CONFLICT & TERROR 12/29

India, Saudi Arabia Call for Global Terrorism ActionPosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 8:54amIndia and Saudi Arabia called for global joint action against terrorism following the Nov. 26-29 attack on Mumbai that led to 164 deaths. "Global terrorism has to be dealt with by joint action among all countries,'' India's Foreign Minister Pranab Mukherjee said in televised comments in New Delhi today in a joint briefing with his Saudi Arabian counterpart Prince Saud al- Faisal. "We agreed that whatever action has to be taken, should be taken without delay.'' Full Story

Mercenaries Playing Increasingly Prominent Role in Latin AmericaPosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 9:01amMercenaries hired by private military and security companies are playing an increasingly broad range of roles in Latin America, such as guarding mines, borders, prisons, and now humanitarian aid, said the members of the United Nations Working Group on the use of mercenaries at a meeting in this Swiss city. Full Story

Bomb kills two girls in southwest PakistanPosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 10:46amTwo Pakistani girls were killed Friday when a bomb exploded in their home in a remote village in restive southwestern Baluchistan province, police said. Unknown attackers, apparently targeting the girls male relatives, planted the bomb in the mud-brick home in the village of Teenda in Naseerabad district, local police official Muhammad Ali Khoso told AFP. Full Story

2 soldiers injured in bombing attack in Thai southPosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 10:48amTwo soldiers were injured when insurgents detonated a bomb on a road to ambush them in Thailand's southern province of Yala Friday morning, according to local media. The explosion occurred on a road island of a road in front of a petrol station in Moo 7 village in Krongpenang district at 08:25 a.m. local time. Full Story

Bangladesh arrests militants, seizes explosivesPosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 10:49amPolice in northern Bangladesh arrested seven suspected militants tied to a banned Islamic group and seized a large cache of bomb-making materials, an official said. The raids came days before national elections to restore democracy, though police said it was unclear whether the explosives were part of any plot to disrupt the polls. Full Story

CIA Wins Over Tribal Leaders With ViagraPosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 10:50amThe Afghan chieftain looked older than his 60-odd years, and his bearded face bore the creases of a man burdened with duties as tribal patriarch and husband to four younger women. His visitor, a CIA officer, saw an opportunity, and reached into his bag for a small gift. Full Story

Nigeria soldiers kill 3 in attack on oil facilityPosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 10:55amThree gunmen in Nigeria died and at least four were injured in a gunfight with soldiers guarding an oil flow station in the restive Niger Delta, a military spokesman said on Friday. Full Story

Ten killed across Mexico in Christmas Eve drug violencePosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 11:57amTen people, including a police officer, were killed across Mexico in the hours before Christmas, in the latest spasm of violence in the country's brutal drug war, officials said Friday. Officials said the body of Javier Coapango, coordinator of public security for a town just outside Mexico City, was found dumped along the side of a road on Christmas eve. He had been kidnapped on December 17.Full_Story

Alleged cartel boss in Houston cell, but Mexico violence shows no letupPosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 12:00pmEven as accused mob boss Osiel Cardenas awaits a federal trial in Houston next year, the criminal army he allegedly commanded with deadly resolve rampages across Mexico.Cardenas, 41, has been imprisoned for six years  four in Mexico and two in the United States since his extradition to Houston. He faces federal charges of leading a drug syndicate, trafficking cocaine and marijuana, laundering money and threatening the lives of U.S. agents.Full Story

Fiscal chaos aside, start-ups bloom in ArgentinaPosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 1:29pmEven in the best of times, Felix Racca faced a formidable task  trying to build a new class of entrepreneurs in a country known for cozy cronyism and political melodrama. And now, the Argentine angel investor is trying to do it in the middle of a global storm that has sucked billions of investor dollars out of emerging markets.Full_Story

Buenos Aires Becomes IT-WisePosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 1:33pmOne of the great melting pots of America, Buenos Aires combines a European cultural legacy with its own local traditions to create a cosmopolitan city that attracts visitors from all over the world. Tango, soccer, premium beef, good wine, same-sex venues, international cuisine, prestigious universities and academic centers are among some of the attractions that Buenos Aires offers. Full_Story

Ecuador seeks debt default negotiationsPosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 1:36pmEcuadors default on foreign debt it deemed illegitimate did not deter the countrys leftwing president from signalling he would seek to re negotiate with bondholders. Rafael Correa said he hoped to make a proposal to the holders of $3.8bn (2.8bn, #2.5bn) in bonds in which some value of the debt will be recognised, but at a much lower price.Full_Story

12 militants killed in Russian police sweepPosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 1:38pmPolice officers and security forces have killed 12 suspected militants during a sweep in a volatile province in southern Russia, officials said Thursday. The two-day security sweep, which ended Thursday, targeted a group of militants hiding in the forested mountains of Ingushetia Province, according to the regional branch of the Russian Interior Ministry. Full Story

Suspected Al Qaeda Insurgents Escape as Riot, Jailbreak Leaves 13 Dead in IraqPosted on Friday, December 26, 2008 at 3:05pmFour suspected Al Qaeda in Iraq insurgents broke out of jail during a riot Friday that killed six police officers and seven prisoners in the western city of Ramadi, police said. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.