India – Youth arrested for posing as Salman on website

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PTI, 28 January 2010, 10:40am IST

SURAT: A youth was arrested for allegedly drawing donations from fans of Bollywood star Salman Khan through a  fake website, Anti Terrorist Squad (ATS) officials said today.

Intakhawab Alam was arrested yesterday from Rander for posing as Salman Khan on a fake website created by him, they said.

He used to reply to fans and keep the website updated, ATS officials said.

Alam had created a website under the name of Bollywood actor Salman Khan and used to send messages to fans and asked for their comments and opinions on articles written on the site.

Hamas may have been whitewashed: a clarification

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David Nordell 28 Jan 2010

After publishing the article ’Hamas may have been whitewashed, but it is no cleaner than before’ here three days ago, a friend who is also professionally involved in counter-terror finance messaged me to say that the information on which I had based the article was inaccurate: the US Treasury continues to blacklist the main leaders of Hamas and to ban any transaction with them.

Indeed, the US Treasury blacklist of Palestinian Legislative Council members, which was last updated in April 2006, names the full Hamas leadership, from ’HANIYA, Ismail (a.k.a. HANIYA, Ismail Abdul Salah; a.k.a. HANIYYA, Ismaeel)’ down, on 11 pages, not just Musa bu Marzouk, as I mistakenly wrote.

Iran to inaugurate missile projects in February

Tue Jan 26, 2010 9:13am GMT

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TEHRAN (Reuters) – Iran will inaugurate several missile and arms projects next month to coincide with the 31st anniversary of its 1979 Islamic revolution, a Revolutionary Guards commander said on Tuesday.

Guards commander Massoud Jazayeri did not say whether Iran would test-fire new missiles and gave no other details of the planned events. A missile launch would be likely to add to tension with Western powers worried by Iran’s nuclear ambitions.

“Iran’s Defence Ministry will inaugurate several missiles and arms projects during the Fajr (Dawn) 10-day p

eriod, marking the victory of the 1979 Islamic revolution,” he told a news conference.

Pakistan, the Radicalization of the Jihadist Movement and the Challenge to China

Dr. Ely Karmon1 – ICT Senior Researcher

I. Ideological Roots and Strategic Circumstances

Political Islam has always been a reality in Pakistan since its birth in 1947. It is likely that political Islam exhibits a greater influence on the country’s overall Muslim population than the myriad of extremist groups combined. The clearest manifestation of political Islam is within the creation of the Jama’at al-Islami (JI), Pakistan’s first and largest political party founded by the late Maulana Mawdudi (1903-79), a Sunni Pakistani theologian, political philosopher, and influential 20th century Islamic revivalist whose work on Islamic resurgence and doctrine defines the group’s activities and membership.2

When he speaks of “Islamic nationality,” Mawdudi means allegiance to the umma, which he envisaged as a sort of Islamic super-nation uniting all Muslims in the world into a single, indivisible community. He asserted a bi-polar worldview that juxtaposed the Islamic sphere with all else and insisted that Muslims should completely isolate themselves from those he deemed not to be Muslims. The struggle to make this change is known as jihad.3

For Mawdudi, jihad was akin to a war of liberation for the establishment of politically independent Muslim states. He significantly changed the concept of jihad in Islam and began its association with anti-colonialism and “national liberation movements.”4

Mawdudi was certain that the Islamic state would be “the very antithesis of secular Western democracy.” He had written about the need for a “revolution” to create an Islamic state, but he believed this revolution had to be prepared by a long campaign of persuasion. Mawdudi himself never had a sufficient following to make a concerted bid for power in Pakistan.5

Mawdudi’s ideas set the agenda for Islamic movements from Morocco to Malaysia. From his revivalist efforts came the inspiration to re-achieve the glory that is Islam.6 His ideas were carried to their ultimate conclusion by an Egyptian Muslim Brother, Sayyid Qutb (1906-66), who borrowed heavily from Mawdudi’s vision of an Islamic state, but was far more impatient and urged that a believing vanguard organize itself, retreat from impious society, denounce lax Muslims as no-nbelievers, and battle to overturn the political order.7 Qutb thus transformed what had been a tendency toward violence into an explicit logic of revolution and thus became the spiritual father of al-Qaeda.8

Zia-ul-Haq, the military ruler who came to power in Pakistan through a coup d’état in 1977, strengthened the Islamic Ideology Council, revitalized the religious ministry, appointed the leaders of Jamaat-e-Islami (JI) as his advisors and declared himself the “soldier of Islam.”9 The legacy left by Zia-ul-Haq during the late 1970s further solidified the government’s ties to extremist groups.10

II. Radical Madrasas in Pakistan

Madrasas are Islamic religious seminaries, usually established by a cleric of some importance. Madrasas owe their allegiance to various Sunni and Shia Islamic schools. Sunni madrasas adhere to different doctrines, such as those of the Deobandi, Ahle Hadith and Brelvi schools of thought.11 Depending on their doctrinal leanings, individual madrasas are aligned with different federations, the most prominent of which are Wafaq-ul-Madaris al-Arabia, Tanzeem-ul-Madaris Ahle Sunnat, Wafaq-ul-Madaris Shia, and Rabiat-ul-Madaris al-Islamia. Wafaq-ul-Madaris represents the Deobandi school of thought, and has the largest number of followers.12

The vast majority of madrasas pursue highly political activities that set them apart from non-religious schools. The madrasas’ role in issuing Darul Iftas – religious edicts for individuals and organizations seeking legal opinion or Islamic legitimacy for their actions – also fuels sectarian tension. The poisonous books, pamphlets, audio and videocassettes published by sectarian organizations are widely distributed in madrasas.13

HDNet World Report Investigates a Growing Terrorist Threat in Kenya

Somali terrorist organization Al-Shabaab is starting to infect this strong U.S. Ally -

Report airs Tuesday, January 26 at 9:00 p.m. ET

January 25, 2010 –

DALLAS, Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ — This Tuesday, World Report, HDNet’s award-winning weekly news program, travels to Kenya, a country long considered East Africa’s most stable nation — not to mention a vital American ally in the war on terror — to investigate a Somali extremist Islamic terrorist organization called Al-Shabaab. The group, having known ties to Al-Qaeda, is now crossing Kenya’s porous border with Somalia, along with the recent influx of refugees, and imposing their strict interpretation of Islamic law on citizens in Kenya.

When asked by World Report Correspondent Paul Beban about Al-Shabaab’s presence in Kenya, U.S. Ambassador Michael Rannenberger said, “They are of course an extremely fanatical movement, and they do have significant support. There is no doubt that Al-Shabaab poses an actual and potential danger to Kenya.”

Istanbul summit reiterates pledge to counter terror

Tuesday, January 26, 2010

Zardari hails Turkish role in Pak-Afghan detente

ISTANBUL: President Asif Ali Zardari said Monday the Pakistan government would be willing to talk to the people who want to give up their way of life and are reconcilable.

President Zardari was answering questions at a joint news conference with Presidents Abdullah Gul of Turkey and Hamid Karzai of Afghanistan on the conclusion of 4th Trilateral Summit among them.

In a joint declaration after the parleys, the three countries reiterated their determination to tackle terrorism in all its forms and importance of enhancing indigenous capacities to that effect.

The three leaders also adopted education as the latest field of cooperation among their respective countries with higher education identified for special focus in this behalf. “Dialogue, Development and Deterrence were the three pillars of our 3 D policy”, President Zardari said in reply to a question at the press conference.

Bruce Tefft, fost agent CIA: Niciun strain nu are “dreptul” sa zboare in SUA. Cui nu-i convin masurile de securitate, sa nu mearga

de Adrian Novac HotNews.ro

Luni, 11 ianuarie 2010, 12:05 Actualitate | Internaţional

Bruce Tefft

Foto: Arhiva personala

In ziua de Craciun a anului trecut, un nigerian a incercat sa detoneze o incarcatura exploziva intr-un avion aflat deasupra orasului Detroit. Pe 30 decembrie, un atacator sinucigas se arunca in aer in interiorul unei baze CIA din Afganistan, omorand sapte americani. In prima zi din 2010, un artist danez care a publicat mai multe caricaturi cu profetul Mohammed este atacat in propria casa de un musulman somalez. De ce s-au intamplat toate aceste incidente? Cine se afla in spatele lor si ce semnificatie au masurile de securitate draconice luate in Statele Unite? Ne-a raspuns la toate aceste intrebari expertul in probleme de contraterorism Bruce Tefft, fost agent CIA.

Adrian Novac: Un tanar nigerian, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, a incercat sa arunce in aer un avion al companiei Northwest Airlines folosind exploziv ascuns in chiloti; sapte ofiteri CIA au fost ucisi intr-un atac sinucigas in Afganistan; un somalez a incercat sa-l ucida pe caricaturistul danez Kurt Westergaard la inceputul acestui an. De ce crezi ca s-au intamplat aceste incidente teroriste in ultima perioada? Putem sa vedem o caracteristica comuna in toate aceste atacuri?
Bruce Tefft: Nu exista o caracteristica comuna in aceste atacuri, caci acestea ar insemna ca ele sunt similare.

Ceea ce vedem este manifestarea comuna a razboiului pe care musulmanii il poarta de 1400 de ani impotriva non-musulmanilor, asa cum le cere Mohammed si Coranul.

In toate operatiile militare – si terorismul este o activitate militara, nu criminala – tipul si executarea la timp depind de obiectivul si de pregatirile necesare indeplinirii acelor obiective. In timp ce unele incidente teroriste au tinte multiple, aceste atacuri pe care le-ai mentionat nu sunt nici simultane si nici nu reprezinta aspecte multiple ale aceleiasi operatiuni. Ele sunt, mai degraba, atacuri diferite, in locuri diferite, ale aceluiasi razboi.