Terrorism Watch

Source: before its news Responsible for Equality And Liberty (R.E.A.L.) www.realcourage.org/2010/05/policy-against-terrorism-begins-with-human-rights/ Today, at the White House, supporters of R.E.A.L. will be asking U.S. President Obama and Afghanistan President Karzai to reconsider the planned discussions on "reintegration" and "reconciliation" of Taliban supremacists in Afghanistan, including suggestions to allow them to return to the police and armed forces. The reason that the United States of America is in Afghanistan today is because of the September 11 attacks on America by Al-Qaeda terrorists, with the Afghanistan Taliban providing a safe haven for such terrorist training and plots to kill thousands of Americans.  The  statutory reason that the United States is in Afghanistan is based on the September 2001 Authorization for Use of Military Force, which gives vague terms around what the American military can do in response to those assoc

Source: misami herald The Associated Press JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Jacksonville authorities are asking residents to help them catch the person behind a mosque explosion. Even the FBI is investigating and wants anyone with information to come forward. They released security video Tuesday of the man suspcted of fireboming the Islamic Center of Northeast Florida. No one was injured in the explosion, which caused minor damage to the building late Monday. Authorities found remnants of a crude pipe bomb at the scene. Shrapnel from the blast was found a hundred yards away. A motive for the attack has not been determined. The case is being investigated as a possible hate

Source: global visas May 13 2010 by Liam Clifford Parvathi Ammal, the mother of the killed Tamil Tiger leader, Velupillai Prabakaran, has said she wants to move to Canada to live with her daughter. Parvathi, who has recently moved back to Sri Lanka after her Malaysian visa expired, said she desperately wants to live in Canada with her daughter Vinothini Rajendram. Canada is home to a large Sri Lankan population and the country agreed to accept refugees after the recent period of fighting involving the Tamil Tigers, or LTTE. The militant organisation fights for the creation of an independent Tamil state. Sri Lankan people living in Canada are often able to bring their relatives to the country to live with them. However, so far Canada has been non-committal about whether it will grant Parvathi a Canadian visa. Her son was a chief in the Tamils Tigers and was wanted for terrorism, murder and organised crime. He was shot during fighting in May last year. Parvathi n

The identity card costs £30 to order Source: BBC NEWS Identity cards will be scrapped under plans announced by the new Conservative and Lib Dem coalition government, new Home Secretary Theresa May has said. Their abolition is among measures the parties have agreed to reverse what they say was "the substantial erosion" of civil liberties in recent years. Other proposals include reforms to the DNA database, tighter regulation of CCTV and a review of libel laws. Labour claims ID cards help tackle benefit fraud and identity theft. The Tories and Lib Dems have both opposed ID cards from the outset, arguing they are expensive, intrusive and have done little to tackle the most serious threats to society such as terrorism and organised crime. In a statement, the Home Office said it would announce "in due course" how the process of rescinding ID cards and the accompanying National Identity Register would move forward. Until

Source: SMH ADAM GARTRELL, INDONESIA CORRESPONDENT May 13, 2010 - 8:59PM AAP There are hopes an Islamic militant arrested in Java this week could lead authorities to some of Indonesian terrorism's "big fish". Sidney Jones of the International Crisis Group (ICG) says the arrest this week of Sibgho - also known as Musab - could prove to be a major breakthrough. "He is a key individual," Dr Jones told AAP "He is probably the most important of those arrested alive, as far as we know." Sibgho is an Islamic scholar who has fought in religious conflicts in Indonesia's Ambon and Poso. It is believed he helped Bali bomber Dulmatin - killed in a police raid earlier this year - set up a new terrorist group that draws on militants from a number of radical groups. It is hoped Sibgho may have information on the whereabouts of significant members of the group, such as

Source: barrier examiner Posted By LORRIE GOLDSTEIN Posted 18 mins ago I t now appears inevitable we're going to suffer terrorist attacks on our own soil by radical Islamists. And that these attacks probably won't be carried out by foreigners, but by young, second-and- third-generation Canadians who have grown up hating their own country. When it happens, we won't be able to say we weren't warned. On Tuesday, Richard Fadden, director of the Canadian Security Intelligence Service, told a Commons committee that CSIS has more than 200 Canadians -- not foreigners -- under surveillance for suspected terrorist links, some playing leadership roles in terrorist organizations abroad. "I'm not suggesting they are the equivalent of Osama bin Laden, but they have acquired positions of influence and leadership," Fadden said. This on the heels of warnings from David Harris, CSIS's former top strategic planner, in an interview with QMI Agency Tuesday th

Source: rightsidenews In the wake of the botched May 1 Times Square attack , some observers have begun to characterize Faisal Shahzad and the threat he posed as some sort of new or different approach to terrorism in the United States. Indeed, one media story on Sunday quoted terrorism experts who claimed that recent cases such as those involving Shahzad and Najibullah Zazi indicate that jihadists in the United States are "moving toward the "British model." This model was described in the story as that of a Muslim who immigrates to the United Kingdom for an education, builds a life there and, after being radicalized, travels to a terrorist training camp in Pakistan and then returns to the United Kingdom to launch an attack. A close look at the history of jihadist plots in the United States and the operational models involved in orchestrating those plots suggests that this so-called British model is not confined to Great Britain. Indeed, a close lo

Source: ALLAFRICA Kampala — TERRORIST groups have devised new tricks and are now using legitimate businesses to fund their activities. The details emerged yesterday as Brig. James Mugira, the chief of military intelligence, addressed delegates attending the five-day counter terrorism capacity building workshop at the Kampala Serena Hotel. Terrorist groups, he said, are now using legitimate businesses such as hotels, pubs, taxi operators and trade-linked schemes to launder money thus funding their activities and posing a bigger challenge to authorities. "Since it is becoming difficult for terrorists to raise funds from charities, they have resorted to money laundering," he disclosed. Mugira noted that individual terror groups in the network had taken to illicit trade in narcotics, minerals, kidnapping, human trafficking and counterfeiting in order to become financially independent. About 50 African civilian and top military officers from eastern and southern African cou

Source: This is london Private schools have been hit by tough new visa rules brought in to prevent terrorism and stop illegal immigration. Wealthy families from China and Hong Kong , who traditionally favour sending their children to British private schools, are turning to the US instead because they find the visa application system so complicated. The Independent Schools Council fears the new rules could also mean teenagers being thrown out of the country half way through A-levels. Labour ministers attempted to crack down on bogus language colleges used as a way into Britain for illegal immigrants on student visas. Once here, these “students” drop out of their courses and disappear. Rules introduced last month mean educational establishments must register with the UK Border Agency to gain “highly trusted” status — at a cost of £400 — if they offer courses such as A-levels to foreign students. But David Lyscom, chief executive of the schools council, which represents 1,250 Briti

Source: eurassia review By Richard Javad Heydarian for FPIF This century has witnessed China's emergence as the main challenger to the superpower status of the United States. In a dramatic fashion, China is beginning to establish its foothold in the highly strategic, energy-rich region of the Middle East by forging strong ties with regional powers and gradually challenging the U.S.-Israeli regional dominance. Thanks to decades of double-digit economic growth and accelerating military modernization, China now has both the need for and the capability of engaging the Middle East. Confined to the sidelines during the Cold War, the Chinese leadership finally found a window of opportunity to enter the regional politics and expand its military exports. During the 1980s, China increasingly criticized Soviet disinterest in assisting regional "revisionist powers" such as Syria against U.S. allies. Subsequently, it sought regional influence through forging strong ties with lea

Source: ATTimes By Pepe Escobar Intricate shadowplay surrounds the (failed) smoking sports utility vehicle Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad. Earlier in 2010, the Central Intelligence Agency warned al-Qaeda might try an attack inside the US "within the next six months". It did happen - like clockwork - with the added bonus that the alleged perpetrators are even more convenient than al-Qaeda. United States Attorney General Eric Holder is now sure "the Pakistani Taliban was behind the attack. We know that they helped facilitate it. We know that they probably helped finance it and that he [Shahzad] was working at their direction". President <a href='http://asianmedia.com/GAAN/www/delivery/ck.php?n=a53e495a&amp;cb=INSERT_RANDOM_NUMBER_HERE' target='_blank'> &

Source: Kashmir watch Kashmir Watch, May 11 By Zaheerul Hassan       On May 10, 2010, US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton while talking to CBS TV Channel stated that there are elements in Pakistan's administration that were more informed about al-Qaeda and Taliban. She also warned Pakistan of stern action in case it didn't act. Obama Administration meanwhile for the first time accused Taliban of being behind the botched Times Square bombing attempt on May 1, 2010. However Tehreek Taliban Pakistan (TTP) denied the same. Pakistani nation and officials condemned Hillary Clinton statement in connection with Times Square Incident. In all the blah blah that follows such unfortunate events, what is not being talked about is the timing of the incident, an aspect which ultimately points to the hidden connections between RAW, Mossad and CIA.  The current episode reveals that RAW and Mossad's backed agents of CIA successfully launched the episode for following ulterior mot

Source: bikyamasar ISLAMABAD: In recent years, the words and actions of extremists claiming to commit violence in the name of Islam, time and again through the media, has arguably caused great harm to Islam’s peaceful reputation. It is in this context that Dr. Tahir ul-Qadri, a prominent Islamic scholar from Pakistan, issued his 600-page fatwa (a non-binding religious opinion in Islamic law) against terrorism from London in March. Arguably the most comprehensive document ever produced on terrorism in the over 1,400 years of Islam’s history, the fatwa categorically denounces all facets, forms and justifications of terrorism on theological grounds with irrefutable arguments from Islamic texts, history and schools of thought. I had the incredible opportunity to speak with Qadri recently to understand what motivated him: “I felt the urge to clear the name of Islam, which is being maligned and distorted by fanatics who cannot be called Muslims by any definition of the word.” One of the

Source: WBUR Illegal immigration has gotten a lot of recent attention with the passage of Arizona’s controversial law. What often gets lost, however, is how immigration — legal and illegal — changes our country and our state. But few really know what goes on within these communities — to many, they are “invisible.” This is Part 2 of a WBUR Series: Invisible Communities . WBUR Audio Slideshow The Somali “Homework Club” · Photos by Jess Bidgood for WBUR MANCHESTER, N.H. — Muktar Idhow runs a new kids program at a city-owned multicultural center here in Manchester. Visiting on a Sunday afternoon, one might see about 30 Somali Bantu kids sitting around long tables. Girls and boys are separated, sitting youngest to oldest. Idhow holds a yard stick and passes out worksheets with multiplication problems to the fifth-grade boys. Some of the boys seem better at math than the adults in the room. “You’re so wrong! You’re so wrong,” yells one boy when Idhow challenges his answer. Idhow use

Source: defenceweb Sudanese police have arrested two men suspected of killing two Egyptian peacekeepers in an ambush in Sudan's Darfur region, state media said. The attack on the joint UN/African Union UNAMID peacekeepers marked a further deterioration of security in the western territory, as rebels reported government bombing and shelling of their positions near the border with Chad. Police told the state Suna news agency they had arrested the two men in the South Darfur area of Edd al Fursan and were now hunting down the rest of a seven-man bandit gang blamed for the attack last Friday. The commissioner of the surrounding Tulus area, Mohamed Al-Hassan Bairag, told Suna the gang had "looted and terrified citizens" in the region. Law and order has collapsed seven years after mostly non-Arab rebels in Darfur took up arms against Sudan's government accusing it of starving the region of funding and marginalising its populati

Source: star of mysore By TJS George The world will applaud the way America defeated the New York bombing attempt. Luck of course plays a part in such matters. But in this case no one can deny the skill and the professionalism with which the investigators proceeded until they got their man in dramatic style. Luck came in the form of a footpath vendor who noticed smoke inside a parked van. It was lucky, too, that he was a Vietnam war veteran who had a fair idea of smokes and fires. It also happened that a Mounted Police officer was close by. The officer called the bomb squad which arrived within half an hour and defused the bomb with a robot. Times Square is the busiest urban spot in the world. In such a location, the Police managed to clear the area of people. Broadway, the famous theatre district, is in this spot. Police detectives stopped the perfor-mances that were going on in two theatres, went on to the stage and asked the audience whethe