25 January 2013

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY THE PTSS DAILY began as a means of keeping PTSS PTSS DAILY NEWS Marshall Center Alumni abreast of news related to FLASH POINTS terrorism. THE PTSS DAILY is neither an academic journal nor the effort of a research directorate or a large TOP HEADLINES staff. Early each morning, articles that are cited in THE COUNTERTERRORISM NEWS BY NATION & REGION PTSS DAILY are culled from hundreds of sources with ALGERIA the intent of providing you with the most current news, AZERBAIJAN/ARMENIA/ NAGORNO-KARABAKH REGION discussions and commentary on terrorism and related BURMA issues such as piracy or narco-terrorism. These articles, CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC COLOMBIA curated from news media, academic and international EGYPT sources or submitted by many of you, give our growing ERITREA network a snapshot of this pernicious threat. GERMANY Every effort is made to ensure that credible articles are INDIA HE AILY IRAN chosen, but the intent of T PTSS D is to deliver JORDAN wide coverage. You – the professional – must be the KENYA final discriminator on the merit of a particular article and KOSOVO its value to your profession. To ensure that THE PTSS LIBYA DAILY is both relevant and valuable to the reader, we MALI welcome and highly encourage comments from you. NIGER

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Thought for the Day | back to top | “Expecting academics to agree on a definition for an esoteric concept like terrorism might be a bridge too far.” ~ Eric Chase, Journal Article, January 24, 2013 PTSS Daily News | back to top | Quiz: How Much Do You Know About Terrorism? The Christian Science Monitor by Arthur Bright January 2013 1. One of the very first terrorist groups in history was the sicarii, which targeted Romans and Roman sympathizers. What nationality were they? Read more at: http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-Issues/2012/0719/Quiz-How-much-do-you-know-about- terrorism/Question-1?nav=616909-csm_article-promoLink Flash Points | back to top | Europeans Urged To Leave Benghazi Aljazeera 24 January 2013 Britain, Germany and the Netherlands warn of imminent threats in the Libyan city and urges its nationals to evacuate. Britain, Germany and the Netherlands have urged all of their citizens to leave the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi Read more at: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/africa/2013/01/2013124135636172470.html UK: Imminent Threat Against Westerners In Benghazi SoAPurce by Cassandra Vinograd & Paisly Dodds 24 January 2013 Britain's Foreign Office urged U.K. nationals to immediately leave the eastern Libyan city of Benghazi in response to an imminent threat against Westerners. Read more at: http://www.miamiherald.com/2013/01/24/3198268/uk-imminent-threat-against-westerners.html JTIC Flashpoints JTIC 24 January 2013 AFGHANISTAN: At least five civilians were killed and 25 others were wounded when unidentified militants detonated a suicide vehicle-borne improvised explosive device (SVBIED) targeting an International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) convoy in the Jalo Khel area of Tagab district in Kapisa province early on 25 January. The vehicle reportedly missed the convoy, though, and crashed into a nearby residence before exploding. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. (Associated Press/Khaama Press) IRAQ: Four security force personnel were killed and a police officer was wounded when unidentified militants launched a small-arms attack targeting a joint military and police checkpoint in the Dawoodi area of Mansour district in the capital Baghdad late on 24 January. A police vehicle was also set on fire. (NINA) PAKISTAN: Four people, including two police officials, were killed and 10 others were wounded in a twin explosive device attack by unidentified militants in the Quaidabad area of the city of Karachi in Sindh province on 24 January. The first improvised explosive device (IED) detonated near a garbage dumping site while the second

nearby device exploded as security forces arrived at the scene, causing the causalities. (The News) YEMEN: State media reported on 24 January that the deputy emir of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), Saudi national Said al-Shihri, had died on an unspecified earlier date from wounds sustained during a joint United States-Yemeni operation on 28 November 2012. The report followed unsubstantiated claims earlier in the week that Shihri had succumbed to his injuries. (SABA/Reuters/BBC/Associated Press) RUSSIA: The Head of the Chechen Republic, Ramzan Kadyrov, confirmed on 24 January that a counter-terrorism operation that began the previous day had killed 13 suspected Islamist militants, including senior commanders Hussein and Muslim Gakayev, in the mountainous areas of Vedeno district in the North Caucasus republic of Chechnya. Hussein Gakayev was the Imarat Kavakz’s emir of the Eastern Military Sector of Wilayah Nokhchicho, as the group refers to Chechnya. (Reuters/Interfax) EGYPT: Sixteen people were wounded during clashes between protesters and security forces in and around Tahrir Square in the capital Cairo on 24 January, as crowds gathered to mark the second anniversary of the anti- government uprising that ousted former president Hosni Mubarak. Police fired tear gas at protesters who threw incendiary devices and attempted to tear down a cement wall aimed at preventing crowds from reaching the parliament. (Associated Press/Al-Jazeera/Al-Arabiya) LIBYA: The United Kingdom’s Foreign and Commonwealth Office issued a statement on 24 January warning its nationals of an imminent threat to Westerners in the city of Benghazi in Cyrenaica region and urged nationals to leave the city immediately. The German and Dutch governments subsequently released similar advisories. (Associated Press/Al-Arabiya) UNITED STATES: A Pakistani-United States national – indentified as David Coleman Headley, 52 – was sentenced to 35 years in prison by a court in the city of Chicago on 24 January. Headley pleaded guilty to 12 terrorism charges in March 2010, including conducting surveillance for the November 2008 Mumbai attack – which left 191 dead – and for providing photos, videos, and descriptions of different targets inside India to the Pakistan- based Lashkar-e-Tayyiba (LeT). (BBC/Reuters) MALI: A faction of Islamist militant group Harakat Ansar al-Din announced on 24 January that it was splitting from the group and forming the Islamic Movement for Azawad. Reportedly headed by Alghabass Ag Intalla, the group pledged a readiness to negotiate with the government, claiming to reject “all forms of extremism and terrorism”. (Associated Press/BBC) AZERBAIJAN: Security forces used a water cannon and tear gas in attempts to disperse hundreds of protesters in the town of Ismailli in Ismailli Rayon on 24 January, following several cases of arson and vandalism during riots that began the previous night. The unrest was sparked by a brawl involving a local hotel owner, which quickly grew into a protest over unemployment and perceived oppressive government policies. Reports contained no details of any casualties. (Reuters/Associated Press)

FURTHER READING: OSINT: Shabab Threatens To Execute Kenyan Hostages In Somalia Flashpoints courtesy of JTIC. Top Headlines | back to top | Egypt Jihadist Group Threatens To Kill Protesters Rose al-Yusuf 24 January 2013 Synopsis [from Open Source Center]: An Egyptian jihadist group, Qa'idat al-Jihad ("foundation of Jihad") has threatened to "target any protester who will try to topple the regime or chant slogans against the Muslim Brotherhood, its general guide or the president", state-run Rose Al-Yusuf newspaper said on its front page on 24 January. The paper quoted a statement from the group that a "campaign of assassinations will be waged for the sake

of God to deter the infidel crusader secularist against President Mursi, the caliphate of Allah on Earth". Meanwhile, the private Al-Shuruq al-Jadid newspaper quoted sources from the Brotherhood as saying that there were "unannounced preparations by the Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, against any violence against the group, its headquarters or leaders". [Original Language: Arabic]

PTSS Daily Contributor Comment: It did not take as long as this writer estimated for the MB to show its true colors. The Arab Spring has finally become a dark Arab Winter and Egyptian dreams of democracy are now nightmares.

Key Insurgent Leaders Killed In Chechnya RIA Novosti 24 January 2013 Russian security forces have killed two key insurgent leaders in Chechnya, the Interior Ministry said Thursday. The two men, brothers Hussein and Muslim Gakayev, were killed along with ten other militants during a special operation in the mountainous southeastern region of Vedeno that began on Wednesday and is still continuing,. Read more at: http://en.rian.ru/crime/20130124/178995960/Key-Insurgent-Leaders-Killed-in-Chechnya.html Jihadist Calls For Retaliation Attacks On France Jihadist website 23 January 2013 A jihadist website has carried a link to a three-minute, 40-second French-language YouTube video titled "A Message to France From a Mujahid in Syria," in which a masked man calls for attacks on France. In the message, he urges Muslims all over the world including France to "strike French interests and institutions, military and civil, on its national territories as well as abroad". "France places itself at the forefront of non-belief and the enemies of God by attacking Muslim Mali," the video says. Mali Islamist Group Splits, Faction Leader Wants Talks Reuters by David Lewis 24 January 2013  Faction breaks with Ansar Dine group  Tuareg negotiator calls for ceasefire and talks A faction of one of the armed Islamist groups occupying the north of the Mali has split off from its al Qaeda allies and says it is willing to hold talks with the government, the leader of the new group said on Thursday. Alghabass Ag Intallah, a senior member of the Tuareg-led Ansar Dine group which helped seize northern Mali last year from government forces, said he had created a new organization, the Islamic Movement of Azawad (MIA), and was ready to seek a negotiated solution to Mali's conflict. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/24/us-mali-rebels-split-idUSBRE90N0FL20130124 Counterterrorism News by Nation & Region ALGERIA | back to top | Arrested Suspect Recounts Preparations For Algeria Attack Echourouk El Youmi 24 January 2013 Synopsis [from Open Source Center]: An Algerian daily has reported details of the hostage-taking operation in Algeria through what it called the "Confessions of the arrested terrorist Abou Talha Ettounsi [the Tunisian]." In the paper, the suspect is quoted as saying that they received instructions from Al-Qa'idah in the Islamic Maghreb leader Mokhtar Belmokhtar to blow up the oil base in Tiguentourine, and that the operation took two-and-a-half months to plan. He describes a journey from northern Mali, through southern Libya and into Algeria. The militants were

instructed "not to touch any Arab Muslim, especially the Algerians... and we were asked to place explosive charges on all the foreign hostages", the suspect says. [Original Language: Arabic] Canadian Police In Algeria To Investigate Gas Plant Attack Reuters 24 January 2013 Canadian police are in Algeria looking for evidence that Canadian citizens were involved in last week's attack and hostage-taking at a desert gas plant, a government official said on Thursday. Around 70 people died when Algerian troops stormed the plant and ended the siege on Sunday. Algerian Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal said a Canadian gunman, identified only as "Chedad," had coordinated the operation. "I can confirm that they are on the ground," the official told Reuters when asked whether members of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police were in Algeria. Read more at: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/thomson-reuters/130124/canadian-police-algeria- investigate-gas-plant-attack Insight: In Amenas Attack Brings Global Jihad Home To Algeria Reuters by Myra MacDonald 24 January 2013 A photo circulating on jihadi online forums says it all: a plane flying into the Eiffel Tower with September 11 written in Arabic in red letters alongside. The French military intervention in Mali and an Islamist militant attack on the In Amenas gas plant in Algeria in which at least 38 workers died have re-energized international jihad. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/24/us-sahara-crisis-jihad-idUSBRE90N07420130124 The Unspectacular, Unsophisticated Algerian Hostage Crisis STRATFOR by Scott Stewart 24 January 2013 The recent jihadist attack on the Tigantourine natural gas facility near In Amenas, Algeria, and the subsequent hostage situation there have prompted some knee-jerk discussions among media punditry. From these discussions came the belief that the incident was spectacular, sophisticated and above all unprecedented. A closer examination shows quite the opposite. Indeed, very little of the incident was without precedent. Mokhtar Belmokhtar, who orchestrated the attack, has employed similar tactics and a similar scale of force before, and frequently he has deployed forces far from his group's core territory in northern Mali. Large-scale raids, often meant to take hostages, have been conducted across far expanses of the Sahel. What was unprecedented was the target. Energy and extraction sites have been attacked in the past, but never before was an Algerian natural gas facility selected for such an assault. Read more at: http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/unspectacular-unsophisticated-algerian-hostage- crisis?utm_source=freelist- f&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130124&utm_term=sweekly&utm_content=readmore&elq=9802bc9d52c 644538fe1c16e9a561b90 Images Surface Showing Scene Inside Algerian Hostage Crisis FOX News 24 January 2013 Images have surfaced that show the scene from within the remote Algerian gas plant as hundreds were being held hostage by Al Qaeda-linked militants. The images, taken secretly by an one of the Algerian hostages, show armed attackers dressed in camouflage uniforms with their faces covered, guarding the hostages at the In Amenas natural gas complex. Read more at: http://www.foxnews.com/world/2013/01/24/images-surface-from-inside-algerian-hostage-crisis/

Algerian Terrorists Were Outnumbered By Guards The Telegraph by Duncan Gardham 24 January 2013 The Amenas gas plant in Algeria was guarded by around 100 armed gendarmes but they failed to fend off an attack by less than half the number of terrorists, it can be disclosed. A base for the gendarmes was built between the residential compound and the drilling area which are several miles apart in the desert, sources told the Daily Telegraph. But they failed to react in time when a convoy of around 14 vehicles arrived at the base at 5.40am on January 16 with heavy machine guns mounted on the back and carrying at least 32 terrorists. Gendarmes accompanying a bus heading for the airport managed to beat off the first attack and Huw Edwards, a British gas worker on the bus, said he owed his life to them. Read more at: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/africaandindianocean/algeria/9822378/Algerian- terrorists-were-outnumbered-by-guards.html AZERBAIJAN/ARMENIA/ NAGORNO-KARABAKH REGION | back to top | OSCE To Monitor Nagorno-Karabakh Ceasefire RIA Novosti 23 January 2013 A group of officials from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) will monitor on Wednesday the contact line between Armenian and Azerbaijani troops on the border with the disputed Nagorno- Karabakh region, the Armenian Defense Ministry said. Read more at: http://en.rian.ru/world/20130123/178962908/OSCE-to-Monitor-Nagorno-Karabakh- Ceasefire.html Cars, Buildings Set On Fire In Azerbaijani Protest Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty 24 January 2013 Thousands of people protested overnight in the Azerbaijani town of Ismayilli, setting fire to cars and buildings, including a motel and the residence of a local governor. Read more at: http://www.rferl.org/media/video/24882626.html BURMA | back to top | Kachin Conflict Shows China’s Business Dilemma In Burma The Irrawaddy by William Boot 23 January 2013 After Burmese artillery shells landed on Chinese soil recently Beijing reacted indignant, dispatching a high-ranking delegation to Burma to demand a ceasefire in Kachin State. Yet, those shells, and many of the other weaponry used in the conflict, are likely to have been Chinese made. Read more at: http://www.irrawaddy.org/archives/24954 CENTRAL AFRICAN REPUBLIC | back to top | CAR Rebels Break Terms Of Cease-Fire Voice of America 23 January 2013 The prime minister of the Central African Republic (CAR) says members of a rebel coalition have broken terms of a peace deal and cease-fire reached earlier this month.

In a interview Wednesday with VOA's French to Africa Service, Prime Minister Nicolas Tiangaye said elements of the Seleka rebel alliance had entered towns and vandalized government buildings, violating the accord between the government and rebels. Read more at: http://www.voanews.com/content/car-rebels-break-terms-of-cease-fire/1589562.html COLOMBIA | back to top | Colombia Peace Talks 'In Mambo Rhythm', Say Farc Rebels BBC News 25 January 2013 Colombia's peace talks are advancing at an accelerated pace – "in the rhythm of mambo", as a Farc spokesman put it. After three rounds of talks, Jesus Santrich said common ground on land reform had been found. The Colombian government negotiator, former Vice President Humberto de la Calle, said there were still were stark differences, but admitted some concord. The negotiations were launched three months ago in an attempt to end five decades of conflict. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-21190071 EGYPT | back to top | Egypt Jihadist Group Threatens To Kill Protesters Rose al-Yusuf 24 January 2013 Synopsis [from Open Source Center]: An Egyptian jihadist group, Qa'idat al-Jihad ("foundation of Jihad") has threatened to "target any protester who will try to topple the regime or chant slogans against the Muslim Brotherhood, its general guide or the president", state-run Rose Al-Yusuf newspaper said on its front page on 24 January. The paper quoted a statement from the group that a "campaign of assassinations will be waged for the sake of God to deter the infidel crusader secularist against President Mursi, the caliphate of Allah on Earth". Meanwhile, the private Al-Shuruq al-Jadid newspaper quoted sources from the Brotherhood as saying that there were "unannounced preparations by the Muslim Brotherhood and its political arm, the Freedom and Justice Party, against any violence against the group, its headquarters or leaders". [Original Language: Arabic]

PTSS Daily Contributor Comment: It did not take as long as this writer estimated for the MB to show its true colors. The Arab Spring has finally become the Arab Winter and Egyptian dreams of democracy are now nightmares.

Egypt Opposition To Rally On Revolution Anniversary BBC News 25 January 2013 Police have clashed with protesters gathering in Tahrir Square in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, ahead of the second anniversary of the uprising that swept Hosni Mubarak from power. Police clashed with opponents of President Mohammed Morsi who are now converging on Tahrir Square. There are clashes in Alexandria and Suez. In Ismailia protesters set fire to the Muslim Brotherhood's party HQ. Critics accuse Mr Morsi of betraying the revolution. He denies this and has appealed for calm. An appeals court recently overturned Mr Mubarak's life sentence over the deaths of protesters and ordered a retrial. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21191260

ERITREA | back to top | Eritrean Siege Stalemate Sheds Light On An Opaque Society Voice of America by Peter Heinlein 22 January 2013 A day-long siege at Eritrea's information ministry Monday ended in a stalemate, with disgruntled soldiers retreating to a strategic location outside the capital, Asmara. That the incident provides rare insight into the inner workings of one of the world's most opaque societies. Read more at: http://www.voanews.com/content/eritrean-siege-stalemate-sheds-light-on-an-opaque- society/1589075.html GERMANY | back to top | Football Fans Heat Up Stadium Security Debate The Local 23 January 2013 After hooligans forced a Bundesliga game to be delayed by throwing flares at the weekend, Germany coach Joachim Löw is leading the call for tighter security measures in the country's football stadiums. On Saturday, hooligans in the Eintracht Frankfurt fan block forced their team's 3-1 defeat at Bayer Leverkusen to be delayed by six minutes after lighting flares and setting off fireworks. Referee Wolfgang Stark marched both teams off the pitch amidst safety concerns for the players after the pyrotechnics started landing on a corner of the pitch. Read more at: http://www.thelocal.de/sport/20130123-47495.html INDIA | back to top | Terror Threat Looms Over Delhi Times of India by Neeraj Chauhan 24 January 2013 Pakistan-based terror outfits plan to carry out strikes on Republic Day to avenge the execution of Ajmal Kasab. TOI on Wednesday accessed an Intelligence Bureau input that says Lashkar-e-Taiba ( LeT), al-Qaida and Tehrik-e- Taliban Pakistan have jointly announced the plan to carry out blasts to disrupt celebrations. Security agencies are taking this threat very seriously, as the aforementioned terror outfits have been crying for blood ever since Kasab was hanged at the Yerwada Jail in Pune on November 21 last year. "The explosives and ammunition for the attack have already been smuggled into the country," said a highly placed source in IB. Read more at: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/delhi/Terror-threat-looms-over- Delhi/articleshow/18157768.cms IRAN | back to top | Iran Creates Fake Blogs In Smear Campaign Against Journalists In Exile The Guardian by Saeed Kamali Dehghan 24 January 2013 BBC Persian staff victims of online identity theft designed to discredit them, with family in Iran facing harassment as well Iran has been conducting a smear campaign designed to intimidate Iranian journalists living in exile, including apparent death threats. Cyber-activists linked to the Islamic republic have fabricated news, duplicated Facebook accounts and spread false allegations of sexual misconduct by exiled journalists, while harassment of family

members back in Iran has been stepped up by security officials. Staff at the BBC's Persian service in London are among dozens of Iranian journalists who have been subjected to what appears to be an operation sponsored by the authorities and aimed at discrediting reporters in the eyes of the public in Iran. Read more at: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jan/24/iran-fake-blog-smear-campaign-journalist-bbc

PTSS Daily Contributor Comment: Cyber intimidation certainly, but this may rise to cyber terrorism as well.

JORDAN | back to top | Tribal Lawmakers To Dominate Jordan's Parliament Reuters by Suleiman Al-Khalidi 24 January 2013 Pro-government tribal candidates strengthened their grip on Jordan's parliament after Wednesday's general election, boycotted as rigged by the Muslim Brotherhood-led opposition, according to preliminary results. State television on Thursday listed most of the 150 seats contested, saying they were won by independents, candidates with limited political agendas who rely on family and tribal allegiances rather than party backing. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/24/us-jordan-elections-idUSBRE90N0AM20130124 KENYA | back to top | One Injured In Ruiru Blast Daily Nation by Oliver Musembi & Eric Mutai 24 January 2013 One person was injured after an explosion at a bar in Ruiru town Thursday. Read more at: http://www.nation.co.ke/News/One-injured-in-Ruiru-blast/-/1056/1673940/-/djj2epz/- /index.html KOSOVO | back to top | New Incidents Targeting Kosovo Serbs b92 23 January 2013 Several incidents targeting Serbs took place in Kosovo on Wednesday. A Serb woman was shot at and Molotov cocktails were thrown at a barn owned by Serbs. Two ethnic Albanians fired shots at a Serb woman in the village of Osojane but she was unharmed. Shots were also fired at the Osojane municipal building. The police have blocked the building and are conducting an investigation. Unknown persons threw two Molotov cocktails at a barn of Aleksandar and Nebojša Jovanović in the village of Bresje last night. The fireboms did a minor material damage to the barn, KIM Radio has reported. Read more at: http://www.b92.net/eng/news/politics-article.php?yyyy=2013&mm=01&dd=23&nav_id=84297 Removal Of Memorial Sparks Protests, Incidents SETimes by Muhsmet Brajshori & Biljana Pekusic 24 January 2013 Kosovo has increased police presence in the country's north and around cultural sites after a protest took place Monday (January 21st) against the removal of a monument in Presevo honouring Albanian rebels. more... Read more at: http://setimes.com/cocoon/setimes/xhtml/en_GB/features/setimes/features/2013/01/22/feature-01

LIBYA | back to top | Libya Reinforces Border, Oilfields After Algeria Attack Reuters by Marie-Louise Gumuchian 23 January 2013 Libya has strengthened its oil protection force in southwestern oilfields near the Algerian border after the In Amenas attack in its neighbor. In an interview with Reuters, Colonel Ali Elahrash, head of Libya's Petroleum Faculty Guard, said men from the Western Mountain town of Zintan had been sent in as reinforcements to boost border security as well to oilfields in the area. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/23/us-libya-oil-guard-idUSBRE90M12B20130123 MALI | back to top | Mali's Ansar Eddine Group Splits Tout sur l'Algerie 24 January 2013 Synopsis [from Open Source Center]: Moderates from Mali's Ansar Eddine movement have announced the formation of a dissident group called the Azawad Islamic Movement (MIA), which is committed to a peaceful solution to the crisis in Mali, Tout sur l'Algerie website reported on 24 January. The website said it received a communique from the group which "rejects any form of extremism and terrorism, and commits itself to fighting them". Under the leadership of Alghabasse Ag Intalla, it would be made up exclusively of persons who are natives of the region. "The MIA reaffirms its independence and its determination to move towards a peaceful solution to this crisis," the communique said. The MIA has appealed to the Malian authorities and France to halt the "hostilities" in the zones under its control: Kidal and Menaka. It also appealed to them to "create a climate of peace" for "the establishment of an inclusive political dialogue". [Original Language: French] Chadian Troops Join Mali War Al-Jazeera TV 22 January 2013 Synopsis [from Open Source Center]: Chadian troops, experienced in desert combat, are being deployed to back up French and Malian forces in their offensive to oust Islamist armed groups from northern Mali, a Chadian politician told Al-Jazeera on 22 January. Abderehim Ali, leader of Chad's Centre Party for Justice and Development, said that Chad expected acts of retaliation from militant groups similar to their attack on the Algerian gas complex in In Amenas. But he said the Chadian government had taken that into account and opted to take the fight outside Chadian territory rather than fighting armed groups inside the country. The Chadian forces, which gathered in the Niger capital Niamey, are planning to advance towards the northern Malian town of Gao, a security source in Niger was quoted as saying. [Original Language: Arabic] Small Numbers Of French Jihadists Going To Mali Rue89 22 January 2013 Synopsis [from Open Source Center]: The French news website Rue89 quotes an anti-terror investigating judge, Mar Trevidic, as saying that northern Mali could become the "new Afghanistan", serving as a training ground for European jihadists. Trevidic said that there were investigations going on into the large Malian community in France, "who compare the Sahel to an El Dorado where one can live according to the rules of shari'ah, much less distant from us than Waziristan. They also want to go there to defend a land attacked". The website names two French citizens arrested for alleged terrorist links with Mali, the Franco-Congolese Cedric Labo Ngoyi Bungenda and the

Franco-Malian Ibrahim Ouattara, as well as several others who are under investigation. However, the website warned against "alarmist conclusions", citing L'Express newspaper as saying there were probably less than 10 French "combatants" in Mali at present. [Original Language: French] NIGER | back to top | France Orders Special Forces To Protect Niger Uranium: Source Reuters 24 January 2013 France has ordered special forces to protect uranium sites run by state-owned Areva in Niger as the threat of attacks on its interests rises after its intervention against rebels in Mali, a military source said on Thursday. Areva has been mining uranium in Niger for more than five decades and provides much of the raw materials that power France's nuclear power industry, the source of 75 percent of the country's electricity. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/24/us-mali-rebels-niger-areva- idUSBRE90N0K820130124 NIGERIA | back to top | Suspected Islamic Sect Gunmen Kill 12 In Nigeria's Borno State Leadership by Babagana Wakil 24 January 2013 Twelve persons were killed in multiple attacks and bomb explosion carried out by unknown gunmen in separate areas of Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, yesterday. This was just as the police destroyed 140 explosives in Jos also yesterday. Among those killed were two of the suspected assailants, having being trailed by operatives of the Joint Military Task Force, (JTF). This came barely 24 hours after another group of gunmen stormed a local market in Damboa town, administrative headquarters of Damboa Local Government Area and killed 18 hunters. Read more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201301240091.html Nigerian Militants Suspected Of Maiduguri Beheadings BBC News 23 January 2013 Suspected militant Islamists have beheaded five people in Nigeria's north-eastern city of Maiduguri, a resident has told the BBC. The men were attacked during raids on three homes overnight, he said in an account confirmed by a local reporter. However, the military told the BBC only three people had been killed. At least 23 others have been killed in separate attacks in the north this week blamed on militants wanting to impose Islamic law on Nigeria. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-21162787 NORWAY | back to top | Algerian Terror Group May Have Cell In Norway – Paper Aftenposten 23 January 2013 Synopsis [from Open Source Center]: The terrorist group that was behind the attack on the gas installation in

Algeria had previously operated in Norway - under close surveillance by Norway's Police Security Service (PST), leading daily Aftenposten reported. It said that two Algerian men arrested in Italy in 2005 on suspicion on terrorism, Kahled Serai and Yamine Bouhrama, had been monitored in Norway for some time before their trip to Italy. Bouhrama, described as the terrorist cell's organizer, had a background of extensive terrorist training in Afghanistan, Georgia, and Chechnya. The Italian chief investigator later told Aftenposten that the two had close ties to Al-Qa'idah in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). [Original Language: Norwegian] Norway, UK To Discuss Antiterrorism Cooperation Aftenposten 23 January 2013 The Norwegian prime minister, Jens Stoltenberg, intends to discuss the fight against terrorism with his British counterpart David Cameron, following the attack on the gas facility in In Amenas, Aftenposten newspaper reported on 23 January. He is planning to discuss how Norway and the UK could work together towards a more international approach to combating terrorism, Stoltenberg said in a briefing. Stoltenberg called the incident "the worst attack on Norwegian economic interests outside Norway in peacetime". The fate of five Norwegians missing since the attack is still unclear. Norway has been cautious about drawing conclusions concerning the Algerian authorities' handling of the situation. Stoltenberg said that the Norwegian authorities would continue to talk with and assist the Algerian government. [Original Language: Norwegian] SOMALIA | back to top | Somali Al Shabaab Rebels Threaten To Kill Kenyan Hostages Reuters 23 January 2013 Somali insurgents linked to al Qaeda have demanded that Kenya release all Muslims held on terror charges within three weeks, failing which they said they would kill their Kenyan hostages. Al Shabaab said it killed French hostage Denis Allex last week to avenge what it called France's growing persecution of Muslims and its military operations against Islamists, including in Mali. The kidnapping of dozens of hostages at a gas plant in Algeria by Islamist fighters last Wednesday and al Shabaab's claim illustrate the potential fallout from France's battle against loosely allied bands of al Qaeda-inspired rebels in Africa. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/23/us-somalia-hostages-kenya- idUSBRE90M1K520130123 SYRIA | back to top | Syria’s Opposition Coalition Warns Of A Catastrophe In Aleppo Al Arabiya 24 January 2013 The Syrian National Coalition warned in a statement on Wednesday from a tragedy in the province of Aleppo, where the regime is continuing a series of ethnic cleansing towards Sunni areas, reported Al Arabiya. In the same vain, fighting raged in several Syrian flashpoints on Wednesday. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said six members of one family -- a couple and four children -- were killed in a dawn missile attack on the village of Abu Taltal in Aleppo province, updating an earlier count of five. In a video released by activists, the bodies of the three children, a boy and two young girls, can be seen lying on blankets on a hospital bed Read more at: http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2013/01/24/262220.html

US Envoy To Syria: Assad's Mother Has Fled Country Reuters 25 January 2013 Robert Ford tells CNN that Anisa Makhlouf now in UAE; claims morale of inner circle down as fighting gets closer. Syrian President Bashar Assad's mother, Anisa Makhlouf, has fled the country for the United Arab Emirates, US ambassador to Syria Robert Ford told CNN on Thursday. "Members of the regime, little by little, are flaking off," Ford stated, claiming that Assad's sister Bushra had left the country previously and was living in Dubai. Read more at: http://www.jpost.com/MiddleEast/Article.aspx?id=300926 About 20,000 Syrian Refugees Flee To Jordan In A Week Reuters by Suleiman Al-Khalidi 23 January 2013 Around 20,000 Syrian refugees have fled to neighboring Jordan in the last seven days due to escalating violence in southern Syria, the fastest influx since the start of the uprising against President Bashar al-Assad two years ago, Jordan's foreign minister said on Wednesday. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/01/23/us-syria-jordan-refugees-idUSBRE90M1CN20130123 UNITED NATIONS | back to top | UN Launches Inquiry Into Drone Killings BBC News 24 January 2013 The UN is launching an inquiry into the impact on civilians of drone strikes and other targeted killings. There is a need for "accountability and reparation where things have gone badly wrong", the British lawyer heading the investigation told journalists. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-21176279 UN Launches Major Investigation Into Civilian Drone Deaths The Bureau of Investigative Journalism by Chris Woods & Alice K. Ross 24 January 2013 A UN investigation into the legality and casualties of drone strikes has been formally launched, with a leading human rights lawyer revealing the team that will carry out the inquiry. The announcement came as the latest reported US drone strike in Yemen was said to have mistakenly killed two children. Ben Emmerson QC, the UN’s special rapporteur on human rights and counter-terrorism, told a London press conference that he will lead a group of international specialists who will examine CIA and Pentagon covert drone attacks in Pakistan, Yemen and Somalia. Read more at: http://www.thebureauinvestigates.com/2013/01/24/un-launches-major-investigation-into-civilian- drone-deaths/ UNITED KINGDOM/NORTHERN IRELAND | back to top | Four Held Over Syria Terror Fears Burton Mail 24 January 2013 Four men have been arrested by detectives investigating travel to Syria in support of alleged terrorist activity. A 33-year-old man was arrested at Gatwick airport at 4.17pm on Wednesday as he attempted to take a flight out of

UK, said a statement from the Metropolitan Police (MPS). Between 6am and 6.30am on Thursday, three other men - an 18-year-old, a 31-year-old and a 22-year-old - were arrested at separate addresses in east London. Read more at: http://www.burtonmail.co.uk/Home/Four-held-over-Syria-terror-fears-0-3932647.xnf UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | back to top | U.S., Africa Say Mali Action Counters Growing Islamist Threat Reuters by Joe Penny & Richard Valdmanis 23 January 2013 The United States and African leaders threw their full diplomatic weight on Wednesday behind a campaign to expel Islamist rebels from Mali, as French air strikes harried the al Qaeda-allied fighters in their strongholds. For nearly two weeks, French jets and helicopters have been hitting carefully selected targets around rebel-held Malian towns such as Gao and Timbuktu, while African troops gather for a planned ground offensive against the Islamist forces. Read more at: http://news.yahoo.com/u-africa-mali-action-counters-growing-islamist-threat-181408328.html Mumbai Sentencing: American Gets 35 Years, Judge Calls Him 'Terrorist' Christian Science Monitor by Warren Richey 25 January 2013 David Coleman Headley, a US citizen of Pakistani heritage, conducted surveillance for the Mumbai attackers. In light of his cooperation with investigators, prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. A federal judge in Chicago sentenced an American citizen to 35 years in prison on Thursday for his role in providing surveillance information and videos laying the groundwork for the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, India, that left more than 160 dead and hundreds wounded. Read more at: http://news.yahoo.com/mumbai-sentencing-american-gets-35-years-judge-calls-223324394.html

PTSS Daily Contributor Comment: Thirty five years in prison is a considerably long time. Headley, designated a “terrorist” by the presiding judge, may or may not give up his jihadist ideology during his incarceration, but his ability to inflict damage when in his eighties and probably using a walker is at least questionable.

YEMEN | back to top | US Drone Strike In Yemen Kills Seven Militant Suspects BBC News 24 January 2013 A US drone strike in Yemen has killed seven suspected al-Qaeda militants, according to Yemeni officials. Wednesday's strike targeted a vehicle near the town of Khawlan, around 30km (20 miles) from the capital, Sanaa. There have been several US drone strikes against militants in Yemen in recent days. Yemen is considered a stronghold of al-Qaeda in the Arabian peninsula (AQAP). Militants have gained ground because of the weakness of the central government. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21180739

PTSS Daily Contributor Comment: The drone strikes are continuing apace in Obama’s second term and, according to press reports, the CIA has authority to hit targets based on fast-breaking information. These so- called ‘signature’ strikes seem particularly valuable in identifying and killing al-Qaeda operational elements. A continuation of drone attacks can be expected, in Pakistan, Yemen, Somalia and other locations.

Al-Qaeda leader Said al-Shehri 'dies in Yemen' BBC News 24 January 2013 A senior leader of Yemen's local branch of al-Qaeda has died of wounds he received last November, says the state's government. Said al-Shehri fell into a coma after being wounded by security forces in the northern province of Saada, it said. If confirmed, correspondents say, the death would be a big blow to his group, Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-21189324 General CounterTerrorism News | back to top | Defining Terrorism: A Strategic Imperative Small Wars Journal by Eric Chase 24 January 2013 On September 11, 2012, a group of assailants, now believed to be part of, or affiliated with, the terrorist organization Ansar al-Sharia attacked the U.S. Consulate in Benghazi, Libya, killing the American Ambassador and three others. In the following weeks, U.S. political discourse focused on one question: was the event a terrorist attack or simply a spontaneous response to a viral internet video mocking the prophet Muhammad and the Islamic religion? For counterterrorism scholars and practitioners alike, the debate reaffirmed familiar challenges associated with studying terrorism or developing counterterrorism strategies. Namely, “terrorism” is a difficult concept to define. Even if a video attacking the Muslim faith had in fact inspired a spontaneous attack on the Consulate, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) defines terrorism as “the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population, or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives.” This definition certainly seems applicable in such an instance. Nevertheless, applying the label “terrorism” or “terrorist” to any one event, person, or group conjures visceral emotions, incites ideological sparring, and stirs vociferous political debate that reverberate well beyond the initial application of the term. This article recognizes that developing a universally accepted definition of terrorism is unlikely – if not impossible – when “universal” encompasses a stakeholder group, including nation-states, sub-state organizations, individual non- state actors, and scholars. Read more at: http://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/defining-terrorism-a-strategic-imperative Commentary & Opinion | back to top | Book Review: Enemies Domestic Wall Street Journal by Ali Soufan 23 January 2013 Jose Padilla may have been an idiot who thought he could make a nuclear bomb by swinging uranium around in a bucket, but that doesn't mean he wasn't dangerous. In 1992, Tarik Shah, an accomplished jazz musician, played at Bill Clinton's presidential inauguration. In 2004, he was being monitored by the FBI as he developed plans to train (he was also a martial-arts master) and recruit fighters for al Qaeda. The FBI started focusing on Shah after learning he had been making inquiries into joining al Qaeda. Then a search of his car—occasioned by his arrest for petty larceny—uncovered the contact information of extremists with ties to al Qaeda. An informant sent to befriend Shah introduced him to an undercover FBI agent posing as a personal representative of Osama bin Laden. Over the course of the next year, Shah met and communicated with the agent numerous times. In May 2005, in an apartment in the Bronx, Shah and an associate pledged an oath of allegiance to bin Laden through the agent. The next day they were arrested.

In his telling of this story in "The Terror Factory," Trevor Aaronson omits some key facts. He doesn't mention, for example, Shah's early attempts to join al Qaeda or the evidence found in connection with his larceny arrest. Instead he portrays Shah as an otherwise innocent man entrapped by FBI informants. Mr. Aaronson should know better. He interviewed me (I was the undercover FBI agent), the court documents are public, and I told the entire story in my book "The Black Banners." Shah's lawyers certainly knew better and advised their client to plead guilty, whereupon a judge sentenced him to 15 years in prison. Shah's story is buried among the many that Mr. Aaronson tells in a book trying to show that there is no threat from terrorism here in the U.S., only terrorists manufactured by the FBI to be caught by the FBI. He writes that the bureau "currently spends $3 billion annually to hunt an enemy that is largely of its own creation" and that those arrested are "nothing more than FBI creations, impressionable men living on the edge of society who become bomb-triggering would-be killers only because of the actions of FBI informants." Read more at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323485704578257602005693408.html?KEYWORDS=In+1992 +Tarik+Shah+an+accomplished+jazz+musician+played+at+Bill+Clinton%27s+presidential+inauguration+In+2004 +he+was+being+monitored+by+the+FBI+as+he+developed+plans+to+train+%28he+was+also+a+martial- arts+master%29+and+recruit+fighters+for+al+Qaeda Mali Exposes Flaws in West's Security Plans Wall Stree Journal by Adam Entous, Julian E. Barnes, and Drew Hinshaw 23 January 2013 France's attack on Islamic extremists in Mali this month is exposing major strains in the Western world's security strategy. As the French assault gained steam in West Africa, France sought help from its allies—only to find that the U.S. and other North Atlantic Treaty Organization states either weren't ready or couldn't offer much. Canada and the U.K. quickly ponied up three cargo planes, two of which broke down en route. By far the biggest breakdown, however, played out between the U.S. and France, as Washington sent what Paris saw as mixed messages about U.S. levels of commitment to taking on an al Qaeda affiliate in Mali before and after the French attack began. French officials involved in planning the Mali campaign say they had expected quick, robust U.S. military support based on comments by Pentagon officials in a series of private meetings, including one last October in Paris about how to tame violence in North and West Africa. According to French officials in attendance, the message that day from Michael Sheehan, the Pentagon's point man for special operations, seemed clear: Stop the group known as AQIM—al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb—and its allies from creating a desert safe haven. Read more at: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323301104578257943691567614.html?mod=googlenews_wsj Mali Is Not Another Afghanistan The Spectator by Aaron Ellis 24 January 2013 Why should we worry if jihadists control a poor, landlocked country thousands of miles away? As the French push on with the ‘reconquest’ of Mali, there’s a feeling here that Britain must play its part in preventing a terrorist safe haven on Europe’s southern border. Some compare the situation to pre-9/11 Afghanistan. Back in May, Ian Birrell warned that we ‘have seen the damage caused by a broken, chaotic country – and how Islamist terror groups promising stability can fill the void.’ The ‘shockwaves’ from Mali ‘could be felt far beyond its own borders’ just as the ones from Afghanistan were felt in New York and Washington. Bob Carr, Australia’s foreign minister, has drawn a similar comparison. Implicitly, the message is that ‘Something must be done!’ before history repeats itself. The comparison is a bad one, though, and we shouldn’t let it draw us into another conflict. Read more at: http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/coffeehouse/2013/01/mali-is-not-another- afghanistan/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=mali-is-not-another-afghanistan

In N. Africa Terror Battle, U.S. Should Lead From Way Behind CNN by Blake Hounshell 24 January 2013 Story Highlights  Blake Hounshell: Critics focused on Clinton's fiery comments at hearing, not more pressing issue  He says focus should be danger of U.S. getting drawn into fighting extremists in N. Africa  He says it's not clear what threat al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb poses to U.S.  Hounshell: U.S. should lead from way behind French, African forces while developing strategy Editor's note: Blake Hounshell is the managing editor at Foreign Policy. As theater, Hillary Clinton's congressional testimony on the September attack on the U.S. diplomatic mission in Benghazi did not disappoint. The secretary of state was prepared. She was poised. And she was fiery. Clinton likely regrets her exasperated response to persistent questions by Sen. Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, who repeated the charge that the Obama administration had misled Americans over whether there was a protest on the night of the Benghazi attack, as reports first indicated. She exploded: "With all due respect, the fact is we had four dead Americans. Was it because of a protest or was it because of guys out for a walk one night decided they'd go kill some Americans? What difference, at this point, does it make?" The response instantly inspired the critical hashtag #WhatDifferenceDoesItMake and became a hot topic on right-wing radio. Read more at: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/01/24/opinion/hounshell-benghazi-mali/index.html?hpt=hp_c4 Yemen Seeks To Talk Its Way Out Of Chaos Yemen Times by Patrick Seale 24 January 2013 Although politically divided, suffering economic hardship, rent by bitter grievances and burdened by a history of civil conflict, Yemen has chosen to resolve its difficulties by means of a great National Dialogue. It has chosen to talk rather than to fight - a decision of great wisdom. Read more at: http://www.yementimes.com/en/1645/opinion/1900/Yemen-seeks-to-talk-its-way-out-of-chaos.htm Discussing Islam: A Religious Taboo National Review by Clifford D. May 24 Janaury 2013 American officials can kill our enemies. They just can’t discuss our enemies’ beliefs. Can we at least agree that reports of al-Qaeda’s death have been greatly exaggerated? You’ll recall that Peter Bergen, a director at the New America Foundation and the national-security analyst for CNN, began pronouncing AQ dead last summer. At the Aspen Institute, he even gave a speech titled “Time to Declare Victory: Al Qaeda Is Defeated.” He defended this thesis repeatedly, including in a debate with me on Wolf Blitzer’s show on CNN. President Obama has not gone quite that far. Prior to the election, in stump speeches round the country, he said al- Qaeda had been “decimated.” And even in his inaugural address this week he claimed that “a decade of war is now ending.” (He also spoke of “peace in our time” — a phrase made infamous by British prime minister Neville Chamberlain at Munich in 1938. Is it possible Obama did not know that? Worse, is it possible that he did?) Read more at: http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/338595/discussing-islam-religious-taboo-clifford-d-may Cyber Warfare | back to top | Australia's First National Security Strategy Emphasizes Cyber Defense Help net Security 23 January 2013 The publication of Australia’s first National Security Strategy has revealed that Australia will be turning its economic and strategic focus towards the Asia-Pacific region, and that it considers "sustainable security in Asia" an

essential ingredient for its success. "The digital age is central to Australia’s national security and economic prosperity. From terrorism to organized crime to espionage, malicious cyber activity is a growing and ever changing national security threat. The Government will focus on delivering integrated cyber policy and operations to deal with these developments in the context of its broader digital agenda. This will mean working even more closely with industry, the community and international partners," Julia Gillard, Australia's Prime Minister, wrote in the Strategy's foreword. Read more at: http://www.net-security.org/secworld.php?id=14288 UK To Join NATO Cyber-Defence Centre In ZD Net by Sam Shead 23 January 2013 David Cameron has told the Estonian prime minister the UK will join the Nato Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre Of Excellence this year. Read more at: http://www.zdnet.com/uk/uk-to-join-nato-cyber-defence-centre-in-2013-7000010206/ Legal Aspects & Lawfare | back to top | Pakistani-American To Be Sentenced For Terrorism Voice of America 24 January 2013 A Pakistani-American who has pleaded guilty to his role in the 2008 Mumbai terror attacks is to be sentenced Thursday in a Chicago courtroom. David Coleman Headley could get life in prison, but federal prosecutors have asked for a lighter sentence of 30-to- 35 years because Headley provided information that led to charges against other people involved with the Pakistani terror group Lashkar-e-Taiba. Read more at: http://www.voanews.com/content/pakistaniamerican-to-be-sentenced-for-terrorism/1589935.html Pakistani-American To Be Sentenced For Mumbai Attacks Role PTI News Agency 24 January 2013 Synopsis [from Open Source Center]: Pakistani-American David Headley, is set to be sentenced by a court in Chicago for his role in the Mumbai attacks that claimed 166 lives in 2008. The US government is seeking a lighter 30-35 year jail term rather than life imprisonment or the death penalty as he provided "valuable" information about the militant organization Lashkar-i-Toiba, to whom he gave material support. The 52-year-old Headley, who was arrested by the FBI investigators in October 2009 at Chicago airport on his way to Pakistan, had pleaded guilty to his role in the 26/11 attacks. The US government notified the Chicago court of an agreement it has with Headley, under which it would neither seek death penalty nor extradite him to India, Pakistan or Denmark. Rwanda: Genocide Suspect Arrested In France RFI 24 January 2013 A Rwandan suspected of genocide and crimes against humanity has been arrested in France. Interpol was searching for 40-year-old Innocent Musabyimana after Rwanda issued a warrant for him in November but French officials and campaigners say they do not know anything about him. Musabyimana was arrested in the Burgundy city of Dijon on Tuesday. French authorities say they had no idea who he was, how long he had been in France or how he got here. They only know that he was training to drive a delivery van. Read more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201301240744.html?aa_source=mf-hdlns

Mumbai Sentencing: American Gets 35 Years, Judge Calls Him 'Terrorist' Christian Science Monitor by Warren Richey 25 January 2013 David Coleman Headley, a US citizen of Pakistani heritage, conducted surveillance for the Mumbai attackers. In light of his cooperation with investigators, prosecutors did not seek the death penalty. A federal judge in Chicago sentenced an American citizen to 35 years in prison on Thursday for his role in providing surveillance information and videos laying the groundwork for the 2008 terror attacks in Mumbai, India, that left more than 160 dead and hundreds wounded. David Coleman Headley, a US citizen of Pakistani heritage, was arrested in October 2009. He agreed shortly afterward to cooperate with US investigators and intelligence officials, and he testified against one of his fellow co- conspirators. Read more at: http://news.yahoo.com/mumbai-sentencing-american-gets-35-years-judge-calls-223324394.html

Narco-Terrorism | back to top | El Salvador 'Peace Zone' Launched In Second Phase Of Gang Truce InSight Crime by Miriam Wells 23 January 2013 The first "peace zone" has been inaugurated in El Salvador, launching the second phase of the gang truce, which could prove critical in determining whether the initiative is sustainable. Gang leaders and mediators named Ilopango, a town near the capital, a violence-free area where no crimes will be committed. Gang members will hand in weapons and stop all crimes, including extortion, kidnapping, theft, and murder. Some 18 municipalities in the country may eventually see the creation of such zones. Read more at: http://www.insightcrime.org/news-analysis/el-salvador-peace-zone-launched-in-second-phase-of- gang-truce Network Notes | back to top | Cyber-Crime Ring Targeted U.S. Bank Accounts, Feds Say Los Angeles Times by Andrew Tangel 23 January 2013 A cyber-crime case brought by U.S. prosecutors in New York may add to the fears of anyone who banks online. The charges against three foreign nationals -- a Russian, a Latvian and a Romanian The charges against three foreign nationals -- a Russian, a Latvian and a Romanian -- allege they were involved in creating and distributing a computer virus that infected more than 40,000 computers in the United States in an effort to steal customers' bank-account data and other information. The so-called Gozi virus led to the theft of unspecified millions of dollars, court documents say. Read more at: http://www.latimes.com/business/money/la-fi-mo-cybercrime-ring-targeted-us-bank-accounts-feds- say-20130123,0,732606.story

Shamoon Malware Possibly Developed By Extremist Islamist Group From Saudi Arabia SoftPedia by Eduard Kovacs 24 January 2013 United States officials have insisted on numerous occasions that the Shamoon malware, the one used in the cyberattacks against Saudi Aramco, is the work of Iran. However, new evidence suggests that it could be the work of an extremist Islamist group based in Saudi Arabia. Read more at: http://news.softpedia.com/news/Shamoon-Malware-Possibly-Developed-by-Extremist-Islamist- Group-from-Saudi-Arabia-323759.shtml Supply Chain Uncertainties Complicate Security Dark Reading by Robert Lemos 23 January 2013 Los Alamos National Laboratory's move to oust Chinese hardware without any evidence of backdoors highlights how supply chain insecurities are difficult to manage Supply-chain security has become a growing concern for national governments and large enterprises, but the degree to which compromised technology is a threat remains uncertain, especially since backdoors are hard to detect and, once found, deniable. In November, the acting chief information officer of Los Alamos National Laboratory reported in a letter to the National Nuclear Security Administration that the lab's technicians had removed two network switches made by a subsidiary of network giant Huawei Technologies, based in Hangzhou, China, according to a Reuters report published earlier this month. The letter came after the House Armed Service Committee requested information on supply-chain risks from the Department of Energy. Read more at: http://www.darkreading.com/advanced-threats/167901091/security/security- management/240146871/supply-chain-uncertainties-make-security-difficult.html.html Android Malware Could Reach The 1 Million Mark By Year's End ZD Net by Zack Whittaker 23 January 2013 One security firm warns that Android malware could rocket this year and hit the 1 million milestone mark, as malware writers and hackers continue to target post-PC platforms. Read more at: http://www.zdnet.com/android-malware-could-reach-the-1-million-mark-by-years-end- 7000010201/ The Underground Internet Economy Of Cybercrime SFGate 234 January 2013 Cybercrime represents an underground economy of $114 billion. It's organized, employs expert hackers and operates like any legitimate economy. MBAs and other business experts can choose big targets for cybercrimes, just as they might plan the strategies a business employs. On the other side of the equation, the cybersecurity industry is in a rut, practically guaranteeing the continuing operation of cybercriminals. Let's take a look at how the underground Internet economy operates. Read more at: http://www.sfgate.com/business/investopedia/article/The-Underground-Internet-Economy-Of- Cybercrime-4217348.php New DDOS Tools: Server-Based Botnets And Encrypted Layer Attacks SoftPedia by Eduard Kovacs 23 January 2013 Application security solutions provider Radware has released its 2012 Global Application and Network Security Report. According to the study, distributed denial-of-service (DDOS) attacks are becoming more sophisticated and more severe. Read more at: http://news.softpedia.com/news/New-DDOS-Tools-Server-Based-Botnets-and-Encrypted-Layer- Attacks-323488.shtml

Three Men Charged In Connection With ‘Gozi’ Trojan KrebsonSecurity 23 January 2013 Federal prosecutors today announced criminal charges against three men alleged to be responsible for creating and distributing the Gozi Trojan, an extremely sophisticated strain of malicious software that was sold to cyber crooks and was tailor-made to attack specific financial institutions targeted by each buyer. Read more at: http://krebsonsecurity.com/2013/01/three-men-charged-in-connection-with-gozi-trojan/ Transportation Security | back to top | Assessing The Threat Of Worldwide Maritime Piracy The Soufan Group 24 January 2013 Reducing piracy will require building local economies that offer legitimate alternatives. Bottom Line Up Front • Worldwide maritime piracy attacks fell from 439 in 2011 to 297 in 2012, representing a five-year low. • Although the decrease was led by a sharp fall in Somali-related activity — which represented more than 50 percent of all such incidents in 2011 — the rate of incidents has risen in other high risk areas, especially along the Gulf of Guinea. • In a maritime strategy of “cat and mouse,” as vessels upgrade and reinforce their security posture, pirates quickly adapt and develop new tactics to exploit emerging vulnerabilities. As of late January 2013, maritime piracy continues to affect many of the world’s major shipping lanes, and puts at risk the lives of seafarers and merchant seamen, with hundreds taken captive each year. Shippers, insurance companies, underwriters, and cargo owners are also affected, as are consumers when the price of goods — including oil and manufactured products — are driven up by the unforeseen costs generated by piracy... Read more at: http://soufangroup.us4.list- manage1.com/track/click?u=3fe77a4916f69c37ee2ac1cbe&id=c5d4b514ec&e=5398ef691c WMD Terrorism | back to top | Scent Of 'Germ' Warfare Raises Fear In The Mideast Washington Post by Jill Bellamy van Aalst, Clare Lopez and Reza Kahlili 24 January 2013 The sectarian war in Syria reportedly has claimed more than 60,000 lives and spawned concerns in the Middle East and the West about access to chemical weapons by non-state actors such as al Qaeda, Hezbollah and Hamas. Syria’s chemical weapons stockpiles are of immediate concern to Israel, Jordan and the United States, whether in Syrian President Bashar Assad’s hands or those of terrorist organizations. Yet the locations of chemical weapons munitions and Scud missiles equipped with chemical warheads in Syria have been identified and are continually monitored. That is not the case with the arguably more dangerous biological weapons being developed by the nexus of Iran, Syria and North Korea. More than 167 nations have signed the United Nations Biological Weapons Convention. Syria is a signatory but has not ratified the treaty. Iran, also a signatory, has ratified it, but is pursuing development of microbial agents with the aid of Russian and North Korean scientists who may be graduates of the Soviet-era Biopreparat program that created some of these dangerous biological agents. Read more at: http://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2013/jan/24/scent-of-germ-warfare-raises-fear-in-the- mideast/

CounterTerrorism Humor | back to top | 2013 Is Off To A Bad Start

Read more at: http://www.aljazeera.com/programmes/aljazeeraworld/2013/01/201312210472621589.html

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