Threat Matrix: April 2008

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[nwctwx]

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

	France May Send More Troops to Afghanistan
	Special Operations Increase Possible for Iraq
	Al-Qaeda Grooming Militants Who 'Look Western': CIA Chief

Threat Matrix:
April 2008

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[Cindy]

Fyi Only.

Note: The following news brief is a quote:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3529570,00.html

Fire breaks out in Petah Tikva; MDA declares mass casualty event
Published: 04.09.08, 11:04 / Israel News

Magen David Adom emergency services declared a fire which broke out in a Petah Tikva retirement home a mass casualty event, after dozens have been trapped in the flaming building.

Multiple fire engines and ambulances are at the scene. (Raanan Ben-Zur)

[Cindy]

ONE NEWS NOW.com: "ANTI-COMMUNIST ACTIVIST: CHINA CONTRIBUTED TO IRAN'S NUCLEAR AMBITIONS" by Chad Groening (April 8, 2008, 10:00 am)

[Cindy]

http://www.washingtontimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080409/FOREIGN/656189754/1003

“U.S. gets mixed news on nukes”
By Nicholas Kralev
April 9, 2008

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice received mixed news yesterday on nuclear proliferation: a tentative agreement with North Korea that could break an impasse in negotiations and an Iranian claim that the country was expanding its nuclear capabilities.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Washington has particular concerns about a suspected uranium-enrichment program in the North as well as nuclear-related transfers to Syria.”

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998853/posts?page=3#3

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998853/posts

“Syria to hold emergency drill in coming days”
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3529540,00.html ^
Posted on April 9, 2008 1:03:36 AM PDT by jhpigott

[Cindy]

Note: The following news brief is a quote:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3529487,00.html

4 mortar shells land in open areas in western Negev
Published: 04.09.08, 08:18 / Israel News

Four mortar shells landed Wednesday in open areas near the border fence in the northern Gaza Strip.

There were no reports of injuries or damage. (Shmulik Hadad)

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/hamas/

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http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1207649970358&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Apr 9, 2008 11:02
“Egyptian troops alert over fears of new Hamas attempt to breach border”
El-ARISH, Egypt

[Cindy]

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=FBC0C78A-1DEA-4019-A4DA-403AC8EFED6E

“Islamo-Fascism Discussed on 100 Campuses”
By FrontPage Magazine
FrontPageMagazine.com | Wednesday, April 09, 2008

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The Islamo Fascism Awareness Week II got under way yesterday at universities across the nation in what amounted to a two front offensive against the unholy alliance between radical and pro-jihad groups.”

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=18300&Itemid=132

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080409-06
April 9, 2008

IED weapons making facility destroyed in Diyala
Multi-National Division – North PAO

TIKRIT, Iraq – While conducting clearing operations, Coalition force Soldiers discovered an improvised explosive device weapons making facility in Diyala Province April 8.

The facility was determined to be an imminent threat to Coalition force Soldiers on the ground, and after the area was cleared of any civilians, a U.S. Air Force F-18 destroyed the facility with a 500-pound bomb.

-30-

[Cindy]

US-CERT.GOV
http://www.us-cert.gov

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http://www.dhs.gov/xnews/releases/pr_1207684277498.shtm

“Fact Sheet: Protecting Our Federal Networks Against Cyber Attacks
Release Date: April 8, 2008”

[Cindy]

Fyi Only.

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/china
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/syria

#

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998858/posts

China signs oil pact with Syria
ap ^ | 4/8/09 | ap
Posted on April 9, 2008 2:28:42 AM PDT by Flavius

SHANGHAI, China (AP) — China and Syria have signed an agreement to build a joint venture refinery in eastern Syria, expanding their cooperation to include oil processing, China National Petroleum Corp. said in a statement seen Tuesday.

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

[Cindy]

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

[Cindy]

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.”

[Cindy]

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

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QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1969529/posts?page=420#420

http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=jihad&ID=SP188908

Special Dispatch Series - No. 1889
April 7, 2008 No. 1889

“On Hizbullah’s Al-Manar TV, American Activist Franklin Lamb Pays Respects at ‘Imad Mughniya’s Tomb in Lebanon”

SNIPPET: “During February and March 2008, Hizbullah’s Al-Manar TV aired reports on visitors from the U.S. and from Egypt who came to pay their respects at the grave of senior Hizbullah commander ‘Imad Mughniya, who was assassinated in February 2008.

One visitor from the U.S. was Franklin Lamb, author, activist, and director of Americans for the Just Peace in the Middle East and who writes on websites including Counterpunch. [1] Lamb, who was described by the Al-Manar TV reporter as “persiste[nt] in his support for the just cause of the Lebanese people’s resistance,” has demanded that the Bush administration “prove” that Hizbullah is a terrorist organization. [2]

In the Al-Manar segment that aired March 25, 2008, Lamb expressed his support for Hizbullah and said he was “honored to be in this venerable place,” and responded to criticism of his visit by U.S. Charge d’Affaires Michele J. Sison by saying that she herself should come to pay her respects.

In another segment, aired February 28, 2008, Egyptian Labor Party Secretary-General Magdi Ahmad Hussein spoke with Mughinya’s father,

To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1728.htm .

To view the MEMRI TV page dedicated to Al-Manar TV, visit http://www.memritv.org/subject/en/116.htm .

Franklin Lamb Visit - Aired March 25, 2008”

420 posted on April 9, 2008 3:07:59 AM PDT by Cindy

[Cindy]

http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
http://www.memri.org/iran.html

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http://www.memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=jihad&ID=SP189008

Special Dispatch Series - No. 1890
April 8, 2008 No. 1890

“Hamas-Iraq: Al-Qaeda in Iraq is Subservient to Iran; ‘The U.S. is Our Main Enemy, But a More Dangerous Enemy is Iran’”

SNIPPET: “In a March 26, 2008 interview with the Qatari daily Al-’Arab, the spokesman for the Iraqi Sunni jihad organization Hamas-Iraq, Ahmad Salah Al-Din, accused Al-Qaeda in Iraq of regarding most Iraqi resistance factions as its main enemy, of subservience to Iran, and of receiving from it weapons, funds, training, and medical care for its wounded. Salah Al-Din added that in the past year Al-Qaeda in Iraq had become considerably weaker and smaller.

The following are excerpts from the Al-’Arab article on the interview:”

[Cindy]

Note: The following blog entry is a quote:

http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/6689.htm

‘Kayhan’: Advanced Centrifuges A Response To Sanctions

The Iranian daily Kayhan, which is close to Iranian Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei, stated that Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad’s message about the operation of 6,000 advanced centrifuges and the acceleration of the uranium enrichment process is Iran’s response to the U.N. Security Council sanctions resolution.

The paper also said that as previously declared, Iran would build new nuclear facilities and would declare this only 180 days before they were put into operation.

Source: Kayhan, Iran, April 8, 2008

Posted at: 2008-04-08

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Note: The following blog entry is a quote:

http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/6685.htm

In Iran, Two Years’ Imprisonment For Former Nuclear Official

An Iranian court has sentenced a former senior official on Iran’s nuclear negotiating team, Hossein Mosavian, to two years in prison and also to removal from his government post, for harming state security.

Source: Fars, Iran, April 8, 2008

Posted at: 2008-04-08

[Godzilla]

placemark

[drymans wife]

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,348551,00.html

Woman, 22, Suspected to Have One-in-a-Million Disease After Gastric Bypass Surgery

Wednesday, April 09, 2008

Doctors suspect a 22-year-old Virginia woman has contracted the human variant of mad cow disease shortly after she had gastric bypass surgery, WAVY-TV reports.

Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease, which affects roughly one-in-a-million people, is a degenerative and fatal brain disorder has been linked to tainted medical instruments and certain medical procedures, according to the Mayo Clinic.

Aretha Vinson’s health began to deteriorate three months ago, just after she had the surgery. First, her motor skills started to go and her memory faded. Now, the Portsmouth, Va., resident lies unconscious in a hospital bed.

There is no cure or treatment for the disease.

“The pain is just excruciating,” said Vinson’s mother, Robin. “I feel there’s been a part of my life ripped from me.”

[WestCoastGal]

I just saw this on the news and thought I would post it here in case anyone is on this. of course the tainted batch is from CHINA!!!!!!!

Heparin deaths higher, FDA says

April 9, 2008 Shelley Wood

Rockville, MD - The FDA announced yesterday that the number of deaths linked to tainted heparin is much higher than the agency originally thought [1]. According to new information posted on the FDA’s website, 62 people treated with heparin, who also showed allergic or hypotensive symptoms, died between January 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008.

Earlier this year, when adverse-event reports first started piling up for the drug, the FDA had stated that four deaths were likely linked to contaminated heparin, an estimate it later raised to 19. “The fact that allergic symptoms or hypotension was reported does not mean that these were the cause of death in all cases,” the FDA notes.

The deaths are not new deaths per se but rather new reports: according to the FDA, no new deaths have yet been reported for March 2008, although 11 have been reported for February and 16 for January.

The heparin scare dates back to January, when Baxter Healthcare first recalled nine lots of heparin sodium injection due to reports of nausea, hypotension, chest pain, fainting, and other symptoms. Over ensuing months, other countries and other manufacturers have also issued recalls. The contaminant is believed to be in drug components sourced from China.

http://www.theheart.org/article/856169.do

[Cindy]

ADDING the thread link which goes with post no. 413.

Thanks to cgk for pointing to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1998959/posts

“Top Al Qaeda Leader Abu Ubaida al-Masri Confirmed Dead in Pakistan”
Fox News ^ | 4-9-08
Posted on April 9, 2008 7:27:52 AM PDT by cgk

[Cindy]

...from China.

Thank you for the heads up West Coast Gal.

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RECALLS.GOV
http://www.recalls.gov