MARCH 2010 . VOL 3 . ISSUE 3 Siddiqui guilty of trying to kill U.S. said that it will extend its deadline for Recent Highlights in servicemen in Afghanistan. Siddiqui, a French captive Pierre Camatte until Terrorist Activity Pakistani neuroscientist trained at the February 20. In exchange for Camatte’s Massachusetts Institute of Technology in release, AQIM is demanding that the February 1, 2010 (IRAQ): A female the United States, was accused of trying French and Mali governments release suicide bomber targeted Shi`a pilgrims to gun down a group of U.S. servicemen four AQIM militants held in Mali. – AFP, in Baghdad, killing at least 41 people. at an Afghan police station in July 2008. February 5 Approximately 12 children were among After being found guilty, she said, “This the dead. – Independent, February 2; Voice of is a verdict from Israel, not America. February 6, 2010 (YEMEN): Yemeni America, February 3 The anger should be directed where it authorities announced that they recently belongs.” – AFP, February 4 arrested a man in Sana`a who threatened to February 1, 2010 (SOMALIA): According blow up foreign embassies and assassinate to the Wall Street Journal, the Somali militant February 4, 2010 (AFGHANISTAN): Yemeni leaders. The announcement did group al-Shabab released a statement Afghan authorities arrested a district not state whether the man was a member announcing that it is aligned with al- administrator in northern Badghis of al-Qa`ida. – AFP, February 6 Qa`ida. Al-Shabab also announced that Province for leaking information it has allied with Kamboni, a smaller on Afghan and international troop February 8, 2010 (PAKISTAN): Pakistani insurgent group based in the southern movements to Taliban fighters. The authorities arrested six suspected Taliban town of Ras Kamboni and led by Hassan administrator, identified as Aminullah, militants who were allegedly about to Turki. – BBC, February 1; Wall Street Journal, was in charge of Bala Murghab district in attack the five-star Pearl Continental hotel February 2 Badghis. – Wall Street Journal, February 9 in Lahore, the capital of Punjab Province. The six suspected militants were armed February 2, 2010 (UNITED STATES): February 4, 2010 (INDIA): India’s home with a suicide vest and 26 hand grenades, U.S. Director of National Intelligence minister, Palaniappan Chidambaram, and they were supposedly hoping to kill Dennis C. Blair told a Senate panel that al- said that the 10 Pakistani terrorists who Americans. – AP, February 9 Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) attacked Mumbai in November 2008 has emerged as the “foremost concern” could have been guided by an Indian February 8, 2010 (YEMEN): Said Ali al- for U.S. intelligence agencies. – Los Angeles handler. Authorities do not have the Shihri, the deputy leader of al-Qa`ida Times, February 3 handler in custody, nor do they know in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the individual’s identity. – Times of India, purportedly released a new audio February 2, 2010 (YEMEN): In an interview February 4 statement calling on Muslims in the with al-Jazira, Yemeni-American cleric region to attack the United States and Anwar al-`Awlaqi admitted that Umar February 5, 2010 (IRAQ): A car bomb its allies. During the speech, al-Shihri Farouk Abdulmutallab “is one of my ripped through a group of Shi`a pilgrims praised Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab’s students” and that the two “were in in Karbala, killing 10 people. Shortly after, “glorious invasion,” referring to the failed correspondence.” He also said, however, a suicide bomber in a vehicle detonated Christmas Day bombing attempt against that he “did not give [Abdulmutallab] explosives at the first blast site, killing a U.S. airliner near Detroit. Al-Shihri a fatwa in regards to this operation,” another 22 people. – Los Angeles Times, is a former inmate at the U.S. detention referring to the failed Christmas Day February 5 facility at Guantanamo Bay. – BBC, February bombing plot of a U.S. airliner near 8; Washington Post, February 8 Detroit. – Washington Post, February 6 February 5, 2010 (PAKISTAN): Two suicide bombers killed 25 people in February 9, 2010 (PAKISTAN): The February 3, 2010 (IRAQ): A bomb on Karachi, located in Pakistan’s Sindh Pakistani Taliban reportedly confirmed a motorcycle exploded near Karbala, Province. The first bomber rammed an that their leader, Hakimullah Mehsud, killing at least 20 Shi`a pilgrims. – Voice explosives-laden motorbike into a bus died from injuries sustained in a U.S. of America, February 3 carrying Shi`a on one of the city’s busiest drone missile strike in January. – Los roads, killing 12 people. Two hours Angeles Times, February 10 February 3, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A suicide later, the second bomber detonated his bomber killed at least seven people, explosives at the entrance to the casualty February 10, 2010 (ISRAEL): Palestinian including three U.S. military personnel, department at Jinnah Hospital, where security forces said they recently arrested in Lower Dir District of the North-West families of the victims hurt in the first a suspected cell of al-Qa`ida sympathizers Frontier Province. According to Agence blast had gathered; 13 people died in the in the West Bank. According to a France-Presse, “It appears to be the first second blast. According to a senior police Palestinian security official, “They time American soldiers have been killed official, “The perpetrators knew Jinnah considered themselves part of Al-Qaeda in such an attack in Pakistan.” Three Hospital was the nearest to the site of but did not have any contacts with Al- Pakistani schoolgirls also died in the the first attack and ensured a follow-up Qaeda leaders abroad.” The men were blast. Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan claimed attack when they saw significant numbers apparently carrying out military training, credit for the operation. – Christian Science of people gathered there.” – AFP, February but had not yet chosen a target to attack. Monitor, February 3; BBC, February 4 5; RIA Novosti, February 6 – AFP, February 10 February 4, 2010 (UNITED STATES): A February 5, 2010 (NORTH AFRICA): Al- February 10, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A jury in a U.S. federal court found Aafia Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) suicide bomber attacked a police patrol 26 MARCH 2010 . VOL 3 . ISSUE 3 vehicle in Khyber Agency of the Federally February 13, 2010 (AFGHANISTAN): February 18, 2010 (IRAQ): A suicide Administered Tribal Areas, killing 18 U.S. soldiers began a major operation bomber detonated his explosives near people. At least seven of the dead were against the Taliban stronghold of Marja the government headquarters in Ramadi, police. – AFP, February 11 in Helmand Province. – CBS News, the capital of Anbar Province. At least February 13 13 people were killed. – New York Times, February 10, 2010 (PHILIPPINES): February 18 Philippine police announced that they February 13, 2010 (AFGHANISTAN): A recently arrested Sukri Hassan Itauris, suicide bomber on a motorcycle attacked a February 18, 2010 (PAKISTAN): Officials an alleged Abu Sayyaf Group militant joint U.S.-Afghan foot patrol in Kandahar announced that two senior Afghan involved in the kidnappings of 20 Province, wounding six U.S. soldiers and Taliban leaders were recently arrested tourists, including three Americans, five civilians. – New York Times, February 15 in Pakistan. Afghan officials identified from a Philippine resort in 2001. He was the arrested men as Mullah Abdul Salam arrested in Basilan Province. – Philippine February 13, 2010 (INDIA): A bomb and Mullah Mir Mohammed, the Afghan Star, February 10 ripped through a bakery in a neighborhood Taliban’s shadow governors for Kunduz popular with foreign tourists in the and Baghlan provinces respectively. February 11, 2010 (AFGHANISTAN): A western city of Pune. The explosion killed – New York Times, February 18 suicide bomber detonated his explosives at least 12 people. – New York Times, February at a joint Afghan-U.S. military base 13; AFP, February 20 February 18, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A bomb in Pathan district of Paktia Province, ripped through a mosque in Khyber wounding five U.S. soldiers. The bomber February 14, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A U.S. Agency of the Federally Administered was wearing an Afghan border police unmanned aerial drone killed seven Tribal Areas, killing at least 29 people. uniform, and the Taliban later claimed militants in North Waziristan Agency of – AP, February 18 that the bomber was in fact a Taliban the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. fighter who also served as a police officer. The drone targeted a compound near Mir February 18, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A U.S. – New York Times, February 12 Ali. – Reuters, February 14; AFP, February 14 unmanned aerial drone killed at least four militants in North Waziristan Agency of February 11, 2010 (PAKISTAN): Two February 15, 2010 (AUSTRALIA): A judge the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. suicide bombers detonated their explosives in Australia sentenced five Sydney men – AFP, February 18 outside a police training center in Bannu to 23 to 28 years in prison for conspiring District of the North-West Frontier to commit terrorist acts. The men were February 18, 2010 (MALI): Malian Province, killing at least 15 people. – AFP, stockpiling chemicals to make explosives. authorities reportedly released four February 11; New York Times, February 11 – Australian Broadcasting Corporation, February Islamist prisoners in an apparent deal 15; Reuters, February 15 with al-Qa`ida in the Islamic Maghreb, February 11, 2010 (INDIA): Three gunmen which is holding French national Pierre shot dead a lawyer representing Fahim February 15, 2010 (PAKISTAN): Pakistani Camatte hostage. – Reuters, February 20 Ansari, who is accused of involvement officials announced that the Afghan in the November 2008 Mumbai attacks. Taliban’s second-in-command, Mullah February 19, 2010 (YEMEN): The U.S. The lawyer, Shahid Azmi, was killed in Abdul Ghani Baradar, was captured last government has approved $150 million in Mumbai.