Threat Matrix: June 2008

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[nwctwx]

The Hunt for American al Qaeda

The United States is turning up the heat in the hunt for the California boy turned al Qaeda operative, Adam Gadahn, who has been charged with treason and is believed to be hiding in Afghanistan. If caught and convicted, Gadahn could face the death penalty.

The State Department along with the Department of Diplomatic Security announced the beginning of a publicity campaign in Afghanistan urging locals to provide any information on Gadahn's whereabouts, with a reward if the information leads to his capture.

Radio advertisements with information concerning the $1 million reward have already begun airing. Additionally, printed materials including matchbooks, handbills and posters will be distributed throughout the region in the coming weeks in attempts to elicit cooperation from members of the Afghan community. Read More

	London Bombs Home-Made from Pharmacy Ingredients
	Chertoff: Negotiation With Al Qaeda Futile
	Taliban's Hold in Pakistan

Threat Matrix:
June 2008

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[Cindy]

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

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Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2008/s08060165.htm

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

Unidentified Assailants Kill Former HCJB Global Broadcaster

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries
GUAYAQUIL, ECUADOR (ANS) — An Ecuadorian radio broadcaster who was one of the original staff members at HCJB Global Voice’s FM station in the coastal city of Guayaquil was shot to death by unknown assailants near his home the morning of Monday, June 23.

According to the HCJB Global Daily News Update, Raúl Rodríguez Coronel, 63, was vice president of news and host of the daily news and opinion program, “Buenos Días Ecuador” (good morning Ecuador), at the Guayaquil-based station, Radio Sucre. He was also an announcer and produced a news and Ecuadorian music program on Saturdays. He joined Radio Sucre in 1984 after 20 years with HCJB Global.

“Rodríguez presented his live program Monday morning and then drove to Guayacanes, a neighborhood north of Guayaquil, to pick up family members. When he arrived at his cousin’s house at about 7:20 a.m., press reports indicate that two unidentified men approached him, firing weapons,” said the HCJB story.

“Witnesses said Rodríguez hid behind a car, defending himself with a pistol, but at least one gunman followed him and fired more shots before the attackers fled in a taxi and another vehicle. He was taken to the local Kennedy Clinic where he died an hour later from four gunshot wounds to his leg, pelvis and chest, severing an artery.”

Organizations such as the Committee to Protect Journalists and Reporters Without Borders are urging Ecuadorian authorities to hunt down the perpetrators and investigate all possible links between Rodríguez’s death and his work as a journalist.

The Asociación Ecuatoriana de Radiodifusión (Ecuadorian broadcasting association) called the incident another attack on free speech in Ecuador and suspected that Rodriguez’s death was tied to the fact he was a “professing evangelical Christian who made commentaries on such things as the fight against corruption in various public institutions and the high price of basic necessities.” He also took a firm stand against such things as drug trafficking, homosexuality and abortion.

Rodríguez’s family said he occasionally received telephone threats, and shots were fired at the facade of his house in 2005. The following year, six men tried to kill him as he was parking his car, reported the newspaper El Telégrafo.
José “Chema” Reinoso, an HCJB Global missionary on loan to Charles Stanley’s In Touch Ministries, called Rodríguez a “great friend and colleague, always ready to serve others. He was rather quiet but direct in expressing his opinions. He respected HCJB Global and the evangelical church of Ecuador.”

Rodríguez, who once served as president of the Evangelical Confraternity of Ecuador, was a devout Christian who openly shared his views. “He knew a lot of people, and he wasn’t afraid to report the news as he saw it,” said former HCJB Global missionary Tom Narwold who worked alongside Rodríguez at HCJB-2, the mission’s FM station in Guayaquil that was founded in 1972.

HCJB Global retiree Dave Manney, who also worked with Rodríguez, said he played a key role at HCJB-2, working as a control operator and on-air radio personality. “He was a hard worker, and you could count on him,” Manney said. Two of the programs that Rodríguez produced were “Amanecer con Dios con la Biblia en la Mano” (daybreak with God and the Bible) and “Impacto Deportivo” (sports impact).

Rodríguez joined HCJB Global in 1964, initially working with the mission’s Eslabón del Guayas (All-Ecuador Gospel Network) which distributed cultural and Christian programs to more than 40 radio stations across Ecuador.

HCJB Global retiree Tom Fulghum described Rodríguez as a “man who really loved the Lord. He was very enthusiastic and compassionate about whatever he did, and I really enjoyed working with him. When I asked him to do something, it got done. He was a great friend of HCJB Global.”

Rodríguez is survived by his wife, Silvia Orellana, of 39 years and four children, César, Solange, Alba and Samuel.

Sources: HCJB Global, El Comercio, La Calle de Guayaquil, Committee to Protect Journalists, Reporters Without Borders, Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas

Dan Wooding, 67, is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma of 44 years. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com. danjuma1@aol.com.
** You may republish this story with proper attribution.

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20745&Itemid=128

Press ReleaseA080625a-229
June 25, 2008

Coalition forces target al-Qaeda in Iraq bombing, financing and propaganda networks

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces targeted al-Qaeda in Iraq bombing, financing and propaganda networks in central Iraq Tuesday, killing two terrorists and detaining 12 suspected terrorists.

Coalition forces identified and followed two men believed to be associated with al-Qaeda in Iraq bombing and finance operations to an area east of Samarra, about 110 kilometers north of Baghdad. When the driver of the suspects’ vehicle refused to comply with signals to stop, which included warning shots, Coalition forces perceived hostile intent and fired shots to stop the vehicle. The vehicle stopped, caught fire and ignited rounds of ammunition inside, killing both terrorists.

Northwest of Baghdad, Coalition forces detained seven suspected terrorists, including a wanted man allegedly linked to an international financier who provides funding for AQI operations. In Baghdad, five suspected terrorists were detained for their alleged ties to the AQI propaganda network.

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[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20746&Itemid=128

Press Release A080625c-232
June 25, 2008

Coalition forces kill al-Qaeda terrorist

BAGHDAD – Coalition forces conducted an airstrike Tuesday northeast of Tikrit killing one al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist.

Coalition forces were in the area targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorists when they were attacked by small arms fire. Responding in self-defense, they returned fire and observed an armed man move into a nearby group of buildings. Coalition forces surrounded the buildings and called for the occupant to come out. When he refused to comply, Coalition forces perceived hostile intent from the armed man and called for supporting aircraft to engage the building occupied by the terrorist. The building was destroyed.

Coalition forces and Iraqi Police conducted a thorough search of the area and assessed the armed terrorist was killed in the engagement. No additional casualties were found at the scene. One other building in the vicinity received minor damage, and the four women inside sustained only minor injuries.

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[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20755&Itemid=128

IA Soldiers seize weapons in Sadr City
Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Army Soldiers seized numerous weapons caches in the Sadr City district of Baghdad June 25.

Iraqi Army Soldiers with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraq Army Division uncovered 11, 82 mm rounds and nine fuses in a school courtyard at approximately 7 a.m.

At approximately 11 a.m., Soldiers from the same unit discovered two AK-47 magazines and one tank scope. They also found two 82 mm rounds, five anti-tank mines, six 60 mm rounds, 11 rocket-propelled grenade rounds, 30 AK-47 rounds and command wire approximately one hour later.

Soldiers with the 3rd Brigade, 1st Iraq Army Division found a cache behind a mosque consisting of four explosively formed projectiles.

Since May 20, the Iraqi Army has uncovered 205 weapons and munitions caches, including more than 150 improvised explosive devices and 100 EFPs.

“This is a significant achievement for the Baghdad Operations Command and the Iraqi Army,” said Lt. Col. Steve Stover, a spokesman for Multi-National Division - Baghdad. “It shows increased capability, competence and the trust the Sadr City residents have in the Iraqi Army Soldiers.

“A significant number of the caches have been based on tips or citizens pointing the cache locations out,” said Stover. “Also, by removing these weapons and munitions caches from Sadr City and the rest of Baghdad, a statement is being made that there is nowhere the Iraqi Army won’t go to protect the people of Baghdad.”

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[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=20756&Itemid=128

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080625-13
June 25, 2008

Citizen tip leads MND-B forces to seize vehicle with 9 IRAMs Multi-National Division – Baghdad PAO

BAGHDAD – Multi-National Division – Baghdad Soldiers discovered a vehicle with 9 improvised rocket assisted mortars in the bed of a vehicle in the Kadamiyah district of Baghdad at approximately 4:40 p.m. June 24.

The Soldiers discovered the IRAMs based on a tip from a local Iraqi.

Iraqi and MND-B explosive ordnance disposal personnel were notified of the munitions-laden vehicle. They determined the best method to dispose of the ordnance was by controlled detonation.

A series of three controlled detonations rendered the rockets safe to approach. The controlled detonations were conducted safely, with no injuries to local Iraqis or damage to private property. Then, the IRAMs were removed from the site for disposal.

“These rockets endangered people’s lives,” said Col. William Hickman, the commander of the 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division. “(Criminals) placed the lives of families and their homes in danger. Because of the tip provided by a concerned citizen and the skill of the explosive ordinance disposal team, no one was injured.”

The concerned citizen called into the National Tips Hotline.

This tip led to the prevention of a potentially deadly attack, said Col. Allen Batschelet, the chief of staff of MND-B and 4th Infantry Division.

“The Ministry of Interior sponsors the National Tips Hotline that lead Iraqi army and U.S. Soldiers to seizing these IRAMs,” said Batschelet. “Coalition forces will continue to exploit intelligence provided by the concerned Iraqi citizens in cooperation with the MoI to further develop information that will lead us to those responsible for these heinous weapons.”

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[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=86654

YOU ARE HERE: Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report
Warden Message: U.S. Embassy Colombo Reports Suspicious Powder
CONSULAR AFFAIRS BULLETINS
South / Central Asia - Sri Lanka
25 Jun 2008

Printer Friendly Email Article
RELATED REPORTS
13 Jun 2008
TRAVEL WARNING: SRI LANKA
5 May 2008
INCREASING VIOLENCE IN SRI LANKA
8 Feb 2008
TRAVEL WARNING: SRI LANKA
5 Feb 2008
WARDEN MESSAGE: SUICIDE BOMB ATTACK INSIDE SRI LANKA’S FORT RAIL STATION
3 Feb 2008
WARDEN MESSAGE: CAUTION FOLLOWING COLOMBO ATTACKS
U.S. Embassy Colombo issued the following Warden Message on June 25, 2008:

At approximately 11:00 am on June 25, 2008, a suspicious powder was discovered at the U.S. Embassy in Colombo. The suspicious substance will be sent to a laboratory for analysis. Until the results are received and a determination is made that the substance does not pose health or safety risks, the Embassy will be closed to the public. All visa appointments and routine American citizen services will be postponed until this incident is resolved.

The Embassy’s consular section will remain available to provide emergency services to American citizens during the closure. If you are an American citizen and need emergency assistance please call +94-11-249-8686 during regular business hours, or +94-11-249-8500 after hours and ask for the duty officer.

Please note that the American Center, located at 44 Galle Road, Colombo 3, has not been affected by this incident and will remain open for business.

[Cindy]

ON THE INTERNET:

www.hammorabi.blogspot.com/

[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/tag/legaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/nuclear
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html

#

BLOG:

http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/8172.htm
(”Source: IRIBnews, Iran, June 24, 2008”

“Ahmadinejad: Iranian Judiciary Must Defend Rights Of Iran, Oppressed In Courts Worldwide”

Posted at: 2008-06-25

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Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036631/posts

Time running out for nuclear program talks, Iran warns
LA Times ^ | June 26, 2008 | By Borzou Daragahi, Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
Posted on June 26, 2008 3:47:55 AM PDT by Perdogg

The powerful speaker of Iran’s parliament warned Wednesday that his nation could take drastic steps in response to economic, political and military pressure meant to halt controversial parts of its nuclear program.

Ali Larijani, the speaker of Iran’s parliament and a former nuclear negotiator, said there was “only a little time left” for talks before Iran would make unspecified moves that the West would regret.

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

[Cindy]

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3560726,00.html

“Qassam rocket lands in Sderot industrial zone; no injuries reported”
Published: 06.26.08, 13:25 / Israel News

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http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3560737,00.html

“Qassam hits western Negev”

SNIPPET: “Two days after first rocket attack since truce agreement, another Qassam fired from Gaza into Sderot; no injuries or damage reported. Hamas spokesman says Israel’s refusal to reopen crossings constitutes violation of ceasefire”

Shmulik Hadad
Published: 06.26.08, 13:36 / Israel News

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2036636/posts

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http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=67963

“6 Mexicans dressed as cops kill Phoenix man
Police find body in home riddled with more than 100 bullets”
Posted: June 25, 2008
9:27 pm Eastern

© 2008 WorldNetDaily

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Six men in police tactical clothing are suspected of shooting a man to death, firing more than 100 rounds into his Phoenix home in what some are calling a Mexican drug cartel hit.

Special Assignments Units heard shots coming from a nearby neighborhood and began to drive toward the noise Sunday. Detectives said once police gained entry into the home, they found the body of Andrew Williams, 30, shot numerous times, according to Arizona Daily News.

“We have seen an increasing amount of these type of violent crimes in the past five months,” Phoenix Police Sgt. Joel Tranter said. “We want the public to realize that these types of crimes will not be tolerated in Phoenix.”

Former Rep. J.D. Hayworth, R-Ariz., said Tuesday on 550 KFYI-AM the he had acquired an internal memo identifying one of the suspects as a former member of the Mexican military, and he interviewed Mark Spencer of the Phoenix Law Enforcement Association. The men were said to be wielding two AR-15 assault weapons and wearing full body armor and black assault gear similar to uniforms worn by Phoenix police tactical teams.”

[Cindy]

Note: Photos included.

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BLOG:

http://www.thememriblog.org/iran/blog_personal/en/8170.htm
(”Source: Mehr, Iran, June 24, 2008”)

“Ayatollah Fadlallah Meets With Jabal Amel Ulema In Beirut”

“Lebanon’s Ayatollah Sayyed Mohammad Hussein Fadlallah met June 23 in Beirut with the board of Jabal Amel ulema.”

Posted at: 2008-06-25

[Cindy]

Another case of...

http://osint.internet-haganah.com/archives/001395.html

“JIHADI RECIDIVISM 101”
(June 26, 2008)

[Cindy]

BBC NEWS: "THREE DENY JFK TERROR PLOT CLAIMS" (Updated June 26, 2008, 09:06 UK)

Link

[Cindy]

http://frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=5BF32F00-2C8F-47CF-8C69-93644CCFA710

“The Fifth Generation Warfare”
By Dr. Rachel Ehrenfeld and Alyssa A. Lappen
FrontPageMagazine.com | Friday, June 20, 2008

SNIPPET: “[From Armed Groups: Studies in National Security, Counterterrorism, and Counterinsurgency; Edited by Jeffrey Norwitz; U.S. Naval War College, June 2008, chapter 28.]
The United States and the West cannot win the war against radical Islam merely with the most sophisticated military strategies. Winning requires understanding the role of shari’a and the Muslim Brotherhood in developing a global ideological and political movement supported by a parallel “Islamic” financial system to exploit and undermine Western economies and markets. This movement is the foundation and the major funding source for the political, economic, and military initiatives of the global Islamic movement.1

Shari’a finance is a new weapon in the arsenal of what might be termed fifth-generation warfare (5GW).2 The perpetrators include both states and organizations, advancing a global totalitarian ideology disguised as a religion. The end goal is to impose that ideology worldwide, making the Islamic “nation,” or ummah, supreme.3”

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BOOK:

http://www.amazon.com/Armed-Groups-National-Counterterrorism-Counterinsurgency/dp/1884733522/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1213673432&sr=8-1

“Armed Groups: Studies in National Security, Counterterrorism, and Counterinsurgency: Studies in National Security, Counterterrorism, and Counterinsurgency (Paperback)by Stansfield Turner (Foreword), Jeffrey H. Norwitz (Editor), Naval War College Press (U.S.) (Producer)”

[Cindy]

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/06/20080626-9.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 26, 2008

“President Bush Discusses North Korea”

###

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/06/20080626-7.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 26, 2008

“Termination of the Exercise of Authorities Under the Trading with the Enemy Act with Enemy Act with Respect to North Korea
A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America”

###

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/06/20080626-4.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
June 26, 2008

“Executive Order: Continuing Certain Restrictions with Respect to North Korea and North Korean Nationals”

[Unrepentant VN Vet]

bttt

[Cindy]

Thank you Unrepentant VN Vet.

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50326

Forces in Iraq Kill Enemies, Capture Suspects, Find Weapons

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2008 – Coalition and Iraqi forces killed three militants, detained 20 suspects and found weapons in Iraq over the past three days, military officials said.

During operations today:

— Coalition forces killed two enemy fighters, including an al-Qaida in Iraq cell leader, near Sharqat, about 55 miles south of Mosul. Military officials said forces engaged the men after perceiving them as a “hostile threat.” The slain enemies later were found to have been armed with guns and grenades. Troops detained three suspects in the operation.

— Coalition troops followed an alleged associate of al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders to a remote area west of Sinjar, where they captured him and four other suspects. Troops used information gleaned in a May 11 operation to track the primary suspect, military officials said.

— Coalition forces captured two Egyptian men who military officials believe are linked to suicide bombings west of Baghdad in Abu Ghraib. In a separate operation in the area, forces captured a man wanted for providing weapons and suicide vests to al-Qaida in Iraq foreign terrorists.

— Troops nabbed two suspects bear Biaj, about 80 miles southwest of Mosul. One detainee is wanted for his alleged ties to senior leaders of a network that assists foreign terrorists.

— Forces in Mosul captured a suspected mid-level al-Qaida in Iraq leader believed to be associated with car bombings and other attacks. They detained an additional suspect during an operation targeting Mosul’s terrorist propaganda network.

Iraqi soldiers yesterday seized numerous weapons caches in the Sadr City district of Baghdad. The soldiers uncovered mortar rounds, mines, rocket-propelled grenades and other military equipment.

During June 24 operations:

— Coalition forces conducted an air strike northeast of Tikrit that killed one suspected al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist. Military officials said ground forces called in the strike as a self-defense measure. Four women in a nearby building suffered minor injuries.

— Coalition troops captured a suspected senior leader of an Iranian-backed “special group” and three of the leader’s associates in Ash Shumali, about 70 miles south of Baghdad. At the scene, forces discovered numerous assault rifles and handguns, and a vehicle that tested positive for explosives, military officials said.

— Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers detained the leader of a roadside bombing cell in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district. Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, caught the suspect near Forward Operating Base Falcon, Baghdad.

— Multinational Division Baghdad soldiers found nine makeshift rockets in the bed of a vehicle in Baghdad’s Kadamiyah district. A local Iraqi tipped off soldiers to the weapon system’s whereabouts, military officials said.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50327

Troops in Afghanistan Kill, Capture Enemy Fighters

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, June 26, 2008 – Coalition and Afghan forces killed enemy fighters and detained four suspected militants in Afghanistan yesterday.
Afghan and coalition forces killed several insurgents while patrolling the Maywand district of Kandahar province.

Insurgents attacked the combined security patrol with small-arms fire, rocket-propelled grenades and indirect fire. The patrol returned small-arms fire before calling in a precision air strike that killed an unknown number of enemy fighters.

In a separate incident, coalition forces in Paktika province detained four militants during an operation aimed at disrupting Taliban activities.

One of the enemy fighters coalition forces captured in the Sar Hawza district raid was a Taliban Haqqani network leader known to conduct financing operations in the area, military officials said.

(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)