COUNTERTERRORISM BLOG.org: "AL QAEDA OFFICIALLY HATES THE COUNTERTERRORISM BLOG" by Andrew Cochran (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "When I started this website in January 2005, I never envisioned that that Al Qaeda would target us for a hit piece over the Internet. Well, voila, the blessed day has arrived. The wonderful folks at the SITE Intelligence Group found the item below on Al-Ekhlaas, one of Al-Qaida's central messaging forums on the Internet, which has begun a new series in English titled, "Watching and Monitoring the Jihad Media Watchers." They passed along the item below to Evan Kohlmann, who sent it to me, and I want to share it with our readers and contributors. They also passed out a "Badge of Honor" to SITE, Evan Kohlmann, IntelCenter, the NEFA Foundation, and Internet Haganah (my congrats to them.") (April 16, 2008) (Read More...)
CHRON.com - HOUSTON CHRONICLE: "SEARCH CONTINUES FOR LOST EXPLOSIVES IN LIBERTY COUNTY" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Anyone with information about the devices is asked to call the Liberty County Sheriff's Office at 936-336-4500 or the Liberty County Emergency Management Office at 936-334-3219.") (April 11, 2008, 1:13pm) (Read More...)
http://www.ice.gov/pi/news/newsreleases/articles/080430littlerock2.htm
April 30, 2008
“ICE arrests U.S. citizen and 24 illegal aliens employed by a private contractor to work at Little Rock National Airport
ICE’s critical infrastructure protection mission makes a priority of airports”
PRESS RELEASE SNIPPET: “LITTLE ROCK, Ark. - Special agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) today arrested one U.S. citizen and 24 illegal aliens, employed by Naylor Concrete of Oklahoma City, performing contract work at the Little Rock National Airport.
Chance Coran, 25, a U.S. citizen, was arrested at the worksite, where he was the supervisor of a concrete crew working on airport property. Coran was arrested on an outstanding warrant for driving while intoxicated. ICE agents encountered the illegal alien workers while attempting to identify subjects working at the construction site.
The company that hired the workers was identified as Naylor Concrete, a sub-contractor working on the constructions site.
Twenty-three of the illegal aliens arrested were identified as male Mexican nationals. One of the illegal aliens was identified as being from Peru. All have been placed in removal proceedings for being in violation of U.S. immigration laws. Their immigration status makes it illegal for them to work in the United States. This law enforcement action was part of ICE’s ongoing efforts to target illegal workers with access to critical infrastructure worksites around the country, such as U.S. military installations, nuclear plants, airports and seaports.
At this time, none of those arrested have been identified as having worked at the Little Rock National Airport in the past.”
More Details UPDATE:
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=49742
U.S. Strikes Known al-Qaida Target in Somalia
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, May 1, 2008 – U.S. Central Command conducted a strike against a known al-Qaida target in Somalia yesterday, a Pentagon spokesman said today.
The strike was near Dusa Mareb, north of the Somali capital of Mogadishu.
U.S. officials would not confirm news reports that the strike killed Aden Hashi Ayro, the head of al-Qaida in Somalia, nor the means used in the strike.
“When you have something like this, there is a certain amount of analysis that goes on,” said Bryan Whitman, a Pentagon spokesman. “While you are conducting that analysis, you want to be careful not to provide any information that potentially could be of use to the enemy.”
Whitman said the strike is an example of U.S. policy in the war on terror.
“We will pursue terrorists worldwide,” he said. “The U.S. is committed to identifying, locating, capturing and, if necessary, killing terrorists wherever they operate, train, plan their operations, or seek safe havens.”
News reports said the strike killed eight people. U.S. officials have no information that substantiates any civilians being killed or injured. As a general rule, U.S. planners seek to minimize any affect of such strikes in civilians, a U.S. Central Command official said, noting that in many cases, planners abort a strike rather than endanger civilians.
http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=archives&Area=ia&ID=IA43508
Inquiry and Analysis Series - No. 435
May 8, 2008 No. 435
“Islamist Forums Teach Mujahideen How to Manufacture and Use Explosives, Weapons, and Poisons”
By: D. Nagy
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “In recent years jihadist organizations have been using the Internet for purposes of indoctrination, propaganda, recruitment, and maintaining morale among the mujahideen. In addition, Internet forums provide venues not only for sharing views, but for exchanging information that serves the operative needs of the mujahideen, such as guidance in guerilla warfare techniques, and information on manufacturing and using explosives, weapons, and poisons.”
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The following message, posted on Al-Firdaws by a member calling himself Al-Battar, shows the importance forum members attribute to the content on the Al-’Udda Wal-I’dad sections: “...Looking through several threads on this forum and on others, I discovered that the young [members] write about various topics without knowing anything [about them]... [So] it is your sacred duty to convey [information about] them to our brothers the mujahideen...
“[The Koran says:] ‘And prepare against them what force you can and horses harnessed for battle, to strike terror into [the hearts of] the enemies of Allah and your enemies and others besides them, whom you do not know (but) Allah knows them [Koran 8:60].’”
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http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2374151
TERRORISM FOCUS
“Jihadi Website Advises Recruits on How to Join al-Qaeda”
By Abdul Hameed Bakier
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “In their attempts to gather more recruits to the cause, jihadi websites are constantly posting enticing messages about the merits of the holy war against Crusaders and Zionists. A posting that appeared in a pro-jihadi forum entitled “How to become a member of al-Qaeda” lays out the requirements needed to join the terrorist group while encouraging Islamists to join the jihad. Another posting warned about the misconceptions that paralyze jihad efforts (al-ekhlaas.net, March-April).
A forum participant nicknamed Wali al-Haq posted the requirements for joining al-Qaeda. Al-Haq argues that the accusations of terrorism commonly applied to any Muslim—whether affiliated with a jihadi group or not—who prays for the victory of Islam and the mujahideen is proof of the jihadis’ success in terrifying the Jews and Crusaders: “Al-Qaeda today is not only an organization seeking to fight the Jews and Crusaders; rather it’s an ideology and a mission calling on all Muslims to uphold God’s religion and rescue the weak monotheists.” Al-Haq, who has over 3,600 contributions to jihadi forums, mostly in the field of jihadi propaganda, then proceeds to explain what a Muslim should do to join al-Qaeda.
Firstly, any Islamist desiring to join al-Qaeda must understand and adhere to the identity, ideology and objectives of the organization that was founded to continue the path of the prophets and the virtuous ancestors and to raise and defend Islam through jihad.”
(May 6, 2008)