Today in History:
November 18, 1955 - Morocco
National Holiday
Sultan Mohammed V was allowed to return to Morocco and negotiations
with the
French for independence began.
November 18, 1940 - Oman
National Holiday
Sultan Bin-Said's birthday.
November 18, 1918 - Latvia
Independence Day
No information provided.
Upcoming Significant Events:
November 19, (year unknown) - Monaco
National Holiday
No information provided.
November 19, 1798 - Ireland
Death of Wolfe Tone
Wolfe Tone was the first Irish revolutionary.
November 19, 1968 - Mali
Liberation Day
A group of officers led by Moussa Traore staged a bloodless coup and
set up
the Military Committee for National Liberation (CMLN).
November 19, 1989 - Philippines
Plebiscite On Muslim Autonomy
The plebiscite on Muslim autonomy in Mindinao resulted in only four
provinces voting to join the Muslim autonomous region.
November 20, 1975 - Spain
Death of Francisco Franco
King Juan Carlos assumed power following the death of Franco.
November 20, 1979 - Saudi Arabia
Occupation of the Grand Mosque
Approximately five hundred Islamic fundamentalists occupied the Grand
Mosque.
November 20, 1983 - Colombia
Legalization of The M-19
The April 19 Movement (M-19), a leftist terrorist organization, was
legalized by an amnesty law after the group had made peace with the
government. The M-19 is now a legitimate political party.
November 21, 1949 - Libya
Proclamation Day
Commemorates the United Nations resolution on Libyan independence.
November 21, 1971 - Bangladesh
Armed Forces Day
No information provided.
November 22, 1943 - Lebanon
Independence Day
No information provided.
November 22, 1967 - Occupied Territories, Israel
UN Resolution 242 Adopted
UN Security Council Resolution 242 adopted calling for a separate
Palestinian state.
November 22, 1975 - Spain
Juan Carlos Proclaimed King
No information provided.
November 22, 1979 - Pakistan
U.S. Embassy Attacked
The U.S. embassy in Islamabad was attacked and burned by Islamic militants
following rumors that the U.S. was involved in the violent takeover
of the
Grand Mosque in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.
CIA plans riskier, more aggressive espionage
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 2:10pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
CIA Director Porter Goss told his new chief of spy operations this week
to
launch a much more aggressive espionage campaign that would use undercover
officers to penetrate terrorist groups and hostile governments such
as North
Korea and Iran, according to a senior U.S. official with direct knowledge
of
Goss' plans.Full
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=676&ncid=676&e=5&u=/usatoda
y/20041118/ts_usatoday/ciaplansriskiermoreaggressiveespionage> Story
Goss Isn't Done With Housecleaning at CIA
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 2:14pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
In the wake of high-level departures in the CIA's clandestine service,
intelligence officials are bracing for an even more aggressive overhaul
of
the agency's analytic ranks by Director Porter J. Goss.Current and former
intelligence officials said Goss planned to replace the head of the
CIA's
analytic branch, Jami A. Miscik, with a veteran analyst who already
runs one
of the agency's major offices. Miscik heads the CIA's Directorate of
Intelligence, the division that drew much of the blame for erroneous
assessments of weapons programs in prewar Iraq.Full
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2026&ncid=2026&e=2&u=/latim
ests/20041118/ts_latimes/gossisntdonewithhousecleaningatcia> Story
Behind Scenes, Informer's Path Led U.S. to 20 Terror Cases
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 2:17pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
The ruins of the World Trade Center were still burning when federal
agents
arrested two men at Kennedy Airport who were found with more than $140,000
hidden in cardboard boxes with honey jars bound for Yemen. For the agents,
aware that terrorists were said to use honey shipments to hide money,
that
slender lead could not be ignored.If the world was suddenly different
for
everybody back then, in October 2001, with federal agents and prosecutors
both properly alarmed and also under sudden pressure to make terrorism
cases, they still relied on old techniques developed in generations
of Mafia
and gang cases. They needed a rat. An informer.Full Story
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/18/nyregion/18terror.html>
Thai king calls for peace in south as soldier, civilian shot dead
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:10pm by MSantos
<mailto:bishopspg@hotmail.com>
Thailand's revered King Bhumibol Adulyadej has warned that the kingdom's
stability depends on peace in the restive south where police said Thursday
that a soldier and a civilian had been shot dead. Speaking before 510
newly-promoted police and army generals late Wednesday, the king, who
usually only ventures into politics in times of crisis, said the key
to
peace would be greater cooperation between security forces. "With
more
serious and closer cooperation between police and soldiers the violence
could be reduced," the king said in the speech broadcast by state-radio
Thailand Thursday."Otherwise our nation could fail, which means
the public
would have no happiness or security," said the monarch, who has
already
called for a less "heavy-handed" approach in the south. His
speech came amid
fresh violence Wednesday as a soldier and civilian were shot dead in
separate attacks, said police. The 21-year-old civilian was shot dead
near a
checkpoint in Pattani, a police spokesman to! ld AFP. The army ranger
was
shot dead by two men on motorcycle in Yala province less than two hours
earlier. Nearly 550 people have been killed this year in Thailand's
south.Full
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/117756/1/.html>
Story
Indonesia's Yudhoyono extends Aceh state of emergency
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:11pm by MSantos
<mailto:bishopspg@hotmail.com>
A state of civil emergency in the rebellion-hit Indonesian province
of Aceh
has been formally extended by six months, as the country's president
offered
an amnesty to guerrillas willing to surrender.Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono,
who
issued a presidential decree ordering the state of emergency, said clemency
would be shown to leaders and followers of the rebel Free Aceh Movement
if
they ended their three-decade insurgency.Yudhoyono, who took office
last
month after winning a landslide election victory, also promised to resolve
the Aceh issue without foreign help, however he made no effort to spell
out
his plans for the resource-rich region. "The Indonesian government
wants to
settle the problem domestically, with a spirit of brotherhood, so that
the
results we all hope for will be achieved," he said. Previous peace
negotiations between the rebel Free Aceh Movement and Jakarta were
facilitated by the Geneva-based Henry Dunnant Center but the talks broke
down with Jakarta accusing ! the rebels of breaching their agreement.As
top
security minister under the previous government of Megawati Sukarnoputri,
Yudhoyono played a key role in securing a short-lived truce. Earlier
this
month, the son of Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi offered his country's
help
in resolving the conflict. Many guerrilla leaders in Aceh were previously
trained in Libya. The rebels have been fighting for independence in
the
resource-rich but poor province at the northern tip of Indonesia's Sumatra
island since 1976. Rights groups say many of the thousands killed in
the
conflict were civilians.Full
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/117771/1/.html>
Story
Australian man charged in court with supporting Al-Qaeda
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:12pm by MSantos
<mailto:bishopspg@hotmail.com>
An Australian man has faced court, charged with supporting the Al-Qaeda
Islamic extremist group while in Pakistan two years ago. Joseph Terrence
Thomas, 31, of Melbourne, was charged with providing support or resources
to
Al-Qaeda in Karachi which would help the organisation plan or carry
out a
terrorist act. Thomas, who was deported from Pakistan last year after
being
detained for five months over suspected Al-Qaeda links, was also charged
with intentionally receiving funds from Al-Qaeda in Karachi between
July
2002 and January 2003. Thomas was not required to enter a plea during
his
brief appearance in Melbourne Magistrate's Court and was remanded in
custody
until February 10 next year. Before the court appearance, Australian
Federal
police said Thomas was also accused of making alterations to his passport
to
avoid detection by authorities. He was arrested early Thursday when
counter-terrorism police swooped on his suburban home, seizing documents
and
computer equipment. P! olice alleged Thomas had close associations with
known Al-Qaeda members and his arrest followed a lengthy investigation.
Police said he is the first Australian to face specific charges relating
to
receiving terrorist funds and supporting a terrorist organisation since
laws
were tightened in 2002 in response to the September 11 attacks in the
United
States. The offences each carry a maximum 25-year jail term. Thomas,
a
former taxi driver, converted to Islam in 1999, when he married his
Indonesian wife Maryati and adopted "Jihad" as his Muslim
name. He took his
wife and baby daughter to Pakistan in March 2001 in order to study Islam
and
become an imam, according to statements made by his family in Australia
when
he was detained in Pakistan. Full
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/117762/1/.html>
Story
Tigers blame Sri Lanka president for talks deadlock
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:12pm by MSantos
<mailto:bishopspg@hotmail.com>
Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels have accused President Chandrika Kumaratunga
of "deceit" as she gave the guerrillas two weeks to decide
if they wanted to
revive stalled peace negotiations. The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam
(LTTE) said they had received no response to a request sent to Kumaratunga
asking for a clear statement on her coalition government's stand on
ending
ethnic bloodshed. The LTTE accused Kumaratunga of projecting the image
of a
peace maker to the international community while appeasing her main
Marxist
coalition partner, the JVP or People's Liberation Front, which opposes
concessions to the Tigers. "This coalition that is showing different
faces
to suit the people, time and place has no intention of being involved
in the
peace process honestly," the LTTE said in a statement posted on
its website.
It came a day after Kumaratunga asked the Tigers to return to the
negotiating table they left in April last year, saying that the necessary
environment for the re! sumption of talks had been created. "I
request the
LTTE to inform the government, within this month, if they are ready
to
commence peace talks," Kumaratunga said via state media. "At
present, the
LTTE is finding various excuses not to come to peace talks." She
did not say
what action her government would take if the Tigers failed to rejoin
the
Norwegian-led initiative aimed at ending three decades of ethnic bloodshed
that has claimed over 60,000 lives. The LTTE said it had received no
response to a request that Kumaratunga issue a statement "in a
single voice"
on her government's policy regarding the ethnic conflict. "The
LTTE has
effectively requested the government stop cheating the international
community and the country and put an end to their acts of deceit by
publicly
stating their policy," the Tigers said.Full
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/117741/1/.html>
Story
Significant changes in North Korea, say experts
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:14pm by MSantos
<mailto:bishopspg@hotmail.com>
Significant changes may be taking place in North Korea if reports are
confirmed that Kim Jong-Il, the nation's hereditary dictator, is modifying
his leadership style, analysts and experts say. Officials, diplomats,
and
analysts agreed that reports that Kim has ordered curbs to be placed
on the
cult of personality that has surrounded him for decades needed to be
confirmed before conclusions could be drawn. "Nothing has been
proven yet.
There is no way for us to confirm these things right now. It takes time,"
said an official at South Korea's Unification Ministry, which handles
relations with the Stalinist state. If confirmed, the developments would
be
regarded as "significant," he said. North Korea is one of
the world's most
secretive nations and events inside the country are notoriously hard
to
monitor. However, western diplomats living in Pyongyang have reported
that
portraits of Kim have been disappearing from public buildings in the
capital
and elsewhere in recent weeks, ! according to diplomats and reports
here.
South Korea's Yonhap news agency said Wednesday that Kim himself had
ordered
for the removal of the portraits which hang in homes, offices, and public
buildings alongside those of his father Kim Il-Sung, the founder of
the
communist state who died in 1994. The order was issued three weeks ago
because the leader was concerned that he "has been lifted too high,"
the
agency said, quoting a source who has "good connections" in
Pyongyang. Kim's
portraits were being removed from all public places and homes, it said.
Based on a telephone conversation with a North Korean official, the
source
said that now only the portraits of Kim's father could be seen at public
buildings and residences in Pyongyang. Full
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/117749/1/.html>
Story
Military Believes Zarqawi Headquarters Found
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:15pm by tpinnock
<mailto:tpinnock@hotmail.com>
U.S. soldiers discovered a house in southern Fallujah on Thursday believed
to be a main headquarters for Jordanian-born militant Abu Musab Zarqawi,
the
leader of an insurgent network responsible for bombings, kidnappings
and
beheadings across Iraq. A mural in the house indicated that it belonged
to
Zarqawi's organization. In the house, the soldiers found letters reportedly
written by Zarqawi to his lieutenants, medical supplies from the U.S.
Agency
for International Development and boxes of ammunition from the Chinese
and
Jordanian armies. Full
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59519-2004Nov18.html>
Story
Belgium Shooting Critically Injures Briton
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:16pm by EcheleA
<mailto:EcheleA@yahoo.com>
A British secretary to a rabbi in Antwerp was shot in the head early
Thursday and was in the hospital with life-threatening injuries, the
prosecutor's office said. Spokeswoman Dominique Reniers said the man
was
shot once in front of his home in Antwerp's Jewish neighborhood. "We
do not
exclude any motive, but so far there are no indications that the motive
was
racist or extremist," she said. Yehuda Ceitlin, a local aide of
Israel's
Zaka rescue services, identified the victim as Moshe Naeh, a father
of five.
Ceitlin said Naeh was brought to an Antwerp hospital, where he was fighting
for his life. Ceitlin said that, though racial harassment had increased
in
recent years in Antwerp, it was the first shooting of a Jewish victim
in a
long time.Full
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A59404-2004Nov18.html>
Story
Indian PM calls for Kashmir militants to return to mainstream
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:17pm by MSantos
<mailto:bishopspg@hotmail.com>
Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh reaffirmed his pledge to build
a "new"
Kashmir while appealing to militants to renounce violence and return
to the
political mainstream. He will visit a refugee camp for Hindus who fled
fighting between Islamic militants and Indian security forces before
heading
back to New Delhi Thursday evening."Those who want to meet their
political
ends through terrorism, I want to tell them they will not succeed through
this route," he added. "Time has come for the misled youth
to come back to
the mainstream of politics by eschewing violence... Our doors are open
for
everyone. We invite you without any preconditions." Singh was on
the second
and final day of his first visit to volatile Kashmir since becoming
prime
minister in May. On Wednesday, he visited the more violent northern
region
of Srinagar and unveiled a 5.3 billion dollar economic package to help
rebuild the insurgency-torn state. He continued the message of economic
development in Jammu ! and announced the lifting of a freeze on recruitment
in government jobs that led to loud cheers from the crowd. The ban had
been
imposed two years ago due to severe financial constraints the state
was
facing. Earlier Singh chaired a meeting of the Unified Command -- a
security
body comprising army and civil officials -- and reviewed the security
situation. He was briefed that the level of infiltration of militants
from
Pakistan had gone down sharply, an officer who was present at the meeting
said. India accuses Pakistan of sending armed militants into Indian
Kashmir,
charges Islamabad denies. Full
<http://www.channelnewsasia.com/stories/afp_asiapacific/view/117816/1/.html>
Story
Powell Says Iran Is Pursuing Bomb
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:18pm by EcheleA
<mailto:EcheleA@yahoo.com>
The United States has intelligence that Iran is working to adapt missiles
to
deliver a nuclear weapon, further evidence that the Islamic republic
is
determined to acquire a nuclear bomb, Secretary of State Colin L. Powell
said Wednesday. Separately, an Iranian opposition exile group charged
in
Paris that Iran is enriching uranium at a secret military facility unknown
to U.N. weapons inspectors. Iran has denied seeking to build nuclear
weapons. "I have seen some information that would suggest that
they have
been actively working on delivery systems. . . . You don't have a weapon
until you put it in something that can deliver a weapon," Powell
told
reporters traveling with him to Chile for an Asia-Pacific economic summit.
"I'm not talking about uranium or fissile material or the warhead;
I'm
talking about what one does with a warhead."Full
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A57465-2004Nov17.html>
Story
Fallujah Residents Emerge, Find 'City of Mosques' in Ruins
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:21pm by tpinnock
<mailto:tpinnock@hotmail.com>
The night the Americans came, Abu Saad hunkered in the little room at
the
back of his house in the center of the city, where he prayed that the
bombs
would not find him. He and his father, brother and nephew tried to drown
the
sound of the artillery with their prayers. Dear God, he chanted over
and
over, please protect us. Describing their ordeal on Wednesday, Abu Saad,
31,
recalled how the first night blurred into day, and then into a second
night.
Dawn broke four times while they hid. During daylight, they fasted in
observance of the holy month of Ramadan. At night, Abu Saad rushed to
the
kitchen to cook a pot of chicken and then whisked it back to his hiding
place, where he and his relatives pulled the meat off the bones with
their
fingers and listened to the sound of their city falling around them.
Full
<http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A58510-2004Nov17.html?nav=hcm
odule> Story
Kurdish Rebels Using European Bases
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:22pm by EcheleA
<mailto:EcheleA@yahoo.com>
The recent Dutch raid against a suspected military training camp used
by
Turkish Kurdish rebels is the largest crackdown against the group in
Europe,
which has become a base for autonomy-seeking militants to collect money,
recruit and train, authorities say. Turkey has long demanded that European
Union nations move against the rebel group, whose sympathizers run a
satellite TV station in Denmark and collect funds -- hundreds of thousands
of dollars a year, say Turkish officials -- in many major European cities
where Kurds live. The Kurdish rebel's main military bases are in the
Qandil
mountains in northern Iraq and Turkey is also urging the United States
to
close those outposts - by force if necessary.Full
<http://www.nytimes.com/aponline/international/AP-Europe-Kurdish-Rebels.html
> Story
Chirac Says War in Iraq Spreads Terrorism
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:23pm by EcheleA
<mailto:EcheleA@yahoo.com>
On the eve of a visit to Britain, President Jacques Chirac said Wednesday
that the world was more dangerous because of the American-led invasion
of
Iraq. "To a certain extent Saddam Hussein's departure was a positive
thing,"
Mr. Chirac said in an interview broadcast on the BBC Newsnight television
program. "But it also provoked reactions, such as the mobilization
in a
number of countries of men and women of Islam, which has made the world
more
dangerous." Ensuring that his country's relations with the United
States and
Britain will remain cool, he said, "There is no doubt" that
terrorism around
the world has increased because of the war in Iraq.Full
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/18/international/europe/18chirac.html>
Story
Greek anti-war rally turns violent
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:23pm by EcheleA
<mailto:EcheleA@yahoo.com>
Police fired tear gas at demonstrators who hurled rocks and bottles
at the
U.S. Embassy in Athens on Wednesday during a rally against the war in
Iraq.
Dozens of youths, wearing scarves and crash helmets, clashed with riot
police. At least 25 were detained, police said. There were no immediate
reports of injuries. A downtown branch of Citibank was damaged by a
firebomb, while protesters set fire to trash bins near the embassy.
Two
other Greek banks were also damaged.Full
<http://edition.cnn.com/2004/WORLD/europe/11/17/greece.anniversary.ap/index.
html> Story
GIs Find Belongings of Once-Missing Marine
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:24pm by tpinnock
<mailto:tpinnock@hotmail.com>
U.S. troops have recovered belongings of a U.S. Marine who was once
feared
beheaded by Iraqi insurgents after disappearing from his unit, U.S.
officials said. The personal effects of Cpl. Wassef Ali Hassoun were
found
last week in a box on the third floor of a three-story commercial building
in Fallujah, the officials said. The property included an identification
card, a uniform and a book. Hassoun, of West Jordan, Utah, disappeared
from
his base near Fallujah in June and later turned up at the U.S. Embassy
in
Beirut, Lebanon. It remains unclear how he traveled from Iraq to Lebanon,
where he has relatives. Full
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=10&u=/ap/200
41117/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_marine_hostage> Story
Belgian senator gets death threat
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:26pm by EcheleA
<mailto:EcheleA@yahoo.com>
A Belgian senator of Moroccan origin is under police guard after receiving
death threats, Socialist Party officials have said. Mimount Bousakla,
who is
well-known for her opposition to radical Islam, received a phone call
in
which someone threatened to "ritually slaughter" her. The
party official
said the senator was still turning up to work in parliament and denied
reports she was in hiding. Ms Bousakla criticised Belgian Muslim leaders'
response to a recent killing.Full Story
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/europe/4019737.stm>
Sources Say Al-Zarqawi's Nephew Detained
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:27pm by tpinnock
<mailto:tpinnock@hotmail.com>
The nephew of Abu-Musab al-Zarqawi, al-Qaida's point man in Iraq, was
detained near the Jordanian-Iraqi border, a distant relative and a clergyman
close to the family said Thursday. The clergyman and the relative, both
of
whom spoke on condition of anonymity, said security officials informed
the
family that Mohammed al-Harahsheh was detained last month. Government
officials were not immediately available for comment. Several calls
to
al-Zarqawi's family home in Zarqa, an industrial city 17 miles northeast
of
the Jordanian capital, Amman, went unanswered. Full
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=1&u=/ap/2004
1118/ap_on_re_mi_ea/jordan_al_zarqawi_s_nephew> Story
Iraq Assessments: Insurgents Not Giving Up
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:28pm by tpinnock
<mailto:tpinnock@hotmail.com>
The recapture of Fallujah has not broken the insurgents' will to fight
and
may not pay the big dividend U.S. planners had hoped to improve security
enough to hold national elections in Sunni Muslim areas of central Iraq,
according to U.S. and Iraqi assessments. Instead, the battle for control
of
the Sunni city 40 miles west of Baghdad has sharpened divisions among
Iraq's
major ethnic and religious groups, fueled anti-American sentiment and
stoked
the 18-month-old Sunni insurgency. Those grim assessments, expressed
privately by some U.S. military officials and by some private experts
on
Iraq, raise doubts as to whether the January election will produce a
government with sufficient legitimacy, especially in the eyes of the
country's powerful Sunni Muslim minority. Full
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=4&u=/ap/2004
1118/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq_fallout_from_fallujah> Story
Bombs Kill Four in Baghdad and Kirkuk
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:29pm by tpinnock
<mailto:tpinnock@hotmail.com>
Insurgents detonated a car bomb Thursday near a U.S. military convoy
in
Baghdad and a roadside bomb exploded at a job recruiting center in the
northern city of Kirkuk, in attacks that killed four people, police
and
officials said. Elsewhere, insurgents fired mortars at the provincial
administration offices in the northern city of Mosul, wounding four
of the
governor's guards, the U.S. military said. Governor Duraid Kashmoula
was
unhurt in the attack , said spokesman Lt. Col Paul Hastings. Initial
reports
said the mortar attack landed near a fuel truck, setting it ablaze,
Hastings
said. Full
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=5&u=/ap/2004
1118/ap_on_re_mi_ea/iraq> Story
Israel Releases Senior Hamas Leader
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:29pm by tpinnock
<mailto:tpinnock@hotmail.com>
Israel released the top Hamas leader in the West Bank from prison on
Thursday after he finished a 28-month sentence for being a member of
an
outlawed organization. Israel has arrested or killed dozens of senior
figures in the militant Islamic group over the last four years of fighting,
leaving Sheik Hassan Yussef, 49, as the most senior Hamas figure in
the West
Bank. Yussef, who was the Hamas spokesman in the West Bank when he was
arrested, is a relative moderate in the hardline group, but his release
is
expected to have little impact on its policies, which are generally
made by
senior leaders in Gaza and abroad. Clutching a black plastic bag with
his
belongings, Yussef, walked out of the Ofer military jail to his waiting
family Thursday morning. He immediately traveled to nearby Ramallah,
where
he placed a wreath and offered prayers at the tomb of Yasser Arafat.
Full
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=7&u=/ap/2004
1118/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_ha!mas_leader> Story
Israeli Army Mistakenly Kills 3 Egyptians
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:30pm by tpinnock
<mailto:tpinnock@hotmail.com>
Israeli troops killed three Egyptian policemen mistaken for Palestinian
militants along the Gaza-Egypt border early Thursday, in what the army
called a "professional and operational" mishap. Israel immediately
apologized and opened an investigation into the incident, which threatens
to
increase tensions between the two countries. The former enemies signed
a
peace agreement in 1979 but often have had shaky relations. The timing
of
the incident is especially sensitive because Israel wants Egypt to help
secure the Gaza Strip after Israel's planned withdrawal next year from
the
coastal area. Full
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=540&ncid=736&e=6&u=/ap/2004
1118/ap_on_re_mi_ea/israel_egypt> Story
Mystery remains over who killed Margaret Hassan
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:31pm by tpinnock
<mailto:tpinnock@hotmail.com>
Iraqi authorities yesterday admitted they still had no clear idea about
who
killed the aid worker Margaret Hassan. Investigators are being hindered
by
the uniqueness of the case, and the complexity of the insurgency. In
previous kidnappings, Iraq's several insurgent groups have been quick
to
identify themselves and claim responsibility, using videos to make their
demands. From the moment Mrs Hassan was seized her case was different.
Mrs
Hassan, who had Iraqi nationality and spoke fluent Arabic, was taken
from
her car as she drove to work at the Care offices in Baghdad on October
19.
Two videos emerged, showing her in an increasingly desperate state pleading
for her life and asking for the withdrawal of British troops from Iraq.
At
one point her kidnappers described themselves as an "armed Islamic
group".
But unlike previous incidents they gave themselves no specific name
and used
no banners or flags to identify themselves. Full Story
<http://www.guardian.co.uk/Iraq/Story/0,2763!,1353695,00.html>
Showing Their Resolve, Rebels Mount Attacks in Northern and Central
Iraq
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:34pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
Ambushes and bomb attacks jolted central and northern Iraq on Wednesday
as
insurgents pressed a campaign against American and Iraqi forces after
the
American-led offensive that left swaths of Falluja in ruins. The violence
flared in cities across the Sunni triangle, from Ramadi to Bayji to
Kirkuk,
though guerrillas largely stayed off the streets of the inflamed city
of
Mosul on the second day of an American sweep there. At least 21 Iraqis
were
killed and dozens wounded in the wave of attacks on Wednesday.Full Story
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/18/international/18iraq.html>
Saudi Defends Country's Fight Vs. Terror
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:36pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
A senior Saudi official Wednesday defended his government's fight against
terrorism, and declared that any Saudi nationals trying to raise money
for
Iraqi insurgents have been punished. Adel al-Jubeir, foreign policy
adviser
to Crown Prince Abdullah, predicted U.S. forces will defeat the insurgency,
but said it would be more costly than expected "both in blood and
in
treasure." The Saudi government has tracked down any of its people
trying to
funnel money to the insurgency, al-Jubeir said in an interview with
The
Associated Press after speaking to a group in Louisville as part of
a
multi-city tour of the U.S.Full
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&e=2&u=/ap/20041117/ap_o
n_re_us/us_saudis_1> Story
Senior Hamas political figure freed from Israeli prison
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:39pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
One of the main political leaders of the radical Palestinian movement
Hamas
in the West Bank was freed after more than two years in an Israeli military
prison.Sheikh Hassan Yussef immediately headed to the West Bank town
of
Ramallah to pay his respects at the grave of the late Palestinian leader
Yasser Arafat after being freed from the nearby Ofer military prison.
He
then struck a note of defiance by rejecting any suggestion of a halt
to the
campaign of anti-Israeli attacks by Palestinian militants.Full
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1514&ncid=1312&e=1&u=/afp/2
0041118/wl_mideast_afp/mideast_hamas_prisoner_041118140235> Story
Iran and Pakistani linked
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:43pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
An Iranian opposition group said Wednesday that Tehran bought blueprints
of
a nuclear bomb and weapons-grade uranium from the same Pakistani scientist
who admitted selling atomic secrets to Libya and other countries a decade
ago. According to the exiled National Council for Resistance in Iran,
both
the bomb design and the nuclear material were handed to Iran by Abdul
Qadeer
Khan, who headed Pakistan's nuclear program between 1994 and 1996..Full
Story <http://www.iht.com/articles/2004/11/17/business/iran.html>
UN urges swift end to Sudan wars
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:46pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
UN Secretary General Kofi Annan says there is "no time to waste"
in ending
the civil war in southern Sudan. A peace deal there would also help
resolve
the crisis in the western Sudanese province of Darfur, he added. He
was
addressing a special meeting of the Security Council in Nairobi - the
fourth
ever to be held away from UN headquarters in New York.Full Story
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/4021293.stm>
Uribe defends security policies
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:49pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
President Alvaro Uribe has defended his tough policies to try to quash
the
internal conflict inside Colombia, in an interview with the BBC. Mr
Uribe
insisted his administration was "solving all the problems".
"We can no
longer have a country [threatened] by guerrillas or defended by
paramilitaries groups. We need central control," he said.Full Story
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/4021213.stm>
UN warns of Afghan 'drug state'
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 1:51pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
The UN has warned that Afghanistan could become a "narco-state"
after opium
cultivation rose by two-thirds this year. A UN report released on Thursday
urged the US and Nato forces to fight drugs as well as Taleban insurgents.
It said Afghanistan now supplied 87% of world opium. In 2003, the trade
was
worth $2.8bn, representing more than 60% of gross domestic product.Full
Story <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/4022197.stm>
Monitors of North Korean News Note Dip in Reverence for Kim
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 2:01pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
As reports filter out of North Korea that portraits of the country's
leader,
Kim Jong Il, have been removed from their honored spots, official news
outlets are dropping the honorific "Dear Leader" from reports
on Mr. Kim,
according to Radiopress, a Japanese news agency that monitors North
Korea's
radio. Regional analysts are debating whether Mr. Kim is losing his
grip on
power, or, more likely, quietly orchestrating the downsizing of his
own
personality cult. As the nation's propaganda chief in the 1970's, Mr.
Kim
paved his way to power by raising his father, Kim Il Sung, to demigod
status
as North Korea's founder.Full
<http://www.nytimes.com/2004/11/18/international/asia/18korea.html>
Story
Militant Wanted in Pearl Abduction Killed
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 2:03pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
An Islamic militant wanted in the murder of American Journalist Daniel
Pearl
was discovered running a clothing shop near the Indian border and killed
in
a shootout with police, Pakistani authorities said Wednesday.Authorities
also announced the arrest of a suspect in the deadly bombing near the
U.S.
Consulate in Karachi two years ago. The actions mark the latest in a
series
of high profile arrests and killings of militant suspects wanted for
terrorist attacks in Pakistan since its military leader, President Gen.
Pervez Musharraf, made the Muslim country a key ally in the U.S.-led
war on
terror in late 2001.Full
<http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20041117/ap_on_re_as/pakistan_m
ilitant_killed_2> Story
French insurgents killed in Iraq
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 2:06pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
Three Frenchmen have died fighting with insurgents against US-led troops
in
Iraq, reports say. The men, all of Arab origin, were killed in the country
over recent months as the insurgency has flared. Two of the men were
aged 19
and the third was 24 years old, a French official said.Full Story
<http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4023021.stm>
Sept. 11 Victims Fund Is Declared an Overall Success
Posted Thursday, November 18, 2004 - 2:15pm by Andre
<mailto:demarce@terrorism.com>
The administrator of the federal fund that paid more than $7 billion
to the
Sept. 11 victims and survivors said Wednesday that the program was a
great
success, but acknowledged doubts about its fairness and efficiency.The
Victim Compensation Fund, approved by Congress after the terrorist attacks,
might have been less controversial had it paid out the same amount to
all
victims, Special Master Kenneth R. Feinberg said in submitting his final
report.Full
<http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=2026&ncid=2026&e=4&u=/latim
ests/20041118/ts_latimes/sept11victimsfundisdeclaredanoverallsuccess>
Story
_____
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