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

Thread Forty-Eight

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[Cindy]

UPDATE...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/6631255.stm

Last Updated: Monday, 7 May 2007, 10:23 GMT 11:23 UK

“Search continues for missing girl”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Portuguese police are continuing their search for a three-year-old British girl believed to have been abducted from a holiday apartment.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Airports across the country are on alert and police believe the toddler is still in Portugal.

They have been showing locals what one called “a vague sketch” of a suspect.”

[Cindy]

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

#

http://www.wtop.com/?nid=25&sid=1134077

Fairfax County Officials Consider Cold War Museum
May 6, 2007 - 3:24pm

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “LORTON, Va. (AP) - Fairfax County officials are moving ahead with plans to build a museum dedicated to the Cold War on the site of the former Lorton Prison complex.

The parcel of land has Cold War ties; it once housed 24 surface-to-air missiles positioned to ward off a Soviet nuclear attack. In the early ‘70s, it was converted for prison use _ with a kitchen and dining hall for female inmates.

The prison closed in 2001 and, a year later, was deeded to Fairfax County.

County officials are now negotiating with Gary Powers, the museum’s founder and director, over leasing details. The county’s Park Authority hopes to reach a preliminary agreement with the Cold War Museum’s director by the year’s end.

Powers is developing the museum in memory of his father, Francis Gary Powers, a pilot whose U-2 spy plane was shot down in 1960 over the Soviet Union. The pilot was captured and imprisoned after he parachuted from the plane, but the Soviets allowed him to return to the United States in 1962 in exchange for one of their captured agents.

The elder Powers died in 1977. He had been piloting a TV traffic helicopter that crashed.”

[Rushmore Rocks]

FOX NEWS

Explosion at Luxor Hotel in Las Vegas. At least one fatality.

[Godzilla]

placemark

[crabbie]

Didn’t we discuss the Luxor or a pyramid hotel in Vegas a few years ago, possibly in the month of January?

Weren’t we trying to figure out the meaning of the pyramid in a composite picture?

[Rushmore Rocks]

Yes, I remembered that as soon as I heard the news.

[crabbie]

Now I wonder if any of the other parts of that picture or insignia have any relevance to recent events. I wish I could remember the year and find the insignia on an old thread.

[texpat72]

Speaking of patriotism... the news this morning is showing several US flags appearing in Greensburg. People are pulling them out of the rubble and hanging them. God bless them all and their long road ahead.

[Cindy]

Thanks to Rushmore Rocks and Crabbie for the ping.

Thanks to a Special Emailer for pointing to this article:

http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/13268708/detail.html?taf=vegas

“Man Killed In Luxor Parking Garage Blast
Police Shut Down Casino’s Parking Structure To Investigate Homicide”
POSTED: 7:41 am PDT May 7, 2007
UPDATED: 9:30 am PDT May 7, 2007

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “LAS VEGAS, Nev. — One man was killed and another person escaped injury in an explosion of a small device left atop a vehicle outside a Las Vegas Strip resort.”

[Cindy]

OFF TOPIC:

QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/1828459/posts?page=12#12

http://dsc.discovery.com/news/2007/04/06/egypttomb_arc.html?category=archaeology&%5C1guid=20070406140030

The Valley of the Kings in Luxor, Egypt, will soon be granted new protection in an attempt to control tourism, traffic and vandalism, Zahi Hawass, chief of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, told Discovery News.

At the same time, Egyptian authorities are encouraging tourists to educate themselves about the tombs, and experience the art within them, without visiting the fragile sites in person.

12 posted on 05/06/2007 3:43:21 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (I last updated my profile on Thursday, May 3, 2007. https://secure.freerepublic.com/donate/)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies | Report Abuse ]

[Cindy]

OFF TOPIC...

stepping back in time...

http://209.157.64.200/focus/f-chat/1787185/posts

“Opening the Tomb of Petamenophis in Luxor: A First Look [Dec 2005]”
Tour Egypt ^ | December 7, 2005 | Jane Akshar

Posted on 02/18/2007 9:25:28 PM PST by SunkenCiv

[Cindy]

More Details - UPDATE:

http://www.fox5vegas.com/news/13268708/detail.html?taf=vegas

“Man Killed In Luxor Parking Garage Blast
Police Shut Down Casino’s Parking Structure To Investigate Homicide”
POSTED: 7:41 am PDT May 7, 2007
UPDATED: 9:30 am PDT May 7, 2007

LAS VEGAS, Nev. — One man was killed and another person escaped injury in an explosion of a small device left atop a vehicle outside a Las Vegas Strip resort.
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Police said the blast was not a terrorist act, but an apparent slaying with an unusual murder weapon. The victim and a co-worker who was nearby were employees at the Luxor hotel-casino.”

[Cindy]

That is so inspiring.

THANKS texpat72.

[Cindy]

208.101.48.176/~alshaf3y/vb/showthread.php?t=10411

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

#

Thanks to Harwood for starting this thread.

QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1829507/posts

Breaking: Buratha News will publish a document proving al-Zawahiri, Zarqawi links to Saddam
Fallujah Forums ^

Posted on 05/07/2007 5:30:43 AM PDT by harwood

Jihadis preparing to defend themselves against this “fabrication”. 50 volunteers neede to stop the “invasion”: http://64.233.179.104/translate_c?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&langpair=ar%7Cen&u=http://208.101.48.176/~alshaf3y/vb/showthread.php%3Ft%3D10412&prev=/language_tools

(Excerpt) Read more at 64.233.179.104 ...

###

Thanks to JVeritas for translating the document when it comes available.

###

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=33078

Iraqi, Coalition Forces Detain 24 in Iraq

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2007 – Coalition and Iraqi forces detained 24 suspected terrorists in operations in Iraq yesterday and today, military officials reported.

Coalition forces detained 15 suspected terrorists today during raids around the country targeting al Qaeda in Iraq and its senior leaders.

— While targeting al Qaeda in Hillah, coalition forces conducted a raid and detained nine suspected terrorists, including one individual believed to be a leader in the network.

— Coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists in an operation east of Balad, where they were targeting al Qaeda’s senior leadership.

— In Anbar province, coalition forces detained three individuals with suspected ties to al Qaeda senior leadership during two separate raids west of Taji.

— A suspected terrorist was detained when coalition forces raided an area north of Fallujah. The individual is believed to be in direct contact with senior al Qaeda leaders.

“Our targets continue to be those who network together to organize and execute attacks against innocent Iraqis,” said Army Lt. Col. Christopher Garver, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.

In another operation, Iraqi special operations forces captured a suspected terrorist cell leader near Balad Air Base yesterday. The suspect is accused of financing al Qaeda members for terrorist activities and kidnapping operations. Iraqi special operations forces initiated the raid with coalition forces present as advisors. Eight other individuals present during the operation also were detained.

Iraqi forces also confiscated a large amount of U.S. and Iraqi currency, cell phones and al Qaeda propaganda. Iraqi forces moved to detain these individuals acting on intelligence gathered from local citizens. This action was aimed at disrupting the ability of the suspected terrorists to kidnap and extort innocent civilians to finance the construction of improvised explosive devices, which are used against Iraqi and coalition forces, officials said.

In other news from Iraq, officials announced today that a senior commander in Multinational Division Baghdad was wounded in eastern Baghdad by small-arms fire May 3.

Col. B.D. Farris, commander of the 2nd “Falcon” Brigade Combat Team, 82nd Airborne Division, was conducting a site survey of temporary concrete barrier emplacements in the area when a single bullet hit him. Farris was treated and evacuated. He was reported to be in stable condition.

“He’s a great leader,” Maj. Gen. Joseph Fil, multinational Division Baghdad commander, said of Farris and the job his brigade has done in Baghdad’s Adhamiyah district.

“Our formations are filled with great leaders,” Fil continued. “As unfortunate as this event is, we train our soldiers to step up when needed. Col. John G. Castles II will take on temporary command of the Falcon Brigade. Commanding in a combat zone is a monumental responsibility, but I have full confidence in the capability and commitment of John to lead his paratroopers in the wake of this event.”

Castles is going to Baghdad from the U.S. Army Infantry School at Fort Benning, Ga.

Fil said Castles and other senior leaders of the division are focused on securing the people of Baghdad.

“Our commitment to the safety and security of the Iraqi people in Baghdad remains our paramount concern,” Fil said. “We remain committed to this mission. This attack only strengthens our resolve to eliminate extremist elements from the Iraqi capital.”

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=33074

Taliban Militants Detained; Afghans Report Weapons Cache

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, May 7, 2007 – Coalition forces detained five suspected Taliban militants in Zabul province, Afghanistan, today, and Afghan civilians led coalition and Afghan security forces to a weapons cache May 5 in Paktia province, military officials reported.

Coalition forces detained the five men after a raid on a compound in the Qalat district of the Zabul province early this morning. Credible evidence led the forces to the compound, where the suspected militants had a man positioned on the roof with a two-way radio, officials said. Coalition forces entered the compound, and two men fled the scene. The forces took them into custody.

The detainees are suspected of fighting and working for militants; one is an admitted Taliban extremist, officials said. Coalition forces inventoried the house, finding two AK-47 assault rifles, an RPK machine gun and two fragmentation grenades. The weapons were removed to a safe place and destroyed.

“Taliban fighters are working against the interest of peaceful Afghans, and their attempts to bring down the elected government will fail,” said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a coalition spokesman.

Elsewhere, local Afghan civilians reported the location of a munitions cache found in the Jaji district of Paktia province May 5 to Afghan National Police and coalition forces operating in the province. The recovered cache consisted of an assortment of 75 mm recoilless rounds, 107 mm rockets, land mines, hand grenades, and cases of anti-aircraft and heavy machine gun ammunition.

Just north in Nangarhar province, 32 munitions caches have been reported and recovered during the past five weeks to Afghan national security forces and coalition soldiers operating in the Jalalabad area, officials said. Afghan civilians in Nangarhar have facilitated the removal of significant munitions caches from every district bordering Pakistan and nearly all 26 districts within the province.

Afghan civilians who facilitate the recovery and turn-in of munitions caches are compensated for their efforts through the Small Rewards Program. The SRP was created to encourage and compensate Afghan civilians for their efforts to rid the country of weapons used by extremist and foreign fighters. Hundreds of 82 mm mortar rounds, 82 mm recoilless and rocket-propelled-grenade rounds and considerable amounts of various explosives have been recovered since April 1.

“Senior Afghan elders have taken an active role in improving the security and peace within their villages by facilitating the recovery of munitions caches,” Belcher said. “Their involvement with Afghan national security and coalition forces is crucial to rid the Afghan government of its enemies.”

(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 82 news releases.)

[Rushmore Rocks]

Looking forward to JTruth’s translation when it becomes available. What a blessing he and his talents have been to FreeRepublic.

(Sure hope the article does not get “spiked”.

[Cindy]

Yep, I appreciate JVeritas and all the document translations.

[jveritas]

Thank you very much. I will translate the document and post it on Free Republic once the Iraqi website put it up in its original Arabic format.

[Cindy]

QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1741897/posts?page=315#315

Thanks to ButThreeLeftsDo for the ping to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1829631/posts

“Flying while Muslim”
13ABC.com ^ | 5/7/07 | WTVG TV 13

Posted on 05/07/2007 9:28:24 AM PDT by ButThreeLeftsDo

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Muslims say when booking a flight, they feel everyone is watching them. Recently six Muslim Imams were removed from a flight in Minneapolis, sparking the national debate: is there such an issue as “flying while Muslim”, racially profiling Muslims after 9-11, or is it just prudent? Toledo area Muslims are aware of the controversy and many say they are deeply offended by it.”

315 posted on 05/07/2007 1:28:13 PM PDT by Cindy