Wednesday, February 25, 2009

CONFLICT & TERROR 02/25

Explosion at Romania nuclear lab Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 7:36am

A Romanian officer has been killed in a blast at a military laboratory dealing with nuclear, biological and chemical research, Romanian officials say. Full Story

Mosques 'fail to tackle radicals' Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 7:38am The UK's mosques are out of touch with British Muslims and failing to root out extremism, a think tank has claimed. The Quilliam Foundation, a group which opposes radical Islam, quotes a study saying 97% of imams were born abroad. Full Story


Man held over Greece acid attack Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 7:39am

An Albanian man has been arrested in Greece on suspicion of throwing acid in the face of a union official two months ago and forcing it down her throat. Full Story

Israel president urges Europeans to shun Hamas Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 7:41am

Israeli President Shimon Peres on Tuesday urged Europeans to shun Hamas, telling the European parliament's president that the Islamists who rule Gaza are a "murderous terrorist" group. Full Story

Wave of Drug Violence Is Creeping Into Arizona From Mexico, Officials Say Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 8:43am The raging drug war among cartels in Mexico and their push to expand operations in the United States has led to a wave of kidnappings, shootings and home invasions in Arizona, state and federal officials said at a legislative hearing on Monday. The drug trade has long brought violence to the state, which serves as a hub as illicit drugs and illegal immigrants are smuggled to the rest of the nation. Full Story


Border Patrol Discovers Secret Tunnel Near Mexico Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 8:46am

The Border Patrol says it discovered a secret tunnel that may have been used to smuggle migrants from Tijuana, Mexico, to San Diego. The agency said Monday that agents found the tunnel about 110 feet north of the Mexican border, east of San Diego's Otay Mesa border crossing. It measures 3 square feet and is reinforced by wood. Full Story

Gunmen attack governor's convoy, kill guard Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 8:47am

Gunmen shot at a convoy carrying the governor of a violence-wracked border state, killing one of his bodyguards and wounding two other agents. The federal Attorney General's Office said Monday it did not appear that Chihuahua Gov. Jose Reyes Baeza was the target of an assassination attempt. Full Story

Double suicide bombing kills police officer in southwest Afghanistan

Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:02am Two suicide bombers blew themselves up within minutes of each other Monday at an anti-drug police station in southwest Afghanistan, killing one officer and wounding two more, an official said. Full Story


Militant bid to blow up a culvert foiled, IED recovered in Kashmir Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:06am

Jammu and Kashmir police foiled a militant plan to snap a vital road communication link when they detected and defused a powerful Improvised Explosive Device (IED) planted beneath a culvert in north Kashmir. Full Story

Caller from Pakistan threatens terror attacks in Uttar Pradesh Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:07am

Security has been tightened in Uttar Pradesh's Saharanpur district following a call from Pakistan threatening to carry out terror strikes in the region, police said Tuesday. Full Story

FBI Yet To Get Access To Mumbai Terror Suspects In Pak Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:08am

U.S. Ambassador to India David Mulford said Monday that Pakistan was yet to allow FBI agents to interrogate the Mumbai terror attack suspects it claims to have arrested--casting doubts on Islamabad's sincerity in bringing to justice the perpetrators of the crime, media reports say. Full Story

Govt sets checkposts on roads to DI Khan: House-to-house search operation Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:10am

The government on Monday decided to set up checkposts on all the roads leading to Dera Ismail (DI) Khan from Punjab and Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Full Story

Protesters surround offices of Thai prime minister Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:10am

Thousands of protesters surrounded the Thai prime minister's office Tuesday, demanding that Parliament be dissolved and calling for new elections. The protest by demonstrators from the United Front for Democracy against Dictatorship, which is allied with Thaksin Shinawatra, the exiled former prime minister, came three days before Thailand is to host the annual summit meeting of the 10-member Association of Southeast Asian Nations. About 7,000 people attended the rally, the police said. Full Story

Troops regain control of Inayat Killay, Bhai Cheena in Bajaur Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:12am

Security forces killed three Taliban in various areas of Bajaur Agency on Monday, officials said. Full Story

North Korea Says It Is Preparing 'Satellite' Launch Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:13am

By announcing that it is preparing to launch a "communications satellite," North Korea on Tuesday dressed up its planned test of a long-range ballistic missile -- which may be able to reach Alaska -- as a benign research project. "Outer space is an asset common to mankind and its use for peaceful purposes has become a global trend," said a spokesman for the North Korean Committee of Space Technology. North Korea's announcement comes amid warnings from the United States not to test the missile. A U.N. resolution, passed after North Korea exploded a nuclear device in 2006, bans the country from any ballistic missile activity. Full Story

Pakistan wants NATO to seal off Afghan border along Bajaur Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:16am

The US and NATO should seal off Afghanistans border with Pakistan along Bajaur to clear the region of what remains of Al Qaeda and the Taliban, a top Pakistani general recommended on Monday. Full Story

Presence of army in Swat part of peace deal Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:17am

The army will remain in Swat until the goal of lasting peace is achieved in the valley, in line with the peace deal made with Sufi Muhammad, Information Minister Sherry Rehman said on Monday. Full Story

Can Pakistan Regain Control of Swat from the Taliban? Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:19am

"Smile, you're in Swat," reads a billboard on the main road into the lush green honeymooners' valley once dubbed the "Switzerland of Asia". But over the past two years, Swat has been turned into a playground for the Taliban. Full Story

Taliban Calls Cease-Fire in Second Pakistani Region, AP Reports Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:20am

A Taliban commander has called a unilateral cease-fire in the militant groups fight with government troops in the northwestern Pakistani district of Bajaur, the Associated Press reported, without saying where it got the information. Full Story

Europe Willing to Boost Civilian Aid to Afghanistan Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:22am

The United States would like to see European states send more troops to fight the Taliban in Afghanistan. The EU's foreign ministers have said they're ready to help, but that more soldiers is not necessarily the answer. Full Story

Applying Iraq's broader lessons in Afghanistan Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:23am

As the United States and NATO craft a new strategy for Afghanistan, they are likely to apply counterinsurgency lessons learned at great cost during the war in Iraq. Full Story

Japan to pay Afghan police salary Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:24am

Japan has said it will pay the salaries of about 80,000 Afghan police officers for the next six months as part of its drive to help regeneration there. Japan would also help fund the construction of schools and hospitals and support teacher-training, a foreign ministry official in Tokyo said. Full Story

NATO airstrike kills 16 Taliban Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:25am

A NATO airstrike in Afghanistan killed up to 16 Taliban overnight while a twin suicide attack killed a policeman outside a government anti-drugs office, officials said on Monday. Full Story

India 'to join elite space club' Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:25am

India has earmarked more than $2.5bn to launch its own manned space flight and join the elite club of the US, China and Russia. India's planning commission has set aside the cash to finance preparations. Full Story

In the north, Afghans fight hunger, not the Taliban Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:26am

The United States' decision to send thousands more troops to Afghanistan will mean little to the people of northern Sang-i-Khel village whose fight is not against Taliban insurgents but against hunger. Full Story

From a Carrier, Another View of Americas Air War in Afghanistan Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:28am

ABOARD U.S.S. THEODORE ROOSEVELT, on the Arabian Sea  Every day from the deck of this nuclear-powered aircraft carrier off the coast of Pakistan, two dozen combat planes are catapulted into the sky for the 500-mile trip to southern Afghanistan. Full Story

China bars foreigners from Tibet Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 9:32am

Foreign tourists planning to visit Tibet have been told by travel agencies that the region has been closed to outsiders until the end of March. The month marks the 50th anniversary of the escape into exile of the Tibetan spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama. Full Story

Pakistan says don't worry in US-Afghan 'terror' review Posted on Tuesday, February 24, 2009 at 2:50pm

Pakistan insisted Tuesday it was committed to fighting extremism as it opened a thorough review with Afghanistan and the United States on fighting the growing threat of Islamic militants. Full Story

Pakistan: Militants receive compensation for peace deal Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 10:58am

Pakistani militants in the country's northwest are understood to have received 480 million rupees ( 6 million dollars) in compensation after agreeing to a cease conflict with government forces for an indefinite period. Well-placed security sources have told Adnkronos International (AKI) that the militants agreed to lay down their arms and endorse the deal between the government and local leader Sufi Mohammad to impose Sharia law in the region. Full Story

Taliban Acts Raise Doubt About Truce Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 11:01am

Taliban gunmen abducted and briefly held a government official in Pakistan's Swat Valley Sunday afternoon, as the group's local faction said it would agree to a truce with the government only when Islamic law is established there. Full Story

UN hostage said to have been killed is alive Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 11:02am

An American UN official abducted by Baloch militants and said to have been killed is still alive, the outfit holding him said Monday. Full Story

Pakistan army halts operations in Swat Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 11:15am

The Pakistan army said on Monday it had ceased operations against Taliban militants in the northwestern valley of Swat, and an Islamist cleric asked for troops to be shifted to "safer places" to give peace a chance. Full Story

Northern Rock executives to get bonuses after #1.4billion loss Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 3:17pm

Hundreds of Northern Rock workers including senior executives will get bonuses covering the year when the bank was nationalised and made a #1.4 billion loss, it has emerged. Full Story

Mysterious $1.2 million highway robbery in Russia Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 7:48am

Police in central Russia were searching Sunday for suspects accused of stealing more than $1 million in cash in a highway robbery  one of the country's biggest armed robberies in years. Full Story

Police fear UK 'summer of rage' Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 7:49am

Police are preparing to face a "summer of rage" in the UK as people join protests over the economic downturn, says a senior Met Police officer. Full Story

Egyptian Police Hold 11 After Deadly Bomb Attack in Cairo Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 7:51am

Egyptian police are reported to have detained 11 people for questioning over a bomb blast near a market in Cairo which killed a French teenager and injured more than 20 people on Sunday, Feb. 22. Full Story

Sri Lankan gov't rejects rebels' call for truce Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 7:58am

COLOMBO, Sri Lanka  Sri Lanka's separatist Tamil rebels, facing likely defeat on the battlefield, sent a letter to the United Nations on Monday saying they were ready for a cease-fire. The government immediately rejected the offer as a final effort by the rebels to "save their miserable skins."Full Story

S. Korea: NKorea deploys new ballistic missile Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 8:03am

SEOUL, South Korea  North Korea recently deployed a new type of medium-range ballistic missile capable of reaching northern Australia and the U.S. territory of Guam, South Korea's Defense Ministry said Monday. The report comes amid speculation that the isolated regime also is preparing to test-fire another, longer-range missile capable of hitting Alaska. Full Story

70 sick in China after eating tainted pig organs Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 8:06am

BEIJING  Pig organs contaminated by a banned animal feed additive have been blamed for sickening at least 70 people in southern China, state media said Monday. The cases underscore a continuing battle with food safety in a country where supply chains are murky and the rising cost of labor, land and fuel sometimes force producers to cut corners in order to make a profit.Full Story

Blast in China coal mine kills 74 Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 8:29am

BEIJING (Reuters)  An explosion in a mine belonging to China's biggest coking coal producer killed 74 miners in Shanxi province on Sunday and scores more were rescued after being trapped underground for hours. Xinhua news agency said 436 miners were working underground when the accident occurred at the Tunlan mine near Taiyuan, the capital of the northern province. Full Story

Water plants reopen after chemical leak in China Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 8:33am

BEIJING  Two water plants shut for three days after a massive chemical leak in eastern China resumed operation Monday, local officials and state media confirmed. Authorities have arrested two officials from the Biaoxin Chemical Company  plant manager Ding Yuesheng and Hu Wenbiao, the company's legal representative  and closed the factory in Yancheng city in Jiangsu province, the official Xinhua News Agency said. Full Story

Greek guerrillas say they behind TV shooting Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 8:39am

A Greek guerrilla group called Rebels Sect claimed responsibility on Saturday for a shooting outside a Greek TV station earlier this week, its second attack in less than a month. Full Story

U.S. Unit Secretly in Pakistan Lends Ally Support Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 9:07am

More than 70 United States military advisers and technical specialists are secretly working in Pakistan to help its armed forces battle Al Qaeda and the Taliban in the countrys lawless tribal areas, American military officials said. Full Story

Qaida founder blasts successor bin Laden for 'immoral terror' Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 9:14am

One of Al-Qaida's founders, Sayyid Imam al-Sharif, has waged a harsh verbal attack on the terrorist organization's leaders Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahiri. Full Story

Taliban kidnap top government official Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 9:15am

Taliban militants kidnapped the top government administrator and six of his guards in Pakistan's northwestern Swat valley on Sunday, the group and officials said, dealing a blow to efforts to restore peace. Full Story

Griffons begin hunting Taliban bomb planters Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 9:17am

Two CH-146 Griffon helicopters lifted off into the dim, grainy dusk above Kandahar Airfield one night last week and made straight for the mountains, in a new and completely unheralded chapter in the Afghan war. Full Story

India, Pakistan were close to secret deal on Kashmir: report Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 9:19am

India and Pakistan came close to devising a framework for settling their long conflict over Kashmir in secret negotiations, but it was put on hold by the fall of President Pervez Musharraf, the New Yorker magazine reported Sunday. Full Story

MI5, ISI colluded to torture terror suspects: Report Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 9:21am

In a report that could further embarrass the British government, UK security agents were "complicit" in the torture of at least 10 Britons in collusion with Pakistan's ISI and the network "runs much deeper". Full Story

U.S. tells judge military prisoners can't challenge detention in Afghanistan Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 9:23am

The Obama administration has told a U.S. judge that military detainees in Afghanistan have no legal right to challenge imprisonment, embracing a top argument of former President George W. Bush's legal team. Full Story

Al Qaeda No 2 Zawahiri Praises Somali "Victory" Posted on Monday, February 23, 2009 at 9:28am

Al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri praised Islamist victories in Somalia in a video circulated by the group's media arm on Sunday. Full Story

Jury acquits defendants in Politkovskaya murder Posted on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 9:13am

A Moscow jury has acquitted three men charged in the killing of journalist and Kremlin critic Anna Politkovskaya. Full Story

Radical cleric Qatada wins payout for UK detention Posted on Thursday, February 19, 2009 at 9:14am

The European Court of Human Rights awarded 2,800 euros (3,500 dollars) in compensation to radical Muslim cleric Abu Qatada on Thursday for his "unlawful detention" in Britain. Full Story

Mumbai attackers had hit list of 320 world targets Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:34am

The plotters behind the Mumbai attack, which left more than 170 people dead, had placed India's financial capital on a list of 320 worldwide locations as potential targets for commando-style terror strikes, the Guardian has learned. It suggests that Lashkar-e-Taiba, the outlawed terror group that planned much of the attack from Pakistan, had ambitions well beyond causing mayhem in India. Full Story

CIA using Shamsi airbase for Predator strikes? Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:35am

The CIA is using the Shamsi airbase in Balochistan to launch the Predator drones that attack Al Qaeda and Taliban targets in Pakistan, The Times, London, has claimed. Full Story

Europe opens covert talks with blacklisted Hamas Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:36am

In the first meeting of its kind, two French senators travelled to Damascus two weeks ago to meet the leader of the Palestinian Islamist faction, Khaled Meshal, The Independent has learned. Two British MPs met three weeks ago in Beirut with the Hamas representative in Lebanon, Usamah Hamdan. Far more people are talking to Hamas than anyone might think, said a senior European diplomat. It is the beginning of something new  although we are not negotiating. Full Story

Al-Qaeda releases pictures of hostages: SITE Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:37am

Al-Qaeda's North African branch has released pictures it claims are of four European tourists it kidnapped last month in Niger, a US group which monitors Islamist websites said. Full Story


Mixed verdict for rancher in migrant case Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:37am

A federal jury this week found that an Arizona rancher who has complained about illegal immigrants trespassing and trashing his border property has to pay four women $73,000 after he detained them and other migrants at gunpoint. In a verdict Tuesday afternoon, the jury in Tucson found that Roger Barnett did not violate the women's civil rights but was liable for four claims of assault and infliction of emotional distress. Full_Story

Netanyahu picked to form Israel government Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:38am

Hawkish Likud party leader Benjamin Netanyahu will be tasked with forming a new Israeli government, the president's office announced on Friday. "The president has made a decision regarding the formation of the government and the presidency will summon deputy Benjamin Netanyahu at 14:15 (12:15 GMT) to entrust him with this task," President Shimon Peres's office said. Full Story

Suicide bomber kills 22, wounds 45 at Pakistan funeral Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:39am

A suicide bomber killed 22 people and wounded 45 on Friday in an attack on a funeral procession for a Shi'ite Muslim gunned down a day earlier in a northwestern Pakistani city, officials said. Full Story

Mexico's net migration down 50% Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:39am

Migration from Mexico, mainly to the United States, has fallen dramatically as fewer Mexicans leave their country to look for work abroad amid a global economic downturn, the government said Thursday. The net outflow -- legal and illegal -- declined more than 50% in the 12 months ended in August compared with the same period a year earlier, said Eduardo Sojo, president of the board of Mexico's National Statistics, Geography and Information Institute. Full_Story

Sri Lanka troops capture another Tiger village Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:39am

Sri Lankan security forces seized another village from Tamil Tiger rebels, the government said Friday, as international concern mounted about the plight of civilians caught in the shrinking war zone. Full Story

Taliban network developing in Karachi Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:40am

The banned organisation Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has established a strong network in Karachi, in association with local jihadi outfits and other groups, it has been learnt. This network is involved in major illegal activities and sending funds worth millions of rupees to the militants in Tribal Areas. Full Story

Swat accord wont affect Pakistans anti-terror resolve Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:41am

The Swat peace agreement will not affect Pakistans resolve to fight terrorism, Pakistans Ambassador to the United Nations Abdullah Hussain Haroon has said. Haroon was addressing a gathering at the New York University on Tuesday night. The accord between the NWFP government and the Tehreek-e-Nifaz-e-Shariat-e-Muhammadi should not be taken as a paradigm shift in Islamabads position on the struggle to rid its soil of terrorism, he said. Full Story

Madagascar forces retake government buildings Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:41am

Madagascar security forces regained control of four government ministries overnight from opposition activists, authorities said Friday. Police arrested 50 people and no injuries were reported. The buildings were taken over Thursday by supporters of opposition leader Andry Rajoelina, who has been challenging the president for power. Full Story

Venezuelan opposition ask to look forwardPosted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:42am

Venezuelan opposition leader Henry Ramos Allup yesterday asked political forces opposed to President Hugo Chavez not play dumb''and''stop attributed to abstention and the''beneficial''the official election results from last Sunday. ''The opposition can not continue saying that they lost the referendum,''which allowed the unlimited reelection of any public office because of''abuse''of the Government or abstain, emphasized at a press the secretary general of the opposition Democratic Action Party (AD, Social Democrat). Full_Story

Civilian killed as Somali Islamists attack AU forcesPosted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:42am

Hardline Islamist militia attacked African Union forces in the Somali capital Friday, killing one civilian and wounding two others, witnesses said. The fighters attacked the AU's Burundian troops base in southern Mogadishu, sparking an exchange of fire. Full Story

Kyrgyz issues eviction notice to US Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:43am

Kyrgyzstan ordered U.S. forces on Friday to depart within six months from an air base key to military operations in Afghanistan, a move complicating plans to send more troops to battle rising Taliban and al-Qaida violence. Full Story

Rio mayor tries to control chaotic Carnival Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:43am

Rio's mayor has a plan he believes can tame this chaotic city, which is both beloved and loathed for the cacophony of sins that reach their apex during Carnival. His method: a "shock of order" campaign in which even the smallest of offenses will be punished.Full_Story

Official: SKorea to retaliate if NKorea attacks Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:44am

South Korea will retaliate if North Korea attacks its naval ships in waters near their disputed maritime border, the defense chief told lawmakers Friday. The unusually strong warning comes as North Korea steps up its war rhetoric in anger over South Korean President Lee Myung-bak's tough stance toward the North. Full Story

US official: Uzbeks allow transit to Afghanistan Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:45am

A U.S. military official says Uzbekistan will allow non-lethal U.S. military cargo heading to Afghanistan to transit through the country. Rear Admiral Mark Harnitchek says some of the goods will transported onward through Tajikistan, which also shares a border with Afghanistan. Full Story

Mexico: Army will stay, despite recent protests Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:45am

Mexico's president said Thursday the army will continue to battle the country's drug cartels, despite recent protests asking for the soldiers' withdrawal. Hundreds of people blocked bridges to the United States in three border cities Tuesday, demanding the army leave and accusing soldiers of abuse.Full_Story

US military deaths in Iraq war at 4,245 Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:46am

As of Thursday, Feb. 19, 2009, at least 4,245 members of the U.S. military had died in the Iraq war since it began in March 2003, according to an Associated Press count. The figure includes eight military civilians killed in action. At least 3,411 military personnel died as a result of hostile action, according to the military's numbers. Full Story

Yemen sends terrorism suspect to Saudi Arabia Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:47am

Yemen says it has handed over another alleged al-Qaida operative to authorities in Saudi Arabia. The Interior Ministry says it sent back the Saudi national, Ahmed Owaidan al-Harbi, on Thursday, 20 days after his arrest in eastern Yemen. The ministry hasn't released any details on al-Harbi's case. Full Story

Californias $35 box levy gets go-ahead Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:47am

SHIPPERS moving containers through Los Angeles and Long Beach now face a $35 per container fee, as the controversial Clean Trucks Program limps ahead. The US Federal Maritime Commission voted last week by a two-to-one margin to let terminals at the two ports, at this time, set up the fee collection mechanism handled by a company call...Full_Story

Gaza militants fire 10 mortar shells, Qassam rocket at Negev Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:48am

Palestinian militants in the Gaza Strip on Friday fired 10 mortar shells and a Qassam rocket at the western Negev, causing no casualties. Israel Defense Forces troops operating in the Kissufim area identified the explosions and opened fire in the direction of the launchers across the border. Full Story

UK hopes for deal on NATO force at summit Posted on Friday, February 20, 2009 at 7:49am

The government said on Friday it hoped to get formal agreement on a proposal to create a small NATO rapid deployment force to defend mainland Europe and free up troops for Afghan duty at an alliance summit in April. Full Story

UK judge dismisses jury in airline plot case Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 7:51am

A judge has discharged the jury in the case of a group of British Muslims accused of plotting to blow up trans-Atlantic passenger jets in mid-air, citing legal reasons. Full Story

Police foil bomb attack at Citibank in Athens Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 7:51am

Greek police destroyed a powerful car bomb left outside the offices of Citibank in a northern Athens suburb early Wednesday in an escalation of left-wing militant attacks. Full Story

Radical cleric can be deported to Jordan Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 7:52am

Abu Qatada, a radical Muslim cleric once described as Osama bin Laden's right-hand man in Europe, can be deported to Jordan despite his fears of torture, the top appeal court said on Wednesday. Full Story

Pakistanis rally for peace in militant strongholdPosted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 8:58am

A hardline cleric led hundreds of supporters in a peace march in Pakistan's Swat Valley on Wednesday aimed at convincing Taliban militants to lay down their weapons under a pact with the government. Full Story

More Troops Headed to Afghanistan Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:03am

President Obama has ordered the first combat deployments of his presidency, saying yesterday that he had authorized an additional 17,000 U.S. troops "to stabilize a deteriorating situation" in Afghanistan. Full Story

Militant plan to target security forces foiled, 4 IED recovered Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:06am

Security forces foiled a militant plan to cause blasts in north Kashmir when they arrested three militants and recovered Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and pistols, official sources said today. Full Story

Three terrorists arrested Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:07am

Personnel of intelligence agencies on Tuesday arrested three alleged terrorists from the walled city and seized explosive material from their possession. Full Story

6 Taliban killed in Bajaur operation Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:08am

Security forces on Tuesday killed six Taliban during their ongoing operation to target suspected hideouts in Bajaur Agency, officials said. Full Story

Belgium: NATO Objects to Pakistan Truce With Taliban Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:10am

NATO warned Tuesday that a truce between the Pakistani government and Taliban militants in a restive region near the Afghan border risked giving the extremists a safe haven. Full Story

US quiet on Pakistan peace deal with Taliban Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:12am

While human rights groups and European officials criticize Pakistan's truce with Taliban fighters, the United States has had little to say. Full Story

CIA secretly using Pak airbase to fly drones Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:15am

The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) has secretly been using an airbase in southwestern Pakistan to launch the Predator drones to attack the militants within the country, a report said. Both Pakistan and US governments have repeatedly denied that Washington is conducting military operations, covert or otherwise, on Pakistani territory. Full Story

Amnesty for 60 Taliban: Afghan govt Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:17am

The Afghan government announced Tuesday it had given amnesty to nearly 60 Taliban fighters who had agreed to lay down their weapons, as some of them claimed they were misled into jihad or "holy war". Full Story

Hopes for U.S. military ties with China Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:17am

The commander of U.S. forces in the Pacific said Wednesday that he hoped a visit to the region by Secretary of State Hillary Clinton would lead to a resumption of high-level military exchanges with China. "We hope she gets some traction, and we're hoping for a resumption of that dialogue," Admiral Timothy Keating, head of U.S. Pacific Command, said at a small briefing in Hong Kong. Full Story

Taiwanese economy slumps into recession Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:19am

Taiwan's economy slumped 8.36 percent during the last three months of 2008, the government said Wednesday. The island's economy spiraled into recession with its second straight quarter of economic losses. For the third quarter of 2008, Taiwan's real gross domestic product (GDP), adjusted for inflation, slipped about 1 percent, according to the Directorate General of Budget, Accounting and Statistics. Full Story

British, Afghan troops in Taliban drugs swoop Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:19am

Millions of pounds worth of drugs were seized in southern Afghanistan as more than 700 British and Afghan troops staged a major operation against Taliban fighters, officials said Wednesday. Full Story

New route links Afghanistan to sea, via Iran Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:21am

As President Obama's foreign policy team tries to make lemonade out of the diplomatic lemons it has inherited around the world, one region could represent low-hanging fruit: the Khyber Pass linking Pakistan with Afghanistan. Full Story

India: 70,000 trapped in Sri Lanka war zone Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:21am

India on Wednesday urged Sri Lanka's Tamil rebels to "release" civilians, who it said numbered about 70,000 in Sri Lanka's war zone. India is ready to help evacuate them, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee told the Indian parliament. Full Story

US Puts Limits on Police Advisers in Afghanistan Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:22am

American civilian advisers to Afghanistan's National Police, considered the linchpin in any successful effort against the Taliban, say restrictions on their movements are making their efforts basically worthless. Full Story

Pressure on NATO allies after Obama's Afghan boost Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 9:24am

The United States will put pressure this week on its NATO allies to increase their commitments to Afghanistan but is not optimistic of fresh pledges of troops. Full Story

U.S. general investigates Afghan death claim Posted on Wednesday, February 18, 2009 at 12:42pm

A U.S. general traveled to western Afghanistan on Wednesday to investigate claims that six women and two children were killed in a U.S. airstrike, officials said. Full Story

Bolivia to get Russian copters Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 8:38am

Bolivia will receive helicopters from Russia to help fight drugs and assistance to develop energy resources in the poor South American country, the Russian president said Monday. The moves were part of Moscow's push for more clout in Latin America. Bolivian President Evo Morales became the first leader from the landlocked Andean nation to visit Russia since Moscow and La Paz established diplomatic relations in 1945. Full Story

Mexican president meets with group of US lawmakers Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 8:44am

Mexico says a group of U.S. legislators recognizes the country is making progress in the fight against drug trafficking. President Felipe Calderon's office says the lawmakers expressed interest in expediting the disbursement of a multimillion-dollar U.S. anti-drug aid package approved last year. Full Story

Pakistan Makes a Taliban Truce, Creating a Haven Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:04am

The government announced Monday that it would accept a system of Islamic law in the Swat valley and agreed to a truce, effectively conceding the area as a Taliban sanctuary and suspending a faltering effort by the army to crush the insurgents. Full Story

From Pakistan, Taliban Threats Reach New York Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:05am

Last June, Bakht Bilind Khan, who was living in the Bronx and working at a fast-food restaurant, returned to his village in the volatile Swat Valley of northern Pakistan to visit his wife and seven children for the first time in three years. Full Story

8 British men tried for alleged airline bomb plot Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:05am

Eight British Muslims plotted to cause unprecedented carnage by blowing up passenger planes over the Atlantic Ocean with homemade liquid bombs disguised as soft drinks, a prosecutor said at their trial Tuesday. Full Story

2 escape French prison, take hostages, recaptured Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:05amT

wo convicts who broke out of a French prison and took bystanders hostage were captured Tuesday after a shootout in a suburban Paris highway tunnel, police said. Full Story

Pak yet to confirm arrest of Lakhvi, Zarar Shah Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:06am

More than 24 hours after it was reported in Pakistan that Zaki-ur-Rehman Lakhvi and Zarar Shah, the two Laskae-e-Taiba commanders whoallegedly masterminded the Mumbai attacks, had been arrested, there was still no official word on their whereabouts. Pakistan is yet to confirm their arrest. Full Story

Kosovo marks 'independence day' Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:07am

Events are being held across Kosovo on Tuesday to mark the first anniversary of its unilateral declaration of independence from Serbia. Full Story

US troops kill Taliban's shadow governor for Badghis province Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:08am

US forces killed the shadow governor of Afghanistan's northwestern province of Badghis and eight other Taliban leaders and fighters during an airstrike on a village near the border with Turkmenistan. Full Story

Rome to dismantle illegal camps Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:09am

The authorities in Rome have begun dismantling illegal camps amid an outcry over three rapes last weekend that have been blamed on immigrants. Full Story

US airstrike in Pakistan's Kurram tribal agency kills 30 Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:09am

The US appears to be expanding its campaign of cross-border strikes into Pakistan after several unmanned US Predator aircraft conducted multiple attacks in the Taliban-controlled tribal agency of Kurram. Full Story

Ireland Swings in Favor of EU Treaty Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:11am

There has been a swing towards a "Yes" vote to the European Union's Lisbon Treaty in Ireland with 51 percent now in favor, according to a poll conducted by the Irish Times newspaper, published Monday, Feb. 16. Full Story

Clinton warns North Korea on missiles Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:11am

Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, in her first full day on a weeklong tour of Asia, warned North Korea on Tuesday not to undertake a test of a long-range missile, as it has threatened. "The possible missile launch that North Korea is talking about would be very unhelpful in moving our relationship forward," Clinton said after a meeting with the Japanese foreign minister, Hirofumi Nakasone. Full Story

Tamil Tigers 'target civilians' Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:25am

The United Nations says it has received reports that Tamil Tiger rebels are actively preventing civilians from leaving Sri Lanka's war zone. It says a growing number of those trying to leave have been shot at and some have been killed. Full Story

China set to boost Venezuela ties Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:27am

Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping is due in Venezuela as part of a visit to boost Chinese ties in the region. Mr Xi is expected to sign agreements including joint ventures with Venezuela's state oil company, PDVSA, the Venezuelan foreign ministry said. Full Story

Worst Argentine Drought Since 61Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:50amArgentinas soybean farmers are braced for another week of scorching temperatures that may extend crop losses from the countrys worst drought since 1961. Temperatures will approach 40 degrees Celsius (104 degrees Fahrenheit) in the Pampas farming area, evaporating soil moisture and reducing potential yields, according to the Rosario Board of Trade, where most of the countrys soybeans are traded. Full Story

Remittances to Ecuador Down 22% in 4th Quarter of 2008 as World Economic Crisis Begins to Bite Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 9:51am

Remittances sent home by Ecuadorians living abroad fell 22 percent in the fourth quarter of last year relative to the same period of 2007, the Central Bank said. The total value of money transfers to Ecuador between October and December 2008 came in at $643.9 million, $181.7 million less than the amount registered in the fourth quarter of the previous year. Full Story

Al-Qaeda gains strength, active in North Caucasus - envoy Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 11:16am

Al-Qaeda, the international terrorist organization, has not become weaker but gained in strength, while hundreds of similar extremist groups have emerged worldwide, a Russian presidential representative said on Tuesday. Full Story

SAARC failure overshadows anti-terrorism taskforce Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 11:19am

The idea of regional anti-terrorism taskforce for South Asia is unlikely to shine as the past initiatives taken by South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) to counter terrorism did not succeed, thanks to the India-Pakistan rift. Full Story

Australia offers more help, military training to Pakistan Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 11:21am

Australia will increase economic aid to Pakistan and quadruple the number of Pakistani army officers it trains as the nation battles terrorism and economic crisis. Full Story

JuD leader arrested for Mumbai terror attack Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 11:27am

Jamaat-ud-Dawah's (JuD) Rawalpindi chief Nazir Ahmed has been arrested in connection with the Mumbai terror attacks, authorities said Tuesday. Full Story

Pakistan army vows to hold fire in Swat Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 11:29am

Pakistan's military on Tuesday vowed to hold fire and respect a controversial agreement signed between the government and militants to enforce Islamic law in the violence-torn Swat valley. Full Story

Will Pakistan's Shari'a Pact Calm or Inflame a Troubled Region?Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 11:35am

In a desperate move to deal with an intractable radical insurgency, the Pakistan government says it will impose a form of Islamic law in the area of Swat Valley in the northwestern corner of the country. As a result, Islamabad's faltering military campaign there has been put on hold, and the militants have agreed to a tentative ceasefire. But many observers fear that, far from calming the conflict, the government has capitulated to the Islamist guerrillas and has set a worrying precedent - one that will surely displease some U.S. officials who want the government to take a harder line against militants. Full Story

Canada wants "frank" talks on NATO in Afghanistan Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 11:39am

The struggling effort to defeat the Taliban and bring security to Afghanistan means it is time for a "frank discussion" about the future of NATO, Canada's defense minister said on Monday. Full Story

Bottom-up approach needed in Afghanistan: report Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 11:40am

The drive to stabilize Afghanistan must focus on cultivating local leaders, better training of Afghan troops and police, and pressing Kabul to fight corruption, a report by a U.S. think tank said on Tuesday. Full Story

U.N. report: Civilian casualties hit record high in Afghan conflict Posted on Tuesday, February 17, 2009 at 11:43am

The number of civilians killed in armed conflict in Afghanistan rose 40 percent last year, to a record 2,118, a U.N. report said Tuesday. Full Story

Nuclear subs collide in Atlantic Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:02am

A Royal Navy nuclear submarine was involved in a collision with a French nuclear sub in the middle of the Atlantic, the MoD has confirmed. HMS Vanguard and Le Triomphant were badly damaged in the crash in heavy seas earlier this month. Full Story

Anti-terror tactics 'weaken law' Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:03am

The UK and the US have "actively undermined" international law in the way they fight terrorism, a report by judges and lawyers has said. The independent International Commission of Jurists carried out a three-year global study. Full Story

UK to shift anti-terror strategy Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:04am

The UK government is preparing a major shift in its counter-terrorism strategy to combat radicalisation, the BBC's Panorama programme has learned. Conservative Muslims who teach that Islam is incompatible with Western democracy will be challenged as part of a new approach, Panorama has been told. Full Story

Tons of Radioactive Material From India Found in Germany Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:06am

Germany is investigating 150 tons of steel items imported from India which were contaminated with radioactivity, a leading newsmagazine said in a report to appear in its Monday issue. Full Story

On Dresden Anniversary, Massive Protest Against Neo-Nazi March Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:07am

Thousands turned out in central Dresden to protest a march by far-right supporters on the 64th anniversary of the Allied firebombing of the city. Police clashed with left-wing protestors, who threw stones and bottles. Full Story

Islamic law to be imposed in parts of northwest Pakistan Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:13am

The government agreed to impose Islamic law and suspend a military offensive across a large swath of northwest Pakistan on Monday in concessions aimed at pacifying a spreading Taliban insurgency there. The announcement came after talks with local Islamists, including one closely linked to the Taliban.Full Story

Pakistan may seek custody of surviving Mumbai gunman Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:16am

Pakistan may ask India for custody of the only gunman to survive the Mumbai attacks to strengthen its prosecution of those behind the assault, Pakistan's top interior ministry official said on Saturday. Full Story

North Korea to press ahead with missile launch Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:20am

North Korea suggested on Monday that it will press ahead with test-launching what its neighbors believe is a ballistic missile capable of reaching as far as Alaska. "One will come to know later what will be launched," the North's state-run news agency, KCNA, said, commenting on recent news reports in the region that the isolated country has been readying its longest-range Taepodong-2 missile for a test launch from a base on its east coast. Full Story

U.S. airstrike kills 30 in Pakistan Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:21am

Two missiles fired from American drone aircraft killed more than 30 people, including Qaeda and Taliban fighters, near the Pakistani border with Afghanistan on Saturday, according to a Pakistani intelligence official and residents of the area. Full Story

U.S. envoy reaches out to Iran in Afghan visit Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:24am

President Barack Obama's top envoy to Afghanistan declared Sunday that Iran should play a vital role helping stabilize the war-torn country. It was the latest statement by Obama officials signaling a clear shift away from the Bush administration's policy of avoiding direct engagement with Tehran. Full Story

'Pashtunistan' holds key to Obama mission Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:28am

The mountainous borderlands where Afghanistan meets Pakistan have been described as a Grand Central Station for Islamic terrorists, a place where militants come and go and the Taliban trains its fighters. Now Barack Obama has made solving the 'Af-Pak' question a top priority. But could the battle to tame the Pashtun heartland become his Vietnam? Full Story

Pakistani militants free Chinese engineer Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:29am

Pakistani Taliban militants have freed a Chinese telecommunications engineer after holding him captive for more than five months, a spokesman for the militants and Chinese officials said on Sunday. Full Story

Taliban to cease fire in Pakistan's Swat Valley Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:31am

The Taliban announced a 10-day cease-fire in Pakistan's Swat Valley on Sunday after freeing a Chinese hostage during peace talks with the government, while an abducted American threatened with imminent death by his kidnappers remained missing. Full Story

Pakistan, pro-Taliban group in peace talks Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:32am

Pakistani officials on Sunday hammered out a peace deal with a Taliban-linked group that could lead to the enforcement of elements of Islamic law in parts of the northwest, prompting militants in the blood-soaked Swat Valley to declare a 10-day cease-fire as a goodwill gesture. Full Story

Sri Lanka's ruling coalition wins provincial polls Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:34am

Sri Lanka's ruling coalition won control of two provincial assemblies, according to election results Sunday, in a victory seen as an endorsement of government efforts to defeat separatist Tamil Tiger rebels. The governing United People's Freedom Alliance coalition won 34 of 56 seats in the Central provincial council and about 65 percent of the votes counted for the North Western provincial council in Saturday's elections, the Department of Elections said. Counting in one electorate was still not complete. Full Story

CIA Helped India, Pakistan Share Secrets in Probe of Mumbai SiegePosted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:37amIn the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the CIA orchestrated back-channel intelligence exchanges between India and Pakistan, allowing the two former enemies to quietly share highly sensitive evidence while the Americans served as neutral arbiters, according to U.S. and foreign government sources familiar with the arrangement. Full Story

Islamic Law Proposed as Part of Deal in Pakistan Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:39am

Pakistani officials on Sunday hammered out a peace deal with a Taliban-linked group that could lead to the enforcement of elements of Islamic law in parts of Pakistan's northwest, prompting insurgents in the Swat Valley to declare a 10-day cease-fire as a goodwill gesture. Full Story

Pakistan and Taliban appear near deal Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:48am

Government officials and Taliban militants appeared to be near a deal Sunday on the violent Swat region of northern Pakistan, where the militants declared a unilateral 10-day cease-fire and the government indicated it was willing to accept the imposition of Islamic law. Full Story

Finger pointed at U.S. over deadly missile strike Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 9:50am

The United States is suspected in a missile strike that killed at least 15 people Monday in western Pakistan, a Pakistani official said. At least seven people were also injured in the attack near the Afghan border about 9 a.m. Monday, according to an official in Kurram agency. The death toll is expected to rise, intelligence sources said. Full Story

CIA Helped India, Pakistan Share Secrets in Probe of Mumbai Siege Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 10:07am

In the aftermath of the Mumbai terrorist attacks, the CIA orchestrated back-channel intelligence exchanges between India and Pakistan, allowing the two former enemies to quietly share highly sensitive evidence while the Americans served as neutral arbiters, according to U.S. and foreign government sources familiar with the arrangement. Full Story

Key Afghan Taleban chief 'killed' Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 10:09am

The US-led forces in Afghanistan say they have killed a wanted Taleban commander in the country's west. Mullah Dastagir was killed along with other militants in an air strike in Badghis province, the US army said. Full Story

Militant threats chill Pakistani entertainers Posted on Monday, February 16, 2009 at 10:19am

Singer Sardar Yousafzai and his band were driving from a wedding gig when the gunmen burst onto the road, firing without warning. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

OBAMA ABSENT IN WAR ON TERROR

http://www.vote.com/mmp_printerfriendly.php?id=1378_ (http://www.vote.com/mmp_printerfriendly.php?id=1378)

OBAMA AWOL IN TERROR WAR

By DICK MORRIS & EILEEN MCGANN

Published on DickMorris.com on February 19, 2009

President Barack Obama's record in battling terrorism has proven so weak that one wonders if he really takes the issue seriously.Since he has taken office, the president has:• Announced closure of Guantanamo.•

Declined to prosecute the mastermind behind the USS Cole bombing.•

Closed all overseas CIA interrogation centers.• Appointed an Attorney General and Justice Department officials on record as opposed to the use of "enhanced" interrogation techniques in terror investigations.•

Granted Al Arabia television his first news organization interview and called Fatah Party leader and PA President Mahmoud Abbass in his first phone contact with any foreign leader.

Now, with no strings attached, the president has allocated $20.3 million in "post-conflict humanitarian aid" to "Palestinian refugees and conflict victims in Gaza. The additional funds bring to $60 million U.S. aid commitments in Gaza.

Of course, Gaza is totally controlled by the terrorist group Hamas which grabs any aid that arrives and uses it for its own purposes. In fact, on February 7th, the U.N. Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) - the body charged with distributing the new U.S. aid - announced that it was suspending assistance in Gaza because ten lorries, laden with humanitarian supplies, were seized by Hamas members.

It was the second time that week that Hamas has stolen aid destined for the UNRWA.

Christopher Gunness, a UNRWA spokesman, told Al Jazeera that UN aid shipments would not restart until the goods were returned. "Until we get all of this aid back, and until we receive credible assurances from the Hamas government, the suspension of our imports of aid into Gaza will continue, he said.

"Responding to the obvious low profile Obama is giving his battle against terrorism, two key nations - one an adversary and the other an ally - both acted to aid al Qaeda in the days after Obama's inauguration.

Neither got so much as a verbal a slap on the wrist from the new Administration.

The Associated Press reported, on February 8th, that Yemen, which boasts of having a "truce" with al Qaeda, "released 170 men it had arrested on suspicion of having ties to al Qaeda." The announcement came "two weeks after [al Qaeda] announced that Yemen had become the base of its activities for the whole Arabian Peninsula."

Yemen has also made it clear that it expects most of the 100 remaining Yemenis at Guantanamo (out of the 250 inmates still there) to be sent home after Obama orders the prison shut.

And, Pakistan, a supposed ally, has just concluded a deal with the Taliban ceding to its control an area on the Afghan/Paki border which its troops had, unsuccessfully, tried to capture.

The Taliban now has the same deal it had in Afghanistan - a protected sanctuary from which to launch raids on the West. In view of the Administration's passive acquiescence in the Paki decision, one is driven to ask why do we still care about freedom in Afghanistan?

On all fronts, the message from Obama is the same - surrender, pullback, and weakness.

It is a matter of time until al Qaeda and other terrorists walk through the door he and his appointees are holding open and hit us again.

Monday, February 16, 2009

CONFLICT & TERROR 02/15

Pakistani Tribes Caught Between Taliban and U.S. Airstrikes
Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 9:12am
Until last month, Habibullah was one of many Pakistani tribesmen who considered the Taliban and their foreign operatives as the prime reason for the woes. He was even planning to join an anti-Taliban jirga, or tribal assembly, to work for peace in the restive Waziristan region. Full Story

Lashkar slams Pakistan's Mumbai attack probe report
Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 10:12am
Slamming Pakistan's probe report into the Mumbai terror attacks, the banned Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militant outfit accused Islamabad ofimplicating its leaders in the case "to get a pat on its back from India and the US". Full Story

India wants full story from Pakistan on Mumbai carnage
Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 10:16am
India on Friday urged Pakistan to fully unveil the conspiracy behind the Mumbai attacks and take action against terrorist groups to prevent such strikes in the future. Full Story

Russians capture Somali pirates
Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 10:20am
The Russian navy says one of its warships has captured three pirate vessels off the coast of Somalia. Full Story

Bank robbery at Euro Parliament
Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 10:21am
An apparently armed man robbed a bank inside the European Parliament building in Brussels on Thursday, after evading the institution's security personnel. Full Story

'Rise in attacks' on British Jews
Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 10:23am
The number of attacks on Jews in Britain has risen sharply since Israeli attacks began on Gaza last December, a charity has said. Full Story

Karachi tackles growing Taleban
Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 11:11am
For the members of Karachi's Anti-Violence Crime Cell (AVCC), it was supposed to be a routine raid. The elite anti-terror squad is used to playing a significant role in carrying out the arrests of high-profile terror suspects. Full Story

Senator: U.S. Launches Drone War on Pakistan, From Pakistan
Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 12:27pm
Is the CIA's controversial drone war on Pakistani militants actually being flown out of Pakistan itself?That's the apparent bombshell dropped Thursday by Senator Diane Feinstein, during a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing. Full Story

Zardari: We Underestimated Taliban Threat
Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 2:53pm
Pakistan's new president, Asif Ali Zardari, says his nuclear-armed government is in a battle to survive against the growing threat of the Taliban, which his country failed to take strong action against earlier. Full Story

Abducted U.N. official in Pakistan appears in videoPosted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 2:55pmKidnappers of an American working for the U.N. refugee agency in Pakistan on Friday released a video in which he pleaded for the United Nations to help win his release. Full Story

Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.
Pakistani Tribes Caught Between Taliban and U.S. Airstrikes

Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 9:12am

Until last month, Habibullah was one of many Pakistani tribesmen who considered the Taliban and their foreign operatives as the prime reason for the woes. He was even planning to join an anti-Taliban jirga, or tribal assembly, to work for peace in the restive Waziristan region. Full Story


Lashkar slams Pakistan's Mumbai attack probe report

Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 10:12am

Slamming Pakistan's probe report into the Mumbai terror attacks, the banned Lashker-e-Toiba (LeT) militant outfit accused Islamabad ofimplicating its leaders in the case "to get a pat on its back from India and the US". Full Story


India wants full story from Pakistan on Mumbai carnage

Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 10:16am

India on Friday urged Pakistan to fully unveil the conspiracy behind the Mumbai attacks and take action against terrorist groups to prevent such strikes in the future. Full Story


Russians capture Somali pirates

Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 10:20am

The Russian navy says one of its warships has captured three pirate vessels off the coast of Somalia. Full Story


Bank robbery at Euro Parliament

Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 10:21am

An apparently armed man robbed a bank inside the European Parliament building in Brussels on Thursday, after evading the institution's security personnel. Full Story


'Rise in attacks' on British Jews

Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 10:23am

The number of attacks on Jews in Britain has risen sharply since Israeli attacks began on Gaza last December, a charity has said. Full Story


Karachi tackles growing Taleban

Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 11:11am

For the members of Karachi's Anti-Violence Crime Cell (AVCC), it was supposed to be a routine raid. The elite anti-terror squad is used to playing a significant role in carrying out the arrests of high-profile terror suspects. Full Story


Senator: U.S. Launches Drone War on Pakistan, From Pakistan

Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 12:27pm

Is the CIA's controversial drone war on Pakistani militants actually being flown out of Pakistan itself?That's the apparent bombshell dropped Thursday by Senator Diane Feinstein, during a Senate Select Committee on Intelligence hearing. Full Story


Zardari: We Underestimated Taliban Threat

Posted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 2:53pm

Pakistan's new president, Asif Ali Zardari, says his nuclear-armed government is in a battle to survive against the growing threat of the Taliban, which his country failed to take strong action against earlier. Full Story


Abducted U.N. official in Pakistan appears in videoPosted on Friday, February 13, 2009 at 2:55pmKidnappers of an American working for the U.N. refugee agency in Pakistan on Friday released a video in which he pleaded for the United Nations to help win his release. Full Story


Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

CONFLICT & TERROR 02/14 ROUNDUP

Muslim teacher in Vienna suspended over pamphlet
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 2:24pm
Officials say a Muslim religion teacher in Vienna has been suspended for allegedly giving his students anti-Semitic pamphlets. Full Story

Alleged skinhead attack on Brazilian stuns Swiss
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 2:25pm
Zurich police on Thursday were investigating an alleged skinhead assault on a pregnant Brazilian woman that caused her to miscarry twins and left her scarred with the initials of Switzerland's main right-wing party. Full Story

Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of attacks
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 4:47pm
In Pakistan, Foreign Ministry spokesman, Abdul Basit, said he had not seen Saleh's comments and could not comment. The army spokesman did not answer a telephone call late yesterday. Full Story

After Israel's election, Palestinians weigh a new Intifadeh
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 4:49pm
Israel's election and the Gaza conflict have revealed the scale of the challenge facing U.S. President Barack Obama in jump-starting Israeli-Palestinian peace efforts. Israeli voters tacked to the right, and the government that results from Tuesday's poll will be, if anything, even less inclined to conclude a two-state peace agreement with the Palestinian leadership than the current government of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has been. Full Story

Five militants, soldier killed in Bajaur
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 4:50pm
Five Taliban and a soldier were killed on Wednesday in an ongoing military operation in Bajaur  where the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) also set a three-day deadline for the army to vacate posts set up at schools  as the Taliban kidnapped seven people in Hangu. Full Story

TTP threatens to destroy schools
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 4:51pm
The Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan threatened on Wednesday to destroy all educational institutions in Bajaur if the government did not withdraw security forces stationed in government schools in the region within three days. Talking to reporters on phone, TTP spokesman Maulvi Omar said security forces had set up checkposts and bunkers in almost all government schools to attack Taliban positions. Full Story

Six Taliban arrested near Quetta
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 4:52pm
Security personnel raided a house on the outskirts of Quetta on Wednesday and arrested six suspected Taliban, officials said. A security official said that the raid on the rented house in Pashtoonabad had been carried out on a tip-off. The area people said they saw security personnel barging into the house and whisking away some people. Full Story

Police kill 7 in south Russia firefight - agency
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 4:53pm
Interior Ministry troops shot dead seven suspected rebels on Wednesday in a firefight in Russia's North Caucasus region of Kabardino-Balkaria, Interfax news agency said, quoting local law enforcement. Full Story

India, U.S. in talks ahead of fighter deal contract
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 4:55pm
India is talking to the United States to resolve a legal clause that allows its inspectors to monitor arms it sells to New Delhi, a major obstacle for U.S. companies bidding for a $10-billion fighter jet contract. Full Story

US air base in Kyrgyzstan working despite threat
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 4:57pm
Aircraft took off throughout the day and workers built a new fire station at this vital military base Thursday despite Kyrgyzstan's plans to shut down a facility seen as essential to the war in Afghanistan. Full Story

U.S. intelligence chief issues a bleak outlook on Afghanistan
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 4:58pm
The new director of national intelligence warned Thursday that Afghanistan's weak and corrupt government is failing to halt the spread of Taliban control and said that public support for the Taliban and local warlords was increasing. Full Story

NATO green-lights attacking Afghan drug operations with Taliban links
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 4:59pm
NATO has ironed out its legal concerns and formally issued orders to treat Afghan drug lords who fuel the violent Taliban insurgency as legitimate military targets. Bombing narcotics shipments, arresting drug barons and blowing up opium processing labs with a verifiable link to militants is now a key priority - one that senior commanders and political leaders of the military alliance are confident will not violate international law. Full Story

Afghanistan: Taliban Al-Hamza Brigade carried out Kabul assault says message
Posted on Thursday, February 12, 2009 at 5:00pm
The Taliban's al-Hamza Brigades carried out the deadly attacks in the capital Kabul on Wednesday that killed 28 people and injured scores, claimed messages posted to various jihadist websites and signed by the Taliban. Full Story

Pakistan files case against Kasab: reports
Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 9:08am
The Pakistan government has filed a case against Mohammad Ajmal Amir Kasab, the only terrorist captured alive for the Mumbai terrorist attacks in November 2008, media reports in the country say. Full Story

Red Cross employee abducted by pro-Taliban militants in Pak
Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 9:09am
A Red Cross employee and his driver wereon Wednesday abducted by pro-Taliban militants in the troubled Swat valley in northwestern Pakistan, more than a week after an American working for the UN refugee agency in Quetta was kidnapped. Full Story

Simultaneous Taliban attacks kill 26
Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 9:24am
NEAR-simultaneous Taliban assaults on three government offices in the Afghan capital left 26 people dead and 55 wounded on Wednesday, the health ministry said. Full Story

Head of Azerbaijan's air force killed
Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 12:01pm
A gunman fatally shot Azerbaijan's air force chief outside his home on Wednesday, the Defense Ministry said. Azerbaijan's chief military prosecutor, speaking from the rain-soaked site of the shooting of Lt. Gen. Rail Rzayev's home in the capital, Baku, said authorities did not know the motive. Full Story

Thousands march in Paris against university reform
Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 12:02pm
Some 43,000 students, researchers and professors took to streets in Paris and other French cities Tuesday to demand an increase in scholarship funds and protest government plans to cut university jobs amid the economic downturn. Full Story

Dutch protest Britain's ban of right-wing lawmaker
Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2009 at 12:03pm
The British government has banned Dutch right-wing lawmaker Geert Wilders from visiting the country to show his anti-Islam film "Fitna" at the Houses of Parliament. Full Story

Mexico to fingerprint phone users in crime fight
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 9:02am
Mexico will start a national register of mobile phone users that will include fingerprinting all customers in an effort to catch criminals who use the devices to extort money and negotiate kidnapping ransoms. Under a new law published on Monday and due to be in force in April, mobile phone companies will have a year to build up a database of their clients, complete with fingerprints. The idea would be to match calls and messages to the phones' owners. Full Story

Venezuelan opposition leaders left almost powerless
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 9:03am
Shuttered, padlocked and sprayed with multicolored graffiti, Caracas City Hall is a forlorn sight. Opposition Mayor Antonio Ledezma, whose name is featured in the graffiti -- usually accompanied by the word ''rat'' -- has been unable to work there for almost a month, since a group loyal to leftist President Hugo Chavez occupied the building. Full Story

'More civilians die' in S Lanka
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 9:03am
More civilians have been reported killed as intense fighting continues between government forces and Tamil Tiger rebels in north-east Sri Lanka. The military said the rebels had shot dead 17 civilians and injured about 70 trying to flee the conflict zone. Full Story

More suspects sought in Venezuela synagogue attack
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 9:04am
A security guard and a police officer who worked as a bodyguard for a local rabbi are among the suspects accused of ransacking and vandalizing a Caracas synagogue, Venezuela's justice minister said Monday. Tareck El Aissami said that one of the two security guards on duty during last month's attack at the Tiferet Israel Synagogue helped intruders by cutting electricity cables feeding an electric fence surrounding the building and deactivating the alarm. Full Story

Mexican drug violence spills over into the US
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 9:05am
Just as government officials had feared, the drug violence raging in Mexico is spilling over into the United States. U.S. authorities are reporting a spike in killings, kidnappings and home invasions connected to Mexico's murderous cartels. Full Story

Poll of Afghans Shows Drop In Support for U.S. Mission
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 9:07am
A new poll in Afghanistan shows sagging support for U.S. efforts in that country, with airstrikes a chief concern. A quarter of the Afghans polled said that attacks on American or allied forces are justifiable, double the proportion saying so in late 2006. Full Story

Delhis dossier insufficient: Pakistan seeks concrete evidence
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 9:21am
The Defence Committee of the Cabinet (DCC) has said that a dossier of information given by India to Islamabad is insufficient to make headway in a conclusive investigation into the Mumbai attacks, and called on India to provide substantial evidence, Daily Times has learnt. Full Story

Nato pair killed in Afghan attack
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 9:23am
Nato says two of its soldiers have been killed in a bomb attack in Khost province in eastern Afghanistan. The organisation did not immediately release the nationalities of those killed. Most of those serving in the area are American. Full Story

Gunmen shoot aide to Nepal's PM
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 9:34amThe prime minister of Nepal's personal secretary has been shot and wounded by a group of attackers in the capital, Kathmandu, police and media say. Shakti Bahadur Basnet, 39, was shot in the leg as he got out of his car at his home on Monday evening. Full Story

BBC suspends Sri Lanka FM reports
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 9:37am
The BBC World Service is to stop providing radio news to Sri Lanka's state broadcaster because of what it calls "deliberate interference". A statement said FM broadcasts to the Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation would be suspended from Tuesday. Full Story

UK to impose new visa requirements on South Africa
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 9:38am
Britain took new measures Monday to protect itself against the changing tactics of violent Islamic extremists by requiring visas for South Africans. Full Story

Spain says no plans for more troops to Afghanistan
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 9:40am
Spain has no plans to raise its troop levels in Afghanistan despite calls by President Barack Obama for a renewed commitment to fight the resurgent Taliban, Spain's foreign minister said Tuesday. Full Story

Local Taliban offer conditional support to jirga in FATA
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 10:38am
Local Taliban from tribal agencies bordering Hangu district on Monday offered conditional support to a peace jirga  established by the district administration  in checking the rising number of kidnappings and Taliban activities in the district. Full Story

Hizbul Mujahideen operational chief arrested in Kashmir
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 10:40am
The Jammu and Kashmir police Monday said they have arrested the operational chief commander of the Hizbul Mujahideen, dealing a severe blow to the Pakistan-based terror outfit. Full Story

Spain says no plans for more troops to Afghanistan
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 10:44am
Spain has no plans to raise its troop levels in Afghanistan despite calls by President Barack Obama for a renewed commitment to fight the resurgent Taliban, Spain's foreign minister said Tuesday. Full Story

War in Afghanistan 'could be lost by summer'
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 10:46am
The war against the Taliban and al-Qaeda in Afghanistan will be lost by the end of the summer without dramatic changes in counter-insurgency strategy, according to a leading US military expert. Full Story

Kazakhstan helps out US on Afghanistan
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 10:47am
Kazakhstan on Monday became the latest nation to offer its territory for the transit of supplies to coalition troops in Afghanistan, following Kyrgyzstan's shock decision to shut a key US airbase. Full Story

Taliban raising concern, could hurt Afghanistan efforts
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 10:50am
There is growing concern among U.S. military and intelligence officials about different militants' havens in Pakistan that they fear could thwart U.S. military efforts in Afghanistan this year. Full Story

Call Off Drone War, Influential U.S. Adviser Says
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 12:45pm
For months, Pakistani leaders have complained, loudly, about American drone strikes on their territory. Now, an influential adviser to American policymakers is raising his voice against the unmanned attacks, too. Full Story

Survey: European anti-Semitism strong
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 2:13pm
The Anti-Defamation League said Tuesday that a survey it commissioned found nearly a third of Europeans polled blame Jews for the global economic meltdown and that a greater number think Jews have too much power in the business world. Full Story

Al-Qaeda leader warns India: report
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 2:13pm
A top Al-Qaeda commander originally thought to have died last year has released a video warning India of future terror attacks similar to those in Mumbai in November, the BBC reported Tuesday. Full Story

Interpol issues alert for 85 terror suspects
Posted on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 at 2:18pm
Interpol put out an international security alert Tuesday for 85 alleged terrorists suspected of plotting attacks against Saudi Arabia in the largest single batch of wanted notices ever sent to police agencies worldwide. Full Story

A Visit to a U.S. Ally, but an Increasingly Wary One
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 8:55am
When the envoy Richard C. Holbrooke arrives here Monday looking for ways to stop a runaway Islamist insurgency that is destabilizing Pakistan, he will find a pro-American but weak civilian government, and a powerful army unaccustomed and averse to fighting a domestic enemy. Full Story

Seven Pakistani officers killed in attack
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:08am
Seven Pakistani police officers were killed in an attack by militants on a checkpoint in Mianwali near the North-West Frontier province, officials say. Full Story

Kuwait appoints new oil minister
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:08am
Kuwait has appointed a new oil minister to fill a key position left vacant since the Cabinet resigned in November. Full Story

In Anbar, new partnerships are taking root
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:12am
A strong showing in preliminary election results allowed Abu Risha to form a coalition that will change which party controls restive Anbar province, a Sunni Arab enclave west of Baghdad. Full Story

National Security Team Delivers Grim Appraisal of Afghanistan War
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:13am
President Obama's national security team gave a dire assessment Sunday of the war in Afghanistan, with one official calling it a challenge "much tougher than Iraq" and others hinting that it could take years to turn around. Full Story

Former reformist Iranian president will run again
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:15am
Former Iranian President Mohammed Khatami declared Sunday he would run again for president, setting the stage for a major political showdown in coming months between the popular reformist leader  who made dialogue with the West a centerpiece of his eight years in office  and the country's ruling hard-liners. Full Story

Gaza smugglers say Egypt tightening tunnel trade
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:16am
In the dunes of rubble along the Gaza border work crews are excavating scores of bombed tunnels, but smugglers say Egyptian forces on the other side are gradually choking off their trade. Full Story

Yemen releases 170 al-Qaida suspects
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:17am
Yemen released 170 men it had arrested on suspicion of having ties to al-Qaida, security officials said Sunday, two weeks after the terror group announced that Yemen had become the base of its activities for the whole Arabian peninsula. Full Story

Israel enters final campaign day
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:18am
Politicians in Israel are making their final appeals to voters before a general election on Tuesday. Full Story

US warns North Korea over missile
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:19am
The commander of US forces in South Korea has said he has not ruled out a military response if North Korea test-fires a long-range missile. US General Walter Sharp urged North Korea to cease what he referred to as provocations, and behave like a responsible country. Full Story

Kazakhstan to allow US shipments
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:22am
Kazakhstan has said it will allow the United States to ship non-military cargo via its territory to Afghanistan. The foreign ministry said it had given its consent to the transportation of "material for civilian use" by land. Full Story

China submits rights record to UN
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:24am
China has presented its first report to the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva. The document focuses on improvements brought about by economic development, but also admits that China faces serious challenges. Full Story

China pursues Latin America ties
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:27am
Two top Chinese officials have started visits to Latin America as part of an intensified effort to strengthen ties with the region. Chinese Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu is to visit Argentina, Ecuador, Barbados and the Bahamas. Vice-President Xi Jinping is visiting Jamaica, Colombia, Venezuela and China's two biggest trading partners in the region, Brazil and Mexico. Full Story

CIA warns Barack Obama that British terrorists are the biggest threat to the US
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 9:53am
American spy chiefs have told the President that the CIA has launched a vast spying operation in the UK to prevent a repeat of the 9/11 attacks being launched from Britain. Full Story

Bomber kills 17 in Sri Lankan refugee camp
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 10:00am
At least 17 people were killed and 45 others wounded Monday when a female suicide bomber blew herself up at a camp where civilians had sought refuge from the fighting between government troops and Tamil rebels in northern Sri Lanka, the defense ministry said. The attack occurred at a camp in Mullaittivu, where the government said it was providing refuge, medical care and sustenance to displaced civilians. Full Story

Up to 50 terror camps active in Pakistan: Army chief
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 10:09amTerror infrastructure in Pakistan is "existing and active", according to Army Chief General Deepak Kapoor, who puts the number of terror camps there in between 30 and 50. Full Story

Militants killing laughter and music in Pakistan region
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 10:13am
Pakistani comedian Alamzeb Mujahid had bad news for his fans after being freed by Islamist militants who kidnapped him in Peshawar city last month. Full Story

Nine children among 13 killed in Pakistan fighting
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 10:15am
At least 13 people, nine of them children, were killed in northwestern Pakistan on Monday when two mortar bombs hit a house during a battle between security forces and Taliban militants, the military and residents said. Full Story

Pakistani National Pleads Guilty in Terrorism Financing Scheme
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 2:08pm
Imdad Ullah Ranjha, age 34, a Pakistani national residing in Glen Burnie, Maryland, pleaded guilty on Friday to conspiring to operate an unlicensed money remitting business, announced United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein. Full Story

Angry protests at Pakistan blast
Posted on Friday, February 6, 2009 at 11:45am
Angry protests have struck Pakistan's Punjab province after a bomb attack on a Shia religious procession on Thursday left 30 dead. Full Story

U.S. troops in Afghanistan use radio to help tune out Taliban
Posted on Friday, February 6, 2009 at 11:53am
In this badly understaffed post, one of the more successful battle strategies for isolating the Taliban has been what the U.S. Army calls RIAB  Radio in a Box. Full Story

Release of nuclear scientist angers Indian government
Posted on Friday, February 6, 2009 at 2:04pm
Pakistani nuclear scientist Abdul Qadeer Khan was released on Friday from house arrest by a Pakistani court, prompting angry reactions by Indian government officials. Full Story

Car bomb explodes at trade fair center in Spain
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 7:36am
A car bomb believed planted by the armed Basque group ETA exploded at a business park on Madrid's outskirts Monday, but no one was injured, police said. Full Story

Merkel loses Economy Minister ahead of election
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 7:38am
Conservative Michael Glos stood down as Germany's economy minister to make way for newcomer Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg on Monday, dealing a blow to Chancellor Angela Merkel's preparations for this year's federal election. Full Story

Pakistan Taleban 'kill hostage'
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 7:39am
Taleban militants in Pakistan say they have killed a Polish engineer kidnapped in September and have released a video purporting to show his death. Full Story

New envoy to Afghanistan, Pakistan
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 8:19am
The current ambassador in Kabul was named on Monday as Britain's new special representative to both Afghanistan and Pakistan, working closely with US special envoy Richard Holbrooke. Full Story

French DM rules out more troops for Afghanistan
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 8:20am
France's defense minister is ruling out for now increasing the country's military presence in Afghanistan. Full Story

NATO commander: Afghanistan drug raids imminent
Posted on Monday, February 9, 2009 at 8:22am
In an effort to strike at a key income source for Taliban militants, the top NATO commander said Sunday that operations to attack drug lords and labs in Afghanistan will begin within the "next several days." Full Story


Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.