Threat Matrix: Daily Terror Threat - August 2006

[nwctwx]

Syria Tells Troops to Be Ready for Battle
(Full Story)

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad has placed his military on full alert, citing "regional challenges", and vowed to continue supporting the "Palestinian and Lebanese resistance more than ever".

In a speech to mark the Syrian Army national day, Mr Assad said the volatile situation across the Middle East required "vigilance, preparation and readiness" and ordered all units of the armed forces to be on alert.

The comments were interpreted by Israel as a morale booster to the Syrian armed forces and not a call to battle. Israeli intelligence chiefs have assessed that Syria is not in the mood for an open war and is instead content to resupply Hezbollah guerillas in Lebanon.

	Iranian Cleric Asks Muslims to Send Weapons to Hezbollah
	Blair Says Syria, Iran Risk Confrontation
	Iran and Syria Beat the Drums of War

Thread Thirty-Nine

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[nwctwx]

I'm pretty lost on why this would be accepted by Israel. I mean, I understand the theory behind preventing escalation that spirals completely out of control, but this is peculiar.

1. When did we decide it's ok to negotiate with terrorists?
2. Does Israel really believe that Lebanon can or will disarm Hezbollah?

[nwctwx]

1 freed, rest still quizzed

Anti-terrorist detectives investigating the alleged plot to blow up transatlantic passenger jets were granted warrants for the further detention of 22 people arrested in the operation.

A total of 24 people were initially held following raids in London, High Wycombe, Bucks and Birmingham which were carried out by police in the early hours of Thursday morning.

Along with the 22 a further person also remains in custody, while one of the people arrested in the terror raids has been released with no further action, Scotland Yard said.

A Metropolitan Police spokesman said the warrants allowed officers to detain the 22 suspects until Wednesday August 16.

More...

[Cindy]

Olmert's done.

[Cindy]

I hope they follow up, too.

(Freepmail in a minute.)

[REDWOOD99]

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3289901,00.html

Olmert will continue march to Litani.

[Cindy]

UPDATE...

Note: The following text is a quote:
---

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3289907,00.html

Foreign Ministry: Operation aimed at enabling Lebanese army to take over


A spokesperson for the Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said that the continuation of the Israel Defense Forces operation in Lebanon is aimed at paving the way for the Lebanese army to take over the area.

Earlier it was reported that the IDF will continue its operation in southern Lebanon in spite of Prime Minister Ehud Olmert's decision to recommend on Sunday that the government accept the UN ceasefire agreement. (AP)

(08.12.06, 01:35)

[REDWOOD99]

Paving the way for the Lebanese = clearing out Hezbollah IMHO.

[Cindy]

I hope so.

[Cindy]

Thanks to Jet Jaguar for the ping to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/news/1682087/posts


"Looking for Map of Cell Phone Purchases"
self | August 11, 2006 | madison10

Posted on 08/11/2006 3:01:13 PM PDT by madison10

SNIPPET: "Has any one made a map, or done any tracking, of cities/towns the cell phones are being purchased? or of where the suspects are being picked up?

Thanks."

[nwctwx]

The Man Who Is Planning the Next Attack on America
http://blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/2006/08/the_man_who_is_.html

American intelligence agencies and Pakistani officials are convinced that an intended plot on this scale must have been choreographed by a veteran of al-Qaeda or one of the affiliates in the region, according to ABC News.

They have named a 29-year-old al-Qaeda military commander, Matiur Rehman, as the possible mastermind behind this plot, which US authorities believe was timed to coincide with the fifth anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2001.

More...

[Domestic Church]

"...the concensus was that things would start
rolling in Europe first then the UK and quickly spread to the U.S"

I remember this but I thought it was something posted by a jihadi potty.

[freeperfromnj]

I knew the cell phone cell was picked up but I didn't realize they were arrested on on terrorism charges.

3 Arrested on Terrorism Charges in Mich.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2303968

[freeperfromnj]

I think he's speaking a little too soon. He really ought to wait until the investigation overseas is complete.

Chertoff Declares No U.S. Link To Bomb Plot

http://www.local6.com/news/9665050/detail.html?rss=orlpn&psp=news

[Cindy]

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory?id=2303968

It's that tiny last paragrahp that is interesting.

ARTICLE SNIPPET: "The men, Ali Houssaiky and Osama Abulhassan, both 20 and from Dearborn, have been charged with two felonies money laundering in support of terrorism and soliciting or providing support for acts of terrorism and misdemeanor falsification. A preliminary hearing on the felony counts was set for Tuesday."

[Cindy]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1681815/posts

"Day of terror strikes was planned for August 16"
Daily Mail ^ | 8/11/2006

Posted on 08/11/2006 7:11:41 AM PDT by Rutles4Ever

[nwctwx]

Terror plot probe under way in U.S.

Federal investigators are pursuing leads in the United States related to the foiled plot to blow up flights from Britain but so far have found no evidence of terrorist activity, Bush administration officials said Friday.

..snip..

"We operate on the assumption that we don't have everybody," White House homeland security adviser Frances Fragos Townsend said in an interview with The Associated Press. "I never, and I don't think anybody else in this business ever assumes when you take a case down that you've gotten everybody."

"I think it's pretty clear that in this case, we don't have everybody," she added.

..snip..

Two other U.S. counterterrorism officials, speaking on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the investigation, said the British suspects placed calls to several cities in the United States before their arrests. At least some of the calls were placed to people in New York, Washington, Chicago and Detroit, one official said. The suspects are all British citizens, mostly men in the 20s and 30s of Pakistani descent.

The FBI is expecting the arrests and searches of homes and computers in England to generate another round of leads on possible U.S. ties. But there have been no arrests in the United States in connection with the plot, officials said.

..snip..

Authorities on both sides of the Atlantic fear there still could be dozens of people loose who participated in the plot _ even if only tangentially, like by supplying chemicals or funding. Lawmakers also continued to be briefed on details.

Full Story

[Godzilla]

I'm pretty lost on why this would be accepted by Israel. I mean, I understand the theory behind preventing escalation that spirals completely out of control, but this is peculiar.
1. When did we decide it's ok to negotiate with terrorists?
2. Does Israel really believe that Lebanon can or will disarm Hezbollah?

The only reason that Israel would accept it is because of Olmert. Previous PM's would never have let this go this long or far. Olmert is a warning to us if we elect a leftie Demonrat to the presidency.
As far as negotiating with terrorists....it may be side stepped in that it specifies Lebanon, not Hezbollah. But then all can see through that smoke screen.
I think the IDF will do all they can to facilitate Lebanon taking control. The still have friends there and after the Syria-inspired assination, there Syria is even less liked, along with Hezbollah. Does the leadership of Lebanon have the moxie to disarm and kick Hezbollah out? Highly doubtful IMHO, so within a year Israel will be forced to act again. Hopefully, this wakes up the citizenry and gets someone who competent militarly in charge, not the pamper brigade of Olmert's cabinet.

[Revel]

Of course they have to prove what there intension were for the cell phones. I believe you can legally have all the cell phones you want. But where did they get the money? And what were they up to? I believe it must be terror related, but just racking my brains as to what they could do with that many. Were they track phones or subscription phones? They have purchase a subscription to use them, and buy time. This is weird.

[FairOpinion]

"I guess they had a lot of calling to do, huh? "


===

But we must never, ever violate their civil rights to plan terrorist attacks on us, by listening in on their conversations, when they are talking to their fellow terrorists to plot the attacks to kill us. (/sarc)

[Oorang]

Bin Laden's Son In Iran To Negotiate Joint Actions With Pasdaran

Tehran, 11 August (AKI) -
One of Osama bin Laden's sons, Saad, together with a number of top al-Qaeda commanders, including Seif al Adel, are hiding in Iran and are not in Syria as reported by several Western papers this week, a well informed source told Adnkronos International (AKI). The source, a top Iranian intelligence official until a few months ago, said al-Qaeda and members of Iran's powerful revolutionary guard, the Pasdaran, are negotiating coordinated actions against the United States and Israel.

Excerpted

http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Security&loid=8.0.329913551&par=0

Iran: 'Allah's Widow' Claims 56,000 - A Third Women - Ready For Suicide Missions

Tehran, 8 August (AKI) - An Iranian hardline Islamist journalist claims she has recruited 56,000 Iranians, a third of them women, to carry out suicide attacks against American, British and Israeli targets. Afrouz Rajai, who in 1979 was among a group of Iranian students who held 52 US diplomats hostage in the American embassy in Teheran for 444 days, also told Adnkronos International (AKI) that 35 of the would-be terrorists are "of the Jewish faith."

The firebrand activist, dubbed "Allah's widow," by her detractors in Iran formed what she said was a "non governmental organisation" three years ago to recruit volunteers prepared to "carry out suicide actions against the United States, Britain, the Zionist entity (Israel) or any nation or person hostile to Muslims or the Islamic faith," she said.

Excerpted

http://www.adnki.com/index_2Level_English.php?cat=Terrorism&loid=8.0.328782222&par=0