The Insider: Daily Terrorism Report

Apr. 8, 2004 -- — There was no "silver bullet that could have prevented the worst terror strikes in the nation's history," National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice said to the national commission investigating the terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2001 in a highly-anticipated public testimony on Thursday. In sharp clashes with Democratic members of the commission, Rice held firm to the notion that threat reporting prior to 9/11 did not warn of attacks within the United States, and that it was based on "historical information based on old reporting." Rice's testimony, carried live by all three of the major television networks, comes after weeks of initial White House resistance to allowing her to testify publicly.

And more on the Madrid attacks investigation — the suspected terrorists who died in last weekend's suicide blast had planned another major attack in Madrid, possibly during this week's Easter celebrations, a court official said Wednesday.

THE WAR ON TERROR

INVESTIGATIONS

9/11 CommissionRice: Nation Ill-Prepared Despite ThreatsRice testifies before Sept. 11 panel that nation was ill-prepared despite threats (AP)

9/11 Panel: Bush White House Withheld Papers Commission is demanding terrorism-related documents from Clinton era. (Washington Post)

SpainOfficials: Madrid Terrorists Planned MoreOfficials say suicide terrorists in Madrid planned second attack, possibly during Easter. (AP)

PhilippinesAbu Sayyaf Leader Killed in PhilippinesSenior Abu Sayyaf leader wanted by U.S., five others killed in clash with Philippine troops. (AP)

PakistanU.S. Warns of Possible Terror Threat in PakistanThe U.S. Consulate in the Pakistani city of Karachi warned Wednesday of possible terror acts against U.S. interests and urged Americans in the southern provinces of Sind and Baluchistan to bolster their security. (CNN)

Saudi ArabiaRiyadh Says Pair Involved in Shootout Were Terror SuspectsThe Saudi interior ministry said a man gunned down and another wounded by security forces in Riyadh earlier this week were wanted on terror-related charges. (AFP)

U.S./Saudi ArabiaTangled TiesLaw-enforcement officials follow the money trail among suspected terrorists straight to the doors of the Saudi Embassy. (Newsweek)

YemenU.S. Warships May Resume Refueling at Yemeni PortU.S. warships might resume refueling at the southern Yemen harbor this year, after more than three years of suspension following the bombing of USS Cole. (Arab News)

U.S.FBI Checking Accused Shooter for Terrorist TiesItems found after the arrest of the man accused of firing on three people in Howe last week has led the FBI to investigate possible ties to terrorist organizations. Asharq Al Awsat reports that police found an instructional video about how to destroy high-rise buildings in the suspect's apartment. (Fort Wayne Journal Gazette, Asharq Al Awsat)

MoroccoMorocco Accused Over War On TerrorAnti-terrorist measures being taken by the government in Morocco are undermining the freedom of expression, human rights groups say. (BBC)

LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS

U.K.Deadline Looms for Terror Suspects' DetentionAnti-terror police face a deadline on today to charge, release or seek extra time to question seven suspects arrested in raids last month. (Reuters)

CanadaCanadian Terror Suspect's Bail Hearing PostponedThe bail hearing for a Canadian man charged with planning terror acts in Britain and Canada was put back to May 3 on Wednesday, with the suspect's lawyer saying the prosecution case was not very strong. (Reuters)

GuantanamoYemeni's Attorney Tries to Halt Tribunals In federal court, lawyer challenges U.S., international legality of proceedings. (Washington Post)

THE WAR IN IRAQ

Up to 300 Dead in Falluja Street Fighting Fierce battles rage as doctors say the Iraqi death toll in Falljua has reached almost 300 in three days of fighting. (The Guardian)

Militiamen Control Parts of 3 Iraq Cities Militiamen loyal to an anti-U.S. Shiite cleric controlled large swaths of three Iraqi cities Thursday after clashes with coalition forces, while U.S. Marines fought insurgents for the second day around a mosque in the Sunni Muslim stronghold of Fallujah. (AP)

Japanese 'Held Hostage' in IraqThe Arabic television station al Jazeera has shown footage of three Japanese civilians it said were taken hostage by an Iraqi group. (BBC)

Account of Broad Shiite Revolt Contradicts White House StandU.S. forces are confronting a broad-based Shiite uprising that goes well beyond supporters of the militant Islamic cleric, Moktada al-Sadr. (NY Times)

U.S. General Vows to Retake Iraqi Cities A radical Shiite militia has at least partial control over two southern cities and coalition forces will move soon to break their hold in an operation dubbed ``Resolute Sword,'' the top U.S. general in Iraq said Thursday. (The Guardian)

Senior Shia Cleric Criticizes U.S. and Calls for Calm Iraq's most senior Shia cleric condemns U.S. forces for the way they are putting down a Shia uprising and called for calm on all sides. (The Guardian)

Iraq Uprising Shifts Role of U.S. AlliesShiite uprising in Iraq thrusts U.S. coalition partners into reluctant role of warriors. (AP)

Rumsfeld: Troops May Stay Longer in Iraq More U.S. troops could be sent to Iraq and other U.S. forces could stay longer than planned to deal with the latest surge in violence, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld said. (AP)

Iraq's Interior Minister ResignsIraqi Interior Minister Nouri Badran says he has resigned, adding he has heard that the U.S.-led administration is unhappy with his performance and wants a different religious mix in the cabinet. (Reuters)

Briton Feared Kidnapped in Iraq Investigations are continuing following the disappearance of a British civilian working in Iraq, the Foreign Office said. (Press Association — U.K.)

Al Sadr's Deputy: U.S. Forces After Every One of UsThe U.S. forces in Iraq has started a campaign to kill or arrest all of the aides of the young Shiite leader Muqtada al Sadr, according to his deputy Abdel Hadi Al Daraji. (Elaph)

ANALYSIS & OPINION

Not Freedom: A Free-For-All In Iraq, the U.S. did not read the small print on the Arabic social contract and now it is reaping the whirlwind. (The Guardian)

Harsh Realities in IraqIt took a young, 31-year old cleric to realize the U.S.-led Coalition Provisional Authority's worst nightmare in Iraq: an uprising by the Shiite majority population, a violent uprising that began last Sunday, just 88 days before the scheduled transfer of sovereignty to a new indigenous government. (Arab News)

Are There Any Iraqis in Iraq?Are there enough people ready to identify themselves — not as Shiites, Kurds and Sunnis — but as Iraqis, who are ready to fight for the chance of self-determination for the Iraqi people as a whole? (NY Times)

Uprising Could Signal a Second War for IraqThe insurgency raises tactical questions and has some comparing the situation to Vietnam. (LA Times)

The Iraqi InversionEvery single thing the administration calculated would happen in Iraq has turned out the opposite. (NY Times)

Blockading Terror TrialsThe only person convicted of involvement in the Sept. 11 terror attacks was released on Wednesday ahead of a retrial. The German judiciary showed it takes its cues from the rule of law, not from political pressure. (Deutsche Welle)

Blaming Al Qaeda for EverythingMy enemy's enemy is my friend. It is a siren call which has led the West into all kinds of trouble in Afghanistan (against the Soviets) and Iraq (against Iran). Now Al Qaeda seems to be demonstrating that this is a tactic which suits them better than their enemies. (International Herald Tribune)

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.