Vital Perspective

Proliferation Security Initiative Exercise Has 25 Nations Miles Off Iranian Coast

Earlier today, 25 nations took part in a U.S.-led naval exercise in waters not far from Iran aimed at training forces to block the transport of weapons of mass destruction and related equipment. Italy, the U.S., Australia, Britain, France and Bahrain deployed ships and personnel to the drill, part of President Bush's Proliferation Security Initiative (PSI). Other countries, including the UAE, Qatar, Pakistan and South Korea, sent observers.

About 20 miles from Iranian waters in the Persian Gulf, Italian and Bahraini marines sped through the water in small inflatable bloats and boarded a British vessel, the RFA Brambleleaf, which was carrying mock nuclear detonators. Marines armed with machine guns guarded the crew as another team searched the vessel.

Iran said it was not concerned about the exercise but warned those participating not to destabilize the region. "Given the amicable ties among countries of the region and the powerful presence of ... Iran as standard bearer of peace, justice and security, there is no room for any concern," the official IRNA news agency quoted government spokesman Gholamhossein Elham as saying.

Several Middle Eastern countries have endorsed PSI principles this year after visits by U.S. officials to the region were stepped up, a State Department official who declined to be identified said. Sunni Gulf Arab states have traditionally been wary of Iran's Shiite imperialistic intentions in the region.

One major player that was not present was Russia, perhaps because of President Vladimir Putin's desire for further talks on Iran's nuclear program. Russia is not convinced there is a case for tougher sanctions against Iran and is at present time building an atomic reactor in Iran. If you're not convinced that Tehran is pursuing nuclear weapons, then you probably wouldn't see the utility today's PSI exercise.

House Passes Bill Promoting Homeland Security Cooperation with Terror Allies

Last night, the House passed important legislation, H.R. 4942 -- the "Promoting Antiterrorism Through International Cooperation Act" -- which will promote greater homeland security cooperation between the U.S., Israel and other allies in the war on terror.

Specifically, the legislation creates an office within DHS to ensure the U.S. is leveraging the technical anti-terrorism expertise of our leading allies in the global war against terror, such as Israel and Britain. The director of the proposed office of international cooperation will be charged with fostering collaboration between U.S. public and private homeland security sectors and similar foreign entities through grants, cooperative agreements and contracts. In addition to Israel and Britain, the bill names Canada, Australia and Singapore as potential partners for joint projects.

The bill establishes an Office of International Cooperative Programs within the Science and Technology Directorate of the Department of Homeland Security responsible for:

• Developing mechanisms and legal frameworks to support international cooperative activity for homeland security research
• Matching U.S. entities engaged in homeland security research with non-U.S. entities conducting similar research
• Convening periodic international homeland security technology workshops and conferences

The House version includes authorization for $25 million for three successive years, while the Senate version authorizes the Department of Homeland Security to spend the funds it believes are necessary to implement the program. Either way, the legislation requires foreign partners to match U.S. contributions through direct funding or by providing staff, facilities, material or equipment to be used on the joint project.

After Calling for Jihad on Israel and Caliphate, Aussie's Probe Hizb ut-Tahir

Security agencies in Australia are reviewing the terrorist status of Hizb ut-Tahir, an Islamic extremist group allegedly distributing pamphlets calling for a holy war to destroy Israel, Attorney-General Philip Ruddock says. The leaflets call for a jihad to destroy Israel and use key dates in the Muslim calendar to signal the coming destruction of Israel.

The opposition Australian Labor Party said the group was "a great threat" and changes to federal and state legislation may be needed. At present, the group is legal in Australia, but they are outlawed in Germany, Russia and former Soviet states. British PM Tony Blair has called for Hizb ut-Tahir, whic has alleged links to the 7/7 bombings, to be outlawed in the UK.

Hizb ut-Tahrir, which translates as the "party of liberation" was formed just over 50 years ago in Jerusalem by an Islamic jurist, Taqiuddin an-Nabhani. Their goal is to establish a Caliphate, regarding it as the ideal form of government, and are totally opposed to democracy, saying that participating in a western-style democracy is incompatible with the goal of establishing an Islamic state.

Australian security agencies examined the group when it came to their notice a year ago, and considered whether to list it as a proscribed terrorist organisation. "And the decision that was taken by competent agencies at that time was there was insufficient evidence for the legal criteria for proscription to be satisfied," Ruddock said.

Beirut to Extradite Alleged Ringleader of Failed NYE '03 Sydney Terror Plot

Lebanon has decided to extradite Saleh Jamal, a Jordanian-Australian national to Sydney following his completion of a two-year prison sentence on terrorism charges. He is wanted in Australia on a variety of charges including being one of a group of men who planned a failed terror plot for New Year's Even 2003 in Sydney.

"If they try to take me to Australia, I will crash a plane into the [Sydney] Harbour Bridge myself. Australia is like a paradise in many ways, but it is a sick place," Jamal said.

Full Video of World Leaders at AJC Conference Now Available

The AJC has made available the full uninterrupted video of its gala dinner at the 100th Annual Meeting. President Bush, German Chancellor Angela Merkel, and UN S-G Kofi Annan addressed the group in person, and Israeli PM Ehud Olmert, Polish President Lech Kaczynski, and Australian PM John Howard spoke via video phone. A ticket to this event cost $200, but you can watch the big night for free.

Jury in Australia Terrorism Case Shown Jihad Video in Possession of Accused

Faheem Khalid Lodhi, on trial in Australia for four terrorism-related charges, was found to be in possession of a jihad video called "The Lion of Allah" when he was arrested, and jurors were shown that video on Wednesday. The video depicts jihadists in Chechnya with close-ups of fighting and men in combat gear in training, tramping through the forest, across mountains and sliding down snowy slopes, to the sound of chanting and verses from the Koran.

The words appear in flames across the screen. "In the name of Allah, the merciful, the compassionate," according to a translation. Then there are images of devastated towns and exploding tanks against a soundtrack of thunder and lightning... The religious rite of jihad should be built up in the souls. It should be learnt that jihad is the best thing that man can ever volunteer to do and that volunteering for jihad for the cause of Allah is better than volunteering to perform pilgrimage… [jihad] is a way to spread the religion and terrorise the enemy, to expand the domain of Islam around the world". While this particular video is not for sale, similar videos can be obtained via Jihad Unspun.

Sydney Morning Herald Legitimizes Terror in Promo for Film on Terror Motives

Tuesday evening, Australian SBS is running a BBC documentary on what motivates a suicide bomber. It may be worth the look if you have access via satellite (or you're in Australia), but a promo in the Sydney Morning Herald gave us pause. In the promo, the Sydney Morning Herald says that terrorism "is the only way small, disaffected groups can fight a powerful enemy." Those words, to us, speak volumes.

There are two major problems with that statement. First, it legitimizes terrorism as a means of affecting political change. Second, it inaccurately paints terrorists as the "small, disaffected" David fighting against the "powerful" Goliath. Maybe we shouldn't hold the political injection of one hack critic against what could be an otherwise interesting film, but we won't be watching nonetheless. The full write-up is available below the fold.

Terrorists Kidnap Foreigners Following IDF Raid on Jericho Prison

PFLP and al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades terrorists kidnapped at least six foreigners in Gaza and the West Bank on Tuesday and as many as 17 total according to YNET. The kidnappings come in response to an IDF operation to seize Fuad Shobaki, the alleged mastermind of an illegal weapons shipment to the PA in 2002, PFLP leader Ahmed Saadat and others from a prison in Jericho under U.S. and British supervision. Because of a lack of security assurances from the Palestinians, U.S. and British monitors were recently evacuated from the facility. The text of the letter notifying Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas on March 8 is available here.

Later, is was reported in the Israeli press that the two Australians have been released, but that other foreigners have been abducted by the al-Aqsa Martyrs Brigades in Nablus. The full count of captives include citizens of America, Britain, France, Korea, Switzerland and Iran.

Last week, Abbas said he was prepared to free Saadat and five others who have been imprisoned for the past four years following the assassination of Israeli Minister of Tourism Rehavam Ze'evi in 2001. Following the assassination, the U.S. called upon the PA to "immediately find and bring to justice those who committed this murder," and we believe that a willingness to free the responsible parties after four years is unacceptable.

The IDF called through loudspeakers on Saadat to surrender. Speaking over a cell phone from the prison, Saadat told al-Jazeera: "We will not surrender - we will fight. Either we die or win." There is reportedly an armory inside the prison, but fortunately Saadat's call to fight to the death went unfulfilled. Saadat and five other terrorists gave themselves up to IDF troops around noon Eastern time on Tuesday.

Hamas leader Khaled Meshaal weighed in by calling upon Palestinians to put themselves in harms way by rallying around the Jericho jail. "I call on our people in Jericho to throng around the Jericho prison." As day turned to night, Ha'aretz reports that Palestinians on the periphery of the site were throwing molotov cocktails and other objects at the soldiers.

On al-Jazeera TV, the PFLP vowed an "aggressive response" if Sadaat was killed, including attacks on embassies. Recent propaganda on the PFLP website indicates that these are not idle threats. In a poster, terrorists stand on a coffin bearing the likeness of Ze'evi on it. The text of the poster reads "Our brigades will continue to destroy your project," while the words "The fate of your leaders" is inscribed on the coffin.

As a result of the kidnappings, EU monitors have fled their posts at the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. At this time, Israel and Egypt are maintaining their security coordination, with both parties exchanging information regarding developments at the crossing. Palestinian police officers in the area, however, are not working to prevent disorder at the site. In addition, the UN Works & Aid Agency and the International Committee of the Red Cross said Tuesday they are temporarily pulling all foreign staff out of Gaza and the West Bank.

Australian Treasurer: Strip Extremists of their Citizenship

Australian Treasurer Peter Costello, favorite to become the country's next prime minister, has called for Muslim extremists to be stripped of their citizenship while denouncing multiculturalism as "mushy and misguided".

Costello demanded new citizens accept Australian laws rather than attempt to live by alternative codes such as sharia, saying it was a sign of respect in the same way that taking off one's shoes before entering a mosque showed deference towards Islam.

"If you have strong objections to walking in your socks, don't enter the mosque," Costello told a function in Sydney late Thursday. "If you have strong objections to (Australian) values, don't come to Australia."