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.
February 2008 Archives

(U.S.) Connecticut: Prosecutors rest in Navy terrorism case -- Hassan Abu-Jihaad - Prosecutors played secretly taped phone conversations showing coded speech

(Morocco) Anti-terrorist judge jails 35 suspects in Morocco - update

(Norway) Police claim evidence against terror suspects - funneling money to finance terrorism in Somalia

(Pakistan) Bombs targeting police kill at least 37 in Pakistan -- Suicide bomber targets funeral of policeman in militant-ridden northwest - at least 50 wounded - update

(Iraq) 'Chemical Ali' execution OK'd in Iraq

(Afghanistan) Taliban blow up Afghan phone tower - in the Zhari district of Kandahar province

(Pakistan) Anti-Musharraf front woos Islamists

(Pakistan) Militants' houses destroyed -- in the Mazeedkhel area of the Darra town

(Pakistan) Egyptian al Qaeda leader reported killed in South Waziristan airstrike -- update on Wednesday night airstrike

(India J&K) Four insurgents killed in Kashmir

Iran sanctions expected Saturday

(Iran) US: IAEA report raises questions on Iran

(Lebanon) Hezbollah Rejects US Ships Off Lebanon

(Syria/Lebanon) US sends 3 warships to Syria, Lebanon - update

(Gaza) Hamas fires 5 rockets into Israel (my title) - misfire injures 5 in Gaza - 9 Palestinians injured in IAF airstrikes - and Israeli woman wounded as Kassam rocket slams into Sderot home

Israel prepares for assault on Gaza

'Israel foils attack on Dimona reactor' -- British sources state senior employee plotted attack

Turkey pulls troops out of northern Iraq

European judges thwart attempts to deport foreign terrorist suspects -- European Court of Human Rights ruled against Italy in deporting Nassim Saadi to Tunisia, may impact UK efforts to deport Abu Qatada to Jordan

(UK) Terror hotspots map of Britain

(Indonesia) Bali bomb lawyer demands move

(Indonesia) Escaped JI leader may head to Indonesia: experts - Mas Selamat Kastari

Interpol alert follows suspect escape - in Singapore of Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader Mas Selamat Kastari

(Australia) Acquittal ordered in Sydney car bomb plot case - Muslim convert Jill Allison Courtney plotted to place bomb in Sydney nightspot - for marriage to Hussan Kalache -- previous story

U.S. sends warship off Lebanon coast - Show of support amid Beirut's political crisis

'Muslim' flap stirs al Qaeda message board -- Evan Kohlmann quoted

(U.S.) Connecticut: Prosecutors: Documents matched ship path -- Hassan Abu-Jihaad trial update

(Morocco) Alleged terror suspects face prosecutor in Morocco -- 35 alleged members of Islamic extremist terrorist movement

(Columbia) Freed Colombian hostage says 3 US comrades ailing -- held by FARC

Hamas intensifies rocket war -- Targets deeper as Israel fails to halt devastating onslaughts

Algeria army surrounds Maghreb Qaeda chief - papers - Abdelmalek Droudkel, aka Abu Mus'ab Abd el-Wadoud

Treasury Designates Members of Abu Ghadiyah's Network - 4 individuals facilitating & controlling flow of money, weapons, terrorists, through Syria to al Qaida in Iraq

(Iraq) Sunni forces losing patience with U.S. -- Citing lack of support, frustrated Iraqi volunteers are abandoning posts

Afghan police kill 29 Taliban militants - clashes in Helmand province

(Afghanistan) Intelligence chief: Taliban making gains in Afghanistan -- and -- Karzai only controls 1/3 of Afghanistan -- per US DNI Michael McConnell

(Pakistan) Missile strike on Pakistan militant hideout kills 13 -- Azam Warsak village in South Waziristan

Report: "Pakistan: Airstrike in northwest 'carried out by US pilotless drone' " -- report by Pakistan's Geo TV news

(Pakistan) Sherpao attack accused killed -- Abdul Siar, mastermind of suicide bombings killed

(India) Clerics' terror stand triggers debate

(U.S.) Connecticut: Navy Says Leak Posed A Threat -- and -- Top Official Testifies in Navy Case -- Hassan Abu-Jihaad trial

(U.S.) Minnesota: Terror suspect has most serious charges dropped - terror suspect Mohamed Kamal Elzahabi charges of false statements to FBI dropped

(U.S.) The ABC's of Radical Islam -- by Steven Emerson -- Related ABC article defining "Jihad"

(U.S.) Bush names liaison to Organization of the Islamic Conference -- Sada Cumber -- OIC supports Sharia law

(U.S.) Bush pressures Congress on FISA - see AP Video

(U.S.) Newsweek Commentary: "Scare Tactics" - regarding electronic surveillance issue - Michael Isikoff and Mark Hosenball

(Iran) New sanctions against Iran likely soon

(Gaza) Blast reported near home of Hamas PM

(Fatah) Abbas Says Terrorist Path is Impractical - "Now" -- and -- Pardoned Fatah terrorists caught red-handed - Gunmen who received amnesty were on their way to carry out attacks

(Israel) Ashkelon Under Rocket Attack -- more than 25 rockets and mortar shells from Gaza on Israel on Thursday -- 24 hospitalized -- and -- 17 suffer shock as Grad rocket slams into Ashkelon home

Morocco's unlikely group of terrorism suspects

Egypt arrests five from Muslim Brotherhood

Sweden and Norway hold suspects after terror raids - detain 6 after raids in Oslo and Stockholm -- Swedish report by The Local -- Norway report by Aftenposten -- and -- Reuters: Norway arrests 3 suspected of financing terrorism

(UK) Suicide attacker's wife 'knew of bomb plot' -- Yeshiemebet Girma was wife of Hussein Osman -- July 21, 2005 bomb plot trial

(UK) Terror Threat BBC Web Page - Counterterrorism Blog referenced

Norway: Hamas show message 'misinterpreted' -- Islamic Association in Norway says Hamas TV program really not calling for killing Danes

(Singapore) Escaped Jemaah Islamiah (JI) leader may head to Indonesia: experts -- Mas Selamat bin Kastari - see Kenneth Conboy's Feb. 28 post and AP Video

(Australia) Letters Detail Australian's Path To Jihad -- Young David Hicks Felt Honored To Meet Bin Laden After Just 16 Months As A Muslim

(Australia) 'Benbrika could not lead ants to sugar', says his barrister - Melbourne Jihad trial

(Sri Lanka) 32 LTTE rebels killed, 44 surrender in Sri Lanka -- on Wednesday

Colombian authorities celebrate capture of rebel boss - FARC's Heli Mejia, known as "Martin Sombra," captured Tuesday

(India) Robots terror tools of future?

(India) Bangalore hub of techie-terror network - Muslim Information Technology Professionals’ Association accused of terror ties

(India) Muslim leaders welcome Deoband ruling on terror - see Animesh Roul's Feb. 27 post

Sudan decries Danes over prophet cartoon

Russia warns Iran over nuclear program

FBI says airline plotters had no US link

Colombian rebels free 4 more hostages

U.S. Spies Want to Find Terrorists in World of Warcraft - U.S. intel community developing software to detect violent extremists infiltrating multiplayer games

Qaeda's Zawahri vows revenge over Libi killing: Web (updated) and see Laura Mansfield's press release

(Afghanistan) 2 Polish soldiers killed in Afghanistan - killed by roadside bomb in Sharan district of Paktika province

(Afghanistan) US military says detained Afghan journalist is an enemy combatant -- Jawed Ahmad aka Jojo Yazemi

(Afghanistan) Interior Minister survives rocket attack -- in Kabul

(Pakistan) Suspect in Oct 18 bombing arrested - in Benazir Bhutto assassination

(India J&K) Pakistani Jihad group redefines terror -- Jamaat-ud-Dawa, an alias for the Pakistan-based Lashkar-e-Taiba

(U.S.) Imam From Virginia Mosque Now Thought to Have Aided Al-Qaeda -- Anwar Aulaqi - spiritual leader in 2001 and 2002 of Dar al-Hijrah mosque in Falls Church, VA

(U.S.) Connecticut: Prosecutors in ex-sailor's terror case play violent videos -- Hassan Abu-Jihaad trial

(U.S.) Pentagon OKs charges against Guantanamo prisoner - war crime charges against Ali Hamza Ahmad Suliman al Bahlul, "medical director" for Bin Laden

(U.S.) Terrorism victims memorial design denied

Report: Iran Built Space Rocket in Just Months

(Israel) Kassam barrage hits Sderot and the surrounding area -- 11 rockets hit Israel

Poll: Israelis want talks with Hamas

(Algeria) Report: Algerian security forces kill top al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa leader -- the "emir" Hamza aka Abdi Abdi

Yemen release of wanted Qaeda militant irks US -- Jaber Elbaneh considered to be major figure in bombing of U.S. warship Cole in 2000 -- and -- Yemen: 36 Al-Qaeda members stand trial

Uganda: LRA Kill 11, Abduct 27 in South Sudan

Spain terror suspects convicted - 18 of 20 convicted of belonging to Islamist terror group, acquitted on charges of plotting to blow up court

(Germany) Computer spying unconstitutional

(UK) Five on trial for 'abetting' July 21, 2005 terror plan -- Shadi Abdelgadir, Omar Almagboul, Esyas Girma, Yeshiemebet Girma and Muluemebet Girm

(UK) BBC knew of link to failed July 21, 2005 bombers -- trial: BBC producer Nasreen Suleaman failed to give police information that would have helped track down the July 21 bombers

(UK) No Arabic staff at UK jail "creating risks" -- in detaining terrorism suspects -- and -- Terror suspects get 'too good a deal' at jail

(Australia) Jury asked to consider 'America's evil' -- Melbourne Jihadist trial


Australian Muslim leader no terrorist: defense
-- and -- Terror accused 'a family man': Abdul Nacer Benbrika -- Melbourne Jihadist trial

(Australia) Victorian terror trial told suspects praised Iraq sniper -- Melbourne Jihadist trial

Sri Lanka says 15 killed in clashes

North Korea releases seized Russian ship: Report

(North Korea) Rice tries new tactic on N. Korea - suggests future cultural exchanges

(Pakistan) Taliban behind suicide attack -- Killing of surgeon general

(U.S.) Moussaoui challenges court secrecy rules

Israel: 'Hamas could take over W. Bank in days'

(Mauritania) Al-Qaida case: Man sentenced to 5 years -- Haround Ould Habib charged with belonging to AQIM

(UK) 7 Convicted in Muslim Terror Camps in UK - update on Mohammed Hamid convictions - see Roderick Jones' Feb. 26 post

(Germany) Witness: Suspect in failed German train bombing plot wanted to wage jihad -- Youssef Mohammed el-Hajdib looked up to bin Laden and applauded Sept. 11 attacks

(Bahrain) Millions of dollars 'may fund terrorism' - Senior U.S. Treasury official says terrorism funding exists in all Gulf countries

(Afghanistan) The Taliban have Kabul in their sights - Shahzad: Planning strategic corridor from Pakistan to Kabul

(U.S.) Navy Secrets In Closet - Evan Kohlmann testified at Abu-Jihaad trial that Azzam network operated like adjunct to al-Qaida

ElBaradei is quietly managing to disarm Iran (commentary) - Ray Takeyh and Joseph Cirincione

Iraqi group releases video of British captive-TV

(Hezbollah) Slain militant was organizer in 2006 war - Hezbollah's Nasrallah says Mughniyeh key leader in war against Israel - see CT Blog posts on Mughniyeh

U.S. Takes Aim at Shadowy Syrian Businessman - Matthew Levitt quoted on designation of Assad's cousin

Hamas Rabbit: Eat the Danes! - Video captured by Palestinian Media Watch - Hamas' childrens' program proposes murder

(U.S.) Palestinian Jailed for 1993 World Trade Center Bombing Seeks Supreme Court Hearing - and - 15 Years@War - Andrew McCarthy, who prosecuted suspects, on 15th anniversary - Former WTC GM on 1993 Attack and see BBC historical page

(Iraq) Bomber kills 14 in Iraq's Mosul: security sources -- suicide bomber on bus in Mosul

(Afghanistan) Bomb kills five Afghan policemen, one child - in Khost attack on police vehicle - Taliban suspected

(Afghanistan) Al Qaeda uses Facebook weapon - reports states Jihadists plot to use it to target soldiers' families

(Afghanistan) Convicted Afghan journalist stirs debate - found guilty of "blasphemy" before 4 minute trial began

(Pakistan) Tribal leader killed in N. Pakistan firing incident, four wounded - in Kurrum -- PPP Syed Riaz Hussain candidate in stable condition

Pakistani Police Claim to Arrest 4 Al Qaeda-Linked Terrorists -- in Lahore -- Lashker-e-Jhangvi planning to attack foreign missions

(Pakistan) Traffic policeman killed by gunmen, two militants held in Pakistan -- in Mingora in Swat valley

(Pakistan) Explosions leave three security men dead -- in Sangsila area of Dera Bugti

Pakistan lifts ban on YouTube: official -- after content removed "that was offensive to Islam"

(India) Hyderabad on terror alert again

(India) One more terror suspect held in Karnataka -- Bangalore resident held for 'terror links' -- Syed Sameer alias Sameer Sadaq

(India) Naxalism may enter Kerala: Home Minister

(U.S.) Connecticut: Testimony Begins In Terror Trial -- Hassan Abu-jihaad formerly known as Paul Hall

(U.S.) Several U.S. Embassies Fail To Meet Security Standards -- Many Remain Susceptible to Attack

(Gaza) Palestinian brigades attack Kibbutz Nirim

(West Bank) Israel seizes Hamas charity in Hebron - for funneling funds, members to Hamas terror activities

Jordanians burn Danish flags to protest cartoon -- call for "revenge for blaspheming the Prophet"

Egypt nabs 16 more Muslim Brotherhood members

(Somalia) Police official slain in Somalia

(Yemen) Al-Qaeda claims Yemen attacks -- on Belgian, Spanish tourists

Tanzania: Dar to Probe Mombasa Terrorist Links

(UK) 'Osama bin London' guilty over terror camps -- Mohammed Hamid and three followers convicted -- and -- Hamid linked to July 21 bombers

UK police launch new anti-terror campaign -- looking for individuals that own several mobile phones

Belgium: Terrorist leader interrogated already in 1989 -- Belgian-Moroccan Abdelkader Belliraj

Sri Lanka says 16 more killed in clashes