CONFLICT & TERR0R 11/09 (USUALLY POSTED ON TERROR NEWS BRIEFS PAGE)

Also check out Terror News Nov 09 on Terror News Briefs Page. (Page links in left hand column). Twelve die as Yemen tribesmen, oil firm guards clash Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 9:21am Twelve people were killed when Yemeni tribesmen clashed on Thursday with security personnel for a Ukrainian oil firm during a protest, the Yemeni ruling party's Web site said. Full Story Egypt finds six smuggling tunnels near Gaza border Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 9:23am Egyptian security forces discovered six smuggling tunnels linking Egypt with the Gaza Strip this week, including one with an entrance concealed in a private home, security sources said on Wednesday. Full Story Court Convicts 32 al-Qaida Suspects Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 9:33am A Yemeni court convicted Wednesday 32 al-Qaida suspects of planning attacks on oil and gas installations in the country, sentencing them to prison terms of up to 15 years. Four others were acquitted. Full Story Islamists vow to fight Ethiopia Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 9:35am A top Somalian opposition leader has vowed to fight until the withdrawal of all Ethiopian troops, ruling out peace talks with the transitional government. "It is our belief that every individual in Somalia has to participate in the resistance and the defeat of the Ethiopian occupation," Sheikh Sharif Sheikh Ahmed told AFP in the Eritrean capital. Full Story Algerian, Tunisian suspects arrested in anti-terror raids in Europe Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 10:38am Twenty Algerians and Tunisians were arrested in an anti-terror swoop in Italy, Britain, France and Portugal on Tuesday (November 6th). The operation was ordered by Milan anti-terrorist police, who claim the suspects were setting up militant cells to recruit suicide bombers for Iraq and Afghanistan. Full Story Italy-Romania plea over migrants Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 11:00am The prime ministers of Italy and Romania have urged the EU to do more to help integrate migrants. In a joint letter, Italy's Romano Prodi and Romania's Calin Tariceanu called for clearer EU rules on inclusion and on deportation of EU nationals. The two leaders met in Rome to try to ease tensions over Italy's decision to deport some Romanians under a new decree aimed at tackling crime. Full Story Four dead in Black Hawk crash in Italy Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 11:08am A U.S. army Black Hawk helicopter crashed in northern Italy on Thursday, killing four Americans and wounding the other seven on board, officials said. The helicopter, which according to Italian media was on a training mission, split into at least two pieces after crashing at 12:34 p.m. (1134 GMT) in a grassy field near the Italian city of Treviso. At least three of the injured were seriously hurt.Full Story 'Lyrical Terrorist' found guilty in British court Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 11:10am A 23-year-old who called herself the "Lyrical Terrorist" and penned poems with titles including "How To Behead" has Thursday become the first woman to be convicted under terrorism legislation. Samina Malik, who worked in a newsagent at London's Heathrow airport, was a "committed Islamic extremist who supports terrorism and terrorists," prosecutor Jonathan Sharp told the Old Bailey.Full Story Sarkozy returns from U.S. to skepticism and strikes Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 11:18am French President Nicolas Sarkozy returned home on Thursday from Washington to face skepticism about his new transatlantic friendship and a month of strikes that signal growing domestic problems. Two powerful Paris public transport unions said on Thursday they would join a wider rail strike from the evening of November 13, after rejecting a government offer on reforming their pensions. Hospital helicopter pilots and police officers also joined a growing list of those protesting over Sarkozy's reforms that now includes court officials, students and civil servants.Full Story Georgia's president calls early election Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 11:20am Georgia's pro-Western president said Thursday the country would hold early presidential elections in January to defuse a crisis fueled by protests against him. President Mikhail Saakashvili also promised to lift within days the nationwide state of emergency that he had imposed late Wednesday after a violent crackdown on anti-government protesters, saying "the situation in Georgia is quickly stabilizing." The election had been due to take place in late 2008, but Saakashvili said it would now be scheduled for Jan. 5 "to receive the trust of the people."Full Story Finland mourns school shooting victims Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 11:22am Flags flew at half-mast across Finland on Thursday in mourning for eight people killed by an 18-year-old gunman at a school hours after he posted a video on YouTube predicting a massacre there. Six pupils of Jokela High School, along with the school's principal and its nurse, were killed when student Pekka-Eric Auvinen opened fire with a .22 caliber handgun in the middle of the school day. He then shot himself in the head.Full Story Japan's Opposition in Disarray Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 1:18pm The opposition Democratic Party of Japan (DPJ) leader Ichiro Ozawa played out a puzzling political drama this week by first announcing his resignation as president of the party on Sunday and then three days later by reversing his decision to step down. The three-day political soap opera was totally unexpected. While Ozawa for now has made his position clear by announcing his resolve to build the party and lead it to success at the next general election, he has also already done huge damage to the party and has betrayed supporter's expectations of the DPJ as a viable alternative to replace the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP).Full Story About 1,000 sick in Vietnam diarrhea epidemic Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 1:21pm More than 1,000 people are sick with diarrhea in northern Vietnam, but government officials said on Thursday cholera had not been confirmed. "We are not announcing a cholera outbreak. So far it is still identified as dangerous acute diarrhea," said Ministry of Health spokesman Nguyen Quang Thuan.Full Story Aung San Suu Kyi ready to 'cooperate' with Myanmar juntaPosted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 1:25pmAung San Suu Kyi, the leader of Myanmar's stifled democracy movement, said in a statement released by the United Nations on Thursday that she was ready to "cooperate" with the military government. The announcement came as state television in Myanmar said the government would allow Aung San Suu Kyi to meet with executives of her political party, the first time in at least three years that this has been allowed.Full Story Deaths as bridge collapses in Dubai Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 2:57pm Seven construction workers have been killed and 15 injured after a bridge under construction collapsed in Dubai, police have said. The bridge was being built in Dubai Marina, a new residential and commercial development in the booming Gulf city in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). A crane hit the half-built Dubai bridge, causing it to collapse in an area near luxury hotels and high-rise apartments. Full Story Despite maneuvers, analysts rule out imminent war between Hizbullah, Israel Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 2:59pm War will not erupt any time soon between Hizbullah and Israel, despite large-scale military maneuvers staged recently by each side, a number of security and political analysts told The Daily Star Wednesday. "I don't think Hizbullah is in any way preparing for such an eventuality," said Timur Goksel, former senior adviser to the UN Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL). "They are in a defensive mode in the present." Last weekend Hizbullah organized military exercises, which were reportedly the largest in its history, only days after Israeli troops performed maneuvers in Al-Jaleel in northern Israel from October 28-31. Hizbullah's show of strength should be read as a response to Israel's exercises and not as saber-rattling presaging an imminent conflict, Goksel said. Full Story Militant Group Is Out of Baghdad, U.S. Says Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 3:01pm American forces have routed Al Qaeda in Mesopotamia, the Iraqi militant network, from every neighborhood of Baghdad, a top American general said today, allowing American troops involved in the surge to depart as planned. Maj. Gen. Joseph F. Fil Jr., commander of United States forces in Baghdad, also said that American troops had yet to clear some 13 percent of the city, including Sadr City and several other areas controlled by Shiite militias. But, he said, there's just no question that violence had declined since a spike in June.Full Story Iraq Plans to Confront Security Firms on Guns Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 3:03pm The Iraqi interior minister said Wednesday that he would authorize raids by his security forces on Western security firms to ensure that they were complying with tightened licensing requirements on guns and other weaponry, setting up the possibility of violent confrontations between the Iraqis and heavily armed Western guards. Full Story Iran Reaches 'Irreversible' Nuclear Program Milestone Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 3:10pm Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad announced Wednesday that the country's uranium enrichment program has reached a target of 3,000 working centrifuges. "We have now reached 3,000 machines," Ahmadinejad said at a rally, according to the Agence France-Presse. He also said he "could not care less" about U.N. Security Council resolutions opposing the Iranian nuclear program, and that Iran's "progress is irreversible." Full Story India holds its tongue on Pakistan Posted on Thursday, November 8, 2007 at 3:29pm As the United States has intensified pressure on the Pakistani president, General Pervez Musharraf, to call off the state of emergency there, India has maintained a studiously low-key response to the unfurling crisis in its neighbor and nuclear rival. The Ministry of External Affairs issued its only formal statement shortly after emergency rule was declared Saturday, and kept it succinct, limiting it to just two sentences. Indian analysts said the muted response reflected a desire not to sour newly improved relations between the two countries by taking a overly critical stand at this juncture.Full Story Pakistani police cordon off Bhutto home Posted on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 12:19am Pakistani police cordoned off the home of opposition leader Benazir Bhutto on Friday and sealed off a park in Rawalpindi where she was due to hold her first rally since President Pervez Musharraf imposed emergency rule. Full Story US urges Sri Lanka to end fighting with rebels Posted on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 12:48am The United States urged Sri Lanka to negotiate an end to decades of fighting with the Tamil Tiger rebels, officials said. Full Story Japan's parliament extends term amid naval mission row Posted on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 2:33am Japan on Friday extended the current parliamentary session as the ruling parties strive to secure a resumption of a controversial naval mission supporting the US-led "war on terror." Full Story Unrest could distract Pakistan military Posted on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 4:28am The longer the political turmoil in Islamabad continues, the greater the risk that it will distract the Pakistani army from battling insurgents along the border of Afghanistan, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said Friday. Full Story US calls on Asian states to work closer together on security Posted on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 4:30am US Defence Secretary Robert Gates called Friday on Asian states to work more closely together on security issues and not to depend only on the United States to ensure regional stability. Full Story 9 Iranians released in IraqPosted on Friday, November 9, 2007 at 4:31amNine Iranians were released Friday from U.S. custody in Iraq, the American military said. Full Story Courtesy Terrorism Research Center, Inc.