Al Qaeda Linked Pakistani Terror Group in Spain

February 5, 2007 -- SPAIN

Terrorism: Al Qaeda Linked Pakistani Group 'Based in Spain'

Pakistani terror group Jaish-i-Mohamed (The Army of Mohammed) - allegedly linked to al-Qaeda's leadership - has made Spain's northeastern region of Catalonia its principle European base, Spanish daily El Periodico reported on Monday, citing unnamed Pakistani security sources. (AKI)

For the original report in Spanish (El Periodico)

Suspect Linked To Kamikaze Attacks In Iraq Held

Police arrested on Monday a Moroccan terrorist suspect who was wanted in his own country for alleged links to sending suicide bombers to Iraq. (Expatica)

IRAQ NEWS

Tanks, Troops Deployed in East Baghdad

Iraqi and U.S. forces are prepared to launch a massive crackdown in Baghdad to end sectarian violence pushing the country towards civil war as a wave of bombings killed 200 over the weekend. (AFP)

Bush Plan Seeks Billions More for Iraq

President Bush is sending Congress a $2.9 trillion budget that would provide billions of dollars for the war in Iraq, make his first-term tax cuts permanent and achieve a budget surplus three years after he leaves office. (AP)

Car Bombs Kill 24 in Baghdad Ahead of Crackdown

Three car bombs killed 24 people and wounded scores in Baghdad on Monday, and gunmen attacked two Sunni areas, clashing with residents and setting houses on fire. (Reuters)

Deadliest Blast Kills 135 in Iraq

A suicide bomber killed 135 persons yesterday in the deadliest single explosion in Iraq since the 2003 war began, driving a truck laden with a ton of explosives into a market in a mainly Shi'ite area of Baghdad. (Reuters)

2 Key Members of Mahdi Army Killed

Two key members of radical anti-American Shiite cleric Muqtada al-Sadr's political and military organization were gunned down just days before the U.S. and Iraqi forces planned to open a massive security drive in Baghdad. (AP)

Court-Martial Looms for War Objector

Anti-war activists consider 1st Lt. Ehren Watada a hero for his refusal to go to Iraq. The Army accuses him of betraying his fellow soldiers. (AP)

Al Jazeera Claims US Chopper Shot Down In Iraq

The Qatar-based Al-Jazeera television aired late on Sunday night video footage which the station said came from an insurgent website showing a US helicopter being hit in central Iraq. (Times of India)

U.K. TERROR PLOT

Al Qaeda Tells British Cells To Carry Out Wave of Beheadings

Islamic terror cells in Britain have been instructed to carry out a series of kidnappings and beheadings of the kind allegedly planned by the nine terrorist suspects arrested in Birmingham last week. (The Sunday Times)

U.K. BIRD FLU

Scientists Investigate U.K. Bird Flu Outbreak

Scientists and government investigators were working today to pin down the source of a bird flu outbreak at a turkey farm in Suffolk as fears grew that the highly pathogenic H5N1 virus could already be endemic in Europe's wild bird population. (The London Times)

IRAN NUCLEAR

Iran Installs 328 Centrifuges at Atomic Site

Iran has installed two cascades of 164 centrifuges each in its underground nuclear plant, laying a basis for full-scale enrichment of uranium and upping the stakes in a standoff with the West, European diplomats said on Monday. (Reuters)

CIA RENDITION CASES

In Another CIA Abduction, Germany Has an Uneasy Role

Details emerge as European legislative panels conduct investigations into CIA counterterrorism operations. (Washington Post)

CIA Operatives Don't Have to Sweat Kidnap Charges, Despite Flurry of European Cases

Another 13 unlucky CIA operatives are going to have to revise any plans they had for European vacations anytime soon, on account of the warrants issued by a German prosecutor last week. (Congressional Quarterly)

SAUDI ARABIA

Saudis Silent on 'Terror' Arrests

The Saudi authorities are remaining tight-lipped about the identities of 10 men arrested on Friday on suspicion of funding insurgents outside the country. (BBC)

AFGHANISTAN

NATO Airstrike Kills Taliban Commander, Official Says

NATO-led troops killed a key Taliban commander today in an airstrike during an offensive to retake a southern Afghan town overrun by militants, a spokesman for the alliance said. (LA Times)

American Takes Over Command of NATO Force in Afghanistan

A senior American officer, Gen. Dan K. McNeill, took over command of the 35,000-member NATO force in Afghanistan from the departing British commander on Sunday, ahead of an expected spring offensive by a resurgent Taliban. (NY Times)

SOMALIA

Ethiopia PM: No Confirmed Somalia Al Qaeda Dead -FT

There has been no confirmation so far of any targeted al Qaeda suspects being killed in Somalia, Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zenawi told the Financial Times in an interview published on Monday. (Reuters)

U.K.

Britain Says 15 Underage Troops Have Served in Iraq

Fifteen British troops under the age of 18 have been "inadvertently" sent to fight in Iraq, violating a United Nations protocol on children's rights, the government said Sunday. (AP)

Letter Bomb Explodes in London Office

A letter bomb exploded at the headquarters of the company which administers the London traffic congestion toll, injuring one woman employee. (Reuters)

EGYPT

Egypt Charges Four with Spying For Israel

Egypt has charged an Egyptian who holds Canadian citizenship and three Israelis with spying for Israel, a state prosecutor said on Saturday. (Reuters)

INDONESIA FLOODING

Press Sees Neglect behind Jakarta Floods

Several papers across Indonesia say that poor city management has exacerbated the flooding in Jakarta, where hundreds of thousands of people are now homeless. (BBC)

ON THE WEB

ABC News Extremist Website Monitoring

This is a daily update of some of what can be found on militant Islamist websites that are often used by al Qaeda and its sympathizers, insurgent groups in Iraq and other groups for propaganda, recruiting and communication purposes. (ABC News)

ANALYSIS & OPINION

Exclusive: Syrian President Says He Can Help Broker Peace If U.S. Will Talk

Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, a 41-year-old doctor, is the son of the legendary Syrian leader Hafez al-Assad, who negotiated with five American presidents. (ABC News)

Helicopter Losses and New Questions in the War

Over the past two weeks, four U.S. helicopters have been shot down in Iraq -- one of them a Blackhawk carrying 12 people. Maj. Gen. William Caldwell, a senior military spokesman, confirmed on Sunday that all four were shot down as a result of ground fire. He went on to say, "Obviously, based on what we have seen, we are already making adjustments to our tactics and techniques, as to how we employ our helicopters." (Stratfor)

Musharraf's Stale Promises

By Jackson Diehl

Pakistan's president has been promising for years to stop protecting the Taliban and make democratic reforms. It's time for results. (Washington Post)

The Arab World and New Directions

Hussein Shobokshi

The direction of the political compass in the Arab world has changed completely. This is the clear reality that is experienced on a daily basis by the people of the region and for which they pay a price. (Asharq al Awsat)

Is the Middle East moving to a Westphalian system?

By Iason Athanasiadis

Sunnis fighting Shiites on Beirut's streets, a civil war in Iraq and political infighting in the Palestinian territories that is externally directed from Riyadh and Tehran: a snapshot of the new, sectarian Middle East. A US-led, Israel-backed, Middle East-wide alliance of conservative Sunni and secular Muslim states is being marshaled against Iran. (The Daily Star)

It's Not Too Late to Talk

By Alex Bigham

No one wants to see another nuclear-armed state in the Middle East, but there is still time for engagement with Iran. (The Guardian)

U.S.-China: A Turn for the Worse

By Benjamin A Shobert

If last week's hearings of the US-China Economic and Security Review Commission are any indication, 2007 may be a year when the US broadly revisits its policies toward Beijing and begins pushing more assertively for substantive changes, militarily, politically and economically. A big factor in the hardening attitude is China's successful test of an anti-satellite weapon. (Asia Times)

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.