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Showing posts from May 3, 2015

Al Jazeera’s Pakistan bureau chief an al-Qaida man, US says

WASHINGTON: The US has labelled a journalist, who interviewed Osama bin Laden and for years managed Al Jazeera's bureau in Pakistan, as a member of al-Qaida and put him on a terrorist list, according to a media report.   Ahmad Muaffaq Zaidan, Al Jazeera's longtime Islamabad bureau chief, has been singled out as a member of the terrorist group in the new document detailing US intelligence efforts to track al-Qaida couriers by analysing metadata, reported online news site Intercept.  Zaidan, a Syrian national, has focused his reporting throughout his career on the Taliban and al-Qaida, and has conducted many high-profile interviews with al-Qaida leaders, including Osama bin Laden.  The document obtained by the news site through former NSA whistleblower Edward Snowden show that Zaidan was the subject of US surveillance as recently as June 2012.  "A slide dated June 2012 from a National Security Agency PowerPoint presentation bears his photo, name, and a terror watch list iden

Colombian leader slams rebels over soldier's severed leg

Mexico City (AFP) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos ordered his government on Friday to step up an offensive against the leftist ELN guerrilla movement after the rebels showed off a soldier's severed leg. Santos expressed disgust at reports that the National Liberation Army had placed an anti-personnel mine in a children's park in northwestern Colombia and that the explosion blew off both of the soldier's legs. Speaking during a visit to Mexico, Santos said placing mines "is already a savage act" but "showing a leg like a trophy next to a college, that's a barbaric act that borders on madness." He said he ordered the armed forces "to intensify (the offensive) against the ELN" and "redouble efforts against this criminal organization." While the government has held peace talks with the country's biggest rebel group, the FARC, since 2012, it has not launched any dialogue with the ELN. Despite his tough talk Santos reiterat

police arrest teen accused of plotting to detonate bombs

Police arrested a 17-year-old and accused him of plotting to detonate three homemade bombs in the Australian city of Melbourne, officials said on Saturday, in the latest terrorism scare involving a teenager. The teen was arrested on Friday afternoon in a joint federal-state police counterterrorism operation at his home in the upmarket suburb of Greenvale where the explosive devices were found, Australian Federal Police Deputy Commissioner Mike Phelan said. The state police bomb squad rendered the devices safe, he said. Melbourne is Australia's second largest city and is the capital of Victoria state. Last month, five Australian teenagers were arrested on suspicion of plotting an Islamic State in Iraq and Syria group-inspired attack at a Veterans' Day ceremony also in Melbourne that included targeting police officers. Source  http://www.cbc.ca/m/news/world/australian-police-arrest-teen-accused-of-plotting-to-detonate-bombs-1.3067706

Prison break in Iraq leads to death of 50 inmates, 12 policemen

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Iraqi security officials   File Photo The death toll from a prison break in  Iraq  climbed to 50 inmates and 12 police on Saturday, prison and police officials said.  The deaths occurred inside  Al-Khalis  prison northeast of Baghdad during a riot and on a manhunt for escaped convicts overnight, they said. Dozens of inmates escaped from a prison holding 300 people charged with acts of terrorism, a security official and a police source said on Saturday. It was not clear if any high-profile  prisoners  were held in the prison or if any had escaped from the facility in Al-Khalis, about 80 km (50 miles) northeast of Baghdad, Diyala Province's security committee leader, Seyyid Sadiq al-Husseini, said. "The inmates started fighting among themselves which drew the attention of the police guards who went to break up the fight," the police source, who asked not to be named, said. "Then the prisoners attacked them, stripped them of their weapons and started a riot while also m

Macabre drama of death will end: PM Modi on Maoist violence

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On a short visit here, Modi initiated welfare schemes worth Rs 24,000 crore for the Maoist hotbed of Bastar which include setting up Ultra Mega Steel Plant, a railway line, and slurry pipeline. Posted at: May 9 2015 2:31PM The first Prime Minister to visit this Maoist hotbed in three decades, Narendra Modi today asked Naxals to abjure gun and allow peace so that the macabre drama of death will end to pave the way for development. On a short visit here, Modi initiated welfare schemes worth Rs 24,000 crore for the Maoist hotbed of Bastar region which include setting up Ultra Mega Steel Plant, a railway line, slurry pipeline and pellet plant. "Only plough on the shoulders and not guns can bring development. And this will bring everyone to the mainstream of the country. There is no future for violence. The future is only of peaceful means. "The birth place of Naxal movement Naxalbari has already given up this violent means. Don't get disheartened. The macabre drama of death w

Manipur Militant carrying reward of Rs.2 lakh killed : India

A militant of Manipur-based Hmar People’s Convention (Democrats), carrying a reward of Rs.2 lakh, was killed near Tiaulian hamlet in Manipur in an encounter with the Mizoram police personnel on Friday morning, a senior police officer said. Deputy Inspector General of Police (Armed) Lalbiakzama said that the body of Malsawmkima, the HPC (D) militant was being brought to the Mizoram-Manipur border Sakawrdai village. “Malsawmkima, former Mizoram Armed Police (MAP) personnel, deserted on the night of June 11 last year from Sakawrdai police outpost and decamped with one AK-47 assault rifle, one INSAS rifle and several rounds of ammunition,” Lalbiakzama said. The deserted cop then joined the HPC (D) and became self-styled sergeant. He was among the HPC (D) militants who ambushed the State Assembly committee on government assurances team on March 28 last and gunned down three policemen, near Mizoram-Manipur-Assam border Zokhawthiang hamlet. The State government later placed a reward of Rs.2 l

Suspected rebels kill one in Manipur: India

IMPHAL: Amid hectic canvassing for the June 1 Autonomous District Council (ADC) polls in Manipur, suspected militants kidnapped and killed a man in remote Tamenglong district, police said on Friday. The victim, Sajohn (30), hailing from the Zeliangrong Naga-dominated district, would campaign in the Haochong area for a Congress candidate. He was kidnapped by unidentified armed men on Wednesday evening, local sources said, and his bullet-riddled body was found at a spot between Ijeirong and Haochong, under Tamenglong PS, on Thursday. His motorcycle was burnt by the suspected militants. An autopsy was conducted on his body at the Imphal-based Jawaharlal Nehru Institute of Medical Sciences on Friday, police said. No group has claimed responsibility for the incident yet. Political parties have stepped up canvassing for the election to the six hill district councils of Ukhrul, Tamenglong, Chandel, Churachandpur, Senapati and Sadar Hills. Leaders of the ruling Congress have been harping on th

Ukraine Rebel Leader Alexander Zakharchenko Says has released 2 US Aid Workers

Donetsk, Ukraine:  Ukraine's pro-Russian rebel leader Alexander Zakharchenko said Saturday that insurgents had released two US aid workers detained for alleged spying. "We have freed two Americans that we arrested earlier. One of the two is a CIA agent, the other was enlisted," Zakharchenko told journalists, without giving any more details. The two men are believed to have been working for the International Rescue Committee (IRC) NGO in war-torn east Ukraine. IRC head David Miliband released a statement saying that two of the organisation's workers who had been detained by the rebels some 10 days ago were now in a safe location, the BBC reported. "Every day, the world's humanitarian workers show great courage, taking risks help the most vulnerable in crisis situations. They should never be targeted," Miliband said in the statement. Over 30 IRC workers were reportedly detained after separatists raided their offices in Donetsk. At the end of April several

Al-Shebab Militants Kill Somali Lawmaker

Mogadishu:  Islamic militants have claimed responsibility for the assassination of a member of parliament on Friday in the semi-autonomous northern Somalia state of Puntland. Lawmaker Said Hussein Nur was shot dead as he left a mosque after evening prayers. "The Mujahedeen fighters got rid of an apostate member in the Puntland parliament in northern Galkayo," said a statement from Al-Shebab, Somalia's Al-Qaeda aligned militants. "Such attacks will continue", said the statement, posted on a Shebab website. Puntland's vice president, Abdihakin Abdulahi Haji, confirmed the attack. "A member of the Puntland parliament was assassinated in Galkayo and even though we do not have details about the ongoing investigations, we suspect that the violent elements are responsible for the killing," Haji told reporters, referring to the Shebab. Witnesses in northern Galkayo town described the attack by heavily armed gunmen outside a mosque on Friday evening. "

7 Injured in Grenade Attack in Shopian District of South Kashmir

Srinagar:  At least seven civilians were injured today in a grenade attack by militants in Shopian district of south Kashmir, police said. The ultras hurled a grenade at a police party in main town market of Shopian, 52 kms from Srinagar. The grenade missed the intended target and exploded in a crowded place, resulting in injuries to seven persons, a police official said. The injured have been rushed to a local hospital. Source  http://m.ndtv.com/india-news/4-injured-in-grenande-attack-in-shopian-district-of-south-kashmir-761742

Over 200 People Taken Hostage by Maoists Ahead of PM Modi's Visit in Dantewada

Raipur:  Over 200 people were taken hostage by Maoists ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit in Chhattisgarh's Dantewada on Saturday. The incident took place near Jiram valley - around 60 km from the site where the Prime Minister addressed a public meeting. This was where in 2013, Maoists had massacred a convoy of Congress leaders. Last night, around 11 pm, a group of Maoists came to Marenga village. They rounded up the villagers - barring senior citizens, women and children -- and took them away, said the Station House Officer of Tongpal, Avinash. The abduction was also meant to stop development work in the area, he said. The villagers were working as labourers for the construction of a bridge nearby. They had also skipped several meetings the Maoists had called in the area.    Confirming the situation, Chief Minister Raman Singh said, "The local authorities are working on the issue as of now". Later, during his address at the meeting, PM Modi exhorted the Ma

Terrorism, radicalization main threats to Canadian security: spy agency

OTTAWA – The risk of Canadians becoming radicalized into extremism is a legitimate and significant concern, the country’s spy agency said Friday. In its 2013-14 public report, the Canadian Security Intelligence Service said terrorism remains the most persistent threat to national security. READ MORE:  CSIS sets up international secret-swapping forum on ‘terrorist  The agency also said espionage against Canadian economic, political and military interests is a worry. Michael Coulombe, director of CSIS, has often stressed the terror threat in speeches and appearances before parliamentary committees. He didn’t soft-pedal it in his portion of the report. “There are violent people and violent groups that want to kill Canadians,” Coulombe wrote. “It’s a sobering observation to make and there is no euphemistic way of making it.” The report worried that Canadians who become radicalized and travel abroad to fight alongside extremists could become serious threats if they return home battle-harden

Egypt's military will defeat terrorism

The last couple of years have seriously challenged the stagnant political order of the Middle East. We have all witnessed the enormous political transformations across the region, with the drastic consequences on the entire global community. The Middle East is in a state of chaos with ongoing civil wars, collapse of Arab states, and the spread of terrorism. Amid all the regional havoc, the Egyptian military has been at the forefront in its fight against the sweeping wave of heinous violence and acts of terrorism. This situation leaves two theoretical scenarios, either the terrorist or the Egyptian military will emerge victorious. The latter being the only acceptable and certain outcome: Egypt’s military will defeat terrorism.  However, the fight and elimination of terrorism in Egypt with the ever-growing global terrorist networks will be challenging, it may take time, and cannot be achieved alone by the Egyptian military. This is why the two recent initiatives by President Abdel Fatah 

Fighting terrorism vs. protecting privacy: USA Patriot Act divides GOP presidential candidates

WASHINGTON –   Republican senators eyeing the presidency split over the renewal of the USA Patriot Act surveillance law, with civil libertarians at odds with traditional defense hawks who back tough spying powers in the fight against terrorism. The political divide will be on stark display this month as Congress debates reauthorization of the post-Sept. 11 law ahead of a June 1 deadline. The broader question of privacy rights has gained attention since a former National Security Agency systems administrator, Edward Snowden, disclosed in 2013 that the NSA had been collecting and storing data on nearly every American's phone calls for years. ADVERTISEMENT On one side, Sens. Marco Rubio of Florida and Lindsey Graham of South Carolina want Congress to permanently reauthorize parts of the law, giving the NSA much of its surveillance authority. If there were another attack, "the first question out of everyone's mouth is going to be, 'why didn't we know about it?'&quo

Terrorism threats raise security level at U.S. military bases

WASHINGTON (CNN) — The Department of Defense raised the level of security conditions at U.S. military bases Thursday night, May 7, 2015, to “Bravo” because of the growing concern of terrorist threats in the United States. But what does the Bravo level specifically mean? The Force Protection Condition, or FPCON, is a five-tier threat level system that is overseen and decided by the Department of Defense. It has various levels that show security concern in the country. According to the list, the antiterrorism program “provides guidance and establishes standards for implementing the levels” in the Department of Defense. Local commanders decide which level is appropriate. A U.S. Air Force document describes Bravo as when “an increased and more predictable terrorist threat activity exists.” The level means there is information that suggests probable violence in the United States, and there must be extra precaution to deter terrorist planning. The level means there is information that sugges

cheerleaders and the freelancers: the new actors in international terrorism

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Story highlights (CNN) They are the freelancers of terrorism: young men -- and some women -- who feel alienated from the Western societies in which they live, hold extremist religious views and embrace violence. They become immersed in social media, searching out opinions that echo their own. Now they can find such opinions with one click and interact with jihadis in combat thousands of miles away. On Twitter, Facebook and other social media, they are encouraged or prodded toward joining the cause with their own act of jihad. The vast majority will eschew that final step. Elton Simpson and Nadir Soofi in Garland, Texas, did not. They are the latest examples of a growing phenomenon that al Qaeda affiliates, and especially the  Islamic State in Iraq and Syria , or ISIS, have encouraged through prolific use of social media and more traditional forms of "outreach" such as video and audio messages: "do-it-yourself" acts of terror. Texas gunman linked himself to ISIS in t

Teenager charged with terrorism offences over alleged Melbourne plot

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 | theage.com.au A tip-off to the National Security Hotline was responsible for sparking an anti-terrorism raid that led to Friday's arrest of a 17-year-old Melbourne boy, who is suspected of planning an "imminent" bombing attack. The teenager, who cannot be named because of his age, has been charged with two terrorism-related offences after his family's home in the northern suburb of Greenvale was raided by Victorian and federal police on Friday afternoon. The Melbourne Joint Counter Terrorism Team uncovered three suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at the Greenvale property, which were later destroyed through controlled detonations by the bomb squad. Advertisement Police outside the property in Greenvale on Friday night. Photo: Eddie Jim Police have refused to disclose the intended target or date of the attack, saying only that "some Victorians are going to be alive" because of the security operation. Authorities also said there was no evidence o

Topless Femen Protesters “Salute” Marine Le Pen for Her Fascist Politics

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“Heil Le Pen!” Femen protest (photo via  Femen website ) PARIS — Parisian pundits have kept occupied this week as  Marine Le Pen suspended her father , Jean-Marie Le Pen, from his position as honorary president of the far-right Le Front national (National Front) that he co-founded in 1972, for having repeated his views that the Nazi gas chambers were only a historic “detail” (he has been convicted 18 times for professing similar holocaust-belittling remarks). The remark came from a recent interview he gave with extremist newspaper  Rivarol , where he also called for a defense of the “white world” against immigration. But most Parisians seem to have overlooked the radical, anti-fascist, irony-soaked, “top-down” demonstration by the international women’s movement  Femen  that took place on May 1, three days before Jean-Marie’s suspension, in opposition to the hysterical (if hoary) National Front. Marine (46,  named  by  Time  magazine as one of the top 100 most influential people of the