Thursday Winds of War: August 18/05

Welcome! Our goal at Winds of Change.NET is to give you one power-packed briefing of insights, news and trends from the global War on Terror that leaves you stimulated, informed, and occasionally amused every Monday & Thursday. Thursday's Winds of War briefings are given by Colt of Eurabian Times and USMC_Vet of The Word Unheard.

TOP TOPICS

• If you read one war-on-terror related item this week, make it this one. What al-Qaida Really Wants, a book by a Jordanian journalist who has corresponded with Saif al-Adel and other al-Qaeda members, and been in prison with Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

• If you read two WoT-related items, make this the second: Inside Iran's Secret War for Iraq.

• And a third one: problems with the NIA estimate on Iran's nuclear weapons program.

• New information reveals that the Brazilian man killed by police didn't jump any barrier, was wearing a light jacket and was held down and shot. The Daily Mail (no link) said that the police officers involved might face murder charges.

• Luai Sakra, the al-Qaeda terrorist captured in Turkey, claims to have sent other jihadists to the U.S., the U.K., Algeria, Syria and Egypt. Turkish Weekly also has an interesting article about the pillars of al-Qaeda in Turkey.

• Philippine authorities have thwarted a plot to attack the American, British and Australian embassies in Manila. 1,000kg of explosives were discovered after a member of Abu Sayyaf was arrested.

• Nearly 350 bombs have exploded in Bangladesh. Thankfully, casualties are light, all things considered: one killed, 125 wounded. 45 arrests have already been made.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran's Defence Minister linked to Beirut blast; conversion plant back in business; Christians tool up in Lebanon; blast in Sinai wounds two; new terror offensive in April; inside IED gangs; Sunnis could maintain fight for a year; Saudis look to socialism to alleviate poverty; Foggy Bottom warned about Osama in 1996; GSPC calls for attacks in France; Italy to expel 700; 3/11 suspect found in Serbia; 25 Taliban killed; Pakistan denies terror camps; Abu Bakar's sentence cut; Singaporean police patrol transport; suicide bombing in China; Morocco busts GSPC cell; and much more.

IRAN

• The IAEA is about to report that the enriched uranium discovered by inspectors originated in Pakistan.

• Ahmadinnejad's Cabinet - lots of jihadists, you'll be shocked to learn. The new defence minister was head of the IRGC when the Beirut Marine barracks were destroyed by Hezbollah.

• The Iranians have applied the Euroleftist notion that fighting terrorism creates more terrorism to their 'negotiations' with the EU-3. Now they say that 'the harsher the Europeans play the game, the more Iran will get decisive on pursuing other nuclear projects'.

• Isfahan, an Iranian uranium conversion plant, is operating at full swing.

• Iran has ruled out resuming ties with the U.S. Okay.

THE MIDDLE EAST

• Wealthy 'right-wing' Christians are looking to buy $16 million of arms.

• Several suspects in the Taba bombings have appeared in court.

• The Egyptians say that they have uncovered several more members of the cell behind the Sharm el-Sheik attacks.

• Two Canadian peacekeepers were wounded in a roadside-bomb attack in the northern Sinai.

• A Jewish terrorist has murdered four Arab workers.

• It turns out France has red-lines: secure the release of a French journalist, or French aid to the PA will stop. Ah, the things people choose to take a stand for.

• After the retreat, several thousand terrorists based in Lebanon are to move to Gaza.

• Farkash says that a palestinian terrorist offensive is likely in April. (If everything goes to plan, I'll be assigned to a paratrooper unit in May...)

• Hezbollah is paying to develop missiles that could reach Ben Gurion airport when fired from parts of Judea and Samaria.

IRAQ AND THE GULF

• The Carnival of the Liberated. The new constitution, the prospect of American withdrawal and the grief for a murdered family member. And more besides.

• How to run an IED gang - a fascinating look at how they work.

• A suspected chemical weapons factory has been discovered in Iraq. The U.S. believes the 1,500 gallons of chemicals were to be used in attacks on coalition forces and Iraqis.

• The Sunni insurgency in Iraq could remain at this level for another year.

• Yet more red-on-red in Iraq.

• The Saudis, looking to alleviate poverty within the kingdom, are examining the Venezuelan model. Clearly, what Saudi Arabia needs right now is socialism.

• The trial of Yemeni 'rebels' was disrupted by angry jihadists.

THE AMERICAS

• The State Department says they warned of Bin Laden's threat as an operational terrorist (besides being an ideologue and a financier) in 1996.

• The U.S.G. is looking to thwart the various methods terrorists use to transfer funds.

• Another arrest in the armed-robbers-turned-jihadists investigation in California. The gang was planning an attack for September 11, 2005.

• The New York Fire Department has released oral histories from 9/11.

EUROPE

• Osman Hussain, one of the July 21st London bombers, will be extradited from Italy to the U.K..

• The GSPC is calling for French Muslims to carry out terrorist attacks in France.

• Italy is still on an 'elevated risk' threat-level, despite large numbers of arrests. The Italians plan to expel or extradite 701 and terror suspects.

• El Motassadeq is in court again.

• A suspect in the 3/11 bombings has been arrested in Serbia.

• A number of significant British Muslim groups have signed a letter opposed to banning Hizb ut-Tahrir, claiming among other things that working towards a Muslim Caliphate governed by Sharia should not be considered 'extremism'.

• The 'moderate' Muslim Council of Britain has strong links to Jamaat-i-Islami.

• Security has been tightened in the U.K. following reports of a plot to use petrol tankers as truck bombs.

WEST ASIA & THE 'STANS

• While an attack might have caused the Spanish helicopter crash in Afghanistan in which 17 were killed, strong winds may have been to blame.

• At least 25 Taliban killed in fighting with U.S. forces. Heroic Taliban forces are threatening to murder a Lebanese engineer. A roadside bomb killed an Afghan police officer and wounded 16 others.

• In Kashmir, four terrorists - including local leaders of LeT and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen - and three civilians were killed in several incidents.

• Pakistan denies the presence of terrorist infrastructure in their country.

• The Pakistanis have test-fired a nuclear-capable cruise missile.

• Four armed militants arrested in Karachi were members of Jamaat-e-Islami, and had no links to A-Q, says the Pakistani police.

AUSTRALASIA AND THE ORIENT

• Bali bomb conspirator, and senior JI terrorist, Abu Bakar Ba'asyir's 30 month sentence has been reduced.

• Another JI terrorist, who blew up a McDonalds shortly after the Bali bombing, killing three, has been sentenced to life in prison.

• Another of the Bali bombers has been found dead in Mindanao.

• In Singapore, armed police are patrolling public transport, to guard against suicide bombers.

• Suicide bombing in China? It wouldn't be the first one...

• Abu Sayyaf are on the run.

• In Thailand, a bomb planted in a Buddhist temple killed a militiaman and wounded eight other people.

AFRICA

• A GSPC cell in Morocco has been captured.

• The curfew in Khartoum, following the riots after Garang's death, has been lifted.

And for a bit of fun: Taliban Reunited.

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