W O R L D

Pak man held in US for LeT links
Washington, September 3
A Pakistani national, who received commando training in an LeT camp as a teenager before moving to the US, has been arrested by the FBI on charges of supporting the terror group, including making radical videos for it after being instructed by the son of the outfit’s chief Hafiz Saeed.

Turkey to challenge Gaza blockade 
Ankara, September 3  
Turkey's foreign minister says his country is preparing to challenge Israel's blockade on Gaza at the International Court of Justice.



Turkey’s Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu addresses a press conference in Ankara. — Reuters

EU sanctions target Syrian oil firms
Sopot (Poland), September 3
The European Union imposed a ban on purchases of Syrian oil on Saturday and targeted three Syrian firms in an expanded sanctions list meant to intensify pressure against President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

CIA, MI6 helped Gaddafi on dissidents, says HRW
Tripoli, September 3 
Documents found in the abandoned Tripoli office of Muammar Gaddafi's intelligence chief indicate the US and British spy agencies helped him persecute Libyan dissidents, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said today.

Pak man held in US for LeT links
FBI says he was ‘providing material support’ to terror body at the behest of Hafiz Saeed’s son

Washington, September 3
A Pakistani national, who received commando training in an LeT camp as a teenager before moving to the US, has been arrested by the FBI on charges of supporting the terror group, including making radical videos for it after being instructed by the son of the outfit’s chief Hafiz Saeed.

Jubair Ahmad (24), who has permanent legal residency in the US, was arrested for allegedly providing material support to the LeT, according to the FBI.

Ahmad received “indoctrination and training from the LeT while he lived in Pakistan” as a teenager, said the affidavit in support of the criminal complaint unsealed yesterday.

If convicted, he faces a maximum potential sentence of 15 years in prison on the material support charge and eight years in prison on the charge of making false statements in a terrorism-related investigation.

Ahmad came to the US in 2007 along with other family members, and in 2009, the FBI launched an investigation after receiving information on his association with LeT, the US Department of Justice said.

The affidavit alleged that in September 2010, he produced and uploaded a propaganda video on YouTube on behalf of LeT, after direct communications with a person named ‘Talha’.

In a subsequent conversation with another person, Ahmad identified Talha as Talha Saeed, the LeT founder’s son who was his handler for producing radical videos to recruit ‘jihadists’ over Internet.

The video uploaded by Ahmad in September 2010 contained images of “Hafiz Saeed, so-called jihadi martyrs and armoured trucks exploding after having been hit by improvised explosive devices,” it said.

In October 2010, Talha had allegedly contacted Ahmad and requested him to revise the LeT propaganda video, giving Ahmad specific instructions.

Ahmad then allegedly revised the video and posted it on October 16, 2010. In August 2011, FBI agents interrogated him, where he denied any involvement with the video.

While it did not mention how Talha communicated with Ahmad, the FBI said the son of the LeT founder and JuD chief Hafiz Saeed was the man behind production of such radical videos.

The FBI said a review of immigration records indicated that Ahmad was born in Sialkot and resided in Pakistan until the age of 19.

According to admissions he made during a number of communications analysed by the FBI, he received indoctrination and training from LeT while he lived in Pakistan.

“These communications demonstrate that, as a teenager, in or about 2004, Jubair attended an LeT training course known as ‘Dora Suffa’ where he received instruction in religious dogma and proselytising,” the complaint said.

Thereafter, he attended LeT’s basic training camp known as ‘Dora A’ama’, where he received additional religious indoctrination, physical conditioning and weapons instruction.

For example, when describing his training at Dora A’ama, Ahmad stated in one of the communications that recruits “listen to lectures, offer your prayers, exercise, study guns, and fire them” and added that “where I got training from they do the commando training there now,” the FBI said.

Subsequent to attending Dora A’ama, Ahmad reported for the next stage of LeT training-the commando course known as Dora Khasa.

“He spent only a week at that course, however, because an instructor at the training camp told Jubair that he was too young, that he needed to continue his studies, and then he could return to complete Dora Khasa,” said the complaint signed by FBI Special Agent, Daudshah S Andish. — PTI 

Unholy Alliance

Jubair Ahmad (24), who has permanent legal residency in the US received “indoctrination and training from the LeT while he lived in Pakistan” as a teenager

In September 2010, he produced and uploaded a propaganda video on YouTube on behalf of LeT, after direct communications with a person named ‘Talha’

In a subsequent conversation with another person, Ahmad identified Talha as Talha Saeed, the LeT founder’s son who was his handler for producing radical videos to recruit ‘jihadists’ over Internet

In October 2010, Talha had allegedly contacted Ahmad and requested him to revise the LeT propaganda video, giving Ahmad specific instructions

Turkey to challenge Gaza blockade 

Ankara, September 3
Turkey's foreign minister says his country is preparing to challenge Israel's blockade on Gaza at the International Court of Justice.

Ahmet Davutoglu's comments came a day after Turkey expelled the Israel's ambassador and severed military ties with the country over its refusal to apologise for last year's deadly raid on a Gaza-bound aid flotilla. The move further strained ties between the two former allies.

In the interview with Turkey's state-run TRT television, Davutoglu dismissed a UN report into the raid that said Israel's naval blockade of Gaza was legally imposed as a legitimate security measure.

Davutoglu said Turkey does not recognise the blockade and will start procedures to counter its legality at The Hague, Netherlands-based court next week.

Meanwhile, UN chief Ban Ki-moon today appealed for Turkey and Israel to make up after Ankara took retaliatory measures in its row against the Jewish state over a flotilla raid which left eight Turks dead. — Agencies

EU sanctions target Syrian oil firms

Sopot (Poland), September 3
The European Union imposed a ban on purchases of Syrian oil on Saturday and targeted three Syrian firms in an expanded sanctions list meant to intensify pressure against President Bashar al-Assad’s government.

A man walks past placards during a protest march against Syria's President Bashar al-Assad organised by the Syrian minority in Bucharest, Romania. — Reuters

The new round of sanctions against Syria marks the first time Europe has targeted Syrian industry as it seeks to cut off Assad's access to funds and force him to end a five-month-old crackdown on pro-democracy protesters which the United Nations says has killed more than 2,000 civilians.

But analysts say the sanctions, which do not go as far as the investment ban imposed by the United States last month, may have only a limited impact on Assad's access to funds.

The new sanctions target Syria's Real Estate Bank, which provides mortgage finance, as well as Mada Transport and Cham Investment Group, two arms of a Syrian investment firm which the EU says provides funds to Assad’s government, according to the EU’s Official Journal.

Four Syrian businessmen were also added to a list of people affected by EU asset freezes and travel bans. — Reuters

Taliban claim responsibility for kidnapping Pak children

Islamabad, September 3
The Tehrik-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) today claimed responsibility for kidnapping a group of over 30 boys, who had strayed into Afghanistan’s eastern Kunar province as reports said some of them had escaped and reached back to their homes.

The fate of children would be decided by TTP’s central council, the group’s spokesman Ehsanulah Ehsan said claiming that they had kidnapped the youth as their parents were helping the Pakistan army in their drive against it. Their kidnapping has raised fears that the children might be used as suicide bombers.

Children from Bajaur tribal region, who had gone for picnic to celebrate ‘Eid’ had mistakenly crossed into bordering Kunar province on Thursday. The group is holding 25 children aged 18 to 20 as hostages, Ehsan said. — PTI

CIA, MI6 helped Gaddafi on dissidents, says HRW

Tripoli, September 3 
Documents found in the abandoned Tripoli office of Muammar Gaddafi's intelligence chief indicate the US and British spy agencies helped him persecute Libyan dissidents, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said today.

The documents were uncovered by the human rights activist group in the abandoned offices of Libya's former spy chief and foreign minister Moussa Koussa.

The group said it uncovered hundreds of letters between the CIA, MI6 and Koussa, who is now in exile in London. Letters from the CIA began, "Dear Moussa," and were signed informally with first names only by CIA officials, Human Rights Watch said. According to analysts, this could spark tensions between Washington and Libya's new rulers. — Reuters