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Posted on 09/03/2008 6:13:02 PM PDT by nwctwx
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=51196
Iraqi, Coalition Soldiers Take Weapons Off Streets
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2008 – Iraqi and coalition soldiers seized several weapons caches and captured a suspected criminal in operations throughout Iraq yesterday and today, military officials reported.
Soldiers serving with the 4th Infantry Division’s Company C, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, discovered seven 60 mm mortars inside a bag in a courtyard in Baghdad’s West Rashid district today.
Soldiers serving with the 25th Infantry Division’s Company B, 1st Battalion 27th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Stryker Brigade Combat Team, found a 64 mm rocket-propelled grenade launcher north of Baghdad yesterday.
Iraqi soldiers patrolling in Baghdad’s Kadamiyah district yesterday found three hand grenades and an Iranian 81 mm high explosive mortar round.
A tip led soldiers serving with the 101st Airborne Division’s Company D, 1st Battalion, 502nd Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, to a cache. The munitions included 20 explosive devices of various sizes designed to penetrate armor-hulled vehicles, a shaped charge, a machine gun, a Mauser rifle, two Dragonov sniper rifles, 18 Iranian manufactured RPG warheads and two RPG launchers.
Also yesterday, soldiers from Company D, 2nd Battalion, 4th Infantry Regiment, attached to the 4th Infantry Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team, detained a suspected Iranian-backed militia member in the Aamel community of Baghdad. The detainee is accused of attacks against coalition forces and Sunnis in the Aamel community.
In operations Sept. 14, soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, detained a suspected Iranian-backed militia member in the Shurta community. The detainee is accused of sectarian violence and emplacing bombs that target armored vehicles in the Aamel community, officials said.
Also Sept. 14, a local “Sons of Iraq” citizen security group leader tipped off Iraqi National Police about the location of two men known to use al-Qaida in Iraq terrorist tactics living in the Masafee community. The suspects were said to be responsible for the sniper attacks in August that claimed the life of a soldier from the 1st Infantry Division’s 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team. Conducting a target raid based on the information provided, the police detained the two men and took them to a joint security station for further processing.
In other developments, the coalition has identified one terrorist who was killed and one suspected terrorist who was captured as key players in the al-Qaida in Iraq network in northeastern Iraq.
Hadi Muhammad Husayn Darwish, also known as Abu Jassim, was killed Sept. 9 during an operation near Kirkuk. Coalition forces said Abu Jassim was the overall al-Qaida in Iraq leader of Tamim province. Using information from one of Abu Jassim’s alleged associates already in Iraqi custody, Iraqi and coalition forces established a vehicle checkpoint to intercept the terrorist. The force identified Abu Jassim and realized he was wearing a suicide vest. As the Iraqi policeman who discovered the vest backed away from the vehicle and attempted to engage the terrorist in self-defense, Abu Jassim detonated his explosives, killing only himself.
Abu Jassim oversaw all al-Qaida in Iraq operations in Tamim province, which includes the city of Kirkuk, officials said, and was responsible for widespread violence across Tamim province, including bombings, assassinations and kidnappings. His group was financed through extortion, ransoms from kidnappings ransoms and theft from local merchants. He was considered to be one of the most senior and key “emirs” within the al-Qaida network and was closely connected to senior leaders, officials said.
Coalition forces detained another suspected provincial “emir,” Jamal Muhammad Alwan Nafi, during a daytime operation Sept. 2 in Beiji. A letter seized in an operation Dec. 30, believed to be written by al-Qaida leader Abu Ayyub al-Masri, identified Nafi, also known as Abu Anas, as the al-Qaida “emir” of Diyala province, and revealed his ties to senior leaders.
As the Diyala “emir,” Abu Anas is suspected of overseeing all al-Qaida activity in the province, officials said. Because his area of responsibility was so large and active, ranging from the southern portion of Diyala – known for smuggling of weapons and fighters to support suicide attacks in Baghdad - to the Hamrin Mountains, Abu Anas is suspected of being one of the primary al-Qaida in Iraq leaders. Terrorist elements from his network have employed bombings, rigged booby-trapped houses, attempted to incite sectarian violence and have used women as suicide bombers, officials said.
(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
#
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/hp1141.htm
September 16, 2008
HP-1141
Treasury Designates Individuals and Entities Fueling Violence in Iraq
Washington, DC—The U.S. Department of the Treasury today designated five individuals and two entities under Executive Order (E.O.) 13438 for threatening the peace and stability of Iraq and the Government of Iraq. Four of the individuals designated today commit, direct, support, or pose a significant risk of committing acts of violence against Iraqi citizens, Iraqi government officials, and Coalition Forces.
“These individuals are targeting and planning attacks against innocent Iraqis, the Government of Iraq, Coalition Forces, and U.S. troops. Their lethal and destabilizing tactics, especially by Iran’s Qods Force, are intended to undermine Iraq as it strives for peace and prosperity,” said Stuart Levey, Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence.
One of the individuals designated today is a member of Iran’s Qods Force, the arm of the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) that is responsible for providing material support to Lebanese Hizballah, Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine – General Command. Further, the Qods Force provides lethal support in the form of weapons, training, funding, and guidance to select groups of Iraqi Shia militants who target and kill Coalition and Iraqi forces and Iraqi civilians. The IRGC–Qods Force was named a Specially Designated Global Terrorist by the Treasury Department on October 25, 2007.
The Syria-based individual and entities designated today act for and on behalf of, or are owned and controlled by, Syria-based Specially Designated National Mish’an Al-Jaburi, who was designated by Treasury under E.O. 13438 in January 2008 for providing financial, material, and technical support for acts of violence that threaten the peace and stability of Iraq.
Today’s action follows President Bush’s issuance of E.O. 13438 on July 17, 2007, which targets insurgent and militia groups in Iraq and their supporters. Designations under E.O. 13438 are administered by Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control and prohibit all transactions between the designees and any U.S. person and freeze any assets the designees may have under U.S. jurisdiction. Treasury previously designated four individuals and one entity under E.O. 13438 in January 2008.
Identifying Information
ABDUL REZA SHAHLAI
AKAs:
Abdol Reza Shahlai
Abdul Reza Shala’i
`Abd-al Reza Shalai
`Abdorreza Shahlai
Abdolreza Shahla’i
Abdul-Reza Shahlaee
Hajj Yusef
Haji Yusif
Hajji Yasir
Hajji Yusif
`Yusuf Abu-al-Karkh’
Year of Birth:
Circa 1957
Location:
Kermanshah, Iran
Alt. Location:
Mehran Military Base, Ilam Province, Iran
Iran-based Abdul Reza Shahlai—a deputy commander in the IRGC–Qods Force—threatens the peace and stability of Iraq by planning Jaysh al-Mahdi (JAM) Special Groups attacks against Coalition Forces in Iraq. Shahlai has also provided material and logistical support to Shia extremist groups—to include JAM Special Groups—that conduct attacks against U.S. and Coalition Forces. In one instance, Shahlai planned the January 20, 2007 attack by JAM Special Groups against U.S. soldiers stationed at the Provincial Joint Coordination Center in Karbala, Iraq. Five U.S. soldiers were killed and three were wounded during the attack.
In late-August 2006, Shahlai provided material support to JAM Special Groups by supplying JAM Special Groups members with 122mm grad rockets, 240mm rockets, 107mm Katyushas, RPG-7s, 81mms, 60mm mortars, and a large quantity of C-4.
Shahlai also approved and coordinated the training of JAM Special Groups. As of May 2007, Shahlai served as the final approving and coordinating authority for all Iran-based Lebanese Hizballah training for JAM Special Groups to fight Coalition Forces in Iraq. In late-August 2006, Shahlai instructed a senior Lebanese Hizballah official to coordinate anti-aircraft rocket training for JAM Special Groups.
AKRAM ‘ABBAS AL-KABI
AKAs:
Akram Abas al-Ka’bi
Sheik Akram al-Ka’abi
Shaykh Abu-Akram al-Ka’abi
Abu-Muhammad
Karumi
Abu ‘Ali
Nationality:
Iraqi
Year of Birth:
Circa 1976
Alt. Year of Birth:
Circa 1973
Place of Birth:
al ‘Amarah, Iraq
Alt. Place of Birth:
al Kalamiy, Iraq
JAM Special Groups leader Akram ‘Abbas al-Kabi threatens the peace and stability of Iraq and the Government of Iraq by planning and leading attacks against members of the Government of Iraq and Coalition Forces. As of early-2008, al-Kabi was planning multiple attacks against Coalition Forces in order to show that JAM Special Groups were capable of conducting operations even when there was a freeze. In one instance, in late-February 2008, JAM Special Groups led by al-Kabi claimed responsibility for mortar and rocket attacks against Coalition and Iraqi Security Forces in Baghdad’s International Zone. In March 2008, al-Kabi also led JAM Special Groups members who launched rockets into the International Zone. Additionally, as of February 2008, al-Kabi sanctioned attacks targeting Coalition Forces to include indirect fire attacks against the International Zone.
Al-Kabi also provided financial and material support to Shia militia groups that committed acts of violence in Iraq. In one instance, in early-April 2008, al-Kabi paid a JAM Special Groups leader 50 million Iraqi dinars (approximately $41,684 USD) for carrying out three separate improvised explosive device (IED) attacks against Coalition Forces in Baghdad. As of February 2008, al-Kabi had also allegedly provided funding to JAM Special Groups for recruitment purposes. Separately, as of early-2008, al-Kabi was providing weapons for large-scale military operations against Coalition Forces.
HARITH SULAYMANAL-DARI
AKAs:
Harith Al-Dari
Harith Al-Dhari
Harith Al-Dari Al-Zawbai
Harith S. Al-Dhari
Hareth Al Dari
Hareth Al-Dauri
Harith Dari Al-Zawba’i
Harith Al-Duri
Year of Birth:
1941
Place of Birth:
Baghdad, Iraq
Citizenship
Iraqi
Nationality:
Iraqi
Passport Number:
N348171/IRAQ
Title:
Secretary General of the Muslim Ulema Council
Alt. Title:
Leader of the Muslim Scholars Association
Location:
Jordan
Alt Location:
Akashat, Iraq
Alt Location:
Abu Ghuraib, Iraq
Alt Location:
Qatar
Alt Location:
Egypt
Jordan-based Harith Al-Dari-the Secretary General of the Muslim Ulama Council (MUC)-threatens the peace and stability of Iraq and the Government of Iraq by ordering and directing attacks against civilians and Iraqi and Coalition Forces. As of mid-May 2008, Al-Dari ordered leaders of Al-Qa’ida in Iraq (AQI)-affiliated cells to attack Coalition Forces and the Sons of Iraq—local citizens who support Coalition and Iraqi Security Force operations against AQI and Sunni extremists by serving as auxiliary police forces. Two of these cells—both under Al-Dari’s control—emplace IEDs along Coalition convoy routes and conduct small arms fire attacks against the Sons of Iraq at checkpoints. Previously, in early-December 2005, Al-Dari ordered and was responsible for the kidnapping of four foreign nationals in Iraq by a group under Ansar al-Sunna, a Specially Designated Global Terrorist.
Separately, in early-October 2006, Al-Dari directed a plot to bring IEDs into the International Zone, Baghdad. Although foiled, the plot was intended to be part of other coordinated attacks, to include plans to assassinate the commander of U.S. Forces in Iraq and the U.S. and British ambassadors to Iraq. Al-Dari also ordered a MUC advisor to plan and direct late-November 2005 attacks against Coalition and Iraqi forces.
Al-Dari has also provided financial and material support to terrorist and insurgent groups that conduct attacks against Coalition and Iraqi Forces. As of mid-April 2008, Al-Dari continuously travels between Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Saudi Arabia to elicit monetary and material donations that finance two Sunni terrorist groups in Baghdad. The groups—using funds provided by Al-Dari to purchase large amounts of bomb-making material, explosives, and weapons—emplace IEDs, launch mortars and rockets, and conduct sectarian violence. Additionally, as of mid-April 2008, Al-Dari was in charge of funding for the AQI-affiliated Mujahidin Army (MA), to include distributing funds collected by foreign “investors” to support MA operations. As of mid-2008, Al-Dari allegedly arranged financing for an AQI-affiliated group whose operational plans included emplacing IEDs, launching rockets, and conducting assassinations of political and religious figures that cooperated with the United States. Additionally, as of early-2008, Al-Dari provided financial support to a Sunni extremist cell formed for the purpose of carrying out attacks on Multi-National Force – Iraq.
Previously, in June 2006, Al-Dari provided financial and logistical support for an attack against Iraqi forces. Al-Dari owned a front company that received a money transfer of $5 million USD to finance a chemical mortar attack against Iraqi forces. The money transfer was intended to provide logistical support for the attack, to include facilitating the use of Al-Dari’s farm house and complex as a staging area and paying for the billeting of the foreign fighters slated to carry out the attack.
AHMAD HASSAN KAKA AL-UBAYDI
AKAs:
Ahmed Hassan Kaka al-Obeidi
Ali Al Nobani
Hazim Kaka
Nationality:
Iraqi
Year of Birth:
1949
Place of Birth:
Baghdad, Iraq
Passport Number:
F032516
Date of Issue:
19760504
Place of Issue:
Baghdad, Iraq
Location:
Al Humayra village, Taza sub district, Iraq
Alt. Location:
Kurdi Al Nasir village, Iraq
Iraq-based Ahmad Hassan Kaka Al-Ubaydi—a former Iraqi Intelligence Service officer and a Ba’th Party official—leads a network of Kirkuk, Iraq-based insurgents that commits and poses a significant risk of committing acts of violence that threaten the peace and stability of Iraq and the Government of Iraq. Kaka also provides financial support for acts of violence that have the purpose or effect of threatening the peace and stability of Iraq and the Government of Iraq.
In 2005, Kaka was identified as the leader of a Kirkuk-based network that attacked Coalition and Iraqi forces with IEDs and plotted assassinations of Iraqi government officials. As of late-October 2007, Kaka directs assassinations of Iraqi Kurds and in one instance authorized a member of his network to assassinate tribal leaders because of their cooperation with U.S. and Iraqi forces.
Kaka also plans acts of violence targeting Kirkuk. In February 2007, Kaka planned to take over Kirkuk using sophisticated weapons and numerous armed fighters.
In addition to directing and planning acts of violence against Coalition and Iraqi forces, Kaka provided financial support for vehicle borne improvised explosive devices (VBIED) attacks in Iraq. As of August 2007, Kaka and his group purchased sedans to use as VBIEDs against Coalition and Iraqi government forces in Kirkuk, and certain government facilities in Mosul, Iraq. Previously, in May 2007, Kaka was providing funding to a group that manufactured IEDs to attack Coalition Forces.
RAW’A AL-USTA
AKAs:
Raw’a al-Ousta
Raw’ah al-Usta
Raw’ah al-Ustah
Rawa al-`Usta
Rawaa Alousta
Raw’ah Al-Astah
Nationality:
Syrian
Year of Birth:
1982
Location:
Damascus, Syria
AL-RA’Y SATELLITE TELEVISION CHANNEL
AKAs:
Satellite Television Channel Al Ra’y
Al-Ra’y Satellite Channel
Al-Ra’i Satellite Channel
Al Ra’y satellite television station
Al Raie TV Channel
Arrai TV
Al Ra’y TV
The Opinion satellite television channel
Internet Address:
www.arrai.tv
Email Address:
info@arrai.tv
Location:
Near Damascus in the Yaafur area, Syria
SURAQIYA FOR MEDIA AND BROADCASTING
AKAs:
Soraqia for Media and Broadcasting
Soraqiya for Media and Broadcasting
SBC Television
SBC TV
Location:
Al Sufara’ Street in the Ya’fur district of Damascus, Syria
Syria-based Al-Ra’y Satellite Television Channel is owned and controlled by Syria-based Specially Designated National Mish’an Al-Jaburi. Although Al-Jaburi publicly denied owning Al-Ra’y and claimed it was owned by a Syrian woman named Raw’a Al- Usta, Al-Jaburi established Al-Ra’y in Syria, is the real owner of the station, and manages it through Al-Usta-his wife. Al-Usta works for and on behalf of Al-Jaburi as Al-Ra’y’s general manager—dealing with the station’s personnel and technical issues and making requests on behalf of the station. Syria-based Suraqiya for Media and Broadcasting—Al-Ra’y’s parent company—is also owned and controlled by Al-Jaburi.
In addition to the reasons for which Al-Ra’y is being designated, as of late-March 2008, despite experiencing technical difficulties, Al-Ra’y had transmitted videos of Iraqi insurgent groups conducting operations.
-30-
#
Note: The following text is a quote:
https://www.cia.gov/news-information/speeches-testimony/directors-remarks-at-lawac.html
CIA Home > News & Information > Speeches & Testimony > Director’s Remarks at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council
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Director’s Remarks at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council
Remarks by Central Intelligence Agency Director Michael Hayden
at the Los Angeles World Affairs Council
(as prepared for delivery)
September 16, 2008
Good afternoon. Thanks for that kind introduction, and thank you all for inviting me. It’s a pleasure and privilege to be in Los Angeles and to speak to this Council.
As eventful as the world may be right now, the development that is likely to have the most far-reaching consequences will be a domestic one—the election of a new American president. From the standpoint of the Intelligence Community, it’ll be the first time since 1952 that our top customer will not have served as an incumbent or vice president. It also will be the first transition since the office of Director of National Intelligence was created, and that will be a new experience for all of us.
CIA is the Community’s executive agent in supporting briefings for Senator McCain and Senator Obama, reflecting our role in producing the President’s Daily Brief. After the election, there will be two daily PDB briefings—one for President Bush and another for the president-elect. The new national security team will be setting up shop, too, so it promises to be a very busy time for everyone involved.
The new administration will be a great opportunity for the Agency. I see it as a chance to demonstrate our expertise and insight into virtually every foreign issue affecting this country. We’ll get to know all our new customers and learn how best to serve them. But our fundamental responsibility—protecting the citizens of this nation—will remain the same.
Today I’d like to talk about how CIA keeps America safe from weapons of mass destruction, particularly the nuclear threat. Meeting that critical challenge has been a core responsibility ever since the Agency’s founding in 1947.
In fact, the very first CIA officer to die in the line of duty had been gathering data on the Soviet nuclear program. Douglas Mackiernan served in the desolate reaches of western China, one of those brave operatives who worked our top intelligence target along the periphery of the Soviet Union.
“Mack,” as he was called, was an MIT physics major conversant in Russian and Chinese, a highly resourceful and perceptive officer who had to work with some pretty basic equipment given the remoteness of his post. His primary tasks were to investigate Moscow’s access to local uranium deposits and report any sign of nuclear testing in Soviet Central Asia.
Mackiernan’s mission was cut short by the rapid western advance of the Chinese Communists after their revolution in 1949. He escaped by setting out on an epic seven-month trek across deserts and mountains. He managed to make it all the way to the frontier of Tibet, where he should have found sanctuary. Tragically, he was shot by Tibetan guards who had not yet received word that an American was coming and that he should be granted safe passage.
Douglas Mackiernan’s story speaks to the dedication and courage our officers have brought to our mission for six decades. CIA has targeted the WMD threat in all its forms, from the massive arsenals of rival nations to the deadly aspirations of terrorists. To say that we’re focused on 21st century challenges doesn’t mean for a second that we’ve forgotten those of the 20th—or that we aren’t looking for the emerging threats of tomorrow.
We closely analyze, as we should and as we must, the WMD and missile programs of countries throughout the world. But as attentive as we are in tracking existing weapons programs, the greater challenge lies in detecting those developing in secrecy. CIA is always watching for signs that states and subnational groups might be taking steps to acquire nuclear, biological, or chemical weapons.
Our mission is made a lot more difficult by the fact that access to sensitive technologies is no longer the exclusive domain of a few advanced nations. Dual-use technologies and scientific experts travel easily in our global economy, making it critical to follow those movements and know the experts.
But because the materials and expertise are so prevalent and have perfectly legitimate applications, the very fact that someone is interested in nuclear, chemical, or biological technology is not enough to prove they are interested in weapons. A WMD program fundamentally centers on political intent.
By that measure alone, there is no greater national security threat facing the United States than al-Qa‘ida and its associates. Bin Ladin has said repeatedly that he considers acquisition of nuclear weapons “a religious duty.” And we know that al-Qa‘ida remains determined to attack our country in ways that inflict maximum death and destruction.
We are fortunate that those with the clearest intent to acquire and use weapons of mass destruction are also the least capable of developing them. But the potential destruction from an improvised nuclear device—no matter how elementary—is so great that all that really matters to CIA is that we know terrorists are determined to use them.
We fight this threat on two fronts—the supply side and the demand side. CIA has a group devoted to identifying, penetrating, and disrupting WMD-related proliferation networks. That group is at the heart of a highly integrated effort, drawing on the expertise of our own analysts and intelligence collectors and their colleagues throughout government. Together with our foreign partners, we account for and help safeguard WMD and related equipment worldwide. We identify the illegal sellers and buyers of technology and expertise. And we use covert action to disrupt illicit transfers.
At the same time, we work—methodically, patiently, tirelessly—to penetrate and destroy terrorist networks. Operating against both ends of the chain is critical to detecting and defeating any nuclear plot against America or our allies.
CIA also focuses on Iran and North Korea, two states whose WMD programs have threatened US interests, regional stability, and international arms control mechanisms like the Non-Proliferation Treaty. North Korea conducted a nuclear test two years ago, and the Intelligence Community judges their program produced enough plutonium for at least a half-dozen weapons. For its part, Iran has the scientific, technical, and industrial capacity to produce nuclear weapons eventually. The question is not of capability, but intent.
A good analyst never presumes anything, least of all the plans of a foreign power. Intelligence officers can only assess capability and intent by starting with a clean slate and working from solid evidence and known behavior. That’s precisely what our Community did last year on Tehran’s nuclear program. The result was the Iran National Intelligence Estimate released in November.
The Iran NIE has had its share of criticism, which is typically what happens with a rigorous estimate that lays out what we know and don’t know about a highly contentious issue. It’s detailed, thorough, and—quite frankly—it’s courageous. We don’t have time to delve into the full scope of its findings, but here, very briefly, are the major judgments:
Until the fall of 2003, elements of Iran’s military were working to develop nuclear weapons and a warhead capable of delivering such weapons.
Tehran halted these efforts probably due to international scrutiny and exposure of previously undeclared nuclear work. We assessed that the nuclear weapons program had not resumed as of mid-2007, a conclusion that subsequent intelligence still supports.
And finally, Tehran at a minimum is keeping open its option to develop nuclear weapons.
What leads us to this last judgment? Again, it’s a matter of working back from actions. Why are they pushing forward with the uranium enrichment process at Natanz? They say it’s for civilian purposes, and yet they’ve rejected international offers of fissile material under proper controls.
Iran’s behavior, coming as it does after years of nuclear activity they concealed and continue to deny, invites nothing but suspicion. Why are they slow-rolling the International Atomic Energy Agency by not being forthcoming? And why are they willing to defy the United Nations and pay such a heavy price in terms of international isolation?
Those questions sound familiar. One could argue that Iraq under Saddam was just as confrontational and ultimately lacked the weapons we thought were there. But Iran’s leaders saw what happened to Saddam, and still they reject every opportunity to come clean with the world.
North Korea also poses a broad and complex challenge to global arms control. In fact, the WMD problem in Iran is compounded to no small degree by Tehran’s collaboration with North Korea on ballistic missiles.
Pyongyang’s WMD programs present a double threat. As part of North Korea’s arsenal, they endanger the peace and stability of northeastern Asia. As a source of global proliferation, they have been without equal since a joint operation with our British partners took down A.Q. Khan earlier this decade. Like Khan, whose network had been the world’s most dangerous black market supplier of nuclear technology, North Korea asks only two things of its customers: first, can they pay, and second, can they keep a secret.
Thanks to some outstanding intelligence work, we were able last year to spoil a big secret, a project that could have provided Syria with plutonium for nuclear weapons. I’d like to cover it here because it’s an excellent example of how CIA and our Community colleagues attack the problem of nuclear proliferation.
It was reported in the press last April, and you’re probably familiar with its outlines. We knew that North Korea and Syria had been cooperating since the late 1990s in the nuclear field. The depth of that relationship was revealed in the spring of last year, when we identified a nuclear reactor at Al-Kibar in the eastern desert of Syria. It was similar to the one at Yongbyon in North Korea, but with its outer structure heavily disguised.
The situation became critical late last summer, when we judged the facility could be nearing operation. The Al-Kibar reactor was destroyed the morning of 6 September 2007. The Syrians immediately cleared away the rubble and every trace of the building, stonewalling the IAEA when asked to explain. Their cover-up only underlined the intense secrecy of this project and the danger it had posed to a volatile region.
I want to focus briefly on two important aspects of this intelligence effort: the quality of tradecraft, in terms of collection and analysis, and the value of collaboration, both with colleagues in our government and with foreign services.
More than anything else, our work was a classic example of multidisciplinary, blue-collar analysis. We had a group of officers who started working overtime on this issue in April 2007 and kept at it for months. Virtually every form of intelligence—imagery, signals, human source, you name it—informed their assessments, so that they were never completely dependent on any single channel.
For instance, a report from a foreign partner initially identified the structure at Al-Kibar as a nuclear reactor similar to one in North Korea. But even without that piece of the puzzle, it wouldn’t have been long before we reached the same conclusion. We had previously identified the facility on imagery as a suspicious target. When pipes for a massive cooling system were laid out to the Euphrates River in the spring of 2007, there would have been little doubt this was a nuclear reactor. We would have known it was North Korean, too, given the quantity and variety of intelligence reports on nuclear ties between Pyongyang and Damascus.
Still, our analysts were open to alternative possibilities at every juncture. Early on, they applied a methodology that laid out the inconsistencies in each competing hypothesis. They carefully examined whether the building might be for another purpose, like a conventional power plant, or a water treatment facility. In each case, the arguments simply didn’t add up. The reactor hypothesis was the most difficult to refute with the available evidence.
We then stepped back and tried to turn the basic premise on its head: OK, we’ve got a nuclear reactor in Syria built with North Korean help, but is it necessarily for a Syrian program? Might it have been built by North Korea for its own use, to secretly replace the Yongbyon reactor they had pledged to shut down? We took that hypothesis and worked very hard on it, but the mainstream theory held sway.
Finally, this was a success reached through close collaboration across agencies, departments, and governments. Dedicated officers at CIA, DIA, the Department of Energy, the National Geospatial Intelligence Agency, and NSA came together as a team, each bringing a specific expertise to the table. And this was an intelligence problem that required a wide range of knowledge. I already mentioned all the different forms of collection, but it also drew from a remarkable diversity of analytic firepower—everyone from nuclear technology and weapons experts to political and leadership analysts.
Our foreign partnerships too were critical to the final outcome. These relationships aren’t a matter of occasionally passing along a report that may or may not be useful. They’re more akin to working together on a complex equation over a long period. Each tries to solve a variable that in turn helps a partner solve another, and so on until we’ve cracked the case. That’s what good intelligence is all about.
I hope my remarks today have given you a better idea of how CIA is meeting the counterproliferation challenge. The Intelligence Community as a whole has taken great strides since the pre-war NIE on Iraq to strengthen our tradecraft, and I think it shows with both the Iran estimate and the Al-Kibar effort. The rigor of our sourcing, the emphasis on alternative analysis, and the integration of our expertise with those of our colleagues have never been greater.
By history and law, CIA has more connective tissue to the rest of the Intelligence Community than any other organization. We draw on those deep connections and other unique strengths—in human intelligence collection, all-source analysis, and foreign liaison partnerships—to fulfill a single overriding mission: protecting the American people. That remains the ultimate standard by which we measure our success.
I am tremendously proud of the men and women of CIA. They give far more than they get, and deserve far better than they usually receive. Like Doug Mackiernan before them, today’s CIA officers face the same risks, possess the same spirit, and serve the same cause. They accomplish their mission in ways I’m sure would make you proud, too.
Thank you very much.
Posted: Sep 16, 2008 03:21 PM
Last Updated: Sep 16, 2008 03:22 PM
Last Reviewed: Sep 16, 2008 03:21 PM
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=51199
“Joint Chiefs Chairman Makes Fifth Visit to Pakistan”
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2008
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http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=51198
“Defense Spokesman Reaffirms Good U.S.-Pakistan Relationship”
By Gerry J. Gilmore
American Forces Press Service
WASHINGTON, Sept. 16, 2008
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http://www.fbi.gov/congress/congress08/mueller091608.htm
Robert S. Mueller, III
Director
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Statement Before the House Judiciary Committee
September 16, 2008
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/denmark
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/globaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/internet
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http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/cartoonjihad
http://www.truthusa.com/MoreThanCartoons.html
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http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022720.php
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http://www.cphpost.dk/get/109074.html
“Islamic extremists threaten Denmark with poison”
15.09.2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “An American terror watchdog group has warned Denmark about an extremist internet site that discusses poisoning the country’s water supplies
An Islamic extremist group has discussed on its website how to poison Denmark’s water supplies in retaliation for Jyllands-Posten newspaper’s publication of the Mohammed drawings.”
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RECAP:
http://www.jamestown.org/terrorism/news/article.php?articleid=2374403
TERRORISM FOCUS
September 10, 2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Jihadis Discuss Means of Poisoning the Water Supply of Denmark and Great Britain
By Abdul Hameed Bakier
A major jihadi internet forum has posted a terrorist plot to use chemical and biological agents to contaminate water resources in Europe in general and Great Britain and Denmark in particular, the latter in retaliation for insulting the Prophet Muhammad through publication of the infamous “Muhammad cartoons.” The posting, entitled “Back Breaking Blow to Denmark, the U.K, and the European Union,” discussed ways of poisoning water resources and reservoirs to cause mass killings (al-ekhlaas.net, August 16). Even though many forum participants consented to the plan and participated with ideas on the kind of chemical agents that might be used in such attacks, some forum members disagreed with the terror plan, arguing that mass killing has neither religious justification nor a fatwa (religious ruling) to authorize it. The anti-attack forum members appeared to have a strong case from a religious standpoint, leading to a protracted discussion lasting over a week.
A forum member nicknamed Baghdad al-Khilafa, with over a thousand postings, primarily on weapons and explosives, proposed the terror attack to retaliate for Denmark’s mockery of the Prophet Muhammad, to terrorize the enemy’s ranks, and to ease the infidels’ onslaught on Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan, Morocco, Somalia, Eastern Turkistan (Xinjiang) and Chechnya. The objective of the plan was to kill as many civilians as possible by contaminating the main water supply pipelines in any of the major cities in the Europe with chemical substances.
The stages of the plot were outlined as follows:”
Note: The following text is a quote:
http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_920.html
Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520
This information is current as of today, Tue Sep 16 2008 17:20:17 GMT-0700 (PDT).
IRAN
September 15, 2008
The Department of State continues to warn U.S. citizens to carefully consider the risks of travel to Iran. Dual national Iranian-American citizens may encounter difficulty in departing Iran. This Travel Warning supersedes the Travel Warning for Iran issued January 3, 2008.
Some elements of the Iranian regime and the population remain hostile to the United States. As a result, American citizens may be subject to harassment or arrest while traveling or residing in Iran. In 2007, Iranian authorities prevented a number of Iranian-American citizen academics, journalists, and others who traveled to Iran for personal reasons from leaving for several months, and in some cases detained and imprisoned them on various charges, including espionage and posing a threat to national security. Americans of Iranian origin should consider the risk of being targeted by authorities before planning travel to Iran. Iranian authorities may deny dual nationals access to the United States Interests Section in Tehran, because they are considered to be solely Iranian citizens.
The Iranian regime continues to repress its minority religious and ethnic groups, including Bahai, Arabs, Kurds, Azeris, and others. Consequently, some areas within the country where these minorities reside, including the Baluchistan border area near Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Kurdish northwest of the country, and areas near the Iraqi border, remain unsafe. Armed attacks on the road between Bam and Kerman in May 2007 also render this area unsafe.
Large-scale demonstrations have taken place in various regions throughout Iran over the past several years as a result of a sometimes volatile political climate. U.S. citizens who travel to Iran despite this Travel Warning should exercise caution.
The U.S. government does not have diplomatic or consular relations with the Islamic Republic of Iran and therefore cannot provide protection or routine consular services to American citizens in Iran. The Swiss government, acting through its Embassy in Tehran, serves as protecting power for U.S. interests in Iran. Neither U.S. passports nor visas to the United States are issued in Tehran. The Iranian Government does not recognize dual citizenship and generally does not permit the Swiss to provide protective services for U.S. citizens who are also Iranian nationals. U.S. citizens of Iranian origin who are considered by Iran to be Iranian citizens have been detained and harassed by Iranian authorities. Former Muslims who have converted to other religions, as well as persons who encourage Muslims to convert, are subject to arrest and prosecution.
Americans who travel or reside in Iran despite this Travel Warning are strongly encouraged to register through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov. If they are in Tehran, American citizens may also register in person at the U.S. Interests Section of the Swiss Embassy at Africa Avenue, West Farzan Street, no. 59, Tehran. The local telephone numbers are 021-8878-2964 and 021-8879-2364, fax 021-8877-3265, e-mail: tie.vertretung@eda.admin.ch.
U.S. citizens should also consult the Department of State’s Country Specific Information for Iran, and the current Worldwide Caution, which are located on the Department’s Internet web site at http://travel.state.gov. American citizens may also obtain updated information on travel and security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada or, from outside the United States and Canada, 1-202-501-4444.
Note; The following text is a quote:
http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_4358.html
Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520
This information is current as of today, Tue Sep 16 2008 17:21:56 GMT-0700 (PDT).
BOLIVIA
September 15, 2008
This Travel Warning is being issued to alert U.S. citizens to the unstable social and security situation in Bolivia. The Department of State has authorized the departure of non-emergency personnel and all family members of U.S. Embassy personnel in Bolivia and suggests all U.S. citizens defer non-essential travel to Bolivia. U.S. citizens currently in Bolivia should remain vigilant, monitor local media, review their security posture on a regular basis, and consider departing if the situation allows. Travelers in vehicles should not attempt to pass through or around roadblocks, even if they appear unattended. U.S. citizens who encounter a demonstration should try to depart the area as quickly as possible.
Over the course of the past weeks, opposition to the Central government’s policies by five of the nine departments (Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando, Chuquisaca and Tarija) has turned increasingly violent. Hunger strikes, marches and road blocks that were initially peaceful have become violent as pro-government and opposition forces attempt to consolidate or impede control of government buildings and strategic facilities, such as the gas and oil pipelines. To date, more than a dozen persons have died and over 100 persons have been seriously injured. Police and military police have lost control of the situation in some areas and cities of those departments, and the road blocks and other measures taken by the opposition are making gas, diesel and other essential items unavailable. No one can, with any degree of confidence, predict what may happen in the near future.
The U.S. Embassy in La Paz continues to review its security posture and may, from time to time, close for routine services. U.S. consular personnel remain available to provide emergency information and services to U.S. citizens. U.S. citizens in need of Embassy assistance should call the Embassy’s Consular Section at (591) 2-216-8297 during working hours or 216-8500 after hours or on weekends.
American citizens should monitor the U.S. Embassy web site, http://bolivia.usembassy.gov, and stay in contact with family and friends in the United States. Family members and friends unable to verify the safety and welfare of U.S. citizens in the affected area should call 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the United States and Canada, or from other areas via a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. Americans residing or traveling in Bolivia are encouraged to register and update their contact information at the U.S. Embassy in La Paz and/or the U.S. consular agencies in Cochabamba and Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Registration may be done online and can be done in advance of travel. Information on registering may be found at the Department of State’s Consular Affairs web site: https://travelregistration.state.gov. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the embassy to contact them in case of emergency.
For the latest security information U.S. citizens living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs web site at http://travel.state.gov where the current Worldwide Caution, Travel Alerts, Travel Warnings, Country Specific Information, and health information resources can be found. Updated information on travel and security in Bolivia may also be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 within the United States or by calling 1-202-501-4444 outside the United States. During regular work hours, the American Citizens Services unit at the Embassy in La Paz may be reached at 591-2-216-8297. The consular agencies may be reached in reached in Santa Cruz at 591-3-351-3477 and in Cochabamba at 591-3-411-6313.
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http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/mend
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http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/7618389.stm
Page last updated at 09:24 GMT, Tuesday, 16 September 2008 10:24 UK
“Briton seized by Nigerian gunmen”
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “A British national has been kidnapped by gunmen in Nigeria, the Foreign Office has confirmed.
The victim was reportedly a former employee of the Indo Rama petrochemicals firm and was seized by a five-strong gang.
More than 200 foreigners have been kidnapped by militants in the Niger Delta, the heart of the country’s oil industry, since 2006.
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http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/09/16/africa/AF-Nigeria-Oil-Unrest.php
“Militants say they sabotaged pipeline in Nigeria”
The Associated Press
Published: September 16, 2008
ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta said in a statement that its fighters used high explosives to destroy the pipeline operated by the local unit of Royal Dutch Shell PLC. Shell officials confirmed that the pipeline had been attacked.”
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/iran
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
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The STUCK ON STUPID and IDIOT ALERT awards today go to Iran.
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2083927/posts
“Iran puts Revolutionary Guards in charge of Gulf defense”
Iht ^ | 09.16.08
Posted on September 16, 2008 5:35:26 PM PDT by Perdogg
thanks for the pings!
You’re always welcome Godzilla.
http://israel.internet-haganah.com/
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http://haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1021338.html
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http://israel.internet-haganah.com/archives/001427.html
16 September 2008
“Report: Aide to Hamas Chief Shot Dead in Syria”
Snippet: “Cool:
Hamas Chief Khaled Meshaal’s secretary was shot and killed in Homs, Syria last Thursday, according to the Reform Party of Syria.
According to an article on the party’s website, Hisham al-Labadani was dragged from his car and shot to death.”
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http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1020630.html
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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2081529/posts
“Ahmadinejad: Iran Will Support Hamas Until Collapse of Israel”
Haaretz ^ | 13 Sept 2008 | DPA
Posted on September 13, 2008 6:57:59 AM PDT by edpc
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http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/hamas
http://www.truthusa.com/IRAN.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/iran
http://www.truthusa.com/MoreThanCartoons.html
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/cartoonjihad
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http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/turkey
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/islam
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/islamophobia
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http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022731.php
(THE NATIONAL.ae)
September 16, 2008
“Turkish Prime Minister: ‘Islamophobia’ a ‘crime against humanity’”
SNIPPET: “Mr Erdogan has criticised the West for harbouring “Islamophobia” before, saying that Muslims felt “under siege”. But this time, the prime minister went further, accusing the West of trying to define values of a global civilisation all by itself.
“We think that civilisation is global, and that civilisation cannot be interpreted like an ideology that belongs to the West,” he said. After a first international forum held in Madrid in January this year, the Alliance of Civilisations will hold its second forum in Istanbul in April. Mr Idiz said the platform had become a vehicle to defuse tensions between the West and the Islamic world.
“We saw that after the cartoon crisis,” he said, referring to the anger in the Islamic world after the publication of cartoons depicting the Prophet Mohammed by a Danish newspaper in 2005. At a meeting in Doha in Feb 2006, members of the alliance discussed ways to calm the waters after the crisis....”
In my opinion, your opinion is spot-on!!!
Islamic jihad vows to strike Israel with rockets if assassinations resumed
"Hundreds of rockets will strike the Israeli cities if the enemy committed any foolish mistake against the leaders of the Palestinian resistance," said Abu Hamza, a spokesman for the Islamic Jihad's military wing.
Afghans repatriate son, 12, of Pakistani indicted in US
The 12-year-old son of a Pakistani neuroscientist indicted in New York on charges of attacking American soldiers and FBI agents in Afghanistan was handed over to Pakistani diplomats on Monday by Afghan officials for repatriation to relatives in Pakistan.
Siddiqui had been listed since 2004 as wanted by the United States government for her suspected links to Al Qaeda, and had been missing since 2003 until she turned up in Afghanistan a few months ago.
Urgent warning to Israelis - Leave Sinai immediately
he Counter Terrorism Bureau on Monday warned Israelis to leave the Sinai immediately due to an imminent and concrete plan by jihad terrorists to kidnap Israelis and smuggle them to Hamas-controlled Gaza. The bureau says Hizbullah is also involved in the plot.
Israel is warning citizens not to enter Sinai until after the upcoming High Holiday period, and issued an order prohibiting IDF soldiers, career soldiers, and civilians working for the military from traveling to Sinai. Soldiers found violating the order will be severely punished, according to an IDF statement.
Alleged fake lawyer worked terrorism-related case
A man accused of impersonating a lawyer in federal courts around the country testified earlier this year for one of three men convicted in a terrorism-related case, documents show.
Howard O. Kieffer, 53, who currently lives in Duluth, Minn., is facing a Nov. 18 trial in North Dakota federal court on charges of mail fraud and making false statements. He remains free on bail after pleading not guilty in court Monday.
Court documents show Kieffer has participated in federal cases in at least 10 states, including a civil complaint in Florida filed by Kifah Wael Jayyousi, a co-defendant with Jose Padilla and Adham Amin Hassoun, who were convicted of terrorism-related crimes in 2007.
Key witness in terrorism trial previously jailed
It has been revealed a key prosecution witness in the country's biggest terrorism trial has already been jailed on terrorism charges.
Man arrested under terrorism act
A man has been arrested in Kent under the Terrorism Act, police have said. The man, who has not been named, was held at 0845 BST on Monday in Hawkinge, near Folkestone. He is being questioned at a police station in the county. Police are examining a property in Curlew Place, which has been described as a quiet cul-de-sac. A resident, who lives opposite the entrance to the modern development, said he thought the arrested man was Turkish, and owned a local kebab shop.
“Key witness: Izzydeen Atik.”
Duly noted and thank you Mamadearest.
See updates on the thread:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/2084091/posts
EXPLOSION HEARD NEAR U.S. EMBASSY IN YEMEN
Reuters (excerpt) ^ | September 17, 2008
Posted on September 17, 2008 12:05:21 AM PDT by HAL9000
EXPLOSION HEARD NEAR U.S. EMBASSY IN YEMEN -AL-ARABIYA TV
http://www.cnn.com/2008/US/09/16/missing.plane/index.html
Updated 10:13 p.m. EDT, Tue September 16, 2008
“Missing plane sought along U.S.-Mexico border”
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http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/melamine
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Note: The following post is a quote:
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2084107/posts
Chinese baby milk toll escalates
BBC News ^ | September 17, 2008
Posted on September 17, 2008 1:07:13 AM PDT by Schnucki
More than 6,200 babies have fallen ill after drinking formula milk made from contaminated powder, Chinese Health Minister Chen Zhu has announced.
The figure is five times higher than previously announced.
Mr Chen said a third baby had now died - with the latest fatality occurring in the Zhejiang province of eastern China.
Twenty-two brands of powder were found to contain the toxic industrial chemical melamine, apparently added to make it appear higher in protein.
Mr Chen said a total of 6,244 infants were now sick, and that the number of those diagnosed with “acute kidney failure” had risen to 158.
Anger on forums
The government has labelled the poisonings a “level one” food safety incident and formed an emergency team to grapple with the fallout.
It is keen to try to reassure parents that it is in control of what is happening, says the BBC’s James Reynolds in Beijing.
This scandal has undermined confidence in food safety in China and many parents are worried about what they will feed their babies, he adds.
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
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