World Crime News

TIBET: A Journey into Tibet: the people, the Dalai Lama and China

2010-02-21T23:24:00.000-08:00

TIBET: A Journey into Tibet: the people, the Dalai Lama and China

Tibet is nestled in the largest mountain range on the planet. It has a mystique about it that has captivated Westerners since their first view from the “Rooftop of the World”. Lhasa, the capital of Tibet, is located in the foothills of mount Gephel. The inhabitants of this sacred city share a strong faith in Buddhism and unconditional following for the Dalai Lama. It is in this city that the Tibetan people seek their leadership. Inside the holiest city in Tibetan Buddhism is the governing seat of the Dalai Lama and over a quarter million people. It is a remote population center that is located at one of the highest elevations of any city in the world. The karma of Lhasa is based on over two thousand years of history engulfed in the Tibetan spiritual and cultural history. Lhasa is translated as the “The Holy Land” or “The Land of Buddha”.

Tibet and China: A Historical Perspective

Tibetan History as an independent and sovereign state dates back to the early part of the 7th century. Prior history includes that in 1063 B.C., Five hundred years prior to the arrival of Buddha Sakyamuni into this world, Lord Shenrab Miwo reformed the primitive Shen race and founded the Tibetan Bon religion. After a series of Kings the kingdom known as Bod, the present name of Tibet, came into existence. The lineage of Tibetan monarchy continued for well over a thousand years until King Lang Darma, was assassinated in 842 A.D.. In the prior two centuries to this assassination the Tibetan Empire was at its peak and its armies invaded China and several Central Asian countries. In 763 the Tibetans seized the then Chinese capital at Ch’ang-an (present day Xian). As the Chinese Emperor had fled, the Tibetans appointed a new Emperor. This memorable victory has been preserved for posterity in the Zhol Doring (stone pillar) in Lhasa. It was during his time that Samye, the first monastery in Tibet, was founded by Guru Padmasambhava established the supremacy of Buddhism and converted the indigenous deities into guardians of the Dharma. In 821 China and Tibet ended almost 200 years of fighting with a treaty engraved on three stone pillars, one of which still stands in front of the Jokhang cathedral in Lhasa. The treaty established that both Tibet and China shall keep the country and frontiers of which they are now possessed. The whole region to the East of that being the country of Great China and the whole region to the West being assuredly the country of Great Tibet, from either side there shall be no hostile invasion, and no seizure of territory.

In the 13th century Tibet became part of the Asian Mongol empire. Tibet was able to swoon the Mongols that conquered and ruled China, but allowed Tibet to semi self rule under allegiance and influence to the Mongol Empire. A spiritual relationship with the Mongols developed and even resulted in their aristocracy converting to Buddhism. The Mongols promised to protect Tibet. After the fall of the Mongol Empire , Tibet fell into a state of no central rule. The Manchu Dynasty arrives and in 1720, along with the help of the Tibetan army drove the remnants of the Mongolia army out of the Tibet. The reason Tibet assisted the Manchu was that in prior years much controversy and mistrust began to brew between the ruling Mongols and the Tibetan Buddhist as to whom the new Dalai Lama actually was.

The Tibetans fell under the rule of the Manchu, but as with the Mongols were able for the most part to self rule with allegiance to the Manchu (Ching Dynasty). However this fell through as conflicts arose among Tibetan and the Manchu and a new government was put into place to provide more control for the Ching Dynasty. The Ching Dynasty had other objectives as they sought to expand their growing empire and influence. Over all the Ching Dynasty period brought relative peace to Tibet.

The Weather Underground Movement

2010-02-21T23:18:00.000-08:00

As the 2008 Election is less than a month away it was inevitable that Republican presidential candidate John McCain would have to turn to bringing up Barack Obama’s connection with Bill Ayers who spent 10 years during the seventies as a fugitive wanted by the FBI for his involvement as leader of the Weather Underground.
With the election at stake and McCain trailing behind in the polls (currently 11% Gallup 10/10/08) It was time to revisit the Obama – Ayers connection that Hillary Clinton brought up during the Democratic Primary. It didn’t catch fire then as can be displayed by Obama winning the nomination and unless the McCain camp has more information than Hillary it probably wont work in this election either. In fact if there is nothing there then it can actually hurt McCain.

What is the Weather Underground?

The Weather Underground was an anti-Vietnam War group that protested U.S. policies by bombing the Pentagon, U.S. Capitol and a string of other government buildings. Nobody was hurt outside the organization in the attacks by the defunct organization, which the FBI labeled a “domestic terrorist group”. However on February 16, 1970, in which a pipe bomb filled with shrapnel detonated on the ledge of a window at the Park Station of the San Francisco Police Department. Brian V. McDonnell, a police sergeant, was fatally wounded in the explosion, and Robert Fogarty, another police officer, was severely wounded in his face and legs and was partially blinded. The Weathermen, along with the Black Panther Party were initially investigated for the murder, which was never solved. The Weather Underground splintered from the activists group Students for A Democratic Society (SDS). The Underground was becoming much more radical and felt that peaceful protests provided no results for their goals. They wanted America out of Vietnam. The turning point for the Weather Underground according to former members was the murder of Black Panthers Fred Hampton and Mark Clark in a December 1969 Chicago police raid. The Weather Underground felt that the action went way too far in what they viewed as an all out “hit” by the government in an attempt to shut down opposition militant groups. FBI files from 1976, made public under the Freedom of Information Act, confirmed government suspicions of connections between Weatherman, Havana, and Moscow. Weatherman leaders like Mark Rudd traveled illegally to Havana in 1968 to engage in terrorist training. There, camps set up by Soviet KGB Colonel Vadim Kotchergine were educating Westerners both in Marxist philosophy and urban warfare.

The Weatherman became the Weather Underground after they became fugitives wanted by the FBI as displayed in the poster on the right. The poster list the individuals: William Charles Ayers, Kathy Boudin, Judith Alice Clark (Apprehended), and Bernadine Rae Dohrn. Ayers and Dohrn are still together as a couple. They were wanted for interstate flight, mob action, riot, and conspiracy. By 1976 the Weather Underground were breaking up and only a few small splinter groups branched off on their own, In 1973 as result of FBI investigation violations, charges were dropped and the members were only faced low level charges.

United Nations: Worried Iran Is Working On Nuclear War Head

2010-02-21T23:10:00.000-08:00

Earlier today the IAEA released a report stating that the agency is worried that contrary to U.S. Intelligence reports that concluded that Iran had stopped their nuclear weapons program in 2003, that Iran is indeed working on producing a nuclear warhead.

This is a very big concern not only for Israel who has been threatened openly by the Islamic State but the entire region. Iran’s vast majority of the Muslims are Shia and Sunni neighbors may feel it is important for them to acquire nuclear weapons in order to have a balance in the region

U.S. intelligence reponded that in 2007 when their assessment was released that they had concluded that Iran had ceased their nuclear weapons program but added that it does not mean that since 2007 Iran did not at some point resume it.

If the United Nations Nuclear Agency is correct in their fear of the course that Iran has taken it will send off an alarm that will have the entire region in a state of heightened tensions. Israel may feel it has it’s back against the wall and attempt to set Iran’s nuclear program back by attacking key components of the program. An Israel attack would shake up the entire region and possibly spread as tension between Israel and Iran ally Syria has ratched up in recent months.

Syria has been a regular meddler in Lebanon politics. Hizballah the terrorist militant group fought a short war with Israel in 2006. Syria is a major supporter of Hizballah and according to statements in recent weeks from Lebanese prime minister Saad Hariri that their would not be division in Lebanon over a new war between Israel and Hizballa. Lebanon would give support to Hizballah in a war with Israel. In the past Hizballah has been viewed as a separate entity to the Lebanon Government and more aligned with neighbor Syria as a way to have influence in Beirut than as a Lebanon Military Wing.

It this tension that is always on the cusp of overflowing that has kept these three countries in a state of possible conflict. Syria’s tight friendship with Iran creates a multi front war for Israel and in the end devastation in the region. There is a very high liklihood that Hizballah would send rockets into Israel as the group has it’s roots from the support that Iran provides to the terrorist group.

It us very easy to see the possibility of a wider war in the Middle East if and when Israel attacks Iran. The 2006 war that Israel fought would pale in comparison to an all out conflict that would occur between Israel and Iran.

Listing suspect activities known to it, the IAEA said it is interest in information on high-precision detonator and other explosives experiments; studies on setting off explosions high in the atmosphere; “whether the engineering design and computer modeling studies aimed at producing a new design for the payload chamber of a missile were for a nuclear payload,” and other nuclear activities with a possible military link.

Iran’s behavior of not fully disclosing nuclear facilities creates a need for serious questioning of Iran’s true intentions in regard to it’s self proclaimed “peaceful nuclear program”.

The world will have to continie to hold it’s breathe as this crisis rides it’s course.

Testimony Describes Anna Nicole Smith's Final Days

2009-10-15T17:37:00.000-07:00

Wednesday October 14, 2009:

A California Department of Justice investigator described in detail the final days of Anna Nicole Smith in a Florida hotel as a preliminary hearing began for her former lawyer-boyfriend and two doctors. The three are charged with conspiring to illegally provide her with controlled substances prior to her overdose death in 2007.

The three or not, however, charged with her death, as the judge was careful to point out early in the hearing.

As investigator Danny Santiago began to testify about the cause of death, Judge Robert J. Perry reminded prosecutors that Howard K. Stern (pictured), Dr. Sandeep Kapoor and Dr. Khristina Eroshevich have not been charged with Smith's death.

"There is not a murder charge," Judge Perry said. "The cause of death is not an issue."

'Always the Boss'

Santiago did testify to Smith's condition during her last days of her life at a Florida hotel. He was she was sick, confused and isolated in the room, surrounded by dozens of prescription drugs. He said she could not walk unassisted when she arrived at the hotel and was so weak that she could not sit up to drink liquids.

Smith died of "acute combined drug intoxication," according to her autopsy. The drugs involved were chloral hydrate combined with Benadryl, clonazepam, diazepam and lorazepam. Santiago said under cross-examination that none of the drugs found in the hotel room were opiates.

Also during cross-examination, defense attorneys tried to show that Smith was "always the boss," and she controlled everything and everyone around her.

After the hearing, Judge Perry will decide if there is enough evidence to send the case to trial.

See Also:
Testimony Depicts Final Days of Anna Nicole Smith

Background:
Three Charged in Anna Nicole Smith Drug Case

Florida Wants Death Penalty for Billings Suspects

2009-10-15T17:35:00.000-07:00

Tuesday October 13, 2009:

Prosecutors in Pensacola announced they will seek the death penalty for four men accused of the murders of a Florida couple known for adopting children with special needs. Two others accused in the killings and a woman charged as an accessory will not face the death penalty.

Byrd and Melanie Billings were killed in their bedroom on July 9.

Facing the death penalty are Leonard Patrick Gonzalez Jr., 35, the alleged ring leader (pictured above); Donnie Ray Stallworth, 28; Wayne Thomas Coldiron, 41; and Frederick Lee Thornton Jr., 19.

All defendants have entered not guilty pleas, including Gary Lamont Sumner Jr., 30 and Rakeem Florence, 16. Pamela Laverne Long Wiggins has been charged as an accessory to the crime.

See Also:
Fla. to Seek Death for 4 Accused of Killing Couple

Anchorwoman Suspect Says Police Tricked Him

2009-10-15T17:28:00.000-07:00

Friday October 9, 2009:

An Arkansas man accused of the murder of a popular Little Rock television anchorwoman testified that the police used threats and tricks to get him to confess to the crime and give different versions of what happened. Curtis Vance testified at a hearing on a defense motion to suppress statements he gave to investigators in the Anne Pressly case.

KATV anchorwoman Pressly was raped and beaten to death on Oct. 20, 2008 at her home.

Vance, 28, took the stand during the hearing and told the judge that he feared for his life during interrogation by the police. He said they made him feel like "Public Enemy NO. 1" telling him there was a mob outside.

He said he confessed to protect himself.

Suspect Claims He Felt Threatened:

"Maybe I'd be a little safe," Vance said. "They (police) were saying there was a mob of people outside the jailhouse, waiting to explode."

Vance said he was handcuffed, slapped and threatened with a gun at various times during the interviews. Vance also told the prosecutor that he agreed to talk to police just to get out of a 23-hour lockdown at the Pulaski County jail or to obtain cigarettes.

"You confessed to capital murder to get off of lockdown?" prosecutor John Johnson asked.

Vance said that was correct.

"You're just trying to help yourself ... telling all these lies today," Johnson later countered.

"That's you, Mr. Prosecutor," Vance replied.

Beaten With a Garden Tool:

During the hearing, investigators testified that Vance offered several versions of confessions during their interviews with him. At one time, Vance told them that two other men beat Pressly to death while he waited outside.

At another time, Vance told police that he beat Pressly to death with a wooden-handle garden tool. He also told police that Pressly was a "nice lady" who let him inside her home and gave him a glass of water after he told her his car broke down.

After hearing tapes of Vance's conversations with investigators, Pulaski County Judge Chris Piazza ruled that police did not coerce or threaten Vance to get the confessions. He ruled that the jury can hear the tapes during Vance's trial.

Judge Piazza also ruled that the police did not improperly obtain DNA samples from Vance and that evidence can be introduced at trial. The trial is scheduled to begin Nov. 2.

See Also:
Judge Allows Vance Tapes, DNA as Evidence in Pressly Murder Case
Suspect in Anchorwoman Killing Blames Police Trick

Background:
The Murder of Anchorwoman Ann Pressly

Former Son-in-Law Arrested in 5 Deaths

2009-10-15T17:24:00.000-07:00

Friday October 2, 2009:

The former son-in-law of an Illinois man, who was killed along with four other family members in their Beason home, has been arrested and charged with five murders. Christopher J. Harris of McLean County was charged with the beating deaths of Rick and Ruth Gee and three of their children.

Tabitha Gee, a 3-year-old, survived the attack but was in critical condition.

"The arrest is based on the tireless efforts of the investigators and the Illinois State Police Crime Lab forensic analysis of evidence removed from the crime scene," Sheriff Steve Nichols told reporters. "There are more investigative leads to be followed. We have not determined at this time if more arrests may come."

Nichols declined to give more details or discuss the possible motive for the killings. The sheriff said a "violent struggle" preceded the deaths, which authorities attributed to "blunt force trauma."

Divorced in March 2007:

Investigators did seize a 1989 Ford Ranger pickup truck that belonged to Harris. The truck matched the description of a truck seen in the area at the time of the slayings.

On Sept. 21, police found five members of the Gee family dead in their home after receiving a call saying shots were fired. But later, investigators said the victims were beaten to death and no one was shot.

Killed were Raymond "Rick" Gee, 46, his wife, Ruth Gee, 39, and children Justina Constant, 16, Dillen Constant, 14, and Austin Gee, 11.

Harris formerly was married to another daughter, Nicole Gee, who did not live at the Beason home. Nicole Gee and Harris were divorced in March 2007. Nicole petitioned the court May of this year seeking modification of child support.

See Also:
Former Son-in-Law Arrested in Beason Slayings

Elizabeth Smart Testifies About Her Abduction

2009-10-15T17:14:00.000-07:00

Friday October 2, 2009:

For the first time since she was abducted from her home when she was 14 years old, Elizabeth Smart has spoken publicly about her ordeal, testifying at a competency hearing in federal court. Smart said she was repeatedly raped daily by Brian David Mitchell and kept chained by a cable around her leg.

Smart, now 21, said Mitchell threatened to kill her if she called out or tried to escape.

Smart's testimony came during a hearing in federal court to determine if Mitchell is competent to face kidnapping charges. Mitchell and his ex-wife and co-defendant, Wanda Barzee, have both been ruled incompetent to stand trial in state court.

Evil, Wicked, Manipulative:

During her testimony Smart described Mitchell as "evil, wicked, manipulative," she replied. "Sneaky, slimy, selfish, greedy. Not religious, not spiritual, not close to God."

On June 4, 2002, Smart said Mitchell woke her in her bedroom with a knife pushed against her throat and threatened to kill her and her family if she didn't come with him.

He took her to a remote camp in a canyon in the mountains behind her family's Salt Lake City home. On the same night she was abducted, Mitchell "married" her in a bizarre wedding ceremony, claiming she was a "plural wife."

Raped Daily Repeatedly:

He then raped her, which he did three or four times a day throughout her captivity. The only time the rapes subsided was when Barzee complained about Mitchell's relationship with Smart.

"There wasn't an actual 24-hour time period that he wasn't able to rape me," Smart said.

Mitchell used a 10-foot cable bolted to her leg and tethered to a line stretched between two trees to keep her captive in the early days. Smart said Mitchell threatened to kill her if she yelled or tried to get away.

Moved to San Diego:

During the winter of 2002, Mitchell moved their camp to the hills outside San Diego, California, surviving on food that Mitchell would steal.

"Any time that I showed resistance or hesitation he turned to me and said, 'The Lord says you have to do this, you have to experience the lowest form of humanity to experience the highest,' " Smart told the judge.

Smart decided to use religion to manipulate Mitchell to take them back to the Salt Lake area, where she was found in March 2003 walking down a street in Sandy, Utah with Mitchell and Barzee.

"California, I felt that was so far away. I felt that no one would ever find me," she testified. "Even if it took 20 years to find me I thought the chances would be better in Salt Lake."

Wanted to Face Mitchell:

She told Mitchell that she thought God was calling them back to Salt Lake City, and he agreed to return there.

As he has done in the past, Mitchell disrupted the hearing by singing a Mormon hymn. U.S. District Judge Dale Kimball ordered him moved to a holding cell where he watched via video feed.

Smart had asked prosecutors if Mitchell could be muzzled rather than removed from court because she wanted to face him.

During her testimony, Smart addressed her opinion of his competency saying she believe Mitchell only had his religious "revelations" when he wanted something. She said he believed Mitchell knew he could be punished for kidnapping and he understood how the court system works.

Very Capable, Intelligent:

He instructed her to use an alias, Augustine Marshall, and explained what to say if ever questioned by police. She said Mitchell bragged about getting away with previous accusations of sexual abuse.

She said Mitchell never appeared confused or out of control during the nine months that she was held captive.

"He was a very capable, intelligent human being," Smart said.

See Also:
Elizabeth Smart Says She Was Raped Daily
Elizabeth Smart, Abducted in 2002 in Utah, Speaks Publicly of Her Ordeal for the First Time

Background:
The Elizabeth Smart Case

Jessica Lunsford's Killer Dies in Prison

2009-10-15T17:06:00.000-07:00

Thursday October 1, 2009:

The man who kidnapped, raped and murdered 9-year-old Jessica Lunsford and buried her alive behind his sister's trailer, has died on death row of natural causes. John Evander Couey died at a Jacksonville hospital after a lengthy illness.

Couey, 51, was sentenced to death in 2007 for Jessica's death.

Because Couey was a convicted sex offender who was not registered with the local police at the time of Jessica's disappearance, the case became a catalyst for the strengthening of sex offender laws in several states, with Jessica's father, Mark Lunsford, lobbying for the tougher laws across the country.

"I never dreamed it would happen like this," Mark Lunsford told reporters. "I never thought I would live long enough to see Couey put to death because of the appeals process. "To me, death is sad, but her death, Jessie's death, has been redeemed ... I'm relieved. I'm glad it's over with."

Jessica Was Buried Alive

On Feb. 23, 2005, Jessica was abducted from her bedroom in her grandmother's home where her and her father were living. Her body was found three weeks later in the backyard of Couey's half-sister who lived within site of the Lunsford home.

Jessica's body was placed in plastic garbage bags and her hands were bound with speaker wire. She punched holes in the garbage bag with her fingers, indicating that she was still alive when she was placed in the shallow grave.

Sources said Couey's death was not unexpected, he had been ill for some time.

Background:
The Jessica Lunsford Case

The Death of Michael Jackson 'King of Pop' Killed By Drug Overdose

2009-10-15T17:03:00.000-07:00

Michael Jackson

On June 25, 2009, less than a month before he was scheduled to begin a series of comeback concerts, paramedics were called to Michael Jackson's rented home in Holby Hills near Los Angeles where they found him unconscious and not responding. They were unable to revive the "King of Pop," and Jackson was pronounced dead at the L.A. Medical Center.

The Caylee Marie Anthony Case 2-Year-Old Reported Missing After a Month

2009-10-15T17:01:00.000-07:00

Caylee Marie Anthony

On July 15, 2008, Cindy Anthony called 9-1-1 in Orlando, Florida to report that her daughter, Casey Anthony, had stolen a car and some money. She called back later to report that her granddaughter, Casey's daughter, 2-year-old Caylee Marie Anthony was missing and had been missing for more than a month.

Police interviewed Casey Anthony and arrested her for child endangerment after she told investigators several lies concerning the whereabouts of Caylee for the past 31 days.

The Case of Jaycee Lee Dugard

2009-10-15T16:59:00.000-07:00

Jaycee Lee Dugard

On June 10, 1991, Jaycee Lee Dugard was a 11-year-old, four-foot, six-inch blonde with blue eyes. She was last seen waiting at a school bus stop near her in South Lake Tahoe, California. Witnesses said they saw her being abducted by a man and woman in an automobile.

The Murder of Annie Lee

2009-10-15T16:58:00.000-07:00

Annie Le

Yale University

On Sept. 8, 2009, days before she was planning to be married, 24-year-old Annie Le disappeared from the Yale University Medical School research laboratory where she was a pharmacology doctoral student. Surveillance cameras showed her entering the building, but never leaving it. He body was found five days later stuffed inside a wall of the building.

The Trial of Melissa Huckaby

2009-10-15T16:57:00.000-07:00

Melissa Huckaby

Mug Shot

On March 27, 2009, 8-year-old Sandra Cantu disappeared from the mobile home park where she lived in Tracy, California. She was last seen on a video surveillance tape skipping toward her best friend's home in the same mobile home park. Her body was found 10 days later stuffed in a suitcase in an irrigation pond a few miles away.

The Crimes of Drew Peterson

2009-10-15T16:54:00.000-07:00

Drew Peterson

Former Bolingbrook policeman Drew Peterson made national headlines in October 2007 when his fourth wife, Stacey Peterson, disappeared. a little more than three years after his third wife, Kathleen Savio, was found dead in a dry bathtub.

After Stacey disappeared the body of Savio was exhumed and a later autopsy found that she was the victim of a homicide, not an accidental drowning as originally ruled.

The Craigslist Killer Philip Markoff Accused of Murder

2009-10-15T16:53:00.000-07:00

Philip Markoff

Philip Markoff, a 22-year-old medical student was arrested by Boston authorities in connection with their investigation into a series of crimes against women who were advertising erotic services on the online classified service Craigslist.

The Jennifer Hudson Family Murders 3 Family Members Shot to Death

2009-10-15T16:51:00.000-07:00

William Balfour

Mug Shot

On October 24, 2008, the bodies of Academy Award-winning actress Jennifer Hudson's mother and brother were found in the family's home on Chicago's South Side. Shot to death were Hudson's mother, Darnell Donerson, and her brother, Jason Hudson. Missing from the home was Julian King, the son of Jennifer's sister Julia Hudson.

Three days later the body of 7-year-old Julian, Hudson's nephew, was found in a SUV parked on the West Side. He also had been shot. A .45-calibre gun found near the parked SUV was linked to all of the shooting deaths.

The Murder of Anchorwoman Ann Pressly

2009-10-15T16:49:00.000-07:00

Anne Pressly

KATV

On October 20, 2008, Anne Pressly, a popular morning anchorwoman at KATV television, was found badly beaten in the bedroom of her home in the Pulaski Heights section of Little Rock. She was found by her mother who went to check on her after she failed to answer a wake-up call.

Every bone in her face was broken, her jaw was shattered and she broke her hand will trying to fight off her attacker. She died five days later as a result of her injuries without regaining consciousness.

The Trials of Darryl Littlejohn

2009-10-15T16:46:00.000-07:00

Imette St. Guillen

High School photo

On February 25, 2006, Imette St. Guillen, a graduate student at John Jay College of Criminal Justice, was last seen around 4 a.m. at The Falls, a bar in the SoHo section of New York City.

Her nude body was found 14 miles away near a Brooklyn street wrapped in a floral print bedspread, her hair had been crudely chopped off on one side, her hands and feet were bound with plastic ties, a tube sock had been stuffed in her mouth, and her entire face wrapped in packing tape.

An examination of her body revealed that she had been raped, sodomized and choked to death. In March 2006, Darryl Littlejohn, a bouncer at The Falls, was arrested on a parole violation after he was linked to the rape and murder of St. Guillen. He was later indicted for her murder and has been charged with another kidnapping.

The Appeals of Troy Davis

2009-10-15T16:44:00.000-07:00

Troy Anthony Davis

Mug Shot

On Aug. 19, 1989, an off-duty Savannah, Georgia, police officer Mark Allen MacPhail was working a moonlighting job as a security guard for a Greyhound bus terminal when he heard a homeless man cry out from the Burger King parking lot next door.

When MacPhail went to help the man, who had been hit in the head with a pistol, he was shot in the face and chest and died. Nine witnesses testified at the 1991 trial that Troy Davis assaulted the homeless man and then shot MacPhail when he came to help.

The Zoey Zane Murder Case

2009-10-15T16:43:00.000-07:00

Emily Sander

Mug Shot

On Nov. 23, 2007, 18-year-old Kansas college student Emily Sander was last seen leaving a bar with a 24-year-old man. Her body was found six days later about 50 miles east of El Dorado. The case gained national attention when it was discovered that Sander led a secret life in Internet pornography as Zoey Zane.

The Murder of Eve Carson

2009-10-15T16:41:00.000-07:00

Eve Marie Carson

University of North Carolina

On March 5, 2008, Eve Marie Carson, the popular president of the student body at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, was found shot to death laying in the street at an intersection near campus. She had been shot several times including once in the head. Her Toyota Highlander SUV was missing.

The Brianna Denison Case

2009-10-15T16:38:00.000-07:00

Brianna Dennison

James Biela's attorneys said a single trial would cause unfair prejudice against him in the two rape cases.

Brianna Denison, a 19-year-old Santa Barbara City College student, who was home in Reno, Nevada, on winter break, went out partying with friends Saturday night Jan. 19, 2008 and then spent the night on their couch. When Denison's friends woke the next morning she had disappeared, leaving her clothes, cell phone and other personal items behind.

The Gary Michael Hilton Case

2009-10-15T16:34:00.000-07:00

Gary Michael Hilton

Police Photo

On New Year's Day 2008, 24-year-old University of Georgia graduate Meredith Emerson went hiking in the north Georgia mountains hear Vogel State Park with her dog Ella as she had done many times before. She failed to return home from the hike. Witnesses remember seeing her talking with a gray-haired man in his 60s who had a red dog named Dandy.

The Murder of Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach

2009-10-14T18:23:00.000-07:00

Maria Lauterbach

On Dec. 19, 2007, Lance Corporal Maria Lauterbach, a Marine stationed at Camp Lejuene, North Carolina, was reported missing by her stepmother who had not heard from her since Dec. 14. The 20-year-old Lauterbach was eight months pregnant and had accused a fellow Marine with whom she worked of raping her.

Almost a month after she disappeared, the remains of Lauterbach and her unborn child were found buried in a burn pit in the backyard of Marine Cpl. Cesar Armando Lauren, 21, the Marine she had accused of raping her.

The 'Baby Grace' Case

2009-10-14T18:21:00.000-07:00

Baby Grace

Police Sketch

On October 29, 2007, a fisherman found a plastic storage box washed up on an island in Galveston Bay that contained the body of a two-year-old girl. An autopsy revealed that the child, named "Baby Grace" by investigators, had a fractured skull. The Galveston police released sketches of the toddler to begin a nationwide effort to identify her.

The Lisa Nowak Case

2009-10-14T18:20:00.000-07:00

Lisa Maria Nowak

NASA

On Feb. 6, 2007, U.S. Navy Capt. and NASA Astronaut Lisa Nowak, 43, was charged with trying to kidnap a woman she regarded as her romantic rival for the affection of a space shuttle pilot. Authorities say Nowak, a married mother of three, drove 900 miles from Houston to Orlando to confront Colleen Shipman at an airport parking lot about Navy Cmdr. William Oefelein.

The Phoenix Baseline Killer Case

2009-10-14T18:18:00.000-07:00

Mark Goudeau

Mug shot

Between August 2005 and September 2006, the Phoenix, Arizona, area was terrorized by a serial criminal who authorities believe was responsible for nine murders, 11 sexual assaults of women and young girls and several robberies. Because the first crimes connected to the same suspect occurred along the city's Baseline Road, the suspect was named the "Baseline Killer."

Natalee Holloway: Missing in Aruba

2009-10-14T18:17:00.000-07:00

Natalee Holloway

Natalee Holloway, an 18-year-old graduate of Mountain Brook High School in Birmingham, Alabama, traveled to the Caribbean island of Aruba with 125 members of her senior class. On Monday, May 30, 2005, she did not show up for her flight back to the United States.

Witnesses said Natalee was last seen leaving a nightclub in a car with three males -- Joran Van Der Sloot, 17; Deepak Kalpoe, 21, and Satist Kalpoe, 18. The three originally told authorities that they dropped the Alabama honors student at the hotel where she was staying, but their story has changed many times since the early days in the search for Natalee Holloway.

The Allen-Cutshall Murders

2009-10-14T18:13:00.000-07:00

Jason Allen and Chris Cutshall

Jason Allen and Lindsay Cutshall, two Christian camp counselors who planned to be married, were shot in their sleep in their sleeping bags as they camped on Fishhead Beach in Jenner, California. Their bodies were found Aug. 18, 2004.

Allen 26, of Zeeland, Michigan and Cutshall, 23, of Fresno, Ohio, spent the summer working as whitewater rafting guides at a Christian outdoor adventure camp east of Sacramento. They were both shot in the head at close range.

Nuclear or Biological Terrorist Attack By 2013

2009-10-14T17:57:00.000-07:00

Today, the latest study on the terrorist threat to America was released and as can be expected there was many threats to the homeland. Much of the report is based on the fact that our enemies want to do harm and that even though it has been over 7 years since the last terrorist attack in America the groups that threaten America have not given up on targeting U.S. cities with devastating attacks.

Before we dig too deep into the fear of this potential moment of devastation, it is important to understand that even though it appears that terrorists are making ground in other parts of the World. In America, we have been diligent in our efforts overall. Yes, I agree that an open border is a disaster in waiting but, America is tightening it's grip there we can only hope that they we didn't wait to long. As real as a possible attack on America is, to us at Terroristplanet.com, we see a much more likely target abroad for biological or nuclear attacks in this small window of less than five years. Our friends in Europe in places such as Denmark, England, France and others that have not dealt with radical Islam as vigorously as the United States have placed themselves in much more danger. I believe that with this new information that America will only make it more difficult for the terrorists to attack the homeland as each day passes. It would be much easier for the radicals to hit in other Western targets represented in Europe

The American threat is still real. The threat still comes from the hearts and minds of radical Islam from.........You guessed it. Pakistan. While observing that Pakistan is a U.S. ally, the report said, "the next terrorist attack against the United States is likely to originate from within the Federally Administered Tribal Areas" in Pakistan. The tribal areas lie in northwest Pakistan where the government exerts little control. The United States says it is a haven for militants from both Pakistan and neighboring Afghanistan. Though Pakistan is the most likely place where a plan would be devised and organized there is still incredible threats from rogue homegrown groups with and without affiliation to al Qaeda. In many countries throughout the new Western Europe radical Islam has created networks that have already proven extremely deadly.

Education of the know how and the suitable material required to conduct deadly attacks have been the biggest obstacle in the past that inhibited Muslim extremists from carrying out biological or nuclear attacks on not only America but other Western targets

Those days are over now. They have had time. Time is and always was and will be radical Islam's biggest weapon. I have probably mentioned this a thousand times in articles but here it is again. Radical terrorist groups and cells do not plan on winning a quick war. Time is irrelevant to success. Success is measured in survival of the ideology. They feel with patience that in the end they will win. Actually they are convinced of it. The Talibanization of Afghanistan and Pakistan is not dying, but in a the midst of a great revival. It was only a week ago in Mumbai, India that a brazen attack was carried out meticulously. It shows that Muslim extremist are not backing down in that region as attacks have spread form Afghanistan to Pakistan and as of late into India. It is kind of ironic that in that attack only simple assault rifles and grenades were used. According to the terrorist report, the odds that terrorists will soon strike a major city with weapons of mass destruction are now better than ever, a bipartisan congressionally mandated task force concludes in a draft study that warns of growing threats from rogue states, nuclear smuggling networks and the spread of atomic know-how in the developing world.

No mission could be timelier," says the draft report of the Commission on the Prevention of Weapons of Mass Destruction Proliferation and Terrorism, which spent six months preparing an assessment for Congress and the new president-elect. It adds: "In our judgment, America's margin of safety is shrinking, not growing."

The commission notes that the U.S. government's counter-terrorism activities have been geared toward preventing nuclear terror but that it recommended that the prevention of biological terror be made a higher priority. The commission believes biological weapons are more likely to be obtained and used before nuclear or radioactive weapons because nuclear facilities are more carefully guarded. Civilian laboratories with potentially dangerous pathogens abound, however, and could easily be compromised.

The report said terrorist groups still lack the needed scientific and technical ability to make weapons out of pathogens or nuclear bombs. However it warns that any gaps could be overcome easily if terrorists should find scientists willing to share or sell their expertise. 'The United States should be less concerned that terrorists will become biologists and far more concerned that biologists will become terrorists,' the report states.

Senator Bob Graham of Florida, chairman of the study, said anthrax remains the most likely biological weapon. However, he said contagious diseases, such as the influenza strain that killed 40 million early in the 20th century, are looming threats. Senator Graham added that the threat of a terror attack using nuclear or biological weapons is growing 'not because we have not done positive things but because adversaries are moving at an even faster pace to increase their access' to those materials. The report, from the bipartisan Commission on the Prevention of WMD Proliferation and Terrorism, recommends that the White House appoints one official on the National Security Council to coordinate exclusively U.S. intelligence and foreign policy on combating the spread of nuclear and biological weapons.

"The consequences of a biological attack are almost beyond comprehension. It would be 9/11 times 10 or a hundred in terms of the number of people who would be killed," former Sen. Bob Graham said. Graham said a biological attack was more likely than a nuclear one because it would be easier to carry out.
Biological weapons "are more available," he said. "Anthrax is a natural product of dead animals. Other serious pathogens are available in equally accessible forms." "There are so many scientists who have the skills to convert a pathogen from benign, helpful purposes into an illicit, very harmful weapon," he added.

The document named Al-Qaeda as the only terror group judged to be actively intent on conducting a nuclear attack against the United States. The global terrorist network is not yet capable of building such a weapon and has yet to obtain one but that could change if a nuclear weapons engineer or scientist were recruited to its cause, the report warns. The commission warned that there is also a threat of nuclear terrorism, both because more countries are developing nuclear weapons and because some existing nuclear powers are expanding their arsenals. "Terrorist organizations are intent on acquiring nuclear weapons," said the report.

So where does this report leave us. It is unlikely that the incoming Obama Administration will relax on strengthening the security of the United States. The lessons learned from 911 may be far back in the minds of many Americans, but remain fresh in the nightmares of the federal government and major cities that may be targeted in the next attack. I think it will be tough for terrorist to carry out a nuclear attack on America. Many in the media are right about this analysis. Think how difficult it has been for countries such as Iran that has been trying for at least 15 years to gain this type of weapon. It is not easy to create a nuclear weapon. The best shot that the terrorist have is enlisting the assistance of a scientists that either sympathizes with their cause or can make enough money to not worry about the consequences of this type of partnership. A biological attack is much more realistic, but in the end I was much more stirred by the events that occurred in Mumbai, India in the past week . This style of attack in all it's simplicity is only natural. I have often wondered in the past why this type of attack outside of war zones such as Afghanistan and Iraqi streets have not occurred in the West. We are entering a new realm of terrorism at this point. Diligence by our law enforcement across the nation has to be aware of possible terror cells not only utilizing sophisticated weaponry such as biological or nuclear weaponry but must be aware of "SIMPLICITY". A few small cells left undetected could do much damage in America, Europe and elsewhere utilizing the same level of weaponry used in Mumbai. This form of attack is much more likely to repeat itself than previous terrorist operations. The American public must be aware of the seriousness of this threat and try to notice the one tip that would disrupt this type of plan before it takes place. Many law enforcement agencies are not prepared for a Mumbai style attack and training our police for preparing for an outbreak of these small attacks simultaneously is crucial for moving forward in the war on terrorism. Like it or not all Americans have to be`a part of the War on Terror in order to make the land of immigrants safe again..

What is Blackwater Worldwide

2009-10-14T17:48:00.000-07:00

Cowboy mercenaries or professional security service? This special reports tries to paint a clearer picture surrounding the murky media reports on a company that works in the most dangerous jobsites around the world. They protect government officials, journalists and others when they travel in harms way. They have come under fire for deaths of Iraqi civilians caught in their crossfire as well as their weapons being sold in the Iraqi market and landing in the hands of Iraqi militant factions.

Blackwater Worldwide formerly known as Blackwater USA is a security and training corporation that has fallen into the spotlight as a by product of the Iraq War. Blackwater was founded in 1997 to support the training needs of the United States military and law enforcement communities. Since then, Blackwater has trained more than 100,000 local police officers, SWAT team members, homeland security professionals, military personnel and others to help prepare them to serve and protect U.S. citizens at home and abroad. In addition to their roles as protectors, instructors and peacekeepers, Blackwater personnel have developed training programs and technology that save lives. Blackwater and its affiliates have developed armored vehicles that protect against the advanced threats that are a reality today. They have developed a remotely-piloted airship designed to enhance surveillance and information-gathering abilities. They operate a fleet of aircraft equipped to move cargo and people from anywhere in the world. .And they have an extensive testing, training and certification process for canines employed to detect both explosives and narcotics

When I first heard of Blackwater USA, now known as Blackwater Worldwide, I was alarmed. Many news reports portrayed the U.S. government hired security contractor as a group of mercenaries that were cutting any Iraqi's insurgent or civilian that got in their path into sawdust with their bullet fire. As dramatic as that narrative of the media portrayals were at the height of the criticism of the company, the truth is that the job this company does around the world is not much less incredible. Blackwater was awarded its first federal government contract during the Clinton Administration, which advocated contracting out services. Blackwater’s government work grew year-by-year as a result of the nation’s well-documented defense drawdown and the continuing importance of contracting out services.

First however, we have to talk a little about why members of Blackwater are in the news currently. In the past few days five Blackwater Worldwide security guards indicted in Washington for the 2007 shooting of Iraqi civilians have surrender to the federal authorities. The case already is shaping up to be a series of contentious legal battles before the guards can even go to trial. By surrendering in Utah, the home state of one of the guards, the men could argue the case should be heard in a far more conservative, pro-gun venue than Washington is. The five guards were indicted on manslaughter charges on Thursday, December 4, 2008 for their roles in a 2007 shooting in Baghdad that left 17 Iraqi civilians dead. A sixth guard reached a plea deal with prosecutors to avoid a mandatory 30-year prison sentence.

The shooting at the heart of the case involved a convoy of vehicles responding to a car bombing in downtown Baghdad. Entering a busy traffic circle, the convoy opened fire. Witnesses said Blackwater was unprovoked. The company says its guards were ambushed. "Donald Ball committed no crime," McCool said. "We are confident that any jury will see this for what it is: a politically motivated prosecution to appease the Iraqi government." The other guards indicted are Dustin Heard, a former Marine from Knoxville, Tenn.; Evan Liberty, a former Marine from Rochester, N.H.; Nick Slatten, a former Army sergeant from Sparta, Tenn.; and Paul Slough, an Army veteran from Keller, Texas.

The Blackwater guards, hired by the U.S. to protect State Department diplomats in Iraq, carry automatic weapons and drive heavily armored vehicles equipped with turret guns. These guys are far from boy scouts. They are actually ex-special forces and other highly trained military that are regarded as some of the most professional, brave and extremely indispensable assets to the United States government. Are they incapable of committing a crime such as the slaughter described above? Of course not. A bad apple or in this case a bad situation can happen. No system created by man can be perfect in a place of war. Bad things, no I mean horrible things happen. There is always a flaw or a breakdown. The thing to remember is that regardless of the outcome of this trial Blackwater Worldwide is not one of the bad guys. They do a job that is beyond the grasp of 99.9 % of the American population. Being a cop in some of the most violent cities in America does not hold a candle to the stress and danger that these guys face. Blackwater has lost 30 personnel in the Iraqi conflict but at the same time not a single person under their protection has been killed. Blackwater Worldwide fills the void that otherwise would overstretch the fulltime resources at the disposal of the U.S. military.

The following is a group of quotes by individuals that have been protected by the Blackwater personnel in dangerous environment as well as others that have investigated the organization for the media.

“They provide the protection when you travel outside of the Green Zone, they often provide the protection when you travel in cities outside of Baghdad. They provide armored vehicles, and security professionals who are trained to protect diplomats. It’s necessary for diplomats and reconstruction advisors to get out and to meet with Iraqis. Were contractors, security contractors not to be there, the U.S. military would have to take over those responsibilities, which would require even more U.S. soldiers to be in country.” - David Tafuri, former State Department rule of law coordinator PBS.org’s Online NewsHour, October 30, 2008

“…American rapid reaction forces appeared at the scene of the attack before 15 minutes was up. If it were not for such a quick reaction of the Blackwater team, which arrived in a helicopter, it could have ended tragically for us.” - Polish Ambassador to Iraq Gen. Edward Pietrzyk As quoted in an interview with the Polish press after presenting honors to members of a Blackwater team who rescued him when his convoy came under attack in Baghdad Nasz Dziennik, February 16, 2008

“In the 19 times I've been [to Iraq], I've been protected, I think, primarily by Blackwater. These were former Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine military personnel. These are people who then have to be trained differently to do the kind of work they do. They would take a bullet for any of the people that they are protecting. And as it relates to Blackwater, they have lost 30 people. Thirty Americans, former military personnel, were killed protecting their charges. And they have not lost one of their charges.” - Rep. Christopher Shays, (R-CT) Human Rights First press conference, January 16, 2008

“…I can assure you these are dedicated men, professionals who know how to help people in times like this.” - Dean VanderMey, whose daughters were trapped in Kenya amidst post-election violence and were rescued by a team from Blackwater The Washington Times, January 10, 2008

“Blackwater's 1,000 contractors protect key State Department diplomats — prized targets for insurgents. They have never lost a single person they were assigned to protect, yet 30 Blackwater contractors have given their lives in executing their mission. Hundreds more have been seriously injured. . . . Contractors serve a vital purpose in Iraq. Most are either military veterans or former law enforcement professionals who have made great personal sacrifices in our mission. There are simply too many of them serving in critical roles — and far too few service members to take their place — to take the misguided push for expulsion seriously.” - LTC Steve Russell USA (Ret.), Chairman, Vets for Victory Stars & Stripes, October 13, 2007

“Most contractors aren't outlaws or cowboys. Even Peter Singer of the Brookings Institution, a critic of the industry, concedes that ‘most are highly talented ex-soldiers.’ Though they get paid more than their active-duty counterparts, they have less job security and lack the medical, retirement and other benefits. Of course they're in Iraq to make money, but the vast majority wouldn't accept a paycheck from just anyone. Most are willing to put their lives on the line only because they are helping the American war effort. And in many cases, they have performed heroically. “In 2004, for instance, an eight-man Blackwater team held off Muqtada Sadr's gunmen, who were besieging a Coalition Provisional Authority office in Najaf. A Marine who fought alongside the Blackwater team (and was evacuated for medical treatment by a Blackwater helicopter) received a Silver Star; if the contractors had been wearing U.S. uniforms, they undoubtedly would have received decorations too.” - Max Boot, columnist Los Angeles Times, October 3, 2007

“They're the Cadillac of training services… You've got the best of the best teaching close-quarter-combat tactics.” - J. Adler, national executive vice president, Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association Washington Post, October 13, 2007

Blackwater conducts it's business in the most hostile environments on the planet. Blackwater’s only role in Iraq is to provide defensive security. Blackwater’s team of expertly trained former military and law enforcement personnel protects U.S. officials so the military can focus on its mission. Blackwater Worldwide independent contractors do not engage in offensive or military missions, and Blackwater has no Department of Defense contracts in Iraq according to the company. Blackwater has less than 1,000 contractors in Iraq. There have been occasions when Blackwater contractors have come to the aid of U.S. troops. The company is proud to help our men and women in uniform and they will continue to do so whenever they are asked.

No individual protected by Blackwater in Iraq on its more than 17,000 missions has ever been killed or seriously injured, despite the fact that Blackwater protects some of the insurgents’ top targets – U.S. government officials, including Members of Congress and visiting diplomats

Blackwater operates under detailed contracts with the U.S. government that provide intensive government oversight, direction and control. Security contractors are accountable under the U.S. Constitution, international treaties, U.S. regulations, defense trade controls acts and numerous U.S. statutes.
Specifically, the Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) applies to contractors accompanying the total force and the Military Extraterritorial Jurisdiction Act (MEJA) creates jurisdiction for federal court trials.

Accusations Against Blackwater Worldwide Contractors Selling Arms To Insurgents

2009-10-14T17:47:00.001-07:00

Over the past few years Blackwater has been under the microscope for more than just the incidents in which Iraqi civilians have been killed or shaken in the crossfire. Blackwater turned over two employees to federal authorities after suspecting them of stealing and illegally shipping weapons in the company's custody to factions in Iraq. The company says that it has reported every known case of weapons theft to the authorities, but did not know about this particular incident where a bushmaster weapon was recovered from a U.S. raid on an insurgent group in Iraq. The weapon was actually returned to Blackwater.. ABC cited documents that reinforce Blackwater's claim that it didn't know the weapon was missing from its inventory.

In the end the company remains under the watchful eyes of the U.S. government and the media but at this point only isolated incidents of improper actions have been reported and the corporation has worked with investigations and assisted law enforcement personnel in their investigations. As stated above, when your business is conducted in the environment that Blackwater operates in, there are going to be incidents by a few. The few however are not carrying out the policy of the company when these activities occur. Blackwater Worldwide will continue to service contracts for the American Government because quite simply they are the best at what they do.

Are Terrorist cells Targeting America?

2009-10-14T17:41:00.000-07:00

A sleeper cell is a dormant, on standby, group of individuals that were either smuggled in, arrived legally or possibly born in the country that is the point of attack. This article also looks into the threat of Home grown terrorism. individuals that were either smuggled in, arrived legally or possibly born in the country that is the point of attack. The members live among the general population and participates within the guidelines of that society attempting to blend in and to not draw any unwanted attention until the time when the cell is to carry out a terrorist attack. The Hijackers of 911 were operating as a sleeper cell before they acted that day. They traveled to Las Vegas and took part in gambling and other acts of vice without drawing attention to their real goals. The clandestine cell is the essential building block of a terrorist operation.

Regardless of your politics, the answer to the question above has to be "of course they are". For a long time following the day of September 11, 2001, many of us awoke each morning and immediately turned on the early news wondering if anything had happened already that day. Frustrated and disturbed by the attacks that devastated our nation that morning we were mesmerized by the destruction and the amount of death that was delivered by a group of young Arab Muslim men. In the days that followed, America learned more and more about what happened that day and who was responsible. The young men shared a hatred for America that was a seed planted half way across the world and in their eyes blossomed in America on September 11, 2001. The 911 hijackers acted out a plan to bring terror to America. They were merely pawns in a game of chess that may last for decades and claim enormous life. Ours and theirs. The planners of 911 wanted to let each American know that we are not immune to the suffering that Radical Islam delivers to many other parts of the world. The hijackers came to America. They lived among us, watched us and waited for the anticipated moment to carry out their plan. Their clandestine "sleeper" cell awoke on September 11th and changed America from that day forward. I hate to sound pessimistic but to think that this type of incident is a one time attempt or that it can't happen again is being truly ignorant to the world that we live in. It is frightening to think that even today, there are individuals living among us as apparently ordinary Americans or immigrants that are in secret planning the next attack on America in one of our major cities.

What Is A Sleeper Cell?

2009-10-14T17:40:00.000-07:00

A sleeper cell is a dormant, on standby, group of individuals that were either smuggled in, arrived legally or possibly born in the country that is the point of attack. The members live among the general population and participates within the guidelines of that society attempting to blend in and to not draw any unwanted attention until the time when the cell is to carry out a terrorist attack. The Hijackers of 911 were operating as a sleeper cell before they acted that day. They traveled to Las Vegas and took part in gambling and other acts of vice without drawing attention to their real goals. The clandestine cell is the essential building block of a terrorist operation. Effective terrorist cells are usually very small and tightly managed, generally comprising three or four people and rarely involving more than ten or twenty. When they get bigger, cells become much more vulnerable to penetration by law enforcement or detection by alert citizens. The 9/11 operation was conducted by four cells composed of about three to five individuals per cell, all of which were led by Mohamed Atta. According to reports only Atta, who was the ring leader knew all the details of the attack.

Why are Sleeper Terrorist Cells hard to Find?

2009-10-14T17:39:00.001-07:00

As stated above in the definition of the "sleeper cell" these clandestine groups do not want to be discovered. They want to blend in any way they can. They do not want to be seen as secretive or as suspicious. By nature these groups are deigned to be tough to track and to infiltrate due to their small size. Making it more difficult is catching members that know little about the overall plan other than their role. In essence you have to capture a cell leader or planner prior to the action phase to actually stop an attack and completely remove the immediate threat. America has a vast array of peoples within her borders and our lifestyles are so busy that at times we do not talk to our neighbors and co-workers. We go about our lives not paying attention to our surroundings in public places let alone connecting the dots to be able to recognize a terrorist cell in our midst. All across America in larger and smaller cities alike ethnic communities have been established and it is hard to spot a terrorist cell in the mix of people. Illegal immigrants can live their entire life outside the governments scope of detection. Another reason that it is hard to track and find terrorist sleeper cells is because America has very large and porous borders. We have 4,000 miles of border to the North with Canada and over 2,000 miles of border to our South with Mexico. Slipping in and out of America in the past was routine for migrant illegal immigrants. Post 911 has made our government more observant of our borders but by no way is it guarded. Thousands illegally cross the barriers daily. Reports of individuals of middle eastern and Asian descent paying for safe passage through the holes in the border have grown since 911. In all reality if this was the way that a terrorism organization wanted to enter America for a future attack it is likely that the next wave would more than likely already be in place. It is possible that the cell may reside in Canada or Mexico and only cross when it was time to conduct the attack by slipping into the country. U.S. Government estimates that there are as many twelve million illegal aliens living in the united States. We have as a nation have been able to live without fear of our open borders. That type of security is gone. It is too risky to allow our borders to remain unprotected and open to individuals wanting to illegally enter America to do harm against it's citizens.

MS-13: La Mara Salvatrucha

2009-10-14T17:36:00.000-07:00

La Mara Salvatrucha, more commonly known as the MS-13, are considered by the FBI to be the most dangerous gang in the U.S.. A Central American network spreading from the base of the organization in El Salvador to Honduras to Guatemala to Mexico, and now well established on U.S. soil. Incredibly enough this growing menace has cells in Canada, Colombia, Spain, Great Britain and Germany, according to international press on criminal activity. Best known for their violent methods, the gang has been identified in 33 states within the United States, with an estimated 10,000 members nationwide and more than 40,000 in Central America. The FBI says MS-13 are the fastest growing and most violent of the nation's street gangs. So violent that other rival gangs fear them. MS-13 was named after "La Mara", a street in El Salvador and "13th Street" in Los Angeles. The organization originated in El Salvador and initially consisted of violent guerillas who fought in El Salvador's civil war. As the war neared its end, the gang moved operations into the nearby Honduras. In Honduras, where membership topped 36,000, the gang rose to such power that the Honduran government instigated a crackdown on all gangs and even passed a law aimed specifically at busting up gangs and organized crime. Code named "Strong Arm", the Honduran government arrested more than 4,000 gang members in 2003, often solely because they wore tattoos or colors of known gangs.

MS-13 is a transnational organized gang that is beginning to take on more attributes of a drug cartel in organizational structure. "Traditionally, the gang consisted of loosely affiliated groups known as cliques; however, law enforcement officials have reported increased coordination of criminal activity among Mara Salvatrucha cliques in the Atlanta, Dallas, Los Angeles, Washington, D.C., and New York metropolitan areas," states a confidential memo sent out in July 2007 from the U.S. Attorney's Office in the Southern District of Illinois, the newspaper reported. "MS-13 is attempting to become a unified criminal enterprise operating under one leadership."

The Mara Salvatrucha gang moved into the Los Angeles area in the late 1980's as immigrants from El Salvador began arriving in the city. The early Los Angeles MS-13 gangs sought to protect El Salvadorian immigrants from the ruthless LA gangs. As with many gangs who's original intent was to protect others, the gang soon came to prey upon the Salvadorian community themselves. Once profits were recognized, Mara Salvatrucha cliques began to spread across the United States at an alarming rate. By the 1990's, MS-13's reach had spread across the country and had planted its roots deep on the East Coast. The early cliques located on the eastern coast were independent and not well organized. In the early 2000's, the gang hierarchy changed radically when leadership for these newly unified units, came from as far away as California and El Salvador. Cells continued popping up all over the country.

Stealing and exporting cars from the USA, burglary, drug sales, home invasion, weapons smuggling, carjacking, extortion, murder, rape, witness intimidation, illegal firearm sales, aggravated assault, prostitution and human trafficking are the list of activities associated with MS-13. In March 2004, the Maldon Institute, a Washington DC based think tank, released a report detailing the violent methods MS-13 used, including their increasingly typical and disturbing calling card. MS-13 often leaves behind dismembered corpses, complete with the decapitated head, at the scene of their murders. Often a grim note is attached to the body.

The Spread of MS 13 Gang In News Clips and violence

2009-10-14T17:31:00.000-07:00

In two attacks in Fairfax County, Va., MS-13 members severed the fingers of two rival gang members. In 2003, members stabbed to death a pregnant 17-year old, Brenda Paz, on the banks of the Shenandoah River after discovering she was a federal informer. Tales of MS-13 violence are even more gruesome in Central America, where gang members have been linked to beheadings, mutilations and the spraying of bus passengers with bullets.

Mexican alien smugglers plan to pay violent gang members and smuggle them into the United States to murder Border Patrol agents, according to a confidential Department of Homeland Security memo obtained by the Daily Bulletin. The Officer Safety Alert, dated Dec. 21, 2005 warns agents that the smugglers intend to bring members of the international Mara Salvatrucha street gang also known as MS-13 into the country for the deadly mission. "Unidentified Mexican alien smugglers are angry about the increased security along the U.S./Mexico border and have agreed that the best way to deal with U.S. Border Patrol agents is to hire a group of contract killers," the alert states.

On December 23, 2004, one of the most widely publicized MS-13 crimes in Central America happened in Chamelecón, Honduras. An intercity bus was intercepted and sprayed with automatic gunfire, killing 28 passengers, most of whom were women and children

In February 2007, the courts found Juan Carlos Miranda Bueso and Darwin Alexis Ramírez guilty of several crimes including murder and attempted murder. Ebert Anibal Rivera was held over the attack and was arrested in Texas after having fled. Juan Bautista Jimenez, accused of masterminding the attack, was killed in prison. According to the authorities, he was hanged by fellow MS-13 inmates

Newark, NJ August 19, 2007.
THE grim execution-style shootings that killed three college students in a Newark schoolyard two weeks ago bore many hallmarks of gangland slayings, and the culprits clearly wanted it that way. Three of the four victims, two women and two young men aged 18 to 20, were forced to kneel facing a wall before being shot in the head. Both women, one of whom survived, were slashed in the face with a machete or knife. And the MySpace page of one of the six suspects, a 16-year-old who is still at large, pays loving homage to one of the country’s most feared and hyped gangs: La Mara Salvatrucha, or MS-13, a Central American gang that has become synonymous with bloodthirstiness.

Adelphi, MD October 25, 2004 .
According to testimony presented at the four week trial, Israel Ernesto Palacios was a member of the Langley Park Salvatruchos (LPS) clique of MS-13. At some time prior to the night of October 25, 2004, Palacios met with another MS-13 member to discuss and investigate rumors that Nancy Diaz was associating with a rival gang. Witnesses testified that shortly thereafter, Palacios, James Guillen and other MS-13 members attended a meeting of the LPS clique in Prince George's County, Md., in which clique leaders discussed plans to kill Diaz. On Oct. 25, 2004, Guillen drove two other MS-13 members, Diaz and another juvenile female in his car, and dropped them off at the George Washington Cemetery in Adelphi, Md. According to testimony, two MS-13 members shot and killed Diaz, shot the other girl in the face and stabbed her twice in the chest to attempt to make sure she was dead, and then left the scene. On Aug. 25,
2005, Palacios and Guillen were arrested in connection with the racketeering, murder and firearms charges.

Nashville, Tennessee January 10, 2007.
In Tennessee. The Department of Justice announced the indictment of 13 members of MS-13 today which alleges that gang members killed three people and attempted to kill at least seven others. The indictment further alleges that MS-13 was organized in "cliques," including the Thompson Place Locos Salvatruchos clique (TPLS), which operated in Nashville, TN.

New Haven, CT Dec. 30, 2007.
Veterans are outraged that a war memorial in New Haven has been vandalized. The Vietnam War Memorial at Long Wharf was spray painted with the threatening words "Kill whites and MS 13." Members are involved in drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and even human trafficking and their presence is growing in the U-S. Just this summer, police in the Boston area did a big round-up of MS 13 gang members

Toronto, Canada Jun 5, 2008.
Toronto police have arrested 17 people who they say are members of MS-13, a notorious street gang with roots in Latin America, after an investigation that highlights concerns about gangs expanding north into Canada's largest city. During a five-month investigation, police said, they learned MS-13 was targeting a member of Canada's justice system, but refused to be more specific.The suspects are facing a total of 63 charges, and police said they seized 6.5 kg of cocaine during the raids

Greenbelt, Maryland May 13, 2008.
A federal jury convicted Wendy Garcia, age 25, of Hyattsville,
Maryland, today for obstruction of justice, in connection with the murder of an MS-13 gang
member by other MS-13 members. According to testimony at the five day trial, Garcia lived in an apartment in Hyattsville with MS-13 leader Israel Ramos Cruz and their infant daughter. On November 22, 2003 Cruz
and several other alleged MS-13 gang members met inside the apartment to discuss whether to
kill gang member Randy Calderon who had participated in a fatal stabbing. They were concerned
that Calderon would cooperate with the police if arrested for the murder. Shortly after the
discussion, Calderon was fatally shot by one of the individuals present at the discussion.

San Francisco, CA June 22, 2008.
Arrest of illegal alien murder suspect Edwin Ramos. Ramos is currently charged with the June 22, 2008, triple murder of Tony Bologna and his sons Michael and Matthew in San Francisco's Excelsior District. Edwin Ramos, shot and killed a father and two of his sons following a minor traffic accident. Ramos, "based on . . . numerous documented contacts" as being an active member of the MS-13 street gang. The records, which document that he is not a U.S. citizen, also show Ramos's previous March 30, 2008, arrest related to weapons and gang charges. San Francisco prosecutors declined to charge Ramos. He was released on April 2, 2008. Likewise, Ramos's juvenile criminal record remains sealed, although reports in the San Francisco Chronicle revealed that Ramos is an illegal alien who was found to have committed two (2) felonies at the age of 17 - a gang-related assault and an attempted robbery of a pregnant woman. Despite his violent criminal behavior Ramos, a Salvadoran native, was not turned over by San Francisco juvenile justice officials to federal immigration authorities. San Francisco law prohibits local officials from cooperating with federal officials in deporting illegal aliens.

The MS 13 and al Qaeda Connection Threat

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September 28, 2004 Washing Times Article:
A top al Qaeda lieutenant has met with leaders of a violent Salvadoran criminal gang with roots in Mexico and the United States -- including a stronghold in the Washington area -- in an effort by the terrorist network to seek help infiltrating the U.S.-Mexico border, law enforcement authorities said. Adnan G. El Shukrijumah, a key al Qaeda cell leader for whom the U.S. government has offered a $5 million reward, was spotted in July in Honduras meeting with leaders of El Salvador's notorious Mara Salvatrucha gang, which immigration officials said has smuggled hundreds of Central and South Americans -- mostly gang members -- into the United States. Although they are actively involved in alien, drug and weapons smuggling, Mara Salvatrucha members in America also have been tied to numerous killings, robberies, burglaries, carjackings, extortions, rapes and aggravated assaults -- including at least seven killings in Virginia and a machete attack on a 16-year-old in Alexandria that severely mutilated his hands. The Salvadoran gang, known to law enforcement authorities as MS-13 because many members identify themselves with tattoos of the number 13, is thought to have established a major smuggling center in Matamoros, Mexico, just south of Brownsville, Texas, from where it has arranged to bring illegal aliens from countries other than Mexico into the United States. Authorities said al Qaeda terrorists hope to take advantage of a lack of detention space within the Department of Homeland Security that has forced immigration officials to release non-Mexican illegal aliens back into the United States.

El Shukrijumah, born in Saudi Arabia but thought to be a Yemen national, was spotted in Tegucigalpa, Honduras, in July, having crossed the border illegally from Nicaragua after a stay in Panama. U.S. authorities said al Qaeda operatives have been in Tegucigalpa planning attacks against British, Spanish and U.S. embassies. Known to carry passports from Saudi Arabia, Trinidad, Guyana and Canada, El Shukrijumah had sought meetings with the Mara Salvatrucha gang leaders who control alien-smuggling routes through Mexico and into the United States. El Shukrijumah, 29, who authorities said was in Canada last year looking for nuclear material for a so-called "dirty bomb" and reportedly has family members in Guyana, was named in a March 2003 material-witness arrest warrant by federal prosecutors in Northern Virginia, where U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty said he is sought in connection with potential terrorist threats against the United States. A former southern Florida resident and pilot thought to have helped plan the September 11 attacks, El Shukrijumah was among seven suspected al Qaeda operatives identified in May by Attorney General John Ashcroft as being involved in plans to strike new targets in the United States. Citing "credible intelligence from multiple sources," Mr. Ashcroft said at the time that El Shukrijumah posed "a clear and present danger to America."

Illegals Committing Crimes In America.

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A few years back as I watched America's Most Wanted I began to notice that as each week passed more and more of the criminals wanted for violent crimes in America were illegal immigrants that have committed crimes in the United States. As I hear often, sure many of the illegal immigrants from Mexico are here only to work and support their families. The problem with this statement is that many illegal immigrants are not. Many are here to be involved in crimes that include drug smuggling, rape, murder, human trafficking and a host of other violent crimes that have created a huge burden on the American legal system and law enforcement. U.S. prisons most notably in California, Arizona, Texas and other southwestern states are filling up with illegal immigrants that have committed violent crimes. It appears the problem is spreading to many parts of the country that traditionally did not have large numbers of illegals in the past.

Mexico Government Wants To Block U.S. Execution of Mexican Criminals in The United States.

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The U.N.'s highest court will begin emergency hearings on Thursday. June 19, 2008 on Mexico's appeal to block the execution of its citizens on death row in the United States. Mexico's application listed five of its citizens slated to die accused of violent crimes committed on American soil against American citizens including children.. The first, on Aug. 5, is Jose Medellin, 33, condemned for his participation in the gang rape and murder of two teenage girls 15 years ago in Texas. Even more disturbing than the fact that he actually confessed to the rape and murder and that Mexico would attempt to appeal is the fact that Medellin has it so bad in prison that he is able to advertise on the internet for pen pals through a group in Canada called "Canadian Coalition Against The Death Penalty", or CCADP. Here is his post. It appears that CCADP is the myspace.com for inmates on death row.

The Illegal Immigrant Crime Foot Print

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It doesn't take a genius to come to the conclusion that America is in the midst of an illegal immigration crime wave. Watch America's Most Wanted, turn on the local news, or pick up a newspaper and you can see the ever growing number of illegal immigrants that are committing violent crime in America. Even in the Midwest, far from the border with Mexico it is becoming commonplace to see the list of illegal Mexican immigrants that are being sought or already arrested for crimes. I am sure that these numbers have grown as the illegal immigration boom in the past two years has but, here are the best available statistics for the illegal immigrant crime wave that is changing America daily as politicians and the wealthy business owners continue to push the "benefits" of illegal immigration as the average American spending power is becoming less and less in the new global economy. I guess they are not feeling the pain that many American communities are feeling trying to deal with this growing epidemic that is creeping North and East of the border.

There are reported 12-20 million illegal Latin America immigrants in our country roughly constituting 4-5% of the U.S. population. 27% of the entire prison population in America are illegal aliens.( General Accounting Office 2005)

Representative Steve King of Iowa points out that 25 Americans, on average, are killed by illegal aliens every day (about evenly split between motor vehicle accidents and outright murder).

Government Accounting Office provided information on the criminal history of aliens incarcerated in federal and state prisons or local jails who had entered the country illegally. In the population study of a sample of 55,322 illegal aliens, researchers found that they were arrested at a total of 459,614 times, averaging about 8 arrests per illegal alien

12 percent of these crimes were for violent offenses such as murder, robbery, assault, and sex-related crimes.

In Los Angeles, 95 percent of all outstanding warrants for homicide (which total 1,200 to 1,500) target illegal aliens. Up to two-thirds of all fugitive felony warrants (17,000) are for illegal aliens.

Based on a one-year in-depth study, Deborah Schurman-Kauflin of the Violent Crimes Institute of Atlanta estimates there are about 240,000 illegal immigrant sex offenders in the United States who have had an average of four victims each. She analyzed 1,500 cases from January 1999 through April 2006 that included serial rapes, serial murders, sexual homicides and child molestation committed by illegal immigrants

It is fact that a disproportionately high percentage of illegal aliens are criminals and sexual predators," states Peter Wagner, author of a new report called "The Dark Side of Illegal Immigration."

Study Released On Illegal Immigrant Gangs Committing Crime In America October 1, 2008

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Since 2005, ICE has arrested more than 8,000 immigrant gangsters from more than 700 different gangs under an initiative known as Operation Community Shield.

Transnational immigrant gangs have been spreading rapidly and sprouting in suburban and rural areas where communities are not always equipped to deal with them.

A very large share of immigrant gang members are illegal aliens and removable aliens. Federal sources estimate that 60 to 90 percent of the members of MS-13, the most notorious immigrant gang, are illegal aliens. In one jurisdiction studied, Northern Virginia, 30 to 40 percent of the gang task force case load were removable aliens.

MS-13 activity was found in 48 states, the District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.

The immigrant gangsters arrested were a significant menace to the public. About 80 percent had committed serious crimes in addition to their immigration violations and 40 percent were violent criminals.

The ICE offices logging the largest number of immigrant gang arrests were San Diego, Atlanta, San Francisco, and Dallas. Some cities with significant gang problems, such as Los Angeles, Phoenix, and Houston, had few arrests. These cities had sanctuary, or “don’t ask, don’t tell,” immigration policies in place over the time period studied.

While many of the immigrant gangs targeted were neighborhood operations, others were ethnic-based, such as Armenian Power, Kurdish Pride, or Oriental Killer Boys. But nearly half of the aliens arrested over the period studied were affiliated with MS-13 and Surenos-13, two of the largest and most notorious transnational gangs with largely immigrant membership.

Nearly 60 percent of immigrant gangsters arrested by ICE were Mexican citizens, 17 percent were Salvadoran, and 5 percent were Honduran. In all, 53 different countries were represented

Immigrant gang members rarely make a living as gangsters. They typically work by day in construction, auto repair, farming, landscaping and other low-skill occupations, often using false documents. Some gangs are involved in the production and sale of false documents.

Failure to adequately control the U.S.-Mexico border and to deter illegal settlement in general undermines the progress ICE and local law enforcement agencies have made in disrupting criminal immigrant street gangs

Examples Of The Illegal Immigration Crime Spree:

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PHOENIX -- The ex-girlfriend of the man arrested in connection with the Chandler serial rapist case said she was shocked to learn Santana Batiz Aceves had been arrested.
"I never imagined," said Maria Penuelas. "Never imagined he could be the serial rapist."
Aceves was booked into a Maricopa County jail on 25 counts of kidnapping, sexual assault and trespassing in connection with the assaults. Police said that DNA positively links the man to the case. All of the attacks in the Chandler rapist case happened within a two mile radius of the home, an area densely populated with young girls, which police said the Chandler rapist targeted Jan. 2008

GUADALUPE, Ariz. -- An illegal immigrant has been arrested on suspicion of raping and kidnapping a 15-year-old girl at her Guadalupe home, Maricopa County sheriff's deputies said.
The MCSO Special Victims Unit arrested Jose Dolores Montoya Sanchez, 24.
Sanchez was booked into the Maricopa County jail late Wednesday on one count of sexual assault, one count of kidnapping and two counts sexual abuse.Sheriff's deputies said they began investigating the case when the victim disclosed that Sanchez sexually assaulted her at a Guadalupe home. The 15-year-old was immediately taken to a local hospital for medical treatment, MCSO said. A forensic evaluation confirmed an assault, according to sheriff's investigators. Sheriff's deputies said Sanchez has been in the country illegally for the past 10 years. "This suspect sexually assaulted a young innocent girl and this is yet another example of a violent crime committed by an illegal alien in Maricopa County," Sheriff Joe Arpaio said. "The deputies working in Guadalupe did a professional and thorough investigation."

Idaho. It's an unbelievable story that has an entire community shocked. According to a credible source, a 10-year-old St. Anthony girl has given birth to a baby. Court documents confirm that a St. Anthony man is in jail for raping the 10-year-old girl. According to Idaho's Bureau of Vital Statistics, this is the first 10-year-old to give birth in Idaho for at least 20 years. Guadelupe Gutierrez-Juarez has been charged with raping the young girl. Gutierrez-Juarez has been in the Fremont County Jail since April 29. May 2008

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) — After a review driven by three brutal slayings, the state attorney general on Wednesday ordered New Jersey law enforcers to notify federal immigration officials whenever someone arrested for an indictable offense or drunken driving is found to be an illegal immigrant.
Attorney General Anne Milgram reviewed the state's policy in light of the execution-style killings Aug. 4 of three Newark college students and the wounding of a fourth victim. One of the six suspects was an illegal immigrant who had been granted bail on child rape and aggravated assault charges without immigration officials being alerted to his existence. August 200

The case of Rafael Resendez-Ramirez, an illegal Mexican drifter, seems to have crystallized public fears. Ramirez, wanted in an FBI manhunt in the brutal murders of at least eight people near railroad tracks in Texas, Kentucky, and Illinois, surrendered himself to Texas Rangers at a border crossing near El Paso in July 1999. What especially aroused public ire was not just the magnitude of Ramirez’s crimes, but that he previously had been in federal custody. A check with the Immigration and Naturalization Service’s Border Patrol computer identification files showed he was a repeat offender who reentered the U.S. after three deportations, and who voluntarily returned to Mexico at least nine times following apprehensions. In fact, four of the murders took place in the weeks following his release by the U.S. Border Patrol back to Mexico. Ramirez eventually pled guilty in Texas state court on multiple murder charges, and at his own request, received the death penalty. He currently is awaiting execution

Phoenix Police officer Nick Erlie was shot and killed by Erik Jovani Martinez, an illegal who previously was deported and had an arrest warrant. Martinez was shot and killed by police after taking a hostage. He had been arrested eight times. September 2007

Joycelyn Gardiner, 22, was killed when a drunk driving illegal alien, Victor Benitez, ran a red light in Nashville, TN and broadsided Gardiner’s car. Gardiner, a Texas native, student at Tennessee State University and a track star, was pronounced dead at Vanderbilt University Medical Center one hour and 15 minutes after her Pontiac Grand Prix was demolished by Benitez’s Ford Expedition. Investigators said Benitez was drunk and did not touch the brakes of his Ford Expedition before hitting Gardiner's car. Police said Benitez was driving without a license and that he didn't have paperwork verifying that he was in the United States legally. In February 2006, Benitez was arrested on three counts of car burglary and two counts of attempted theft. Nine months later, he was arrested on charges of public intoxication, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest.

A Mexican national who attempted to kidnap a seven-year-old girl from a local Laundromat is one of 25 persons arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in Los Angeles during the past three days as part of a joint enforcement effort with the United States Attorney's Office targeting foreign nationals with prior convictions for sex offenses, many of them involving children. Aug 2006

Indiana, The second of two men charged in the 2006 rape of a 14-year-old girl pleaded guilty to a lesser charge Friday. Three other charges against Eleazar Renteria, 17, are dismissed.
Renteria appeared before Circuit Court Judge Judith Proffitt to plead guilty to one Class D felony count of sexual battery. He was initially charged with Class B felony rape, Class D felony criminal confinement and a Class B misdemeanor battery charge in addition to the sexual battery charge.
Under terms of the plea agreement, Renteria will serve one year in prison, six months on work release and six months on home detention followed by one year of probation if the judge accepts the agreement. Renteria also will have to register as a sex offender.
“He’s not allowed to have contact with any children under 16 except in his own family,” said Hamilton County Deputy Prosecutor Stephanie Smith.
Renteria was arrested in July 2006 after the victim identified him as one of two men who raped her at a party in a home in the 10700 block of East 166th Street in Noblesville. Miguel Gutierrez is already serving a 10-year sentence for the crime. An illegal alien from Mexico, Gutierrez will be deported after his release September 2007

HUNTSVILLE, Texas (AP) -- A train-hopping serial killer linked to at least 15 murders near railroad tracks around the country said "I deserve what I am getting" before he was executed Tuesday night. Angel Maturino Resendiz mumbled a prayer in Spanish, saying "Lord, forgive me. Lord, forgive me," and acknowledged the presence of relatives watching through a nearby window. "I want to ask if it is in your heart to forgive me," he said as he looked toward the relatives of victims in another room. "You don't have to. I know I allowed the devil to rule my life.""I thank God for having patience for me. I don't deserve to cause you pain. You did not deserve this. I deserve what I am getting," he said. Resendiz, 46, was pronounced dead at 8:05 p.m. CDT. - (Newsroom) - (crime) - (Invasion!)
The Mexican drifter known as the "Railroad Killer" was executed for the slaying of physician Claudia Benton 7 1/2 years ago. She was killed during a deadly spree in 1998 and 1999, which earned Resendiz a spot on the FBI's Most Wanted list as authorities searched for a murderer who slipped across the U.S. border and roamed the country by freight train. Benton, 39, was stabbed with a kitchen knife, struck 19 times with a 2-foot-tall bronze statue and raped in her home eight days before Christmas in 1998 in the Houston enclave of West University Place, just down the street from a railroad track. May 2007

U.S. Custody July 2008

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The US Government alleges that Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani mother of three with a biology degree from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a doctorate in behavioral neuroscience from Brandeis University, near Boston is the highest ranking known female al Qaeda operative. She is currently married to the nephew of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, the man who claims to have organized the September 11 terror attacks in 2001. She is not your typical Muslim mother, Her status has her rubbing elbows with the upper echelon of al Qaeda leadership. Despite previous beliefs that female al Qaeda members were not viewed as valuable, she has been described as a person of importance by the FBI as a result of her suspected involvement in many aspects within the American al Qaeda connection. However her attorney says that the government has no case against the "Female al Qaeda".

June 2001, Siddiqui was allegedly in Liberia, Africa purchasing blood diamonds. They would be used as a convenient, hard-to-trace way of funding Al Qaeda's global terror operations. It was mid-June 2001, three months before September 11.

The FBI, displayed her photograph in May 2004 at a press conference, she was a suspected terrorist with ties to a chief mastermind of 9/11 -- and the knowledge, skills, and intention to continue Al Qaeda's terror war in the United States and abroad. Henceforth dubbed as "The Female al Qaeda".

The following is an excerpt of the evidence presented describing her arrest in Afghanistan and part of her charges of being a terrorist:

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On or about the evening of July 17, 2008, officers of the Ghazni Province Afghanistan National Police ("ANP") discovered a Pakistani woman, later identified as SIDDIQUI, along with a teenage boy, outside the Ghazni governor's compound. ANP officers questioned SIDDIQUI in the local dialects of Dari and Pashtu. SIDDIQUI did not respond and appeared to speak only Urdu, indicating that she was a foreigner.

c. Regarding SIDDIQUI as suspicious, ANP officers searched her handbag and found numerous documents describing the creation of explosives, chemical weapons, and other weapons involving biological material and radiological agents. SIDDIQUI's papers included descriptions of various landmarks in the United States, including in New York City. In addition, among SIDDIQUI's personal effects were documents detailing United States military assets, excerpts from the Anarchist's Arsenal, and a one gigabyte (1 gb) digital media storage device (thumb drive).

d. SIDDIQUI was also in possession of numerous chemical substances in gel and liquid form that were sealed in bottles and glass jars.

The alleged female terrorist is charged with attempted murder and assault for allegedly trying to kill an American interrogator in a gun battle after she was arrested outside an Afghan government compound with a handbag full of chemicals and information on chemical, biological and radiological weapons, as well as descriptions of “various landmarks” in the United States. Two FBI agents escorted by US soldiers interrogated her the following day of her arrests. The soldiers were unaware that she was being held behind a curtain and a warrant officer put his M4 rifle on the ground. Ms Siddiqui allegedly grabbed the rifle and fired two shots at a US army captain but an interpreter pushed the gun away as she fired. As the soldiers returned fire, she was hit at least once.

American prosecutors said that Ms Siddiqui opened a post office box in Maryland for Majid Khan, a former Baltimore resident now being held at the US detention centre in Guantanamo Bay for terrorist ties.

Her trial should shed light on the mystery surrounding her disappearance with her children from the Pakistani city of Karachi in 2003. Her family claimed that she was abducted and imprisoned in a secret US detention centre. Six human rights groups, including Amnesty International, have listed her as a possible “secret detainee”.

Siddiqui and the al Qaeda Charities Connection

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Siddiqui was an account holder at Fleet National Bank in Boston. According to documents obtained by Newsweek, in 2001, Siddiqui was making regular debit-card payments to an Islamic charity front, Benevolence International, which is now banned by the UN. In addition, Siddiqui was found to be active with the Al Kifah Refugee Center, another Islamic charity that was ostensibly raising funds for Bosnian orphans but which also was under federal investigation. Fleet Bank security officers began tracking a money trail from the Saudi Embassy that led to Siddiqui, resulting in more "links" that "shocked" the bank security officers

Aafia Siddiqui's husband was found to be purchasing high-tech military equipment. According to Newsweek, FBI documents stated that Khan, Siddiqui’s then husband, had purchased body armor, night-vision goggles and a variety of military manuals that were supposed to be sent to Pakistan. Fleet National Bank accounts associated with the couple also showed "major purchases" from U.S. airlines and hotels in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and North Carolina as well as an $8,000 international wire transfer on December 21, 2001, to Habib Bank, the largest bank in Pakistan. The Fleet National Bank reports detailing all the transactions were filed with the U.S. Treasury Department, and suggest that Siddiqui and her estranged husband, Dr. Mohammed Amjad Khan, may have been active terror plotters inside the country until as late as the summer of 2002.

The Al-Kifah Refugee Center was bin Laden’s largest fundraising group in the US and has offices in many cities. Counterterrorism expert Steven Emerson will later call it “al-Qaeda’s operational headquarters in the United States.” As far back as late March 1993, Newsweek will report that “virtually every principal figure implicated in the World Trade Center bombing” that took place the month before has a connection to the Al-Kifah branch in Brooklyn, New York. The Brooklyn branch quietly shuts itself down. But other branches stay open and the Boston branch appears to take over for the Brooklyn branch. In April 1993, it reincorporates under the new name Care International (which is not connected with a large US charity based in Atlanta with the same name). Emerson will later comment, “The continuity between the two organizations was obvious to anyone who scratched the surface.” For instance, Care takes over the publication of Al-Kifah’s pro-jihad newsletter, Al Hussam. One month after the bombing, a member of Al-Kifah/Care in Boston named Aafia Siddiqui sends Muslims newsgroups an e-mail pledge form asking for support for Bosnian widows and orphans trying to raise money for CARE.

Aafia Siddiqui comes from a Pakistani family in which she was one of three children of Mohammad Siddiqui, a doctor trained in England. Her and her siblings are all well educated professionals residing in both the United States as well as in Pakistan.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Fact File

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Born in Kuwait in 1964 or 1965. Parents are Pakistani. Joined the Muslim Brotherhood at age 16

After his participation in the Soviet - Afghanistan Jihad, beginning in 1983 he attended Chowan College, a small Baptist school in Murfreesboro, North Carolina, for a few years before transferring to the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and completing a degree in mechanical engineering in 1986.

A lifelong Jihadist that has been a part of every major Muslim militant conflict since the Soviet - Afghan war. In 1992, he fought with Muslim fighters in Bosnia and Herzegovina and supported this effort financially. He has dedicated his life to the Jihadi cause

A true international terrorist. He has spent time in America, the Philippines, Afghanistan, Bosnia, Pakistan, Indonesia Africa, etc.

He is said to be fluent in Arabic, English, Urdu and Baluchi. In the late 1980s he moved to Pakistan's north-western city of Peshawar, where he became acquainted with Bin Laden.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed had a plan for a "second wave" of attacks on major US landmarks after 9/11 attacks. Alleged targets included the Library Tower in Los Angeles, the Sears Tower in Chicago, the Plaza Bank building in Seattle and the Empire State Building in New York.

Mohammed takes responsibility for 30 operations, the transcript shows. Mohammed also said he is partially responsible for an assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II while he was visiting the Philippines

Captured March 1, 2003 in Pakistan

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If al Qaeda was described in terms of an NFL football team Osama bin Laden would be the iconic team owner, Dr. Ayman Muhammad Rabaie al-Zawahiri would be considered the general manager, and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed would be considered the legendary coach. He would direct his players on the field after creating playbooks in the off season.
Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in all reality was the most dangerous al Qaeda member before his capture in Pakistan in March 2003. He had like many higher level Al- Qaida operatives fought in the Soviet - Afghanistan Conflict, is a member of the The Muslim Brotherhood , and is drawn and committed to the ideology of a continued jihad against the United States and Western influence. According to CIA sources the main objection that he has with the United States is their backing of Israel within the Israeli - Palestinian Conflict. The reason that I say he was the most dangerous al Qaeda member was because oh his ability to make things happen. Bin Laden and al-Zawahiri relied on him to do the planning and carrying out of the major attacks that include being the architect of the September 11, 2001 911 attacks. Below is a list of terrorist attacks plotted or participated in by Sheikh Mohammed.

The Ramzi Yousef and Khalid Sheikh Mohammed connection:

Ramzi Yousef was more than likely the front man on the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Yousef is the nephew of Sheikh Mohammed who served as the financier and other logistical planning. They began planning the attack in 1991.

Confessions And Evidence After Arrest. Currently In U.S. Custody:

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he 1993 World Trade Center

Bombing occurred on February 26, 1993, when a car bomb was detonated below Tower One of the World Trade Center in New York City. The 1,500 lb urea nitrate-hydrogen gas enhanced device was intended to knock the North Tower (Tower One) into Tower Two, bringing both towers down and killing thousands of people. It failed to do so, but did kill six people and injured 1,042. This attack was planned by a group of conspirators including Ramzi Yousef, Mahmud Abouhalima, Mohammad Salameh, Nidal Ayyad and Ahmad Ajaj. They received financing from Khaled Shaikh Mohammed.

1995 Operation Bojinka.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed first achieved notice with the discovery of the plot to blow up US airliners over the Pacific in 1995 - known as Operation Bojinka. The plan was foiled when police found incriminating computer files during their investigation into a separate plot to assassinate the Pope. Sheikh Mohammed also confessed to the plotting of an assassination attempt on the pope.

911 World Trade Center Attacks.

Khalid Sheikh Mohammed was the mastermind behind the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in Washington using four hijacked commercial airliners. Nearly 3,000 people were killed. In late 1998 or early 1999, bin Laden gave approval for Mohammed to go forward with organizing the plot that was a twist on the earlier foiled Bojinka plot. Orignally targets were to be on both the West and East coasts in the United States but bin Laden apparently thought it was too much to pull off so they settled on the World Trade Center and Pentagon. THough Osama bin Laden assisted in selecting operatives, including Atta as the leader, Sheikh Mohammed provided operational support, such as selecting targets and helping arrange travel for the hijackers. In all reality it was Khalid Sheikh's baby. It was known to al Qaeda as "Holy Tuesday".

Richard Reid (The Shoe Bomber). December 2001.

Richard Reid was the shoe bomber terrorist that was apprehended before he could carry out his attempt to destroy a U.S. commercial airliner by planting plastic explosives in his shoes. according to a detainee of the War on Terror caught in 2003 in Oman, he said that Richard Reid and himself was financed and directed by Sheikh Mohmmed to carryout the attacks. Reid was a English born Muslim Convert that had turned to Islam during his time in prison. Reid was eventually subdued by other passengers on the airliner, using plastic handcuffs, seatbelt extensions, and headphone cords

Daniel Pearl Murder Feb 1, 2002.

Sheikh Mohammed confessed to killing Wall St. Journal reporter Daniel Pearl with his own hands. Pearl was in Pakistan trying to link together Richard Reid and al Qaeda in Pakistan. Richard Reid was the shoe bomber terrorist that was apprehended before he could carry out his attempt to blow up U.S. commercial airliners. Mohammed's admission about the Pearl decapitation had been removed from the tribunal's original transcript because the description of the slaying was so specific and graphic that authorities wanted to contact Pearl's family before releasing details, Pentagon officials said

Terror Cell In Kuwait October 2002 Attack.

On 8 October, Kandari and Hajiri opened fire on US marines on the Kuwaiti island of Failaka, 10 miles off the coast of Kuwait City. An exchange of fire ensued, resulting in the deaths of the cousins while one American died and the other was wounded. According to a confession from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed, he was involved in the planning of this attack.

October 2002 Bali Bombings.

The attack involved the detonation of three bombs. One bomb in a backpack-mounted device carried by a suicide bomber; a large car bomb, both of which were detonated in or near popular nightclubs in Kuta; and a third much smaller device detonated outside the United States consulate in Denpasar, causing only minor damage. Overall 202 people killed of which 164 were foreigners that come from around the world for the beaches and night life. Khalid Sheik Mohammed worked with members of Jemaah Islamiyah a terrorist group located in Indonesia.

The Destiny of A jihadist

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Along with his three year younger nephew Ramzi Yousef, Kahlid Sheikh Mohammed grew up in Kuwait. His parents were both Pakistani and he embraced the Muslim world and it's battle against Israel and the West at an early age. At the age of 16 Sheikh Mohammed became a member of The Muslim Brotherhood. A secret organization that's main goal is to create a world wide Muslim Caliphate.

He came to the United States to further his education in 1983 and attended Chowan College in Murfreesboro, NC. Oddly enough, Chowan is a small Baptist college. After a few years Sheikh Mohammad transferred to the North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University and completing a degree in mechanical engineering in 1986.

In 1987 Sheikh Mohammed left America and went to fight in the Afghanistan Jihad against the Soviet Union that was well on it's way since the early 1980's. This was were he, like other Islamic militants, grew as a jihadist and adopted this as his way of life.

In 1992 he traveled to Eastern Europe to fight with Muslim fighters in the Bosnia and Herzegovina conflict. Kahlid not only fought in this conflict but assisted with financing the Muslim Jihad there. After he left this conflict, KSM drifted from Asia and the Middle East. Eventually he arrived in Pakistan to hide out from U.S. pressure to arrest him. Osama bin Laden had arrived here in 1996 for the same reason. It was here that the two began to collaborate against American Interests.

For the next 6 years, Kahlid Sheikh Mohammed would go on a rampage of planning and plotting deadly attacks across the globe against Western Culture and policies. CIA and Pakistani Intelligence arrested him in March 2003 hiding in a safe house.

Special Reports

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New York Foiled Terrorist Attack : Najib Zazi Arrested

09/21/2009 :

In the past few days the FBI and other law enforcement authorities have been busy trying to prevent a terrorist attack on the U.S. Homeland. FBI agents believe an active terror cell directed by al Qaeda was preparing an attack on New York City, and authorities say they have yet to identify everyone involved. They believe there were three distinct teams of four men each, and not all of them are accounted for. Law enforcement agents say they're watching a number of people on round-the-clock surveillance who they suspect might have been part of the alleged terror cell that was to carry out the attack.

The first al Qaeda terrorist cell to be uncovered in the U.S. since 911 has federal law enforcement agents working overtime from Denver, New York, Afghanistan to Pakistan looking for information to ensure that the al Qaeda plot was disrupted and can no longer be carried out after the arrest of 3 men in New York. Police sources said there are still up to eight suspects in New York and several in Denver under watch in what Assistant Attorney General David Kris called "an ongoing and fast-paced investigation".

FBI arrest documents showed prime suspect Najibullah Zazi, 25, an Afghan, visited the city from Colorado on the 9/11 anniversary carrying a laptop with bomb-making notes he wrote. Specific attack plans or targets remain unknown, a Justice Department statement said. The case erupted last week when New York-based agents raided several Queens apartments that Zazi visited on the eve of the 9/11 anniversary after driving all night from Colorado. He flew back Sept. 12th. Najibullah Zazi is employed as an airport shuttle driver at the Denver airport. Zazi rented a car in Colorado and made a 1,600-mile trek across the heartland to New York. He was quoted that he wanted to experience the American countryside from a car. He also told reporters that he the reason he came to New York was to resolve an issue with a coffee cart he owned.

The FBI and NYPD grew alarmed that Zazi and his pals might be planning an imminent attack when they found backpacks and cell phones in an apartment. They also learned Afzali and other Zazi associates tried to rent a 26-foot U-Haul truck the day before Zazi got to Queens from Colorado. Zazi, who authorities say appears to be the ringleader of the alleged plot, has been tracked by the FBI and the CIA for more than a year, during which time he has traveled twice to Pakistan for explosives training from al Qaeda.

Zazi, a legal resident of the U.S. who immigrated in 1999, told the FBI that he must have unintentionally downloaded the notes on bomb-making as part of a religious book and that he deleted the book "after realizing that its contents discussed jihad."

Court records show Zazi ran up more than $50,000 in debt on 20 credit cards, leading to FBI agents concerns he was preparing for a suicide mission. He declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy in Mar. 2009, and while he told investigators he had been traveling to Pakistan see his wife, he checked the "not married" box on his application form. The FBI picked up on a message from Zazi to others that the "Wedding Cake is Ready" authorities believed it meant that attack is ready and were unwilling to wait any longer before acting on the cell. This is an amazing job by our law enforcement agencies working together to keep America safe..

Zazi has publicly denied being involved in a terror plot, and defense lawyer Arthur Folsom dismissed as "rumor" any notion that his client played a crucial role

In a criminal complaint, the FBI alleges they found nine handwritten pages on the manufacture and handling of explosives, detonators and the fusing system in Zazi's possession. "When Zazi was questioned about whether or not he knew anything about these written notes, and they were shown to him, he denied that knowledge," said NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly. Kelly said Mohammed Zazi was arrested "because he lied about the phone call that he made to his son when he was in New York."

Najibullah Zazi, a 24-year-old airport shuttle driver, and his father Mohammed made their first court appearance in a Denver federal courtroom today, handcuffed and dressed in the same clothes they were arrested in Saturday night. They are charged with lying to federal agents during an investigation into the alleged terror plot that has been described as "the real deal" by authorities. The government is not seeking to keep his father, but his travel will be restricted to Colorado and he'll wear an electronic monitoring bracelet. He will have to remain in custody for two days until the monitoring system is set up.

The third man arrested this weekend, Queens, NY resident Ahmed Afzali, appeared in a Brooklyn court today as well, but no plea was entered. Afzali is also charged with making false statements to federal agents. He is alleged to have falsely told authorities that he didn't tell the Zazis he had been asked by officials about them. Afzali's attorney Ron Kuby told ABC News that his client, a respected imam at a Queens, NY mosque who had worked as a source for law enforcement in the past, was doing what authorities asked him to do. According to Kuby, Afzali has been in the United States since 1981, when he came as a child with his family. He has relatives, including a first wife and children, who live in Virginia, and because of his activities as a Muslim community leader in Queens, he had occasionally been called upon by the Joint Terrorism Task Force to help in investigations.

Al Qaeda has long sought operatives with "clean" passports who can travel easily into the U.S., as Zazi did for years after visiting Pakistan. His most recent trip was in January, the FBI said. Zazi has repeatedly denied being a terrorist. The court documents confirm that he offered to admit to the feds that he visited Al Qaeda training camps. Najibullah Zazi is at the center of the investigation. New York City police and the FBI moved aggressively to investigate the Afghan immigrant last week before the men could take significant steps to launch such a plot, officials said. As a result, there is much that the U.S. government doesn't know about the men's intentions, or their possible connections to a wider network of militants here and overseas, especially in Pakistan, officials acknowledged.

Investigators have worried most about the possible use of backpack bombs on New York City trains, similar to attacks carried out in London and Madrid. "You can't make a definitive statement about how big this is because it's unclear how much more is going to come out," said a law enforcement official involved in the inquiry. Like others, the official spoke on condition of anonymity, citing the urgency and secrecy of the investigation and the search for more suspects. But the official added: "There is a lot more to come. This isn't over by any means." The senior official said the feds believe the plot is now "compromised" and would be "hard to bring forward." "We think we have a pretty good handle on the threat, but we'd know a lot more if Afzali hadn't tipped them in the beginning," another insider said

Back Ground Information

2009-10-12T17:06:00.001-07:00

Al Qaeda

Osama Bin Laden Ayman Al-Zawahiri Adam Yahiye Gadahn

Al-Qa’ida was established by Usama Bin Ladin in 1988 with Arabs who fought in Afghanistan against the Soviet Union. Mujahideen, Muslim fighters who fought the Soviets following their 1979 invasion of Afghanistan, were Al Qaeda's original primary membership base. Helped finance, recruit, transport, and train Sunni Islamic extremists for the Afghan resistance. Goal is to unite Muslims to fight the United States as a means of defeating Israel, overthrowing regimes it deems “non-Islamic,”, and expelling Westerners and non-Muslims from Muslim countries. Eventual goal would be establishment of a pan-Islamic caliphate throughout the world. Al Qaeda operated military training camps in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. The U.S. attack on Afghanistan and subsequent toppling of the Taliban regime eliminated this presence. Elements of Al Qaeda's leadership structure remained in Afghanistan and neighboring Pakistan following the American invasion in 2001. Al Qaeda issued a statement in February 1998 under the banner of “The World Islamic Front for Jihad Against the Jews and Crusaders” saying it was the duty of all Muslims to kill US citizens, civilian and military, and their allies everywhere. Merged with al-Jihad (Egyptian Islamic Jihad) in June 2001, renaming itself “Qa’idat al-Jihad.” Merged with Abu Mus’ab al-Zarqawi’s organization in Iraq in late 2004, with al-Zarqawi’s group changing its name to “Qa’idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn” (al-Qa’ida in the Land of the Two Rivers).

Leadership and Organization

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Al Qaeda's organizational structure has been compared to that of a Hydra, a many-headed serpent of Greek myth. If you try to kill the Hydra by chopping off a head you will not destroy it, since the remainder of the body remains intact and eventually the head grows back. Likewise, what makes Al Qaeda's structure so difficult to deal with, are small, autonomous cells whose exposure or destruction has little effect on the organization as a whole. The second difficult aspect of the organization of Al Qaeda is the fact that many small bands of non affiliated groups that seek acceptance of the main organization perform acts of terrorism around the world and swears their allegiance to Al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden. Al-Qa’ida’s organizational strength is difficult to determine in the aftermath of extensive counterterrorist efforts since 9/11. However, the group probably has several thousand extremists and associates worldwide inspired by the group’s ideology. The arrest and deaths of mid-level and senior al-Qa’ida operatives have disrupted some communication, financial, and facilitation nodes and interrupted.

Osama Bin Laden: Founder and Leader

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Osama Bin Laden is the man the US accuses of masterminding the 11 September suicide hijackings and other attacks on US interests. He founded al-Qaeda in 197-80, originally as a guesthouse in Peshawar for Arab fighters. Despite an extensive military operation in Afghanistan, it is still not known where he is or even if he is definitely still alive. Arab broadcasters regularly air recordings of speeches attributed to the fugitive al-Qaeda figurehead. A video released during the US presidential election in October 2004 showed him warning Americans of new attacks. Those who have met Bin Laden describe him as a mild-mannered man, who is generally polite and hospitable to strangers

Ayman al-Zawahiri: Spiritual Adviser and number 2 in hierarchy

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Egyptian in origin, Ayman al-Zawahiri is believed to serve as Bin Laden's spiritual adviser and doctor. He is also the architect of the al-Qaeda ideology. An eye surgeon who helped found the Egyptian Islamic Jihad militant group, is often referred to as Osama Bin Laden's right-hand man. In 1998, he was the second of five signatories to Bin Laden's notorious "fatwa" calling for attacks against US civilians.

Adam Yahiye Gadahn: The American Face Of Al Qaeda

2009-10-12T17:03:00.000-07:00

Also known as Adam Pearlman, Yayah, Azzam the American, Azzam Al-Amriki. Adam Gadahn was born Adam Pearlman in Orange County. His father, acclaimed ’60s underground psychedelic musician Phil Pearlman, was the one who chose the name Gadahn. Phil Pearlman founded the West Coast group Beat of the Earth, a band often compared by critics to their East Coast counterpart, the Velvet Underground. Appears to be becoming the new face of Al Qaeda. In recent news he has been in videos with Ayman al-Zawahiri. Bin Laden has been seen in videos as of late but not seen in a few years and only audio tapes had been released by the organization. This leads one to believe that Gadahn is becoming a bigger player and with his American connection could mean very troubling times to come. Al Qaeda appears to be using him as a role model for other Americans that may sympathize with the fate of Muslims affected by American foreign policy actions. His emergence could mean a serious attack in the US or on US interests to put even more spotlight on him and away from Bin Laden at some point. His rhetoric has included many fiery sermons of death and destruction to America unless we change our foreign policies.

Major al -Qaeda Terrorist Attacks

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02/1993 : Bombing of World Trade Center; 6 killed injuring at least 1,040 others. In 1995, militant Islamist Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman and 9 others were convicted of conspiracy charges, and in 1998, Ramzi Yousef, believed to have been the mastermind, was convicted of the bombing. Al-Qaeda involvement is suspected. In a1994 investigation of the WTC bombing revealed that it was only a small part of a massive attack plan that included hijacking a plane and crashing it into CIA headquarters.

10/1993 : Killing of U.S. soldiers in Somalia. Black Hawk Down incident

06/1996 : Truck bomb explodes outside Khobar Towers military complex in Saudi Arabia; 19 American servicemen killed, hundreds of others injured.

08/1998 : Bombing of 2 U.S. Embassies in East Africa; 224 killed including 12 Americans.

12/1999 : Plot to bomb millennium celebrations in Seattle foiled when customs agents arrest an Algerian smuggling explosives into the U.S. Other Algerians subsequently arrested were "Afghan alumni."

12/1999 : Jordan announces that Jordanian security forces arrested members of a cell planning attacks against Western tourists.

10/2000 : Bombing of the USS Cole in port in Yeman 17 U.S. sailors killed. On Oct. 12, 2000, 17 Americans died and 37 were wounded when suicide bombers attacked the U.S. Navy destroyer Cole, which was refueling in Aden, Yemen. The U.S. had numerous clashes with Yemeni authorities during the investigation of the terrorist act. After the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks on the U.S., however, Yemen increased its cooperation with the U.S. and assisted in antiterrorism measures. Ten suspects of the Cole bombing escaped from prison in April 2003; seven, including the two suspected masterminds of the attack, were recaptured in 2004. Two key al-Qaeda operatives involved in the Cole bombing were sentenced to death.

09/11/2001 : September 11, 2001 also better known as 911 al Qaeda used 4 hijacked planes to conduct the largest single terrorist attack on American soil. attack was destroyed the World Trade center towers, Damaged the Pentagon. A fourth plane was crashed near a wooded area in PA.

04/11/2002 : Explosion at ancient synogogue in Tunisia leaves 17 dead, including 11 German tourists.

05/2002 : Car explodes outside hotel in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 14, including 11 French citizens.

06/2002 : Bomb explodes outside American Consulate in Karachi, Pakistan, killing 12.

10/2002 : Nightclub bombings in Bali, Indonesia, kill 202, mostly Australian citizens.

10/2002 : Suicide attack on a hotel in Mombasa, Kenya, kills 16.

05/2003 : Suicide bombers kill 34, including 8 Americans, at housing compounds for Westerners in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

05/2003 : Four bombs kill 33 people, targeting Jewish, Spanish, and Belgian sites in Casablanca, Morocco.

08/2003 : Suicide car bomb kills 12, injures 150, at Marriott Hotel in Jakarta, Indonesia.

11/2003 : Explosions rock a Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, housing compound killing 17.

11/2003 : Suicide car bombers simultaneously attack two synagogues in Istanbul, Turkey, killing 25 and injuring hundreds. The following week a British bank in Istanbul is bombed

03/2004 : Ten terrorists bombs explode almost simultaneously during the morning rush hour in Madrid, Spain, killing 202 and injuring more than 1,400. A Moroccan affiliate of al-Qaeda claims responsibility.

5/29-31/2004 : Terrorists attack the offices of a Saudi oil company in Khobar, Saudi Arabia, then take foreign oil workers hostage in a nearby residential compound. After a stand-off, three of the four assailants escape, leaving 22 people dead, all but three of them foreigners.

6/11-19/2004 : Terrorists kidnap and execute Paul Johnson, Jr., an American, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Nearly a week after his capture, photos of his body are posted on an Islamist website. Saudi security forces find and kill four suspected terrorists, including the self-proclaimed military leader of al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, after they are seen dumping a body.

12/06/2004 : Militants, believed to be linked to Al-Qaeda, drive up to the U.S. consulate in Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, storm the gates, and kill 5 consulate employees, none of whom were American. Saudi security forces subdue the attackers, killing four

07/07/2005 : Bombs exploded on 3 trains and a bus in London, England, killing 52.

10/01/2005 : 22 killed by 3 suicide bombs in Bali, Indonesia.

11/09/2005 : 57 killed at 3 American hotels in Amman, Jordan.

01/09/2006 : Two suicide bombers carrying police badges blow themselves up near a celebration at the Police Academy in Baghdad, killing nearly 20 police officers. Al-Qaeda in Iraq takes responsibility.

08/10/2006 : Police arrest 24 British-born Muslims, most of whom have ties to Pakistan, who had allegedly plotted to blow up as many as 10 planes using liquid explosives. Officials say details of the plan were similar to other schemes devised by al-Qaeda.

04/11/2007 : Some 35 people are killed and hundreds are wounded when suicide bombers attack a government building in the capital, Algiers, and a police station on the outskirts of the capital. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb claims responsibility for the attack.

12/11/2007 : As many as 60 people are killed in two suicide attacks near United Nations offices and government buildings in Algiers, Algeria. The bombings occur within minutes of each other. Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, formerly called the Salafist Group for Preaching, claims responsibility. It's the worst attack in the Algeria in more than 10 years.

04/12/2007 : Eight people, including two Iraqi legislators, die when a suicide bomber strikes inside the Parliament building in Baghdad. An organization that includes al-Qaeda in Mesopotamia claims responsibility for the bold attack. In another attack, the Sarafiya Bridge that spans the Tigris River is destroyed.

Back Ground Information

2009-10-12T16:40:00.000-07:00

The Taliban movement is led by Mullah Mohammed Omar. Under his leadership is a mixture of former military commanders and religion scholars and teachers. He lost his eye in the Afghan-Soviet conflict.

The Taliban are a Sunni fundamentalist group that was created in large part from fighters from the Afghan - Soviet war and propagated by religion scholars. Formed in 1994, the Taliban began with only a few followers, mostly religious students who fought with the Mujahideen in the war against the Soviets and who were schooled in Islamic seminaries (madrasahs) in Pakistan. These students, or seekers, as they are referred to, wanted to rid Afghanistan of the instability, violence, and warlords that had been plaguing the country since the defeat and withdrawal of the Soviets in 1989.

The majority of the Taliban came from the ethnic Pushtun population along the eastern and southern Afghanistan border with Pakistan. The tie is strong to Pakistan as the Pushtuns are the second largest ethnic group in the Pakistan. In October1994, the Taliban took the strategic post of Spin Boldak on the Afghan-Pakistan border, allegedly with cover fire provided by Pakistani Frontier Corps . With that victory, the Taliban, who were supported by the local Pashtun population as well as Pakistani Interior Minister Nasrullah Babar, began to make a name for themselves, and also gained a significant amount of military supplies. Pakistan supported the Taliban, not just to restore order to Afghan roads, which would open the way for a possible Trans-Afghan gas pipeline (TAP), but because they also viewed the Taliban as a partner that they might have considerable influence over, and who might provide in Afghanistan, a strategic lever for Pakistan against India. The Taliban's extremely strict and anti-modern ideology has been described as an "innovative form of strict Sharia Law combining Pashtun tribal codes"

Terrorist Group or Religious Sect?

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The answer is questionably both. The Taliban has given safe haven to numerous terrorists and terrorists groups. Their protection of Osama bin Laden and other high level al Qaeda associates proved to be their downfall and end to their rule in Afghanistan. The Soviet war in Afghanistan made heroes out of the mujahideen fighters and those very training camps also produced the Taliban leadership. It is almost as if the Taliban is the religious sect of and the political party of al Qaeda. When you consider it is the Pushtun population that is along both sides of the Pakistan/Afghanistan border that has been the main supporters of the Taliban as well as al Qaeda, it is easy to see a strategic ethnic link. Pakistan supported the Taliban extensively and it was only the 911 attacks that created a dilemma for the Pakistani leadership.

Major Acts of Terrorism and Human Rights Violations

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In 1996 The majority of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban who was now in control of the country. In 1996 Osama bin Laden left Sudan for Afghanistan. On August 7, 1998, at 10:30 a.m. local time, two Embassies of the United States of America, located in the East African cities of Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, were attacked in coordinated truck bombings, later determined to have occurred approximately four minutes apart. In Nairobi, 213 people were killed in the blast, while 11 individuals died in the bombing at Dar es Salaam. On September 11, 2001 the 911 attacks occurred killing over 3,000. Al Qaeda affiliates were responsible. The Taliban supplied refuge and a base of operations for these activities to be planned and carried out. The Taliban fell for bin Laden's view of how to deal with the rest of the world that did not accept the Taliban as the legitimate government of Afghanistan. "Our prestige is spreading across the region because we have truly implemented Islam, and this makes the Americans and some neighbors very nervous," said Afghan Information Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. That is putting it lightly. As militants from around the world flock to it for sanctuary only increases its support for the wave of Talibanization it hopes to unleash on the region and beyond .

In light of the Taliban's role in harboring bin Laden, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates had renounced all diplomatic ties with Afghanistan's rulers in 2001. Only Pakistan maintained formal relations with the Taliban.

Around Kandahar, poppy fields stretched as far as the horizon. In Herat, the Taliban had set up model farms where farmers learn the best methods of heroin cultivation. The U.N. Drug Control Program reports that Afghanistan produced 4,600 metric tons of opium in 1999-twice as much as in the previous year.

1999, Iran almost went to war against the Taliban after its militia killed eight Iranian diplomats and a journalist after capturing a predominantly Shiite town. There are unconfirmed reports of mass arrests and executions (numbering in the thousands) of Shiites, especially of the Hazara ethnic group.

In March 2001, the Taliban ordered the demolition of two statues of Buddha carved into cliffs at Bamiyan that was built in the 6th century A.D.. The act shocked the world community that viewed the Buddhas as an incredible accomplishment of an earlier civilization. Mullah Mohammed Omar ordered the destruction in a decree to end idol worship

The Taliban enforcement of their brand of Islam produced public executions, allegations of human rights violations like massacres and torture, and a place where women are forced to beg because they are prevented from working.

The Taliban don't want women to work as doctors, but they also don't want male physicians to see women and there are few female doctors left in the country. The country now has one of the highest infant and maternal mortality rates in the world.

CNN interviewed people in villages, who accuse the Taliban -- mostly ethnic Pashtuns -- of killing unarmed civilians belonging to different ethnic groups. Three young girls said they saw their mother killed in front of them.

Teaching Christianity is punishable by death under Taliban rule.

The Rooting out of the Taliban in Afghanistan

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A barbaric execution by the Taliban of a Shiite Muslim in Herat, Afghanistan.

The Taliban has proven to be a resilient foe in the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. They were deemed beaten and contained in the early years after the coalition forces along with the new Afghanistan government troops united to root the group that gave refuge to Osama bin Laden out of Afghanistan. The Terrorist harboring religious cult appeared to be dismantled and lost their unforgiving grip over the country that they once ruled. The groups leaders and members retreated to the outlaw regions along the Afghanistan and Pakistan Mountainous border and licked their wounds as they regrouped. The U.S. and other coalition members began to draw down their resources in the country and shifted their focus to the Iraq War. This decision had created a split in the coalition as many countries that contributed military personnel to the Afghanistan effort began to question the direction that the War on Terror had gone. This time of confusion and diplomacy disagreement created an opportunity for the Taliban that has come back to haunt the region and the coalition. It gave the group time. Time to regroup. Time to wait out the redeployment to Iraq. The Taliban began taking over the outlining villages and regions and imposing their rule on the population. The reemergence of the Taliban has began to inflict more casualties on coalition forces and suicide bombings are hurting civilian populations. This type of rebirth of the mujahideen fighters is eerily beginning to resemble the counter attack they waged against the Soviets after they took over Kabul.

Hassan Nasrallah

2009-10-12T16:31:00.000-07:00

Hassan Nasrallah

Hizbullah chief during 2006 televised speech at the end of the conflict ‘Lebanese are standing strong, and it is clear the enemy has not achieved any military objectives’; adds: When in any Arab-Israeli conflict were two million Israelis forced to flee or enter bomb shelters

Hassan Nasrallah was born in East Beirut's Bourj Hammoud neighborhood in 1960. Although his family was not particularly religious, Nasrallah was interested in religious studies In 1975, the civil war in Lebanon forced the family to move to their ancestral home in Bassouriyeh,where Hassan Nasrallah completed his secondary education at the public school of Sour(Tyre). Here he joined the Amal Movement a militia representing Shiites in Lebanon. In 1982, at the start of the First Lebanon War, Nasrallah quit Amal and joined the Revolutionary Guards. He was appointed commander of the troops in Bekaa. The Revolutionary Guards encouraged the Lebanese Shiites to develop a new framework called Hizbullah . Nasrallah became the leader of Hizballah after Israel assassinated the movement’s leader Abbas al-Musawi in 1992. He has focused heavily on developing Hizballah's military capabilities. Hezbollah's military campaigns of the late 1990s were believed to be one of the main factors that led to the Israeli decision to withdraw from Southern Lebanon in 2000, thus ending 18 years of occupation.

Under his leadership, the organization unleashed a wave of deadly terror attacks against Jewish and Israeli targets throughout the world, which climaxed with the attacks on the Israeli embassy in Buenos Aires in March 1992, which killed 22, and on the city’s Jewish Community Center in July 1994, which killed 80. Despite Israeli efforts, Hizbullah managed to successfully conduct guerilla attacks in the Israeli security zone, leading to a steady flow of Israeli casualties. Hizbullah filmed their operations against the IDF , the tapes were distributed worldwide to attract support as well as to work on the psyche of the Israeli public.

Back Ground Information

2009-10-12T16:29:00.000-07:00

Formed in 1982 in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon, this Lebanon-based radical Shia group takes its ideological inspiration from the Iranian revolution and the teachings of the late Ayatollah Khomeini. The Majlis al-Shura, or Consultative Council, is the group’s highestgoverning body and is led by Secretary General Hasan Nasrallah. Hizballah is dedicated to liberating Jerusalem and eliminating Israel, and has formally advocated ultimate establishment of Islamic rule in Lebanon. Nonetheless, Hizballah has actively participated in Lebanon’s political system since 1992. Hizballah is closely allied with, and often directed by, Iran but has the capability and willingness to act independently. Though Hizballah does not share the Syrian regime’s secular orientation, the group has been a strong ally in helping Syria advance its political objectives in the region.

Hizballah operates in the southern suburbs of Beirut, the Beka’a Valley, and southern Lebanon. Has established cells in Europe, Africa, South America, North America, and Asia. Hizballah also provides guidance and financial and operational support for Palestinian extremist groups engaged in terrorist operations in Israel and the occupied territories. In 2004, Hizballah launched an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that left Lebanese airspace and flew over the Israeli town of Nahariya before crashing into Lebanese territorial waters. Ten days prior to the event, the Hizballah Secretary General said Hizballah would come up with new measures to counter Israeli Air Force violations of Lebanese airspace.

In February 1985 Sheik Ibrahim al-Almin publicly declared the group's manifesto. According to "The Hizballah Program" the principles of its ideology comprise:

To expel Americans, the French and their allies definitely from Lebanon, putting an end to any colonialist entity on our land.

To submit the phalanges to a just power and bring them all to justice for the crimes they have perpetrated against Muslims and Christians.

To permit all the sons of our people to determine their future and to choose in all the liberty the form of government they desire. We call upon all of them to pick the option of Islamic government which alone is capable of guaranteeing justice and liberty for all. Only an Islamic regime can stop any future tentative attempts of imperialistic infiltration onto our country.

It also includes complete destruction of the state of Israel

It is reported in late 2007 and early 2008 that Hizballah has replenished and increased it's military potential. In Lebanon they have continued to disrupt the political arena and at times it appears that the country is split among who has the real power over the people or is Hizballah a welcome militant group to the Lebanese government. During the 2006 war with Israel Hizballah acted unmolested by the government as the organization launched rockets into Israel. It appears only a matter of time once again before the group plans a new war against Israel.

The 2006 War

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It may not be considered a war on a major scale however the war between Hizballah and Israeli Defense Personnel changed the way the the world looked at this militant / political party. Israel destroyed Lebanons infrastructure in the South and Beirut was hit very hard. In the end though, Israel did not accomplish it's true main objective which was to rout and break Hizballah while rescuing two missing Israeli soldiers. It proved once again that it is difficult for a convetional army to operate against very mobile Militias. Precision bombing by Israel was not enough to destroy Hizballah. Militias, especially one as organized and thought out as Hizballah, put conventional militaries at a disadvantage. The main disadvantage is that they blend with the public at large and use religious and populated buildings for protection. Unless the conventional military is willing to risk extremely negative world reaction to large number of civilian casualties or to risk high numbers of casualties of their own by using ground troops to go house to house to root out the militants, this style of fighting will continue to give militants an unfair advantage.

July 12, 2006 members of Hizballah crossed the Lebanese-Israeli border near Shtula, an Israeli farming village, and ambushed two Israeli Army Hummvees. Hizballah captured two Israeli soldiers and murdered three others. Five more Israeli soldiers were killed in the ensuing pursuit of Hizballah members into Lebanese territory. The capture of two soldiers and the deaths of 8 others enraged the Israeli public. Hizballah began firing katyusha rockets into Northern Israel and continued throughout the war. The rocket attacks went further into Israel than any rockets in the past. Hizballah claimed that the rockets could reach farther if needed to Tel Aviv.

The ambush, ensuing casualties and kidnapped soldiers resulted in immediate retaliation by the Israeli military, which responded by bombing roads, bridges, and power plants inside Lebanon. The specific targeting of al-Manar, the Hizballah controlled television station, and the Lebanese international airport as well as the blockading of Lebanon’s sea ports in an attempt to force the release of the captured Israeli troops. These retaliatory actions by Israel resulted in the deaths of dozens of Lebanese civilians. During the Lebanese-Israeli conflict of 2006, Hezbollah fired 3,970 rockets into Northern Israel in the course of a month, killing 43 Israeli civilians

Leadership and Organization

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Led by Secretary General Hasan Nasrallah. Hizballah. Receives financial, training, weapons, explosives, political, diplomatic, and organizational aid from Iran, and diplomatic, political, and logistical support from Syria. Hizballah also receives funding from charitable donations and business interests. Several thousand supporters and a few hundred terrorist operatives. Even though Hizballah is closely allied with, and often directed by, Iran the organization has the capability and willingness to act independently. Closely allied with, and often directed by Iran, it may have conducted operations that were not approved by Tehran. Though Hizballah does not share the Syrian regime’s secular orientation, the group has been a strong ally in helping Syria advance its political objectives in the region. Hezbollah has a military branch known as Al-Muqawama al-Islamiyya ("The Islamic Resistance") and is the possible sponsor of a number of lesser-known militant groups, some of which may be little more than fronts for Hezbollah itself, including the Organization of the Oppressed, the Revolutionary Justice Organization, the Organization of Right Against Wrong, and Followers of the Prophet Muhammad. Nasrallah has since stated that Hizballah has completely recovered from this war and still has 20,000 unused rockets available. In late 2004, Hizballah’s al-Manar television station, based in Beirut with an estimated ten million viewers worldwide, was prohibited from broadcasting in France. Al-Manar was placed on the Terrorist Exclusion List (TEL) in the United States, which led to its removal from the program offerings of its main cable service provider, and made it more difficult for al-Manar associates and affiliates to operate in the United States. It's content and programming tries to instill qualities that lead to support Hizballah principles and the development as well as the recruitment of suicide bomber candidates.

Major Acts of Terrorism

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Known or suspected to have been involved in numerous anti-US and anti-Israeli terrorist attacks, including the suicide truck bombings of the US Embassy killing 63 people and US Marine barracks in Beirut in 1983 killing 241 military personnel and the US Embassy annex in Beirut in 1984

Three members of Hizballah, ‘Imad Mughniyah, Hasan Izz-al-Din, and Ali Atwa, are on the FBI’s list of 22 Most Wanted Terrorists for the 1985 hijacking of TWA Flight 847 during which a US Navy diver was murdered.

Elements of the group were responsible for the kidnapping and detention of Americans and other Westerners in Lebanon in the 1980s. Hizballah also attacked the Israeli Embassy in Argentina in 1992 and the Israeli cultural center in Buenos Aires in 1994.

In 2000, Hizballah operatives captured three Israeli soldiers in the Shab’a Farms and kidnapped an Israeli noncombatant.

Hizballah also provides guidance and financial and operational support for Palestinian extremist groups engaged in terrorist operations in Israel and the occupied territorie

In March 2004, Hizballah and HAMAS signed an agreement to increase joint efforts to perpetrate attacks against Israel.

April 12, 1984 —Hizballah bombed a restaurant near a U.S. Air Force base in Torrejon, Spain, killing 18 servicemen and wounding 83 people

December 1984 Hizballah terrorists hijacked a Kuwaiti Airlines plane and murdered American passengers Charles Hegna and William Stanford.

Responsible for the 1994 bombings of a Jewish cultural center in Argentina, in which eighty-five people were killed and more than 200 others injured

There has been many more attacks attributed to Hizballah but the described events above provide an example.

Al Shabaab: AKA Al Qaeda in Somalia, "The Youth"

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Al Shabaab

On May 1, 2008 a U.S. air strike hit it's target in Somalia. It was Aden Hashi Ayro, who led al Shabaab militants that have been blamed for attacks on government troops and their Ethiopian allies that have assisted the Somali government in the past fight against the Islamist militant group. The death is being taken very hard by members who promise to carry on their fight with a new leader that is chosen. Somalia-based al Qaeda operatives were suspected of carrying out two suicide attacks in Kenya that killed 224 people at the U.S. embassy in 1998 and 15 at an Israeli-owned beach hotel in 2002. The embassy attacks led President Bill Clinton to the final decision to bomb al Qaeda training camps in Sudan and Afghanistan where militants like Ayro later trained and gained expertise in Islamic warfare under al Qaeda central leadership. President Bush has ordered strikes in the region in the past few years that have targeted personnel as well as other military targets inside Somalia. The State department has long believed that Somalia, especially the Mogadishu area, is a breeding ground for Islamic terrorist fighters. On February 29, 2008, Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice designated al-Shabaab (aka al-Shabab, aka Shabaab, aka the Youth, aka Mujahidin al-Shabaab Movement, aka Mujahideen Youth Movement, aka Mujahidin Youth Movement, aka MYM, aka Harakat Shabab al-Mujahidin, aka Hizbul Shabaab, aka Hisb’ul Shabaab, aka al-Shabaab al-Islamiya, aka Youth Wing, aka al Shabaab al-Islaam, aka al-Shabaab al-Jihaad, aka the Unity of Islamic Youth) as a Foreign Terrorist Organization under Section 219 of the Immigration and Nationality Act

Sheikh Muktar Robow, an al-Shabaab leader, apparently welcomes State’s designation as he stated to the BBC:

“Al-Shabab feels honoured to be included on the list. We are good Muslims and the Americans are infidels. We are on the right path,” he said.

Who is Al Shabaab?

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Al-Shabaab is a violent and brutal extremist group with a number of individuals affiliated with al-Qaida. Many of its senior leaders are believed to have trained and fought with al-Qaida in Afghanistan. Al Shabaab is the armed wing of the Somalia Islamic Courts Council that took over most of southern Somalia for six months in 2006, until government troops backed by Ethiopian forces routed it in a two-week war.

Al-Shabaab has used intimidation and violence to undermine the Somali government and threatened civil society activists working to bring about peace through political dialogue and reconciliation. The group scattered leaflets on the streets of Mogadishu warning participants in last year’s reconciliation conference that they intended to bomb the conference venue. Al-Shabaab promised to shoot anyone planning to attend the conference and to blow up delegates’ cars and hotels. Although al-Shabaab did not carry out these particular threats, the group has claimed responsibility for shooting Deputy District Administrators, as well as several bombings and shootings in Mogadishu targeting Ethiopian troops and Somali government officials. Al-Shabaab’s leader, Aden Hashi Ayrow, has ordered his fighters to attack African Union (AU) troops based in Mogadishu. Ayrow has also called for foreign fighters to join al-Shabaab in their fight in Somalia. Given the threat that al-Shabaab poses, the designation will raise awareness of al-Shabaab’s activities and help undercut the group’s ability to threaten targets in and destabilize the Horn of Africa region.

Leadership of Al Shabaab

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The leader of al Shabaab until early this morning was Aden Hashi Ayro (Aden Hashi Farah "Eyrow" (also spelled Ayrow ). He was a member of the Ayr subclan in Somailia. He joined the Islamic Court in the mid 1990's. He would attend training camps in Afghanistan and was trained in explosives and insurgency tactics that would assist the Islamic Courts Union after his return to Somalia in 2003. Al Shabaab was initially set up to protect leaders and group members of the Somali Islamic Courts and to carry our assassinations of foreign targets. Ayro was hand picked to go to Afghanistan by Sheikh Hassan Dahir Aweys. Aweys was the leader of the Shura Islamic Courts Union of Somalia. This group aim is to create am Islamic state in Somalia that is ruled by Islamic sharia law. Aweys is believed to be part of the group that carried out the bombings of the two U.S. bombings in 1998. The group has looted villages and towns leaving a path of destruction in it's wake since it began offensive operations. It is thought that Ayro sent hundreds of his Islamic fighters to Lebanon to fight against Israel in 2006. This group has a blend of Al-Itihaad al-Islamiya members that are associated closely with al Qaeda. This fact concludes that a new leader will be named quickly with a revenge attack to follow as a show of force.

The Movement For The Emancipation of The Niger Delta MEND

2009-10-12T16:09:00.000-07:00

Nigerian Militant Group Declares War Against Oil Companies

If you think the average American is fed up with greedy oil companies draining all the loose change out of their jars just to keep the family car on the road you will be shocked at how The Movement For The Emancipation Of The Niger Delta terrorist organization is dealing with what they see is an exploitation by big oil of the people and resources of the Niger Delta along central Africa's Western Coastline.

Nigeria is Africa's largest and most complex country, with a population of 120 million people from over 250 tribes. The vast, swampy terrain of the Niger Delta region supports almost 20 million people, many of them in isolated communities only accessible by boat. The Niger Delta serves as the economic nerve center of the Nigeria Federation with its vast oil deposits. Presently, crude oil accounts for about 85% of the nation's revenue. Oil from the Niger Delta accounts for 20% of oil supply to the US, and has become increasingly important from a strategic perspective as conflicts continue in the Middle East.

This blessing has become a curse for the people of the Niger Delta. They have suffered environmental devastation, economic poverty, and constant conflict. To make matters even worse, political considerations and greed on the part of a corrupt government partnered with some of the biggest names in oil have kept many of the revenue from these vast reserves from returning to the Niger Delta to help protect and restore the damage don to the region

For the last fifty years since Nigeria declared independence from British colonial rule, oil has been produced in the country. Throughout this period corporate politics has worked with successive dictatorships. Under these dictatorships Nigeria has enacted laws that gave up oil resources and placed these under the control of international oil companies, such as Chevron, and most notably, Shell. The Movement For The Emancipation of the Niger Delta, known as MEND, is fighting for the complete control of the Oil wealth attributed to the Niger Delta's abundance of the black gold that is creating tensions around the globe as fear grows that future supplies are dwindling. MEND feels that locals in the region have been forced to live in poverty without being provided the simplest of necessities as big oil companies supported by a series of dictators have destroyed their environment and shifted the money to other parts of Nigeria and around the globe. Everyone is benefiting from the resource except for the people of the Niger Delta.

From the point of view of MEND, and its supporters, the people of the Niger Delta have suffered an unprecedented degradation of their environment due to unchecked pollution produced by the oil industry. As a result of this policy of dispossessing people from their lands in favor of foreign oil interests, within a single generation, many now have no ability to fish or farm. Their environment is being overran and ruined. When oil production activities are intensified or activated in a very dedicated manner, riverbank erosion results, gas flares occur frequently, forests are cut down, rivers and streams are dredged, turned into canals or blocked and then polluted. Farms and sacred lands are not spared either; they may be acquired for oil and gas development or polluted, as production gets under way. Anything that is seen to obstruct or have the semblance of serving as obstruction to the free flow of oil is uprooted and destroyed, whether it is a human being, a community or a stream

Nigeria is one of the world's biggest oil exporters and yet most Delta residents live in poverty.
While Mend and the other militant groups claim to be standing up for Delta residents, other locals feel they are just oil thieves. The region is home to a huge industry of stealing oil and selling it on the black market.
This trade is believed to fund the purchase of weapons.

In a January 2006 email MEND warned the oil industry, "It must be clear that the Nigerian government cannot protect your workers or assets. Leave our land while you can or die in it.... Our aim is to totally destroy the capacity of the Nigerian government to export oil

Mend is at war with it's government and the victim is often the oil companies operating in the country. The group says it will not quit until all foreign companies leave the Delta and no longer deal with the Nigerian government

The September 2008 MEND Attacks:

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September 19, 2008 Nigeria's main militant group, the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, says it attacked a fifth oil facility in the strife-torn Niger southern Niger Delta. The region has been wracked by five days of stepped-up raids on oil installations since rebels declared an oil war last weekend.

September 17, 2008 Nigerian militants threatened on Wednesday to broaden their "oil war" to offshore oilfields and announced attacks on a crude oil pipeline in the Niger Delta and another Shell-operated facility. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND), responsible for attacks that have cut a fifth of OPEC member Nigeria's oil output, said it would launch attacks outside Rivers state for the first time since clashes began on Saturday The heaviest fighting between militants and security forces in more than two years has spread to about 10 villages in Rivers state, home to oil city Port Harcourt. Some private security sources estimate dozens have died.

September 16, 2008 The most prominent armed group in southern Nigeria said early Wednesday it has destroyed the Orubiri flow station operated by the Shell Petroleum Development Company in Rivers state. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) said it carried out the attack in cooperation with another armed group, the Niger Delta Volunteer Force (NDVF). "About 2200 (2100 GMT) on Tuesday, September 16, 2008, fighters from MEND and the NDVF in a new alliance attacked and destroyed the Orubiri flow station," MEND said in an email to the media. There was no immediate comment from Shell, but since MEND first evoked a possible war on the oil industry on Saturday there have already been two attacks on Shell facilities and two "shooting incidents" at facilities operated by US oil giant Chevron.

September 14, 2008 The main militant group in Nigeria's oil-rich southern region, has vowed massive retaliation for Saturday's offensive on its positions by the army. Gilbert da Costa has more in this report from Abuja. The Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta, is warning oil companies to pull workers out in the next 24 hours or face what it called "a hurricane of retaliation.

The group has threatened to extend its raids to the other major oil states, Bayelsa and Delta and also to attack the country's two big deep offshore fields, Shell's Bonga and Chevron's Agbami.

In June MEND staged an attack on Bonga, a field which had until then been thought safely out of the reach of militant attacks. Since it first emerged in early 2006 MEND, which says it is fighting for a larger share of southern Nigeria's oil revenue to go to local people, has cut Nigeria's oil production by more than one quarter.

Swarm-based maneuvers: Guerrillas are using speed boats in the Niger Delta's swamps to quickly attack targets in succession. Multiple, highly maneuverable units have kept the government and Shell's defensive systems off-balance defending the sprawling network. Radically improved firepower and combat training: allowing guerrillas to overpower a combination of Shell's Western-trained private military guards and elite Nigerian units in several engagements. (One of Shell's private military operators was captured as a hostage.) Effective use of system disruption: Targets have been systematically and accurately selected to completely shut down production and delay and/or halt repairs, and the guerrillas are making effective use of Shell's hostages to coerce both the government and the company.

Movement For The Emancipation Of The Niger Delta Terrorist Attacks

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May 10, 2006, an executive with the United States-based oil company, Baker Hughes, was shot and killed in the south-eastern city of Port Harcourt.

June 2, 2006 a Norwegian rig offshore Nigeria was attacked and 16 crew members were kidnapped. According to the news agency Reuters, MEND has not taken responsibility for this attack.

August 20, 2006, 10 MEND members were killed by the Nigerian military. The members were working on releasing a Royal Dutch Shell hostage. In an email to REUTERS, MEND stated, "Our response to Sunday's killings will come at our time, but for certain it will not go unpunished."

October 2, 2006, 10 Nigerian soldiers were killed off the shore of the Niger Delta in their patrol boat by a MEND mortar shell. Earlier that day a Nigerian/Royal Dutch Shell convoy was attacked in the Port Harcourt region resulting in some people being wounded.

October 3, 2006, a militant group abducted four Scots, a Malaysian, an Indonesian and a Romanian from a bar in Akwa Ibom state.

October 4, 2006, Nigerian soldiers attacked a militant camp, in the ensuing battle 9 Nigerian soldiers were killed.

November 22, 2006, Nigerian soldiers attempted a rescue of kidnapped oil workers which resulted in one soldier being killed.

May 1, 2007, MEND seized six expatriate workers from an offshore oil facility owned by Chevron. The group of six consisted of four Italians, an American and a Croat. On the same day, MEND published photos of the captives seated on white plastic chairs in a wooden shelter around the remains of a campfire.

May 3, 2007, MEND seized eight foreign hostages from another offshore vessel. The hostages were released less than 24 hours later, stating they had intended to destroy the vessel and did not want more hostages

May 8, 2007, three major oil pipelines (one in Brass and two in the Akasa area) were attacked, shutting down oil production and cutting power to a facility run by Italian oil company Agip, part of the ENI energy group. An e-mail statement from a MEND spokesperson said, "Fighters of the Movement for the Emancipation of the Niger Delta (MEND) attacked and destroyed three major pipelines in Bayelsa state... We will continue indefinitely with attacks on all pipelines, platforms and support vessels."

September 23, 2007, a MEND spokesperson named Jomo Gbomo informed, through a letter, that MEND had officially declared war, effective 12 midnight, September 23, 2007, and that they would be commencing "attacks on installations and abduction of expatriates."

November 13, 2007, MEND militants attacked Cameroonian soldiers on the disputed Bakassi peninsula killing more than 20 soldiers.

May 3, 2008, MEND militants attacked Shell-operated pipelines in Nigeria, forcing the company to halt 170,000 barrels a day of exports of Bonny Light crude.

June 20, 2008, MEND naval forces attacked the Shell-operated Bonga oil platform, shutting down 10% of Nigeria's oil production in one fell swoop. The oil platform, Shell's flagship project in the area capable of extracting a massive 200,000 barrels of oil a day, was widely assumed to be outside the reach of the militants due to its location 120km off-shore. This attack has demonstrated a level of prowess and sophistication never before seen by the rebels and it is now known that all of Nigeria's oil platforms are within range of MEND attack.

Back Ground Information

2009-10-12T15:57:00.000-07:00

Abu Nidal

The ANO international terrorist organization was founded by Sabri al-Banna (a.k.a. Abu Nidal) after splitting from the PLO in 1974. The group’s previous known structure consisted of various functional committees, including political, military, and financial. In November 2002 Abu Nidal died in Baghdad; the new leadership of the organization remains unclear

Nidal was born Sabri al-Banna in 1937 in British-ruled Palestine. His family fled to the West Bank during the 1948 Arab-Israeli War, when he was eleven. In the 1950s he joined the Arab nationalist Ba'ath Party, whose motto is "Unity, Freedom, Socialism." In 1967 he joined the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), and for awhile he represented the Yasser Arafat-led Fatah faction, first in Sudan and later in Iraq

In 1974 Nidal became enraged by the PLO's moderate stance toward Israel. The PLO had begun land-for-peace negotiations with Israel, negotiating the creation of a national authority in the West Bank and Gaza Strip as an interim step toward eventual Palestinian statehood. Nidal rejected the very notion of Israel's right to exist, candidly endorsed that nation's swift and complete destruction by any means necessary, preferably "armed struggle." He was not interested in negotiating in any matter with the Jewish State that stole his homeland. There was only one way out for Israel in his mind. Total destruction

This major philosophical difference with the PLO prompted Nidal in 1974 to form the Fatah Revolutionary Council, a.k.a. the Abu Nidal Organization. Nidal's first orders were to launch a series of attacks against the PLO. From its inception, Abu Nidal Organization not only had anger toward the PLO, but also moderate Arab regimes in Jordan, Egypt, and the other Persian Gulf states. Nidal felt that the PLO and these moderate Middle East countries had let the Palestinian people down by allowing the state of Israel to occupy his home land. Even though a series of wars were fought on behalf of the Palestinians, Nidal felt it should have been a relentless effort. Nidal's early targets were Palestinians whose political views were at odds with the Nidal Organization. A form of house cleaning in the Palestinian community. In 1974 the PLO condemned Nidal and sentenced him to death in absentia

From 1974 until the 1980s, the Abu Nidal Organization was based in Baghdad. In 1983 Iraqi President Saddam Hussein expelled the Abu Nidal organization in an attempt to gain favor from the United States in a deal that would have the U.S. give support and assistance for Iraq in its war with Iran. After Abu Nidal's expulsion from Iraq the organization moved it operations to Syria, where it attempted to sabotage peace negotiations involving Jordan, Israel, and the PLO. Under U.S. pressure, Syria expelled Nidal in 1987, at which point the organization once again moved this time to Libya. In 1988, when the Iran-Iraq War ended, Iraq resumed its support of the Abu Nidal Organization. In 1999, Libya, seeking to rid itself of international sanctions as a state sponsor of terrorism, closed down all ANO offices within its borders, as did Egypt. Ultimately, Abu Nidal ended up under Saddam Hussein's protection in Iraq for a second time. This is where he died in 2002, supposedly by suicide. There is speculation, however, that he was killed on orders of Saddam Hussein. This could have been an attempt by Hussein to get some pressure off of him during the early years of the War on Terror. The reason of this possibility is due to the fact that soldiers were sent to his home to arrest him and they reported that he was found dead when they arrived. Two anonymous Palestinian officials would only say Abu Nidal died under "mysterious conditions." Other Palestinian sources confirmed his death, but said there was more than one bullet wound. Suicide in majority of cases only requires one bullet wound. He was 65 years old

Leadership and Organization

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Since 2002 when Abu Nidal died in Baghdad; the new leadership of the organization remains unclear.

Major Acts of Terrorism

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The Abu Nidal Organization became one of the most violent Palestinian groups in the world, conducting terror attacks in more than twenty countries, killing almost 900 people in precise orchestrated attacks. The group has demonstrated the ability to operate over a wide area, including the Middle East, Asia, and Europe. However, financial problems and internal disorganization have greatly reduced the group’s activities and its ability to maintain cohesive terrorist capability.

Under the name "Black September," Nidal and a group of accomplices were responsible for the infamous "Munich massacre during the September 1972 Olympic games in Germany, when they kidnapped and murdered eleven Israeli athletes and officials as well as a German police officer.

On December 27, 1985 Abu Nidal orchestrated shootings in Rome and Vienna airports. In Rome, four of Nidal's gunmen walked up to the ticket booth of Israel's El Al Airlines and opened fire with assault rifles and grenades, killing 16 and wounding 80. Just minutes later in Vienna, three of Nidal's terrorists killed 4 and wounded 39.

Nidal made at least two unsuccessful attempts to assassinate Yassir Arafat. In the process the group did manage to kill a number of Arafat's close confidants including the 1991 murder of Arafat's closest aide in Tunisia and other "moderate" Palestinians.

On September 6, 1986 the Abu Nidal terror organization killed 22 and wound six inside the Neve Shalom Synagogue in Istanbul, Turkey during Shabbat services.

September 5, 1986 - Hijacking of Pan Am flight #73 in Karachi, Pakistan. Twenty people killed, more than 100 injured. This was an extremely brutal attack . A group of 4 of Nidal's Organization used airport security uniforms and a van to storm the plane with assault rifles, grenades and plastic explosives. After seizing control of the aircraft, one of the Hijackers ordered the flight attendants to collect passports from passengers. The flight attendants complied, but risking their own lives, they declined to collect some of the United States passports and hid others passports from the hijackers. After the passports had been collected, The hijackers walked through the cabin, asking passengers about their nationalities. When one hijacker arrived at the seat of Rajesh Kumar, a 29-year-old recently naturalized Californian resident, The hijacker ordered Kumar to go to the front doorway of the aircraft and to get down on his knees with his hands behind his head. At about 10:00 a.m., the lead hijacker became angry about the delay in the arrival of a new flight crew and he threatened to shoot Kumar if something was not done within 15 minutes. Shortly thereafter he shot Kumar in the head and pushed him out the door onto the tarmac below. As night time arrived the planes lights malfunctioned and in apparent darkness the hijackers opened fire and hefted grenades killing 20 and injuring over a hundred, Many escaped when the firing started by pushing a door open.

Seyed Salahuddin

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Seyed Salahuddin: Leader of Hizbul Mujahideen as well as the United Jehad Council

"Lots of things have changed after the attacks on America. We have seen the fall of the Taliban regime in Afghanistan. We have witnessed the way Saddam Hussein's rule in Iraq ended. But the relationship between Pakistan and the mujahideen is of a different nature. Ours is an indigenous movement, not a terrorist movement. It is a struggle for freedom. Pakistan has always extended [the Kashmir struggle] its moral and diplomatic support, and will continue to do so. But it has never helped us cross the LoC which we do not consider a border - Kashmir is our territory, our land. With the blessings of Allah, the mujahideen are self-sufficient. We know how to make explosives. This is evident in the recent increasing attacks against Indian security forces in Kashmir" Salahuddin in June 2003 interview.

Back Ground Information: Terrorists or Freedom Fighters?

2009-10-12T15:48:00.000-07:00

Hizb-ul-Mujahideen (HM) is one of the largest terrorist groups operating in Jammu and Kashmir and seeks for the territories to become part of Pakistan as well as the islamization of Kashmir. Formed in 1989 in Kashmir with Master Ahsan Dar as its leader. Dar was later arrested by security forces in mid-December 1993. It was organized as the militant wing of the Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI) in large part due to the influence of the Inter Services Intelligence (ISI), Pakistan’s external intelligence agency. The purpose of this militant wing was to counter the Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front, which sought complete independence of the State.

In 1990 the Hizb-ul-Mujahideen adopted their charter that appointed Mohammed Yusuf Shah, better known as Syed Salahuddin, as it's leader. He left the democratic political system in 1989 when polls according to him were rigged by the Indian government to stop the election of an opposition party to power. Hizbul Mujahideen is headquartered at Muzaffarabad in Pakistan occupied Kashmir. Hibul Mujahideen is closely linked to the Jamaat-e-Islami, both in the Kashmir Valley and in Pakistan. Overseas, it is allegedly backed by Ghulam Nabi Fai's Kashmir American Council and Ayub Thakur's World Kashmir Freedom Movement in the USA. Early in its history, the Hizbul Mujahideen had established contacts with Afghan Mujahideen groups such as Hizb-e-Islami, under which some of its cadre is alleged to have received arms training. Seyed Salahuddin as well as Pakistan denounce that they have been labeled as a terrorist organization by India, the European Union and the United States. They contest that they are freedom fighters for the Kashmir cause that is centered around Muslims being under Muslim rule and not any other religion. Separation of state and church in this part of the world is non-negotiable.

Leadership and Organization

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Hizb-ul-Mujahideen , as mentioned earlier is led by Syed Salahuddin. Estimated strength of membership is at least 1500 militants. Ghazi Nasiruddin is the commander of operations' in the Kashmir. He succeeded Saif-ul-Islam who was killed in a major counter-insurgency operation on April 2, 2003. Saleem Hashmi is the spokesperson of the organization. Hizbul Mujahideen is organized into five divisions: central division for Srinagar, northern division for Kupwara-Bandipora-Baramulla, southern division for Anantnag and Pulwama districts, Chenab division for Doda district and Gool in the Udhampur district, and Pir Panjal Division for the Rajouri and Poonch districts. Hizbul Mujahideen is reported to have a close association with the Pakistani Inter Services Intelligence and the United Jehad Council, and other terrorist organizations operating out of Pakistan and other overseas supporters. Hizbul's chief, Syed Salahuddin, is also the head of the United Jehad Council

Major Acts of Terrorism

2009-10-12T15:45:00.000-07:00

The Hizbul Mujahideen has conducted a number of operations against Indian military targets in Jammu and Kashmir. The group also occasionally strikes at civilian targets in Jammu and Kashmir but has not engaged in terrorist acts elsewhere. It appears that this organization has a very narrow agenda that only uses it's resources for the total control of Kashmir. Foreign mujahideen fighters have also enlisted in this cause as they have in Islamic confrontations elsewhere around the globe.

Kashmir refers to a larger area that includes the Indian administered regions of Kashmir valley, Jammu and Ladakh, the Pakistani administered regions Northern Areas and Azad Kashmir, and the Chinese administered region of Aksai Chin.

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin

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Sheikh Ahmed Yasin

Hamas regards the territory of the present-day State of Israel — as well as the Gaza Strip and the West Bank — as an inalienable Islamic religious bequest, which can never be surrendered to non -Muslims. It asserts that Jihad to regain control of the land from Israel is the religious duty of every Muslim (fard `ain). Hamas does not recognize Israel as a sovereign state, unlike the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), which has recognized it since 1988, and calls it the "Zionist Entity". Iran has been a very big supporter of Hamas and Iran's president Mahmoud Ahamadinejad has used this struggle to unite Muslims from the region against Israel. He has in numerous statements reiterated the ideology based on the Hamas charter including "wiping Israel off the face of the Earth".

Back Ground Information

2009-10-12T15:38:00.000-07:00

Hamas, the terror group turn political party, was created in 1987 by Sheikh Ahmed Yassin.. HAMAS was formed in late 1987 as an outgrowth of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Various HAMAS elements have used both violent and political means, including terrorism, to pursue the goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel. It is loosely structured, with some elements working clandestinely and others operating openly through mosques and social service institutions to recruit members, raise money, organize activities, and distribute propaganda. HAMAS’ strength is concentrated in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. The Hamas and Muslim Brotherhood continues to share good interrelationships. Hamas has been in a violent confrontation since the organizations inception against Israeli forces that have resulted in the death of many Palestinians that have unfortunately been caught in the crossfire. Many upper echelon members of Hamas organization have been the target of Israeli air strikes

HAMAS currently limits its terrorist operations to Israeli military and civilian targets in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Israel. In recent years more and more kidnappings are starting to take place. Two of the group’s most senior leaders in the Gaza Strip, Shaykh Ahmad Yasin and Abd al Aziz al Rantisi, were killed in Israeli air strikes in 2004.
The Intifada, the Palestinian public resistance that started the same year that Hamas was founded was central in making Hamas one of the most important and feared groups in Palestine. Hamas has never been willing to compromise or negotiate with Israel. Their central ideology is based on the idea that no party has the power to give up any Palestinian land. Jihad is the only solution to their struggle with Israel. HAMAS has not yet directly targeted US interests, although the group makes little or no effort to avoid targets frequented by foreigners. HAMAS continues to confine its attacks to Israelis inside Israel and the occupied territories.

Hamas' Charter calls for complete destruction of Israel and it will be replaced by a Palestinian Islamic State in what is now Israel. Hamas has further gained popularity by establishing extensive welfare programs, funding schools, orphanages, and healthcare clinics, throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip. The common Palestinian supports the ideology and actions of Hamas. Since the elections Palestinians have lost faith in the ruling Fatah party claiming corruption and are beginning to support Hamas more and more in elecrtions.

Leadership and Organization

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The group retains a cadre of senior leaders spread throughout the Gaza Strip, Syria, Lebanon, Iran, and the Gulf States. Small groups act independently at times for their own purpose. This fact makes it difficult for a peace process to evolve. Receives funding from Iran but primarily relies on donations from Palestinian expatriates around the world and private benefactors in Saudi Arabia and other Arab states. Some fundraising and propaganda activity take place in Western Europe and North America.

Major Acts of Terrorism.

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Hamas has become known for their special branch of jihad called "Allotment of the Power of Religion" These dedicated suicide bombers believe that death in the name of God is the greatest sacrifice that a Muslim can offer. Targets of these attacks have included Israelis and moderate Palestinians including the members of the PLO.

The organization's first mass attack was a car bomb that blew up at a bus stop in Afula in April 1994, murdering 8 and wounding 51.

22 people killed and 56 wounded in a suicide bombing attack on the No. 5 bus on
Dizengoff St. in Tel Aviv, Oct. 1994

26 killed by suicide bomber on a #18 bus near the Jerusalem Central Bus Station, Feb. 1996

16 killed in the Mahane Yehuda open market in Jerusalem in a double suicide attack, July 1997

March 4, 2001 - A suicide bomber detonated a case laden with explosives on
the main street of Netanya. Three Israelis were killed and 53 injured

June 1, 2001 - Dolphinarium in Tel Aviv, 21 killed - mostly new-immigrant teenagers from the former Soviet Union. A suicide bomber detonated himself at the entrance to the
"Dolphinarium" club in Tel Aviv.

Aug. 9, 2001 - Sbarro's Pizzeria in Jerusalem, 15 killed, including the parents and three children of the Schijveschuurder family

Sept. 9, 2001 - A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device strapped to
his body at the Nahariya train station. An Israeli civilian and two soldiers
were killed and 46 were wounded.

Dec. 2, 2001 - Haifa bus explosion. Suicide bomber detonated an explosive device concealed
under a coat on a bus near Yad L'banim in Haifa. Fifteen civilians were
killed and 35 wounded.

45 murdered within the space of five days in March 2002: a suicide Hamas terrorist blew himself up in a Haifa restaurant, killing 15, and another one did the same in the Park Hotel in in Netanya during a Passover Seder, murdering some 30 and wounding 144.

May 7, 2002 - Rishon Letzion hall, 16 killed. Suicide bomber detonated an explosive belt and an additional
explosive device in a bag, at a club in.

June 18, 2002 - #32 bus from Gilo, Jerusalem, 19 killed. A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden bag on a bus traveling along Dov-Yosef Street in Jerusalem.

March 5, 2003 - #37 bus in Haifa, 15 dead

May 18, 2003 - A suicide bomber detonated an explosive device strapped to
his body at the entrance to a mall in Netanya. Five Israeli civilians were
killed, and 86 were wounded.

June 11, 2003 - #14 bus, Jerusalem, 17 murdered

23 dead and 115 wounded when a Hamas suicide bomber blew himself up on a No. 2 bus line coming from the Western Wall in Jerusalem, August 2003

Jan. 29, 2004 - A suicide bomber detonated a bag laden with explosives on a
No. 19 bus line on Aza Street in Jerusalem. Ten Israelis and one foreigner
were killed and 44 were injured.

Hamas leader Sheikh Ahmed Yassin was killed in an Israeli missile attack in March 2004, and less than a month later, the same fate befell his successor, Abdel Aziz Rantisi. There has been hundreds of terrorists attacks plotted by members of Hamas. It is impossible to list them all here.. At least 557 people have been killed in the attacks.

Yasir Arafat

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Arafat is given credit for creating the Al-Aqsa to provide a show of force to Israel's attacks on Palestinians.

Palestinians see it as a grass-root, popular movement, unlike the Palestinian Authority, which is constructed of officials that were in exile until the signing of the Oslo accords in 1993. The true relationship this group shared with Yasir Arafat today remains ambiguous, largely due to conflicting statements from various leaders from within Al-Aqsa

Allowing the al-Aqsa brigade to operate, in an attempt to make life difficult for the Israeli army, Mr Arafat may have made both a crucial military and political miscalculation. Israeli responses to attacks by the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and other Palestinian militant groups were the heavy attacks against the Palestinian Authority during 2002, which saw much of the authority's infrastructure fall into shambles and chaos.

Back Ground Information

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The al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade consists of an unknown number of small cells of terrorists associated with former Palestinian leader Yasir Arafat’s al-Fatah faction and have been one of the driving forces behind the latest Palestinian intifada (uprising). While the group initially vowed to target only Israeli soldiers and settlers in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, in early 2002 it began a spree of terrorist attacks against civilians in Israeli cities. In March 2002, after a deadly al-Aqsa Brigades suicide bombing in Jerusalem the United states added them to their list of terrorist entities. Al-Aqsa emerged at the outset of the 2000 Palestinian intifadah to attack Israeli targets with the aim of driving the Israeli military and settlers from the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem, and to establish a Palestinian state. Al-Aqsa operates in Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza Strip, and has only claimed attacks inside these three areas. It may have followers in Palestinian refugee camps in southern Lebanon. In the last year, numerous public accusations suggest Iran and Hizballah are providing support to al-Aqsa elements, but the extent of external influence on al-Aqsa as a whole is not clear. Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade is not a Muslim extremist group. The al-Aqsa Brigades commit the same suicide bombings widely associated with Muslim fundamentalist groups such as Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but the group’s ideology is rooted in Palestinian nationalism, not political Islam. In early 2002, the al-Aqsa Brigades’ attacks killed more Israelis than those of Hamas.

The al-Aqsa are paired by Fatah organization with a larger propaganda group connected to it consisting of young, radical Fatah-Tanzim activists. The Tanzims have gained much support from the Palestinian public.

Leadership and Organization

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Broken up into local divisions spread throughout Palestinian cities. Each cell has it's own leadership with various degrees of connection to Fatah Organization. In remarks in the past various leaders in the cells have contradicted the degree of control over them by Fatah. Many leaders have been killed since 2002 through clashes and attacks by Israeli defense forces

Major Acts of Terrorism

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The al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade has organized some of the most gruesome terrorist attacks in Israel, most notably during the escalation of violence in 2001 and 2002. During that period, the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade increased the level of its cooperation with other terrorist organizations like Hamas and Islamic Jihad. Al-Aqsa has carried out shootings and suicide operations against Israeli civilians and military personnel in Israel and the Palestinian territories, rocket and mortar attacks against Israel and Israeli settlements from the Gaza Strip, and the killing of Palestinians suspected of collaborating with Israel. Al-Aqsa has killed a number of US citizens, the majority of them dual US-Israeli citizens, in its attacks. In January 2002, al-Aqsa was the first Palestinian terrorist group to use a female suicide bomber.

Al-Aqsa Terrorist sprayed fire from an M-16 at a bat mitzvah celebration in Hadera, killing six people and wounding dozens more (Jan. 17, 2002)

An al-Aqsa sniper killed 10 soldiers and civilians at a checkpoint in a two-day string of Palestinian attacks that killed 21 Israelis (Mar. 3-4, 2002

Al-Aqsa gunfire and grenade attack on cars and pedestrians that killed an infant girl and a 27-year-old man, and injured about 50 people, several seriously, in the coastal city of Netanya (Mar.9, 2002)

Al-Aqsa killing of nine people, at least three of them children, in a bomb blast in Jerusalem, timed to catch people after Sabbath services (Mar. 2, 2002).

On April 2, 2002 Israel made public an invoice that was found among documents taken by Israeli troops in Arafat's Ramallah compound. The invoice, titled "Financial Report" and dated September 16, 2001, appears to be a bill to the Palestinian Authority from the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigade. It requests from Arafat's government payment for electrical and chemical components for 30 bombs: "We need about 5-9 bombs a week for our cells in various areas." The payment was approved.

Al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigade Links on the Web:

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Israel The State of Israel was established 60 years ago on May 15, 1948. For 60 Years the World has lived with the Arab - Israeli Conflict. A look into the history of the conflict Hamas HAMAS was formed in late 1987 as an outgrowth of the Palestinian branch of the Muslim Brotherhood. Various HAMAS elements have used both violent and political means, including terrorism, to pursue the goal of establishing an Islamic Palestinian state in Israel.

Mullah Krekar

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An interview with the leader of Ansar al-Islam. He has been given refuge from arrest by Norway.

Krekar allegedly was a link between al Qaeda and Saddam Hussein's regime. The association with Saddam was based out of necessity: Saddam knew that between his horrific attacks in Kurdistan and the U.S. protective role in that area, he could not reestablish the Baath party there. Saddam allowed Saudi-financed organizations to introduce Wahhabism into Kurdistan. Krekar arrived on the scene around 1989. He also brought new atrocities onto the kurds of Iraq that shocked the rest of Islamic world with strict and extreme number of Sharia law based beheadings and murders of non Wahhabi Kurdish leaders. Given name is Najumuddin Faraj Ahmad. He is believed by many to be a Saudi posing as a Kurd. He trained in Afghanistan with Osama bin Laden and has described bin Laden as the "jewel in the crown of Islam." The most interesting fact about Mullah Krekar is that today he runs his affairs from Norway, where he has been a political refugee since 1991. On December 4, the Washington Post ran a piece about Krekar. The report acknowledged that Krekar has "frequently slipped back into . . . northern Iraq to lead an armed separatist movement called Ansar al-Islam, which has carried out attacks on civilians and U.S. troops."

Back Ground Information

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Ansar al-Islam (AI) is a radical Islamist group of Iraqi Kurds and Arabs who have vowed to establish an independent Islamic state in Iraq. The group was formed in September 2001. In the fall of 2003, a statement was issued calling all jihadists in Iraq to unite under the name Ansar al- Sunnah (AS). Since that time, it is likely that AI has posted all claims of attack under the name Ansar al-Sunnah. AI is closely allied with al-Qa’ida and Abu Mus‘ab al- Zarqawi’s group, Tanzim Qa’idat al-Jihad fi Bilad al-Rafidayn (QJBR) in Iraq. Some members of Ansar al-IslamI trained in al-Qa’ida camps in Afghanistan, and the group provided safe haven to al-Qa’ida fighters before Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF). Since Operation Iraqi Freedom, Ansar al-Islam has become one of the leading groups engaged in anti-Coalition attacks in Iraq and has developed a robust propaganda campaign to attract new members and combatants. Ansar al-Islam was established in December 2001 after a merger between Jund al-Islam, led by Abu Abdallah al-Shafi'i and the Islamic Movement splinter group led by Mullah Krekar. Both leaders are believed to have served in Afghanistan. The group is based in Biyarah and surrounding areas near the border with Iran. Though the group was dated officially to December 2001 by the US government, the group – Ansar al-Islam – emerged just days before the Sept. 11 attacks on the US. It delivered a fatwa, or manifesto, to the citizens in mountain villages against "the blasphemous secularist, political, social, and cultural" society there, according to Kurdish party leaders. Reports ealry on before the US and Coalition invasion of Iraq had Ansar al- Islam with ties to Saddam Hussein's regime.

Ansar al-Islam is considered a very conservative branch of Islam. Their beliefs are comparable to that of the Taliban in Afghanistan. In their early days of inception Ansar al-Islam fortified a number of villages along the Iranian border, with Iranian artillery support. The local villagers were subjected to harsh sharia laws; musical instruments were destroyed and singing was forbidden. The only school for girls in the area was destroyed, and all pictures of women removed from merchandise labels. Sufi shrines were desecrated and members of the Kakkai (a non-Muslim Kurdish religious group) were forced to convert to Islam, flee or die. Local authorities claim that the group seeks to expand the area under its control by undermining the local administration, with the ultimate goal of imposing rule under Islamic law over all of the northern part of the country. The group restricted non-Islamic worship, imposed severe restrictions on public behavior, and administered all civil affairs under an extreme interpretation of Islamic laws.

Leadership and Organization

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About 700- 1000 members in central and northern Iraq. The group receives funding, training, equipment, and combat support from al-Qaida and other international jihadist backers. Ansar al-Islam has an extensive network in Europe organizing finance and support for armed attacks within Iraq. Several members of such groups have been arrested in European countries such as Germany, Sweden, and Norway. It is reported that in late 2003 that Abu Abdallah al-Shafi'i (a.k.a. Warba Holiri al-Kurdi) had taken over the leadership of Ansar al Islam from Mullah Krekar, who as of June 2004 was still under house arrest in Norway. Al-Shafi'i also claimed that the name of the organization had changed from Ansar al Islam to an undisclosed name.

Major Acts of Terrorism

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Ansar al-Islam recent activities include: razing of beauty salons, burning a schools for girls, and murdered women in the streets for refusing to wear the burqa. It is also responsible for ambushing and killing of 42 Kurdish soldiers. Ansar al-Islam is in a state of war with the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK). It was responsible for the assassination in 2001 of a senior official of the Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP), Franso Hariri, and for the attempted killing of Burhan Salih, head of the PUK-led Iraqi Kurdistan regional government. However, Ansar al-Islam is not in armed confrontation with the KDP.

AI continues to conduct attacks against Coalition forces, Iraqi Government officials and security forces, and ethnic Iraqi groups and political parties. AI members have been implicated in assassinations and assassination attempts against Patriotic Union of Kurdistan (PUK) officials and Coalition forces, and also work closely with both al- Qa’ida operatives and associates in QJBR. AI has also claimed responsibility for many high profile attacks, including the simultaneous suicide bombings of the PUK and Kurdistan Democratic Party (KDP) party offices in Ibril on February 1, 2004, and the bombing of the US military dining facility in Mosul on December 21, 2004.

Back Ground Information

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Abdurajak Abubakar Janjalani:

Original Leader killed in a clash with Philippine police in 1998.He was an associate of Ramzi Yousef (93 WTC attack)Afterwards his younger brother Khadafi took the realm.

Abu Sayyaf, are al Qaeda-linked Muslim extremists fighting for an independent Islamic state in the southern Philippines. The Abu Sayyaf Group is primarily a small, violent Muslim terrorist group operating in the southern Philippines. Some Abu Sayyaf leaders fought in Afghanistan during the Soviet war and are students and proponents of radical Islamic teachings. After Abdurajak Janjalani returned to the Philippines from studies in Saudi Arabia and Libya he was determined to fulfill the Muslim ideal of an Islamic state. The group split from the much larger Moro National Liberation Front in the early 1990s under the leadership of Abdurajak Janjalani, who was killed in a clash with Philippine police in December 1998. His younger brother, Khadaffy Janjalani, replaced him as the nominal leader of the group.

Deadly bombings across Southeast Asia have created a climate of fear and mistrust in the region, prompting Western governments to warn about the dangers of traveling there. Intelligence agencies say Muslim separatist groups such as Jemaah Islamiyah in Indonesia and Abu Sayyaf in the Philippines have answered the call to jihad, or Holy War, and embarked on a series of attacks targeting Western and commercial interests in the region. For almost 30 years ( mid 1970's) various groups have been engaged in an insurgency for an Islamic state, independent of the predominantly Christian Philippines.

The Abu Sayyaf Group engages in kidnappings for ransom, bombings, beheadings, assassinations, and extortion. The group’s stated goal is to promote an independent Islamic state in western Mindanao and the Sulu Archipelago (areas in the southern Philippines heavily populated by Muslims).

Leadership and Organization

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Jainal Antel Sali, Jr took leadership of Abu Sayyaf after Khadafi's Janjalani's death late last year. Sali was killed on Jan. 16, 2007 in a skirmish with Philippine Airborne Special Forces. Since his death it is unclear who is leading Abu Sayyaf. Abu Sayyaf is estimated to have a core membership of 200 with an extended membership of over 2000. The group's low numbers indicate a probable lack of support among the local population. This is not one of the larger extremist groups but it has a lethal and very active past. The Philippine and US forces have shattered their network. It is a model of success in the War on Terror. Isnilon Totoni Hapilon is the lone senior leadership that remains alive. he is being sought by the FBI.

Major Acts of Terrorism

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The group’s first large-scale action was a raid on the town of Ipil in Mindanao in April 1995

May 2001 Abu Sayyaf kidnapped twenty people, including three Americans, at a Philippine resort and demanded ransom payments. Abu Sayyaf guerillas armed with M-16s and rocket launchers beached their high-speed boats on Sipadan, Malaysia's renowned dive resort island, and abducted the 21.Abu Sayyaf beheaded one of the American captives and held the other two Americans—a Christian missionary couple—hostage on Basilan Island in the southern Philippines. The Abu Sayyaf has demanded the release of various Muslim terrorists including Ramzi Yousef, who was convicted of masterminding the bombing the World Trade Center in 1993. In June 2002, U.S.-trained Philippine commandos tried to rescue the couple and a Filipino nurse being held with them. Two of the hostages were killed in the shootout, and one, the American missionary Gracia Burnham, was freed

In August 2002, Abu Sayyaf kidnapped six Filipino Jehovah’s Witnesses and beheaded two of them.

Philippine authorities say that the ASG had a role in the bombing near a Philippine military base in Zamboanga in October 2002 that killed a U.S. service member.

In February 2004, Khadaffy Janjalani’s faction bombed Super Ferry 14 in Manila Bay killing approximately 132. On that day, the ferry was sailing out of Manilla, with about 900 passengers and crew. A television set filled with 8 lbs of TNT explosives had been placed on board. 90 minutes out of port, the bomb exploded. Many on board were killed immediately.

February 14, 2005, three bombings kill 12 people and injure more than 100. The bombs go off in Davao, General Santos, and Makati and are all claimed by the Abu Sayyaf group.