Intelwire Weblog

ATF Crackdown In Progress On White Supremacists

2009-06-26T09:14:00.004-04:00

UPDATE: Bombing Investigation Leads To ATF Raids Of White Supremacists In Three States

The arrest of Dennis and Daniel Mahon in Arizona was followed yesterday took place on the same day as an ATF raid on Thomas Metzger, the architect of "leaderless resistance," in Warsaw, Indiana. No arrest took place in the Metzger raid.

Is the ATF stepping in to act where the FBI would not? And will we see more raids and arrests reported in the next few days?

OKBOMB: Dennis Mahon Indictment

2009-06-26T08:58:00.000-04:00

White supremacist brothers Dennis and Daniel Mahon have been indicted in Phoenix, Arizona, for an alleged bombing plot:

Indictment of Dennis and Daniel Mahon

The name of Dennis Mahon will be familiar to those who have followed the Oklahoma City bombing conspiracy investigation.

Chairman's Report, Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee of the House International Relations Committee, Oklahoma City Bombing Investigation

A relevant excerpt:

Carol Howe came from a prominent Tulsa family. She was attracted to the white supremacist movement in February 1994 after she was allegedly attacked by three African-American men. She became a paid informant for the ATF and a frequent visitor to Elohim City in June 1994. Howe testified in Terry Nichols' federal trial that she saw McVeigh with [German national Andreas] Strassmeir at Elohim City in July 1994.

Howe dated Strassmeir in 1994 and January 1995. Howe asserted that Strassmeir trained Elohim City racist radicals in weaponry and had discussed assassinations, bombings and mass shootings. Strassmeir, according to Howe, frequently called for direct action against the U.S. federal government. Howe reported these statements to the ATF. It is not clear how seriously they were taken, as authorities have tried their best to discredit Howe as a witness. She was a former drug abuser and had other personal weaknesses; nonetheless, she was a paid ATF informant and in the aftermath of Waco and Ruby Ridge must have been considered an important source of information.

Howe also talked to the ATF regarding Dennis Mahon, an occasional inhabitant of Elohim City who is listed as a terrorist in several countries (including Germany and Canada) and is a leader of the White Aryan Resistance. Strassmeir also stayed with Mahon while attending weekend gun shows in Tulsa. Howe reported that Mahon talked about targeting federal buildings for bombings. Her reports could be interpreted as warnings of the upcoming Oklahoma City bombing. Howe, for example, claimed that Mahon and Strassmeir took three trips to Oklahoma City, in November 1994, December 1994, and February 1995, on one of which she accompanied them.

Third World Relief Agency

2009-06-25T15:00:00.003-04:00

A story in the New York Times yesterday ("Documents Back Saudi Link to Extremists" by Eric Lichtblau) focused on the Third World Relief Agency, a Bosnian "charity" with links to the Saudi government on one hand, and to Al Qaeda on the other.

For several months now, I've been studying the key document for that story as part of the documentary, Sarajevo Ricochet, a Norwegian TV production dealing with the war in Bosnia and its connection to terrorism.

I am available for media outlets looking for someone who can knowledgeably discuss this document, Third World and its connection to Al Qaeda. You can contact me through the Multifaceted Media Group Web site.

INTELWIRE Now on Twitter

2009-06-21T18:41:00.002-04:00

The address is:

http://twitter.com/intelwire

I expect to be relatively low-volume most of the time. However, as an experiment, I will be twittering live from the Foreign Policy Research Institute's Foreign Fighters Conference in Washington, D.C., on July 14-15. Feel free to join me online (or in person if you're going to be there)...

Oklahoma City Bombing Videotapes Release May Be Imminent

2009-06-11T11:09:00.002-04:00

A dozen or more surveillance videotapes showing the Oklahoma City bombing may soon be released under the Freedom of Information Act. The videotapes are described in documents released to Salt Lake City attorney Jesse Trentadue, who is also seeking the tapes themselves. The actual tapes "are due any day," Trentadue said Thursday.

Read the full story

INTELWIRE is now part of the Multifaceted Media Group. Read more.

Terror Plot Targeted Newburgh Air Base Where High-Value Al Qaeda Detainees Landed

2009-05-21T17:08:00.001-04:00

An Air Force based allegedly targeted by terrorists in Newburgh, N.Y., was used as a landing site to transport high-value Al Qaeda detainees into U.S. custody. The Justice Department alleges four Newburgh Muslims were planning to use "surface-to-air missile system to destroy military aircraft at the New York Air National Guard Base located at Stewart Airport in Newburgh, New York." That air base was used in August and October of 1998 to receive two key operatives in the 1998 East African Embassy Bombings case -- Al Qaeda members Khalfan Khamis Mohamed and Mohamed Rashed Daoud Al-'Owhali.

Read the full story

INTELWIRE.com Is Now Part Of The Multifaceted Media Group

2009-05-20T11:00:00.002-04:00

INTELWIRE is now part of the Multifaceted Media Group, a full-service media and information consortium, providing a broad menu of information-related services. Our team of professionals can take your media project of any size from conception to execution, or they can simply pitch in as needed to complement your existing team.

Click here for more information.

Affadavit: Al Marri Planned Chemical Attack

2009-05-01T18:49:00.005-04:00

Information in an affidavit revealed in the court case of former enemy combatant Al Saleh Kahlah al-Marri reveals a number of interesting allegations:

In the summer of 2001 al-Marri was introduced by Khalid Shaykh Muhammed, September 11th mastermind, to Usama Bin Laden, and al-Marri offered to be an al Qaeda martyr or do anything else al Qaeda requested. He was directed to enter the United States as a "sleeper agent," and to explore computer hacking methods to disrupt bank records and the U.S. financial system. Through this relationship al-Marri began receiving assistance from Mustafa Ahmed Al-Hawsawi, an al Qaeda financier who maintained contact with and provided logistical support and funds for the September 11th hijackers.

Al Marri collected more than 1,000 credit card numbers, the document revealed, as well as full account information on 36 different accounts. He also collected research on poisons:

Analysis of al-Marri's laptop computer revealed research regarding use of chemical weapons of mass destruction including bookmarks relating to the purchase of chemicals such as potassium cyanide, sodium cyanide, sulfuric acid, and arsenic. Other information found on al Marri's computer included references to instructions for making hydrogen cyanide, cyanide poisoning and antidotes. [...]

Read the full document

Americans Featured In New English-Language Jihadist Magazine

2009-04-05T12:48:00.008-04:00

A new English-language Jihad magazine called "Jihad Recollections" was released online, featuring articles adapted from the writings and videos of Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al-Zawahiri, as well as original content such as military training tips, an analysis of the attitudes of American Muslims, and a fanciful piece about the prospect of EMP grenades (electromagnetic pulse) which could disrupt American military technology during combat situations.

An article entitled "The Emphasis For An Identity In The Storm Of Kufr" specifically targets American Muslims, criticizing them for assimilation and claiming they distort Islam for the sake of an American audience.

The author, "Abu Risass," claims to be an American Muslim, "a resident of one of the most atrocious and egotistical regimes to date." According to the Jawa Report, Abu Risaas is an alias for Samir Khan, a U.S.-based jihadist blogger.

"[T]he effect of America's War of Terrorism has left the American Muslim community with an identity crisis that is founded upon their fears of a decline in worldly possessions," writes Risaas, who criticizes American Muslims for being afraid to express their real views, lest they be subject to media scrutiny.

It "amazes the intellect when it sees a believer more afraid of what a Kafir would say rather than worrying about being flung into the Hellfire," he writes.

Another American, Abu Mansour Al Amriki, is featured in a full-page promo for a video released by the Somalian Al Shabaab Islamist insurgent group.

The magazine also featured an article by the notorious Anwar Aulaqi, a spiritual guide to some of the 9/11 hijackers who operated in San Diego and Washington, D.C. The article discusses the life of Umar ibn Al-Khattab, one of the Companions of the Prophet.

Abu Mansour, American Fighting Jihad in Somalia

2009-04-01T15:52:00.007-04:00

Abu Mansour Al Amriki is the newest American to show up in an Al Qaeda-linked organization, namely the Al Shabab militia, which was highlighted a few weeks ago in a communique from Al Qaeda's nominal No. 2, Ayman Al-Zawahiri.

Abu Mansour Al Amriki

Abu Mansour is shown speaking in English and Arabic. Published reports suggest that he may have volunteered in Bosnia during the 1990s.

If you recognize this picture or have any information on this individual, please contact me.

He's characterized as a military trainer and is shown taking part in an ambush of of what was characterized as Ethiopian and Somali troops at a location the video calls "Bardal," or Bargaal.

Abu Masnor also delivers an after-action report on the attack. "Many of them were killed and injured," Abu Mansour said.

Masnour eulogized the two fallen fighters. One was singled out as a particular inspiration.

"We need more like him. If you can encourage more of your children and more of your neighbors and even your own to send people like him to this [indiscernable] it would be a great asset."

"Our main objective, one of the things that we seek for [indiscernible] is to die as martyrs," said Mansour. "So the fact that we got two martyrs is nothing more than a victory in itself."

Mansour has been featured before in Al Shahab videos, but his face has never been shown.

The video also features another English-speaking jihadist and a brief clip of Osama bin Laden from an older Al Qaeda video.

Yemen Bomb Fulfils Zawahiri Threat

2009-03-17T08:38:00.005-04:00

An Al Qaeda suicide bomber carried out Sunday's attack in Yemen, according to officials there.

INTELWIRE readers will recall that a little more than three weeks ago Ayman Al Zawahiri released a video specifically targeting Yemen. All of the media coverage of this video focused on Somalia and virtually ignored the Yemen section. I suggested this was a mistake.

As it turns out, both sections were relevant. The bomber was trained in Somalia.

One a lesson in this -- listen to what Zawahiri says when he talks. The invocation of the Yemen attack was unmistakable, and clearly differed from Zawahiri's ordinary invective.

(Interestingly, there have been some unsubstantiated rumors floating around that Zawahiri was spotted recently in Somalia. This seems somewhat unlikely, but not impossible.)

Another lesson -- corporate Al Qaeda is apparently back (if it was ever really gone). Three weeks ago, Zawahiri released a video featuring himself, his colleagues in Somalia and Al Qaeda's emir Yemen. An attack followed like clockwork.

While this isn't a major operation on the scale of 9/11 or the African embassy bombings, I think there's a deliberate effort here to show some recovery in the core Al Qaeda organization -- especially in the command and control department. "We said we'd do it, we showed the people who would do it, and we did it."

Timothy McVeigh as Straw Man

2009-03-04T12:49:00.010-05:00

Secretary of State Madeleine Albright recently repeated an incorrect statement that cuts to the heart of one of the most serious debates in the arena of terrorism studies. At a Senate hearing, she said:

We do not portray the Oklahoma City bombing as Christian terrorism, even though Timothy MacVeigh [sic] thought of himself as a Christian. MacVeigh [sic] was guilty of mass murder -- and there was nothing Christian about it. The same principle applies with Islam. When Muslims commit terrorist acts, they are not practicing their faith; they are betraying it.

I generally try to stay out of political discussions of any stripe, but this statement is flatly incorrect in its factual basis, on an issue which deserves some serious consideration.

McVeigh was not a Christian in any meaningful sense of the word. He did not identify himself in that way, nor was he a member of any religious group or congregation. He claimed no religious motivation for what he did, and he wasn't radicalized by a self-proclaimed religious leader or through his association with a religious organization.

For a more detailed discussion of this, see my posting from last year around this time:

Why 'Islamic Terrorists' And Not 'Christian Terrorists'?

I first spotted Albright's testimony in a link from the Global Muslim Brotherhood Daily Report Web site.

Date of Al Qaeda's Founding

2009-02-24T18:21:00.006-05:00

Rob at Arabic Media Shack recently posted an item to the effect that Al Qaeda wasn't founded until February 1998 and offers as evidence of this assertion the fact that Osama bin Laden never mentioned it publicly until then.

I disagree. First, because absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. And second, because there is no real absence of evidence.

What bin Laden said in public has no particular bearing to whether the group existed or not, especially when there is a wealth of documentary evidence to show that it did. Terrorism is sometimes carried out by overt and well-known groups, but sometimes it's a secret enterprise.

First off, we have the actual minutes of Al Qaeda's founding (in both English and low-quality photocopies), including a preliminary discussion in August 1988 and the first official meeting in September 1988:

8/11/1988 to 9/10/1988 -- Minutes of Al Qaeda founding

These documents were seized by authorities in Bosnia who were searching the offices of an Al Qaeda-linked charity. The documents were provided to INTELWIRE by Motley Rice, the law firm representing the victims of 9/11.

I have reviewed hundreds of additional pages covering Al Qaeda's activities between 1988 and 1992, but these two are sufficient, I think, to show the organization existing under the name "Al Qaeda."

The account contained in these documents was separately confirmed to Lawrence Wright in "The Looming Tower" by the author of these documents, Mohamed Loay Bayazid, one of Al Qaeda's founders.

In addition to the documents and the corroborating testimony by Bayazid, two Al Qaeda informants testified to the same approximate dates during U.S. v. Bin Laden, which is required reading for anyone interested in Al Qaeda's history.

So that's three direct witnesses, plus corroborating documents -- and the two posted here are just the tip of a large iceberg of contemporaneous documents using the name Al Qaeda.

There's no real motivation for any of these witnesses to lie about this particular detail. The date of Al Qaeda's founding isn't pertinent to the charges in U.S. v. Bin Laden, and I see no reason why Bayazid would have lied about this particular item in talking to Wright.

I am not aware of any credibly documented and sourced narrative to suggest any other date. So this material, in addition to being very convincing on the face of it, is not refuted by comparable material.

In addition to these well-known accounts, I've been working on a quixotic quest for some time to figure out when the name "Al Qaeda" first appeared in a U.S. intelligence document. The earliest document discovered by the 9/11 Commission containing the name "Al Qaeda" was 1996. However, in 1992, Ali Mohamed told the FBI that Osama bin Laden was running an organization called "Al Qaeda" (source).

Mohamed's account is the earliest reference I can document. Michael Scheuer, former head of the CIA's bin Laden unit, told me in an interview that the CIA first learned the name "Al Kaida" in early 1993, so that came after.

However there might be earlier references still. A former U.S. military officer, who asked not to be identified, told me he had heard the name in Afghanistan in 1991. It's not clear if there is any paperwork to back that claim up, but I have no reason to doubt the source's account.

U.S. v. Bin Laden -- Complete Transcripts

Transcript Of Sentencing Hearing [PDF]

Khalfan Khamis Mohamed Death Phase Closing Arguments- 07/02/2001 [PDF]

Khalfan Khamis Mohamed Death Penalty Phase Opening Arguments [PDF] - 06/19/2001

al-'Owhali Death Phase Closing Arguments - 06/05/2001 [PDF]

Verdict Form - Part 1 [PDF]

Verdict Form - Part 2 [PDF]

Superseding Indictment - Part 1 [PDF]

Superseding Indictment - Part 2 [PDF]

Superseding Indictment - Part 3 [PDF]

CNN interview with Osama bin Laden - 02/21/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 05/31/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 05/08/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 05/07/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 05/03/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 05/02/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 05/01/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 04/23/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 03/19/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 03/07/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 02/27/01-02/28/01 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 02/28/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 02/27/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 02/14/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 02/07/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 02/06/2001 [PDF]

Trial Transcript - 02/05/2001 [PDF]

Indictment [PDF]

Jury Questionnaire [PDF]

Target: Yemen

2009-02-24T09:59:00.004-05:00

Most of the coverage of Ayman Al Zawahiri's latest video message has focused on his support for Somalia and the Al Shabaab faction (Islamists so hardcore that they have transformed the previously scary Islamic Courts Union into Somalia's "moderate" faction).

While Zawahiri's discussion of Somalia was the better part of the tape and quite important, his discussion of Yemen in the second part of the tape was extremely alarming. For a while it was fashionable to analyze these tapes for secret code words that would trigger attacks.

In this video, there's no secret about it. Zawahiri repeatedly called for attacks in Yemen, specifically on U.S. interests in Yemen. There have already been strong signs of trouble in Yemen, and there's a healthy contingent of Al Qaeda terrorists in the country who have sworn loyalty to Osama bin Laden and Ayman Al Zawahiri specifically. The video showed messages of solidarity from released Guantanamo detainee Said Ali al-Shihri and Al Qaeda in Yemen's emir, Nasir al-Wuhayshi.

The latest video elevates the threat level in Yemen to red plus plus plus.

The Peril of Pakistan

2009-02-23T00:23:00.005-05:00

As if the situation in Pakistan wasn't precarious enough, there are now rumblings that the upcoming Indian elections could push that country into a more confrontational posture with its northwestern neighbor.

Should India's hawkish Bharatiya Janata Party take power, Pakistan could be caught in a deadly vise, with a forced redeployment of military might to the Indian border and away from the Taliban. The Pakistani Taliban have already demonstrated they have the clout to force a near-complete capitulation from the Pakistani government in the Swat province -- and the Taliban have since consolidated rival factions in North and South Waziristan.

The situation in Pakistan has almost nowhere to go except further into chaos. Almost any regime change in Pakistan -- with the possible exception of a military coup -- is going to create an intractable problem for U.S. national security, and one that will dwarf both Iraq and Afghanistan in the final analysis.

It's hard to imagine any outcome that helps either U.S. or regional security interests, and it's far too easy to imagine any number of outcomes that end with a nuclear detonation. History will harshly judge the American failure to anticipate the impending disaster of Pakistan. It was all too predictable -- and it was eminently predictable before the U.S. squandered its resources and alliances on an unnecessary war in Iraq.

The problem of Pakistan was daunting before Iraq. Now, it's virtually impossible. At this stage, we're left with only a bare hope that some unexpected and improbable miracle can change the playing field before it's too late.

UPDATE: And less than 12 hours later, here's a punctuation mark on this comment from the always impressive Long War Journal:

Waziristan Taliban alliance declares support for Osama bin Laden and Mullah Omar

Exporting Terrorist Tactics From Iraq

2009-02-07T11:45:00.003-05:00

EXCLUSIVE TO INTELWIRE: This newly declassified 2005 State Department analysis highlights one of the most signficant concerns about blowback from the invasion of Iraq -- its use as a proving ground for terrorist tactics and terrorist operatives.

The analysis warns that "the terrorist tactics that have been tested and
refined in [Iraq] may soon become globalized."

Although much of the report has been redacted prior to release by the State Department (an appeal is underway), several specific threat areas are identified:

Improvements to the design of vehicular improvised explosive devices (car bombs)

Proliferation of other types of IEDs -- the report states "Anything can be a bomb."

Improvements and establishment of networks for forged identities and diguise

Advances in the use of technology by terrorists

3/17/2005: State Department Cable, Exporting Terrorist Tactics From Iraq

Saudi Arabia's 85 Most Wanted

2009-02-05T19:58:00.001-05:00

The Saudi government published a list of names of 85 "most wanted" terrorists in newspaper Okaz. The names are listed below. Note that these are Saudi government allegations -- it's unclear what is the source of the intelligence and all claims should be understood as "alleged." The list here is machine translated and imperfect -- you'll note, for instance, that it has more than 85 names. C'est la vie.

1. Saleh Abdullah Saleh Qaraawi.
Aliases: Abu Yahya Qaraawi - Abu Abdullah - Sami - star - star good - good result Kuwaiti - Behrouz - Najm Al Areen - Hamad - your little brother - Abdullah bin Qaraawi - Rahman Ibn Abu-mail - Fruits - Moatassem.
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Abu Musab Al Zarqawi

2. Abdullah Asiri
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Affiliated with Al Qaeda, infiltrated UK, allegedly affiliated with AQ in Yemen

3. Salah Suleiman Hamad
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Relationship with al Qaeda abroad, believed to be in Afghanistan, Pakistan or Iran.

4. Fahed Samir Alqaiqai Ruwaili [???]
Aliases: Abu Silk (?)
Nationality: Saudi
Born in Qatar. Linked to al Qaeda, weapons, recruitment and travel document forgery, believed in Syria

5. Mustafa Abdul Elah Mohamed Jubairi
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to leadership of al-Qaeda in Yemen

6. Naif Mohammad Said al-Qahtani Alkodri
Aliases: Abu Hamam, Al-Qahtani Abohemem
Nationality: Saudi
Planned assassinations, targeted oil facilities in Saudi, linked to al-Qaeda in Yemen, financed terrorist operations in Spain

7. Ali Abdul Aziz Ali
Aliases: Obuabdaziz - Abu Usama - Abu Nasser - Abu Nasser Algosaimi
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi

8. Ibrahim Hassan Asiri
Aliases: Abosslah
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al-Qaeda in Yemen, expert in explosives and poison

9. Ibrahim Mohammed Salman Rabic
Aliases: Mohammed
Linked to al-Qaeda in Yemen

10. Ahmed Abdullah Saleh Al-Zahrani Alkhozmri
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda centeral (Afghnistan/Pakistan), believed active in Iran

11. Badr Saud Owaid Awfi Jihad
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Published in Al Qaeda magazine

12. Mcaoui Zayed Al Asiri
Aliases: Moatassem Makki
Nationality: Saudi
Place and Date of Birth: 8/3/1398 in Tabuk e
Point of travel: United Arab Emirates on e 14/4/1422 There were a return has been received to date from Guantanamo Bay, on 29/10/1428 e.
Linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen

13. Ali Jabir Jubran Alfifi
Aliases: Abu Jaafar Al-Ansari Abu Ibrahim
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen leadership

14. Hassan loss Bdah Al-Qahtani Saad
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Al Qaeda links, active in Iraq

15. Hassan Ibrahim Hamad Alcavan
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al-Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, document forgery, terrorist financing, active in Iran, Iraq

16. Hussein Mohamed Abdou
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Escaped prisoner, possibly active in Somalia

17. Khalid Ibrahim Ahmed Hyacinth Alasiri.
Aliases: Abu Abdul Rahman Aljhiman
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al Qaeda, document forgery, sabotage, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

18. Ryan Hamidi Mohammad Zaidi
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al-Qaeda in Iran

19. Khaled Saleh Ali Al Zrabh Acommti
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

20. Name: Hamad Hussein Nasser Hussein
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al Qaeda in Afghanistan, Yemen, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

21. Ahmed Saleh Ali Alchihp
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al Qaeda

22. Abdul Rahman Abdullah Mohamed Albhimh Jihad
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al-Qaeda, believed active in Yemen

23. Saleh Naiv Almakhlvi Day
Aliases: Abu Hafs - Abu Hafs al-Najdi - Abdulghani.
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

24. Ibrahim Mohammed Abdullah Almzian
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Document forgery, believed active in Iraq

25. Saeed Ali Jabir Kthim
Aliases: Abu Sufyan - Abu Sufian kadhdhaab matrook - Salah - Salah al-Din - Osama Abu - Abu Sulaiman - Nur al-Din Afghani Azibk - Salah Abu Sufyan - Alakhaddm happy.
Nationality: Saudi
Al Qaeda in Yemen

26. Tleihan Amuallbi-Mutairi
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

27. Abdulla Salem Al-Qahtani Dhim Alaliani
Aliases: Shaker
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to leadership of Al Qaeda in Iran, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

28. Radi Smelel Aldllake Sultan Al-Otaibi
Aliases: Abu Abed - Abu Mohammed Makki - Abu Mohammed.
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi, believed active in Yemen

29. Abdul Rahman Abdullah
Aliases: Mohammed
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al-Qaeda, active in Syria, Iraq

30. Adel Fulayyih Salem al-Jaafari
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

31. Ahmed Mohamed Ibrahim Tuwaijri
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, former leader of al Qaeda in Iraq, believed active in Lebanon

32. Khaled Selim Owaid Luhaybi
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

33. Bader Nasser Al-Mohammed Kinani
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

34. Abdulrahman Abdullah Abdulrahman Al-Dosari
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, active in trafficking from Syria to Iraq, believed currently in Syria

35. Abdul-Aziz Abdullah Baheej Albhigi.
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Syrian and/or Iraq

36. Khaled Al-Otaibi Galab Alrougui
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi, believed active in Iran

37. Raed Abdullah Salem Al [???]
Aliases: Abu Omar, the military - Abu Askar.
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al-Qaeda in Yemen

38. Mohammed Abdul Rahman Al-Rashed Sulaiman
Aliases: Abu Salman - Abu Abdallah
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia

39. Ibrahim Suleiman Hamad
Aliases: [???]
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, and/or Lebanon

40. Mohammed Saad Saeed Siyam
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi, believed active in Iraq

41. Hamid Fayez Ghneim [???]
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

42. Mohammad Hilal Al-Otaibi Almqati
Aliases: Abu-Hajar
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

43. Ahmed Mohamed Ibrahim Tuwaijri
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Abu Musab al-Zarqawi

44. Fahd Saleh Suleiman Aljtili
Aliases: Abu-Saleh
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al-Qaeda in Yemen

45. Fawaz Al-Otaibi Humaidi Hajd Alhabrdi
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Iran

46. Fahad Saad Mohamed Ajlan
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Iraq

47. Faisal Jassim Mohammed Khalidi
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

48. Fauzan Aouiz [???] Ateeq Zhimi
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Iraq

49. [???] Attia Karim Fahmi Al-Zahrani
Aliases: Abu Ibrahim
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

50. Abdullah Nasser Sulaiman Riai
Aliases: Abu Saleh.
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi, believed active in Syria and/or Yemen

51. Mohammed Yusuf Abdallah Altkroni Jamil
Aliases: Abu Jarrah
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

52. Yousef Mohammad Mubarak Jubairi
Aliases: Abu Harith - monthly Abul Hakim - Al-Ansari Hakim - Hakim Altbuque - Abu Hilal
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen

53. Walid Abdullah bin Ibrahim Brgsh[?]
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

54. Ahmed Ali Atallah Alfarhod
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen

55. Waleed Ali [???] Alasiri
Aliases: Abu Hafs - Saad
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and Yemen, assassinations and the targeting of oil facilities

56. Abdullah Muhammad Abdullah Ayed
Aliases: Abu Yasser
Nationality: Saudi
Traveling without a passport

57. Abdul Karim Abdullah Ibrahim Salloum
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Place and Date of Birth: Riyadh, 9/4/1404 e
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and Iraq

58. Abdullah Osman Abdulrahman Aldbeji
Aliases: Camry
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and Iraq

59. Mohammed Ateeq Awaed Awfi
Aliases: Aboisamh - Qutaiba - Abojulh - Abu Harith - Abu Usama - Mohammed al-Harbi
Nationality: Saudi
Former Guantanamo inmate, released to Saudi, fled to Yemen

60. Abdullah Faraj Mohammed Hammoud Juweir.
Aliases: Abu Awad - Awad - Awad al-Yemeni.
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Iraq

61. Murtaza Ali Said Mqurm [???]
Aliases: Abu Disavowal Hadrami - Murtada Hadrami - Mauritanian Khallad - Abdulmalik Abu Musab - Abu Shahed - Murtaza Ali Said Kerem
Nationality: Saudi
Former Guantanamo inmate, released to Saudi, fled to Yemen

62. Fahd Mohammed Ali Aldjaitn
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Iraq

63. Mashaal Mohamed Rashid Alcdokhi
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen

64. Majed Abdullah Mohammed Al-Majed
Aliases: unknown.
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, Yemen and Iraq

65. Ahmed Ali Barakat Al Zahrani traditional concept
Aliases: Abu Hanadzlah Makki
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

66. Mohamed Ali Mohamed [???]
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

67. Mohammed Abdullah Hassan Abu Khair
Aliases: Abu Muhjin - Abu Abdullah - Hamid - Mohanad - Al Jiddawi - Abdullah Al-Makki – Muhammad Al Jiddawi - Abdullah Al-Halabi
Nationality: Saudi
Al Qaeda, former bin Laden bodyguard, active in Egypt, Afghanistan

68. Muhammad Qasim Mehdi Reemy
Aliases: Abu Hurayrah - Abu Ammar
Nationality: Yemeni
Linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen, Saudi Arabia,

69. Osman Ahmed Osman Amira Al-Ghamdi
Aliases: Abu Ahmed
Nationality: Saudi
Place and Date of Birth: 1/7/1399 in Al-e.
Former Guantanamo inmate, released to Saudi, fled to Yemen

70. Adnan Mohammed Ali Ahmed
Aliases: Haidera Lebanese - Abu Malik
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen

71. Abdullah Azzam Rizieq Alslake born.
Aliases: Abu Suleiman - Mansour - Abu Abdullah - Abu Muslim Al Mecca
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

72. Name: Othman Bin Sulaiman Dikhil Sweden
Aliases: Rahman
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and Iraq

73. Abdul Rahman Abdullah Al-Obaid
Aliases: Abu Asim
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia

74. Abdullah Ibrahim Abdulmohsen Sharekh
Aliases: [???]
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and Iraq, currently believe in Iran

75. Atiq Faraj [???] Al_husnani.
Aliases: [???]
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

76. Osama Hammoud Grman monthly
Aliases: Abu Hafs - Abu Hafs monthly.
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

77. Obaid Mubarak Obaid Alagafil
Aliases: Abu Osama - Abu Aisha
Nationality: Saudi of Yemeni origin
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Lebanon and/or Syria.

78. Naif Mohammad Said al-Qahtani Alkodri
Aliases: Abu Hamam, Al-Qahtani Abohemem
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to al-Qaeda in Yemen, financed terrorist operations in Spain

79. Nasser Abdulkarim Abdullah Louhichi
Aliases: Abu Basir - Abu Basir Louhichi
Nationality: Yemeni
Linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen

80. Ali Abdul Aziz Ali [???]
Aliases: Obuabdaziz - Abu Usama - Abu Nasser - Abu Nasser Algosaimi
Nationality: Saudi
Date and place of birth: 23/12/1404 in e-mail.
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia

81. [???] Almqati
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

82. Bdah Mqahs Bdah Qahtani
Aliases: Abu Qutaiba
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Iraq

83. Ahmed Mohamed Kotaim Da'di Alhzli
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia

84. Amir Ali Saud [???] Shanbari
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

85. Aqeel Aqeel Omeish Aqili-Mutairi
Aliases: Abu Omeish
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Saudi Arabia and Iraq

86. Mohammed Thamer [???]
Aliases: Unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen

87. Osama Abdullah Ali Dmjan
Aliases: unknown
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda, believed active in Afghanistan, Pakistan and/or Iran

88. Basil Jerbuai Ali Al-Qahtani [???]
Aliases: Abu Ahmad - Besbs
Nationality: Saudi
Linked to Al Qaeda in Yemen

'Killing Abu Baraa' Online

2009-01-16T17:09:00.003-05:00

Al Jazeera Arabic has posted on YouTube the full hour of "Killing Abu Baraa," an Arabic-language documentary by Yosri Fouda on the life and death of Mohammed Jamal Khalifa. I'm featured in the piece.

J.M. Berger Radio Interview

2009-01-13T09:31:00.003-05:00

I was a guest on the January 13 edition of "The Jeff Santos Show," on Boston radio station WWZN 1510 AM. We discussed the challenges ahead for the Obama administration regarding homeland security, the threat of terrorism and Al Qaeda, as well as the question "Are we safer today than we were before 9/11?" Click here to listen to the segment (MP3 format).

If you're interested in booking me as a talking head for radio, podcast or TV, feel free to drop me a line.

A.Q. Khan Added To Treasury List

2009-01-12T12:27:00.002-05:00

The U.S. Treasury has frozen the assets of A.Q. Khan -- the scientist who created Pakistan's nuclear program. Khan was added to the Specially Designated Nationals list, used to seize assets from suspected terrorists. Treasury also designated companies and individuals associated with Khan, who is believed to have tried to sell the secrets of Pakistan's nuclear technology.

Trentadue Takes Aim At AG Nominee

2008-12-22T10:45:00.006-05:00

Salt Lake City attorney Jesse Trentadue is taking aim at President Barack Obama’s nominee for Attorney General.

In a letter to Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Patrick Leahy late last week, Trentadue charged that Eric Holder -- a Deputy Attorney General during the Clinton Administration -- took part in covering up the alleged murder of Trentadue’s brother, Kenneth, in August 1995. Trentadue included copies of several internal Justice Department documents which he alleges show
Holder’s role in a cover-up.

Read the letter and documents

Kenneth Trentadue's death was ruled a suicide by hanging by the Bureau of Prisons and the FBI. But Jesse Trentadue believes his brother was murdered because of his resemblance to a bank robbery suspect connected to the Oklahoma City bombing.

Trentadue sued the government for wrongful death and won. The family was awarded about $1 million. The court ruled that the death was a suicide, but said the government mishandled the case so severely that it merited an award for intentionally inflicting emotional distress. An internal Justice Department investigation also ruled Kenneth Trentadue’s death a suicide but found extensive irregularities in how the case was handled.

Siddiqui Found Unfit

2008-11-18T08:40:00.003-05:00

Al Qaeda suspect Aafia Siddiqui has been declared unfit to stand trial due to mental impairment. See this story from ABC News. Siddiqui's diagnosis was first reported on INTELWIRE in September -- at which time this outcome was also predicted.

Trentadue Sues CIA, FBI on OKBOMB

2008-11-11T17:28:00.000-05:00

Salt Lake City Attorney Jesse Trentadue today sued the CIA for records relating to the Oklahoma City bombing, including any documents related to Andreas Strassmeier, a German national believed by many to have played a role in the terrorist attack. In the same court action, Trentadue also sued the FBI for copies of all surveillance videotapes related to the bombing, including several videos known to exist which have never been released.

Read the full story

Early Warnings on 9/11 -- June 2001

2008-11-08T12:26:00.001-05:00

New 9/11 documents obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal: Less than three months before September 11, Secretary of State Colin Powell warned the Taliban that American intelligence had "high confidence" that "Afghan-based and other operatives are now planning on carrying out attacks against Americans." Powell's warning was conveyed to the Taliban by U.S. Ambassador to Pakistan William B. Milam, who specifically discussed Osama bin Laden with the Taliban's representative Abdul Salam Zaeef.

Full Story

6/27/2001: State Dept. cable, threats to U.S. by Bin Laden

6/29/2001: State Dept. cable, threats to U.S. by Bin Laden

7/5/2001: State Dept. cable, meeting with Saudi Prince Abdullah

An Unfunded Service

2008-11-03T16:09:00.003-05:00

The New York Times and ProPublica want a $1 million Knight News Challenge grant to create an online repository for documents related to news stories.

I couldn't restrain myself from pointing out that this site performs a rather similar function without external financing. I go out and get documents myself about 90 percent of the time, funding costs out of my own pocket at about the same percentage. The remaining 10 percent are either donated by sources or funded by freelance employers.

I can't imagine why someone would need $1 million to simply publish source documents, especially since both the NYT and ProPublica already operate their own Web sites, which are eminently suited to the task.

While it's great to see the mainstream media finally coming around to the idea of providing primary source material to readers, I am not the only one out here who has been doing it for free, for years.

A seven-figure grant would, in my opinion, be much better spent providing litigation support to independent journalists working through the Freedom of Information Act than giving free money to for-profit media companies in order to subsidize something they're already able to do.