Recent Appearances...

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Recent Appearances...

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Syrian Opposition Tasks Local Military Councils with Liberating Manbij, Tal Rifaat

2022-06-09

Syrian Opposition Tasks Local Military Councils with Liberating Manbij, Tal Rifaat https://t.co/R9AgiPuL6L
— Asharq Al-Awsat English (@aawsat_eng) June 8, 2022

Opposition factions affiliated with the Ankara-backed Syrian National Army (SNA) have assigned recently formed military councils in the Aleppo countryside cities of Tel Rifaat and Manbij to lead military operations, in cooperation with Turkish forces, to liberate the two cities from the Syrian Democratic Forces (SDF).

“In line with important military developments in northern Aleppo and preparations for the new military operation by SNA factions and Turkish forces to liberate Tal Rifaat and Manbij from the (SDF), the task of commanding military operations was entrusted to the recently formed military councils in these two cities,” said Adnan Abu Faisal, the leader of Manbij’s military council.

According to Faisal, the military councils of Manbij and Tal Rifaat were given the task for their knowledge of the nature of the region.

“The main objective is to lead the battle to liberate Tal Rifaat and Manbij from SDF forces in cooperation with ally Turkish forces,” said Faisal, adding that opposition forces will also seek protecting the two cities and their civilians from any sabotage operations or violations that may be carried out by groups or sabotage cells affiliated with unknown parties.

Moreover, opposition forces will direct engineering teams to remove the remnants of war.

Faisal pointed out that the population of Manbij is about 120,000 people, “most of whom are Arabs.”

“All SNA factions have announced during the last hours their combat readiness, and they are waiting for the zero hour to launch the military operation, jointly with the Turkish forces, against the SDF,” said an opposition leader.

Planned military operations against the SDF will take place in Manbij, Tal Rifaat and neighboring villages, the leader revealed.

Local activists reported that “hundreds of civilians in the village of Awn al-Dadat in the northern countryside of Manbij, protested against the SDF.”

Protesters denounced SDF practices and its continued planting of landmines in civilian areas.

Link

Syria-Lebanon-Iran

Report: Hezbollah, Syrian Rebels Clash In Lebanon

2013-12-24

[Ynet] Lebanese site reports Hezbollah man killed in festivities between Syrian rebels, Shiite terror group on Lebanese soil, in additional incident of spillover from Syrian conflict into neighboring countries

A clash erupted overnight Saturday between a Hezbollah patrol and armed Syrians on the outskirts of Lebanese town, Lebanese media outlets reported Sunday.

According to Now Leb, the Hezbollah patrol detected a group of armed Syrians in the Bekaa area, and a firefight between the two parties ensued. The clash ended in the death of one Hezbollah man and the injury of another, the report said.

The report, which quoted the An-Nahar news website, further claimed that the Syrians also suffered casualties.

Voice of Leb radio was quoted as reporting that "Ali Dirgham Fares was killed and another man was hurt in festivities between members of Hizbollah and fighters from the Free Syrian Army and the (al-Qaeda-inspired) al-Nusra Front in the barren mountains of the Bekaa town of Nahle."

Nahle lies to the east of east of Syria's Qalamoun, where Bashir al-Assad's regime forces and Hezbollah men have battled rebels since mid-November.

Hezbollah chief Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah and his Shiite terror group's media mouthpieces have constantly attempted to frame the rebel presence in Qalamoun as a threat to Leb's security.

But according to Now Leb, newspaper unaffiliated with the terror group reported that the Qalamoun battle could lead to an influx of Syrian rebel fighters into Lebanese territory.

In early June, Now Leb reported, Hezbollah fighters engaged in a firefight with Syrian rebels on the outskirts of Baalbek along the Syrian-Lebanese border.

AFP cited a security source as saying that at least one Hezbollah member was killed in the fighting on the Syrian side of the border.

Meanwhile in Aleppo
Syrian aircraft pummeled opposition areas in the northern city of Aleppo on Sunday, killing at least 32 people and extending the government's furious aerial bombardment of the rebel-held half of the divided city to an eighth consecutive day.

Since it began on Dec. 15, the government's unusually heavy air campaign in Aleppo has killed more than 200 people, smashed residential buildings and overwhelmed the city's hospitals with casualties. The timing of the assault -- a month ahead of planned peace talks in Switzerland
...home of the Helvetians, famous for cheese, watches, yodeling, and William Tell...
-- suggests that Syrian President Assad could be trying to strengthen his position and expose the opposition's weaknesses before sitting down at the negotiating table.

Sunday's air raids targeted several Aleppo neighborhoods, but the worse hit was Masaken Hanano, where bombs fell on a second-hand market, a two-story building and a main road, activists said.

The Aleppo Media Center activist group said at least 32 people were killed, and published a list of the names of the dead on its Facebook page. Another group, the Britannia-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said in a later statement that at least 47 people, including seven rebels, were killed and dozens maimed.

"The medics say they are removing people in parts; they aren't sure how many there are," said Hassoun Abu Faisal, an activist with the Aleppo Media Center. He said the bombs destroyed vehicles lining a main road, destroyed a two-story building and left a crater where part of the market was.

Link

India-Pakistan

Ahmedabad Blasts Suspect Held In Aurangabad

2012-03-28

In a major success for the Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad, its officers locked away Mohammad Abrar Babu Khan alias Abrar Sheikh, a suspect in the 2008 Ahmedabad blasts, and his accomplice Mohammad Shakir, 32, following a fierce shootout at the Himayat Baug area in Aurangabad on Monday.

Their aide Khaleel Qureshi, 20, was killed in the cross-fire.

All the cool authorities do crossfires, these days.

The group reportedly has links with the banned terror outfit, Indian Mujahideen
A locally recruited auxilliary of Pakistain's Lashkar-e-Taiba, designed to give a domestic patina to Pakistain's terror war against its bigger neighbor...
(IM).

The group, all former Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) members,

Kicked out because they're too old...

had also plotted to eliminate the judges of the Allahabad high court who had pronounced the verdict in the Babri Masjid case, said sources.

"We must have dire revenge!"

For the last three months, the police had been working on information that the group, led by second-in-command Abrar, has been trying to set up their base in Maharashtra and were active in Aurangabad, Jalna and Buldhana, revealed ATS chief Rakesh Maria.

Mahmoud the Weasel's Indian cousins do thriving business on their side of the border...

"They were planning to commit robberies in the state and we have been trying to track them," he said.

Typical of the noble Lions of Islam -- unable to get enough dosh legitimately from their fellow worshippers, they turn to a life of crime.

In July-June 2011, the Madhya Pradesh police had locked away Abu Faisal, who has links with the IM, from the Juhu Gully area in Mumbai.

"The group had carried out a spate of robberies in Madhya Pradesh and used the money for terror funding. After Faisal was locked away, Abrar took charge," said Maria.

During interrogation,

"Corporal Mukkerjee: bring the utensils of questioning!"

"Even the number seven Craftsman, Captain?"
"Especially the number seven Craftsman!"

Faisal had told the police that his group was planning to kill two high court judges who had given judgment in the Babri Masjid case," said a police officer, requesting anonymity.

On the formation of the group, an officer said that after security agencies turned the heat on Faisal, he had gone into hiding at at his in-laws' place in Madhya Pradesh.

"There he met senior SIMI leader Safdar Nagori, who is currently in jail. Later Faisal went to Kerala for terrorist training. Faisal and Abrar were also in touch with top SIMI functionary Abdus Subhan Qureshi alias Tauqeer. Abrar's name also figures in the 2008 Ahmedabad blast case charge sheet. Another key member of the group Aqeel Khilji, 42, is still on the lam," said the officer.

"The group had bought a house in Jamshedpur in Jharkhand where fake passports could be prepared," said another police officer.

It would be a bit difficult to bring the usual in from Pakistan...

On Monday, the Aurangabad ATS had got a tip-offthat Abrar Shakir and Qureshi would arrive at Himayat Baug.

"When the police approached them, they opened fire. The police fired nine rounds, while the three men fired five rounds. Constable Sheikh Arif Sheikh Ismail got shot on his left shoulder and Qureshi was killed in the encounter.

Those Indians are showing initiative again. Not just a crossfire, but an encounter, too! D'you suppose the X marking the spot would show up on Google Earth?

Shakir, who was shot on both his thighs, is in hospital," said Maria.

Dr. Quincy awaits events with his customary sang froid.

Link

India-Pakistan

CSI Mumbai are on the case: identify suspect from CCTV images, follow other leads

2011-07-18

It's a good thing the one thing India has plenty of is people willing to work, whatever the task.

MUMBAI/AHMEDABAD: Police have zeroed in on a suspect at the site of the Opera House bombing after scanning the CCTV images they have retrieved from the 13/7 site. Investigators said the movements of one particular man, who locals and office-goers at the diamond-trading hub did not recognize, appear suspicious and they have prepared a sketch of him. The sketch has been sent to security agencies across the country, but won't be released to the public so that investigations are not hampered.

Eleven people died in the Opera House blast in Wednesday's triple bombing. Another eight died at Zaveri Bazar.

Investigators said the Opera House suspect is seen roaming the area for around two to three hours before the blast. "With the help of eyewitnesses and locals we are trying to identify individuals in the images. One such person has not been identified by the locals. We have prepared a sketch of this man. We have good leads with us," said Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS) chief Rakesh Maria.

The police are also focusing on 15 faces seen in CCTV images taken from the Zaveri Bazar blast site as locals, shopkeepers there could not recognize them.

Maharashtra ATS teams also fanned out to places like Gujarat, Bengal and Bhatkal in Karnataka to follow up clues.

Meanwhile, the Gujarat police believe they may have previously overlooked clues to the Mumbai blasts in emails sent by an arrested Indian Mujahideen (IM) member. The emails of Danish Riyaz, 29, who was arrested nearly 20 days before the Mumbai blasts, appear innocuous, but may have hidden information that could provide leads, said investigators. Danish was held for the July 26, 2008 Ahmedabad serial blasts.

The Ahmedabad crime branch is looking for leads in four emails sent by Danish to IM top brass, including Abdus Subhan alias Tauqeer, Manzhar Chaudhary, Abu Faisal and Mujeeb Sheikh. TOI reported on Saturday that Faisal and Sheikh were caught by the ATS recently and were a focal point of the investigation. Investigators believe that Mujeeb may know the identity of the five to six bombers. The Gujarat police have also found the name of Haroon, who is from Kolkata and a suspect in the Mumbai blasts, in Danish's mailing list.

When Danish was first probed, the emails didn't make sense, but now the Ahmedabad crime branch is taking help from central agencies to read the fine print. The police suspect he knows the whereabouts of Tauqeer and Chaudhary. Tauqeer, who allegedly masterminded the Ahmedabad blasts, is said to be at the UP-Nepal border. The Gujarat police suspect that youths from Azamgarh, UP, were also used in the 13/7 blasts and have sent a team there. The National Investigation Agency (NIA) interrogated Danish two days ago and is sure that Faisal and Sheikh know about the Mumbai attacks. Faisal practises alternate medicine in Indore, MP, and is Danish's senior in the IM. Sheikh belongs to Juhapura, Ahmedabad.

Interestingly, 35 detonators and explosive substances, including ammonium nitrate, went missing from the Silvassa police's custody in Gujarat in May-June. The equipment had been seized from suspects.

Maharashtra ATS teams have left for various locations, like Gujarat, West Bengal, Bhopal, Pune, Sarai Mir in Uttar Pradesh, Bhatkal in Karnataka, Delhi and so on. "The NIA and other central agencies are also assisting the probe," said Maria at a press briefing on Saturday.

Maria has sought details of two associates of Abdullah, a Kolkata resident, from West Bengal Special Task Force chief, Rajib Kumar. The two, like Abdullah, are missing. Maria was tightlipped when asked whether there was local support or if the Mumbai underworld played a role in the blasts.

"All three bombs were of high intensity," he said. He said three digital timed devices were used in the bombs. "We still don't know whether a cellular phone was used to trigger the bombs. A forensic report is awaited," he added. "We are ruling out the possibility of a suicide bomber."

On the explosives used, he said, "The strong presence of ammonium nitrate has been found but we are trying to find out the other ingredients." Sources said that TNT, which has been used in blasts in India, could have been used along with ammonium nitrate. Sources said that if TNT was mixed with ammonium nitrate, it would suggest good skills in bomb making. It is learnt that several police teams are being helped by "neutralized" IM and Simi members. They are helping police visit suspects across the country. It is learnt that at least 10 neutralized IM or Simi members are assisting the police.

A joint Mumbai ATS and crime branch team returned empty handed from Indore on Saturday morning. The team had questioned eight suspected Simi members. "Five of them are still in jail while three have been granted bail," said an ATS source.

At least six teams are scanning the CCTV footage. "It's a voluminous and tedious process," said Maria. An ATS officer said, "We are working on all unidentified people. Each CCTV frame has more than six to seven people at a time and we have to check the whole day's CCTV images."

"The forensic experts have collected debris that contain metal, which we suspect was part of containers used to store and transport the bombs.... However, it's too early to say whether they were tiffin boxes," Maria said. The forensic experts said the metal pieces found at the three sites are similar, but tiny. Forensic experts are yet to conclude whether the metal is steel or aluminum. The Zaveri Bazar blast took place outside a scrap shop, which already had a lot of metal pieces.

"Several motorcycles and scooters were recovered from the spots and the owners are being called and verified. Investigators are still working on one scooter which has not been claimed," said Maria.

Phone interceptions are on and over a hundred new phones are under surveillance. The police are also examining two calls made after the blasts from Jalna and Aurangabad districts to the police control room. Forensic experts and investigators will be recreating the blast scenes to verify the intensity of the blasts.

Link

Terror Networks

Human Rights Watch's list of "ghost prisoners"

2005-12-02

Take a good, long look at the people on this list and you can decide for yourself whether or not you have any problems with this. I sure don't.
1. Ibn Al-Shaykh al-Libi
Reportedly arrested on November 11, 2001, Pakistan.
Libyan, suspected commander at al-Qaeda training camp.

2. Abu Faisal
Reportedly arrested on December 12, 2001

3. Abdul Aziz
Reportedly arrested on December 14, 2001
Nationality unknown. In early January 2002, Kenton Keith, a spokesman at the U.S. Embassy in Islamabad, produced a chart with the names of senior al-Qaeda members listed as killed in action, detained, or on the run. Faisal and Aziz were listed as detained on Dec. 12 and 14, 2001.

4. Abu Zubaydah (also known as Zain al-Abidin Muhahhad Husain)
Reportedly arrested in March 2002, Faisalabad, Pakistan.
Palestinian (born in Saudi Arabia), suspected senior al-Qaeda operational planner.

5. Abdul Rahim al-Sharqawi (aka Riyadh the facilitator)
Reportedly arrested in January 2002
Possibly Yemeni, suspected al-Qaeda member (possibly transferred to Guantanamo).

6. Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi
Reportedly arrested in January 2002
Nationality unknown, presumably Iraqi, suspected commander of al-Qaeda training camp. U.S. officials told Associated Press on January 8, 2002 and March 30, 2002, of al-Iraqi's capture.
This is a different Abd al-Hadi al-Iraqi who was placed in command of al-Qaeda in Afghanistan yesterday (who had previously been in command of Brigade 055 rather than a training camp), for those keeping score.
7. Muhammed al-Darbi
Reportedly arrested in August 2002
Yemeni, suspected al-Qaeda member. The Washington Post reported on October 18, 2002: "U.S. officials learned from interviews with Muhammad Darbi, an al Qaeda member captured in Yemen in August, that a Yemen cell was planning an attack on a Western oil tanker, sources said." On December 26, 2002, citing "U.S. intelligence and national security officials," the Washington Post reports that al-Darbi, as well as Ramzi Binalshibh [see below], Omar al-Faruq [reportedly escaped from U.S. custody in July 2005], and Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri [see below] all "remain under CIA control."

8. Ramzi bin al-Shibh
Reportedly arrested on September 13, 2002
Yemeni, suspected al-Qaeda conspirator in Sept. 11 attacks (former roommate of one of the hijackers).

9. Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri (or Abdulrahim Mohammad Abda al-Nasheri, aka Abu Bilal al-Makki or Mullah Ahmad Belal)
Reportedly arrested in November 2002, United Arab Emirates.
Saudi or Yemeni, suspected al-Qaeda chief of operations in the Persian Gulf, and suspected planner of the USS Cole bombing, and attack on the French oil tanker, Limburg.

10. Mohammed Omar Abdel-Rahman (aka Asadullah)
Reportedly arrested in February 2003, Quetta, Pakistan.
Egyptian, son of the Sheikh Omar Abdel-Rahman, who was convicted in the United States of involvement in terrorist plots in New York. See Agence France Presse, March 4, 2003: "Pakistani and US agents captured the son of blind Egyptian cleric Omar Abdel Rahman. . . a US official said Tuesday. Muhamad Abdel Rahman was arrested in Quetta, Pakistan, the official said, speaking on condition of anonymity." David Johnston, New York Times, March 4, 2003: "On Feb. 13, when Pakistani authorities raided an apartment in Quetta, they got the break they needed. They had hoped to find Mr. [Khalid Sheikh] Mohammed, but he had fled the apartment, eluding the authorities, as he had on numerous occasions. Instead, they found and arrested Muhammad Abdel Rahman, a son of Sheik Omar Abdel Rahman, the blind Egyptian cleric. . ."

11. Mustafa al-Hawsawi (aka al-Hisawi)
Reportedly arrested on March 1, 2003 (together with Khalid Sheikh Mohammad), Pakistan.
Saudi, suspected al-Qaeda financier.

12. Khalid Sheikh Mohammed
Reportedly arrested on March 1, 2003, Rawalpindi, Pakistan.
Kuwaiti (Pakistani parents), suspected al-Qaeda, alleged to have "masterminded" Sept. 11 attacks, killing of Daniel Pearl, and USS Cole attack in 2000.

13. Majid Khan
Reportedly arrested on March-April 2003, Pakistan.
Pakistani, alleged link to Khalid Sheikh Mohammad, alleged involvement in plot to blow up gas stations in the United States. Details about Khan's arrest were revealed in several media reports, especially in Newsweek: Evan Thomas, "Al Qaeda in America: The Enemy Within," Newsweek, June 23, 2003. U.S. prosecutors provided evidence that Majid Khan was in U.S. custody during the trial of 24-year-old Uzair Paracha, who was convicted in November 2005 of conspiracy charges, and of providing material support to terrorist organizations.

14. Yassir al-Jazeeri (aka al-Jaziri)
Reportedly arrested on March 15, 2003, Pakistan.
Possibly Moroccan, Algerian, or Palestinian, suspected al-Qaeda member, linked to Khalid Sheikh Mohammed.

15. Ali Abdul Aziz Ali (aka Ammar al Baluchi)
Reportedly arrested on April 29, 2003, Karachi, Pakistan.
A Pakistani, he is alleged to have funneled money to September 11 hijackers, and alleged to have been involved with the Jakarta Marriot bombing and in handling Jose Padilla's travel to the United States.
U.S. Judge Sidney Stein ruled that defense attorneys for Uzair Paracha could introduce statements Baluchi made to U.S. interrogators, proving that he was in U.S. custody. Former Deputy Attorney General James Comey also mentioned Baluchi during remarks to the media about the case of Jose Padilla on June 1, 2004

16. Waleed Mohammed bin Attash (aka Tawfiq bin Attash or Tawfiq Attash Khallad)
Reportedly arrested on April 29, 2003, Karachi, Pakistan.
Saudi (of Yemeni descent), suspected of involvement in the bombing of the USS Cole in 2000, and the Sept. 11 attacks. See Afzal Nadeem, "Pakistan Arrests Six Terror Suspects, including Planner of Sept. 11 and USS Cole Bombing," Associated Press, April 30, 2003. His brother, Hassan Bin Attash, is currently held in Guantanamo.

17. Adil al-Jazeeri
Reportedly arrested on June 17, 2003 outside Peshawar, Pakistan.
Algerian, suspected al-Qaeda and longtime resident of Afghanistan, alleged "leading member" and "longtime aide to bin Laden." (Possibly transferred to Guantanamo.)

18. Hambali (aka Riduan Isamuddin)
Reportedly arrested on August 11, 2003, Thailand.
Indonesian, involved in Jemaah Islamiyah and al-Qaeda, alleged involvement in organizing and financing the Bali nightclub bombings, the Jakarta Marriot Hotel bombing, and preparations for the September 11 attacks.

19. Mohamad Nazir bin Lep (aka Lillie, or Li-Li)
Reportedly arrested in August 2003, Bangkok, Thailand.
Malaysian, alleged link to Hambali.

20. Mohamad Farik Amin (aka Zubair)
Reportedly arrested in June 2003, Thailand.
Malaysian, alleged link to Hambali.

21. Tariq Mahmood
Reportedly arrested in October 2003, Islamabad, Pakistan.
Dual British and Pakistani nationality, alleged to have ties to al-Qaeda.

22. Hassan Ghul
Reportedly arrested on January 23, 2004, in Kurdish highlands, Iraq.
Pakistani, alleged to be Zarqawi's courier to bin Laden; alleged ties to Khalid Sheikh Mohammad.

23. Musaad Aruchi (aka Musab al-Baluchi, al-Balochi, al-Baloshi)
Reportedly arrested in Karachi on June 12, 2004, in a "CIA-supervised operation."
Presumably Pakistani. Pakistani intelligence officials told journalists Aruchi was held by Pakistani authorities at an airbase for three days, before being handed over to the U.S., and then flown in an unmarked CIA plane to an undisclosed location.

24. Mohammed Naeem Noor Khan (aka Abu Talaha)
Reportedly arrested on July 13, 2004, Pakistan.
Pakistani, computer engineer, was held by Pakistani authorities, and likely transferred to U.S. custody. (Possibly in joint U.S.-Pakistani custody.)

25. Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani
Reportedly arrested on July 24, 2004, Pakistan
Tanzanian, reportedly indicted in the United States for 1998 embassy bombings. U.S. and Pakistani intelligence officials told UPI that Ghailani was transferred to "CIA custody" in early August.

26. Abu Faraj al-Libi
Reportedly arrested on May 4, 2005, North Western Frontier Province, Pakistan.
Libyan, suspected al-Qaeda leader of operations, alleged mastermind of two assassination attempts on Musharraf. Col. James Yonts, a U.S. military spokesman in Afghanistan, "said in an email to The Associated Press that al-Libbi was taken directly from Pakistan to the U.S. and was not brought to Afghanistan."

Link

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