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Sudan
Sudan president rejects U.N. troops in Darfur
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Central African Republic: Hundreds flee Birao as French jets strike
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Chad
Deby government accepts UN proposal for deployment of peacekeeping contingent on Chad-Sudan border. Khartoum, however, refuses to support the plan. Meanwhile, the mess in Darfur spills over into the Central African Republic, where the UN warns is “sliding into chaos.” Among the exports from Darfur to Chad and CAF, courtesy of Khartoum, are Islamists and Arab janjaweed militias.
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Thailand
Schools remain closed since Monday in Yala, Narathiwat and Pattani provinces to protest attacks on school buildings and teachers. Human Rights Watch blames BRN-C youth wing, Pemuda, and RKK. Zach Abuza has previously noted that both groups are Islamist in nature and include in their leadership JI and Afghan trained fighters.
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Somalia
Thursday’s death toll in the suicide attack on Baidoa hits 8 and the UIC distanced itself from the operation. TFG claims that 350 militia defected earlier this week, marking the first time that militamen have left the UIC.
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Lebanon
Beirut on edge as rumors of a planned Hezbollah-backed coup against PM Siniora sweeps the city and Hezbollah rallies thousands in front of the PM’s office demanding his resignation. Downtown businesses brace for extended closures as the rallies develop into a prolonged sit-in.
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Palestinian Territories
A Qassam rocket was fired into Israel despite the truce. A Palestinian was killed after throwing a Molotov cocktail at a Hebron checkpoint. Palestinians are still smuggling weapons across the Gaza border.
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Iraq
Leaks indicate the Iraq Survey Group will recommend pulling back troops soon. PM Maliki is receiving criticism from Sunnis in the government for failing to resolve the violence. The remainder of the Stryker Brigade in Mosul is moving to Baghdad.
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Hunting the Takfiris in Iraq
Ansar al-Sunnah leaders captured, raid on al Qaeda in Iraq cell Ansar al-Sunnah. DUBAI, UAE: Task Force 145, the Coalition hunter-killer teams that focus on al Qaeda in Iraq, have been busy over the past week. Multinational Forces Iraq reports Ansar al-Sunnah leadership has taken a hit in central, western and northern Iraq, while a raid nabbed 8 al Qaeda. During raids in mid-November, Coaliton forces “captured the terrorist emirs [of Ansar al Sunnah in] Ramadi, Baqubah Tikrit, al Qa’im, Bayji and Baghdad. They also captured two terrorist facilitators, a courier, an explosives expert and a financier.” The capture and…
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Thailand
Woman killed in violence in southern Thailand
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Pakistan
Despite assurances by Islamabad that the recent accords with Taliban forces in NWFP do not empower militants, a two-day ban on newspapers by the Taliban in North Waziristan proves successful and demonstrates the Taliban’s domination. BBC apologizes for sparking the controversy by posting an old story that led to rioting, abduction of a local journalist and the ban.
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Al Qaeda
Somalia: Suicide car bomb kills seven people near Govt. base
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Al Qaeda
9 Pakistanis named for 7/11 terror
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Thailand
Thai Militants Claim Border As Religious Conflict Zone
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Bangladesh
Thousands of Awami League opposition supporters surround presidential palace in Dhaka as allegations grow that the pro-Islamist government is preparing to rig upcoming January 21 elections.
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Philippines
JI fugitive Dulmatin’s wife and two sons have been deported back to Java, Indonesia, as the manhunt continues. Peace negotiations between Manila and MILF, which is suspected to coordinate operations with JI in Mindanao, appears to be back on track.
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Somalia
Islamists blow up Ethiopian truck in Somalia-residents
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Pakistan
After Waziristan, it’s now the Talibanization of Bajaur in Pak
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Iraq
Iran and Syria aren’t our friends in Iraq
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Somalia
Baidoa hit by suicide attack as pressure builds for international action against the UIC. Ethiopian parliament authorizes military action. UIC forces appear to be closing in on Baidoa, detonating remote-controlled bomb on Ethiopian lorry 18 km outside of the seat of the TFG. UN moves closer to adopting a draft resolution that will both tighten the 1992 arms embargo on Somalia as well as set the stage for an IGAD peacekeeping mission.
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Somalia
al Qaeda operating in Somalia: US official
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The Taliban Press
Taliban ban newspaper sales in North Waziristan; free press in Western Pakistan is in danger; North Waziristan Taliban Shura to meet on Friday NWFP/FATA. Click map to view. While many in the western press and various governments continue to debate the results of the Waziristan Accord, which turned North Waziristan over to the Taliban and al Qaeda, Pakistani journalists, tribal leaders and local politicians describe the situation in the region as dire. The Daily Times reports the Taliban have shut all newspapers in North Waziristan after the BBC Urdu division republished a month old story on an attack on a…
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Iraq
Key Bush-Maliki summit on Iraq delayed
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Embed Update
This post will remain at the top for several days, please scroll down for updates I’m heading to Iraq within the next week. I was able to secure the embed without going through an outside media organization, as I had to do in the past. I established a non-profit, called Public Multimedia, Inc., incorporated as a media company, and was able to obtain my own credentials. This is a great start to allow me to embed in the future, as well as potentially sponsor others who are interested in embedding. This also should put to rest any claims the military…
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Somalia
The Islamic Courts will invite “foreign fighters” if the UN arms embargo is lifted (note: al Qaeda is already there.) The Ethiopians and the ICU exchanged mortar fire in Puntland. Ethiopian forces have moved south towards Galkayo. A raido reporter was held for three days by the ICU and beaten.
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The AP’s new Baghdad Bob
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Morocco
Morocco arrests imam for recruiting Iraq bombers
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Iraq
“How Did It Go?”
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Afghanistan
Why Canadians don’t know the trivia that’s not trivial
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Iraq
Over 7000 al Qaeda in Iraq have been killed or captured over the past 2 years. President Bush and PM Maliki will meet in Jordan today. 36 Sadr politicians are ‘boycotting the government,’ not resigning as they initially threatened. An internal memo cites concerns about PM Maliki’s ability to control the security situation. Insurgent attacks on police stations in Baquba were repelled, 13 insurgents and 8 al Qaeda were killed during fighting.
