CONFLICT & TERROR 08/05

Al Qaeda now recruiting, deploying female militants across EuropePosted on Monday, August 4, 2008 at 5:20amEuropean intelligence chiefs have reportedly decided to explore and understand a new strategy by al-Qaeda to recruit and deploy female militants within the European Union. The Daily Times quoted a London Observer report as saying that these female recruits were being used for a wide range of activities, including running logistics and propaganda activities to undertaking suicide bombing missions. Full Story

Ninety-four militants, 14 troops killed in NW PakistanPosted on Monday, August 4, 2008 at 11:13pmPakistan's army killed 94 Islamist militants and lost 14 soldiers in fighting in the northwestern Swat valley in the past week and plans a major operation against the insurgents, a senior officer said on Monday. Full Story

Bush to face S Korea protestersPosted on Monday, August 4, 2008 at 11:18pmUS President George W Bush is en route to South Korea where he is expected to get a less than wholehearted welcome. Thousands of protesters plan to voice their anger over the agreement with the US to restart imports of beef. Full Story

Court blocks Philippine land dealPosted on Monday, August 4, 2008 at 11:20pmThe Philippines' Supreme Court has blocked the signing of a territorial deal between the government and Muslim separatists in the south of the nation. The two sides were due to formalise a deal on Tuesday widening an existing Muslim autonomous region. Full Story

China says two Uighurs behind Xinjiang police attackPosted on Monday, August 4, 2008 at 11:22pmTwo men who carried out an attack in northwest China's Xinjiang region on Monday, killing at least 16 police officers, were members of the Muslim Uighur ethnic group, state media reported. Full Story

80 protesting Tibetans held in NepalPosted on Monday, August 4, 2008 at 11:35pmAt least 80 Tibetan exiles have been detained in Nepal's capital for demonstrating outside the Chinese embassy days ahead of the Beijing Olympics, police say. The protesters briefly tussled with police as they tried to march towards the building waving flags of the Tibetan government-in-exile and shouting "Down with China" and "We want a free Tibet". Full Story

Bangladeshis vote in "gateway to democracy" pollPosted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 12:12amBangladeshis voted on Monday in the first polls organized by the country's army-backed interim government since it took power in early 2007 with a promise to restore democracy. Full Story

10 dead in slum shootoutPosted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 3:02amBRAZILIAN police said they killed at least 10 suspected drug traffickers after gunmen cornered a group of officers in a Rio de Janeiro slum. Police who had entered the slum in Brazil's second-biggest city to retrieve a stolen truck called in reinforcements, including two helicopters, after they were surrounded by armed gang members, a police spokeswoman said. Full Story

FARC founding member indicted in Colombia kidnappingPosted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 3:06amA founding member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia has been indicted on terrorism and weapons charges stemming from the kidnapping of three Americans who were rescued last month after five years in captivity. Hely Mejia Mendoza, known as Martin Sombra, served as the "jailer" of the three American hostages for the first two years they were held, according to an indictment unsealed Friday in federal court in the District. Full Story

Ecuador seizes failed-bank owners' stocksPosted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 3:08amEcuador's government said Monday it would seize a family business group's stock shares in 58 companies to help recover debts generated by the collapse of the family's former bank. The action comes a little less than a month after authorities seized 200 businesses linked to the family of William and Roberto Isaias, who fled to the United States in 2000 shortly after their bank collapsed. The two face embezzlement charges in Ecuador. Full Story

Argentine, Brazilian, Venezuelan leaders hold impromptu summitPosted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 3:11amThe presidents of Argentina, Brazil and Venezuela held an impromptu summit late Monday in Buenos Aires to bolster what Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez said was "the main axis of South America." Chavez was an unexpected addition to what was meant to be a bilateral meeting scheduled between Argentine President Cristina Kirchner and Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva. Full Story

South African leader seeks dismissal of charges against himPosted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 3:18amThe man expected to become the next president of South Africa pressed Monday for the dismissal of corruption and fraud charges against him in a case testing the strength of the country's democracy and political stability.

Inside the Pietermaritzburg High Court, lawyers argued the legal technicalities of dropping the charges against Jacob Zuma. Outside, after the hearing, a large crowd of Zuma supporters went wild as he appeared on a trailer and belted out an anti-apartheid song that has become his personal anthem: "Bring Me My Machine Gun." Full Story

Case against bin Laden driver goes to juryPosted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 3:26amThe jury in the first U.S. war crimes trial since World War II began deliberating Monday at Guantanamo Bay, according to a Pentagon spokesman. Full Story

Japan's Fukuda says will stick to fiscal goalPosted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 3:26amapanese Prime Minister Yasuo Fukuda said on Tuesday the government would stick to its goal of balancing public finances by 2011/2012, countering political pressure for it to be postponed as a slowing economy makes tax hikes a tough sell. Full Story

Three die in Kashmir as Hindu-Muslim unrest growsPosted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 3:28amIndian officials pledged Monday to stop Hindus from imposing an economic blockade on the mainly Muslim Kashmir valley as tensions heightened with the deaths of three protesters. Full Story

5 Taliban die in clash with Afghan policePosted on Tuesday, August 5, 2008 at 4:36amAn official says police have killed five Taliban fighters in a gunbattle in southern Afghanistan. Abdullah Khan, who is the deputy police chief of Kandahar province, says the militants ambushed a police patrol in Panjwayi district Monday. Full Story

Istanbul bomber watched carnage: reportPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 5:42amAn alleged Kurdish militant charged with two deadly blasts in Istanbul has confessed to detonating the bombs and watching the ensuing carnage, the mass-circulation Hurriyet daily reported Sunday. Police have concluded that the July 27 attacks, which claimed 17 lives, were staged by the separatist Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), Interior Minister Besir Atalay said Saturday, as he announced the arrest of several suspects. Full Story

Pakistan may step up action against insurgentsPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 7:41amAnxious to avoid a U.S. intervention or cutoff of funds, Pakistan's government is proposing military and intelligence changes that both countries say are needed to counter the growing threat from insurgents, officials say. Pakistan wants to deploy a specially trained unit of its Special Service Group into tribal areas along its western border. The region has become a haven for Al Qaeda and Taliban forces that increasingly are attacking Western soldiers in neighboring Afghanistan, officials say. Full Story

Separatists say 6 dead in fighting with GeorgiaPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 9:10amOvernight fighting between Georgian forces and separatists in the breakaway South Ossetia region left six people dead and 13 wounded, regional officials said Saturday. The fighting lasted from Friday evening through Saturday morning and included sniper fire and mortars. It was one of the most serious clashes since in South Ossetia since its violent split from Georgia in the 1990s. Full Story

Hamas arrests Fatah men sent back to GazaPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 9:13amAbout 30 pro-Fatah Palestinians who fled to Israel after fierce clashes in the Gaza Strip were sent back to the Hamas-controlled enclave on Sunday and the Islamist group said its forces immediately detained them. They were among 180 supporters of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah faction granted refuge in Israel on Saturday after nine Palestinians were killed and 95 wounded during a Hamas assault on their Gaza City neighborhood. Full Story

Stampede kills 68 Hindu worshippers in IndiaPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 9:16amAt least 68 people were killed and 47 injured in a stampede at a temple in northern India on Sunday, police said. Iron railings leading to the Hindu temple in the state of Himachal Pradesh broke, causing panic, senior police officer K.K. Indoria said, adding: "We think around 68 people have died." Full Story

Turkish army says eight Kurd rebels killed in clashPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 9:19amTurkish troops have killed eight Kurdish guerrillas in a fire fight in southeast Turkey, bringing the total death toll in a two-day clash to 13, military headquarters said on Sunday. The clash broke out on Friday evening in the mountainous province of Sirnak, along the border with Iraq, when the militants opened fire and killed five state-backed village guards, military sources said on Saturday. Full Story

Baghdad truck bombing kills 12Posted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 9:21amA truck bomb has killed at least 12 people and injured 14 near a passport office in a busy Sunni area of Baghdad. The parked vehicle exploded near al-Maghreb street in the northern district of Adhamiya, reports said. Full Story

Wedding carnage in Afghan blastPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 9:23amAn explosion has ripped through a bus carrying a wedding party in Afghanistan, killing at least 10 people, reports say. Both the bride and the groom were among those killed by the blast, which also injured at least six other people. Full Story

Somalia bombing 'kills 20 people'Posted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 9:32amA roadside bomb has killed at least 20 people in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, witnesses have said. Most of the dead in the explosion were women who had gathered to clean the streets, they said. Full Story

Congo groups 're-arming' in eastPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 9:34amGovernment forces and rebel troops are rearming and recruiting for conflict in the east of the Democratic Republic of Congo, the BBC has learned. US and European Union officials are warning the situation is increasingly tense despite a January peace deal. One source said six plane-loads of arms and ammunition had been flown into Goma by the government in the last 10 days. Full Story

Police prepare terror attack warning for restaurants and cinemasPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 9:46pmThe Daily Telegraph has learned that the National Counter Terrorism Security Office, a specialist police unit, is drawing up guidance for hospitality and entertainment sites as part of a drive to prepare for terrorist attacks on crowded public places. Big hotels will also be covered by the new "protective security guidance" to prepare for attacks including car bombs and suicide bombs. Full Story

University researchers firebombed, animal rights activists blamedPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 11:35pmFirebombs were intentionally set on a porch and in a car belonging to two UC Santa Cruz researchers in separate incidents early Saturday in what police have classified as acts of domestic terrorism. Police are calling one of the bombings an attempted homicide. Full Story

Attackers kill 16 police at Chinese border postPosted on
Monday, August 4, 2008 at 4:06amTwo men rammed a dump truck into a group of jogging policemen and then tossed grenades into their barracks Monday, killing 16 officers in a restive Chinese province bordering Central Asia, the state-run Xinhua News Agency reported. The attack in Xinjiang province came just four days before the start of the Beijing Olympics  an event that has put security forces nationwide on alert and that at least one militant Muslim group has vowed to disrupt. Xinhua, citing local police, called it a "suspected terrorist attack." Full Story

5 Palestinians killed in Gaza tunnel collapsePosted on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 6:00amA smuggling tunnel under the Gaza-Egypt border collapsed, killing at least five Palestinians and wounding 18, Palestinian security and hospital officials said Saturday. The tunnel collapsed late Friday, near the Gaza border town of Rafah. A wide network of tunnels runs under the border and is used to bring supplies into Gaza. The territory has been virtually cut off from the world since June 2007 when Hamas seized control by force. Both Israel and Egypt have enforced the closure of Gaza. Full Story

Karzai says terrorism gaining deep roots in PakistanPosted on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 6:12amTerrorists were gaining a deeper grip in Pakistan, and were receiving institutional nurturing and support, Afghanistan's president said on Saturday, calling on South Asian countries to stop playing geo-political games. "In Pakistan, terrorism and its sanctuaries are gaining a deeper grip as demonstrated by the tragic assassination of shaheed (martyr) Benazir Bhutto," Karzai told a summit of South Asian leaders, also attended by Pakistan's prime minister. Full Story

South Asia leaders urge joint terrorism fightPosted on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 6:13amThe leaders of South Asia called for fighting terrorism together as a regional summit overshadowed by worsening ties between India and Pakistan, its biggest members, opened on Saturday. Full Story

Violence hampers Afghan aidPosted on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 6:24amAn escalation of violence in Afghanistan is imposing a difficult obstacle for aid agencies attempting to reach civilians most in need. Officials from international aid agencies say an estimated 50-percent jump in militant attacks in Afghanistan since last year has drastically hampered relief efforts. Adnkronos reported 100 non-governmental aid agencies jointly released a statement Friday indicating that their ability to deliver aid has been sharply reduced as a direct result of the violence. Full Story

India, Pakistan Pledge to Fight Terror Amid TensionsPosted on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 10:45pmIndia and Pakistan pledged to unite in the fight against extremism, seeking to defuse tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbors that overshadowed a regional summit on tackling terrorism, poverty and food security. Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and his Pakistan counterpart Yousuf Raza Gilani joined leaders from Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Nepal, Sri Lanka and the Maldives saying terrorism remained the biggest threat to progress in the region, hampering efforts to eradicate poverty and spur economic growth. Full Story

Terror is single biggest threat to region: PMPosted on Saturday, August 2, 2008 at 10:47pmDays after the Bangalore and Ahmedabad blasts, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on Saturday that terrorism remains the single biggest threat to South Asias stability. Addressing the 15th South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (Saarc) summit, Singh stated that terrorists and extremists know no borders. The recent attack on the Indian Embassy in Kabul and the serial blasts in Bangalore and Ahmedabad are grim reminders of the barbarity that still finds a place in South Asia. Full Story

Probe into terror email reaches a dead endPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 3:45amThe investigation of the origin of a terror mail sent from the Internet Protocol (IP) address of the US national Ken Haywood's computer has reached a dead end as cyber experts at the state forensic laboratory are unable to detect its source. The police suspect that Haywood's WiFi system, which was not secure, was used to sent the mail. Anti-terrorism squad (ATS) chief Hemant Karkare, who is heading the probe into the terror email case, said. Full Story

Witnesses say explosion kills 15 in Somali capitalPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 3:48amWitnesses say an explosion has killed at least 15 people in the Somali capital. Salah Adde says a bomb hidden under a pile of garbage exploded on a main road and at least 15 people were killed. He says 10 were women who had been cleaning the street. Medina hospital head Dahir Dhere says 35 wounded people were admitted. Most were women and children. Full Story

Drill teaches terror lessonsPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 4:47amA booming crack and a cloud of smoke from a small metallic device caused hundreds to scream, clutch their bodies and quickly head to the exits of M&T Bank Stadium yesterday. Soon, the parking lots outside the stadium were filled with flashing lights from firetrucks as emergency response workers tended to hundreds of disaster drill participants portraying ailing sports fans. The three-hour exercise, "Operation Purple Haze," gave 300 local first-response providers an opportunity to prepare for a terrorist attack involving a simulated nuclear weapon. Organizers stressed that the exercise was an attempt to be proactive, and not in response to any specific terrorist threat. Full Story

Al-Qaida says 4 leaders killed in AfghanistanPosted on Sunday, August 3, 2008 at 4:50amAl-Qaida has posted a statement on the Internet saying four of its Afghanistan commanders have been killed, including an explosives expert wanted by the U.S. Washington posted a $5 million reward for Abu Khabab al-Masri. He is accused of training terrorists to use poison and explosives. He is also believed to have trained suicide bombers who killed 17 American sailors on the USS Cole in Yemen in 2000. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.