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New thread - http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1981084/posts |
Posted on 02/01/2008 6:55:58 PM PST by nwctwx
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Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16961&Itemid=21
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080211-07
February 11, 2008
1,000 landmines unearthed
Multi-National Division – Center PAO
FORWARD OPERATING BASE KALSU, Iraq – One thousand landmines were unearthed in a weapons cache Feb. 3.
Coalition Forces and Iraqi Army Soldiers found a total of six weapons caches during the joint operation northeast of Iskandariyah.
The operation was designed to locate weapons caches and deprive al-Qaeda in Iraq of their ability to attack Iraqi and Coalition forces.
In addition to the 1,000 landmines, a substantial amount of munitions was found in two other caches, including 24, 57 mm rounds; nine, 130 mm artillery rounds; and 60 pounds of unknown bulk explosives.
The other three caches contained lesser amounts of munitions and improvised explosive device-making materials.
The caches were destroyed with the assistance of air support and an explosive ordnance disposal team.
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Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16960&Itemid=21
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080211-04
February 11, 2008
Iraqi Army, Coalition Forces find large explosives cache
Multi-National Division – North PAO
MOSUL, Iraq – The Iraqi Army and Coalition Forces discovered more than 400 pounds of homemade explosives in a large cache Feb. 10 while searching houses in eastern Mosul in support of Operation Phantom Phoenix...
While searching homes in a known insurgent neighborhood, the ISF and CF found the cache. Additionally, the cache held a large amount of explosives including pressure plate IEDs, TNT, blasting caps, an unknown liquid, ball bearings and other materials used to make IEDs.
“Once again the insurgents have decided to store large amounts of explosive materials in residential areas, showing a complete disregard to the safety of Iraqi citizens,” said Maj. Gary Dangerfield, 3d Armored Cavalry Regiment spokesman.
Due to the instability of the structure and the amount of explosives in the cache, it was determined that the explosives had to be detonated in place. The Iraqi army and Coalition Forces notified residents, evacuated the area, and conducted a controlled detonation.
The blast resulted in minor damage to five adjacent homes. Residents of those homes will be compensated.
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Well now, great news just keeps rolling in...
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Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16967&Itemid=21
Press Release A080211a
February 11, 2008
Coalition Forces capture Special Groups commander, Iraqi Police assist
BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition Forces, with assistance from the Iraqi Police, captured a suspected Special Groups commander and detained one other suspect early Monday during operations in the Hillah area, south of Baghdad.
The targeted individual was reportedly in charge of Special Groups criminal elements in Wasit, Babil and Najaf provinces. He was allegedly involved in the coordination of Special Groups weapon shipments, and the planning of attacks against Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces. Reports also indicate he was an associate of several other senior-level criminal element leaders involved in attacks on Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces.
Intelligence led ground forces to the target area where they captured the wanted individual and the other suspected criminal without incident.
The Iraqi Police facilitated the operation by directing local Iraqi citizens away from the target area during the assault. Additionally, they conducted a follow-on investigation of the target area after the mission concluded.
“Iraqi Police and Coalition Forces remain steadfast in our commitment to pursue criminal elements that are not honoring al-Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr’s ceasefire pledge,” said Lt. Michael Street, MNF-I spokesperson. “Those who commit indiscriminate acts of violence will not be tolerated.”
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Thank you, Cindy. It is an unusual case. I’ll forward this to some friends to pray on his behalf.
Thank you jer33 3.
I do apprecite that.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=china
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February 11, 2008
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/February/08_nsd_105.html
Defense Department Official and Two Others Arrested on Espionage Charges Involving China
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Tai Shen Kuo, age 58, and Yu Xin Kang, age 33, both of New Orleans, Louisiana, and Gregg William Bergersen, age 51, of Alexandria, Virginia, were arrested today on espionage charges related to the passage of classified U.S. government documents and information to the government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC).
Both Kuo and Kang were charged by criminal complaint with conspiracy to disclose national defense information to a foreign government, in violation of 18 U.S.C., Section 794(a) and (c). Bergersen was charged in a separate complaint with conspiracy to disclose national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it, in violation of 18 U.S.C., Section 793(d) and (g).
Kenneth L. Wainstein, Assistant Attorney General for National Security; U.S. Attorney Chuck Rosenberg of the Eastern District of Virginia; and Arthur M. Cummings, II, Executive Assistant Director of the FBI’s National Security Branch, made the announcement today. Bergersen and Kuo are scheduled to make their initial appearances in federal court in Alexandria today. Kang will make her initial appearance in federal court in New Orleans.
“Today’s prosecution demonstrates that foreign spying remains a serious threat in the post-Cold War world. The conspiracy charged in this case has all the elements of a classic espionage operation: a foreign government focused on accessing our military secrets; foreign operatives who effectively use stealth and guile to gain that access; and an American government official who is willing to betray both his oath of public office and the duty of loyalty we rightly demand from every American citizen. Such espionage networks pose a grave danger to our national security, and we should all thank the investigators and prosecutors on this case for effectively penetrating and dismantling this network before more sensitive information was compromised,” said Assistant Attorney General Wainstein.
U.S. Attorney Rosenberg stated: “Those who compromise classified national security information betray the enormous responsibility and trust placed in them by our government and the American people.”
According to court documents, the criminal conduct spanned a two-year period from January 2006 to February 2008. Kuo, a naturalized U.S. citizen and New Orleans businessman, gathered national defense information on behalf of the government of the PRC.
Working under the direction of an individual identified in the complaint affidavit only as “PRC Official A,” Kuo cultivated friendships with Bergersen and others within the U.S. government and obtained from them — for ultimate passage to the PRC — sensitive U.S. government information, including classified national defense information. Much of the information pertained to U.S. military sales to Taiwan.
Bergersen, a Weapons Systems Policy Analyst at the Arlington, Va.-based Defense Security Cooperation Agency, an agency within the Department of Defense, was charged with being the source of the classified information collected by Kuo. Kang, a citizen of the PRC and a Lawful Permanent Resident of the United States, served as a conduit of information between PRC Official A and Kuo.
Meetings between Kuo and Bergersen took place at various locations in Northern Virginia, Charleston, South Carolina, and Las Vegas. On some occasions, Bergersen received undetermined cash payments from Kuo in exchange for information and documents he provided.
Kuo and Kang each face up to life in prison if convicted of conspiracy to disclose national defense information to a foreign government. Bergersen faces up to ten years in prison if convicted of conspiracy to disclose national defense information to persons not entitled to receive it.
The investigation was conducted by the FBI. The Air Force Office of Special Investigations (OSI) provided substantial assistance and cooperation throughout the course of the investigation.
The prosecution is being handled by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Neil Hammerstrom and Aaron Zebley from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia, and Trial Attorney Ryan Fayhee from the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division.
Criminal complaints are only charges and not evidence of guilt. A defendant is presumed to be innocent until and unless proven guilty.
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08-105
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=china
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February 11, 2008
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/February/08_nsd_106.html
Former Boeing Engineer Charged with Economic Espionage in Theft of Space Shuttle Secrets for China
WASHINGTON, D.C. — A former Boeing engineer was arrested this morning after being indicted last week on charges of economic espionage and acting as an unregistered foreign agent of the People’s Republic of China (PRC), for whom the engineer stole Boeing trade secrets related to several aerospace programs, including the Space Shuttle.
Dongfan “Greg” Chung, 72, of Orange, Calif., who was employed by Rockwell International from 1973 until its defense and space unit was acquired by Boeing in 1996, was arrested without incident at his residence by special agents with the Federal Bureau of Investigation and investigators with NASA. Chung, who is expected to make his initial court appearance here this afternoon, was named in an indictment returned last Wednesday by a federal grand jury.
The indictment accuses Chung of eight counts of economic espionage, one count of conspiracy to commit economic espionage, one count of acting as an unregistered foreign agent without prior notification to the Attorney General, one count of obstruction of justice, and three counts of making false statements to FBI investigators.
Chung, a native of China who is a naturalized United States citizen, held a Secret security clearance when he worked at Rockwell and Boeing on the Space Shuttle program. He retired from the company in 2002, but the next year he returned to Boeing as a contractor, a position he held until September 2006. The indictment alleges that he took and concealed Boeing trade secrets relating to the Space Shuttle, the C-17 military transport aircraft and the Delta IV rocket. Chung allegedly obtained the materials for the benefit of the PRC.
“Certain foreign governments are committed to obtaining the American trade secrets that can advance the development of their military capabilities. Today’s case demonstrates that the Justice Department is equally committed to foiling those efforts through the arrest and prosecution of those who conduct economic espionage at the expense of our economic and national security,” said Assistant Attorney General for National Security, Kenneth L. Wainstein.
United States Attorney Thomas P. O’Brien stated: “Mr. Chung is accused of stealing restricted technology that had been developed over many years by engineers who were sworn to protect their work product because it represented trade secrets. Disclosure of this information to outside entities like the PRC would compromise our national security.”
The case against Chung is related to an investigation into another engineer who worked in the United States and obtained sensitive military information for the PRC. The man, Chi Mak, and several of his family members were convicted last year of providing defense articles to the PRC (see: www.usdoj.gov/usao/cac/pressroom/pr2007/074.html). Mak is scheduled to be sentenced on March 24.
According to the indictment that was unsealed this morning, individuals in the Chinese aviation industry began sending Chung “tasking” letters as early as 1979. Over the years, the letters directed Chung to collect specific technological information, including data related to the Space Shuttle and various military and civilian aircraft. Chung allegedly responded in one letter indicating a desire to contribute to the “motherland.”
In various letters to his handlers in the PRC, Chung referenced engineering manuals he had collected and sent to the PRC, including 24 manuals relating to the B-1 Bomber that Rockwell had prohibited from disclosure outside of the company. According to the indictment, between 1985 and 2003, Chung made multiple trips to the PRC to deliver lectures on technology involving the Space Shuttle and other programs, and during those trips he met with officials and agents of the PRC government. The indictment alleges that Chung and PRC officials exchanged letters that discussed cover stories for Chung’s travel to China and recommended methods for passing information, including suggestions that Chung use Chi Mak to transmit information.
The indictment describes a May 2, 1987 letter from Gu Weihao, an official in the Ministry of Aviation and China Aviation Industry Corporation, which discussed the possibility of inviting Chung’s wife, who is an artist, to visit an art institute so that Chung could use the cover of traveling with his wife as an excuse to travel to the PRC. This same letter suggested that passing information to the PRC through Chi Mak would be “faster and safer” and concluded with the statement: “It is your honor and China’s fortune that you are able to realize your wish of dedicating yourself to the service of your country.” The indictment describes a second letter from Gu Weihao, dated April 12, 1988, which asked Chung to provide information on “advanced technologies.” This letter stated that Rebecca Mak was in the PRC and she had reported that Chung and the Maks had a good relationship.
“The FBI is committed to protecting America’s assets from foreign thievery,” said Salvador Hernandez, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Los Angeles Field Office. “The arrest and indictment of Mr. Chung should serve as a reminder to those who would compromise the economic and physical security of the United States by stealing proprietary information. The FBI will continue to work with NASA, the defense community and other federal agencies to safeguard our nation’s technology.”
Each charge of economic espionage carries a maximum possible penalty of 15 years in prison and a $500,000 fine. The charges of acting as an agent of a foreign government without prior notification to the Attorney General and obstruction of justice each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The charges of conspiracy to commit economic espionage and making a false statement to federal investigators each carry a maximum possible penalty of five years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.
An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt
The investigation in this case was conducted jointly by the FBI and NASA Counterintelligence. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Greg Staples and Ivy Wang, from the Central District of California.
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08-106
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=48929
Coalition Troops in Iraq Capture 20 Insurgents
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2008 – Coalition forces captured 20 suspected terrorists during a series of operations conducted across Iraq today, military officials said.
— North of Mahmudiya, coalition forces captured an alleged leader involved in the al Qaeda in Iraq network in Baghdad’s southern belt. That network is stunned after recent successes achieved against its leadership, to include the detention of a key facilitator and the network’s deputy leader, officials said. Three more al Qaeda leaders were killed during a recent air strike. Six more suspected terrorists were captured during the operation, which also yielded protective gear, weapons and three military-style assault vests.
— Coalition forces and Iraqi police in Hillah captured a suspected Iranian-trained “special groups” commander and detained another suspect. The targeted individual is linked to special groups elements in Wasit, Babil and Najaf provinces. He also is tied to terrorist weapons shipments and planning attacks against Iraqi and coalition forces.
— In Mosul, coalition forces captured an alleged al Qaeda cell leader believed to be involved in attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces and to be associated with numerous terrorist leaders in the region. The ground force also detained four other suspected terrorists.
— In eastern Mosul, coalition forces detained an additional six suspects while targeting a foreign-terrorist facilitator also responsible for coordinating attacks against coalition and Iraqi forces
In yesterday’s operations:
— North of Mosul, coalition forces targeted an associate of a senior foreign-terrorist facilitator with connections to al Qaeda senior leaders. The targeted individual is linked to foreign terrorists and a group of suicide bombers. Coalition forces engaged two men, killing one and wounding the other. The wounded individual was detained, along with two other suspects.
— A “Sons of Iraq” citizens security group came under small-arms attack at its compound in Sinjar. Several insurgents and five group members were killed in the firefight, as well as two local women and three children. The incident is under investigation.
— Iraqi and coalition forces found more than 400 pounds of homemade explosives in a large cache while searching houses in eastern Mosul. The cache held a large amount of explosives including pressure-plate bombs, dynamite, blasting caps, an unknown liquid, ball bearings and other materials used to make roadside bombs. “Once again, the insurgents have decided to store large amounts of explosive materials in residential areas, showing a complete disregard to the safety of Iraqi citizens,” said Maj. Gary Dangerfield, a U.S. Army spokesman. The cache was destroyed in place.
— U.S. soldiers detained a suspect at the Rashid hospital in eastern Baghdad. The suspect allegedly is linked to al Qaeda in Iraq terrorist activities, including recent suicide bombings.
— A terrorist vehicle bomb detonated in an outdoor marketplace east of Balad, killing 23 civilians and injuring 39 other people. All of the injured have been evacuated to Balad hospital for further treatment.
— Terrorists attacked a group of Iraqi civilians in Ninevah province, which resulted in the deaths of two men and one child, as well as the injury of two men, two women and two infants. The incident is under investigation.
Also yesterday southeast of Samarra near the Hamrin Mountains, coalition forces targeted an al Qaeda in Iraq explosives facilitator involved in the suicide-bombing network in the Diyala River Valley. Coalition forces followed the suspect’s vehicle and fired multiple warning shots in an attempt to get him to stop, but he did not comply. An individual in the car was seen reaching for a weapon, and perceiving hostile intent, coalition forces engaged. Upon impact, secondary explosions erupted from the vehicle, indicating explosives were inside. The other passenger managed to get out of the vehicle before the explosion and was armed with a machine gun. Coalition forces engaged the perceived threat, killing him.
Once the area was secure, the ground force confirmed the driver was killed during the engagement, and troops recovered several weapons, false documents and al Qaeda in Iraq-related materials.
The ground force also found three Iraqi civilians who had bedded down on the side of the road underneath a blanket near the area of the engagement. Two of them had been hit with stray fire during the operation, killing one and wounding another. The wounded individual was treated on site and transported to a military medical facility for further care. “Coalition forces take every precaution to ensure the safety of innocent civilians and regret the loss of life or injury during operations,” said Army 1st Lt. Michael Street, a Multinational Force Iraq spokesman.
In Feb. 9 operations:
— U.S. soldiers captured a suspected al Qaeda in Iraq leader during an operation in Baghdad’s Abu Ghraib sector.
— Iraqi security forces and U.S. special operations troops detained three suspected terrorists during separate raids in Balad and Anah. Two suspected al Qaeda in Iraq members were detained during the Balad operation. Another suspected terrorist was arrested during the operation in Anah, near Rawah.
— U.S. soldiers arrested a suspected suicide-bomb facilitator during a raid in Baghdad’s Rashid sector. Two women also were detained.
In other news, U.S. soldiers seized an armor-piercing explosively formed penetrator cache during a Feb. 8 operation in Jurf Nadaf, a town southeast of Baghdad, after being tipped off by Iraqi citizens. The cache contained 13 EFPs, one shaped charge, 37 blocks of C4 explosive, 13 blasting caps, a 62 mm mortar tube, and a 40 mm rocket-propelled-grenade launcher.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
And here’s some GREAT news:
http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/02/former_taliban_comma.php
“Former Taliban commander Mansoor Dadullah captured in Pakistan”
By BILL ROGGIOFebruary 11, 2008 9:24 AM
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Mullah Mansoor Dadullah, a senior Taliban figure, has been wounded and captured along with five lieutenants by Pakistan’s Frontier Corps, the Pakistani military reported. There are two conflicting reports of Mansoor’s capture. The official military line is Mansoor was captured while crossing from Afghanistan into Pakistan, while anonymous sources claimed he was captured in a religious seminary in Baluchistan.
Mansoor was reported to have been wounded during a firefight as he attempted to enter Baluchistan province in Pakistan from Kandahar province, Afghanistan, according to Pakistan’s Inter Service Public Relations. Mansoor and his party refused to stop when challenge and a firefight ensued. “Security personnel returned fire. As a result all of them sustained injuries and all of them were captured,” Major General Athar Abbas, the military spokesman said. “Dadullah was arrested alive but he is critically wounded.”
But unnamed intelligence sources told The Associated Press that Mansoor and his party were captured after police, Army, and anti-terrorism commandos of the Special Services Groups surrounded a religious seminary in the Zhob district of Baluchistan. Mansoor was captured along with associates Haji Lala, Khudai Dad, Khalid Dad, and Abdur Razzak, according to the intelligence source.
The Zhob district appears to be a Taliban staging area.”
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=48931
“Al Qaeda Fighters Flee Cities, Head for Desert or Out of Iraq”
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
PRESS RELEASE SNIPPET: “WASHINGTON, Feb. 11, 2008 – A surge in military operations and a shift in local support in northern Iraq has driven many al Qaeda fighters out of cities that once provided them safe haven and into the desert, or even out of the country, a commander in the region said today.
Some foreign fighters are returning to their home countries of Syria and Saudi Arabia, he said, taking with them funds earmarked for fighters in Iraq. Some are trying to reorganize outside the country’s borders, but Hertling’s troops are watching the border and have arrested some as they try to return, he said.
Others, who no longer feel safe in the cities because they are afraid that local citizens will turn them in, are hiding out in abandoned mud huts, canals or caves in the desert.
“That’s their biggest fear. So many of them are going to the desert regions to just get away from being ratted out by the citizens by being pointed out and captured,” Hertling said.
But, even their desert hideaways are targets under six-week-long Operation Iron Harvest, part of the countrywide Operation Phantom Phoenix.
“Some of them are saying it’s not even safe in the desert because the night raids are coming to get them,” Hertling said. “And that’s a good thing. We want them to keep thinking that they can’t sleep well at night because we’re coming after them, because, quite frankly, we are.”
Hertling could not give specific numbers on how many fighters have left or an estimate of the size of the enemy force remains in the region, but he said fewer al Qaeda fighters are in the province now than six weeks ago.
“We’re doing exactly what we’re trying to do, and that is make the cities safer for the Iraqi citizens while continuing to target al Qaeda and the other extremist groups,” the commander said.”
More details UPDATE:
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16972&Itemid=21
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080211-22
February 11, 2008
MND-B Soldiers capture suspected terrorist, high-value
target
BAGHDAD – Soldiers from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry, 2nd Stryker Cavalry
Regiment, Multi-National Division – Baghdad, captured a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq leader in the Abu Ghuraib region of the Iraqi capitol Feb. 9.
This suspected AQI operator is believed to be a key facilitator of terrorist activities in southern Baghdad. He is the regiment’s number-one, high-value
target and is being held for questioning.
It is believed the detention of the suspect will significantly contribute to the
continually improving security situation in Abu Ghraib. Due to its proximity to
major highways and northeast Baghdad, security and stability in Abu Ghraib is significant. Stability allows the economy and quality of life for local residents to improve and accelerates the improving security situation in the Iraqi capital.
“The detention of this terrorist suspect demonstrates that we continue to
aggressively pursue Al-Qaeda in Iraq,” said Maj. Jon Pendell, spokesperson for
2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment.
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Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/release.aspx?releaseid=11682
IMMEDIATE RELEASE No. 113-08
February 11, 2008
Sept. 11 Co-Conspirators Charged
The Defense Department announced today that charges have been sworn against six detainees at Guantanamo, alleged to be responsible for the planning and execution of the attacks upon the United States of America which occurred on Sept. 11, 2001. Those attacks resulted in the death of nearly 3,000 people. The charges allege a long term, highly sophisticated, organized plan by al Qaeda to attack the United States.
The accused are: Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarek Bin ‘Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, Ali Abdul Aziz Ali, Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi, and Mohamed al Kahtani.
Each of the defendants is charged with conspiracy and the separate, substantive offenses of: murder in violation of the law of war, attacking civilians, attacking civilian objects, intentionally causing serious bodily injury, destruction of property in violation of the law of war, terrorism and providing material support for terrorism.
The first four defendants, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarek Bin ‘Attash, Ramzi Binalshibh, and Ali Abdul Aziz Ali are also charged with the substantive offense of hijacking or hazarding a vessel.
All of the charges are alleged to have been in support of the attacks on the United States on Sept. 11, 2001.
Now that sworn charges have been received, the convening authority will review the charges and supporting evidence to determine whether probable cause exists to refer the case for trial by military commission. The chief prosecutor has requested that charges to be tried jointly and be referred as capital for each defendant. If the convening authority, Susan Crawford, in her sole discretion, decides to refer the cases as capital, the defendants will face the possibility of being sentenced to death.
The charge sheet details 169 overt acts allegedly committed by the defendants in furtherance of the Sept. 11 events.
The charges allege that Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the mastermind of the Sept. 11 attacks by proposing the operational concept to Usama bin Laden as early as 1996, obtaining approval and funding from Usama bin Laden for the attacks, overseeing the entire operation, and training the hijackers in all aspects of the operation in Afghanistan and Pakistan.
Walid Muhammad Salih Mubarek Bin ‘Attash is alleged to have administered an al Qaeda training camp in Logar, Afghanistan where two of the 19 Sept. 11 hijackers were trained. He is also alleged to have traveled to Malaysia in 1999 to observe airport security by U. S. air carriers to assist in formulating the hijacking plan.
Ramzi Binalshibh is alleged to have lived with the Hamburg, Germany, al Qaeda cell where three of the Sept. 11 hijackers resided. It is alleged that Binalshibh was originally selected by Usama bin Laden to be one of the Sept. 11 hijackers and that he made a “martyr video” in preparation for the operation. He was unable to obtain a US visa and, therefore, could not enter the United States as the other hijackers did. In light of this, it is alleged that Binalshibh assisted in finding flight schools for the hijackers in the United States, and continued to assist the conspiracy by engaging in numerous financial transactions in support of the Sept. 11 operation.
Ali Abdul Aziz Ali’s role is alleged to have included sending approximately $120,000 to the hijackers for their expenses and flight training, and facilitating travel to the United States for nine of the hijackers.
Mustafa Ahmed Adam al Hawsawi is alleged to have assisted and prepared the hijackers with money, western clothing, traveler’s checks and credit cards. He is also alleged to have facilitated the transfer of thousands of dollars between the accounts of alleged Sept. 11 hijackers and himself on Sept. 11, 2001.
Mohamed al Kahtani is alleged to have attempted to enter the United States on August 4, 2001, through Orlando International Airport where he was denied entry. It is also alleged that al Kahtani carried $2,800 in cash and had an itinerary listing a phone number associated with Hawsawi.
If the convening authority refers the charges to trial, the prosecution bears the burden of proving the case beyond a reasonable doubt, which is the standard applied in all U.S. and military criminal trials.
In the military commissions process, every defendant has the following rights: The right to remain silent and to have no adverse inference drawn from it; the right to be represented by detailed military counsel, as well as civilian counsel of his own selection and at no expense to the government; the right to examine all evidence used against him by the prosecution; the right to obtain evidence and to call witnesses on his own behalf including expert witnesses; the right to cross-examine every witness called by the prosecution; the right to be present during the presentation of evidence; the right to have a military commission panel of at least five military members determine his guilt by a 2/3 majority, or in the case of a capital offense, a unanimous decision of a military commission composed of at least 12 members; and the right to an appeal to the Court of Military Commission Review, then through the District of Columbia Circuit Court of Appeals to the United States Supreme Court.
These rights are guaranteed to the defendant under the Military Commissions Act, and are specifically designed to ensure that every defendant receives a fair trial, consistent with American and international standards of justice and the rule of law.
The sworn charges are only allegations that each accused has committed a war crime under the Military Commissions Act. The accused are presumed innocent of any criminal charges unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt at a military commission.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1968675/posts
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http://www.express.co.uk/posts/view/34470/Suicide-bomber-12-at-UK-school
“SUICIDE BOMBER, 12, AT UK SCHOOL”
Sunday February 10,2008
By James Murray Have your say(48)
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “FURY erupted last night after it emerged that a boy of 12 who trained to be a suicide bomber is being allowed to attend school in Britain.
Parents of his classmates are unaware of the Afghan child’s terrifying past. MP Philip Davies said the youngster should be removed from school immediately so a proper investigation can take place into any potential danger he poses.
The Tory MP for Shipley, West Yorks, said: “This boy has had a tragic upbringing through no fault of his own. But there should be a detailed and thorough look at his past and the threat he could pose in the future. I am sure that the parents in the school would be concerned if they were told about it.””
http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=28913_RoP_Hates_Love&only
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http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,330333,00.html
“Kuwait Hardliners Take Aim at Valentine’s Day”
Monday, February 11, 2008
KUWAIT CITY — Valentine’s Day is just three days away, but one Muslim politician is heading up a committee to make sure it goes completely ignored.
Kuwaiti MP Waleed Al-Tabtabae, head of the National Assembly’s Committee Monitoring Negative Alien Practices, will chair his group Wednesday to discuss ways to repress all public displays recognizing the international day of love.
“We want to discuss measures that should be taken by these ministries to prevent such alien events from impacting Kuwaiti society and spreading corruption among the Kuwaiti youth,” Al-Tabtabae told reporters Monday.
Committee member Islamist MP Jamaan Al-Harbash said many Islamic countries ban Valentine’s Day celebrations because the holiday “spreads moral corruption.””
GUARDIAN.co.uk (AP): Islamabad, Pakistan - "US STRIKE EXPOSES ENTRENCHED MILITANTS" by Matthew Pennington (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Pakistani intelligence officials say they found the remains of satellite phones and a computer in the wreckage, suggesting the suspects had the ability to communicate outside the remote, rugged region, where land-based phone and Internet links are very limited.") (February 1, 2008)
ADDING 1 LINKS:
http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=us&q=russian+bombers&ie=UTF-8&scoring=d
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iZnc42XeC-4PKplrnx74ylj3JSLAD8UOC9TO0
“Navy Intercepts Russian Bombers”
By LOLITA C. BALDOR – 43 minutes ago
ARITLC SNIPPET: “WASHINGTON (AP) — U.S. fighter planes intercepted two Russian bombers flying unusually close to an American aircraft carrier in the western Pacific during the weekend, The Associated Press has learned.
A U.S. military official says that one Russian Tupolev 95 buzzed the aircraft carrier USS Nimitz twice, at a low altitude of about 2,000 feet, while another bomber circled about 50 nautical miles out. The official was speaking on condition of anonymity because the reports on the flights were classified as secret.
The Saturday incident, which never escalated beyond the flyover, comes amid heightened tensions between the United States and Russia over U.S. plans for a missile defense system based in Poland and the Czech Republic.
Such Russian bomber flights were common during the Cold War, but have been rare since.”
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RECAP:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=48916
“Gates Discusses Missile Issues With Russian Official”
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
MUNICH, Germany, Feb. 9, 2008
#
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/7236241.stm
“Japan accuses Russia of incursion”
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Japan has accused Russia of violating its airspace over the Pacific Izu islands and demanded an explanation.
A Russian Tupolev 95 bomber flew for about three minutes over the isle of Sofugan, 650km (400 miles) south of Tokyo, Japanese officials said.
Japan responded by scrambling 22 jets and lodging an official protest with the Russian embassy.”
In the past week, the FAA received three reports of incidents in which someone on the ground aimed a laser beam at aircraft approaching or departing Honolulu.
Newspaper plane security stunt condemned
Just 24 hours after two pilots were stabbed in an attempted hijack over Christchurch, a Sunday News reporter told how he was able to breach security at Auckland Airport.
The reporter arrived at the domestic terminal on Saturday for the 10.30am Air New Zealand flight to Napier, carrying the kitchen knife, with a 20cm blade and a toy firearm in hand luggage.
He said there were no checks and "I was free to walk on with anything I pleased".
Phoenix airport secures prohibited item
Up to 600 passengers were put through a second round of security screening Sunday Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport officials found a "suspicious item" near a security checkpoint, a Transportation Security Administration spokeswoman said.
The TSA spokeswoman declined to identify the item other than to say it was "prohibited."
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“Some ex-Contras warn of a new Nicaragua war”
ap ^ | Feb. 10, 2008 | ap
Posted on 02/11/2008 2:40:15 PM PST by Flavius
MIAMI
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