CIA
CIA’s Global Response Staff emerging from shadows after incidents in Libya and Pakistan
Monthly Archives: December 2012
Pakistan
Only son of Pakistan’s murdered Bhutto launches political career
Jihadist identifies 2 AQAP fighters killed in recent drone strike
“Two mujahideen brothers Abdullah Bawazir and Nabil al Kaldi” were killed in the Dec. 24 drone strike in Hadramout province.
United States
The Pentagon has proposed selling four Northrop Grumman RQ-4 “Global Hawk” drones with enhanced surveillance capabilities to South Korea. Seoul, which has grown increasingly wary of North Korea’s military buildup, has wanted the systems since at least 2008.
Iran
Iranian power plants and industrial sites were hit by cyberattacks. Iran suggested that the attacks came from the US and Israel. Iran began a series of naval exercises.
Gulf States
At a summit in Bahrain, Saudi Arabia and the five other Gulf States — Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, and the United Arab Emirates — accused Iran of meddling in their internal affairs. Iran rejected the accusation. The Gulf States agreed to unify their military commands.
United Arab Emirates
Security forces arrested several UAE and Saudi nationals who are members of a “deviant group,” a term commonly used to describe al Qaeda. The cell was plotting to conduct attacks in the UAE and Saudi Arabia.
Egypt
Egypt’s election committee announced that the referendum had approved a new constitution. President Morsi signed the constitution into law. A Freedom and Justice Party official said a cabinet reshuffle is likely.
Afghanistan
Hard feelings on both sides as US winds down its Afghan role
Al Qaeda
US drone strategy in Yemen is fraught with peril
Syria
After setbacks to the Assad regime, refugees in Jordan began returning to Syria join the rebellion. A senior general in charge of Syria’s military police defected to the rebels. Fighting over a military base on the Damascus-to-Aleppo highway intensified as rebels attempted to cut off government forces in the north.
Al Qaeda
Al-Qaeda group: France endangers hostages by intervening in Mali
Iraq
Northern Kurdish Region Stops Oil Exports Through Baghdad
Iran
Tehran Denies Russian Women Get ‘Hijab Payment’
Somalia
Somali security forces retreated from Bulo-Gudud after Shabaab fighters returned in force. Nine Shabaab suspects were detained in Jowhar. The interior minister gave Shabaab fighters 100 days to surrender.
Libya
The former head of the National Transitional Council accused “Libyan Islamists” of both the attack on the US consulate in Benghazi and the assassination of rebel commander General Abdulfatah Younis. The Interior Ministry announced a plan to dismantle and disarm Libyan militia groups, and said judges are investigating recent attacks on Benghazi security officials.
Egypt
Egypt opposition faces reality of rising Islamist power
Philippines
Abu Sayyaf released a short video showing an Australian man kidnapped from his home in Ipil town in Zamboanga Sibugay 54 weeks ago. The captive pleads for release but says he does not trust Abu Sayyaf or the Australian government. He is thought to have been taken by Abu Sayyaf to Basilan.
Taliban suicide bomber attacks US base in Khost
An Afghan policeman and two civilians were killed in a blast outside of Forward Operating Base Chapman, which is known to host CIA operations.
Afghanistan
Three Afghans dead in new blast at US base in Afghan east
Boko Haram attacks 2 churches in northern Nigeria, kills 12
Boko Haram fighters unleashed a series of attacks across northern Nigeria on Christmas Eve, killing at least 12 Christian worshipers and burning down two churches. Separately, Nigerian security forces killed 14 suspected Boko Haram members in northern Nigeria.
Pakistan
Unidentified gunmen shot and wounded Auranzeb Farooqi, a prominent Sunni cleric and leader of the Ahle Sunnat-Wal-Jamaat party, in Karachi. Pakistani militants shot dead two Afghan policemen who were traveling to Quetta via Chaman. The policemen were accompanying a sick female companion to a medical facility in Quetta when they were abducted and murdered; the […]
Yemen
Yemeni tribesmen are demanding a ransom in exchange for the release of a Finnish couple and an Austrian man abducted three days ago. Six militants and two soldiers died in clashes near a damaged oil pipeline east of Sanaa, and unidentified gunmen assassinated Brigadier Fadel Mohammed Ali in Sanaa. In a separate attack, gunmen assassinated […]
Afghanistan
Afghans seek policewoman’s motive for killing US contractor
Somalia
A group of Shabaab fighters surrendered to Somali officials in the Bay region. Fighting between Somali forces and Shabaab had raged in the region a day earlier. Somali forces have erected a controversial checkpoint at Bar Ismail near the Afgoye district in lower Shabelle.
Philippines
Filipino military and police elements arrested suspected communist rebel leader Filemon Mendrez, also known as “Tatay” and “Edon,” in Negros Oriental. Mendrez was a commander of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) in Negros and had a P5.25 million ($127,294) bounty on his head. Abu Sayyaf members freed a public school teacher whom they […]
Afghanistan
An Afghan policeman killed five of his fellow officers in Jawzjan before joining the Taliban. A female police officer killed a US civilian adviser inside the Interior Ministry. The Taliban killed three civilians in Farah.
United States
Potential Pentagon nominee brings all sides out swinging
Yemen
US drones killed six al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters, including a Jordanian, in a pair of strikes in Baydah and Hadramout provinces. One of the Yemenis escaped from prison two years ago.
Al Qaeda
Tunisia foils al-Qaeda expansion plan