The Update 15 March 2011 the Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) Subscriptions Available Only from [email protected]
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The Update 15 March 2011 The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) Subscriptions available only from [email protected] General security, policy 1. Report: Iran launching cyber attacks on enemies' websites 2. Petraeus: Taliban’s military momentum stalled; Petraeus doesn’t sweat Iran’s rockets in Afghanistan 3. Russia denies plans to swap US spy for Bout 4. Treasury designates Libyan Foreign Minister and identifies 16 state-owned companies 5. Five Somalis sentenced in Va. to life plus 80 years in prison for piracy against USS Nicholas; In Norfolk, pirate suspects plead not guilty in attack on yacht 6. Mounties charge two Canadians with terror-related offences related to 2009 plot to blow up packed subway cars in New York; superceding indictment unsealed in Brooklyn federal court 7. Mumbai terror suspect's lawyers seek e-mails from convicted associate 8. Head of Joint Terrorism Task Force nearly fired for holding back info from NYPD superiors? 9. Candidates emerge to replace Mueller at FBI Air, rail, port, health & communication infrastructure security 10. U.S. rescue teams join global relief effort in Japan 11. Feds should act against hackers targeting power grid: experts 12. TSA reports raise scanner safety concerns 13. Passengers’ prayers spur security alert on L.A. flight Financing, money laundering, bribery, fraud, identity theft, civil litigation 14. Treasury designates senior officials of Libya, wife and additional children of Muammar Qadhafi 15. Federal appeals court mulls Oregon Islamic charity's link to Bin Laden 16. FL man sentenced to 36 months for conspiring to steal $500K worth of infant formula 17. CBP seizes more than $30M in counterfeit checks, money orders in Cincinnati 18. Former owner of Grand Rapids store denies abuse of food stamp benefits; 2nd worker pleads guilty in food-stamp fraud at Grand Rapids store Border security, immigration & customs 19. Texas farmers say drug war making job dangerous 20. Canada announces the release of Canada–U.S. report to support enhanced border security Other items 21. Missouri legislators, wary of Islamic law, propose banning it International 22. Egypt's army shelled vehicles trying to smuggle weapons into the country from Sudan last week 23. Saudi troops enter Bahrain to support monarchy 24. Family of 5, including 3 children, stabbed to death in Israeli settlement of Itamar 25. IDF seizes Gaza-bound arms vessel 26. Mauritania seek death penalty against 3 members of AQIM over slain American 27. Followers of Bashir testify that he had sought money to fund paramilitary camp in Indonesia and plot war against non-Muslims 28. Philippines arrests Al Qaeda- & Taliban-linked bombing suspect 1 29. WikiLeaks cable alleges fraud in £43 billion Saudi-Britain arms deal 30. Wikileaks: US feared British 'sharia banks' would finance terrorist groups 31. Germany charges al-Qaida suspect 32. British police in training for Mumbai-style attack Comment / analysis 33. IPT News: New Magazine Aims to Push Jihadi Women 34. Abdur-Rahman Muhammad: Next Panel Must Hear Activists 35. Salim Mansur: Muslim radicals: On the U.S. Congress Homeland Security hearing 36. Stephen Schwartz: Voices of moderates in Islam 37. Bret Stephens: Are Israeli Settlers Human? The Investigative Project on Terrorism Update is designed for use by law enforcement, the intelligence community and policy makers for non-profit research and educational use only. Quoted material is subject to the copyright protections of the original sources which should be cited for attribution, rather than the Update. Our weekly report, "The Money Trail," derived from our Update, is a compilation of materials on terror financing and other related financial issues. THE AMERICAS GENERAL SECURITY, POLICY 1. Report: Iran launching cyber attacks on enemies' websites Revolutionary Guard hackers battle the blogs of the anti-Ahmadinejad opposition and the websites of the country's foreign enemies. By The Associated Press March 14, 2011 http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/7744 Iranian hackers working for the powerful Revolutionary Guard's paramilitary Basij group have launched attacks on websites of the enemies, a state-owned newspaper reported Monday in a rare acknowledgment from Iran that it's involved in cyber warfare. The report followed an announcement in January that Iran had formed its first cyber police unit in an attempt by authorities to gain an edge in the digital world. The Internet has also been a key outlet for Iran's opposition since the 2009 disputed presidential election. In addition, Iran has been trying to boost its web defenses after the Stuxnet computer worm made its way into computers involved with the country's controversial nuclear program. Gen. Ali Fazli, acting commander of the Basij, was quoted by state-owned IRAN paper as saying Iran's cyber army is made up of university teachers, students and clerics. He said its attacks were a retaliation for similar attacks on Iran, according to the semi-official Mehr news agency. There were no further details about the possible targets or the time of the attacks… 2. Petraeus: Taliban’s military momentum stalled By Associated Press 9:26 a.m., Tuesday, March 15, 2011 http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2011/mar/15/petraeus-give-upbeat-view-afghan-fight/ IPT NOTE: The list of witnesses and links to their testimony are posted at http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=5058 WASHINGTON (AP) — In his first formal assessment of the war in Afghanistan, U.S. Army Gen. David H. Petraeus said Tuesday that much of the Taliban’s battlefield momentum has been halted, putting the United States on course to begin pulling out troops in July and shifting security responsibility to the Afghans. In testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee, Gen. Petraeus cautioned that security progress is still ―fragile and reversible,‖ with much difficult work ahead as the Taliban launches an expected spring offensive. The general’s testimony was his first on the war since he took command in Kabul last summer. He said he supports President Obama’s plan to begin reducing the number of U.S. troops in July; he said he would prepare options for that and make a recommendation to Mr. Obama... Testifying alongside the general, the Pentagon’s top civilian policy official, Michele Flournoy, said, ―Our strategy is working.‖ She said U.S., NATO and Afghan forces are regaining critical territory and wresting 2 the initiative from the insurgents… Petraeus Doesn’t Sweat Iran’s Rockets in Afghanistan By Spencer Ackerman March 15, 2011 3:26 pm http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/03/petraeus-doesnt-sweat-irans-rockets-in-afghanistan/ Yes, Iran’s elite forces are providing the Taliban with dangerous rockets, overcoming Shia Iran’s longstanding antipathy for the Sunni extremists in Afghanistan. But Gen. David Petraeus, commander of NATO troops in Afghanistan, played down Iran’s interference like it was no big deal. In testimony to the Senate Armed Services Committee on Tuesday, Petraeus confirmed that NATO had recently intercepted a weapons shipment that the British linked to Iran. According to Petraeus, Iran’s Qods Force, a branch of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps, provided 48 122 millimeter rockets to a ―known Taliban facilitator.‖ The rockets are twice the range of the 107-mm rockets the Taliban typically employ, with ―twice the bursting radius.‖… Petraeus’ remarks were unambiguous: Iran ―without question‖ provides ―weapons, training and funding‖ to the Taliban, Petraeus said, despite the sectarian divides and history of acrimony to them… UNITED STATES SENATE COMMITTEE ON ARMED SERVICES There will be a meeting of the Committee on ARMED SERVICES Tuesday, March 15, 2011 9:30 AM Room SD-G50 Dirksen Senate Office Building OPEN* To receive testimony on the situation in Afghanistan. http://armed-services.senate.gov/e_witnesslist.cfm?id=5058 Honorable Michèle A. Flournoy, Under Secretary of Defense for Policy http://armed-services.senate.gov/statemnt/2011/03%20March/Flournoy%2003-15-11.pdf General David H. Petraeus, USA, Commander, International Security Assistance Force and Commander, U.S. Forces Afghanistan http://armed-services.senate.gov/statemnt/2011/03%20March/Petraeus%2003-15-11.pdf 3. Russia denies plans to swap US spy for Bout (AFP) – March 10, 2011 http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5gV8jIU31qO8vc6HT6acLxg4tToig MOSCOW — Russia's foreign ministry said Thursday there were no plans to swap a convicted US spy for alleged "Merchant of Death" arms dealer Viktor Bout after reports said such a proposal was on the cards. The Interfax news agency, quoting a law enforcement source, reported Wednesday that officials were mulling a plan to swap Bout for a former Russian defence ministry official convicted of spying for the United States. "The issue of him being swapped for anyone is not under consideration," foreign ministry spokesman Alexander Lukashevich said in televised remarks, adding that Bout was never a state employee nor acted on behalf of the state. "We very much regret that there is so much speculation on this matter." The Interfax report had said Bout could be swapped for Andrei Khlychev, who was sentenced last week to 18 years by a Moscow court. Citing sources, the news agency said he was accused of passing the US classified data on the Russian nuclear industry. Bout is believed by US law enforcement to be one of the world's biggest arms traffickers. He was arrested in a US sting in March 2008 and extradited from Thailand to New York in November after a long legal battle… 4. Moving to Further Isolate Qadhafi Regime, Treasury Designates Libyan Foreign Minister and Identifies 16 State-Owned Companies US Department of the Treasury Press Release 3/15/2011 http://www.treasury.gov/press-center/press-releases/Pages/tg1104.aspx WASHINGTON – Taking further steps to isolate the Qadhafi regime, the U.S.