WJCT How A Jacksonville Man Was Seduced By Online Extremism – And Overcame Hate By Melissa Ross Mak Kapetanovic is a 22-year-old, well-spoken, mild-mannered University of North Florida student. He's also a former white supremacist who's now devoted to deprogramming other young men like himself.Kapetanovic says his story is a case study into how easily people can be sucked into a toxic digital sphere that radicalizes followers into white nationalist, extremist beliefs. And he's concerned that governments around the world aren't doing enough to combat online extremism."The sort of casual racism and misogyny that was prevalent in a lot of online video games and chats and stuff, that was sort of the first thing that kind of made me think, ‘Oh, these kinds of jokes and these kinds of things are OK.’ That opened the door," he said Tuesday on WJCT’s First Coast Connect with Melissa Ross."It was like I...

Spectrum News Showing Respect to Families of Fallen Law Enforcement Members By Melissa Krull Utica The parents of Oneida County Deputy Kurt B. Wyman and New Hartford Police Officer Joseph Corr live with pain every day.Their sons were killed in the line of duty several years ago, but the hurt remains. "Usually after events like this or any major event, there's always a down day or two afterward that we deal with. So yeah it's emotional and it brings back stuff, but you've still got to do it," said Brian Wyman, the father of Deputy Kurt B. Wyman.They told their stories to Mohawk Valley Community College students, Wednesday, taking questions and comments at the end."I hope they took away a front-row seat to pain, to what happens when someone decides to sacrifice their lives for someone else and not just the impact it has on the lives of their families,...

ABC News American Service Member Injured In Al-Shabab Attack In Somalia: US Military by Jenae Barnes  A U.S. service member suffered a concussion injury from Monday's attack by the terrorist group al-Shabab at a U.S. military airfield in Somalia, according to U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).In the aftermath of the attack, defense officials reported that there were no injuries or casualties at the Baledogle Military Airfield. However, on Tuesday AFRICOM officials clarified that one U.S. service member suffered a concussion injury.(MORE: Soldier killed, 3 others injured during Army helicopter accident at Fort Polk)The attack on Baledogle Military Airfield was one of two attacks conducted by al-Shabab in Somalia on Monday.In the attack on the U.S military airfield, a suicide car bomber detonated a vehicle packed with explosives at the airstrip gate, according to Yusuf Abdourahman, a regional administrative security official. The U.S. military conducted a self-defense airstrike in response to the...

Forbes U.S. Government Confirms New Aircraft Cybersecurity Move Amid Terrorism Fears Kate O'Flaherty, Senior ContributorAircraft security is under the spotlight after the U.S. government confirmed a move to protect citizens from cyberattacks targeting aviation. It comes amid growing concern that aviation is a major target for terrorists, who could use cyberattacks to threaten planes and passengers.The Department of Home Security is leading the revived program alongside the Pentagon and Transportation Department that aims to test airliners’ vulnerability to hacking, according to the Wall Street Journal. Few details are available, but DHS confirmed that the program would include testing actual aircraft for vulnerabilities. The program is focusing on protecting the electronic systems of new and old airliners from cyberattacks. Concerns have been growing after cyberattacks on other connected so-called critical infrastructure such as power grids. A U.S. government program is in place to focus on power grids via the SEIA Bill,...

Newsweek Kenyan Police on High Alert over Potential Terrorist Attacks Around Mombasa By Hunter Moyler Kenyan security forces help people to escape after a bomb blast at DusitD2 hotel in Nairobi, Kenya, on January 15, 2019KABIR DHANJI/GETTYKenyan police are on high alert after recovering intelligence suggesting that several operatives had been sent into the country by al-Shabaab, a Somali jihadist group affiliated with al-Qaeda.Police believe seven operatives have been sent into Kenya to carry out attacks on several key counties. Both Kwale and Kilifi counties are located along the country's coast on the Indian Ocean and both border Mombasa, Kenya's second-largest city by population, to the southwest and north.AdPolice told media that they believe the al-Shabaab militants intend to carry out attacks on several important institutions in the two counties and Mombasa, including Moi International Airport, Kenya Ports Authority and the Standard Gauge Railway terminus. Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/kenyan-police-high-alert-over-potential-terrorist-attacks-around-mombasa-1462058?amp=1 ...

Clarion Project Good news! The war on terror is going extremely well. Even though the headlines may seem bleak, the fight against totalitarian political ideologies has seen many successes. Recruitment in extremist groups is down and extremists are losing resources, credibility and reach.Here are some recent victories to celebrate so far this year: ISIS Was Defeated in SyriaAfter the collapse of Al Qaeda, the Islamic State became the most feared terrorist organization in the world.Formed out of a Frankenstein combination of Al Qaeda’s branch in Iraq alongside largely Sunni Arab former-Saddam Hussein loyalists, the organization quickly became one of the most deadly groups in the Syrian Civil War.In the summer of 2014, the group shocked the world by storming across the Syrian border and into Iraq, seizing Mosul, the country’s second largest city. They then changed their name to the Islamic State, and declared their leader, Abu Bakr Al Baghdadi to...

Foreign Policy What Terror Experts Can Learn From Public Health Experts National security professionals have a duty to use their influence to fight hyperbole. By Charles Kurzman In the early 2000s, two events sowed fear in the United States and around the world: the 9/11 attacks in 2001 and the SARS outbreak of 2002 and 2003. In the years that followed, the professional communities responsible for responding to these threats, and informing the public about them, have followed two very different paths.In the fight against deadly diseases, public health experts have sought to balance the need for preparedness with their duty to avoid hyperbole, which can lead to panic. National security experts should adopt this same ethos. SARS started in China and spread around the world, leaving hundreds of people dead. The global public health community mobilized immediately to contain the epidemic—and to manage perceptions of it. “SARS is a...

  ABC News Extremists Attack US Military Base In Somalia By Abdi Guled, associated press MOGADISHU, Somalia -  Somalia's Islamic extremist rebels on Monday launched two attacks on U.S. and European military targets, officials said.In the first attack, an estimated 25 fighters of the al-Shabab rebel group were killed when they attempted to storm the Belidogle military airstrip which hosts Somali and U.S. forces, said a Somali intelligence officer, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak to the media.The attack started with suicide bombings at the gate and around the airstrip and were followed by heavy gunfire across the air base in the Lower Shabelle region in southern Somalia, said Gen. Ahmed Yusuf, a senior Somali military officer based in Lower Shabelle region. Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/extremists-attack-us-military-base-somalia-65949553...

Chicago police instructs officers to not cooperate with DHS, memo shows: ‘Sickening what’s happening'  By Matt Finn | Fox NewsThe Chicago Police Department advised officers not to cooperate with the Department of Homeland Security, particularly in situations involving immigration arrests, according to an internal department memo obtained by Fox News.Instead of assisting DHS upon request, officers are instructed to wait for their supervisor to arrive, the memo said. Once the supervisor arrives, “if the request is to assist with an immigration arrest or detention, CPD personnel will leave the scene as directed by the CPD supervisor,” according to the memo. CPD confirmed the memo came from an internal superior but would not say if the directive came from the mayor. The mayor’s office has not responded to requests for comment from Fox News. Chicago police sources told Fox News that officers have historically assisted federal agents and this new policy...

CBS News Schaumburg, Illinois — A man accused of driving an SUV through a suburban Chicago shopping mall is facing a state terrorism charge, authorities announced Sunday. Police in Schaumburg announced early Sunday that the Cook County state's attorney had authorized the charge against Javier Garcia, 22, of Palatine, Illinois.Garcia also was charged with felony criminal damage to property. Garcia was scheduled to appear in bond court Sunday.Under Illinois law, the Class X felony of terrorism can apply if the suspect is believed to have caused more than $100,000 in damage to any building containing five or more businesses, according to a statement issued by Schaumburg Police Sergeant Karen McCarthy. Class X felonies can carry sentences of up to 30 years in prison. No federal charges have been brought against Garcia. Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/schaumburg-illinois-javier-garcia-charged-with-terrorism-for-driving-suv-into-woodfield-mall-in-chicago-suburb/...

CNET Facebook will have to give UK police access to encrypted messages, report says by Edward MoyerFacebook and its messaging tool WhatsApp will have to give UK police access to users' encrypted messages under an upcoming treaty with the US, says a Saturday report by Bloomberg, which cites a confidential source. The treaty, which covers other US-based social media platforms as well, would require the sharing in regard to investigations of serious crimes, such as terrorism and pedophilia, Bloomberg said. Under the treaty, scheduled to be finalized in October, the US and UK won't investigate each other's citizens, and information obtained from British firms can't be used by the US in death penalty cases, Bloomberg reported.For some time, law enforcement officials in both countries have argued that uncrackable encryption provides cover for criminals. Police say "back doors," or secret access portals, should be built into such systems so law officers...

War on the Rocks What Can We Do About Terrorism? Melanie Marlowe, Bryan McGrath, and Christopher Preble - Podcasts What have we learned in the 18 years since 9/11? Chris, Melanie, and Bryan discuss whether counterterrorism policy takes account of academic research on the subject. Going forward, the goal should be to implement the most cost-effective policies — and over time, to calm public anxiety about terrorism. Bryan gives a shout out to a bipartisan duo of Net Assessment fans, Chris gripes about NFL officiating, and Melanie offers her appreciation of the Constitution via an unlikely source: former Vice President Joe Biden. Listen Podcast Here: https://warontherocks.com/2019/09/what-can-we-do-about-terrorism/...

The Auburn Plainsman Man arrested in FBI terrorism probe is AU student By Eduardo Medina | Editor-in-chief An Auburn man who was apprehended by the FBI Monday in a years-long terrorism probe — in which he reportedly told FBI agents that he would execute a U.S. soldier if ordered to do so by an Islamic State group — was an Auburn University student enrolled in classes during the fall 2019 semester.Preston Sparks, director of University Communications Services, confirmed to The Plainsman that Nayef Qashou, a dual Jordanian and United States citizen who grew up in Saudi Arabia, was a student.According to The Associated Press, Qashou was charged with lying to the FBI and destroying records, as well as communicating with suspected terrorists.National outlets reported FBI agents searched Qashou’s home in Auburn. In an unsealed affidavit, the FBI said Qashou arrived in the U.S. through Atlanta's airport in 2015 and planned...

The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center Spotlight on Global Jihad (September 19-25, 2019) The unilateral ceasefire in the Idlib region declared by the Syrian army was also maintained this week. At the same time, artillery exchanges continued, and the Syrian army apparently thwarted local attempted assault by the rebel organizations. All these illustrate that the ceasefire is weak and that the situation in the Idlib region is fragile. The situation in the Idlib region was discussed at a summit meeting in Ankara between the Iranian, Turkish and Russian presidents. The disagreements between Turkey and Russia apparently remained unchanged. While the Turkish media accused the Syrian regime of violating the terms of the ceasefire, the Russian media warned that “… the ceasefire does not protect the terrorist organizations. The campaign against them will continue.” ISIS’s terrorist and guerrilla activity continued this week in various sectors in eastern Syria. In...

Military Times Three US Service Members Wounded In Afghanistan Insider Attack By Meghann Myers The Taliban took credit for killing three troops in a green-on-blue attack Kandahar, Afghanistan, on Monday afternoon, but an U.S. Forces-Afghanistan spokesman fired back at the claims on Twitter, clarifying that the only injuries sustained were non-life threatening.A defense official, who was not authorized to speak on the record, confirmed that all three wounded troops were Americans.A member of the Afghan National Civil Order Police fired on a coalition convoy, Col. Sonny Leggett tweeted, without providing details about which coalition country they belonged to. “The attacker was killed by return fire from Resolute Support forces,” he tweeted.The incident is under investigation, he added. Read more: https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2019/09/23/three-us-service-members-wounded-in-afghanistan-insider-attack/...

ABC News Urgent New Warnings About ISIS Fighter Jailbreaks, As Trump Threatens Europe With Releasing Them By Conor Finnegan The threat of ISIS fighters breaking out of the massive prison camps where they're being held in Syria and Iraq is growing, according to a new report and a senior U.S. official.While President Donald Trump has also warned of the urgency, he took the issue a step further in recent days and threatened to free ISIS fighters at Europe's borders if countries don't repatriate them.U.S. ambassador-at-large for counterterrorism Nathan Sales rang those alarm bells Tuesday, but wouldn't say whether the U.S. was actively planning to carry out Trump's threat."It's impossible to predict what tomorrow is going to look like in Syria, let alone two months or six months from now ... You could envision all sorts of other scenarios playing out," Sales told ABC News in response to questions about Trump's...

Morristowngreen.com Morristown man indicted on terrorism charges, allegedly scouted NYC targets for HezbollahBy Kevin Coughlin A Morristown man was indicted Thursday on charges that he scouted New York landmarks for future attacks by Hezbollah.Alexei Saab, 42, has been working with the the Lebanon-based terrorist group for more than two decades, according to federal documents.He allegedly surveilled dozens of locations in New York, including the United Nations headquarters, the Statue of Liberty, Rockefeller Center, Times Square, the Empire State Building, and local airports, tunnels, and bridges, as well as sites in Boston and Washington DC.Authorities say he searched for vulnerabilities that could be attacked for maximum destruction, reporting to the Islamic Jihad Organization (IJO), a branch of Hezbollah that coordinates terrorist activities outside of Lebanon. Read more: https://morristowngreen.com/2019/09/19/morristown-man-indicted-on-terrorism-charges-allegedly-scouted-nyc-targets-for-hezbollah/...

BBCNotre-Dame plot: Five women in court over foiled car bomb attack Five French women have gone on trial in Paris accused of trying to detonate a car bomb near the iconic Notre-Dame cathedral in September 2016.Six gas canisters in the vehicle, which had been doused in diesel fuel, failed to explode when a cigarette was thrown at them, prosecutors said.One of the women is accused of stabbing an officer in the shoulder after police traced them to a nearby apartment.A defence lawyer said the women had been brainwashed on the internet.The defendants, now aged between 22 and 42, are all Muslim converts.Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-49794927...

The New York Times The Urgent Search For A Cyber Silver Bullet Against Iran By David E. Sanger and Julian E. BarnesWASHINGTON — After spending billions of dollars to assemble the world’s most potent arsenal of cyberweapons and plant them in networks around the world, United States Cyber Command — and the new era of warfighting it has come to represent — may face a critical test in the coming weeks.President Trump is considering a range of options to punish Iran for this month’s attack on Saudi oil facilities, and has toughened sanctions on Iran and ordered the deployment of additional troops to the region. But a second cyberstrike — after one launched against Iran just three months ago — has emerged as the most appealing course of action for Mr. Trump, who is reluctant to widen the conflict in a region he has said the United States should leave,...

Al-Shabab Attack Kills 20 Somali Soldiers Voice Of America By Harun MarufAt least 20 Somali government soldiers were killed and 18 others were wounded when al-Shabab raided a military base south of Mogadishu, security sources told VOA Somali.The sources said militants detonated a suicide car bomb at the El-Salin military base followed by an infantry attack in the early hours of Sunday.The militants briefly took over the base, a regional official told VOA Somali.A spokesman for Somali special forces said the militants attacked the base “in large numbers.” Read more: https://www.voanews.com/africa/al-shabab-attack-kills-20-somali-soldiers...