Threat Matrix: December 2007

Calculating the Risks in Pakistan

A small group of U.S. military experts and intelligence officials convened in Washington for a classified war game last year, exploring strategies for securing Pakistan's nuclear arsenal if the country's political institutions and military safeguards began to fall apart.

The secret exercise — conducted without official sponsorship from any government agency, apparently due to the sensitivity of its subject — was one of several such games the U.S. government has conducted in recent years examining various options and scenarios for Pakistan's nuclear weapons: How many troops might be required for a military intervention in Pakistan? Could Pakistani nuclear bunkers be isolated by saturating the surrounding areas with tens of thousands of high-powered mines, dropped from the air and packed with anti-tank and anti-personnel munitions? Or might such a move only worsen the security of Pakistan's arsenal?
Full story...

	Musharraf: U.S. Shares Blame for Pakistan and Afghanistan
	Bin Laden's Message to the Europeans
	Messages from bin Laden Since 9-11

Threat Matrix:
December 2007

November 2007

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Theat Matrix Handbook

Theat Matrix 'BOLO'

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Preparedness

Daughter of imam under police guard for converting (U.K.)
December 6, 2007

The daughter of a British imam is under police protection after she received death threats from her family for converting to Christianity. The woman, aged 32, whose father is a Muslim imam in Lancashire, has moved house 45 times to escape detection by her family since she became a Christian 15 years ago.

Hannah, who uses a pseudonym to hide her identity, told The Times that she became a Christian after she ran away from home at 16 to escape an arranged marriage. The threats against her became more serious a month ago, prompting police to offer her protection in case of an attempt on her life. She was speaking on the eve of the opening of Lapido Media, a charity that is seeking to promote “religious literacy” in world affairs.

Muslims in Britain who wish to convert to Christianity are living in fear of their lives because of Islamic apostasy laws, a senior Church of England bishop will warn at the invitaton-only charity event in West London. Dr Michael Nazir-Ali, the Bishop of Rochester, will claim that “freedom to believe” is under threat in Britain because of Islamic hostility to conversion. He will call on society to offer greater protection, by increasing understanding of what makes people vulnerable.

Hannah, who gives talks to churches on Islam, has been in hiding since her home was attacked by a group of men armed with knives, axes and hammers, in 1994. The latest threat was a text message from one of her brothers, warning that he could not be responsible for his actions if she did not return to Islam. “I know the Koran says that anyone who goes away from Islam should be killed as an apostate so in some ways my family are following the Koran. They are following Islam to the word. But I do not think every Muslim would actually act on that,” she said.

Earlier this year, a Policy Exchange study found that 36 per cent of British Muslims aged between 16 and 24 believed those who converted to another religion should be punished by death.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article3007677.ece

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

Thanks to DC for pointing to this article:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1935001/posts

“Two doctors die as Uganda Ebola toll climbs to 21”
Yahoo News ^ | 12-05-07
Posted on 12/05/2007 6:33:24 AM PST by Mother Abigail
Wed Dec 5, 3:17 AM ET

KAMPALA (AFP)

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=48325

Coalition Captures Weapons, Foreign Terrorist Facilitators

American Forces Press Service

BAGHDAD, Dec. 5, 2007 – Coalition forces detained 10 suspected terrorists during operations today to disrupt al Qaeda operations in central and northern Iraq, military officials reported.

In Baghdad, coalition forces captured a wanted individual believed to be involved in terrorist media and propaganda operations. The wanted individual allegedly is associated with foreign-terrorist-facilitation networks operating in the region and weapons facilitators detained by coalition forces during operations Nov. 17 and 18. The ground force discovered a large amount of terrorist propaganda materials on site.

Further north, coalition forces captured another wanted individual believed to be involved in weapons facilitation and car-bomb attacks in Tikrit. Reports indicate the suspect is associated with other al Qaeda in Iraq weapons facilitators operating in the southern belt terrorist network.

During an operation in Hadid, the ground force detained a wanted individual involved in al Qaeda in Iraq media and propaganda operations. The suspect allegedly is associated with several al Qaeda in Iraq members recently detained or killed by coalition forces, including the terrorist media cell leader for Diyala province who was killed during an operation yesterday.

In other operations in Samarra and Mosul, coalition forces detained seven suspected terrorists while targeting al Qaeda in Iraq associates involved in improvised-explosive-device attacks and foreign terrorist facilitation.

“Our operations are steadily chipping away at the al Qaeda in Iraq networks,” said Army Maj. Winfield Danielson, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman. “We will continue to pressure these terrorists who conduct brutal attacks on the Iraqi people until al Qaeda cannot recover.”

(From a Multinational Force Iraq news release.)

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=48326

Several Militants Killed in Afghanistan Operation

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 5, 2007 – Several militants were killed yesterday during a coalition operation to disrupt foreign-fighter and weapons facilitation networks in Afghanistan’s Helmand province, military officials reported.

In the Garmsir district of Helmand province, coalition forces targeted an individual believed to be associated with weapons smuggling operations in the province. Reports indicate the individual is associated with a Taliban leader responsible for facilitating the weapons and explosives recovered and destroyed during a Nov. 16 coalition operation. The individual is reported to have knowledge of foreign fighter movements throughout the area.

Coalition forces conducted a search of several compounds in the district. While performing a search of one of the compounds, coalition forces killed several armed militants who posed an imminent threat. After hostilities ceased, coalition forces recovered several weapons and explosives, which were removed to prevent their use by extremist forces.

“Coalition forces have taken another significant step in the effort to disrupt the weapons facilitation and foreign-fighter networks in Afghanistan,” said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a Combined Joint Task Force 82 spokesman.

In other Afghanistan developments, coalition forces positively identified one of the militants killed in a Dec. 2 precision munitions strike in the Musa Qaleh district of Helmand province as former Taliban senior commander Mullah Ikhalas. He is reported to be responsible for the March 5 kidnapping of Italian journalist Daniele Mastrogiacomo, as well as the journalist’s interpreter and driver. Taliban insurgents executed the interpreter and driver. Reports also indicated Ikhalas was responsible for a number of mortar attacks on coalition bases, as well as several IED attacks.

“The death of Mullah Ikhalas is a significant blow to the Taliban command structure in Afghanistan,” Belcher said.

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

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=ms13

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1935409/posts

http://www.wfaa.com/sharedcontent/dws/wfaa/latestnews/stories/wfaa071205_mo_ms13.6eddea77.html

“Violent El Salvador gang infiltrates North Texas”
05:56 PM CST on Wednesday, December 5, 2007
By REBECCA LOPEZ / WFAA-TV

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “DALLAS - Considered the most violent gang in the United States, MS-13 members enter the country illegally and then commit some of the most violent crimes.

Despite being deported twice already, two alleged members were arrested in Dallas Tuesday.

MS-13, also known as Mara Salvatrucha, is so notorious, two years ago the FBI made the group one of its top priorities to dismantle. Authorities said they are a threat to the country because they smuggle drugs and illegal immigrants across the border, and then murder, rape and rob victims within the U.S.”

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

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=iran
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1935421/posts

“Chinese banks put curbs on Iran”

Financial Times ^ | Wed Dec 5, 5:05 PM ET | By Najmeh Bozorgmehr in Tehran, and Jamil Anderlini and Richard McGregor in Beijing
Posted on 12/05/2007 7:03:37 PM PST by DeaconBenjamin

blog:

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=28174_BBC_Knew_of_Terrorist_Activity_Didnt_Tell_Cops&only

“BBC Knew of Terrorist Activity, Didn’t Tell Cops”
Wed, Dec 5, 2007 at 9:45:13 am PST

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/crime/article3001102.ece

From The Times
December 5, 2007
“BBC ‘took terrorist trainers paintballing’”
Adam Sherwin, Media Correspondent

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The BBC funded a paintballing trip for men later accused of Islamic terrorism and failed to pass on information about the 21/7 bombers to police, a court was told yesterday.”

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

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1935455/posts

France to sell Libya up to 14(Rafale) fighter jets - report
Reuters ^ | Wed Dec 5, 2007 | Nick Antonovics & Jean-Michel Belot
Posted on 12/05/2007 8:45:33 PM PST by sukhoi-30mki
France to sell Libya up to 14 fighter jets - report

Wed Dec 5, 2007

PARIS, Dec 5 (Reuters) - France could sell between 10 and 14 “Rafale” combat aircraft to Libya during a state visit to Paris by Muammar Gaddafi, La Tribune newspaper reported on Wednesday.

Dassault Aviation (AVMD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), which builds the Rafale, declined to comment on the report. The office of French President Nicolas Sarkozy also declined to comment. Gaddafi is due to visit France for five days from Dec. 10, La Tribune said. It will be his first visit in more than 30 years.

The newspaper said Libya was seeking the Rafale for its special forces and was also seeking to buy between eight and 12 “Tiger” helicopters, made by EADS-subsidiary Eurocopter (EAD.PA: Quote, Profile, Research), and two naval patrol boats.

The visit should also formalise the sale of Airbus A350 XWB and other aircraft to two Libyan airlines, it said.

Sarkozy signed defence and nuclear energy accords during a controversial visit to Libya in July that followed Libya’s release of foreign medics jailed for eight years for allegedly infecting children with HIV.

Paris denied the arms and nuclear deals were a trade off for the release of the Bulgarian nurses and other medics. (Reporting by Nick Antonovics and Jean-Michel Belot; Editing by David Holmes)

RECAP:

http://truthusa.com/a/index.php?topic=456.0

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6939216.stm

BBC NEWS: “LIBYA ‘TORTURED’ BULGARIAN MEDICS” (SNIPPET: “”Yes, they were tortured by electricity and they were threatened that their family members would be targeted’” -Saif al-Islam Gaddafi”)
(Last updated August 9, 2007, 16:59 GMT, 17:59 UK)

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=26507_None_Dare_Call_It_Ransom&only

LittleGreenFootballs.com - blog: “NONE DARE CALL IT RANSOM”
(August 2, 2007)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/6927939.stm

BBC NEWS.com: “BULGARIA ‘TO WAIVE LIBYAN DEBT’”
(Last updated August 2, 2007, 13:32 GMT, 14:32 UK)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1873618/posts

FreeRepublic.com - Discussion Forum (THE GUARDIAN - UK): “FREED DOCTOR DESCRIBES TORTURE ORDEAL INSIDE LIBYAN JAIL”
(Posted on July 30, 2007)

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=libya
FreeRepublic.com - Key Word: “LIBYA”

The latest update I can find tonight:

http://www.cbs8.com/stories/story.110945.html

>>An apparently bogus bomb threat, coupled with the subsequent discovery Wednesday of a suspicious object in a medical building at the UCSD campus, prompted the evacuation of several hundred students and faculty.

A telephone caller, reportedly of the Animal Liberation Front, issued the menacing message in the mid-morning, targeting the Leichtag Family Foundation Biomedical Research Building, university officials reported.

The explosives team had to clear areas surrounding the spot where the possible bomb was found before approaching the object itself, Luque said.

In the late afternoon, the personnel determined via X-ray that the device was harmless. They then began sweeping the other floor floors of the building for any other potentially hazardous items or materials, Luque said.

The FBI also was taking part in the investigation, he said.<<

And I agree with you wholeheartedly Myrddin, treat them as the terrorists they are.

OPINION -

I read the INN article twice and I must say
I don’t understand this.

I would say a lot more, but I just deleted
my message.

My words aren’t adequate.

Cindy

###
###

Thanks to Esther Ruth and Jet Jaguar for the ping to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1935459/posts

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/124487

26 Kislev 5768, December 6, ‘07

Photo Caption: “Arming terrorists, disarming Jews.”

Published: 12/05/07, 11:03 PM
“Judea and Samaria: IDF Rounding Up Jews’ Weapons”
by Gil Ronen

(IsraelNN.com) The IDF is conducting a large scale operation to confiscate weapons from the Jewish residents of Judea and Samaria, according to Channel 10 TV. The purpose of the operation is described as “putting the settlers’ gun permits in order.” The security coordinators of the communities in Samaria have been summoned to a meeting with IDF officers Thursday; community leaders are convinced that the IDF intends to collect many of the weapons in the Jewish communities in Judea and Samaria.

Hillel Reinus of Yitzhar said: “I have no idea who is giving the order, it seems to be coming from up high, but they’ve decided to take the weapons away from everybody.” Another resident of the community, Igal Amitai, added, “They are abandoning citizens, it is an irresponsibile act, but everything pales compared to reality.”

‘This amounts to making the settlers fair game’”

http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/ct_31207e.htm

Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC)
December 3, 2007

“The Israeli security forces detained a terrorist squad of three Fatah operatives, two of whom were members of the Palestinian national security services. They carried out the drive-by shooting which killed Ido Zoldan near Kedumim.”

blog:

http://www.americanthinker.com/2007/12/the_key_question_about_the_nie.html

December 05, 2007
“The Key Question about the NIE’s Key Judgment”
By Herbert E. Meyer

SNIPPET: “In the Intelligence business, you get paid for just one thing: to be right.

So here’s the key question about the Key Judgment of the National Intelligence Council’s new National Intelligence Estimate on Iran’s nuclear intentions and capabilities: Is this judgment supported by the evidence?

The judgment that’s stirring up all the controversy — and it’s a real shocker — comes in the very first sentence: We judge with high confidence that in fall 2003, Tehran halted its nuclear weapons program. The judgment is astonishing for two reasons. First, it flies in the face of virtually everything we know - or thought we knew — about the Iranian regime, its capabilities and its intentions. Second, If the new Key Judgment is correct it means that Iran had halted its nuclear weapons program fully two years before publication of the National Intelligence Council’s 2005 Estimate on this same subject, which concluded “with high confidence” that Iran “currently is determined to develop nuclear weapons.”

Let’s hope that the new Key Judgment is correct, because it would be very good news for world peace — although it would raise the troubling question of how our Intelligence Community could have been so wrong back in 2005. But if the new Key Judgment is incorrect — in other words, if Iran in fact is now building nuclear weapons — the political impact of its publication will be catastrophic. That’s because it will make it virtually impossible for President Bush to stop the Iranians by launching a military attack on their nuclear facilities or by working covertly to overthrow the regime itself. And, of course, it would raise even more troubling questions about the capabilities of our Intelligence Community.

Skepticism is Warranted”

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

blog:

http://hotair.com/archives/2007/12/05/shock-aclu-official-files-racial-profiling-lawsuit/
(MSNBC.msn.com)

“Shock: ACLU official files ‘racial profiling’ lawsuit”
POSTED AT 10:58 AM ON DECEMBER 5, 2007 BY BRYAN

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Logan officials say race played no role in the decision to question Downing. The first trooper to ask Downing for identification was black, and three of the four officers who arrived later were also black, according to court documents. The first trooper said he became suspicious when he saw Downing watching him.

Airport officials insisted behavior-pattern recognition helps strengthen security and does not involve racial profiling.

“We welcome the opportunity to defend the program in court,” said Matthew Brelis, a spokesman for the Massachusetts Port Authority, which operates the airport.”

UPDATE:

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewForeignBureaus.asp?Page=/ForeignBureaus/archive/200712/INT20071205b.html

“Hospital Defends Plans to Turn Patients’ Beds to Face Mecca”
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com International Editor
December 05, 2007

(CNSNews.com) -

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “In reaction to the media reports, the hospital issued a new statement on Tuesday, calling the coverage “entirely inaccurate.””

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