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Threat Matrix: April 2008
Previous Thread ^

Posted on 04/01/2008 8:13:21 PM PDT by nwctwx

:::FreeRepublic's Threat Matrix:::
Critical Threats: Blank When None
Afghanistan to Ask NATO for Bigger Army

Afghan officials will go to the NATO summit in Romania Thursday with a request: pay to increase our national Army by 40 percent. A bigger Army, Afghan officials argue, will allow the US and other coalition members to scale back in the coming years.

This appeal comes amid pleas from the US and Canada for other NATO members to commit more to the Afghanistan mission, which many analysts say has floundered over the past year for lack of resources and a coherent strategy. France is expected to contribute another 1,000 forces and Germany is likely to make a bigger commitment.

But American and Afghan government sources with knowledge of the expected Afghan proposal say that an increase from the current authorization of 86,000 Afghan Army soldiers to 120,000 is the only way to create an enduring defense against a resurgent Taliban and elusive Al Qaeda operatives. Read More


Threat Matrix:
April 2008
Click for Color Code Information


TOPICS: Foreign Affairs; Front Page News; News/Current Events; War on Terror
KEYWORDS: 414; abdullahu; abuhamza; abuhamzaalmuhajir; afghanistan; agronabdullahu; ahmadinejad; airport; alhesbah; almasri; almuhajir; alqaeda; alqaida; alzawahiri; alzawahri; ammoniumnitrate; australia; aydin; barber; barbershop; belmarsh; belmarshprison; bergendorff; bolivia; bomb; border; borderfence; brotherricehs; brown; burma; bus; cair; calinchiwong; canada; carbomb; carter; cartoonjihad; chad; chavez; china; christianpersecution; creditcardfraud; creditcards; cyberattacks; cybersecurity; drugcartel; drugcartels; egypt; elpaso; embassy; espionage; eta; etim; evomorales; explosives; farc; ferries; ferry; filmjihad; fitna; florida; foodpoisoning; footballjihad; france; freespeech; gaza; germany; geske; globaljihad; goosecreek; gwot; hamas; haq; hizbuttahrir; homicidebomber; honorkilling; honourkilling; ht; hugochavez; humanbomb; india; internet; iran; iraq; iridium192; isi; israel; israeliembassy; istanbul; italianembassy; jamaica; japan; jihad; jihadpropaganda; jimmycarter; kenitra; kevinbrown; khadr; killerbees; kiryathaim; krekar; lebanon; libertycounty; libya; ltte; marathon; maulanasufimohammad; mauritania; megahed; mexico; mohamed; mohammedanism; montreal; morocco; mothermcauleyhs; mugabe; mugniyah; mullahkrekar; naveedhaq; necatiaydin; nepal; nigeria; nkorea; northkorea; nuclear; nuclearattack; nuclearblast; nuclearthreat; oil; oiltanker; olympics; orlando; pakistan; persecution; philippines; piercecounty; pjak; pkk; plo; plutonium; pope; prison; qaradawi; queenofmartyrsschool; rafah; railwaystations; restaurant; ricin; rogerbergendorff; russia; ryanschallenberger; saudiarabia; schallenberger; sharia; shariah; shariahlaw; sharialaw; soccerjihad; somalia; southwestschool; spain; spies; sportsfields; srilanka; stadium; stadiums; students; stxavier; submarines; sudan; sudanese; suicidebomber; syria; tacoma; taleban; taliban; tamiltigers; tensleep; texas; textbooks; threatmatrix; tibet; tilmangeske; toronto; trumanstreet; tunnel; turkey; uguryuksel; uk; un; underseacables; usscole; venezuela; washington; washingtonstate; wong; wot; yemen; youths; yuksel; zawahiri; zawahri; zimbabwe
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To: All

http://www.truthusa.com/911.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/flight93/
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/shanksville/

#

Petition:

http://www.crescentofbetrayal.com/PetitionPage.htm

#

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998300/posts

Petition blasts Islamic themes at Flight 93 site Seeks elimination of crescent and star minaret
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=60990 ^ | 4/7/08
Posted on 04/07/2008 11:06:17 PM PDT by Sammy67

April 07, 2008

© 2008 WorldNetDaily

A group of concerned citizens has been raising alarms about the Islamic elements planned for the Flight 93 Memorial near Shanksville, Pa., for years. And a member of Congress has demanded the National Park Service make changes in its plans.

But there’s been no substantive response, and now the activists say it’s time for the American people to let officials know whether they want to pay for and have installed in the memorial a crescent that points to Mecca to make up a “mihrab,” the foundational point for every Islamic mosque, a tower that has been designed like an Islamic sundial and 44 memorial glass blocks, one each for the passengers, crew and terrorists aboard Flight 93.

The new petition is being promoted both online and on paper, and it tells the government simply to investigate the design of the memorial, which is to honor the passengers and crew members of Flight 93 on Sept. 11, 2001.

Authorities believe the hijacked flight may have been the bomb that was supposed to hit the White House or the U.S. Capitol in Washington, D.C. Three other flights hijacked that day by Islamic terrorists hit the twin towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon in

(Excerpt) Read more at worldnetdaily.com ...


361 posted on 04/07/2008 11:41:03 PM PDT by Cindy
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To: All

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1998304/posts?page=4#4

#

Thanks to Jet Jaugar for the ping to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1998304/posts

“”North Korea Transferred Nuclear Materials to Iran””
Daily NK ^ | 2008-04-08 | Park In Ho
Posted on 04/08/2008 12:17:30 AM PDT by Jet Jaguar


362 posted on 04/08/2008 12:28:47 AM PDT by Cindy
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To: All; Jet Jaguar; SandRat; JohnathanRGalt; abu afak; yonif; ganeshpuri89; American in Israel; ...

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3529012,00.html

“Home Front Command drill: Knesset workers simulate rocket strike”
Published: 04.08.08, 10:09 / Israel News

#

Previously...

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3529010,00.html

“As part of Home Front command drill alarm sounds throughout Israel”
Published: 04.08.08, 10:05 / Israel News


363 posted on 04/08/2008 12:54:01 AM PDT by Cindy
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To: All

A sad and early morning STUCK ON STUPID award winner:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1207486218138&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Apr 8, 2008 8:51 | Updated Apr 8, 2008 9:00
“IDF collecting settlers’ weapons”
By JPOST.COM STAFF

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “In recent weeks the IDF has been collecting hundreds of military-issued weapons in the Binyamin region in the West Bank, including weapons that were in the possession of IDF officers.

According to reports Tuesday, the only people who were given leave to keep their weapons were rapid response teams and those charged with maintaining security in the settlements.

“This is a severe blow to the security of those driving on roads in the territories, especially following the removal of roadblocks and the delivery of weapons to the Palestinian Authority,” a reserve officer who lives in the West Bank told Israel Radio.”


364 posted on 04/08/2008 12:57:58 AM PDT by Cindy
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To: All

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18253&Itemid=21

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080408-03
April 8, 2008

ISF recover weapons cache, kill 10 in separate operations in Basra

Multi-National Corps – Iraq PAO

BALAD, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces, advised by U.S. Special Forces, recovered a weapons cache and killed 10 criminals in separate operations in Basra April 3 and 4.

An Iraqi Emergency Response Unit conducted an operation to locate and eliminate weapon caches used by criminal members in the Mufaqiyah district.

The ERU unit located two caches, including 60 mm mortar rounds, rocket propelled grenades and explosively formed penetrators.

During another operation, the ISOF team came under heavy EFP, IED and smallarms fire attacks. The team returned fire killing two persons who were attacking ISOF.

Two Coalition force aircraft provided close-air support killing eight additional individuals involved in the attack.

-30-


365 posted on 04/08/2008 1:09:47 AM PDT by Cindy
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To: All

Note; The following news brief is a quote:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3529070,00.html

3 Qassam rockets land near Sderot; none injured
Published: 04.08.08, 11:45 / Israel News

Three Qassam rockets fired from the northern Gaza Strip Tuesday landed near Sderot. There have been no reports of injuries or property damage thus far. (Shmulik Hadad)


366 posted on 04/08/2008 1:53:53 AM PDT by Cindy
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To: All
YNET NEWS.com: "AHMADINEJAD: IRAN BEGINS INSTALLING 6,000 NEW CENTRIFUGES IN NATANZ" (Published April 8, 2008)


STEPPING BACK IN TIME...

MEMRI.org - Inquiry and Analysis Series - No. 389: "ESCALATION IN THE POSITIONS OF IRANIAN PRESIDENT MAHMOUD AHMADINEJAD - A SPECIAL REPORT" by Y. Mansharof and A. Savyon (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "He announced that Iran was now successfully operating over 3,000 centrifuges...") (September 17, 2007)

More Links (September 16, 2007)

YALIBNAN.com: "EMERGING CONNECTION BETWEEN NORTH KOREA, IRAN, SYRIA AND HEZBOLLAH" (September 14, 2007)

BBC NEWS: "IRANIAN SUPREME LEADER SLAMS BUSH" (Last updated September 14, 2007, 15:03 GMT, 16:03 UK)

DEFENSElink.mil (AMERICAN FORCES PRESS SERVICE): Washington - "IRANIAN-MADE MORTAR LIKELY USED IN RECENT ATTACK, GENERAL SAYS" by John J. Kruzel (September 13, 2007)

YNET NEWS.com: "REPORT: ISRAEL SPOTS NUCLEAR INSTALLATIONS IN SYRIA" (SNIPPET: "According to Washington official, Israeli jets recently took pictures of possible nuclear installations in Syria and Israel believes North Korea supplying Syria, Iran with nuclear materials, NY Times reports") (Published September 12, 2007, 08:22)

367 posted on 04/08/2008 2:00:21 AM PDT by Cindy
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To: All

Mumbling...it’s April 8th. No wonder I need some more coffee.

http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html

#

RECAP:

http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/6507.htm

THE MEMRI BLOG.org (”Source: IRIBnews, Iran, March 28, 2008”):

“IRANIAN BROADCASTING DIRECTOR IN MOSCOW: NUCLEAR FEST TO BE HELD APRIL 8; IRAN-RUSSIA RELATIONS DATE BACK 400 YEARS; IRAN TO PROMOTE MEDIA COOPERATION WITH RUSSIA” (Posted March 28, 2008)

(Note: The above link is a good link. Memri seems to be having a bit of trouble at this time regarding link info. I’m sure it will be fixed soon. Fyi.)


368 posted on 04/08/2008 2:08:03 AM PDT by Cindy
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To: All

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1969529/posts

UPDATE:

QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1969529/posts?page=414#414

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998319/posts

#

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3529048,00.html

“Newspaper: Israeli drill delays Mugniyah report”

SNIPPET: “London-based Arabic publication reports that Syria, Lebanon delaying publication of report on assassination of Hizbullah commander due to tension generated by Israel’s wide-scale Home Front Command drill”

Roee Nahmias
Published: 04.08.08, 11:35 / Israel News

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The London based Arabic publication, al-Quds al-Arabi, reported Tuesday that Syria is delaying the publication of its report on the assassination of Hizbullah leader Imad Mugniyah, which was scheduled for Sunday, due to tension and fears generated in both Syria and Lebanon by the wide-scale Home Front Command drill taking place in Israel.

Publication of this report, senior Damascus officials have indicated, could do serious damage to Syria as it would expose the involvement of Arab intelligence officials, as well as that of Syrian, Palestinian and Lebanese personnel in the Mugniyah assassination.

Lebanese sources close to Hizbullah noted that Syrian security personnel have managed to track down the owners of two vehicles involved in the assassination and have managed to identify them.”

414 posted on 04/08/2008 2:35:19 AM PDT by Cindy


369 posted on 04/08/2008 2:37:27 AM PDT by Cindy
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To: All

ADDING a link to post no. 247:

Note:

The following text is a quote:

http://losangeles.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel08/la040708usa.htm

Monday, April 7

TWO CHINESE RESIDENTS CHARGED WITH ATTEMPTING TO BRING EXPORT-CONTROLLED THERMAL-IMAGING CAMERAS TO P.R.C.

Two men—one a Chinese national and one a naturalized United States citizen—who were arrested early Saturday morning at Los Angeles International Airport were charged today with attempting to bring 10 thermal-imaging cameras to the People’s Republic of China without obtaining the necessary licenses.

Tah Wei Chao, 52, and Zhi Yong Guo, 49, both of whom live in Beijing , were named today in a criminal complaint filed in United States District Court in Los Angeles. The complaint accuses the men of violating the International Emergency Economic Powers Act and Export Administration Regulations by knowingly exporting and attempting to export restricted items without a license.

According to the affidavit in support of the complaint, Chao purchased three thermal imaging cameras last fall, and investigators believe that he arranged to have these export-controlled devices shipped to the PRC. The thermal imaging cameras, which have potential military use, can be used to observe things not otherwise visible to the naked eye, and they are export-controlled for national security, nuclear proliferation and regional stability reasons.

Last month, Chao ordered 10 more cameras from FLIR Systems, Inc for $53,000. Representatives from FLIR Systems repeatedly warned Chao that the cameras could not be moved outside of the United States without an export license issued by the Department of Commerce.

Early Saturday morning, as both men were preparing to board a flight to China, authorities searched their luggage and found the 10 recently purchased cameras.

Chao and Guo are expected to make their initial court appearances this afternoon in federal court in Los Angeles.

A criminal complaint contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

The charge in the complaint carries a maximum statutory penalty of 20 years in federal prison.

This case is the product of an investigation by the newly created Export and Anti-proliferation Global Law Enforcement (EAGLE) Task Force. The counter-proliferation task force was recently created by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California in conjunction with federal law enforcement agencies to jointly investigate and combat the illegal exports of arms and sensitive technologies. The members of the EAGLE Task Force that participated in this investigation are: the United States Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security, Office of Export and Enforcement; U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Customs and Border Protection; the Diplomatic Security Service and the Transportation Security Administration.


370 posted on 04/08/2008 2:42:59 AM PDT by Cindy
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To: All
RECAP AND UPDATES:

FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "THE UN's ATTACK ON OUR FREEDOMS" by Joseph Klein (April 8, 2008)

FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "FITNA: THE CARROT AND THE STICK" by Robert Spencer (April 8, 2008)

JIHAD WATCH.org (RADIO NETHERLANDS.nl via EUROPE NEWS.dk): "SANITY ALERT: DUTCH JUDGE CLEARS GEERT WILDERS OF SPREADING HATE" (April 7, 2008)<>/B>

YNET NEWS.com (AP): "MORE THAN 25,000 PAKISTANIS RALLY AGAINST ANTI-KORAN FILM, PROPHET CARTOONS" (Published April 6, 2008, 19:40)

A LOOK AT IRAN

JIHAD WATCH.org (FARS News Agency): "IRANIAN GROUP STARTS PRODUCTION OF FILM ON BIBLE TO COUNTER FITNA" (April 6, 2008)

JIHAD WATCH.org: "'We will not forgive those who insult Prophet and Qoran'" (April 4, 2008)

JIHAD WATCH.org: "Yes, it's Friday" (April 4, 2008)

INTERNET-HAGANAH.com: "GEERT WILDERS IS A ZIONIST PLOT?" (April 3, 2008)

INTERNET-HAGANAH.com: "MORE ABOUT FITNA" (April 3, 2008)

FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "FITNA AND THE CHALLENGE TO MODERATE MUSLIMS" by Thomas Haidon (April 2, 2008)

WESTERN RESISTANCE.com - blog (FAMILY SECURITY MATTERS): "GEERT WILDERS AND HIS NOTORIOUS ISLAM MOVIE" by Adrian Morgan (April 2, 2008)

CNS NEWS.com: "YouTube WARNED TO REMOVE KORAN FILM" by Patrick Goodenough (April 2, 2008)

JIHAD WATCH.org (CBC): "FITNA RAGE IN INDONESIA: 'The Dutch government must arrest him. Wilders must be killed because he has declared war on Muslims.'" (April 2, 2008)

FreeRepublic.com - Discussion Forum (AP via Yahoo News): "DUTCH LAWMAKER TO EDIT ANTI-QURAN FILM" (April 1, 2008)

JIHAD WATCH.org (NISNews.nl): "FILM 'WORSE THAN FITNA' ABANDONED: FILMMAKER SAYS DUTCH GOVERNMENT CAN'T PROTECT HIM" (April 1, 2008)

HUMAN EVENTS.com: "GEERT WILDERS' 'FITNA': INSIGHTFUL AND INCITEFUL" by Robert Spencer (MARCH 31, 2008)

THE JAWA REPORT - blog: "UPDATE ON FITNA SITE HACKING" (April 2, 2008)

JAWA REPORT - blog: "FITNA WEBSITE HACKED BY CYBERTERRORISTS!" (March 31, 2008)

Link

JIHAD WATCH.org (RADIONETHERLANDS.NL): "26 ISLAMIC COUNTRIES ASK NETHERLANDS TO BAN FITNA" (March 31, 2008)

HOT AIR.com: "LIVELEAK RESTORES 'FITNA'; VIDEO: INDONESIANS CALL FOR WILDER'S DEATH" (March 31, 2008)

JIHAD WATCH.org (REUTERS) - Snippet: ""I call on Muslims around the world, if you run into the maker of the film, kill him," said one of the speakers at the rally, Awit Mashuri. "Geert Wilders is a Christian terrorist," declared a placard held up by a protester. "Kill Geert Wilders," read another..." (March 31, 2008)
FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "FITNA" (March 31, 2008)

Link

JIHAD WATCH.org: "JIHADIST CLERIC OMAR BAKRI: FITNA 'COULD BE A FILM BY THE MUJAHIDEEN'" (March 29, 2008)

Link

EZRA LEVANT.com: "FITNA UPDATE" (COMMENTARY SNIPPET: "Thoughtful defenders of Western, liberal values will see the irony here: a film about radical Islamic violence is stopped by the threat of radical Islamic violence. It proves Wilders' point.") (March 28, 2008, 7:08 pm)

THE JAWA REPORT - blog: "Reader Love Mail: Fitna YouTube Edition" (March 28, 2008)

CNS NEWS.com: "KORAN FILM: 'THE DAY WILL COME WHEN WE WILL RULE AMERICA'" by Patrick Goodenough (March 28, 2008)

JIHAD WATCH.org (AFP): "'DEATH TO THE FILMMAKER'" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "In Karachi, Pakistan's largest city, about 40 supporters of the hardline Islamist party Jamaat-i-Islami staged a protest, chanting 'Death to the filmmaker'") (March 28, 2008)

Link

WESTERN RESISTANCE.com - blog: "MEDIA: GEERT WILDERS' MOVIE ON ISLAM" (March 27, 2008)

Link

Link

Link

Link

371 posted on 04/08/2008 2:49:45 AM PDT by Cindy
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To: All

http://www.fbi.gov/page2/april08/mueller_040708.html

“DEFEATING TERRORISM
By Casting a Global Net”
04/07/08

#

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/speeches/mueller040708.htm

Robert S. Mueller, III
Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Chatham House
London, England

April 7, 2008

In May of 1943, Prime Minister Winston Churchill traveled to Washington, D.C. and addressed a Joint Session of Congress. He said, “The experiences of a long life…have wrought in me the conviction that there is nothing more important for the future of the world than the fraternal association of our two peoples in righteous work both in war and peace.”

It is in that same fraternal spirit that I speak to you today. The United States and the United Kingdom share a bond of friendship, forged in the fires of war and refined in times of peace. Side by side, our nations have faced down threats to our freedom and have forced tyranny into retreat.

Today we face another threat to our freedom, and that is the threat of terrorism, imposed by violent extremists. Our nations have both seen terrorist attacks in our cities. We have both lost citizens. And we have both committed our strength to defeating the tyranny of terrorism.

In November of 2006, Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller, former head of MI5, gave a rare public speech in which she explained that MI5 was investigating some 200 terrorist networks, 30 active plots, and roughly 1,600 known or suspected terrorists. In a speech this past November, MI5 Director General Jonathan Evans updated that number from 1,600 to 2,000.

As FBI Director, I am often asked to give specific numbers of plots disrupted, cases opened, and suspected terrorists we are investigating. While those numbers are classified, I can say that at any given time, we have several thousand open terrorism-related cases.

It is important to remember that any numbers we can give do not account for those persons and plots who have not come onto our radar screens. We can say with certainty that we have been able to prevent other attacks, but we take little comfort from that.

Terrorists continue to try to get past our collective defenses every day. They continue to attempt large-scale, coordinated attacks, such as the 2006 London-based plot to bomb airliners bound for the United States and Canada. Many, if not most, of the passengers would have been British, American, and Canadian citizens. This case is now being tried here in London.

And they continue to attempt smaller, less sophisticated attacks, such as the car bombings outside a London nightclub, or the plot to gun down U.S. soldiers at Fort Dix, New Jersey.

Though these plots failed, they remind us that while the terrorist threats have changed, they have not diminished.

And so today, following the examples of Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller and Jonathan Evans, I’d like to discuss the threat of international terrorism from the FBI’s perspective, the challenges of intelligence, and the need for strong global partnerships.

In the wake of the September 11th attacks, our path was clear. We knew our enemies were al Qaeda terrorists, and together, we went after them—from their training camps, to their funding, to their leadership. Working together, we diminished their sanctuary in Afghanistan, froze millions of dollars in finances, and captured or killed many top leaders.

But al Qaeda will not go quietly into the night. It is resilient. Its network is now diffuse. And it continues to adjust its strategies and tactics. We now confront a three-tiered threat.

The top tier is the core al Qaeda organization, which has established new sanctuaries in the ungoverned spaces, tribal areas, and frontier provinces of Pakistan. And new sanctuaries mean al Qaeda can reconstitute its leadership, recruit new operatives, and regenerate its capability to attack.

The middle tier is perhaps the most complex. We are finding small groups who have some ties to an established terrorist organization, but are largely self-directed. Think of them as al Qaeda franchises—hybrids of homegrown radicals and more sophisticated operatives. The July 7th bombers are an example of this middle layer. Two of them trained at camps in Pakistan, but they came back to Britain and lived among you while they plotted their attacks. The arrests last September of small terrorist cells in Denmark and Germany are other examples.

The bottom tier is made up of homegrown extremists. They are self-radicalizing, self-financing, and self-executing. They meet up on the Internet instead of in foreign training camps. They have no formal affiliation with al Qaeda, but they are inspired by its message of violence. Examples of this tier include last year’s plot to blow up pipelines at JFK airport in New York and a 2005 plot to attack military recruiting centers and a synagogue in Los Angeles.

The global intelligence and law enforcement communities are focused on all three of these threats—core al Qaeda, hybrid groups, and homegrown cells.

Our adversaries are evolving, and so are their tactics. We know that terrorists still desire to obtain Weapons of Mass Destruction and use them to kill as many civilians as possible. But we have also seen terrorists turn cars into bombs and drive them into airports and embassies. The plot to bomb United States-bound airliners reminds us that al Qaeda’s core organization still exists, and still thirsts for dramatic, mass-casualty attacks. But we have also seen unaffiliated groups plotting to kidnap a single British soldier from the streets of Birmingham, behead him, and post the video on the Internet.

And that is just the international terrorist threat. The FBI also devotes substantial resources to investigating domestic terrorist threats. We will never forget the 168 victims of the Oklahoma City bombing. And we also have to protect our citizens, our infrastructure, and our economy from attacks by animal rights and environmental extremists. We know you have experienced similar challenges here in Great Britain.

Terrorism is terrorism, no matter the motive. The global law enforcement and intelligence communities must be prepared to confront all permutations of these threats, all the time.

The essential components to confronting these threats are intelligence and partnerships. I’ll start with intelligence. But first, a quick story.

I met Dame Eliza Manningham-Buller just after the September 11th attacks. I was new to my job, and I asked her what she considered the key to MI5’s success in thwarting terrorist attacks. She said, “Two things: sources and wires.” That is as true today as it was the day I heard it, because sources and wires provide intelligence.

Intelligence, by its nature, is imperfect. Human sources may not be 100 percent reliable. Technology may not always be in the right place at the right time, and may not capture everything we need to hear or read. Even with the best technology, the most reliable sources, and the most talented personnel, intelligence is an art, not a science. It is a continual process of trying to determine what we know and what we don’t know, and then finding ways to fill those gaps.

Dame Eliza has put it this way: “Often difficult decisions need to be made on the basis of intelligence which is fragmentary and difficult to interpret…some is gold, some dross, and all of it requires validation, analysis and assessment.”

We in the FBI are panning for gold. First, we have to determine in which streams we are likely to find gold. Which suspected networks? Which human sources? Which websites? Then, agents and analysts must take their pans and wade through the waters of intelligence, carefully searching for nuggets of gold amid streams of repetitive or irrelevant information.

The gold might be a phone number, or a name, or a receipt from a bank transaction. It will likely be hidden among thousands of other scraps of information. With deft, methodical sifting, we can separate the gold from the dross, as Dame Eliza would say. But as she also points out, gathering the intelligence is just the start. It then must be verified and connected to other intelligence. And even then we are only seeing part of the picture.

Our goal is to get as close as possible to having the complete picture. For the FBI, this means we often continue to collect information long after we have gathered enough evidence for prosecution. Once we have the threat under control, we use these cases as intelligence collection platforms. Our mission is not just to disrupt an isolated plot, but to thoroughly dismantle the entire network that supports it.

As Jonathan Evans has said, “Knowing of somebody is not the same as knowing all about somebody.” Once we identify a terror suspect, we need to know everything we can about him. Who are his associates? Where does his money come from? Where does he travel? With whom does he communicate? We try to exhaust every possible avenue of inquiry before making an arrest. Yet the investigation may still continue—in many cases thanks to the cooperation of the person charged.

With each unique investigation, we wrestle with the same questions. Have we struck the right balance between security and freedom? Did we take every reasonable step? What if we didn’t peel back the layer that would have revealed a connection to another terrorist network, or another terrorist plot? The FBI has learned the answers to these questions through hard experience.

And to make matters more complex, the key fragment of intelligence we need to break open a case may well come from a source in another country. We cannot afford to stop gathering intelligence once we reach our own borders.

That brings us to the other indispensable tool, and that is partnerships. Within the United States, this includes our state and local law enforcement counterparts. But our international partners are just as important. Today, I can tell you that the vast majority of the FBI’s terrorism cases originate from information developed by our partners overseas—even those cases in which the suspected terrorists and the potential targets are all on American soil.

Let me give you an example. Last month, an individual named Hassan Abu-Jihaad was convicted in federal court in Connecticut on terrorism and espionage charges. Abu-Jihaad was a signalman in the United States Navy.

While on active duty aboard the USS Benfold in the Middle East, Abu-Jihaad sent classified information about the movements and vulnerabilities of his Navy battle group to an extremist website based in London. This was just months after al Qaeda had attacked the USS Cole in Yemen, killing 17 American sailors.

We learned about Abu-Jihaad from British law enforcement officers, who found a computer disk containing this classified information while searching a residence in London.

That’s one connection—but there is another. Once we learned of Abu-Jihaad from New Scotland Yard, we began the process of learning everything there was to know about him. We discovered that he had been the roommate of a man named Derrick Shareef.

Through monitoring court-authorized wiretaps, we learned that Abu-Jihaad and Derrick Shareef discussed attacking military targets in Phoenix and San Diego. Shareef was then arrested in December 2006 and charged with plotting to detonate hand grenades at a large shopping mall outside Chicago at the height of the Christmas season. He pled guilty this past November.

This case is another illustration of both the power and the limitations of intelligence and the need for strong partnerships throughout the global intelligence and law enforcement communities. The investigation ranged from a battleship in the Persian Gulf to a shopping mall in suburban Chicago. But the intelligence we needed to tie everything together and convict both men came from a house in London.

Without New Scotland Yard, we might not have been able to unravel these plots. Our national security might have been jeopardized. And many lives—both military and civilian—might have been lost.

Fortunately, the partnership between the United States and the United Kingdom is among the strongest in the world. I am particularly grateful for the relationship between the FBI and our British counterparts. It remains a model of international intelligence and law enforcement cooperation.

The FBI has a Legal Attaché office here in London. Our staff works every day with officials in the security services, with New Scotland Yard, and with Britain’s other constabularies. FBI personnel have 20 to 30 in-person meetings every week with British intelligence and law enforcement officials. We share intelligence. We support one another’s investigations.

Our information-sharing is getting faster, easier, and more detailed every day. As recently as a year ago, we had to hand-carry hard copies of classified files to each other’s offices. Today the process is automated. For example, if New Scotland Yard needs to know if we have information about a suspect, an officer can electronically send a file or image over a secure system to our London office. Our London staff can then submit it in real time back to our databases in the United States for analysis.

This collaboration is the future of counterterrorism. We never know when a fragment of information uncovered in one country could unearth an entire network of terror in another.

And this is true not just for terrorism—the same can be said for all criminal threats, from transnational organized crime rings, to child pornography, to cyber attacks. The intelligence we seek often resides where our adversaries are based, not where we are based.

Our enemies live in the seams of our jurisdictions. No single agency or nation can find them and fight them alone. If we are to protect our citizens, working together is not just the best option, it is the only option.

Like the fascism our nations defeated six decades ago, terrorism is designed to make us afraid of today, afraid of tomorrow, and afraid of each other. It is a battle based not on territory, but on ideology—on freedom versus fear, on tolerance versus tyranny.

Once again, freedom is at stake. Once again, freedom-loving nations must rise to the challenge of our time. And once again, the road ahead will not be easy. This struggle will not end in a single, decisive battle. It may persist for generations, and we may encounter many unforeseen setbacks as we go forward.

But we go forward together. For generations, our nations have stood together, have suffered together, and have triumphed together. And we will do so again.

The struggle will be hard fought, and hard won—but it will be won. Our aim, in the words of Winston Churchill, is “victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory, however long and hard the road may be…come then, let us go forward together with our united strength.”


372 posted on 04/08/2008 2:53:20 AM PDT by Cindy
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RECAP and UPDATES:

Link

THE JAWA REPORT - blog: "AL-QAEDA SAYS IT'S NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR FATE OF AUSTRIAN HOSTAGES" (April 7, 2008)

JPOST.com - JERUSALEM POST (AP): "AUSTRIA: HOSTAGE-TAKER DEADLINE FOR MEETING DEMANDS PASSES" (March 24, 2008, 2:04)

YNET NEWS.com (AP): "GROUP THAT SEZIED 2 AUSTRIAN TOURISTS IN TUNISIA EXTENDS DEADLINE" (Published March 17, 2008, 00:55)

YNET NEWS.com (REUTERS): "AL QAEDA GIVES AUSTRIA ULTIMATUM ON HOSTAGES' RELEASE" (Published March 13, 2008, 23:42)

MEMRI IWMP.org - blog: "AL-QAEDA IN ISLAMIC MAGHREB CLAIMS RESPONSIBILITY FOR KIDNAPPING OF TWO AUSTRIAN CITIZENS" (March 12, 2008)

373 posted on 04/08/2008 3:32:28 AM PDT by Cindy
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Comment #374 Removed by Moderator

To: All

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/080407miami.htm

Two-week ICE DRO operation targeting fugitives yields more 330 arrests in Miami, Broward and Palm Beach counties

MIAMI - More than 330 immigration fugitives and immigration violators were arrested here following a two-week targeted enforcement action carried out by deportation officers assigned to the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Miami Fugitive Operations Team.

During the two-week operation, which concluded Friday, ICE deportation officers located and arrested 332 immigration violators. The breakdown of the arrests by county are as follows: (147) in Miami-Dade, (104) in Broward and (81) in Palm Beach.

Of those arrested, 300 were immigration fugitives, aliens who have ignored final orders of deportation. The remaining 32, were immigration violators who are amenable to removal and who have been convicted of various crimes.

Sixty-eight of those arrested were processed for removal and placed on the Alternatives to Detention Program (ATD). In these cases, ICE DRO officers exercised prosecutorial discretion by placing aliens with final orders of removal, who were verified to be sole caregivers or as having medical concerns, on orders of supervision.

The ATD Program was originally created to ensure appearance at immigration hearings by aliens who were determined not to pose a threat to national security or community safety and who did not pose an unacceptable flight risk. This program has provided effective community based supervision to eligible aliens. The departure of those placed on the orders of supervision will be verified by deportation officers.

The results of the targeted enforcement action were announced at a news conference here today by Michael Rozos, ICE Florida Field Office Director for the Office of Detention and Removal.

“As a nation, we must protect the integrity of our immigration system,” said Rozos. “While we are a welcoming country, we expect those wanting to immigrate here to do so in a safe, legal and orderly manner. If you choose to disregard our laws, you will be found, arrested and returned to your home country.”

Following are three of the criminal aliens arrested by ICE’s Fugitive Operations Team during this targeted enforcement action:

Antonio Martinez-Romero, a citizen of Mexico, ordered deported in Oct. 2007. He has previous arrests for robbery, carrying a concealed weapon and domestic battery. Martinez-Romero’s deportation is imminent.
Jean Robert Valeus, a citizen of Haiti, ordered deported in Oct. 2006. He has previous convictions and arrests linked to cocaine possession, larceny, and aggravated battery on a pregnant woman.
Ramiro Martinez, a citizen of Mexico, ordered deported in Oct. 1997. He has previous convictions and arrests for driving under the influence and cruelty towards a child.
The Fugitive Operations Program was established in 2003 to eliminate the nation’s backlog of immigration fugitives and ensure that deportation orders handed down by immigration judges are enforced. Earlier this year, the nation’s fugitive alien population showed its first-ever decline. Estimates now place the number of immigration fugitives in the United States at slightly under 597,000, a decrease of more than 35,000 since October 2006.

Much of the credit for those results can be attributed to the rapid expansion of the program. Today, ICE has 75 Fugitive Operations Teams deployed across the country, including 23 added within the last year. Due to the success of the fugitive operations effort, Congress authorized ICE to add 29 more Fugitive Operation Teams in fiscal year 2008.

Those arrested represent countries around the globe including Ukraine, Angola, Surinam, Mauritania, Haiti, Honduras, Guatemala, Brazil, Colombia, Venezuela, El Salvador, Peru, Mexico, Venezuela, Nicaragua and Canada.

ICE’s Fugitive Operations Program is an integral part of the comprehensive multi-year plan launched by the Department of Homeland Security to secure America’s borders and reduce illegal migration. That strategy seeks to gain operational control of both the northern and southern borders, while re-engineering the detention and removal system to ensure that illegal aliens are removed from the country quickly and efficiently. The plan also involves strong interior enforcement efforts, including enhanced worksite enforcement and intensified efforts to track down and remove illegal aliens inside the United States.

— ICE —


375 posted on 04/08/2008 3:53:26 AM PDT by Cindy
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http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_4203.html

Travel Alert

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Tue Apr 08 2008 03:54:58 GMT-0700 (PDT).

Comoros

April 07, 2008


376 posted on 04/08/2008 3:55:19 AM PDT by Cindy
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ADDING to post no. 374:

Note: The following text is a quote:

https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=82526

OU ARE HERE: Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report
Warden Message: Explosions in Kathmandu Valley
CONSULAR AFFAIRS BULLETINS
South / Central Asia - Nepal
5 Apr 2008

Printer Friendly Email Article
RELATED REPORTS
5 Apr 2008
WARDEN MESSAGE: NEPAL ELECTION TRAVEL RESTRICTIONS
25 Feb 2008
TRAVEL WARNING: NEPAL
19 Feb 2008
WARDEN MESSAGE: KATHMANDU FUEL AND FOOD SHORTAGES CONTINUE
14 Jan 2008
WARDEN MESSAGE: NEPAL PIPE BOMB EXPLOSION
U.S. Embassy Kathmandu released the following Warden Message on April 5:

The Embassy has received information that 5 bombs have gone off in the Kathmandu Valley with the past few hours. The locations of those bomb blasts are Kupondole, Maitighar, Bansheswor, Ratna Park and Tripeshewor. American citizens are urged to exercise extreme caution in these areas and to refer to news reports for further information.

For additional information, please refer to “A Safe Trip Abroad” found at http://travel.state.gov. Americans living or traveling in Nepal are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department’s travel registration website. The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Kathmandu is located at Maharajgunj. The telephone number is 977-1-4007200, 4007201. The number for after-hours emergencies is 977-1-4007266,4007269. The fax number is 977-1-4007281. The Consulate’s e-mail address is consktm@state.gov and its Internet web page is http://nepal.usembassy.gov U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State’s latest Travel Warning for Nepal, Country Specific Information for Nepal and the Worldwide Caution, available at http://travel.state.gov. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).


377 posted on 04/08/2008 3:57:40 AM PDT by Cindy
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http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/syria/

ADDING to post no. 369:

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1207486219711&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

JPost.com » Middle East » Article

Apr 8, 2008 10:39 | Updated Apr 8, 2008 11:50
“Syrian official: We’re prepared for war”
By JPOST.COM STAFF


378 posted on 04/08/2008 4:03:27 AM PDT by Cindy
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RECAP AND UPDATES:

Note: The top link includes photos.

WESTERN RESISTANCE.com - blog (FAMILY SECURITY MATTERS): "UK: ISLAMIST AIR TERROR PLOT - THE STORY SO FAR..." by Adrian Morgan (April 7, 2008)

JIHAD WATCH.org (DAILY MAIL.co.uk): "JIHADIST IN JET BOMB PLOT POSED AS HONEYMOONER ON FALSE PASSPORT" (April 7, 2008)

JIHAD WATCH.org (AP): "UK JIHADIST HOPED TO STRIKE NUCLEAR PLANTS" (April 5, 2008)

WESTERN RESISTANCE.com - blog: "UK: TRIAL OF MUSLIMS FOR AIR TERROR MASS MURDER PLOT" (April 4, 2008)

JIHAD WATCH.org (AP): London - "JET PLOT JIHADISTS MADE 'MARTYRDOM' VIDEOS: 'We will take our revenge and anger, ripping amongst your people and scattering the people ... decorating the streets'" (April 4, 2008)

Link

COUNTERTERRORISM BLOG.org: "NEFA 'TARGET AMERICA' REPORT ON THE TRANSATLANTIC LIQUID BOMB PLOT" (April 3, 2008, 4:40 pm)

NEFA FOUNDATION.org - Report # 15 in a NEFA series, 'Target America': "A NEFA ANALYSIS OF BOJINKA II" (April 2008) (pdf)

JIHAD WATCH.org (DAILY MAIL.co.uk): "BRITISH MUSLIMS 'PLANNED TO KILL THOUSANDS BY BOMBING SEVEN TRANSATLANTIC AIRLINERS IN ONE GO'" (April 3, 2008)

Link

379 posted on 04/08/2008 4:35:36 AM PDT by Cindy
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http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html

“Worldwide Caution”
January 17, 2008

SNIPPET: “This Worldwide Caution updates information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against Americans and interests throughout the world. American citizens are reminded to maintain a high level of vigilance and to take appropriate steps to increase their security awareness.”


380 posted on 04/08/2008 4:37:29 AM PDT by Cindy
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