AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff
TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - February 23, 2003
SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, February 23, 2003
TEXT:
1. World
2. Africa
3. Americas
4. Asia Pacific
5. Europe
6. Middle East
7. South Asia
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
9. Finance
10 Human Rights
11. Law and Legal Issues
12. Narco-terrorism
13. Transportation
14. Weapons of Mass Destruction
15. Recently Published
FEATURE ARTICLE:
Terrorism Statistics: Lies, Damned Lies and Definitions?
2. Africa
The annual Franco-African summit was held with representatives from 52 countries in attendance. Regional conflict overshadowed the meeting, as President Laurent Gbagbo of Ivory Coast stayed back to help maintain a fragile peace agreement, and the presence of Robert Mugabe provided another cloud when he was allowed to attend despite sanctions against him. The meeting discussed elimination of agricultural subsidies in the developed world as an important means to help African economies and also discussed opposition to war in Iraq.
Algerian nationalist leader, Benyoussef Ben Khedda, who negotiated independence, has died in Algiers.
In Burundi, rebels of the Forces for the Defense of Democracy (FDD) have suspended peace talks with the government, saying that President Pierre Buyoya has not adequately implemented ceasefires.
Congo Brazzaville has confirmed an outbreak of Ebola that has now claimed at least 64 lives. Emergency workers from the World Health Organization are operating in the area near Gabon where the outbreak has occurred.
In the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), leaders of the rebel Movement for the Liberation of Congo (MLC) are trying 19 of their officers. They are accused of murder, torture and rape, but not cannibalism. The government of DRC says that MLC has no jurisdiction under which to hold a trial and will take the case against MLC, including cannibalism charges, to the International Criminal Court.
Another DRC rebel group, the Union of Congolese patriots (UPC) has been accused of blocking peace efforts in the northeast Ituri region.
Ivory Coast shows no signs of stabilizing. Economic destruction and simmering ethnic conflicts are fueling a continued political impasse. President Laurent Gbagbo has been urged to implement the peace agreement.
Namibia's President Sam Nujoma will not stand for a fourth term.
Nigeria's oil strike was called off after six days following an agreement between the government and the union.
The controversial move of Somali peace talks to Nairobi is described by BBC News in "Wild pigs threaten Somali peace talks" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/africa/2776855.stm and "Anger over Somali talks move" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2784409.stm
Tunisia has arrested 20 men for reading banned web sites.
In Zimbabwe, President Robert Mugabe was allowed to travel to Paris but he was greeted coldly by others, particularly French President Jacques Chirac, and had to hide from protesters who attempted to perform citizen's arrests against his human rights records. Back at home, an audit revealed that associates of Mugabe had seized farms meant for poor blacks.
3. Americas
Brazil is featured in an Economist survey "Make or break" published February 22.
Colombian rebels of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) have kidnapped three Americans after their aircraft crashed while on an intelligence mission. This could represent a major change in tactics and an escalation of rebel efforts, as this latest kidnapping and subsequent attacks against Colombian police, show the strength of their position. US President Bush has authorized exceeding Congressional limits on the number of military personnel in Colombia, adding some 150 special troops to assist in the kidnapping investigation. In the latest move, the FARC has demanded cessation of Colombian military operations against them in exchange for the three hostages.
In the US, news this week was dominated by homeland security. As the country remains as "Orange: High Risk of Terrorist Attacks" the Department of Homeland Security (http://www.dhs.gov) has launched a press campaign with the theme "Don't be Afraid, Be Ready -- One Individual, One Family, One Community At A Time". This campaign, immediately notorious for its duct tape and plastic sheeting advice, was launched with a flurry of advertising and a new web site, http://www.ready.gov. The reaction to these actions has led to a constructive discussion regarding communication of threats and, in particular, the ability for local communities to determine responses appropriate to local threats.
The DHS will also participate in a new initiative announced by President Bush, namely the co-location of the FBI's Counterterrorism Division, the Director of Central Intelligence's Counterterrorist Center, in a new Terrorist Threat Integration Center that will:
"Make full use of all of our terrorist threat information, expertise, and capabilities to conduct threat analysis and inform collection strategies, though TTIC will not conduct collection operations.
Create a structure to institutionalize sharing across agency lines of all terrorist threat intelligence, whether collected overseas or inside the United States in order to form the most comprehensive possible threat picture.
Provide comprehensive terrorist threat assessments to our national leadership."
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2003/02/20030214-1.html
Venezuelan's government and the opposition have signed a peace statement, while a key organizer of the protests; Carlos Fernandez is arrested on treason and civil rebellion charges.
4. Asia Pacific
The director of the Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), Dennis Richardson, has warned that a war with Iraq, particularly if not backed by the UN, could influence the timing of a new wave of al Qaeda attacks. http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/02/17/1045330540114.html
Opposition advisor of the FUNCINPEC, Om Radsady, has been assassinated. This is the 11th murder possibly in connection with elections scheduled for July.
Indonesian police announced the final death toll of the Bali bombing as 202. The previous estimate had been 194, but others had since died from their injuries. This announcement coincided with the presentation of a 1,500-page dossier against Imam Samudra, suspected of masterminding the attack.
Philippine forces will be joined by up to 3,000 US troops to eliminate the Abu Sayyaf, a militant group operating in the southern island of Jolo. An Abu Sayyaf commander, Mujib Susukan, was shot and died of his wounds during two days of fighting between the government and the rebels that killed 15. The group, designated as a terrorist organization by the US State Department, has engaged in kidnappings, extortion and assassination, but its roughly 250 members are generally felt to have deteriorated to a criminal gang.
Also in the southern Philippines, two bomb attacks and an armed raid have killed at least 16 people. The Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has denied involvement.
Thailand's drug crackdown has left 600 dead since February 1. There are accusations by the Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra that more than 700 government officials are involved in the drug trade. And accusations by Amnesty International regarding government complicity in the extra-judicial killings.
Tajikistan has welcomed news of a new de-mining project being undertaken by the European Security Organization. They will remove thousands of mines and unexploded ordnance along the borders with Afghanistan and Uzbekistan.
Turkmenistan celebrated the 63rd birthday of President-for-Life Saparmurat Niyazov while a joint release by Amnesty International, Human Rights Watch, International Helsinki Federation, International League for Human Rights and Memorial Human Rights Center called for the introduction of the rule of law.
5. Europe
In Prague, capital of the Czech Republic, Nigeria's consul, Michael Lekara Wayid, has been shot dead at the Nigerian embassy. A Czech man has been detained and it is believed he may have acted because he was the victim of a fraudulent financial scheme.
Norway has ordered the expulsion of Mullah Krekar, leader of the militant Islamic group Ansar al Islam. He was given three weeks in which to appeal the ruling.
Spanish police arrested ten executives and shut down the only Basque-language newspaper for alleged links to the separatist group ETA. Tens of thousands gathered to protest the closure as an attack on the Basque language. The paper has now appeared under a new name and with the headline "Shut but not silenced" http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/.europe/2788307.stm
Turkey has found itself in a unique negotiating position with the US. They are nearing an agreement to allow US troops to use Turkish bases in case of a war with Iraq in exchange for billions of dollars in aid. Parliament is likely to vote on the proposal that also includes agreements on political and military demands, next week.
In the UK, the Hazmod emergency planning internet system has been postponed indefinitely after serious technical problems were found.
The Ulster Defence Association (UDA) has announced it will end paramilitary activities for the next 12 months while it undertakes a restructuring. They surrendered 18 pipe bombs but have said this was not decommissioning and that their position remained they would only surrender weapons when republicans also did so.
February 17 marked the 25th anniversary of the La Mon Hotel bombing by the IRA that killed 12.
Continuity IRA has admitted responsibility for a bombing on February 18; there were no injuries.
Scotland is absorbing the presence of 20 friends of UDA loyalist Johnny Adair. They had fled Northern Ireland and taken refuge in Scotland.
6. Middle East
A planned Arab League emergency summit on Iraq has been put on hold when they could not even agree on a date. The Arab League's deep divisions aren't surprising since the membership includes the US allies Bahrain, Qatar and Kuwait as well as Iraq itself.
Concern over potential war in Iraq has not distracted attention from the escalating conflict in Israel and the occupied territories. Israel lifted a travel ban to allow Palestinian talks in London that focused on developing a road map to peace. While these talks were underway, the UN and the Middle East "Quartet" expressed their very serious concern at the escalation of violence over the last several weeks and called for an immediate ceasefire.
The Al-Arabiya news channel has begun broadcasting from United Arab Emirates, the first competition for Al-Jazeera.
Egypt is the subject of a new Human Rights Watch report: "Charged with Being Children: Egyptian Police Abuse of Children in Need of Protection". http://www.hrw.org/reports/2003/egypt0203/
In the occupied Gaza Strip, Israeli defense forces retaliated against a bombing last Saturday that destroyed an Israeli tank and the four soldiers inside. Six Hamas militants were killed in an explosion that occurred as they were adapting a model aircraft to carry explosives for attacks on Israelis. An overnight incursion by the Israeli army destroyed a home, killed two, and injured several others. The next day senior Hamas leader Riyad Abu Zayd was shot dead after Israeli forces ambushed his car. In further raids, intense gun battles as at least 30 tanks entered Gaza, left 11 dead and 25 wounded. Palestinian police with Yasser Arafat have increased efforts to stop Hamas rocket attacks, with minimal success. In the latest attacks, Hamas claimed to have fired five missiles, causing 3 injuries.
Iran hosted an IAEA review of Iran's nuclear facilities to validate they will be used for peaceful purposes and meet safety standards. Meanwhile, Guy Dinmore and Najmeh Bozorgmehr ask, "As the US prepares for war in Iraq, Iran steps up its nuclear programme. Will it become the next North Korea?" in an article published in the Financial Times of February 19 where they review the regional impact.
Israeli intelligence has arrested twelve, including soldiers, accused of collaborating with Hizbollah in exchange for drugs.
Famed captor of Adolf Eichmann and Israeli intelligence leader of the 1950s and 1960s, Isser Harel, has died.
In northern Lebanon, Syrian troops began a planned withdrawal of some 4,000 soldiers. They had first entered the country in 1976 during the civil war.
Saudi Arabia has announced that 90 Saudis will stand trial for alleged membership in al Qaeda. A further 250 suspects were being questions and 150 had been released. Saud ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Rashid had been the subject of a US Federal Bureau of Investigation worldwide alert for his arrest. Saudi authorities investigated the case has have released him after finding no evidence that he was associated with al Qaeda, the September 11 attacks, or any other terrorist action. Meanwhile, in evidence of rising regional tensions, a British defense worker was shot dead when a man, Saud bin Ali bin Nasser, drove up beside him.
In the occupied West Bank, three Palestinians were killed in a firefight with Israeli soldiers as they attempted to arrest Taisir Khaled of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and others. Residents of Bethlehem have protested an Israeli plan to build a security wall around Rachel's Tomb, an important Jewish pilgrimage site. In Jenin, a Fatah member was killed by a car bomb. In Nablus, a Palestinian teenager and his grandfather were shot dead by Israeli troops searching for militants. Another Palestinian was killed in a gunfight in Tulkarm. James Bennet reports "Armed With Weapons and a Will, Palestinian Factions Plot Revenge" in The New York Times, February 21.
7. South Asia
In Afghanistan, Germany and the Netherlands took over control of the International Security Assistance Force (ISAF). Now, the German government has reviewed the security situation with remaining al Qaeda and Taliban supporters as well as with government troops. They have said that the police are too weak to preserve public order in the case of, for example, an attack on Iraq that could inflame the region. Canada, scheduled next in the rotation of ISAF leads, is in discussions with NATO regarding their support and increased involvement.
A mine blast in Afghanistan injured to US soldiers. Other anti-tank mines were eliminated in controlled explosions. The mines are thought to be the work of opposition warlords. Amid shootings, bombings, rocket and grenade attacks, robberies, explosives, threatening letters and anti-American rhetoric, the US-based Mercy Corps has suspended their humanitarian activities in Afghanistan until the security situation improves. Mercy is the largest non-governmental organization operating in the area.
Bangladeshi troops have resumed their controversial anti-crime operations after a new surge in violent crime had left more than 200 dead. It is possible that some troops accused of abuses in the prior crackdown could be court martialled.
Indian police in the southern state of Karnataka are hunting for the notorious bandit Veerappan. The police web site now offers a million-dollar reward for information about him and his associates.
In Madhya Pradesh, police have arrested 150 militant Hindu activists for trying to force their way into a religious monument whose ownership is disputed with Muslims. After a second day of attempts that led to rioting and two deaths, authorities imposed a curfew. A similar dispute had led to the Ayodhya riots last year that killed more than 1,000, mostly Muslims. A ruling on that site still awaits the Supreme Court. In the Ayodhya case, Gujarat state has charged 131 Muslims under the Prevention of Terrorism Act for causing the riots.
In related analysis, see the article by Edward Luce and Demetri Sevastopulo "Blood and money: are charities in the west unwittingly funding extremists accused of sectarian violence in India?" in the Financial Times, February 21. Also see "The Foreign Exchange of Hate: IDFR and the American Funding of Hindutva" at http://www.ektaonline.org/cac/resources/reports/sacw/index.html
In Indian-administered Kashmir, a landmine has killed four civilians and injured three.
Nepal's Maoist rebel leader Prachanda has issued a statement warning of a conspiracy by reactionary forces against peace and development and called for the Nepalese authorities to honor the ceasefire by not mobilizing force and making arbitrary arrests. Despite this statement, rebels accidentally shot dead two schoolchildren. No date or location has been set for peace talks.
In Pakistan, gunmen attacked a Shiite mosque with automatic weapons, killing nine.
Sri Lanka's peace monitors have asked for police to maintain law and order in the northeast that was the center of fighting. The International Red Cross has restarted their investigations into people who disappeared during the conflict. 11,000 of a reported 20,000 missing people are still not accounted for.
8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare
In the largest known credit card hacking incident, Data Processors International had a system intrusion that exposed some eight million credit card numbers. The FBI is investigating. Resale of credit card numbers among international crime syndicates has become a popular black market trade.9. Finance
Ansar al Islam, a Kurdish Islamic group operating in northern Iraq, has been designated as a terrorist group and had its assets frozen by the US and UK.
The US Treasury and the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network have proposed anti-money laundering rules for dealers in precious stones and metals. They are also considering AML rules for travel agents and vehicle dealer.
Additional information on links between al Qaeda and blood diamonds are investigated in an article by Lucy Jones available form BBC News at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/2775763.stm
The US Justice Department has indicted university professor Sami al Arian and seven others with financing and supporting the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad.
Edward Luce and Demetri Sevastopulo write that "Fundraising groups linked to the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh and its affiliates are coming under scrutiny in the UK and US" in their article "Blood and money: are charities in the west unwittingly funding extremists accused of sectarian violence in India?" in the Financial Times, February 21. Also see "The Foreign Exchange of Hate: IDFR and the American Funding of Hindutva" at http://www.ektaonline.org/cac/resources/reports/sacw/index.html
The US State Department has imposed sanctions against NEC Engineers Private under the Chemical and Biological Weapons Control and Warfare Elimination Act of 1991 for contributing to Iraq's weapons program.
In a possible case of the first Nigeria 419 revenge killing, Nigeria's consul to the Czech Republic, Michael Lekara Wayid, was shot dead by a 72-year old Czech man.
10. Human Rights
In the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay, three more prisoners have attempted suicide.
Turkmenistan celebrated the 63rd birthday of President-for-Life Saparmurat Niyazov. Meanwhile a joint release by Amnesty International (http://www.amnesty.org), Human Rights Watch (http://www.hrw.org), International Helsinki Federation (http://www.ihf-hr.org/), International League for Human Rights (http://www.ilhr.org/) and Memorial Human Rights Center (http://www.memo.ru/eng/) called for the introduction of the rule of law.
The Israeli High Court has rejected a petition by local human rights groups to provide gas masks to Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza.
Egypt is the subject of a new Human Rights Watch report: "Charged with Being Children: Egyptian Police Abuse of Children in Need of Protection" http://hrw.org/reports/2003/egypt0203/
Israel's intelligence service confiscated the computer of US lawyer Stanley Cohen as he was leaving. The computer contained material he had collected for a lawsuit he is preparing for 19 US citizens of Palestinian origin. They are suing for breaches of international human rights, including torture and illegal arrests.
11. Law and Legal Issues
Sami al Arian, a Palestinian university professor in the US, has been indicted for conspiring to finance terrorist attacks in Israel. The 50-count indictment accuses him of hiding a terrorist cell within the University of South Florida at Tampa and using it to channel funds to Islamic Jihad. He was indicted with seven other people: Sameeh Hammoudeh, Hatim Naji Fariz, Ghassan Zayed Ballut, Ramadan Abdullah Shallah, Bashir Musa Mohammed Nafi, Mohammed Tasir Hassan Al Khatib and Abd Al Azziz Awda. Islamic Jihad released a statement saying that only Shallah is an active member.
Hilal Jaber Awade El-Assiri, Zouhair Hilal Mohammed Tabiti and Abdellah Msafer El-Ghamidi were convicted of membership in al Qaeda and planning attacks against UK and UK navy ships in the Straits of Gibraltar. They were jailed for ten years in Moroccan court.
Haradin Bala, Isak Musliu and Agim Murtezi are the first Kosovar Albanians indicted for war crimes and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia.
Aeroubi Beandalis, indicted with three others for planning a bombing in Strasbourg, France, has pleaded guilty in court and apologized for his role.
Frederick Chiluba, former President of Zambia, was stripped of immunity and is being detained and questioned regarding corruption and misuse of government funds.
Seamus Daly was charged in court in Northern Ireland with membership in the Real IRA and as part of ongoing investigations into the 1998 Omagh bombing.
Carlos Fernandez, key organizer of anti-government protests in Venezuela, has been arrested on charges of treason and civil rebellion.
Iran's claim against the US for compensation for oil platforms destroyed during the Iran-Iraq war is being hears at the International Court of Justice.
Dr. Ahmed Javed Khawaja and his brother remain in custody in Pakistan but three other members of his family have been released.
Fatmir Limaj, Kosovan member of parliament and of the Kosova Liberation Army (KLA) was indicted last month by the international war crimes tribunal. He has now been arrested and is in the Hague.
Kil Soo Lee has been found guilty in American Samoa for human trafficking, money laundering and extortion in connection with the enslavement of his factory workers. Sentencing will be in June.
Vladimiro Montesinos, former Peruvian intelligence chief, is on trial in Lima on 57 charges of drug trafficking, embezzlement, money laundering, arms and drug dealing, corruption, and involvement with death squads.
Mounir al Motassadeq has been found guilty of being an accessory to 3,066 counts of murder -- those killed in the September 11 attacks -- and sentenced to 15 years in prison. This is the first conviction in relation to these attacks. The trial has provided much detail regarding al Qaeda operations in Europe.
Saud bin Ali bin Nasser has been arrested in Saudi Arabia on charges of shooting dead British defense worker Robert Dent.
Reverend Elizaphan Ntakirutimana, former head of the Seventh-Adventist Church in Rwanda and his son, Dr. Gerard Ntakirutimana, have been convicted of genocide and sentenced ten years and 25 years in prison, respectively.
Carlos Ortega, Venezuelan opposition leader, has been arrested on charges of treason, rebellion and racketeering.
Jose Padilla, being held in the US as an enemy combatant accused of planning a "dirty bomb", is featured in an article by Miles Harvey. "The Bad Guy: Gangbanger, fifth columnist, radical Muslim, poor fatherless Puerto Rican -- is it mere coincidence that in Jose Padilla the government has the perfect fall guy?" Mother Jones, March/April 2003.
General Bruno Rajohnson, former head of Madagascar's army, has been arrested and charged with an attempted coup
Hasil Mohammed Rahaham-Alan has been charged in British court with "possession of an explosive substance with intent to endanger life or damage property" and with carrying a dangerous article after he was found with a live grenade in his luggage.
Saud ibn Abdul Aziz Al-Rashid had been the subject of a US Federal Bureau of Investigation worldwide alert for his arrest. Saudi authorities investigated the case has have released him after finding no evidence that he was associated with al Qaeda, the September 11 attacks, or any other terrorist action.
Brian Regan, a former US Air Force intelligence analyst, has been found guilty of attempting to sell classified materials to Iraq and China.
Papa Wemba, a well-known Congolese singer, has been arrested in France on suspicious of human trafficking.
12. Narco-terrorism
Israeli intelligence has arrested twelve, including soldiers, accused of collaborating with Hizbollah in exchange for drugs. The smuggling ring was organized by drug dealer Sa'ad Qahmouz who worked with Ramzi Nahara, a Lebanese dealer and Hizbullah connection who was killed last December. Hizbullah blamed Israel for his death by blowing up his car.
Thailand's drug crackdown has left 600 dead since February 1. There are accusations by the Thai Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra that more than 700 government officials are involved in the drug trade. And accusations by Amnesty International regarding government complicity in the extra-judicial killings.
13. Transportation
Next month, the US Transportation Security Administration will begin training pilots to carry guns.
14. Weapons of Mass Destruction
The Philippine ambassador to Indonesia has confirmed to the BBC that weapons and ammunition were being smuggled to Indonesia. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/2783001.stm
Los Alamos Study Group has obtained a leaked document from the US Pentagon that describes their plans for developing and building new nuclear weapons for “small strikes.” http://www.lasg.org/hmpgfrm_a.html. Also see a Washington Post report by Walter Pincus, "U.S. Explores Developing Low-Yield Nuclear Weapons" http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A32530-2003Feb19
The US Federal Emergency Management Agency said it could not certify the emergency plan at the Indian Point nuclear plant. It has requested additional information before sending a final report to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, who will decide whether to keep the plant open.
Three small containers of cesium-137 are missing from the Vaziani military base in the former Soviet republic of Georgia.
FEATURE ARTICLE: Terrorism Statistics: Lies, Damned Lies and Definitions?
This week, we look at the changing definition of terrorism that evolved after the September 11 attacks and one example of how that has affected law enforcement reporting.HOW TO CONTACT US:
Please contact us with your questions or comments by sending email to .
We look forward to hearing from you.
Editorial Team
TerrorismCentral
All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2003 by TerrorismCentral.