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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:
A Brief History of Suicide Attacks

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

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1. World

August 9 marked the 60th anniversary of the day the US dropped an atomic bomb on the Japanese city of Nagasaki, killing 80,000 people three days after it had bombed Hiroshima.

Coping with disasters is the focus of the 12 August issue of Science, which reviews scientific and policy dimensions of unpredictable threats.
http://www.sciencemag.org/sciext/disasters/

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2. Africa

August 7 marked the 7th anniversary of the US Embassy bombings in Nairobi, Kenya and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in which more than 200 Americans, Kenyans, and Tanzanians died, and 5,000 were injured.

In Burundi, the UN Operation marked the first year since a refugee transit center in Gatumba was attacked by a large group of armed individuals. 152 Banyamulenge refugees from the Tutsi communities of South Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo were massacred and another 106 people, including Burundian returnees, were injured. The Government's initial investigation has still not been completed.
http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/onub/index.html

Democratic Republic of Congo's Transitional Government has decided to disarm the rebel Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) by force after they failed to honor its promise to disarm and return home. Fighting in the east last weekend killed 21 Mai-Mai militia fighters and injured four government troops.
http://www.un.org/Depts/dpko/missions/monuc/index.html

Ethiopia's National Electoral Board dismissed further challenges and announced that Prime Minister Meles Zenawi has won May's bitterly disputed presidential election. Despite opposition anger and the determination to challenge the results in court, they increased their seats in parliament from 14 to 174 seats. The vote will be rerun in 31 constituencies but will not affect the results.
http://www.electionsethiopia.org/

Guinea-Bissau's electoral commission has confirmed that Joao Bernardo Vieira won the July run-off election with 52 percent of the vote. Defeated candidate Malam Bacai Sanha's party holds a parliamentary majority and warned that his supporters would not accept the results.

Ivory Coast mediators from South Africa determined that laws passed by President Gbagbo in July conform to the peace plan, contrary to rebel claims that the laws were inadequate. Disarmament has still not begun.

Mauritania's new military council has begun releasing political prisoners, including 21 accused of Islamic extremism, who had been held by the ousted regime of Maaouiya Ould Sid Ahmed Taya.

In Sudan, Salva Kiir has been sworn in as Vice President, replacing former Sudan People Liberation Army leader John Garang, who died in a helicopter crash on 30 July. Kiir expressed support for a united Sudan, rather than an independent south.

Zimbabwe President Robert Mugabe will reward up to 6,000 members of the armed forces with farmland and housing plots, under his controversial land reform policy.

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3. Americas

Brazil's government is in political crisis surrounding a bribery scandal that has already led to impeachment proceedings against one government official and stumbling financial markets. President Lula da Silva has apologized for the alleged corruption, and insisted those responsible will be punished. Lula's Workers' party was elected on a promise to end corruption.

The Caribbean Court of Justice, created earlier this year as the final court of appeal for most countries in the region, is beginning hearing its first case.
http://www.caribbeancourtofjustice.org

Colombian President Alvaro Uribe has offered to meet the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) without condition at a site of their choosing, in order to reopen talks on an exchange of hostages for rebel prisoners. Colombia is negotiating with Ireland to ensure that the three Irish republicans sentenced to prison in Colombia who secretly fled to Ireland will serve out their terms, in Colombia or Ireland.

In Haiti, more than 60 political parties have registered for upcoming elections.

In the Mexican border town of Nuevo Laredo, a drive-by shooting has killed one female police officer and injured a second, two days after the US reopened its consulate, reinforced with new security measures in place to address continuing violence among heavily armed rival drug gangs.

Peru's Prime Minister Carlos Ferrero resigned in protest over moves to make coca growing legal in some areas. President Alejadro Toledo has dismissed his government, and will evaluate which ministers will keep their jobs.

In the US, 9/11 Commission staff members confirmed a New York Times report that a secret program called "Able Danger" had identified four of the hijackers as probably linked to al Qaeda more than a year before the 9/11 attacks. A statement from Commission leaders Kean and Hamilton said their review had found this information was isolated, not historically significant.
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/09/politics/09intel.html?adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1124020953-yOQuiJsCb2yDjDTvMJgdcA
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/10/politics/10intel.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/08/13/politics/13intel.html

The US Government Accountability Office released two reports related to homeland security: "U.S. Postal Service: Guidance on Suspicious Mail Needs Further Refinement" and "DHS' Efforts to Enhance First Responders' All-Hazards Capabilities Continue to Evolve.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-716
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-05-652

In Los Angeles (LA), California, August 11 marked the 40th anniversary of the Watts riots, in south central LA. They began after a routine traffic stop and lasted for six days, leaving 34 dead, more than a thousand injured, nearly 4,000 arrests, and widespread property destruction. The serious economic and educational problems at the root of the riots have not been resolved, and this region of LA remains poor and violent.
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-watts11aug11,0,4693415,full.story?coll=la-home-headlines

The New York City Fire Department, pursuant to a court ruling, has released redacted records, including oral histories and radio communications, related to the September 11 attacks.
http://www.nyc.gov/html/fdny/html/pr/2005/081205_7005.shtml
http://www.nyc.gov/fdny

Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez has accused the US Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) of spying and said they will no longer collaborate with the US in activities to counter drug trafficking, but will continue to work with international groups. President Chavez also criticized the US focus on supply over demand. The DEA denied spying, and said that only the traffickers would win this dispute. The US Department of State revoked the visas of six Venezuelan officials. Caracas has withdrawn diplomatic immunity of DEA officials in Venezuela. Venezuela is used as a transit route for Colombian cocaine. Colombia produces some 80 percent of the world's supply.

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4. Asia Pacific

An Al Arabiya satellite television broadcast of a video shows a masked man with an accent identified as Australian threatening attacks against the west. The Australian Security Intelligence Organization (ASIO) is investigating the tape's authenticity, and the Australian Federal Police are investigating the identity of the speaker. Foreign Minister Downer was questioned on this matter and said they believe he is one of a small number of Australian members of al Qaeda.
http://www.foreignminister.gov.au/transcripts/2005/050812_pamm.html
http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,5744,16243114%255E2702,00.html

The Indonesian government has approved the Helsinki peace agreement to end the conflict in Aceh, and peace monitors are preparing to begin work when the agreement is signed on August 15. They have asked Aceh's Justice and Human Rights Agency to collect data on Free Aceh Movement (GAM) members currently is prison ahead of the planned amnesty program. Sentence remissions are anticipated in connection with Independence Day on August 17, which may include radical cleric and convicted Bali bomb plotter Abu Bakar Ba'asyir.

Indonesian's Papua province has stepped up pressure for review of the Special Autonomy Law that had failed indigenous expectations. A protest last week involved at least 10,000 Papuans, and an even larger one is planned for next week. Investigation into the alleged misappropriation of special autonomy funds is also being demanded.

Indonesia and Yemen have agreed to an exchange program at selected state universities and that Yemen would deny entry of Indonesians intended to study at universities not accredited or recommended by Yemen, and vice versa. The agreement is meant to counter extremism.

The Philippines southern port city Zamboanga suffered two bomb blasts that injured at least 26 people. Abu Sayyaf is blamed for the attack. National security advisor Norberto Gonzales said that they are looking for ten Indonesian Muslim extremists linked to al Qaeda and Abu Sayyaf, and possibly connected the spate of bombings in the south. They are prepared for the possibility the ten men may be suicide bombers.
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/net/2005/08/12/police.chief.oversees.probe.on.zambo.blasts.html

In the Philippines autonomous Muslim region of Mindanao more than a million people have elected a new governor, Zaldy Ampatuan, who defeated Egyptian-trained Muslim cleric Mahid Mutilan by a wide margin. Mr. Ampatuan is a member of President Arroyo's ruling party that still faces corruption allegations, and is the first governor who has not been a member of the rebel Moro National Liberation Front.

In southern Thailand gun and hatchet attacks continue to raise casualty numbers. Police believe they are connected to Muslim unrest in the area. Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra, visiting the region, called on Buddhists and Muslims to fight separatists and not be afraid to live normal lives.

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5. Europe

Belarus and Poland remain at odds over treatment of Belarus' ethnic Polish minority. Former head of the Union of Poles, Tadeusz Gawin was given a second 15-day prison term for allegedly beating a cellmate. He was originally held for setting up a meeting between local activists and a Polish parliamentarian that Belarus called an unsanctioned rally. Poland's former Solidarity leader Lech Walesa suggested the people of Belarus should follow the example of Ukraine and Georgia in a peaceful people's revolution.

As the Irish government continues negotiations with Colombia, police are searching for the three republicans who had been sentenced to prison in Colombia for training rebels, but fled the country and secretly returned to Ireland.

Italy is preparing to expel six alleged Islamic extremists, including at least one imam, to Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt, under new anti-terrorism legislation enacted this month.

In the Russian town of Beslan thieves ransacked the new school built to replace that destroyed in last year's siege.

A Spanish court upheld a ban on a march the Basque nationalist party Batasuna that was planned for today. Batasuna was banned in 2003 for refusing to condemn the violence of separatist group ETA. One of the 3-judges on the appeals panel argued that a ban on the group did not mean its members had lost their right to protest.

In Turkey, two men were blown apart in an apartment building, apparently as they were attempting to build a bomb. The incident is under investigation. Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, speaking in the Kurdish region, acknowledged relations with Kurds had been mishandled and asked that their grievances be addressed through greater democracy.

British intelligence has warned of the possibility of a full-blown, homegrown Islamic insurgency, while the City of London's police commissioner said that an attack on the financial district is only a matter of time. The Independent newspaper published preliminary findings of the London bombings that seem to indicate no link between the 7 July and 21 July bombers.
http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article305547.ece

The Home Office has opened a non-statutory consultation on broadening exclusion and deportation powers.
http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/docs4/deportation.pdf
Efforts including bilateral agreements are underway to support efforts to deport ten people claimed to present a threat to national security, including radical clerics Omar Bakri Mohammed and Abu Qatada.

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6. Middle East

Egyptian police reported they uncovered a terrorist cell connected with the July bombings of Sharm el-Sheikh. Three men were arrested and two suspects are being sought.

The Egyptian electoral commission has approved ten candidates (out of 30 applicants) to run in the first contested presidential elections in September. In addition to incumbent President Hosni Mubarak, who is seeking a fifth term, they are: Ayman Nour, al-Ghad (Tomorrow) Party; Numan Gumaa, Wafd Party; Ahmed Awad Allah, Umma Party; Mamduh Qinawi, Constitutional Party; Osama Shaltut, Solidarity Party; Kamal Kasbah, Social Justice Party; Ibrahim Turk, Democratic Union Party; Rifaat al-Agrudi, National Concord Party; and Wahid al-Uqsuri, Egypt Arab Communist Party. This list includes no women, Christians, or candidates linked to the banned Muslim Brotherhood.

In Gaza, Israeli settlers have been given evacuation notices. Some have already left, while others are preparing to move to temporary homes inside Israel, and some have vowed to stay until forced otherwise. The withdrawal begins on Monday. Staying will be illegal from midnight and after Wednesday troops will begin evictions. While these preparations are underway, there have been a number of protests and isolated security incidents. Israeli Defense Forces are prepared for an uptake in violence during the withdrawal. To support the Gazan economy, Israel has agreed to allow a port to be built in Gaza and to transfer greenhouses from settlers to the Palestinian Authority, thereby ensuring the 3,000 jobs will be secured.

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas announced general elections, originally scheduled for July, will now be held in January. An exact data has not been set.

Iran has resumed uranium conversion, under International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) supervision, and expressed willingness to continue discussions regarding its nuclear program with Europe. Its actions are legal, but because the nuclear program had been concealed for so long there is a significant level of mistrust. IAEA has been analyzing traces of weapons-grade uranium and the findings, to be made available soon, are expected to show that the traces came from components obtained from Pakistan. If so, it bolsters Iran's assertion that it is working only on peaceful nuclear power. US President Bush warned of military action, leading to a rebuke from German Chancellor Schroeder that the military option doesn't work and should be withdrawn.

In Iraq violence has escalated ahead of a planned constitutional referendum. Negotiations over the constitution still face serious disagreements regarding federalism, revenue sharing, and the roles for religion and women.

The Independent Inquiry into the United Nations (UN) Oil-for-Food Program issued its third interim report, the last to focus on the UN. Immunity for the former Executive Director of the program, Benon Sevan and a second official, Alexander Yakovlev are accused of corrupt actions for personal profit from the program. Legal procedures are underway.
http://www.iic-offp.org/
http://www.un.org/News/dh/iraq/oip/open_stmnt_8aug05.htm
http://www.un.org/apps/news/infocusRel.asp?infocusID=97&Body=Oil-for-Food&Body1=inquiry

In Saudi Arabia the beginning of the week was punctuated by warnings from the US and other foreign missions of imminent terrorist attacks. The US embassy was closed for two days but has reopened. Warnings of militant strikes in the Kingdom contributed to a record high in oil prices.

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7. South Asia

Afghanistan's Joint Electoral Management Body has begun distributing election materials throughout the country in preparation for September's parliamentary elections. This logistically daunting task is made more difficult by a funding shortfall and continued insecurity throughout the country. Among incidents last week was a Taleban militant attack against a medical clinic that killed a doctor and a bystander; a woman killed by Taliban for allegedly spying for the US; a US bombing raid that killed 16, including a baby and other civilians; and a number of other incidents. Six US military personnel were also killed.

In eastern Bangladesh several bombs were thrown at a Muslim shrine. One person died and 50 were injured.

An Indian government inquiry into the 1984 anti-Sikh riots that left more than 3,000 dead found that some Congress party leaders had incited mobs to attack Sikhs. Calls for prosecution of a serving minister named in the report, Jagdish Tytler fell before a government assertion that there was insufficient evidence, but he has submitted his resignation and plans to clear his name. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has apologized in parliament.

In Andhra Pradesh, a bomb at a bus station in Karimnager injured 20 people. Police suspect Maoist rebels, but they deny involvement.

Assam separatists with the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) acknowledge they were behind pipeline attacks last week but denied the bus stop bombing that killed four people.

Suspected Maoist rebels were blamed for an attack at a police station in Bihar state. Two policemen were killed and four injured.

In Maharashtra waterborne diseases following the devastating floods have made more than 5,000 people ill and at least 120 have died. More than a thousand were killed in the floods, and 20 million affected by them.

In the northeastern state of Manipur, organizations representing Naga tribesmen have lifted a month-long blockade.

Indian-administered Kashmir anticipates a rise in violence ahead of independence day next week. Militants attacked a mountain village, killing five Hindus and injuring nine.

Nepal's Maoist rebels claim that 159 soldiers were killed and 50 taken prisoner in an attack in the northwest Kalikot district that also killed 26 rebels. The government denies this, saying that around 40 soldiers were killed, but more than 100 are missing, and the military is searching for them. Further clashes later in the week killed 12 rebels and one soldier.

A local human rights group in Nepal, Insec, says that since King Gyanendra assumed direct rule six months ago at least 1,115 people have been killed, including 738 at the hands of the state and 377 both civilians and security personnel, by Maoist rebels.

Talks between India and Pakistan last weekend led to agreements to continue the ceasefire along Kashmir's Line of Control, ban new army and defense constructions, upgrade a military hotline, continue their agreement on air space violations, and conduct regular talks among local military officers.

Pakistani investigators have arrested six people in connection with a May attack against a Karachi Kentucky Fried Chicken outlet that killed six as part of a protest over an attack on a Shia mosque in which five died. In the city of Gujranwala, election-related violence has killed four people.

Pakistan and the UK have signed a memorandum of understanding to ease travel and are close to agreement on a new extradition treaty.

Sri Lanka has been placed under a state of emergency following the assassination of Foreign Minister Lakshman Kadirgamar. Tamil Tigers are suspected, and a massive investigation is underway.

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8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

The Unisys UK customer survey finds that apathy towards fraud could breed identity theft and fraud. Key findings include:

Social Security numbers and names of 61,709 students who applied to, attended, or graduated from Sonoma State University from 1995 to 2002 have been exposed by an unauthorized access to seven campus workstations.
http://www.sonoma.edu/uaffairs/incident
http://www.sonoma.edu/pubs/newsrelease/archives/2005_08.html

Microsoft released six security updates, three of which are critical, including a JPEG rendering flaw that could infect a system if the user simply viewed an infected image.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS05-039.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS05-038.mspx
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/Bulletin/MS05-043.mspx
http://secunia.com/advisories/16372
http://secunia.com/advisories/16373

Research at Sunbelt Software investigating the CoolWebSearch application found an associated keylogger connected to an identity theft ring.
http://sunbeltblog.blogspot.com/2005/08/more-on-identity-theft-ring.html

The Washington Post has published print and video reports on al Qaeda and affiliated groups use the internet to recruit fighters, spread their message, and train followers.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/custom/2005/08/05/CU2005080501141.html?whichDay=3
Also note
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2004/091904.html#FeatureArticle

FBI Director Robert Mueller said, "According to a survey by the Computer Security Institute and the FBI, only 20 percent of companies that experienced computer intrusions in 2004 reported those incidents to law enforcement. Respondents said they did not alert authorities because they feared negative publicity and loss of competitive advantage". He called on companies better to cooperate with the FBI in helping to protect the critical infrastructure.
http://www.fbi.gov/pressrel/speeches/mueller080905.htm
http://www.infragard.net/index.htm

The US National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has released the new National Vulnerability Database (NVD) to provide comprehensive information as well as government and industry resources.
http://nvd.nist.gov/

NIST also released guidelines for federal agencies to use in planning and designing certification and accreditation procedures for issuing Personal Identity Verification (PIV) cards to employees and contractors.
http://csrc.nist.gov/piv-program/index.html
and announced the first large-scale evaluation of iris recognition.
http://iris.nist.gov/ICE

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9. Finance

Lebanese customs data indicates the country imported about US $156 million from the Republic of Congo (ROC), which was removed from the Kimberley Process Certification Scheme for the large discrepancy between its diamond production and exports, indicating that Lebanon could be trading in conflict diamonds.
http://www.globalwitness.org/press_releases/display2.php?id=302

The Independent has published a special investigation asking "Are 'Muslim Boys' using profits of crime to fund terrorist attacks?" http://news.independent.co.uk/uk/crime/article305781.ece

Ireland's Financial Regulator (Rialtoir Airgeadais) published its first annual report, which covers 1 May 2003 - 31 December 2004. In addition to other industry policy and regulatory activities, they described their efforts in the prevention of money laundering. They provided 18 reports to the Garda Siochana and Revenue Commissioner primarily related to failure of financial service providers to adopt proper AML prevention measures. With the Money Laundering Steering Committee, they issued new guidelines for stockbrokers and for insurance and retail intermediaries, and helped draft terrorist financing and sanctions guidance.
http://www.financialregulator.ie
http://www.ifsra.ie/frame_main.asp?pg=%2Fnews%2Fnw%5Farticle%2Easp%3Fid%3D149&nv=%2Fnews%2Fnw%5Fnav%2Easp
http://www.ifsra.ie/frame_main.asp?pg=%2Fnews%2Fnw%5Frecs%2Easp&nv=%2Fnews%2Fnw_nav.asp

Indonesia's Financial Transactions and Report Analysis Center (PPATK) submitted a report to the National Police regarding alleged money laundering on the part of 15 police officers. Appointing a new head of police internal affairs raised hopes that his good reputation would help resolve allegations in this high profile case.
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20050808.C03
http://www.thejakartapost.com/yesterdaydetail.asp?fileid=20050730.C01

The Federal Reserve Bank of Boson issued a discussion paper, "International Remittances: Information for New England Financial Institutions", that considers why banks have such a small percentage of the remittance market. http://www.bos.frb.org/commdev/discussion/2005/remittances.pdf

A new report from the US Congressional Research Service on "Terrorist Financing: U.S. Agency Efforts and Inter-Agency Coordination", surveys agency participation and coordination to meet the strategic goals of intelligence and regulatory efforts, technical assistance, and global norms and guidelines to counter terrorist financing.

The Wharton Risk Management and Decision Processes Center published "TRIA and Beyond" which analyzes what roles the public and private sectors should play with respect to terrorism risk coverage in the United States and considers a number of options to solve the need for terrorism insurance.
http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/index.cfm?fa=viewArticle&id=1261

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10. Human Rights

Following the Indian Supreme Court's upholding the death sentence on Mohammad Afzal Guru for providing support for the 2001 attack on the Indian parliament, separatist groups in Indian-administered Kashmir called a 1-day strike that closed stores, banks, schools, and colleges in protest.

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reviewed responses to the Consolidated Humanitarian Appeal so far this year, finding that unprecedented demand had tested their response capacity to the limit. Disaster reduction and response capacities should be strengthened in the face of increasing numbers of complex emergencies.
http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2005/iha1071.doc.htm

Namibia's National Society for Human Rights annual report found fewer incidents of human rights violations. Namibia needs to focus on developmental issues to address gross disparities of income, high unemployment, and crises in education that are undermining social structures.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=48553

The Global Conference on Health Promotion held last week in Thailand has adopted the "Bangkok Charter for Health Promotion" that identifies the challenges, actions and commitments necessary in a globalized world to achieve health for all.
http://www.who.int/healthpromotion/conferences/6gchp/bangkok_charter/en/index.html

Indigenous People's Day was marked on August 9.
http://www.un.org/events/indigenous/

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11. Law and Legal Issues

Dino Bouterse, the son of Surinam's former military leader Desi Bouterse, has been sentenced to eight years in prison for illegal arms and drugs trafficking.

Cheam Channy, an opposition member of parliament with the Sam Rainsy Party, has been sentenced to seven years in Cambodian prison for attempting to form a group to overthrow the country. Human rights activists suggest this action was to stifle political dissent.

Major Chuang Po-hsin, a Taiwanese military intelligence official, has been sentenced to life in prison for spying for China.

Saudi poet Ali al-Demaini, and academics Abdullah al-Hamed and Matruk al-Faleh had been sentenced to jail for calling for a move towards a constitutional monarchy. The new Kong Abdullah has pardoned the men.

Antonio Guerrero, Fernando Gonzalez, Rene Gonzalez, Gerardo Hernandez and Ramon Labanino were convicted in US court in 2001 in connection with spying for the "Wasp Network" for Cuba. An appeals court has ruled that the trial held in Miami was unfair because of the large number of Cuban immigrants and a new trial has been ordered.

Former Israeli sergeant Taysir Hayb was sentenced at an Israeli military court to eight years in prison for manslaughter and obstruction of justice for the death of British peace activist Tom Hurndall.

Sa'adia Hershkopf, a dual US/Israeli citizen and one of three Kach activists put into administrative detention, has been deported to the United States for 40 days.

Anwar al-Jilani, an Iraqi, was convicted in Yemeni court of leading a group of men in planning attacks on foreign embassies and cultural centers as part of an armed gang linked to al Qaeda. Al-Jilani was sentenced to four years in prison. Five others, including a Kuwaiti of Iraqi origin and two Syrians, were sentenced to terms of form two years to 40 months, while two Yemeni defendants were acquitted.

Asher Karni of South Africa was sentenced in the US to 36 months in prison for exporting controlled nuclear commodities made in the US to India and Pakistan. His sentence was kept low because he had cooperated with authorities.
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/dc/Press_Releases/2005_Archives/Aug_2005/05282.htm

Milan Lukic, wanted in The Hague for crimes against humanity during the Bosnian war and sentenced n absentia to 20 years in prison for the abduction of 16 Muslims who were later tortured and executed, has been arrested in Argentina. He will be extradited to the Hague.

Manual Maia has been arrested in Indonesia for his role as a militiaman active in crimes against humanity during East Timor's independence referendum of 1999.

Ibrahim Muktar Said, Yassin Hassan Omar, Ramzi Mohamed, and Manfo Kwaku Asiedu were remanded into custody in London in connection with the 21 July attempted bombings. They will next appear in court on 14 November.

Magdi al-Nashar, an Egyptian chemist held in Cairo after the 7/7 London bombs, has been cleared of any links to the attack and released by Egyptian authorities. He will return to England.

Lucia Pinochet, wife of Chile's former President Augusto Pinochet and her youngest son Marco Antonio Pinochet have been charged in Chilean court with tax fraud in which they used false names and papers to open bank accounts and move some $27 million in more than a hundred secret accounts. She was granted bail due to ill health and age, but her son remains in jail as posing a potential danger to society.

Luigi Putrone, one of Italy's most wanted Mafia bosses, has been arrested in the Czech Republic. He had been sentenced in absentia in Italy to life in prison, and the Italian government hopes for a speedy extradition, pending a Czech investigation into his role in organized crime in their country.

Luai Sakra, a Syrian suspected of planning to blow up Israeli cruise ships, has been arrested in Turkey and charged with membership in an illegal organization.

Tesfaye Woldeselassie, former Security Minister and ex-police chief Legesse Belayneh were found guilty in Ethiopian court of torturing thousands of people during the "Red Terror" under the military regime of Mengistu Haile Mariam. They have been sentenced to death.

Alexander Yakovlev, a former senior UN official who worked in procurement, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy, wire fraud and money laundering in connection with Iraq's oil-for-food program. He has been granted bail.

Osama bin Yousuf, an alleged al Qaeda operative, was arrested in Pakistan and taken t an undisclosed location.

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12. Transportation

India has adopted a policy to shoot down hijacked commercial planes if it is determined, by the security cabinet that they have been turned into missiles, and rules out giving in to any demands by hijackers. The government plans to introduce relevant laws soon.
http://www.indianexpress.com/full_story.php?content_id=76245

Canadian privacy commissioner Jennifer Stoddart says her office will press for strong privacy protection of the new no-fly list, including the ability to review and ask for corrections.
http://www.privcom.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2005/nr-c_050809_e.asp
http://www.privcom.gc.ca/media/nr-c/2005/ques_050809_e.asp
United Kingdom, and the United States will contribute operational assets to the exercise.

The International Maritime Bureau's weekly piracy report again issues an alert regarding:
Somalia ? East and NE coast
Nine incidents have been reported since 16.07.05. Heavily armed pirates are now attacking ships further away from the coast. The most recent incident took place 120 nm off the eastern coast. Ships are advised to keep as far away as possible from the Somali coast.
http://www.icc-ccs.org/prc/piracyreport.php

In Somalia, the ship carrying food aid that was hijacked in June was scheduled to be released after reaching agreement with community leaders and the transitional government when the hijackers raised new demands.

Israeli cruise ships were diverted from Turkish to Cypriot ports due to security concerns. Luai Sakra, a Syrian suspected of plotting the attacks, has been arrested in Turkey.

Singapore is hosting a Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI) interdiction training exercise, DEEP SABRE, in the South China Sea. Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, the

The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) issued a law enforcement warning of an unsubstantiated risk that al Qaeda could be planning attacks using fuel tankers in major US and European cities, possibly coinciding with the 4th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.

The US Department of Homeland Security has lowered the national threat for mass transit systems from code orange, "high", to code yellow, "elevated".
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4726

San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART) has launched a terrorism-awareness campaign using information posters modeled after those used in the UK to make passengers aware of their role in security.
http://www.bart.gov/news/press/news20050809.asp

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13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

Britain's Nuclear Decommissioning Authority has published a draft strategy that recommends decommissioning of Magnoz reactors in 25 rather than 125 years, finding solutions to storage and reprocessing problems, and other measures. The cost of clean up is estimated at GBP56 billion.
http://www.nda.gov.uk/Our_Business--Strategy_-_Draft_for_Consultation_(782).aspx?pg=782

The US Department of Energy has proposed limits on radiation exposure from the Yucca Mountain storage facility in Nevada for one million years.
http://yosemite.epa.gov/opa/admpress.nsf/d9bf8d9315e942578525701c005e573c/d61f919e6ff32789852570580060c68e!OpenDocument

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Board of Governors has urged that Iran should suspend uranium conversion and reinstate IAEA seals that were removed at the Isfahan conversion facility. The seals were removed under UN supervision and cameras were installed.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Focus/IaeaIran/index.shtml

Russian President Putin has signed a regulation on adopting the UN International Convention for the Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism.

A new study from the Council on Foreign Relations looks at "HIV and National Security: Where are the Links?".
http://www.cfr.org/pub8248/laurie_garrett/hiv_and_national_security_where_are_the_links.php
Also note:
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2004/120504.html#FeatureArticle
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2003/112303.html#FeatureArticle
https://terrorismcentral.com/Newsletters/2002/120102.html#FeatureArticle

US scientists have tested a new therapeutic approach that could help eliminate dormant HIV infection that current treatments miss. "Depletion of latent HIV-1 infection in vivo: a proof-of-concept study" is published in The Lancet 2005; 366:549-555
http://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140673605670985/abstract

Responding to lessons learned after the 7/7 bombings in London, medical personnel recommend that emergency responders should be equipped with chemical protection suits so they can attend to trapped victims quickly, that emergency vehicles should be equipped with chemical detectors, and that more physicians should be trained in response.
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/6/541
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/6/543
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/6/546
http://content.nejm.org/cgi/content/full/353/6/548
http://www.elsevier.com/wps/find/journaldescription.cws_home/505959/description#description

A paper by Tuan H. Nguyen, " Microchallenges of Chemical Weapons Proliferation", published in Science, Vol 309, Issue 5737, 1021 , 12 August 2005, warns that "Advances in microprocess technology within the chemical industry will challenge chemical weapons nonproliferation efforts. Meeting this challenge is especially difficult because of the potential of this technology to revolutionize chemical manufacturing for beneficial applications".

Kazakhstan has joined the International Code of Conduct Against Ballistic Missile Proliferation.

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14. Recently Published

Paul Collier and Nicholas Sambanis, "Understanding Civil War (Volume 1: Africa): Evidence and Analysis", World Bank

Roger Crowley, "1453: The Holy War for Constantinople and the Clash of Islam and the West", Hyperion

John Emsley, "The Elements of Murder", Oxford University Press

Daphne Golan-Agnon, "Next Year in Jerusalem: Everyday Life in a Divided Land", University of Michigan Press/University of Manchester Press

Robert W. Merry, "Sands of Empire: Missionary Zeal, American Foreign Policy, ad the Hazards of Global Ambition" Simon and Schuster

Noelle Quenivet, "Sexual Offenses in Armed Conflict and International Law", Transnational Publishers

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FEATURE ARTICLE: A Brief History of Suicide Attacks

Suicide attacks began 2,000 years. The earliest so far identified were those undertaken in the first century AD by Jewish Zealots and Sicarii opposed to Roman occupation. They would walk up to a Roman soldier and use a concealed sword to kill him, knowing that the other soldiers nearby would immediately kill the assassin. These operations helped escalate the situation and culminated in the siege of Masada, where nearly a thousand people chose suicide over being in the hands of the Romans. There were also a number of early Christian martyrs.

The word "assassin" comes from a group of Islamic radicals first documented during the crusades. The German priest Brocardus offered this portrait: "They sell themselves, are thirsty for human blood, kill the innocent for a price, and care nothing for either life or salvation. Like the devil, they transfigure themselves into angels of light, by imitating the gestures, garments, languages, customs and acts of various nations and peoples; thus, hidden in sheep's clothing, they suffer death as soon as they are recognized". (Lewis p1)

Individual suicides, most connected with religious conflict and political assassinations, continued for several centuries. In the 19th century, attacks became more organized, including small groups of rebels and anarchists who considered their deaths more as part of a military campaign.

Such increased collaboration and attacks that resulted in higher numbers of fatalities were supported by technical developments including more sophisticated weapons, more options for faster travel, and the beginning of electronic communications.

In the 20th century, when allied forces looked ready to invade the Japanese home islands, the Japanese military established the special military forces called kamikazes, using planes especially designed for suicide attacks. Using this tactic, the Japanese increased the damage to allied forces by more than four times - and helped encourage US President Truman's supposition that a nuclear weapon was the only way to prevent massive casualties.

In the 1980s, Lebanese Hezbollah began to experiment with suicide bombings in response to the Israeli invasion of Lebanon. Their fourth attack was a spectacular success. A suicide truck bomb driven into the US military barracks killed 241 marines while they slept. US President Reagan withdrew all US forces from Lebanon and virtually abandoned the country altogether. This example has been used ever since to prove that suicide works.

Al Amal, Al Dawa, and the Lebanese Communist Party also adopted suicide attacks. Hezbollah continues to use this tactic, but the numbers of attacks fell dramatically after withdrawals form Lebanon and now are conducted only occasionally

Other groups in the Middle East also adopted suicide tactics. The Al Aqsa Martyrs Brigades has a unit dedicated to suicide attacks, which began in January 2002 and use cars and body suits. Hamas's Izz a-Din al Kassam is a dedicated suicide squad that began in 1993. In more than two dozen attacks they have used body suits, suitcases, cars and even animals. Palestine Islamic Jihad (PIJ) has launched more than 30 suicide attacks since 1995, using suitcases, cars, bicycles, and body suits. The Armed Islamic Group (GIS), Egyptian Islamic Jihad (EIJ), Islamic Group of Egypt, and the People's Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have also been connected with past suicide attacks.

In Europe, Turkey's Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) that favors an independent Kurdistan, adopted suicide tactics in 1996 and has carried out 16 attacks using body suits. Chechnya was the first Soviet republic that the Russian military used force to stop it from becoming an independent country. In July 2000 their fight for independence adopted a campaign of suicide attacks, including many women that had been widowed during the 10-year separatist war (the "Black Widows"). Chechen rebels have used body suits but favor vehicles packed with explosives, used in more than a dozen attacks. London became the first EU country to suffer suicide attacks with four coordinated attacks on July 7 that killed more than 50 people, and another four attacks a week later that failed.

South Asia is the home of the highest number of suicide attacks, led by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam. Their dedicated force of Black Tigers has carried out nearly 200 suicide attacks. Their cadres, who carry cyanide capsules in case of capture, have used body suits and a variety of vehicles such as bicycles, boats, cars and trucks.

Other separatist conflicts throughout the region, particularly in Kashmir, also frequently resort to suicide attacks. Jaish-e-Muhamad has dedicated Fidayeen squads who use guns, grenades, and cars in attacks against Indian security forces. In a throwback to the original Zealots and Assassins, the Fidayeen Ikhwan-ul-Muslimeen death squad commanded by Pareena would walk up to soldiers in broad daylight, attack them with knives and steal their guns, without attempting to escape. Lashkar-e-Toiba uses similar tactics. These groups have been responsible for scores of attacks.

In Southeast Asia, Jemaah Islamiah and its affiliated groups around the region have emerged since the November 2002 Bali bombings and are believed to have conducted at least one suicide car bombing.

Al Qaeda is the only group operating worldwide. Its loosely affiliated network has been a potent influence on the groups mentioned above, and the increasing number of individuals who, like the London bombers, share its philosophy. The al Qaeda affiliate in Iraq has been responsible for dozens of suicide attacks, in a country where they had never before occurred. Since the US-led invasion, the number of attacks in Iraq has escalated dramatically. In 2003 there were 20 suicide attacks, 48 in 2004, and from January-May of 2005 there were more than 50.

Worldwide the past two decades have seen a dramatic increase in suicide attacks. There was an average of about three each year during the 1980s. After the first Gulf War, the number of suicide attacks averaged about ten per year. After the invasion of Iraq, the average is approaching 50 per year - and rising.

Suicide attacks are not the weapon of the weak or insane. They have been highly effective in spreading fear that forces political change, particularly against occupation forces. As Robert Pape points out, "what nearly all suicide terrorist attacks have in common is a specific secular and strategic goal: to compel modern democracies to withdraw military forces from territory that the terrorists consider to be their homeland. Religion is rarely the root cause, although it is often used as a tool by terrorist organizations in recruiting and in other efforts in service of the broader strategic objective". (Pape p4)

Regardless of the motive, suicide attacks are an effective operational tactic that provides an inexpensive and efficient way to produce mass casualties. As Bruce Hoffman says, " With the exception of weapons of mass destruction, there is no other type of attack that is more effective than suicide terrorism".
(http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/07/16/AR2005071601363_pf.html)
Next week's Feature Article focuses on measures to counter suicide bombings.

Further Reading:

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