"The Government will hunt down all militant activists and extremist elements in the country until they are no longer a threat to national security. Whether they are locals or foreigners if they are in the country, we will take action against these terrorists, Datuk Seri Dr Mahathir Mohamad said when commenting on the arrest of 13 members of a new cell of the so-called Kumpulan Militan Malaysia (KMM) group," reported The Star newspaper of Malaysia.
"Fifteen people have been arrested here under the city-state of Singapore's Internal Security Act (ISA) for alleged involvement in terrorism-related activities, the Home Affairs Ministry said yesterday. Thirteen of those arrested in raids between Dec 9 and Dec 24 belong to a clandestine organisation calling itself Jemaah Islamiah, the ministry said in a statement. Key figures of the Jemaah Islamiah, including several of those presently in custody, have links to militant elements in Malaysia and Indonesia, according to the ministry," reported the AFP news service.
"The leaders of India and Pakistan surprised each other yesterday, one with an onstage handshake and the other with a public snub. Pakistani President Gen. Pervez Musharraf surprised Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee by offering his hand to shake, after a speech offering friendship and dialogue. Vajpayee then responded with a strongly worded rebuttal demanding that Pakistan stop harbouring Islamic militants, accused of attacking Indian security forces in Kashmir and blamed for the Dec 13 assault on India’s Parliament. He then snubbed Musharraf by walking past the waiting Pakistani leader after the inaugural speeches of the South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation summit," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"Pakistani authorities have detained more than 100 activists in a crackdown on extremist organisations involved in religious militancy and sectarian violence, officials said yesterday. Over 100 people have been arrested in the past two days, said a senior official. These people are involved in various cases in the country. The detainees include activists from sectarian parties and Muslim militant organisations, the official said, requesting anonymity," reported the AFP news service.
"South Asian leaders opened a summit here yesterday all backing the international coalition against terrorism, but with some calling for a careful study on the root causes of dehumananising violence," reported the AFP news service.
"A US Army Special Forces soldier was killed by small-arms fire during an ambush in eastern Afghanistan, the first American military death from enemy fire in the war against terrorism. A CIA officer who was with the soldier was wounded in Friday’s ambush but was expected to survive," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"The United States demanded an explanation on Friday from Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat over the seizure by Israel authorities of 50 tonnes of weapons allegedly being smuggled from Iran for use by the Palestinians. However, there was no indication that the incident would hinder or curtail the mission of US Middle East envoy Anthony Zinni, who arrived in the region on Thursday on his second visit aimed at cementing an Israeli-Palestinian ceasefire," reported the AFP news service.
"Malaysia is convinced that Singapore has enough evidence to arrest several people, including a Malaysian, under its Internal Security Act for suspected involvement in terrorism-related activities," reported The Star newspaper of Malaysia.
"However strong the cause that people have, however strong their feelings, any cause must be pursued by means other than terrorism and there can be no compromise on that," said the British Prime Minister, Tony Blair.
"The leaders of India and Pakistan left a South Asian summit yesterday with no easing of tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours, unable to make good on a promising handshake. As the leaders went their separate ways, Indian and Pakistani forces exchanged mortar fire on their tense border, further dashing any hopes of a diplomatic solution to the crisis," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Israel and the Palestinians were to resume security talks for the first time in a month yesterday, despite Palestinian anger at an Israeli crackdown and Israeli fury over a ship it said was arming Palestinians," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Defence Minister Tony Tan warned Singaporeans on Saturday to be on guard against al-Qaeda and other terrorist networks, but said fears of attacks should not threaten racial harmony. He spoke hours after the government announced the arrest of 15 suspected militants, some of them allegedly trained at Osama bin Laden’s al-Qaeda camps in Afghanistan," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"Suspected al-Qaeda-linked militants arrested in Singapore were planning to blow up the U.S. Embassy and American business interests in the city-state, an official said Monday. Recent arrests in Singapore and neighboring Malaysia have uncovered a suspected terrorist network in Southeast Asia linked to Osama bin Laden, raising concerns that the region's close ties to Washington could make it a target for terrorism," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"A small plane flown by a lone 15-year-old student pilot crashed into a Tampa Floridaoffice high-rise on Saturday after taking off from a nearby airport without clearance and then ignoring Coast Guard signals to land, officials said. Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge was in touch with White House staff and President George W. Bush was briefed on the Tampa crash and two other small plane crashes on Saturday outside Los Angeles and Boulder, Colorado. None of these incidents appear to be related and there’s no indication of terrorism, said White House spokesman Scott McClellan. Reuters
"A letter laced with cyanide was sent to the US embassy in Wellington, prompting security fears for Tiger Woods at this week’s New Zealand Golf Open, local media reported yesterday. The letter, sent this week, contained industrial strength cyanide and also carried a threat to disrupt the visit here of the world’s number one player," reported Reuters news agency.
"The US military on Saturday took into custody the former Taliban ambassador to Pakistan even as its primary targets, Taliban supreme leader Mullah Mohammad Omar and Osama bin Laden, eluded Afghan and US forces. Mullah Abdul Salam Zaeef, the Taliban’s principal spokesman during the war in Afghanistan and the vanquished movement’s highest-ranking official to be captured, joined hundreds of detainees facing interrogation by US officials seeking intelligence for their war on terrorism," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Airline authorities here late on Saturday were investigating claims that reporters smuggled an 11cm dagger and other sharp weapons onto a British Airways (BA) jet for the second time in just over a week. Journalists from the tabloid Sunday People said they took the dagger, a razor-sharp stiletto knife, measuring 8cm, and a miniature stainless steel cleaver onto the Boeing 737 plane at Gatwick airport here bound for Manchester, earlier this week. The weapons were missed by security and X-ray machines after being concealed in a briefcase and overcoat," reported the AFP news agency.
"A group of scientists are perimenting with the worst smells imaginable to help the military develop an "odor bomb'' so foul it could clear crowds. We are going for odors that every culture has experienced and the experience is negative, said Pamela Dalton, a researcher at the Philadelphia-based Monell Chemical Senses Center. The Pentagon asked Monell to help develop the stinky but non-lethal weapon," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"The 15-year-old student pilot who crashed a small plane into a Florida skyscraper wrote a note expressing sympathy for Osama bin Laden and support for the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, police said. The short, handwritten note found in Charles Bishop's pocket said he acted alone, police Chief Bennie Holder said Sunday. The high school freshman had no apparent terrorist ties, Holder said, reported the Associated Press news agency.
"India and the United States have agreed to share military intelligence in the war on terrorism and are working out the details, a defence ministry official said Monday. The official, using customary anonymity, said the outline of the deal was reached last month when U.S. Defence Undersecretary Douglas Feith visited the Indian capital," reported the Associated Press news agncy.
"Renegade Moro National Liberation Front leader Nur Misuari was deported to Manila Monday morning. A Foreign Ministry official told The Star that Nur Misuari left the Subang military base on board a Philippine military aircraft together with another MNLF member. Misuari was arrested in Jampiras Island, off Sabah, on Nov 24 after fleeing charges of rebellion for allegedly instigating attacks on military installations in Jolo island. Analysts fear that Muslims could grow angry at his trial at the hands of a predominantly Christian government," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"As the former Moro National Liberation Front leader Nur Misuari was flown back to Manila, all three divisions of the Philippine military went on high alert on any possible violent actions by his supporters in southern Philippines. Philippines Justice Secretary Hernando Peres said that Misuari would possibly be charged only next month and would be detained at Fort St Domingo in Laguna, about 28km from Manila, until final security arrangements were made by the Philippine police," reported The Star newspaper of Malaysia.
"Malaysia has never harboured any member of the al-Qaeda group, Defence Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said. Should the Government detect any of them hiding in the country, it was prepared to use all means to deal with the matter, he said. He dismissed claims that certain members of the terrorist group were allowed by the Government to enter the country freely," reported The Star newspaper of Malaysia.
Prime Minister of Malaysia, Dr Mahathir Mohamad questioned the motive of defence and intelligence magazine, Jane’s Intelligence Review, in stating that Malaysia could have helped avert the attack on the World Trade Centre if it had acted against two men suspected of piloting the aircraft that crashed into the Pentagon on Sept 11 last year when they were in Malaysia on Jan 2000. "We can also question why the United States didn’t arrest them when they were there. We know they had been in the US for a year prior to the Sept 11 attack. We also now know they had visited Switzerland before the attack. Why were they not arrested by the Swiss government?" he asked.
"DAP(a Malaysian political party) chairman Lim Kit Siang has questioned the Jane Intelligence Review, which partly blamed Malaysia for not arresting Khalid al-Midhar and nipping the Sept 11 terrorist attacks in the bud, when it should point-blank indict the Central Intelligence Agency for the worst failure of intelligence in US history," reported The Star newspaper of Malaysia.
"India ruled out yesterday any immediate prospect of a dialogue with Pakistan, saying Islamabad had shown no sign of changing its stance towards the issue of terrorism. Where is the question of dialogue, when there is no change of attitude, Foreign Minister Jaswant Singh told reporters after a meeting of the Indian security Cabinet which reviewed the weekend’s South Asian regional summit in Nepal," reported the AFP news service.
"Prime Minister Tony Blair, on a diplomatic mission to India and Pakistan, is under growing pressure from critics who say the globe-trotting premier should be devoting his energies to problems at home. As chaos mounts on Britain’s strike-bound railways and the troubled state-run health service shows no sign of improvement, even commentators that usually back Blair’s Labour government are turning hostile in his absence," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Investigators following the money trail in the Sept 11 attacks on the United States have traced more than US$325,000 (RM1.2mil) via credit card receipts, ATM withdrawals and other transactions connected to the 19 suspected hijackers, the Washington Post reported yesterday. The newspaper said the money was transferred to the hijacking teams from associates in the United Arab Emirates and a handful of other countries including Pakistan and Germany," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The Palestinian captain of a cargo ship Israel said it captured with 50 tonnes of weapons on board told Israeli television stations on Friday he was sent by colleagues of Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat. Omar Akawi, 44, captain of the ship intercepted in the Red Sea on Jan 3 said: I got my instructions from Adel Mugrabi, Fathi Al Razem both are close to Arafat. I don’t know the weapons suppliers. It might have been a gift from Iran, or maybe a gift from Hizbollah because Hizbollah and the Palestinian Authority are friends, he said, referring to the Lebanese Shiite Muslim militia," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon accused Yasser Arafat of being a major player in world terrorism over the seizure of a ship laden with tonnes of weapons, but Lloyd’s List yesterday threw doubt on his claim that the vessel was owned by Arafat’s Palestinian Authority. And despite the furore of the weapons smuggling ship, special US peace envoy Anthony Zinni said he saw real opportunities for progress after a joint security meeting aimed at strengthening a fragile ceasefire," reported the AFP news service.
"British paratroopers arrived in Kabul to bolster a foreign security force as tribal elders met in east Afghanistan yesterday to decide what to do with a teenager believed to have shot the first US soldier killed in the war. Afghan tribal elders were meeting in Khost in Paktia province to decide the fate of a 14-year-old boy suspected of killing a US soldier, sources in the Pakistani border town of Miranshah said. At a tribal jirga (council) in Khost, the elders are to decide whether to hand over the teenager to the US military," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The Government breached the Extradition Act when it deported former Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) leader Nur Misuari to the Philippines, his Malaysian solicitor claimed yesterday. Under Section 8 of the Act, a fugitive criminal from abroad cannot be surrendered to a country seeking his return if the offence in respect of which his return is sought is of a political character, said Sankara Nair," reported The Star newspaper of Malaysia.
"The military will continue to be on high alert in Sabah despite the deportation of the former governor of Autonomous Region of Muslim Mindanao, Nur Misuari. Defence Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said although the Government did not expect any problem from the southern Philippines to spill over to Sabah(Malaysia), it would not take any chances," reported The Star newspaper of Malaysia.
"A top Indonesian security official yesterday voiced support for a crackdown on suspected terrorists by neighbours Malaysia and Singapore. As I have said earlier, combating terrorism is a matter of principle for Indonesia, Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said," reported the AFP news service.
"An Indian army soldier and two Muslim separatist militants were killed yesterday when the guerillas tried to storm an army camp in Indian-administered Kashmir, police said. A spokesman said three militants equipped with AK-47 rifles and grenades attempted to enter an army camp at Trehgam, 110km north of Kashmir’s summer capital Srinagar, by hurling grenades and firing automatic weapons," reported the AFP news service.
"The US military is winding up its search for terror mastermind Osama bin Laden at Tora Bora after failing to find him in the bomb-shattered cave complex and is targeting air and ground attacks against remnants of the al-Qaeda network and the Taliban to stop them from regrouping," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"Three former ministers in Afghanistan’s vanquished Taliban regime have surrendered to their conquerors while the hunt for the supreme Taliban leader again focused on rugged southern mountains. The three ministers and other senior Taliban officials were gradually surrendering, said a spokesman for Governor Gul Agha of Kandahar," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Authorities are preparing to begin searching for thousands of Middle Eastern men in the United States who have ignored orders to leave the country, the Washington Post reported yesterday. Citing officials familiar with the operation, the newspaper said the US Justice Department had identified about 6,000 young men from the Middle East who had ignored deportation orders and made their arrest and removal the highest priority,' reported the Reuters news agency.
"The White House said on Monday that US President George W. Bush meant no disrespect to the Pakistani people by referring tothem as Pakis. The president has great respect for Pakistan, the Pakistani people, and the Pakistani culture," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The US Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) on Monday arrested an apparently drunk airline passenger who struck a flight attendant and opened the door of a plane as it taxied for take-off, the FBI said. The passenger got out of his seat as the Southwest Airlines jet taxied towards a runway at Los Angeles International Airport, took off one shoe and headed for the back of the plane. He opened one of the rear doors depressurising the plane, after striking a stewardess on the head after she confronted him, said FBI spokesman Matt McLaughlin," reported the AFP news service.
"Palestinian leader Yasser Arafat announced on Monday he was launching an internal investigation into Israel’s seizure of a ship the Israelis said was smuggling arms, and vowed to punish anyone involved. The Palestinian Authority, which has denied Israeli charges that Arafat and other leaders were behind the alleged smuggling attempt, took action after meeting US, European and Russian officials seeking to end more than 15 months of bloodshed," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Two Palestinians armed with grenades and assault rifles attacked an Israeli army post near the Gaza Strip before dawn Wednesday and were killed by soldiers after a chase and a protracted gun battle, the army said. The Israeli army refused comment on casualties among its soldiers. The attack ended a month-long lull in Israeli-Palestinian fighting and raised new doubts about a U.S. truce mission," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"The United States, anxious to defuse a military standoff between India and Pakistan, will urge a visiting Indian minister to match peace gestures from Pakistan as the two sides trade fire in tense Kashmir," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The Philippine government yesterday vowed a speedy and fair trial for detained Muslim leader Nur Misuari, who has been charged with rebellion for allegedly leading a failed uprising on a southern island two months ago," reported the dpa news agency.
"Palestinian gunmen killed four Israeli soldiers in a raid in southern Israel yesterday that also cost the attackers their lives and ended a three-week lull in more than 15 months of bloodshed, the army said. The militant Islamic group Hamas claimed responsibility for the raid, which violated Palestinian President Yasser Arafat’s Dec 16 call to end attacks on Israelis," reported the Reuters news agency.
"Afghanistan is once again divided among regional warlords, Rashid Dostum in the north, Gul Agha in Kandahar, Ismail Khan around Herat, Haji Abdul Qadir at Jalalabad. They say they’re loyal to new Prime Minister Hamid Karzai, and want to help the US catch Osama bin Laden. But there is plenty of suspicion they’re focussed more on their own power," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"US troops captured two al-Qaeda members near a huge cave complex in eastern Afghanistan and scooped up valuable intelligence to help them in their hunt for Osama bin Laden and Taliban chief Mullah Mohammad Omar," reported the Reuters news agency.
"The Taliban justice minister and several other high-ranking leaders of the ousted ruling militia have surrendered to the new Afghan government but were allowed to go free and will not be turned over to the United States, Jalal Khan, a close associate of Kandahar Governor Gul Agha," reported the AFP news agency.
"A videotape of one of the Sept 11 hijackers being pulled over for speeding two days before the attacks was released on Tuesday by Maryland State Police in the United States, who said there were no red flags to justify detaining the man. Ziad S. Jarrah was extremely calm and cooperative during the stop, and Trooper Joseph Catalano saw no reason to keep him, said Col David B. Mitchell, the superintendent of state police," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"Two days before Charles Bishop killed himself by crashing a small plane into a skyscraper in Tampa Florida, the 15-year-old student pilot told his best friend to keep an eye on the news," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"A passenger who allegedly punched a flight attendant and opened the rear door of a Southwest Airlines jet has been charged with interfering with a flight crew. According to an FBI affidavit, Boone, 36, told a fellow passenger on Monday that everyone on the plane was doomed before leaping over a row of seats and heading for the emergency door," reported the Associated Press news agency.
"The administration of President George W. Bush told Congress that many of the warheads, bombs and missiles involved in the President’s promised two-thirds reduction of strategic nuclear forces would be kept in reserve rather than be destroyed," The Washington Post reported yesterday.
"A US military refueling aircraft has crashed in Pakistan, the White House said yesterday. I can confirm that there has been a plane crash in Pakistan involving a KC-130, White House spokesman Ari Fleischer told reporters, saying US President George W. Bush had been informed. The KC-130 is a Marine Corps aircraft and normally carries a crew of up to eight persons. The aircraft is a refueling version of the C-130 military cargo plane and can also be used to carry passengers," reported the Reuters news agency.
