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Showing posts from January 23, 2011

Nine Maoists killed in battle with Indian police

Source:  ( AFP) – 1 hour ago PATNA — Indian security forces killed nine suspected Maoist guerrillas Friday in a gunfight in eastern India during a search of the area for rebels, police said. The clash marked the latest violence in an escalating fight between security forces and the ultra-leftist rebels, who are entrenched deep in jungles across a swathe of northern and eastern India. The nine rebels were shot dead in an hour-long dawn battle in a forest in the Latehar district of the mineral-rich state of Jharkhand, where Maoists have a heavy presence. "Nine Maoists were killed by security forces near Luhur forest in Latehar," Jharkhand police chief Neyaz Ahmad told AFP by telephone. Arms and ammunition were retrieved from the battle site, said another senior Latehar policeman, Kuldeep Diwedi. Diwedi said the clash occurred during ongoing operations to comb the area for Maoists. Violence by Maoist rebels in India rose in 2010, leaving a record 1,169 people dead, the

Palamau Maoists held in Varanasi

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Source: Telegraph india OUR BUREAU     Ranchi/Lucknow, Jan. 27: Five Maoists from Jharkhand, carrying mobile phones with recordings of lectures by their leaders, were arrested from Varanasi along with a car without a number plate. Additional director-general of police Brij Lal said today that all five, in their thirties, were wanted in their home state for at least six cases of murder and arson. Apart from the SUV, five mobile phones, a diary with numbers of their comrades and Rs 17,000 in cash were seized from them. The Maoists were arrested on January 25 from the Lanka area of Varanasi. “All five were involved in attacks on police, murder, arson and were operating in Palamau and Latehar,” Lal said. They were identified as Jairam Singh of Panchmoh, Kamlesh Majhi of Marigaon (both in Palamau), Mahendra Prajapati of Nawadih and Ajit Sing

How Russia Created Its Own Islamic Terrorism Problem

Source: TIME On Yahoo The terrorist attack at the Moscow airport on Jan. 24 was horrific, murdering dozens of innocent civilians. It is probably linked to Chechnya   or the surrounding areas in the Caucasus, from which so many such attacks have emanated. Russia has been the site of the largest number of serious terrorist attacks over the past decade (excluding Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq, which are really war zones). Why? The answer to this question sheds a sorry light on Russia's counter-terrorism strategy. In fact it is a case study in how not to fight Islamic terrorism. It's now conventional wisdom that   Moscow   faces a brutal Islamic terrorist movement, bent on jihad, unwilling to compromise and determined to inflict pain on Russians almost as an end in itself. That's the view presented by Russian officials and accepted by Western leaders. Over the past decade, George W. Bush and Tony Blair reacted to terrorist incidents in Russia by quickly condemning them and des

The Moscow Attack and Airport Security | STRATFOR

Source: STRATFOR By Scott Stewart The Jan. 24   bombing at Moscow’s Domodedovo International Airport   killed 35 people and injured more than 160. The attack occurred at approximately 4:40 p.m. as passengers from several arriving international flights were leaving the airport after clearing immigration and customs. The attacker (or attackers; reports are still conflicting over whether the attack was   conducted by a man or a man and a woman together ) entered the international arrivals hall of the airport, a part of the facility that is outside the secure area and that is commonly packed with crowds of relatives and taxi and limo drivers waiting to meet travelers. Once the attacker was in the midst of the waiting crowd and exiting passengers, the improvised explosive device that he (or she) carried was detonated. It is not clear at this point whether the device was command-detonated by the attacker as a traditional suicide bomb or if the device was remotely detonated by another pers

Obama administration to replace color-coded terror alerts with new warning system

Source: Washingtonpost By   Greg Miller Washington Post Staff Writer   Thursday, January 27, 2011; 6:04 PM The Obama administration announced Thursday that it will scrap the   color-coded terror threat alert system   that was put in place after Sept. 11, 2001, and that became a symbol of the nation's anxiety after the attacks. In its place, the White House plans to introduce a new two-tiered warning system aimed at providing more specific information about emerging threats and appropriate ways to respond. The change was announced by Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano   in a speech at George Washington University. It marks the demise of one of the signature post-Sept. 11 initiatives of the George W. Bush administration. "This means that the days are numbered for the automated recordings at airports, and announcements about a   color code level   that were, too often, accompanied by little practical information," Napolitano said, according to the text of her p

Report: Book about suicide bombers found in AZ desert

Source: KOLD A book known for celebrating suicide bombers has been found in the Arizona desert, according to a report. The book was found by a Border Patrol agent working out of the Casa Grande substation, reports   FoxNews . The agent was "patrolling a route known for smuggling illegal immigrants and drugs." According to FoxNews: According to internal U.S. Customs and Border Protection documents, "The book also includes letters from suicide attackers to their families, as well as some of their last wills and testaments." Each biographical page contains "the terrorist's name, date of death, and how they died." Agents also say that the book appears to have been exposed to weather in the desert "for at least several days or weeks." "At this time, DHS does not have any credible information on terrorist groups operating along the Southwest border," a Department of Homeland Security official said in a statement. "We work clo

Swiss police: blast at Davos hotel, no injuries

AP ,   On Thursday 27 January 2011, 6:09 PM Source: Yahoo DAVOS, Switzerland: A small blast shattered two windows but caused no injuries at a hotel near where top business and political leaders are attending the World Economic Forum, Swiss police said on Thursday. The explosion happened in a storage room of the Posthotel Morosani shortly after 9 a.m. local time (0800 GMT) Thursday, regional police spokesman Thomas Hobi told. He said federal prosecutors are investigating whether the blast has a criminal origin. The hotel is just over a mile (around 2 kilometers) from the main venue of the annual gathering in the Alpine ski resort of Davos. A Forum-related lunch focusing on organized crime, called "Criminals Without Borders" was scheduled at the hotel at noon, with speakers including Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos and Robert Wainwright, the director of Europol, or European Police. There is tight security at the World Economic Forum as left-wing groups plan to hold a pr

Over 3,000 pay tribute to Moscow terror victims

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Source: Topnews Moscow, April 1 - More than 3,000 people gathered in central Moscow Wednesday to remember the victims of the suicide bomb attacks on subway stations here, an official said. Thousands of candles were lit to pay tribute to the victims of Monday's bombings. At least 39 people were killed and 95 injured in the attacks on two subway stations in Moscow. The event was held at the Stone of Solovki, a memorial to the victims of political repression, in Moscow's Lubyanka Square within walking distance of the eponymous metro station, where the first bomb attack took place. Earlier on Wednesday, President Dmitry Medvedev said terrorists will not be allowed to destabilise the country. On Wednesday, 12 more people were killed in two bombings in the North Caucasus republic of Dagestan. The blasts injured 29 people. Russia's mainly Muslim North Caucasus republics, mainly Chechnya, Dagestan and Ingushetia, have seen an upsurge of militant violence lately. Experts

2010 was the bloodiest year in red zone

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  Source: HT Armed Maoists killed nearly 1,000 people last year, making 2010 the bloodiest year in the history of the movement that began 44 years ago with a peasant uprising in the West Bengal village of Naxalbari in 1967. Maoists killed 998 people across nine states last year, almost five times the total number of lives lost in terrorist acts in Jammu & Kashmir and the Northeast. In 2009, Maoists killed 908 people and in 1971, 849 civilians and policemen were done to death. Last year, they killed 285 policemen and more than over 700 civilians, mostly impoverished tribals and villagers who had either challenged the guerrillas or were branded as police informers. The increase in violence comes in the backdrop of the first combined action by central and state security forces launched a year ago to wrest thousands of square kilometres — the bulk of India’s mineral wealth that lies beneath — from the Maoists. The presence of central paramilitary personnel in the nine Maoist-affec

5 policemen abducted by Maoists in Chhattisgarh

5 policemen abducted by Maoists in Chhattisgarh  BILASPUR: Five policemen left their camp in Chhattisgarh's Narayanpur to proceed on leave, but were abducted enroute by a group of Maoists on Tuesday morning, police said. An unidentified civilian too was taken hostage. "The policemen were travelling on a civilian passenger bus, unarmed and dressed in civilian clothes. A group of 30 Maoists stopped the bus and asked the people to disembark. Everybody was searched. It appears that the five policemen's identities were revealed and they were taken away," said Narayanpur Superintendent of Police Mayank Srivastava. He said it was not clear why the civilian too was abducted. The incident took place on an interior road strewn with isolated police and paramilitary outposts, before it meanders and fades away into the Abhujhmad forests , believed to controlled by Maoists. The policemen boarded a bus at Dhanora where their post is located. The bus was stopped

Maoists creating new Red corridor

Source: HT Maoist guerrillas are now trying to create a new Red corridor through Chhattisgarh, Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal, as they had come under "some pressure" from security forces during the past year. Intelligence inputs indicate the rebels are trying to create the corridor from the area between south Bastar and south Orissa right up to Jharkhand and West Bengal, state police chief Vishwaranjan told HT. The corridor, through dense jungles, will make it easier for the rebels to move fast and unnoticed from one state to another if they can build a strong presence among people. "They are trying to build this corridor through north Sambalpur in Orissa, Jharkhand and West Bengal," said a police officer. The Maoists' handbook, Strategies and tactics of the Indian Revolution, written in 2004, said, "We will be able to build these areas into a contiguous area of armed struggle, with each area influencing the other." But to create a corridor fo

Maoists target two schools in Jharkhand on Republic Day

Source: SIFY Maoists attacked two schools in Jharkhand's Palamu and Latehar districts on the occasion of the 62nd Republic Day on Wednesday. In Palamu, Maoists damaged a classroom and the doors of a school using bombs and wrote anti-government slogans on the walls. "We got information that there was a bomb blast in a school. When we reached here, we saw that the iron gate was blasted and 'Maoists' was written on a poster," said S. N. Sahu, the in-charge of the local police station. Sahu added that the country had struggled for independence for many years, and they would not compromise their freedom with ideologies and propaganda of the Maoists. In Latehar, Maoists hoisted a black flag on the terrace of a school and stuck a poster with anti-government slogans and threats. The school children did not hoist the national flag following the Maoist threat. "We had come all ready to hoist the national flag and as s

Trying to reassure Davos forum, Russian leader says bombings can happen anywhere

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By Kathy Lally Washington Post Staff Writer Wednesday, January 26, 2011; 6:21 PM Gallery Moscow airport blast kills 35 There was no immediate assertion of responsibility for the attack, which killed 35 people and injured 86, 40 of them critically. » LAUNCH PHOTO GALLERY MOSCOW - President Dmitry Medvedev, describing Russia as welcoming investment and global engagement, told world economic leaders Wednesday evening that this week's suicide bombing at a busy Moscow airport could have happened anywhere and suggested that his country is weary of being lectured about democracy. Medvedev, giving the keynote speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, had planned to use his remarks at the annual gathering to reassure business leaders about the wisdom of investing in Russia, despite criticisms about an arbitrary legal system and risky business climate. But Monday's attack, which killed 35 people and injured more than 100, forced him to address terrorism as

US warns Lebanon on militants in government

( AP ) – 16 hours ago WASHINGTON (AP) — The Obama administration on Monday warned Lebanon's political leaders that continuing U.S. support for their country will be difficult if the militant Hezbollah movement takes a dominant role in government. The makeup of the Lebanese government is Lebanon's decision, the State Department said. But the larger the role for Hezbollah, the "more problematic" for relations with Washington, State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley said. The United States considers Iranian-backed Hezbollah as a foreign terrorist organization and has imposed sanctions against it and its members. U.S. officials do not meet with Hezbollah members and U.S. money is not supposed to further the group's activities. Crowley's comments came as Hezbollah moved into position to control the next Lebanese government as it secured enough support in parliament to nominate the candidate for prime minister. "Our view of Hezbollah is very we

Egypt arrests 19 al-Qaida suspects bound for Iraq

Source: Charolette observer CAIRO Egyptian authorities have arrested 19 Arabs suspected of having links to al-Qaida en route to Iraq, the interior minister said Tuesday. In an interview published in Egypt's leading Al-Ahram daily, Habib el-Adly said the suspects are originally from Tunisia and Libya and were using Egypt as a transit point on their way to Iraq to join al-Qaida groups there. He said security forces also confiscated weapons, ammunition and documents related to al-Qaida. He did not say exactly when or where the arrests took place. But El-Adly said the suspects were taken into custody before Jan. 1, and stressed the men have no connection with the New Year's Day suicide bombing of a Christian Coptic church in the port city of Alexandria that killed 21 people. Egypt has blamed that attack on the al-Qaida-inspired Palestinian Army of Islam, which is based in the neighboring Gaza Strip. The minister also denied the presence in Egypt of "a

Another Act Of Terrorism?

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Explosion at the “Europe” shopping mall in Ufa. According to official figures, gas accumulation at one of its cafes caused the explosion. 2 people died, 2 people are hurt. The witnesses have much more less optimistic information. According to them, many people died, about 400 people are hurt and the reason for this accident is nothing more than another act of terrorism.

American double standard on terrorism

Source: RT Published: 25 January, 2011, 01:44 (48.2Mb) embed video US President Barack Obama has condemned the attack on Moscow’s Domodedovo airport, however a number of US groups may be openly supporting of terrorist groups in Chechnya and other regions. Investigative journalist Webster Tarpley has argued for some time that certain groups in the United States have aided and offered assistance to groups who utilize terror. US government agencies, independent groups funded by the government and advocacy organizations based in the US have openly criticized Russia for cracking down on terrorist organizations. Given the recent rise in tension between US-Russian relations via WikiLeaks, the New START debates, and corporate interests, Tarpley explained there is the possibility certain circles are connected to groups in Chechnya and other regions in Russia. US based organizations are quick to support groups fighting what is viewed as oppression. US

France a target of terrorism: Sarkozy

Source: xinhua PARIS, Jan. 24 (Xinhua) -- France is "a target of terrorism," President Nicolas Sarkozy said at a news conference on Monday at the Elysee Palace. When asked about major foreign challenges for France, Sarkozy pointed out terrorism as the first threat, but he refused to bow to the warning as in an audio recording said to be Al-Qaeda leader Bin Laden's address to France. "Every time a French man or woman is murdered by terrorism, France's determination to fight is increased," Sarkozy said. "Fear, cowardliness, non-involvement, forsaking one's duty have always led ... to disasters when you are dealing with barbarians, when you are dealing with such a violent challenge to our values. There only one possible solution: one has to be firm and brave," he stressed. Two French young men kidnapped last week in Niger were reportedly killed in an military attempt to save them. Al-Qaeda group in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) claimed r

The Myth of Homegrown Islamic Terrorism

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By Romesh Ratnesar Monday, Jan. 24, 2011 New York City Police Department Counter Terrorism Unit officers patrol in Times Square on May 5, 2010 Timothy A. Clary / AFP / Getty Images Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,2044047,00.html#ixzz1C2IpgJM0 There is a specter haunting the U.S. It is "one of the things that keeps me up at night," Attorney General Eric Holder said last month. North Carolina Representative Sue Myrick, a member of the House Intelligence Committee, has warned President Obama that "there is no doubt" the problem has become "a global threat." The incoming chairman of the House Homeland Security Committee, Peter King, plans to convene hearings next month on the danger "that th

Car bomb blast kills Mexican policeman

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AFP January 23, 2011 (2 days ago) Members of the Mexican Army guard the place where a car bomb exploded in Tula, Hidalgo state, Mexico on January 22, 2011. A policeman was killed and three others wounded Saturday when an abandoned car rigged with explosives detonated in the central state of Hidalgo, local police said. Police believe the bomb was set by the Zetas, one of Mexico’s deadliest drug cartels. The officers were responding to information sent anonymously stating that there was a body inside a car parked outside the town of Tula, some 90 km north of Mexico City. – AFP Photo PACHUCA: A policeman was killed and three others wounded Saturday when an abandoned car rigged with explosives detonated in the central state of Hidalgo, local police said. Police believe the bomb was set by the Zetas, one of Mexico’s deadliest drug cartels. The officers were responding to information sent anonymously stating that there was a body inside a car parked outside the town of Tu