Wednesday, August 17, 2005

War on Terror - bomb attacks & intelligence failures

Three bombs in Baghdad has killed at least 40 and injured more than 80. Two bombs targeted police, another hit a nearby hospital where victims from the earlier bombing were being taken. In Asia, Islamic groups have claimed responsibility for 350 small bomb attacks in Bangladesh CNN has reported. In Italy the suspected would-be suicide bomber of July 21st is today facing an extradition hearing. Hussein Osman [also known as Osman Hussein, Hussain Osman and Hamdi Isaac] is accused by British authorities of attempting to cause an explosion at Shepherd’s Bush station in London. Osman’s lawyers are pressing for him to be tried in Italy. Controversy and heated discussions are building after the IPCC report, concerning the death of Brazilian Jean Charles de Menezes, was leaked. Some have called for the resignation of Sir Ian Blair after the report showed a series of intelligence failures which led to the fatal shooting of de Menezes. And CNN reported of intelligence failures that have surfaced before 9/11. Lt Col Anthony Shaffer spoke on CNN today saying that he had reported suspicions of a terror cell operating in the US prior to the 9/11 attacks. But the data was not passed to the FBI. The US Army Intelligence officer was not asked to give evidence to the 9/11 Commission besides having identified Mohammed Atta and others as a possible risk to national security ahead of the terror attacks. Mohammed Atta is believed to be the terrorist who piloted American Airlines 11 into the north tower of the World Trade Centre on 11th September 2001. The war on terror continues.
[11:46 GMT 17/08/2005]

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