Counterterrorism Blog
The first multi-expert blog dedicated solely to counterterrorism issues, serving as a gateway to the community for policymakers and serious researchers. Designed to provide realtime information about terrorism cases and policy developments.
January 2008 Archives

U.S. officials: CIA kills top al Qaeda terrorist in Pakistan -- Libyan Abu Laith al-Libi killed -- see Evan Kohlmann's post and Andrew Cochran's post with links to previous CT Blog posts

Iraqi forces detain militants -- affiliated with Ansar al-Sunna militants in Kirkuk

(U.S.) South Carolina Pipe Bomb Case: FBI: Egyptian students charged with carrying 'bombs' actually had fireworks

Women's Forums on Islamist Websites - Tools For Preparing Women to Carry Out Jihad and Suicide Operations

(Afghanistan) Suicide blast in mosque kills Afghan deputy governor - and 5 others - in Lashkar Gah in Helmand province

(Pakistan) U.S. missile strike in Pakistan hit al Qaeda nest -- killed up to 13 in North Waziristan - targeted second or third tier al Qaeda leaders

(Pakistan) Explosion in southwestern Pakistan wounds three people -- bicycle bomb outside antiterrorism court in Baluchistan

(Pakistan) Five 'Taliban' arrested in Zhob

(Pakistan) Wazir tribesmen wary of Uzbek militants' return to South Waziristan -- Afghan Taliban negotiating truce between Maulvi Nazir and pro-Uzbek foes

(Pakistan) Bomb explodes near Pakistan Air Force bus in Islamabad -- no injuries

(India) Hassan Ali likely to have terror links

(India J&K) Militant hideouts busted in Jammu and Kashmir - in Reasi and Doda districts

(India) Maoists kill sarpanch in Chhattisgarh - 70 armed Maoists kill village leader -- and -- Maoist leader Reddy arrested in Orissa

(Bangladesh) Court in Bangladesh sentences 7 Islamic militants to life in prison for 2005 bombings -- members of Jumatul Mujahedeen Bangladesh group

(U.S.) Department of Homeland Security's funds bring Islamist sympathizers to Tufts-- Tufts student complains of MPAC's Edina Lekovic, former managing editor for UCLA's radical Islamic newspaper Al-Talib -- see Steven Emerson May 30, 2007 CTB posting -- and related video

(U.S.) Official: U.S. enemies 'eating our lunch' online - State Dept nominee James Glassman testifies Al Qaeda winning allies on Internet - says U.S. must overturn misconceptions

New AQ Video Shows 'Growing Production Savvy,' According to DHS Chief - DHS & FBI comment on "Winds of Paradise: Part 2"

(UK) Half-trained troops to fight the Taliban

Philippine troops kill Muslim militant -- Abu Sayyaf commander Wahab Upao allegedly gunned down a Roman Catholic priest in a raid on a school

(Philippines) Bali bomb suspect eludes capture -- hunting Dulmatin

(Sri Lanka) Suicide bomber kills 4 in Sri Lanka - in northern Jaffna peninsula

(Afghanistan) Tailban decapitate four, kill three others in Afghanistan -- behead 4 roadworkers abducted a week ago

(Pakistan) Terror Leader Killed in Missile Strike? - Attack Aimed at Particular AQ Leader - Pak intelligence says was "high-value" al Qaeda target

(U.S.) Plea for new sentence in NY terror case - prosecutors say Lynne Stewart received "slap on the wrist"

(Australia) Hidden War on Australia - Site on online world of Islamic extremists - 'We shot down crusader Howard', says al-Qaeda and Taliban post Australian deaths online

Yemen's Deals With Jihadists Unsettle the U.S.

(UK) British man charged with two terrorism offenses -- Nathan Worrell

(Australia) Mosque group 'in a line to jihad' -- Sydney's Sefton mosque

Iraq: Turkish warplanes 'resume airstrikes'

Egyptian Islamists use Gaza to weaken Mubarak

Probe Says Israel Didn't Win Lebanon War

Iran approaching nuclear "peak": Ahmadinejad

Report: 'Egypt nabs terror cell in Sinai'

(Canada) Algerian terror suspect arrested in shower: lawyer -- Mohamed Harkat

(Bosnia) Two people killed in bomb explosion in Bosnia -- Serb village of Pale

(UK) Al Qaida 'data at plot man's house' -- Parviz Khan of beheading plot - Islamic extremist 'kept anti-Western propaganda at home'

(UK) 9/11 accused loses final bid for freedom -- Farid Hilali being held while awaiting extradition to Spain

(UK) Control order on British Muslim to be lifted -- Cerie Bullivant, British convert to Islam whom MI5 believes is security risk

(UK) Al-Qaeda threatens wave of British attacks - update with more detail

(UK) 'Few' Muslim anti-terror police

(Thailand) Insurgents kill 2 Muslims in South -- in Yala and Pattani province

(Philippines) Woman dead, four hurt as police, Muslim rebels clash in Philippines -- in village of
Lakiki

(Iraq) TV Cameraman killed in Baghdad bomb attack -- in Balad

Iraq: Three children dead in bomb attack -- in Duluya area of Diyala province

Afghanistan's Senate endorses reporter's death sentence: official -- journalism student Perwiz Kambakhsh accused of blasphemy -- and -- Study: Afghanistan could fail as a state

(Pakistan) Blast kills three suspected militants in Pakistan: police -- likely making bombs in Peshawar

Pakistan: Top al-Qaeda suspect nabbed in south - Qasim Tori belongs to Jundullah, formed in South Waziristan and now under Baitullah Mehsud

(Pakistan) Taliban gunmen walk free after school hostage attempt (my title) -- follow-up story

(Pakistan) Two rockets fired on Peshawar

(Pakistan) Death sought for al-Qaeda suspects -- masterminded suicide bombing at Karachi US consulate

Police arrest leading ETA member in France

Kashmir rebels not to use guns to force election boycott: report - Syed Salahudin heads Hizbul Mujahedin - see Hyland-Roul Jan. 24 post

(Pakistan) Five killed in Pakistan shoot-out - 2 police, 3 militants in Karachi

India hopes to unravel rebel group network - Arrest of suspected leader could help unravel Harkat-ul-Jihad-e-Islami network

(Iraq) Triple explosion in Baghdad injures 18 people - IED near police patrol, other bombs in Karradah district and in central Baghdad

Iraqi police find remains, heads of 19 executed men -- in Diyala

(Pakistan) Missile kills 12 militants in Pakistan -- in Khushali Torikhel, a village in North Waziristan -- also hundreds of students protested Pakistan's support for the U.S.-led war on terror

(Pakistan) Militants attack paramilitary camp in Pakistan - wounding 7 soldiers -- also AP reports militants kill one, wound four at paramilitary camp in North Waziristan

(Pakistan) Suspect in Bhutto case identifies bomber -- who blew himself up near her car

(U.S.) Judge's views in Padilla case seemed to waver -- see Jeffrey Imm January 22 posting

"UNHRC endorsed Arab charter with anti-Semitic provisions" -- U.N. Human Rights Commissioner welcomed ratification of Arab Charter of Human Rights - equating Zionism with racism

Iran: A 'duty' for Muslims to attack the West, says editor -- follow-up AKI report on Hossein Shariatmadari threats

Iran sanctions vote at U.N. seen weeks away

(Gaza) Der Spiegel: Graveyard Shift for Islamic Jihad - A Visit to a Gaza Rocket Factory -- fertilizer for Gaza rocket fuel comes from Israel

Egypt: Border with Gaza nearly closed

Algeria: Car bomb kills at least three - in Thenia -- also Reuters report

(UK) Plotters wanted to kill British soldier 'like a pig' - UK Jihadist ringleader Parviz Khan and three others admitted to plot to kidnap and behead a British Muslim soldier

(U.S.) Senate logjammed on surveillance bill

Turkey Warned Over Iranian Banks - Top U.S. Treasury official wants Turkey to scrutinize 3 Turkish branches of Iran's Bank Mellat

Hezbollah demands inquiry into Beirut killings and Hezbollah's dark hand (commentary)

(U.S. & Columbia) Rebel gets 60 years for hostage-taking - Ricardo Palmera, aka Simon Trinidad, held 3 U.S. contractors hostage - pledged allegiance to FARC

Tiger rebels shell key Sri Lankan military base

More Dangerous Than Osama - Baitullah Mehsud interviewed by al Jazeera

(Iraq) 5 US soldiers killed in northern Iraq -- in Mosul roadside bomb attack (update)

(Philippines) Mayor admits payoff to terror group - Paid to Al-Khobar, Moro gunmen involved in extortion

(Kashmir) Harkat Jihad Islami pays tributes to Hijazi - Chief Cmndr Basheer Ahmad Mir, aka Showkat-ul-Islam, aka Saba Hijazi killed by troops

(Iraq Commentaries) The Final Mission, Part I - Michael Totten on progress of Iraqi forces - Iraq's No. 1 problem - Bing West & Max Boot on lack of political progress

(Iraq) Bomb explosion kills two people in Baghdad -- MNF detain 18 Al-Qaeda suspects during raids in Tikrit, Mosul, and Baaquba

Iraq's Sadrists seek to end cease-fire

Iraqi forces mass outside Mosul -- Soldiers to attack al-Qaida haven; 2 U.S. troops killed

(Afghanistan) Eight Taliban killed in clash -- police - during hunt for kidnapped aid worker in Uruzgan

Afghans hunt for kidnapped American

US shift seen to Pakistan, Afghanistan

(Pakistan) Report: Taliban wield the ax ahead of new battle -- report claims Taliban leader Mullah Omar has sacked Baitullah Mehsud, and seeks refocus on Afghanistan, not Pakistan

(Pakistan) Terrorist held -- involvement in several attacks on railway tracks and cases of murder, murder attempt and terrorism in Balochistan and Sindh

(Pakistan) 'Musharraf faces new militant challenge' - Analysts say president must choose between fighting terrorists or letting them gain ground

Lebanon on high alert after deadly riots

(Gaza) Egypt stops supplies to border towns

(Gaza) Israeli warplanes strike S. Gaza - on Sunday

(Gaza) Jordanians rally in support of Hamas in Gaza - Muslim Brotherhood flags waved as chants to "bring the suicide bombers to Tel Aviv"

(Somalia) Foreign aid workers among four dead in Somali blast - in Kismayo

Kenya's ethnic killings spiral out of control

Turkish prosecutors interrogate 25 suspected al-Qaida militants -- among the suspects was a Russian citizen of Chechen origin

(Spain) Extremists plotted attacks across Europe, Spanish paper says -- Informant: Terrorists planned to attack public transport systems in Europe - One trail of Barcelona terrorist cell "leads to Frankfurt" -- and -- Frankfurt group planned attack

North Korea criticizes US human rights envoy

(Iraq) Gadhafi son linked to terror - Iraq official blames son for deadly Mosul bombing by AQ in Iraq

Pakistan troops battle border militants - Militants captured tunnel on road Peshawar tribal belt near Darra Adam Kheil

Palestinian militant group founder dies - George Habash founded radical Popular Front for Liberation of Palestine

46 killed in Sri Lanka - At least 43 militants, 2 civilians and 1 solider in gunbattles

Qaeda using children as suicide bombers: US

Egypt tries to contain chaotic border

(U.S.) Top agents in secret trip to Pakistan - Top U.S. intel officials sought permission from Musharraf for more U.S. involvement

Weekly summary of IDF anti-terror activity in Judea and Samaria - Press release

(Iraq) Blasts hit Baghdad, including Green Zone

(Iraq) Five killed, one wounded, five al-Qaeda suspects detained in Iraq -- fighting in Baquba -- and -- Three terrorists killed, two detained during operations targeting al-Qaeda -- along the Tigris River Valley

(Iraq) 3,000 extra police for restive Iraq province -- of Nineveh

(Afghanistan) Troops kill 12 Taliban in Afghanistan -- on Friday

(Afghanistan) UN urges review of journalist's death sentence -- UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan saying the case is a "possible misuse of the judicial process"

N. Pakistan attacked with rockets, hit by suicide blast -- rockets fired into Peshawar, suicide bomber kills two in Der

(Pakistan) US military says wanted militant killed in Pakistan -- Darim Sedgai

(Pakistan) Two killed in Bajaur Agency -- remote controlled bomb and drive-by shooting

Pakistan says its nuclear assets are safe from terrorists - follow-up story

(U.S.) Items in alleged hijack plot not banned

(U.S.) Report: Bush Order Expands Network Monitoring -- Intelligence Agencies to Track Intrusions

(U.S.) Court denies Fla. ex-professor's appeal -- appeals court rules Sami Al-Arian not immune from subpoena forcing him to testify in an unrelated probe of Muslim charities

(U.S.) Senators question $5M Moussaoui reward

(Russia) Violence, gunfire erupts at demonstration in Russian Muslim region -- province of Ingushetia

Spain doubts alleged terror cell's plan -- Interior Minister questions counterterrorism judge - saying did not find enough explosives "to infer an attack was imminent."