Threat Matrix: January 2008

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[nwctwx]

Still in Control

Pervez Musharraf was calm, confident and—despite a flurry of rumors—not about to announce his resignation. Instead, the Pakistani president's "concession" to his troubled nation was an announcement that he would allow Britain's Scotland Yard to help local law enforcement agencies with their investigation into last week's assassination of former prime minister Benazir Bhutto.

Speaking in a nationally televised address two hours after Pakistan's election commission announced the postponement of the ballot to Feb. 18, six weeks later than had been scheduled, Musharraf was notably deferential in his remarks about Bhutto, often invoking her "martyrdom" and extolling her liberal democratic credentials. "May she go to heaven," he said. "I stand for the same things she said." Read More

	Pakistan's Frayed Politics
	Musharraf's Dangerous Liaisons
	Pakistan after Bhutto

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January 2008

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[MamaDearest]

New decontamination system kills Anthrax rapidly without lingering effects

.....the researchers can kill anthrax spores in two to three hours without any lingering effects. The system also has the ability to kill anthrax spores hidden in places like computer keyboards without causing damage.

Russia's nuclear threat

The Russian Chief of Staff said that his country would use nuclear arms preventively as a prophylactic measure to defend the sovereignty and integrity of its land and its allies. Russia has not used this new language since the end of the cold war.

Professor predicts Hispanic homeland

Truxillo, 47, has said the new country should be brought into being “by any means necessary,” but recently said it was unlikely to be formed by civil war. Instead its creation will be accomplished by the electoral pressure of the future majority Hispanic population in the region, he said.

Suspected MS-13 gang member posts bond

A man who FBI agents once called one of the most dangerous gangsters in Omaha was released from jail Wednesday night. Ivan Lopez was arrested in October in a raid on a suspected methamphetamine operation. He posted bond Wednesday night.

[Oorang]

Five suspects held over mosque cache (Thailand)
February 1, 2008

Police have arrested at least five suspects in Narathiwat on suspicion of being involved in violence and supposedly knowing about the explosives found in a mosque in Rangae district.

The five were arrested in a raid in Muang district's Ban Kaluwoh yesterday.

Forensics chief Khunying Pornthip Rojanasunand rushed to Tanyong police station to examine their fingerprints and see whether they matched those she had earlier collected from the mosque. More than 100 troops and police raided the mosque in Ban Bango Sato at about 11am yesterday, and officials noticed five young men running out.

During the raid, five remote-control bombs and seven boxes made to contain them were found. Other explosive substances, detonators, remote-control devices and batteries were also found hidden in the mosque, officials said.

Excerpted

http://www.nationmultimedia.com/2008/02/01/national/national_30064101.php

Muslim American Youth Form New Culture of Islam
31 January 2008

A media research study last year found that a majority of Muslim Americans feel their lives have become more difficult since the terrorist attacks on the United States in 2001. But that trend is changing, especially among young Muslims, who have managed to integrate into American society while maintaining their Muslim pride.

Excerpted

http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-01-31-voa37.cfm?rss=religion

[MamaDearest]

With the way the elections are apparently headed my poor husband keeps wandering around, muttering, “we’re doomed”.

Your husband is not the only one in that mindset. I fear this is an overwhelming issue for many more true conservatives than anyone realizes.

[MamaDearest]

In an indictment that was unsealed in federal court in Springfield, a Feeding Hills man was charged with possession of toxins (ricin and abrin) for use as a weapon, and threatening to use weapons of mass destruction against federal officials and property.

Two year stability milestone for vaccine against Ricin toxin

About Ricin Toxin
The potential use of ricin toxin as a biological weapon of mass destruction has been highlighted in a recent FBI Bioterror report released last November entitled Terrorism 2002-2005, which states that "Ricin and the bacterial agent anthrax are emerging as the most prevalent agents involved in WMD investigations".

Ricin toxin is a potent plant toxin that can be easily produced from abundantly available castor beans. Ricin toxin is highly toxic to humans and other mammals and is thought to be a bioterror threat because of its stability and high potency, as well as the large worldwide reservoir as a by-product of castor oil production. It is second only to botulinum toxin as the most lethal natural toxin. Exposure to small amounts can lead to lung damage if inhaled with rapid onset of nausea, fever, and abdominal pain if ingested. General organ failure leading to death can occur within several days. The need for protective countermeasures against ricin toxin has been emphasized by its recent and continued use as a biological weapon. The successful development of an effective vaccine against ricin toxin may act as a deterrent against the actual use of ricin as a biological weapon and could be used in rapid deployment scenarios in the event of a biological attack.

[Cindy]

“...kills Anthrax rapidly...”

That is great!

[Cindy]

Thanks to RDTF for the ping to this thread.

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1962607/posts

Finger-Pointing Continues Over Missing Foreign Workers at Cinram (100 Nepal workers missing in AL)
WAAY ^ | Jan 31, 2008 | Mike Brown, AP
Posted on 01/31/2008 8:19:35 AM PST by RDTF

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. (WAAY) — The Department of Homeland Security is looking for more than 100 workers from Huntsville’s Cinram plant who have turned up missing. The group of workers from Nepal simply disappeared without any warning, creating a potential security risk.

Before leaving, some of the Nepalese allegedly stole furniture and television sets from their furnished apartments. Cinram spokeswoman Lyne Fisher says the missing workers do not pose a security threat.

“Some of them may have wanted to stop in some of the major attractions you’d want to see if you were visiting the U.S., for example, New York City or something like that.”

The Nepalese workers were recruited by officials at Blair staffing agency. A Blair spokesperson referred us to the company president who told us he wasn’t ready to talk on camera.

-snip-

“The onus is on the individuals themselves,” Fisher said. “They work with Homeland Security, their local government, and with these staffing agencies. All those folks work together with the individual to ensure they return home.”

Joan Harris has practiced immigration law for years, and also said the responsibility lies squarely on the shoulders of those workers.

“If they’re going to, for instance, take off one day after they get off work, the employer would have no way knowing this,” Harris said. “So how can they be held responsible for this

Harris said if the missing workers are located elsewhere in the U.S., they would be penalized if they violated the terms of their visas. About 240 workers from Nepal came to Huntsville on the H2B visa program. That system allows foreign workers to stay in the country as long they remain employed at the business that brought them to the U.S.

-snip-

(Excerpt) Read more at waaytv.com ...

[Cindy]

UPDATE:

Note: Photos included.

http://www.nbc13.com/gulfcoastwest/vtm/news.apx.-content-articles-VTM-2008-01-31-0007.html

“Two Chilton County men Arrested In Church Fire Probe”

Thursday, Jan 31, 2008 - 11:28 AM

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Two Chilton County men have been arrested on arson, burglary and theft charges in a Jan. 12 church fire.

Billy Ray and Brian Henry, both 31, have been charged with second-degree arson, first-degree theft of property and third-degree burglary in connection with the fire at Providence Baptist Church in northern Chilton County.

The suspects reside together just south of Calera, which is in Shelby County. Their residence is just south of the Shelby-Chilton county line.”

[Cindy]

UPDATE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1963079/posts

“Japan: 368 claim food poisoning / Victims of China-made gyoza reported in 30 prefectures”
Yomiuri Shimbun ^ | 02/01/08
Posted on 02/01/2008 12:04:43 AM PST by TigerLikesRooster

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_2733.html

Travel Alert

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman
This information is current as of today, Fri Feb 01 2008 01:25:29 GMT-0800 (PST).

Kenya

January 31, 2008

This Travel Alert is being issued to warn American citizens of the security situation following disputed elections in Kenya. U.S. citizens should strongly consider the risks of travel to Kenya at this time. The Travel Alert also advises American citizens that on January 30, 2008, the Department of State authorized non-emergency personnel and family members to relocate from Kisumu to Nairobi.

U.S. citizens should avoid all travel to the cities of Kisumu, Nakuru and Naivasha, and defer all non-essential travel to the remaining portions of Nyanza, Western, and Rift Valley provinces. The situation in Kenya is volatile and subject to change on short notice. U.S. citizens should monitor U.S. Embassy Nairobi’s website at http://kenya.usembassy.gov for the latest security information. This Travel Alert updates the January 11, 2008 Travel Alert, supplements the October 18, 2007 Kenya Travel Warning, and expires February 29, 2008.

Although widespread violence, demonstrations, and looting have subsided, a recent outbreak of protests in Nairobi and violent civil unrest in Kisumu, Nakuru, and Naivasha demonstrates the potential for spontaneous violence in the current political climate. Several official Americans have been temporarily relocated from Kisumu to Nairobi. Americans in Kenya should be prepared for a large police presence and potential outbreaks of hostile clashes between police and demonstrators, and between rival groups of demonstrators. International and domestic airports are operating normally, but this may change on short notice.

Road travel in western Kenya remains unsafe. Sporadic illegal road blocks by gangs or criminal elements may make travel possible only with police escorted convoys. American citizens are strongly reminded that even demonstrations intended to be peaceful can become violent. Americans should therefore avoid all demonstrations, protests and large public gatherings.

American citizens who travel to Kenya despite this Travel Alert and the Travel Warning for Kenya should register with the U.S. Embassy at https://travelregistration.state.gov, as well as monitor the U.S. Embassy website at http://kenya.usembassy.gov for updates on this volatile situation.

As the Department continues to develop information on any potential security threats to U.S. citizens overseas, it shares credible threat information through its Consular Information Program documents, available on the Internet at http://travel.state.gov. Travelers may also obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. and Canada or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444.

[Cindy]

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1963096/posts

Wave of attacks on Jews in Russia
Associated Press via Yahoo! News ^ | 2008 Jan 31
Posted on 02/01/2008 1:53:44 AM PST by Wiz

MOSCOW - Russia’s Jewish community on Thursday reported three attacks in the last two weeks, including a raid on a synagogue and desecration of a memorial to Holocaust victims.

ADVERTISEMENT

In Ulyanovsk, a group of about a dozen young men painted swastikas Tuesday on the walls of a synagogue and cursed at members inside, the Federation of Jewish Communities of Russia said.

In Volgograd, anti-Semitic slogans were scrawled on a memorial to Holocaust victims Sunday, the group said.

Last week, several young men burst into a synagogue in Nizhny Novgorod, throwing religious books out a window and beating up a security guard, it said. All three cities are in western Russia.

The federation said it was concerned about the rise in attacks targeting Jews, calling it part of “a recent surge in anti-Semitic manifestations” in Russia.

In 2007, 67 people were killed and more than 550 injured in ethnically motivated attacks, according the SOVA rights center, which monitors hate crimes.

In a report issued Tuesday, SOVA said hate crimes in Russia have grown increasingly brutal and deadly. Authorities are doing little to combat xenophobia, it said.

According to varying estimates, between 300,000 and 1.5 million Jews live in the nation of 142 million. After an exodus in the years before and after 1991 Soviet collapse, the Jewish community is experiencing a moderate revival, with new synagogues, schools and cultural centers being built across the country.

During the Soviet era, thousands of Jews were imprisoned or executed as part of nationwide purges, and many more were forced to conceal their Jewish identity.

[Cindy]

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

#

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/019777.php
(NEW YORK TIMES)

February 1, 2008

“”Yemen is like a bus station — we stop some terrorists, and we send others on to fight elsewhere ... We appease our partners in the West, but we are not really helping.””

SANA, Yemen

#

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/019770.php
(AKI)

January 31, 2008
“Yemen: Al-Qaeda fighting rebels ‘at government’s request’”

[Cindy]

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

#

Thanks to Clive for the ping to this thread.

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1962989/posts

Police Raid Shelter For Zimbabwean Refugees (SA)
The Telegraph (UK) ^ | 2-1-2008 | Sebastien Berger
Posted on 01/31/2008 7:11:19 PM PST by blam
Police raid shelter for Zimbabwean refugees

By Sebastien Berger in Johannesburg
Last Updated: 12:14am GMT 01/02/2008

Hundreds of Zimbabwean immigrants have been rounded up for deportation from South Africa when authorities raided a church that has become a sanctuary for those fleeing Robert Mugabe’s regime.

Normally the floors, staircases and rooms of the Central Methodist Church in downtown Johannesburg, and the pavement outside, are packed with around 1,600 Zimbabweans who have travelled for days, often without food, to find safety.

Yesterday morning it was almost deserted, except for children playing in a basement nursery, after squads of police descended on the premises during the night and removed the residents. Those with papers were being allowed out of custody after processing, but hundreds more were expected to be sent back to Zimbabwe.

South Africa has an ambivalent attitude towards refugees from Zimbabwe. Estimates of those who have gone south across the Limpopo range from one to three million, but asylum is hard to obtain, many are exploited, and immigrants are blamed for the country’s sky-high crime rate.

There has been speculation that political motives were behind the raid, and that despite Mr Mugabe’s misrule some South African officials want to believe that the situation in Zimbabwe has normalised with elections being called for March.

“I looked out of my window and people were running like you can’t imagine, as if they were running for their lives,” said Bishop Paul Verryn, who is based at the church.

“They were particularly aggressive, they broke doors and they broke a window in the church, they hit people. I was manhandled and money has gone missing from my office.

“I don’t understand the reasons for violating and abusing the building. But we can fix windows and we can fix doors; the most serious violation is of the people - that’s the violation, that’s the desecration, that’s the blasphemy.

“These people are desperate, people sometimes come here who have not eaten for three or four days, I have had grown men weeping in my office. I have had people completely emasculated by the conditions of their lives.

“They wouldn’t let them go to the toilet. That kind of debasement is just staggering. No human being is a piece of rubbish.” Rev Verryn said he had not experienced anything similar since the days of apartheid, when he used to shelter ANC activists at his house in Soweto and was raided by agents of the regime.

“In a sense this was my nightmare come true. If this is a statement to the church as an official body in this country then we are at the dawn of a very profound problem in this nation.” He said no distinction should be drawn between political and economic migrants from Zimbabwe, as all were victims of the regime. Yesterday, Harare announced a new record high for its inflation figure, at 26,470.8 per cent.

Faith Hondo - not her real name - is an MDC activist from Harare who has lived in the church for two years, with two of her children, and whose application for refugee status is still being processed.

“They were just telling us, ‘Why are you here? Are you animals? Go back to your country, we don’t want you, go back to Zimbabwe and vote for Mugabe’,” she said.

“It pains me. I have a reason for coming here, I didn’t just come here for nothing. They want to kill me in Harare. I don’t know where to go, I can’t go back to Zimbabwe, I’m afraid.”

Gifted Zimbabwe, 28, said that police demanded bribes of 100 rand (£7) to be allowed to stay at the church. “What happened here is very dangerous,” he said. “We have been safe here but the problem is if they are coming like this we are not safe.” At the scene an official of South Africa’s Independent Complaints Directorate, which investigates allegations against the police, said the Zimbabweans’ allegations were not only plausible, but unsurprising.

A police spokesman said they had acted in response to complaints from shopkeepers in the area, and Govindsamy Mariemuthoo, a police director, described the operation as a “crime prevention raid”.

[Cindy]

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

[Cindy]

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

“Worldwide Caution”

January 17, 2008

[Cindy]

RECAP and UPDATED:

http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2373930
TERRORISM FOCUS

“Is France Next on al-Qaeda’s Hit List?”
By Anouar Boukhars
(January 29, 2008)

###

http://www.globalincidentmap.com/eventdetail.php?ID=6771
GLOBAL INCIDENT MAP.com (News.XINHUANET.com): France - “AL-QAEDA’S ‘BLACK WIDOW’: FRANCE TO BE PUNISHED”
(January 21, 2008) (Read More...)

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&tab=wn&ned=us&q=Mejjati&btnG=Search+News

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

###

http://memri.org/bin/articles.cgi?Page=subjects&Area=jihad&ID=SP181608
MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series - No. 1816: “PARTICIPANTS IN ISLAMIST FORUMS DISCUSS PROPOSAL FOR TERRORIST ATTACK IN PARIS”
(January 18, 2008)

###

http://wtop.com/?nid=105&sid=1323628
WTOP.com (AP): Paris - “FRENCH PROBE E-MAIL THREATENING PARIS”
(ARTICLE SNIPPET: “They said only that the message went to an Internet site run by Salafists, or Islamic fundamentalists.”)
(January 9, 2008, 4:52 pm)

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1963118/posts

“The Terrorist Roundup for 2/1/08 (Lots of news from all over: Libi killed & Toori captured)”
2/1/08
Posted on 02/01/2008 3:33:04 AM PST by Straight Vermonter

[Domestic Church]

Just checking in...has anyone posted about underwater cables being cut near Egypt yet?

[Rushmore Rocks]

I just read that thread. Three cables in three days? Sounds like a bit more than coincidence.............

[Godzilla]

placemark

[Domestic Church]

‘Once is happenstance, twice is coincidence, three times is enemy action...”