Europe Approaches the First Anniversary of the Madrid Train Bombings

By Victor Comras

Nearly a year has past since the March 11, 2004 Madrid train bombing. Since then Europe has committed itself to strengthening cooperation and information sharing between its member states. They have also placed a high priority on improving police and judicial assistance. This is all part of the new reinforced European Action Plan on Terrorism and its new European Security Strategy (ESS). These goals were reiterated at the November 5, 2004 EU Hague summit where European leaders again pledged to counter terrorist threats by incorporating biometics into travel documents, increasing controls at Europe's external borders, developing intelligence-led policing and enhancing judicial cooperation. This new spirit of cooperation was evident most recently in the decision of a Belgian court, February 18th to turn over to Spain, a Moroccan, Youssef Belhadj, suspected of assisting those responsible for the March 11 attack. Spanish investigators believe Belhadj was the al Qaeda spokesman on a video tape claiming responsibility for the attack. But Europe still has a long way to go to give real meaning to these very general principles. This is particularly the case when it comes to information and intelligence sharing.

Javier Solana, the EU Commissioner charged with overseeing EU foreign policy has been charged with developing recommendations on how to develop an EU intelligence capacity. His recommendations are to form the basis of further discussions at the June 2005 EU summit. Austria and Belgium reportedly favor a new European CIA, while France, Germany and the United Kingdom oppose such an idea. They are wary about sharing sensitive intelligence within the broader and expanding EU community. France is pushing an alternative suggestion that would enhance ties between the various intelligence services. This could include various networks including a special network linking the intelligence services of Britain, France, Germany, Italy and Spain.

Another suggestion up for review is the idea of a Special European Prosecutor's Office that could handle the investigation and prosecution of terrorism and trans-border crimes. For the present the EU relies on an mechanism known as Euro-Just which periodically brings together representatives from the various national prosecutors offices to discuss common problems. One suggestion being pushed by a group of activist European non-governmental organizations is the establishment of a new Super Euro-just that would have increased transnational investigative and judicial powers. It would include investigators assigned from each member country and maintain branches in each country. However, national investigations would remain largely within the hands of national authorities.

Concerns also remain in Europe regarding the ease with which terrorists can travel across Europe � an unintended consequence of the Schengen open borders program. Schengen members have so-far resisted pressures to adopt new procedures to better protect Europe's internal borders, or to take-on new terrorist tracking responsibilities. These functions have been deferred to Europol.

Beyond Europe, it is clear that enhanced cooperation is also required between Europe and the United States. But efforts to foster closer US-EU counterterrorism and law enforcement cooperation have met with serious difficulties. There continues to be a basic lack of trust between US and EU investigative, intelligence, police, and judicial authorities. The US side has always preferred to pick and choose between various European national counterpart organizations, rather than deal more broadly with Eurojust or Europol. New thinking must be devoted to this issue.

Madrid will host a special Summit on Security, Terrorism, and Democracy March 8-11, 2005 to commemorate the March 11th attack. The Madrid Summit, a non-partisan event, will bring together over 400 government leaders, policy makers and practitioners to commemorate the victims of the Madrid bombings and to develop a common strategy to confront terrorism in all its forms through democratic means. In preparation for the Summit, some fifteen working groups -- made up of nearly 200 leading experts on terrorism and democracy -- have been debating four key facets of this challenge: 1) causes and underlying factors of terrorism, 2) confronting terrorism, 3) a democratic response to terrorism, and 4) civil society's role. Perhaps this can also provide an opportunity for like-minded countries to futher deepen cooperation and information sharing arrangements between them.

Steven Emerson: AP is Biased and Conflicted in Reporting on Palestinians

By Steven Emerson

An Associated Press story on Saturday (text below) reveals the sleight of hand in its reporting. This was as close to a press release for the Palestinians as I ever seen by the AP. But no surprise - the AP has a special relationship with the Palestinians which biases their reporting, as I will explain below. First, four points about the article:

1. The headline and story suggest a unanimity of Palestinian "anger" over the bombing, an assessment that the reporter could not possibly have ascertained.

2. The AP maintains the charade that there is universal Palestinian anger over the attack by uncritically reporting the nonsensical comment by Abbas that even "the prisoners" (i.e., Palestinian terrorists in Israeli prisons) were "outraged" by the attack.

3. The height of the reporter's lunacy is the paragraph starting with "If a Palestinian group were found to be responsible..." IF? Who are to we believe carried this out? An invisible suicide bomber beamed into Tel Aviv from Beirut? Moreover, Islamic Jihad released a video claiming responsibility for the attack.

4. Finally and not least, see the last paragraph. In order to show Palestinian "moderation" this time, the reporter cites the absence of celebrations as previously occurring in "dozens of other suicide bombings." Excuse me, but when did AP substantively report these celebrations in the past?

For years, it has been a dirty little secret that the Associated Press reporting from the West Bank and Gaza has been intellectually and professionally corrupt. The AP has been guilty of committing scores of DanRather-gates for years. As Andrew Cochran noted here on January 18, the AP's Muhammad Daraghmeh also works for the official PA news organ, as have numerous other so-called "journalists" whose obvious biases are never disclosed by the mainstream press. Will someone finally wake up?

This Week in Congress: Multiple Hearings

By Andrew Cochran

This is the busiest week so far this year for Congressional hearings on terrorist-related subjects, including the first round of important hearings on proposed budgets for fiscal year 2006, which starts on October 1. I'll post several of the most pertinent in the "Events" box, but here is the entire schedule, to the best of my knowledge, in a Microsoft Word document. I included any public hearing in which terrorist and counterterrorist activity might be discussed, including hearings on Defense Department budgets and issues.

Steven Emerson Interview: Militant Islam Misleads and Endangers Europe, U.S.

By Andrew Cochran

In November, Investigative Project Executive Director Steven Emerson spent a week in Berlin as the guest of the American Academy and gave briefings to German policy and government officials. Mr. Emerson was interviewed by the German newspaper "Die Welt" about the terrorist threat posed by radical Islam in the West, and in particular the problems the West has in confronting it. In it he noted that Western countries have acted against the threat only after a violent act, such as the 9-11 attacks in the U.S., the Madrid train bombings, or the Van Gogh murder in the Netherlands. He stressed that the conflict is "not necessarily with Islam as a whole - but with the militant Islam." He called for a multi-step process for defeating Islamic terrorism, including "academic centers for the moderate Islam," and he predicted a long war against the enemy. The full text is below.

Bosnia Remains a Terrorist Shadow Land

By Douglas Farah

Like so many places that once riveted the world, Bosnia is now off the policy map and its brutal war largely forgotten. But as Evan Kohlmann has described so well, it was also the great al Qaeda experiment in Europe in the years immediately after the Afghan war.

After spending a week in the region exchanging information with people who track these issues, it is clear that Bosnia, while not on the policy radar screen, retains great attraction for the terrorist network and remains a crossroads for the Jihadi worldwide movement. Some, it appears, are seeking to penetrate Europe (and possibly the United States), others may be using Bosnia and surrounding states as way stations on the way to Iraq. There are also radicals with strong ties to Iran, who govern their own banks and control security forces, often the elite troops of now-disappeared state armies. Because of its geographic location and European ties, Bosnia offers many things to a terrorist network.

Much of the government and those of the surrounding states that once comprised Yugoslovia are greatly influenced by different organized criminal networks that have a hand in fuel deliveries, electricity, banking, and other economic activities. Yet the region enjoys much better communications facilities than, say, a failed state such as Liberia. It also has remnants of the Muslim population sympathetic to jihad and its supporters from the early 1990s. Couple this with a thriving trade in false passports and other identification cards that allow one to travel to a host of countries without a visa, and it becomes clear why Bosnia and surrounding states poses a continuing challenge on the radical Muslim front. Click here for the rest of the blog.

New Statements and Video from Al-Qaida in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued several new statements and video recordings claiming credit for various bomb attacks on U.S. forces in central Iraq and for the assassination of local Iraqi government officials.

- Feb. 26 claim for the murder of the Interior Ministry Chief
- Feb. 26 claim for the murder of a municipal council leader
- Feb. 26 report of the "martyrdom" of Abu Anas al-Tuhami
- Feb. 26 video of roadside bomb attack on a U.S. Humvee
- Feb. 26 video of suicide bomb attack on U.S. tanks
- Feb. 27 response to alleged arrest of a Zarqawi aide in Iraq

Syria's Gestures. Will They Last?

By Michael B. Kraft

By Michel Kraft

The press reports that Syrian officials captured and turnover to Iraqi authorities the half brother of Saddam Hussein and more than two dozen former Baathists, are another sign of the zigzag tight- rope walking policies of the Syrian leadership.

The capture of Subawi Abraham al-Assam was described by Iraqi sources as a good will gesture, according to the Associated Press. Even if the reports turn out to be overstated, they have the earmarks of what passes for a charm offensive by Syria on the eve of meetings with American officials. Just last week Syria said � without specifying a date -- that it will withdraw some of its troops from Lebanon.

The Return of Fateh Kamel

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

The National Post reports that one of Canada's most notorious terrorists, Fateh Kamel, has returned home to Montreal as a free man following a four-year stint in a French prison.

Kamel has an impressive terrorist CV.  After fighting in both the Afghan and Bosnian wars, Kamel became the head of a Montreal-based terrorist cell that was part of the Algerian Armed Islamic Group (GIA) but "also developed close links to bin Laden's al-Qaeda network."  A document from the Canadian Security Intelligence Service explains that Kamel "played a central role in the wave of terrorist attacks that erupted in France toward the middle of the 1990s, notably the plot to commit bomb attacks in Paris metro stations and a series of attacks in the city of Roubaix, in northern France."  The Post states that Kamel also travelled through Europe with a right-hand man named Karim Said Atmani, who "ran a ring that committed low-level crimes such as cellular phone thefts to raise money for their militant activities."  Another member of the GIA-linked Groupe Fateh Kamel was Ahmed Ressam, who was convicted in the millennium bombing plot to blow up LAX.  Kamel was eventually imprisoned by a French court for "participating in a criminal association for the purposes of preparing acts of terrorism," and for providing fake passports to Islamic militants.  Although Kamel was sentenced to eight years in prison, he was released after only four years for good behavior.

Peter McKay, deputy leader of the Conservative Party, argues that the Canadian government should revoke Kamel's citizenship.  He comments, "By all means we should be examining revocation, and certainly there is cause for the Canadian government, for our officials, to examine whether he was truthful at the time of his entry into this country."

One question:  How in the world did Kamel end up spending a mere four years in prison?

Arab Bank Hit by Federal Regulator, But Will Bombing Victims Get Any Justice?

By Andrew Cochran

The Arab Bank, which is the subject of lawsuits over its role as a conduit for terrorists' funds used to kill Americans and Israelis, has been hit with an order by the Treasury Department's OCC, forcing it to cease most of its funds transfer operations and not accept any new deposits. Contributing Expert Lee Wolosky, who serves as Special Counsel on the lawsuits, posted earlier about the Arab Bank's unexpected withdrawal from the U.S. and the ample evidence incriminating the bank. For instance, the families of homicide bombers responsible for the August 2001 Jerusalem pizzeria attack and the June 2001 Tel Avib disco attack received payments of approximately $5300, paid by Arab Bank as part of an alleged payment program for families of "martyrs," using the facilities of the New York branch.

But will Arab Bank actually have to pay for what the OCC calls "unsafe and unsound practices," which were clearly unsafe to those innocent victims of the bombers? The plaintiffs in the lawsuit remain concerned that the OCC enforcement action will still allow Arab Bank to walk away without payment. This gap in financial laws should be addressed by Congress this year, before we find more "Arab Banks" that walk away from their responsiblities.

More Border Failures: MS-13 Leader Arrested Numerous Times in U.S.

By Andrew Cochran

It's a good thing that the House Judiciary Committee has scheduled a hearing on the Border Patrol's funding for next Thursday - the failures continue to mount. Yesterday we linked to a story on the arrest of Ebert Anibal Rivera, head of the MS-13 gang in Honduras, in Texas on Tuesday. Today we find out that Rivera, leader of one of the worst gangs in the Western Hemisphere, who is wanted in Honduras in connection with the massacre of 28 people, has been arrested in California at least eight times since 2001!! And these weren't traffic stops: try robbery (3 TIMES), burglary, and bad checks!! Hopefully the Congress, starting at this hearing, can start identifying and plugging the leaky law enforcement information system that has allowed this career criminal (actually, terrorist) to enter and leave our country time and time again.

Al-Qaida Claims New Attacks on Americans in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released several statements and   a video recording claiming credit for a new round of ambushes, bombings, and suicide attacks in Baghdad, Fallujah, Mosul, and Tel Afar.  Al-Qaida's Media Wing  has further accused Western media sources of reducing their reporting on recent Al-Qaida attacks in Iraq as part of a deliberate propaganda campaign to silence the truth about the ongoing conflict in Sunni central Iraq.

- Feb. 23 response to mainstream media silence on new Al-Qaida attacks
- Feb. 24 video of roadside bomb attack on U.S. convoy in Al-Yusifiyya

UN's 661 Committee Never Saw the OIO Audits of the Oil For Food Program

By Victor Comras

The UN Spokesman stated February 24th that the Secretariat had never turned over to the 661 Committee any of the Oil For Food Audit Reports prepared by the Office of Internal Oversight. The 661 Committee, composed of Security Council Members, was the body responsible for administering and overseeing the sanctions on Iraq. The group also was charged with setting out Oil for Food policies and procedures, and for approving Iraqi oil contracts and the sale of humanitarian goods to Iraq. What is troubling is that the 661 Committee, and its members, long knew of the abuses taking place under the Oil for Food program and apparently expressed no interest in receiving and reviewing these audit reports.

Clues to Abu Ali's Al-Qaida Contacts in Saudi Arabia

By Evan Kohlmann

The latest USDOJ filing in the case of Ahmed Omar Abu Ali offers tantalizing clues as to the alleged identity of his Al-Qaida contacts in Saudi Arabia.  According to the document:

"Between in or around September 2002 and on or about June 9, 2003, the defendant joined a clandestine al-Qaeda cell in Saudi Arabia... The defendant discussed plans for assassinating President of the United States George W. Bush with a member of the al-Qaeda cell (identified in the Indictment as Coconspirator #2).  Specifically, the defendant and Coconspirator #2 discussed two options for assassinating the President: (1) an operation in which the defendant would get close enough to the President to shoot him on the street; and (2) an operation in which the defendant would detonate a car bomb... The government proffers that Coconspirator #2 later was killed in a shoot-out with Saudi law enforcement authorities in or around September 2003."

This last detail narrows the field considerably as to the identity of Co-Conspirator #2.  That September, there was only one shoot-out of note between Saudi security forces and Al-Qaida members wanted for their involvement in the May 2003 suicide bombings in Riyadh...

Justice Department's Newest Abu Ali Filing

By Andrew Cochran

HERE is the Justice Department's filing yesterday in the Abu Ali case, a motion for the court to detain Abu Ali without bond "on the grounds that he presents an exceptionally grave danger to the community and a serious risk of flight." Some points: Abu Ali's conspirator in Bush assassination plot "was killed in a shoot-out with Saudi law enforcement authorities in or around September 2003." He held a secret Jordanian passport and is also a Jordanian citizen. He received training in weapons, explosives, and document forgery from an al Qaeda cell in Saudi Arabia and possessed, in his Virginia home, a document praising Mullah Omar and describing the WTC as "the source of providing $5 Billion in annual aid to Israel." The motion also asserts that Abu Ali never claimed he was tortured when he had numerous opportunities to do so to American authorities.

Terror from Tehran

By Matthew Levitt

U.S. intelligence chiefs appearing before Congress last week in their annual statements on the state of the threat reiterated, as they have for many years, that Iran is the foremost state sponsor of terror. Indeed, the threat posed by Iranian-sponsored terror is multifaceted.

Iranian-sponsored terror represents the single greatest threat to Israeli-Arab peace. Additionally, not only does Iran support the terrorist activity of groups such as Hizballah and Hamas, but Iranian intelligence operatives themselves are directly involved in terrorist activity. Elements of al-Qaeda and the global jihadist movement are tied to Iran, while both Iranian intelligence agents and surrogates are actively undermining U.S. interests in stabilizing Iraq. It is therefore critical that the international effort to rein in Iran's nuclear weapons program include an equally concerted effort to forestall its state sponsorship of terrorism.

To read more, see Policywatch #964, "Iranian State Sponsorship of Terror: Threatening U.S. Security, Global Stability, and Regional Peace."

Recent Additions: Good Sites and Documents

By Andrew Cochran

Dak Bangla is a very good site for news on terrorism in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and other parts of South Asia. Northeast Intelligence Network and Terrorism Unveiled have supplied terrific news items and ideas for this blog. Dutch Report has all the latest from what has become the hottest area in Europe - it took the Van Gogh murder to awaken the Dutch to Islamic extremism there. United States Action also has a great set of forums, and I want to thank USA's Jeffrey Imm for sending me numerous wire stories for posting here. Now in the Library: I saved the recent Washington Institute report on U.S. Middle East policy, and just today saved the list of Iraq's 29 most wanted. Thanks to all readers for your support and suggestions.

Al-Qaida in Iraq Claims Rocket Attack on U.S. Base

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released a new video recording allegedly depicting a February 21 rocket attack on a U.S. base near Fallujah known as "The Farm."  While previous Al-Qaida videos from Iraq have largely focused on suicide bombing attacks, this latest release is one of a series of new videos from Al-Qaida that depict less sensational rocket and mortar launches on U.S. military forces.  This may be part of a deliberate propaganda effort to draw attention away from unpopular terrorist atrocities that have resulted in the deaths of hundreds of innocent Iraqi Muslims.

Click to view video c/o Globalterroralert.com

Kuwaiti Al-Qaida Emissary Reported Killed in the Caucasus

By Evan Kohlmann

Islamic militants fighting in the Caucasus  have reported the death of Abu Omar al-Kuwaiti, a prominent military commander in the Islamic Army of the Caucasus (led by Shamil Basayev).  Russian sources have alleged that Abu Omar served as a key Al-Qaida emissary in Chechnya at the behest of Shamil Basayev and senior Jordanian commander Abu Hafs al-Urdani.  Abu Omar blew himself up in an underground bunker in neighboring Ingushetia on February 16 after the facility was surrounded by pro-Moscow security forces.

Click to view report from Globalterroralert.com...

BIOTERRORISM: THE NOBLE WARNING

By Michael B. Kraft

By Michael B. Kraft

The warning by Interpol Secretary General Ronald K. Noble that the world is ill prepared for a biological terrorist attack reflects the growing effort to sound the alarm in the third world as well as developed countries. Mr. Noble, a former U.S. Treasury Under Secretary, made his remarks in a BBC interview given as part of the run-up to the first Interpol Conference on Preventing Bio-Terrorism, to be held in Lyon, France on March 1 and 2. Nearly 400 delegates are expected to attend, including police commissioners from a number of major cities.

Ahmed Omar Abu Ali and the Visa Waiver Program

By Michael Cutler

Today the New York Times described Ahmed Omar Abu Ali as being a citizen of the United States, having been born in Houston, Texas. Clearly immigration law enforcement issues are not relevant in his case. However, his case raises a disturbing issue. Mr. Ali is a United States citizen and bears an apparent relationship with Al Qaeda and his terror-driven goals. It is safe to assume that there are other individuals living in other countries who are similarly related to Al Qaeda but who acquired citizenship in countries that participate in the Visa Waiver program, either by being born in those countries or by having been naturalized. There are 27 such countries plus Canada. This is why, given the on-going "War on terror" the Visa Waiver program needs to be terminated to provide our officials better opportunities to more effectively screen aliens who seek admission into the United States.

There is an additional reason that the Visa Waiver program is problematic. Recently enacted legislation increases the penalties for visa fraud where drug trafficking and terrorism are concerned. Aliens who enter the United States under the auspices of the Visa Waiver program can not be prosecuted for committing visa fraud, a weapon that has traditionally been effective tools in the "War on drugs" as well as the "war on terror." Finally, American citizens in the United States seeking to board airplanes, trains and sensitive buildings come under greater scrutiny for security reasons. Aliens seeking entry into our nation should also face appropriate scrutiny to help ensure our safety. The risks are far to great to ignore this issue.

What Value UN Designation? Not Much When It Comes to Ahmed Idris Nasreddin!

By Victor Comras

Ahmed Idris Nasreddin, and his international business interests, continues to provide a shameful example of the ineffective application of UN measures to curb terrorism financing. Nasreddin was identified and designated by the US Treasury Department and the UN Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee in August 2002 as a financial supporter of Al Qaeda. This designation placed an international legal obligation on all countries to freeze his assets and economic resources and to ensure that no funds, financial assets or other economic resouces were made available to him, or for his benefit. All Countries were also required to prevent his entry into or his transit through their territories. see UN Security Council Resolution 1526 (2004).. These designations also listed a number of Nasreddin's business interests. The funds and resources of these entities were also to be frozen. But, despite these restrictions little has been done to put him out of business. A few of his bank accounts were frozen, notably in Switzerland, but no further steps were taken to close down any of his business activities. He continues to operate numerous companies and business ventures in Europe (including holding company ownership of a major tourist hotel in Milan) and around the world. And he continues to travel with little or no hindrence. This has already been the findings of official report documents and numerous investigative press reports. See for example the the December 2003 Report of the UN Monitoring Group and the March 2004 Newsweek article "Nobody's Nagging." Unfortunately, these reports have produced no new action against him or any of his business enterprises. In fact, the Italian Magistrate investigating his activities was recently assigned to other responsibilities. Nasreddin continues to practice his international business trade successfully and openly. A recent example is the further expansion of his business activities in Northern Nigeria. He continues to serve as chairman of the NASCO Group with its headquaters in Jos, Nigeria. The NASCO Group website proclaims a whole of activites.

According to the website, "NASCO GROUP (Nigeria) is one of the largest conglomerates in Nigeria producing & selling consumer products like Detergents, Biscuits, Carpets, etc. It is a division of NASCO INTERNATIONAL, which operates in Europe, Africa, Middle east and Asia." A recent Nigerian press article highlighted "Dr. Nasreddin's" growing business activities in Nigeria, including land development and housing construction. In fact, a suburb of Jos has been named NASCO TOWN, with a principal street bearing the Nasreddin name.

Unless the International Community can put "some teeth" into the UN al Qaeda sanctions measures it is unlikely to have the intended impact of detering others from contributing to al Qaeda's cause.

Defendant Ahmed Omar Abu Ali: Some Interesting Details

By Andrew Cochran

A December 16, 2004 decision by U.S. District Court Judge John Bates includes some interesting facts about Abu Ali: He is apparently associated with the "Virginia paintball" case, in which two men, Randall Royer and Ibrahim al-Hamdi were convicted for their participation in what prosecutors called a "Virginia jihad network." Royer and al Hamdi received long prison terms; seven others pleaded guilty or were convicted in that case, and two were acquitted at trial. Abu Ali might have known defendants in the Royer case; he and three of the Royer defendants were arrested in June 2003 in Saudi Arabia, where he was held there at the request of the FBI until just recently. The Royer gang used the paintball games as training for jihad in Pakistan as part of the militant Lashkar-e-Taiba group there. The grand jury in the Royer case considered Abu Ali's involvement in it and didn't indict him. Abu Ali's father works at the Saudi Embassy, but his connections there failed to spring his son during his 18+ months in Saudi Arabia, during which he was tortured by Saudi police. At various points, the FBI and State Department tried to make a deal for his release, but each attempt fell through.

Bush Assassination Plot by al Qaeda suspect? UPDATE: Indictment Link

By Andrew Cochran

Fox News: American citizen who had been detained in Saudi Arabia as suspected terrorist charged Tuesday with conspiring to assassinate President Bush and with supporting the Al Qaeda terrorist network. Ahmed Omar Abu Ali made initial appearance in U.S. District Court but did not enter a plea. Federal indictment says (quoting Fox story) "that in 2002 and 2003 Abu Ali and an unidentified co-conspirator discussed plans for Abu Ali to assassinate Bush. They discussed two scenarios, the indictment said, one in which Abu Ali 'would get close enough to the president to shoot him on the street' and, alternatively, 'an operation in which Abu Ali would detonate a car bomb.'" This is the same Abu Ali who was the subject of a Wash Post story indicating that the feds hoped that Saudi Arabia would hold him for fear of disclosing sensitive information. This will be interesting to watch. UPDATE: Fox News has the indictment.

Afghanistan: A New Warning

By Michael B. Kraft

By Michael Kraft

Remember Afghanistan? A new United Nations report warns that the country that had become a major haven for international terrorists could again become a trouble spot if more is not done to improve the security and economy of the backward nation. That should be no surprise, except that news from Afghanistan has been overshadowed by the reports of violence from the newest terrorist haven, Iraq.

Probably by coincidence, the report by the United Nations Development Program was released Monday the same day that reports from Ottawa said that Canada plans to send 250 additional troops and civilian experts to Afghanistan�s Kandahar region.

Al-Zawahiri Continues Appeal to Gullible Westerners

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

Yesterday, al-Jazeera aired a videotape purporting to show a new address from bin Laden deputy Ayman al-Zawahiri.  In this new videotape, al-Zawahiri argues that the U.S.'s "new crusade is doomed to fail," and that it will lead to "tens of thousands of fallen victims and the destruction of your economy."  Al-Zawahiri also states, "Real security is based on mutual cooperation with the Islamic nation on the basis of mutual respect and the stopping of aggression."

Al-Zawahiri's statement mirrors the language that he used in a videotape that he released to al-Jazeera on November 29, in which he stated, "You must choose between two ways of dealing with Muslims -- either on the basis of respect and mutual interests, or treating them as if they were legitimate spoils, pillaged lands, and permissible sacrilege.  This is your problem, and you have to make your own choice."  Al-Zawahiri's suggestion in both yesterday's tape and the November tape that the United States could deal with al-Qaeda based on respect and mutual interests is complemented by the videotape that Osama bin Laden released on October 29, just before the election, in which he urged Westerners to "look for [9/11's] causes in order to prevent it from happening again."

I noted last year that both bin Laden's October 29 tape and also al-Zawahiri's November 29 tape constituted a new rhetorical strategy designed to appeal to certain factions within the West.  Here are a few key points from my earlier articles that should be kept in mind:

Border "Minutemen" - The Sure Sign of Failure

By Andrew Cochran

Up to 500 volunteers are signing up to for something called the "Minutemen Project" to patrol a 40-mile stretch of the Arizona broder. These are ordinary citizens, organized by a decorated Vietnam vet, who are sick and tired of seeing thousands of illegal aliens, with terrorists probably among them, waltz through our Swiss-cheese border. Historically, volunteer law enforcement (I don't like the term "vigilante") has always been the sure sign of the failure of the official law enforcement system to deal with a virus of illegal activity. The Bush Administration and Congress should not blame the good citizenry of Arizona for taking upon themselves the task for which we pay with our tax dollars. The proposed increase of just over 200 Border Patrol agents is too little and almost too late.

Touching the Hezbollah Nerve

By Matthew Levitt

Last week I wrote a Policywatch for The Washington Institute calling for the EU to ban Hezbollah (see Policywatch #958, Ban Hizballah in Europe).

In response, Jihad al-Khazen, a senior editor and author of an opinion column with the Arabic daily al-Hayat, wrote a column calling me a "Likudnik" for the audacity of calling Hezbollah at terrorist group. Al-Khazen has written several such columns in response to my analyses, including one in which he argued that the Damascus office of Palestinian Islamic Jihad (and its leader, Ramadan Shallah) could not possibly be a terrorist organizaiton as I had argued, because Ramadan Shallah - a "personal friend" - told him so. Al-Khazen's column clearing Hezbollah's good name can be found here.

While their substantive arguments are shallow enough and are easily rebutted, Arab intellectuals like al-Khazen cannot themselves be written off as easily. The reason is that the Arab masses can hardly be expected to support efforts to deligimitze the use of terror against civilians to achieve political goals when their most respected journalists and intellectuals act as apologists for any act of violence carried out in the name of an otherwise legitimate goal. Consider this just one more example highlighting the need to better engage in the battle of ideas, or strategic counterterrorism, even as we continue tactical counterterrorism operations aimed at rolling up cells, siezing funds and arresting or killing operatives.

Well, if my recent brief on Hezbollah and the EU got under Jihad al-Khazen's skin, he's going to love my chapter on "Hezbollah Finances: Funding the Party of God," available now on The Washington Institute's website and due to be published as part of the project "Terrorism Financing and State Responses in Comparative Perspective," sponsored by the Center for Homeland Defense and Security at the Naval Postgraduate School (NPS), Monterey, California. This paper and others will be published in a forthcoming volume edited by NPS's Jeanne Giraldo and Harold Trinkunas.

PDB Wars Part II: Back to the Future

By Larry Johnson

by
Larry C. Johnson

Changes in how the PDB was vetted and produced go a long way to explain some of the recent intelligence failures. These changes began during the Clinton Administration and have continued in the Bush Administration. Before Clinton and W, when CIA analysts did current production they were focused principally on writing articles for the National Intelligence Daily (aka the NID). The decision to write a NID piece was the same as the PDB process. In fact, it was the decision to write a NID piece that usually led to the decision to include a variant of the NID piece in the PDB. In those days (the good old days) analysts at CIA had to coordinate their analysis with analysts from DIA, INR and NSA. That is not the case today. On occasion the disagreements would be deep and a dissent would be published alongside the original piece to let the senior policymakers know that there were other views on some of these matters.

Back in the good old days other agencies could submit pieces for the PDB, which National Intelligence Officers (NIOs) assigned to the National Intelligence Council (NIC) and senior analysts were allowed to comment on. Not now.

Back in the good old days NIOs used to see NID and PDB drafts before they were published. This was to ensure that other agency views were at least considered. Not now.

This is not to say that old PDB and NIDs were always better than what the President sees today, but this process ensured that the President had the views that represented the best analysis of the entire intelligence community, even if drafted primarily by one agency. Not now.

The failure to encourage and tolerate dissent was a major reason for the flawed October 2002 National Intelligence Estimate that grossly exaggerated the WMD threat in Iraq. If the NIC had taken the dissents on the WMD paper seriously, for example, it would not have been so disastrously wrong.

Assuming he is approved, Negroponte does not have to create a great big bureaucracy. He just has to get a handful of smart people -- a rejuvenated, cleaned-up NIC perhaps -- and have them coordinate the product. That would help compensate for the weaknesses or vulnerabilities or prejudices or whatever of any particular agency.

Iranian Preparation for U.S. Attack

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

In a Friday interview, President Bush stated that diplomacy -- and not the use of force -- is America's first choice in dealing with Iran's apparent quest to obtain nuclear weapons:  "Listen, first of all, you never want a president to say 'never.'  But military action is certainly not -- it's never the president's first choice.  Diplomacy is always the president's first -- at least my first choice."  And one obvious reason that diplomacy will be the U.S.'s first choice in dealing with Iran is that, with battles raging in both Iraq and Afghanistan, U.S. troops are quite simply overstretched.

Despite this, Iran has been making a point of mobilizing for a possible U.S. attack.  An article in yesterday's Washington Times discusses Iranian preparations:

• Iran has announced that it's "making plans to engage in the type of 'asymmetrical' warfare used against American troops in neighboring Iraq."
• "In recent days, Iranian newspapers have announced efforts to increase the number of the country's 7-million-strong 'Basiji' militia forces, which were deployed in human wave attacks against Saddam Hussein during the Iran-Iraq war of the 1980s."
• "Iranian military authorities have paraded long-range North Korean-designed Shahab missiles before television cameras."
• Iran announced the largest war games in the country's history in December, "deploying 120,000 troops as well as tanks, helicopters and armored vehicles along its western border."

THE BATTLE OF THE PDB

By Larry Johnson

by
Larry C. Johnson

What to do about the PDB? This is but one of a number of significant challenges for John Negroponte when he takes the helm as the National Intelligence Director. The Presidential Daily Brief aka PDB has been the flagship publication of the Central Intelligence Agency. Its purpose is to present the President with up to the minute intelligence developments as well as pithy analysis on salient policy issues. There are three major questions that will have to be solved:
Who will write the brief?
Should the President receive a single intelligence brief that represents all relevant developments, foreign and domestic?
Who should actually do the brief?

The Growing Gap in Terrorism Perceptions

By Michael B. Kraft

As memories of 9-11 fade, the Bush Administration must manage the �growing gap� between the U.S. and other countries perceptions of the threat that terrorism poses, a bi-partisan blue ribbon panel of Washington foreign policy experts cautioned today. The comments were made in a Presidential Study Group presentation titled �Security Reform and Peace, The Three Pillars of U.S. Strategy in the Middle East� released today by the Washington Institute for Near East Policy. The group was chaired by the institute�s Robert Satloff and Dennis Ross, the former Mideast Peace negotiator. The 37 members include a range of former government officials including those who worked on terrorism issues: Randy Beers and Daniel Benjamin (at NSC) and David Aufhauser (Treasury) and our Contributing Expert Matthew Levitt (FBI).

The 68-page report discussed security issues such as Iran�s nuclear threat, Iraq, Syria, reform issues including democracy and public diplomacy, and Israeli-Palestinian relations. In a section titled �Improving Tactics in the War on Terror,� the study said many other countries have responded to the terrorism threat since 9/11 and �their efforts serve as force multipliers in the battle against radical Islamist terror; they are deserving of praise and support by the United States.�

But the report cautioned, �As time passes, however, the memory of September 11 will not retain the same urgency and uniqueness for others as it does for Americans. For Washington, managing this growing gap in perception�and the differences in political and policy priorities that flow from it�will be an increasingly important concern.�

The study suggest that focusing on countering terrorism financing is an excellent vehicle to advance international cooperation because is not as ideological as other issues. �Past history has highlighted the success of a �naming and shaming� strategy against terror financiers and facilitators; it should be applied to other logistical cogs in the terror cycle.�

With Negroponte Named, Maybe Progress At Treasury?

By Douglas Farah

With Ambassador Negroponte named to the top intel spot, the question remains, who is minding the terror finance intel shop in Treasury? For more than a year, Treasury's then newly created postion of assistant secretary for Office of Intelligence and Analysis has remained vacant. While assistant secretary Juan Zarate has capably led the other half of Treasury's terror finance unit, the Office of Terrorist Financing and Financial Crimes, the seems to be little rush to fill the intel job. It was a question that came up repeatedly for Zarate during Wednesday's hearing of the House Financial Services Committee's Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations. Zarate insisted that filling the post was a top administration priority, but there was no explanation of why it has taken so long, or when someone would actually be named. Maybe they were waiting for Negroponte's appointment, in hopes of letting the new director have a say? Still, the job has been vacant since its creation, before the legislation calling for the appointment of DNI, so there seems to be something else going on. Could it be a lack of focus on the terror finance issues that everyone keeps saying are so important?

For the full blog, see here

DNI Selected - Next Move Will Be His Staff

By Bill West

The nomination of Ambassador John Negroponte to be the Nation�s first Director of National Intelligence (DNI) is a welcome move toward completion of one of the key recommendations of the 9/11 Commission recommendations regarding reform of the US Intelligence Community. Part of that reformation is the consolidation of review and oversight authority of the various intelligence agencies involved in counter-terrorism into one entity, the DNI.

The DNI, of course, will require a professional staff to carry out this mission. The law creating the DNI position authorizes such a staff. One of the key elements of that staff will be an Inspector General (IG). Inspectors General within the Federal Government play critical internal audit and investigative roles, since by statute they enjoy a degree of autonomy that allows them to conduct such inquiries unfettered by influence from their respective agencies. Historically, the IG programs within the US Government have been relatively successful within the scope of their usually limited resources.

Creating the DNI Office of the Inspector General will be one of Mr. Negroponte�s most important initial actions. His IG may well be responsible for internal audit and internal affairs investigations related to some of the most sensitive and critical organizations and national security issues within the Government. This IG, as perhaps somewhat presaged in an article last August in FPM, might well become the de facto IG for the larger counter-terrorism community. Who Mr. Negroponte selects for this position will be critical, and proper staffing within the DNI/OIG will be equally critical.

Saudi Islamic Charity in Oregon Indicted for Alleged Fraud

By Evan Kohlmann

A federal grand jury in Eugene, Oregon  has returned a three-count indictment against the local branch of the Saudi Arabian Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation and two of its officers on charges of conspiring to defraud the U.S. government.   If convicted, the two men could face between eight to ten years in prison and the forfeiture of $130,000 in corporate assets held by the U.S. branch of Al-Haramain.  On Sept. 9, 2004, the U.S. Treasury Department named the Oregon branch of Al-Haramain as a specially-designated Al-Qaida terrorist front group and ordered its assets frozen.

Click to view federal indictment filed against Al-Haramain c/o Globalterroralert.com

New Statements and Video from Al-Qaida in Iraq

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Mesopotamia--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released several new communiqu�s and video clips, including a detailed description of the recent assassination of an Iraqi army officer, additional military operations claimed by Al-Qaida's "Abdelaziz al-Muqrin Brigade", and an official reaction to rumors swirling in the media concerning the murder of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Al-Hariri.

Click to view statements and video c/o Globalterroralert.com:

Negroponte Inspired Choice

By Larry Johnson

by
Larry C. Johnson

President Bush's choice of John Negroponte as the first National Intelligence Director (NID) is a reassuring sign that an adult will be in charge. The various legislators and pundits lamenting that Negroponte does not have "intelligence experience" demonstrate how little they know about intelligence or Negroponte. Let me state at the outset that I am not a personal friend of Negroponte nor am I lobbying for an appointment of any kind. Moreover, while I think the position of the NID creates a new layer of bureaucracy and will be a thankless, impossible job, Negroponte is one of the few who can probably pull this off.

John Negroponte is not your typical foreign service officer. In contrast to the stereotype of a pinstiped, cookie pushing weenie, Negroponte has had a long career as a shrewd field operative who has had to manage a variety of politically and operationally sensitive issues. While Ambassador to Honduras during the Contra War in the 1980s, Negroponte had to manage CIA and DOD intelligence operatives. He was not an ignorant bystander but an active player in the process. He has also handled law enforcement issues, such as drug trafficking and money laundering investigations. While he is not known as a warm, fuzzy soft hearted guy, he is a tough, no nonsense manager.

Allowing political considerations to influence intelligence analysis is one area where Ambassador Negroponte is open to criticism. As a policy implementer he has many times found himself at odds with the intelligence community. Most recently he reportedly sought to tone down a field assessment by the CIA Chief of Station in Iraq.

Nonetheless, facing the task of doing a nearly impossible job of herding the cats that represent the intelligence community, Negroponte has the experience, shrewdness, and toughness to take on the task. Good luck Mr. Ambassador.

COUNTERTERRORISM AND THE BUSH-EU MEETING

By Matthew Levitt

President Bush will visit Brussels next week and meet with leaders of the European Union (EU). While the Iranian nuclear program and the war in Iraq will undoubtedly be the top items on the agenda, counterterrorism is also certain to be a topic of discussion. This meeting -- and the more conciliatory tone taken by both the United States and Europe over the past month -- is encouraging and, one hopes, will lead to closer cooperation and collaboration between the United States and the EU. From a counterterrorism perspective, however, the question could be asked whether Bush's meeting with the EU officials is anything more than symbolic. Does the EU play an important role in Europe's counterterrorism efforts, will it do so in the future, or is this still an arena in which the member states have almost complete primacy? The answer is not as clear as it once was. Although the EU still plays a fairly limited role in European counterterrorism efforts, it has gradually assumed a more active role in this area, a trend that appears likely to continue.

The full report by Washington Institute fellow Michael Jacobson is available here.

OFF: Who Can Waive Immunity of the Secretary General?

By Victor Comras

The Deputy Secretary-General was asked yesterday who can waive the immunity of a Secretary-General. The answer can be found in the 1946 Convention on the Privileges and Immunities of the United Nations, which says, in article V section 20, that only the Security Council can do that.

Draft European Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism Is Opened For Public Comment

By Victor Comras

The Council of Europe's Intra-governmental Committee of Experts on Terrorism agreed, at its meeting in Strasbourg February 7 - 11, 2005 to open the new draft European Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism for public comment. The text of the draft convention can now be seen at this link. Comments can also be submitted by the public via the following email address: gmt@coe.int . The draft Convention would engage its European States-parties in a broad range of commitments to treat the antecedents of terrorism, beef up their domestic measures to combat terrorism, further criminalize terrorism related actions, and broaden intra-European and international cooperation and information sharing in combating terrorism. The text may serve as a model for other regional and international agreements.

Links to Today's Congressional Hearings and Testimony

By Andrew Cochran

A multitude of hearings in the U.S. Congress today:
Senate Intelligence Committee with CIA Director Goss, FBI Director Mueller, and Defense Intelligence Agency Director Vice Adm. Jacoby;
House Armed Services Committee with Defense Secretary Rumsfeld;
House Financial Services Oversight Subcommittee on terrorist financing (see witness Douglas Farah's post below); and
House International Relations Committee joint subcommittee hearing on Iran's 25 years of state-sponsored terrorism (see witness Matthew Levitt's post below).

Testimony: Iranian State Sponsorship of Terror

By Matthew Levitt

CIA officials regularly describe Iran as �the foremost state sponsor of terror.� President Bush reaffirmed this assessment in his recent State of the Union address, saying, "Today, Iran remains the world's primary state sponsor of terror.� And earlier this month, British Prime Minister Tony Blair echoed the U.S. government�s perception of Iran, saying Iran �certainly does sponsor terrorism. There is no doubt about that at all.�

Iran�s terrorist activities can be split into several primary categories. First, Iran actively seeks to undermine prospects for Israeli-Arab peace. Second, Iran sponsors terrorist groups of global reach, including funding, training, arming and proving safe haven to their members. Third, Iranian intelligence operatives are themselves engaged in terrorist activity on their own and in cooperation with terrorist groups, including surveillance of U.S. interests at home and abroad. This includes efforts to destabilize regimes not to Tehran�s liking, particularly in the Middle East, as evidenced most recently by Iranian activity in Iraq.

For the complete text of Matthew Levitt's congressional testimony, see "Iranian State Sponsorship of Terror: Threatening U.S. Security, Global Stability, and Regional Peace."

More Designations on Zarqawi, and Zarate Testifies

By Douglas Farah

It seems the United States is slowly making progress in idenifying at least some of the financial supporters of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. On Tuesday the Treasury Department designated Muhsin al-Fadhi as a terrorist financier. Al-Fadhi fought in Chechnya and Afghanistan. U.S. officials said that, in order to solidify the support of potential backers for Zarqawi, al-Fadhi asked that tapes be made of attacks in the field. Al Fadhi also allegedly raised money in Kuwait for the al Qaeda attack on the MV Limburg on Oct. 6, 2002, where the oil tanker was damaged, one person killed and 50,000 barrels of crude oil released. The entire press release can be found here.

The designation comes four weeks after the public identification of Sulayman Khalid Darwish, a Syrian, as a terrorist financier. He was the first person to be designated for directly offering financial support to the Zarqawi network (Jama'at al Tawid al Jihad) in Iraq.

Unfortunately, identifying the people is only the first step--a big one, but one that carries little weight in actually shutting down networks. the designation allows for the freezing of U.S. assets, which al-Fadhi is unlikely to have. Putting him on the U.N. Consolidated List of designated individuals also only allows for assets to be frozen. However, little is actually done with that list, and most countries appear unaware it even exists. So, while it is nice to know we have a better handle on how resources are flowing, the information will have little impact unless it leads either to the cutting off of financial support for Zarqawi, or useful intelligence that will lead to a greater understanding of the financial structure of the al Qaeda network in Iraq. I hope it is one or the other.

In a hearing today before the House Financial Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations, Juan Zarate, Treasury's assistant secretary for Terrorist Financing, had this to say about diamonds: "The illicit diamond trade provides an instructive illustration of how terrorists could abuse the precious commodities industry to fund their efforts." For the full blog on this, and more on Viktor Bout, go here.

Terrorism: Battle of the Budget

By Michael B. Kraft

By Michael Kraft

Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice�s first testimony to Congress Wednesday in support of the Fiscal Year 06 Foreign Assistance budget drew some press attention for the request for $5.8 billion to fight terrorism but this impressive figure hides the shortchanging of some key programs.

These programs are relatively small in dollar terms, buried deep in the budget and were not even mentioned in her prepared Feb. 16 testimony to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. But in fighting terrorists, the details are essential in countering the devils.

UN Al Qaeda's Monitoring Team Reports

By Victor Comras

The Monitoring Team that supports the UN Security Council's Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee has just published its second report. The report had been held up by the Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee for some six weeks for "further clarifications." The report was introduced at a press conference at the UN yesterday, by Committee Chairman Ambassador Cesar Mayoral (Argentina) and by Monitoring Team Coordinator Richard Barrett. They highlighted the continuing risk al Qaeda poses to international peace and security. Barrett also reported that UN member states are now more aware of the need to cooperate with the Security Council Committee responsible for the implementation of the sanctions against Al-Qaida. The latest report did not appear to cover any new ground and was careful to avoid the "name and shame" pitfalls of the previously Monitoring Group (on which I was a member).

�The impression we have from many Member States is that not only do Member States understand their obligations to implement sanctions as laid down by Security Council resolution 1267, but they are also much more aware of the national benefit of doing so�, Mr. Barrett said. He also stated that the sanctions against al Qaeda were "useful." A great deal of work is being done by banking systems and much thought was also being given to means of improving the travel ban and the arms embargo measures. The travel ban could benefit, he said, from closer cooperation with INTERPOL. There are now 178 Al-Qaida individuals and 114 al Qaeda related entities on the UN's Consolidated list targeted for the sanctions, he said. One of the Committee�s objectives, he said was to encourage countries to put more names on the Consolidated List. In connection with the arms embargo, Barrett expressed continuing concern over "the possibility of terrorists getting hold of some means of causing mass casualties�, including chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear materials. The Monitoring Team's full report has not yet been published on the UN's Al Qaeda and Taliban Committee's Official Website

Ban Hezbollah in Europe

By Matthew Levitt

The recent assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafiq Hariri in a massive car bombing in downtown Beirut highlights the need for increased attention to terrorism in Lebanon. Today, European Union (EU) officials have a perfect opportunity to do so at a meeting in Brussels where they will debate whether or not to include Lebanon's Hizballah organization on the European Union's list of banned terrorist organizations.

The issue of banning Hizballah in Europe is back on the table at the request of Palestinian Authority (PA) officials, not Americans or Israelis. Banning Hizballah would show that the EU - a member of the Quartet - is prepared to actively engage where it counts to facilitate Israeli-Palestinian peace. Moreover, on top of its efforts to cripple the peace process, Hizballah warrants European attention for its operations there.

Click here for the full text of "Ban Hizballah Europe."

Barsomyat Revisited?

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

A couple of weeks ago, I broke the story of a radical Islamist website, barsomyat.com, that was systematically tracking Arabic-speaking Christians who debated against Muslims on the PalTalk internet chat service.  Barsomyat.com featured pictures and identifying information about these Christians, and its users also posted explicit threats directed at them.  There was a happy ending to that story (at least temporarily); barsomyat.com's web hosting company, VizaWeb Inc., pulled the radical website before 1:00 p.m. on the day that the story broke, and an FBI spokesman stated that the Bureau was looking into barsomyat.com to see if any connection exists between the website and the Armanious murders in Jersey City, New Jersey.  I noted at the time, though, that "very little would prevent the exstremists who ran barsomyat.com from reconstituting it."

This morning, Aaron at Internet Haganah reports on a website that appears to be the new barsomyat.com, and his report is amplified by Robert Spencer at Jihad Watch.  The nexus between this new website, Barsoom, and barsomyat.com can be seen in two ways:  The names of both websites are virtually identical, as is the subject matter.  Specifically, like barsomyat.com, Barsoom is devoted to spewing vitriol at Arabic-speaking Christians who debate against Muslims on PalTalk.  One representative page features cartoon characters (such as a chicken and a cockroach) that are supposed to represent vocal Christians on PalTalk, and also posts insults directed at them and some rudimentary identifying information.

Viktor Bout's Planes Keep Falling, but He Keeps Flying

By Douglas Farah

Seems that my favorite arms trafficker keeps losing parts of his ancient and often uninsured fleet of planes. On Feb. 3, an Il-76TD went down near Khartoum, Sudan, killing six Ukranian crew members and a Sudanese translator. Strange as it may sound, the plane was carrying 46 tons of humanitarian aid for Darfur. It was flown by East West Cargo, a Bout company operating in Sudan for some time. It shows an amazing versatility, the ability to get contracts for humanitarian aid AND weapons AND U.S. ammunition and other military hardware for troops in Iraq.

Bout also has lost two planes in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo in recent months. Seems that Bout's DRC operation is viable again, thanks in part to the protection of some of the warlords that still manage the region. Reliable sources report several recent Bout sightings in DRC, along with some of his top aides, to supervise operations. Of course, Bout sightings remind one of Elvis sightings, but the persistence of the information is interesting.

Meanwhile, the debate inside the U.S. government over what do to do about Bout's U.S. contracts continues on. The rest of the blog can be seen here.

PIJ Defendant in Tampa Pleads Guilty in Separate Case

By Bill West

As reported in today�s News Box section on the Blog, an AP report cites a Tampa Tribune article noting that Sameeh Hammoudeh, one of the defendants in the Tampa Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) prosecution case and one who is also detained along with principal defendant Sami Al-Arian, pleaded guilty yesterday in US District Court in Tampa, along with his wife Nadia, to a separate indictment that was brought in August last year. That indictment charged multiple counts of fraud, including tax and immigration related violations stemming from their alleged illegal employment at the Islamic Academy of Florida, the private Islamic school founded by Al-Arian and his deported brother-in-law Mazen Al-Najjar, who is also an indicted defendant in the PIJ prosecution but who is at large outside the United States.

The news reports indicate the Hammoudehs have agreed to cooperate with the US Government in removal (deportation) proceedings that may result against themselves and other family members who are in the US illegally. The reports indicate Federal prosecutors, who are so far doing an exceptional job under exceptionally difficult circumstances, will recommend probation for the couple pursuant to the plea agreement.

Nothing more should be read into the reported plea agreement than what it says on its face. However, even with this, a key defendant in the Tampa PIJ case has now accepted a guilty plea involving activities linked to an organization created and operated by Al-Arian and Al-Najjar. And among those violations are felony immigration charges, which were the very predicate offenses upon which the original November 1995 search warrants were obtained to search Al-Arian�s residence, his office at the University of South Florida and the office suite at the World Islam and Studies Enterprise, his alleged �think tank.�

PA Unfreezes Hamas Funds

By Matthew Levitt

Undersecretary of the Treasury Stuart Levey, who heads Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence, is in the Middle East pressing for enhanced efforts to stem terrorist financing. Despite his recent meetings with Palestinian officials on the need to limit transfers of money to Hamas, PA President Mahmoud Abbas agreed to release money to the militant group from a of bank account the PA froze in a crackdown two years ago. Abbas freed the funds as a good will gesture to preserve a delicate cease-fire with Israel even though he ordered the initial freeze in 2003 as Prime Minister.

For more on Hamas' efforts to undermine the nascent ceasefire, see PeaceWatch #491, "Sustaining an Israeli-Palestinian Ceasefire."

More Contradictions from Missouri Terror Charity

By Evan Kohlmann

Attorneys on behalf of the Columbia, Missouri-based Islamic American Relief Agency (IARA-USA) have released a new statement accusing the Associated Press of publishing a "misleading" report and insisting that IARA-USA is "separate and completely unrelated" to the Islamic African Relief Agency (IARA) in Khartoum, Sudan--named on Oct. 13, 2004 by the U.S. Treasury Department as a specially designated global terrorist entity.   An exclusive Globalterroralert.com report is now available for download challenging the allegations of IARA-USA's lawyer Shereef Akeel and illustrating the documented connection between IARA in Missouri and Khartoum.

Counterterrorism Leadership Keeps Revolving

By Michael B. Kraft

By Michael B. Kraft

Cofer Black, the former State Department Counterterrorism Coordinator who retired abruptly after the November elections, has resurfaced for the first time with a new formulation for describing the terrorism threat.

In his first interview since retiring from government, the pithy former ambassador said that there is no 100 per cent guarantee against future terrorist attacks. He told MSNBC�S Chris Mathews on Monday night�s �Hardball� program that the terrorism threat should be looked at like an insurance policy, with a deductible. He said we should do everything humanly possible to minimize the dangers of major terrorist attacks but we cannot expect 100 percent coverage.

Two Contributing Experts Testify This Week

By Andrew Cochran

Matthew Levitt will testify on Wednesday at a House International Relations Committee hearing on Iran's 25-year record of state-sponsored terrorism. Douglas Farah will also testify that day, at a House Financial Services Committee hearing on terrorist responses to improved U.S. financial defenses. I'll post webcast links to the hearings that day.

Purported Claim of Responsibility in Hariri Assassination

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Jazeerah has aired a videotaped claim of responsibility from a previously unknown group calling itself "Al-Nusrat wal Jihad i Bilad al-Shami" ("The Organization for Victory and Jihad in the Levant").  The video takes credit for today's violent car bombing assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri in the city of Beirut.  According to the statement, "For the sake of our Mujahideen brothers in Saudi Arabia ... we decided to implement the just execution of those who support this regime... This was a martyrdom operation we carried out ... This is the beginning of many martyrdom operations against the infidels and apostates in the Levant.� 

It should be noted that the Assad regime in Syria is also considered a possible culprit in Hariri's assassination.  Tensions had grown in the last year between Hariri and the Syrian government over the direct military and political control Syria exerts over its smaller Lebanese neighbor.

What is the Real Value of FATF's NCCT List?

By Victor Comras

According to FATF, the world may be safer when it comes to money laundering and terrorism financing. Its list of Non Cooperating Countries -- that is, countries that lack the appropriate restrictions and resources to combat money laundering and terrorism financing, is now down to only three countries. Their so-called NCCT list now includes only Myanmar, Nauru and Nigeria. Indonesia, the Philippines and the Cook Islands were the latest jurisdictions to be removed from the list and to get a clean bill of health. Yet, one must ask if the international banking and financial system is now really any safer from money laundering and terrorism financing. And, if not, what does it all mean. Well, apparently, not very much. First of all, FATF itself cautions that not being on the NCCT list is no guarantee that a country has sufficient anti-money laundering or terrorism financing regulations or mechanisms in place. According to its website FATF does not �certify� countries, nor issue opinions on whether a country is "safe" or may be treated in the same manner as a FATF (or any other) country. In fact, FATF has not reviewed the situation in many countries. The specific countries reviewed by FATF were drawn up prior to 2001 and, according to FATF, determined by a priority set by FATF members based on their experiences in international co-operation and the significance of the country at that time as a financial center or as a source of illegal proceeds. In fact, FATF has not reviewed any new jurisdictions for possible addition to the NCCT list since 2001! And what about the countries that have been removed from the NCCT list. Is there really any evidence that they are truly implementing and enforcing the anti-money laundering and terrorism financing restrictions they have put on the books? Fortunately, many of the key FATF countries, including the United States and the EU member states, retain a much higher standard in determining how they will treat financial transfers to and from these and other countries. Isn't it time to restructure FATF and to give it some real teeth?

Introducing Michael Kraft, New Contributing Expert

By Andrew Cochran

Some words about Michael Kraft, our newest Contributing Expert: He's a former senior advisor in the State Department's Office of the Coordinator for Counterterrorism, where he worked on drafting provisions of the 1996 Antiterrorism and Effective Death Penalty Act and provisions of the 1979 Export Administration Act that authorize the designation of terrorist supporting states. He also led seminars that the State Department and Justice Department held to assist 52 countries strengthen their counterterrorism laws. He's now a consultant and author on those topics. Before joining the State Department, Michael was staff director of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on the Middle East, served 10 years as a foreign policy specialist in Congress, and was a correspondent for several major media outlets.

Likely Culprits Behind Bombing of Former Lebanese Prime Minister

By Larry Johnson

by
Larry C. Johnson

Today's bomb blast in Lebanon, which killed former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafiq Hariri, is a harbinger that a peaceful, democratic transition of Governments in the Middle East is a foolish pipe dream. Hariri, aka Fatso, has been a long time pawn of Saudi Arabia and a favorite of both Washington and Paris. His murder comes against the backdrop of increased pressure by the United States and France to force Syria to withdraw its military forces from Lebanon. This car bombing was probably designed to send an unambiguous message to both Lebanese and the international community that Syria will not stand idly by and surrender to pressures from Washington, Paris, and the United Nations. Hariri, who had been staying on the sidelines in recent months as political parties in Lebanon jockeyed for position in upcoming parliamentary elections, was a convenient and potent symbol of a Lebanese power broker perceived as too close and too accommodating of Western desires. His killers are providing a simple message, Syria will not leave Lebanon without a fight and Damascus is willing to destroy Lebanon in order to save itself.

Iraq-Israel: Shooting the would-be messenger

By Michael B. Kraft

by Michael Kraft

One of the numerous rationales offered by some backers of the invasion to topple Saddam Hussein was the vision that Iraq would become a democracy, setting an example for other Muslim countries, and even normalize relations with Israel.

In another dose of hard Iraqi reality, however, gunmen last week tried to assassinate a prominent Iraqi politician who had the temerity to attend an international counter terrorism conference in Israel and to suggest that some Iraqis favor diplomatic relations with Israel. He escaped alive but the ambush of his sports utility vehicle in Baghdad killed his two sons.

The Election Result and the Insurgency in Iraq

By Larry Johnson

by
Larry Johnson

Colonel Patrick Lang (US Army Retired) served as the US Defense Attache in Saudi Arabia and Yemen. He established and was the first professor in the Arabic Language program at West Point in the 1970s. He is one of the few genuine authorities who understands the cultural and the military obstacles we face in Iraq. Unlike Don Rumsfeld, Richard Perle and Paul Wolfowitz, Colonel Lang spent two tours in Vietnam with combat units. I prefer getting analysis on combat and local politics from someone who speaks the language and knows the lay of the land than from those who fight only from the warmth and safety of bunkers in Washington. The following is Pat's take on the Iraqi electoral results.

Question for Senate's Oil-for-Food Hearing: What Concessions Did Kofi Annan Make to Saddam?

By Andrew Cochran

In an interview on British TV broadcast today, U.N. Secretary General Kofi Annan said that the U.N. made concessions to Saddam Hussein to start the OFF program, because the Iraqi people needed the food, and Saddam was hesitant. To quote a press report on the interview: "And some of these concessions were the price they had to pay to get the scheme off the ground." Concessions to Saddam...OH REALLY? Is that all? Why did the U.N. make "concessions" to this defeated despot? So I suggest that when the Senate Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations starts its latest OFF hearing this Tuesday morning, they demand of the current and former U.N. officials that there be a complete accounting of the terms, official and under the table, of the agreement with Saddam. Better yet, the subcommittee should demand that Kofi Annan himself appear and lay out the terms under oath, since he seems to have done the "conceding."

A Terror War in Mexico?

By Larry Johnson

by Larry Johnson

Like a canary in a mine shaft, Mexico is beginning to exhibit signs of distress and we should take the warning on board and begin to address the challenge. The arrest last week of a Nahum Acosta, a senior member of President Vicente Fox's travel staff, for selling info to drug traffickers is reminding some old drug and terrorism hands of the bad old days in Colombia. With the US preoccupied with the war on terrorism little attention has been paid to what once was a "war on drugs". It is time for policymakers to recognize that these wars are different sides of a security threat and that actions to address one threat can be used to address the other.

Iran's Great Victory

By Larry Johnson

by
Larry C. Johnson

Neocons desperate to sustain the good news delusion from Iraq will find little solace in the election results that are supposed to be announced on Sunday, Februay 13, 2005. After twenty years of trying to contain the Government of Iran, the biggest sponsor of terrorism against the United States, we are on the threshhold of creating the second Shia state in the Middle East and opening the door for Iran to consolidate its position as the preeminent military power in the region. I received the following from a Senior military commander who is currently serving his country and the people of Iraq. The news is not good.

"Patriot Debates": FABULOUS new site on USA Patriot Act

By Andrew Cochran

I've found a terrific new site for a series of discussions and debates on the USA Patriot Act. It's Patriot Debates, a blog hosted by Stewart Baker, an attorney with major experience and accomplishments in the legalities of the counterterrorism effort. THIS is the site I've been waiting to see on the web, with top experts on the Act, from Deputy Attorney General James Comey and Viet Dinh, the "Godfather" of the Act for his leading role while at DOJ, to staunch opponent David Cole of Georgetown Law School. To begin with, check out this piece by Andrew McCarthy, who prosecuted the 1993 WTC bombing case, on why Sections 214 and 215 (the so-called "library records" section, actually a misnomer) should be retained. This gets a permanent link in the "Centers" box on the right sidebar, and we look forward to each new post.

New Insurgent Videos from Iraq's Sunni Triangle

By Evan Kohlmann

Various anti-coalition mujahideen factions--including the Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI)--have released videos of recent military operations in the restive Sunni Triangle.   In the town of Salman Pak south of Baghdad, militants are seen ambushing Iraqi police officers and then hijacking their abandoned vehicles.  Separately, the IAI has distributed recordings of its own attacks on targets in and around the capital Baghdad with roadside bombs and rocket barrages.  The IAI claims that its persistent rocket attacks  on Al-Bakr and Al-Asad Air Bases have caused dozens of casualties.

- Feb. 10 video of insurgent attack on police in Salman Pak
- Feb. 8-12 videos of various attacks by IAI near Baghdad

FATF Removes Three Asian Countries From Blacklist, Welcomes China as Observer

By Andrew Cochran

The Financial Action Task Force, the international body established by the G7 which tests and certifies countries' anti-money laundering programs, has announced that it removed the Philippines, Indonesia, and the Cook Islands from its list of Non-Cooperative Countries and Territories. FATF cited new measures in the three Asian countries, including systems with "strict customer identification, suspicious transaction reporting, bank examinations, and legal capacities to investigate and prosecute money laundering" and financial intelligence units. FATF also added China as an "Observer" after the Chinese committed to implementing FATF's recommendations, and China will be eligible for full membership after a successful evaluation of its systems.

Saudis: Claiming Success Against Terrorism, But a Dubious Appointment Raises Doubts

By Andrew Cochran

As I commented when posting a news link yesterday, with the Saudis, it's always one or two steps forward and one or two back. Yes, they have changed some practices with respect to charities, but not all. They promised to establish a FInancial Intelligence Unit in consultation with the FBI and U.S. regulators, but haven't done it. Now they have appointed the former head of the Muslim World League, which is under investigation in the U.S. for terrorist ties, as education minister. Today's WSJ quotes Nina Shea, a leading official at Freedom House, as saying, "That's a step backwards," and calling MWL "one of the chief world propagators of hate ideology."

First Clarke Memo to Rice on Al Qaeda Released

By Andrew Cochran

The National Security Archive has released the January 25, 2001 memo from Richard Clarke to Condi Rice on the al Qaeda network and the need for a comprehensive strategy. The Archive has also released one Clinton-era memo on al Qaeda and has requested another. The Clarke-Rice memo was discussed during the 9-11 Commission hearings and became a focal point in the "what and when did they know" debate. The Archive site with all of this is here.

Lynne Stewart Convicted

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

Yesterday, radical lawyer Lynne Stewart was convicted of conspiracy and providing and concealing material support of terrorism for her actions in smuggling messages from her jailed client Omar Abdel-Rahman to his followers in the terrorist group Gama'a al-Islamiyya (Islamic Group).

For anybody interested in some background on Lynne Stewart and this case, the best article I've read on the matter is George Packer's "Left Behind," which was published in the New York Times Magazine on September 22, 2002.  The article is definitely not a hit piece -- in fact, the author appears sympathetic to Stewart as a person ("In person it isn't possible to dislike her . . . .").  But despite the author's sympathy, he paints an honest picture of Lynne Stewart, warts and all.  And those warts are substantial.  Some highlights:

Arab Bank Announces Withdrawal from the U.S.

By Lee Wolosky

Yesterday Arab Bank PLC, Jordan's largest bank, announced that it intends to withdraw from the United States. Arab Bank, which maintains a branch on Madison Avenue, is currently under federal regulatory investigation, reportedly for failing to abide by U.S. anti-money laundering laws. Arab Bank also faces a flurry of allegations from over 800 U.S. and Israeli victims of Palestinian terrorism who allege that the Arab Bank, including specifically the New York branch, facilitated systematic payments to the families of Palestinian suicide bombers and to HAMAS front organizations (see prior post here). For purposes of full disclosure, I am serving as Special Counsel to the largest such suit. In announcing the retreat, a statement from Jordan's Central Bank said: "The climate of operating in the United States at present is not expedient with the bank's strategy and vision."

Unlike al Qaeda financing, the financing of the second intifada has been conducted openly and in plain sight. According to the suits, much of the money that moved through Arab Bank originated in Saudi Arabia, as part of an organized undertaking known as the Saudi Committee in Support of the Intifada Al Quds (later renamed the Saudi Committee for Relief of the Palestinian People). The Saudi Committee helpfully posts its records (updated through the Spring of 2002) on the web at www.alquds-saudi.org.

OFF Scandal: Getting It Straight About Lloyd's Register

By Victor Comras

The Volcker Commission Interim Report has charged that, in setting up the Oil for Food program, UN Secretariat officials deviated from the UN's procurement regulations. Their selection of BNP,Saybolt and Lloyd's Register, the report finds, was based largely on "political" factors and "to achieve a balance among broadly 'political' interests. of some member states" (ie the Perm Five and Iraq). The Volcker report makes no suggestion of "corruption" in their selection, unlike the subsequent operation of the Oil for Food program itself. What is surprising is that the political nature of these selections came as a surprise to the Volcker Commission. The UN Security Council is a "political" body. The Iraq sanctions that gave rise to the Oil for Food program were "political" measures. And all the parties involved were motivated by national interests and international political objectives. Yet, the report holds individuals that were manipulated by these political pressures, rather that the authors of these pressures, accountable. I am speaking particularly of Joseph Stephanides who I knew as one of those Secretariat persons working to make the Iraq sanctions, and the Oil for Food program effective.

A former British Diplomat, Carne Ross, who was in charge of Iraq policy at the British UN mission told the UK newspaper The Telegraph that "the contracts were 'carved up' by diplomats. Official rules which favoured companies that submitted the lowest bids were routinely flouted." '"That is the way the UN operates and it seems a little harsh if Joseph Stephanides is carrying the can for this as a UN official.'" Former British UN Ambassador Sir John Weston also defended his and Stephanides role saying that he was following "ministerial instructions'' from London. "'We were to advise Lloyd's Register on the best tactics in the face of apparent competition," he said. "There was nothing the least bit improper. "' I hope that US officials will also bone up to their own role in this selection process. Let me provide a little background, as I know it.

PA Warns of Hezbollah Threats

By Matthew Levitt

While U.S. and Israeli authorities have been warning of Hezbollah's increasing support for Palestinian terrorist groups for some time, the issue is suddenly getting serious attention because the Palestinians now concur. "We know that Hizballah has been trying to recruit suicide bombers in the name of al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades to carry out attacks which would sabotage the truce," one Palestinian official said. A resolution is circulating in the House calling on the EU to add Hezbollah to its list of terrorist organizations, and, at the behest of the Palestinians, some Europeans are seriously considering the request.

For an analysis of the terrorist threat facing the verbal ceasefire declaration announced this week in Sharm al-Sheikh, see "Sustaining an Israeli-Palestinian Ceasefire."

What's Happened to CTAG?

By Victor Comras

Does anybody out there know what's happening with CTAG. I've lost track. Perhaps I'll have to wait for this summer's G-8 meeting at Gleneagles in the United Kingdom. It seems that the only time we hear of this important Counter-terrorism initiative is at the summit meetings themselves. The Counter-Terrorism Action Group (CTAG) was first announced at the G-8 Summit hosted in Evian, France in July 2003. Its purpose was to identify countries that lacked the political will to fight terrorism and terrorism financing, and to coordinate assistance to countries that needed help. Its members include the G8, the European Commission(CE) and representatives of the Counter Terrorism Committee (CTC). Australia, Switzerland and Spain have also been invited to participate. But what has come from the initiative? Which countries have been identified as lacking political will? What has been done to strengthen their commitment to fighting terrorism? And what kinds of assistance have been rendered under the CTAG banner to countries needing it? These are important questions and the public deserves some kind of report on the progress being made.

And, by the way, what about SAFTI? At the Sea Island Summit in June 2004, the G-8 leaders agreed to enhance counterterrorism efforts by launching the Secure and Facilitated International Travel Initiative (SAFTI) to improve the security and efficiency of air, land, and sea travel. But we have heard little of this intiative also. A progress report on SAFTI is certainly also in order.

Oil-for-Food: Hearing Testimony, "List of 270," and Saddam's Assassin

By Andrew Cochran

Fox News has an excellent summary of the House International Relations oversight hearing on the Volcker report. The hearing statements and testimony can be found here (linked in the "OFF Collection" on the left sidebar). The subcommittee will issue subpoenas on Thursday to three companies with OFF ties, including BNP Paribas. Two points of discussion were the "List of 270," the 270 recipients of OFF vouchers, and the use of OFF funds for the killer of the father of Safia Taleb al-Suhail, who hugged the mother of a fallen Marine during the President's State of the Union speech. You can find the full List of 270 near the end of this MEMRI analysis, and here is the story on the use of OFF funds for Saddam's assassin, previously linked on this blog.

Oil-for-Food EXCLUSIVE: Text of New Congressional Letter to Kofi Annan

By Andrew Cochran

Today the House International Relations Committee expanded the OFF investigation to include other management practices at the U.N. The committee chairman, Rep. Henry Hyde, and the oversight subcommittee chairman, Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, sent a letter - available here - that demands all audit reports of the World Meteorological Organization and 15 other UN agencies. As the letter states, the committee intends to draft legislation that forces the U.N. into a new "culture of transparency." It sounds like the committee is getting ready to draft a Sarbanes-Oxley Act for the U.N.

Honesty is Such a Lonely Word

By The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT)

Today�s article on Hakeem Olajuwon, �Ex-NBA Star�s Mosque Named in Probe,� is a perfect case study on the pattern of dishonesty exhibited by groups that are involved in terrorist activity, or who at the very least are enablers of terrorism. I am not talking about Olajuwon.  In fact, I believe it is extremely likely that, as he claims, he did not know that funds from his mosque had gone to support terrorism.  Odds are that the Islamic African Relief Agency (IARA), the �charitable� organization to whom his Islamic Da�Wah Center donated more than $80,000 in 2000 and 2002, was not exactly straightforward with him.  Back in October 2004, when the State Department laid out a four-page fact sheet which showed IARA�s connections to terrorism, IARA�s lawyer, Shereef Akeel, categorically denied what would be very damning ties to IARA-Sudan. According to an October 29, 2004 Kansas City Star article, �Charity�s links to terror disputed,� Akeel maintained that �This is a completely separate organization,� from IARA-Sudan, and stated, �I don't know what IARA-Sudan does.�

Yet in today�s AP article about Olajuwon�s donations Akeel has changed his tune, perhaps because all the facts that have come out now make his flat dishonesty impossible to maintain:

�Shereef Akeel, a lawyer for IARA-USA, acknowledged the U.S. group and the Sudanese group �may be in a partnership together� and some people with links to IARA-USA have terrorist associations. �Just because someone traveled in the same circles, just because one employee was at the same conference as someone who supported terrorism, doesn't mean the organization sponsors or condones acts of terrorism,� Akeel said.�

Iran's Little Noticed West African Arms Adventure

By Douglas Farah

With Secretary of State Rice issuing new warnings to Iran, here is an interesting sideshow that shows something of the Iranian regime--its willingness to sell large amounts of weapons to the regime of Charles Taylor in Liberia when the nation was under an international arms embargo.

One of the most striking things about Charles Taylor's cruel time as president of Liberia was his ability to search out people willing to sell him arms, despite the U.N.-mandated weapons embargo. In recent research I came across a June 2004 U.N. report by a panel of experts detailing Iranian weapons shipments to Taylor in mid-2003, as he was fighting to cling to power. He was also reeling from revelations he was involved with al Qaeda in a long series of diamond deals. In fact, it could well be that the al Qaeda money, paid for blood diamonds, allowed Taylor to import such large quantities of weapons while he was an international pariah.

The routes used for the multiple, documented, multi-ton shipments is almost as intriguing as Iran's willingness to break international law and the international community's unwillingness to do anything about it. The flights flew through Libya and/or Khartoum on their way to Roberts Field in Liberia. One would think that, if the Bush administration were interested in building the case against Iran as a sponsor of terror, or at least mayhem, it would seriously investigate this breach of international law.

The report says that Iranian military personnel, dressed in khaki uniforms, drove the weapons to a remote part of the Tehran aiport to be loaded onto aircraft usually arriving from Sarjah. In that scenario, it seems highly unlikely that it was a rogue operation, as Iran doesn't seem to work that way. For the rest of the blog, go here. For the full text of the report, go here.

Michael Cutler's testimony on proposed budget postponed

By Andrew Cochran

EDIT: The House hearing at which Michael Cutler would testify on the Border Patrol budget has been postponed to a later date.

UN May Soon Announce New Terrorism Strategy

By Victor Comras

UN Secretary General stated his intention February 7, 2005, to put forth new ideas for a UN anti-terrorism strategy. Annan's statement delivered to delegates attending the four day international counter-terrorism conference in Riyadh was in response to a recommendation from a high level UN Panel that the UN "needs to articulate an effective and principled counter-terrorism strategy.� "All States need a principled strategy against terrorism," Annan said, "that includes, but is much broader than, coercive measures." The debate on a new UN counter-terrorism strategy is long overdue and should be viewed as a priority by the Security Council which possesses the primary UN mandate for ensuring international peace and security. This should also be a priority objective for the United States. See also my earlier blog on this topic below

Kuwait PM's warning of Gulf terrorist attacks

By Andrew Cochran

A new wire story quoting the Kuwaiti Prime Minister's warning of al Qaeda attacks across the Gulf reminds me of a good EagleSpeak post on February 2 on the collective intel on that possibility, citing several sources.

Riggs Sale to PNC is...well, alive again (Update 2/10)

By Andrew Cochran

I've posted here and here that the sale of Riggs Bank to PNC in Pittsburgh could be jeopardized due to its fine and guilty plea for violations of anti-money laundering laws. Riggs called it off after PNC dropped the price, and said they would sue PNC. Then, lo and behold, on February 10, Riggs backtracked on its withdrawal and agreed to a lower price from PNC.

Saudi Questions, Dubai's Growing Diamond Role

By Douglas Farah

It is interesting to note that Saudi Arabia is hosting a major international terrorism conference these days. Lots of international representation there, including high-level U.S. folks, and visas for journalists were suddenly granted. Seems Saudi officials are anxious to show the world how far the fight against terrorism, particularly al Qaeda, has come in their land. Interesting that at the same time, Congressional investigators are questioning whether the Saudis have ever really set up their much-ballyhooed Financial Intelligence Unit. The FIU is supposed to be the lead institution in tracking terror finances, monitoring banks and charities and generally following financial intelligence to see that al Qaeda doesn't get its money. But it seems there is scant evidence the unit actually was set up, despite public announcements that is was functional. Like so much in the Kingdom, words and show far outstrip actual performance. It will be interesting to see what the truth is. Intersting to note in Sunday's Washington Post piece, even the claims of disbarring 2,000 clerics for extremist statements seems to be in doubt.

An interesting note passed on by an alert reader shows that Dubai, United Arab Emirates, is rapidly growing as a center for the African diamond trade. For rest of the blog, go here.

Kuwait Announces Break-Up of Truck Bombing Plot

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

The Associated Press reports today that a Kuwaiti Interior Ministry official confirmed that suspected terrorists captured in recent police raids confessed that they were planning to use ice cream trucks packed with explosives to attack U.S. military convoys traveling to Iraq.  According to the AP, "Members of a militant group told interrogators they wanted to park the ice cream and snack vans loaded with explosives next to highways and detonate them as U.S. military convoys traveling to and from Iraq passed."  Yesterday, most of the snack vans had been removed from Kuwait's highways, and police monitoring of the roads had been stepped up.

This latest announcement that Kuwait had foiled a truck bombing plot comes in the midst of a general crackdown on suspected terrorists throughout the country.  One Kuwaiti official reports that forty suspects have been handed over to prosecutors since the crackdown began last month.  The crackdown has also seen four deadly shootouts between Kuwaiti security forces and suspects.

A Defense of the Freedom House Study

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

Media Lies has a new post explaining why he is not excited about the Freedom House report that I recently highlighted.  I disagree with his conclusion that the Freedom House study is not convincing.  Nonetheless, Media Lies' post is worth reading because it demonstrates the limits of the study.

Specifically, Media Lies outlines four limitations to Freedom House study:

1. The study is a small sampling of U.S. mosques, and "[w]e can't really know if the evidence they've adduced is typical or not."
2. Most of the titles of Wahhabi literature covered in the Freedom House study were published in the 1980s and 1990s, so we don't know if they represent the current literature coming out of Saudi Arabia.
3. The study does not attempt to determine how long the materials have been in the mosques that were studied.
4. The study does not attempt to determine whether anyone was actually reading the material in question.

Al-Qaida Claims Iraqi Election Day Suicide Bomber

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released a video and a statement claiming responsibility for the Jan. 30 suicide bomb attack on the Badr Kobra polling station in Baghdad during Iraq's recent national elections.  According to Al-Qaida, the suicide bomber was "Abu Nour al-Najdi", whose name suggests that he was a Saudi Arabian national.  A policeman and four other Iraqis were killed while trying to avert the attack--carried out with a suicide bomb vest.  Within hours of the incident, Iraqi voters returned to the Badr Kobra station in defiance of threats from Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and other Sunni insurgent factions.

Click to view an English translation of the statement c/o Globalterroralert.com...

Saudi Hate Publications in the United States

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

The hateful Wahhabi ideology that Saudi Arabia has actively fostered throughout the world for decades poses a major problem not only in the Muslim world, but also right here in the United States.  Exploring Wahhabi indoctrination in the U.S., Jeff Jacoby has a column in today's Boston Globe about an important new Freedom House report entitled "Saudi Publications on Hate Ideology Fill American Mosques."

France and Canada to Share Terrorism Financing intelligence

By Victor Comras

France and Canada signed a memorandum of understanding, February 1, 2005, to share intelligence related to suspected money laundering and terrorism financing activities. The agreement is between the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) and its French counterpart, La Cellule Traitement du Renseignement et Action Contre les Circuits Financiers Clandestins (TRACFIN). Canada reports that it has entered into similar agreements with some 19 countries. This is a very positive step and hopefully can serve as an example to other countries.

UN HR Experts Condemn Incommunicado Detentions at GUANTANAMO

By Victor Comras

Six UN human rights experts, including Le�la Zerrougui, Chairperson-Rapporteur of the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights issued a Joint Statement, February 4, 2005 expressing their serious concerns with the treatment of prisoners at the United States Naval Base in Guant�namo Bay. They complained that many of the inmates are completing their third year of virtually incommunicado detention, without legal assistance or information as to the expected duration of their detention, and in conditions of detention that, according to numerous observers, amount to inhuman and degrading treatment.

New Videos from the Islamic Army in Iraq (IAI)

By Evan Kohlmann

The Islamic Army of Iraq (IAI)--a group that has conducted recent joint missions with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction in Iraq--has released several new videos of ongoing military operations.  The videos depict a downed French-built drone aircraft, several Iraqi soldiers taken captive in the Abu Ghraib neighborhood of Baghdad, and a roadside bomb attack on a U.S. Humvee.  In early January, the IAI promised, "This year will feature great surprises that the fighters have prepared for your sons outside America and even greater surprises... for inside of America."

- Jan. 31         video of downed French-built drone aircraft
        - Feb.         3 video of Iraqi soldiers taken captive in Abu Ghraib
        - Feb.         5 video of roadside bombing targeting U.S. Humvee

Breaking: 2 Delta Flights Declare In-Flight Emergencies, Land under Guard at JFK

By Evan Kohlmann

News wires are now reporting that two Delta Air Lines flights, #81 and #119, inbound from Europe and Asia to JFK International Airport have declared in-flight emergencies and have landed under guard in New York.  Reportedly, the emergencies were sparked by phoned-in threats to hijack the aircraft delivered to the U.S. government and a U.S. embassy abroad. 

UPDATE: Government officials believe that the threats may have been a total hoax.  At least this time, we weren't fooled with a GI Joe doll...

Hamas and Islamic Jihad Clash over 'Media Jihad'

By Matthew Levitt

Traditionally, the relationship between Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has vacillated between tense rivalry and close cooperation. Over the past four years rivalry gave way to cooperation, as the two groups coordinated closely with each other�and with other Palestinian groups�to the point that they discussed merging the Qassam and AlQuds brigades, Hamas and Islamic Jihad's respective military wings.

Hamas and PIJ have recently been at odds, however, clashing over dominance of what a Hamas activist described as the "media Jihad." Hamas Shura Council member Fathi Hamad, in charge of the group's communications system in Gaza, complained: "We outnumber them, we have many more mosques, and much more commitment, but they are ahead of us in the satellite TV stations, and their websites are much bigger than the group itself," Hamad claimed.

To read the full article, click here.

NEW: "Oil-for-Food Collection" Available

By Andrew Cochran

I've begun collecting important Oil-for-Food documents and stories into a single area in the left sidebar. It includes either the full text or links to the Volcker interim report, the U.N. internal audit reports, key Congressional committee hearing content, the first OFF conviction, and columns by expert journalists. I'll continue to build the OFF Collection, and please suggest any additions.

Top House Committee Chairman: U.N. possibly "damaged beyond repair"

By Andrew Cochran

Rep. Henry Hyde, Chairman of the House International Relations Committee and one of the leaders in the Congressional investigations, has issued a statement saying that the revelations point towards a judgment that "the UN is damaged beyond repair." He also demands "further details regarding the role of current and former high-ranking UN officials, including former Secretary-General Boutros Boutros Ghali." So now we know the next target.

Al-Qaida Attacks "CIA Convoy" in Baghdad

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued new statements claiming responsibility for attacks on Iraqi soldiers in Baghdad and a purported suicide bombing targeting a "CIA convoy" on the Baghdad airport road.  Several recent claims of military operations from Al-Qaida have been made in the name of the "Abdelaziz al-Muqrin Brigade", a reference to the late senior commander of Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia killed in a firefight with security forces in June 2004.  This seems yet another piece of evidence revealing the growing interlinkages between local Al-Qaida terrorist networks based in Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, and Iraq.

Click to view English translations and video c/o Globalterroralert.com :

    - Feb. 1         videotaped threat to the Governor of Mosul
        - Feb. 2         claim for attacks on Haifa St. by the Muqrin Brigade
        -         Feb. 3 claim for suicide         bomb attack on CIA convoy

Danish Citizen Charged with Spying for Hezbollah

By Matthew Levitt

On February 2, Iyad al-Shua, a Danish citizen of Lebanese descent, was charged in an Israeli court with spying for Lebanese Hezbollah. The indictment stated that al-Shua visited and filmed military installations in northern Israel and attempted to recruit Iraeli Arabs for the terrorist group. Israeli security officials said al-Shua also received $2,000 from Hezbollah.

For more on Hezbollah's efforts to infiltrate foreign operatives into Israel see "Hezbollah: A Case Study of Global Reach."

US Knew Saddam was Cheating OFF Program

By Victor Comras

The Oil for Food Scandal has been an open secret at least since early 2000. The latest revelations that the Bush Administration knew all along that Saddam was circumventing the oil for food program by shipping oil outside OFF controls to Jordan and through Syria and Turkey, should come as no surprise to anyone. This practice was well documented in numerous reports dating back to the last days of the Clinton Administration. Both Administrations had chosen to show a blind eye to oil shipments to Jordan for local consumption as a local economic necessity and the price to pay for Jordanian cooperation in controlling imports to Iraq. The Bush Adminstration also chose to acquiesce to the illicit oil trade run by the Kurds to Turkey. This also was ostensibly for local consumption. But, it is harder to understand why the Administration failed to stop Iraq from openly exporting oil outside the Oil for Food system via the Syria Kirkuk-Banias pipeline. That 552 mile long pipeline opened in November 2000, and reports began to surface of 140,000 to 150,000 bbl per day moving through the pipeline. There were some initial attempts to get Syria to place this pipeline under Oil for Food control, but they were largely abandoned in the summer of 2001 -- well before the 9/11 attacks. As for the Oil For Food scandal itself, the report put out in September 2002 by the Coalition for International Justice on the on the Sources of Revenue of Saddam and Sons remains very valuable reading. See also my own Editorial Shoving Saddam Back into his Box in the December 30,2001 edition of The Washington Post

Full Text of Volcker Interim OFF Report and Comparison of Estimates

By Andrew Cochran

You can download the full text of the report here, and a comparison of four estimates of illicit income from the OFF sales here, which was also developed by the Volcker Commission. More as events develop.

Congressional Reax to Volcker WSJ Op-Ed: Yawn

By Andrew Cochran

Mr. Volcker defends his interim report in an op-ed in today's Wall Street Journal (sorry, subscribers only). But a Congressional source involved in OFF investigations describes it to me as "picking his words very carefully" and is not impressed. Congressional Democrats are preparing a strategy of pursuing the Bush Administration's knowledge and tolerance of the illegal sales, and the Coalition Provisional Authority's potential mismanagement of $9 billion in Iraq development funds originating from OFF sales.

EXCLUSIVE: Background checks for Somali refugees or not?

By Andrew Cochran

MUST ATTRIBUTE: The State Department convened a high-level meeting of multiple agencies last week to discuss immigration policy for Somali refugees. The Justice Department, FBI, CIA, and Homeland Security Departments, and possibly other agencies, were present to debate whether such refugees should continue to be allowed into the country without extensive background checks, or change the policy to require such checks. The intel and enforcement communities want stringent checks before Somalis enter, while the State Department apparently opposes such a change. The meeting was described to me as "a finger-pointing session" at which no clear decision was made.

The UN Reviews Its Role in Combating Terrorism

By Victor Comras

The UN is grappling anew with its role in the war on terrorism. New leadership has taken over in both the UN's Al Qaeda and Taliban Sanctions Committee and its Counter-terrorism Committee. The Security Council also established a new working group under Resolution 1566 (2004) to consider new measures that might be taken against al Qaeda and its associates. I submit as my first contribution to The Counterterrorism Blog a short piece I wrote on the UN's role in combating Terrorism. The UN Report

Another Riggs Bank Shoe Drops

By Andrew Cochran

Banco de Chile, the second largest bank in that country, has agreed to close all accounts of former dictator Augusto Pinochet and his attorney, and to institute a more rigorous Bank Secrecy Act compliance program, similar to what Riggs Bank agreed to in its guilty plea. The agreement was part of a consent order with U.S. financial regulators here and here. Unlike Riggs, however, Banco de Chile was not fined. A judge in Spain recently issued a new indictment against the Pinochet attorney and four Riggs directors.

New Contributing Expert: Victor Comras

By Andrew Cochran

I am pleased to announce that Victor Comras, Esq., is joining the blog as a Contributing Expert. Mr. Comras led the U.S. State Department's foreign policy trade control and sanctions programs for nearly a decade, and he developed the international sanctions program aimed bringing down the Slobodan Milosevic regime. He also served as the State Department�s point-man on sanctions related to Iraq, Iran, Libya, Haiti, Cuba, and North Korea and other crisis areas. After retiring from the State Department in 2001, he was appointed by the U.N. to serve as one of five monitors charged with overseeing the implementation of its measures taken against al Qaeda and the Taliban (see Doug Farah's positive post about that effort). Mr. Comras is now a practicing attorney and consultant on regulatory matters related to homeland and national security issues, including immigration; money laundering controls; and foreign political risk assessment. His articles and commentaries have appeared in numerous media outlets.

Al-Qaida Defends Poor Showing on Iraqi Election Day

By Evan Kohlmann

With all the hoopla over the Iraq hostage photo hoax, I nearly forgot to post a link to this.  Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released several new statements in response to the results of Iraqi election day.  In addition to taking credit for a rocket attack on the U.S. embassy in Baghdad, Al-Qaida has also firmly denied that elections were permitted to take place in the Sunni Triangle, vowing "these elections and their results will not affect us. On the contrary, it will make us more confident, strong, and determined to fight evil and its supporters until the state of Allah is established."  The indignant retort from Al-Qaida avoided discussion of why waves of promised suicide bombers failed to materialize on Iraq's election day last Sunday.  The first half of this week also saw a relative lull in claimed attacks by Al-Qaida in Iraq, suggesting that the group may be recharging and reorganizing after a steady barrage of military operations leading up to the elections.

Click to view English translations (care of Globalterroralert.com):

Alleged Photo of U.S. Soldier Held in Iraq Appears to be a Hoax

By Evan Kohlmann

Update: I will be a guest on Countdown with Keith Olbermann on MSNBC at 8:15PM EST tonight to discuss the apparent hostage photo hoax.

The mainstream media has jumped on the purported story of "John Adam" -- a U.S. soldier allegedly taken prisoner by a little known Iraqi insurgent group known as the "Mujahideen Squadrons."  A quick analysis of the photo released of "John Adam" shows that it is likely just a hoax:

1.) The soldier is seen seated in front of the trademark rising sun banner of Abu Musab al-Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction in Iraq.  Yet, this was not the group that took credit for the kidnapping.  In fact, no credible representative from Zarqawi's group has yet taken credit for this kidnapping.  The albeit-blurry words inscribed on the banner seem to be poorly written--perhaps suggesting that they were conceived by someone who is only a novice in the Arabic language.
2.) As pointed out by several colleagues, the boots and uniform worn by "John Adam" are not standard U.S. military issue.  The name patch on his uniform, which should read ADAM, isn't visible either.
3.) The photo itself shows obvious signs of having been sloppily edited.  "John's" face is marked by jagged, digital features and a chin line that is distinctly non-human.  Notice that the left side of his chin runs in varying, contrasting sizes, demarcated by precise perpendicular lines.  See image below:

Web Site Claims American GI Hostage in Iraq, Threatens Beheading (UPDATED: No Soldiers Missing)

By Andrew Cochran

(AP) - Iraqi militants claimed in a Web site posting Tuesday to have taken an American soldier hostage and threatened to behead him in 72 hours unless the Americans release Iraqi prisoners. Updated AP story names www.ansarnet.ws as the site.Reuters: 'Our mujahideen ... have managed to capture the American soldier John Adam after killing a number of his colleagues,' said the Mujahideen Squadrons in the undated statement." UPDATE: No soldiers missing.

Ward Churchill Resigns as Department Chair

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

I recently wrote about Hamilton College's plans to include 9/11 celebrator and academic mediocrity Ward Churchill on its Feb. 3 panel on "Limits of Dissent?"  Churchill's inclusion on the panel kicked up a storm of controversy because of an essay he authored on September 12, 2001 celebrating the "gallant sacrifices" of the 9/11 "combat teams," and describing the workers who were killed in the World Trade Center as "little Eichmanns."

Yesterday, in the wake of the controversy that his impending appearance at Hamilton College generated, Churchill resigned as chairman of the University of Colorado's Ethnic Studies Department, but the university stated that he would retain his teaching job.  In resigning, Churchill wrote a letter to university officials stating that "the present political climate has rendered me a liability in terms of representing either my department, the college, or the university."  Interim University of Colorado-Boulder Chancellor Phil DiStefano stated, "While Professor Churchill has the constitutional right to express his political views, his essay on 9/11 has outraged and appalled us and the general public."

A secretary at the University of Colorado's Ethnic Studies Department said that Churchill would appear on the Feb. 3 panel at Hamilton College as planned.

UPDATE, 5:13 P.M.:  First, a Churchill supporter, displeased with my description of Churchill as an "academic mediocrity," requests that I "have the decency" to include a link to the statement that Churchill distributed to the media yesterday.  The statement can be found here.  Those interested can read it and make up their own minds.

More significantly, Hamilton College just announced the cancellation of the panel that was to include Churchill.  In a statement, college president Joan Hinde Stewart said, "We have done our best to protect what we hold most dear, the right to speak, think and study freely.  But there is a higher responsibility that this institution carries, and that is the safety and security of our students, faculty, staff and the community in which we live.  Credible threats of violence have been directed at the College and members of the panel. . . .  Based on the information available, I have made the decision to cancel this event in the interest of protecting those at risk."  Assuming that this statement is accurate (which I have no reason to doubt), this cancellation is unfortunate.  While I do not yield in my criticism of Churchill, it can never be considered a victory when people use the threat of violence to obtain a "heckler's veto."  All those who used the threat of violence to protest Churchill's appearance dealt a serious blow to civilized discourse.

Iraqi Elections - Good News Surfaces "Dual Citizenship" Issue

By Bill West

The apparent success of the Iraqi elections is cause to celebrate for the US and Iraqis seeking freedom in their homeland. Much was made of expatriate Iraqis in the United States voting in the elections, with senior US Government officials encouraging such voting. Beneath the surface of this activity, however, lies something that has been going on within America for many years�the exercise of �dual citizenship.� The US Government has essentially tolerated this practice for decades, and with the Iraqi elections, appears to now even encourage it. Is this now accepted National policy? Should it be? Or should perhaps this be a matter for National debate and further resolution? An article published today in FPM explores this matter further.

Barsomyat.com Wrap-Up

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

Yesterday I posted an article that I wrote for the New York Sun about a radical Islamic website, www.barsomyat.com.  The website featured pictures and information about Christians who were particularly active in debating against Muslims on the internet chat service PalTalk.  Barsomyat also included a number of explicit threats to the people it targeted.

A number of prominent blogs, including Michelle Malkin and Robert Spencer's Jihad Watch, picked up the story early in the day.  Jihad Watch readers organized a campaign to e-mail the web hosting company to which barsomyat.com was registered, Minnesota-based VizaWeb Inc.  As I suspected, it seems that VizaWeb was unaware of what was going on over at Barsomyat, and the radical website was shut down before 1:00 p.m.  One of the owners of VizaWeb, Rick Mueller, stated, "We started hearing about this [Monday].  We took the site off-line as we look into the content.  If what we are hearing is true, we will not put it back up. . . .  We obviously do not support its content."  It seems that Internet Haganah played a key role in getting the website pulled.