Monday, September 30, 2013

DRONE ATTACKS HIGHLIGHT U.S. ASYMMETRICAL WARFARE

Do you favor targeted drone against terrorists in Yemen and the FATA regions of Pakistan? (Comments allowed)


  
pollcode.com free polls 
CNN news announced today that U.S. drone strikes in Yemen killed six militants, including two senior leaders of al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Qaed al-Thahab, the top AQAP leader in the country's Baitha province was a CIA  "high-profile target" and was among those killed.
 Eight missiles were launched by two unmanned drone planes targeting vehicles. There was no immediate comment about the attack from the United States. As I watched the news report, I remember visiting Creech AFB, the home of the drones, and attending seminars there. The program was sponsored by the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO). One presentation showed a video of actual drone using surveillance. The UAV was hovering over the Afghanistan landscape, inspecting the area just ahead of a Marine patrol. It spotted a dozen al Qaeda warriors running into an abandoned warehouse, which the patrol would come upon in about 4 minutes. The Marine patrol was alerted and all the terrorists were captured without a shot being fired.  Five of the al-Qaeda warriors ran warehouse just before the Marine patrol arrived, and hid in the brush a short distance away. Fortunately, the drone recorded their location and instead of a group of Marines walking into the apparent trap, the brush site was surrounded by 3 armored vehicles. All five of the terrorists stood up with their hands raised. Thatpredator drone saved the lives of U.S. Marine's that day!
Creech AFB is home of the drones


There are numerous reports of drone strikes killing al Qaeda warriors in Yemen. A year ago Yemeni security officials reported four al Qaeda terrorists were killed by a drone strike. The  attack came around dawn in the Deyfa area in Abyan, a southern province. Drone tactical use calls for taking advantage of the low sun in the sky, which blocks their approach; i.e., the drone remains unseen as it approaches the target from the direction of the blinding early morning sun. 

Yemeni forces conduct large-scale operations throughout Abyan, going after terrorists from major cities that they took over during the country's 2011 political turmoil. The militants have since fled to surrounding mountainous areas. Simulta- neously, the news media, including the Associated Press,  reported dramatic increases in drone strikes in Yemen. This is not new news. The CIA has been, and will be, operating in Yemen for the long haul. At the time of Yemen's political turmoil, a drone targeted a vehicle in Hadramawt, in eastern Yemen. Eight militants were killed and it marked the third such strike in a week. 

The U.S. considers the Yemen al Qaeda branch extremely dangerous and has used drones in the past to go after its members. Hopefully, the UAV assault will continue. A week after the Hadramawt drone attack, seven other militants were killed by drone strikes. The Yemeni government continues to intensify its campaign against militant groups and the U.S. offers advice and logistical support. As expected, al Qaeda warriors have carried out several attacks in retaliation. 
 The U.S. and CIA terrorist battle in Yemen highlights a new asymmetrical warfare strategy and I hope we ramp up our operations there. Here's eight reasons why we should:

1. We made a commitment. Several years ago, Gerald Feierstein, the new U.S. ambassador to Yemen, said the U.S. was  committed to support the Yemeni army and security forces in their efforts to combat the burgeoning al Qaeda force- "There is a deep concern that al Qaeda could work freely in Yemen. We understand that fighting extremism cannot be through security only and it should include economic and development reforms. This is what America is committed to directly or through the Friends of Yemen Group.”

The Friends of Yemen Group is comprised of nations looking to help stabilize Yemen so al Qaeda and other terrorist groups will fail to develop a lasting stronghold there. They voiced their support for the security and stability of the Arabian Peninsula nation.

Feierstein went on to say, “America emphasizes its commitment to supporting the Yemeni Government and its people to overcome al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, to secure Yemeni borders, continue to train Yemeni anti-terrorist forces in addition to the provision of necessary equipment to get rid of the immediate threats posed by al Qaeda.”

At that time, Yemen’s President Saleh’s ensured that his government would take all necessary measures against terrorists and extremists and he welcomed Feierstein’s statement. Saleh added that he will support all measures mentioned by President Obama. A roughly $1.2 billion assistance bundle was being considered by Washington at that time. Feierstein said much will go to establishing a security department not to fight terrorists directly but to revitalize Yemeni forces and to battle the fight against drugs.

2. We must persist, despite casualties of war. Currently, the CIA has expanded the number of case officers collecting intelligence in Yemen. These intelligence officers, along with special ops and military intel, are brave souls. Al Qaeda in Yemen injured 10 intelligence officers, 3 seriously, on September 25, 2009 in the capital, Sana’a. The attack came just after American instructors finished a training course on fighting terrorism. An intelligence officer, Abdullah Ba Sharaheel, was murdered when two gunmen opened fire on him in the city of Al Mukalla. He was on his way home with his family when the Al Qaeda gunmen attacked on motorcycles and shot him.

3. The Arabian Peninsula is where al-Qaeda fled. Little wonder CIA analysts are focusing more on al Qaeda’s offshoots, in addition to the small, inner core group, which remains housed in the tribal areas of Pakistan (Although, maybe not, after bin Laden's death). These offshoots are becoming more of a threat to America’s national security and have influenced President Obama’s tactical measures in Yemen. Thus, clandestine U.S. military strikes and armed CIA drone attacks on terrorists intensifies to this day.

Al Qaeda aspired, but failed, to create a safe haven in Yemen...in the beginning, that is.  From 2001 to 2004, when Edmund J. Hull was the American ambassador to Yemen, U.S. and Yemeni counterterrorism efforts defeated al Qaeda at every turn, severely degrading its capabilities. During this period, al Qaeda mounted no successful operations against U.S. interests in Yemen and suffered the loss of its top leadership and cadres.

Unfortunately, things have changed. Their influence there is boiling over today. CIA analysts believe effective drone strikes in Pakistan have kept al Qaeda from recovering the offensive game. So, they migrated to the Arabian Peninsula and spawned the Yemen-based group "Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula" (AQAP).

AQAP succeeded in getting the Xmas day suicide bomber aboard the plane bound for Detroit and analysts believe the deceased Anwar al-Awlaki transformed the AQAP into a transnational threat. I foresee the CIA having more agents on the ground in Yemen than in Pakistan than it does in Yemen. After all, several years ago the National Security Council met with White House officials and the decision was made that the CIA will play a major operational role in Yemen.


4. We're not battling nation states anymore; we're fighting small, fluid, highly-adaptable terrorist networks. Yes, terrorist cells are sprouting up around the world faster than McDonald's franchises. That's why the fight in Yemen is critical for the U.S.; the region is a pilot project...to be expanded, globally. And, we will fight the battle with the asymmetrical tactics they do. Armored marine divisions and huge masses of ground troops will be replaced with small, covert operations that will act globally upon good intelligence- all source HUMINT and technical intelligence collection and rapid analysis across cooperative IC agencies, followed by lightening strikes, in/out, inexpensive operations using spec ops, drones attacks, etc.  

I remember talking to Philip Mudd, on C-SPAN. Mudd is a former senior official at the CIA and the FBI, and believes that a Sept. 11-style attack has been supplanted by a proliferation of plots by AQAP and other affiliate networks. He stated, "The sheer numbers suggest that one of the plots in the United States will succeed. In the future the Pakistan-Afghanistan border region will not be the sole, or even primary, source of bombing suspects" (CTC Sentinel). He's right, and Yemen and AQAP is an example. Mudd's observation is another reason why I often state on this site that the U.S. should adopt Britain's MI5 model in its counterterrorism and counterintelligence efforts here at  home.


5. Yemen needs stabilization. The reasons behind Yemen's political turmoil several years ago, which continues today. The political and social chaos in Yemen is complex, with much historical causation's that are an expression of authoritarian rule. And, al Qaeda takes advantage of chaos. 
Unrest continues to boil. While I researched Yeman unrest last year, a gunmen killed a senior Yemeni intelligence officer in the main southern city of Aden. It was the latest in a spate of assassinations to hit the south. Lieutenant Colonel Ali Ahmed Abd Rabbo was driving along the main coast road when protesters blocked his way.

"As soon as his car stopped, gunmen opened fire, riddling the vehicle with bullets and killing the colonel" (Yemeni News). It was unclear whether the gunmen were from among the demonstrators or militants who had infiltrated the protest.

Several days later, army Colonel Naji Aitha escaped with minor injuries when militants detonated explosives outside his home. At the time, fighting raged for the Abyan provincial capital of Zinjibar, where troops had been trying to dislodge al Qaeda linked militants.

During this period of political chaos, 30 Yemeni soldiers and 50 tribal auxiliaries had been killed in the battle for Zinjibar. Today, Yemen has grown more stable, but the killings continue on both sides.

6. Anwar al-Awlaki resided there. Yemen is the new terrorist base to plan global attacks. Al-Awlaki's role in the global al Qaeda jihad continues to be real, and just because a drone attack killed him, he remains the "who's who" of jihadi attackers against the West. His DVDs and taped sermons on jihad were found in the computers of the US army officer responsible for the Fort Hood shootings, Major Nidal Hassan; were read by the underpants bomber Abdulmuttallab, by the Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad, and by the Boston Marathon bombers. These DVDs and taped sermons still emanate from Yemen and are used to perpetuate hatred against the West, particularly the U.S.

7. AQAP expanding operation there; so should the CIA. Al Qaeda swarmed to Yemen. So, we should, too. From a dozen OSINT sources, it's clear that the CIA uses a Saudi Arabian airbase to target al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Hopefully, it will stifle AQAP attacks, like the Delta Christmas attack, attempted assassination of Saudi Prince Mohammed bin Nayef, etc. Item 4 above jokingly stated al Qaeda networks and cells are springing up globally faster than McDonald's franchises...so should CIA operations!

8. America is justified justified to be in Yemen. And why not? Virtually every attempted terrorist attack against the West by Salafist jihadis since 2009 has had some association with AQAP or with the deceased and incredibly influential Islamic cleric, Anwar al-Awlaki. AQAP is the most internationally active of the various al Qaeda branches and, as mentioned previously, has been involved in the 2009 attempted ''underpants'' bombing by Umar Farouk Abdulmuttallab, as well as the 2010 cargo bomb plot.

For these 8 reasons, I believe the Intelligence Community (IC) should conduct a robust, global battle against al Qaeda and other terrorist organizations. Let's continue to expand our operations in Yemen- let it be our asymmetrical pilot project and research base to battle radical Islam globally.
 
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes about the online spy series "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean." The views expressed on this site do not represent those of any organization he is a member of. Contact him on the Secure Contact Form

Friday, September 27, 2013

CLIMATE CHANGE A NATIONAL SECURITY THREAT!

The UN reports that, after an exhaustive 6-year study, with 95% certainty, humans are the dominant cause of global warming.  When I heard the report on FOX News this morning, I thought back to Mitt Romney's mockery of global warming. He displayed an ignorance and naivety about America's national security risks. It was hard to understand this section of his RNC acceptance speech. This is what he said: "President Obama promised to begin to slow the rise of the oceans." Here Romney paused -- for 14 long seconds. "And to ...heal the planet." Three more seconds. "My promise," he said, with emphasis on the pronoun, "is to help you and your family."

There was thunderous applause and Romney gave his audience time enough to ponder and then laugh at the idea of such an ambitious promise. Slowing the rise of the oceans?!! Ha! Ha! Ha! What a joke!


Unfortunately, the Joint Chiefs of Staff at the Pentagon along with the scientific community disagree with Mr. Romney, for they believe Global Warming is a national security risk. The uncontrolled world population growth, the Joints Chiefs of Staff believe, when combined with climate change, is
America's number one national security risk.
 
The national security risk that global warming + uncontrolled population explosion brings in the near future to the U.S. and our western allies is mind-boggling. Political, social, economic, and military challenges throughout China, Vietnam, the Philippines, Indonesia, India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Central Asia, the European Union, the Persian Gulf, Egypt, Turkey, the Maghreb, West Africa, Southern Africa, the Northern Andes, and Brazil are, indeed, almost overwhelming. And, much of these upheavals are projected to rise by 2030.

Do you believe Climate Change is a national security threat? (Feel free to comment)


  
pollcode.com free polls
I researched the current literature and interviewed two Smithsonian Institute research scientists on the issue of climate change. It's time to believe that uncontrolled  population growth plus climate change will threaten the security of the U.S. and all of Europe. We read various books, including the book by Jeffrey Mazo, who analytically reveals the frightening consequences of climate change for international security. Mazo, painstakingly, examined the science, history and likely strategic impact of climate change.
Beyond the established national security issue of overpopulation + climate change = mass migrations + unstable governments + Islamic radicalization, I feel it's inhumane to not help unstable regimes curb the burgeoning masses of people subsisting in lands that cannot support them.

Ironic how our national security meshes with humanitarian necessities! World population officially crossed the 7 billion mark on October 31, 2011 according to the Population Institute. The critical challenges posed by population growth, rising sea levels, spreading drought-stricken regions, flood-ridden countries and desertification of vast areas makes obvious the need to ensure universal access to family planning and reproductive health services.
 

According to the unbiased, scientific Population Institute report, which looks back at how the world has changed in the 12 years since the 6 billion mark was crossed, "Even though notable progress has been made in making immunizations, safe drinking water, and education more available to children in the developing world, those young people are inheriting a world in which arable land and water are in increasingly short supply, food and fuel prices are steadily increasing, rivers and lakes are shrinking, water levels are falling, temperatures are rising, drought and flooding are intensifying, biodiversity is declining, the number of failing states is expanding, and the very future of ocean habitats is threatened.”

The report challenges the notion that world population will soon peak. Noting that fertility rates are not declining as fast as many expected, the report warns that “ Adolescent pregnancy rates remain high, and with the world’s largest generation of people now entering their prime reproductive years, world population may not stabilize as soon as previously hoped or expected."

What a breeding ground and recruitment opportunity for al-Qaeda, Hezbollah, Hamas and dozens of other terrorist organization. I believe the Intelligence Community (IC), in the name of national security and humanitarianism, should dramatically increase their efforts in contraceptive usage and family planning efforts in out-of-control nations. It is these regions of the world that will breed insurrection, mass migrations, and unstable governments. The IC can't control global warming and climate change, but they can have an effect on preventing starving, desperate masses of humans from being recruited into radical Muslim ideologies.

At least, that's what the pentagon's Joint Chiefs of Staff believe. And so do I...along with the United Nation's scientists who poured through 9,000+ scientific papers on the issue of man-enhanced global warming. Glaciers are melting at a faster rate, causing water supplies to diminish in Asia. The scientists studying the Arctic were startled and alarmed...not merely suspicious...about the rate of the Arctic ice mass melt. The UN reports that rising sea levels will lead to mass migrations and displacements similar to what we saw in Pakistan’s floods last year. Arable lands needed to feed an exploding population in Africa are turning into deserts and a scarcity of water, food and space are creating failed states, instability and Muslim radicalization...as we speak.

Man's activities are greatly exacerbating climate change, and coupled with an unrestrained population explosion in poor countries,  the threats and challenges from terrorist groups throughout Europe, the Mediterranean and other regions will increase as well. 
 
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes about the online spy series "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean". His ideas are his own and do not represent those of any organization he's a member of. Contact him on the Secure Contact Form

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

DECLASSIFIED BOSNIAN WAR DOCUMENTS TO BE RELEASED


NOTE: I received this email from Paperless Archives and am passing it on to Website visitors. Apparently, you can ascertain the Bosnia War archives right away:

Mr. 
Name:Jerry pencer 
E-Mail:press@paperlessarchives.com 
Subject:Early release of Clinton/Bosnia CIA files 
Message:The CIA Bosnia files to be released at the Bosnia, Intelligence and Clinton’s Presidency conference (http://www.clintonlibrary.gov/ciasymposium.html) on October 1st at the Clinton Presidential Library are available now at

http://www.paperlessarchives.com/bosnian-war-cia-files.html 


This should be a revealing release of now declassified information! According to the Arkansas News Bureau (9/9/13), the Clinton Library is going to release declassified Bosnia records. The Clinton library and the CIA on Thursday announced the release next month of more than 300 newly declassified documents on intelligence and presidential policy-making during the 1992-1995 Bosnia War.

 
Former President Bill Clinton is scheduled to deliver remarks during a symposium Oct. 1 hosted by the Clinton Presidential Library and the Clinton Foundation. The event will mark the first time a U.S. president will participate in a CIA declassification event, officials said.


Other scheduled speakers include Madeleine Albright, former Secretary of State and United Nations ambassador; retired Gen. Wesley Clark, former Supreme Allied Commander in Europe; former Clinton National Security Adviser Sandy Berger; Leon Fuerth, former national security adviser to Vice President Gore; and former CIA Deputy Director for Intelligence John Gannon.

The symposium is entitled, "Bosnia, Intelligence, and the Clinton Presidency," and examines the Balkan conflict and the role of intelligence in informing senior policymakers.

A 1995 report by the CIA stated that Bosnian Serb forces were responsible for 90% of the war crimes committed during the conflict. As of early 2008, the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia had convicted 45 Serbs, 12 Croats and 4 Bosniaks of war crimes in connection with the war in Bosnia. Roughly 100,000 people were killed during the war. In addition, an estimated total of 20,000 to 50,000 women were raped, and over 2.2 million people were displaced, making it the most devastating conflict in Europe since the end of WW II.

Learn more about the Bosnian War:

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes the online spy series "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean". Contact him on the Secure Contact Form

Monday, September 23, 2013

KENYA'S WESTGATE MALL MASSACRE AND RADICALIZED AMERICANS

Read the online spy series "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean" and get to know Corey and how the CIA operates. First 3 episodes online for free!


The FBI's "Most Wanted Terrorists" list is quite a roster of wanted men! From the TWA Flight 847 and Khobar Towers bombing to the 1998 US Embassy bombings, it has now added many new names. Two more have recently been added and one is a U.S. citizen who supported the terrorist monsters who masterminded the Westgate Mall slaughter in Kenya. The other wanted man partook in the overseas kidnapping of an American. A third man is wanted by the FBI for questioning in connection with providing material support to terrorists.

Hammami
As I viewed the slit throats of innocent shoppers in the Kenyan Westgate Mall and the dead baby lying atop the pile of corpses, I wondered why American  Omar Shafik Hammami of Alabama  became a senior leader of al-Shabaab. This insurgency group in Somalia was designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department in 2008 and has repeatedly threatened terrorist actions against America and American interests. In 2006
Hammami left the beautiful eastern deciduous woodlands of Alabama, traveled to Somalia and joined al Shabaab’s military wing, eventually becoming a leader in the organization. Hammami was indicted in the U.S. on various terrorism charges and the FBI and CIA knew he ventured to Somalia.
     Most interesting to me is that recent intelligence reports indicate Hammami may have been killed in Somalia last week by his former allies, the al-Qaida-linked militant group al-Shabaab. Apparently, these monsters have killed other American citizens who joined their ranks but turned out to be chicken-hearted warriors who couldn't slit the throats or slice the heads off of innocents...or kill infants and their mothers in shopping malls. 
 

The other Most Wanted Terrorist is Raddulan Sahiron, a native of the Philippines. He is wanted for his alleged involvement in the 1993 kidnapping of an American in the Philippines by the Abu Sayyaf Group, designated a foreign terrorist organization in 1997. Sahiron, believed to be the leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group, was indicted on federal hostage-taking charges and may currently be in the area of Patikul Jolo, Sulu, Philippines.

Are radicalized Muslim American citizens a national security threat? (Comments welcome)



  
pollcode.com free polls

The third man, Shaykh Aminullah, is wanted for questioning in connection with providing material support to terrorists…with the aid of Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (designated a foreign terrorist organization in 2001). Among other activities, Aminullah allegedly provided assistance, including funding and recruits, to the Al Qaeda network; provided funding and other resources, including explosive vests, to the Taliban; and facilitated the activities of anti-coalition militants operating in Afghanistan by raising money in support of terrorist activities. He is believed to be in the Ganj District of Peshawar, Pakistan.

The FBI’s “Most Wanted Terrorists List” was created in October 2001 and helps authorities to publicize their efforts to locate terrorism suspects not yet indicted in the U.S. To get on it, one must

  • have threatened the security of U.S. nationals or U.S. national security;
  • be considered a dangerous menace to society;
  • have indicated a willingness to commit or indicate to commit an act to cause death or serious injury; prepare or plan terrorist activity; gather information on potential targets for terrorist activity; or solicit funds or other things of value for terrorist activity;
  • have provided material support such as currency or financial services or assistance to a terrorist organization but do not necessarily have to belong to that organization;
  • be subject to lawful detention, either by the U.S. government based on an active federal warrant for a serious felony offense or by any other lawful authority; and
  • be the subject of a pending FBI investigation.
There is also the “Individuals on the Seeking Information— Terrorism” list. This list of suspects are being sought for questioning in connection with terrorist threats against the U.S. Unlike those on the “Most Wanted Terrorists” list, these individuals have not been indicted by the U.S. government.

With the growing numbers of native-born Americans becoming radicalized into Islamic terrorists, I believe the FBI and CIA should, collectively, conduct robust counter-intelligence and counterterrorists activities within the U.S. Just look at the internal threats we face and the numbers of "Americans" who are growing radicalized. Adam Yahiye Gadahn was born Adam Pearlman in 1978 and is now an American senior operative, cultural interpreter, spokesman and media advisor for the terrorist group Al-Qaeda . Since 2004, he appeared in a number of videos produced by Al-Qaeda as " Azzam the American." Gadahn converted to Sunni Islam in 1995, at the age of 17, at a California mosque and is described as a "homegrown", meaning that he has converted to an ideology so firmly that he is now willing to harm his country of origin. He is believed to have inspired bin Laden's September 2007 video. How could such an American, the son of a musician who converted to Christianity and grandchild of a prominent urologist who was on the Board of Directors of the Anti-Defamation League...turn into a radical Islamist warrior, bent on harming the U.S.?

In 2004, Gadahn was added to the "FBI Seeking Information War on Terrorism" list . On October 11, 2006 he was removed from that list, and placed on the Bureau of Diplomatic Security Rewards for Justice Program list of wanted criminals. On the same day, Gadahn was indicted based on the testimony of the FBI case agent E.J. Hilbert II, in the Southern Division of the United States District Court for the Central District of California by a federal grand jury for the capital crime of treason for aiding an enemy of the United States; i.e. Al-Qaeda. Gadahn is the first American charged with treason since Tomoya Kawakita in 1952.


Unfortunately, I think the list of homegrown terrorists and radicalized Americans will grow. I felt this way ever since listening to Charles "Charlie" Allen, the well-known counterterrorism expert, speak at an AFIO seminar in Tyson Corner, Va., 8 years ago. He lectured on how Americans become radicalized on the Internet. Anwar Al-Awlaki, José Padilla, Adam Yahiye Gadahn, Bryant Neal Vinas, Ali Mohamed, Ziyad Khaleel, the Buffalo Six, and Wadih El-Hage are only the beginnings of a growing trend. 

If you have information about any information on a person on the FBI's "Most Wanted Terrorists", press HERE to submit your tip about them to the FBI. If you are overseas, press HERE to find the nearest overseas FBI Legal Attache office.

Press HERE to view photos and read information about 30 suspects on the FBI's Most Wanted Terrorist list.
Learn more about al-Shabaab:

Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes about the online spy series "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean". His ideas are his own and do not represent those of any organization he's a member of. Contact him on the Secure Contact Form

PAKISTAN ARMY MAY TOPPLE TERRORIST SANCTUARY

Will Pakistan be able to defeat its homegrown terrorist threat? (Comments allowed).


  
pollcode.com free polls 

     We all witnessed on TV the suicide attack on a historic church in northwestern Pakistan. It was no fun seeing the blood and carnage as ambulances took 78 dead Christians away.

     Pakistanis grieved over the coffins of their relatives who attended the service or who were simply strolling past the church when the suicide bomb attack occurred in Peshawar. It was estimated that over 600 people had attended the service and were leaving to receive free food being distributed on the lawn outside when two explosions ripped through the crowd. 
     I think Pakistan is ready to more aggressively go after its homegrown terrorists. Interior Minister Chaudhry Nisar Ali Khan said that 78 people had been killed, including 34 women and 37 children. “Such an attack on women and children is against humanity,” he said. The dead included two Muslim police officers who had been posted outside the church.
     I think Pakistan is preparing to fight back against their  homegrown terrorist threat. To find out, I inspected an excellent report on Pakistan's commitment to fighting terrorism. It's called The Creation and Development of Pakistan's Anti-terrorism Regime, 1997-2002. 
 
Meet Corey Pearson, CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean!
Get the first 3 episodes sent immediately online for free



I also wanted to determine if Pakistan's security forces have recently killed and jailed more of their homegrown terrorists, then they have in the past. So, I obtained information from the South Asian Intelligence Portal and their South Asian Intelligence Review (SAIR) report. The SAIR report studied the following sources- Daily Times, Dawn, The News, Tribune,Central Asia Online, The Nation, The Frontier Post and the Pakistan Observer. I found out anti-terrorist events in Pakistan from December 4-10, 2012. Here's what I found:

December 9: There were 14 militants and seven security forces among 22 persons killed during the week in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas (FATA). I've always considered the FATA regions to be terrorist breeding grounds. A US drone attack killed four militants, including a senior al Qaeda 'commander' Muhammad Ahmed Almansoor, in Tappi village in the North Waziristan Agency (NWA) of the FATA. According to The Express Tribune newspaper, he was the second militant leader to be killed by drone attacks in three days. The attack also killed three others in a village close to Miranshah, the main town in North Waziristan, near the Afghan border. The three other people killed were Almansoor’s family members.



     The drone fired missiles at a house with Almansoor inside, destroying two rooms and a car. Four drones were seen flying over the area during the attack, residents and government officials said. The local sources added that Almansoor had been living in North Waziristan for a long time and used to wear the local dress. A foreigner was also reportedly killed in the attack, but his name and identity could not be ascertained as yet.
     A similar attack on Thursday in North Waziristan had killed another senior al Qaeda commander, Abu Zaid, who replaced Abu Yahya al-Libi as one of the militant Islamist group’s most powerful figures. A US drone attack also killed Libi in June. I feel that the deadly U.S. drone strikes in Pakistan are necessary and effective.
December 9: Three soldiers were killed and 20 others sustained injuries in a suicide blast near the Ziari Noor Camp on the Angoor Adda Road in South Waziristan Agency.
December 9: Overall, 28 civilians and four SFs among 33 persons killed during the week in Sindh: Five persons were killed in separate incidents of violence in Karachi, the provincial capital of Sindh.
December 8: Three persons, including two Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) activists, were killed in incidents of target killing in Karachi. Let's talk a bit about MQM! It stands for United National Movement and is a liberal political party in Pakistan that holds strong mobilizing potential throughout the Karachi region. It is the second largest party in Sindh and the traditionally the third largest in the country, however it currently holds fourth highest number of seats in the National Assembly while maintaining its second position in the Sindh Assembly. MQM has several chapters across the world in the United States, Canada, South Africa, several European countries, and Japan.
December 7: Seven persons were killed and at least four others injured in Karachi.
December 6: Two MQM activists and a Police Constable were among five persons killed in separate incidents of violence in different parts of Karachi.


December 6: Four suspected militants were killed when a US drone fired two missiles at a house in Mir Ali tehsil (revenue unit) of NWA.
December 5: At least six militants were killed and eight others sustained bullet injuries when Lashkar-e-Islam (LI) militants attacked pro-government lashkar (militia), Tauheedul Islam (TI), post in Bukar area of Zakhakhel in Khyber Agency.
December 4: At least four persons, including two MQM activists and a Pakistan Sunni Tehreek (PST) cadre, were killed in separate acts of violence in Karachi.
December 3: At least nine persons, including four activists of the MQM and a Policeman, were killed in separate incidents of target killing in Karachi.


Meet Corey Pearson, CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean! 
(First 3 episodes immediately emailed to you for FREE!)

A Connection to the 2008 Mumbai Terrorist attack- an 
update : According to a article in The Hindu (12/09/12), the Federal Investigation Agency (FIA) showed LeT terror camps’ photos evidence to the Rawalpindi Anti-Terrorism Court (ATC) hearing 26/11 case. The ATC was created in Pakistan, under Nawaz Sharif's government, to deal with terrorism cases. The FIA on December 8 presented the photographs of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LeT) training camps in Sindh and motorboats used by the 10 terrorists who attacked Mumbai on November 26, 2008 (26/11) to an anti-terrorism court conducting the trial of seven Pakistanis charged with involvement in the strikes. The motorboats and other items, currently in the custody of the FIA, were recovered in January 2009.

TTP even set up a Facebook site to recruit 'enthusiasts'. I wrote before about how this Taliban umbrella group hates the U.S. The Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) has set up a page on Facebook to recruit 'enthusiasts' to write for a quarterly magazine and to edit video, spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan confirmed on December 7. The Umar Media TTP page, which has more than 270 likes, appears to have been created in September and have just a handful of messages written in English. "Umar Media is proud to announce online jobs opportunities (sic)," says the first post on the networking website, written on October 25. Source: Daily Times (December 8, 2012). I also found an excellent collegiate research article on the TTP. Click HERE to view it. 

 
     I feel the Pakistan government has no choice but to end its homegrown terrorist problem, for it has grown to become a major and highly destructive phenomenon in recent years. The annual death toll from terrorist attacks has risen from 164 in 2003 to 3318 in 2009, with a total of 35,000 Pakistanis killed between 9/11/2001 and May 2011. The economic costs from 2000-2010 total $68 billion. 
     Interestingly, President Asif Ali Zardari and former President ex-Pakistan Army leader Pervez Mushaffaf have admitted that terrorist outfits were "deliberately created and nurtured" by past governments "as a policy to achieve some short-term tactical objectives".
     In essence, they admitted that their country's homegrown terrorist problem is because they were embedded within the government itself. It began with Muhammad Zia-ul-Haq's  policy of "Islamization" in the 1980s, under which conflicts were started against soviet involvement in Afghanistan. Zia's tenure as president saw Pakistan's involvement in the Soviet-Afghan War and led to the migration of ideologically driven Muslims, the mujahideen, into the tribal areas along with  increased availability of guns such as the AK-47 and drugs from the Golden Crescent.  
     I get the feeling that Pakistan's acceptance of these terrorist groups has waned and they are becoming  unwelcomed  "guests". I see more U.S. drone strikes inside the FATA regions, especially as our massive Afghanistan troop levels shrink into a more vulnerable "advisory" army of only a few thousand. And, I see the Pakistan government ignore the drone attacks against the terrorists inside the FATA region while their own security forces more aggressively pursue them on the ground. I also envision U.S. drone surveillance planes assisting and protecting Pakistan's security forces while they do so. Yes, in that manner, the Pakistan government may welcome drones flying overhead inside their country's heartland...we shall see.    

Learn about Pakistan's defense forces:
 
Robert Morton, M.Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes the online spy series "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean". Contact him on the Secure Contact Form

Friday, September 20, 2013

OSINT READER SUGGESTS TWO SITES

I received a private message through our SECURE CONTACT FORM from a subscriber to OSINT News. He recommended that I refer you to two OSINT websites. After reviewing both sites, I concur that they are worthy to share. Here's the message we received:

"Anonymous" has left a new comment on your post 'I. OSINT SOURCES':

First of all, you have to know how to use OSINT information. One good site for that is http://www.reuser.biz/

Another good source of OSINT information is http://www.onstrat.com/osint

I hope Mr. Morton reads this comment and decides to put it on the front page."

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

PRESIDENT OBAMA- PLEASE GIVE CONDITIONAL PARDON TO CIA HERO


President Barack Obama
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW

Washington, DC 20500

 Dear Mr. President:

As a staunch supporter of yours, I urge you to reconsider the case of CIA agent John Kiriakou who is serving a 30 month sentence as part of a plea deal in which he admitted violating the Intelligence Identities Protection Act by e-mailing the name of a covert C.I.A. officer to a freelance reporter, who did not publish it. True, he made a mistake and his blunder is not acceptable or excusable. But, I feel it is forgivable for three reasons. First, this law was passed in 1982 and targeted radical publications that deliberately sought to out undercover agents, exposing their secret work and endangering their lives and the spies they recruited. However, John Kiriakou never associated with "radical publications". 
 
Second, he is a CIA hero and would not willfully turn on his country as the government charged. I only wish that the pardoned Scooter Libby was dealt a more severe penalty than Kiriakou for participating in the outing of another CIA hero- Valerie (Plame) Wilson. Libby's pardon left Americans confounded about the role Karl Rove and Dick Cheney played in the outing of Plame. Few would be confused if Kiriakou was pardoned, for he has fulfilled his debt to society. As a CIA operative, he spent 8 years as a Middle East analyst, specializing on Iraq. He held a Top Secret Case Sensitive security clearance, learned to speak Arabic, and from 1994-96 served as an economic officer at the American Embassy in Manama, Bahrain before returning to Washington, D.C. to focus on his specialty- Iraq.

Then, he transferred to the CIA’s Directorate of Operations in 1998 and studied counterterrorism and went to Athens, Greece, working on Euro-communist terrorism matters. He returned back to CIA Headquarters in 2000, then after the 9/11 attacks, was named Chief of Counterterrorist Operations in Pakistan. He was noted in this position to have led a series of raids on al-Qaeda safe houses, which resulted in the capture of dozens of al-Qaeda warriors.
 
The third reason stems from this invaluable experience and his heretofore impeccable service to country. Why not grant him a conditional pardon, instead of an absolute "Scooter Libbey-type" pardon? An absolute pardon would completely release Kiriakou from punishment, but with his experience as a Middle East CIA operative and Chief of counterterrorism operations in Pakistan, I feel a conditional pardon would benefit America because of the immense benefits he could bestow upon the U.S. Intelligence Community (IC).

For example, Mr. President, you could require him to serve out his sentence by working in the CIA's Office of Near Eastern and South Asian Analysis (NESA). His knowledge of Middle Eastern and North African countries, his expertise about South Asian nations such as Pakistan, and his analytical and fluent language skills would be a great help for the analysts currently working in NESA.

Or, you could require that he teach undergraduate degree coursework that involves language training and familiarization of the Middle Eastern countries in The Sherman Kent School for Intelligence Analysis. With his eight years experience as a Middle East analyst, he could teach foreign languages and regional issues to the DI students and officers who will eventually be assigned to the Middle East.



Mr. President, I urge you to consider a conditional pardon for this CIA hero who, on March 28, 2002, led a raid in which Abu Zubaydah, al-Qaeda’s 3rd ranking official, was captured in Faisalabad, Pakistan. It would be a defensible Presidential Conditional Pardon, in light of his taking home 10 Exceptional Performance Awards, a Sustained Superior performance Award, the Counterterrorism Service Medal, and the State Department’s Meritorious Honor Award...all well-deserved. 

Sincerely,
Robert Morton


Learn more about John Kiriakou

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

WHAT MAKES AL QAEDA SUICIDE BOMBERS TICK?

According to "The Times of Israel" newspaper, al Qaeda is posting want ads for suicide bombers. The job offer appeared on a closed Internet forum and sought applicants who were utterly committed to completing their mission. I guess so! 

Apparently, al Qaeda is low on bombers, so they're running a (short-term) employment advertisement on its Shumukh al-Islam Internet forum. Under the heading “Area of activity: The planet Earth,” the ad seeks jihadists to carry out suicide attacks.


The Hebrew Daily reported that these ads state "Applicants must be Muslim, mentally mature, dedicated, able to listen, and utterly committed to completing their mission". 
  

Several email addresses are provided for applicants. While their real names are not required, candidates are asked to send details of their nickname or handle, along with their age, marital status, languages spoken and a list of passports in their possession.


The ad on the forum, which is accessible only to al Qaeda members, specifies the targets of the terror attacks that applicants will be expected to carry out, including “People who fight Islam and Muslims” and enemy “financial, military and media targets.” The ad indicates that the anticipated attacks will be solo operations: “Only one person will be in charge. He will gather all of the intelligence, he will prepare the operation — and he will complete the attack.” A "military panel” will oversee the bomber’s training and select the target. The job description promises only a “very slight chance of being caught.”

The ad elicited several positive responses, the Yedioth article claimed. One forum participant requested that Germany, Denmark and Sweden be specified as potential targets. The same participant warned the forum to be very careful about what it publishes, for fear that the enemy may see what the group is planning. 

To win the war on terror, the U.S. must analyze and understand the nature of al Qaeda and its penchant for suicide bombings. We must know why they employ this effective tactic to better counter it. Policymakers, first responders, and students of homeland security must fully understand and deal with the growing threat of suicide terror by analyzing such attacks and pinpointing our vulnerabilities and foresee high-risk scenarios for future attacks. 

I believe that America is due for suicide attacks in its heartland and we must continue preparing and implementing an effective and quick response to minimize casualties and losses when they occur. 

Studying Israel’s experience with suicide bombings, the internationalism of suicide terrorism, high-risk scenarios, methods to confront suicide terror and medical management of suicide terrorism should be incorporated into our educational system in intelligence studies.

By getting into the hearts and minds of suicide bombers, our intelligence community can better confront these very effective and dangerous threats. It would be beneficial to have in-depth studies of successful, and dead, suicide bombers, such as Ignacy Hryniewiecki, Mohammad Sidique Khan, Dilawar Singh Babbar, Abdallah Al-Ajmi, Axel Freiherr Von Dem Bussche-Streithorst, Niser Bin Muhammad Nasr Nawar, and Abdullah Hassan Al Aseery. 

By conducting what psychologists term "suicidal autopsies", we can learn how they were raised, the "formal" education they had, what mosques they attended, who they admired, the kinds of enticements they fell for, what their traumatic and enjoyable childhood experiences were, etc. Such data can be obtained from interviews and gathering open source intelligence, and would enable our Intelligence Community to counteract the formation and recruitment of future suicide bombers.

As the first edition of this article was written, multiple suicide bombings occurred in southwestern Afghanistan that killed 27 and wounded 110 people in the city of Zaranj. 

According to police, at least three of the attackers' suicide vests exploded but several more bombers were involved. Authorities killed two of them and captured three more after killing several others in the afternoon before they could detonate their explosives.

In Israel, suicide bombings are commonplace:
Total Israel suicide bombings from 2000-2005159
Total victims killed514
Suicide Bomber Demographics
17 years old5 %
17 – 24 years old76 %
25 – 34 years old17 %
35 + years old2 %
Percent women5 %

I believe the U.S. Intelligence Community should have a specially-trained team of psychologists and psychiatrists flown to Afghanistan, Israel...anywhere in the world where these events occur. We need to develop a scientific base through extensive interviews with these surviving suicidal subjects or with the people who knew them well... beyond the obvious, we must learn what makes them tick...so to speak!

Robert Morton, Ed., Ed.S. is a member of the Association Of Former Intelligence Officers (AFIO) and writes the spy novel series "Corey Pearson- CIA Spymaster in the Caribbean, Bahamas, Florida Keys and Key West".  The views expressed on this site do not represent those of any organization he is a member of. Contact him on the Secure Contact Form