al-Qaeda

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BBC Denies Spouting Government's Qaeda Line

(Newser) - Similarities between a leaked British government document and a recent BBC report on al-Qaeda’s waning support are just that, the broadcaster said today in denying its editorial independence had been dented. A report leaked to the Guardian talked of pushing material through UK media channels to suggest al-Qaeda is...

Al-Qaeda Works Cheap, Stays Hidden
Al-Qaeda
Works Cheap,
Stays Hidden
Aug 24, 2008 10:18 AM CDT

Al-Qaeda Works Cheap, Stays Hidden

Cells dodge dragnet by avoiding traceable transactions

(Newser) - International efforts to cut off terrorists from funding have failed because al-Qaeda cells operate cheaply and independently, avoiding official funding channels, experts say. While the US and its allies have focused on freezing bank accounts and monitoring financial transactions, operatives build $15 bombs, drum up hard-to-trace cash through illegal scams,...

Taliban Govern Large Areas of Afghanistan

Residents turning to Taliban 'rulers' to settle criminal, civil disputes

(Newser) - The Taliban is regaining significant ground in Afghanistan, running a harsh but effective parallel government that wields more power than the official administration, reports the Observer. Taliban influence has spread as far as the outskirts of Kabul, and is firmly entrenched in large parts of the south and east.

US Weighs Direct Pakistan Strikes

But unilateral action could heighten tension between countries

(Newser) - Frustrated with what some see as unproductive new leadership in Pakistan and fearing a strengthening al-Qaeda, Pentagon officials are considering a unilateral mission to root out militants hiding in the country, the Los Angeles Times reports. The CIA has backed such a move for months, but some officials remain concerned...

Musharraf's Exit Leaves Alarming Power Vacuum
Musharraf's Exit Leaves Alarming Power Vacuum
ANALYSIS
Aug 19, 2008 4:46 AM CDT

Musharraf's Exit Leaves Alarming Power Vacuum

Washington frets as nuclear nation steps into unknown

(Newser) - Pervez Musharraf was once Washington's most important ally in the Muslim world, but the general-turned-civilian president of Pakistan had become an increasingly unreliable partner in the combat against Taliban and al-Qaeda insurgents, writes the New York Times. Now that Musharraf has resigned, the US will have to work with Pakistan's...

Terror Cell 'Targeted Queen'
 Terror Cell 'Targeted Queen'
Aug 19, 2008 3:25 AM CDT

Terror Cell 'Targeted Queen'

Cell stocked with info on royal residences

(Newser) - A terror cell busted by British police was apparently plotting an attack on the queen and other royals, reports the Daily Telegraph. Islamic extremist Aabid Hussain Khan, 23, was convicted yesterday of possessing terrorist materials, including detailed information on royal residences, and other London landmarks. The cell included a teenager,...

At 20, al-Qaeda Is in Decline
At 20, al-Qaeda
Is in Decline
OPINION
Aug 17, 2008 3:46 PM CDT

At 20, al-Qaeda Is in Decline

Bin Laden's terror group enters third decade losing war, but 'legacy will endure'

(Newser) - Two decades after its founding, al-Qaeda's golden years are over, argues Peter Bergen in the Washington Post. Osama bin Laden's plan has largely backfired: 9/11 neither resulted in US withdrawal from the Middle East, or in the defeat of "impious" Middle Eastern regimes. But while al-Qaeda discredited itself in...

Captured MIT Grad Linked to Trove of al-Qaeda Secrets

Pakistani was carrying maps, target lists—and emails

(Newser) - A suspected al-Qaeda operative arrested in Afghanistan last month could provide a treasure trove of intelligence about terrorist sleeper cells in the US and abroad, government sources tell ABC News. MIT graduate Aafia Siddiqui, 36, was captured carrying maps of New York, a list of potential targets, information on chemical...

Al-Qaeda No. 2 Puts Out English Recording

Zawahiri calls for jihad in Pakistan in first foreign language tape

(Newser) - The deputy leader of al-Qaeda issued his first English-language message yesterday, in which he called on Pakistanis to support jihad, reports ABC News. The statement by Ayman al-Zawahiri, which berates the Pakistani and American governments, was broadcast on a Pakistani television station. Zawahiri has been wanted by the US since...

Osama Driver Gets 66 Months
 Osama Driver Gets 66 Months 
Aug 7, 2008 3:32 PM CDT

Osama Driver Gets 66 Months

But Hamdan will be eligible for release in about 5 months

(Newser) - Salim Hamdan, the driver for Osama bin Laden convicted of providing material support for terrorism, was sentenced to five and a half years in prison today, Reuters reports. The military jury's sentence takes into effect time served at Guantanamo Bay, making him eligible for release in about 5 months. The...

Was Qaeda Cabbie Flunky or Warrior?

Hamdan's sentence depends on which image is convincing

(Newser) - Now that Salim Hamdan has been found guilty of driving Osama bin Laden around Afghanistan, sentencers must now decide if that makes him a warrior or a flunky, USA Today reports. Testimony from a psychiatrist describing Hamdan's path from impoverished Yemeni orphan to chauffeur for the world's most wanted man...

Jury Out in Trial of bin Laden's Driver

6 military officers deliberate: Was he essential to terror?

(Newser) - Jurors began deliberating today in the case Osama bin Laden's driver, the first US captive in a war crimes trial at Guantanamo, Reuters reports. In closing arguments, prosecutors restated their case that Salim Hamdan helped "the world's most dangerous terrorist" launch strikes against the US. The defense called him...

Pakistani Suicide Bombers Tipping Afghan War

Taliban finds success recruiting uneducated men with few options

(Newser) - One says he wanted to kill himself anyway. Another says he was duped. Both were captured in failed suicide bombings in Afghanistan, where such attacks were unheard of until the last 2 years, denounced by village elders as cowardly and un-Islamic. Now, these bombings are at all-time highs as the...

Terror Will Be No. 1 Enemy for Decades, Warns Gates

New strategy focuses on 'irregular' conflict

(Newser) - Defense Secretary Robert Gates foresees terrorism remaining the leading threat to America for decades, and calls for the military to prepare for "irregular" warfare rather than conventional conflicts with other nations, reports the Washington Post. While success in Afghanistan and Iraq is crucial, it will not be enough to...

CIA Confronts Pakistan Over Militant Ties

Secret meeting focuses on evidence of links to violent extemists

(Newser) - The CIA has confronted Pakistani officials with evidence of links between the nation's spy agency and Islamic insurgents, the New York Times reports. A top CIA official flew to Pakistan for a tense secret meeting earlier this month with information about ties to al-Qaeda-affiliated militants in the border region believed...

Iraqi Suicide Blasts Kill 50
 Iraqi Suicide Blasts Kill 50
Jul 28, 2008 6:26 AM CDT

Iraqi Suicide Blasts Kill 50

Bombers strike in Baghdad and Kirkuk

(Newser) - Suicide attacks in Iraq today killed at least 50 people and injured about 250, making it one of deadliest days in the country in months, Reuters reports. In Baghdad, three female suicide bombers blew themselves up during a religious pilgrimage, killing 28 and injuring 92. In the northern city of...

Bin Laden Driver's Soft Spot: McDonald's Fries

FBI agents discovered he liked them during interrogations

(Newser) - Osama bin Laden’s driver warmed up to interrogators after he was given McDonald’s french fries, Reuters reports. He "even appreciated that McDonald's fries are not good cold," an FBI agent testified yesterday at Salim Hamdan’s war crimes trial. In another instance, he perked up when...

Pakistan Spends US Anti-Terror Aid on Jets

Shift in counter-terrorism funding angers lawmakers

(Newser) - A plan to spend US funds earmarked for anti-terrorism aid to upgrade Pakistan's F-16 jets is angering lawmakers who complain that it's a misuse of the money, the New York Times reports. The Bush administration says the $230 million will boost the jets' ability to strike at insurgents. Critics say...

One Day, the World Will Hate Him
 One Day, the 
 World Will Hate Him 
OPINION
Jul 22, 2008 4:40 PM CDT

One Day, the World Will Hate Him

The envy empire inspires is a great leveler

(Newser) - Should he win the White House, the rest of the world will one day see Barack Obama as a villain, David Aaronovitch writes in the London Times. The spectacle of empire and popularity drives the country's allies to both anger and envy, he argues, and every American president has come...

Gitmo Trial Describes al-Qaeda Inner Circle

Driver was key member of organization: prosecutor

(Newser) - Arguments in the trial of Salim Hamdan gave a view of al-Qaeda's inner circle today, as prosecutors opened by painting Osama bin Laden's driver as a key member of the organization, the Miami Herald reports. The lead prosecutor depicted Hamdan as a constant presence in high-level al-Qaeda operations and argued...

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