US Analyzing Purported Bin Laden Video

Image taken from a banner advertisement featured on an Islamic militant Web site where al-Qaida's media arm, Al-Sahab, frequently posts messages, 06 Sep 2007

U.S. officials say the United States has obtained a new video said to be of al-Qaida chief Osama bin Laden.

The government is now analyzing that recording.

A posting on an Islamist Web site late Thursday said al-Qaida intends to release the video to mark the sixth anniversary of the September 11 attacks on the United States.

The announcement in the name of al-Qaida's media production arm, Al-Sahab, included a photograph of the fugitive terrorist leader, who has not appeared in a video message since late 2004. The last audio message attributed to him was released more than a year ago.

A White House spokesman, Gordon Johndroe, said that six years after the attacks, this week's terror suspect arrests in Germany and Denmark and the battles against al-Qaida in Iraq and Afghanistan are reminders of the continuing threats from extremists.

Bin Laden and his deputy, Ayman al-Zawahiri, are believed to be hiding in the border area between Afghanistan and Pakistan. The United States is offering a $25 million reward for bin Laden.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.

3rd Flickr meetup

3rd Flickr meetup
Originally uploaded by maapu

These are the ones that made it to the 4:30 boat on the 31st friday o8/07
almost the same amount of ppl later joined the BBQ at the hulhumale' beach.

The UM has succusfully held their 3rd flickr meetup and It was a BLAST
it was a nice experience and a great oppotunity to meet with so many flickr friends at one place... above all it was a pleasure meeting all the new comers to the group.
This wouldn't had been so succesful without the efforts put in to making this possible by everyone...

chaos of creative minds..

chaos of creative minds..
Originally uploaded by mshahdy

Flickr 3rd Meet up held on Hulhumale'

Flickr

This is a test post from , a fancy photo sharing thing.

TIMESNOW.tv - Latest Breaking News, Big News Stories, News Videos -

Even as security agencies pin the Hyderabad terror attack on the Bangladesh based militant outfit HUJI, links to Maldives also emerge.

Security agencies have confirmed the involvement of Bangladesh based militant outfit Huji in the bomb blasts that rocked Hyderabad on Saturday (Aug 25). And now it is now also being suggested that there is evidence of a Maldives link to the terror threat to India. TIMES NOW gives an report.

Investigation into the twin balsts that shook Hyderabad on Saturday continues. The suspect now narrowed down to the HUJI and its Karachi based commander Abdul Sahil Mohammed.

Reports suggest, Mohammad had left several internet-chat messages for his Hyderabad operatives asking them to go ahead with the plans authorised by him.

The involvement of the HUJI points the terror link to Bangladesh. A country going through extreme politcal turmoil Bangladesh is become a haven for terrorists. The HUJI which was established here in 1992 with assistance from Osama Bin Laden has several camps here, some backed by the ISI.

For India, the growth of terrorism in Bangladesh has been worrying as the porus border with India's north-east offers easy access to militant groups. Recent evidence also showed the HUJI using Madrasas in the area to recruit activists.

As the political insability in Bangladesh grows, the Indian government is watching the situation closely. The Indian government also wants to develop a mechanism with Bangladesh to discuss an anti-terror mechanism.

With the military regime in Bangladesh also cracking down on hardline Islamic parties, the militant groups have started to look for alternative routes into India. One such route is via the Maldives. Militant groups are using routes from Pakistan and Bangladesh via Male in Maldives, primarily to target South Indian cities.

In Maldives, political instability has brought trouble. Abdul Gayoom has been President for 29 years, partially aided by India that helped him fight a coup in 1998. But as his pouplaity drops, Islamic parties have risen. The main opposition group is also said to have several hardline elements in it. Reports suggest Maldives is like Bali where Islamic terror has found a foothold.

For India, which is fighting terror on several fronts, threats presented from Bangladesh and Maldives add to its worries. India has successfully evolved a joint terror mechanism with Pakistan but will need to work on simmilar lines to respond to this threat...TIMES NOW
TIMESNOW.tv - Latest Breaking News, Big News Stories, News Videos -

Fruit bat's fruits only

Fruit bat's fruits only
Originally uploaded by i b u

Banyan Tree Fruits , Bats favorite fruit around the Maldives
Bats have inhabited the Earth for about the last 50 million years. The earliest fossils of the species found bare a remarkable resemblance to the bats of today. The ancestry of bats is thought to be similar to that of primates. This is highly attributed to their offsprings' dependence upon nurturing and nursing which is accomplished through a pair of pectoral breasts. These were the factors which led Linnaeus, the father of modern taxonomy, to link the two species.