Good background piece from Washington Post on AlQ in the Yemen, where the alleged Christmas day bomber is supposed to have trained. Al Qaeda in the Arab Peninsula [AQAP] is a merger of Yemeni and Saudi operatives and may have attracted jihadists from several countries. Bin Laden’s father was originally from the Yemen.
Portuguese prosecutor Jose da Moto resigns. The allegations against him don’t enhance the reputation of the european judiciary or of Eurojust.
Eurobarometer survey just out. Makes for depressing reading.
Group within Camorra using Uk for money-laundering and as a refuge for members on the run. Guardian article.
The Serious and Organised Crime Agency is being criticised for the rise in cocaine use in the UK, which MPs claim is against the trend for the rest of Europe
Early days on this story. Suspect is a Nigerian studying at UCL, the story alleges and was on a suspects list but not on a no-fly list. Explosives strapped to upper leg. More airport hold-ups to come.
You may have to register to read FT articles. At the moment it’s still free. The attitude of Swiss banks to this amnesty is worth noting as is the Itlian refusal to say whether any money has been repatriated.
This is a follow-up story to the arrest of a group of 5 youths from North Virginia in Pakistan. Allegedly they were recruited via the Internet.
Washington Post article on Ruili on the China-Burma/Myanmar border. Allegedly, the traffic is two way.
Washington Post article on the implementation of Obama’s strategy for Afghanistan, which it says is being interpreted differently by civilian and military personnel. If true, it reads like a recipe for disaster. The problem is that the US military has a long tradition of ignoring the civilian politicians…and of maverick generals. Worth pinning on the … CIVILIAN, MILITARY PLANNERS HAVE DIFFERENT VIEWS ON NEW APPROACH TO AFGHANISTAN
