---

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:
Terrorism in Jordan

NEWS HIGHLIGHTS OF THE WEEK

---

1. World

More than 600 delegates from over 100 countries gathered to develop a global action plan to control avian influenza in animals and limit the threat of a human pandemic. Funding is immediately needed to address these key action steps: Control at source in birds, Surveillance, Rapid Containment, Pandemic Preparedness, Integrated Country Plans, and Communications. http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/releases/2005/pr58/en/index.html
http://www.who.int/dg/lee/speeches/2005/closingremarks_avianflu/en/index.html
http://web.worldbank.org/WBSITE/EXTERNAL/NEWS/0,,contentMDK:20711283~pagePK:64257043~piPK:437376~theSitePK:4607,00.html
http://www.fao.org/ag/againfo/subjects/en/health/diseases-cards/special_avian.html
http://www.oie.int/eng/manifestations/en_prep_manif_IA.htm

The meeting is particularly timely given that last week China reported its eighth outbreak of bird flu within a month, and the deadly H5N1 strain has been diagnosed in a 1-year old boy in Thailand and detected in Kuwait - reaching the Gulf for the first time. In Vietnam a man died of the disease, becoming the country's 42nd victim.

The International Energy Agency's (IEA) "World Energy Outlook" report warns that based on current consumption trends, energy demand will rise by over 50 percent in the next 25 years. IEA projects that this will lead to substantial price increases after years of under-investment in production and refineries, as well as an increase in emissions from global greenhouse gases of some 52 percent.
http://www.iea.org/Textbase/press/pressdetail.asp?PRESS_REL_ID=163

High in the mountains of Kashmir, snowfalls of 20 feet can occur as early as December. During winter rain and snow, helicopters that represent the only way to deliver supplies are unable to fly. Little time is left to provide aid to the millions left homeless by the South Asian earthquake. Disease outbreaks are also beginning to occur.
Disasters Emergency Committee http://www.dec.org.uk
Kashmir International Relief Fund http://www.kirf.org
Red Cross/ Red Crescent http://www.icrc.org
Oxfam http://www.oxfam.org/eng/programs_emer_asiaquake.htm
UNHCR http://www.unicef.org.uk
UNICEF http://www.unicef.org
World Food Program http://www.wfp.org

---

2. Africa

Angola marks 30 years of independence from Portugal on 11 November.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50032

Burkina Faso has begun voting in presidential elections. Incumbent President Blaise Compaore, who came to power in a bloody 1987 coup, is favored to win. The opposition is divided, with eleven candidates, and poorly funded.

Cameroon paramilitary police arrested an Australian journalist, Andrew Mueller, and two officials with the Anglophone Southern Cameroons National Council (SCNC), a separatist group. Charges as yet are unknown.

Democratic Republic of Congo UN peacekeepers operating in the east have been unable to detect the presence of Lord's Resistance Army combatants reported in the area.

Eritrea and Ethiopia have continued their build-up of troop movements along the border. The UN mission, describing the situation as "tense and potentially volatile", has been further restricted in their movements.

Ethiopia has released 2,417 people detained during opposition protests last week, in which more than 40 people were killed. Opposition leaders and an unknown number of other people remain in detention, and are likely to face charges of treason.

Kenyan police broke up a banned rally held by opponents of the new constitution, killing two protesters, critically injuring three, and leaving dozens injured.

Liberia's National Elections Commission has two weeks before announcing the final result, but US-educated banker Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf appears to have a commanding lead over her rival, football (soccer) star George Weah. As with the first round of elections, the second was very peaceful, but since preliminary results have become known hundreds of Weah supporters have held protest rallies, including clashes with troops involving a few injuries. Many of Weah's supporters are young militiamen. Weah has filed a formal complaint regarding voting irregularities, which is being investigated. Sirleaf is hoping to include Weah and other rivals in her government. If the preliminary results are confirmed, Sirleaf will be the first elected woman head of state in Africa.

Mauritania's military junta has moved promised presidential elections forward, to 11 March 2007. Prior to this they will hold a constitutional referendum as well as municipal and parliamentary elections. Military Council for Justice and Democracy members have promised they will not run for president.

In South Darfur, Sudan, armed attacks against villagers continued during the week, resulting in at least 18 deaths. As a US official toured the region, a Sudanese official tried to prevent him speaking with African Union monitors, in an encounter that degenerated into a shouting match and mutual expressions of lack of trust.

Togo's national Commission of Inquiry issued the results of its investigation into political violence earlier this year. They report that the government, political leaders and security forces are responsible for the deaths of 154 people and injury to 654. They call for an overhaul in Togo's institutions and practices, including improved electoral processes, militia disarmament, multi-ethnic representation in the armed forces, and other measures.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50060

Uganda's Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) rebels have shot and killed a British tourist and abducted the surviving holidaymakers, who were later released, including three injured during the ambush. Attacks against foreigners, mostly aid workers, have increased in apparent retaliation against international arrest warrants issued against LRA leaders.

Zimbabwe's foreign affairs minister summoned the US ambassador to convey Zimbabwe's displeasure with recent remarks that the government was responsible for the current food crisis. Responding to the same remarks, President Mugabe reportedly told the ambassador to go to hell. The opposition Movement for Democratic Change (MDC) has expelled 26 members for defying MDC leader Morgan Tsvangirai's boycott of forthcoming elections. Those expelled plan to run as independents.

---

3. Americas

Argentina's intelligence service and prosecutors have identified Hezbollah member Ibrahim Hussein Berro as the suicide bomber responsible for the 1994 attack against the Jewish community center in which 85 people were killed. Hezbollah denies the accusation.

Colombian authorities continued forcible removal of indigenous protesters from farms they are occupying despite a number of violent incidents including one in which a 16-year-old boy was killed when police used live ammunition. The deadline for the paramilitary Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC) may be extended. Colombian President Uribe's term is likely to be extended, since he is favored to win presidential elections scheduled for next year, now that the Constitutional Court has cleared his way to run.

Chinese officials deny a warning issued by the US embassy that "Chinese police advised hotels that Islamic extremist elements could be planning to attack four and five star hotels in China sometime over the course of the next week".
http://beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/110905u.html
http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2005-11/10/content_493598.htm

Peru has withdrawn its ambassador in Tokyo due to Japan's provision of consular services to former Peruvian President and dual Peru-Japan national Alberto Fujimori. Fujimori is in custody in Chile pending possible extradition to Peru.

The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Inspector General has released a redacted report that finds the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has not established adequate controls over sensitive data in its National Emergency management Information System (NEMIS). NEMIS is a database holding information about requests for federal assistance and hazard mitigation funding. It has not implemented basic user management, access controls, training or testing.
http://www.dhs.gov//dhspublic/interweb/assetlibrary/OIGr_05-43_Sep05.pdf

Death row inmate Charles Victor Thompson, who took advantage of a series of human errors to walk away from his Texas jail, was recaptured in Louisiana and immediately returned to Texas. An investigation into the incident is underway.

---

4. Asia Pacific

Australian police undertook the largest ever counter-terrorism raid, resulting in 18 arrests and a government claim that they had disrupted planning of a major terrorist attack. "Operation Pandanus" began two months earlier following an intelligence tip regarding purchases of chemicals and has involved 850 intelligence and police forces in three jurisdictions. Raids in Sydney led to eight arrests, including one person (Mirsad Mulahalilovic, a refugee from Bosnia) who had plastic piping and chemicals in his house. Omar Baladjam was shot and seriously injured during the raid. Izzydeen Atik was arrested, charged with being part of an organization that he knew was a terrorist group, and has been extradited to Melbourne. In Melbourne, nine people were arrested for membership of a terrorist group, allegedly led by militant cleric Abu Bakr. Additional suspects are under surveillance and further arrests are likely.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/hot-on-the-trail/2005/11/08/1131407637675.html

The raid and arrests came while new counterterrorism legislation is under discussion, including how extensive new police powers should be. Australian Prime Minister Howard is considering stripping Australians of their citizenship if they are dual-nationals convicted of terrorism crimes, and plans to bring new laws that give the army a role in attack response.

Burma's military junta has begun moving nine ministries from the capital, Rangoon, to the central town of Pyinmana.

Indonesian security forces have arrested four men in connection with the beheadings of three schoolgirls in Sulawesi on 29 October. Since this incident, two other high school students were shot and are in critical condition in hospital.

In operations in East Java, most wanted Malaysian bomb expert Azahari Husin has been killed during a raid, as well as seven other suspected militants. Forensic investigation suggests that as Azahari reached for the detonator on his explosives belt he was shot in the chest and legs, then his colleague Arman detonated his own suicide belt, blowing himself up and tearing Azahari's corpse in two. Despite his death, authorities fear the pre-Christmas bombing campaign he was planning may proceed without him. Security has been tightened, particularly around the Malaysian embassy, and the hunt for fellow terrorist Noordin has been stepped up.

Indonesia's foreign affairs ministry was pleased that the UN Congress had removed references to Papua from the State Department Authorization Bill.

North Korea has accelerated work on another nuclear reactor to produce more plutonium and weapons. The amount of plutonium in North Korea is now higher than on 19 September when a framework agreement to dismantle the program was concluded. The fifth round of 6-party talks regarding North Korea's nuclear program ended in deadlock. North Korea was criticized for accelerating production of nuclear materials, while the US was accused of impeding negotiations with financial sanctions.

---

5. Europe

Azerbaijan's elections improved somewhat but did not meet international standards, particularly in tabulation of the votes. The International Observation Mission included 665 observers from 42 countries. They reported that:

Although in the immediate aftermath, protests were muted, a demonstration drew 15,000 people and today some 20,000 gathered, carrying orange flags that recall the Ukraine's Orange Revolution of last year, and asking police to join them in opposition to an election they say was rigged. The demonstrations were peacefully dispersed. Azerbaijan President Aliyev says he will not permit a popular revolt. These demonstrations have not been on the same scale as those in the Ukraine.

The French government authorized emergency powers that allow local authorities to impose curfews and police to conduct raids without warrants. In Paris a ban on public meetings was imposed. These measures have lowered the volume of violence in more than two weeks of rioting. However, for the first time violence has spread outside of poor suburbs to the center of Lyon, the first major city center affected. In response, Lyon has also banned public gatherings. French police are also paying attention to incitement through web sites and text messaging

In Turkey, a bomb planted in a bookstore exploded on 9 November, killing one person. Local residents in the Kurdish area, near the Iraq border, pursued the suspected bomber, who turned out to be a Turkish intelligence officer. The incident and accusations that intelligence officials may have taken extrajudicial measures are under investigation. The bookstore owner is suspected of connections with the Kurdistan Worker's Party (PKK) and was believed to be the target. Protests over the attack led to riots in which one person died on Wednesday. The protests spread to another town, and violence has continued.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair suffered his first defeat on a parliamentary vote by a whopping 322 to 219, wiping out the government's majority. Rebel Labor members joined other parties to defeat a proposal for police to hold terror suspects without charge for 90 days, but agreed to extend the time limit from the current 14 days to 28. Senior police officials have warned of new plots and supported the bill. Following its defeat, there may be an investigation into claims that the government manipulated the police.
Press coverage:

The European Monitoring Centre on Racism (EUMC) praised measures taken by government and community leaders after the 7/7 bombings that limited backlash against Muslims.
http://eumc.eu.int/eumc/material/pub/London/London-Bomb-attacks.pdf
In a related development, working groups with the "Preventing Extremism Together" project provided their final proposals. These include:

The Police Federation for Northern Ireland's group action case has opened in the High Court. More than 5,000 serving and former officers are claiming negligence by the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) for not treating post-traumatic stress disorder and other psychiatric injuries connected with the "extremely traumatic nature of their duties". Specifically, this refers to terror attacks and atrocities that took place during the Troubles.
http://www.policefed-ni.org.uk/press/051107.htm

The Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill has been introduced into Parliament. It would implement proposals to address terrorist fugitives wanted for crimes committed before the 1998 Good Friday Agreement to return home if they meet particular criteria and their case is approved by a special tribunal. Criticized by loyalists and families of victims, the government presents this legislation as a necessary step "in the interests of entrenching the benefits of peace".
http://www.nio.gov.uk/media-detail.htm?newsID=12477

---

6. Middle East

Egyptians began voting in a three-stage election to the lower house of parliament, the People's Assembly. In the last elections, the ruling National Democratic Party (NDP) won 37 percent of the seats, while independent candidates won a majority, but most independents joined with the NDP. This time there is an opposition alliance, the National Front for Change, which is allied with the outlawed Muslim Brotherhood (whose members run as independents). The first stage, involving eight governates, was held on 9 November, and resulted in opposition leader of the al-Ghad Party losing his seat. Winners must have more than 50 percent or face a run-off. Other governates will vote in two subsequent states on 20 November and 1 December. Final results are expected in mid-December. Only parties with at least 23 of the 444 elected seats will be able to field a candidate in the next presidential election.

Iran's Navy seized the British couple Rupert and Linda Wise and Paul Shulton of Australia on a sailing trip from their home in Dubai. As they headed towards the disputed island of Abu Musa in the Strait of Hormuz, they were seized and held for nearly three weeks. Unknown to them, the island and its neighboring Greater and Lesser Tunbs hold a strategic position in the Gulf, where some 20 percent of the world's oil passes by. Iran seized the Tunbs in 1971 and since its annexation of Abu Musa in 1992 has been in dispute with the UAE. UAE has asked the International Court to address the issue of sovereignty, but Iran refuses outside intervention.

Iran accepted the arrival of the first Iraqi passenger plane since the 1980s war between the two countries. Regular Baghdad to Tehran service will begin on 16 November.

Iraqi Prime Minister Ibrahim Jaafari requested that the UN extend the mandate of the US-led multinational forces in Iraq. The Security Council unanimously voted to extend the mandate to the end of 2006.

Attorneys defending Saddam Hussein's half-brother Barzan Ibrahim al-Tikriti, and former vice president Taha Yassin Ramadan, were attacked as they drove in Baghdad. Adel al-Zubeidi was shot dead and Thamer Hamoud al-Khuzaie was injured. Another defense lawyer was killed last month. The defense team has called for the trial to be moved abroad because of the dangerous situation in Iraq, and is threatening a boycott. Another assassination killed a Sudanese embassy employee. Former Baath party leader Izzat Ibrahim al-Douri has died. He had evaded capture, and was believed to have financed insurgent groups.

Other Iraqi insurgent attacks included two suicide bombers at the Palestine Hotel restaurant in Baghdad that killed more than 30 and injured over 20. A suicide bombing against a recruitment center in Tikrit killed six and injured 13. Other suicide attacks struck a mosque and a police station in the Shia Shaab district of Baghdad, killing six and wounding 25, while five policemen were killed and nine injured by a suicide bombing near Baquba.

In military action, US and Iraqi forces say that "Operation Steel Curtain" along the Euphrates has secured routes to prevent foreign fighters entering Iraq. During this operation, one US Marine and 36 insurgents were reported as killed, and 180 suspects arrested. In Ramadi, US Marines report killing more than a dozen insurgents, and capturing ten. There were many other incidents as well.

The UN Environment Program has announced plans to clean up five highly toxic sites in Iraq; initial clean-up could cost as much as $40 million. There are thousands of such sites, but the most critical are:

Italian state television broadcast a documentary that accuses the US military of using white phosphorus bombs against civilians in Falluja. The US is not a signatory to an international treaty that restricts use of these devices but says they were used only for illumination.
http://www.rai.it/news/articolornews24/0,9219,4201030,00.html (in Italian)

In Jordan, three suicide bombers (two using suicide vests and one in a car) attacked three western hotels in the capital, Amman. The simultaneous attacks killed at least 57 people Among those identified were 33 Jordanians, 6 Iraqis, 4 Palestinians, 2 Bahrainis, 1 Saudi, 1 American, 1 Syrian-born American, 1 Indonesian, 2 Chinese. More than 100 people were injured. Most of the dead and injured came from the attack at in the middle of a wedding party. Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed responsibility on a website, but the claim has not been independently confirmed. In their posting, al Qaeda in Iraq names the suicide bombers as Iraqis Abu Khabib, Abu Muaz, and a married couple, Abu and Om Omaira. However, Jordanian authorities contradict this claim. Their investigation indicates that the three men, all belonging to al Qaeda in Iraq were responsible. Jordanian police have named them as Ali Hussein Ali al-Shamari, Rawad Jassem Mohammed Abed, and Safaa Mohammed Ali. A fourth participant was arrested with her suicide belt intact, after she apparently had trouble with the primer cord. She was identified as Sajida Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi, the wife of Shamari and sister of Mubarak Atrous al-Rishawi, a Zarqawi lieutenant who was killed by US forces in Falluja.

Lebanon's Interior Minister Hassan Saba said that the national state of alert imposed after the attempted assassination of journalist May Chidiac in September is still in place and will continue until security is established. President Emile Laboud has met with the UN team investigating the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri.

Syria says it is cooperating with the Hariri investigation, but not to the extent of damaging national security. Six leading Syrians mentioned in the interim UN report have been placed under a travel ban

In the West Bank, Israeli troops shot and killed a 16-year-old boy near Nablus and he and three other youths were apparently attempting to plant a bomb in the road. Troops also shot and killed Islamic Jihad gunman Samr al-Ghul near Qabatiyah.

Meanwhile, the parents of 12-year old Palestinian boy, Ahmed Ismail Khatib, donated his organs to five Israeli children and an adult woman. He had been shot dead by Israeli soldiers who mistook his toy gun for a real one. The parents hope their sacrifice will help to promote peace.

Palestinians marked the first anniversary of Yasser Arafat's death, and the Committee on the Exercise of the Inalienable Rights of the Palestinian People market its 30th anniversary.

---

7. South Asia

The South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) held its 13th summit in which leaders agreed to promote regional economic cooperation and integrate their fight against terrorism and responses to natural disasters.
http://www.saarc-sec.org

Afghanistan's Joint Election Management Body (JEMB) has completed its review of parliamentary and provincial elections and certified results from all provinces.
http://www.jemb.org/
The provincial councils elected in September are now choosing representatives for the upper house of parliament.

In Afghanistan, Helmand Provincial Governor Sher Mohammad escaped assassination when a suicide bomber blew up his vehicle as the governor arrived at his office. En route to Kandahar, suspected Taleban rebels killed seven policemen and abducted two, whose bodies were found later. In Uruzgan province rebels beheaded two civilians, and military operations in the area killed four rebels. An Afghan soldier reportedly fired upon US forces that shot him dead. Other Taleban attacks at the end of the week killed five people.

India's Foreign Minister Natwar Singh remains in cabinet but has been stripped of his post while investigations take place into allegations that he benefited from the Iraq Oil-for-Food scandal. A cabinet member in Uttar Pradesh has stepped down after the Supreme Court reinstated charges brought in 2003 under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). POTA has been repealed and the terrorism charged pending against him will be heard in Madhya Pradesh state.

Former president KR Narayanan has died aged 85. He was president from 1997 to 2002, and was the first member of the Dalit (Untouchable) caste to be president.

Police in Delhi have arrested Tariq Ahmed Dar, the suspected mastermind of last month's bombings. Four accomplices are being sought. They are believed connected with Lashkar-e-Toiba. A man held and questioned earlier in the week has been released. Although he had claimed responsibility, his statements were contradictory and no evidence against him could be found.

In Uttar Pradesh, bandit Nirbhay Gujjar ("Terror of the Ravines")was shot dead by police in a gun battle. He had been wanted in connection with more than 200 cases of murder and kidnap that took place in Uttar Pradesh and Madhaya Pradesh over the last ten years. His primary area of operations was in the Chambal ravines, where the late Bandit Queen, Phoolan Devi, had operated.

In India-administered Kashmir, two militants and three civilians were killed in separate incidents. In an operation on Saturday, police killed five men including two people alleged to have been used as human shields. Demonstrators protesting the incident were violently dispersed, but the protests only ended after an investigation was promised.

Nepal's rebels freed Arun Chand, son of the former Prime Minister, after a ransom of $400,000 was paid to local sugar cane farmers. Mr. Chand owns a sugar factory in the area.

Sri Lanka's top peace negotiator has resigned to let a new president appoint a replacement. The presidential elections will take place on 17 November. Tamil Tigers say they will allow Tamils to vote. Although no polling booths will be set up inside rebel-held territory, they will be placed just outside it.

---

8. Cyberterrorism and Information Warfare

TransUnion LLC has notified more than 3,000 consumers that their social security numbers and other personal details is vulnerable to theft after a desktop computer containing the data was stolen from a regional office.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/08/AR2005110801573.html
http://www.computerworld.com/securitytopics/security/story/0,10801,106083,00.html

The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) and SRI International published a report commissioned by the US Department of Homeland Security. "Online Identity Theft: Technology, Chokepoints and Countermeasures" reviews tactics used in phishing attacks and technologies that can reduce their impact.
http://www.antiphishing.org/Phishing-dhs-report.pdf

Microsoft has issued its November security bulletin, including patches for three critical flaws in the way Windows handles certain graphic files.
http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/bulletin/ms05-nov.mspx

Viruses that use Sony's anti-piracy software, which includes a root-kit, have been found. Kaspersku Labs identified Backdoor.Win32.Breplibot.b, which uses spam and social engineering to download malicious code hidden in an alleged photo. Sophos identified Troj/Stinx-E (aka Breplibot and Ryknos.), which masquerades as a message from a magazine. Infections have been low, but other variants and new exploits are anticipated. Sony says it is working with security firms to address the problems and while that effort is underway, production of CDs containing this technology has been suspended.
http://www.sonybmg.com/
http://www.kaspersky.com/news?id=173737204
http://www.sophos.com/pressoffice/news/articles/2005/11/stinxe.html
http://www.sysinternals.com/blog/2005/10/sony-rootkits-and-digital-rights.html

Macromedia has issued a security update for a critical vulnerability it its Flash Player.
http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/security/security_zone/mpsb05-07.html
http://secunia.com/advisories/17430
http://www.eeye.com/html/research/advisories/AD20051104.html
http://lists.grok.org.uk/pipermail/full-disclosure/2005-November/038454.html

Serious vulnerabilities in Voice Over Internet Protocol (VOIP) software Skype have also been disclosed.
http://secunia.com/advisories/17305/

The UK Association of Payment Clearing Services (APACS) reports that "card not present" fraud through the internet, phone or mail order, has increased by 29 percent over the past year, accounting for a quarter of all losses. However, chip and pin technology is credited for an overall reduction in fraud, from GBP252 million to GBP291 million, comparing the first six months of 2005 and 2004.
http://www.apacs.org.uk/

---

9. Finance

Bank of New York (the oldest in the US) has reached an agreement with New York prosecutors in a fraud and money laundering investigation opened in 1999 regarding the laundering of funds from organized crime figures in Russia.. The bank will forfeit $26 million to the government, pay $12 million to fraud victims, implement internal controls, and submit to monitoring by an independent examiner. There will be no prosecution.
http://www.bankofny.com/htmlpages/npr_2005_1933.htm
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/nye/pr/2005nov08.htm

The US Office of Foreign Assets Control has named Wilber Varela ("Jabon") a Specially Designated Narcotics Trafficker in connection with Colombia's North Valle Cartel. Four companies and ten associates were also listed.
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js3012.htm

The Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) member countries and other international organizations opened a conference in Vienna on countering terrorist financing with a call to build a global anti-terrorism network. Kazakhstan's AML/CFT initiatives were praised, and additional lessons and best practices discussed.
http://www.osce.org/eea/item_1_16925.html
http://www.osce.org/item/16933.html

Testifying before the US Senate Committee on the Judiciary, Treasury official Daniel Glaser described Saudi Arabia's efforts to counter terrorist financing. Although the Saudi Government has "demonstrated serious determination to take aggressive action against al Qaeda", but need to do more "to ensure that Saudi funds are not sent overseas to promulgate the very hatred and extremism that Saudis are confronting at home". Recommendations include examining individual contributors, use of government funds, regional and international cooperation, and other means.
http://judiciary.senate.gov/print_testimony.cfm?id=1669&wit_id=4789

---

10. Human Rights

Ten years ago the writer and human rights activist Ken Saro-Wiwa was hanged in Nigeria, despite international pleas for clemency. Commemoration events have taken place in Nigeria and around the world, led by his son of the same name.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50034
http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/dates/stories/november/10/newsid_2539000/2539561.stm
http://www.november10th.com/
http://www.kensarowiwa.com/
http://www.remembersarowiwa.com/

The US Department of Defense has adopted a new directive, "DoD Intelligence Interrogations, Detainee Debriefings, and Tactical Questioning" that sets interrogation policies in which humane treatment is established and "Acts of physical or mental torture are prohibited".
http://www.defenselink.mil/news/Nov2005/20051108_3267.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/11/08/politics/08abuse.html (registration)

The European Court of Human Rights has awarded E100,000 to Myroslava Gongadze, the widow of murdered Ukrainian journalist Georgiy Gongadze. The court found that Ukrainian authorities had not done enough to protect his life or investigate his death and that police officers were probably involved in his death.
http://www.echr.coe.int/Eng/Press/2005/Nov/ChamberJudgmentGongadzevUkraine81105.htm

The same court rejected an appeal by a Turkish woman who said that Turkey's ban on Islamic headscarves in universities, which had resulted in her exclusion from class, was discriminatory and violated her right to an education.
http://www.echr.coe.int/Eng/Press/2005/Nov/GrandChamberJudgmentLeylaSahinvTurkey101105.htm

Burundi has established a special commission to investigate release of political prisoners.
http://www.irinnews.org/report.asp?ReportID=50057

The High Court in Andhra Pradesh state in southern India has ruled that legislation reserving five percent of education places and government jobs for the Muslim minority is unconstitutional. They found that the constitution did not support reservations based on religion and there was not enough evidence that the Muslims were socially backward. Chief Minister Reddy, emphasizing that it was not based on religion and that only the disadvantaged in the population (about ten percent of the state) were eligible. He will appeal the ruling to the Supreme Court.

The UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) released the 2006 Education For All Global Monitoring Report, "Literacy for Life". The report finds that a fifth of the world's adult population is illiterate and 100 million children are not attending primary school, presenting "a severe violation of rights and a brake on all aspects of development". Only about one percent of education budgets is used for literacy. The worst levels of illiteracy are in Africa and the Arab states, with a 60-percent literacy rate and worldwide only 88 women are literate for every 100 men.
http://portal.unesco.org/education/en/ev.php-URL_ID=35876&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html

The US Department of State released the 2005 International Religious Freedom Report. It covers 197 countries and territories, of which eight have been re-designated as "Countries of Particular Concern". These are Burma, China, Eritrea, Iran, North Korea, Saudi Arabia, Sudan, and Vietnam.
http://www.state.gov/g/drl/rls/irf/2005/

---

11. Law and Legal Issues

Adnan bin Abdullahh al-Omari has been arrested in Saudi Arabia after being repatriated from an unnamed country. He is on the most wanted list in Saudi Arabia.

Abu Bakr, a pro-bin Laden cleric, has been arrested in Australia under its newly amended anti-terror laws. He was charged with directing a terrorist organization. Others arrested in the extensive raids include Omar Baladjam, Abdul Nacer Benbrika, Moustafa Cheikho, Khaled Cheikho, Mohamed Ali Elomar, Amer Haddara, Abdul Rhakib Hasan, Aimen Joud, Shane Kent, Abdulla Merhi, Mirsad Mulahalilovic, Ahmed Raad, Ezzit Raad, Fadal Sayadi, Khaled Sharrouf, Hany Taha, and Mazen Touma.

Alberto Fujimori, former President of Peru, was arrested on arrival in Chile on 6 November. Peru has requested his extradition to face charges of corruption and human rights abuses.

Salim Ahmed Hamdan has been charged in the US military prison at Guantanamo Bay with conspiracy to commit war crimes, including terrorism. The military trial was announced on the same day that the US Supreme Court agreed to hear the case whether these military tribunals are constitutional. Charges for military tribunals have also been laid against Ghassan Abdullah al Sharbi and Jabran Said bin al Qahtani of Saudi Arabia; Sufyian Barhoumi of Algeria; Binyam Ahmed Muhammad of Ethiopia; and Omar Ahmed Khadr (aged 15 when arrested) of Canada.
http://www.defenselink.mil/releases/2005/nr20051107-5078.html

Calixte Kalimanzira, inter minister in Rwanda during the height of the 1994 genocide, turned himself in the UN criminal tribunal where he is charged with making inflammatory speeches that amounted to direct and public incitement to genocide, as well as charges of genocide and complicity in genocide.

Sheik Mansour Leghael, a prominent Muslim cleric in Australia, will be deported following a Federal Court ruling that he presented a risk to national security. Details were not given but are likely related to his links to Iran and the radical group Ahlul-Bait.

Gulam Moideen Lone ("Moideva") was arrested in Indian-administered Kashmir. He is believed to be an active member of the militant separatist group Hizbul Mujahideen (HM).

Martin McAliskey has been charged in Northern Ireland court with making false statements to the police in connection with purchase, possession and sale of a van believed used in last December's Northern Bank robbery. In connection with the same incident, Peter Kelly has been arrested on charges of making and having documents containing information of use to terrorists.

Michael McKevitt, former Real IRA leader sentenced to 20 years in prison for terrorism offenses, appealed his conviction in Ireland's Court of Appeal, which has now reserved judgement.

Uzair Paracha of Pakistan was indicted by a US grand jury in November 2003 on charges related to providing material support to a terrorist organization. In 2004 a New York court upheld oral statements and seized evidence during a Joint Terrorism Taskforce investigation although the statements and search were involuntary. His trial opened on Tuesday, 8 November. For the first time, the alleged al Qaeda operative has been granted the right to present statements made by alleged al Qaeda operatives abroad. Although the alleged operatives Majid Khan and Ammar Baluchi will not be permitted in court for security reasons, their statements will be permitted. Testimony from Khalid Sheikh Mohammed and Paracha's father (held in Guantanamo Bay) will not be permitted. This will be the first time a US jury will hear such testimony.

Porfirio Ramirez has been sentenced in Colombian court to eight years of house arrest in connection with hijacking an aircraft in his wheelchair, after he had been denied compensation after being partially paralyzed when shot by the police during a raid.

Abdul Rashid, son of Mohammad Sultan of Nagani Gah Kashwan, was arrested in Indian-administered Kashmir. He is believed to be an active militant with the Harkat-Ul-Jehad-Islami (HUJI).

Abu Salem has been extradited with his companion, former actress Monica Bedi, from Portugal to India. He is wanted in connection with the 1993 bombings in Bombay in which more than 250 people were killed, as well as numerous cases of extortion and kidnapping, and his alleged connections with criminal mastermind Dawood Ibrahim. Portugal was assured that India will not execute the couple.
http://cbi.nic.in/

Farouk Shaikh Reyes was arrested in Colombia. He is wanted in the US for drug trafficking, and authorities believe he was the main cocaine salesman for the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC). If this is the case, annual FARC income (approximately $500 million from drugs and $500 million from extortion and kidnapping) will likely be affected.

Andre Shoukri, leader of the Ulster Defense Association (UDA) in north Belfast has been charged in Belfast court with blackmail, intimidation, and money laundering.

Father Guy Theunis, a Belgian Catholic priest accused in Rwanda of crimes of genocide in 1994, will be transferred from Rwanda to stand trial in Belgium.

Ralph Uwazurike has been charged in Nigerian court with treason. He is the leader of the Movement for the Actualization of the Sovereign State of Biafra (MASSOB), which was banned in Nigeria three years ago. Six colleagues have also been charged.

Chao Tung We and Yi Qing Chen have been charged under an anti-terrorism state used for the first time, with planning to smuggle surface-to-air missiles to destroy aircraft. The naturalized US citizens born in China were part of the undercover FBI "Operation Smoking Dragon".
http://www.usdoj.gov/usao/cac/pr2005/151.html
http://www.fbi.gov/page2/aug05/pistole082205.htm

Ernst Zundel, a white supremacist and Holocaust denier, was extradited from Canada to Germany earlier this year. He is now on trial in Germany on charges that include incitement, libel, and disparaging the dead.

---

12. Transportation

The International Maritime Bureau reports that in the first nine months of this year global piracy attacks fell by 18 percent compared to 2004. However, Somalia represents a particular concern because attacks have increased dramatically from one last year to 19 so far this year. There had never before been more than six and the cause of this rise is not yet understood. Although Somalia is an "Alert" situation, Indonesia remains the site of the greatest umber of attacks overall. 61 out of a total of 205 reported attacks took place in Indonesian waters. Of these, ten occurred in the Malacca Straits and seven in the Singapore Straits. Other hotspots are Bangladesh and Nigeria, each with 14, as well as India (12) and Jamaica (7). A new trend has emerged in Iraq, where six attacks off Basra have been reported since 22 April, despite nearby coalition naval forces.
http://www.iccwbo.org/id4948/index.html

Britain's Department for Transport will test screening equipment on the rail and underground system in a trial beginning in January. http://www.dft.gov.uk/pns/displaypn.cgi?pn_id=2005_0110

The US Department of Homeland Security provided a status report on the Visa Waiver Program for Congress.
http://www.dhs.gov/dhspublic/display?content=4928

The US Government Accountability Office (GAO) released "Border Security: More Emphasis on State's Consular Safeguards Could Mitigate Visa Malfeasance Risks". The report finds that internal controls such as reconciling inventory to stock and complying with referral policies and procedures are not consistently implemented. Stronger oversight supported with appropriate technology could help mitigate risks. Between 2001 and 2004 the Bureau of Diplomatic Security substantiated 28 cases of malfeasance involving US employees.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-115

---

13. Weapons of Mass Destruction

International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Director General Mohamed ElBaradei has proposed four "yardsticks" to thwart the smuggling of nuclear materials and the threat of terrorists? acquiring weapons of mass destruction. These are (1) the effectiveness of nuclear verification; (2) the control of sensitive nuclear technology; (3) the protection of nuclear material; and (4) compliance with commitments.
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/News/2005/nrealitycheck.html
http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/Statements/2005/ebsp2005n017.html

His comments were part of the 2005 Carnegie Non-Proliferation Conference.
http://www.carnegieendowment.org/static/npp/2005conference/2005_conference.htm

A review of IAEA's efforts, "Nuclear Nonproliferation: IAEA Has Strengthened Its Safeguards and Nuclear Security Programs, but Weaknesses Need to Be Addressed" was published by the US Government Accountability Office (GAO). The report identified challenges facing IAEA including that two-thirds of Non-Proliferation Treaty signators have not ratified the Additional Protocol, safeguards are limited or not applied for small quantities, and large numbers of inspectors and management personnel are expected to retire in the next five years.
http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-93

The US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) is seeking public comment on a proposed rule that would amend its regulations related both to radiological sabotage, and theft or diversion of strategic special nuclear material pertaining to the design basis threat (DBT).
http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/news/2005/05-151.html

US National Nuclear Security Administration Administrator Linton Brooks confirmed that Congress had canceled funding for the controversial Robust Nuclear Earth Penetrator, but the Pentagon may fund internally completion of the nuclear bunker-buster study.
http://appropriations.house.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=525

Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention met at their annual conference. Not all member nations have met the deadline for implementing national rules to meet Convention obligations.
http://www.opcw.org/

---

14. Recently Published

Chris Baker and Pasuk Phongpaichit, "A History of Thailand" Cambridge University Press

Lorrie Cranor and Simson Garfinkel, editors, "Security and Usability", O'Reilly.
http://www.oreilly.com/catalog/securityusability/

Stephen Hunder and John Bainbridge, "American Gunfight: The Plot to Kill Harry Truman", Simon and Schuster

Catherine Merridale, "Ivan's War: The Red Army 1941-1945", Faber and Faber/Metropolitan Books

Pietra Rivoli, " The Travels of a T-Shirt in the Global Economy : An Economist Examines the Markets, Power, and Politics of World Trade", Wiley. Note transcript of an IMF Book Forum:
http://www.imf.org/external/np/tr/2005/tr051019.htm

Chaiwat Satha-Anand, "The Life of This World: Negotiated Muslim Lives in Thai Society", Marshall Cavendish Academic

---

FEATURE ARTICLE: Terrorism in Jordan

The Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan is a predominantly Sunni Arab country in the Middle East. It lies to the northwest of Saudi Arabia, and shares the longest border with Israel and the West Bank. Standing at the head of the Gulf of Aqaba, it also borders Iraq and Syria, as well as the Dead Sea and Jordan River. This strategic location has given Jordan a critical role in the Middle East.

The country is mostly desert, with less than three percent arable land and few sources of fresh water. It has limited natural resources, mostly phosphates and potash, and suffers from high levels of poverty (30 percent), unemployment (15- 30 percent), and debt (over 85 percent of the gross domestic product). Despite these challenges, Jordan has been stable and secure country, not least because its intelligence and security services are among the strongest and most effective. Before the attacks this week, these services had been able to deter, detect, and prevent any major terrorist incidents. Unlike other countries in the region, there were almost no security precautions around hotels or tourist sites. Tourism is a major source of income and has supported increasing property prices, a rising stock market, and economic growth in excess of seven percent per year.

Although Jordan has been a comfortable place for foreigners, it is by no means a democracy. The country is a constitutional monarchy, established when Britain and France divided up the region after World War I. It gained independence from British administration on 25 May 1946, under the rule of King Abdullah, an Arabian and leader of the Bedouin tribes that dominated the population. Palestinian gunmen angry at the dissection of Palestine assassinated King Abdullah in 1951. (The descendents of Palestinian refugees from Israel and the West Bank now vastly outnumber the original Bedouins.) In 1952, Hussein was proclaimed King after his father was found mentally unfit to rule.

King Hussein ruled Jordan for 46 years. He was responsible for re-instituting parliamentary elections and for the 1994 peace treaty with Israel. His eldest son, King Abdullah II has ruled the country since 1999, undertaking aggressive economic reforms and some political liberalization. The Prime Minister, cabinet, and part of the legislature are appointed by the King, but legislative elections for some seats are held from time to time. Jordan stands alone with only Egypt as the two Arab nations that recognize Israel.

Jordan is a key ally of the US, while maintaining diplomatic ties with countries the US has named as state sponsors of terrorism including Iran, Iraq, Syria and Sudan. Indeed, the increasing close relationship that Jordan has with the US made it a natural target for al Qaeda and the Iraqi insurgency. Jordan is one of the sites in which, allied with the US Central Intelligence Agency, it has supported the covert transfer of US suspects to custody in Jordan, and hosts a number of CIA personnel. These extraordinary renditions place suspects in a country that permits torture.

The US Department of State's "Country Reports on Human Rights Practices" cited continuing human rights abuses. Among other things, these involved:

On the other hand, the Department of State's "Country Reports on Terrorism", praises the use of these tactics in the "war on terrorism". They cite several specific cases, and overall report that:

Jordan's experience with terrorism began as the country was founded. As the General Intelligence Department (GID) points out:

Jordan has often been used as a base by terrorist groups affiliated with Palestinians, most often related to border raids against Israel in the 1950s and 1960s. As home to the largest Palestinian refugee population - nearly 1,8 million - this is not surprising. Funds for the Palestinian cause have often been raised from wealth Jordanians. Inside Jordan, the Abu Nidal Organization and its Black September group attacked tourist and government targets in the 1970s and 1980s, as did a range of mostly Palestinian-affiliated groups. Jihadi and al-Qaeda affiliated incidents emerged in the 1990s. Low levels of attack with few fatalities continued until this week. Groups active in Jordan today include the remnants of the Abu Nidal Organization, Al Qaeda and network affiliates such as Al Qaeda in Iraq (which was founded by Jordanian Abu Musab al-Zarqawi), Hamas, Palestine Islamic Jihad - Shaqaqi Faction, and other Palestinian affiliates.

In recent years attacks included the 1998 raid of a dinner party in which masked attackers cut the throats of an Iraqi diplomat and seven others. In 2002, US diplomat was assassinated in front of his home. A car bomb outside the Jordanian Embassy in Baghdad in August 2003 killed 17 people, including two children, and more than 50 people were injured. Earlier this year, on 19 August, attackers from the hills above the port of Aqaba fired rockets that missed targets such as a docked US naval ship but did kill one Jordanian soldier. Many other attacks were intercepted early, including those directed against foreign tourists during Millennium celebrations in 2000 and an al-Qaeda chemical weapons plan last year.

This week the ancient city of Amman experienced its worst incident of terrorism ever, with three simultaneous suicide bombings that killed 57 people and injured more than 100. Now the kingdom faces a new challenge, to convince the world that Jordan is safe for visitors and that it can remain a trusted safe haven in the Middle East. At the same time, they will need to balance the choice between democratic reforms and security restrictions.

Additional Resources:

Press coverage of the attacks:

---

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 © 2005 by TerrorismCentral.