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Ugandans start withdrawal from Somalia, US leaves key base
After nearly 20 years in Somalia, Uganda has begun withdrawing its troops from the African Union mission, while US forces have also departed the strategic Baledogle Military Airfield in southern Somalia. The departures could create opportunities for Al Qaeda’s Shabaab to expand its influence amid ongoing political instability in Mogadishu.
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IDF finds weapons stockpiles, Hezbollah military site near UN posts in south Lebanon
Israeli forces found weapons stockpiles and a Hezbollah military-use apartment within 100 to 250 meters of United Nations positions in southern Lebanon, adding to a years-long record of Hezbollah military infrastructure near UNIFIL sites.
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Northern Iraq struggles with Kurdish political divisions and security
Northern Iraq faces mounting security and political challenges as Iranian drone attacks continue to target Kurdish Iranian opposition groups, Iraqi forces conduct operations against the Islamic State, and political disputes threaten stability in Sinjar. These developments come amid growing tensions between the Kurdistan Democratic Party and the Patriotic Union of Kurdistan, complicating efforts to strengthen…
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Arab parties endorse Eisenkot for Israeli PM, IDF reports 52 ceasefire violations Oct. 16–Nov. 5
Record turnout among Arab voters in Israel’s October 27 parliamentary election nearly doubled the representation of Arab-led parties, potentially making them kingmakers in forming the next government. Meanwhile, the Israel Defense Forces reported 52 ceasefire violations by Hamas and other Palestinian terrorist groups between October 16 and November 5, as Israeli forces continued conducting strikes…
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Syria detains Hezbollah cell accused of Homs plot
On November 3, Syrian security forces arrested members of an alleged Hezbollah-linked cell accused of plotting an attack on a refinery near Homs, the latest in a series of operations targeting Hezbollah networks and arms smuggling since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024. The arrests come amid expanding Syrian-Lebanese talks on border…
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Lebanese military prosecutor charges 13 over Hezbollah explosives shipment
Lebanon’s military prosecutor charged 13 people over a shipment of explosives seized at Dahr al Baidar. Reporting on the prosecution identifies the alleged supplier, intended recipient, vehicle owner, and members of an accompanying transport team. The charges came as Lebanon’s government continued debating whether to transfer the case to the Judicial Council.
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Afghan United Front leads October surge in claimed anti-Taliban attacks
Anti-Taliban resistance groups claimed 82 attacks in October, more than double September’s total, with the Afghan United Front leading the surge. Yet the emergence of new factions and the loss of another NRF commander underscore the challenges facing a resistance that remains divided.
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Syria’s counterterrorism dilemma: Who can Washington trust?
A deadly attack on a Christian funeral in Jordan and subsequent Jordanian airstrikes in Syria have sparked a diplomatic dispute between Amman and Damascus. Bill Roggio is joined by FDD Senior Research Analyst Ahmad Sharawi to discuss the Islamic State’s possible involvement, the deteriorating security situation in southern Syria, and the implications for US counterterrorism…
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Syria hosts Iraqi PM for visit amid security challenges in north and south
Syrian President Ahmad al Sharaa hosted Iraqi Prime Minister Ali al Zaidi in Damascus on October 28 for talks aimed at strengthening bilateral relations, expanding trade, and reviving energy cooperation. The historic visit came as Syria faces continuing security challenges, including a deadly Jordanian airstrike in the south, clashes with foreign jihadists in Idlib, and…
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Florida teenager arrested in an Islamic State-linked bomb plot
A 15-year-old student in Gainesville, Florida, allegedly sought guidance from Islamic State members and supporters on building drones and explosives to attack people at an unidentified indoor location.
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One war, many fronts: Iran and its proxies
The war with Iran is far from over, and the fight extends well beyond the Strait of Hormuz. Bill Roggio is joined by FDD Senior Fellow and former British Ambassador to Yemen Edmund Fitton-Brown to assess the status of the US-Iran conflict, Tehran’s efforts to break the American naval blockade, and the growing role of…
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Indonesia
Polygamy debate rekindled after Indonesia’s version of an Islamic Dr. Phil, hokey TV host Aa Gym, takes on a second wife. Meanwhile Golkar party’s religious affairs committee chief, Yahya Zaini, caught on cellphone video in a romp with a famous singer.
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Kabila inaugurated as DRC president
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Iraq
The Iraq Survey Group report released today, urging combat troops out of Iraq by 2008, and bilateral negotiations with Iran and Syria. Bush pledges to act.
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Philippine Forces Score Victory Against RSM
The Philippines has scored a major victory in the second front of the long war with the capture of Feliciano de los Reyes, aka Ustadz Abubakar, a key member of the Rajah Solaiman Movement (RSM) in Lamitan on Basilan island. De los Reyes is believed to be singing to the authorities and has revealed in detail, according to local press reports, RSM’s ties with al Qaeda’s Philippines syndicate Abu Sayyaf.
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ASEAN Summit to Tackle Tough Issues, From Terrorism to North Korea
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Political parties clash in Bangladesh; one killed
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Yemen Frees Two Australian al Qaeda Suspects
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Turkey
Ankara now believes that when it arrested Tunisian Malek Charahili in September, suspected of smuggling al Qaeda terrorists into Iraq, they also nabbed the head of al Qaeda’s Turkey operations. Charahili succeeded Luai Sakka, a Syrian who was in the final phase of planned suicide attacks on Israeli cruise ships in port in Turkey and subsequently arrested.
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Islamist-Organized Rally Against Ethiopia and US Draft Resolution Occurs in Mogadishu
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Egypt hunting 4 Palestinians in Sinai over plan to target Israelis
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Negroponte: US should take Osama alive
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Egypt
An American, 9 Frenchmen, 2 Belgians, 2 Syrian, a Tunisian and an unknown number of Egyptians were arrested in Egypt last week for plotting terror attacks in the Middle East and recruiting terrorists to fight in Iraq. Sinai and Sharm el Sheikh under terror alert as Israel and Australia warn its citizens to be on alert. Meanwhile, Egyptian authorities sieze nearly a ton of TNT bound for Gaza.
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Pakistan
Afghan and Pakistani tribal jirga meetings planned “to win support against a resurgent Taleban.” Pakistan’s FM heading to Kabul for 3-day visit on Friday and will push Karzai to adopt a similar pact with Neo-Taliban forces that Musharraf adopted with North and South Waziristan.
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Somalia
Ethiopia in “technical” state of war with Somalia’s SICC as the UN-backed transitional government rules out negotiations with the SICC and bans cars entering Baidoa from Mogadishu after last week’s suicide attack. All-out war could begin within two weeks as the rainy season ends.
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Iraq
Testifying before the Senate Armed Services Committee confirmation hearing, DefSec nominee Bob Gates said “all options are on the table” regarding Iraq and that the U.S. is neither winning nor losing the war. Iraq Study Group report to be issued at 12 GMT Wednesday morning and is expected to push for regional conference on Iraq that includes Syria and Iran and a realignment of U.S. forces to play peacekeeping role.
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Pakistan
The Black-Turbaned Brigade: The Rise of TNSM in Pakistan
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Iraq
Hakim, the leader of SCIRI, called for US troops to remain in Iraq. A Marine helicopter made an emergency water landing in a lake in Anbar province; 16 were aboard; 12 survived and 4 we killed. Iraqi and US forces closed off the town of Siniyah after insurgents attack the police station and forced the mayor and police to resign.
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Iraq
So what does an IED look like?
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Somali car ban ‘to stop bombers’
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No majority after Mauritania poll
