smh.com.au June 10 2003

A Sydney man named in a report by US intelligence agency CIA as having links with al-Qaeda was "not generally a nice person' but was no security risk, an Australian Muslim leader said today.

Keysar Trad, vice-president of the Lebanese Muslim Association, said Bilal Khazal would already have been arrested if he posed any threat.

"He is abrupt, he is abrasive, he's just someone who's not generally a nice person," Mr Trad said.

"He sometimes likes to talk tough (but) he's not a security risk.

"I have not seen anything from the group that he associates with that would pose any risk to the security of Australia."    advertisement       advertisement

A Four Corners program last night said the CIA report alleged Mr Khazal trained in Afghanistan in 1998 and was planning attacks on US interests in Venezuela and the Philippines.

He worked for Qantas until a security review shortly before the 2000 Olympics and now runs an internet site for the Islamic Youth Movement in Sydney.

Foreign Minister Alexander Downer said today Mr Khazal's passport had been revoked because of security concerns.

Mr Trad admitted he had not spoken to Mr Khazal for about seven or eight years, since Mr Khazal left the Lakemba Mosque in Sydney's south-west and began worshiping at another centre.

However, Mr Trad said if any of the people named in the ABC program, such as Mr Khazal, were a security threat, they would be in custody.

"All the concerns that they raised, if these had been genuine security concerns, then why weren't these people arrested? Why weren't they charged with anything?" he said.

"These people roam about freely.

"It just all seems to be a huge beat up because there's such fear out there in the community."

The Age June 10 2003 By David Adams

Related links: Crackdown on alleged 'terror boss' Terror expert calls for checks on airport staff Website: Islamic Youth Movement

A CIA report has named a Sydney man as Osama bin Laden's "man on the ground" in Australia, it was claimed last night.

According to Four Corners, the CIA report, issued last June and based on uncorroborated intelligence from the Palestinian Authority, said al-Qaeda was very active in Australia.

It said there were "rank and file and leadership elements heading to Australia with forged passports". It named Bilal Khazal, a resident of Lakemba, Sydney, as having connections with al-Qaeda and Osama bin Laden.

"The al-Qaeda leadership has allegedly delegated responsibility to Bilal Khazal," it said.

It said Mr Khazal, named by the program as the man behind the Sydney-based Islamic Youth Movement's magazine and website, had been closely watched since September 11.

The report claimed Mr Khazal was "reportedly planning an explosives attack against some US embassies", including one in Venezuela, as well as against US interests in the Philippines.

The program also said that in mid-2000 "there was intelligence that Mr Khazal was sending recruits from Australia overseas to train in Afghanistan".

Four Corners said it had been able to verify much of the detail in the CIA report but that Mr Khazal refused to comment on the record. The Age could not contact Mr Khazal last night.

According to Four Corners, Mr Khazal's home has twice been raided by authorities. The program said his passport was confiscated in February last year, the day before he was due to go overseas.

It also said that Mr Khazal was shifted from his job as a baggage handler at Sydney airport's international terminal following a security review in the lead-up to the Olympics.

The program also detailed allegations that al-Qaeda and banned terrorist group Jemaah Islamiah had plotted to bomb Israeli targets in Sydney and Canberra and to kill Jewish mining millionaire Joseph Gutnick.

The program also claimed that investigations had revealed the operations of the Philippines-based rebel group MILF (Moro Islamic Liberation Front) were being partly financed from Australia.

VANESSA ARRINGTON, Associated Press Writer Wednesday, May 28, 2003
(05-28) 15:42 PDT BOGOTA, Colombia (<a href=www.sfgate.com>SFGate.com-AP) --

A Colombian rebel suspected in the murders of three Americans was flown under heavy security to the United States Wednesday -- the first guerrilla extradited by Colombia to face U.S. justice.

Nelson Vargas Rueda, a member of the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, has been accused in the 1999 execution-style murders of Terence Freitas, 24, of Los Angeles; Ingrid Washinawatok, 41, of New York City; and Lahe'ena'e Gay, 39, of Pahoa, Hawaii.

The Americans were in Colombia to help set up a school system for the 5,000-member U'wa Indian tribe, in the vast eastern plains bordering Venezuela. Rebels kidnapped them in February 1999 and later shot them to death. Their bodies were found across the border in Venezuela.

Police helicopters transported Vargas from jail to Bogota's international airport, where FBI agents took him in custody for the flight, the police said.

The U.S. Justice Department said Vargas bound for Miami, where he would probably make a court appearance on Thursday.

Vargas is one of six members of the FARC, as the rebel group is known by its Spanish acronym, indicted in April 2002 in federal court in Washington, D.C. for the murders.

The FARC has admitted its fighters killed the Americans, and blamed a rogue lower-level commander, saying he would be punished by the insurgent group.

The United States has listed the FARC as an international terrorist organization and has provided Colombia with millions of dollars, mostly military aid, to fight the guerrillas.

The United States has also asked for the extradition of several other FARC rebels, including top leaders, in connection with drug trafficking cases.

Joe Ivansco / AJC

Why would al-Qaida want to go after an international peace symbol?

Norway? That was the big question last week after an audiotape purported to be the voice of Ayman al-Zawahri, Osama bin Laden's top lieutenant, urged followers to attack the interests of America, Great Britain, Australia and Norway. Norway? Why Norway -- land of the Nobel Peace Prize and Valhalla ice cream?

One theory was that Norway simply had been confused with some other nation. The Netherlands, perhaps. "I have twisted my brain trying to find an answer, and after rejecting most theories I am left with this: Al-Qaida knows a local group is ready to attack a Norwegian target," Stein Toenesson of the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo, told Aftenposten.

"Of course he means Denmark," said Helle Lykke Nielsen, a terrorism expert at the University of Southern Denmark. "Looking at the context, he evidently is talking about the members of the coalition." Denmark was part of the coalition that backed the war in Iraq. Norway was not.

But Norway was part of the coalition in Afghanistan. Norwegian special ops troops helped track bin Laden in that country. "We take the threats seriously and have informed Norwegian embassies, businesses and citizens in relevant nations," declared Prime Minister Kjell Magne Bondevik.

Mohammed Salah, head of the London-based Alhayat newspaper's Egypt office, offered Norwegians some hope. The word "Norway" may have been a camouflaged reference to an attack against a completely different target. Nauru, perhaps, or the Northern Mariana Islands. The United States, for one, was taking no chances. It immediately closed its embassy in Oslo.

And, then, Norway has that problem with fat dogs

As if Norway didn't have enough trouble with terrorist threats, veterinarians there are reporting a dog obesity crisis. A recent report said that half the canines in Norway are overweight. Vet Carsten Glindoe at Fredrikstad Animal Clinic told Aftenposten that he often sees dogs that suffer from rheumatism, diabetes and heart problems due to their unhealthy diet. He also warned of pregnant dogs having problems giving birth because they are so overweight. Many animal clinics have started offering diet programs for dogs, and diet dog food is gaining in popularity.

Ugly Betty, other soaps captivate Malaysia

Malaysians are getting hooked on soap operas, regardless of what language they are in or what part of the world they come from, according to the New Straits Times. What appears to be the most popular one is in Spanish, from Colombia: "Yo Soy Betty La Fea (I am Betty, the ugly one)." Already a cult classic in Latin America, the sad saga has seized the Malaysian imagination. According to the Times, some spellbound civil servants were said to have closed public counters early to watch bespectacled Betty, prompting cynical questions in Parliament. The lineup begins at 11 a.m. and runs until around 8 p.m. Among the offerings: "Pangako Sa Yo," "El Amor No Es Como Lo Pintan," "La Intrusa," "Mis Tres Hermanas," "Juana's Miracle" and "My Love, Patzzi." "No wonder the house is in a mess," one exasperated telenovela widower complained to the Times.

Ex-Atlantan feels the heat at embassy in Venezuela

Former Atlantan Charles Shapiro, the U.S. ambassador to Venezuela, is under fire from that country's government for allowing a comedy act at the embassy on World Press Freedom Day that poked fun at President Hugo Chavez. As the controversy ballooned, Shapiro provided a complete text of his speech at the event on the embassy Web site, embajadausa.org.ve/wwwh079.html, and also told Radio Union News Network that he apologized to anyone who was offended by the event. At issue was a sketch by a Venezuelan comedian who, according to the government, portrayed opposition TV presenter Marta Colomina using Chavez as a puppet.

High-tech pub in Moscow helps clubgoers stay wired

Moscow has opened its first high-tech pub, called the Phlegmatic Dog. According to the Moscow Times, the club offers both electronic and live music, as well as Internet access for patrons on several dozen computer terminals, electronic menus and ordering, and a club-based intranet system that patrons can use to introduce themselves to folks at a table across the room. One room houses 60 terminals with all the latest software and is serviced by a staff of waiters and waitresses who supply patrons with beverages and snacks, which they order via the electronic menu. Proprietors say they will open 25 such clubs across Russia if the Dog makes a go of it.

Deal lets Miss Venezuela get to contest in Panama

Miss Venezuela made it to the Miss Universe contest in Panama after all. According to VHeadline.com, Venezuelan media tycoon Gustavo Cisneros struck a deal with Panamanian President Mireya Moscoso, who had insisted that Venezuela attend the event. Cisneros had been among those contending that the country could not afford to send Mariangel Ruiz to Panama because of a freeze on the exchange of Venezuelan currency for dollars. Cisneros told reporters, "Panama is celebrating the anniversary of its independence from Spain, so it is an important date for Latin America . . . we have decided to bring Mariangel Ruiz to Panama."

WORLD WRAP Rwanda held its first constitutional referendum. . . . Spain's governing Popular Party managed to hold power in many cities in municipal elections. . . .The Norwegian Federation for Animal Protection is opposing a program to give fishing poles to schoolchildren. . . . Kenya Cabinet Minister Najib Balala says he underwent humiliating security checks during a recent visit to the United States. . . . China plans to reopen the thousand-year-old Huqiu Tower, often referred to as China's "leaning tower," after 17 years of repairs.

QUOTED "We were chuffed in the '60s when we heard The Beatles were big in Russia. We thought, 'Wow! The power of music!' " Paul McCartney former Beatle, who gave his first performance in Russia over the weekend.

Compiled by Ron Taylor from news services and newspaper Web sites from around the world.

Monica Perin Houston Business Journal

The terrorist bombings in Saudi Arabia and Morocco that killed 70 people in the past two weeks have upped the ante for U.S. companies that operate in high-risk countries.

And federal officials warn that more such attacks against U.S. interests are highly likely in the near future, which prompted the Bush administration to raise the color-coded threat level to orange, or "high," earlier this week.

Security specialists in the private sector are advising clients who operate in such places to upgrade their emergency preparedness plans.

"They need to assess their physical security and counter-terrorism mechanisms and beef them up," says Jim Francis of Kroll International, a global security firm based in New York.

But oil industry and security experts in Houston doubt that even these latest events will cause major changes in business operations in the oil patch.

"Companies will incur security premiums, but these concerns have been baked in the cake since 9/11," says Greg Barnes, managing partner in the Houston office of Korn Ferry International executive recruiting firm.

"Definitely it's going to get harder to recruit" people to take assignments in places like Saudi Arabia, says Ralph Stevens of Houston-based Preng & Associates, a global energy search firm.

"I would guess that taking family there will be less likely than before, and that only essential personnel will be there," says Stevens.

John Griffin, who heads the Houston-based upstream and oilfields services practice of Korn Ferry, predicts three things will happen:

• Companies will expand their expatriate base to other groups of less targeted people, such as Asians or other foreign nationals, and decrease recruiting of Westerners.
• People who are close to their goals of making a certain amount of money, retiring and getting another job will stay in Saudi Arabia but send their families home.
• Companies will pay more and heighten security to get people to stay there or go there.

"At the end of the day, it will be a matter of money, whether in direct salaries or increased security," Griffin says.

Premium pay

Oil companies have traditionally paid premiums to employees working in difficult or inconvenient places. Executives who have been paid $200,000 to $350,000 a year might now get additional premiums of as much as 75 percent to work there.

But a proposed change in tax laws could offset increases in compensation.

David Preng, president of Preng & Associates, says many expatriates are concerned about a Bush administration proposal to remove the current tax exemption on the first $80,000 earned abroad.

"This, coupled with security concerns, may cause some people to re-evaluate their current posting or alter their current thinking about accepting an overseas posting," Preng says.

His colleague Stevens expresses doubts that companies will try to "throw money" at the problem.

"All the money in the world can't buy your life, "Stevens says. "People will either be willing to do it, or not willing -- premiums aside."

In the past, he says, security wasn't an overriding issue for his clients who did business in Saudi Arabia, although the perceived risk level would vary by company from mid-level to high.

Now, he says, "it'll jump all the way to the top."

Although oil industry companies are tight-lipped about what measures they are taking as a result of the Saudi bombings, Stevens says he knows some people have been taken out and sent to England.

Locally, Baker Hughes Inc., Schlumberger and Shell Oil Co. declined to comment. Exxon Mobil, BP and ChevronTexaco also have remained mum in response to media queries.

A U.S. spokesman for the American Business Council of the Gulf Countries told the Associated Press that he has not heard of any foreign companies planning to "pull the plug" on operations in that region.

And a Philadelphia-based firm that manages travel for companies told AP there has been a spike in departures from Saudi Arabia by family members of Western executives, but not a lot of employees have left.

The U.S. Bureau of Consular Affairs estimates that about 150,000 Americans live in the Middle East.

Other hot spots

In recent months Shell and ChevronTexaco have evacuated employees from Nigeria, while other companies have followed suit in Venezuela and Indonesia because of local uprisings. Companies such as Schlumberger evacuated employees from Kuwait before the start of the Iraq war, but they have since returned.

Houston security expert Kevin Swailes, president of Swailes & Associates, points out that kidnappings and terrorist attacks have been going on for years in counties such as Colombia, Nigeria, the Ivory Coast and elsewhere.

"Companies that operate in these environments understand the risks and they are very proactive," Swailes says. "They have to be out in front of it."

Companies active in Saudi Arabia will be "reassessing what they have in place, the nature of their business operations in-country, and whether they still feel comfortable with those protocols after the recent acts," he says.

In the long run, he says, organizations that are better-equipped for handling the risk will stay put.

"You won't see a huge shift," Swailes says.

mperin@bizjournals.com • 713-960-5910