Al Qaeda
A Tale of Two Islamisms
Monthly Archives: January 2013
Afghanistan
ISAF willing to help provide election security
Afghanistan
Iran boosts electricity export in western Afghanistan
United States
The US military plans to establish an additional drone base in Africa, most likely in Niger, for better surveillance of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb and affiliated groups in Africa’s northwest. The State Department closed the office that worked on shutting Guantanamo and repatriating detainees.
Iraq
Insurgents killed two soldiers in a rocket attack on a base north of Fallujah. Twelve “terrorists” surrendered to the government in Rabia. Parliament voted to limit Prime Minister Maliki to two terms in office.
Al Qaeda
‘Darker Sides’: The Vast Islamist Sanctuary of ‘Sahelistan’
Egypt
Radical Past: Former Associate Calls Morsi a ‘Master of Disguise’
Al Qaeda
Omar Abdel Rahman: The push to free the imprisoned Islamist extremist
Al Qaeda
New Al-Qaeda Generation May Be Deadliest One
Egypt
Egypt’s transition to democracy put in doubt as ‘militias’ add to polarisation
Al Nusrah Front
Inside the war for Syria’s mountains
Tajikistan
Authorities arrested six suspected members of the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan from a village in the south near the Afghan border. In the northern province of Sugd, four residents were arrested for concealing information on IMU militants. Security forces killed one alleged IMU member and arrested nine others in Sughd on Jan. 18.
Egypt
Protesters and riot police clashed in Cairo and Port Said for a fifth day in spite of President Morsi’s declaration of a state of emergency on Sunday; 50 people have died in the violence so far. Morsi’s call for national dialogue was rejected by the main opposition alliance.
Bahrain
Opposition groups said they are willing to open dialogue with the government over the country’s long-running political crisis. Bahrain’s Sunni leadership has clashed with Shiite opposition groups since February 2011.
Al Qaeda’s Syrian affiliate claims 2 more suicide attacks
The Al Nusrah Front has claimed credit for five of the six suicide attacks that have been reported in Syria so far this year.
Yemen
The Yemeni Army launched an offensive against al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula in Baydah in an effort to free three Western hostages; three people are reported to have been killed. AQAP responded with a suicide attack in Rada’a that killed eight soldiers and an ambush that killed three more.
Egypt
Washington casts wary eye at Muslim Brotherhood
Nigeria
Boko Haram has reportedly agreed to a ceasefire with the governor of Borno state. Boko Haram commander Mohammed Sani escaped from prison in November 2012.
Libya
The UK Foreign Office said it had become aware of a “potential threat” to its embassy in Tripoli. The British ambassador said the UK had withdrawn its citizens from Benghazi last week after receiving specific, accurate, and urgent “information about foreigners in Benghazi” who posed a threat. Misrata imposed new security measures after three security […]
Mali
Islamists fleeing Timbuktu torched a major historical library before French and Malian troops arrived. The home of Ansar Dine chief Iyad Ag Ghaly in Kidal was destroyed by French airstrikes. The Movement for Oneness and Jihad in West Africa offered to negotiate the release of French hostage Gilberto Rodriguez Leal. The Islamist militants have “adopted […]
Yemeni military launches operation to free Western hostages held by AQAP
Three al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula leaders who run operations in Baydah province and who were brothers-in-law of Anwar al Awlaki are said to be holding an Austrian and two Finnish hostages.
Algeria
Armed Islamists attacked a gas pipeline at Djebahia in the Bouira region, killing two guards and wounding five more before fleeing. Security forces launched a search of the area, near the Kabylie mountain refuge of al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb.
France
France urged donor nations to honor pledges of support for a viable Syrian opposition, warning that delay raises the risk extremists will prevail in Syria. A French court ordered Twitter to provide data to help identify persons who post racist and anti-Semitic comments.
Afghanistan
The Taliban killed eight policemen and three prisoners in an IED attack in Kandahar. Security forces killed 12 Taliban fighters in Helmand. ISAF killed an al Qaeda facilitator in Kunar.
Al Qaeda
Pakistan still global jihad hub
Egypt
Suez Canal official: Navigation unaffected by violence
African Union
In Mali, French Troops Step Up Role
Al Qaeda
Algeria hostage drama likely an inside job: Norway
→
After Arab Spring no-show, jihadists make comeback
Israel
Israel’s vice premier said any sign of Syria losing control of its chemical weapons could trigger an Israeli attack. Israel deployed its Iron Dome rocket defense system to the northern city of Haifa.