RiyadhVision By: Mohammed Nosseir“Although we invented war, I can’t understand or imagine how people can decide to blow themselves up,” said a Western acquaintance who was seeking my help to understand the sick behavior of suicide-bombers (that I, in turn, am struggling to comprehend).In Egypt, we have been living with this disease for years. It is certainly damaging, but Egyptians’ thousands of years of history give us a considerable degree of confidence in our aptitude for survival.Egyptians today are paying a very high price for the chronic disease that is terrorism, which we have been handling very badly in recent years.Terrorism emerged in Egypt because the environment was conducive to it. To put it in medical terms, the body was very vulnerable, so it was quite easy for the disease to invade it and spread throughout it — and today it has become chronic in our society.Terrorism is like a...

International Business Times, UK Edition One of the suspects, a 42-year-old male, was allegedly plotting to attack a Shia moque in Penang state.By Ananya Roy Counter-terrorism officials in Malaysia arrested six Malaysian nationals over suspected Isis links during a month-long operation, authorities said on Wednesday (3 May). The suspects include two women and four men. They were arrested in separate raids across the country between 24 March and 25 April. Malaysia's Inspector-General of police Khalid Abu Bakar told reporters that one of the arrested male suspects was planning to launch an attack on a Shia mosque in Penang state off the Malacca Strait. A senior counter-terrorism source told Channel NewsAsia that the target mosque is located on the busy Chulia street in the city. The man, identified as a 41-year-old unemployed, was arrested on 25 April in Penang. He has allegedly been promoting the Islamist jihadist group through his 15...

TheNewsLens.com by Scott N. Romaniuk & Shih-Yueh Yang The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) comprehensive counterterrorism law that came into effect at the turn of 2016 brought with it waves of criticism from human rights activists, proponents of fundamental rights and freedoms, and liberal states around the world. Renounced by many Western governments, the CCP backed the necessity of the law, contending that the country finds itself in a more complex and dangerous security environment. That security environment, asserted the CCP, requires an accelerated response in the form of broad and comprehensive law that includes: new provisions regarding definitional problems of terrorism, preventive measures, intelligence procurement, investigations, emergency measures and responses, multilateral partnership and cooperation, among others. China’s security problems have been linked to a larger and external narrative of terrorism in the new (post-9/11) global security environment, which provides much nourishment for anti-terrorism discourses within China. A latecomer in the...

The Washington Times By Dan Boylan Lawmakers will announce a major effort Wednesday to explore ways to keep terrorists from reaching America’s shores, warning that Islamists from hotbeds of fundamentalist activity in Europe are able to enter the United States visa-free if they manage to slip through the cracks of the nation’s vast immigration enforcement bureaucracy. On Wednesday, a bipartisan House Homeland Security Committee task force will convene to explore specific U.S. immigration protocols, in particular the visa waiver agreements with countries in Europe, where counterterrorism officials have identified dangerous weaknesses. With the rise of Islamic terrorism, particularly attacks inspired by the Islamic State group and its Salafi ideology, border security is an increasingly emotional issue across the country and sits at the heart of the Trump administration’s vow to “make America great again.” Mr. Trump’s executive orders — now mired in the court system — to bar people from...

by Helle Dale Coming into office, President Donald Trump declared defeating and destroying ISIS to be his foreign policy top priority.In contrast with the Obama administration, he had no hesitation defining precisely the root of the threat: Islamist terrorism—not vaguely phrased “violent extremism,” “workplace violence,” or “manmade contingencies.”This definition of the threat also needs to come with a far more concise strategy to combat it. The shorthand for the Obama strategy was “CVE,” or “Countering Violent Extremism.”Like the evasive title, this program failed. The United States continues to face terror attacks from radicalized individuals, such as last year’s Orlando nightclub massacre."Dear reader:Reporters at the Washington Post, Huffington Post, and Wall Street Journal are attacking The Daily Signal for our press access at the White House.They are afraid The Daily Signal is providing an alternative to the usual left-wing or establishment media spin. Now, they are using their “mainstream” media megaphones...

Terror-alert.com CHICAGO (WLS)In 2010 the I-Team uncovered a new al Qaeda publication called "Inspire" that instructed jihadists to use pickup trucks as "the ultimate mowing machines." Now, seven years later, federal authorities are warning that terrorists may try truck-ramming attacks in the U.S. This comes as American counter-terrorism investigators are warning local police on how to diagnose someone going from sympathizer to attacker.In the past three years, there have been 17 ramming attacks worldwide; leaving at least 173 people dead, with suspected terrorists behind the wheel mostly using trucks as weapons. More than 700 people have been injured in the attacks.In most cases, authorities say the inspiration and the instructions have come from terrorist manuals including that al Qaeda magazine first reported by the I-Team in October 2010.Would-be jihadists urged to put plows on pick-ups and then run them into downtown crowds. Chicago's North Michigan Avenue area and the John...

Gatestone Institute by Joe KaufmanSince its creation, the Deobandi movement has produced a number of militant offshoots, most notably the Taliban in Pakistan and Afghanistan, and spread its tentacles around the world, including in the United States. Shafayat Mohamed returned from India and set up one such tentacle in Florida. As Thomas Friedman wrote, "We talked to the boys. All of them thought America was evil and that Osama bin Laden was a hero."Much like its sister madrasa in Pakistan, the Darul Uloom Institute and its imam, Shafayat Mohamed, follow in the line of the most extreme elements of the Deobandi movement. The only difference is that one is more than 7,000 miles away from American shores, and the other is right in our backyard.The Darul Uloom Institute -- who? -- in Pembroke Pines, Florida will hold its annual fundraising dinner and awards ceremony on May 6. If it is...

Express - express.co.uk MORE than 3,000 people have contacted police with information about possible terrorist activity in just two months. Forces received the tip-offs after senior officers launched a major campaign calling on members of the public to report any suspicions.The National Police Chiefs' Council said a significant number of the calls were made following the Westminster attack. Most of the concerns raised turned out to be nothing to cause any alarm but a number contained important pieces of information that resulted in further action and might otherwise have been missed. In addition to the 3,000 calls since the Action Counters Terrorism initiative was launched in March, authorities also received 300 referrals regarding online extremist material.Deputy Assistant Commissioner Lucy D'Orsi, the NPCC's lead for protective security, revealed the figures at a conference in London. She said: “The increased response from the general public and from professionals whose job it is...

The Washington Times By Laura Kelly - The Washington Times The National Counterterrorism Center is incentivizing technology companies by sharing intelligence with them to battle terrorist-recruiting strategies on the web, NCTC Director Nicholas Rasmussen said Wednesday. The director highlighted that the companies “become burdened with the knowledge” of how certain platforms are being used and exploited by foreign terrorist organizations. He made his comments at an event discussing new terrorist threats and counterterrorism strategies hosted by the Center for a New American Security. Short of sharing classified information, the NCTC is looking at ways to make information accessible to people outside of this community, Mr. Rasmussen added. “We’re leaning forward pretty dramatically in this area to try and share that information,” he said. “Again to incentivize these partners, these companies to take steps that are in their capacity to take and not to do so solely based on a request...

by DW France anti-terrorism raids lead to 5 arrestsFrench authorities have detained five men and seized weapons in anti-terrorist operations across the country. Security is tight after recent Islamist attacks and the upcoming presidential runoff.Anti-terrorism squads arrested five people across France on Tuesday, just days before the second round of the presidential election.The raids took place in towns near the cities of Rouen and Lille in northern France, and in Roanne in the central part of the country.The suspects are between 18 and 24 years old. Weapons were also seized during the raids, including pistols and machine guns, a source told the Agence France-Presse. The guns belonged to a man close to one of the suspects, who legally owned the weapons.A man was arrested by anti-terrorist squads at this building in Bihorel, northwestern FranceHigh securityThe raids come just two weeks after a deadly attack on a French policeman on the...

IrishExaminer.com Conor Kane The Garda-led investigation into the funding of international terrorism which led to the arrest and charge of an Irish citizen last week has involved the FBI, Interpol and the London Metropolitan Police, a court has been told.Hassan Bal, aged 25, formerly of an address at O’Connell St in Waterford, was refused bail when he made his second appearance before Waterford District Court yesterday.He is charged with providing funding for a foreign terrorist group on October 2, 2015, and attempting to collect funding for a foreign terrorist group on October 23, 2015.Gardaí objected to bail on the grounds of the seriousness of the alleged offences; the potential sentence if convicted, which could be up to 20 years; and the risk of flight out of the country by Mr Bal if granted bail.Detective Sergeant Donal Donohoe told the court he believed the accused was likely to commit similar offences...

by Terror-Alert.com An FBI translator travelled to Syria and married an Islamic State (IS, formerly ISIS/ISIL) terrorist she had been investigating. Unsealed court documents revealed details of the marriage between Daniela Greene and rapper-turned-terrorist Denis Cuspert.Born in Czechoslovakia and raised in Germany, Greene, 38, married a US soldier. She had moved to the US at a young age where she went on to work for the FBI as a contract linguist, a CNN investigation detailed after the court documents were disclosed.In January 2014, Greene began investigating “Individual A”, identified by CNN as Denis Cuspert, 41, a German IS terrorist seen in propaganda videos holding a severed human head.A former rapper known as “Deso Dogg”, Cuspert enjoyed minor success in the music industry, including opening for US rapper DMX.After a car accident that left him close to death in 2010 he quit rap and converted to Islam, producing Islamic devotional songs,...

By Brian Moore - Defense One As tensions with North Korea heat up, mutual mistrust and diverging priorities make it harder to choose a path forward.Even as the United States and her Pacific allies coalesce around a shared belief that new measures must be taken with regard to North Korea, mutual mistrust and diverging priorities make it harder to choose a path forward.Last August, well before the current sense of crisis, these gaps in coordination and trust were highlighted at the annual US-ROK-Japan Trilateral Strategic Dialogue. Hosted by Pacific Forum CSIS with the Asan Institute for Policy Studies, the event brings together experts, officials, military officials, and observers from the three countries to simulate a North Korea crisis. Its goal is to find areas of convergence in strategic and tactical goals, but more importantly, to find divergence among the partners. Here are some of the issues that remain unresolved, even...

DW by Shamil Shams Six years after bin Laden's death, al Qaeda is being overshadowed by IS, which is expanding in S. Asia. Al Qaeda, however, isn't finished, as recent reports claim its leader Zawahiri is hiding in Pakistan's Karachi.Aiman az-Zawahiri Videobotschaft (Reuters/SITE)In an era marked by an exponential rise of jihadist group "Islamic State" (IS), not many people remember or care about Osama bin Laden, the most feared terrorist in the world a decade ago. IS has not only overshadowed bin Laden's al Qaeda in the Middle East, it is now also making huge gains in the Af-Pak region, which was previously dominated by al Qaeda.The South Asian militant groups, including some factions of the Taliban, are moving closer to IS, which has proven its strength in the past few years by capturing vast swathes of territories in Iraq and Syria, something which al Qaeda could never manage to...

Evening Standard by Hatty Collier Islamist extremists are allegedly planning at least two further terror attacks in London in the near future.   Anti-terror police have stepped up surveillance to monitor the new “active” plots, which are believed to be inspired by Isis or a resurgent al-Qaeda, according to the Sunday Times.   Those involved in planning the fresh wave of attacks are not connected to the two plots that were foiled last week, the newspaper reported.   "There are another two plots being closely watched," the Sunday Times quoted a senior anti-terrorism official at Scotland Yard as saying. Met officers smashed two suspected terror plots within hours of each other in the capital on Thursday. Armed police wrestled an alleged knifeman, 27, to the ground in Westminster in the afternoon before detaining six people, including a 16-year-old boy, in raids linked to a family home in Willesden, north-west London....

Highly-trained American military Counterterror Canines ...

Gatestone Institute by Denis MacEoin Qadri's admirable take on terrorism conceals another large elephant in the room. Islam has for centuries used violence against non-Muslims in what is considered a legitimate manner: through jihad. It is not simply that Muslim armies have fought their enemies much as Christian armies have engaged in war. Jihad is commanded in the later verses of the Qur'an, is endorsed in the Traditions and the biography of Muhammad, and codified in the manuals of shari'a law. Qadri knows this perfectly well, and at times inadvertently reveals as much in several ways. Qadri does not just insist that Islam is a religion of peace and security. By tucking all references to jihad in footnotes in transliterated Arabic, he never has to explain what it is about and how it relates to his rulings on what is and what is not permissible. It is hard to be...

Express SCOTS military cadets have been warned not to wear their uniforms in public amid terror attack fears. By Stephen Wilkie Parents of youngsters in the army, air and sea cadet forces have been issued with letters outlining steps to avoid being targeted by extremists.The letter warns of a serious risk of the cadets – mainly schoolchildren in their teens – being mistaken for regular airmen, sailors or soldiers.One letter to the parent of a Scottish cadet, reads: “Based on the latest security advice, we recommend all cadets cover up their uniform when travelling to and from cadet activity. Personnel should remain vigilant.” The parent – who did not wish to be named – said it made his “blood run cold”, adding: “It’s clearly in response to something.”"Based on the latest security advice, we recommend all cadets cover up their uniform when travelling to and from cadet activity."    Letter sent...

International Business Times, UK Edition Mohamed Amoudi, 21, was snatched in anti-terror raid in north-west London on 27 April.By Tareq Haddad A Yemeni-born British man who was snatched in a London anti-terror raid was previously suspected of joining Isis, but was released without charge.Mohamed Amoudi, 21, was one of five people arrested by balaclava-clad armed officers in Harlesden Road, Willesden, on Thursday (27 April). He and his associates were under heavy surveillance and were allegedly engaged in an "active plot" to carry out an attack in central London, before counterterrorism officers stepped in.A source told The Times that officers would have preferred to let close monitoring run to gather more intelligence, but said "sometimes you have to act" and that "the balance was tipped" on Thursday. Earlier in the day, Amoudi reportedly evaded undercover officers who followed him onto a double-decker bus, but counterterrorism police eventually caught up to him...

by MICHAEL HOLDEN AND KATE HOLTON   British counter-terrorism police said on Friday (Saturday NZ Time) they had thwarted an active plot after a woman was shot during an armed raid on a house in north London in the second major security operation in the British capital in the space of a few hours. Armed counter-terrorism officers using tear gas stormed a house in the Willesden area of the capital on Thursday evening (Friday NZT) which had been under surveillance, shooting a woman in her 20s. She is said to be in a serious but stable condition in hospital. Asked if police had foiled an active plot, Neil Basu, Senior National Coordinator for Counter Terrorism Policing, replied: "Yes". In a separate incident only hours earlier, a man was arrested carrying at least three knives near Prime Minister Theresa May's office in Westminster during another operation by armed counter-terrorism police. The 27-year-old,...