Threat Matrix: May 2007

Previous Thread ^

[Cindy]

http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373360
TERRORISM FOCUS

“JI Adopts New Strategy: Targeted Assassinations”
By Zachary Abuza

[Cindy]

http://www.internet-haganah.com/haganah/internet.html
http://internet-haganah.org/hmedia/27apr07/27apr07-salafy_forums.html

#

www.alfirdaws.org
www.alfirdaws/forum

#

http://internet-haganah.com/harchives/005961.html

16 March 2007
“AL-FIRDAWS FORUM MAKES NEWS
Palestinians swear allegiance to Bin Laden”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “It’s on our Top Ten list for a reason.”

#

http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373361
TERRORISM FOCUS

“Jihadi Website Advises Mujahideen on Equipment to Bring to Iraq”
By Erich Marquardt
(May 1, 2007)

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “On April 19, the jihadi website alfirdaws.org posted an in-depth article on the necessary equipment for the mujahideen in Iraq. The information was in response to a posting by a user who inquired about the most important equipment a fighter must prepare before joining the Iraqi jihad. In response, a user who goes by the alias “Terrorist 11” posted a long document from Sheikh Yusuf al-Uyayri (alternatively known as Yusuf a-Ayyiri), a Saudi-born top al-Qaeda strategist who was killed by Saudi security forces in 2003. The extensive document outlines various guerrilla tactics to be used by a mujahid fighter in a zone of conflict. Al-Uyayri describes a mujahid as a “multi-type combat businessman,” who must be prepared for many different situations. “

[angcat]

Thank you!

[callmejoe]

“NYC-DC-LA”

http://washingtontimes.com/national/20070501-105445-4737r.htm

Putin not able to track all nukes
By Bill Gertz
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
Published May 2, 2007 (snipped)

Russian President Vladimir Putin told President Bush he could not account for all of Moscow’s nuclear weapons at the same time al Qaeda was seeking to purchase three Russian nuclear devices on the black market, former CIA Director George J. Tenet said.

In his new book, Mr. Tenet states that shortly after the September 11 attacks, Mr. Bush briefed Mr. Putin about a Pakistani nongovernmental group, Umma Tameer-e-Nau. The group, whose members included extremist nuclear scientists, was helping the Taliban and al Qaeda develop nuclear arms.

The president “asked Putin point blank if Russia could account for all of its [nuclear] material,” he states in his book, “At the Center of the Storm.”

“Choosing his words carefully, the Russian president said he was confident he could account for everything — under his watch,” Mr. Tenet stated, noting that the deliberately ambiguous response tended to confirm reports of nuclear smuggling shortly after the 1991 collapse of the Soviet Union.

Mr. Tenet said the CIA informed Russian intelligence about former Soviet nuclear scientists who were working with al Qaeda.

Russian officials “refused to delve into any matters related to the security of their nuclear facilities and nuclear weapons, including reports sourced to Russian officials concerning possible theft of Russian ‘suitcase nukes,’ “ Mr. Tenet stated.

The comments contradict Russian government claims for the past 16 years that no nuclear arms were missing.

Alexander Lebed, a former Russian national security adviser, stated in 1997 that Russia could not account for about 80 portable nuclear weapons, a claim later denied by Moscow.

Mr. Tenet disclosed the presidential exchange in explaining detailed intelligence reports from late 2002 to spring 2003 stating that senior al Qaeda leaders were “negotiating for the purchase of three Russian nuclear devices.”

The former CIA chief identified the al Qaeda nuclear procurement group as including No. 2 leader Ayman al-Zawahri and Abdel al-Aziz al-Masri, who is described as the “nuclear chief” for the terrorist group. . .

[Velveeta]

Looks like we’ve come full circle to thread 1.

Gertz is ‘in the know’ on this and has been on this story for a long time:

Bin Laden said to have nukes
Report: Extent of fugitive leader’s arsenal ‘no longer a doubt’

Posted: April 28, 2001
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=22611

[jmcenanly]

ping

[Godzilla]

placemark

[fanfan]

Khawaja’s appeal denied

Wednesday, noon: Supreme court refuses terror suspect’s challenge of secrecy provisions

By SEAN McKIBBON, SUN MEDIA

The Federal Court of Canada has dismissed a constitutional challenge to the Canada Evidence Act by a man accused of terrorism.

Mohammed Momin Khawaja, facing seven terrorism-related charges under the Anti Terrorism Act, challenged a section of the evidence act which allows the government to present secret evidence to trial judges in ex parte hearings without the accused person being present.

However, Chief Justice Alan Lutfy of the federal court writes in his April 30 decision that while the section does violate the principle of open courts, it still takes into consideration the rights of accused persons and that a number of “procedural safeguards,” exist.

One of those safeguards, he writes, is that the Federal Court may where necessary, appoint a scrutiny cleared “amicus curiae,” lawyer to to read, hear, challenge and respond to the ex parte representations made on behalf of the government.

However Greenspon, responding to the decision, said he doesn’t believe the Canada Evidence Act allows for the appointment of an amicus curiae.

“If you make a secret hearing not secret anymore is it still unconstitutional? Probably not,” he said. “That’s not the question that was before the court.”

Greenspon said he and his client would wait to make a decision on appealing the decision until the release of another Federal Court decision expected later this week concerning disclosure of secret documents pertaining to the case.

Khawaja has been in jail for three years awaiting trial. Greenspon says he doesn’t believe his client’s criminal trial will begin before September.

Khawaja is accused of assisting a terror cell in the United Kingdom by allegedly designing a remote detonator for a fertilizer bomb and in securing funding for the organization.

This week a jury in London convicted five of the seven men initially accused of participating in the cell on a variety of terrorism-related counts.

link

[Cindy]

Article Snippet:

"Khawaja is accused of assisting a terror cell in the United Kingdom by allegedly designing a remote detonator for a fertilizer bomb and in securing funding for the organization."

THANKS for the update fanan. I appreciate it.

[Cindy]

THANKS callmejoe for pointing that out.

[Cindy]

“Looks like we’ve come full circle to thread 1.”

I agree.

[Cindy]

http://www.internet-haganah.com/haganah/internet.html
http://internet-haganah.org/hmedia/27apr07/27apr07-salafy_forums.html

http://www.jamestown.org/news_details.php?news_id=239

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“Kuwaiti Cleric Hamid al-Ali: The Bridge Between Ideology and Action
05/01/2007 - By Chris Heffelfinger (from Terrorism Monitor, April 26)”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Hamid bin Abdallah al-Ali is an influential Salafi cleric in Kuwait. He is designated by the U.S. government as a global terrorism financier and supporter, yet his website is registered in Vancouver in Washington state. Figures such as al-Ali are critical to the education and doctrine of Salafis—especially those that join the armed resistance of the jihadi movement—yet they often fall under the radar while they continue to radicalize thousands of followers. Part of the reason behind the lack of attention that clerics like al-Ali receive in the West is due to the pronounced cultural differences between opinion-makers in the United States and in the Muslim world. It would be hard to imagine a leading public figure in the United States composing lines of poetry, for example, in response to a security or political development. Yet, among Arabs—and true as well of Salafi-Jihadis—poetry remains a respected form of expression and one lauded by the elite. One of al-Ali’s poems, entitled “These Lines Were Composed By the Sheikh upon Hearing the News of Iran’s Nuclear Announcement,” published on http://h-alali.net on April 10, was read by more than 6,300 users. The poem offered al-Ali’s historical perspectives on Iran’s potential rise to power (in a fashion typical of his strong position against Shiite Muslims). However, the dense religious rhetoric typical of Salafi clerics, more than anything, prevents the West from understanding the message and importance of these individuals.”

[Cindy]

http://www.internet-haganah.com/haganah/internet.html
http://internet-haganah.org/hmedia/27apr07/27apr07-salafy_forums.html

#

More Details:

http://www.internet-haganah.com/harchives/006031.html

02 May 2007
“Abu Yahya al-Libi gives Hamas what for”

SNIPPET: “We admit, we think the shirt and vest are nice.
Someone make a note to dress him in that same outfit when he’s dead
(assuming there’s anything left to dress).

Download your own copy (yes, it’s in Arabic, and no, it’s not subtitled)

Al-Qaeda video urges ‘bombs, fire’ on Israel”

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Previously:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1826963/posts?page=18#18

N THE NET...

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

http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=jihad&ID=SP156707

Special Dispatch Series - No. 1567
May 2, 2007 No.1567

“Islamist Websites Monitor No. 93
Islamist Video: Interview with an Al-Qaeda Commander in Afghanistan”

SNIPPET: “On April 28, 2007, Islamist websites posted a 43-minute video featuring an interview with Sheikh Abu Laith Al-Libi, who is introduced in the film as “one of the leaders of Al-Qaeda in Khorasan, [Afghanistan].” The film was produced by Al-Qaeda’s media company Al-Sahab and is accompanied by English subtitles. The following are the main points of the interview.

Abu Laith states that the long-term goal of jihad is to establish Islam throughout the world, while its short-term goal is to rescue the Muslims from the oppression to which they are subject.”

SNIPPET: “The video can be viewed at: http://switch3.castup.net/cunet/gm.asp?ClipMediaID=807019&ak=null “

18 posted on 05/01/2007 10:08:07 PM PDT by Cindy

[Oorang]

Excellent links, thanks to both of you.

[Oorang]

The training camp in Africa is disconcerting. I sometimes wonder if we ever make any headway in the WOT or is it akin to the dog chasing his tail. *sigh*

[Cindy]

ON THE NET...

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

http://www.internet-haganah.com/haganah/internet.html
http://sfir-arabicsource.blogspot.com

#

http://www.internet-haganah.com/harchives/006030.html

02 May 2007
“PIJ takes a swing at Qaradawi
And Qaradawi being the Muslim Brotherhood, and Hamas being the Muslim Brotherhood, well, you get the idea...”

#

http://www.internet-haganah.com/harchives/006029.html

02 May 2007
“Hamas’ dirty little war against the Salaf”

http://sfir-arabicsource.blogspot.com/2007/05/blog-post_1977.html

[Cindy]

“I sometimes wonder if we ever make any headway in the WOT or is it akin to the dog chasing his tail.”

OPINION: I know what you mean.
I think the answer is both.
Somedays we’re way ahead of the game
and some days it seems like the fleas
are having a circus on the dog’s tail.

[Cindy]

Note: The following text (minus the photos/graphic) is a quote:

http://www.internet-haganah.com/harchives/006028.html

02 May 2007
OSINT: US troops in Morocco for training exercises

Yes they know all about it, and no they are not happy.
Posted on 02 May 2007 @ 08:27

[fanfan]

Your welcome.

:-)

[Cindy]

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

#
http://www.internet-haganah.com/harchives/006027.html

02 May 2007
“Germany gives terrorists free use of the Internet
File under Self-Inflicted Wound”