Threat Matrix: September 2007

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[nwctwx]

The Birth of al Qaedastan

In the year 2016, the world may find itself gloomily marking September 6 as the tenth anniversary of the creation of the Islamic Emirate of Waziristan. The Emirate received de facto recognition when the Taliban used the name on the ceasefire agreement they signed with Pakistan on that day in 2006. If things go terribly wrong in the coming decade, they could come to rule a mountainous fragment of Pakistan and Afghanistan.

The Emirate would be a nightmare state: Osama bin Laden as sultan, Ayman al Zawahiri as vizier, and Mullah Omar the spiritual leader. An economy built on smuggling and heroin. Primary export: terrorism. Welcome to ‘Al Qaedastan’.

Analysts say the rise of a terrorist state straddling the rugged area between Pakistan and Afghanistan is now viable. The reason is a number of troubling trends. One, the revival of a Taliban firmly in the control of Al Qaeda. Two, the seeming inability of either Kabul or Islamabad to defeat the new threat militarily. Three, and the most striking, the Taliban’s systematic supplanting of the traditional tribal leadership in the area. Full story...

	Lebanon: Tiny Country, Big Threats
	Islamist Web Site Explains 'How to Join Al Qaeda'
	The Ongoing Hunt for Osama bin Laden

Threat Matrix:
September 2007

August 2007

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[Cindy]

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_930.html

Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520

This information is current as of today, Mon Sep 24 2007 03:34:32 GMT-0700.

PAKISTAN

September 21, 2007

[Cindy]

http://www.serbianna.com

#

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=kosovo&ie=UTF-8&scoring=n

#

http://www.rttnews.com/FOREX/politicalnews.asp?date=09/24/2007&item=8

“Blast Kills Two, Injures 11 In Kosovo’s Capital Pristina []”

9/24/2007 5:37:09 AM
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The blast comes ahead of the talks between ethnic Albanian leadership and a senior Serbian delegation, due later this week in New York. The talks are aimed at reaching a consensus on the final status of Kosovo, a former Serbian province.”

[Cindy]

RESOURCE LINK and numbers for those who are in New York:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/home/home.shtml

SNIPPET - QUOTE:

http://www.nyc.gov/html/nypd/html/home/contact_information.shtml

NYPD | Contact Information
Important Numbers

Emergency: 911

In the event you receive a busy signal while attempting to call 911, contact your local precinct. Locate precincts and telephone numbers below.

Non-Emergency: 311
Terrorism Hot-Line: 1-888-NYC-SAFE
Sex Crimes Report Line: 1-212-267-RAPE
Crime Stoppers: 1-800-577-TIPS
Crime Stoppers (Spanish): 1-888-57-PISTA
Cop Shot: 1-800-COP-SHOT
Missing Persons Case Status: 1-646-610-6914
Operation Gun Stop: 1-866-GUN-STOP
Organized Crime Control Bureau: 1-888-374-DRUG
NYPD Switchboard: 1-646-610-5000

[Cindy]

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1901260/posts

Boy Scouts Missing In Haywood County (NC)
WFMY news2 ^ | 9/24/07 | AP

Posted on 09/24/2007 3:59:41 AM PDT by Rb ver. 2.0

A search is underway in Haywood County for a group of Boy Scouts from Raleigh reported missing Sunday night.

Waynesville, NC — Emergency crews are hunting for a group of NC scouts who didn’t come home from a weekend trip.

A dispatcher says a call came in to the Haywood County Emergency Operations Center about 9:00 pm Sunday concerning a group of eight Boy Scouts and three adults who failed to return home Sunday evening from a weekend trip to the mountains.

Local firefighters and members of Haywood Emergency Management, Haywood Rescue and NC Fire Dogs were involved in a search near the Black Balsam Knob area of southern Haywood County.

[Cindy]

Google - Search News - by Date: BOY SCOUTS + MISSING
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&q=boy+scouts+%2B+missing&ie=UTF-8&scoring=n

[Donna Lee Nardo]

Thank you, JP. NYC should be interesting today to those who need to be there.

[drymans wife]

I watched it. I was very skeptical of how 60 Minutes
would be tough enough and I was pleasantly surprised.
Of course he didn’t get direct answers because he said
Muslims are not aloud to tell a lie. So he said is that
why you never answer a question. It is worth a watch.

[JustPiper]

[Godzilla]

placemark

[drymans wife]

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2007/September/middleeast_September313.xml&section=middleeast&col=

Iran judiciary seals offices of news Web site
(Reuters)

24 September 2007

TEHERAN - Iran’s judiciary has sealed off the offices of a popular news Web site critical of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s policies after journalists continued to update it despite official filtering, the Web site said.

Rights groups and diplomats say there is a broad crackdown on dissenting voices in the Islamic state, which is under growing Western pressure over its disputed nuclear programme. The authorities deny such moves, saying they allow free speech.

Blocking access to Baztab.com earlier this year was seen as part of the clampdown. Updates to the Web site, which is published in English and Farsi, were still available to Internet users outside Iran until the offices were sealed.

[drymans wife]

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2007/September/middleeast_September313.xml&section=middleeast&col=

Iran judiciary seals offices of news Web site
(Reuters)

24 September 2007

TEHERAN - Iran’s judiciary has sealed off the offices of a popular news Web site critical of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s policies after journalists continued to update it despite official filtering, the Web site said.

Rights groups and diplomats say there is a broad crackdown on dissenting voices in the Islamic state, which is under growing Western pressure over its disputed nuclear programme. The authorities deny such moves, saying they allow free speech.

Blocking access to Baztab.com earlier this year was seen as part of the clampdown. Updates to the Web site, which is published in English and Farsi, were still available to Internet users outside Iran until the offices were sealed.

[drymans wife]

As you can watch live or download for later on his comments to the Press Club about his shutting down websites.

http://www.foxnews.com/index.html

[drymans wife]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297801,00.html

RAN WATCH: News Agency Calls Sept. 11 Terror Attacks an ‘Incident’

Monday, September 24, 2007

Iran’s official reporting of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s visit to New York City calls the Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon that claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people an “incident.”

The report by FARS News agency also claims that “meetings with survivors and bereaved families” of the deadliest terror attack on America are on Ahmadinejad’s itinerary.

New York City officials refused to provide Iran’s president with access and security for an official visit to the World Trade Center site following a firestorm of criticism over his announced intention to do so.

The Islamic Republic News Agency (IRNA), the official voice of the foreign ministry, reported that Ahmadinejad also will “deliver a speech at Colombia University, and holding discussions with a number of American Muslim, Jewish and Christian leaders will be among his other programs.”

IRNA probably meant to say COLUMBIA University.

The state-run news agency also reported Ahmadinejad’s declaration “that no one can do any harm to the Iranian nation,” a reference to Iran’s defiance of U.N.-imposed sanctions in response to the rogue state’s ongoing program to develop nuclear weaponry.

“The world should know that the Iranian nation has fulfilled all its commitments regarding the treaty while those countries enjoying nuclear technology, despite their commitments and because of their selfish nature and monopolistic views, did not help Iran,” Ahmadinejad told IRNA, which added that Iran’s president was satisfied “with the return of Iran’s nuclear issue to the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).”

[Oorang]

I assume this is the same blast incident; a few more details in this article.

Bomb Blast in Kosovo Kills 2
Monday, September 24, 2007

PRISTINA, Serbia — A powerful blast ripped through several shops in Kosovo's capital early Monday, killing two people and injuring nine others, officials said. While the motive for the attack was unclear, Kosovo's government said it was not related to the U.N.-mediated negotiations on the province's demands for independence from Serbia.

The explosion happened around 2:30 a.m. local time in a shopping mall in the center of Pristina. Police said the blast was caused by an explosive device. All the victims were taken to a hospital, police spokesman Veton Elshani said. One was in critical condition. Initially police reported ten injured, but they later lowered the official toll to nine.

Excerpted

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,297816,00.html?sPage=fnc.world/europe

Vietnamese air passenger detained because of hiding grenades
2007-09-24

HANOI -- A Vietnamese man was detained after local security force found two grenades in his luggage before his departure from Vietnam's southern Ba Ria Vung Tau province to southern Ho Chi Minh City, local newspaper Young People reported Monday. The force detected the grenades in the luggage of the 24-year-old passenger named Duong Tien Thanh on Sunday when he was completing procedures for the flight of the Vietnam Air Services Company.

The flight took off on time. The case is now under investigation. In 2006, some Vietnamese passengers made bomb hoaxes on aircraft of Vietnam Airlines, the country's national flag carrier.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2007-09/24/content_6783082.htm

Explosives, Suicide Jackets Defused in Karachi
9/23/07

KARACHI: Bomb disposal squad has defused the 22 kg explosives, detonators and two suicide jackets found in front of Malir police station.

According to DIG East Mir Zubair, Madadgar 15 received a report that two bags were found in a trash in front of Malir City police station after which a bomb disposal squad was called in. Bomb disposal squad, during scrutinizing the bags defused 22 to 23 kilogram explosives, detonators and two suicide jackets. DIG East said that if the explosives were exploded, it might cause a massive destruction.

Excerpted

http://www.pakistantimes.net/2007/09/23/top13.htm#93

[drymans wife]

Big News Flash of the day.

According to The President of Iran....

Iranian women are the freest women of all the world.

There are no homosexuals in Iran.

I wonder what happened to them.

[Cindy]

GREAT NEWS Update:

Boy Scouts and leaders found unharmed.

http://www.charlotte.com/breaking_news/story/290774.html

Posted on Mon, Sep. 24, 2007

“Missing Boy Scouts found in mountains”
Group OK after overnight search
From Staff and Wire Reports
Video: Missing Scouts are found

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Eight Boy Scouts from Raleigh and their three adult leaders were found unharmed this morning in the mountains of North Carolina, where they had gone for a weekend camping trip.

Rodney Jones, assistant scout master with of Troop 217, announced this morning that the group had become lost and spent the night. “As the scout motto says, they were prepared and they did what they were supposed to,” Jones said.

Donna Johnson at the Boy Scouts’ Occoneechee Council office in Raleigh said the scouts had gotten off a trail Sunday evening and waited until daylight before resuming their hike. They were found about 9 a.m.”

[Cindy]

Thanks for the update drymans wife.

[Cindy]

“Explosives, Suicide Jackets Defused in Karachi”

Well now, thank you Oorang.
That is good news.

[flutters]

A little off topic but thought some might find this interesting. My old high school in West Virginia received a series of bomb threats today and Friday. The school is taking some major precautions...

PHS enacts strict rules after bomb threats

PARKERSBURG - Following two school days of bomb threats and canceled classes, Parkersburg High School will institute several precautions for Tuesday’s session.

Wood County Schools, city and county officials gathered on the front steps of PHS Monday afternoon to announce several new procedures beginning Tuesday and lasting until further notice.

Those procedures and restrictions are:

ö No on-campus parking for students. Principal Ralph Board said school doors will open at 6:50 a.m., and students who normally drive should make other arrangements and plan on arriving early. Parents providing transportation are asked to drop off students in the horseshoe in front of the school or at the rear cafeteria doors. Any parent visiting the school must park in the horseshoe visitor parking and report to the front office with identification.

ö No backpacks, duffle bags or large totes. Books and other supplies should be carried openly. Purses will be subject to search.

ö No electronic devices, which includes cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players and game systems.

ö Community Service students will remain on campus.

ö Those who attend classes at the Caperton or Technical centers are not permitted to drive, but must take county transportation to or from the school.

ö Continued law enforcement and fire department presence in and around the school.

All new procedures are in effect “until further notice,” officials said. Parents providing

The school was closed at noon Monday due to two morning bomb threats received by the Wood County Central Telecommunications. Law enforcement and emergency officials swept the building several times Monday, but found nothing.

The closure follows three bomb threats Friday, which closed the school and forced the cancelation and postponement of some homecoming week activities. The homecoming football game ran as scheduled but with increased police presence.

Officials are offering a $1,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons responsible for the calls. Officials declined to release details on the caller except to say it was an adult male. The tapes of the calls will not be released to the public, officials said.

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/News/articles.asp?articleID=20485

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1901472/posts

“’Al Qaeda Lost’”
Mid East Journal ^ | September 24, 2007 | Michael J. Totten

Posted on 09/24/2007 11:55:31 AM PDT by Kaslin

RAMADI, IRAQ