“It’s no secret that whenever there’s a terrorist bombing or other large-scale attack in any country throughout the world, within hours you’ll see New York detectives on the scene observing and reporting facts to One Police Plaza in Manhattan,” says former undercover police officer Iris Quinones.

“This is how we stay on top of information on terrorist groups, bomb-makers, weapons of mass destruction and identifying individual terror suspects,” she said.

“Like it or not, New York is the nation’s number one target for Islamic terrorists. It’s the home base for many law enforcement and government agencies and the media center of the country,” said Mike Snopes, a former detective and military intelligence officer.

The NYPD said it is increasing security at synagogues and other Jewish institutions after talks between President Barack Obama and Israeli officials about a possible attack to prevent the Iranians from constructing a nuclear weapon.

The city has invested millions of dollars in state-of-the-art equipment and vehicles. For example, as reported in the Examiner, the New York City Police Department’s acquisition of new, high-tech equipment will help police officers keep the city safe from terrorists: the NYPD’s Harbor Unit now possesses unmanned underwater drones to help bomb technicians and emergency services unit officers to detect suspected underwater explosives.

Iran Blamed for Bomb Plots by Israeli Government

Israeli officials blamed three bomb plots this week on Iranian terrorists — including one who blew off his own leg with a botched grenade toss in Bangkok.

Tuesday’s blast in Thailand followed the bombing of an Israeli diplomatic car in New Delhi, where four people were wounded on Monday.

Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Tuesday blamed the Iranian-backed terrorist group Hezbollah for two attacks against Israeli embassies in India and Georgia, according to a Law Enforcement Examiner source in the Israeli National Police, who requested anonymity.
“Iran is behind these attacks,” Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said.

Last month, Director of National Intelligence James Clapper told Congress that Iranian leadership was more inclined to strike directly at the United States over real or perceived U.S. actions that threaten their regime.

The U.S. and Iran have been at odds since the ouster of the Shah of Iran during the Carter Administration. Iran’s President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad lambastes the United States and Israel on s daily basis as his nation develops nuclear weapons and long-range missiles.

Chairman of the Homeland Security Committee Rep. Peter King (R-L.I.) said if they decide to attack, the city would be the bull’s eye. “New York is the No. 1 target,” King said. “New York has all the targets that terrorists want.”

AUTHOR: Jim Kouri
URL: http://www.renewamerica.com/
E-MAIL: COPmagazine [at] aol.com

Nigeria

Death toll rose to 39 Sunday after bomb exploded at a Catholic Church in Nigeria’s town of Madalla in Niger state just as another church bombing and two suicide attacks were witnessed in other northern cities. The explosion at St. Thesera’s Catholic occurred after a Mass to celebrate Christmas while the second church bombing took place in a Mountain of Fire church in central city of Jos where constant clashes have taken place between Muslims and Christians. Also on Sunday, police in cities of Damaturu in Yobe state and Maiduguri in Borno state said the number of wounded are still being counted as a suicide bomber attacked the two restive cities.

The carnage in Madalla left at least 17 cars damaged by the bomb which killed those who queued up to drive or board commercial vehicles to their homes. The increase in number of deaths from an initial 25 came as more died in hospitals where they were taken to for medical attention. The owners of these vehicles queued up to drive home after the early morning mass where the message of love, peace and joy was delivered to herald the Feast of Nativity. Sadly, what we met was this ugly situation.” the pastor of the church, Rev. Fr. Isaac Achi said.

One of the victims was found on the roof of the church while several dead bodies were littered in gutters and other parts of the premises. “The victims have been moved to different hospitals but at St. Lucas hospital, nine of my parishioners were recorded dead. At Diamond Hospital, a little baby of 5 years who was injured could not locate his parents.” Achi said adding that some other victims were commercial vehicle operators who came in to pick passengers home.

Angry youths gathered to protest after the attack but were dispersed by the police. The explosion in Jos killed a police officer and while three vehicles were destroyed. The spokesman for Islamic radical sect, Boko Haram, Abu Qaqa claimed responsibility for the attacks. “The officers of Search and Rescue Team of NEMA in collaboration with stakeholders have evacuated at least 10 dead bodies from the explosion scene at Madalla to hospitals.” Spokesman for he National Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Yushua Shuaib said that the evacuation exercise was still going on and military men were also involved. In Yobe state, the police commissioner, Mr. Tanko Lawan said a suicide attacker targeted the headquarters of the oil rich African country’s secret police, State Security Service (SSS).

Boko Haram sect, which wants to install an Islamic government, has been waging war on Nigeria state in its quest to fulfil its ambition but the Nigerian military also battles them especially in their northern stronghold. More than 100 people mostly their members were killed last week when the army engaged them in gun battles in Damaturu, Maiduguri and Potiskum. Nigeria is a circular state with Muslims and Christians having equal share of the 150 million people in the country. Boko Haram also claimed responsibility for several bombings and shootings in the north and capital city of Abuja. A suicide bomb attack by the group at the United Nations headquarters in July killed 26 persons and injured more than 70. The group’s leader, Muhammed Yusuf was killed in 2006 during an insurrection which claimed more than 800 lives.

AUTHOR: Paul Ohia
URL: www.paulohia.blog.com and www.paulohia.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: paulohia [at] yahoo.co.uk

Khan is now “operating the IM module which is assigned to maintain liaison with the Bangladesh based Harkat-ul Jihad Al Islam (HuJI) and, in a joint venture, has recruited a few new jihadist for their outfit,” according to the Times of India report.

Investigators said about six months ago, Khan was stationed in Nepal and shuttled between Bangladesh and Pakistan. The IM had started conducting training camps in Bangladesh, the newspaper mentioned.

The report also mentioned that the National Investigation Agency was homing in on IM members across India and was already questioning suspected operatives.

IM terrorists find it easier to penetrate through the porous India-Bangladesh border with support from the HuJI, the source said in the report.

In the first week of November last year, Bangladesh detectives foiled a plot to attack the U.S. Embassy and

Indian High Commission in Bangladesh. Several terrorist sleeping cells were smashed simultaneously in India and Bangladesh with intelligence tips from the CIA.

In a bid to combat such cross-border terrorism, organized crime and the drug trade, during Bangladesh prime minister Sheikh Hasina’s visit to India in January 2010 the countries decided to form a coordination committee comprising representatives of law enforcement agencies and the two countries’ intelligence wings to “deal with international terrorism and drug smuggling, investigation and completion of trial in such crimes.”

India and Bangladesh are highly likely to sign an agreement during a planned visit to Bangladesh by Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh in September. Security analysts predict the pact will significantly reduce terrorism in the region. However, the analysts said it will be difficult to drag troubled Pakistan into a regional cooperation agreement to combat terrorism, so it will be an incomplete effort.

AUTHOR: Saleem Samad
URL: http://bangladeshwatchdog.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: saleemsamad [at] hotmail.com

According to a police source in the Middle East, the Pakistani security force intercepted a call after being informed about a plan that terrorists plotted to kill Zardari, leading to arrest of four men in the capital and the rest of the suspects in different regions of Punjab.

Both the Pakistani Taliban and al-Qaeda threatened attacks on the government and military in their bid to take revenge of killing of world’s most wanted terrorist Osama bin Laden on May 1 by U.S. Navy SEALs.

The bin Laden operation was the culmination of years of careful and highly advanced intelligence work as officers from the CIA, the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency and the National Security Agency worked as a team to analyze and pinpoint the Pakistani compound where bin Laden was killed.

The possible killing of another notorious Pakistani terrorist Ilyas Kashmiri, who is believed to have masterminded Mumbai attacks, may have added fuel to the fire.

The latest attempt came less than a week after a suicide car bomb attack killed 36 people and injured 50 others in northwest city of Hangu, Pakistan.

On May 22, 13 security officials lost their lives in another terrorist attack on a Pakistani naval and air force base in Karachi. In addition, 98 people were killed separately in twin bomb blasts in Charsadda province on May 13.

The numerous attacks and plots have proven al-Qaeda’s and the Pakistan Taliban’s commitment to honoring their pledge to avenge Osama bin Laden’s death.

For example. U.S.-led security forces in Afghanistan this weekend continued operations that countered a recent spike in violence along the Pakistan-Afghanistan border, but officials are not sure if the upsurge in enemy attacks is related to the killing of al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden.

AUTHOR: Jim Kouri
URL: http://www.renewamerica.com/
E-MAIL: COPmagazine [at] aol.com

Highlighting the security issue people even took it to the streets and voiced anti government slogan. The Terai Jantantric Madhesi Mukti Party is an armed grouped force of the Jwala Singh a.k.a Nagendra Kumar Paswan that faction from the Janatantrik Terai Mukti Morcha (JTMM-J) which was formed in August 2006 after he broke away from the Jaya Krishna Goit led JTMM group. Jwala Singh is a former CPN-Maoist cadre and had joined Goit when he floated the JTMM. Later, he developed differences with Goit over the strategies to be adopted for the liberation of the Terai and establishment of an independent Terai state.

AUTHOR: Shreedeep Rayamajhi
URL: http://www.shreedeeprayamajhi.blogspot.com
E-MAIL: weaker41 [at] gmail.com