American Jihadists?

By Bill West

Over this Memorial Day weekend, two US citizens were arrested by Federal authorities for conspiracy to provide material support to al-Qaeda. The suspects, Tarik Ibn Osman Shah, a martial arts expert, and Rafiq Sabir, a medical doctor, were arrested in New York and Boca Raton, Florida, respectively.

Contributing Experts in the Media This Week

By Andrew Cochran

CT Blog Contributing Experts will be all over the airwaves this week on a variety of subjects, including the new case against two al Qaeda suspects and the status of the al Zarqawi network. Steven Emerson will be on Fox News Channel's "Fox and Friends" Wednesday morning at 8:20 am. Walid Phares was interviewed on MSNBC today (link to text and webcast) about the al-Zarqawi audio message, and will be on interviewed on TV and radio from Boca Raton about the new al Qaeda case. Two Contributing Experts are scheduled to be on John Batchelor's Show on ABC Radio this week - Victor Comras tonight and Michael Kraft tomorrow night. Michael Cutler will be on George Putnam's radio show on KCAA this afternoon at 4:05. (All times are Eastern Daylight.)

Some Encouraging CT Appointments

By Douglas Farah

If recent the recent Washington Post story on filling key counter-terrorism posts is accurate, the best news (besides the fact that the posts are actually being filled) is that Air Force Gen. Charles Wald is slated to take over the National Counterterrorism Center. The Center is supposed to be a clearinghouse for terrorism-related intelligence, but has not been really operational yet.

Wald, currently deputy commander of the U.S. European Command, is one of the few leaders I have dealt with who understands the threat posed by the failing states and nonstate armed groups that are growing across the broad areas EUCOM is responsible for. Wald has been particularly outspoken on the terrorist threat in West Africa, and was one of the first senior officials with access to intelligence to publicly confirm my findings on al Qaeda's diamond operations in Liberia and Sierra Leone. He has spoken eloquently about the terrorist threats in a region that is largely off the radar of counter-terror discussions, despite the long record of al Qaeda in sub-Saharan Africa, both East and West.

At a time when the counter-terrorism efforts seem to often be sinking into the swamp of bureaucratic infighting and leaderless drift, the Wald appointment is heartening. It is amazing that senior counter-terrorism positions at the CTC, State, Treasury and elsewhere are still vacant when no new administration was elected. It seems from the outside like a lack of interest and political will to really do what necessary to keep the counter-terrorism efforts from the same fate as the war on drugs and countless other efforts that fall off the policy radar screen and languish with little real impact. For my full blog, go here.

Daveed Gartenstein-Ross Joins Us as Contributing Expert

By Andrew Cochran

We're very happy to welcome Daveed Gartenstein-Ross back to the CT Blog as an individual Contributing Expert. Daveed first posted here when he worked at The Investigative Project on Terrorism. He is now an associate at the Armonk, NY office of Boies, Schiller & Flexner LLP. Daveed posted here on the possible use of the PalTalk site by terrorists and Saddam Hussein's ties to al-Jazeera. He is also an expert on Islamic extremists' infiltration of American mosques and prisons and on terrorist financing issues. He has written on terrorism issues for Commentary, The Weekly Standard, The New York Sun, and The Washington Times and frequently appears as a guest on the Fox News Channel, MSNBC, Fox News Radio, and Radio America. Daveed is a magna cum laude graduate of the New York University School of Law (J.D. 2002) and Wake Forest University (B.A. 1998).

Sunday Times of London scores with second al Zarqawi scoop - UPDATED

By Andrew Cochran

We believe that great reporting in counterterrorism deserves special mention - it's a tough business, with often shaky sources and dangerous assignments overseas for those who pursue field research. So kudos to the Sunday Times of London, which nailed its second big scoop on al Zarqawi yesterday. The Times was the first standard media site in the world to report al Zarqawi's injuries, back on May 15. Yesterday's Times followed up with the report that al Zarqawi has fled Iraq for emergency chest surgery, with the most detailed reporting yet of his injuries and escape. UPDATE: Thanks and congrats to Bill Roggio for sending me an e-mail that "Adnkronos International" actually reported a quote from an Iraqi general about it on May 11, while the Sunday Times added many original details for its story on May 15. Bill posted the early notice from Adnkronos on The Fourth Rail on May 11.

Sending Mixed Signals Re Saudi Arabia?s Contribution to the War on Terrorism

By Victor Comras

The Bush Administration seems of late to be alternating criticism and compliments when it comes to Saudi Arabia�s actions in the war on terrorism. Two days ago Secretary of State Condolezza Rice told an Audience at the San Francisco Commonwealth Club that:

�We really applaud what Saudi Arabia has done in terms of the fight against terrorism, particularly since the events of May of last year in Riyadh. The Saudis have been very aggressive in hunting down the terrorist cells that are in Saudi Arabia and we've had a good deal of success also on the terrorist financing front. You may know that some of the financing for terrorism was coming from non-governmental organizations that had very nice titles about what it was they supposedly did in the world, the relief effort for this group or that group and many of them were kind of fronts for terrorist financing. And that was true, by the way, of some in the United States. It was true of many in Saudi Arabia. And we've worked very hard with the Saudis to shut down some of that terrorist financing. So the Kingdom is working very hard on these issues.�

Compare this with what US Treasury UnderSecretary Stuart Levey told AIPAC just four days earlier on May 23, 2005

� For too long, wealthy donors and multinational charities in Saudi Arabia were underwriting terrorism of all kinds, without any meaningful controls. Since 9/11, our government has worked aggressively to press the Saudis to take action against these financiers and to clean up their charitable sector. It is true that the Saudis have come a long way to improve their efforts against terrorist financing. It is also true that they probably had the furthest to go. Some progress has been made�. Of course, much remains for the Saudis to do. We impatiently await the creation of a commission to monitor the charitable sector, and continue to insist that this commission regulate all Saudi charities, without exception of such groups as the Muslim World League and the International Islamic Relief Organization, or "IIRO." Also, in addition to the export of terrorist funds, we are extremely concerned about the export of terrorist ideologies. These teachings are as indispensable to terrorists as money, and possibly even more dangerous. We must do all we can to ensure that extremist, violent ideologies are not disseminated under the cover of religious organizations, charities, or schools.�

More on Bolton Nomination and the UN

By Mike Chandler

Andrew Cochran's posting on 26 May says that Bolton's nomination is "...About Changing the UN." As some one who has spent a number of very rewarding years working for the UN, I agree that change is necessary and that it is long overdue. There are also a number of friends and colleagues in the organisation, the 'modernists' or 'reformers', who agree with such sentiments. But it won't be done with a sledgehammer or a "size 9 boot". One also must also be clear on what one means by "...the UN!" There is both the organisation made up of the member states and there is the UN Secretariat which services the needs and supports the work of the General Assembly, the Security Council and the office of the Secretary- General, to say nothing of the many other elements. i.e. WHO, WFP, UNHCR, etc.. If change is to be achieved and the changes effective, it will require leadership and teamwork - of the highest possible quality and standard. Is John Bolton the man for such a task - that surely is the question?

Steven Emerson on al Zarqawi's status

By Andrew Cochran

Contributing Expert Steven Emerson discussed al Zarqawi's possible injury and the status of his network in Iraq on two Fox News Channel programs on May 26 (downloadable Word file). Highlights: The impact on the al Zarqawi organization and the overall insurgency if he dies: "My feeling is that his operation is really a very top-town command and control...I think the organization has the good chance of falling apart...Not that I don't think U.S. And Iraqi forces are doing a good job, but the insurgency is still very strong and time will tell now whether the reputed death of Zarqawi, at least his wounding, will have an effect." On the temporary replacement named on a website, Abu Hafs al-Qarni: "I had not heard of him before. It's interesting that they would put a Saudi in charge. The question is whether he is actually on the wanted list by the Saudis." On the al Zarqawi network in Iraq: "(I)t comes from Syria. It comes from Saudi Arabia. There are some people transiting through Jordan. The Syrians, in particular, have a lot of blood on their hands...We've got to basically take away their weapons. Really go hand -- you know, city to city, village to village, house to house, remove the weapons and also stop, plug up those borders coming in from Syria, where there is so many hundreds of fighters and insurgents coming in via Syria -- from Syria as well as Saudi Arabia."

NPT Review Conference Characterized As a Flop!

By Victor Comras

The 2005 NPT Review Conference at the United Nations in New York concluded May 27, 2005 with few accomplishments and even less momentum for the future. The Financial Times called it "A wasted month of nuclear negotiations."Conference President Sergio de Queiroz Duarte (Brazil) bluntly told reporters at his concluding press conference that "substantively �- in terms of results and agreements - very little had been accomplished." In his view the Conference had not helped the process of Nuclear disarmament that began so hopefully in 1995 and continued in 2000. Asked if the Conference had, in fact, undermined the Treaty, he hedged that �Today, we have to see the way in which the results of the Conference will impact upon the Treaty, but I don�t think we can immediately decree here that they will undermine it�, he said. But there clearly was, he said, a "lack of understanding and convergence among States Parties on the best ways to achieve the purposes and objectives of the Treaty."

The next review conference is scheduled to take place in 2010. That's some time away. In the interim there will be preparatory meetings and bilateral and multilateral negotiations. The IAEA will continue its work and the Security Council may well be called into action to deal with North Korea's expanding nuclear weapons program and Iran's progression in that direction. Eyes will now turn to the six party talks on North Korea and on the EU attempts to bring Iran in line. Neither looks very promising at this moment. As for the terrorists, they will continue to look to see if they can find and acquire some of the missing Russian nuclear material. The world is certainly no safer because 188 countries sat down in New York for a month and failed to re-enforce non-proliferation. (See my earlier blog).

Michael Cutler: Don't Privatize Border Patrol Agent Training

By Andrew Cochran

Michael Cutler asked me to post his comments on the hearing I saw a bit of the May 24 hearing conducted by the Subcommittee on Management of the House Committee on Homeland Security about the possibility of "privatizing" the training of new Border Patrol Agents:

"Let me tell you from the outset that I am opposed to such privatization. I could not imagine the FBI or Secret Service doing this, nor could I imagine the United States Marine Corps privatizing their training. Training new agents is a critical aspect of the Border Patrol or any law enforcement agency because the training is not only is designed to teach critical skills but to also indoctrinate the new recruits into the culture of the agency. With all of the "stuff" that has been happening where the security of our nation's borders are concerned we should be focused on morale as well as training. Privatization of the academy is absolutely not the way to get the job done properly!"

Counterpoint on Bolton Nomination: It's About Changing the U.N.

By Andrew Cochran

I cannot debate Larry Johnson on the particulars of the "intel intimidation and politicization" debate. I was an original contributor to ConfirmBolton.com, where Daveed Gartenstein-Ross has posted frequently on that issue, and I recommend that interested readers read the material there, along with Larry's detailed post, to get a full picture. But I think it is important that we have someone who will forcefully push needed reforms at the U.N. in the wake of the Oil-for-Food scandal, and John Bolton will do that. As I said early on this site and as Stephen Hayes and Claudia Rosett have discussed, the OFF investigations in the U.S. Congress are aiming towards Saddam's use of OFF funds to support terrorist entities, and the U.N. did nothing to prevent or stop it. The entire program was filled with highly questionable or corrupted actions by U.N. officials. Congress will pass new legislation to instill more transparent and independent governance and full financial disclosure in exchange for the U.N.'s use of precious tax dollars, and we need a U.N. Ambassador who will never back down from asserting those new policies.

BOLTON AND THE ART OF COOKING INTELLIGENCE

By Larry Johnson

by
Larry C. Johnson

The nomination of John Bolton as Ambassador to the UN is another body blow to the intelligence community and sends a clear message to analysts that speaking up about political pressure will only damage your career. Despite the whitewash reports provided by the Senate Intelligence Committee and the Silbermann Robb Commission, which insisted there was no "politicization" of the intelligence on Iraq, we now have a documented record of blatant efforts by Bolton and Otto Reich, two senior political appointees, who tried to shape intelligence conclusions and punish intelligence professionals who worked on Cuba. (Let there be no doubt, there was pressure applied on Iraq). The pressure applied to the INR analyst and the NIO for Latin America is one way that intelligence gets politicized. What is truly amazing is the failure of Republican leaders to be outraged by this conduct. The defense of John Bolton by most Republican Senators is sending a chilling message to the analytical community.

Evil Plus Evil

By Bill West

The Chief Prosecutor and Chief Investigator for the UN�backed special war crimes court in Sierra Leone have declared they have evidence that former Liberian dictator Charles Ghankay Taylor, who is wanted by that tribunal for crimes against humanity, has been and continues to be involved with al-Qaeda. That in itself is cause for alarm, but past and current immigration enforcement projects have demonstrated that foreign war criminals and persecutors have made their way to the US. If this "special" class of international criminal is now finding alliance with terrorists, we need to pay special attention.

Matthew Levitt on Hezbollah's Using Criminal Enterprises and Counterfeiting (Updated)

By Andrew Cochran

Contributing Expert Matthew Expert testified today at a hearing of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee on Hezbollah's use of criminal enterprises and counterfeiting. In his testimony, Matthew first discussed Hezbollah's record of terror and its ties to Iran, al Qaeda, and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. He described Hezbollah's activities in a Charlotte cell which was broken up in 2002 by federal agents, and in South America, where Hezbollah's enterprises include "mafia-style shakedowns of local Arab communities, sophisticated import-export scams involving traders from India and Hong Kong, and small-scale businesses that engage in a few thousand dollars worth of business but transfer tens of thousands of dollars around the globe." Matthew also discussed Hezbollah's longtime use of "conflict diamonds," also a subject of Contributing Expert Doug Farah's recently released study on ex-Liberian dictator Charles Taylor and his terrorist ties for the Coalition for International Justice. The AP story on the hearing adds that a witness from the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department that their counterfeiting investigations had encountered "suspects who have shown great affinity for Hezbollah and its leadership." HERE is the LA Times article on the same hearing.

Terrorist Group Designation by U.S. State Department (UPDATED 5-26)

By Andrew Cochran

The State Department, acting under President Bush's Executive Order 13224 issued after the 9-11 attacks,, has announced the designation of Islamic Jihad Group (a.k.a. Jama'at al-Jihad; Libyan Society; Kazakh Jama'at; Jamaat Mojahedin Jamiyat; Jamiat al-Jihad al-Islami; Dzhamaat Modzhakhedov; Islamic Jihad Group of Uzbekistan; or al-Djihad al-Islami) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization.

UPDATE 5-26: The State Department's press release issued today has more details on the groups. "On July 30, 2004, the Islamic Jihad Group conducted coordinated bombing attacks in Tashkent against the U.S. and Israeli Embassies, and the office of the Uzbek Prosecutor General, killing at least two people and wounding nine...IJG suicide bombers attacked a popular bazaar and other locations in Tashkent in March and April 2004, resulting in the deaths of more than a dozen police officers and innocent bystanders and dozens of injuries. The attackers in the March and April 2004 attacks, some of whom were female suicide bombers, targeted the local government offices of the Uzbekistani and Bukharo police, killing approximately 47 people, including 33 terrorists. These attacks marked the first use of female suicide bombers in Central Asia. Those arrested in connection with the attacks in Bukharo have testified to the close ties between the IJG leaders and Usama bin Laden and Mullah Omar." The AP reported on the designation today, over a day after I posted it here.

Syria: Where are the Europeans?

By Michael Kraft

By Michael B. Kraft

The claims by the Syrian Ambassador to the U.S. that Damascus has halted military and intelligence cooperation with the U.S. sound like a bad joke, except that the situation
along the Syria-Iraq border is serious.

Syria is again trying to have it both ways � pretending it has been cooperative with the United States while also showing the Muslim world that it will not be pushed around by the Americans. Ambassador Imad Moustafpha complained in interviews with the New York Times and CNN this week that Washington is demanding too much from the Syrians in the U.S.-led effort to staunch the flow of suicide bombers, gunmen and cash across the Syrian border into Iraq. The ambassador claimed Syria has provided the U.S. with important assistance but no longer wants to cooperate because it is still being criticized for not doing more.

State Department spokesman Richard Boucher suggested that the Syrians overstated the cooperation. He told the daily State Department news briefing that �we�ve seen all too often that when we try to address serious issues with the Syrian government, that Syria has expended minimal effort, at best and halfhearted efforts on things like the use of Syrian territory by groups that are �terrorists and others who are fighting us Iraq�.�

"Patriot Debates" Blog Has Newest USA Patriot Act Draft

By Andrew Cochran

I've endorsed "Patriot Debates" again and again as the best source for a truly fair and balanced debate on the USA Patriot Act. As the U.S. Congress considers reauthorizing those provisions which will expire at the end of the year, PD has posted the latest draft of the Act (large Acrobat file) and "a committee summary" (don't know which committee), both courtesy of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. Earlier, PD also posted a 70-page Justice Department analysis in support of reauthorization. Thanks to PD founder & editor Stewart Baker for this excellent site.

Michael Cutler on the US-VISIT Program & Contract: How Long & How Much?

By Andrew Cochran

Michael Cutler asked me to post his comments for him:

Some time ago I saw a bumper sticker on a car that caused me to laugh. It said, "If government ran crime, crime wouldn't pay!" After reading this article in yesterday's Washington Post, I think that the bumper sticker that should have appeared on the car is, "The way government does business is a crime!"

I have been a long-time advocate for an effective tracking system that would help the United States keep track of the comings and goings of aliens entering and leaving the United States. In May of 1997 when a former colleague, Bill West, and I testified before the House Subcommittee on Immigration and Claims about the issue of visa fraud and immigration benefit fraud, we raised the issue of the need for biometrics. That was back in 1997 and some 4 years before the attacks of September 11, 2001. Bill sent me this article earlier today and expressed his outrage at the contents of this article. I agree with him and I am consequently recommending this article to you.

NPT Review Conference Can't Get Its Act Together

By Victor Comras

The 2005 NPT Review Conference at the United Nations in New York is now in its final week. The session ends May 27th. There was a great deal of expectation at the opening of this important conference that the international community would support concerted action to re-invigorate the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty and to condemn those countries that have drifted away from it. The Conference was supposed to evaluate the treaty, the "Principles and Objectives for Nuclear Non-proliferation and Disarmament" adopted at the 1995 Conference and the progress made on implementing the "13 practical steps" towards nuclear disarmament. It was also hoped that special attention would be given to expanding the IAEA�s role in securing and controlling nuclear related dual use equipment and technology (See Statement by the Carnegie Institute Campaign to Strengthen the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty). Since the NPT was designed to deal with states, it has limited capacity to deal with new threats coming from non-state actors or with regard to material and technology that could be used to develop improvised nuclear explosive devices. IAEA Director General Mohammad el-Baradei provided some dramatic proposals at the opening of the conference and underscored the fearful risks that further proliferation could result in terrorist possession of nuclear weapon devices. He proposed, among other things, that nuclear fuel production, including in Iran and North Korea, be placed under multilateral control by regional or international bodies. But, the Conference will leave most of these expectations unfulfilled.

Wrangling over the agenda, the division of responsibilities between its various committees, and the commitment of nuclear states to further disarm, took center stage. And with less than a week left there are few signs that the 188 signatories will reach a consensus on any of the new proposals or key issues. And even North Korea and Iran seem to have gotten off without the condemnations they deserve for violating their NPT obligations. As for the risk of nuclear materials and technology falling into the hands of terrorist � I guess we will have to live with those risks for some time to come.

Text of Affidavit by FBI in Arrest of Man Over Al-Qaida Bomb-Building Claim

By Andrew Cochran

The U.S. Attorney in Houston today announced the arrest of Ronald Allen Grecula for attempting to provide material support to Al-Qaida, specifically in attempting to build and sell an explosive device to an undercover officer who was posing as a member of Al-Qaida. According to the official affidavit filed by the FBI (Acrobat file), Grecula became friends with a fellow inmate while in prison in Malta, where Grecula was held on parental kidnaping charges until extradition to Pennsylvania. The "friend" became a confidential source ("CS" in the affidavit), to whom Grecula allegedly entrusted his knowledge of bombmaking and desire to build a bomb for Al-Qaida and other groups. The affidavit further alleges that Grecula wanted the CS to help kill Grecula's wife. Grecula allegedly told an undercover agent that he could build a powerful bomb using a kind of fusion technology, and the affidavit recounts specific details of the conversations from the tapes.

Small Plane Violates Washington Airspace - U.S. Capitol Evacuated

By Andrew Cochran

Now all clear and Capitol reoccupied after plane "escorted" out. Sent via BlackBerry Handheld. MORE: The FAA revoked the license of the private pilot from Pennsylvania who caused the mass evacuation in Washington on May 11.

Congressional Hearing Schedule This Week (Updated 5-23)

By Andrew Cochran

UPDATED, 5-23: Contributing Experts Dennis Lormel's and Matthew Levitt's scheduled appearance before the U.S. Senate Banking Committee on money laundering and terror finance issues in the Middle East has been postponed, apparently due to the probable vote to change Senate rules over federal judges. The schedule of open terrorism-related hearings in the U.S. Congress this week also includes USA Patriot Act hearings by the U.S. Senate Select Intelligence Committee and the U.S. House Judiciary Committee, and hearings on nuclear terrorism, container security, and agro-terrorism. FURTHER UPDATE 5-23: Matthew Levitt is scheduled to testify at a Wednesday hearing of the U.S. Senate Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs Committee on how Hezbollah and other terrorists fund their operations through counterfeit goods.

Sinn Fein Lobbyist Denied Entry into US

By Bill West

The Washington Times/AP has reported that Rita O�Hare, who has been Sinn Fein�s senior lobbyist in the US since 1998, was denied her �special� visa to reenter the United States after a recent trip to Ireland. O�Hare, who is reported to be a fugitive from British authorities because she jumped bail in Northern Ireland there more than 30 years ago while awaiting trial for attempted murder of British soldiers, should require what would be a waiver of inadmissibility to enter the US under the US Immigration and Nationality Act. It appears the Department of Homeland Security has decided to not grant that waiver again, at least for the moment. (The propriety of O�Hare, arguably a fugitive suspect terrorist alien, ever being granted such a waiver of inadmissibility in the first place won�t be discussed here.)

Federal Judge Dismisses 15 Convictions in Important Lazarenko Money Laundering Case

By Andrew Cochran

Yesterday, a federal judge threw out 15 of the 29 convictions in the case against former Ukraine Prime Minister Pavlo Lazarenko. The judge reaffirmed 14 of the convictions, mostly for money laundering and interstate transportation of stolen property. The same judge threw out 24 charges of the original 53-count indictment during the trial last year. The case, an extremely complex matter also involving Lazarenko's claims of assassination attempts against him and his claims for political asylum, is important for two reasons. First, Lazarenko was the first former head of state tried and convicted in the U.S. since Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega's conviction in 1992, and thus the case strained U.S-Ukraine relations. Second, and more importantly in the terrorism context, this was the first money laundering conviction in the U.S. in which the alleged crimes took place outside the U.S., with the proceeds then deposited in San Francisco financial institutions, thereby supporting money laundering charges in the eyes of federal prosecutors. As one excellent article worth reading states, "If Lazarenko was convicted, it would give U.S. attorneys the authority to judge whether anyone anywhere had committed fraud or extortion under their own nation's legal code, and then to hold them accountable in U.S. courts, as long as their money had moved through ubiquitous dollar accounts." The convictions caused officials of foreign financial institutions to voice concern over extraterritoriality of the Bank Secrecy Act, as amended by the USA Patriot Act. One other interesting point about this case: the U.S. Attorney who gave the final go-ahead to indict Lazarenko was Robert Mueller, now the FBI Director. This continues to be an interesting case to follow as Lazarenko's attorney prepares an appeal for the federal appeals court, where he will certainly challenge the theory underlying the money laundering convictions.

No Solace Likely for Terrorism Financiers in US Courts -- But That's Not Always the Case Abroad

By Victor Comras

Al Haramain's ex Director General Aqeel Abdulaziz Al-Aqil is the latest terrorist financier to bring suit to challenge their designation by the US Treasury and UN Al Qaeda Committee as al Qaeda financial supporters. Al-Aqil announced his intention earlier this week to file a lawsuit in DC Federal Court against Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice, Treasury Secretary John Snow, Attorney General Alberto Gonzales and Juan Zarate, the U.S. Treasury's assistant secretary for terrorism financing for having him put on the UN terrorist designation list. He would have been better advised to try his case in foreign courts where the record established by known terrorist financiers is certainly much better. Previous suits filed in foreign courts, including in Britain, Turkey and Switzerland have had more success -- certainly more than they deserve. Fellow Saudi Financier Yasin Al Qadi (aka al Kadi), who headed the Saudi-based Muwafaq charity foundation implicated in the Al Qaeda US Embassy Bombings, for example, sought and received supposed vindication in Turkish courts earlier this year. Turkey's Chief Public Prosecutor ruled in March 2005 that there was no evidence to suggest that al-Qadi has been involved in any funding for Al Qaeda and no grounds for the Turkish authorities to bring further proceedings against him( See my earlier Blog on the Al Qadi Case). And earlier this month Al Taqwa Bank Director Youssef Nada won a Swiss Court Decision requiring the Swiss Prosecutor's Office to either present its case to the court for prosecution by May 31 or drop it (See my recent Blog on the Nada Case).

Germany acting against Turkish radical group

By Lorenzo Vidino

For years German authorities have tolerated the activities of Milli Gorus (National Vision), a Turkish Islamist group that operates throughout Europe but receives its strongest support from Germany's large Turkish population. Apparently, things are changing. The 2004 annual report released by Germany's Interiors Ministry revealed that, of the 31,800 suspected radicals living in the country, 26,500 are members of Milli Gorus. More significantly, yesterday, a court in Wiesbaden revoked the German citizenship of three Turkish men because of their failure to disclose their affiliation with Milli Gorus.

?More on Posada

By Bill West

On the heels of the ICE announcement today that Luis Posada Carriles was formally charged in deportation proceedings and is being held without bond, a few follow up points should be noted.

Update on Posada Case

By Bill West

ICE issued a press release today concerning the further action they have taken in the case of suspected terrorist alien Luis Posada Carriles, who was arrested by ICE agents in Miami, Florida yesterday after he left a "semi-clandestine" news conference there. Posada has now been formally charged in removal proceedings and is being initially held without bond. He is scheduled for a hearing before an Immigration Judge on June 13. The text of the ICE press statement is posted below.

Contributing Experts' Media Appearances

By Andrew Cochran

I've changed the "Events" box on the left sidebar to include links to media appearances, although those are subject to last-minute change. I post transcripts whenever they are available.

Doug Farah's Major Study on Charles Taylor Released

By Andrew Cochran

The Coalition for International Justice has released a major study "tracking Charles Taylor's money and how Taylor is using that money from his exile in Nigeria to interfere in Liberian politics and destabilize the region has just been put up on our website." Contributing Expert Douglas Farah and CIJ consultant, who has