World Terrorism : Weapons of Disruption Onging...

http://www.fredcowie.com/presentations/index.htm ^ | Jan.1, 2006 | Frederick J. Cowie, Ph.D.

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

Weapons of Disruption

C 2006 Frederick J. Cowie, Ph.D.

Whereas we have no masses, it certainly would be seriously challenging to deliver a "weapon of mass destruction" in the vast majority of geographical areas in the American West, as well as in many areas in the East and South. For instance, Montana is approximately the size of Germany, yet the population hovers only around a million (we have one representative in the House). There is no "metropolitan" area anywhere around, though Spokane is about three hundred miles away. Wyoming has more sheep than people. Utah has Salt Lake City and a few nearby populous areas. Nevada has two populated regional areas, Las Vegas and Reno. North and South Dakota have, well, a few folks here and there. Idaho folks are few and far between. I swear you can drive from San Antonio to El Paso without seeing a city policeman, because I've done it several times. Then there are Arizona, New Mexico, eastern California, inter alia. The point is we have a few population points, while the rest of the states are empty excepted for isolated small communities.Thus, out West we probably need to talk more about "weapons of disruption." (Some folks say "weapons of mass disruption," but we have no masses!)

You must ask yourself: What would I do if I were a terrorist (or a terrorism preparedness instructor) looking into the ramifications of launching a rural terrorism attack? Personally, I would concentrate on considering the consequences of disruption rather than mass destruction. Here are a few scenarios you might want consider when your local rural emergency management/response group gathers to discuss terrorism exercises.

1) Wildland Fire Incidents: Incendiary (mostly wildland) warfare has been used by military strategists for at least 2500 years, over a thousand years before the use of gunpowder. The western U.S. is disrupted, seriously disrupted, every year by wildland fires. Quite a few are started by humans, accidentally and purposefully. Starting dozens of major fires in a dozen western states could be a brilliant line of attack if militants wished to disrupt America. Thousands of security personnel could do nothing and the perpetrator/s would probably never be implicated, much less captured. Are you prepared?

2) Railroad Chemical Incidents: Many railroad main lines go through tunnels. A few strategically placed armor-piercing shells in a series of chlorine cars, along with appropriately staged derailments leaving the leaking cars in the tunnels, could shut down many main line routes in the West. Spin-off scenarios are numerous. Ready?

3) Flammable Liquid Incidents: Bridges are not easily brought down from below and approaches to bridge support structures are often highly visible and randomly monitored. However, on CNN we all have seen many tanker truck accidents involving burning hydrocarbons which have made bridge structures unusable. How hard would it be to have a few terrorists steal trucks and drive them (as opposed to hijacking planes and flying them) to strategic bridges over wide rivers or narrow gorges, ignite the gasoline (or diesel or crude), block the approaches with other incendiary or chemical releases, and make the structures extremely dangerous and impassible to highway traffic? Gotcha!

There are many variations of these themes. You probably have or can make up many more plausible, novel, and easily implemented rural-specific attack scenarios. Design exercises around them. If you want to stop terrorist events you must think like a terrorist and quit fighting last year's war!

Peace, thanks, Fred

Please check out my website at fredcowie.com

To find recent presentations, Google (with quotation marks) "Fred Cowie"

Frederick J. (Fred) Cowie, Ph.D. E-mail: fredcowie@aol.com Phone: (24 hr cell) 406-431-3531 Website: fredcowie.com

[nw_arizona_granny]

[1] Date: Fri 27 Jan 2006 From: Mary Marshall tropical.forestry@btinternet.com

Source: Yahoo News, Reuters report, Thu 26 Jan 2006 [edited]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060126/hl_nm/birdflu_virus_dc_1;_ylt=AnnbfzgphLTEpImA3P_GJVWTvyIi;_ylu=X3oDMTBiMW04NW9mBHNlYwMlJVRPUCUl

Scientists may have found out what makes the H5N1 influenza virus so deadly -- bird flu viruses have a gene that may make them especially destructive to cells, U.S. researchers reported on Thu 26 Jan 2006.

All the avian influenza viruses studied by a team at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital in Memphis had the gene and none of the human influenza viruses did, they said.

People infected with the H5N1 bird flu virus in Viet Nam and Thailand had the "avian" version of the influenza virus, as did the victims of the 1918 influenza pandemic, which killed tens of millions of people globally, the researchers said. But the [human] influenza viruses that cause the normal seasonal human misery, and those that caused the less deadly 1957 and 1968 human influenza pandemics, do not carry the avian genes.

These findings, published in the journal Science, may provide a way to identify the more dangerous viruses and may also help companies trying to make better flu drugs, said Clayton Naeve, the St. Jude's team leader. "We documented a clear difference between avian viruses and human viruses. [But much more work will be required] to demonstrate this actually contributes to virulence in nature," Naeve said in an interview.

Naeve and his colleagues have been working to sequence the genomes of all known influenza viruses. No one has done this, even though [influenza A] viruses have just 8 genes and are relatively simple organisms, the researchers said. "This is information we expect will be very important in understanding the attributes of this virus -- how it will cross from birds to humans. We are releasing these data so that other investigators worldwide can mine it for information," he said. The researchers used a collection of samples of 11 000 influenza viruses, including 7000 avian influenza viruses, assembled by St. Jude's Dr. Robert Webster over a period of 30 years. "We have sequenced a diverse sampling of 336 avian influenza viruses from this collection including isolates from ducks, gulls, shorebirds and poultry collected in North American, Eurasian, and Australasian countries, primarily during the years 1976 to 2004," the researchers said.

The H5N1 virus has been found in birds for decades but it was seen first to infect people in 1997, in Hong Kong. Since it resurfaced in 2003, it has infected at least 152 people and killed 83 of them, according to the World Health Organization. It has killed or forced the culling of hundreds of millions of birds. H5N1 does not yet pass easily from person to person but experts fear it will mutate into a form that does so, sparking a pandemic that could kill millions or tens of millions.

Clayton Naeve's team may have identified 2 proteins to watch. They are called NS1 and NS2, for non-structural protein 1 and non-structural protein 2, and they are made only once the virus has infected a cell. The avian versions seem to allow the virus to do much more damage to a cell than the human versions of NS1 and NS2, Naeve said. "We were surprised to see a lot of variation in this NS protein[s]. That was the clue. We felt it must be playing an important biological role," he said.

It is possible that a mutation that would allow a flu virus to more easily infect people will weaken the NS protein, Naeve said. But no one knows. "As time progresses one might expect that signature to change into a less virulent form," he said, or it may not, as was apparently the case in 1918. "I don't think anybody can predict at this time what the future holds for the H5 outbreaks. It's pretty scary," Naeve said.

[Byline: Maggie Fox]

****** [2] Date: Fri 27 Jan 2006 From: Mary Marshall

tropical.forestry@btinternet.com

Source: Medical News Today, Thu 26 Jan 2008 [edited]

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/medicalnews.php?newsid=36673

Unique resources at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital let researchers generate a "gold mine" of data to track evolution of avian influenza virus genes and understand how they cooperate to cause disease. Investigators at St. Jude's have completed the first large-scale study of avian influenza virus genomes, thereby doubling the amount of genetic information available on the genes and proteins of these viruses. The results of the project could lead to major insights into the avian influenza virus known as H5N1, the researchers said. H5N1 is the bird flu virus currently infecting humans in Asia and Eastern Europe, and flu experts fear it could mutate in a way that would allow it to cause a worldwide pandemic in humans.

"These studies provide the first fundamental insight into the evolution of influenza viruses in nature -- the source of all influenza viruses that affect humans, domestic animals and birds," said Dr.Robert G. Webster, a member of the Infectious Diseases Department and holder of the Rose Marie Thomas Chair at St. Jude. "This information is a true gold mine, and we are inviting all of the miners to help us unlock the secrets of influenza." Webster is an internationally renowned expert on avian influenza viruses and a co-author of the report that appears in the 27 Jan 2006 issue of Science.

St. Jude was uniquely positioned to conduct these studies because it houses Webster's large collection of bird flu viruses collected over several decades. The hospital is also home to St. Jude's Hartwell Center for Bioinformatics and Biotechnology, which provided the necessary expertise and biotechnology resources; and its supercomputer has the power needed to conduct these studies.

"Despite the major threat to human health posed by these viruses, there was very little information available on the entire genomes of avian influenza viruses," said Dr. Clayton Naeve, Director of St. Jude's Hartwell Center. "The St. Jude Influenza Virus Genome project provides a major contribution to our understanding of H5N1 and other bird flu viruses. Now we're in a much better position to understand what makes these viruses tick. And that could help us learn how to control the avian influenza viruses that threaten humans." Naeve is senior author of the report in Science.

The project produced 70 million bases of sequence information leading to DNA sequences for 2196 genes and 169 complete bird flu genomes from the St. Jude collection, including representatives of all known subtypes of the virus including H5 bird flu. Preliminary analysis of these data and development of new analysis software has led to the discovery of new forms of bird flu genes, how these viruses evolve through time, and the identification of genes that travel together through evolution. The St. Jude research also made an intriguing discovery that avian influenza viruses have a particular molecular feature that human influenza viruses do not have, which may cause them to be more toxic when infecting human cells.

"The major accomplishment of this project is that it gives the scientific community significantly more new data and analytical tools to use in the study of these potentially very dangerous viruses," said Dr. John C. Obenauer, a Bioinformatics associate research scientist at St. Jude's Hartwell Center. "In the future, that might lead to effective strategies for controlling outbreaks of these viruses in birds and humans." This work was primarily funded by ALSAC, the St. Jude fund-raising arm, with additional support from the National Institutes of Health, a Cancer Center Support grant and the Hartwell Foundation.

-- ProMED-mail

promed@promedmail.org

[The paper referred to above is published in the 26 Jan 2006 issue of Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.1121586) and is entitled: Large-Scale Sequence Analysis of Avian Influenza Isolates. The authors are John C. Obenauer, Jackie Denson, Perdeep K. Mehta, Xiaoping Su, Suraj Mukatira, David B. Finkelstein, Xiequn Xu, Jinhua Wang, Jing Ma, Yiping Fan, Karen M. Rakestraw, Robert G. Webster, Erich Hoffmann, Scott Krauss, Jie Zheng, Ziwei Zhang and Clayton W. Naeve.

Determination of the complete sequences of the genomes of 169 influenza A viruses, including representatives of all known subtypes, is a very significant achievement, providing a new database for analysis of the biological properties of influenza A viruses. The systematic distinctiveness of avian and mammalian influenza A viruses revealed by these data suggests that the reassortment of genome subunits to produce a novel human pandemic virus is likely to be a rarer event than generally assumed.

Interestingly, the data point to the importance of the NS1 and NS2 gene products in determining severity of cytopathogenicity and by inference indicate that these proteins may play a role in virulence and/or host range in vivo. The NS1 and NS2 proteins are both encoded in segment 8 of the genome of influenza A virus. NS1 and NS2 share 10 amino terminal residues, including the terminal methionine, and the NS2 protein is derived by mRNA splicing from segment 8 RNA. NS1 inhibits transport of mRNA from the infected cell nucleus and acts as an inhibitor of interferon, whereas NS2 functions as a nuclear export protein. -

Mod.CP]

[see also: 2005

---- Influenza virus, 1918 pandemic strain: reconstruct... 20051006.2919

Influenza virus, 1918 pandemic strain: reconstruction 20051005.2901

Influenza virus: receptor specificities 20051222.3658] ........................cp/pg/dk

[nw_arizona_granny]

To me, OBL's talk of a truce, was his pot stirrer to the liberal/commie/anti crowd and they fell for it hook line and sinker.

The OBL religion allows for a truce while troops rest and more supplies are brought in.

The left, is insane and unable to understand an insane plan.

[nw_arizona_granny]

it was very difficult
to smuggle in "controlled" explosives like PETN and RDX, Bangladeshi
militants were constrained to use "homemade" or crude improvised
explosive devices. <<<<

Darn, something is niggling at my mind.

I know that all the muslims in the world donate to the charties that support the terrorists, but, I am constantly amazed at the quality of their weapons.

They have the finest on the market, from all the U.S.A.'s enemies......

And the fools keep running around, calling the terrorist a raghead.....

Who is in charge of weapon supplies, they are too fancy for a bunch of fools hiding in caves.

We are fighting an army, and it is hidden to us.

The terrorist army is too well supplied to be called random attackers.

Every time I read Cindy's list of weapons found, I am surprised at what they have.

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=Where%20does%20al-Qaida%20buy%20PETN%20and%20RDX

See al-qaeda spelling link also:

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=sold%20%20al-Qaida%20PETN%20and%20RDX

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=stolen%20PETN%20and%20RDX

http://www.google.com/search?q=missing+PETN+and+RDX&btnG=Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&client=googlet

http://www.google.com/search?q=found+PETN+and+RDX+and+HMX&btnG=Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&client=googlet

It says that HMX and RDX are used in nuclear weapons:

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=stolen%20HMX

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=arrest%20with%20PETN%20HMX%20RDX

http://www.google.com/search?q=theft+of+PETN+HMX+RDX&btnG=Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&client=googlet

<<<>>>

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=jehad%20stadium

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=Iran%20Navy

More than you would expect to find here:

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=Militants%20Navy

http://www.google.com/search?q=Militant+ships+in+Navy&btnG=Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&client=googlet

Check both spellings:

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=al-Qaida%20Navy

Some will recall the ships off Iraq, as the last war started and that they might be loaded with the WMD, all 20 of them, appear to also connect to al-qaeda.

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=terror%20ships

Full of surprises, including the threat to the stadium:

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=al-qaeda%20stolen%20ships

What can I say? Surprise!

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=stolen%20by%20terrorist

http://www.google.com/search?q=stolen+by+militant&btnG=Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&client=googlet

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=militant%20messages%20on%20websites

http://www.google.com/search?q=militant+websites&btnG=Search&hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&client=googlet

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=militant%20message

Worth a second look:

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=militant%20chatter

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=militant%20group%20website

http://www.google.com/search?client=googlet&q=militant%20posts%20

[nw_arizona_granny]

Posted for research, study and to notify others of the danger, photos at link:

KATU 2 News - Portland, Oregon
www.katu.com

Make Sure Propane Tank Valves Are Secure

January 27, 2006

- By John Capell
and KATU Web Staff
DUNDEE, Ore. - Police in Dundee are issuing a warning about a vandal who may be targeting propane tanks and who may be trying to cause some big, and potentially deadly, trouble.

A massive explosion could have been the result when a Dundee winery's propane tank let out a dangerous gas cloud on Sunday.

Now, police are warning folks there to be on the lookout because there may be a vandal out there who is targeting propane tanks.

Dundee Fire Chief John Stock was one of the first to respond to the potentially explosive situation Sunday morning.

"I stopped back near the highway at a safe distance," he said. "I noticed a white cloud drifting over the railroad tracks, as well as back to the highway. I got out my binoculars and there was actually liquid propane cascading down each side of this tank."

The situation was serious because the 250 gallons of propane that had been in the tank had become a highly explosive gas cloud.

"A couple of blocks in all directions would be affected by the explosion of this cylinder," Stock said.

A fireball could level several city blocks and shrapnel from the tank could kill in an instant. All it would have taken was a spark from anywhere, like a car on the highway or the trains that pass right behind the tank.

Almost as disturbing is what firefighters found when they cleared the gas cloud. The valve had been intentionally opened and the hose looked like it had been cut with a knife.

Whether this was a botched theft attempt or malicious vandalism, Argyle Winery is not taking any chances and have installed new locks on the valves and hoses.

Police are also asking businesses that use propane tanks to be on the lookout.

The owner of nearby 12th and Maple Wine Company, with a brand new vintage, new facilities and a 1,000-gallon propane tank, plans on beefing up security.

"Certainly it is a concern," said owner Ken Johnston. "We should talk to our propane dealer and have them come out and make better provisions to secure and protect that valve from being damaged."

Investigators emphasize that this was no harmless prank. Aside from the potential for damage and even death, the incident shut down Highway 99 for an hour and a half and forced many residents and businesses to evacuate.

Police have turned over the section of hose that was likely cut to the state crime lab to try to figure out who is responsible.

http://www.katu.com/stories/82869.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

January 27, 2006
Bad weather continues to hamper search for airplane

http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=82858
Printer-friendly Version

CARSON, Wash. - Fresh snow with more expected is hampering the search for a white plane missing in a rugged area of Skamania County about 40 miles east of Vancouver.
The Skamania County sheriff's office says about 30 people with snowmobiles and sno-cats are searching on the ground. An air search depends on a break in the weather.

The twin-engine Cessna 421 dropped off radar screens Wednesday while on a flight from Scottsdale, Arizona, to Tacoma.

The only person on board is the pilot, 42-year-old Martin Ayres of Scottsdale.

Continued.......

Plane is lost in rugged area.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.katu.com/news/story.asp?ID=82850

Apartment house fire, 20 families homeless.

Unknown cause.

Started in hallway on 3rd floor.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.nrm.qld.gov.au/mines/inspectorate/pdf/safety_alert142.pdf

Large lot of explosives stolen from mine storage bunker at
Australian coal mine in Oct. 2005

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

Granny you will not believe what is on TCM 'The Odessa File" you just posted it yesterday.

Computer is still acting up going to do one more thing.

[DAVEY CROCKETT]

William M. Arkin on National and Homeland Security
Posted at 08:30 AM ET, 01/27/2006
Bombing is in the Air
Iran -- now Hamas -- bombing is in the air.

I've heard all of the arguments that the U.S. doesn't know where the most important targets are, that military solutions won't solve the real problems; that any kind of strike merely opens the door for protracted and escalating conflict.

But bombing is a task for which the U.S. military is spectacularly suited, and its proficiency has seduced every one of our Presidents in the precision era to pull the trigger.

The United States armed forces today face many problems and challenges, but they have proven again and again that they have the capability to conduct precision bombing. So isn't it strange that the Pentagon's new Quadrennial Defense Review, a draft of which is circulating in Washington, gives full support to a host of long-range strike systems for the future.

Continue reading "Bombing is in the Air"

http://blogs.washingtonpost.com/earlywarning/

[nw_arizona_granny]

Granny you will not believe what is on TCM 'The Odessa File" you just posted it yesterday. <<<j

That is one that didn't open for me as I recall and I had
to go with the alert.

What don't I believe?

Did you fix the computer?

[nw_arizona_granny]

Bombing is in the Air
Iran -- now Hamas -- bombing is in the air. <<<<

Yes, the mental waves are traveling through the air.

We will see a bunch of the mentally ill folks, also wanting in the game and bombs will be every place you look.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://today.reuters.co.uk/news/newsArticle.aspx?type=worldNews&storyID=2006-01-27T111430Z_01_L27693145_RTRUKOC_0_UK-IRAQ-GERMANY-HOSTAGES.xml

Edited......

German Iraq hostages urge Berlin to help free them
Fri Jan 27, 2006 11:14 AM GMT


By Louis Charbonneau

BERLIN (Reuters) - Two Germans held hostage in Iraq appeared in a video on Friday urging their government to help secure their release and Germany's foreign minister vowed to do everything in his power to free the men.

The recording, aired by Arabic news broadcaster Al Jazeera, showed the pair with masked gunmen standing behind them.

Their voices were inaudible, but Al Jazeera said the video, which had a time stamp of January 24, the day of their abduction, showed the two men urging Berlin to help secure their release.

Foreign Minister Frank-Walter Steinmeier told reporters that the Al Jazeera footage was "devastating".

"The German government will do everything it can to free the two men," he said. "We will act level-headedly. That I can promise on behalf of the government. We renew our appeal for the men to be released immediately."

(edited)

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://independent-bangladesh.com/news/jan/28/28012006cr.htm


Two alleged JMB men held in Bagerhat

UNB, BAGERHAT

Jan. 27: Two suspected members of the banned militant outfit Jama’tul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), including a suicide bomber, were arrested from Sarulia village in Mollahat upazila of the district early Friday.

The arrested were identified as suicide bomber and Ehsar of JMB Shahidul Islam alias Palash alias Emon, 22, and Nur Alam, 23. They carried out the suicide bomb attack on the court premises in Gazipur on December 12 last year.

With the latest arrest, a total of five suspected members of JMB, including two Ehsars, have been nabbed in the district in 24 hours.

Gazipur police with the cooperation of Bagerhat police arrested Shahidul and Nur as per information given by JMB commander Enayet, who was arrested in connection with the suicide bombing on the Gazipur district court premises.

During interrogation by police, Shahidul admitted his involvement in the bomb attack on the Gazipur court premises.

After interrogation, Bagerhat police handed over Shahidul, son of Abdul Wahab Munshi of Sarulia in Mollahat upazila, and Nur, son of Abdul Alim Sheikh of the same area, to Gazipur police.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/middle_east/article341508.ece

Germans 'targeted by Iraqi kidnappers'

By Tony Paterson in Berlin

Published: 28 January 2006

The German government said it had made initial contact with gunmen holding two engineers hostage in Iraq after an Arabic television channel broadcast a video of the two men pleading for Berlin to help free them.

The engineers, Thomas Nitzschke and Rene Braeunlich, were seized near an oil refinery at Baiji, 110 miles north of Baghdad on Tuesday. Their capture led to fears that disclosures about German government ransom payments to previous Iraqi hostage takers had prompted the kidnapping. There was also concern that reports saying German intelligence agents had provided the US Army with information about military targets in Iraq could have spurred the hostage-takers to kidnap Germans.

Yesterday, a video broadcast by the Arabic al-Jazeera TV channel showed the two men seated on the ground in front of gunmen brandishing automatic weapons. The hostages named their employers - the German engineering firm Cyrotec - and begged the Berlin government to "do everything" to free them.

Angela Merkel, the Chancellor, said her government would do the utmost to secure the release of the two men. "We condemn this cruel hostage-taking in the strongest possible terms," she said.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Foreign Minister, said yesterday that his government had been approached by the kidnappers, who claimed to belong to a Sunni Muslim extremist group calling itself Ansar al- Tahwid wal Sunna (Followers of the heavenly uniqueness and the Sunna). "The images that have reached us from Iraq are shocking," Mr Steinmeier said. "Our government is trying to proceed with circumspection so as not to endanger the lives of the hostages in any way." The hostage-takers appeared to have issued no demands to the German government, prompting concerns that they were attempting to copy another Iraqi extremist group, which kidnapped the German archaeologist Susanne Osthoff in November last year.

Mrs Osthoff, 43, was freed three weeks later after the German government reportedly paid a £2.8m ($5m) ransom to the kidnappers. Despite government attempts to keep the deal a secret, Mrs Osthoff openly discussed the payment of ransom money in a subsequent magazine interview. The affair was given further publicity earlier this week following a series of allegations which suggested that Mrs Osthoff had pocketed some of the ransom money.

Subsequent statements attributed to German Foreign Ministry "sources", which denied outright that Mrs Osthoff had behaved incorrectly, appeared to confirm Germany had paid a ransom to secure her release.

German security experts expressed their dismay at the disclosures only a day before the two engineers went missing, claiming that they would encourage extremist groups to target Germans.

Yesterday there was also speculation that the hostage-takers had political rather than purely financial motives. German media reports earlier this month alleged that Germany's BND intelligence service had kept two agents in Iraq during the US invasion, who supplied the US Army with information about targets.

The German government has denied the allegations and insists that the BND only supplied the US with information about buildings such as hospitals and embassies which should not be targeted. Opposition MPs have called for a full parliamentary inquiry into the affair, claiming it had helped to undermine the "good reputation" Germany was said to enjoy in Iraq because of its opposition to the war.

The German government said it had made initial contact with gunmen holding two engineers hostage in Iraq after an Arabic television channel broadcast a video of the two men pleading for Berlin to help free them.

The engineers, Thomas Nitzschke and Rene Braeunlich, were seized near an oil refinery at Baiji, 110 miles north of Baghdad on Tuesday. Their capture led to fears that disclosures about German government ransom payments to previous Iraqi hostage takers had prompted the kidnapping. There was also concern that reports saying German intelligence agents had provided the US Army with information about military targets in Iraq could have spurred the hostage-takers to kidnap Germans.

Yesterday, a video broadcast by the Arabic al-Jazeera TV channel showed the two men seated on the ground in front of gunmen brandishing automatic weapons. The hostages named their employers - the German engineering firm Cyrotec - and begged the Berlin government to "do everything" to free them.

Angela Merkel, the Chancellor, said her government would do the utmost to secure the release of the two men. "We condemn this cruel hostage-taking in the strongest possible terms," she said.

Frank-Walter Steinmeier, the German Foreign Minister, said yesterday that his government had been approached by the kidnappers, who claimed to belong to a Sunni Muslim extremist group calling itself Ansar al- Tahwid wal Sunna (Followers of the heavenly uniqueness and the Sunna). "The images that have reached us from Iraq are shocking," Mr Steinmeier said. "Our government is trying to proceed with circumspection so as not to endanger the lives of the hostages in any way." The hostage-takers appeared to have issued no demands to the German government, prompting concerns that they were attempting to copy another Iraqi extremist group, which kidnapped the German archaeologist Susanne Osthoff in November last year.
Mrs Osthoff, 43, was freed three weeks later after the German government reportedly paid a £2.8m ($5m) ransom to the kidnappers. Despite government attempts to keep the deal a secret, Mrs Osthoff openly discussed the payment of ransom money in a subsequent magazine interview. The affair was given further publicity earlier this week following a series of allegations which suggested that Mrs Osthoff had pocketed some of the ransom money.

Subsequent statements attributed to German Foreign Ministry "sources", which denied outright that Mrs Osthoff had behaved incorrectly, appeared to confirm Germany had paid a ransom to secure her release.

German security experts expressed their dismay at the disclosures only a day before the two engineers went missing, claiming that they would encourage extremist groups to target Germans.

Yesterday there was also speculation that the hostage-takers had political rather than purely financial motives. German media reports earlier this month alleged that Germany's BND intelligence service had kept two agents in Iraq during the US invasion, who supplied the US Army with information about targets.

The German government has denied the allegations and insists that the BND only supplied the US with information about buildings such as hospitals and embassies which should not be targeted. Opposition MPs have called for a full parliamentary inquiry into the affair, claiming it had helped to undermine the "good reputation" Germany was said to enjoy in Iraq because of its opposition to the war.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.defenddemocracy.org/research_topics/research_topics_list.htm?topic=7575

Interesting collection of reports and articles.

Terror of the world and more.

[nw_arizona_granny]

FRIDAY'S RECIPES: FLAX SEED GOODNESS

Last week we talked about some whole grain options to use
in our diets. Today I wanted to share some tips on flax. I had
long heard about it but just recently bought some from the store
to try. It's available by the flour and grains. Mine is Hodgson
Mill brand. Flax has a nice, mild nutty taste. You can add it to
your breads or muffins, even pancakes and waffles. It's a
great source of fiber, omega-3 fatty oils, and protein, plus it's
gluten, sodium and cholesterol free. Wow. You can use the
whole seeds or you can grind it in a coffee bean grinder.

Flax can act as a substitute for fat in some recipes. Try using
3 tablespoons of the ground seed in place of 1 tablespoon of
margarine, butter or oil. It will make some baked items brown
a little faster, so watch them closely when you first try it. If a
recipe calls for ground flax you'll need 1/4 cup of whole seed
to make about 1/2 cup of ground flax. Here are some basic
recipes to try:

Banana Flax Seed Bread

1/2 cup packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup egg substitute or egg whites
3 tablespoons oil
3/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup ground flaxseed
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup mashed bananas

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a 8 inch by 4 inch
loaf pan with cooking spray. In a large bowl combine the sugar,
buttermilk, egg substitute and the oil. Blend until smooth. In a
separate bowl, combine the flours, flax seed, baking powder,
baking soda and salt. Mix well. Add to the wet ingredients. Stir
until just blended; do not over mix. Add the bananas and stir
lightly to mix. Pour the batter into the loaf pan. Bake for 40
minutes or until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.
Remove the pan to a wire rack and let the bread cool slightly.
While it is still slightly warm, remove from pan to cool completely.
Makes one loaf.

Hermit Cookies with Flax Seed

Ingredients:
1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cold coffee
1 large egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup ground flax seed
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg
1 cup raisins
1 cup chopped walnuts or pecans

Beat together the shortening, sugars, coffee and egg. Stir in
the remaining ingredients until combined. Form into 1 inch
balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet. Space the
cookies 2 inches apart. Bake at 375 degrees for 8-10
minutes..

Orange Flax Seed Muffins

Ingredients:
1 cup cranberries, dried cherries or apples, chopped
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1/4 cup orange juice
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup ground flax
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. dried orange peel, or orange zest
1 large egg, beaten
1/4 cup oil
1 1/4 cups orange juice

Mix the fruit, sugar and orange juice. (if you use the apples skip
the sugar). In a large bowl mix together the flour, flax, sugar,
baking powder and soda, salt and orange peel. Combine the
beaten egg, oil and orange juice in a small bowl or measuring
cup. Pour this into the dry ingredients. Stir until moistened, but
don't over mix. Fold in fruit mixture. Fill the muffin cups 3/4 of
the way. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 - 35 minutes until muffins
test done.
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[nw_arizona_granny]

Posted for research and study:

http://www.brandonsun.com/story.php?story_id=16920

Report: Istvan Szabo acknowledges past as communist-era secret agent

Friday, January 27th, 2006By: BUDAPEST, Hungary (AP) -

Istvan Szabo, director of the Oscar-winning film Mephisto, acknowledged having been an informer for Hungary's communist-era secret police, according to a newspaper interview published Friday.

Szabo, 67, was quoted as saying he reported on fellow students at Budapest's Academy of Theatre and Film as part of a scheme designed to save the life of a classmate who took up arms against the communist regime during the revolution of 1956.

"I am grateful to fate and subsequently I can be proud of what happened," Szabo was quoted as telling the daily newspaper Nepszabadsag. "The work for the secret police was the bravest and most fearless of my life."

Szabo did not provide the name of the person he allegedly helped or any further details of his work for the secret service.

On Thursday, the Elet es Irodalom weekly published a lengthy article claiming Szabo wrote reports for the secret police in 1957-1963 under the code name Endre Kepesi.

Similar details about the past of several public figures in Hungary have come to light since Hungary's return to democracy in 1990.

The government of former prime minister Peter Medgyessy nearly collapsed in 2002 after it was revealed he had been a communist-era secret service agent.

The current, socialist-led government pledged in 2004 to open up all the old secret service files, but a viable law has yet to be approved by parliament.

Mephisto, starring Klaus Maria Brandauer, won an Oscar in 1981 for best foreign film.

© 2005 The Brandon Sun

[nw_arizona_granny]

January 28, 2006 Anti-Terrorism News

Four Iraqis killed in Baghdad, Fallujah
http://interestalert.com/story/siteia.shtml?Story=st/sn/01280000aaa04a30.ap&Sys=siteia&Fid=WORLDNEW&Type=News&Filter=World%20News
At least four Iraqis were killed in separate attacks Saturday in
Baghdad and the western city of Fallujah, including a soldier and a policeman

(Palestine) Hamas ambush wounds two, Gaza police say
http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2006-01-28-hamas-ambush_x.htm
Hamas gunmen ambushed a Palestinian police patrol early Saturday and
wounded two officers, police in Gaza said.

(Palestine) Hamas leader Hania: Weapons should be turned only against
Israel
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1137605925356&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Iran warns US, Britain of missile response if attacked
http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticle.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/January/middleeast_January785.xml§ion=middleeast
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards chief warned the United States and
Britain on Saturday that Iran would retaliate with missiles if attacked,
state-run television reported.

(India) 8 people killed in Kashmir gunfight
http://interestalert.com/story/siteia.shtml?Story=st/sn/01270004aaa0147f.ap&Sys=siteia&Fid=WORLDNEW&Type=News&Filter=World%20News
The official said the fighting erupted after Indian troops spotted a
group of at least 10 militants trying to cross the line that divides the
disputed Kashmir region between India and Pakistan.

Nevada Site Tests 'Dirty Bomb' Sensors
http://ap.washingtontimes.com/dynamic/stories/N/NUCLEAR_DETECTORS?SITE=DCTMS&SECTION=HOME

(Netherlands) 'Samir wants to die as a martyr to Islam,' court hears
http://www.expatica.com/source/site_article.asp?subchannel_id=1&story_id=27185&name=%27Samir+wants+to+die+as+a+martyr+to+Islam%2C%27+court+hears
The 19-year-old Dutch-Moroccan wants to leave his mark on the world and
die a martyr to Islam, his latest trial for plotting terrorist attacks
is told in Rotterdam.

U.S. indicts 10 for alleged terror ties
http://www.washingtontimes.com/upi/20060127-115955-4687r.htm
A federal grand jury in Miami has indicted 10 foreign nationals for
allegedly providing material support to terrorists and alien smuggling;
Jalal Saadat Moheisen, a Palestinian, and nine Colombian nationals were
charged with conspiracy to provide material support to a foreign
terrorist organization

(UK) Hamza 'recruited for terrorism'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4654814.stm
In his closing speech, David Perry, prosecuting, said Mr Hamza used
"the most dangerous weapons available" - Islam, his civic position and
words.

(Turkey) Three Terrorists Surrender In Sirnak
http://www.turkishpress.com/news.asp?id=105419
Three PKK terrorists surrendered to security forces in eastern Sirnak
city

London Man Charged With Helping Alleged Bomber Evade Arrest
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/london/4655652.stm
Muhedin Ali facing two charges that he helped alleged bomber Hussain
Osman avoid arrest

Pakistan: Islamists riot against mixed-sex race
http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?cid=1137605933123&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull
Scores of Islamists have been detained in central Pakistan ahead of a
mini-marathon, which they threatened to disrupt if women took part,
police said on Saturday

(Palestine) Furious protesters demand Abbas quit
http://www.cnn.com/2006/WORLD/meast/01/27/palestinian.election/index.html
Three also wounded in Gaza gunbattle

Federal appeals court upholds airport identification policy
http://www.cnn.com/2006/TRAVEL/01/27/airline.ids.ap/index.html

US charges 10 with seeking to aid Colombia rebels
http://www.alertnet.org/thenews/newsdesk/N27195190.htm
Updated: Ten charged in Miami with attempting to provide material
support to FARC, including trying to smuggle members into U.S.

Afghan Police Say Seven Insurgents Killed As Violence Continues
http://www.rferl.org/featuresarticle/2006/1/2743EA2A-DD6A-4284-BE2C-1E24B991F439.html
Seven neo-Taliban fighters killed and 5 policemen wounded when
insurgents attacked police station in southern Afghanistan

Iraq police clash with rebels as suspects arrested
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20060127/wl_mideast_afp/iraqunrestarrest_060127120900
Police and rebels exchanged gunfire in Baghdad, while at least 50
suspected insurgents arrested in Iraqi-US operation

London Times: "Hamas stands its ground"
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,251-2013596,00.html
Zahar reasserts hard-line views of Hamas terror group: "Dr Mahmoud
al-Zahar, the authentic voice of Hamas, explains to The Times his group's
worldview"

Hamas: A Look at Islamic Militant Group's Leaders
http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/P/PALESTINIAN_HAMAS_LEADERS?SITE=FLTAM&SECTION=INTERNATIONAL

U.S. Could Stop Aid Flow to Palestinians
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,183010,00.html

Russia’s Public Chamber to Ban Nazi Propaganda Protocols of the
Elders of Zion and Mein Kampf
http://www.mosnews.com/news/2006/01/27/literatureban.shtml

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.lauramansfield.com/j/default.asp


27 January 2006: Zawahiri: Dead or Alive. An analysis of last weekend's tape

by Laura Mansfield

Was last weekend’s audiotape of Al Qaeda second in command Dr. Ayman al Zawahiri, a quiet announcement of the terror leader’s death a week before in a US air strike in the Pakistani tribal town of Damadoula?

Initial reports indicated Zawahiri had been killed in the strike; later reports claimed that he had in fact skipped the dinner invitation, but that his son-in-law had been killed instead.

However, two weeks after the strike, the circumstances still suggest that either Zawahiri was killed in the strike, or that at the very least there are those high up in the Al Qaeda echelon who as of last weekend believed he was dead.

In the days following the air strike, news emerged that the bodies of five of the alleged Al Qaeda mujahideen who were killed were hastily buried; the locations of two of those bodies remain unknown. It is widely speculated that those bodies were removed and secreted away in an effort to prevent the Pakistanis and Americans from conducting DNA tests in an effort to identify those who died.

Within hours of the initial reports speculating that Zawahiri was killed, a message denying the death of Zawahiri appeared on an Arabic language forum where Al Qaeda and their sympathizers frequently post.

Then last weekend, a 17 minute audio tape was posted, which contained Zawahiri reading a poem by an Al Qaeda member-turned-poet, commenting on the deaths of two former members of the Al Qaeda leadership team, including Abu Hafs al Masri, who was killed in a US air strike in 2001.

Many analysts have speculated that this audiotape was released to show that Zawahiri is alive and well.

But a different conclusion is also justified. I'm going to play devil's advocate here for a few minutes and take a serious look at another possible interpretation.

It is equally valid to suggest that this message is confirmation of the death of Zawahiri.

Some analysts have postulated that the death of a high level Al Qaeda leader such as Bin Laden or Zawahiri would be recognized in much the same way as that of Al Qaeda Saudi Arabia leader Abu Hajar al Muqrin, who was killed in a shootout with Saudi officials shortly after the murder of American hostage Paul Johnson.

However, in that case, there was a reasonably intact body to photograph.

In the case of Abu Hafs al Masri, who was widely considered to be Al Qaeda third in command, and who was killed in a US air strike in Afghanistan, no such celebratory outpouring occurred. It is likely that the death of Bin Laden or Zawahiri would be treated in this way if there were no recognizable remains to be photographed and displayed.

With Abu Hafs al Masri’s death, the jihadis posted immediate denials of his demise, insisting that instead he was alive and well. It was only acknowledged by the jihadis after DNA testing of his remains by the US confirmed his death, and even then the acknowledgement was quiet. In essence, Abu Hafs al Masri, third in command of Al Qaeda, simply faded into the sunset with no big fuss.

In fact, the most conspicuous mention of Abu Has al Masri by Al Qaeda and its supports since his death in 2001 was in last weekend’s audio tape by Zawahiri. In that message, Zawahiri mourns the death of his comrade at arms.

Those who posted the tape claimed it was a new tape; however, nothing in the tape indicates that it was made recently, and it may have been made as far back and December 2001.

The tape appeared far too quickly to be a newly recorded response to debunk rumors of Zawahiri’s demise.

Historically, Al Qaeda operatives have recorded video and audio tapes to be played upon their demise; in many cases, after suicide attacks the will of the attacker will be released to celebrate the death of the attacker, who Islamists believe will enter directly into paradise, having given his life in the cause of jihad.

It is possible that this Zawahiri tape is just that – a pre-recorded message planned to be released upon the death of Zawahiri, to quietly commemorate his death. If Zawahiri in fact died in a US air strike, and not in an attack against or in battle against the “infidels”, then his death would not be cause for as much celebration. In fact it might be construed as a sort of defeat should their leader die while sitting down eating dinner.

Now let me clarify that I am not 100% convinced as to the status of Zawahiri. I honestly don’t know if he is alive or dead. But I do think that there is a possibility that he died in that air strike at Damadoula.

Time will show whether this is the case or not. If he is alive, a Zawahiri tape will be eventually released which can be dated by Zawahiri’s mention of recent events. But until such a tape emerges, I remain unconvinced that he is alive.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

27 January 2006: They've told us who they are. Why won't we listen?

by Laura Mansfield

“Canada's PM-Elect Harper Urges Hamas To Abandon Terrorism.” “Russian Analyst Says Hamas To Adopt Moderation After Palestinian Election Win.” "Portugal Urges Hamas To Reject Violence After Election Win"

Those are some of the world headlines about the HAMAS victory in Wednesday’s Palestinian elections.

No one seems to quite get it.

HAMAS cannot renounce violence. Violence against the state of Israel is one of the core beliefs of the Islamic Resistance Movement, and is as deeply embedded in its charter as is its Islamic identity.

In fact, the HAMAS charter explicitly prohibits this renunciation that the international community is claiming will happen:

Leaving the circle of conflict with Israel is a major act of treason and it will bring curse on its perpetrators. “Who so on that day turns his back to them, unless maneuvering for battle or intent to join a company, he truly has incurred wrath from Allah, and his habitation will be hell, a hapless journey’s end.” Sura 8 (al-Anfal—Spoils of War), verse 16

The charter itself prohibits participation in the peace process, in article 13:

[Peace] initiatives, the so-called peaceful solutions, and the international conferences to resolve the Palestinian problem, are all contrary to the beliefs of the Islamic Resistance Movement.

In asking HAMAS to renounce violence and join in the peace process, the world community is ignoring the reality. HAMAS has told us in no uncertain terms who they are and what they stand for.

Why won’t we listen to them?