Monthly Archives: August 2013

Egypt

Army chief el Sisi called on the US to do more to have the Muslim Brotherhood end their protests. An army source said 60 militants have been killed in recent operations in the Sinai, including 30 Palestinians. Another source claimed that a “majority” of the militants in the Sinai have been arrested by authorities. An […]


NSA

US grand jury probing contractor that vetted Snowden







Syria

Several rebel groups, including the al Qaeda-linked Al Nusrah Front, seized a weapons depot near Damascus. The Syrian National Coalition urged warring Kurds and jihadists in Hasakah province to “exercise restraint.” A member of the Salafist Hizb Ut-Tahrir claimed that two Lebanese brothers were killed, one as a suicide bomber, during an offensive by the […]



Iran

Hassan Rouhani, a cleric and former nuclear negotiator for Iran, officially replaced Mahmoud Ahmadinejad as president. Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei has endorsed the election of Rouhani, who was an Islamic activist prior to the 1979 revolution. Two days before his inauguration, Rouhani reportedly said that Israel “is a wound … on the body of […]




Tunisia

A fake bomb placed near a colonel’s home in Tunis today was accompanied by a letter, purportedly from al Qaeda, demanding the army halt its antiterrorist operation in the Jebel Chaambi area. In separate incidents, one suspected Islamist militant was killed and another was injured and captured, when bombs they were making detonated prematurely. Protesters […]


France

President Holland said France has been “informed directly and indirectly of threats concerning our installations overseas and even our nationals, threats coming from al-Qaida.” The French embassy in Yemen will close for several days. INTERPOL issued a global security alert noting prison escapes last month in nine countries, including Iraq, Libya, and Pakistan, alleging al […]



United Kingdom

Due to security concerns, Britain plans to close its embassy in Yemen on Aug. 4 and Aug. 5, and has issued a travel advisory to British nationals in Yemen. British embassies in Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Iraq will remain open, but the Foreign Office advised staff to “exercise extra […]


United States

The State Department issued a global travel alert for US citizens, based on indications recently received of an al Qaeda threat. The alert warned that the terrorist group or its allies may attack public or private American interests, and may target tourist spots or public transportation systems. The Senate confirmed Gen. Martin Dempsey as head […]


Afghanistan

Afghan officials claimed that 76 Taliban fighters, 22 policemen, and seven civilians were killed during two days of fighting in Nangarhar province; the Taliban claimed 84 policemen were killed. The Taliban killed a senior Afghan Army officer in Logar, three soldiers in Badghis, a policeman and two civilians in Faryab, and seven civilians in Kandahar.


Iraq

Al Qaeda in Iraq killed five soldiers and two police officers in three attacks in Kirkuk and Mosul, and an Awakening leader in Fallujah. Security forces killed two suicide bombers in Mosul.



Syria

The UN has begun investigating allegations that rebel forces executed Syrian soldiers after capturing them in Khan al-Assal; the Al Nusrah Front participated in battle there. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights called for the release of Father Paolo Dall’Oglio, who is being held by the Islamic State of Iraq in the Levant; the priest […]


Russia

Dagestan blamed Islamic extremists for the murder of a rabbi in Derbent on July 25; authorities also found 100 pounds of explosives belonging to extremists. A Caucasus Emirate fighter in Syria appealed to jihadists to stay in Russia to fight. Dagestani authorities claimed that 200 Dagestani fighters have gone to Syria; Russian authorities said 100 […]


Egypt

Gaza’s Hamas worries as Egypt turns cold shoulder



Egypt

Supporters of former president Mohammed Morsi called on Egyptians to take to the streets of Cairo and protest outside the headquarters of the army and police. Security personnel fired tear gas at Morsi supporters who reportedly blocked traffic in Cairo. Egyptian police plan to block access rather than disperse a Muslim Brotherhood sit-in in Cairo. […]


Iran

Ayatollah Takes to Twitter, Whiny Anti-Semitic Paranoia Ensues


US closes diplomatic facilities in response to al Qaeda threat

The State Department said 21 US embassies and consulates will be closed on Sunday, Aug. 4, in response to a suspected threat from an al Qaeda affiliate. No specific details about the threat have been provided. Al Qaeda-linked jihadists assaulted multiple diplomatic facilities in September 2012.


Tunisia

The Tunisian military said it launched a “huge operation” from Kasserine against al Qaeda-linked militants in the Jebel Chaambi area, and claimed the terrorist group is surrounded. Algeria said it would support but not intervene in Tunisian territory against the group, which is said to be heavily armed and to include Libyans, Tunisians, and Algerians. […]


Libya

Unknown attackers bombed the Ras Abeda police station in Benghazi again, wounding five people. A dispute broke out between the Interior Ministry and Benghazi security forces over the lack of security in Benghazi, including the fact that the city’s eastern and western gates were unguarded after a mass jailbreak last week. The oil minister rejected […]