Sources: Syria Holds Senior Members of Former Regime
The arab news website Elaph is reporting that Syria has informed Washington through diplomatic channels that it has detained senior political and military leaders of the former Iraqi regime. US diplomatic sources in Amman told Elaph that Syria wants to an Arab country to coordinate between Syrian authorities and the U.S. to hand them over to U.S. forces in Iraq within the coming days or weeks. They are meanwhile being kept at a camp belonging to the Syrian RG in the city of al Heska in N. Syria. Syria supposedly holds one of Saddam's deputies, but it's not clear if it's Izaat Ibrahim al Douri. Other sources had said that al Douri had died months ago and that his body was kept in Damascus. (Elaph)
U.S. Troop Deaths in Iraq Rise to 1,500
The number of U.S. military deaths in Iraq rose to 1,500 after the military announced Thursday that a soldier was killed in action just south of the capital, an Associated Press count showed. (AP)
Swedish Hostage In Plea To Pope
A Swedish citizen of Iraqi descent held hostage in Iraq for more than a month has pleaded for his life in a video. (BBC)
2 Car Bombs Kill at Least 5 Policemen in Baghdad
The suicide car bombs exploded outside the heavily fortified Interior Ministry a day after insurgent attacks killed 13 soldiers. (NY Times)
Iraq Qaeda Wing Launches Online Magazine
Al Qaeda's wing in Iraq has launched an online publication to rally Muslims to wage holy war against "infidel crusaders" in Iraq and other Islamic countries. (Reuters)
Abu Ali Tied to Riyadh Bombing Architect?
Sources say the suspect in a plot to assassinate President Bush has been linked to a leading Al Qaeda figure in Saudi Arabia. Plus: Zarqawi may be too busy to launch attacks inside the U.S. (Newsweek)
CIA Avoids Scrutiny of Detainee Treatment
Afghan's death took two years to come to light; agency says abuse claims are probed fully. (Washington Post)
Source: Car Bomb Used in Al Hariri Assassination
The attack that killed former Lebanese PM Rafiq Al Hariri was carried out using a car loaded with explosives, Asharq Al Awsat is reporting today according to a senior Lebanese security source that. Cameras in the nearby HSBC Bank and Venezia Hotel showed the car, the sources said, but it is yet to be determined if it was a suicide attack. The paper says the report about al Hariri's assassination is almost ready and will be handed to the international investigations team in the coming two days. The source also said the parents of Ahmed Abu Adas who appeared in the video claiming responsibility for the attack were released but are not allowed to travel outside the country. (Asharq Al Awsat)
Khadr Laptop Seized At Pearson
RCMP execute search on daughter believed to have al Qaeda information. (Toronto Star)
Missing Imam's Trail Said to Lead From Italy to CIA
Prosecutors in Milan are investigating whether an Egyptian-born suspected militant was spirited away by the U.S. using a disputed tactic. (LA Times)
Yemen Arrests Several Al Qaeda Suspects
Yemeni authorities have arrested a number of suspected al Qaeda members in the Arab state in the last two days, a government newspaper said on Wednesday. (Reuters)
Terror Suspects Open Fire on Police Patrol
Unknown militants opened fire on a police patrol car east of the capital early yesterday. (Arab News)
Four Taliban Members Arrested
AFGHAN security forces have arrested four ranking members of the Taliban in the country's south-east, where remnants of the ousted regime continue to wage a violent revolt. (AFP)
Cleric Gets 30 Months for Bali Bomb Conspiracy
Alleged founder of Indonesian terror network Jemaah Islamiyah sentenced to 30 months in prison for role in the 2002 Bali nightclub bombing. (The Guardian)
Jordan Charges Zarqawi With Bombing Embassy In Baghdad
Jordan's state prosecution charged Iraq's most wanted man Abu Mussab Zarqawi and another Jordanian with plotting the attack against Jordanian embassy in Baghdad, the Jordan Times reported Thursday. (Xinhuanet)
2 Recruited to Spy for U.S. Can't Sue CIA, Justices Say
The government would be vulnerable to 'graymail' if such litigation were allowed, Supreme Court rules. (LA Times)
Profile: Abu Bakar Ba'asyir
Abu Bakar Ba'asyir does not cut the terrifying figure expected of a man accused of being a leading figure in the murky world of international terrorism. (BBC)
Search for Bin Laden Faces Complications
Osama bin Laden remains Public Enemy No. 1 but recent developments raise questions about the ability of U.S. forces to track down the elusive terrorist and the resources dedicated to the hunt more than three years after the Sept. 11 attacks. (AP)
Brave, Young and Muslim
Young Arab and Muslim reformers refuse to be cowed. (NY Times)
Mideast Democracy: Thank Bin Laden
Even the 9/11 attacks are subject to the law of unintended consequences. (LA Times)
Understanding the Varieties of Islamism
The West's failure to understand the very diverse nature of Islamic activism risks sidelining non-violent and modernist tendencies, and strengthening militant jihadis. The latest report from the International Crisis Group, describes that diversity and explains its implications for U.S. and European policy choices. (International Crisis Group)
U.N. Forces
There are still many who believe that a United Nations military force could replace the American-led troops supporting the Iraqi Army and police. The principle is good but the practicalities are not. (Arab News)
The Attorney Who Passed the Buck
Revelations about the legality of war ignore one crucial aspect. (The Guardian)
