Federal investigators for the Office of Personnel Management alleged that USIS, the largest private provider of background checks for the government, repeatedly misled the government between 2008 and 2011 as to the thoroughness of the checks. The company vetted NSA leaker Edward Snowden in 2011. NSA chief Gen. Alexander said the surveillance program had disrupted […]
President Karzai described the opening of the Taliban’s office in Qatar, with US assistance, as an “anti-Afghan conspiracy.” He then called the Taliban his “brothers.” The Afghan military claimed 36 Taliban fighters were killed during operations in Ghazni and Wardak.
Iran’s nuclear energy chief, Fereydoun Abbasi-Davan, said the country’s uranium enrichment program would continue at its current pace, despite the election of Hassan Rowhani to succeed President Ahmadinejad in August. Abbasi-Dayan also said refinement work at the underground Fordow facility would not change. Israel has warned that pressure on Iran over its nuclear program must […]
Today’s suicide attack is the third in the Syrian capital this month. It is unclear if the bomber targeted Christians or a pro-Assad militia.
Syria: France’s evidence of chemical weapons use increases with 14 samples
Al Qaeda killed 11 Awakening fighters and recovery personnel in a double bombing at a checkpoint in Zangoura. A suicide bomber killed four people at a funeral in Dujail. Four more people were killed in a bombing near a soccer field in Madeen.
Rebel forces claimed to have overrun a major military outpost in Deraa. Kurdistan Workers’ Party fighters shot and killed three protesters in Amuda. The Gulf Cooperation Council nations of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, United Arab Emirates, Kuwait, Oman, and Qatar will meet next week to plan the imposition of sanctions on Hezbollah for its role in […]
Maghreb women fear regression of rights
NSA chief says agency eavesdropping helped foil 54 plots
Don’t Talk With the Taliban
Spying on Hezbollah
Pierre Borghi: How I gave the Taliban the slip
Three Palestinians were arrested in possession of a variety of weapons in a West Bank village by Israeli authorities; the three admitted they were planning a terror attack. Israeli and Palestinian officials have been conducting “secret talks” related to the potential release of numerous Palestinians arrested prior to the 1993 Oslo Accords.
Authorities are continuing operations to shut down smuggling tunnels between Gaza and Egypt. As major protests are planned for and against President Morsi in the coming days, the al Azhar institute warned that “vigilance is required to ensure we do not slide into civil war.” An American was stabbed to death while taking photos of […]
Israel deployed an Iron Dome missile defense battery to the northern city of Haifa. Authorities are worried that jihadists in the Sinai may take advantage of unrest during upcoming protests in Egypt to try to attack Israel. The outgoing commander of the Caracal Battalion warned that it is only a matter of time before jihadists […]
In Snowden playbook, Obama administration prioritized legal channels over diplomacy
Rebels in Syria Move to Show Moderation
Biden Gathers Senators For Last-Minute Syria Briefing; CIA Torture Report Nixed
Shabaab commander Hassan Dahir Aweys has not surrendered to the government and said he will not negotiate with the Somali government. Kenya troops arrested senior Somali officials in Kismayo.
Gen. Rachid Ammar, the head of the Tunisian military, abruptly resigned on June 24, citing age as the reason. He warned, however, that Tunisia was in danger of becoming another Somalia, and complained about a lack of intelligence resources during a recent operation to confront extremists in the Jebel Chaambi area. Democratic Movement Party chairman […]
At the Global Counter-Terrorism Forum, presidential advisor Kamel Rezzag Bara stressed the global implications of growing terrorist activity in the Sahel. African Union envoy Francisco Caetano Jose Madeira urged greater participation by the UN, the AU, and the European Union in addressing the problem. EU envoy Gilles De Kerchove warned that interactions between terrorists and […]
A federal grand jury filed a 30-count indictment against Boston Marathon bombing suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev, including weapon of mass destruction, bombing, firearms, carjacking, and conspiracy charges. The CIA has begun moving light weapons and possibly antitank missiles from Jordan to Syria, where they are to be given to ‘elaborately’ vetted opposition elements. The CIA is […]
Magomed Magomedov, a member of the Dagestan parliament representing the United Russia Party, was arrested for links to Islamist insurgents. A suspected insurgent was killed and four police officers were wounded in western Dagestan after two insurgents threw grenades at the officers during a special operation. The mother of Boston Marathon bombing suspects Tamerlan and […]
Insurgents killed 22 Iraqis in a series of bombings in coffee shops and cafes in Baghdad, Baqubah, and Jbela. Al Qaeda killed a three-year-old girl in an IED attack in Madeen. Iraqi soldiers killed two suicide bombers as they attempted to attack a command center in Anbar.
Ex-Pentagon general target of leak investigation, sources say
Prime Minister Netanyahu said the IAF has operated in a “number of theaters” over the past year in secret operations. A senior cabinet minister said Netanyahu is ready to compromise and withdraw from over 90% of the West Bank if security concerns are met in a deal with the Palestinian leadership. Authorities announced the arrest […]
A Muslim Brotherhood spokesman said that if the army and police fail to “properly” respond to attacks against the Brotherhood in upcoming protests, the Brotherhood will “utilize [the] right of self-defense.” Human Rights Watch charged the Muslim Brotherhood with promoting sectarian hatred.
Online jihadists have once again taken up the cause of Saleh al Qarawi, who is detained inside Saudi Arabia. Al Qarawi previously headed the Abdullah Azzam Brigades and reportedly operated from inside Iran. Earlier this month, the Brigades threatened Iran over its role in the Syrian conflict.
NSA collected US email records in bulk for more than two years under Obama
Senior Shabaab leader Hassan Dahir Aweys was reportedly captured by pirates in Barawe. Another report indicates he will surrender to government officials and reconcile. Shabaab claimed it killed “14 enemy invaders and 23 apostate militia.”