A Chilling Final Threat from Abu Musab al-Suri: "O' Sleeper Cells, Wake Up Now!"

By Evan Kohlmann

Abu al-Tawab al-Shami--the official spokesman of most wanted Al-Qaida terrorist training camp manager Abu Musab al-Suri (a.k.a. Omar Abdel Hakim, Mustafa Setmariam Nasar)--has confirmed the latter's capture by coalition forces sometime in September 2005.  Abu al-Tawab has also made available a final audio message from Abu Musab al-Suri responding to the July 2005 London bombings.  During the recording, Abu Musab adamantly denied having played any significant role in the 1995 Paris Metro bombings, the March 2004 Madrid commuter train bombings, nor the most recent London attacks--but conceded to having specifically trained American and British nationals at Al-Qaida camps in Afghanistan to carry out catastrophic terrorist strikes.  He further admitted:

"I advised the commander of the Armed Islamic Group (GIA) Abu Abdullah Ahmad and his superiors�may Allah have mercy on their souls�to strike deep inside the French mainland in order to punish her and deter her from supporting the dictatorial military government [in Algeria]... I explained that this would unite the Islamic nation around the jihad in Algeria, just as it had united the Islamic nation around the Afghan jihad against the Soviets.  I added that we had a right to strike France and that we were at war�[we were not] just playing around.  It was about time for our enemies to understand that.  This is why I hereby call all the mujahideen�regardless of whether they are from Syria, Lebanon or any other place�to strike France immediately.  The mujahideen should target French interests wherever they may be�including the French mainland itself... I hereby call upon the mujahideen in Europe, the mujahideen in other enemy countries�as well as all those who are able to get to these countries�to act quickly and strike Britain, Italy, Holland, Denmark, Germany, Japan, Australia, Russia, France, and all other countries that have a military presence in Iraq, Afghanistan, or the Arabian Peninsula.  They must either strike the territory of these countries or targets that are outside of their borders.  O� sleeper cells, wake up now!"

Click to view English translation c/o Globalterroralert.com

See also:
- Globalterroralert.com profile on Abu Musab al-Suri
- Video of Abu Musab al-Suri filmed in August 2000

Southeast Asian Wrap-up

By Zachary Abuza

While there was some progress in combating terrorism in Southeast Asia in 2005, a number of low intensity conflicts continued to flare, and have the potential to escalate in 2006. Core grievances have gone unaddressed while the governments continued to focus their efforts on decapitating organizations.

In Indonesia, a bomb was detonated in Palu, the troubled province of Central Sulawesi�s capital, on 31 December. The bomb, which targeted Christians in a crowded market, killed 6 and wounded 45. It was the latest in a string of sectarian attacks in 2005, that Islamist militias affiliated with Jemaah Islamiyah staged to provoke a return to all out sectarian conflict. The attacks have become more sophisticated and bloody and they have often at times been very sophisticated in their targeting, for example, the assassinations of witnesses in criminal trials against Islamic militants, or events to terrify a community � such as the beheadings of three schoolgirls. There has also been a range of violence employed: from assassinations to six bombings that killed 28 and wounded over 100. A spate of arson attacks killed six, while well-coordinated raids on police outposts that killed five police and three civilians. Some 120 IEDs seized in raids.

Indonesian authorities have been bracing for a spate of attacks. Some 35 suicide vests and documents recovered following the death of JI�s top bomb-maker Dr. Azahari bin Hussin in October 2005, provided evidence that the group was planning on launching a number of attacks during the busy holiday season. Indonesian authorities believe that Noordin Mohammad Top is planning retaliatory attacks to avenge Azahari�s death. Indonesian authorities have also warned that JI may be taking a page out of the Iraqi playbook and may begin a campaign of kidnapping westerners.

In Thailand, the insurgency in the troubled Muslim south has continued. Since January 2004, some 2004 people have been killed. In 2005, alone, 91 police were killed and 151 wounded. Although the government is taking credit for a sharp decline in attacks in December, torrential rains and floods in the troubled region appear to be the key factor. A paucity of arrest of mid and senior-level insurgency have frustrated Thai officials who still have very little understanding of the situation and the organizations involved.

Though unreported in the press, in November 2005, Thai authorities arrested three Muslims from Yala who were in Bangkok conducting surveillance on some 40 potential targets including hotels, malls, the Ministry of Defense, and other locations. While the insurgents have yet to move significantly beyond their home provinces (though recently martial law was declared in two districts of a fourth province), there are indications that they are at the very least considering the option of hitting soft targets in Bangkok or other tourist areas.

In the Philippines, the security situation remained mixed. The Abu Sayyaf continued their path set in 2004, eschewing kidnappings in favor of bonafide terrorist attacks. While the ASG remains a small group, their radicalism and ability to tap into networks of Islamic converts has given Manila cause for concern. While hostilities between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) all but ceased and significant progress was made in the peace talks, the MILF continued to give JI and ASG members sanctuary.

Finally, in Malaysia, the United States shut their embassy on 29 December citing only an unspecific but credible threat.

Indonesia Bombing: Jemaah Islamiyah's Christmastime 2005 Attack? (Updated)

By Andrew Cochran

The casualties from a bomb attack outside a shop selling pork in Palu, Indonesia has risen to 7 deaths and 47 injured, according to the Jakarta Post's latest report. Quoting: "Witnesses said the bomb exploded inside the kiosk which was crowded with Christians shopping for the New Year�s dinner...Opposite the kiosk is the Bethel Church." That is consistent with warnings by Indonesian police and military that Jemaah Islamiyah and other terrorists might target Christians and their churches in Christmastime attacks. The Australian and U.S. embassies issued specific warnings to its citizens against traveling to Indonesia during the holidays. JI terrorists were behind the bombing of at least nine locations across Indonesia on Christmas Eve in 2000, leaving 19 people dead and scores wounded. Here is the AP wire story on the bombing. You can read a FrontPage Magazine online symposium on the jihadists' activities in Indonesia, in which Walid Phares and I participated along with Dr. Rohan Gunaratna and Badrus Sholeh. You can also read expert commentary on JI by Zachary Abuza linked in the Media box and in the Counterterrorim Library, both in the left sidebar.

AP Picture of Bomb Victim (click to enlarge):

DOJ Should Appoint Patrick Fitzgerald to Investigate Two Leaks of Classified Information

By Andrew Cochran

The Justice Department is initiating a second investigation into the leak of classified, terrorism-related information to a news source, this time over the NSA intercept program as initially divulged by the New York Times. DOJ already initiated an investigation into the leak of classified information about a network of secret CIA prisons for suspected terrorists. The disclosures alone could be extremely damaging to the pursuit of terrorists, compromising sensitive sources and methods of investigation without a substantial benefit. DOJ should appoint a special investigator who knows the legal issues surrounding the release of classified information, has an outstanding track record in terrorism investigations, and is respected for his objectivity and integrity. Patrick Fitzgerald fits that description perfectly as a veteran and successful prosecutor in terrorism cases and the investigator of the release of information about ex-CIA spy Valerie Plame, earning recent acclaim from the National Law Journal and other legal scholars (politics aside). EDIT: Kathryn Jean Lopez of NRO deserves credit for suggesting this before I did, although I hadn't read her one-liner on it when I wrote this post.

Steven Emerson: "Split Round" in War on Terrorism in 2005 (updated)

By Andrew Cochran

Appearing on NBC's "Today" program today, Steven Emerson said that the lack of terrorist attacks in the U.S. since the 9/11 attacks is due to a combination of factors, including the investigative and law enforcement activities; plain luck; and the lack of terrorist infrastructure in the U.S. But "U.S. wars" over issues such as the Patriot Act, alleged torture of detainees, the NSA intercept program, and other legal issues, while worthy for debate, are distracting us from the focus on Islamist terrorists, and instead focusing us on perceived threats to our civil liberties. Europe is the new front and will be so in the near future. Once Iraq is dealt with, we will see even more attacks there, and there is no real terrorist command structure there to attack. Self-annointed terrorist "franchise operations" in Europe are the most worrisome development in 2005. In his opinion, this year's final grade is a "split round" - we took out major terrorists leaders, but lost momentum and haven't seized more terrorists' assets.

UPDATE: You can see a clip of his appearance at the Investigative Project website (4.8 MB Windows Media file) and read a full transcript of his appearance below. Steve also appeared on MSNBC today to discuss our effectiveness against terrorism this year (Intelligence Summit video).

Zarqawi Fulfills Promise, Launches Rockets at Northern Israel

By Evan Kohlmann

In an apparent bid to fulfill a previous vow to strike directly at the "Jewish state", Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has claimed responsibility for a Grad rocket attack on civilian communities in northern Israel.  According to a statement released today, after "careful planning and intelligence gathering, a group of al-Tawheed lions and Al-Qaida operatives put their faith in Allah and launched a new attack on the Jewish state� [with] ten Grad rockets from Muslim territory of Lebanon toward selected targets in the northern part of the Jewish state.  After successfully completing their mission, they left the scene unharmed... This blessed attack was carried out by the mujahideen in the name of Mujahid Shaykh Usama Bin Laden, the commander of Al-Qaida�may Allah protect him... With the help of Allah, what is yet to come will be far worse."

Click to view English translation c/o Globalterroralert.com

See also:
(11/20/05) - "Al-Qaida Takes Casualties in Iraq -- But Apparently Not Zarqawi"

...at least four commanders from the designated foreign terrorist organization Asbat al-Ansar in southern Lebanon have been killed during intense fighting near the western towns of Al-Qaim and Al-Karabilah." [In January 2005, the United States Treasury Department announced that a member of Zarqawi's Shura Council in Iraq "was assigned by Zarqawi to train members of Asbat al-Ansar in preparing forged documents" and "also brought $10,000 for Abu Muhjin, the leader of Asbat al-Ansar, from Zarqawi."]

(11/11/05) - "Zarqawi's Al-Qaida Faction Offers More Details Behind Amman Suicide Blasts"

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has issued a third communique claiming responsibility for Thursday's suicide bombing attacks at three Western hotels in the Jordanian capital Amman... Al-Qaida also renewed its threat to strike directly at neighboring Israel: "Let the Jews realize that their wall that was built to the east of the Jordan river� is now a target for the lions of al-Tawheed and soon they [the Jews] will be reached by the mujahideen."

Secret Wiretaps Damaging, Worrisome

By Evan Kohlmann

Adding on the comments of my colleague Victor Comras below, I've also had a chance to weigh in on the issue of secret NSA wiretaps authorized by the Bush administration, care of MSNBC's Hardblogger website.  Bypassing the authority of the FISA court requires a weighty and specific justification -- one that has not yet been offered by anyone at the White House.  More importantly, this action has politically jeopardized the extension of the critical 2001 USA Patriot Act and -- worse still -- is giving a host of various imprisoned terrorists a narrow shot at challenging their convictions.  Bottom line: the sentiment behind the secret wiretaps may have been noble, but the execution was arrogant and bumbling.

The President?s NSA Wiretaps: Unnecessary Problems in the War on Terrorism

By Victor Comras

The New York Times revelation that the NSA has been eavesdropping on US-overseas telephone conversations, without FISA�s special oversight procedures, is certain to stir up a legal mess that may take years to straighten out in the courts. FISA created a Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court (the "FISA Court") made up of federal district judges, to review just such types of surveillance. My colleague Daveed Gartenstein-Ross has pointed out several of the legal arguments the courts are likely to hear regarding this matter. These arguments will not be heard in the abstract. They will be raised, countered, considered and appealed in the context of numerous past, on-going and future terrorism-related cases. The same issues will be aired publicly, in the media and in Congressional hearings. And these issues, and the arguments in these cases, won�t go away anytime soon. In fact, they are likely to cause considerable complications and delays in prosecuting and winning these cases. So, the question must be asked: Was the President�s decision to authorize such NSA wiretaps on his own, arguably on the basis of his own constitutional authority, and without regard to FISA, a mistake? The answer to this question follows, in large part from the answer to another question. Was such unilateral action really necessary?

The President maintains that it was. He argues that the urgent and severe security threat terrorism poses for America requires immediate and close monitoring of those linked with international terrorism. But he has not explained why using the procedures laid out in FISA would have posed any increased risks to our national security. The procedures under FISA allow for such wiretaps. They can begin immediately, when necessary and authorized by the President or his Attorney-General. FISA procedures allow the Administration a grace period of 72 hours (3 days) to report such actions to the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court, a special judicial tribunal established by FISA. Each of the justices on that court holds the highest levels of security clearances. The courts only function in such matters is to determine whether there is any basis for carrying on such surveillance. There is no burden of proof on the government. It needs only to explain why it believes there is reasonable cause of suspicion to support the surveillance. The presumptions are in the governments favor. And, even then, if the court ruled against the surveillance the government can continue the surveillance pending an appeal to a special FISA appeals panel that can review the decisions of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. These are ex-parte proceedings. There is no one arguing the other side: only the justices, whose job is to ensure that the government is acting responsibly. The President has indicated that such surveillance has only been directed against persons known to be in contact with terrorist groups. Certainly that would qualify as sufficient justification for the FISA Court.

Some pundits have questioned the effacacy of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court. But their suggestions that this court might delay or otherwise unduly encumber such national security surveillance is without merit. In fact, the record seems to indicate that the government has, on several ocassions provided the court with "erroneous" information. There is also some confusion over different types of circumstances and warrants that the court is empowered to grant. For a discussion of some of these issues click here.

I refer Blog readers to an interesting essay written for FindLaw by Sherry Colb entitled Why Get A Warrant?: The President's Admission that He Authorized Warrantless Domestic Surveillance. Excerpts are included below:
----

Defense Challenges to NSA Wiretaps: Legal Issues

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

Yesterday I noted that defense lawyers in some of the country's most important terrorism cases are going to mount challenges based on the recently uncovered NSA warrantless surveillance.  In this post, I'm going to provide an overview of the legal issues involved.

The defense lawyers are going to argue that the NSA wiretaps were illegal.  When an illegal search takes place, the evidence secured by illegal means cannot be introduced at trial.  More important to the defense attorneys, though, is a doctrine known as the "fruit of the poisonous tree," which was first introduced in Silverthorne Lumber Co. v. United States (Supreme Court 1920).  This doctrine holds that evidence uncovered as a result of obtaining other evidence illegally will be excluded.  Thus, for example, if an illegal wiretap reveals the location of the bomb that a suspect intends to use to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge, then the bomb will also be excluded.  The defense attorneys' obvious hope is that a large amount of the evidence against their clients was uncovered as a result of the NSA wiretaps, and thus could be excluded.  Defense attorneys can also use this argument to challenge convictions by arguing that illegal evidence was used to obtain the conviction.

The government will have several responses to this argument.  First of all, the government will challenge the various defendants' right to make the argument in the first place.  Many of the people currently imprisoned for terrorism-related offenses were sentenced pursuant to plea deals in which they waived various rights of appeal.  But beyond that, many defendants will not have standing to challenge the NSA wiretaps.  The Supreme Court held in Alderman v. United States (1969) that "suppression of the product of a Fourth Amendment violation can be successfully urged only by those whose rights were violated by the search itself, not by those who are aggrieved solely by the introduction of damaging evidence."  Thus, only the targets of the NSA wiretaps may challenge them.  If an NSA wiretap was directed at Ali Timimi but turned up evidence against his follower Seifullah Chapman, only Timimi -- and not Chapman -- would have standing to challenge it.

The government can also employ the doctrines of independent source and inevitable discovery.  Under the doctrine of independent source, evidence won't be excluded when the government learned of the evidence from a source independent of the illegal search.  Under the doctrine of inevitable discovery, which the Supreme Court accepted in Nix v. Williams (1984), evidence won't be excluded when the government would have probably discovered it lawfully absent the illegal search.

Ultimately, though, the government's strongest argument is that the NSA wiretaps were legal.  While this isn't a settled issue of law, there's a strong argument that because of the president's constitutional authority in the area of foreign affairs, the president may authorize surveillance to obtain foreign intelligence information without obtaining a warrant.  United States v. Truong (Fourth Circuit 1980), which was based on a pre-FISA set of facts, held that the president did have this power to conduct warrantless surveillance.  Thereafter, in In re Sealed Case (2002), a special court convened to hear FISA appeals noted that Truong and all other courts to decide the issue "held that the President did have inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches to obtain foreign intelligence information."  Further, In re Sealed Case stated, "We take for granted that the President does have that authority and, assuming that is so, FISA could not encroach on the President's constitutional power."  This is a basic point of constitutional law:  If a power is derived from the Constitution itself, that power cannot be abridged by statute.

Thus, while the NSA wiretapping controversy has created legal uncertainty in a number of terrorism cases, the government can put forward several powerful responses.

UPDATE, DECEMBER 29, 2005:  This area of law can be difficult to penetrate.  Thus, I thought two further points regarding the Administration's legal position with respect to Truong could help to clarify matters:

1. The Administration will argue that because Truong recognized the president's inherent authority to conduct warrantless surveillance for the purposes of foreign intelligence-gathering, it remains good law even after FISA's enactment because constutitional authority trumps statutory restrictions.  (The only way to abridge a power granted to a branch of government by the Constitution is through a constitutional amendment.)
2. In re Sealed Case (2002) cites Truong as authority.  Since Truong is based on a pre-FISA set of facts, the Administration will argue that In re Sealed Case demonstrates the continuing vitality of this presidential power even after the adoption of FISA.

John Schmidt, who served as the associate attorney general under President Clinton, states that all four appellate courts to consider this issue since 1972 (i.e. three more beside Truong) have recognized the president's inherent authority to conduct warrantless surveillance for the purposes of foreign intelligence-gathering.  You can read a description of these cases in Section I of the brief that the DOJ submitted in In re Sealed Case.

(Hat tip for this update to Adam White.)

Defense Lawyers in Terrorism Cases to Challenge NSA Wiretaps

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

The December 28 New York Times has an interesting article that adds a new wrinkle to the NSA wiretap controversy:  Defense lawyers in some of the most important terrorism cases in the country are going to argue that the NSA used illegal wiretaps against their clients.  The Times reports:

The lawyers said in interviews that they wanted to learn whether the men were monitored by the agency and, if so, whether the government withheld critical information or misled judges and defense lawyers about how and why the men were singled out.  The expected legal challenges, in cases from Florida, Ohio, Oregon and Virginia, add another dimension to the growing controversy over the agency's domestic surveillance program and could jeopardize some of the Bush administration's most important courtroom victories in terror cases, legal analysts say.

The first challenge to the NSA wiretaps is likely to come in Florida as early as next week.  The lawyers for two men charged with Jose Padilla are planning to file a motion "to determine if the N.S.A. program was used to gain incriminating information on their clients and their suspected ties to Al Qaeda."  And the Times reports that there may also be challenges to the convictions of Ali al-Timimi and some of his followers:

In a Virginia case, Edward B. MacMahon Jr., a lawyer for Ali al-Timimi, a Muslim scholar in Alexandria who is serving a life sentence for inciting his young followers to wage war against the United States overseas, said the government's explanation of how it came to suspect Mr. Timimi of terrorism ties never added up in his view.  F.B.I. agents were at Mr. Timimi's door days after the Sept. 11 attacks to question him about possible links to terrorism, Mr. MacMahon said, yet the government did not obtain a warrant through the foreign intelligence court to eavesdrop on his conversations until many months later.  Mr. MacMahon said he was so skeptical about the timing of the investigation that he questioned the Justice Department about whether some sort of unknown wiretap operation had been conducted on the scholar or his young followers, who were tied to what prosecutors described as a "Virginia jihad" cell. . . .  John Zwerling, a lawyer for one of Mr. Timimi's followers, Seifullah Chapman, who is serving a 65-year sentence in federal prison in the case, said he and lawyers for two of the other defendants in the case planned to send a letter to the Justice Department to find out if N.S.A. wiretaps were used against their clients.  If the Justice Department declines to give an answer, Mr. Zwerling said, they plan to file a motion in court demanding access to the information.

A federal prosecutor, speaking to the Times anonymously, stated:  "If I'm a defense attorney, the first thing I'm going to say in court is, 'This was an illegal wiretap.'"  And from the account in the Times, it seems that a large number of defense attorneys -- including in cases that were believed to have been resolved in the government's favor -- are going to say just that.  Thus, this latest development adds greater urgency to the question of the NSA wiretaps' legality.

Why Aircraft Matter for Terrorist and Organized Crime

By Douglas Farah

One of the most overlooked elements in combatting terrorism, organize crime and non-state armed groups is the vital role that aircraft play. An AFP story on the use of aircraft by the FARC, AUC and drug traffickers in Colombia illustrate this point. Without aircraft, it would be impossible for these groups to arm themselves and function as they do. The same is true for the wars that have torn apart sub-Saharan Africa, as well as Sudan and elsewhere. If weapons are the lifeblood of these groups, the aircraft are the arteries through which the blood flows.

That is what makes it so dangerous to patronize people like Viktor Bout and allow him to stay in businesss. He may be useful for some things the intelligence communities and militaries of the world increasingly want, as wars and armies-even their core functions-become more privatized. But his planes are also the lifeline of groups, from the Taliban to the FARC and many groups in between, that make the world a more dangerous and less secure place. That is why Peter Hain, the senior British official who chased Bout for years was right when he dubbed Bout "the Merchant of Death." That is what is aircraft routinely carry.

Bout did not rise to prominence because of access to weapons--those connections are relatively easy to come by. He rose to prominence because he has a air fleet bigger than those of many countries, and is willing to rent them to the highest bidder. Go here to read the rest of the blog.

Senior Al-Qaida Operative Reportedly Captured in Saudi Arabia

By Evan Kohlmann

In yet another blow to the floundering Al-Qaida military apparatus in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, local security forces have captured Mohammed al-Suwailmi--a most wanted terrorist operative who was incorrectly reported killed in clashes in the eastern Saudi city of Dammam during early September 2005.  Following the September battles in Dammam, al-Suwailmi released a defiant audio recording on the Internet--taking pains to thank Abu Musab al-Zarqawi for his ongoing support of Al-Qaida's activities in the Saudi kingdom:

�We have witnessed how all our enemies have united together against this small fighting unit and only a small minority amongst the Muslims have stood alongside the mujahideen... The mujahideen will never forget the group of the faithful who stood beside them and supported them. They will always remember that favor and will ask Allah to grant them forgiveness. Among those is my mujahid brother Abu Musab al-Zarqawi�may Allah protect him and use him to spread frustration amongst his enemies. [Abu Musab] did not hesitate even for a second to support and assist the mujahideen in [Saudi Arabia]. I ask Allah to grant victory upon him and his brothers in Mesopotamia and to grant honor and dignity upon Islam.�

See also: [CT BLOG] Al-Qaida in Saudi Arabia Responds to Counterterrorism Raids in Dammam (9/16/05)

GSPC Claims Bomb Attack on Algerian Naval Vessels

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a known Al-Qaida affiliate group active in North Africa--has released a new communique claiming credit for a December 22 twin bombing attack on Algerian naval vessels in the port of Dellys east of the capital Algiers.  According to the statement, "[t]hanks to precise intelligence that was gathered on a coast guard ship�and despite the heightened security measures that were put in place in the vicinity of the port�the courageous mujahideen succeeded in sneaking into the port using their own special means, no doubt with the blessing of Allah.  The mujahideen proceeded to plant two bombs inside the port.  The mujahideen quickly set off the first device against the evil tyrants as soon as the warship approached it.  When a second group [of infidels] neared the scene in order to help the wounded and recover the victims, the mujahideen set off their second device."

Click to view English translation c/o Globalterroralert.com

Yemeni Al-Qaida Operative "Martyred" in Iraq After Failed Effort to Travel to Afghanistan

By Evan Kohlmann

Al-Qaida's Committee in Iraq--led by Abu Musab al-Zarqawi--has released yet a new edition in its ongoing "Distinguished Martyrs" propaganda series, this time paying homage to "Abu Tarek al-Yemeni" (originally from Yemen).  Allegedly, Abu Tarek attended several Al-Qaida terrorist training camps setup inside Iraq, including one facility known as the "Rawa base."  Yet, according to Al-Qaida, Abu Tarek eagerly sought to continue his jihad beyond the mere borders of Mesopotamia:

"[W]hile [Abu Tarek]'s body was physically in Iraq, his heart was in Afghanistan. Along with several other brothers, al-Yemeni constantly insisted on going there. The necessary arrangements and preparations were made and they began their long and strenuous journey. There was a point on the border between Iran and Kurdistan where we had no other choice but to run across at night. With the exception of an overweight Kuwaiti brother, all members of the group quickly made their way across the border. Our friend [Abu Tarek al-Yemeni] rushed back to help the [Kuwaiti] brother and push him along as he ran. However, it was Allah�s desire for them both to be captured by the [Kurdish] Peshmerga scum."

According to Al-Qaida, Abu Tarek was able to escape from enemy custody on two separate occasions before his eventual death--first, by violently attacking his Kurdish Peshmerga guards, and then later by deceiving American military interrogators into believing that he was a native Iraqi national and not actually a foreign fighter.  Nonetheless, Abu Tarek was reportedly killed in a subsequent U.S. airstrike after he helped lead a major Al-Qaida military operation in the restive Iraqi city of Baqubah.

Click to view English translation c/o Globalterroralert.com

*UPDATE*: A respected colleague has directed my attention to the following June 2003 New York Times report that further discusses the Rawa training camp attended by Abu Tarek al-Yemeni, and the early role of the camp in mobilizing foreign fighters in Iraq. (Thanks, J.L.!)

"New evidence about the role of foreign fighters, including passports and other documents, was gathered after the American air and ground attack last week on a militant camp at Rawa, about 150 miles northwest of Baghdad.  According to American military commanders, two wounded foreigners were also captured--a Saudi and a Syrian.  American officials said the two captives had told them that they were offered money to come to Iraq and kill American soldiers... The strike on the Rawa camp... appears to have been a site where foreign and Iraqi fighters trained for attacks on Americans.  American officials estimated that there were almost 70 fighters at the camp before the attack.  Some foreigners were trying to get there from Syria when the raid occurred, an official said... The camp was pummeled by satellite-guided bombs and attacked by an AC-130 gunship.  Most of the fighters were literally ripped apart by the blasts, American military officials say, making it difficult to determine how many were there in the first place.  An Army Ranger was wounded in the attack, the only American casualty in the raid.  An American Apache helicopter was also shot down, an indication of the ferocity of the resistance."

Target: White House

By Evan Kohlmann

My colleague James Meek at the New York Daily News has published an interesting piece on senior Al-Qaida leader Abu Faraj al-Libi (described by some as the successor to 9/11-mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed) who was captured in Pakistan last spring.  According to two law enforcement sources interviewed in Pakistan and the United States, Abu Faraj was actively endeavoring to assassinate President George Bush "in the White House, preferably."  A "senior U.S. counterterrorism official" confirmed to Meek, "It was clearly something they wanted to do. There's no question about that. It's the holy grail of jihad."

Indeed, Abu Faraj is by no means the only Al-Qaida commander who has coveted President Bush and the White House as a primary target.  During his 2003 interrogation by Saudi security forces, convicted American Al-Qaida operative Ahmed Omar Abu Ali admitted that top Saudi Al-Qaida leaders �talk[ed] to me about killing Bush one time and another time about [suicide hijacking] operations by planes that take off from Britain and Australia that transit America.  This way, the passenger will not need an American visa. The plane would then crash in America.�  Specifically, in order to kill President Bush, Abu Ali would use either snipers or "martyrdom" volunteers dispatched to him by Ali al-Faqasi.

More recently, Zarqawi's Al-Qaida faction in Iraq celebrated the "martyrdom" of a Saudi Arabian suicide bomber in Iraq who was encouraged by specific religious "visions" he had experienced: "Abu Naim [al-Najdi]�the first martyr�envisioned himself leaving his house, with his sister asking, �Where are you going.�  [In his vision, Abu Naim] replied, �I�m going to teach America a lesson that it will never forget.�  He then boarded an airplane and when he observed the World Trade Center, he said to himself [in his vision], �I will crash this plane straight into the White House.�"

Patriot Act Extended by Congress (updated with title change)

By Andrew Cochran

The U.S. House approved an extension of the current USA Patriot Act only through February 3, 2006, not to July, as the U.S. Senate approved yesterday. The Senate approved the one-month extension tonight, and President Bush will sign it. Here is the statement issued by House Judiciary Committee Chairman Sensenbrenner tonight upon passage by the House:

"Eight days ago, a bipartisan majority of the House, including 44 Democrats, voted for the PATRIOT Act conference report. Last night, the Senate ignored the will of the bipartisan majority of the House, a majority of the PATRIOT Act House-Senate conferees, and a clear majority of Senators by failing to consider the PATRIOT Act conference report. Instead, the Senate chose to punt the issue to next year by passing a six-month extension of the PATRIOT Act that contains none of the important civil liberties safeguards carefully negotiated by House and Senate conferees and included in the PATRIOT Act conference report.

LEBANON: CANDIDATE FOR TERRORIST LIST?

By Michael Kraft

by Michael Kraft
The Lebanese Government�s stonewalling attitude in protecting the Lebanese convicted murderer of an American sailor during the TWA 847 hijacking should prompt the U.S. Government to consider placing Lebanon on the State Department�s list of state supporters of terrorism.

This is the time of the year that the State Department traditionally reviews the terrorist list while preparing its annual international terrorism report to Congress at the end of April.

Lebanon provides sanctuary to a number of terrorists sought by the United States, as well as allowing terrorist groups to operate from its soil.

Mohammad Ali Hamadi, who was released last week from a German jail after serving nearly 19 years for the killing of Robert Stethem during 1985 airline hijacking, flew back to Lebanon last week. According to press reports, he was briefly detained in Lebanon and then released.

GSPC in Algeria Mourns Death of Saudi Arabian Al-Qaida Commander in Chechnya

By Evan Kohlmann

The Algerian Salafist Group for Prayer and Combat (GSPC)--a known Al-Qaida-affiliate group active in North Africa--has issued a statement on behalf of its leader Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud mourning the loss of slain Saudi Arabian Al-Qaida commander Abu Omar al-Saif during combat operations with Russian forces in the Caucasus.  According to Abu Musab Abdel Wadoud:

"We are sorry to hear that such a great mujahid and distinguished personality has been lost.  It is unfortunate that, precisely during these times of hardship, the Islamic nation has lost a distinguished leader of dawah and jihad...  There are few like Abu Omar al-Saif, and we will definitely miss him... Our movement would like to point out that killing our commanders and leaders will only make us more determined to continue waging our blessed jihad... With Allah�s blessing, the Islamic nation that has already produced such great commanders as Ibn-ul-Khattab, Abu al-Walid [al-Ghamdi], Abu Omar al-Saif, and others will also give rise to their successors."

See also:
- Sawt al-Qoqaz confirms death of commander Abu Omar al-Saif
- CT Blog - Senior Saudi Al-Qaida Member Sets Off Suicide Blast in Dagestan
- CT Blog - Interview with top GSPC commander in Algeria
- US News - "The Mutating Threat: Why U.S. officials worry about a group you've never heard of."

The Media, the NSA and the PATRIOT Act

By Dennis Lormel

A former FBI collegue of mine, Clint Van Zandt, wrote the commentary set forth below. It offers a thoughtful, well articulated perspective about the PATRIOT Act and issues concerning our civil liberties and national security.

The media, the NSA and the Patriot Act
Former FBI Profiler Van Zandt shares his thoughts on privacy and security
COMMENTARY
By Clint Van Zandt
MSNBC analyst & former FBI profiler
Updated: 4:28 p.m. ET Dec. 20, 2005

Does the National Security Agency (NSA), also known as "No Such Agency," listen in on your every telephone call and track you every time you use the Internet? Does the FBI use the Patriot Act to find out what library books you check out? Both of these allegations could not be further from the truth. But were you to get your news from only certain elements of the media, you might believe them.

An Islamist at Johns Hopkins and then US Congress

By Olivier Guitta

I just wrote an article for Front Page Magazine about a Moroccan Islamist currently studying at John Hopkins on his way to training at the US Congress and the Canadian Parliament.
Here is an excerpt:

A 32-YEAR-OLD MOROCCAN INTELLECTUAL has been selected by John Hopkins University to study political science for one year at the university's prestigious School of Advanced International Studies, after which he will receive further training at the U.S. Congress and the Canadian Parliament. Mustafa El Khalfi was chosen from a pool of hundreds of candidates from more than 20 countries and, interestingly enough, he is the first Moroccan so honored since Hopkins began this program in 1953. (He is also a visiting scholar at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.)

El Khalfi's background is colorful. At the age of 15 he joined the Islamist party Jama Islamiya. He was a brilliant student, earning an undergraduate degree in physics and a masters in political science. In 2003 he attended a program in Oxford similar to the one he is now part of at Hopkins. Before being chosen by the Hopkins program, he was the editor-in-chief of the main Islamist Moroccan publication At-Tajdid � which means �renewal.� At-Tajdid is the paper of the largest Moroccan Islamist party, the PJD (Parti de la Justice et du Developement) and has a certain measure of notoriety. For instance, At-Tajdid was among the first papers in the world to explain last year's horrific tsunami by pointing out that the affected Asian countries were corrupt and that the tsunami was a consequence not following the true course of Islam. Later in the piece, At-Tajdid implied that the same punishment might be in the works Morocco because of the lack of respect Islam was shown by Moroccan society. When later pressed about this line of analysis, El Khalfi answered, �Regarding the tsunami, only God knows the truth.�

GERMAN RELEASE OF TERRORIST REVIVES MEMORIES OF GERMAN AND MEDIA WEAKNESSES

By Michael Kraft

by Michael Kraft

Germany�s secret release of a Lebanese Hezbollah terrorist convicted of killing a U.S. Navy diver during the 1985 hijacking of TWA 847 revives memories of past German deals with terrorist and their supporters. The 17- day hijacking ordeal also had touched off a great deal of teeth gnashing about the role of the media in dealing with ongoing terrorist situations.

The long sorry saga, which I saw evolve while working in the State Department Counterterrorism Office, is a forerunner of some of the terrorist-related problems we still face today.

On Tuesday, German court officials confirmed that they had released Mohammed Ali Hamadi, who had been given a life sentence for killing Robert Stethem, a Navy diver from Maryland's Eastern Shore. The young Navy man had been beaten and then shot and dumped on the Beirut airport runway after TWA 847 was hijacked by a group of terrorists on JUne 14 while it was flying from Athens to Rome.

German government officials denied that the release�which took place Thursday�had anything to with the release this weekend of a German archeologist, Susanne Osthoff, who was taken captive in Iraq three weeks ago.

But as the German press agency, DPA said in its story yesterday, �the timing �has raised uncomfortable questions.�