Colt's Winds of War: September 30/04

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 me, Colt, of Eurabian Times.

TOP TOPICS

• JK: Car bombs in Baghdad kill 41 people, incl. 34 children. They were holding a celebration re: reconstruction of the local sewage system. Belmont Club has more.

• Hassan al-Turabi, former president of Sudan and ideologue of IIF, has allegedly tried to overthrow the current president Omar el-Bashir. More details here. Dan has a long briefing on the terror threat from Sudan, which al-Turabi helped build.

• JK: Winds of Change.NET's recent Eyes on Korea regional briefing will keep you posted re: Kim "That's DR. Evil to you" Jong-Il and his regime.

• Several significant al-Qaeda men have been captured in Pakistan. It is thought they were involved in the brutal murder of Daniel Pearl and a plot to kill President Musharraf.

• There are several reports of clashes between the Iranian populace and Islamist militias. Alas, it is premature to say these are the sparks of rebellion. But if they are, a coherent Iran policy might suddenly become even more urgent than it already is.

Other Topics Today Include: Iran Reports; Domestic brief; Iraqi WMD in Syria?; shootings in KSA and Oman; Saudi-sponsored terror; car-bomb in Damascus; Chechens in Cyprus?; JI learns from Chechens; Indonesia hunts suicide bombers; released Taliban commander killed.

IRAN REPORTS

• Iran has tested a strategic missile and delivered it to the armed forces. It is not known whether it is a new version of the Shihab-3. However, some analysts suggest that it is - and that it could reach London.

• Having backed away from threats of pre-emption, the commander of the Revolutionary Guards says Iran is ready to confront the U.S. militarily.

• More on the violence in Iran.

• Syria is trying to transfer Iraqi WMD scientists to Iran.

DOMESTIC SECURITY BRIEFINGS

• JK: Senior al-Qaeda members have reportedly been trying to recruit help from a violent Salvadoran gang with a history of smuggling people into the United States. It is not comforting that these reports come so close to the U.S. election.

• An Algerian asylum seeker attacked the pilots of a small Norweigan passenger plane with an axe. He is said to have shouted "I am going to crash this plane!" Somehow, the two wounded pilots regained control of the aircraft at about 100 feet. The attacker was arrested. The axe was smuggled aboard.

• Four Muslims have been arrested in the U.K. for plotting a dirty bomb attack. The plot was uncovered by a reporter from a tabloid.

• Germany is finally taking note of the Islamists in their country. They're looking closely at Hizb ut-Tahrir, and also blocked an Islamist conference.

• There apparently at least three Brits fighting for Abu Musab al-Zarqawi in Iraq.

THE WIDER WAR

• U.S. Army intelligence believes Iraq's WMD are in Syria

• The Syrians have finally closed down the offices of terrorist groups. Having claimed his country was free of Hamas, Assad was probably a little embarrassed when a senior leader was killed by a car-bomb. There's a good analysis here. Hamas believes an Arab intelligence agency might have been involved. Jordan is the obvious suspect, but Syria has been bending to American pressure recently.

• JK: Spain's socialists once again demonstrate their allegiances in the War on Terror. Spain apparently has plans to pull out of Afghanistan following the Afghan elections, despite President Karzai's request that they stay (hey, isn't that a UN/NATO multilateral mandate?). Oh, and the party is supporting a bill that labels the U.S. Army as terrorists.

• JK: The Command Post has a report from Dubai. Note the mass exodus of Westerners from Saudi Arabia, and (surprise!) the fact that Michael Moore's work is fueling anti-Americanism in the region.

• A British man was seriously wounded after being shot in the neck in Oman. Given the list of past incidents and official reactions, it looks like Omani authorities are in denial.

• The terrorists holding British hostage Ken Bigley have released another video. He is shown in a a cage denouncing Tony Blair. Aaron of Internet Haganah says on the jihadi forums there's a statement from Tahid wal Jihad saying that they will now release him in order to "emphasize the humiliation of the British government and its army". As ever, that cannot be considered reliable.

• There are reports that - make sure you're sitting down - al-Qaeda are funding Islamic terrorism abroad. The good news is they're fighting them within Saudi Arabia.

• JK: The Saudis are even planning to hold a conference on "eradicating the roots and causes of this dangerous phenomenon." Michael Totten thinks they should be careful what they wish for.

• Three men are being held for the murder of a Frenchman in Jeddah.

• JK: Yemen has sentenced 2 men to death for the USS Cole bombing, and given others prison terms.

• A Greek Cypriot minister says Chechen terrorists are training in the Turkish areas of the island.

• JK: Meanwhile, there were bombings in 4 separate Turkish cities. Few injuries, fortunately.

• JK: Two Abu Sayyaf leaders wanted by Washington escaped from a series of assaults by U.S.-trained forces in the Philippines.

• Indonesian terrorists are thought to be learning from their Chechen counterparts.

• Indonesian authorities are hunting six suicide bombers.

• JK: "The [U.S. House International Relations committee] hearing began as a serious discussion about the coming elections in Afghanistan. It ended in insults, so partisan and personal that the committee chairman expressed relief upon adjournment."

• A Taliban commander released from Gitmo went straight back to the jihading - and got himself killed.

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