Jemaah Islamiah plans terror attacks: Foreign Minister Alexander Downer

Australians could be the target of imminent terrorist attacks in Indonesia, including Bali, the Federal Government has warned in a revamped travel alert.

Right: Alexander Downer. [File]

According to the Department of Foreign Affairs, numerous attacks are being planned against Westerners, despite the recent arrests of "high-level operatives" of Jemaah Islamiah.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said the department had been receiving reports for some time about possible attacks from groups associated with JI, which is linked to Osama bin Laden's al-Qaeda. "People should be awake to that," he said, despite "a sense in the community" having taken hold that the terrorist threat in the region had dissipated.

"The reason we've reissued the travel advisory is that, in the context of a number of high-profile arrests in recent times in Indonesia, we still nevertheless remain very concerned about the possibility of terrorist attacks and those terrorist attacks could be imminent," he said.

"It can't be ruled out."

The warning does not change the overall level of threat to Australians.

"We're not predicting an attack at a particular location," Mr Downer said. "We're just reminding people that terrorist attacks are possible in Indonesia."

The warning came as Prime Minister John Howard announced for Australia what he billed as the world's best border-security arrangements, set to take effect ahead of both the Sydney meeting of Asia-Pacific heads of government and the federal election.

The new deal, which involves better data matching and more extensive background checks, was unveiled in the wake of the probe of the links of foreign-trained doctors in Australia to the recent failed terrorist attacks in Britain. The border-security initiative was bolstered by a pledge from Attorney-General Philip Ruddock to consider amending anti-terrorist legislation to extend the detention and questioning time of suspects, if he received advice from police or security services that it was warranted.

The department's warning on Indonesia specified Western targets.

"We continue to receive reports indicating that terrorists are planning attacks against Western interests, against a range of targets, including places frequented by foreigners," it said.

"If you are in Indonesia, including Bali, and are concerned for your safety, you should consider departing. If you do decide to travel to Indonesia, including Bali, you should exercise extreme caution."

Attacks could take place at any time and could be imminent. The warning referred to the Bali and Jakarta bombings of 2002, 2004 and 2005 and noted "these areas are a priority target for terrorists".

Eighty-eight Australians were killed in the 2002 bombings, for which nine terrorists have been found guilty.

Bagel: I wonder how many months it will be before:

"John Howard announced for Australia what he billed as the world's best border-security arrangements"

becomes a pie slapped in John Howards face. Probably enough time for us all to duck under our Fridge Magnets.

Cross posted at Aussie Bagel
References:
The Canberra Times: JI plans terror attacks: Downer

Always Fresh: Bagelblogger
: Jemaah Islamiah * JI * Bali Terrorism * Bali 2002 * Bali 2005 * Indonesia and Terrorism * Alexander Downer * Terrorism * Jakarta and terrorism * Terrorism Alert * Aussie Bagel * Austalia and Jewish* Jewish * Mr Bagel * BagelBlogger * Bagel Blogger * Jew

Read More...

Summary only...

BBC Video: Violence escalates in Gaza

If the video fails to play click here:
Violence escalates in Gaza

An Israeli woman has died in a Palestinian rocket attack, hours after fatal Israeli strikes on targets in Gaza.

Text as per Youtube upload
Video Credit: BBC

Always FreshBagelblogger
: Sderot * Gaza * Sderot Attacked * Sderot Rocket Attack * Israeli Woman killed * Palestinian Terrorism * Gaza Terrorism * Gaza Unrest * Hamas * Palestinian+terrorists * Mr Bagel Video * Jewish * Mr Bagel * BagelBlogger * Bagel Blogger * Jew

Read More...

Summary only...

Breaking News with Video: 6 Men arrested for plot to Kill US soldiers at Fort Dix N.J.

FORT DIX, N.J. — Six Islamic militants from Yugoslavia and the Middle East were arrested on charges of plotting to attack the Fort Dix Army base and "kill as many soldiers as possible," authorities said Tuesday.

"This was a serious plot put together by people who were intent on harming Americans," U.S. Attorney Christopher Christie said. "We're very gratified federal law enforcement was able to catch these people before they acted and took innocent life."

If the video fails to play click here:
Fort Dix Combat Training

A 4 minute movie showing a squad combat training at Ft Dix.
Ft Dix was where the Terrorist Attack was targeting
___________________________

One suspect reportedly spoke of using rocket-propelled grenades to kill at least 100 soldiers at a time, according to court documents.

"If you want to do anything here, there is Fort Dix and I don't want to exaggerate, and I assure you that you can hit an American base very easily," suspect Mohamad Ibrahim Shnewer said in a conversation last August that was secretly recorded by a government informant, according to the criminal complaint against him.

White House spokesman Tony Snow said Tuesday there is "no direct evidence" that the men have ties to international terrorism.

In court documents, prosecutors said the suspects came to the attention of authorities in January 2006 when a shopkeeper alerted the FBI about a "disturbing" video he had been asked to copy onto a DVD.

The video showed 10 men in their early 20s "shooting assault weapons at a firing range ... while calling for jihad and shouting in Arabic 'Allah Akbar' (God is great)," the complaint said. Six of the 10 were identified as those arrested in the plot.

"What concerns us is, obviously, they began conducting surveillance and weapons training in the woods and were discussing killing large numbers of soldiers," Boyd said.

Christie said one of the suspects worked at Super Mario's Pizza in nearby Cookstown and delivered pizzas to the base, using that opportunity to scout out a possible attack.

The six were scheduled to appear in U.S. District Court in Camden later Tuesday to face charges of conspiracy to kill U.S. servicemen, said Michael Drewniak, a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's Office in New Jersey. They were arrested Monday trying to buy automatic weapons from an FBI informant.

Officials said four of the men were born in the former Yugoslavia, one in Jordan and one in Turkey. All had lived in the United States for years. Three were in the United States illegally; two had green cards allowing them to stay in this country permanently; the other is a U.S. citizen.

Besides Shnewer, the other five men were identified in court papers as Dritan Duka, Eljvir Duka, Shain Duka, Serdar Tatar and Agron Abdullahu. Checks with Immigration and Customs Enforcement show that Dritan Duka, Eljvir Duka and Shain Duka are illegally living in the United States, according to FBI complaints unsealed with their arrests.

Five of the men lived in Cherry Hill, a Philadelphia suburb about 20 miles from Fort Dix.

"They were planning an attack on Fort Dix in which they would kill as many soldiers as possible," Drewniak said.

A law enforcement official, speaking on condition of anonymity because documents in the case remain sealed, said the attack was stopped in the planning stages. The men also allegedly conducted surveillance at other area military institutions, including Fort Monmouth, a U.S. Army installation, the official said.

By March 2006, the group had been infiltrated by an informant who developed a relationship with Shnewer, according to court documents. The informant secretly recorded meetings in August 2006 in which Shnewer said that he and the other suspects were part of a group planning to attack a U.S. military base, the complaints said.

Shnewer named Fort Dix and a nearby Navy base, explaining that the group "could utilize six or seven jihadists to attack and kill at least one hundred soldiers by using rocket-propelled grenades" or other weapons, the complaint said. The Navy base was not named in the complaint.

Fort Dix is used to train soldiers, particularly reservists. It also housed refugees from Kosovo in 1999.

Soldiers at Fort Dix have been training for warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan, said Jeff Sagnip, a spokesman for Republican U.S. Rep. James Saxton, who represents Fort Dix. The base typically has about 15,000 people, including 3,000 soldiers.

"Everything is a replica of what they would face in the field," he said.

The base has been closed to the public since the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks. There are heavily armed guards at entrances, along with X-ray machines. Yet the main road through neighboring Cookstown cuts through the base and is accessible to the public. A half-dozen locations on the base, including at least two where soldiers were conducting maneuvers Tuesday morning, were only a few hundred yards off the main road.

The description of the suspects as "Islamic militants" renewed fears in New Jersey's Muslim community. Hundreds of Muslim men from New Jersey were rounded up and detained by authorities in the months following the 2001 attacks, but none was connected to that plot.

"If these people did something, then they deserve to be punished to the fullest extent of the law," said Sohail Mohammed, a lawyer who represented many of the detainees. "But when the government says 'Islamic militants,' it sends a message to the public that Islam and militancy are synonymous.

"Don't equate actions with religion," he said.

BB: Nah we wouldn't do that Sohail, every one knows Islam is the Religion of Pieces.
This is a breaking story, it will be updated as more information comes to hand.

References:
Chron.com: 6 charged with plot on Army post in N.J.

Always FreshBagelblogger
: Fort Dix * Fort Dix Attack Planned * Islamic Terrorist Attack Fort DixTerrorist attack planned for N.J. * New Jersey Terrorist attack Planned * Attack planned against Fort Dix * Jewish * Mr Bagel * BagelBlogger * Bagel Blogger * Jew *

Read More...

Summary only...