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Showing posts with label War on terror. Show all posts
Showing posts with label War on terror. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
Sunday, October 25, 2009
Nuclear Iran Creates a Terrorist Umbrella
From Newsmax: Former Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Dore Gold warns that a nuclear-armed Iran would shift "the entire balance in the war on terror" by providing terrorists with a nuclear umbrella.
Speaking at a briefing at the British House of Commons on Oct. 12, Dore — also a former adviser to Israeli prime ministers — said Iran's nuclear program endangers "the security not just of Israel but of the entire Middle East, and I would say the world."
Gold said that as of this past August, Iran had enough nuclear fuel to produce two atomic bombs, and a missile with the capability of striking Israel and Saudi Arabia.
"So if you take the fact that Iran is one of the largest supporters of international terrorism today, and you team that up with the nuclear capabilities that I’ve been describing, you have a security situation which the West has not yet seen," Gold said.
"The whole point of George W. Bush’s decision to remove the Taliban after 9/11 was to send a very clear message: 'You attack the American homeland and we will take down your regime.'
"But fast forward to 2012. Iran has operational nuclear weapons that can strike deep into Europe, and eventually towards the eastern seaboard of the U.S. Will the U.S., U.K., and NATO as a whole have the same freedom of maneuver to say to states that support terrorism, 'We will take you down if you attack us?'
"Will the U.S. Congress authorize sending forces abroad against a state armed with nuclear weapons? In other words, the entire balance in the war on terror shifts, because the state that is the largest global sponsor of terrorism today now has nuclear capabilities . . .
"This nuclear umbrella of Iran will unfurl and will be able to provide protection, not just to Shiite Hezbollah, but to Sunni organizations such as al-Qaida and Hamas."
Gold, now president of the Jerusalem Center for Public Affairs, raised the possibility that Israel could strike Iran's nuclear facilities if the international community does not take action.
"I will say that Israel has been thinking about this problem for a very long time," he said in remarks published on the Web site of The Henry Jackson Society, a London-based organization that promotes the foreign policies of former U.S. Sen. Henry "Scoop" Jackson.
"The Israeli air force has been training for action and all options are on the table. But I would say the official position is that there is hope, even at this late date, that the key players in the international community will take action."
He added: "You might think that Iran’s behavior at present is brazen and risky. It looks much less brazen and risky if you recall how often Iran has already defied the West and got away with it."
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Get Ready ... Seriously - http://www.safecastleroyal.com
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Monday, March 03, 2008
OK ... But what's the BAD News?
When the going gets tough, and all that ...
U.S. Faces 'Unusually Complex' Security Environment, Intel Official Says
(PressZoom) - WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2008 – The Pentagon’s top intelligence official today told a Senate committee the United States is operating in a security environment that is “unusually complex.” During a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee here, Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, presented an analysis of current and future threats facing the U.S.
“That threat spectrum is bounded on the one side by traditional nation states with significant military inventories, and on the other by non-state terrorists or criminal networks that exploit the gaps and seams between nations, cultures, laws and belief systems,” he said.
Outlining what he called “trends of concern,” Maples said current threats include weapons of mass destruction, increasingly sophisticated and longer-range ballistic missiles, improvised bombs and suicide weapons, outer space and cyberspace vulnerabilities, and underground weapons systems produced by potential adversaries.
[snip]
Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
U.S. Faces 'Unusually Complex' Security Environment, Intel Official Says
(PressZoom) - WASHINGTON, Feb. 27, 2008 – The Pentagon’s top intelligence official today told a Senate committee the United States is operating in a security environment that is “unusually complex.” During a hearing before the Senate Armed Services Committee here, Army Lt. Gen. Michael D. Maples, director of the Defense Intelligence Agency, presented an analysis of current and future threats facing the U.S.
“That threat spectrum is bounded on the one side by traditional nation states with significant military inventories, and on the other by non-state terrorists or criminal networks that exploit the gaps and seams between nations, cultures, laws and belief systems,” he said.
Outlining what he called “trends of concern,” Maples said current threats include weapons of mass destruction, increasingly sophisticated and longer-range ballistic missiles, improvised bombs and suicide weapons, outer space and cyberspace vulnerabilities, and underground weapons systems produced by potential adversaries.
[snip]
Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
Friday, February 29, 2008
Prince Harry Pokes Al Qaeda in the Eye
Well, it seems Prince Harry has been or will soon be spirited out of country. Hats off to the guy for doing his duty. He did some real damage apparently while on the ground in Afghanistan, so now he figures he will be an especially tempting target back in Britain for their very own radical Islamists.
Anyway, Harry has poked a thumb in the eye of those AQ dastardlies and now for the time being at least, he can go "na-na, na-na-na, you missed me, you missed me."
Just think what kind of rep he'll have if he manages to now sneak a little tour of duty on the ground in Iraq!
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Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
Friday, February 01, 2008
Fifteen More Cities on Homeland Security Terror-Risk List
The Associated Press reports that the Department of Homeland Security has added 15 cities/regions to its list for funding priorities--areas thatare at high risk of terrorist attack.See Fox News' report here.
Added to last year's Tier II list: Albany, NY; Rochester, N.Y.; Syracuse, N.Y.; Austin and Round Rock, Texas; Baton Rouge, La.; Bridgeport, Stamford and Norwalk, Conn.; the Hartford, Conn., region; Louisville and Jefferson County in Kentucky and an adjoining area in Indiana; Nashville, Davidson County and Murfreesboro, Tenn.; Richmond, Va.; Riverside, San Bernardino and Ontario, Calif.; Salt Lake City; San Juan, Caguas and Guaynabo, Puerto Rico; and Toledo, Ohio.
The FY07 Tier II list:
Anaheim/Santa Ana Area (CA)
Atlanta Area (GA)
Baltimore Area (MD)
Boston Area (MA)
Buffalo Area (NY)
Charlotte Area (NC)
Cincinnati Area (OH)
Cleveland Area (OH)
Columbus Area (OH)
Dallas/Fort Worth/Arlington Area (TX)
Denver Area (CO)
Detroit Area (MI)
El Paso Area (TX)
Fort Lauderdale Area (FL)
Honolulu Area (HI)
Indianapolis Area (IN)
Jacksonville Area (FL)
Kansas City Area (MO)
Las Vegas Area (NV)
Memphis Area (TN)
Miami Area (FL)
Milwaukee Area (WI)
New Orleans Area (LA)
Norfolk Area (VA)
Oklahoma City Area (OK)
Orlando Area (FL)
Philadelphia Area (PA)
Phoenix Area (AZ)
Pittsburgh Area (PA)
Portland Area (OR)
Providence Area (RI)
Sacramento Area (CA)
San Antonio Area (TX)
San Diego Area (CA)
Seattle Area (WA)
St. Louis Area (MO)
Tampa Area (FL)
Tucson Area (AZ)
Twin Cities Area (MN)
The Tier I list of cities (that receive the most funding):
Bay Area (CA)
Chicago Area (IL)
Houston Area (TX)
Los Angeles/Long Beach Area (CA)
National Capital Region (DC)
New York City/Northern New Jersey Area
• New York City Area
• Jersey City/Newark Area
Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Pakistan is the Front Line
He says he's "not interested" in Pakistan's nukes. Uh, OK then.
More Dangerous Than Osama
Militant Leader Claims He Is Fighting a 'Defensive' Jihad to Destroy the White House
More Dangerous Than Osama
Militant Leader Claims He Is Fighting a 'Defensive' Jihad to Destroy the White House
By NICK SCHIFRIN
ISLAMABAD, Pakistan Jan. 28, 2008
He is more dangerous to Pakistan than Osama bin Laden, analysts say. He may be the single most important person in Pakistan's fight for its future. And for the first time, he has described the goals and the details of the network of militants responsible for the most violent time in Pakistan in 60 years.
During a 25-minute sit-down with al Jazeera, Baitullah Mehsud, the man Pakistan blames for killing former Prime Minister Benazir Bhutto, claims he is fighting a "defensive" jihad with the goal to destroy the White House, New York and London.
[snip] Click article title to read on.
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Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
Saturday, December 29, 2007
Thursday, December 27, 2007
Bhutto's Assassination
The brave, democracy-driven Benazir Bhutto was killed today in an extremist suicide attack in Pakistan.The former Prime Minister knew the grave risks she was assuming returning to her native Pakistan several weeks ago. Her ambition was to help stabilize and re-democratize a country that is increasingly the focal point of the struggle between the West and radical Islam.
The stakes there ARE enormous--to include the Islamic nation's dozens of nuclear weapons, not to mention the welfare of more than 162M Pakistani citizens, most of whom remain liberal and westernized.
Sadly today, the situation is clearly moving closer to the feared societal meltdown in Pakistan that would pose worldwide danger.
Terror-wielding groups such as the Taliban and Al Qaeda are fully engaged and aiming for chaos in the region--attempting to gain control or influence over unknown numbers of susceptible members of the Pakistani military. If the radicals succeed in overthrowing the government there, the entire global dynamic becomes extremely volatile.
My suggestion--watch this situation very closely and determine how this might impact your own readiness plan.
Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
CTC's New "Sentinel" Publication: Al-Qa`ida’s Resurgence in Pakistan
The "Combating Terrorism Center" at West Point has come out with their first issue of CTC Sentinel.It's an excellent compendium of current expert reports on global terrorism. You can download the pdf at this site (click on the image there): http://www.ctc.usma.edu/sentinel/default.asp
One of the most noteworthy and cautionary of the reports is on page 8, authored by Bruce Reidel: "Al-Qa`ida’s Resurgence in Pakistan." Reidel concludes ...
It is disturbing enough that Pakistan is the real front line in the war against al-Qa`ida. The most frightening concern, however, is al-Qa`ida’s pursuit of a nuclear weapon. Pakistan is the world’s only Muslim state with nuclear weapons. According to the International Institute for Strategic Studies, Pakistan has an estimated 50-90 nuclear weapons. The former director of the Central Intelligence Agency, George Tenet, in his memoirs laid out in great detail al-Qa`ida’s efforts during the last decade to get its hands on a Pakistani nuclear device. If Pakistan becomes more destabilized, it is likely that al-Qa`ida will make every effort to get one.
As I have stated previously, we should make no mistake on this one--Pakistan's ready-made nukes and missile technologies are a tantalizing target like no other these days for AQ. Those weapons and indeed Pakistan's very government are at their most vulnerable right now and we will be seeing every effort put forth by Bin Laden to seize the flame in that Islamic nation (polls today in Pakistan show Bin Laden is more popular there than Musharraf).
Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
"Phenomenal" Drop in Iraq Violence
Two things to digest here out of this report about the sudden calm in Iraq ...One, obviously the troop surge earlier this year has gotten the job done in Iraq. In fact, Bin Laden released a tape recording a month ago essentially admitting defeat in Iraq.
Two, that all those bad boys have found another, more urgent target of opportunity where their brand of jihadi chaos is needed right now. That is, Pakistan. Look for the turmoil, confusion, and violence in chaos to jump sharply very shortly. There is a chance at least some of those Islamic nukes may shake loose when Musharraf releases his grip, so al Qaeda is going to throw all available resources into it. Count on it.
US reports ‘phenomenal’ drop in Iraq violence
By Stephen Fidler in London and Demetri Sevastopulo in Washington
Published: November 20 2007 22:15 Last updated: November 20 2007 22:15
Violence in Iraq has fallen at a rate that has surprised military commanders and even one of the architects of the “surge” that boosted US troop numbers in the country this year, according to figures gathered by the US.
The figures show the numbers of suicide attacks, roadside bombings, mortar and other attacks on US forces and on the Iraqi population have more than halved since 30,000 extra troops in June.
[snip]
Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
U.S. at War with Radical Islam
Arnaud de Borchgrave has some excellent connections in the international arena. His interview excerpted below is worth a full read at Newsmax.
De Borchgrave: U.S. at War with Radical Islam
Monday, November 19, 2007 4:18 PM
By: Phil Brennan
The U.S. is at war not with a political movement, but with Muslim extremism on a global scale, says influential journalist and Newsmax columnist Arnaud de Borchgrave.
In an exclusive Newsmax interview, de Borchgrave warns that the situation in Pakistan, a nuclear power, is growing graver as al-Qaida and the Taliban maintain influence in key border areas and President Pervez Musharraf loses control.
...
Newsmax: How serious is the current situation in Pakistan?
De Borchgrave: I don’t think it could be more serious. The comments of Benazir Bhutto, twice Pakistan’s prime minister in the 1980s and '90s, speak for themselves at the end of an e-mail she sent to me. She wrote: “It may sound dramatic but the picture here is frightening. Pakistan is slowly disintegrating and it seems everyone is paralyzed into ignoring the calamity that is coming.”
Newsmax: How much control do the Taliban and al-Qaida have over Pakistan at the moment?
De Borchgrave: They control the key tribal areas, known as North and South Waziristan, and to a lesser degree, some of the other tribal [regions] that border Afghanistan. But it’s total control in North and South Waziristan, which are the key areas for us in terms of Afghanistan.
Newsmax: Are they making any progress elsewhere in Pakistan?
De Borchgrave: Yes, in the Swat Valley, which is a highly prized tourist attraction in Pakistan inside the northwest frontier province. The [Pakistani] army has gone in there and taken casualties and then backed away as Taliban reinforcements arrived. The army backed down. The army is fed up at this point because they feel that they’ve been carrying out America’s orders transmitted by General Musharraf.
Newsmax: Is Musharraf in danger of losing control of the army?
De Borchgrave: Yes. In the next few days following [U.S. Deputy Secretary of State] John Negroponte’s visit this weekend, I can see General Pervez Kyani, who was going to become number one when Musharraf was confirmed as president, [taking] off his uniform. General Kyani was head of ISI, the Interservices Intelligence agency, and was private military secretary to Benazir Bhutto when she was prime minister in the late ‘80s.
... the army clearly is divided between those who are Western oriented, who have been to staff schools in the United States, and others who are hard-line in terms of Islam. They are the ones who don't want to take on al-Qaida, don't want to fight Taliban. After all Taliban was invented by the ISI right after the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan in February 1989.
ISI at one point was run by General Hamid Gul, who hates America with a passion. Hamid Gul is an Islamic extremist and he’s also the strategic adviser to the six political religious parties in the coalition that governs two of Pakistan's four provinces.
When you look at public opinion polls in Pakistan, Musharraf scores in the single digits, Bush in the teens and Osama bin Laden at 46 percent.
I don't think there's any danger of al-Qaida getting hold of nuclear weapons, though that danger is always there. What I see is perhaps a split in the army and Islamist extremists within the army taking control of these nuclear storage sites.
There are about six of them. They have separated warheads from delivery systems as well as separated nuclear cores from the detonators, so it is well dispersed. To get one weapon, they would have to put four parts together and they're stored in different parts of the country. That would not be accessible to al-Qaida unless somebody in the army were to get hold of all the different codes to access all these different places. I think it's highly unlikely but it's always a danger.
Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
De Borchgrave: U.S. at War with Radical Islam
Monday, November 19, 2007 4:18 PM
By: Phil Brennan
The U.S. is at war not with a political movement, but with Muslim extremism on a global scale, says influential journalist and Newsmax columnist Arnaud de Borchgrave.
In an exclusive Newsmax interview, de Borchgrave warns that the situation in Pakistan, a nuclear power, is growing graver as al-Qaida and the Taliban maintain influence in key border areas and President Pervez Musharraf loses control.
...
Newsmax: How serious is the current situation in Pakistan?
De Borchgrave: I don’t think it could be more serious. The comments of Benazir Bhutto, twice Pakistan’s prime minister in the 1980s and '90s, speak for themselves at the end of an e-mail she sent to me. She wrote: “It may sound dramatic but the picture here is frightening. Pakistan is slowly disintegrating and it seems everyone is paralyzed into ignoring the calamity that is coming.”
Newsmax: How much control do the Taliban and al-Qaida have over Pakistan at the moment?
De Borchgrave: They control the key tribal areas, known as North and South Waziristan, and to a lesser degree, some of the other tribal [regions] that border Afghanistan. But it’s total control in North and South Waziristan, which are the key areas for us in terms of Afghanistan.
Newsmax: Are they making any progress elsewhere in Pakistan?
De Borchgrave: Yes, in the Swat Valley, which is a highly prized tourist attraction in Pakistan inside the northwest frontier province. The [Pakistani] army has gone in there and taken casualties and then backed away as Taliban reinforcements arrived. The army backed down. The army is fed up at this point because they feel that they’ve been carrying out America’s orders transmitted by General Musharraf.
Newsmax: Is Musharraf in danger of losing control of the army?
De Borchgrave: Yes. In the next few days following [U.S. Deputy Secretary of State] John Negroponte’s visit this weekend, I can see General Pervez Kyani, who was going to become number one when Musharraf was confirmed as president, [taking] off his uniform. General Kyani was head of ISI, the Interservices Intelligence agency, and was private military secretary to Benazir Bhutto when she was prime minister in the late ‘80s.
... the army clearly is divided between those who are Western oriented, who have been to staff schools in the United States, and others who are hard-line in terms of Islam. They are the ones who don't want to take on al-Qaida, don't want to fight Taliban. After all Taliban was invented by the ISI right after the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan in February 1989.
ISI at one point was run by General Hamid Gul, who hates America with a passion. Hamid Gul is an Islamic extremist and he’s also the strategic adviser to the six political religious parties in the coalition that governs two of Pakistan's four provinces.
When you look at public opinion polls in Pakistan, Musharraf scores in the single digits, Bush in the teens and Osama bin Laden at 46 percent.
I don't think there's any danger of al-Qaida getting hold of nuclear weapons, though that danger is always there. What I see is perhaps a split in the army and Islamist extremists within the army taking control of these nuclear storage sites.
There are about six of them. They have separated warheads from delivery systems as well as separated nuclear cores from the detonators, so it is well dispersed. To get one weapon, they would have to put four parts together and they're stored in different parts of the country. That would not be accessible to al-Qaida unless somebody in the army were to get hold of all the different codes to access all these different places. I think it's highly unlikely but it's always a danger.
Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
Thursday, November 15, 2007
D.C. Islamic Group Aims for "Islamic State of North America" by 2050!
This is "special" ..."As-Sabiqun is an Islamic movement that believes in the Islamic State of North America no later than 2050. Those who engage in this great effort require a high level of commitment and determination. We are sending out a call to the believers: Join with us in this great struggle to change the world!"
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Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
Tuesday, November 06, 2007
Pakistan Turmoil Increases Terror Threat
Never a dull moment, is there?(CBS) The upheaval in Pakistan has experts fearful on two fronts. First, there is a deep concern over the security of the 80 to 100 devices in Pakistan's nuclear arsenal, CBS News correspondent Bob Orr reports.
"If Pakistan were to deteriorate further, the control of those weapons would be up for grabs," said Stephen Cohen of the Brookings Institute. "And we don't want to see that happen."
That could trigger an unthinkable cataclysm - if those weapons were taken by a rogue state or a terror group. And that's the second worry. Al Qaeda is a re-invigorated enemy that's poised to take advantage of the turmoil.
“It has to increase the threat against the U.S. because it gives al Qaeda precisely the breathing space, the opportunistic moment in time now that they will have now because of the distraction because of the instability in Pakistan,” said terrorism expert Bruce Hoffman of Georgetown University.
Read whole article.
Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
Monday, October 29, 2007
Iran To Have a Bomb Within One Year? Time to Get Busy
HIGHLY recommended reading here from the Sunday Times: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/us_and_americas/article2753953.ece
Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
Get Ready ... Seriously - www.safecastleroyal.com
Monday, August 06, 2007
"Al Qaeda Cell May Be Loose in U.S., British Plot Hints"
http://www.nysun.com/article/59872
"... intelligence gleaned from last month's British 'doctors plot' of car bombers suggests that a Qaeda cell is on the loose in the American homeland.
"E-mail addresses for American individuals were found on the same password-protected e-mail chains used by the United Kingdom plotters to communicate with Qaeda handlers in Europe, a counterterrorism official told The New York Sun yesterday."
Get Ready, Seriously ... www.safecastleroyal.com
"... intelligence gleaned from last month's British 'doctors plot' of car bombers suggests that a Qaeda cell is on the loose in the American homeland.
"E-mail addresses for American individuals were found on the same password-protected e-mail chains used by the United Kingdom plotters to communicate with Qaeda handlers in Europe, a counterterrorism official told The New York Sun yesterday."
Get Ready, Seriously ... www.safecastleroyal.com
Wednesday, August 01, 2007
GlobalIncidentMap.com - A Must for Your Situation Room
If you're not already aware of the Global Incident Map at www.globalincidentmap.com, you are now.It's a public resource that actually many agencies out there utilize in their official activities. The site offers real-time, graphic mapping and info-summaries of terror and other related events around the world.
Ain't technology grand?
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Get Ready, Seriously ... www.safecastleroyal.com
Tuesday, July 17, 2007
Unreported Al Qaeda Activity
A few new details on Al Qaeda activity being reported in certain member-centric circles (bound to be public knowledge soon) include:
1. Increasing terrorist movements are being seen in western Europe, as are communications being relayed to operatives in America. The perceived intent is a massive Al Qaeda strike on aircraft/airports in the USA. Other targets are possible however. WMDs are potentially involved; the goal is casualties in the hundreds or thousands, probably in the summer timeframe.
2. Terror training in the Pakistan/Afghanistan border areas increased of late and agents have been moving into Europe ... and probably from there into North America. Infiltration of North America and the formation of terror cells here have been a growing threat. Capabilities to do this are back in place for Al Qaeda, and they are likely to be taking advantage of a US visa waiver program that eases restrictions on travelers to the USA from the UK, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.
These details are reported from reliable sources and dovetail with more sanitized publicly reported comments from US officials over the last month.
Get Ready, Seriously ... www.safecastle.com
1. Increasing terrorist movements are being seen in western Europe, as are communications being relayed to operatives in America. The perceived intent is a massive Al Qaeda strike on aircraft/airports in the USA. Other targets are possible however. WMDs are potentially involved; the goal is casualties in the hundreds or thousands, probably in the summer timeframe.
2. Terror training in the Pakistan/Afghanistan border areas increased of late and agents have been moving into Europe ... and probably from there into North America. Infiltration of North America and the formation of terror cells here have been a growing threat. Capabilities to do this are back in place for Al Qaeda, and they are likely to be taking advantage of a US visa waiver program that eases restrictions on travelers to the USA from the UK, Denmark, Germany, and the Netherlands.
These details are reported from reliable sources and dovetail with more sanitized publicly reported comments from US officials over the last month.
Get Ready, Seriously ... www.safecastle.com
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