The world is apparently awash in terror ‘masterminds’
If you are inclined to believe much of the corporate media, the world is apparently teeming with terrorist “masterminds” – dead or alive. I was reminded of this media concoction while digesting a spate of hyperbolic stories about the still-disputed killing of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) group’s chief spokesman and […]
WFP: 4.5 million people hungry due to Boko Haram violence in Nigeria
Cape Town (dpa) – The number of Nigerians in need of food aid due to the persistent violence of Islamist terrorist group Boko Haram has almost doubled to 4.5 million in just five months, the World Food Programme (WFP) warned Tuesday. The figure could rise by a further million as early as next month in […]
Muslim extremist pleads guilty in The Hague
Malian citizen Ahmad al-Faqi al-Mahdi’s trial in the International Criminal Court in The Hague is a legal first. He is the first Islamic extremist to appear before the court and he’s the first person to be accused of “destroying cultural artefacts.” It’s also a first in that he’s pleaded guilty. “With deep regret and great […]
Terrorism competitions? Al-Qaeda’s Zawahiri Calls on Supporters to Reject ISIS
Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri called on the world’s Muslims to reject the Islamic State militant group (ISIS) and throw their weight behind the Afghan Taliban, in a new video released on Sunday. The leader of one of the world’s largest jihadi groups said that ISIS and his rival leader of the group, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, […]
Photos show IS forces fleeing while using human shields
New photos released over the weekend show Islamic State forces fleeing the Syrian city of Manbij last week, as they surround themselves with human shields to prevent air strikes on the convoy. IS fighters had controlled the key city in northern Syria since early 2014, and the city had become a vital waypoint for the […]
22 killed, 94 injured in bomb attack at wedding in southern Turkey
Istanbul (dpa) – A bomb attack Saturday in southern Turkey killed 22 people and injured 94, the provincial governor’s office said in a statement, calling it a “terror attack.” The late night attack at an outdoor wedding ceremony in Gaziantep province was suspected to be a suicide bomber, officials said, with one member of parliament […]
Iraq executes 36 in connection to Islamic State massacre
Baghdad (dpa) – Iraqi authorities executed 36 men convicted of involvement in the massacre of hundreds of soldiers by the Islamic State extremist militia two years ago, state television al-Iraqiya reports. The inmates were hanged early Sunday in the Central al-Nasria Prison in southern Iraq while in the presence of government officials and relatives of […]
Why Are We Still Wasting Billions on Homeland Security Projects That Don’t Make Us Safer?
This story was co-published with The Atlantic. The turbulent months after the 9/11 attacks were notable for something that did not happen. Even though al-Qaeda had killed thousands of people and scored a direct hit on the Pentagon, hardly anyone in either political party blamed the Bush Administration for failing to defend the homeland.
Islamophobic Tweets Peaked in July After Nice Attack
Islamophobic tweets from around the world rose significantly in the aftermath of the Nice attack and the failed coup attempt in Turkey last month, according to a new study. Compared to 2,500 tweets deemed anti-Islamic in nature made daily in English in April, 7,000 were posted every day in July, according to data seen by […]
ISIL foils governments with encryption, UN experts say
Experts from the UN have warned that an increasing number of adept fighters from the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and al-Qaeda are using encrypted messaging and dark-web forums to covertly plan potential attacks after returning home. According to Wednesday’s report to the Security Council, the top intelligence agencies in charge of […]