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Skriven 2007-08-06 23:31:16 av Whitehouse Press (1:3634/12.0)
Ärende: Press Release (0708061) for Mon, 2007 Aug 6
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Fact Sheet: Combating Terrorism Worldwide
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For Immediate Release Office of the Press Secretary August 6, 2007
Fact Sheet: Combating Terrorism Worldwide What The United States And Its
Partners Are Doing To Fight Al Qaeda And Other Terrorists
ÿÿWhite House News
"We've done a lot of work since September the 11th to make this country
safe, and it is safer, but it's not completely safe.ÿ It's important for
the American people to understand there are cold-blooded killers who want
to come to our homeland and wreak havoc through death."
- President George W. Bush, 8/3/07
We Are Confronting The Threat From Al Qaeda And Degrading Their
Capabilities
Since 9/11, The United States Has Been On The Offense Against Our
Enemies.ÿWe have built new institutions to better coordinate homeland
defense and intelligence collection, developed new tools to monitor and
track terrorists and their finances, established new coalitions to combat
violent extremists wherever they reside, and marshaled national resources
to attack the terrorist enemies at war with us.ÿ
The United States And Our Allies Have Captured Or Killed Dozens Of Senior
Al Qaeda Leaders Since 9/11.ÿSenior leaders include:
þ Abu Mus_ab al Zarqawi: Commander of al Qaeda in Iraq; before 9/11,
Zarqawi ran a terrorist camp in Afghanistan; had longstanding relations
with senior al Qaeda leaders and had met with Osama bin Laden and Ayman
Zawahiri.
þ Muhammad _Atif: Bin Laden_s deputy before 9/11 and al Qaeda_s military
chief.
þ Abu Faraj al Libi: Al Qaeda_s manager, a subordinate only to bin Laden
and Zawahiri.
þ Khalid Shaykh Mohammad: One of history_s most infamous terrorists and
one of al Qaeda_s most capable senior operatives.ÿ He was the driving
force behind the 9/11 attacks.
þ Abu Zubaydah: A leading extremist facilitator who operated in the
Afghanistan/ Pakistan region in the mid 90_s.ÿ At the time of his
capture, Abu Zubaydah was trying to organize an attack in Israel.
þ Ramzi bin al Shibh: A key facilitator for the 9/11 attack and a lead
operative in a plot to hijack aircrafts and crash them into Heathrow
Airport.
þ Abd al Hadi al-Iraqi: Osama bin Laden tried to send Iraqi-born
terrorist Abd al Hadi al Iraqi to Iraq.ÿ Abd al Hadi had been a senior
advisor to bin Laden and served as his top commander in Afghanistan.ÿ
He also directed plots to assassinate Pakistani President Pervez
Musharraf.ÿ Abd al Hadi never made it to Iraq, as he was captured in
late 2006.
þ Fatah Da_ud Mahmud al Mashadani: Al Qaeda in Iraq Media Emir;
intermediary between al Qaeda Iraq leader Abu Ayyub al Masri and senior
al Qaeda leadership.
The United States And Its Partners Have Disrupted Numerous Al Qaeda
Terrorist Plots Since 9/11.
þ Passenger Airplane Plot: In January 2006, bin Laden warned the American
people: "Operations are under preparation and you will see them on your
own ground once they are finished."ÿ Seven months later, British
authorities broke up one of the most ambitious known al Qaeda threats
related to the U.S. since the 9/11 attacks: a plot to blow up passenger
airplanes flying to America.ÿ Our Intelligence Community believes that
this plot was just two or three weeks away from execution.ÿ If it had
been carried out, it could have rivaled 9/11 in death and destruction.
þ Belgian Arrests Of Cell Facilitating Bombers Into Iraq.ÿIn November
2005, Belgian authorities arrested members of a terrorist cell
facilitating the movement of suicide bombers into Iraq.
þ Brooklyn Bridge: In 2003, and in conjunction with a partner nation, the
US Government arrested and prosecuted Iyman al Faris, who was exploring
the destruction of the Brooklyn Bridge in New York.ÿ Faris ultimately
pleaded guilty to providing material support to al Qaeda and is now in
a federal correctional institution.
þ East Coast Airliner Plot: In mid-2003, the US and a partner uncovered
and stopped a plot led by a suspected senior al Qaeda operative named
Abu Bakr al Azdi to attack targets on the East Coast of the US using
hijacked commercial airplanes.
þ The West Coast Airliner Plot: In mid-2002, the US disrupted a plot to
attack targets on the West Coast of the US using hijacked airplanes.ÿ
During a hearing at Guatanamo Bay, Khalid Shaykh Mohammad stated that
the intended target was the Library Tower in Los Angeles.ÿ
We Remain On The Offense Against Terrorists Abroad, While We Defend Against
Attacks On The Homeland, U.S. Interests Abroad, And Our Friends And Allies.
þ Constantly Evaluating The Threat: Every day, the U.S. Government's
intelligence, law enforcement, and homeland security communities review
current threats and how to address them.ÿ Every week, senior
counterterrorism officials meet at the White House to review the
current and strategic threat and to organize efforts to wage the War on
Terror.ÿ The President continues to receive regular al Qaeda-related
intelligence briefings and homeland security updates from top
Administration officials.
þ Adapting To The Threat: Homeland security and law enforcement agencies
have been reviewing their current operations and are enhancing, where
necessary, efforts to better respond to and address the heightened
threat environment.ÿ
þ Amplifying Our Cooperation With Key Allies: We are working with key
partners to undermine al Qaeda's attempts to access and co-opt regional
networks for their own strategic purposes.
þ In Iraq, the U.S. is working closely with the Government of Iraq to
target al Qaeda and ensure that al Qaeda and other terrorists do not
gain a safe haven that would endanger American citizens and embolden
the enemies of a free Iraq. ÿ
þ More than 155,000 U.S. troops, supported by more than 10,000
Coalition soldiers from 33 nations, are working side by side with
over 300,000 Iraqi Security Forces to help secure the population
and set conditions for political progress.
þ Al Qaeda in Iraq has been dislodged from its former stronghold of
Ramadi, and is facing increasing backlash from its operations and
goals in several regions in Iraq, including Baghdad and Diyala.ÿ Al
Qaeda in Iraq has experienced a number of recent leadership losses,
yet it remains capable of mounting spectacular suicide attacks
which threaten the stability of Iraq_s government.
þ Tribal resistance in Anbar is spreading to other Sunni regions of
Iraq and tribes are effectively striking back against al Qaeda in
many places.
þ Our own Special Operations Forces have been extremely successful in
targeting and eliminating al Qaeda leaders in great numbers
throughout Iraq.ÿ Al Qaeda in Iraq is increasingly hindered.
þ In Afghanistan, the United States and its allies have shown a continued
commitment to defeating terrorism since Operation Enduring Freedom
began.
þ The United States and the international community are committed for the
long term to ensuring a democratic, stable, and peaceful Afghanistan
that is inhospitable to terrorism.ÿ The Afghan people can rely on the
U.S. Government and our Allies and partners.
þ The levels of US troops, troops from other nations, and Afghan
security forces have increased since 2002.ÿ There are now
approximately 23,500 US troops, 26,300 troops from other nations,
and 114,600 Afghan security forces on the ground in Afghanistan.
þ The international community is helping Afghanistan replace the
brutal rule of the Taliban with the rule of law.ÿ The United States
has built or renovated 40 judicial facilities in Afghanistan,
distributed more than 11,000 copies of the Afghan constitution, and
trained more than 750 Afghan judges and lawyers and prosecutors.ÿ
þ The United States and the international community have built
hundreds of new schools for Afghanistan and 5.5 million Afghan
children are now in school including 2 million girls.ÿ The
Taliban and their terrorist allies only seek destruction, attacking
20 schools in the first week of July, threatening teachers, and
killing innocent schoolgirls.ÿ
þ U.S. assistance for Afghanistan_s reconstruction from FY 2001- FY
2007 totals over $23 billion, and the administration has requested
an additional $4.8 billion in FY 2008.ÿ
þ A secure environment is necessary to help the Government of
Afghanistan with reconstruction and development.ÿ We and our ISAF
Allies and partners are implementing a comprehensive approach in
Afghanistan that integrates stability operations with economic
revitalization, the development of infrastructure, better
governance, public diplomacy, a sound approach to
counter-narcotics, and cooperation with Pakistan.
þ In Pakistan, we continue to work with President Musharraf and the
Government to capture key al Qaeda operatives and to put pressure on al
Qaeda and the Taliban in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.ÿ The
Pakistanis understand the threat that al Qaeda and violent extremism
pose to their country and the region, and we will continue to work with
them to deny Pakistan as a safe haven for terrorists.
þ Pakistan has worked closely with the United States to secure the
arrest of terrorists like Khalid Shaykh Mohammad, Abu Zubaydah, and
Ramzi bin al Shibh. Pakistan has killed or captured hundreds of
suspected and known terrorists, including Mullah Obaidullah, who
ranked second in the Taliban hierarchy at the time of his capture.
þ About 100,000 Pakistani troops are deployed in the region near the
Afghan border, and hundreds of Pakistani security forces have given
their lives in the battle to combat terrorism post-9/11.
þ Pakistan provides vital logistical support to coalition forces in
Afghanistan.
þ President Musharraf has a comprehensive strategy that combines
three critical components--strengthened governance, increased
economic development, and improved security--aimed at eradicating
extremism in the Federally Administered Tribal Areas.
þ In North Africa, we are working with our partners to counter al Qaeda's
further expansion in the Maghreb evident in the emergence of "al
Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb" (AQIM).ÿ This group claimed
responsibility for recent terrorist bombings in Algeria, including the
April 11 attacks, which resulted in the death of a number of civilians.
þ In the Persian Gulf, we continue to strengthen efforts to dismantle
terrorist cells, stem terrorist financing, and undercut the ideology
used by al Qaeda and its supporters to justify the murder of
innocents.ÿ
þ In Europe, we continue to build strong relationships with allied
governments to increase information sharing and counterterrorism
cooperation while also building awareness of the nature of the threat
and the challenges posed to Europe as terrorists exploit existing
infrastructures to support their operations.ÿÿÿ
þ In Southeast Asia, we continue to build strong relationships and assist
host nation counterterrorism efforts, resulting in the disruption of
local plots and terrorist networks known to target Western interests.
We also continue to cooperate with the Indonesian government on its
counterterrorism efforts, which has led to the arrests and killings of
several key Jemaah Islamiyah figures.
þ We are looking at additional ways of disrupting al Qaeda's network,
including even more aggressively countering al Qaeda's violent message
and their attempts at exploiting the grievances and suffering of local
groups for their own benefit.
Our Enemies Have Not Succeeded In Launching Another Attack On Our Soil, But
They Have Not Been Idle
Our Enemies Have Plotted Against The U.S. But Have Thus Far Not Succeeded
In Attacking Us In Part Because We Have Taken Bold Actions At Home And
Abroad To Keep Our People Safe.ÿAl Qaeda-inspired plots have been disrupted
in the United States:
þ Los Angeles Plots. A homegrown prison network Jamiyyat Ul Islam Is
Saheeh (JIS) plotted in 2005 to attack Los Angeles military
recruitment centers and Jewish targets.ÿ Plotting was disrupted by
arrests.
þ Illinois Holiday Season Arrest. In December 2006, a Rockford, Illinois
man was arrested for planning to attack a Chicago-area shopping mall
using grenades during the holiday shopping season.
þ Fort Dix Plot. In May 2007, the FBI arrested six al Qaeda-inspired
individuals plotting to kill soldiers at Fort Dix Army Base in New
Jersey. The plotters had purchased weapons for the attack, and had been
planning it since January 2006.
þ JFK Airport Plot. In June 2007, four individuals were charged with
plotting to blow up major fuel tanks at JFK Airport. Three of the
individuals were arrested and the US is pursuing extradition of the
fourth.
Since 9/11, Al Qaeda And Those Inspired By Its Hateful Ideology Have
Carried Out Terrorist Attacks In More Than Two Dozen Nations.ÿ We have seen
continuing terrorist attacks since 9/11:
þ Samarra Mosque Bombings: On February 22, 2006, al Qaeda destroyed the
Shiite al Askariya Golden Dome Mosque in Samarra, Iraq, igniting
sectarian strife that caused many thousands of innocent Iraqi deaths.ÿ
On June 13, 2007 bombers attacked the mosque again and destroyed both
minarets.
þ Bombing Of UN Headquarters In Iraq: On August 19, 2003 truck bombs
destroyed the United Nations headquarters in Baghdad, killing 22,
including UN envoy Sergio Vieira de Mello, and injuring 200.
þ London Subway Bombings: On July 7, 2005 suicide bombers targeted
subways and a bus in London, killing 52 and injuring 700.
þ Port Aqabah Attacks: On August 19, 2005 three rockets fired at two U.S.
Navy ships in al Aqabah port in Jordan.
þ Jordan Hotel Bombings: On November 9, 2005, suicide bombers targeting
Western hotels in Amman, Jordan killed 60 and injured 115.
þ Madrid Bombings: On March 11, 2004 bombers targeted a Madrid subway,
killing 191 and injuring 600.
þ Bali Bombings: Bombs at nightclubs in Bali, Indonesia killed 202 on
October 12, 2002, and three separate attacks on October 1, 2005 killed
25 more.
þ Manila Superferry Attack: An attack on a superferry on February 27,
2004 claimed the lives of 116 victims.
þ Car Bombs In The UK: On June 30, 2007 an attempted suicide car bombing
targeted the Glasgow (UK) airport, causing damage but no fatalities.ÿ
The day before, two car bombs were discovered and disabled before
detonation.
þ Bombings In Algeria: On April 11, 2007, suicide car bombers in Algeria
targeted a government building and police station in Algiers and Bab
Ezzouar, killing 33 and injuring 222.
þ 2003 Najaf Car Bombings.ÿOn August 29, 2003 car bombers near Imam Ali
Mosque in An Najaf killed at least 125, including top Shiite cleric
Mohammad Baqir al-Hakim, and injured 100.
þ Ashura Bombings. On March 2, 2004, bombers targeted hiites celebrating
Ashura. Suicide bombers using IEDs and grenades attacked the Holy
Shrine of al Kadhamiya in Baghdad and the al Hussein and al Abbas
Mosques in Karbala, killing nearly 200 civilians and injuring hundreds.
Suspects arrested for the attacks had ties to the terrorists Zarqawi.
þ Balad Bombings. On September 29, 2005 three coordinated suicide car
bombs targeted shops, a market, and large crowds in Balad; killing 103
and injuring 110.
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