Threat Matrix: August 2008

Isn’t that something...

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50678

Forces Kill Militants, Detain Suspects in Afghanistan

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2008 – Coalition and Afghan forces killed more than a dozen militants and detained two during operations in Afghanistan over the past few days, military officials said.

A militant was killed and two were detained during a coalition forces operation yesterday in Ghazni province targeting a militant who officials said planned roadside bomb attacks and conducted indirect-fire attacks against coalition forces.

In an Aug. 1 operation in Farah province, coalition forces killed several militants. Officials said intelligence reports helped to pinpoint the militants’ location in a remote area known to be a safe haven for Taliban and foreign fighters.

After the militants were positively identified and U.S. forces determined there were no noncombatants in the area, officials said, coalition aircraft carried out an air strike.

Elsewhere, coalition and Afghan forces killed more than a dozen militants during a security patrol in the Shaheed Hasas district of Oruzgan province Aug. 1, officials reported.

While coalition and Afghan forces were conducting a mounted patrol, a roadside bomb detonated, striking a coalition vehicle. Militants then attacked the patrol with small arms and indirect fire. Coalition and Afghan forces responded with small-arms fire and close-air support, killing more a dozen militants, officials said.

No coalition forces, Afghan forces or civilian casualties were reported.

(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)

http://www.rewardsforjustice.net/index.cfm?page=Fazul&language=english
http://www.longwarjournal.org/images/Fazul-Abdullah-Mohammed.JPG

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BLOG:

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/08/al_qaedas_east_afric.php

“Al Qaeda’s East Africa operations chief escapes raid in Kenya”
By BILL ROGGIO
August 3, 2008 1:58 PM

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http://www.rewardsforjustice.net/index.cfm?page=Midhat_Mursi&language=english

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http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/08/al_qaeda_confirms_wm.php

“Al Qaeda confirms WMD expert Abu Khabab killed in South Waziristan strike”
By BILL ROGGIO
August 3, 2008 9:45 AM

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Al Qaeda has confirmed that Abu Khabab al Masri, the chief of the terror group’s weapons of mass destruction program, was killed in an airstrike in South Waziristan, Pakistan earlier this week.”

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http://www.longwarjournal.org/multimedia//Haqqani-Network/index.html

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http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/08/the_haqqani_network.php

“The Haqqani Network: Reign of terror”
By MATT DUPEE
August 2, 2008 5:12 PM

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50677

Troops in Iraq Kill Enemy Fighters, Detain Suspects, Seize Weapons

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 3, 2008 – Coalition forces in Iraq killed three enemy fighters, detained dozens of terrorism suspects and seized illegal weapons caches in operations over the last few days, military officials reported.

In operations conducted today and yesterday:

— In Baghdad, coalition forces captured a wanted man reportedly responsible for establishing a foreign terrorist facilitation hub in the city. Two additional suspects were detained.

— South of Mosul, coalition forces captured a man believed to manage finances and logistics for al-Qaida in Iraq cells in the Hamrin Mountains region. An additional suspected terrorist was detained.

— Coalition forces searched Bir Qassim, a village near the Syrian border that intelligence reports indicate is the location of al-Qaida foreign terrorist facilitation operations. During the sweep, coalition forces detained 10 suspected terrorists.

–- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team detained two suspected roadside-bomb makers in the Saydiyah community of Rashid.

–- Coalition forces conducted a precision operation in Tikrit and captured the alleged al-Qaida in Iraq leader there, officials said. The wanted man reportedly keeps videos of terrorist attacks and is tied to other networks within al-Qaida in Iraq.

–- In Baghdad, coalition forces captured a man believed to be an al-Qaida in Iraq extremist with connections in Egypt. Officials said the wanted man solicited al-Qaida in Iraq members about starting terrorist training and helping the foreign terrorist network. Three additional suspects were detained in the operations.

–- Two suspected terrorists were detained by coalition forces near Balad in operations targeting al-Qaida in Iraq leaders.

–- In Mosul, coalition forces targeted an associate of al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders and detained five suspected terrorists.

–- Iraqi National Police turned over a weapons cache to soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team working at a joint security station in Rashid. The cache consisted of three rocket-propelled grenade launchers, two RPG rounds, a machine gun, 50 7.62 mm rounds, a claymore mine, a 60 mm mortar tube with mount and base plate, and two 80 mm mortar tubes.

In operations Aug. 1:

–- Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team detained a suspected criminal in the Jihad community of Rashid and delivered him to a joint security station for questioning.

–- Iraqi National Police seized seven rocket-propelled grenades, six RPG propellants, 200 PKC rounds and 50 7.62 mm rounds in the Aamel community.

–- Soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team seized a weapons cache north of Baghdad containing a partial improvised explosive device with three tubes of explosive material, a 120 mm rocket, four 120 mm rocket warheads, three 107 mm warheads, four 120 mm mortars, an anti-tank land mine, 25 120 mm projectiles, three 155 mm projectiles and two 105 mm projectiles.

–- Members of a “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group turned in a weapons cache consisting of three 130 mm projectiles, two 155 mm projectiles and a 150 mm mortar to soldiers from the 25th Infantry Division’s 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team.

–-Iraqi National Police turned in a recovered cache to a forward operating base in Baghdad’s West Rashid district. The cache included seven rocket-propelled grenades, six RPG propellants, 200 PKC machine gun rounds and 50 7.62 mm rounds.

–- In Baghdad’s East Rashid district, acting on a tip from a local citizen, Iraqi National Police recovered three RPG launchers, two RPGs, 50 7.62 mm rounds, a claymore mine, a 60 mm mortar tube with plate and mounts and two 80 mm mortar tubes.

–- The Iraqi special weapons and tactics team in Hillah detained a suspected al-Qaida in Iraq member in Diyala province. The suspect allegedly is part of a cell responsible for ethnic violence, kidnapping and improvised explosive device attacks.

–- Iraqi special operations forces detained two suspected Iranian-backed “special groups” members in Qurna, southeast of Baghdad. Officials said the suspects allegedly lead one of the most effective enemy cells in Qurna.

–- Members of the Hillah SWAT team detained a suspected special groups member in Kalsu, south of Baghdad, and two others on an Interior Ministry warrant. The suspects allegedly are members of an IED emplacement cell.

In operations July 31, Iraqi soldiers operating in Salahuddin province during Operation Eagle Pursuit killed three al-Qaida in Iraq fighters as another detonated his suicide vest, killing himself, military officials said. The soldiers also detained nine suspected al-Qaida in Iraq members.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.mnf-iraq.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=21605&Itemid=128

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RELEASE No. 20080803-07
Aug. 3, 2008

ISOF, Ramadi SWAT capture five suspected terrorists in separate operations
Multi-National Corps – Iraq PAO

BALAD, Iraq – Iraqi Security Forces captured five suspected terrorists and detained two others in operations around Iraq July 31- Aug. 2.

On Aug. 2 in Mosul, Iraqi Special Operations Forces arrested three suspected members of Islamic State of Iraq, a front organization for the foreign-led al-Qaeda in Iraq, on a local warrant. The suspected terrorists are said to be part of a low-level intimidation cell that uses ransom from kidnappings to purchase weapons. The suspects are also said to be involved in assassinations, and the transfer and distribution of oil to other ISI in the area. One other suspect was detained during the operation.

In Mosul, ISOF captured a suspected mid-level al-Qaeda in Iraq emir July 31. The suspect is reportedly responsible for improvised explosive device attacks against Iraqi Security Forces and Iraqi citizens from Mosul to Sinjar. He allegedly uses intimidation to instill fear among the local citizens in order to live safely. One other suspect was detained during the operation.

In a separate operation July 31, the Ramadi Special Weapons and Tactics team captured a suspected terrorist believed to be part of a terrorist cell responsible for killing local citizens.

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Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2056046/posts

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China: 16 customs officers killed and 16 wounded in an attack in Xinjiang
AFP via translation | August 3, 2008
Posted on August 3, 2008 9:11:11 PM PDT by HAL9000

via translation-

ALERT - China: 16 customs officers killed and 16 wounded in an attack in Xinjiang

BEIJING - Sixteen customs officers were killed and sixteen others injured Monday morning when the attack on their post in Xinjiang, Muslim region of northwestern China, according to the China New Agency.

UPDATING Post no. 86 — Police Station Attacked — See updates:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2056046/posts

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

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Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2056056/posts

As Tensions Rise for Egypt’s Christians, Officials Call Clashes Secular
The NY Times ^ | August 2, 2008 | MICHAEL SLACKMAN
Posted on August 3, 2008 9:48:07 PM PDT by forkinsocket

CAIRO — A monastery was ransacked in January. In May, monks there were kidnapped, whipped and beaten and ordered to spit on the cross. Christian-owned jewelry stores were robbed over the summer. The rash of violence was so bad that one prominent Egyptian writer worried it had become “open season” on the nation’s Christians.

Does Egypt face a sectarian problem?

Not according to its security officials, who insist that each dispute represents a “singular incident” tied to something other than faith. In the case of the monastery and the monks, officials said the conflict was essentially a land dispute between the church and local residents.

“Every incident has to be seen within its proper framework; you study an incident as an incident,” said an Interior Ministry spokesman who grew furious at the suggestion that Egyptians were in conflict because of their differing faiths. It is customary for security officials not to have their names revealed publicly.

“An incident is an incident, and a crime is a crime,” he said.

But the Egyptian security apparatus is increasingly alone in its insistence.

As more and more conflicts pile up and as the tensions of daily life increase, many people in Egypt and around the region said the problem of sectarian clashes had become more urgent. They said that ordinary conflicts had become more bitterly sectarian as religious identity had become more prominent among Muslims and Christians alike.

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

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/globaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/christianpersecution
http://www.persecution.org

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http://www.onenewsnow.com/Persecution/Default.aspx?id=201016

“Somali Christian martyred”
Charlie Butts - OneNewsNow - 8/3/2008 4:05:00 AM

“A Somali Christian has paid the ultimate price for his faith.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Hussein, the 28-year-old victim, had converted from the Muslim faith to Christianity. Jonathan Racho of International Christian Concern says he was confronted by Islamic extremists who demanded to know if he faces Mecca when he prays, which is required of Muslims.

“Hussein says he doesn’t face Mecca when he prays because his God is omnipresent and he can face anywhere to pray,” Racho recounts the incident. “[T]he extremists were very much enraged by his comments, and they killed him.”

Upon learning that her husband had been shot to death, Hussein’s wife went into premature labor and delivered a stillborn baby.”

Off Topic.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2054476/posts?page=29#29

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Thank you to Abu Afak for the ping to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2054476/posts

“Son of Hamas leader converts to Christianity, denounces Islam”
World Divided ^ | 7/31/08
Posted on July 31, 2008 1:56:30 PM PDT by LibWhacker

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

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http://www.frontpagemag.com/Articles/Read.aspx?GUID=9D2A15BB-9D0B-4969-A95A-701B3C4DC72D

“Iran’s Web of Influence in the U.S.”
By Hassan Daioleslam
FrontPageMagazine.com | Monday, August 04, 2008

UPDATE:

http://www.cnn.com/2008/WORLD/europe/08/02/turkey.bomb.arrests/index.html

updated 4:34 p.m. EDT, Sat August 2, 2008

“13 arrested in Istanbul bombings”
ISTANBUL, Turkey (CNN)

http://news.google.com/news?&rls=en&q=antigua&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wn

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

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UPDATE:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7540641.stm

Page last updated at 10:31 GMT, Monday, 4 August 2008 11:31 UK

“Funeral plan for honeymoon couple”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Catherine and Benjamin Mullany were married on 12 July
Funeral arrangements for Ben and Catherine Mullany, who died after being shot on their honeymoon, are being prepared by their grieving families.
Mr Mullany died on Sunday, a week after his wife Catherine was killed. They had been shot in a suspected robbery of their hotel cottage in Antigua.”

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Previously...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/wales/7538158.stm

Page last updated at 18:17 GMT, Friday, 1 August 2008 19:17 UK

“Honeymoon attack ‘link’ to death”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The shootings of two Welsh newlyweds in Antigua may be linked to another murder less than two months ago, says a local police chief.
Antigua commissioner Gary Nelson said Catherine and Benjamin Mullany’s case was similar to a previous one in which a young man was shot in the head.”

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/globaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/taliban
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/taleban

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http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022058.php
(ECONOMIC TIMES)

August 3, 2008

“Taliban-trained Muslims infiltrating Britain”

LONDON:
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The British commander said he had seen evidence that terror groups based in southern Afghanistan were plotting with Muslim extremists in Britain to carry out attacks in the UK.

He suggested the traffic between Britain and Afghanistan may flow in both directions, with some British Muslims returning from the region and posing a domestic security threat. British Muslims are part of the Taliban militia fighting against UK security forces in Afghanistan, the top British commander said.”

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Previously...

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022046.php
(TELEGRAPH.co.uk)

August 2, 2008
“British Muslims fighting alongside Taliban, al-Qaeda in Afghanistan”

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/globaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/internet
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/legaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/lawfare
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/islamophobia

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RECAP:

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022053.php

August 3, 2008
“Kuwait criminalizes ‘insulting Islam’ on the Internet”

Note: The following news brief is a quote:

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3577512,00.html

Home Front Command re-segments Israel into 27 emergency zones
Published: 08.04.08, 12:41 / Israel News
Home Front Command Chief Major-General Yair Golan appeared before the Knesset’s State Control Committee Monday, and told the ministers that the HFC had segmented Israel into 27 different emergency zones, as opposed to the 10 zones it had during the Second Lebanon War.

Golan added that the HFC hopes to create more emergency zones and that by 2010 there will be 150 of them across Israel. The segmenting, he said “is meant to help keep life as normal as possible in as many areas as possible, in case of a rocket attack.” (Amnon Meranda)

Note: Photo included.

http://israel.internet-haganah.com/archives/001411.html

August 03, 2008

“IDF TAKES IN FATAH MEMBERS FLEEING GAZA”

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

“Worldwide Caution”
July 16, 2008

SNIPPET: “This Worldwide Caution updates information on the continuing threat of terrorist actions and violence against Americans and interests throughout the world.”

Been trying to make head or tails of the maneuvering in the ME. Syria’s regime alledgedly has some problems, the general in charge of the nuke plant Israel took out not too long ago - assinated. Hezzies taking control of another high mountian in the Bekaa region. Instability in the Israeli gov’t may inhibit decision to strike Iranian nuke facilities.

bttt