World Terrorism: News, History and Research Of A Changing World #4.

National Review Online ^ | August 02, 2006 | Walid Phares on the Mideast

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From: ICRC news and communications [mailto:INFO-PRESS@LIST.UNICC.ORG]
On
Behalf Of ICRC Media Service
Sent: Wednesday, September 27, 2006 05:42
To: INFO-PRESS@LIST.UNICC.ORG
Subject: Gaza - ICRC Bulletin No. 8 / 2006



MEDIA RELATIONS UNIT

International Committee of the Red Cross

19, avenue de la Paix

1202 Geneva

Switzerland

Phone: +41 22 730 3443

Fax: +41 22 734 8280

press.gva@icrc.org

http://www.icrc.org

Gaza - ICRC Bulletin No. 8 / 2006

27 September 2006
Latest report on ICRC activities in the field
General situation



The past week was marked by growing tension inside the Gaza Strip, as
the economic situation continued to deteriorate and civil servant
salaries
remained unpaid.

The people living in southern Gaza were particularly affected by the
incursions and military operations carried out by the Israeli Defense
Force
(IDF). In one village, thirteen houses were destroyed and one was
damaged, land
was levelled, trees were uprooted and the irrigation system was
destroyed. At
least seven Palestinians were killed and twelve injured in various
encounters
with the IDF.



Rockets from inside the Gaza Strip continued to fall on Israeli
territory, threatening civilian lives and property. In the past week,
one
Israeli civilian was injured and a school was damaged.



For the first time since the end of August, the Rafah border crossing
reopened for three days last week, allowing thousands of people to
cross in both
directions. The Sufa crossing point was open for humanitarian
assistance and for
merchants, and the main cargo transit point at Karni remained open for
imports
and exports. The Erez crossing point was open only for humanitarian
cases and
staff of international organizations. It was completely closed for two
days last
week after an attack on the checkpoint.



Access to the sea for fishermen remains prohibited.





ICRC and Red Cross / Red Crescent activities



During the past week, the ICRC distributed household relief kits to 42
families in the Rafah and Khan Younis areas whose houses had been
destroyed. The
kits contain tarpaulins, mattresses, blankets and other essential
household
items. Since late August, the ICRC has distributed such kits to 231
families.



The ICRC also distributed ad hoc emergency assistance in the form of
food parcels and hygiene kits to 67 families in the Gaza district.



The Egyptian Red Crescent Society donated seven truckloads of food,
including sugar, rice and flour, to the Ministry of Social Affairs in
Gaza.



Despite the military operations, the ICRC continued to facilitate the
movement of Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) ambulances and the
evacuation
of patients requiring treatment outside the Gaza Strip. It provided
support for
PRCS emergency medical services, hospitals and primary health care
centres and
facilitated the delivery of essential medical supplies.



The ICRC's family visit programme for Palestinian detainees held in
Israeli prisons resumed on 13 August for families living in the Gaza
Strip. From
18 to 21 September, 506 family members were able to visit 232 detainees
in five
different Israeli places of detention.



The ICRC is maintaining contact with the relevant authorities and
various Palestinian groups and has repeatedly expressed its desire to
gain
access to the captured Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. Both through these
contacts
and in its public statements, it has urged those holding Mr Shalit to
treat him
humanely, to respect his life and dignity and to allow him to
communicate with
his family.





Facts and figures



Since the end of June, the ICRC has:

. installed fourteen generators donated by the Norwegian Red
Cross to ensure an uninterrupted supply of electrical power for water
and
waste-water pumping stations and for the orthopaedic centre;

. provided 150,000 litres of fuel for generators at pumping
stations and facilities such as the orthopaedic centre;

. set up water reservoirs to allow the distribution of 56,000
litres of municipal water per month where incursions destroyed normal
water
distribution systems;

. distributed tarpaulins, mattresses, blankets and other
essential household items, including tents when required, to 409
families whose
houses were destroyed or damaged;

. provided 775 families with parcels containing sufficient
food
for one month and hygiene items;

. organized the delivery of six emergency health kits donated
by
the Swiss Red Cross to the PRCS (each kit contains enough material to
treat 100
patients hospitalized with war wounds);

. provided three similar kits to medical facilities throughout
the Gaza Strip;

. transferred 15 ICRC dressing kits (each with material for 50
dressings) to Gaza for quick distribution if required;

. provided advanced training on conflict-related emergencies
for
17 surgeons in Gaza City and map-reading courses for PRCS emergency
staff;

. enabled 2,304 family members from the Gaza Strip to visit
1,032 detainees in Israeli places of detention since the resumption of
the
family visit programme on 13 August.





For further information, please contact:
Dorothea Krimitsas, ICRC Geneva, tel: +41 22 730 25 90 or +41 79 251
93
18
Bana Sayeh, ICRC Jerusalem, tel: +972 2 582 88 45 or +972 57 880 91 93
Bernard Barrett, ICRC Jerusalem, tel: +972 2 582 88 45

or visit our website: www.icrc.org http://www.icrc.org/

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Musharraf Memoir Could Be Used in Pearl Murder Appeal
September 26, 2006
Musharraf Memoir Could Be Used in Pearl Murder Appeal
By REUTERS
Filed at 10:49 a.m. ET

KARACHI (Reuters) - The lawyer of an Islamist militant sentenced to
hang in
Pakistan for his role in the murder of U.S. reporter Daniel Pearl said
on
Tuesday he would use President Pervez Musharraf's memoir to support an
appeal.

British-born, Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, better known as Sheikh Omar, was
sentenced to death in July 2002 for kidnapping and killing Pearl in the
southern city of Karachi earlier that year.

Musharraf in his memoir ``In the Line of Fire,'' released on Monday,
wrote
that while Omar masterminded the kidnapping, Pearl's execution was
carried
out by Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, mastermind of the September 11, 2001
attacks
on the United States.

continued................

Next the end of article..............

Musharraf wrote: ``The man who may have actually killed Pearl or at
least
participated in his butchery, we eventually discovered, was none other
than
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, al Qaeda's number three. When we later arrested
and
interrogated him, he admitted his participation.''

Three other men have been sentenced to life imprisonment for their part
in
the crime, but they have lodged appeals too.


http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-pakistan-musharraf-pearl.html?page
wanted=print

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/news/news-pakistan-musharraf-pearl.html?pagew
anted=print

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Subject: Action Alert: Senate Reauthorization of the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA)

http://www.ou.org/public/site/topdiff.gif

ACTION ALERT *** ACTION ALERT *** ACTION ALERT

The Institute for Public Affairs is the non-partisan public policy research and advocacy arm of the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America - the nation's largest Orthodox Jewish umbrella organization founded in 1898.

Action Alert: Senate Reauthorization of the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA)

On Thursday the Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee will consider reauthorization of the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA) of 1996, including a motion by Senator Rick Santorum (R, PA) to amend this legislation to incorporate provisions of the Iran Freedom Support Act which had earlier stalled in the Senate (the House bill, HR 282, pass unanimously but the similar Senate bill, S. 333, was stymied and then defeated). The recent conflict between Israel and Hezbollah, as well as the recent breakdown in negotiations aimed at curtailing Iran's alleged attempts at a nuclear-weapons program, underscores the importance of toughening, not merely renewing, ILSA.

The prospect of Iran possessing nuclear weapons is unacceptable to the United States and its allies. U.S. and Israeli leaders have expressed great concern regarding the Iranian development of unconventional weapons capabilities, its support for international terrorism and its suppression of the human rights of its own people. For almost twenty years, Iran hid its nuclear programs from the world. Since the discovery of these efforts, the Islamic republic has repeatedly defied the international community by continuing and even stepping up their work to upgrade and advance its nuclear program. Further, Iran's president has publicly stated his intention to "wipe Israel off the map" and has routinely denied the historical fact of the Holocaust.

The Iranian terrorist regime must be held accountable for its policies and activities that threaten U.S. and global security. The Iran Freedom Support Act would accomplish this by amending the Iran-Libya Sanctions Act (ILSA) to strengthen and codify U.S. sanctions imposed on the Iranian regime for its sponsorship and support of international terrorism. It seeks to eliminate investments in Iran's petroleum industry and would expand the parameters of the previous sanctions legislation. This bill would also provide assistance to pro-democracy forces and groups in Iran and would fund independent broadcasts to Iran.

Iran must cease its support for terrorism and its race to develop nuclear weapons. The Iran Freedom Support Act will help pressure the terrorist regime while supporting those engaged in fighting for freedom and political liberalization.

Immediate Action Necessary:

ENCOURAGE THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE BANKING COMMITTEE TO REAUTHORIZE ILSA AND TO SUPPORT STRENGTHENING AMMENDMENTS, INCLUDING PROVISIONS OF THE "IRAN FREEDOM SUPPORT ACT."

PLEASE CALL THE MEMBERS OF THE SENATE BANKING COMMITTEE AND EXPRESS SUPPORT FOR THE SANTORUM AMMENDMENT.

The Senate Banking Committee Members may be contacted through the following website:

http://banking.senate.gov/

Institute for public affairs

UNION OF ORTHODOX JEWISH CONGREGATIONS OF AMERICA

800 EIGHTH STREET, NW, WASHINGTON, DC 20001

TEL: 202-513-6484 FAX: 202-289-8936

http://newsletter.ou.org/db/6813/92475/1.gif

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French former hostages back from Yemen
International Herald Tribune - France
The former hostages arrived on an early morning flight to Paris'
Roissy-Charles
de Gaulle airport, where French Foreign Minister Philippe Douste-Blazy
planned ...

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/27/europe/EU_GEN_France_Yemen_Kidnapping.php

See all stories on this topic:

http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&hl=en&client=google&ncl=http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2006/09/27/europe/EU_GEN_France_Yemen_Kidnapping.php

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http://article.nationalreview.com/print/?q=YTQ1YWE1OTVkNTEyMGIwOGIwMmViYWEzY TFhYTIxZGU=

Terrorist Rogues' Gallery

A photo exhibit on the value of interrogation.

By Deroy Murdock

Let's hope last week's compromise between President Bush and Republican senators Lindsey Graham, John McCain, and John Warner will free U.S. interrogators to resume questioning Islamic terrorists. Each minute spent not grilling these bad guys brings potential doom one minute closer. With any luck, President Bush was correct when he said

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/09/20060921-3.html

last Thursday: "The agreement clears the way to do what the American people expect us to do - to capture terrorists, to detain terrorists, to question terrorists, and then to try them."

Bush critics too often groan about alleged "torture" at Guantanamo and other American facilities where enemy combatants are locked away. It might help them to learn who these terror suspects are, how they look, what they have done, and how persuading one terrorist to talk often helps U.S. personnel catch other bomb-mongers before they blow innocent civilians into body parts.

According to the

http://www.newsobserver.com/701/story/483403.html

Associated Press, squeezing terrorists for information has allowed intelligence officials to stymie eight attacks since September 11, two of them aimed directly at the United States homeland. Some 100 detainees provided information that helped intelligence officers identify 86 individuals chosen by al Qaeda for terrorist strikes against Westerners. Of these, roughly half have been "removed from the battlefield," in administration parlance.

The administration has not identified many of these killers, both to confuse the enemy and to protect intelligence contacts and techniques. However, some of their names and faces are available and worth considering.

Ibn al-Shayk al-Libi

After he surrendered in Pakistan in January 2002, Libyan al Qaeda bigwig Ibn al-Shaykh al-Libi warned the CIA about a conspiracy to blast America's embassy in Sanaa, Yemen. Al-Libi gave interrogators the name of Abu Zubaydah.

Abu Zubaydah

Based on al-Libi's tip, al Qaeda's one-time operations chief, Abu Zubaydah, was captured

in March 2002 in Pakistan. According to the U.S. National Director of Intelligence's (NDI) biographies

of 14 key terrorists at Guantanamo, Zubaydah supervised Afghanistan's "Khaldan group" of guesthouses and terror-training camps between 1995 and 2000. He assisted Ahmad Ressam, the al Qaeda militant whom vigilant Customs Inspector Diana Dean

http://judiciary.senate.gov/oldsite/21020dd.htm

apprehended on December 14, 1999 at Port Angeles, Washington, as he tried to enter America from British Columbia, Canada. Ressam's spare-tire compartment contained 135 pounds of explosives he planned to detonate at Los Angeles International Airport as the new millennium arrived. Some of the $50,000 that Zubaydah collected from Saudi donors to assault Israel may have helped finance the September 11 attacks, which killed 2,977 people.

While Zubaydah reportedly kept his mouth shut at first, he became much more loquacious once interrogators stuck him in a cold room and cranked up the music of the Red Hot Chili Peppers. Evidently not a fan, Zubaydah sang anyway, although a different song altogether. Zubaydah identified Omar al-Faruq, Rahim al-Nashiri, and Ramzi bin al-Shibh, as well as other terrorists.

Omar al-Faruq Omar al-Faruq was a top operator with Jemaah Islamiyah, al Qaeda's Indonesian branch. He was arrested there in summer 2002. Based on his "specific and credible" information,

http://archives.cnn.com/2002/US/09/11/ar911.threat.sources/

U.S. officials told CNN that September, the federal government raised America's terrorist threat level from Yellow or Elevated to Orange, signifying a High risk of an imminent attack. That was Washington's first such action. At the time, al-Faruq "only recently started to talk," after nearly two months of interrogation, one federal official indicated.

Rahim al-Nashiri Rahim al-Nashiri - also known as Uncle Ahmad, among five other aliases - was al Qaeda's Arabian Peninsula operations chief. Al-Nashiri was born on January 5, 1965, in Mecca. According to the NDI, he trained terrorists in Afghanistan and led al Qaeda's October 12, 2000, bombing of the USS Cole in the port of Aden, Yemen. That attack killed 17 American sailors and injured 40 others. When arrested, al-Nashiri was financing "a plot to crash a small plane into the bridge of a western navy vessel in Port Rashid, UAE," the NDI reports. On October 6, 2002, his agents slammed a small, explosives-laden boat into the French tanker MV

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ZWQ5NTM0ZmE1ZjE2MDJjNTJiM2NhNDlhMWY2MT g3OWQ=

Limburg off of Yemen's coast. The resulting blast killed a Bulgarian crewman and dumped 90,000 barrels of petroleum into the Gulf of Aden.

Ramzi bin al-Shibh Al Qaeda's Ramzi bin al-Shibh was a key 9/11 organizer. Born in Yemen in 1972, bin al-Shibh met 9/11 hijackers Mohamed Atta, Marwan al-Shehhi, and Ziad Jarrah while studying in Hamburg, Germany. These four traveled to Afghanistan in 1999, where they met Osama bin Laden and launched the September 11 conspiracy. Though he tried four times, bin al-Shibh could not secure a U.S. entry visa. Had he done so, officials believe he might have become the 20th 9/11 hijacker. Nevertheless, he carried messages between al Qaeda leaders and Atta, and provided funds and travel arrangements for several of the hijackers.

When he was arrested in Karachi, Pakistan in September 2002, bin al-Shibh already had recruited four terrorists for an al Qaeda plot to hijack jets and slam them into London's Heathrow Airport. Under questioning, Ramzi bin al-Shibh offered interrogators the name of Khalid Sheik Mohammed. Zubaydah also casually had mentioned KSM - as counterterrorists call him. In addition, Zubaydah offered "some information that he probably viewed as nominal," the NDI explained, namely the fact that KSM's alias is "Mukhtar." That Zubaydah-furnished datum helped intelligence officers catch KSM.

Khalid Sheik Mohammed The NDI calls KSM "one of history's most infamous terrorists." KSM conceived and masterminded "The Planes Operation," commonly known as September 11. That attack was a modest version of Operation

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/world/para/ksm.htm

Bojinka, a disrupted plot he conceived with his nephew Ramzi Yousef (choreographer of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing). Had Bojinka proceeded in 1994, Islamic fanatics would have blown up a dozen U.S. passenger jets over the Pacific en route from Asia to America. Bojinka appears to have inspired the recently quashed al Qaeda conspiracy to blow up a dozen U.S. passenger jets over the Atlantic en route from Britain to America. KSM also approved plots to detonate U.S. gas stations and derail trains.

KSM reportedly stayed mum until interrogators introduced him to waterboarding, a procedure in which he was submerged until he feared drowning, then pulled back to safety. KSM broke after just a few minutes of this. He then unlocked a virtual Swiss vault of priceless information on terrorists and their designs.

According to President Bush's September 6 remarks in the White House's East Room, KSM told interrogators about a plan to detonate bombs in tall American buildings. KSM instructed his associates, Bush said, "to ensure that the explosives went off high enough to prevent the people trapped above from escaping out the windows." Like so many on 9/11, this plot's victims would have had to choose between death from fire and demise from falling onto the pavement below.

Terrorists who KSM ratted out include: Majid Khan, Hambali, Rusman "Gun Gun" Gunawan, Yazid Suffat, Jose Padilla, and Iyman Faris.

Majid Khan (No photo available) Majid Khan (of whom no photo is readily available) was a Jemaah Islamiyah bagman. Knowing that Khan already was in CIA custody, KSM told Americans that Khan delivered money to an agent named Zubair. KSM may have thought the CIA knew this. But they found this information brand new. Khan confirmed this to his own interrogators and furnished them Zubair's physical description and his contact number. He, in turn, was captured in June 2003.

Hambali As with other Jemaah Islamiyah members, Riduan bin Isomuddin uses just one name. Better known as Hambali, this terrorist was the lead liaison between JI and al Qaeda from 2000 until his 2003 arrest. Along the way, Hambali arranged the first Bali nightclub bombing

on October 12, 2002. It injured 209 and slaughtered 202, including 89 Australians and seven Americans. Hambali led the bombings of 30 churches across Indonesia in 2000 during Christmas Eve services (17 dead) and helped finance the August 5, 2003, Jakarta

Marriott Hotel attack that killed 11 and wounded 150.

Rusman "Gun Gun" Gunawan KSM identified Rusman "Gun Gun" Gunawan, Hambali's brother. As President Bush explained, "Hambali's brother was soon captured in Pakistan, and, in turn, led us to a cell of 17 Southeast Asian 'J-I' [Jemaah Islamiyah] operatives." A Jakarta court in October 2004 found "Gun Gun" guilty

of sending JI $30,000, some of which funded the Marriott attack. This crime cost "Gun Gun" four years behind bars.

Yazid Suffat KSM told interrogators about a Malaysian JI militant named Yazid

Suffat. He knew Suffat was in U.S. custody and assumed American officials knew about his efforts to help al Qaeda develop biological weapons. "In fact," President Bush explained September 6, "we did not know about Yazid's role in al Qaeda's anthrax program."

KSM's revelations under questioning, coupled with the interrogation of Suffat, helped Americans capture two of Suffat's chief assistants and disrupt this potentially lethal WMD project.

Jose Padilla KSM pointed interrogators to Jose Padilla, the so-called "dirty bomber" who converted to Islam and also assumed the name Abdullah al-Muhajir. KSM supervised Padilla and allegedly assigned him, among other things, to find materials for a radiological device and to locate apartment buildings that could be blown up by filling rental units with natural gas, then igniting them with timers.

Padilla, 35, formerly of Chicago's Latin Disciples gang, is

expected to go on trial in Miami federal court in January. His indictment does not include the earlier "dirty bomb" charges.

Iyman Faris KSM told American officials about Iyman Faris. The 37-year-old Kashmir native became an American citizen in December 1999, CNN reports

. He worked as a truck driver and moonlighted for al Qaeda. He procured some 2,000 sleeping bags for use in al Qaeda's training camps while visiting Pakistan and Afghanistan in 2000-2001. He delivered cash, cell phones, and plane tickets to al Qaeda contacts. On the home front, Faris conspired to sabotage a train in Washington, D.C., inspected the Brooklyn Bridge for vulnerabilities, and began seeking acetylene torches to sever the span's suspension cables and plunge it 119 feet into New York's East River.

On May 1, 2003, Faris pleaded guilty to providing material support to al Qaeda and conspiring to do so. He currently is serving a 20-year jail sentence

for these crimes.

"By providing everything from initial leads to photo identifications to precise locations of where terrorists were hiding," President Bush observed September 6, "this program has helped us to take potential mass murderers off the streets before they were able to kill."

U.S. Special Forces may get lucky some day and catch Mullah Omar, Ayman al-Zawahiri, or even Osama bin Laden himself. Whether it is one of those big fish, or their smaller but still highly toxic underlings, American intelligence personnel need broad authority to pressure enemy combatants to talk. What they know could get you killed, and what Americans learn could keep you alive. Making detainees' tongues wag - through quiet persuasion, sleepless nights, waterboarding, or non-stop Britney Spears tunes - is literally a matter of life and death.

Before they adjourn for the campaign trail, Congress must perform this most urgent duty: Unleash the executive branch to encourage captured Islamo-fascists to sing like the Vienna Boys Choir.

- Deroy Murdock is a New York-based columnist with the Scripps Howard News Service and a senior fellow with the Atlas Economic Research Foundation

in Arlington, Va.

[nw_arizona_granny]

[I am unsure of exact url, this is as it came to me]

AT WAR
What Clinton Didn't Do . . .

. . . .and when he didn't do it.

BY RICHARD MINITER

Bill Clinton's outburst on Fox News was something of a public service,
launching a debate about the antiterror policies of his administration.

This
is important because every George W. Bush policy that arouses the ire
of
Democrats--the Patriot Act, extraordinary rendition, detention without
trial, pre-emptive war--is a departure from his predecessor. Where
policies
overlap--air attacks on infrastructure, secret presidential orders to
kill
terrorists, intelligence sharing with allies, freezing bank accounts,
using
police to arrest terror suspects--there is little friction. The
question,
then, is whether America should return to Mr. Clinton's policies or
soldier
on with Mr. Bush's.

It is vital that this debate be honest, but so far this has not been
the
case. Both Mr. Clinton's outrage at Chris Wallace's questioning and the
ABC
docudrama "The Path to 9/11" are attempts to polarize the nation's
memory.

While this divisiveness may be good for Mr. Clinton's reputation, it is
ultimately unhealthy for the country. What we need, instead, is a
cold-eyed
look at what works against terrorists and what does not. The policies
of the
Clinton and Bush administrations ought to be put to the same iron test.

http://opinionjournal.com/images/storyend_dingbat.gif

With that in mind, let us examine Mr. Clinton's war on terror. Some 38
days
after he was sworn in, al Qaeda attacked the World Trade Center. He did
not
visit the twin towers that year, even though four days after the attack
he
was just across the Hudson River in New Jersey, talking about job
training.

He made no attempt to rally the public against terrorism. His only
public
speech on the bombing was a few paragraphs inserted into a radio
address
mostly devoted an economic stimulus package. Those stray paragraphs
were
limited to reassuring the public and thanking the rescuers, the kinds
of
things governors say after hurricanes. He did not even vow to bring the
bombers to justice. Instead, he turned the first terrorist attack on
American soil over to the FBI.

In his Fox interview, Mr. Clinton said "no one knew that al Qaeda
existed"
in October 1993, during the tragic events in Somalia. But his national
security adviser, Tony Lake, told me that he first learned of bin Laden
"sometime in 1993," when he was thought of as a terror financier. U.S.
Army
Capt. James Francis Yacone, a black hawk squadron commander in Somalia,
later testified that radio intercepts of enemy mortar crews firing at
Americans were in Arabic, not Somali, suggesting the work of bin
Laden's
agents (who spoke Arabic), not warlord Farah Aideed's men (who did
not). CIA
and DIA reports also placed al Qaeda operatives in Somalia at the time.

By the end of Mr. Clinton's first year, al Qaeda had apparently
attacked
twice. The attacks would continue for every one of the Clinton years.

. In 1994, Khalid Sheikh Mohammed (who would later plan the 9/11
attacks)
launched "Operation Bojinka" to down 11 U.S. planes simultaneously over
the
Pacific. A sharp-eyed Filipina police officer foiled the plot. The sole
American response: increased law-enforcement cooperation with the
Philippines.

. In 1995, al Qaeda detonated a 220-pound car bomb outside the Office
of
Program Manager in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, killing five Americans and
wounding
60 more. The FBI was sent in.

. In 1996, al Qaeda bombed the barracks of American pilots patrolling
the
"no-fly zones" over Iraq, killing 19. Again, the FBI responded.

. In 1997, al Qaeda consolidated its position in Afghanistan and bin
Laden
repeatedly declared war on the U.S. In February, bin Laden told an Arab
TV
network: "If someone can kill an American soldier, it is better than
wasting
time on other matters." No response from the Clinton administration.

. In 1998, al Qaeda simultaneously bombed U.S. embassies in Kenya and
Tanzania, killing 224, including 12 U.S. diplomats. Mr. Clinton ordered
cruise-missile strikes on Afghanistan and Sudan in response. Here Mr.
Clinton's critics are wrong: The president was right to retaliate when
America was attacked, irrespective of the Monica Lewinsky case.

Still, "Operation Infinite Reach" was weakened by Clintonian
compromise. The
State Department feared that Pakistan might spot the American missiles
in
its air space and misinterpret it as an Indian attack. So Mr. Clinton
told
Gen. Joe Ralston, vice chairman of Joint Chiefs of Staff, to notify
Pakistan's army minutes before the Tomahawks passed over Pakistan.

Given
Pakistan's links to jihadis at the time, it is not surprising that bin
Laden
was tipped off, fleeing some 45 minutes before the missiles arrived.

. In 1999, the Clinton administration disrupted al Qaeda's Millennium
plots,
a series of bombings stretching from Amman to Los Angeles.

This shining
success was mostly the work of Richard Clarke, a NSC senior director
who
forced agencies to work together. But the Millennium approach was
shortlived. Over Mr. Clarke's objections, policy reverted to the status
quo.

. In January 2000, al Qaeda tried and failed to attack the U.S.S. The
Sullivans off Yemen. (Their boat sank before they could reach their
target.)

But in October 2000, an al Qaeda bomb ripped a hole in the hull of the
U.S.S. Cole, killing 17 sailors and wounding another 39.

When Mr. Clarke presented a plan to launch a massive cruise missile
strike
on al Qaeda and Taliban facilities in Afghanistan, the Clinton cabinet
voted
against it. After the meeting, a State Department counterterrorism
official,
Michael Sheehan, sought out Mr. Clarke. Both told me that they were
stunned.

Mr. Sheehan asked Mr. Clarke: "What's it going to take to get them to
hit al
Qaeda in Afghanistan? Does al Qaeda have to attack the Pentagon?"

<http://opinionjournal.com/images/storyend_dingbat.gif

There is much more to Mr. Clinton's record--how Predator drones, which
spotted bin Laden three times in 1999 and 2000, were grounded by
bureaucratic infighting; how a petty dispute with an Arizona senator
stopped
the CIA from hiring more Arabic translators. While it is easy to look
back
in hindsight and blame Bill Clinton, the full scale and nature of the
terrorist threat was not widely appreciated until 9/11. Still: Bill
Clinton
did not fully grasp that he was at war. Nor did he intuit that war
requires
overcoming bureaucratic objections and a democracy's natural reluctance
to
use force. That is a hard lesson. But it is better to learn it from
studying
the Clinton years than reliving them.

Mr. Miniter, a fellow at the Hudson Institute, is author of
"Disinformation:

22 Media Myths that Undermine the War on Terror" (Regnery, 2005).

[nw_arizona_granny]

[I have not seen this]

IZFone presents a New Short Film featuring Uplifting Imagery of
Jerusalem:

http://films.izfone.com

[nw_arizona_granny]

Google Alert - support jihad

'The Iraq Jihad Is Shaping a New Generation of Terrorist Leaders'
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
... of the jihadist movement and continued pressure on Al Qaeda, could
erode support for the ... We assess that the Iraq jihad is shaping a
new
generation of terrorist ...

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-terrortext27sep27,1,1149023.story?coll=la-headlines-nation

See all stories on this topic:

http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&hl=en&client=google&ncl=http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-terrortext27sep27,1,1149023.story%3Fcoll%3Dla-headlines-nation


US war on terror ‘fuelling jihad’
Business Day - Johannesburg,South Africa
... “We assess that the Iraq jihad is shaping ... He has sought to
rally
public support for the Iraq war by framing it as an extension of the
“war
on terrorism”. ...

http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx?ID=BD4A278363

See all stories on this topic:

http://news.google.com/news?ie=utf8&oe=utf8&persist=1&hl=en&client=google&ncl=http://www.businessday.co.za/articles/topstories.aspx%3FID%3DBD4A278363


US should stand in support of reason
Arizona Republic - Phoenix,AZ,USA
Two weeks ago, Pope Benedict XVI quoted a Byzantine emperor's criticism
of Islamic jihad, in the context ... America needs to stand up in
strong
support of reason. ...

http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/opinions/articles/0927wedlets274.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

Today in History:
September 27, 1987 - Greece
Bombing of U.S. Commissary
No information provided.

September 27, 1958 - Burma
Army Takes Power
The Burmese army took power, with General Ne Win agreeing to head the new government.

Upcoming Significant Events:
September 28, (year unknown) - China (People's Republic of)
Birth of Confucius
No information provided.

September 28, 1945 - Japan
Birthday of JRA Leader
Birthday of Japanese Red Army (JRA) leader Fusako Shigenobu.

September 28, 1961 - Syria
Syrian Arab Republic Declared
The Syrian Arab Republic was declared following a coup d'etat by military officers.

September 28, 1989 - Philippines
Death of Ferdinand Marcos
Ferdinand Marcos died in Honolulu, Hawaii, following a long illness.

September 28, 2001 - Worldwide
UN Security Council Resolution prevents aiding terrorist groups
UN Security Council Resolution 1373 aims to place barriers on the movement, organization and fund-raising activities of terrorist groups. UN Member states are encouraged to share their intelligence on terrorist groups in order to assist in combating international terrorism.

September 30, (year unknown) - Botswana
Botswana Day
No information provided.

September 30, 1966 - Botswana
Independence Day
No information provided.

September 30, 1991 - Haiti
Overthrow of Aristide
President Jean-Bertrand Aristide was overthrown by the military and replaced by a military-backed government that the Organization of American States (OAS) declared illegitimate.

October 1, (year unknown) - Indonesia
Pancasila Day
Celebrates the five-point national ideology of the Indonesian state.

October 1, 1949 - China (People's Republic of)
National Day
Celebrates the founding of the Peoples Republic of China.

October 1, 1960 - Cyprus
Independence Day
No information provided.

October 1, 1960 - Nigeria
Independence Day
No information provided.

October 1, 1961 - Cameroon
Federal Republic Proclaimed
No information provided.

October 1, 1985 - Israel, Tunisia
Bombing of PLO Headquarters
The Israeli air force bombed the headquarters of the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) in Tunis.

[nw_arizona_granny]

[from 9-27-06 newsletter]

Computer Virus Writers Plan Slow Spread
Posted on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 9:11am
In the past, virus writers seeking fame and attention wrote their malicious programs to spread as quickly and broadly as possible, boasting to colleagues when they manage to cripple hundreds of thousands of computers worldwide in a matter of hours. But now, many writers are driven by money instead. Full Story

Attackers flock to Internet Explorer VML exploit
Posted on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 9:11am
Security experts have warned of a sharp hike in the number of cyber-criminals actively exploiting the newly discovered VML vulnerability in Microsoft's Internet Explorer. "More and more sites are using this exploit code," McAfee's Avert Labs virus researcher Craig Schmugar told vnunet.com. Full Story

Companies warned on Web 2.0 security threats
Posted on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 9:13am
Web 2.0 technologies present a number of areas for security concern, according to the latest Internet Security Threat Report by Symantec, released this week. Web 2.0 is a term used to describe new web application technologies and sites such as blogs, wikis and social or professional networking. Full Story

Cyber-crooks switch to 'soft target' home users
Posted on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 9:13am
Hackers are increasingly focusing on 'soft-target' home users, a new report has found. Symantec's Internet Security Threat Report warned that hackers are exploiting the fact that home users are less likely to have security protection in place. Full Story

Malware hiding behind online safety certificates
Posted on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 9:13am
Websites that feature the TRUSTe security certificate are twice as likely to contain malware than sites with no security certification, according to spyware and adware researcher Ben Edelman. Adware providers Direct-revenue and Webhancer, among others, are using TRUSTe certificates in an attempt to appear more trustworthy than they really are, Edelman claimed. Full Story

Tag-team attack exploits IE flaw
Posted on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 9:19am
Friday's a good day for most companies. For hosting provider HostGator, however, the day kicked off a nightmare that lasted more than 24 hours. A trickle of complaints that started the day before turned into a flood by Friday. Companies and clients complained that visitors to their Web sites were being infected with a virus. To those visitors, the Web sites appeared to be corrupted when viewed with Internet Explorer and caused antivirus software to warn of Trojan horse attacks, affected people told SecurityFocus. Full Story

Energy Dept. told to improve cybersecurity
Posted on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 9:19am
Resources and data at the U.S. Department of Energy are at risk because the agency hasn't done enough to strengthen its cybersecurity, according to a report released last week by Gregory Friedman, the DOE's inspector general. Although the DOE has taken steps to strengthen its cybersecurity, Friedman said vulnerabilities continue to expose the department's critical systems to compromise. Some of those deficiencies are the same ones highlighted in past years, according to the report. Full Story

Massive Spam Campaign Amazes Researchers
Posted on Tuesday, September 26, 2006 at 9:20am
A bunch of junk messages hawking a variety of pharmaceuticals made the rounds on the Internet in April and May of 2006, and those were just the tip of a deep and dark iceberg of online crime. Over 100 million messages flowed from a variety of locations during a fourteen day period. Full Story

Brought to you by the Terrorism Research Center, Inc.
www.terrorism.com

[nw_arizona_granny]

Google Alert - explosive stolen

SEX TAPE OF JUDGES 'EXPLOSIVE'
Mirror.co.uk - London,UK
By Victoria Ward. A SEX tape stolen from a judge by his "snooping"
cleaner
was "dynamite", a jury heard yesterday. Brazilian Roselane ...

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=17825682&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=sex-tape-of-judges--explosive---name_page.html

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.isria.info/FILES/FREE/IndiaAndTerrorism_OSINT_Report_intro.htm

India and Terrorism

To access the Special File: Non-subscribers - Subscribers

special file - 89 pages - A special 89-page Open Source Intelligence report issued for information purpose and within the framework of the special analytical intelligence report to be released and entitled: India and Islamic Terrorism. You can download this report (PDF - 500 KB) which includes a PDF active Tables of Contents as well as indispensable official files necessary to study India's Counterterrorism Policy.

Table of Contents:

India Anti-Terrorism Global Posture

* India's position on Cross Border Terrorism 3
* A Note on Global Terrorism 3
* The Prevention of Terrorist Activities Act (PoTA) 9

US State Department Overview

* U.S.-India Cyber Security Forum: Enhanced Cooperation to Safeguard Shared Information Infrastructures, March 3, 2006 9
* U.S.-India Counterterrorism Joint Working Group, July 18, 2002 10
* Mutual legal assistance treaty between India and US comes into force, October 3, 2005 11
* India and the United States sign treaty on Mutual Legal Assistance in criminal matters, October 17, 2001 12
* India: 2001 overview 13
* India: 2002 overview 13
* India: 2003 overview 14
* India: 2004 overview 15
* India: 2005 overview 16

Indian Official Documents

* Joint Statement of the India-US Joint Working Group on Counterterrorism, July 12, 2002 17
* Terrorist Attack on the Parliament of India 19
* The Prevention of Terrorism Ordinance, 2001 19
* Working document submitted by India on the draft comprehensive convention on international terrorism 36
* Prime Minister's address to the nation on terrorist attacks on the United States, September 14, 2001 48
* External Affairs Minister meets with the media on tragic events in the United States, September 12, 2001 51
* Prime Minister Vajpayee's letter to President George W. Bush on attacks on World Trade Center and Pentagon, September 11, 2001 53
* Joint U.S.-India Statement on Counterterrorism Working Group, June 26, 2001 53
* India - U.S. Statement on Joint Working Group on Counter Terrorism, September 26, 2000 55
* Statement by the Home Minister L.K. Advani on situation in Jammu & Kashmir in Parliament 56
* Joint U.S.- India Statement on Counterterrorism Working Group February 8, 2000 60
* Union Home Minister LK Advani’s statement on the hijackers of Indian Airlines flight IC-814 61
* Measures to eliminate international terrorism 64
* Press Release issued by the Ministry of External Affairs on Pakistan's support of cross-border terrorism 67
* UN Security Council Resolution 1269 October 18, 1999 67
* Working Group on International Terrorism: Adoption of Convention on Financing of Terrorism 69
* Working Group on International Terrorism, Statement on September 27, 1999 70
* Statement by Shri Jaswant Singh, External Affairs Minister in the General Debate of UN General Assembly 71
* India signs the International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings, 1997 80
* External Affairs Minister writes to the Russian Foreign Minister regarding recent developments in Dagestan 80
* Jaswant Singh writes to Kyrgyz's Foreign Minister on Terrorist activities in Kyrgyzstan Republic 81
* International Convention for the Suppression of Terrorist Bombings 81
* We must join hands to fight terrorism 82
* Measures to eliminate international terrorism 84

26 September 2006 - Published online by ISRIA. Reproduction is strictly prohibited without specific and written authorization except O.S.
(c) 2006 ISRIA International Security Research & Intelligence Agency, All rights reserved

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http://www.isria.info/FILES/2006/SEPTEMBER/09262006__9.htm

UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 25 September 2006 COTE D IVOIRE: Call for departure of French peacekeepers ABIDJAN, 25 Sep 2006 (IRIN) - The ruling party of Cote d'Ivoire has called for the departure of French peacekeepers and the dissolution of a group of mediators ahead of a visit of South African President Thabo Mbeki on Monday. The Ivorian Popular Front (FPI) "demands the departure of all military French forces" monitoring the cease-fire between rebels in the north and government troops in the south, chairman Pascal Affi N'Guessan said in a statement read on state television late Friday. Some 4,000 French and 6,000 UN peacekeepers patrol the north-south buffer zone that was established after a failed coup in September 2002 triggered a brief civil war.

NGuessan also called for the dissolution of a group of mediators known as the International Working Group, set up last year to oversee the implementation of a United Nations-backed peace plan designed to reunite the West African nation. N'Guessan's speech came ahead of the arrival on Monday of South African President Thabo Mbeki, who acts as mediator for the African Union (AU). Mbeki was expected to discuss the peace process with Gbagbo, who said earlier this month that he had lost faith in mediation efforts and planned to submit his own peace proposals to the AU. The rebel New Forces movement, which accuses Mbeki of being partial to Gbagbo and refuses to negotiate with him, called on the AU to replace Mbeki as mediator in a statement published Monday. Observers say Mbeki feels sympathetic to the ruling party's opposition to former colonial power France.

There was no immediate reaction to N'Guessan's call on FPI militants to "engage... in the principal struggle, that of the departure of the French armed forces". Hardline Gbagbo supporters accuse Paris of supporting the rebels and have repeatedly called for the closure of the French army base on the outskirts of the main city, Abidjan. The base was besieged by radical pro-Gbagbo youths, known as Young Patriots, during anti-French riots in November 2004. It was set up after independence under a mutual defence agreement between France and Cote d'Ivoire. Analysts say political tension is likely to rise over the next few weeks as Gbagbo's mandate, which was extended by twelve months last year under the UN-backed peace plan, expires on 31 October. West African leaders are poised to hold a series of meetings in order to work out a new peace agenda for discussion at a UN Security Council meeting in mid-October. pb/cs [ENDS] This material comes to you via IRIN, a UN humanitarian information unit, but may not necessarily reflect the views of the United Nations or its agencies. If you re-print, copy, archive or re-post this item, please retain this credit and disclaimer. Quotations or extracts should include attribution to the original sources. All materials copyright UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2006

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http://www.isria.info/FILES/2006/SEPTEMBER/09262006__6.htm

Karzai Says Upsurge of Narcotics Feeding Terrorism By Meredith Buel Washington 25 September 2006 Afghan President Hamid Karzai says the upsurge of narcotics in his country is feeding terrorism and is an embarrassment to the Afghan people. In a speech in Washington, Mr. Karzai also called for Pakistan to close down any religious schools that are teaching hatred and religious extremism to young people. President Karzai told an audience at the Wilson Center that growing poppies to produce heroin represents about 30 percent of Afghanistan's economy. "It is a very serious problem. It is what also is feeding terrorism," he said. "It is an embarrassment to us, the Afghan people. But it is, as much as we hate it, as much as it is an embarrassment, it is also unfortunately a reality, an economic reality." Mr. Karzai says the Afghan government is committed to destroying poppy production, but that international assistance is needed. He predicted it could take 10 years to completely eradicate the crop.

The Afghan president also spoke of the recent resurgence of Taleban militants in southern Afghanistan. U.S. military officials have expressed concerns about the upsurge in fighting, which has worsened despite the presence of 21,000 American troops and about 19,000 soldiers from other NATO nations. Relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have been strained over accusations from Afghan officials that Islamabad is not doing enough to fight militants who are crossing their long, mountainous border. Pakistan rejects the accusation, saying it has deployed 80,000 troops in remote border areas. During his speech, President Karzai says Pakistan must close religious schools, or madrassas, he says are training suicide bombers and other terrorists. "There will not be an end to terrorism unless we remove the sources of hatred in madrassas, the training grounds and the reliance of some entities in that part of the world on extremism as instruments of policy," he said. Mr. Karzai is scheduled to hold talks with President Bush on Tuesday. The two men are scheduled to have dinner Wednesday with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf and are expected to discuss cooperation in the war on terror.

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http://www.isria.info/FILES/2006/SEPTEMBER/09262006__21.htm

Iran: Israel Views Threats With Increasing Seriousness By Golnaz Esfandiari PRAGUE, September 25, 2006 (RFE/RL) -- Israel's foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, recently accused Iranian leaders of opposing the world's "values." In her address to the UN General Assembly on September 20, Livni also called for greater international vigilance against the security threats that she insisted Iran poses. The comments follow reports suggesting the Jewish state is girding itself for a possible attack on Iran's nuclear facilities. But few observers, at this juncture, are willing to suggest that Israel has abandoned all hope of a diplomatic solution to the Iranian nuclear standoff. Chilly From The Start Ties between Israel and the Islamic Republic of Iran have always been tense. The political and religious establishment that took power in Iran following the overthrow of the shah in 1979 has never officially recognized Israel. It has also been vocal and substantive in its support for the Palestinian cause. But tensions between the two countries have escalated further as Tehran has resisted international pressure to abandon sensitive nuclear work.

And since his election in 2005, Iranian President Mahmud Ahmadinejad has repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel. Israeli forces' invasion of Lebanon in July was an attempt to destroy the Hizballah militia -- which Iranian officials are widely believed to have helped to form, train, and supply with weapons. War Of Words In her UN speech, Foreign Minister Livni accused Iran of threatening world values and said the international community must challenge the leadership in Tehran. "There is no greater challenge to our values than that posed by the leaders of Iran," Livni said. "They deny and mock the Holocaust. They speak proudly and openly of their desire to 'wipe Israel off the map.' And now, by their actions, they pursue the weapons to achieve this objective to imperil the region and threaten the world." Livni's comments were rejected by a member of Iran's delegation as a "smokescreen" for what he described as war crimes committed by Israel. The exchange is the latest in a war of words between Tehran and Tel Aviv. But some observers speculate that Israel might be tempted to go beyond verbal attacks to deal with Iran. Israel, like the United States, accuses Iran of secretly developing nuclear weapons. Iran insists its nuclear program is peaceful, and notes that Israel is the only country in the region that has nuclear warheads. ...But Could That Change?

Numerous reports in the Israeli media have suggested Israel could strike Iran's nuclear facilities militarily in order to set back its nuclear program -- as it did in 1981 against Iraq's Osirak plant. The Israeli daily "Haaretz" reported on August 6 that the Israeli army has appointed a top Israeli officer to be in charge of preparing a possible war with Iran. On September 9, the London-based daily "The Times " quoted an unnamed Israeli military official as saying Israel must be prepared for a "full-scale war" in light of what he called "Iran's growing confidence after the war in Lebanon." "The Jerusalem Post" reported on August 24 that some senior officials are arguing that, "when it comes to stopping Iran, Israel may have to go it alone." On September 19, "The Jerusalem Post" wrote that the Israeli military's Home Front Command is now investing much of its effort in confronting the threat of weapons of mass destruction in Iranian hands. Ranking Threat Ephraim Kam, a retired intelligence colonel and deputy head of Tel Aviv University's Jaffee Center for Strategic Studies, tells RFE/RL that Israeli leaders and decision makers now consider Iran to be the Israel's most significant strategic threat. "The main effort of the Israeli government is to stop Iran before it acquires nuclear bomb -- to stop Iran means by either political ways, which is now the main course," Kam says. "And if it doesn't help, Israel has said more than once that it will use all the other options -- including the military one." Zeev Schiff, a defense specialist for the daily "Haaretz," says Iran has displaced Palestinian militant groups as the top threat to Israel. Schiff tells RFE/RL that Israel is making preparation to "defend itself" against Iran.

"If your neighbor tells you, 'I'm going to break your hands and legs,' what will you do?" Schiff asks. "Of course you will defend yourself. Of course you will go to the police. Of course you will buy, maybe, a pistol. And of course you will be ready to shoot." >Dueling Agendas Trita Parsi is an expert on Iran at John Hopkins University in the United States, and author of a forthcoming book titled "Treacherous Triangle: The Secret Dealings Of Iran, Israel and United States." He believes it is very unlikely that Iran would attack Israel directly. Parsi tells RFE/RL that Israelis are more alarmed by the rise of Iranian power in the region. "In the past, had it not been for Iran's rising power and disarmament of Hizballah, Israel would have been able to strike against Lebanon without much difficulty," Parsi says. "If Iran's power increases and Israel's maneuverability is inhibited, that also means that Israel will not be able to pursue unilateral peace deals, etc., and impose on the Palestinians." Parsi also says he doubts the Israelis would attack Iran directly. He suggests leaked reports of purported preparations for an attack on Iran are aimed at pressuring the United States not to compromise with Iran on the nuclear issue. "To a large extent, the Israeli rhetoric about doing a military attack against Iran is aimed at pressuring the United States to take action. Because the Israelis know [that] if they take the action, it will not be fully successful and it will force the U.S. to get involved in it," Parsi says. "So it is a way of pressuring the U.S. to take action -- whether it is diplomatic, through sanctions, or militarily."

The Jaffee Center's Kam also thinks Israel is expecting Washington to take firm action against Iran. "Israel believes that the main effort should be done by other governments -- above all, [by] the American administration if the political course fails," Kam says. "And if the American administration decides not to act militarily, then Israel will have to decide what to do. For the time being, it depends on other governments." Washington Worries U.S. officials have been pushing for sanctions against Iran since Tehran dismissed an August 31 UN Security Council deadline to give up uranium enrichment. Washington has said it supports diplomacy in dealing with Tehran's nuclear program. U.S. President George W. Bush has said that all options are on the table to prevent Iranian access to nuclear bombs. Some experts have expressed doubt that air strikes could destroy Iran's nuclear facilities -- some of which lie underground. Kam says the military option is complicated and carries many risks, but he adds that the United States and Israel might decide the Iranian "danger" is great enough to warrant the risk. "Iran can react -- there is doubt about it," Kam says. "Iran can react by using ballistic missiles, the range of which covers the entire territory of Israel. They can use terrorism; they can use Hizballah, and they can act against American targets in the Middle East." Tehran has warned that any aggression against Iran country will incur a "lightning" response. Staunch advocates of a diplomatic solution have warned that any attack against Iran could have "catastrophic effects." Copyright (c) 2006. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036. www.rferl.org

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.isria.info/FILES/2006/SEPTEMBER/09272006__9.htm

Bushehr power plant to be inaugurated in Nov 2007: Russia IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency Moscow, Sept 26, IRNA Iran-Russia-Nuclear Nuclear fuel for the Bushehr power plant will be delivered to Iran in March 2007 and the power plant will definitely be inaugurated in November 2007, a Russian nuclear official said here Tuesday. Sergei Shmatko, president of the Russia's sole nuclear equipment and export company Atom Stroi Export, which is building the power plant, made the remarks at the end of nuclear talks between Iranian and Russian officials. Visiting Vice-President and head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) Reza Aqazadeh held two days of talks with the head of Russia's Federal Atomic Energy Agency, Sergei Kiriyenko, and Russia's Security Council Secretary Igor Ivanov.

Shmatko said that in accordance with an agreement signed between the two sides on Tuesday, the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant would be inaugurated with a test run in September 2007. He added that nuclear fuel to be supplied to the plant will include 163 packages with a total weight of 80 tons. An AEOI deputy, Mahmoud Jannatian, said the sides reached agreement on completion of the power plant which would carried a greater chance of an earlier date for the transfer of fuel to Iran and inauguration of the plant. Russia had announced that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant would not be completed and inaugurated before November 2007. Repeated delays in implementation of the project had led Aqazadeh to announce in Moscow on Monday that if the Russian contractor fails to complete the power plant in accordance with a new timetable Iran would finish construction itself. However, after his talks with Russia's nuclear officials, he said "inauguration of the Bushehr power plant is possible within the next six months." 2327/2321/1414

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http://www.isria.info/FILES/2006/SEPTEMBER/09272006__7.htm

Bush Says Forces in Afghanistan Changing Tactics to Fight Taleban By Scott Stearns White House 26 September 2006 President Bush says foreign troops that support the government in Afghanistan are changing their tactics to confront a renewed insurgency by Taleban militia. Mr. Bush met with Afghan President Hamid Karzai in the Oval Office. President Bush says Taleban and al-Qaida fighters are trying to bring down President Karzai's government because they realize that democracy in Afghanistan will make it more difficult for them to use the country to launch terrorist attacks elsewhere. "In recent months, the Taleban and other extremists have tried to regain control, mostly in the south of Afghanistan. And so we have adjusted tactics," the president said. "And we are on the offense, to meet the threat and to defeat the threat." President Bush said members of the NATO alliance fighting in Afghanistan will not leave until that enemy is defeated. Speaking to reporters following White House talks with President Karzai, Mr. Bush said many Afghan forces are fighting bravely for the future of their country.

He expressed his regret about the assassination of the provincial director of Afghanistan's Ministry of Women's Affairs, Safia Ama Jan. Mr. Bush says her killing shows the nature of an enemy he says has no conscience. "Their objective is to create fear, to create enough violence so we withdraw and let them have their way, and that is unacceptable," he said. "It is unacceptable behavior for the free world and the civilized world to accept, Mr. President." President Bush says fighting in Afghanistan is part of a global struggle against terrorism, a battle in which he says every victory enhances security for free people everywhere. The president's meeting with President Karzai comes just days after talks with Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf. The two neighbors and key U.S allies have had their differences. They have accused each other of not doing enough to stop violence along the remote border region where neither central government has much control. As part of an effort to soothe some of those differences, Mr. Bush will bring President Karzai and President Musharraf together for dinner Wednesday at the White House.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.isria.info/FILES/2006/SEPTEMBER/09272006__29.htm

Tomcats Officially Retire Navy NewsStand Story Number: NNS060926-03 Release Date: 9/26/2006 8:26:00 AM By Mass Communication Specialist Seaman Katrina Scampini, Fleet Public Affairs Center Atlantic VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (NNS) -- The F-14 Tomcat was officially retired after 36 years of service at the Final Flight Ceremony held at Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana Sept. 22. More than 1,300 former and present F-14 aviators, maintainers, and support personnel attended the ceremony. The Tomcat helped maintain freedom and democracy around the world, said Aviation Support Equipment Technician 2nd Class Christopher Kaelin, a support equipment maintainer with Aircraft Intermediate Maintenance Department (AIMD). When you see it come off the flight deck, you know its a force to be reckoned with. According to Corporate Vice President and President of Northrop Grumman Integrated Systems Scott Seymour, the Final Flight Ceremony is as much a dedication to the aircraft as to the people who contributed to its legacy.

We are here to salute the vision that conceived the aircraft, Seymour said, as well as the intellectual capital that engineered it, the pride of those who built it and the dedication of the Sailors who have maintained it and the raw courage and icy nerve of the flight crews that flew it in defense of our country. Seymour said although the F-14 is being retired, the human qualities that brought it about are still as vital as ever. The Navys new F/A-18E/F Super Hornet will replace the F-14. The Tomcat lives on to its enduring mission and to the men and women committed to those missions, said Adm. John Nathman, commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command. Its a transition from one superb aircraft to another; the Tomcat to the Super Hornet. A small number of F-14s will be departing NAS Oceana through Sept. 30 to their final destinations at museums or be placed in war reserve at Davis Monthan Air Force Base, Ariz. To further recognize the F-14 retirement, Virginia Beach Mayor Meyera E. Oberndorf publicly dedicated Sept. 22 as Tomcat Day in Virginia Beach. We love the Navy, Oberndorf said. And today, the Tomcat is at the top of the list.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.isria.info/FILES/2006/SEPTEMBER/09272006__22.htm

Russian, Iranian Officials Agree on Bushehr Nuclear Plant Launch Date By VOA News 26 September 2006 Senior Iranian and Russian nuclear officials have agreed that Iran's Russian-built Bushehr nuclear power plant will officially open next September and begin producing electricity by November 2007. The officials say Moscow has also agreed to ship fuel for Iran's first atomic power plant by March. Negotiators signed the agreement Tuesday in Moscow at talks between the head of Iran's Atomic Energy Organization, Gholamreza Aghazadeh, and Russia's Federal Nuclear Agency chief, Sergei Kiriyenko. Iranian officials had expressed frustration that both fuel deliveries and the construction are behind schedule.

The United States has long been concerned that despite international safeguards, operating the Bushehr plant may provide Iran with valuable information that could be applied to a nuclear weapons program. Russia has agreed to take back the plant's spent fuel so it cannot be used for weapons. But Iran has resisted a Russian proposal to conduct all of Iran's uranium enrichment on Russian soil. Iran claims its uranium enrichment program is for peaceful purposes - mostly for providing fuel for nuclear power. The United States alleges the program is aimed at creating weapons-grade nuclear material. Some information for this report was provided by AFP and AP.

[nw_arizona_granny]

http://www.isria.info/FILES/2006/SEPTEMBER/09272006_.htm

Acting UN envoy to Ethiopia and Eritrea delivers Annans latest report to the Council 26 September 2006 The acting United Nations envoy to Ethiopia and Eritrea today delivered Secretary-General Kofi Annan's latest report on the border dispute between the two countries - where he recommended extending the UN monitoring mission for six months and warned of potential disaster if the "untenable" stalemate is not resolved - to the Security Council. Azouz Ennifar, the acting Special Representative dealing with the UN Mission in Ethiopia and Eritrea (UNMEE) briefed the Council on the Secretary-Generals latest report[while] the Council earlier met with troop contributing countries for that Mission, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters in New York.

Mr. Annans latest report, which was released yesterday, covers the activities of UNMEE since March and ahead of its current end of mandate on 30 September. In it, he also highlighted the increased instability across the whole of the Horn of Africa region. Four years after the 2002 decision of the Eritrea-Ethiopia Boundary Commission, I remain deeply concerned about the stalemate in the Ethiopia-Eritrea peace process, the report said. This is an untenable situation, which, if allowed to fester, could lead intentionally or unintentionally to events with disastrous consequences for the two countries and the whole region. The situation in the Horn of Africa remains politically tense and fragile. The continuing conflict in Somalia and the unresolved crisis affecting Darfur contribute to the instability affecting the region. Having the foregoing facts in mind, I recommend to the Security Council that it extend the mandate of UNMEE for six months, until 31 March 2007.

Mr. Annan also said the various arrests, detentions and expulsions of UNMEE international and locally recruited staff in recent months was particularly troubling and he repeated calls for all restrictions on the Mission to be lifted and those staff detained to be released without delay. In a related development, UNMEE has called on Eritreas authorities to cooperate with the Mission in investigating the arrest and detention last month of a staff member for allegedly trying to smuggle Eritrean nationals out of the country, along with new allegations against other personnel. The Mission has not been formally notified by the competent Eritrean authorities of the case or presented with any evidence thereon To date, UNMEE has not been granted access to the staff member or received formal communication with specific information, it said in a statement issued yesterday.

UNMEE will continue to constructively cooperate with the Eritrean authorities to investigate the occurrence of any alleged wrongdoing by UNMEE officials and, at the same time, take all necessary steps to ensure that they respect the laws and regulations of the host country. UNMEE monitors the ceasefire along the disputed border over which the two countries fought a war from 1998 to 2000, but its work has been hampered by both sides, in particular by Ethiopias refusal to accept the border set by the Boundary Commission and restrictions imposed by Eritrea.