- Times Online

A YOUNG British Muslim arrested in Iraq by US Marines was caught red-handed running guns in one of the most violent cities in the country, the US military said yesterday.

He was identified by the US marines as Mobeen Muneef, 25, born in London but with Pakistani nationality.

He had been held at the notorious Abu Ghraib prison outside Baghdad, but has since been transferred to the Bucca Detention Facility in the Iraqi capital.

The US military insisted that he was part of a group of foreign fighters “participating in suspicious activities” when he was apprehended by a patrol. The Times revealed on Thursday that two British citizens are currently being held in Iraq on suspicion of helping the insurgency. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office has confirmed their detention.

One, a dual British-Iraqi national, was captured by British troops in November in southern Iraq and is being held in a detention centre at the main Shaibah military base on suspicion of involvement in terrorism.

Mr Muneef, the second man, was captured by a US Marines patrol on December 7 in Ramadi, one of the main centres for the insurgency against the US-backed Iraqi Government. “The gentleman was detained after Marines spotted men passing a weapon over a wall in Ramadi,” Captain Brad Gordon, of the US Marines in area, said. “When Marines approached the house, two men began to flee the house and were subsequently detained when they were found hiding in a shack near by.

“According to one report, in their possession was an Iraqi pistol and four AK-47s. When he was detained he was found to have an Iraqi ID card which he admitted was fake.

Of course there have been jihadis from the United States, however there are many more from European nations other than England. All of them are indoctrinated with the message that the United States is fighting a war against Islam, which sadly is the same argument some on the Left have spread.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Associated Press

PARIS - A French reporter and her Iraqi interpreter have gone missing from Baghdad, prompting searches for her in hospitals and elsewhere, French officials said Thursday.

The French daily Liberation said it has not heard from Florence Aubenas for more than 24 hours. French, Iraqi and U.S. authorities have been alerted, it added.

[snip]

Aubenas, 43, and her interpreter Hussein Hanoun al-Saadi "haven't been seen since they left their hotel in Baghdad Wednesday morning," Liberation said on its Web site.

[snip]

Aubenas was working on stories about women candidates in Iraq's Jan. 30 elections and was seeking to meet refugees from Fallujah, the restive city that U.S.-Iraqi forces invaded in November, Liberation's chairman, Serge July said.

This is not the first time a Frech journalist has disappeared inside of Iraq. Christian Chesnot and Georges Malbrunot disappeared while covering a story and later appeared in a video made by the Islamic Army of Iraq. The two were released however and are safe in France.

There is no news on the fate of Aubenas and there is still the chance she just forgot to phone in, however there have been numerous attempts at locating Aubenas and her interpreter therefore there is a higher liklihood that she has been abducted by a group in Iraq. If she was abducted, she will probably end up as a cog in the hostage trade that thrives in Iraq.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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Terrorists see a great opportunity to recruit in the tsunami ravaged areas. What are the reasons why they see a great potential?

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- New York Times

WASHINGTON, Jan. 4 - The Bush administration is considering imposing new sanctions on Syria to prod it to crack down on Iraqis there who are providing financial and logistical support to insurgents in Iraq, senior American counterterrorism officials said Tuesday.

The Syrian government has not taken action against the network of Iraqis, the officials said, despite months of quiet protests from the United States. Among the steps being considered is a Treasury Department action that could essentially isolate the Syrian banking system.

The network includes former officials of Saddam Hussein's government, American officials have said, adding that intelligence gathered in recent months from informants, captives and intercepted communications suggested that the network's role in providing support to insurgents in Iraq was more extensive than previously suspected.

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- Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - The number of insurgent attacks in Baghdad has dropped in recent weeks, and American forces are getting better at finding car bombs before they go off, a top U.S. general in Iraq said Wednesday.

[snip]

Chiarelli said that on average, for every car bomb that explodes in the capital, his troops find another one and defuse it. He refused to give details, but said his troops were getting better at finding insurgents' explosives.

[snip]

In the capital, Chiarelli said attacks were down since the U.S.-led invasion of Fallujah, an insurgent stronghold, that began on Nov. 8. He said he was pleased that Iraqis have been calling a tip line and paying attention to billboards around the city asking them to report weapons caches or suspicious activity.

"All I can tell you is that we've got billboards all over the city, and I take great joy in the fact that I see the insurgents trying to tear them down, and we put them back up," he said.

A one to one ratio for finding car bombs to car bombs detonating is not ideal, however it is remarkably better than the 1:5 ratio the military claimed close to two months ago in a press conference. There is still room for improvement, but I have no doubt the U.S. military and Coallition forces are doing their best to protect the Iraqi citizens.

Terrorists have changed directions within the past month to two months from targeting U.S. soldiers to targeting Iraqi military and Iraqi police. All along they have targeted Iraqi civilians however. Whether or not the fact terrorists have changed targets factored into Maj. Gen. Chiarelli's statement that attacks have gone down is not known.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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Almost every other week some new intelligence analyst or defenise minister comes out with a new number on how many terrorists are operating in either the world or just Iraq. This week is no exception to the rule.

CAIRO, Egypt - As many as 30,000 well-trained terrorists are actively operating throughout Iraq at the behest of former regime leaders based in Syria, Iraq's intelligence chief said in Wednesday edition of a pan-Arab newspaper.

Maj. Gen. Mohammed Abdullah al-Shahwani told the daily newspaper Asharq Al-Awsat that the men, who are well-organized and trained, include former Baath party members, Islamic militant groups and unemployed former army members.

"We officially call them terrorists," he told the London-based newspaper. "They are between 20,000 and 30,000 armed men operating all over Iraq, mainly in the Sunni areas where they receive moral support from about 200,000 people."

There was a report yesterday (I cannot find it now) that concluded terrorists outnumbered Coallition soldiers in Iraq. So just how many terrorists are inside of Iraq?

Frankly, who cares. The more emboldened the terrorists get the better chance they will meet their 72 virgins that much faster. The Coallition forces are literally wiping out the terrorists that have the 'marbles' to fight instead of the now-famous hit and run tactics they have been using on a more steady basis.

This is part of the reason why terrorists have increased targeting of Iraqis and Iraqi government leaders. They know the Iraqis at this time cannot defend themselves. Terrorists are in a struggle against the clock to derail the elections and they do not look like they will stop at anything.

The United States announced today they will have 35,000 soldiers (via Outside the Beltway) patrolling the streets of Baghdad on January 30. In a message to those terrorists who will try to derail the elections, Major General Peter Chiarelli said the following:

"We will find you, we will watch where you move, we will listen to you speaking to each other, we will fight and we will defeat you," he warned. "You cannot sleep, eat, move or meet without the clear understanding that you may be killed or captured at any moment. Cease your operations now and you will be choosing to live."

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Reuters

KUWAIT (Reuters) - Kuwait said on Wednesday two soldiers would stand trial in a military court on charges of plotting attacks against U.S. forces in the pro-Western Gulf Arab state.

Army Chief of Staff Yousef Abdelrazzak al-Mulla told state news agency KUNA that the two soldiers had been charged while an unspecified number of other detained military personnel were released after it was proved they had no links in a plot to attack "coalition forces."

"The two accused soldiers will be transferred to military courts to continue the legal procedures," Mulla said, without identifying the soldiers.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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Will the Muslim leaders in Indonesia reject the aid given by the United States?

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- AFP

BAGHDAD (AFP) - A member of Iraq's main Sunni Muslim party was kidnapped and later killed in Mosul, the party said in a statement.

"Yesterday Omar Mahmoud Abdullah, a senior leader in the Iraqi Islamic Party was kidnapped from his pharmacy and hours later was killed," it said Wednesday.

Another party official said Abdullah's bullet-riddled body was found seven hours after he was kidnapped dumped in the Al-Wihda neighbourhood on the eastern side of the city.

The party, which had recently announced its withdrawal from January's legislative elections, has also cast doubt over the legitimacy of the whole process.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- AFP

BAGHDAD (AFP) - Iraq's Prime Minister Iyad Allawi insisted that holding elections on time on January 30 was crucial to defeating the insurgency and quelling the unrelenting violence.

"The violence, terrorists and the outlaws will not be allowed to stop the political process and destroy the country," he told reporters in Baghdad.

"The Iraqi government and myself personally urge Iraqis to vote and participate in the political process," he said Wednesday.

Terrorist groups inside of Iraq will presumably change their course of action of targeting Iraqi government and Iraqi personnel to U.S. and Coallition targets. They will spread propoganda that the U.S. rigged the election and that it is invalid. Some outside governments will do the same aiding the terrorists whether that is intentional or not.

Having the elections on January 30 as promised is needed, however it is not the fix all that Allawi believes it will be. More problems will arise due to number of terrorists operating inside of Iraq. I hope I'm wrong, but only time will tell.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- World Net Daily

Two Israeli Defense Force soldiers are feared kidnapped by Fatah, the terror organization likely to prevail in the upcoming Palestinian elections, an IDF source told WorldNetDaily.

Fatah claimed to the IDF to have abducted the soldiers hours ago from Maale Adumim, a large West Bank Israeli settlement about 8 miles north of Jerusalem that borders several Arab villages. They made the same claim on official Palestinian radio. Within minutes of the reported abduction, the IDF called all soldiers to determine their whereabouts and placed reserves on high alert, warning of intelligence indicating possible further abductions, the source said.

Check points in the West Bank and Gaza were immediately tightened, and army commanders just ended a meeting where it was decided if the abductions are confirmed, the IDF will enter Palestinian villages.

"The army is hoping it doesn't have to go into Palestinian areas because it will disrupt the elections next week," said the source.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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Ed. It should be noted that the Asia Times Online has had a tendency in the past to exagerate and prefers the extraordinary in reporting news.

There is an interesting article that appears in the Asia Times Online that is a must-read for those interested in terrorism, Al Qaeda specifically. It discusses the transgression of the terrorist group to a certain extent, however it addresses many topics that are not exactly known to the public including but not limited to:

By the time the Taliban had emerged as a force in Afghanistan in the mid-1990s, the Egyptian camp had settled on its strategies, the most important being:

To speak out against corrupt and despotic Muslim governments and make them targets, as this would destroy their image in the eyes of the common people, who interrelate state, rulers and nation.

Focus on the US role, which is to support Israel and tyrant Middle Eastern countries, and make everyone understand this.

The article also goes into depth as to why Al Qaeda is now targeting Arab regimes, however based upon several transcripts of communiques and tapes, both audio and video, I'm not sure the real reason is retribution against actions supporting the United States as the article suggests.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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In an update to the continued rumor concerning the arrest of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi (Abo Mossab Zarqawi depending on which spelling you choose to use), an Iraqi blogger notes the news stems from Kurdish sources inside of Iraq (via Hyscience).

Again there are strong indications from the Kurdish sources about the news of the arrest of Abo-Mosaab Al-Zarqawi in Baqoba. Whether or not this terrorist was arrested and awaiting the DNA analysis we will get it live as soon as we know more.

We have to mention that the same Kurdish sources were the first to announce the arrest of Saddam and his deputy even before the US forces did so.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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If Abu Musab al-Zarqawi was in fact arrested, what could this mean in terms of the future GWOT?

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- BBC

Some 70,000 people received weapons training and religious instruction in al-Qaeda camps, German police says.

The claim came at the retrial of Mounir al-Motassadek, a Moroccan man accused of involvement in the 9/11 attacks, which were partly planned in Germany.

A German police officer told the court recruits at the camps were taught they had a duty to kill US citizens.

For the sake of argument, let's assume the 70,000 figure is accurate. Osama Bin Laden would have to be able to effectively communicate with heads of various cell leaders in order for the terrorist group to operate. We have learned Al Qaeda in the past has communicated via email extensively, though reports now indicate the majority of communications are being made via couriers. How many of these 70,000 terrorists are just couriers?

I do make the presumption that Al Qaeda has trained couriers, communications experts, hackers, etc. in the art of warfare based upon a key part of the training camps being indoctrinating jihadists with the ideology. The training camps do not just teach bomb making and marksmanship, they teach those willing to participate who their enemy is and why their enemy threatens Islam.

We do know this based upon the outreach program that has reached Europe, where hundreds of terrorists are attending mosques and learning the ways of jihad. The operational methods of Al Qaeda are most likely similar to that of the military of most nations. There are grunts, leaders, engineers, etc., but they are all trained with at least the basic combat tactical methods.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Gunmen assassinated the governor of the Iraqi province that includes Baghdad, Ali al-Haidari, on Tuesday, police officials said.

Al-Haidari was shot dead while in his car in Baghdad's northern neighborhood of Hurriyah, said the police officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity. He was a target of another assassination attempt last year.

The officials said al-Haidari left his house in the western al-Jama'a neighborhood and when he arrived in al-Hurriyah gunmen riddled his car with bullets. He died instantly, they said.

Update Al Qaeda in Iraq has claimed responsibility for the assassination on al-Haidari and has released a video. The video may be downloaded at Terrorist Media (registration required).

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Associated Press

BAGHDAD, Iraq - Interim Prime Minister Ayad Allawi simply smiled during the live television show when a man called to praise terrorist mastermind Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The Iraqi leader then moved on, offering to find information about a woman's detained son and see why a student didn't get into the graduate program of his choice.

The surprisingly frank hour-long call-in program, "The Iraqi Podium," is a rarity for the region, giving Iraqis the chance to pepper Allawi with questions, from the mundane to the serious. Judging by the show's popularity, Iraqis are taking advantage.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- Associated Press

BEIRUT, Lebanon - A videotape found in Baghdad after the ouster of Saddam Hussein shows a former manager for Al-Jazeera television thanking one of Saddam's sons for his support, the newspaper Asharq al-Awsat says.

The London-based Arabic paper, which has ties to an Al-Jazeera rival and has been feuding with the channel, said Sunday that the tape is dated March 13, 2000, and shows former Al-Jazeera manager Mohammed Jassem al-Ali telling Odai Saddam Hussein that "Al-Jazeera is your channel."

Odai reportedly says "some ideas" he proposed in previous meetings led to "some changes" in Al-Jazeera's political coverage, including new program hosts.

Al-Jazeera fired al-Ali shortly after the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq in March 2003. No reason was given, but many in the Arab press speculated al-Ali had been receiving support from Saddam's government.

Even though someone who was pressured by the Hussein Regime to change formats and/or stories, it almost seems as if Al Jazeera is still working for Saddam and the Baathist Party. There has yet to be any kind of special on Al Jazeera concerning Democracy in Iraq or the upcoming elections that has not painted either in less than grim terms.

Political "pundits" in the Middle East describe Democracy as a tool used by the West and fail to give Democracy any merit on how it could and should improve the daily lives of Iraqis. The few commentators on Al Jazeera that have mentioned the positives of Democracy have neither re-appeared on Al Jazeera and were silenced out by critics of Democracy.

Have things really changed?

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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UPDATE: This is an archive page. For the latest information on terrorist communiques and videos, please go to the MAIN PAGE here.
--------------------------------

- AFP (via California Yankee by way of The Command Post)

DUBAI (AFP) - The Islamic Army in Iraq, one of the main armed groups fighting US forces in the war-torn country, has threatened to carry out attacks inside the United States, according to a statement posted on a website.

This year "will bring woes on America. The mujahedeen (holy warriors) have prepared big surprises for your sons outside America and a big surprise for you inside America," said the statement whose authenticity could not be confirmed.

The statement appeared to mark a disturbing shift in strategy by the shadowy Sunni Muslim group which has claimed a number of attacks and killings of hostages in Iraq, including an Italian journalist and two Pakistanis.

While the well-known terrorist groups in Iraq (Al Qaida in Iraq and Ansar al-Sunna) get almost daily press coverage, the Islamic Army of Iraq has not recieved the attention it craves. In order for a terrorist group to be effective, they must recieve attention for their demands. After all, terrorist groups operate on a fear-based system and many Americans have never heard of them.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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- BBC

President George W Bush and two of his predecessors, Bill Clinton and George Bush Senior, have called on Americans to aid the Asian tsunami's victims.

The three men appeared together in the Roosevelt Room at the White House to issue a joint appeal to private citizens and businesses.

The appeals by both Bush 41 and Clinton are geared more towards businesses and wealthy individuals to donate to the Red Cross, which in turn is directly aiding tsunami victims.

I must caution my readers there are fake charities already in place and they have already accepted "donations." The American Red Cross of course is reputable and I would strongly urge my readers to only donate to organizations that have a history of humanitarian aid.

Captain's Quarters is putting together a blogger coallition of sorts to donate money directly to the victims as well. Ed Morrisey has marked January 12 as World Relief Day and asks for donations to be given on and prior to January 12 to World Vision.

Cross-posted at In the Bullpen

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