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Friday, June 15, 2007

Target America: The Illinois Shopping Mall Plot

Courtesy of Counterterrorism Blog:

NEFA Series "Target America": The Illinois Shopping Mall Plot
By Evan Kohlmann

On the heels of the foiled plots targeting Fort Dix and JFK Airport, the Nine Eleven Finding Answers (NEFA) Foundation announces the release of the third in a series of reports examining the multitude of terrorist plots directed at the United States since 9/11. This week's report again focuses on the homegrown threat, documenting Derrick Shareef's plans to launch a grenade attack on the CherryVale Shopping Center in Rockford, Illinois.

In preparation for his assault, Shareef carried out surveillance, attempted to procure weapons, and recorded a martyrdom tape, in which he ominously warned: "My name is Talib Abu Salam Ibn Shareef. I am 22 years of age. I am from America, and this tape is to let you guys know, who disbelieve in Allah, to let the enemies of Islam know, and to let the Muslims alike know that the time for jihad is now."

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Dirty bomb plotters caged: Sentenced to British prison

Courtesy of The Sun Newspaper, UK

SEVEN members of a terror cell run by al-Qaeda "general" Dhiren Barot were jailed for a total of 136 years today. Mohammed Naveed Bhatti, Junade Feroze, Zia Ul Haq, Abdul Aziz Jalil, Omar Abdur Rehman, Qaisar Shaffi and Nadeem Tarmohamed were vital to his deadly plans to attack the UK and the US (including the New York Stock Exchange), Woolwich Crown Court was told.

Barot was jailed for life last year for plotting to kill "hundreds if not thousands" of people using explosives-packed limousines and a "dirty" radiation bomb.

Sentencing the men at Woolwich Crown Court, Mr Justice Butterfield said: "Barot was the instigator of this terrorist planning, he was by some considerable distance the principal participant in the conspiracy.

For the complete story please go to this link: Terrorists Caged 136 years in UK

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Tuesday, June 12, 2007

Sophisticated bomb found in Kabul: From Iran???

Courtesy of BBC News

Sophisticated bomb found in Kabul
by Alastair Leithead

The new type of bomb is an extra worry for Kabul security ... A hi-tech bomb, similar to the ones used by militants in Iraq, has been found in the Afghan capital, Kabul.

Afghan intelligence sources say the bomb can penetrate heavily armoured vehicles and was set up by a road to target a high-level government convoy.

There is increasing evidence that sophisticated explosives technology is crossing into Afghanistan from Iraq. Police and government officials say they believe Iran is the source of these so-called "shaped charges.

For the rest of the story, Link to BBC

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Threat of Nuclear Terrorism All Too Real: USA


Threat of nuclear terrorism all too real: US

Washington, June 12 (IANS via Yahoo!) Citing the 'clandestine nuclear trafficking network' of A.Q. Khan, known as the father of Pakistan's atom bomb, the US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) has warned other countries that the 'threat of nuclear terrorism is all too real'.

'The economics of supply and demand dictate that someone, somewhere, will provide nuclear material to the highest bidder, and that material will end up in the hands of terrorists,' FBI Director Robert Mueller said an international conference Monday, noting that 'several rogue nations - and even individuals - seek to develop nuclear capabilities'.

'A.Q. Khan, for example, was not only the father of Pakistan's nuclear bomb, he peddled that technology to North Korea, Libya and Iran. Khan was one of many to prove that it is indeed a seller's market in the so-called atomic bazaar,' he said while addressing a 30-nation 'Global Initiative Nuclear Terrorism Conference' in Miami, Florida.

'The economics of supply and demand dictate that someone, somewhere, will provide nuclear material to the highest bidder, and that material will end up in the hands of terrorists,' Mueller said.

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales also cited Khan's example to stress that 'the threat of nuclear terrorism is all too real'.

'We know, for example, that Al Qaeda has been trying to acquire or make nuclear weapons for over 10 years. Indeed, Osama bin Laden has indicated that he considers the acquisition of weapons of mass destruction to be an obligation for his followers,' he said.

'And the discovery of A.Q. Khan's clandestine nuclear trafficking network demonstrates that the international black market for nuclear weaponry includes both buyers and sellers,' Gonzales said.

Mueller added that Al Qaeda has demonstrated a clear intent to acquire weapons of mass destruction.

In 1993, Osama bin Laden attempted to buy uranium from a source in the Sudan. He has stated that it is Al Qaeda's duty to acquire weapons of mass destruction. And he has made repeated recruiting pitches for experts in chemistry, physics, and explosives to join his terrorist movement.

'Bin Laden is no small thinker. Prior to 2001, (Pakistani national) Khalid Sheikh Mohammed - the mastermind of the Sep 11 attacks - suggested flying a small plane filled with explosives into CIA Headquarters,' Mueller said.

As noted by the 9/11 Commission, bin Laden reportedly asked him, 'Why do you use an axe when you can use a bulldozer?'

'If 9/11 was the 'bulldozer' of which bin Laden spoke, we can only imagine the impact of a full-scale nuclear attack,' the FBI chief said.

'Unfortunately, Al Qaeda central is not our only concern. We face threats from other terrorist cells around the world, and from home grown terrorists who are not affiliated with Al Qaeda, but who are inspired by its message of hatred and violence,' he said.

Attended, among others, by the US, Russia, Canada, China, Britain, Egypt, Morocco, Germany, France, Israel and Japan, the conference aims to build the capabilities of partner nations to investigate, prevent and respond to sudden strikes by terrorists using nuclear devices or other radioactive materials.

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Thursday, June 07, 2007

Radicalism Heating Up In the Caribbean and Latin America

Radicalism Heating Up In the Caribbean and Latin America

Courtesy of Homeland Security NTARC News


From Argentina to Haiti, the rise of radical Islam in the Caribbean and Latin America is alarming U.S. counterterror officials and leaders in the region, who say the JFK bomb plot should be a wakeup call.

All four suspects in the plot had ties to the region. Two were arrested in the Caribbean nation of Trinidad and Tobago, including ex-Guyanese lawmaker Abdul Kadir.

Senior U.S. counterterrorism officials confirmed fears that Islamists in Trinidad and Tobago could turn the nation “into another Mogadishu,” referring to the Somali capital ruled until last year by Islamic fundamentalists with Al Qaeda ties.

“Trinidad and Tobago have been a high concern for us since the late 1980s,” said Michael Scheuer, who created the CIA’s Osama Bin Laden unit in 1996.

Scheuer said the Caribbean is not home to major terror groups aside from Trinidad’s Jamaat al Muslimeen, but a “loose-knit” confederation of extremists have found it easy to move around the tourist-friendly islands.

New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the Caribbean is a region “of increasing concern to us. It’s an area we should take a closer look at.”

“What happened in New York was very educational,” a former Caribbean leader told the Daily News. Muslim extremists in Trinidad and Tobago pose a “growing danger” to Prime Minister Patrick Manning’s government, he noted.

Read Article

Topics: Homeland Security News

Wednesday, June 06, 2007

ABC News Blotter: Iran Caught Red-Handed Shipping Arms to Taliban


ABC News Blotter: Iran Caught Red-Handed Shipping Arms to Taliban

Brian Ross and Christopher Isham Report:

Document_iran_c_mn NATO officials say they have caught Iran red-handed, shipping heavy arms, C4 explosives and advanced roadside bombs to the Taliban for use against NATO forces, in what the officials say is a dramatic escalation of Iran's proxy war against the United States and Great Britain ...  <<< Link Here >>>

 

 


Turkish Troops taking out Kurdiah Guerrillas

AP Photo courtesy of AZCentral.com

ANKARA, Turkey -- Several thousand Turkish troops crossed into northern Iraq early Wednesday to chase Kurdish guerrillas who attack Turkey from bases there, two Turkish security officials said. Turkey's foreign minister denied its troops had entered Iraq....<<< Link Here. >>>

Navy to Commission New Guided Missile Destroyer KIDD

NEWS RELEASES from the United States Department of Defense

No. 707-07 IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 06, 2007
Media Contact: (703) 697-5131/697-5132
Public/Industry(703) 428-0711

Navy to Commission New Guided Missile Destroyer KIDD

The Navy will commission the newest Arleigh Burke class guided-missile destroyer, the USS Kidd, Saturday, June 9, 2007, during an 8 p.m. CDT ceremony in Galveston, Texas.

Designated hull number DDG 100, the new destroyer honors Medal of Honor recipient Rear Adm. Isaac Campbell Kidd Sr.On Dec. 7, 1941, Kidd was commander of Battleship Division One and the senior officer present afloat during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor.From the bridge of his flagship, the USS Arizona, Kidd directed the counterattack against enemy aircraft until the magazine of Arizona exploded by enemy ordnance, eventually sinking the ship.Kidd was posthumously awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions.

Rep. Ron Paul of Texas will deliver the ceremony's principal address. Regina Kidd Wolbarsht and Mary Corrinne Kidd Plumer will serve as sponsors of the ship named for their grandfather.

Two previous U.S. Navy destroyers have been named in honor of Kidd. The first ship was a Fletcher-class destroyer that was in service from 1943-1974. It is now a floating veterans' memorial and museum in Baton Rouge, La.The second, the lead ship of the Kidd-class destroyers, was also built at Northrop Grumman Ship Systems. It served from 1981-1998 and was sold to Taiwan in 2004 and renamed Tzuo-Ying, and given the hull number designation DDG 1803.

The newest USS Kidd is the 50th ship in the Arleigh Burke class of guided-missile destroyers. This multi-mission ship can conduct a variety of operations, from peacetime presence and crisis management to sea control and power projection, in support of strategic maritime operations. Kidd will be capable of fighting air, surface and subsurface battles simultaneously.

Cmdr. Richard E. Thomas of Westwood, N.J., is the ship's first commanding officer and will lead her crew of 276 officers and sailors. The 9,200-ton Kidd has an overall length of 511 feet, a waterline beam of 59 feet and a navigational draft of 33 feet. Four gas turbine engines will power the ship to speeds in excess of 30 knots.

For more information on Arleigh Burke class destroyers, visit Arleigh Burke Class Destroyers .

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Tuesday, June 05, 2007

Secretary of Defense Robert Gates And Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai

Seal of the Department of Defense


U.S. Department of Defense
Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense (Public Affairs)
News Transcript

On the Web: defenselink transcript 3978
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Presenter: Secretary of Defense Robert Gates And Afghanistan President Hamid Karzai

June 05, 2007



DoD Press Briefing with Secretary Gates And President Hamid Karzai from Kabul, Afghanistan

PRESIDENT KARZAI: Ladies and gentlemen, it's a great pleasure for me today to welcome here in Afghanistan Secretary Gates, with very good messages for Afghanistan and for -- (inaudible) -- of the National Army of Afghanistan and the national police of Afghanistan. We are grateful for the United States for having given us tremendous resources in billions of dollars just a few days ago from the people of Congress to strengthen our security forces, and particular attention on the army, and specifically, very particular attention on the police force of Afghanistan.

Secretary Gates and I engaged in discussions on various aspects of improving -- (inaudible) -- Afghanistan, improving the security situation in Afghanistan; the region and our concerns with regard to some of the recent activities in Afghanistan. I am confident that with the support that the United States keeps providing to Afghanistan, Afghanistan's institutions will be strong, reliable, and standing also on our own feet in a few years of time. Afghanistan will continue to be a partner of the United States. Afghanistan will continue to be very, very grateful to the American people for liberating us, not only liberation from terrorism, but for getting us into a prosperous, proper economy with strong democratic institutions.

Welcome, Secretary Gates.

SEC. GATES: Thank you, Mr. President. It's a pleasure to be back in Afghanistan. I had a very good conversation with the president this morning on the progress that he just described. I've also had the opportunity to talk in-depth with our ambassador; with the NATO commander, General McNeill; with the OEF commander, General Rodriguez and others, about the progress of training and equipping here in Afghanistan. I had the opportunity to visit a commando training site this morning, Afghan commando training. We talked a good bit about specific action on economic development and reconstruction.

I took a little time to share with President Karzai some of the international discussions that I've been involved in with respect to support of Afghanistan, beginning with a meeting in Quebec, Canada, of the defense ministers of RC-South nations, hosted by the Canadians; conversations that were held at the Shangri-La conference in Singapore among defense ministers on further support for Afghanistan and extending that support, and other activities that have been going on to try and strengthen international support for this government and the things that are going forward.

I would say, in contrast to my visit in January where I was concerned, and one of the reasons for my trip then was a concern that the Taliban were planning a significant offensive this spring. I believe that based on everything I've seen and everything I've heard, that the spring offensive has been an Afghan-alliance offensive that has put the Taliban off their game and, I think, has been an important success this spring. And the key is to sustain that.

We talked about coordination of civic actions. And I talked with the ambassador and others about how we might better coordinate the civic side of this from the international standpoint. I think there are some opportunities we may have ahead.

So I'm very happy with the visit. I'm looking forward to this afternoon's activities, and I'm very happy to be back in Afghanistan again. Thank you again for your hospitality.

PRESIDENT KARZAI: Questions?

Yes. (Inaudible.)

Yes, ma'am?

Q Thank you, sir. My question is for President Karzai.

Mr. President, do you believe -- (inaudible) -- that the United States should change its tactics in the fight against the Taliban and reduce the use of airstrikes that have killed so many innocent civilians here in your country and led to protests and calls for your resignation?

PRESIDENT KARZAI: The toll on our civilian casualties has been something that the United States, the rest of the coalition, and the Afghan government have been -- (inaudible) -- discussing and trying to find ways of reducing and -- (inaudible) - the violence for the last four years. It's not a new discussion; it's not a new issue. This is news that we have been engaged in violence for so many years?

It is the desire of the Afghan people, it is the desire of the international community, to defeat terrorism. While we are at war against terrorism, it's also important the international community, the Afghan government and the Afghan people to do it in a manner that would not cause civilian casualties.

So yes, it is an important subject on our minds, something that we discuss very, very often. And I can relate to you a number of stories of me and the -- (inaudible) -- on this, and of the international partners, in particular the United States, having been very understanding with us on this question. We have appointed a commission some time back, headed by the minister of defense, to work on modalities of how to engage in combat and how specifically we can avoid civilian casualties. This concern is shared with us by the United States.

SEC. GATES: I would just like to add this -- and I agree with everything the president has said -- avoiding civilian casualties is very important in terms of winning the loyalty and the support of local populations. At the same time, I think it's important to stress, as the NATO secretary-general did in his meeting -- his press conference with President Bush in Texas, that we not forget that the Taliban is deliberately putting civilians in harm's way. They deliberately mingle civilians with them and deliberately put civilians up front. They are the ones that murder schoolteachers and so on. So we must be more careful. At the same time, it's important to realize that the Taliban are actually the ones that often create the opportunity for the risk to civilians posed by military operations.

Q (Off mike) -- Secretary of Defense; five years down the line do you think the fight against Taliban is winnable? And is it a short-term or long-term effort?

SEC. GATES: I absolutely think that this is a winnable fight. I think there has been real progress. I think the fact that something like 42 nations are involved in this coalition to support the Afghan government, to strengthen the national support for the Afghan government, to defend this country against the Taliban trying to come back, it is winnable. It is also a long-term undertaking, and I'm confident that the United States and our partners in the alliance will be here for as long as it takes to ensure their freedom.

PRESIDENT KARZAI: Something we often -- (inaudible) -- the war against the Taliban, against terrorism, against al Qaeda has been won. They were ruling Afghanistan five years ago. They were exporting terrorism from here to the rest of the world five years ago. Afghanistan was under this reign and control. They were using the institutions that bring peace -- engineering, medical sciences and schools, they were manufacturing terrorist activity. They were defeated in a month and a half in 2001 when the international community joined hands with Afghan people. The continuation of the struggle is to remove them as terrorist cells hiding from the law to completely -- (inaudible). So the war has been won. It's the finish touch that we're dealing with now.

SEC. GATES: The president expressed it better than I did. (Laughter.)

Yes.

PRESIDENT KARZAI: One last question. The gentleman needs to be given a chance. Yes, go ahead.

Q (Through interpreter) The question actually goes to Mr. Secretary. There are recent reports of Iran supporting the insurgency in Afghanistan. What are your latest findings and how concerned you are?

SEC. GATES: The president and I discussed this this morning. There have been indications over the past few months of weapons coming in from Iran. We do not have any information about whether the government of Iran is supporting this, is behind it, or whether it's smuggling or exactly what's behind this, but there clearly is evidence that some weapons are coming into Afghanistan destined for the Taliban, but perhaps also for criminal elements involved in the drug trafficking coming from Iran.

We're watching it very carefully, and we will be staying in very close touch with them.

(Cross talk.)

Q (Off mike.)

PRESIDENT KARZAI: (inaudible) the next few months-- (inaudible) -- more or less than what would be doing a few months after the-- (inaudible). This is going to be a time-consuming exercise -- (inaudible) - civilians, schools, reconstruction, and also in the regional context with our neighbors in working out commitments-- (inaudible) -- of terrorism that would deny them sanctuaries, training, places to hide in the region. So it's going to be a total activity of denying them the chance to -- (inaudible) -- and also of denying them the facilities to wage their -- (inaudible). Thank you.

Q A quick follow-up, the previous question about Iran, can I ask you directly? Do you believe that Iran is directly supporting the Taliban?

PRESIDENT KARZAI: We don't have any such evidence so far of involvement of the Iranian government in the supplying the Taliban.

We have a very good relationship with the Iranian government. Iran and Afghanistan have never been as friendly as they are today. In the past five years, Iran has been contributing to Afghanistan reconstruction. And in the past five years, Afghanistan have been Iran's very close friend. And it has been possible for Afghanistan to be so close to Iran because of -- (inaudible) -- international community, especially the United States, understood and supported this relationship, and because also Iran understood and supported our relationship and -- (inaudible).

Therefore, it is in the interest of our brothers in Iran to have a stable, prospering Afghanistan. Five years ago, Afghanistan was ruled by those who called themselves the enemies of Iran, who -- (inaudible). Five years ago, Iran's trade with Afghanistan was less than $10 million. Today it reaches half a billion dollars. Therefore, there is no reason that any of our neighbors should engage in supporting the Taliban or provide support to any other enemies.

Afghanistan today is good news for our neighbors, and I hope this good news for them will continue by engaging constructively with each other. And that is our -- (inaudible).

Thank you.



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Friday, June 01, 2007

Al Qaeda's Nuclear '9/11' Plan

Courtesy of NewsMax.com

This Man Leads Al Qaeda's Nuclear '9/11' Plan


Adnan el-Shukrijumah


He is the most wanted man in America yet most Americans have never heard his name. He has been described as the "Fixer" of the Sept. 11 attacks. Several captured al-Qaeda operatives have revealed this is the same man who bin Laden has tapped to lead the terror group's diabolical scheme to detonate nuclear devices simultaneously in several U.S. cities. Read The Full Story At NewsMax.Com: Go Here Now

Special: Al Qaeda Targets 7 U.S. Cities for Nuclear Attack