TIME Al-Qaeda Bomb Maker Once Dubbed 'World's Most Dangerous Terrorist' Was Killed 2 Years Ago, White House Says By Madeleine CarlisleIbrahim al-Asiri, a senior al-Qaeda bomb maker and terrorist coordinator, was killed two years ago in a United States operation in Yemen, the White House announced on Thursday.Al-Asiri had been in hiding in Yemen for years and was the repeated target of U.S. drone strikes. The U.S. mistakenly believed they had killed him in a 2011 strike. They later targeted a man they believed was al-Asiri in a May 2012 strike, but he turned out to be another al-Qaeda leader.As TIME wrote in 2013, the Obama administration believed al-Asiri was “the most dangerous terrorist in the world.” He was connected to the failed “underwear bomb” aboard a U.S.-bound flight on Christmas Day 2009, and allegedly built bombs that nearly detonated within two Chicago-bound international cargo planes in 2010. Al-Asiri also...

The Daily Caller News Foundation by Audrey Conklin, ReporterAn Iranian oil tanker in the Red Sea off the coast of Saudi Arabia was hit by two missiles Friday, the country’s foreign ministry officials said.The reported attack caused an oil leak that has since been plugged, according to The Associated Press, citing Iranian state media. (RELATED: US Issues Warrant For Seizure Of Iranian Oil Tanker Held In Gibraltar)The National Iranian Tanker Company (NITC) said “the blasts were probably caused by missile strikes” in a statement on its website, adding that the tanker was set ablaze and has been damaged.    Suspected missile strikes hit an Iranian oil tanker off the Saudi coast on Friday, its owner said, the first Iranian vessel targeted since a spate of attacks in the Gulf Washington blamed on Tehran https://t.co/E8rMAR3MQh Read more: https://dailycaller.com/2019/10/11/iran-oil-tanker-iran-attack/...

Independent ISIS 'Beatles' Moved From Syrian Prison To Face Trial In US Move follows Turkey’s military invasion of part of northern Syria where suspects were heldby Andrew BuncombeTwo British men accused of being part of a notorious Isis cell dubbed “the Beatles” and which were filmed executing hostages, have been transferred into US custody to be tried in America.The men, El Shafee Elsheikh and Alexanda Amon Kotey, had been among hundreds of suspected Isis figures being held in Kurdish-operated jails inside Syria. After the US gave the green light for Turkey to controversially enter Syria and attack those Kurdish forces who had backed the west’s efforts against Isis, there were also concerns as to what would happen to the prisoners, including those of high value. Read more: https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/isis-beatles-uk-islamic-state-united-states-custody-trial-trump-a9149801.html...

  BBC News A US counter-terrorism analyst has been arrested for allegedly leaking classified information to two journalists over the last two years.US Defense Intelligence Agency analyst Henry Frese is accused of divulging top secret reports, including details about a foreign country's weapons system.Officials say he was romantically involved with one of the two journalists. Mr Frese is expected to appear in federal court in Virginia.The indictment alleges Mr Frese, 30, knew that unauthorised sharing of this top secret information could "cause exceptionally grave damage to the national security of the United States". Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/amp/world-us-canada-49993190...

AFP Germany Shooting Livestreamed Despite Efforts By Tech Firms Just weeks after a broad effort announced by tech platforms to curb the spread of violent content, a video of Wednesday's deadly shooting in the German city of Halle was posted online, where it was seen by some 2,200 people.The gunman posted a video of the attack on the Twitch livestream gaming platform owned by Amazon, the company acknowledged.The video of the shooting at a synagogue and a Turkish restaurant included a "manifesto" with racist and anti-Semitic commentary."Twitch has a zero-tolerance policy against hateful conduct, and any act of violence is taken extremely seriously," a Twitch spokesperson said."We worked with urgency to remove this content and will permanently suspend any accounts found to be posting or reposting content of this abhorrent act."Read more: https://www.afp.com/en/news/3954/germany-shooting-livestreamed-despite-efforts-tech-firms-doc-1la1953...

TheHill.com Public opinion and domestic terrorism: What we can learn from IsraelBy Eugene Finkel and Yonatan Lupu, opinion contributors  - The Hill The U.S. government is starting to pay more serious attention to domestic extremism. Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan acknowledged recently that domestic terrorism was becoming a priority “for the first time.”    This is a much-needed change. Domestic terrorism — such as the mass shootings in El Paso, Dayton, Pittsburgh and Orlando — bears similarities to international terrorism and to more conventional criminal matters. Domestic extremists are as resilient and adaptive as al Qaeda. Many law enforcement tactics used against criminals can be effective against domestic terrorists.Domestic terrorism nonetheless presents unique challenges. Specifically, confronting domestic terrorism creates challenges related to popular perceptions and public opinion. Israel also faces both domestic and external terrorist threats. We hear a lot about Israel’s conflict with certain Arab groups, but Israel also...

Bloomberg France Set to Roll Out Nationwide Facial Recognition ID Program By Helene Fouquet France is poised to become the first European country to use facial recognition technology to give citizens a secure digital identity -- whether they want it or not.Saying it wants to make the state more efficient, President Emmanuel Macron’s government is pushing through plans to roll out an ID program, dubbed Alicem, in November, earlier than an initial Christmas target. The country’s data regulator says the program breaches the European rule of consent and a privacy group is challenging it in France’s highest administrative court. It took a hacker just over an hour to break into a “secure” government messaging app this year, raising concerns about the state’s security standards.None of that is deterring the French interior ministry. “The government wants to funnel people to use Alicem and facial recognition,” said Martin Drago, a lawyer member...

Military Times Iraq’s removal of counterterrorism chief sparks controversy By Bassem Mroue, The Associated Press BEIRUT — The Iraqi prime minister’s removal of a top military commander from his post triggered heated political protests and uncertainty over the weekend, at a time of soaring tensions between the country’s chief security partners in the region, Iran and the United States.Prime Minister Adel Abdul-Mahdi removed Lt. Gen. Abdul-Wahab al-Saadi from his post as the commander of the country’s elite counterterrorism forces and transferred him to the Defense Ministry on Friday, without providing an explanation.The decision sparked speculation that some among Iraq’s Iran-backed politicians were uneasy with the commander’s growing popularity among Iraqis. The Arab state finds itself increasingly caught in the middle between the U.S. and Iran, as the two countries lead rival blocs vying for influence in a tumultuous region. Read more: https://www.militarytimes.com/flashpoints/2019/09/29/iraqs-removal-of-counterterrorism-chief-sparks-controversy/...

The Strategist Dealing with ‘problems without passports’: Australia–EU cooperation on counterterrorism by Katja Theodorakis In a recent public lecture, former Australian foreign minister and outgoing chancellor of the Australian National University Gareth Evans commented, ‘Geopolitically, Europe’s role matters enormously, again, in a world where principled voices are in short supply … and where multilateral approaches to problem solving—particularly on those … issues … which Kofi Annan used to describe as “problems without passports”—have never been more necessary’.While Evans cited climate change as the quintessential example, ‘problems without passports’ encompass all sorts of crises and challenges that transcend borders. The asymmetrical security threat posed by transnational terrorism is another case in point.Despite sustained multilateral efforts over the past 18 years, the threat from terrorist groups seems to be constantly evolving rather than abating. Initial hope that the destruction of Islamic State’s ‘caliphate’ in Iraq and Syria would also signal the demise...

Middle East Monitor Somali police receive counterterrorism training in Turkey A group of Somali police officers are receiving counterterrorism training in an elite school of Turkish army commandos in the town of Foca, west of Izmir, Turkish media reported yesterday.The training is being carried out in coordination by the Turkish Cooperation and Coordination Agency (TİKA) which provides development aid to Somalia and other countries.According to the Daily Sabah, the officers learned how to handle terror threats and how to deal with landmines and handmade explosive devices.Erdogan: Turkey to launch military operation in northeast SyriaThe Turkish newspaper also said that the police officers have been trained by Turkish officers on how to check residential areas for terror threats and neutralise terrorists in those areas. Read more: https://www.middleeastmonitor.com/20191008-somali-police-receive-counterterrorism-training-in-turkey/...

CBS News U.S. and Australia begin talks on law enforcement data-sharing agreement By Paulina Smolinski Washington — The U.S. and Australia announced the beginning of negotiations on Monday over an agreement that would significantly boost law enforcement cooperation under a 2018 U.S. law meant to facilitate cross-border data access for investigators. The move comes days after the U.S. signed a similar landmark agreement with the U.K. Under the 2018 Clarifying Lawful Overseas Use of Data (CLOUD) Act, the agreement gives American and British law enforcement agencies the power to compel tech companies in either country to provide data relevant to investigations about serious crimes including terrorism, child sexual abuse and cybercrime. If finalized, the agreement between the U.S. and Australia is expected to include similar terms. "We have some way to go before the agreement is finalized, but once in place it will mean service providers based in the United...

  Deutsche Welle Turkey Detains 5 Germans On Terror Charges Five German citizens are receiving consular support after they were detained in Turkey. Pro-Kurdish media reported that they have been accused of being members of an illegal organization and spreading propaganda. The German Foreign Ministry has confirmed five German citizens are receiving consular support, following reports that Turkish authorities detained five German citizens this week.The five are accused of membership in an illegal organization and spreading propaganda, pro-Kurdish Mezopotamya news agency reported late on Friday, without naming a group of their alleged membership.Since a failed coup in 2016, several Germans have been targeted in Turkey over alleged terror ties, mainly to the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK). Read more: https://www.dw.com/en/turkey-detains-5-germans-on-terror-charges/a-50712712...

The Wall Street Journal France Rocked by Extremist’s Counterterror Role Mickaël Harpon was allowed to continue working in police intelligence despite arguing that the Charlie Hebdo terror attack was justified By Matthew DaltonPARIS—France has been rocked by a security breach that allowed an Islamist extremist to work in the heart of its counterterrorism apparatus for years, before he killed four of his colleagues last week and was then shot dead.Opposition lawmakers on Monday called for Interior Minister Christophe Castaner to resign over the assault, which snapped the relative lull in terrorist attacks in France in recent months. Mr. Castaner brushed aside the calls, Mickaël Harpon, a 45-year-old convert to Islam, was allowed to continue working in the intelligence division of the Paris police, despite arguing with colleagues in 2015 that the terror attack on the satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo was justified, Mr. Castaner said. Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/france-rocked-by-security-breach-that-saw-extremist-work-in-counterterrorism-11570446866...

InHomelandSecurity.com BEIRUT (AP) — Syria’s Kurds accused the U.S. of turning its back on its allies and risking gains made in the fight against the Islamic State group as American troops began pulling back on Monday from positions in northeastern Syria ahead of an expected Turkish assault.Get started on your Homeland Security degree at American Military University.Syrian Kurdish fighters warned that Washington’s abrupt decision to stand aside — announced by the White House late Sunday — will overturn years of achievements in the battle against IS militants. In a strongly-worded statement, they accused Washington of failing to abide by its commitments to its key allies.There was no immediate confirmation from the White House of U.S. troops clearing positions in areas in northern Syria.Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, however, also said American troops have started pulling back, and a video posted by a Kurdish news agency showed a convoy of American...

The East Africa Monitor Africa Holds The Key To Defeating Terrorism On Somalia’s southeast coast, the US outpost of Camp Baledogle is getting a facelift. After al-Shabab militants carried out an attack on the site in September, the US Defence Department has given the green light to “emergency repairs” worth more than $12 million.The continued threat from al-Shabab is indicative of the importance that Africa, particularly East Africa, plays in the global fight against terrorism. The continent has turned into a hotbed for terror cells, with several groups operating nearly unfettered – a problem that has caught the EU’s attention and increased in urgency with the onset of the migrant crisis.Traditional policy seeks to fight terrorism in the affected regions, although it has become evident that a broader approach is needed. Countermeasures are necessary across all of Africa, and even West African countries like Senegal, Niger and a host of...

Africanews Somalia Hopes To Counter Al Shabaab With New Education Curriculum Somalia’s government is implementing a new curriculum for primary and secondary school students, for the first time since the civil war broke out in 1991.In the past, schools had to make do with whatever materials came to hand. More than 40 curricula were used across Somalia, creating a hodgepodge of competing education systems in a variety of languages, the government said.Schools sourced textbooks from more than 10 countries during the civil war and English and Arabic replaced Somali as the language of instruction.What has changedUp to 2 million textbooks printed in Somali have been issued to pupils in most of Somalia since August and their schools have synchronised academic terms, the ministry of education said.The new books cover English, Arabic, Somali, maths, Islamic studies, science, physical education, technology, and social studies. Read more: https://www.africanews.com/2019/10/04/somalia-hopes-to-counter-al-shabaab-with-new-education-curriculum/...

Reuters U.S. Re-Opens Embassy In Somali Capital Amid Persisting Islamist Violence MOGADISHU (Reuters) - The United States announced on Wednesday it had re-opened its embassy in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu, nearly three decades after it was shut down, underscoring deepening ties between the two nations amid persisting threats from Islamist group al Shabaab.Somalia, in the Horn of Africa, has been gripped by widespread lawlessness and violence since 1991 when autocrat Mohamed Siad Barre was toppled by various warlords.The United States closed its embassy in January 1991.In a statement the U.S. embassy to Somalia said the move was a milestone in the strengthening of relations between the two countries and would help advance stability and development in Somalia.“It is a significant and historic day that reflects Somalia’s progress in recent years,” the U.S. ambassador to Somalia, Donald Yamamoto, was quoted as saying.   Read more: https://af.reuters.com/article/topNews/idAFKBN1WI0JT-OZATP...

ABC 15 Fountain Hills teen charged with terrorism to be released from jail prior to trialBy ABC15.com staff FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ — Ismail Hamed, the Fountain Hills teen charged with two counts of terrorism and one count of aggravated assault after threatening an MCSO deputy with a knife, was set to be released from jail Thursday as he awaits trial.Under the orders of Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Sally Duncan, Hamed will receive an electronic monitor and be placed on house arrest until his trial begins on May 14, 2020. The trial was originally slated to begin on October 14, 2019. Read more: https://www.abc15.com/news/region-northeast-valley/fountain-hills/fountain-hills-teen-charged-with-terrorism-released-from-prison-prior-to-trial...

The Japan Times Kyushu Electric to halt two reactors due to delay in anti-terrorism measuresKyodoFUKUOKA – Kyushu Electric Power Co. said Thursday it will halt two reactors next year due to a delay in implementing anti-terrorism measures required by regulators, in the first such suspension under stricter rules set after the 2011 Fukushima nuclear crisis.The power company said it will shut down the Nos. 1 and 2 reactors at the Sendai nuclear power plant in Kagoshima Prefecture in March and May and plans to restart them in December and January 2021 respectively after the installation of necessary facilities.Under tighter requirements introduced in 2013 by the Nuclear Regulation Authority, nuclear plant operators are required to build facilities that are able to maintain the cooling of nuclear reactors via remote control and prevent the massive release of radioactive materials, even if the units come under attack, such as planes being flown into...

Fox News Afghanistan Security Adviser Says Hard-Line Taliban Members Defecting To ISIS, Merging With Al Qaeda By Hollie McKay More than 18 years after U.S. forces entered Afghanistan and usurped the Taliban government from power, the country remains a patchwork of progress, pain, and bloodletting.While the territorial dominance and perpetual attacks orchestrated by the Taliban remains at the forefront of the fragile nation’s woes, the presence of other insurgent groups and blatant threats to U.S. interests also lurk in the periphery.“Many Taliban commanders, hardliners that did not want to join the peace process. We had intelligence that showed they are going to join ISIS. That threat may increase over a period of time,” Afghan National Security Adviser, Hamdullah Mohib, told Fox News on Tuesday. “For the time being, ISIS is not a strategic threat to us. We have been able to get rid of them in places they have taken...