Open Source Information

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Foreign Military Studies Office Mexico, Canada,
SW Border Security Team
Open Source Information Terrorism in Mexico and
Central America 08 April 2005 CW4 T. Davidson
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FMSO

• Focus research, analysis, production on
• Asymmetric, transnational, and other emerging
  threats - Includes Info War Operations,
  Homeland Defense, Terrorism, Human, Drug and Arms
  Trafficking, Foreign Instability, Proliferation,
  and Bio Threats
• Establish Emerging Threat analysis, production,
  and data base development Centers of Excellence
  with emphasis on Open Sources to include using
  the the Open Source Information System (OSIS)
  network
• World Basic Information Library (WBIL) Joint
  Reserve Virtual Organization
• The MSWC Border Tm produces analytical,
  statistical, and graphic products from primary
  open source materials concerning emerging threats
  along the Northern and Southwestern Borders.

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Todays Purpose

• To provide an overview developed from open
  source materials of possible radical Islamic and
  terrorist activities in Mexico and Central
  America.

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CAVEAT

• The number of radical Moslems and Islamic
  organizations involved in terrorism is miniscule.
  This presentation is intended to alert
  government officials to known or suspected
  terrorist activities in Mexico and Central
  America. It is not intended to cast dispersions
  upon the Moslem population or Islamic
  organizations as a whole. Neither is it
  intended to cast dispersions upon any particular
  nation nor region.

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Human Smugglers (1)
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Human Smugglers (2)Documentation
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Terrorists Groups in Mexico (1)
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Terrorists Groups in Mexico (2)
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Islam in Guatemala
2004
There are 250 Islamic families in Guatemala.
Guatemala has two mosques. Spanish-speaking
Egyptians, Iranians, Saudis, Syrians, and
Yemenis. These missionaries are said to hold
British, French, German, Italian, and U.S
passports in Guatemala and Honduras. In
Guatemala, they appear to be concentrating their
efforts in the departments of Peten and
Huehuetenango. In the Lake Atitlan area,
Huehuetenango, just off the Pan-American Highway,
Juan Tun, an indigenous Indian, is the local
Iman. http//www.vheadline.com/printer_news.asp?i
d3241 (Islam in a Sombrero Part I)
PNC officers arrested María Angela BERDUO
Marroquín aka María B. Macpherson, 70, for
distributing false Canadian visas. Berduo
allegedly sold false travel and residence visas,
charging (USD) 1,267 1,900 for each visa.
Berduo was allegedly a member of an organization
called Mythic Maya Support Group (Grupo de
Apoyo Mítica Maya). http//www.terra.com.gt/notic
ias/nacionales/articulo/html/nac30433.htm
(Mexico Newsbriefs 2-8 October 2004)
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Al Qaeda in CA and Mexico (1)
23 August 2004
9/11 Commission Report indicates that Al Qaeda
members may have used human trafficking networks
in Latin America to travel through the region and
then to enter the U.S. CA press has published
numerous versions of this Commission statement.
http//www.laprensahn.com/nacionales.php?id1091
tablaAugust_2004fecha20040823 (Al Qaeda Uses
Human Smugglers)
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Al Qaeda in CA and Mexico (2)(Caribbean)
Terrorist Training
Honduran Minister of Public Security claims that
Al Qaeda members are actively training in an
unspecified nation in the Caribbean and that
there are Central American and Caribbean nations
providing support to the terrorists. http//tribun
a.icomstec.com/news/index.php?id43459mode2
(Al Qaeda Members Train in the Caribbean )
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Al Qaeda in CA and Mexico (3)(El Salvador)
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Al Qaeda in CA and Mexico (4)(Panama)
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Al Qaeda in CA and Mexico (5)(Adnan Gulshair
Muhammad El Shukrijuma a)
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Al Qaeda in CA and Mexico (6)(Adnan Gulshair
Muhammad El Shukrijuma b)
COMMENT Interesting coincidence that the Islamic
meetings in Guatemala and Morelos were both
postponed and that the postponements coincide
with Shukrijumas alleged travels northward.
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Middle Easterners in Costa Rica and SA
20 September 2004 Jordanians in CR
20 September 2004 Jordanian in Peru
Two Jordanians were detained in Costa Rica for
traveling with false European passports. They
had left Spain on 5 Sep 04, traveled by air to
Guatemala via Madrid and by land from Honduras
through El Salvador to Costa Rica. They were
attempting to get to Canada. http//www.aldia.co.c
r/ad_ee/2004/septiembre/20/sucesos1.html
(Jordanians Deported)
Peruvian and U.S. authoritiesbegan investigating
a human smuggling operation eight months ago.
Investigators had not yet determined whether it
was a conduit for terrorists with al-Qaida or
other extremist groups. The group trafficked in
Arabs and Middle Easterners. They falsified all
types of documentation to include visas Ismael
Asaifini Tha'Er Omran, 34,arrived in Peru from
Holland in June 2004. Three Iraqi-born, U.S.
citizens were arrested in Detroit, MI during the
operation. Ismael Asaifini Tha'Er
Omran http//www.mininter.gob.pe/article/articlevi
ew/2183/1/11/
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Islamic Organizations in Mexico

• Excel spreadsheet of some Islamic organizations
  in Mexico is provided.
• Just because an organization is Islamic does not
  make it a terrorist organization.

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Contact Information

• CW4 Thomas Davidson
• thomas.davidson_at_us.army.mil
• Tom.davidson_at_dhs.gov
• [phone]
• Mr. Kevin Freese
• kevin.m.freese_at_us.army.mil
• [phone], DSN 552-5613
• SFC Edgardo David
• edgardo.david_at_us.army.mil
• [phone], DSN 552-7623

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Questions and Comments?Why? What?When? Who?
How come? Where?