How terrorists hide messages online

http://www.knoxstudio.com/shns/story.cfm?pk=SIEGE-INVISIBLE-10-04-01&cat=WW



By LISA HOFFMAN

Scripps Howard News Service

October 04, 2001



- To terrorist cells such as Al Qaeda, a picture on the Web can be worth

thousands of words.



Employing the 21st century version of a concept as old as secrets

themselves, alleged terrorists affiliated with Osama bin Laden are believed

to have exploited the vastness of the Internet to hide messages between

conspirators in what amounts to plain sight.



According to declassified intelligence reports, court testimony and computer

security experts, bin Laden's network has been a pioneer in adapting the

ancient art of steganography to the Internet. U.S. officials and high-tech

researchers seeking to counter such techniques are scrambling for methods to

detect or derail them.



Online steganography - derived from the Greek words meaning "covered

writing" - essentially involves hiding information or communications inside

something so unremarkable that no one would suspect it's there. It's the

cyber-equivalent of invisible ink or the "dead drops" that spies use to pass

secrets.



Experts say Al Qaeda, along with the Palestinian terrorist groups Hezbollah

and Hamas, have used computer software available for free on the Internet to

communicate via virtually undetectable messages embedded electronically

within innocuous photographs or music files of the sort that millions of

Internet users send to each other each day.



Using it as a ruse, bin Laden's terror operatives allegedly have been able

to bury maps, diagrams, photos of targets and messages within popular music,

auction and sports sites as well as pornographic chat rooms - incongruous

territory for devout Muslim fundamentalists.



Secrets even can be hidden in spam, the millions of unwanted e-mail messages

ricocheting daily across the Internet that barely register with most users

before they delete them. Communicating this way makes it extraordinarily

difficult for law enforcement to pick up on, much less interdict or trace.



"The sender can transmit a message without ever communicating directly with

the receiver. There is no e-mail between them, no remote logins, no instant

messages," wrote Bruce Schneier of Counterpane Internet Security.

"Steganography is a good way for terrorist cells to communicate... without

any group knowing the identity of the other."



It's an old concept, written about in 474 B.C. by Greek historian Herodotus,

who described how Histiaeus of Miletus shaved the head of a slave and

tattooed a secret message on his scalp. When the slave's hair grew back,

Histiaeus dispatched him to the Greeks, who shaved the slave's head and read

the message.



During World War II, invisible ink was used by all sides. And the Germans

perfected the use of "microdots," in which a page of writing could be

reduced to the size of a dot on a letter - only to be enlarged by the

recipients and read.



Computer steganography essentially piggy-backs information on empty or

unimportant spaces in digital files. But those who want to employ the method

don't need to understand the complex concepts at work - all they have to do

is download software available free or for less than $50 from more than two

dozen Internet sites.



Follow the instructions for using the software and, with a few mouse clicks,

you've hidden a message that is all but undetectable, except by the person

you have tipped to where to find it.



Photo or music files with such messages embedded are indistinguishable to

the human eye or ear from identical ones lacking the secret data. (For an

example of how this works, go to http://www.spammimic.com, and embed your

own message in spam.)



That fact exponentially increases the difficulty for investigators trying to

track terrorist communications online. "With the volume of documents,

photos, video and sound files moving on the Internet, there is no system

powerful enough to analyze every object for hidden messages," wrote Barry

Collin(CQ), research fellow at the National Interagency Civil-Military

Institute of the National Guard Bureau.



And an interceptor can be hamstrung even more if the hidden message is

encrypted into code. Bin Laden's network allegedly does just that.



The Justice Department, citing the difficulty of monitoring and detecting

cyber-communications among terrorists, is asking Capitol Hill to relax legal

restrictions or force software writers to supply their secrecy code "keys"

to the government in order to make it easier for agents to tap into everyday

e-mail on a broad hunt for miscreants and de-scramble what they find.



Civil libertarians say such privacy invasions are unnecessary; efforts

should be directed instead toward techniques to detect and disable

cyber-steganography.



The intelligence community is hard at work with university researchers

creating sophisticated detection programs that use complex algorithms to

conduct statistical tests capable of identifying stenographic footprints.



One new software package of interest to the Air Force was developed by

research professor Jessica Fridrich at Binghamton University in New York

state. Called "Securestego," it allows a user to return a digital image

modified by steganography to its original state - that could derail such a

message before it could reach its intended receiver.

U.S. Senator Wants Tech 'National Guard'; IM Firm Says It Was Warned of Attacks

By Jay Lyman

www.NewsFactor.com,

Part of the NewsFactor Network

September 28, 2001



Odigo vice president of marketing Alex Diamandis told NewsFactor that two people at Odigo's Israeli offices received instant messages regarding the terrorist attacks on the U.S. about two hours before they happened.



Citing the severe stress on the nation's communications and technology infrastructure brought by the September 11th terrorist attacks, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon) is proposing a National Guard-style corps of volunteer information-technology professionals and equipment to be ready for trouble.



Wyden, chairman of the Senate Subcommittee on Science, Technology and Space, announced his proposed tech corps on the Senate floor Wednesday and is planning to meet with government agencies and technology firms next week to promote the idea.



"As we seek to prevent future disasters, we must still prepare to meet them," Wyden told the other senators.



"I believe the technology professionals of this nation, like all Americans, are ready to answer the call and do their part," Wyden said. "The formation of a National Emergency Technology Guard will give them that chance and ensure greater safety and stability for our communities and our citizens in the coming days."



Instant-Message Warnings



While Wyden's proposed technology corps will focus on dealing with a natural disaster or attack after it happens, executives at Odigo, an instant messaging company in Israel, said that there was advanced warning of the recent terrorist attacks via IMs to employees.



Odigo vice president of marketing Alex Diamandis told NewsFactor that two people at Odigo's Israeli offices received instant messages regarding the attacks about two hours before they happened.



While Diamandis said he could not discuss the nature or content of the messages, Diamandis said that Israeli and U.S. officials were notified and that investigators interviewed Odigo employees a day or two after the attacks.



Crippling Effect



Meanwhile, Wyden, who has planned hearings on the matter for the science subcommittee next week, said the September 11th attacks on U.S. airliners and landmarks "severely challenged" the communications infrastructure of New York, Washington, D.C., and the rest of the country.



"Wireless telephone networks were severely overloaded and crashed," Wyden said. "Wireless Internet access was suspended. Telephone lines were cut and communications for people literally in communities around the East Coast of the United States came to a standstill."



Wyden added: "Even immediate communications needs of rescue workers, victims, families and aid groups were a struggle to coordinate. The New York Times drew a conclusion that I strongly agree with: there need to be new ways to set up emergency information systems."



Bolstering Tech Readiness



Wyden spokeswoman Lisa Raasch told NewsFactor Network the idea is still being fleshed out, but that the senator had already met with some heads of the high-tech industry, adding that she understood the idea had been "quite well received."



"The idea is that especially when communication is critical to rescue and response, we should make sure there is a reliable backbone and infrastructure there so the important things that need to be done, can be done," Raasch said.



A statement from Wyden said a national volunteer organization of trained and well-coordinated units of IT professionals from leading technology companies ought to be in a position to stand ready with designated computers, satellite dishes, wireless communicators and other equipment to quickly re-create and repair compromised communications and technology infrastructures.



Calling on Companies



Raasch told NewsFactor that Wyden planned to meet with a number of companies including Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT) and AOL (NYSE: AOL) to recruit support for the National Emergency Technology (NET) Guard.



"It is a volunteer notion in as much as companies would be asked to provide resources both in equipment and personnel," she said.



Wyden's proposal comes as a number of security experts, federal officials and lawmakers warn that the U.S. and its infrastructure are not prepared for a cyber attack. Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) technology group director Rich Pethia testified Wednesday before U.S. House committee members, telling them the spread of the Nimda computer virus demonstrates how vulnerable the Internet and technology infrastructure is to attack.

al-Qa'ida

Al-Qa'ida(translates to: The Base)


Maktab al-Khidamat (MAK - Services Office)


International Islamic Front for Jihad Against

the Jews and Crusaders


Usama Ibn Ladin / Osama bin Laden

Al-Qa'ida is multi-national, with members from

numerous countries and with a worldwide presence. Senior leaders in the

organization are also senior leaders in other terrorist organizations,

including those designated by the Department of State as foreign terrorist

organizations, such as the Egyptian al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya and the Egyptian

al-Jihad. Al-Qa'ida seeks a global radicalization

of existing Islamic groups and the creation of radical Islamic groups

where none exist.

Al-Qa'ida supports Muslim fighters in Afghanistan,

Bosnia, Chechnya, Tajikistan, Somalia, Yemen, and now Kosovo. It also

trains members of terrorist organizations from such diverse countries

as the Philippines, Algeria, and Eritrea.

Al-Qa'ida's goal is to "unite all Muslims

and to establish a government which follows the rule of the Caliphs."

Bin Ladin has stated that the only way to establish the Caliphate is by

force. Al-Qa'ida's goal, therefore, is to overthrow

nearly all Muslim governments, which are viewed as corrupt, to drive Western

influence from those countries, and eventually to abolish state boundaries.

Usama Bin Ladin, a multi-millionaire ex-Saudi

financier who is a principal source of funding and direction for Al-Qa'ida,

has been described by the US Government as "one of the most significant

financial sponsors of Islamic extremist activities in the world today."

Usama Bin Ladin was born around 1955 in Jeddah,

Saudi Arabia. He is the youngest son of Muhammad Bin

Ladin, a wealthy Saudi of Yemeni origin and founder of the Bin

Ladin Group, a construction firm heavily involved with Saudi Government

contracts.

Usama Bin Ladin left Saudi Arabia to fight

against the Soviets in Afghanistan in 1979.

He sponsored and led a number of Arabs fighting in Afghanistan

against the Soviets in the 1980s. In the mid-1980s he co-founded the Maktab

al-Khidamat (MAK) or Services Office, to help funnel fighters and money

to the Afghan resistance in Peshawar with the Palestinian Muslim Brotherhood

leader Abdallah Azzam. The MAK ultimately established recruitment centers

around the world -- including in the U.S., Egypt, Saudi Arabia, and Pakistan

-- that enlisted, sheltered, and transported thousands of individuals

from over 50 countries to Afghanistan to

fight the Soviets. It also organized and funded paramilitary training

camps in Afghanistan and Pakistan. Bin

Ladin imported heavy equipment to cut roads and tunnels and to build

hospitals and storage depots in Afghanistan.

As many as 10,000 Arabs received training and combat experience in Afghanistan.

Of these, nearly half were Saudis, with others including more than 3000

Algerians, 2000 Egyptians, and hundreds of others from Yemen, Sudan, Pakistan,

Syria and other Muslim states.

Bin Ladin split from Azzam in the late 1980s to extend his campaign to

all corners of the globe while Azzam remained focused only on support

to Muslims waging military campaigns. Bin Ladin formed a new organization

in 1988 called Al-Qa'ida -- the military "base." After Azzam

was killed by a car bomb in late 1989, the MAK split, with the extremist

faction joining Bin Ladin's organization. Bin Ladin returned to work in

his family's Jeddah-based construction business after the Soviets withdrew

from Afghanistan in 1989, but he continued his organization to support

opposition movements in Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

After Afghanistan, Bin-Ladin ran the Jihad Committee which includes the

Egyptian Islamic Group and the Jihad Organization in Yemen, the Pakistani

al-Hadith group, the Lebanese Partisans League, the Libyan Islamic Group,

Bayt al-Imam Group in Jordan, and the Islamic Group in Algeria. This committee

runs the Islamic Information Observatory center in London, which organizes

media activity for these organizations, and the Advisory and Reformation

Body which also has a bureau in London.

In 1991 he relocated to the Sudan, and in 1994 he was stripped of his

Saudi citizenship after Algeria, Saudi Arabia and Yemen accused him of

supporting subversive groups. Although the Afghan war had ended, Al-Qa'ida

has remained a formidable organization consisting of mujahedin of many

nationalities who had previously fought with Bin Ladin. Many of these

have remained loyal to and continue working with him today.

Sudan harbors a number of terrorist groups, although in May 1996 it expelled

Bin Laden and members of some terrorist groups under Saudi pressure, and

in response to U.S. insistence and to the threat of UN sanctions following

Sudan's alleged complicity in the attempted assassination of Egyptian

President Hosni Mubarak in Ethiopia in 1995.

Bin Laden quickly returned to Afghanistan

after leaving Sudan, where his support for and participation in Islamic

extremist activities continued. Since departing Sudan he is said to have

changed considerably, suspecting that there are plots to murder him, so

he reportedly now only trusts only a narrow circle of people. He is reported

to act on the premise that attack is the best line of defense, rather

than efforts to unify extremist groups.

Prior to the emergence of the Taleban he was functioning and moving around

freely while Rabbani and Massood ruled in Kabul. Bin Laden was subsequently

reported to be living in Taleban-held Jalalabad in Afghanistan with about

50 of his family members and bodyguards. A few months after his arrival

in Afghanistan the Taleban gained control over Jalalabad and Kabul, and

launched a campaign against the "Arab Afghans." In February

1997 the Taleban rejected an American agreement to turn Bin Ladin over

to them in return for international recognition and obtaining Afghanistan's

seat in international organizations. But in early 1997 at least two large

bombs were detonated in Jalalabad as part of attempts to assassinate Bin Ladin, including a 19 March 1997 explosion that destroy the police station,

killing more than 50 and wounding 150. Bin Ladin subsequently moved to

Kandahar from his Jalalabad stronghold as a result of concerns for his

personal safety. Kandahar is the stronghold of the Students of the Shari'ah's,

and the central residence of the Commander of the Faithful al-Mulla Muhammad

'Umar. The Taleban Islamic State of Afghanistan claimed that they moved

him to Kandahar to keep him under strict limitations [according to some

reports he was under house arrest], and that he was no longer allowed

to use Afghan soil to cause harm to any country, including Saudi Arabia.

Most recently he was reportedly moving between four or five camps in

Afghanistan which are the bases for about 200 followers staying with him.

He has financed and supported some 600 or 700 other people outside Afghanistan.

Bin Laden is said to have established cells of supporters in Yemen, and

as of late 1996 it was reported that an additional 2,000 "Afghans"

were resident in Somalia and the Ogaden region, with relatively few actually

in Afghanistan.

Bin-Ladin provides money to humanitarian organizations and to Islamic

publications and groups. He advocates the destruction of the United States,

which he sees as the chief obstacle to reform in Muslim societies. Since

1996, his anti-U.S. rhetoric has escalated to the point of calling for

worldwide attacks on Americans and allies, including civilians.

Bin-Ladin was involved in operations against the American forces in Somalia

in 1993.


In 1995 it was reported that Bin Ladin had agreed to finance a "Gulf

Battalion" organized by the Iranian Guardians of the Revolution.

It was suggested that he had convinced Yemeni fundamentalist leader Shaykh

'Abd-al-Majid al-Zandani, to position elements of the Gulf Battalion in

al-Zandani's camps in Yemen for deployment in Gulf countries when circumstances

permited.

Osama Bin Laden is suspected by the US of being responsible for 1996 bomb

attacks on American service personnel in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.


In mid-1996 a meeting of various leaders convened by Bin Laden reached

a consensus "to use force to confront all foreign forces stationed

on Islamic land," and to form a planning committee; a financing,

supply, and mobilization committee; and a higher military committee to

oversee implementation of the plan.

Bin Ladin publicly issued his "Declaration of War" against the

United States in August 1996. When anti-U.S. attacks did not materialize

immediately, he explained the delay: "If we wanted to carry out small

operations, it would have been easy to do so immediately after the statements.

Even the nature of the battle requires good preparation."

In November 1996 he pronounced as "praiseworthy terrorism" the

bombings in Riyadh and at Khobar in Saudi Arabia, promising that other

attacks would follow. He admitted carrying out attacks on U.S. military

personnel in Somalia and Yemen, declaring that "we used to hunt them

down in Mogadishu."

He stated in an interview broadcast in February 1997 that "if someone

can kill an American soldier, it is better than wasting time on other

matters."

In February 1998, Bin Ladin announced the creation of a new alliance of

terrorist organizations, the "International Islamic Front for Jihad

Against the Jews and Crusaders." The Front included the Egyptian

al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad, the Harakat ul-Ansar,

and two other groups. The Front declared its intention to attack Americans

and our allies, including civilians, anywhere in the world. By at least

February 1998, the Egyptian Islamic Jihad had effectively merged with

al Qaeda and joined with al Qaeda in targeting American civilians.


In May 1998, he stated at a press conference in Afghanistan

that we would see the results of his threats "in a few weeks."

On 07 August 1998 a car bomb exploded behind the US Embassy, killing 291

persons and wounding about 5,000. The majority of the casualties were

Kenyan citizens. Twelve US citizens died, and six were injured in the

attack. A group calling itself the "Islamic Army for the Liberation

of the Holy Places" immediately claimed responsibility for the attacks

in Nairobi and a near-simultaneous explosion in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania.

US officials believe the group is a cover name used by Usama

Bin Ladin's al-Qaida organization. Indictments were returned in the

US District Court for the Southern District of New York charging Usama

Bin Ladin and 11 other individuals for these and other terrorist acts

against US citizens. At yearend, four of the indicted- Wadih El Hage,

Mohamed Rashed Daoud al-Owhali, Mamdouh Mahmud Salim, and Mohammed Sadeeck

Odeh-were being held in New York, while Khalid al-Fawwaz remained in the

United Kingdom pending extradition to the United States. The other suspects

remain at large. The Government of Kenya cooperated closely with the United

States in the criminal investigation of the bombing. On 20 August 1998,

President Clinton amended Executive Order 12947 to add Usama

Bin Ladinand his key associates to the list of terrorists, thus blocking

their US assets-including property and bank accounts-and prohibiting all

US financial transactions with them. Bin Laden remains in Afghanistan

under the protection of the Taliban, an ultra-conservative Islamic militia

that controls most of that country. The United States conducted a bombing

run -- Operation Infinite Reach -- against bin Laden's facilities there

on 20 August 1998.

Bin-Ladin's investments include companies involved in property management,

maritime transport, aircraft rental, public works, contracting and other

commercial activities in a number of countries. His investments in Sudan

include construction and agricultural projects, with other commercial

activities in Somalia, Switzerland, and Luxembourg. His European interests

are managed by lawyers in Switzerland, which makes his financial dealings

and support to terrorism difficult, but not impossible, to follow.

Acting under Chapter VII of the United Nations Charter, the Security

Council on 15 October 1999 demanded that the Afghan faction, known as

the Taliban, turn over Usama bin Laden to appropriate authorities in a

country where he would be brought to justice. In that context, it decided

that on 14 November 1999 all States shall freeze funds and prohibit the

take-off and landing of Taliban-owned aircraft unless or until the Taliban

complies with that demand. Since the Taliban did not comply with this

obligation, the measures of the resolution have entered into effect.

Taliban representatives had stated that they were totally opposed to

terrorism, but that Mr. bin Laden was a guest, that he had become a resident

of Afghanistan prior to the Taliban taking control, and that he no longer

had communication with his followers. At the same time, the official spokesman

of Al-Qaida has stated that they have been supplying fighters to Chechnya.

It seems that they are active not only in Chechnya, but have worried the

other Central Asian republics, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and even Iran.

They are certainly turning up in Kashmir, which is one of the important

flash points in the world. In mid-December 1999 the Jordanian police arrested

members of a cell planning attacks against western tourists. This cell

was linked to Usama bin Laden. On 14 December 1999 Customs agents arrested

an Algerian national smuggling almost 50 pounds of explosive materials

and detonating devices into the United States. The other Algerians subsequently

arrested in connection with this plot apparently were "Afghan alumni,"

trained with the mujahedin in Afghanistan and also linked to Usama bin

Laden.

In testimony 02 February 2000 before the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence,

Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, George Tenet said Usama

Bin Ladin "is still foremost" among terrorists planning

attacks against the United States and that more than half of 24 terrorists

brought to justice since July 1998 "were associates" of Bin

Ladin's Al-Qa'ida organization. He said

that despite some disruptions, U.S. intelligence officials believe Bin

Ladin could strike without warning, and that the terrorist -- along

with others -- is "placing increased emphasis on developing surrogates

to carry out attacks in an effort to avoid detection."

The United States on 08 May 2000 indicted two Egyptians being held in

London for the deadly bombing of United States embassies in Nairobi, Kenya,

and Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, in August 1998, which resulted in more than

200 deaths and more than 4,000 injuries. The US indictment was filed in

New York City and superceded a previous indictment related to the bombing.

The indictment brought to 17 the total number of persons charged, six

of whom are in custody in the United States and three in the United Kingdom.

DOSSIER: Ossama bin Laden (a.k.a. Ussama bin Ladin)

Name: Osama bin Laden (a.k.a. Usama bin Ladin)


Aliases: Usama Bin Muhammad Bin Ladin, Shaykh Usama Bin Ladin, the Prince, the

Emir, Abu Abdallah, Mujahid Shaykh, Hajj, the Director, the Contractor

Description:


Date of Birth: 1957


Hair: Brown


Place of Birth: Jeddah, Saudi Arabia


Eyes: Brown


Height: 6' 4" to 6' 6"


Complexion: Olive


Weight: Approximately 160 pounds


Sex: Male


Build: Thin


Nationality: Saudi Arabian


Occupations: Unknown


Remarks: Leader of a terrorist organization known as Al-Qaeda "The Base".


He walks with a cane.


Scars and Marks: None





REWARD


The United States Government is offering a reward of up to $5 million for

information leading directly to the apprehension or conviction of Usama Bin

Laden.

Bin Ladin also described his global banking network, naming institutions in

Sudan, Malaysia, Britain, Hong Kong and Dubai.

Information on Osama bin Laden's Family

Al-Qa'ida training facilities exist in:

Philippines, Algeria, Sudan, Afghanistan and Eritrea

Osama bin Laden, the youngest of some twenty surviving sons of one of Saudi

Arabia's wealthiest and most prominent families, a family that ran the largest

construction companies in the Arab world, has 51 siblings and is the scion of

a large, wealthy family whose father was a favored contractor for the Saudi

royal family. Several of Osama's relatives have resided on and off in Boston

during the past decade.

During five years of exile in Sudan, from 1991 to 1996, bin Laden placed his

wealth -- a fortune now estimated at more than two hundred and fifty million

dollars, largely in foreign bank accounts -- at the disposal of militant Islamist

groups around the world. Whether he retains access to his family's fortune,

which is estimated to be worth some five billion dollars, is a matter of dispute.

Idealogically, he is part puritanical Wahhabi, the dominant school of Islam

in Saudi Arabia, yet at one time he may have led a very liberated social life.

He is part feudal Saudi, an aristocrat who, from time to time, would retreat

with his father to the desert and live in a tent. And he is of a Saudi generation

that came of age during the rise of OPEC, with the extraordinary wealth that

accompanied it: a generation whose religious fervor or political zeal, complemented

by government airline tickets, led thousands to fight a war in a distant Muslim

land.

Supports troops in: Afghanistan, Bosnia,

Chechnya, Somalia, Yemen, and now Kosovo as well as central Asian republics,

Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, and even Iran.

al-Qa'ida (Bin Ladin's orgainsation),

Harakat ul-Ansar, Egyptian al-Gama'at al-Islamiyya, Hamas, Islamic Jihad

and Hizbullah have agreed to pool their resources to fight their common

enemies, being the United States and Israel. The organisation is called:

"International Islamic Front for Jihad

Against the Jews and Crusaders." It was formed in February 1998.

al-Qa'ida's mission statement: "unite all

Muslims and to establish a government which follows the rule of the Caliphs."

Bin Ladin has stated that the only way to establish the Caliphate is by

force. Al-Qa'ida's goal, therefore, is to overthrow nearly all Muslim

governments, which are viewed as corrupt, to drive Western influence from

those countries, and eventually to abolish state boundaries.

Most recently he was reportedly moving between four or five camps in

Afghanistan which are the bases for about

200 followers staying with him. He has financed and supported some

600 or 700 other people outside Afghanistan. Bin Laden is said to have

established cells of supporters in Yemen, and as of late 1996 it was reported

that an additional 2,000 "Afghans" were resident in Somalia

and the Ogaden region, with relatively few actually in Afghanistan.

Bin-Ladin was involved in operations against the American forces in Somalia

in 1993.


Osama Bin Laden is suspected by the US of being responsible for 1996 bomb

attacks on American service personnel in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.





Bin Ladin publicly issued his "Declaration

of War" against the United States in August 1996.


(all above sources: FAS Intelligence Resource Program, al-Qa'ida press

releases, and U.S. State Department briefings).

One US intelligence officials says: "You break up a cell, and another

one grows. There is no longer one man. If Usama bin Ladin were to fall

off a cliff in Afghanistan, we would all cheer, but his organisation would

still be in place. From his perspective, he's got a 100-year program.

He's probably eight years into it and you can't expect to get too far

in the first 10 years. But he's consolidating Afghanistan. He's fighting

a war in Chechnya that has bled the Russians, and now they're making inroads

in the Philippines and Indonesia." (source: Jane's Report on Bin

Ladin's Activities)

Al-Fadl alleged that Bin Ladin and his associates once tried to buy uranium

from Sudanese black marketeers. US prosecutors also allege that at various

times since 1992, Bin Laden and a top associate have tried to purchase

components to build a nuclear weapon. While it is not clear that Bin Ladin

has the technical expertise or resources to fashion the ultimate terrorist

bomb, experts caution that he could fairly easily build a so-called 'dirty

bomb', a conventional weapon that would shower lethal radioactive material

over a wide area.


(source: Jane's Report on Bin Ladin's Activities)

Click here for a list of offenses the United States attributes to Osama bin Laden

Contact Rizzn's Wartime Factbook

Howdy readers. This is your friendly neighborhood Rizzn here. I've decided to compile the database of information I've been collecting on my hard drive of this brewing war we seem to be getting into now.





If you have information I haven't covered that you think should be included or have comments of any kind, please contact me.





Rizzn Do'Urden


fax: 1.530.869.6594


fone: 1.972.429.8402


email: rizzn@usa.com


yim: rizzn.geo


aim: RznDoUrdn





Contact me!

Afghanistan - General Information

Afghanistan

Afghanistan - People in Power

Introduction

Background: Afghanistan was invaded and occupied by the Soviet Union in 1979.

The USSR was forced to withdraw 10 years later by anti-communist mujahidin forces

supplied and trained by the US, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, and others. Fighting

subsequently continued among the various mujahidin factions, but the fundamentalist

Islamic Taliban movement has been able to seize most of the country. In addition

to the continuing civil strife, the country suffers from enormous poverty, a

crumbling infrastructure, and widespread live mines.

Geography

Location: Southern Asia, north and west of Pakistan, east of Iran

Geographic coordinates: 33 00 N, 65 00 E

Map references: Asia

Area:


total: 652,000 sq km


land: 652,000 sq km


water: 0 sq km

Area - comparative: slightly smaller than Texas

Land boundaries:


total: 5,529 km


border countries: China 76 km, Iran 936 km, Pakistan 2,430 km, Tajikistan 1,206

km, Turkmenistan 744 km, Uzbekistan 137 km

Coastline: 0 km (landlocked)

Maritime claims: none (landlocked)

Climate: arid to semiarid; cold winters and hot summers

Terrain: mostly rugged mountains; plains in north and southwest

Elevation extremes:


lowest point: Amu Darya 258 m


highest point: Nowshak 7,485 m

Natural resources: natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites,

sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, precious and semiprecious stones

Land use:


arable land: 12%


permanent crops: 0%


permanent pastures: 46%


forests and woodland: 3%


other: 39% (1993 est.)

Irrigated land: 30,000 sq km (1993 est.)

Natural hazards: damaging earthquakes occur in Hindu Kush mountains; flooding

Environment - current issues: soil degradation; overgrazing; deforestation

(much of the remaining forests are being cut down for fuel and building materials);

desertification

Environment - international agreements:


party to: Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Marine

Dumping, Nuclear Test Ban


signed, but not ratified: Biodiversity, Climate Change, Hazardous Wastes, Law

of the Sea, Marine Life Conservation

Geography - note: landlocked

People

Population: 25,838,797 (July 2000 est.)

Age structure:


0-14 years: 42.37% (male 5,598,403; female 5,371,054)


15-64 years: 54.86% (male 7,362,961; female 6,839,914)


65 years and over: 2.77% (male 378,741; female 337,724) (2000 est.)

Population growth rate: 3.54% (2000 est.)


note: this rate reflects the continued return of refugees from Iran

Birth rate: 41.82 births/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Death rate: 18.01 deaths/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Net migration rate: 11.54 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2000 est.)

Sex ratio:


at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female


under 15 years: 1.04 male(s)/female


15-64 years: 1.08 male(s)/female


65 years and over: 1.12 male(s)/female


total population: 1.06 male(s)/female (2000 est.)

Infant mortality rate: 149.28 deaths/1,000 live births (2000 est.)

Life expectancy at birth:


total population: 45.88 years


male: 46.62 years


female: 45.1 years (2000 est.)

Total fertility rate: 5.87 children born/woman (2000 est.)

Nationality:


noun: Afghan(s)


adjective: Afghan

Ethnic groups: Pashtun 38%, Tajik 25%, Uzbek 6%, Hazara 19%, minor ethnic groups

(Aimaks, Turkmen, Baloch, and others)

Religions: Sunni Muslim 84%, Shi'a Muslim 15%, other 1%

Languages: Pashtu 35%, Afghan Persian (Dari) 50%, Turkic languages (primarily

Uzbek and Turkmen) 11%, 30 minor languages (primarily Balochi and Pashai) 4%,

much bilingualism

Literacy:


definition: age 15 and over can read and write


total population: 31.5%


male: 47.2%


female: 15% (1999 est.)

Government

Country name:


conventional long form: Islamic State of Afghanistan; note - the self-proclaimed

Taliban government refers to the country as Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan


conventional short form: Afghanistan


local long form: Dowlat-e Eslami-ye Afghanestan


local short form: Afghanestan


former: Republic of Afghanistan

Data code: AF

Government type: no functioning central government, administered by factions

Capital: Kabul

Administrative divisions: 30 provinces (velayat, singular - velayat); Badakhshan,

Badghis, Baghlan, Balkh, Bamian, Farah, Faryab, Ghazni, Ghowr, Helmand, Herat,

Jowzjan, Kabol, Kandahar, Kapisa, Konar, Kondoz, Laghman, Lowgar, Nangarhar,

Nimruz, Oruzgan, Paktia, Paktika, Parvan, Samangan, Sar-e Pol, Takhar, Vardak,

Zabol


note: there may be two new provinces of Nurestan (Nuristan) and Khowst

Independence: 19 August 1919 (from UK control over Afghan foreign affairs)

National holiday: Victory of the Muslim Nation, 28 April; Remembrance Day for

Martyrs and Disabled, 4 May; Independence Day, 19 August

Constitution: none

Legal system: a new legal system has not been adopted but all factions tacitly

agree they will follow Shari'a (Islamic law)

Suffrage: NA; previously males 15-50 years of age

Executive branch: on 27 September 1996, the ruling members of the Afghan Government

were displaced by members of the Islamic Taliban movement; the Islamic State

of Afghanistan has no functioning government at this time, and the country remains

divided among fighting factions


note: the Taliban have declared themselves the legitimate government of Afghanistan;

however, the UN still recognizes the government of Burhanuddin RABBANI; the

Organization of the Islamic Conference has left the Afghan seat vacant until

the question of legitimacy can be resolved through negotiations among the warring

factions; the country is essentially divided along ethnic lines; the Taliban

controls the capital of Kabul and approximately two-thirds of the country including

the predominately ethnic Pashtun areas in southern Afghanistan; opposing factions

have their stronghold in the ethnically diverse north

Legislative branch: non-functioning as of June 1993

Judicial branch: non-functioning as of March 1995, although there are local

Shari'a (Islamic law) courts throughout the country

Political parties and leaders: Harakat-i-Islami (Islamic Movement) [Mohammed

Asif MOHSENI]; Harakat-Inqilab-i-Islami (Islamic Revolutionary Movement) [Mohammad

Nabi MOHAMMADI]; Hizbi Islami-Gulbuddin (Islamic Party) [Gulbuddin HIKMATYAR

faction]; Hizbi Islami-Khalis (Islamic Party) [Yunis KHALIS faction]; Hizbi

Wahdat-Akbari faction (Islamic Unity Party) [Mohammad Akbar AKBARI]; Ittihad-i-Islami

Barai Azadi Afghanistan (Islamic Union for the Liberation of Afghanistan) [Abdul

Rasul SAYYAF]; Jabha-i-Najat-i-Milli Afghanistan (Afghanistan National Liberation

Front) [Sibghatullah MOJADDEDI]; Mahaz-i-Milli-Islami (National Islamic Front)

[Sayed Ahamad GAILANI]; Taliban (Religious Students Movement) [Mohammad OMAR];

United Islamic Front for the Salvation of Afghanistan comprised of Jumbesh-i-Melli

Islami (National Islamic Movement) [Abdul Rashid DOSTAM]; Jamiat-i-Islami (Islamic

Society) [Burhanuddin RABBANI and Ahmad Shah MASOOD]; and Hizbi Wahdat-Khalili

faction (Islamic Unity Party) [Abdul Karim KHALILI]

Political pressure groups and leaders: Afghan refugees in Pakistan, Australia,

US, and elsewhere have organized politically; Mellat (Social Democratic Party)

[leader NA]; Peshawar, Pakistan-based groups such as the Coordination Council

for National Unity and Understanding in Afghanistan or CUNUA [Ishaq GAILANI];

tribal elders represent traditional Pashtun leadership; Writers Union of Free

Afghanistan or WUFA [A. Rasul AMIN]

International organization participation: AsDB, CP, ECO, ESCAP, FAO, G-77,

IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICRM, IDA, IDB, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, ILO, IMF, Intelsat, IOC,

IOM (observer), ITU, NAM, OIC, OPCW, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNIDO, UPU, WFTU, WHO,

WMO, WToO

Diplomatic representation in the US:


note: embassy operations suspended 21 August 1997


chief of mission: Ambassador (vacant)


chancery: 2341 Wyoming Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008


telephone: [1] (202) 234-3770


FAX: [1] (202) 328-3516


consulate(s) general: New York

Diplomatic representation from the US: the US embassy in Kabul has been closed

since January 1989 due to security concerns

Flag description: three equal horizontal bands of green (top), white, and black

with a gold emblem centered on the three bands; the emblem features a temple-like

structure with Islamic inscriptions above and below, encircled by a wreath on

the left and right and by a bolder Islamic inscription above, all of which are

encircled by two crossed scimitars


note: the Taliban uses a plain white flag

Economy

Economy - overview: Afghanistan is an extremely poor, landlocked country, highly

dependent on farming and livestock raising (sheep and goats). Economic considerations

have played second fiddle to political and military upheavals during two decades

of war, including the nearly 10-year Soviet military occupation (which ended

15 February 1989). During that conflict one-third of the population fled the

country, with Pakistan and Iran sheltering a combined peak of more than 6 million

refugees. In early 1999, 1.2 million Afghan refugees remained in Pakistan and

about 1.4 million in Iran. Gross domestic product has fallen substantially over

the past 20 years because of the loss of labor and capital and the disruption

of trade and transport. The majority of the population continues to suffer from

insufficient food, clothing, housing, and medical care. Inflation remains a

serious problem throughout the country. International aid can deal with only

a fraction of the humanitarian problem, let alone promote economic development.

The economic situation did not improve in 1998-99, as internal civil strife

continued, hampering both domestic economic policies and international aid efforts.

Numerical data are likely to be either unavailable or unreliable. Afghanistan

was by far the largest producer of opium poppies in 1999, and narcotics trafficking

is a major source of revenue.

GDP: purchasing power parity - $21 billion (1999 est.)

GDP - real growth rate: NA%

GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $800 (1999 est.)

GDP - composition by sector:


agriculture: 53%


industry: 28.5%


services: 18.5% (1990)

Population below poverty line: NA%

Household income or consumption by percentage share:


lowest 10%: NA%


highest 10%: NA%

Inflation rate (consumer prices): NA%

Labor force: 8 million (1997 est.)

Labor force - by occupation: agriculture 68%, industry 16%, services 16% (1980

est.)

Unemployment rate: 8% (1995 est.)

Budget:


revenues: $NA


expenditures: $NA, including capital expenditures of $NA

Industries: small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer,

and cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, oil, coal, copper

Electricity - production: 430 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - production by source:


fossil fuel: 41.86%


hydro: 58.14%


nuclear: 0%


other: 0% (1998)

Electricity - consumption: 510 million kWh (1998)

Electricity - exports: 0 kWh (1998)

Electricity - imports: 110 million kWh (1998)

Agriculture - products: opium poppies, wheat, fruits, nuts, karakul pelts;

wool, mutton

Exports: $80 million (does not include opium) (1996 est.)

Exports - commodities: opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton,

hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems

Exports - partners: FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Germany, India, UK, Belgium, Luxembourg,

Czech Republic

Imports: $150 million (1996 est.)

Imports - commodities: capital goods, food and petroleum products; most consumer

goods

Imports - partners: FSU, Pakistan, Iran, Japan, Singapore, India, South Korea,

Germany

Debt - external: $5.5 billion (1996 est.)

Economic aid - recipient: US provided about $70 million in humanitarian assistance

in 1997; US continues to contribute to multilateral assistance through the UN

programs of food aid, immunization, land mine removal, and a wide range of aid

to refugees and displaced persons

Currency: 1 afghani (AF) = 100 puls

Exchange rates: afghanis (Af) per US$1 - 4,700 (January 2000), 4,750 (February

1999), 17,000 (December 1996), 7,000 (January 1995), 1,900 (January 1994), 1,019

(March 1993), 850 (1991); note - these rates reflect the free market exchange

rates rather than the official exchange rate, which was fixed at 50.600 afghanis

to the dollar until 1996, when it rose to 2,262.65 per dollar, and finally became

fixed again at 3,000.00 per dollar in April 1996

Fiscal year: 21 March - 20 March

Communications

Telephones - main lines in use: 31,200 (1983); note - there were 21,000 main

lines in use in Kabul in 1998

Telephones - mobile cellular: NA

Telephone system:


domestic: very limited telephone and telegraph service; in 1997, telecommunications

links were established between Mazar-e Sharif, Herat, Kandahar, Jalalabad, and

Kabul through satellite and microwave systems


international: satellite earth stations - 1 Intelsat (Indian Ocean) linked only

to Iran and 1 Intersputnik (Atlantic Ocean region); commercial satellite telephone

center in Ghazni

Radio broadcast stations: AM 7 (6 are inactive; the active station is in Kabul),

FM 1, shortwave 1 (broadcasts in Pushtu, Dari, Urdu, and English) (1999)

Radios: 167,000 (1999)

Television broadcast stations: at least 10 (one government run central television

station in Kabul and regional stations in nine of the 30 provinces; the regional

stations operate on a reduced schedule; also, in 1997, there was a station in

Mazar-e Sharif reaching four northern Afghanistan provinces) (1998)

Televisions: 100,000 (1999)

Internet Service Providers (ISPs): NA

Transportation

Railways:


total: 24.6 km


broad gauge: 9.6 km 1.524-m gauge from Gushgy (Turkmenistan) to Towraghondi;

15 km 1.524-m gauge from Termiz (Uzbekistan) to Kheyrabad transshipment point

on south bank of Amu Darya

Highways:


total: 21,000 km


paved: 2,793 km


unpaved: 18,207 km (1998 est.)

Waterways: 1,200 km; chiefly Amu Darya, which handles vessels up to about 500

DWT

Pipelines: petroleum products - Uzbekistan to Bagram and Turkmenistan to Shindand;

natural gas 180 km

Ports and harbors: Kheyrabad, Shir Khan

Airports: 46 (1999 est.)

Airports - with paved runways:


total: 14


over 3,047 m: 3


2,438 to 3,047 m: 4


1,524 to 2,437 m: 4


914 to 1,523 m: 1


under 914 m: 2 (1999 est.)

Airports - with unpaved runways:


total: 32


2,438 to 3,047 m: 5


1,524 to 2,437 m: 13


914 to 1,523 m: 3


under 914 m: 11 (1999 est.)

Heliports: 3 (1999 est.)

Military

Military branches: NA; note - the military does not exist on a national basis;

some elements of the former Army, Air and Air Defense Forces, National Guard,

Border Guard Forces, National Police Force (Sarandoi), and tribal militias still

exist but are factionalized among the various groups

Military manpower - military age: 22 years of age

Military manpower - availability:


males age 15-49: 6,401,980 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - fit for military service:


males age 15-49: 3,432,236 (2000 est.)

Military manpower - reaching military age annually:


males: 244,958 (2000 est.)

Military expenditures - dollar figure: $NA

Military expenditures - percent of GDP: NA%

Transnational Issues

Disputes - international: support to Islamic militants worldwide by some factions;

question over which group should hold Afghanistan's seat at the UN

Illicit drugs: world's largest illicit opium producer, surpassing Burma (potential

production in 1999 - 1,670 metric tons; cultivation in 1999 - 51,500 hectares,

a 23% increase over 1998); a major source of hashish; increasing number of heroin-processing

laboratories being set up in the country; major political factions in the country

profit from drug trade

An Open Letter to My Parents

Dear Parents...

Yes. This is a letter to you. I start out usually with a dear diary, because usually I am writing strictly to my diary and my anonymous group of online friends that read my diary. But no. Today I write to you.

I knew this day would come. I figured I should have used a nickname you guys wouldn't have guessed. But hey, it was sooner or later you guys would read my private stuff so it might as well be now.

I don't know who you think you were fooling with that silly professor letter, Dad. I would think you would know better than to peek into something as private as a diary. But knowing you and mom (this is no insult, just a statement of facts), you two will peek into anything of mine that will give you insight into my life that you think you should have. And I understand that. Because after all I am your only son, and I know you guys love me.

But I beg of you, please don't read my diary. It's not that I'm hiding things from you. It's not that I'm lying to you folks. It's just that you have some social circles in life that you want to share certain information with, things that you are thinking and feeling that you can't necesarily relate in terms you would understand to other social circles in your life. I would hope that you folks would respect me for that.

I really don't know how much you read in my diary about how my life has gone or whatnot for the last two or so years I've kept this diary. I am not sure I want to know exactly what you think. There is a reason I keep this diary a secret from you, and I'm about to share it.

I have failed in my short time away from you guys time and time again. I heard in school (probably one of the few useful things I learned in school) that a wise man once said "Those who don't know history are doomed to repeat it." I keep this record mostly of my mistakes and some of my few successes as a record to myself so I can have a better record and roadmap as to where to go with my life.

Sometimes the language and the topics I discuss you might deem something unworthy of discussion but this is a diary of my thoughts and feelings and sometimes I think and feel things that aren't right or things that really shouldn't be discussed. And what I find is that by writing about it in an anonymous forum like this is I gather like minded folks who have been on the same path as me or the paths we have walked have crossed and they are able to offer advice as to the direction I take.

Most of all, I don't tell you about this diary to read because I don't want you two and the rest of my family to see just all the mistakes I've made. Because one of my major goals in life is to make you two proud. I don't know that I've been able to do that yet, and you learning about all my failures that I have had on my road to what I considered limited success in life doesn't help me approach one of my goals in life of impressing you two.

And please don't say hey, we don't care about that you can tell us about all your failures because frankly I can't. I've done things that have been chronicled here in this diary that might have made you proud and I've done things chronicled in this diary that might have made you ashamed. I don't know. But know that I am earnest in that what I really want is not just your approval of my life or what I do with it, but your pride in saying "Hey! That's my kid, he's made me proud." And I don't want it just because I'm fishing for compliments, I want it because I really did something that you find worthy.

So in conclusion, family, I love you, and I hope you respect my privacy. I'm doing well, I'll be giving you a call probably tonight, and I am not sure but I think I'm going to email this to you as well. Just so you know.

/rizzn

Quote of the Entry: (From CBL's Message Board)

Subj: Re: missing person

hey, i'm looking for a guy i used to know, or thought i knew. he stood for truth but i wonder if he's confused by the garbage of today's world. maybe i don't know him at all. what do you think?
- Professor (aka my Dad)

Truth, like all things, is in the eye of the beholder. Perhaps what this missing person percieves to be true, is true, for them, but not true for you. It could be something liek that. Maybe he's lost, dazed, confused, and in a closet somewhere hoping someone will free him from it?

I can't know without more information. That and my magic 8ball is broken so no canned responses shall emerge.
- crackbaby