The Politics of CP

Al-Fuqra Exposed

2007-09-20T07:32:00.000-07:00

I've not been blogging actively this summer as you can see. However, I've not gone away altogether. This blog took a turn a couple years ago when I began writing here almost exclusively about Al-Fuqra and Muslims of America, thus I decided to create a new site as an archive of information on this group. I don't have a complete archive at the new site yet, but it does contain some additional information - links to additional information sources, photos, video, etc. I hope it will be of use to those who are interested.

Click here to visit AlFuqraExposed

Islamberg Gets Top Billing on FoxNews.com

2007-06-12T09:54:00.000-07:00

The spotlight continues to shine on Islamberg. FoxNews.com has a feature story on its website right now on the secluded compound.

Read it here

More Islamberg on Fox News

2007-06-05T18:57:00.000-07:00

Islamberg was again a topic on "the most powerful name in news" today on Your World with Neil Cavuto. The guest was Dr. Paul Williams, who has been to the compound and shot some video while he was there. It's an interesting interview.

Watch the video here
I'll try to YouTube it and post it here later.

[UPDATE] Here's a screencap from Cavuto's page at FoxNews.com today (Wednesday)

Islamberg on Fox News

2007-06-04T16:04:00.000-07:00

Just heard the intro for John Gibson's show Big Story and he teased a story on Islamberg. Stay tuned...

[UPDATE] Gibson ran a segment on the JFK plot and the Fed's hopes to connect Adnan Shukrijumah, a "most wanted" suspect, to it. He then interviewed former CIA operative Mike Baker, a Fox News contributor, and asked him about the "homegrown" issue saying, "What about Islamberg?" Baker then discussed Jamaat ul-Fuqra and the fact that the [front] organization is tax-exempt and claims to be non-violent, but in fact, Gilani has established some dozen compounds (mentioning Colorodo and Holy Islamville in SC) around the U.S. and is indeed connected to a violent history. As an aside, he said that Holy Islamville's name came from an exclaimation from Robin to Adam West on the old Batman TV show..."Holy Islamville, Batman!" Haha. If I can get the video later, I'll put it up.

New York Post Runs Story on Islamberg

2007-06-04T15:22:00.000-07:00

Media attention is indeed increasing on the shadowy network of Jamaat ul-Fuqra and its public front Muslims of the Americas.

A couple of reporters from The New York Post have a story out today after they paid a visit to the group's headquarters compound in the Catskills known as Islamberg near Hancock, NY.

READ IT HERE

[UPDATE] Mark Steyn posted an excerpt and linked the NY Post story at NRO's Corner.

Muslims of America Story Makes Front Page on FoxNews.com

2007-06-04T01:12:00.000-07:00

As I type this, the Muslims of America story from Red House, VA reported by Fox News last Friday is featured on the front page at FoxNews.com about a third of the way down. The spotlight on this group is shining a little brighter at the moment. This is good news!

Fox News Channel Reports on Muslims of America

2007-06-02T00:53:00.001-07:00

Here's a link to the video on FoxNews.com

Fox News Visits Red House!

2007-06-01T13:09:00.000-07:00

I was just informed by Baron Bodissey at the Gates of Vienna blog that FoxNews is reporting from Red House, Virginia today on the compound that belongs to Muslims of the Americas, the front organization of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, a place with which readers of this blog should be familiar. Also, the FNC schedule indicates that this will be a feature story on Special Report with Brit Hume tonight. Tune in to see some big-time light shed on this group. Hopefully, this will just be the beginning.

Read Baron's post with a rough draft transcript of the initial report from earlier today.

I just read the transcript he has posted and apparently the mayor of the Red House compound says they have no connection to Jamaat ul-Fuqra and they don't even know who that is. THIS IS A COMPLETE LIE! Stay tuned for more to come...

Registered Sex Offender Living at "Holy Islamville"

2007-05-23T02:33:00.000-07:00

Late last week, someone posted a comment on three separate threads here on the site that caught my attention...

I AM NEW TO THIS BLOG THING BUT I CANNOT KEEP QUIET ABOUT THIS..I HAVE SOME VERY INTERESTING INFO ABOUT THIS "HOLY ISLAMVILLE" THAT NEEDS TO BE SHARED.. THEY CLAIM THAT THEY LIVE "HOLY" LIVES AND DETEST VIOLENCE..DO THEY KNOW THAT THEY HAVE A REGISTERED 3RD DEGREE CRIMINAL SEX OFFENDER WHO WAS FOUND GUILTY OF 2 COUNTS, LIVING IN THEIR COMPOUND!!!IF YOU LOOK ON THE SOUTH CAROLINA REGISTERED SEX OFFENDERS WEBSITE AND DO A SEARCH BY YORK CITY OR YOU CAN USE HIS NAME "NATHAN SCOTT KENNEDY"AND CAN GET ALL HIS INFO AND PICTURE..(PRETTY SCARY LOOKING)I SURE HOPE SOMEONE IS KEEPING AN EYE ON THESE PEOPLE.IT IS AMAZING TO ME THAT THEY CAN BE ALLOWED TO FUNCTION AS A SOCIETY WITHOUT HEAVY SURVELLIANCE...

I followed up on the tip and sure enough, a man named Nathan Scott Kennedy does reside at an address within the Muslim village known as Holy Islamville near York, SC - a compound that is linked to the terrorist group Al Fuqra (aka Jamaat ul-Fuqra) and its front group Muslims of the Americas.

From the tone of the comment, I'm not sure if this came from just some individual doing research or what. However, the way it is worded along with the phrase, "I cannot keep quiet about this" indicates to me that it might have come from someone who is close to the group and is unhappy with the environment. This would certainly be a good sign. It's no wonder that someone would become disillusioned in the group - most live in miserable conditions in run-down trailers while the elite of the group live quite well; they are forced to live among criminals and now, apparently, sex offenders who may pose a threat to the women and children on the land. It's good that this sort of thing is made known. Maybe Child Services should pay a little visit. Who knows who else is lurking around there? To whomever left the comment, thank you, and if you are indeed involved with this group, I hope you find peace away from them and that others will follow.

That said, here is the link to Nathan Scott Kennedy's profile in the South Carolina Sex Offender Registry. A copy of the record is embedded below. What makes this a little more interesting is that he's white, because there are very few white members among 'the Fuqra'. He was originally convicted in Michigan in 1993 on two counts of criminal sexual conduct-third degree. The female victim was 37, he as about 20. He looks like a real model citizen.

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Previous Posts on Holy Islamville
Fuqra Community: York, SC
UPDATE: Fuqra Compound: York, SC
Fox Carolina Visits Holy Islamville
Fuqra Fugitives
Gilani & Sudan: The Turabi Connection

A Mighty Heart Trailer

2007-05-17T11:54:00.001-07:00

This is the trailer for the new movie about Daniel Pearl, based on the book by his wife Mariane. I'll be interested to see it, especially to see if they say much about Sheikh Gilani and Daniel's investigation of him. He's mentioned in the trailer. The movie's initial (limited) release in the US is scheduled for June 22.

Fuqra & Operational Security

2007-05-15T03:19:00.000-07:00

Former head of counterterrorism in India, B. Raman, writes prolifically these days about jihadi organizations, their inner workings, and the threats they pose to civilization. He is particularly well-versed in the organizations that have been bred in Pakistan. Jamaat ul-Fuqra is one of the organizations with which he is quite familiar and has written many times about.

In one of his latest pieces, "The Jundullah", he describes the growing trend of freelance jihadis who are operating independently and also discusses the threat many western countries now fear from "homegrown terrorism". He begins his article thus (emphasis mine):

This is my second article analysing the British fertiliser bomb case in which the judgement was delivered by a British court on April 30,2007. In my earlier article, I had referred to the extensive roots taken by the Pakistanised version of Al Qaeda in the UK and the danger of this spreading to the US and Canada.

From this, one should not jump to the conclusion that the US is not yet facing threats from home-grown jihadis of Pakistani origin in its territory. It has been since the 1980s. The very active US and Canada-based cadres of the Jamaat-ul-Fuqra (JUF), a Pakistani jihadi organisation with headquarters in Lahore, were the first generation of home-grown jihadis in the US and Canada. They used to indulge in fire-bomb attacks on Hindu and Jewish places of worship in different parts of these two countries in the 1980s. They had also alarmingly penetrated the security forces of some States in the Caribbean. At that time, there was no Al Qaeda or the International Islamic Front (IIF) and yet, the intelligence agencies of these two countries were greatly concerned over the threat posed by this organisation to their internal security. The intelligence officers of the US and Canada, with whom I used to interact, used to describe the JUF as the most secretive and security-conscious jihadi organisation of Pakistan. Daniel Pearl, the US journalist, paid with his life in the beginning of 2002 for trying to make enquiries into the suspected links of Richard Reid, the so-called shoe bomber, with this organisation.

Troubling stuff, to be sure. The Fuqra cell that was broken up in Colorado some years ago was a prime example of this. They operated in strict secrecy. Access to information was tightly controlled, outside contact was forbidden, even with members of other compounds, and orders were handed down directly from the shaykh in Pakistan. Of course, having studied this group for some time now, I realized the "homegrown" threat that they pose. What struck me was Raman's statement that they had a reputation in the intelligence community as "the most secretive and security-conscious jihadi organization of Pakistan". No doubt, their leaders' ties to the ISI contributed to such trained discipline. This sort of statement reiterates to me that they are an organization to be watched and taken seriously.

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Previous
Jamaat ul-Fuqra: Homegrown Islamic Radicalism Since 1979

Welcome Readers!

2007-05-15T02:50:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, the Canada Free Press published an article by author Dr. Paul Williams entitled "Springtime in Islamberg" about the US headquarters compound of the Islamist terror group known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra. Various front organizations are run out of this compound, but it is a known terrorist training ground operating on U.S. soil.

Dr. Williams' article was linked by Instapundit, one of the most widely read sites in the blogosphere, and has also been republished by FrontPageMagazine.com. Dr. Williams was assisted in his research by several individuals including private investigator Douglas Hagmann, director of the Northeast Intelligence Network, with whom I have also worked. Early last year, he and I released a special report exposing this compound which was subsequently highlighted by WorldNetDaily. I was also interviewed about the report on Kevin McCullough's Musclehead Revolution radio show.

Anyway, since Friday, this site has seen over 3,000 page loads from readers all over - a level not usually seen here - so I wanted to say welcome to those who have been visiting the site and feel free to look through the archives of extensive research that I have done on Jamaat ul-Fuqra and I will be working to bring more content here and continue the focus on this issue that more Americans should be aware of.

Fuqra/Taliban/Qaeda Associate Khawaja Set for Release, Arrested Again

2007-04-30T22:00:00.000-07:00

My last post in early April discussed the case of one Khalid Khawaja, an ex-ISI officer in Pakistan who is now being held in prison for connections to a radical neo-Taliban cabal in Islamabad. He has been held by the government since January and was set for release last week in a concession to the radical parties threatening disruption if he was not let go. And, once again, upon his very release, he was arrested again on different charges. So, we shall see how this plays out.

Now, for readers of this blog who may or may not be familiar with Mr. Khawaja, a few highlights from his resume...Former Pakistani Air Force; former ISI; close associate of Osama bin Laden - has described him as "like an angel" - even named his son Osama bin Khawaja; has called George W. Bush a "terrorist"; known trainer of jihadis, poses as humanitarian human rights activist; close associate of Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani, head of Al Fuqra, a covert militant group operating in Pakistan and also in the US under the cover of a group called Muslims of the Americas; quoted as saying, if Gilani is pushed to the point, he would declare jihad on America that would "blow like a volcano"; was last contact for Daniel Pearl before he was abducted and murdered; associate of neo-Taliban radicals linked to radical mosque & madrassa in Islamabad.

Below are the two latest articles from the Daily Times of Pakistan which further discuss the details of Khawaja's current legal troubles.

Fuqra Associate Linked to Neo-Taliban Cabal

2007-04-05T16:04:00.000-07:00

I have written several times about a man named Khalid Khawaja, a former officer in Pakistan’s ISI as well as its air force and rumored to have at one time served as a pilot for Osama bin Laden. Among his various roles, he is also a very close associate, some might say a consigliere or even "blood brother" to Sheikh Syed Mubarak Ali Shah Gilani, founder of the secretive militant group known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra. Following one of my reports, Mr. Khawaja even commented on this site, defending Gilani’s reputation. Gilani is also the founder of Muslims of the Americas, which serves as a front organization for Jamaat ul-Fuqra and is believed to have a few thousand members spread throughout the United States. In fact, Khawaja was once quoted as saying, "Osama doesn’t have many people in America, but...I am telling you, Osama does not have even one of his followers as committed as Sheik Mubarak Gilani. Osama does not have even one as committed as the least of his people."

Khawaja has a long history in the jihadi movement of Pakistan. According to a source of mine who has actually met him, he has a rather genteel disposition, but is quite skilled with weapons and has experience in the jihadi training apparatus of Pakistan. Having served as an officer with the ISI, along with his wife, for years he has received protection from elements of the Pakistani government. However, it seems that tide is changing as competing (and ruling) elements are now responding to a perceived threat from Khawaja and others.

Khalid Khawaja Goes Missing

On January 26 of this year, Khawaja was arrested outside of the Lal Masjid in Islamabad and charged with the distribution of hate material. Among materials seized from him was a banned book entitled ‘Fatwa-e-Rasheedia’. He was held first in Adiala Jail in Rawalpindi. On February 3, his application for bail was denied. After being detained for close to a month, he was due to be freed on February 22nd after finally being granted bail. He then disappeared. The BBC reported that he was believed to have been handed over to intelligence officials and is being held at a military prison known as Attock Fort.

Attock Fort, where Khawaja is believed to be held

Despite his known associations with terrorist groups, like Gilani – Mr. Khawaja has attempted to portray himself outwardly as a humanitarian. In fact, ironically, he is head of an NGO called Defence of Human Rights and has advocated against the government regarding the disappearance of hundreds of people believed abducted by security agencies.

Emergent Neo-Taliban Threat

B. Raman, a former Indian intelligence official, writing for the South Asia Analysis Group’s International Terrorism Monitor, noted in a paper entitled “Looming Jihadi Anarchy in Pakistan” (released on March 30, 2007):

There has been an increasingly disturbing challenge to the authority of Pakistan's President, Gen. Pervez Musharraf, from jihadis inspired by the Neo Taliban and Al Qaeda, who are actively supported by a group of retired officers of the Army and the Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI). This group is led by Gen. Mohammad Aziz, a Kashmiri Sudan from the Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), Lt. Gen. Hamid Gul, Lt. Gen. Javed Nasir, Lt. Gen. Mahmood Ahmed, Maj.Gen. Zahir-ul-Islam Abbasi and Sq. Leader Khalid Khawaja.

[…]

Khawaja was also in the ISI and used to be in touch with the Taliban after it came into being in 1994 and Osma bin Laden after he shifted to Afghanistan in 1996. After leaving the ISI, he joined the Jamaat-ul-[Fuqra] (JUF) of Sheikh Syed Mubarik Ali Shah Jilani, which has many followers in the Muslim communities of the US and the West Indies. Daniel Pearl had sought his help for arranging a meeting with Jilani. Pearl wanted to enquire about any links between the JUF and Richard Reid, the shoe bomber. It was Khawaja, who had tipped off the kidnappers of Pearl about his Jewish background and created a suspicion in their mind that Pearl had links with the CIA and Mossad. He is now in detention on a charge of instigating the women students of a madrasa of Islamabad (Jamia Hafsa) to start an agitation against the demolition of some mosques in Islamabad. This agitation has been going on for the last two months. In addition to other demands, the agitating women students, who project themselves as future wives and mothers of suicide bombers, are now demanding his release from jail. They have been shouting slogans in praise of bin Laden and Mulla Omar.

Source: http://www.saag.org/papers22/paper2189.html

Prominent weblog Little Green Footballs posted this BBC video the other day profiling the radical Jamia Hafsa madrassa in Islamabad to which Khawaja has been linked.

HotAir.com then posted a subsequent analysis of this with links to news of additional developments.

So, the questions to be asked now are - What is the government of Pakistan going to do with Khawaja? Will they continue to hold him incommunicado, interrogate him for useful intel, and then go after these radical elements? Will they cave to pressure and release him? Will subversive elements in the government intervene on his behalf? Will Sheikh Gilani be further exposed in all this as having played a role? Will US intelligence agencies request and/or receive information gleaned from Khawaja's interrogation regarding Gilani's network and its ties to the Taliban and al-Qaeda?

Well, for now, it seems the government has caved. They have agreed to release him within days.

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Previous Posts
1) The commitment of Sheikh Gilani's followers
2) Khalid Khawaja
3) The Journalist & The Jihadi

A blogger went down to Georgia

2007-04-05T14:45:00.000-07:00

Update on Aliville, a very rural Muslim village in southeast Georgia linked to followers of Sheikh Mubarik Ali Shah Gilani, a militant jihadist from Pakistan.

Throughout my work here at this site exposing the Islamist network of Jamaat ul-Fuqra that operates in the U.S. under the name Muslims of the Americas (MOA), I have received many interesting emails from readers with tips, suggestions, and useful information. I am often impressed by not only the quality of their information, but also the spirit of patriotic comradery in which they offer it. A couple weeks ago, I was contacted by another such American.

An intrepid reader going by the pseudonym Counter-Jihadist at the Constantinople Again Blog was on the road the other day and decided to swing past one of the MOA villages in southern Georgia and snap some pictures.

Read the description of his visit to Aliville here.

View/download the pics in the document below

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Previous Posts
Aliville, Part 1
Aliville, Part 2

Note to readers

2007-04-05T12:19:00.000-07:00

To those who have continued to check in, I know I haven't had anything new up lately and I'm sorry about that, but we all know how life intervenes with schedules and so forth. Blogging is something I do here as I have time and I just haven't had time the past few weeks. The next couple will probably be hectic too. Though, I am still working on various threads related to my most blogged about topic, my investigation of Jamaat ul-Fuqra and Muslims of the Americas and I hope to bring you some very interesting posts in the near future. Meanwhile, thanks to all of you who continue to find my work interesting and for those who also send along emails, tips, well-wishes, etc.

Counterfeit Ring Broken Up

2007-03-12T02:39:00.000-07:00

***Exclusive Report***
Criminal Enterprise Has Ties to Muslims of the Americas

Last Wednesday, the FBI arrested eight individuals and raided businesses as part of an investigation into a counterfeiting ring that was involved in the sale of falsely-branded clothing, pirated DVDs and other merchandise. Individuals from Virginia, West Virginia, Delaware, and New York were apprehended and businesses in Lynchburg, Richmond, and New York City were searched. Proceeds from the ring originating with a wholesaler in NYC had yielded at least $19 million over the course of the last two years.

According to my sources, at least some of the individuals who were arrested are believed to be members of the Muslims of the Americas, an Islamist organization operating throughout the US and founded by a Pakistani named Sheikh Mubarik Ali Gilani. The organization is made up of mostly religious followers, but serves as a front organization for the activities of a covert militant group known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra. The organization is partly funded via tribute from MOA members. Most members are generally required to send a percentage of their income, which may be gained through legal or, in a number of cases illegal means, to the sheikh in Pakistan. Research indicates the suspected MOA members in this ring may include:

> Ronald Roundtree of Lynchburg who, according to a source, is aka Muhammad Talib and has a history of drug abuse. News reports say he operated a booth outside the Z Market in Lynchburg selling some of the bootlegged items. Authorities searched not only the Z Market, but also Roundtree's home at 11th and Polk Streets in Lynchburg, although research indicates he has been a previous resident at the MOA compound in Red House, VA. An additional address history search links him to several other Virginia locales as well as Williamsport, PA and California, both areas where MOA has previously operated.

> Eric Harmon, owner of the Big EZ store in Richmond who according to a source is possibly aka Abdus-Sabur. His business was also involved in the sale of counterfeit goods and I have been told he may have been involved in illegal drug activity as well.

> Ismail Haqq, of Meherrin, VA. Little additional information was available, but a reverse address search of the location in Meherrin where MOA operates another residential settlement turned up a similar name - Isiah Haqq, which could possibly be a relative or an alias. [UPDATE: An additional search via whitepages.com, thanks to a contact of mine, did match Ismail Haqq to the MOA location in Meherrin. In fact, the address and phone number for Ismail Haqq is the same as Isiah Haqq. The relation is unconfirmed - it could be a relative, though MOA members are often known to use aliases].

> Ishoc Uthman Ibn-Abdus Salaam, of Pamplin, VA. I am told he is the son of an elder MOA member.

> Cherubin Pierre of Richmond, VA. I am unsure of any familial relationship at this point, but it is possible he is a relative of an MOA member of the same last name - Vincent Rafael Pierre. Vincent Pierre was part of a Fuqra cell in Colorado during the '90s and was involved in various white collar criminal schemes. He later joined the MOA community at Red House, VA. He and his wife were arrested for illegally purchasing guns in 2001.

Any further connections or possible associations of the others who were arrested are unclear at this time. Whatever the case, kudos to law enforcement for rounding up these guys. They have obviously put alot of work into this investigation.

I have posted a couple of videos here of the local television coverage surrounding the arrests.

I have also put together a document containing the government's press release, a collection of news coverage, and corporation records for two of the companies involved including pictures of the one in Richmond. Interestingly, in addition, I discovered a record of substantial political contributions made by the suspect that was arrested in NYC, all to the Republican Party, which is also in the document. Lastly, I have included the court schedule for the upcoming week for the US District Court - Eastern District of Virginia during which several of those arrested will be arrained.

It will be interesting to see how this case moves forward.

An American Islamic Mafia?

2007-03-01T03:18:00.000-08:00

Al-Fuqra: Organized crime. Jihadi style.

Watch this(Intrepid Truth Media presents...)
A closer look at this secretive militant group reveals an organization that operates less like an insurgent group and more like La Cosa Nostra.

Meet the Godfather

"You have here a man whom many follow, many fear and many refuse to cross no matter what. He has body guards , many different homes and collects money from many people. Always thinking someone is watching him , always thinking that federal agents are going to bring down his empire , and in great fear of being attacked or someone crossing him. No it is not John Gotti, it is Mubarak Ali shah Gilani."

Gilani, a Pakistani with ties to the ISI and a number of jihadi groups including al-Qaeda, is believed to have several thousand followers in the United States. He is their godfather.

Khalid Khawaja, a former ISI official himself and friend of Osama bin Laden, is Gilani's spokesman, adviser, go-between, and for all practical purposes his "blood brother". He could be considered Gilani's consigliere.

Rank has its priveleges

Just as the Italian mafia has its pecking order - boss, underboss, capo, soldier, etc. - according to a former Fuqra member, members of the jamaat are similarly divided. Here are the titles according to rank:

Sheikh
Khalifa (reps or successors to the Sheikh)
Allamah (one whom is well taught in islam)
Maulana(religious teacher)
Ni'eeb (one who is the khalifa's right hand man)
Ameer (literally a mayor)
nazim (a novice, a trainee one who is on his way up the ranks)

Soldiers of Allah

As you may know, American mafia organizations refer to their enforcers as "soldiers". Note this excerpt of Sheikh Gilani speaking on a recruitment video (featured on NOW with Bill Moyers, "Gun Land", 11/15/02):

"We have already established under the auspices of Muslims of America, Incorporated … the organization is called Soldiers of Allah....You are most welcome to join one of our, you know, advanced training courses in Islamic Military Warfare. For which, you can get in touch with anybody in the Muslims of America in the United States, Canada, or anywhere, or in Pakistan."

Hit Men

Cell members are responsible for over 17 firebombings and more than 13 murders on U.S. soil.

Criminals on the Hustle

Front companies. Fake charities. White collar schemes. Welfare fraud. Identity crime. Robberies. Drug and weapons trafficking. Bootlegging. They've done it all.

[Hat tip to Pajamas Media for the link!]

Lies and the Lying Liars Who Run for Senate

2007-02-14T13:11:00.001-08:00

Al Franken wants to go to Washington...because his background is poor enough, he's smart enough, and doggonit, he hates conservatives.

The Journalist & The Jihadi

2007-02-12T12:58:00.000-08:00

Last fall, HBO produced a documentary called The Journalist & The Jihadi - The Murder of Daniel Pearl. It profiles WSJ journalist Daniel Pearl and the jihadi who ensnared him before his untimely execution, Omar Sheikh. This weekend, CNN aired the documentary on its new show Special Investigations Unit, hosted by Christiane Amanpour, who also narrated the HBO special.

As the documentary notes, before Daniel Pearl was abducted, he was attempting to meet with a shadowy cleric known as Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani. There had been some suspicion that perhaps the shoebomber Richard Reid had been a follower of his. The film also mentions that Gilani was suspected of running the hawala network that al-Qaeda used to move money around. Gilani has been reported to have ties with several known al-Qaeda members. A close associate and sometime spokesman of Gilani's named Khalid Khawaja appears in the film. He is pictured in the thumbnails for Parts 4 & 5 of the video below.

In the documentary, Khawaja appears a thin, almost gaunt, soft-spoken man. He says Pearl asked him several times to set up a meeting with Gilani and that he told Pearl the shiekh would not grant an interview. After that, he doesn't know what happened. A contact of mine has met Khawaja personally and says that yes - he is a soft-spoken man, but, don't let him fool you. He is very close to Gilani and supposedly even lives with him. My contact says the two are practically "blood-brothers". Khwaja is an extremist and is very connected (both in Pakistan and Afghanistan) and has given weapons training to many jihadis. He is reportedly very good.

To provide some additional background - visitors familiar with this blog know that I have been investigating Gilani and his connections for close to a year and a half now and have also written about his friend Khawaja. Why have I been doing this? Because, likely unknown to most Americans, Gilani has maintained an active network of followers and operatives inside the United States for the last 25 years and to this day continues to do so. This network, called Al-Fuqra, which has operated sleeper cells on US soil and has connections to other terrorist groups, has been responsible for numerous firebombings and assasinations, drug and weapons trafficking, lucrative white collar schemes, and identification fraud. They have even operated terrorist training camps and conducted targeted surveillance of key infrastructure and military installations. They use various front organizations as cover for their activities - most significant among them is one called Muslims of the Americas.

Both Gilani and Khawaja have personally responded to my writing. Gilani issued a 14-page diatribe on his organization's website (http://www.iqou-moa.org/editorial/terror_roots.htm) denouncing me and The Northeast Intelligence Network for a report that we issued early last year. He said that we were "the actual perpetrators of international terrorism" because of our "racial and religious bigotry". Khawaja went so far as to leave a comment on this very blog, leaving his personal phone number and email address, saying he would clarify any confusion I might have about the Sheikh. I did not respond, nor would I recommend anyone else doing so. Khawaja is a former ISI agent and also a personal friend of Osama bin Laden.

Pearl was playing a dangerous game, but it seems the gap between Gilani's associates and the AQ cell that executed Pearl was not that wide.

That said, you should watch the film. Naturally, someone has already uploaded the film to YouTube. It's in eight parts. [UPDATE: The videos have been taken down]

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Buy the DVD
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Previous

Khalid Khawaja
The commitment of Sheikh Gilani's followers

Caption Contest

2007-01-25T18:37:00.000-08:00

Here's Ahmadinejad looking like a homeless guy. I knew the Iranian economy was in the tank, but...wow. So, with this I ask, what say his dreams? Have some fun with it in the comments.

Hezbollah Flamers

2007-01-23T13:02:00.000-08:00

Hezbollah goons have set out again to disrupt Beirut. This picture reminds me of a bad kung-fu movie...and this song...

Muslims of the Americas tied to Muslim Brotherhood?

2007-01-23T02:34:00.000-08:00

A while back, some sleuthy readers sent me information about this and I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it. I’ve looked into it again and am still not sure what is there exactly, if anything, but perhaps someone else might have some additional insight.

The readers sent me links to several listings for a non-profit in Hancock, NY called Ikhwanul Muslimun Inc. [Being interpreted, “Ikhwanul Muslimun” = “Muslim Brotherhood”]

Ikhwanul Muslimun is, in fact, listed in the IRS online database of “Charities & Non-Profits”. The organization is also listed on two websites listing presumably charitable organizations accepting car donations [here and here]. Interestingly, the address for Ikhwanul Muslimun corresponds to that of the Muslim Parochial School near Hancock [here and here].

Records listing contact names for both Ikhwanul Muslimun and the Muslim Parochial School were then matched to the address of Islamberg, the headquarters compound of Muslims of the Americas (MOA). Incidently, another "charity", which isn't listed with the IRS, called Hand-to-Hands Inc. is also based at Islamberg. It purports to be the "humanitarian and social welfare arm" of the MOA. International Quranic Open University is yet another arm of the group based in Hancock. MOA, which owns possibly two-dozen settlements like the one in NY throughout the US and claims several thousand members, is the primary front organization for a Pakistan-based Islamist militant group known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra.

MOA has a long history in Brooklyn. An address history search for the individual connected with Ikhwanul Muslimun showed links to addresses in Hancock, Deposit, and Brooklyn, NY among other locales. Another search linked the principal of the Muslim Parochial School to both Brooklyn, NY and Williamsport, PA where an MOA group used to operate.

So, dots have been connected. But, what else do we know? Still not sure. Is this a branch of THE Muslim Brotherhood? Is it a funding arm for a Kashmiri militant group? Whatever the case, it appears to represent yet another MOA front organization.

==========================================
Previous
Fuqra Headquarters: Hancock, NY
==========================================

(Hat tip to Agent99Mom)

Sheikh Gilani: Metaphysical Guru or Islamic Envoy to Aliens?

2007-01-09T00:01:00.000-08:00

His Strange Beliefs in the World of Jinn

I ran a search the other day to see if any recent news stories had cropped up mentioning Sheikh Mubarik Ali Gilani. Those familiar with this blog know him as the founder of the militant group Jamaat ul-Fuqra and its front organization Muslims of the Americas, among others. A mysterious figure, he is the man Daniel Pearl was investigating when he was kidnapped and subsequently beheaded in Pakistan. Connected to Pakistani intelligence, Gilani maintains a significant network inside the US. In my recent news search, I discovered a story from the Economist (December 23,2006 issue) that was just really, really strange. Aside from its peculiarity, it also goes a good ways toward explaining the off-beat beliefs of this secretive and mystical Sufi "cleric".

The special report, entitled "Jinn: Born of Fire", is an account by a correspondent who traveled to Somalia and Afghanistan to explore the depth of a peculiar set of beliefs held in some circles of Islam in metaphysical beings called "jinn". According to the Koran, jinn are parallel beings, created by Allah from smokeless fire. The descriptions of jinn in the article seem to be comparable to how some demonic activity might be described in Christendom, but it also seems to go way beyond that. Gilani only gets a brief mention:

Sheikh Mubarak Ali Gilani, a Pakistani cleric connected with a jihadist group, Jamaat al-Fuqra, has given warning to America that its missiles will be misdirected by jinn.

And, that's just one theory. The article discusses a number of different views regarding jinn. It really is one of the strangest things I've ever read. You'll have to read the whole thing to really see what I'm talking about.

But, keeping with Gilani's thoughts on the matter, he has talked about jinn before. Actually, here is where the Economist mention came from - an excerpt from his interview with CBS featured on 60 Minutes II in 2002:

Gilani says that he is used to being a suspect whenever there is a terrorist act against the U.S. He wanted to talk about what he sees as the most serious threat to the world, why bad things happen in America, including acts of terrorism. These bad things, he says, are caused by invisible forces.

“There are beings who are not visible to you,” he says. “But they inhabit this earth. And they are damaging, causing psychotic diseases, fits, epilepsies. And controlling the agents, controlling the human beings.”

Gilani says he can control those evil forces. He says that he is not a threat to the U.S., but could be its salvation. To understand why, he points to an American television show “The X-Files.” He says the mind control and evil influence that aliens wield over human beings in the program is much like the power of the invisible forces he believes in.

“What is an X-file? Most of things - could have happened or will happen,” Gilani said. “Human beings can be made to do things against their will. They can be made to commit crimes. They can made to go and kill people. You know? And all your missiles, all your rockets, space ships go up. And electronics, they can be
damaged, influenced, and misdirected through the agencies of gin [or jinn] beings.”

Muslims all over the world also believe in these invisible evil forces that are described in the Koran. The sheik feels that these forces are a much bigger threat to the U.S. than terrorism. He says the United States should thank him for passing on his message about the invisible world instead of accusing him of terrorism.

Riiiiiiiight. Sounds like Gilani's been hitting the hookah a little too hard. Gilani's particular brand of Islam is regarded as more of a fringe cult by most mainline Muslims. His claims of metaphysical powers give his Sufism a rather New Age flair. It can be quite entertaining to read his writings. What is dangerous about him is that he actually has quite a few followers, and devoted ones at that, and his friends are what we would call...well, terrorists.

As for believing in "jinn" and their dark influence - his followers aren't the only ones. Follow the link below to read the full story on "jinn" and discover a whole 'nother subculture of Islam you probably never knew existed.
=======================================================

LINK
Economist - Jinn: Born of Fire

The Economist article was also reprinted online by a Somali news outlet called GaroweOnline.com.

========================================================
Additional references:

CBS - 60 Minutes II - Sheik Gilani

Dr. Sanity - Quranic Psychiatry

[Hat tip to Pajamas Media for the link!]

Notorious Fuqra Cell Member Denied Parole

2007-01-04T00:06:00.000-08:00

***EXCLUSIVE***
The Incarceration of Edward Flinton, Part II

Back in April of 2006, I wrote a post about Edward Flinton, one of the most notorious members of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, who is now incarcerated in Colorado. Flinton is in prison for conspiracy to murder Phoenix imam Dr. Rashad Khalifa. Flinton had been a member of a terrorist cell called "the Muhammad Commandos of Sector 5" and was based at Fuqra's Trout Creek Pass compound near Buena Vista, CO. The cell had been involved in multiple bombing plots, some of which were actually carried out, along with surveillance of infrastructure and military targets, white collar criminal activities, and terrorist training. The investigation of this cell involved over 50 investigative and law enforcement entities. The discovery of their storage locker, which included plans, bombmaking materials, weapons and other related items broke the case wide open.

Flinton and others went on the lam for several years, hiding out at Fuqra safehouses in other states. He fled to VA and SC, where he was eventually arrested. Fuqra leaders had hoped to smuggle him to Pakistan, but alas, they were unsuccessful.

As I noted in my previous post, Flinton became eligible for parole just last month, December 18th, actually. Through a search on the CO Department of Corrections website, I found that the Parole Board was scheduled for a visit to Flinton's facility, the Delta Correctional Center, on Thursday, the 21st. I contacted the prison and was informed that Flinton indeed met with the parole board and was denied. He will meet with them again in December 2007, but it is unlikely he will be granted parole then either.

The facility in which Flinton is serving is a Level 1, or minimum security, facility. The atmosphere is not unlike a college campus and his accomodations similar to a dorm room. There is a mixture of inmates from various religions, including Islam, at the facility and they are free to practice their faith. However, there is no Muslim chaplain or imam located at the facility. An inmate is usually designated by the state's corrections imam to lead activities there.

Flinton, now 61, had previously been in a more secure prison, but through "good behavior" earned his way into this one. Flinton does have a job that he reports to, but it is onsite at the facility. Inmates can earn 10 days per month off their sentence on "good behavior", but are required to serve at least 75% of their sentence. As it currently stands, his current estimated release date is June 2015.

========================================
Related Links:
Colorado DOC - Inmate No. 94445
The Incarceration of Edward Flinton
Fuqra Compound: Colorado

Death to Saddam

2006-12-29T20:26:00.000-08:00

Sic semper tyrannis.

Anti-Jihadist Music Video

2006-12-22T11:58:00.000-08:00

The other day, via HotAir.com, one of my favorite blog sites, highlighted a music video which has to be one of the first (and only) anti-jihadist music videos by an American music group. One of the commenters at HA asked, "Does this qualify as a response to Dirty Kuffar?" I'd say so.
The song, called "Open Season", is done by the hip-hop/rock group Stuck Mojo. As Allahpundit at HotAir described it, its "kind of goofy, kind of disturbing, kind of awesome. And profane in places, so here’s your content warning. Enjoy." --

As a follow-up, HotAir posted audio of an excellent interview with Rich Ward of Stuck Mojo by John Gibson of FoxNews. See here. He says that it's hard in the industry for right-leaning rockers but he believes the Islamic threat, for example, the creeping Islamic influence in Europe, needs to be confronted. He said that he's gotten tons of positive feedback from soldiers and conservative bloggers alike. I hope we see more people take a stand like this.

Anti-Jihadist Creed

2006-12-21T11:09:00.000-08:00

Earlier this fall, I was thinking about how bloggers, the New Media, and other patriots have taken it upon themselves to confront the menace and false propaganda of radical Islamic jihadists. I then felt compelled to write a statement attempting to capture the purpose, motivations, and defiance of the anti-jihadist movement, as I see it. I wanted to share it with you all because I thought many of you may share the sentiment....
==================================================

Anti-Jihadist Creed

I am a citizen-soldier in a new war
Here to defend my land, my people, my heart, my mind, my faith, my civilization.
I am a defender of Truth –
At times, before men;
At times, in secret struggle
Allied with a coalition of the willing.

I am a revolutionary engaged in an information war –
A counter-propagandist, counter-jihadist, et contra tyrannum.
I will not be deceived;
I will not bow down to oppression
Or be bested by those who hate freedom.

I will not be subjugated by the enemy,
For I will not submit.
Dhimmitude is not my future.
I will not renounce my faith nor yield my culture to the evil ones,
But I will fight them in its defense
Until they are defeated.

I will use my intellect to defeat falsehood and disrupt the enemy,
Remaining vigilant in the face of subterfuge.
I will not be part of a culture of death,
But will fight for life and liberty.
For I am a warrior against Evil
Charged to spread Truth until the end of days
Aspiring to the glorious hope that awaits
When good will prevail.

My fate is thus entrusted to a Faith held dear,
By which I gather strength
For, in the end, should harm or martyrdom befall me --
I will not desert the cause.
I will fight the good fight
And look to the path of those who have gone before.

=================================================
A column that I happened upon just today entitled "The Rise of the Anti-Jihadists" highlights exactly what I am talking about.

The often derided pajamahadeen and basement blogger has managed to not only become a growing, and increasingly powerful, force upon the political scene but upon the educational and information realms as well.... The Internet has given the power to anyone with a computer to partake in the War on Terror.

Read the whole thing. (Kudos to my colleagues at Gates of Vienna and the Northeast Intelligence Network for getting a mention in the piece!)

[Thanks to PajamasMedia for the link!]

Still Around

2006-12-02T09:18:00.000-08:00

Well, I've been on a bit of a blogging hiatus lately, but I haven't gone away. I am still working, as time allows, on my investigation of Al Fuqra and Muslims of the Americas. Some of it I can post and some of it I can't. Hope to have some new stuff up soon. Thanks to those who continue to check in. Many thanks also to those who have sent emails and tips.

2006-09-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

To be continued...

2006-09-05T14:54:00.000-07:00

Life has interrupted blogging lately. Hope to be back soon. Feel free to check out the archives.

UPDATE: Aliville Located Near Nuclear Plant

2006-08-15T19:21:00.000-07:00

Last Sunday, I wrote a post about Aliville, an obscure settlement linked to the Muslims of the Americas in SE Georgia. I included a map in that post showing the proximity of Aliville to several military bases in the region.

Yesterday, a reader alerted me that Alille is located just 24 miles downriver from the Edwin I. Hatch Nuclear Plant (aka Plant Hatch).

Click here for map

This makes the third known MOA/Fuqra encampment that is located close to a major power generation facility. Holy Islamville is situated just six miles west of the Catawba Nuclear Station in York, SC, and the Dover, TN compound can be found just over 7 miles west of the TVA's Cumberland Fossil Plant.

The reader also noted that another major military base is in the region as well, but wasn't on the map I showed in the other post. Naval Air Station Jacksonville (Florida) is about 120 miles from Aliville. It is the third largest naval installation in the United States.
===============================
LINKS

Southern Company - Plant Hatch

Imagery of Plant Hatch - Yahoo! Maps Beta / Google Maps / Windows Live Local

GlobalSecurity.org - Naval Air Station Jacksonville

Al Fuqra Security Company / Training Facility Near Atlanta Airport ?

2006-08-14T08:19:00.000-07:00

***Exclusive Investigative Report***

Last week, I posted information about Aliville, an Islamist village in SE Georgia. Before that, in December 2005, I wrote about Madinah Village, a settlement linked to the same organization located near Commerce, Georgia. Both villages are connected to the Muslims of the Americas (MOA), the front organization for Al Fuqra, a covert Islamist militant group. The following involves new information about the activities of individuals in the Atlanta metro area that are connected to the village at Commerce.

It is known that one of the modus opperandi of Fuqra cells has been the operation of security companies. They are a means to earn easy money for the organization. They can also provide priveleged access to facilities, information, and weapons. Fuqra is currently known to operate security companies in NY and VA. They had done so in Colorado years ago until their compound was raided and their cell was broken up. Operatives of Fuqra's security companies have been known to conduct brazen surveillance of various targets.

Earlier this year, I received a tip from a contact who informed me that individuals connected to the Muslim village near Commerce are currently operating several businesses, including a security company, in the Atlanta metro. I believe the information from my source to be accurate, as it was very specific. Thus, I cannot reveal all of my information here, but I will touch on the main points.

The businesses in question all share the same address - 4826 Old National Highway, College Park, GA. They are as follows:

Zak-Grafix, Inc. - Graphics design company. Run by Muslim female (with a non-Muslim name), linked to a previous address in Brooklyn, NY.

Master Moreland Taekwondo and Hapkido Center - a primarily-Muslim martial arts school run by Shelton R. Moreland.

Mobido's All Natural - Incense/potpurri retail. This company also makes soap. [Note: Soap can be used as an ingredient for explosives –i.e., napalm; Click here for related news story. (This note is purely informational and is meant for reference context only. I have no information that the company produces soap for this purpose)].

EPAI Protective Services, Inc.
(Executive Protection Academy International)
[website: executive-protect.com] - Also run by Shelton R. Moreland. Licensed for armed security and investigations. Training school for bodyguard/dignitary protection teams.
United States Hapki Hae
[website: unitedstateshapkihae.com] - Founded by Master Moreland. Primary training organization for EPAI.

EPAI provides security for several locations in the Atlanta area including a trucking facility and a closed-down Ford plant. A search of the Hoovers business database indicates the company has six employees and sales of $100K. A subsequent search of Georgia security licenses connected to EPAI yielded six names.

The EPAI website tries to suggest the company is larger than records indicate. They claim to have an extensive domestic and international network. The site says that Moreland has a military and law enforcement background and that the company has trained local police teams and even FBI. Moreland formerly worked for a (now inactive) company called Flatfoot Investigation and Protection Agency in Atlanta. It is unclear whether or not it was the forerunner to EPAI, but there were a good many more employees listed on its roster.

It is known that much of the training for Fuqra operatives involves martial arts. It is believed that individuals tied to both EPAI and the village near Commerce have studied Arabic and have received paramilitary training at the MOA/Fuqra headquarters compound in NY and/or in Pakistan. Friday, the esteemed Andy McCarthy (who prosecuted several Fuqra members in the 1993 WTC/Day of Terror case) noted the significance of paramilitary training in a post at the NRO Corner:

One thing that comes through reading the papers this morning is the danger posed by paramilitary training sponsored by terrorist organizations for the last quarter-century — especially in the Afghan/Pakistan border region. Evidence of prior paramilitary training has been a staple of just about every important terrorism investigation and prosecution since the early 1990s.
[...]
If there are sleeper cells in our country — and it would be foolish to suppose there aren't — it's the people who've had this training (in explosives, combat, hijacking, etc.) that we need to worry about, even if they haven't done anything else ... yet.

EPAI's offices are located approximately 2 miles SE of Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport. It also lies about 7 1/2 miles from two Army facilities, Fort McPherson to the north and Fort Gillem to the east. It should be noted that if Moreland is ex-military, he may have access to these bases.

(click image to enlarge)

COMMENTARY

Al Fuqra is not regarded as as a top-level threat by most. On the terrorist totem pole, they likely perform a support role. However, as I reported in a previous post, a 2005 report from the Department of Homeland Security mentioned Fuqra as being among groups likely to be involved in attacks on the United States.

In the world of modern jihad, most of today's American Fuqra operatives are nothing more than street thugs on the hustle. However, it must recognized that there could be deeper-level covert operatives in the group involved in more serious activities. In Pakistan, Fuqra is known as a jihadi organization. In the U.S., they are rarely even acknowledged. Yet, the organization has existed here for two-and-a-half decades and many of its basic practices have not changed. They have simply shifted geographically and have become more adept at passing themselves off as moderates. The fact remains that their leadership continues to maintain peripheral if not direct connections to known terrorists and terrorist groups.

The infrastructure that Fuqra has established has taken time to assemble. Originally established as a militant organization, you can bet the network that has been built will be exploited to support militant activities, either directly or indirectly. Support activities can take many forms, including the providing of false documentation, safe houses, financing, training, weapons, logistics, security, surveillance, personnel, etc.
Everywhere this organization has operated security companies of the sort I described above, illegal activity has been congruent with their operations. Sure, they have a right to apply for licenses to operate these businesses. However, where is it required that the government grant them a license? Where is it written that their license can't be revoked?

In my opinion, the continued operation of this group in NY, VA, and GA is essentially allowing state-sanctioned Islamist-jihadi paramilitary training to be conducted on US soil. James Ujaama went to jail for merely exploring the establishment of a training ground in Oregon. Fuqra has operated actual camps in NY and VA for years without consequence. What's wrong with this picture?

Aliville: Another Islamist Village in Georgia

2006-08-06T14:50:00.000-07:00

***Exclusive Investigative Report***

In December 2005, I posted information here about an Islamic settlement near Commerce, GA called Madinah Village that is linked to the Muslims of the Americas (MOA), the front organization for Jamaat ul-Fuqra. Additional research has led me to believe that there is another such village in the state, located in southeastern Georgia. For readers not familiar with MOA/Fuqra, they are reported to have at least two-dozen villages, or jamaats, around the country.

Last fall, following Hurricane Katrina, a pair of news stories appeared about a "charity" linked to the Muslims of the Americas called Hand to Hands Social Service Agency describing the contributions of several of its members from around the country to the relief efforts. [Hand-to-Hands is headquartered in Binghamton, NY; their website is handtohands.org]

One of the stories, from Spero News, mentions the names of a couple of women hailing from a place called "Aliville (Odem, GA)". After googling "Odem", I realized the town is actually spelled "Odum". It is not clear if the name of the town was misspelled intentionally. Nonetheless, after working through a number of search string combinations, I finally found what I believe to be Aliville. It lies 14 miles northeast of Odum just off Hwy 169 aka Lanes Bridge Rd in northern Wayne County.

Here's the most recent aerial I could find, courtesy of Yahoo! Maps Beta:

(click image to view in Yahoo! Maps Beta)
This is an aerial of the location taken in 1999 from USGS:

Once again, the MOA shows its knack for obscurity. This village is very rurally located. And, just as other MOA villages have given their roads Islamic-sounding names [Moslem Road in Hancock, NY; Islamville Way in York, SC; Mahareen Drive in Meherrin, VA; Sheikh Gilani Lane in Red House, VA], Aliville can be found on Mecca Circle. Several addresses are listed for Mecca Circle and additional residents are also listed on Oriole Road, which is the east-west road you see in the image.

Records from the Georgia Secretary of State's office indicate that at least one business is linked to the village. A company called Qasr Computing Solutions, Inc. maintains an address at Aliville.

The company's website [qasr-inc.com] says that they were formerly based in Jacksonville, FL and in fact, additional information I have discovered confirms that several Aliville residents had previously lived in Jacksonville. I am not currently aware of an MOA presence in Florida, but I consider it likely. However, I did also find additional information confirming that Aliville residents previously hailed from Dover, TN and Binghamton, NY, two locations with a known MOA presence.

As I said, the village is located in a very rural part of Georgia. It is not close to any metropolitan areas. So, as with the other villages, I looked to see what sort of strategic infrastructure there might be nearby. See, the MOA like to say that they live rurally to escape the temptations of worldly urban life. However, covert Fuqra operatives have exploited the fact that many of the MOA/Fuqra villages can be found near hard strategic targets [e.g., near power plants (including nuclear), military bases, reservoirs, etc.]. Considering Fuqra's shadowy connections to Pakistani intelligence, this fact is perhaps not coincidental.

As I panned outward on the map, I discoverd that Aliville is just about an hour's drive from Fort Stewart. Fort Stewart is the largest Army installation east of the Missisippi River. [Note: The Fuqra cell that was broken up in Colorado years ago was known to have conducted surveillance of several military facilities; the still-active compound at Dover, TN is just a few miles from Fort Campbell (map)].

In addition to Fort Stewart, Aliville is within a few hours drive of several significant military facilities that dot South Georgia.

(click image to enlarge)

I do not currently know what law enforcement authorities know about this location, if anything. I do know that it has not been written about in any of the materials re: MOA/Fuqra that I've seen. I will point out that it was not listed on the table of suspected compounds published by the National White Collar Crime Center in their report on Fuqra. The village at Meherrin, VA, which was exposed by Baron and myself, was not on that list either. It was one of Fuqra's more secretive villages and is known to have sheltered one of their most high-profile operatives while he was a wanted fugitive. Makes me wonder what might be going on in Georgia?

UPDATE: I failed to point out that the website for Qasr Computing Solutions is offline/inactive. However, you can see captures of the site at the Internet Archive.

UPDATE: A reader points out that Aliville is located near a nuclear plant. Click here for details.

======================

Additional information:

Spero News - Hand to Hands offers Katrina victims aid in Texas

PRWEB - Islamic Faith Based Organization Brings Disaster Relief and Support to Victims of Hurricane Katrina

GA Secretary of State Records - Qasr Computing Solutions, Inc.

Previous post - MOA/Fuqra Community: Commerce, GA

======================

[Hat tip to the Northeast Intelligence Network for the link]

AP Holds the Coats for Communist Cuban Regime

2006-08-05T17:29:00.000-07:00

While the Toronto Star found it rather difficult to report on events going on in Cuba, the AP extols the virtues of the island workers' paradise in true Eason Jordan style.

In a "Gee, it's not so bad" story, Associated Press writer Vanessa Arrington points out that "Some Cubans Enjoy Comforts of Communism". Who, you ask, is the subject of her human interest story, this fortunate soul enjoying the benefits of socialism? Try a homeless park janitor who hasn't eaten in three days. You think I'm kidding. I'm not. Hey - he's got free health care! Oh, and did you know Cuba has free education and high literacy rates? Zzzzz. Is this honestly considered serious journalism?

Paragraph two opens, "In Cuba's communist society, where every day is a struggle but survival is practically guaranteed..." Oh, it is? Tell that to the thousands of Cubans whose family members have been disappeared and/or executed for opposing the regime. [WSJ: Counting Castro's Victims]

How does Arrington describe the mood of Cubans amidst a changing political situation this week? Well, they're taking it "in such stride" because they're just so comfy with communism. Gag me.

To paint a comparison picture, she offers quotes from her subject saying he could come to the US or Mexico, but surely that would be harder and more expensive [free health care!]. Yeah, I'm sure it's much better to live without any food in a park shed decorated with cleaning supplies.

She mentions that the "locals" tell her about the richness of the culture - and their "safe streets". I don't know about you, but I've never considered neighborhood patrols by communist secret police to be that advantageous to one's safety.

Then there's an oh-yeah-by-the-way-there-are-political-prisoners-who-don't-like-it-here-but-there's-just-a-few-of-them-most-people-wouldn't-say-they're-repressed paragraph.

Cuban "democracy" is also explained. Apparently, the Assembly members, who are elected, are the ones who choose the president. "Castro, a representative from the eastern city of Santiago, has repeatedly won out." Please spare us.

And, you know the tactic that members of the White House Press Corps use when they ask Bush questions with anonymously-attributed introductions like, "Some say that you're Hitler..."? The AP writer offers a similar anecdote - "Some Cubans retort that a system allowing President Bush to "steal" elections and wage wars without the people's support is certainly more flawed than their own."

Now notice the pictures the AP uses next to the story. Of the thousands of pictures of Condoleezza Rice, that's the one they chose? The pensive revolutionary vs. the menacing imperialist. Castro has been in power since 1959 and how many stories has the American media ever run enumerating the crimes he has committed? I strain to recall even one instance in my lifetime. In my opinion, they have no credibility left. If they want to operate as Eason Jordan's CNN did in Baghdad, by compromising principle for access, then they can go ahead. I'll get my news elsewhere.

If you want to seen an alternative view of Castro's Cuba, I'd recommend visiting The Real Cuba and Babalu Blog for starters.

May God protect the people of Cuba and those who seek freedom.

Movie Review -- Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West

2006-08-03T08:00:00.000-07:00

A couple of nights ago, I sat down and watched a new documentary called Obsession: Radical Islam's War Against the West. I'm still absorbing it, but I would venture to say it is one of the most powerful films I have ever seen, not to mention one of the most disturbing.

Much of the film is comprised of video clips from Middle Eastern media, including clips of news reports, Islamic sermons, political rallies, and terrorist propaganda, with translated English subtitles. [Many of the clips are courtesy of the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI)]. The film also features interviews with moderate Muslims, including the daughter of a "martyr" as well as a former PLO terrorist along with various experts on Islam and terrorism such as Daniel Pipes and Steven Emerson.

Some of the images and rhetoric shown in the film are so stunning, it's almost beyond comprehension. The Islamofascist death cult is pure, unadulterated evil. You see toddlers and elementary school children reciting vile anti-Semitic propaganda and expressing a desire to become suicide bombers. What kind of society encourages this? Children are supposed to want to grow up and be doctors and teachers and firemen and astronauts. They are supposed to want to be happy and to better mankind. Yet, how many thousands have been brainwashed in the teachings of death?

One of the quotes that stuck out to me was that of a Hamas radical talking about how they had raised up an "ideological generation" and that their children "loved death as much as their enemies love life". The sick and reprehensible nature of something like that is just bewildering. I believe their indoctrination far exceeds that of the Nazis. In fact, a former Nazi Youth member who was interviewed for the film says as much. The film touches on the eery correlation between Nazi propaganda and radical Islamic propaganda. The two movements also share a history that is not well known in the West. Did you know that the Grand Mufti of Jerusalem met with Hitler and even raised up a Bosnian Muslim division of SS Panzer troops?

We have all seen our flag burn in violent protests depicted on the news and have heard "Death to America" chanted by our enemies. But, the vast majority of Westerners have no idea of the depth of this thing we now face. Sadly, I don't know of an American network that would have the courage to broadcast a documentary like this. I fear where we are headed. We are indeed involved in much wider war than many realize. Will the West wake up before it is too late? God help us.

===============================================
Links:

Watch the movie via Google Video (77 min) [Link updated]

The official movie website (Order the DVD)

Death Cult Kids (Gates of Vienna)

WWII: The Muslim Nazis (The Canadian Sentinel)

Gilani & Sudan: The Turabi Connection

2006-07-25T11:25:00.000-07:00

***Exclusive Investigative Report***

[This post is a bit overdue, but I suppose its better late than never. I promised that I was going to post more information about my research into the Sudanese connections of al-Fuqra's Sheikh Gilani, so here it is].

As a reminder, or as a primer for those not familiar with my previous posts, Shiekh Mubarik Ali Gilani is a mystical Sufi cleric from Pakistan. He founded the militant group known as Jamaat ul-Fuqra, or al-Fuqra, in 1979. The al-Qaeda and ISI-affiliated group exists to recruit and train fighters and to wage jihad for the pupose of purifying Islam. A front organization known as Muslims of the Americas numbers some 3,000-5,000 supporters in the US, the Caribbean, and Canada. Gilani has additional followers in the UK, Mexico, and Sudan. It was Sheikh Gilani that Daniel Pearl was investigating and attempting to meet with when he was kidnapped and executed in Pakistan.

Convention of Terrorists

Early on in my research, I found this passage in a very informative background article on Gilani from The Weekly Standard revealing evidence of a Gilani connection to Sudan, a state sponsor of terrorism, and various terror organizations (emphasis mine):

Even more damning is footage filmed in December 1993 by the Canadian Broadcasting Company when it covered a major jihadist conclave in Khartoum. The meeting was sponsored by then-Sudanese strongman and terror impresario Hassan Abdullah al-Turabi. An urbane, Sorbonne-educated Islamic scholar, Turabi had engineered a strategic alliance among Sunni-dominated Sudan, Shiite Iran, and Pakistan. With funding and expertise from Iran, Turabi made his country the launching pad for the first attack on the World Trade Center.

Turabi also created the Popular Arab Islamic Conference (PAIC) as a vehicle for bringing together Sunni, Shiite, and secular, heretofore Marxist, terrorist groups. The 1993 PAIC conference in Khartoum was a who's who of Islamist terror. Mullahs from Iran and Afghanistan were there, along with delegates from Hamas, Hezbollah, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Two generals, one of them a former chief of the ISI, and an adviser to Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto led the Pakistani delegation. Osama bin Laden, not yet a kingpin but living in Sudan while developing the organization and funding for his nascent network, was there. So was Sheikh Gilani: Foreign journalists placed him in the company of an unnamed Pakistani general and another man they took to be an "ex"-Pakistani intelligence official. In the evening, large crowds regaled the assembled jihadists with chants of "Down, down USA! Down, down CIA!," and (in Arabic) "Death to the Jews!"

From the Rocky Mountain News:

Jilani...attended a December 1993 meeting in Sudan that included members of Hezbollah, Hamas and Islamic Jihad.

"I know Jilani was there," said Fenger [an investigator who helped build the case against the Colorado al-Fuqra members], "and there was a huge group of Somalis," a group among whom there are many bin Laden supporters.

Gilani's connections to the Sudan do not end there, however. It's worth noting that bin Laden associate, Wadih El-Hage, who spent time in Sudan from 1992-1994, had connections to two incidents in which al-Fuqra members were implicated -- the murder of Tuscon imam, Dr. Rashad Khalifa, and the 1993 attack on the World Trade Center.

A while back, I asked a former member of al-Fuqra, with whom I've corresponded a number of times, about Gilani's attendance at the above-mentioned terrorist meeting in Sudan. Here's what he had to say:

CP: I read that the Canadian Broadcasting Company has a video of Gilani visiting Sudan back in '93 at a meeting of terror groups.
Source: YES. I know of this. That was the first council of jihad. Gilani was the one who orchestrated it.
CP: Really?
Source: Yes, reps from al-Qaida, Tahir ul-Mujahideen, Lashkar-e-Taiyba, all of them. And, Jamil al-Amin was there as well, former H. Rap Brown.

According to him, Gilani has many followers in Sudan, including a prominent politician. Hm. A politician? Interesting.

Politician, Pilgrimage, & Propaganda

It seems that on December 16, 2002, Dr. Malik Hussein, a Member of the Sudanese Parliament, visited the Muslims of the Americas (MOA) village known as Holy Islamville in York, SC. According to an MOA website [iqou-moa.org], he was there to visit the Baitun Noor shrine [baitunnoor.org] and witness the "miracle" that has occurred there. There is a video of this on the MOA website. It is claimed that during Ramadan 2002, the names of Allah and Muhammad miraculously appeared in light on the wall of their masjid.

The video is obviously propaganda, and poor propaganda at that. Hussein, Gilani, and an unnamed woman appear on the video. I'll put it this way, they're not what you would call polished televangelists. Aside from the questionable story about the "miracle" and the supposed verification by local non-Muslims, they claim that major international media outlets came from all over to cover it. Truth is, I have yet to find a mention of it in the web archives of any of the local newspapers and the Islamic Post, which they mention and display, is Gilani's own newspaper.

The whole purpose of this charade is so that Gilani can continue to feed his brainwashed followers a sort of mystical legitimacy...and, so he can sell videos of the "miracle" and make money. [see here] However, any idiot with a stencil and a projector or special stage light, could reproduce this "miracle".

Following his visit to South Carolina, Hussein then traveled to Lahore, Pakistan to pledge his allegiance to Sheikh Mubarik Ali Gilani himself.

Some additional background on Dr. Malik Hussein - he is president of the Sudanese Data Bank, and a member of the Pan-African Parliament of the African Union, where he chairs the Committee on Agriculture. In 2000, Hussein ran for the presidency of Sudan representing the Independent Democrats (he received about 1.6% of the vote).

The Turabi connection continues

Searching through Sudanese news articles, I discovered some additional and rather troubling information about Hussein.

For example, here is a brief note in a Panafrican News Agency story about the Sudan election dated November 15, 2000:

...Malik Hussein, an Islamist with strong affiliations to Hassan Turabi, the fomer speaker of parliament...

And another story from December 13, 2000 mentions:

Presidential candidate Hussein is a veteran politician who had served as adviser to former President Ga'afar Nimeri for Southern Sudan Affairs (1984-85).
He is known for his strong links to Hassan el Turabi, the ousted speaker of parliament.

Here we have an associate of Turabi traveling from Sudan to one of Gilani's camps in the U.S. and then visiting Gilani in Pakistan. Could Hussein be a go-between for the two terror masters?

The camp in South Carolina is known to have harbored several Fuqra operatives linked to criminal and terrorist activities (see here). Is it possible that this was not just a religious pilgrimage? Could this trip have been cover for something else, say a courier operation? Fuqra members have always operated covertly. According to my source, most of the members of the Muslims of the Americas, at least the younger & newer members, are generally unaware of Fuqra's real history and of its secretive activities. The ones that do know deny everything.

Why was this man in the United States? I find it a little difficult to believe that a foreign member of parliament (with ties to terrorists) travels from Khartoum to a town in rural South Carolina 6,800 miles away just to see a light projected on the wall of a mobile home trailer.

Strategic Location

As I have mentioned before, the radical Islamic encampment in York County, SC lies along a powerline easement that leads to the Catawba Nuclear Station, just six miles away. It is the third largest generator of nuclear electricity.

(click image to enlarge)

Thus, the connection between Gilani and Turabi is more than a little discomforting. In 2005, the Weekly Standard published a two-part article on Hassan al-Turabi. They dubbed him "The Pope of Terrorism" (Part I, Part II).

UPDATE: Here is the video of Hussein's visit to South Carolina and Pakistan

=========================

Additional Information:

PDF Dossier of Malik Hussein

BBC Profile of Hassan al-Turabi

Info on Turabi from Sudan Watch blog

Visa Requirements - Diplomats and Foreign Government Officials

Special Visa Processing Procedures - Travelers from State Sponsors of Terrorism

======================

Previous Posts:

Fuqra Community: York County, SC

UPDATE: Fuqra Compound: York, SC

'50 percent of U.S. says Iraq had WMDs'

2006-07-25T10:40:00.000-07:00

So reads the headline from the Washington Times, along with the results of a new Harris poll. The percentage is up 14% from last year.

Read it here.

Might this be an unfortunate pre-election indicator for the Dems? Let's hope so.

It also seems to show that people aren't buying the untruths that the press has been spouting over and over again. Another good sign.

I haven't been very happy with our GOP Congress lately, but the Dems have nothing with which to take it back.

It's all about hearts and minds.

Nuance

2006-07-20T14:15:00.000-07:00

israel today Magazine reports:

EU Envoy Solana meets with Israeli leaders

The European Union’s High Representative for Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana met with Israel’s government leaders today to discuss the current crisis in northern Israel and Lebanon.

In a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni, Solana said he believes it is unnecessary for Hizballah to be on the EU’s list of terror organizations, but that the EU strongly disapproves of Hizballah’s actions.

Geez. And he said this in front of the Israelis!?! Can you say, "Zero. Credibility."

Between this guy and Zapatero's little keffiyeh party, the Spaniards just aren't very well represented these days. God help them.

I think this guy's title would more aptly be EU High Representative for Dhimmitude.

Wanted: Dead or Alive

2006-07-14T07:19:00.000-07:00

With the newly launched war between Israel and Hizballah unfolding, I thought it might be a good time to remind my fellow Americans that eight of the 26 individuals on our own FBI's Most-Wanted Terrorist List are affiliated with Hizballah. Before 9/11, they were responsible for more American deaths than al-Qaida. It's time to deal with them.

Hey IDF - Have you seen these men? If so, feel free to take them out.

[H/T to Pajamas Media for the link]

A little comedy at the expense of liberals

2006-06-27T11:54:00.000-07:00

An infographic, courtesy of The Onion:

I thought the last four sounded about right.

MEGALOMANIAC

2006-06-24T12:18:00.000-07:00

From the Drudge Report:

CRAZY SADDAM: AMERICANS MIGHT REINSTALL ME AS PRESIDENT!
Sat Jun 24 2006 11:25:37 ET

Saddam Hussein believes the Americans may reinstall him as president of Iraq, the NEW YORK TIMES is planning to report on Sunday, newsroom sources tell the DRUDGE REPORT.

Saddam Hussein has no illusions, his chief lawyer says. As he sits in his prison cell reading the Quran and writing poetry, he knows the inevitable is coming -- a death sentence handed down by the Iraqi court trying him for crimes against humanity.

Yet Saddam refuses to submit to the fate that awaits him, Khalil al-Dulaimi, said, for he believes there is a way out:

President Bush will use the court's sentence as leverage to try to persuade Saddam to tamp down the insurgency, he said, so desperate are the Americans to stanch their losses.

In his madness, Saddam believes the Americans might even reinstall him as president of Iraq!

"He'll be the last resort; they'll knock on his door," al-Dulaimi said. "The United States will use this sentence to pressure Saddam to save it from its mess."

Developing...
======================================================
ME: They can't put this man to death any day too soon. Faster please.

US Could Face EMP Threat?

2006-06-23T13:03:00.000-07:00

So says Khalid Khawaja. The Canadian Sentinel is relaying the story from Adkronos International (AKI) as reported by Syed Saleem Shahzad, who is also the Pakistan bureau chief for the Asia Times.

[Popular Mechanics ran a cover story in September 2001 on the potential of relatively inexpensive e-bombs in the hands of terrorists].

Khalid Khawaja is an alum of Pakistan's ISI. In his public statements, he often tries to pass himself off as a soft-spoken voice of reason, however two of his closest friends are al-Qaeda's Osama bin Laden and al-Fuqra's Mubarik Ali Gilani. He's no moderate.

I first reported on Khawaja on October 23, 2005, where I cited a CBS interview with him where he stated that the commitment of Gilani's followers surpassed that of bin Laden's.

On November 3, 2005, I wrote another post on Khawaja citing a Newsweek interview in which he described OBL as "like an angel".

In December 2005, Khawaja actually commented on this blog in response to the October post and asserted that Gilani was simply a diligent humanitarian and that he would answer any questions I had about his friend. He even left his phone number and email address. [I didn't respond].

Earlier this year, I ran across an article from 2002, reprinted by the Militant Islam Monitor, on the questions surrounding Gilani and alleged connections to AQ shoebomber Richard Reid. A portion of it read:

Khawaja, Gilani's friend, said the cleric is peaceful and forgiving, but warned that the United States should not anger him with new accusations about Al Qaeda and Reid.
"One white American [follower] told me that there are thousands of people in America, who, if they are asked to cut off one limb so that they can stay with him [Gilani], they are ready to do that," Khawaja said.
"If you push him to that stage, that he has no option but to declare jihad on America . . . it will blow like a volcano."

Not exactly peaceful words. Let's hope the EMP talk is just idle gossip on the jihadi grapevine. Of course, just to be sure, I'm for us knocking off a few more of 'em.

Sources & Methods Compromised

2006-06-22T22:57:00.000-07:00

The NY Times has seen fit to disclose another classified program being used in the GWOT. The LA Times has the story too.

I'm sure, of course, that their "sources" requested "anonymity" because of the "sensitivity of the information".

That should read -- "traitors" requested "protection" because disclosing the information might constitute giving "aid to the enemy" and because it is "illegal to disclose classified intelligence sources and methods".

Anyway, the big double super-secret story is that the US has been combing international banking data to seek out terrorist financing networks. I say, GOOD! and I'm not surprised. I didn't need to know the name of the program and how they got it. I expected that they were doing this already anyway. We're at war with terrorists. It's only reasonable we should do everything we can to cut off their money.

Here's an AP story about it. Apparently, the Administration asked the NY Times and LA Times not to print the story...but, they did anyway. We all know that they have pretty low standards of what constitutes a breach of national security. The information probably came from the same cabal of leakers that fed their previous stories on classified programs.

And so, our enemy will adapt. And we will, too. The war goes on.

Sorry

2006-06-22T20:12:00.000-07:00

for the lack of posts lately. Job stuff, etc. interfered earlier in the month and then I took some R&R, which was nice. Anyway, I should have some new posts up soon.

ZARQAWI IS DEAD

2006-06-08T01:22:00.000-07:00

May he rest without peace.

Jamaat ul-Fuqra: Homegrown Islamic Radicalism Since 1979

2006-06-07T06:58:00.000-07:00

Following the arrests in Canada, we are seeing news stories describing a "new" focus by authorities on "homegrown terrorists". Other stories are relating that the homegrowns in Canada actually conducted their training in rural areas on Canadian soil.

My friends, this should not be any surprise, because this trend has been going on in our countries for years. Unfortunately, in a pre-9/11 world, we viewed a great deal of terrorist activity as petty crime. We did not connect dots. Even high profile cases were treated as isolated occurrances. Add to all this the politicization of the War on Terror and we have found ourselves not getting the type of news we should. Oh, and political correctness has played its part as well.

The truth of the matter is that a terrorist infrastructure has existed within our borders for over 25 years. As has correctly been noted in the news, the Islamofascist threat does not stem from one group, but from many groups who share common inspiration, common goals, and common connections.

One such group was founded on the streets of Brooklyn, NY by a radical and militant Sufi mystic from Pakistan known as Sheikh Syed Mubarik Ali Gilani. He is the founder of the terrorist group al-Fuqra. Believed to be made up of several hundred operators, they have been described as "extremely covert", "one of the most elusive terrorist groups operating within the United States", and have been known to conduct "brazen surveillance".

In the United States, the organization has a large support base estimated at around 5,000 followers called the Muslims of the Americas, which serves as a front. The common explanation for Gilani's presence in the US in the early 80's was that he was recruiting mujahideen to fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan. However, the ideology of the sheikh and his American followers called for purification of Islam through violence. That meant that Hindus, Hare Krishnas, and even other sects of Islam were also targets of jihad. Before the Soviet invasion of Afghanistan even took place, attacks were launched on these groups, on US soil. Thus began a history of more than twenty-five years of homegrown terrorism in the West. Cold, calculating, and covert, they plotted and planned attack after attack. Year after year, they preyed on the disillusioned and recruited more followers. And they trained, yes - trained for jihad - right here among us.

And they still do. This very summer, members of this group from all over the country will converge at the rural headquarters in upstate New York for their annual training retreat. Helicopters will likely fly overhead surveilling their activities. And, they will wave back, secure in the fact that "the system" will protect them. Because, when the war involves homegrowns, the rules are much more complicated. And so, we have found ourselves seeking out foreign terrorists that are plotting and planning, yet left vulnerable to "fellow Americans" with a knife in our back.

The timeline below was compiled by the ADL. I have made additions based on my own research.
==================================================================

A Violent History: Reported Incidents Linked to Al-Fuqra

August 31, 1979: San Diego, California - Attack at a Hare Krishna temple.

November 21, 1979: Queens, New York - Attack on an Iranian (Shi'ite) mosque.

September 1, 1982: Tempe, Arizona - Attack on the Islamic Cultural Center.

July, 1983: Portland, Oregon - A hotel owned by the Baghwan Shree Rajneesh, an Indian guru, was firebombed by a member of Al-Fuqra. Three pipe bombs were placed in a room on the fourth floor of the hotel by Stephen Paster, who is said to be one of the organizers of Al-Fuqra in the United States.

August 8, 1983: Canton, Michigan - A leader of the Muslim Ahmadiyya sect, Dr. Mozaffar Ahmad, is shot to death. The Ahmadiyya Center of Detroit is set on fire shortly afterward. William Cain, an Al-Fuqra follower from Akron, Ohio was identified as Ahmad's murderer. Both he and an accomplice, Calvin Jones were killed in the fire.

June 16, 1984: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania - The Hare Krishna Temple of Philadelphia is firebombed.

June 17, 1984: Seattle, Washington - The Integral Yoga Society, a Hindu religious institution, and the Vendanta Society, a Sikh religious institution, are bombed. Stephen Paster of Englewood, Colorado was later arrested in connection to the bombing. After searching his car, police found a .12 gauge firing device and a "shopping list" of the materials required to build a radio-controlled explosive device.

June-July, 1984: Kansas City, Missouri - A defective bomb is found at the Vedanta Society.

August 1, 1984: Seattle, Washington - A member of the Seattle Vedanta Society, John Liczwinko, is attacked.

August 1, 1984: Denver - A Hare Krishna temple is firebombed, causing $150,000 in damage. James Williams and Edward Flinton, two members of the Al-Fuqra sect, were charged with conspiracy-to commit murder in March of 1993 in relation to the incident.

August 1, 1984: Overland Park, Kansas - Srinivasu Dasari, a Hindu physician, is kidnapped and presumed dead.

August 1, 1984: Tacoma, Washington - Three East Indians are shot to death in a suburb of that city.

February 1, 1985: Leetsdale, Colorado - Fire breaks out at a power station.

June 22, 1985: Houston, Texas - Attack on a local mosque.

June 26, 1985: Englewood, Colorado - A member of Al-Fuqra named Stephen Paster is arrested for the second time after having jumped bail subsequent to his arrest in 1983 for allegedly bombing the Rajneeesh Hotel in Portland, Oregon. He was arrested on charges of arson, "type-2 bombings, possession of a type-2 bombing device, and flight from prosecution." Paster was subsequently sentenced to 20 years in prison in Oregon. He served just four years and then moved to Pakistan. There, he reportedly trained jihadis in bombmaking in cooperation with the ISI.

July 5, 1985: Rockford, Illinois - Attack on the Vat Thothikalam Lao.

December 1, 1985: Rockford Illinois - Attack on a Laotian temple.

May 28, 1986: Bethany, West Virginia - Attack on Randall Gorby, who is linked to the Hare Krishna temple in Philadelphia.

September 17, 1988: Augusta, Georgia - A doctor is shot to death in front of Humana Hospital.

September 16, 1989: Colorado Springs - Law enforcement officials discover a cache of bombs and ammunition in a storage locker. Among the items found were an assault rifle, a sawed-off shotgun, a "bag full" of revolvers, silencers, a footlocker "filled to the top" with ammunition," a crate of black powder, three pipe bombs "fused and ready to blow," homemade hand grenades and mines, home-cooked plastic explosive, bags of electric wiring, fuses, mercury switches and timing devices. Also found in the storage locker were "Fuqra-type" documents and photographs, of the Jewish Community Center and the Hare Krishna Temple in Denver. Other items included documents for creating false identifications, a large photo of Sheikh Omar Abdel Rahman, and target silouettes labeled FBI Anti-Terrorist Team, Zionist Pig, Delta Team, and SAS (British Special Air Service), as well as surveillance information on various infrastructure and military targets.

January 31, 1990: Tucson, Arizona: Imam Rashid Khalifa, leader of an area mosque is stabbed to death by members of the al-Fuqra sect. In February of 1993, conspiracy charges are filed against Edward Flinton and James Williams of Colorado for having plotted the murder. The actual perpetrators of the murder have yet to be found.

March 30, 1990: Quincy, Massachusetts - Attack on the Islamic Center of Quincy.

December 31, 1990: Colorado - Five members of Al-Fuqra are reported to have illegally collected and cashed $355,000 in checks from a Colorado state workers' compensation insurance fund. Four of them, Vicente Rafael Pierre, James Williams, James Upshur, and Edward McGhee were arrested in October of 1992. A fifth member, James Childs, is still at large.

January 11, 1991: San Diego, California - Attack on the Islamic Cultural Center of San Diego.

October, 1991 - Toronto, Canada and Brooklyn, New York - Five members of Al-Fuqra are arrested at Niagara Falls at the Canadian border and charged with conspiracy to commit murder by plotting to bomb a Hindu temple and an Indian theater in Toronto. Two of the arrested men, Khidr Ali and Glenn Neville Ford are from Toronto, Canada and Caba Jose Harris, Robert Junior Wesley and Tyron Junior Cole are from Texas. Among the documents in the possession of the men were "detailed aerial photographs and floor plans of the two sites," and included assignments for a "recon team," a "hit team" and a "guard team." One part of the overall plan was to enter one of the buildings through a men's restroom window, and another part of the plan suggested that a woman member of the group should plant a bomb in the women's restroom of the building. Videotapes of the interiors of the buildings were also found in the possession of the men.

In Brooklyn, the FBI and local police discovered weapons in an apartment inhabited by an alleged leader of the group, Wilfred Savary, a.k.a. Mustafa Muhammad Abd al-Rashid - "Abdu Rashid." Savary was the owner of the Chevy Suburban that the five men were using to cross the Canadian border into the United States. Nine loaded semi-automatic assault weapons and a "large quantity" of ammunition was found in Savary's apartment, the most notable of which was a rifle with a scope. In October of 1993, the trial of the five alleged Al-Fuqra members began in Saint Catharines in Ontario, Canada amid heavy security.

March 4, 1992 - The New York City Department of Investigation issues a memorandum condemning an unauthorized, covert investigation carried out by law enforcement officers near an Islamic compound. The memo says the officers' actions were based on "irrational fears". We now know this location to be the US headquarters of Jamaat ul-Fuqra. One year after this report, the World Trade Center was attacked. Several members of Fuqra were caught mixing explosives in a related plot and charged in the conspiracy. They had been reportedly been trained at the compound in question.

October 8, 1992: Al-Fuqra Compound, near Buena Vista, Colorado - An arsenal of attack weapons is discovered in a search of a remote compound run by members of the Al-Fuqra sect. Hidden in an old mine shaft were 30 semi-automatic weapons and "several thousand rounds of ammunition" discovered by law enforcement officials in a raid on the compound. The assault weapons included AK-47, M-16 and M-14 rifles. Four members of the sect were charged with fraud: Edward Ivan McGhee, James L. Upshur, James D. Williams, and Vicente Rafael Pierre. A fifth member, Chris Childs, is still at large. Documents discovered at the compound revealed the group's intended targets in Denver, Tucson, and Los Angeles. Thirty members of the Al-Fuqra sect were at the compound at the time of the raid - one man, "three or four women," and the rest children.

February, 1993: Pennsylvania - FBI officials search for weapons at a shooting range suspected of being used by Al-Fuqra members. Two Al-Fuqra members from Colorado were arrested in 1992 near the site.

June 24, 1993: New York - Eight men are arrested in connection with a plot to bomb four sites in New York City, including the United Nations, FBI headquarters, and the Holland and Lincoln tunnels. Among those arrested is Clement Rodney Hampton-El (a.k.a. "Rashid" or "Dr. Rashid"), who is reported to be a member of Al-Fuqra.

August 3, 1993: New York - A gang of ten gun and explosives dealers are arrested in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island for allegedly selling illegal weapons. The gang was led by a group of African-American Muslims who claimed inspiration from Sheikh'Umar Abd al Rahman. A member of the group, a private security guard named Lamont Holder (a.k.a. Masoud Shaheed) reportedly offered to obtain pipe bombs from a person he described as "a friend of 'Rashid"' (i.e., Clement Rodney Hampton-El). After Hampton-El's arrest in June, Holder lost hope of obtaining the pipe bombs, saying that "Rashid's" arrest cancelled the possibility of securing them.

December 1993 - Khartoum, Sudan - Sheikh Gilani attends conference hosted by Hassan al-Turabi. The guest list is a who's who of global Islamic terrorists, including Osama bin Laden.

1994 - 1999 - Jamaat ul-Fuqra listed in US State Department's annual report, Patterns of Global Terrorism.

1990s - Small cadres of operatives are sent from the US to Pakistan to get jihadi training, administered by Pakistan's military and intelligence service and then return to the US.

1996 - York, South Carolina - Edward Flinton, co-conspirator in the 1990 death of Dr. Rashad Khalifa and member of a Colorado Fuqra cell known as the Muhammad Commandos of Sector 5, is captured by US Marshals. He is scheduled to have a parole hearing in December 2006.

2000 - Lynchburg, Virginia - James D. Williams, co-conspirator in the 1990 death of Dr. Rashad Khalifa and leader of the Muhammad Commandos of Sector 5, is captured by US Marshals. He is scheduled for a parole hearing in 2030. His estimated release date is 2063.

2001 - Baladullah, California (near Fresno) - James Hobson, resident of the Fuqra-linked compound known as Baladullah, was arrested by U.S. marshals and charged with smuggling guns between South Carolina and New York. Hobson, also known as Umar Abdussalam, was the son-in-law of Musa Abdussalam, an elder at Baladullah.

September 20, 2001 - Red House, Virginia - Ben Benu, Vincent Pierre, and his wife, all linked to a Fuqra compound in Red House, were arrested for illegally buying guns.

August 21, 2001 - Dunlap, California - Fresno County Sheriff's Deputy Erik Talen was fatally shot while responding to a burglary. The suspect, 20-year-old Ramadan Abdur-Rauf Abdullah of Binghamton, New York, surrendered after a six-hour standoff.

January 2002 - WSJ Journalist Daniel Pearl is kidnapped and beheaded in Pakistan. He had attempted to gain a meeting with Sheikh Gilani, founder of al-Fuqra. He had been investigating a possible connection between the shiekh and shoebomber Richard Reid. The existence of a connection is still unclear.

January 16, 2002 - Baladullah, California - Gateway Academy, a system of charter schools in California, based at the Baladullah compound, has its charter revoked. They are investigated for defrauding the State of California for over $3 million. They had applied for several million more after inflating their enrollment numbers. Following the investigation, the sizeable compound, which included a firing range and an airstrip, was all but abandoned.

March 13, 2002 - CBS' 60 Minutes II features a report on Sheikh Gilani. The reporter interviews Khalid Khawaja, a close associate and relative of the shiekh through marriage. "I am telling you, Osama doesn't have many people in America," Khawaja says. "But here (in Pakistan), he has lots and lots of followers there and followers who are, I am telling you, I am sure of one thing, Osama does not have even one of his followers as committed as Sheikh Mubarak Gilani. Osama does not have even one as committed as the least of his people."

December 16, 2002 - York, South Carolina - Malik Hussein, a member of the Sudanese Parliament, visits Holy Islamville, a community linked to Jamaat ul-Fuqra. Hen then travels to Lahore, Pakistan and declares his allegiance to Shiekh Gilani. Hussein has strong ties to Hassan al-Turabi, also of Sudan. Turabi was an ally of Saddam Hussein and is a long-time friend and benefactor of Osama bin Laden. A 2005 article in The Weekly Standard labeled Turabi "the pope of terrorism".

2003-2005 - Jamaat ul-Fuqra is listed in the DoD handbook, A Military Guide to Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century, in a section called "Terrorist Threats to Combatant Commands". They are listed in the area of responsibility for NORTHCOM & CENTCOM with an asterisk denoting a history of anti-US activity.

July 3, 2003 - In an article for the Asia Times, a former Indian intelligence official says sources indicate that Iyman Faris, the al-Qaeda operative convicted for plotting attacks on the Brooklyn Bridge and other targets, had at one time been associated with Jamaat ul-Fuqra.

December 2003 - 786 Security, a Fuqra-linked security firm in Brooklyn, is raided by the IRS for failure to pay taxes. The owner of the company and high-ranking Fuqra member, Hussain Abdullah, admits to a local news reporter that he owes approximately $300K in federal and $40-50K in state taxes.

November 14, 2004 - York, South Carolina - US Marshals arrest Tabari Malik Shabir in a traffic stop on Flintlock Drive (near Holy Islamville). He was indicted by the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in April 2004 and had been a fugitive for seven months. He was charged with Posession and Attempted Posession With Intent to Distribute 57 kilograms of Cocaine.

March 31, 2005 - The New York times cites a report from the Department of Homeland Security outlining current terrorist threats. The article stated, "Other predicted possible sponsors of attacks include Jamaat ul-Fuqra, a Pakistani-based group that has been linked to Muslims of America...."

December 16, 2005 - Andrea Mitchell of NBC News reports on the NSA terrorist surveillance program saying, "A former intelligence official tells NBC News tonight that the people most likely to be swept up in this are listed in a Homeland Security database...called Muslims of America."

January 5, 2006 - The Asia Times reports that Ghulam Mustafa, head of al-Qaeda's Pakistan operations, is a member of Syed Mubarik Ali Gilani's inner circle.

April 5, 2006 - Having served 12 years for their plot to bomb targets in Toronto, Fuqra members Barry Adams, Amir Mohammed Ahmed and Abdul Baqqer are deported from Canada.
==================================================================

[Click here to see a full archive of my posts on this group]

I will have more in the coming days including additional information on their presence in Canada.

Stay vigilant, America. Stand on guard, Canada. Together, we will not tire, we will not falter, and we will not fail.

A Record to Run On?

2006-05-17T14:33:00.000-07:00

From The Corner:

GOP Legislative Achievements [Alston Ramsay, NR Associate Editor]
While trolling our fearless majority leader’s website, I came across a page titled “Legislative Achievements.” For May 2006, it reads only, “There are no Legislative Achievements to be displayed for this month.” You can say that again—in fact, it does say that again . . . and again . . . and again. There are no noted “legislative achievements” since Katrina emergency tax relief in mid-September of last year. Eight months and counting.

Ouch.

Senator Frist, this is NOT leadership!

At War: Rules For Me, But Not For Thee

2006-05-14T23:12:00.000-07:00

This was so spot-on, I felt the need to link to it. When you read it, you'll marvel at how (unfortunately) true it is.

The "New" Rules of Engagement in the War on Terror

Read the whole thing. The author adds, "(Please note: These rules only apply to Americans...)"

China & Currency Manipulation: Who's the Decider?

2006-05-13T01:25:00.000-07:00

I have yet to understand the balancing act that is our government's policy toward Communist China. One China Policy? Strategic Competitor? Shared interests? Hegemon? All of these terms have been used in the discussion.

In the economic discussion, complaints have come up time and time again about the undervalued status of China's currency. Behind the debate, a campaign of economic warfare between the dollar, the euro, the yen, and the yuan has been waged in the name of national interest and one-upsmanship.

Now, the latest carrot-topped item appears this week with headlines (courtesy of the US State Dept.) announcing, "U.S. Finds No Conclusive Evidence of China Currency Manipulation." [See brief Reuters video here]

Hm. Well, you could see how some might be confused by this since just six months ago, the 2005 Annual Report to Congress of the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission was released and on page four, under the heading, "Findings," is this: "Most economists believe that the RMB is undervalued by 15 to 40 percent. China’s currency manipulation acts as a subsidy for Chinese exports to the United States and a tax on imports from the United States, and serves as an incentive for U.S. and foreign firms to move production to China."
In fact, in the Commission's 2005 Annual Report Recommendations document, the very first item is "Addressing China's Currency Manipulation."

So, which is it? Are they manipulating their currency or aren't they? If they are, as "most economists believe," then why are we playing these games? I can't possibly see how it garners us any respect. To be honest, it makes us look naive, as if there is some sort of goodwill to be expected on behalf of the Chinese government for going along with the charade. Am I missing something?

I know, I know, it's "complicated," but there's a point where niceties devolve into weakness. You don't have to look far to discover that China has been strategizing about the uses of currency manipulation for years, is well aware of its effects, and seems to have employed the practice accordingly.

Read the following passage carefully. It comes from a 1999 book titled Unrestricted Warfare, written by Chinese PLA officers Col. Qiao Liang and Col. Wang Xiangsui (emphasis added):

We can only shake off taboos and enter an area of free choice of means -- the beyond-limits realm -- if we complete our picture of the concept of beyond-limits. This is because for us, we cannot achieve objectives merely by way of ready-made means. We still need to find the optimum way to achieve objectives, a correct and effective way to employ means. In other words, to find out how to combine different means and create new means to achieve objectives. For example, in this era of economic integration, if some economically powerful company wants to attack another country's economy while simultaneously attacking its defenses, it cannot rely completely on the use of ready-made means such as economic blockades and trade sanctions, or military threats and arms embargoes. Instead, it must adjust its own financial strategy, use currency revaluation or devaluation as primary, and combine means such as getting the upper hand in public opinion and changing the rules sufficiently to make financial turbulence and economic crisis appear in the targeted country or area, weakening its overall power, including its military strength. In the Southeast Asian financial crisis we see a case in which the crisis led to a lowering of the temperature of the arms race in that region. Thus we can see the possibility that this will happen, although in this case it was not caused by some big country intentionally changing the value of its own currency. Even a quasi-world power like China already has the power to jolt the world economy just by changing its own economic policies. If China were a selfish country, and had gone back on its word in 1998 and let the Renminbi lose value, no doubt this would have added to the misfortunes of the economies of Asia. It would also have induced a cataclysm in the world's capital markets, with the result that even the world's number one debtor nation, a country which relies on the inflow of foreign capital to support its economic prosperity, the United States, would definitely have suffered heavy economic losses. Such an outcome would certainly be better than a military strike.

*Ahem* What was that headline again? -- "U.S. Finds No Conclusive Evidence of China Currency Manipulation"? Then, what about the Review Commission's findings? Why have we been asking for months, years even, that China revalue its currency?

Newsflash: It is in their strategic interests to continue the tactics they have used because it has worked. They do not wish to placate the US simply because we want them to. Economic warfare is still warfare. A country that kills its own citizens for dissent is not concerned with harming its neighbors' economies. It is not in our strategic interests to believe they want to play fairly. After all, when has a communist dictatorship ever done so?

[Hat tip to Pajamas Media for linking the post!]

CP on the Tammy Bruce Show

2006-05-09T11:51:00.000-07:00

I have been asked to make a guest appearance on the Tammy Bruce Show to talk about my review of the documentary Why We Fight. Should be fun!

I will be on Thursday at 10:00 AM PST. You can tune in live online at the Talk Radio Network.

UPDATE: Just did the interview a short while ago. It went well. I enjoyed it. Tammy was a very accomodating host and we had a great conversation.

Thanks again to Tammy and to her producer for the invititation!

Movie Review: Why We Fight

2006-05-08T08:47:00.000-07:00

Not long ago, I was looking for a movie to go see and saw the trailer for a new documentary entitled, "Why We Fight". It looked interesting.

It starts with a famous quote from President Eisenhower in his farewell address warning against the growth and influence of the military-industrial complex.

It is a foray into that world of government and industry where power politics and business savvy converge resulting in massive military contracts. The movie includes testimonies from President Eisenhower's son, Senator McCain & Bill Kristol, among others, including former government employees and industry professionals.

So, I ventured down to my local independent and liberal-owned movie theater to check it out.

After seeing it, I have to say, it left a bad tase in my mouth. It made an attempt at balance, or an attempt to appear balanced. However, there was an underlying leftist bent that, I thought, mischaracterized American motives and failed to present the entire story.

The underlying theme seemed to be that the casus belli of American warmongering is based upon an affinity for seeing our finely crafted war machines in action. America is an expansionist imperialist power and builds large weapons. America builds the weapons to enrich corporate interests and cronies of the government. And, America is bored with just having the weapons sit around, we like to play with them. So, we might as well use them to invade other countries. Come on.

There was also an understated poke at everyday Americans. The filmmakers threw in a couple scenes from an American air show where war machines screeched overhead and explosions followed across the airfield, simulating a routine bombing mission. The artful way the crowd's reactions were portrayed was intended to leave the impression that Americans are pro-war because we think it is quaint.

The real giveaway of the film's agenda came when they threw in the seemingly obligatory reference to Dick Cheney and Halliburton. This line is getting a bit tired, don't you think?

At no point in the film was there a mention of the evil actions and motives of our enemies that have driven us to take military action over the years. All conflict and escalation apparently lies at the feet of the United States. Such an argument just screams of typical left-wing hackery.

It is true that the United States spends an incredible amount of money on its defense establishment. And yes, I am sure there are a number of areas in which it is excessive. But, I do not think we should follow the European model of reducing forces to the point of general irrelevance should a major conflict arise and then spend the extra money on socialist programs.

When World War II began, we did not have the largest military. We ranked about seventeenth, I think. By the end of the war, we did have the largest. Ramping up production took years. Meanwhile, millions of lives were being lost. Because of this, I believe there are advantages to maintaining a standing army. The DoD is now working on developing a rapid global strike capability and I think that is useful -- not because we want to go around bombing people, but rather to have the ability to quickly respond to threats or diffuse situations that may arise.

Considering all that is going on in the world and the frequency with which other nations look to the United States for help, one must ask, "What is the alternative?" There are real threats out there. No other nation is willing to lead. Are we to willfully diminish our status as the world's superpower? That can hardly be expected. Is a multi-polar world advantageous in our interests? Not when you consider the belligerant nature of a wounded Russia and a rising Communist China.

Conclusion: The military establishment does suffer from an overinflated bureaucracy, but they are not the enemy. There should be checks and balances. At the same time, there is still a nobility in the defense of freedom and in the spirit of the American Fighting Man. We do not seek out war for war's sake. Why We Fight gets this wrong.

ADDENDUM: Looks like I wasn't the only one to perceive the imbalance in this film. Read the Atlanta Journal-Constitution's review - here.

[Thanks to Pajamas Media for the link!]

UPDATE: ADDITIONAL REVIEWS:

NYTimes - "...his political agenda in this film is as clear as Michael Moore's in Fahrenheit 9/11....Using a former president to shore up an argument is very canny; using a former Republican president as ammunition against another Republican president is doubly so....even those of radical political persuasion might find it hard to accept Mr. Jarecki's argument that American militarism is, underneath the talk about freedom and democracy, a simple question of dollars."

NYPost - "It's 'Fahrenheit: Room Temperature'...Arguing that America is now and has been for decades an imperialist power in the grip of the defense industry...Disgraced former journalist Dan Rather: 'What you have here is a miniature version of what they have in totalitarion states.' Got the documents to prove it, Dan?"

The film was produced in cooperation with the BBC and the Canadian Broadcasting Company. Here's a link to BBC FOUR's page about the documentary.

WATCH THE MOVIE HERE (as broadcast on the BBC, via Google Video)

Fuqra Profile Reveals Additional International Connections

2006-05-03T13:37:00.000-07:00

Continuing my ongoing investigation into and exposure of Sheikh Mubarik Ali Gilani and his networks, in this post I will shed some light on additional information I have discovered including some exclusive information regarding international support for Gilani that I have not seen previously disclosed in any other source.

First, I have reprinted a description of the Fuqra organization coming from an obscure report on paramilitary organizations - Militant 2000: World Handbook on Non-Government Militarized Structures, Center for Low-Intensity Conflict Studies, Baku: 2000. [This report, claimed to have been compiled using open sources, was cited as one of the sources for the US DoD's own Military Guide to Terrorism in the 21st Century].

Here is the excerpt (underlining added):

LEAGUE OF THE IMPOVERISHED (JAMI’AT ul-FUKARA). Other names: (Jihad Council for North America); Soldiers of Allah.

Transnational paramilitary Islamic sect. Formed in 1980 in Brooklyn based on elements of one of the factions of the Black Muslims organization. In the initial stage, assumed anti-Soviet positions in connection with the invasion of Afghanistan. Later on went over to sharply anti-western and anti-Indian positions. Also oriented toward Muslims supporting the sacred path of development. The group is listed in the registry of terrorist organizations of the U.S. Department of State.

Spiritual leaders – Sheik Mubarek Ali Gilani, Hussein Abdallah, Imtiyaz (“Brigadier”). Leadership in Pakistan (Lahore).

Numerical strength as of early 90s, up to 300 fighters in the nucleus and 3000 active supporters (ethnic Pakistanis, North African Arabs, Afro-Americans who have accepted Islam). Most of the cells are on the territory of the U.S. and Canada (most active in isolated communities in rural areas).

Operational zones – U.S. (New York, Colorado, Arizona, Pennsylvania), Canada, states of the Caribbean basin, India.

Operational parameters of the 80s and 90s, acts of physical terror and incendiary bombing of installations belonging to Hindus, Krishnaites, Jews and followers of heretical sects of Islam.

External contacts - special services of Pakistan and Iran; Kashmiri, Palestinian, and Philippine paramilitary religious-political organizations; Peoples Islamic Front of Sudan.

Finance channels – basically internal sources and voluntary donations.

As I said, there were several items here that I have not seen anywhere else. One is a reference to someone named "Imtiyaz" aka "Brigadier". He is listed as part of the leadership in Pakistan. Interestingly, someone named "Brigadier Imtiyaz" is quoted in this BBC article from 2002 re: Pakistani border tensions. Perhaps they are the same individual?

A note regarding numerical strength - the number of supporters is listed as 3000, but my research indicates that this is low. Most estimates have put the number of supporters in the US alone between 3000-5000. It is unclear how large his support is within Pakistan. We do know that there are additional supporters in the Caribbean, Canada, and the UK. Via private communication, Fuqra Hater has told me the support base is somewhere around 9000 worldwide, at least. [30% income-tribute from 9000 followers is a pretty good funding base, hm?] FH says that there are villages in Mexico as well, just like the ones in the US. He has even met some of the followers from there.

Additional noteworthy information here are the other international contacts. We, of course, know about connections with Pakistan's ISI and groups involved in Kashmir. Palestinian organizations are also mentioned. Gilani has been reported to have had ties with Hamas & Hezbollah. A Philipine connection? Have not seen that before either. Notice it mentions the "special services of...Iran". Given Gilani's connections in Pakistan and Afghanistan, this is not too surprising, but is certainly not comforting.

Finally, it mentions a specific group, the Peoples Islamic Front of Sudan. Fuqra Hater tells me that there are many supporters of Gilani in Sudan. I will have more information on Gilani's Sudanese connections in a future post. You won't want to miss it.

Gilani's Second Afghan Jihad

2006-04-19T20:03:00.000-07:00

It is well known that in the early Eighties, numerous jihad organizers recruited mujahideen fighters here in the US.

Sheikh Mubarik Ali Shah Gilani, founder of al-Fuqra [pictured at right, wearing fatigues and an Afghan cap, in a screen capture from an old recruiting video called "Soldiers of Allah"], is no exception.

He operated out of a mosque called the Yaseen Masjid on Brooklyn's Van Sicklen Avenue. [I'm told the site is now, ironically, a Christian school]. From here, fighters were recruited to go to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets. Many of the jihadis that returned from that war are now leading scores of new recruits to join a new war against the US.

B Raman, a former Indian intelligence official, has written much about the jihadi groups primarily based in Pakistan. In a paper written for the South Asia Analysis Group entitled "New Crop of Afghan-Returnees", he speculates that a cycle is being repeated.

The Afghan war of the 1980s against the Soviet troops gave birth to what came to be known as a crop of Afghan returnees----mainly Arabs, Pakistanis and others, who had fought in Afghanistan. After the withdrawal of the Soviet troops, they spread to other countries in the Islamic as well as the non-Islamic world and created havoc through acts of terrorism.

The present US-led war against terrorism in Afghanistan has given birth to a new crop of Afghan returnees---consisting largely of trained Pakistanis belonging to terrorist organisations such as the HUM, the HJI, the LET, the JEM, the Sipah-e-Sahaba Pakistan (SSP), the Fuqra etc, who managed to survive the US air strikes and have returned to Pakistan.

The old wave of international terrorism, which culminated in the terrorist strikes of September 11, 2001, in the US came largely from this first crop of Afghan returnees.

A new wave of international terrorism, of which the attack on the Indian Parliament (December 13, 2001), the attack on the security personnel outside the American Information Centre in Kolkata ( January 22, 2002) and the kidnapping of the WSJ journalist (January 23, 2002) are the beginning, would largely come from this second and new crop of Afghan returnees.

The international coalition against terrorism has to closely monitor and neutralise the activities of the new crop.

Notice that he included the Fuqra among the list of groups that have sent fighters to Afghanistan in this most recent conflict.

Recently, I chatted with the former Gilani follower who goes by the pseudonym "Fuqra Hater" and I asked him about reports that Gilani had again sent fighters to Afghanistan. Here is what he had to say:

FH: Since Khalid [Khawaja] is an Afghani, he travels back and forth. Gilanis are well known in Afghani regions as well.

CP: I read an article by an Indian named B. Raman - he has written about Fuqra several times. He said they had fought recently in Afghanistan.

FH: This is true. They always recruit poor Afghani boys and Paki boys.

CP: So, Gilani is still recruiting jihadis to fight US/Coalition troops?

FH: Yes. But you see, undercover. As you state in your blogs, things are fronts. Where do you think some of the money goes?

No doubt Gilani, having an intimate relationship with elements of the ISI in Pakistan and others in Afghanistan, has access to covert networks of recruiters and operatives to mask such activities.

I wonder if Gilani might have had another motivating connection. One Mohammad Gilani, a general in the communist-era military, served as chief of the Taliban air force. A cousin, perhaps?

I do know that an organization in the US linked to followers of Gilani, which I will soon post more about, virtually defended the Taliban in a public press release (emphasis mine):

...the Secretary of State was heralded as a mistress of deception through the release of daily misinformation concerning the Taliban's treatment of women in Afghanistan, which was instrumental in the propaganda offensive leading up to the war of aggression that was launched in that nation.

If Gilani has recruited fighters to attack US troops, as has been claimed by a former Fuqra member and a former high-level Indian intelligence official, then hopefully the good folks at CENTCOM will exploit their intel sources in an effort to confirm this.

Meanwhile, may God Bless the American military, the now-free people of Afghanistan, and may light continue to be shed on our enemies.

Three Fuqra Bombers Deported From Canada

2006-04-07T13:15:00.000-07:00

Well, here's some interesting news this week out of Canada. Three men, convicted for involvment in a Toronto bomb plot for the terrorist group Jamaat ul-Fuqra were deported from Canada on Wednesday having completed 12-year prison sentences.

(via CBC News)

Barry Adams, Amir Mohammed Ahmed and Abdul Baqqer were arrested in 1991 while crossing the border from the United States. They were convicted in 1994 of conspiring to bomb a temple and an East Indian movie theatre.

All three are members of Jammat ul-Fuqra, an extreme religious sect based in Pakistan.

A Weekly Standard article from 2002 provides some additional details about this particular case:

FUQRA terrorism in North America appears to have peaked in the early 1990s. In 1991, luck derailed Fuqra plans to bomb an Indian movie theater and a Hindu temple near Toronto. Five men were arrested at the Niagara Falls border crossing after U.S. Customs agents searched their cars and found photographs, floor plans, and videotapes of the interiors of the targets, details of "recon team," "guard team," and "hit team" roles, and a description of how "time delay" bombs could be placed below the cinema floor. A second document stated that targeting a Hindu temple would "allow for total focus on the Hindus without any other party being involved in the fallout." A Canadian jury convicted three American Fuqra members of "conspiracy to commit mischief endangering life." A fourth suspect, Max Lon Fongenie, who had come to Canada from Pakistan shortly before the plot was set in motion, fled back to Pakistan after his co-conspirators' arrest, according to evidence presented at the trial.

[...]

In an interview taped by the Canadian Broadcasting Company, Gilani acknowledged that one or two of the men charged in the Toronto bombing conspiracy had studied with him in Lahore. Nevertheless, he insisted that Fuqra does not exist and that he does not advocate violence.

Another story on their releasefrom hardbeatnews.com, a Caribbean news service, puts quotes around the word "terrorists" in the headline as if religiously-motivated bomb conspirators could be described otherwise. The article notes that both Adams and Ahmed hailed from Trinidad and Bagger was originally from the Dominican Republic.

It is known that Fuqra has long had a presence in the Caribbean. I wonder if they are connected to the Trinidadian group, Jamaat al Muslimeen?

The article ends with this little tidbit:

Deportees are often sent back to their home country but Border Services officials have declined to confirm whether the men were sent home, alluding to concerns over security.

That is interesting. I'm guessing this is due to one of two possibilities or both - they are concerned that citizens in the US or their home countries would be alarmed by their re-entry into society or, perhaps the men talked in prison and fear retribution from Gilani's thugs.

Follow these links to related stories from Canadian Press and Caribbean Net News.

[Hat tip to The Northeast Intelligence Network and The Canadian Sentinel for catching this story].
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PREVIOUS BACKGROUND POST:
Jamaat ul-Fuqra in Canada

Gilani Lives Large in Lahore

2006-04-05T23:18:00.000-07:00

The picture to the right is Mian Mir shrine in Lahore. It is a shrine to a famous Sufi saint, also celebrated by Sikhs. (Wikipedia entry) Surrounded by a walled compound, it is one of Sheikh Mubarik Ali Gilani's main residences in Pakistan. In stark contrast to the lifestyle of his American followers, Gilani lives very comfortably, evidenced by his Land Rovers, his clothes, his abundance of food, servants, a security detail, and so on.

Photos of Gilani's complex at the Mian Mir Shrine in Lahore, Pakistan - 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15

A former Gilani follower described to me his experiences during a trip which over several months included weapons training by the Pakistani military and intelligence service. The LA Times just published an account from a terror trial in the US where another man claims to have seen a jihadi training camp being run by the Pakistani military. Athena at the Terrorism Unveiled blog excerpts the article and doubts that the Paks would do this that openly, but I have no problem believing it, especially from what my source has described, and knowing that the ISI has been connected to numerous militant groups.

As for the atmosphere at Mian Mir, it may be a religious shrine for Sufis and Sikhs, but it is not a place to act suspicious. Gilani is a very paranoid individual and thinks the Mossad is always watching him. My contact recalled being at the shrine with Gilani when a "beggar" came up and spoke to them. He spoke to the Sheikh in Urdu and to them in "perfect English". Just hours later, the man turned up dead because Gilani thought he was Mossad. Couple that with the account of Gilani's houses and cars and Gilani starts to sound like more of a mob boss than a "cleric".

One other thing I wanted to point out is an inconsistency with something Gilani said in his recent "editorial". In it, Gilani responds to accusations surrounding his association with Stephen Paster, a white American known as "Fuqra's bombmaker": [emphasis mine]

Another accusation he leveled against me is that I shelter one Stephen Pastor – a man accused of training people to make bombs. (Stephen Pastor was present in Pakistan about ten years ago and then went on his own way.) I have no words to express my detestation of such false accusations.

Ten years ago? That's interesting because my contact says he met Paster on his trip to visit Gilani and it was more recent than ten years. He describes the encounter:

We then went into the mountains for extensive studies in the sufi way, We met one white man named Javed, formerly named Atif, formerly named STEPHEN PASTER. The missing fingers the keen look in his eyes , I knew right away who it was when some of the elders greeted him by saying hey nubbs, I guess that comes from the missing fingers from the bomb that went off too early(doesnt sound like an expert bomb maker to me). He stayed around for about 30 min then went off to somewhere unknown. Have not seen him since.

The Incarceration of Edward Flinton

2006-04-04T20:54:00.000-07:00

Edward Flinton was one of Fuqra's most notorious operators. During the 19990s, Flinton was a member of a Colorado-based Fuqra cell known as the "Sector 5 Muhammad Commandos". This cell was based out of Colorado at the Trout Creek Pass compound near Buena Vista. From here, they planned attacks and surveilled numerous targets, both infrastructure and military-related.

According the report "Identifying the Links Between White-Collar Crime & Terrorism" by the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), Flinton was alleged to be the "mastermind" responsible for developing Fuqra's assassination and bombing plans including the 1983 hotel bombing attempt in Portland, OR; the 1984 bombing of the Hare Krishna Temple in Denver, CO; and the 1990 murder of Imam Rashad Khalifa in Tuscon, AZ. Flinton was Caucasian, just like Fuqra's bombmaker, Stephen Paster. Seems Gilani liked to use them for operations when possible because they didn't fit the profile of a majority of his group's members. Al-Qaeda has tried to exploit that tactic as well.

In September 1989, Colorado investigators searched a storage locker that had been linked to the cell. Inside were all of the tools of the trade. Here is an excerpt from the NW3C report about the paper trail that they found:

One of the packets of documents discovered in the storage locker contained a detailed description of the methods that should be used to murder an occupant of a Muslim mosque in Tucson, Arizona. The following is an excerpt from a Colorado agency memorandum that describes efforts that investigators took to determine the facts that might be associated with this finding.
Colorado Springs police investigators checked with Tucson, Arizona police department and found that no attack on the mosque or any of its members had at that point taken place. Tucson police did visit the mosque and interview the Imman (the leader of the Tucson congregation), a man by the name of Rashad Khalifa. Mr. Khalifa acknowledged that he had written several documents concerning the Koran, and that the views he expressed in these articles were not very popular with many other Muslims. Mr. Khalifa said that as a result of his research and publication, he felt that he had enemies from Saudi Arabia to Arizona, but that he had never heard of an organization called Fuqra. He did say that he had received threatening telephone calls “from Colorado.” Approximately two weeks after his interview by the Tucson police, Mr. Khalifa was murdered at the mosque by an as yet unidentified intruder who stabbed him to death. The use of a knife to accomplish the murder was one of the methods discussed in the targeting package found in Colorado Springs.

According to documents collected in the investigation, Flinton, whose full name is Edward Nicholas Laurent Flinton, had used several aliases in his activities including Edward Solomon Katz, William Alfred Lemay, Idris Abdul Musawwir, Edward Lindsey. (The alias "Katz" stood out to me, having recently watched the new TV show called Sleeper Cell, where the Islamist cell leader pretends to be Jewish.)

In 1993, authorities indicted Flinton for conspiracy to commit murder.
After hiding out as a fugitive for years with his family at one of the other MOA/Fuqra compounds, Flinton was finally arrested in 1996 at Holy Islamville in York, SC. (That's the jamaat led by Ali Abdur-Rashid, who told a reporter recently, "We do not harbor fugitives here.")

Flinton is now serving his prison sentence in Colorado (Click here to see a picture and info about him courtesy of the Colorado Dept. of Corrections). His estimated discharge is 2015, however he is scheduled for a parole hearing in December of this year.

In custody, Flinton did admit to having personally authored the plan to kill Dr. Khalifa (Wikipedia bio). It is unclear whether or not he actually stabbed Khalifa, but it is believed that Flinton was under direct orders from Gilani to do so.

A source tells me following his capture that Flinton "sung like a parrot", and the atmosphere within the MOA became more tense. After that we as the members of the MOA started being on guard 24/7. Asking if someone comes up here, when can we shoot, yes we were all trigger happy, this is what is taught.
Following the arrest, the heirarchy was nervous. One of the village mayors reportedly told his people, "we will be raided, and blood may be shed because of this."

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[Hat tip to Jihad Watch for the link!]
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A Response to Gilani's Claims

2006-04-02T22:48:00.000-07:00

As noted in a recent post, Sheik Mubarik Ali Gilani, widely known as the founder of Islamist militant group Al Fuqra and its front organization Muslims of America (MOA), has issued a response to the investigative report that was released last month by the Northeast Intelligence Network and myself.

In his rambling 14-page diatribe, Gilani makes numerous ridiculous claims and merely reinforces the radical label that has been placed upon his name. If his attempt was to deflect attention away from the accusations against him, he failed miserably. By publicly releasing this report, he has surely placed himself under even more scrutiny. Notoriously secretive, silence was likely his best policy up to this point.

His claims of having “mystical powers” do not particularly appeal to most rational people. That tends to set off the majority of tinfoil hat detectors. To quote Jack Nicholson from a movie years ago, “Go sell crazy somewhere else. We’re all stocked up here.”

If you didn’t take time to read the entire "editorial", or just got bored and couldn’t finish it, I’ll recount some of the more ridiculous claims “Pir” Gilani makes.

First, the very title of this editorial is “Exposing Roots of Terrorism in USA”. It is ironic that this comes from someone who is himself widely attributed to be one of the very first terrorist organizers in the United States.

He claims that by publishing our investigative report, both I and the Northeast Intelligence Network are “the actual perpetrators of international terrorism, and racial and religious bigotry and their ceaseless campaign of hate, is more damaging to the U.S. than any other country.” That is just absurd.

He points to Islamberg in New York as an example of his organization’s patriotism and peacefulness. The sheikh could not have suggested a worse example. One significantly unhelpful reason for this is that several Islamberg-affiliated members were convicted in the 1993 NYC Day of Terror plot. I’m sure his answer to this would be that they were framed by “Zionist agents”.

Islamberg also does not have a good reputation among its neighbors as is claimed. In January of this year, two guys working for a phone company were physically assaulted by Gilani’s thugs while working near the compound. The neighbors are given menacing looks if they so much as slow down when passing by. The frequent automatic gunfire coming from the compound does not encourage them, considering members of the group guard the grounds with AR-15s and years ago used to march up and down the road in camouflage and ammo belts. If Gilani is so sure of his followers being law-abiding citizens, he might want to find out why the mayor of Islamberg has failed to pay some $350,000 in business taxes. If any location in the US has made people question Gilani’s true methods, it is this one.

Another of Gilani’s talking points involves a ridiculous conspiracy theory about the events of September 11th, saying

“…some 4000 Jews employed at the WTC were conveniently absent on the 11th of September. The glaring question arises: How is it that they all came to be absent on that fateful day? Who were those people arrested on the New Jersey side by the FBI while videotaping the crash of the airplane? [He claims these were Mossad agents] Why did building No. 7 collapse when it was clear that it was not hit by any airplane?”

No rational person believes that anyone was responsible for 9/11 other than Osama bin Laden. Conspiracies about the Jews or the US government being behind it have no credibility whatsoever. Such theories have only found a home among the radical fringe elements of world opinion.

The conspiracies continue as he blames the FBI in the Daniel Pearl case.

“…there is some speculation that it was the FBI who released a computer-generated video depicting Daniel Pearl being killed. Up till today, no one believes that video and its authenticity has yet to be proven. The whole hoax was arranged to set up a few people so the CIA could move against them.”

Again, this is a wild and baseless theory. He also denies any knowledge of Richard Reid, as naturally he would want to do.

The following paragraph should give readers an idea of the mind we are dealing with here:

“Once again, it was not in the interest of the US to become involved in the insurgency in Afghanistan. The U.S. was manipulated by the Masons whose sinister scheme was to free Jews from USSR, facilitating their immigration to Israel. In this, both Masons and Mossad played a major role. One can cite dozens of such examples but a few will be sufficient to expose the evil, inhumane designs of hidden hands wherein lie the roots of terrorism.”

What does that even mean? I must, once again, borrow a movie quote that seems rather apropos to this.

“[Sheikh Gilani], what you’ve just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I’ve ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response did you say anything that could even be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.”

He accuses the “hidden hands” guiding the US, he says, “Their hope, to bring about a clash of civilizations, in order to realize their global empire, failed. And so too, their aim to blame the Muslims, will fail.”

I read a columnist recently who said accurately, I believe, that we are not involved in a clash of civilizations, but between civilization and the lack of it.

Gilani has preyed upon the poor and disillusioned, recruiting them to his cause. Then, he pushes them into even more poverty, taking a hefty portion of what income they might have as they live in trailers without basic utilities and provide their children with a poor education. Sounds like a regular Shangri-La!

In all seriousness, let me make one thing clear, I do not hate Muslims. Believe it or not, Sheikh, it is against my own religious beliefs. Even though I do not adhere to their beliefs, I do not have a problem if they wish to practice theirs - peacefully.

What I am against are people like you, Gilani, that preach hate, deceit, and violence. You say you are peaceful in public, but in private, you say something else. You support those who are indeed not peaceful. You have deceived and stolen from your own followers. I do believe that many of your followers are sincerely religious people and I believe you have done them a disservice. You say that you advocate education, but your arguments are far from intellectual. You act as if you speak for the majority of Muslims, but I am certain that you do not.

Also, let me clear up one other thing. Not everyone who opposes you is an agent of Mossad, or even the Masons whom you oddly mentioned. Your paranoia of Israel is pretty far-fetched. I’m sure this will come as a shock to you, but most people in a free society who aren’t brainwashed by people like you, are able to come to their own conclusions as I have done. Considering your hatred of the Jews, you certainly give their intelligence service a lot of credit. A bit ironic, I think.

In your public response, you mention Stephen Paster (aka Javed Atif) and attempt to distance yourself from him. It is obvious you would want to do this as his actions paint him as somewhat of an “American Taliban”. However, do you deny that he ever worked for you and that he committed violent acts while doing so?

You say your followers live rurally to be away from the crime and drugs of the city and that you have also instructed them not to accept welfare. Either these are loose rules which are not enforced, or your American followers haven’t been fully honest with you. Because, in fact, many are on welfare, they are selling drugs, and numerous criminal fugitives have been arrested at your own villages. We would all like to know how you can explain away these facts.

Also, to be head of such a “humble” group of Sufis as you say, you speak pretty highly of yourself and your “healing” powers and of your group’s apparent exclusive access to divine miracles. I tell you, we have such men in Christendom as well and they too, are not well regarded.

I suppose it is too bad if you feel that your character has been maligned, but in all honesty, you haven’t done yourself many favors.

You claim the social services of your organizations as evidence of your benignity, but you will have to go further than that. This is certainly useful as propaganda, but even Hamas makes such claims, and we know of their aims. Do you renounce organizations like Hamas? Will you speak out against their violence toward civilians? Will you advocate the dismantling of such radical militant organizations wherever they operate?

I’m not holding my breath.

=======================================================
See the response from the Northeast Intelligence Network - HERE.

Check out The Canadian Sentinel's response - HERE.

Peakah has some thoughts as well - HERE.

And don't miss the new blog, "Shedding Some Light", written by an ex-Fuqra member and Gilani follower - HERE - [UPDATE] This blog has been removed.

Pakistani Sheikh Responds

2006-03-29T10:46:00.000-08:00

(via Northeast Intelligence Network)

Investigative report issued by the Northeast Intelligence Network and co-authored by Internet researcher CP angers Pakastani Cleric.

"A Message of concern to the American people from His Eminence Al Imam Sheikh Syed Mubarik Ali Gilani"
BREAKING - 29 March 2006: Sheikh Mubarik Ali Hasmi Shah Gilani, pictured above, issued a statement from his headquarters in Lahore, Pakistan. Gilani, the founder of the terrorist organization Jamaat ul Fuqra, has rubbed shoulders with various members of the terrorist groups Hamas and Hezbollah, their mullah backers, and even Osama bin Laden himself. He has trained fighters for the battlefields of Kashmir, Chechnya, and Bosnia. Gilani was in Pakistani custody for the abduction of US journalist Daniel Pearl, but has since been released. Official sources in Pakistan have indicated that Daniel Pearl was attempting to meet Gilani in the days before he disappeared in Karachi. Pakistani police arrested Gilani in Rawalpindi on January 30, 2002 and shifted him to Karachi for questioning. Although he denied any link to the abduction, police also detained several of his colleagues. Consequent to his arrest, he reportedly told his interrogators that he had links with the Pakistani intelligence agencies.

Now, Gilani is upset with the findings of an investigative report concerning Jamaat ul Fuqra issued by the Northeast Intelligence Network and Internet researcher "CP" as outlined in the report below.

The following is a statement just released by this Islamic "cleric:"

On the 12th of February, a so-called ‘interim investigative report’ by an unknown private individual who called himself ‘CP’ investigator and Douglas J. Hagmann , with the internet address, www.homelandsecurityus.com, was released. This highly questionable report about Muslims of the Americas (MOA), their town Islamberg, NY, the International Quranic Open University (IQOU), and the Vice Chancellor of IQOU, is a small part of a campaign of hate, fabricated falsehood, lies, and appalling propaganda aimed at bringing about a clash between Muslims and Christians the world over, and particularly in the United States (U.S.) As the Imam of the Muslims of the Americas and Vice Chancellor of IQOU, I take this opportunity to expose this recurring scheme of deception and falsehood conjured up by vested interests.

The compilers of this report, CP/Hagmann, assert the claim of the existence of an alleged “Jamaat-ul-Fuqra”, placing me as its head. For the past 25 years I, and the members of MOA, and the staff of IQOU at Islamberg, have adamantly denied knowledge of any such organization in the U.S., Pakistan, or elsewhere.

In order to uphold and sustain one lie, one has to use hundreds of arguments.

In this regard I am going to prove that Douglas J. Hagman and his group are the actual perpetrators of international terrorism, and racial and religious bigotry and their ceaseless campaign of hate, is more damaging to the U.S. than any other country. The U.S. has become a pawn of hidden hands that use America’s wealth and the innocent blood of their sons and daughters to wage their wars against Muslims.....

Source: http://www.iqou-moa.org/editorial/terror_roots.htm
============================================================
LINK TO ARTICLE & INVESTIGATIVE REPORT

IMPORTANT BACKGROUND ON GILANI
=============================================================

UPDATE: You can download Gilani's full 14-page diatribe as a PDF - HERE

Canadians Can Be Proud

2006-03-27T20:54:00.000-08:00

The Walrus Magazine has a great profile this month of Canadian soldiers fighting in Afghanistan.

Click here to read the whole thing titled -
"Soldiers, Not Peacekeepers".

It covers the dangers they are facing every day as part of the coalition fighting Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents and the soldiers' professional efforts to do their job well. The piece offers a window into the uncertain deliberation Canada has had with itself with regard to a militaristic role in world affairs. The strong picture of the soldiers contrasts with the reticent rhetoric of political liberals who'd rather refer to them as peacekeepers, relegating them to aid missions and blue helmets.

This article seems to have been written before the recent election of PM Stephen Harper because it did not address the direction Canadian defense is likely to take under his leadership.

I am encouraged by what I have seen so far from Mr. Harper. I have wanted for some time to see a Conservative leader in Canada as have many other US conservatives. For too long we felt that a French Canadian socialist elitism muddied the relationship that should be enjoyed between our two countries. We are each other's largest trading partners and we should be allied closely when it comes to world affairs. I believe Canada can have a bigger seat at the table if it wants to - they have just lacked good leadership.

As this article points out, the leftist view of the military is that it should only be used for peacekeeping.

I am reminded of the Scripture that says, "They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. 'Peace, peace,' they say, when there is no peace." (Jeremiah 6:14)

We must continue to realize that we are at war and this is not just the "United States' War on Terror" as some people like to put it in quotes. It is an ideological and cultural struggle. I believe we are just beginning to see an awakening in other Western countries and I hope that Canada prepares itself to stay the course.

PM Harper's recent visit to Afghanistan was a real encouragement to me. His emphatic statement that Canada would not "cut and run" reflected a boldness not seen in his predecessors. I was again encouraged when he phoned the president of Afghanistan this past week on behalf of the Abdul Rahman, who faced trial and execution for his Christian faith.

Following Harper's Afghan visit, I read a comment after a post on the Canadian Sentinel blog where someone wrote "It's morning again!" in Canada. I'll repeat here what I wrote in response:

"Morning again" indeed. I hope this is the beginning of a new resurgent Canadian strength. The West will only be stronger with Canada at its side and its weapons at the ready. The West must be united in this fight. We have so much in common and too much to lose if we are not in it together. May patriots and free men fight together for the protection of our homelands and the freedom of others.

Playing Cutesy: Chris Matthews & Che Guevara

2006-03-22T23:09:00.000-08:00

This week, the Media Research Center's Newsbusters blog noted an exchange between Chris Matthews of MSNBC and Kristinn Taylor of FreeRepublic.com. They were talking about kids in East Africa running around wearing bin Laden t-shirts and Taylor compared it to American kids wearing Che Guevara t-shirts.

Matthews failed to see the analogy ignorantly stating (emphasis mine), "Yeah, but they’re, they’re kind of cute at this point, aren’t they? They’re not about somebody out to get us now. I think there’s a difference. I mean, that’s kind of camp almost, isn’t it?...is Che Guevara the symbol of hate in the United States anymore?...I don’t think so. I mean, a lot of our kids wear them. I see kids wearing them all the time, I think my kids wear them. It’s like a Robert Marley T-shirt at this point."

Can we officially declare Matthews an imbecile, now? Being the Carterite he is, I guess I shouldn't be surprised that he'd see Guevara as an endearing figure, but seriously, "cute"?!

Let's give Mr. Matthews the history lesson he should have given his kids before they started trotting out the Commie-fashionwear.

Here's a choice quote from Castro's former comrade, Mr. Guevara:

"To send men to the firing squad, judicial proof is unnecessary...These procedures are an archaic bourgeois detail. This is a revolution! And a revolutionary must become a cold killing machine motivated by pure hate. We must create the pedagogy of The Wall!"

["The Wall", being where Che's victims were lined up and shot.]

Or, how about this one, pretty cute, right?:

"Crazy with fury I will stain my rifle red while slaughtering any enemy that falls in my hands! My nostrils dilate while savoring the acrid odor of gunpowder and blood. With the deaths of my enemies I prepare my being for the sacred fight and join the triumphant proletariat with a bestial howl!"

Oh, and this is precious:

"I ended the problem with a .32 caliber pistol, in the right side of his brain [...] His belongings were now mine."

-- Che Guevara, diary from Sierra Maestra (1957) [on the shooting of fellow Eutimio Guerra which he suspected of passing on information]

Journalist Nat Hentoff recalls a personal encounter with Guevara, when he asked him about democracy:

"The one time I met Guevara, at the Cuban mission to the United Nations, he expressed one of his convictions. Guevara professed not to understand English. So, looking at him and his interpreter, I asked this idealist: "Can you conceive — however far into the future — a time when there will be free elections in Cuba?"

Not waiting for his interpreter, Guevara broke into laughter at my naively ignorant question. He made it clear that I had no understanding of a true people's revolution, firmly guided by Maximum Leader Castro."

Charming fellow, that Che. Really makes you all warm and fuzzy, doesn't he? I wonder if they make a plush doll of Che, so the kids can curl up with it as you read Marx to them before bed?

But, you know, I can't just pick a few quotes and be done with it. No, I must point out another item. It might merit an oh-well shrug from Mr. Matthews, but it's worth mentioning.

It's a list of over 200 of Guevara's victims [PDF] - just the ones between 1957-1959 as documented by the Free Society Project. Che reportedly admitted to sending at least 2,500 to "The Wall" during his campaign of terror.

There's a reason the color of Communist "revolution" is red. The prison of evil it creates is painted with the blood of innocents.

Vice President Cheney Hits Back

2006-03-19T22:19:00.000-08:00

Vice President Cheney was interviewed by Bob Scheiffer on CBS' Face the Nation Sunday morning. He had a few words regarding Ted "I Need A Drink" Kennedy's national security bona fides. I couldn't pass up posting this. He tells it like it is (emphasis mine):

Q Let me read to you what Senator Kennedy, liberal Democrat from Massachusetts, and a long-time opponent of the war said on the third anniversary. Here's part of his statement. He said:

"It is clearer than ever that Iraq was a war we never should have fought. The administration has been dangerously incompetent. And its Iraq policy is not worthy of the sacrifice of our men and women in uniform. Yet President Bush continues to see the war through the same rose-colored glasses he has always used. He assures the American people we are winning, while Iraq's future and the lives of our troops hangs so perilously on the precipice of a new disaster."

Dangerously incompetent is what he is saying. I want to give you a chance to respond.

THE VICE PRESIDENT: Well, I would not look to Ted Kennedy for guidance and leadership on how we ought to manage national security, Bob. I think what Senator Kennedy reflects is sort of the pre-9/11 mentality about how we ought to deal with the world and that part of the world.

We used to operate on the assumption before 9/11 that a criminal attack -- a terrorist attack was a criminal act, a law enforcement problem. We were hit repeatedly in the '90s and never responded effectively, and the terrorists came to believe not only could they strike us with impunity, but if they hit us hard enough, they could change our policy, because they did in Beirut in 1983, or Mogadishu in 1993.

We changed all that on 9/11. After they hit us and killed 3,000 of our people here at home, we said, enough is enough. We're going to aggressively go after them. We'll go after the terrorists wherever we find them. We'll go after those states that sponsor terror. We'll go after people that can provide them with weapons of mass destruction. We'll use our intelligence and our military services very aggressively. And we have.

We did in Afghanistan. We've done it in Pakistan. We're working with the Paks. We captured or killed hundreds of al Qaeda. We've done it in Saudi Arabia. And obviously, we're doing it now in Iraq. That kind of aggressive forward-leaning strategy is one of the main reasons we haven't been struck again since 9/11 because we've taken the fight to them.

Senator Kennedy's approach would be pack your bags and go home; retreat behind your oceans and assume you can be safe. But we learned on 9/11 that, in fact, what's going on 10,000 miles away in a place like Afghanistan, or Iraq can have a direct impact here in the United States when we lost 3,000 people that morning. And we know now that the biggest threat that we face of all isn't just another 9/11, it's a 9/11 where the terrorists have something like nuclear weapons, or a deadly biological agent to use against us.

The Iraq situation has to be viewed within the broader context of the global war on terror. It is a global conflict. You can't look just at Iraq and make decisions there with respect to how that's going to come out without having major consequences for everything that's going on. And I think we are going to succeed in Iraq. I think the evidence is overwhelming. I think Ted Kennedy has been wrong from the very beginning. He's the last man I'd go to for guidance in terms of how we should conduct U.S. national security policy.

You know, I wish Cheney would just tell us what he really thinks. Heh.

Well said, Mr. Vice President.

Democrats Seek to Lower Morale

2006-03-18T21:30:00.000-08:00

The Washington Times is reporting the contents of the newest Democratic strategy to oppose President Bush. They desire a plan that will exploit the military, including veterans' families, for political gain, weaken the president, and destroy morale throughout the country.

The directives of Senate Minority Loser Harry Reid are despicable. This man serves no useful purpose to this country and his entire party should be ashamed of him and itself. The Democrats gasp when they perceive that others question their patriotism. Well, take a deep breath Dems, because I absolutely question it.

WE ARE AT WAR!

The Party of Pessimism is not believable as the Party of Patriotism. They have fought our Commander-in-Chief at every turn. They have worked to limit our ability to fight this war. They have said that Iraq was not part of the War on Terror. They have sought to pull our troops out of theater while they are still engaged in combat. They have depicted our troops as senseless torturers over and over again. They have advocated that we fight a more "sensitive" war on terror believing that the enemy will relent. They have tried to get election votes from military personnel overseas thrown out. Their presidential nominee famously "voted for the $87 billion" to support the troops "before he voted against it".

This latest strategy is born of pure political calculation. There is not one shred of nobility in it because the Democrats cannot be trusted. The value of this planned series of stunts is found in the photo-op and negative coverage for the President. There is no message of national unity or sense of mission here. Their enemy is George W. Bush and they will do everything in their waning power to weaken him. In doing so, they have propelled an image of collective weakness beyond our shores, and our country and our troops have suffered for it. Democratic talking points have become a must read for the propagandizers of al-Jazeera and al-Qaida.

The Democrats have no message and no solutions. They have consistently said they support the troops, but oppose the mission. They have consistently encouraged opposition from needed allies and insulted those who have contributed with their own blood. Now, they are seeking to "support the troops" by driving a wedge between them and their Commander-in-Chief. They want to stage press events with active-duty military personnel, so that they can bash the President. This is outrageous!

Can you imagine anything like this during World War II? Lobbying for special treatment of Nazi prisoners-of-war? Staging press events with soldiers on Iwo Jima telling Roosevelt to pull out of the Pacific?

Today's Democratic Party just incenses me to no end.

Consider the recent treasonous actions of their beloved ex-president Jimmy Carter, who personally lobbied foreign countries to vote against the United States at the UN Human Rights Commission. To what lengths will they go? How many people have to die before they recognize who the enemy is? Will it take a mushroom cloud in an American city to wake them up? Will they be steadfast even then? God help us.

I believe we are engaged in a conflict far more expansive than they or most people realize. The recent protests over the "Mohammad cartoons" should illustrate that. These protests were seen the world over and were based on something so inconsequential as a pencil drawing in a newspaper. If the sheer rage of these events doesn't show people that this war, not just against guns and bombs, but with hearts and minds, is not a long war, then I don't know what will.

We must be united in this fight. We cannot stand for subversive posturing from those who would send us back to the "years of sabbatical". We must say to our enemies, "Sic Semper Tyrannis!" and to our people, "E Pluribus Unum!"

PSA

2006-03-16T23:01:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, sorry for the light posting the last couple weeks. Just been a little busy. Should be back to it this weekend.

Atlas of Jihad

2006-03-12T13:28:00.000-08:00

Baron Bodissey at Gates of Vienna has been hard at work - call it a labor of love. Between his day job, family, and prolific writing, he found time to put together an informative database mapping project. Dubbing it The Bloody Borders Project, he has taken data from the The Religion of Peace website re: militant Islamist attacks worldwide and fused it with mapping software to present a visual documentation of jihadi terror.

click map to proceed to database
Make sure to check it out and read Baron and Dymphna's related posts:
The Bloody Borders Project
Bloody Borders: Updates
White Space
The Islamintern

I found "The Islamintern" an especially interesting post. Baron makes a defensible comparison between militant Islam today and Communism in the 20th century. An excerpt:

It is a war of ideas, and will be won or lost in the journals and on the television screens of the West.

To that end, the Islamists are closely following the playbook of the Communists. Like the Communists, they are spread out in loosely-connected clandestine networks. Like the Communists, they are guided and funded by a few sources, but operate independently as “indigenous” movements. And, like the Communists, they understand that the success in the propaganda war is absolutely crucial.

As soon as Communism consolidated power in Soviet Russia, it began its preparation for the World Revolution by establishing the Communist International. For the next sixty years or so the dedicated cadres and willing dupes of the Comintern took Soviet money, propaganda, and materiel, and used them to undermine and overthrow governments all over the world.

But Stalin did not directly command most of these operations. Even at the apogee of Soviet power, the Kremlin could only enforce its ukases in the Soviet Union itself and the “near abroad,” those communist vassals immediately contiguous with Soviet territory.

Tito, Hoxha, Mao, and Castro all followed Soviet guidelines when its suited their interests, and departed from them when required. But all of them were acting in the name of Communism, and all were intent on establishing their version of its soul-destroying totalitarianism.

And so it is with militant Islam. The Islamists are not directly controlled by bin Laden or King Abdullah or the mullahs of Iran; but they work towards a common purpose, co-operating with each other out of self-interest and deferring the cutting of each other’s throats until the opportune moment arrives.

Look at the Sunni-Shiite division as a parallel between Soviet Communism and Maoism. Give Zarqawi the role of Josip Broz Tito, with his propensity to ignore central direction and follow his own plans. The Communists had the KGB to spread money and disinformation; the Islamofascists have the Saudi “charities” to perform the same functions.

Call it the Islamintern. Like the Comintern, it attracts the marginal, the disaffected, the petty thugs and common criminals, and gives them a clear and simple ideology to guide their actions. It allows them to continue in their customary ways — murdering, raping, stealing and extorting — while furnishing them with a mandate from Allah to do so. The Communists were following the dictates of History, and the Islamists are carrying out the will of God.

To the willing dupes in the West, there is no connection among all these groups, just as there was none among the Viet Cong and the FMLN and revolutionaries of Angola. But somehow all these native freedom fighters just happened to be fomenting violence in the same way at the same time.

And somehow all these terrorists spread all over the globe just happen to be murdering and maiming in the name of Allah. It’s just coincidence.

The Comintern, of course, was aided in its efforts by all the fools and shills in the West.

The 1930s had George Bernard Shaw, H.G. Wells, Walter Duranty, and The New York Times.

In the 21st century, the Islamintern has Dan Rather, Cindy Sheehan, Jimmy Carter, and The New York Times.

Every generation has its useful idiots.

Well said.

A Bear in the Desert: Revisited

2006-03-04T01:09:00.000-08:00

Well, new information coming from Iraq's own archives, most of which has yet to be translated, indicates that the full story what happened to Saddam's WMDs may not have been revealed just yet. Stories are beginning to resurface about the potential hand Russia may have played in the removal of those materials. It's all very mysterious as you might imagine.

Such a revelation would not only be evidence of one of the most sophisticated intelligence operations in history, but it would be incredibly detrimental to the US-Russian relationship. It would shock and massively discredit everyone who reflexively accepted the mantra that "Saddam had no WMDs."

I have yet to be convinced of this. It is entirely possible that these weapons did and do exist somewhere and that the entire story has not been written. Certainly it is conceivable that if they could hide two or three dozen fighter planes that we didn't know about by burying them in the desert sand, other things, say a few dozen drums of nerve agent, could have been hidden or spirited away.

Whatever goodwill that has existed in the relationship between the leaders of the US and Russia in recent years, one can still see layers of subversion. The Cold War strategy of using proxies to fight one's battles has not gone away. It is no secret that a number of our enemies at present are both closely aligned with and armed by Russia. Are we then to trust such a nation, headed by an authoritarian veteran of the KGB, that seeks to arm our enemies?

It is a conundrum with no ready-made solution. Stories like this do not give me any confidence that Russia will be of any useful service regarding Iran. Here's hoping we are watchful and that we don't feed the Bear again.

======================================================
That said, below are some of the most recent stories about all this, followed by related coverage from 2003 and 2004.

Lt. Gen. Thomas McInerney recently endorsed the Russian theory on FOX News (video) - (2/21/06) Note: This video is hosted by a leftwing group that thinks this is just some radical FOX News conspiracy theory.

Ex-Official: Russia Moved Saddam's WMD - Newsmax.com article (2/19/06)

Congressman Hoekstra, chairman of the Select House Intelligence Committee on Iraq's untranslated intelligence files (video) - PJ Media interview (2/19/06)

Saddam's WMDs and Russia - Canada Free Press article (2/28/06)

Evgeny Primakov Named in International Scandal - Kommersant article (3/1/06)

Iraqi WMD Mystery Solved - FrontPageMagazine interview (3/2/06)

======================================================
Flashback:

Ex-spy fingers Russians on WMD - Op-ed written by Ion Mihai Pacepa, former Romanian spy chief and the highest-ranking intelligence officer ever to have defected from the former Soviet bloc. (August 2003)

A couple of these recent stories mention that two Russian ships reportedly left the Iraqi port of Umm Qasr shortly before the war and headed for the Indian Ocean, possibly carrying WMD materials. Interestingly enough, I remember hearing a similar story, right before the war started. Three ships were being tracked under suspicion of carrying WMDs. They were cruising around in circles in the Indian Ocean and maintaining strict radio silence. Could this have been related? Here's that story from February 2003 - "I saw three ships come sailing in, and what was in those ships all three?"

=======================================================
See my previous posts on this back in 2004
A Bear in the Desert
A Bear in the Desert, Part II
A Bear in the Desert, Part III

[Hat tip to PJ Media for the link at WMD Files]

Who Ended The Cold War? A Short History Lesson for the AP

2006-03-01T23:41:00.000-08:00

Apparently, the Associated Press needs to brush up on their 20th Century history. In a news story Wednesday, they seemed enamored of former leader of the Soviet Union, Mikhail Gorbachev, as he spoke out against U.S. "arrogance". They gave him full credit as "the man who ended the Cold War". Well, that's a little contradictory to the view I hold.

I like what the editor of the Lone Star Times says:
Gorbachev ended the Cold War like Hirohito ended World War II: by losing. The collapse of the Soviet Union wasn’t "given as a gift." The USSR was dragged into the modern world, kicking and screaming, by an aggressive U.S. foreign policy.
Read his whole post here.

And, just so the AP is clear on who won the Cold War, they should take notice of the sequence below. I even included pictures to make it easier.

IT WASN'T THIS GUY EVEN THOUGH TIME THINKS SO TOO

IT WAS THIS GUY

HE TORE DOWN THE WALL

AND SHE HELPED

AND SO DID HE

GOT IT? OH, AND BY THE WAY...

[Thanks to Pajamas Media for the link!]

FOX Carolina Visits Holy Islamville

2006-02-28T15:04:00.000-08:00

South Carolina FOX affiliate, WHNS-TV, ran a feature story last night at 10 on the Muslims of the Americas compound in York, SC known as "Holy Islamville".

Read their report here.

[UPDATE]: They've put up the video now. You won't want to miss it - Part 1 -- Part 2

[UPDATE]: Ok, well, there are now two video segments up and I've watched them a couple of times now. I thought I would share some of my first impressions. I do have to give kudos to the reporter. He’s done more than most just by looking into this story. It was really interesting to see this place and see these people on video.

Now, as I’ve said before, many of the members of Muslims of the Americas are part of the organization for purely religious reasons. I don’t intend to brand them all terrorists. The compound in York is not, on the face, a paramilitary compound. It is much more public than say, the compounds in Hancock, NY or Red House, VA. They have had open community events there. I am compelled, however, to think that this is a clever PR effort to put a friendly face on an organization that has a much darker history. As I have said before, this organization is a mask for other activities.

I have already posted information on the various criminals who have been connected to the York compound – a rogue’s gallery that included a murderer, a drug dealer, and a gun runner. So, it has been used as a safehouse, if not a training ground. In addition, as these followers live in poverty, their money is sent to Pakistan to their sheikh, who does not live in poverty, and God knows what he does with it.

One of the people the reporter spoke with, Ali Rashid, is the elder of the community. However friendly he may be on the surface, he is one of three things…a liar, a blind follower, or willfully ignorant. Saying Sheikh Gilani is not connected to terrorism is just to deny a multitude of evidence to the contrary.

Consider this excerpt from a transcript of NOW with Bill Moyers in a segment called “Gun Land” -

DEBORAH AMOS: Susan Fenger led an investigation of the group in Colorado after weapons and dangerous explosives were found there in a storage locker in 1989.

Fenger gave us this recruitment video seized as evidence, featuring the group's leader, Sheikh Mubarik Jilani.

SHEIKH MUBARIK JILANI SPEAKING ON TAPE: We have already established under the auspices of Muslims of America, Incorporated … the organization is called Soldiers of Allah.

DEBORAH AMOS: Fenger says there are numerous links between Al Fuqra and al Qaeda. The shoe bomber, Richard Reid was trained at the Al Fuqra compound in Pakistan. In the United States, members of Al Fuqra have been convicted in firebombings, murders, fraud and gun smuggling. And they have set up paramilitary training camps at many of their compounds scattered around the United States.

SHEIKH MUBARIK JILANI SPEAKING ON TAPE: You are most welcome to join one of our, you know, advanced training courses in Islamic Military Warfare.

For which, you can get in touch with anybody in the Muslims of America in the United States, Canada, or anywhere, or in Pakistan.

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See my previous posts on this location
Fuqra Fugitives
Fuqra Community: York County, SC
UPDATE: Fuqra Compound: York, SC
==============================================

[UPDATE - 03/01]: The reporter on this story informed me that they are doing a follow-up piece that will be running ~~tonight at 10; Friday night at 10.~~

[UPDATE - 03/02]: Looks like the follow-up has been pushed back again, may be a week or more. I'll put up a new post whenever I find out it's going to air.

[UPDATE]: Never did see a follow-up story and, as they don't seem to keep videos archived for long on the site, the video has been taken down.

I think this cartoon speaks for itself.

2006-02-28T14:03:00.000-08:00

Disruptive Journalism

2006-02-27T22:53:00.000-08:00

Blogger Mark Harrison, writing from Norway, has a new article at Blogcritics.org (via PJM) entitled "Disruptions in the Fourth Estate" that discusses the advent of independent citizen journalism and its competitive challenge to the mainstream media establishment.

He generously cites this blog as an example of this:

Nowhere have such examples been more prescient recently than last week in the field of journalism, when two high-quality, equally highly acclaimed weblogs published well-written, erudite and startlingly professional pieces of investigative journalism.

The first piece to break waves was a thorough report on a terrorist training camp inside New York State founded by Sheik Mubarik Ali Shah Gilani, the Islamic cleric Daniel Pearl was attempting to interview when he was kidnapped. Daring, provocative, and written with the type of considerable elegance New York Times staffers would be envious of, The Politics of CP's "Jamaat ul-Fuqra Training Compound Inside the United States" was an admirable feat of journalism by the highest standards and even brought local insights and testimonies into the investigation, quoting one anonymous witness with catchy, breathtaking prose:

We see children - small children run around over there when they should be in school. We hear bursts of gunfire all of the time, and we know that there is military like training going on there. Those people are armed and dangerous. We get nothing but menacing looks from the people who go in and out of the camp, and sometime they yell at us to mind our own business when we are just driving by. We don't even dare to slow down when we drive by. They own this mountain and they know it, and there is nothing we can do about it but move, and we can't even do that. Who wants to buy property next to that?
The result was that the exclusive report was ultimately picked up by World Net Daily, one of the largest internet news sites around, and the findings are being followed up by official investigators.

While I appreciate his words, I must credit Doug Hagmann of the Northeast Intelligence Network, for penning most of that report. However, our partnership on the investigation was, I think, a great example of how the blogosphere is encouraging new distributed information and resource networks.

Harrison offers that blogging is a new form of low-end technological disruption in the market, or industry, of journalism. He goes on to say, "The reaction from The Fourth Estate to this new form of media has been nothing short of hysterical: the responses of professional media pundits have been everywhere from embracing to abusive." This is true, and I think it will be very interesting to see how blogging, as it progresses, contributes to the general fabric of available information. Read the whole thing.

[Also, check out Harrison's own blog site, The Global Perspective.]

The Belmont Club approaches the subject somewhat more cautiously, but reasonably:

I'm not sure that in-depth blog reports or unedited video will ever have the mass appeal of slickly packaged print and video products which are simplified so that they can be digested at a glance or reduced into a single memorable soundbite.

...However, the low cost of entry into Internet publishing makes it possible for authors to create specialty publications which can effectively reach their audiences. Whether that's good or bad is the subject of debate.

That debate ensues in a rather lenghthy string of comments. Go see Wretchard's post here.

Never Forget

2006-02-26T01:01:00.000-08:00

Thirteen years ago, on February 26, 1993, an act of war was committed against the United States.

Six people were killed and more than one thousand were injured when terrorists attacked the World Trade Center.

This pre-9/11 attack was supposed to be every bit as devastating as the one that occurred in 2001, possibly more so.

By detonating a bomb in the understructure of the building, their intent was to topple one tower into the other. In addition to the World Trade Center, additional attacks were also planned for the UN Building, the federal office building housing the FBI, the Holland Tunnel, the Lincoln Tunnel, and the George Washington Bridge.

This attack meant the terrorists had declared war. The Clinton Administration chose to use the legal and law enforcement communities to fight terrorism, rather than extending the full reach of U.S. capabilities.

In the 9/11 Commission hearings, former counter-terrorism official Richard Clarke testified saying, "My impression was that fighting terrorism, in general, and fighting al Qaeda, in particular, were an extraordinarily high priority in the Clinton administration -- certainly no higher priority. There were priorities probably of equal importance such as the Middle East peace process, but I certainly don't know of one that was any higher in the priority of that administration."

This statement is puzzling considering that two weeks after the '93 WTC attack, President Clinton was at a defense plant talking about cutting defense spending.

The effects of this attack went deeper than anyone realized at the time. According to the 9/11 Report:

First, the bombing signaled a new terrorist challenge, one whose rage and malice had no limit.Ramzi Yousef, the Sunni extremist who planted the bomb, said later that he had hoped to kill 250,000 people.

Second, the FBI and the Justice Department did excellent work investigating the bombing. Within days, the FBI identified a truck remnant as part of a Ryder rental van reported stolen in Jersey City the day before the bombing.

[...]

An unfortunate consequence of this superb investigative and prosecutorial effort was that it created an impression that the law enforcement system was well-equipped to cope with terrorism. Neither President Clinton, his principal advisers,the Congress, nor the news media felt prompted,until later, to press the question of whether the procedures that put the Blind Sheikh and Ramzi Yousef behind bars would really protect Americans against the new virus of which these individuals were just the first symptoms.

Third, the successful use of the legal system to address the first World Trade Center bombing had the side effect of obscuring the need to examine the character and extent of the new threat facing the United States. The trials did not bring the Bin Ladin network to the attention of the public and policymakers.

That last statement is unfortunately true. To this day, most people think al-Qaeda was solely responsible for the 1993 attack. They likely do not realize that other groups were involved as well. They may be unaware that one of these groups owns a couple dozen compounds in the U.S. even today and continues to operate. They might be troubled to learn that just last month, the Asia Times linked this group's leader to al-Qaeda's Pakistan operations chief.

Consider this excerpt from the Terrorism Knowledge Base legal case profile:
The investigation following the explosions linked several distinct groups to the bombing and revealed a conspiracy to target other New York City landmarks such as the United Nations building. One of these groups included five defendants who were arrested during a raid at a New York City garage in which law enforcement officials found the five mixing chemicals that were to be used in bombs. The men were charged with conspiring to bomb a building in the United Nations headquarters, the federal office building housing the FBI, and two tunnels under the Hudson River linking New York and New Jersey.

From this group, members of Fuqra, the FBI found links to 10 additional suspects and a federal grand jury indicted all 15 on charges that they plotted to bomb the United Nations and other New York City landmarks, and plotted to assassinate Egyptian leaders. Across the board, bail was denied. Fuqra is a radical Islamic sect whose followers are believed to be responsible for a string of crimes in the United States.
We also learn from the 9/11 Report that the 1993 attack inspired the 9/11 attack: "According to KSM, he started to think about attacking the United States after Yousef returned to Pakistan following the 1993 World Trade Center bombing."

As I said, this was an opening shot in a long war. It is a war we must not lose.

Let us never forget...and, as we go forward, let's roll.

==============================================
See also
BBC report, including video, from Feb. 26, 1993

An eerie quote in the story from an eywitness: "It felt like an airplane hit the building."

Also check out material from my independent investigation of Fuqra.

Related Posts
Northeast Intelligence Network
The Counterterrorism Blog

Canadian Vigilance

2006-02-25T11:19:00.000-08:00

With the attack this week on an oil facility in Saudi Arabia and a disturbing theft of propane that may be related to a similar plot in the U.S., The Canadian Sentinel is calling for authorities in his country to take refinery security seriously, noting that one near his home is perilously vulnerable. He also calls for citizen watchers to do their part.

He says, "The enemy must know that we, the people, are always watching. We know they're living among us, plotting, training and waiting for an opening, but we're going to be watching as sentinels.

We stand on guard for thee.

Don't tread on us."

I like his style. Read the whole thing.

Meanwhile, Steve Janke of the blog, Angry in the Great White North, reports that the Canadian Parliament is resisting calls from Islamists to expand their hate crime laws to protect "The Prophet". Muslims angry over the recent Muhammad cartoons are seeking to impose sharia into state legislation. Here's hoping that Canada stands firm. I fear our European friends may not.

Read the whole thing. (via PJM)

ABFreedom is looking ahead to a possible visit to Afghanistan by Canada's new Conservative PM.

Read his post here.

Jamaat ul-Fuqra in Canada

2006-02-21T20:58:00.000-08:00

I recently received an email from Canadian Conservative blogger, The Canadian Sentinel, who expressed a real interest in finding out more about Jamaat ul-Fuqra's presence in Canada. He has already jumped on the gun and has a post about a reported compound in Combermere, Ontario. (Click here). I've seen a mention of that location before, but have no further details at this point. I do believe that Muslims of the Americas has a "da'wah center" in Toronto as well.

I did think it might be useful, however, to post some excerpts from two or three sources I have found from Canada that indicate the Canadian government has been aware of this group's existence for some time. The excerpts are brief, but I thought the sources of the information themselves should help convince Canadians that they, toom, should be concerned about this group.

Excerpt from Backgrounder No. 8: Counter-Terrorism (Revised August 2002; Canadian Security Intelligence Service):

Canada continues to be affected by the spillover of violence from conflicts abroad. Some examples follow:

In 1991, members of a religious sect based in Pakistan, Jammat ul Fuqra, were arrested attempting to enter Canada from the United States. They were subsequently convicted of conspiracy to bomb a Hindu temple, movie theatre and East Indian restaurant in Toronto.

Exerpt from article, "Canada could be next as terrorists target U.S. allies and assets says report" (Canadian Press, 11-21-03; linked by the Canadian Intelligence Resource Centre):

Attacks like the bombing of the British consulate in Istanbul on Thursday could take place in Canada as terrorists target coalition partners in the war on Iraq, an RCMP intelligence report suggests.

The newly released assessment of extremist threats warns that although Canada is not a member of the U.S.-led coalition in Iraq, terrorists might strike at participants with assets on Canadian soil - an obvious reference to embassies and consulates. The war in Iraq is "likely to result in retaliatory terrorist attacks against the coalition countries and their interests," the RCMP report says. "Coalition interests in Canada could (therefore) be at risk of attack."

A copy of the April report, Strategic Assessment of the Nature and Extent of Criminal Extremism / Terrorism in Canada, was obtained Thursday by The Canadian Press under the Access to Information Act.

The document examines the terrorist organizations and other extremists that most preoccupied the Mounties in 2002, particularly Osama bin Laden's al-Qaida network, the Tamil Tigers of Sri Lanka, the Algerian Armed Islamic Group, militant Muslim sect Jamaat ul Fuqra, and Lebanese group Hezbollah, which aims to destroy Israel and liberate all Palestinian territories.

Exerpt from occasional paper, "Other People’s Wars: A Review of Overseas Terrorism in Canada" (PDF; Mackenzie Institute, June 2003, Ch. 2, pg. 36):

Other Islamic Fundamentalist Oriented Groups

Hamas: An Islamic Fundamentalist group, it (like Palestinian Islamic Jihad) often seeks to undermine the Palestinian Authority as much as it can by competing with it for prestige by attacking Israeli targets, undermining progress – when such occurs – in the peace process, and challenging the PLO by creating rival institutions. The group has a presence in Canada and is banned here.

Hizbollah (aka Islamic Jihad, Revolutionary Justice Organization, Organization of the Oppressed on Earth, Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine, etc): A radical Shi’ite group based in southern Lebanon, it has made numerous attacks on Israeli and Jewish targets throughout the world, and is present inside the US. It is supported at times by Iran, but increasingly became involved in criminal enterprises. It has an active presence in Canada – where it was finally banned in January 2003.

Jamaat ul Fuqra: An amalgam of Pakistani backing and Black Muslim militants from the Caribbean and US, they are united in a hatred for Hindus, and have staged numerous attacks on Indian communities throughout the world. They have a presence in Canada, and they attempted some attacks here in the early 1990s.

The Mackenzie Institute report is some 140 pages and looks like a useful resource for information on additional threats that face Canada. Might be worth a closer look.

As you can see, JUF is listed right alongside other more well-known terrorist groups such as Hamas and Hizbollah. Their seeming lack of recent activity should not be taken for granted.

[UPDATE]: The Canadian Sentinel has a great follow-up post calling on his fellow Canadians to be vigilant in this war and to join the ranks of watchers and patriots. He ends with this -

Those who selflessly, honorably gave their own lives and those who valorously risked their own in wars past did not do so for Canadians to forget. They did not defend country, freedom and democracy so Canadians could eventually succumb to the forces of evil in the world someday in the future. Honor the brave Canadian patriots, past and present.

Stand on guard for thee!

-The Canadian Sentinel, February 22, 2006

FOX 5 NY Investigates NY Terror Camp

2006-02-20T00:30:00.000-08:00

FOX 5 NY will be running an investigative report on the Muslims of the Americas/Jamaat ul-Fuqra headquarters compound on Monday Night at 10 PM EST.

I spoke with the investigative reporter, who took a team up to Hancock and lets just say his report should be very enlightening.

The Catskill Chronicle has screenshots of the promo here, here, here, and here.

[UPDATE]: I had hoped to check out the liveblog account of this story at The Catskill Chronicle, but apparently a glitch in the Matrix occurred at just the wrong time last night and the site somehow went away. However, they have relaunched and are trying to get back up and running. Hope you didn't lose everything Al!

Here's the new page.

[UPDATE]: While I didn't get to see the broadcast or the liveblog, I thought I would relate what I learned from the Fox 5 NY reporter the other day since the story has now run.

He said while working on another story, he ran across the report on the NY compound on my website and decided to look into it. He took a team and rolled up to Hancock to see what was up. They talked to a couple of the neighbors who confirmed reports of strange activity. They said that the group used to march up and down the road dressed in fatigues and ammo belts and such, but that all stopped after 9/11.

The reporter mentioned an incident I'd recently heard about with a couple of phone guys that took place Jan. 16. They were working near the compound and a neighbor friendly to the Muslims, thinking the guys were FBI tipped them off, resulting in an unfortunate beating incident. The reporter said that there is a police incident report, but it was vague and I don't think it mentioned the compound. From what I hear, law enforcement is playing stuff about this place pretty close to the vest.

Anyway, the news team wired up and began surveilling the compound. He said he saw no armed patrol or guard at the guardshack while he was there. He did mention seeing several of the buildings and trailers and peculiarly, a school bus with the windows blown out of it.

After a while, they were approached and spoke to a couple of the compound's residents. Asking to see "the boss," they were told he was in the city and wouldn't be back until later, but then he showed up rather mysteriously. "The boss" was Hussain Abdallah, reportedly one of the early organizers of Fuqra in the United States and the guy that runs "786 Security" in Brooklyn. Abdallah said that his business had been raided by the IRS in Dec. 03 and the case was in process. The reporter said that a legal search of judgements or liens might turn something up. He owes something like $300K to the Feds and $40-50K to the state in taxes.

I couldn't believe he actually got an interview with this guy! In addition to the information he revealed about his business, he apparently got a little mouthy with his opinions toward Jewish people. He said something about Jewish conspiracies and then blamed them and the Bush administration for 9/11. Obviously, he's towing an extremist line. That's sure not gonna work to their favor.

[UPDATE]: Baron at Gates of Vienna has a post up about this as well. Go check it out.

A Few Notes

2006-02-20T00:15:00.000-08:00

Well, folks, the story I've been working on these last few months here at this blog, along with a few others, gained significant steam this week as you might have noted from my last couple of posts. If you are new to this blog, I want to point you to some others who have been following events in the GWOT.

Gates of Vienna deserves a definite look and should be credited for bringing this story out in the first place. They continue to stand in the gap aginst Islamofascism. Also, WWIV Daily and Always On Watch have been faithfully following current events on their blogs.

I should thank Peakah for his very kind words. He's got a great blog called Peakah's Provocations that you should check out.

I have also been recently introduced to the Canadian blogosphere and was made aware that yes, Conservatives do exist up there! I will probably have more to come on this topic, but for now, go check out The Canadian Sentinel and AB Freedom.

-------------------------------------------------
And, to the person who emailed me called "Maccabee" - my email came back when I tried to reply to you, so if there's another email address or something where I can contact you, let me know.

CP on the Radio Today

2006-02-17T07:06:00.000-08:00

Today, I will be a guest on Kevin McCullough's Musclehead Revolution, on WMCA in New York City.

The Revolution begins at 2 PM EST. I should be on somewhere around 3:20 or thereafter.

Tune in if you live in the area or go to the website and listen live online.

[UPDATE]: Had a great time on the show today and there was definitely some good discussion and call-ins afterward. Kevin encouraged New Yorkers to contact Senators Clinton and Schumer to let them know they want this issue addressed. We'll see what happens, but I'm not holding my breath with those two.

[AUDIO]: You can download podcasts of the show at the show's website in a section called PodPlus. Scroll down to "Kevin McCullough Live From New York WMCA570 Hour 2". My interview starts about 22 minutes in. The interview went through two segments and is about 20 minutes. Hour three (listed just below that as "Kevin McCullough Live From New York WMCA970") includes listener calls and spirited commentary by Kevin McCullough. I have also made the audio available for stream or download here.

[UPDATE]: Kevin has a post up on his blog about our interview and the NY training camp. See it here.

Jamaat ul-Fuqra Investigation Makes Lead Story on WorldNetDaily!

2006-02-17T06:39:00.000-08:00

WorldNetDaily, one of the most widely read news sites on the Internet, is leading off today with a story about Jamaat ul-Fuqra and my collaborative investigation with the Northeast Intelligence Network.

This kind of media exposure is sure to make the Islamists uneasy and will, no doubt, alert many readers who are unaware, as I was just months ago, of the threat we face from within our own borders.

Go read the article here!

Iyman Faris Seeks Terrorist Rights

2006-02-15T10:33:00.000-08:00

In a recent post, I wrote about Al Qaeda member and possible Fuqra associate Iyman Faris, the Ohio truck driver sentenced in 2003 to 20 years for participating in a plot to destroy the Brooklyn Bridge.

I noted in a subsequent post that the government has said they broke up this plot by intercepting secret communications via the NSA.

Well, now it appears that Mr. Faris, who did confess to his crimes, feels his rights were violated. He's tried to withdraw his guilty plea and is all of a sudden claiming that the government shouldn't have been listening to his calls and by golly, where's his Miranda rights, too?

Read about it here, and here.

Let's hope the court stands firm on this guy. To overturn his sentence would be proposterous. The man admitted to the crime. If he doesn't know he has the right to remain silent, he's an idiot. How about the right of New Yorkers not to be blown up? The man was a close associate of Khalid Sheikh Mohammed. A little perspective, please.

And, from all the media hype, you almost get the sense the media would like to see someone like this get off. To them, it would be a blow to the real criminal, George W. Bush, because he's "spying on Americans". Local police "spy" on Americans all the time. It's called law enforcement. Spying on terrorists is called being at war. We have to hold ground on this or we risk a return to "years of sabbatical," and God help us then.

SPECIAL REPORT RELEASED: Jamaat ul-Fuqra Training Compound Inside the United States

2006-02-13T03:52:00.000-08:00

13 February 2006: “We see children – small children run around over there when they should be in school. We hear bursts of gunfire all of the time, and we know that there is military like training going on there. Those people are armed and dangerous. We get nothing but menacing looks from the people who go in and out of the camp, and sometime they yell at us to mind our own business when we are just driving by. We don’t even dare to slow down when we drive by. They own this mountain and they know it, and there is nothing we can do about it but move, and we can’t even do that. Who wants to buy property next to that?”

Jamaat al Fuqra, a terrorist organization founded by Sheik Mubarik Ali Shah Gilani, the Islamic cleric Daniel Pearl was attempting to interview when he was kidnapped, and a group that has been linked to over two-dozen murders and fire-bombings inside the U.S., maintains active training compounds inside the United States. Perhaps the largest - and their operational headquarters, is situated on 70 acres nestled in a remote and heavily secluded area on the western edge of the Catskill Mountains in New York state, about 40 miles southeast of Binghamton, NY.

***INVESTIGATIVE REPORT ISSUED*** (Continues below)

The Politics of CP has partnered with the Northeast Intelligence Network on a special investigation of Jamaat ul-Fuqra and their US headquarters compound in New York. You won't want to miss this!

MUST READ: See my full archive of posts on Jamaat ul-Fuqra as well as my previous posts on this location:
Fuqra Headquarters: Hancock, NY
Exclusive: Document reveals clues about investigation of NY Muslim compound prior to 1993 WTC attack

Be sure to listen to Doug Hagmann's Homeland Security Weekly Podcast that will be made available later tonight - February 13, 2005 for information about terrorist training taking place right here in America. Are terrorists being trainined near you? Indeed... more than a mere possibility. Investigations performed by actual investigators... don't miss it.

For detailed investigative findings of the threats we face - many that never make the news, subscribe to the HQ-INTEL ALERT Private Intelligence Report.

***********

***********

[Linked by Pajamas Media]

STAY TUNED: Upcoming Special Report on Jamaat ul-Fuqra

2006-02-10T22:37:00.000-08:00

The Politics of CP has partnered with the Northeast Intelligence Network on a special investigation of Jamaat ul-Fuqra and their US headquarters compound in New York. You won't want to miss this!

As has been reported here previously, Jamaat al Fuqra, a terrorist organization founded by Sheik Mubarek Ali Shah Gilani, the Islamic cleric Daniel Pearl was attempting to interview when he was kidnapped, and a group that has been linked to over two-dozen murders and fire-bombings inside the U.S., maintains active training compounds inside the United States. Perhaps the largest - and their operational headquarters, is situated on 70 acres nestled in a remote and heavily secluded area on the western edge of the Catskill Mountains in New York state, about 40 miles southeast of Binghamton, NY.

See my previous posts on this location:
Fuqra Headquarters: Hancock, NY
Exclusive: Document reveals clues about investigation of NY Muslim compound prior to 1993 WTC attack

Stay tuned for the Full Investigative Report coming shortly!

Additional information will also be contained in Doug Hagmann's Homeland Security Weekly Podcast as well as the HQ-INTEL ALERT Private Intelligence Report (subcription required).

WatchingAmerica.com

2006-02-08T22:55:00.000-08:00

Wanted to highlight another site - one that I was not previously aware of, but would definitely recommend. It's called WatchingAmerica.com.

In an email this week, the site's co-founder Robin Koerner explained to me the site's purpose:

[The site] translates foreign news about the U.S., to enable Americans (and all English speakers) read what is being written about them and their country throughout the world. Much of our content is available nowhere else in English. Our attempt to break down the final barrier of understanding – the language barrier – has attracted the attention of mainstream media (such as USA Today, dozens of other US papers, the Guardian, BBC, and various radio stations such as NPR), since we launched about a year ago. Indeed, we are generally considered now an A-list media outlet, mentioned and listed along with the NYT, BBC, CNN etc. What is put out in other countries in English for Western consumption often differs markedly from what is being written in the native languages. Accordingly, Watching America offers a unique window into world opinion.

Although we want to gain a mass readership, and are growing fast, most exciting our visitors include on the one hand increasing numbers of universities, and on the other, pretty much all of the U.S. government departments, but in particular the CIA and State Department.

The two cofounders and around 30 translators work as volunteers, and we still have a long way to go until the project becomes self-supporting. One of the many great articles about our site can be found here.

Please take a look at Watching America, and if you appreciate its value, please consider putting a permanent link on your own site to help us spread the word.

Well, there you have it. Go check it out and spread the word! And, if you speak something other than English, maybe consider helping them out as a volunteer.
Reading this site will be eye-opening. Friends, we still have a long way to go to "win hearts and minds". It's too bad our own country's press doesn't seem very willing to help us in that endeavor. At least, by watching those who are watching us we can know what we're up against.

These questions that judge us also unite us, because Americans of every party and background, Americans by choice and by birth, are bound to one another in the cause of freedom. We have known divisions, which must be healed to move forward in great purposes - and I will strive in good faith to heal them. Yet those divisions do not define America. We felt the unity and fellowship of our nation when freedom came under attack, and our response came like a single hand over a single heart. And we can feel that same unity and pride whenever America acts for good, and the victims of disaster are given hope, and the unjust encounter justice, and the captives are set free.

-- President George W. Bush

CENTCOM.MIL

2006-02-08T07:47:00.000-08:00

Well, in an effort to find a new avenue to get their message out, since the MSM hasn't done 'em many favors, the US Military is turning to the blogosphere. In a recent post discussing a military report on terrorism, I made a reference to CENTCOM, or US Central Command. Soon after, I received emails from two CENTCOM public affairs officers who had found my site through a Technorati search. They asked if I would be willing to put up a link to CENTCOM on my site. I told them I would oblige because I support what they are doing.

So, go check out CENTCOM.MIL. It's a really good site. There, you can find tip-of-the-spear news from Iraq, Afghanistan, the Global War on Terror, and more. They've got news stories, pictures, audio, video, and they've got podcasting coming soon.

This is stuff you won't see on TV, folks. It's not all bombs and IEDs "over there". Our military is doing a lot of good and a lot of people are grateful. It's time people heard "the rest of the story". Let's help support the troops AND their mission. Spread the word!

Domestic Spying on "Muslims of America" Organization ?

2006-02-03T10:52:00.000-08:00

There has been much consternation and hyperbolic hysteria amid the revelations that **gasp** the government is monitoring the homeland and listening to people's conversations. As much publicity as the Carnivore and Echelon surveillance programs received in the past, I didn't figure anyone should be surprised with these latest "revelations", if you can call them that. I assumed it was public knowledge that electronic eavesdropping, even within the homeland, was nothing new. This latest "controversy" has been fabricated simply to castigate President Bush.

That said, I just ran across another interesting tidbit from a recent news story focusing on the NSA "domestic spying" program. The only reference I found to this was on several left-wing blogs, but that was about it. However, I think they may have misunderstood the actual context of the item. I tracked down the transcript of a story that ran on NBC Nightly News on December 16, 2005. There was an interesting blurb in an exchange between Brian Williams and Andrea Mitchell (emphasis added):

WILLIAMS: Andrea, these stories may possibly cause some justifiable paranoia among people. Is there any way of saying who are the people being listened on?

MITCHELL: Well, a former intelligence official tells NBC News tonight that the people most likely to be swept up in this are listed in a Homeland Security database, Brian, called Muslims of America. But most people targeted are never charged with a crime. And one former official says this does amount to a giant electronic fishing expedition. Is it legal? The president says yes. Critics say no. Judiciary Chairman Arlen Specter says his committee will hold hearings in the new year. Brian:

Now, the kneejerk reaction I saw on other sites was that this was interpreted to mean that they were spying on Muslims at large. However, I think what Mitchell was actually referring to is the specific group "Muslims of America" aka "Muslims of the Americas" aka the group I've been investigating the last four months.

Click here to read my post on the Government Investigation

Sheikh Gilani -- who lives in Pakistan, has ties with al-Qaida and is the leader of Muslims of America, the front organization for Jamaat ul-Fuqra -- maintains contact with his followers inside the U.S. I would guess they communicate via satellite phone among other means. Of course, knowing that they are being watched, they probably use couriers as well. Remember, Gilani's operatives in the past have been described as "extremely covert" and operated under a classic cell structure. It makes sense that they would fall under the constructs of the "domestic spying program".

Let's hope that if there's anything to find, it's found in time...

"We didn't ask for this global struggle, but we're answering history's call with confidence, and a comprehensive strategy. Defeating a broad and adaptive network requires patience, constant pressure..."

-- President George W. Bush

ADDENDUM: Another line from the transcript re: the surveillance program - "One positive result, officials say, preventing a plot to blow up the Brooklyn Bridge." See my post here on the culprit and possible Fuqra associate, Iyman Faris.

(Hat tip to Pajamas Media's NSA Files blog for linking this post.)

Follow Up: Terrorist Organization Designation

2006-02-03T06:51:00.000-08:00

Following my post - A Call to Designate Jamaat ul-Fuqra as a Foreign Terrorist Organization, I received a couple of good questions via email. I thought it might be useful to do a follow-up.

Q: Can they be designated as an FTO if it's a domestic organization?

A: Well, they have a large domestic presence, but their leadership is headquartered in Pakistan. Members there are active in the Kashmir conflict. They also have members in Canada and the Caribbean. Members are required to send a third of their income to their leader in Pakistan.

Q: What will designation do?

A: I looked into this further on the State Dept. website.

Here is the current list of Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) as well as the Terrorist Exclusion List (TEL). These links also explain the legal requirements and implications that accompany those designations.

Someone actually asked a question about JUF at a State Department briefing on January 31, 2002.

Question: The group headed by Shaykh Gilani used to be designated by the State Department as a terrorist group but it was taken off the list. Why?

Answer: Jamaat ul-Fuqra has never been designated as a Foreign Terrorist Organization. It was included in several recent annual terrorism reports under "other terrorist groups," i.e., groups that had carried out acts of terrorism but that were not formally designated by the Secretary of State. However, because of the group's inactivity during 2000, it was not included in the most recent terrorism report covering that calendar year.

For clarification, because there was some misunderstanding about this on my part and others as well, includintg the guy who asked the above question, Jamaat ul-Fuqra was not technically or officially designated as an FTO under the legal definition. It was listed as a terrorist group in the report Patterns of Global Terrorism (in 1996, 1997, 1998, & 1999), but that does not carry the same authority as being put on the official FTO list. Previously, designations were to be reviewed every two years or they would lapse. Those requirements have since been modified.

Since January 31, 2002, we have had the killing of Daniel Pearl who, in attempting to meet with Fuqra's founder, was kidnapped and beheaded. Other groups implicated in the plot, with which Fuqra is closely associated, are on the terrorist list; the attacks by the DC snipers, who reportedly had links to Fuqra; the exposure of a significant operation to defraud the state of California; the arrest of a Fuqra member for illegally running guns; the harboring of fugitives; connections to al-Qaida; funds being sent to Pakistan where jihadis are trained and participate in attacks in Kashmir; and reports from Homeland Security, the CA Attorney General's office, and the military designating Fuqra as a terrorist group.

The State Dept. may have specific reasons for not designating the group as an FTO. Even if they are not designated as an FTO, they should be considered for re-insertion in the report as among "Other Terrorist Groups". Of course, some of the evidence may be hard to prove and maybe they ought to be talking to some other agencies. In reality, it just seems like they don't want to "stir things up".

Politics of CP & Gates of Vienna Cited in NYPD's Terrorism Weekly

2006-02-02T10:40:00.000-08:00

This happened back in October, but I just found it the other day.

The Counter Terrorism Bureau of the NYPD produces a weekly open-source global security news brief highlighting relevant events called Terrorism Weekly.

It contains brief summaries of information with hyperlinks. Although, the public unclassified version seems to omit the links. [Note: The two editions I link to below are transposed on the main page.]

In the October 8, 2005 edition, the Gates of Vienna blog was cited:

The Islamists of Charlotte County Virginia –
Gates of Vienna Blogspot

The author of the Gates of Vienna web log has posted an interesting story of his trip to see the Muslims of America compound in Red House, Virginia. Among the many items of note include the fact that the "Red House" compound put up a guardhouse and a gate a couple of weeks before September 11, 2001, after not having such security for more than five years. It also runs a kiosk in the Lynchburg mall (selling jewelry and such), which does a substantial business shipping packages via UPS.

In the October 15th edition, The Politics of CP was mentioned:

What Lies Beneath – The Politics of CP Blog Site

The Politics of CP has a map showing the locations and functions of many Jamaat ul-Fuqra/Muslims of America compounds throughout the United States, together with a table describing its criminal offenses in various localities. Most of this data has been sourced from the National White Collar Crime Center's report “Identifying the Links between White-Collar Crime and Terrorism.” The report is available as a downloadable PDF here.

We can make a difference! Government agencies are beginning to realize the usefulness of the blogosphere!

Here is an excerpt on this theme from my previous post on Open Source Intelligence:

As I began posting information related to Jamaat ul-Fuqra, I posted a disclaimer noting that my information was being gathered from open sources. I said that not only did bloggers have power to inform as citizen journalists, but to become a better informed citizenry themselves. In addition to that, I said that bloggers who post information, including investigative research, in an open source venue could serve as “virtual tipsters” or informants because the government -- while its investigative abilities are vast -- is not omnipresent and all-knowing.

[...]

Now, with the emergence of bloggers, a new component is added to the mix. A distributed network of observers, citizens, researchers, professionals, academics, dissidents, soldiers, engineers, photographers, and so on can openly report information from anywhere in the world. This can only be advantageous to the intelligence community.

This investigation has certainly made the last few months interesting for me and I hope it has been interesting for you as well. Thanks to all of the readers who have commented and emailed and continue to offer both information and encouragement. Kudos also to Baron & Dymphna, and to other blogger-reporters out there.

Politics of CP Nominated for Blog Award!

2006-01-30T10:32:00.000-08:00

Thanks to Peakah, I have been nominated for Best Political Blog in the "Best So Far" Blog Awards for January 2006!

If you wish to cast a vote for me, send an email to BestSoFar@RightThinking.net between
Wednesday, February 1 and Sunday, February 5th!

Click here for more details and to see/make other nominations.

A Call to Designate Jamaat ul-Fuqra as a Foreign Terrorist Organization

2006-01-30T08:05:00.000-08:00

As I have mentioned before, Jamaat ul-Fuqra was listed among Foreign Terrorist Organizations (FTOs) in 1999. The State Department under the Clinton Administration saw fit to remove them from the list in 2000. They have not returned to the list.

Nestled between the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan and the Khmer Rouge on the list, the previous description of the group followed thus:

Description
Islamic sect that seeks to purify Islam through violence. Led by Pakistani cleric Shaykh Mubarik Ali Gilani, who established the organization in the early 1980s. Gilani now resides in Pakistan, but most cells are located in North America and the Caribbean. Members have purchased isolated rural compounds in North America to live communally, practice their faith, and insulate themselves from Western culture.

Activities
Fuqra members have attacked a variety of targets that they view as enemies of Islam, including Muslims they regard as heretics and Hindus. Attacks during the 1980s included assassinations and firebombings across the United States. Fuqra members in the United States have been convicted of crimes, including murder and fraud.

Strength
Unknown.

Location/Area of Operation
North America, Pakistan.

External Aid
None.

I have yet to determine what reasonable explanation could be given for their removal. They didn't just go away. Their members haven't disbanded. Their "isolated rural compounds" haven't been sold off and abandoned. Their criminal activities have not ceased. Their ties to other terrorist groups have not been broken. Their leadership has not been captured (and they're not even on the run!).

The only explanation I can come up with is that it was guided by a view that this group was "small-time" and could best be handled as a "law enforcement issue". The September 10th mentality was that individual murders, a firebombing here and there, and white-collar crimes were just ordinary criminal occurrences and didn't fall under the purview of real counterterrorism. The country didn't yet fully realize what these activities meant in the context of militant Islamic extremism.

But, as I said and as I have documented in my reports, the activities of Jamaat ul-Fuqra did not cease in 1999 or 2000. Law enforcement in New York still considers them a terrorist organization. Officials in California and Colorado still consider them a terrorist organization. The Department of Homeland Security still considers them a terrorist organization and the list goes on.

Needless to say, I was interested to find the group mentioned in a US military report on terrorism -- TRADOC DCSINT Handbook No. 1: A Military Guide to Terrorism in the Twenty-First Century. This report is published by the US Army Training & Doctrine Command (TRADOC), Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence (DCSINT), Assistant Deputy Chief of Staff for Intelligence - Threats, Fort Leavenworth, Kansas.

Jamaat ul-Fuqra is listed in the 2003, 2004, and 2005 editions (although the information is unchanged). In Appendix A, entitled "Terrorist Threat to Combatant Commands," they are listed in the Area of Operations (AOR) of both NORTHCOM and CENTCOM with an asterisk denoting a history of anti-U.S. activity.

The strength of the group in NORTHCOM'S AOR is listed as 200 members. Most estimates I've seen in the past from other sources figured 1,000-3,000 members including the Muslims of the Americas group, however it's possible the 200 figure represents members involved in operations, also known as cadre members.

The fact that Jamaat ul-Fuqra is listed in this report indicates to me that at least the Defense Department takes them somewhat seriously - at least they acknowledge the group exists.

I have a couple of theories on why the State Department does not list them as such. One, they stopped tracking the group and are ignorant of them. Two, the group's close ties to the Pakistani government are a sensitive issue and putting the group on the list would "complicate things".

It's time we got honest about the kinds of people that are operating among us. Yes, here they pose as a harmless group of rural Muslims. In Pakistan, there is no doubt they are a militant jihadi group. Both are sincerely loyal to the same Sheikh Gilani. They are a threat. Let's put two and two together here, folks.

Secretary Rice, put them back on the list! And, as Michael Ledeen would say, "Faster, please!"

[This post was listed in the 4,897th Carnival of the Vanities. Thanks to Beck of the INCITE blog.]

Fuqra Fugitives

2006-01-27T11:29:00.000-08:00

On September 29, 2005, a man named Frank Albert Nelson, aka Abdulla Ali, of York, SC was arrested for shooting and wounding a New York police officer in 1971. A fugitive for almost 34 years, he had found his way to South Carolina. For several months or maybe a year prior to his arrest, he lived on Flintlock Drive, right near the compound (also on Flintlock Drive) known as "Holy Islamville" that is linked to Muslims of the Americas and Jamaat ul-Fuqra. He was affiliated with the group and had been attending the mosque there. (Read the news story here. See the US Marshals press release here).

The group's elder, Ali Abdur-Rashid, was quoted as saying about the arrest, "I'm as surprised as anyone."

The article about Nelson's arrest stated that,

Federal authorities and York County Sheriff Bruce Bryant said they had no reason to believe anyone at the 36-acre religious compound was aware of Nelson's past.

"I mean, how could we know? He wasn't even a Muslim 34 years ago," said Abdur-Rashid, a former Marine who regularly travels to the Middle East in connection with his faith. "It's embarrassing more than anything else. We do not harbor fugitives here; this is a holy place. The public should not hold this against us." (emphasis added)

Now, maybe Mr. Nelson had been able to conceal his past. Maybe nobody asked and he never told. But, I emphasized Ali Rashid's statement about not harboring fugitives because it just isn't true. Whether he knew about Nelson or not, I don't know, but I do know that he is not the first criminal fugitive to be arrested at an MOA compound and the others were definitely known criminals. Contrary to the pious facade they intend to convey, Muslims of the Americas is affiliated with criminals and they do harbor criminal fugitives.

On November 15, 2004, the US Marshals announced the arrest of Tabari Malik Shabir in a traffic stop, again on Flintlock Drive in York, SC. He was indicted by the Eastern District of Pennsylvania in April 2004 and had been a fugitive for seven months. He was charged with Posession and Attempted Posession With Intent to Distribute 57 kilograms of Cocaine. (Read the news story here. Read the US Marshals press release here).

Most notorious of Holy Islamville's affiliates is Edward Flinton. In 1993, authorities indicted Mr. Flinton for conspiracy to commit murder. He was a member a Colorado-based Fuqra cell known as the "Muhammad Commandos of Sector 5" and admitted to personally authoring the plan to kill Dr. Rashad Khalifa in 1990. He was finally arrested in 1996 -- also at the South Carolina compound.

Of course, the South Carolina compound isn't the only one that has harbored fugitives. A source told me Flinton and his family had been hiding out for years at one of the other MOA/Fuqra compounds. (See his website here!). His estimated discharge from prison is 2015, but he is scheduled to have a parole hearing in December of this year. Two other accomplices from the Colorado cell have already been released.

Co-conspirator in the Khalifa murder, James D. Williams avoided arrest until 2000, when he was caught in Lynchburg, VA. He had been living at the compound in Red House. He is now pursuing a second career in the field of incarceration. See ya in 2063 Jimmy!

Another of the group's members, James Hobson aka Umar Abdussalam, was arrested by US Marshals at the Baladullah, CA compound on a warrant from South Carolina on the charge that he was running guns between South Carolina and New York.

Yeah, so as you can see, the "we don't harbor fugitives" line doesn't really fly. And yes, Rashid, the public should hold it against you. You know well what goes on.

I hope some of this information just reiterates that this organization can not be taken for granted. Muslims of the Americas may cite religious reasons for their rural existence, but I believe the real reason is to conceal the activities and/or presence of certain elements of its membership.

Be vigilant, America.

Al Qaeda Member Iyman Faris Also Linked to Jamaat ul-Fuqra?

2006-01-19T09:21:00.000-08:00

The list of Jamaat ul-Fuqra's connections to Al Qaeda just keeps growing. (See here, here, and here).

Remember the Ohio truck driver that was convicted for being part of an plot to blowtorch his way through the cables of the Brooklyn Bridge and drop it into the East River?
[Image credit: George Fetting]
His name is Iyman Faris. Maybe he should change his name to Iyman Idiot. Apparently, he's in jail 'til 2020. Although, the US DOJ press release from 2003 regarding his sentencing said he was to get 20 years. That would make it 2023. Do they let terrorists out early on "good behavior"?

Nonetheless, in an article for the Asia Times, Indian terrorism expert and former intelligence official B. Raman denotes the U.S. presence of organizations affiliated with Bin Laden's International Islamic Front, such as Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET), as well as Tablighi Jamaat (TJ), and Harkat-ul-Mujahideen (HUM). He focuses mostly on LET, calling it an Al Qaeda clone as all of these organizations are both similar and interconnected - pointing out that "Abu Zubaidah, then No 3 in al-Qaeda, was arrested...from the house of a LET leader...."

Among the rogue's gallery of terrorists, he mentions Faris -

...Iyman Faris,also known as Mohammad Rauf, originally a resident of Pakistan-Occupied Kashmir (POK), who had migrated to the US in 1994 and was working as a truck driver in Ohio and charged him with having links with al-Qaeda and Khalid Shaikh Mohammad...

According to FBI officials, as quoted in the US media, Faris had visited Afghanistan and Pakistan a number of times between 2000 and 2002, met bin Laden and worked with Khalid Shaikh Mohammad, in organizing and financing jihad causes. After returning to the US from Pakistan in late 2002, officials said, he began examining the Brooklyn Bridge and discussing via coded messages with al-Qaeda leaders in Pakistan ways of using blow torches to sever the suspension cables.

The plotting continued through March, as Faris sent coded messages to operatives in Pakistan. One such message said that the "weather is too hot". FBI officials have been quoted as saying that meant that Faris feared the plot was unlikely to succeed - apparently because of security and the bridge's structure - and should be postponed. He was arrested soon thereafter. According to media reports, the interrogation of Khalid led the FBI to Faris.

It is reported that while there is no evidence so far to connect Faris with the other 11 accused belonging to the LET, the FBI is looking into this possibility. Sources in Pakistan describe Faris, aged 34, as a Punjabi ex-serviceman settled in POK, before he migrated to the US. It is said that he was associated in the past with the Jamaat-ul-Fuqra (JUF), an anti-Jewish and anti-Hindu terrorist organization of Pakistan, which is reported to have a large network in the US, Canada and the Caribbean. It was involved in a number of violent incidents against Jewish and Hindu interests in the US in the early 1990s and its activities were cited in the annual reports of the US State Department titled "Patterns of Global Terrorism".

Last year, Pakistani police alleged that Daniel Pearl, the US journalist, had gone to Pakistan from Mumbai in India to enquire into the possible links of the JUF with the shoe bomber who had unsuccessfully tried to cause an explosion in a US aircraft flying from France to the US. Pearl was trapped by a joint group of terrorists from different Pakistani organizations belonging to bin Laden's IIF, kidnapped and murdered.

Daniel Pearl was attempting to meet Sheikh Gilani, founder of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, who some suspected of personally ordering Reid's mission. Members of several jihadi organizations were involved in Pearl's kidnapping. It is believed that Khalid Shaikh Mohammed (KSM) personally beheaded Pearl.

Needless to say, Iyman Faris' connection to KSM reveals his deep affiliation with Al Qaeda. If he is also linked with Jamaat ul-Fuqra, this reinforces evidence of the interconnectedness of these terrorist networks.

Meanwhile, a new Bin Laden tape surfaced today renewing a threat to attack within the United States. Will Gilani's associates be part of this plot as well?

Major al-Qaeda operative a member of Gilani's circle

2006-01-14T11:48:00.000-08:00

In my research of Sheikh Gilani, the founder of Jamaat ul-Fuqra and the Muslims of the Americas, I have been trying to wade through information on the myriad terrorist groups that are based in Pakistan to establish links between the Sheikh and other major players. I have noted individuals such as Wadih El-Hage, Clement Rodney Hampton-El, and Richard Reid and their links to both Al Fuqra and Al Qaeda.

Let's chalk up another one. In an article dated January 5, 2006, the Asia Times' Bureau Chief in Pakistan detailed the story of "Al Qaeda's man who knows too much".

He was once close to Osama bin Laden, has intimate knowledge of al-Qaeda's logistics and financing and its nexus with the military in Pakistan, yet US intelligence has not been able to get its hands on him.

Ghulam Mustafa, 38, was picked up about 10 days ago in Lahore, and no charges have been brought against him: he is expected to disappear into a "black hole" and quietly be forgotten.

This is because Mustafa, erstwhile head of al-Qaeda's Pakistani operations, has some tales to tell, but the authorities in Pakistan would rather they were not heard, especially by the Americans, even though Islamabad is a signed-up member in the "war on terror".

As with most of AQ's major players, he earned his jihadi stripes fighting against the Soviets in Afghanistan.

When the Soviets pulled out, Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence (ISI) decided to set up a cell in Jalalabad oversee the establishment of a new puppet regime. Bin Laden and Mustafa were both part of that cell.

About that time, the uprising in Kashmir began and the ISI was instrumental in equipping militants in that region as well. Mustafa was assigned by the ISI to oversee the operation of guerilla training camps in Jalalabad with Bin Laden.

Meanwhile, Mustafa had penetrated deeply into the circle of Syed Mubarik Ali Gilani, a revered Sufi and custodian of the Mian Mir shrine in Lahore, from where the ISI runs one of its most effective networks.

Mustafa was a key point man for coordinating training, financial, and logistical support for militants in Afghanistan and Kashmir.

(Read the whole Asia Times piece).

The more I read about the incestuous relationships between various jihadi factions and the ISI, the more I become concerned about our "collaborative" efforts with the Pakistanis. Since 9/11, the US has maintained a delicate position with regard to the Pakistani government.

The existence of Pakistan as an "official ally" in the Global War on Terror is of no real comfort when you find that a militant thread of terrorist activity runs deep into the Pakistani government's infrastructure.

They play the game on both sides of the fence. This is certainly evident by their most recent "protest" over the targeting of a hideout for senior al-Qaeda members. The continuation of this game only heightens my concern toward the infrastructure that Sheikh Gilani has established inside the US. Followers of his have carried out attacks on primarily religious targets and individuals around the country. This network could just as easily be used by the ISI to train new recruits or to launch surveillance or attacks on hard targets around the US as well.

Musharraf is supposedly the one bringing stability to the US-Pakistani relationship, but he himself has personal ties to Sheikh Gilani going back to the '60s which I will discuss in a future post.

As more and more links between Gilani and al-Qaeda emerge, the more I am convinced that we can not take his follower's presence lightly. True, not all of them are of a terrorist mindset. Many of the strictly religious followers are naturally going to be unaware of the organization's full scope but, there are others among them. Gilani's operatives are skilled in covert activities and follow classic cell structures.

I continue to run across news articles written by small-town reporters talking about how harmless the Muslims of the Americas group seems -- excusing the group's history as some sort of fairy tale. It's time to wake up.

Still Here

2006-01-09T14:28:00.000-08:00

Hey folks, I haven't gone away. Just still getting caught up after an extended Christmas vacation. I hope to have some more stuff up soon.

Happy New Year!

Jamaat ul-Fuqra/MOA Compound: Dover, TN

2005-12-22T09:29:00.000-08:00

My last post focused on the Jamaat ul-Fuqra/Muslims of the Americas (MOA) presence in Commerce, GA. Before stumbling on to information about the place, I had found virtually nothing. The same goes for this next location. This group continues to serve their reputation for being good at keeping a low profile. But, let's shine a spotlight on them anyway or as Baron calls it, looking through my "virtual magnifying glass".

The Muslims of the Americas, as I have said before, are the American front organization for Pakistani Islamic cleric Sheikh Mubarak Ali Shah Gilani. It is designed to put a friendly face on the the organization as a group of simple, flag-waving, well-mannered Muslims seeking a rural lifestyle away from the distractions of Western urban life. It is an attempt to claim legitimacy.

While there may be some degree of accuracy to this claim for some of the group's members, the deeper criminal operatives that belong to the group have used the seclusion of these communities as cover to operate "off the grid". The group's compounds have been used as launching pads for bombings and murders; as safe houses for criminal fugitives; and as indoctrination and training grounds. The compounds in Colorado and California had to be virtually abandoned after members were implicated in extensive white-collar criminal schemes as well as violent crimes. The Department of Homeland Security has said that they are a threat.

One of the other known locations of Sheikh Gilani's followers is a rural hilltop in Stewart County, TN near the town of Dover. The group has lived here since at least the early '90s. It is home to approximately 17 families. As their counterparts in other settlements do, they live in mobile homes in a very rural wooded area. A black and white sign indicates the entrance. A white guardhouse stands nearby.

One of the male residents works for the TN Department of Transportation in Nashville. One of the females operates a home-based business called "Mecca Cosmetics".

The village was the focus of a news story ("Muslim village shares rural life in Tennessee," Feb. 20, 2002) by a Nashville reporter writing for The Tennessean. He wrote:

The Stewart County Muslims refused to discuss with The Tennessean any links between their village and other Muslims of the Americas sites in the United States. Nor would they discuss Gilani or the Pearl kidnapping.

The general manager of the local newspaper points out that the group had an open community meeting last year specifically to allay fears that Stewart Countians might have had about Islam and the Muslims in their midst, especially in light of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

[...] "We've had no trouble with them whatsoever,'' said Sheriff John Vinson.

Doug Wamsley, an assistant district attorney in Jefferson County, Colo., prosecuted members of the Muslims of the Americas and al-Fuqra.

"My belief is that the groups are one and the same,'' Wamsley said.

"I've been asked a number of times, 'Well, do you think they're dangerous?' And I have to go back and say, based on everything we found, I can't come to any other conclusion.''

The reporter went to the compound, or at least the entrance, and spoke with one of the residents.

[...] asked later about whether the Dover Muslims are tied to other Muslims of the Americas enclaves, he shook his head dismissively.

My research has shown, however, that MOA members do visit other MOA locations. The reporter's encounter ended this way:

At the mention of Pearl or al-Fuqra, [he] grew silent.

"It would do me no good to talk to you,'' he said, almost laughing. He made it clear he considered such inquiries disparaging and unfair. It was not the kind of attention he wanted. He smiled, shook hands and waved goodbye.

Now, the location of this compound is somewhat concerning because of its proximity to a couple of other places nearby. I have written previously about the curious location of Fuqra compounds and/or surveillance near significant infrastructure targets. (See here, here, and here) This one is no different.

The property seems to lie right along a powerline easement. If you follow the easement for a little over 7 miles east, you'll find yourself at the TVA's Cumberland Fossil Plant, a plant that produces more power than any other plant in the TVA system. (click image to enlarge - courtesy of MSN Virtual Earth)

Go 12 miles northeast from the encampment and you'll run into Fort Campbell, home of the Army's 101st Airborne Division as well as a couple of Special Forces units. [click image to enlarge - courtesy of the TN DOT]

Finally, you can click here to see an aerial view of the place. (Courtesy of Flash Earth, a mashup of aerials from Google Maps and MSN Virtual Earth) There are a number of trailers visible. The road they are on is not labled, but all of the addresses I found were located on Dreamwood Lane which is the next road over, which just has one structure. Maybe it's their mosque, I don't know.
Perhaps that is where all of their mail is delivered.

For now, that is the bulk of what I have discovered about this place. As you can see, these encampments deserve a closer look.

Feel free to discuss it or add anything else in the comments, or email me if you prefer.

MOA/Fuqra Community: Commerce, GA

2005-12-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

Since seeing the map and list of suspected compounds for the group Jamaat ul-Fuqra that was published in the report, "Identifying the Links Between White-Collar Crime & Terrorism" by the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), I have been trying to hunt down information on each one of those locations. So far, I’ve looked at the compounds in Buena Vista, CO; Baladullah, CA; Hancock, NY; York, SC; Red House, VA; and Meherrin, VA.

Some are easier to find information about than others. Some have a higher profile than others. One of the reasons this group has a reputation for being “elusive” and secretive is because they are good at it.

Another location suspected of being linked to the organization can be found near Commerce, GA. It’s located about eight miles northeast of Commerce, off Georgia Highway 326, also called the Old Carnesville Road. Just past a little place called Erastus and across the Franklin County line, a turn down Riverbend Road on the east side of the highway leads to Madinah Road. (Commerce is in Jackson County. You have to drive east across Banks County to get to Franklin County.)

The jamaat, or community, is called Madinah Village.

Last year, the community built a mosque, or Jaami'a Masjid [aka Medina Masjid aka Masjid Jaamia Muhammadiyya] and a Madrassah, with future plans for establishing a full-time Islamic Academy. One of the residents owns a local pottery studio. There is another location in Commerce that is supposedly an MOA Da’wah Center, but I have found conflicting information on what, if anything, is actually at that address (e.g., a home / an Islamic art & cultural center / a DUI driving school).

A local source tells me,

"The Muslims seem to pretty much keep to themselves. They are visible in terms of the dress of the women, who you see around from time to time, and I have noticed three or four people with Muslim-sounding names in the police arrest reports, all for traffic offenses, I think, who had Medinah Way addresses. Apparently that is a street in the community. I can recall no case where someone I thought was likely Muslim was charged here with a serious crime."

Regarding the size of the group, he says, "I have no idea how many members are in the community, but there are probably a couple dozen or more."

As for the city of Commerce,

"...There are other Muslims in the community who seem to have little, if any, connection with the community to which you refer. Some are doctors, some are blue collar workers, some are native-born and some are immigrants. While we are still rural, we too have people of all ethnic and religious groups scattered about. I would have to say that I know of no problems between Muslims and others...."

It seems that one of the members hosted a community meeting a few years ago to explain the Muslim way of life to the community. "The turnout was not very good." And, reportedly, "...he became defensive when some law enforcement agent began asking questions."

Click on this link to see an aerial view of the Madinah Village compound from MSN Virtual Earth.

You can see a few mobile home trailers that are characteristic of these communes. It also looks like there are a couple of chickenhouses there in an open area and some other structures scattered among the woods. Without land records, I'm not sure of the size of the property that actually belongs to the "Village".

Again, this is just one of nearly two-dozen locations in the U.S. that the "Muslims of the Americas (MOA)" call home. It is just another one of the places that deeper elements of the Fuqra organization can use as a safe haven. Hopefully, we can shed some light on a few others in the near future.

Digest # 3 of Jamaat ul-Fuqra Coverage

2005-12-15T06:40:00.000-08:00

Once again, here is a reference to my recent posts related to my independent research on the domestic Islamic group, Jamaat ul-Fuqra.

Exclusive
Exclusive: Document reveals clues about investigation of NY Muslim compound prior to 1993 WTC attack

Eyes On JF
Government Investigation of Jamaat ul-Fuqra

The Value of Open Source Intelligence
OSINT

A Peculiar Place on a Country Road
Gates of Vienna Exposes Another Suspicious Place in VA
Muslim Teachers College

Exclusive: Document reveals clues about investigation of NY Muslim compound prior to 1993 WTC attack

2005-12-12T07:57:00.000-08:00

A reader noted in the comments of an earlier post that a 1999 news story from the Village Voice mentioned that law enforcement officers in New York had been investigated for carrying out a “confidential, covert investigation” of a “Muslim community” in the Hancock/Deposit/Tompkins area, what we know as the headquarters compound of Shiekh Gilani’s followers in the U.S., and that a report had been published.

I have obtained a copy of the report. The 15-page document from the City of New York Department of Investigation (DOI) is entitled, “Final Report of an Investigation of Mismanagement and Misconduct by the Bureau of Water Supply Police” [March 1992].

Both the Village Voice mention and the report itself appear to hint that the motivation for the investigation was racially-motivated and unwarranted. Well, it was unwarranted in that the officers carrying out the “covert” investigation did not have a warrant to do so, but it appears their concerns were not, shall we say, unmerited. The racial implication was given because the officers had also reportedly investigated the Jewish Defense League (JDL). They also reportedly investigated a group known as the Weathermen. Both the Weathermen and the JDL have been labeled terrorist organizations.

Could it be that these officers were merely concerned about domestic terrorists operating in the area near a water supply reservoir and dam? It seems that is what sparked their investigation. Maybe they were uneasy about the possibilities that existed. A federal agent had inquired to the neighbors about the place and it seems these officers took it upon themselves to find out what they could.

The “covert investigation” started in the summer of 1988 and continued through most of 1991. It appears that neither the officers who conducted the “covert investigation” nor those who subsequently investigated them had any organizational knowledge of this Muslim community in New York and its connections elsewhere.

But, by 1988, Sheikh Gilani’s Fuqra organization had carried out several assassinations and bombings in the U.S. In August of 1989, detectives searched a storage locker used by Fuqra members in Colorado. The locker contained explosives, shape charges, pipe bombs, guns, silencers, IEDs, targeting packages, and among other items, a human silhouette firing range target on which “FBI Anti-Terrorist Team” was written around the bullseye. At the very same time the officers were surveilling the community in upstate NY, Fuqra was the subject of a massive investigation in Colorado involving 150 individuals with local, state, federal, and private entities from 15 states including the New York City Police Department.

One incident that was noted in the report was rather peculiar. On December 24, 1988, there was a "fire in a trailer at the compound, which...went unreported until a neighbor saw the smoke and called the fire department...the fire department was denied access and reported hearing live ammunition discharging as a result of the fire." Later, one of the officers secretly entered the compound undercover with a garbage man to surveil the fire damage.

Following this in January 1989, the officers used a fixed-wing plane to take aerial photographs of the compound. They also attempted to obtain night vision equipment to conduct surveillance. In the summer of 1991, an officer accompanied an Air National Guard helicopter mission searching for marijuana and diverted the aircraft over the compound to take additional photographs. The officers' investigation continued right up until the time they themselves were investigated.

The report cited lack of protocols in documentation and oversight and recommended the replacement of the Administrator for the Bureau of Water Supply Police.

Albeit, their law enforcement protocols may have been lacking in this instance, their interest in this Muslim community was not unjustifiable. The methods they used to carry out this investigation may have been inappropriate and I understand why there were concerns. The officers conducted an illegal search, ran background checks from vehicle license numbers, and used both a plane and Air National Guard counterdrug helicopter to take aerial photographs of the compound. But, the DOI report is interesting for another reason, however. It is interesting because of what it reveals about the substance of the investigation in the context of what we now know.

We now know that the pre-9/11 approach to terrorism was that it was an issue to be addressed by law enforcement and legal professionals. Action was only to be taken after the fact and political correctness was to be observed. Granted, we have the advantage of hindsight in a post-9/11 world. However, that advantage is not so pleasant given what was required to gain it.

The DOI “closing memorandum” is dated March 4, 1992. Among the conclusions:

“The BWSP investigation lacked any reasonable factual basis. It was the product of irrational fears acted upon by a police unit suffering from inadequate training, ignorance of the law, poor management, supervisory paralysis, and boredom.”
(emphasis added)

Irrational fears? Let me add some rationality to them. The first attack on the World Trade Center occurred less than one year later on February 26, 1993. Six people were killed & over 1,000 were injured. Participants in the plot were reportedly trained at the Muslim compound in question. The plot also included plans to attack other New York landmarks, such as the UN building, FBI offices, and city tunnels. (Some members of the NY compound are NYC bridge & tunnel workers). Members of Fuqra were convicted in the conspiracy.

View or download the DOI report below:

[UPDATE: Welcome, Michelle Malkin readers! I hope you'll check out some of my other posts on this topic. Stay tuned for more to come.]

OSINT

2005-12-09T11:05:00.000-08:00

As I began posting information related to Jamaat ul-Fuqra, I posted a disclaimer noting that my information was being gathered from open sources. I said that not only did bloggers have power to inform as citizen journalists, but to become a better informed citizenry themselves. In addition to that, I said that bloggers who post information, including investigative research, in an open source venue could serve as “virtual tipsters” or informants because the government -- while its investigative abilities are vast -- is not omnipresent and all-knowing.

I wanted to write this post to further discuss the value, uses, opinions, history, future and sources related to open source intelligence.

A number of disciplines comprise the information used by the intelligence community. They include ELINT (Electronic Intelligence), SIGINT (Signals Intelligence), COMINT (Communications Intelligence), MASINT (Measurements & Signatures Intelligence), IMINT (Imagery Intelligence), HUMINT (Human Intelligence), and OSINT (Open Source Intelligence). Agencies employ analysts in each of these fields as well as all-source analysts who help put the puzzle pieces together.

OSINT actually accounts for a large majority of the information that is collected (some say 80-90%), but it receives a miniscule amount of the funding (as little as 1% according to one source).

The 9/11 Commission recommended in its report that the CIA should create a new division or “Open Source Agency” that would report to the Director for National Intelligence.

On November 8, 2005, they announced just that, and the birth of The DNI Open Source Center took place. Pajamas Media covered the story here. The Department of Defense is also stepping up its domestic surveillance activities, which does make sense when you consider that there are foreign supported organizations (like JF) operating here.

It is imperative that the value of open source information be properly recognized.

China has recognized this and even published a book on how to exploit available scientific and technical information. A review of the document by the (U.S.) National Counterintelligence Executive had this to say, “One of the most startling revelations in Sources and Techniques is the extent to which the Chinese military and defense industries rely on open-source information, particularly US and British, for weapons modernization.”

We also know from daily news reports that that terrorist groups use the internet to communicate in chat rooms and message boards, and to post information about their activities, etc. This is open source information that can be exploited.

The GWOT is changing the way intelligence agencies do business. Many of the traditional sources and covert collection methods still work, but they must be accompanied and complimented by new sources and methods.

Consider newspapers. The average citizen can sit in their living room and read online newspapers from Singapore to Zimbabwe. That would have been impossible 20 years ago.

Also, the use of Geographic Information Systems (GIS) is becoming more common. People are using openly available mapping and imagery to display information. Some software that has been around for years requires a little more technical skill to fully utilize. Google Earth is among one of the most recent and more simple to use programs. With its features download placemark and datalink files created by other users, you can find everything from historical stormtracks of hurricanes in the Gulf of Mexico to live traffic cams in Germany.

Now, with the emergence of bloggers, a new component is added to the mix. A distributed network of observers, citizens, researchers, professionals, academics, dissidents, soldiers, engineers, photographers, and so on can openly report information from anywhere in the world. This can only be advantageous to the intelligence community.

Fellow blogger New Victorian put it this way:

...the next great intelligence network is the blogosphere. Millions of people, distributed all over the world, sharing information rapidly at little or no cost, putting the bits they know and hear together to form new patterns, to notice things that seem out of place.
Just yesterday, the RAND Corporation published a report on “State and Local Intelligence in the War on Terrorism." The abstract: “Examines how state and local law enforcement agencies conducted and supported counterterrorism intelligence activities after 9/11. The report analyzes data from a 2002 survey of law enforcement preparedness in the context of intelligence, shows how eight local law enforcement agencies handle intelligence operations, and suggests ways that the job of gathering and analyzing intelligence might best be shared among federal, state, and local agencies.”

I searched the report to see how open source information played into all this. Page 65 says this:

Internet searches are an important source of information for local police, and they are conducted frequently (62 percent of the local law enforcement agencies surveyed reported using the internet as an information source). The utility of the FBI weekly intelligence bulletin is less certain. [9] It is used frequently but is considered less useful by some. One respondent indicated that the information is less helpful when it is not specific to a region, [10] and another that it is useful but mostly repetitive.

“Open” sources of information are used extensively by local police organizations. As one respondent explained,

About 70–80 percent of our intelligence comes from open sources—those open to the public—such as the newspaper, media, internet, public, and community. The media spends billions of dollars on information gathering. The remaining 20–30 percent comes from undercover surveillance, informants, and federal databases (which are developed from operations). Reasonable suspicion must still exist to review open sources—we can’t just review them willy-nilly. CNN is a good source because the information is often correct, unlike other stories. All information must be verified. The internet is a source that was not previously used until about five years ago. [11]

You can download the full report here.

In an article, written earlier this year by Stephen C. Mercado of the CIA, entitled, "Reexamining the Distinction Between Open Information and Secrets", Mercado states (emphasis added):

"We need to rethink the distinction between open sources and secrets. Too many policymakers and intelligence officers mistake secrecy for intelligence and assume that information covertly acquired is superior to that obtained openly. Yet, the distinction between overt and covert sources is less clear than such thinking suggests. Open sources often equal or surpass classified information in monitoring and analyzing such pressing problems as terrorism, proliferation, and counterintelligence. Slighting open source intelligence (OSINT) for secrets, obtained at far greater expense when available at all, is no way to run an intelligence community. Also, we must put to rest the notion that the private sector is the preferred OSINT agent. In the end, I would contend, the Intelligence Community (IC) needs to assign greater resources to open sources."

As for his comment regarding the "notion that the private sector is the preferred OSINT agent," I make no claims of advantage over intelligence professionals. My goal, especially with regard to the information I've published on Jamaat ul-Fuqra, is to simply report what I've found out and disseminate that with the knowledge that fellow citizens AND government professionals may read it. And, having monitored recent traffic to this blog, I can attest, government professionals are reading it.

In conclusion, I have listed some additional reading material that may be of use to readers (and fellow bloggers) interested in open source intelligence.

Additional reading:

Review Essay. Richard S. Friedman. "Open Source Intelligence," PARAMETERS, US Army War College Quarterly, Summer 1998, pp. 159-165.

Article. Stephen C. Mercado. "Open–Source Intelligence From the Airwaves: FBIS Against the Axis, 1941-1945," Studies in Intelligence, Fall-Winter 2001. Center for the Study of Intelligence, CIA.

Article. Stephen C. Mercado. "A Venerable Source in a New Era: Sailing the Sea of OSINT in the Information Age." Studies in Intelligence, Vol. 48, No. 3, 2004. Center for the Study of Intelligence, CIA.

Article. Herman L. Croom. "The Exploitation of Foreign Open Sources." Studies in Intelligence, Summer 1969.

NATO Open Source Intelligence Handbook (PDF via OSS.net)
NATO Open Source Intelligence Reader (PDF via OSS.net)
NATO Intelligence Exploitation of the Internet (PDF via OSS.net)

OSS.net

Global Voices

Pajamas Media

Muslim Teachers College

2005-12-06T06:40:00.000-08:00

The Gates of Vienna blog posted a piece a few days ago, Jamaat ul-Everywhere, on another curious location in rural Virginia, near Randolph. The site, now seemingly abandoned, used to be a Muslim Teachers College.

At the end of the post, Baron left a few questions unanswered. Among them, "Was there any interaction between the college and the MOA compounds in Red House and Meherrin?"

An informed source tells me that the Randolph site was not part of MOA/Fuqra and that there was no affiliation.

The site was actually run by a rival group led by W.D. Muhammad. W.D. is the son of Elijah and Clara Muhammad.

These individuals have a long history as leaders of the Nation of Islam (NOI).

W.D. succeeded his father as head of the NOI in 1975. He diverted from his father's racist emphasis and stressed a more orthodox Islam in the Sunni tradition. He renamed the organization the World Community of Al-Islam. He emphasized religious education.

Louis Farakhan served as spokesman for the NOI under W.D. until he broke away in 1977. He then revived the NOI and returned the group to its racist traditions.

This Beliefnet article describes W.D. Muhammad as the "most important Muslim you've never heard of." He gave the first Muslim opening prayer on the floor of the U.S. Senate in 1992. He also made attempts to reach out to Jewish and Catholic audiences. He has met with a number of dignitaries, including the Pope and even addressed a crowd at the Vatican once.

He founded the American Society of Muslims(ASM), but stepped down as its head in 2003, although he remains their spiritual leader.

His father, Elijah Muhammad, assumed leadership of the NOI in 1934, following the mysterious disappearance of his predecessor, W.D. Fard, who had started the organization in 1930. Malcom X served as the spokesperson for the NOI under Elijah before parting ways later on.

UPDATE: I suppose I should clarify that I believe the Muslim Teachers College was operated by the ASM, not the NOI.

Government Investigation of Jamaat ul-Fuqra

2005-12-04T14:13:00.000-08:00

Recently, while conducting some more background research (via Lexis-Nexis) looking for additional past media coverage of Jamaat ul-Fuqra, I ran across two stories that contained some very interesting information.

On February 15, 2002, The New York Post ran a story with the headline, "GOV'T STEPS UP PROBE OF 'TERROR' SECT". This story ran amidst the coverage of the kidnapping of WSJ journalist Daniel Pearl. Sheikh Gilani had been the man Pearl was going to see and he had been briefly arrested on suspicion of his involvement.

The Post story is brief, just 219 words, but it contained this information.

Federal officials have intensified their investigation of possible terrorist ties of a sect of black Muslims in upstate New York and three other states, it was reported yesterday.

...The Justice and Treasury departments have begin a comprehensive review of Muslims of America.

Fast forward to 2005. Another article, this time appearing in the New York Times on March 31, 2005. Headline: Homeland Report Says Threat From Terror-List Nations Is Declining."

The story mentions a secret Homeland Security Department document, outlining current threats and intended to guide department funding.

This is the first time the two-year-old department has prepared what will now be an annual Integrated Planning Guidance Report, a document that is listed as ''sensitive'' but not classified, meaning it was not intended to be released publicly.

The goal, said Brian Roehrkasse, a department spokesman, is to better focus the department's $40 billion in annual spending toward the most serious threats.

Al Qaeda, not unexpectedly, tops a list of adversaries in the report, although the authors question if the group can still pull off attacks similar in scale to those of Sept. 11, 2001.

Other predicted possible sponsors of attacks include Jamaat ul-Fuqra, a Pakistani-based group that has been linked to Muslims of America; Jamaat al Tabligh, an Islamic missionary organization that has a presence in the United States; and the American Dar Al Islam Movement.

So, it seems that the investigation launched in 2002 might have contributed to the Homeland Security report's assessment. It further confirms to me the seriousness of this group's presence. Reading this gave me some additional confidence that our government is aware of this group and is watching them.

That doesn't mean that they know everything and for all we know, the investigation is ongoing. I still believe it is imperative that we, as citizens, do all we can to find out more ourselves, so that we are aware and if we can help roll these groups up, all the better. I can tell you, we are bringing attention this group.

There has been some discussion as of late about the potential value of blogs to intelligence professionals. I plan to post more on this subject this week.

Gates of Vienna Exposes Another Suspicious Place in VA

2005-12-01T14:30:00.000-08:00

Baron Bodissey adds yet another impressive contribution to the ongoing Jamaat ul-Fuqra investigation.

He took another "field trip" to a rural location very near the other two known JF compounds. This one to a seemingly-defunct property that housed a Muslim "school" and is now run by a "hunting club". He poses a number of questions worth considering.

Read his post here. And, commend him for his work.

It's unclear at this point what this particular location is or was. But, we know there is more light to be shed on these shadowy places. We know they exist. We know their history. We know there is more than one group out there. We know that the GWOT will take time. I know that he and I and many other bloggers believe that we will only be safer if these places are given a serious look. If we can help expose them, then so be it.