Jihad, Islamism, and U.S. Envoy to OIC

By Jeffrey Imm

In the global war against Jihad, America's recurring challenge is the unwillingness of its political leadership to confront the fact that political Islamism is an ideological basis for "Islamist terrorism", as defined in the 9/11 Commission Report. This week, while operational war tactics garnered most of the headlines, once again America's political leadership ignored the global challenge of political Islamism, and President Bush announced his selection of a new U.S. envoy to the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC), Mr. Sada Cumber of Texas.

The OIC remains the largest international Islamist organization in the world, and it is an organization that consistently leverages political Islamism to attack freedom of speech and press, to attack freedom of religion, to deny that Palestinian and Lebanese Jihadist groups are terrorists, and to promote the anti-freedom ideology of Islamism. In June 2007, when President Bush first indicated plans of such an envoy to the OIC, his plans were met with praise by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (an unindicted co-conspirator in the Holy Land Foundation/Hamas trial), and met with condemnation by counterterrorism expert Steven Emerson.

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2008 State Department Report Targets Afghan Opium, Mobile Payments Issues

By Andrew Cochran

The 2008 edition of the International Narcotics Control Strategy Report was released by the U.S. State Department today. As in the 2007 edition, this year's report targets the explosive growth in opium production in Afghanistan and warns of the corrosive impact on counterterrorism operations there:

"Narcotics production in Afghanistan hit historic highs in 2007 for the second straight year. Afghanistan grew 93 percent of the world’s opium poppy, according to the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC). Opium poppy cultivation expanded from 165,000 ha in 2006 to 193,000 ha in 2007, an increase of 17 percent in land under cultivation... The export value of this year’s illicit opium harvest, $4 billion, made up more than a third of Afghanistan’s combined total Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of $11.5 billion. Afghanistan’s drug trade is undercutting efforts to establish a stable democracy with a licit economic free market in the country. The narcotics trade has strong links with the anti-government insurgency, most commonly associated with the Taliban. Narcotics traffickers provide revenue and arms to the Taliban, while the Taliban provides protection to growers and traffickers and keeps the government from interfering with their activities. During recent years, poppy production has soared in provinces where the Taliban is most active."

This year's edition includes a new section titled, "Mobile Payments--A Growing Threat":

"Unfortunately, while fighting the twin threats of money laundering and terrorist financing, we are also witnessing a plethora of new, high-tech value transfer systems that can be abused. Some of the most innovative are electronic payment products. FATF calls them “new payment methods” or NPMs. They are also sometimes called “e-money” or “digital cash.” Examples include Internet payment services, prepaid calling and credit cards, digital precious metals, electronic purses, and mobile payments or “m-payments.” Driven by a remarkable convergence of the financial and telecommunications sectors, the rapid global growth of m-payments demands particular attention. M-payments can take many forms but are commonly point of sale payments made through a mobile device such as a cellular phone, a smart phone, or a personal digital assistant (PDA)."

The section describes a typical method of moving money through m-payments:

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USS Cole and Hizballah

By David Schenker

On February 28, the USS Cole was deployed off the coast of Lebanon. Ostensibly, the presence of the warship is intended to demonstrate Washington's ongoing commitment to the democratically elected pro-West government vis-à-vis the Hizballah-led opposition and ally, Damascus. Hizballah and Syria are currently preventing presidential elections in Lebanon; the office has been vacant since November 2007.

Reports suggest that the USS Cole may soon be joined by the Nassau battle group, which among other things includes amphibious troop carriers. It’s unlikely that we’ll see US boots on the ground in Lebanon, but Syria and Hizballah are not pleased.

Senior Hizballah officials have described the USS Cole as "a threat." In October 2007, Hizballah officials threatened that if US troops ventured onto Lebanese soil, they would be treated as “occupation forces” and attacked. UNIFIL has been attacked three times since its deployment in 2006.

The situation is particularly tense in the aftermath of the assassination of Hizballah terrorist chief Imad Mugniyyeh earlier this month. Hizballah has vowed retaliation against Israel.

I wrote an article on Hizballah’s history of following through with threats against Israel, which was published yesterday and can be found here.

AQI Facilitation Networks Still Active in Syria

By Matthew Levitt

In its latest effort to target al Qaeda in Iraq (AQI) financial and logistical networks operating out of Syria, the Treasury Department designated today four members of a key terrorist facilitation network. Such facilitation networks have long operated out of Syria and have been the target of periodic designations. As recently as December 2007, Undersecretary of the Treasury Stuart Levey called on Syria to “take action to deny safe haven to those supporting violence from within its borders.” Today’s designation suggests Syria still has far to go in this regard.

Known as the “Abu Ghadiyah” network and run by Badran Turki Hishan al Mazidih (aka Abu Ghadiyah), the group designated today controls the flow of much of the money, weapons, personnel and other material through Syria into Iraq for AQI. According to the Treasury Department, the network “obtained false passports for foreign terrorists, provided passports, weapons, guides, safe houses, and allowances to foreign terrorists in Syria and those preparing to cross the border into Iraq.” Indeed, Badran reportedly received several hundred thousand dollars from his cousin, another member of the Abu Ghadiyah financial and logistical facilitation network, with which he supported insurgent activity targeting the U.S. military and facilitated the travel of AQI foreign fighters.

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Like a Rolling Stone

By Jeffrey Breinholt

I have written about the increased tendency of journalists to transform clear U.S. law enforcement victories into crushing defeats, by giving a platform to those who argue the government should not have prosecuted certain people who were ultimately convicted. To most, a conviction or guilty plea should wash this argument away. If not, we must allow the government to claim victory even when it loses a terrorism prosecution, something for which few rational people argue. Legal results matter, unless you are a nihilist.

This trend is on display in a Boston Globe article by Drake Bennett and in a forthcoming Mother Jones article by Eric Umansky, though neither of these articles are particularly disturbing. An article along these lines by Guy Lawson in Rolling Stone a few weeks about convicted terrorist Dareek Shariff, however, drew protest from FBI spokesman John Miller.

Miller’s letter (here) speaks for itself. However, it is important to consider the source of his consternation. Since when is Rolling Stone a source of hard news about counterrorism and public affairs? I appreciate its occasional attempts to be serious, and I have been known to sometimes rely on its music reviews. However, people should be wary about treating it as a reliable bellwether for hard news and political analysis.

Need proof of this? Consider the current issue, which has “Britney Spears: An American Tragedy” on the cover. If you read the article by Matt Taibi, entitled “The Chicken Doves,” you will readily see why Rolling Stone has such a long way to go before it is treated as a respectable source of enlightened political commentary. Here’s how Taibi concludes his article:

Even beyond the war, the Democrats have repeatedly gone limp-d___ every time the Bush Administration so much as raises its voice. Most recently, twelve Democrats crossed the aisle to grant immunity to phone companies who participated in Bush’s notorious wiretapping program. Before that, the Democrats caved in and confirmed Mike Mukasey as attorney general after he kept his middle finger extended and refused to condemn waterboarding. . . . . How much of this bulls___ are we going to take? How long are we supposed to give the Reids and Pelosis and Hillarys of the world credit for wanting, deep down in their molding hearts, to do the right thing? Look, f___ your hearts, OK. Just get it done. Because if you don’t, sooner or later this con is going to run dry. It may not be in ’08, but it’ll be soon. Even Americans can’t be fooled again.

Like, right on, dude! Totally speaking truth to power. Now take a deep breath and ask yourself: is this the type of sentiment that passes for journalism in this day and age? Rolling Stone might tell us about Sheryl Crow’s new album or the upcoming Led Zeppelin tour, but perhaps it should stick to what it knows.

The views in this post are the author's own and do not reflect those of the Department of Justice.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Comments to Ad Dustour

By David Schenker

The Jerusalem Post today ran an article today containing a few quotes translated from Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ February 27 interview with the Jordanian daily Ad Dustour.

The remarks reported by the Post do not inspire optimism regarding the future of the Annapolis negotiations. [Neither does the full interview in Arabic].

Of the few points mentioned by the Post, the following quote stands out:

"At this present juncture, I am opposed to armed struggle because we cannot succeed in it, but maybe in the future things will be different," he said.

In the full interview, Abbas speaks with pride about the PLO’s “legendary struggle” Israel, and how the PLO trained Hizballah in their camps. He also mentions how he personally withstood US and Israeli pressures not to allow Hamas to participate in the January 2006 elections. Today, he said, “I won’t reject dialogue with Hamas, and I won’t accept pressure from anyone.”

Secretary of State Rice heads to the Middle East on March 3rd to try and push these negotiations forward.

Will Divisions Undermine the Somali Insurgency?

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

Terrorists and Credit Card Fraud…a Quiet Epidemic

By Dennis Lormel

A few weeks ago while conducting research for a client; I came across a newspaper article from Toronto that immediately caught my attention. It reported the arrest of four men on charges of debit and credit card fraud for possessing numerous gift cards containing bank account and debit information from individuals in the United Kingdom (U.K.). Further investigation found laptop computers and memory sticks containing bank information for thousands of U.K. bank customers. What resonated was the fact the four subjects were believed to be associated with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) aka, the Tamil Tigers.

In November, I was in Toronto and met with a credit card fraud expert. I inquired as to whether he observed a nexus between credit card fraud and terrorists. He stated that Canada had a credit card fraud problem involving the Tamil Tigers. I knew there was a concern about the Tamil Tigers in Canada but I hadn’t previously been aware of the apprehensiveness about their involvement in credit card fraud.

The arrest of the two U.K. subjects above reminded me of the massive credit and debit card fraud case in the U.K. involving up to 200 British petrol (gasoline) stations. The subjects in that case were alleged to be Tamil Tigers. They obtained credit and debit card information at gasoline pumps through the use of skimming machines. The loss was estimated to be as much as $72,000,000.

Unfortunately, this problem does not receive the attention it deserves. It’s reminiscent to the Nigerian credit card fraud problem in the late 1970s. When I was a young Agent with the FBI, I worked Nigerian frauds. Invariably whenever an arrest was made the Nigerian subject had stacks of fraudulent credit cards in their possession. It was a quite epidemic that was never adequately addressed.

We should be extremely concerned about the scope of the credit card fraud problem involving terrorists. There is limited or no empirical data to gauge the extent of the problem. However, there are compelling signs that an epidemic permeates. Looking back at three specific cases, we get a snapshot of how serious the problem is.

1. Ali Al Marri was arrested in Illinois in December 2001 for having lied to FBI Agents about having contact with facilitators of the 9/11 terrorist attack. At the time of arrest, Al Marri had 36 credit card numbers and account information in his possession. A subsequent search of his computer found he had compiled over 1,000 credit card numbers and other identifying information.

2. Imam Samudra was the mastermind of the Bali bombing. Following his arrest he wrote an autobiography about his jihadist life. He wrote a chapter entitled “Hacking, Why Not.” In it, he urged fellow Muslim radicals to take holy war into cyberspace by attacking U.S. computers. Samudra described America’s computer network as being vulnerable to hacking, credit card fraud and money laundering. The chapter did not focus on specific techniques. It focused on how to find techniques on the internet and how to connect with people in chat rooms to perfect hacking and carding skills. It was a course of study for aspiring hackers and carders. Samudra discussed the process of scanning for websites vulnerable to hacking and then went on to discuss the basics of online credit card fraud and money laundering. One of the concerns posed by Samudra’s book was that it could serve as a roadmap leading terrorists to more accomplished hackers.

3. In the case of Younes Tsouli, aka Terrorist 007, and his two associates, Waseem Mughal and Tariq al-Daour, investigators in the United States (U.S.) and the U.K. determined the trio used computer viruses and stolen credit card accounts to set up a network of communication forums and web sites that hosted everything from tutorials on computer hacking and bomb making to videos of beheadings and suicide bombing attacks in Iraq. These individuals were not murderous terrorists like Samudra, but were facilitators for individuals who were, making them every bit as despicable. They raised funds through massive credit card information theft and fraud, which were used to support the communications, propaganda and recruitment for terrorists worldwide, as well as to purchase equipment for Jihadists in the field. One expert described their activities as “operating an online dating service for al-Qaeda.” The three men pled guilty to inciting terrorist murder via the internet.

The above cases are particularly troubling because of the upward trend of terrorists communicating on and using the internet as a learning tool. In both the Samudra and Terrorist 007 cases, they left their successful tradecraft on web pages and in chat rooms for aspiring terrorists to learn and grow from.

Congress should address this issue. There needs to be a series of hearings to assess the scope of the problem and the potential solutions, including the development of detective and preventive mechanisms such as enhanced credit card information security features. As part of this process, Congress should request the Government Accountability Office to conduct an investigation to determine the level of vulnerability that can be quantified concerning terrorist related credit card fraud and credit information theft.

Government agencies possessing investigative and intelligence information about terrorist related credit card fraud should go back into their open and closed case files. They should collect, collate and assess all terrorist related credit card information. For example, when terrorists are arrested, how many credit cards or how much credit card account information do they possess? Where and how did they obtain the information? What patterns or trends can be identified?

Epidemics are not eliminated by inaction or ignorance. The Nigerian credit card fraud problems of the late 1970s and 1980s attests to this. Epidemics can only be treated and eliminated through detective and preventive treatment.

Kasteri Reportedly Escapes from Singapore

By Kenneth Conboy

Jemaah Islamiyah member Mas Selamet bin Kasteri reportedly escaped from a Singaporean detention center on the evening of 27 February. Earlier this decade, Kasteri had been the head of a Singaporean cell within JI. He was renowned for his particularly violent plots against targets in Singapore (hijacking a plane and crashing it into Changi Airport, for example), though none were ever actually carried out.

After the 11 September 2001 attacks, and the crackdowns against JI in Singapore in Malaysia, Kasteri fled to Indonesia. He was eventually captured in Indonesia and repatriated to Singapore.

If the reports of his escape are correct and the past is any precedent, Kasteri may well be seeking sanctuary in Indonesia once again.

NEFA Foundation: Transcript of Ayman al-Zawahiri's "Elegy" on Abu al-Laith al-Liby

By Evan Kohlmann

The NEFA Foundation has obtained a copy of a new video recording released today of Al-Qaida's Deputy Commander Dr. Ayman al-Zawahiri mourning the recent death of Abu al-Laith al-Liby during a U.S. air strike in northern Pakistan. In his video statement, al-Zawahiri acknowledged the significance of the late Libyan commander but insisted that his loss would not deter the plans of Al-Qaida: "Every time a martyr falls, another martyr grabs the banner from him, and every time a chief goes down in blood, another chief completes the march after him... No chief of ours has died a natural death, nor has our blood been spilled without a response."

An English transcript of al-Zawahiri's latest message can be downloaded from the NEFA Foundation website.

Hamas in the spotlight

By Matthew Levitt

As I wrote today for Middle East Strategy at Harvard (MESH), this week’s news placed Hamas in the spotlight, with press coverage of key Hamas activity in the West Bank, Egypt and Jordan. While Hamas suffered significant setbacks at the hands of Israeli and Jordanian authorities, the group fared much better in Egypt. In the West Bank, the Israeli military shut a key Hamas charity. In Jordan, officials arrested a group of five Hamas operatives surveiling targets within the Kingdom. But in Egypt authorities released twenty-one Palestinians to Hamas custody this week, including several Hamas activists detained with explosives and weapons inside Egypt.

By all accounts, Hamas control of Gaza is the most significant obstacle to resuming serious Israeli-Palestinian peace negotiations. So while news of crackdowns on Hamas in the West Bank and Jordan is welcome, the news out of Egypt could prove to be the most significant of these three developments.

US Financial Pressure on Terrorists and Rogue Regimes

By Michael Jacobson

This afternoon, Pat O'Brien, Assistant Secretary of the Treasury for terrorist financing and financial crimes, spoke at a Washington Institute lunch.

Here is an excerpt of his remarks:

Last year, Treasury's Deputy Secretary Robert Kimmitt spoke to you about a "Treasury Transformed." Today, I would like to build on those remarks and provide further detail on Treasury's Office of Terrorism and Financial Intelligence (TFI).

I will explain TFI's perspective and strategic approach for combating not only terrorist financing, but also other threats to our national security, including WMD proliferation, rogue nations, kleptocracy, drug trafficking, money laundering, and organized crime more generally. I would then like to spend some time on TFI's efforts to combat terrorist financing and how those efforts advance the broader U.S. counterterrorism mission. Finally, I want to briefly update you on TFI's efforts to address the particular threats that we face from Iran, with respect to proliferation and its role as a state sponsor of terrorism. These efforts illustrate TFI's broad range of statutory authorities, its effective government and private sector relationships, and substantive expertise in developing a comprehensive strategy to disrupt the ongoing threat posed by Iran. . . . .

To read the rest of the speech, click here.

CPI-Maoist: The Threat from Left-Wing Extremists

By Frank Hyland & Animesh Roul

This column is another in the ongoing series on the terrorist threat to India and the surrounding region by Frank Hyland and Animesh Roul.

Discussion of the terrorist threat in India’s troubled eastern region would not be complete without including the Communist Party of India-Maoist.

September 9th, 1976, marked the death of Mao Tse Tung, the iconic leader of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and an inspiration to millions of others throughout Asia and beyond. Mao’s ideas lived on, though, and persist even today in one of India’s most effective and most feared terrorist groups: The Communist Party of India-Maoist (CPI-M).

As it exists today, CPI-M is not yet four years old, having been formed in September of 2004. CPI-M’s progenitors, however, the Maoist Communist Center (MCC) and the People’s War Group (PWG) were highly experienced groups, both of which had carried out anti-state attacks in India for decades. CPI-M’s expressed goals remain those of MCC and PWG: nothing less than a PRC-like official end to societal classes through a peasant-led revolution in India. CPI-M’s strategy to achieve those ends, also mimicking Mao’s historic Long March, is the establishment of areas under its control known as Compact Revolutionary Zones. The areas would later be expanded until India in its entirety fell under CPI-M control. At present the group exerts a degree of such control over portions of Jharkhand and Andhra Pradesh States, as well as in the surrounding areas of Bihar, Orissa, and West Bengal.

CPI-M is, far and away, the most redoubtable of India’s left-wing terrorist groups. The group presently fields an estimated seven thousand guerrillas, including youngsters, in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Orissa, and West Bengal. CPI-M has also caused a “ripple effect” beyond India’s borders, in neighboring Nepal, through its growing relations with Nepalese Maoists of the CPN-M. Before its first organizational anniversary, CPI-M and CPN-M combined forces in June 2005 to kill more than 20 victims in a joint attack carried out in Bihar State.

A listing of CPI-M attacks, its motives, and its victims illustrates well the degree of the threat:

• On February 28, 2006, nearly 25 people were killed when CPI-M cadres triggered a landmine blast at Eklagoda, in Chhatisgarh’s Dantewada district; more than 40 others were injured;
• An attack by CPI-M on a government-run relief camp in Errabore, Dantewada, on July 17, 2006, probably to demonstrate the fate of those who relied on the Indian Government, resulted in the massacre of more than 30 people;
• In what is considered to be CPI-M’s biggest-ever strike targeting Indian security forces, the group stormed the Rani Bodli Police outpost with grenades and indiscriminate gunfire on March 15, 2007, killing approximately 55 police personnel;
• CPI-M attacks in the latter part of October 2007 were emblematic of its expressed aims. In one, the group killed villagers who had gathered for a cultural event, including the nephew of a former Chief Minister of Jharkhand State. In the other, in order to display its political control over the area, villagers were accused of being informers for Indian Police authorities and executed;
• The following month, and in a further demonstration its control, CPI-M killed sixteen security force personnel patrolling near Pamedu in Bijapur (Chhattisgarh);
• Just two weeks ago, on February 15th, fifteen people, most of them police personnel, were killed when heavily armed Maoist cadres, both men and women, attacked three police establishments in Nayagarh, Orissa State.

The Indian response - official and non-official - has met with mixed results. The Indian Government has arrested a number of CPI-M’s members under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. The group has also been banned by at least three of the affected states - Orissa, Andrha Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh. On the non-official side, vigilante groups have arisen in a number of areas in an attempt to respond to the CPI-M violence. Attacks, as noted above, continue.

As did Mao’s People’s Liberation Army -- as did the MCC and PWG -- CPI-M retains a penchant for violence, showing no quarter whatsoever to its victims. Also reminiscent of its Maoist heritage, CPI-M’s targeting focus is squarely on those it considers to be representative of the Indian State - governmental officials, members of public security forces, and teachers. Although to the present only a small portion of CPI-M’s victims, tourists have been among the group’s victims. It would not be surprising, however, to see that situation change. As has been the case in numerous other nations, anti-state attacks that include tourism, such as in Turkey, Egypt, and Spain, have had a devastating effect on countries’ revenues. While the focus will remain on Indian State targets, foreign firms in India should be vigilant at all times.

Al-Qaeda's Resurgence

By Daveed Gartenstein-Ross

I was actually somewhat surprised when, in January, State Department counterterrorism coordinator Dell Dailey described al-Qaeda's top leadership as isolated in a manner reminiscent of discussions of the group circa 2004 or 2005, when it was in vogue to call them "a fragmented terrorist group living on the run in the caves of Afghanistan." In a January talk with a group of defense reporters, Dailey said that al-Qaeda's senior leaders have "much, much less central authority and much, much less capability to reach out."

My colleague Kyle Dabruzzi and I recently published an article in Middle East Quarterly about the strength of al-Qaeda's senior leadership that was adapted today into a shorter piece at the Daily Standard. We do not share Daily's conclusions about the group. An excerpt:

AL QAEDA ITSELF HAS FACED INTERNAL debates about its future. Abu Musab al-Suri, one of the most prolific jihadist ideologues, in recent years has argued for a decentralized combat model. In contrast, Abu Bakr Naji, another prominent ideologue, calls for a more centralized model.

Suri's 1600-page manifesto, The Call for Global Islamic Resistance, argues that the centralized, hierarchical model of jihadism cannot overcome the U.S.'s technologically advanced military, and that regional security cooperation--such as the alliance between Washington and Islamabad--makes a hierarchical structure dangerous. He suggests that decentralization immunizes terror cells from detection through the capture and interrogation of members of other cells. Suri's prescription for decentralization would mean replacing the old training camp model with one in which fighters are trained "in homes and mobile camps."

In contrast, Naji's The Management of Savagery argues that once the jihadists hold territory, they should erect a governing apparatus to enforce Islamic law and provide security, food, and medical care. A high command would ensure that efforts are not needlessly duplicated, and would prioritize actions against various groups or nations. Naji's argument has carried the day within al Qaeda's hierarchy. Though there are many reasons for this, perhaps the most significant factor has been external events. As al Qaeda gained new safe havens in Pakistan and beyond, Naji's model seemed most fitting.

EXTERNAL EVENTS ASIDE, THE PREFERENCE of al Qaeda's leadership for Naji's approach over Suri's reflects a long-standing inclination for centralization. Osama bin Laden originally formed al Qaeda to keep the vanguard of jihad alive after the Soviet Union's defeat in Afghanistan. West Point's Combating Terrorism Center has translated a number of documents captured during the Afghan and Iraq campaigns that the Department of Defense has declassified from its Harmony Database. These documents depict a clear al Qaeda hierarchy dating back to bin Laden's residence in Sudan between 1992 to 1996.

One document, entitled "Interior Organization," delineates al Qaeda's hierarchical structure, from the commander and ruling council down to organizational committees. It explains that the commander must have been a member of al Qaeda for at least seven years, have a sufficient understanding of Islamic law and jihad, and "have operational experience from jihad." The document also enumerates five separate committees: military, political, administrative and financial, security, and surveillance. Other documents detail members' duties, salaries, and even vacation time. Bachelors qualify for a round-trip ticket home after a year, although they have the option of using it for hajj (religious pilgrimage) instead. An application to train in al Qaeda camps inquires about the applicant's education level, professional experience, medical history, and how much of the Qur'an he has memorized.

Our Daily Standard piece can be read in full here.

Darul Uloom, Deoband Termed Terror As 'Un-Islamic'

By Animesh Roul

The All-India anti-terrorism conclave held on February 25 by the famed Darul Uloom ( Deoband, India) seminary issued an edict denouncing all forms of terrorism as 'un-Islamic'. This edict received positive reactions from all section of Indian society, including political parties like the BJP. Many think that this kind of voice would eventually discourage the radical elements to take the path of jehad, in the name of religion. To many, there should be follow up actions, (e.g. fatwas against terrorist leaders who have hijacked Islam already) to exert continuous pressure on terrorist leaders. However, the edict made a dig at the West and urged the Indian Government not to malign the madrasas and Muslims. The conclave, in its declaration, also appealed [all] intellectuals, writers and media persons to 'independently and honestly' analyze the national and international affairs and avoid to biased and partial attitudes.

Read full text of the Declaration below (highlighted by the author of this post):

Islam is the religion of mercy for all humanity. It is the fountainhead of eternal peace, tranquility, security. Islam has given so much importance to human beings that it regards the killing of a single person the of killing the entire humanity, without differentiation based on creed and caste. Its teaching of peace encompasses all humanity. Islam has taught its followers to treat all mankind with equality, mercy, tolerance, justice. Islam sternly condemns all kinds of oppression, violence and terrorism. It has regarded oppression, mischief, rioting and murdering among severest sins and crimes.

This All India Anti-Terrorism Conference attended by the representatives of all Muslim schools of thought organised by Rabta Madaris Islamiah Arabia (Islamic Madrasas Association), Darul Uloom Deoband condemns all kinds of violence and terrorism in the strongest possible terms. The Conference expresses its deep concern and agony on the present global and national alarming conditions in which most of the nations are adopting such an attitude against their citizens especially Muslims to appease the tyrant and colonial master of the West, which cannot be justified in any way. It is a matter of greater concern that the internal and external policies of our country are getting heavily influenced by these forces. Their aggression, barbarism and state-sponsored terrorism not only in Palestine, Iraq and Afghanistan but also in Bosnia and various South American countries have surpassed all the records known to human history. Contrary to it, our great nation has always been known for impartiality and its moral and spiritual values. Now the situation has worsened so far that every Indian Muslim especially those associated with madrasas, who are innocent with good record of characters, are always gripped by the fear that they might be trapped by the administrative machinery anytime. And, today countless number of innocent Muslims are spending their lives behind the bars and are forced to bear many intolerable tortures. And, those spreading terror, attacking police stations, killing the police in broad daylight and showing illegal arms are roaming about freely with no effective and preventive steps being taken by the government to check their acts of terrorism and violence. This partial attitude has put a big question mark on the secular character of the government posing great threats to the country. Therefore, this All India Anti-Terrorism Conference strongly condemns this attitude and expresses its deep concern on this partiality of government officials and declares its continuous joint struggles for domination of law, justice and secular system.

This conference strongly demands the Indian Government to curb those maligning the madrasas and Muslims. The administrative machinery should be demanded to conduct impartial investigations in activities disturbing public peace in the country and to punish only those found guilty. It also demands to free the accused if he is found innocent and punish severely those officials who accused him of crimes of terrorism. No person of any particular community should be suspected without solid reasons. In short, the government agencies must fulfill their duty justly without any prejudice and bias so that real peace and security may prevail in the country.

This All India Anti-Terrorism Conference appeals to all intellectuals, writers and media persons to independently and honestly analyze the national and international affairs and avoid to biased and partial attitudes.

Moreover, this All India anti-Terrorism Conference attended by the representatives of all schools of thought appeal to all Muslims to continue, as they always did in the past, their loyalty towards the dear motherland and love and respect towards humanity. It appeals to them to fully understand the present alarming situation, the gravity and intensity of the time, and feel the pulse of the present world so that they might not be employed as tools of evils by anti-Islamic or anti-national forces. It peals to them to live with dignity and pride being faithful to the country, to keep full trust on their leadership, render full support to Islamic madarsas which are valuable assets of the Muslim Ummah, spend their lives in the country following Islamic Shariah and teachings with full confidence. They should always remember that most important things are Islam and practicing it, and, hence, their prime focus should be on enriching their lives with good deeds and noble manners as, in fact, worldly situations deteriorate because of non-practice of Islamic teachings.
Need for holding state-wise conferences against terrorism.

This meeting of working committee of All India madarsas association feels necessary to hold state-wise conferences as it held this grand conference in view of the existing situations. The present situation of the country demands the joint and constant efforts being made to denounce terrorism, biased and discriminatory attitudes of the government against the Muslim community. It needs such conferences to be held in the major places of all the states. This meeting appeals to Darul Uloom Deoband to act as a leader in this direction.

[Issued by: Central office, Islamic Madrasas Association]

UK terrorist recruiter convicted

By Roderick Jones

The trial of Mohammed Hamid one of the leading organizers of terrorism in the UK has ended. Hamid along with three of his followers has been convicted using new legislation introduced in 2006, which criminalizes attendance at a place used for terrorist training. There was no evidence presented in this trial of weapons or explosives, simply the covert video tape of Mohammed Hamid and his followers performing what was described as ‘military training’, over a two-year period. The police investigation (Operation Overamp) relied on skilled technical surveillance and the undoubted bravery of an undercover officer. Hamid was found guilty of organizing terrorist camps and encouraging others to murder non-believers. The men later convicted of the failed July 21 attacks on London’s transport system were among those who attended his camps.

Hamid’s terrorist career is highly illustrative of the radical conditions that existed within the UK in the late 1990s and beyond. Hamid was born in Tanzania to an Indian family and grew up in Yorkshire in the north of England. He move to London when he was 12 getting involved in petty crime before being jailed for robbery. Following a period as a crack addict he turned to Islam. By the mid-90s he had opened his own bookshop in east London and was leafleting passers-by in central London. He was an occasional member of Abu Hamza’s congregation at Finsbury Park mosque, while also preaching extremist rhetoric at Speaker’s Corner in London’s Hyde Park. When the war started with Afghanistan he organized aid shipments to Pakistan and returned to the UK further radicalized. He developed a long list of contacts and his innovation was to create training camps for terrorism within the UK. Hamid’s career-path seems all too familiar now.

Hamid was clearly a key radicalizing influence within the UK, one of many that have existed from the mid-1990s. What this prosecution shows, more than anything, is that the UK has arrived at a legislative and operational framework, within which to finally address these key recruiting and radicalizing influences. This was previously not possible, one only needs to look as far as the mangled attempts to prosecute Abu Hamza over the years. Sadly, extremists are likely to learn from this trial and reject future attempts to ‘train’ in the UK -- it is of course much harder to monitor training camps in Pakistan. The prevention of terrorism is a clear strand in Britain's counter-terrorism strategy (known as CONTEST) and this conviction is a significant victory. To continue achieving preventative success, the legal and operational responses will need to remain fluid in order to address variable future versions of, ‘terror recruiters’.

Qatar's dangerous gamble

By Olivier Guitta

I just wrote a piece for the Middle East Times on Qatar's diplomatic strategy.
You can read the whole piece here.
Here is an excerpt:

Two major projects that were undertaken at the start of the reign of the new sheik were the TV channel al-Jazeera (launched in 1996) and Qatar Airways (really started in 1997). In just a few years, al-Jazeera has become a household name. Qatar Airways is now a huge multinational with 12,000 employees, 58 planes and 70 destinations and it just ordered 80 Airbus A350s and five A3BOs - incidentally, a Qatari investment fund was just authorized by French authorities to invest in the European consortium EADS (European Aeronautic Defense and Space) that manufactures Airbus planes - and 22 Boeing 777s. Doha has the goal of welcoming 50 million passengers by 2015.

The emir's main ambition for his country is to become a diplomatic superpower.

That is why for example Qatar has been heavily financing the reconstruction of southern Lebanon, mediating at one point between the Palestinian Hamas and Fatah, and also doing the same between the al-Huthi rebels (supported by Iran) and the Yemeni regime.

Qatar is sometimes in a paradoxical situation, befriending enemies such as, for example, Israel and Hamas (its leader Khaled Meshaal is a regular in Doha), or Fatah and Hamas. Right after Hamas' coup in Gaza, Muhammad Dahlan, Fatah's ex-security chief accused: "Qatar also gave Hamas $400 million that was used to slaughter Palestinians."

Also Qatar is at the same time home to many ex-Iraqi Baathists and Saddam Hussein's widow, Sajida, and the largest U.S. base in the Middle East.

Influential Institute Releases Sobering GWOT Assessment

By Andrew Cochran

The Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, an influential policy research institute based in Washington, has released a sobering assessment of the Global War on Terror. Titled, "The Global War On Terrorism: An Assessment," the 292-page report provides a summary of the history and capabilities of the "Sunni-Based, Salafi-Jihadi Threat" and of "Violent Shi’a Extremists - 'Khomeinism;'" assessments of the jihadist threat in each region of the world, and offers the following summary statement (page 131):

"While the United States and its partners in the war on terrorism have made important strides in combating terrorist groups worldwide since 9/11, they have not weakened the jihadis’ will or their ability to inspire and regenerate. To date, the high-water mark for the United States in the war on terrorism was arguably reached by 2002-2003... Since then, the overall US position in the GWOT has slipped. To be sure, the United States has made considerable progress capturing or killing terrorist leaders and operatives, disrupting terrorist operations, seizing assets, and building partner CT capabilities. Those gains, however, have been offset by the metastasis of the al Qaeda organization into a global movement, the spread and intensification of Salafi-Jihadi ideology, the resurgence of Iranian regional influence, and the growth in number and political influence of Islamist fundamentalist political parties throughout the world. In short, both the Sunni-based Salafi-Jihadi and Shia-based Khomeinist branches of Islamic radicalism have spread rather than receded over the past four years.

It is very difficult to assess country, regional, and global balances in the war on terrorism accurately owing both to their extreme volatility and, in many cases, the lack of credible intelligence. That being said, it appears that the jihadist threat has, on balance, remained constant or declined slightly in four regions: Africa, with the notable exception of Somalia; Russia and Central Asia; Southeast Asia; and the Americas. In contrast, it has intensified, in some cases sharply, in Southwest Asia, South Asia, and Europe."

For those not acquainted with the Center for Strategic and Budgetary Assessments, its influence in national security circles is in no small part thanks to the reputation of its President, Dr. Andrew F. Krepinevich, Jr.. Dr. Krepinevich is a veteran national security analyst who worked under three Defense Secretaries, has authored numerous books and articles, and testified often before the U.S. Congress. In the fall of 2005, he offered a critical assessment of the President's Iraq war strategy and a proposed change which, when compared to the current trends, was quite an accurate forecast:

"To date, U.S. forces in Iraq have largely concentrated their efforts on hunting down and killing insurgents. The idea of such operations is to erode the enemy’s strength by killing fighters more quickly than replacements can be recruited. Although it is too early to tell for sure whether this approach will ultimately bring success, its current record is not good: even when an attack manages to inflict serious insurgent casualties, there is little or no enduring improvement in security once U.S. forces withdraw from the area.

Instead, U.S. and Iraqi forces should adopt an “oil-spot strategy” in Iraq, which is essentially the opposite approach. Rather than focusing on killing insurgents, they should concentrate on providing security and opportunity to the Iraqi people, thereby denying insurgents the popular support they need. Since the U.S. and Iraqi armies cannot guarantee security to all of Iraq simultaneously, they should start by focusing on certain key areas and then, over time, broadening the effort—hence the image of an expanding oil spot. Such a strategy would have a good chance of success. But it would require a protracted commitment of U.S. resources, a willingness to risk more casualties in the short term, and an enduring U.S. presence in Iraq, albeit at far lower force levels than are engaged at present. If U.S. policymakers and the American public are unwilling to make such a commitment, they should be prepared to scale down their goals in Iraq significantly."

Elsewhere, Dr. Krepinevich has discussed the prospects for cyber warfare and the need for an asymetric approach to the jihadist threat (see Douglas Farah's post on "soft power," the new "hot term" in the community). Expect this new GWOT assessment to help shape the future debate in Congress and the nation.

Evan Kohlmann Testifies As Abu-Jihaad Trial Begins

By Andrew Cochran

Today was the opening day in the trial of former U.S. Navy sailor, Hassan Abu-Jihaad, on charges of providing material support to terrorists by sending classified information on naval ships to Baber Ahmad, the British computer expert who operated the Azzam.com jihadist websites. Contributing Expert Evan Kohlmann, who will appear this Friday at the Counterterrorism Foundation panel on terrorism and the virtual world, provided expert testimony on al Qaeda, jihadist recruitment, their activities in several countries, and the role of Azzam Publications among jihadists.

But first, Evan had to survive his usual opening ritual in terrorism-related federal trials, a challenge by the defense to his qualification as an expert. That took place last week in what is known as a "Daubert hearing," in which the judge hears from both sides on the qualifications of the expert. In the Abu-jihaad case, the judge ruled to allow his testimony with the following:

"Mr. Kohlmann is certainly qualified to provide expert testimony on the issues he proposes to address, and Mr. Abu-Jihaad does not contend otherwise. Mr. Kohlmann's CV was marked as an exhibit at the Daubert hearing. He has published a book entitled Al Qaida's Jihad in Europe: The Afghan-Bosnian Network, which was cited as an authoritative source in the 9/11 Commission's Report. It is also used in courses taught at Harvard University and at Johns Hopkins University, among others. Mr. Kohlmann has published peer-reviewed articles on the subjects about which he intends to testify, including articles for Foreign Affairs. He also regularly lectures and speaks on these subjects. Mr. Kohlmann has testified as an expert in seven trials held in the United States and in several cases before foreign courts.

In this Circuit, two judges of the United States District Court for the Southern District of New York have expressly concluded that Mr. Kohlmann is qualified to provide expert testimony on terrorism similar to that which he intends to provide in this case. United States v Sabir, 2007 WL 1373184, at * 1; United States v. Paracha, 2006 WL 12768, at *18. In Paracha, Judge Sidney Stein found that Mr. Kohlmann "possesses sufficient education, training and experience to qualify as an expert on the origins, leadership and tradecraft of the al Qaeda organization." 2006 WL 12768, at *20. And in Sabir, Judge Loretta Preska found that Mr. Kohlmann was qualified to offer testimony on the origins and history of al Qaeda as well as Azzam Publications. See 2007 WL 1373184, at *8-*9; see also Aref, 2007 WL 603508, at *16 (holding that Mr. Kohlmann could provide expert testimony on political groups in Bangladesh). The Court agrees with Judges Stein and Preska. Mr. Kohlmann is qualified by means of his education, training, background, and experience to testify as an expert on terrorism and Azzam Publication's role in international terrorism.

Mr. Abu-Jihaad's principal attack on Mr. Kohlmann's proposed testimony is that it is not based upon sufficient facts or data and is not the product of reliable principles and methods. The Court disagrees. Mr. Kohlmann has conducted first-hand interviews of several leaders of terrorist organizations and has reviewed reams of information about al Qaeda, Azzam Publications, and the other subjects on which he will offer testimony. Indeed, though he is relatively young to be an expert, it is apparent that these subjects are Mr. Kohlmann's life work, and he has, therefore, acquired a considerable amount of information and documentation on these subjects. He testified that he applies to his expert testimony the same social science methodologies that he learned at Georgetown University and that are applied to other subjects that cannot be tested scientifically. Mr. Kohlmann's work receives a considerable amount of peer review from academic scholars and others, and by all accounts, Mr. Kohlmann's work is well regarded."

Leading Experts to Address Terrorism Threats in the Virtual World

By Andrew Cochran

Seats remain for the next Counterterrorism Foundation event on Friday, February 29, at noon. I will moderate a panel titled, "Meta-Terror: Terrorism and the Virtual World" in room B339 of the Rayburn House Office Building. Our panelists include three of the leading experts in tracking and preventing terrorists' use of the Internet and virtual world: Kenneth Silva, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer for VeriSign and one of the most respected cybersecurity experts in the world; Contributing Expert Roderick Jones, Vice President of Concentric Solutions International; and Contributing Expert Evan Kohlmann of the NEFA Foundation, whose work on jihadists' use of the Internet was cited last week in this recent report on extremism in cyberspace. A limited number of boxed lunches will be served. The event is co-sponsored by the Counterterrorism Foundation, the GAGE International consulting firm in Washington, DC, and the NEFA Foundation.

Please send your RSVP for this event to this e-mail address.