Threat Matrix: May 2007

U.S. Seeks Closing of Visa Loophole for Britons
-Full Story-

Omar Khyam, the ringleader of the thwarted London bomb plot who was sentenced to life imprisonment on Monday, showed the potential for disaffected young men to be lured as terrorists, a threat that British officials said they would have to contend with for a generation.

But the 25-year-old Mr. Khyam, a Briton of Pakistani descent, also personifies a larger and more immediate concern: as a British citizen, he could have entered the United States without a visa, like many of an estimated 800,000 other Britons of Pakistani origin.

American officials, citing the number of terror plots in Britain involving Britons with ties to Pakistan, expressed concern over the visa loophole. In recent months, the homeland security secretary, Michael Chertoff, has opened talks with the government here on how to curb the access of British citizens of Pakistani origin to the United States.

	How the Plot Came Together
	Briefing on Release of 2006 Country Reports on Terrorism
	Iran to Tell Coalition Forces to Leave Iraq at Summit in Egypt

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“Carlos the Jackal to go on trial in France”
Reuters | Saturday, 5 May 2007

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “PARIS: Carlos the Jackal, one of the most notorious armed militants of the 1970s and 80s, will be tried in France for four attacks that killed 11 people and injured almost 200 others in the 1980s, a justice official said.

Judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere granted prosecutors’ request that Carlos, a Venezuelan whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez, be tried for the attacks. A trial is expected at the end of 2007 or beginning of 2008.

Prosecutors say Carlos, now serving a life sentence for the murders of two French secret service agents, launched the bomb attacks in a bid to win the release of his companion, Magdalena Kopp, a German former revolutionary held in France at the time.

He is charged with the March 29, 1982, bombing of a Paris-Toulouse train; the April 22, 1982, attack outside the Paris offices of newspaper Al Watan; and the December 31, 1983, attacks on a TGV high-speed train and a Marseille station.”

http://i.a.cnn.net/cnn/2007/WORLD/europe/05/04/carlos.trial.ap/story.jackal.afp.gi.jpg

http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/05/04/carlos.trial.ap/

“Carlos the Jackal faces new trial”
POSTED: 10:00 a.m. EDT, May 4, 2007

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “PARIS, France (AP) — The jailed Venezuelan terrorist known as Carlos the Jackal will face trial for his alleged role in deadly terror bombings in 1982 and 1983 in France, a judicial official said Friday.

Top anti-terror judge Jean-Louis Bruguiere — renowned for tracking down Carlos, whose real name is Ilich Ramirez Sanchez — ordered him, two Germans and a Palestinian to stand trial for the four attacks, which killed 12 people and injured at least 100, a judicial official said on condition of anonymity.

The date of the trial has not been set, said the official, who was not authorized to speak to the media about investigative matters. All four suspects face up to life in prison if convicted.”

OREGON

http://www.theoutlookonline.com/news/story.php?story_id=117833253452047300

“Gresham truck driver jailed
Woman accuses Macario Simon Gutierrez of trying to kidnap her on highway”
By Mara Stine
The Gresham Outlook, May 4, 2007

ARTICLE SNIPPET: ““It’s just our thought that if he was brazen enough to try such a move here in daylight hours on a state highway, he certainly could have tried it somewhere else in the United States,” Glerup said. “It looks like he does quite a bit of traveling according to his criminal history. There could be other victims out there.”

Anyone with information about the case, the suspect or previous incidents, is encouraged to call the Harney County Sheriff’s Office at 541-573-6028 or 541-573-6029.”

UPDATE:

http://edition.cnn.com/2007/US/05/03/highway.collapse.ap/

“Truck in Bay area collapse had record of safety violations”
POSTED: 0027 GMT (0827 HKT), May 3, 2007

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “SACRAMENTO, California (AP) — The gasoline tanker that exploded Sunday, causing a San Francisco-area freeway ramp to collapse, was cited repeatedly for safety violations and was ordered off the road last year because of faulty brakes, according to federal records.

The tanker’s owner or driver was cited 27 times since 2004 for violations ranging from its unsafe brakes and tires to carrying more gasoline than the truck was rated for, according to documents obtained under a Freedom of Information Act request from the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The truck driver, James Mosqueda, remains hospitalized with second-degree burns.

Records from the California Department of Motor Vehicles obtained by The Associated Press show he had previously had his license revoked or suspended but do not give the reason. Mosqueda, 51, had a clean driving record in the 10 years before the crash. Court records show he also had a series of criminal convictions between 1981 and 1996.”

Note: The following breaking news brief is a quote:

http://www.bangkokpost.com/breaking_news/breakingnews.php?id=118541

BREAKING NEWS

Four injured when train derails

Four passengers were injured early Saturday when a train travelling from Kanchanaburi to Bangkok derailed shortly after leaving the railway station in Kanchanaburi.

The train, carrying nearly 100 passengers, derailed at a curve in Kanchanaburi’s Sai Yok district, and all four railway carriages left the tracks.

Four passengers suffered head injuries and were taken to medical facilities for treatment. Other passengers were transferred to another train to continue the trip to Bangkok.

State Railway of Thailand (SRT) officials ordered a crane from the capital to lift the railway stock from the accident site, not far from the tourist site known as the Bridge on the River Kwai, a popular tourist destination by train

SRT and provincial officials are investigating the cause of the accident. (TNA)

UPDATE:

http://www.wilmingtonstar.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070504/NEWS/705040330/-1/State

“Trestle that collapsed was repaired minutes before train derailed”
By Jay Reeves,
Associated Press

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Birmingham, Ala. | Workers who had just finished repairs on a railroad trestle watched in horror as a train hauling 150-ton segments of space shuttle booster rockets derailed as the track collapsed, officials said Thursday.

Investigators have yet to determine the cause of the accident Wednesday near Myrtlewood, but federal regulators believe a less-serious derailment several days earlier in Kansas was caused by a mechanical problem.

Federal rail officials said there was no apparent link between the two accidents, which occurred with different train lines hauling the shipment.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Flatau said it was unusual for two accidents to occur on a trip.”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=kenya
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=kenyaairways

http://news.google.com/news?hl=en&ned=us&ie=UTF-8&scoring=n&q=%22Kenya+Airways%22&btnG=Search

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.sundaytimes.co.za/News/Article.aspx?id=453697

Kenya airways set up ITL passenger information centre

05 May 2007
Related Content
SA hotline for missing Kenya airline relatives in SA
Kenya Airways have set up an international passenger information centre for information on their flight KQ507 which is believed to have crashed in the south of Cameroon on Saturday morning.

The public enquiry number is +27-11-207-1100.

The 737-800 aircraft departed from Douala shortly after midnight and was due to arrive in Nairobi at 6.15am, Kenya Airways said in a statement.

The last message from the aircraft was received by the control tower in Douala immediately after takeoff.

There were 106 passengers, eight crew members and one engineer on board.

News agencies quoted an unnamed aviation official as saying the plane had crashed in the south of Cameroon.

South Africa’s Department of Foreign Affairs is also manning a number: 012-351-1000 — for South Africans who may have a relative or friend on board.

Kenya Airways have also opened a crisis management centre in Embakasi, Kenya, to monitor the situation with additional details to be provided when received.

Sapa

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/tw/tw_923.html

Travel Warning
United States Department of State
Bureau of Consular Affairs
Washington, DC 20520

This information is current as of today, Sat May 05 2007 03:23:35 GMT-0700.

KENYA

February 06, 2007

This Travel Warning is being issued to remind American citizens to consider carefully the risks of travel to Kenya at this time due to ongoing safety and security concerns. This supersedes the Travel Warning of August 10, 2006.

The Department continues to recommend that private American citizens in Kenya evaluate their personal security situation in light of continuing terrorist threats and increasing incidents of violent crime. Terrorist acts may include suicide operations, bombings, attacks on civil aviation, and attacks on maritime vessels in or near Kenyan ports. Violent criminal attacks, including armed carjacking and home invasions/burglary, can occur at any time and in any location, and are becoming increasingly frequent, brazen, vicious, and often fatal. In January 2007, two family members of a U.S. Embassy employee were killed by armed carjackers. Kenyan authorities have limited capacity to deter and investigate such acts.

U.S. citizens should be aware of the risk of indiscriminate and random attacks on civilian targets in public places, including tourist sites and locations where foreigners are known to congregate, as well as commercial operations associated with U.S. or other foreign interests.

American citizens in Kenya should remain vigilant, particularly in public places frequented by foreigners such as clubs, hotels, resorts, upscale shopping centers, restaurants, and places of worship. Americans should also remain vigilant in residential areas, schools, and at outdoor recreational events, and should avoid demonstrations and large crowds.

Americans who travel to or reside in Kenya despite this Travel Warning are encouraged to register through the State Department’s travel registration website, https://travelregistration.state.gov. By registering, American citizens make it easier for the Embassy to contact them in case of emergency. Americans without Internet access may register directly with the U.S. Embassy in Nairobi. The U.S. Embassy is located on United Nations Avenue, Gigiri, Nairobi, Kenya; telephone (254) (20) 363-6000; fax (254) (20) 363-6410. In the event of an after-hours emergency, the Embassy duty officer may be contacted at (254) (20) 363-6170. The Embassy home page is http://kenya.usembassy.gov .

Updated information on travel and security in Kenya may be obtained from the Department of State by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll free in the United States, or for callers outside the United States and Canada, a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. For further information please consult the Consular Information Sheet for Kenya, the East Africa Public Announcement, and the Worldwide Caution Public Announcement, which are available on the Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website at http://travel.state.gov .

http://www.zeenews.com/znnew/articles.asp?aid=369704&sid=SAS

“Pak cleric threatens tit-for-tat kidnappings”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Islamabad, May 05: A Pakistani cleric of Islamabad’s Lal Masjid, who has been at the centre of controversy over his demand for imposition of Sharia, has threatened to kidnap security men if the abduction of madrassa students was not stopped immediately, a news report has said.

Maulana Abdul Aziz of Lal Masjid warned intelligence agencies against “kidnapping” his madrassa students.

“If the intelligence agencies continue to kidnap our students, we will start kidnapping their personnel. The kidnapped personnel will be kept on Lal Masjid premises,” Aziz told a prayer meeting at Lal Masjid yesterday. “

A few more details...

http://newsimg.bbc.co.uk/media/images/42866000/jpg/_42866227_barot_met203.jpg

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/6615717.stm

Last Updated: Wednesday, 2 May 2007, 16:22 GMT 17:22 UK

“Support team ‘aided terror plot’”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “A 28-year-old man was a vital member of a gang planning a series of explosions in the UK and US, a jury has been told.

Qaisar Shaffi is accused of helping jailed plot mastermind Dhiren Barot on reconnaissance for “murderous terrorist attacks” on American cities.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The prosecution said Barot planned to set off explosions at buildings in Newark, New York and Washington.

The plans were then to be used to target buildings and the transport system in London.

Mr Shaffi travelled to the US with Barot in March 2001 for reconnaissance of potential sites to attack such as the New York Stock Exchange, Mr Laidlaw said.

“When he went to the US, he was knowingly assisting Barot with reconnaissance for murderous terrorist attacks,” he told the jury.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The jury heard six other men have pleaded guilty to conspiracy to cause an explosion or explosions.

They are: Nadeem Tarmohammed, 28, from Willesden; Mohammed Naveed Bhatti, 27, of Harrow, north-west London; Mohammed Zia Ul Haq, 28, of Paddington, west London; Abdul Aziz Jalil, 34, of Luton, Bedfordshire; Omar Abdul Rehman, 23, of Bushey, Hertfordshire and Junade Feroze, 31, of Blackburn, Lancashire.”

Note: The following text is a quote:

https://www.osac.gov/Reports/report.cfm?contentID=67794

you are here: Home > Reports > Consular Affairs Bulletins > Report
Warden Message: UK General Travel Precautions
Consular Affairs Bulletins
Europe - Ireland, United Kingdom
4 May 2007

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Related Reports
23 Apr 2007
Warden Message: London ATM Crime Warning
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UK Letter Bombs
U.S. Consulate General Belfast and U.S. Embassy London released the following Warden Message on May 4:

In light of continuing actions taken by the United States in Iraq and Afghanistan, the U.S. Consulate General regularly reviews whether additional security steps might be appropriate. While there is no specific threat stemming from these actions, as noted in the Department of State’s Public Announcement of April 10, 2007, (http://travel.state.gov/travel/cis_pa_tw/pa/pa_1161.html ) it is always prudent to be vigilant concerning your surroundings and be aware of what you can do to have a safe trip or stay abroad.

The Department of State publishes an online brochure (http://travel.state.gov/travel/tips/safety/safety_1747.html ) with tips concerning personal safety overseas that is worth reviewing. It includes information on:

• preparations to make before you travel,
• precautions to take while traveling,
• safety on the street, in your hotel, on public transportation and when you drive.

It also discusses terrorism and travel to high risk areas.

Ultimately, you are your own personal security manager. Only you can effectively manage your personal safety 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. We encourage Americans to review the simple steps contained in the State Department’s online brochure referenced above, follow the news, and keep abreast of threat information.

For the latest security information, Americans living and traveling abroad should regularly monitor the Department’s Bureau of Consular Affairs Internet website at travel.state.gov. The U.S. Consulate General also maintains a website at http://london.usembassy.gov/nireland/index.html . The U.S. Embassy in London also maintains a website at london.usembassy.gov. In addition to information on the Internet, travelers may obtain up-to-date information on security conditions by calling 1-888-407-4747 toll-free in the U.S. or outside the U.S. and Canada on a regular toll line at 1-202-501-4444. You may also reach the U.S. Consulate General in Belfast at 02890 386100 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. GMT. You may also reach the U.S. Embassy in London at (020) 7499-9000 between the hours of 8:30 a.m. and 5:30 p.m. GMT.

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/keyword?k=thailand

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/016309.php

May 05, 2007

Thailand: Jihadists kill five, including two Muslim children

Note that the jihadists — “militants” — are in this story shooting and killing other Muslims, and that meanwhile the Muslim women and children demonstrators are demanding the release of the “militants.” This suggests that Muslims who are perceived as collaborating with the government are being targeted (along with their families, apparently), in order to swing around the rest to supporting the jihadists.

By the way, “restive” has become the mainstream media’s Homeric epithet of choice for the jihad in southern Thailand.

“Five killed in Thailand’s restive south,” from AFP, with thanks to Sr. Soph:

Five people, including two Muslim children, have been killed by suspected Islamic rebels in separate attacks in Thailand’s violence-torn south, police have said.
A group of militants ambushed a motorcycle late on Friday (local time) and shot dead a 45-year-old Muslim man and his two children, an 11-year-old girl and a seven-year-old boy, in Yala, one of three Muslim-majority provinces.

Also in Yala, a 37-year-old Muslim man was hacked to death by militants in public view at a market late Friday, police said.

They also found the body of a man in a river in the province.

While the case is still under investigation, police suspected he was a victim of Thailand’s three-year insurgency in the south bordering Malaysia.

Police said several hundred Muslim women and children also blocked a highway in Yala on Saturday as they continued their sit-in for the third consecutive day to demand authorities release suspected militants.

Posted by Robert at May 5, 2007 06:21 AM

http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-3395823,00.html

“Qassam hits Sderot home”

“Rocket barrage continues Saturday morning: Palestinians in northern Gaza fire two Qassams at Israeli communities in west Negev. Sderot residents say Color Red alert system failed to activate. Attacks come after IDF kills 3 Palestinian gunmen Friday when gunbattle breaks out during arrest raid
Tovah Dadon”

Published: 05.05.07, 08:55 / Israel News

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “A Sderot home was directly hit in a Qassam barrage early Saturday morning. No one was wounded but the house was damaged.

After firing three rockets Friday night, Palestinian Qassam cells in northern Gaza continued the salvo Saturday morning, aiming two Qassams at Israeli communities in the western Negev.”

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.assistnews.net/Stories/2007/s07050022.htm

ASSIST News Service (ANS) - PO Box 609, Lake Forest, CA 92609-0609 USA
Visit our web site at: www.assistnews.net — E-mail: assistnews@aol.com

Friday, May 4, 2007

Christian Leader Arrested During Church Raid in Eritrea

By Dan Wooding
Founder of ASSIST Ministries

ASMARA, ERITREA (ANS) — The Presbyterian Mehret Yesus Church in Asmara, Eritrea, was raided by government forces during a Sunday Service on 29 April 2007, according to sources close to human rights NGO Release Eritrea-UK. Around 80 people were detained, including several foreign nationals and the head of the Eritrean Evangelical Alliance.

According to a spokesperson for Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW), the leader of the church, Reverend Zecharias Abraham, had been serving as head of the Eritrean Evangelical Alliance, since the arrest of the previous leader, Haile Naizgi, in May 2004. At least three American citizens were also reportedly amongst those detained.
“The Mehret Yesus Church was one of the few churches allowed to function after the government decreed the closure of all churches not belonging to the Orthodox, Catholic and Lutheran denominations in 2002,” said the spokesperson.

“The recent raid follows a renewed government crackdown on Christian activity in Eritrea since the beginning of the year. 68 Christians were detained during January alone and more recently the government announced the illegal appointment of a new Patriarch of the Orthodox Church following the unlawful dismissal of the consecrated Patriarch, Abune Antonios. Patriarch Antonios remains under stringent house arrest.”

“In addition, Eritrean Christians abroad are reporting harassment from supporters of the Eritrean government. Threats sent recently by email told the recipient to ‘watch her back’ as she would soon be attacked ‘on the streets of London’ by members of the ruling party’s youth wing.”

In a statement commenting on the raid, Dr Berhane Asmelash of Release Eritrea said: “This confirms the anti religion and anti Christianity stance of the Government of Eritrea. Presumably Mehret Yesus Church escaped being targeted for closure and arrests five years ago because it complied with government ‘requirements’, which is the common pretext for the closure of the other Churches, but this confirms that compliance has nothing to do with it whatsoever.”

Tina Lambert, Christian Solidarity Worldwide’s Advocacy Director, said: “The closure of a church that had previously been free to operate constitutes a further illustration of the Eritrean government’s determination to control all aspects of society, including religious activity. Once again they have targeted one of the country’s prominent Christian leaders, seemingly considering them a threat to their authority. It is also concerning that their threats are now reaching those who have supposedly found refuge in other countries. The international community must not continue to sit back while the Eritrean Government continues to disregard the rights of their people.”

For more information, please contact Penny Hollings, Campaigns and Media Manager at Christian Solidarity Worldwide on +44 20 8329 0045, email pennyhollings@csw.org.uk or visit www.csw.org.uk.

CSW is a human rights organization which specializes in religious freedom, works on behalf of those persecuted for their Christian beliefs and promotes religious liberty for all.

Dan Wooding is an award winning British journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma. He is the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC. Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his autobiography, “From Tabloid to Truth”, which is published by Theatron Books. To order a copy, go to www.fromtabloidtotruth.com. danjuma1@aol.com.

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