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Showing posts from March 21, 2010

Transcendental meditation prevents war, terrorism ANI, Mar 23, 2010, 01.11pm IST

Source: TOI A new research paper has pointed how militaries worldwide could use the Transcendental Meditation and TM-Sidhi programme, founded by Indian spiritual guru Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, as a non-religious and scientifically verified way to prevent war and terrorism. When used in a military context, these meditation practices are known as Invincible Defense Technology (IDT). The research paper describes the concept of a “Prevention Wing of the Military,” a group of military personnel that practices the advanced TM-Sidhi programme twice daily as a group. A group that reaches a critical threshold in size has been scientifically shown to reduce collective societal stress. The paper hypothesizes that war, terrorism, and crime are caused by collective societal stress. The absence of collective stress translates into the absence of tension between countries, between religious groups, or even within individual terrorists. The paper proposes that, by applying this non-let

Review all anti-terrorism laws, say MPs

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Source: BBC NEWS MPs say a review of anti-terror laws should be an urgent priority All counter-terrorism laws passed since 11 September 2001 should be reviewed to see if they are still necessary, says a committee of MPs and peers. They questioned whether ministers could legitimately argue, nine years on, that a "public emergency threatening the life of the nation" remained. And they said the government's "narrow" definition of what amounted to complicity in torture was "worrying". The government says the threat from terrorism remains "real and serious". In its report, Parliament's joint committee on human rights said it was pleased to see that ministers said a commitment to human rights "underpinned" counter-terrorism work. 42-day plan But it said "all too often" they were "squeezed out by the imperatives of national security and public safety". It said the government should dro

Nuclear terrorism remains intelligence priority ahead of nuclear summit: U.S. intelligence analyst

Source: Xinhua 2010-03-25 WASHINGTON, March 24 (Xinhua) -- As Washington gears up to host a Nuclear Security Summit, a senior U.S. intelligence analyst said Wednesday nuclear terrorism threat remains an intelligence priority, but so far no terrorist groups have shown the ability to launch a large scale attack involving weapons of mass destruction (WMD). Mathew Burrows, head of analysis in the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, told a Washington briefing that nuclear terrorism or WMD terrorism "remains a priority area" for intelligence analysis, but so far, in terms of terrorists orchestrating a large attack, U.S. intelligence community haven't picked up any signs of that capability yet. Burrows said the U.S. intelligence community is closely watching any signs involving nuclear or WMD terrorism, "we follow up any reports on it," but the threat of terrorists carrying out a sophisticated WMD attack is not as high as the more individual attacks.

Saudi Arabia foils major terror bid

Source: India Today Dubai , March 25, 2010 Saudi Arabian anti-terror forces swooped down and busted heavily-armed cells of Al Qaeda linked terrorists who were planning to strike nation's oil installations and security establishments. More than 100 insurgents were arrested in raids carried out earlier this week and the terror cells busted comprised mostly Saudi and Yemeni nationals, as well as residents of Somalia, Bangladesh and Eriteria, the interior ministry said in a statement read out over state television. Those rounded up included a Yemeni, whom Saudi security officials described as being a prominent member of Al Qaeda. Armaments seized included explosive belts used by suicide bombers, assault rifles, ammunition, computers, pre-paid mobile SIM cards and documents, the interior ministry said. Most of those arrested were from the southern province of Jazan, near the border with Yemen, where Yemeni forces and Al Qaeda linked rebels and Shia groups have been locked in fier

Terror on the line

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Source: India today It's fear over the city. The recent revelation that at least three top businessmen of Kolkata have received extortion threats from the Indian Mujahideen (IM) has sent shock waves throughout the business community of West Bengal. More so, because this is the first time after the abduction of shoe giant Khadim's owner Partha Roy Burman in 2001, that any serious threat has been made to industry by terrorist outfits as significant as the IM. Top police officers will not talk on the record but what they are saying in private could be deeply disturbing. For one, apparently, the threat calls made by extortion king Amir Reza Khan were only three of those reported; at other times industrialists have chosen to pay up and keep quiet. The cash has almost always been paid in Delhi after making secret trips to the Capital, paying up and returning without making any public noises. Police sources have confirmed "suspicious money transfers" in Delhi accounts but

Taliban Shoots Down Helicopter In Northern Afghanistan

Source: Turkishweekly Thursday, 25 March 2010 A civilian helicopter contracted by the US military made a "hard landing" Wednesday in northern Afghanistan after being hit by Taliban militants but there were no casualties, officials said. The helicopter was shot in the Dashti Archi district of Kunduz province, said Sheikh Saadi, the district governor. NATO forces rushed to the area with their helicopters to evacuate the military personnel aboard, he said, DPA reported. A spokesman for the NATO-led International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) confirmed the attack. He said in Kabul that the craft was contracted by US military forces and there were no injuries among those on board. Taliban spokesman Zabiullah Mujahid, speaking by phone from an undisclosed location, said Taliban fighters hit the helicopter with a rocket-propelled grenade, killing all soldiers on board. The crash came a day after a Turkish helicopter serving in the ISAF mission crashed in the centra

Somali Pirates Extend Range Of Attacks On Commercial Ships

Source: Turkishweekly Somali pirates hijacked on Tuesday a Turkish cargo ship in the Indian Ocean far away from the area where they normally carry out their attacks on commercial vessels, the EU Naval Force Somalia said in a statement. The hijacking of the Malta-flagged MV Frigia took place about 1,000 nautical miles off Somalia's northern coast, where the pirate stronghold of Haradhere is located. The ship with a crew of 19 Turks and two Ukrainians was heading from Port Said to Kaousichang in Thailand. "This position is closer to India than Somalia and is approximately 400 N Miles outside the normal EU NAVFOR operation area," the statement said. The EU anti-piracy operation, dubbed Atalanta, has been patrolling shipping routes off the Horn of Africa from Somali pirates since December 2008. Naval warships and aircraft from the U.K., Belgium, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Luxemburg, Netherlands, Spain and Sweden have been involved in actively escorting commerc

The Straits of Malacca Under the Threat of a Maritime Terrorist Attack

Source: Turkishweekly The Straits of Malacca under the threat of a maritime terrorist attack by Jemaah Islamiyah: From LTTE to Al Qaeda and its affiliate terrorist group operating globally The current threat posed by a terrorist group in the Straits of Malacca is no other than Al Qaedas regional associate, Jemaah Islamiyah. The re-emergence of Jemaah Islamiyah in the region some three years ago was itself a sign that it had re-grouped and was planning attacks within the region. The threat has long remained overlooked! The Straits is one of JIs most important targets in Southeast Asia and a large scale maritime attack in one of the busiest sea lanes of communication (SLOC) would be disastrous to the economies of the world. The attacks and bombings in Indonesia, Southern Thailand and Southern Philippines escalated over the three years should have alerted the authorities to an immediate response in countering the threat. The arrest of Al Qaedas operatives in Malaysia last year and e

Europe Says "Terrorism is Terrorism!"

Source: Turkish weekly Thursday, 18 March 2010 Europe no longer considers the PKK a resistance organization, but mostly a terrorist organization that embraces violence instead of using democratic channels. Following England, France, and Italy, comprehensive operations were carried out against the PKK at 28 distinct addresses in Belgium. It is understood that these operations were mostly related to drugs in France and concerned financial resources in Italy, but were conducted most extensively in Belgium. The arrests of 8 people, including the highest ranked leaders of the PKK in Europe, Zübeyr Aydar and Remzi Kartal, and their trials, and the custody and eventual release of the leader of PJAK (Party of the Free Life of Kurdistan), Haci Ahmedi, give insight into the extent and importance of these operations. Besides, it is known that 9 arrests, 8 judicial monitoring orders, and 13 European arrest warrants were issued for the most active members of terrorist organizations in Europe.

Hairdresser's chemicals "exploded like a bomb"

Source: bournemouthecho A teenage hairdresser killed in a “catastrophic explosion” as she drove may have died after chemicals in her equipment bag formed a lethal cocktail. Now the grieving father of 19-year-old Jennie Mitchell – himself a Dorset fire fighter with 24 years experience – is urging hairdressers to show extreme caution when carrying hydrogen peroxide. Jennie died earlier this month after the chemicals exploded with the force of a bomb blast as she drove her treasured Mini car along a quiet country road. Jennie had rapidly qualified as a hairdresser after leaving The Shaftesbury School, and enjoyed horse riding and surfing. But after meeting her “soulmate”, 21-year-old herdsman, Russell Andrews, nine months ago, Jennie’s life had entered a period of calm, said Mrs Mitchell. The couple got engaged in December and had planned to marry on March 9 2011 – the eve of Jennie’s 21st birthday. Now the country house hotel booked for the wedding reception will host a rec

Mock drills to check alertness during terror attacks

Source: Sify 2010-03-25 14:40:00 To check the preparedness of Delhi Metro staff and security agencies in the event of terror attacks, mock drills will be conducted at four Metro stations Friday. The drills, to be supervised by officials from the Delhi Disaster Management Authority, will take place at the Rajouri Garden, Mandi House, Netaji Subhash Place and Dilshad Garden stations at 11.30 a.m., a Metro spokesperson said. The exercise would disrupt Metro services for 15-20 minutes. 'Different scenarios like serial bomb blasts and explosions triggered by a human bomb will be enacted,' the spokesperson said. 'The aim is to check the preparedness of Delhi Metro staff and security agencies. It will also test the coordination between the Metro staff, police and fire brigade,' he said. Since 2005, more than 15 mock drills have been conducted at Metro stations, in which scenarios such as

Nigeria: Activist Accuses Tompolo of Threat Texts Napoleon Ehiremen 25 March 2010

Source: AllAfrica Warri — A Niger Delta activist, Chief Michael Johnny has cried out over threats to his life, calling on security agents to beef up security around him. Speaking to newsmen at the weekend in Warri, Delta State, Chief Johnny alleged that two attempts had been made on his life in the last few days, saying he is now living in constant fear even though he was not afraid to die for the truth and pointed accusing fingers at Chief Government Ekpemupolo a.k.a. Tompolo over his travails. But an aide of Tompolo (names withheld) whom he specifically accused of sending him threat text messages dismissed the allegation, as "baseless, senseless, provocative and unfounded." He claimed that on Tuesday, March 16, 2010 at about 9.30 p.m, three Hilux vans and a Prado Jeep loaded with men wearing army uniforms stormed his house, adding that he beat them to their own game as he escaped. Chief Johnny also alleged that at about 8.30 p.m. on Wednesday, March 17, 2010, the

Fountain bomb alert

Source: londonderrysentinnel Published Date: 25 March 2010 By Eamon Sweeney THIS picture taken by a person from the Fountain reveals that residents of the area were able to get within feet of a suspected bomb left just yards from the estate last weekend. Londonderry experienced severe disruption last Friday as a series of Real IRA bomb scares effectively annexed the city. Alerts at Strand Road PSNI Station, Craigavon Bridge and Madam's Bank saw traffic chaos last most of the day until their eventual clearance. But, it was the planting of a suspect device inside a van yards from the security gate which links the Fountain to Bishop Street that has caused consternation amongst residents of the estate. Fountain resident William Jackson, who lives just yards from the security gate told the Sentinel he was made aware of the alert by the PSNI at around 7.45am. "The police asked if anyone had a copy of the key for the gate. These had been taken off residents on a previous occa

Terrorism's 'virtual sisters' Science Centric | 23 March 2010 14:08 GMT

Source: Science cenmtric Many terrorist organisations, including Hamas, are using their children's websites in order to recruit girls for terrorist activities. This is part of a growing trend adopted by terrorist organisations and fundamentalist Islamic groups that are using the Internet with a focus on targeting women. This has been shown in a new study by Prof. Gabriel Weimann, a University of Haifa expert on terrorism on the Internet. 'Terrorist organisations' use of female suicide terrorists is on the rise, and it is directly reflected in the constant upsurge in websites dedicated to female terrorists,' maintains Prof. Weimann. For over more than a decade Prof. Weimann has monitored and analysed Internet sites of all the active terrorist organisations. Just as marketing experts have understood that in order to reach target audiences they must create appropriate content for those audiences, Prof. Weimann observes, so have terrorist groups realised that in order to r

Maoist rebels in India 'blow up railway tracks'

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Source: BBC NEWS The rebels have blown up railway tracks in the past, causing derailments Maoist rebels in India have killed two people and blown up sections of railway track in four eastern states during a two-day strike, police have said. The Maoists called the strike on Monday in six states to protest against a major offensive by government troops. The destruction of one section of track in Bihar caused an express train to derail. No casualties were reported. The rebels want communist rule in a large swathe of India. More than 6,000 people have died in the 20-year fight. The Maoists say they are fighting for the rights of the rural poor who complain they have been neglected by governments for decades. Gun battle Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has described the Maoists as the single biggest threat to India's internal security, and ordered a major offensive in November. Nearly 50,000 federal paramilitary troops and an equal number of policemen,

Taliban harness power of the web

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Source:' BBC NEWS By Dawood Azami BBC World Service, Kabul The internet is also a weapon of choice for many Taliban The Taliban banned the internet when they were in power in Afghanistan between 1996 and 2001 declaring it immoral and un-Islamic. But eight years after the fall of the Taliban regime, the internet has become one of the main platforms for insurgents in the battle for the hearts and minds of the people of Afghanistan. As military operations against the Taliban in Afghanistan and Pakistan intensify, the Taliban are increasingly using the internet to generate popular support and undermine local governments and their international partners. The Taliban use the internet

Afghan Hezb-e-Islami militants hold peace talks in Kabul

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Source: BBC NEWS Mr Hekmatyar's forces have previously been allied with the Taliban Afghan President Hamid Karzai has met a delegation from the country's second biggest militant group, officials say. The Kabul talks are the first confirmed direct contact between Mr Karzai and envoys of former premier Gulbuddin Hekmatyar's Hezb-e-Islami faction. Mr Karzai has yet to respond to a tentative peace plan from the group at talks two days ago, his spokesman said. Talks with insurgents are seen as vital to securing peace although any deal is a long way off, BBC correspondents say. Hezb-e-Islami fighters are based mainly in eastern Afghanistan and share many aims with the Taliban - the biggest militant group in the country. There have been recent tensions however, with the two groups clashing in the north. Observers say the talks in Kabul may only be preliminary but they come at a fluid time in Afghan politics, with a peace jirga, or tribal gathering, due

Two hurt as Nato helicopter crash lands in Afghanistan

Source: BBC NEWS A helicopter carrying Turkish soldiers has crash landed in Afghanistan, injuring at least two of its occupants, the Turkish military says. The aircraft came down near the town of Wardak, south of the capital, Kabul. One report said the aircraft had technical problems while landing. Nato said there had been no fatalities and there were "no indications enemy activity caused the incident". Some 1,800 Turkish troops serve in the Nato-led force in Afghanistan.

Afghan Taliban name new deputy leaders after arrest

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Source: BBC NEWS The Taliban say the new leaders are committed to the armed struggle The Afghan Taliban say Mullah Omar has named two new deputies after the arrest of his military chief in Pakistan. Abdul Qayuum Zakir and Mullah Akhtar Mohammad Mansoor succeed Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, who Pakistan is holding. The aim was to send "a message that one arrest will not affect our movement", a senior Taliban leader said. Mullah Baradar was detained in Karachi in February in what was seen as a blow to the militants as they gear up to face a major Nato offensive this year. The militants at first denied Mullah Baradar had been caught but the Taliban spokesman, speaking by telephone from an undisclosed location in Afghanistan, confirmed the arrest. We have made these appointments because we want to gi

Yemenis discuss focus on country's security crisis

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Source: BBC NEWS A Yemeni soldier stands on a hill overlooking the capital Sana'a The failed bombing of an American passenger jet by a man who received terrorist training in Yemen has focussed the world's attention on the Gulf state. The Yemeni government has declared war on al-Qaeda within the country, as a group of Yemeni clerics warned that foreign military intervention should be met with jihad. Yemenis tell the BBC what they see as the biggest challenges facing their country, and what they think of global attention on Yemen's security issues. Nasser Arrabyee, journalist The biggest threat to Yemen's security - for Yemenis - is the armed rebellion in the north. I'd say number two is al-Qaeda, and third is the separatist movement in the south. The root of all of these three is the poverty, the corruption of government and general illiteracy. This means people can be easily recruited to blow themselves