Threat Matrix: February 2008

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[nwctwx]

Is the U.S. Failing in Afghanistan?

It was malice in wonderland at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday as Bush Administration envoys insisted things are getting better in Afghanistan, while angry lawmakers from both parties cited facts and figures showing just the opposite. Even the senior Republican on the panel, Senator Richard Lugar, found the Administration's claims wanting. "I'm not sure that we have a plan for Afghanistan," he said.

Long seen as the "forgotten war" eclipsed by Iraq in U.S. priorities, Afghanistan is in the Washington spotlight this week with the release of three independent reports concluding that without a change in U.S. policy there, the erstwhile sanctuary of Osama bin Laden would remain a failed state. Read More

	Why the Taliban Feel Confident
	Top US Officer Lauds al-Qaida Death
	US Air Strike Signals al-Qaida Onslaught

Threat Matrix:
February 2008

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[Cindy]

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

#

UPDATE:

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080221/NATION/839822760/1002

“3Com nixes deal with Chinese”
By S.A. Miller
February 21, 2008

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The companies in the $2.2 billion deal — Chinese telecom Huawei Technologies, 3Com and the global investment firm Bain Capital Partners — struggled to no avail since September to win merger approval from the Treasury Department’s Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (CFIUS).

The national security threat, first reported last year by The Washington Times, involved potential Chinese government access to U.S. defense secrets, including 3Com’s TippingPoint division that makes high-technology safeguards against computer hackers. Huawei in the past has been accused of economic espionage and violating U.N. sanctions.”

[Cindy]

It seems the Iranian government truly has their collective heads in the sand.
Today’s winner of the STUCK ON STUPID award goes to:

QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1973824/posts

Israel faces ‘certain death’: Iran leader adviser
afp ^ | 11/20/08 | afp
Posted on 02/21/2008 2:20:33 AM PST by Flavius

TEHRAN (AFP) - The assassination of a top commander of the Lebanese Shiite militant group Hezbollah has hastened the “certain death” of Israel, the top military adviser to Iran’s supreme leader said on Thursday.

(Excerpt) Read more at news.yahoo.com ...

[Cindy]

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

#

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080221/NATION/967794878

“China arms buildup ‘alarming’”
By Sara A. Carter
February 21, 2008

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “As top U.S. military officials questioned China’s intentions in expanding its military last week, ranking House Armed Services Committee member Rep. Duncan Hunter, California Republican, said the reality is that “China is stepping into the superpower shoes left behind by the former Soviet Union.”

“China is increasing its production and acquisition of military technology at an alarming rate, and they are doing it with American trade dollars,” he added.”

[Cindy]

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=E41AB0CC-E454-466C-93E4-E058460B7C10

“Encouraging Jihad”
By Sarah N. Stern
FrontPageMagazine.com | Thursday, February 21, 2008

[Cindy]

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

#

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=5A916419-01B1-4D30-93BD-C5B5CF0A7995

“Jihad and Jew-Hatred “
By Jamie Glazov
FrontPageMagazine.com | Thursday, February 21, 2008

#

BOOK:

http://www.amazon.com/Jihad-Jew-Hatred-Islamism-Nazism-Roots/dp/0914386360/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1201716396&sr=1-1

“Jihad and Jew-Hatred: Islamism, Nazism and the Roots of 9/11”
by Matthias Kuntzel (Author), Colin Meade (Translator)

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2008/s08020143.htm

Wednesday, February 20, 2008

Senior pastor issues appeal in run up to Olympics as Chinese government carries out mass sentencing of House Church leaders

By Michael Ireland
Chief Correspondent, ASSIST News Service

SHANGDONG PROVINCE, CHINA (ANS) — Twenty-one prominent Christian leaders have been sentenced to re-education through labor in what China Aid Association (CAA) describes as the largest mass sentencing of house church leaders in China in 25 years.

CAA says the Linyi City Re-education through Labor Commission in Shandong Province simultaneously sentenced 17 male and 4 female church leaders to re-education through labor for fifteen months to three years.

According to news released yesterday by CAA, the 21 believers were detained during a mass arrest of 270 Christian leaders on December 7, 2007 in Hedeng District, Linyi City as they gathered for leadership training. The others detained with them were fined and released in the intervening period. The leaders were accused of holding an “illegal religious gathering” and the 21 labeled as members of an “evil cult,” a term which Chinese authorities arbitrarily apply to unregistered religious groups.

The news of the mass sentencing comes just a day after CAA published an open letter to the international community from the President of the Chinese House Church Alliance, Pastor Zhang Mingxuan.

In the letter, Pastor Zhang describes the persecution he has faced as a Christian leader, including being incarcerated on twelve occasions. He also describes how the Public Security Bureau have harassed an orphanage he ran with his two sons and forced it to close.

CAA says Pastor Zhang expresses support for the Beijing Olympics, but hopes that the attention on China around the Games will encourage the Chinese Government to allow real freedom of religion and to release Christians imprisoned as a result of their faith.

The mass sentencing and Pastor Zhang’s letter follow a significant increase in persecution against the house churches in China last year and a level of expulsion of foreign Christians not seen since the 1950s, according to CAA’s annual report.

CAA also reports that four Christians were detained for five days at the end of January for handing out Christian tracts in Zhejiang province. Additionally, two female House Church Alliance leaders were taken into custody on Monday, February 18, on their way to Beijing. Their whereabouts is currently unknown. CAA believes this activity is designed to dismantle the House Church Alliance before the Olympic Games start.

According to an eyewitness 40-50 policemen from 12 different towns were involved in the mass detention in December. The pastors were handcuffed in pairs and taken to the police station for questioning.

In 1983, thousands of house church leaders were sent to labor camps when the Chinese authorities launched the first “strike hard” campaign.

A copy of Pastor Zhang’s letter can be found on the CAA website at http://chinaaid.org/2008/02/18/we-want-the-olympics-but-we-want-love-and-justice-more/

Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s Chief Executive, Mervyn Thomas, says: “It is shocking that China would commit such a grave and large scale violation of religious freedom as the eyes of the world are focused on the nation. At a time when Beijing is hosting a sporting event, which is based on ‘universal fundamental ethical principles,’ the crackdown on China’s peaceful Christian house churches must not go unnoticed. We join Pastor Zhang in his desire for China to release the many Christians detained as a result of their faith and we urge the international community to respond to the serious breaches of international standards committed against religious believers in China.”

CSW is a human rights organization which specializes in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.

For more information, please contact Penny Hollings, Campaigns and Media Manager at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 (0)20 8329 0045, email pennyhollings@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

** Michael Ireland, Chief Correspondent of ANS, is an international British freelance journalist who was formerly a reporter with a London newspaper and has been a frequent contributor to UCB Europe, a British Christian radio station. Michael’s involvement with ASSIST News Service is a sponsored ministry department — Michael Ireland Media Missionary (MIMM) — of ACT International at: Artists in Christian Testimony (ACT) International. His weblog appears at: Michael Ireland Media Missionary.

** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

[Cindy]

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_2876.html

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

This information is current as of today, Thu Feb 21 2008 03:37:22 GMT-0800 (PST).

CHAD

February 20, 2008

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/020042.php

February 20, 2008

Is it just my imagination, or are these even nuttier than usual?
Some choice entries in the Jihad Watch Hate Mail Bag tonight. What happened — did Abu Hamza or the Blind Sheikh denounce us or something?

First, from a fan of “Hilter”:

YOUR ZION WILL SOON BE DESTROYED!!
ITS A FIGHT BETWEEN 1.2 BILLION AND A FEW MILLION, LET’S SEE WHO WINS!!!

BY THE WAY...HILTER WAS’NT ALL THAT BAD!

ALWAYS REMEMBER:FOR MUSLIMS,REPRODUCTION IS NOT A PROBLEM!

Second, from a master of his thoughts:

Soldiers who occupy and facilitate the corporate plundering of other countries deserve to die, and who would not celebrate when such devils perish. America is the number one killer of civilians, its not just that Dajjal Bush, but throughout the past 100 years America have shitted on the world. America is a fascist state, and has no regards for others, eg Filipino, Koreans, Vietnamese, Africans, Latin Americans, and Arabs, have all been suffered at the hands of the USA. Your lies and manipulation disgrace the Bible, eg Fox News is really a neo con christians extremist propaganda machine. Your not even a real Christian. The Khlilafat will return. Ohhh yeah, America invited 9/11 and 9/11 is a direct result of US oppression in Mid East. The “they hate our life” BS is only believed by idiots, which comprises 90% of Americans. I think Osama is a more honorable man than Bush, and i pray victory is given to those who fight to remove foreign imperialism from their lands. We hate you and Israel because of what you do, not because of your religion or pathetic way of life. Take care,
Slave of Allah, Master of my thoughts.

And finally, the piece de resistance, from an “atheist”:

I have no problem with most of the things said on your site. But one guy requesting some sort of Ban on Islam pissed me off. If we want to talk about banning a religion because of current crimes, lets ban christianity for crimes past. f**king pig little religion started crusades against the honorable muslims of the middle ages. and the spanish inquisition was more of the christian scum killing non-christians. How about we ban christianity, judaism, and islam all 3. and make it a death penalty crime. atleast 1/3 deaths will be no doubt deserved by the putrid little followers of christ.
P.S. I’m atheist.

P.S.(part 2) f**k your little site, I hope suicide bombers find your address’s and give you what you need.

Yes, I put in the stars.

Posted by Robert at February 20, 2008 11:40 PM

[Cindy]

http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373979
TERRORISM FOCUS

“German Intelligence Describes a ‘New Quality’ in Jihadi Threats”

By Thomas Renard
(February 20, 2008)

[Cindy]

http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373982
TERRORISM FOCUS

“Al-Qaeda Warns Iraq Will Be Base for Attacks on Israel”
By Michael Scheuer
(February 20, 2008)

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17195&Itemid=21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080220-07
February 20, 2008

MND-B Soldiers capture suspected ‘Prince of Princes’

Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers captured a man suspected of being an Al Qaeda weapons trafficker during an operation in East Rashid Feb. 18.

Soldiers of Company B, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, 10th Mountain Division, attached to Task Force Dragon, knocked on a suspected criminal’s door in Doura and arrested two alleged weapons traffickers, including one alleged to be AQI’s “Prince of Princes.”

The suspected arms trafficker is believed to have received the moniker for his ability to transport weapons to certain groups.

-30-

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=17196&Itemid=21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080220-08
February 20, 2008

Iraqi National Police cordon vehicle, MND-B Soldiers seize 9 rockets

Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO
BAGHDAD – Iraqi National Police and Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers seized unfired rockets and a piece of unexploded ordnance Feb. 19 following an rocket attack at a combat outpost in eastern Baghdad.

Officials from 4th Brigade Combat Team, 10th Mountain Division (Light), reported a suspicious vehicle in the area. Reacting quickly, National Police created a cordon and worked with Soldiers from 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment to search the vehicle.

Company B, 2nd Battalion, 30th Infantry Soldiers found nine rockets in the truck, which had protruding wires, in the bed of the vehicle. The Soldiers also found an unexploded piece of ordnance and called explosive ordnance disposal personnel to the scene.

-30-

[Cindy]

Note: Photos included.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20080219/pl_afp/philippinesusmuslimpeace

“US envoy meets Philippines Muslim rebel chief”
by Jason Gutierrez
Tue Feb 19, 9:24 AM ET

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “CAMP DARAPANAN, Philippines (AFP) - US ambassador Kristie Kenney on Tuesday met with the head of the Philippines’ main Muslim rebel group in an attempt to re-start stalled peace talks, the two sides said.

Accompanied by US security personnel and aid officials, the envoy visited the main rebel base of Camp Darapanan and met with Muhammad Murad, chief of the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF).

She said it was a “private visit” and would not comment further.

Murad told AFP in an exclusive interview after the meeting that Kenney had questioned him about the status of the peace talks, which he said would resume next month.

Washington has pledged tens of millions of dollars in aid to the troubled Mindanao region of the southern Philippines once Manila strikes a peace treaty with the 12,000-member MILF.”

#

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080219/pl_nm/philippines_rebels_usa_dc

“U.S. assures Muslim rebels on Philippine exercises”
By Manny Mogato
Tue Feb 19, 6:19 AM ET

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “MANILA (Reuters) - The U.S. ambassador to the Philippines met the leader of the country’s largest Muslim rebel group on Tuesday in an effort to defuse tensions over U.S. soldiers entering Muslim areas in the south.

Earlier this week, thousands of people protested against the U.S. military’s plans to hold humanitarian missions in areas controlled by the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) as part of annual training exercises with Philippine troops.

“The U.S. ambassador assured us the U.S. soldiers would not be involved in any combat activities,” Mohaqher Iqbal, head of the MILF peace panel with the government, told Reuters.

Kristie Kenney was the first U.S. ambassador to enter MILF territory when she met al haj Ibrahim Murad for about an hour in Camp Darapanan, outside Cotabato City on the southern island of Mindanao.

Muslim rebels in camouflage uniforms and armed with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenade launchers guarded the bungalow where Kenney met with Murad.”

[Cindy]

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html

Worldwide Caution

January 17, 2008

[Cindy]

PERSECUTION.ORG
http://www.persecution.org

[Godzilla]

3 Qassams land in southern Israel, no injuries

At the current rate, Qassam launches from Gaza are twice that of 2007.

[JellyJam]

Don't know if y'all have posted this ...

Tampa passenger had box cutter inside hallowed-out book

[Cindy]

Yep.

[Cindy]

Yep, we got it, but thanks for posting that JellyJam.

[Cindy]

Yep, the internet is getting weirder than usual, lately.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/020046.php

February 21, 2008
“Not quite clear on the concept”