terrorism

"Only for show" Baghdad checkpoints to blame for bombings

Sophie Team Observers — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 15:37:26 +0100

The Ministry of Justice building. Image author wishes to remain anonymous.

Sunday's double suicide bombing in Baghdad took place in what was considered the city's safest area barring the "Green Zone". As the death toll soars to over 150, the people of Baghdad are left wondering just how the attackers could get through the city's countless checkpoints.

The attack is the worst the Iraqi capital has seen since April 2007, and comes just months after the targeted road reopened to public traffic. At least 25 staff members of the Baghdad Provincial Council, which runs the city, were killed in the bombing.

Two days after the attack al Qaeda claimed responsibility for the bloodshed, saying they wanted to punish what they call "the Ministry of Injustice and Oppression". The government however, blames members of Saddam Hussein's outlawed party, Baath. Today (October 29), dozens of security force members who were on shift over the weekend, including 11 officers and 15 commanders of connected checkpoints, were arrested over the attacks.

The attack is suspected as a first attempt from opposition militants to destabilise Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki's government in the run up to January's parliamentary election.

Can you laugh about suicide bombers?

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 17:20:40 +0200

An online comedy about a group of Bradford-based Muslim extremists planning a suicide bombing has been released on YouTube. Hilarious or disrespectful? One of our British Muslim Observers gives his reaction.

"Living with the Infidels" is the creation of London-based film-maker Aasaf Ainapore, who says he was born into a Muslim family but is not a believer himself. The blurb goes as follow:

"The series centres around a bumbling, Bradford-based terror cell. Initially set on a path to martyrdom, Yorkshire's jihadi warriors discover the West isn't as bad as it seems. Tempted by the likes of Man U, cable TV and ample Abi upstairs, what's a man to do? Will they find Paradise in the arms of seventy-two virgins, or is Shangri-La [utopia] closer to home, propped up at the bar in The Dog and Duck?"

The series, which launched on 5 August, has come under fire from relatives of suicide bombing victims (particularly 7/7), who consider the subject too sensitive to be laughed over. It has also faced criticism from a Muslim association in Bradford, which claims that it's misrepresentative of Muslim youth. However, not everybody is disappointed. The series has already got a following on Facebook.

The armed Shia group that’s cracking the Lebanese up

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 20 May 2009 18:24:34 +0200

Videos of an obscure armed group are circulating on the net. The "Islamic Arab Resistance" present themselves as the Shia rival to Hezbollah in Lebanon. Watching their training footage however, it doesn't seem to hold true...

Condoleezza Rice grilled over torture

Team Observers — Tue, 05 May 2009 17:28:52 +0200

A Stanford University student grills ex-US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice over the Bush administration's torture policy. Who sounds more convincing: Rice or Jeremy Cohn?

Condoleezza Rice, former US President George W. Bush's security advisor and then secretary of state (2005-2009), returned to teach political science at Stanford University, where she was a professor before entering politics, in March.

The torture memos released by US President Barack Obama's administration in April revealed that highly-placed officials in the Bush administration, including Rice, legally approved the CIA's controversial torture methods. They also gave interrogators the green light to resort to techniques like waterboarding.

Rice was given a rather luke-warm reception at Stanford University on Monday, when she visited a dormitory where she was confronted by a group of students. Among them was Jeremy Cohn, a fourth-year student who did not hesitate to grill Rice. The scene was filmed by another student, who then posted it on YouTube. Rice denied personally authorising waterboarding and simply confirmed "communicating the administration's authorisation to the CIA."

“The Taliban say they have an army of 2,000 suicide bombers”

Julien — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:58:02 +0200

Residents across various cities and villages in Pakistan's Swat valley are evacuating their homes ahead of an imminent military operation to rout the Taliban militia in the region. The Taliban has been slowly gaining control of Pakistan’s Northwest Frontier Provinces. The Swat valley, once a popular tourist destination, has now become a Taliban stronghold. Our Observer in the Swat valley’s main town of Mingora says preparations are underway for a full-blown operation.

9/11 déjà vu: "It's a hijacking, I know it!"

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 11:49:43 +0200

New Yorkers were scared out of their wits on Monday evening when two low-flying planes approached the city's landmarks. The planes were not, however, under control of terrorist hijackers as suspected, but merely taking part in a presidential plane photo-shoot. Who would have thought it?! Not the local residents, as they received absolutely no forewarning from the government...

Posted on YouTube by "faavradmin".

Posted on YouTube by " samiraatash".

The White House wanted to get a photo op of Air Force One in front of the Statue of Liberty (in former President George W. Bush's times Mount Rushmore was the backdrop). But despite long-term planning, nobody outside the project was told about the event, leading to panic in the city, the evacuation of buildings, and subsequent public outcry when the identity of the supposed threat was revealed. President Barack Obama's administration has apologised for the "mistake", but came under further fire on Tuesday when the cost of the operation was revealed at $328,835 (€250,000).

Met police tell Britons: look in rubbish bins for terrorism

Sophie Team Observers — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 18:31:15 +0100

In March 2008 British police shocked Londoners by asking them to report "odd-looking" photographers and houses with "unusual activity". Despite massive criticism for infringing on civil liberties last time, the Metropolitan Police is now going further, asking residents to rummage through wheelie bins and report anyone who dares glance at a CCTV camera.

Attack on Sri Lankan cricketers: the Indian lead

Julien — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 16:19:12 +0100

One of our Observers in Pakistan, Awab Alvi, has published a note by the security services warning local authorities about the probability of an attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team. The note, dating back to January 22, pointed to an Indian lead.

Who ordered Tuesday’s attack on the Sri Lankan national team in Lahore is anyone’s guess. The Taliban? Tamil Tigers? A document leaked to the press on Tuesday evening has opened up another lead. The memo produced by the security services of Pakistan’s Punjab province warned local authorities about the possibility of an attack on the Sri Lankan cricket team masterminded by the Indian secret services (RAW). The note even mentioned the transfer from the hotel to the stadium as a possible timing for the attack: which is precisely what happened. But who might have had an interest in leaking a document that directly accuses India and underlines the negligence of the government in place?

Terrorists strike at cricket, 'the only thing binding Pakistanis together'

Julien — Tue, 03 Mar 2009 15:39:04 +0100

Twelve masked and heavily-armed gunmen attacked a bus carrying the Sri Lankan cricket team to a stadium in Lahore Tuesday morning. The wife of our Observer in Pakistan was nearby when the bus was showered with gunshots. Police say eight people were killed, including six policemen and two civilians. At least six players of the Sri Lankan team were reportedly injured.

Adnan Ali is a consultant in new technologies in Lahore. He was among the first to report on the attack via Twitter.

My wife works in a school a few dozen metres away from the stadium, where the attack took place. She called me when she heard the gunshots and I copied her words on Twitter. I was the first, I believe, to report that the terrorists were using not only rifles, but also rockets. The media later confirmed my wife’s account of the events.

I don’t know who organised the attack. In my view this wasn’t the work of the Taliban, who usually carry out suicide attacks and are not so well-organised. All sorts of interpretations have been advanced on Twitter. Some even suggest India might have organised the operation in the hope that international opinion will blame Pakistan. According to this theory, the plan of action used for the Bombay attacks would have been reproduced to give the impression of an attack by Pakistani Islamists.

One thing is sure: the attack has truly shocked the people here. Cricket is a national symbol. It’s the only thing that binds all Pakistanis together. From the Taliban-controlled areas to Karachi, everyone plays cricket and ardently supports the national team, which is itself a collection of players from all regions. By having a go at cricket, they have touched one of the few things that really affect Pakistanis - their last pleasure."

You may send your questions to Adnan Ali on his profile page.

Bloggers launch 'Operation General Dead'

Team Observers — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 15:26:48 +0100

The cyberactivist Mohammed Adel faces charges of terrorism in Egypt. To express their support, a group of Egyptian bloggers have launched a satirical "Operation General Dead". Their "pro-terrorism" campaign is so realistic Facebook has decided to censor it.

Mohammed Adel, nicknamed "Dead", is a blogger and IT student in his early 20s. He was arrested late November by Egyptian authorities under charges of "terrorism" and "links to an illegal organisation". His crime: taking pictures of himself as he brandished a Hamas Kalashnikov during a trip organised by the "Popular committee against the Gaza siege" in 2008, prior to the Israeli assault.

The pictures, posted on his blog, were used by Egyptian authorities to indict him. Mohammed Adel is known for his stinging criticisms of President Hosni Mubarak. Arguing that the charges brought against him are an outright fabrication, several Egyptian bloggers and activists have decided to express their support by committing the same "crime". In a series of pictures posted on the Web, they can be seen posing with fake weapons, adopting hostile mimics and parodying the bearing of Islamist militants.