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Top 1615. Apr 20, 2002 3:42 PM

» JenL_2 - Re: Boulder Dam

In response to message posted by Steven_Russell:

Thanks for the info Steve. Yeah - I agree that power plants - both hydro and nuclear are a likely al-Qaeda target. We must remain especially vigilant. It's sad really cause large damns like the Hoover and the Grand Coulee are great tourist attractions - but with known threats of terrorist attacks public safety is of more importance than tourism....Jen

-- posted by JenL_2

Top 1616. Apr 20, 2002 4:21 PM

» Steven_Russell - Re: Re: Boulder/Hoover Dam

In response to message posted by JenL_2:

If I were going to use a suitcase nuke on Hoover Dam, I would have a very large terror force with machine guns to wipe out any military security before driving the bomb in place. A conventional explosive might also work. I don't know if any amount of amonium nitrate would be enough to do sufficient damage from the roadway in this scenario - but I doubt we have enough security there to ward off a small terror army unit determined to infiltrate. Once they get in, there are probably vulnerabilities.

The other more complicated scenario would require less terrorist personnel, but more operational skill, and a nuke, with a pilot aboard a seaplane, to land on the lake above the dam. The explosion would vaporize the water, and the resulting delayed crash of the lake behind it, rushing in to fill the vacuum, would compound the damage to devastate any remaining structure of the dam. Especially since the force of explosion would back the unvaporized water up upon itself first, initially creating a much higher lake.

If I had a small nuke, this would be my number one target, for greatest long-term impact on population centers and infrastructure.

I think the sudden loss of water supply to surrounding states would wreak the most havoc.

-- posted by Steven_Russell

Top 1617. Apr 20, 2002 7:07 PM

» BPyles - Egypt arrests 54 extremists

Not al-Qaeda, but close enough I guess.
---------------

Egyptian police said it arrested 50 Islamists

AFP [ SATURDAY, APRIL 20, 2002 11:20:23 PM ] Times of India

CAIRO: More than 50 members of an Islamist movement suspected of ties with Osama Bin Laden's al-Qaeda network, including four Britons were recently arrested in Egypt, police said.

The source said 54 "extremists", including four British citizens, from the Hizb Al-Tahrir (Islamic Liberation Party) were arrested over the past two weeks in Cairo, Giza and Alexandria, correcting a report by the daily Al-Ahram which put the number of arrests at 100.

The police said several of the detainees had citizenship from Egypt and a second country. They confirmed that four detainees were British and had links to al-Qaeda, the terror group blamed for the September 11 attacks on the United States.

The men were all being held for a 15-day period, which is renewable, charged with "belonging to a clandestine and illegal organisation with the goal of suspending the law and the constitution and preventing state institutions from accomplishing their goals," the police said.

The Hizb al-Tahrir, an Islamist militant group which flourished in the Middle East in the 1970s, is committed to the creation of one Islamic state for Muslims around the world and advocates armed struggle.

The group attempted a coup against Egypt in the 1970s and was squashed.

Al-Ahram reported Saturday that the state security prosector's department had decided the Hizb Al-Tahrir were to be kept in custody for two weeks, without giving dates for the arrests in Cairo and in the south.

In London, the Foreign Office announced in early April that four Britons had been arrested in Egypt.

However, a representative of Hizb al-Tahrir in Britain, Imran Waheed, said only three of the four were members of the party, which he said "never carried out military or terrorist activities," as that would go against Muslim belief.

Egyptian officials told Al-Ahram the arrested had no ties with al-Qaeda but maintained links with the party's offices in Austria, Britain, and Germany, from where they received financial support.

-- posted by BPyles

Top 1618. Apr 20, 2002 7:50 PM

» mitelo - It Is Spring!

Jen, Betty, Steven,

As always, you guys do a great job. Thanks for the steady stream of information. This site is the best source anywhere...because of you.

Don't let it all get you down. The flowers are blooming, the grass is green, and the trees are getting new leaves. Life goes on.

We will win this thing, and the whole world will be better for it. Thanks to you all for doing your part.

-- posted by mitelo

Top 1619. Apr 21, 2002 6:36 AM

» BPyles - Indigenous Peoples Federal Army

Mitelo: Thank you.

Guess this is a relatively new Islamic group wanting to be heard. They want an Islamic state.
I had read about them previously but they just seemed to be playing at threats, etc. Looks like they are serious now.
----------------------------------

Philippine bomb blast kills 13

From CNN Manila Bureau Chief
Maria Ressa

GENERAL SANTOS, Philippines (CNN) --At least 13 people were killed and 49 injured when an explosion went off at a shopping mall near city hall Sunday afternoon in the southern Philippine city of General Santos,local police said.

Another explosion went off minutes later in a residential part of the city, about a kilometer away. So far, there are no reports of injuries in that blast.

Police are searching for at least 10 other suspected bombs in General Santos.

Sunday morning, a bomb scare began circulating over text messages sent over cellular phones by area residents.

General Santos' regional police chief said police had received intelligence reports of bomb threats from a group called the Indigenous People's Federal Army.

That group claimed responsibility for planting several bombs last month without triggering devices in metro Manila and other Philippine cities. The group also threatened to plant more bombs.

The motivation for the explosions is still unclear. General Santos is a largely Christian city in Mindanao, where several Muslim extremist groups have waged a battle to establish a separate homeland in Asia's only Christian nation.

Police are investigating if the explosions are linked to the sentencing of an Indonesian man Thursday, accused of belonging to a group linked to the Al Qaeda terrorist network. He was sentenced to serve 12 years in prison.

In January, police uncovered nearly 1.2 tons of explosives, believed to be slated for targets across southeast Asia. The explosives were uncovered when police arrested three Filipinos suspected of having Al Qaeda ties.

About 215 miles east of General Santos, nearly 1,000 U.S. troops and army engineers are stationed on the southern Philippine island of Basilan as part of a joint effort with Philippine forces to rout out terrorism.

About 3,000 more U.S. groups are arriving to join existing troops for training exercises that are to begin on Monday.

-- posted by BPyles

http://www.antmobile.com/missiles.html

Top 1620. Apr 21, 2002 7:12 AM

» Kirk - Break From War

-- posted by Kirk

http://www.suite101.com/discussion.cfm/i...

Top 1621. Apr 21, 2002 9:32 AM

» JenL_2 - Re: Philippines - Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi

In response to message posted by BPyles:

Betty - thanks for the info - I'm very concerned, because al-Qaeda related cells have used bombings in the Philippines before as "practice runs" for larger attacks. Even the terrorist operation code-named "Bojinka", which was thwarted in the Philippines, had blue-prints for a 9/11 type attack.

From the article....

...that be Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi who we've been tracking on this thread above - he's a Big Fish in the al-Qaeda related terrorist rings operating between the Philippines, Indonesia, Singapore & Malaysia. He was caught through cooperation between Singapore & the Philippines:

This from 4/19 MSNBC.com

<img src="http://a799.ms.akamai.net/3/799/388/4bfe..." width=330 height=238 align="left">Indonesian terror suspect Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi, center wearing a cap, runs together with security police officers as they arrive at the regional trial court in Zamboanga on Friday.

Philippines court convicts Indonesian

Al-Ghozi is believed to have links to al-Qaida

MSNBC NEWS SERVICES

ZAMBOANGA, Philippines, April 19 — An Indonesian man believed to have links to the al-Qaida terror network pleaded guilty Friday to obtaining Philippine passports illegally, a day after a court here sentenced him to up to 12 years in prison for illegally possessing explosives.

FATHUR ROHMAN Al-Ghozi has told police he helped plan a series of almost simultaneous bombings that killed 22 people in Manila in 2000. He pleaded guilty Thursday to explosives possession after leading Philippine police earlier this year to a ton of TNT that officials say was to be used for terrorist attacks in Singapore.

On Friday, he pleaded guilty to fraudulently obtaining two Philippine passports after the deadly Dec. 30, 2000, bombings in Manila that also injured more than 120 people. He has not been charged in that case, but prosecutors say he could face multiple counts of murder.

Prosecutors said Al-Ghozi got a passport in the name of Randy Adam Alih on Jan. 19, 2001 — three weeks after the Manila attacks — and one as Sammy Sali Jamil four months later.

“The use of false passports is a very serious crime, and prosecution of offenders of these types of crimes is very important in the war against terrorism, since this is how they are able to travel from country to country,” said Philippine Justice Undersecretary Manuel Teehankee.

Al-Ghozi is believed to be a key leader of the Jemaah Islamiyah, a Southeast Asian-based group with suspected links to Osama bin Laden’s terrorist organization.

Al-Ghozi, 31, was arrested in Manila’s Quiapo working-class district in January on a tip by Singapore police.

He provided information that led to more than a ton of TNT buried in a backyard in General Santos, about 625 miles southeast of Manila. Officials allege the group planned to attack U.S. military personnel and vessels as well as the British High Commission, the Israeli Embassy and the Australian High Commission in Singapore.

SUSPECTS RELEASED

In a separate move, Philippine President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo ordered the release of two Indonesians suspected of being connected with al-Ghozi.

The move was made in response to a request by Indonesian President Megawati Sukarnoputri, Acting Press Secretary Silvestre Afable told a news conference.

He said Arroyo acted upon the recommendation of Justice Secretary Hernando Perez, who earlier said the case against the two should be dismissed because of a lack of evidence.

The two Indonesians were among three arrested at Manila international airport last month after components of explosives were allegedly found in their bags.

In a court hearing in Manila on Friday, the defense lawyer of the three said they were businessmen. Afable said the third Indonesian was still being investigated.

The Associated Press and Reuters contributed to this report.

Well - he's already sentenced for 12 years for explosives possession, and now they've added on the false passport charges....maybe they'll just keep adding on charges till he gets life or is executed. But he didn't operate alone....others in his cells have been arrested also.... and from what I've read he wasn't necessarily the mastermind.....hope they can get him to talk and help catch even larger al-Qaeda fish. But IMHO Philippines, Singapore, Malaysia, and even Indonesia are to be commended for their cooperation in cracking these al-Qaeda related terrorist cells operating between their countries.....Jen

-- posted by JenL_2

Top 1622. Apr 21, 2002 11:32 AM

» Steven_Russell - Re: Break From War

In response to message posted by Kirk:

Thanks Kirk. I got up to 2300 points, even with my sticky mouse. Must protect Earth from alien saucer terrorists.

-- posted by Steven_Russell

Al Qaeda's Asian 'quartermaster'

Top 1623. Apr 21, 2002 11:36 AM

» JenL_2 - Re: Philippines - Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi

A summary article on Fathur Rohman Al-Ghozi investigation including the use of "trial-run" bomb attacks.... from 2/12/02 Christian Science Monitor:

<img src="http://www.csmonitor.com/2002/0212/csmim..." width=150 height=196 align="left">JAILED: Suspected terrorist Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi is led from a holding room by Philippine military police. ED WRAY/AP

Behind bars in Manila, the alleged terrorist is revealing some secrets, investigators say.

By Dan Murphy | Special to the Christian Science Monitor

MANILA, THE PHILIPPINES - His beard was more grunge goatee than a flowing symbol of religious devotion, and his portable CD player pumped out American pop music more frequently than Koranic lectures. Yet Fathur Roman al-Ghozi was the man Al Qaeda trusted to get things done in Southeast Asia, intelligence officials here say.

Mr. al-Ghozi was arrested in Manila on Jan. 15. Philippines investigators say his duties included the following: Elicit the sympathy of local Muslims; build relationships with the separatist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF); ship guns to Sulawesi, Indonesia; and buy explosives to be used to destroy US and allied targets in Singapore.

"Mostly, he was their quartermaster - someone who could get what they needed,'' says Zachary Abuza, a political science professor at Simmons College in Boston, who has just returned from researching a book on Al Qaeda's network in Southeast Asia.

US Forces continue to arrive in the Philippines to assist in operations against the Abu Sayyaf, a kidnap-for-ransom gang that the State Department calls international terrorists. But the lesson of al-Ghozi and his accomplices, intelligence analysts say, is that a handful of sophisticated operatives are far more dangerous than Abu Sayyaf.

The Indonesian operative was methodical and ideologically driven - qualities that made him extremely elusive during the five years he roamed the region. He could speak several Philippine dialects. "He's smart and disciplined,'' says one of his interrogators. "If I didn't know better, he could pass himself off completely as a Filipino." Indeed, evidence is emerging that al-Ghozi is a prototype for a generation of young radicals that Al Qaeda sought to groom to carry the "Jihad" to Southeast Asia, home to one-third of the world's Muslims.

A terror chapter opens

In the early 1990s, relied on Pakistanis, Kuwaitis, and Afghanis to do operational work in the region. But by the middle of the decade, the group had helped found the Jemaah Islamiyah (J. I.), an affiliate head-quartered in Malaysia that drew its members from throughout Southeast Asia.

Singapore investigators say the J. I. is lead by Abu Bakar Bashir, a Indonesian cleric who runs a Islamic boarding school in Central Java. Al-Ghozi is one of the school's graduates.

The J. I.- sponsored Afghan training trips for members, conducted intense indoctrination sessions on its brand of Islam, and became a link between Osama bin Laden's Afghan bases and would-be radicals in Southeast Asia, officials in Singapore, Malaysia and the Philippines say. The apparent goal was to create ideologically sound operatives who could blend seamlessly with the local populations.

Al-Ghozi, who made at least two training trips to Afghanistan, was just one of them. Philippines officials say another Indonesian, who went by the alias Sulaiman, escaped when al-Ghozi was arrested. Singapore's former Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew said this weekend that as many as eight members of the J. I. have eluded authorities.

Still, al-Ghozi is the only member known to have successfully carried out an attack.

On December 30, 2000, Manila was rocked by five nearly simultaneous explosions, including one at a crowded train station that left 22 dead and about 100 injured. A day later, a caller to the police who identified himself as "Freedom Fighter" took responsibility for the blasts: "Tell the President that's in retaliation for what's happening in Mindanao,'' the island home of the MILF.

Authorities captured the caller's cell-phone number, but at the time didn't know that it was al-Ghozi. But Army intelligence officers quickly established that he was an Indonesian, and that he frequented both MILF camps on Mindanao, where he provided explosives training.

But he never stayed in one place for more than two weeks and he had at least seven aliases, says one of the officers that tracked him. Al-Ghozi went frequently to Singapore and Malaysia.

It was only after the J. I. arrests in Singapore in December that they finally caught him in Manila. They quickly realized that he was one of two Al Qaeda operatives who had arrived in Singapore in October to make preparations for a massive bombing campaign that included the US Embassy, Singapore officials say.

Philippines investigators now describe the December 30 Manila bombing as a "trial run" for al-Ghozi. He told investigators that Faiz bin Abu Bakar Bafana, his controlling officer in the J. I., first sent him to the Philippines in 1995, with orders to make friends in the MILF.

EC: Faiz bin Abu Bakar Bafana, a Malaysian, was arrested during the J. I. cell round-up in Singapore in December 01.

"The kyai (Muslim leaders of J. I.) had determined that the Philippines was a very good source of logistics because of lax policing,'' says one of the Filipino investigators.

Trial run with a bomb

In particular, he cemented his relationship with Muklis Yunos, a MILF fighter who, intelligence officials say, trained at the same Al Qaeda camp as al-Ghozi in 1993. The Philippines police allege Mr. Yunos is the head of a Special Operations Group for the MILF, and a member of a splinter group within the organization that favors a more aggressive war with the Philippines.

Al-Ghozi and Yunos hatched the December 30 bomb plot, along with financing provided by J.I., al-Ghozi has told investigators. Intelligence officials here describe the Manila bombing as a trial run for al-Ghozi to prove that he could reliably get explosives in the Philippines.

"Having done it once, he could go back to the same contacts and just turn the key,'' says a Philippines intelligence official working on the case. "The MILF is cellular enough that no one would know."

In October of last year, Bafana told al-Ghozi to buy more explosives and prepare them for shipping to Singapore. Al-Ghozi has since led investigators to one ton of TNT, detonating wire, and 17 M-16s in a bamboo shack behind a house in General Santos City, Mindanao.

Philippines investigators say the cell was killing off two birds with one stone when al-Ghozi went south. In addition to buying the explosives in Mindanao, al-Ghozi had also bought 17 M-16s and had them meticulously packed to resist the damp sea air on the passage to Indonesia.

"It seems that the guns were for the 'Jihad' in Poso [Sulawesi] - while the explosives would be shipped on from Sulawesi to Singapore,'' says the investigator. Sulawesi was a natural transit point - an island with hundreds of miles of unmonitored coastline and two large ports that carry on a brisk trade with Singapore.

Christians and Muslims have been engaged in sporadic fighting near Solo for 18 months, and officials in Mr. Bashir's Indonesian organization say they have recruited fighters to go and "protect" Muslims there.

....Jen

-- posted by JenL_2