Threat Matrix: December 2006

Previous thread ^

[nwctwx]

Fighting Jihad in Cyberspace
-Full Story-

The setting is familiar to anyone who watches the evening news. A large, executive-style desk, a laptop perched on top, a logo in the background and a screen showing shifting images to reinforce the newsreader's message. The only difference is the presenter, who is swathed in an Arab headdress and masked to hide his identity, and the subject of the broadcast, a call for an Islamic state for Iraq and a vow to use Iraq as a launching pad to crush the "Zionists" in Israel.

Welcome to the "Voice of the Caliphate", the latest offering from the Global Islamic Media Front, widely regarded as the mouthpiece of al-Qaeda and the worldwide jihadist movement.

Distributed over the internet, the mock news format is just one of many employed by al-Qaeda's highly sophisticated propaganda arm.

	Mystery Surrounds Zawahri’s Silence
	HizbAllah Offensive in Lebanon: Day One
	Significant Terrorist Incidents, 1961-2003: A Brief Chronology

Thread Forty-Three

Previous | TM Index

TM Terrorism Handbook

TM 'Be on the Lookout'

Godzilla's Summaries

Invaluable Tips

Preparedness

Search: News | Images

Threat Matrix HTML designed by: Ian Livingston

[Cindy]

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

---

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1747372/posts

"N. Korea: More Kim Jong-il Sightings"
The Daily NK ^ | 12/01/06

Posted on 12/02/2006 1:48:00 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster

[Cindy]

NOTE: The following text is a quote:

https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=59728

Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report
Warden Message: Fiji Coup Concerns
Consular Affairs Bulletins
East Asia / Pacific - Fiji
1 Dec 2006

Printer Friendly Email Article
Related Reports
29 Nov 2006
Warden Message: Fiji Military Exercises
22 Nov 2006
Fiji Public Announcement
22 Nov 2006
Public Announcement: Fiji
3 Nov 2006
Fiji Public Announcement
3 Nov 2006
Public Announcement: Fiji
U.S. Embassy Suva released the following Warden Message on December 1, 2006:

This Warden Message is being issued to alert U.S. citizens traveling to and residing in the city of Suva in the Republic of the Fiji Islands of the renewed ultimatum publicly announced on November 30 by Commander Frank Bainimarama of the Republic of Fiji Military Forces to overthrow the democratically elected government as soon as December 1 unless his demands are met.

While Suva was calm as of December 1, the Department recommends that private American citizens in Fiji evaluate their personal security in light of the current uncertainty. It is possible that the security situation could deteriorate rapidly if threats of a coup are carried out. Risks could include indiscriminate attacks on government or civilian targets in the greater Suva area.

The Department of State and the Embassy in Suva are continuing to follow developments closely. For the latest security information, Americans traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department's Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, Travel Warnings, and Public Announcements can be found. Up to date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States and Canada, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern Time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

American citizens traveling or residing in Fiji are encouraged to register with the Department of State or the U.S. Embassy. American citizens may also register at https://travelregistration.state.gov. The Embassy is located at 31 Loftus Street in Suva. The American Citizen Services Unit of the U.S. Embassy can be reached by calling (679) 331-4466 and by e-mail at consularsuva@state.gov.

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=59730

Warden Message: Colombo Bombing
Consular Affairs Bulletins
South / Central Asia - Sri Lanka
1 Dec 2006

Printer Friendly Email Article
Related Reports
14 Nov 2006
Warden Message: Colombo Terror Alert
23 Oct 2006
Sri Lanka Travel Warning
23 Oct 2006
Travel Warning: Sri Lanka
18 Oct 2006
Warden Message: Defer Galle Travel Following Attack
17 Oct 2006
Warden Message: Colombo Terror Alert
U.S. Embassy Colombo released the following Warden Message on December 1, 2006:

At approximately 10:35 a.m., a bomb exploded at the junction of Dharmapala Mawatha and Flower Road, near Liberty Plaza. It is believed that Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse was the target of the attack. At this time, Americans are advised to avoid the area of the Kollupitiya market and Dharmapala Mawatha. The Embassy continues to advise Americans to be on alert when visiting government facilities and high-profile venues. Americans should also continue to avoid military installations, military convoys traveling on the roads, and where possible, government buildings, as they have in the past been targets for LTTE violence. Traffic disruptions are also likely to increase as Sri Lankan security forces increase their security checks. Americans are again reminded to cooperate fully with Sri Lankan security forces as they implement increased security measures.

Americans living or traveling in Sri Lanka are encouraged to register with the U.S. Embassy through the State Department's travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov. The Consular Section of the U.S. Embassy in Colombo is located at 210 Galle Road. The telephone number is 249-8500. The number for after-hours emergencies is 249-8888. The fax number is 249-8500. The Consulate's e-mail address is colomboacs@state.gov and its internet web page is http://srilanka.usembassy.gov. U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State's latest consular information sheet for Sri Lanka, and the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, available at http://travel.state.gov. Up-to-date information on security can also be obtained by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States, or, for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. These numbers are available from 8:00 a.m. to 8:00 p.m. Eastern time, Monday through Friday (except U.S. federal holidays).

[Cindy]

Note: The following report snippet is a quote:

http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php

Weekly Piracy Report
21-28 November 2006

The following is a summary of the daily reports broadcast by the IMB's Piracy Reporting Centre to ships in Atlantic, Indian and Pacific Ocean Regions on the SafetyNET service of Inmarsat-C from 21 to 28 November 2006.

ALERT

Chittagong anchorage, Bangladesh
Forty one incidents have been reported since 28.01.2006. Pirates are targeting ships preparing to anchor. Ships are advised to take extra precautions.

The IMB Report on Piracy and Armed Attacks on Ships from January to September 2006 is now published. Please see the end of this page to order.

Suspicious crafts

None reported during the week.
Recently reported incidents

24.11.2006 0400 LT in position 22:17.5N - 091:43.3E, Chittagong Outer Anchorage 'A', Bangladesh.
15 robbers armed with long knives boarded a bulk carrier. They tied up two ABs and three watchmen and broke into the bosun’s store and stole ship's stores. The Duty Officer and an AB proceeded to the forecastle. Alarm was raised. Robbers jumped overboard and escaped with ship's stores, walkie-talkies and cellphones. Port authority and Coast Guard informed.

20.11.2006 0130 LT at Dumai Inner Anchorage, Indonesia.
Six robbers armed with knives boarded a bulk carrier. They attempted to overcome the shore watchman who raised alarm. Duty Officer and crew rushed to assist. When confronted by crew, robbers jumped overboard and escaped empty handed.

19.11.2006 1900 LT in position : 06:06.2S-106:53.3E, Tg. Priok,
Indonesia.
While crew were busy involved in discharging operations, robbers armed with steel bars managed to break into two stores and steal ship's stores. Upon seeing suspicious behaviour of shoreworkers on deck, duty crew informed the Duty Officer. Alarm raised and crew alerted. It was suspected the stevedores / shoreworkers may have been involved in the theft. Local authorities informed.

19.10.2006 0600 LT in position 28:47:01n - 49:28.42e, off Lulu
Oilfield, Ras al-Khafji, Saudi Arabia.
Three masked pirates armed with a pistol and machine guns boarded a fishing vessel underway. One crew was killed and another injured. Pirates stole ship's equipment and left in a small red and white coloured boat. Saudi Coast Guard was informed.

[Cindy]

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

---

http://www.airportbusiness.com/article/article.jsp?siteSection=5&id=9114

Updated: December 1st, 2006 12:07 PM EDT
Home > Airline and Airport Security News
"Some Iranian Visa Holders Sent Home"
Dena Bunis and Vik Jolly
The Orange County Register


ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Some Iranian citizens traveling to Santa Clara this weekend for a reunion of graduates and professors from a Tehran university have been stopped at U.S. airports and told the visas they were carrying had been revoked.

The State Department on Thursday refused to say why some Iranians coming to the conference with visas approved by U.S. consulates abroad are being denied entry, detained overnight and then sent back to Iran. Event organizers said they know of 20 who have so far been turned away. More than 100 additional Iranian nationals are due at the weekend event."

[Cindy]

PERSECUTION.ORG
http://www.persecution.org

[Cindy]

http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html

PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Sat Dec 02 2006 03:08:36 GMT-0800.

Worldwide Caution
October 11, 2006

[Cindy]

Note: The following news brief is a quote:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3335096,00.html

Palestinian carrying pipe bomb arrested at checkpoint south of Nablus
Published: 12.02.06, 12:22
IDF forces at Hawara Checkpoint, south of Nablus, arrested a Palestinian after a search of his belongings revealed a pipe bomb. Border guard sappers detonated the bomb in a controlled manner. No one was injured.

The Palestinian was transferred to the security forces for investigation. (Efrat Weiss)

[Cindy]

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

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

---

http://www.jpost.com/servlet/Satellite?c=JPArticle&cid=1164881799698&pagename=JPost%2FJPArticle%2FShowFull

Dec. 2, 2006 2:47 | Updated Dec. 2, 2006 2:57
"Venezuela receives Russian jets"
By ASSOCIATED PRESS
CARACAS, Venezuela

[Cindy]

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

---

MEMRI.org: "SYRIA/LEBANON"
http://www.memri.org/syria.html


---

http://littlegreenfootballs.com/weblog/?entry=23512_Supporters_of_Evil_Turn_Out_En_Masse&only


Friday, December 01, 2006

"Supporters of Evil Turn Out En Masse
Hundreds of thousands of Hizballah and Syria supporters turned out in Beirut today: Huge crowd demands Lebanon government quit."

[nwctwx]

Lebanon cabinet, opposition in stand-off

Lebanon's Western-backed cabinet vowed not to cave in to calls to resign after a massive demonstration led by the pro-Syrian group Hezbollah, as protesters camped outside government offices.

The show of force in central Beirut tightened the political deadlock in the country which has been nearly paralyzed because of a fierce struggle for supremacy between pro- and anti-Syrian camps within the power-sharing regime.

Crowds of protesters thronged the streets of the capital on Friday, calling for the ouster of the "corrupt" leadership and temporarily blocking access to Prime Minister Fuad Siniora's government headquarters.

"The massive demonstration... has given Lebanon one of the most difficult tests that the country has known in a long while," warned the pro-Syrian Al-Akhbar daily.


Egypt fears Lebanon civil war if protests continue

Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak said on Saturday he feared continued street demonstrations, especially if they became sectarian, could turn Lebanon into a battlefield.

On Friday hundreds of thousands of Hezbollah-led protesters rallied in Beirut to try to force the resignation of Prime Minister Fouad Siniora's U.S.-backed government. The protest continued on Saturday.

"Wisdom is required in dealing with internal differences," Mubarak told journalists in Sharm el-Sheikh, where he was meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov.

"What I fear is that if the demonstrations continue, and take on a sectarian form, supporters of these sects from outside Lebanon will join in and no one will be able to control it, especially if it continues for a long time."

[Cindy]

Thank you nw for the update.

[Cindy]

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

---

Thanks to debg for the ping to this post.

QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1747465/posts?page=2#2

Ping to today's thread plus a little news...

Ahmadinejad says US is the problem in Iraq
(AP)

2 December 2006


DOHA — Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad accused the United States on Friday of stirring up divisions between Iraq’s Shias, Sunnis and Kurds, saying Washington is “the cause of the problem” in the war-torn country.


His comments came a day after US President George W. Bush met with Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Al Maliki, urging the Iraqi leader to crack down on Shia militias blamed in sectarian violence. Iran is believed to back some of the militias.

Ahmadinejad spoke in an interview with the Arab news network Al Jazeera during a visit to the Qatari capital Doha to attend the opening of the Asian Games.

In Doha, the Iranian leader held talks with Palestinian Prime Minister Ismail Haniyeh, from the militant Hamas movement, which is allied to Iran.

Ahmadinejad repeated Iran’s calls for the United States to pull its troops out of Iraq.

Iraqis “know how to govern themselves and provide their own security. You are the reason of the problem,” he told Al Jazeera, looking at the camera and addressing the United States and Britain. “Get out of Iraq and leave the Iraqi people alone.”

http://www.khaleejtimes.com/DisplayArticleNew.asp?xfile=data/middleeast/2006/December/middleeast_December13.xml&section=middleeast


2 posted on 12/02/2006 9:11:20 AM PST by debg

[Cindy]

===
===

http://www.libertaddigital.com/noticias/noticia_1276293800.html
"UN IMPLICADO ESTABA EL 11-M EN LA COMISARIA DE VALLECAS
Investigan una trama policial que traficaba en Madrid con Goma2 Eco y detonadores"

http://www.libertaddigital.com/noticias/noticia_1276293967.html
"ESTUVO EN LA COMISARÍA DE VALLECAS LA NOCHE DEL 11-M
Uno de los policías de la mafia de la Goma 2 nació en Marruecos y se le conoce como El Moro"

===
===

Thanks to J Aguilar for the ping to this thrread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1746837/posts

"3/11: Police Officers Investigated on Explosives Trafficking in Madrid"
EL MUNDO - Libertad Digital ^ | 30 November 2006 - 1 December 2006 | Fernando Lázaro (transl. J Aguilar)

Posted on 12/01/2006 3:08:56 AM PST by J Aguilar

and this post - QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1746837/posts?page=5#5

More on this developing story:



He was at the Vallecas Bridge precinct during the night of 3/11

A Police Officer in the Goma 2-mafia Was Born in Morocco and is Known as The Moor

One of the civil servants arrested on Friday in an operation against a Police-mafia that trafficked with dynamite and drugs was born in Nador and he is known among his colleagues as El Moro (The Moor), according to EL MUNDO today Saturday revelations. José Antonio González Clares was born in that Moroccan city and was assigned to Vallecas Bridge precinct during the night of 3/11, when the backpack containing Goma 2 appeared, reorienting the investigation of the massacre, just in time to change the result of the National Elections of March 14th towards the Socialist Party. According to the newspaper that has discovered this plot of “infiltrated terrorists” – as the pro-Socialist trade union SUP has called them -, González-Clares was not on duty that night of 3/11, but he came to his post. The Popular Party has asked [Minister] Rubalcaba “total explanations” on this “absolute mess” in the Interior Minister. [...]
5 posted on 12/02/2006 9:00:24 AM PST by J Aguilar (Veritas vos liberabit)

[Cindy]

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

===

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/NewsArticle.aspx?ID=2277


Iraqi Army, Coalition Detain, Kill Insurgents; Iraqis Killed in Suicide Attack

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Dec. 1, 2006 – In a string of operations across Iraq this week, Iraqi forces detained 28 suspects, coalition forces killed 17 insurgents and rescued three Iraqi hostages, and four Iraqis were killed in a suicide attack, military officials in Iraq reported.
The 9th Iraqi Army Division, with coalition support, detained 28 suspected insurgents for questioning in an operation within the Iraqi capital today in Rusafa. U.S. attack helicopters were used in support of the mission to assist the ground elements with their mission. An assortment of small arms and munitions also were seized during the operation.

Elsewhere, coalition forces used air-delivered precision ordnance to kill three insurgents today in Ubaydi. Insurgents attacked coalition forces with small-arms fire and then attempted to flee in a vehicle. In response to the attack, coalition forces used precision ordnance to destroy the vehicle and the insurgents inside. Aside from the vehicle, there was no further damage.

In another operation, coalition air and ground forces combined to kill 14 insurgents and wound two at about 2 a.m. yesterday after the individuals engaged a coalition convoy with small-arms fire southwest of Samarra.

While the insurgents fled in trucks and motorcycles, Task Force Lightning attack helicopters tracked them for several miles and used two guided bombs to destroy one of the vehicles. Subsequently, helicopters and strike aircraft engaged the remaining vehicles, killing or wounding all of the insurgents.

Upon further investigation of the site, Task Force Lightning soldiers discovered more than 1,500 rounds of small-arms ammunition and various semi-automatic machine guns including six AK-47s, two heavy machineguns, two destroyed motorcycles with homemade machine gun mounts and one rocket-propelled-grenade launcher.

Separately, Iraqi police successfully engaged a suicide car bomber attempting to breach an entry-control point leading to a police station in the Dawasa neighborhood Nov. 29 at about 12:15 p.m.

The Iraqi police prevented the terrorist from breaching the entry control point, but the bomb exploded outside the checkpoint, killing four Mosul citizens and the suicide car bomber and injuring 29. The four citizens killed in the blast included two children and two adults. Those injured were transported to Mosul general hospital for treatment. One Iraqi police officer received treatment for superficial wounds and was released.

"Iraqi police in Ninewa province are vigilant to these types of attacks," said Army Maj. Adam Rocke, operations officer for 3rd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, 2nd Infantry Division. "The sad part is the innocent citizens who are killed or injured as a result of these cowardly acts, especially the children.”

In another operation, three handcuffed hostages were rescued from insurgents by soldiers of the 3rd Squadron, 61st Cavalry Regiment, near Forward Operating Base Loyalty on Nov. 29. A fourth handcuffed hostage was found nearby, dead from a gunshot wound to the head.

The three rescued hostages were discovered after the U.S. soldiers noticed an illegal checkpoint being manned by six individuals in military uniforms. One of the six manning the checkpoint had a fake Ministry of Interior identification. The six suspects caught running the illegal checkpoint were detained by U.S. forces for questioning

Elsewhere, soldiers from Multinational Division Baghdad uncovered a sizeable cache of munitions in a northwestern neighborhood of the Iraqi capital Nov. 29.

After receiving a tip, soldiers from Company A, 1st Battalion, 23rd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 1st Infantry Division, conducted a combat patrol to search a house of a suspected mortar man. When the troops arrived at the residence, there was no one at the home. During the search of the house, they discovered a weapons cache. They found 16 82 mm mortar rounds, one 60 mm mortar round, one 82 mm mortar tube with a tripod, one 60 mm mortar tube with a base plate, 11 grenades, one machinegun with three full magazines, one rocket-propelled-grenade launcher sight, one set of body armor with plates, one set of body armor without plates, 42 mortar primers, 59 grenade fuses, two radios, and a bomb protective suit.

(Compiled from Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

[Cindy]

http://hotair.com/archives/2006/12/01/video-meccas-executioner/
(MEMRITV.ORG)
"Video: Mecca’s executioner"
posted at 12:39 pm on December 1, 2006 by Allahpundit

[Cindy]

stepping back in time...

A Discussion on FREEREPUBLIC.com regarding a HISTORY NEWS NETWORK article: "DOES HISTORY CONDONE BEHEADINGS?" by Timothy R. Furnish (June 11, 2005)

MEFORUM.org - The Middle East Quarterly: "BEHEADING IN THE NAME OF ISLAM" by Timothy Furnish (Spring 2005, Volume XII: Number 2)

[Cindy]

RECAP and UPDATES:

JIHAD WATCH.org (AP): "MUSLIMS SEEK PRAYER ROOM AT AIRPORT" (December 2, 2006)

JIHAD WATCH.org (AP): "MUSLIMS PROTEST OUTSIDE AIRLINES HEADQUARTERS OVER IMAMS' REMOVAL" (December 2, 2006)

JIHAD WATCH.org (STAR TRIBUNE): "MINNESOTA MUSLIM COLUMNIST: POST-9/11 US AN 'ISLAM-PHOBIC COUNTRY'" (December 2, 2006)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "IMAM DISPUTES TIE TO HAMAS" by Audrey Hudson (December 1, 2006)

FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "IMAMS GONE WILD" by Paul Sperry (November 30, 2006)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "MARSHALLS DECRY IMAMS' CHARGES" by Audrey Hudson (November 29, 2006)

FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "THE MINNEAPOLIS SIX SABOTAGE AIRLINE SECURITY" by Janet Levy (November 28, 2006)

WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "HOW THE IMAMS TERRORIZED AN AIRLINER" by Audrey Hudson (November 28, 2006)

HOTAIR.com - blog/video: "THE FLYING IMAMS" (November 28, 2006)

YouTube.com - Video: "A STUDY IN PROPAGANDA" (Added November 27, 2006)

FRONTPAGE MAGAZINE.com: "PUTTING HOMELAND SECURITY FIRST" by Robert Spencer (November 22, 2006)

OSINT.INTERNET-HAGANAH.com: "IMAM OMAR SHAHIN OF PHOENIX YOU SAY?" (November 21, 2006)

JIHAD WATCH.org: "ONE OF THE IMAMS LED OFF THE MINNEAPOLIS PLANE AFFILIATED WITH HAMAS-LINKED ORGANIZATION" (November 21, 2006)

JIHAD WATCH.org: "OMAR SHAHIN, SPOKESMAN FOR 6 IMAMS REMOVED FROM FLIGHT, DOUBTED MUSLIMS WERE BEHIND 9/11 AND ADMITTED TIES TO OSAMA" (November 21, 2006)

LittleGreenFootballs.com - Weblog: "MINNEAPOLIS AIRPORT INCIDENT UPDATE" (November 21, 2006)

CNN.com (AP): "SIX MUSLIM IMAMS TAKEN OFF PLANE" (November 21, 2006)

[crabbie]

Many thanks!

[Cindy]

http://billroggio.com/cms/mt-search.cgi?tag=Iraq&blog_id=7

--

http://billroggio.com/archives/2006/12/hunting_the_takfiris.php
"Hunting the Takfiris in Iraq
Ansar al-Sunnah leaders captured, raid on al-Qaeda in Iraq cell"


ARTICLE SNIPPET: "DUBAI, UAE: Task Force 145, the Coalition hunter-killer teams that focus on al-Qaeda in Iraq, have been busy over the past week. Multinational Forces Iraq reports Ansar al-Sunnah leadership has taken a hit in central, western and northern Iraq, while a raid nabbed 8 al-Qaeda."