Threat Matrix: February 2007

Previous Thread ^

[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]

ON THE NET...

http://www.google.com

http://www.patnadaily.com/news2007/feb/021307/anti_valentines_day_rally.html

"Anti-Valentine's Day Rally in Patna"

Patna: Feb. 13, 2007

---

http://www.ibnlive.com/news/mp-readies-guns-and-roses-for-vday/top/33456-3.html

"MP readies guns and roses for V-Day"
IANS

Posted Tuesday , February 13, 2007 at 18:03
Updated Tuesday , February 13, 2007 at 18:06

[Cindy]

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=26768

"Jihad U"
By Patrick Poole
FrontPageMagazine.com | February 14, 2007

[Cindy]

THE WEEKLY PIRACY REPORT - REPORT SNIPPET - QUOTE:

http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php

Weekly Piracy Report
7 January-13 February 2007

The following is a summary of the daily reports broadcast by the IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre to ships in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions on the SafetyNET service of Inmarsat-C from 7 January to 13 February 2007.

ALERT

Chittagong anchorage, Bangladesh
Forty seven incidents have been reported since 28.01.2006. Pirates are targeting ships preparing to anchor. Ships are advised to take extra precautions.

The 2006 Annual IMB Report on Piracy and Armed Attacks against Ships is now published. Please see the end of this page to order.

Suspicious crafts

None reported
Recently reported incidents

08.02.2007 2130 LT in position 02:00.44N - 045:20.7E, 1.5nm off Mogadishu, Somalia.
Five pirates armed with guns attempted to board a product tanker at anchor. Master raised alarm, crew mustered and activated fire hoses. Pirates fired upon the ship and escaped. Master contacted port control and agent for assistance. Four port security gun men with tug came and searched the area at 2245 LT and then boarded the ship. One bullet hit near the starboard navigation light. No injuries to crew.

08.02.2007 1950 LT in position 05:23.4N - 005:11.7E, vicinity of Forcados River, Nigeria.
Five heavily armed pirates in a speed boat boarded a tug underway. They ordered master to drop anchor and forced all crewmembers and supernumeraries to the bridge. Pirates smashed master's head with a bottle. Then, they ransacked crew members’ cabins and took all personal belongings of crew, vessel's property and escaped at 0130 LT. Vessel’s calls for assistance from ashore was ignored by authorities.

06.01.2007 0107 LT at Boma Anchorage, Congo River, Democratic Republic of Congo.
Robbers boarded a container ship waiting for berth at Matadi. Alert crew noticed the robbers, raised alarm and tried to obstruct them but failed. Robbers jumped overboard and escaped with two drums of lub oil in a canoe. Master sent distress alarm by VHF but no response from port authorities.

[Cindy]

UPDATE:

https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=63462

you are here: Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report
"Warden Message: Embassy Guinea Dependents Ordered Departure"
Consular Affairs Bulletins
Sub-Saharan Africa - Guinea
13 Feb 2007

[Cindy]

http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/070212sanjuan.htm

February 12, 2007

"800 pounds of cocaine and 55 pounds of heroin with a street value of $8 million seized in multi-agency effort in Puerto Rico
Eight-member Colombian crew arrested"
SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico

[Cindy]

http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07020082.htm


Tuesday, February 13, 2007

"Make Way Partners Seeks Aid For Meningitis as Severe Outbreak Ravages Southern Sudan"

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA / AWEIL COUNTY, SUDAN

[Cindy]

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

[Cindy]

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/cricket_world_cup/cricket_world_cup_3119.html

"Cricket World Cup Fact Sheet"

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

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, Wed Feb 14 2007 03:29:41 GMT-0800.

Worldwide Caution

October 11, 2006


This Public Announcement updates information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against Americans and interests overseas. This supersedes the Worldwide Caution dated June 6, 2006 and expires on April 9, 2007.

The Department of State remains concerned about the continued threat of terrorist attacks, demonstrations and other violent actions against U.S. citizens and interests overseas. Current information suggests that al-Qa’ida and affiliated organizations continue to plan terrorist attacks against U.S. interests in multiple regions, including Europe, Asia, Africa and the Middle East. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics to include assassinations, kidnappings, hijackings and bombings.

Ongoing events in Iraq and elsewhere in the Middle East have resulted in demonstrations and associated violence in several countries. Americans are reminded that demonstrations and rioting can occur with little or no warning.

In August 2006, British authorities arrested a significant number of extremists engaged in a plot to destroy multiple passenger aircraft flying from the United Kingdom to the United States. The September 2006 attack on the U.S. Embassy in Syria and the March 2006 bombing near the U.S. Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, illustrate the continuing desire of extremists to strike American targets.

Extremists may elect to use conventional or non-conventional weapons, and target both official and private interests. A series of bombings in Thailand in May and September 2006 which targeted tourist destinations, the bombings in the Egyptian resort town of Dahab in April 2006, the bombings at a market in Palu, Indonesia in December 2005, the hotel bombings in Jordan in early November 2005 and the bombing of a crowded marketplace in New Delhi in October 2005 illustrate how terrorists exploit vulnerabilities associated with soft targets. Additional examples of such targets include high-profile sporting events, residential areas, business offices, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, public areas and locales where Americans gather in large numbers, including during holidays. Financial or economic targets of value may also be considered as possible venues; the failed attack on the Abqaiq oil processing facility in Saudi Arabia in late February 2006 is one such example.

In the wake of the August 2006 plot against aircraft in London, numerous terrorist attacks on trains in India in 2006, the July 2005 London Underground bombings, and the March 2004 train attacks in Madrid, Americans are reminded of the potential for terrorists to attack public transportation systems. In addition, extremists may also select aviation and maritime services as possible targets.

U.S. citizens are strongly encouraged to maintain a high level of vigilance, be aware of local events, and take the appropriate steps to bolster their personal security. For additional information, please refer to “A Safe Trip Abroad” found at http://travel.state.gov.

U.S. Government facilities worldwide remain at a heightened state of alert. These facilities may temporarily close or periodically suspend public services to assess their security posture. In those instances, U.S. embassies and consulates will make every effort to provide emergency services to U.S. citizens. Americans abroad are urged to monitor the local news and maintain contact with the nearest U.S. embassy or consulate.

As the Department continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its Consular Information Program documents, available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

[freeperfromnj]

French police round up 9 terror suspects

2/14/2007, 5:31 a.m. ET
By JEAN-PIERRE VERGES
The Associated Press

PARIS (AP) — French counterterrorism police arrested 11 suspects as part of efforts aimed at dismantling an alleged al-Qaida-linked recruiting network to send radical Islamic fighters to Iraq, police officials said Wednesday.

Nine suspects were detained in and near the southern city of Toulouse before dawn Wednesday, following the arrest of two others at Orly airport in Paris who had just been sent home by Syrian authorities, police said.

Two of the suspects, mostly aged in their 20s, had sought to enter Iraq through neighboring Syria, but were detained by police there and remanded into French custody, police said. An investigation was continuing......

http://www.nj.com/newsflash/war/index.ssf?/base/international-21/1171446065122630.xml&storylist=njterror

[freeperfromnj]

Saudi Qaeda group wants world U.S. oil sources hit

Feb 14, 2007 — DUBAI (Reuters) - A Saudi wing of al Qaeda called for attacks on U.S. oil sources across the world, saying targets should not be limited to the Middle East and listing Canada, Venezuela and Mexico as U.S. oil suppliers.....

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2875027

[freeperfromnj]

French Judge Warns of Terror Threat

French Anti-Terrorism Judge Says Radical Islamist Threat in Europe Is Increasing

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER

NEW YORK Feb 14, 2007 (AP)— The risk of terror attacks in Europe is high and is increasing, France's leading anti-terrorism judge said, warning that a recent alliance between al-Qaida and a North African terrorist group poses a grave threat.

The Salafist Group for Call and Combat, known by its French initials GSPC, staged seven nearly simultaneous attacks in Algeria on Tuesday, targeting police in several towns east of Algiers, killing six and injuring around 30, according to officials, police and hospital staff.

Al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa, the new name for the GSPC, claimed responsibility for the strikes.

"The GSPC wants to carry out attacks in Europe, especially in France, Italy and Spain, and destabilize North Africa," Jean-Louis Bruguiere told The Associated Press on Tuesday night in New York.....

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2874965

[Godzilla]

placemark

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=somalia
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1784382/posts

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http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/015248.php
(ABC NEWS)

February 14, 2007
"Ex-Texan Charged With Aiding Terrorists"

===
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http://counterterrorismblog.org/2007/02/american_homegrown_terrorist_s.php
"American 'Homegrown' Terrorist Suspect Confirms Al Qaeda Presence in Somalia"
By Andrew Cochran
(February 14, 2007)

===
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http://www.foxnews.com/projects/pdf/Maldonado_Complaint.pdf
(February 13, 2007)

===
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February 13, 2007

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://houston.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel07/ho021307.htm


PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICE
(713) 567-9301



U.S. CITIZEN CHARGED WITH TRAINING TO FIGHT JIHAD IN SOMALIA

(HOUSTON) A United States citizen has been arrested and charged with receiving training from a foreign terrorist organization and conspiring to use an explosive device outside the United States, Don DeGabrielle, United States Attorney for the Southern District of Texas; Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for the National Security Division of the Department of Justice; and Joseph Billy, Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Counterterrorism Division, announced today.

Daniel Joseph Maldonado, a.k.a Daniel Aljughaifi, 28, a former Houston resident, was returned to the United States late last evening from Kenya to face the criminal charges pending in this district. Maldonado was captured by the Kenyan military on January 21, 2007, as he fled to avoid Ethiopian and Somalian forces. Expelled by Kenyan officials, Maldonado was turned over to American authorities over the weekend and flown to Houston accompanied by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He appeared before United States Magistrate Judge Calvin Botley this afternoon and has been ordered detained without bond pending a detention hearing set for Tuesday, February 20, at 2:00 p.m.

"Any who seek to aid terrorists in their mission to threaten our national security will be held to account for such serious criminal conduct," said United States Attorney Don DeGabrielle.

"This case represents the first criminal prosecution of an American suspected of joining forces with Islamic extremist fighters in Somalia. The prosecution of Mr. Maldonado demonstrates the scope of our laws and serves as a warning to others who would travel overseas to wage violent jihad," said Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for the Justice Department's National Security Division.

Joseph Billy, Assistant Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation Counterterrorism Division, said, "The FBI is working closely with our law enforcement and intelligence community partners in this country and around the world to bring all necessary resources to bear to protect Americans and its allies from terrorist attacks."

According to allegations in the criminal complaint, Maldonado traveled from Houston, Texas, to Africa in November 2005 and then on to Somalia on or about December 2006 to join the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) and elements of Al Qaeda, to fight "jihad" against the Transitional Federal Government to establishment of an independent Islamic State in Somalia. In the fall of 2006, the ICU used suicide bombers and vehicles containing improvised explosive devices to target the leadership of the Transitional Federal Government of Somalia.

While in Somalia, Maldonado was, according to the complaint, provided an AK-47, equipped with military combat uniforms and boots in Mogadishu, and participated in training camps in Kismaayo and Jilib, Somalia. The camps included physical fitness, firearms, and explosives training all in preparation to go to the front to fight for the ICU. Al Qaeda members were allegedly present at the training camp. During the course of his training, the complaint alleges Maldonado spoke to an individual about his willingness to become a suicide bomber if he was wounded and also observed the making and testing of bombs with the group's bomb-maker.

Conspiring to use a destructive device carries a maximum penalty of any term of years up to life imprisonment upon conviction. Receiving military training from a terrorist organization carries a maximum punishment of 10 years imprisonment upon conviction.

The investigation leading to the filing of criminal charges in this case was conducted by the Joint Terrorism Task Force including special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and officers of the Houston Police Department. The case will be prosecuted by Assistant U. S. Attorney Gary Cobe.

A complaint is an accusation of criminal conduct, not evidence. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until convicted through due process of law.

===
===

Thank you Nick Grace from GLOBAL CRISIS WATCH (http://www.globalcrisiswatch.com ):

QUOTE:

Dr. Abdiweli Ali on Global Crisis Watch, January 8, 2007:
http://www.globalcrisiswatch.com//gcw/gcw_070108.mp3

"There was a call by the ICU for interantional Jihadists to come to Somalia to fight the war and a lot of international Jihadists... heeded that call and among them were some Western nationals. The top echelons of the ICU are, for example, American nationals. The Secretary for Foreign Affairs of the ICU, Ibrahim Hassan Adow, is an American national. The head of the reconstruction for the ICU, engineer Umar Aftoche, is an American national. So it's no secret that there are foreigners in the upper echelons of the ICU."

Global Crisis Watch, January 15, 2007:
http://www.globalcrisiswatch.com//gcw/gcw_070115.mp3

Ismail Hurreh, TFG FM: Some of the people captured - foreigners brought to the vicinity of Kismayo - is about 290. People from all parts of Asia, from the Arabian Peninsula, from Pakistan, from Afghanistan, and from quite a number of other places. There are definitely certain Europeans also being called as prisoners. I know of 5 Scandinavians, I know of 3 Brits, I know of at least 1 Canadian, 1 Swedish. There are many, many Oromos and Eritreans. At least 60 Oromo are now in custody, 30 Eritreans at least are in custody. There are people from the Comorro islands, from Zanzibar. So it becomes very clear that this was an international Jihadist adventure.

Nick Grace: Clearly the scope of the foreign fighters on the ground is massive. Are we talking about Somali-born Westerners or are these white Europeans that have been captured?

Hurreh: These are white Europeans, Asians. For example, of the 290 only 50 are Somalis - whether they are Somalis that have taken residence somewhere else or not. The rest are all foreigners. The majority are Asians but there definitely are Europeans.

===
===

Thank you A. Aaron Weisburd at INTERNET-HAGANAH.com (http://www.internet-haganah.com ) and SOFIR.ORG (http://www.sofir.org ):


http://internet-haganah.com/harchives/005815.html

28 December 2006
"TWITTERING IN THE NAME OF ALLAH"

===
===

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=24435_Texan_Al_Qaeda_Blogger&only

Tuesday, February 13, 2007
"Texan Al Qaeda Blogger"

[Cindy]

THANKS to freeperfromnj for the ping to "French Police Round Up 9 Terror Suspects"
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1777773/posts?page=770#770

---

THANKS to csvset for the ping to this thread and article.

QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1784567/posts


French police in 'terror' swoop
BBC ^ | 14 February 2007 | BBC

Posted on 02/14/2007 4:52:34 AM PST by csvset


The French interior ministry has said it has arrested 11 terror suspects, detaining men in both Paris and south-western France.




Nine are believed to be members of al-Qaeda who helped recruit fighters to take part in Iraq's insurgency.



Two of the men were detained as they arrived at Orly airport, in Paris, late on Tuesday, and the other nine in the Toulouse region on Wednesday.



The nine were reported to have been under surveillance for many months.

"These individuals from the south-west of France are allegedly involved in the organisation of a network that provided jihadists to Iraq," the interior ministry said in a statement.

The two men arrested in Paris were detained after being expelled from Syria where they were trying to cross into Iraq, the AFP news agency said.


===
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Thanks to freeperfromnj for pointing to this article:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1777773/posts?page=772#772

"French Judge Warns of Terror Threat
French Anti-Terrorism Judge Says Radical Islamist Threat in Europe Is Increasing"

By KIRSTEN GRIESHABER

NEW YORK Feb 14, 2007 (AP)


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ON THE NET...


http://osint.internet-haganah.com/archives/000818.html
(YNETNEWS.com)

QUOTE:
February 05, 2007

Spain arrests suspected al Qaeda member

02.05.07, 14:04

Spain said on Monday it had arrested a suspected member of al Qaeda wanted in his native Morocco for being a member of a banned Algerian militant group.

Mbark El Jaafari is alleged to be a member of the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), which led an insurgency in Algeria.

Posted on 05 February 2007 @ 18:12 GMT


===
===

http://osint.internet-haganah.com/archives/000782.html
(http://sfir-arabicsource.blogspot.com/2007/01/4.html )

QUOTE (Minus the graphic)

January 28, 2007

GSPC now AQM

For the record, the GSPC made quite clear that they had signed up with the global jihad back in 2004, when their Emir at the time issued a video statement titled "A word that has to be said". The Emir in question was killed in battle about a month later.

Much more recently, the current GSPC made a big show of officially signing on with al-Qaida, and as though to say they really mean it this time they have dropped their former name

Al-Jamaah al-Salafiyyah lil-Dawah wal-Qital
Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat
and replaced it with a new name which they claim they chose in direct consultation with dear old Osama bin Laden himself


Tanzeem al-Qaida [fi] Bilad al-Maghreb al-Islami
al-Qaida Organization in the land of the Islamic Maghreb
Who wants to be the one to tell OBL that we're going to dispense with the flowery bits and just call his band of thugs AQM (al-Qaida Maghreb)?

You can read the Arabic source here, or download this Word .doc the brothers were kind enough to provide.

Posted on 28 January 2007 @ 19:16 GMT


===
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1782835/posts


"Al-Qaeda 'in plot to attack France'"
Sydney Morning Herald ^ | February 11 2007 | na

Posted on 02/10/2007 10:57:02 PM PST by fishhound

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "FRENCH intelligence has produced a dossier alleging that al-Qaeda plans an attack on the country during forthcoming presidential elections.

The Arabic-language al-Hayat daily newspaper has reported there were "several indications of a plot to copy the Spanish scenario in France", a reference to the explosions that rocked Madrid in March 2004.

The London-based daily quoted mainly "messages posted on internet sites close to al-Qaeda carrying threats against France, accompanied by pictures from the campaigns for the presidential elections", which are slated for April and May.

The newspaper said the eight-page intelligence report took three months to prepare and included contributions from different French intelligence services which identified "four sources of threat".

One came from "Iraqi networks", including returnee volunteers from European countries who had fought with the Iraqi branch of al-Qaeda."

===
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=GLOBALJIHAD
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=gspc
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=alqaeda
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=alqaida

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=France
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=Spain
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=Iraq

[Oorang]

Oilpatch on alert over terror threat (Canada)
Online posting also threatens Venezuela, Mexico
Wednesday, February 14, 2007

Alberta's energy sector is on heightened alert after an al-Qaeda Internet posting called for terrorist strikes against Canadian oil and natural gas facilities to "choke the U.S. economy."

An online message, posted last Thursday by the al-Qaeda Organization in the Arabian Peninsula, declares "we should strike petroleum interests in all areas which supply the United States . . . like Canada," the largest exporter of oil and gas to the U.S.

"The biggest party hurt will be the industrial nations, and on top of them, the United States." The Canadian Security Intelligence Service said Tuesday it was aware of the posting, as is Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness Canada. "Do we think it's a serious threat? I can't get into that," said CSIS spokeswoman Barbara Campion.

Excerpted

http://www.canada.com/calgaryherald/story.html?id=f3c0e2ef-5c07-41ab-b884-aea47a236fb6&k=2970

Holland: Security tighter at Amsterdam airport after threat
02.14.07

Dutch authorities tightened security around Amsterdam's Schiphol airport after receiving a threatening letter, police said on Wednesday. A spokeswoman for the Dutch National Terrorism Task Force did not provide any details on the contents of the letter, only that it contained a "terrorism" threat.

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3365136,00.html

Suicide bombing threat puts Islamabad on red alert

ISLAMABAD, Feb 14 -- Following threats of possible suicide bombing or other terror attacks by a banned militant outfit, security here has been put on red alert, said a report here Wednesday. Police and paramilitary forces have been put on high alert amid threats of suicide bombing or other terror attacks, an intelligence report was quoted saying by local daily The News (TN).

Excerpted

http://www.kuna.net.kw/home/Story.aspx?Language=en&DSNO=952230

[Oorang]

Big thanks Cindy for all those links on the American in cahoots with Al Qaeda.

If you don't mind, just to try and keep them all together, let me add these:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1777773/posts?page=710#710

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1777773/posts?page=715#715

[Oorang]

Islamabad airport attacker identified
2.15.07

ISLAMABAD: An attacker killed in a shootout at Islamabad international airport was identified as member of an outlawed militant outfit.

Intelligence and interior ministry officials told Geo News correspondent Asif Ali Bhatti that the attacker was identified as Hafiz Mohammed Younus and a resident of Dera Ghazi Khan. He was disappeared six months ago from the area. Different teams have been formed to broaden the investigations and search for his other accomplices, sources added.

http://www.geo.tv/geonews/details.asp?id=2153&param=1

Taleban flee battle using children as shields
14 February 2007

KABUL - Taleban fighters used children as human shields to flee heavy fighting this week during an operation by foreign and Afghan forces to clear rebels from around a key hydrolectric dam, NATO said on Wednesday. The Taleban have used human shields before, but never children, local residents say.

The fighting occurred during Operation Kryptonite on Monday, an offensive to clear insurgents from the Kajaki Dam area in southern Helmand province to allow repairs to its power plants and the installation of extra capacity.

“During this action ... Taleban extremists resorted to the use of human shields. Specifically, using local Afghan children to cover as they escaped out of the area,” Colonel Tom Collins, a spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) told reporters in Kabul.

Excerpted

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/subcontinent/2007/February/subcontinent_February527.xml&section=subcontinent&col

[Oorang]

Terror in the Maghreb
Al Qaeda linked groups are spreading from Algeria and Morocco into Tunisia.
02/14/2007

WHILE SOMALIA HAS been grabbing all the headlines, it isn't the only area of Africa that has seen a recent surge in terror activity among al Qaeda linked groups. Jihadists have been making advances in the Maghreb--that part of North Africa composed of Morocco, Algeria, and Tunisia--as well. While Algeria and, more recently, Morocco have been pinpointed as potential terrorist hotbeds, Tunisia was, for a long time, relatively quiet. But on December 23, 2006, and then again on January 3, 2007, Salafi terrorists armed with RPGs engaged hundreds of Tunisian police, army, and secret service in battles which saw anywhere from 12 terrorists and two security forces-official tally--to at least 60 killed according to the French daily Le Parisien. And so, Tunisia has woken up to a grim new reality. Al Qaeda is infiltrating the traditionally quiet and safe European vacation spot.

The surge of activity wasn't entirely out of the blue. As early as January 2006, a loose organization called "Al Qaeda in the Maghreb" had taken shape, formed from a coalition of the Algerian GSPC, the Moroccan GICM (responsible for the Casablanca and Madrid bombings in 2003 and 2004 respectively), and other Tunisian elements.

Excerpted

http://www.weeklystandard.com/Content/Public/Articles/000/000/013/284norib.asp

Madrid Train Bombing Trial Begins

Madrid, 14 Feb. - A total 29 suspects will go on trial Thursday in a high-security courtroom, charged with involvement in the March 2004 train bombings - the deadliest al-Qaeda inspired attacks on European soil, which killed 191 people and injured 1,824. Seven Arab key suspects each face a sentence of some 40,000 years jail if convicted. Under Spanish law, the maximum term any individual can serve is 40 years.

The prosecution has identified six men as the chief plotters behind Spain's worst ever militant attack. Rabei Ousmane Sayed Ahmed, a 35-year old Egyptian - nicknamed "Mohammed the Egyptian" - is charged with 191 murder, 1,824 attempted murders and running a terrorist organisation. He faces 38,356 years in jail.

Sayed Ahmed was arrested on 7 June, 2004 in Italy and was extradited to Spain. Court sources praised the "excellent cooperation" of from the Italian authorities and other countries in the almost three-year long investigation.

The 43-year-old Moroccan, Hassan al-Haski, alias 'Abu Hamza' is also accused of planning the Madrid blasts and faces the same charges and prison sentence. He was arrested on 21 December, 2004, for presumed membership of the al-Qaeda affiliated Moroccan Islamic Combat Group (GICM).

The fourth key accused is Youssef Belhadj, alias "the Afghan". A 30-year-old Moroccan, he also faces 38,356 years in prison. The fourth is one of the suspected bombers, Jamal Zougam, a 33-year-old Moroccan. Arrested on March 19, 2004, Zougam owned a mobile phone shop in Madrid's high-immigrant district Lavapies.

Another alleged bomber is Abdelmajid Bouchar, a 24-year-old Moroccan. Bouchar was arrested in Montenegro on 23 June, 2005, for breaking immigration laws after being found to hold an Iraqi passport and was extradited to Spain three months later. His fingerprints were reportedly found at a Madrid house where the bombs were assembled.

Basel Ghalyoun, a Syrian, who turns 27 on 25 February, is also accused of being a bomber. He is said to have been closely linked to Serhane Ben Abdelmajid Fakhet, one of the seven leading suspects who blew themselves up in an apartment in the Madrid suburb of Leganes three weeks after the bombings.

More than 600 witnesses and 100 forensic experts have been called to give evidence at the trial, which is expected to last five-six months. The three-judge panel will be led by Javier Gomez Bermudez, who also presided over a trial of 24 suspected al-Qaeda members in 2005. A source at Spain's High Court described the upcoming trial as the most complicated case the country has seen.

Nine Spaniards are charged with supplying and delivering explosives to the Islamist cell. Police are still probing the bombings and recently arrested six men for possible links to the three alleged attackers who are on the run. Another main suspect is believed to have been killed in Iraq.

During the hearings, an army of lawyers will provide evidence of how a predominantly Moroccan Islamist cell developed in Spain with the objective of executing an attack to try and force the government to withdraw its troops from Iraq. Close to 100,000 pages of evidence prepared by the state prosecutor details how the Islamists allegedly financed the plot by selling hashish and ecstasy pills and how they made contact with former miners in northern Spain to purchase dynamite for the attacks.

http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=

[Rushmore Rocks]

Thanks for the ping, O.

This country depends on a cheap supply of gas. It is what keeps our economy going and growing. All commerce would suffer or cease without it. In most other countries, people live where they make their living. They can bike or walk to work. Not so in America. Commutes are common and necessary.

I think al-Qaeda has figured out how to hurt us badly. We really need to open up more oil fields and build more refineries..............and fast.