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Locked on 08/01/2007 10:40:04 PM PDT by Religion Moderator, reason:
New Thread: http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1875105/posts |
Posted on 07/01/2007 2:42:24 PM PDT by nwctwx
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ARTICLE SNIPPET from post no. 1798:
“The substance in the containers at the flat in Stapleton Road, Easton, is thought to be vegetable oil.”
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/6907827.stm )
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http://jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373498
TERRORISM FOCUS
(June 26, 2007)
“PKK Introduces Use of IEDs Against Turkish Targets”
By Frank Hyland
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “IEDs have taken the form of cans of cooking oil...”
You’re welcome Oorang.
tick....tick......tick........
Thought so...and I recall reading either GSPC and/or hezbollah use bombs with cooking oil, too.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GkFct5EPqBI
“Peter King on the “John Doe” bill”
(”If you see something, say something”)
(Added July 20, 2007)
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2007/07/the-nuclear-loo.html
The Nuclear Loophole: U.S. Still at Risk
July 20, 2007 6:24 PM
Brian Ross Reports:
Despite the more than $2 billion spent by the Department of Homeland Security on radiation detection devices, leading scientists tell ABC News the country remains wide open to terrorists who might try to smuggle nuclear material into the country.
In a familiar scene at the port of Los Angeles today, senior U.S. officials demonstrated yet another new, expensive machine that supposedly can detect nuclear material hidden in shipping containers.
The DHS has claimed this device is 95 percent accurate, and today Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff had high praise for it.
“This is great,” he said. “This is the wave of the future.”
Despite Chertoff’s praise, a government investigation by the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded the new machines “fell far short of the 95 percent level of performance.”
At best, the GAO found the machines were 45 percent accurate, sometimes as low as only 17 percent accurate.
“It is very frustrating when we pour billions of dollars into our homeland security, and yet we see so many of those dollars being wasted,” Rep. Michael McCaul, R-Texas, the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Subcommittee on Emerging Threats, which has been a key oversight committee for the radiation detector program, said.
That’s why Congress now wants a new round of tests before they will allow any more money to be spent on the system.
“Today we learned that in fact it is riddled with inefficiencies that could in fact make it possible for al Qaeda to bring a nuclear bomb into a post in the United States,” Congressman Ed Markey, D-Mass., said.
It has been five years since ABC News first demonstrated the ease with which uranium, shielded in lead pipes, could be smuggled into the country in a shipping container, past supposedly state-of-the-art detection machines.
But today leading scientists say the new machines are just as ineffective.
“There are many, many ways of defeating the system,” said Dr. Tom Cochran of the Natural Resources Defense Council, “and they are ways that would be known to people who know how to manufacture an improvised explosive device.”
In Los Angeles today, Secretary Chertoff acknowledged the need for more testing on this latest generation of equipment.
“As we’re entering the field testing phase, we ought to kick the tires very hard,” he said.
Scientists say about the only real proven improvement in the new machines is a lot fewer false alarms. The old ones would go off if they detected kitty litter or bananas.
That no longer happens, but they still can’t detect well-shielded nuclear bomb material.
UPDATE:
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1869248/posts
Old missile launcher found near NYC
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20070720/ap_on_re_us/missile_launcher_1 ^
Posted on 07/20/2007 4:03:18 PM PDT by Hi Heels
Old missile launcher found near NYC Fri Jul 20, 3:11 PM ET
JERSEY CITY, N.J. - An old anti-tank missile launcher was found Friday on a lawn in Jersey City, just across the river from lower Manhattan.
The launcher was inoperable and posed no hazard, police said. They turned it over to Army officials at Fort Monmouth.
Army personnel identified the yard-long tube as an AT-4 anti-tank missile launcher, said fort spokesman Timothy Rider. Such launchers can only be used once to fire a missile, and soldiers determined that this launcher had been fired, he said.
“It can never be reloaded, but it still has the mechanism that can be useful for training,” Rider said, explaining that soldiers can learn to carry it on their shoulder and take aim.
Police and Army officials are investigating how the device ended up on the lawn. Officials said it appeared to be about 20 years old.
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46788
Troops in Afghanistan Detain Nine Enemy Fighters
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2007 – Afghan and coalition forces detained nine enemy fighters today, including six who were nabbed after a firefight, military officials reported.
In Paktika, credible intelligence led the forces to compounds suspected of harboring anti-coalition militants believed to be involved in weapons trafficking, officials said.
A search of the compounds yielded assorted blasting caps, magazines and loose ammunition. These items were taken to a safe place and destroyed. Soldiers also found Taliban propaganda and detained two men. No shots were fired, and no damage was done to the compound.
As the forces were traveling from the compound, militants engaged the forces with rocket-propelled grenades, machine guns and small-arms fire from multiple positions. The forces returned fire. Two suspected militants were wounded, stabilized on-site and detained. Four other militants surrendered.
No civilians were injured or killed in the operation, and the original detainees were unharmed during the firefight.
In the Tere Zayi district of Khowst province today, Afghan and coalition forces detained a man after credible intelligence led them to a compound suspected of harboring a facilitator of anti-coalition militant activity. An empty ammunition vest, weapons, full magazines and propaganda items were found in a search of the compound.
“Afghan and coalition forces will continue to show extremists there is no room for them among the peaceful people of Afghanistan,” said Army Maj. Chris Belcher, a coalition spokesman. “Militants who intend to hurt the coalition or our Afghan allies will not be tolerated.”
(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 82 news releases.)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46799
“Pace: U.S. Working With Pakistan to Solve Cross-Border Terrorism Problem”
By Jim Garamone
American Forces Press Service
SCHWEINFURT, Germany, July 20, 2007
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46789
Iraq Operations Kill, Capture Dozens of Enemy Fighters
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2007 – Coalition and Iraqi forces killed or captured dozens of enemy fighters and terrorism suspects in operations over the last three days, military officials reported.
Three terrorists were killed and 44 suspected terrorists were detained during operations around Iraq today targeting terrorist leaders and their operational cells.
In a broad operation south of Baghdad, coalition forces raided 10 buildings in search of a religious law judge believed to be a cell leader for al Qaeda in Iraq. As the ground force approached the first target, a coalition security team killed two armed men seen taking up tactical positions.
As coalition forces secured the series of buildings, they detained 16 suspected terrorists who are believed to have ties to the targeted individual.
In another operation in Baghdad today, coalition Forces raided five buildings in search of an al Qaeda in Iraq cell leader. Members of the ground force killed a man armed with an automatic weapon who was seen maneuvering into a position to assault the force. The ground force detained 10 suspected terrorists for their alleged involvement with the al Qaeda in Iraq cell.
Also in Baghdad today, coalition forces targeted and captured two suspected terrorists allegedly involved in terrorist media operations. Intelligence reports indicate the two individuals work with media cells in Baghdad and Baqubah, officials said. Two other suspects were detained during the raid.
Coalition forces captured a suspected vehicle-bombing cell member in Baghdad today. Officials provided no futher details on that operation.
In a raid east of Ramadi today, coalition forces captured an alleged al Qaeda in Iraq financial emir and four of his associates. Intelligence reports indicate the targeted individual is also a close associate of an al Qaeda in Iraq emir and recently returned from Syria, where he allegedly facilitated the supply of weapons to terrorists in Iraq, officials said.
Coalition forces detained eight suspected terrorists during three coordinated raids today targeting the al Qaeda emir of Mosul, who also is believed to be the terror organization’s deputy emir of northern Iraq.
–Near Baqubah yesterday, coalition forces captured a suspected terrorist with close ties to the Iranian Revolutionary Guards Corps Quds Force without firing a shot. The captured suspect is accused of facilitating the transport of weapons and personnel from Iran into Iraq, including armor-busting explosively formed projectiles.
During the raid, coalition forces confiscated a large sum of U.S. currency, weapons and photographs of juveniles with weapons.
Members of the Iraqi army’s Ninewa special weapons and tactics team, with coalition forces as advisors, detained a man believed to be a battalion commander for an al Qaeda-affiliated group in western Mosul yesterday during an intelligence driven operation, officials said.
Iraqi forces also detained a second individual who allegedly controls 20 fighters who build and emplace improvised explosive devices in western Mosul. Five other suspected terrorists present during the operation also were detained.
The primary suspect is believed to be a former-regime army officer who controls six other emirs throughout Mosul. He reportedly is the liaison between the west side of the al Qaeda-affiliated group’s commander and other battalion commanders.
In western Baghdad yesterday, Iraqi special operations forces and coalition forces killed an al Qaeda fighter and detained nine others suspected of insurgent activities during an early morning intelligence-driven raid. The troops received enemy fire while conducting their raid on a local residence. Iraqi forces killed the insurgent and detained nine individuals who were at the objective location.
The primary targets of this operation are alleged to be responsible for conducting small-arms and IED attacks on coalition forces and Iraqi civilians in the western Baghdad area, officials said. They also are believed to be responsible for the kidnapping and execution of two Iraqi soldiers.
Iraqi soldiers and U.S. paratroopers captured the alleged ringleader of a cell responsible for conducting rocket attacks on the people and security forces of North Babil in a July 18 operation.
Soldiers of the 8th Iraqi Army Division and paratroopers from Company B, 1st Battalion, 501st Airborne, 4th Brigade Combat Team (Airborne), 25th Infantry Division, conducted an air assault and joint raid as a part of the ongoing Operation Marne Avalanche and captured the rocket cell leader and another member of his team.
The joint force also seized nearly 130,000 Iraqi dinar, six AK-47 assault rifles with 16 loaded magazines, an Uzi submachine gun with two loaded magazines, a bolt-action sniper rifle with 95 rounds, a 9 mm pistol with magazines loaded with hollow point ammunition, and a Gladius.
Also on July 18, Multinational Division Baghdad attack helicopter crews killed three insurgents who were transporting weapons from a mosque and destroyed two enemy vehicles west of Baghdad. The Apache crews from 4th “Guns” Battalion, 227th Aviation Regiment, 1st Air Cavalry Brigade, 1st Cavalry Division, were called in after reports of insurgents carrying weapons outside of a mosque. They saw insurgents putting weapons into a cargo truck, and the pilots engaged the vehicle as it was traveling, destroying the vehicle and killing three insurgents.
The aircrews also saw an armed insurgent get into a silver sedan. Once the insurgent left the vehicle, the aircrews received clearance from the ground unit to engage the vehicle and destroyed it.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46794
“Bush Urges Congress to Pass Defense Spending Bill Before August Recess”
By Donna Miles
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2007
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=46797
Some TRICARE Beneficiary Data Put At Risk
By Fred W. Baker III
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, July 20, 2007 – Data for nearly 600,000 households enrolled in TRICARE stored on a government-contractor’s unprotected computer server could have been exposed to hackers, defense officials announced today.
“We take this potential data compromise very seriously,” said Army Maj. Gen. Elder Granger, deputy director, TRICARE Management Activity. “The risk has been identified as low, but as a result of this unfortunate event, the Department of Defense is ensuring that steps are taken to keep affected beneficiaries informed.”
Beneficiaries’ names, addresses, Social Security Numbers, birth dates and some health information was stored on a computer server that was not using a firewall and did not have adequate password protection, TRICARE Management Activity officials said.
Officials disabled the server in May, and it is no longer used. Forensic analysis of the server found no evidence that any beneficiary information was compromised, said Leslie Shaffer, assistant privacy officer at the activity.
Science Applications International Corp. maintained the data in Shalimar, Fla., and used it to process several military health care contracts, including those for customers in the Army, Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard. The server allowed for File Transfer Protocol transmissions of the data to its contract customers.
This is the first time SAIC has violated Defense Department computer security procedures, Shaffer said.
The TRICARE security breach was discovered after contract customers reported non-secure transmissions of data. SAIC is investigating and some employees have been placed on administrative leave pending the outcome, a company release stated.
“I can assure you that the individuals responsible for managing that server were not following standard operating procedures. DoD has very strict guidance on how we protect sensitive data,” Shaffer said.
Since May, SAIC has been processing the data, matching it with contact information so the beneficiaries could be notified.
“We’re taking precautions to do everything we can within DoD, Health Affairs and the TRICARE Management Activity to ensure that our beneficiaries are notified,” Shaffer said. “We have been working closely with SAIC to ensure all our procedures are being followed.”
DoD and SAIC are mailing letters this week to beneficiaries whose data was put at risk. An incident response center has been setup to field customer’s toll-free calls and information is available through a Website for those who suspect identity theft, or who want to protect themselves from identity theft.
Beneficiaries who were put at risk are also being offered a free, one-year subscription to an identity restoration service, she said.
“I think anyone who receives a letter should take the protections that are necessary to ensure their data has not been compromised,” she said. “Those numbers are available. I would recommend that the beneficiary use those numbers.”
The incident response center can be reached toll free within the United States at 1-888-862-2680, or collect at 1-515-365-3550 from outside the United States.
Subject: Maldonado, Daniel Joseph
AKA Daniel al-Jughaifi
AKA Abu Mohammed
San Antonio police made a routine traffic stop at about 4 p.m. today and found components for a bomb, a police spokesman said.
Officers evacuated several businesses and homes along Nogalitos Street between Malone and Hoover Avenue. Police spokesman Joe Rios said the bomb squad is investigating the components in the car. At about 5:20 p.m., a quick series of loud pops rang out near the O'Reilly Auto Parts on Nogalitos. The bomb squad was rendering the device safe, Rios said. Police, the fire department and EMS remain on the scene.
http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/metro/stories/MYSA072007.bomb.94d249cb.html
This story led the NBC Evening News:
If we invade a chaotic Pakistan (perhaps to avenge a massive al Qaeda attack planned and authorized from the ungovernable tribal regions), a post-Musharraf successor regime will, in all likelihood, employ nuclear weapons overtly against our forces in the region (and covertly against the homeland) to resist the invasion.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1869394/posts
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/6907141.stm
Last Updated: Thursday, 19 July 2007, 18:04 GMT 19:04 UK
“’I hoped to be a glorious martyr’”
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “A woman who was inside Islamabad’s Red Mosque when it was stormed by Pakistani troops on 10 July has given the BBC one of the first accounts of the final hours of the siege.”
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “I was not in contact with my family. The last time I contacted them, I told them that the army would not start an operation.”
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “They asked me to come back home, but I said that I would never come back as I wished to be martyred. My brother said that he would force me to return, but I told him that he could be beaten up if he came near the seminary...
A girl who came with us was taken home forcibly. She was crying and told the teacher that she didn’t want to go back. The teacher asked her to go back with her parents.
We felt sorry for her as we came here with the passion of jihad [holy war] and to preach Islam, and now because there was a problem the girls had gone back. We did not appreciate the parents behaviour.”
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “We asked the teacher to provide us with arms necessary for suicide attacks. She said that we didn’t have sufficient explosives. Yes, we had a passion and we were willing to go to all lengths...”
After the evening prayer we found out that Maulana Aziz - the chief cleric - had been arrested while he was trying to flee wearing a burka. We were told that he’d been called to speak to the prime minister.
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “When we asked our teacher why Maulana Aziz had left in a burka she said that the prime minister advised him to do so. She said that he had been told to come out in disguise so that he wouldn’t be killed...”
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “After meeting my father, I was overcome by grief as I had hoped to be a martyr and come back alive.
Now they’ve attacked the Red Mosque and Jamia Hafsa [the seminary attached to it], I hope the whole country will have Red Mosques. I will work for jihad, and open a madrassa and train people for jihad.”
Re Human Bombs/Homicide Bombers/Suicide Bombers:
More Links
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1868246/posts?page=9#9
NOTE: The following text is a quote:
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2007/07/20070720-5.html
For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
July 20, 2007
President Bush Signs Executive Order
White House News
Executive Order: Interpretation of the Geneva Conventions Common Article 3 as Applied to a Program of Detention and Interrogation Operated by the Central Intelligence Agency
This afternoon, the President signed an Executive Order that interprets for the United States “Common Article 3” of the Geneva Conventions, as authorized in the Military Commissions Act. The Order interprets the meaning and application of Common Article 3 with respect to certain detentions and interrogations. Specifically, the interpretation of Common Article 3 set forth in this Order is applied to the Central Intelligence Agency’s detention and interrogation program whose purpose is to question captured Al Qaeda terrorists who have information on attack plans or the whereabouts of the group’s senior leaders.
The Order requires that any CIA interrogation program that might go forward comply with all relevant federal statutes, including the prohibition on “cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment” in the Detainee Treatment Act of 2005, the federal prohibition on torture, and the War Crimes Act, all of which protect against violations of Common Article 3. The Order imposes other explicit limitations on interrogation techniques and conditions of confinement in a CIA program. It bars, “acts of violence serious enough to be considered comparable to murder, torture, mutilation, and cruel and inhuman treatment.” It also prohibits “willful and outrageous acts of personal abuse done for the purpose of humiliating or degrading the individual in a manner so serious that any reasonable person, considering the circumstances, would deem the acts beyond the bounds of human decency.” And the Order forbids acts intended to denigrate detainees’ religion, religious practices, or religious objects.
Last September, the President explained how the CIA’s program had disrupted attacks and saved lives, and that it must continue on a sound legal footing. The President has insisted on clear legal standards so that CIA officers involved in this essential work are not placed in jeopardy for doing their job - and keeping America safe from attacks. This Order was signed after an extensive interagency process of review and coordination. By providing these clear rules, the Order has clarified vague terms in Common Article 3, and its interpretation is consistent with the decisions of international tribunals applying Common Article 3, including the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia.
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