Syrian Culture Minister Optimistic Israel Will Come to an End in 10 Years

Courtesy of MEMRI

Following are excerpts from an interview with Syrian Culture Minister Riyad Na'san Al-Agha, which aired on Al-Hiwar TV on April 19, 2008.

To view this clip on MEMRI TV, please visit Syrian Culture Minister Optimistic Israel Will Come to an End in 10 Years .

"[Jailing] is a Security Matter, And There Are People Whose Job It Is to Deal With It"

Riyad Na'san Al-Agha: "In my capacity as minister, I can say that people sometimes fail to understand the motives of the opposition. There are some oppositionists whom the security agencies suspect of having clandestine ties with embassies or other elements. They suspect that these people commit certain acts, the significance of which I have no way of determining. The security agencies, which are privy to information I don't have, can determine this. I have no way of knowing.

"For example, I asked once why a certain person was jailed, and I was told that he had met with all sorts of peoples, and so on. I have no way of knowing if this is true. It's not my job to know. This is a security matter, and there are people whose job it is to deal with it.

[...]

"For example, some writers are currently facing trial in Syria. Some of them are friends of mine, whom I have known for many years – members of the opposition with whom I have debated one TV. I can even divulge to you that many years ago, I spoke with President Hafez Al-Assad on behalf of some of them. They were not in jail back then. I suggested them for senior posts in the civil service, but then, I was surprised to hear them present certain views, which caused me great embarrassment."

Interviewer: "As an intellectual, are you ready to accept that intellectuals are placed on trial?"
"I Accept The Placing On Trial Of Whoever Curses The Resistance [Hizbullah]... [And Of] Anyone Who Wants To Shatter National Unity"

Riyad Na'san Al-Agha: "Of course. I accept the placing on trial of whoever curses the resistance [Hizbullah]. I accept the placing on trial of anyone who wants to take part in the Greater Middle East plan, with which the U.S. controls our nation. I agree with the placing on trial of anyone who questions the identity of this nation, anyone who wants to shatter national unity to racial and ethnic pieces, and anyone who wants to instigate tensions between the different minorities."

[...]

Interviewer: "What if someone is not a pan-Arab Nasserist? He refuses to believe in this theory, because the past decades have proven it to be merely empty slogans."
"I Will Not Allow Anyone to Dance On The Body Parts Of My People, And Then Talk About His Liberties"

Riyad Na'san Al-Agha: "Fine, he can write an article. For the past seven years, in newspapers and on the Internet, they write about us things that bring to mind Yediot Aharonot and Haaretz, yet we did not throw anyone in jail. Some of them even went to the U.S. in order to curse us from there, and when they returned to Syria, nobody interrogated them at the airport. But they must not take any action. If they do, we will throw them in jail.
"I'm sorry that I've transformed from an intellectual into a governmental official. I will throw him in jail not because I am a minister, but because I fear for my nation because of these people, who are happy when they meet with a Mossad officer, even when Gaza is trampled under enemy shoes. They are happy even if Baghdad is turned into a cemetery inhabited by ghosts, just so they can raise toasts with some Mossad agents in Washington or New York.

"I am not talking as a minister, but as an injured citizen. I will not allow anyone to dance on the body parts of my people, and then talk about his liberties. No, he is not at liberty to do this.

"I want to remind you of something the caliph Muawiyah said: 'We shall not separate people from their tongues, as long as they do not separate us from our authority.' They can say what they want, but if they act, they will be punished. They can curse or make statements, but if they become tantamount to a secret squad, which assassinates a great citizen, a hero, a martyrdom-seeker, like Mughniya... The person who killed him relies on an ideological group." [...]

"I Optimistic That Within 10 Years, Israel Will Come To Its End"

Interviewer: "How would you respond if one day, the regime itself forms similar contacts..."
Riyad Na'san Al-Agha: "On that day, I will be thrown in jail."

Interviewer: "In five years, the government might call Israel and say: Let's put an end to this."

Riyad Na'san Al-Agha: "I will be the first they have to take to jail."

Interviewer: "Will we be saying that the president maintained 'dubious relations' with Israel?"

Riyad Na'san al-Agha: "Those who will want to do this, God forbid, will have to get rid of me and many others like me beforehand.

[...]

"Imagine the Arab nation without those resistance fighters. By Allah, it is not worth being stepped on.

[...]

"Blair is gone, Bush will be gone, and so on..."

Interviewer: "But in the meantime, people are dying, entire generations..."

Riyad Na'san al-Agha: "That's our fate. We are talking about an eternal conflict. I am not optimistic that it will be resolved any time soon, but by Allah, they suffer more than us. Here in Syria, the people are united. Sheikh Hassan [Nasrallah] himself said that in 2006, the decision of whether Syria should join the war was left to him. It's not me who says this. He said so. We were ready to join the war. This does not mean that we will necessarily win. We might be defeated, but at least we will prove that we exist. I am optimistic that within 10 years, Israel will come to its end."

I Am Minister Of Culture in A Regime Whose Principles I Believe In

Interviewer: "But the pressure on Syria is continuously increasing, and the price you might pay is the economic exhaustion of your people."

Riyad Na'san al-Agha: "So what if they get exhausted?

[...]

I am proud to be the minister of culture in this regime because of its positions, and not because of my role as minister. I am not the kind of man who would be a minister in just any regime, even if they paid me $100,000 per hour.

[...]

"I am minister of culture in a regime whose principles I believe in. By my principles, I would not remain in it, and nor would President Bashar Al-Assad. We are people with principles and values."

please contact MEMRI at memri@memri.org.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent, non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle East. Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as background information, are available on request.
MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may only be used with proper attribution.
MEMRI
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
www.memri.org

Technorati tags: riyad na'san al-agha, bashar al-assad, syria, israel, massad, muawiyah, mughniya, hezbollah, terrorist, middle east, baghdad, america, martyrdom, memri

Continued Aggression By Iran Sparks New Look At Options By U.S. Military

Courtesy of National Terror Alert Center

A second American aircraft carrier steamed into the Persian Gulf Tuesday as the Pentagon ordered military commanders to develop new options for attacking Iran. CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports that the planning is being driven by what one officer called the “increasingly hostile role” Iran is playing in Iraq - smuggling weapons into Iraq for use against American troops. Read more »

Technorati tags: Iran, arabian gulf, persian gulf, us navy, carrier strike group, aircraft carrier

Hamas Leader Khaled Mash'al: Our Proposal for Tahdiah ("Calm") is Tactical

Courtesy of MEMRI

Following is an interview with Hamas leader Khaled Mash'al, which aired on Al-Jazeera TV on April 25, 2008:

To view this clip on MEMRI TV, visit http://www.memritv.org/clip/en/1750.htm .
To view MEMRI TV's page on Khaled Mash'al, visit http://www.memritv.org/subject/en/507.htm .

"If The Siege Is Not Lifted... We Will Explode In The Face Of Everybody"

Khaled Mash'al: "Our only real motive for seeking tahdiah ['calm'] and for our willingness to deal with the Egyptians efforts, which were generated in order to achieve a tahdiah, with full knowledge of the Americans, of Rice, and David Welch, and through the efforts Egypt has exerted vis-à-vis the Israeli side, is to put an end to the aggression against our people in Gaza and the West Bank, and to get the siege lifted and the border crossings opened.
"Let me tell you that without all this, all options will be available for us. When the [Egyptian] minister Omar Sleiman comes, he will meet with the other factions, in order to develop a general Palestinian position. Then he will move on to the Israeli occupation, and if they accept [the tahdiah], we are ready, but if the Israelis reject it, then it was not us who offered them this tahdiah to begin with, and the Israeli rejection will be vis-à-vis Egypt.
"Egypt bears the responsibility, and no one in the world will be able to blame us when we take two measures: We will defend our people and our land in the face of the Israeli aggression, and we [will carry out] the explosion in Gaza, of which we have warned. Yes, if the siege is not lifted, the Gaza Strip will explode in the face of all those besieging it."

Interviewer: "Including the Egyptians?"

Khaled Mash'al: "No, we don't blame the Egyptians for this. We will explode in the face of everybody. By 'explosion,' I mean that the Palestinian people will choose its own options." [...]

"The Tahdiah is a Tactical Means; It Is a Step Within the Resistance, And Is Not Detached From It"

"People should not assume that in the management of this conflict, we are moving from a phase of resistance and battles to a phase of calm. No.

According to our concept of the management of this conflict, the tahdiah is a tactical means. It is a step within the resistance and is not detached from it.

"It is only natural for any resistance movement, which cares about the interests of its people, to bear in mind the general Palestinian condition. At times, it generates an escalation, and at times, it withdraws a little. It is a process of ebb and flow, going up and down. This is how you run a battle. Hamas is renowned for this.

"In 2003, we began a tahdiah, and later renewed the operations. The same thing happened following 2005. Hamas conducted resistance from within the government, as well as when it was not in the government. This is a method of conflict management.
[...]
"My brother Muhammad [i.e. the interviewer], if a tahdiah is achieved – the Gaza Strip was, is, and will continue to be part of this homeland. People in Gaza would be able to recover, and the siege would be over. This would be an accomplishment.
[...]
"They are worried that Hamas and the other resistance factions will use the tahdiah to grow stronger, both in terms of weapons and training, and that the people will recover and prepare for the next round of resistance, because we are talking about a tactical tahdiah, within the constraints I have mentioned. But the resistance, in principle, is not directed against the aggression only. In principle, the resistance is directed against the occupation. As long as there is occupation, there must be resistance."

"In The Face Of Resistance, In The Battlefield, Israel Will Be Forced To [Withdraw]"

Interviewer: "Israel is not so naïve that it would give you what you want, just like that, so that you can recover, and prepare for the next round. What would make Israel do this, notwithstanding all the important things you just said?"

Khaled Mash'al: "Herein lies the important paradox, my brother Muhammad. At the negotiating table, since Israel holds all, or most, of the cards, Israel will not give us anything. It is not naïve, and will not give anything out of generosity. But in the face of resistance, in the battlefield, Israel will be forced to do so. Otherwise, what made Israel reach the April '96 understanding with Hizbullah? What made it leave South Lebanon? What made it leave Gaza? It did not withdraw as a result of any understandings. The balance of power on the ground forces Israel to do so."
[...]
Interviewer: "Carter stated on your behalf – and later you clarified this – that you agree that if President Mahmoud Abbas reaches a settlement, a referendum would be held on it following a national reconciliation. You agree to accept the results of the referendum, even if they do not reflect your views. This was considered a sign of openness and moderation on the part of Hamas.

"However, shortly afterwards, Sami Abu Zuhri said, 'We are not obliged to accept the results of this referendum.' There were contradictory statements within Hamas. We would like a clarification.

"If Mahmoud Abbas reaches a settlement, which he himself accepts, and it is preceded by a national reconciliation, and a referendum is held over it among the Palestinian people – will you accept the results, yes or no?"

"[A] Referendum [Over A Settlement Reached By Abbas] Must Include All Our People, At Home And Abroad – Not Just Within [Palestine]"

Khaled Mash'al: "Look, brother Muhammad, everything you said represents different angles of the same issue, and not different positions within Hamas. First of all, negotiations must be held on the basis of the Palestinian rights. Eventually presenting the results for ratification is not enough. From the very beginning, the Palestinian negotiator must adhere to the [2006] National Agreement Document, and must negotiate on the basis of the rights listed in it. Ignoring these rights is tantamount to violating the documents. This document is a complete package deal, and one cannot deal with only parts of it.

"Secondly, as you have said, this must take place following a reconciliation. Today, the negotiations are held in the shadow of division. Moreover, while all the doors are open for negotiations [with Israel], all the doors for [Palestinian] reconciliation are closed. You saw what happened following the San'a Declaration. When the U.S. and Israel threatened the Palestinian president, the [Fatah] withdrew from what they had signed in San'a.
[...]
"Thirdly, the referendum must include all our people, home and abroad – not just within [Palestine]."

Interviewer: "Or else there should be new election for the Palestinian National Council."

Khaled Mash'al: "Yes. When all these terms are met, nobody in Hamas – or any Palestinian leader – will have any concern. We will have confidence in the choices of the Palestinian people."

Interviewer: "Even if you disagree with them?"

Khaled Mash'al: "Yes. Brother Muhammad, I will accept the will of the Palestinian people, as reflected in free elections to the Palestinian National Council, according to terms on which we will agree, or in a free referendum, home and abroad. I respect and accept the rules of the democratic game."
[...]
Interviewer: "You say: We are ready to accept a Palestinian state within the 1967 borders, within a certain settlement, but we will not recognize Israel.

To tell you the truth, it is difficult to accept such a formula. Israel is not likely to give you – whether to Hamas or to the Palestinian leadership, since this is the situation right now – a Palestinian state in the West Bank and Gaza, with Jerusalem at its capital, and allow the return of the refugees, while you say to Israel: Bye-bye, I won't recognize you.

"Why should Israel do this? After all, it is not a charity association. Why should Israel give you all this, and I say 'give you,' because this is the situation right now..."

"The Formula Of Recognizing Israel In Advance, Which Was Adopted By Some Palestinians And Arabs – What Results Did It Yield?"

Khaled Mash'al: "This is a logical question in these difficult times, when things are confused. Brother Muhammad, all the formulas are difficult. The formula of recognizing Israel in advance, which was adopted by some Palestinians and Arabs – what results did it yield? Some people recognized Israel, and discussed normalization of relations, coexistence, and so on.

What was the result when we turned to this formula, which seems easier? Did it unravel the secrets of the conflict? Did it drive Israel to respect the Palestinian and Arab will? Did Israel give Yasser Arafat a state, or did it kill him? They killed Yasser Arafat just because he maneuvered between the negotiations game and the game of the Intifada and resistance.

"Now, Mr. Mahmoud Abbas is proceeding along a single highway – negotiations. He recognized Israel and everything, but what was the result? Nothing."

For assistance, please contact MEMRI at memri@memri.org.

The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) is an independent, non-profit organization that translates and analyzes the media of the Middle East. Copies of articles and documents cited, as well as background information, are available on request.

MEMRI holds copyrights on all translations. Materials may only be used with proper attribution.

MEMRI
P.O. Box 27837, Washington, DC 20038-7837
Phone: (202) 955-9070
Fax: (202) 955-9077
www.memri.org

Technorati tags: palestinian, arabian gulf, yasser arafat, tahdiah, khaled mash'al, omar sleiman, egypt, israel, intafada, resistance, america, middle east relations, hamas, muslim brotherhood, gaza strip

Global Warming Stupidity

TIME MAG MARS WWII MONUMENT W/GLOBAL WARMING STUPIDITY
Courtesy of Rick Roberts, KFMB, San Diego

Everyone knows of what has got to be the most famous, patriotic image from WWII that shows five U.S. Marines and a U.S. Navy corpsman raising the American flag during the battle of Iwo Jima in 1945.

It is a moving image that embodies America’s selflessness and sacrifice… and the cost of freedom.

But Time doesn’t see it that way. They see “red, white, and blue as the new green”. That’s according to their editor…

The cover of the April 21st issue of Time took the Raising the Flag on Iwo Jima photograph by Joe Rosenthal and replaced the flag with an evergreen.

I’m all for stupid people saying stupid things… but this goes beyond the pale.

This isn’t a First Amendment issue.

This is an issue of vandalism: This is no better than burning the American flag.

You may as well spray paint something like ‘global warming is the real issue’ on the National WWII Memorial… or tear out part of the Vietnam Veteran Memorial Wall to make room for a statue of Al Gore.

Send the Editor an email: richard_stengel@timemagazine.com… Give him a piece of your mind.

Technorati tags: times magazine, US Marines, Amerian flag, global warming, iwo jima, richard stengel, timesmagazine.com, national wwwII memorial, vietnam veteran memorial wall, al gore

Bodies of Two Kidnapped American Security Contractors Recovered in Iraq

Press Release, Courtesy of the FBI

For Immediate Release
March 24, 2008

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691

U.S. authorities in Iraq have recovered remains that have been identified as two American contractors in Iraq.

The victims have been identified as:

• Ronald Withrow of Roaring Springs, Texas, who worked for JPI Worldwide when he was kidnapped on January 5, 2007, and

• John Roy Young of Kansas City, Missouri, who worked for Crescent Security Group when he was kidnapped on November 16, 2006.

The FBI’s Office of Victim Assistance has been in contact with the victims’ families since the men were kidnapped, and they have already been notified of the recovery.

The men and women of the FBI wish to express our deepest sympathy to the victims’ families. We understand that this is a very difficult time for all the families involved, and the FBI will continue to provide any assistance it can.

This is an open investigation, and the FBI, working with its partners in the Hostage Working Group in Iraq, will continue to aggressively investigate every available lead in order to identify, apprehend, and bring to justice those responsible for this heinous criminal act.

Technorati tags: FBI, Iraq, Murder, American Contractors

PASSING SECRETS AT SEA

Courtesy of the FBI

PASSING SECRETS AT SEA
To Terrorists, No Less

03/10/08

The USS Benfold. U.S. Navy photo.

As a bevy of U.S. battleships steamed towards the Middle East in the spring of 2001 on a mission to patrol the Persian Gulf, a sailor aboard one of those vessels was pursuing an entirely different mission. 

His name was Hassan Abu-Jihaad, and he was serving as a signalman aboard the USS Benfold. Little did anyone know at the time, he was also a homegrown radical who was secretly in touch with al Qaeda financiers, sharing classified details about the vulnerabilities and movements of the battleships just six months after al Qaeda operatives had killed 17 Americans aboard the USS Cole in the port of Yemen.

Abu-Jihaad’s traitorous actions were recently recounted in a Connecticut court, leading to his conviction last Wednesday on twin national security crimes: espionage and material terrorism support. 

We learned about Abu-Jihaad in December 2003, when British authorities raided the apartment of Babar Ahmad, a Briton later charged with raising money for al Qaeda through a London-based organization called Azzam Publications. Its former website, www.azzam.com, was hosted on servers in Connecticut. 

In Ahmad’s flat was a floppy disk with a password-protected document detailing what was then classified information about the travels and security weaknesses of the USS Benfold and the sister ships in its convoy. That document, it was proved at trial, was sent by Abu-Jihaad while aboard the Benfold, endangering the lives of his own shipmates and countless others.

For More Information at the FBI newscenter website

- Abu-Jihaad conviction
- Abu-Jihaad Indictment
- Shareef guilty plea
- Related case

The investigation—worked jointly by the New Haven Joint Terrorist Task Force and the Connecticut Department of Homeland Security in close cooperation with FBI offices in Phoenix and Chicago and a host of partners in the U.S. and overseas—also uncovered a trail of e-mail messages sent by Abu-Jihaad expressing support for Usama bin Laden, praising the Cole attack, recounting a security briefing on his vessel, and ordering various jihadist videos and other materials from Azzam.

Using court-authorized wiretaps, we monitored Abu-Jihaad’s conversations following his honorable discharge from the Navy. Among what we learned:

• In one conversation, Abu-Jihaad said that he hadn’t “been in the field of making meals” for more than four years; “meals” was his code word for his ability to provide inside information on U.S. military targets. He also warned associates not to talk about jihad over the telephone or Internet because they were “tapped.” 
• In Chicago, Abu-Jihaad roomed with Derrick Shareef, who later pled guilty to plotting to attack a suburban mall using hand grenades during the 2006 holiday season. Our wiretaps revealed that Abu-Jihaad discussed attacking military targets in Phoenix and San Diego with Shareef.

It was fortunate that the information Abu-Jihaad provided to terrorist supporters didn’t lead to the loss of any American lives. But it well could have…and Abu-Jihaad will now face up to 25 years in prison for his radically inspired actions.

Headline Archives FBI newscenter Website

Technorati tags: abu jihaad, derrick shareef, us navy, san diego, court authorized wiretaps, fbi, azzam, jihadist, usama Bin Laden, osama bin laden, joint terrorism Task Force, espionage, homeland security, Babar Ahmad

America's Terror Fighters thwarting plots

Courtesy of Fox News

Without fanfare, America's terror fighters are thwarting dozens of homegrown plots aimed at domestic targets, but warn: terrorists only have to be lucky once.
• LIST OF THWARTED TERROR ATTACKS SINCE SEPT. 11
• GENERAL: AL QAEDA LIKELY PLOTTING TO ATTACK U.S.

Technorati tags: terrrorism, homegrown terrorist, domestic terrorism, al qaeda fighters, al qaeda threats against America

Detainees Treated Fairly, Rehabilitated to Re-enter Iraqi Society

Courtesy of Multi-National Force Iraq: Detainees Treated Fairly, Rehabilitated to Re-enter Iraqi Society

Detainees form a crowd inside the compound as the loud cheers and even louder jeers intensify. Guards on the catwalks above watch closely as the mob’s shouting reaches its peak. It’s over suddenly, and the participants trickle away in ones and twos, replaying the highlights of the afternoon’s volleyball game and already planning for the next.

Allowing detainees freedom - even fun – inside a detention facility may seem odd, but it is part of a strategic counterinsurgency tactic to engage detainees and separate violent individuals from the rest of the population. The goal is to create a safe and positive environment for successful detainee reintegration into Iraqi society.

Army Staff Sgt. Gregory Smith, 535th Military Police Battalion, is a Reservist military policeman and a civilian police officer from Nashville, Tenn. He works as the noncommissioned officer in charge of Compound Two, known inside the TIF as the most compliant compound. Much of his day is spent walking the compound’s four zones, overseeing his guards and meeting with the detainee zone chiefs, he said.

“I like to describe my job in the TIF as putting out small fires before they turn into big ones,” said Smith.

Link to rest of story

Technorati tags: BAGHDAD, razor-wire fences, Camp Cropper, Coalition forces theater internment facility, TIF, western Baghdad, detainee

Al-Qaeda in Iraq Intelligence and Suicide Operations Facilitator Killed

Courtesy of Multi-National Force -Iraq

Terrorist Intelligence and Suicide Operations Facilitator Killed

The identification card found on Abu Karrar, also known as Arkan Khalaf Khudayyir, an al-Qaida in Iraq intelligence and suicide operations facilitator in Diyala Province. Karrar was killed Feb. 17 during a Coalition operation near Khan Bani Sad. Department of Defense photo.

BAGHDAD — A terrorist killed during an operation Feb. 17 has been positively identified as Abu Karrar.

Karrar, also known as Arkan Khalaf Khudayyir, was a senior intelligence leader involved in the al-Qaeda in Iraq network in Baqouba. He was also a terrorist facilitator for the suicide bombing network in the Diyala River Valley region, which conducts attacks in Baghdad, to include attacks by female suicide bombers. Reports indicate the network has been disrupted by recent successful Coalition operations in the area.

Karrar was killed when Coalition forces conducted an operation near Khan Bani Sad Sunday afternoon. As Coalition forces arrived in the target area, they observed Karrar and another suspect fleeing their vehicle. Karrar brandished a weapon with the perceived intent to fire on Coalition forces. The assault force engaged, killing both men. Coalition forces discovered an AK-47 and ammunition in the vehicle, and they destroyed the vehicle to prevent further use for terrorist activity.

“Iraqi and Coalition forces will relentlessly pursue terrorist leaders, like Abu Karrar, who plan al-Qaida’s indiscriminate attacks on innocent civilians,” said Maj. Winfield Danielson, MNF-I spokesman.

(Multi-National Force - Iraq Press Release)

In Other Recent Developments Here:

BAGHDAD — Multi-National Force - Iraq joins the Government of Iraq in welcoming al-Sayyid Muqtada al-Sadr's pledge to extend the cease-fire.

BAGHDAD — Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained 20 suspected terrorists Wednesday and Thursday during operations to disrupt al-Qaida operating in central and northern Iraq.

 

Technorati tags: Coalition forces, Khan Bani Sad, assault force, AK-47, terrorist activity, Iraqi and Coalition forces, terrorist leaders, Abu Karrar, MNF-I, Multi-National Force - Iraq Press Release, Diyala Province, Arkan Khalaf Khudayyir, al qaeda fighters

Soldiers Track, Clear Al-Qaeda from Remote Location

Courtesy of Multi-National Force - Iraq

By Spc. Rick Rzepka
1st BCT, 101st Airborne Division

A Soldier from Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (AA)peers through the glass as his team searches for weapons near the Bichigan area of the Salah ad Din province, Feb. 15, 2008. Photo by Spc. Rick Rzepka.

BALAD — As the ramp slammed down in the muck, the rain came howling in drenching the men who leapt off the back of the Chinook helicopter.

The troopers hurried into the field of sloppy mud where they slipped and slid through the landing zone to reorganize in the pitch black Iraqi night.  Not even the moon was friendly on this mission, which would prove to be a testament to the guts of Army Infantrymen and to the determination of Charlie Company Soldiers to make even the most remote hamlets in the Salah ad-Din province safe from al Qaeda. 

Soldiers from Charlie Company, 1st Squadron, 32nd Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division conducted Operation Helsinki Feb. 15 to clear out al Qaeda fighters from an area here that has typically not received much attention from Coalition Forces. 

Helsinki was a combined counter-insurgency operation, which was conducted in partnership with the Iraqi Army, to help enable legitimate governmental organizations and to provide security for the citizens in the Bichigan peninsula, said 1st Sgt. Timothy Seeber, Charlie Company First Sergeant.  Seeber called the Bichigan area, west of Balad, an al Qaeda safe-haven that AQI flees to in order to avoid being killed or captured.  “AQI is on the run here and they know we have the means and mobility to kill or capture them where they hide,” said Seeber.

Helsinki began with a pre-dawn air assault into the fertile farmlands of the Bichigan area, which were heavily soaked with the early morning rain.  With mud smeared on faces and firearms, Charlie Company Soldiers spent the day moving from house to house questioning residents and searching for AQI weapons caches along with Iraqi Army Soldiers.

The search turned up two weapons caches and resulted in the apprehension of a suspected AQI operative.

Since Charlie Company moved from FOB Caldwell near the Iranian border in early December, they have been instrumental in capturing three of the Balad area’s high value targets and have discovered numerous weapon caches, said Staff Sgt. Tommy Pafford.

Much of the success that Charlie Company has had is due largely to spending a great deal of time out among the people and to the Sons of Iraq movement, which has enabled U.S. and Iraqi Forces with quality intelligence about AQI operations in the area, said Pafford.

Spending time outside of the relative comfort of FOB Paliwoda has paid dividends for Charlie Company who often find themselves operating in austere conditions.

“Staying outside the wire overnight in the mud and cold is the norm for us,” said Pvt. First Class Michael LaChappelle, who along with his fellow Charlie Company troopers found himself without a helicopter ride back to base on Feb. 15 due to poor weather conditions. 

After spending much of Operation Helsinki cold and wet, the “Rock” Soldiers would have to bear the elements under a foggy, black Iraqi sky until the weather improved.

“My guys would walk to the end of this Earth if they were asked to,” said Pafford.  “They realize that this war is bigger than us.”

More news from Iraq:

Coalition targets al-Qaeda in Iraq networks, six suspects detained

Technorati tags: Operation Helsinki, Iraq, Coalition Forces, US Army Charlie Company, Forward Operating Base Caldwell, al qaeda fighters, chinook helicopter, salah ad din province

Prophet offenders must be killed - bin Laden

A trip down memory lane to put radial Islam into prospective, 24 April 2006:

Dubai - Al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden has called for people who ridiculed the Prophet Mohammad to be killed, weighing into the furore that erupted after a Danish newspaper ran cartoons lampooning Islam's holy messenger.

"Heretics and atheists, who denigrate religion and transgress against God and His Prophet, will not stop their enmity towards Islam except by being killed," the Saudi-born militant said.

Bin Laden's remarks were part of an audio tape which Al Jazeera television aired excerpts from on Sunday 23 April 2006.

Related Articles

• Osama slams the West for 'war against Islam'
• Bin Laden condemns 'crusader war' on Islam
• Muslims slam cartoons published in Estonia
• Cartoon protester appears in UK court
• No case against paper that printed cartoons
• No time limit to ransom for cartoonist's head
• Thousands march during new cartoon protest

Technorati tags: bin laden, al qaeda, radical Islam, crusader war, muslim cartoons, heretics, atheists, infidels

Al-Qaeda in Iraq Offers Palestinians Military and Economic Aid – And Help in Manufacturing Rockets

Courtesy of MEMRI

VIEW THE NEW MEMRI TV WEBSITE AT: www.memritv.org

Special Dispatch-Jihad & Terrorism/Palestinians February 17, 2008 No. 1845
Al-Qaeda in Iraq Offers Palestinians Military and Economic Aid – And Help in Manufacturing Rockets

To view this Special Dispatch in HTML, visit: Al-Qaeda in Iraq Offers Palestinians Military and Economic Aid – And Help in Manufacturing Rockets .

In a 30-minute video posted February 14, 2008 on the Islamist website Al-Hesbah (hosted by NOC4Hosts Inc. in Florida), Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi, commander of the Al-Qaeda-founded organization Islamic State of Iraq (ISI), presents his position on "winning the war against the Jews." In it, he calls Israel "a malignant germ that was implanted in the heart of the Islamic nation and must be eradicated," and stresses that liberating Al-Aqsa mosque is a duty incumbent upon each and every Muslim. He also accuses Hamas of treason for entering into the political process with Israel while turning its back on jihad fighters around the world.

Addressing the Palestinians, Al-Baghdadi calls on them to embrace the path of jihad, and to make no distinction between the infidel Jews and the Palestinians who betray Islam. He advises them to establish a special Salafi organization to train the children of the stones in noble jihad goals, and urges them to eradicate Shi'ism, which has begun to spread in Palestine in the guise of "resistance." He also calls upon all Muslims to strengthen the existing jihad fronts – especially in Iraq and Afghanistan – and to establish new jihad fronts in order to take some of the Israeli-American pressure off the Palestinians. Finally, he offered the Palestinians economic aid as well as help in training fighters and in manufacturing rockets.

Following are excerpts from his address:  

"Israel is a Malignant Germ… The Jewish Traits, as Described in the Koran, Have Persisted through the Ages, and Are Passed from One Generation [of Jews] to the Next"

"Today, I will devote my address to my perception about how to prevail in the struggle against the Jews... Before discussing the solution, let me state some facts that I believe to be true: The [duty of] liberating Al-Aqsa is incumbent upon every Muslim [around the world], just as every Palestinian Muslim has a duty [to participate in] liberating Iraq, Chechnya and other Muslim countries... Israel was founded on a religious basis. It is a religious state, and anyone who calls it a secular state is lying... Israel is a malignant germ implanted in the heart of the Islamic nation, and it must be eradicated, even if the traitors sign a thousand capitulation agreements with it. There is no difference between Zionism and Judaism... since the traits of the Jews, as described in the Koran, have persisted through history, and are passed from one generation [of Jews] to the next...

"The nationalist Arabs and their wretched revolution had a hand in the establishment of Israel... The [various] Palestinian organizations... are the root of the problem... Allah has brought disaster upon them and has exposed their shame... The armed organizations affiliated with the Muslim Brotherhood, and especially Hamas – with the exception of the loyal ['Izz Al-Din] Al-Qassam Brigades – have betrayed Islam and the [Islamic] nation, and have renounced the blood of the martyrs..."

"The Leadership of Hamas has Betrayed Islam and Has Turned Its Back on Jihad Fighters Everywhere"

"The treason of the Hamas leadership is characterized by the following: Its joining the political [process] within the framework of a constitution written by man and on the basis of the Oslo Accords, which surrenders three fourths of Palestine; its implicit recognizing of Israel; its announcement that it will honor the international agreements...; its forming a suspect alliance with Israel and with the regimes that have betrayed Islam, particularly with Egypt and Syria...; its turning its back on jihad fighters [everywhere]...; its announcing, in Moscow, that the issue of Chechnya is an internal [Russian] affair; [its announcing] that [Hamas] has had nothing to do with the jihad in Iraq and has not fired a single shot there; its announcing that [Hamas] is not interested in Islamization of [Palestinian] society... and its not demanding that the political process be in accordance with shari'a as well as its not implementing shari'a once it gained full control of Gaza; its [display of] overt hostility towards jihadi Salafism [the Islamic creed followed by Al-Qaeda]...; and its violating the [religious] prohibition on spilling Palestinian blood..."

"Jihad is the Solution; There Is No Distinction Between Olmert... and 'Abbas" 

"Our brothers in Palestine must know that jihad is the solution, and that under the pure flag of monotheism, there is no distinction between war against the Jewish infidel and [war against] the Palestinians who have betrayed Islam. Thus, there is no distinction between [Israeli Prime Minister] Olmert, with his [band of] criminals, and [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud] 'Abbas and his gang...

"Another sector that must be dealt a heavy blow is the Shi'ites, and particularly their leaders. This cancer has already begun to spread among our brothers in Palestine, taking advantage of ignorance and poverty. [It is being spread by] a group of traitors who are collaborating with the Iranian Shi'ites, under the guise of 'resistance [fighters]'... Allah's warriors know that Shi'ism is not the [true] Islam revealed by our Prophet Muhammad, but is based on polytheism...

"What would help our brothers in their jihad against the Jewish attack... [is] the establishment of a Salafi organization, which would embrace the [Salafi] ideology... would maintain active ties with the [religious] scholars, the sheikhs, the mosques and the leaders [of Palestinian society], and would train Palestinian youth to wage noble jihad... [Also,] the loyal [fighters] of the ['Izz Al-Din] Al Qassam [Brigades] should announce that they are severing ties with Hamas and with its corrupt and deviant political leadership..."

The Islamic Nation Should Establish New Jihad Fronts To Ease Pressure on the Palestinians 

"The role that the [Islamic] nation must play in liberating Al-Aqsa is manifold. It must open new jihad fronts in order to take some of the Jewish and American pressure off our brothers in Palestine. At the same time, it must make sure to strengthen the existing jihad fronts – especially [where there is] a direct confrontation with [U.S.] troops, as in Iraq and Afghanistan... [The Islamic nation] must also break down the despicable checkpoints that encircle our brothers in Palestine: the Palestinians in Jordan must breach the [Jordanian] border in order to lift the economic siege off the West Bank... while the Egyptians must breach the border separating them from their brothers in Gaza...

"In this context, I suggest that every Muslim put aside two dollars of his monthly income; half [the money] will go to our brothers in Palestine and the other half will go to the other [jihad] fronts.

Virtuous people should establish secret charities... to collect this money and hold it until it can be sent on to its destination...

Religious scholars must break down the barriers of fear... and inform [everyone] of the danger posed to the faith and to the [entire] world by the regimes that have betrayed Islam. [They must] support the jihad fighters and advise them by issuing fatwas... [In addition,] the media must truly support the jihad fighters by emphasizing their virtues and ignoring their flaws..."

The ISI is Persecuted Because It is the Key to Liberating Jerusalem

"As for the role of the ISI in liberating Palestine... we hope it will be the key to restoring [Muslim control over] Jerusalem. The Jews and the Muslims have already realized [its crucial importance], and have tried to prevent us from [attaining] this goal in every possible way. The vicious attack on the Al-Anbar [district] was motivated only by their realization that medium-range missiles fired from Al-Anbar can reach Israel, as demonstrated by Saddam [Hussein in the first Gulf War]... They know that some of [his] missiles are still around, and that new ones can be manufactured...

"The crimes perpetrated by the Muslim Brotherhood in Iraq, and especially by Hamas-Iraq, by the [Iraqi] Islamic Party and by Al-Jaysh Al-Islami – [namely] the establishment of the Awakening movement and their continuing attempts to drive us out of Al-Anbar, with direct [collaboration] with the Americans – were aimed solely at preventing us from helping you [i.e. the Palestinians], even if [this help was] only from afar. But know that with Allah's help, the future will be bright, [for] we will never [let] the collaborators and the traitors stand in our way...

"We are willing to help you with the little money we have, and to train your fighters [in everything], from preparing explosive charges to manufacturing rockets...

"[Signed] your brother, Abu Omar Al-Quraishi Al-Baghdadi." 

*********************
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Technorati tags: al jayah al islami, al anbar, palestinians, palestine, muslim brotherhood in iraq, saddam hussein, collaborators, memri, al baghdadi, islamist, al hasbah, jews, christians, infidels, jihad, muslim, qur'an, koran, islamization, salafism, al qaeda fighters, afghanistan, al aqsa, chechnya, israel, islamic nation, caliphate, secular state

FBI Warns of Possible Hezbollah Revenge In U.S.

Courtesy of National Terror Alert Center

February 15, 2008

The FBI and Department of Homeland Security sent a bulletin Friday to state and local law enforcement authorities advising them to watch for potential retaliatory strikes by Hezbollah, one day after the Lebanese militia group vowed to avenge the death of a top commander by attacking Israeli and Jewish targets around the world.

“While retaliation in the U.S. homeland is unlikely, Hezbollah has demonstrated a capability to respond outside the Middle East to similar events in the past,” said the intelligence bulletin sent to about 18,000 state and local law enforcement officials late Friday afternoon.

The FBI also said it was intensifying its domestic intelligence-gathering efforts to identify any potential Hezbollah threats in the United States in the aftermath of Tuesday’s car-bomb assassination of Imad Mughniyah in Syria.

On Wednesday, the FBI sent a confidential internal bulletin to its 101 Joint Terrorism Task Forces across the country warning of the possible domestic consequences of Mughniyah’s killing. As part of that effort, FBI officials at headquarters told the bureau’s field offices and multiagency task forces to increase monitoring and surveillance of suspected Hezbollah operatives and to conduct fresh interviews with sources and informants about the U.S.-designated terrorist group, according to two FBI officials.

U.S. authorities have long described Hezbollah as the “A-Team” of terrorism, with far more discipline than Al Qaeda, vast financing from the government of Iran, and a global network of sleeper operatives who could be called on to launch an attack at any time. Various federal investigations and prosecutions have uncovered dozens of Hezbollah fundraisers and supporters in the United States, but few people are believed to be actual “bomb throwers,” according to a senior FBI counter-terrorism official who focuses on Hezbollah.

Read More - L.A. Times

Technorati tags: hezbollah, hizbollah, fbi, department of homeland security, terror alert, iran, syria, israel, counter terrorism, sleeper cell, jewish targets, lebanese militia group, middle east, imad mugniyah, joint terrorism taskforce

Al Qaida Leader's Diary Reveals Organization's Decline

Courtesy of Multi-National Force Iraq WASHINGTON — U.S. troops found a diary belonging to an al Qaida in Iraq leader that has Coalition forces believing the terrorist organization is “on its heels,” a senior military official in Baghdad said yesterday.  Soldiers of the 101st Airborne Division’s 1st Brigade Combat Team captured a diary Nov. 3, 2007, belonging to Abu Tariq, an al Qaida emir in control of five battalions within two sectors, U.S. Air Force Col. Donald J. Bacon, a Multi-National Force - Iraq spokesman, told online journalists and “bloggers” during a conference call.

View Translated Diary (PDF)

The Soldiers found the diary during a patrol conducted about 15 kilometers south of Balad. Bacon said the 16-page diary contains records about man power, operations, weapons, and finances, and it shows that al Qaida is hurting badly in the belts of Baghdad.

“There were 600 al-Qaida members in this sector, now there (are) 20 or less,” said Bacon.

In the diary, Tariq describes each battalion’s number decline and goes on to describe the 4th battalion as “scoundrels, sectarians and nonbelievers.” Tariq attributes his terrorist organization’s decline in large part to groups of Concerned Local Citizens (CLC), who are also known as the ‘Sons of Iraq’.

Many high-ranking al Qaida members, including Osama Bin Laden, have spoken out about the negative impact that the CLC groups have had on their organization. As a result, the CLC are being attacked more frequently by the terrorists, Bacon said.

Nevertheless, Bacon said the numbers of CLC are growing, which indicates that they are less afraid of al-Qaida.

“Right now there (are) approximately 77,500 CLC with 135 different initiatives, and more and more are being hired,” Bacon said.

Bacon said he believes the diary is also in part a will of sorts, in case anything was to happen to Tariq.

“He wanted to keep a clear record,” Bacon said.

Bacon said he believes the diary is indicative of some other areas in Iraq but not all of Iraq. He cautioned that al Qaida is still a dangerous enemy.

“We still believe they are our number one threat,” said Bacon.

“There is a 90 percent decline of violence in Anbar but we are still fighting them in Diala,” he added. “They still have the capacity and the will but we have the momentum.”

Bacon noted, however, that “overall levels of violence in Iraq are down, and we are seeing positive trends.”

(Story by Navy Seaman William Selby, Special to American Forces Press Service)

Technorati tags: iraq, al qaeda fighters, us forces, Coalition forces, Concerned Local Citizens (CLC), sons of iraq, baghdad

Foreign Intrigue on American Soil

SPIES ON THE INSIDE, Courtesy of the FBI

Space Shuttle secrets were among those allegedly stolen by a former California engineer. NASA photo.

There were secret meetings in restaurants, encrypted e-mail messages using a mysterious shorthand, suitcases crammed full of stolen documents.

There were covert payoffs: a pocket stuffed with a wad of bills, free poker games in Vegas, a wallet suddenly flush with cash.

There were bogus cover stories for trips to the “motherland” where secrets were passed and clandestine couriers who helped deliver materials into foreign hands. 

If it all sounds very cloak and dagger, that’s because it is. Two cases worked by the FBI and its partners and brought to fruition Monday with four arrests on opposite coasts had all the intrigue of a good spy novel. 

In the first investigation, a former Boeing and Rockwell engineer in California who had access to secret materials for decades was charged with several counts of economic espionage—including stealing U.S. high-tech trade secrets relating to the Space Shuttle and other aerospace and military systems and passing them to China.

The engineer allegedly stole hundreds of thousands of documents, many of which never made it to China. But he did provide China with some two dozen manuals on the B-1 Bomber and traveled to that country under of the guise of giving lectures, while secretly meeting with Chinese government officials and agents.

For More Information

  - First Investigation Press Release
  - Second Investigation Press Release
  - Tricks of Today's Spying Trade
  - Inside Counterproliferation
  - FBI Counterintelligence website

In the second investigation, a weapons policy analyst at the Department of Defense—along with a New Orleans businessman and a Chinese national living in the U.S.—were charged with passing classified government materials to China. Much of the information related to the sale of military technology to Taiwan. 

According to court documents, the New Orleans businessman cultivated the relationship with the analyst (and other U.S. government officials) and helped funnel information to the Chinese government. The Chinese national served as a “cut-out”—a go-between who worked with the businessman so an unnamed official in China could avoid direct contact with the analyst.

The Defense analyst’s series of secret meetings and telling conversations with the businessman—including admissions that he didn’t want to get caught and go to jail—are recounted in court documents. 

How'd we catch these spies? By using our own set of tradecraft, including surveillance, court-authorized searches and wiretaps, extensive translation work, and close coordination with NASA, the Air Force, and other government agencies. 

It all goes to show that while the Cold War is over, espionage is alive and well. Countries around the world are as determined as ever to steal our nation's sensitive military technologies and valuable trade secrets—even if that means resorting to traditional tricks like recruiting American turncoats. 

You can help prevent espionage and potentially earn a reward of up to $500,000 by reporting suspicious activities. Contact the FBI field office nearest you and ask to speak with our Counterintelligence Domain Coordinator. Or submit an anonymous tip online.

Technorati tags: fbi, department of defense, espionage, china, cold war, national security, sensitive military technology, american turncoat, traitor, trade secrets, counterintelligent domain coordinator, wiretap, counterproliferation, space shuttle, surveillance, nasa, us air force

INTERVIEWING SADDAM

Courtesy of the FBI

FBI Agent Gets to the Truth

01/28/08

Imagine sitting across from Saddam Hussein every day for nearly seven straight months—slowly earning his trust, getting him to spill secrets on everything from whether he gave the order to gas the Kurds (he did) to whether he really did have weapons of mass destruction on the eve of war (he didn’t). All the while gathering information that would ultimately be used to prosecute the deposed dictator in an Iraqi court. 

That was the job of FBI Special Agent George Piro, who told his story Sunday, January 27, on the TV news program 60 Minutes.

Soon after U.S. special forces pulled Saddam out of a spider hole on December 13, 2003, the CIA—knowing the former dictator would ultimately have to answer for his crimes against the Iraqi people—asked the FBI to debrief Hussein because of our longstanding work in gathering statements for court.

That’s when we turned to Piro, an investigator on our terrorism fly team who was born in Beirut and speaks Arabic fluently. Piro was supported by a team of CIA analysts and FBI agents, intelligence analysts, language specialists, and a behavioral profiler.

Piro knew getting Saddam to talk wouldn’t be easy. He prepped by carefully studying the former dictator’s life so he could better connect with Saddam and more easily determine when he was being honest. It worked: during the first interview on January 13, 2004, Piro talked about Saddam’s four novels and Iraqi history, which impressed Hussein. Saddam asked for Piro to come back. 

From that day forward, everything Piro did was designed to build an emotional bond with Saddam and to get him to talk truthfully. To make Hussein dependent on him and him alone, Piro became responsible for virtually every aspect of his life, including his personal needs. He always treated Saddam with respect, knowing he would not respond to threats or tough tactics. As part of his plan, Piro also never told Hussein that he was an FBI field agent, instead letting him believe, for the sake of building credibility, that he was a high-level official who reported directly to the President. 

An FBI agent fingerprints Saddam shortly after his capture.

It took time. Piro spent five to seven hours a day with Saddam for months, taking advantage of every small opportunity that presented itself, including listening to Hussein’s poetry. Eventually, Saddam began to open up. 

Among Saddam’s revelations:

• Saddam misled the world into believing that he had weapons of mass destruction in the months leading up to the war because he feared another invasion by Iran, but he did fully intend to rebuild his WMD program.
• Piro told 60 Minutes that Saddam considered Usama bin Laden “a fanatic” and a threat who couldn’t be trusted. 
• The former dictator admitted “initially miscalculating President Bush and President Bush’s intentions,” Piro said, thinking the war would be more like the shortened air campaign of the Gulf War.
• Saddam never used look-alikes or body doubles as widely believed, thinking no one could really play his part. 
• Hussein made the decision to invade neighboring Kuwait in 1990 following an insulting comment by one of its emirs.

Piro was so successful at befriending Saddam that the former dictator was visibly moved when they said goodbye. “I saw him tear up,” Piro said during the television interview. 

Joe Persichini, Assistant Director in Charge of our Washington office and Piro’s boss, told 60 Minutes that Piro’s expert work in revealing Saddam’s secrets was “probably one of the top accomplishments of the agency in the last 100 years.” 

 

Technorati tags: fbi, saddam, Usama bin Laden, Osama, Hussein, interrogation, kurds, wmd, us special operations forces, iraq

Jordanians rally in support of Hamas in Gaza

Hat tip to Michael Savage

Link to:  Jordanians rally in support of Hamas in Gaza

(ynetnews.com) Muslim Brotherhood activists march in Amman to protest Israel's closure on Gaza, and call on Hamas to resume suicide bombings.  Chanting slogans urging Islamist Hamas militants to resume suicide bombings against Israel, thousands of Jordanians marched in the capital on Friday to protest against Israel's blockade of Gaza. Source: YNETNEWS.COM

Here is a little more background regarding the Brotherhood that I posted previously:

Muslim Brotherhood

This link provided will give you an opportunity to explore The Brotherbood.in more depth that you normally do not received from the lame-stream media.

Source: Encyclopaedia of the Orient
"Allah is our objective. The Prophet is our leader. Qur'an is our law. Jihad is our way. Dying in the way of Allah is our highest hope."—Muslim Brotherhood

Term used for congregations in Islam that are somewhat differentiated from the general community of Islam. The Arabic term, 'al-ikhwān, used for religio-political groups streching back in time to the Wahhabis of Arabia and is used today for groups of Islamists.

For Sufis the Arabic term tarīqa, designating the congregation of Sufis centered around the same leader, is also translated to "brotherhood". "Method", "system" or "path" would be correct translations, but the followers of a tariqa are grouped as a brotherhood.

Technorati tags: tarīqa, Sufis, brotherhood,Islam, terrorism, religio-political, wahhabis

Dirty Bomb Plotter Padilla Sentenced

As reported from Reuters, American dirty bomb plotter, Jose Padilla, was sentence to 17 years for supporting terrorims. 

Padilla sentenced to 17 years

Jan 22 - U.S. citizen Jose Padilla has been sentenced to 17 years in prison for supporting terrorism. Jose Padilla was once accused by the Bush Administration of plotting a radioactive bomb attack and was held without charge by the government as an ...

Now comes the my question: Was this a a good sentence or not?

Remember, Padilla converted to Islam in Prison after being incarcerated in 2002.

Courtesy of Religious Tolerance. Org ( POTENTIAL FOR RADICALIZATION OF U.S. MUSLIM PRISON INMATES ) Richard Reid (a.k.a. Abdel Raheem and Tariq Raja), became a radical Islamist while incarcerated in a UK prison. He attempted to ignite explosives in his shoes and thereby blow up an American Airlines plane in mid-flight during Christmastime in 2001.

Jose Padilla, a former Chicago IL street gang member also became a radical Islamist while in prison. He was arrested in 2002 on suspicion of planning to explode a "dirty bomb."

Some American Muslim groups and law enforcement organizations are concerned that one or more radical, Fundamentalist and potentially violent religious group in some U.S. prisons may be radicalizing Muslim inmates and gaining terrorist recruits. 1

The LA Times reported in 2005-AUG that:
"The possibility of connections between prison gangs and potential terrorists has been a worry for U.S. officials for some time."

"There are at least several significant investigations into the alleged use of federal and state prisons as bases for recruiting potential Islamic terrorists, according to a senior FBI counter-terrorism official in Washington." 2

However, some investigators reject the concept that prisons in the U.S. are breeding grounds for terrorists.
One questioned why a terrorist group would select prisoners, knowing that their fingerprints and full personal data is recorded in government files.

The LA times mentioned that: "David Shwartz, retired religious services administrator for the federal Bureau of Prisons,...argues that Islam is a positive force in the rehabilitation of inmates." 2

Earlier in 2005, Robert Mueller, Director of the F.B.I. told the Senate Intelligence Committee that "prisons continue to be fertile ground for extremists who exploit both a prisoner's conversion to Islam while still in prison, as well as their socioeconomic status and placement in the community upon their release."

However, some investigators reject the concept that prisons in the U.S. are breeding grounds for terrorists.

• One questioned why a terrorist group would select prisoners, knowing that their fingerprints and full personal data is recorded in government files.
• The LA times mentioned that: "David Shwartz, retired religious services administrator for the federal Bureau of Prisons,...argues that Islam is a positive force in the rehabilitation of inmates." ₂

References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. Dorothy Korber and Andy Furillo, "Terror case eyes Folsom prisoners. Officials say plot targeted sites in L.A. area," Sacramento Bee, 2005-AUG-18, at: http://www.sacbee.com/
2. Greg Krikorian and Jenifer Warren, "Terror Probe Targets Prison in olsom. Alleged plot to attack Southland sites may have been conceived inside the facility." LA Times, 2005-AUG-17, at: http://www.latimes.com/

 

It is a given that Padilla will rejoin a radial muslim gang and help spread the Qur'an in prison. I am confident that Padilla will promote radical islam and convert some other weak minded individuals to follow the Caravan Raider and wreck havoc on unsuspecting sheeple.  The radial muslim prison gangs will be happy to have another jihadi follower in their midst.

MND-North Soldiers liberate 2 from al Qaeda prison during Operation Phantom Phoenix (Baquba)

Our troops saved two iraqi citizens from an AQ prison. I think this shows how the CLC groups are a threat to the dirtbags! Their support base is going POOF and they don't like it!

Our troops are winning this dogfight!!!

“We could hear voices inside the room,” said Spc. Christopher Nollenberg, a cavalry scout with 2-1 CAV., who was one of the first to enter the chamber. “They called out for help and told us they were prisoners.”
Inside were two adult male prisoners. Both were contracted by Coalition Forces as electricians to install power lines. They had bruises on their backs and legs. Soldiers found braided wire cords, cables and a strap hooked to the ceiling used to hold the prisoners while they were beaten.

Quote:

They were bound and blindfolded and taken to the prison chamber. They were routinely beaten and questioned during their first three days of captivity. AQI operatives asked the men for names of Concerned Local Citizens in their towns, and also asked them who in the area supports the CLCs and who wants to join the CLC group.

Quote:

“These people (AQI) don’t deserve to live,” said one victim. “I will remember for the rest of my life the day that the Coalition forces gave me a second chance to live.”

Full news release in link:
MND-North Soldiers liberate 2 from al Qaeda prison during Operation Phantom Phoenix (Baquba)

Global Jihad; Stories from WND 1-10-2008

GLOBAL JIHAD
WorldNetDaily Exclusive
Jay Leno's wife in al-Qaida's crosshairs 
New video message rebukes talk-show host's spouse for anti-Taliban views
--WND

New Taliban leader more dangerous than Bin Laden?
Movement created when 26 Pakistani militant groups joined forces to fight for Islamic regime
--ABC News