China Dismisses Separatist Group’s Claim To Bombings

Excerpt(s): “Chinese police have dismissed a separatist group’s claim that it was responsible for a series of deadly bombings this year. But terrorism experts say the group, the Turkistan Islamic Party, is capable of such attacks and its threats against the Olympic Games should be taken seriously….The little-known Uighur separatist group released a video saying it carried out two bus bombings this month in Kunming and one in Shanghai in May that killed a total of five people. The group also claimed in July it attacked police with an explosive-rigged tractor in eastern Wenzhou city and bombed a plastics factory in southern Guangzhou city. Chinese police in all four cities say there is no evidence the attacks were acts of terrorism or related to Beijing hosting the Olympics.”

Context/Analysis: Beijing clearly has a vested interest in downplaying the threats from radical Islamist groups as the 2008 Olympics are scheduled to begin on August 8. The Turkestan Islamic Party is based in China ’s western Xinjiang province, where it aims to establish an independent Islamic state.

http://www.voanews.com/english/2008-07-27­voa12.cfm?renderforprint=1&textonly=1&&TEXTMODE=1&CFID=18182278&CFTOKEN =14832366

'Turkistan Islamic Party' Claims China Attacks, Threatens Olympics

Source:  OSC Feature - YouTube 25 Jul 08

["Our Blessed Jihad"; posted to YouTube on 25 July by "tipawazi"; produced by Voice of Islam media for the Turkistan Islamic Party Voice of Islam Information Center, dated 23 July]

[Screen reads:]  Blessed Jihad in Yunnan

[Screen reads:]  Attention! This film contains Koranic verses and the Holy Prophet's teachings. It is not authorized to distribute it by adding music.

Islam Awazi [Voice of Islam] Information Center

[With Koranic chanting in background, screen reads:] The attackers are permitted to fight (to resist) for the oppression they have suffered.  Allah is of course capable of helping them. -- [Koranic verse citation illegible]

[Video shows fire under a sign of Beijing 2008 Olympics, then cuts to a fake explosion of a large stadium.]

OSC caption: Beijing Olympics 2008 sign in flames. 

OSC caption: Video edit of fire around stadium, then fake explosion. 

[Song in Arabic is heard as photos of the Yunnan bus bombing are shown with a title "Our Blessed Jihad in Yunnan "]

OSC caption: Title "Our Blessed Jihad in Yunnan " and pictures of Yunnan buses after explosion. 

[Video then shows a man in white turban flanked by two armed, with the man in the white turban speaking, and a banner at the bottom of the screen identifies the man as "Military Commander Seyfullah"]

OSC caption: Banner reads "Military Commander Seyfullah." 

[Seyfullah:] [Arabic omitted] In relation to our blessed jihad in Yunnan .

[Seyfullah:] Despite the Turkistan Islamic Party's repeated warnings to China and international community about stopping the 29th Olympics in Beijing , the Chinese have haughtily ignored our warnings. The Turkistan Islamic Party volunteers who had gone through special preparation have started urgent actions. They bombed 2 public buses in Shanghai on 5 May 2008 and took voluntary action against police in Wenzhou on 17 May with a tractor loaded with explosives. They carried out a bombing in a plastic factory in Guangzhou on 17 July and bombed 3 public busses in Yunnan on 21 July. 

[Seyfullah:] Through this blessed jihad in Yunnan this time, the Turkistan Islamic Party warns China one more time. Our aim is to target the most critical points related to the Olympics. We will try to attack Chinese central cities severely using the tactics that have never been employed.

[Seyfullah:] We warn China and the international community for the last time that those spectators, athletes, particularly the Muslims, who are planning to attend the Olympics, please change your intention from going to China . Please do not stand together with the faithless people. The Turkistan Islamic Party volunteers will conduct violent military actions against individuals, departments, venues, and activities that are related to the Olympics in China . 

[Seyfullah:] You must be aware that China will never be able to protect these. If you want to save your life, then please stay away from the Olympics in China . If God is willing, the Communist China will not celebrate the Olympics peacefully as they desired.

Turkistan Islam Party Voice of Islam Information Center , 23 July, 2008, 20 July, 1429 [IslamicCalendar]

OSC caption: Turkistan Islamic Party Voice of Islam Information Center, 23 July 2008. 

Shanghai Police 'Crack' Terrorists Targeting Games

Source: OSC from Hong Kong 's most prominent non-PRC-owned English-language daily newspaper

The South China Morning Post reported that Shanghai police yesterday "obtained information" that "international terrorist organizations" were targeting the Olympic games, and that they had "staged raids" and "cracked a group of terrorists."  This was reportedly the first time mainland police had explicitly said they had information implicating international terrorists. Earlier this month, Shanghai 's deputy minister of public security named the East Turkestan Islamic Movement -- a Xinjian separatist group -- as the "top threat" facing the Olympics. Shanghai police also have targeted the city's best-known dissident, lawyer Zheng Enchong, on Wednesday detaining him for the second time in four days.]

 TIP Video Threatens Use of Biochemical Weapons on Olympics

Source: Fukuoka North Korea Today in Japanese 0028 GMT 28 Jul 08

[By Vladimir (pseudonym): "Uyghur Independence Organization Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP)"; This entry was posted to " Vladimir 's memo" section]

I apologize for writing on a subject not directly related to North Korea .  I think many people know that the Uyghur independence group Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP) just released a video entitled "Jihad in Yunnan ," warning of further terrorist attacks.

            [Sankei Shimbun news report]  "Uyghur Independence Group Issues Statement Claiming Responsibility for Bus Bombings in China , Warns of Attacking Olympic Facilities" can be accessed at

http://sankei.jp.msn.com/world/america/080726/amr0807261102008-n1.htm <http://sankei.jp.msn.com/world/america/080726/amr0807261102008-n1.htm>

However, I think the news report fails to translate an important part in the comments carried on this video, so I would like to point out that in this video, the jihadists stated explicitly that "we will not hesitate to use biochemical weapons."

By the way, IntelCenter, which "found the video," is well known for recording jihadist videos on DVD and selling them for an exorbitant price.  I think I am not the only one who feels that their way of doing business is dirty, even if Islam does not recognize copyright.  They are selling a DVD of this recent video on terrorism in Yunnan , a single video file running for 3 minutes and 42 seconds and not in any package deal with other videos, for $39.95.  They are fools.  Members of the media should not buy this DVD.  I will give the video to you as you please.  Please download from this link: 

http://www.infovlad.net

http://www.infovlad.net/turkistan/20080723TIP.avi

EU tightens laws on inciting terror via Internet; German police raid Islamist homes.

Synopsis: In Azerbaijan on 22 Apr border guards killed 2 Iranian smugglers. In France on 23 Apr handed over 2 ETA members to Spanish officials, both suspects in the 2006 Madrid bombing. In Germany on 23 Apr police raided Islamic centers, detaining 9 on terror charges. In Greece on 18 Apr arsonists bombed 2 diplomatic vehicles belonging to Turkey and Bosnia-Herzegovina. On 23 Apr arsonists bombed 3 foreign car dealerships. In Israel on 18 Apr a pair of Qassam rockets exploded on Israeli soil. On 20 Apr the IDF stopped a terror attack at the Kerem Shalom crossing. On 22 Apr Qassam rockets hit a house in Sderot. In Lebanon on 20 Apr a firefight between political factions killed 2 gunmen. On 22 Apr Hezbollah gunmen scattered UNIFIL inspectors in the nation's south after discovering an arms cache. In Macedonia on 22 Apr a bomb exploded outside the former deputy defense chief's house. In Palestine on 18 Apr the IDF killed 1 terrorist in Nablus , while elsewhere the IDF killed 1 militant and arrested 1. On 19 Apr suicide bombers drove 3 car bombs into the Kerem Shalom crossing, killing 13, while the IAF killed 3 militants and injured 2 in an air strike. Also, the IAF killed 2 and wounded 3 members of a Qassam cell. On 20 Apr the IAF destroyed a Qassam cell. On 22 Apr the IDF killed 3 militants near a border crossing. On 24 Apr the IDF arrested 13 Palestinians, killing 1 and injuring 5. In Russia on 18 Apr a police chief was killed. On 22 Apr gunmen attacked a police post in Ingushetia, while a soldier was injured by a roadside bomb in Grozny . On 23 Apr gunmen attacked a FSB helicopter, while a grenade attack injured 1 policeman in Daghestan. Also, 2 FSB officers were critically wounded in Ingushetia by gunmen. In Spain on 18 Apr police arrested 10 ETA members. On 20 Apr a bomb severely damaged a political office in the Basque region. In Turkey on 23 Apr air strikes hit PKK targets. In the UK on 18 Apr courts jailed 6 for terror offences, while on 22 Apr police arrested 2 at Heathrow Airport under anti-terrorism laws.

Analysis/Road Ahead: European Union Justice Ministers agreed to tighten laws concerning incitement to terrorism via the Internet and using the Internet to publish bomb recipes or call for acts of terrorism to be committed. EU’s redefined stance to counter-terror groups usage of the internet which serves as a virtual training camp, is a positive step forward, however the bureaucracy in a number of EU states will take time to enact changes to current laws and while the new law would demand cooperation from Internet providers to identify those inciting terror acts, the process itself and the terrorist’s technological expertise will encumber actual success in halting terror incitement on the Internet. German police conducted raids on Islamists suspected of trying to radicalize Muslims and non-Muslims; these raids indicate Germany ’s recognition of the problem and intensified actions to halt the instigators. Algeria , Gaza , southeastern Turkey , Russia ’s Chechen regions are EUCOM’s highest terrorist threat areas.

Sources: RIA Novosti, Xinhua, B92, DPA, IHT, FOCUS News Agency, Haaretz, Jerusalem Post, AFP, UPI, Washington Post, NYT, Reuters, KUNA, Itar-Tass, AP