6 March 2014

THOUGHT FOR THE DAY THE PTSS DAILY began as a FLASH POINTS means of keeping PTSS Marshall Center Alumni abreast of news GLOBAL STRATEGIC OVERVIEW related to terrorism. THE PTSS SPECIAL: LEGAL ISSUES IN CBT DAILY is neither an academic COUNTERTERRORISM NEWS BY journal nor the effort of a research NATION & REGION directorate or a large staff. Early each morning, articles ALGERIA that are cited in THE PTSS DAILY are culled from

AUSTRALIA hundreds of sources with the intent of providing you BAHRAIN with the most current news, discussions and commentary CAMEROON CANADA on terrorism and related issues such as piracy or narco- EGYPT terrorism. These articles, curated from news media, GERMANY academic and international sources or submitted by IRAN many of you, give our growing network a snapshot of IRAQ this pernicious threat. NIGERIA PAKISTAN/AFPAK Every effort is made to ensure that credible articles are PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA chosen, but the intent of THE PTSS DAILY is to deliver QATAR wide coverage. You – the professional – must be the RUSSIA final discriminator on the merit of a particular article and SOMALIA its value to your profession. To ensure that THE PTSS OF AMERICA DAILY is both relevant and valuable to the reader, we AL QA’IDA & AFFILIATES welcome and highly encourage comments from you. COMMENTARY & OPINION

CYBER WARFARE GEORGE C. MARSHALL

LEGAL ASPECTS & LAWFARE EUROPEAN CENTER FOR SECURITY STUDIES

NETWORK NOTES LTG (Ret.) Keith W. Dayton, Director

SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY Dr. Robert Brannon, Dean, College of International TERRORIST FINANCING Security Studies

WMD TERRORISM PTSS DAILY EDITORIAL STAFF

MAJ Daryl DeSimone, Executive Editor

Mrs. Brenadine C. Humphrey, Managing Editor

James Wither, Contributing Editor

Sam Mullins, Contributing Editor

Cristian Guerrero-Castro, Global Strategic Overview

Col (Ret.) Professor Nick Pratt, Founding Editor

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Thought for the Day | back to top |

"It is important to emphasize that the mere existence of credible allegations that civilians were killed or injured in these incidents does not necessarily establish any violation of international humanitarian law or international human rights law. Still less does it provide clear evidence of the commission of a war crime". ~Ben Emmerson, UN Special Rapporteur UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) session in Geneva. Flash Points | back to top | JTIC Flashpoints JTIC 6 March 2014 IRAQ: At least 16 people were killed and 69 people were wounded when seven vehicle-borne improvised explosive devices (VBIEDs) and two improvised explosive devices (IEDs), were detonated by unidentified militants in six predominantly Shia Muslim areas of the capital Baghdad early on 5 March. One VBIED was also reportedly dismantled by police in the al-Jadeeda area of the city. (Al-Jazeera/Al-Shorfa) : At least five Afghan National Army (ANA) soldiers were killed and 17 were wounded in a reported International Security Assistance Force (ISAF) airstrike targeting unidentified militants near an army check post in the Bandoka area of Charakh district in Logar province on 6 March. ISAF stated that it was investigating the circumstances of the incident (BBC/Pajhwok) PHILIPPINES: A teacher – identified as Alrashid Jahang - was kidnapped by 10 suspected Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) militants after the militants flagged down Jahang’s motorcycle near the village of Liang in the town of Patikul in Sulu province on 5 March. (Philippine Daily Inquirer) THAILAND: One soldier was wounded when an IED, emplaced by suspected southern separatist militants, detonated when an army patrol - providing security for teachers – attempted to remove anti- military banners on the Ban Duwa – Ban Thanon road in the Mayo district of Pattani province early on 5 March. (Bangkok Post) EGYPT: An IED emplaced by unidentified militants detonated targeting a reserve gas pipeline near the city of Port Said in Port Said governorate early on 5 March. Separately, an IED emplaced by unidentified militants detonated near a court complex in the city of Qena in Qena governorate on the same day. No casualties were reported in either attack. (Al-Shorfa/Aswat Masriya) LEBANON: Jabhat al-Nusra in Lebanon militants fired three rockets into the Beqaa Valley in Beqaa Governorate on 5 March. A casualty report was unavailable. The group claimed responsibility on its purported Twitter account, stating it carried out the attack against the "party of Iran's strongholds in response to its massacres in greater Syria”, a reference to Hizbullah militants fighting on be-half of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, and vowed to carry out more attack against the group. (The Daily Star) BAHRAIN: Two children, aged 10 and 11, were wounded when an IED detonated prematurely as they attempted to plant it in the village of Daih west of the capital Manama on 6 March, under the instruction of a group of unidentified militants. The incident follows the death of three people in the same village on 3 March in an IED attack which was subsequently claimed by Saraya al-Ashta on a purported social media site run by the group, although the claim could be independently verified. (Reuters). ISRAEL/IRAN: Israeli navy forces seized a Panamanian-flagged cargo vessel Klos C in international waters off the coast between Sudan and Eritrea on 5 March, which was reportedly carrying dozens of Iranian-supplied surface-to- surface M302 Syrian-manufactured rockets, which were allegedly intended for Palestinian militants in the Gaza strip. Iranian officials, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas denied the Israeli announcement, with Hamas claiming it was a “silly joke” and “a new Israeli lie aimed to justify and prolong the blockade of Gaza”. (Reuters/BBC/Maan News Agency)

PAKISTAN: In a statement released on 6 March, the central leadership of the Tehrik-e- Pakistan (TTP) expressed frustration with splinter groups not abiding by the ceasefire announced on 1 March, and threatened to take action against them. TTP spokesman Shahidullah Shahid stated, “We have a religious obligation to uphold agreements. Some unknown forces are out to sabotage the process. If we discover that they are groups then we would have to take them to task.” (Dawn) INDIA: Fourteen Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supporters were detained by police in the capital Delhi in connection with earlier clashes with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) activists outside the BJP headquarters in Delhi which left 28 people wounded – including 23 supporters of the two parties and four policemen – late on 5 March. The detained suspects were being held for rioting, stone pelting, damage to public property and attacking police officers. (BBC/Times of India)

FURTHER READING: OSINT Summary: Suspected Taliban attack kills three Turkmenistan border guards https://janes.ihs.com/CustomPages/Janes/DisplayPage.aspx?DocType=News&ItemId=+ ++1703330&Pubabbrev=JTSM JTIC Brief: Spate of attacks highlight persistence of Uighur militancy in China’s Xinjiang https://janes.ihs.com/CustomPages/Janes/DisplayPage.aspx?DocType=News&ItemId=+ ++1702587&Pubabbrev=JTSM Unbowed and unbroken- Somalia’s Al-Shabaab emerges seemingly unscathed following internal purge https://janes.ihs.com/CustomPages/Janes/DisplayPage.aspx?DocType=News&ItemId=+ ++1702897 JTIC Country Briefing – Sudan https://janes.ihs.com/CustomPages/Janes/DisplayPage.aspx?DocType=Hybrid+Publicati ons&ItemId=+++1513421&Pubabbrev=JTIR Flashpoints courtesy of JTIC. Global Strategic Overview | back to top | Intensity based on number of fatalities, wounded and damage Today’s Conflict Areas and Intensity Low / Medium / High Syria

Afghanistan

Iraq

At Least Five Killed, 20 Wounded In Syria Bomb Blast Al Bawaba 6 March 2014 At least five were killed and approximately 20 wounded in a bomb blast near a security headquarters in Hama, Syria. "A truck packed with explosives detonated... near a branch of the military intelligence, killing at least five people and injuring more than 20," the Syrian Observatory for Human Rights reports. According to witnesses on the ground, two members of the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) blew themselves up inside base 17, an army base in the northern province of Raqa. Read more at: http://www.albawaba.com/news/hama-bomb-syria-559347 Five Taliban Killed In Eastern Afghan Province Xinhua 6 March 2014 Afghan security forces raided a Taliban hideout in eastern Laghman province, killing five militants on Thursday, a local official said.

"Units of national security stormed a Taliban hideout in Badpakh district Thursday morning killing five rebels including a commander named Mullah Hazrat and his brother named Khayal," spokesman for provincial administration Sarhadi Zawak told Xinhua. Read more at: http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/world/2014-03/06/c_133166587.htm Wave Of Violence Kills 24 Across Baghdad Al Bawaba 6 March 2014 At least 24 people have been killed in a series of attacks targeting Shia neighborhoods of the Iraqi capital, Baghdad, and security forces’ checkpoints, officials say. The officials said on Wednesday that 14 people were killed and more than 70 others injured by nine bombings that hit six different areas of the capital. Another explosion near the University of Technology in central Baghdad left three people dead and several others injured. Read more at: http://www.albawaba.com/news/iraq-baghdad-559210 Special: Legal Issues in CbT | back to top | UN Report: Killing Civilians Countering Terrorism Do Not Violate IHL Asian Tribune By Daya Gamage 6 March 2014 "It is important to emphasize that the mere existence of credible allegations that civilians were killed or injured in these incidents does not necessarily establish any violation of international humanitarian law or international human rights law. Still less does it provide clear evidence of the commission of a war crime". This is a determination found in the just released - 28 February 2014 - report submitted to the currently convened UN Human Rights Commission (UNHRC) session in Geneva by the Special Rapporteur on the promotion and protection of human rights and fundamental freedoms while countering terrorism, Ben Emmerson. This special report, one may wonder, is connected to the foremost 'item' on the UNHRC agenda - the United States resolution on Sri Lanka, according to the draft resolution carried elsewhere in the Asian Tribune columns urging the UN to activate an international investigative mechanism to probe alleged violation of IHRL and IHL and 'war crimes' connected to civilian casualties during the final stage of the battle between the separatist/terrorist Tamil Tiger fighting cadre and the Sri Lanka military. No. That declaration by Mr. Ben Emmerson was about the United States use of unmanned predator aircrafts or drones in Af-Pak region causing civilian deaths. In the same vein the US Special Rapporteur Emmerson continues: (Quote) Indeed, most of the relevant evidence which could confirm or dispel such a suspicion remains in the exclusive possession of the alleged perpetrator States. However, in each of the cases identified, the Special Rapporteur has evaluated the available sources, looking for indicia of reliability, and has judged the information and evidence he has seen to be sufficient to cross the threshold identified in his interim report as imposing a duty on the relevant States to provide a public explanation of the circumstances and the justification for the use of deadly force. (End Quote) Noting that the States responsible for such drone attacks which cause civilian deaths have not being transparent and accountable, Mr. Emmerson says in his report: (Quote) In the opinion of the Special Rapporteur the States responsible are under a present and continuing obligation to make public, in as much detail as possible, and subject only to such redactions as are strictly necessary to meet legitimate national security concerns, the results of any fact-finding investigations that have been conducted into the incidents identified in this section of the report. If no fact-finding investigation has so far taken place, the Special Rapporteur considers that the States concerned are under an obligation to indicate this publicly, and provide an explanation. (End Quote) The Unites States very seldom discloses such information. Read more at: http://asiantribune.com/node/73868

Confusion on Counterterrorism The National Interest By Paul R. Pillar 15 February 2014 If the American people's representatives in the U.S. Congress are looking for more productive ways to spend their time, one subject on which they could do useful work is reform of the legal basis for the use of force in the name of counterterrorism. The conceptual and legal foundation for lethal U.S. counterterrorist operations has had serious problems for some time. The problems extend at least through the past two presidential administrations, but in some respects are even older. Fuzziness remains to this day about exactly to what extent the Clinton administration authorized the use of lethal force in any encounter with Osama bin Laden. In brief, what is still lacking is a consistent and logical set of rules about how and when lethal force can be used against suspected terrorists—rules that set clear limits while also matching up any permitted use of force with those cases where such use would be necessary and effective. Two recent developments highlight the problems involved. One concerns a falling out between the core Al Qaeda organization and ISIS, the Islamic State in Iraq and Al Shams (sometimes rendered as the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria), an extremist group active in the Syrian civil war. This split has led U.S. officials to discuss whether action against ISIS could be taken under the authorization for the use of military force that Congress enacted shortly after 9/11 and that supposedly is limited to Al Qaeda and its affiliates. But whatever threat ISIS poses, including any threat to U.S. interests, has little or nothing to do with the state of its relationship with Ayman al-Zawahiri's Al Qaeda. The other development is the reported consideration being given to the use of force against another U.S. citizen believed to be participating in terrorist activity overseas. Where distinctions are to be made between citizens and non-citizens in such matters is still not firmly resolved—but there ought to be some such distinctions, consistent with citizens having rights in other circumstances that non-citizens do not share. This issue has gotten further complicated by becoming entangled with a question of which agency of government should be firing missiles from unmanned aircraft. There seems to be a preference for having armed forces pull the trigger if U.S. citizens are involved, but the military also is limited to certain geographic areas when it involved in active warfare. Read more at: http://nationalinterest.org/blog/paul-pillar/confusion-counterterrorism-9893 Counterterrorism News by Nation & Region ALGERIA | back to top | Election Looming, Algeria Hunts Down Terrorists Magharebia by WALID RAMZI 5 March 2014 As Algeria prepares for the April 17th presidential election, Prime Minister Abdelmalek Sellal urged militants to renounce armed action and benefit from the reconciliation charter, which he said was still effective. Since last Saturday, army units launched a wide military campaign that resulted in the deaths of at least six terrorists, according to the official count. Read more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201403060887.html AUSTRALIA | back to top | Australian Al-Jazeera Journalist Peter Greste, Charged With Supporting Terrorism, Appears In Cairo Court Locked In A News.com.au 6 March 2014 THREE Al-Jazeera journalists — including Australian Peter Greste — have been pictured caged like animals for a courtroom appearance in Cairo. “Journalists are not terrorists,” Al-Jazeera’s Egypt bureau chief Mohamed Fahmy shouted from his cage as he was led into court overnight. Those arrested include Fahmy, Australian award-winning correspondent Peter Greste and Egyptian producer Baher Mohamed. All have pleaded not guilty. Others are being tried in absentia. Read more at: http://www.news.com.au/world/australian-aljazeera-journalist-peter-greste-charged-with- supporting-terrorism-appears-in-cairo-court-locked-in-a-cage/story-fndir2ev-1226846598771

BAHRAIN | back to top | Bahrain Calls For Religious Edicts Against Terrorism UPI 5 March 2014 The Justice Ministry in Bahrain said Wednesday all members of the religious class are called on to issue sermons condemning acts of terrorism. Bahrain placed three groups -- February 14 Coalition, Ashtar Brigades, and the Brigades of Resistance -- on its official terrorism list after a bomb detonated by a remote control device exploded Monday, killing three police officers. Read more at: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/Special/2014/03/05/Bahrain-calls-for-religious-edicts-against- terrorism/UPI-30201394029033/ Bahrain Arrests Dozens Over Deadly Bomb Blast AP 4 March 2014 Bahrain has arrested 25 people and listed a prominent protest network as a "terrorist organisation", after a deadly bomb attack that killed three police officers. The interior minister, Sheik Rashid bin Abdullah Al Khalifa, announced the arrests on Tuesday in a televised address. He called Monday's bombing and another attack that killed a police officer last month a reminder "of the high level of danger" facing the country. Read more at: http://www.aljazeera.com/news/middleeast/2014/03/bahrain-arrests-dozens-over-deadly-bomb- blast-201434174535831401.html CAMEROON | back to top | Govt Says No Terrorists Training On Its Territory Voice of America by MOKI EDWIN KINDZEKA 5 March 2014 The government of Cameroon has vehemently denied allegations that it has allowed its territory to be used as a training ground by terrorist groups and rebels destabilizing Nigeria and the Central African Republic. The denial comes after Nigeria closed parts of its border with Cameroon, saying that Islamic extremists were using the country as a base to launch attacks. Minister of Communication Issa Tchiroma Bakari says Cameroon is not hosting any terrorists from its unstable neighbors: Nigeria and the Central African Republic. Read more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201403051093.html CANADA | back to top | Analyst At Canadian Anti-Terrorism Agency Stripped Of Position After Meeting Russian Diplomats At Social Events: Documents National Post by Stewart Bell 5 March 2014 An analyst at Canada’s anti-terrorism financing agency was stripped of her security clearance and position after she acknowledged meeting Russian diplomats at social events in Ottawa, according to court documents released Wednesday. Irina Vladirmirovna Koulatchenko, 36, who was born in Kyrgyzstan and is a citizen of both Russia and Canada, was never accused of any wrongdoing, but had told a Canadian intelligence officer about her contacts with Russian embassy officials. Read more at: http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/03/05/analyst-at-canadian-anti-terrorism-agency-stripped- of-position-after-meeting-russian-diplomats-at-social-events-documents/

EGYPT | back to top | Military Spokesman - 54 Terrorist Elements Arrested Egypt State Information Service 5 March 2014 The second Field Army troops, in cooperation with the bodies of the Ministry of Interior, have managed to arrest 54 terrorist elements during a crackdown yesterday against a number of terrorist hideouts in Ismaelia, Damietta, Sharqeya and Port Said. Colonel Ahmed Mohamed Ali, the official spokesman for the Armed Forces said the arrestees include fugitives who were accused of possessing unlicensed arms adding troops managed to seize 2 automatic rifles, one machine gun, a large number of light arms, 24 motorcycles and four cars without number plates. Read more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201403051304.html Al-Jazeera Journalists Charged With Terrorism Appear In Cairo Court CBS News by Author 5 March 2014 Three Al-Jazeera journalists, including one Egyptian-Canadian, charged with terrorism-related offences, appeared in a makeshift court at a prison on the outskirts of Cairo Wednesday. Mohamed Fahmy, a Canadian-Egyptian national who heads the Egypt bureau for Al-Jazeera English; Australian Peter Greste, a correspondent for the Qatar-based network; and Baher Mohamed, an Egyptian producer, are accused of working without accreditation and of assisting the Muslim Brotherhood, which Egypt has labelled a terrorist organization. Read more at: http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/al-jazeera-journalists-charged-with-terrorism-appear-in-cairo-court- 1.2560766 GERMANY | back to top | Right-Wing Extremism: Germany's New Islamophobia Boom Spiegel 5 March 2014 Stachus is one of Munich's nicest squares. It is rich in tradition and filled with pedestrians -- and perfect for Michael Stürzenberger's purposes. Hand balled into a fist, he paces back and forth and screams, "The Koran is the most dangerous book in the world." Because a couple dozen people have come to demonstrate against Stürzenberger, police officers in bullet-proof vests are watching over the area. A decade ago, Stürzenberger, 49, was the spokesperson for the Munich office of the Christian Social Union (CSU), the Bavarian sister party of Chancellor Angela Merkel's Christian Democratic Union. But since 2012 he has been active in a splinter party called Die Freiheit ("The Freedom"), of which he was elected federal chairman three months ago. He preaches hate against Islam and compares the Koran to Hitler's "Mein Kampf." For two years now, he's been collecting signatures opposing the planned construction of an Islamic center in Munich. He has already held over one hundred anti-Islam rallies. Read more at: http://www.spiegel.de/international/germany/islamophobic-hate-groups-become-more-prominent- in-germany-a-956801.html IRAN | back to top | Iran’s Four-Part Plan For A Political Solution In Syria Almonitor by Hossein-Amir Abdollahian 5 March 2014 The Islamic Republic of Iran has continuously stressed a political solution for Syria — a political solution that is Syrian in nature and based on the direct vote and will of the Syrian people. An outside decision for Syria can only be legitimate and credible if it is directly validated by the people of Syria. Some of the parties using military force to dislodge the Syrian government are trying to apply political pressure — in the form of proposed political solutions in Geneva — and make decisions for the Syrian people. These attempts reveal their lack of understanding of the realties on the ground and their ignorance of Syrian societal complexities.

The two rounds of negotiations between the Syrian government and the opposition, talks which ended fruitlessly in Geneva, suffered from fundamental flaws in form and content. Shortcomings in form mainly because not all political blocs were represented, the composition of participants was uneven and certain supporters of terrorist groups were permitted to attend. Indifference to the realities of the Syrian arena, including the fight against terrorism, disregard for the genuine desires of the Syrian people and attempts to impose a foreign will made the content of the negotiations deficient. Geneva ll was in fact a political sideshow that did not contribute to finding a political resolution to the Syrian crisis, for the simple reason that some insisted on working on the solution with unrealistic expectations and in a closed laboratory setting. Read more at: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2014/03/iran-four-part-plan-political-solution-syria.html# IRAQ | back to top | ISIS Suicide Assault Team Strikes Government Complex In Samarra The Long War Journal by BILL ROGGIO 4 March 2014 An Islamic State of Iraq and the Sham suicide assault team dressed in Iraqi military uniforms stormed a government complex in the city of Samarra earlier today. A Tunisian was among the ISIS fighters in the assault team. The ISIS claimed credit for the complex attack in a statement that was released today and obtained and translated by the SITE Intelligence Group. The ISIS said it killed "tens among soldiers of the federal and local police, and the Awakenings," the anti-al Qaeda tribal units that support the government. Read more at: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/03/isis_suicide_assault.php NIGERIA | back to top | FG Says Terrorism Stalls Oil Exploration In North Vanguard by JOHNBOSCO AGBAKWURU 6 March 2014 GROUP Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Mr. Andrew Yakubu, yesterday, told the Senate Committee on Petroleum (Upstream) that the insurgency in the North had negatively affected oil exploration in the region. He also said that despite the security challenges, exploration was going on in seven basins within the region aside the Chad basin and that aero magnetic data had been gathered from the geometric survey department of the corporation. Read more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201403060390.html Boko Haram Terrorists, A Serious Challenge To Nigerian Armed Forces, Says Air Force Chief Vanguard by PETER DURU 6 March 2014 THE Air Officer Commanding , AOC, Tactical Air Command, Nigerian Air Force, NAF, Air Vice Marshal, AVM, Umar Omeiza yesterday said that "the activities of the Boko Haram terrorists," had become "a serious challenge to the Nigeria Armed Forces." Omeiza noted that the sect was threatening the peace and security of the country pointing out that terrorism was a global phenomenon, "and combating its menace requires the cooperation of the entire global community." Read more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201403060387.html More Bloodshed In Borno - Gunmen Kill 42 In Jakana Village Leadership by ABDULLAHI UMAR 5 March 2014 Suspected Boko Haram insurgents attacked Jakana town in Konduga local government area of Borno State, killing no fewer than 42 people. Jakana is just 10 kilometres from Mainok, the village attacked by the terrorists on Saturday and which lost 39 people. The attack came barely 24 hours after the insurgents took over Mafa LGA of Borno State, killing over 35 people in a battle that lasted a few hours. Read more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201403050339.html

Enough, N-East Govs Beg Boko Haram Vanguard by SONI DANIEL AND NDAHI MARAMA 6 March 2014 Abuja — Alarmed by the wanton destruction of lives and property by Boko Haram insurgents, governors in the North-East zone of the country, yesterday, declared that 'enough is enough' even as they launched moves to dialogue with the terrorists and end the orgy of violence in the region. To achieve this objective, the governors of Bauchi, Taraba and Gombe states, yesterday, met for several hours in Gombe and mapped out measures aimed at appeasing the sect members to lay down their arms and embrace peace. Read more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201403060386.html PAKISTAN/AFPAK | back to top | TTP, Ahrar-Ul-Hind Ate And Slept Together The Nation by ASIM QADEER RANA 6 March 2014 The law enforcement agencies (LEAs) on Wednesday claimed to have arrested two terror suspects belonging to a militant outfit involved in the deadly attack at Islamabad district courts on Monday that left at least 11 people dead. The reported arrests were made following a police encounter in the suburbs of Attock on Tuesday night, highly placed security official told this correspondent. The reported terrorists are said to have direct linkages with Ahrar-ul- Hind, which, the source said, is a split faction of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP). Read more at: http://www.nation.com.pk/national/06-Mar-2014/ttp-ahrar-ul-hind-ate-and-slept-together PEOPLE’S REPUBLIC OF CHINA | back to top | Xinjiang Chairman Pledges Firm Crackdown On Terrorism English.people.cn by GaoYinan, Yao Chun 6 March 2014 Fighting terrorism and maintaining stability will be the top priority in northwest China's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, said the regional government's chairman on Wednesday. The regional government will firmly crack down on any forms of terrorism, extremism and separatism, said Nur Bekri, chairman of the regional government, at a panel discussion of the Xinjiang delegation during the annual parliamentary session that opened Wednesday. Read more at: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90882/8556324.html Terrorism In Xinjiang Linked To Spread Of Global Jihadism Global Times by Su Chang 5 March 2014 The deadly violence in Kunming outraged the whole society and recalled the memory of the Xinjiang riot in July 2009. Stirring up public antagonism and causing frictions between Uyghur and Han is the precise goal of the terrorists. In recent years, Xinjiang terrorism has become more serious and spilled beyond the region. To the west, it has expanded into Central Asia and Afghanistan by unifying with local terrorist organizations and participating in the Syrian jihad. While to the east, the terrorists have masterminded attacks in the inland regions of China. Read more at: http://www.globaltimes.cn/content/846398.shtml#.Uxhw8iiQzBt Chinese Are Angry At Western Media’s Portrayal Of The Kunming Attack Dawn.com by YIQIN FU 5 March 2014 In Chinese, just as in English, quotation marks can indicate attribution, doubt or dismissiveness. And just like in the United States, terrorism is a sensitive issue in China, where disaffected citizens have at times used violence for political ends. In such an environment, employing quotation marks around a highly politicised word like terrorism can be combustible. Read more at: http://www.dawn.com/news/1091091/chinese-are-angry-at-western-medias-portrayal-of-the-kunming- attack

Don't Label Terrorism As 'Ethnic': Adviser China Daily by Wang Fan 6 March 2014 Cases like the deadly attack in Kunming should be handled in a way that avoids linking a terrorist assault with an "ethnic issue". Zhu Weiqun, head of the committee on ethnic and religious affairs under China's top political advisory body, made the remark on Wednesday in an interview with China Daily. Zhu, the chairman of the Ethnic and Religious Affairs Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, was addressing misunderstandings from the terrorist attack in the Yunnan provincial capital on Saturday. Read more at: http://www.ecns.cn/2014/03-06/103525.shtml Kunming Attack Prompts Call For Strengthened Anti-Terrorism Legislation Xinhua 5 March 2014 Legislators and political advisors have proposed improving legislation to counter terrorism following the deadly terrorist attack that killed 29 civilians and injured 143 others. "We advise the National People's Congress (NPC) to make a special arrangement for anti-terrorism legislation," said Zhou Hanmin, a legal expert and a political advisor. Read more at: http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/90882/8554312.html QATAR | back to top | Gulf States Pull Ambassadors From Qatar Over Islamist Support Arutz Sheva 7 by David Lev 6 March 2014 The governments of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and the United Arab Emirates have withdrawn their ambassadors from Qatar, accusing that government of “failing to implement the principles of the Gulf Cooperation Council.” The three Gulf countries pulled their ambassadors in protest over Qatar's support for the Muslim Brotherhood, especially in Egypt. Read more at: http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/178175#.Uxhy2CiQzBu RUSSIA | back to top | Ukrainian Nationalist Wanted For Inciting 'Terrorism' In Russia Ria Novosti 5 March 2014 Russian investigators issued an international arrest warrant Wednesday for a Ukrainian nationalist leader who allegedly implored a wanted Chechen warlord to mount attacks against Russia. The Investigative Committee said in a statement that Dmitry Yarosh, who heads the far right-wing Right Sector group, should be turned over to Russia for prosecution for the call that they said threatened its citizens. Read more at: http://en.ria.ru/russia/20140305/188113700/Ukrainian-Nationalist-Wanted-for-Inciting-Terrorism- in-Russia.html 'Startling Russian Fiction' Used To Justify Actions In Ukraine, U.S. Says The Moscow Times by Anna Dolgov 6 March 2014 The U.S. State Department joined media pundits and social networks in lambasting Moscow's public statements about Ukraine, by calling them the most "startling Russian fiction" in about 150 years. "As Russia spins a false narrative to justify its illegal actions in Ukraine, the world has not seen such startling Russian fiction since Dostoyevsky wrote: 'The formula "two plus two equals five" is not without its attractions,'" the State Department said Wednesday in an online statement, referring to a quote from Fyodor Dostoyevsky's novella "Notes from the Underground," published in 1864. Read more at: http://www.themoscowtimes.com/news/article/startling-russian-fiction-used-to-justify-actions-in- ukraine-us-says/495756.html

SOMALIA | back to top | Somalis Decry Al-Shabaab's Use Of Child Suicide Bombers Sabahi by OSMAN MOHAMUD 5 March 2014 Somali parents are expressing outrage over al-Shabaab's use of children under the age of 18 in suicide bombings as the group ramped up its terrorist attacks in Mogadishu in February. After al-Shabaab commandos carried out a suicide attack February 21st against the heavily fortified presidential palace Villa Somalia, al-Shabaab leaders rallied citizens in areas it controls to build support for the terrorist group. Read more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201403060149.html UNITED STATES OF AMERICA | back to top | Battlefield Eurasia: Ukraine, Syria, And The Asia-Pacific As Targets Of Failing American Imperialism The Voice of Russia by Andrew Korybko 5 March 2014 The US is making historic power moves of aggression in simultaneously waging three multifaceted campaigns. It is targeting Russia, Iran, and China through destabilization in Ukraine, Syria, and the South and East China Seas. The end result is to neutralize the primary powers that are resistant and defiant (R&D) to the "universal" Western political, economic, and social models. On the centennial anniversary of World War I, the world is once more faced with the threat of a "Great War" by miscalculation. Read more at: http://voiceofrussia.com/news/2014_03_05/Battlefield-Eurasia-Ukraine-Syria-and-the-Asia-Pacific- as-targets-of-failing-American-imperialism-6672/ Al Qa’ida & Affiliates | back to top | Head Of Al Qaeda 'Victory Committee' In Syria The Long War Journal by THOMAS JOSCELYN 6 March 2014 Not long after Ayman al Zawahiri's chief representative in Syria, Abu Khalid al Suri, was killed in late February, a prominent online jihadist known as Sanafi al Nasr condemned the assassins on his Twitter feed. Nasr praised al Suri and prayed for Allah to fight his killers. Read more at: http://www.longwarjournal.org/archives/2014/03/_at_first_nasr_staye.php Commentary & Opinion | back to top | Iran's Attempt To Evade Iron Dome Failed Israel Opinion by Ron Ben-Yishai 6 March 2014 Analysis: Iranian arms smuggling was likely aimed at preparing ground for response to attack on Tehran's nuclear facilities. Question remains whether weapons were intended to reach Gaza organizations or Sinai terrorists. Admirable intelligence move spared Israel the answer. The takeover of the Klos-C ship exposed and foiled a strategic Iranian move which, had it been successful, would have been worthy of the definition "tiebreaker." The move was aimed at creating a situation in which, during an active conflict, the IDF missile and rocket interception system would be neutralized or would at least become inefficient. Read more at: http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4495875,00.html Fighting Afghan Terrorism, Without Troops 5 March 2014 The White House is preparing for a complete military withdrawal from Afghanistan, even though that seems risky. If the U.S. and NATO pull all troops out of Afghanistan, what else can the international community do to minimize the risk of a terrorist resurgence?

The Debaters  Adjusting the War on Terror to Fit the Times Celeste Ward Gventer, former deputy assistant secretary of defense  Rely on Iran and Pakistan for Help Haleh Esfandiari, Woodrow Wilson International Center  Afghan Stability Is in India’s Interest Javid Ahmad, German Marshall Fund  To Stem the Violence, Rethink Global Drug Laws Ernest Drucker, John Jay College of Criminal Justice  An Effective Military and Good Government Ali Ahmad Jalali, former interior minister of Afghanistan  The Afghans Are Already Dealing With the Taliban Adrian Bonenberger, former U.S. Army officer  Patience to Deal With Perceptions Fawzia Koofi, Afghan presidential candidate  A Longer Term Counterterrorism Strategy Gülnur Aybet, Özyeğin University, Istanbul Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/roomfordebate/2014/03/04/fighting-afghan-terrorism-without-troops Calling Uighurs ‘Terrorists’ Not A Solution Gulf News by Nisid Hajari 5 March 2014 The Chinese howling about how Westerners are portraying Saturday night’s horrific slaughter at the Kunming train station have a point: It’s pretty hard not to call an unprovoked attack by 10 black-clad, sword-wielding assailants on a crowd of innocent civilians — in which 29 victims died and 143 were wounded — anything but a terrorist attack. I’ll wager that a similar massacre in, say, a Tucson, Arizona, mall would not have been tut-tutted as a “terrible and senseless act of violence,” which is how a US embassy statement described the Kunming tragedy. Still, Chinese might want to think twice before they start adopting the United States’s politically charged, post- September 11 enthusiasm for labelling terrorists and terror attacks. Read more at: http://gulfnews.com/opinions/columnists/calling-uighurs-terrorists-not-a-solution-1.1299784 New Security Policy: Transforming Words Into Action? Daily Times by Bilal Zubair 6 March 2014 The government has unveiled the initial draft of its new National Internal Security policy (NISP) at a time when Pakistani forces are conducting surgical strikes against the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) hideouts in North Waziristan. The impression emanating from this coincidence reflects the incumbent government’s readiness to transform the policy perspective of its future counterterrorism strategy into action. The government is seeking the support of major political parties and stakeholders for bringing consensus to finalise the NISP. A comprehensive counterterrorism policy incorporates dialogue as an integral part, but one that has not produced the desired results, at least for the time being. Force and the threat of use of force, therefore, persist as a plausible option along with talks in counterterrorism efforts. Gauging the magnitude of the internal security problems, one anticipates the first ever national security manual to be a comprehensive document covering all important aspects of the internal security’s modus operandi. Read more at: http://www.dailytimes.com.pk/opinion/06-Mar-2014/new-security-policy-transforming-words-into-action Ukrainian Lesson JPost Editorial 5 March 2014 Ultra-popular in cyberspace these days is a cartoon showing Vladimir Putin as a shrewd strategist executing moves on a chessboard, while a laid-back Barack Obama incongruously plays a single checkers piece and yells “Bingo!” We may agree or disagree with this depiction but such is the widespread perception of the Ukrainian crisis and the invasion of Crimea. The Russian leader is regarded as having handily outmaneuvered

the American president and with him the entire West. Read more at: http://www.jpost.com/Opinion/Editorials/Ukrainian-lesson-344420 Cyber Warfare | back to top | Jail Sentence In France Over ‘Cyber Jihad’ The New York Times by ALISSA J. RUBIN 5 March 2014 A French convert to Islam was convicted of using the Internet to disseminate terrorist propaganda and promote participation in terrorist acts and was sentenced by a Paris court to one year in prison and two more on probation late Tuesday. The case is the first using a law passed in 2012 that makes “cyber jihad” a crime and potentially has serious consequences for freedom of expression in France. The law was passed in response to the attacks in Toulouse by Mohammed Merah, who killed seven people including three children and apparently was inspired in part by extremist Internet postings. The maximum sentence in Tuesday’s case could have been five years in prison, and the relatively light term given to Romain Letellier, 27, suggested that both prosecutors and judges were still considering how to apply the new law. The prosecutor said that the trial was happening in a context where young people become radicalized rapidly after reading material on the Internet. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/06/world/europe/jail-sentence-in-france-over-cyber- jihad.html?partner=rssnyt&emc=rss&_r=0 What Will $5 Billion In Military Cyber Spending Pay For? Defense One by Patrick Tucker 5 March 2014 The Pentagon’s wants $5.1 billion for cyber operations next year, an increase of about $4 million over this year’s budget, but exactly what the military wants to buy with that money is unclear. “There’s no set of program elements that led to this number. Maybe there needs to be, but right now there isn’t,” said outgoing comptroller Bob Hale, rolling out the Obama administration’s fiscal 2015 spending request at the Pentagon on Tuesday. Read more at: http://www.defenseone.com/technology/2014/03/what-will-5-billion-military-cyber-spending- pay/79978/?oref=nextgov_today_nl Four Federal Cyber Escapades To Watch For This Spring Nextgov by Aliya Sternstein 5 March 2014 The Obama administration’s 2015 budget request hints at novel approaches to the cyber threat at civilian agencies and the Pentagon. Funding-related papers released on Tuesday to justify spending for congressional appropriators do not include the details. So, look for officials to color in the picture during House and Senate hearings in the weeks ahead. Read more at: http://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/cybersecurity-report/2014/03/four-federal-cyber- escapades-follow-spring/79960/?oref=nextgov_today_nl Legal Aspects & Lawfare | back to top | U.S. Seeking To Keep ‘Potentially Inflammatory Topics’ Out Of Terrorism Trial The New York Times by BENJAMIN WEISER 4 March 2014 In the terrorism trial of Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, who prosecutors say was a top adviser to Osama bin Laden, the specter of the Sept. 11 attacks has naturally loomed heavily during jury selection, which resumed on Tuesday morning. But even the United States’ intelligence efforts after the attacks have now become an issue, as federal prosecutors moved to try to keep what it called “potentially inflammatory topics” out of the case. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/05/nyregion/abu-ghaith-trial.html?_r=0 2 Men Who Pleaded Guilty To Terrorism In Conn. Say Shoe Bomb Plotter Has Motive To Lie AP 5 March 2014 Two British citizens who pleaded guilty in Connecticut to supporting terrorists say a witness against them has an incentive to lie.

Prosecutors want the man to testify at the sentencing of and Syed Talha Ahsan. He is expected to say Ahmad sent him to Afghanistan to train for violent jihad and that he was later trained by al-Qaida for a 2001 shoe bomb plot. Read more at: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/03/05/2-men-who-pleaded-guilty-to-terrorism-in-conn-say- shoe-bomb-plotter-has-motive/ Network Notes | back to top | CIA Accused Of Hacking Senate Staffer Computers National Journal by Brendan Sasso 5 March 2014 The Central Intelligence Agency is under investigation for allegedly spying on the Senate Intelligence Committee, panel Chairwoman Dianne Feinstein confirmed Wednesday. The CIA is prohibited from spying on Americans, and spying on members of Congress and their staff would raise particular concerns about the separation of powers. Congress created the House and Senate Intelligence committees in the 1970s to oversee the CIA, the National Security Agency, and other spy agencies after uncovering a slew of spying abuses. Read more at: http://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2014/03/cia-accused-hacking-senate-staffer- computers/79963/?oref=nextgov_today_nl Science & Technology | back to top | Mobile Devices Of The Future Will Get Energy From Everywhere Except The Wall Socket Quartz by Nick Stockton 5 March 2014 A busy person’s iPhone can chew off more energy in a year than a refrigerator, but that doesn’t mean it needs to belly up to the wall trough every time its battery starts running low. Wireless power won’t be here tomorrow, but it’s coming. Energy is everywhere, in every action, most of it bleeding away be recycled back into the endless machinations of the universe. Scientists and engineers are moving ever closer to figuring out how to harvest power from our environment, ourselves, and our devices themselves— from nanoscale pillars that could offset a device’s energy use by turning waste heat into electricity, to a spongey cell-phone case that works up a charge by sitting on a vibrating car dashboard. Read more at: http://www.nextgov.com/mobile/2014/03/mobile-devices-future-will-get-energy-everywhere- except-wall-socket/79966/?oref=nextgov_today_nl Terrorist Financing | back to top | Tunisia Targets Terror Financiers Magharebia by MONIA GHANMI 4 March 2014 Tunisia will freeze assets of individuals and entities with terrorism ties. Moveable assets, real estate, securities and financial instruments would be subject to the measure, the finance ministry announced on February 25th. The move is part of efforts to stop money laundering. Read more at: http://allafrica.com/stories/201403050639.html WMD Terrorism | back to top | Israel Says It Seized Ship In Red Sea With Load Of Iranian Rockets Headed To Gaza The New York Times by ISABEL KERSHNER 5 March 2014 Israel demonstrated its long reach early Wednesday when its navy commandos boarded and seized a merchant ship in the southern Red Sea carrying an Iranian shipment of advanced weapons destined for Palestinian militant groups in Gaza, according to senior Israeli officials.

The ship, identified as the Klos C, was seized in international waters between Eritrea and Sudan, approximately 1,000 miles from the port of Eilat, Israel’s southernmost point. As well as civilian cargo of cement, it was carrying dozens of Syrian-manufactured M-302 rockets with a range of about 100 miles, according to the Israeli military. Read more at: http://www.nytimes.com/2014/03/06/world/middleeast/israel-fires-on-militants-along-syrian- border.html AFP Flaunts Unit Against Chemical Warfare Inquirer.net by Bong Lozada 6 March 2014 MANILA, Philippines – As terrorism gets more advanced, so too does the country’s defense forces. Showing off its skills on detecting improvised explosive devices, the Armed Forces of the Philippines presented a new unit that could stop impending threat on the nuclear level. Major General Kevin Servando said that the four-month old chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear explosive defense unit of the AFP is capable of engaging and stopping chemical attacks before these hit the targets. Read more at: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/582798/afp-flaunts-unit-against-chemical-warfare

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