Ruling could reveal elusive Florida family’s terror links
By Dan Christensen and Anthony Summers – BrowardBulldog.org – 31 March, 2014

A federal judge Monday ordered the FBI to conduct a more thorough search of its vast files to identify documents about its once secret investigation of terrorist activity in Sarasota prior to 9/11.

Fort Lauderdale U.S. District Judge William J. Zloch’s order also rejected a request by the Department of Justice to throw out the Freedom of Information case filed by BrowardBulldog.org in September 2012. Justice has argued that the release of certain information about the matter “would reveal current specific targets” of national security investigations.

The suit alleges the government has improperly withheld information about a local Saudi family’s apparent connections to terrorists, including 9/11 hijack pilot Mohamed Atta and Adnan Shukrijumah, the former Broward resident and alleged al-Qaeda figure who has a $5 million federal bounty on his head.

“This is a huge step in the right direction,” said Miami attorney Thomas Julin, who represents the 4-year-old news organization. “The decision tells the FBI that this federal judge wants to make sure that the truth comes out.”

In his four-page order, Zloch said he would issue a separate order detailing steps the FBI must take to comply with his order requiring the additional records search.

BrowardBulldog.org asked the court in July to compel the additional document search. The suit was filed after the FBI denied the news organization’s record requests under the Freedom of Information Act.

Six months after the suit was filed, the bureau unexpectedly released 35 heavily redacted pages, including four pages that were completely blanked out, and asserted it had no more responsive documents to produce. The declassified pages contradicted earlier public statements by FBI agents in Sarasota and Miami that the decade-old investigation had found no evidence of terrorist activity.

In his order, Zloch noted the government has provided him with un-redacted copies of those pages “for the court’s inspection.” Whether that information played a role in the judge’s decision is not known

The Miami Herald and the Sarasota Herald-Tribune, in a friend-of-the-court brief filed in support of the lawsuit last week, argued to the court: “The Broward Bulldog has provided this court with ample evidence establishing that the FBI could not have possibly conducted adequate [record] searches.” …more

Saudi arrests three over online criticism
31 March, 2014 – Shia Post

Saudi Arabia has arrested three people who had criticized corruption in the country and called for an improvement in their living standards in online videos.

Activists said on Sunday that the Saudi authorities arrested the three on Saturday.

A young man, who identified himself as Abdulaziz Mohammed al-Dosari, posted a 30-second video on video-sharing website YouTube, saying that he earns a low income and does not have a house or a car.

“We are fed up, and you still blame those who carry out bombings,” he said, asking Saudi King Abdullah to spend money in the country to improve lives.

“Give us our money… We do not want to beg… You and your children are playing with this money,” he added.

The second video was posted by a man who said he was named Abdullah bin Othman. He said in the video that “corruption is widespread” in the kingdom while people “are hungry and oppressed.”

Othman called on people to post their comments online so that “our voices could reach the king.”

In the third video, a man, identifying himself as Saud al-Harbi, said that many people need “housing” and “a decent life.”

“Please listen to us. We want housing, we want a decent life. Do not force people to take to the streets,” he said.

Earlier this month, an online activist was jailed for 10 years after being convicted of ‘insulting Saudi leaders’ and calling for anti-regime demonstrations.

Riyadh has strictly banned any gatherings across the kingdom.

Activists say there are over 30,000 political prisoners in Saudi Arabia. …more

Obama weighs new aid for Syria terrorists; sets joint military plan with Saudis
29 March, 2014 – Shia Post

The United States is considering allowing shipments of portable air defense systems to Syrian opposition groups, a U.S. official said Friday, as President Barack Obama sought to reassure Saudi Arabia’s king that the U.S. is not taking too soft a stance in Syria and other Mideast conflicts.

A Washington Post report said Saturday that the U.S. is ready to step up covert aid to Syrian armed groups under a plan being discussed with regional allies including Saudi Arabia.

The plan includes CIA training of about 600 Syrian opposition forces per month in Saudi Arabia, Jordan and Qatar, foreign affairs columnist David Ignatius wrote on Thursday. That would double the forces currently being trained in the region.

The Obama administration was debating whether to use U.S. Special Operation forces and other military personnel in the training, something Syrian mercenaries have argued would carry less political baggage than the CIA, according to the column.

The Obama administration has been criticized by some in Congress for failing to do more in Syria, where 140,000 people have been killed so far, millions have become refugees and thousands of foreign gunmen have been trained since 2011.

Washington was also considering whether to provide the armed opposition with anti-aircraft missile launchers, known as MANPADS, to stop President Assad’s air force, the column said. Saudi Arabia wanted U.S. permission before delivering them, it said.

The plan, which was still being formalized, also called for vetting of opposition forces for “extremist links” during and after training, according to Ignatius.

Qatar has offered to pay for the first year of the program, which could cost hundreds of millions of dollars, according to the column. The program would try to stabilize Syria by helping local councils and police in areas not under Assad’s control and seek to establish safe corridors for humanitarian aid, it said.

Saudi rulers are hoping for the United States to shift its position on support for Syrian armed opposition, whom Riyadh has backed in their battle to oust President Bashar al-Assad. …more

ISIS seizes town from Nusra in Hassakeh province
31 March, 2014 – The Daily Star

BEIRUT: Militants from the Al-Qaeda splinter group ISIS have taken over the town of Markada in Hassakeh province in fighting with the Nusra Front and other Islamist militias, according to pro-opposition media and an activist group. The reports said that a local commander of ISIS, a Turkish national, was killed in the fighting, which claimed the lives of five ISIS fighters and approximately 40 Nusra Front members.

The town lies on the highway linking the cities of Hassakeh and Deir al-Zor.

ISIS is engaged in fighting against the Nusra Front and its allies, as well as a separate campaign against the YPG Kurdish militia.

The Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said Saturday that it could confirm at least 16 ISIS fatalities in the infighting, while the other side’s losses remained undetermined.

Also in Hassakeh province, the Kurdish YPG wrested control of a village, Jazaa, from ISIS, which suffered at least 14 fatalities during three days of fighting.

In Raqqa province to the east, where ISIS enjoys its strongest presence in the country, the Observatory said the group alerted residents via minarets in the town of Raqqa to “open their windows and open up closed places” as the group was planning to carry out the second stage of the demolition of a local shrine. …more

Salman says int’l soft policy towards Bahrain prolongs the crisis
29 March, 2014 – Shia Post

Al Wefaq secretary general Sheikh Ali Salman delivered a speech at the opening ceremony of Al Wefaq’s General Conference in Sar, where thousands of Bahrainis gathered on Friday evening. He began by saluting the people for their sacrifices and agonies for the sake of freedom and justice to Bahrain.

He strongly denounced the nonstop brutal measures against the peaceful prodemocracy struggle that has been taking place in Bahrain since February 2011.

Salman called on the masses gathered in Sar to join the opposition’s mass peaceful march on Friday 4th April.
He reiterated condemnation of all forms of violence from any side. He said the Authority is responsible for the start and continuation of violence because it is refusing the legitimate demands of the people and strangling freedoms with systematic repression against dissidents.

The opening ceremony in Sar was to be followed by Al Wefaq’s general conference to discuss the annual closing reports and elect half of its Shura Council members. However, the Bahraini Authorities have banned the event in Sar. Salman called on Al Wefaq members to attend the event in the headquarters despite the arbitrary ban.

In regards to the opposition’s position from the coming parliamentary elections, Sheik Ali Salman said if the situation remains as it is and no agreement is reached on a constitution draft for a real reform than the opposition’s only option is to continue its demands for real democratic transition.

Salman highlighted the main problems in the ruling system disapproving the unelected Government and upper house Shura Council, as well as the blatant gerrymandering in constituencies.

Salman said “The opposition parties, including Al Wefaq, believe in genuine dialogue and negotiations as a humanitarian and rational way to reach solutions. And we have always showed our readiness for this, however, we, our people, and the world have found that the Bahraini Authority lacked honesty and seriousness to engage in such dialogue”.

“The repression continues on an escalating pace and some dialogue participators are being tried, like the assistant SG of Al Wefaq Khalil al Marzooq”, he added, “The hatred speech against the people has not stopped”.

He stated, ” The opposition and people of Bahrain are more aware today of the regime’s maneuvers by which it has attempted to circumvent the legitimate demands of the people through its mixture of superficial dialogues on one hand, and continuing to practice repression on the other hand”.

“We have seen nothing new since 2013, the Authority has shown no desire for real dialogue. The opposition is managing this issue with rationalism and taking all possibilities into consideration”, he went on. ” The opposition is with the principle of and always ready for real dialogue. Nonetheless, it will not allow for the people to be fooled again. We will not waive the just demands of our people under any threats, even if it meant sending us to jail”, he stated.

He highlighted the active role of the Bahraini NGOs, teachers, journalists, workers, medics, tweeps, that advocate the people’s rights and legitimate aspirations despite all threats and repressive measures perpetrated by the authorities. …more

Embassygate in Bahrain Not the Fundamental Problem
31 March, 2014 – Brian Dooley – Huffington Post

The U.S. State Department Inspector General’s office has sunk the knife pretty deeply into U.S. Ambassador to Bahrain Thomas Krajeski. A report released last week alleged that his “failure to maintain a robust planning and review process has led to confusion and lack of focus among some staff members.” The report also claimed that “Management controls processes are weak across the board,” and “A lack of transparency in management policies exacerbates low morale.”

The report charges that Krajeski’s “belief that reactive ‘seat of the pants’ leadership works best in Bahrain’s challenging environment has left staff members who do not have access to him on a regular basis confused.”

The report from the 11-member team is nothing if not thorough, finding fault in all sorts of places, and making 74 recommendations, including that “Embassy Manama should adopt a policy that forbids drivers to put a car into gear until all passengers fasten their seat belts,” and that “Embassy Manama should implement and publish a policy restricting use of personally owned furniture and furnishings.”

I cannot assess whether Ambassador Krajeski is as poor a manager as the report suggests — I’ve only met him a few times, largely because I haven’t been allowed into Bahrain for over two years. But when we have spoken, he’s been refreshingly frank about the challenges he faces and more open to a candid discussion than many of his colleagues.

Yet some of the report’s most interesting findings are not about Krajeski’s performance, but the reality of the U.S.-Bahrain relationship and the functioning of the embassy. It states, for example, that “Embassy Manama has two Leahy Vetting officers, both in the political/economic section…. In 2012, the embassy vetted 308 individuals.” U.S. Leahy laws prohibit the Departments of State of Defense from providing military assistance to foreign military or police units believed to have violated human rights. It’s unclear from this report how many Bahraini security officials were denied U.S. support under this law. …more

International human rights organisations support terrorists, says Minister
31 March, 2014 – BNA

(BNA) – Minister of State for Information Affairs and the Government’s Official Spokesperson Sameera Ebrahim bin Rajab said that a major project is currently being implemented against the whole region, noting that Arab countries, be it those which went through changes, those expecting change or those which have overcome it, like Bahrain, admit that an organised and systematic plan, was prepared a long time ago, is staged against them.

In an Interview with Elaph online newspaper, the Minister of State said that the Arab media, including the Bahraini one, has not been up to the challenge as it lacked the needed infrastructure to face the sudden changes, stressing that the project was launched since the beginning of the new millennium, with the collapse of the two towers in New York.

“The process of changing the global system began in September 11, 2001, and since then the so-called ‘Islamic terrorism’ was created,” she explained, adding that the whole region came under attack and was blamed for the outbreak of terrorism because of lack of democracy claims.

The targeting of the ruling systems across the Arab world and the “exportation” of democracy to them started since 2001 and still continues. …more