UPI International Intelligence articles from May 2008

UPI International Intelligence archives from May 2008

Analysis: Maoists eye India's northeast.
May 1, 2008... Byline: KUSHAL JEENA NEW DELHI, May 1 (UPI) -- Indian intelligence and security agencies are worried over the efforts of Maoist rebels to set up bases in the already restive northeast, which has now overtaken Jammu and Kashmir in...

Analysis: German suspects in Afghanistan.
May 1, 2008... Byline: STEFAN NICOLA BERLIN, May 1 (UPI) -- More and more extremists from Germany are traveling to Pakistan and Afghanistan to plot terror attacks; a new video shows a German convert to Islam who calls on Islamists back home to follow his...

India bans 32 groups under law.
May 1, 2008... NEW DELHI, May 1 (UPI) -- India's Interior Ministry Thursday said it has banned 32 organizations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 2004. Junior interior minister V. Radhika Selvi told Parliament there was a significant...

India, 28 states form anti-terror alliance.
May 1, 2008... NEW DELHI, May 1 (UPI) -- India has set up a joint working group on counter-terrorism with 28 countries, junior interior minister Sri Prakash Jaiswal told Parliament Thursday. These working groups provide a framework for cooperation,...

Iraqi projects on target despite violence.
May 1, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 1 (UPI) -- Iraqi reconstruction projects progressed and displaced people returned home despite violence from criminal gangs in Sadr City, U.S. and Iraqi officials said. The U.S. and Iraqi governments have several operations...

Children in Iraq need aid, envoy says.
May 1, 2008... UNITED NATIONS, May 1 (UPI) -- The U.N. envoy for children in armed conflict zones called on the Iraqi government to target more reconstruction funds to schools and basic child services. Radhika Coomaraswamy, the secretary-general's special...

Maliki dispatches officials to Iran.
May 1, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 1 (UPI) -- A delegation of senior Shiite leaders arrived in Iran Thursday to speak with top military officials there about the backing of so-called special groups. The delegation will discuss weapons the U.S. military said are...

Mosul security center gets $1.8M upgrade.
May 1, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed a $1.8 million Iraqi security force operations center in Mosul and launched a sewage project in Basra province. Engineers refurbished an abandoned facility used by the...

Allawi-Maliki row erupts over 2007 assault.
May 1, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 1 (UPI) -- An official with the Iraqi National List coalition denied suggestions Iyad Allawi sought a formal apology for claims he backed an Iraqi Shiite messianic sect. U.S. and Iraqi forces in January 2007 launched a massive...

Bomb detonated off Suffolk coast.
May 1, 2008... FELIXSTOWE, England, May 1 (UPI) -- British Royal Navy divers detonated an explosive accidentally found off the Suffolk coast which officials say prevented a public safety incident. The explosive was identified as a German bomb dating back...

Eritrean restrictions jeopardize mission.
May 1, 2008... UNITED NATIONS, May 1 (UPI) -- The U.N. Security Council says Eritrea's obstruction of the U.N. mission is undermining stabilization efforts in the region. As of result of the continued restrictions, Security Council officials say the...

TSA names new security head at Norfolk.
May 1, 2008... NORFOLK, Va., May 1 (UPI) -- The U.S. Transportation Security Administration says it has named a new federal security director for the Norfolk International Airport. TSA officials announced the appointment of Jeff Horowitz as the new head...

IDF kills Hamas militant.
May 1, 2008... JERUSALEM, May 1 (UPI) -- Israeli defense officials say a Hamas operative allegedly involved with the kidnapping of Israeli soldier Gilad Schalit has been killed. The Israeli army announced a joint operation between the Israel Defense...

TSA approves use of tamper-evident bags.
May 1, 2008... WASHINGTON, May 1 (UPI) -- To ensure airport security with partners around the world, the U.S. Transportation Security Administration has approved the use of tamper-evident bags. Officials say the TSA approval of the tamper-evident bags...

Analysis: U.S.-Belarus row escalates.
May 2, 2008... Byline: SHAUN WATERMAN WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department said Thursday it had not yet decided what action, if any, it would take in response to the Belarusian expulsion of U.S. diplomats this week. The expulsions are...

Maliki delaying peace, Sadrists say.
May 2, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 2 (UPI) -- A spokesman for Moqtada Sadr's political party said Friday the government of Iraq failed to respond to a parliamentary initiative for a cease-fire Salah al-Obeidi, the spokesman for the Sadrist Movement, said his...

Dogs of War: Insurance? What insurance?
May 2, 2008... Byline: DAVID ISENBERG WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- Life in Iraq for private military contractors is dangerous. If they get killed their dependents in theory get insurance but there will be no letters from a military commander of the...

CBI for a mechanism at state intelligence.
May 2, 2008... NEW DELHI, May 2 (UPI) -- India's Central Bureau of Investigation has asked states to develop a formal unit within state intelligence to coordinate with Interpol. "Such formal structures at state levels should have a mechanism to...

Indian army to boost cybersecurity.
May 2, 2008... NEW DELHI, May 2 (UPI) -- The Indian army said it has decided to boost cybersecurity of its information networks. Army chief Gen. Deepak Kapoor, who chaired the commanders' conference, said the Army decided to boost cybersecurity of its...

Iraq Press Roundup.
May 2, 2008... Byline: HIBA DAWOOD In its editorial Thursday with the title "There will be a day when people will stop speaking," the Iraqi Hezbollah's Al Bayyna newspaper said the people of the southern cities in Iraq, specifically Basra, have had...

Security brings 10,000 Iraqis home.
May 2, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. State Department said security and diplomatic gains in Iraq brought improvements in the agriculture sector and the return of 10,000 refugees. Senior Iraqi delegates attended a reconciliation conference in...

Kurds, Turks renew relations.
May 2, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 2 (UPI) -- A delegation of high-ranking Turkish officials met with Iraqi and Kurdish politicians in Baghdad to strengthen bilateral and good neighborly relations. Turkish special envoy to Iraq Murat Ozcelik and Prime Minister...

Iraq launches crop-protection program.
May 2, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 2 (UPI) -- The Iraqi government in coordination with U.S.-led forces launched a major pest-control project to protect the nation's date crops, a chief Iraqi export. The Iraqi Agricultural and Defense Ministries coordinated...

Iraq Press Roundup.
May 2, 2008... Byline: HIBA DAWOOD The liberal Al Ahali newspaper said democracy makes the state and the civil society equal. In its editorial, with the title "Pillars of democracy," it said the state must not try to dominate society or turn it into...

NNSA launches new secured agency network.
May 2, 2008... WASHINGTON, May 2 (UPI) -- The National Nuclear Security Administration has launched a new secure information network in an effort to modernize the U.S. nuclear weapons complex. NNSA Administrator Thomas D'Agostino says the new enterprise...

Downed drone incident prompts concern.
May 2, 2008... HELSINKI, Finland, May 2 (UPI) -- The Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe is again calling for restraint after an unmanned aerial vehicle was recently shot down over Georgia. OSCE Chairman-in-Office Finnish Foreign Minister...

UAV takes out militants engaging troops.
May 2, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 2 (UPI) -- The U.S. Air Force's unmanned aerial vehicle units targeted and killed a group of militant operatives attempting to move weapons into the trunk of a car. Air Force officials say the MQ-1B Predator UAV unit was...

Terrorist fugitive nabbed in Morocco.
May 2, 2008... CASABLANCA, Morocco, May 2 (UPI) -- Moroccan police have arrested a terrorist fugitive who recently escaped jail while serving a 20-year sentence for his involvement in a suicide bombing. Moroccan police confirmed the arrest of 34-year old...

JITF operation intercepts cocaine traffic.
May 2, 2008... SAN JUAN, PR May 2 (UPI) -- Canadian defense officials say a three-ship Canadian task force recently took part in a multinational counter-drug operation in the Caribbean. Official say the drug interdiction operation in the Caribbean Basin...

Atlantic Eye: Surprising pragmatic Danes.
May 5, 2008... Byline: MARC S. ELLENBOGEN COPENHAGEN, Denmark, May 5 (UPI) -- Danes are the ultimate pragmatists. They are more reserved than the Swedes, less gregarious than the Norwegians and of lower intensity than the Finns. But behind their coolish...

Analysis: Is MeK still a terrorist group?
May 5, 2008... Byline: CLAUDE SALHANI WASHINGTON, May 5 (UPI) -- When a group commits violent acts with political or religious intent, it is designated by the U.S. State Department as a terrorist organization. It's a simple enough process. In contrast,...

Homeland Security: The week ahead.(Calendar)
May 5, 2008... Byline: SHAUN WATERMAN WASHINGTON, May 5 (UPI) -- Democratic primaries in Indiana and North Carolina Tuesday mean that presidential politics is likely to dominate the news agenda this week. But among all the endless talk of demographics,...

Commentary: From riches to rags.
May 5, 2008... Byline: ARNAUD DE BORCHGRAVE WASHINGTON, May 5 (UPI) -- Globalization was supposed to lift all boats, some faster than others. And the proliferation of democracies around the world would put the seal of good government on this peaceful...

Walker's World: Bye-bye boomers.
May 5, 2008... Byline: MARTIN WALKER LONDON, May 5 (UPI) -- The victory of Boris Johnson in London's mayoral election represents the emergence of a new generation of politicians into the struggle for power. The baby boomers are starting the long, sad...

India: Rebel groups try to join hands.
May 5, 2008... NEW DELHI, May 5 (UPI) -- India's intelligence agencies said an insurgent group in the northeast is trying to establish contact with the outlawed Lashkar-e-Toiba. The Manipur-based Islamic militant outfit People's United Liberation Front...

India, Pakistan peace talks set for May 21.
May 5, 2008... NEW DELHI, May 5 (UPI) -- India said it will hold the next round of talks with Pakistan from May 21 to take the ongoing peace process forward. The Foreign Office said the government is expected to press for more bus services between the...

Iraq Press Roundup.
May 5, 2008... Byline: HIBA DAWOOD In its editorial, the daily Al Sabah newspaper highlighted Monday the role neighboring counties should play in improving Iraq's security, leading to an economic, social and political revival. With the title "The...

Analysis: High noon for Clinton, Obama.
May 5, 2008... Byline: MARTIN SIEFF WASHINGTON, May 5 (UPI) -- Sens. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama face their high-noon showdown on Tuesday in Indiana and North Carolina: The results of those two primary elections could prove the decisive turning...

Iraq caught in U.S.-Iranian row.
May 5, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 5 (UPI) -- High-ranking Iraqi officials returned from Iran with "positive" declarations of support while U.S. officials maintain Tehran is stoking the violence. "The delegation saw a positive stance from the brothers in Iran...

Baghdad: Sunni ministers 'unqualified'.
May 5, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 5 (UPI) -- The official spokesman for the Iraqi government said nominees submitted for ministerial posts by the Sunni Iraqi Accordance Front were "unqualified." IAF chairman Adnan al-Duleimai nominated five ministers April 17...

Report: Eight conflicts deteriorate.
May 5, 2008... BRUSSELS, May 5 (UPI) -- The International Crisis Group says in its CrisisWatch monthly report that eight conflict situations around the world deteriorated during the month of April. The CrisisWatch report cited the escalating tension in...

Several killed in thwarted LTTE attack.
May 5, 2008... JAFFNA, Sri Lanka, May 5 (UPI) -- Sri Lanka defense officials say an attack by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam terrorist group against a northern military outpost was thwarted Monday. The LTTE attack occurred Monday morning at a Sri...

Three killed, eight wounded in N. Darfur.
May 5, 2008... AL FASHER, Sudan, May 5 (UPI) -- Attacks by Sudanese forces that left three dead prompted the evacuation of several other wounded villagers in the North Darfur region of Sudan. The U.N.-African Union peacekeeping operation in the region, or...

Iraqi forces in Basra are maturing.
May 5, 2008... BASRA, Iraq, May 5 (UPI) -- A senior British defense official in southern Iraq says the Iraqi troops operating in Basra are showing increased professionalism and maturity. Maj. Gen. Barney White-Spunner, senior British military officer in...

Israel planning UAVs for every battalion.
May 5, 2008... JERUSALEM, May 5 (UPI) -- Plans are under way to equip every Israel Defense Force battalion with an unmanned aerial vehicle system to increase intelligence and operational capabilities. The UAV plan is part of the Israeli Ground Forces...

Analysis: U.S. drops Islam in terror talk.
May 6, 2008... Byline: SHAUN WATERMAN WASHINGTON, May 6 (UPI) -- U.S. officials are being advised in internal government documents to avoid referring publicly to al-Qaida and other terrorist groups as Islamic or Muslim, and not to use terms like jihad or...

Feature: U.S., Mehdi Army battle over wall.
May 6, 2008... Byline: RICHARD TOMKINS BAGHDAD, May 6 (UPI) -- Gun battles between U.S. troops and Shiite extremists are being fought daily along a stretch of road in Baghdad's Sadr City as militants loyal to anti-American cleric Moqtada Sadr try to stop...

Iraq Press Roundup.
May 6, 2008... Byline: HIBA DAWOOD The Association of Muslim Scholars' Al Basaer newspaper said Tuesday in its editorial that after Iraq was destroyed and hard to fix, officials at the White House called upon Arab countries to send their representatives...

1,500 Iraqi farmers attend expo.
May 6, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 6 (UPI) -- More than 1,500 Iraqi farmers met for an agricultural and technology exhibit hosted by U.S. reconstruction officials. Provincial reconstruction teams embedded with the U.S. Army hosted a exhibition near Salman Pak,...

Iraqi mayors attend U.S.-Arab Cities Forum.
May 6, 2008... CHICAGO, May 6 (UPI) -- The mayors of three key Iraqi cities accompanied regional and Arab leaders at the first U.S.-Arab Cities Forum in Chicago. The forum held last week at the University of Illinois at Chicago focused on economic...

Sadr wants peaceful talks, lawmaker says.
May 6, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 6 (UPI) -- A lawmaker with the political party of Shiite cleric Moqtada Sadr said diplomatic means are the way to peaceful reconciliation in Iraq. Maha al-Dori with the Sadrist Movement said U.S. officials blamed Sadr...

India: Rebels waiting to cross border.
May 6, 2008... NEW DELHI, May 6 (UPI) -- India's Border Security Force said militants are waiting at the western border to cross into Kashmir when the snow melts. "The BSF has strong inputs that militants are waiting along the border to enter the...

India arms villagers to fight rebels.
May 6, 2008... NEW DELHI, May 6 (UPI) -- The government in India's insurgency-hit Manipur state has begun arming villagers to defend themselves against militants. The state government conducted a recruitment rally to implement the first phase of its plan...

Analysis: Cyclone shows nature's power.
May 6, 2008... Byline: MARTIN SIEFF WASHINGTON, May 6 (UPI) -- The cyclone tragedy that has devastated the South Asian nation of Myanmar, formerly Burma, has taken at least 22,000 lives -- a figure that looks certain to climb further as relief operations...

Iraqi forces briefed on international law.
May 6, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 6 (UPI) -- U.S. military officials worked with international reconstruction teams to teach Iraqi security forces the basics of humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions. A team of Iraqi legal affairs officers and general...

Iraqi security fence views mixed.
May 6, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 6 (UPI) -- The 12-foot barrier criss-crossing Baghdad neighborhoods brings a sense of cautious optimism with the sense of security. In the Saidiyah district, the security provided by the concrete barrier allows city employees...

Baghdad doubts U.S. weapons claims on Iran.
May 6, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 6 (UPI) -- The Iraqi government disputes U.S. allegations that Iran is stoking the sectarian violence there with money, weapons and paramilitary training. U.S. officials said they have uncovered materials from rockets fired at...

Shiite official warns U.S. on SOFA.
May 6, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 6 (UPI) -- An adviser to the Shiite Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council said any U.S. violations of Iraqi sovereignty in the pending status of forces agreement are unacceptable. Mohsen Hakim, son of party founder Abdul Aziz al-Hakim,...

Jordan hosts Iraqi business expo.
May 6, 2008... AMMAN, Jordan, May 6 (UPI) -- More than 31 nations visited Jordan for the launch of Project Rebuild Iraq 2008 featuring exhibitions by nearly 500 Arab and international companies. The fair, organized by the international...

Terrorist arms dealer indicted.
May 6, 2008... NEW YORK, May 6 (UPI) -- A U.S. indictment was unsealed against an international arms dealer suspected of trying to sell weapons to terrorist organizations for use against Americans. The indictment is for Viktor Bout, also called the...

U.N. urges refocus of efforts in Sudan.
May 6, 2008... OSLO, Norway, May 6 (UPI) -- The United Nations is calling on the international community to refocus attention on South Sudan to increase security and aid for the region. U.N. Deputy Secretary-General Asha-Rose Migiro, speaking at the...

Hospitals not ready for terror attack.
May 6, 2008... WASHINGTON, May 6 (UPI) -- Hospitals in major U.S. cities targeted by terrorists are ill-equipped to handle the surge of emergency care required in the wake of an attack, a report says. The chairman of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight...

Predator crews reach operational milestone.
May 6, 2008... WASHINGTON, May 6 (UPI) -- U.S. Air Force officials say they have doubled their unmanned air vehicle combat air patrol capabilities over the last year in the war on terror. The 24th MQ-1 Predator UAV combat air patrol is now in operation...

Walker's World: The EU's euro power-grab.
May 7, 2008... Byline: MARTIN WALKER FRANKFURT, Germany, May 7 (UPI) -- The Commission of the European Union is celebrating the forthcoming 10th anniversary of the euro with an ambitious new plan to direct the economic strategy of the world's largest...

Iraq Press Roundup.
May 7, 2008... Byline: HIBA DAWOOD Shebab Al Iraq newspaper Wednesday carried an editorial with the headline "Who is responsible for the atrocities in Sadr City?" The editorial said mortar shells were launched at the "fortified" Green Zone from the...

Analysis: U.S. eyes Korea/Iran contract.
May 7, 2008... Byline: BEN LANDO WASHINGTON, May 7 (UPI) -- U.S. forces are investigating two contracts to build schools in northern Iraq that required bathroom fixtures to be supplied by Iran. The new elementary and middle schools built in Erbil...

India to build 61 roads bordering China.
May 7, 2008... NEW DELHI, May 7 (UPI) -- India's Border Road Organization said it will construct 61 roads in states bordering China in order to provide easy access for armed forces. According to Lt. Gen. A.K. Nanda, given the strategic importance of a...

India to hold naval security conference.(Conference notes)
May 7, 2008... NEW DELHI, May 7 (UPI) -- A three-day Naval Commanders' Conference began Wednesday in Mumbai to discuss issues relating to India's defense and coastal security. A naval spokesman said the annual conference would continue until Friday. He...

Joint patrols helping Iraqi police.
May 7, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 7 (UPI) -- Iraqi police units conduct joint patrols with U.S. Marine training officers every day in an effort to evolve to a stand-alone police force. "They put in their time every day and look forward to getting paid," said...

Sadrists inch toward reconciliation.
May 7, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 7 (UPI) -- The Iraqi National Security Council called on Moqtada Sadr's fighters and his Mehdi Army to honor legislation calling on political blocs to disarm. Parliament Speaker Mahmoud al-Mashhadani said in a letter from the...

Iraqi engineers brief U.S. on progress.
May 7, 2008... KUT, Iraq, May 7 (UPI) -- Iraqi engineers briefed their U.S. counterparts on the progress of a healthcare facility and water-treatment plant. Brig. Gen. Jeffery Dorko, commander of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in southern Iraq, said...

NATO, Afghanistan sign munitions deal.
May 7, 2008... BRUSSELS, May 7 (UPI) -- Officials from NATO and Afghanistan signed an agreement Wednesday to establish greater security at munitions depots in Afghanistan. NATO Maintenance and Supply Agency officials and top officials from Afghanistan...

Council hears counter-terror reports.
May 7, 2008... UNITED NATIONS, May 7 (UPI) -- The U.N. Security Council heard reports Tuesday from its counter-terrorism committees with updates on the handling of several U.N. resolutions. Ambassador Jorge Urbina of Costa Rica, the chair of the Security...

U.N. calls for release of child soldiers.
May 7, 2008... BUJUMBURA, Burundi, May 7 (UPI) -- A recent surge in violence between rebel groups and the Burundi government has prompted calls for the release of children recruited to fight in the conflict. The U.N. secretary-general's special...

Troops push security south in Helmand.
May 7, 2008... LASHKAR GAH, Afghanistan, May 7 (UPI) -- British and American troops combined their strengths in Afghanistan during a recent push to extend security south towards the Pakistan border. British troops from the 16th Air Assault Brigade teamed...

TSA begins new employee screening programs.
May 7, 2008... WASHINGTON, May 7 (UPI) -- The U.S. Transportation Security Administration has begun an examination of airport employee screening programs at seven airports. The TSA launched 90-day employee screening pilot program variants at Boston's...

Iran invites Maliki for talks.
May 8, 2008... TEHRAN, May 8 (UPI) -- A top official with the Shiite Supreme Islamic Iraqi Council said Tehran invited Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki for talks on Iraqi national security. Mohsen Hakim, son of party founder Abdul Aziz al-Hakim and a...

India: Talks with Bodos haven't started.
May 8, 2008... NEW DELHI, May 8 (UPI) -- India's Interior Ministry said peace talks with the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland have yet to begin. The announcement came a day after the group, which is active in Assam state, announced plans...

Atlantic Eye: Hardly a done deal.
May 8, 2008... Byline: MARC S. ELLENBOGEN PRAGUE, Czech Republic, May 8 (UPI) -- Most Europeans see the U.S. presidential election as a done deal. They are quite surprised. They were convinced that Sen. Hillary Clinton was the sure thing. Now, and they...

Iran recalls ambassador to Iraq.
May 8, 2008... TEHRAN, May 8 (UPI) -- Iran recalled its ambassador to Iraq in protest of Baghdad's support for a move by the United Arab Emirates to take ownership of three Persian Gulf islands. The Emirates News Agency, WAM, said April 28 that the Iraqi...

Maliki closes Sadr radio station.
May 8, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 8 (UPI) -- Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki ordered a halt Thursday to broadcasts from the al-Ahad radio station of Moqtada Sadr as residents flee escalating violence. U.S. and Iraqi forces Thursday delivered a message from...

Iraqi fish industry boosted by microgrants.
May 8, 2008... BAGHDAD, May 8 (UPI) -- U.S. reconstruction officials said microgrants supplied to the Iraqi fish industry generate enough momentum to restart the struggling sector. U.S. provincial reconstruction teams visited a fish farm near Salman Pak...

Influenza pandemic meetings held.
May 8, 2008... GENEVA, Switzerland, May 8 (UPI) -- The World Health Organization is gathering influenza and planning experts for meetings to address the continued threat of a global influenza pandemic. The WHO says 120 experts from U.N. member countries...

Border initiative to stop drug flow.
May 8, 2008... TEHRAN, May 8 (UPI) -- Officials from Afghanistan, Iran and Pakistan have announced plans to strengthen border cooperation to stop the flow of drugs and crime. A recent meeting, part of the Triangular Initiative brokered by the U.N. Office...