Jihad Sign at Polish, Israeli Soccer Match

A jihad banner welcomed Israeli soccer team Hapoel Tel Aviv to a recent match with Polish squad Legia Warszawa, according to Polish news outlets. The incident is being touted as another worrisome sign of anti-Semitism in Poland, which will host next year's 2012 Euro football championship alongside the Ukraine.

The green banner, which stretched across an entire section behind one goal, simply said "Jihad" and "Legia" in a font resembling Arabic.

"This is yet another case of anti-Semitic behavior by extremist groups active in Polish football stadiums, and it could have been predicted," said Rafal Pankowski of the Warsaw-based Never Again NGO. "Some Legia fans have been known for anti-Semitic and extreme-right behaviour for years and they had a chance to express their hatred of Jews again when Legia played an Israeli team, this time adopting a pseudo-Islamist guise," he added.

In August, police in Lower Silesia investigated complaints about anti-Semitic chanting from fans of another Polish team. "Jews, Jews, Jews, all of Lodz are Jews," shouted supporters of Slask Wroclaw in a match against Widzew Lodz, before calls of "Auschwitz is your home," and "you're going to the oven." Lodz, the site of ancient Jewish community and a massive Nazi death camp in WWII, was mocked because of the similarity between the team's name, Widzew, and a Polish term for Jews, "Zidzew."

The Bartering of Brothers

Turkey recently offered Syrian President Bashar al-Assad support for his embattled regime in exchange for relinquishing a limited degree of power to that country's Muslim Brotherhood, according to officials and diplomats familiar with the proposal.

As first reported by Agence France Presse on Thursday, the proposal put forth by Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan in June called for Assad to ensure that "between a quarter and a third of ministers in his government were members of the Muslim Brotherhood," according to an unnamed Western diplomat. In exchange, Erdogan would "use all his influence to end the rebellion."

Assad flatly rejected the plan, which since has been publicly denied by Turkish officials, according to the report. During talks, Turkey is said to have "called for the return of the Muslim Brotherhood in Syria," one well-informed Syrian official said. In response, Assad said Muslim Brothers would be allowed to return "as individuals" but "never as a party, because they have a religious foundation which is incompatible with Syria's secular character."

The rejection may have had a ripple effect, contributing to what has been viewed as a rapid deterioration in relations between the two nations. According to AFP, Turkish President Abdullah Gul commented that the Turkish leadership had "lost our confidence" in Assad's regime.

The Syrian Brotherhood has been banned since 1963, yet it has carried on in one form or another while in exile. Previous attempts by the group to organize and mobilize against the ruling Ba'athist regime were shut down with an iron fist, leading to tens of thousands killed.

The group is closely affiliated with its parent organization, the ascendant Muslim Brotherhood in Egypt. Like its Syrian counterpart, the Egyptian Brotherhood has nudged ever closer to the Turkish ruling party in the wake of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak's ouster. Just two weeks ago, members of the Brotherhood's leadership had a high-profile visit with the Turkish prime minister when Erdogan visited Cairo.

Many Brotherhood leaders have also expressed a desire for Egypt to follow in the footsteps of Erdogan's Justice and Development Party (AKP)—a democratically elected center-right political party in Turkey, with clear Islamist influences and leanings.

Treasury Names Terrorist Financiers in South Asia

The U.S. Treasury Department on Thursday designated five prominent people tied to terrorist organizations based out of Afghanistan and Pakistan. They include top financiers for the Taliban, a Haqqani Network chief, and financial facilitators for al-Qaida and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.

"These financiers and facilitators provide the fuel for the Taliban, Haqqani Network and al-Qaida to realize their violent aspirations," Under Secretary for Terrorism and Financial Intelligence David C. Cohen said in a press release. "That is why we are taking these actions today and will continue our relentless efforts to choke off streams of financial and other support to terrorists."

Hajji Faizullah Khan Noorzai, Hajji Malik Noorzai, and Abdur Rehman were named as leading Taliban financiers. They allegedly provided funding and supplied weapons and explosives to Taliban and al-Qaida fighters to carry out attacks against U.S.-led coalition troops. They also operated schools, or madrassas, along the Afghan-Pakistan border to indoctrinate and train recruits. The madrassas also were used as venues for raising tens of thousands of dollars for the Taliban.

Malik Noorzai and his brother Faizullah Noorzai operated an import business that provided vehicles from Dubai and Japan for Taliban suicide operations, the press release said. The brothers also invested millions of dollars in various businesses for the Taliban and helped raise money from rich donors in the Gulf region and Pakistan.

In addition to raising funds, Abdur Rehman also helped facilitate communications between al-Qaida and Taliban members. In 2007, Rehman helped transfer $1 million from an al-Qaida financier in the Gulf to Pakistan for use in suicide missions and other terrorist attacks by al-Qaida and Taliban operatives. Rehman also maintained ties with designated terrorist organizations, including the Harakat ul-Jihad Islami (HuJI), Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), and al-Akhtar Trust (AAT). He formerly served as a commander with HuJI and was a local leader with the JeM.

Abdul Aziz Abbasin, a top commander of the Haqqani Network, helped run a training camp for foreign fighters in southeastern Afghanistan. He ambushed vehicles carrying supplies for Afghan security forces. The Haqqani Network has behind a spate of deadly attacks in Afghanistan, including a September 11 truck bomb attack on a NATO military base and another attack two days later on the U.S. embassy and the NATO force headquarters in Kabul.

Fazal Rahim has helped fund and train operatives tied to al-Qaida and the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan (IMU), a designated terrorist organization. He worked closely with former IMU founder and leader Tohir Yuldashev until the latter's death in a U.S. airstrike in Pakistan's lawless tribal belt in 2009. Rahim transferred funds from Gulf-based donors to fund IMU activities and also help train and recruit operatives.

Sting Nets Man Plotting "Drone" Attacks on Pentagon, Capitol

Another sting operation by federal law enforcement officials has led to the arrest of an American citizen from a Boston suburb who thought he was arming remote controlled planes to bomb the Pentagon and U.S. Capitol.

Rezwan Ferdaus, 26, is charged with attempting to blow up government buildings and with conspiring to provide material support to al-Qaida to kill American troops abroad.

Ferdaus, who lives in Ashland, Mass., wanted 25 pounds of C-4 plastic explosives for his attacks. The explosives were controlled by FBI agents and never posed a real threat, an FBI news release said. But Ferdaus did have a storage unit in which he would build the aerial bomb and bought a remote controlled plane in August.

Those aircraft "are capable of carrying a variety of payloads (including a lethal payload of explosives), can use a wide range of take-off and landing environments, and fly different flight patterns than commercial airlines, thus reducing detection," FBI Supervisory Special Agent Gary Cacace wrote in an affidavit.

Ferdaus' attack plan was "extremely detailed, well-written," Cacace wrote.

Ferdaus said he wanted to hit America's "military center," create public panic and kill as many kafirs, or non-believers, as possible. Told that women and children likely would die in his attacks, Ferdaus did not hesitate.

"Every kafir [non-believer] is an enemy," he said during a May conversation, so "every kafir [sic] blood is okay."

He went to Washington that month to scout his targets and find an area in East Potomac Park from which to launch the aircraft.

Ferdaus also bought cellular telephones that could be used to detonate explosives. When undercover agents, posing as al-Qaida operatives, told him in June that one of those phones helped kill three American troops in Iraq, Ferdaus replied "That was exactly what I wanted."

FBI testing determined the telephones could be used to detonate bombs. He provided other telephones, asking for information about how many American troops they helped kill. Ferdaus said he "want [ed] to hit the kafir [non-believer] armies and [kill] as many people as possible."

An FBI informant started talking with Ferdaus late last year. In January, the affidavit alleges, Ferdaus told the informant of his plan to attack the Pentagon. He asked for help finding "a connection that would be able to gather, ah, some material where we can build some of the explosive enough to take out a target that's like three football fields, say a radius, of one or two blocks?"

In his view, attacking the Pentagon was part of a religious duty "to eliminate and terrify all enemies of Allah. We have this project started ... This is, this is what we have to do. This is the righteous way ... [to] terrorize enemies of Allah."

He was arrested Wednesday at the storage unit after inspecting the C-4, grenades and six AK-47s the undercover agents delivered to him.

Read the full affidavit here.

Al-Qaida Magazine Celebrates 9/11

Al-Qaida's branch in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released the 7^th edition of its English-language magazine, Inspire, on Tuesday. In it, the group celebrates the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks while also taking offense at recent remarks by Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad that the attacks were an American conspiracy and not the work of al-Qaida.

"For them [Iranians], al-Qaida was a competitor for the hearts and minds of the disenfranchised Muslims around the world," wrote Abu Suhail. "Al-Qaida, an organization under fire, with no state, succeeded in what Iran couldn't."

According to Abu Suhail, Ahmadinejad's comments reflect the Iranian regime's jealousy over al-Qaida's ability to strike the United States. AQAP sees Tehran's latest attempt "to discredit 9/11" as part of Iran's meager "lip-service jihad against the Great Satan."

This issue lacks the terrorist tips and interviews with martyrs featured in previous editions. Inspire's editors instead complement the article criticizing Ahmadinejad with various tributes to 9/11, which is called "The Greatest Special Operation of all Time."

The cover features one of the World Trade Center towers made from dollar signs, and 10 pages inside are devoted to pictures of the attacks and their aftermath, supplemented with quotes from Osama bin Laden and his successor, Ayman al-Zawahiri.

It also promotes an upcoming article by American-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki called "Targeting The Populations Of Countries That Are At War With The Muslims. The advertisement includes an image of Manhattan's Grand Central Station.

Finally, the issue touches on some of AQAP's favorite propaganda tools, including reaffirming the notion that the U.S.-led West is at war with Islam and accordingly, there is an ad calling for the destruction of the U.S. and its ally, Israel.

Prosecution: Suspect Admitted Thinking Up Maryland Bomb Plot

A Maryland man accused of plotting to blow up a military recruiting office last December suspected he was dealing with a law enforcement informant. But the smell of fumes from his petroleum bomb – rendered inert by the FBI – convinced him to proceed, prosecutors say in court papers.

Attorneys for Antonio Martinez want the case against him dismissed, or at least to have evidence and his recorded statements suppressed when the case goes to trial. Martinez, his attorneys say, was entrapped by the FBI.

In a 30-page reply, Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Manuelian details the evidence which shows Martinez was intent on being a mujahid, or holy warrior, long before interacting with the informant. That includes comments Martinez posted on Facebook and his own statements to the informant.

Martinez, a convert to Islam who is also known as Muhammad Hussain, made a full confession after being arrested Dec. 7 in connection with a car-bomb plot targeting the Armed Forces Career Center in Catonsville, Md., Manuelian wrote. He admitted "that the attack was his own idea and that he had come up with it two to three months prior to meeting the confidential source."

He parked the bomb-laden sport utility vehicle in front of the recruiting center "to give the explosion more 'umph,' expecting that it would level the front where the soldiers were and insure that they died."

Two weeks earlier, a similar sting operation led to the arrest of a Portland, Ore. man who hoped to detonate a bomb at a Christmas tree lighting ceremony. Martinez told investigators he suspected he was being set up, too, "but when he smelled the fumes from the bomb, he thought maybe it was real, and when he got into the SUV he felt certain it was the real thing."

Martinez's case was among those highlighted in a recent Mother Jones story on entrapment researched by the University of California, Berkeley on entrapment.

But the legal standard for entrapment is evidence that the defendant lacked a predisposition for the crime, and otherwise would not have been involved if not pushed by the informant. The evidence, Manuelian writes, overwhelmingly shows Martinez was bent on destruction all along. He repeatedly said it was his idea, both while under surveillance and after his arrest.

"Moreover, when given multiple opportunities to back out of the operation, including the day before the actual event, the defendant continually chose to press ahead, even in the face of another individual being arrested in Oregon under similar circumstances. At one point the defendant explicitly told the confidential source that he was not being pushed into going forward with the attack saying, 'I came to you about this, brother.'"

Five Arrested in Spain for Funding Terrorism

Spanish Civil Guards arrested five Algerian men in Northern Spain, on suspicion of providing financial and logistical support for al-Qaida, CNN reports. It's the latest series of arrests in Spain's campaign to root out terrorism from its territory.

The five suspects were apprehended in near simultaneous raids across Spain's Navarre and Basque Land provinces, an area already suffering from domestic terrorism by Basque separatists. They are believed to have supported "terrorist groups that operate in the Algerian area of the Maghreb, specifically al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb" (AQIM), a Spanish ministry statement claimed. The group, aged 36 to 49, is also suspected of linking up with Islamist support groups in Italy, France, and Switzerland.

Al-Qaida and its subsidiaries have been active on Spanish territory for some time. Since the 2004 Madrid train bombings, which killed 191 people and injured more than 1,800 others, Spanish police have picked up more than 400 suspected al-Qaida militants or collaborators. This included last week's arrest of a Cuban man on the country's Mallorca Island, who was also involved in recruiting and indoctrination. Most Islamist terrorist suspects in Spain have been of Arab origin, but converts from Latin American countries have also participated.

AQIM in particular has exploited large Moroccan and Algerian expatriate communities in Spain, as well as building a network of bases in North Africa's deserts. For more on AQIM's support role for al-Qaida, click here.

Turkey, Israel Butt Heads over Gaza

Turkey's Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan has widened the diplomatic gap between his nation and Israel, after accusing the Israelis of using the Holocaust to justify "thousands" of deaths in Gaza, during remarks in a CNN interview. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called Erdogan's comments "false" and "outrageous."

Questioning Israel's right to respond to terrorism coming from Gaza, Erdogan demanded to see statistics of how many Israelis have been killed by Palestinian attacks. Palestinian casualties numbered between "hundreds of thousands" or simply thousands, he claimed, higher than reported figures from any Palestinian source. He also called Israel's actions "inexplicable," adding that, "If you [Israel] want normalization [with Turkey] you have to take certain steps to restore peace and stop causing unrest."

Erdogan also explained how he feels Israel is using the Holocaust to carry out attacks on Gaza. "Israeli people are only resorting back to the issue of genocide in history. And using that genocide [the Holocaust] they are always acting as if they are the victims all the time," he stated. "So Germany has and is still paying its dues to Israel. But neither Turkey nor the Muslims in the region have such a problem [of genocide]; they have never exerted such cruelty on Israel. But Israel is very cruel in that regard. It shows no mercy," he added.

"Both allegations are false," Netanyahu told the Jerusalem Post in an interview that will published in full before Wednesday's Rosh Hashanah holiday. "These are outrageous charges against Israel that have nothing to do with the facts." He also attacked Turkey's record on freedom of the press, citing OECD reports that singled out Turkish arrests of journalists and curtailing free press.

Erdogan's comments are in line with his desire for an increasingly Islamist foreign policy, including building relations with Iran and threatening Israel with war. On Sunday, he reiterated comments about Iranian-Turkish cooperation in counterterrorism, despite Iran's designation as a leading state sponsor of terror, especially against Israel. He also recently said that Turkish warships would escort future aid ships to Gaza, where Israel maintains a blockade against the territory's Hamas government.

"Israel cannot do whatever it wants in the eastern Mediterranean. They will see what our decisions will be on this subject. Our navy attack ships can be there at any moment," Erdogan told also told a news conference in Tunisia two weeks ago.

Six Charged in Britain Plot

Six suspects were in a UK court Monday on a litany of terrorism charges, following a police raid in the city of Birmingham last week. The charges ranged from plotting a suicide bombing campaign and receiving terrorist training, to failure to notify authorities about the supposed plot.

The suspects are all between the ages of 26 and 32 and played different roles in a possible suicide bombing campaign. Suspects Irfan Nasser, Irfan Khalid, and Ashik Ali are charged for spearheading the plot. Nasser and Khalid allegedly made a suicide bomber video, travelled to Pakistan for training, collected money for terrorism, and constructed a home-made bomb. Ali, 26, is charged with collecting money, stating his intention to participate in the suicide bombings, and terrorism recruitment. In Pakistan, Nasser and Khalid allegedly learned how to make bombs, in addition to learning about how to produce poisons.

Rahin Ahmed is charged with assisting others to travel to Pakistan for terrorism training, as well as for his role in assisting and managing the money for the bombing campaign. Bahader Ali and Mohammed Rizwan are charged with failing to disclose information about the attacks to police, despite knowing about the plot at least since July 29. One other suspect remains under arrest pending the results of his interrogation.

Although this is the first arrest in several months, the New York Times reports that Britain remains a fertile ground for terrorism plots. Although MI5, Britain's equivalent to the FBI, remains understaffed, the intelligence organization has broken up a number of deadly plots. These include 2006 plan to detonate liquid explosives on transatlantic flights and the 2007 conviction of five Pakistanis for an intended bombing campaign against shopping centers, nightclubs, and synagogues.

Yemeni President Back in the Saddle

In a surprise move, Yemeni President, Ali Abdullah Saleh, returned home Friday to that country's capital, Sanaa, after more than three months of medical care in Saudi Arabia.

Saleh left Yemen after injuries sustained when rebels attacked his presidential compound with heavy weaponry on June 3. He was said to have been severely burned over much of his body and wounded by shards of wood.

The rebel move was viewed as a possible turning point in the months-long conflict between government loyalists and anti-Saleh opponents, who sought the long-time strongman's ouster. By the time of the attempted assassination, the conflict had reached a stalemate. Many in the anti-Saleh camp hoped the president's exit would provide the needed spark to push calls for a power transfer to a head. But, sans Saleh, Yemen has remained in limbo.

Saleh's return—considered unlikely as recently as last week—has thrown a wrench in a recent Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) sponsored transition plan supported by the United States and Saudi Arabia. Arab leaders and those in the West were operating under the cautious assumption that the often mercurial Saleh intended to sign the agreement and hand over power. Saleh's re-emergence caught the parties off guard, and has left many perplexed as to what the action means for future leadership in Yemen.

The move also threatens to spiral the war-torn Gulf nation further into chaos. Since Saleh's return, an estimated 100 people have been killed, as the two sides battle for control of the Yemeni capital from the surrounding hills, according to The Associated Press. "We are on the verge of a very critical escalation," protest leader Abdel-Hadi al-Azizi said. This means "more divisions, more escalation and confrontations."

Another opposition leader, Abdullah Obal, told Al-Jazeera that Saleh's return could hurl the country into an "all-out civil war." "The cannons are now speaking. Gunfire is doing all the talking," he said.

So, while Saleh publicly calls for dialogue, more violence seems the only near-term certainty for Yemen.

Newer Postings   |   Older Postings