FDD's Long War Journal

Iran

US Sanctions Greek Businessman for Helping Iran Ship Oil

Arab interior ministers at a security meeting in Riyadh accused Iran of supplying “logistic help to terrorist operations” in Bahrain and Yemen. They also congratulated the security services in both countries for “dismantling cells and uncovering dangerous terror plots.”

Syria

Iran accelerated its military support for the Assad regime, alongside Russia. Britain and France pushed the EU to lift its arms embargo on Syrian rebels. They were prepared to arm the rebels even without unanimous EU support. Russia said arming the rebels would be illegal.

Afghanistan

13,000 girls deprived of education in Khost

Afghanistan

Karzai Will Bring on Govt Downfall: National Coalition

Afghanistan

US General Puts Troops on Security Alert After Karzai Remarks

Israel

Aviv Kochavi, the head of Israel’s Military Intelligence, said there are signs of a “second round of uprisings” in the Middle East. Kochavi also said that more and more jihadist organizations are sprouting up in the Sinai and Syria. With regard to the potential for a third Intifada, Kochavi said: “We estimate there’s no energy […]

Egypt

A government inquiry found that police shot most of the nearly 900 people killed in the uprising that ousted Hosni Mubarak. Three Hamas members reportedly were involved in the attack last August at an Egyptian military base that killed 16 soldiers. A Sinai checkpoint was attacked for the 38th time since February 2011. Authorities thwarted […]

Palestinian Territories

Palestinian Authority President Abbas said he wanted peace talks with Israel to resume at some point in 2013, but he warned that “the hopes are probably not very high.” Hamas said PA security forces detained 10 of their own members in the West Bank. A senior Hamas official said the group will continue its efforts […]

Israel

Obama tries new tack with Israel, appealing to wary public

IMU commander captured in Kunduz

ISAF has targeted the al Qaeda-linked Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan eight times so far this year. The captured IMU commander is from Uzbekistan.

Libya

The EU delegation in Tripoli stated its “deep concerns about the continued detention and the treatment of persons held on alleged charges of proselytism in Libya.” Reports, including video, have surfaced of Ansar al Sharia militiamen arresting and assaulting Egyptian Coptic Christians in Benghazi. An independent congressman who has spoken out against armed gangs and […]

Tunisia

The National Constituent Assembly approved the government of Prime Minister Larayedh. He vowed that the new government would “act with great firmness” against those who would try to impose their ideology on others through hate or violence.

Germany

Three suspects arrested yesterday for plotting to murder the leader of a far-right political party hold German passports and the fourth suspect is an Albanian. Raids yesterday on some 20 apartments belonging to Salafists did not result in any arrests, but laptops, cash, propaganda material, and phones were confiscated. One of the Salafist groups banned […]

France

A top French counterterrorism judge warned that some 50 to 80 French citizens are believed to have traveled to Syria for jihad, a number much higher than previously acknowledged. The jihadists’ travel is not impeded by French authorities, he said, as the French government supports the Syrian rebel side, and they can enter Turkey without […]

United Kingdom

The Labour Party suspended Pakistan-born Muslim peer Nazir Ahmed for stating that his recent prison sentence for dangerous driving was due to pressure by Jews “who own newspapers and TV channels.” As many as 10 of the UK’s most dangerous terror suspects will be “free of all constraints” early next year when the time limits […]

Al Qaeda in Iraq launches suicide assault in Baghdad

The suicide attacks in the Iraqi capital highlight the resurgence of the al Qaeda affiliate, and the risk it poses to Iraq’s shaky political structure.

Thailand

Thailand opened peace talks with several Muslim rebel groups from the country’s south. The talks come two weeks after the signing of an agreement to end a nine-year insurgency that has claimed 5,500 lives.

Iran

Iran steps up weapons lifeline to Syria’s Assad – envoys

Afghanistan

US spy agencies more pessimistic on Afghan war

Afghanistan

A suicide bomber killed 10 civilians, including the father and brother of the speaker of parliament, in an attack in Kunduz. Security forces killed five suicide bombers and captured two more in Kabul.

Iraq

Insurgents killed a politician at a mosque and a child at an election center in Mosul. Protesters in Ramadi captured a wanted al Qaeda fighter. The provincial council in Anbar postponed elections due to security concerns.