Base in Ethiopia Used to Hunt Al Qaeda
February 23, 2007 -- AL QAEDA IN AFRICA
U.S. Used Base in Ethiopia to Hunt Al Qaeda in Africa
The American military quietly waged a campaign from Ethiopia last month to capture or kill top leaders of Al Qaeda in the Horn of Africa, including the use of an airstrip in eastern Ethiopia to mount airstrikes against Islamic militants in neighboring Somalia, according to American officials. (NY Times)
IRAQ NEWS
Soldier Gets 100 Years for Rape, Killing
A U.S. soldier sentenced to 100 years in prison for the gang rape and murder of an Iraqi girl and killing of her family said he was sorry but that he couldn't explain why he did it. (AP)
Suspected Insurgent Leader Held in Iraq
A suspected al Qaeda linked insurgent leader accused of financing attacks and recruiting fighters was captured in southern Iraq, Iraqi police said Friday. The U.S. military also said it was investigating reports of civilian casualties in fierce fighting in the volatile city of Ramadi. (AP)
Report: Al Sadr Disappeared After Seeing Leaked Security Plan
Radical Shiite cleric Muqatda al Sadr disappeared after he saw a copy of a joint U.S.-Iraqi security plan that was leaked to him, reports Elaph today according to an Iraqi source "close to U.S. parties in Iraq." The plan was going to include an arrest warrant issued by a "well-known" Iraqi judge for al Sadr, the source told Elaph. U.S. and Iraqi special forces were going to arrest al Sadr and go after his followers in al Sadr city. The goal of the plan, according to the report, was to weaken the current Iraqi government of Nouri al Maliki - which enjoys the support of al Sadr followers in parliament - and dismantle the Shiite militia called al Mahdi Army. The judge who was going to issue the arrest warrant is now worried about being the target of attacks by followers of al Sadr after the plan has been leaked. He is therefore considering seeking political asylum in a Western country, says the report. (Elaph)
Sunni Insurgents Want Revenge for Rapes
Sunni insurgent groups including al Qaeda in Iraq have called for revenge attacks after second rape allegation against the Shiite-dominated security forces. (AP)
Three U.S. Soldiers Killed In Iraq's Anbar Province
Three U.S. soldiers were killed in combat on Thursday in Iraq's volatile western Anbar province, the U.S. military said in a statement on Friday. (Reuters)
CLUSTER BOMBS
46 of 49 Nations OK Ban on Cluster Bombs
A declaration calling for a 2008 treaty banning cluster bombs was adopted Friday by 46 out of 49 nations attending a conference in Oslo, officials for the Norwegian government and two non-governmental groups said. Norway's deputy foreign minister Raymond Johansen said Poland, Romania and Japan did not approve the final declaration. Officials for Human Rights Watch and the Cluster Munition Coalition also said those three countries dissented. (AP)
NORTH KOREA
North Korea Ready to Stop Making Plutonium: Seoul
North Korea appears ready to abandon the source of its weapons-grade plutonium but there is a still a long way to go before Pyongyang scraps its entire nuclear arms program, a top South Korean nuclear envoy said on Friday. (Reuters)
EGYPT
Bloggers Vs. Floggers: Another Video Exposes Police Brutality in Egypt
Egyptian bloggers are exposing acts of torture in the country through cell phone videos, and the government there is fighting back. (ABC News)
Kidnapped by the CIA and Abused by Egyptians, Cleric Claims
Egyptian cleric Osama Hassan Mustafa Nasr, better known as Abu Omar, told reporters at an Alexandria court today he was tortured in an Egyptian prison after allegedly being kidnapped by CIA agents off the streets of Milan in 2003. (ABC News)
COLUMBIA
Colombia's Ex-Spy Chief Charged
Colombia's former intelligence chief has been arrested and charged with murder and collaborating with right-wing militias. (BBC)
SOMALIA
Somali Insurgents Threaten Attacks
Extremists in Somalia threatened to carry out suicide attacks against African Union peacekeepers who are to begin deploying in the coming days, and the capital's international airport came under mortar fire Thursday. (AP)
AFGHANISTAN
U.S. Drone Crashes in Afghanistan
An unmanned U.S. military aircraft crashed in eastern Afghanistan on Friday after developing a mechanical failure, U.S. military statement said. (AP)
ANALYSIS & OPINION
Nuclear Poker with Iran
The effort to prevent Iran from developing a nuclear weapons capability has reached a crisis point. (The Boston Globe)
Wounded and Abandoned
When the U.S. Senate next debates whether to debate the Iraq war, members would do well to visit the Walter Reed Army Medical Center, just five miles to the north. There they can run a stark reality check on how the country is failing the war's wounded despite all those Capitol orations about unstinting support of our fighting troops. (International Herald Tribune)
The US Psychological Torture System Is Finally On Trial
By Naomi Klein
Something remarkable is going on in a Miami courtroom. The cruel methods US interrogators have used since September 11 to "break" prisoners are finally being put on trial. This was not supposed to happen. The Bush administration's plan was to put José Padilla on trial for allegedly being part of a network linked to international terrorists. But Padilla's lawyers are arguing that he is not fit to stand trial because he has been driven insane by the government. (The Guardian)
Geopolitical Diary: Syria's Russian Connection
The Israeli daily Haaretz reported Thursday that Syria is strengthening its army "in an unprecedented way" and massing troops near the border with Israel along the Golan Heights. Syrian lawmaker Mohammed Hasbah denied the report, saying Syria has not redeployed its troops to the front lines but is prepared for any situation. Hasbah warned that Israel would "pay a heavy price" if it should "decide to do something stupid." (Stratfor)
Read Original Harretz article: Syria Rearms, Moves Troops Closer to Golan Heights Border (Harretz)
N-Risk Reduction Pact
The ministerial-level talks in New Delhi have ended on a positive note, with the two sides signing an agreement on nuclear risk reduction, besides reaching an understanding on a number of issues to carry the peace process forward. (Dawn)
The Insider Daily Investigative Report (DIR) is a summary of major news articles and broadcasts relating to investigative news, including international terrorism and developments in Iraq. The DIR is edited daily from foreign and U.S. sources by Chris Isham, Hoda Osman and Elizabeth Sprague of the ABC News Investigative Unit. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.