Threat Matrix: February 2008

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[nwctwx]

Is the U.S. Failing in Afghanistan?

It was malice in wonderland at the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on Thursday as Bush Administration envoys insisted things are getting better in Afghanistan, while angry lawmakers from both parties cited facts and figures showing just the opposite. Even the senior Republican on the panel, Senator Richard Lugar, found the Administration's claims wanting. "I'm not sure that we have a plan for Afghanistan," he said.

Long seen as the "forgotten war" eclipsed by Iraq in U.S. priorities, Afghanistan is in the Washington spotlight this week with the release of three independent reports concluding that without a change in U.S. policy there, the erstwhile sanctuary of Osama bin Laden would remain a failed state. Read More

	Why the Taliban Feel Confident
	Top US Officer Lauds al-Qaida Death
	US Air Strike Signals al-Qaida Onslaught

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February 2008

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[Cindy]

In the Entertainment/Politics news today:

blog:

http://newsbusters.org/blogs/d-s-hube/2008/02/11/another-flag-issue-obama
“Another flag for Obama?”
by D.S. Hube, February 11, 2008, 17:12 ET

#

(Advertisement at the beginning of video.)

Video link:

http://www.myfoxhouston.com/myfox/pages/Home/Detail?contentId=5700252&version=1&locale=EN-US&layoutCode=VSTY&pageId=1.1.1

[MamaDearest]

Mufti Gainutdin slams blacklisting of Muslim books

Snippets:
The inclusion of some Muslim books in the list of extremist materials banned in Russia violates the principle of freedom of faith, Russia's Mufti Council head Ravil Gainutdin said.

"It is absurd and deplorable that no Muslim expert, no imam, no head of ecclesiastical department of Russian Muslims has been invited to the court hearing. The court proceedings were held without our knowledge, secretly, nobody represented the defendant. We think it is inadmissible," he said.

Health alert in Bolivia

The heavy rains and flooding that have been lashing Bolivia, associated with the La Niña weather phenomenon, have led to more than 2,000 cases of endemic diseases, health authorities reported on Friday.

Health alert in BoliviaAccording to Luis Nogales, deputy health minister, people are being treated virtually throughout the country for malaria, yellow fever, hanta virus, hemorrhagic fever and dengue fever.

US diplomat removed

At the opening of the school year at Sergeants School in Cochabamba, Morales said Cooper violated Bolivian laws by seeking confidential data on Cuban and Venezuelan staff from US scholarship student Alex Shaick.

Cooper has violated, offended and attacked Bolivia so he is not welcome, said Morales who rejected some developed countries' use of students and voluntary workers as spies.

The US Embassy and the Department of State admitted that Cooper sought confidential information among US students and Peace Corps workers.

[Cindy]

Hmmm..Boliva.

Thank you MamaDearest.

[MamaDearest]

You're welcome Cindy.

Yellow fever alert in Honduras

Health authorities in Honduras are on the alert due to a yellow fever threat in South American countries like Paraguay and Brazil. Authorities noted that travellers from and to high-risk areas would be vaccinated against the disease.

The general director of the Epidemiology Surveillance Department, Jose Angel Vasquez, pointed out that migration authorities are asking foreigners coming from those regions to produce a vaccination certificate.

TB patient may have exposed BC to Calgary Greyhound passengers

Health officials in Alberta and B.C. are working with the bus company to contact all passengers who took bus 1015 on Jan. 11.

The bus, which can carry 55 passengers but was not full at the time, began its journey in Vancouver, but the infected individual boarded in Merritt at about 7:50 p.m., said the B.C. Centre for Disease Control and the Interior Health Authority Monday.

[MamaDearest]

Meningitis causes death of student and counselor in NY

A guidance counselor of a school in Queens, as well as a student in Massapequa, Long Island, have both died as a result of meningitis - both in the same week. According to authorities, the guidance counselor worked at the Saint Francis Preparatory High School, Fresh Meadow.

Officials are currently trying to track and meet anybody who has had contact with the counselor who died - meningitis can be passed on to another person if there is close contact.

The high school student was called Michael Gruger, he was 17. Authorities say he died from bacterial meningitis. Last Wednesday evening he had flu-like symptoms and went to bed. On Thursday morning his condition was such that he had to be hospitalized - he died that same day in the afternoon. This is the first meningococcal meningitis death in Nassau County since 2004, according to officials.

2 more meningitis deaths in NYC area including boy 8

It is the area's third and fourth meningitis fatalities in three weeks. The boy, from Medford, got sick Wednesday night and went to Brookhaven Memorial Hospital Thursday morning.

Meningitis kills woman who worked in Parsippany

? A woman working at State Farm Insurance Company in Parsippany died Thursday after she contracted bacterial meningitis, health officials said today.

A nurse at the company notified health officials Wednesday the woman, whose name and town of residence were withheld by officials, contracted pneumococcal meningitis, one of five types of bacterial meningitis that is not contagious, said Parsippany health officer Wayne Croughn.

No link found in meningitis deaths

Officials investigated whether Burke and a 17-year-old student from Massapequa, Long Island who died a day earlier from the infection were connected but could not find any link.

To contract meningitis from someone infected usually involves spending a prolonged period with that person - such as a roommate. Symptoms include fever, chills, stiff neck, headache, rash, nausea and vomiting.

[MamaDearest]

Baby is 5th child with measles in San Diego County

Cans of botulism contaminated beans, peas and other vegetables recalled

[Cindy]

ADDING STARWISE’s post no. 66 as a link to my post no. 497:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1968752/posts?page=66#66

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1963607/posts?page=497#497

[Cindy]

http://www.truthusa.com/MoreThanCartoons.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=cartoonjihad

#

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/019899.php
(AFP)

February 11, 2008
“Nigeria: Three killed in riots over caricature of Muhammad”

[Cindy]

Thanks for the heads up MamaDearest.

#

http://www.recalls.gov

[Cindy]

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

#

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/019902.php

February 11, 2008

“RAF find ‘Taliban with British accents’”

[Cindy]

More Details UPDATE:

MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series - No. 1838: "GROWING RIFT BETWEEN SOMALIA'S MAJOR JIHAD GROUPS -- SHABAB AL-MUJAHIDEEN AND ISLAMIC COURT UNIONS" (February 12, 2008)

[Cindy]

memriiwmp.org/content/en/blog_personal.htm?id=354

“Al-Hesbah Forum Subscriber Posts Death Threats Against Dutch MP Geert Wilders “

(Posted February 11, 2008)

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1968804/posts

#

http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=AF8E3199-D40F-4187-A5BC-13BAC1521097

“Islamic Multiculturalism”
By Jamie Glazov
FrontPageMagazine.com | Monday, February 11, 2008

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Frontpage Interview’s guest today is Abul Kasem, an ex-Muslim who is the author of hundreds of articles and several books on Islam including, Women in Islam. He was a contributor to the book Leaving Islam – Apostates Speak Out as well as to Beyond Jihad: Critical Views From Inside Islam.”

[Cindy]

http://www.truthusa.com/MoreThanCartoons.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=cartoonjihad

#

Note: The following news brief is a quote:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3505720,00.html

Arrests made in Denmark in cartoonist murder plot
Published: 02.12.08, 10:13 / Israel News
Several people were arrested in Denmark on Tuesday in connection with a plot to murder one of the 12 cartoonists whose drawings of the Prophet Mohammad caused worldwide uproar in 2006, Danish media said.

According to Jyllands-Posten, the newspaper that originally published the cartoons in September 2005, the suspects are accused of planning to kill 73-year-old Kurt Westergaard. He drew the cartoon that caused the most controversy, depicting Mohammad with a bomb in his turban. (Reuters)

[Cindy]

QUOTE:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1968947/posts?page=12#12

A few more details:

http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5iQOiq_Ay8uW-sP92RRfjUCp0gm4A

“UK journalist kidnapped in Basra”
1 hour ago

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “A British journalist has been kidnapped in Iraq.

Iraqi news agency Aswat al-Iraq (Voice of Iraq) reported that the man, who was working for US television network CBS, was seized by gunmen in Basra with his interpreter on Sunday.

The agency quoted an unnamed police source as saying that the pair were kidnapped from near their hotel, the Qasr al-Sultan, in the centre of the city.

A CBS News spokeswoman said: “Two journalists working for CBS News in Basra are missing.”

12 posted on 02/12/2008 2:03:29 AM PST by Cindy

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16970&Itemid=128

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080211-15
February 11, 2008

Iraqi Security Forces, U.S. Special Operations Forces Detain Three Terror Suspects in Separate Operations

BAGHDAD – Iraqi Security Forces, with U.S. Special Operations Forces advising, detained three suspected terrorists during separate raids Feb. 9.

In Balad, Iraqi and U.S. Special Forces detained two suspected members of an al-Qaeda in Iraq cell believed to be involved in multiple attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces. According to intelligence reports, the terrorist cell is involved in mortar and sniper attacks as well as emplacing improvised explosive devices.

In Anah, near Rawah, Iraqi Police and U.S. Special Operations Forces detained a suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq terrorist cell member believed to be responsible for improvised explosive device attacks against Iraqi and Coalition Forces. According to intelligence reports, the suspect has been active in several insurgent groups, recently leading a 50-member terror cell. He is also allegedly involved in weapons cache emplacement in Rawah.

-30-

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=16989&Itemid=128

Press Release A080212a
February 12, 2008

Coalition forces disrupt Special Groups criminal networks, detain two suspects

BAGHDAD, Iraq – Coalition forces detained two suspected Special Groups criminals early today during operations in the Suwayrah area, south of Baghdad.

Coalition forces were targeting an individual who reportedly facilitated paramilitary training for Special Groups members in preparation for attacks against Iraqi and Coalition forces. Reports also indicate he was an associate of several senior-level criminal element leaders involved in attacks on Iraqi and Coalition forces.

Intelligence led ground forces to the target location where they detained the two suspected criminals without incident. The identity of the suspects is still being determined.

“Al-Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr’s cease-fire pledge has helped increase stability,” said Lt. Michael Street, MNF-I spokesperson. “We welcome that stability, but we will continue to dismantle the criminal networks of those who choose not to honor that pledge.”

- 30 -

[Cindy]

http://www.10news.com/news/15275494/detail.html

“FBI Warns Of Valentine’s Day Computer Malware”

POSTED: 4:12 pm PST February 11, 2008
UPDATED: 4:50 pm PST February 11, 2008

SAN DIEGO

[Godzilla]

placemark

[Bobibutu]

Taliban kidnap Pakistani ambassador to Afghanistan, demand release of Mansoor Dadullah

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/02/taliban_kidnap_pakis_1.php