"The Department of State reminds Americans that U.S. citizens and interests are at a heightened risk of terrorist attacks, including by groups with links to Al-Qaida. Terrorist actions may include, but are not limited to, suicide operations, assassinations or kidnappings. While conventional weapons such as explosive devices pose a more immediate threat in many areas overseas, terrorist use of non-conventional weapons, including chemical or biological agents must be considered a growing threat. These individuals and groups have proved that they do not distinguish between official and civilian targets. Because security and security awareness have been elevated within the United States, terrorists may target U.S. interests overseas. Private Americans should remain vigilant with regard to their personal security and exercise caution.
Attacks on places of worship and schools, and the murders of private American citizens and other westerners, demonstrate that as security is increased at official U.S. facilities, terrorists and their sympathizers will seek softer targets. These may include facilities where Americans or possibly other foreigners are generally known to congregate or visit, such as residential areas, clubs, restaurants, places of worship, schools, hotels, outdoor recreation events or resorts and beaches. Americans should increase their security awareness when they are at such locations, avoid them, or switch to other locations where Americans in large numbers generally do not congregate. There is a possibility that American citizens may be targeted for kidnapping or assassination."
***WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "FBI, CIA BELIEVE MASS CASUALTY AL QAEDA STRIKE MORE LIKELY" by Bill Gertz (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Al Qaeda's latest threat of terrorist attacks is focused on operations in three areas: the continental United States, the Persian Gulf region or Southeast Asia, according to intelligence officials. Intelligence from both the FBI and CIA indicates that al Qaeda is preparing to conduct a major attack that will cause mass casualties, like the September 11 attacks, according to officials. The CIA is worried that the new attack will be al Qaeda's first attempt to carry out a terror strike using deadly chemical, biological or radiological weapons, said officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.") (February 11, 2003)
***FOX NEWS.com: "POWELL: NEW BIN LADEN STATEMENT CONFIRMS IRAQ LINK" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Powell said he read a transcript of "what bin Laden -- or who we believe to be bin Laden" will be saying on the Al-Jazeera Arab satellite station later Tuesday, "where once again he speaks to the people of Iraq and talks about their struggle and how he is in partnership with Iraq."" ... "Al-Jazeera chief editor Ibrahim Hilal told The Associated Press late Tuesday that his office had just received an audiotape with bin Laden's voice. He said he and and the station's board were listening to the tape and would make a decision on when to air it. A headline at the bottom of the screen during regular programming Tuesday night read, "Al Qaeda leader Usama bin Laden calls on all Muslims to unite to defend the Iraqi people, in an audio message Al-Jazeera will broadcast later."") (February 11, 2003)
***FBI.gov: "Statement for the Record of Robert S. Mueller, III Director Federal Bureau of Investigation on War on Terrorism Before the Select Committee on Intelligence of the United States Senate Washington, D.C." (STATEMENT SNIPPET: "The al-Qaeda network will remain for the foreseeable future the most immediate and serious threat facing this country. Al-Qaeda is the most lethal of the groups associated with the Sunni jihadist cause, but it does not operate in a vacuum; many of the groups committed to international jihad -- including the Egyptian al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya, Lebanese Asbat al-Ansar, Somali al-Ittihad al-Islami, and Algerian Salafist Group for Call and Combat (GSPC) --- offer al-Qaeda varying degrees of support. * FBI investigations have revealed a widespread militant Islamic presence in the US. * We strongly suspect that several hundred of these extremists are linked to al-Qaeda. * The focus of their activities centers primarily on fundraising, recruitment, and training. Their support structure, however, is sufficiently well-developed that one or more groups could be ramped up by al-Qaeda to carry out operations in the US homeland. Despite the progress the US has made in disrupting the al-Qaeda network overseas and within our own country, the organization maintains the ability and the intent to inflict significant casualties in the US with little warning. * The greatest threat is from al-Qaeda cells in the US that we have not yet identified. The challenge of finding and rooting out al-Qaeda members once they have entered the US and have had time to establish themselves is our most serious intelligence and law enforcement challenge.") (February 11, 2003)
***WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "FBI, CIA BELIEVE MASS CASUALTY AL QAEDA STRIKE MORE LIKELY" by Bill Gertz (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Al Qaeda's latest threat of terrorist attacks is focused on operations in three areas: the continental United States, the Persian Gulf region or Southeast Asia, according to intelligence officials. Intelligence from both the FBI and CIA indicates that al Qaeda is preparing to conduct a major attack that will cause mass casualties, like the September 11 attacks, according to officials. The CIA is worried that the new attack will be al Qaeda's first attempt to carry out a terror strike using deadly chemical, biological or radiological weapons, said officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity.") (February 11, 2003)
"The increasing threat against the free world inherent in Al-Qaeda may be seen in the extreme anti-western line taken by that organization, in which all citizens of democratic counties are defined as "combatants", thus conferring religious legitimacy to the indiscriminate killing of civilians."
That's the Achille's Heel of Islamic terrorists. The Koran clearly states that the killing of non-combatants is haram (unlawful), so in order to justify the indiscriminate murder of civilians, the terrorist must subvert the teachings of the very religion he claims to be defending.
To destroy Al-Qaeda from within, the fact that they are doing that must resonate from every moderate Mosque in the world. I hope that moderate Islam realizes that by not fighting back, they are ensuring their own destruction, along with the extremists.
There was an article in FR a few days ago, discussing the fact that the house of Saud is making moves towards democratizing the system of government there. They are implementing elections for all sorts of parliamentary-like bodies of government, leading perhaps to a government similar to the British, with the ruling house being largely symbolic in nature.
The speaker also commented on another goal being the removal of Wahabbi influence from education, and moving towards a more secular system.
The cultural impact of this would be tremendous, and while I have doubts about the timeliness (it may be a little late for this), if they manage to loosen the grip of the Wahabbi clerics on Saudi Arabia, they will lose power and influence everywhere.
I think the ruling house is getting tired of the Wahabbis, scared of the Americans, or both.
Have you heard anything about this?
HIPAKISTAN.com: "OSAMA BIN LADEN'S SON SPOTTED IN IRAN: REPORT" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "RIYADH: Osama bin Laden's eldest son, Saad, who was with his father during the US-led air campaign against Afghanistan in 2001, is currently in Iran, a Saudi-owned newspaper reported Thursday. "Saad, the eldest son of Osama bin Laden, head of the al-Qaeda network, was spotted in Iran," Al-Sharq Al-Awsat said, citing a diplomatic source and without giving further details. The pan-Arab paper added that bin Laden himself "is not in Iran." Asharq Al-Awsat reported last July that Saad had taken over the command of al-Qaeda since the US offensive against al-Qaeda bases in Afghanistan. That disclosure, the daily said at the time, "substantiates the theory that Osama was killed or seriously wounded" in the US-led military campaign.") (February 15, 2003)
***WASHINGTON TIMES.com: 'BIN LADEN SON, AL QAEDA TERRORISTS SPOTTED IN IRAN" by Bill Gertz (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "U.S. intelligence agencies say Osama bin Laden's oldest son, Sad, is in Iran along with other senior al Qaeda terrorists, as Iranian military forces have been placed on their highest state of alert in anticipation of a U.S. attack on Iraq, according to intelligence officials. Sad bin Laden was spotted in Iran last month, according to officials familiar with intelligence reports. Sad is believed to be a key leader of the al Qaeda terrorist network since U.S. and allied forces ousted the ruling Taliban militia in Afghanistan.") (February 15, 2003)
***INSIGHT On The News online: "MISSILE TECHNOLOGY SENT TO CHINA" by Scott L. Wheeler (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Indianapolis-based Magnequench Inc. has not yet publically announced the closing of its Valparaiso, Ind., factory, but Insight has confirmed that the company will shut down this year and relocate at least some of its high-tech machine tools to Tianjin, China. Word of the shutdown comes as the company is producing critical parts for the U.S. Joint Direct Attack Munition (JDAM) project, more widely known as smart bombs, raising heavy security issues related to the transfer of military technology to the PRC.") (020503)
SAAG.org - SOUTH ASIA ANALYSIS GROUP Paper No.610 by Dr. Rajesh Kumar Misra: "NUCLEAR SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY OF PAKISTAN: CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO NONPROLIFERATION" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Recent revelations of support to North Korean uranium enrichment programme and the connections of some of the scientists with Al Qaeda appear to confirm that Pakistan is developing into one of the most dangerous proliferant countries in the world. The nuclear scientific community plays a pivotal role in it. Right at the top, Dr. A.Q. Khan to several other scientists who were involved in the nuclear development programme of Pakistan, remain suspects. More than a dozen scientists in Pakistan can be called as nuclear proliferation agents. Including a list of suspected scientists in Pakistan, this paper is an effort to draw attention of the international community on the existing alleged rogue nuclear scientific community in Pakistan and their potential involvement in proliferation of weapons of mass destruction worldwide at different state and non-state levels.") February 7, 2003
GUARDIAN.co.uk: "ITALIAN JUDGE FREES PAKISTANIS HELD IN TERRORISM RAID" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "An Italian judge ordered the release of 28 Pakistani men yesterday after they spent two weeks in a Naples prison, admitting there was not enough evidence that any of them were involved in an al-Qaida plot.") (February 13, 2003)
FOX NEWS.com (AP): "28 PAKISTANI AL QAEDA SUSPECTS ARRESTED IN ITALY" (ARTICLE SNIPPETS: "During the raid of an apartment in the city center, they uncovered about 2 pounds of dynamite, 165 feet of explosive fuse and various types of detonators, the police statement said.The official said police also uncovered maps of Naples with "sensitive" targets circled. He refused to elaborate. Italian news reports citing unidentified sources said the areas marked included the U.S. Consulate in Naples and NATO bases in nearby Bagnoli and Capodichino."... "In addition, religious texts in Pakistan's Urdu language and other documents were also found in the apartment, as well as photos of "martyrs of the Jihad," the police statement said.") (January 31, 2003)
***TV.KSL.com (AP): Salt Lake City. "ASSAULT ON REMOTE OIL FIELD WORKER RAISES TERROR FEARS" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Navajo Nation police and the FBI were patrolling a remote area of southeastern Utah Thursday after reports that an oil company employee had been attacked by armed men who asked questions about the oilfield's operations. The victim, whose name wasn't released, told authorities four armed men attacked him at 11:30 p.m. Wednesday at the ExxonMobil oil and natural gas processing facility in Aneth, Utah. "He did not get a good look at them," said Leonard G. Butler, acting executive director of Navajo Nation public safety in Window Rock, Ariz. "They were speaking a language he did not understand.")(February 20, 2003)
AZ CENTRAL.com - THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC: "IRAQI WITH ALLEGED TERRORIST TIES ARRESTED IN PHOENIX" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Phoenix authorities have arrested an Iraqi man on the FBI's Watch List who is suspected of having connections to "known terrorist groups" and who fought against the United States in Desert Storm in 1991, authorities said. Alidai Al-Hamdani, 27, was formerly employed by Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport, according to police reports.") (February 20, 2003)
AZ CENTRAL.com - THE ARIZONA REPUBLIC: "AFGHAN MAN ARRESTED IN TUCSON" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "Tucson police arrested an Afghan man Tuesday after he apparently crossed the border illegally, authorities said. Investigators were tight-lipped about the arrest, saying the 26-year-old man was in federal custody on immigration-related charges. "I can confirm we did arrest someone from Afghanistan, but the case is under investigation by us and the FBI," U.S. Border Patrol spokesman Rob Daniels said.") (February 20, 2003)
FOX NEWS.com: "FLORIDA PROFESSOR CHARGED WITH OPERATING GLOBAL TERROR ORGANIZATION" (ARTICLE NOTE: The Florida professor is Sami Al-Arian. The terror organization is Palestinian Islamic Jihad.) (February 20, 2003)
US DOJ.gov: "MEMBERS OF THE PALESTINIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD ARRESTED, CHARGED WITH RACKETEERING AND CONSPIRACY TO PROVIDE SUPPORT TO TERRORISTS" (PRESS RELEASE SNIPPET: "WASHINGTON, D.C. Attorney General John Ashcroft, Assistant Attorney General Michael Chertoff of the Criminal Division, U.S. Attorney Paul I. Perez of the Middle District of Florida, and James F. Jarboe, FBI Special Agent In Charge of the Tampa Field Office, today announced the arrest of four members of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), a designated foreign terrorist organization, following the return of a 50-count indictment by a federal grand jury in Tampa, Florida. The indictment, returned Feb. 19 and unsealed today, charges a total of eight defendants under RICO with operating a racketeering enterprise from 1984 until the present that engaged in a number of violent activities. In addition, the indictment charges conspiracy within the United States to kill and main persons abroad, conspiracy to provide material support and resources to PIJ, conspiracy to violate emergency economic sanctions, engaging in various acts of interstate extortion, perjury, obstruction of justice and immigration fraud. If convicted, the defendants face up to life in prison. "The individuals named in this indictment play a substantial role in international terrorism they are 'material supporters' of foreign terrorist organizations. They finance, extol and assist acts of terror," said Attorney General John Ashcroft. "Our message to them is clear: We make no distinction between those who carry out terrorist attacks and those who knowingly finance, manage or supervise terrorist organizations. We will bring justice to the full network of terror." The defendants arrested today are: *Sami Amin Al-Arian, 45, born in Kuwait, a resident of Temple Terrace, Fla., and for many years a professor at the University of South Florida's College of Engineering. Al-Arian was the alleged leader of the PIJ in the United States, and Secretary of the "Shura Council," or worldwide governing group of the PIJ; *Sameeh Hammoudeh, 42, born in the West Bank, a resident of Temple Terrace, Fla., an instructor and student at USF, and administrator at the Islamic Academy of Florida. Hammoudeh was an alleged member of the PIJ in the Tampa area; *Hatim Naji Fariz, 30, born in Puerto Rico, a resident of Spring Hill, Fla., and a manager for a medical clinic. Fariz also was an alleged PIJ member; and *Ghassan Zayed Ballut, 41, born in the West Bank, a resident of Tinley Park, Illinois, and a small business owner. Ballut was an alleged member of a PIJ cell in Chicago, Illinois. The other defendants charged in the indictment remain overseas. They are: *Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, 45, born in the Gaza Strip in the Occupied Territories, a resident of Damascus, Syria, current worldwide leader of the PIJ and a member of the PIJ's Shura Council. Shallah, formerly of Tampa, is former Executor Director of the World Islam and Studies Enterprise (WISE) and a former instructor at USF. Shallah was named by the United States as a Specially Designated Terrorist in November 1995; *Bashir Musa Mohammed Nafi, 50, born in Egypt, a resident of Oxfordshire, England, and a professor at Muslim College, formerly associated with WISE. Nafi was the leader of the PIJ in the United Kingdom, a member and founder of the PIJ, and a member of the Shura Council; *Mohammed Tasir Hassan Al-Khatib, 46, born in the Gaza Strip in the Occupied Territories, a resident in the Beirut, Lebanon area, formerly associated with Islamic Committee for Palestine (ICP) in Tampa. Al-Khatib was Treasurer of the PIJ and a member of the Shura Council; and *Abd Al Aziz Awda, 52, born in Gabaly, Israel, a resident of the Gaza Strip and Imam of the Al Qassam Mosque in the Gaza Strip. Awda was a founder and spiritual leader of the PIJ and a member of the Shura Council. In January 1995, Awda was designated by the United States as a specially designated terrorist.") (February 20, 2003) (Click here to read the full text of this press release.)
FOX NEWS.com: "MOROCCAN CONVICTED IN FIRST SEPTEMBER 11 TRIAL" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "HAMBURG, Germany -- In the first trial anywhere of a suspect in the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, a 28-year old Moroccan student was found guilty Wednesday of being an accessory to the murder of more than 3,000 people. Mounir el Motassadeq received the maximum sentence: 15 years in prison. A Hamburg state court found him guilty of membership in a terrorist organization and of planning logistics for the Al Qaeda cell that included three homicide pilots, including lead Sept. 11 hijacker Mohamed Atta, who flew one of two planes that demolished the World Trade Center. El Motassadeq, who showed no emotion as the verdict was read, was convicted of 3,045 counts of accessory to attempted murder, as well as five counts of attempted murder and bodily injury.") (February 19, 2003)
***NY DAILY NEWS.com: "JUST PLANE BAFFLING" (ARTICLE SNIPPETS: "It was also revealed that Peter Williams, 59, is a licensed pilot who owns a plane - and attended the same flight school as some of the Sept. 11 terrorists, sources and authorities said." ... "Airport screeners found a plastic knife and the piano wire, with handles, in the luggage, sources said.") (February 14, 2003)
BBC NEWS.com: "SAUDIS JAILED FOR 'AL-QAEDA' PLOT" (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The three men, Abdullah Mesfer Ali al-Ghamdi, 22, Zouhair Hilal, 26, and Hilal El-Assiri, 31, were convicted on charges of attempted murder, attempted sabotage with the use of explosives and belonging to a "criminal organisation". They were found to have plotted to buy small speed boats, fill them with explosives and use them for suicide attacks against British and US warships as they crossed the narrow Straits of Gibraltar. The Moroccan wives of two of the men were sentenced to six months in prison for their part in the plot. Three other Moroccans received sentences ranging from four months to one year. One Moroccan was acquitted.") (February 21, 2003)
WASHINGTON TIMES.com: "SHIP GETS ARMS IN AND OUT" by Bill Gertz (ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The North Korean ship that last year delivered Scud missiles to Yemen transferred a large shipment of chemical weapons material from Germany to North Korea recently, U.S. intelligence officials said. The ship, the Sosan, was monitored as it arrived in North Korea earlier this month carrying a shipment of sodium cyanide, a precursor chemical used in making nerve gas, said officials familiar with intelligence reports.") (February 18, 2003)