Threat Matrix: August 2008

Fyi Only.

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Thanks to bd476 for the ping to this thread:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071631/posts

“China quake kills 22”
reuters ^ | Sat Aug 30, 2008 11:25pm EDT
Posted on August 30, 2008 9:29:04 PM PDT by Perdogg

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/hamas
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/unionofgood

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http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/financing_e001.htm

Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC)
August 28, 2008

“Financing terrorism: The Al-Aqsa Foundation, based in Umm al-Fahm and belonging to the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel, was closed down due to its cooperation with Hamas’s civilian infrastructure in Jerusalem. The foundation’s activity was also financed by the Union of Good, part of Hamas’s fundraising system.”

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Previously...

http://www.terrorism-info.org.il/malam_multimedia/English/eng_n/html/financing_0708e.htm

Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center
at the Israel Intelligence Heritage & Commemoration Center (IICC)
July 8, 2008

“The war on financing terrorism: Defense Minister Ehud Barak signed an order outlawing 36 global “Union of Good” Islamic funds which raise money for Hamas institutions in the Palestinian Authority-administered territories. The money supports Hamas in building a political alternative to the PA and maintain a terrorism-supporting system.”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2071725/posts

“N. Korea says it can launch satellites anytime (threat of long-range missile launch)”
Yonhap News ^ | 08/31/08
Posted on August 31, 2008 4:47:08 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster

UPDATE:

August 31, 2008

Like I have said, breaking news is always interesting. Note that no one died please because of this chemical incident.

http://www.bnd.com/breaking_news/story/455649.html

“FBI: No deaths in East St. Louis chemical plant spill; 8 injured”

From staff and wire reports

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “EAST ST. LOUIS — An FBI spokesman said the chemical release at the Ro-Corp. plan caused no deaths, countering a statement earlier Sunday, by East St. Louis City Manager Robert Betts, who said two people may have died.

FBI Spokesman Price McCarty said a total of eight people, all Ro-Corp. plant workers, were injured. They remained hospitalized Sunday, he said.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The incident began when a chemical spilled at the Ro-Corp. plant. The amount of the spill was less than would fill a bucket, authorities said.

East St. Louis Mayor Alvin Parks said it has not been confirmed what chemical is involved, only that it was a liquid and not a white power as earlier reported. He said there is no widespread contamination or risk to the community.

Three of the men climbed inside a red pickup and drove to St. Anthony’s Medical Center in south St. Louis County. Three others went to SSM DePaul Health Center in north St. Louis County. Another went to a hospital in Belleville, Ill., first, Silvernail said, then to Barnes-Jewish Hospital. It wasn’t immedately known where any others may have sought treatment.

Nitroaniline is commonly used in the synthesis of dyes, antioxidants, pharmaceuticals and gasoline, in gum inhibitors, poultry medicines, and as a corrosion inhibitor. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s Web site says it can cause, vomiting, diarrhea, convulsions, respiratory arrest and other symptoms and ailments.”

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “Betts said the FBI would be investigating due to the nature of the exposure. He said it wasn’t certain that the employees had permission to be at the company on a Saturday. The Federal Emergency Management Agency also is involved in the investitation.”

Whoooo.

Somebody’s Safety Coordinator is going to get his hands spanked over this.

Some good news:

I LOVE GOOD NEWS, but that was “secret SAS missions” and good news should never be a secret.

Thanks aculeus for the post.

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50993

Ongoing Operation in Afghan Province Kills 220 Enemy Fighters

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2008 – Afghan and coalition forces have killed more than 220 militants during operations in Afghanistan’s Helmand province since Aug. 25, military officials reported.

Attacked repeatedly by militants with small-arms and heavy-weapons fire during multiple engagements, the Afghan and coalition soldiers have responded with small-arms fire, heavy weapons and close-air support, eliminating the militant threats, officials said.

Operations in the area have led to the discovery and destruction of multiple weapons caches containing ammonium nitrate, 107 mm rockets, motorcycles, 60 mm mortar rounds, pipe bombs, machine guns, rifles and small-arms ammunition. Several fortified fighting positions also have been destroyed.

No Afghan or coalition forces servicemembers have been killed during the operations, officials said.

In other news from Afghanistan, coalition forces killed several militants Aug. 29 during an operation to disrupt militant activities in Kapisa province, officials said.

The force attempted to search a compound in Nijrab district, targeting a Taliban commander believed to be involved with smuggling weapons into Afghanistan and conducting roadside-bomb attacks against coalition and NATO forces.

After receiving heavy AK-47 and rocket-propelled grenade fire, coalition forces instructed the militants to come out peacefully in an attempt to de-escalate the situation, officials said. Several women and children left the compound and were moved to a safe area, and the militants in the compound resumed their AK-47 and RPG fire. Coalition force called precision air strikes, killing the militants.

(Compiled from Combined Joint Task Force 101 news releases.)

Note: The following text is a quote:

http://www.defenselink.mil/news/newsarticle.aspx?id=50994

Coalition Forces Capture 18 in Baghdad, Tikrit

American Forces Press Service

WASHINGTON, Aug. 31, 2008 – Coalition forces captured 18 suspected terrorists, including several wanted men, during operations throughout Iraq today, military officials reported.

An alleged terrorist leader overseeing al-Qaida in Iraq operations in the Jazeera desert was captured with one suspected associate during an operation in Tikrit. The wanted man also is believed to have organized terrorist forces in Mosul after several leaders there were captured or killed, including the Mosul “emir,” Abu Khalaf, who was killed by coalition forces June 24.

Operations in Baghdad netted two wanted men and four additional suspects. One of the wanted men is assessed to be part of the al-Qaida foreign terrorist facilitation network, and conspiring to acquire chemicals and poison for use in attacks. The other wanted man reportedly is an associate of an attack leader within the network.

During a security sweep in Biaj, about 130 kilometers southwest of Mosul, coalition forces detained two suspected terrorists.

Coalition forces detained five suspected criminals today in the Adhamiya district of Baghdad, including an alleged leader within the Iranian-backed “special groups” criminal ring.

Several suspects already in custody identified the targeted individual as a logistician and financial manager for Asaib al Haq, a Shiite group that broke away from cleric Muqtada al-Sadr’s militia. In this position, he is believed to provide funds and materials, including vehicles, for criminal operations, officials said. He is believed to have knowledge of illegal smuggling activities that support Asaib al Haq finances.

Coalition forces entered the target building, where the wanted man identified himself as the suspected criminal, and they detained him with four alleged associates.

Coalition forces detained three suspected Kataib Hezbollah associates during operations yesterday in New Baghdad. Kataib Hezbollah is reported to receive funding, logistics, and weapons such as improvised rocket-assisted mortars from Iran. The group also is believed to receive guidance or direction from the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps.

Kataib Hezbollah suspects already in custody and sensitive intelligence allowed coalition forces to identify the suspected location of an alleged administrative cell leader, officials said. Reporting indicates the targeted man performs information-gathering activities for the network, conspires with several known Kataib Hezbollah criminals and is believed to be involved in a June 4 rocket-assisted-munition attack that killed 18 Iraqi civilians and injured 29 more.

Coalition forces entered the target building and detained three suspected Kataib Hezbollah associates without incident.

In other operations yesterday:

— A suspected al-Qaida leader in Sharqat, about 90 kilometers south of Mosul, is in coalition custody after an operation targeting him. Intelligence reports indicate the man is a longtime al-Qaida in Iraq member and has ties to several networks in northern Iraq, officials said.

— Coalition forces detained six suspected members of an al-Qaida in Iraq bombing network in the Tigris River Valley. One of the detainees allegedly is a cell leader in Beiji, about 160 kilometers south of Mosul.

— In Mosul, three suspected terrorists were detained during an operation targeting members of the al-Qaida network responsible for murders and moving foreign terrorists into the country. In a separate operation in the city, coalition forces detained four suspects during an operation targeting a bombing network that attacks Iraqi and coalition forces.

— A coalition forces raid in the Hamrin Mountains region netted six suspects. Coalition forces were targeting members of a kidnapping cell that finances terrorist attacks.

— Coalition forces detained six suspected terrorists in Baghdad while targeting al-Qaida in Iraq senior leaders.

— Iraqi soldiers discovered a weapons cache hidden under a floor in a house in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district. The unit was conducting clearing operations in southwestern Baghdad when they found four 60 mm mortar rounds, a 60 mm mortar tube with base plate, 2,000 rounds of PKC ammunition, four rocket-propelled grenades, four RPG launchers and three hand-held radios. Iraqi soldiers from the same unit discovered a 60 mm mortar round rigged as an improvised-explosive device. A coalition forces explosive ordnance disposal team destroyed the munitions from both cache sites.

— Responding to a citizen’s tip, soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s Company A, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, detained two suspected criminals in the Aamel area.

— Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s Headquarters and Headquarters Company, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, conducted a targeted raid and captured a suspected criminal in the Aamel area.

In operations Aug. 29:

— Soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s Company D, 1st Battalion, 22nd Infantry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, arrested a suspected special groups member in the Abu Tshir community of southern Baghdad’s Rashid district. The individual is wanted for committing acts of sectarian violence against Iraqis and conducting a roadside-bomb attack against coalition forces, officials said.

— A concerned Iraqi citizen called soldiers from the 4th Infantry Division’s Troop C, 7th Squadron, 10th Cavalry Regiment, 1st Brigade Combat Team, to turn over possible bomb-making materials in southern Baghdad’s Rashid district. The Iraqi, from the Saha community in southeastern Baghdad, brought bottles of liquid and a timing device to a combat outpost.

— Iraqi National Police, acting on a tip from an Iraqi citizen in the Bayaa community, seized a weapons cache of two mortar tubes, eight 120 mm mortar rounds, two hand-held radios, two homemade bombs, four bombs designed to pierce armor-hulled vehicles, a block of TNT, three rolls of copper wire and 200 rounds of 7.62 mm ammunition. They also discovered three flash cameras, miscellaneous wires and bomb-making materials at the site.

(Compiled from Multinational Force Iraq and Multinational Corps Iraq news releases.)

Note: These documents are now UNCLASSIFIED.

http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/FeaturedDocs/StDept_BinLadinDeal.pdf

http://www.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/FeaturedDocs/StDept_UBLChasingWhom.pdf

http://www1.nefafoundation.org/miscellaneous/FeaturedDocs/StateDept_WanderingMujahidin.pdf

BLOG:

http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2008/08/five_killed_after_al.php

“Five killed in al Qaeda safe house strike in South Waziristan”
By BILL ROGGIOAugust 31, 2008 12:18 AM

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “The US targeted another al Qaeda safe house in South Waziristan on Aug. 30, according to reports from Pakistan.

At least five al Qaeda operatives were reported killed in the attack, which appears to have been launched by unmanned Predator aircraft hovering over the area. “Two Canadians of Arab origin” were among those killed. Two Punjabis were reported wounded.

The strike was targeted at the home of Noor Khan Wazir in the Korzai region near Wana. The home was recently rented to “foreigners.””

Thank you to a special emailer for sending this video link.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pZdq62ThVQM

“The Bumper of My SUV”
[Note: A Patriotic Song]

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/philadelphia
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/yemen

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Philadelphia to Yemen....Hmmmm, that’s interesting.

http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022485.php

August 31, 2008
“Six Philly residents arrested in Yemen”

“Two Canadians of Arab origin” were among those killed.

Interesting about the two hosers, eh?

Yep.

PROPAGANDA On The Internet:

revolution.muslimpad.com

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/globaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/sudan

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http://www.jihadwatch.org/archives/022488.php
(REUTERS)

September 1, 2008

“Sudan: Prosecution says jihadist suspects charged with the murder of U.S. aid worker misunderstood Islam”

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http://jihadwatch.org/archives/019471.php
(BUFFALO NEWS)

January 6, 2008
“Slaying of U.S. diplomat in Sudan linked to jihadists”

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/globaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/gaza

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http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/127406

“Gaza Terrorists Training 11-Year-Old Children to Kill Jews”
by Ze’ev Ben-Yechiel

(IsraelNN.com)

ARTICLE SNIPPET: “”I am learning how to fight the Jews and kill Jewish children,” said 11-year-old Muhammad, one of dozens of children who have undergone terrorist training in the last few days in Gaza.

“The parents of the Jewish children are the soldiers and officers who kill us here. I want these parents to get a taste of what it’s like to have your children killed, just as the Palestinians experience every day,” said the boy. He and his young terrorist associates have undergone live firearms training, including pistols and rifles, from the Salah al-Din Brigades, the armed wing of the Popular Resistance Committees.”

RECAP:

MEMRI.org - Special Dispatch Series - No. 2034: "WOMEN IN GAZA PREPARE TO BECOME SUICIDE BOMBERS" (August 26, 2008) (Read More...)

Video - Link

http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/globaljihad
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/milf
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/bus
http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/philippines

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Note: The following post is a quote:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2072275/posts

8 Killed In New (Islamic) Bombing In Southern Philippines
mindanaoexaminer ^ | September 01, 2008
Posted on September 1, 2008 4:11:13 AM PDT by Righting

8 Killed In New Bombing In Southern Philippines Monday, September 01, 2008 04:11:12 PM

DAVAO CITY, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / Sept. 1, 2008) – A homemade bomb explosion Monday ripped through a commuter bus, killing at least 8 people in the southern Philippines, where security forces are battling Moro rebels, officials said.

Officials said the bombing targeted the bus owned by Metro Shuttle in Digos City in Davao del Sur province. At least seven people were seriously wounded in the attack.

The bombing occurred at a bus depot shortly before 3 p.m., according to Army Col. Roland Bautista, of the 10th Infantry Division. “We still don’t know the motive of the bombing,” he told the Mindanao Examiner.

Metro Shuttle bus owner Mayor Rey Uy, of Tagum City, has blamed extortionists as behind the bombing and urged authorities to put an end to the attacks. It was the second Metro Shuttle bus bombed in three months, he said.

He said four people were instantly killed in the blast, but other reports claimed four more others had perished in the bombing and the number of casualties may still increase because more people had been rushed to hospitals. Radio network dzRH also reported that 8 people were killed in the blast.

Army Maj. Armand Rico, a spokesman for the Eastern Mindanao Command, said the blast was so powerful that it decapitated the head of a still unidentified civilian. “It was powerful that the blast decapitated the head of a civilian,” he said.

Witnesses said they saw human body parts scattered inside the bus. The blast tore the roof and sides of the bus.

No group claimed responsibility for the attack, but a bombing in July of another Metro Shuttle bus in Digos City had been largely blamed to the Al-Khobar gang.

One passenger was killed and 35 others were wounded in the July bombing, which authorities claimed had been carried out by a woman, who left a bag containing the explosive inside the bus.

Three days before the bombing, Uy said unidentified men demanded P500,000 from his firm and P50,000 every month as protection money. Uy said the men threatened to bomb his buses if he will not pay up.

The Al-Khobar gang is composed mostly of Filipino terrorists and some of them were former Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels trained by the Indonesian militant Jemaah Islamiya.

The latest bombing coincided with government offensive against the Moro Islamic Liberation Front rebels who launched a series of attacks last month in the provinces that killed dozens of civilians. It was not immediately known whether the rebels had anything to do with the bombing, officials said. (With a report from Romy Bwaga)

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http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2069595/posts

“Philippine Army Confirms Alliance Between Muslim And Communist Rebels In Mindanao”
mindanaoexaminer.com ^ | August 27, 2008
Posted on August 27, 2008 9:42:59 PM PDT by Tailgunner Joe

MANILA, Philippines (Mindanao Examiner / August 27, 2008)