Traitor Hicks a 'Spoiled Brat'
The first foreign captive to get a lawyer at Guantanamo is a cowboy turned Islamic guerrilla, an Australian ranch hand who ran away from home and wound up in Afghanistan. A doctor at Camp Delta there has described David Hicks, 28, a frequent hunger striker, as a "spoiled brat.'' It should be remembered that Greens Senator Bob Brown is an ardent supporter of David Hicks, who is a former member of Lashkar-e-Toiba (LET), fought alongside Muslim guerillas in the Balkans. Hicks was trained by Al-Qaida in the use of weapons, surveillance and ambush techniques, before he was captured by Allied troops whilst he was on the Afghanistan frontline fighting for the Taliban. more > >
Al Qaida Debates its Targets
A fierce debate is raging within the ranks of al-Qaida whether to attack the Saudi Arabian regime directly, or to concentrate their attacks on Americans. One result of the argument is that a new organization, the Al-Haramayn (Two Holy Places) Brigades, has spun off from al-Qaida to attack Saudi targets. The debate, which is conducted semi-openly by al-Qaida theorists and Islamic intellectuals on the website "The Voice of Jihad," has now drawn in a senior al-Qaida member Abd Al-Aziz bin Issa bin Abd Al-Mohsen, also known as Abu Hajer, who is on Saudi Arabia's most-wanted list. He argues that Saudi Arabia should be handled with kid gloves, as the major source of al-Qaida funding. more > >
Libya Disarmed Because of Iraq War
We all know that the Libyan Government announced December 19 that it will dismantle its nuclear and chemical weapons programs and allow United Nations inspectors to verify compliance. However, it has only just been made known that the decision came after the Libyan regime would face a similar fate to that of former Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein unless it bowed to UN dictates on “weapons of mass destruction.” more > >
No Holiday in War on Terror
The heightened US security alert over Christmas, and consequent cancellation of several international flights, were timely reminders of the unique threat posed by al-Qa'ida. The fundamentalists despise us so profoundly that a holiday in which families come together to celebrate peace and goodwill strikes them as a first-rate opportunity for murder and mayhem. more > >
Huge Task for Investigators of Saddam-era Crimes
The investigation of crimes committed under the rule of ousted Iraqi President Saddam Hussein promises to be a momentous task, with thousands of documents to be examined and witnesses to be traced. The prospects of trying Saddam and other officials accused of committing crimes during his 24-year rule were given a tremendous boost by the December 13 capture of Saddam, as well as the announcement days earlier of a decision to create an Iraqi Special Tribunal to handle these atrocities. more > >
Bashir says Bali Bombers are Allah's Fighters, not Terrorists
Jailed Indonesian Muslim cleric Abu Bakar Bashir has said the Bali bombers and an Indonesian bomb-maker killed by the Philippine military in October were not "Terrorists" but Allah's fighters. "Fathur Rohman al-Ghozi, who recently became a martyr, is a Jihad [holy war] fighter, not a Terrorist," Bashir told a gathering of prisoners at Salemba prison in Central Jakarta that journalists and his supporters were allowed to attend. more > >
Zak Mallah Faces Court Again
The first man to be charged under Australia's new anti-Terrorism laws will have longer to wait before the justice system deals with his case. 20-year old Zak Mallah, of Condell Park in Sydney's south-west, made his second court appearance today at Sydney's Central Local Court. Mr Mallah has been charged with making preparations for a Terrorist act. If convicted he faces a maximum sentence of life in prison. more > >
Australian Missile Research Raising Ire
Taipei Times - Just before Japan announced its decision to buy an unproven US missile shield to defend itself against any future North Korean nuclear attack attack, the Australian Government chose a much cheaper option. It announced its decision to seek a research role in the multi-layered systems being developed by the US' Missile Defense Agency. Although overshadowed by the later Japanese commitment to spend tens of billions of dollars to acquire a missile defense capability as soon as 2007, the Australian move adds to regional concerns that the program may spur a dangerous Asian arms race. more > >
Terror Links Cause for Alarm
Two Sydney brothers, Bilal and Maher Khazal, have been sentenced in absentia to 10 years' jail in Beirut for Terrorist offences. So why is nothing happening? The Lebanese Government says that it is considering whether to seek the brothers' extradition, while the Australian Government is saying that it can do nothing until such a request is forthcoming. But while the two Governments execute their elaborate diplomatic dance, like debutantes at the ball, the Khazal brothers can do as they wish on the streets of Sydney. If this is the "police state" the Greens warned us we would be living under the new laws, then it must be the most free and easy police state in history. more > >
