Threat Matrix: March 2008

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[nwctwx]

Petraeus: Al Qaida Trying to 'Come Back In'

U.S. military officials said there will be no significant reduction in coalition troops in the Baghdad area as part of an effort to stop the Al Qaida offensive in northern Iraq.

They said Al Qaida was trying to reenter Baghdad and reverse its losses in 2007.

"Al Qaida is trying to come back in," U.S. military commander Gen. David Petraeus said. "We can feel it and see it, and what we're trying to do is rip out any roots before they can get deeply into the ground." Read More

	Militants Assert Themselves in Pakistan
	U.S. Optimistic about Afghanistan Reinforcements
	‘You Have to Rethink War’

Threat Matrix:
March 2008

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[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1984689/posts?page=9#9

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1984689/posts

“War Protesters Arrested in Senate”
Breitbart ^ | March 12, 2008
Posted on 03/12/2008 3:45:50 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
WASHINGTON (AP)

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Also of interest:

http://www.zombietime.com/

[MamaDearest]

“Deer urine prank makes students ill”

How in the world did they collect that much of it? Disgusting prank.

[MamaDearest]

Obviously we haven’t heard of this because they think we care about the New York Governor more.

You're right about that. They used to do an around the world in 90 seconds news blurb, but presenting world news (even in minute format) evidentally was too taxing on them to do on a continuous basis!

[MamaDearest]

“US Receives Fingers of Iraq Hostages (Updated and Bumped)”

Very sad news. Those moaning that terrorists should be treated like royalty and talk-it out sessions should suffice as "discipline," should spend a day in the shoes of these hostages before their next ridiculous rants about what should and should not be done to terrorists.

Quesions surround Chinese claim of foiled hijacking

The story just doesn't hang together," said Steve Tsang , the director of the Pluscarden program for the study of global terrorism at Oxford University in England.

Tsang said China had failed to identify those arrested in the alleged plot or detail how they'd planned to use flammable liquid to bring down the China Southern Boeing 757, which was flying last Friday from Urumqi in far west China to the capital.

Airlines spot new tech security concerns

While only just over half of the airlines surveyed in the Sita survey currently offer check-in over the web, 89 per cent expect to offer it within the next two years. By then, 52 per cent of airlines are planning to offer self-boarding services and 76 per cent plan to implement mobile-phone check-in services.

[Cindy]

“Disgusting...”

Yes.

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/gwot

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/gimf/
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/internet
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/globaljihad

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/germany
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/austria

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1905661/posts?page=208#208

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Thanks to RDTF for starting thread.

UPDATE:

Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1984815/posts

Islamists jailed for threatening Austria, Germany
Breitbart ^ | March 12, 2008 | AFP
Posted on 03/12/2008 6:47:16 PM PDT by RDTF

An Austrian court on Wednesday sentenced a married couple to 22 months and four years in jail for posting a video on the Internet calling for attacks in Austria and Germany.

Mona S, a 21-year-old Austrian, and her 22-year-old Egyptian-born husband Mohamed M, were found guilty of “belonging to a terrorist organisation” with links to Al-Qaeda, trying to blackmail the Austrian government and inciting a crime.

The main defendant, Mohamed M., was given a four-year term while his wife was sentenced to 22 months in prison.

Mona S. had translated the video, which was signed “Global Islamic Media Front”, into German. It contained threats to target the European Football Championships, which Austria is hosting with Switzerland in June, as well as Austrian and foreign politicians.

Austrian detectives hunting the authors of the file traced the computers that were used by the accused. The computers were used to access the Ministry of Defence homepage, from which they allegedly downloaded the photos that were found on the video.

The video was posted in March last year in an attempt to force Austria and Germany to withdraw their troops from Afghanistan.

The Vienna court had excluded the young Muslim woman from the opening of her trial, after she refused to take off her black head-to-toe veil.

-snip-

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

[MamaDearest]

Too little testing for mad cow

Today, about 40,000 -- or 0.1 percent -- of the 37 million cows slaughtered each year are tested, a number that consumer groups say is too low, especially when compared to testing programs in other countries.

In the United Kingdom, 184,551cases have been found in cattle and 163 in humans.

Chicago man dies from tuberculosis

The Cook County, Illinois, medical examiner says a Schiller Park man has died after testing positive for miliary tuberculosis. Miliary tuberculosis is a form of the disease that spreads throughout the body.

Authorities say 36-year-old Bruno Tapia died at Stroger Hospital shortly after midnight on Sunday morning from the disease.

A spokeswoman with the Cook County Department of Public Health says the agency has not yet received a report of the death.

Beaumont nurse allegedly gave 15 patients hepatitis C

"According to the CDC, 15 patients who had surgery at Beaumont between July 31, 2004, and October 12, 2004, developed HCV infections. The investigation found that Jones was the only staffer who provided care for all 15, and all other staff members tested negative for HCV," the lawsuit states.

[MamaDearest]

Couldn't capture the url, but here's the info bar for what looked interesting:

The Department of Transportation today barred WND from attending a news conference in which Secretary Mary Peters defended the controversial Bush administration program allowing Mexican trucks to travel freely on U.S. roads.

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1984865/posts

“Explosion reported on road to Kabul’s airport”
BBC Online ^ | 13 MAR 08 | Unk
Posted on 03/12/2008 9:13:54 PM PDT by tongue-tied

[Cindy]

Thanks MamaDearest.

I’ll read all of these.

OPINION:
Health care in this country isn’t what it used to be and with the illegal and legal immigration; new diseases and the old ones that have been gone for awhile are back again.

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/03/20080312-6.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 12, 2008

Message to the Congress of the United States

The crisis between the United States and Iran constituted by the actions and policies of the Government of Iran that led to the declaration of a national emergency on March 15, 1995, has not been resolved. The actions and policies of the Government of Iran are contrary to the interests of the United States in the region and pose a continuing unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States. Iran remains the world’s most active state sponsor of terrorism, and continues to provide lethal support to Lebanese Hizballah, HAMAS, Palestinian Islamic Jihad and numerous other terrorist organizations in the region, as well as to the Taliban in Afghanistan and various Iraqi militant groups. For these reasons, I have determined that it is necessary to continue the national emergency declared with respect to Iran and maintain in force comprehensive sanctions against Iran to respond to this threat.

Section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)) provides for the automatic termination of a national emergency unless, prior to the anniversary date of its declaration, the President publishes in the Federal Register and transmits to the Congress a notice stating that the emergency is to continue in effect beyond the anniversary date. In accordance with this provision, I have sent the enclosed notice to the Federal Register for publication, stating that the Iran emergency declared on March 15, 1995, is to continue in effect beyond March 15, 2008.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,

March 11, 2008.

# # #

[Cindy]

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/03/20080312-7.html

For Immediate Release
Office of the Press Secretary
March 12, 2008

Notice: Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Iran

On March 15, 1995, by Executive Order 12957, the President declared a national emergency with respect to Iran pursuant to the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (50 U.S.C. 1701-1706) to deal with the unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States constituted by the actions and policies of the Government of Iran. On May 6, 1995, the President issued Executive Order 12959 imposing more comprehensive sanctions to further respond to this threat, and on August 19, 1997, the President issued Executive Order 13059 consolidating and clarifying the previous orders.

Because the actions and policies of the Government of Iran continue to pose an unusual and extraordinary threat to the national security, foreign policy, and economy of the United States, the national emergency declared on March 15, 1995, must continue in effect beyond March 15, 2008. Therefore, in accordance with section 202(d) of the National Emergencies Act (50 U.S.C. 1622(d)), I am continuing for 1 year the national emergency with respect to Iran. Because the emergency declared by Executive Order 12957 constitutes an emergency separate from that declared on November 14, 1979, by Executive Order 12170, this renewal is distinct from the emergency renewal of November 2007. This notice shall be published in the Federal Register and transmitted to the Congress.

GEORGE W. BUSH

THE WHITE HOUSE,

March 11, 2008.

# # #

[MamaDearest]

You're welcome Cindy.

The death from TB in Chicago struck me as frightening - it's a large city and I wonder how many people this person had contact with prior to his death.

That only .01% of beef is being inspected for mad cow (or heaven knows what else) was a figure considerably less than I would have deemed "reasonable" considering the huge consumption of that product in this country.

[MamaDearest]

You’re welcome Granny!

[Cindy]

More Than Politics...

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1984895/posts

“Sen. John Kerry confronted about Winter Soldier II”
Michelle Malkin ^ | 3-12-08 | Michelle Malkin
Posted on 03/12/2008 10:43:52 PM PDT by smoothsailing

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Thanks to Interesting Times for the ping to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1984847/posts

“Reporters’ Guide: Iraq Veterans Against the War ‘Winter Soldier’ Investigation”
The Hill ^ | March 11, 2008 | Stop the Slander
Posted on 03/12/2008 8:04:49 PM PDT by Interesting Times

[Cindy]

www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2374023

[Cindy]

http://www.truthusa.com/MoreThanCartoons.html

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http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2374025
TERRORISM FOCUS

“Taliban Exploit Local Religious Sentiment to Target Dutch and Danish Troops”
By Waliullah Rahmani

ARTICLE SNIPEPT: “Recent statements from Taliban spokesmen offer signs of massive changes in the insurgency at the beginning of the new Hijri (Islamic) year, when the cold weather passes and the Taliban restart their war against government and Coalition forces in Afghanistan.

The coming year is expected to be the deadliest since the fall of the Taliban in 2001.”

[Cindy]

http://www.longwarjournal.org/fastsearch?tag=Afghanistan

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/03/haqqaninetwork_compo.php

“Haqqani Network compound pounded by Coalition airstrikes”
By MATT DUPEE
March 12, 2008 9:45 AM

[Cindy]

This is an UPDATE from a 2005 incident.

March 12, 2008

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.usdoj.gov/opa/pr/2008/March/08_enrd_198.html

ranium Processing Company Pleads Guilty to Poisoning Migratory Birds

Spill of organic solvent killed geese and ducks

WASHINGTON – Cotter Corp., headquartered in Denver, Colo., pleaded guilty and was sentenced today in U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado for its role in the poisoning deaths of migratory birds at its uranium processing facility near Cañon City, Colo., the Justice Department announced.

Cotter Corp. pleaded guilty to a misdemeanor violation of the Migratory Bird Treaty Act, in connection with a spill of approximately 4,500 gallons of organic solvent on Oct. 21, 2005, which escaped from a building at the processing facility and flowed into a catchment pond. Approximately 40 geese and ducks were killed after coming into contact with the solvent in the pond, which was removed by Cotter employees within a few days of the spill.

Under the plea agreement, Magistrate Kathleen Tafoya sentenced the company to pay the maximum fine of $15,000, make additional restitution of $15,000 and be placed on 12 months’ probation. During this time, the company is required to prepare and implement an environmental compliance plan designed to prevent future spills and ensure speedy, effective clean-up of any discharges that might occur.

The Migratory Bird Treaty Act is a federal law that imposes a misdemeanor sanction for the pursuit, harm, capture, taking or killing of several hundred species of birds without prior license or permit.

This case was investigated by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Colorado Division of Wildlife. The case was prosecuted by Senior Trial Attorney Robert S. Anderson of the Department of Justice’s Environmental Crimes Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Linda McMahan of the District of Colorado.

###

08-198

[Cindy]

ADDING 2 links to post no. 346:

http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/miw/press/MSU03112008.pdf

“MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY ARSONISTS CHARGED”
Grand Rapids, Michigan
(March 11, 2008)

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http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/miw/press/IndictmentMSU03112008.pdf