Threat Matrix: February 2007

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[nwctwx]

How al-Qaida Fared in 2006
-Full Story-

In 2006, agents of al-Qaida, as well as those inspired by its ideology, continued their attacks. Violence in Iraq intensified, and Afghanistan saw its bloodiest year since 2001.

Despite worsening chaos on those fronts, counterterrorist forces arrested and killed high-profile terrorists and kept the West free from attack. But these actions don't appear to have weakened the appeal of al-Qaida's agenda. "Home-grown" militants around the world joined its jihad, as regional fighting heightened perceptions of a global war on Islam.

Here's an assessment of some of the most significant gains and losses for al-Qaida last year: Read more..

	Azzam the American: The Making of an al Qaida Homegrown
	Islamic Cells of Revenge Joins the al Qaida Movement
	Most Dangerous Destinations 2007

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[Cindy]

http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp250.htm

February 7, 2007
HP-250

"Testimony of Treasury Assistant Secretary Clay Lowery
before the House Financial Services Committee"

Washington, DC

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=syria
http://www.memri.org/syria.html


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

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


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Note: The following news brief is a quote:


http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3362396,00.html

Assad: Syria firm in its support for Hizbullah, Hamas

Published: 02.08.07, 01:15 / Israel News

Syrian President Bashar Assad vowed to keep supporting Hizbullah and Hamas despite US pressure on Syria to stop backing the groups, Baath Party members familiar with a speech the Syrian leader gave on Wednesday said.

"The president was clear that Syria's support for the two movements will continue and that their resistance to regain occupied land was a legitimate right," Baath Party member Mostafa al-Meqdad said. (Reuters)

[Cindy]

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&tab=wn&q=Bishop+%2B+explosives&btnG=Search


Thanks to a Special Emailer for the ping to this article:

http://www.stratfor.com/products/premium/read_article.php?id=284034
STRATFOR.com: "'THE BISHOP'S' ESCALATING TACTICS"
(February 7, 2007, 20:40 GMT)

[Cindy]

UPDATE:

http://www.kansascity.com

http://www.kansascity.com/mld/kansascity/16645161.htm

"Chemical plant explosion rocks east Kansas City"
From The Star’s staff
February 7, 2007


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http://www.firefightingnews.com/article-US.cfm?articleID=25640

"Chemical Plant Explosion Rocks Kansas City"
February 7, 2007

Missouri

[Cindy]

http://www.airportbusiness.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=5&id=10200

Updated: February 7th, 2007 12:25 PM EDT
Home > Airline and Airport Security News
"Drug Overdose May Have Triggered Emergency Stop"

The Associated Press

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The plane was carrying 280 people from Cancun to Birmingham when it made an emergency stop at Lajes airport late Tuesday, Lisbon radio station TSF said. It did not name the airline.

Leonor Bettencourt, director of the Santo Espirito Hospital in Angra do Heroismo, near the airport, told TSF the 23-year-old woman was dead on arrival.

Bettencourt told cable news channel SIC-Noticias that a 21-year-old man was in intensive care after undergoing surgery at the hospital. He had been carrying cocaine in his stomach, she said."

[Cindy]

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=104&sid=1056570

"Johns Hopkins Worker, Patient Data Lost"
Feb 7th - 10:42pm


By ALEX DOMINGUEZ Associated Press Writer
BALTIMORE (AP) -

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Backup tapes containing personal data on more than 135,000 Johns Hopkins patients, employees and retirees were lost by a contractor but are believed to have been destroyed, the hospital and university said Wednesday.


The missing tapes contained Social Security numbers and, in some cases, bank account information for current and former employees of Johns Hopkins University.


One tape contained the names, birth dates, mother's maiden names and other information for 83,000 Johns Hopkins Hospital patients, but no Social Security numbers, addresses or medical or financial information, according to an e-mail alert sent to patients by the university and the hospital.


"We regret this occurrence and emphasize that the best evidence to date is that the tape was not stolen, nor was any information on it misused," the alert to patients said.


Letters are also being sent to all affected Johns Hopkins University employees, current and former, and to all affected Johns Hopkins Hospital patients, except for the relatively few for whom addresses are not available, the statement said."

[Cindy]

Off Topic:

http://www.9news.com/news/article.aspx?storyid=64471

"Avoiding Computer Vision Syndrome"

posted by: Jeffrey Wolf , Web Producer
written by: Bazi Kanani , 9NEWS Anchor/Reporter
created: 2/7/2007 9:41:53 PM
Last updated: 2/7/2007 10:36:07 PM

[Cindy]

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

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

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1781169/posts


Mexico: 1 Ton of Cocaine Seized, Port of Origin Venezuela
V Crisis ^ | 02/07/2007 | Aleksander Boyd

Posted on 02/07/2007 10:46:37 PM PST by Dallas59

Mexico: 1 ton of cocaine seized, port of origin Venezuela By Aleksander Boyd

London 07.02.07 | It seems that the ever so efficient Venezuela Connection keeps sending thousands of kilograms of cocaine to airports and ports all around the world. Nearly a year ago, on April 11 2006, Mexican authorities seized 5.5 tonnes of high purity cocaine in Ciudad del Carmen's airport. Today Mexican daily El Universal reports that nearly a ton of cocaine was seized aboard a plane arriving from Venezuela in Mexico City's International Airport: 25 pieces of luggage -from flight 374 of Mexicana de Aviacion- were detected containing the drugs.

But this is not the first instance where drugs coming from Venezuela -in that very flight- have been seized in Mexico City's airport. The daily reports that in the last three years 7 seizures of considerable importance have been made, the largest being that of 16 September 2003 when 407 kilograms of cocaine and heroine were seized and a Venezuelan citizen -José Luis Santiago Rivero- was arrested.

Curiously enough Foreign Secretary Nicolas Maduro said today that Venezuela does not need US aid to combat drug trafficking activities "Venezuela refuses to be blackmailed with these funds that they (USA) try to use to penetrate and subjugate our nations to their decisions" stated Maduro.

Maduro ensured that Venezuela is a sovereign nation and anti-drug trafficking activities will continue, however he emphasized that the drug produce has one final destination "the millions of drug addicts in the USA, product of a depredating capitalism" (sic).

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1779026/posts


"Hugo Chavez Lashes Out and Insults Mexico and Felipe Calderon"
Mexico News ^ | February 2, 2007 | Mexico News Staff Article

Posted on 02/04/2007 7:00:07 AM PST by StJacques

[Cindy]

PERSECUTION.ORG
http://www.persecution.org

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http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54150

FAITH UNDER FIRE
"Men jailed for being on public sidewalk
Gideons arrested after school officials complain they were handing out Bibles"
Posted: February 8, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern
© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com


ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Two men who are members of Gideons International, the Christian organization that is famous for, among other ministries, placing Bibles in motels and giving them to children, have been arrested after trying to hand out Bibles on a public sidewalk in Florida, according to a law firm.

Officials with the Alliance Defense Fund have confirmed they will be representing Anthony Mirto and Ernest Simpson, who were arrested, booked into jail and charged with trespassing.

Jeremy Tedesco, one of the ADF's lawyers on the case, confirmed to WND that the organization's clients were on a public sidewalk when they were handing out Bibles and school officials summoned police.

(Story continues below)



"The First Amendment protects the right to engage in religious speech on a public sidewalk," ADF Senior Legal Counsel David Cortman said. "Members of the Gideons have been highly respected for decades as peaceful providers of free Bibles to those who want them."


The arrest happened Jan. 19, when Mirto and Simpson were on the sidewalk outside of Key Largo School in Key Largo, Fla., and were distributing copies of the Bible to those interested.


"Neither man entered school grounds," the law firm said. "After the school's principal called police, a Monroe County sheriff's officer asked the men to leave immediately or face trespassing charges. As the men prepared to leave, the officer decided to arrest both individuals."

A hearing is scheduled March 5 in Monroe County Court in the cases, and ADF attorneys are preparing motions to dismiss the charges."

[Cindy]

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

---

https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=63140

you are here: Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report
"Warden Message: Islamabad Airport Attack"
Consular Affairs Bulletins
South / Central Asia - Pakistan
7 Feb 2007

"Related Reports
2 Feb 2007
Pakistan Benchmarking Survey Results
29 Jan 2007
Warden Message: Peshawar Suicide Bomb
26 Jan 2007
Warden Message: Islamabad Marriott Hotel Attack
26 Jan 2007
Warden Message: Pakistan Muharram-Ul-Haram Holiday January 29-30
26 Jan 2007
Islamabad Marriott Hotel Attack
U.S. Embassy Islamabad released the following Warden Message on February 7, 2007:"

WARDEN MESSAGE SNIPPET: "According to Pakistani police and media reports, several armed men attempted to force their way into Islamabad airport late Tuesday night. One of the men was ultimately killed when the grenade he was carrying exploded in the parking lot. The attack was thwarted by Pakistani police and airport security personnel. No U.S. citizens were injured in this attack. The Islamabad airport was closed due to the incident but is now re-opened, with stricter security measures in place.

The Embassy would like to remind the American citizen community of the need to stay alert, be aware of your surroundings, vary times and routes, reduce travel to minimum acceptable levels, act self-defensively at all times, and avoid all demonstration activity. We remind American citizens that threats, protests and demonstrations may occur throughout Pakistan without prior notice or warning.

For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html and the Pakistan Consular Information Sheet http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cis/cis_992.html and Travel Warning can be found. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays). "

[Cindy]

http://www.eluniversal.com.mx/miami/23305.html

"Acapulco attacks kill seven

Two facilities of the Guerrero state attorney general´s office targeted"

- A A A +
Wire services
El Universal
Miércoles 07 de febrero de 2007

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "ACAPULCO - More than a dozen armed assailants staged and videotaped simultaneous attacks against two offices of the state attorney general in Acapulco on Tuesday, killing at least seven people in this Pacific resort plagued by drug violence.

The attacks took place about 15 kilometers (nine miles) north of the tourist zone and left five state police investigators and two secretaries dead, said Enrique Gil Mercado, special prosecutor for the attorney general´s office in Guerrero.

The gunmen were dressed in military uniforms and pretended to be conducting a weapons revision in the offices, said Erit Montufar, director-general of the attorney general´s investigative police offices in Guerrero.

Montafur said an assailant in one office asked: "Are you the only ones here?" And at the other office, a gunmen asked: "Are these all the weapons you have?"

The officers answered "yes" to both questions and handed over their weapons, after which the gunmen opened fire while videotaping both shootings, Montufar said. The attacks took place in Emiliano Zapata and Ciudad del Renacimiento neighborhoods.

About eight gunmen took part in each attack and all escaped, Gil said, adding he did not immediately know how many people were injured."

[Cindy]

UPDATES:

HOT AIR.com - blog: "VIDEO: ANTI-WAR STUDENTS AT UCSC CAUSE CACELLATION OF JOB FAIR" (February 7, 2007, 7:30 PM)

MICHELLE MALKIN.com - blog: "THE LEFT'S DEFINITION OF A 'HERO:' Breaking - Mistrial in Watada Case" (February 7, 2007, 6:14 PM)

[Cindy]

OPINION: Dear President Bush. Please read this. Thank you.

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http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200702/NAT20070208c.html

"GOP Lawmaker Warns of Impeachment in Border Agent Case"
By Kevin Mooney
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
February 08, 2007

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "(CNSNews.com) - Weeks after accusing President Bush of "shameful" behavior over the imprisonment of two Border Patrol agents who shot an unarmed suspected drug smuggler along the U.S.-Mexico border, a federal lawmaker turned up the heat further Wednesday, suggesting the president should be impeached if the two men are killed in prison.

Speaking after the Federal Bureau of Prisons confirmed that agent Ignacio Ramos was assaulted by inmates in his Mississippi prison at the weekend, California Republican Rep. Dana Rohrabacher had a warning for the White House.

"I tell you, Mr. President, if these men -- especially after this assault -- are murdered in prison, or if one of them lose their lives, there's going to be some sort of impeachment talk in Capitol Hill," he said during a press conference in Washington, D.C."

[Cindy]

http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/070207wichita.htm

February 07, 2007

"Two Mexican nationals indicted for holding smuggled aliens for ransom"

[Cindy]

http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
http://www.memri.org/iran.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=iran

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=russia
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http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070207/wl_mideast_afp/iranmilitarydefence_070207142907

"Iran test-fires Russian air defence missiles"
by Farhad Pouladi Wed Feb 7, 9:29 AM ET


ARTICLE SNIPPET: "TEHRAN (AFP) - Iran's elite Revolutionary Guards have successfully test-fired a new Russian-made air defence missile system, whose delivery last month sparked bitter US criticism.

ADVERTISEMENT

The test-firing of the surface-to-air missiles, on the first of two days of war games by the Guards' air force and naval divisions, comes amid mounting tensions with the West over the Iranian nuclear programme.

Iranian state television on Wednesday showed several missiles from the TOR-M1 system being fired in the desert from mobile vehicle launchers and then successfully taking out their targets in the sky.

"We have successfully test-fired the new modern TOR-M1 defence system, within the framework of the Revolutionary Guards defence doctrine based on a military strategy of deterrence," Revolutionary Guards air force commander Hossein Salami was quoted as telling the ISNA news agency.

"The Iranian armed forces have added the new missile system to its defences to consolidate its defence capabilities," he said.

Russia only completed the delivery of the missiles in January. Tehran and Moscow in 2005 signed a contract for the purchase of 29 TOR-M1 missile systems estimated to be worth 700 million dollars (540 million euros)."

[Cindy]

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=26822
"Choppers Down: What to Do"
By Ralph Peters
New York Post | February 8, 2007

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http://billroggio.com/archives/2007/02/alqaedas_antiaircraf.php
BILL ROGGIO.com - THE FOURTH RAIL - blog:
"Al-Qaeda's anti-aircraft squads
Al-Qaeda in Iraq is believed to be operating Strela missile teams, courtesy of Iran"
(February 8, 2007)

[Cindy]

http://news.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2007/02/08/2007020800671.html

---

Thanks to Tiger Likes Rooster for the ping to this thread and the translation.
Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1781205/posts


S. Korea: Trojan Horse Attacks Originating in China - Largest in History
Yonhap (via Chosun Ilbo) ^ | 02/08/07

Posted on 02/08/2007 3:12:05 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster

/begin my excerpt


Trojan Horse Attacks Originating in China: Largest in History


Over 1,000 sites, 92,000 PC's infected


KISA, "Install MS security patches"


Yonhap News


2007.02.08 16:57


Largest Trojan horse attacks in history, originated in China, occurred, which are designed to take over personal accounts at Internet game sites.


Korea Information Security Agency (KISA) announced on Feb. 8 that they detected malware such as Trojan horses infected about 1,000 sites inside and outside S. Korea and shut them down.


A source at KISA said, "We detected that, from late last year to mid-January this year, Trojan horses originating in China were spreading on a large scale via server(s) at an Internet Data Center (IDC,) and shut down the server(s.)"


This incident affected 1,000 routing sites, and the largest in history as a single site dissemination episode.


There were 6,617 incidents of KISA shutting down routing sites for such malware.


The malware in question installs Trojan horses if a user visits the home page of the site and he did not install security patch at his PC. It then transmits overseas user ID and password for Han Game and Maple Story, on-line computer games.


The routing sites involved included many (Internet) game sites. About 620,000 PC's experienced attempted attacks, and about 92,000 sites, 15% of them, were (actually) infected.

/snip


/end my excerpt


TOPICS: Extended News; Foreign Affairs; News/Current Events; Technical; Click to Add Topic
KEYWORDS: CHINA; INTERNETGAME; KOREA; TROJANHORSE; Click to Add Keyword
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1 posted on 02/08/2007 3:12:08 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster
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[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1781212/posts


"Experts Worry N.Korea May Hide Missiles in Cargo Ships(modeled after Soviet R-27)"
Chosun Ilbo ^ | 02/08/07

Posted on 02/08/2007 3:28:22 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster

[Cindy]

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, Thu Feb 08 2007 03:42:06 GMT-0800.

Worldwide Caution

October 11, 2006

[Cindy]

http://www.memri.org/iraq.html
http://www.memri.org/jihad.html

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http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=jihad&ID=SP145607

Special Dispatch Series - No. 1456
February 8, 2007 No.1456

"Islamist Websites Monitor Project No. 61"