In his State of the Union address, President Obama said that while “core al Qaeda” is “on a path to defeat,” threats are posed by al Qaeda affiliates and other extremists in Yemen, Somalia, Iraq, Mali, and elsewhere. He vowed that in Syria, his administration will “support the opposition that rejects the agenda of terrorist […]
UN Security Council urges end to ransom payments to extremists
Jordan’s balancing act on Syria
Bhutto son urges Pakistan military action on Taliban
An Al Nusrah Front suicide bomber killed 13 soldiers in an attack Rahjan, Hama, the ancestral home of Defense Minister al Freij. An Islamic judge for Al Nusrah, Turki al-Ashaari, was reportedly killed in Hama. A UN aid convoy to Homs stalled as the Syrian government demanded assurances that the aid did not go to […]
Sheikh Omar Atrash, a Sunni preacher who was arrested last week on suspicion of facilitating the movement of bombers and rigged cars into Lebanon for use in targeting Hezbollah, has reportedly confessed to the charges, including involvement in a double suicide bombing at a Sidon checkpoint. The Muslim Scholars Committee said the confession was likely […]
French police launch raids on controversial comic Dieudonné
The appellate trial of 20 Salafists accused of participating in the Sept. 14, 2012 attack on the US Embassy in Tunis was postponed until March 25, after only three of the accused showed up for trial. Their defense lawyer alleged that embassy staff might have been responsible for the deaths of four attackers.
Algerian authorities denied Moroccan allegations that western border guards had expelled Syrians back to Morocco; they said the Syrians had not yet entered Algerian territory. The authorities also said between 250 and 300 Syrian refugees in Tlemcen currently receive aid from Algerian charities and citizens. Last week the Foreign Ministry denied reports that Syrians had […]
Chechen leader Ramazan Kadyrov said that Caucasus Emirate leader Doku Umarov had died of wounds received during security operations two months ago in Chechnya. Kadryov also claimed to have years ago personally killed four brothers of Aslambek Vadalov, a possible contender to replace Umarov. The head of the Russian Orthodox church called for religious literacy […]
Defense Minister Le Drian said France plans to expand its military presence in Africa, with the permanent deployment of 3,000 troops to bases in Niger, Mali and Chad, and to a logistics base in Ivory Coast and a special forces base in Burkina Faso. He said the work of cracking down on extremists in Libya […]
In the first partially public hearing for Guantanamo detainees, Abd Malak Abd Wahab Rahbi, a brother-in-law and former bodyguard to Osama bin Laden, will appear before a military review board today that will consider his eligibility for release. Congress approved the sale of up to 24 Apache attack helicopters to Iraq and the lease of […]
Lack of bilateral agreement would be blow to Afghan army, NATO chief says
Philippines and Rebels Agree on Peace Accord to End Insurgency
Malala book launch halted amid ‘political and police pressure’ in Pakistan
Government troops killed 17 Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters in an offensive in Mindanao against the group, which has been trying to undermine the peace deal between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front. The clash started yesterday when authorities attempted to arrest 25 BIFF members suspected of kidnapping and murder.
Syrian Jihad: Bringing the War Back Home?
Malaysia churches pray to ‘Allah’ despite ban
The US is providing light arms, including antitank rockets, to “moderate” rebels in southern Syria. The US has also resumed the shipment of nonlethal aid, including vehicles and communications equipment, to Syrian rebels in the north, a month after shipments were suspended following the seizure of Free Syrian Army warehouses by Islamist rebels. A recent […]
In Tripoli, new fighting groups have emerged, including the Bilal Ben Rabah Brigades, the Oussoud al-Shaarani Brigades, Jalal Dandashi Brigades, and a Salafist group led by Hussam al-Sabbagh a.k.a. Abu al-Hasan, giving rise to speculation that a crackdown on Islamist groups may be imminent. The Abdullah Azzam Brigades released photos of its joint attack with […]
Libyan Revolutionaries Operation Room head Shaaban Hadia Al-Zway, who was freed in a prisoner swap for five kidnapped Egyptian diplomats, is awaiting repatriation from Egypt; authorities said he had been detained because his Egyptian residency had expired, not for al Qaeda links. A Benghazi media activist escaped an attempted car bombing. Gunmen assassinated the head […]
Tough road for Sahel security
Foreign Minister Lavrov ruled out talks with terrorists in Syria, including the Al Nusrah Front, the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham, and “other al Qaeda branches.” The Foreign Ministry called for the Guantanamo Bay detention center to be closed before the end of President Obama’s term. A UK threat assessment warned that terrorist […]
Afghanistan Exit Is Seen as Peril to Drone Mission
Abu Sayyaf al-Ansari, a Lebanon-based Sunni militant, has reportedly pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham. Security measures are being enhanced due to recent threats by Islamist groups, including the Al Nusrah Front, that they will attack targets in Lebanon, particularly those linked to Hezbollah.
At the Geneva talks, the Assad regime offered to provide “every access,” including humanitarian aid, to women and children of the besieged city of Homs so long as the rebels give them safe passage out of the city center. A UN agency complained that regime forces are not facilitating the provision of aid to the […]
The National Constituent Assembly approved the new constitution by an overwhelming majority vote. Prime Minister-designate Mehdi Jomaa announced the names for his caretaker cabinet, which will include Lotfi Ben Jeddou, an Ennahda party member who will continue as Interior Minister.
Five kidnapped Egyptian diplomats, as well as Libyan Revolutionaries Operations Room head Shaban Hadia Al-Zway, who was arrested two days ago in Alexandria on suspicion of links to al Qaeda, were reportedly freed after kidnappers holding the five diplomats gave Egypt 24 hours to release him. As a precaution, Egypt had evacuated staff from its […]
The head of the Police Officers’ Association said British nationals who travel to Syria to fight with the rebels could be arrested upon their return, and noted that already this year UK authorities have arrested 16 people on suspicion of terrorism offenses in Syria, compared to 24 arrests total in 2013. Former prime minister Tony […]
Police blamed “terrorist attacks” for the deaths of 12 people in Xinjiang. Six of them were killed by explosions at a hair salon and a vegetable stand, and the other six were shot dead by police. Among the slain terrorists was the alleged leader of an extremist bomb-making cell.