Main suspects in the World Trade Centre Attack.

Sudan helps US crack down Osama bin Terrorrist Network

NAIROBI, 24 September - Sudan has taken steps to crack down on members of Osama bin Laden's terrorist network still in the country, United Press International (UPI) reported on Friday. UPI quoted US officials as saying that Sudan's intelligence ministry had handed over the names and locations of individuals in Bin Laden's Al-Qaeda (Al-Qa'idah) network to US intelligence services in Sudan. "There are anti-American groups that were still around, and they have shut them down. We pointed them in a direction in a few cases to people we knew were still in the Al-Qaeda network," UPI quoted a senior US administration official as saying on Thursday.

UPI quoted diplomatic sources as saying that Khartoum had given the US access to its banking system to assist Washington to choke off financial support to terrorist groups. "US operatives have been given free access to different parts of the country. They have engaged in very detailed issues," UPI quoted Sudan's ambassador in Washington, Khidir Haroun Ahmed, as saying.

The US State Department last week announced it would investigate reports that Bin Laden - widely regarded as the prime suspect behind the the 11 September terror attacks in the US - and his associates had interests in Sudan's trade in gum arabic, a substance used in the manufacture of soft drinks and other products. Before his expulsion from the country in 1996, Bin Laden had several assets in Sudan, and had access to the airport in Port Sudan, UPI said.

Europe must have common instruments to tackle terrorism

The European Commission is calling for greater harmonisation and closer cooperation in combating terrorism and crime. With the adoption today of two proposals for framework decisions on the fight against terrorism and the European arrest warrant, the Commission is getting down to the business of setting up genuine European cooperation in criminal matters on the basis of automatic mutual recognition between the Member States' judicial authorities.

"Terrorist acts are committed by international gangs with bases in several countries, exploiting loopholes in the law created by the geographical limits on investigators and often enjoying substantial financial and logistical resources", said António Vitorino, the Commissioner responsible for Justice and Home Affairs. "Terrorists take advantage of differences in legal treatment between States, in particular where the offence is not treated as such by national law, and that is where we have to begin", he added.

The current situation differs widely from one Member State to another. In most of them, there are no specific rules on terrorism and terrorist acts are punished as offences under the ordinary law. Six Member States (Germany, Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the United Kingdom) have specific legislation on terrorism, in which the words "terrorism" or "terrorist" are used explicitly.Two proposals were adopted today:

First, a common definition of acts of terrorism and penalties on a commensurate scale. There is a list of offences treated as acts of terrorism where they are committed intentionally by individuals or groups against one or more countries or their institutions or population in order to threaten them and seriously undermine or even destroy their political, economic or social structures. It is proposed that such acts incur prison sentences ranging from a minimum of 2 years for the less serious offences to a minimum of 20 years for the most serious offences provided for by the proposal.

Second, a proposal to replace the traditional extradition procedures by a system of surrendering persons sought between judicial authorities on the basis of a European arrest warrant. This proposal proceeds from the principle of mutual recognition of judgments established by the Tampere European Council as the cornerstone of judicial cooperation. The underlying idea is that where the judicial authority in one Member State asks for the surrender of a person sought for an offence incurring at least four months' imprisonment, either having been convicted or still being prosecuted, the decision must be recognised and executed throughout the EU. To simplify and accelerate procedures as far as can be, a time-limit of three months is proposed. The principle of double criminal liability and the exception in favour of nationals are abolished. The proposal seeks to facilitate, wherever possible, the execution of the sentence in the country of arrest where that is where the person is most likely to be reintegrated into society.

 

Bin Laden Wants Islamic State without Boundaries

Usama Bin Ladin was born around 1955 in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia as the youngest son of Muhammad Bin Ladin, a wealthy Saudi of Yemeni origin and founder of the Bin Ladin Group, a construction firm heavily involved with Saudi Government contracts. Usama Bin Ladin left Saudi Arabia to fight against the Soviets in Afghanistan in 1979 with the US support. He played an important role in the so called "Freedom Fighting" , which was nothing more than the American Government sponsored terrorrism.

In the mid-1980s he co-founded the Maktab al-Khidamat (MAK) or Services Office, to help funnel fighters and money to the Afghan resistance in Peshawar with a Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood member named 'Abdallah 'Azzam.

The MAK ultimately established recruitment centers around the world -- including in the U.S., Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan -- that enlisted, sheltered, and transported thousands of individuals from over 50 countries to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets. It also organized and funded
paramilitary training camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Bin Ladin imported heavy equipment to cut roads and tunnels and to build hospitals and storage depots in Afghanistan.

Bin Ladin split from 'Azzam in the late 1980s to extend his campaign to all corners of the globe: 'Azzam remained focused only on support to Muslims waging military campaigns. Bin Ladin formed a new organization in 1988 called al-Qa'ida -- the military "base." After 'Azzam was killed by a car bomb in late 1989, the MAK split, with the extremist faction joining Bin Ladin's organization.

Bin Ladin returned to work in his family's Jeddah-based construction business after the Soviets withdrew from Afghanistan in 1989, but he continued his organization to support opposition movements in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

Bin Ladin's anti-government activities prompted the Saudi government to expel him in 1991, after which he relocated to Sudan. Although the Afghan war had ended, al-Qa'ida has remained a formidable organization consisting of mujahedin of many nationalities who had previously fought with Bin Ladin. Many of these have remained loyal to and continue working with him today.

In May 1996, Sudan expelled Bin Ladin, largely in response to U.S. insistence and to the threat of UN sanctions following Sudan's alleged complicity in the attempted assassination of Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Ethiopia in 1995. Within a month, Bin Ladin took refuge in Afghanistan, where his support for and participation in Islamic extremist activities continued.

Bin Ladin's Organization Al-Qa'ida's goal, in Bin Ladin's words, is to "unite all Muslims and to establish a government which follows the rule of the Caliphs." Bin Ladin has stated that the only way to establish the Caliphate is by force. Al-Qa'ida's goal, therefore, is to overthrow nearly all Muslim governments, which Bin Ladin views as "corrupt," to drive Western influence from those countries, and eventually to abolish state boundaries.

How safe are the skyscrappers in Dubai? Emirates Towers Dubai.

Al-Qa'ida is multi-national, with members from numerous countries and with a worldwide presence. Senior leaders in the organization are also senior leaders in other terrorist organizations, including those designated by the Department of State as foreign terrorist organizations, such as the Egyptian al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya and the Egyptian al-Jihad. Al-Qa'ida seeks a global radicalization of existing Islamic groups and the creation of radical Islamic groups where none exist.

Al-Qa'ida supports Muslim fighters in Afghanistan, Bosnia, Chechnya, Tajikistan, Somalia, Yemen, and now Kosovo -all parochial forces supported by the US to destroy communism and Soviet Union. It also trains members of terrorist organizations from such diverse countries as the Philippines, Algeria, and Eritrea.Anti-U.S. Agenda Bin Ladin advocates the destruction of the United States, which he sees as the chief obstacle to reform in Muslim societies.Since 1996, his anti-U.S. rhetoric has escalated to the point of calling for worldwide attacks on Americans and our allies, including civilians.

MUSLIM MEMBERS OF METROPOLITAN POLICE AUTHORITY CALL FOR COMMUNITY UNITY

Muslim members of the Metropolitan Police Authority called for calm and unity among London's diverse communities, following the terrorist attacks on the United States. Abdal Ullah and Reshard Auladin said that there was increased racial tension in some areas of London which had led to members of minority ethnic communities being subjected to insults and abuse.

Abdal Ullah said:

'The Muslim community in London is as appalled, shocked and
traumatised as everyone else following the awful events in the United
States on 11 September. Indeed, Muslim leaders have expressed their
dismay and called for unity among all of our communities as we share
our grief.

'Now is a time for coming together and supporting one another. We must guard against using these dreadful events as an excuse for racism. We need to maintain the good relationships among all of our diverse communities built up over the years so painstakingly and to our mutual benefit.'

Reshard Auladin added:

'There is a danger that certain sectors of our society could be victimised following the tragic deaths in America. This would play into the hands of those evil people responsible for these atrocities. We therefore appeal to all Londoners to continue to work together positively and constructively to build a stable and harmonious relationship with their neighbours.'

Toby Harris, Chair of the Authority, said:

'To attach blame to any particular minority ethnic group in London for the terrible events in the United States would be quite wrong. To stigmatise certain sections of the community would achieve nothing. 'Instead, we must be tolerant of each other and defend the right of people to go about their lawful business without fear of harassment or intimidation. London is one of the most culturally rich and diverse major cities in the world and we should be proud of that fact. Let us not play into the hands of a few fanatics and bigots who would like nothing more than for us to destroy the very foundations of our society.'

 

FBI Investigation

A number of tips and potential leads coming into the FBI have been very substantial. We’ve received helpful leads from both the 1-800 number and the web site and are grateful for the American people in their participation in this investigation to date. The hotline has received more than 7,700 phone calls, the web site 47,000 potential leads. In an effort to assist the FBI with manpower, the US Attorney General has directed the U.S. Marshals Service to assign more than 300 deputy marshals to provide needed assistance to FBI field offices. It is believed that various associates of the hijackers that have ties to terrorist organizations may be a continuing presence in the United States.