U.S. Warned of Glasgow Threat Two Weeks Ago

June 30, 2007 4:37 PM

Richard Esposito and Rhonda Schwartz Report:

U.S. law enforcement officials received intelligence reports two weeks ago warning of a possible terror attack in Glasgow against "airport infrastructure or aircraft," a senior U.S. law enforcement official tells the Blotter on ABCNews.com.

The intelligence reports also warned that airports and aircraft in the Czech Republic could be the targets of al Qaeda-connected terrorists.

The warnings were kept secret for operational reasons, according to officials. 

In public, the White House and Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff have continued to maintain they know of no specific or credible threats involving the United States, even though the intelligence reports specify U.S. aircraft as possible targets.

Video Click here for Brian Ross report on WN

A U.S. official told ABCNews.com that the intelligence reports led to the assignment of federal air marshals to flights into and out of both Glasgow and Prague.

Air marshals had been added to flights into and out of Germany late last month based on similar warnings.

Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.

June 30, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (111)

Sleeper Terror Cell on the Loose in U.K.

June 30, 2007 3:26 PM

Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report:

Counterterrorism analysts estimate that the apparently coordinated attacks in Great Britain are the  work of a sleeper cell that could include as many as 20 individuals.

"You would need that many to pull off three different vehicle-borne explosions," said one former CIA official who requested his name not be used.

A massive manhunt is now underway across Great Britain for at least three suspects who officials say have been positively linked to the Friday attacks by surveillance photographs and forensic evidence, including fingerprints.

"The Brits simply are not ahead of this cell, and they know it," he said.

The two failed car bomb attacks in London Friday appear to be connected to today's attack on the Glasgow Airport terminal, although British officials have yet to declare so officially.   

Adding to the intelligence failure, analysts said, is the fact that the driver of one of the failed car bombs had been arrested three years ago and released for lack of evidence. 

The two men arrested in the wake of the Glasgow attack today are likely to face intense interrogations from British officials who are desperate to learn the names of other cell members.

"The Brits may talk with a fancy accent, but when it comes to this kind of thing, the gloves will be off," the former CIA official said, citing the techniques used to go after the Irish Republican Army.

June 30, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (30)

Officials: Car Bomb Plot Bears Al Qaeda's Trademark

June 29, 2007 6:26 PM

Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report:

Al Qaeda's mantra, "If at first you don't succeed, try again," appears, according to officials, to be behind today's foiled car bomb plot in London with the same kind of bombs aimed at the same kind of targets by, officials say, apparently some of the same kind of people.

British authorities tell ABC News a "crystal clear" surveillance photo of the driver of the silver Mercedes, discovered early Friday morning, bears "a close resemblance" to one of the associates of an al Qaeda operative now behind bars.

Photos Police Investigate Car Bombs in London

Officials say a surveillance camera caught the suspect "staggering from the Mercedes" shortly after parking it outside the Tiger Tiger nightclub in Piccadilly Circus at the heart of London's nightclub and theater district.

Last year, al Qaeda operative Dhiren Barot was convicted by a British court for a plot to use limousines to carry similar bombs as those defused today to similar targets as the nightclubs allegedly targeted today.

In his own personal manual, Barot described how the cylinders, "if carefully orchestrated can be as powerful as exploding TNT," and "are easily available to the general public," designed for a "synchronized, concurrent (back-to-back) execution on the same day and time."

Videos posted on al Qaeda Web sites also show in full detail how to rig propane and butane cylinders as powerful bombs.

Video Al Qaeda Lesson in Bomb Making

And today's explosive device -- composed of five or six propane and butane cylinders as well as 33 gallons of gasoline, all rigged to detonate with calls to two cell phones -- followed Barot's manual and the al Qaeda videos closely.  Officials say the cell phones failed to initiate the explosions, even after each phone had been called twice, preventing a shrapnel-filled fireball from launching and killing people in the surrounding area.

The associate, to whom the silver Mercedes driver bears "a close resemblance," was initially arrested three years ago but later released for lack of evidence.

Barot's associates reportedly carried out surveillance of banks and corporate headquarters in London, Washington, D.C., and the New York area. 

In particular, Barot described how a coordinated explosion might bring down the huge Citicorp skyscraper in New York.

Today in New York, police said they were stepping up security patrols on mass transit and at major landmarks.

"We've increased the deployment of critical response vehicles, focusing on tourists sites: Times Square, Herald Square, theater district," New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said.

All of this comes just three weeks after what was described as al Qaeda "graduation" ceremony for suicide bombers at a training camp in Pakistan.

A videotape obtained and first reported by ABC News shows commanders sending teams of 50 to 60 men to launch suicide attacks in the United States, Canada, Germany and Great Britain. 

The fact that British police had one of the suspects in custody and then let him go will no doubt be hugely embarrassing, but officials say British authorities are overwhelmed with possible terror suspects and have been conducting constant surveillance of some 200 people.

In addition to the tension in London, German officials say they are equally concerned they could be a target soon.

Officials tell ABC News at least two men have been arrested inside Germany who came directly from the Pakistan training camp.

This post has been updated.

June 29, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (23)

Terror Plot Involves Islamic Extremists; Police Have 'Crystal Clear' Picture of Suspect

June 29, 2007 2:56 PM

Brian Ross and Richard Esposito Report:

British police have a "crystal clear" picture of the man who drove the bomb-rigged silver Mercedes outside a London nightclub, and officials tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com he bears "a close resemblance" to a man arrested by police in connection with another bomb plot but released for lack of evidence.

Officials say the suspect had been taken into custody in connection with the case of al Qaeda operative Dhiren Barot (pictured), who was convicted of orchestrating a vehicle bomb plot involving targets in London, New York, Newark, N.J. and Washington, D.C.

Officials say a surveillance camera caught the suspect "staggering from the Mercedes" shortly after parking it outside the Tiger Tiger nightclub.

Special Report Video Multiple Bombs in Foiled Plot

U.S. and British law enforcement officials tell ABC News it is increasingly clear Friday's bomb plot in London involves multliple vehicles, and is described by a senior official as a "terror plot involving lslamic extremists."

The silver Mercedes sedan discovered early Friday morning outside the Tiger Tiger nightclub in Piccadilly Circus appears to have been stolen in early June and was spotted in the last two days, first in Scotland and then in Birmingham, England, according to law enforcement officials.

Photos Police Investigate Car Bombs in London

The car contained five or six propane and butane gas cylinders as well as 33 gallons of gasoline, all rigged to detonate with calls to two cell phones.  Officials say the cell phones failed to initiate the explosions, even after each phone had been called twice.

June 29, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (196)

London Web Threat Not From al Qaeda

June 29, 2007 2:31 PM

Hoda Osman Reports:

The statement, "London shall be bombed," posted on a jihadi Web site last night and first reported by CBS News is unlikely an official claim of responsibility by an al Qaeda group.

While the message was found on a popular password-protected jihadii Internet forum, "al Hesba,"  it was found in the general section not known to be used for a major public statement. 

Messages from al Qaeda and other groups are usually posted in the "statements" section of the Web site by its administrators.

The message was posted by a frequent writer who has never previously acted as a spokesperson for any al Qaeda group or been the source of al Qaeda material.

The user who posted the note identifies himself as "Abu Osama al Hazin," i.e. the sad Abou Osama. According to the Web site's available information, he joined the forum in November 2005 and has 500 postings. Judging by his previous participations, it's clear that "Abou Osama" is supportive of terrorist groups, but unlikely that he has direct connections to any.

His postings mostly include comments on other current events or message posted by other users. In one message, he asks forum members for technical advice about updating his computer's Windows operating system. In another, he responds to a message about the Arab news channel al Arabiya showing footage of insurgents infighting in Iraq, by suggesting a car bomb could destroy the station's buidling.

The focus of yesterday's message was criticizing Britain for awarding author Salman Rushdie knighthood recently.   

The message is entitled "Is Britain Longing for al Qaeda's Explosions?" Towards the end, the writer says, "The question is: Is London longing for al Qaeda's bombings? We tell Britain: Sheikh Osama bin Laden, the prince of al Qaeda, threatened and carried out his threats in the past. I say, rejoice, by God, London will be hit God willing."

This post has been updated.

June 29, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (3)

A Most Lethal Anti-Personnel Bomb Defused: Anatomy of a Bomb in London

June 29, 2007 2:09 PM

Richard Esposito Reports:

London bomb technicians' first move early Friday in Piccadilly Circus in the heart of London's nightclub and theatre district was to send in a robot to inspect the bomb-rigged car. 

But sources tell ABC News fumes inside the car were so thick that the robot's camera could not pierce them and send back a worthwhile image for the technicians to view.

With robotic technology ruled out, law enforcement officials say, a bomb technician fell back on the oldest and riskiest technique in the manual -- hand entry.

Donning an approximately 90-pound Kevlar suit , one technician took "the long walk" from his armored response van to the Mercedes  E 300 sedan and found a carefully constructed, large vehicle bomb with a complicated fuse.  The bomb technician defused the device by hand, officials in London said.

ABC News has learned the bomb was composed of tanks of propane, butane and 125 liters of gasoline (33 U.S. gallons), roofing nails and a fuse that initial reports indicated was constructed of simple light bulb or flashbulb filaments and designed to be triggered by a mobile telephone. 

Click here for the previous posting on the London plot.

London authorities investigating the case and U.S. authorities monitoring it say the Mercedes car bomb,  if correctly made, could have sent a shrapnel-filled fireball into the air, maiming and killing people in a several hundred yard radius that included a popular nightclub.

Based on an initial forensic investigation, authorities say they believe the cell phone triggers failed. 

Authorities in New York and other major U.S. cities have stepped up visible police anti-terrorist patrols, and the U.S. government noted it was closely monitoring the situation in London.

"We have been in close contact with our counterparts in the U.K. regarding the suspected explosive device discovered in a vehicle in the London Haymarket area," said Michael Chertoff, the head of the Department of Homeland Security. "Our law enforcement and intelligence officials are closely monitoring the ongoing investigation. At this point, I have seen no specific, credible information suggesting that this incident is connected to a threat to the homeland. We have no plans at this time to change the U.S. threat level."

New York City Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly said the London case was reminiscent of the July 2004 case, in which terrorists planned to use gas and bomb-laden vehicles to blow up financial targets in New York, New Jersey and Washington, D.C.

"This looks similar to the plans that were uncovered then. But there is no indication at this time that there is a link to al Qaeda or any organized terrorist group," Kelly said. "Our Joint Terrorism Task Force chief is in London now, talking to British authorities, and we're going to continue to monitor over the weekend. We will have additional resources in place until we have a better understanding of what is transpiring. "

Kelly said in the aftermath of the London discovery, New York police stepped up patrols at Times Square, Herald Square, the Theater District and inside subways and instituted vehicle stops at bridges and tunnels.

Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.

June 29, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (32)

Household Business Supplying Potential Bomb Makers?

June 29, 2007 12:13 PM

Richard Esposito Reports:

Law enforcement authorities Thursday night raided the Staten Island, N.Y., home of a man who ran a household business in materials that could be used to build incendiary and explosive devices.

The man purchased chemicals in bulk for about $.35 to $.45 per pound and then sold them over the Internet in small amounts at about $4.00 per pound.  His business was for all intents legal.

Authorities say the case illustrates how easy it is for a determined bomb maker to legally obtain household or industrial chemicals. 

This was the case for the 2005 London bombings, in which the terrorists purchased hydrogen peroxide used to make their homemade explosives from a beauty supply shop.  And today, in London, authorities found roofing nails, butane and propane as well as the filaments from a light or flash bulb to be the basic ingredients for what could have been a lethal anti-personnel bomb.

Authorities found about 40 50-pound bags of potassium nitrate, a primary component in black and flash powders, inside the Staten Island residence and storage facility. Other chemicals found included sulfur -- another component in black powder -- mercury and hydrogen peroxide.

There was no evidence of bomb making, or that the person who owned the home had any links to terrorism or any intent to anything other than make a quick buck.

"It was a good hustle," said one of the law enforcement officials who responded. "He basically bought in bulk and sold in one pound packages over the Internet."

The man is cooperating with authorities and is not expected to face any major criminal charges. He was initially charged with reckless endangerment for storing such large quantities of potentially hazardous chemicals in a residential area.

Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.

June 29, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (9)

Car Bomb Found in London 20 Days After al Qaeda Suicide Bomber 'Graduation Ceremony'

June 29, 2007 7:02 AM

Brian Ross Reports:

The discovery of a massive car bomb set to detonate in central London comes just three weeks after what was described as an al Qaeda graduation ceremony of suicide bomb teams to be dispatched to Europe and the United States.

A videotape obtained by ABC News from a Pakistani journalist shows  groups of dozens of men al Qaeda says have gone through a terror training camp somewhere in Pakistan.

Photos: Inside the al Qaeda 'Graduation'

Teams of 50 to 60 men were supposedly dispatched to the United States, Canada, Germany and Great Britain.

On the tape, the leader of the British team speaks of the mission in broken English, "Let me say something about why we are going along with my team to tell a suicide attack in Britain."

That was just 20 days ago, and the existence of the tape first reported by ABC News put British and German security experts on edge.

It was also just last year that al Qaeda operative, Dhiren Barot, was convicted in a London court of planning suicide attacks in London and the U.S., using limousines and other vehicles, not unlike the bomb-rigged silver Mercedes discovered in London this morning.

Based on the early sketchy details, the car bomb was potentially powerful but relatively crude.

The great concern now is that if it is an al Qaeda operation, something that is still not known, but if it is, there would likely be other vehicle bombs in the works.

Today British officials are continuing a program begun earlier this month to check gas and chemical trucks, cement trucks and limousines and all vehicles coming and going from the famed Wimbledon tennis tournament now underway outside London.

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June 29, 2007 in U.K. Bombing Attempts | Permalink | User Comments (24)

Convicted Lockerbie Bomber Wins Chance to Appeal

June 28, 2007 2:32 PM

Mike Mitchell Reports:

Some families of those killed in the Lockerbie tragedy are outraged the convicted bomber won a chance today to appeal in court.

A Scottish judicial review panel ruled today that former Libyan intelligence agent Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, who was convicted of carrying out the 1988 bombing of a Pan Am flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, be granted an appeal.

"It's unfortunate and will reopen old wounds," Bert Ammerman, spokesperson for those who lost loved ones to the tragedy, told ABC News. "Some families will go back and relive what took place in the first trial."

Former FBI agent Richard Marquise, who spearheaded the Lockerbie investigation, expressed to the Blotter on ABCNews.com his "disappointment" with the ruling made by the Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission (SCCRC).

"I expected the commission to say there was no manipulation of evidence," said Marquise. "I thought they would reject everything the defense had thrown at them."

Al-Megrahi was convicted in 2001 of the airline bombing that killed 270 people, and since then he has maintained his innocence.

"The Scottish Crown Office informed me that a very small percentage of these cases have ever gone to a higher court," Ammerman told ABC News. "This gives me some concern."

The appeal grant has placated some who have long held that al-Megrahi was unjustly convicted, including relatives of the victims.

Jim Swire, who lost his daughter in the bombing and believes al-Megrahi is innocent, has been quoted as saying, "I think for those of us who have looked carefully at the evidence and have doubts, we cannot achieve [closure] until we're quite sure that it really is true and it could be proved that it were true that [al-Megrahi] was the one that did it. It's no good trying to have closure on false foundations," he said while attending a press briefing held by the Lockerbie victims' families outside the Scottish Parliament.

Ammerman respectfully disagrees with such "conspiracy theorists" within the victims' families, "While I have enormous respect for Jim Swire, I feel that he's thinking more with his heart than his head."

Marquise is less sympathetic.

"We followed the evidence, and it led us to Megrahi," said Marquise. "We didn't guess."

In a statement today, the chairman of the SCCRC said, "The Commission is of the view, based upon our lengthy investigations, the new evidence we have found and other evidence which was not before the trial court that the applicant may have suffered a miscarriage of justice."

The statement explains new evidence raised questions as to whether al-Megrahi had purchased the items found in the suitcase containing the bomb. Resulting speculations of injustice compelled the ruling for appeal.

Marquise has strong doubts about these recent findings of the SCCRC.

"They don't believe the clothing in the suitcase was purchased on the date we said it was, based on some information they've gotten since the closing of the case," Marquise told ABC News. "Many of the issues raised were not substantiated by the commission."

Ammerman feels the initial evidence identifying al-Megrahi as the buyer of the alleged items was "overwhelming."

"That in itself was grounds for conviction," Ammerman told ABC News.

In addition to the new evidence, according to Marquise, a written statement by Libyan President Moammar Gadhafi four years ago helped encourage the commission to reconsider Megrahi's conviction.

In a letter to the United Nations in 2003, Gadhafi said that Libya "accepts responsibility for the actions of its officials."

According to such a shrewdly worded assurance, if al-Megrahi is found innocent, Libya can deny having a role in the bombing altogether.

"I don't know why Gadhafi's statement was accepted as an apology," said Marquise. "Now the commission is throwing it in our face that he never said he was guilty."

As the case heads to the High Court, Ammerman still holds an optimistic outlook.

"I have complete faith in the Scottish legal system," Ammerman told ABC News. "If there's one thing I've learned throughout this process, it's that the Scots don't hold the Britons in high regard, so they won't be intimidated by anyone at 10 Downing Street."

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This post has been updated.

June 28, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (0)

White House 'Duplicity' Over Pork Spending Draws GOP Ire

June 28, 2007 12:41 PM

Justin Rood Reports:

Move over, bacon.

Just a few months after blasting the congressional practice of diverting millions in taxpayer dollars to pet projects, President Bush has slipped into current legislation more than 100 so-called "earmarks" worth over $1 billion -- including nearly $6 million for work on the White House.

The provisions appear to draw a stark contrast with the president's harsh words for earmarks and their proponents in his State of the Union speech in January.

"These special interest items are often slipped into bills at the last hour -- when not even C-SPAN is watching," Bush said. The president proclaimed that "the time has come to end this practice," and urged Congress to cut the number and cost of earmarks "at least in half" this year.

The president's earmarks, for projects including national park improvements, land purchases and new government facilities, have drawn unusual on-the-record criticism from Republican lawmakers, who typically eschew public displays of disaffection with the White House.

"It would appear the administration likes earmarks from their perspective," Rep. Robert Aderholt, R-Ala.,  told the Hill newspaper, which first reported the White House earmarks. Aderholt is a member of the House Appropriations Committee. He termed the White House stance as "inconsistent," though another Republican, Sen. Larry Craig of Idaho, told the paper it was "duplicity."

The White House disagrees.

"There's a striking difference here" between White House earmarks and congressional earmarks, said administration spokesman Sean Kevelighan. The White House chooses earmarks "[in] a way that is competitive or merit-based," while Congress tends to choose earmarks "based on geography, seniority and special interests," he said.

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June 28, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (27)

Libya's Gadhafi Misbehaving Again

June 27, 2007 2:16 PM

Maddy Sauer Reports:

More than a year after the United States renewed diplomatic ties with Libya, leader Moammar Gadhafi still has not completed settlement payments to the families of Pan Am 103 victims, and he recently delivered an incendiary speech during which he laughed off any financial impact of the settlement.

Libya agreed in 2003 to pay a compensation totaling $2.7 billion, or $10 million to each family of the 270 victims of Pan Am 103, which was blown up over Lockerbie, Scotland in 1988.

Libya has formally accepted responsibility for the actions of its officials connected to the bombing.

The final installment of compensation payment was to be paid when the U.S. removed Libya from its list of states that sponsor terrorism. That happened in May of last year, but the families are still waiting for $2 million each.

Meanwhile, earlier this spring Gadhafi gave an incendiary public speech where he laughed off the settlement payments as having no financial impact as Libya is now allowed to do business with foreign oil companies, another result of the settlement agreement.

"Afterwards, for American oil companies to return, they had to pay (money) to Libya, which equaled what we had paid as compensation for Lockerbie. And that's a great achievement," said Gadhafi in an April speech posted by the Middle East Media Research Institute. "What we gave with our right hand, we took back with our left hand," he laughs.

Watch the Video.

Some critics say his behavior is further evidence that the U.S. should not be restoring ties with Libya while Gadhafi is still in power.

"Shame on the U.S.," said Bert Ammerman, whose brother died in Pan Am 103. "The only reason our government is doing this is because big business and oil companies want to get back into Libya at the expense of the 259 people who were massacred at 31,000 feet."

Eleven people were killed on the ground in Lockerbie.

Some in Congress acknowledge Gadhafi has benefited from the deal without living up to his end of the bargain.

"The tragedy is that Gadhafi is correct when he says that our ineffectual energy policies have reimbursed him," said Rep. Steve Israel, D-N.Y., but Israel adds that while he has no tolerance for Gadhafi, it is still important for the U.S. to establish ties with the Libyan people. "This is about the next generation," he said.

Rep. Israel and many others in Congress think that before diplomatic funding is restored, Gadhafi must honor his financial commitments to the Pan Am 103 families. Rep. Israel backed a House measure, which was approved earlier this week, to deny the White House's request for spending on diplomatic relations with Libya, which includes more than $115 million for a new embassy in Tripoli and more than $1 million for other diplomatic initiatives, until the final compensation payment is received.

"For now, our focus has to be on compelling the government of Libya to keep its promises," said Israel. He added that if the freezing of diplomatic funds still does not prompt Libya to pay, then he would support a return to economic sanctions for the country.

The Senate Appropriations Committee is scheduled to meet tomorrow to discuss their version of the Foreign Operations Bill.

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June 27, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (20)

Report: Wasteful Government Spending at All-Time High

June 27, 2007 1:56 PM

Justin Rood Reports:

The U.S. government has committed to spend a record-high $1.1 trillion with companies holding government contracts "plagued by waste, fraud, abuse or mismanagement," according to a new report by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee.

The report blames the rise in bad spending on a sharp increase in noncompetitive contracting and a general increase in the use of private companies to perform government functions.

More than $200 billion in taxpayer money was spent on projects for which only one or a handful of companies submitted bids, the committee found. 

That figure has more than tripled since 2000, according to the report, and now comprises more than half of all government spending outside of entitlement programs like Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security.

"The numbers -- there's not an iota of justification for more than half of all contracts being no- or limited-bid contracts," said Keith Ashdown of Taxpayers for Common Sense, a non-partisan Washington, D.C.-based group which scrutinizes federal spending.

Ashdown said he doubted senior government officials were letting so many troubled no-bid contracts to "cronies" but were doing it out of laziness.

"They knew that, until a few months ago, Congress wasn't minding the store," he told the Blotter on ABCNews.com, referring to the Democrats' takeover of the House and Senate last November. "They could do whatever they wanted."

According to the report, the committee based its findings on a federal database of government spending, and more than 700 reports by government auditing and investigations offices.

In a fact sheet released in response to the report, the Bush administration said it was "committed to strengthened use of competition and effective contract management and oversight."

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This post has been updated.

June 27, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (53)

Questions Raised Over Hiring of Foreigner to Run California GOP

June 27, 2007 8:27 AM

Christine Grimaldi and Justin Rood Report:

The California Republican party may have broken the law when it recently hired a Canadian to fill a senior director post, experts tell ABC News.

Christopher Matthews, a Canadian, will serve as the party's deputy political director under an immigrant work visa when his tenure begins on Oct. 1, according to the group's spokesman.

But the Federal Election Campaign Act prohibits foreign nationals from having any involvement, direct or indirect, with campaign finances and decision-making powers in a political committee.

Matthews is a foreigner under the law, said Kenneth A. Gross, a Washington, D.C., election law expert and partner at the Skadden, Arps, Slate, Meagher & Flom firm. Gross also served as former associate general counsel of the Federal Election Commission.

Matthews "sounds like he's got a problem," Gross told ABC News.

Hector Barajas, communications director for the state party, said Matthews' responsibilities as deputy political director will include political research, involving microtargeting potential voters and technology. Matthews will only be involved in contributions and expenditures that relate to the political department, Barajas said.  And "he won't necessarily be the one writing the check" to pay for purchases, Barajas added.

From May until his October start date as deputy political director, Matthews will be working for the California GOP as a management consultant, and networking with the state, county and volunteer parties, according to the spokesman.

The law is "very broad," said Larry Norton, a D.C.-based lawyer at the Womble Carlyle Sandridge & Rice firm who served as general counsel of the FEC from 2001 to 2007.

"[He] seems to be in a key position running a major state party committee, and he's a foreigner," Norton told ABC News. "Under the letter of the law, it looks problematic."

The San Diego GOP party originally hired Matthews in 2004 as a consultant, according to Barajas. Matthews has been with the state GOP for about a month, Barajas said.

Matthews currently works under a NAFTA visa that permits nonimmigrant Canadian and Mexican citizens to work in the U.S., Barajas noted.

When asked about the legal implications of Matthews' employment, Barajas referred questions to Charles Bell, the Sacramento-based attorney he said has been handling this matter for the party. Bell reiterated Barajas' statements regarding Matthews' duties.

"We are satisfied that we have fenced him off from anything that has presented a problem there," the lawyer told ABCNews.com

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This post has been updated.

June 27, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (7)

Former Interior Department Official Will Go to Jail for Obstructing Abramoff Investigation

June 26, 2007 6:13 PM

Jason Ryan Reports:

J. Steven Griles, the former deputy secretary at the Interior Department, has been sentenced to 10 months in prison and must pay a $30,000 fine after pleading guilty to obstructing a congressional inquiry into disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff.

"In pleading guilty, Griles admitted that he knowingly and willfully lied and concealed material information from senators and Senate investigators about the unique relationship that he had with Abramoff immediately prior to and during his tenure as DOI Deputy Secretary," according to a Department of Justice statement.

Abramoff and lobbyist Michael Scanlon have pleaded guilty to bilking two Indian tribes out of millions of dollars for their lobbying work.

The links between Griles and Abramoff focus on Italia Federici, the president of the Council of Republicans for Environmental Advocacy (CREA).  Abramoff had directed his tribal clients to donate as much as $250,000 to CREA to help the Interior Department with several projects and studies. It is unclear if those projects ever existed.

The Senate Indian Affairs Committee issued a report on their investigation and noted, "Abramoff apparently had his clients contribute to CREA, described by CREA president Italia Federici as a 'mom and pop' operation, because he believed that Federici would help him possibly influence tribal issues pending at the Department of the Interior."

While not mentioned by name in the criminal charge against Griles, Federici has been identified as "person A," according to law enforcement officials.

According to the information,"As a result of defendant James Steven Griles' personal and romantic relationship with Person A, Person A's introduction of Abramoff to defendant Griles gave Abramoff more credibility as a lobbyist than Abramoff ordinarily would have had with the defendant and facilitated the building of a professional relationship between Abramoff and the defendant that ordinarily would have taken years to develop."

Federici also pleaded guilty this month to obstructing the investigation and tax evasion and faces a maximum of five years in jail. She is scheduled to be sentenced in November.

"The Senate Committee focused on the following areas of inquiry, among others, concerning defendant James Steven Griles' tenure as DOI Deputy Secretary: the level of access Abramoff had to defendant Griles; the nature and extent of the defendant's relationship and dealings with Abramoff," the criminal information against Griles noted.

According to a court document, during his Nov. 2, 2005 testimony at a public hearing held before members of the United States Senate Committee on Indian Affairs, Griles "knowingly and intentionally made a series of materially false and fictitious declarations to, and withheld material information from, Senators and Senate investigators in response to questions about the true nature and extent of defendant Griles' relationship with Person A."

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June 26, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (11)

Gingrich Keeps His Toes in '08 Waters With Tax-Exempt Group

June 26, 2007 1:07 PM

Avni Patel Reports:

A $2 million fund bankrolled by a handful of wealthy donors is helping former Republican House Speaker Newt Gingrich keep his name alive in key electoral states, a strategy that experts say bolsters his future as presidential candidate.

"It keeps him visible. He can pop up in state after state, push his issues and keep the threat alive," says Kent Cooper, founder of PoliticalMoneyLine.com, referring to Gingrich's fund, which has paid out hundreds of thousands of dollars to fly the ex-lawmaker around the country, and pay for staff, consultants and events to promote Gingrich's agenda in Iowa and other presidential election battlegrounds.

Gingrich's group, American Solutions for Winning the Future, has raised $2.3 million since it was created last October, according to reports filed with the Internal Revenue Service.

Most of the money has come from two wealthy benefactors -- Las Vegas casino magnate Sheldon Adelson and North Carolina real estate developer Fred Godley -- who have each contributed $1 million. 

The group, formed under the "527" section of the tax code, can collect and spend unlimited amounts tax-free.

The group's expenses include $226,736 on air charters, $17,500 to the Republican Party of Iowa Building Fund for event space and $5,000 on a political consultant in Iowa.

At an event last Thursday in Denver, Gingrich told the audience that his decision to run was dependent on whether leading GOP candidates adopt his agenda for overhauling the government.

"If, in my own party, a Giuliani or a Romney or a Fred Thompson takes up these ideas...we probably won't run," said Gingrich, according to The Denver Post.

Rick Tyler, a Gingrich spokesperson, denied the group's activities were related to a prospective Gingrich presidential bid.

"He is not using American Solutions to test the waters," says Tyler. "Newt is just doing what he's always done, which is to raise issues and challenges that he believes the country has to face."

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June 26, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (0)

Family Seeks Punitive Damages From Walgreens in Pharmacy Error Case

June 26, 2007 12:47 PM

Dana Hughes Reports:

The family of a mother of three who was given the wrong dosage of a powerful blood thinning medication wants the pharmacy Walgreens to pay punitive damages in the case.

Attornies for the family of Beth Hippely, who died earlier this year, say Walgreens "designed a system to understaff its pharmacies and focus on profit," according to a new motion put before a Florida judge. "This resulted in misfills which caused injury and death."

In Hippely's case, a 19-year-old pharmacy technician, whose previous job was filling popcorn at a movie theater, mistakenly gave Hippely 10 times the prescribed dosage of Coumadin, a powerful blood thinner, which she was prescribed while being treated for breast cancer.

Hippely was left severely physically and mentally incapacitated after she suffered a massive stroke caused by the huge dose of the drug.  After four years, she died earlier this year of cancer.

Karen Terry, the attorney representing the Hippely family, alleges that errors like this one  are not uncommon at Walgreens. She says the company's current quality control system stresses profits over customer safety.

"Walgreens' policy is to get prescriptions filled every 15 minutes. Their bonus plans have no incentive to make the prescriptions accurately," says Terry. "Its speed and volume equals profit."

In an earlier statement to the Blotter on ABCNews.com, Walgreens said, "We deeply regret the few errors that have occurred among the more than 500 million prescriptions we fill each year at our 5,600 pharmacies."

The statement added that "one of the most significant safety initiatives the drugstore industry has undertaken is promoting the use of electronic prescribing, which could have prevented the error in the Hippely case or other instances where the doctor's handwriting is misread. Walgreens invented the electronic prescription 15 years ago and has been a strong advocate of its adoption ever since."

But lawyers for the Hippely family say that the problem is systemic, not electronic.

"They were so understaffed at the time that two to three times a week they would pull stock boys and photo clerks and cashiers with no training whatsoever to fill pill bottles," Terry says. "District managers saw this with their own eyes and did nothing about it. Walgreens continued to open more stores. In fact, they've open a store every 90 minutes."

Walgreens is one of the fastest growing chain pharmacies, opening up to 500 new stores a year.

The pharmacist who gave Hippely the incorrect dosage wasn't informed of her error for several years and kept her job during that time.

Terry says she knows of at least three other cases where serious errors were made by technicians or pharmacists, and the pharmacists on duty were never told of the errors by Walgreens.

A "20/20" investigation earlier this year found that in one case involving a serious error, the pharmacist not only kept his job, but was promoted to manager at a different Walgreens.

Terry argues that if Walgreens was serious about customer safety, the company would insist on pharmacists being made aware of their errors.

"If Walgreens wanted to improve their quality control and keep errors from happening, they would tell their pharmacists so they could be more careful," said Terry.

"Quality assurance is an ongoing project for us," said Walgreens' statement. "We've implemented 14 new quality controls in the last year. We also currently have another 12 in development, all of which were started well before your story aired."

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June 26, 2007 in Pharmacy Investigation | Permalink | User Comments (17)

Pakistan Bracing for Suicide Attacks

June 26, 2007 11:34 AM

Habibullah Khan Reports:

Pakistan authorities say they have received intelligence indicating suicide bombers have entered the capital city of Islamabad, a spokesperson for the Interior Ministry told the Blotter on ABCNews.com today.

As a result, security is being increased, and checkpoints have been set up at all entry and exit points of the city.

The intelligence came primarily from Pakistan's security service, the ISI. Possible targets include government ministers. Special arrangements have also been made for the protection of foreign nationals, according to the Interior Ministry.

While most suicide attacks in Pakistan take place in the tribal areas of the Northwest Frontier Province, the country's cities have increasingly become targets.

Earlier this year, there was a suicide attack at a five-star Marriott Hotel in Islamabad, which killed two people.

Just a few weeks later, a suicide bomber attempted to blow himself up at the Islamabad International Airport.

Near Peshawar in April, there was also a failed attack on the interior minister. The interior minister survived, but at least 28 others were killed.

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June 26, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (6)

Lockerbie Verdict Could Be Sent Back to Appeals Court

June 25, 2007 5:36 PM

Len Tepper and Maddy Sauer Report:

Almost 20 years after the bombing of Pan Am Flight 103 over Lockerbie, Scotland, the case may be sent back to court again this week after claims that evidence was tampered with and withheld from the court.

The Scottish Criminal Cases Review Commission, which has been looking at the case for three years, has said it will announce its decision this Thursday whether or not to send the case back to a court of appeals.

Lawyers for Abdelbaset Ali Mohmed al-Megrahi, who was convicted in 2001 of the murders of 270 people, say contradictory statements from a key witness and alleged evidence tampering warrant the case be returned to an appeals court.

Sources knowledgeable about the case tell the Blotter on ABCNews.com the commission is likely to side with the defense.

The details of the defense's case were published in Scotland after the documents were leaked to the press. Among the defense's claims are that two initial statements from a key witness, in which he identified a different man as buying a shirt that was found at the scene of the crash and that the prosecution connected to al-Megrahi, were never submitted to the court.

Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.

The defense also claims that some pieces of evidence, including the shirt, were tampered with between the time they were discovered and when they were submitted to the court.

Former FBI agent, Richard Marquise, who led the Lockerbie investigation, disputed those claims.

"There was absolutely nothing manufactured," he told ABCNews.com. "The defense is throwing everything at the wall to see what will stick."

Marquise expressed dismay he was never interviewed by the commission during their three-year investigation.

"I wish they had come and interviewed me," said Marquise. "As far as I'm concerned, this guy  [al-Megrahi] did it."

Bert Ammerman, who lost his brother in the bombing and led the U.S. victims' relatives group, said another appeal would open old wounds for the families.

"It would mean that some family members would have to travel to the next court hearing to ensure that our love ones are well-represented," Ammerman said in a statement to ABCNews.com.

But some family members of victims have sided with the defense lawyers and say they believe there was a miscarriage of justice.

"I believe that Megrahi is innocent and should be allowed to go home to his family. He has been through a terrible ordeal," Jim Swire, whose daughter, Flora, was killed in the bombing, told a Scottish newspaper.

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June 25, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (4)

Are Schools Ignoring a Silent Killer?

June 25, 2007 12:22 PM

Alexandra Bahou Reports:

Radon, an invisible and odorless gas considered a "silent killer" by many cancer researchers, may be going undetected and virtually untreated in many public schools across the United States because of inadequate testing.

The Surgeon General has identified radon gas as the second leading cause of lung cancer, and the last National School Radon Survey conducted by the EPA states one out of five U.S. schools have radon levels above the "acceptable" measurement it has established. 

"Radon kills thousands of people each year. You can't see it or smell it," said Bill Becker, the executive director of the National Association of Clear Air Agencies, a group formed by state and local air pollution officials to improve air quality programs across the United States. Even at the level the EPA says should trigger testing, it "is still the equivalent of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day," Becker said. 

Photos Radon, The 'Silent Killer'

Children are especially susceptible to radon, according to experts.

"In general, the younger you are, the higher risk you have of radiation inducing cancer," said Weining Zhen, an associate professor of radiation oncology at the University of Nebraska. "If cells are really active in DNA production or DNA synthesis, [they] can really accumulate damage."

Only eight states have laws on their books explicitly requiring radon testing in public schools for all districts, according to the Environmental Law Institute Database of State Indoor Air Quality Laws.

Most other states, including California, leave it up to the district to decide whether or not testing is necessary in their community schools, and few put an emphasis on testing. Only an estimated 20 percent of schools in the U.S. have actually tested for the silent gas, the EPA found in its last survey.

Even though Idaho, North Dakota and Iowa are in the highest radon level zone established by the EPA, none of the three requires testing in its schools.

"[Testing] should be done," said Rick Welke, the radon program manager in the Iowa Health Department. "Back in the 80s when we found out we had a big radon problem, legislatures tried to pass a law that required all schools to test for radon...Well, the law never passed partly because of the problem with funding."

The EPA has not been able to pass a federal law making radon testing mandatory in public schools because the agency is not authorized by Congress to regulate indoor air quality.

In addition, testing for radon is a very involved process. In school buildings, it must be completed during the winter months for complete accuracy because the soil becomes tighter in colder temperatures, which allows the gas to enter buildings more easily. The testing can also be time consuming and costly. Officials further emphasize the test is very delicate and can be disturbed by high humidity, high heat and drafts.

"In order for a radon test to be effective, it needs to be done in every single classroom, the gym, the lunchroom," said Kristin Marstiller, the senior program manager of the National Safety Counsel. "And sometimes if there is a problem, there isn't necessarily enough money in the funding to fix it."

According to the EPA's last school radon survey, more than 70,000 schoolrooms currently in use across the country have high short-term radon levels. The government agency says "the only way to determine if a problem exists is to test for it."

Misinformation about radon testing, however, appears to influence the decision to test at some public schools.   

Despite the fact that radon levels can change over time, a representative from the Cedar Rapids school district in Iowa told ABC News that tests there in recent years showed acceptably low radon levels according to EPA standards, but they don't plan on doing testing on a regular basis. 

"Testing should be done every two to four years," said Welke. "Especially if there was a change in ventilation or anything done to alter the structure of the building."

Not only is testing in schools a concern among air quality experts, but officials also point out that testing in homes should be a common practice of homeowners. Nevertheless, radon testing does not hold universal support.

"There is a big lobby against this [testing]," said Becker. "When you're selling your home and there is high radon level, it may be a deterrent for buyers. They don't want to make this too hot of an issue and make it hard to sell a home."

Radon is a colorless, odorless tasteless and radioactive gas formed by the decay of uranium in water, soil and rock.

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June 25, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (8)

Al Qaeda in Egypt Leader Calls for Attacks On Women and Children

June 25, 2007 11:53 AM

Hoda Osman and Maddy Sauer Report:

The Egyptian militant who leads the group he calls "Al Qaeda in Egypt" has called for his followers to launch attacks in Egypt to "strike against all Zionist-Crusader targets" there, including women and children.

The statement of Mohammed Khalil al Hakayma, who is wanted by the United States, is dated yesterday and has been posted on numerous jihadi Web sites.

"Rise up and pluck out the Zionist presence in Egypt," he says. "Rise up and inflame a war on them everywhere. Do not differentiate between a military and a civilian person. As they struck against our women and children, we will kill their women and children."

Last year, Hakayma claimed the Egyptian Islamist group al Gamaa al Islamiya had joined al Qaeda.

The group, which has publicly renounced violence as part of a deal with the Egyptian government, however, issued a strong denial. 

Al Hakayma later appeared in a jihadi video criticizing the group and called on its members to join al Qaeda as he says he has.

It is unclear just how much support or how many real followers Hakayma has in Egypt, as Hakayma himself is not believed to be there.

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Picture courtesy of Rewards for Justice.

June 25, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (25)

'Mystery' Money Groups Hide Money Trail, Watchdog Group Says

June 25, 2007 11:29 AM

Justin Rood Reports:

As Congress cracks down on lobbyist loopholes, it's hard to imagine a single dollar of a political contribution could still slip into the system anonymously.

Yet hundreds of thousands do, says the political money watchdog Center for Responsive Politics, through what it says is a loophole in need of closing.

Under current rules, House and Senate lawmakers can create a particular type of campaign finance organization to take in money from lobbyists, special interests and other major donors -- up to $5,000 per contributor per year -- and spread that money to the campaign coffers of other lawmakers.

They are known as leadership political action committees. And unlike other money-raising organizations, they don't have to tell the public which lawmaker controls them, allowing many to obscure the path of potentially influential cash into federal politics.

Candidates "raise money in Washington for their leadership PAC, and they raise money at home for their campaign," campaign finance expert Brett Kappel told the Blotter on ABCNews.com. "Many would much prefer their constituents at home never know they had a leadership PAC." Much of the money raised for leadership PACs comes from lobbyists, Kappel said.

Click Here for Full Blotter Coverage.

By giving chunks of that money to their fellow House and Senate members, "ambitious lawmakers can gain clout among their colleagues and boost their bids for leadership posts or committee chairmanships," CRP notes on its Web site, OpenSecrets.org. They can also "hire additional staff -- sometimes even family members," with the money, the group said.

Such was the case with likely GOP presidential hopeful and ex-Sen. Fred Thompson, whose leadership PAC paid out nearly $180,000 to his son Daniel before it was shut down earlier this year.

Thompson made no secret that he controlled the group. He named it the "Fred D. Thompson PAC." 

But others don't. In the 2006 election cycle, 35 anonymous leadership PACs raised more than $1.2 million, without a single mention in a press release or public filing of the lawmaker which controlled them.

If Congress approves a proposed bill by Rep. Walter B. Jones, R-N.C., the groups would be required to report which lawmaker controls them.

Until then, CRP has enlisted the public's help in tracking down the lawmakers which control the mystery organizations, in what they've dubbed their "Mystery PAC" effort.

So far, private citizens, reporters and other government watchdog groups have helped identify the lawmakers behind 10 of the anonymous leadership PACs, CRP reports on its Web site.

"This has already been a success as far as we're concerned," said CRP president Sheila Krumholz of the group's effort.

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June 25, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (2)

Full Taliban Graduation Video Posted

June 22, 2007 6:20 PM

From The Blotter:

As concerns mount that teams of suicide bombers may have already left Pakistan in an attempt to reach targets in the United States, Great Britain, Germany and Canada, the Blotter on ABCNews.com has posted the full one-hour-plus video of the Taliban graduation ceremony that took place in Pakistan on June 9.

Video Watch the Full Taliban Graduation

Many faces are visible on the video, at which law enforcement agencies are very likely taking a close look.

Earlier this week, the FBI and Department of Homeland Security issued an "intelligence bulletin" regarding the video, stating that while there is no evidence to suggest a "specific and imminent threat to the Homeland at this time," the agencies will continue to "monitor intelligence for signs of such plotting or any related activity" and urges recipients "to maintain their high level of vigilance because extremists in these groups remain determined to strike in the West, especially the United States."

Today, multiple terror warnings are coming out of Germany, and security is being increased there after German authorities received intelligence reports indicating threats of potential suicide bomb attacks.

Earlier this month, just a few days after the graduation ceremony, two German nationals were captured along the border of Pakistan and Iran. The men are suspected of being militant Islamists and were carrying large amounts of cash and fake IDs. While those two men were caught, there are new fears that others made it out of Pakistan and are on their way to their intended targets.

June 22, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (11)

Brother, Can You Spare a Grand? Abramoff-Tied Lawmaker Passes Hat to Pay Legal Bills

June 22, 2007 5:52 PM

Justin Rood Reports:

Reportedly under scrutiny by federal prosecutors for his role in a 2003 Scottish golf trip paid for by disgraced former superlobbyist Jack Abramoff, a Florida congressman is starting a fundraising push to help cover his legal bills.

Rep. Tom Feeney, R-Fla., on Wednesday filed papers establishing a legal defense fund, to pay legal expenses "arising from Tom Feeney's ongoing voluntary cooperation with inquiries" stemming from the federal investigation into the Abramoff scandal, Feeney spokeswoman Pepper Pennington told the Blotter on ABCNews.com.

Feeney's defense fund is being handled by Tallahassee lawyer and longtime Feeney friend Richard Coates, Pennington said, but Feeney's defense is being handled by the high-priced Washington powerhouse firm Patton Boggs.

Feeney is "looking forward to a successful fundraising season," Pennington told ABCNews.com, adding that they have an "active fundraising calendar" planned and that the effort was "off to a strong start."

In an e-mailed statement, Pennington said donations had been received from "longtime friends and supporters who have full confidence that Rep. Feeney has acted legally in this matter." She did not say how much the fund had raised to date.

Participants on Abramoff-sponsored junkets have since faced significant legal problems.  Fellow golfer and former White House official David Safavian is in jail, along with Abramoff and former Rep. Bob Ney, R-Ohio, who also golfed with the one-time GOP power broker-turned government witness; two other former congressional aides who took trips with Abramoff have pleaded guilty and are cooperating with investigators. Former House Majority Leader Tom DeLay, also a guest on Abramoff's golf trips, is reportedly under investigation for his ties to Abramoff.

Abramoff spent roughly $20,000 per guest on the golf trip, according to prosecutors.  Feeney reported the cost to be less than $6,000.  In January, the House Ethics Committee ruled it was wrong for Feeney to accept the trip from Abramoff and ordered him to pay his reported cost to the U.S. Treasury.

Feeney has insisted he had "no relationship" with Abramoff, and the trip was "an expensive lesson."

June 22, 2007 in Abramoff Lobbying Scandal | Permalink | User Comments (8)

Germany Warns of Suicide Attacks, Increased Security

June 22, 2007 10:15 AM

Christel Kucharz Reports:

The German government has received reports from U.S. intelligence sources that militant Islamists are threatening to commit suicide attacks on German soil.

"German security authorities have increased their vigilance and have taken extra measures to meet a potential threat by Islamic suicide bombers," German Interior Ministry spokesman Christian Sachs told reporters at a news conference in Berlin today.

Photos Terror Threat in Germany

German authorities have seen the exclusive video broadcast by ABC News on Monday, which showed a Taliban military commander introducing suicide teams assigned to carry out attacks in the United States, Canada, Germany and Great Britain.

Wolfgang Bosbach,a member of the German Parliament, said this latest scene was yet another mosaic stone in the Islamic terrorist picture, "We're not alone in this, but the danger is very real."   

"We can no longer assume the terror threat by Islamic militants to be abstract. There is clear evidence of concrete threats not only in Europe, but in particular in Germany," Bosbach, who is also Chancellor Angela Merkel's security expert, told ABCNews.com.

Earlier this month, two German nationals were captured along the border of Pakistan and Iran. The men are suspected of being militant Islamists and were carrying large amounts of cash and fake IDs.

Bosbach could not elaborate any further, but he confirmed Pakistani authorities indeed arrested "men with German background they considered dangerous when these men attempted to travel back to Germany."

Also today, a TV report out of Pakistan quoted German intelligence sources reporting "at least 10 to 12 'potential would-be terrorists' had left Germany recently to travel to Pakistan and Afghanistan to join terrorist training camps there."

ABC News first reported last month that U.S. and German officials feared a new terror attack on U.S. military personnel or tourists was in the advanced planning stages in Germany.

U.S. air marshals had been diverted to provide expanded protection of flights between Germany and the United States.

And as recently as last weekend, a German embassy convoy was attacked near Kabul. A vehicle was destroyed, but nobody was injured. 

Germany has around 3,000 troops serving in Afghanistan as part of NATO peacekeeping forces.

"The threat needs to be taken serious. We have information that attacks, as we saw recently in Afghanistan, could happen on German soil, too," said the German Interior Minister Wolfgang Schauble, referring to a recent suicide attack, which left three German soldiers dead when their convoy was attacked in Kabul. 

"The atmosphere reminds me of that during the summer of 2001,"  said August Hanning, secretary of state in the German Interior ministry. "We also saw some hints of the same kind then, and then there was 9/11. There certainly is no need for the public to panic, but there is definitely good reason to call for people's vigilance."

June 22, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (19)

Summer Terror Reigns in Spain: Cease-fire Ends, Bomb Campaign Expected

June 22, 2007 9:40 AM

Richard Esposito Reports:

A carload of explosives that intelligence sources say belongs to the Basque separatist terror group, ETA, was seized just inside Spain's border Thursday. Spanish and U.S. authorities tell ABC News the incident is the clearest evidence the terror group plans a bombing campaign against Spain's cities this summer.

One hundred kilograms, the equivalent of 220 pounds, of explosives were found by authorities during the search of a Ford Focus they said was abandoned by a Basque terrorist as he approached a police checkpoint just over the border from Portugal.

The seizure came 16 days after the group declared its March 2006 cease-fire with Spain at an end and announced it was resuming its violent campaign for independence.

"This morning (Thursday) at about 12:00 hours, two kilometers from the border with Portugal in the town of Ayamonte, Huelva, a Ford Focus was abandoned by ETA Terrorist loaded with 100 Kilos of Dynamite, 8 detonators and 1 manual on bomb making written in the Basque language," a police report on the incident noted. 

ETA stands for Euskadi ta Askatasuna, which means "Basque Fatherland and Liberty" in the Basque language. Listed as a terrorist group by the U.S. State Department, ETA has used bombings and assassinations to wage a war for independence since the 1960s.

The group has won some international sympathy, including some from inside the United States, in part because of Spain's harsh law enforcement methods against them as well as allegations of torture of Basque extremist prisoners. Sympathy was also triggered by the original repression of the Basque language and culture by then dictator Generalismo Francisco Franco. It was in response to Franco's actions that ETA was formed.

According to authorities, the vehicle seized was not intended as a car bomb but was being used by a courier to smuggle the raw materials for a terror campaign in Spain. 

ETA had declared a cease-fire in March 2006 following a crackdown by authorities that appeared to seriously weaken the group, and the Spanish government had begun talks in an effort to see if some of the group's demands could be met.

The talks stalled, and in December 2006, ETA punctuated its demands by bombing an airport parking garage, killing two but doing nothing to convince Spanish authorities to give in to some of their demands.

Now, police and intelligence officials say, the terror campaign is likely to begin in earnest.

"It appears that since they broke the cease-fire truce and recent crackdown by the Spanish police on their members, they are preparing to set off a bomb in one of the cities in Spain," one source in Spain said.

Spain's intelligence service and law enforcement agencies are seeking to counter the bombing campaign not only with aggressive law enforcement but also with the release of information to the media portraying ETA in a less than flattering light, an effort to counter what authorities feel has been an effective propaganda campaign by ETA.

"A constant feature of such propaganda campaigns is to portray ETA as victims," according to ETA Propaganda at the Service of Terror. But ETA, the sponsored report goes on to note, "threatens, extorts and kills the Basque citizens who do not support their political project, such as politicians, journalists, teachers, businessmen, writers, artists or priests and nuns."

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June 22, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (4)

9/11 Families Angry That Remains of Victims Still at Garbage Dump

June 22, 2007 9:18 AM

Christine Grimaldi Reports:

Six years after the 9/11 attacks, frustrated families of 9/11 victims say the unidentified remains of their loved ones are still at an area landfill and have sued New York City in an attempt to have the remains moved to a garbage-free area.

All debris from Ground Zero was transported to the landfill in the months following the attacks.

The city says the debris was "thoroughly searched" for all discernible remains.

But one group says the city moved too quickly through the process of removing the remains and asserts that even the smaller unidentifiable remains should not be left at the landfill.

A group comprised of 9/11 families, WTC Families for Proper Burial, Inc., filed suit two years ago against the city, Mayor Michael Bloomberg and the heads of the departments of Sanitation and City Planning, seeking to have the remains moved from the Fresh Kills Landfill in Staten Island, N.Y.

"We're not asking for compensation for pain and suffering," said Diane Horning, the WTC group's president and co-founder, whose 26-year-old son, Matthew, was killed at work in the North Tower.

"We are asking for remedy. Fix the situation," she said.

According to a letter from the New York City medical examiner, which he sent to Horning in 2003, the sifted debris, known as "fines," likely does contain the remains of victims who were incinerated by the intense heat and flames of the attack.

The city says, however, that individual members of the group cannot positively assert that their relatives' remains are amongst the fines.

The lawsuit calls for the fines to be relocated to any area that does not contain garbage. Both sides have disagreed on how much the relocation would cost.

Among the plaintiffs are three of the four "Jersey Girls" –  Kristen Breitweiser, Mindy Kleinberg and Lorie Van Auken – who along with fellow Sept. 11 widow Monica Gabrielle lobbied Congress for the creation of the 9/11 Commission.

Fresh Kills, which has been closed since 2001 and only reopened for the recovery effort, is slated to become a park that includes a Sept. 11 memorial at the site where the debris has been stored.

The city, which is requesting that the suit be dismissed, is expected to submit its final response by June 29 in Manhattan's federal district court.

Judge Alvin K. Hellerstein, who hears the majority of Sept. 11-related cases, may decide by July or early August whether or not to hold a hearing, according to Norman Siegel, the group's attorney.

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June 22, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (10)

U.S. Army Pulls TV Recruitment Ad Containing Falsehood

June 22, 2007 8:42 AM

Mike Mitchell and JR Santo Report:

The U.S. Army has quietly pulled a television recruitment ad that falsely claimed it could train recruits to become pharmacists, a spokesperson for the Army has confirmed to ABC News.

The Army took action following a complaint made by David Work, former president of The National Association of Boards of Pharmacy, after he spotted the ad during the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament.

Listing careers available in the Army, the 30-second spot included images of soldiers working in a pharmacy as a voice-over said, "They can be...pharmacists."

Video Watch the False Army Ad

A pharmacy degree requires the completion of a six-year program at a school of pharmacy, which the Army does not offer.

"They knowingly, intentionally put a lie out there, only to get a teenager to sign up," said Work. "Any teenager will find a six-figure job attractive."

At best, Army recruits could train to become pharmacy specialists.

What's the difference? About $80,000 in annual salary, according to Work.

Work notified CBS, the network broadcasting the tournament, about the commercial's inaccuracy on March 21. The Army then removed the advertisement from CBS on March 24 and from all television stations by March 29. 

The Army did not publicly comment on the ad until contacted by ABC News.

"It was an honest mistake," Col. David Lee, head of the Army's Strategic Outreach Directorate, told ABC News. "In my office, I don't have expertise on each one of the 150 specialties offered by the Army. If somebody identifies a problem, then we correct it."

Work, however, is unconvinced.

"Whoever put that text together knew exactly what they were doing," Work told ABC News. "These people are in the word business. They thought they could get away with this and get a bunch of new recruits, too."

Imprecise wording can be a common occurrence in Army commercials, recruiters say.

"Sometimes they generalize to give you an idea about what you can do," a New York City recruiter for the Army told ABC News. "It might not be exactly the way you think."

Casanova Pendrill, the advertising agency used by the Army to produce the commercial, did not return repeated phone calls from ABC News seeking comment.

Since May 15, the Army has been airing a revised version of the ad that replaces "pharmacist" with "health care technician."

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June 22, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (31)

Cheney Power Grab: Says White House Rules Don't Apply to Him

June 21, 2007 12:57 PM

Justin Rood Reports:

Vice President Dick Cheney has asserted his office is not a part of the executive branch of the U.S. government, and therefore not bound by a presidential order governing the protection of classified information by government agencies, according to a new letter from Rep. Henry Waxman, D-Calif., to Cheney.

Bill Leonard, head of the government's Information Security Oversight Office (ISOO), told Waxman's staff that Cheney's office has refused to provide his staff with details regarding classified documents or submit to a routine inspection as required by presidential order, according to Waxman.

In pointed letters released today by Waxman, ISOO's Leonard twice questioned Cheney's office on its assertion it was exempt from the rules. He received no reply, but the vice president later tried to get rid of Leonard's office entirely, according to Waxman.

Leonard did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

In a statement e-mailed to the Blotter on ABCNews.com, Cheney spokeswoman Megan McGinn said, "We are confident that we are conducting the office properly under the law.”

As director of the tiny, 25-person Information Security Oversight Office, Leonard is responsible for keeping track of the nation's secrets and making sure they are properly protected.

For the first two years of the George W. Bush administration, Cheney's office complied with a presidential order that requires officials to report statistics on the number of documents it classifies and declassifies.

Since 2003, however, Cheney's office has refused to submit the data to ISOO. And when ISOO inspectors tried in 2004 to schedule a routine inspection of the vice president's offices, they were rebuffed, Waxman's letter claims.

Other White House offices, including the National Security Council, did not object to similar inspections, according to Waxman.

"Serious questions can be raised about both the legality and advisability of exempting your office from the rules that apply to all other executive branch officials," Waxman said in his letter to the vice president, and asked him to explain why he felt the rules didn't apply to him and his staff and how he was protecting classified information in his office.

Former Cheney aide I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby was recently convicted on several counts of perjury and obstruction of justice stemming from the leak of the identity of former covert CIA officer Valerie Plame, Waxman noted, and in 2006, former Cheney aide Leandro Aragoncillo pleaded guilty to sharing classified U.S. documents with foreign nationals. Aragoncillo also worked under former Democratic Vice President Al Gore, who complied with ISOO's requests.

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June 21, 2007 | Permalink | User Comments (363)

U.S. Issues 'Intelligence Bulletin' on ABC News Taliban Video

June 21, 2007 12:19 PM

Christopher Isham Report