The Insider: Daily Terrorism Report

ByABC News
September 17, 2004, 1:31 PM

Sept. 16 -- Chechnya's feared warlord Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for the deadly school hostage taking in southern Russia that killed more than 330 people, today's news reported. Rebels commanded by Basayev have "carried out a series of successful military operations," including "the operation in the town of Beslan," said a letter signed by the 39-year-old and posted on the rebel website kavkazcenter.com. The authenticity of the letter has not yet been verified.

And the Associated Press reports that two members of a panel hearing cases of suspected terrorists at Guantanamo Bay should be dismissed because their pasts may make them biased against the defendants, the presiding officer recommended.

THE WAR ON TERROR

INVESTIGATIONS

RussiaChechnya Warlord Claims Beslan School Hostage Taking Chechnya's feared warlord Shamil Basayev claimed responsibility for the deadly school hostage taking in southern Russia that killed more than 330 people. (Channel News Asia)

Putin Threatens Preventive Terror ActionsPresident Vladimir Putin said Friday the Kremlin was preparing to take preventive action against terrorists, even as a Chechen rebel leader purportedly claimed responsibility for a series of attacks that killed hundreds of people and threatened more violence. (AP)

IndonesiaIndonesian Police Detain Seven People on Terror LinksIndonesian police have detained seven people linked to terrorism since last week's bombing outside the Australian embassy in Jakarta that killed nine people and wounded 182, officers said on Friday. (Reuters)

United StatesSenior CIA Officer Says Efforts Against Al Qaeda Still LagA senior CIA officer says bad decisions, understaffing and infighting among intelligence agencies stifled efforts to stop Osama bin Laden and his network. More than three years after the Sept. 11 attacks, the agency remains short-staffed, he says. (AP)

Ex-Sailor Had Access to Naval Data in Terrorism CaseVeteran was aboard the U.S. warship whose movements were passed to an accused ally of militants. Investigator says he backed jihad. (LA Times)

United States/GermanyU.S., Berlin to Swap Anti-Terror Data; Offers Easier Visas The United States and Germany are to speed up swaps of data used for the fight against terrorism, Interior Minister Otto Schily and visiting Homeland Security chief Tom Ridge agreed Friday in Berlin. (Deutsche Presse Argentur)

EuropeBinational Patrols to Target Islamists, ETASpain and France have agreed to set up joint police units to investigate Islamic militant groups and the Basque separatist organization ETA, Spain's Justice Ministry said. (LA Times news wires)