The Insider: Daily Terrorism Report

July 13, 2004 -- —Filipino hostage, Angelo dela Cruz, was expected to be freed Tuesday following the Philippine government's agreement to withdraw its forces early from Iraq, a diplomatic source in Baghdad said, news wires report. However, the statement, which followed all-night Cabinet consultations, was unclear as to whether Manila was advancing the pullout as demanded by the Iraqi militant kidnappers, or was sticking to its commitment to bring its 51-strong force home on August 20th as planned. The confusion may have been premeditated as President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo seeks to maintain her steadfast support of the U.S.-led war on terrorism while avoiding a possible domestic backlash if dela Cruz is beheaded.

And in an in-depth feature on Jordanian terror chief Abu Musab al Zarqawi, the New York Times looks at the life of one of the most wanted men alive, accused of orchestrating guerrilla attacks, suicide bombings, kidnappings and beheadings in Iraq, with a reward of $25 million for his capture.

IRAQ NEWS

Philippines Vows to Withdraw Iraq TroopsHoping to save hostage, Philippines vows to withdraw troops from Iraq soon. (AP)

U.S. Marine 'Was Kidnapped' in IraqA Lebanese-born U.S. marine corporal who went missing in Iraq says he was kidnapped, according to US sources. (BBC)

"We Were Right To Go Into Iraq," Bush Says President seeks to offset Senate panel's findings. (Washington Post)

Kurdish Forces Capture Militants in IraqKurdish forces capture 15 militants in Iraq, including suspected leader of al-Qaeda-linked group. (AP)

Iraq Plans to Offer a Broad Amnesty "Blood draws more blood," President says in interview. (Washington Post)

Iraqi Police Launch Massive Sweep of Baghdad Neighborhood Iraqi police launched a massive sweep of a Baghdad neighborhood, killing one person and rounding up hundreds of suspected criminals, as the interim president promised to crack down on anyone threatening the country's security. (AP)

Iraqi Minister Appeals for Quick NATO AidIraqi Foreign Minister Hoshyar Zebari appealed Tuesday for NATO to quickly begin its promised mission to train his country's armed forces and provide assistance including military hardware. (AP)

Pakistani Ambassador Top Envoy to IraqAnnan selects Pakistan's ambassador to Washington for top U.N. post in Iraq. (AP)

Senior Iraqi Official Jailed for Corruption Finance ministry aide with links to Chalabi made false arrests. (The Guardian)

Soldier in Prison Scandal Gets August HearingArmy Pfc. Lynndie R. England, charged with abusing Iraqis at Abu Ghraib prison, was read her rights at Ft. Bragg and a military judge set an Aug. 3 hearing to decide if she should face trial. (LA Times)

Resentment is Festering in 'Little Falloujas'His Charlie Battery was dug in against as many as 50 insurgents, Capt. Matt Davenport remembers, and the volleys of rocket-propelled grenades and bursts of machine-gun fire were nonstop. At one point in the two-day firefight, he recalls, "there was an explosion every five seconds." (LA Times)

Fight for Ramadi Exacts Heavy Toll On MarinesIn this violent city where more Marines have died than anywhere else in Iraq, one was thought to be blessed with good fortune. (USA Today)

ON THE MEDIAAl Jazeera Unveils Code of EthicsArabic satellite television channel al Jazeera, accused by Washington of graphic and anti-American conflict coverage, has unveiled a code of ethics it said would ensure balanced and sensitive reporting. (Reuters)

THE WAR ON TERROR

INVESTIGATIONS

U.S.Red Cross Fears U.S. is Hiding DetaineesRed Cross fears U.S. officials are holding terror suspects in secret locations worldwide. (AP)

Lawmaker Doubts U.S. Warnings of Possible Attack to Stop ElectionsA Democratic congressman who receives classified briefings on the threat of terrorist attacks said yesterday that top U.S. government officials' repeated statements that international terrorists want to disrupt the American electoral process this year "appear to have no basis." (Washington Post)

AfghanistanOne Killed in Bomb Blast in Southern Afghanistan One person has been killed and one injured in a bomb blast in Greshk in Helmand Province [southern Afghanistan]. The security commander of Greshk District, Del Jan, has told AIP that the blast took place at an intersection at Greshk District bazaar last night. As a result one of two men riding on a motorcycle was killed and the other injured. The condition of the injured man is very serious. (Afghan Islamic Press news agency — BBC Monitoring)

TurkeyTurkish Anti-Terrorist Force Captures Two Rebel Kurd Suspects Turkish anti-terrorist teams detained on Monday (7/12/04) two members of the terrorist organization PKK/Kongra-Gel [Kurdistan Workers' Party/People's Congress of Kurdistan] in Istanbul and southeastern Adiyaman province, sources said. The same sources said that anti-terrorist teams, acting on a tip-off, arrested one of the terrorists in Istanbul and the other in Adiyaman. The terrorists were planning to stage several attacks in central Anatolia, the sources noted. (Anatolia news agency — BBC Monitoring)

LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS

GermanyGermany Moves to Deport Sept. 11 SuspectsGermany takes first step toward deporting Sept. 11 suspects, including one awaiting retrial. (AP)

German Police Raid Mosque Said to Show Jihad VideosPolice officers raided a mosque in Frankfurt on Monday after a 9-year-old girl told one of her teachers that children had been shown violent videos calling for "a holy war against unbelievers," a spokesman for the Frankfurt prosecutor said. (NY Times)

Saudi ArabiaFamilies of Terror Victims to Ask for CompensationAmerican and European families of people killed in terrorist attacks in Saudi Arabia will file lawsuits to ask the Kingdom for monetary compensations, according to a Saudi lawyer who says he's been assigned by some families to start the legal procedures. (Al Hayat)

ON THE WEBSupporters Providing Saudi Militants With Info?The 14th issue of Al Battar Camp, an online magazine produced by "the military committee of al Qaeda Organization in the Arab's Peninsula," seemed to indicate that the group was receiving information about targets through correspondence by supporters. "As for the piece of information you mentioned, it's good, but we would like you to provide us with more details about their general locations and areas of presence," the group wrote in response to a message they received from one of the readers. The new issue, which was posted on the group's website today, also included a piece allegedly written by al Qaeda leader Seif Al Adl about how to use safe houses. The group also continued to criticize the Saudi government and expressed determination to keep fighting it. The magazine also included the regular sections about weapons' and physical training. (ABCNEWS Investigative Unit)

ANALYSIS & OPINION

Bottom DollarIn search for cheap labor, 'third country' subcontractors in Iraq uncounted, at risk. (ABCNEWS)

The Battle for a Representative Iraqi Government Has StartedOn June 28, Iraq formally regained its sovereignty. The departure of Coalition Provisional Authority (CPA) Administrator Paul Bremer marked not the beginning of the end, but rather the end of the beginning. (The Daily Star)

Blair Sexed Up the Evidence to Justify His Own DecisionTo put the blame for war on the intelligence services would be a travesty. (The Guardian)

Guantanamo Braces for ChangeFor nearly two years, the prisoner refused to talk about terrorist connections. Then, a few days ago, an interrogator got him chatting. (Chicago Tribune)

Making Torture LegalReading through the memoranda written by Bush administration lawyers on how prisoners of the "war on terror" can be treated is a strange experience. The memos read like the advice of a mob lawyer to a mafia don on how to skirt the law and stay out of prison. (New York Review of Books)

Zarqawi's Journey: From Dropout to Prisoner to Insurgent LeaderTen years ago, fellow inmates remember, Abu Musab al-Zarqawi emerged as the tough-guy captain of his cellblock. In the brutish dynamic of prison life, that meant doling out chores. (NY Times)

Time to Focus On Bin LadenA truly dismal anniversary passed last month — 1000 days since the 9/11 terror attacks — and it is little wonder Western governments saw fit to let it go unremarked, given the main perpetrator of the attacks that killed 3000 innocent people remains at large. (The Australian)

FROM THE THINK TANKSIRAQ: The Bremer Edicts (Council on Foreign Relations)

U.S. Senate Intelligence Report Confirms Carnegie FindingsThe Senate Intelligence Committee's new report confirms findings from Carnegie's January 2004 report, WMD in Iraq: Evidence and Implications, comparing intelligence assessments on Iraq with the UN inspectors' findings and what was known. Relevant excerpts available. (Carnegie Endowment of Peace)

The Sorry State of the CIABecause of Iraq, and a continuing Washington blood-feud over the decision to go to war, both Congress and the press are perhaps more focused on the Central Intelligence Agency than at any time since the Church committee hearings of the 1970s. (American Enterprise Institute)

The Insider Daily Terrorism Report (DTR) is a summary of major news articles and broadcasts relating to international terrorism and developments in Iraq. The DTR is edited daily from foreign and U.S. sources by Chris Isham, Hoda Osman, and Brinda Adhikari of the ABCNEWS Investigative Unit. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.