A federal judge ordered the release of Mohamedou Ould Slahi from the Guantanamo Bay detention facility. Slahi helped to recruit members of the Sept. 11, 2001, attack on the US while in Germany and is accused of involvement in other al Qaeda attacks. The US military had sought the death penalty for Slahi.
A leading Somali cleric declared that Shabaab and Hizbul Islam’s fight against the government is un-Islamic and not legitimate jihad, and the groups should negotiate a solution. The African Union called for a no-fly zone over Somalia and blocking the nation’s ports. More than 2,500 Somali military recruits are stranded in Kenya.
More than 3,600 of Diyala’s 18,000 Awakening fighters will be integrated into police forces by April 2011. Insurgents killed two policemen during an attack on a checkpoint in Baghdad. Iraqi Security Forces detained 19 wanted men in Basrah, two al Qaeda fighters in Wasit, and a “Syrian infiltrator” in Anbar.
President Saleh denied reports of a US military presence on Yemeni soil. “Some media reports are unfounded and there is no any US presence on the land of Yemen and there is no any treaty or agreement allowing US presence on our territory,” Saleh said.
The US Office of Naval Intelligence warned of a USS Cole-type attack off the coast of Yemen by al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. “Information suggests that al Qaeda remains interested in maritime attacks in the Bab-al-Mandeb Strait, Red Sea, and the Gulf of Aden along the coast of Yemen,” the ONI stated.
In Pakistan’s Swat, Taliban instill fear after defeat
Hekmatyar sent a delegation to Kabul to conduct talks with President Karzai. Forty Taliban fighters and seven police were killed in a clash in Musa Qala. Two Taliban IED cell members were killed in a premature detonation. The Taliban killed two ISAF troops.
The al Qaeda-linked leader sent a delegation to meet with the Afghan government. Conditions include an end to military operations and the withdrawal of “foreign fighters” after a NATO withdrawal.
Iraq’s Kurds lose political dominance in Kirkuk
Beijing-bound Karzai seeks China help in peace push
The grandson of former President Rafsanjani was detained for involvement in opposition protests. Secretary of State Clinton told AIPAC that the US will not “compromise on its commitment” to stop Iran from developing a nuclear bomb. Pakistan will investigate AQ Khan’s ties to Iran’s nuclear program.
Karzai holds peace talks with militants
Pakistan sees no reason to stop supporting terrorists
Pakistani tribes against Taliban
Army chief driving Pakistan™s agenda for talks
13 die in Afghanistan amid calls for peace talks with insurgents
President Sharif rejected direct military intervention from the US but welcomed logistical support. The interior minister claimed the offensive against Shabaab and Hizbul Islam would begin “soon” in Mogadishu. The family of a Canadian man who was killed while fighting alongside with Shabaab mourned his death.
A US strike in North Waziristan killed four Taliban fighters. The Taliban killed four “US spies” in North Waziristan. The military killed 28 Taliban fighters in airstrikes in Kurram and Arakzai. A Taliban commander was detained in Peshawar.
Prime Minister Maliki’s State of Law party has edged ahead of former Prime Minister Allawi’s Iraqi National Movement; 95 percent of the votes have been counted. Insurgents killed two policemen and a soldier in Baghdad, Fallujah, and Mosul. Iraqi Security Forces detained six suspected al Qaeda IED cell members in central and northern Iraq.
Family grieves for son linked to Somali terror group
Iran has been training teams of Taliban fighters in small unit tactics. A suicide bomber killed 10 civilians as they celebrated the new year in Helmand. Two more civilians were killed in a Taliban bombing in Khost. Coalition and Afghan forces killed two Taliban fighters in Zabul and captured a senior IED facilitator in Helmand
The airstrike is the fourth in the Taliban-controlled tribal area in six days. The Taliban murdered four “US spies” in North Waziristan.
Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei said US officials “talk about peace and friendship and at the same time plot and plan sedition” while supporting Iranian dissidents and protesters. British diplomats downplayed the report that Iran is providing training and EFPs to the Taliban in Afghanistan
Afghanistan – Taliban claims of Iran training dismissed by diplomats
Pakistan – N-plants to figure in talks, says Patterson
Afghanistan – Iranians train Taliban to use roadside bombs
After 10 days of fighting, the two groups have signed a peace agreement. The Pakistani military claims success in Arakzai.
Fourteen Taliban fighters and three lashkar fighters were killed in a clash in Kurram. The military killed 13 Taliban fighters in Arakzai and two more in Mohmand. Police detained two terrorists in Lahore.
Afghan bombs grow, forcing troops to adapt
Under Panetta, a more aggressive CIA