Sunday, April 27, 2008

MNFI Press Release - Apr 27

5 CRIMINALS KILLED DURING NIGHT OPS
Multinational aerial weapons teams (AWTs) and an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) killed 5 criminals in separate air-to-ground engagements in the Sadr City district of Baghdad during the night of April 26-27th. At approximately 10 p.m. on April 26th, the operators of a UAV observed 2 armed criminals who were providing over-watch on a vehicle route, and were believed to be triggermen for an improvised explosive device (IED). A Multinational AWT was called into the area and fired one Hellfire missile, killing the two criminals. Soldiers on the ground verified the location of the IED, which was safely removed as a threat. At approximately 10:30 p.m., operators of a UAV positively identified two armed criminals and engaged them with a Hellfire missile, killing both. At approximately 1 a.m. on April 27th, the operators of a UAV observed 2 armed criminals who were providing over-watch on a vehicle route, and were believed to be triggermen for an improvised explosive device. An AWT was called into the area and fired one Hellfire missile, killing 1 of the criminals. The second left the scene prior to the AWT engagement.

27 DETAINED, BOMB-MAKING MATERIALS DESTROYED
Coalition Forces detained 27 suspected terrorists during operations on Sunday targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) networks around the country. Coalition Forces conducted two operations east of Samarra targeting associates of a known AQI facilitator who is a liaison with senior terrorist leaders. Coalition Forces detained 6 suspected terrorists and discovered weapons and a building wired to explode. After moving civilians away from the area, Coalition Forces called for an airstrike to destroy the building and weapons. Samarra is located in the Salah ad-Din province, approximately 100 km northwest of Baghdad.

Coalition Forces detained 15 suspected terrorists during operations in Mosul in northern Iraq, approximately 100 km from the Turkish border. One of the suspects is believed to be an AQI leader in the city, and another is believed to be part of an illegal terrorist court system. During the operation, Coalition Forces found a building containing bomb-making materials, which they safely destroyed on site. South of Taji, Coalition Forces captured an alleged associate of AQI leaders and 5 additional suspects believed to have ties to the terrorist network in the Northern Belt around Baghdad. Taji lies just north of Baghdad.

IRAQI ARMY TAKES CONTROL OF SA'ID ABDULLAH CORRIDOR
In an effort to deal a blow to al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) west of Mahmudiyah, the 2nd battalion, 25th brigade, 6th Iraqi Army (IA) Division established permanent battle positions in the Sa'id Abdullah Corridor (SAC) on April 24th. "Until only a few short weeks ago, this road was an area where American and Iraqi Soldiers only went expecting a fight," said Capt. Dennis Call, from Albuquerque, NM, leader of 4th Platoon, Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault). "In the past, we did a number of air assault raids, dismount patrols - always on the edge, knowing the history of the area." No one knows better than Spc. Roy Corpier, a team chief with 4th Platoon, Battery A, 3-320 FA. Corpier, a native of Sedalia, Missouri, stepped on a pressure-plate improvised explosive device in November, losing hearing in his right ear. "Any time we went into the SAC we could expect to get into something," Corpier said. "The operation over the past couple weeks has silenced AQI in the area."

After the IA completed clearing operations on April 15th in support of Operation Marne Piledriver, they made preparations to control and secure the area on a permanent basis. The Soldiers established battle positions to guard lines of commerce and serve as an operations base for missions into the surrounding area. "I wouldn't have expected to be setting up out here," said 2nd Lt. Mohammed Shakur, 2/25/6 IA Div. "I find it amazing how much safer this area has become, and only in a few weeks time." After months of intensive kinetic operations into the SAC, the completion of battle positions throughout the heart of what used to be an AQI area of support is significant, but not the final step. "This is only the start," Call said. "For this to actually work, patrols need to constantly move out from the battle position and engage the populace on a regular basis." The following weeks will see an influx of IA support to the populace as the area takes advantage of the newfound security and begins to rebuild.

SOI TURNS OVER WEAPONS CACHE SOUTH OF BAGHDAD
Sons of Iraq (SOI) members reported finding a cache, which consisted of (47) 57-mm projectiles, (2) propane tanks filled with homemade explosives and (1) rocket, at the Maskar Bunker Complex in Arab Jabour. Projectiles like those recovered have been used in the recent past to make pressure-plate IEDs, said Capt. William Lyles, assistant operations officer for 1st Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division, Fort Stewart, Georgia. This is the third time in a week SOI have turned munitions over to Coalition Forces at Combat Outpost Murray, including a 500-pound bomb turned in on April 24th, said Lyles, a native of Hampton, Virginia. "The SOI have contributed greatly to the improved security in the Arab Jabour area," Lyles said. "Their tips and intelligence have led to the arrest of several al-Qaeda in Iraq insurgents. They're truly doing everything they can to work toward long-term stability in the area." The weapons will be destroyed at a later date

IA SOLDIERS DETAIN 17 AQI SUSPECTS, FIND CACHE
Soldiers from 5th Iraqi Army (IA) Division, advised by U.S. Special Forces, detained 17 suspected AQI terrorists in the as-Sa'diyah villages of Sama and Rabia on April 25th. The IA soldiers conducted a cordon and search patrol of the area in order to disrupt terrorist activities. During the patrol, 17 men believed to be AQI members were detained for questioning. The patrol also confiscated more than (30) SPG-9 rounds, (40) various types of mortars and over (100) mortar fuses. An anti-tank mine and an IED were also found and destroyed on site.

Centcom Press Release - Apr 26

122 DETAINEES RELEASED, PART OF RECONCILIATION EFFORT
One hundred twenty-two detainees were released on April 21st in the Ta'Mim Province of northeastern Iraq. The detainees were released as part of national reconciliation efforts. This is the largest single detainee release to date in the region. "This is a victory for the national and provincial judges across multiple provinces who are working together to find solutions in an effort to help bring an end to the fighting and establishing peace and stability to the region," said Col. David Paschal, 1st Brigade, 10th Mountain Division commander.

More than 400 family members attended the ceremony at the Kirkuk Police Academy. Many local and provincial leaders also attended this ceremony. Iraq's Rule of Law Judges Nauman and Farouk, who were responsible for initiating, reviewing and determining the release of the detainees, also attended. Kirkuk Provincial Director of Police, Gen. Thaker, urged the detainees to take this opportunity to better themselves, re-join society and to ask God and their families for forgiveness. "There are no second chances," Provincial Gov. Abdulrahman Mustafa Feta-eh said.

The 122 men were reminded their freedom was due to the efforts of the Iraqi Security Forces, the Coalition forces and the Government of Iraq working together. "The fighting must stop. Reconciliation begins now," Col. David Paschal said. The ceremony concluded with tearful reunions between family members, many embracing, singing and dancing.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

New Signs of Al-Qaeda Weakness

By Hawkeye®

In his most recent audiotape released on Tuesday, April 22nd, Al-Qaeda's number two Ayman al-Zawahiri revealed more signs of weakness within the terror organization. In the audiotape, he criticized Muslims for failing to support Islamist insurgencies in Iraq and elsewhere. "I call upon the Muslim nation... about its failure to support its brothers of the Mujahedeen, and (urge it) not to withhold men and money, which is the mainstay of a war," he said.

Apparently then, Al-Qaeda is finding it difficult to find men and money to prosecute its war of terror. "I urge all Muslims to hurry to the battlefields of Jihad, especially in Iraq," he said. Zawahiri would not be issuing such a call-to-arms if recruits were lining up to fight "the Crusaders".

Zawahiri's statements also seem to confirm my conjecture that Al-Qaeda may be having finanacial difficulties. In my article "Taliban, Breaking With Al-Qaeda?" dated March 16th, I suggested in the closing paragraph that, "With its loss of influence, Al-Qaeda may be losing financial support". Zawahiri is saying in effect, that this is precisely what has happened. Those who formerly supported the terror group have begun to "withhold" money.

Such signs of weakness have been noted by others, for example HERE and HERE. In my March 16th article, I provided a litany of examples showing Al-Qaeda's loss of influence in the Muslim world, and questioned whether or not there might even be a rift developing between Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. The basis for my suggestion was founded upon the apparent overture of the Taliban towards Tehran.

As if to support my contention, Zawahiri also used his most recent message as an opportunity to lash out at Iran. In response to a question about the theory that Israel was behind the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon, Zawahiri accused Hezbollah (an Iranian ally) of starting the rumor. "The purpose of this lie is clear - (it suggests) that there are no heroes among the Sunnis who can hurt America as no else did in history. Iranian media snapped up this lie and repeated it," he said.

It has been noted that this anti-Iranian rhetoric "is a stark change for al-Zawahri", who went so far as to "depict al-Qaida as the Arabs' top defense against the Persian nation's rising power in the Middle East". Zawahiri is undoubtedly mounting this campaign against Iran because Al-Qaeda is in trouble. In the struggle for Muslim hearts and minds, Al-Qaeda has been losing the PR battle. Osama bin Laden said it himself: "when people see a strong horse and a weak horse, by nature, they will like the strong horse". Al-Qaeda now appears to be a "weak horse".

None of this is to say that Al-Qaeda is completely defeated, or that it cannot yet mount an effective terror strike. Nevertheless, it is still a sign of weakness, and it suggests that the Global War on Terror has been remarkably successful. Al-Qaeda is no longer the "strong horse" it once was, because it has been confronted with determination and persistence. Another "strong horse" has been beating it with military force, counter-terrorism measures, and democracy.

Friday, April 25, 2008

UK Police Arrest 3 Terror Suspects In London

Source Article HERE.

From 'International Herald Tribune': Scotland Yard says it has arrested three terror suspects in London. Britain's Metropolitan police say the three men are aged 24, 25, and 23. They say they were arrested at separate addresses Wednesday morning by officers from the force's Counter Terrorism Command. Police said in a statement Friday that the men remain in custody at a central London police station. The men have not been identified. Authorities in Britain do not usually name suspects until they are charged.

And in a related story...

More Time To Quiz Terror Suspects

Source Article HERE.

From 'BBC': Police have been granted another week to continue questioning three terror suspects arrested during dawn raids in east London on Wednesday. A judge granted officers a warrant to continue quizzing the men being held at Paddington Green police station. They were arrested on suspicion of the commission, preparation or instigation of acts of terrorism overseas. A 24-year-old was arrested in Walthamstow, a 25-year-old in Bethnal Green and a 23-year-old in Stepney. All three were arrested under the Terrorism Act 2000 by counter-terrorism officers from the Metropolitan Police. They are not believed to have any links to terror plots in the UK.

Once-Loyal Sympathizers Said To Criticize Al-Qaida

Source Article HERE.

From 'Courant': Al-Qaida increasingly faces criticism from once-loyal sympathizers who openly question its ideology and tactics, including attacks that kill innocent Muslims. That's the assessment drawn from U.S. intelligence officials, counterterrorism experts and the group's communications. A litany of complaints targets Osama bin Laden's network and its affiliates for their actions in Iraq and North Africa, their emphasis on suicide bombings instead of political action, and tepid support, or outright antagonism, for militant groups pressing the Palestinian cause.

The criticism apparently is serious enough that al-Qaida's chief strategist, Ayman Zawahiri, felt compelled to solicit online questions. He responded in an audiotaped message released earlier in April. For more than 90 minutes, bin Laden's second-in-command attempted to defuse the anger of many who wrote in. Earlier this year, Zawahiri also released a 188-page Internet book to rebut complaints, particularly those of an influential former jihadist who said that he and bin Laden should be held accountable for violence against Muslims.

Sayyed Imam al-Sharif, an Egyptian physician who is the one-time senior theologian for al-Qaida, is one of Zawahiri's oldest associates. The author of violent manifestoes during the past two decades, al-Sharif did an about-face while incarcerated in Egypt. Several other prominent Islamic clerics and former jihadists have similarly condemned al-Qaida. Such rifts have been emerging for several years, but have become increasingly contentious both in cyberspace and on the streets of some Arab countries. In addition to Zawahiri, al-Qaida leaders, including bin Laden himself, have gone on a public relations offensive. In October, bin Laden asked followers for forgiveness for the deaths of civilians in Iraq.

Analysts in U.S. and allied intelligence agencies differ about whether the backlash poses significant risks for al-Qaida or is simply a public relations problem. The organization is expanding its pool of hard-core recruits, according to one U.S. counter-terrorism official. And Internet communications and other intelligence have shown that its anti-American message continues to resonate with extremists throughout much of the Islamic world. But al-Qaida also has sought to use regional groups to become mainstream and expand its power base. It is in these groups that much of the conflict is occurring.

"We know that all of this matters to al-Qaida and that its senior leadership is sensitive to the perceived legitimacy of both their actions and their ideology," said Juan Carlos Zarate in a speech Wednesday at the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. Zarate is the White House's deputy national security adviser for combating terrorism. "They care about their image because it has real-world effects on recruitment, donations and support in Muslim and religious communities for the al-Qaida message."

UK Man In Court On Terrorism Charges

Source Article HERE.

From 'BBC': A man charged under the Terrorism Act with two offences has appeared via video link at the Old Bailey. Bathan Worrell, 35, was arrested in January at his home in Grimsby and is accused of possessing documents for making explosives and poisons. A second charge alleges Mr Worrell collected records "likely to be useful" in terrorism. At the London court, he was remanded in custody for a further Old Bailey hearing on May 23rd.

MNFI Press Release - Apr 25

ALLEGED BOMBING CELL LEADER, 12 OTHERS DETAINED
Coalition Forces detained more than a dozen suspected terrorists during operations targeting al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) Friday, including four wanted individuals. Coalition Forces captured two wanted men, one of whom is allegedly the leader of a large bombing cell, during a raid south of Bayji targeting a network that spans Salah ad Din province. The other wanted man is believed to be a key distributor of explosives used against Sons of Iraq (SOI) groups, Iraqi Security Forces and Coalition Forces. A cache of weapons and ammunition was discovered and safely destroyed on site. Four additional suspected terrorists were detained.

Coalition Forces continued to corral members of the AQI propaganda network, detaining a wanted man in Baghdad who is believed to conspire directly with terrorist leaders. Using information acquired during an operation on April 21st, Coalition Forces captured an alleged go-between for AQI senior leaders in Mosul.

In Samarra, Coalition Forces conducted two operations targeting AQI leaders in the area and detained four suspected terrorists. Coalition Forces also descended on an alleged foreign terrorist bed-down location northeast of Khalis and detained one suspected terrorist believed to be involved in AQI's facilitation network.

Thursday, April 24, 2008

MNFI Press Release - Apr 24

IRAQI SECURITY FORCES CLEAR HYYANIYAH, BASRA
As part of ongoing operations to secure the Hyyaniyah district in Basra, Iraqi Security Forces searched the area for criminals and weapons caches on April 19th and 20th. The ISF involved were Soldiers from 1st Division and 14th Division; the 26th Brigade attached to the 1st Division; a Battalion with the National Police from Baghdad; and elements from an Emergency Police Battalion.

"It went rather well considering the threat and many different organizations that were involved," said U.S. Marine Corps Maj. Robert Washington, military advisor for the 2nd Battalion, 1st Brigade, 1st Division. Additionally, the major said the Iraqi Army found a large weapons cache in a school during the search. In the two days, they found substantial amounts of 60 mm mortars, 105 mm mortars, 120 mm mortars, rocket-propelled grenade rounds, RPG tubes, artillery shells for use as IEDs, homemade grenades, heavy machine guns, various rockets, including a 220 mm rocket, large amounts of small-arms ammunition and various mortar tube sizes.

"We were told it was a stronghold," Washington said. "Possible threats were IEDs, small-arms fire, snipers and a house-borne IED where they rig a house to blow up when searched," he added. "The Iraqi Army worked well. They met timelines and controlled their forces... They are continuing their efforts in humanitarian aid and intelligence gathering with the local populations," Washington said.

COALITION TARGETS AQI; 3 KILLED, 14 DETAINED
Coalition Forces killed three al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) terrorists and detained 14 suspects during operations targeting terrorist networks in the central and northern parts of the country on Wednesday. West of Bi’aj, Coalition Forces captured an alleged foreign terrorist facilitator and three additional suspects. While rounding up the detainees, one terrorist attempted to escape. After the terrorist refused commands to halt, Coalition Forces engaged, killing him.

Coalition Forces targeted an alleged leader of an AQI propaganda cell during an operation in Mosul. As Coalition Forces arrived at the target area, two individuals attempted to seize their weapons from them. Coalition Forces responded in self-defense, engaging and killing the two men. Three suspected terrorists were detained. Coalition Forces also captured a suspected senior AQI leader in Mosul during a precision operation Thursday. Intelligence reports indicate he is involved in kidnapping and suicide bombing operations. West of Baghdad, Coalition Forces conducted two operations targeting operatives in the area's bombing network. Six suspected terrorists were detained, and four are believed to be part of a bombing cell that attacks Coalition Forces.

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

FoxNews Panelists Discuss Maliki's Basra Victory

Source Article HERE.

From 'FoxNews -- Special Report w/ Brit Hume':
April 22, 2008


(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

DICK CHENEY, VICE PRESIDENT OF THE USA: There has been much discussion about the events in Basra, and much of it misses the point. This was an Iraqi initiative for their security forces loyal to the government to take back a city that had been overrun by extremists and thugs. And this is exactly the kind of initiative we seek from Iraq's leaders.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

HUME: That is what the administration has been saying in recent weeks about a military adventure ordered by Nouri al-Maliki in Iraq that appeared not to have gone so well. But what everyone was saying, was that it was not so important how well it went but that they mounted it at all. Now the facts from the ground seem to have changed from what we were hearing from the mainstream media... and from this channel as well, just a few weeks ago. Things look different. Things apparently look better -- Fred?

BARNES: It is the difference between winning and losing. They have now this supposedly completely failed Iraqi army effort, has now been triumphant and captured the entire city of Basra, which is obviously so important because it is the chief seaport, and where so much commerce comes through into Iraq. And so the press, "The New York Times", "BBC", "TIME" magazine, and everybody else -- I guess FOX included -- was wrong about this.

The prime minister, who gets minimum high regard from the media, and I think from a lot of Americans, and even people in the Bush administration as well, said 'Well, wait a minute, we're continuing fighting. It's not over yet.' And it wasn't over. He turned out to be right. This is a big victory for Prime Minister Maliki, no question about that. And look at what he has now -- Basra, most of Baghdad, and are taking on the Shia militia there.

If Muqtada al-Sadr, who is behind some of these militias, is such a strong and effective leader, how come he is still in Iran? He hasn't come back. His movement is losing, and Maliki is winning and bringing with him a lot of political reconciliation, because the Sunnis and the Kurds and Shia are all together on this effort to wipe out the militias.

EASTON: I think there is a danger, and this is a long, complex, messy war. And there is a danger in any of these isolated events to say, 'This was a great victory. This was mission accomplished.' Let's remember that.

HUME: I know, but is there a greater danger than in saying what was said three weeks ago?

EASTON: Or Nancy Pelosi saying, 'Let's not overestimate. This was a disaster' -- or, 'Let's not underestimate this; that this was a disaster.' I think you have to look, like anything in Iraq, you have to look at it like the stock market. You have to look at trends over time. And trends over time are getting better in Iraq.

But you still have Sadr issuing these warnings to the Maliki government. There is still -- yes, things are looking good now -- but you've got to look at it long term and not just make a conclusive conclusion about any given battle site at any given moment.

KRISTOL: That's true, but if you had said two months ago, talk to people who are really knowledgeable on the ground, and said the 14th Iraqi army will go to Basra and rout the Sadrists and control the entire city, apparently, with Sadr standing down, the Sadrists now splintering a little bit -- this is a very big deal.

Baghdad is tough. Some of my friends are concerned that with our drawdown -- they wish we hadn't come down from 20 to 15 divisions, because this is really the time that with a little more American force we might have been able to close the deal more quickly. But the people I talked to who are following this are pretty optimistic. They think that the Maliki government forces are making progress now in Sadr City itself against the Sadrists.

And the most important thing is that the Shiite extremists are beginning to splinter, just as the Sunnis did in late 2006, early 2007. You're getting a lot of Shias saying we don't want to be controlled by Iran. We don't want these thugs controlling our life. If the government can capitalize on this, this can be a big moment, almost as big as the Anbar Awakening was about a year-and-a-half ago.

WILLIAMS: I am all for it. I just hope we win. But I know that we're giving lots of support to Maliki, and so the suggestion that Maliki has proven to be this terrific leader, I'm not sold. Now, he's been at this conference with Secretary Rice saying that the country has moved beyond the point of internal divisions and factions. I see no evidence of this. I think, in fact, the military force has been sufficiently successful in Basra to this point with a tremendous amount of American support. I think there has been American support...

BARNES: No -- extremely little American support. Some air support, and that's about it.

WILLIAMS: Air support, and don't forget that all along Americans have been offering intelligence and guidance and helping to rout out problems inside, in what had been a weak military reconstituted to be Iraqi's force. And so you have this going forward. There is some good news there, but I don't see that Maliki is any Abe Lincoln, not quite.

BARNES: Wait a minute, Juan. You're knocking down a straw man. Nobody said he was Abe Lincoln. All we said is that he sent the Iraqi army into Basra and succeeded.

Basra Residents Welcome Iraq Army Crackdown

Source Article HERE.

From 'AFP': Apr 15, 2008 -- Three weeks after Iraqi troops swarmed into the southern city of Basra to take on armed militiamen who had overrun the streets, many residents say they feel safer and that their lives have improved. The fierce fighting which marked the first week of Operation Sawlat al-Fursan ("Charge of the Knights") has given way to slower, more focused house-by-house searches by Iraqi troops, which led to the freeing of an abducted British journalist (see VAT article HERE).

Residents say the streets have been cleared of gunmen, markets have reopened, basic services have been resumed and a measure of normality has returned to the oil-rich city. The port of Umm Qasr is in the hands of the Iraqi forces who wrested control of the facility from Shiite militiamen, and according to the British military it is operational once again. However, the city is flooded with troops, innumerable checkpoints constantly snarl the traffic, residents are scared to go out at night despite the curfew being relaxed, and the sound of sporadic gunfire can still be heard.


Iraqis celebrate victory in Basra, March 31.

An AFP correspondent said three northwestern neighbourhoods once under the firm control of the Mahdi Army militia of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr -- Al-Hayaniyah, Khamsamile and Garma -- are now encircled by Iraqi troops who are carrying out door-to-door searches. Two other neighbourhoods once dominated by the Mahdi Army, Al-Qiblah in the southwest and Al-Taymiyyah in the centre, have been cleared of weaponry and many people have been arrested, military officials say.

Residents expressed relief at the improved security. "I am very happy about the situation right now. The deployment of the Iraqi army has made gunmen and gangsters disappear from the streets," said court employee Mahdi Fallah, 42. "The gangs were controlling the ports and smuggling oil. Now the ports are back in government hands. Everything in Basra is better than before."

Taxi driver Samir Hashim, 35, said he now felt safer driving through the city's streets and was willing to put up with the traffic jams caused by the many security checkpoints. "We feel secure. Assassinations have ended, organised crime is finished and armed groups are no longer on the streets," said Hashim. "I think Basra will be the best city in Iraq," he added optimistically. "We are finally beginning to feel there is law in Basra."

"We feel comfortable and safe and secure," said civil servant Alah Mustapha. "The situation in Basra is stable. The Iraqi army controls the city and there are no longer armed groups on the streets." The Iraqi security operations have not been without problems however, and on April 13th, 1300 police and soldiers were sacked for failing to do their duty during the assault, which began on March 25th under orders of Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki.

Iraqi military officers have also come under fire from their coalition force allies for launching the operations without adequate preparation, with American commander in Iraq General David Petraeus saying Maliki had disregarded US advice to delay the assault. But the security forces were given a boost by the rescue of British photographer Richard Butler, two months after he was kidnapped from a Basra hotel. The journalist was freed when troops from the army's Fourteenth Division raided a house in Basra's Jubaiyia neighbourhood, not knowing he was being held captive there.


Mahdi Army fighters among 430 arrested in Basra.

The US military, meanwhile, said that since the crackdown began, the Iraqi security forces have arrested some 430 people, including 28 death row convicts who had been on the run. And the British military, which is stationed at Basra airport giving logistical and air support to the Iraqi forces, said Iraqi soldiers had uncovered large caches of weapons and had dismantled a car bomb factory. The Sadr movement has bitterly denounced the crackdown, accusing the government of using the security forces to weaken its political opponents ahead of provincial elections due in October.

A similar crackdown is also under way in the Mahdi Army's eastern Baghdad bastion of Sadr City where around 90 people have been killed in clashes between US and Iraqi forces and Shiite militiamen.

Displaced Iraqis Now Returning

Source Article HERE.

From 'MultiNational Force-Iraq': With security improving, local economies flourishing and community reconstruction underway, Iraqis who once fled their South Baghdad homes in fear are now returning to the villages they deserted. This is a good sign, said Maj. Mark Bailey, the officer in charge of the MultiNational Division–Center governance cell. "Once people are convinced that security is good in their area, they come back," said Bailey, who is with 401st Civil Affairs Battalion, attached to 3rd Infantry Division. "If they own a business, they re-open their business, which helps the economy." Out of the approximate 18,700 Iraqis who left their homes, it is estimated that 10,450 have returned, according to MND-C records.

Humanitarian aid provided by MND-C, the United Nations and the Iraqi government has been one method of reintegrating the newly returned citizens, Bailey said. "The CA Battalion (supply section) provides humanitarian assistance packages to the (MND-C) brigade combat teams, and they hand those out where they're needed," he said. "It's also a good way to gain people's trust."

Units in 4th Brigade Combat Team, 3rd Infantry Division have seen a steady influx of returning Iraqis, and have conducted operations to ensure the area is safe for their return. Operation Varsity II, one such effort, resulted in the removal of dozens of al-Qaeda in Iraq from an area containing 19 previously deserted homes. Soldiers also helped rebuild and refurbish local buildings, and set up health clinics and hygiene classes in some villages to better educate Iraqis on how to take care of themselves. Leadership from 3rd Battalion, 7th Infantry Regiment has also held various meetings with local residents to hear their concerns.

Bailey said the returning families usually still have relatives or business opportunities in the villages they come back to, which helps progress. "They have ties with the local community," he said. "They have pride in the area. And if they believe it's safer, and then they tell their families, that's when things start to improve." As of April 15th, displaced Iraqis from the areas of Yusifiyah, Khidr, Janabi Village, Radwaniyah, Qarghouli Village, Owsat Village, Rasheed, Mushada Village, Mahmudiyah and Latafiyah have made their way back home.

MNFI Press Release - Apr 23

COALITION TARGETS AQI NETWORKS; 1 KILLED, 5 DETAINED
Coalition forces killed one terrorist and detained five suspected al-Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) terrorists today during operations to disrupt AQI networks operating north of Mosul. Information from an operation on April 12th led Coalition forces to a location where they secured a building and detained three suspected terrorists. Acting on additional intelligence, Coalition forces proceeded to a second location. While securing the building, two individuals displayed hostile intent toward Coalition forces, who fired in self-defense, wounding both men. One suspect was taken to a military medical facility, and the other wounded suspect was treated on site and detained. Coalition forces followed another suspected terrorist in a vehicle to an area northwest of Samarra. When the driver would not follow signals to stop, including warning shots, Coalition forces fired into the vehicle. The vehicle stopped, and secondary explosions erupted from inside, indicating weapons, ammunition or explosives inside the vehicle. The terrorist in the vehicle was killed.

IRAQI & COALITION FORCES DESTROY CACHES, DETAIN 6
Iraqi and Coalition forces destroyed multiple weapons caches and detained six suspected criminals near Khan Bani Sa'ad, north of Baghdad. Acting on intelligence gathered from previous operations, Iraqi and Coalition forces moved into the area and immediately stopped a suspected criminal's vehicle trying to escape. They discovered numerous weapons and detained three individuals, one of whom allegedly received weapons training in Iran and was involved in numerous attacks on Coalition forces and Iraqi Security Forces personnel. Additional intelligence led Iraqi and Coalition forces to two other locations where they detained three more suspects during building searches. While there, they discovered additional weapons caches that included various munitions, assault rifles, and other weapons and materials to create explosive devices. All weapons materials were destroyed. The operations were conducted in an area allegedly used as a manufacturing and storage location for improvised explosive devices (IEDs).

Tuesday, April 22, 2008

UK Police Have Foiled 15 Terror Plots Since 2000

Source Article HERE.


Sir Ian Blair
From 'This Is London': Police have foiled 15 terror plots since the turn of the century, with suspects continuing to emerge from unexpected quarters, senior officers said yesterday. The figure emerged as police backed the Government's controversial proposals to hold terrorist suspects for more than 28 days without charge.

Sir Ian Blair, the Metropolitan Police Commissioner, told MPs the 28-day limit would be breached "sooner rather than later". He said that suspects "suddenly emerge from left field" and have to be arrested at a very early stage, leaving officers with huge amounts of investigative work. Sir Ian said: "We have reached a point where at 28 days we feel sooner or later - and maybe sooner - something is going to happen to make that insufficient."

Scotland Yard anti-terror chief, Assistant Commissioner Bob Quick, initially told the Commons Counter-Terrorism Bill standing committee that 15 plots had been foiled since the July 7 attacks in 2005. This was later corrected to being since 2000. Several plots have already come to court and are known to the public. They include plots to behead a British Muslim soldier and a fertiliser bomb attack on the Bluewater shopping centre in Kent.

Two Charged With Terror Offences

Source Article HERE.

From 'The Press Association': Two men have been arrested and charged with terror offences, Scotland Yard said. Mohammed Abushamma, 20, from Islington, north London, and Qasim Abukar, 20, from Tufnell Park, north London, were charged under the Terrorism Act. Sources said the men were arrested after getting off an inbound flight to Heathrow. It is believed the charges relate to alleged planned terror attacks overseas. The charges state that between March 17 and April 18 the men "engaged in conduct in preparation for giving effect to their intention of committing acts of terrorism contrary to section 5(1)(a) of the Terrorism Act 2006." The men will appear before City of Westminster Magistrates' Court on Wednesday.

Al Qaeda Deputy Criticises Muslims

Source Article HERE.

From 'AFP': Al-Qaeda number two Ayman al-Zawahiri criticised Muslims for failing to support Islamist insurgencies in Iraq and elsewhere in a new audiotape posted Tuesday on the Internet. "I call upon the Muslim nation to fear Allah's question (at judgement day) about its failure to support its brothers of the Mujahedeen (holy Warriors), and (urge it) not to withhold men and money, which is the mainstay of a war," he said.



He also used the two-and-a-half hour message to urge Muslims to join militant groups, mainly in Iraq, where he claimed that the insurgency against the Iraqi government and the US-led coalition forces is bearing fruit. "I urge all Muslims to hurry to the battlefields of Jihad (holy war), especially in Iraq," Zawahiri said in the message, the second in a two-part series to answer about 100 questions put to him via online militant forums. "The situation in Iraq heralds an imminent victory of Islam and the defeat of the Crusaders and those who stand under their flag," he said.

In his message, Zawahiri also called on the various jihadist groups operating in the country to unite behind the "more advanced" Al-Qaeda-backed "Islamic State of Iraq". On Friday, Zawahiri commemorated the fifth anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq with a call to Muslims to make Iraq a "fortress of Islam".

Bin Laden's Deputy Criticizes Iran

Source Article HERE.

From 'AP': Al-Qaida's No. 2 leader issued a new audiotape Tuesday accusing Shiite Iran of spreading a conspiracy theory about who carried out the September 11 attacks to discredit the power of the Al-Qaida, a Sunni terrorist network. Ayman al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden's deputy, has stepped up his denunciations of Iran in recent messages in part to depict al-Qaida as the Arabs' top defense against the Persian nation's rising power in the Middle East.

The increasing enmity toward Iran is a notable change of rhetoric from al-Zawahri, who in the past rarely mentioned the country - apparently in a hopes he would be able to forge some sort of understanding with Tehran based on their common rivalry with the United States. Iran has long sought to distance itself from al-Qaida.

"Al-Zawahri wanted to work with Iran, but he's deeply disappointed that Iran has not cooperated with al-Qaida," said Rohan Gunaratna, a terrorism expert and author of "Inside al-Qaida: The Global Network of Terror." So now, al-Zawahri "wants to appeal to the anti-Shiite, anti-Iran sentiments in the Arab and Muslim world," said Gunaratna, head of the International Center for Political Violence and Terrorism Research in Singapore. Al-Zawahri appears intent on exploiting widespread worry in the Arab world over Iran's influence, particularly in Iraq, to garner support for al-Qaida. At the same time, he sought to denigrate Iran's ally Hezbollah, which has gained some popularity even among Sunnis in the region for its fight against Israel.

Al-Zawahri's comments came in a two-hour audio posted on an Islamic militant Web site, the second message in weeks in which he answered hundreds of questions sent to the site by al-Qaida sympathizers and others. The question-and-answer campaign is a sign of the terrorist network's sophistication in its use of the Web. They show al-Qaida can post frequent messages from its leaders while keeping in touch with its popular base - all while the leaders remain in hiding, presumably on the Afghan-Pakistan frontier.

But in many of his answers, al-Zawahri went out of his way to criticize Iran. He said the Iraqi insurgent umbrella group led by al-Qaida, called the Islamic State of Iraq, is "the primary force opposing the Crusaders (the United States) and challenging Iranian ambitions" in Iraq. One questioner asked about the theory that has circulated in the Middle East and elsewhere that Israel was behind the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. Al-Zawahri accused Hezbollah's Al-Manar television of starting the rumor. "The purpose of this lie is clear - (to suggest) that there are no heroes among the Sunnis who can hurt America as no else did in history. Iranian media snapped up this lie and repeated it," he said.

"Iran's aim here is also clear - to cover up its involvement with America in invading the homes of Muslims in Afghanistan and Iraq," he added. Iran cooperated with the United States in the 2001 U.S. assault on Afghanistan that toppled al-Qaida's allies, the Taliban. Al-Qaida has previously claimed responsibility for the September 11 attacks. In an audiotape last week, al-Zawahri denounced what he called Iran's expansionist plans, saying Tehran aims to annex southern Iraq and Shiite areas of the eastern Arabian Peninsula as well as strengthen ties to its followers in southern Lebanon. He warned that if Iran achieves its goals, it will "explode the situation in an already exploding region."

The rhetoric is a stark change for al-Zawahri, who in the past did not seek to exploit Shiite-Sunni tensions. When the former head of al-Qaida in Iraq, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, was waging a campaign of suicide bombings against Shiites in Iraq, al-Zawahri sent messages telling him to stop, fearing it would hurt al-Qaida's image.

MNFI Press Release - Apr 22

MULTINATIONAL SOLDIERS CAPTURE SUSPECT IN ABU GHRAIB
Elements from 1st Battalion, 21st Infantry, 2nd Stryker Cavalry Regiment (2nd SCR), "Gimlets" detained a suspected criminal in the Abu Ghraib area west of Baghdad on April 22nd. This suspected criminal is believed to be involved with the making of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), and attacks on Iraqi Army and Coalition forces. "The streets are safer with these criminals in custody, and contributes to improving security in Abu Ghraib," said Maj. John Pendell, spokesman for 2nd SCR. "Due to its proximity to major highways and to northeastern Baghdad, security and stability in Abu Ghraib allows the economy and quality of life for local residents to improve," Pendell said.

SOI MEMBER LEADS SOLDIERS TO EFP CACHE
A member of the Sons of Iraq (SOI) led Multinational Soldiers of 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment to a weapons cache containing two explosively-formed projectiles (EFPs) near Jisr Diyala, Iraq, on April 21st. One of the EFPs had a makeshift stand for adjusting elevation. Both EFPs were turned over to an explosive ordnance disposal team for further exploitation.

MULTINATIONAL SOLDIERS DISCOVER WEAPONS CACHE
Soldiers from 1st Squadron, 33rd Cavalry Regiment discovered a weapons cache in Yusifiyah, Iraq, on April 21st. The cache included (34) rocket-propelled grenade rounds, an AK-47 and one box of PKC rounds. The contents of the cache were destroyed by an explosive ordnance disposal team.

MULTINATIONAL SOLDIERS KILL 6 INSURGENTS IN FIRE FIGHT
Multinational Soldiers killed six insurgents in a fire fight near a mosque in Kalaf Al-Hasun village, in Diyala province on April 21st. During a cordon and search of the village, approximately 20 km southeast of Hamrin Lake, a truck loaded with several personnel carrying AK-47s and rocket-propelled grenade launchers approached the position of 4th Platoon, Troop F, 2nd Squadron, 3rd Armored Cavalry Regiment. The Soldiers fired a warning shot to halt the vehicle. The personnel in the truck fired on them. The Soldiers returned fire on the vehicle, and the passengers ran into nearby buildings, including a nearby mosque. Two individuals appeared from the courtyard of the mosque and assumed a kneeling position as if to surrender. As a dismounted element approached the two individuals to detain them, numerous enemy riflemen ambushed the Soldiers from a nearby house with AK-47s and grenades. The two Soldiers were wounded; one by shrapnel from a grenade and the other from four rifle rounds. The Soldiers immediately returned fire in the direction of the house, killing six. Initial reports indicate the mosque was not damaged.

"This incident is a great example of our Soldiers' use of restraint when using deadly force," said Maj. Mike Garcia, spokesmen for Coalition forces in Diyala province. "It appears the enemy used the mosque to initiate a false surrender in order to lure our Soldiers into an ambush from enemy fire coming from the surrounding buildings. Despite this blatant use of a holy place to facilitate their attack, our Soldiers did not enter or fire on the mosque," Garcia said. Three suspects were also detained in the incident. The wounded Soldiers are in stable condition and are expected to be returned to duty.

IRAQI NATIONAL POLICE PRESSURE ENEMY ACTIVITY
Iraqi National Police (INP) from the 3rd Battalion, 5th Brigade, 2nd INP Division, working in the Rashid district of southern Baghdad, seized a weapons cache and detained a suspected criminal during a security patrol on April 20th. Conducting simultaneous raids at two different sites, the INP officers captured two heavy machine guns with 1,800 rounds, a sniper rifle and a rocket-propelled grenade launcher, and detained a suspected criminal operating in the Risalah neighborhood of West Rashid. Iraqi Security Forces such as these conduct daily patrols and security operations for the Government of Iraq in support of the Baghdad Security Plan to maintain levels of security for the 1.2 million Iraqis living in southern Baghdad. Iraqi Army soldiers of 1st Battalion, 24th Brigade, 6th Iraqi Army Division, also detained two suspected criminals during an early morning operation in the Saydiyah community of Rashid.

Monday, April 21, 2008

Terror Leaders In Indonesia Get Prison Terms

Source Article HERE.

From 'AP': Two leaders of the feared Southeast Asian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah were sentenced on Monday to 15 years in jail, dealing yet another blow to the group blamed for a string of deadly bombings in Indonesia. Abu Dujana, the group's military commander, and Zarkasih, who acted briefly as its caretaker leader, were found guilty of conspiracy to commit terrorist attacks, harboring fugitives and stockpiling illegal arms. The rulings were handed down in separate, lengthy trials at the South Jakarta District Court.


Zarkasih (left) and Abu Dujana (right)


Jemaah Islamiyah and its allies are accused of carrying out the 2002 bombings on Indonesia's resort island of Bali, a 2003 attack on the J.W. Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, a 2004 attack on the Australian Embassy in Jakarta, and triple suicide bombings in 2005 on restaurants in Bali. Many of the more than 240 killed in the attacks were foreign tourists.

Neither Dujana nor Zarkasih - both of whom faced possible death sentences - were charged in connection with those blasts. Dujana's conviction was over recent attacks on Christians on the eastern island of Sulawesi, which was plagued by religious violence from 1999 to 2001. He has condemned al-Qaida-style bombings, arguing they were counterproductive to the group's reported aim of establishing Islamic law across the region.

Presiding Judge Wahjono, who like many Indonesians uses one name, sentenced Dujana to 15 years in prison, saying his recent public condemnations of terrorism had been taken into account. He also said he was convinced Dujana could play a role in helping reform other jailed terrorists. Asked if he would appeal the ruling, Dujana, 37, said, "I'll think about it."

Judge Eddy Risdianto said Zarkasih, 45, was given a reduced sentence because he only served as a two-month caretaker leader of Jemaah Islamiyah in 2005, not the emir as had been alleged. The judge also cited his good behavior in prison. The two judges also labeled Jemaah Islamiyah a terrorist group, a move that could pave the way for the government to ban the group, something it has previously said would be difficult because it was not a "formal organization." Even without a ban on the network, the government's crackdown has met with huge success, resulting in hundreds of arrests in recent years, thanks partly to forensic and technical help from foreign governments.

Jemaah Islamiyah was formed in the early 1990s as an offshoot of another militant network stretching back decades. Its core leadership fought or trained in Afghanistan and some came under the influence of al-Qaida. A regional crackdown following the Bali attacks netted hundreds of members and sympathizers, severely weakening the group. Former members and analysts say a hard-core faction that carried out the bombings no longer operates under Jemaah Islamiyah's command

Iraq: After Bombs, Tomatoes

Source Article HERE.

From 'AFP': Three months after US forces dropped tonnes of bombs on Arab Jubur and put Al-Qaeda to flight, farmers are everywhere out in their fields tending their tomatoes. Meanwhile, homes in the Sunni Arab rural patch about 25 kilometres (15 miles) south of Baghdad are being rebuilt, schools reopened, roads repaired, and irrigation pumps renewed, even as shopkeepers happily dust off their shelves.

"It's the first time in three years I am able to work in my lands," said Ammar Wadi, a 30-year-old vegetable farmer who also runs a small dairy herd. His lands, on the banks of the Tigris, are thriving. Besides tomatoes, he also grows ochre and wheat, while some of his 30 acres is devoted to pastures. "When Al-Qaeda was here it was impossible to farm," said the jolly-faced farmer from under an orange cap while taking time out from his labours to visit his cousin's newly-reopened grocery store on a dusty rural road. "They cut the power so we couldn't pump water," said Wadi. "We couldn't buy fuel. They would shoot at anyone they saw in the fields. They kidnapped and murdered many people. They destroyed life here."


Children pass pictures of Iraqis killed by Al-Qaeda in Arab Jubur


The last crops he planted -- in 2005 -- withered and died because he couldn't irrigate them after Al-Qaeda arrived in force. In the next two years he and his family of seven managed to survive only thanks to their dairy herd and by stealthily smuggling milk off to markets in Baghdad under the noses of the jihadists. "Unlike most of the other people in Arab Jubur, we were never attacked by Al-Qaeda. We kept a very low profile," said Wadi, a giant of a man whose profile is anything but low. "We all survived, God be praised."

Not as fortunate was Mohammed Ali Jassim al-Juburi, 54, a former sergeant in the army of ousted dictator Saddam Hussein who returned to his farmlands in Arab Jubur after losing his post in the aftermath of the US invasion in 2003. Two of his brothers were killed by Al-Qaeda jihadists in a drive-by shooting while his son was among 12 youths killed in an ambush in December. "After they killed them they dragged their bodies behind vehicles through the streets, proclaiming them to be spies," said Juburi. "My son's body was mutilated."

Terrified and grieving, he and his family took fright and fled in the dark that night by boat down the Tigris. "We left with only the clothes we were wearing," said Juburi, a square-jawed man with high eyebrows and wells of deep sadness in his eyes. "Al-Qaeda are the worst criminals on earth," he said standing before large posters of his slain relatives displayed among others killed by Al-Qaeda at a memorial set up at the local community centre. "I hope they never come back. We now just want to farm in peace. I hope the Americans stay here for a long, long time," he said.

US forces, in the form of "surge" troops with the First Battalion, 30th Infantry Regiment, landed in Arab Jubur on January 10 and began pushing down the main road, which had been primed with hundreds of roadside bombs. Progress was slow and casualty rates high -- about 15 soldiers killed and as many wounded. Eventually, according to Captain Neil Hollenback, commander of Alpha Company which was leading the charge, they decided to call in air support. "We brought in the JDAMs," he said referring to precision guided bombs packing 500 pounds of explosives. US warplanes dropped 118,000 pounds (about 53,600 kilos) of bombs in two weeks of operations mostly aimed at roadside b ombs and booby trapped buildings. "Within days of our air assault Al-Qaeda had fled," said Hollenback.

By February 11, the main roads had been cleared, US forces had hired hundreds of locals as members of their Sons of Iraq anti-Qaeda fronts they are setting up across Iraq, and residents started returning in droves. Among them was Juburi. "We found that our house had been vandalised, all the furniture was gone, Our cattle had been stolen. We had to start from zero again," said the gap-toothed former soldier bitterly.

Schools too had to start from zero, but from a mere 20 to 25 children in mid-February, attendance at Arab Jubur's primary school has now shot up to 260, according to headmaster Hamudi Salman. This is still down from 450 before Al-Qaeda moved in but far better than in December and January when the jihadists took over the building and used it as a headquarters, after months of harassing female teachers and forcing them to wear the veil, long skirts and gloves.

Ali Mohammed Khalaf, a slim, 28-year-old farmer with a squint, was among the thousands of residents who returned to find his house looted and vandalised. To help rebuild his life, he joined the Sons of Iraq and is paid 300 dollars a month by the US military. In between his shifts, Khalaf tends his tomato fields. But he does so very nervously. On the edge of one field is an old yellow bus the US military believes has been booby-trapped by Al-Qaeda. At the other end of the field is the rubble of a building bombed by US warplanes during the January bombardment because it too had been booby-trapped. "I have to be careful. There may still be bombs under the rubble," he said.

US commanders say there are still countless roadside bombs and booby-traps in the area and it will take months to clear them all. Al-Qaeda may have left Arab Jubur in haste, but they left behind many deep and dangerous footprints.

MNFI Press Release - Apr 21

TIP LEADS MULTINATIONAL SOLDIERS TO WEAPONS CACHES
Acting on a tip from a citizen, Soldiers from Battery A, 3rd Battalion, 320th Field Artillery, 3rd Brigade Combat Team, 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), located two weapons caches and a possible vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (VBIED) near the Ci Ci Bar Canal on April 20th. One cache, found in a spider hole, contained (22) 120 mm mortar rounds, (560) artillery fuses and (37) 23 mm projectiles. The VBIED and another cache consisting of (3) IEDs were also found nearby. The caches were destroyed on site.

MULTINATIONAL SOLDIERS, SOI SEIZE IED, RPGs
Multinational Soldiers seized an IED at approximately 9:30 p.m. on April 20th in the West Rashid district of southern Baghdad. The IED was found based on information provided by an Abna al-Iraq, or Sons of Iraq (SOI) member. Soldiers from the 1st Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, found the IED made of homemade explosives that was rigged to an Iraqi Security Forces vehicle. They cordoned off the vehicle and contacted an explosives ordnance disposal team to destroy the find.

Earlier in the same district, Multinational Soldiers seized two rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) with a launcher at approximately 8:30 p.m. during a combined patrol from Joint Security Station Risalah. Concentrated security operations are being conducting with Iraqi Security Forces as part of ongoing operations to stop criminal activity in Baghdad. "Thanks to the continuing efforts of the Iraqi Security Forces, the Brigade continues to apply pressure to the enemy, and provide a safe and secure environment for the Iraqi people," said Maj. David Olson, public affairs spokesperson for Multinational Division - Baghdad.

IRAQI ARMY CAPTURES SUSPECTED INSURGENT LEADER
Soldiers from the 4th Iraqi Army Division, advised by U.S. Special Forces, detained a suspected insurgent cell leader in an operation in Ta’Mim province on April 20th. The Iraqi Army conducted the operation to capture the suspect and disrupt the activities of an insurgent network operating in the area. The suspect is accused of conducting IED and small-arms fire attacks against Iraqi and Coalition forces. He is also believed to be a weapons trafficker in the Hawijah area who terrorizes Iraqi citizens. One other suspect was detained for questioning.


IRAQI NATIONAL POLICE GRADUATE CARABINIERI TRAINING
More than 400 Iraqi National Police graduated from the third Carabinieri-trained Iraqi National Police Course on April 21st at Camp Dublin in Baghdad. The graduates were commended by Iraqi National Police commander, Maj. General Hussein; Italian Carabinieri Corps general commander, Lt. General Gianfrancesco Siazzu; and NATO Training Mission – Iraq deputy commander, Italian Army Maj. General Alessandro Pompegnani. Each of the speakers told the police graduates that the Carabinieri-trained National Police Course takes into account Iraq's unique security concerns and the challenges of maintaining security for a free Iraq. The national police must consider national, regional and local priorities when performing duties to protect citizens. "I want to commend the national policemen who recently lost their lives doing what we have trained each of you to do for your country," said Pompegnani. "You are being trained to provide a secure environment for the citizens of Iraq."

The Carabinieri training represents a concerted effort by the Ministry of Interior to provide the Iraqi people the most professional law enforcement service possible. Siazzu expressed his support of the Carabinieri training for the Iraqi National Police. The training helps to improve the overall professionalism of the national police and builds upon the basic training skills already possessed. The training received by the national police represents a response to recent acts of violence toward Iraqi Security Forces. Iraqi National Police graduates demonstrated a variety of skills, which they learned in training for the attendees such as crowd and anti-riot control, building breaches and vehicle searches before dancing jubilantly in the streets to celebrate their graduation.

Sunday, April 20, 2008

7 Freed After Kidnapping in Iraq

Source Article HERE.

From 'Ottawa Citizen': Iraqi security forces have freed 7 of 11 people who were kidnapped earlier on Sunday near Baquba, north of Baghdad, the Iraqi military said. Nine university students, their driver, and another man were taken hostage on Sunday morning, police said, when gunmen stopped their vehicle at a fake checkpoint. Major-General Abdul-Kareem al-Rubaie, head of security operations for Diyala province, said Iraqi forces had then fanned out to search for the kidnappers. They found them, but were only able to free seven students, before the gunmen fled with the four remaining hostages.

The students had been returning to Diyala university after a weekend break. The kidnapping occurred 2 weeks after 40 students were seized by gunmen at a fake checkpoint near the northern city of Mosul. They were held for several hours before security forces freed all of them. Although the identity of Sunday's kidnappers was not known, the incident comes amid an upturn in violence in northern Iraq, where Sunni Islamist al Qaeda has regrouped after being pushed out of Baghdad and western areas last year.

Bomb Suspect 'May Be Part of Terror Group'

Source Article HERE.

From 'Telegraph': Detectives are investigating whether a teenage terror suspect held in connection with possessing suspected explosives might be part of a wider group operating in the West Country. An Army bomb disposal team carried out controlled explosions at the Bristol home of Andrew Ibrahim. The suspect packages were taken from the property to a nearby alley for detonation, as the 19-year-old continued to be questioned by anti-terrorism officers.

Officers from Scotland Yard's Counter Terror Command have travelled to Bristol to help local police with the investigation. Security sources are investigating whether the suspect acted alone or was part of a wider group. A source said: "The arrest was not part of some long-running investigation. What we are trying to establish at the moment is whether this individual was working alone or was part of a team." Avon and Somerset Police, which have not ruled out further arrests, said that the teenager had previously come into contact with its officers, but would not give details.

Sources who once worked with Mr Ibrahim confirmed that a picture on the social networking website MySpace was of the man arrested. In the picture he sports dyed red hair and facial piercings. His appearance, however, has changed dramatically since the picture on that page was taken, said the source who identified it. On the site, Mr Ibrahim said one of his favourite films was American History X, a violent drama about white supremacists in the US, and his favourite television programmes were The Jeremy Kyle Show, Trisha and South Park. The teenager said he would like to have children "someday".

Mr Ibrahim, who was arrested on Thursday after an intelligence tip-off, was described by neighbours as heavily built and often seen wearing traditional Muslim dress and carrying a satchel. Others said they had confronted him about "loud chanting" just a few days ago. Neighbours said Mr Ibrahim had recently turned his upstairs flat into a fortress, fitting as many as a dozen locks on the front door.

Rachael Clifford, 32, said: "We would never see him in the day, but from about 10pm we would hear loud Islamic-style wailing, chanting music. I went round to complain about it last week and when he came downstairs I heard about 10 or 12 bolts being unlocked on the door. "I thought it was very odd because he had so many locks on the door. When he opened the door he had a big white robe and I felt unnerved. He had a white cloak down to the floor and a thin beard."

Sources who claimed to have worked with Mr Ibrahim said he had endured a "difficult few years" and was "unsettled". One, who said he believed Mr Ibrahim had recently enrolled on a course at the University of the West of England, said: "He was struggling in life but I had no idea he had become a Muslim before I saw him two weeks ago. I could not believe my eyes. He was dressed in full robes and had a beard. He must have undergone a massive change in identity."

Mr Ibrahim's MySpace page, last updated before he apparently began to take an interest in Islam, gave the impression of a normal teenager. On it he described himself as a fan of "hardcore, techno, trance and nu metal" music and lists his interests as "singing in a band, hanging out, lots of stuff ..." Mr Ibrahim described himself as a non-smoking, teetotal Muslim.

Representatives of Bristol's Muslim community have spoken in support of the police operation. Farooq Siddique, of the Bristol Muslim Cultural Society, said Mr Ibrahim was "not known" at any of Bristol's mosques. He said: "This is obviously a very difficult time for the Muslim community in Bristol. It is a blow to community relationships in the city. "We want the police to be allowed to do their jobs as simply and as quickly as possible. We need to be united in this."

Assistant Chief Constable Jackie Roberts confirmed that Mr Ibrahim was not arrested at the house but somewhere else in the city. She confirmed that he lived on his own, but added: "At this stage I cannot rule out that there won't be further arrests. "Obviously we are in the early stages of this investigation. Extensive inquiries are ongoing and obviously things will unfold as the days go by."

Mr Ibrahim had been living in a homeless hostel before he was given the council house. A source said: "He originally turned down the property, telling council officials that he didn't want to live in a white middle-class area. But he changed his mind and moved in on February 4."

Bombs Detonated At Terror Suspect Home

Source Article HERE.

From 'The Press Association': Army bomb disposal experts carried out a third controlled explosion at the home of a 19-year-old terror suspect on Saturday. A loud crack from the detonation was audible at Comb Paddock in Bristol. Nearby residents were evacuated from their homes following the arrest of the teenager, named locally as Andrew Ibrahim, which came after police received an intelligence tip-off.

The blast was the third carried out in the quiet cul-de-sac in the Westbury-on-Trym area of the city since his arrest on Thursday and is expected to be the last detonation to take place on Saturday. However, police are still working at the address and local residents, some of whom have spent two nights away from home, are still not being allowed to return.

The arrested man is understood to have recently converted to Islam. Police questioning him have been granted seven days to hold him after his arrest on Thursday. Bomb disposal experts were initially called to the suspect's home to carry out a controlled explosion outside the house, a nondescript 1950s red-brick terrace property, at around 2am on Friday. Neighbors heard a loud blast and were given letters informing them about the arrest.

At a press conference, police, who refused to officially name the suspect, did not rule out further arrests. Officers now have until 1:40pm next Thursday - a week after his arrest - to hold the suspect.

Iraqi Forces Making Progress in Basra, Baghdad

Source Article HERE.

From 'Centcom': Iraqi security forces are continuing to lead operations against insurgents in Basra and Baghdad and have made significant progress toward establishing security, a U.S. military spokesman in Iraq said. Speaking to reporters in Iraq, Navy Rear Admiral Patrick Driscoll, Multinational Force Iraq spokesman, detailed recent operations, including those in the southern city of Basra, where Iraqi and coalition forces have been conducting increased operations since March. "In Basra this week, Iraqi security forces continued operations against illegally armed gangs, intimidation and extortion groups, and other criminals," Driscoll said. "Although there still is much work to be done, citizens in Basra are beginning to report a return to normal life." Since operations began in Basra in late March, Iraqi security forces have arrested more than 430 criminals, including 28 death-row convicts who had been at large, Driscoll said.

He said he spoke with an official from the Iraqi Interior Ministry overseeing security operations in Basra who indicated that the situation in the city has improved and stability is being restored. In part, the progress is due to a growing number of tips from local citizens, which are allowing security forces to conduct targeted raids on suspected criminal hideouts, Driscoll said. "Coalition forces continue to provide operational advisors, surveillance information, and air-strike support for operations in Basra," Driscoll said. "But the progress thus far in Basra is largely due to the resolve and bravery of the Iraqi ground forces, the efficiency of the Iraqi air force in maintaining supply and support, and the operational direction of Iraqi civilian and military leadership."

In Baghdad, Iraqi security forces have redoubled their efforts against insurgents in recent days in certain parts of the city, including Sadr City, Driscoll said. Coalition forces continue to support the Iraqi forces in these operations, which focus on areas of the city that have suffered under criminals, he said. "Without improved security, it is difficult to provide essential services so that people can live their lives peacefully and freely," he said, adding that the Iraqi government is committed to following security with the delivery of essential services such as health, electricity, water, and sewage and trash disposal. "The people of Iraq deserve an opportunity to live without fear and intimidation brought upon them by criminals and thugs," Driscoll said. "They also deserve reliable public services, employment opportunities, and hope for a better life."

Colonel: Coalition, Iraqi Forces Winning In Anbar

Source Article HERE.

From 'Centcom': Increased security brought about by military success against insurgents in the western portion of Iraq's Anbar province is enabling a drawdown of U.S. forces there as well as enhanced regional reconstruction efforts, a senior Marine commander told Pentagon reporters. "The insurgents, by and large, have been marginalized in western Anbar," Marine Corps Col. Pat Malay, commander of Regimental Combat Team 5, told Pentagon reporters during a satellite-carried news conference from Camp Ripper, Iraq.

Malay’s area of operations comprises about 30,000 square miles, an area about the size of South Carolina. During a previous Iraq tour in Fallujah two years ago, Malay recalled, multitudes of foreign fighters were entering western Iraq from Syria. Today, there are very few foreign fighters in his area of operations, he observed. "Quite frankly, I think we've killed a lot of them, and I think that the enemy is having a more difficult time recruiting to the numbers that they have in the past," Malay said. In addition, foreign fighters no longer are transiting across the Syrian border into Anbar province, the colonel said.

With insurgents "on the run" in western Anbar province, the resultant reduced violence has enabled a drawdown of U.S. forces in his sector, Malay said. Three of his command's five battalions have rotated home over the past three months, he noted. Meanwhile, the numbers of Iraqi security forces in western Anbar continue to grow, Malay said, noting his area of operations now has 5,000 police, 1,000 highway patrolmen and 7,000 Iraqi soldiers. Iraqi soldiers and police are increasingly taking the lead in security operations, Malay said. Recent Iraqi-led operations have achieved successes against insurgents in Hit, Haditha and Qaim, he pointed out.

The drop in violence also has enabled a larger focus on reconstruction programs such as building needed schools and providing water and electricity needs for the local populace, the colonel added. Citing recent humanitarian assistance efforts in Anbar province, Malay pointed to the story of Amenah, a 2-year-old Iraqi girl from Haditha who was flown to the United States in February for surgery on her ailing heart. Surgeons at Monroe Carell Jr. Children's Hospital at Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, were able to correct Amenah's congenital heart defect, Malay said. Today, Amenah is a healthy little girl, he noted, while the Haditha hospital is now receiving much-needed upgrades so it can attend to other sick children.

The American public should be very proud of U.S. servicemembers’ efforts in Anbar province, Malay said. "They're the next great generation, and they are winning here," Malay said of the Marines, sailors, airmen and soldiers serving in Anbar. "It's mind-boggling; the changes that have taken place here."

AQI Leaders Captured

Source Article HERE.

From 'Centcom': Army Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, Multi-National Force - Iraq spokesman, in a briefing told reporters that Coalition forces had captured or killed 53 al-Qaida in Iraq (AQI) leaders since his most recent news conference. The 10 most significant targets, according to Bergner, were:

• Abd-al-Rahman Ibrahim Jasim Thair, the military emir responsible for al-Qaida's operations in Mosul. Thair is the former emir in Beiji, who moved to Mosul because of the city’s importance to al-Qaida.

• Muhammad Fathi Hammad Husayn, an al-Qaida cell leader in Sharqat. Like Thair, he also moved from Beiji, where he was formerly the emir in charge of assassinations.

• Jasim Najm Khalaf Muhammad, a leader in al-Qaida's network in Khark who was attempting to reconstitute terrorist networks around Baghdad when coalition forces captured him in Tarmiyah.

• Ali Mustashar Ali, a car bomb network operative in Baghdad. He and his associates moved explosives, vehicles and suicide bombers throughout the Iraqi capital.

• Hamid Awayd Muhammad, a car-bomb and truck-bomb attack operative in Baghdad. Once the al-Qaida emir responsible for Anbar province, he handled the logistics for vehicle-bomb attacks north of Baghdad at the time of his capture.

• Ahmad Husayn Ghanim Ali, the security emir for eastern Mosul.

• Abu Mansur, al-Qaida's deputy emir for Mosul, who acted as a judge in the terror network's illegal courts. The role of Mansur, who died on March 8th, was to "cloak their corrupt ideology with religious sanction."

• Tumah Khalaf Mutar Hassan, the leader of al-Qaida's cell in Samarra, who worked closely with the area's emir. Coalition forces captured him in Samarra in early March.

• Muqdad Ibrahim Abbas Husayn, al-Qaida's military emir for Jalam, located east of Baghdad. He coordinated terror operations with counterparts from Tikrit, Samarra and Mosul, and arranged al-Qaida leadership meetings in the Tigris River valley. Husayn also oversaw kidnappings for ransom that terrorists relied on for operational funding.

• Mahmud Abd-al-Hamid Isa Aaywi, al-Qaida's military emir for southern Karkh. His operations focused on trying to use car and truck bombs in Rashid, Karrada and Mansour.

"These terrorists are just one component of the mosaic of security threats that seek to destabilize Iraq and incite a cycle of violence the Iraqi people broadly reject," Bergner said. He noted that recent violence against Iraqi citizens "highlights the need to keep going forward and the need to keep pursuing these terrorists."

Intercepted Al-Qaida Letter Reveals Tactics, Strategy

Source Article HERE.

From 'Centcom': Use silenced guns to kill coalition forces at Iraqi security checkpoints, smuggle weapons in gradual shipments to reduce the risk of detection, and poison Iraq’s water supply with nitric acid to spread disease and death. Such tactics were fleshed out in a terrorist letter intended for Abu Ayyub al-Masri, the foreign-born leader of al-Qaida in Iraq. But the document never reached Masri. Instead, Coalition forces lifted it from the body of a terrorist they killed last month during an operation 30 miles northwest of Baghdad. The slain terrorist and author of the 11-page missive was Abu Safyan, from Diyala, Iraq, according to military officials who made available all but two pages deemed "not releasable" on the Multi-National Force - Iraq Web site.

Providing a glimpse into the proposed inner workings of al-Qaida in Iraq, the author discusses the need to split jihadists into three groups: snipers, assassination experts and martyrs. Each well-trained group should have an emir, or unit commander, at the lead. Through a series of coordinated surprise attacks, groups should work in unison to "bring down the city or the area," he wrote.

In addition to outlining extremist combat methods, Safyan advocated waging economic and psychological warfare, and his roadmap for success hinged on "continuous conflict" between Iraq's Shiite government, Sunni members of "Awakening Movements" and Kurdish nationalists. "This will lessen the pressure against us and the Mujahidin brothers in all of Iraq when the enemies fight among themselves and weaken," according to the handwritten Arabic letter, penned in blue ink on lined paper, that coalition forces captured in a remote farmhouse on March 5th along with a suicide vest and computer equipment.

Army Maj. Gen. Kevin Bergner, Multi-National Force - Iraq spokesman, said the intercepted pages offer insight into the mind of a terrorist and provide further evidence about al-Qaida's overarching strategy and tactics of violence. "This document is just one man's articulation, one terrorist's views about instigating conflict and turning Iraqis against each other. But it is also quite consistent with the patterns of violence we see from AQI," Bergner told reporters during a news conference in Baghdad, referring to al-Qaida in Iraq by the acronym AQI.

To strike at Iraq’s economy, the document proposes attacking the fields, wells and pipelines that make up the national oil infrastructure. The author recommends targeting oil tankers and ships, specifically those in Basra, Kirkuk and Baghdad. "Attack all the targets that strengthen the enemy economically and militarily," Safyan wrote. "Even the American Army will weaken since it depends on the Iraqi oil and gas wealth. The enemy will gradually drown step by step." The letter advises that a chemical offensive can inflict both physical and mental harm. Contaminating Iraqis' water can produce "killing and dangerous illness," and also convince the enemy "that we have a dangerous chemical weapon," Safyan wrote. "But in fact," he continues, "it's a psychological war that places fear in the enemy."

Page 8 of the document focuses on instigating fights between Coalition forces and Iraqi groups, especially Sunnis who have rejected foreign extremism and terrorism in droves in what has been referred to as "Awakening Groups." Safyan suggested infiltrating the Sunni cadres before planting and detonating mines "in their villages and streets." Bergner said the author's call for violence against the Awakening movement typifies the kind of extremism many Iraqis have turned against. The confiscated document also reveals the threat such groups present to terrorists, he added. "These writings are further examples of the corrupt ideology that Iraqis are broadly rejecting," he said. "We have seen about 100,000 men choose a different path and join local volunteer groups like the Sons of Iraq instead."

Afghan, Coalition Troops Neutralize Taliban

Source Article HERE.

From 'Centcom': Several insurgents were killed by Afghan National Army and Coalition forces during a reconnaissance patrol on April 10th, near Aminah Kalay, Zabul province. A group of insurgents attempted to ambush the patrol using small arms. The ANA returned small-arms and heavy machine-gun fire. During the attack, several insurgents were spotted relocating to a secondary position in an attempt to flank friendly forces. The ANA identified the enemy fighting position, engaged with small arms fire and called in close-air support, eliminating the enemy threat and destroying four motorcycles and three trucks.

Thursday, April 17, 2008

Izzadeen Guilty of Terror Charges

Source Article HERE.

From 'ITV.com': Muslim activist Abu Izzadeen, who famously heckled the then Home Secretary John Reid, has been found guilty of two terror charges. Izzadeen was convicted at Kingston Crown Court of fundraising for terrorists and inciting terrorists overseas. The 32-year-old, who stood trial under the name Omar Brooks, once described the July 7 suicide bombings as "mujahideen activity" which would make people "wake up and smell the coffee".

British Muslim Simon Keeler, 35, was also found guilty inciting others to join in the jihad in Iraq together with Abdul Saleem, 32, and Ibrahim Hassan, 25. Keeler was also convicted of fundraising for terror - which carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. After a ten week trial, the jury also found Shah Jalal Hussain, 25, guilty of fundraising for terror, along with Abdul Muhid, 25. Rajib Khan, 29, was acquitted of fundraising for terrorist purposes but jury could jury not agree on a charge of inciting terrorism overseas and faces a possible retrial on that count. The jury could not reach a verdict against Omar Zaheer, 28, on the fundraising charge and faces a possible retrial. Judge Nicholas Price QC is due to sentence the men on Friday.

Izzadeen was born in Hackney, east London, the son of Jamaican parents who arrived in this country in the early 1960s. He has three children between the ages of two and nine after marrying his wife at the age of 22. Christened Trevor Brooks, he converted to Islam at the age of 17. One of his brothers also joined the religion. Izzadeen was investigated over comments he made in a television interview just a few weeks after the July 7 attacks. He claimed the attacks were the consequence of Britain's refusal to accept the offer of a "ceasefire" from Osama bin Laden. "I'm sure if you asked those who passed away on July 7, should we negotiate with Osama bin Laden, they would say yes, to bring their lives back, to save themselves from the burning inferno underground," he said.

Izzadeen also said he had "no allegiance" to the Queen or British society. Following that interview, the police and Crown Prosecution Service discussed the possibility of bringing treason charges against Izzadeen and two other alleged extremists. Izzadeen, who was also reportedly involved in the demonstrations outside the Danish embassy in London last year over the controversial Muslim cartoons, was arrested on February 8, 2007 (see VAT article dated February 10 HERE).

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Indonesia Holds 2 Linked To Al-Qaeda

Source Article HERE.

From 'CNN': Two top leaders of a terror network linked to Al-Qaeda are in the custody of Indonesian police following their arrest in Malaysia, authorities said on Tuesday. Malaysian police, conducting a routine raid on illegal immigrants, arrested the two men several weeks ago. They are said to be part of Jemaah Islamiyah, a group that is thought to be linked to Al-Qaeda. It aims to create a Muslim "superstate" across Southeast Asia. Jemaah Islamiyah is suspected of being behind the 2002 nightclub bombings on the Indonesian island of Bali, which killed more than 200 mostly Western tourists.

The two men were returned to Indonesia, where they are being investigated for their possible role in fomenting violence in Poso, on Indonesia's eastern Sulawesi island. Fighting between Muslims and Christians periodically breaks out in the region and sometimes turns deadly. Police have accused Jemaah Islamiyah of sending armed militants to Poso. The two men arrested are Dr. Agus Purwanto and Abdur Rohim, who also goes by Abu Hasna.

Terrorism expert Sidney Jones says Abdur Rohim is believed to have replaced Zarkasih as Jemaah Islamiyah leader, after Zarkasih's arrest last year. Zarkasih and the head of the group's military wing, Abu Dujana, are on trial in Jakarta. Verdicts in their case are expected soon. "It is another major blow to Jemaah Islamiyah, but difficult to tell what the impact will be," Jones told CNN via e-mail. "It could embolden a more militant faction. (It) could also lead to some serious reassessment within the organization about its future."

12 Stand Trial in Australia Terror Plot

Source Article HERE.


Artist's sketch of Izzydeen Atik
From 'Associated Press': Twelve terror suspects planned to bomb a packed sports stadium during the grand final match of the Australian Football League in 2005, a witness testified Tuesday. Izzydeen Atik, a former associate of the suspects, told Australia's Victorian Supreme Court that the stadium plot was postponed after police raided the suspects' homes and seized their assets in June 2005.

Atik said alleged terror cell leader Abdul Nacer Benbrika told him about the plot and subsequent plans to bomb Melbourne's Crown Casino during the Formula One Grand Prix and an AFL preseason match. Benbrika, an Algerian immigrant to Australia, and 11 other men have pleaded not guilty to charges of being members of a terrorist group and related charges. Prosecutors say the 12 intended to undertake "violent jihad" in Australia, had discussed killing former Prime Minister John Howard, and identified railway stations and sports fields as likely targets.

Atik, a former religious student of cleric Benbrika, told the court he used stolen credit card numbers to buy airplane tickets and mobile phones for the accused men. He faces separate charges of credit card fraud. The 12 terror suspects on trial in Melbourne were arrested in November 2005 and their trial began in February. The suspects face a maximum penalty of life imprisonment if convicted of membership in a terrorist group. Most of them are reportedly born or naturalized Australians with Muslim immigrant backgrounds.

Monday, April 14, 2008

28 Criminals, Militants Executed In Basra

Source Article HERE.

From 'The Earth Times': Iraqi's Interior Ministry executed 28 criminals and militant cult members in the city of Basra, some 550 kilometres south of Baghdad, media reports said on today. Abdul-Karim Khalaf, department chief in the ministry, told the Iraqi al-Sabah newspaper that the ministry had on Sunday carried out the 28 verdicts issued by Iraq's central criminal court. "The execution of such criminals is considered as a message to all criminals in Basra," Khalaf was quoted as saying in al-Sabah. The message says that law is above all and will not make any exceptions for any one involved in crimes," he added.

Iraqi officials told Deutsche Presse-Agentur that the executed criminals included militants of a Shiite cult known as "Jund al-Samaa". Members of the group are followers of Ahmed al-Yamani, who believed in the return of a hidden imam. A deadly confrontation in January between Iraqi security forces and al-Yamani's followers in Basra, left at least 40 people dead and 60 injured. Some 300 people were also arrested.

Meanwhile, Iraqi security forces detained a further 400 people for investigation, Khalaf said. The arrests came as part of a security operation launched by the government and codenamed Charge of the Knights against fighters of radical Shiite cleric Moqtada al-Sadr's Mahdi Army militia and illegal militant groups on March 25 in the southern city of Basra. Khalaf said that the security offensive does not have a time limit. He added that further inspection operations in which Iraqi troops will be deployed across various areas and districts are planned.

Since the launch of the operation, at least 25 Iraqi security forces were killed and 302 injured, according to Khalaf. He added that some 1,300 Iraqi police officers were fired for not efficiently contributing to the operation. Khalaf said Iraqi troops managed to kill 300 militants and wound another 750 during clashes.

British Journalist Rescued In Basra

Source Article HERE.

From 'PR-Inside.com': Iraqi troops freed a kidnapped British journalist on Monday after finding him hooded and bound in a house during a raid in a Shiite militia stronghold in Basra. Richard Butler's rescue after two months in captivity was a welcome success story for the Iraqi military, which has been heavily criticized for its effort to pacify the southern oil hub.


Richard Butler as seen on Iraqi TV 'al-Iraqiya'


Flanked by beaming Iraqi officials, Butler, who worked for the U.S. television network CBS News, described the soldiers' performance as "brilliant". Defense Ministry spokesman Mohammed al-Askari said the troops weren't looking for Butler but an army patrol conducting a sweep of the area responded after coming under fire from the house where he was being held in the Jibiliya neighborhood. One of the gunmen was wounded in an exchange of fire and another captured while two men managed to escape, he said.

Butler was thin but in good condition and laughing as he was shown on Iraqi state television hugging well-wishers and greeting officials. "Thank you, and I'm looking forward to seeing my family and my friends at CBS, and thank you again," Butler said. When asked by al-Askari if the Iraqi army was good, he said it was "brilliant".

"The Iraqi army stormed the house and overcame my guards and they burst through the door," Butler said. "I had my hood on which I had to have on all the time and they shouted something at me and I pulled my hood off". Basra security commander Lt. General Mohan al-Fireji said Butler was sitting on the floor with his head covered by a sack and his hands tied when the troops stumbled upon him.

Butler was seized along with his Iraqi interpreter by masked gunmen on February 10th from the Sultan Palace Hotel in Basra, Iraq's second-largest city, 550 kilometers (340 miles) southeast of Baghdad. The interpreter was released within days, but Butler remained in captivity despite claims by radical Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's office that it was negotiating with the kidnappers for his release. "I'm pretty weak and I've lost quite a bit of weight," he said later. "I'm looking forward to a decent meal and getting back to my family and friends.

In London, British Foreign Secretary David Miliband thanked the Iraqi security forces "for the professionalism of the task they have undertaken" and said Butler was in the care of the British consulate in Basra. CBS News spokeswoman Sandy Genelius said the network was "incredibly grateful that our colleague... has been released and is safe". The gratitude was eagerly accepted by the Iraqi government, which began a major offensive on March 25th to dislodge militia groups from Iraq's second-largest city.

Sunday, April 13, 2008

UK Monitoring 30 Active Terror Plots

Source Article HERE.

From 'Reuters-UK': British police and security agencies are currently monitoring 30 active terrorism plots, Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said in extracts of a newspaper interview released on Saturday. "We now face a threat level that is severe. It's not getting any less, it's actually growing," she said in an interview to be published in Sunday's News of the World. "We task the police and the security agencies with protecting us ... There are 2,000 individuals they are monitoring. There are 200 networks. There are 30 active plots," she said.


UK Home Secretary Jacqui Smith


Prime Minister Gordon Brown's Labour government is seeking to extend pre-charge detention of terrorism suspects to 42 days from the current 28-day limit. But Smith faces a tough task steering the controversial provisions through Parliament. The Conservative and Liberal Democrat parties have both said they will vote against extended detention. Labour backbenchers are also threatening to rebel and vote down the clause in the Counter-Terrorism Bill.

"We can't wait for an attack to succeed and then rush in new powers," Smith said. "We've got to stay ahead. Because we now understand the scale of what is being plotted, the police have to step in earlier, which means they need more time to put evidence together."

Britain has seen a marked increase in militant Islamist plots. In 2005 four British suicide bombers killed 52 people in London. Other attempts have been thwarted by police or failed when devices did not detonate. "Since the beginning of 2007, 57 people have been convicted on terrorist plots," said Smith. "Nearly half of those pleaded guilty so this is not some figment of the imagination. It is a real risk and a real issue we need to respond to."

[Editor's Note: Congratulations and 'Good-Hunting' to Jacqui Smith and to all of those involved in the UK's counter-terrorism efforts. Monitoring 2,000 individuals, 200 networks, and 30 active plots is no small feat.]

EU Terrorism Situation & Trend Report

Source Article HERE.

From 'EuropeNews': The EU Terrorism Situation and Trend Report (TESAT) was established in the aftermath of the 11 September 2001 attacks in the United States as a reporting mechanism from the EU Council’s Terrorism Working Party (TWP) to the European Parliament.



Full report (850KB PDF) here: TESAT.

Excerpts From the Introduction:

The TE-SAT discusses terrorism from a law enforcement point of view, i.e. as a “crime”, although terrorism is fundamentally a political phenomenon driven by political motives and oriented toward political ends. The TE-SAT is a situation report which describes and analyses the outward manifestations of terrorism, i.e. terrorist attacks and activities. It neither attempts to analyse the root causes of terrorism nor to assess the threat posed by terrorism. Furthermore, the TE-SAT does not assess the impact or effectiveness of counter-terrorism policies and law enforcement measures taken, despite the fact that they form an important part of the phenomenon.

The TE-SAT is an EU report and, as such, aims at providing an overview of the situation in the EU rather that describing the situation in individual member states. It seeks to establish basic facts and figures regarding terrorist attacks, arrests and activities in the EU. The TE-SAT is also a trend report. Since a trend can be defined as a general tendency in the way a situation is changing or developing, the TE-SAT is a forward-looking report. As TE-SAT 2007 was the first report based on the new methodology, no comparison with previous years was possible. Consequently, TE-SAT 2008 is the first edition that attempts an analysis of trends.


Excerpts From the 2007 Overview:

4.1 Terrorist Attacks -- In 2007, nine member states reported a total of 583 failed, foiled or successfully executed attacks. This is a 24 percent increase from what was reported in 2006. Of the 583 attacks, 517 were claimed or attributed to separatist terrorist groups in Spain and France.

With regard to Islamist terrorism, two failed and two attempted attacks were reported for 2007. As in 2006, failed or attempted Islamist terrorist attacks took place in the UK, Denmark and Germany. Police investigations into the attempted attacks in Denmark and Germany have shown that the intended targets were likely to be located on their national territory. The failed and attempted attacks mainly aimed at causing indiscriminate mass casualties.

4.2 Arrested Suspects -- A total of 1044 individuals were arrested for terrorism-related offences in 2007. This is an increase of 48 percent compared to 2006. France, Spain and the UK have reported the largest number of arrests per member state. The number of arrested suspects for separatist terrorism has more than doubled in comparison to 2006. This increase is mainly due to the vast increase in the number of arrests in France and Spain. In 2007, Spain saw a seven-fold increase in arrested suspects: from 28 in 2006 to 196 in 2007. France went from 188 people arrested in 2006 to 315 in 2007, an increase of almost 68 percent.

Concerning Islamist terrorism, the number of arrested individuals decreased compared to 2006. In 2007, 201 persons were arrested for Islamist terrorism, compared to 257 in 2006. This decrease can mainly be attributed to a 35 percent decrease in the number of arrested (Islamist) suspects reported by France.

4.3 Convictions and Penalties -- In the course of 2007, 418 individuals were tried on terrorism charges in the member states, in a total of 143 proceedings... In general, it can be stated that the convictions relate to events which occurred before 2007. Of the 418 individuals, 34 were women. The vast majority of these were charged in relation to separatist terrorism.

Several interesting investigations and prosecution cases came to a conclusion in 2007. On 31 October 2007, the sentences in the trial against the suspected perpetrators of the 11 March 2004 attacks in Madrid were pronounced. The Spanish high court, the Audiencia Nacional, convicted three main defendants on charges of mass murder with a terrorist intent and other charges. In total, 21 persons were found guilty of participating in the Madrid bombings. For one of the convicted individuals, the sentences imposed added up to 42,952 years. However, the maximum time to be served in prison in Spain is 40 years.

The year 2007 also saw the conviction of four persons in relation to the failed bomb attacks on the London transport system on 21 July 2005. The four individuals were sentenced to life imprisonment which in the UK means 40 years. The UK also had its first conviction in relation to terrorism propaganda. The three men convicted had been found in possession of materials suggesting that they were involved in the production of terrorist propaganda. The suspects were also in possession of information on how to cause explosions or build bombs. On trial, the defendants admitted to having urged British Muslims to wage violent jihad against all non-believers. They were sentenced to six, eight and twelve years’ imprisonment, respectively.

In November 2007, the Danish high court convicted three persons for planning a terrorist attack in Denmark. The investigation showed that the men procured fertiliser and chemicals which could be used for producing peroxide-based primary explosives. Members of the group gathered large amounts of information on the Internet regarding the manufacturing of explosives and bombs. Two of the accused were sentenced to 11 years’ imprisonment, while the third received a four-year sentence. The prosecution subsequently appealed the sentences to the Danish supreme court in order to get the sentences increased.

In Belgium, a network of intermediaries for al-Qaeda was successfully prosecuted in 2007. The prosecutors made use of a judicial decision in Italy: in 2007, the Italian supreme court held that the impact of individual terrorist actions needs to be seen in the wider criminal plan of a terrorist organisation. Sentences in Italy amounted to nine and six years; in Belgium, the five individuals were sentenced to up to ten years in early 2008.