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US troops kill relatives of Iraq governor in raid
The U.S. military says American soldiers have killed two armed relatives of a provincial governor during a raid against al-Qaida in Iraq.
The military says in a statement that the soldiers were acting in self-defense when they shot the relatives of Hamad Hammoud, governor of Salahuddin province. It says the slain men showed "hostile intent."
The raid happened Sunday in Beiji in northern Iraq. The deputy governor, Abdullah Hussein Jabarah, says the slain men were the son and nephew of the governor.
The U.S. military says a financier for al-Qaida in Iraq was wounded and captured during the operation. The U.S. military says American soldiers have killed two armed relatives of a provincial governor during a raid against al-Qaida in Ir... more -
Al-Qaeda 'may be shifting focus'
Al-Qaeda may be considering shifting its focus from Iraq to Afghanistan, the top US commander in Iraq has said.
In an interview with the Associated Press, Gen David Petraeus said there was evidence that foreign fighters were being diverted away from Iraq.
But he said there was no suggestion the militant Islamist group would entirely abandon the fight in Iraq.
Al-Qaeda evolved in Afghanistan and was closely-linked to the Taleban regime, toppled by US-led forces in 2001.
As Iraq became the main theatre of conflict in the Middle East, al-Qaeda's leadership focused its efforts on fighting there. Al-Qaeda may be considering shifting its focus from Iraq to Afghanistan, the top US commander in Iraq has said. ... more -
Al-Qaida draws more foreign recruits to Afghan war
Afghanistan has been drawing a fresh influx of jihadi fighters from Turkey, Central Asia, Chechnya and the Middle East, one more sign that al-Qaida is regrouping on what is fast becoming the most active front of the war on terror groups.
More foreigners are infiltrating Afghanistan because of a recruitment drive by al-Qaida as well as a burgeoning insurgency that has made movement easier across the border from Pakistan, U.S. officials, militants and experts say.
For the past two months, Afghanistan has overtaken Iraq in deaths of U.S. and allied troops, and nine American soldiers were killed at a remote base in Kunar province Sunday in the deadliest attack in years.
Afghanistan has been drawing a fresh influx of jihadi fighters from Turkey, Central Asia, Chechnya and the Middle East, one more sign ... more -
Al-Qaida draws more foreign recruits to Afghan war
"Afghanistan has been drawing a fresh influx of jihadi fighters from Turkey, Central Asia, Chechnya and the Middle East, one more sign that al-Qaida is regrouping on what is fast becoming the most active front of the war on terror groups.
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More foreigners are infiltrating Afghanistan because of a recruitment drive by al-Qaida as well as a burgeoning insurgency that has made movement easier across the border from Pakistan, U.S. officials, militants and experts say. For the past two months, Afghanistan has overtaken Iraq in deaths of U.S. and allied troops, and nine American soldiers were killed at a remote base in Kunar province Sunday in the deadliest attack in years."
"Afghanistan has been drawing a fresh influx of jihadi fighters from Turkey, Central Asia, Chechnya and the Middle East, one more sign... more -
Twin Bombings Kill Dozens of Iraqi Army Recruits
Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowd of army recruits Tuesday in an Iraqi province where devastating attacks persist despite security improvements in the rest of the country. At least 28 people died, the Iraqi police and military said. Two suicide bombers blew themselves up in a crowd of army recruits Tuesday in an Iraqi province where devastating attacks persist desp... more
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Pakistan: U.S. can't hunt bin Laden on its turf
Pakistan's top diplomat said Saturday there are no U.S. or other foreign military personnel on the hunt for Osama bin Laden in his nation, and none will be allowed in to search for the al-Qaida leader.
In an interview with The Associated Press, Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mahmood Qureshi said his nation's new government has ruled out such military operations, covert or otherwise, to catch militants.
"Our government's policy is that our troops, paramilitary forces and our regular forces are deployed in sufficient numbers. They are capable of taking action there. And any foreign intrusion would be counterproductive," he said Saturday. "People will not accept it. Questions of sovereignty come in." Pakistan's top diplomat said Saturday there are no U.S. or other foreign military personnel on the hunt for Osama bin Laden in his nat... more -
Saudi Muslim scholar: following al-qaeda against Islam
An Islamic scholar in Saudi Arabia has said the terrorist network alqaeda goes against the principles of Islam. The statement was issued after al-qaeda militants were arrested last month in S. Arabia.
The Saudi scholar, Al-Sheikh said:
"The things that al-Qaeda members do in Saudi Arabia must be unacceptable to any Muslim,"
"He who commits crimes such as those of the deviant sect (refering to al-qaeda) is nothing but a wicked person who has abandoned his faith and behaves like animals or barbarians."
"Supporting them means committing one of the biggest sins." An Islamic scholar in Saudi Arabia has said the terrorist network alqaeda goes against the principles of Islam. The statement was issu... more -
Al-Qaeda, stuck in Web 1.0
Al-Qaeda had been the most media-savvy terrorist group in the world. Sending out regular communiques, that included audio and video.
Sometimes, when you are an authoritarian administration, it's hard to stick to the times. Web 2.0 resources like YouTube and Facebook have not been particularly useful for these terror-techies. Their distribution is a fraction of what they would have hoped. Many of their most popular videos have been given satirical 'director's commentary' by critics of the terrorist network.
The free-flow of information has served to undermine many of the agendas of this organization, but the fear is that Arab nations who censor their internet, are allowing Al-Qaeda's Web 1.0 message to be heard.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/26/opinion/26kimmage.htm... Al-Qaeda had been the most media-savvy terrorist group in the world. Sending out regular communiques, that included audio and video. ... more -
Whitehouse Cover-Up Exposed by Ex C.I.A. Agent
http://www.c-span.org/search/basic.asp?ResultStart=1&am...
http://current.com/items/89025024_america_turned_away_f... http://www.c-span.org/search/basic.asp?ResultStart=1&ResultCount=10&BasicQueryText=flynt+leverett ... more -
America turned away from relations with Iran on many occasions since 2001
New York Times 2006: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/opinion/24leverett.ht...
Washington Post 2004: http://pqasb.pqarchiver.com/washingtonpost/access/62919...
New York Times
AS the United States and its European partners consider their next steps to contain the Iranian nuclear threat, let's recall how poorly the Bush administration has handled this issue. During its five years in office, the administration has turned away from every opportunity to put relations with Iran on a more positive trajectory. Three examples stand out.
In the aftermath of the Sept. 11 attacks, Tehran offered to help Washington overthrow the Taliban and establish a new political order in Afghanistan. But in his 2002 State of the Union address, President Bush announced that Iran was part of an "axis of evil," thereby scuttling any possibility of leveraging tactical cooperation over Afghanistan into a strategic opening.
In the spring of 2003, shortly before I left government, the Iranian Foreign Ministry sent Washington a detailed proposal for comprehensive negotiations to resolve bilateral differences. The document acknowledged that Iran would have to address concerns about its weapons programs and support for anti-Israeli terrorist organizations. It was presented as having support from all major players in Iran's power structure, including the supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. A conversation I had shortly after leaving the government with a senior conservative Iranian official strongly suggested that this was the case. Unfortunately, the administration's response was to complain that the Swiss diplomats who passed the document from Tehran to Washington were out of line.
Finally, in October 2003, the Europeans got Iran to agree to suspend enrichment in order to pursue talks that might lead to an economic, nuclear and strategic deal. But the Bush administration refused to join the European initiative, ensuring that the talks failed.
Now Washington and its allies are faced with two unattractive options for dealing with the Iranian nuclear issue. They can refer the issue to the Security Council, but, at a time of tight energy markets, no one is interested in restricting Iranian oil sales. Other measures under discussion - travel restrictions on Iranian officials, for example - are likely to be imposed only ad hoc, with Russia and China as probable holdouts. They are in any case unlikely to sway Iranian decision-making, because unlike his predecessor, President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad disdains being feted in European capitals.
Alternatively, the United States (or Israel) could strike militarily at Iran's nuclear installations. But these are spread across Iran, and planners may not know all of the targets that would need to be hit. Moreover, a strike could prove counterproductive by hardening Iranian resolve to acquire a nuclear weapons capacity.
Is there a way out of this strategic dead end? Nuclear diplomacy with Iran, never an easy proposition, has been made harder not only by poor policy choices in Washington, but also by trends in Iranian politics. Mr. Ahmadinejad's electoral victory last year against former President Ali Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani suggests that a significant number of Iranians linked Mr. Rafsanjani's call for rapprochement with the West with his corrupt past and rejected both in favor of Mr. Ahmadinejad's populist nationalism. Moreover, Mr. Ahmadinejad's execrable rhetoric about Israel and the Holocaust threatens to make future Western engagement look like appeasement.
New York Times 2006: http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/24/opinion/24leverett.html?ex=1295758800&en=58871b8c8bba074e&a... more -
Most Dems no better than Bush on Pakistan
The Bush administration's bungling in Pakistan and Afghanistan has led to a resurgent Taliban and al-Qaida and loss of U.S. influence in the region. But Democrats did little to stop it.
By Flynt Leverett and Hillary Mann Leverett (Former CIA agent and his wife)
Jan. 3, 2008 | Last week, the assassination of Benazir Bhutto marked the failure of an ill-conceived U.S. attempt to orchestrate the return of a deeply divisive political exile, discredited by allegations of corruption and incompetence, to take power in Pakistan. The Bush administration's aim was to install a leader who would simultaneously "democratize" and secularize her country, fight terrorist groups, and make peace with Israel. Instead, the sad event of Bhutto's murder has exposed the strategic bankruptcy of the administration's Pakistan policy. But Democrats should not feel vindicated by this failure, for they have endorsed virtually all of the Bush team's mistaken views about Pakistan policy.
One of President Bush's more appalling flights of fancy in the foreign policy arena is his belief that democratically elected governments will somehow be more inclined than incumbent authoritarians to support U.S. policy objectives that are wildly unpopular with their own electorates. The logical absurdity of this proposition should be readily apparent, but, nevertheless, the Bush administration has proceeded blithely to test it in the real world: In January 2006, the White House and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice insisted, over the objections of Palestinian and Israeli leaders, on holding elections in occupied Palestinian territories -- purportedly to elect a Palestinian government that would have the legitimacy to crack down on ongoing anti-Israeli violence. The result of this experiment, of course, was the victory of Hamas, long designated by the United States as a terrorist organization.
Read more here: http://www.salon.com/opinion/feature/2008/01/03/pakista... The Bush administration's bungling in Pakistan and Afghanistan has led to a resurgent Taliban and al-Qaida and loss of U.S. influence ... more -
al-Qaida is sexist says female terrorists
I am all for women's rights but...
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Student researching al-Qaida tactics held for six days
A masters student researching terrorist tactics who was arrested and detained for six days after his university informed police about al-Qaida-related material he downloaded has spoken of the "psychological torture" he endured in custody.
A masters student researching terrorist tactics who was arrested and detained for six days after his university informed police about ... more -
Euro 2008: Al-Qaeda threatens terrorist attack
Al-Qaeda sympathisers are threatening to attack the Euro 2008 football tournament next month, according to Swiss police.
The championships, which begin on June 7 and are hosted by Switzerland and Austria, are in a "terrorist danger zone" and police are monitoring closely a number of internet chat forums linked to the terror group.
Juerg Buehler, a security expert with the Swiss federal police, said: "The Euro 2008 tournament is a potential target cited by the Islamist terrorist network."
Messages have been posted on "sos minbar" and "As-Sahab", two Islamist websites used by al-Qa’eda and its followers.
Mr Buehler said: "We are taking these threats seriously. We are on alert and we are following these jihad forums very closely. It is through these that Osama bin Laden’s agents awaken dormant cells.
"The situation is serious even if it is frustrated people hiding behind these sites."
According to the official, one site said: "Let’s transform the two most secure countries in Europe into hell, like the hell in Iraq and Afghanistan."
Other messages said: "The hour has come for fighters of the faith. They must make themselves heard" and "Austria must withdraw from Afghanistan".
A Swiss police spokesman Guido Balmer stressed that there was "no concrete evidence" that an attack was being planned but said all threats were taken seriously.
He said: "The tournament is a potential target, as are the Olympics and other big sporting events. They are in terrorist danger zones. But it is wrong to say that we have firm intelligence of a specific plot. We don’t have concrete evidence of preparation or planning. There are many discussions on Islamist websites which we are monitoring.
"A major event such as Euro 2008 could well be a rewarding goal from the perspective of terrorists."
More than five million people are expected to attend Euro 2008.
Sixteen teams are competing and the first match is in the Swiss city of Basle. There are eight venues in Switzerland and four in Austria.
Switzerland has been widely accused of Islamophobia in the Muslim world, notably because of opposition to the construction of mosque minarets in several Swiss cities.
Austria could also be a target because of the presence of its troops in the international force in Afghanistan.
Counter-terrorism experts say Islamist forums regularly carry threats of attacks which have to be studied, though few are to be taken seriously. Al-Qaeda sympathisers are threatening to attack the Euro 2008 football tournament next month, according to Swiss police. ... more -
STOP TURKS
SCHOOLS AND TURKS
A PAN TURKISIM PROJECT
Turkey is opening schools all must every where on the world
So why is that?
No
Is it because Turkey makes money that way?
No
Is it because Turkey is reach enough to sport world education?
No
So why Turks are doing this while they ask for more money, more debt from world bank, USA or IMF?
Turks are the ottomans; Ottoman empire should remind you many things.
Turks aim is retaking over the world using their Islamic Culture.
They started this against Zionism. Or this is Turks way of Zionism.
They call it modern Islam to make world think that this is a sweet thing, not to be stopped. Is it because they care about Islam?
Definitely no.
Islam is a tool for them. A tool to be used at taking over the world.
They started this from the very poor countries and ex Russian countries.
A very dangerous project for the words near future. SCHOOLS AND TURKS A PAN TURKISIM PROJECT Turkey is opening schools all must every where on the world So why is that? No ... more -
A PAN TURKISIM PROJECT
SCHOOLS AND TURKS
A PAN TURKISIM PROJECT
Turkey is opening schools all must every where on the world
So why is that?
No
Is it because Turkey makes money that way?
No
Is it because Turkey is reach enough to sport world education?
No
So why Turks are doing this while they ask for more money, more debt from world bank, USA or IMF?
Turks are the ottomans; Ottoman empire should remind you many things.
Turks aim is retaking over the world using their Islamic Culture.
They started this against Zionism. Or this is Turks way of Zionism.
They call it modern Islam to make world think that this is a sweet thing, not to be stopped. Is it because they care about Islam?
Definitely no.
Islam is a tool for them. A tool to be used at taking over the world.
They started this from the very poor countries and ex Russian countries.
A very dangerous project for the words near future. SCHOOLS AND TURKS A PAN TURKISIM PROJECT Turkey is opening schools all must every where on the world So why is that? No ... more -
Cross Al Qaeda, Get Nasty Memo
Yesterday's Los Angeles Times taps recently declassified al Qaeda memos to paint a picture of the bureaucracy that runs the terrorist organization -- and the memos (.pdf), at times, bring to mind Dilbert as much as death and destruction.
The Al Qaeda leader had learned that a subordinate had broken the rules repeatedly. So he did his duty as the feared military chief of a global terror network: He fired off a nasty memo.
In two pages mixing flowery religious terms with itemized complaints, the Egyptian boss accused the militant of misappropriating cash, a car, sick leave, research papers and an air conditioner during "an austerity situation" for the network. He demanded a detailed letter of explanation.
"I was very upset by what you did," Atef wrote. "I obtained 75,000 rupees for you and your family's trip to Egypt. I learned that you did not submit the voucher to the accountant, and that you made reservations for 40,000 rupees and kept the remainder claiming you have a right to do so. ... Also with respect to the air-conditioning unit ... furniture used by brothers in Al Qaeda is not considered private property ... I would like to remind you and myself of the punishment for any violation."
The memo by Atef, who later died in the U.S.-led assault on Osama bin Laden's Afghan refuge in 2001, is among recently declassified documents that reveal a little-known side of the network. Although Al Qaeda has endured thanks to a loose and flexible structure, its internal culture has nonetheless been surprisingly bureaucratic and persistently fractious, investigators and experts say. Yesterday's Los Angeles Times taps recently declassified al Qaeda memos to paint a picture of the bureaucracy that runs the terrorist ... more -
Al-Qaida deputy in online Q&A session
The Guardian newspaper today reports on a propaganda coup by Al-Qaida, in which hundreds of people invited to take part in an online 'open meeting' posed questions to Osama bin Laden's deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri. He insisted that his organisation does not kill innocent people and justified attacks against "Crusaders", Jews, and their agents and allies in Arab lands.
Al-Qaida's chief ideologue also predicted that "jihadi influence" will spread "to Jerusalem" after the Americans leave Iraq and attacked the UN as "the enemy of Islam", defending the bombing of its offices in Iraq and Algeria. Bin Laden, he claimed, is "healthy and well". Zawahiri, thought to be in hiding in Afghanistan or Pakistan, regularly appears in video or audio clips, but this is the first time he has responded to questions posted on online Islamist forums. The exercise was announced last December by al-Qaida's media arm, al-Sahab, with media outlets invited to take part.
The 90-minute audio tape was released on to subscriber-only Arabic-language websites with hundreds of links on free file-sharing sites allowing users to download the material. It was accompanied by an English transcript.
Zawahiri seemed defensive over a question about why al-Qaida had not attacked Israel. He replied that the group had attacked a synagogue in Tunisia, bombed a Kenyan hotel where Israeli tourists were staying and fired missiles at an Israeli airliner taking off from Mombasa, Kenya. The Guardian newspaper today reports on a propaganda coup by Al-Qaida, in which hundreds of people invited to take part in an online '... more
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