The Daily Update 14 December 2010 The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT) www.investigativeproject.org Subscriptions available only from [email protected] NOTE: The next Daily Update will be circulated during the week of 21 December 2010 General security, policy 1. U.S. and Allies plan more sanctions against Iran; Unwanted Iran brokers: US irked by overeager Swiss 2. Russia has put its forces on alert because of increased tension on the Korean Peninsula; China says N. Korea agrees on need to ease tensions 3. Maryland terror suspect ordered held until trial; new details of bomb plot revealed 4. Accused terrorist, Mohamed Harkat, also accused of cheating 5. Feds to halt GPS tracking of terror-linked felon, Semi Osman 6. 26/11 suspect Rana's Chicago status hearing cancelled Air, rail, port, health & communication infrastructure security 7. MTA plans to increase the number of NYC buses fitted with security cameras 8. US senator calls for hearings on plane registry 9. Charlotte airport and TSA confirm investigation of security breach of stowaway 10. Modern eye on NY Midtown’s diamond trade Financing, money laundering, fraud, identity theft, civil litigation 11. Treasury targets Hizballah financial network; Accused Hezbollah cell leader in US court to reduce 155-year sentence in 2002 smuggling case 12. Ohio terror victim's family proves right to punitive damages from Iran 13. FBI agents search four Henderson, NC convenience stores 14. Treasury targets financial network of Colombian drug lords allied with the FARC Border security, immigration & customs 15. WikiLeaks: Mexico can't control border; Cartels targeting pickups 16. Canada close to deal with U.S. on border security; customs officers want guns while on raids 17. RCMP reportedly set to charge suspected migrant smugglers 18. Syrian man caught at the Canada-U.S. border near Vancouver with $800K in undeclared gold coins given conditional discharge Other items 19. Justice Dep’t files religious discrimination lawsuit against Illinois school district on behalf of Muslim teacher over her request for unpaid leave to go on hajj International 20. Arrests made in Afghan attack that killed 6 U.S. troops; Propping up a drug lord, then arresting him 21. Al-Qaida affiliate: Stockholm blasts mark "new era in our jihad" 22. Pakistani forces 'hamper' US embassy; U.S. cable cites impediments 23. Willie Brigitte has been released from French prison on good behavior, despite having served less than half his sentence for plotting to bomb Australia’s nuclear reactor. 24. Australian police discover pictures of bin Laden at home linked to a new bikie gang called Soldiers of Islam, whose members include former Iraqi soldiers 25. Detective 'implicated' as terror-raid story source 1 26. Indonesian cleric Ba'asyir charged with inciting terrorism; 'assembling al-Qaeda network intent on carrying out Mumbai-style attack' on Western targets 27. More Christians flee Iraq after new violence 28. Pope helped to free British sailors held by Iran, WikiLeaks cables show 29. Hamas reaches out, tries to shore up popularity 30. Stockholm suicide bomber studied in UK; police hunt accomplices after 'mystery cough' on tape 31. WikiLeaks: UK drive to tackle Islamists made 'little progress' 32. German police mount raids on Salafist networks in three states Comment / analysis 33. NYPD CT Bureau: Sweden’s First Suicide Bomber Strikes During Christmas Shopping Season 34. IPT News: The Jihadist Social Network Underworld 35. Patrick Dunleavy: It's not entrapment 36. Emerson Vermaat: Christian Asylum Seekers in Holland Intimidated by Muslims and the Widespread Trouble with Muslim Immigrants 37. Claudia Rosett: Gaza Flotilla Shakedown 38. Daniel Pipes: Pouring cold water on WikiLeaks The Investigative Project on Terrorism Daily 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 Daily Update, is a compilation of materials on terror financing and other related financial issues. THE AMERICAS GENERAL SECURITY, POLICY 1. U.S. and Allies Plan More Sanctions Against Iran By DAVID E. SANGER New York Times December 11, 2010 http://www.nytimes.com/2010/12/11/world/middleeast/11nuke.html WASHINGTON — President Obama’s chief nuclear adviser said Friday that the United States and its allies planned new sanctions in an effort to test ―Iran’s pain threshold‖ and force the country into suspending its production of nuclear fuel. The adviser, Gary Samore, made his comments three days after talks with Iranian officials adjourned with no progress. By increasing the economic pressure, White House officials say, they hope to raise the cost to the Iranian leadership of letting the talks drag on. But it is possible, some concede, that the Iranians could react by pulling out of the discussions. The talks, held this week in Geneva, were the first in a year, and are supposed to be followed by more meetings next month, probably in Turkey… The Unwanted Iran Brokers US Irked by Over-Eager Swiss Diplomats By Mathieu von Rohr SPIEGEL ONLINE 12/14/2010 11:24 AM http://www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,734392,00.html In 2006 and 2007 Swiss diplomats tried to usher the Americans and Iranians to the negotiating table. Recently published US diplomatic cables show how deeply the Swiss initiative irked Washington -- and how Bern refused to give up despite repeated requests from the US. That US diplomats posted in Bern were upset by the efforts of Swiss Foreign Minister Micheline Calmy-Rey to intervene in the conflict surrounding Iran's nuclear program in 2006 and 2007 and force themselves on the United States as an intermediary is well known. But just how upset has now become clear from the confidential diplomatic cables released by WikiLeaks… 2. Russian forces on alert over Korea tension-report December 14, 2010 6:17am EST Reuters 2 http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE6BD1PZ20101214 MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia has put its forces on alert in the country's far east because of increased tension on the Korean Peninsula, the Interfax news agency quoted the top military commander as saying Tuesday. "Without a doubt, we have taken measures to increase the combat-readiness of our forces," military General Staff chief Nikolai Makarov said, Interfax reported. He said the military was "continuing to monitor" the situation. Makarov spoke a day after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov told his visiting North Korean counterpart that Moscow was "seriously concerned about the growth of military and political tension on the peninsula," according to the ministry. Russia shares a short border with North Korea and has expressed concern over its nuclear and missile tests… China Says North Korea Agrees on Need to Ease Tensions Stephanie Ho 14 December 2010 VOA News http://www.voanews.com/english/news/--111843184.html Beijing - China says a top diplomat forged an agreement with North Korea on easing tensions on the Korean peninsula and restarting six-party nuclear disarmament talks. As tensions continue on the Korean peninsula, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Jiang Yu said Beijing and Pyongyang have agreed to show restraint. Jiang, who was giving information on Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo's trip to North Korea last week, says the two sides agreed to avoid taking steps that would further escalate tensions, and will work to safeguard peace and stability on the peninsula. She said the two sides also agreed to push forward the six party talks aimed at ending North Korea's nuclear arms programs… 3. Terror suspect ordered held until trial New details of bomb plot revealed; defense attorney calls case entrapment By Tricia Bishop, The Baltimore Sun 3:11 PM EST, December 13, 2010 www.baltimoresun.com/news/maryland/bs-md-martinez-20101213,0,4478304.story A federal judge in Baltimore ordered that a 21-year-old Woodlawn man be held until his trial in connection with a foiled jihadist plot to kill American soldiers using a car bomb. During a hearing Monday, new details about the allegations against Antonio Martinez were revealed, as well as his likely defense – that he was entrapped. Martinez, who also went by Muhammad Hussain, was arrested last week as part of an FBI sting operation, after attempting to detonate a phony car bomb — supplied by undercover agents — at a military recruiting center in Catonsville. During the hearing, prosecutor Christine Manuelian outlined what happened on the day of the planned bombing. Martinez was videotaped, she said, and shown "grinning from ear to ear" shortly before beginning his alleged mission. Martinez's attorney, Joseph A. Balter, said his client was entrapped, a defense he is likely to develop further... 4. Accused terrorist also accused of cheating Andrew Duffy, Postmedia News · Tuesday, Dec. 14, 2010 http://www.nationalpost.com/Accused+terrorist+also+accused+cheating/3972130/story.html The federal case against Mohamed Harkat makes him out to be not only a terrorist, but also a dishonest schemer who sought to marry a woman in Algeria, cheat his way to a taxi licence and collect government benefits to which he was not entitled. Those allegations -- they were never proven in court -- are contained in legal disclosures made to Mr. Harkat as part of his security certificate case. Federal Court Justice Simon Noel made them public last week in ruling against a defence motion to have the case thrown out as an abuse of process. To support his contention that Mr. Harkat had enough information to properly defend himself, Judge Noel detailed the legal disclosure in the case. It offers new details about Mr. Harkat's life in Canada… 5.