New Frontiers in Counterterrorism Incompetence
by Daniel Pipes
Thu, 31 May 2007
updated Tue, 25 Dec 2007
Some examples, in reverse chronological order, of spectacular incidents of bungling.
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"Terrorists Claim to Seize CIA Files": In its takeover of Gaza, Hamas have seized Central Intelligence Agency files stored with Fatah. "The CIA files we seized, which include documents, CD's, taped conversations, and videos, are more important that all the American weapons we obtained the last two days as we took over the traitor Fatah's positions," said Muhammad Abdel-El, spokesperson for the Hamas-allied Popular Resistance Committees.
Abu Abdullah, a member of Hamas' so-called military wing, said, "Now our job is to study these files, which are already showing that they are crucial for our fight against the Zionists and anyone who collaborates with them, including the Americans." Mr. Abdullah said the CIA documents they browsed so far contain "information about the collaboration between Fatah and the Israeli and American security organizations; CIA methods on how to prevent attacks, chase and follow after cells of Hamas and the Committees; plans about Fatah assassinations of members of Hamas and other organizations; and American studies on the security situation in Gaza." Mr. Abdullah claimed the documents also detailed CIA networks in other Arab countries, and "how to help beat Islamic allies of Hamas in other Arab countries, including Egypt and Jordan."
"We will use these documents and make portions public to prove the collaboration between America and traitor Arab countries," Mr. Abdullah said. Committees Spokesman Abdel El told the Sun he was sitting in a Gaza mosque today pouring through some of the files on the Committees when he found his name mentioned in the documents four times. "I am amazed by the material and the context of the documents," he said.
(June 14, 2007)
"U.S. invites terror suspect to dinner—he declines": Les Zaitz in The Oregonian:
A designated terrorist with ties to Oregon was invited to sit down with U.S. government officials and their guests at an embassy event Saturday in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Soliman al-Buthi, 45, is well known to the Treasury and Justice departments and the National Security Council. In 2004, he was designated a terrorist under an alternate spelling of his name for his role in operating the Al-Haramain Islamic Foundation in Ashland. The first entry of a Google search using his name as spelled in the invitation says he "has been linked to al-Qaida funding." …
An embassy political officer in Riyadh, the Saudi capital, invited al-Buthi to a restaurant dinner honoring the chairman of the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom. … [Al-Buthi's Portland attorney, Tom] Nelson said al-Buthi intended to attend the dinner but the lawyer advised him not to step onto embassy grounds, which would make him subject to arrest. Otherwise, he was safe from capture because the U.S. has no extradition treaty with Saudi Arabia. In an e-mail to The Oregonian, al-Buthi said "I was surprised, particularly because I am supposed to be a fugitive from the U.S. government!" Al-Buthi said the U.S. embassy called Tuesday to confirm he was coming.
(May 31, 2007)
Related Topics: Counter-terrorism
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