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Afghanistan
US War in Afghanistan Has Echoes of Soviet Experience
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Libya
The main suspect in the Sept. 11 attack on the US Consulate in Benghazi, Ahmed Boukhtala, remains at large, living freely in Benghazi. Ahmed is linked to Ansar al Sharia, and has said any Libyan opposed to sharia is a non-Muslim. He is also a suspect in the assassination of rebel commander General Abdelfattah Younis.
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Tunisia
African and Arab Islamist leaders met in Nouakchott last week for a conference that focused on opportunities for Islamists after the Arab Spring, including moving from an opposition role to running states. Extremist imam Bechir Ben Hassen issued a fatwa on Facebook against wishing someone a merry Christmas or a happy New Year.
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Russia
Russia launched its largest naval exercise in decades, with ships from its Northern, Baltic, Black Sea, and Pacific fleets heading to the Black and Mediterranean seas. The exercise, set for the end of January, will include antiterrorism and antipiracy drills. Last month military sources said Russian ships were deploying to Syria for possible evacuation of Russian citizens.
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Pakistan
Pakistan – EDITORIAL : Talking to the TTP
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Pakistan
The Taliban claimed credit for a bombing in Karachi that killed four people at an MQM rally in Karachi. Seven aid workers were gunned down in Swabi; no group has claimed the attack.
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Afghanistan
The military claimed that 22 Taliban fighters, including 10 Pakistanis, were killed in a 10-day-long operation in Ghazni. Four Afghans were killed after missiles fired from Pakistan struck in Kunar. Two Afghan soldiers attacked Spanish soldiers in Herat; no one was hurt.
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Afghanistan
ISAF Congratulates Afghan Government on Transition of Security
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Iran
Iran warned foreign surveillance ships and aircraft to stay away in the Strait of Hormuz. The Iranian Navy has been conducting military exercises in the area. Iran also conducted defensive drills in ports and along the coastline.
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United Arab Emirates
UAE’s security services arrested 10 members of a cell linked to Egypt’s Muslim Brotherhood. The group recruited Egyptian expatriates in the UAE and had received instruction on means of changing leadership in Arab countries.
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Egypt
State prosecutors began investigating an Egyptian satirist, after he was accused of “undermining the status” of President Morsi. Islamists announced the formation of a new political party.
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Afghan troops attack Spanish soldiers on New Year’s Eve
Two Afghan soldiers opened fire on Spanish troops; no one was hurt in the attack. There were 44 reported insider, or green-on-blue, attacks in 2012.
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Syria
Fighting erupted around Aleppo’s international airport. Government aircraft attacked rebel positions in Damascus suburbs. Rebels blew up a natural gas pipeline feeding electricity plants and a fertilizer factory.
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Yemen
Security forces detained 11 al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula fighters during operations in Dhala. Two escapees from a prison in Hodeidah were also detained.
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Ethiopia
A court convicted 10 people, including a Kenyan, for being members of al Qaeda. The men were sentenced to life in prison.
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Nigeria
The army claimed it killed 13 Boko Haram militants in a gun battle in Maiduguri. One soldier also died in the clash, which erupted after the militants bombed army checkpoints.
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Algeria
Security forces killed six al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb fighters during a raid in Bouzegza. The military is preparing for guerrilla warfare to combat Islamist fighters along the border with Mali.
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Afghanistan
Out With The Troops, In With The Afghan Investment?
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Kyrgyzstan
Central Asians Stand By ‘Un-Islamic’ New Year’s Traditions
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Afghanistan
Afghan-US Pact Ensures Future Security: Sediqi
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China
Analysis: US arms sales to Asia set to boom on Pacific “pivot”
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Turkey
Turkish intelligence is talking with the jailed leader of the Kurdistan Workers Party about disaming; the government thinks it cannot defeat the group militarily. The government dismissed the European Union’s concerns over Cyprus and human rights. Turkey’s Environment and Urbanism Minister said Christianity is no longer a religion.
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Canada
Canada is considering the manner in which it will support the UN resolution on Mali. The Foreign Affairs minister said there will be no Canadian military mission in Mali; the Defense Minister speculated about a Canadian training mission in the country.
