12 February 2014
General security, policy
1.
DOD official: US will not allow Iran to acquire nuclear weapon;
Iranian TV airs simulated bombing of Tel Aviv, US aircraft carrier;
showcases military capabilities, seals report with vow to "trample on
the US"
2. Former US sailor sentenced to 30 years for attempted espionage for Russian Federation
3. Soldiers say Army's battlefield intelligence network is a life-threatening disaster
4. House subcommittee releases report on DOD response to Benghazi
5. Failed Somali pirate prosecution fuels terror trial fears
6. Lawyers for Boston bombing suspect want trial put off until September 2015
7. Federal appeals court upholds NC terror sentences
8. Federal prosecution fighting defense's access to secret papers in terror case
9. Former Canadian Idol contestant pleads not guilty to terrorism charge
10. Hearing: Al Qaeda's Expansion in Egypt: Implications for U.S. Homeland Security
Air, rail, port, health, energy & communication security
11. US utilities tighten security after 2013 attack
12. Experts warn of coming wave of serious cybercrime
13. Cyber terrorists use DDOS attacks to disrupt exchange platforms, influence stock prices
14. FBI announces new reward program aimed at deterring laser strikes
15. Hearing: Bioterrorism: Assessing the threat
Financing, money laundering, fraud, identity theft, civil litigation
16. Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank put 'for sale' sign on Iran's old uranium supplier
17. Treasury designates Afghan heroin trafficker
Border security, immigration & customs
18. New policy could allow in Syrians with "limited" terror ties
19. Detainees sentenced in seconds In 'streamline' justice on border
International
20. Suicide bomb instructor accidentally kills Iraqi pupils
21. Egypt says Muslim Brotherhood has military wing
22. US Embassy warns of possible terror attack in Uganda
23. Thai men committed armed robberies targeting "non-believers" to fund domestic acts of terrorism
24. Turkey laws on terror financing under scrutiny at Paris meetings
25. Video footage: British Muslims 'carried out torture' in Syria
26. Bomb squad alert as 'suspect packages' sent to military recruiting offices in Britain
Comment / analysis
27. Claudia Rosett: The U.N. Assault on the Catholic Church
28. IPT News: CAIR Again Shows It Can't Stand Other Muslim Viewpoints
29. Anat Berko: Dead Terrorists and Palestinian National Imagery
The Investigative Project on Terrorism Update is
designed for law enforcement, the intelligence community and policy
makers for non-profit research and educational use only. Quoted
material is subject to the copyright protections of the original
sources, which should be cited for attribution, rather than the Update.
THE AMERICAS
GENERAL SECURITY, POLICY
1. DOD Official: U.S. Will Not Allow Iran to Acquire Nuclear Weapon
By Nick Simeone American Forces Press Service
IPT NOTE: Archived video of the committee's hearings is found at http://armedservices.granicus.com/ViewPublisher.php?view_id=2
WASHINGTON,
Feb. 11, 2014 – Amid ongoing skepticism among lawmakers about Iran's
nuclear intentions, a senior Defense Department official told Congress
today the United States will not allow Tehran to build a nuclear weapon,
and that if Iran decided to use nuclear talks as a cover for developing
one, Washington would be able to detect it. Elissa Slotkin, principal
deputy assistant secretary of defense for international security
affairs, told the House Armed Services Committee the military remains
prepared for all options if Tehran would decide to secretly develop a
bomb while engaging in diplomacy. "Any comprehensive agreement that we
ever negotiate will emphasize verifiable means," Slotkin said. "And
importantly, we remain confident that we could tell if Iran was making a
dash toward a weapon, and if that decision was made, it would take at
least a year" for a nuclear device to be developed…
Iranian TV airs simulated bombing of Tel Aviv, US aircraft carrier
Clip shows simulated strikes on Ben Gurion Airport, Haifa, USS Abraham Lincoln in retaliation for hypothetical attack on Iran
BY ILAN BEN ZION February 8, 2014, 10:02 pm 294
Ilan Ben Zion is a news editor at The Times of Israel.
Iranian
state TV on Friday ran a documentary featuring a computerized video of
Iran's drones and missiles bombing Tel Aviv, Haifa, Ben Gurion Airport
and the Dimona nuclear reactor in a hypothetical retaliation for an
Israeli or American strike on the Islamic Republic. Iranian drones and
missiles are also shown carrying out simulated strikes on the American
aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, downing American aircraft and
striking American military targets in the Persian Gulf. The clip was
broadcast amid a clear escalation of anti-American rhetoric and even
action by Iran: On Saturday, an Iranian admiral announced that Iran had
despatched warships to the North Atlantic, while Iran's spiritual leader
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei denounced the Americans as liars who, while
professing to be friends of Iran, would bring down his regime if they
could. He also said it was "amusing" that the US thought Iran would
reduce its "defensive capabilities."…
#4143 - Iran TV Showcases Military Capabilities, Seals Report with Vow to "Trample on the U.S."
Channel 3 (Iran) - February 6, 2014 - 02:42 Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)
2. Former Sailor Sentenced to 30 Years in Prison for Attempted Espionage
Department of Justice Office of Public Affairs Monday, February 10, 2014
Robert
Patrick Hoffman II, 40, of Virginia Beach, Va., was sentenced today to
serve 30 years in prison for attempting to commit espionage against the
United States… "Hoffman attempted to spy on behalf of the Russian
Federation and betrayed the trust this country placed in him," said
Acting U.S. Attorney Boente. "He was willing to place American lives
at risk for personal gain." After a five day trial that concluded on
Aug. 21, 2013, a Norfolk jury found Hoffman guilty of attempted
espionage, as charged in the one-count superseding indictment filed on
May 8, 2013. According to court records and the evidence at trial,
Hoffman is a U.S. citizen born in Buffalo, N.Y., who served for 20 years
in the U.S. Navy until retiring at the rank of Petty Officer First
Class on Nov. 1, 2011…
3. Soldiers say Army's battlefield intelligence network is a life-threatening disaster
By Rowan Scarborough-The Washington Times Sunday, February 9, 2014
An
internal memo from the U.S. command in Afghanistan says soldiers are
voicing strong complaints about the Army's battlefield intelligence
network, for which Congress just slashed spending by 60 percent. The
$28 billion Distributed Common Ground System is too slow and unstable
and hurts operations in some cases, say intelligence officers who rely
on the computer network to collect and quickly dispense data on
hard-to-find insurgents and the homemade bombs they plant. The
"official use only" memo issued in November was in the form of a survey
of four combat and support units in Afghanistan. Soldiers with the
130th Engineer Brigade said that, after training, "the system is still
too complex and overwhelming for most to use."…
4. Republicans investigating Benghazi blame White House, State Dept. for failures
By Karen DeYoung, Washington Post: Tuesday, February 11, 12:08 PM
IPT NOTE: Report posted at http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11394
Republicans
on the House Armed Services Committee largely exonerated the U.S.
military from responsibility for failures associated with the September
2012 terrorist attacks in Benghazi, Libya, instead blaming the White
House and the State Department for ignoring heightened threats in the
area. The committee majority's conclusions, in a report released
Tuesday, do not differ significantly from those reached by other
congressional panels that have touched on the military's role in the
Benghazi incident. While the GOP lawmakers said that commanders could
have pushed harder to position forces to respond to threats in North
Africa in general and Libya in particular, they concluded that no U.S.
military assets could have arrived in Benghazi in time to affect the
outcome of the attacks, according to committee staff members who briefed
reporters on the report…
Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations Releases Report on DOD Response to Benghazi
Report Details Six Key Findings
House Armed Services Committee Press Release Feb 10 2014
WASHINGTON
– The House Armed Services Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations
released a comprehensive report today evaluating the response of the
Department of Defense (DOD) to the terrorist attack in Benghazi, Libya
on September 11, 2012. Read the Report http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11394 ...
5. Failed Somali pirate prosecution fuels terror trial fears
By: Josh Gerstein February 10, 2014 01:25 PM EST Politico.com
The
failed prosecution of an alleged Somali pirate — and the fact that that
failure could leave him living freely, and permanently, inside U.S.
borders — is highlighting anew the risks of trying terror suspects in
American courts. Just a few weeks ago, Ali Mohamed Ali was facing the
possibility of a mandatory life sentence in a 2008 shipjacking off the
coast of Yemen — an incident much like the one dramatized in the film Captain Phillips.
Now, the Somali native is in immigration detention in Virginia and
seeking permanent asylum in the United States. Ali, who was accused of
piracy for acting as a translator and negotiator for a crew of pirates,
was partially acquitted by a jury in November after a trial in
Washington. Prosecutors initially vowed a retrial, but decided last
month to drop the rest of the case against him. That's just the kind of
situation that opponents of U.S. criminal trials for Al Qaeda suspects
caught abroad have long feared: the government falls short at trial —
and the courts eventually order an accused terror figure freed to live
legally among Americans…
6. Lawyers for Boston Bombing Suspect Want to Put Off Trial Until Sept. 2015
By JACOB GERSHMAN Feb 11, 2014 12:08 pm Wall Street Journal Law Blog
Attorneys
representing accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev are
requesting a trial date no earlier than September 2015 — nearly two and a
half years after the attack that left three dead and more than 260
wounded. The request was discussed in a joint status report that
lawyers for Mr. Tsarnaev and prosecutors filed with the federal court in
Massachusetts on Monday. Lawyers for the 20-year-old suspect say they
need the extra time to review thousands of items of physical evidence…
7. Appeals Court Upholds NC Terror Sentences
by Abha Shankar • Feb 6, 2014 at 1:11 pm
A
federal appeals court upheld the convictions and sentences of
individuals involved in a North Carolina terror cell that plotted to
wage violent jihad overseas. A federal jury convicted Mohammad Omar Aly
Hassan, Ziyad Yaghi and Hysen Sherifi on terrorism-related charges in
October 2011. The men were sentenced to prison terms ranging from 15 to
45 years. The three appealed their sentences citing lack of sufficient
evidence, their First and Second Amendment rights, and the use
information gathered under the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act.
The Fourth Circuit Court rejected their claims stating, "The laudable
efforts of law enforcement and the prosecutors have ensured that, on
this occasion at least, we will not be left to second-guess how a
terrorist attack could have been prevented." Court records and evidence
presented at the trial showed that members of the North Carolina terror
cell sought to engage in violent jihad and die as martyrs. Daniel
Patrick Boyd, the ringleader of the terror cell, had traveled to
Pakistan and Afghanistan in 1989 and 1992 to receive military-style
training. He joined with mujahideen forces to fight Soviet troops in
Afghanistan…
8. Terrorism Lawyer's Access to Secret Papers Fought by U.S.
By Andrew Harris Feb 11, 2014 1:59 PM ET Bloomberg News
IPT NOTE: Court documents posted at http://www.investigativeproject.org/case/624
Federal
prosecutors will fight a judge's decision to let a defense lawyer see
secret foreign intelligence papers that may have led to evidence against
his client, the first such ruling in a U.S. terrorism case. The
government filed a notice of intent to appeal yesterday in federal court
in Chicago, where U.S. District Judge Sharon Johnson Coleman last month
granted attorney Thomas A. Durkin's request to see applications for
intelligence-gathering submitted to the Foreign Intelligence
Surveillance Court. The judge, who said she was the first to let a
defense attorney see such records, put her ruling on hold today pending
the outcome of the appeal. Durkin represents Adel Daoud of Hillside,
Illinois, who was arrested in September 2012 and accused of trying to
detonate a bomb outside a downtown Chicago bar. The bomb was a phony,
part of a Federal Bureau of Investigation sting operation. Daoud has
pleaded not guilty… Coleman said in her Jan. 29 ruling that the threat
to national security of giving Durkin access to the papers was
outweighed by the risk of non-disclosure in Daoud's case…
9. LIVE: Terrorism trial begins for former Canadian Idol contestant
BY CHRIS COBB, OTTAWA CITIZEN FEBRUARY 10, 2014 11:05 AM
OTTAWA
— Pathologist and one-time Canadian Idol contestant Dr. Khurram Syed
Sher will be tried by a judge only. Specifics of the alleged planned
attack are likely to be revealed by federal Crown prosecutors at the
outset of the trial, which the Crown tried — and failed — to have held
in secret. Because they will rely on overlapping evidence, prosecutors
had argued that news media reporting of the Sher trial could prejudice
the fair trial rights of the other two defendants. Following
interventions by the Citizen and CBC, who said the ban was excessive and
unprecedented, a judge ruled the trial should be open but did ban news
media from identifying Sher's alleged co-conspirators, whose trial is
expected to start in April. The 29-year-old London, Ont., doctor, a
father of three, has been living in Toronto under strict bail
conditions. Police say the arrest of Sher and his co-accused was the
culmination of an 11-month undercover operation and allege it had
prevented an imminent attack that had been a threat to the Ottawa area
and "Canadian security."..
Former Canadian Idol contestant pleads not guilty to terrorism charge
Jim Bronskill, Canadian Press February 10, 2014
OTTAWA
— A man who once auditioned for the Canadian Idol TV show has pleaded
not guilty to a terrorism charge… Sher, 31, was charged along with two
other men in August 2010 with conspiracy to facilitate terrorism. The
others cannot be named due to recently imposed publication ban aimed at
ensuring the jury in their trial, slated for April, is not
prejudiced. Following the sensational arrests, police said they seized
terrorist literature, videos and manuals, along with dozens of
electronic circuit boards allegedly designed to detonate homemade bombs
remotely…
10. Hearing: Al Qaeda's Expansion in Egypt: Implications for U.S. Homeland Security
House Homeland Security Committee, Subcommittee on Counterterrorism and Intelligence
311 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Feb 11, 2014 2:30pm
Opening Statements
Rep. Peter King (R-NY), Chairman
Witnesses
Dr. Steven A. Cook, Senior Fellow, Middle Eastern Studies, Council on Foreign Relations
Mr. Thomas Joscelyn, Senior Fellow, Foundation for the Defense of Democracies
Mr. Mohamed Elmenshawy, Resident Scholar at the Middle East Institute
AIR, RAIL, PORT, HEALTH, ENERGY & COMMUNICATION SECURITY
IPT NOTE: For more items, see DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Reports http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/editorial_0542.shtm ; DHS Blog http://www.dhs.gov/news-releases/blog ; TSA Releases http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/index.shtm ; TSA Blog http://blog.tsa.gov/
11. U.S. Utilities Tighten Security After 2013 Attack
PG&E to Build Opaque Fences in Wake of Sharpshooters
By REBECCA SMITH Wall Street Journal Feb. 9, 2014 7:28 p.m. ET [subscription req'd]
The PG&E Metcalf Substation, south of San Jose, California. Talia Herman for The Wall Street Journal
PG&E
Corp says it will build opaque fences around critical transmission
substations, including at the Metcalf subsidiary that was heavily
damaged by gunmen firing from outside a chain-link fence last year. The
San Francisco-based utility, which serves Northern California, is also
staffing important locations overnight. The company had eliminated some
nighttime shifts after it built a power-system control center in
Vacaville, Calif., in 2009. PG&E and other utilities announced new
safety measures after The Wall Street Journal reported last week http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702304851104579359141941621778 that
the attack on the Metcalf transmission substation raised concerns about
the vulnerability of the electric grid to physical sabotage. Jon
Wellinghoff, the former chairman of the Federal Energy Regulatory
Commission, called the incident an act of terrorism. The attack on the
Metcalf substation, south of San Jose, Calif., began after 1 a.m. April
16 by gunmen who took out 17 of the 20 giant transformers that funnel
power to Silicon Valley. It took the utility almost a month to repair
the substation; no one has been arrested in the incident. PG&E
spokesman Brian Swanson said his company immediately added
round-the-clock security at Metcalf and has since decided to beef up
staffing at other locations, though he declined to identify the sites…
Assault on California Power Station Raises Alarm on Potential for Terrorism
April Sniper Attack Knocked Out Substation, Raises Concern for Country's Power Grid
By REBECCA SMITH Wall Street Journal, Feb. 4, 2014 10:30 p.m. ET [subscription req'd]
12. Experts warn of coming wave of serious cybercrime
By Danielle Douglas and Craig Timberg, Washington Post Published: February 9, 2014
The
rash of attacks against Target and other top retailers is likely to be
the leading edge of a wave of serious cybercrime, as hackers become
increasingly skilled at breaching the nation's antiquated payment
systems, experts say. Traditional defenses such as installing antivirus
software and monitoring accounts for unusual activity have offered
little resistance against Eastern European criminal gangs whose
programmers write malicious code aimed at specific targets or buy
inexpensive hacking kits online. Armed with such tools, criminals can
check for system weaknesses in wireless networks, computer servers or
stores' card readers. Nearly two dozen companies have been hacked in
cases similar to the Target breach and more almost certainly will fall
victim in the months ahead, the FBI recently warned retailers, according
to an official who was not authorized to speak publicly. The names of
all of the compromised firms have not been revealed, nor is it clear how
manyshoppers have had their credit card numbers and other personal data
stolen…
13. Cyber Terrorists Use DDOS Attacks to Disrupt Exchange Platforms, Influence Stock Prices
Prolexic details DDOS attacks against global markets
Security
experts warn that distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks are
increasingly used in an attempt to influence stock prices and disrupt
exchange platforms.
Eduard Kovacs Softpedia.com
DDOS
attacks are used for various reasons. Hacktivists rely on them to raise
awareness, companies to disrupt the competition, and they even
represent a handy "tool" for extortionists. However, DDOS protection
services provider Prolexic reveals that these types of attacks are
posing a significant threat to the financial services industry and
trading platforms. "As part of our DDoS attack forensics, we have
uncovered a disturbing trend: Many of these malicious attacks appear to
be intent on lowering the target's stock price or currency values, or
even temporarily preventing trades from taking place," explained Stuart
Scholly, president of Prolexic. Experts say they've found a direct link
between DDOS attacks and temporary changes in the valuation of
companies. That's because an organization's image is closely associated
with its online presence...
14. FBI Announces New Reward Program Aimed at Deterring Laser Strikes
FBI Washington February 11, 2014 Public Information Office (202) 278-3519
The
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) today announced a new regional
reward program to deter people from pointing lasers at
aircraft. Reported incidents of the federal violation are on the rise.
Since the FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) began
tracking laser strikes in 2005, statistics reflect a more than 1,100
percent increase in the deliberate targeting of aircraft by people with
handheld lasers. In an effort to raise public awareness about the
issue, the FBI has launched a targeted regional reward program, which
will run for 60 days in 12 FBI field offices. As part of the pilot
program, the FBI Washington Field Office will offer a reward of up to
$10,000 for information that leads to the arrest of any individual who
aims a laser at an aircraft… In 2013, there were a total of 3,960 laser
strikes reported—an average of almost 11 incidents per day. Industry
experts say laser attacks present potential dangers for pilots…
Laser Incidents Targeting Aircraft on the Rise Nationwide; Incidents Up 39 Percent in New York Last Year
FBI Seeks Public's Help to Identify Individuals Who Aim Lasers at Aircraft; Up to $10,000 Reward Being Offered
FBI New York February 11, 2014 FBI Public Information Office (212) 384-2100
…
Many of the New York laser incidents have injured pilots and their
crews. The latest injury was reported on December 26, 2013, by a JetBlue
pilot on approach to New York's John F. Kennedy International Airport.
The JetBlue pilot experienced blurry vision for over a week after being
temporarily blinded by a laser…
Houston Second in Nation for Laser Strikes Against Aircraft
Local, State, and Federal Agencies Respond; Launch Campaign and Offer Up to $10,000 Reward
FBI Houston February 11, 2014 Special Agent Shauna Dunlap (713) 936-7638
… In
Houston, there were 126 laser strikes reported in 2013. Only Portland
ranked higher with 139 strikes reported. FBI analysis shows laser
strikes happen most frequently between midnight and 7 a.m., with the
greatest strikes occurring between 3 a.m. and 4 a.m. In many cases,
laser strikes are being committed by teens and adults between the ages
of 35-45. Most do not comprehend the serious consequences of lasing and,
in some cases, are unaware it is against the law…
15. Hearing: Bioterrorism: Assessing the Threat
House Homeland Security, Subcommittee on Emergency Preparedness, Response, and Communications
311 Cannon House Office Building Washington, D.C. 20515 Feb 11, 2014 10:00am
Opening Statements
Rep. Susan Brooks (R-IN), Chairman
Witnesses
Dr. Robert P. Kadlec, Former Special Assistant to the President for Biodefense
Dr. Tom Inglesby, CEO and Director, UPMC Center for Health Security
Dr. Leonard Cole, Director, Terror Medicine and Security
Department of Emergency Medicine, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School
FINANCING, LAUNDERING, FRAUD, IDENTITY THEFT, CIVIL LITIGATION
16. Goldman puts 'for sale' sign on Iran's old uranium supplier
Feb 11, 2014 8:19am EST By David Sheppard Reuters
LONDON
(Reuters) - Goldman Sachs and Deutsche Bank are quietly trying to get
out of a business few people know they are even in: trading supplies of
raw uranium known as yellowcake. In the last four years, the banks have
amassed low-grade stockpiles of the nuclear fuel ingredient larger than
those held by Iran, and enough to run China's nuclear plants for a
year. Goldman's uranium business can trace its roots back to an
apartheid-era South African trading conglomerate that sold Iran its only
known source of foreign yellowcake 35 years ago. To this day, that
uranium delivery underpins Iran's disputed enrichment program, which
western powers fear is aimed at developing atomic weapons, although Iran
denies that. Now, under mounting political scrutiny of Wall Street's
role in physical commodities trading, and following a collapse in demand
after the Fukushima disaster, both firms have put their uranium trading
desks up for sale. But other banks are already lining up to take their
place. The history of Wall Street in uranium markets illustrates just
how far banks moved into physical commodities trading during the natural
resources boom of the last ten years…
17. Treasury Designates Afghan Heroin Trafficker
Action Targets Hawaladar with Ties to International Narcotics Trafficking and the Taliban
US Department of the Treasury Feb 11, 2014
WASHINGTON
–The U.S. Department of the Treasury today announced the designation of
Afghan national Lahore Jan pursuant to the Foreign Narcotics Kingpin
Designation Act (Kingpin Act) for his significant role in international
narcotics trafficking. Lahore Jan is a known narcotics trafficker in
Jalalabad, Afghanistan. He is involved in moving money for the Taliban
and other narcotics traffickers using his hawala, a value transfer
system, called the Lahore Jan Shanwari Exchange. As a result of today's
action, all property and interests in property in the United States or
in the possession or control of U.S. persons in which Lahore Jan or the
Lahore Jan Shanwari Exchange have an interest is blocked, and U.S.
persons are generally prohibited from engaging in transactions with
them… For a chart relating to today's actions click …
BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION & CUSTOMS
IPT NOTE: US Customs & Border Protection, http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/ &
http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_security/border_patrol/press_announce_lp.xml ; US Immigration and Customs Enforcement http://www.ice.gov/news/ ; Canada Border Services Agency http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html
18. New Policy Could Allow in Syrians with "Limited" Terror Ties
by IPT News • Feb 6, 2014 at 5:35 pm For The Record - The IPT Blog
As
many as 3,000 Syrian refugees may qualify for asylum in the United
States even if they have provided support to terrorists, Politico
reports. That's because the Obama administration filed two exemptions
to immigration laws that won't automatically reject applicants "who
provided 'insignificant' or 'limited' material support for terror
groups, the report says. A Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
spokeswoman defined that as "insignificant in amount or provided
incidentally in the course of everyday social, commercial, family or
humanitarian interactions, or under significant pressure." She offered
hypotheticals involving support for relatives who were part of terrorist
groups or business owners who serve militants. The change should not
affect people considered to be a threat, a DHS official told Fox News…
19. Detainees Sentenced in Seconds In 'Streamline' Justice on Border
By FERNANDA SANTOS FEB. 12, 2014 New York Times
TUCSON
— "My record is 30 minutes," Magistrate Judge Bernardo P. Velasco of
Federal District Court here said one afternoon, describing the speed
with which he had sealed the fates of 70 migrants caught sneaking into
the country. Each of the accused had 25 seconds, give or take, to hear
the charges against him, enter a plea and receive a sentence. This is a
part of the battle against illegal immigration that many Americans have
never heard of. Known as Operation Streamline, it is the core of a
federal program that operates in three border states, using prosecution
and imprisonment as a front-line deterrent to people who try to cross
the border illegally. It is part of a broader strategy of increasing the
consequences for people who break immigration laws. Unlike the civil
immigration courts spread throughout the country, where deportation
cases are handled as violations of the nation's administrative code, the
courts used for Operation Streamline treat unauthorized immigrants as
criminals and the act of illegally crossing the border as a federal
crime...
MIDDLE EAST
20. Suicide Bomb Instructor Accidentally Kills Iraqi Pupils
By DURAID ADNAN New York Times Feb 11, 2014
BAGHDAD
— A group of Sunni militants attending a suicide bombing training class
at a camp north of Baghdad were killed on Monday when their commander
unwittingly conducted a demonstration with a belt that was packed with
explosives, army and police officials said. The militants belonged to a
group known as the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria, or ISIS, which is
fighting the Shiite-dominated army of the Iraqi government, mostly in
Anbar Province. But they are also linked to bomb attacks elsewhere and
other fighting that has thrown Iraq deeper into sectarian
violence. Twenty-two ISIS members were killed, and 15 were wounded, in
the explosion at the camp, which is in a farming area in the
northeastern province of Samara, according to the police and army
officials. Stores of other explosive devices and heavy weapons were also
kept there, the officials said. Eight militants were arrested when
they tried to escape, the officials said….
21. Egypt Says Muslim Brotherhood Has Military Wing
The Accusation Comes Amid a Spreading Insurgency by Smaller, Previously Unknown Groups
Associated Press Feb. 9, 2014 6:12 p.m. ET
CAIRO—Egyptian
authorities on Sunday accused the ousted president's Muslim Brotherhood
of forming a military wing to stage attacks on security forces in a
southern province, as monthslong street rallies by the group's
supporters wane but low-level violence steadily rises. Such a
development would cast yet another shadow over an already wavering
security situation in the Arab world's most populous country, plagued by
a series of bombings and suicide attacks since the army overthrew
Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in a popularly backed coup last
July. The Brotherhood has always denied violence and accuses
authorities of orchestrating attacks to justify a crackdown that has
only intensified since the interim government labeled it a terrorist
organization. An al-Qaida-inspired group based in the eastern Sinai
Peninsula has claimed responsibility for most of the attacks over the
past months. However, the government's Sunday accusation comes amid
what analysts perceive as a spreading insurgency by previously unknown,
smaller groups, who use weapons such as Molotov cocktails and homemade
grenades to attack security forces. They say the groups were founded by
pro-Morsi supporters who are frustrated by the decline in demonstrations
and a heavy-handed security crackdown….
22. U.S. Embassy Warns of Possible Terror Attack in Uganda
Warning Mentions Potential Targets Popular With Foreigners in Kampala
Wall Street Journal By NICHOLAS BARIYO Feb. 11, 2014 12:23 p.m. ET
KAMPALA,
Uganda—The U.S. Embassy in Uganda warned of a possible terror attack in
the country's capital Tuesday and mentioned potential targets popular
with foreigners and wealthy Ugandans. In a statement, the embassy said
that it had received information regarding "a specific terrorist threat
to Kampala." It identified the Ugandan National Museum, located around 5
kilometers (3 miles) outside the city center, as a possible target but
didn't provide specific details as to why it was singled out. "The
threat information indicates that a group of attackers is possibly in
place and ready to strike targets inside Kampala in February or March,"
the embassy said in a statement, without indicating its source of
information. The U.S. Embassy in Kampala declined to elaborate on its
statement…
ASIA / PACIFIC
23. Prosecutors Seek 10- and 15-Year Sentences for Terror Suspects
By Markus Junianto Sihaloho on 9:18 pm February 5, 2014. Jakarta Globe
A
Jakarta fruit vendor accused of plotting the failed assassination of
Makassar's deputy mayor before committing a string of armed robberies
targeting "non-believers" to fund domestic acts of terrorism faces a
decade behind bars. Prosecutors demanded 10 years in prison for Agung
Fauzi — a South Jakarta nangka (jackfruit) seller and alleged terrorist
who was reportedly involved in nearly a half-dozen failed robbery and
terrorist plots before his arrest. His teacher and boss, Agus Widarto,
faces 15 years in prison for his alleged role in the crimes… Both men
were reportedly part of the Western Indonesia Mujahideen, a domestic
terrorist network founded by Abu Roban — a man killed in a May 2013
terrorism raid in Kendal, Central Java. Agung was allegedly recruited in
2012 by Agus, his boss and an avid believer in waging jihad in
Indonesia, according to reports in the local news portal TribunNews.com…
EUROPE
24. Turkey Laws on Terror Financing Under Scrutiny at Paris Meetings
By Selcan Hacaoglu February 11, 2014 Bloomberg News
Turkish
efforts to tighten laws to block financing for terrorist groups will be
in the spotlight at meetings in Paris starting today, amid U.S.
concerns that funds are moving through Turkey to al-Qaeda-linked groups
in Syria. The Financial Action Task Force, or FATF, sponsored by the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, meets today
through Feb. 14 to review global compliance. FATF urged Turkey on Oct.
18 to take further steps to identify and freeze terrorist assets and
criminalize terrorist financing. The meeting comes after the U.S.
Treasury said that "funding and foreign fighters" were moving through
Turkey to support al-Qaeda affiliates fighting alongside the government
in Syria's civil war. The FATF decided not to suspend membership of
Turkey last February after the country passed legislation against
terrorist financing, which the U.S. ambassador said was inadequate.
Turkey is on the FATF's so-called gray list of "high-risk and
non-cooperative jurisdictions," along with 10 other countries including
Algeria, Indonesia and Yemen…
25. British Muslims 'carried out torture' in Syria
Video footage emerges which appears to show men from London involved in torture and possible executions
By David Blair 4:34PM GMT 10 Feb 2014 The Daily Telegraph (London)
British
Muslims have carried out acts of torture and possibly executions in
Syria, according to new video footage posted on social network
sites. Evidence of atrocities committed by British fighters with
extreme Islamist groups emerged as another round of peace talks between
the regime and the mainstream opposition opened in Geneva on
Monday. The two sides spent the day arguing about the agenda, and no
progress has been made. The United Nations hopes to broker another
ceasefire in the city of Homs to allow the delivery of aid and the
evacuation of civilians from areas besieged by government forces...
26. Bomb squad alert as 'suspect packages' sent to military recruiting offices
Small but 'viable' explosive device sent to Armed Forces careers office in Berkshire and a simliar package found in Kent
By Ben Farmer, Defence Correspondent, & Martin Evans 7:11PM GMT 11 Feb 2014 Daily Telegraph (London)
Military
bomb squad officers are investigating two suspected bombs after a small
explosive device was posted to an Armed Forces recruiting
office. Police counter terrorism officers were called to two separate
offices around lunchtime on Tuesday after they were sent similar
parcels. Staff at an office in Reading became suspicious of one package
and took it into a car park. Officers on the scene confirmed it was a
small but viable explosive device, which had been received in the post
and had been made safe, the BBC reported. Another similar package was
found at an Army and RAF careers office in Chatham, Kent and police said
it had been "made safe". No one was hurt at either office…
COMMENT / ANALYSIS
27. The U.N. Assault on the Catholic Church
A high-profile sex-abuse report is an attempt to bully the church into bowing before the altar of Turtle Bay.
By Claudia Rosett Feb. 9, 2014 5:55 p.m. ET Wall Street Journal
Ms.
Rosett is journalist-in-residence with the Foundation for Defense of
Democracies and heads its Investigative Reporting Project.
28. CAIR Again Shows It Can't Stand Other Muslim Viewpoints
by IPT News • Feb 11, 2014 at 2:37 pm For The Record - The IPT Blog
29. Guest Column: Dead Terrorists and Palestinian National Imagery
by Anat Berko Special to IPT News February 4, 2014
Dr.
Anat Berko, PhD, is a Lt Col (Res) in the Israel Defense Forces,
conducts research for the National Security Council and is a research
fellow at the International Policy Institute for Counterterrorism at the
Interdisciplinary Center in Israel. A criminologist, she was a visiting
professor at George Washington University and has written two books
about suicide bombers, "The Path to Paradise," and the recently released "The Smarter Bomb: Women and Children as Suicide Bombers" (Rowman & Littlefield)
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