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The Following AP Report Suggests that AQIM has joined into the latest Tuareg Revolt in Northern Mali. It is our opinion that this is unlikely at this time.
The Tuaregs of Northern Mali have been unhappy that they have not seen the benefit of natural resources being pulled from Northern Mali, primarily oil and Uranium. This has been true for generations. It is also true that the government of Mali has historically not addressed the Tuaregs or their demands in a serious way. This continues today.
Gaddafi, when he was the head of Libya, was usually sympathetic with the Tuareg's situation. He helped negotiate settlements with Mali government leaders, and he protected some Tuareg leaders in Libya. At the same time, he opposed and harassed Islamist groups among the Tuareg.
When his government came under siege during the Arab Spring, many of his failed outside army were Tauregs. He armed and paid them. When what was left of Gaddafi's entourage moved South out of Libya into Northern Mali, they moved along traditional Tuareg routes with Tuareg guides.
The Tuaregs, well armed and funded and without an advocated in Gaddafi, launched their latest rebellion, the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad ( NMLA ).
This very young rebellion has very old roots. While AQIM, who is Al Qaeda's branch in the Sahel region, has tried to participate in the rebellion, it is unlikely that AQIM can get traction for promoting the global Islamist movement with the Taureg.
It is possible, but unlikely that the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad can be motivated by the same Islamist hatred that fuels Boko Haram or even foreigners inside Al Shabaab.
If negotiators can create a real solutions based negotiation between this group and the Malian government, Al Qaeda will not gain any traction among them. However, if no attempted is made to address the legitimate issues brought by the Tuareg, in a single generation a new generation of global Islamists will be born among the Tuareg.
-Shimron Issachar
**************************************************
Fighters from al-Qaida's North African branch helped an ethnic Tuareg rebel group attack a town in northern Mali this week, Mali's government said Friday.
The allegation was immediately denounced by the Paris-based spokesman of the National Movement for the Liberation of the Azawad, or NMLA, the Tuareg group that has claimed responsibility for the attacks on five towns in the past 10 days.
"There were no other fighters other than NMLA fighters who took part in the attack," Tuareg leader Moussa Ag Acharatoumane told The Associated Press by telephone on Friday. "I reject the statement that fighters from AQIM (al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb) fought with us."
As the Tuareg rebellion enters its second week, questions emerging about the identity of the fighters. Local officials and Tuareg experts say that a large number of the fighters are Tuaregs that fought as hired guns for Moammar Gadhafi in Libya, then returned to Mali after the fall of his regime.
But an al-Qaida offshoot, al-Qaida in the Islamic Maghreb, has also made its home in the north of Mali. AQIM claimed responsibility for the kidnapping of five foreign tourists in two northern towns last year, as well as the killing of a German tourist.
The al-Qaida group, however, has traditionally not attacked in Mali even through they maintain at least three bases in the country. The group has kidnapped over 50 foreigners since 2003 and nearly all the kidnappings happened in neighboring countries. The hostages were then brought back to AQIM bases in Mali where they are held during ransom negotiations.
In a statement, the ministry of defense said Tuesday's attack on the town of Aguelhok was led by "jihadists from AQIM" in addition to members of the NMLA. The statement said that important losses were registered, but it did not say how many people were killed.
"We've heard all this before. Every time Mali finds itself unable to battle our fighters, the Malian government tries to link us to terrorists," said NMLA leader Ag Acharatoumane. "We reject all forms of terrorism. Our intention is to get rid of the drug traffickers and AQIM from our soil."
The Azawad is the traditional home of the Tuaregs in northern Mali, and the rebel group says they are fighting for it to become autonomous. The Tuaregs, a traditionally nomadic people spread across the Sahara Desert, have risen up against the central government in Mali three times since the country's independence from France in 1960.
Previous rebellions, including the most recent which ended in 2009, have in part been sponsored by Gadhafi, who claimed to have blood ties to the Tuaregs. He felt such affinity with the ethnic group that he entrusted a part of his security to the Tuaregs, and it was Tuareg guides who evacuated his son to Niger across the massive desert border after the fall of Tripoli.
The Rest @ The AP
Friday, January 27, 2012
Thursday, January 26, 2012
US Special Forces Raid Could Bring Retaliation Against Somali Aid Workers
TONY EASTLEY: There are fears that a daring raid into Somalia by US special forces may increase the risks to other hostages being held by Somali pirates.
In a pre-dawn raid the same commando group which was involved in the killing last year of Osama Bin Laden rescued two foreign aid workers who'd been held captive for three months.
Barbara Miller reports.
BARBARA MILLER: The mission to rescue an American woman and Danish man took place in the dead of night.
US special forces parachuted down to an area in central Somalia close to where the two aid workers were being held.
The team was on the ground for about an hour. A gunfight broke out and US authorities say nine of the kidnappers were killed.
The rescue squad, members of the elite Seal Team Six, and the two aid workers were then taken by helicopter to a US base in neighbouring Djibouti.
US vice president Joe Biden says President Obama personally authorised the mission to rescue 32 year old Jessica Buchanan and 60 year old Poul Hagan Thisted.
JOE BIDEN: We have our special operations forces - I'm not going to go into more detail than that - who are by the way the most incredible warriors this world has ever seen. They said it was the time, the opportunity. Jessica's health was, they worried was failing and they concluded they should go at this time. The president gave the go.
BARBARA MILLER: The two aid workers were working for a land clearance unit of the Danish Refugee Council when they were abducted last October.
Andreas Kamm the council's secretary general says he had no knowledge of the US rescue mission.
ANDREAS KAMM: We haven't asked for anything. We thought that our mediation would come out with a positive result of course. But now we are simply just happy that the situation has ended in a positive way.
BARBARA MILLER: The mission is the highest profile US intervention in Somalia for many years and appears to have been a spectacular success. But there are fears that the deaths of the nine kidnappers could be revenged.
Roland Marchal an expert on Somalia at the French National Centre for Scientific Research says aid workers still in Somalia could be targeted.
ROLAND MARCHAL: It is a risk. Families, relatives of those who have been killed will retaliate. They will claim that they were in a negotiation and no-one was at death's risk. But the Americans made this action and killed people so that's very unjust, unfair on their own terms and therefore they have to take revenge.
BARBARA MILLER: Hostage negotiations in Somalia are typically lengthy and complex. An Australian man Nigel Brennan was held there for 15 months before his release in 2009.
Rescue attempts have also failed spectacularly in the past. A year ago four Americans being held on a hijacked yacht off Somalia were killed by their captors as US forces tried to rescue them.
Little wonder then that president Obama was keen to celebrate this successful mission. In a statement the president said the mission sent "another message to the world that the United States of America will stand strongly against any threats to our people".
TONY EASTLEY: Barbara Miller.
The Rest @ ABC
In a pre-dawn raid the same commando group which was involved in the killing last year of Osama Bin Laden rescued two foreign aid workers who'd been held captive for three months.
Barbara Miller reports.
BARBARA MILLER: The mission to rescue an American woman and Danish man took place in the dead of night.
US special forces parachuted down to an area in central Somalia close to where the two aid workers were being held.
The team was on the ground for about an hour. A gunfight broke out and US authorities say nine of the kidnappers were killed.
The rescue squad, members of the elite Seal Team Six, and the two aid workers were then taken by helicopter to a US base in neighbouring Djibouti.
US vice president Joe Biden says President Obama personally authorised the mission to rescue 32 year old Jessica Buchanan and 60 year old Poul Hagan Thisted.
JOE BIDEN: We have our special operations forces - I'm not going to go into more detail than that - who are by the way the most incredible warriors this world has ever seen. They said it was the time, the opportunity. Jessica's health was, they worried was failing and they concluded they should go at this time. The president gave the go.
BARBARA MILLER: The two aid workers were working for a land clearance unit of the Danish Refugee Council when they were abducted last October.
Andreas Kamm the council's secretary general says he had no knowledge of the US rescue mission.
ANDREAS KAMM: We haven't asked for anything. We thought that our mediation would come out with a positive result of course. But now we are simply just happy that the situation has ended in a positive way.
BARBARA MILLER: The mission is the highest profile US intervention in Somalia for many years and appears to have been a spectacular success. But there are fears that the deaths of the nine kidnappers could be revenged.
Roland Marchal an expert on Somalia at the French National Centre for Scientific Research says aid workers still in Somalia could be targeted.
ROLAND MARCHAL: It is a risk. Families, relatives of those who have been killed will retaliate. They will claim that they were in a negotiation and no-one was at death's risk. But the Americans made this action and killed people so that's very unjust, unfair on their own terms and therefore they have to take revenge.
BARBARA MILLER: Hostage negotiations in Somalia are typically lengthy and complex. An Australian man Nigel Brennan was held there for 15 months before his release in 2009.
Rescue attempts have also failed spectacularly in the past. A year ago four Americans being held on a hijacked yacht off Somalia were killed by their captors as US forces tried to rescue them.
Little wonder then that president Obama was keen to celebrate this successful mission. In a statement the president said the mission sent "another message to the world that the United States of America will stand strongly against any threats to our people".
TONY EASTLEY: Barbara Miller.
The Rest @ ABC
AQIM Plan to Attack US Flagged Ships Foiled in Algeria
American officials are acknowledging a terror plot in Algeria that aimed to attack US or European ships in the Mediterranean. The plot, which was similar to that of the bombings in Yemen of the USS Cole in 2000 and the Limburg oil tanker in 2002, included ramming explosives-filled boats into Western-flagged ships, but was interrupted by Algerian authorities in the early planning stages.
ABC reported that US officials had been aware of the plot before the Algerian daily newspaper, Echorouk, broke the story, but hinted that Algerian authorities had foiled the plot without the help of the US government.
Three terror cell members were arrested after arousing suspicions among Algerian authorities when they visited jihadist websites at a local Internet cafe. Although no specific US ship was identified as a target, according to US authorities, Echorouk reported that the plotters had already purchased a boat to carry out the attack.
When asked if the US had played any role in uncovering the plot, a US counterterrorism official gave ABC a vague response, saying, "We know that al Qaeda and their sympathizers continue to plot against the US and our allies [and] as such, we are in touch with a number of foreign governments on issues pertaining to counterterrorism."
Authorities believe the plot was directed by the Algerian-based terror franchise known as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The group, which had earlier called itself the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), was officially welcomed into the al Qaeda fold by then second-in-command Ayman al Zawahiri in a Sept. 11, 2006 video.
In recent years, AQIM has tried to make headlines to keep pace with other affiliates such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the ever-growing al Qaeda-aligned Somali insurgency, Shabaab. Although most of AQIM's attacks are aimed at Algerian government and military targets, the group has recently begun to rely on kidnapping European tourists as a means to further fund its desire to conduct attacks globally
By WES BRUERJanuary 26, 2012 6:35 PM
The Rest @ The Longwar Journal
ABC reported that US officials had been aware of the plot before the Algerian daily newspaper, Echorouk, broke the story, but hinted that Algerian authorities had foiled the plot without the help of the US government.
Three terror cell members were arrested after arousing suspicions among Algerian authorities when they visited jihadist websites at a local Internet cafe. Although no specific US ship was identified as a target, according to US authorities, Echorouk reported that the plotters had already purchased a boat to carry out the attack.
When asked if the US had played any role in uncovering the plot, a US counterterrorism official gave ABC a vague response, saying, "We know that al Qaeda and their sympathizers continue to plot against the US and our allies [and] as such, we are in touch with a number of foreign governments on issues pertaining to counterterrorism."
Authorities believe the plot was directed by the Algerian-based terror franchise known as al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). The group, which had earlier called itself the Salafist Group for Preaching and Combat (GSPC), was officially welcomed into the al Qaeda fold by then second-in-command Ayman al Zawahiri in a Sept. 11, 2006 video.
In recent years, AQIM has tried to make headlines to keep pace with other affiliates such as al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula and the ever-growing al Qaeda-aligned Somali insurgency, Shabaab. Although most of AQIM's attacks are aimed at Algerian government and military targets, the group has recently begun to rely on kidnapping European tourists as a means to further fund its desire to conduct attacks globally
By WES BRUERJanuary 26, 2012 6:35 PM
The Rest @ The Longwar Journal
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Boko Haram in Benin Confirms the Islamist War moving into the Rest of West Africa
Bokok Haram has now moved Islamist Civil war from Nigeria into Both Cameroon and Benin. This confirms the strategic move of the Islamist movement into the war - Jihad - phase in West Africa.
They appear to have been setting up Dawa schools into remote Muslim communities, and to eventually radicalize them. Based on this premise, and Boko Haram's past geographical network, terrorism analysts need to begin looking into Dawas being set up in
-Shimron Issachar
******************
A mosque and Islamic school have been attacked and set alight in the southern Nigerian city of Benin, police say.
The Nigerian Red Cross confirmed to the BBC that they were registering northerners at police stations and Two cars at the centre housing the mosque and Islamic school were also torched, police said.
The attack is the latest in a spiral of sectarian violence that has seen many southerners living in the north flee their homes.
Nigerian writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka blamed the violence of recent months on leaders who put their own religion above national unity. He said the situation was not dissimilar to the one that existed before the last civil war that erupted in Biafra in the 1960s.
"We see the nation heading towards civil war. We know that the civil war was preceded by problems - serious killings on both sides of the regional divide," he told the BBC.
"When you get a situation when a bunch of people can go into a place of worship and open fire through the windows you've reached a certain dismal watershed in the life of that nation.
"There's no question at all, whatsoever. Those who have created this faceless army have lost control of that army."
The latest unrest comes on the second day of a general strike over the removal of a fuel subsidy.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in many cities in protest about the doubling of the price of petrol since the beginning of the year. Six people died in the unrest on Monday.
The Rest @ African Seer
They appear to have been setting up Dawa schools into remote Muslim communities, and to eventually radicalize them. Based on this premise, and Boko Haram's past geographical network, terrorism analysts need to begin looking into Dawas being set up in
- Burkina Faso
- Ghana
- Togo
- Liberia
-Shimron Issachar
******************
A mosque and Islamic school have been attacked and set alight in the southern Nigerian city of Benin, police say.
- A Nigerian Red Cross spokesman told the BBC that five people had been killed and six injured.
- It follows a separate attack on a different mosque in the city on Monday.
- In recent weeks, southerners, who are mostly Christians or animists, have been the targets of deadly attacks by the Islamist Boko Haram group, which operates in the mainly Muslim north.
- A leader of the Hausa community in Benin told the BBC's Hausa Service that 7,000 northerners were seeking refuge in police and army barracks in the city.
The Nigerian Red Cross confirmed to the BBC that they were registering northerners at police stations and Two cars at the centre housing the mosque and Islamic school were also torched, police said.
The attack is the latest in a spiral of sectarian violence that has seen many southerners living in the north flee their homes.
- The BBC's Naziru Mikailu in Abuja, Nigeria's capital, said the latest violence started in Benin on Monday when a group attacked a mosque, leaving 10 people injured.
- Then, in Gusau, capital of northern Zamfara state, youths attacked a church. Police made 19 arrests, our reporter says.
- Back in Benin on Tuesday, a mosque and Islamic centre were attacked and set alight in a different area from Monday's attack. Police told the BBC that 10 people had been arrested.
- A group of youths tried to attack a Hausa community leader's house but it was defended by Hausa youths and the police then intervened, our reporter says.
Nigerian writer and Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka blamed the violence of recent months on leaders who put their own religion above national unity. He said the situation was not dissimilar to the one that existed before the last civil war that erupted in Biafra in the 1960s.
"We see the nation heading towards civil war. We know that the civil war was preceded by problems - serious killings on both sides of the regional divide," he told the BBC.
"When you get a situation when a bunch of people can go into a place of worship and open fire through the windows you've reached a certain dismal watershed in the life of that nation.
"There's no question at all, whatsoever. Those who have created this faceless army have lost control of that army."
The latest unrest comes on the second day of a general strike over the removal of a fuel subsidy.
Thousands of people have taken to the streets in many cities in protest about the doubling of the price of petrol since the beginning of the year. Six people died in the unrest on Monday.
The Rest @ African Seer
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
Cybamar Swiss and Intelligence Gathering
Cybamar Swiss has been identified in a US Federal Lawsuit as a possible unwitting participant in a major Hezbollah International Business Venture.
According to TBDA, a long time visitor has been gathering intelligence here, and appears to be especially interested in this news. If the following information is connected to Cybamar in some way, it suggests that they may be more deeply involved in Jihad Activities than they are indicating. In any case, it is worth investigating more closely.
IP Address: 83.173.213.245
Browser: IE 9.0
Operating System: Win7
Location: Kloten, Zurich, Switzerland
Resolution: 1920x1080
ISP: Bluewin
Recent Navigation visits include:
Navigation Path
13 Jan 16:56:48
Shimron Letters (No referring link)
14 Jan 16:32:39
15 Jan 10:19:54
16 Jan 08:46:57
16 Jan 08:47:23
www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2012/0112/Nigeria-s-Boko-Haram-attacks-are-misunderstood-as-regional-Islamist-threat (Exit Link)
17 Jan 11:00:30
18 Jan 11:24:51
19 Jan 13:03:39
20 Jan 10:08:15
23 Jan 10:24:42
some Exit Link/Downloads by this visitor include:
Date Time Type WebPage
2 Jan 12:48:00 Exit Link
globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas
2 Jan 12:48:43 Exit Link
www.africaintelligence.com/mce/
2 Jan 12:49:18 Exit Link
www.feesabilillah.com/
2 Jan 12:49:25 Exit Link
anikah.wordpress.com/
2 Jan 12:49:48 Exit Link
blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/
Cybamar Company information
USA
Detroit Corporate Headquaters
12130 Dixie
Redford, MI 48239
Tel: +1 313 541 4444
Fax: +1 313 541 1144
Orlando Branch
4540 W Colonial Dr.
Orlando FL, 32808
Email: david@cybamar.com
Tel: +1 407 440 3840
Fax: +1 407 440 3841
New Jersey Branch
150 Pulaski St.
Bayonne, NJ 07002
Tel: +1 201 333 6000
Fax: +1 201 333 6600
Europe
Switzerland
Cybamar Swiss GMBH
Hugostruasse 9 8050
Zurich, Switzerland
Belgium
Seaway Belgium
Address coming soon
Tel: +32 477557441
Africa
Benin
Ste Nomeco
C/41 Missebo, 09 BP 427
Cotonou, Benin
Email: moustapha.nomeco@gmail.com
Tel: +229 97 49 2020
Togo
STE Marco S.A.R.L
12 Zone Portaire Extra Transit Parc
Lome, Togo
Email: jahjah.marco@gmail.com
Tel: +228 271 48 00
Angola
World Logistics
Palanca Runa de Senatorio
Casa# s/n
Luanda, Angola
Lagos
Starcom C/O Cybamar Swiss
17B karimu Kotun
Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
Email: Danyaf@cybamar.com
Mobile: +234 17766693
GSM: +234 8066518851
Office / Fax: +234 12712995
Middle East
Lebanon
Cybamar
Bshara El-Khoury, Damascus Street
Echmoun Bldg , 4th floor (facing Litani River Bldg)
Beirut, Lebanon
Tel: +961 1 219997
Fax: +961 1 219996
Iraq
Cybamar
12 Chareh Falestine Sahat Bayrout
Baghdad, Iraq
Email: SayedHusseiny@yahoo.com
Asia
India
HNO: 259/2, Mehrauli
New Delhi-110030
Tel: +1 201 293 0848
According to TBDA, a long time visitor has been gathering intelligence here, and appears to be especially interested in this news. If the following information is connected to Cybamar in some way, it suggests that they may be more deeply involved in Jihad Activities than they are indicating. In any case, it is worth investigating more closely.
IP Address: 83.173.213.245
Browser: IE 9.0
Operating System: Win7
Location: Kloten, Zurich, Switzerland
Resolution: 1920x1080
ISP: Bluewin
Recent Navigation visits include:
Navigation Path
13 Jan 16:56:48
Shimron Letters (No referring link)
14 Jan 16:32:39
15 Jan 10:19:54
16 Jan 08:46:57
16 Jan 08:47:23
www.csmonitor.com/Commentary/Opinion/2012/0112/Nigeria-s-Boko-Haram-attacks-are-misunderstood-as-regional-Islamist-threat (Exit Link)
17 Jan 11:00:30
18 Jan 11:24:51
19 Jan 13:03:39
20 Jan 10:08:15
23 Jan 10:24:42
some Exit Link/Downloads by this visitor include:
Date Time Type WebPage
2 Jan 12:48:00 Exit Link
globalguerrillas.typepad.com/globalguerrillas
2 Jan 12:48:43 Exit Link
www.africaintelligence.com/mce/
2 Jan 12:49:18 Exit Link
www.feesabilillah.com/
2 Jan 12:49:25 Exit Link
anikah.wordpress.com/
2 Jan 12:49:48 Exit Link
blogs.abcnews.com/theblotter/
Cybamar Company information
USA
Detroit Corporate Headquaters
12130 Dixie
Redford, MI 48239
Tel: +1 313 541 4444
Fax: +1 313 541 1144
Orlando Branch
4540 W Colonial Dr.
Orlando FL, 32808
Email: david@cybamar.com
Tel: +1 407 440 3840
Fax: +1 407 440 3841
New Jersey Branch
150 Pulaski St.
Bayonne, NJ 07002
Tel: +1 201 333 6000
Fax: +1 201 333 6600
Europe
Switzerland
Cybamar Swiss GMBH
Hugostruasse 9 8050
Zurich, Switzerland
Belgium
Seaway Belgium
Address coming soon
Tel: +32 477557441
Africa
Benin
Ste Nomeco
C/41 Missebo, 09 BP 427
Cotonou, Benin
Email: moustapha.nomeco@gmail.com
Tel: +229 97 49 2020
Togo
STE Marco S.A.R.L
12 Zone Portaire Extra Transit Parc
Lome, Togo
Email: jahjah.marco@gmail.com
Tel: +228 271 48 00
Angola
World Logistics
Palanca Runa de Senatorio
Casa# s/n
Luanda, Angola
Lagos
Starcom C/O Cybamar Swiss
17B karimu Kotun
Victoria Island, Lagos, Nigeria
Email: Danyaf@cybamar.com
Mobile: +234 17766693
GSM: +234 8066518851
Office / Fax: +234 12712995
Middle East
Lebanon
Cybamar
Bshara El-Khoury, Damascus Street
Echmoun Bldg , 4th floor (facing Litani River Bldg)
Beirut, Lebanon
Tel: +961 1 219997
Fax: +961 1 219996
Iraq
Cybamar
12 Chareh Falestine Sahat Bayrout
Baghdad, Iraq
Email: SayedHusseiny@yahoo.com
Asia
India
HNO: 259/2, Mehrauli
New Delhi-110030
Tel: +1 201 293 0848
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Seven Al Shabaab Members in Kenya Kidnapping Plot
Seven suspected Al-Shabaab members were on Wednesday charged with illegal possession of firearms in circumstances indicating that they had intentions to kidnap.
Messrs Ali Abdullah, Sharmake Ahmed, Abdikarim Jelani, Mohamed Ali, Abdillahi Mohamed and Baba Ahmed who appeared before a Mombasa court denied the charges and the case was fixed for hearing on February 2.
The offences are alleged to have been committed on diverse dates between December 30 and 31 last year at Mkokoni in Lamu East district.
The accused allegedly were found armed with six AK-47 rifles, a rocket launcher, 501 rounds of ammunition, 21 AK-47 magazines and a ladder in circumstances that indicated they were armed for a kidnap in the country.
They were also accused of knowingly engaging in criminal activities by being members of Al-Shabaab, a prohibited group as per Kenya Gazette notice dated October 18, 2010.
In the last count of being unlawfully present in the country, the accused pleaded guilty and were consequently sentenced to a two-year jail term.
The prosecutor told the court that on December 30 last year, police officers in Kiunga received information that armed men had left Ngao area and were heading northwards on a boat.
"A section of GSU officers encountered seven armed men at Mvundeni village in Lamu, an exchange of fire ensued but the officers managed to subdue them," the prosecutor said.
He told the court that after a search, firearms were recovered and it was established that they were not Kenyans and did not have documents from the immigration department to legally allow them in the country.
The proceedings against the seven were carried out with the help of a Somali interpreter.
The Rest @ AllAfrica.com
- The accused, all Somalis, also faced charges of engaging in criminal activities, congregating without a reason in addition to possessing firearms and ammunition without a certificate.
Messrs Ali Abdullah, Sharmake Ahmed, Abdikarim Jelani, Mohamed Ali, Abdillahi Mohamed and Baba Ahmed who appeared before a Mombasa court denied the charges and the case was fixed for hearing on February 2.
The offences are alleged to have been committed on diverse dates between December 30 and 31 last year at Mkokoni in Lamu East district.
The accused allegedly were found armed with six AK-47 rifles, a rocket launcher, 501 rounds of ammunition, 21 AK-47 magazines and a ladder in circumstances that indicated they were armed for a kidnap in the country.
They were also accused of knowingly engaging in criminal activities by being members of Al-Shabaab, a prohibited group as per Kenya Gazette notice dated October 18, 2010.
In the last count of being unlawfully present in the country, the accused pleaded guilty and were consequently sentenced to a two-year jail term.
The prosecutor told the court that on December 30 last year, police officers in Kiunga received information that armed men had left Ngao area and were heading northwards on a boat.
"A section of GSU officers encountered seven armed men at Mvundeni village in Lamu, an exchange of fire ensued but the officers managed to subdue them," the prosecutor said.
He told the court that after a search, firearms were recovered and it was established that they were not Kenyans and did not have documents from the immigration department to legally allow them in the country.
The proceedings against the seven were carried out with the help of a Somali interpreter.
The Rest @ AllAfrica.com
Monday, January 16, 2012
Boko Haram Reported in Lagdo, Cameroon
The Nigerian Islamic sect, Boko Haram, which has been wrecking havoc in West African country, is reported to have infiltrated northern Cameroon.
The militants are said to have taken refuge in northern Cameroon as the Nigerian government has intensified its clampdown on them especially following their bombing of churches on Christmas Day that led to the death of over 50 persons.
In a bid to prevent cross-border activities by militants of the Islamic sect, the Nigerian government recently temporarily shut down its land borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, in a televised national address recently, said the closure of the border was to control supposed cross-border activities by members of the sect. He also decreed a state of emergency in 15 local government areas in the Borno, Plateau, Niger and Yobe states.
“The temporary closure of our borders in the affected areas is only an interim measure designed to address the current security challenges and will be reviewed as soon as normalcy is restored”, he said.
It would be recalled that recently during a security coordination meeting, the Governor of the North region of Cameroon, Gambo Haman, enjoined security forces to be on alert, highlighting the incursion of Boko Haram militants into parts of the region.
“The Boko Haram being chased from Nigeria’s northeast, as well as thousands of runaway Chadian soldiers in irregular situation here must be closely monitored to avoid unwanted trouble throughout the national territory,” he cautioned.
Nonetheless, administrative official in the region are quoted as saying there is no need yet for panic
Sources within the Moslem community say there are many indicators that militants of the sect are in Cameroon and are preaching their doctrines in some mosques.
It is also worth noting that when Chadian President, Idriss Deby, came visiting recently, terrorist fears was part of his discussion with President Paul Biya.
“We must remain very vigilant to the consequences of the upheavals that have occurred in the north of our continent. It is of no interest to anyone that a zone of instability emerges close to our northern borders. In that light, our solidarity is of utmost importance,” Biya told Deby.
On his part, Deby called for a cross-border Security Mixed Commission session to chart ways of dealing with increasing Boko Haram and AQMI (the Maghreb branch of al-Qaeda) threats.
The Rest @ Cameroon Online
The militants are said to have taken refuge in northern Cameroon as the Nigerian government has intensified its clampdown on them especially following their bombing of churches on Christmas Day that led to the death of over 50 persons.
- Reports say members of the extremist group are more and more present in Lagdo, a cosmopolitan town in the North Region.
- Sources say they are easily identifiable by their bizarre dressing, long beads and red or black headscarves.
- According to reports, for several months, Lagdo residents have testified that the strangers are combing surrounding villages and actively preaching anti-Western sermons, establishing units and proposing huge amounts of money to those willing to follow them.
In a bid to prevent cross-border activities by militants of the Islamic sect, the Nigerian government recently temporarily shut down its land borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.Nigerian President, Goodluck Jonathan, in a televised national address recently, said the closure of the border was to control supposed cross-border activities by members of the sect. He also decreed a state of emergency in 15 local government areas in the Borno, Plateau, Niger and Yobe states.
“The temporary closure of our borders in the affected areas is only an interim measure designed to address the current security challenges and will be reviewed as soon as normalcy is restored”, he said.
It would be recalled that recently during a security coordination meeting, the Governor of the North region of Cameroon, Gambo Haman, enjoined security forces to be on alert, highlighting the incursion of Boko Haram militants into parts of the region.
“The Boko Haram being chased from Nigeria’s northeast, as well as thousands of runaway Chadian soldiers in irregular situation here must be closely monitored to avoid unwanted trouble throughout the national territory,” he cautioned.
Nonetheless, administrative official in the region are quoted as saying there is no need yet for panic
- “We cannot begin to arrest suspects because the law does not allow for that. At the moment, they are not breaking the law,” one of them is quoted as saying.
- Meanwhile, authorities in the region have reinforced surveillance and many Quran learning centres have been reportedly shut down, while Islam teachers are being closely watched by intelligence operatives.
- It would be noted that last year some authorities within the Islamic community in Cameroon had warned that the increasing crackdown on the Boko Haram in Nigeria may cause them to run to Cameroon.
- Cameroon, some of them alleged, was no longer just a hideout for the militants but a field for enlisting converts.
Sources within the Moslem community say there are many indicators that militants of the sect are in Cameroon and are preaching their doctrines in some mosques.
- It would be recalled that not long ago the Divisional Officer for Limbe I sub-division,Tsanga Foe, closed a mosque in Limbe when there were allegations that members of Boko Haram had infiltrated it.
- Other pointers that the militants are in Cameroon, sources say, are the distribution of CDs and fliers with the Boko Haram doctrine.
- “We have been informed of attempts of Boko Haram infiltration. Their doctrine is anti-social as it condemns western education. It’s a doctrine that persuades young graduates to rip their degrees because it’s satanic. It’s a doctrine that condemns what today constitutes the values of our society and top authorities of the country don’t accept that such hateful dogma is established in our communities, and thus the necessity of this meeting. We must be vigilant,” he counselled.
It is also worth noting that when Chadian President, Idriss Deby, came visiting recently, terrorist fears was part of his discussion with President Paul Biya.
“We must remain very vigilant to the consequences of the upheavals that have occurred in the north of our continent. It is of no interest to anyone that a zone of instability emerges close to our northern borders. In that light, our solidarity is of utmost importance,” Biya told Deby.
On his part, Deby called for a cross-border Security Mixed Commission session to chart ways of dealing with increasing Boko Haram and AQMI (the Maghreb branch of al-Qaeda) threats.
The Rest @ Cameroon Online
Sunday, January 15, 2012
Boko Haram is Not Just Another local Islamist Movement
Recent commentary has reminded us that Boko Haram is not an Al Aqeda or even a regional Islamist movement, but overflow from simmering local ethnic and political disputes in Nigeria. While I agree with this assessment, in the context of the larger next calpihate Islamist movement, their points are irrelevant, and dawdling on these distractions delays us from any real action that will disarm Boko Haram.
Ye:s Boko Haram is fueled by lasting local disputes, but understand also that Al Qaeda and their regional affiliates have been raising funds, providing military training, and transporting arms to Boko Haram for nearly a decade. They offer to help in local issues, but al Qaeda trains an army that they later persuade to engage in global Jihad. This pattern has been repeated in a dozen places, most notably with AQIM in West Africa and Al Shabaab in the Horn of Africa.
Look for later "local Islamist militias" to arise in Cameroon, South Africa, Tanzania, in addition to The Countries impacted by the Arab Spring like Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. They all begin with local issues irising from aleged or real oppression of Islamic populations. "The Brotherhhood" will first come to their aid, and the Ikhwan will introduce them to people who will begin to help local groups train. The process that eventually creates an Al Qaeda-friendly military organization moves on from there.
Here is how to interrupt the process:
- Shimron Issachar
Ye:s Boko Haram is fueled by lasting local disputes, but understand also that Al Qaeda and their regional affiliates have been raising funds, providing military training, and transporting arms to Boko Haram for nearly a decade. They offer to help in local issues, but al Qaeda trains an army that they later persuade to engage in global Jihad. This pattern has been repeated in a dozen places, most notably with AQIM in West Africa and Al Shabaab in the Horn of Africa.
Look for later "local Islamist militias" to arise in Cameroon, South Africa, Tanzania, in addition to The Countries impacted by the Arab Spring like Tunisia, Libya and Egypt. They all begin with local issues irising from aleged or real oppression of Islamic populations. "The Brotherhhood" will first come to their aid, and the Ikhwan will introduce them to people who will begin to help local groups train. The process that eventually creates an Al Qaeda-friendly military organization moves on from there.
Here is how to interrupt the process:
- Watch Ikhwan Dawa Activites
- Follow traditional Lebanese - Hezbollah business shipments carefully
- Follow Known Al Qaeda trainers and bomb makers in Africa
- Work with oppressed local Muslim populations in Africa to address issues, and educate their leaders on al Qaeda's agenda, which is to train and enlist them in Global Jihad, which will attract Western military action to their people.
- Shimron Issachar
Al Shabaab Shows Their Kidnap Victims
The four Kenyans abducted by Al-Shabaab on Wednesday have been displayed by the militants in a Somali town, local media has reported.
The militants paraded the four, among them a district officer, and a chief in the town of BardherBardere, Gedo region, about 380 km southwest of Mogadishu.
They also displayed a vehicle they took during the raid on an Administration Police camp in Gerille town, Wajir on the Kenya-Somalia border.
The Kenyans and the vehicles were displayed in different neighbourhoods in the town before being taken to a local square.
The militants also disconnected all communication equipment with the outside world, fearing that they may become victims of revenge air strikes.
More abductions
Media reports quoted the militants warning that they would continue to raid towns inside Kenyan territory and carry out killings and abductions.
This is in retaliation to the military operation by the Kenya Defence Forces inside Somalia. The Islamists invaded Gerille town and bombed the camp, reducing it to ashes.
Six persons, including two APs, were killed and three others were injured.
In a statement, Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere said about 100 heavily-armed bandits attacked Gerille Administration Police Post in Wajir South District at around 6.30pm.
The bandits stole firearms, ammunition and a car from the post. "The bandits also committed arson by burning several properties within the post," said the commissioner.
North Eastern deputy provincial commissioner Wenslas Ongayo said most of those killed and injured were shot while fleeing to safety.
"The locals were heading to the mosque and other centres for evening prayers while the registration officers were distributing IDs," said Mr Ongayo.
Al-Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in response to Kenya's decision to send troops into Somalia last October.
Kenya deployed a large force in southern Somalia in mid-October hot pursuit of Al-Shabaab militants whom it accused of endangering its security and economy.
Nairobi accused Al-Shabaab of kidnapping Western tourists and aid workers from Kenya.
The latest development comes at a time when Kenya and the African Union have submitted a request to the United Nations Security Council to allow KDF troops join the continental force combating Al-Shabaab in Somalia.
Major powers at the council have backed the mission but urged caution.
The deployment of KDF personnel would bring the total number of AU troops fighting the militants to 17,731. - Nation Reporter and AFP.
The Rest @ AllAfrica
The militants paraded the four, among them a district officer, and a chief in the town of BardherBardere, Gedo region, about 380 km southwest of Mogadishu.
They also displayed a vehicle they took during the raid on an Administration Police camp in Gerille town, Wajir on the Kenya-Somalia border.
The Kenyans and the vehicles were displayed in different neighbourhoods in the town before being taken to a local square.
The militants also disconnected all communication equipment with the outside world, fearing that they may become victims of revenge air strikes.
More abductions
Media reports quoted the militants warning that they would continue to raid towns inside Kenyan territory and carry out killings and abductions.
This is in retaliation to the military operation by the Kenya Defence Forces inside Somalia. The Islamists invaded Gerille town and bombed the camp, reducing it to ashes.
Six persons, including two APs, were killed and three others were injured.
In a statement, Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere said about 100 heavily-armed bandits attacked Gerille Administration Police Post in Wajir South District at around 6.30pm.
The bandits stole firearms, ammunition and a car from the post. "The bandits also committed arson by burning several properties within the post," said the commissioner.
North Eastern deputy provincial commissioner Wenslas Ongayo said most of those killed and injured were shot while fleeing to safety.
"The locals were heading to the mosque and other centres for evening prayers while the registration officers were distributing IDs," said Mr Ongayo.
Al-Shabaab later claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was in response to Kenya's decision to send troops into Somalia last October.
Kenya deployed a large force in southern Somalia in mid-October hot pursuit of Al-Shabaab militants whom it accused of endangering its security and economy.
Nairobi accused Al-Shabaab of kidnapping Western tourists and aid workers from Kenya.
The latest development comes at a time when Kenya and the African Union have submitted a request to the United Nations Security Council to allow KDF troops join the continental force combating Al-Shabaab in Somalia.
Major powers at the council have backed the mission but urged caution.
The deployment of KDF personnel would bring the total number of AU troops fighting the militants to 17,731. - Nation Reporter and AFP.
The Rest @ AllAfrica
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
North East Kenya Warned about Possible an Impending suicide bombing
Residents of North Eastern have been urged to be extra alert after police received intelligence reports over an impending suicide bombing attack by members of the al shabaab group from Somalia.
Addressing the press in his office, North Eastern provincial police boss Leo Nyongesa urged wananchi to be extra vigilant and report any suspicious looking characters to the relevant authorities. "It is my appeal to the locals to assist the security apparatus in the region in identifying these criminal gangs through the community policing spirit, we believe we will achieve very little without their support," said the police boss.
The Rest @ AllAFrica
Addressing the press in his office, North Eastern provincial police boss Leo Nyongesa urged wananchi to be extra vigilant and report any suspicious looking characters to the relevant authorities. "It is my appeal to the locals to assist the security apparatus in the region in identifying these criminal gangs through the community policing spirit, we believe we will achieve very little without their support," said the police boss.
- His statement comes just a day after police in Garissa arrested two suspects in connection with the new year eve terror attack at Locus bar.
- Five people were killed and more than 20 injured when they were celebrating the new year.
- Among those who were killed was a GSU officer and an administration police officer.
- The two, an ex-police officer and a taxi driver and who are currently being held at the Garissa police station were arrested by police officers yesterday.
- The PPO who confirmed their arrest said that a jungle Jacket was found in the house of one of the suspects.
The Rest @ AllAFrica
Craig Benedict Baxam - His Background
A Laurel man, Craig Benedict Baxam, is accused of attempting to provide material support to a terrorist organization in Somalia, said the U.S. Attorney’s office.
Craig Benedict Baxam, 24, of Laurel, is accused of attempting to join Al-Shabaab, designated by the U.S. state department as a foreign terrorist organization, after serving in the U.S. Army for four years, including deployment to Iraq.
Baxam, who graduated from Laurel High School in 2005, was stopped in Kenya on Dec. 23, said prosecutors, and sent back to the U.S., where he was arrested Friday.
“I never would have picked him for something like this,” said Laurel High principal Dwayne Jones, who was an assistant principal when Baxam attended the school. “There were some others we worried about. But he was a pretty good student, but quiet.”
Jones said Baxam participated in ROTC and the 2004 “It’s Academic” team, a high school quiz program.
Baxam’s initial appearance in court was held Monday afternoon at the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s office declined to give further comment on the case, stating that the investigation is still in its earl
The Rest @ Gazzette Net (Maryland, US)
As of Wednesday, 11 January, a judge ordered him held without bail until Tria.
Craig Benedict Baxam, 24, of Laurel, is accused of attempting to join Al-Shabaab, designated by the U.S. state department as a foreign terrorist organization, after serving in the U.S. Army for four years, including deployment to Iraq.Baxam, who graduated from Laurel High School in 2005, was stopped in Kenya on Dec. 23, said prosecutors, and sent back to the U.S., where he was arrested Friday.
“I never would have picked him for something like this,” said Laurel High principal Dwayne Jones, who was an assistant principal when Baxam attended the school. “There were some others we worried about. But he was a pretty good student, but quiet.”
Jones said Baxam participated in ROTC and the 2004 “It’s Academic” team, a high school quiz program.
- In an affidavit, investigators said that Baxam was traveling to Somalia via Kenya to live under Islamic law and fight to defend Al-Shabaab if it was threatened by Western forces.
- The document also said that Baxam was carrying more than $600 to give as an offering to Al-Shabaab.
- The affidavit said that in interviews in Kenya, Baxam told investigators that he knew Al-Shabaab was a designated terrorist organization, and that he was prepared to spend the rest of his life in jail.
Baxam’s initial appearance in court was held Monday afternoon at the U.S. District Court in Greenbelt. He faces up to 15 years in prison.
The U.S. Attorney’s office declined to give further comment on the case, stating that the investigation is still in its earl
The Rest @ Gazzette Net (Maryland, US)
As of Wednesday, 11 January, a judge ordered him held without bail until Tria.
Craig Benedict Baxam, Ex US Soldier, Arrested in Kenya While trying to Join al Shabaab
Seven foreigners including a former US soldier have been arrested in Kenya in the last two weeks over links to Al-Shabaab on December 23rd, 2011..
A British national, Mr Jermaine Grant was also charged at a Mombasa court for being in illegal possession of explosive materials.
Mr Kiraithe said that police were on the trail of 10 Shabaab members who they believed were planning deadly attacks in Kenya.
"There are so many people who have had contact with Al-Shabaab in the past and changed. But the 10 are dangerous."
The spokesman spoke amid reports of an impending terror attack that was spread through SMS. Mr Kiraithe said the SMS is neither from the UN or the police and termed it as fake. Meanwhile, Kenyan troops yesterday killed six Al-Shabaab fighters as they intensified the military operation to dismantle the militant group.One Kenyan soldier was killed in the operation and two others sustained injuries.
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) reported that they encountered the militants as they conducted routine patrols between Tabda and Beles Qooqani, two towns which used to be Al-Shabaab bases but have since been captured by the Kenyan troops.
"Other militants escaped with injuries and are likely to seek medical attention at nearby refugee camps," says a statement signed by the military spokesman, Major Emmanuel Chirchir.
Al-Shabaab however boasted that they had killed seven Kenyan soldiers and destroyed two armoured personnel carriers belonging to KDF.
Peter Leftie, Patrick Mayoyo and Fred Mukinda
The Rest @ AllAfrica.com
- Kenyan soldiers also killed six of the militants in Somalia on Tuesday.
- The seven were arrested as they tried to enter Somalia to join the militant group for training.
- Other suspects were from other European countries, said police spokesman Eric Kiraithe.
- Mr Craig Benedict Baxam, the ex-US soldier was charged in an American court on Monday with attempting to provide material support to a terrorist group, CNN reported.
- The TV station said he was arrested by Kenyan authorities on December 23.
A British national, Mr Jermaine Grant was also charged at a Mombasa court for being in illegal possession of explosive materials.
Mr Kiraithe said that police were on the trail of 10 Shabaab members who they believed were planning deadly attacks in Kenya.
"There are so many people who have had contact with Al-Shabaab in the past and changed. But the 10 are dangerous."
The spokesman spoke amid reports of an impending terror attack that was spread through SMS. Mr Kiraithe said the SMS is neither from the UN or the police and termed it as fake. Meanwhile, Kenyan troops yesterday killed six Al-Shabaab fighters as they intensified the military operation to dismantle the militant group.One Kenyan soldier was killed in the operation and two others sustained injuries.
Kenya Defence Forces (KDF) reported that they encountered the militants as they conducted routine patrols between Tabda and Beles Qooqani, two towns which used to be Al-Shabaab bases but have since been captured by the Kenyan troops.
"Other militants escaped with injuries and are likely to seek medical attention at nearby refugee camps," says a statement signed by the military spokesman, Major Emmanuel Chirchir.
Al-Shabaab however boasted that they had killed seven Kenyan soldiers and destroyed two armoured personnel carriers belonging to KDF.
Peter Leftie, Patrick Mayoyo and Fred Mukinda
The Rest @ AllAfrica.com
Saturday, January 07, 2012
President of Chad to Marry Daughter of Accused Janjaweed War Criminal
The leader of the Darfurian Arab Mahameed clan Musa Hilal and Chadian president Idriss Deby (R)
December 30, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Chadian president Idriss Deby is engaged to the daughter of the notorious Darfuri Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal, according to a news report.
This has significant implications to the border relations between Darfar and Chad...Please comment with your thoughts...
-Shimron Issachar
**************************
Leader of the Darfurian Arab Mahameed clan Musa Hilal (L) and Chadian president Idriss Deby (R)
The privately-owned al-Sudani newspaper said that Deby became engaged to Amani Musa Hilal during his most recent visit to Sudan, which took place last month.
Africa Alyom newspaper, quoting informed Chadian sources, said that Deby paid a $26 million dowry of which $25 million was paid to Musa Hilal and the rest to his daughter in the form of gold and jewelry.
The wedding is set to take place on 10 January 2012 at Rotana hotel in Khartoum, al-Sudani reported.
Hilal stands accused by many human rights groups of leading a terror campaign against the African tribes Sudan's western region of Darfur.
The leader of the Darfurian Arab Mahameed clan has denied any wrongdoing and told Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a videotaped interview in 2005, that he only recruited militias on behalf of Sudan's central government.
The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when an ethnic minority rose up against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum, which then was accused of enlisting the Janjaweed militia group to help crush the rebellion.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) imposed travel and financial sanctions on Hilal and three other individuals in April 2006. However, unlike other individuals including Sudan's president he is not wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
December 30, 2011 (KHARTOUM) – The Chadian president Idriss Deby is engaged to the daughter of the notorious Darfuri Janjaweed leader Musa Hilal, according to a news report.
This has significant implications to the border relations between Darfar and Chad...Please comment with your thoughts...
-Shimron Issachar
**************************
Leader of the Darfurian Arab Mahameed clan Musa Hilal (L) and Chadian president Idriss Deby (R)
The privately-owned al-Sudani newspaper said that Deby became engaged to Amani Musa Hilal during his most recent visit to Sudan, which took place last month.
Africa Alyom newspaper, quoting informed Chadian sources, said that Deby paid a $26 million dowry of which $25 million was paid to Musa Hilal and the rest to his daughter in the form of gold and jewelry.
The wedding is set to take place on 10 January 2012 at Rotana hotel in Khartoum, al-Sudani reported.
Hilal stands accused by many human rights groups of leading a terror campaign against the African tribes Sudan's western region of Darfur.
The leader of the Darfurian Arab Mahameed clan has denied any wrongdoing and told Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a videotaped interview in 2005, that he only recruited militias on behalf of Sudan's central government.
The Darfur conflict began in 2003 when an ethnic minority rose up against the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum, which then was accused of enlisting the Janjaweed militia group to help crush the rebellion.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) imposed travel and financial sanctions on Hilal and three other individuals in April 2006. However, unlike other individuals including Sudan's president he is not wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
President Bashir of Sudan Offers to Help Libya Form a National Army
Sudanese President Bahshir, wanted for War Crimes in the Hague has actuall offered to Help Libya create a national Army....He says he has experience "integerating rebels" into the army....
-Shimron Issachar
(Reuters) - Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court on genocide charges, said on Saturday he has offered to help Libya integrate its dozens of militias into the country's armed forces.
"We have an experience in integrating rebels in a national army," said Bashir, whose visit to Libya drew criticism from human rights groups.
"We have offered to help our brothers in Libya in building a national army that includes the components of the Libyan revolution. Our experts are available and our officers are available," he said.
Bashir also said he had offered the new Libyan government help from Sudanese troops in protecting Libya's southern borders during the war that ended Muammar Gaddafi's rule but that his offer was declined.
Libya's new rulers are struggling to include thousands of former rebels who helped oust Gaddafi in a military and police force or in civilian jobs.
Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional Council, warned this week that Libya risks sliding into civil war unless it cracks down on rival militias which filled the vacuum left by Gaddafi's downfall.
The militias are vying with each other for influence, and believe that to ensure they receive their due share of political power they need to keep an armed presence in the capital.
Abdul Jalil, who visited Khartoum in November, has said Sudanese weapons and ammunition helped Libya's former rebels oust Muammar Gaddafi last year and take control of the North African country.
Relations between Khartoum and Tripoli were strained during Gaddafi's rule because of his support for rebels in Sudan's western Darfur region and in South Sudan, which gained independence in July under a 2005 peace deal.
Bashir said that the ousting of Gaddafi was "the best piece of news in Sudan's modern history."
"We came here to thank the Libyan people for the gift they offered to the Sudanese people by removing Gaddafi," he said.
RIGHTS GROUPS' CRITICISM
Bashir's visit was criticised by rights groups.
"Welcoming Bashir ... raises questions about the NTC's stated commitment to human rights and the rule of law," Richard Dicker, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
"Following the end of decades of brutal rule in Libya, it is disturbing if Tripoli hosts a head of state on the run from international arrest warrants for grave human rights violations."
Mohammed al-Keelani, who heads a group of 50 Libyan civil society organizations, said Bashir was not welcome in Libya.
"For us, Omar al-Bashir is the Gaddafi of Sudan," he said. "We have reservations against this visit because he's a tyrant who oppresses his people and his policy contradicts our principles."
Bashir is under increasing pressure at home after his country lost much of its oil production to the south.
The Rest @ Reuters
-Shimron Issachar
(Reuters) - Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir, wanted by the International Criminal Court on genocide charges, said on Saturday he has offered to help Libya integrate its dozens of militias into the country's armed forces.
"We have an experience in integrating rebels in a national army," said Bashir, whose visit to Libya drew criticism from human rights groups.
"We have offered to help our brothers in Libya in building a national army that includes the components of the Libyan revolution. Our experts are available and our officers are available," he said.
Bashir also said he had offered the new Libyan government help from Sudanese troops in protecting Libya's southern borders during the war that ended Muammar Gaddafi's rule but that his offer was declined.
Libya's new rulers are struggling to include thousands of former rebels who helped oust Gaddafi in a military and police force or in civilian jobs.
Mustafa Abdul Jalil, chairman of the National Transitional Council, warned this week that Libya risks sliding into civil war unless it cracks down on rival militias which filled the vacuum left by Gaddafi's downfall.
The militias are vying with each other for influence, and believe that to ensure they receive their due share of political power they need to keep an armed presence in the capital.
Abdul Jalil, who visited Khartoum in November, has said Sudanese weapons and ammunition helped Libya's former rebels oust Muammar Gaddafi last year and take control of the North African country.
Relations between Khartoum and Tripoli were strained during Gaddafi's rule because of his support for rebels in Sudan's western Darfur region and in South Sudan, which gained independence in July under a 2005 peace deal.
Bashir said that the ousting of Gaddafi was "the best piece of news in Sudan's modern history."
"We came here to thank the Libyan people for the gift they offered to the Sudanese people by removing Gaddafi," he said.
RIGHTS GROUPS' CRITICISM
Bashir's visit was criticised by rights groups.
"Welcoming Bashir ... raises questions about the NTC's stated commitment to human rights and the rule of law," Richard Dicker, international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement.
"Following the end of decades of brutal rule in Libya, it is disturbing if Tripoli hosts a head of state on the run from international arrest warrants for grave human rights violations."
Mohammed al-Keelani, who heads a group of 50 Libyan civil society organizations, said Bashir was not welcome in Libya.
"For us, Omar al-Bashir is the Gaddafi of Sudan," he said. "We have reservations against this visit because he's a tyrant who oppresses his people and his policy contradicts our principles."
Bashir is under increasing pressure at home after his country lost much of its oil production to the south.
The Rest @ Reuters
Christians in Yobe, Nigeria Prepare to Abandon Their Ancestral Homes
AFRICA/NIGERIA - Christians fleeing the violence of the "Boko Haram" sect, which has "changed strategy"
Lagos (Agenzia Fides) - The Nigerian Christians of indigenous tribes in the state of Yobe are terrified and are preparing to abandon their ancestral territories, due to the threats and violence of the Islamic militia group "Boko Haram", which continues the attacks against churches and homes of Christians.
This is what sources of Fides in Nigeria report, recalling that "the population of the North is in a panic and insecurity after the expiry of the ultimatum launched by the militia, which enjoined Christians to leave the country".
The militia continues to organize bomb attacks in the states of Borno and Jigawa and Gombe. According to local Christians, "the danger is that there will be retaliation, which can trigger further violence and bloodshed".
Fr. Timothy Lehane Barrett, Secretary General of the "Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith", who was recently in Nigeria, told Fides: "Boko Haram does not represent Nigerian Muslims: I have seen many manifestations of interreligious dialogue and solidarity, because Muslims see the good works carried out by Christians.
Our message to the Nigerian Christians is that they are not alone, that many communities around the world are praying for them and their neighbors. I know that the faithful in Nigeria offer their sufferings to God and pray for persecuted Christians around the world and even for their enemies, that is for those who attack and kill them". (PA)
The Rest @ Agnezia Fides
Lagos (Agenzia Fides) - The Nigerian Christians of indigenous tribes in the state of Yobe are terrified and are preparing to abandon their ancestral territories, due to the threats and violence of the Islamic militia group "Boko Haram", which continues the attacks against churches and homes of Christians.
This is what sources of Fides in Nigeria report, recalling that "the population of the North is in a panic and insecurity after the expiry of the ultimatum launched by the militia, which enjoined Christians to leave the country".
- The attacks of Boko Haram in northern Nigeria continue, even after President Jonathan had decreed a "state of emergency" to prevent violence in four states and temporarily closed the nation's borders with Cameroon, Chad and Niger.
- According to Fides sources, "Boko Haram is changing tactics to circumvent the state of emergency. They are monitoring the areas where Christians gather, they point out the houses and Christian chapels and then they attack, house to house during the night".
The militia continues to organize bomb attacks in the states of Borno and Jigawa and Gombe. According to local Christians, "the danger is that there will be retaliation, which can trigger further violence and bloodshed".
Fr. Timothy Lehane Barrett, Secretary General of the "Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith", who was recently in Nigeria, told Fides: "Boko Haram does not represent Nigerian Muslims: I have seen many manifestations of interreligious dialogue and solidarity, because Muslims see the good works carried out by Christians.
Our message to the Nigerian Christians is that they are not alone, that many communities around the world are praying for them and their neighbors. I know that the faithful in Nigeria offer their sufferings to God and pray for persecuted Christians around the world and even for their enemies, that is for those who attack and kill them". (PA)
The Rest @ Agnezia Fides
Explosives Captured in Ifo Section of Dadaad Refuge Camp,Kenya
Kenyan police seized landmines and homemade explosive devices Friday in Dadaab, the world's largest refugee camp and site of several attacks and blasts in recent months.
"This is a major breakthrough in our investigations because we have been looking for the source of the explosive materials used here.
Dadaab, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Somalia, is in a border region that has seen a surge in attacks since Nairobi sent troops into its neighbour in October to battle Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents.
The attacks are often blamed by the authorities on sympathisers of Shebab militants, who control large parts of central and southern Somalia.
The Rest @ AllAfrica
"This is a major breakthrough in our investigations because we have been looking for the source of the explosive materials used here.
- We conducted a raid and recovered nine landmines," said regional police chief Leo Nyongesa.
- "We also recovered other improvised explosive devices,"
- three women were being questioned.
- The explosives were found in the Ifo section of the Dadaab complex in northern Kenya, home to some 450,000 mainly Somali refugees seeking shelter from drought, hunger and conflict.
Dadaab, some 100 kilometres (60 miles) from Somalia, is in a border region that has seen a surge in attacks since Nairobi sent troops into its neighbour in October to battle Al-Qaeda linked Shebab insurgents.
The attacks are often blamed by the authorities on sympathisers of Shebab militants, who control large parts of central and southern Somalia.
- Gunmen seized two Spaniards working for Medecins Sans Frontieres (Doctors Without Borders) from Dadaab in October and are thought to have taken them to Somalia.
The Rest @ AllAfrica
al-Kataib's New Media Mouth Piece in Somalia
militant Islamist group in Somalia that has declared its allegiance to al-Qa'ida is using a young British man to file video propaganda from the front lines of the country's civil war to try to draw English-speaking Muslims to the Horn of Africa for jihad, The Independent can reveal.
The man, who remains masked throughout his videos, speaks in fluent English with a clear London accent and presents breathless reports of battles that the militant groups have fought against Somali government and foreign forces.
Intelligence sources and terrorism experts believe the man was either born in Britain or spent considerable time here and that he may have even had some media training before heading abroad to join the militant network.
The Independent has collected at least three videos in which the man features.
The documentaries – which were all released through Shabaab's media wing al-Kataib Foundation the – are a vivid example of the slick propaganda now being produced by violent Islamists in the Horn of Africa and their determination to turn the area into a new base for international jihadists.
Britain has become so concerned about the deteriorating security situation inside Somalia that it has convened a summit for February to discuss what to do about the failed state. MI5 head Jonathan Evans has repeatedly warned that the Horn of Africa has become the second most popular terrorist training ground after Pakistan with Brits of Somali, Pakistani, Yemeni, Bangladeshi and North African heritage flocking there.
Whitehall sources believe that there are between three to four people working full time on Shabaab's media wing, one of whom is a Yemeni who previously worked with al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula. A second individual is a British Pakistani – thought to be the reporter who appears in the videos.
The group's latest output represents a tactical shift in the way militant networks are producing their propaganda in that the more recent productions are presented as objective news reports, mimicking the way mainstream news organisations present information.
The Independent sought comment from al-Shabaab through an email account known to be used by the militants for international inquiries.
In a statement the group said their aim was to inspire Muslims in the West: "We are not able to reveal the identity or nom de guerre of the person in question but the aim of our English documentaries is quite simple. With most journalists serving merely as subservient vessels at the hands of warmongers and politicians, the purpose of the Harakat Al-Shabaab Al Mujahideen's documentary films is to reveal the reality of the current warfare in Somalia to the world and, in particular, to the Muslims living in the Western world."
The statement added: "It is our hope that these English documentaries will enlighten the Muslims by illuminating the reality of the so-called war on terror and help further elucidate the events as they really are on the ground –not as they are erroneously portrayed in the western media."
Shabaab are a brutal off-shoot of the comparatively moderate Islamic Courts Union which brought a semblance of calm to Somalia after 20 years of fighting but was thrown out of in 2006 following a US-backed invasion by Ethiopian troops.
The militant group controls large tracts of southern Somalia and has fought a vicious insurgency against the country's beleaguered and highly unpopular transitional government whose writ extends little further than the capital Mogadishu. They promote a draconian interpretation of Sharia law and have pledged allegiance to al-Qa'ida and its philosophy of waging violent jihad to establish a global Islamic caliphate.
After withdrawing their fighters from the capital in August, they have shifted to more asymmetric tactics such as suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices. A spate of kidnappings hit northern Kenya prompting Nairobi to invade from the south claiming that they would eradicate Shabaab. Ethiopia's military has invaded once more from the north but there has been little sign so far of any palpable military successes against the militants who have called on help in repelling "infidel crusaders".
Fearing Somalia is becoming a new gathering point for international jihadists, the United States has increased drone strikes within the Horn of Africa operating out of bases in Djibouti, southern Ethiopia and the Seychelles.
The exact number of foreign fighters within Shabaab's ranks is currently unknown but western intelligence agencies have watched with alarm as both hardened veterans and new foreign recruits have flocked to the area.
Abdirhman Haji Abdullah, the father of the Somali-British man, gave an interview to BBC Somali in which he claimed his son had been "brainwashed".
"My son was misled into believing that he was fighting in a holy war," he said. "He was brainwashed and taken away from us and he was told that he was going to fight a holy war in Somalia."
The pair were arrested and returned to Britain only because Mr Abdullah went after his son and alerted the authorities.
Intelligence analysts have commented that Somalia has become an attractive destination for international militants because it is much easier to infiltrate than other militant strongholds such as Iraq, the Afghan-Pakistan border and Yemen. Shabaab's increasingly sophisticated propaganda releases, meanwhile, have coincided with the arrival of international jihadists and much of the output from al-Kataib is now squarely aimed at recruiting fighters from overseas.
Earlier this month the group even appeared on Twitter with an account that has been used to release passport photos of slain African Union troops and taunt the Kenyan military with jibes.
Shabaab has made no secret of its desire to welcome foreign fighters. One recent video features masked militants speaking in an array of languages including English, Swahili, Swedish and Urdu. One fighter, who uses the nom de guerre Abu Dujana, claims he is British and speaks with a heavy London accent. Sitting on a white beach, he calls on Muslims "that are living in the lands of disbelief, the lands of oppression, to (migrate) to the land of glory, to the land of (power) to the land of jihad."
The militant group has also released a number of rap-songs by Omar Hammami, a middle class American with Syrian parentage from Alabama who became increasingly devout and travelled to Somalia for jihad. Within jihadi circles he is known as and is frequently lauded by militants as an example that western Muslims should follow.
Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Hammami Abu Mansour al-Amriki , appeared in a video alongside senior Shabaab leaders and read a speech to honour the slain al-Qa'ida founder
Roger Middleton, an expert on Somalia at Chatham House, said he believed Shabaab's use of a British journalist to present their side of the conflict is part of a wider strategy to encourage recruits from the West.
"This guy is turning up more and more often in Shabaab releases," he said. "It's difficult to gauge what kind of effect he has had.
The Rest @ Terror Free Somalia
The man, who remains masked throughout his videos, speaks in fluent English with a clear London accent and presents breathless reports of battles that the militant groups have fought against Somali government and foreign forces.
Intelligence sources and terrorism experts believe the man was either born in Britain or spent considerable time here and that he may have even had some media training before heading abroad to join the militant network.
The Independent has collected at least three videos in which the man features.
- The first – which runs for 11 minutes and is titled "African Crusaders" – was released in June 2010 and only contains the man's voice.
- A second 21 minute long video – "Mogadishu – the Crusader's Graveyard" – was released a month later and shows the young reporter appearing with his face covered in front of burning tank that he claims was destroyed by Islamist fighters.
- He disappeared from Al Shabaab propaganda videos until October this year (2011) when he returned with a new documentary called "Battle for Deyniile – the Burundian Bloodbath". The 33-minute report features footage from the front lines of a recent battle between militants and African Union peacekeepers on the outskirts of Mogadishu in which a number of AU troops were known to have perished. Shabaab fighters display the uniformed corpses of at least twenty fighters that they claimed belonged to the Ugandan and Burundian peacekeeping forces currently in control of central Mogadishu.
The documentaries – which were all released through Shabaab's media wing al-Kataib Foundation the – are a vivid example of the slick propaganda now being produced by violent Islamists in the Horn of Africa and their determination to turn the area into a new base for international jihadists.
Britain has become so concerned about the deteriorating security situation inside Somalia that it has convened a summit for February to discuss what to do about the failed state. MI5 head Jonathan Evans has repeatedly warned that the Horn of Africa has become the second most popular terrorist training ground after Pakistan with Brits of Somali, Pakistani, Yemeni, Bangladeshi and North African heritage flocking there.
Whitehall sources believe that there are between three to four people working full time on Shabaab's media wing, one of whom is a Yemeni who previously worked with al-Qa'ida in the Arabian Peninsula. A second individual is a British Pakistani – thought to be the reporter who appears in the videos.
The group's latest output represents a tactical shift in the way militant networks are producing their propaganda in that the more recent productions are presented as objective news reports, mimicking the way mainstream news organisations present information.
- "Instead of featuring a field commander what we're seeing is supposedly a journalist reporting the facts on the ground in a dispassionate way whilst manipulating the narrative to his group's advantage," said Bruce Hoffman, a leading expert on Islamist terrorism at the University of Georgetown.
- "You wouldn't put Shabaab in the top bracket within the pantheon of terror groups when it comes to strategies or tactics. But their communication techniques are highly sophisticated."
The Independent sought comment from al-Shabaab through an email account known to be used by the militants for international inquiries.
In a statement the group said their aim was to inspire Muslims in the West: "We are not able to reveal the identity or nom de guerre of the person in question but the aim of our English documentaries is quite simple. With most journalists serving merely as subservient vessels at the hands of warmongers and politicians, the purpose of the Harakat Al-Shabaab Al Mujahideen's documentary films is to reveal the reality of the current warfare in Somalia to the world and, in particular, to the Muslims living in the Western world."
The statement added: "It is our hope that these English documentaries will enlighten the Muslims by illuminating the reality of the so-called war on terror and help further elucidate the events as they really are on the ground –not as they are erroneously portrayed in the western media."
Shabaab are a brutal off-shoot of the comparatively moderate Islamic Courts Union which brought a semblance of calm to Somalia after 20 years of fighting but was thrown out of in 2006 following a US-backed invasion by Ethiopian troops.
The militant group controls large tracts of southern Somalia and has fought a vicious insurgency against the country's beleaguered and highly unpopular transitional government whose writ extends little further than the capital Mogadishu. They promote a draconian interpretation of Sharia law and have pledged allegiance to al-Qa'ida and its philosophy of waging violent jihad to establish a global Islamic caliphate.
After withdrawing their fighters from the capital in August, they have shifted to more asymmetric tactics such as suicide bombers and improvised explosive devices. A spate of kidnappings hit northern Kenya prompting Nairobi to invade from the south claiming that they would eradicate Shabaab. Ethiopia's military has invaded once more from the north but there has been little sign so far of any palpable military successes against the militants who have called on help in repelling "infidel crusaders".
Fearing Somalia is becoming a new gathering point for international jihadists, the United States has increased drone strikes within the Horn of Africa operating out of bases in Djibouti, southern Ethiopia and the Seychelles.
The exact number of foreign fighters within Shabaab's ranks is currently unknown but western intelligence agencies have watched with alarm as both hardened veterans and new foreign recruits have flocked to the area.
- In early October two 18-year-old Brits from Cardiff were arrested on the Kenya-Somalia border in what the Kenyan police claimed was an attempt to join up with Shabaab militants.
- One of the teens was of Somali extraction, whilst his friend was believed to be British-Pakistani.
Abdirhman Haji Abdullah, the father of the Somali-British man, gave an interview to BBC Somali in which he claimed his son had been "brainwashed".
"My son was misled into believing that he was fighting in a holy war," he said. "He was brainwashed and taken away from us and he was told that he was going to fight a holy war in Somalia."
The pair were arrested and returned to Britain only because Mr Abdullah went after his son and alerted the authorities.
Intelligence analysts have commented that Somalia has become an attractive destination for international militants because it is much easier to infiltrate than other militant strongholds such as Iraq, the Afghan-Pakistan border and Yemen. Shabaab's increasingly sophisticated propaganda releases, meanwhile, have coincided with the arrival of international jihadists and much of the output from al-Kataib is now squarely aimed at recruiting fighters from overseas.
Earlier this month the group even appeared on Twitter with an account that has been used to release passport photos of slain African Union troops and taunt the Kenyan military with jibes.
Shabaab has made no secret of its desire to welcome foreign fighters. One recent video features masked militants speaking in an array of languages including English, Swahili, Swedish and Urdu. One fighter, who uses the nom de guerre Abu Dujana, claims he is British and speaks with a heavy London accent. Sitting on a white beach, he calls on Muslims "that are living in the lands of disbelief, the lands of oppression, to (migrate) to the land of glory, to the land of (power) to the land of jihad."
The militant group has also released a number of rap-songs by Omar Hammami, a middle class American with Syrian parentage from Alabama who became increasingly devout and travelled to Somalia for jihad. Within jihadi circles he is known as and is frequently lauded by militants as an example that western Muslims should follow.
Following the death of Osama bin Laden, Hammami Abu Mansour al-Amriki , appeared in a video alongside senior Shabaab leaders and read a speech to honour the slain al-Qa'ida founder
Roger Middleton, an expert on Somalia at Chatham House, said he believed Shabaab's use of a British journalist to present their side of the conflict is part of a wider strategy to encourage recruits from the West.
"This guy is turning up more and more often in Shabaab releases," he said. "It's difficult to gauge what kind of effect he has had.
- The general consensus is that the number of British Somalis heading to join Shabaab are in their tens rather than their hundreds. But you do hear stories within the Somali community of young men just disappearing and the family later finding out that they have been killed fighting for Shabaab."
The Rest @ Terror Free Somalia
Friday, January 06, 2012
Who was Al Qhatani?
Recently, Al Qhatani, AQAP's Publicity Chief was killed in Yemmen by a US Drone Stroike. Who was he?
QI.A.281.10. Name: 1: NAYIF 2: BIN-MUHAMMAD 3: AL-QAHTANI 4: na
Name (original script): نايف بن محمد القحطاني
Abu Hammam Qahtani, image from the martyrdom statement that announced his death. A senior Saudi al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula propagandist who founded the terror group's media arm was killed during fighting with Yemeni security forces. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) announced the death of Nayef bin Mohammed bin Said al Kudri Qahtani, who is better known as Abu Hammam Qahtani, in a statement released on jihadist websites. The martydom statement was authored by AQAP operative ..
.
Source
QI.A.281.10. Name: 1: NAYIF 2: BIN-MUHAMMAD 3: AL-QAHTANI 4: na
Name (original script): نايف بن محمد القحطاني
- Title: na Designation: na
- DOB: 25 Mar. 1988
- POB: Saudi Arabia
- Good quality a.k.a.: a) Nayif Bin-Muhammad al-Qahtani b) Nayef Bin Muhammad al-Qahtani c) Nayif Muhammad al-Qahtani d) Nayf Mohammed al-Qahtani e) Naif Mohammad Said al-Qahtani Alkodri f) Naif Mohammed Saeed al-Kodari al-Qahtani g) Nayef Bin Mohamed al-Khatani h) Mohammed Naif al-Khatani i) Nayef bin Mohamed al-Khatany j) Al-Qahtani Abohemem
- Low quality a.k.a.: a) Abi Hamam b) Abu-Hamam c) Abu-Humam d) Abu-Hammam e) Abu Hammam al-Qahtani
- Nationality: Saudi Arabian
- Passport no.: Saudi Arabian passport number G449745, issued on 30 May 2006 , valid until 6 Apr. 2011
- National identification no.: na \
- Address: Yemen Listed on: 11 May 2010
- Other information: Associated with Al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (QE.A.129.10.) and its leader, Nasir 'abd-al-Karim 'Abdullah Al-Wahishi (QI.A.274.10.).
Abu Hammam Qahtani, image from the martyrdom statement that announced his death. A senior Saudi al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula propagandist who founded the terror group's media arm was killed during fighting with Yemeni security forces. Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) announced the death of Nayef bin Mohammed bin Said al Kudri Qahtani, who is better known as Abu Hammam Qahtani, in a statement released on jihadist websites. The martydom statement was authored by AQAP operative ..
Source
Monday, January 02, 2012
OFAC List of SDNs associuated with Viktor Bout
Inactive Financial Institution Letters
04/26/2005
The following individuals [LIBERIA] have been added to OFAC's SDN list (without the "a.k.a.s" listed as separate entries in this bulletin):
BOUT, Sergei Anatolyievich (a.k.a. NIKOLAYEVICH BUT, Sergey; a.k.a. "BUT"; a.k.a. "BUTT"; a.k.a. "SERGEY"; a.k.a. "SERGI"; a.k.a. "SERGO"; a.k.a. "SERGUEI"), c/o AIR CESS, Islamabad, Pakistan; c/o AIR CESS, P.O. Box 7837, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; c/o AIR ZORY, 54 G. M. Dimitrov Blvd, Sofia BG-1125, Bulgaria; Moscow, Russia; DOB 27 Aug 1961; POB Tajikistan; citizen Russia alt. Ukraine; National ID No. 76704 (Russia); alt. National ID No. CB039314 (Ukraine) (individual) [LIBERIA]
CHICHAKLI, Richard Ammar (a.k.a. CHICHAKLI, Ammar M.), 225 Syracuse Place, Richardson, TX 75081; 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080; DOB 29 Mar 1959; POB Syria; citizen United States; SSN 405-41-5342; alt. SSN 467-79-1065 (individual) [LIBERIA]
DENISSENKO, Serguei (a.k.a. DENISENKO, Sergei; a.k.a. DENISSENKO, Sergei), c/o SAN AIR GENERAL TRADING FZE, P.O. Box 932-20C, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; c/o SAN AIR GENERAL TRADING LLC, 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080; c/o SAN AIR GENERAL TRADING FZE, P.O. Box 2190, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; DOB 1961; Passport 500144635 (Russia) (individual) [LIBERIA]
NAYDO, Valeriy (a.k.a. NAIDO, Valerii), c/o CET AVIATION, P.O. Box 932 - 20C, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Equatorial Guinea; DOB 10 Aug 1957; citizen Ukraine; Passport AC251295 (Ukraine); alt. Passport KC024178 (Ukraine) (individual) [LIBERIA]
The following entities have been added to OFAC's SDN list:
ABIDJAN FREIGHT, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire [LIBERIA]
AIR CESS (a.k.a. AIR CESS EQUATORIAL GUINEA; a.k.a. AIR CESS HOLDINGS LTD.; a.k.a. AIR CESS INC. 360-C; a.k.a. AIR CESS LIBERIA; a.k.a. AIR CESS RWANDA; a.k.a. AIR CESS SWAZILAND (PTY.) LTD.; a.k.a. AIR PAS; a.k.a. AIR PASS; a.k.a. CESSAVIA; a.k.a. CHESS AIR GROUP; a.k.a. PIETERSBURG AVIATION SERVICES & SYSTEMS), Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; P.O. Box 7837, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; P.O. Box 3962, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Islamabad, Pakistan; Entebbe, Uganda [LIBERIA]
AIR ZORY LTD. (a.k.a. AIR ZORI; a.k.a. AIR ZORI LTD.), 54 G.M. Dimitrov Blvd, Sofia BG-1125, Bulgaria; 6 Zenas Kanther Str, Nicosia 1065, Cyprus [LIBERIA]
AIRBAS TRANSPORTATION FZE (a.k.a. AIR BAS; a.k.a. AIR BASS; a.k.a. AIRBAS TRANSPORTATION INC.; a.k.a. AVIABAS), P.O. Box 8299, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
ATC LTD., Gibraltar, United Kingdom [LIBERIA]
BUKAVU AVIATION TRANSPORT, Congo, Democratic Republic of the [LIBERIA]
BUSINESS AIR SERVICES, Congo, Democratic Republic of the [LIBERIA]
CENTRAFRICAN AIRLINES (a.k.a. CENTRAFRICAIN AIRLINES; a.k.a. CENTRAL AFRICAN AIR; a.k.a. CENTRAL AFRICAN AIR LINES; a.k.a. CENTRAL AFRICAN AIRWAYS), P.O. Box 2760, Bangui, Central African Republic; c/o Transavia Travel Agency, P.O. Box 3962, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; P.O. Box 2190, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Kigali, Rwanda; Ras-al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates [LIBERIA]
CENTRAL AFRICA DEVELOPMENT FUND, 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080; P.O. Box 850431, Richardson, TX 75085; US FEIN 75-2884986 [LIBERIA]
CET AVIATION ENTERPRISE (FZE), P.O. Box 932 - C20, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Equatorial Guinea [LIBERIA]
CHICHAKLI & ASSOCIATES PLLC (a.k.a. CHICHAKLI HICKMANRIGGS & RIGGS; a.k.a. CHICHAKLI HICKMAN-RIGGS & RIGGS, PLLC), 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
CONTINUE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION INC. (a.k.a. GULF MOTOR SALES INC.), 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080; US FEIN 08000068-09 [LIBERIA]
DAYTONA POOLS, INC., 225 Syracuse Place, Richardson, TX 75081 [LIBERIA]
DHH ENTERPRISES, INC., 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
GAMBIA NEW MILLENIUM AIR COMPANY (a.k.a. GAMBIA MILLENIUM AIRLINE; a.k.a. GAMBIA NEW MILLENIUM AIR), State House, Banjul, Gambia, The [LIBERIA]
IB OF AMERICA HOLDINGS INC., 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
IRBIS AIR COMPANY, UL Furmanova 65, office 317, Almaty 48004, Kazakhstan [LIBERIA]
MOLDTRANSAVIA SRL, Aeroport, Chisinau MD-2026, Moldova [LIBERIA]
NORDIC LTD. (a.k.a. NORDIK LIMITED EOOD), 9 Frederick J. Curie Street, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria [LIBERIA]
ODESSA AIR (f.k.a. OKAPI AIR), Entebbe, Uganda [LIBERIA]
ORIENT STAR CORPORATION (a.k.a. ORIENT STAR AVIATION), 811 S. Central Expwy., Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
RICHARD A. CHICHAKLI PC, P.O. Box 850432, Richardson, TX 75085; 811 S. Central Expwy., Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
ROCKMAN LTD. (a.k.a. ROKMAN EOOD), 9 Frederick J. Curie Street, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria [LIBERIA]
SAN AIR GENERAL TRADING FZE (a.k.a. SAN AIR GENERAL TRADING LLC), P.O. Box 932-20C, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; P.O. Box 2190, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 811 S. Central Expwy., Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
SANTA CRUZ IMPERIAL AIRLINES, P.O. Box 60315, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Sharjah, United Arab Emirates [LIBERIA]
SOUTHBOUND LTD., P.O. Box 398, Suite 52 and 553 Monrovia House, 26 Main Street, Gibraltar, United Kingdom [LIBERIA]
TRANS AVIATION GLOBAL GROUP INC., 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
TRANSAVIA NETWORK (a.k.a. NV TRANS AVIATION NETWORK GROUP; a.k.a. TAN GROUP; a.k.a. TRANS AVIATION; a.k.a. TRANSAVIA TRAVEL AGENCY; a.k.a. TRANSAVIA TRAVEL CARGO), 1304 Boorj Building, Bank Street, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; P.O. Box 3962, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; P.O. Box 2190, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Ostende Airport, Belgium [LIBERIA]
VIAL COMPANY, DE [LIBERIA]
WESTBOUND LTD, P.O. Box 399, 26 Main Street, Gibraltar, United Kingdom [LIBERIA]
The Rest @ FDIC
04/26/2005
The following individuals [LIBERIA] have been added to OFAC's SDN list (without the "a.k.a.s" listed as separate entries in this bulletin):
BOUT, Sergei Anatolyievich (a.k.a. NIKOLAYEVICH BUT, Sergey; a.k.a. "BUT"; a.k.a. "BUTT"; a.k.a. "SERGEY"; a.k.a. "SERGI"; a.k.a. "SERGO"; a.k.a. "SERGUEI"), c/o AIR CESS, Islamabad, Pakistan; c/o AIR CESS, P.O. Box 7837, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; c/o AIR ZORY, 54 G. M. Dimitrov Blvd, Sofia BG-1125, Bulgaria; Moscow, Russia; DOB 27 Aug 1961; POB Tajikistan; citizen Russia alt. Ukraine; National ID No. 76704 (Russia); alt. National ID No. CB039314 (Ukraine) (individual) [LIBERIA]
CHICHAKLI, Richard Ammar (a.k.a. CHICHAKLI, Ammar M.), 225 Syracuse Place, Richardson, TX 75081; 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080; DOB 29 Mar 1959; POB Syria; citizen United States; SSN 405-41-5342; alt. SSN 467-79-1065 (individual) [LIBERIA]
DENISSENKO, Serguei (a.k.a. DENISENKO, Sergei; a.k.a. DENISSENKO, Sergei), c/o SAN AIR GENERAL TRADING FZE, P.O. Box 932-20C, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; c/o SAN AIR GENERAL TRADING LLC, 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080; c/o SAN AIR GENERAL TRADING FZE, P.O. Box 2190, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; DOB 1961; Passport 500144635 (Russia) (individual) [LIBERIA]
NAYDO, Valeriy (a.k.a. NAIDO, Valerii), c/o CET AVIATION, P.O. Box 932 - 20C, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Equatorial Guinea; DOB 10 Aug 1957; citizen Ukraine; Passport AC251295 (Ukraine); alt. Passport KC024178 (Ukraine) (individual) [LIBERIA]
The following entities have been added to OFAC's SDN list:
ABIDJAN FREIGHT, Abidjan, Côte d'Ivoire [LIBERIA]
AIR CESS (a.k.a. AIR CESS EQUATORIAL GUINEA; a.k.a. AIR CESS HOLDINGS LTD.; a.k.a. AIR CESS INC. 360-C; a.k.a. AIR CESS LIBERIA; a.k.a. AIR CESS RWANDA; a.k.a. AIR CESS SWAZILAND (PTY.) LTD.; a.k.a. AIR PAS; a.k.a. AIR PASS; a.k.a. CESSAVIA; a.k.a. CHESS AIR GROUP; a.k.a. PIETERSBURG AVIATION SERVICES & SYSTEMS), Malabo, Equatorial Guinea; P.O. Box 7837, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; P.O. Box 3962, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; Islamabad, Pakistan; Entebbe, Uganda [LIBERIA]
AIR ZORY LTD. (a.k.a. AIR ZORI; a.k.a. AIR ZORI LTD.), 54 G.M. Dimitrov Blvd, Sofia BG-1125, Bulgaria; 6 Zenas Kanther Str, Nicosia 1065, Cyprus [LIBERIA]
AIRBAS TRANSPORTATION FZE (a.k.a. AIR BAS; a.k.a. AIR BASS; a.k.a. AIRBAS TRANSPORTATION INC.; a.k.a. AVIABAS), P.O. Box 8299, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
ATC LTD., Gibraltar, United Kingdom [LIBERIA]
BUKAVU AVIATION TRANSPORT, Congo, Democratic Republic of the [LIBERIA]
BUSINESS AIR SERVICES, Congo, Democratic Republic of the [LIBERIA]
CENTRAFRICAN AIRLINES (a.k.a. CENTRAFRICAIN AIRLINES; a.k.a. CENTRAL AFRICAN AIR; a.k.a. CENTRAL AFRICAN AIR LINES; a.k.a. CENTRAL AFRICAN AIRWAYS), P.O. Box 2760, Bangui, Central African Republic; c/o Transavia Travel Agency, P.O. Box 3962, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; P.O. Box 2190, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Kigali, Rwanda; Ras-al-Khaimah, United Arab Emirates [LIBERIA]
CENTRAL AFRICA DEVELOPMENT FUND, 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080; P.O. Box 850431, Richardson, TX 75085; US FEIN 75-2884986 [LIBERIA]
CET AVIATION ENTERPRISE (FZE), P.O. Box 932 - C20, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Equatorial Guinea [LIBERIA]
CHICHAKLI & ASSOCIATES PLLC (a.k.a. CHICHAKLI HICKMANRIGGS & RIGGS; a.k.a. CHICHAKLI HICKMAN-RIGGS & RIGGS, PLLC), 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
CONTINUE PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION INC. (a.k.a. GULF MOTOR SALES INC.), 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080; US FEIN 08000068-09 [LIBERIA]
DAYTONA POOLS, INC., 225 Syracuse Place, Richardson, TX 75081 [LIBERIA]
DHH ENTERPRISES, INC., 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
GAMBIA NEW MILLENIUM AIR COMPANY (a.k.a. GAMBIA MILLENIUM AIRLINE; a.k.a. GAMBIA NEW MILLENIUM AIR), State House, Banjul, Gambia, The [LIBERIA]
IB OF AMERICA HOLDINGS INC., 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
IRBIS AIR COMPANY, UL Furmanova 65, office 317, Almaty 48004, Kazakhstan [LIBERIA]
MOLDTRANSAVIA SRL, Aeroport, Chisinau MD-2026, Moldova [LIBERIA]
NORDIC LTD. (a.k.a. NORDIK LIMITED EOOD), 9 Frederick J. Curie Street, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria [LIBERIA]
ODESSA AIR (f.k.a. OKAPI AIR), Entebbe, Uganda [LIBERIA]
ORIENT STAR CORPORATION (a.k.a. ORIENT STAR AVIATION), 811 S. Central Expwy., Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
RICHARD A. CHICHAKLI PC, P.O. Box 850432, Richardson, TX 75085; 811 S. Central Expwy., Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
ROCKMAN LTD. (a.k.a. ROKMAN EOOD), 9 Frederick J. Curie Street, Sofia 1113, Bulgaria [LIBERIA]
SAN AIR GENERAL TRADING FZE (a.k.a. SAN AIR GENERAL TRADING LLC), P.O. Box 932-20C, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; P.O. Box 2190, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; 811 S. Central Expwy., Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
SANTA CRUZ IMPERIAL AIRLINES, P.O. Box 60315, Dubai, United Arab Emirates; Sharjah, United Arab Emirates [LIBERIA]
SOUTHBOUND LTD., P.O. Box 398, Suite 52 and 553 Monrovia House, 26 Main Street, Gibraltar, United Kingdom [LIBERIA]
TRANS AVIATION GLOBAL GROUP INC., 811 S. Central Expwy, Ste 210, Richardson, TX 75080 [LIBERIA]
TRANSAVIA NETWORK (a.k.a. NV TRANS AVIATION NETWORK GROUP; a.k.a. TAN GROUP; a.k.a. TRANS AVIATION; a.k.a. TRANSAVIA TRAVEL AGENCY; a.k.a. TRANSAVIA TRAVEL CARGO), 1304 Boorj Building, Bank Street, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; P.O. Box 3962, Sharjah, United Arab Emirates; P.O. Box 2190, Ajman, United Arab Emirates; Ostende Airport, Belgium [LIBERIA]
VIAL COMPANY, DE [LIBERIA]
WESTBOUND LTD, P.O. Box 399, 26 Main Street, Gibraltar, United Kingdom [LIBERIA]
The Rest @ FDIC
San Marino and Money Laundering
The small country of San Marino, surrounded by Italy, has banking sector that has been a target location for money laundering. In 2008 a European Commitee on Crime published a Report on San Marino and Money Laundering Issues. Below are some excerpts from that report, as well as as a November, 2011 follow up report that suggesting that San Marino financial systems, in their present state, may be vulnerable to systematic money laundering attempts by terrorist organizations.
[Shimron Letters TBDA in 2009 first led us to identify San Marino as a source of one or more locations interested in Al Qaeda associated names, location and contact information activities, especially in North Africa. This is not the search pattern usually associated with operational financial intelligence unit (FIU) Activity. That source also seemed to be link and data sharing with at least one location in Malta.
-Shimron Issachar
***************************************
San Marino has taken steps to ensure compliance with the United Nations Security Council
Resolutions, however:
to be implemented by law or regulation were not provided for in legislation or regulations
issued or authorised by a legislative body.
should be provided for:
In January 2010, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a report criticizing San Marino’s ability to combat money laundering.
[Shimron Letters TBDA in 2009 first led us to identify San Marino as a source of one or more locations interested in Al Qaeda associated names, location and contact information activities, especially in North Africa. This is not the search pattern usually associated with operational financial intelligence unit (FIU) Activity. That source also seemed to be link and data sharing with at least one location in Malta.
-Shimron Issachar
***************************************
San Marino has taken steps to ensure compliance with the United Nations Security Council
Resolutions, however:
- the legal framework for the implementation of UN sanctions remainsincomplete and needs to be reviewed. There is no designating authority for 1373.
- The Supervision Department 1 of the Central Bank circulates the lists and informs of any updates.
- No guidance, of which the evaluators were aware, was provided to the banking and financial institutions on their obligations to take actions under freezing mechanisms and the procedures to be followed.
- The authorities should also ensure that the mechanism applies to all targeted funds or other assets as described in the UN resolutions of individuals, groups and legal entities.
- Financial institutions are checking the lists but it remained unclear when this is actually takingplace. The evaluators recommended also that the supervisory authority should be actively checking compliance with SR.III and that the legal framework for imposing administrative sanctions should be reviewed to adequately enable it to sanction failure to comply with the obligations.
- Also clear and publicly known procedure for de-listing and unfreezing requests; and appropriate procedures authorizing access to frozen funds for necessary basic expenses, payment of certain fees, service charges or extraordinary expenses should be established.
to be implemented by law or regulation were not provided for in legislation or regulations
issued or authorised by a legislative body.
- In particular, while banks and financial companies are required to undertake identification measures in number of specified situations, there is no obligation in the law to carry out identification when there is a suspicion of money laundering or terrorist financing or when the financial institution has doubts about the veracity or adequacy of previously obtained customer identification data.
- Furthermore the other elements of CDD are not required by law (e.g. beneficial ownership, and where necessary the source of funds).
- Additionally, the threshold applied to transactions is €15,500 rather than €15,000 limit referred to in FATF Recommendations.
should be provided for:
- use reliable, independent source documents, data or information;
- verify that any person purporting to act on behalf of the customer (for customers that are legal persons or legal arrangements) is so authorised, and identify and verify the identity of that person;
- identify the beneficial owner and take reasonable measures to verify the identity of the beneficial owner using relevant information or data obtained from a reliable source such that the financial institution is satisfied that it knows who the beneficial owner is
A Follow Up Report in November 2011 stated:
- The evaluation confirmed that San Marino has made substantial progress in implementing MONEYVAL’s third round recommendations. Since 2008, the authorities have demonstrated a clear commitment to implement the AML/CFT standards and have strengthened the preventive regime by adopting a large number of legislative, regulatory and institutional measures.
- San Marino authorities have become more attentive to money laundering risks and the use of the ML provisions. This is reflected by the results of the law enforcement and judicial system, showing a noticeable increase in the number of money laundering investigations, 4 convictions achieved for money laundering (as of September 2010) as well as helpful case law on provisional measures and confiscation.
- It is yet advised that the San Marino police officials play a more active role in AML/CFT efforts.
- There remain a number of deficiencies to ensure that the financing of terrorism offence is fully in line with international standards.
- Substantial progress has been made to establish an operational financial intelligence unit (FIU), which is now at the centre of the overall AML/CFT effort.
- However the additional functions entrusted to the Financial Intelligence Agency (FIA) and the over-reliance by other authorities on FIA impact on the workload of its staff and thus affects its effectiveness.
- San Marino has strengthened its preventive regime, setting out a comprehensive legal framework for both financial and non-financial institutions.
- There remain several preventive provisions which need to be brought more closely into line with the FATF standards, and overall, more time is needed before all requirements are substantially implemented.
- Supervisory action and the methodology applied need to be strengthened, and additional resources allocated to this task, in order to ensure that both financial and non-financial institutions are adequately implementing the AML/CFT requirements.
- Co-operation at national and international level has generally improved, particularly as regards mutual legal assistance and FIU to FIU co-operation.
- Further action is required to ensure that there are effective gateways to facilitate exchange of information and provide assistance to foreign supervisory authorities and law enforcement authorities.
In January 2010, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) released a report criticizing San Marino’s ability to combat money laundering.
Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim Hosted Black Hat Technology Event?
Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim Walks on both Sides: Why did he host this blakhat event?
-Shimron Issacahr
His Excellency Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), opened Black Hat Abu Dhabi's Briefings sessions. Black Hat Abu Dhabi concluded its training sessions with the briefings running over the next two days at the Emirates Palace.
A highlight of the briefings is the keynote address by General Michael Hayden, United States Air Force (USAF), Retired, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Deputy Director of the National Security Agency (NSA). The two-day briefing sessions offer an opportunity for industry experts to share their experience and knowledge with other professionals.
His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of the TRA commented "The aim is to educate professionals in the IT industry and to develop the security infrastructure to keep abreast of worldwide best practice in combating these issues. We are presenting the world's best speakers to do this."
The TRA represented by the UAE Computer Emergency Response Team (aeCERT), in cooperation with Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR) have partnered with UBM Middle East for the second year in a row. Black Hat Abu Dhabi runs from 12 - 15 December 2011 in Emirates Palace.
-Shimron Issacahr
His Excellency Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), opened Black Hat Abu Dhabi's Briefings sessions. Black Hat Abu Dhabi concluded its training sessions with the briefings running over the next two days at the Emirates Palace.
A highlight of the briefings is the keynote address by General Michael Hayden, United States Air Force (USAF), Retired, former Director of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) and Deputy Director of the National Security Agency (NSA). The two-day briefing sessions offer an opportunity for industry experts to share their experience and knowledge with other professionals.
His Excellency Mr. Mohamed Nasser Al Ghanim, Director General of the TRA commented "The aim is to educate professionals in the IT industry and to develop the security infrastructure to keep abreast of worldwide best practice in combating these issues. We are presenting the world's best speakers to do this."
The TRA represented by the UAE Computer Emergency Response Team (aeCERT), in cooperation with Khalifa University of Science, Technology and Research (KUSTAR) have partnered with UBM Middle East for the second year in a row. Black Hat Abu Dhabi runs from 12 - 15 December 2011 in Emirates Palace.
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