Surge in Sale of Disposable Cell Phones May Have Terror Link
INVESTIGATIONS
U.S.
Surge in Sale of Disposable Cell Phones May Have Terror Link
Phones can be difficult or impossible to track; large quantities purchased in California, Texas. (ABC News)
Corralling Domestic Intelligence
Standards in the works for reports of suspicious activity. (Washington Post)
Iran
Iran Threatens to Block Nuke Inspections
Iran threatens to block inspections of nuke sites if confronted by U.N. Security Council. (AP)
Pakistan
US Missiles Blamed For 18 Deaths On Pakistan Border
A Pakistani security official and residents of a border region said U.S. aircraft from Afghanistan killed 18 people, including women and children, when they fired missiles at pro-Taliban Islamists early on Friday. (Reuters)
U.K.
Ten-Volume 'Blueprint for Terrorism' Found In House
A TERRORIST manual on holy war that lists Big Ben, the Eiffel Tower and the Statue of Liberty as bombing targets was found in Abu Hamza's house, the Old Bailey was told. The Encyclopaedia of the Afghani Jihad also recommends terrorist attacks on skyscrapers, football stadiums, airports and nuclear power stations for maximum loss of life. (The Times)
Al Hariri Probe
Syrian President May Meet UN Team
Syrian President Bashar al-Assad may meet a United Nations team investigating the murder of the former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik Hariri. (BBC)
Al Hariri Investigation to Resume Next Week
The UN investigation into the assassination of former Lebanese Prime Minister Rafik al Hariri will resume next week, according to well-informed Lebanese sources quoted in Asharq al Awsat today. The UN committee will question four Syrian officers in Vienna next week, including Rustum Ghazali, the former intelligence chief in Lebanon. (Asharq al Awsat)
Lebanon
Lebanon Says Al Qaeda Suspects Planned Attacks
Lebanon charged 13 suspected al Qaeda members on Friday with planning to launch terrorist attacks, military prosecutor Ahmed Awidat said. (Reuters)
Uzbek Refugees
Fate of Uzbek Refugees Worries Rights Groups
Human Rights Watch and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees voiced concern this week over the fate of four refugees who fled violence in Uzbekistan last summer. (NY Times)
Sudan
UN Plans Darfur Peacekeeper Force
The United Nations is drawing up plans to deploy a quick reaction force in the Darfur region of Sudan. (BBC)
LEGAL DEVELOPMENTS
Former Iraqi Official Testifies About Baghdad Meeting
A former high-ranking Iraqi intelligence official completed his testimony against an Indiana truck driver today in federal court, insisting that Shaaban Hafiz Ahmad Ali Shaaban was the same man who traveled to Iraq and offered to sell the names of U.S. covert operatives. (The Indianapolis Star)
Four Marines Accused of Philippines Rape
A Philippine judge on Friday issued arrest warrants for four U.S. Marines charged with rape, putting pressure on the United States to hand them over to Philippine authorities. (AP)
IRAQ NEWS
U.S. Army Helicopter Goes Down in Mosul
U.S. Army Reconnaissance Helicopter Goes Down in Mosul; Two Pilots Seriously Injured. (AP)
After Handover, Hussein Palaces Looted
Local officials in Tikrit, Iraq, say that looters moved into Sadam Hussein's most lavish palace compound and left more than plaster and dangling electric wires. (Washington Post)
ANALYSIS & OPINION
Avoiding Critical Mass with Iran
Weak reaction to a nuclear challenge like Iran's cannot be tolerated. The stakes are just too high. (CS Monitor)
Iran and Israel Will Be Kings Of The Middle East Jungle
The US occupation of Iraq has turned its neighbour into a new regional power. But the contagion is likely to spread far wider. (The Guardian)
Iraq: Three Reasons for Optimism, But Dangers Still Ahead
As the Haj holidays end Iraqi politics is expected to shift into high gear with the formation of a new government top of the agenda. (Asharq al Awsat)
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 Ellen Gustafson of the ABC News Investigative Unit. The views expressed here do not necessarily reflect those of ABCNEWS.