December
1-15 Stories
Enemy
Troops Use Hit-and-Run Tactics in Afghanistan
American
service members and their coalition allies continue operations
in Afghanistan.
U.S.
camps have been targets of hit-and-run attacks from Taliban and
al Qaeda sympathizers over the last week. U.S. personnel also
have found arms caches and shut down a drug lab. There were no
U.S. casualties.
The
most serious incident over the last week was in the camp at Lwara
Nov. 24. The forward-operating base came under rocket attack.
Ten rockets impacted within the base, with nine of them armed
with white phosphorus. The rockets started three fires in the
camp, which personnel quickly put out. (Full
Story)
Laid
Snares in Kenya
MOMBASA—Two
young Israeli brothers were among the 13 confirmed murdered and
the 80 wounded by the terrorist attack on Thursday at Paradise
Hotel. The five star Israeli owned resort hotel–once known to
be the most popular resort for Britons and other Westerners in
East Africa–is now another ashen site of Islamic terrorist destruction.
It has been reported now that internet chat rooms had talked of
impending simultaneous terrorist attacks as part of the Islamic
terrorist effort to incrementally conquer the Western world. As
said by bin Laden, ‘They must submit or be destroyed.’
Sheikh Omar Bakri Muhammad, head of al Muhajiroun in London said,
"They said in chat rooms that there would be something good
in East Africa, that a heavy price would be paid." Bakri
has been vocal in his support of bin laden and has been key in
sending British Muslims and other recruits to combat training
camps in the U.S., followed by terror tactic training in the Middle
East.
(Full
Story)
Afghans
Lead U.S. Soldiers to Rockets
By Kathleen
T. Rhem, AFPS
WASHINGTON,
Dec. 9, 2002 — Afghan villagers led American soldiers to a weapons
cache near a U.S. firebase Dec. 7, defense officials said.
A group of Afghan civilians led
a team of Special Forces and 82nd Airborne Division troops to
a site about five kilometers southwest of the U.S. firebase at
Lwara, in eastern Afghanistan.
The U.S. troops found eight armed
107 mm rockets that had been aimed toward the U.S. base, officials
said. Local Afghans reportedly pointed the rockets away from the
base before the soldiers arrived. The Special Forces soldiers
destroyed the rockets in place, officials said.
Coalition forces in Afghanistan
have found nearly 500 weapons caches in the country, including
more than 43,000 107 mm rockets.
Power
Restored in Most of Carolinas
FRANKLINTON,
N.C. (AP) – While most of the Carolinas had power restored Monday
following several days coated in ice, people in tiny towns like
this one were beginning to wonder if they’d been forgotten.
More than half of Franklinton’s 1,800
residents shivered for a fifth straight day without power while
utility companies prioritized lines that served the most people.
(Full
Story)
Terrorists
Threaten Europe from Balkan Safe Haven
The turning of a blind eye in certain, select cases has produced
some strange anomalies in the global war on terror.
DEBKAfile’s counter-terror experts note some
striking instances…
…The threat does not come from
distant lands but from next door, the Balkans. There, as in Yemen,
the blinkers are on.
Take the case of Macedonia. (Full
Story)
Building
a Presence in Djibouti
…The demands
of the global war on terrorism means Djibouti is a hot spot. Across
the Red Sea is Yemen, the family homeland of al Qaeda leader Osama
bin Laden. The coastal country’s neighbors are Somalia, Eritrea
and Ethiopia — areas where terrorists have attacked and where
al Qaeda elements may be hiding. (Full
Story)
USO
Brings Part of Hollywood to the Warfront
BAGRAM,
Afghanistan — What do a principal, a soap star,
a sports reporter and a graying mayor all have in common?
Everything,
if you count them having a sincere passion to visit and thank
every one fighting the war on terrorism in Afghanistan.
“It’s
important for us to let you know how we feel about your service,”
said Dennis Haskins IV, the actor who portrayed the principal
in “Saved by the Bell.” “We have been overwhelmed
by meeting all of you.” (Full
Story)
Wolfowitz:
Disarmament of Saddam’s WMDs Is the Goal
LONDON
— As the UN analyzes CD’s Iraq submitted with 529mega bytes
of data and compares the 11,807 pages of written material with
previous information, inspections are still underway in Iraq.
At least one of Saddam’s multi-million dollar palaces was visited
by UN inspectors last week. The apparent first surprise visit
caused a delay at the entrance of the palace gates. There are
conflicting reports about the wait, but one report says it took
one of Saddam’s secretaries 10 minutes to arrive and then the
inspectors were allowed to enter the palace grounds.
Concern
remains high that Saddam is hiding weapons of mass destruction,
while in meetings with British officials in London last week U.S.
Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz told members of a British
"think tank" that although it’s good that U.N. weapons
inspectors are scouring Iraq for weapons of mass destruction,
the primary goal is to disarm Saddam Hussein’s regime. (Full
Story)
Indonesia:
Networked for Terror
Indonesia,
the world’s most populous Muslim nation, was hit Thursday with
two simultaneous terrorist attacks that Indonesian police say
may have ties to al Qaeda. The two targets were a McDonald’s fast
food restaurant, located in a shopping mall, and a used car lot
owned by Indonesia’s Social Welfare Minister Yusuf Kalla. Three
people were murdered in the bomb attack at the McDonald’s and
eleven people are being treated for serious wounds at a nearby
hospital.
A
suspect involved in the McDonald’s bombing had accidentally blown
himself up while setting a timed bomb that was to explode later
for when the restaurant would be filled with customers celebrating
the end of Ramadan. According to South Sulawesi police chief Firman
Gani, "It was not a suicide bomb…the suspect who carried
the bomb was nervous." Police chief Gani went on to tell
reporters that the bomber had locked himself into the kitchen
when the bomb went off. (Full
Story)
Spanish
Capture Secret Transport
MADRID–"They
were navigating without a banner," said Spain’s Defense Minister
Federico Trillo at a briefing Wednesday after two Spanish warships
initiated the capture of a vessel that contained "sophisticated
weapons." The Cambodian registered ship sailed from North
Korea but was not properly marked and wasn’t flying a flag. The
Spanish military in joint action with US intelligence determined
the ship needed to be stopped and searched.
Initially, when the Spanish ordered
the vessel to stop for boarding inspection, the North Korean captain
refused and warning shots were fired. A helicopter with the frigate
"Navarra" was key in the operation. (Full
Story)
December
16-31 Stories
Ex-U.S.
Sub Chief Apologizes for Accident
UWAJIMA,
Japan (AP) – In a highly emotional visit Sunday, the former captain
of a U.S. nuclear submarine that collided with a Japanese fishing
boat laid flowers at a memorial for nine people to offer his personal
apology.
Retired U.S. Navy Cmdr. Scott Waddle
was at the helm of the USS Greeneville when it surfaced beneath
the Ehime Maru on Feb. 9, 2001, sinking the student fishing vessel
off the coast of Hawaii, killing nine of the 35 people aboard.
(Full
Story)
Nearly
100 Marine recruits hit by strep A
San
Diego, CA (Union Tribune) – Nearly 100 Marines have been hospitalized
with a potentially life-threatening form of streptococcus infections,
a Navy spokesman said yesterday.
Three of the Marines were in the
intensive care unit last night and 61 others were quarantined
in a ward at the Naval Medical Center in San Diego to prevent
the illness from spreading. (Full
Story)
Iran
Hides Two Big Nuclear Facilities – Subcontracts for North
Korea
On
October 25, 2002, DEBKA-Net-Weekly reported in its No. 82 issue
the suspicion in Washington that one of the two bombs allegedly
hidden in Kim Jong II’s war chest was not North Korean at
all, but Iranian. Our sources revealed that the Iranian bomb was
delivered to North Korea in the third week of September under
a secret agreement Kim-Jung Nan, the North Korean president’s
overseer of his country’s military and nuclear relations,
concluded in Tehran on July 24. (Full
Story)
U.S.
Forces Help Restore Afghan Health Care
Pictures
coming out of Afghanistan show a land seemingly forgotten by time
— and modern medicine. After 20 years of war, medical clinics
and hospitals are in ruins and in dire need of basic medical supplies
and equipment.
With
U.S. and coalition aid, the situation is on the mend.
The
United States has been "indispensable" in helping to
restore health care in Afghanistan, according to Dr. Abdullah
Sherzai, director of planning at the Afghan Health Ministry in
Kabul.
"Just
the presence of the American military creates the security background
within which you can work — from nutritional work, to health
care, to reconstruction," he said. "The Afghan people
understand this and we appreciate it." (Full
Story)
Rumsfeld:
"…Your mission, is to stop attacks of such magnitude."
Djibouti —
At the Horn of Africa last week, U.S. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld
visited troops based at Camp Lemonier to thank them for volunteering
to serve in the fight against terrorism.
"Your task in the global war
on terrorism is a difficult one and potentially a very dangerous
one. As President Bush has said you carry on your shoulders not
only the values of America but also the hopes of the world. And
it is so. Thousands of people, citizens of every race and religion,
were killed on September 11th [in New York and Washington D.C.]."
Rumsfeld spoke in a newly built
maintenance facility on the base, adjacent to the Djibouti International
Airport. About 900 service members are stationed at the Horn of
Africa. Rumsfeld’s stressed the importance of the coalition mission
to prevent terror against innocent civilians. (Full
Story)
Japan
Sends Warship to Indian Ocean
As Japanese
Defense officials meet with U.S. Secretary of State Powell and
U.S. Defense Secretary Rumsfeld for talks this week, the Kirishima,
an Aegis destroyer, is headed for the Indian Ocean to add needed
muscle to the war on terror in the region.
The Japanese warship is considered
one of the most sophisticated in the world; it is equipped with
the Aegis computerized radar command system which can track and
shoot down several aerial targets at once.
Japan has been continually involved
in Operation Enduring Freedom on the seas and in coalition services
to rebuild Afghanistan. Prime Minister Koizumi told concerned
families of sailors that the Krishima and other ships merely provide
support for the international campaign against terrorism and will
not take part in any attack against Iraq.
Japan’s Defense Ministry said the
call of Japan’s navy is going to work for international good.
Vice Admiral Hiraku Katsuyama, Fleet commander-in-chief, told
the crew, "This is an extremely important mission."
(Full
Story)
Intel:
Iraqi Military not Eager to Engage U.S. Troops
WASHINGTON
— According to U.S. intelligence assessments the Iraqi military
is demoralized and not eager to engage American troops.
"The Iraqis, across the board,
have a serious morale problem. They are not eager to engage U.S.-led
coalition forces in combat," a U.S. intelligence official
said last week.
The official is an expert on Iraqi
military capabilities and spoke to reporters on the condition
he not be identified by name. He said the Iraqi forces are generally
not confident in their abilities. (Full
Story)
Iraqi
Declaration "Padded with Reams of Extraneous Material"
WASHINGTON
— As discussions pick up on how to transfer sensitive US and
British Intelligence to top UN officials, US Secretary of State
Powell said that Iraq’s declaration that it has no weapons of
mass destruction "totally fails" to meet the terms of
U.N. Security Council Resolution 1441.
Powell indicated the United States
would begin providing U.N. inspectors with intelligence information
about suspected weapons sites and other support "that would
perhaps make the inspection efforts more targeted and effective."
(Full
Story)
Danish
Air Force F-16 Fighter Jet Crashed-Landed in Bagram
WASHINGTON
— In Afghanistan, the dangers inherent in even routine military
operations were highlighted when an F-16 fighter jet from the
Danish air force crash-landed at Bagram Air Base. Defense officials
reported the jet’s forward landing gear collapsed as the airplane
set down.
The plane overran the runway and
came to a rest about 500 meters past the end of the runway in
a minefield. The pilot was immediately transported to the U.S.
Army hospital at Bagram, where he was held for observation. Officials
had no other details on his condition or injuries. (Full
Story)
Coalition
Forces Drop Leaflets In Southern Iraq
MACDILL AFB,
FL — For the eighth time in three months, coalition aircraft
have dropped informational leaflets over southern Iraq.
Coalition forces dropped leaflets
over Al Amarah and over As Samawah. Al Amarah is approximately
165 miles southeast of Baghdad, and As Samawah is approximately
130 miles southeast of Baghdad. The Coalition dropped a total
of 240,000 leaflets over both locations.
The leaflets referred Iraqis to
radio frequencies where Coalition forces are broadcasting information
about United Nations Security Council Resolution 1441, United
Nations weapons inspectors in Iraq, Iraqi President Saddam Hussein’s
reign and other topics. (View
Leaflet)
Russia,
U.S., U.N. and EU Join on Security Talks for State of Israel
As
war on Iraq becomes more inevitable each day, the tiny state of
Israel–surrounded by Arab-Muslim nations–is preparing its people
for possible missile strikes from Iraq. Security precautions are
a part of daily life for families living in Israel, but defense
concerns are heightened as the Iraqi situation heats up. In 1991,
the US led Gulf War so angered Saddam, he launched a missile attack
against Israel.
Since that time Palestinian terror strikes intensified
against Israeli families. Many children, pregnant women, husbands
and fathers were killed or mutilated by Palestinian terrorist
attacks. And now Israelis brace for Iraq.
In Washington, the Quartet of leaders (Russia,
EU, UN and US), concerned over the Middle East situation, met
to discuss a road map to peace for Israel and the Palestinians.
EU’s Danish Foreign Minister Moeller said, "What we are trying
to do is to pave the way to the two states… I think it’s very
important that Israel knows it will live there forever in security.
But they can only have that security if they give a political
solution to the Palestinians…"
The meetings covered humanitarian
efforts, health care for Palestinians and Israel’s protection
from terror attacks."There are some keys to moving forward.
All of us must work hard to fight against terror so that a few
cannot deny the dreams of the many," said U.S. President
Bush. (Read
Quartet Joint Statement)
Personal
Info Taken In Health Care Computer Theft
Thieves
made off with computer equipment and files from the Arizona office
of a military health care contractor Dec. 14, gaining access to
some clients’ social security numbers, according to DoD’s health
care management organization.
The
TRICARE Management Activity noted in a Dec. 23 news release that
TriWest Healthcare Alliance Corp., a TRICARE contractor, provides
services to military members, their families and retirees living
mostly in the central and western United States. (Full
Story)
Troops
in Afghanistan Report Several Incidents
American
soldiers from the 82nd Airborne Division on a routine patrol in
Afghanistan Dec. 26 reported finding a site previously used to
fire rockets at a U.S. base near Khowst, Defense Department officials
said.
The
U.S. troops detained four individuals found in the area, two of
whom were armed, a military spokesman in Bagram said today. (Full
Story)
American
Soldier Wounded in Firefight near Pakistan
WASHINGTON,
Dec. 30, 2002 (AFPS)- An American soldier in Afghanistan
was wounded by hostile fire Dec. 29.
The soldier was grazed by an AK-47 round during an exchange of
gunfire near the border with Pakistan.
U.S. officials evacuated the soldier
to the medical facility at Bagram Air Base. He was treated and
transferred to the U.S. medical center at Landstuhl, Germany.
Another U.S. soldier was taken to
Landstuhl on Dec. 28. That soldier was wounded in an apparent
accidental shooting at Kandahar airfield on Saturday. His condition
is listed as "very serious," said U.S. Central Command
officials.
Neither soldier has been identified,
and officials are investigating both incidents.
Powell
Says U.S., Allies Trying for Sense from North Korea
North Korea’s
move to build nuclear weapons is "a matter of great concern"
to the United States and that "all options are open,"
Secretary of State Colin Powell said Dec. 29.
Powell said the United States wants
to ensure the international community recognizes that North Korea
has violated the 1994 Agreed Framework that bans the country from
building atomic weapons. (Full
Story)
IDF
Provides Protection For Worshippers
Redeploying
at checkpoints outside of Bethlehem, Israeli soldiers have temporarily
removed themselves from the town’s scenery in a show of
respect to Christian pilgrims celebrating the Christmas holy day.
Captain Jacob Dallal told the media that he and fellow troops
"would like to be completely out of there, but if we are
not there, then the buses will explode in Jerusalem.”
Since
the 1995 withdraw of troops in Bethlehem, due to the signing of
the Oslo 2 Accords, there has been no real Israeli control over
the town. But due to the recent Palestinian terrorist attack that
killed innocent children on their way to school in Jerusalem,
Israeli officials feel that it is important to have a watchful
eye on the area where the Palestinian homicide bomber had lived.
(Full
Story)
Security
No Easy Task For Company D
BAGRAM, Afghanistan
— Half of their job is security. The other is isolation.
“There’s also a lot
of ‘go chase these people around,’” said Staff
Sgt. Jeff Weaver, platoon sergeant.
Weaver is with Company D, 3rd Battalion,
505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, Fort Bragg, N.C., which provides
protection for the rest of the battalion.
“Our first mission was in
Deh Rawod,” said Sgt. 1st Class Mike Jarvey, platoon sergeant.
“It was a fact-finding mission. We escorted Afghan officials
and Special Forces teams. We took them around for five days.”
(Full
Story)
Terrorists
Disguised as Soldiers Slay Students in School Kitchen
A
seventeen-year-old boy was murdered in his school’s kitchen
by terrorists who broke into the school and opened fire on the
unsuspecting students as they were preparing for the evening
prayer dinner.
MFA
reports that around 7:30 P.M. Friday, two terrorists from the
nearby village of Dura in the Hebron area infiltrated Otniel,
Israel by cutting the protective fence and sneaking in unnoticed.
Heavily armed with M-16 rifles,
ammunition and hand grenades, the terrorists cleverly disguised
as soldiers stormed the quiet traditional religious school for
bible studies (a yeshiva). (Full
Story)
Russia,
Chechnya, and the French Connection
The
rescue operation at the site of the terrorist attack at Grozny
is over, say officials, and now they are in the process of clearing
away the debris.
However, the investigation into
identifying and locating each of the organizers and participants
of the terror attack has just begun and plans to be aggressive.
Information released Monday reveals
that many more deaths may have occurred if not for the quick action
of servicemen posted to guard the Grozny building. (Full
Story)