15 February 2013

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY THE PTSS DAILY began as a means of keeping PTSS TOP HEADLINES Marshall Center Alumni abreast of news related to SPECIAL: . THE PTSS DAILY is neither an academic journal nor the effort of a research directorate or a large COUNTERTERRORISM NEWS BY NATION & REGION staff. Early each morning, articles that are cited in THE AFGHANISTAN PTSS DAILY are culled from hundreds of sources with ALGERIA the intent of providing you with the most current news, AUSTRALIA BAHRAIN discussions and commentary on terrorism and related COLOMBIA issues such as piracy or narco-terrorism. These articles, curated from news media, academic and international INDONESIA sources or submitted by many of you, give our growing network a snapshot of this pernicious threat. KENYA Every effort is made to ensure that credible articles are MALI chosen, but the intent of THE PTSS DAILY is to deliver MAURITANIA wide coverage. You – the professional – must be the PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY final discriminator on the merit of a particular article and PAKISTAN its value to your profession. To ensure that THE PTSS SOMALIA SYRIA DAILY is both relevant and valuable to the reader, we TURKEY welcome and highly encourage comments from you.

GENERAL COUNTERTERRORISM NEWS GEORGE C. MARSHALL COMMENTARY & OPINION EUROPEAN CENTER FOR SECURITY STUDIES CYBER WARFARE LTG (Ret.) Keith W. Dayton, Director LEGAL ASPECTS & LAWFARE Dr. Robert Brannon, Dean, College of International NARCO-TERRORISM Security Studies NETWORK NOTES TERRORIST FINANCING PTSS DAILY EDITORIAL STAFF WMD TERRORISM Col (Ret.) Professor Nick Pratt, Executive Editor EVENTS & EDUCATION: Mrs. Brenadine C. Humphrey, Managing Editor COUNTERTERRORISM HUMOR SUBSCRIPTIONS

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Thought for the Day | back to top |

“...I went on to tell them – something I try to tell local men whenever I can – that ‘if God didn’t want women to think - he wouldn’t have given them brains, if he didn’t want them to feeI – he wouldn’t have given them hearts and if he wanted them to look like tents, they’d have been born in burkas!”

~ A brave and brilliant female working in Afghanistan

Top Headlines | back to top | ROK Daily: U.S. House Moves to Re-list N.Korea as Terrorist State Chosun Ilbo Online in English 0330 GMT 14 Feb 13 The U.S. House of Representatives is to vote on a motion that would re-list North Korea as a state sponsor of terrorism. Representative Ileana Ros-Lehtinen of Florida on Wednesday proposed the bill to add the renegade country to the list again, and eight representatives from both side of the house joined her. In press release, Ros-Lehtinen condemned North Korea's nuclear test on Monday as a "deliberate and provocative action by the... regime," which is "yet another display of the regime's hostile intentions and is a reminder that Pyongyang is one step closer toward its goal of nuclear armament."

Suicide Bomber Kills Three Police In Russian Caucasus A suicide bomber killed three policemen and wounded another six in Russia's North Caucasus on Thursday, hours before President Vladimir Putin was to meet with officials to discuss security ahead of next year's Winter Olympics. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/14/us-russia-caucasus-idUSBRE91D0JB20130214 Special: | back to top | Europe's Problem (Part 1) Featuring Daniel Benjamin and Karen Betts, PolicyWatch 2037 February 13, 2013 On February 8, 2013, Daniel Benjamin, Karen Betts, and Matthew Levitt addressed a Policy Forum at The Washington Institute. Mr. Benjamin is the State Department's former ambassador-at-large and coordinator for counterterrorism. Ms. Betts is a political counselor and representative for the Joint Intelligence Committee at the British embassy in Washington. The following is a rapporteur's summary of their remarks; Dr. Levitt's observations will be published separately. Daniel Benjamin There is a common perception that the U.S. antiterrorism campaign deals exclusively with al-Qaeda. In reality, the recent resurgence of Iranian state-sponsored terrorism and global Hezbollah activities has become a prominent issue on the U.S. foreign policy agenda. Last year, authorities foiled a Hezbollah plot targeting Israeli tourists in Thailand. Further investigation led them to a warehouse filled with thousands of kilograms of explosives and bombmaking materials, proving that the group was focused not on isolated attacks, but on preparing for a terrorism campaign. Additional activities have been reported in Azerbaijan and Kenya, among other places... Karen Betts

Hezbollah is a regional problem and, most likely, a growing problem globally. The Bulgarian investigation revealed that the group is also a European problem. 's interior minister accused two members of Hezbollah's military wing of being involved in the appalling attack in July that killed five and a Bulgarian bus driver while injuring thirty other people. The United Kingdom believes the right response is for the EU to designate Hezbollah's military wing as a terrorist organization. The UK has no doubts about Hezbollah's involvement in terrorism -- it designated the group's External Security Organization in 2001, then extended the designation in 2008 to include Hezbollah's entire military wing. An EU designation would not destabilize Lebanon, nor would it affect the legitimate role that Hezbollah's political wing plays in Lebanon's politics. Rather, a designation carried out via the EU's terrorist asset freezing program would have a number of positive effects: in addition to sending a clear message that the EU will not tolerate acts of terror on European soil, it would reduce support for Hezbollah's activities, put pressure on the group to move away from violence as a means of achieving its objectives, and limit its ability to raise and move funds, making the group less agile in terms of operating in Europe. A designation would have symbolic effects as well, damaging Hezbollah's profile and reducing its legitimacy... Europe's Hezbollah Problem (Part 2) Matthew Levitt Although the February 2008 assassination of Hezbollah operations chief Imad Mughniyah spurred an uptick in the group's terrorist operations against Israeli interests, Iran's decision to aggressively target Western interests beginning in early 2010 was even more impactful. Tehran's shadow war with the West led to a string of plots and attacks against U.S., British, Saudi, and Israeli interests worldwide, conducted by operatives from Hezbollah and the Qods Force branch of Iran's Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (for a recent Institute report on the reasons behind this shadow war, go to http://washin.st/127Qi17). A number of these plots unfolded on European soil, yet EU officials remained hesitant to officially designate Hezbollah as a terrorist organization. Last week, however, an extensive Bulgarian investigation concluded that the group was responsible for the July 2012 bus bombing. The new finding marks an important first step toward an EU designation of Hezbollah, and more evidence of the group's activity in Europe is still emerging. Just a week before the Burgas attack, authorities in Cyprus arrested a suspected Hezbollah operative -- this one a European citizen -- on charges of conducting surveillance for a similar operation against Israeli tourists boarding airport buses. Read more at: http://www.washingtoninstitute.org/policy-analysis/view/europes-hezbollah-problem-part-2 Counterterrorism News by Nation & Region AFGHANISTAN | back to top | Commandos Say At Least 16 Insurgents Slain In Fighting (Stars and Stripes)...Heath Druzin American and Afghan commandos are engaged in unusually fierce winter fighting in a neighboring province to the capital, continuing a multi-day operation that has resulted in more than a dozen insurgent deaths, as well as Afghan casualties. Read more at: http://www.stripes.com/news/fierce-fighting-reported-in-province-bordering-kabul-1.207775 23 Militants Killed In One-Day Afghan Operations: Gov't Up to 23 Taliban militants have been killed and 13 others detained in operations in different Afghan provinces within the past 24 hours, the country's Interior Ministry said on Thursday. Read more at: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2013-02/14/c_132168765.htm

ALGERIA | back to top | Algeria Seeks to Show Leadership In Fight Against Terrorism Al-Monitor Recent revelations made by Vicki Huddleston, the former American ambassador to Mali, concerning ransom payments for hostages paid by some European countries have caused a stir about terrorism financing. See all stories on this topic » AUSTRALIA | back to top | OSC Analysis: Australia -- Security Strategy, Reaction Show Consensus on Threats OSC Analysis in English 14 Feb 13 Open source reporting suggests that the Australian Government's recently issued National Security Strategy (NSS) reflects strategic priorities, including a focus on the South China Sea (SCS) disputes, that enjoy broad support among the country's two largest parties. Formally launched by Prime Minister Julia Gillard during a 23 January speech in Canberra, the document -- entitled "Strong and Secure: A Strategy for Australia's National Security" -- has been widely viewed by national security commentators as focusing on cyber security threats and Asia-Pacific regional tensions, with the media portraying it as downplaying the threats posed by non-state actors -- including terrorists -- and paying little attention to global warming, which had been a major theme of then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd's 2008 national security white paper. In the latest document, the Gillard government appeared to commit itself to stepped-up engagement with China and Southeast Asian states -- including two that are currently embroiled in competition with Beijing over the SCS -- while avoiding taking sides in the disputes. Notably, leaders in the opposition coalition did not criticize the substance of the document -- instead attacking the government over defense spending cuts -- although some commentators, including the Australian Greens, criticized what they saw as the strategy's narrow focus. The priorities spelled out in the document -- and the apparent bipartisan agreement over them -- provide opportunities for Washington and other Asia-Pacific actors to continue cooperating with Canberra in countering cyber attacks and pressing for a peaceful, rules-based resolution to the SCS disputes. Read more at: https://www.opensource.gov/portal/server.pt/community/counterterrorism/207 BAHRAIN | back to top | Teenager Killed As Bahrain Marks Uprising Anniversary A Bahraini teenager was killed by security forces on Thursday, an opposition website reported, as activists demonstrated on the second anniversary of an uprising demanding democratic reforms in the U.S.-allied Gulf Arab state. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/14/us-bahrain-violence-idUSBRE91D0CK20130214 COLOMBIA | back to top | Colombian Soldiers Die In Clash With FARC Rebels At least seven Colombian soldiers have been killed and another five injured in clashes with the country's largest rebel group, the Farc. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-latin-america-21454648

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FRANCE | back to top | Anti-Teror Judge Says France Produced 175 Jihadists In Past 20 Years An anti-terrorist judge has said that 175 people are believed to have left France to fight for the jihadist cause in the past 20 years, a blog on French and international military affairs ActuDefense said on 7 February. It quoted judge Marc Trevidic as saying in his book "Terroristes, les sept piliers de deraison" (Terrorists, the seven pillars of unwisdom) that since the early 1990s, around 15 of the 175 jihadists were believed to have gone to Afghanistan to fight the Soviets, 20 had gone to Bosnia, 40 went to train in Afghanistan when Usamah Bin-Ladin was there, a dozen or so had left for Somalia and Kashmir, 30 had gone to Iraq and more recently, about 15 were believed to have gone to Waziristan in Pakistan. Trevidic also pointed to a new a new trend for would-be jihadists. According to him, they were now opting to train in Vosges, a department in the east of France, rather than in Yemen or Waziristan, and were becoming increasingly younger. (ActuDefense blog, in French, Paris 7 Feb 13) INDONESIA | back to top | Two More Churches Hit In Makassar Molotov Cocktail Attacks Police in Makassar, South Sulawesi, are standing guard outside churches after would-be arsonists hit two more churches in a second wave of attacks early Thursday morning. Read more at: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/two-more-churches-hit-in-makassar-molotov-cocktail- attacks/571670 IRAN | back to top | Senior Iranian Official Shot Dead In Syria: Guards Near East Syria Iranian embassy in Beirut reveals the killing of an official in Syria while crossing the Lebanese border Read more at: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/2/8/64765/World/Region/Senior-Iranian-official-shot- dead-in-Syria-Guards.aspx KENYA | back to top | Kenya: Kin Of Hostages In Somalia Cry For Help Twenty-six-year-old Komora Yesse is an emotionally wrecked man. Read more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201302131285.html LEBANON | back to top | Lebanese Protesters Block Fuel Shipments To Syria Protesters in Lebanon blocked the northern border crossing with Syria on Wednesday to stop fuel shipments they said were being used to resupply President Bashar al-Assad's military. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/13/us-syria-crisis-lebanon-idUSBRE91C17C20130213

MALI | back to top | France Bombs Islamist Rebel Hideout In North Mali France has attacked a rebel hideout in Gao, north Mali's largest city, intensifying a security lockdown against guerrilla attacks. Read more at: http://mg.co.za/article/2013-02-12-france-attacks-islamist-rebel-hideout Mali: Explosives Cache Raises Fears French soldiers recovered a stash of explosives on Wednesday that the authorities believed radical Islamic fighters were using to make bombs, a Malian military spokesman said. The spokesman, Daouda Diarra, said that the French military removed about 1,700 pounds of explosive material from a house in Gao. The find raised fears that jihadists could be preparing to stage attacks on civilians. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2013/02/14/world/africa/mali-explosives-cache-raises- fears.html?ref=africa&_r=0 MAURITANIA | back to top | Two Mauritanians Arrested Over Al-Qa'idah Link Two Mauritanians were arrested in the country's capital, Nouakchott, for seeking to join the Al-Qa'idah in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) in North Mali, Radio France Internationale reported on 13 February. The report did not give further details of the arrest but said the pair had been accused of terrorism in the past. (Radio France Internationale, Paris, in French 0630 gmt 13 Feb 13) PALESTINIAN AUTHORITY | back to top | Floods Gaza Tunnels To Cut Palestinian Lifeline Egyptian forces have flooded smuggling tunnels under the border with the Palestinian-ruled in a campaign to shut them down, Egyptian and Palestinian officials said. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/13/us-palestinians-egypt-tunnels- idUSBRE91C0RF20130213 PAKISTAN | back to top | Eight Killed, 25 Injured In Blasts In Pakistan Tribal Area Two consecutive blasts killed at least eight people and injured more than 25 in Pakistan's Orakzai Agency on 14 February, private Pakistani television channel Samaa TV website reported from Hangu. Officials said four people were killed by a roadside mine in the first blast in Hasan Zai bazaar in Lower Orakzai. A few minutes later, a second blast ripped through the market when a passenger bus hit another IED, killing four others. No group has so far claimed responsibility. (Karachi Samaa TV website in English 14 Feb 2013) Six Killed In Taleban Attack On Pakistani Police Station Pakistani security forces killed six militants on 14 February after a Taleban attack on a police station in the northwest, privately-owned Pakistani Dawn News TV reported. Tehrik-i-Taleban claimed responsibility for the 14 February attack on the police station in the Bannu district of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province. (Dawn News TV, Karachi, in Urdu 0456gmt 14 Feb 13)

Pakistan Asks Taleban To Announce Ceasefire Before Talks The Pakistani government on 13 February urged the Tehrik-i-Taleban Pakistan (TTP) to announce a 30-day ceasefire as a precursor to the peace talks offered by the militant group, moderate, independent Pakistani newspaper Daily Times website reported on 14 February. "First there should be ceasefire and peace talks can be held only after it," Interior Minister Rehman Malik told reporters in Islamabad on 13. "The nation has rejected the system of the Taleban, this is the voice of the majority, come forward, announce a one-month ceasefire and then hold negotiations," he added. In a video message on 3 February, the TTP proposed talks with Islamabad, provided that certain opposition politicians, including main opposition leader Nawaz Sharif, acted as guarantors. Sharif welcomed the peace talks offer but refused to be a guarantor, the paper recalled. (Daily Times website, Lahore, in English 0310 gmt 14 Feb 13) Pakistan Bombs Targeting Anti-Taliban Tribe 'Kill Six' At least six people have been killed in a bomb attack on an anti-Taliban tribe in north-west Pakistan, officials say. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-21457531 All Parties Conference On Tackling Terrorism Begins At least 27 of Pakistan’s political parties were attending on Thursday the All Parties Conference (APC) organised by the Awami National Party to devise a joint strategy to deal with the menace of terrorism, DawnNews reported. Read more at: http://dawn.com/2013/02/14/apc-against-terrorism-attended-by-27-political-parties-in- islamabad/ SOMALIA | back to top | Al-Shabab Militants Withdraw From Town In Southern Somalia Government and Amisom (African Union Mission in Somalia) forces are advancing towards Janaale town in Lower Shabeelle Region, southern Somalia as Al-Shabab fighters withdraw, Jowhar news portal reported on 14 February. The troops had been on their way to Janaale since 13 February. A local resident said no troops entered the town since the Al-Shabab withdrawal, the report also said. (Jowhar website, Mogadishu, in Somali 14 Feb 13) Somali Militants Threaten WHO Workers Over Polio Vaccination The Somali militant group, Al-Shabab, has banned a polio exercise in Lower Shabeelle Region in southern Somalia, Radio Dalsan reported on 13 February. The group threatened to kill World Health Organization (WHO) workers if they continued to carry on the exercise. The said on 5 February that aid agencies had increased health services in south and central Somalia with the retreat of Al-Shabab militants. (Radio Dalsan, Mogadishu, in Somali 1600 gmt 13 Feb 13) SYRIA | back to top | Syrian Rebels Capture Eastern Town Of Al-Shaddadeh: Sources Syrian rebels seized a town near the Iraqi border in the eastern oil producing province of Hasakah on Thursday, taking a main defensive position from forces loyal to President Bashar al-Assad on the road to the provincial capital, rebels said. Read more at: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/02/14/us-syria-crisis-east-idUSBRE91D0LY20130214

TURKEY | back to top | Turkey Seizes Huge Arms Cache To Syria Ankara attempts to silence observers who say it is arming Syrian opposition militants, claiming to have seized arms destined for the Arab republic Read more at: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/turkey-seizes-huge-arms-cache-to- syria.aspx?pageID=238&nID=41078&NewsCatID=338 General CounterTerrorism News | back to top | Soft Targets Back in Focus Scott Stewart , STRATFOR, Feb. 14, 2013 From time to time, I will sit down to write a series of analyses on a particular topic, such as the fundamentals of terrorism series last February. Other times, unrelated events in different parts of the world are tied together by analytical threads, naturally becoming a series. This is what has happened with the last three weekly security analyses -- a common analytical narrative has risen to connect them. First, we discussed how the Jan. 16 attack against the Tigantourine natural gas facility near Ain Amenas, Algeria, would result in increased security at energy facilities in the region. Second, we discussed foreign interventions in Libya and Syria and how they have regional or even global consequences that can persist for years. Finally, last week we discussed how the robust, layered security at the U.S. Embassy in Ankara served to thwart a suicide bombing. Read More » http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/soft-targets-back-focus?utm_source=freelist- f&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=20130214&utm_term=sweekly&utm_content=readmore&elq=d062eea8a2 97470c90b85da05fd2109a Threat of Terrorism Still Lurking in Asia Heritage.org (blog) Three individuals are currently under arrest in Malaysia for their alleged involvement in terrorist recruitment. Two of the individuals were charged with planning acts of terrorism that would have affected Syria. One of the suspects, Yazid Sufaat, was ... Read more at: http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://blog.heritage.org/2013/02/13/threat-of-terrorism- still-lurking-in- asia/&ct=ga&cad=CAEQAhgAIAAoATAEOARAgu7ziAVIAVAAWABiBWVuLVVT&cd=A3Gw8BT1Syo&usg=AFQjCN GtluA8C-QusH4L36066XR6K14eTA Periodical Review: Summary from Jihadi Forums - The First Half of December 2012 ICT's Jihadi Websites Monitoring Group The Jihadi Websites Monitoring Group at the International Institute for Counter-Terrorism presents a periodical review of significant issues discussed in Jihadi forums. The review covers a broad range of fields and presents trends in the dialogue between Jihadi activists and supporters. It examines new Jihadi publications as well as traditional news sources, and includes: leaders' statements, Jihadi magazines, interesting correspondence which stimulated dialogue, specific threats and clues regarding attacks, predicted future activity and more. This report summarizes the most notable events discussed on Jihadi Web forums during the first half of December 2012. Following are the main points covered in the report:  Nusra Front in Aleppo

https://cdn-media.web-view.net/i/3fzta2dh/201212_NusraFront_in_Aleppo.jpg

 An old video tape in which Al-Zawahiri asks the Egyptian Salafi sheikh, Hazem Saleh Abu Ismail, to complete the revolution in Egypt.  *Sheikh Khaled Bin Abdel Rahman al-Hussainan, aka Abu Zayd Al-Kuwaiti, a senior member in Al-Qaeda, was eliminated by an unmanned aircraft shooting in Pakistan's tribal region near the Afghan border.  Al-Rubaish, the Mufti of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, reproaches the Muslims for their submission and passiveness in face of the US aggression towards the Muslims and the occupation of their lands. This conduct contradicts Islam. According to him, the Muslims are duty bound to adopt an activist approach towards their enemies.  Al-Wadud, leader of Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, clarified that anyone taking part in an attack on northern Mali and anyone taking part in planning such as attack will be subject to severe retaliation at the hands of the organization. He addresses the African countries, asking them not to cooperate with France in its plans of invasion of north Mali as it cares only for its own interests and not theirs.  A new Salafi Jihadi group called Ansar Al-Sharia was founded in north Mali  The Salafi Jihadi in Egypt call for the boycotting of a referendum for the establishment of Egypt's new constitution  Sheikh Muhammad Al-Tahawi, one of the senior members of the Salafi Jihadi movement in Jordan, calls to direct Jihad activities into 's territory and to carry out terrorist attacks within its borders at the fall of the Syrian regime.  The three leading Jihadi forums, Shumukh Al-Islam, Al-Fada'a and Ansar Al- Mujahideen, stopped operating on the internet as of the beginning of December 2012, resumed operation on December 18th 2012 and a few days later, stopped operation again. According to the members of other Jihadi forums this is another component in the war of the enemies of Islam in the Muslims and Islam. For the full Periodical Review: Summary from Jihadi Forums - The First Half of December 2012, please click here http://trailer.web- view.net/Links/0XC580324D5576F69F5298E139E354985C80DA05DD125C731CC11E50F71975AB0761DFA17D 2147A6F9FFE1C961C8400B250EAA9D97C475AE0FF9DC5F6EC60189E40A2BFDDBE467C819.htm Commentary & Opinion | back to top | Taking Terrorism And The Arab Spring Seriously Heritage.org (blog) In his State of the Union address, President Obama showed a stunning lack of reality on terrorism and the Arab Spring. The President's statement saluting “the courage and sacrifice of those who serve in dangerous places at great personal risk. Read more at: http://www.google.com/url?sa=X&q=http://blog.heritage.org/2013/02/14/morning-bell-taking- terrorism-and-the-arab-spring- seriously/&ct=ga&cad=CAEQAhgAIAAoATAAOABAgu7ziAVIAVAAWABiBWVuLVVT&cd=A3Gw8BT1Syo&usg=AF QjCNH13p8Y8Cn5sqtz8aPfqkttLe2tuw Cyber Warfare | back to top | Putin Orders Russian FSB To Fight Extremist Propaganda Via Internet Russian President Vladimir Putin has ordered the Federal Security Service (FSB) to use the internet and social media to block extremist propaganda, Russian news agency Interfax reported on 14 February. "The direct link

between extremist and terrorist organizations is obvious. Therefore when neutralizing extremist structures of various kinds, it is necessary to act as resolutely as possible to block attempts by radical groups to use information technologies, the internet and social networking sites to promote their ideas," Putin said during a meeting of the FSB leadership. (Interfax news agency, Moscow, in Russian 1039 gmt 14 Feb 13) Legal Aspects & Lawfare | back to top | Bulgaria Has Not Requested Extradition From Lebanon Of Bourgas Attack Suspects Bulgaria has not sent Lebanon a judicial order of arrest for extradition of the two suspects in the Bourgas Airport July 2012 terrorist attack, Bulgaria’s Prosecutor-General Sotir Tsatsarov said on February 14, denying earlier media reports to this effect. Read more at: http://sofiaglobe.com/2013/02/14/bulgaria-has-not-requested-extradition-from-lebanon-of- bourgas-attack-suspects-prosecutor-general/ Terrorism Watchdog Questioned 'Bewildering' Array Of Terror Powers Telegraph.co.uk David Anderson QC, the independent reviewer of terrorism laws, questioned the need for specific powers to tackle suspected terrorists, brought about in nine separate pieces of legislation in just over a decade. He said no matter how serious or unique. Narco-Terrorism | back to top | Chicago's new Public Enemy No. 1: 'El Chapo' Mariano Castillo, CNN, February 14, 2013 -- Updated 2041 GMT (0441 HKT)

Drug boss Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman Loera is seen at a Mexican maximum security prison before he escaped in 2001.

Story Highlights $ Chicago Crime Commission names a new Public Enemy No. 1 $ Mexican drug lord Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman is the most wanted man $ He is in hiding in Mexico but is blamed for the majority of narcotics in Chicago (CNN) -- The Chicago Crime Commission named a new Public Enemy No. 1 on Thursday, a designation originally crafted for Al Capone. The new holder of this dubious distinction, however, is not American nor believed to be in the United States. He is Joaquin "El Chapo" Guzman, the infamous Mexican drug lord who is Chicago's most wanted because his Sinaloa cartel supplies a majority of the narcotics in the city. Not since Capone "has any criminal deserved this title more than Joaquin Guzman," commission President J.R. Davis said in a news release. "Guzman is the major supplier of narcotics to Chicago. His agents are working in the Chicago area importing vast quantities of drugs for sale throughout the Chicago region and collecting and sending to Mexico tens of millions of dollars in drug money." Read more at: http://edition.cnn.com/2013/02/14/justice/chicago-public-enemy/index.html?hpt=hp_t3 Network Notes | back to top | Police Hold 11 Over Ransomware Scam 'Affecting Thousands' A complex cybercrime network spreading ransomware designed to extort money has been shut down, police have said. Read more at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-21457743 Hacked Companies Use Cyberdefense To Limit Damage Sci-Tech Today, 2/13/13 Disclosures last week about network intrusions at and the Federal Reserve demonstrate that some companies have begun taking progressive steps to detect -- and limit damage from -- persistent cyberintruders. Thieves and spies are hacking into company networks as intensively as ever. But some large organizations are starting to limit the damage they can do, once inside. Information about successful defense strategies are being more widely shared for the greater good. "If you stop the bad actor from taking action on his or her objective, you win," says Steve Adegbite, director of cybersecurity at defense giant Lockheed Martin. In the past 18 months, U.S. companies and agencies have more readily acknowledged that breaches are occurring daily and have moved to update systems for detecting persistent intruders and limiting the damage they can do, security experts say. Read more at: http://www.sci-tech-today.com/news/Hacked-Firms-Attack-Digital- Invaders/story.xhtml?story_id=031003GMK0A6 Cybercrime 2.0: It's All About The Money Info Week, 2/13/13 Whether they're attacking the Department of Energy, simulating a zombie apocalypse, hacking journalism's biggest names or getting called out by President Obama during his State of the Union address, cybercriminals have been a fixture in recent headlines. Indeed, the preceding litany of examples is drawn from the last two weeks alone. What's been driving all the activity? Though hacktivist campaigns and denial-of-service attacks get a lot of attention, a new study by security firm Websense finds that money remains the motivation behind most cybercrime. More crucial to IT departments, the report also found that malicious hackers are becoming increasingly adept at finding holes in enterprise defensive efforts. Read more at: http://www.informationweek.com/security/vulnerabilities/cybercrime-20-its-all-about-the- money/240148481

China Targeting U.S. Firms In Sustained Cyber-espionage: Report Redorbit.com, 2/12/13 China is conducting a sustained cyber-espionage campaign against US businesses and institutions in an effort to find information that would give Chinese firms an economic advantage, according to a new US intelligence assessment. The classified National Intelligence Estimate (NIE), which represents the consensus view of the US intelligence community, is one of the most secretive national security documents in the federal government. The current report concludes China is the nation most aggressively targeting US businesses in acts of economic espionage, reported, citing sources familiar with the document. Russia, Israel and France have also engaged in cyber-espionage for purposes of economic gain, although to a far lesser extent than China, according to the report. The assessment identified a variety of sectors that have been the target of hacking over the past five years, including energy, finance, information technology, aerospace and automotive, but did not calculate the financial impact of these attacks. Some experts have estimated the costs of cyber-espionage to the US economy to be between $25 billion to $100 billion per year, while others say the losses are far lower. Read more at: http://www.redorbit.com/news/technology/1112782072/nations-target-united-states-through- cyber-espionage-021213/ Terrorist Financing | back to top | Iran Denies Supplying Arms To Somali Islamist Group Iran has denied UN accusations that it is arming Al-Shabab militants in Somalia, the website of Radio Bar-Kulan in Nairobi reported on 14 February. The Iranian ambassador to the UN said in the letter to the UN Security Council that the accusations were "absurd fabrications". A UN report has said Al-Shabab mostly gets its arms from Iran and Yemen. (Radio Bar-Kulan website, Nairobi, in Somali, 14 Feb 13) WMD Terrorism | back to top | AQ Khan, The Godfather Of North Korea's Bomb [Online Article] Rob Crilly. The Telegraph, …So the security outside his house is not so much to keep AQ Khan locked away like a criminal. In fact he can occasionally be spotted at coffee shops and regularly gives interviews to the local media. He has even set up a party to contest elections due this year and has said he is willing to serve as prime minister. His Tehreek-e-Tahafuzz Pakistan party tried to register the image of a missile as its symbol – suggesting a wicked sense of humour. Nor is the security really to stop the terrorists. As the father of the Islamic bomb he is a source of national pride, revered as a hero and an inspiration to those who want to take on nuclear-armed superpowers on their own terms. No. The security was tightened in 2011, soon after the American raid to kill Osama bin Laden in Abbottabad. I noticed it on one of my regular strolls to buy ice cream as I passed Dr Khan’s house. The watchman’s hut opposite his home – usually deserted – was buzzing with activity. Fresh razor wire had been laid in the wasteland where baboons and wild boar roamed. Read more at: http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/news/robcrilly/100202507/aq-khan-the-godfather-of-north-koreas- bomb/

Events & Education: | back to top | Riyadh To Host International Conference On Counter Terrorism Peninsula On-line RIYADH: A two-day international conference to promote counter-terrorism collaboration between national, regional and international centres and initiatives in association with the United Nations for combating terrorism opens in Riyadh, this. See all stories on this topic » Counterterrorism Humor | back to top | Syrian Official: 'We have already won' Frederik Pleitgen and Jim Kavanagh, CNN, February 14, 2013

Syrian official sits down with CNN but doesn’t look outside his window Story Highlights  A member of Bashar al-Assad's government declares the rebellion has failed  The rebels' vow to take Damascus hasn't materialized, deputy foreign minister says  However, battles continue in the capital's southern suburbs  Faisal al-Maqdad says the al-Assad regime would welcome negotiations Damascus, Syria (CNN) -- As both sides in Syria's bloody civil war claimed advances, one high-ranking member of President Bashar al-Assad's regime expressed confidence in ultimate victory. Syrian Deputy Foreign Minister Faisal al-Maqdad, in an interview Wednesday, said the battle is going very well for the regime. "We are winning. We have already won," al-Maqdad told CNN's Frederik Pleitgen. "You are in Damascus, you are aware of what is happening around Damascus. (The rebels) threatened to have Damascus more than one year ago, and they are not there. We are still here." Rebel leaders and fighters see it differently.

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