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CONTENTS:

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK:

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. Transportation
13. Weapons of Mass Destruction
14. Recently Published

FEATURE ARTICLE:
Abu Abbas and the Palestine Liberation Front

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

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1. World

Worldwide protests were held to protest the one-year anniversary of the US-led invasion of Iraq. The protests were much smaller than those held before the war. See Middle East, below, for additional information.

Two surveys released this week provide interesting insights. The Pew Research Center published "A Year After Iraq War" and Oxford Research issued its second "National Survey of Iraq". Pew finds that "discontent with America and its policies has intensified rather than diminished and that "In the predominantly Muslim countries surveyed, anger toward the United States remains pervasive, although the level of hatred has eased somewhat and support for the war on terrorism has inched up". The second survey found a majority of Iraqis feel their lives had improved since the war, and also revealed concern over security and serious regional and ethnic differences.
http://people-press.org/reports/display.php3?ReportID=206
http://news.bbc.co.uk/nol/shared/bsp/hi/pdfs/15_03_04_iraqsurvey.pdf

Levels of drug resistant tuberculosis infection are ten times higher in Eastern Europe and Central Asia than in the rest of the world and coincide with one of the world's fastest-growing HIV infection rates. This presents a major public health threat to Europe and Central Asia and an increasing risk worldwide. http://www.who.int/gtb/publications/globrep/index.html

China declares bird flu over, after nine million birds were culled, but warns that the disease could break out again. Public health officials are focusing on the possibility of a human pandemic started from avian strains and are researching vaccines. http://www.who.int/csr/disease/avian_influenza/en/"

As more details have emerged regarding the Madrid bombings last week, global financial markets reacted strongly, with shares more than losing the gains seen during the year.

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2. Africa

West Africa was the subject of a report on combating cross-border problems, recommending enough time be spent to allow missions to establish good local governance and regional reconciliation. http://www.un.org/Docs/journal/asp/ws.asp?m=S/2004/200

Eastern regions of the Democratic Republic of Congo remain insecure amid continued arms flows. The UN Security Council set up a monitoring committee and has authorized the U mission to obtain and dispose of items violating the weapons ban. There is continued criticism on the failure to punish the war profiteers.

Equatorial Guinea has deported hundreds of foreigners and arrested several in a crackdown on immigrants following last week's alleged coup plot. An interesting description is at http://news.independent.co.uk/world/africa/story.jsp?story=501665. A profile of President Nguema can be read at http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3516588.stm

At the Eritrean/Ethiopian Temporary Security Zone, Ethiopia has removed travel interdictions but Eritrea has kept theirs in place. This prevents the UN peacekeepers from carrying out its mandate.

Ivory Coast's presidential decree prohibiting public protests has increased tensions. The opposition and rebels plan to proceed with a demonstration on Thursday. In response, the national army has been mobilizing and military exercises with French troops have been cancelled. Thousands of UN peacekeepers are due to arrive in two weeks.

In Namibia, 107 alleged Caprivi separatist rebels pleaded not guilty to treason. This was the first time they had appeared in court although they have been in detention for four and a half years. The trial has been postponed to June.

Preliminary investigation on the Rwandan cockpit voice recorder linked to the plane crash that triggered the Rwandan genocide has not found any links to the crash. The Rwandan government has extended by one year the deadline for detainees to confess their role in the 1994 genocide.

Somalia's final round of peace talks are further troubles with a threat from key warlords over who should be involved in selecting the transitional government and with accusations that the mediators are interfering.

Ugandan leaders in the north investigating the Lord's Resistance Army attack on February 21 found the death toll to be higher than originally counted, including 237 people killed in the refugee camp and another 100 outside it. It is the worst incident in the 18-year history of the conflict. A college in the north was attacked with looting and arson, leaving three people dead. The incident is under investigation.

Zimbabwe charged 70 alleged mercenaries with immigration and firearms violations in connection with a suspected coup plot against Equatorial Guinea.

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3. Americas

Colombia plans to sell property seized from drug traffickers to raise money to help build new prisons.

Jamaica has hosted a controversial visit by ousted Haitian President Jean-Bertrand Aristide, who has returned to the Caribbean for 6-8 weeks to be reunited with his two young daughters. Jamaica is only 120 miles from Haiti, where the new government's fears that Aristide's presence could have a destabilizing influence are so severe they have withdrawn their ambassador and suspended ties to Jamaica.

Jamaica and Venezuela have refused to recognize the new Haitian government and Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has offered Aristide refuge.

At the US naval base in Guantanamo Bay, 23 Afghans and three Pakistanis have been released and repatriated. There has been no additional information.

The US consulate in Karachi, Pakistan was the target of an attempted bombing but the massive device was detected and successfully defused by Pakistani police.

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4. Asia Pacific

Australian Prime Minister John Howard said there was no direct link between the Madrid bombings and Australia and played down threats against the country for its participation in the Iraq war. Federal Police Commissioner Mick Keelty warned that Australia was a likely target and additional security measures would be warranted. The premier of New South Wales, Bob Carr, proposed a 5-point counter-terrorism plan, including a review of legislation, information sharing, and establishing a department of homeland security. Foreign Minister Alexander Downer has warned of the rising presence of Jemaah Islamiah.

Taiwan's election results have generated large protests after the narrow victory of incumbent President Chen, a day after he and the vice president survived an apparent assassination attempt. Chen was elected with a majority of less than 30,000, -- one-tenth the number of ballots invalidated (and three times the number rejected at the previous election). The matter has been brought to the High Court for a possible recount and examination. The controversial referendum about relations with China did not receive enough votes to be valid.

Thai authorities will review development programs as an aid to conflict resolution in southern Muslim areas where there have been a series of militant attacks, leading to more than 50 deaths since January.

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5. Europe

The aftermath of the Madrid bombings continues to reverberate across Europe, particularly with the increasing certainty that Islamic militants were responsible for the attacks. Countries across the region have held emergency security meetings and increased security measures in preparation for additional terrorist attacks that are largely believed inevitable.

In Cyprus, island reunification received a boost from Greek Prime Minister elect Costas Karamanlis, but this support seemed to discourage the Turkish Cypriot minority, whose leader, Rauf Denktash now says he may not continue to participate in UN-led talks. The UN has invited Greece and Turkey to join meetings next week and help work on reunification plans.

French police are investigating a threatening letter from a group called Servants of Allah, the Powerful and Wise One. They wrote to two newspapers with threats against the French ban on headscarves. Investigators said the letter is being taken seriously but does not appear to be the usual work of Islamic militants.

Georgia put the army on alert after its Ajaria province denied entry to President Saakashvili. Saakashvili has imposed economic sanctions in an effort to bring the breakaway region under control and avoid a military response. Following talks, the sanctions have been lifted .

A Greek group called Revolutionary Struggle claimed responsibility for a bomb planted outside a US bank in Athens. Police detonated the device in a controlled explosion but the motive for the attack was unknown and raised concerns over the upcoming Olympics. NATO will be providing air, sea and WMD surveillance during the events.

Kosovo announced elections for October 23, shortly before the worst violence the region has seen for five years broke out. At least 28 people have been killed and more than 500 injured.

In Russia, international observers found the presidential election on was "generally well administered and reflected the consistently high public approval rating of the incumbent president but lacked elements of a genuine democratic contest. In addition to a dearth of meaningful debate and genuine pluralism, the election process failed to meet an important commitment concerning treatment by the state-controlled media, in particular television on a non-discriminatory basis". http://www.osce.org/news/generate.pf.php3?news_id=3931

Spain's general election ended in a surprise defeat of the ruling Popular Party, generally seen as a backlash against Prime Minister Aznar's initial insistence that the bombings were the work of ETA and against his support for the war in Iraq. The Socialist Workers Party, led by Prime Minister elect Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero, received the largest number of votes and they are lining up coalition partners to gain a majority. Zapatero pledges that in the absence of a UN initiative, he will pull Spanish troops out of Iraq.

Investigations into the Madrid bombings have led to a number of arrests. Among the three Moroccans and two Indians initially arrested, three had previous police records and at least some links with a Spanish al Qaeda cell. Jamal Zougam worked for a mobile phone company and was wanted in three countries. Mohamed Chaoui's name appears in transcripts of tapped phone calls associated with this cell. There is also a report of a connection to a group connected with Norway's Mulla Krekar's brother. They and their associates are believed to have provided logistical support for the attacks. Authorities have arrested one Moroccan it believes carried out the attack and is searching for another five.

Turkish police investigating the suicide bombing at a Masonic lodge last week have arrested 18 people.

Britain's highest court has ordered the release of "M", a Libyan man linked to al Qaeda who had been detained for 15 months under the Anti-terrorism, Crime and Security Act, following a ruling that his continued detention was unjustified.

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6. Middle East

Gaza suffered another week of Israel Defense Forces strikes, this time in retaliation for the dual suicide bombings. An Israeli helicopter fired a missile at a building that killed two, including one militant, and injured six. Another helicopter gunship attack killed two 15-year olds who were reportedly armed and wounded nine others. Israel has also stated it would intensify its assassination campaign. Today, at least five Palestinians were killed during an Israeli military raid.

Iran has accepted the return of UN weapons inspectors later this month.

Iraq carries on one year after the US-led invasion. The date was marked by no events, but saw a continuation of the frequent attacks that are so common they no longer disrupt daily life. The UN has confirmed it will play a role in the future political process. For discussions of the past year see:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/3519948.stm
http://www.npr.org/features/feature.php?wfId=1776665
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A56474-2004Mar13.html
http://www.occupationwatch.org/
http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2004/03/20040320-2.html
http://www.cpa.gov/
http://www.ceip.org/files/nonprolif/templates/article.asp?NewsID=6123

At Israel's Asdod port, two suicide bombers attacked late on Sunday, killing ten Israelis and injuring 18. The 18-year-old bombers were identified as Mahmoud Selem of Hamas and Nabil Massoud of Fatah. The two organizations claimed the attacks were reprisals against assassinations and incursions against refugee camps last week. They crossed from the Gaza Strip and inquiries are focused on how this first successful incursion in 3.5 years occurred, whether through tunnels, hidden in a container, or by some other means. Following the dual bombs, talks between the Israeli and Palestinian prime ministers were cancelled.

Saudi authorities claim to have killed Abu Hazim (Khaled Ali Haj) who was ranked third on Saudi Arabia's list of most wanted militants. He was shot dead with another militant, Ibrahim bin Abdul bin Mohammed al Mezeini

Kurdish protests in Syria continued into four days of unrest, with at least five more people killed. Riots had begun last week in a dispute at a football game and additional unrest was sparked by the anniversary of the Halabja chemical weapons attack.

In the West Bank, the Israeli army found a bomb inside an 11-year-old boy's backpack. It was believed linked to a mobile phone for detonation, leaving open the possibility that the child could have been used for a suicide attack without his knowledge.

In Yemen ten people suspected in the USS Cole bombing of 2000 have been recaptured after their escape from jail last year, including accused planners Jamal al-Badawi and Fahd al-Qusaa.

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7. South Asia

Afghanistan's mountainous Paktika province at the border with Pakistan is under a major US military offensive called Mountain Storm targeting Islamic militant groups in the area. They have killed three militants and detained 13. Pakistani troops, in a parallel operation, have engaged in major gun battles with border tribes, killing at least eight soldiers and dozens militants.

Factional rivalries continue to pose security problems, including a recent incident in Daikundi that killed four civilians. The most serious incident was today when Aviation Minister Mirwais Sadiq was assassinated in Herat. The son of the governor, his death led to heavy fighting with unconfirmed reports of high casualties.

Bhutan cites threats from Indian rebel groups operating in the border regions to justify a warning that people travelling in the Indian states of West Bengal and Assam should use armed escorts.

A landmine explosion in western Nepal killed ten. Maoist rebels are suspected of laying the mine. Fighting between the army and rebels in an all day battle this weekend has killed or injured a large number of rebels, with estimates ranging from a few dozen to several hundred. Early reports claim 18 security forces killed and 60 wounded, and that more than 90 others are missing.

Pakistani police detected and successfully defused a massive bomb outside the US consulate in Karachi. The US has designated Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally, making it easier for them to obtain military equipment.

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8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

Sophisticated new peer-to-peer viruses incorporate a variety of threats making them particularly resilient and difficult to defeat. For more information, consult
http://www.lurhq.com/phatbot.html
http://www.f-secure.com/v-descs/agobot_fo.shtml

During the Madrid attacks, mobile phone operators asked residents to use text messages rather than phone calls, to reduce the burden on the mobile network.

Wells Fargo has become another victim of a phisher fraud. http://www.wellsfargo.com/jump/email_hoax.jhtml

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9. Finance

Following Italy's submission to the UN, the US Treasury has designated ten people connected with Armed Islamic Group and al Qaeda who are believed to provide financial and material support and assisted with illegal immigration. http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js1243.htm
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/reports/js1243factsheet.pdf

The US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control designated Hola Sun Holidays Limited, travel agency owned by Cimex and associated with Caribe Sol, as Specially Designated Nationals. http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js1240.htm They have also designated 16 former regime family members and 191 quasi-government organizations to the UN for listing. http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js1242.htm

The UN Security Council has revised the list of Liberians subject to international travel sanctions, reducing the number in recognition of political changes. http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2004/sc8027.doc.htm

For a review of US efforts to "identify, freeze, and recover Iraqi assets worldwide" see Treasury testimony at http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js1244.htm and GAO testimony on asset recovery at http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-04-579T

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10. Human Rights

Argentine judge Rodolfo Canicoba Corral ruled that pardons for six army officers involved in the "dirty war" were unconstitutional. Three of the officers have died; two are awaiting trial; and the judge has ordered the arrest of the last.

Sierra Leone's special war crimes court has replaced Geoffrey Robertson, who had made critical remarks about the Revolutionary United Front in his book, with acting president Renate Winter.

The US state Utah has banned the use of firing squads for executions.

The University of Hamburg and the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH) are soliciting applications for their "Master of Peace and Security Studies". Details at http://www.ifsh.de/studium/uebersicht.php.

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11. Law and Legal Issues

Victor and Jayson Cox have been jailed in British court for seven years each for human trafficking of low wage workers they used to defraud large farms and factories of millions.

Miodrag Jokic, former Yugoslav Navy officer, was sentenced by the UN war crimes tribunal to seven years in prison for his role in the 1991 shelling Dubrovnik's historic Old Town in Croatia.

Abderrazak Mahjub ("The Sheikh") has been extradited from Germany to Italy to face trial as the alleged head of an al-Qaeda-linked cell.

Michael Scarpitti ("Tre Arrow", "Joshua Murray") was arrested In Victoria, British Columbia on theft and assault charges but was later connected to a US FBI arrest warrant for alleged firebombing of SUVs connected with the Earth Liberation Front. He will be extradited to Oregon, US. http://portland.fbi.gov/pressrel/2004/arrow.htm

Charles Taylor's attorneys have petitioned the Liberian Supreme Court to stop further searches of Taylor's Liberian properties.

All charges against James (Youssef) Yee have been dropped, supposedly to protect national security by not releasing the evidence. The US army charges had included mishandling classified information and violating military law. Yee will return to his previous post and face non-judicial punishments for adultery and pornography charges.

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12. Transportation

Congressional hearings on "The Status of the Computer-Assisted Passenger Prescreening System (CAPPS II) reviewed "concerns regarding privacy, due process, accuracy, and the effectiveness of the system". http://www.house.gov/transportation/subcom.html

Rail transportation is under scrutiny following the Madrid bombings. In London, UK, plain-clothes anti-terror police will patrol public transport systems for the first time. London's Metropolitan Police Commissioner also pointed to the maritime vulnerabilities presented by the Thames but that his force has an excellent record combating such attacks.

In Israel, the Ports Authority dismissed suggestions that there were lapses in security at the Ashdod port that was the site of two suicide bombers.

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13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

Iran has accepted the return of UN weapons inspectors later this month.

Pakistan is negotiating the purchase of a third nuclear reactor from China.

A year after the US-led invasion of Iraq, the US faces increasing criticism regarding the absence of weapons of mass destruction and associated concerns regarding the intelligence used. Note http://www.ceip.org/files/nonprolif/templates/article.asp?NewsID=6123

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14. Recently Published

John M. Barry "The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague" Viking

Christopher Browning, "The Origins of the Final Solution: The Evolution of Nazi Jewish Policy, September 1939 - March 1942" University of Nebraska Press

Jon Dinges "The Condor Years: how Pinochet and his Allies Brought Terrorism to Three Continents" New Press

Margaret A Hamburg and Joshua Lederberg editors "Microbial Threats to Health: Emergence, Detection, and Response" National Academies Press

Maria Ressa "Seeds of Terror" Free Press

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FEATURE ARTICLE: Abu Abbas and the Palestine Liberation Front

The US Treasury Office of Foreign Assets Control sums it up like this:

ABBAS, Abu (a.k.a. ZAYDAN, Muhammad); Director of PALESTINE LIBERATION FRONT - ABU ABBAS FACTION; DOB 10 Dec 1948 (individual) [SDT]
PALESTINE LIBERATION FRONT (a.k.a. PALESTINE LIBERATION FRONT - ABU ABBAS FACTION; a.k.a. PLF; a.k.a. PLF-ABU ABBAS) [SDT][FTO][SDGT]
PALESTINE LIBERATION FRONT - ABU ABBAS FACTION (a.k.a. PALESTINE LIBERATION FRONT; a.k.a. PLF; a.k.a. PLF-ABU ABBAS) [SDT][FTO][SDGT]

Thus ensuring that this Specially Designated Terrorist and his Foreign Terrorist Organization are prohibited from doing business with the US and freezes all US-based assets. Behind these brief listings is a story; here it is.

On November 29, 1947, UN General Assembly Resolution 181 established a plan of partition to establish independent Arab and Jewish States and provide a special international regime for Jerusalem. The communities on the ground began fighting for their positions and Arabs hoped to prevent partition from coming to fruition. The State of Israel was born on May 14, 1948. The day after, the Arab League invaded and was promptly defeated, leaving behind ceasefire lines rather than boundaries, and a massive Palestinian refugee problem.

Muhammad Zaidan's parents were among the refugees. They fled Haifa for the Lebanon and eventually to southern Syria. Muhammad was born on December 10. He grew up in the Yarmouk refugee camp in southern Syria and studied literature at Damascus University.

In common with other displaced youths, he was angry over the treatment of the Palestinians and joined the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) soon after its founding in 1964. He adopted the nom de guerre Abu Abbas, but has used a number of other names including Mohammed Abbas, Mohammed Abul Abbas Zaidan, and Abu Khaled.

The defeat of Arab armies in 1967 stimulated factionalism in the PLO. George Habash founded the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) from a collection of small militant groups in December 1967 to oppose any compromise with Israel. Abu Abbas joined this faction, launching rocket attacks from Lebanon into Israel and commanding a 1970 raid against a bus that killed 11 children.

PFLP split when Nayif Hawatmeh formed the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (DFLP) to add Marxism and third world liberation to the mix. Ahmad Jibril also split from PFLP to form PFLP-General Command (PFLP-GC) that focused on guerilla fighting. Supported by Syria and Libya, Jibril specialized in suicide raids in Israel. Abbas gravitated to this most radical faction. In 1973 he became the PFLP-GC spokesman and continued cross-border strikes.

The civil war in Lebanon began in 1975 and PFLP-GC supported the Syrian invasion against the PLO. Abbas was furious and left PFLP-GC to form the Palestine Liberation Front (PLF). He leveraged financial support from Iraq to back the PLO against Syrian forces, an act that briefly gained him the PLO inner circle. But Yasser Arafat could control Abbas and his fellow troublemakers no more than anyone else could.

In 1979, the PLF carried out its first attack. They secretly entered Israel from Lebanon to attack an apartment building in Naharia, killing four. Secret infiltration became the PLF's specialty. In the spring of 1981 they used hang-gliders over Haifa. Their attempt to drop hand grenades from the gliders failed when they were forced to land. In a similar vein they used a hot air balloon for a kidnapping attempt. The balloon was shot down.

September 21, 1985, Palestinians launched rocket attacks from southern Lebanon against Israeli settlements. On the 25th a PLO militia killed three Israelis on board their yacht in Cyprus. Israel decided to retaliate with a strike against the PLO, launching an air missile attack against PLO headquarters in Tunisia. The attack on October 1 almost completely destroyed the entire complex, killing more than 60 and injuring over 70.

Abu Abbas planned an operation against the Israeli port Ashdod to revenge the attack. He assigned four gunmen incognito to board an Italian luxury cruise ship, the Achille Lauro. As they were in their cabins, cleaning their weapons, a ship steward found them. Thus, on October 7, the secret infiltration operation turned into a violent hostage taking.

The Achille Lauro affair became Abbas' most notorious operation. He ordered his men to hold all 476 passengers and 80 crew, told the boat to sail to Syria, and demanded the release of Palestinian prisoners held by Israelis. Syria would not allow the ship to dock and they moved on to Egypt. During the tense negotiations, partially paralyzed 69-year old US Jew, Leon Klinghoffer argued with the gunmen. He was shot repeatedly then he and his wheelchair were thrown overboard.

When the ship arrived at Port Said authorities were unaware there had been a fatality and therefore negotiated safe passage for the hijackers. When the murder was discovered, the US intervened, using fighter jets to intercept the plane en route to Tunisia and forced it to land in Italy, where they were arrested. In July 1986 11 men were convicted in the Achille Lauro case. The ship continued operations until it caught fire and sank off the Somali coast in 1994.

Abu Abbas, the mastermind behind the hijacking, was on the plane but was not arrested. He was later tried in absentia in Italy and sentenced to life in prison and no charges were ever brought against him by the US. He spent the next few years in Tunisia, Yugoslavia and Iraq. From Iraq in 1990, Abbas planned what was apparently the last of his spectacular schemes. He sent 17 PLF militants who were going to use five boats for an attack against Israeli beaches. Three of the boats broke down. The militants had to share the remaining two and were readily intercepted by Israel.

Following the 1999 peace agreement in which Abbas supported the peace accords; apologized for Klinghoffer's death; and was granted immunity by Israel; he moved to the Gaza Strip. At the height of the intifada in 2002 he returned to Iraq, in semi-retirement under the patronage of Saddam Hussein. (Libya also had supported PLF in the 1970s and 80s.)

The PLF continued to have small cells in the occupied territories, supported by Iraq and Jordan. Their operations included shootings and explosives that failed as often as succeeding. They were connected with the kidnap and murder of a 19-year-old Israeli student, Yuri Gushchin. Other larger attacks were planned but not consummated. Fifteen members of a PLF cell were attested by Israeli forces in November 2001.

US troops operating in Iraq captured Abu Abbas in April 2003. A heavy smoker, Abul Abbas had prior cardiovascular problems. He died in US custody on March 9. His family discovered he had died when they saw the news on television. The PLF accused the US military of assassination by refusing medication while he was in detention, but an autopsy found he died of natural causes: "arterial sclerotic cardiac disease". Hundreds of mourners gathered in the Gaza Strip.

Abu Abbas is survived by his wife, Reem Abul Abbas, and their child. Israel refused to allow him to be buried in Palestinian territory. Instead he will be buried at the Yarmouk refugee camp in Syria.

Further Reading:

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