AUTHOR:
TerrorismCentral Editorial Staff
TITLE:
TerrorismCentral Newsletter - January 15, 2006
SOURCE:
TerrorismCentral, January 15, 2006
TEXT:
Skinheads in Russia, arms smugglers in Lebanon, LTTE attacks in Sri Lanka, money laundering in Northern Ireland, flood information exchanges between Louisiana and the Netherlands, and the "dirty war" in West Africa are just a few of the international events summarized in this week's Newsletter. Don't forget to take a look at the new product information here and on the websites.
1. Global Terrorism Monitor
2. Political Risk Monitor
3. AML/CFT Monitor
4. Emerging Threat Monitor
5. Critical Infrastructure Monitor
6. Disaster Reduction Monitor
7. Recommended Reading
8. Asset Management Network News
Nigerian gunmen used three boats to board a Royal Dutch Shell vessel in the Niger Delta and took hostage four foreign oil workers, all members of a special security team. One of the kidnapped men was a Briton who was allowed to make a phone call in which he said they were being treated well and were not after money, but rather control of their resources and release of militia leader Dokubo-Asari. Delta militants also ruptured a major pipeline. Shell's oil production in the country has been cut by 20 percent.
Sierra Leone security forces have arrested Omrie Golley, a former Revolutionary United Front (RUF) spokesman during the civil war, and subsequent peace negotiator. He was arrested at the airport on suspicion of threats to state security.
An African Union peacekeeping force in Darfur came under attack by a suspected rebel group that killed one and injured ten. Sudan and Chad have blamed each other for the attack. Eastern Front rebels possibly backed by Eritrea report that government aircraft and artillery attacked their eastern stronghold and killed two children. The African Union's peacekeeping mandate has been extended for two months but funding shortfalls may force that it be moved to a UN force.
In Uganda, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Louise Arbour completed a weeklong visit in which she found great deprivation, including violations by the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) of great magnitude and lesser violations by the Uganda People's Defense Forces (UPDF). However, "violations by the UPDF contain an element of breach of trust where the person supposed to defend you instead offends you". The situation in the north is of particular concern, including "the total incapacitation of the people to participate in decisions concerning their future". Ending the 2-decade war in the north is also the topic of a new strategy proposal from the International Crisis Group:
"Only a comprehensive international strategy will halt the brutal insurgency of the Lord's Resistance Army in Uganda. Governments committed both to ending the war and achieving accountability in Uganda need to devise and apply a far-reaching plan that complements and reinforces the International Criminal Court (ICC) indictments and the peacemaking efforts of Betty Bigombe, including:
apprehending ICC indictees; pressing Uganda and neighbouring states to co-operate to fight LRA incursions;
getting the Ugandan military to focus on protecting civilians;
supporting Bigombe's moves to renew dialogue with the LRA including incentives for its non-indicted leaders;
pushing for a disarmament, demobilisation and reintegration (DDR) program;
establishing a truth and reconciliation commission; and providing for the basic humanitarian needs of displaced persons.
All these pieces have to be substantially enhanced and fit together to make peace a reality."
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3864&l=1
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GTM Americas
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Canada has deported Samir Ait Mohamed, an Algerian who had spent more than four years in custody fighting a US extradition request in connection with his alleged participation of assisting Ahmed Ressam, the convicted "millennium bomber" in his attempt to blow up Los Angeles airport on 31 December 1999. The US had dropped its extradition request last summer when Ressam stopped cooperating with authorities.
Jose Padilla has pleaded not guilty in Florida court to criminal charges that he provided money and support to terrorists abroad. The hearing came a week after Padilla, who had been held as an enemy combatant for more than three years, was transferred from military to civilian custody. He was denied bail, and the trial was set to begin 9 September.
At the US detention facility in Guantanamo Bay hearings before a military tribunal have opened for Afghan Ali Hamza Ahmad Sulayman al Bahlul, bin Laden's driver, and Canadian teenager Omar Ahmed Khadr, who is accused of throwing a grenade that killed a US army sergeant.
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GTM Asia Pacific
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Ten Australians arrested in November on terrorism charges have gone on hunger strike because they are being held in separately in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day and want to be permitted to pray together on the Muslim holy days, including Friday afternoons.
Sydney Morning Herald reporter Marian Wilkinson describes new information indicating that terrorist suspect Mamdouh Habib had been tortured during interrogation and detention in Egypt, and that this and other critical facts had been withheld from the public.
http://www.smh.com.au/news/national/what-should-we-believe/2006/01/13/1137118970093.html
http://www.smh.com.au/news/world/canberra-aware-of-suspects-plight/2006/01/13/1137118970129.html
East Timor welcomed a joint investigation, proposed by Indonesia, into the shooting of three men last weekend. Two others fled unharmed. The East Timor border patrol believes the Indonesians, who had been members of the Red and White Iron militia, were attempting to seize weapons, but two survivors said they had unintentionally crossed the border on their way to fish in a nearby river.
In Poso, Central Sulawesi, Indonesian security forces were deployed in large numbers to provide protection during the Christian and Muslim holidays that ended late last week. The region was the scene of fierce sectarian fighting in 2001-2002 that left a thousand people dead. This week, a small explosion went off near a church on Monday night. In addition, police and military units clashed, forcing civilians to flee. The incident underscored the lack of discipline in the security forces and suggested that a large military presence may not be the best way to solve the security problems.
Police in Papua province have arrested twelve suspected members of the separatist Free Papua Movement on suspicion of involvement in the 2002 murder of two US schoolteachers and an Indonesian companion who were ambushed and shot near their workplace, the Freeport gold mine. One of those detained, Antonius Wamang, was indicted by a US grand jury in 2004.
Suspected Indonesian militant Enceng Kurnia's trial has begun. He is charged with supplying weapons and ammunition to two colleagues in militant Islamic group Kompak, who are also on trial. It is believed that weapons were passed on to most wanted terrorist suspect Noordin Mohammad Top. The trial of Joko Tri Priyanto, another suspected Islamic militant, opened on 11 January. He allegedly financed Noordin through an associate, Ahmad Rofiq Ridho, who is also being tried for planning targets. The appeal of Iwan Darmawan and Mohamad Hasan against their death sentences in connection with the 2004 suicide bombing at the Australian Embassy in Jakarta has been refused by the appeals court and will move on to the Supreme Court.
In the southern Philippines island of Basilan, two Abu Sayyaf militants were killed and two government soldiers injured in fighting connected with an army raid 11-12 January. Philippines separatist militant rebel group, the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) has released a plan for rebuilding the war-torn island of Mindanao once a peace agreement is signed. Peace talks will resume this month, and an agreement is expected this year. MILF plans to help police secure Davao City against possible terrorist disruption during the ASEAN Tourism Forum that runs from 13-21 January.
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GTM Europe
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In Denmark, a survey by Jyllands-Posten/Ramoll found that 78 percent supported the Danish Security Intelligence Service, up from a 1998 poll that found 58 percent found a need for a domestic intelligence service. The change is attributed to increased awareness and fear of terror after September 11.
Georgian Vladimir Arutyunian was found guilty of terrorism, treason, attempted assassination, killing a police officer, and has been sentenced to life in prison. The offenses occurred when Arutyunian threw a grenade during a rally with the US and Georgian presidents. The grenade did not go off, but during the arrest operation a policeman was killed.
Lokman Amin Mohammed has been sentenced in German court to seven years in prison. Although denying membership in Ansar al-Islam, he admitted raising funds and recruiting for the militant group.
Spanish police conducted raids in several locations around Madrid, Barcelona, and Tolosa. They have arrested 20 suspected militant Islamists, including some linked to the Nasiriya, Italy, military base suicide attack in 2003. The suspects are believed to acquire and train recruits for the insurgency in Iraq.
A Turkish court ruled that Mehmet Ali Agca had completed his prison term for the 1979 murder of a journalist, and two bank robberies. The nearly 20 years he had served in an Italian prison were taken into account, but the Turkish government is evaluating the controversial decision. Agca, a criminal linked to far-right paramilitaries, had been jailed in Italy for attempting to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981. No explanation of the attack has even been given, but rumors include involvement of Bulgarian intelligence.
The British government has withdrawn the Northern Ireland (Offences) Bill. The proposed legislation would have granted amnesty to paramilitary fugitives meeting certain criteria. It was unpopular among families of victims as well as all major political parties in Northern Ireland.
http://www.globalterrorismmonitor.com/2006/01/GTM1501.shtml
The Irish government has put its own plans for an IRA-fugitive pardon on hold.
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GTM Middle East
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In Gaza, Hamas has launched a new television station, al-Aqsa. Hamas poses a significant challenge to the ruling Fatah in upcoming parliamentary elections, and the new broadcasts will help to support their rise. Hamas activist Shadi Halawa was arrested for attempting to infiltrate Israel in order to enter the West Bank and establish a cell. Halawa was also active in Islamic Jihad, and allegedly involved in a number of attacks against Israeli forces in Gaza.
Iraqi guerillas have described fighting al Qaeda in Iraq, demonstrating a sectarian split in the insurgency.
http://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/12/international/middleeast/12insurgent.html
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/article.asp?edition_ID=10&article_ID=21328&categ_id=2
A suicide bomber at the interior ministry detonated explosives, followed by a second suicide attacker blown up when first responders arrived. The 9 January attack, claimed by al Qaeda in Iraq, killed at least 29 and injured 25. On the 13th, insurgents shot down a US helicopter near Mosul, killing the two pilots on board. It was the second in a week to fall from hostile fire.
Canada and Australia joined the UK in closing their embassies in Amman, Jordan because of security concerns, including what the British Foreign Office described as plans for terrorist attacks against westerners in their final stages. Britain's Foreign Office plans to reopen on 15 January. Recently revised advice warns of indiscriminate attacks "at any time and in any place".
The Israeli cabinet unanimously agreed to permit Palestinians in East Jerusalem to vote on 25 January under the condition that Hamas did not campaign and were not included on ballots distributed in the area.
Lebanese security forces arrested four members of Tawheed al-Islami (Islamic Unification) on suspicion of arms smuggling and planning attacks against Israeli coastal targets.
Lebanon's military prosecutor has charged seven Syrians, three Lebanese, one Saudi, one Palestinian and one Jordanian with membership in al Qaeda, planning attacks, forgery and illegal weapons possession. The 13 men were arrested in late December and are thought with having planned attacks in Iraq and Israel.
Al Qaeda in Iraq claimed that the rocket attack launched from Lebanon into Israel in late December had been ordered by Osama bin Laden. Israel had responded to the attack with air strikes against the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine - General Council (PFLP-GC). Although unverified, Israeli security forces believe it is only a matter of time before al Qaeda does strike against Israel.
During Israeli operations against suspected militants in the West Bank town of Jenin one Palestinian was killed during a gunfight and a second blew himself up outside a house. In other operations, 11 Islamic Jihad suspects were arrested.
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GTM South Asia
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In Afghanistan the week opened and closed with suicide attacks. On 9 January a man blew himself up while preparing for an attack on the capital, Kabul. Today, a suicide bomber attacked a NATO convoy in Kandahar, killing one and injuring three soldiers.
Indian security forces arrested eight Lashkar-e-Toiba militants, who are believed to have been planning a suicide attack, possibly at the Red Fort, around Republic Day.
Indian forces in Kashmir killed three Hizbul Mujahideen (HM) militants in two encounters on 10 January. Fighting on 12 January killed four militants and one soldier in one village, while two other soldiers died in separate encounters.
HM section commander Aijaz Ahmed ("Adil") surrendered to army officials on the 7th. Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami (HUJI) commander Irshad Bhat ("Saifullah") was killed during a security operation. Irshad was an expert in improvised explosives as well as handling recruitment and financing for HUJI. On the 14th Lashker-e-Toiba sector commander Abu Hamza was shot dead during an attack against Indian security forces.
Nepal's Maoist rebels attacked police in the southwest, injuring one civilian and three policemen. Incidents at the end of the week proved deadly, as a rebel attack on two police posts near Kathmandu killed at least 11 police, and fighting in central Syangia district reportedly killed 16 rebels and one soldier.
Pakistan has protested to US-led coalition forces in Afghanistan following a helicopter attack against a house in Waziristan in which eight Pakistanis were killed and several injured. The US is investigating the incident. Eight soldiers were also killed in weekend fighting. Large Pakistani forces continue to conduct operations directed against Taleban, al Qaeda and other militant groups that operate around the border and in Afghanistan. A major clash took place on 10 January, in which militants launched a rocket attack against a North Waziristan army post. Seven Pakistani troops and 14 suspected militants were killed. Again on the 13th, a rocket attack launched from Afghanistan killed 18 villagers in the Bajaur tribal area near Afghan border. Pakistan has blamed the US for the attack and has launched a formal protest. Significant anti-American demonstrations have taken place. The strike apparently targeted Ayman al-Zawahiri, who was not there.
In Balochistan province on the 11th, a police vehicle struck a landmine, killing three soldiers and injuring three. After the explosion, militants attacked a gas field and 12 were killed.. Local tribes report that security forces also undertook retaliatory arson attacks against the homes of local people.
Pakistan has deported Zeeshan Sidiqui, a British citizen detained in the Northwest Frontier Province last May on suspicion of links to al Qaeda, back to the UK. He was acquitted of visa and impersonation charged, and no links to terrorism, including the London bombings, were found.
Suspected Tamil Tiger rebels ambushed a Sri Lankan army patrol late on 8 January. One soldier was killed and five wounded, and two bodies believed to be rebels were also found. On the 12th, a bus of Sri Lankan sailors struck a mine, killing nine and injuring seven. Peace monitors in Batticaloa were the targets on the 14th, when a grenade damaged vehicles but caused no casualties. In addition, a landmine killed two sailors in the north. The Tigers deny involvement in the series of attacks that have occurred since December, and in which more than a hundred people have been killed, including 40 civilians.
Following overwhelming approval of the constitution, Democratic Republic of Congo will hold parliamentary and presidential elections on 29 April. If a second round in the presidential vote is needed, the run-off will be 2 June. Katanga province is the focus of a new International Crisis Group report:
"Tensions in Katanga province could lead to acute violence in the March elections unless domestic and international actors move now to reform the army, rein in militias and eradicate impunity and corruption. Three conflicts set the stage for a tense campaign in the nation's most mineral-rich province: rivalries between southerners and northerners, between outsiders and natives and between Mai-Mai militias and the national army. To help secure the province, the UN Mission (MONUC) should deploy several thousand more peacekeepers to Katanga to pressure Mai-Mai militias to integrate into the national army or demobilise. Parallel chains of command in army and administration need to be broken and the judicial system strengthened to curb abuses. Katanga cannot continue to be plundered and mismanaged by corrupt officials and substantially ignored by the international community." http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=3861
Djibouti has asked the International Court of Justice to arbitrate a dispute over the possible assassination of a French judge in 1995 and the subsequent French investigation.
http://www.icj-cij.org/icjwww/ipresscom/ipress2006/ipresscom2006-01_dft_20060110.htm
Ethiopia has withdrawn eight troop divisions from the border with Eritrea, helping reduce tensions on the frontier.
http://www.politicalriskmonitor.com/2006/01/PRM1502.shtml
Liberia inaugurates Ellen Johnson-Sirleaf as president (the first elected female African head-of-state) on Monday. The International Crisis Group uses this to remind the government and international community to stay focused and concentrate on "following-through on the Governance and Economic Management Assistance Plan (GEMAP); training the new army; reforming the judicial sector; and rebuilding basic infrastructure", all of which will help stabilize the entire region.
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?l=1&id=3872
Nigerian legislators in Oyo State have impeached Governor Rashidi Adewolu Ladoja, who has been arrested on corruption charges.
A Rwandan high court has convicted Jean Paul Bizimana ("Zavier Van-Ndame") of the abduction of 14 tourists from New Zealand, the UK and US. Eight of them were murdered by him and other members of the Liberation Army of Rwanda (ALIR) militia associated with the 1994 genocide. The judge's finding was different from that of his assessors, and the verdict will be appealed.
Rwanda issued an international arrest warrant in December for Father Wenceslas Munyeshyaka for his alleged role in the 1994 genocide, He is resident in France, which does not have an extradition treaty with Rwanda, and French authorities are reviewing their response.
Somalia Saad and Suleman sub-clans in the Mudug and Galgudud regions used rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles to fight over access to grazing land and water. At least 15 people were killed.
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PRM Americas
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A Ministerial Meeting of the Mesoamerican Countries issued a joint declaration signed by the foreign ministers of El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, and Nicaragua, regarding the essential place of migration. Responding to US proposals to build border fences and criminalize illegal immigration, they urged cooperation and dialog, protection of human rights, including freedom of movement, use of guest worker programs, and legal recognition for immigrants regardless of their status.
http://www.politicalriskmonitor.com/2006/01/PRM1501.shtml
In Chile, the second round of presidential elections is under way. Governing coalition candidate Michelle Bachelet, the current defense minister, leads the opinion polls and would be the country's first female president. Her rival is conservative Sebastian Pinera, a billionaire businessman.
Haiti has set 7 February as the date for the first round of presidential and parliamentary elections.
Peru's national election agency accepted 24 candidates for the April presidential election, while ruling that former president Alberto Fujimori is not eligible to stand. Mr Fujimori remains in custody in Chile pending a hearing regarding extradition to Peru, where he faces corruption and human rights abuse charges.
On the fourth anniversary of the establishment of the US detention center in Guantanamo Bay, around 500 people from 35 countries remain held without charge. Amnesty International has released information on this and additional allegations of detainee abuse.
http://web.amnesty.org/pages/usa-100106-action-eng
The US Congressional Research Service released "Presidential Authority to Conduct Warrantless Electronic Surveillance to Gather Foreign Intelligence Information". The report rebuts Bush administration assertions of presidential authority regarding the secret interception of communications between US citizens and their international contacts.
http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/intel/m010506.pdf
The state of New Jersey has become the first in the US to pass legislation imposing a moratorium on the death penalty. Previously, the governors of Illinois and Maryland ordered moratoriums, and that in Maryland has expired. New Jersey's law established a panel that will study whether the death penalty is applied fairly and "consistent with evolving standards of decency" and issue its findings by 15 November, with the moratorium expiring 60 days thereafter.
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PRM Asia Pacific
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Australia and East Timor have signed the Treaty on Certain Maritime Arrangements in the Timor Sea. The agreement sets out sharing of oil and gas reserves in the Timor Sea, while deferring the maritime border for fifty years.
China's General Administration of Customs reports that its trade surplus tripled from $32 billion in 2004 to $102 billion in 2005. The EU was China's largest trading partner, followed by the US and Japan.
Hong Kong chief executive Donald Tsang says he will not attempt democratic reforms during the 18 months left to his term in office after recent efforts failed for not going far enough.
China and Japan met on 9 January to discuss their dispute over East China Sea energy reserves. They made no progress on this or other issues, but will hold another meeting in a few weeks.
Fiji's army commander, Commodore Frank Bainimarama, accused the government of imposing racist policies that could force the army to take power again. Riot police and security forces have been put on alert after the Commodore refused to accept Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase's demand for his resignation, saying he would not follow a treasonous order. Fiji has had three coups in 19 years.
Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev has been sworn in to another seven-year term.
The Mongolian People's Revolutionary Party (MPRP), the largest in the governing coalition, has withdrawn its support. Parliament is debating whether to dissolve the coalition government.
A Thai court in Bangkok has sentenced Police Major Mguen Thongsuk to three years in prison for illegally detaining Somchai Neelapaijit. Four other officers were acquitted in connection with the prominent human rights lawyer's disappearance. His criticism of the way security forces have handled unrest in the south has led to a widespread belief that those he criticized have killed him. Although there is no confirmation of his death, Prime Minister Thaksin Shinawatra said that he believes he was killed and that more than four government officials were involved. There is an ongoing investigation.
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PRM Europe
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In Italy, Silvio Berlusconi's government has proposed legislation that would accord soldiers of Mussolini's fascist regime the same status and benefits as regular combatants and wartime partisans. The bill is supported by the neo-fascist National Alliance, the second-largest party in the coalition government.
Former Argentine naval captain Ricardo Cavallo was extradited from Mexico to Spain in June 2003 to face charges of genocide, terrorism, and human rights abuses committed during Argentina's "dirty war" of the military junta. The Spanish prosecutor now plans to seek a prison term up to 17,000 years.
Finland is holding presidential elections. Incumbent Tarja Halonen (a former lawyer and foreign minister, and the country's first female president) is favored to win another term.
The International Crisis Group addresses Macedonia's efforts to join the European Community:
"Macedonia's EU hopes will be dashed unless the government reforms the police and judicial sectors, and responds effectively to potential political crises and would-be spoilers. While the government has made notable progress on police reform, it has yet to tackle fundamental management issues such as creating a merit-based personnel system, decentralising authority and increasing transparency and accountability. The crippled judicial system faces a serious backlog of cases and suffers from excessive political influence. The international community should keep pressure on the government to deliver on its reform rhetoric. The EU's decision at the end of last year to grant Macedonia candidacy status was an important boost to its prestige and self-confidence. It is now up to Skopje to decide if Macedonia will limp awkwardly or stride confidently toward European integration.
http://www.crisisgroup.org/home/index.cfm?id=3869&l=1
Russian white supremacists were responsible for two anti-Semitic attacks last week. The first, on 11 January, in a Moscow synagogue stabbed and injured 11 people, four seriously. Inspired by broadcast reports, a second attacker threatened worshipers with a broken bottle, but was restrained by police. Racist attacks in Russia are a serious and growing problem.
Russia has demanded access to a lighthouse in Yalta that the Ukraine claims as its property.
Spain's parliament is debating a statute that would provide more autonomy for Catalonia, but requires amendment in order to comply with the Spanish constitution. Lieutenant-General Jose Mena Aguado, head of army ground forces, said that if autonomy violated the constitution, the army could be used. In response, the general has been put under a week of house arrest and may be dismissed.
Ukraine's parliament passed a vote of no confidence against the government, following its recent gas agreement with Russia. Ukraine is in political transition while preparing for elections in March, and President Yushchenko says the cabinet will continue to act as an interim administration.
In the Ukraine, the trial has opened of three former policemen charged with killing prominent opposition journalist Georgiy Gongadze in September 2000. Former president Kuchma has been implicated in the case. Current President Yushchenko has said that resolving this case is a matter of honor, but the case has been plagued by the suicide of a key witness and slow investigation that led to the dismissal of the prosecutor-general. Gongadze's death helped spark the "Orange Revolution".
Britain's Home Office has initiated a new plan to offer cash incentives of up to GBP3,000 to failed asylum seekers who agree to voluntary repatriation. Currently, forced removals cost on average GBP 11,000 each.
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PRM Middle East
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Egypt released some 164 Sudanese detained since 30 December after the UN verified they were fully registered refugees or asylum seekers. Others remain in detention. The threat of deportation remains after the 29 December incident in which police forcibly dispersed protestors, killing 27 and injuring 70.
"The Economic Costs of the Iraq War: An Appraisal Three Years After the Beginning of the Conflict" was presented by Linda Bilmes and Joseph Stiglitz at the Allied Social Sciences Association (ASSA) 2006 conference, held 6-8 January. They report that using a conservative model that includes such long-term expenses as lifetime medical care for injured personnel, the actual costs could be $2 trillion.
http://www2.gsb.columbia.edu/faculty/jstiglitz/Cost_of_War_in_Iraq.pdf
Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem will be allowed to vote in elections scheduled for 25 January provided that Hamas is excluded from campaigning and does not appear on the ballot in that area. Hamas has issued an election manifesto that is moderate, while still supporting armed struggle against occupation. This is a major step in Hamas efforts to enter mainstream politics.
Jordan, the first country in the Middle East to ratify the International Criminal Court (ICC) statute in April 2002, has now approved a bilateral agreement with the US that prevents Jordan from handing US citizens accused of violating international criminal laws to the ICC. The US forced this move by saying that it would withhold millions of aid dollars.
Syria has agreed to demarcate its border with Lebanon. Al-Arabiyya reports this would include the disputed Shebaa Farms, which Lebanon and Syria believe is part of Lebanon, but the UN regards as Israeli-occupied Syrian territory. Syria has indicated it may permit UN investigators into the assassination of former Lebanese prime minister Rafik Hariri's assassination to talk wit President Bashar Assad.
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PRM South Asia
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Afghan President Hamid Karzai's offer of talks with the Taleban has been rejected.
Unrest in Orissa that last week left 13 dead, continued this week as thousands of tribal people armed with bows and arrows blocked road and rail access. Rather than build a new steel mill, they demand that the land be returned to them, and jobs be provided for those displaced.
Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf has called for demilitarization of some cities in Kashmir. He says that replacing Indian troops with local police would help efforts towards peace. India rejected the suggestion.
Six men have appeared in Northern Ireland court to face money laundering charges. Those accused are connected to loyalist Lawrence Kincaid, who faces 34 charges under the Proceeds of Crime Act. All were granted bail.
The European Central Bank and associated entities report that in 2005 about 96,000 counterfeit Euro coins were removed from circulation, mainly by National Central Banks, compared to 74,564 in 2004 and 26,191 in 2003. This number is smaller than the total number before the Euro was introduced. In addition, 286,000 counterfeit banknotes were withdrawn from circulation in the second half of last year.
http://europa.eu.int/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?reference=MEMO/06/7&format=HTML&aged=0&language=EN&guiLanguage=en
http://www.ecb.int/press/pr/date/2006/html/pr060113_1.en.html
US Treasury officials will visit North Korea this month in connection with counterfeiting of US dollars in North Korea.
http://times.hankooki.com/lpage/200601/kt2006011217165810220.htm
With data from the US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, 16 bureaus, offices and agencies collaborated on the Money Laundering Threat Assessment that was released this week. It is the first analysis that evaluates the range of threats and techniques in a range of different industries.
http://www.amlcftmonitor.com/2006/01/AML1501.shtml
The US Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) issue "Economic Sanctions Enforcement Procedures for Banking Institutions". The interim final rule explains an institutional, risk-based approach to enforcement that takes into account compliance efforts and evaluation of possible violations. Comment on the rule is requested.
http://www.treas.gov/press/releases/js3076.htm
The Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (NEITI) published a financial audit of the oil industry. Managing Director Chris Nurse of the audit firm the Hart Group described this as a "worldwide first". The audit found no direct evidence of fraud but weaknesses in accounting systems could permit corruption.
Iran has removed UN seals from its Natanz facility, and the storage and testing locations Pars Trash and Farayand Technique, in order to resume nuclear research and small-scale nuclear enrichment. http://www.iaea.org/NewsCenter/PressReleases/2006/prn200602.html
The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) warns that highly pathogenic H5N1 avian influenza could become endemic in Turkey, presenting a serious risk to neighboring countries.
http://www.emergingthreatmonitor.com/2006/01/ETM1501.shtml
Investigations are underway into the effect of a mutation and possible cases of human-to-human transmission. Meanwhile, the European Commission has pledged E80 million to help fight the disease in third countries.
Researchers from Sweden's Karolinska Institute report in the Archives of Internal Medicine that the number of avian influenza cases in humans may be vastly underreported. Their epidemiological study found that in an area where 87 cases were reported, up to 750 of 8,000 flu cases could be associated with a mild strain acquired from sick birds.
http://ki.se/ki/jsp/polopoly.jsp?d=130&a=7456&l=en
Research by Prabhat Jha of St Michael's Hospital at the University of Toronto, Canada, and Rajesh Kumar of the Postgraduate Institute of Medical Research in Chandigarh, India, indicates that prenatal selection and selective abortion had caused the loss of more than ten million female births in the past 20 years. In 2001, only 933 girls were born for every 1,000 boys.
http://www.thelancet.com/
However, the Indian Medical Association believes that selective abortion has fallen since a 2001 Supreme Court crackdown. Gender imbalances that lead to a disproportionate number of single young men can lead to instability and increases in violent behavior. There are similar challenges in China.
5. Critical Infrastructure Monitor
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Cybersecurity
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Apple Computer has released multiple security fixes for multimedia files using Quicktime. Prior to the patches a malicious image or media file could open a target machine to arbitrary code execution.
http://docs.info.apple.com/article.html?artnum=303101)
People's Bank in Connecticut has notified approximately 90,000 customers that a tape containing their personal data was lost during transportation.
http://www.peoples.com/about/peoples/0,8397,14098,00.html
MasterCard International Inc. announced incentives to merchants that use its SecureCode service to authenticate online customers. Merchants using the system will be given lower transaction charges and MasterCard will offer free network vulnerability scans to help merchants adopt policies that will better protect consumer data.
http://www.mastercardinternational.com/cgi-bin/newsroom.cgi?id=1146
The US Department of Homeland Security awarded $1.24 million to the "Vulnerability, Discovery and Remediation Open Source Hardening Project" to encourage better security for open source.
http://www.computerworld.com.au/index.php/id;543343194
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Healthcare
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The government of Japan, with the World Health Organization, is hosting a containment meeting that is developing an international response plan to address the increasing risk of an influenza pandemic.
http://www.wpro.who.int/sites/csr/meetings/mtg_20050112-13.htm
The US Department of Health and Human Services announced $100 million in state and local grants for pandemic influenza preparedness.
http://www.hhs.gov/news/press/2006pres/20060112.html
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Transportation
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Airclaims Ltd. reports a sharp increase in passenger fatalities on commercial flights in 2005. There were eight fatal accidents in which 913 people were killed, compared to 347 in 2004. These figures exclude acts of violence. Despite this increase, insured losses will only increase a small amount.
http://www.airclaims.co.uk/Downloads/PressReleases/SB1.pdf
The Philippines introduced additional airport security measures including baggage screening. A test run at the Manila International Airport led to long waits, flight delays, and attendant complaints from passengers and airlines.
http://www.philstar.com/philstar/NEWS200601126304.htm
The US Federal Aviation Administration has issued proposed rules for space tourists that include screening similar to that for airline passengers.
http://ast.faa.gov/files/pdf/Human_Space_Flight_NPRM.pdf
London's Paddington Station has opened a 4-week trial of a body scanner. Random passengers will pass through the weapons and explosives screening. Previous tests had been slow and inaccurate.
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Incidents
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As more than two million Muslim pilgrims took part in the Hajj stone-throwing ritual, luggage fell from a bus, causing people to trip, and a stampede ensued. At least 345 died, and hundreds more were injured. This is the highest death toll since 1987, when 402 people died during a demonstration. After a 2004 incident in which 251 pilgrims were killed, Saudi Arabia spent millions on safety improvements, including new access points and emergency exits, new larger pillars, and 60,000 security forces helping manage the crowd. Authorities blame the crowd for not following directions, but it seems clear that only major redesign will reduce the risk of future disasters.
Chinese authorities, still struggling to deal with two major toxic spills, now have two more to tackle: a cadmium spill in the Xiangjiang river and six tons of diesel in a Yellow River tributary. Clean up of the benzene spill that traveled through the Songhu River from northeast China into Russia may take five years.
Record snowfalls in Japan have killed more than 60 people and injured more than a thousand, including some who lost their lives after houses collapsed under the weight of up to ten feet of snow. A weekend thaw threatens avalanches, landslides, and floods. Extreme cold in South Asia has left more than 250 dead.
Rainwaters in Jakarta burst the banks of the Ciliwung River, with floodwaters reaching two meters. The annual rains will continue through February. Flooding in the Philippines province of Aurora has led to an emergency declaration.
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Response
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The London Assembly's 7 July Review Committee held hearings on 11 January. Testimony revealed that communication failures in the London Ambulance Services hindered the medical response to the 7/7 bombings.
http://www.london.gov.uk/view_press_release_a.jsp?releaseid=6844
Federal financial regulators in the US have announced a public service campaign to support the financial recovery of the victims of the recent hurricane season. They recommend that banks, thrifts, and credit unions work with their clients, and suggest considering such measures as waiving fees, lowering interest rates, extending repayment schedules, or deferring principal or interest for an additional period. Financial hurricane information is available from:
Federal Reserve, http://www.federalreserve.gov/hurricanekatrina.htm
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) http://www.fdic.gov/hurricane/
National Credit Union Administration (NCUA) http://www.ncua.gov/Hurricane/
Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) http://www.occ.gov/hurricane.htm
Office of Thrift Supervision (OTS) http://www.ots.treas.gov/
Also note the related Government Accountability Office (GAO) report: http://www.gao.gov/cgi-bin/getrpt?GAO-06-304
Flooding in Jakarta, Indonesian has moved the city's interagency Natural Disaster Relief Body to a plan for modernizing the monitoring of water levels by installing closed-circuit television cameras that can support early warning systems. Emergency teams, housing and food have been prepared for the January-February rainy season.
Three Indonesian universities studied the landslide risk in Central Java, and found 97 districts at risk. They have distributed maps to help inform people living in the areas and help minimize the risk they will become victims.
Norway is working with the Global Crop Diversity Trust to build a seed bank in Spitsbergen to hold a sample of all known varieties of the world's crops, which are now stored in some 1,400 seed banks, some in unstable countries or environments.
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Environment and Climate Change
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The Asia-Pacific Partnership on Clean Development and Climate held its first ministerial meeting. The partnership includes Australia, China, India, Japan, South Korea and the US, which together account of half of wold greenhouse emissions. They oppose government regulation and specific measurements such as those in the Kyoto Protocol, in favor of relying on the good will of private industry and as yet unrealized technological innovations. At the end of the meeting, the Australian Bureau of Agricultural and Resource Economics (ABARE) issued a report showing that partnership activities may slow the growth of greenhouse gases but not reduce emissions.
http://www.dfat.gov.au/environment/climate/ap6/index.html
http://www.abareconomics.com/publications/2006/RR06_1_ClimateAsiaPacific.pdf
The WorldWatch Institute released its annual State of the World report. This year they have focused in China and India, and "the critical need for both countries to "leapfrog" the technologies, policies, and even the cultures that now prevail in many western countries for the sake of global sustainability".
http://www.worldwatch.org/pubs/sow/2006/
Paul Bremer, "My Year in Iraq: The Struggle to Build a Future of Hope", Simon and Schuster.
Note author interview:
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5139135
and commentaries:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/01/09/AR2006010900614.html
http://observer.guardian.co.uk/world/story/0,16937,1681748,00.html
"A Dirty War In West Africa: the RUF and the destruction of Sierra Leone" recounts journalist Lansana Gberie's experiences during the decade-long civil war, and the people involved. (Published by Hurst in London, 2005, and in the US in April 2006). Note Mark Doyle's comments at
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4603382.stm
Council of Europe, Convention on the Prevention of Terrorism and explanatory report (Treaty CETS No. 196 and explanatory report), Council of Europe Publishing
http://book.coe.int/sysmodules/RBS_page/admin/redirect.php?id=36&lang=EN&produit_aliasid=2001
The November-December issue of "Military Review" offers articles on current operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, and issues regarding insurgency and counterterrorism operations. "Changing the Army for Counterinsurgency Operations" by senior British Army officer Nigel Aylwin-Foster suggests that US tactics in Iraq have exacerbated the insurgency. Army transformation needs to focus less on warfighting capability and more on political intent, an adaptive workforce, and recognition that the human component is more important than technology.
http://usacac.leavenworth.army.mil/CAC/milreview/English/NovDec05/index.asp
8. Asset Management Network News
Email info@tamni.com for details about the new products, publications, and information about services, including custom research.
The "AML/CFT Monitor" is a monthly 16-page print publication covering international news and analysis related to anti-money laundering and countering the financing of terrorism. "Global Terrorism Monitor" and "Political Risk Monitor", follow the same format and are also available now. All three titles are available through annual subscriptions to the print editions. Online database subscriptions will be available soon.
"Critical Infrastructure Monitor", "Disaster Reduction Monitor", and "Emerging Threat Monitor" will be available later this year.
Details available online at:
http://www.amlcftmonitor.com
http://www.criticalinfrastructuremonitor.com
http://www.disasterreductionmonitor.com
http://www.emergingthreatmonitor.com
http://www.globalterrorismmonitor.com
http://www.politicalriskmonitor.com
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