Free Republic

ALBANY -- The spiritual leader of an Albany mosque repeatedly called a phone number in Syria that an FBI report indicates had been used to gather terrorist intelligence for Osama bin Laden, according to classified documents unsealed late Tuesday in U.S. District Court. The FBI report, which was based on information from a confidential informant, was among several once-secret documents that federal authorities say raise questions about Yassin Aref's connections to terrorist organizations across the Middle East. Aref, 35, a Kurdish refugee who moved to Albany with his family in 1999, is in jail without bond while awaiting trial on...

Two years ago this month, the U.S. television network NBC had the bright idea to create a reality show about vigilante terrorist hunters who would do something unspecified to terrorists who had evaded the long reach of justice. The first episode of the execrable series, "The Wanted," put the spotlight on Mullah Krekar, an Iraqi national flagged by the United States, the U.N., and Interpol for his involvement with Iraqi terrorist groups. The program showed NBC's terror team stalking Krekar on the streets of Oslo, a venture that was depicted as extremely dangerous, although Krekar was always just a phone...

SNIPPET: "ABU DHABI // A Lebanese American who faces terrorism charges is linked to al Qa’eda, the Federal Supreme Court was told yesterday. Naji Hamdan, 43, is charged with promoting terrorism, participating in the work of a terrorist organisation and funding a terrorist organisation. Details of the charges, all relating to alleged activity outside the UAE, emerged for the first time yesterday. A lawyer for the State Security Public Prosecution told the court: “Naji Hamdan is directly linked to Ansar al-Sunna and al Qa’eda members through electronic communication.” Ansar al-Sunna is a militant Sunni faction in Iraq connected to al...

Senior armed group commander surrenders to police in Kirkuk Kirkuk - Voices of Iraq Monday , 31 /03 /2008 Time 10:05:40 Kirkuk, Mar 31, (VOI) - A senior fighter of an armed group surrendered on Monday to security force in Kirkuk, a police source said. "One of the most wanted persons surrendered to security forces in Haweija, south-west Kirkuk," a Kirkuk police source, who requested anonymity, told Aswat al-Iraq-Voices of Iraq – (VOI). The source identified him as Salah Hassan, a senior member in Ansar al-Sunna, one of the armed groups working under the mantra of the self-named Iraq's Islamic...

Seven of the most important Sunni-led insurgent organisations fighting the US occupation in Iraq have agreed to form a public political alliance with the aim of preparing for negotiations in advance of an American withdrawal, their leaders have told the Guardian. In their first interview with the western media since the US-British invasion of 2003, leaders of three of the insurgent groups - responsible for thousands of attacks against US and Iraqi armed forces and police - said they would continue their armed resistance until all foreign troops were withdrawn from Iraq, and denounced al-Qaida for sectarian killings and suicide...

Iraq says it has captured a leader of insurgent group, Ansar al-Sunna, along with two of his aides. The arrest of Muntasir al-Jibouri was made in the town of Muqdadiya, about 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad, in the troubled province of Diyala. Ansar al-Sunna is one of the largest militant groups in Iraq, and is close allies with al Qaeda. They have claimed responsibility for numerous suicide attacks including car bombings as well as beheadings of Shi'ite and Kurdish hostages.

Iraq said it captured the leader of a top Iraqi insurgent group, Ansar al-Sunna, along with two of his aides north of Baghdad, state television reported on Saturday. The arrest of Muntasir al-Jibouri was made in the town of Muqdadiya, about 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad, in the troubled province of Diyala, the report said. Ansar al-Sunna, one of the largest militant groups in Iraq, are close allies of al Qaeda in Iraq. They have claimed responsibility for numerous suicide attacks including car bombings as well as beheadings of Shi'ite and Kurdish hostages.

[ . . . ] The publication of cartoons depicting the prophet Muhammad by the Danish newspaper in September eventually sparked violent demonstration in the Islamic world, where millions were offended by the caricatures. . . Then things quieted down again and the crisis seemed to have passed. But has it? A special issue of the online journal of Ansar al-Sunna, which means "Supporters of Sunni Islam," could respark the flames. The online journal has taken the unprecedented step of listing dozens of European newspapers that reprinted the Muhammad cartoons. . . Terrorism experts who follow the site believe the...

ARBIL, (Southern Kurdistan), April 4, 2006 (AFP) - A court in Iraq's northern Kurdistan region Tuesday sentenced to death 12 members of militant group Ansar Al-Islam for numerous killings and explosions, an Arbil judiciary official said. "Zana Nusrat Abdel Karim, the chief of a cell of Ansar al-Islam and 11 other members were condemned to death by the criminal court of Arbil," the official told AFP. The 12 were convicted of numerous "terrorist" activities and killings of civilians in Kurdistan's Arbil and Dahuk regions, the official said. Karim, 35, a mechanical engineer and resident of Arbil used to carry out...

IRBIL, North Iraq, Sept 6 (KUNA) -- Two insurgent networks linked to Al-Qaeda and another shadowy group called Ansar Al-Sunnah have been detained in this northern city, a Kurdish security official said on Tuesday. Masrour Al-Barazani, in charge of security in the Iraqi region of Kurdistan, said at a news conference in Salah Eddine town, located near Irbil, that many terrorists with record of attacks were caught in a wide-scale operation by the security authorities in the north of Iraq. Three members of Al-Sunnah group, who were detained in the operation, had employed an Iranian, named Ali, who had blown...

KIRKUK, Iraq (AFP) -- Four suspected members of Ansar al-Sunna, a group linked to the Al Qaeda terror network, have been arrested in in the northern Iraqi city of Kirkuk, security officials said Sunday. "Kurdish security officials were informed about one of the most dangerous cells of Ansar al-Sunna and busted it in one of the mosques north of Kirkuk," the the local Joint Coordination Centre, an Iraqi-US security coordination unit, said in a statement. The four Kurdish men were arrested at the main mosque in Rahimao, a predominantly Kurdish neighbourhood on Kirkuk's northern side, said the statement adding that...

MOSUL, Iraq - U.S. and Iraqi forces on Saturday arrested suspected top terror leader in this volatile northern city, police said. The Iraqi man, known as Mullah Mahdi, was detained with his brother, three other Iraqis and a non-Iraqi Arab national, following a brief clash in eastern Mosul, said Iraqi army Maj. Gen. Khalil Ahmed al-Obeidi. Al-Obeidi said the terror suspect was affiliated with the Ansar al-Sunnah Army, one of Iraq's most feared terror groups, and links to the Syrian intelligence service. "He was wanted for almost all car bombs, assassinations of high official, beheadings of Iraqi policemen and soldiers...

Yesterday, as Operation Lightning started, Wolf Brigade had arrested 11 terrorists during raids in Shaulaa city North West of Baghdad and they found also a gun cache inside one of the gardens in Durra [Daura]. While members of Iraqi police force (IPF) had arrested, in Imaret and Kut, 11 terrorists one of them is Zaal Auad Kubaisi, member of Zarqawy group, as command of Nineveh police had arrested 23suspects in Mosul. A source in wolf brigade mentioned that the members of brigade arrested 11 terrorists during raids in Shaulah city.

Japan says video shows hostage killed in Iraq Sat May 28, 7:52 AM ET BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Japan said on Saturday it believed a Japanese hostage seized in Iraq was dead, after insurgents said they had killed him and posted footage on the Internet apparently showing his corpse. The video showed identification papers and a passport bearing the name of Akihiko Saito, 44, a former paratrooper and veteran of the French Foreign Legion, who had been missing since his convoy was ambushed in western Iraq on May 8. A corpse was shown lying on its back, its face bloodied. "This...

Al- imaret police had arrested 5 form Anser al-sauna [Other spellings: Ansar Al-Sunna/Ansar Al-Sonna] group accused of implementing several attacks against some mosques in Baghdad. Iraqi Army had arrested Hamza Hasan, one of the wanted .In addition, arresting 2 photographers accused of taking pictures for a school during final examinations in al- sew era city. In Basra province, 9 tons of ammunition had been seized. Assassinations and car bombs had killed 5 Iraqis one of them is general detective in ministry of internal and the other is under secretary of Youth ministry. In Amiria, Iraqi police had found 7 bodies...

The sick and cowardly Army of Ansar Al-Sunnah have posted a video this morning detailing their latest execution. This is of the execution of three Jordanians working for a company supposedly collaborating with the American forces. Their machine translated statement is below, along with the video. MACHINE TRANSLATION Ansar al-Sunna Army : the tape of the application of Allah penalty rose on three waterwheels it carried out the arrest of them they work with the Jordanian Shahin company in the goods transport to the forces the American The application of an Allah penalty it rose on three waterwheels that carried...

The Military Corps of the Iraqi insurgent group, Ansar al-Sunnah issued three communiqués, posted on the group’s official website, claiming responsibility for three car bomb attacks in the cities of Arbeil [Irbil?], Baakouba [Baquba] and Samraa [Samarra?] today. The first communiqué details the devastating attack on a recruitment center in Arbeil, stating that this attack “is a response to our brothers who are being held in your jails and to your converters of the Bashmarka Forces who sided with the Americans against our people in Fallujah, Mosul, and Baghdad and everywhere in Muslim lands. “ According to media reports the...

Iraqi forces seize suspected insurgents By Omar Anwar BAGHDAD (Reuters) - Iraqi soldiers backed by U.S. helicopters have killed several suspected insurgents and seized 131 more in a dawn raid, capturing tons of explosives earmarked for attacks on the holy city of Kerbala, officials say. "It was a surprise operation based on intensive surveillance by military intelligence," Defence Minister Hazim al-Shaalan told Reuters on Saturday. "It was very successful." Earlier this week Iraqi police commandos said they killed 85 militants in a raid on a suspected insurgent training camp near Baghdad, hailing it as a breakthrough against the insurgency. Shaalan...

Italian intelligence officials who secured the release of two hostages in Iraq are working with their British counterparts to try to free Kenneth Bigley, the captive Briton. They believe that Sunni Muslim insurgents who kidnapped Simona Pari and Simona Torretta, the aid workers freed last week, have links with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, leader of Tawhid wal Jihad, the group holding Mr Bigley. The engineer, 62, was captured 16 days ago with two American colleagues, who have been beheaded. An Italian diplomat said: "Italy's intelligence is working very closely with Britain's to lend every assistance to free the hostage. It has...

"We have executed the death penalty of God", states the terror group. (Dagbladet.no:) Wednesday, the Swedish security analyst was to travel to the Iraqi town Baijo from the capital Baghdad. He did not get that far. His convoy was attacked by the terrorist organisation Ansar al-Sunna, and the Swedish man was captured along with a British collegue. - We have implemented the punishment of God, the terrorists writes on their homepage - We in Ansar al-Sunna has succeded, with the help of God, to take the heads of the enemy crusaders". They also promise that pictures of the beheadings will...