Free Republic

CAIRO - In his first public speech addressing tens of thousands of mostly Islamist supporters, Egypt's president-elect Mohammed Morsi has vowed to free the blind sheik jailed in the U.S. for a plot to blow up New York City landmarks. Morsi, Egypt's first Islamist and civilian president-elect, promised Friday to work to free Omar Abdel-Rahman, the spiritual leader of men convicted in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. He also promised to free detained Egyptian protesters facing military tribunals.

BANGKOK, Thailand - A Russian dubbed the "Merchant of Death" for allegedly supplying weapons to Africa's bloody conflicts over power and diamonds was arrested Thursday in Thailand on suspicion of conspiring to smuggle guns to Colombia's leftist rebels. Viktor Bout, 41, whose dealings reportedly inspired a 2005 movie about the illicit arms trade, was arrested at U.S. request in his hotel room in Bangkok, said police Lt. Gen. Pongpat Chayapan. Bout had eluded arrest for years and was finally seized after a four-month sting organized by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration. In New York, federal authorities unsealed a criminal complaint...

TWRA's infant permits set up baby for lifetime of hunting and fishing - NASHVILLE - Alice and Ron Harvill wanted to get their new grandson something he could always use. So instead of going to Toys "R" Us for his Christmas present, the grandparents in Columbia gave the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency $200 and got the little boy a lifetime hunting and fishing license. "I've seen grandparents out there spend $200 on these foolish toys, and 10 years from now, where are they?" asked Alice Harvill. TWRA began selling lifetime licenses nine years ago to people of all ages. But...

An eye-opening report issued by the United Nations earlier this month revealed that every Al-Qaeda-linked terrorist attack to date—with the exception of 9/11—has cost under $50,000 to carry out. Much of these funds, according to the report, “have been collected locally, whether through crime or diverted from charitable donations.” The numerous closures of Muslim “charities” in the U.S. since 9/11, including the recently-indicted Holy Land Foundation (which allegedly raised money for Hamas), in large part verify the UN’s assessment. But what about Al-Qaeda’s links to international crime, in particular, the drug trade? A recent staff report released by the 9/11...

TERRORISM Global Network of Islamic Fundamentalist’s – Part II -Modus operandi- Model Bosnia

A secret report to the United Nations by French investigator Jean-Charles Brisard names seven prominent Saudi financiers of terror; the number matches the seven Saudis mentioned in a 11/26/02 Washington Post article, though it's not known if all the names are the same. The Saudis mentioned by Brisard are: Khalid bin Mahfouz; Yassin al-Qadi; Saleh Abdullah Kamel; Abdullah Suleiman al-Rajhi; Adel Abdul Jalil Batterjee; Mohammed Hussein al-Amoudi; and Wa'el Hamza Julaidan (who has had his assets frozen by the US [State Department, 9/6/02]). Brisard says al-Qaeda has received between $300 million and $500 million over the last 10 years from...

NEW YORK - Besieged by claims resulting from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, dozens of insurance companies filed lawsuits Wednesday seeking $300 billion in damages from terrorist groups and companies and countries accused of supporting terrorism. In the two lawsuits, filed in New York and Washington, D.C., the companies sought to recover money paid out, or set aside to be paid, as a result of the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center. The lawsuits maintain the companies are entitled to collect damages and recover claims under multiple federal laws. The defendants include the organizations al-Qaida, Egyptian Islamic Jihad and...

<p>The Treasury Department said Monday that it would decline to provide the Senate with a list of Saudi individuals and organizations the federal government has investigated for possibly funding al-Qaida and other terrorist groups.</p> <p>The action was the second in two weeks to set the White House and Congress at odds over the Saudis and federal intelligence-gathering related to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.</p>

<p>The Treasury Department rejected a request from senators Tuesday and refused to release a classified list of Saudi individuals or organizations suspected of financing terrorist groups.</p> <p>A Treasury spokesman, Rob Nichols, said a department official misspoke when he told senators last week the list was unclassified, which would mean it was not restricted information.</p>