Opinion Washington Post by Bernard Hudson  Bernard Hudson is the former director of counterterrorism at the CIA and is a nonresident fellow at Harvard University’s Belfer Center. A failed assassination attempt against Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on Saturday was mounted with explosive-armed drones, according to news reports. Nine days earlier, and on the other side of the world, terrorists claimed to have sent an armed drone to attack the international airport in Abu Dhabi, the capital of the United Arab Emirates. No one was killed in either case, and the circumstances of both remain murky. But a new and dangerous era in non-state-sponsored terrorism clearly has begun, and no one is adequately prepared to counter it. In Caracas, Venezuela’s capital, government officials said one or more drones detonated explosives above the audience at a nationally televised military event. Several people were injured, though not the president or his wife, Cilia...

New York Times By Benjamin WeiserFederal prosecutors in Manhattan told a judge on Friday that they intend to seek the death penalty if a jury convicts Sayfullo Saipov, the Uzbek man charged in the 2017 truck attack that killed eight people on a crowded Manhattan bike path.The Halloween Day attack was the deadliest in New York City since Sept. 11, 2001.The decision to seek capital punishment ultimately rested with Attorney General Jeff Sessions. Mr. Saipov’s lawyers had asked the judge to block the government from seeking the death penalty, citing tweets by President Trump that called for Mr. Saipov’s execution.Shortly after the attack, Mr. Trump posted messages on Twitter declaring, “SHOULD GET DEATH PENALTY” and “Should move fast. DEATH PENALTY.” The government’s decision was announced in a submission to the judge, Vernon S. Broderick of Federal District Court in Manhattan, by the office of Geoffrey S. Berman, the United States...

U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement ICE arrests 150 aliens in Los Angeles-area 40 percent had ICE holds but released from local custody LOS ANGELES – A man with a conviction for attempted murder and a woman who has seven convictions for driving under the influence are among the 150 criminal aliens and immigration violators arrested by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers this week. Approximately 40 percent of those aliens apprehended by ICE this week had previously been released by local law enforcement agencies despite ICE placing a detainer, which asks an arresting agency to notify immigration officers prior to an alien’s release from custody. Of those arrested in Los Angeles and surrounding areas from Sunday through Tuesday, approximately 90 percent had criminal convictions. “The state laws preventing ICE from working in the jails is significantly impacting public safety by letting serious repeat offenders back out onto our streets,”...

Pensacola News Journal From staff reports A Pensacola man has been arrested on suspicion of terrorism for allegedly threatening to carry out at mass shooting at a local elementary school and to detonate explosives at the county courthouse.Kelyton Maxwell, 32, was arrested Friday by Florida Department of Law Enforcement agents, who were assisted by the Escambia County Sheriff's Office, according to an FDLE news release.In May, FDLE agents began to investigate multiple telephone calls to the Escambia County Courthouse, the county’s 911 call centers and the Pensacola Police Department threatening to detonate explosive devices inside and outside the courthouse.The courthouse was evacuated for nearly three hours Mary 14 as authorities investigated a bomb threat before clearing the building. Read more: https://www.pnj.com/story/news/crime/2018/09/28/pensacola-man-charged-terrorism-accused-threatening-bombings-school-shooting/1459153002/...

In Public SafetyBy Dr. Jarrod Sadulski, Faculty Member, Criminal Justice, American Military UniversityThere are more than 900,000 law enforcement officers in the United States who are sworn to protect and serve. The majority of these officers serve at the local, county or state level. Because of their daily responsibilities, they have significant public interactions that involve traffic stops, field investigations and non-emergency calls.These public interactions provide an important opportunity for officers to recognize signs of domestic terrorism that threaten the community. However, in order for officers to be able to recognize and address potential terrorist activity, they must have proper training, as well as knowledge of available resources and proper protocols to follow.The Role of the Office for State and Local Law EnforcementTo aid in local law enforcement’s ability to respond to domestic terrorism, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has created the Office for State and Local Law Enforcement....

by FOX6 News FRANKLIN — Franklin police say a 20-year-old man is now in custody after a report of a suicidal subject with a bomb vest attached to his chest near the Franklin Walmart late Tuesday, Sept. 25.Officials say West Allis police arrested the 20-year-old shortly before 2 a.m. on Wednesday. He is not being identified — and charges will be referred to the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office.Investigators say the incident late Tuesday happened near the Walmart in Franklin. Because of the report, the Walmart and Sam’s Club next door were evacuated. Bomb-sniffing dogs from the Milwaukee Police Department and the Milwaukee County Sheriff’s Office were also called to the scene.The stores were later reopened. Read more: https://fox6now.com/2018/09/26/police-man-arrested-after-report-of-suicide-bomber-near-franklin-walmart/...

Financial Times Beijing believes its growing international interests must be protected from terrorism by Ben Bland and Nicolle Liu in Hong KongChina wants its elite counter-terrorism forces to play a bigger role overseas, protecting its growing international interests as President Xi Jinping pursues a more muscular foreign policy.“Counter-terrorism preparations must follow the expansion of the country’s strategic interests,” Zhang Xiaoqi, the head of intelligence for China’s People’s Armed Police, which runs the country’s counter-terrorism forces, told Xinhua, the national news agency, at the weekend.“We must strive to become a deterrent force to safeguard national security, a pioneering force to protect overseas interests and an elite force for universal fighting.”China passed a wide-ranging new counter-terrorism law in 2015 that allows the army and police to conduct or join counter-terrorism missions overseas. While the law does not clearly define the international role for China’s counter-terrorism forces, a report by the European Council...

KTLA 5 The US military’s F-35B joint strike fighter conducted its first-ever airstrike on Thursday, according to the US Marine Corps and three US defense officials.The strike took place in Afghanistan against a fixed Taliban target. The aircraft involved were the US Marine Corps’ variant of the aircraft flying from the USS Essex amphibious assault ship.The Marines confirmed the strike in a statement: “During this mission the F-35B conducted an air strike in support of ground clearance operations, and the strike was deemed successful by the ground force commander.”The F-35 stealth jet has been called the most expensive weapons system in history, and its development was beset by multiple delays before it was deemed combat ready.It is touted as the future of military aviation: a lethal and versatile aircraft that combines stealth capabilities, supersonic speed, extreme agility and state-of-the-art sensor fusion technology, according to Lockheed Martin, the plane’s primary contractor.The...

Reuters ISTANBUL (Reuters) - A Turkish-U.S. citizen and former NASA scientist jailed in Turkey on terrorism charges plans to file an appeal to Turkey’s top court after a lower appeals court reduced his sentence this week, his lawyer said on Friday. Serkan Golge was visiting family in southern Turkey when he was arrested in a crackdown following a failed military coup in 2016 which the government blames on supporters of U.S.-based Muslim cleric Fethullah Gulen. Golge’s case is similar to that of American pastor Andrew Brunson, whose ongoing detention in Turkey in connection with the coup attempt is the cause of a major row between NATO allies Washington and Ankara, and has led to U.S. President Donald Trump imposing sanctions on Turkey. In a ruling on Wednesday, Turkey’s Court of Appeals changed Golge’s conviction charge to aiding, rather than being a member of, a terror organization, and to reduce his...

Eurasia Review by James M. Dorsey A Financial Action Task Force (FATF) report criticizing Saudi Arabia’s anti-money laundering and terrorism finance measures puts the kingdom on the spot 17 years after the 9/11 attacks and casts a shadow over its diplomatic and economic boycott of Qatar on the grounds that the Gulf state supports militants.In a nod to the kingdom, the international watchdog described as “understandable” the fact the kingdom’s “almost exclusive focus of authorities on domestic (terrorist financing) offences means the authorities are not prioritizing disruption of support for threats outside the kingdom.”The 246-page report contrasted starkly with US President Donald J. Trump’s assessment expressed in his address to the United Nations general assembly. “Following my trip to Saudi Arabia last year, the Gulf countries opened a new centre to target terrorist financing. They are enforcing new sanctions. They are working with us to identify and track terrorist networks...

BBC News Police in the Netherlands have arrested seven men over an alleged plot to carry out what they describe as a major terrorist attack involving guns and explosives.Police say the men were trying to source AK47s, hand grenades and bomb materials to carry out their attack.The men, aged between 21 and 34, were arrested on Thursday.Three had been arrested previously for trying to travel abroad to join foreign militants.Prosecutors say the man at the centre of the group is a 34-year-old of Iraqi origin, who was convicted in 2017 for trying to travel to fight for the Islamic State group.They say they were tipped off about the plot in April 2018 by intelligence services, who said the main suspect wanted to target "a large event in the Netherlands where there would be a lot of victims".The seven men were arrested in the central city of Arnhem and southern municipality...

Virginian Lewis Burwell “Chesty” Puller was an all-American hero who served in conflicts around the world including the Pacific in World War II and the Korean War in the 1950s. He was a Marine, and even although he died almost 50 years ago, he is still a legend within the ranks of that elite U.S. military outfit. ...

Accusers say he was a Chinese spy tasked with gaining intelligence on potential recruits for a Chinese intelligence service. By Geoff Dempsey CHICAGO, IL — A Chinese national has been arrested on suspicion of spying on the United States for China, according to a press release from the U.S. Attorney's office. Ji Chaoqun, 27, was living in Chicago while working as an agent for a Chinese intelligence agencies, the government says.Ji "worked at the direction of a high-level intelligence officer in the Jiangsu Province Ministry of State Security," the press release said. Accusers say his mission was to obtain biographical information on eight people for potential recruitment by the Chinese intelligence agency.Some of the individuals targeted for recruitment were Chinese nationals working in highly competitive STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — fields in the U.S., including some U.S. defense contractors.Ji is charged with one count of "knowingly acting...

(CNN) Here is some background information on terror attacks involving vehicles used as deadly weapons by radicalized individuals or terror groups. Facts:Al Qaeda's Yemeni branch encouraged its Western recruits to use trucks as weapons. A 2010 webzine article, "The Ultimate Mowing Machine," called for deploying a pickup truck as a "mowing machine, not to mow grass but mow down the enemies of Allah." In September 2014, ISIS spokesman Abu Mohammad al-Adnani called for lone wolf attacks using improvised weaponry, "If you are not able to find an IED or a bullet, then single out the disbelieving American, Frenchman or any of their allies. Smash his head with a rock or slaughter him with a knife or run him over with your car or throw him down from a high place or choke him or poison him."   Timeline:March 3, 2006 - Mohammed Taheri-azar, an Iranian-American, drives an SUV into an...

Gatestone Institute by Ahmed Charai  Ambassador John Bolton was prescient in his 1998 warning, when the formation of body was first being debated in Rome, that it would be ineffective, unaccountable and overly political. The reconciliation commissions of South Africa and Morocco aimed to rehabilitate victims, and pay compensation for state outrages against them. That method would be a better model for Africa than a court funded and run from Europe. The International Criminal Court is a noble ideal but a flawed institution. Far better to encourage nations to develop courts that are accountable to the victims and free from charges of selective enforcement or foreign intervention. The International Criminal Court (ICC) is "already dead to us" National Security Adviser John Bolton told the Federalist Society recently. The U.S. will, he said, resist the court "by any means necessary." Read more: https://www.gatestoneinstitute.org/13008/international-criminal-court...

World Politics Review Europe’s Prisons, Already Hotbeds of Radicalization, Are Filling Up With ISIS Recruits by Cara Tabachnick BRUSSELS—One morning in November 2015, Ahmed Khaddine, then 25, was in his apartment in central Brussels, typing away on his computer at his desk, when the front door flew open. Before he really knew what was happening, two policemen burst in, grabbed him, pushed his face down onto the wooden floor and handcuffed him before taking him to the police station.For Ahmed, a son of Moroccan immigrants who was born and raised in Brussels, the arrest had been a long time coming. Many years earlier, during his final years of high school, he had begun attending a local mosque in an attempt to establish a stronger connection to his Moroccan roots. As he became more religious, he decided to travel to Egypt to learn Arabic. Read more: https://www.worldpoliticsreview.com/articles/26082/europe-s-prisons-already-hotbeds-of-radicalization-are-filling-up-with-isis-recruits...

Jihad Watch by Robert Spencer Will Hamas-linked CAIR now denounce traffic stops as “Islamophobic”? “Man Who Allegedly Had 2 IEDs in His Car in Brea Is Charged With 4 Felony Counts,” by Angela Rose Bickmann, KTLA, September 21, 2018 (thanks to the Geller Report):    A Salinas man was charged with four felony counts after being found with two homemade bombs in his vehicle at a traffic stop in Brea on Tuesday night, authorities said.    Saleh Ali, 47, was charged Thursday with intent to unlawfully make a destructive device, two counts of possession of a destructive device, and the sale and transportation of a destructive device, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office announced Friday.    Brea Police Department officers pulled Ali over for having expired registration at a traffic stop in the area of South Orange Ave and Imperial Highway. Police say they found the two bombs when they checked his black...

HAARETZ ISIS Releases Video Purporting to Show Iran Military Parade Attackers'We will destroy them with a strong and guerrilla-style attack, inshallah,' a man is seen saying Reuters Islamic State's Amaq agency has posted a video of three men in a vehicle who it said were on their way to carry out an attack on an Iranian military parade, which killed at least 25 and wounded 60 others.A man wearing a baseball cap emblazoned with what appears to be a Revolutionary Guard logo discussed the impending attack in Farsi in the video. "We are Muslims, they are kafirs (non-believers)," the man says. "We will destroy them with a strong and guerrilla-style attack, inshallah (God willing)," he adds. Four assailants fired on a viewing stand in the southwestern city of Ahvaz on Saturday, where Iranian officials had gathered to watch an annual event marking the start of the Islamic Republic's 1980-88 war...

PIX11 -  New York by Jennifer Bisram NEW YORK -- The 73rd annual United Nations General Assembly kicks off Tuesday and world leaders have started to trickle into New York City, with the bigger names, like President Trump coming into town next week, all to discuss issues on a global scale.PIX11's Jennifer Bisram went for a ride along the East River with the NYPD’s counterterrorism marine unit as the department beefs up security.“Our primary focus is proactive security of the water around the UN itself," said Sgt. Harold Salters, who works with the NYPD's Counterterrorism Maritime Unit.The department's marine unit patrols about 650-square miles of water in the city all-year round.But their focus the next two weeks, while world leaders are in town, will be security on the water around the United Nations.“On the water we have choke points - anything that enters in and out of the security zone...

Defense News By: Daniel Cebul   WASHINGTON — A report released this month by the Center for International Policy’s Security Assistance Monitor finds that U.S. counterterrorism aid intended to bolster U.S. and its allies' efforts to combat violent extremists has also had the unintended consequence of fueling corruption and funding terrorist group activities and recruitment.Colby Goodman and Christinia Arabia, the authors of the report, say although the U.S. has included mechanisms designed to stymie the diversion of U.S. weapons and other kinds of security aid, “there are still important gaps in U.S. government efforts to assess, monitor, and evaluate U.S. counterterrorism aid, particularly related to corruption risks.”“Corruption involves far more than a waste of money,” Goodman notes. “It also poses a grave danger to U.S. and global security by reducing the effectiveness of U.S. counterterror programs. In some instances, widespread corruption in military aid programs actually strengthens terrorist organizations by...