Ansar al Sharia Egypt, an al Qaeda-linked group, has called on Muslims to resist France’s intervention in Mali. In an entry on its Facebook page, the group posted an image of the Eiffel Tower being attacked and asked, “Is France unaware of who it is fighting?”
Taliban warnings that Islamic scholars should not participate in the conference appear to have effectively squelched the Afghan government’s plans for the event.
The bomber detonated close to two nearby mosques, one Shia and one Sunni, in Hangu. The attack may have been carried out by the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan, the Lashkar-e-Jhangvi, or both groups.
Afghan police killed a Taliban district chief in Ghazni. Two tribal elders in Kunar were killed after being kidnapped days ago. The US State department warned that traveling in Afghanistan remains unsafe.
Security forces killed an al Qaeda fighter and detained three more in Hit; captured 15 members of a bombmaking cell in Baghdad; and arrested two al Qaeda leaders in Mosul. Border guards arrested seven “gunmen” who attempted to enter Iraq from Syria.
‘Admitting you are a secularist can get you killed in Pakistan’
Eighteen soldiers and 48 al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters are reported to have been killed during fighting in the Maneseeh area of Baydah. Peace talks with AQAP have been suspended. The military launched an operation against AQAP in the Mojan and Wadie areas of Abyan.
Jury Finds Suspect in Oregon Bomb Plot Guilty of Terrorism
Iran increasing Syrian regime aid, Clinton warns
Iran has told the UN nuclear agency it plans to upgrade the equipment at its Natanz plant, accelerating the production of enriched uranium. Iran’s oil exports rose as it circumvented economic sanctions.
Israeli authorities announced the arrest of some 20 members of a terrorist cell affiliated with Hamas. Members of the cell, which was planning to carry out a kidnapping operation, were in contact with a Hamas member in Qatar who had been released in the Gilad Shalit exchange deal.
Iran, Israel and Their Red Lines Over Syria
Egypt’s rival factions, the secular National Salvation Front and the Islamic Muslim Brotherhood, met and pledged to counter the political violence that has killed nearly 60 people in the last week. Eighteen suspects were arrested for belonging to the ‘Black Bloc’ group.
Biden and Donilon preparing for new nuclear discussions with Russia
What we know about the Israeli air strike in Syria
Sanctioning Iran: Analyzing the Response from China, Japan and South Korea
Syrian allies Russia, Iran, and Hezbollah denounced Israel’s attack on a Syrian convoy. Syria protested to the UN and threatened to retaliate. The US warned Syria against transferring weapons to Hezbollah.
Chinese Hackers Targeted Wall Street Journal Computers
According to an article in the Washington Post earlier this week, AQIM is leading the jihadist coalition in Mali.
The reconciliation between Faqir Mohammed and Abu Bakr, the new emir in Bajaur, shows that the Movement of the Taliban in Pakistan is far from defeated and disorganized, as the Pakistani government has claimed. The Taliban’s leaders were able to convene the shura, send a delegation to Bajaur to mediate the dispute, and organize the reconciliation of the factions in the tribal agency.
NATO Secretary General’s Annual Report 2012
Jyllands-Posten journalists honoured for reporting on former PET agent
Drone Strike Lawsuit Raises Concerns on Intelligence Sharing
Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a naturalized US citizen from Somalia, was found guilty of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction at a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony in Portland, Ore. He had been arrested by undercover agents posing as al Qaeda operatives. The US Ambassador to Pakistan said the Taliban can be part of Afghanistan’s future […]
Algerian gas hostage crisis: Wired to a suicide bomber
Dembra Ould Semane, the brother of Salafist prisoners Mohamed and El Khadim Ould Semane, was arrested on terrorism charges. Security forces have stepped up monitoring of Salafists who might be joining al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and affiliated groups. The popularity of Islamist parties and AQIM is rising in the country, where 59 percent […]
France said Islamist forces are “in disarray” as some had returned home and others had made a “tactical withdrawal” to a mountainous 96,000-square mile area east of Kidal. President Traore ruled out talks with Islamist groups but is willing to negotiate with the Tuareg MNLA if it gives up territorial demands and agrees to reintegrate […]
The UN envoy warned that the conflict in Mali may spill over to Libya, and said 200,000 fighters remain in “revolutionary brigades” in Libya. More than 20,000 former revolutionary fighters are training for the police force. An estimated 15,000 to 20,000 personnel are needed to secure Benghazi. Two IEDs were thrown at an unused UN […]
IDF & ISA Uncover Hamas Terrorist Assets in Hebron
More security for Israeli diplomats in India