Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat

Syria Tells Troops to Be Ready for Battle
(Full Story)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has placed his military on full alert, citing "regional challenges", and vowed to continue supporting the "Palestinian and Lebanese resistance more than ever".

In a speech to mark the Syrian Army national day, Mr Assad said the volatile situation across the Middle East required "vigilance, preparation and readiness" and ordered all units of the armed forces to be on alert.

The comments were interpreted by Israel as a morale booster to the Syrian armed forces and not a call to battle. Israeli intelligence chiefs have assessed that Syria is not in the mood for an open war and is instead content to resupply Hezbollah guerillas in Lebanon.

	Iranian Cleric Asks Muslims to Send Weapons to Hezbollah
	Blair Says Syria, Iran Risk Confrontation
	Iran and Syria Beat the Drums of War

Thread Thirty-Nine

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Britain probes terror cells involving Islamic students

Snip: More than 70 anti-terrorist investigations involving more than 100 suspected Islamic extremists are under way in Britain in an operation unmatched even at the height of the Irish Republican Army's mainland campaign.

The home secretary, John Reid, confirmed yesterday that police and security services were aware of about 24 "major conspiracies."

Terrorist dossier incriminates students

Snip: A collection of extremist Islamist literature distributed from Muslims associated with a university in north London implicates students from the area, it has been claimed.

The dossier, according to a report published in today's Sunday Telegraph newspaper, comprises advice on how to conduct terrorist operations by avoiding security services and incites Muslims to jihad.

A cassette tape produced by disbanded terrorist organisation al-Muhajiroun was also found in the headquarters of the Islamic Society at the London Metropolitan University.

Crucially, Waheed Zaman, one of those arrested under suspicion of terrorism in the plot to blow up aircraft traveling across the Atlantic on Thursday, was president of that group.

Government loses 24,000 ID passes

Snip: MORE than 24,500 government security passes giving access to military sites and sensitive Whitehall offices have gone missing in the past three years, fuelling fears about the British state's vulnerability to terrorism.

The startling number of government identity documents unaccounted for has been revealed in a series of internal audits conducted by Whitehall departments and seen by The Scotsman.

Since last week's foiling of an alleged UK terrorist plot to bomb US-bound airliners, all government facilities have been placed at a high state of alert, and opposition MPs said the loss of so many security passes was deeply troubling.

The majority of the missing security passes were issued by the Ministry of Defence to members of the armed forces. In all, the MoD has lost track of 22,731 forces passes since the start of 2004. More than 4,600 military passes have gone missing since the start of this year alone.

The MoD's civilian staff are also understood to have lost hundreds of identity passes, but the ministry has admitted it does not keep a count of how many of its civilian ID cards have been lost.

THANKS freeperfromnj and oorang for pointing to the final round up.

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http://www.wtopnews.com/?nid=104&sid=875891
August 13th, 2006
"All Missing Egyptian Students in Custody"
Aug 13th - 9:32pm

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "WASHINGTON (AP) - The last two of the 11 Egyptian exchange students who failed to show up at their college program were apprehended Sunday in Richmond, Va., customs officials said.

Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents arrested Mohamed Saleh Ahmed Maray, 20, and Mohamed Ibrahim Fouaad El Shenawy, 17, at an apartment building in Richmond on Sunday night. Virginia State Police and the Richmond Police helped locate the students.

Last Wednesday, one of the Egyptian students was arrested in Minneapolis and two were detained in Manville, N.J. On Thursday, two were arrested in Dundalk, Md., and one was arrested at O'Hare International Airport in Chicago. Three more were arrested Friday in Des Moines, Iowa."

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http://www.debbieschlussel.com/archives/2006/08/2_missing_egypt.html

August 11, 2006

"Where's ICE?: 2 Missing Egyptian Students Found @ Mysterious Pizza Shop w/ Terror Ties"
By Debbie Schlussel

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "You know the 11 missing Egyptian Muslim "students" who never showed up at Montana State University?

While some of them have been found, Safa Pizza--the Maryland pizza shop where two of them showed up as "employees"--should be a place of interest to federal counterterrorism investigators . . . if it isn't already.

Ditto for its owner, Egyptian Attia Gouda, who was harboring these missing aliens in his Baltimore area apartment. Why isn't ICE arresting him? And why won't the Baltimore Sun name his pizza shop in their article on the 2 students? Attention, reporters: It's Safa Pizza a/k/a Safa's Pizza.

Last October, when officials closed down the Baltimore Fort McHenry and Harbor Tunnels because of an alleged terror plot to blow it up, they arrested several men in connection with the alleged plot on immigration violations. Some of them had maps of the tunnels, etc. Guess where they arrested two of them? Safa Pizza. From a Baltimore Sun account:"

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1683205/posts?page=15#15

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/main.jhtml?xml=/news/2006/08/14/nterror14.xml

Thanks to Fair Opinion for starting this thread:

Note: The following post is a quote:
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1683205/posts

Terror police target 70 'plots'
Uk Telegraph ^ | Aug. 13, 2006 | John Steele, Toby Helm and David Derbyshire

Posted on 08/13/2006 10:11:25 PM PDT by FairOpinion

More than 70 anti-terrorist investigations involving over 100 suspected Islamic extremists are under way in Britain in an operation unmatched even at the height of the IRA's mainland campaign.

John Reid, the Home Secretary, confirmed yesterday that police and security services were aware of about 24 "major conspiracies".

They are believed to be "multi-handed" terrorist plots, such as the alleged plan to blow up transatlantic airliners that led to the arrest of 24 people last Thursday.

Sources say that, on top of the inquiries confirmed by Mr Reid, up to 50 more are being conducted by anti-terrorist police, most of them involving Scotland Yard and MI5.

A significant amount of the activity involves internet communication between groups, often young Muslim men at college or university.

(Excerpt) Read more at telegraph.co.uk ...

Are we the only ones awake at this hour?

We must control Muslim radicals

Snip: The World Trade Center disaster wasn't a product of Mexican nationals. It was Muslim extremists.

Political correctness has taken us down a treacherous path that we can no longer follow or risk being eradicated. What is wrong with profiling? Why can't we look more closely at people who come from predominantly Islamic countries if it will save lives and prevent further attacks?

Unraveling the world

Snip: Here's a clue, from a recent Pew poll that asked: What do you consider yourself first? A citizen of your country or a Muslim?

In the United Kingdom, seven per cent of Muslims consider themselves British first, 81 per cent consider themselves Muslim first.

Hezbollah says Israel's end is nigh

Snippets: In an interview with Qatar's al-Watan, Ahmed Barakat, a member of Hezbollah's central council, said that his organization's successes over the past month should signal to the wider Muslim world "that the defeat of Israel is possible and that [the] countdown to the disappearance of the Zionist entity in the region has begun."

Hinting that Hezbollah has no intention of keeping to any long-term truce, Barakat said the group still possesses a potent arsenal of weapons that can be used against Israel from beyond the Litani River.

A special thank you to penguino and oorang for their research and finds on the 'net.
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OK, let's look at this again...

"In these hot conditions experienced by the Muslim countries, the leviathan security organs in the event of confusion, a clear and imminent danger would be felt on the lives of the ruling forced to act in a more repressive and barbaric people with resentment and raises all categories of society, and this is in the interest of "Al Qaeda", which has performed well in the definition of the world the fact that authoritarian governments. Then become suitable airspace Telahm jihad cells and the entry of large numbers of al-Qaeda, which puts the entire nation before a fait accompli where no third option. The Islamic State or the United States!

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1659022/posts?page=1997#1997 "

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Narrowing the focus to here:

"Then become suitable airspace Telahm jihad cells and the entry of large numbers of al-Qaeda, which puts the entire nation before a fait accompli where no third option. The Islamic State or the United States!"

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OFF TOPIC...

http://www.google.com

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=%22Telahm%22&btnG=Google+Search

http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&q=Telahm&btnG=Search+Blogs

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http://blogsearch.google.com/blogsearch?hl=en&ie=UTF-8&q=Telham&scoring=d

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&q=%22Telham%22&spell=1

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Cindy's concluding thoughts:

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Al+Qaeda+%2B+Go+%2B+Pound+%2B+Salt&btnG=Google+Search

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&q=Al+Qaida+%2B+Go+%2B+Pound+%2B+Salt&btnG=Google+Search

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=51511

"Hunt for chemistry student
in British mass-terror plot
MI5 security service seeks al-Qaida recruit with expertise in creating liquid explosives"
Posted: August 13, 2006
11:45 p.m. Eastern

By Gordon Thomas
© 2006 WorldNetDaily.com

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "LONDON – MI5, Britain's national security service is checking all of the nation's universities and technical schools for Middle Eastern students with a qualification in thermo-chemistry – the science that includes creating liquid explosives.

A senior intelligence officer confirms that the intelligence service fears a student has been recruited by al-Qaida to prepare the explosives at the center of the biggest terrorist alert in Britain. The hunt also extends to all firms in the chemical industry."

ON THE NET...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=wot

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=globaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=jihad

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http://www.frontpagemagazine.com/Articles/ReadArticle.asp?ID=23845
"'At War With Islamic Fascists'"
By Daniel Pipes
FrontPageMagazine.com | August 14, 2006

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "In his first response to the major terror airline scare in London, President Bush said on August 10, “The recent arrests that our fellow citizens are now learning about are a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation.”
His use of the term “Islamic fascists” spurred attention and controversy, especially among Islamists.

At a pro-Hezbollah rally in front of the White House, on Aug. 12, the crowd (in the Washington Post’s description) “grew most agitated when speakers denounced President Bush’s references to Islam.”"

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Note: The following text is a quote:
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http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/08/20060810-3.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
August 10, 2006

President Bush Discusses Terror Plot Upon Arrival in Wisconsin
Austin Straubel International Airport
Green Bay, Wisconsin

In Focus: Homeland Security

10:54 A.M. CDT

THE PRESIDENT: The recent arrests that our fellow citizens are now learning about are a stark reminder that this nation is at war with Islamic fascists who will use any means to destroy those of us who love freedom, to hurt our nation.

I want to thank the government of Tony Blair and officials in the United Kingdom for their good work in busting this plot. I thank the officials in Washington, D.C. and around our country who gather intelligence and who work to protect the American people. The cooperation on this venture was excellent -- cooperation between U.K. and U.S. authorities and officials was solid. And the cooperation amongst agencies within our government was excellent.

This country is safer than it was prior to 9/11. We've taken a lot of measures to protect the American people. But obviously, we're still not completely safe, because there are people that still plot and people who want to harm us for what we believe in. It is a mistake to believe there is no threat to the United States of America. And that is why we have given our officials the tools they need to protect our people.

Travelers are going to be inconvenienced as a result of the steps we've taken. I urge their patience and ask them to be vigilant. The inconvenience is -- occurs because we will take the steps necessary to protect the American people.

Again, I appreciate the close cooperation between our government and the government of the United Kingdom. The American people need to know we live in a dangerous world, but our government will do everything we can to protect our people from those dangers.

Thank you.

END 10:56 A.M. CDT

http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200608/NAT20060814a.html

"One of 8,000 Documents Gets Neighbors Past U.S. Border"
By Kevin Mooney
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
August 14, 2006

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "(CNSNews.com) - A freshman Republican congressman from Texas believes Canadian, Mexican and Caribbean visitors to the United States should be required to present a passport before they are allowed into the country, just as visitors from all other countries do.

Rep. Ted Poe said it is a "human impossibility" for border control agents to check the thousands of documents currently accepted as valid identification from those three locations.

"Right now anyone arriving from Canada, Mexico or the Caribbean Islands can get in based on one of 8,000 documents," Poe told Cybercast News Service. "They could include everything from baptismal certificates and birth certificates."

In the absence of "universal documentation," such as a passport, Poe is convinced that border agents are being asked to perform an impractical task at lawful entry points.

"The average border patrol agent takes about 22 seconds to determine whether or not someone is lawfully entering the U.S.," Poe said. "Sometimes they ask for paperwork, and sometimes they don't."

Poe noted that the 9/11 Commission called for mandatory passport usage by visitors from Canada, Mexico and the Caribbean islands.

"For political reasons, this recommendation was not implemented," Poe said. "The Canadian government was very opposed.""

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http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewSpecialReports.asp?Page=/SpecialReports/archive/200608/SPE20060808a.html

"Illegals From Terror-Sponsoring Nations At Large in US"
By Kevin Mooney
CNSNews.com Staff Writer
August 08, 2006

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "(CNSNews.com) - Almost half of the illegal aliens arriving in the U.S. from terrorist-sponsoring or "special interest" nations in the past few years have been released into the American population following their apprehension. This key finding is published in an internal audit of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) obtained by Cybercast News Service .

The so-called "catch and release" policies have allowed more than 45,000 illegal aliens from countries that are well known for their anti-American views or considered "hotbeds of Islamic fundamentalism" to be freed.

U.S. Rep. Ted Poe (R-Texas), in conversations with sheriffs operating along the Texas-Mexico border, learned that illegal aliens of Middle Eastern descent have been able to blend into the culture south of the U.S. border and pass themselves off as Mexicans.

"They learn Spanish and assimilate into the population," Poe said. "Coming across the Canadian border they would be more conspicuous."

The U.S. State Department's list of State Sponsors of Terrorism (SSTs), currently includes five countries -- Syria, Cuba, Iran, North Korea and Sudan. However, the DHS audit lists another category called Special Interest Countries (SICs).

At the moment there is no public list of SICs, however, information made available through the office of U.S. Rep. Tom Tancredo (R-Colo.) indicates that countries with large Islamic fundamentalist populations such as the U.S.-liberated Afghanistan, Yemen and Saudi Arabia, are included on the State Department's SIC list."

Note: The following text is a quote:
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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=442

Terrorists Killed in Thwarted Attack on Afghan Soldiers

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 13, 2006 – An estimated 18 to 20 terrorist extremists died in a thwarted attack on an Afghan National Army command post in the Bermel district of Paktika province early this morning, military officials said.
Five ANA soldiers were killed and six were wounded when their unit received small-arms and rocket-propelled-grenade fire from a group of extremists. Three of the wounded soldiers suffered only minor wounds and were returned to duty after being treated on the scene. The three other wounded soldiers were evacuated by air to a coalition medical facility for treatment, officials said. No report was available on their condition.

The ANA unit, with a coalition embedded tactical training team attached, repelled the attack by directing mortar and artillery fire from nearby coalition bases.

“With the coalition’s assistance, Afghan national security forces are gaining long-term capability and presence in these areas to provide security and stability to the Afghan people,” said Lt. Col. Paul Fitzpatrick, spokesman for Combined Joint Task Force 76. “Steady progress is being made, and we will continue together to pursue the enemy wherever they try to hide.”

Meanwhile, Afghan and coalition forces continue operations in eastern Afghanistan to strengthen the government through an increased Afghan security presence and reconstruction and humanitarian aid assistance, officials said.

In other news from Afghanistan, a combined Afghan and coalition force killed three al Qaeda members and detained their three associates in an early morning raid Aug. 11 in Khowst province. Numerous AK-47 assault rifles with armor-piercing ammunition, along with grenades and other ordnance, were found at the location.

Fitzpatrick said the raid likely prevented more innocent Afghan civilian deaths, because these extremists “clearly had devious intentions to use these items to carry out violent acts.”

On Aug. 10, enemy extremists in Paktika province tried to abduct a truck driver who was delivering gravel to local villages in Zarghun Shahr district. The terrorist extremist ambushed the driver using small-arms fire. The driver was able to evade them and reported the incident to local authorities.

“This was not an attack against the coalition, or even against Afghan security forces,” Fitzpatrick said. “This was an attack against what we in America call “an average Joe” – a hardworking citizen, a man just trying to make a living, delivering gravel, that is part of this country’s reconstruction effort to improve lives, and get this country moving.”

(Compiled from Combined Forces Command Afghanistan news releases.)

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