The IPT Update

The Investigative Project on Terrorism (IPT)

General security, policy
1.  Iran's Rouhani says wants nuclear issue resolved, but draws lines; N. Korea appears to restart plutonium reactor
2.  Chinese national sentenced in Boston for illegally exporting military electronics components
3.  Inside the Ring: FBI targets Syrian hackers; China ratchets up tensions
4.  Al-Qaeda chief Zawahiri urges 'lone-wolf' attacks on US
5.  ODNI report:  Number of released Gitmo detainees returning to terrorism increases
6.  Lawmakers, activists seek info from Administration on Benghazi anniversary
7.  In-laws of accused Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev appear before grand jury; Two friends of Boston bomber plead not guilty to cover-up charges
8.  Herald-Tribune joins suit asking FBI for Saudi documents
9.  Texas senators seek 'terrorist' label for Fort Hood shootings
10. Abu Hamza 'lieutenant' Haroon Aswat cannot be extradited to US, European judges say
11. US-born 'jihadist rapper' Omar Hammami reportedly killed in Somalia
12. Fairfax man, Atal Bashar, charged with building bomb
13. Christie signs law requiring notification before out-of-state counter-terrorism investigations in NJ

Air, rail, port, health, energy & communication security
14. Former TSA employee arrested, accused of making threats against LAX
15. Why firefighters are scared of solar power
16. Lawmakers: Leaks slowed cybersecurity legislation

Financing, money laundering, fraud, identity theft, civil litigation
17. 9/11 victims advocate for bill targeting foreign terror financiers
18. Salt Lake City store owner sentenced in $1.3M food stamp fraud scheme
19. Large-scale identity theft ring involved Chinese identities to commit sophisticated fraud

Border security, immigration & customs
20. Congress' border efforts are bunk, say border sheriffs

Other items
21. '2 Million Bikers' roar into D.C. to honor 9/11, protest Muslim rally
22. Canada's federal gov't ready to go to court over Quebec's proposed charter of values

International
23. Assault on Christian town in Syria adds to fears over rebels; Syrian official admits gov't has chemical arms
24. Egypt cracks down on radical Muslim clerics; Militants kill soldiers in Sinai; Military broadens crackdown
25. Binyamin Brigade commander cites increase in West Bank terror cells
26. Taliban attacks US Consulate in Afghanistan; Car bombing fails to overrun facility
27. Philippine Muslim rebels clash with military, police in Zamboanga City
28. Birmingham college bans Muslim veils; Muslim defendant allowed to wear face veil in the dock in Britain

Comment / analysis
29. IPT News:  Princeton Professor Embraces 9/11 Conspiracy Movement
30. Abigail R. Esman: Kuwait Funding Muslim Brotherhood Growth in Western Mosques
31. Claudia Rosett:  Syria's Pals at the Chemical Weapons Convention
32. Yaakov Lappin: Why Israelis See Shi'ite Axis as a Greater Threat Than Syrian Jihadis

The Investigative Project on Terrorism Update is designed for law enforcement, the intelligence community and policy makers for non-profit research and educational use only.   Quoted material is subject to the copyright protections of the original sources, which should be cited for attribution, rather than the Update.

THE AMERICAS

GENERAL SECURITY, POLICY

1.  Iran's Rouhani says wants nuclear issue resolved, but draws lines
September 13, 2013 9:17am EDT By Alexei Anishchuk Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/13/us-nuclear-iran-rouhani-idUSBRE98C0EQ20130913

BISHKEK (Reuters) - Iran wants to end the stand-off with global powers over its nuclear program swiftly but will not sacrifice its rights or interests for the sake of a solution, President Hassan Rouhani said on Friday.  Meeting Russian President Vladimir Putin on the sidelines of a regional security summit, Rouhani said it was a good time for new steps to resolve the dispute over a program Western states believe is aimed at developing nuclear weapons… Rouhani, who was elected in June, has said Iran will be more transparent and less confrontational in talks with the six powers - the United States, Russia, China, Britain, France and Germany.  But he made clear earlier on Friday he is only ready to go so far, indicating Iran would not give up its right to enrich uranium…

North Korea Appears to Restart Plutonium Reactor

By DAVID E. SANGER, WILLIAM J. BROAD and CHOE SANG-HUN New York Times Sept 12, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/12/world/asia/north-korea-appears-to-restart-plutonium-reactor.html

WASHINGTON — New satellite photographs showing steam emerging from a newly reconstructed nuclear reactor in North Korea suggest that the country may be making good on its promise to resume the production of plutonium for its small nuclear arsenal, six years after it reached an agreement with the Bush administration to dismantle the facility.   The discovery of the activity at the Yongbyon complex, the centerpiece of North Korea's nuclear program, was reported by the U.S.-Korea Institute, at Johns Hopkins University, which follows the North's nuclear program closely.  If the source of the steam proves to be the restarting of the reactor, it would enable the North, after a year or more, to begin to add to its arsenal of plutonium weapons. It would also underscore the failure of efforts by four American presidents to stop the North Korean program; so far, the North has conducted three nuclear tests, including two during the Obama administration...

2.  Chinese National Sentenced for Illegally Exporting Military Electronics Components
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of Massachusetts (617) 748-3100 September 10, 2013 

http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/10995

BOSTON—Zhen Zhou Wu, a Chinese national, was re-sentenced yesterday to 84 months in prison for conspiring over a 10-year period to illegally export military and sophisticated electronics to the People's Republic of China (PRC).  Wu was also convicted of illegally exporting sensitive electronic components to the PRC on 12 occasions between 2004 and 2007. Several Chinese military entities were among those to whom the defendant exported the equipment, which is used in military phased array radar, electronic warfare, and missile systems. He was also ordered to pay a $15,000 fine. After serving his sentence, Wu will be subject to deportation to the PRC…

3.  Inside the Ring: FBI targets Syrian hackers
By Bill Gertz-The Washington Times Wednesday, September 11, 2013

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/13/texas-senators-seek-terrorist-label-fort-hood-shoo/

A hacker group linked to the Syrian government was "highly effective" in conducting cyberattacks against social media over the past several months, according to an FBI advisory...  The Aug. 30 notice states that the Syrian Electronic Army is a "pro-regime" hacker group that grew out of 2011 protests against the government. It has been "compromising high-profile media outlets in an effort to spread pro-regime propaganda."  One new tactic used by the group is attacking third-party computer networks, including a Domain Name System registrar and a Web content recommendation site, the notice said.  The FBI also blamed the group for the high-profile cyberattack on the Twitter account of The Associated Press in April. The false tweet stated that President Obama had been injured. It sent stocks plunging more than 128 points in seconds, although the market recovered…

China ratchets up tensions

As world attention remains sharply focused on Syria and talk about a U.S. military strike, tensions are on the rise in Asia between China and Japan over the disputed Senkaku Islands.  China this week carried out several military provocations near the islands.  On Monday, the Chinese military conducted the first known surveillance flight of an unmanned aircraft near the Senkakus, triggering protests from Tokyo and the scrambling of jet fighters…

4.  Al-Qaeda chief Zawahiri urges 'lone-wolf' attacks on US
By Gordon Corera Security correspondent, BBC News 13 September 2013 Last updated at 09:27 ET
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-24083314

The leader of al-Qaeda has issued a message marking the 12th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks.  In the audio message, Ayman al-Zawahiri talks of the need for small-scale attacks - and even a boycott - to damage the US economy.  The message may be seen as a sign of diminishing ambitions and a more realistic assessment of what al-Qaeda's central organisation can achieve.  Zawahiri's message also praised the bombings in Boston in April…

5.  Number of Released Gitmo Detainees Returning to Terrorism Increases

ODNI reports say three more released terrorists confirmed and three killed since January

BY: Bill Gertz Washington Free Beacon September 9, 2013 5:35 pm
http://freebeacon.com/number-of-released-gitmo-detainees-returning-to-terrorism-increases/
Three additional terrorists once held at the Guantanamo Bay prison were confirmed as having returned to terrorism after their release, and two others joined the ranks of those suspected of rejoining jihad against the West, according to a U.S. intelligence report made public last week.  The report  http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/10996 by the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (ODNI) also reveals that three of the confirmed returning terrorists were killed since January, when the last report to Congress was made public.  Of the 603 terrorists released from the prison, 100 are now confirmed as having returned to terrorism. Of those, 17 are dead, 27 are in custody, and 56 are free. Released detainees suspected of having returned to terrorism number 74, including two that are dead, 25 that are in custody, and 47 no longer being held.  By contrast, in January there were a total of 97 released prisoners who returned to terrorism and another 72 who were suspected of re-engaging in terrorism.  Thomas Joscelyn, a terrorism analyst with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, said releasing Guantanamo inmates increases the danger they will return to jihad...

6.  Lawmakers, Activists Seek Info from Administration on Sept. 11 Anniversary

Say administration continues to prevent investigation

BY: Adam Kredo September 11, 2013 10:00 am Washington Free Beacon
http://freebeacon.com/lawmakers-activists-seek-info-from-administration-on-sept-11-anniversary/

One year after jihadist militants stormed a U.S. diplomatic compound in Benghazi, Libya, killing four Americans, lawmakers and former military personnel say the Obama administration continues to stonewall investigations into the incident.  Multiple advocacy groups and lawmakers released new information detailing what they say are significant security gaps at the compound on Tuesday, the eve of the first anniversary of the terrorist attack that killed U.S. Ambassador to Libya Christopher Stevens.  "The most 'critical error' leading to the deadly attack in Benghazi was, 'the [State] Department's unexplained decision to create a new category of diplomatic structure,'" former State Department Diplomatic Security Special Agent Raymond Fournier stated in a report http://freebeacon.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/09/JWBenghaziAnnivRpt09Sep13.pdf released by the advocacy group Judicial Watch…

7.  In-laws of accused Marathon bomber Tamerlan Tsarnaev appear before grand jury
By Milton J. Valencia, Boston Globe Staff September 12, 2013
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11012

IPT NOTE:  Court documents in Boston bombing case posted at http://www.investigativeproject.org/case/639

The in-laws of one of the Boston Marathon bombing suspects appeared before a federal grand jury in Boston Thursday in an apparent investigation related to the April 15 attacks, their lawyer said Thursday.  "They were asked to go before a grand jury, they told the truth, answered whatever questions they were asked," said Amato DeLuca, of DeLuca & Weizenbaum in Providence.   He did not discuss the nature of the grand jury investigation or the questions, which are kept secret by law… Katherine Russell was the wife of Tamerlan Tsarnaev, one of the brothers suspected in the bombings that killed three people, injured more than 250, and created a weeklong scare throughout Boston and the country. He was killed in a gun battle with police and was allegedly hit by a car his brother was driving while fleeing the scene...

Two friends of Boston bomber plead not guilty to cover-up charges
September 13, 2013 12:45pm EDT By Scott Malone Reuters

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/09/13/us-usa-explosions-boston-idUSBRE98C0B920130913

IPT NOTE:  Court documents posted at http://www.investigativeproject.org/case/639

BOSTON (Reuters) - Two college friends of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev pleaded not guilty on Friday to charges that they helped cover his tracks when the FBI was trying to find the people responsible for the April 15 attack.  The appearance in federal court in Boston of a third man charged in the same case was postponed until later on Friday. All three are charged with going to Tsarnaev's dorm room three days after the bombing, where they removed a laptop and a backpack containing empty fireworks shells after receiving a text message from him telling them to "go to my room and take what's there," according to court papers.Dias Kadyrbayev, of Kazakhstan, pleaded not guilty to the charge of obstruction of justice and could face 25 years in prison or deportation…

8.  Herald-Tribune joins suit asking FBI for Saudi documents
By Michael Pollick Published: Wednesday, September 11, 2013 at 6:06 p.m.
http://www.heraldtribune.com/article/20130911/ARTICLE/130919912/2055/NEWS?p=all&tc=pgall

The Herald-Tribune Media Group is urging a federal judge to make the FBI disclose details of its long-running Sarasota 9/11 investigation, joining an existing federal lawsuit against the agency by an independent news gathering organization in Fort Lauderdale.  Of particular interest are agency documents that would shed light on the alleged interactions of a high-echelon Saudi family — living in Sarasota's Prestancia neighborhood just before the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon — and three hijacker pilots who trained in Venice around the same time.  Through attorney Carol Jean LoCicero, who represents the Herald-Tribune's parent company, Halifax Media Holdings LLC, the newspaper is seeking to persuade a federal judge that an FBI assertion of privacy interests are outweighed by the public's need to know what happened in Sarasota… LoCicero has asked U.S. District Court Judge William J. Zloch to let the news organization present its own arguments to the court about the FBI's efforts to keep its Southwest Florida findings hidden… Judge Zloch, a former Notre Dame University quarterback appointed to the bench by President Ronald Reagan, took up the Broward Bulldog's federal civil complaint against the FBI and U.S. Department of Justice in September 2012…

9.  Texas senators seek 'terrorist' label for Fort Hood shootings
By Cheryl K. Chumley The Washington Times Friday, September 13, 2013

http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/13/texas-senators-seek-terrorist-label-fort-hood-shoo/

A bill from Sens. John Cornyn and Ted Cruz, both Texans, would change the classification of the 2009 shooting rampage at Fort Hood that left 13 dead and dozens injured from an act of workplace violence to a terrorist attack.  Doing so would open the door to families of victims of the military base shooting to receive more benefits, including life insurance, additional tax breaks and combat-related pay.  The vehicle for their proposal is the Honoring the Fort Hood Heroes Act, introduced on Thursday as a companion to the House version from Reps. John Carter and John Williams, also of Texas. And already, the bill is showing strong signs of support… The classification of the 2009 incident as a workplace event has angered many who saw Maj. Nidal Hasan's actions as a clear case of Islam-related terrorism. Hasan, a Muslim who's since been convicted of murder and sentenced to death, said during his trial that he acted in defense of the Taliban. He also screamed "Allahu Akbar" during the shootings, witnesses reported to various media outlets

10. Hamza 'lieutenant' cannot be extradited, European judges say
A British al-Qaeda suspect and lieutenant of hate preacher Abu Hamza cannot be sent to America to face terror charges because it will breach his human rights, European judges have ruled.
By Tom Whitehead, Security Editor 7:22PM BST 11 Sep 2013 The Daily Telegraph (London)
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/10997

Haroon Aswat, 39, from West Yorkshire, is wanted by the US for allegedly plotting to set up a terror training camp there along with Hamza.  But the European Court of Human Rights has upheld a decision that extraditing him would damage his already serious mental illness.   Judges refused an application by the Home Office to appeal the original Strasbourg decision, meaning Aswat will now stay in the UK unless his health dramatically improves.   The ruling comes despite assurances from the US authorities that his mental health would be taken into account when considering whether he is fit to stand trial and where he would be detained…  Aswat was once suspected of having links to the 7/7 bombers but he was never charged with any offences and denies any involvement in terrorism.   He is accused by the US of conspiring with Hamza to establish a jihad training camp in Oregon between June 2000 and December 2001.  Hamza was extradited to America last year with four other terrorism suspects after lengthy legal battles against extradition…

11. US-born 'jihadist rapper' Omar Hammami reportedly killed in Somalia

Militant also known as Abu Mansoor al-Amriki was on FBI's most wanted list with $5m reward for his capture
Associated Press in Mogadishu Thursday 12 September 2013 08.29 EDT
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/12/jihadist-rapper-omar-hammami-killed

A rapping jihadist from Alabama who ascended the ranks of Somalia's al-Qaida-linked militant group and was on the FBI's most wanted list with a $5m (£3.2m) reward for his capture was reportedly killed on Thursday in an ambush ordered by the militant group's leader.  Omar Hammami, a native of Daphne, Alabama, who was known as Abu Mansoor al-Amriki, or "the American", died in southern Somalia following several months on the run after a falling out with al-Shabaab's top leader, the militants said.  Reports of Hammami's death crop up every few months in Somalia, only for him to resurface a short while later. But a US terrorism expert who closely follows the inner workings of al-Shabaab said he thought the current reports of the death were accurate.  "I think it's very likely true based on the sources I am seeing," said JM Berger, who runs the website Intelwire.com.  Militants did not immediately present proof of Hammami's death…

12.  Fairfax man charged with building bomb
By Matt Zapotosky, Washington Post September 09, 2013
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/10998

IPT NOTE:  Court documents posted at http://www.investigativeproject.org/case/647

A Fairfax County man was charged Monday with making and possessing an explosive device after authorities determined that he had constructed a bomb that was found last year in a home for sale in the Franconia area.  According to a federal arrest affidavit, Atal Bashar, 38, of Fairfax County told a federal agent that he made the bomb for self-defense and left it in his dad's home, where he sometimes stayed. Workers cleaning the home on Gildar Street so it could be sold found the device in March 2012, according to news reports and the affidavit...   Bashar was born in Afghanistan and is a naturalized U.S. citizen, and he has previous convictions on drug and weapons offenses, according to the arrest affidavit. The affidavit, though, gives no indication that Bashar had broader plans for his homemade explosive, which utilized fireworks and was filled with wood screws, nails and other fasteners as shrapnel…

13.  N.J. law requires notice before terror surveillance
Law stems from surveillance by the NYPD involving Muslim businesses, mosques and student organizations.
Michael Symons, Asbury Park (N.J.) Press 5:39 p.m. EDT September 9, 2013
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/10999 reprinted at http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11000

TRENTON, N.J. -- Out-of-state law-enforcement agencies doing counter-terrorism surveillance in New Jersey risk having a state judge block their snooping unless they let county officials know in advance.
State lawmakers devised the proposal after reports about surveillance efforts by the New York Police Department involving Muslim businesses, mosques and Rutgers University student organizations in New Jersey. New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie signed the bill into law Monday... The new law, which takes effect immediately, requires out-of-state law-enforcement entities to inform the county prosecutor of plans to conduct activities within his or her county 24 hours prior to entering its borders. Within those 24 hours, the county prosecutor must in turn notify the New Jersey State Police…

North Jersey Muslims guardedly praise surveillance law

TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2013 BY JEFF GREEN AND MELISSA HAYES The Bergen Record
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11001

North Jersey Muslims gave guarded praise to a bill Governor Christie signed into law Monday that requires outside law enforcement agencies to notify county prosecutors before conducting surveillance operations here... Some Muslim leaders called the new law "a step in the right direction" for its requirement that local authorities be notified. But they said outside agencies might still keep them in the dark about their operations and that local law enforcement will have little, if any, power to be involved in or stop unwanted surveillance operations…

AIR, RAIL, PORT, HEALTH, ENERGY & COMMUNICATION SECURITY

IPT NOTE: For more, see DHS Daily Open Source Infrastructure Reports http://www.dhs.gov/files/programs/editorial_0542.shtm ; DHS Blog http://www.dhs.gov/news-releases/blog;   TSA Releases http://www.tsa.gov/press/releases/index.shtm ; TSA Blog http://blog.tsa.gov/

 

14.  Former TSA employee arrested, accused of making threats against LAX
By Ruben Vives September 11, 2013, 4:09 a.m. Los Angeles Times
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-former-tsa-employee-arrested-20130911,0,2043137.story

Members of a federal task force late Tuesday arrested a former TSA screener who they accused of making threats against Los Angeles International Airport, including "unspecified threats" related to the 12th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.  Nna Alpha Onuoha, 29, was taken into custody in Riverside before midnight by members of the Joint Terrorism Task Force with assistance from Riverside police officers, according to FBI spokeswoman Laura Eimiller.  Pending additional investigation, Onuoha will be held on suspicion of making threats, she said…

15.  Why Firefighters Are Scared of Solar Power
By Mike Riggs GovExec.com September 11, 2013 1:25 PM ET
http://www.nextgov.com/emerging-tech/2013/09/why-firefighters-are-scared-solar-power/70182/
A 300,000 square foot refrigerated warehouse in Delanco, New Jersey, burned down last week, and the local fire chief says solar panels are partly to blame. No, the 700 solar panels on top of the Dietz & Watson warehouse didn't cause the fire, but their presence did dissuade Delanco Fire Chief Ron Holt from putting his team on the roof. "With all that power and energy up there, I can't jeopardize a guy's life for that," Holt told NBC Philadelphia. The only thing firefighters fear more than fire is solar.  So long as a solar panel is getting sunlight, it's impossible to turn off. "During daylight, there can be enough voltage and current to injure or even kill a firefighter who comes in contact with the energized conductors," Matthew Paiss, a fire engineer with the San Jose Fire Department,wrote in a handy guide for firefighters. The Dietz & Watson warehouse fire started when the sun was out. By the time the sun went down, the fire was beyond control. The warehouse burned for 29 hours.  As Paiss explained in his essay on solar panels and firefighting, roof access is crucial for firefighters: …

16.  Lawmakers: Leaks slowed cybersecurity legislation
By Adam Mazmanian FCW.com Sep 12, 2013
http://fcw.com/Articles/2013/09/12/snowden-cybersecurity-legislation.aspx

The disclosures of classified surveillance programs by former National Security Agency contractor Edward Snowden have further slowed the already ponderous process of passing cybersecurity legislation, and also put U.S. commercial networks at increased risk of attack, the bill's top sponsors said Sept. 12.   Rep. Mike Rogers (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Intelligence Committee, said that "misperceptions" created by media reports based on documents leaked by Snowden  have slowed  efforts to advance the Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act (CISPA), which the House passed in April…  CISPA would create a framework for information sharing on cyberthreats between industry and government. The bill is a reworking of a 2011 version that drew considerable criticism from privacy advocates. The latest iteration includes provisions designed to place limits on what the government could do with personal information received as part of threat reports from private industry...

FINANCING, LAUNDERING, FRAUD, IDENTITY THEFT, CIVIL LITIGATION

17.  9/11 Victims Advocate for Bill Targeting Foreign Terror Financiers
For The Record - The IPT Blog   by IPT News  •  Sep 11, 2013 at 3:05 pm
http://www.investigativeproject.org/4157/9-11-victims-advocate-for-bill-targeting-foreign 
As Americans pause to remember the dead from the 9/11 attacks 12 years ago, the Broward Bulldog reminds us that legislation to help victims and their families go after terrorist enablers in court is about to be introduced in Congress.  The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act will be introduced by New York Congressmen Peter King, a Republican, and Democrat Jerrold Nadler in the House. Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., offers the Senate version. It's the result of court decisions applying sovereign immunity to foreign governments and people who may have provided financial and other support to the 9/11 hijackers and therefore, U.S. courts have no jurisdiction.  If passed, however, it could be applied to any terrorist attack in which Americans are victims.  "The problem can best be understood by example," Terry Strada, whose husband died in the World Trade Center's North Tower, told the Bulldog. "If we discover someone intentionally gave aid or money to the Boston Marathon bombers and that money had been given to them outside our borders – no accountability from a civil action would be possible," she said.  Similar legislation was offered in 2009 and 2011 but did not get passed…

18.  Downtown store owner sentenced in food stamp fraud scheme
One of the owners of a downtown convenience store accused of illegally redeeming $1.3 million in federally subsidized food benefits for cash received probation Monday.
By Dennis Romboy, Deseret News Published: Monday, Sept. 9 2013 5:12 p.m. MDT
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11002

SALT LAKE CITY — One of the owners of a downtown convenience store accused of illegally redeeming $1.3 million in federally subsidized food benefits for cash received probation Monday.  Abdul Subur Mumtaz Mullahkehl, 37, admitted he allowed customers at AJ's Kwik Mart, 268 S. Main, to redeem their food stamp cards for cash with a nominal purchase of food or nonfood items, including cigarettes. Store clerks would give customers about half the card value in cash and put the rest in a bank account to share… Three other defendants — Muhammed Omar Mullahkhel, Ajmal Omar Mullahkhel and Bilqis Shahnaz Mullahkhel — have reached plea agreements and are awaiting sentencing. They also must forfeit $617,000 as part of the agreements.

19.  Bergen County Resident Pleads Guilty to His Role in a Large-Scale Identity Theft Ring and Tax Evasion

U.S. Attorney's Office District of New Jersey (973) 645-2888 September 12, 2013

http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11003

NEWARK, NJ—A Bergen County, New Jersey man today admitted his role in a large-scale and sophisticated identity theft scheme, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.  Matthew J. Kang, 44, Englewood Cliffs, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to an information charging him with conspiracy to unlawfully produce identification documents and false identification documents (count one), conspiracy to commit wire fraud affecting financial institutions and bank fraud (count two), aggravated identity theft (count three), conspiracy to commit bank fraud (count four), and tax evasion (count five).  According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:…

BORDER SECURITY, IMMIGRATION & CUSTOMS

IPT NOTE:  US Customs & Border Protection, http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/newsroom/news_releases/ & http://www.cbp.gov/xp/cgov/border_security/border_patrol/press_announce_lp.xml; US Immigration and Customs Enforcement http://www.ice.gov/news/ ; Canada Border Services Agency http://www.cbsa-asfc.gc.ca/menu-eng.html

20.  Congress' border efforts are bunk, say border sheriffs
Border sheriffs say D.C. out of touch
Alan Gomez, USA TODAY 10:43 p.m. EDT September 11, 2013
The bill passed by the Senate in July attempts to solve the problem of illegal immigration with a $46 billion "border surge," adding 20,000 new Border Patrol agents, and $3 billion in new monitoring technology. But sheriffs policing the border say that misses the mark.
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11013

SIERRA VISTA, Ariz. — It's monsoon season in southern Arizona, so Cochise County Sheriff Mark Dannels has to drive slowly along the hilly, rocky, muddy terrain that covers the 83-mile border his county shares with Mexico.  He scans the horizon to see whether any immigrants or drug smugglers are approaching the 4-foot-high border fence. Glancing at the lights of a city in Mexico, he turns and says, "Seen any Border Patrol agents?"  Dannels' complaints about the lack of Border Patrol agents along the border suggests he supports a Senate plan to flood the Southwest border with 20,000 new agents. But he doesn't. He doesn't think border security proposals in the House will do much, either.  "The people in my county are very frustrated," Dannels says, looking at the lush green of a valley that will soon shrivel to brown in the desert sun. "They feel border security hasn't been taken seriously."…

OTHER ITEMS

21.  '2 Million Bikers' roar into D.C. to honor 9/11, protest Muslim rally
By Meredith Somers The Washington Times Wednesday, September 11, 2013
http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/sep/11/2-million-bikers-roar-dc-honor-911-protest-muslim-/

IPT NOTE:  See related item #29 below, http://www.investigativeproject.org/4158/princeton-professor-embraces-9-11-conspiracy
Thousands of bikers from around the country roared into the D.C. area on Wednesday in a show of support for Sept. 11 victims and in solidarity against a controversial Muslim rally on the Mall.  The 2 Million Bikers to DC ride might have fallen short of 2 million strong, but the numbers were impressive. A line of shining chrome and steel bikes stretched about a third of a mile from the starting point at the Harley Davidson of Washington store just outside the District in Prince George's County… The ride was complicated by the fact that federal and local authorities denied a permit that would have offered the riders a police escort through traffic — a sore spot with organizers who thought the denial was for political purposes... The National Park Service has denied any political motivation for refusing the permit, which ride organizers sought last month. The Park Service earlier this year granted a permit to a Muslim group planning a rally Wednesday to call attention to social justice issues…

22.  Jason Kenney posts picture of himself with Sikh head scarf
Jason Kenney is showing, with his own wardrobe, how he feels about the issue of wearing religious clothing.
By: The Canadian Press, Published on Fri Sep 13 2013
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11004
OTTAWA—Multiculturalism Minister Jason Kenney has posted a picture on Twitter showing him wearing a Sikh head scarf.  This comes just days after he said the federal government is ready to go to court over Quebec's proposed charter of values… The minister told reporters earlier this week that the federal government is prepared to mount a legal challenge against Quebec's plan to prevent public-sector workers in the province from wearing overt religious clothing or symbols.

Highlights of proposed Charter of Quebec Values
By Kevin Dougherty, GAZETTE QUEBEC BUREAU CHIEF September 11, 2013
http://www.montrealgazette.com/news/Highlights+proposed+Charter+Quebec+Values/8892781/story.html
QUEBEC — Highlights of Parti Québécois government's proposed Charter of Quebec Values:…

Proposal goes too far, opposition parties say
Agree with notion that state should be neutral
By Kevin Dougherty, Montreal Gazette Quebec Bureau Chief September 11, 2013
http://www.montrealgazette.com/life/Proposal+goes+opposition+parties/8894974/story.html

Charter of Quebec Values: Daycares risk losing Muslim educators, group warns
By Katherine Wilton, The Montreal Gazette September 11, 2013
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11005

MIDDLE EAST / AFRICA

23.  Assault on Christian Town in Syria Adds to Fears Over Rebels

By ANNE BARNARD and HWAIDA SAAD New York Times September 11, 2013
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11006

BEIRUT, Lebanon — For Syrian rebels fighting in recent days around the ancient Christian town of Maaloula, any gains made in battle could be wiped out in the war of perceptions.  Their incursion into the town, led by extremist Islamists, reinforces the worst fears of Syrian Christians and could bolster President Bashar al-Assad's claims that he is the Christians' protector. It may also complicate President Obama's task as he struggles to convince Americans that a military strike against Mr. Assad will not strengthen Islamic extremists.  Some of the rebels, apparently aware of their public relations problem, said in interviews that they meant Christians no harm… But the damage was already done. Most of the town's residents have fled, and Maaloula, one of the last places where Aramaic, the language of Jesus, is still spoken by Christians and some Muslims, has become a one-word argument against Western support for the rebels — at the worst possible time for Mr. Obama and the opponents of Mr. Assad...

In Shift, Syrian Official Admits Government Has Chemical Arms

By ANNE BARNARD New York Times September 11, 2013

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/09/11/world/middleeast/Syria-Chemical-Arms.html?ref=middleeast

BEIRUT, Lebanon — Nearly buried in the diplomatic din over Syria, the country's foreign minister acknowledged for the first time on Tuesday that the Syrian government possessed chemical arms, something it had never admitted before, and declared that the country aimed to become a signatory to the international convention banning the weapons.  The oblique admission by the foreign minister, Walid Moallem, came as he suggested that President Bashar al-Assad's government was ready to accept a deal advanced by Russia, Syria's most powerful ally, to place the weapons under international supervision to avoid a threatened American military strike…

U.S. Backing of Russian Plan Leaves a Wary Israel Focusing on Self-Reliance
By JODI RUDOREN New York Times September 12, 2013

http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11007

JERUSALEM — In tallying winners and losers from the unexpected turn toward a potential diplomatic resolution of the crisis over Syria's chemical weapons, Israel lands squarely in the question-mark column.  The prospect of a Syria free of chemical weapons would be a great relief to Israel, a neighbor long seen as the main target for Syria's arsenal, built up over decades. Further, many Israeli experts said Wednesday, the deal presented by Russia, in which Syria would relinquish its stockpile of such weapons, could become Exhibit A for how a credible military threat by the United States — something Israel's leaders have ardently urged against Iran's nuclear program — could force the hand of a reluctant and adversarial government.  But there was also pessimism in Israel that the Syrian president, Bashar al-Assad, would actually fulfill his promise to turn over and ultimately destroy his chemical stockpile. Instead, many analysts worried that Mr. Assad, his Iranian patrons and the Lebanese militia Hezbollah would emerge strengthened, and that the main upshot of the episode would be a sense of American wavering on involvement in the Middle East…

24.  Egypt Cracks Down on Radical Muslim Clerics
By MATT BRADLEY and LEILA ELMERGAWI Wall Street Journal Updated Sept 11, 2013, 1:23 p.m. ET
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323864604579067223037486970.html 

CAIRO—Egypt's interim government stripped tens of thousands of imams, or Muslim clerics, of their preaching licenses this week in what amounts to the most aggressive assault on religious freedom since the military deposed the country's Islamist president 10 weeks ago.  Mohamed Mokhtar Gomaa, the minister of "awqaf" or religious endowments, announced Monday that 40,000 imams who deliver the "khotba," or Friday sermons, would have to reapply for their licenses.  Those without preaching certification from Al Azhar University in Cairo will be sacked. The university, an official government institution, is one of the oldest religious schools in the world and widely considered the seat of Sunni Muslim learning.  By positioning the moderate and decidedly depoliticized Al Azhar as the arbiter of which religious voices will be heard, the new military-backed government has moved aggressively to rein in the Islamist sensibilities that allowed ousted President Mohammed Morsi to win the country's first free and fair presidential elections more than a year ago...

Militants Kill Soldiers in Sinai, and Egypt's Military Broadens Its Crackdown

By DAVID D. KIRKPATRICK New York Times September 12, 2013

http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11008

CAIRO — Suicide bombers killed at least six soldiers in two separate attacks in Sinai on Wednesday, security officials said, as the new government said it was stepping up its crackdown on Islamist militants there and also appeared to be moving against non-Islamist voices of dissent.  Militants in the relatively lawless northern Sinai have lashed out in deadly attacks on security forces with increasing frequency in the two months since the military ousted President Mohamed Morsi, a leader of the Muslim Brotherhood. Security officials say the attacks have killed scores of soldiers and police officers, including two dozen in a single massacre last month. Some news reports on Wednesday said the latest attacks had killed as many as nine soldiers. They were carried out by two drive-by suicide bombers, at a military intelligence building and a check point, both near the border crossing to Gaza. The military, in response, has begun a sweeping campaign aimed at clearing Sinai of militants. Military officials say they have killed more than 100, including 29 since Saturday...

25.  Binyamin Brigade commander cites increase in West Bank terror cells
Instability in other regions could influence the territories under the jurisdiction of IDF Central Command, Col. Yossi Pinto warns.
By YAAKOV LAPPIN Jerusalem Post 09/10/2013 02:12
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11009
The past year has seen an increase in planning and setting up cells for terror attacks in the West Bank, Binyamin Regional Brigade Commander Col. Yossi Pinto said Monday.  "There is no dramatic rise in the level of terrorism, but there is a rise in the quality of the infrastructure and the planning [of terror attacks]," he said during an annual sum up of security incidents.  Instability in other regions could influence the territories under the jurisdiction of IDF Central Command, he warned…

ASIA / PACIFIC

26.  Taliban Attacks U.S. Consulate in Afghanistan
Car Bombing Fails to Overrun Facility

By NATHAN HODGE Wall Street Journal Updated September 13, 2013, 9:19 a.m. ET
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323392204579071992339119938.html

KABUL—The Taliban Friday launched an assault on the heavily guarded U.S. consulate in Herat, a city in western Afghanistan near the Iranian border, killing a security guard but failing to overrun the facility.  State Department deputy spokeswoman Marie Harf said in a statement that a truck carrying a group of attackers armed with rocket-propelled grenades and assault rifles launched an attack on the front gate of the U.S. consulate at approximately 5:30 a.m. Friday.  The attackers, armed with assault rifles and rocket-propelled grenades, opened fire on the consulate's contracted security guards, the statement said. Shortly after that, the statement added, the truck exploded, causing extensive damage to the consulate's front gate...

27.  Philippine Muslim Rebels Clash With Military, Police in Zamboanga City
Rebel Group Takes Around 20 People Hostage After Clash Leaves At Least Six People Dead
By CRIS LARANO and JOSEPHINE CUNETA Wall Street Journal September 9, 2013, 5:28 a.m. ET

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323595004579064482934595634.html

MANILA — Heavily armed members of a faction of the Muslim group Moro National Liberation Front took around 20 people hostage in Zamboanga City in the southern Philippines early Monday, following a clash with government troops that left at least six people dead and 24 wounded, authorities said.  The MNLF faction led by Nur Misuari, a former governor of the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao, is now in a standoff with combined police and military troops in four coastal villages around Zamboanga City...

EUROPE

28.  Birmingham college bans Muslim veils
A college has been accused of discrimination after it banned Muslim students from wearing religious veils.
By Edward Malnick 11:59AM BST 10 Sep 2013 The Daily Telegraph (London)
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11010

Birmingham Metropolitan College ordered all students, staff and visitors to remove any face coverings so individuals are "easily identifiable at all times".   The move led to claims that Muslim students were being discriminated against after women were told they could not wear the niqab, a veil that leaves only a slot for the eyes.   The disclosure comes as proposals to ban face coverings in public places are being debated in Parliament...

Muslim defendant allowed to wear face veil in the dock
A Muslim woman has been permitted to wear a full face veil while appearing in the dock at Crown Court, in what is thought to be the first such case of its kind.

By Martin Evans, Crime Correspondent 6:56PM BST 12 Sep 2013 The Daily Telegraph (London)
http://www.investigativeproject.org/ext/11011

Rebekah Dawson from East London had refused to lift her niqab in order to confirm her identity when she appeared at Blackfriars Crown Court last month to enter a plea to a charge of intimidating a witness.  The 22-year-old Muslim convert claimed it was against her religious beliefs to allow any male other than her husband to see her face.  But District Judge, Peter Murphy, refused to let her enter the dock and submit a plea on the grounds he had no way of knowing she was who she said she was… But when Mrs Dawson appeared before court today, the Judge relented after a compromise was reached.  He allowed a female police officer, who had dealt with her when she was arrested, to confirm her identity in a private side room before giving sworn evidence that she was who she said she was…

COMMENT / ANALYSIS

29.  Princeton Professor Embraces 9/11 Conspiracy Movement
IPT News September 12, 2013
http://www.investigativeproject.org/4158/princeton-professor-embraces-9-11-conspiracy
IPT NOTE:  See website for embedded video links.

30.  Kuwait Funding Muslim Brotherhood Growth in Western Mosques
by Abigail R. Esman Special to IPT News September 13, 2013
http://www.investigativeproject.org/4160/kuwait-funding-muslim-brotherhood-growth-in

Abigail R. Esman, the author, most recently, of Radical State: How Jihad Is Winning Over Democracy in the West (Praeger, 2010), is a freelance writer based in New York and the Netherlands.

31.  Syria's Pals at the Chemical Weapons Convention
The treaty, "neither verifiable nor enforceable," will protect Assad, not his potential victims.
By Claudia Rosett National Review Online September 13, 2013 2:00 pm
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/358475/syrias-pals-chemical-weapons-convention-claudia-rosett

Claudia Rosett is journalist-in-residence with the Foundation for Defense of Democracies, and heads its Investigative Reporting Project.

32.  Why Israelis See Shi'ite Axis as a Greater Threat Than Syrian Jihadis
by Yaakov Lappin Special to IPT News September 10, 2013
http://www.investigativeproject.org/4156/why-israelis-see-shiite-axis-as-a-greater-threat

Yaakov Lappin is the Jerusalem Post's military and national security affairs correspondent, and author of The Virtual Caliphate (Potomac Books), which proposes that jihadis on the internet have established a virtual Islamist state.