World Terrorism: News, History and Research Of A Changing World #7 Security Watch

No one to counter Chavez In a region where the leading ideology is Bolivarianism, there is not one leader positioned to offer a better idea for a brighter future.

For over two decades, the prevailing ideology in Latin America was neo-liberalism, a Washington-born idea that claimed the power of open markets would lift the region’s poor from misery. It did not, and corruption ran rampant.

While democracy still remains strong, resentful voters ushered in a new generation of neo-populist leaders touting a new idea: a form of socialism, called Bolivarianism, that has slowly but surely become the loudest and most prevalent ideology.

Bolivarianism is anti-capitalist, supports nationalization, regional trade with like-minded countries and above all, suggests that a country should rely on itself or fellow socialist states, not imperialist powers, as a source of the economic growth that will lift all from poverty. It is a sort of refurbished socialism that is not a guiding light for the future.

Latin America cannot readily absorb the economic shock of open markets, nor can it get bogged down in the trappings of old socialist ideas. A blended ideology must be promoted, but the problem is that no one is strong enough to counter Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, the leader of Bolivarianism.

Chavez calls it Socialism for the 21st Century. Cuba's Fidel Castro passed him the torch. Leaders around the region pay homage to their own past as socialist upstarts through hugging and laughing with Chavez on the international stage while taking care of often pro-capitalist, neo-liberal business at home.

Brazilian President Luis Inacio “Lula” da Silva is a perfect example. He has the leftist background and eye for fiscal conservatism to become a great ideological counterweight to Chavez. His politics represent an ideal blend for the region. But his politically weak position at home and strong voices from his own left deter any would be shouting match with Chavez.

Within a week after winning his second term in office, Lula visited Chavez for a photo opportunity on a bridge linking both countries. That was in November, and it looks like Lula’s administration will remain bogged down until March as he struggles to get past his party’s sordid past and form a working cabinet willing to share the same table.

Argentina of the past could have been a counter weight to the Bolivarian ideology. But since Nestor Kirchner has come to power, Argentina has become a Venezuelan puppet.

Chavez has literally bought the support of his southern neighbor with over US$3 billion in purchases of Argentine debt. The most recent purchase occurred on 16 February, when Venezuela dumped another US$750 million into Argentine government coffers.

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has the politics to promote an ideological battle with Chavez. Colombia has been a model of economic growth through a mixture of neo-liberal policies and social programs. But Uribe has serious problems.

Political allies are falling like dominos due to links with former paramilitary leaders. And if Uribe took the time to speak out for neo-liberalism and against Chavez, he would be dismissed as another of Washington's puppets. Colombia is a top recipient of US aid.

The only other leader who could take up an ideological fight with Chavez is Mexican President Felipe Calderon. He has the right politics and his country has a history of not blindly supporting the US. Voting against the US invasion of Iraq at the UN is a clear indication. But Calderon won on the thinnest possible mandate. His opposition controls enough seats in the Mexican Congress to block any unwanted initiative, and his focus is on Mexican organized crime, not on verbal sword play with Chavez.

Finally, the US has launched a diplomatic offensive in the region. This is to be a year of engagement, but the US president is clearly obsessed with the war in Iraq, not with putting a muzzle on Venezuela’s leader for the sake of the region’s future. Washington is doubly discredited, first for promoting an ideology that clearly did not work, and second for doing nothing about it.

Latin America needs an independent leader willing to stand up to Chavez, but that leader does not exist on the region’s geopolitical map. Bolivarianism will continue to seep into the minds and hearts of millions across Latin America. Chavez and his pool of allies will control the headlines until the next round of presidential elections tell the world how the region has embraced this new ideology.

As Chavez puts it, Socialism for the 21st Century is just getting started. If that is true, then he will continue to trumpet his ideology until Latin Americans learn, the hard way, that Bolivarianism did not carry them much farther from poverty than neo-liberalism. Disillusionment with reality may then spread faster than hope for the future.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Sam Logan is an investigative journalist who has reported on security, energy, politics, economics, organized crime, terrorism and black markets in Latin America since 1999. He is a senior writer for ISN Security Watch based in Brazil.

The views and opinions expressed herein are those of the author only, not the International Relations and Security Network (ISN).

http://news.monstersandcritics.com/europe/news/article_1286688.php/Poland_Estonia_back_Ukraines_pro-Western_course

Poland, Estonia back Ukraine’s pro-Western course
Apr 3, 2007, 19:59 GMT

Warsaw - The presidents of Poland and Estonia on Tuesday voiced support
for pro-Western factions in the Ukraine, one day after Ukraine’s
president sparked a constitutional crisis by dissolving his country’s
pro-Russian parliament.

‘We want Ukraine to become part of the Western club,’ Estonian
President
Toomas Hendrik Ilves said after Tuesday evening talks with Polish
President Lech Kaczynski in Warsaw.

Ukrainian President Viktor Yushchenko, a pro-Europe politician who
supports market reforms, dismissed parliament Monday citing alleged
constitutional violations in forming the ruling coalition, and called
for early elections.

Prime Minister Viktor Yanukovich, the leader of a parliamentary
majority
that supports close relations with Russia and government support for
big
business, has denounced Yushchenko’s order as illegal.

Poland and Ukraine recently vowed to push ahead with an Odessa-Gdansk
pipeline project designed to pump Caspian crude oil via Ukraine to
Poland and further to western EU states.

The new pipeline is aimed at easing the EU’s heavy reliance on Russian
fuel supplies.

Energy policy figured high on the agenda of the Estonian president, who
began a two-day visit to Poland Tuesday.

The presidents of the two EU nations also discussed plans involving
Poland and all three Baltic states to build a new nuclear power station
at the site of Lithuania’s Ignalina reactor. The Soviet-era facility is
being phased out as part of Lithuania’s EU accession agreement.

Poland and Lithuania have also forged plans to hook-up their electrical
power grids in order to plug all three Baltic EU states into the bloc’s
larger electrical power network.

Speaking earlier in Warsaw at a public lecture, Ilves insisted the lack
of a joint energy policy posed the greatest threat to the security of
the 27-member European Union.

The three Baltic states and Poland have voiced strong objections to a
Russian-German project to build a natural gas pipeline across the
Baltic
Sea floor, thus bypassing all four EU states.

They allege the pipeline pumping Russian fuel directly to Germany will
pose a threat to their energy security and have criticized EU partner
Germany for failing to make the decision in consultation with the EU.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2007/04/03/europe/EU-GEN-Spain-Basque-Party.php

Spanish prosecutors file lawsuit against new Basque party
Published: April 3, 2007

MADRID, Spain: Spanish prosecutors filed a lawsuit Tuesday against a
new
Basque party, calling it a successor of Batasuna â€” already banned for
links to armed separatist group ETA.

The new party, Abertzale Sozialisten Batasuna, or ASB, contains several
elements indicating it is a continuation of Batasuna, which was made
illegal in 2003, Attorney General Candido Conde-Pumpido said after
prosecutors filed the lawsuit with the Supreme Court.

The new group, whose name stands for Patriotic Socialist Union, had
been
registered by members of Batasuna last week in the hope that it could
field candidates for municipal elections on May 27.

“ASB is a succession or continuation of Batasuna,” Conde-Pumpido said.
He said people behind the new party have links with ETA and Batasuna.
He
also highlighted the use of the word “Batasuna” in its name.

He said that while the case is being studied at the court, the party
cannot be officially registered.

Pernando Barrena, a leader of Batasuna, said the pro-independence
movement expects the new party to be banned and will skirt this by
fielding independent candidates that share Batasuna’s goals but not its
name. He called the prosecutors’ drive “political suffocation.”

Batasuna was banned under a specially drawn up law that insists all
parties must denounce violence, something it has so far refused to do
in
relation to ETA’s campaign for Basque independence, which has claimed
more than 800 lives since the late 1960s.

ETA broke a nine-month cease-fire with a bombing on Dec. 30 that killed
two people, derailing a nascent peace process.

Batasuna leader Arnaldo Otegi claimed last week that banning the new
party would be a “major attack against democratic liberties.” He said
the new party was fully within the law.

In its registration documents, the party stated its aims were to
achieve
independence and socialism by “exclusively democratic political means,”
but made no explicit condemnation of violence.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_id=10&categ_id=2&article_id=81148

Germany condemns Iraq hostage video
Wednesday, April 04, 2007

BERLIN: Germany on Tuesday condemned a video showing a German woman
hostage and her son pleading for help as their Iraqi kidnappers
threatened to execute them unless Berlin withdraws its troops from
Afghanistan. Hannelore Krause, 61, and her 20-year-old son Sinan were
sobbing and visibly distraught in the video picked up by the US-based
SITE Institute which monitors Islamist Web sites.

Their captors extended by 10 days the deadline for Germany to withdraw
its troops from Afghanistan or see the hostages executed, although the
exact date of the new deadline was not immediately clear.

“It is really very difficult to watch how these people are humiliated
on
video,” Foreign Ministry spokesman Martin Jaeger told a press briefing.

He said ministry staff had studied the video overnight.

“Many of us did not sleep much last night. We will be meeting with the
ministry’s crisis team this afternoon to give our interpretation of the
video and try to draw final conclusions about it,” Jaeger said.

Krause, who is married to an Iraqi doctor, and her son were seized on
February 6 in Baghdad where they have lived for several years.

“I beg you, help me ... I’m so afraid and we only have a few days
left,”
Krause wailed in the video, crying as she and her son sat in front of a
green wall rug in the video that SITE said was posted on the Al-Hesbah
Internet forum.
http://www.dailystar.com.lb

“I’m completely at the end of my rope. I’m a complete mess,” said
Krause, wearing a headscarf and black robes.

Apparently addressing her husband, Krause bawled: “You know that I
would
so much love to come home. I miss you so much. Please find some way [to
help].” SITE said the five-minute and 27-second video was produced by
an
Iraqi group called “Kataeb Siham al-Haqq” (Righteous Arrows Battalions)
that had threatened on March 10 to kill the Germans.

The group is seeking the withdrawal of German and Austrian forces from
Afghanistan. SITE said the video extended the ultimatum for the
withdrawal by 10 days. Germany has nearly 3,000 troops in Afghanistan
and Austria has a token contingent of around five officers.

Krause warned in the video that a failure to comply with her captors’
demands would have consequences for both countries and her and her son.

A first deadline for the pair’s execution came and went on March 20
with
the German government unable to contact the kidnappers, German
television reported at the time.

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1173879238727&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Apr. 3, 2007 22:47 | Updated Apr. 3, 2007 22:48
Sarkozy wants French Islam ‘cut off’ from foreign influences

French presidential front-runner Nicolas Sarkozy has backed off his
push
to modify French law to allow state support for mosques, but said in an
interview released Tuesday he wants to keep France’s Islam “cut off
from
foreign influences.”

Sarkozy, of Jacques Chirac’s ruling conservative party, has upset many
in fiercely secular France by questioning the 1905 law separating
church
and state. He suggested it be modified to allow public financing of
places of worship, specifically mosques, to better integrate largely
Catholic France’s estimated 5 million Muslims.

But in an interview in the Catholic daily La Croix, Sarkozy said the
law
was too much of a “monument” to change hastily.

“I’ll pursue discussions with all religions,” he said. “Before touching
(the law), one must be very careful.”

Still, he said he still wants to “cut off France’s Islam from foreign
influence, whether it is financing of places of worship or training of
imams.”

While many of France’s Catholic churches stand nearly empty on Sundays,
Muslims often carry out religious observances in basements of housing
projects or on pavements outside cramped mosques.

In a 2005 book, Sarkozy said extremism is festering in underground
mosques and Islamic groups do not have money to build houses of
worship.
While stopping short of calling for direct state funding for building
mosques, Sarkozy has called for government support for the construction
of parking lots, cultural centers and annexes to Muslim prayer halls as
a way to encourage the building of more mosques.

France’s relations with its Muslims - particularly those in poor
immigrant communities like those that exploded in riots in 2005 - are a
sensitive and key issue in the campaign for elections starting April
22.
Polls show Sarkozy in the lead of the close and volatile race.

http://www.sabcnews.com/africa/southern_africa/0,2172,146571,00.html

Diplomat gets death threat in Zimbabwe newspaper

A British diplomat got a death threat in the Zimbabwean Herald
newspaper
April 04, 2007, 06:30

A columnist in Zimbabwe’s state run Herald newspaper yesterday accused
a
senior British diplomat in Harare of directing an anti-government
“terror and propaganda campaign,” and warned she could end up dead. An
opinion column signed by David Samuriwo charged that Gillian Dare, an
embassy political and media officer, had a large fund to pay Zimbabwean
journalists, academics and opposition politicians to attack Robert
Mugabe, the Zimbabwean president.

Samuriwo, a fierce critic of the Movement for Democratic Change (MDC)
opposition, is a regular contributor to the Herald. Last month he
accused the US embassy of funding a “violent campaign” by the MDC.
“Gillian Dare, the purse holder and financier of the violence being
perpetrated by the MDC, should be aware that by throwing away all
diplomatic etiquette into the dustbin and putting on her combat gear,
she has become a prime target for deportation,” yesterday’s column
said.
Samuriwo said Dare had been labelled a spy by some sections of the
media, and “could one day be caught in cross-fire as she plays night
nurse to arrested MDC hooligans.”

“It will be a pity for her family to welcome her at Heathrow airport in
a body bag, just like some of her colleagues from Iraq and
Afghanistan,”
he added. The British foreign office rejected the accusations and said
the Zimbabwe ambassador in London had been called in to hear “our very
serious concerns”. It said Dare had pursued only legitimate diplomatic
activities. “The sort of direct and aggressive threats made in the
Herald against a member of our staff are shocking and absolutely
unacceptable...We hold the Zimbabwean authorities responsible for
protecting our diplomats,” a spokesperson said.

London denies interfering in Zimbabwe affairs
London has repeatedly rejected government accusations that it is
interfering in Zimbabwean politics and wants to overthrow the
83-year-old president. Last month, Mugabe said Western powers critical
of his crackdown on the opposition could “go hang”. The government
threatened to kick out Western diplomats.

Western nations called for more sanctions against Mugabe after several
opposition figures, including Morgan Tsvangirai, the MDC leader, were
badly beaten after being arrested while trying to attend a March 11
rally which the government says was illegal. Mugabe blames the collapse
of Zimbabwe’s once thriving economy on Western sabotage but foreign
critics say it is the result of chronic mismanagement.

Inflation is now higher than 1 700% and unemployment is over 80%.
Millions of economic refugees have left the country.

Missing American in Iran being “Detained”: The Spying, Antisemitism, or
Counterfeiting Connection?

http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/187259.php

Iranian sources are indicating that an American missing in Iran, Robert
A.
Levinson, isn’t really “missing”, he’s being “detained”. I’m willing to
bet
that he was detained because he is a) American b) has a Jewish sounding
name. Press
http://www.presstv.ir/detail.aspx?id=4832&sectionid=351020101
TV (a pro-regime source) via a hat tip in the comments from Rodger
Morrow:

The truth of the matter is he has been in the hands of Iranian security
forces since the early hours of March 9, and his inability to
communicate
with his family or his company, has raised the alarm about his health,
safety and whereabouts. Speaking to PRESS TV on condition of anonymity
the
sources made clear that aside from the obvious inconvenience, the
person is
being well looked after.....

The sources also said that the matter, though routine, has been
complicated
by the mounting tensions stemming from repeated American threats
against
Iran, actual ongoing covert actions within Iran run by the Americans
and the
particulars of the man’s background with the FBI.....

His visit to Kish was supposed to be a one day affair but drew the
attention
of the security forces because his Iranian national host registered in
the
same hotel room as he did and local police thought they had discovered
some
discrepancy in the Iranians identification papers routinely handed into
the
hotel....

It is a case of ordinary business running into extraordinarily bad
circumstances. It is expected the matter will be over in a few days
time.

It mentions that he was “detained” during a time when U.S. - Iranian
tension
were high and when “ongoing covert actions within Iran run by the
Americans”
were happening. This suggests he was picked up because he was suspected
of
being a spy. But later the Iranians try to explain his detention as
asimple
mix up. But the mix up theory still doesn’t explain why the local
police
were interested in him in the first place, other than the fact that he
was
an American.

But I’m willing to bet that the one thing which led police to suspect
he was
“spy” had nothing to do with his FBI past. How could it? There’s no way
the
Iranians knew this about his former life with the FBI at the time of
his
initial detention. No, being an American was probably enough.

But having the last name of Levinson sealed the deal. Because in Iran,
being
a Jew makes you automatically suspect. Jews in Iran today are forbidden
from
even calling Israeli relatives on the phone.

That is, if there even was a reason for picking him up. Sounds to me
like
this could be yet another case of the Iranians capturing a Westerner
and
then acting as if they are being benevolant by letting him go. The
closest
American might do just fine.

You know: Ignore the gun we’re holding to your head. The fact that we
haven’t pulled the trigger is proof that we’re the good guys.

Seems to be a common theme coming out of the regime these days.

We hope, as the article suggests, that he will be released ASAP.

Brian from Snapped Shot has another
http://www.snappedshot.com/archives/745-Robert-Levinson-Supernote-connection.html
angle on this. He speculates that maybe Levinson was in the
country
working on the connection between the Iranian financing of Hezbollah
through
counterfeit U.S. currency. Interesting theory, I’ve no idea. Most
accounts,
though, suggest he was there in a private capacity.

Let’s also not forget that Levinson is a real man with a real family
that is
worried about his safety and well being. Here he is.

17.jpg http://mypetjawa.mu.nu/archives/17.jpg

His family is worried http://www.kentucky.com/513/story/34085.html

“We miss him and love him very much. We are worried about him and want
him
home safe and sound as soon as possible,” his wife, Christine Levinson,
and
other relatives said in a statement to The Associated Press.

“This has been a very difficult time. In the past 48 hours, as this has
become public, we’ve heard from many of our friends. We are touched and
so
grateful for the support and prayers we’ve received,” the statement
said.

The family asked for privacy “as we do everything possible to bring Bob
home.”

http://nord-ost.org/kniga -pamyati/oftaeva-anna-2.html

Anna Oftayeva

(Written by her friend Rusalina Galeyva.)

Big blue eyes, bright flowing hair… What was she like? Everyone can express it his or her own way.

We were just children, raised in military families far from our native land. She was always my role model, though I am not sure exactly why. Maybe it was because she was older, or always knew how to say something beautifully. Perhaps the reason was that she was the brightest and most successful of students in school, and the dream of every lazybones in the commons. My parents often said: "Study like Anyuta and we'll buy you a dress (or let you go out for the evening, or you too can get to go to China…)"

Yes, I am speaking about the person who is connected with many of my childhood memories. About Anyuta Oftayeva. For some reason we never referred to her in the third person as Anna, or Anya, but only as Anyuta. Why? Perhaps because she really was the favorite of our parents, friends, and teachers.

For some reason whenever I think about my girlfriend, what I remember most of all was how we celebrated the holidays in friendship and happiness. We often went into the kitchen while things were being prepared for the holiday, to see what delights we would soon be treated to. But sometimes, when I went to her apartment, Anyuta would take me into her room and say in a conspiratorial tone: "Mama's making kurnik (tarts), we'll gorge ourselves!"

One can say a lot, since childhood friends, even after a long separation, remain friends forever. Now that she is no more, I know all the same that she is still my friend! After all, despite being carried to different cities because we were military daughters, with all my heart I rejoiced when I found out that Anyuta had moved with her parents to the capital and entered the medical academy, and that she had a loving man.

I remember that moment, when I found out what had happened at 'Nord-Ost'…

Even now my heart constricts and gets excruciatingly painful…

In faraway Ufa, our family knew that we could not give any real help or support to Anyuta's family. We all got on the Internet and, trembling, looked at the monitor, at the lists of all who, on the evil day, had been condemned to this fate. We watched TV simultaneously, and its broadcasts of the latest events in the theater.

Somehow I was not myself, and could not even believe that it all was happening.

There was this feeling of unreality to what was happening. Just one thought whirled inside my head: "No, it cannot be, not her, why?" In my diary I wrote a poem about her:

Dedicated to Anyuta Oftayeva

You will always be with us...

Once again I ask myself:
Why were you there, back then?
To whom can I now bring this demand?
Since no one will ever bring you back, ever.

You were entertaining. I remember, at times,
We laughed at what you revealed to us,
We laughed that you were so skinny,
And at how silly your dreams were.

But we loved you so much, how sad,
That I cannot tell you this,
You left, carried away in the far-off distance,
Far away, far away, and no one can understand:

This fate, or destiny, this demon or God,
That took you from this sinful world,
We do not know, who could ever believe,
That such a thing could happen? But I know that you

Watch me from up in heaven, how I am living now,
I wish that you always knew,
That I never could replace you,
When calamity caught up to your family

But I will help, I will certainly visit them,
We will sit and drain a glass of wine.
Their tears will flow, and mine as well,
Remembering you, your soul, and your eyes.

What is this century?! What is this life?! What is this evil country?!
You died because of brutal fools!
I cannot believe that you are no more,
That your desires, your thoughts, and hopes, are gone.

I will remember you as you were
Back in Zabaikal six years ago.
Your framed picture is forever on my wall
In the bedroom, so that I can feel you looking at me.

Here is another poem, by Maria Mikerova:

Friends never go away alone,
They carry our souls with them.
We light the fires of trembling candles,
While they ask us to be stronger.

Our tears flow like autumn rain,
They fall upon tombstones.
We love them, we hope, we believe, and we wait,
And no one, and nothing, is ever forgotten.

We will not torture our souls -
They have already suffered too much in this world.
Let them melt in the unknown distance,
They remain forever within our hearts.

What awaits us up ahead? No one will know:
If it is happiness, or the churchyard.
How many lives it took away, how much grief it brought
That terrible day at the ill-starred 'Nord-Ost'!

We could not help, we did not save you,
Who will now give us the answer to all of it:
Why are we still alive,
But you are no more?

[a favorite from 2000]

THE GRAY ONE

He sat and watched the sparrows play...around the
feeders there.
His wife had loved those little birds...but now
he didn’t care.
She always kept the feeders full...and birds
would flock around,
And squirrels would eat the bigger seeds...that
fell upon the ground.

It seemed those little birds would wait...for her
at first sunlight,
He thought they must have slept...in all the
bushes within sight.
But yesterday he buried her...his wife of thirty
years,
And now alone he watches them...and tries to hold
back tears.

He doesn’t want to feed the birds...the feeders
have run dry,
But all the birds still flock around...and he
just wonders why?
He doesn’t want to start with it...he’ll probably
take them down,
He really doesn’t care right now...if they don’t
come around.

So, day by day he sits and stares...beyond the
feeding place,
So far into the distance...in another time and
space.
And, one by one the sparrows leave...but one
still comes each day,
It’s different from the other ones...one wing is
colored gray.

Then each day as the days went by...the little
bird was there,
The feeders were all empty...but he didn’t seem
to care.
The sparrow sat upon the perch...and seemed to
look at him,
He sat about an hour...then he flew away again.

He wondered if that little bird...had been her
favorite,
Because there was no food for him...but there he
still would sit.
So he went to the garden shed...to try to find
some seed,
He thought if just a handful...he knew that was
all he’d need.

He found a bag within a plastic pail....that she
had kept,
And as he thought about his wife...he just sat
there and wept.
He thought again, she loved those birds...but now
they were all gone,
Except the little gray-winged one...he was a
hanger-on.

So everyday he took some seed...just enough for
one,
And watched until the little bird...had eaten and
was gone.
Then he took the extra seed...that remained on
the tray,
And saved it to use once again...for him the
following day.

He wondered where the bird would go...each day
when it was fed,
It never hung around the bushes...it flew off
instead.
Then weeks went by and everyday...the little bird
would come,
And leave and fly away again...the minute he was
done.

But then one day it didn’t come...and then a week
went by,
He thought it must had flown away... some place
where it could die.
He knew something had happened...when the sparrow
didn’t come,
So then he took the feeders down...his feeding
days were done.

There was a bag of seed left...in the little
garden shed,
He put it in his car trunk...knowing that the
bird was dead.
He’d take it to his sister...who had feeders at
her place,
To throw it in the garbage...would seem such a
total waste.

Then early Sunday morning...he arose before the
dawn,
To visit his wife’s resting place...and manicure
the lawn.
He always took some flowers...and would place
them by her stone,
He felt she knew that he did not...just leave her
all alone.

It seemed like such a lonely place...when he
would visit there,
And he knew that she never liked...to be alone
somewhere.
Then as he parked his car to walk...to where his
wife did rest,
As always fighting back the tears...he tried to
do his best.

But through his tears he saw the grave...and then
he had a thought,
Remembering the bird seed...and he whispered,
“Oh, why not?”
He went and got the bag of seed...and spread some
on her place,
And as he did he hoped his friends...would not
think it disgrace.

But as he did, he thought the birds...would also
come again,
And then his lovely wife would be...surrounded by
her friends.
He thought he’d do this everyday...he knew she
wouldn’t mind,
He loved his wife so very much...and she would
think this kind.

So as he spread the seed about...he knew her
friends would come,
And he would bring the seed to them...until his
days were done.
And then he’d tell his children...when beside her
he would lay,
To bring the seeds and feed her friends...just as
he did today.

But as he stood and watched for birds...behind an
old oak tree,
His eyes began to tear again...at what he now did
see.
A little bird, the first to come...to get some
seed that day,
A little sparrow and it had...a wing the color
gray.

— James “PoppyK” Kisner

April 4, 2007 PM Anti-Terrorism News

(U.S.) Feds May Move On Local Mosques - FBI might arrest suspects who
frequent California Tablighi Jamaat mosques
http://www.metroactive.com/metro/04.04.07/terror-probe-0714.html

(U.S.) Ex-sailor pleads not guilty on terrorism charge - Hassan
Abujihaad accused of giving classified info to Azzam Publications
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070404/ts_nm/usa_security_sailor_dc;_ylt=Ag7VXwl2p2hsf5HgY3eiGcXMWM0F

(U.S.) Sept. 11 firefighter’s remains ID’d - New DNA technology
identifies remains found in 2001
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070404/ap_on_re_us/attacks_remains;_ylt=AteyJ9pxvnF1UhCJdbL8rZys0NUE

Toxic Trains and the Terrorist Threat - Center for American Progress
study of 62 water facilities
http://www.americanprogress.org/issues/2007/04/chemical_security_report.html

Jihadists on the US-Iran Standoff - RFE/RFL survey of jihadists’
reaction
http://www.futureofmuslimworld.com/research/id.30/comment_detail.asp#

(Iran/UK) Blair Welcomes News That Iran Will Free British Troops -
Flying home on Thursday - Report: Iranian Envoy to Meet With 5 Iranians
Being Held by U.S. in Iraq and Syria: We helped in Iran-Britain dispute
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,263924,00.html
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070404/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iran_britain_syria;_ylt=AkzQdso18iu3.wRwe4SxCx4LewgF

(Iran/UK) Who Got the British Sailors Released? - Dr. Ali Larijani,
secretary general of Supreme National Security Council, might have played
key role
http://www.time.com/time/printout/0,8816,1606643,00.html

(Afghanistan) Taliban Kidnaps Two French Aid Workers - 3 Afghan workers
also captured - U.S. Army’s `Men in Black’ fight Taliban
http://www.nasdaq.com/aspxcontent/NewsStory.aspx?cpath=20070404%5cACQRTT200704041627RTTRADERUSEQUITY_1043.htm&;
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070404/ap_on_re_as/afghan_men_in_black_1

(Iraq) U.S.: Terrorist training camp found in Diyala province - Camp
for al-Qaida in Iraq found by coalition forces
http://www.estripes.com/article.asp?section=104&article=44852

Iraq’s Sadr group fires two deputies over U.S. talks - “We have fired
them for meeting the occupiers”
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070404/ts_nm/iraq_sadr_parliament_dc_2

(Serbia) Muslim radicals strengthen in Serbia
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070403/ap_on_re_eu/serbia_rise_of_the_radicals;_ylt=AkFasO0KvEDZNgcNUozpQIl0bBAF

(Lebanon) Memo seeks U.N. action in Hariri case - Parliament seeks UN
tribunal on Hariri assassination
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070404/ap_on_re_mi_ea/lebanon_politics;_ylt=Aguq_h40W3u.NIN0YEtrhVcLewgF

(Europe) Street-level crime tied to terrorist funding - Muggings in
Switzerland, burglaries in Spain & tax fraud in Italy might have funded
Algerian group
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2003648495_terrorfund03.html?syndication=rss

(Israel) Western Inaction Pushing Saudi Arabia to Hamas, Hizbullah
http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/122036

Terror group’s threat raises Dalai Lama alert - Intel that LeT might
attack
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,21493416-2703,00.html

(Nigeria) Four foreign hostages released in Nigeria
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070404/wl_africa_afp/nigeriaoilunrest;_ylt=AozSFHUf9pq6zyoKwKKwtVNvaA8F

(Somalia) Bodies collected as tenuous Mogadishu truce holds
http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070404/wl_nm/somalia_conflict_dc;_ylt=AvS1SnTPffWMa46lGmnZ5oPMWM0F

Colombia captures fugitive militia boss - AUC commander Ever Veloza
caught
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070404/ap_on_re_la_am_ca/colombia_paramilitary_captured;_ylt=AhFSbcgnEHqQM07EbsGMwWpvaA8F

Colombia’s ELN rebels deny gov’t cocaine charges
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N04363717.htm

03.04.2007
Eurasian Secret Services Daily Review
AIA

One more version of Litvinenko murder links him to the Chechens

Investigator Alexander Otvodov of the Russian Prosecutor General’s
Office questioned political emigrant Boris Berezovsky in London on
Friday for the case concerning the murder of former FSB officer
Alexander Litvinenko. Otvodov said on Monday that Berezovsky did not
answer half of the 100 questions asked to him. Berezovsky stated that
Otvodov was asking him about things of no relation to the murder.
Russian investigators also questioned political emigrant Akhmed Zakaev
the same day. Zakaev, in his turn, is puzzled why he was asked about
two
YUKOS employees absolutely unknown to him, Kommersant writes.
Investigator for especially important cases of the Prosecutor General’s
Office Alexander Otvodov said on Monday that during the interrogation
of
political emigrant Boris Berezovsky in London on Friday, he asked him
“over 100 questions and about the same number of specifying
subquestions
related to Alexander Litvinenko’s murder case, but Berezovsky refused
to
answer half of them.” Otvodov explained that his questions, translated
into English, were asked to the political emigrant by British
investigators. “When Berezovsky avoided answering, specifying
subquestions were asked to him,” added Otvodov. “Yet, even then, he
would not answer some questions.” After meeting with the investigator,
Berezovsky said that he was asking him mainly about banking accounts.
Otvodov said there were no time limits: Berezovsky arrived to Scotland
Yard at 10:50 a.m. on Friday, and his meeting with Russian
investigators
lasted till 5:00 p.m. At the same time, Otvodov’s colleagues were
questioning political emigrant Akhmed Zakaev in the next room. The
interrogation of the Chechen envoy lasted four hours only. Otvodov
underlined that the special inspection procedure, including the search
for toxic agents at which Berezovsky had been previously insisting, was
not applied to the Russian investigators: they, their British
colleagues, and interpreters were inspected in the regular way.
“I met with the investigator of the Prosecutor General’s Office in the
building of Scotland Yard, in the presence of a British officer who was
questioning me following the list of questions prepared by the Russian
investigators. The questions were translated by the interpreter,” said
Zakaev. “There were about 50 questions, but only few concerned
Litvinenko’s case. For instance, five or six questions were about Badri
Patarkatsishvili, some twenty – about Berezovsky, and about YUKOS
employees that I do not know at all.”
Zakaev added that he did not answer many questions that he believed had
no relation to Litvinenko’s case: “Scotland Yard officer was
interrupting the interrogation every 15 minutes to tell me that I have
the right to leave any question unanswered or to stop the
interrogation.
So I used that right.”
Zakaev said that the Russian investigator asked about the circumstances
of Zakaev’s acquaintance with Litvinenko and about their relations in
the very end of the questioning. ‘It seemed to me that the
investigator’s meeting with me was just a formality. They did not have
the purpose to disclose the circumstances of Litvinenko’s death and to
find those who are behind the crime,” said Zakaev, adding that he had
suggested his own version of the murder. Zakaev thinks that Litvinenko
might have been killed for cooperating with Chechen authorities. “He
was
a member of the Committee for investigating war crimes in Chechnya
created by Aslan Maskhadov. Litvinenko submitted names of generals
guilty of violence against peaceful civilians, and provided documents
that compromised Russian authorities, to us,” said Zakaev.

http://www.axisglobe.com/article.asp?article=1268

Counterterrorism Blog
Admedinijad’s “Plan B” - The Circus Continues
By Walid Phares

With the decision to release the 15 British sailors, the Ahmedinijad Circus resumes its tales. Morphing from a “long story” to a “sensational scoop” the powerful Khomeinist propaganda machine has produced a better end to the hostage crisis: release them now and invest heavily in their “merciful liberation.” Hence the new debate worldwide as of the first hours of this day is about the Mullahs “freeing” the British personnel, not anymore about their “abduction”, and certainly not the other crucial stories, from UN sanctions on the nuclear standoff, the Iranian operatives arrested in Iraq, or the domestic opposition to Ahmedinijad. The war of images is on, powerful, and still in the hands of Tehran, or rather in the sophisticated “PR machine” at the service of the regime.

The abrupt change in direction operated by the Khomeinist decision-makers, from long-lasting crisis to blitz-solution is the product of a strong advice given by the “PR machine,” most of it based in the West, realizing how catastrophic would have been a stretching of the hostages’ crisis in time. Ahmedinijad wanted time but his advisors realized that the operation has been exposed in the world court of opinion, and hence had to cease and morph. But why did the “advisors,” mostly (Western-hired) ask the Mullahs to release the British at once and “use” the decision to the advantage of the regime? Here are the very objective and heavy reasons:

1) Simply because the basis behind this punctual operation was systematically eroded in one week: Analysis exposing the role of the Iranian intelligence in Iraq, the defection of Iranian military officials, and the rise of protests inside the country explained what was the regime trying to dodge. The surfacing of this analysis both in Western and Arab media stripped the Iranian PR machine from its “juice.” Few around the world still believed that the Mullahs were concerned about a British breach of Iranian waters. It was all about “creating” an international incident to flee the above realities. Hence the “Psy-ops” architects quickly ordered a change in direction.

2) In addition, the Iranian management of the “hostage operation” was making mistake after mistake in the eyes of their professional publicists. Showing the detainee on TV, parading them, forcing the female soldier to wear a scarf and filming her as she smokes, then forcing the captured sailors to write letters and deliver televised speeches was the worse possible action the “captors” could have done. The direction taken by the managers of the detention was becoming untenable to the regime. They saw its ballistics as read by the general Western reaction to it: There were no international sympathies for the Iranian story of “thrusting water sovereignty” but, instead, growing frustration with Ahmedinijad’s “Jihadi mayhem.”

3) Once the real objectives of the operation were circulating in media reporting worldwide, the margin for Iranian maneuvering shrunk dramatically. When a projection of what the Mullahs wanted to do with the “hostages” over time became widely understood, the regime’s ability to surprise the public with a circus-like actions collapsed: For most of the potential future acts were exposed in advance, hence stripping the ability for the Khomeinists to be “creative.” Since most of these scenarios were “uncovered,” following them nevertheless was not advised: Hence all the possible options that pro-regime students will be staging demonstrations, the hostages dispersed, more videos released, and “Western mediators” will be landing in Tehran to blast London and Washington became obsolete. While it is true that Teheran won the first round of the match by shifting international focus to the “hostage crisis” instead of the UN sanctions. But because of its speedy recourse to “raw moves,” Ahmedinijad was about to lose the entire “psychological war” with his foes. Indeed, political critics in Britain and in the West would have been completely discredited had they began what they were scripted to do: visit the hostages and blame their countries. Rumors say they refused to engage in a losing battle of public opinion for they have political instincts. Thus, the genius mind behind Tehran’s “world operations” sounded the alarm: Stop the operation and revert to “Plan B.”

4) And what urged the change of direction as well was a little point made to the Iranians via posted analysis that any action taken against the British sailors, especially that the latter were operating under UN mandate, will be considered for future legal action internationally. As I underlined in several interviews about the subject throughout the crisis, any mistreatment, abuse of rights, and even “Khomeinist” court procedures would be considered as material for action against the regime and the perpetrators in front of international courts. The “PR international room” that helps the Iranian regime maneuver in world affairs knows this is very dangerous for their business. For if it is discovered that not only the Mullahs but also “Western mercenaries” have been involved in this breach to international law, a devastating action could be targeting the interest groups backing and advising Ahmedinijad on communications and diplomacy.

5) And in the big picture, as I argued in my previous assessment of this crisis, playing brinkmanship with the UK, US, and the regional forces opposed to the Tehran Khomeinist elite, was highly risky. It is very possible that the Iranian leadership read the elevated risk as they watched both immediate reactions and long term reactions: Talking about supporting Iran’s opposition is by itself scary for the regime. The price for detaining 15 sailors, with all the Circus Tehran was readying itself for wasn’t worth extending support to four major ethnicities inside Iran and to various social movements rising against the elite, by the adversaries. The risk was widening too much for a long-scenario; it had to be modified to a new direction.

So what is the new “direction?”

First, President Mahmoud Ahmedinijad “got rid” of the sailors, but in the most sumptuous way: A major press conference, extending awards to the “captors,” and embracing the “captives,” all the ingredients of a bad dream movie. The sailors apologize again, greet the regime, smile to the cameras and are shipped back to their country. That is what the international media would carry as images of the ending of this episode. But what would the servicemen and particularly the servicewoman say afterwards, the propaganda machine will have all the time –and funds- to deflect and take care of.

Two, the “new story” will allow Ahmedinijad to use the statements prepared for the long captivity immediately. Instead of a gift to the British people for Christmas, it was revamped as an “Easter Gift.” Theologically, he is walking on eggs with Christian faith. For Christians believe Christ “ascended” to heaven not “passed” as Ahmedinjad termed it. But that is a just little religious detail. Probably the advisors of the Iranian President weren’t ready to release them on a religiously “complicated” Easter but on a commonly accepted Christmas: Another little theological detail.

Ahmedinijad criticized Britain for deploying leading seaman Faye Turney, one of 15 detainees, in the Gulf, pointing out, as reported by the AP, that she is a woman with a child. He said: “How can you justify seeing a mother away from her home, her children? Why don’t they respect family values in the West?” Very interesting statement coming from a regime that sent one million children to die on the mine fields during the Iran-Iraq war with a key to heaven hanging around their necks; a regime that has special women units to fight the infidels, and has been supporting women suicide bombers, including married ones with children. More interesting is the fact that Ahmedinijad is compassionate with British women who chose freely to serve their country and not compassionate with Iranian women whom he oppresses. He has, a few weeks ago, thrown many Persian females in jails, torturing them and forcing them to abandon their quest for freedom. Faye Turney is the woman type he is really afraid of: she symbolizes the free woman, who despite the fact that she is a mother, has decided to serve thousands of miles away in full equality with men.

Then the Iranian President turns to the real stuff: the arrest by US forces of a number of Iranian operatives, charged with Terror activities inside Iraq. Over the past months, Coalition forces have arrested a number of Iranian facilitators operating within Iraq. One of them is an “Iranian” diplomat: Jalal Sharafi. Ahmedinijad, revealing his emotions about the case said “if we had wanted to exchange Jalal Charafi with the rest of the Britons we would have exchanged him for 100,000.” The short sentence is revealing: It was about 15 British sailors versus Iranian Terror operatives. But the long term psychological operation failed, it was replaced by a short one.

The Iranian risky adventure was smartly designed but poorly executed. There seems to be a gap between the “architects” (both inside and outside Iran) and the Ahmedinijad mediocre execution of the plans. For at first, Iran was successful in steering the debate away from the UN sanctions then by executing a grotesque masquerade Tehran was on the verge of causing a disaster to itself. This is when the advisors quickly suggested a remedy that is to move to “Plan B” abruptly. This leap salvaged Ahmedinijad from an imminent disaster. But the abrupt twist could be reinvested in shielding the regime from a potential campaign by the international community. If the Khomeinist elite are smart enough and less ideological, it may gain more time for its future plans. But as it was shown during the British hostages’ crisis, the “architects” could do miracles, but the rigidly thinking leaders can mess up the best of all successful plans

Now, Tehran has ended the first act of the Circus, cut its losses, and is on for the second act. An alternative theory, which deserves to be explored, says Iranian planners had the both options ready to go. A long haul, if the Coalition won’t accept the exchange, and a short version of it, if the swap is accepted. But no matter what the theory is, we’re on still for a continuous Ahmedinijad Circus.

Dr Walid Phares is a Senior Fellow at the Foundation for the Defense of Democracies and a visiting scholar at the European Foundation for Democracy. He is author of the War of Ideas: Jihadism against Democracy. You can e-mail him at Phares@walidphares.com

By Walid Phares on April 4, 2007 6:46 PM

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.