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 Matt 'Colt' of Eurabian Times and Steve 'USMC_Vet' of The Word Unheard.
TOP TOPICS
- Lebanese troops are deploying in PFLP-GC controlled-areas to prevent the flow of pro-Syrian terrorists in to the country. More details here. Syria is denying claims by a Lebanese minister that they threatened his life. The FBI will assist in the investigations in to the recent string of bombings in Lebanon. Despite all that, the U.S. is easing pressure on Syria to seal its borders with Iraq
- The GSPC is following through on its threats against France. An Algerian tip-off led to the arrest of nine cell members planning to bomb the Paris metro, an airport and DST headquarters.
- A couple of major successes against al-Qaeda in Iraq: U.S. special forces killed Zarqawi's #2, and police in Kirkuk are holding a senior member of Ansar al-Sunna.
- Violence in Darfur is so serious that the UN may pull its aid personnel out.
- Al-Qaeda TV describes the Gaza retreat as a great victory, and shows Ahmed Queria of the PLO in a favourable light - in a complete reversal of the group's previous opinion that the PLO was a infidel, Zionist tool. Perhaps this is related: the chief of Israeli military intelligence says al-Qaeda is in Gaza, and the group's interest in attacking Israel is growing.
Other Topics Today Include: Iran weighs response to IAEA vote; U.K. rules out force; mullahs behind '85 bomb in Germany; Egypt shoots terrorist; Syria buying Russian arms; Hamas leaders hide; Saudi Arabia certified as co-operating; U.S. clashes with Mehdi Army; Farrakhan claims levees blown up; Kosovo is A-Q haven; Yarkas gets 27 years; 7/21 arrest made; LeJ leader arrested; India nails seven terrorists; Abu Sayyaf round-up; Somaliland wants independence; and much more.
IRAN
- Iran is pissed about the latest IAEA resolution. Lots of talk about economic repercussions for the countries that voted against Iran, with a Pasdaran site is suggesting using oil as to blackmail France, Italy and the U.K.. Iran's LNG deal with India may or may not still be on.
- Ahmadinejad: We will not retreat.
- Those snap nuclear inspections? Iran's 'parliament' is trying to stop them.
- The U.K. has ruled out military action against Iran.
- German investigators believe that Iran was involved in, if not behind, the bombing of a U.S. military base in Frankfurt in 1985.
THE MIDDLE EAST
- Egyptian police have shot and killed another suspect in the Sharm el-Sheikh bombings.
- Egypt wants the Middle East to be a nuclear free zone. Israel's reaction: bite me.
- Zarqawi's family's economic modesty is a thing of the past; the terrorist's family is doing pretty well these days.
- The Syrians are looking to conclude an arms deal with Russia.
- Boy Assad told Hamas and PIJ to up the tempo of attacks in order to shift attention from Syria.
- Fatah terrorists say another terrorist campaign is on the way.
- Hamas leaders are going underground, despite their leadership announcing that they are not afraid of dying.
- A Hamas cell kidnapped a 50-year-old Israeli, filmed a Zarqawi-style video and then murdered him. Its past time to call the Hamas leaders' bluff.
- The Israelis have arrested 82 jihadi terrorists in Yehuda and Shomron (on top of the previous 207).
IRAQ AND THE GULF
- Saudi Arabia has been certified as 'co-operating in the war on terror' by President bush
- French Interior Minister Sarkozy says there are 12 French citizens in Iraq preparing to become suicide bombers.
- U.S. intelligence believes that Zarqawi's network is becoming a self-sustaining force.
- U.S. forces have clashed with the Mehdi Army.
- A bomb planted outside the home of a bodyguard of Moqtada al-Sadr has killed six people. The Mehdi Army recently clashed with the Badr Brigades...
THE AMERICAS
- More details about the prison jihad in LA. Kevin James, terror mastermind and founder of Jamiyyat Ul-Islam Is-Saheed, recruited two of the gang from an Inglewood mosque. He has been arraigned.
- Louis Farrakhan says that divers found evidence of explosives in the levee breaks in New Orleans.
- A Maryland teacher has been bailed, having been charged with providing material support to Lashkar-e-Taiba.
EUROPE
- Al-Qaeda declares solidarity with the al-Jazeera journalist found guilty of terror-related crimes by a Spanish court
- Kosovo is a haven for al-Qaeda terrorists, ruled by the Albanian mafia and characterized by continuing ethnic cleansing - that's the verdict of a former security chief there.
- Bulgarian police who seized 3.5kg of hafnium last week believe it was connected either to Iran or al-Qaeda. The report noted the involvement of the 'Arab dominated Bucharest mafia's role as an intermediary.
- Mohamed Haddad, 3/11 suspect, is living openly in Morocco - what the deal?
- Serbia has extradited another suspect to Spain.
- 9/11 conspirator Imad Yarkas has been given 27 years in prison.
- Another arrest has been made in the 7/21 bombings case.
- Raids in Germany have netted 38 terror suspects.
- The IRA has destroyed all of its arms.
- Bosnian Islamists in the town of Brcko have threatened to exterminate the local Croats.
WEST ASIA & THE 'STANS
- A senior member of Lashkar-e-Jhangvi has been arrested in Pakistan.
- A Taliban suicide bombing in Kabul has killed at least nine people in front of a military base.
- Pakistan has arrested four Afghan terrorists who Pakistan says fought against the U.S.
- A JMB suspect named Faisal has confessed to being a member of the banned terror group.
- Indian troops have killed seven terrorists in Kashmir.
- A policeman in Chechnya has been killed in one of two recent attacks.
AUSTRALASIA AND THE ORIENT
- A new report in Australia highlights Jemaah Islamiyah as a significant threat, capable of carrying out annual attacks.
- Lots of Abu Sayyaf news: 7 members were arrested Monday; the group is recruiting Christian converts to Islam; a small bomb factory was seized; and two ASG killed.
- A Thai jihadist says that Arab and Indonesian terrorists 'may' get involved in the murder-spree in southern Thailand. That's what Muslim brothers do, after all.
AFRICA
- Somaliland wants independence. Can't blame them, given the neighbours. Dan has some good stuff drawing on the ICG report on Somalia.
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