Threat Matrix: October 2006

SP CORRECTED in post no. 360:

Chemical Leak...

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=22850_Suicide_Bomb_Victims_Can_Sue_French_Bank&only
(REUTERS)
New York
"Suicide Bomb Victims Can Sue French Bank"
(October 5, 2006)

ON THE NET...

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

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

===
===

http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/asiapcf/10/05/nkorea.nuclear.bullets.ap/index.html

"Kim rallies troops in rare address"
POSTED: 11:21 p.m. EDT, October 5, 2006

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "SEOUL, South Korea (AP) -- To cheers of "Human bullets and bombs!" North Korean leader Kim Jong Il reportedly rallied with top military commanders in a rare public appearance amid growing concern the communist regime will soon test a nuclear bomb.

The meeting was the reclusive leader's first reported public sighting in three weeks and first since Tuesday when his government shocked the world and alarmed its jittery neighbors by announcing plans to detonate an atomic weapon.

Kim congratulated the battalion commanders and political instructors for "bolstering the Korean People's Army as invincible revolutionary armed forces," the country's official Korean Central News Agency, or KCNA, reported late Thursday.

Kim also urged them to "further strengthen the battalions," KCNA said.

Attendees responded with "stormy cheers of 'hurrah"' and chanted slogans such as "Let's fight at the cost of our lives for the respected Supreme Commander comrade Kim Jong Il," "Human bullets and bombs," and "Devoted defense," KCNA said."

===
===

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1714659/posts

"N. Korea: Kim Jong-il Met Participants at Company Commander/Commissar Conference"
Chosun Ilbo ^ | 10/06/06

Posted on 10/05/2006 8:10:28 PM PDT by TigerLikesRooster

This is where I live. My area has not been evacuated.

Thanks to CallMeJoe for pointing to the CNN article in post no. 363.

Do you have your windows and doors closed?
I haven't checked for an update in about 1/2 hour or so.

Note: The following text is a quote:
---

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=1476

Rumsfeld: North Korea Test Threat Must Be Taken Seriously

By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Oct. 5, 2006 – North Korea is a known weapon proliferator, and there is a danger that the rogue state may sell nuclear technology to non-state entities, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said today.
Rumsfeld spoke during an impromptu Pentagon news conference following meetings with Croatian Defense Minister Berislav Roncevic.

The secretary said the North Korean threat to test nuclear weapons must be taken seriously. He said the North Korean regime has claimed to have nuclear arms since 2003. “We have no way of knowing,” if they have nuclear weapons or not, he said.

The danger to the world is that if the regime does have nuclear arms, it already has demonstrated its willingness to sell the technology to the highest bidder. Non-state actors or terrorist groups are actively seeking weapons of mass destruction. They have no compunction about using those weapons, and they have no hard targets that the civilized world could threaten, Rumsfeld said.

The secretary said diplomacy is still the way ahead in addressing the issue. He said President Bush has pushed the Six-Party Talks – U.S., South Korea, China, Russia, Japan and North Korea – as the way forward.

If North Korea does test a nuclear weapon, then the international community is going to have to examine the situation to understand why the world could not marshal “the cooperation and cohesion to apply leverage to North Korea” to stop the spread of nuclear arms, he said.

The example of North Korea could encourage other states to develop nuclear capabilities, too, he said. It would lower the threshold for these nations.

Do you have your windows and doors closed?

Yes, thank goodness. I hadn't even realized that this was going on until a little while ago.

Ok, well I'll be updating this thread here regarding the situation in your area:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1714687/posts

So, keep checking there.

Turn your radio/tv on and see if they have any local alerts in your area.

I definitely have the tv on now. One of the shelters is near us, so our particular area seems to be okay, for now. This is scary stuff.

OPINION: It's scary, but you have a good head on your shoulders.
If you need to evacuate; do it.
If you don't, keep those doors and windows locked up.
Keep your radio/tv on for updates.

ON THE NET...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hezbollah
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hizballah
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=hizbullah

===
===

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1714726/posts

LEBANON: HEZBOLLAH'S SOLE FEMALE TOP OFFICIAL HAS HARSH WORDS FOR U.S.
AKI ^ | Oct-05-06 | Epr/Aki

Posted on 10/06/2006 12:35:00 AM PDT by Westlander

Beirut, 5 Oct. (AKI) - Rima Fakhry is an oddity given her status as the only female member of Hezbollah's top decision-making body. But when she speaks her words sound very similar to those of her male colleagues in the Lebanese Shiite group's leadership. "Our struggle will continue because the United States will not surrender easily," she said in a recent interview with Adnkronos International (AKI) a her makeshift office in Beirut.

Speaking from her office, a makeshift tent in Beirut's southern al-Dahya al-Janubiyya district....

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

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

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

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&q=%22Omar-Basha%22&btnG=Google+Search&sa=N&tab=wn

http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&q=%22Omar+Basha%22&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d

===
===

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1714634/posts

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/10/06/npc06.xml

"Embassy row Pc married by radical cleric"

By Duncan Gardham and John Steele
(Filed: 06/10/2006)

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Dr el-Katme is the president of the Islamic Medical Association and a member of the Muslim Council of Britain. Bakri said yesterday: "I know the couple because I married them. Alex's father-in-law is also my brother-in-law. He also asked me to give a little talk in front of the family after they got married. To be honest we didn't have a good relationship because of my radical views."

Bakri claims to have performed 1,300 Muslim wedding ceremonies.

Pc Omar-Basha, 24, married his wife, Dania, three years ago when she was 17 and at school. They have a two-year-old son and live in north London. Pc Omar-Basha's father is an electronics engineer."

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=24795

"Time to Speak Out"
By Robert Spencer
FrontPageMagazine.com | October 6, 2006

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "In this era of violent intimidation, it is crucial for the continued life of our free society that we speak out, and do so fearlessly."

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "In the face with violent intimidation, the worst thing anyone can do is acquiesce to being silenced. That would just send the message that violent intimidation works. On the contrary, it is all the more crucial in this politically correct age to stand and forthrightly speak the truth."

Note: The following post is a quote:
---

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1714743/posts

Extremists plan mass Prague murders
YNet ^ | Oct. 6, 2006

Posted on 10/06/2006 2:34:34 AM PDT by Alouette

According to Czech paper, Islamic extremists plot to kidnap, then kill Jews in synagogue in nation's capital

Islamic extremists planned to kidnap dozens of Jews in Prague and hold them hostage before murdering them, the daily Mlada Fronta Dnes reported on Friday.

The Czech Republic's leading newspaper quoted unidentified sources close to intelligence agencies as saying the captives would have been held in a Prague synagogue while the captors made broad demands that they knew could not be fulfilled.

When those demands - which were not specified by the sources - were not met, the extremists would blow up the building, killing all who were inside, the paper added. The paper, which gave other few details, did not say whether any arrests were made and did not specify the identities of the extremists.

On Sept. 23 the government deployed armed guards around dozens of buildings and on the streets in the Czech capital after security services issued a warning that an unspecified attack was imminent.

Prime Minister Mirek Topolanek and government officials have since refused to divulge details of what kind of attack they feared in Prague. "I am not authorized to provide any information in this case," the paper quoted Topolanek as saying.

"Concurrent with the government decision, I only continue to insist that the measures and the extent of information supplied to the public were, and are in proportion to the information obtained (by intelligence officials) and to the threat."

The Czech Republic has a small military unit in Afghanistan and military police instructors in Iraq.

Prague's Old Town is the location for the Jewish Quarter where thousands of tourists -- many of them Jews -- flock to see centuries-old synagogues and graves. The country's once-flourishing Jewish community was decimated during World War Two.

Prague has not been a target of terrorist attacks in the past, although strict security precautions were taken several years ago to protect the downtown headquarters of US Government-funded Radio Free Europe.

Note: The following post is a quote:
---

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1714741/posts

Ashcroft Blasts 9/11 Commission
UPI ^ | 10-5-06 | Shaun Waterman

Posted on 10/06/2006 2:31:47 AM PDT by nancyvideo

Former Attorney General John Ashcroft this week became the only Cabinet-level Bush official to attack the Sept. 11 Commission, writing in his memoirs it "seemed obsessed with trying to lay the blame for the terrorist attacks at the feet of the Bush administration, while virtually absolving the previous administration of responsibility." Ashcroft also writes that the commission's hearings "were not so much about discovering the truth as they were about assessing blame and grandstanding," adding that they "degenerated into show trials."

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

Note: The following text is a quote:
---

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_934.html

Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520

This information is current as of today, Fri Oct 06 2006 03:12:22 GMT-0700.

SUDAN

October 05, 2006

This Travel Warning for Sudan reminds U.S. citizens of the continued threat of terrorism in Sudan and notes restrictions on travel by American citizens outside Khartoum. This supersedes the Travel Warning issued for Sudan on August 31, 2006.

The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens against all travel to Sudan, particularly in the Darfur area where there is a continuing buildup of Government and rebel military forces and where violence has increased significantly, and to remind travelers that the U.S. Government has received indications of terrorist threats aimed at American and Western interests in Sudan. Terrorist actions may include suicide operations, bombings, or kidnappings. U.S. citizens should be aware of the risk of indiscriminate attacks on civilian targets in public places, which include tourist sites and locations where westerners are known to congregate, and commercial operations associated with U.S. or Western interests. As physical security remains high at official facilities, terrorists may turn towards softer targets, such as residential compounds.

Sporadic fighting instigated by militias is often reported in the southern parts of the country. Travel outside of the capital city of Khartoum is potentially dangerous. Threats have been made against foreigners working in the oil industry in Upper Nile state.

As a result of violence and banditry, the United Nations has declared many parts of Darfur “No-Go” areas for UN personnel. Due to the potential for banditry and general lawlessness in rural areas, land travel at night should be avoided.

On October 1, the Government of Sudan announced that the movements of all U.S. citizens visiting Sudan would be restricted to a 25-mile radius of the Republican Palace in Central Khartoum. The Sudanese government has not clarified whether Americans who already possess travel permits will be allowed to go beyond the 25 mile radius. Americans who have valid travel permits and plan to travel outside Khartoum should check with local authorities.

In August, five foreigners, including two Americans, were arrested and detained in Darfur after entering Sudan via the Chadian border town of Bahai without the appropriate documentation. Several of these individuals had solicited and obtained escorts in Chad who allegedly promised to facilitate entry into Sudan but who were ultimately unable to follow through with their commitments. Americans who travel to Sudan despite this travel warning must possess a valid passport with at least six months of validity and a Sudanese visa. Travelers must apply for a visa in their own country of residence. The Sudanese Government requires that anyone seeking to enter the Darfur area, or to take photographs or perform other journalistic functions anywhere in Sudan, must obtain a special permit. This includes journalists, photographers, and other press/media employees. Additional information about entry requirements for Sudan and other countries is located on the State Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs web site at http://travel.state.gov.

Failure to possess the appropriate travel documents and permits can result in the traveler’s arrest and detention for multiple crimes, including illegal entry, publication of false information, and espionage. If convicted, sentences range from deportation to life in prison or the death penalty.

U.S. citizens who travel to Sudan despite this Travel Warning are strongly urged to register with the Embassy in Khartoum or through the State Department’s Travel Registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency. The U.S. Embassy is located at Sharia Ali Abdul Latif, Khartoum; tel. (249-183) 774-701/2/3 (outside Sudan); tel. (0183) 774-701/2/3 inside Sudan. For after-hours emergencies, please call 249-183-774-705 and leave a message with Post One for the Consular Duty Officer.

U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State’s most recent Consular Information Sheet for Sudan, located on the Department’s Consular Affairs website at http://travel.state.gov. Up-to-date information on safety and security is available toll free at 1-888-407-4747 or at regular toll rates at 1-202-501-4444 for callers outside the U.S. and Canada, from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html
PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Fri Oct 06 2006 03:14:26 GMT-0700.

"Worldwide Caution"
June 06, 2006

The "Youths" are at it again.
---

NOTE: The folloiwng post is a quote:
---

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1714757/posts

Patrols stepped up after violence
BBC ^ | Friday, 6 October 2006

Posted on 10/06/2006 3:27:46 AM PDT by TheWorldsWorstLurker

Police patrols have been on alert after three nights of violence targeted a Berkshire dairy owned by Muslims. The Medina Dairy in Windsor was hit by a suspected petrol bomb on Wednesday evening, on the third night of unrest.

Police increased their patrols in the Dedworth area, but said there had been no incidents of violence on Thursday night and no further arrests.

Three people were arrested on Tuesday and one was later charged with being in possession of an offensive weapon.

Police had said they would use "robust policing tactics" to bring the situation under control.

'Verbal dispute'

Police have said another two petrol bombs were found near the dairy.

The disorder started on Monday evening following what is believed to have been a minor verbal dispute between a group of youths and another person.

The former Express dairy is now owned by Muslim owners who run a 24-hour operation and have proposed plans for an Islamic religious centre on the site.

On Tuesday night, large groups of people gathered in the area and police arrested two 16-year-old boys and a 23-year-old man.

One of the 16-year-olds was later charged.

All very interesting articles. China being able to block our satellites is troubling. It really appears we are falling behind them on everything.

I'm still wondering why the airline threat color code is still high or orange!!