The Lone Elm

An Anti-Terrorism Islamic Pop Music Video, Finally

INDC Journal and Belmont Club bring my attention to a hot new pop song and video that is making waves in Pakistan and is now global titled Yeh Hum Naheen.   It's quite a catchy little tune with major Pakistani artists in the video.  Hang in for the very last frame, which is the bottom line.  As Wretchard points out, maybe this expression by popular public figures will help other, regular folks have the strength to stand up to terrorists. I think it may also help all of us to keep in mind who we are supporting in this war.

British Foil Plot to Blow Up Airliners to U.S.

Thank God for the British investigators!  The news is reporting a plan to blow up a number of American carrier planes crossing the Atlantic.  This was to be accomplished by carrying on the components of bomb-making material and then mixing the material while in flight.  See Sky News and BBC.  The British have established severe restrictions on what can be carried on to the plane into the passenger compartment (see Sky News article), but it looks like no laptops, no books, no pens, no paper, not even any drinks. If you bring liquid baby formula, you have to take a taste.  Whew. For a wrap-up and discussion of ties to the missing Egyptians in the U.S. and the 1995 plot to blow up planes crossing the Pacific see Michelle Malkin.  Michelle Malkin also has a summary of arrests in the U.S. on Wednesday in Dearborn of two individuals with large numbers of cell phones, cash, and airplane itinerary information.  Brendan Loy also has a comprehensive wrap up and says that TSA has ordered that no liquids be carried aboard domestic US flights.  Belmont Club has an even wider wrap-up and ends up with a quote from the Great Gatsby.

Terrorism Plots in North America

Canadian police have stepped in and made arrests which hopefully prevent major terrorist attacks in Canada or possibly the U.S. that might have been imminent. General press articles at the Toronto Star, the National Post, and the Washington Post.   Riehl World View discusses the large amount of explosives held by the arrested Canadians, and how these arrests relate to two arrests in Atlanta GA.  Counterterroism Blog points out the vast international links that this group had.  See also fine write-up and references by Steve Schippert at ThreatsWatch.Org and Thomas Lifson at The American Thinker. 

For a longer read regarding work by our police at home, see this piece in The New Yorker about the city's anti-terrorism work.  Fascinating. Hat tip to Barbara O'Brien who saw this referenced in No More Mister Nice Blog.

Bio of an Al Qaeda Bomber

Karl Vick of the Washington Post writes today about Louai Sakka, whose effort to undertake a suicide bombing of an Israeli cruise ship failed when his bomb-making apparatus blew up in his Turkish apartment. Sakka had been involved in a number of terrorist activities, including the planning for 9/11.  Unlike the stereotypical view of terrorists, Sakka was from a well-off family and had financial means.  The article provides fascinating insight into the life of the modern terrorist.

Citizens nab terrorist

See The Jawa Report for a fascinating tale about how a terrorist wanna-be in Ohio was nabbed through the independent efforts of a local librarian and several folks who follow the jihad internet scene.  Protein Wisdom has a cute take on the fabulous efforts by just regular people to make our country safe.

Bombing in Pakistan Was a Success

The Counterterrorism Blog has an excellent wrap-up here and here on the final tally of three senior Al Qaeda leaders taken out by the Predator bomb last week.  One of them, Abu Khabab, had a $5 million reward and was considered a mastermind of the terrorist network.  See press articles in the Washington Post, a somewhat more skeptical article at the BBC,  a long article at The New York Times, and Bill Roggio at ThreatsWatch.Org for lots of detail.  TigerHawk discusses the political dynamic.

Have we forgotten 9/11?

Daniel Pipes and others are concerned that we are lulling ourselves back into the pre 9/11 stupor.
Let's hope not.  See also this article on the activities of members of a Boston Mosque proselytizing terror. Or Evan Kohlmann's article at Counterterrorism Blog regarding the targetting of the White House and the President.  And, Thomas Bray points out that the United States by no means has a monopoly on the activities other countries we consider "exemplary" carry out to protect their citizens.

Cell Phone Used by Terrorists

GlobeandMail.com has a distrubing story about how in Canada a cell phone was hi-jacked by terrorists. This was possible due to the insecurity of the Rogers Wireless system, and led to cell phone bills over ten thousand dollars.  According to the article, the cellphones were "cloned" by a terror group linked to Hezbollah.   Thanks to Sigmund, Carl and Alfred for the tip.

Terrorist Arrests

The BBC reports on arrests in France of twenty-eight Islamic extremists this week.  According to the article, "Interior Ministry Nicolas Sarkozy told parliament on Wednesday that several of the men had "indirect links" to Iraq insurgency leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi. The group, including men of Algerian and Tunisian origin, is suspected of funding groups through crime."  According to the Australian, Australia is also detaining ten men on various terror counts, and just issued a new count regarding financing of terrorism against eight of them.

Excellent News on the Terrorist Front

Winds of Change has a fine sum up of the three important terrorists that are now out of the game, two dead, one captured alive.  In capturing Mustafa Setmariam Nasar we have a very important intelligence asset, perhaps the best since the cature of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed in 2003.  Nasar was also one of the most senior al-Qaeda leaders, and in position to be a successor to bin Laden.  MSNBC reports that Nasar was involved in the Madrid bombings and possibly the London train bombings.

Abu Omar al-Saif chose to blow himself up rather than be captured by the Russians.  He was a key personality in the Chechen terrorism, including the Beslan school incident.  For more see Evan Kohlmann at the Counterterrorism Blog.

Hamza Rabia was blown up by a CIA missle attack  on an al Qaeda safehouse in Waziristan, and characterized as the head of al-Qaeda in Pakistan, and, according to MSNBC possible number 3 in the overall hierarchy.