Al Qaeda

Niger kidnappings show Al Qaeda group getting bolder

Niger kidnappings: The assailants made their way through streets patrolled by 350 soldiers, past the gate of a secure residential area and the security guards standing in front of the foreigners' homes.
An Al Qaeda affiliate getting rich in Niger

Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb says it kidnapped five Frenchmen and two Africans from a Niger uranium mine. The group appears to be cultivating revenue streams.
Terrorism & Security
US drone attacks bombard Haqqani network in Pakistan

The latest US drone attack killed 14 suspected militants in Pakistan, bringing the number of people killed by drones in September alone to 75 as the US targets the Haqqani network.
Canada arrests of citizens raise concerns of homegrown terrorism

Canada arrested three citizens this week on allegations they were conspiring to facilitate terrorist activity. Homegrown terrorism is a rising concern, but some analysts have cautioned against encouraging radicalism by overstating the problem.
Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabab blamed for Somalia suicide bombing

A suicide bombing in Somalia's capital, Mogadishu, left at least 32 people dead. Six of the victims were members of the embattled Somali parliament, and the government blamed the Al Qaeda-linked insurgent group, Al Shabab.
Al Qaeda in Iraq targets Baghdad’s developing police force

The Iraqi Army is gradually handing responsibility for Baghdad security to Iraq's developing police force – a transition Al Qaeda in Iraq is exploiting with increased attacks.
Indonesia deals blow to militant Islam with arrest of radical cleric Bashir

Abu Bakar Bashir has been arrested before. The Indonesian radical cleric's detention Monday appears based on stronger allegations of material support for a terrorist group in Aceh.
Iraq car bomb, checkpoint attack leaves 25 dead

An Iraq car bomb in the city of Kut and a checkpoint attack in Baghdad left 25 people dead on Tuesday, as a wave of attacks continued amid the US combat troop withdrawal from Iraq.
Terrorism & Security
Iraq violence flares as US begins to draw down troop levels

The killing of five policemen in Baghdad on Tuesday came as President Barack Obama vowed again to fulfill an agreement with the Iraqi government to lower US troop levels from 80,000 to 50,000 by the end of August.
Africa Monitor
Is the EU giving up on Guinea-Bissau military reform?

Guinnea-Bissau is an example of failed military reforms, despite efforts from 16 EU advisers over two years, says a Chatham House analyst. What comes next for a country that's now a major stopover point for cocaine to Europe?
France declares war against Al Qaeda after hostage killed

French Prime Minister Francois Fillon said his country was at war with Al Qaeda after the group's affiliate in North Africa, Al Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, announced it murdered a French aid worker it had held hostage since April.
Africa Monitor
Al Qaeda kills French hostage in Mali, says Sarkozy has 'opened the doors of hell'

French President Nicolas Sarkozy 'opened up the doors of hell for himself and his people' after troops from France and Mauritania launched a rescue raid that killed six Al Qaeda militants, said a top militant in an audio tape.
Terrorism & Security
Iraq suicide attacks target Sunni Awakening militias; dozens killed

The Iraq suicide attacks Sunday highlight the key security role of the Sunni Awakening councils, many of whom are former insurgents who helped turn the tide against Al Qaeda in Iraq.
Kenya on high alert after Uganda bombings

East Africa trade hub Kenya is on high alert after Somalia's Al Shabab Islamist group killed 76 in neighboring Uganda Sunday night. The Uganda bombings marked Al Shabab's first attack outside Somalia.
Somalia's Al Shabab claims responsibility for Uganda bombings

The Al Qaeda-linked Al Shabab militant group says it carried out twin Uganda bombings that killed at least 74 people and wounded scores more during the World Cup final Sunday. It's Al Shabab's first attack outside of Somalia.
Terrorism & Security
Uganda bombing: Al Shabab suicide bombers attack during World Cup final

Three suspected Al Shabab suicide bombers killed more than 60 people, including one American, in successive bombings at places in the capital of Uganda, Kampala, where fans were watching the World Cup on TV.
Norway bomb plot shows reach of Al Qaeda-linked groups

An Uzbek, a Uighur, and a Kurdish Iraqi were arrested Thursday in a Norway bomb plot described as linked to Al Qaeda – and to planners of foiled attacks in New York and in the UK.
Kenya police assault, seek bribes from Somalia refugees, report says

Human Rights Watch says that thousands of Somali refugees fleeing the war in Somalia are met by Kenyan police who harass, assault, and even rape them. Kenyan officials deny the allegations.
Gary Brooks Faulkner: 'American ninja' hunting Osama bin Laden

Gary Brooks Faulkner, a California construction worker, was detained in Pakistan carrying a sword, a pistol, and night vision goggles. He was hunting for Osama bin Laden near Chitral, Pakistan. Was Faulkner on the right track?
Widows unite to cope with horrors of Somalia's Al Shabab

Somali widows in the Eastleigh section of Kenya's capital, Nairobi, band together for protection against militants fighting for Somalia's Al Shabab group, which two New Jersey men were arrested this weekend for trying to help.
Terrorism & Security
Drone strike reportedly killed Al Qaeda No. 3 Mustafa Abu al-Yazid

Al Qaeda's central leadership says it lost Mustafa Abu al-Yazid, a founding member of the group, in a May 22 drone strike in Pakistan's tribal area.
Witness: Secret Iraq prison for women and children

Iraq's Muthanna Army base has women and children in a secret prison, says an Iraqi eyewitness. He says some are family members of Al Qaeda suspect and are used to extract confessions.
Saudi Arabia religious leaders call terrorism financing un-Islamic

A government-appointed council of senior religious scholars in Saudi Arabia condemned terrorism financing and said it is forbidden by Islamic law.
Counterterrorism training to curb Al Qaeda threat in Africa

US and European troops train local militaries in counterterrorism tactics in the face of threats from Al Qaeda and criminals in West Africa.
Faisal Shahzad, Times Square bomb suspect, made now-familiar trek to Pakistan

Faisal Shahzad, arrested Tuesday as a Times Square car bomb suspect just before he left the country, had recently visited Pakistan. Several Americans showing interest in militant Islam or attacking America have journeyed there before.