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.
May 2008 Archives

(India) Terror returns to Jammu

(Lebanon) Fighting rages in Mount Lebanon

Fighting in North and East Lebanon - New fighting between supporters of government and opposition

Indian forces kill 11 militants (updated)

Purchases Linked N. Korean to Syria - NK firm acquired key materials from vendors in China & Europe, secretly transferring to Syrian construction site

(Iraq) Charity is other face of militant group - Sadr's movement ''has established itself as the main service provider in the country"

Qaeda says key member killed in Afghanistan - web - Abu Suleiman al-Otaibi, formerly one of the group's leaders in Iraq, was killed

Hamas militant killed in Gaza explosion

Somalian Islamists ambush govt troops

(Lebanon) Hezbollah fighters in Beirut melt away - Army emerges after decisions to fire airport security chief and end Hezbollah phone network reversed

Militants die in Afghanistan clash

Shell pulls out of Iran gas deal - After criticism from U.S. Congress

(Lebanon) Update: Hezbollah fighters sweep over much of Beirut's Muslim sector "Hezbollah emerged stronger and the government emerged weaker." Also 'Iran backs Hizbollah fighters in Lebanon'

(Lebanon) Report: "Al-Qaeda 'declares war on Hezbollah'" -- allegedly to defend Sunni portions of country

(Iraq) U.S. forces say kill 14 militants in Baghdad - in Sadr City

(Iraq) Four killed in Baghdad Shiite militia bastion - 51 wounded - in Sadr City

(Iraq) US military denies Iraq report of al-Qaida arrest of Abu Ayyub al-Masri -- says arrested had "similar name"

(Afghanistan) US: Several militants killed in Afghanistan clash -- Garmser district of Helmand province

(Pakistan) Rocket attack kills Pakistani police: official - in Swat's Kabbal town -- and -- Explosions in northern Pakistan kill one, wound two -- Jihadists also use remote-controlled bomb to attack government girls' college in Bannu district

U.S. man jailed for 20 years for eco-bombing plot -- Eric McDavid

(U.S.) FBI is called slow to join the terrorism fight -- Senate Intelligence Committee

(U.S.) Influential Muslim Cleric Fights Deportation in New Jersey -- Imam Mohammad Qatanan arrested and pled guilty to Hamas membership

(U.S.) Top Expert on Al Qaeda Victim of Budget Cuts -- regional specialists at Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty

(India J&K) Firing along LoC: India to lodge protest with Pakistan -- initial reports that militants sought to infiltrate into Jammu region

(Gaza) Advisor to US general visited Gaza: Palestinians -- unnamed Canadian colonel

(Netherlands) Dutch drop case against 3 suspected of attack plan -- insufficient evidence of attack plot by two Moroccans and one Sudanese

(Thailand) Police seize 21,000 fake passports -- gang leader charged with smuggling weapons to Sri Lanka's Tamil Tiger rebels

Sri Lankan military: 8 killed in a bomb blast in the east -- Tamil Tiger bomb cafe in eastern Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka military captures town, 31 rebels dead - update

Colombian police arrest senior FARC member -- Gustavo Alvarez aka "Santiago"

(U.S.) Representative Hoekstra Sponsors Amendment to Intelligence Bill - to prohibit intelligence community from adopting "speech codes" that encumber accurately describing jihadists - See Jeffrey Imm's May 8 post

U.S. Urged: Fight Terror On Web -- Security Panel Finds Internet Being Used To Recruit, Train Terrorists -- growing use of Internet to recruit terrorists in U.S. -- Senate Homeland Security Committee report "Violent Islamist Extremism, the Internet, and the Homegrown Terrorist Threat" (Acrobat PDF file)

(Iraq) Seven killed in Baghdad battles - between Shiite fighters and US forces - in Sadr City

(Iraq) Rocket kills 2 civilians in Baghdad park - in Sadr City

(Afghanistan) Six Taliban killed in fighting with Afghan police -- clash in remote Ghor province

(Afghanistan) Twelve dead in Afghanistan violence - in Laghman province's Alishing area, and in Khost

(Afghanistan) 2 police killed in roadside blast in eastern Afghanistan -- and -- 6 police killed in clashes, bombing in Afghanistan - in Muqur district of central Ghazni province

(Pakistan) Militants raze second Swat girls' school - in Pakistan - Swat's Matta tehsil

(Pakistan) 2 police among 4 killed in Quetta - update

'Pakistan may be launching point of future Al Qaeda strikes' -- U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee chairman Howard L. Berman

(UK) July 7 ringleader Mohammed Siddique Khan 'not a good practicing Muslim' -- per Mohammed Shakil on trial accused of helping July 7 bombers

(Lebanon) Hizbullah: Qassem warns 'pro-Israeli factions' - Hizbullah warns against resistance, disabling Hizbullah's private communications network

(Lebanon) Top Sunni accuses Hezbollah of 'invading' Beirut - Grand Mufti Sheikh Mohammed Rashid Kabbani: "an invasion of the city by an armed group"

Somalia fighting leaves 23 dead - in Garsani - Sheikh Abdirahin Ise: "our holy warriors with the help of Allah won a huge victory"

(Somalia) Bomb blast 'damage' Somalia - in Baidoa

(Algeria) "Terror networks in Maghreb region have no link to Al-Qaeda" - General Secretary of PJD Islamic party in Morocco

Sudanese convicted of espionage in Germany -- spying on opponents of Islamism in Sudan

(Canada) Terrorism suspect tries to quit his own trial -- 20-year old Islamic convert won't recognize Canadian law - name withheld as he was underage at time of arrest

Sri Lanka clashes kill 43

Ecuador orders jets -- in response to the March 1 attack by Colombian troops on a FARC rebel base inside Ecuador

(U.S.) Guantanamo Bay: Our jihad will continue, detainee says -- Ali Hamza al Bahlul: "We will continue our jihad and nothing's going to stop us" - Suspected al Qaeda 'media chief' rejects U.S. court

(U.S. & Colombia) Treasury Targets FARC Money Exchange House - Colombian money exchange house laundered funds - 4th action against FARC in 6 months

(Iraq) Report: Al-Qaida in Iraq leader identified with photograph -- Al-Arabiya television reports

(Iraq) The Challenge Of Creating A Lasting Peace -- "Some of the Awakening are chanting for al-Qaeda and using slogans for al-Qaeda. I think the district will pay the price because of these problems."

Afghan Taliban Surrender Arms Before Govt. Officials - in Herat province

(Pakistan) Five Baitullah bombers enter Karachi -- members of Taliban commander Baitullah Mehsud group

(Pakistan) Cop gets bail in Rashid Rauf escape case -- Rauf is alleged mastermind in UK transatlantic jet plot to attack U.S.

(Pakistan) NWFP Govt: Peace talks to continue -- despite Bannu suicide bombing

(Pakistan) U.S. Pentagon rejects some Pakistan aid requests -- and -- U.S. Democratic Senators and Congressmen question $6 billion in Pakistan aid -- contending the anti-terrorism program has grown too costly

U.S. aims to unlink Islamic, terrorism - UPI reports that former senior administration official involved in policy debates states "There's a growing consensus that we need to move away from that language" -- Investigative Project on Terrorism report referenced

(U.S.) Challenges Ahead for Counterterror Chief Leiter (NCTC) -- confirmation hearing addresses terrorism in Pakistan, Saudi Arabia - no mention of NCTC jihad lexicon memo

Indian Cleric Ashraf Mohamedy: Every Muslim Should Be a Terrorist against the Anti-Social Elements in Society -- also urges application of Sharia law in United States

(Lebanon) Warring gunmen engage in clashes in Beirut -- in the districts of Al-Nuwairi and Al-Basta -- Lebanon's political conflict turns violent -- and -- AKI report

(Somalia) Ethiopia accuses Amnesty of smear campaign --- claims reports of atrocities fed to Amnesty Intl by "groups affiliated to al Shabaab"

Somali opposition accuses France of 'kidnapping' pirates -- ARS chairman Hussein Mohamed Aidid says France lacks the legal mandate to charge the six pirates who have held Le Ponant and its crew hostage

(Spain) Pakistan says Spain has solid evidence against its nine nationals -- for planning a terrorist attack in Spain and other European countries

(Thailand) Insurgents kill worker in South -- in the Muang district of Yala province

(Lebanon) - Beirut airport chief tied to Hezbollah? - Lebanon's Cabinet removed him over alleged ties

De-facto LTTE leader arrested in UK

Lebanon: Militant telecom network shut down (updated)

(Iraq) Dozens of Iraqi police detained in operation - 42 suspected of collaborating with Shia terrorists - Iraqi civilians flee fighting in Baghdad militia stronghold

(Iraq) Sharp rise in suicide attacks by women in Iraq likely: US expert - Farhana Ali quoted

(Iraq) Document lists 6,000 al-Qaeda suicide bombers in Iraq -- in Diyala province

(Iraq) Ex-Gitmo Detainee Believed Responsible for Suicide Bombing In Iraq -- Abdullah Saleh al-Ajmi - April 30 in Mosul