REPORT: One UK Bomber Was Recent GITMO Release

7 July 2005; 12:54 ET: Preliminary reports from a source inside the Pentagon indicate that one of the operatives involved in this morning's bombings in London was recently released from the prison at Guantanamo.

UPDATED 10:35 PM ET: A clarification was made by the source providing this information, noting that "one of the bombers who is believed to be involved in this attack was recently released from the prison at Guantanamo, Cuba." The source did not elaborate about how the suspect was reportedly identified so early, although suggested he was onboard bus 30 that exploded outside of the British Medical Association at 9:47 local time. We are continuing our investigation.

Another Claim of London Blasts by Al-Qaeda

DUBAI, July 9, 2005 (IslamOnline.net & News Agencies) � In the second claim of the bloody blasts, Al-Qaeda said Saturday, July 9, it was responsible for the London bombings and warned that more attacks would follow.

"A group of mujahedeen from a division of the Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades piled blow after blow on the infidel capital, the British capital, leaving dead and injured," read an Internet statement, whose authenticity could not be verified, reported Agence France-Presse (AFP).

"The next days will be marked by the biggest demonstrations of jihad against those who have declared war on Islam and Muslims," warned the statement.

Abu Hafs Al-Masri Brigades has previously claimed responsibility for the March 2004 Madrid train bombings in which 191 people died and twin bombings in Istanbul in November 2003 that killed 25 people.

"We will only calm down when security is a reality in the land of Islam and for Muslims in Iraq, Afghanistan and Palestine," said the statement.

This is the second claim of responsibility for the London bombings by a group purporting to be an Al-Qaeda affiliate.

Memo says US, UK readying Iraqi withdrawal-report

A leaked document from Britain's Defense Ministry says the British and U.S. governments are planning to reduce their troop levels in Iraq by more than half by mid-2006, the Mail on Sunday newspaper reported.

The memo, reportedly written by Defense Minister John Reid, said Britain would reduce its troop numbers to 3,000 from 8,500 by the middle of next year.

"We have a commitment to hand over to Iraqi control in Al Muthanna and Maysan provinces (two of the four provinces under British control in southern Iraq) in October 2005 and in the other two, Dhi Qar and Basra, in April 2006," the memo was reported to have said.

The memo said Washington planned to cut its forces to 66,000 from about 140,000 by early 2006.

"Emerging U.S. plans assume 14 out of 18 provinces could be handed over to Iraqi control by early 2006," the memo said.

The United States is training Iraqi forces to take over the country's defense in the face of an insurgency involving allies of former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein and foreign militants allied to al Qaeda operative Abu Musab al-Zarqawi.

But critics say Iraqi troops are not ready to take charge of security in their country.

"There is, however, a debate between the Pentagon/Centcom, who favor a relatively bold reduction in force numbers and the multi-national force in Iraq, whose approach is more cautious," read the memo.

Reid said in a statement in response the article:

"We have made it absolutely plain we will stay in Iraq for as long as is needed. No decision on the future force posture of UK forces has been taken.

"We have always said it is our intention to hand over the lead in fighting terrorists to Iraqi security forces as their capability increases.

"We therefore continually produce papers outlining possible options and contingencies. This is but one of a number of such papers produced over recent months covering various scenarios. This is prudent planning."

The United States and Britain have the two largest contingents of foreign forces in Iraq and the memo described the impact a reduction of U.S. and British forces might have on other allied troops.

"The Japanese will be reluctant to stay if protection is solely provided by the Iraqis. The Australian position may also be uncertain."

The memo said reducing British troop levels in Iraq would save about 1 billion pounds ($1.74 billion) per year. ($1=.5757 Pound)

Downed US Seals may have got too close to Bin Laden

THE first sign of trouble was a radio message requesting immediate extraction. A four-man team of US Navy Seal commandos had run into heavy enemy fire on a remote, thickly forested trail in the mountains of eastern Afghanistan.

Trouble turned to disaster when a US special forces helicopter carrying 16 men was shot down as it landed at the scene, killing all on board. Almost two weeks later, a mission that led to the worst US combat losses in Afghanistan since the invasion in 2001 has turned into an extraordinary manhunt. It has also opened an intriguing new front in the coalition�s battle against terrorism.

The story of Operation Red Wing, a US-led search for Taliban and Al-Qaeda guerrillas in the mountain wilderness of Kunar province, contains remarkable human drama and an unresolved military mystery.

For five days amid the hostile peaks and ravines along Afghanistan�s border with Pakistan, a lone American commando eluded the guerrillas who had killed at least two of his colleagues and destroyed the Chinook helicopter.

When the unnamed Seal finally collapsed from exhaustion he was found by a friendly Afghan villager who summoned US forces. The subsequent search for his colleagues turned up two bodies and the manhunt for the fourth commando continues this weekend despite claims by Taliban guerrillas yesterday that he had been captured and beheaded.

According to former special forces officers and other military sources, the four-man Seal strike team may have come too close to one of the US-led coalition�s highest-priority targets � perhaps Mullah Muhammad Omar, the former Taliban leader, or even Osama Bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda. Other military sources suggested the target was a regional Taliban commander suspected of links with Al-Qaeda.

BIRMINGHAM TERROR THREAT

Thousands of people have been evacuated from Birmingham city centre after police issued a terror warning.

Bomb squad officers reportedly carried out a series of controlled explosions in the Broad Street entertainment district.


West Midlands Police said no vehicles are being allowed past the inner ring road.

Around 200 bars, restaurants and clubs were being emptied and searched

Assistant chief constable Stuart Hyde said police had received an intelligence warning of a "substantial threat".

"I don't believe that the incident that we are dealing with this evening is connected with the events of July 7 in London. I want to make that pretty clear," he said.

"We have evacuated an area of Birmingham city centre and we are asking people who are there at the moment to go home, to have the evening off, this will help us considerably."

Mr Hyde said a controlled explosion was carried out on a bus in Corporation Street following a call from a member of the public.

However, it was thought the item destroyed had not posed a threat.

Allan Sartori, a Birmingham club owner, said police appeared to have the situation under control in the city centre.

He said evacuating the city centre would have cost "a lot of people a lot of money".

But he added: "People's lives are far more important than money in a situation like this."

Preparing for Terrorism: What You Can Do

In light of these United Kingdom terror strikes, President Bush has warned all Americans to be "extra vigilant." So, what can the average person do to prepare for a possible terrorist attack?

EMERGENCY SUPPLIES: Just like having a working smoke detector in your home, having emergency supply kits will put the tools you may need at your fingertips. Be prepared to improvise and use what you have on hand to make it on your own for at least three days, maybe longer.

While there are many things that might make you comfortable, think first about fresh water, food and clean air. Remember to include, and periodically rotate, medications you take every day such as insulin and heart medicine. Plan to store items in an easy-to-carry bag such as a shopping bag, backpack or duffle bag.

A Quick Security Tip: Don't forget to include emergency lighting items such as quality flashlights (along with an ample supply of spare batteries).

Consider two kits. In one, put everything you will need to stay where you are and make it on your own. The other should be a lightweight, smaller version you can take with you if you have to get away.

EMERGENCY PLANNING: You should plan in advance what you will do in an emergency. Be prepared to access the situation and use common sense and whatever you have on hand to take care of yourself and your loved ones.

Think about the places where your family spends time: school, work and other places that you frequent. Ask about their emergency plans. If they do not have an emergency plan, consider helping develop one. Find out how they will communicate with families during an emergency.

SPECIFIC TERRORIST THREATS: It is important to remember that there are significant differences among potential terrorist threats (such as a biological threat, a chemical threat, a nuclear blast, or a so-called "dirty bomb") that will influence the decisions you make and the actions you take. By beginning a process of learning about these specific threats, you are preparing yourself to react in an emergency.

IN ALL CASES, REMAIN CALM: Be prepared to adapt this information to your personal circumstances and make every effort to follow instructions received from authorities on the scene.

Above all, stay composed, be patient and think before you act. With these simple preparations, you can be ready for the unexpected. If you have a working smoke detector in your home, you understand that preparing makes sense.

This is, of course, a very brief review of some of the very basic ideas suggested in the booklet "Preparing Makes Sense. Get Ready Now."

For more information and details on preparing for terrorism, and to get a free copy of this booklet, go to www.ready.gov or call 1-800-BE-READY.

Attack on U.S. imminent ?

Terrorists will try to carry out an attack on the United States within the next 90 days, a former Israeli counterterrorism intelligence officer predicts.

Juval Aviv, head of the New York-based intelligence company Interfor and a special consultant to the U.S. Congress, told Fox News his information is based primarily on intelligence "floating in Europe and the Middle East."

An event is "imminent and around the corner here in the United States," he said. "It could happen as soon as tomorrow, or it could happen in the next few months. Ninety days at the most."

"What they're going to do is hit six, seven, or eight cities simultaneously to show sophistication and really hit the public," Aviv said.

But this time, he emphasized, it will not only be big cities.

"They're going to try to hit rural America," Aviv said. "They want to send a message to rural America: 'You're not protected. If you figured out that if you just move out of New York and move to Montana or to Pittsburgh, you're not immune. We're going to get you wherever we can and it's easier there than in New York.'"

Lodi terror suspects implicate 6 others

Tell FBI Pakistan camp taught ways to attack U.S. financial, government sites

A father and son being held in a terror probe focused on the agricultural town of Lodi told the FBI that six other men from the area attended a terrorist training camp in Pakistan, according to classified documents obtained by a newspaper.

Hamid Hayat, 22, and his father, Umer, 47, both U.S. citizens, are charged with lying to federal investigators about the younger man's time at an al-Qaida-linked camp in 2003 and 2004. Their arrests are part of an investigation in Lodi that also led to immigration charges against two Muslim religious leaders and a son of one of the leaders.

The father and son first denied any connection to the camp before cooperating with authorities, according to court records. The FBI says Umer Hayat admitted paying for his son's flight to Pakistan and for the camp, which was run by the friend of Umer Hayat's father-in-law.

The pair also told investigators that six others attended the camp, according to federal court documents obtained by The Sacramento Bee. There they were trained to target financial institutions and government buildings in the United States, according to the documents.

The newspaper's report contained no details about who the six people might be or their possible connections to Lodi, an agricultural town about 35 miles south of Sacramento.

Most court documents related to the case remain under seal and away from public view.

Spokeswomen for the FBI and the U.S. Attorney's office declined comment, as did Hamid Hayat's attorney, Wazhma Mojaddidi. Attorneys for Umer Hayat and the two religious leaders did not immediately return telephone messages left Friday.

The Hayats have pleaded not guilty.

U.S. frees more Taliban suspects in Afghanistan

The U.S. military freed 76 Taliban suspects on Saturday as part of an effort to encourage rank and file guerrillas to lay down their arms, the latest batch freed this year despite a surge in militant violence.

The men, detained at various stages in the U.S.-led battle against Taliban guerrillas since toppling the fundamentalists from power in 2001, were freed from a U.S. military detention centre at the main U.S. base at Bagram to the north of Kabul.

Another group of 57 were freed early this month, 53 in June, 86 in May and 81 in January.

(*J.R.*): Are they going out of their minds ? Why are we releasing these ruthless killers. This is a huge mistake in my opinion, you will only be facing these people again and they may kill some of our soldiers.

Italy arrests 142 in anti-terrorism sweep

Prompted by London bombings, police step up patrols around Milan

Police said Saturday they had arrested 142 people in a two-day anti-terrorism security sweep around Milan prompted by the bombings two days earlier in London.

Some 2,000 carabinieri fanned out across the Lombardy region, stepping up patrols around train stations, subways, commercial centers and other sensitive sites, the regional commander of the paramilitary police, Gen. Antonio Girone, said in a phone interview.

Girone said the operation was focusing on Milan because it had been the major focus of Italian investigations into Islamic terrorism and because it �could be a major risk of possible attacks.� He said the measures were designed to make people �feel calmer after the London attacks.�

Of those arrested, 84 were immigrants and authorities issued 52 expulsion orders, he said. Most of those arrested were accused on drug, petty theft or immigration-related charges, he said.

The operation was one of the most visible signs of stepped up security measures around Italy following Thursday�s attacks in London and threats that Italy might be targeted as well for its support of the U.S.-led wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Taliban claims to kill �captured� American

U.S. says it has no information to support claim

Taliban guerrillas said on Saturday they had killed a missing American commando they claimed to have captured in eastern Afghanistan last month, but the U.S. military said it had no information to support the claim.

Hakimi said the U.S. commando was killed at 11 a.m. (2 a.m. ET) on Saturday and his body dumped on a mountain in the eastern province of Kunar, where a four-man Navy SEAL team went missing during a clash with militants June 28.

�We killed him using a knife and chopped off his head,� he said by satellite telephone from an undisclosed location.

Hakimi�s information has often proven unreliable in the past, but he has appeared well informed about events surrounding the helicopter crash.

Gonzales: "I'm not a candidate"

Conservative activists last week said they feared Gonzales might not add a truly conservative voice to the high court when it came to issues such as abortion and affirmative action.

This is an important decision, and I understand there's a lot of pent-up anticipation," Gonzales said in an interview after meeting with Justice Department officials in Denver. "People have been waiting for 11 years, and so people have very strong views about this. This is America, and people have the right to speak their mind. It's all part of the process, as far as I'm concerned."

"I've been asked since 2001 whether or not I'd consider going on the court, and I've consistently said, 'I'm not a candidate for the Supreme Court' - and that remains true today," Gonzales said. "I love being attorney general. My job, currently, is to help the president make this decision."

The opening conservative salvo against Gonzales is sure to be followed by intense volleys from all sides in the coming months, said University of Virginia political science professor Larry Sabato.

Bush is not expected to announce his nominee for some time. But activists already have begun efforts to influence the nomination process, Sabato said. The campaign-style fight could cost between $50 million and $100 million, he said.

"It's hard to imagine that this one won't be nasty," he said.

The conservatives jumped first because they believe it's their seat to lose with a Republican with strong ties to the party base as president, Sabato said.

Liberals also have their complaints about Gonzales, mostly concerning his work as chief White House counsel involving policies for conducting the war on terrorism. Many of those concerns were aired during Gonzales' Senate confirmation hearings to become attorney general this year.

Court sources: Rehnquist retiring

Following on the heels of Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, U.S. Supreme Court Chief Justice William Rehnquist will announce his retirement before the end of the week, according to court sources cited by columnist Robert Novak.

O'Connor surprised many court watchers when she gave President Bush a resignation letter last Friday while all eyes were on the ailing Rehnquist.

In his column, Novak said a Rehnquist retirement would enable President Bush to nominate Attorney General Alberto Gonzales despite fierce opposition from the president's own political base.

The thinking is that with two openings, Bush could "name one justice no less conservative than Rehnquist, and name Gonzales, whose past record suggests he would replicate retiring Justice Sandra Day O'Connor on abortion and possibly other social issues. Thus, the present ideological orientation of the court would be unchanged, which would suit the left just fine."

Novak commented that "Gonzales would not exactly be another O'Connor, but he is still considered a disaster by Republican conservatives. He also is the best Democrats can hope for."

Pentagon can't fund Scout jamboree

A federal judge has ruled the Pentagon can no longer spend millions in government money to ready a Virginia military base for a national Boy Scout event typically held every four years, the American Civil Liberties Union announced Thursday.

U.S. District Judge Blanche Manning's June 22 order stems from a 1999 lawsuit by the ACLU of Illinois that claimed the Defense Department sponsorship violates the First Amendment because the Scouts require members to swear an oath of duty to God.

Justice Department spokesman Charles Miller said Thursday the government was still considering its options.

The order doesn't cover this year's National Scout Jamboree (search), which start July 25 and is expected to draw more than 40,000 people to the Army's Fort A.P. Hill in Virginia.

A Scouts spokesman said he expects the Pentagon's lawyers to appeal.

"We are confident that an appeal to the 7th Circuit will return everything to the status quo," Bob Bork said.

ACLU of Illinois spokesman Ed Yohnka said no other youth organization receives millions of dollars in government support, and that the injunction is the latest step toward ending the Scouts' unfair advantage.

The Defense Department notified the Chicago federal court in April that it would support this summer's jamboree, despite a ruling by Manning in March that the department's aid was unconstitutional. The government argued at the time that the ruling wasn't final.

The government aid, which amounted to $6 million and $8 million respectively for the jamborees in 1997 and 2001, was used to transport military personnel and other goods there, according to Manning's March order. The government expected to pay about $7.3 million for this year's jamboree.

Jamboree activities include archery, biking, a confidence course, environmental conservation programs and kayaking, according to the Scouts' Web site.

The Rev. Eugene Winkler, a Methodist minister who is one of the plaintiffs in the case, said he got involved because he did not agree with the use of taxpayer money to support the Scouts.

"We're not attacking the Scouts and neither is the ACLU," Winkler said. "This issue is not about the Boy Scouts at all. It's about government funding for religious purposes. It's about separation" of church and state.

Court: 'Merry Christmas' ACLU

Rejects suit by woman claiming holiday display was offensive

A federal appeals court rejected the claim of a woman represented by the ACLU who said she was offended by Christmas displays at a city hall.

Grace C. Osediacz sued the city of Cranston, R.I., asserting that the religious displays -- erected along with secular displays by members of the public in an area designated by the city -- violate the so-called "separation of church and state."

But a panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 1st Circuit ruled unanimously Wednesday that Osediacz had no standing to bring her claim. "This is the court's message: You can't sue just because you're an offended observer," said Benjamin Bull, chief counsel of the Alliance Defense Fund, or ADF.

ADF-allied attorney Tom Marcelle represented the city in the case.

"The appeals court today," Bull continued, "rejected what has been a longstanding ACLU tactic -- filing lawsuits simply for the reason that somebody claims to be offended. The Christmas displays in Cranston were perfectly constitutional, just as the district court ruled."

Unknown number of victims in tunnel

Police chiefs admitted they do not know how many bodies are still in the wreckage of a Tube train following Thursday's terrorist attacks in London.

They confirmed that more than 50 people were killed in total in the blasts on three trains and one bus. But the instability of a tunnel between King's Cross and Russell Square Stations meant they were having difficulty at one of the bomb scenes.

Scotland Yard Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said: "We know that there are more than 50 fatalities. There is great difficulty in deciding or determining how many fatalities because two of the scenes are very difficult in terms of recovery.

"One is the bus because of the nature of the explosion and more acutely the Tube train at Russell Square continues to hold a number of bodies. We don't know how many are there."

Group threatens al Qaeda attacks on Rome

A group claiming links to al Qaeda threatened to attack Rome to punish Italy for supporting the United States, and praised the bomb blasts in London, a Web statement said on Friday.
The statement did not appear on Web sites normally used by Islamist militants loyal to al Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

"We warn Rome, the capital of infidels, that the lions of Jihad in Europe are ready to launch strong strikes against the collaborating government with the crusaders, the Americans, the enemies of God, the Prophet and Muslims," it said.

"With the help of God, a group of honourable mujahideen carried out successful attacks on three (London) underground stations and a bus," said the statement in the name of the little-known Organisation of al Qaeda - Jihad in the Arabian Peninsula.

It gave timings for each of Thursday's attacks, referring to them as "explosions", implying they were not suicide attacks, which militants normally describe as "martyrdom operations".

More than 50 people were killed in the coordinated rush-hour attacks which Britain said bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda.

Muslim Cleric Urged London Attacks

As Londoners recover from bombing attacks that left 50 people dead and 1,000 wounded yesterday, suspicion is focusing on a radical Muslim cleric who urged his flock to commit suicide bombing attacks in Britain and preached anti-Semitic hate from his mosque in Finsbury Park.

Abu Hamza al-Masri went on trial in London this week, charged by British officials with incitement to murder and other terrorist offenses.

But the activities of his followers - like convicted shoe bomber Richard Reid and the so-called 20th hijacker, Zacarias Moussaoui - suggest that Hamza's rhetoric may have helped spur new attacks. For years before his Finsbury Park mosque was shut down in 2003, Hamza preached jihad, urging his followers to carry out suicide attacks against British citizens.

"Our immediate duty now is to correct our own homeland," Hamza urged, according to tapes released to the British press in April 2004.

"You don't have to travel thousands and thousands of miles to become a shaheed [martyr] - you can be shaheed right on your own doorstep. This is the best jihad."

After the 9/11 attacks, Hamza could barely contain his delight, proclaiming: "Many people will be happy, jumping up and down. America is a crazy superpower and what was done was done in self-defense."

Labour MP Andrew Dismore, who has pleaded with British officials for years to deport Hamza, said his recorded statements "reveal the truth and confirm what a lot of us have been saying for some time. They show that he is a racist, anti-Semitic and a supporter of terrorism."

Even after British officials closed his mosque, Hamza continued to advocate suicide attacks.

"Seek the way of death; try to do actions that subject you to death," he told an audience of mostly young men shortly before his arrest last year. "If you die to defend your religion, you are a martyr."

U.S. prosecutors have also charged Hamza in connection with a hostage-taking in Yemen six years ago and an attempt to set up a terror training camp in Bly, Oregon.

No criminality in Schiavo collapse, prosecutor says

There is no evidence that Terri Schiavo's collapse 15 years ago involved criminal activity, said a prosecutor asked by Gov. Jeb Bush to look into the case.

Bush, who asked State Attorney Bernie McCabe to further investigate Schiavo's case after her autopsy last month, responded Thursday by saying he considers the state's involvement with the matter finished.

``Based on your conclusions, I will follow your recommendation that the inquiry by the state be closed,'' Bush said in a two-sentence letter.

In asking McCabe to look again into what put Schiavo in a persistent vegetative state, Bush had cited an alleged gap in time between when Schiavo's husband Michael found her and when he called 911 as something that remained unsettled.

McCabe said, however, that while such discrepancies may exist in the record, Michael Schiavo's statements that he called 911 immediately had been consistent.

Terri Schiavo died March 31 from dehydration after her feeding tube was disconnected despite efforts by Bush, her parents and some state national lawmakers to keep her alive. Michael Schiavo had fought to have the tube disconnected, saying his wife wouldn't have wanted to remain in such a state.

Shocked eyewitnesses recall horror

Wounded Londoners painted a nightmarish picture of chaos and bloodshed as four explosions ripped through the heart of their city on Thursday, leaving Britain in shock.

�I came out of the bank and walked 20 meters and I saw the bus, then it just blew up. The ground vibrated with the explosion and the bus flew into the air. It was shattered. Everyone was running for their lives crying out,� said Ayobami Bello, a 42-year-old security guard.

�The scene afterwards was horrible, pieces of body on the ground. I saw three bodies on the ground and three just hanging out of the bus.�

The explosion ripped the bus open like a flimsy tin can.

�I was on the bus. I looked round and the seats behind me were gone,� said one disoriented woman.

Loyita Worley, who was on an Underground �tube� train in the financial district, described the attack there: �There was just a big bang and the lights went out, then ash started falling and there was the smell of burning in the carriage. Some people panicked, mostly people kept calm.

�We heard some people shouting for help. I didn�t know what it was. I was wondering whether it was a fire.�

One man�s clothes had been blown off and he was totally black with soot, she said, but passengers remained calm even as debris fell down onto the roof of the carriage.

Christine O�Connor was on a Circle Line train west of the city center.

�I was in the last carriage, we pulled out of the station and then almost immediately there was an explosion; it just went very quiet. The carriage filled up with smoke,� she said.

�It was very well organized," said Sean Barron, 20, who helped treat the wounded there. "We took down everybody�s details and made a priority list as to who was the worst wounded."

Angelo Power, a barrister emerging from the station, said a loud explosion rocked his train as it left King�s Cross.

There were flashes of light, people were screaming and smoke began to billow into the carriage, stuck in one of the Underground�s narrow and barely lit tunnels.

�People were covered in black soot and smoke," said Gary Lewis, 32, who was evacuated from a subway train at the King�s Cross station. "People were running everywhere and screaming. It was chaos. I came out into the ticket hall and saw casualties everywhere as medics tended to them.

�The one haunting image was someone whose face was totally black and pouring with blood.�

There was mayhem as 20 to 30 minutes passed before police reached the train to take survivors to safety. Women passed out and agitation turned to hysteria as people smashed the glass windows to escape billowing smoke but feared jumping out on to what they thought could be live electric lines.

�We were trapped like sardines waiting to die,� Power said.

In pictures - London explosions

Other resources on the web

Wikipedia, Wikinews and Flickr provide "citizen journalism" accounts and pictures of the attacks.

Statement of group claiming responsibility

A statement appeared today on the jihadist website Al-Qal'ah (Fortress), purportedly posted by the group claiming responsibility for the bomb attacks in London today. The following is a translated text of the statement:

The Secret Organization Group of al-Qaida of Jihad Organization in Europe (Jama'at al-Tanzim al-Sirri, Tanzim Qa'idat al-Jihad fi Urupa)

In the name of God, the Merciful, the Compassionate, may peace be upon the cheerful one and the dauntless fighter, Prophet Muhammad, God's peace be upon him.

O nation of Islam and nation of Arabism: Rejoice for it is time to take revenge from the British Zionist Crusader government in retaliation for the massacres Britain is committing in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The heroic mujahidin have carried out a blessed raid in London. Britain is now burning with fear, terror and panic in its northern, southern, eastern and western quarters.

We have repeatedly warned the British government and people. We have fulfilled our promise and carried out our blessed military raid in Britain after our mujahidin exerted strenuous efforts over a long period of time to ensure the success of the raid.

We continue to warn the governments of Denmark and Italy and all the Crusader governments that they will be punished in the same way if they do not withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan. He who warns is excused.

God says: "(O ye who believe!) If ye will aid (the cause of) Allah, He will aid you, and plant your feet firmly. "

Timeline: London Attacks

08.49 - Emergency services called to London's Liverpool Street Station after reports of an explosion on the Metropolitan Line between Liverpool Street and Aldgate. Reported as "some kind of power surge".

08.50 - Police called to Aldgate station, east London.

09.22 - King's Cross, Liverpool Street and Aldgate stations cleared.

09.31 - The incident caused major disruption to the entire network with stations across the capital being closed.

09.33 - London Underground said that there has been "another incident at Edgware Road" station in north west London.

09.53 - Mainline train company First Great Western said its services into London's Paddington station were terminating at Reading in Berkshire because of the Underground crisis.

10.00 - The National Grid, which supplies power to the Underground, said there had beenno problems with its system this morning which could have contributed to the incidents.

10.13 - Union officials said their sources had told them there had been at least one explosive device on the Underground. One explosion happened at Edgware Road and there were suggestions of two other explosions at King's Cross and Aldgate.

10.14 - Reports of a bus being ripped apart in an explosion in central London.

10.19 - Mainline services were being halted short of London. The Silverlink company, which normally operates into Euston station, was terminating trains at Watford Junction in Hertfordshire.

10.32 - Mainline London to Scotland train company GNER said it did not expect its East Coast Main Line services to run as far as London at any time today.

11.02 - Home Secretary Charles Clarke confirmed that there had been "terrible injuries" in the explosions across London.

11.24 - Mobile networks report delays for people trying to get through to friends and relatives, after a surge in the volume of calls.

11.30 - Met Police Commissioner Sir Ian Blair said: "We are not aware of any warning at the moment. We have concluded that this is a co-ordinated attack."

11.51 - St Mary's Hospital said it had received four critically injured patients, eight seriously hurt and 14 with minor injuries so far. It could confirm no deaths and had treated no children.

12.00 - Tony Blair says: "It is reasonably clear that there have been a series of terrorist attacks in London."

12.01 - A spokeswoman for University College Hospital in central London, near the scene of the Russell Square bus blast, said: "We have started to receive casualties but we cannot say how many."

12.05 - Reports that the Stansted Express rail service is suspended, although flights are operating normally at Stansted airport in Essex.

12.16 - Emergency services called to Leicester Square underground station, a spokesman for the London Ambulance Service said.

12.21 - More than 100 casualties and one of the dead were taken to the Royal London Hospital in Whitechapel. Three double-decker buses loaded with casualties had brought the injured to the hospital.

12.30 - 54 patients have been taken to the Royal Free Hospital in Hampstead, north London.Two of those were taken into theatre, said a hospital spokeswoman. Six are described as major injuries, two more are in high dependency and one is in X-ray. Two of the 54 were children but their condition is not thought to be serious.

12.36 - A British Transport Police spokeswoman said it had no knowledge of any reports of an explosion at Leicester Square.

12.45 - Superintendent Jon Morgan of the Metropolitan Police said there had been a number of fatalities as well as serious casualties at Edgware Road station. All the dead and injured have been moved from the scene, which is now being examined forensically.

12.51 - A spokeswoman for Guy's and St Thomas' hospital said eight casualties, some critically injured, were being cared for so far.

12.51 - Scotland Yard confirmed that seven explosions have been reported in four sites. The first site is around Russell Square and Kings Cross Underground stations. The second is the area including Moorgate, Aldgate, and Liverpool Street Underground station. The third is Edgware Road Underground and the fourth is Tavistock Square, where a bus was ripped apart by a blast.

13.01 - Al Qaeda terrorists claimed responsibility for the London blasts on an Islamic website and said: "Britain is now burning with fear, terror and panic in its northern, southern, eastern, and western quarters."

13.03 - Metropolitan Police deputy assistant commissioner Brian Paddick said initial reports were that 150 people had been seriously injured in the blasts. "It does appear from the information we have at the moment that these were caused by explosives but we are awaiting forensic confirmation of that."

Taliban Claims SEAL Hostage, Threatens to Kill Him

On Thursday a purported Taliban spokesman reiterated a claim that his group is holding a missing U.S. commando and said that insurgent leaders had decided to kill him. No proof was offered to back up the claim.

The U.S. military had no comment on the latest claim, saying only that they are making every effort to locate the commando.

The Taliban spokesman, Mullah Latif Hakimi, has said previously that the Taliban are holding the commando, who has been missing in Afghanistan for 10 days. But his information has in the past frequently proven exaggerated or untrue, and his exact tie to the Taliban leadership cannot be independently verified.

U.S. military forces in Afghanistan are conducting an "aggressive search" for a Navy SEAL who has been missing since June 28, a commander on the ground told FOX News.

U.S. Cities Heighten Transit Security

The Homeland Security Department (search) asked authorities in major cities Thursday for heightened vigilance of transportation systems after a series of explosions on London transit systems.

President Bush,conferred in a secure video conference with national security and homeland security officials in Washington.

"I instructed them to be in touch with local and state officials about the facts of what took place here in London," Bush told reporters from a summit of world leaders here. Bush said he urged caution "as our folks start heading to work."

In the nation's capital and several major cities, local authorities heightened security in transit systems. But Homeland Security Department spokesman Brian Roehrkasse said there were no immediate plans to raise the nation's threat level.

"We do not have any intelligence indicating this type of attack is planned in the United States," Roehrkasse said.

The Homeland Security Department asked authorities in major cities for "continued vigilance" of their transportation systems, Roehrkasse said.

Al Qaeda claims London blasts !

Al-Qaida in Europe' posts statement on Internet

A group calling itself "The Secret Organization of Al Qaeda in Europe" has posted a claim of responsibility for the series of blasts in London, saying they were in retaliation for Britain's involvement in Iraq and Afghanistan.

The statement was published on a Web site popular with Islamic militants, according to Der Spiegel magazine in Berlin, which republished the text on its own Web site.

"Rejoice, Islamic nation. Rejoice, Arab world. The time has come for vengeance against the Zionist crusader government of Britain in response to the massacres Britain committed in Iraq and Afghanistan," said the statement, which was translated by The Associated Press in Cairo.

The authenticity of the message could not be immediately confirmed.

"The heroic mujahedeen carried out a blessed attack in London, and now Britain is burning with fear and terror, from north to south, east to west," the statement said.

"We warned the British government repeated. We have carried out our promise and carried out a military attack in Britain after great efforts by the heroic mujahedeen over a long period to ensure its success."

"We continue to warn the governments of Denmark and Italy and all crusader governments that they will receive the same punishment if they do not withdraw their troops from Iraq and Afghanistan," the statement went on.

It was signed: "The Secret Organization of Al Qaeda in Europe."

Al Qaeda Attacks London !

7 explosions rip through UK capital,dozens believed dead, hundreds hurt

Seven near simultaneous explosions rocked the London Underground network subway and tore open a double-decker bus during the morning rush hour today, causing at least two deaths and dozens of injuries in what Prime Minister Tony Blair said was a ''barbaric'' terrorist attack timed to disrupt the G8 summit.

Blair said: "It is reasonably clear there have been a series of terrorist attacks in London." There have been casualties, he said "both people that have died and people seriously injured."

The explosions came a day after London was awarded the 2012 Olympics and as the summit was getting under way in Scotland.

Police confirmed two deaths and at least 90 people are said to be injured. Bloodied victims were seen emerging from stations and receiving treatment on sidewalks.

Metropolitan Police Commissioner Ian Blair said authorities found evidence of explosives at the scene of one of the blasts and that there are concerns it was a coordinated terror attack.

''We are concerned that this is a coordinated attack. We are aware that one of the sites does containly does contain indications of explosives,'' Sir Ian Blair told Sky News.

More to come ...

Judge Orders Judith Miller Jailed, Sulzberger Promises 'Fight'

A federal judge today held New York Times reporter Judith Miller in contempt for refusing to divulge confidential sources to prosecutors investigating the leak of an undercover CIA officer's identity.

U.S. District Judge Thomas F. Hogan ordered Miller jailed until she agrees to testify about her sources before a grand jury, but said she could remain free while pursuing an appeal. Miller could be jailed up to 18 months.

"I'm extremely disappointed that I have been sentenced to jail despite the fact that I did not write, and The Times did not publish, an article about (CIA officer) Valerie Plame," Miller said in a statement.

"It's frankly frightening that just for doing my job and talking to government employees about public issues, I may be deprived of my freedom and family."

New York Times spokeswoman Catherine Mathis, asked by E&P about Miller's status at the paper, replied: "Judy's status remains unchanged. She continues to report."

Arthur O. Sulzberger Jr., publisher of the Times, said in a statement, "We are deeply dismayed by Judge Hogan's ruling and what it means for the practice of journalism in this country. The government's investigation into the Valerie Plame case has moved dangerously off course. Judy Miller has done nothing wrong. She is not the person who revealed the identity of a CIA agent. Yet she is the one who is facing time in jail while the very people who exposed Ms. Plame remain unpunished. The special counsel should be able to get to the bottom of this case without threatening reporters with jail.

"The pending imprisonment of Judy Miller is an attack on the ability of all journalists to report on the actions of governments, corporations and others. The Times will continue to fight for the ability of journalists to provide the people of this nation with the essential information they need to evaluate issues affecting our country and the world."

Miller said she cannot be an investigative reporter "without the trust of my sources and their confidence that I would protect them. I must, and I will."

Judge Hogan cited Supreme Court rulings that reporters do not have absolute First Amendment protection from testifying about confidential sources. He said there was ample evidence that U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald of Chicago, the special prosecutor in the CIA-leak case, had exhausted other avenues of obtaining key testimony before issuing subpoenas to Miller and other reporters

Matthew Cooper: My Source OK with Testimony

Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper agreed Wednesday to testify about his sources in a government leak of a CIA agent's identity, an about-face that came as he faced jail time in a fierce First Amendment fight.

Cooper told U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan that he would now cooperate with a federal prosecutor's investigation because his source gave him specific authority to discuss their conversation. "I am prepared to testify. I will comply" with the court's order, Cooper told Hogan. Cooper's turnaround came at a hearing at which Hogan was to consider whether to jail Cooper and New York Times reporter Judith Miller for defying his order to testify about their confidential sources in the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity.

Cooper took the podium in the court and told the judge, "Last night I hugged my son good-bye and told him it might be a long time before I see him again."

"I went to bed ready to accept the sanctions" for not testifying, Cooper said. But he told the judge that not long before his early afternoon appearance, he had received "in somewhat dramatic fashion" a direct personal communication from his source freeing him from his commitment to keep the source's identity secret.

Hogan held the reporters in civil contempt of court in October, rejecting their argument that the First Amendment shielded them from revealing their sources. Last month the Supreme Court refused to intervene.

In court documents filed Tuesday, special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald urged Hogan to take the unusual step of jailing the reporters, saying that may be the only way to get them to talk.

"Journalists are not entitled to promise complete confidentiality _ no one in America is," Fitzgerald wrote.

Fitzgerald had disclosed Tuesday that a source of Cooper and Miller had waived confidentiality, giving the reporters permission to reveal where they got their information. The prosecutor did not identify the source, nor did he specify whether the source for each reporter was the same person.

Cooper said he had been told earlier that his source had signed a general waiver of confidentiality but that he did not trust such waivers because he thought they had been gained from executive branch employees under duress. He told the court that he needed not a general waiver but a specific waiver from his source, which he did not get until Wednesday.

"I received express personal consent" from the source, Cooper told the judge.

Hogan and Fitzgerald accepted Cooper's offer.

"That would purge you of contempt," Hogan said.

COOPER AGREES TO TESTIFY

Time magazine reporter Matthew Cooper agreed Wednesday to testify about his sources in a government leak of a CIA agent's identity, a dramatic about-face which came as he faced going to jail.

"I am prepared to testify. I will comply" with the court's order, Cooper told U.S. District Judge Thomas Hogan.

Cooper's turnaround came at a hearing at which Hogan was to consider whether to jail Cooper and New York Times reporter Judith Miller for defying his order to testify about their confidential sources in the leak of CIA agent Valerie Plame's identity.

Ending This Plame Nonsense !

For some reason the Left seems to have forgotten that this story was long ago shot down and seems to think that the recent grand jury investigations have something to do with treason, allow me to burst your bubble.

From the Washington Post, dated Jan. 12th 2005: The Plame Game: Was This a Crime?

It�s time for a timeout on a misguided and mechanical investigation in which there is serious doubt that a crime was even committed. Federal courts have stated that a reporter should not be subpoenaed when the testimony sought is remote from criminal conduct or when there is no compelling �government interest,� i.e., no crime. As two people who drafted and negotiated the scope of the 1982 Intelligence Identities Protection Act, we can tell you: The Novak column and the surrounding facts do not support evidence of criminal conduct.

So the two people who wrote the law don�t think a crime was committed. But it gets better.

When the act was passed, Congress had no intention of prosecuting a reporter who wanted to expose wrongdoing and, in the process, once or twice published the name of a covert agent. Novak is safe from indictment. But Congress also did not intend for government employees to be vulnerable to prosecution for an unintentional or careless spilling of the beans about an undercover identity. A dauntingly high standard was therefore required for the prosecutor to charge the leaker.

This also shows that Rove isn�t even remotely in danger of being charged. The best is yet to come though.

At the threshold, the agent must truly be covert. Her status as undercover must be classified, and she must have been assigned to duty outside the United States currently or in the past five years. This requirement does not mean jetting to Berlin or Taipei for a week�s work. It means permanent assignment in a foreign country. Since Plame had been living in Washington for some time when the July 2003 column was published, and was working at a desk job in Langley (a no-no for a person with a need for cover), there is a serious legal question as to whether she qualifies as �covert.�

She worked at a desk at Langley, she wasn�t a covert operative and the only reason she was described as such is because she worked in the generally sensitive field of weapons proliferation. There is much more to the article than I have posted, but I�ll leave you with this last bit.

If it were known on the Washington cocktail circuit, as has been alleged, that Wilson�s wife is with the agency, a possessor of that gossip would have no reason to believe that information is classified � or that �affirmative measures� were being taken to protect her cover.

U.S. Forces Nab Two More al Qaeda Leaders in Iraq

The doctor of one of al-Qaeda's groups in Iraq was arrested by US troops during a raid carried out on June 21 in Baghdad, the US military has revealed in a statement published on the website 'Voice of Iraq'. Muhsin Abu Sayf, defined in the statement as "the doctor who treated the hostages kidnapped by the terror group led by the Jordanian militant Abu Musab al-Zarqawi and other bands."

Abu Sayf is said to speak English well and was therefore given the task of interrogating the hostages. According to the statement "he worked alongside Abu Aqil, a local al-Qaeda leader arrested several weeks ago, who led the kidnapping activities in Baghdad."

Abu Aqil, whose real name is Sami Amar Hamid Mahmoud, has overseen the kidnappings of numerous Iraqis and foreigners in the Baghdad area. Arrested on June 26, he used kidnapping to fund al-Qaeda's activities, and the doctor, Abu Sayf, is said to have played a central role in the hostage operation, collecting the ransom money and delivering it to the terror group.

Meanwhile, US forces arrested last month an Al-Qaeda member in the northern Iraqi city of Mosul, a statement for the Multi-National Forces said Monday.

The US forces arrested Tunisian national, Emad Nasser Ahmad, known as Abu Hamza during a raid in Mosul, the statement added.

According to the statement, Abu Hamza is responsible for bringing to Iraq Arab "militants" and sheltering over 100 suicide bombers to carry out their attacks in Mosul.

U.S. 'aggressively' looking for Navy SEAL

U.S. military forces in Afghanistan are conducting an "aggressive search" for a Navy SEAL who has been missing since June 28, a commander on the ground told FOX News.

"It's nighttime and a lot happens for us at night," the commander said. When asked if hopes were fading for finding the SEAL alive, he said "oh no, I would not characterize it that way at all."

The search is to find the final member of an elite four-man Navy SEAL commando team. One SEAL has been rescued, while the bodies of two others were recovered Monday and taken to the main U.S. base in Afghanistan, at Bagram.

"We're ... doing everything we can to find the last of the four SEALs. And it's a real priority, and something the president asked to get briefed on this morning," U.S. National Security Adviser Stephen Hadley told reporters aboard Air Force One.

A U.S. military statement said the sole rescued serviceman was receiving medical treatment for "non-life-threatening injuries" at the Bagram base.

The commander who spoke to FOX News on condition of anonymity said the SEAL team found itself in a heavy firefight with a group of Taliban or Al Qaeda fighters when it called for backup.

The SEALs started moving out of the area and down a ravine when they came under more heavy small arms and rocket propelled grenades from another direction. The rescued SEAL remembers seeing two of his colleagues being shot � although he didn't know whether the shots were fatal, according to the commander.

The one SEAL was knocked unconscious from the concussion of an explosion nearby. When he woke up, it was night and he didn't see anyone. He then went to a pre-assigned checkpoint to get out of the area, the commander said.

SEN. SCHUMER CAUGHT ON CELLPHONE: 'WE ARE GOING TO WAR' OVER SUPREME COURT

**Exclusive**

Senate Judiciary Committee member Chuck Schumer got busy plotting away on the cellphone aboard a Washington, DC-New York Amtrak -- plotting Democrat strategy for the upcoming Supreme Court battle.

Schumer promised a fight over whoever the President�s nominee was: �It's not about an individual judge� It's about how it affects the overall makeup of the court.�

The chairman of the Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee was overheard on a long cellphone conversation with an unknown political ally, and the DRUDGE REPORT was there!

Schumer proudly declared: �We are contemplating how we are going to go to war over this.�

Schumer went on to say how hard it was to predict how a Supreme Court justice would turn out: �Even William Rehnquist is more moderate than they expected. The only ones that resulted how they predicted were [Antonin] Scalia and [Ruth Bader] Ginsburg. So most of the time they've gotten their picks wrong, and that's what we want to do to them again.�

Schumer later went on to mock the �Gang of 14� judicial filibuster deal and said it wasn�t relevant in the Supreme Court debate.

�A Priscilla Owen or Janice Rogers Brown style appointment may not have been extraordinary to the appellate court but may be extraordinary to the Supreme Court.�

By the time the train hit New Jersey, Schumer shifted gears and called his friend and �Gang of 14� member, Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham.

The two talked in a very friendly manner about doing an event sometime this week together.

Developing�

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Filed By Matt Drudge