The Insider: Daily Terrorism Report

May 4, 2004 -- The focus continues on allegations surrounding American soldiers abusing Iraqi prisoners — the senior U.S. commander in Iraq has ordered the first punishments for the individuals accused of committing the abuses, issuing letters of reprimand for six and a milder letter of admonishment for a seventh accused. And the Los Angeles Times looks at the issue of the civilian contractors also involved in the alleged abuses — three civilian employees have yet to face any disciplinary action, their employers said Monday, raising within the Pentagon the issue of accountability for thousands of private contractors in Iraq.

And the Turkish news agency Anatolia reports that a court in northwestern Turkey on Monday charged nine suspects, believed to be linked to the al Qaeda network, in connection with plans to bomb a NATO summit in Istanbul next month. The Turkish government over the weekend had apprehended 16 suspects in connection with the foiled attack.

THE WAR IN IRAQ

Army Punishes 7 with Reprimands for Prison AbuseThe senior American commander in Iraq has ordered the first punishments in the abuse of prisoners by American soldiers there, issuing severe reprimands to six who served in supervisory positions at Abu Ghraib prison and a milder "letter of admonishment" to a seventh. (NY Times)

In U.S., Seeking to Limit DamageThe Bush administration is struggling to develop a damage-control strategy to counter the mounting global backlash against the United States after revelations that U.S. military and intelligence personnel abused Iraqi prisoners, according to U.S. officials. (Washington Post)

Contractors Fall Through Legal CracksThree civilian employees who allegedly participated in the abuse of Iraqi prisoners have yet to face any disciplinary action, their employers said Monday, raising within the Pentagon the issue of accountability for thousands of private contractors in Iraq. (LA Times)

CACI Wants to Review Report On Alleged AbuseCACI International Inc. said yesterday that an outside law firm will conduct its investigation of its employees' conduct in Iraq and review its operations around the world. (Washington Post)

British Minister to Speak On Iraq PhotosThe armed forces minister is to make a statement to MPs over photos apparently showing UK troops abusing an Iraqi. (BBC)

U.N. Human Rights Agency Urges Action On Alleged AbuseThe top U.N. human rights agency has opened an investigation into civil rights in Iraq, and on Tuesday it urged the U.S. military to prosecute soldiers alleged to have abused prisoners. (USA Today)

U.S. is Likely to Replace a Leader of Fallouja BrigadeOne of the ex-Iraqi generals named by Marine commanders to head a U.S.-backed security force in this troubled city is likely to be removed, an official said Monday. (LA Times)

Insurgents Pound U.S. Base in Najaf and Government Buildings in KarbalaMilitiamen launched a barrage of mortar shells against a U.S. base in this holy city and government buildings guarded by Bulgarian forces in Karbala on Tuesday, a day after intense clashes in Najaf that killed up to 20 Iraqis. (AP)

THE WAR ON TERROR

INVESTIGATIONS

TurkeyTurkey Charges Nine with Suspected Al Qaeda Ties Over NATO Bomb PlansA court in northwestern Turkey on Monday charged nine suspects, believed to be linked to the Al-Qaeda network, in connection with plans to bomb a NATO summit in Istanbul next month, the Anatolia news agency reported. (AFP)

Saudi ArabiaAl Qaeda Believed Behind Yanbu Attack — Saudi MinisterSaudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abdul-Aziz said on Tuesday he believed al Qaeda was behind Saturday's deadly attack in the Saudi oil city Yanbu. (Reuters)

Saudi Attacks Shake Expat WorkersSome 38,000 Westerners are employed in key Saudi industries. Monday, all 90 workers at a Swiss firm decided to go home. (CS Monitor)

IndiaPOTA Trial of Al Qaeda Member TomorrowThe special Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) court is expected to begin the trial against alleged al-Qaeda terrorist Mohammed Afroze tomorrow. (Mid-Day)

EuropeSimulation Gives Glimpse of Nuclear TerrorEuropean officials conducted a simulation showing how al Qaida could kill 40,000 people and plunge the continent into chaos if a crude nuclear device were detonated outside NATO headquarters in Brussels. (AP)

United StatesReps Told Al Qaeda Didn't Use LNG PortTwo local congressmen emerged from a nearly three-hour briefing by Boston G-men yesterday saying the FBI is convinced al Qaeda did not use LNG tankers docking in Everett to slip terror operatives into the country. (Boston Herald)

Toll From 'Dirty Bomb' Could Be CostlyPotential deaths and decontamination costs tied to "dirty bombs" — conventional explosives laced with radioactive materials — have been underestimated, a prominent researcher says. (USA Today)

PakistanBomb Kills 3 and Injures 11 in PakistanA powerful explosion hit a van carrying Chinese engineers working on a multibillion-dollar port project in southwestern Pakistan on Monday morning, killing three of them, government officials said. (NY Times)

AfghanistanOusted Taliban Say Execute Five Afghan PolicemenGuerrillas from Afghanistan's ousted Taliban executed five government policemen after seizing them in the troubled southern province of Zabul, a Taliban commander said on Tuesday. (Reuters)

Don't Count On Catching Bin Laden, General WarnsThe top U.S. commander in Afghanistan questioned Pakistan's commitment to fighting Taliban and al Qaeda militants along the border, saying Monday that appeasing extremists will only put off an inevitable battle. (Chicago Sun Times)

North Korea'North Korea Will Never Sell Nukes to Al Qaeda'North Korea announced earlier today it would not sell nuclear missiles to the al Qaeda terrorist network because North Korea does not want to share the fate of Iraq. (Zaman)

IndonesiaBomb Blast in Indonesia's Riau Province Kills TwoA bomb containing highly explosive chemicals exploded on Tuesday in Indonesia's Riau province, killing two people in a commercial area, but police say they have reached no conclusions about who was behind the blast. (Reuters)

Indo Terror Suspect ApologizesAn Indonesian terror suspect apologised on Tuesday to victims of the JW Marriott bombing and insisted he didn't know the explosives he transported would be used in last year's attack. (South Africa wires)

LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS

United StatesFormer Bin Laden Aide Gets 32 YearsA former high-ranking aide to Osama bin Laden has been sentenced to 32 years in prison by a federal judge in New York, CNN reported Tuesday. (UPI)

FranceHouse Arrest Ordered for Mosque LeaderA French judge ordered a Turkish leader of a Paris mosque held under house arrest after the Interior Ministry accused him of heading an extremist Islamic group that advocated terrorism. (LA Times wires)

ANALYSIS & OPINION

Saudis Uneasily Balance Desires for Change and StabilitySaudis watching the newly introduced broadcasts of their country's Consultative Council a few months back were startled to discover the royal family's handpicked legislators discussing an almost comically minor problem: the theft of wood from the desert kingdom's forests. (NY Times)

Beyond Those Sick ImagesUnder Saddam Hussein's rule, Abu Ghraib prison near Baghdad was known for torture and killings. (LA Times)

'Six Morons Who Lost the War'Reaction to Iraqi prisoner abuse reinforces concerns about deteriorating US image abroad. (CS Monitor)

The Fallacies of Fallujah Last week Chris Matthews asked Defense Secretary Donald Rumsfeld whether the siege of Fallujah could be compared to the World War II battle for Stalingrad or, a bit before that, the Spanish Civil War fight for Madrid. (Washington Post)

In Nasiriyah, Hopeful Pockets of Pragmatism A month ago Shiite Muslim supporters of renegade Iraqi cleric Moqtada Sadr stormed two bridges across the Euphrates River here as part of their uprising in southern Iraq. (Washington Post)

Intelligence Reform Will Not Be Quick The White House, Congress and two independent commissions are discussing wholesale reform of the nation's intelligence community in the wake of its failures to detect the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks and accurately describe Iraq's weapons programs, mistakes that were highlighted in recent public hearings. (Washington Post)

Editorial: Pause for Thought

The Turkish authorities appear to have scored a major victory with the arrest of 24 terrorists who they believe were planning to bomb next month's NATO summit in Istanbul. (Arab News)

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