Terrorism here in the US

[American Patriot]

The peroxide and fruit drink plan to down seven airliners
The Register (UK) ^ | Friday 4th April 2008 10:50 GMT | John Lettice

The trial of eight British men accused of plotting to blow up seven airliners using liquid explosives began yesterday at Woolwich Crown Court, where prosecutor Peter Wright QC laid out details of their alleged plan. Using a home made liquid explosive mixture concealed in soft drinks containers the accused intended to set off the explosions when all the aircraft were at high altitude, he said, causing thousands of casualties.

The prosecution claimed that the explosive was planned to consist of hydrogen peroxide mixed with a powdered version of the fruit drink Tang. The addition of Tang, "which is an energetic compound", would aid detonation, said Wright. He claimed that the mixture was intended to be dyed to match the colour of a soft drink, then substituted for the contents of 500ml bottles of Lucozade and Oasis. The original contents of these would be extracted without breaking the seal by means of a syringe, and the resulting hole in the base of the bottle sealed with superglue.

The jury was told that the bombs were to have been detonated using hexamethylene triperoxide diamine (HMTD), an explosive compound prepared using hydrogen peroxide and hexamine. This mix would be concealed in hollowed out batteries, and put together with the liquid explosives and a power source, possibly a disposable camera, once the flight was airborne.

A diary which Wright said was found on one of the accused gave details of the planning. "Mouthwash, blue, red. Calculate exact drops of Tang, plus colour. Make in HP." And: "Lucozade, red, 1.5 drops, one teaspoon Tang, one teaspoon orange, 12 drops. Oasis, red. On, red dye. Orange, two times mango."

The men were arrested in August 2006 leading to a worldwide clamp-down on liquids in carry-on baggage, with the ban initially extending even to jam sandwiches, and leading to debates over the relative explosive capabilities of hard and soft cheeses.

Hydrogen peroxide is readily available in dilute form, which can with some effort be converted to a more concentrated form viable in explosive mixtures. Tang, meanwhile, is available in liquid and powdered form, and is a fruit drink made by Kraft.

The trial continues, and is expected to last six to eight months. ®

[American Patriot]

Anti-Tank Grenade Launcher Seized In Massive Crime Ring Bust

POSTED: 4:22 pm EDT April 3, 2008
UPDATED: 11:28 am EDT April 4, 2008


POLK COUNTY, Fla. -- Thirty people were arrested and an anti-tank grenade launcher was seized along with numerous guns and stolen motorcycles in what may be one of the largest organized crime busts in Central Florida history, the Polk County Sheriff's Office said Thursday.

---

UP-CLOSE LOOK: Images Of Seized Weapons | 30 Mug Shots
RAW INTERVIEW: Sheriff Talks About Seized Anti-Tank Grenade Launcher
PDF FILES: News Release | Gilmore Arrest History | Carden Arrest History
MORE PDFs: Complete List Of Arrests | Details On Anti-Tank Weapon
VIDEO REPORT: 30 Arrested, Weapons Seized In "Operation Round-Up"

---

The crime ring was operating in at least three Central Florida counties. Detectives started investigating a rash of motorcycle thefts in Polk County and stumbled onto something bigger than they ever imagined that included both Osceola and Orange counties.

U.S. Marshal's arrested the ring leader at a house in Osceola County in January, but a federal grand jury just indicted Otis Carden on gun charges Wednesday and now the Polk County sheriff is talking about the investigation that turned up weapons that could've been used to make parts of Central Florida more like a war zone.

» More Weapons Images « » 30 Suspect Mug Shots«

Even without a live round, deputies showed off the power of a WWII-era grenade launcher Thursday (weapon details). It was one of more than 20 weapons seized in an eight-month investigation into an organized crime ring dealing in drugs, guns and stolen property in places like Polk, Osceola and Orange counties.

"By their own statement, the sheriff's office brought them to their knees," Polk County Sheriff Grady Judd said Thursday.Sheriff Judd said it started with a rash of motorcycle thefts, but after nearly 30 arrests (complete arrest details) deputies tracked down ring leaders Otis "Cowboy" Carden (arrest history) and Terry "Ox" Gilmore (arrest history).

They are men authorities said often used violence selling methamphetamine and collecting stolen weapons across Central Florida."

He said he carried loaded guns and he made sure the folks that dealt with him carried loaded guns all the time for their own protection," Judd said. "Whenever we seized the firearms, they were, every one, fully loaded."Judd said catching people like Carden and Gilmore became a top priority.

"It's an organized crime ring today. Is it a terrorist cell tomorrow? That's what concerns us," he said.The sheriff's office is not identifying another man, an illegal immigrant from Mexico who supplied the ring with drugs. Deputies said they're also still searching for three others.The Polk County Sheriff's Office is getting a reputation for uncovering major Central Florida crime rings.

They recently arrested two Seminole County ringleaders along with 16 other suspects in a $100 million shoplifting operation. Last month, Polk County detectives caught 21 men involved in a disturbing child pornography ring.The sheriff's office told Eyewitness News they make the busts because they actually search for criminals, rather than just react to crimes.

Related To Story

• Images: Mug Shots Of 30 Suspects Arrested In "Operation Round-Up"

[American Patriot]

Today is the 11th of April.

This is just a "Be Alert" alert....

The 19th of April is coming up, but falls on a Saturday this year.

The 19th is the day that the OKC Federal building was destroyed, the day the government launched the attack on the Branch Davidians..

April 19th was also, traditionally, Patriot Day.. (currently observed on 21 April now) the dates of the Lexington and Concord battles.

Some other things that happened that day:

April 19, 1989 Gun turret explodes on USS Iowa, killing 47 sailors
April 19, 1990 Contra guerrillas, leftist Sandinistas and incoming government agree to truce
April 19, 1987 U.S.S.R. performs underground nuclear test
April 19, 1985 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk U.S.S.R.
April 19, 1984 Nemesis, death star of dinosaurs 1st appears in Nature magazine
April 19, 1983 France performs nuclear test
April 19, 1978 Yitzhak Navron elected 5th president of Israel
April 19, 1975 India launches 1st satellite with help of U.S.S.R.
April 19, 1973 U.S.S.R. performs nuclear test at Eastern Kazakh/Semipalitinsk U.S.S.R.
April 19, 1972 U.S. performs nuclear test at Nevada Test Site
April 19, 1971 U.S.S.R. Salyut 1 launched; 1st manned lab in orbit
April 19, 1967 U.S. Surveyor III lands on Moon
April 19, 1962 NASA civilian pilot Joseph A. Walker takes X-15 to 46,900m
April 19, 1959 Uprising in La Paz Bolivia, fails
April 19, 1945 U.S. aircraft carrier Franklin heavy damaged in Japanese air raid
April 19, 1945 U.S. offensive against Shuri-barrier on Okinawa
April 19, 1944 Allied fleet attack Sabang Sumatra
April 19, 1943 Revolt in Warsaw Ghetto under Mordechai Anielewicz
April 19, 1943 47th Boston Marathon won by Gerard Cote of Canada in 2:28:25.8
April 19, 1943 Jews attack Nazi occupation forces at Warsaw Ghetto
April 19, 1943 SS-lt-gen Jurgen Stoop leads destruction of ghetto of Warsaw
April 19, 1941 Bulgarian troops invade Macedonia
April 19, 1937 U.S.S.R. performs underground nuclear test
April 19, 1936 Anti-Jewish riots break out in Palestine
April 19, 1928 Japanese troops occupies Sjantung-schiereiland
April 19, 1921 Funeral of last German Emperoress, Augusta Victoria
April 19, 1916 Italians troops conquer Col di Lana at Merano
April 19, 1910 Halley's comet seen by naked eye 1st time this trip (Curacao)
April 19, 1904 Much of Toronto destroyed by fire
April 19, 1864 Naval Engagement at Cherbourg, FR: USS Kearsage vs. CSS Alabama
April 19, 1863 Union troops/fleet occupy For Huger, Virginia
April 19, 1861 Baltimore riots-4 soldiers, 9 civilians killed
April 19, 1861 Lincoln orders blockade of Confederate ports (Civil War)
April 19, 1782 Netherlands recognizes U.S.
April 19, 1775 Minutemen Capt John Parker orders not to fire unless fired upon
April 19, 1775 Revolution begins-Lexington Common, shot "heard round the world"
April 19, 607 Comet 1P/607 H1 (Halley) approaches within 0.0898 AUs of Earth

[American Patriot]

Lest you thought this vanished into nothingness....


Man at center of Las Vegas ricin case arrested, charged
Associated Press/breitbart. ^ | Apr 16 | KEN RITTER


LAS VEGAS (AP) - A man who authorities believe was sickened by the deadly toxin ricin was arrested Wednesday on federal charges after he was released from a hospital. Roger Bergendorff, 57, had been hospitalized since Feb. 14.


He is charged with possession of a biological toxin and two weapons offenses stemming from materials authorities said were found Feb. 26 and Feb. 28 in his room at an extended-stay motel several blocks off the Las Vegas Strip.


"He was released from the hospital and he's in custody," said Agent Joseph Dickey, spokesman for the FBI office in Las Vegas.


The three charges carry a possible penalty of 30 years in federal prison and a $750,000 fine. Bergendorff was scheduled appear Wednesday afternoon before a federal judge in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas.


A six-page complaint alleges that Bergendorff obtained castor beans, from which ricin is derived, by mail in June 2002, and made ricin from them while living in the basement of his cousin's house in Riverton, Utah.


Bergendorff's cousin, Thomas Tholen, 54, was indicted earlier this month in Salt Lake City for allegedly failing to report that the substance was being illegally produced.
Tholen was charged with misprision of felony, which officials said means he had knowledge of a crime but failed to report it.


The manufacture or possession of ricin, a biological agent, is prohibited by federal law. The only legal use for the substance is cancer research.

[American Patriot]

South Plainfield man found dead amid bomb-making materials
TOPIX: New Jersey Wire ^ | April 16, 2008

...on Woodland Avenue, across from the Plainfield Country Club. Police found explosives in the home and called the New Jersey State Police bomb squad to investigate. Assistant Middlesex County Prosecutor Nick Sewitch said police found low-grade ...

(Excerpt) Read more at topix.com ...

[Jag]

Cigarette Smugglers Funnel Money to Terror Groups, Report Finds

Tuesday, April 29, 2008
By Catherine Herridge

WASHINGTON — Cigarette smuggling is generating millions of dollars every year that can be reaching terrorist groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and Al Qaeda, according to law enforcement sources. In a single case, $100,000 was sent to Hezbollah.

A 15-page report congressional report, obtained by FOX News, includes intelligence from law enforcement as well as New York State’s Department of Taxation and Finance.

The report reads in part: Cigarette smuggling is generating millions of dollars every year that can be reaching terrorist groups, including Hezbollah, Hamas and Al Qaeda, according to law enforcement sources. In a single case, $100,000 was sent to Hezbollah.


“This is a very serious homeland security issue, one that has gone unnoticed for far too long,” said Rep. Peter King, (R-N.Y.), the ranking member of the House Homeland Security Committee, who called for the investigation.

“Cigarette smugglers are able to generate millions of dollars in illegal profits with a great deal of this wealth being sent to terrorist groups overseas – groups that would like nothing more than to inflict devastating harm on our country and its citizens.”

One of the key issues, according to the report, is a potential flaw in New York State policy. According to King’s office, there is a policy in the state of “forebearance,” or refusing to collect on sales of Native American tax-free cigarettes to non-Native Americans.

Critics of the policy say it has effectively created a safe haven for smugglers. In some cases, the report says, a well-organized operation can buy cigarettes tax-free on New York’s Indian reservations and sell them at a great profit in the New Yock City area, generating up to $300,000 per week with a loss of up to $576 million in tax revenues to New York State.

According to the report, citing federal and New York state law enforcement sources, nearly 60 percent of all convenience retail outlets in New York City are now Arab-owned, primarily families of Lebanese, Yemeni, Jordanian and Palestinian descent. While the vast majority of retailers are operating above board, some are not.

The report says that these retailers can funnel their profits from the sale of cigarettes to terrorist groups in the Mideast. It claims this “tobacco and terror” relationship has been found in a handful of recent cases.

“…the infamous ‘Lackawanna Seven’ reportedly received funding from an individual named Aref Ahmed for their travel from Buffalo to Afghanistan to attend an al Qaeda training camp,” the report says, referring to a group of American-born men of Yemeni descent who pleaded guilty to terror training.

“The State is losing hundreds of millions of dollars in tax revenue; and given the current budget shortfall, this would seem to be more than enough reason to put the so-called policy of forebearance out of its misery,” King said.

“But this is more than just a matter of lost revenue. It is a matter of national security. Cigarette smuggling in New York State must be brought to an end immediately.”

Hearings dealing specifically with the report are scheduled this Thursday in Washington before the House Judiciary Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,353017,00.html

Jag

[Jag]

Federal Courthouse Hit By Pipe Bomb in San Diego
May 4, 2008



Original Story

A pipe bomb or series of pipe bombs exploded at the Edward J. Schwartz Federal Courthouse downtown early Sunday morning, sending shrapnel into a courtyard and to the eighth floor of a building across the street.

Two guards with the Federal Protective Service, who were inside the building, called authorities when they heard the explosion at 1:40 a.m. on Front Street near Broadway. The guards were not injured.

Firefighters, police, FBI and Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms agents arrived minutes later to find the front entrance and the lobby of the building damaged.

The cause is believed to have been a bomb or bombs that detonated at once and caused a single explosion, said Keith Slotter, FBI special agent in charge of San Diego.

Before the investigation began, San Diego Metro Arson Strike Team investigators and ATF bomb investigators searched the area to make sure there were no other explosives.

Early Sunday morning, about 40 agents combed the courtyard in front of the courthouse, Front Street and a courtyard on the other side, using evidence markers and spray paint to locate debris from the blast.

“The damage from the shrapnel didn’t stay concentrated just in front of the door,” Slotter said.

One piece of shrapnel lodged in a window about eight stories up the AT&T building that faces the courthouse.

Authorities believe the device or devices were left outside the building’s front door shortly before being detonated.

Slotter said there are cameras outside the building that may provide information. There are no cameras that directly face the doorway, he said.

Authorities were still deciding whether or not the courthouse will be open to the public Monday. They expected to make a decision late Sunday.


UPDATE: The explosion early this morning at the Federal Courthouse in San Diego may be the work of a serial bomber who in April set off bombs at a Federal Express facility in the city, law enforcement officials said.

According to authorities, it appears the explosive device was inside a backpack. The bomber placed the device at the doors to the Edward J. Schwartz United States Courthouse, lit the fuse and fled.
The device was described by authorities as made of three galvanized pipe bombs, measuring 1-by-10 inches and two 3-by-8 inch explosives.

The method of attack was similar to the April 25, 2008, explosion at a FedEx facility in San Diego. That bombing occurred at about 2 a.m. This one was set off at 1:40 a.m.

http://www.nationalterroralert.com/u...ego/#more-2580

Jag

[Backstop]

This is probably just the tip of the iceberg.

Good thing we don’t call them “Muslim or Islamic terrorists” any more; wouldn't want them angry at us while they're reading secure databases.

One brick at a time...

nationalterroralert



A 911 dispatcher, Nadire Zelenaj, has been arrested for using computers at work to access secure government websites containing information about suspected terrorists.

Now the FBI wants to know what she did with that sensitive information.

The employee was hired in 2002 after the September 11 terrorist attack.

911 computers allow employees to access a secured police data site with criminal information.

However, Zelenaj was using that access for personal reasons.

Police say she accessed information from a terrorist watch list.

They tracked her movements in a two-year period between January ‘06 and December ‘07 and say she visited that site at least 232 times.

Richard Vega of the Office of Public Integrity said that at the present, they can only suspect what she’s been up to.

What we do know is — now the FBI is involved. Agents would not comment other than to say it’s part of a larger investigation.

Zelenaj has been charged with 232 felony counts of computer trespass and one count of official misconduct. She was fired in December.

A co-worker saw her on the site and became suspicious. From there, it was easy to track her computer movements.

[American Patriot]

Oh, she was probably just curious to see if her brother was on the list. Everyone would want to know that about their families, right?

[Backstop]

Man, no kidding.

I'm sure CAIR will be along shortly to support her.

[Jag]

Muslim Extremist's Web Site Stirs Mixed Emotions in Charlotte, N.C.

Friday, June 06, 2008
By Cristina Corbin



CHARLOTTE, N.C. — In a quiet, upscale neighborhood in Charlotte, N.C., rows of custom-style homes and neatly landscaped lawns represent the American dream.

But one local resident has shattered that image, calling for the death of American troops in Iraq and supporting Al Qaeda through his Web site, which he reportedly runs from his parents' home.

Samir Khan is the man behind Revolution.Muslimpad.com — a radical Islamic site that praises Usama bin Laden and asks for Allah to “curse more American soldiers.”

The site posts videos of U.S. Humvees being blown up by roadside bombs in Iraq. It aims to inspire young Muslims to wage war against the West.

Terrorism experts say the Web site, written in English, is one of the premiere sites for Western audiences to get access to radical Islamist propaganda.

Khan, 22, declined requests for an interview, even when approached outside his home with cameras rolling. When asked if the messages on his site represent Islam, Khan would say only that “they represent Muslims.”

Click here to view the full video report on Samir Khan.

In an e-mail sent to FOX News, Khan lashed out at the "arrogance" of the media, saying it should focus instead on converting to Islam. "When you go down in to the earth six feet deep, nothing will matter except what Religion you died upon," he wrote.

Following a FOXNews.com report last month profiling his Web site, Khan railed against "the Kuffaar" — non-believers — who wrote the article and affirmed his belief that jihad is "an Islaamic obligation" rooted in Muslim texts.

Words like those stir mixed emotions in Charlotte, among the general public and among the 8,000 Muslims who live there.

Imam Khalil Akbar, a religious leader in Charlotte, condemned Khan’s site, saying its views do not reflect “mainstream Islamic thinking” and do not represent the Muslim community at large.

“I would reject categorically those kinds of encouragements to look up to people like bin Laden,” Akbar said.

Neighbors described Khan — who immigrated to the U.S. from Saudi Arabia when he was 7 years old — as “friendly” and “reserved.” They said he launched his Web site while taking classes at Central Piedmont Community College and selling Cutco knives.

Abdullah Mahmud, an acquaintance of Khan’s who attends the same mosque, the Islamic Center of Greater Charlotte, defended Khan's viewpoints, saying his anger stems from the United States' foreign policy and occupation of Iraq.

Mahmoud said the blood-drenched videos Khan shows of U.S. soldiers injured in combat “serve the purpose of making the reality of the Iraqi scene visible to people.”

“Those videos are not much different than videos involving American soldiers targeting Iraqi civilians,” he said. “You have to look at both sides here.”

One of Khan’s neighbors, Ron Williams, also defended Khan’s right to free speech.

“Our actions (in Iraq) were interpreted broadly in the Muslim world as an attack on Islam,” Williams said, “I defend his right to speak out.”

But Jarret Brachman, director of research at West Point's Center for Combatting Terrorism, said Khan’s call for violence takes his anti-American views one step further.

“To be unhappy with U.S. foreign policy is one thing, but to advocate violence by promoting Al Qaeda is another,” he said.

“This is the most sophisticated and aggressive Web site in English that really puts out bin Laden’s ideology and the message that’s promoted by Al Qaeda,” he added.

Brachman said Khan's site "raises the threshold for what it means to be a good, pro-Al Qaeda Web site" and is "the best in English."

A graphic prominently displayed on the site shows a picture of Abu Yahya al-Libi, a prominent Al Qaeda spokesman whom Brachman calls “Bin Laden 2.0.”

“He’s the guy poised to take over the movement after bin Laden fades away,” Brachman said. “The fact that Khan would display him like he does means he’s trying not only to show he’s an insider, but also to model himself after him.”

The exact dangers his site poses are difficult to assess, experts said.

“It doesn’t necessarily move someone to action immediately, but it primes the pump,” Brachman said. “It gets somebody motivated to think more about Al Qaeda and so over the long term this is a very threatening message that he’s promoting.”

• Click here to see more reactions from Charlotte's Muslim community.

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,363821,00.html

Sleeper Cells.....Out of Saudia Arabia just waiting
Jag

[American Patriot]

FLASH!!!!! Breaking NEWS!

Fox News just reported there was an attack on the US Embassy in Turkey.

Several (I think I heard seven) killed. All Americans accounted for, several locals, cops, guards and random people were killed by people who went in with shotguns and other weapons, killing anyone they saw.

More to follow.

9 July 2008 7:04 MDT
Rick Donaldson

[American Patriot]

Police officers shot dead near U.S. Istanbul mission
Reuters ^ | 9 June 2008 | Daren Butler

ISTANBUL (Reuters) - Three police officers were killed in a shooting outside the United States consulate in Istanbul on Wednesday, Turkish television said.


Television images appeared to show four bodies on the ground in front of the high-walled complex. Media earlier said that two police had been shot dead.
The U.S. embassy in Ankara said it was aware of an incident near the Istanbul consulate, but had no further details.

(Excerpt) Read more at africa.reuters.com ...

[American Patriot]

Turkey: 6 killed in battle outside U.S. consulate
CNN International ^ Armed men have opened fire from a vehicle outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul killing four people, according to CNN-Turk.


CNN-Turk initially reported that at least three of the attackers were killed and one police officer later died from his injuries in a hospital.


Police returned fire on the gunmen who were traveling in a white car ..."

(Excerpt) Read more at edition.cnn.com ...

[American Patriot]

Six killed in a terror attack on U.S. Consulate in Turkey's Istanbul

REACTIONS -- Six dead in attack on U.S. consulate in Istanbul
Three unidentified gunmen and three Turkish policemen were killed Wednesday in an attack on a police guardpost at the main entrance of the well-fortified U.S. Consulate in Istanbul that officials labeled a "terrorist" act. One person has been taken into custody, Dogan News Agency reported. (UPDATED)

The attack was "an obvious act of terrorism" aimed at the United States, the country's ambassador to Turkey said.

"This was an attack on an American diplomatic establishment. The persons who lost their lives are Turkish citizens and we are very sad about that," Ross Wilson told reporters in Ankara.

The three assailants jumped from a car and opened fire at the police checkpoint around 11:00am (0800 GMT), officials told reporters, adding that they also fired shots at the building. The security forces returned fire, killing all three gunmen.

Wilson said security measures were beefed up at the consulate as well as at the US embassy in Ankara and the consulate in the southern city of Adana, near which a major Turkish air base is often used by U.S. aircraft.

"We remain a close friend and ally of Turkey. We’ll not be deterred in any way by terrorists who are seeking to strike at us or at U.S.-Turkish relations," the ambassador said.

"Our countries stand together in the fight against international terrorism.... We will confront this as we have confronted similar problems in the past," he added.

POLICE WAS TARGETED

The assailants "directly" targeted the police post outside the high-walled U.S. consulate in the upscale district of Istinye, Istanbul province Governor Muammer Guler said.

Two other people, a policeman and the driver of a towing vehicle, were also injured, he said.

"There is no doubt that this is a terrorist attack," Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler said.

Istanbul's chief prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin said the attackers were armed with pistols and shotguns. Forensic teams were seen examining a shotgun on the ground.


The attack occurred right outside the high-walled consulate compound in Istinye district. Guns and rifles were seized at the scene after the shootout, which lasted about eight minutes.

Engin said this is "a terrorist attack". "The 20-25 year old attackers used pomp action shotguns and handguns in the attack. The attack was carried out by four people. One of the attackers fled the scene in the vehicle used in the attack," he told reporters.

Yavuz Erkut Yuksel, a bystander, told CNN-Turk television the attackers emerged from a white vehicle and surprised the guard.

"One of them approached a policeman while hiding his gun and shot him in the head," Yuksel said.

Guler said two of the attackers were Turkish nationals. Police were pursuing a fourth attacker who reportedly escaped in a car.

CONSULATE STAFF

The car, described either as white or grey, was driven by a fourth accomplice who drove off after the attack.



The security forces launched a major hunt for the vehicle and a police helicopter was over flying the area.



A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman said there were no reports of casualties among American consulate employees, but could not confirm Turkish media reports of injuries and deaths.



"At about 11 a.m., at least one assailant opened fire on the Turkish police guard post area near the main entrance to the consulate," the U.S. embassy spokeswoman said. "We're cooperating with the police and taking the appropriate measures."



The secure U.S. consulate building was built after Islamic militants linked to al-Qaeda carried out suicide bombings in 2003 that targeted two synagogues, the British Consulate and a British bank in Istanbul. Those attacks killed 58 people.



The consulate occupies an imposing structure on a hill in Istinye, a densely residential neighborhood along the Bosporus Strait on the European side of Istanbul.

[American Patriot]

Six killed in gunfight outside US consulate in Istanbul - 3rd Update
Posted : Wed, 09 Jul 2008 11:45:02 GMT
Author : DPA

Middle East World News | Home
Ankara - Three police officers and three unidentified gunmen were killed in a firefight Wednesday morning outside the main gate of the US Consulate in Istanbul, the private NTV television station reported. Witnesses told NTV that a car slowed down and stopped outside the main gate of the consulate in the suburb of Istinye. Three of the passengers got out of the car and fired at police starting a firefight that lasted between seven and eight minutes.

Istanbul Governor Muammer Guler told reporters at the scene that three attackers and one police officer were declared dead at the scene and that two police officers were later pronounced dead at a local hospital.

Guler said that two police officers were wounded in the attack and were being treated for non life-threatening injuries at a local hospital.

The driver of the car reportedly fled the scene sparking a large- scale police search.

Istanbul Chief Prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin touring the scene said that the attackers armed with handguns and pump-action shotguns were aged between 25 and 30 and that investigators were seeking to find whether the gunmen had any links to any known terrorist groups.

"We are treating this as a terrorist attack," Engin said at the scene.

US ambassador to Turkey Ross Wilson told reporters in Ankara that all US personnel at the consulate were safe and accounted and expressed his country's sadness for the loss of Turkish lives.

He said the embassy had not received any threats in recent days and that U.S. security officials were cooperating with Turkish police to solve what he described as a "dastardly and cowardly act".

"It is inappropriate now to speculate who was responsible for this or what why they carried out this action. It is an obvious act of terrorism. Our countries will stand together to confront this as we have confronted similar problems in the past," Wilson said.

Wilson also said that he had asked for extra security at US consulates and at the embassy in Ankara.

Copyright, respective author or news agency

[American Patriot]

Attack outside US consulate in Turkey, 6 dead

By MURAD SEZER – 3 hours ago

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Istanbul's governor says an armed attack against a police guardpost outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul left three attackers and three policemen dead.

Gov. Muammer Guler says the attackers' identities are under investigation.

A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman says there were no reports of casualties among American consulate employees in Wednesday's attack.

The spokeswoman says "at least one assailant opened fire on the Turkish police guardpost area near the main entrance to the consulate." She requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP's earlier story is below.

ISTANBUL, Turkey (AP) — Armed men opened fire on police at a guardpost outside the U.S. consulate in Istanbul, leading to a clash that a doctor says left two officers dead.

A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman says there were no reports of casualties among American consulate employees in the Wednesday morning attack.

The spokeswoman says "at least one assailant opened fire on the Turkish police guardpost area near the main entrance to the consulate." She requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the matter.

Ercan Ozgul, a doctor at the Istinye hospital, says two officers died in hospital.

There were conflicting reports about the total number killed or wounded in the attack. CNN-Turk television said two policemen and one attacker were killed in the clash.

[American Patriot]

Three policemen killed in attack at U.S. Consulate in Istanbul
Published: 7/9/2008

Gunmen opened fire on police in front of the U.S. Consulate in Istanbul Wednesday and three police officers and three attackers were killed in the shootout.

Two people, a policeman and a civilian, were lightly injured in the attack and were evacuated to a hospital, Istanbul chief prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin told reporters in front of the consulate. ``The way that the incident was carried out and the type of the attack indicate it was a terrorist attack,'' Engin said.

"Three policemen were martyred and three attackers were killed," Gov. Muammer Güler told reporters at the scene, adding that authorities were pressing to identify the attackers and any group to which they belonged.

"At about 11 a.m., at least one assailant opened fire on the Turkish police guardpost area near the main entrance to the consulate," a U.S. embassy spokeswoman told the Associated Press, speaking anonymously due to the sensitivity of the matter.

"We're cooperating with the police and taking the appropriate measures," she said.

Engin said the attack began when a car drove up to the consulate and three men aged between 25 and 30 exited and opened fire on police. The officers returned fire killing the three. A fourth person in the car escaped, he said. Güler said two of the attackers were Turks, NTV television reported.

Turkey and the United States condemned the attack for which no one has yet claimed responsibility.

"It is enough to say they are terrorists who carried out a dastardly and cowardly attack," U.S. Ambassador Ross Wilson told a news conference in Ankara.

"Our countries stand together in the fight against international terrorism. This was an attack on a diplomatic establishment here," he said.

Mutlu Günes, a 13-year-old eyewitness, said he was on his way to a mosque when he spotted several men preparing guns and placing them inside a Ford Focus car, before driving a short distance to the modern consulate complex.

"The three of them got out of the car. One of them shot a policeman in the chest and I saw one terrorist killing himself after being shot by police. Then I hid under a car," Günes told reporters.

"I curse strongly these kinds of terror attacks. Turkey will struggle to the end with those who organize these (attacks) and the mentality behind them," President Abdullah Gül said.

[American Patriot]

Cleveland’s New Terror Imam


http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/clevela...w-terror-imam/

Ohio's largest mosque found an extremist replacement for its deported terror-linked leader.
July 9, 2008 - by Patrick Poole
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When Fawaz Damra was deported in early January 2007, he left a sizable leadership void at the Islamic Center of Cleveland, the largest mosque in Ohio where he had served as imam since 1991. Damra was convicted in June 2004 for failing to disclose his ties to three terrorist organizations when he applied for U.S. citizenship and was also named an unindicted co-conspirator in Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Sami al-Arian’s terrorism trial. The pair had been captured on video tape raising funds for the terrorist organization and recorded on FBI wiretaps discussing raising funds for the families of suicide bombers. Damra had also been caught lecturing his congregation on how Jews were “the sons of monkeys and apes.”


Prior to coming to Cleveland, Damra was one of the three founders of the al-Kifah Refugee Center, the U.S. recruiting office for the Maktab al-Khidamat, a bin Laden-financed precursor to al-Qaeda. He also served as the imam of the al-Farouq mosque in Brooklyn that served as the hub of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing plot and the home of now-convicted “blind sheikh” Omar Abdel-Rahman.


Since Damra’s forced departure, two potential successors have rapidly come and gone. The first intended successor, Mohamad Altabaa, who was hired from another area mosque, was quickly given the heave-ho for being too moderate. Now, however, the Cleveland mosque has settled on a permanent replacement, Egyptian cleric Sayed Ahmed Abouabdalla, who seems qualified to pick up where Damra left off.


Just weeks into his new position, Abouabdalla is already being hailed as a great interfaith leader by the Cleveland Plain Dealer, even though by its own admission Abouabdalla barely speaks English (a translator was needed for his interview with Plain Dealer reporter David Briggs) and has a short track record as a religious leader in the U.S. (his most recent position was as part-time imam for the Islamic Cultural Institute in St. Clair Shores, Michigan).


But considering what happened with Abouabdalla’s most immediate predecessor, Ahmad Alzaree, last October (more on that episode below) you might think that the Cleveland Plain Dealer and the rest of the media would be more cautious, or at least more diligent in researching the background of its newfound interfaith paragon, who, it should be noted, is replacing its old interfaith paragon, Fawaz “Jews are sons of monkeys and apes” Damra.


In fact, there is much in Abouabdalla’s résumé that ought to give his media cheerleaders considerable pause.


One element in the Plain Dealer’s recent coverage of Abouabdalla’s background that passes without the slightest bit of apparent investigation is the fact that he continues to serve as a faculty member of the Islamic American University (IAU) in Dearborn, Michigan. Of the 19 courses offered by IAU this summer term, Abouabdalla teaches 14 of them.


IAU is a project of the Muslim American Society (MAS), an organization federal prosecutors just recently identified in a federal appeals court brief as being “founded as the overt arm of the Muslim Brotherhood in the United States.” The Muslim Brotherhood has been the breeding ground for virtually every single Islamic terrorist group in the world, and the vast majority of al-Qaeda’s leadership has come through its ranks.
The MAS/Muslim Brotherhood association is just the beginning of IAU’s ties to terror. The honorary chairman of the IAU board of trustees is none other than Hamas spiritual leader Yousef al-Qaradawi — a fact acknowledged on the MAS website — who has been banned from the U.S. since 1999 for his open support of terrorist activities.


Not only has Qaradawi repeatedly issued fatwas defending the use of suicide bombings, but in August 2004 he co-signed a letter with the leaders of both Hezbollah and Hamas calling for al-Qaeda-backed insurgents in Iraq to “purify the land of Islam from the filth of occupation,” meaning U.S. military forces. He has said that “those who die fighting U.S. occupation forces are martyrs,” and he also recently defended the use of women as suicide bombers. Rightly so, the Anti-Defamation League has described Qaradawi as the “theologian of terror.”


Abouabdalla has also served on the Fiqh Council of North America as recently as last summer — an association that the Plain Dealer makes absolutely no mention of. For good reason, it seems, as the Fiqh Council is a “Who’s Who” of convicted terrorist leaders, terrorist fundraisers, unindicted co-conspirators, and terrorist associates. One former member, Abdurahman Alamoudi, is serving a 23-year prison sentence on terrorism charges for working with Libyan intelligence to assassinate the Saudi crown prince.


The Fiqh Council issued a fatwa in 2005 that was much ballyhooed by the media for allegedly denouncing terrorism, though it never defined terrorism or condemned any terrorist group by name. And as I have reported elsewhere, notwithstanding their own terrorism fatwa forbidding any association with terrorists, three members of the Fiqh Council appeared at an event in Qatar in July 2007 honoring Yousef al-Qaradawi and featuring Hamas leader Khaled Mishal — a specially designated terrorist by the U.S. government. The trio’s appearance at the event was noted on Qaradawi’s personal website. Video of the event that originally aired on al-Jazeera shows Fiqh Council member Salah Sultan sitting on the speaker dais right beside Qaradawi and Mishal.



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[American Patriot]

Six killed in a terror attack on U.S. Consulate in Turkey's Istanbul
Hot News Turkey ^ | July 9

Three unidentified gunmen and three Turkish policemen were killed Wednesday in an attack on a police guard post at the main entrance of the well-fortified U.S. Consulate in Istanbul that officials labeled a "terrorist" act. One person has been taken into custody, Dogan News Agency reported. (UPDATED)

The attack was "an obvious act of terrorism" aimed at the United States, the country's ambassador to Turkey said.

"This was an attack on an American diplomatic establishment. The persons who lost their lives are Turkish citizens and we are very sad about that," Ross Wilson told reporters in Ankara.

The three assailants jumped from a car and opened fire at the police checkpoint around 11:00a.m. (0800 GMT), officials told reporters, adding that they also fired shots at the building. The security forces returned fire, killing all three gunmen.

Wilson said security measures were beefed up at the consulate as well as at the US embassy in Ankara and the consulate in the southern city of Adana, near which a major Turkish air base is often used by U.S. aircraft.

POLICE WAS TARGETED

The assailants "directly" targeted the police post outside the high-walled U.S. consulate in the upscale district of Istinye, Istanbul province Governor Muammer Guler said.

"There is no doubt that this is a terrorist attack," Istanbul Gov. Muammer Guler said.

Police identified the perpetrators of the armed attack, Guler told reporters after visiting wounded police officers at a local hospital, adding all current evidence indicates that three of the assailants who were killed during the attack were of Turkish origin.

Guler said the attack was captured by the police surveillance system (MOBESE) and added police were in pursuit of the fourth assailant who fled the scene.

Guler said the wounded police officer and the civilian driver of the police tow truck were not in life threatening condition.

Turkish Interior Minister Besir Atalay said that no one has claimed responsibility for the attack outside the consulate.

"We have learned that a car was used in the attack and have determined the registration plate number. Witnesses said that three assailants got out of the vehicle, while another remained inside. He could be injured as well," Atalay added.

Istanbul's chief prosecutor Aykut Cengiz Engin said the attackers were armed with pistols and shotguns. Forensic teams were seen examining a shotgun on the ground.

The attack occurred right outside the high-walled consulate compound in Istinye district. Guns and rifles were seized at the scene after the shootout, which lasted about ten minutes.

Engin also said this is "a terrorist attack". "The 20-25 year old attackers used pomp action shotguns and handguns in the attack. The attack was carried out by four people. One of the attackers fled the scene in the vehicle used in the attack," he told reporters.

Yavuz Erkut Yuksel, a bystander, told CNN-Turk television the attackers emerged from a white vehicle and surprised the guard.

"One of them approached a policeman while hiding his gun and shot him in the head," Yuksel said.

Guler said two of the attackers were Turkish nationals. Police were pursuing a fourth attacker who reportedly escaped in a car.

CONSULATE STAFF

The car, described either as white or grey, was driven by a fourth accomplice who drove off after the attack.

The security forces launched a major hunt for the vehicle and a police helicopter was over flying the area.

A U.S. Embassy spokeswoman said there were no reports of casualties among American consulate employees, but could not confirm Turkish media reports of injuries and deaths.

"At about 11 a.m., at least one assailant opened fire on the Turkish police guard post area near the main entrance to the consulate," the U.S. embassy spokeswoman said. "We're cooperating with the police and taking the appropriate measures."

The secure U.S. consulate building was built after Islamic militants linked to al-Qaeda carried out suicide bombings in 2003 that targeted two synagogues, the British Consulate and a British bank in Istanbul. Those attacks killed 58 people.

The consulate occupies an imposing structure on a hill in Istinye, a densely residential neighborhood along the Bosporus Strait on the European side of Istanbul.