Threat Matrix: May 2007

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[nwctwx]

U.S. Seeks Closing of Visa Loophole for Britons
-Full Story-

Omar Khyam, the ringleader of the thwarted London bomb plot who was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday, showed the potential for disaffected young men to be lured as terrorists, a threat that British officials said they would have to contend with for a generation.

But the 25-year-old Mr. Khyam, a Briton of Pakistani descent, also personifies a larger and more immediate concern: as a British citizen, he could have entered the United States without a visa, like many of an estimated 800,000 other Britons of Pakistani origin.

American officials, citing the number of terror plots in Britain involving Britons with ties to Pakistan, expressed concern over the visa loophole. In recent months, the homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, has opened talks with the government here on how to curb the access of British citizens of Pakistani origin to the United States.

	How the Plot Came Together
	Briefing on Release of 2006 Country Reports on Terrorism
	Iran to Tell Coalition Forces to Leave Iraq at Summit in Egypt

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[Cindy]

More Details update in this article:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6694357.stm

Last Updated: Saturday, 26 May 2007, 13:58 GMT 14:58 UK

“Seven killed in Assam bomb blast”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “”We had intelligence inputs of Ulfa targeting the city’s crowded areas, a day ahead of celebrations to mark the state government’s first year in power,” Reuters news agency quoted a police official as saying.

The BBC’s Subir Bhaumik said the bomb had been placed in an auto rickshaw alongside a gas cylinder to maximize the impact of the explosion.

He said doctors had warned the number of dead could rise because many of the wounded were critically injured.

Our correspondent says another device was found in a railway station in the western part of the state.”

[Cindy]

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=28446

“The Veterans’ Spirit”
By Tom Purcell
FrontPageMagazine.com | May 28, 2007

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1840793/posts

“My Brother Who ‘Gave All’ In Vietnam (Chuck Norris Memorial Day Tribute Alert)”
Worldnetdaily.com ^ | 05/28/2007 | Chuck Norris

Posted on 05/27/2007 10:23:45 PM PDT by goldstategop

[Cindy]

Thanks to Diogenesis for this photo essay:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1840773/posts?page=28#28

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07050173.htm

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net — E-mail: assistnews@aol.com

Saturday, May 26, 2007

Egypt: Coptic Christians Call for End of Religious Persecution

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

CAIRO, EGYPT (ANS) — A global coalition of Coptic Christians is calling on governments of the world to demand that Egypt stop religious persecution of Coptic Christians and guarantee religious freedom and justice for all citizens.

For nearly four decades, the Coptic Christians in Egypt have been targeted by a wave of brutal attacks on their persons, churches, homes and businesses, the Catholic News Agency reports.

Members of Egypt’s Coptic Christian community worshiping the Lord (Picture from BBC website)
“The Ibn Khaldoun Research Center has documented over 120 major attacks on the Copts during this period,” said the Catholic News Agency story. “Another study estimated that over 4,000 Copts were killed or injured in this period. They have also suffered material losses in the tens of millions of dollars.

“The researchers noted that many of these attacks took place on Fridays, after the Muslim prayers in mosques. As well, the vast majority of these attacks were not committed by organized terrorist groups, but by ordinary people from the neighborhood.”

“Researchers believe the violence takes place under the influence of hate propaganda emitted through the media, the education system and mosque preaching. They report that Egyptian authorities have yet to adequately punish a single Muslim perpetrator.

“The latest attack on May 11 was in Bamha, 15 miles south of Cairo. A coalition of Coptic organizations worldwide reported that it began as a result of a rumor circulated among the Muslims that the Copts of the village were planning to convert a house, which they used for prayers, into a church.

“The Muslim worshippers were incited by the Imam of the mosque and a few fanatics to rise and defend Islam against the ‘Christian infidels.’ A Muslim mob, estimated to exceed 500, went on the rampage using fireballs, knives and hatchets. They burned 27 Christian homes and shops. At least 10 Copt were injured.”

The story continued by saying, “Rather than pursuing and arresting the perpetrators, the authorities conducted a meeting of reconciliation between the victims and the aggressors, where an imposed settlement virtually stripped the Copts of all rights.

“Under the terms of the settlement, Muslims were not bound to pay for damages nor assume any criminal responsibility. As well, the prayer house, which was the center of dispute, would be used only for Sunday school classes and a cross may not be displayed on the building.”

Dan Wooding is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com. danjuma1@aol.com.

** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

[Cindy]

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

[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, Mon May 28 2007 03:09:35 GMT-0700.

Worldwide Caution

April 10, 2007

[Cindy]

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

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1840835/posts

Spain makes 14 terror arrests
cnn.com ^ | 05/28/07 | Madrid Bureau Chief Al Goodman

Posted on 05/28/2007 3:56:50 AM PDT by TornadoAlley3

MADRID, Spain (CNN) — Spanish police arrested 14 suspected Islamic terrorists early Monday, mainly around the city of Barcelona, a Spanish anti-terrorism official told CNN. Many of the suspects are of Pakistani origin and are thought to be involved in the recruiting and training of terrorists to be sent to fight Western forces in Iraq and Afghanistan, the official said. Eleven of the suspects were arrested in Barcelona and nearby towns in northeastern Spain. Two others were detained in Aranjuez, a town about an hour south of Madrid. The other suspect was arrested in the southern coastal city of Malaga, the official said. The operation is ongoing, the official said. Spain has arrested more than 100 suspected Islamic terrorists since the Madrid train bombings in March 2004 that killed 191 people and wounded more than 1,800. Most of the arrests since then have been related to the train bombings, but there have also been detentions for a plot to blow up the Madrid courthouse, where terrorism trials are held, and those suspected of recruiting and training terrorists to fight in Iraq and Afghanistan. Some of those previously arrested in the Barcelona area were also of Pakistani origin, but most of the other Islamic terror suspects arrested nationwide have been of Moroccan or Algerian origin. Sometimes they have had residency permits and have lived in Spain for months or years before their arrests. The trial of 29 defendants in the train bombings is now in its fourth month.

(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...

[Cindy]

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

#

Note: The following news brief is a quote:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3405514,00.html

Insurgents hijack 2 buses in Baghdad

Published: 05.28.07, 13:19 / Israel News

A battle raged Monday in central Baghdad after insurgents hijacked two buses and kidnapped at least 15 passengers, police said.

At least three policemen had been killed and eight wounded, including four passersby, authorities said.
The small buses where traveling through the Fadhil neighborhood, a Sunni enclave in central Baghdad, when they were waylaid by unidentified gunmen. (AP)

[Cindy]

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1151593
(AP)

“Authorites Investigate Deaths of 2 Richmond Men”
May 27, 2007 - 4:46pm

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “BOWLING GREEN, Va. (AP) - Caroline County authorities are investigating the deaths of two Richmond men whose bodies were found in the trunk of a car.

Sheriff Tony Lippa identified the men as Willie D. Smith, 22, and Jamal Nasir, 23.”

[Cindy]

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

#

Thanks to FARS for the ping to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1840955/posts

Syria Said To Run Insurgents In Lebanon
Middle East Newsline ^ | May 27, 2007

Posted on 05/28/2007 9:06:57 AM PDT by Fennie

NICOSIA [MENL] — Syria was said to operate the Al Qaida network in Lebanon and directing the Islamic insurgency in that country. Syrian opposition sources said the regime of President Bashar Assad has developed the Al Qaida network in an effort to undermine Lebanon. The sources said the Al Qaida-aligned Fatah Al Islam, which has been battling the Lebanese Army over the last week, has been led by a former Syrian Air Force officer and contains numerous former Syrian officers. “The head of Fatah Al Islam, Shakir Absi, was in the Syrian Air Force before released from a Syrian jail and sent to Lebanon by the Syrian Military Intelligence,” the Washington-based Reform Party of Syria said. RPS, echoing information provided by Lebanese security sources, said 1.800 Fatah Al Islam fighters were deployed in northern Lebanon. The organization said at least 600 of them, supplied by neighboring Syria, were fighting Lebanese troops.

[Cindy]

http://www.arlingtoncemetery.org/

#

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/05/20070528.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
May 28, 2007

President Bush Commemorates Memorial Day at Arlington National Cemetery
Arlington National Cemetary

Video (Windows)
Presidential Remarks
Audio

11:20 A. M. EDT

THE PRESIDENT: Thank you, all. Secretary England, members of the Cabinet, General Pace, members of Congress, members of the United States military, veterans, families of the fallen, our fellow citizens: Welcome.

Today we honor the warriors who fought our nation’s enemies, defended the cause of liberty, and gave their lives in the cause of freedom. We offer our love and our heartfelt compassion to the families who mourn them. We pray that our country may always prove worthy of the sacrifices they made.

For seven generations, we have carried our fallen to these fields. Here rest some 360,000 Americans who died fighting to preserve the Union and end slavery. Here rest some 500,000 Americans who perished in two world wars to conquer tyrannies and build free nations from their ruins. Here rest some 90,000 Americans who gave their lives to confront Communist aggression in places such as Korea and Vietnam.

Many names here are known: the 18-year-old Union soldier named Arthur MacArthur, who grabbed a falling flag and carried it up Missionary Ridge; the Tuskegee Airmen who defended America abroad and challenged prejudice at home; the slain war hero and President who asked that we “assure the survival and success of liberty” and found his rest beneath an eternal flame. Still others here are remembered only by loving families. Some are known only to God.

Now this hallowed ground receives a new generation of heroes — men and women who gave their lives in places such as Kabul and Kandahar, Baghdad and Ramadi. Like those who came before them, they did not want war — but they answered the call when it came. They believed in something larger than themselves. They fought for our country, and our country unites to mourn them as one.

We remember Army Specialist Ross Andrew McGinniss. Ross was born on Flag Day in 1987. When he was in kindergarten, he said he wanted to grow up to be “an Army man.” He enlisted at 17 — the first day he was eligible. He deployed to Iraq. Last December, a grenade was thrown into his Humvee as Ross was patrolling the streets of Baghdad. The soldiers inside could not escape in time, so Ross leapt into the vehicle and covered the grenade with his own body. By sacrificing himself to save four other men, he earned a Silver Star — and the eternal gratitude of the American people.

We remember Marine Sergeant Marc Golczynski of Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Marc volunteered for a second tour of duty in Iraq. He knew the dangers his service would entail. Before he deployed, he wrote the following in an email to his family and friends: “Please don’t feel bad for us. We are warriors, and as warriors have done before us we fight and sometimes die so our families do not have to.” Marc left behind an eight-year-old son, Christian, who is with us today; he managed to be brave while he held his father’s folded flag.

With us are other children and families mourning moms and dads and sons and daughters. Nothing said today will ease your pain. But each of you need to know that your country thanks you, and we embrace you, and we will never forget the terrible loss you have suffered. I hope you find comfort in knowing that your loved ones rest in a place even more peaceful than the fields that surround us here.

The greatest memorial to our fallen troops cannot be found in the words we say or the places we gather. The more lasting tribute is all around us — a country where citizens have the right to worship as they want, to march for what they believe, and to say what they think. These freedoms came at great costs — and they will survive only as long as there are those willing to step forward to defend them against determined enemies.

As before in our history, Americans find ourselves under attack and underestimated. Our enemies long for our retreat. They question our moral purpose. They doubt our strength of will. Yet even after five years of war, our finest citizens continue to answer our enemies with courage and confidence. Hundreds of thousands of patriots still raise their hands to serve their country; tens of thousands who have seen war on the battlefield volunteer to re-enlist. What an amazing country to produce such fine citizens.

Laura and I have met many of them; we’ve sat at the bedsides of the wounded. This morning, I met service members who received medals for distinguished service — and found myself humbled by their grace and their grit. I had the honor of meeting with families of the fallen in the Oval Office, and was amazed by their strength and resolve and decent grace under pressure. We’ve heard of 174 Marines recently — almost a quarter of a battalion — who asked to have their enlistments extended. For these extensions, they would earn no promotion and no promise of a favored posting. They want to serve their nation. And as one of them put it this way: “I’m here so our sons don’t have to come and fight here someday.”

Those who serve are not fatalists or cynics. They know that one day this war will end — as all wars do. Our duty is to ensure that its outcome justifies the sacrifices made by those who fought and died in it. From their deaths must come a world where the cruel dreams of tyrants and terrorists are frustrated and foiled — where our nation is more secure from attack, and where the gift of liberty is secured for millions who have never known it.

This is our country’s calling. It’s our country’s destiny. Americans set off on that voyage more than two centuries ago, confident that this future was within our reach — even though the shore was distant, and even though the journey may be long. And through generations, our course has been secured by those who wear a uniform, secured by people who man their posts, and do their duty. They have helped us grow stronger with each new sunrise.

On this Day of Memory, we mourn brave citizens who laid their lives down for our freedom. They lived and died as Americans. May we always honor them. May we always embrace them. And may we always be faithful to who they were and what they fought for.

Thank you for having me. May God bless you and may God continue to bless our country. (Applause.)

END 11:28 A.M. EDT

[Cindy]

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

#

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1841064/posts

~

http://www.washingtontimes.com/world/20070527-115808-1213r.htm

“China intent on aircraft carrier goal”
By Richard Halloran
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
May 28, 2007

HONOLULU

#

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1841061/posts

~

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20070528/hl_afp/healthchinafood_070528174558

“56 in hospital after eating pork in China”
Mon May 28, 1:45 PM ET
BEIJING (AFP) -

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Mass food poisonings are frequent events in China, either deliberately caused or triggered by unsafe handling of food.”

[4woodenboats]

Blair was a good ally. I’m going to miss him.

[Cindy]

Ditto.

[Godzilla]

placemark

[Cindy]

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

#

Cindy’s Note: Danny Glover, here’s your chance to do a real
documentary on Venezuela. It’s a free press (sarcasm) so
start filming. I’ll be watching the news at 11:00.

#

Thanks to AliVeritas for the ping to this thread.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1841019/posts

“Troops Fire Upon Protesters in Venezuela”
Associated Press ^ | 28 May 2007 | Fabiola Sanchez

Posted on 05/28/2007 12:07:21 PM PDT by Kitten Festival

CARACAS, Venezuela

[Cindy]

Note: See photos.

#

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-bloggers/1841113/posts

“They Remember: Memorial Day, Margraten, Netherlands”
Irma Haex | May 28, 2007 | David Allender

Posted on 05/28/2007 3:39:12 PM PDT by RedRover

[Cindy]

Off Topic...

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=25661_50%25_of_Belgians_Want_Headscarf_Ban&only

~

http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=24&story_id=40226

“’50 pc of Belgians want headscarf ban’”
25 May 2007

LOUVAIN-LA-NEUVE

#

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=25660_Swiss_Move_to_Ban_Minarets&only

~

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6676271.stm

Last Updated: Monday, 28 May 2007, 09:03 GMT 10:03 UK

“Swiss move to ban minarets”
By Imogen Foulkes
BBC News, Berne

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “They claim the minaret is not necessary for worship, but is rather a symbol of Islamic law, and as such incompatible with Switzerland’s legal system.”

[Cindy]

Thanks to F15 Eagle for the ping to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1841120/posts

“Hamas rockets fall, Israel eyes escalation”
Reuters via MSNBC.Com ^ | Updated: 10:23 a.m. PT May 28, 2007 | MSNBC.Com

Posted on 05/28/2007 3:53:12 PM PDT by F15Eagle

GAZA