Amnesty International said Iran had escalated a crackdown on dissent in the run-up to this week’s election for parliament. Among those arrested are journalists, political activists and their relatives, religious and ethnic minorities, filmmakers, and people with connections to international media.
Tunisia said it was ready to grant asylum to President Assad. The political leadership for the Palestinian group Hamas left Syria for Egypt and Qatar. Rebels said they shot down three military helicopters. The UN said over 7,500 people have been killed during the 11-month uprising.
Guantanamo Detainees Get New $750G Soccer Field
‘SalamWorld’ to be Facebook for Muslims — but much cleaner
Muslim Brotherhood’s political party consolidates power in parliament
Boko Haram fighters killed a policeman during attacks on a bank and a police station in Bauchi. Boko Haram fighters are suspected of torching a school in Maiduguri.
A soldier and a Shabaab fighter were both killed after the terror group attacked a military checkpoint near Mandera. The town hosts a large refugee camp for Somalis fleeing the fighting across the border.
Shabaab killed nine Somali soldiers during an ambush in Lower Jubba; five Shabaab fighters were also killed. Shabaab killed five youths as they played soccer in Mogadishu.
A classic case of self-radicalizing
Afghanistan – Absenteeism rampant among Panjsher officials
Yemeni Protesters Set New Goal – Fixing the Military
US will not alter troop withdrawals despite Koran protests
Wikileaks: Pakistan army officials ‘knew of Bin Laden house’
Analysis: Somali reform rush may be militant lifeline
US, Egypt lurch into perilous limbo on NGO case
The US and NATO are discussing a proposal to cut the size of the Afghan National Security Forces. Why is this discussion happening now?
As the West plans its pullout from Afghanistan, many desperate Afghans are also looking for an exit
Western Iraqi Province Sides With Syrian Uprising
Afghan Children Ensnared in Heroin Trade With Iran
Stratfor: Osama bin Laden ‘was in routine contact with Pakistan’s spy agency’
Britain begins preparations for Afghanistan withdrawal
OBL was in contact with members of Pakistan’s spy agency: Report
Kyrgyzstan fears Iranian attack over US facilities
The Federal Protective Service said that it foiled a plot to assassinate Prime Minister Vladmir Putin after the upcoming election. Islamic Caucasus Emirate leader Doku Umarov sent three men to kill Putin, the FSO claimed. Two men are in custody.
The Taliban killed seven people in a car bombing in Nowshera and rocketed a police outpost in Peshawar. Helicopter gunships killed six Lashkar-e-Islam fighters in Khyber. An “al Qaeda hitman” may be released from prison after witnesses withdrew their testimonies.
A suicide bomber killed nine Afghans in an attack outside Jalalabad Airfield. The NDS arrested four government workers for spying for Iran and Pakistan. Police accused a female senator of being involved in a kidnapping ring. Security forces killed and captured several Taliban commanders and fighters in Kandahar, Farah, Khost, and Logar,
Thai police arrested three more Iranians over the Feb. 14 bombings in Bangkok. Another suspect, a middle-aged man from the Mideast believed to be an explosives expert, remains at large.
Iran may be struggling with new nuclear machines
Somali al Qaeda’s western reach
Syrian government forces began a massive assault on the city of Homs. The Syrian military also launched offensives against towns in the northwestern province of Idlib.