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News, analysis and primary source documents on terrorism, extremism and national security.Monday, November 28, 2011
Bail Denied for Remote-Control-Plane Jihadist Rezwan FerdausA judge denied bail for Rezwan Ferdaus, the Massachusetts man who allegedly plotted to use remote control planes to attack the Capitol and Pentagon, according to a detention order filed today.Read the order The order provides a concise timeline of the allegations against Ferdaus and information about the government informant in the case, who has attracted controversy due to shoplifting and using heroin during the investigation. "While the [informant's] character and credibility is questionable, at best, the fact remains that Ferdaus had multiple recorded meetings and communications with the [informant] during which he advocated blowing up federal buildings and killing persons inside those buildings and persons fleeing such buildings," the judge wrote. Ferdaus was also recorded soliciting funding and support for the plot, and he believed that undercover agents later introduced into the case were members of Al Qaeda, the order says. "Under the circumstances, the evidence against Ferdaus is strong," the judge wrote. "Given Ferdaus’s views and seeming dedication to his cause, I find there are no conditions or combination of conditions that the Court could impose that would assure the safety of the community, if he were released," the judge said, ruling against bail or supervised release. Related document: Affidavit in support of criminal complaint, Rezwan Ferdaus For more about American jihadists such as Ferdaus, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Labels: American-Terrorists, Rezwan-Ferdaus
Saturday, November 26, 2011
White Nationalist David Duke Reportedly Arrested at Event in GermanyUpdated Nov. 28American white supremacist David Duke was reportedly arrested in Cologne, Germany, according to his official Web site. Duke -- a former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan, Louisiana state legislator, and chronic presidential candidate -- has been released but is still in Germany and will face unspecified charges, according to a post on his Web site. In a statement, Duke said the arrest was "a gross twisting of travel laws in a blatant attempt by the government to prevent a private and peaceful gathering of about a 100 German citizens eager to hear my message of heritage and freedom." Duke said he would remain in Germany to fight the charges against him, but it was not clear from the statement whether that was his choice or a requirement of the authorities there. He also complained about the costs of fighting the case. The arrest came on Nov. 25, shortly before Duke was schedule to speak to a group of people described as "German nationalists," according to Duke's site. According to the site, he was detained as an "undesirable foreigner." According to a German nationalist blog cited by Duke's Web site, the audience for the event consisted of about 60 people. In his statement, Duke claimed 100 people were in attendance. The arrest comes in the wake of a significant public scandal in Germany over the authorities' failure to arrest a group of Neo-Nazis who murdered at least 10 foreigners over the course of more than a decade. The group is also suspected of carrying out a 2004 bombing in Cologne. Labels: David-Duke, Germany, Ku-Klux-Klan, National-Socialist-Underground, Neo-Nazis, white-supremacists
Documents: Sirhan Sirhan Claims Second Gunman, 'Hypno-Programming'Sirhan Sirhan, convicted of assassinating Robert F. Kennedy in 1968, has filed new court documents challenging his conviction with a claim of new evidence. Sirhan shot Kennedy and wounded several others in a Los Angeles hotel in June 1968. An FBI agent points to bullet holes that Sirhan Sirhan's lawyers claim were caused by a second gunman during the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy. According to the filings, an audio analysis of a recording of the assassination indicates a second shooter. Lawyers for Sirhan also filed witness statements, crime scene photos and statements by investigators purporting to cast doubt on the official version of events. They deny that the shots fired by Sirhan killed Kennedy. In addition to the claim of a second shooter, Sirhan's lawyers also claim that he was "hypno-programmed" or brainwashed to cause him to fire the shots he did, by parties unknown, who sought to set up Sirhan as a fall guy. Read the new documents and see the exhibits here (300-page PDF) CNN story on the filings Labels: Assassinations, INTELFILES, Sirhan-Sirhan
Philippines Hacker Ring Said to Have Financed Lashkar E-TaibaA ring of terrorist hackers busted by Philippines police this week may be linked to a hacking cell indicted in the United States in 2009.An indictment posted on Internet Haganah notes that a militant named M.Z. based in Brescia, Italy, was a key part of a phone-hacking operation that involved three foreign nationals living in the Philippines. The three were slated for extradition to the U.S., but it's unclear what their current status is. According to the latest story, Muhammad Zamir, a militant living in Brescia, originally ran the Filipino hacking cell disrupted this week. Philippines police said Zamir's activities helped finance Pakistani militant group Lashkar e-Taiba and specifically the Mumbai attack. Check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. RECENT PUBLICATIONS:Labels: Lashkar-e-Taiba, Mumbai, Philippines
Monday, November 21, 2011
NYC pipe bomb suspect Pimentel posted on Revolution Muslim Jose Pimentel, a devotee of American Al Qaeda propagandist Anwar Awlaki arrested in New York this weekend for building a pipe bomb described in Al Qaeda's Inspire magazine, posted entries at least twice on Islam Policy, the radical Web site previously known as Revolution Muslim. Pimentel was a prolific blogger and highly connected social media user. He ran his own Web site, TrueIslam1, and at least twice cross-posted material to Islam Policy. Revolution Muslim, a pro-Al Qaeda website founded by American radicals, was suspended briefly after one of its writers threatened the creators of South Park for depicting the Prophet Mohammed. But the site soon returned, voluntarily changing its name to Islam Policy. The current leader of Islam Policy, Younus Abdullah Mohammed, was recently arrested and is now facing charges in relation to those threats. Another American, Zachary Chesser, was arrested in July 2010 and subsequently convicted for the same threats. Pimentel posted on Revolution Muslim as "M. Yusuf" at least twice, one on "Rape in the U.S. Army," and once on the Arab Spring. Both posts were made in April 2011 and linked back to TrueIslam1. "I say to the brothers and sisters in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, and the rest of the Muslim world that establishing the Islamic laws is an obligation upon us that cannot be overlooked, the Day of Judgment is near, and Allah is quick in accountability and severe in punishment," Pimentel wrote. Another post, also apparently by Pimentel, was titled "How Can I Train Myself For Jihad" and was later deleted from Islam Policy, but reposted to the Al Jahad extremist Web forum. The post was dated July 2011, but the content was dated 2008, suggesting Pimentel may not have written but simply reposted it. The article encouraged firearms training and the use of U.S. military training materials available online to prepare for violent jihad. "The majority of the time spent in Jihad is learning to cope with harsh, physically and mentally demanding living conditions. It is not about fighting glamorous battles for your pictures to appear on the Internet. Jihad is tough and difficult, which is why the rewards for it are so great," the post read. In a section on firearms training, the post read: "Useful courses to learn are sniping, general shooting and other rifle courses. Handgun courses are useful but only after you have mastered rifles." For more about American jihadists, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. RECENT PUBLICATIONS:Labels: American-Terrorists, Anwar-Aulaqi, Anwar-Awlaki, Inspire-Magazine, Islam-Policy, Jose-Pimentel, Revolution-Muslim, South-Park
Saturday, November 19, 2011
The Value Of Exposing CollaboratorsDaniel Maldanado, an American convert to Islam who went to fight alongside Islamists in Somalia, was once a big hit on the jihadi Internet forums. Arrested in 2007, he wrote craven, apologetic letters to the judge considering his sentence even as he wrote grandiose accounts of his jihad experiences to correspondents on the forums. One such letter described his grand adventures on the lam in the African wild with a group of fellow fighters:For two weeks we did not eat at all except for one time at the very beginning of our wanderings. One day we came out to a Savannah area; it looked like something out of Lion King! We were careful, as helicopters were still in the sky and we were obviously being hunted by them. We would stay along the edge of the jungle area until we felt it was safe to actually go out into the long-grassed Savanna.This missive became rather popular online, and Maldonado was seen as someone who had been living the dream. Less publicized were his court letters which laid out more bluntly the unpleasantness of his experience, including feeling awkward about being the only white guy in his group and general ineptitude. The court letters didn't get much attention from jihobbyists at the time, but Maldonado is now getting plenty of negative attention from his former friends, thanks to his testimony this week implicating his former friend and fellow Boston-area jihadist Tarek Mehanna. The former hero is now decidedly the goat. A thread on the hardcore Islamic Awakening forum concerning Maldonad's testimony sprouted 62 posts in just about one day (it was spun off by moderators from a thread on the Mehanna trial). A sampling of the responses: "Make sure when you see [your children after an early release for cooperating] you sit them in your lap and tell them that this time together is thanks to lies and stabbing a Muslim in the back."There were also those who defended Maldonado, somewhat tepidly, and many who suggested they should not be the judges. Many sharp words, accusations and condemnations were exchanged. In short, it was exactly the kind of thing that ordinary people and counterterrorism officials would like to see on these forums -- fitna, dissent and division. U.S. officials should make cooperators and collaborators more visible. Since 9/11, many a convicted jihadist has fulfilled the conditions of a plea in total secrecy, never emerging to testify in court, sometimes even being released from prison early without anyone ever knowing what sort of cooperation they provided. Disclosing this cooperation has multiple positive effects. First, it creates the divisions seen above. Secondly, it discredits jihadist narratives. Maldonado's letter to the forums about his adventures in Somalia will not be so warmly received in the future. It reinforces an existing meme among would-be jihadists that you can't trust anyone, no matter how credible they look. And finally, it hedges against convicted terrorists who play a double game of cooperating and then recanting, whether in letters from prison or after their release. If Maldonado succeeds in getting an early release thanks to his testimony against Mehanna, he won't receive a warm reception among his radical former friends. For more about American jihadists, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. RECENT PUBLICATIONS: Labels: American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, Daniel-Maldonado, Jihadist-Forums, Tarek-Mehanna
Thursday, November 3, 2011
New from J.M. Berger: The Enduring Legacy of Awlaki's 'Constants on the Path of Jihad'I have a new piece in The Sentinel, the journal published by West Point's Combating Terrorism Center.A U.S. drone killed Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-Awlaqi on Sept. 30, 2011, but his greatest contribution to Al Qaeda's cause lives on. Awlaki's six-hour audio lecture "Constants on the Path of Jihad" may be the single most influential work of jihadist incitement in the English language.Read the full article at the CTC Sentinel For more about Awlaki and other American jihadists, check out J.M. Berger's new book, Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam, on sale everywhere. Labels: Al-Qaeda, Al-Qaeda-In-The-Arabian-Peninsula, American-Al-Qaeda, American-Jihadists, American-Terrorists, Anwar-Awlaki
Tuesday, November 1, 2011
Bosnian Arms: UN Wartime Embargo Defied, Ignored By Multiple NationsSpecial to INTELWIRE Someone wrote at the top of the report: "The message to the operator on duty: do not read this story. And if you see anything accidentally forget it. Personally hand over this message to the President. " What followed was a message from Bosnian deputy defense minister Hasan Cengic to President Alija Izetbegovic, undated but likely written some time around the fall of 1992. "Mr. President, I send you a report on what has been done with the munitions delivered by boat in the last shipment." The message gave details of funds, arms and ammunition smuggled into the country for use by "the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina in Foca and Gorazde. ... This commodity and one that will be loaded tomorrow, God willing, it is also destined for Foca and Gorazde, but it is intended primarily for the opening of Sarajevo and Mostar and the Neretva Valley”. Newly available documents reveal that the provisioning of the Army of Bosnia in defiance of a UN arms embargo was coordinated through the official policy of neighboring countries and the international community. The policy was supported by a number of governments in Europe and beyond, through tacit consent or secret aid. The author of the 1992 message for the President specified which weapons and ammunition would be transported to which cities and describes the purpose of the arms delivery. The signature reads: "Salam, Hassan". Numerous clues remain in the documents, which show the money, names, places, dates on which the Army of BiH was armed and equipped during the bloody 1990s civil war in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In one document, the specifications for the procurement of arms were printed on hotel bills in Istanbul. In another, a hotel invoice from Vienna stated that then-Bosnian deputy defense minister Hasan Cengic was a guest "from the Sudanese Embassy" in Zagreb. A third document was an official memorandum from Presidency of Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina to Government of the Republic of Slovenia. Interest in the story of how Bosnia was armed during the war has been renewed by the impending war crimes trial of Bosnian Serb leader Radovan Karadzic and the prospect of the imminent release from prison of Fikret Abdic, the Bosnian Muslim politician who was elected president of Bosnia in 1990 but stepped down for reasons unknown, allowing Alija Izetbegovic, the second-place finisher, to take office. FROM CELJE TO VISOKO In 1992, representatives of the Bosnian government bought arms directly from the Slovenian government on the basis of two agreements on military assistance, but also used Slovenian airports and ports to get the weapons into the country. With the knowledge and help of the Slovenian authorities, weapons were transported by road across the territory of the Republic of Slovenia, under the label of “humanitarian assistance.” One of the routes went toward Slovenian town of Celje, then to the port city of Koper, where the goods were loaded onto a ferry, then transported to the Croatian port of Pula, where it was loaded with the goods of aid groups. From there, the weapons travelled to Split, Croatia, then finally unloaded in Ploce, where it was transported to the warehouse of a humanitarian organization in Metkovic, then transferred by truck across the Bosnian border to Jablanica, where it was finally transported by truck to Visoko. Arms were not delivered only to Visoko: documents show that Zelko Knez, current military advisor to the Croatian member of BH Presidency Zeljko Komsic, in October 1992 in Zagreb received 400,000 marks from Hasan Cengic in October 1992 for the cost of procurement of weapons for the Tuzla region in Bosnia. The value of the weapons to Tuzla exceeded the amount of 1 million DM on this occasion. The prices for the weapons were personally approved by Izetbegovic. But this is just one example. An international investigation reconstructed a trail of money and weapons through Germany, Austria, Slovenia and Croatia to internal delivery in Bosnia, with contacts at all levels of headquarters and units. One document written in Arabic, a memorandum of the Bosnian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, was signed by Dr. Haris Silajdzic on October 2, 1992. Silajdzic, who in 2010 completed a term as the Bosnian member of the federation's presidency, stated that there were "signed contracts for the procurement of weapons, that we need for our emergency rescue, in the amount of $18 million and that the goods will be received in a Croatian port and paid after receipt and control." The shipment of the weapons, which originated with the Slovenian government, was facilitated by "the Croatian Ministry of Finance and Ministry of Defense, which was agreed with the Government of BiH", according to a document attributed to the "Committee of Muslims in Croatia to help Muslims in Bosnia." WHO REPRESENTS BOSNIA? Disputes within the government, going all the way to the presidency, about who should represent Bosnia in its contacts with the Slovenian government directly influenced the flow of money and supplies of arms. In May 1992, Hasan Cengic held a meeting with the President of Slovenia, Milan Kucan, and the Slovenian Ministers for Defence, Janez Jansa, and Interior, Igor Bavcar. At the time, Cengic was secretary of the SDA, the ruling political party. In advance of the meeting, an order for weapons was sent from Sarajevo to Ljubljana, Slovenia, on May 29, 1992, from someone in the office of Chairman of the Presidency of Bosnia and Herzegovina to the Slovenian defense minister. The order requested automatic rifles, ammunition, anti-tank missiles and the like. Specifications were provided by a staff member of Committee of Muslims in Croatia to help Muslims in Bosnia and approved by Alija Izetbegovic. Upon Izetbegovic's approval, the equipment was certified as being worth 1.85 million DM and would be paid for as soon as possible. A Bosnian helicopter based on an airstrip in Slovenia was offered as collateral. ABDIC STILL SILENT In June 1992, Slovenia began training 1,000 members of the Bosnian territorial defence force in the forests of Kocevski Rog. Most of the "recruits" on the Slovenian training course were from the Cazinska Krajina region of Bosnia and members of the Bosnian diaspora. Starting in August of 1992, training was conducted in Svetli Potok, Slovenia, on the edge of Kocevje. The training was carried out by specially trained military members, the Slovenian military secret service and others. A recent book by Matej Surc and Blaz Zgaga claimed "Bosniak (Bosnian Muslim) and Croatian nationals were trained by seasoned fighters from the Croatian battlefields. Fikret Abdic, a former member of the Presidency of BiH, visited the volunteers. The Government of Slovenia secured uniforms of East German origin, weapons, and ammunition and explosive devices for two groups of Bosnian volunteers. During the training of the other group, the Slovenian authorities, under international pressure, ordered that the volunteers had to leave the territory of Slovenia within 24 hours. The Slovenian Ministry of Defence asked Governement of BiH to pay some 1.2 million German marks for this training." According to available documents, an agreement was signed on August 18, 1992,in Ljubljana between the Republic of Slovenia and the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The agreement was signed by Fikret Abdic, as an authorized representative of the Presidency of the Republic of Bosnia and Janez Jansa, the Minister of Defence of the Republic of Slovenia. The agreement put a Bosnian helicopter up as collateral. In September of 1992 there was a final meeting between Hasan Cengic and Jansa. Jusuf Pusina, then Minister of the Interior, and Bakir Alispahic, then Chief of the Center of Security Services for Sarajevo, were also present. In a statement to reporters, Cengic said he tried to explain to Jansa that the Abdic policy was contrary to the policy of the Bosnian government, and that Abdic (who led an armed faction during the war) used weapons from Slovenia to equip his troops for a fratricidal war, but Jansa rejected his arguments and asked Cengić to pay Abdic's account. Cengic said he asked for additional documentation. Sources close to Abdic, who is still in prison, declined to discuss these claims. FROM KHARTOUM TO MARIBOR Conflicts within the Slovenian authorities, including the conflict between Jansa and Cengic, led to a new scandal. Newly available documents reveal the way of money and weapons from distant countries such as Sudan were transported moved to Slovenia. In faxed messages sent in September 1992, a suspected arms broker reported to Dr. Fatih Hassanein that air lift between Khartoum and Maribor moved early on 15th September 1992. Hassanein was head of the Third World Relief Agency, a purported charity that helped funnel millions of dollars from Saudi donors to the Bosnian government during the war. TWRA was also reportedly linked to Al Qaeda as a financial front. The agency's financial records indicate money was transferred to and from an associate of Osama bin Laden during the wartime period. Records show funds from TWRA were used to arm the Bosnian military and were used to facilitate the travel of mujahideen fighters from abroad to fight on behalf of Bosnian Muslims. Several of the Bosnian mujahideen were connected to Al Qaeda. A number of American military veterans were recruited to train and fight with the Bosnian mujahideen in program linked to Al Qaeda and funded by TWRA. The details of that program were first reported in Jihad Joe: Americans Who Go to War in the Name of Islam. The arms broker requested that three containers weighing a total of 50 tons be made ready for shipping. The weapons were flown from Sudan to Maribor airport in Slovenia and then transported by helicopter to central Bosnia. This operation was stopped after the beginning of the conflict between the Bosnian and Croatian armies. In January 1993, transport stopped altogether because of the war breaking out in central Bosnia. On July 21, 1993 Slovenia discovered 120 tons of weapons at the airport in Maribor, labeled as humanitarian aid and awaiting transport to Bosnia. The shipment was stopped, but documentation of the incident helped expose the arms traffic. REQUEST TO IRAN WAS REJECTED The Hague tribunal convened for the Radovan Karadzic trial concluded that "the question of whether different countries were involved in smuggling weapons or were not familiar with this issue on which to decide what should or needs to be considered in this case." But officials in May 2011 rejected a request to issue binding orders and subpoenas to Iran, one of the major suppliers of weapons to Bosnia during the war, because the information was judged irrelevant. Iranian authorities, in response to an initial query, said that "the alleged documents, if they ever existed, came from the distant past" and would require a length search. Karadzic's defense team demanded Iranian documents (contracts and a record of arms deliveries) related to an alleged agreement between the Iranian government agencies and arms dealers, who operated under the name Matimco SPRL, for the sale and delivery of weapons to Pula, Croatia, from December 1994 until April 1995 . Karadzic does not claim the documents contained any information about how ammunition was allegedly smuggled from Croatia to Bosnia, and specifically to Srebrenica, where Bosnian Muslims were massacred by Bosnian Serb forces in 1995. Karadzic is under indictment for that crime. The majority of judges concluded that they continue to believe that only the Srebrenica shipments are relevant to Karadzic's case. They ruled that "the waybills for cargo from the Iranian aircraft apparently landed in Croatia between 1992 and 1994 were too much in terms of time away from the period relevant to this case." Iranian officials have never wanted to speak publicly about the deliveries of weapons for the Army of Bosnia and Herzegovina, explaining that it was "the help which they felt as an obligation because of the suffering of Muslims in Bosnia," and not for profit. There is little historical data on Iranian shipments, only estimates. As previously revealed by INTELWIRE, in September 1992, the Croatian government in Zagreb, at the request of the United States, seized an Iranian plane carrying weapons for Bosnia which had landed in Zagreb. In the spring of 1994 President Bill Clinton's administration gave a "green light" to Croatia for Iranian weapons and other supplies to be shipped to the Army of BiH and the HVO, meaning that USA no longer objected to these delivery of arms to Bosnia. Labels: Al-Qaeda, Alija-Izetbegovic, Bosnia, Hasan-Cengic, Iran, Third-World-Relief-Agency
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Jihad Joe is the first comprehensive history of the American jihadist movement, from 1979 through the present. Click here to read more about the critical acclaim Jihad Joe has earned so far, including from the New York Times, Publisher's Weekly, Redstate.com and many more. RECENTNewest posts!Ex-Marine Yonathan Melaku Pleads Guilty, Jihadist ... Witness: Dennis Mahon claimed he was third man in ... Florida Jihadist Planned Norway-Style Synchronized... What Tarek Mehanna Isn't Anwar Al-Awlaki Video Release Rehashes 2010 "Messa... Monsters and Children: How Politicians Talk About ... Al Qaeda and the U.S. Military: Resources For Jour... Nasser Al-Awlaki Blasts U.S. For Killing of Son an... Kevin Harpham Sentencing Exhibits Zawahiri Calls For Release of American Jihadist El... NEWS NOWEXCLUSIVESNew York Pipe Bomb Suspect Linked to Revolution Muslim The Utility of Lone Wolves Interview with Online Jihadist Abu Suleiman Al Nasser A Way Forward for CVE: The Five Ds How Terrorists Use The Internet: Just Like You PATCON: The FBI's Secret War on the Militia Movement Interview About Jihad With Controversial Cleric Bilal Philips Forgeries on the Jihadist Forums U.S. Gave Millions To Charity Linked To Al Qaeda, Anwar Awlaki State Department Secretly Met With Followers of Blind Sheikh State Department Put 'Political Pressure' On FBI To Deport Brother-in-Law Of Osama Bin Laden In 1995 FBI Records Reveal Details Of Nixon-Era Racial Profiling Program Targeting Arabs Gaza Flotilla Official Was Foreign Fighter in Bosnia War U.S. Had 'High Confidence' Of UBL Attack In June 2001 Behind the Handshake: The Rumsfeld-Saddam Meeting |
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