Monthly Archives: December 2014





Europe

Islamic State’s female bloggers draw European women to Syria



United States

The US and partner nations yesterday carried out 12 airstrikes in Syria and 10 in Iraq against the Islamic State. The Obama administration is reportedly seeking to reduce the current number of Guantanamo detainees, 132, to under 100, so that a law barring the transfer of detainees to the US can be revoked. Secretary of […]



Iraq

Rare Islamic State visit reveals ‘brutal and strong’ force


France

Prime Minister Valls announced that France is deploying an additional 300 security forces to patrol public areas during the Christmas holiday, following three attacks over the past week. Authorities arrested a man this morning who was carrying two shotguns and a knife at a market in Cannes. Officials are playing down suspicions that the recent […]


Islamic State

Islamic State: ‘Traumatised’ Yazidi women attempting suicide after being sold as ‘sex slaves’, Amnesty International says


Australia

Security officials have detected “a heightened level of terrorist chatter” following last week’s deadly siege of a Sydney cafe by Man Haron Monis, an Islamic State sympathizer. Authorities have not yet classified the incident as a terrorist attack. A judge revoked bail for Monis’ partner, Amirah Droudis, as she posed “an unacceptable risk.” In an […]






Syria

US to accept thousands of Syrian refugees for resettlement




FAA

FAA drone approvals bedeviled by warnings, conflict, internal e-mails show



United States

The US and partner nations carried out 10 airstrikes against the Islamic State in Iraq and 12 in Syria today. Fifteen airstrikes were conducted by the US and partners in Iraq and Syria against the group on Dec. 19, and 13 more took place over the weekend of Dec. 20-21.


Syria

WHO says Syria opens Aleppo, other troubled areas for medical aid


Egypt

The interior ministry announced that security forces killed five Islamic State-affliated Ansar Bayt al Maqdis fighters in a raid in northern Egypt. President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi replaced the chief of general intelligence after an embarrassing information leak, citing health reasons. Egypt reopened the border with Gaza for the first time in two months on Dec. […]


Libya

Pro-government forces conducted airstrikes on Islamist fighters on Dec. 21 as clashes for the Es Sider and Ras Lanuf oil ports continue. Libya Dawn was forced to retreat after a failed attempt to take the towns of Zultan and Al-Jmail. The Islamist rival government called on foreigners to return to Tripoli. Jihadists in Derna have […]


Tunisia

Anti-Islamist candidate Beji Caid Essebsi has claimed victory in Tunisia’s historic presidential election. His rival and caretaker president, Moncef Marzouki, has not conceded defeat.


Algeria

Algeria deployed 4,000 troops along the borders with Libya and Niger in a counterterrorism operation begun on Dec. 21. Authorities arrested 12 suspected jihadists traveling to Syria to fight for the Islamic State.


Nigeria

A new video released by Boko Haram shows its fighters executing civilians, purportedly in the town of Bama. The jihadist group also attacked the towns of Damboa and Damagun in northeastern Yobe state on Dec. 19; at least 35 militants were killed in Damboa, and the group burned some buildings in Damagun before being repulsed […]


France

A man rammed a van into a Christmas market in Nantes, wounding at least 10 people, and then stabbed himself. The day before, at least 11 people were wounded as a car repeatedly targeted pedestrians in Dijon; the prosecutor said the hour-long rampage by a driver shouting “Allahu Akhbar” was not a terrorist act as […]


Sweden

A building in Malmo was bombed with plastic explosives for the second time in two days; police have no suspects. There have been a series of bombings in Malmo recently, including two targeting a justice center that also housed a police station.