liberty/liberty.html
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