FDD's Long War Journal

Africa

At Pentagon, ‘pivot to Asia’ becomes ‘shift to Africa’

Afghanistan

Taliban group use civilians as human shields: ISAF

Afghanistan

Afghanistan’s Economy, a Victim of Politics

Egypt

Sexual violence in Egypt takes on political dimension

France

Suicide by self-immolation a rising trend in France

Libya

Libya asks: where are the binmen and police now its people are free

Afghanistan

Afghanistan peace talks: ‘The ball is now in the Taliban court’

Bulgaria expels Hamas delegation

Bulgarian authorities expelled a Hamas delegation that had arrived in Sofia on Wednesday. Hamas officials complained that Bulgaria was bowing to pressure from Israel.

Bulgaria’s Interior Minister Tsvetan Tsvetanov reiterated that Hezbollah was behind the July 2012 terror attack in Burgas. The two living suspects, now thought to be in Lebanon, “were maintaining part of Hezbollah’s structures in Canada and Australia and had contacts with other representatives” of the terror group, Tsvetanov said.

European Union

Iran could use U.N. talks as cover to build bomb, Ban Ki-moon says

Dubai

Exclusive: Turkey to Iran gold trade wiped out by new U.S. sanction

Algeria

US and Algerian officials met in Algiers and agreed to cooperate in preventing terrorists from acquiring nuclear materials and illicit weapons. The officials are concerned that nuclear stocks from the Gaddafi regime are “within the reach of armed Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb groups.”

United States

The Treasury Department designated Yahya Abu Al-Hamman, who heads the Sahel wing of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, as a global terrorist. President Obama issued an Executive Order promoting information-sharing on cyberthreats between government and key infrastructure companies; 198 attacks on critical US infrastructure systems were reported last year.

Canada

A recently disclosed intelligence report from March 2011 concluded that Islamist extremists in Canada came from a variety of backgrounds and that they tended to be well integrated into Canadian society, well educated, and highly religious. It also found few instances of “self-radicalization” among Canadian Islamist extremists. As of Feb. 8, 2011, 18 of the […]

Al Qaeda in Mali sought to hide foreign designs

Abdelmalek Droukdel, the emir of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, told his fighters in northern Mali to mask their operations and involvement in the global jihad, and “pretend to be a ‘domestic’ movement” so as not to draw international attention and intervention.

Pakistan

A suicide bomber killed seven people in an attack on a police station in Bannu. Upwards of six members of a Taliban suicide assault team were killed in a separate attack on a police station in Bannu. The Taliban killed nine people in two bombings in Arakzai. Two Taliban commanders were gunned down in Khyber.

Iraq

Insurgents killed an Awakening member in an IED attack in Baghdad province and bombed five communications towers in Mosul. The military launched a multi-brigade offensive against al Qaeda in Anbar province. Demonstrators in Anbar flew anti-al Qaeda banners.

Yemen

A Yemeni journalist linked to al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula claimed that the group would soon announce the death of Sheikh Adel al Abab in a drone strike. Security forces detained three AQAP fighters in Abyan province.

Hamas

‘Hamas 3’ convicted after Red Cross office sit-in

Hezbollah

Shateri: Iran’s Regional Point Man

United States

General Lloyd Austin, nominated to lead the Central Command, urged that the Afghan military be kept at its peak strength of 352,000 troops, rather than the much lower number currently planned, in order to ward off the Taliban. Retiring Defense Secretary Panetta announced the creation of the Distinguished Warfare Medal to recognize the contributions of […]

Somalia

Shabaab claimed it executed a captive Kenyan soldier, and gave 72 hours for the release of Islamists in Kenyan custody. Shabaab also claimed it killed 17 Puntland security personnel in the Golis Mountains.

Malaysia

Over 100 armed Filipino militants arrived by speedboat in Borneo, demanding recognition as members of the “Sultanate of Sulu” and an assurance they would not be returned to the Philippines. Security forces are seeking to persuade them to leave peacefully.

Indonesia

Attackers threw petrol bombs at three churches on Sulawesi; two other churches were bombed several days ago. A minister in Java was jailed for holding Christian services. Authorities in Bekasi city near Jakarta banned all activities of the Ahmadiyah sect.

France

In Mali town, counter-insurgency task ties down French

Bangladesh

Massive protests continued for a ninth day in Dakha against the influence of Islamists, including the Jamaat-e-Islami. The protests began when a JI leader convicted of war crimes was not sentenced to death. Shibir, the JI’s student wing, staged counter-riots.

Mali

Timbuktu after the Liberation: Malians Fear Return of Islamists

Iran

A general in the Iranian Revolutionary Guards was assassinated while traveling in Syria. Iran attempted to acquire 100,000 specialized magnets used in uranium enrichment machines, indicating it planned to accelerate its nuclear program. Iran denied having supplied arms to Islamist militants in Somalia.

Bahrain

Protesters demonstrated on the second anniversary of an uprising that demanded democratic reforms. One teenager was killed and dozens wounded as police fired tear gas and protesters threw firebombs.