The NEFA Foundation has obtained a new communiqué from Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammed Omar in which he appeals to "Muslims to help their Mujahedeen brothers" and "do Jihad" because it is "clear" that the "invaders will never withdraw their forces..." He also advises the Mujahedeen that they must not allow the "enemy" to create "cleavage[s]" that divide their forces.
Separately, NEFA has also obtained a new communiqué from the Taliban on the battle for the town Musa Qala, which asks "how many weeks will [the] invaders be able to" maintain control of the Musa Qala district?
Excerpted
http://counterterrorismblog.org/
‘Pakistan bomber loaded with ball bearings’
22 December 2007
PESHAWAR - The suicide bomber who killed 54 people in a Pakistan mosque had packed his explosives vest with ball bearings to inflict maximum casualties, a hospital official said on Saturday.
With security agencies hunting for clues to Friday’s attack, which targeted but missed a close ally of President Pervez Musharraf, a doctor said many of the victims suffered severe shrapnel wounds.
Excerpted
Belgium frees 14 held in terrorism plot
December 22, 2007
BRUSSELS: The Belgian authorities released 14 people Saturday, a day after they were detained on suspicion of plotting to break a sympathizer of Al Qaeda out of prison, the Federal Prosecutor's Office said.
Although a court decided there was insufficient evidence to hold them for more than 24 hours, tightened anti-terrorism measures triggered by the arrest of the suspected Islamic militants on Friday will remain in place over the holidays, said Lieve Pellens, spokeswoman for the Prosecutor's Office. "We think there is still a threat," Pellens said by telephone.
The police picked up the 14 suspects in a series of raids Friday. Pellens said searches of the suspects' homes had found no explosives, weapons or other evidence to persuade the court to charge them with any offense or keep them in jail. Belgium does not laws that allow terrorism suspects to be held for longer than 24 hours without charge, Pellens said.
The government's Crisis Center said the investigation was continuing into other material found in the searches.
Excerpted
http://www.iht.com/articles/2007/12/22/europe/belgium.1-193640.php#end_main
Thanks for the ping, post 902 and all of your posts, Oorang. BTTT!