theSun | TUESDAY NOVEMBER 11 2008 9

news without borders

Report: Thousands of terrorists

Chinese actress Gong Li
becomes a Singaporean
SINGAPORE: Chinese
actress Gong Li (pix), the
glamorous siren who
made a successful crosso-

on the loose in Britain

LONDON: A report by the British
intelligence services has claimed that “some
could not give precise numbers of militants
involved.
Citing senior US officials, the newspaper
said the authority was contained in a
ver to Hollywood, has
become a Singaporean, a
local newspaper reported
yesterday.
Li, 43, rose to fame
as a star of lush Chinese
moves such as Red Sorghum, Raise the
thousands” of militants are active in the “Some thousands of extremists in the UK classified order signed by then-defence Red Lantern and Farewell my Concubine
country, the Sunday Telegraph has said. are committed to supporting jihadi activities, secretary Donald Rumsfeld in early 2004 with before earning wider fame in Hollywood
The document, which the paper describes either in the UK or abroad,” it said. the approval of President Bush. films such as Memoirs of a Geisha, Miami
as being drawn up by the intelligence service Last year MI5 said that there were 2,000 The order gave the military permission Vice and Hanibal Rising.
of the Ministry of Defence, the internal individuals in the country who posed a to attack Al Qaeda and other hostile targets Li, who is married to a local tobacco
security organisation MI5 and the police’s threat to national security. MI5 has recently anywhere in the world, even in countries not businessman, raised the hackles of some
Special Branch, identified the cities of doubled its staff levels and opened nine at war with the United States, without any Singaporeans in August when she failed to
London, Birmingham and Luton as particular regional offices in an attempt to deal with the additional approval, the report said. show up at a citizenship ceremony.
centres of terrorist activity. perceived terrorism threats, the paper said. Under this authority, a Navy Seal But the newspaper carried a picture
The country was a “high-priority target Meanwhile, the New York Times reported team raided a suspected Islamic militant yesterday of Li at a citizenship ceremony,
for international terrorists aligned with Al on its website late Sunday that US special compound in the Bajaur region of Pakistan swearing allegiance along with 149 other
Qaeda.” The report said Britain faces a threat forces have conducted about a dozen secret in 2006, The Times said, citing a former CIA new citizens on Tuesday. – Reuters
from British nationals, including Muslim operations against Al Qaeda and other official.
converts, British-based foreign militants and Islamic militants in Pakistan, Syria and other Another raid was conducted by US special China: No progress in
terrorists planning attacks from abroad. countries under broad war-waging authority forces in Syria last Oct 26 in cooperation with
The intelligence services called the threat given them by the administration of President the Central Intelligence Agency, the report talks with Dalai envoys
“diverse and widely distributed,” although it George W. Bush. said. – Agencies BEIJING: China said yesterday that
recent talks with envoys of Tibet’s
exiled leader, the Dalai Lama, failed
Obama victory triggers massive gun sales to make progress, stressing it would
never compromise on the status of the
WASHINGTON: Sales of guns in For the month of October, as records of gun buyers. Tony Aeschliman, spokesman for the Himalayan region.
the United States are on the rise as Obama appeared headed for vic- “Certainly the election has National Shooting Sport Foundation. “Our contacts and talks failed to
gun enthusiasts fear President-elect tory, sales of guns jumped 15%, something to do with it, certainly in “They are afraid of gun control. make progress and (the Dalai’s repre-
Barack Obama and his Democratic with about 150,000 long-guns sold October it did. As it got closer and He’s going to attempt to take that sentatives) should assume full respon-
allies in Congress will impose new for a total of US$1.18 million (RM4.2 closer and it looked more and more right away from us,” said Jimmy, sibility for it,” the Communist Party said
restrictions on firearms, reports said million) firearms purchased, accord- like an Obama victory, the sales went owner of the Republic Arms gun in a statement on talks that took place
yesterday. ing to the FBI which checks police skyrocketing in late October,” said shop in Houston, Texas. – AFP last week. – AFP