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09 Jul 2011 10:34

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U.S.: Leon Panetta: We’re close to taking out al-Qaeda for good

  • We’re within reach of strategically defeating al Qaeda and I’m hoping to be able to focus on that, working obviously with my prior agency as well.
  • Defense Secretary Leon Panetta • Claiming that we’re close to taking down al-Qaeda for good — which, let’s face it, is a pretty bold thing to say going into a job like Defense Secretary. “Now is the moment following what happened with bin Laden, to put maximum pressure on them,” he continued, “Because I do believe that if we continue this effort that we can really cripple al Qaeda as a threat to (the United States).” Do you think he’s right? Or is it simply a symbolic victory at this point? source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

24 Jun 2011 11:17

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World: Osama bin Laden seriously considered changing al-Qaeda’s name

  • what In the months before his death, the leader of the terrorist group considered giving al-Qaeda a different name, according to a letter retrieved by special forces officials after he was killed back in May. It was a sign of Bin Laden attempting to keep the group relevant.
  • why The  name “al-Qaeda” stands for “the base,” which Bin Laden thought didn’t strike a religious pose. He wanted a name that emphasized that they were going to holy war with the enemies of Islam. He had nothing to worry about; “al-Qaeda” did the trick. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jun 2011 17:51

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World: Counter-terrorism experts fear intro attack by Zawahiri

  • relief? Ayman al-Zawahiri’s rise to the top spot in the al-Qaeda organization bears some positive realities for the United States. Namely, he is nowhere near as charismatic or effective a leader as Osama bin Laden was.
  • danger One big risk with having a new leader uncertain of how loyal his people are, is that he might feel the need to assert himself with a splash. As such, counter-terrorism experts fear a possible “big” attack in the near term. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

16 Jun 2011 10:34

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World: It’s official: Ayman al-Zawahiri is al-Qaeda’s new leader

There was speculation that Saif al-Adel would get the job instead. Guess not. We’re betting this eulogy for the slain Bin Laden probably had something to do with it. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

11 Jun 2011 13:50

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World: U.S. embassy bombing suspect Fazul Abdullah Mohammed killed

  • There was reportedly a $5 million bounty on his head. Mohammed, the main suspect in the 1998 U.S. embassy bombings which killed more than 220 and injured over 5,000, was reportedly killed in Somalia on Wednesday. “We have received that communication from authorities in Somalia. We have been told that there were two terrorists who were killed in Somalia on Wednesday last week,” said Kenyan Police Commissioner Mathew Iteere. U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton confirmed the death, saying it was a “just end for a terrorist who brought so much death and pain to so many innocents.” The 38-year-old was reportedly in charge of al-Qaeda’s operations for the entirety of East Africa, so this was kind of a big one. Actually, you know what? This year has been full of huge losses for al-Qaeda. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

08 Jun 2011 11:39

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World: Al-Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahri eulogizes Osama bin Laden

  • The sheikh has departed, may God have mercy on him, to his God as a martyr and we must continue on his path of jihad to expel the invaders from the land of Muslims and to purify it from injustice.
  • Al-Qaeda’s second-in-command, Ayman al-Zawahri • Eulogizing the death of Osama bin Laden in a recently-released 28-minute recording. He had some rough words for the U.S., too, obviously: “Today, and thanks be to God, America is not facing an individual or a group … but a rebelling nation which has awoken from its sleep in a jihadist renaissance.” Al-Zawahri, al-Qaeda’s longtime number two, was reportedly passed up for the top job after Bin Laden’s death. In other news, a recent poll suggests widespread global support for the killing of Bin Laden, though most people think it won’t change things. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

06 Jun 2011 18:07

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World: Bloody day in Iraq for Iraqis, U.S. military

  • five American soldiers killed by a rocket attack on a joint Iraqi-U.S. base today, the single deadliest incident for the U.S. military in two years
  • 18 Iraqis killed today in a series of violent incidents — a car-bombing and suicide bombing feared to be the work of al-Qaeda in Iraq source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

05 Jun 2011 21:49

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U.S., World: The U.S. faces terrorism, diplomacy threats amid Yemen instability

  • We would be shortsighted to think this doesn’t pose short-term national security concerns. The likelihood is that [al-Qaeda operatives] will be raising their heads.
  • Frank J. Cilluffo, the head of, George Washington University’s Homeland Security Policy Institute • Describing the danger that the Saleh’s transition away from Yemeni leadership means for the War on Terror. A key terror cell — al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula — could cause serious issues by taking advantage of the instability in the region, while Yemeni opposition leaders deny the group’s existence at all. (Which is troubling because two separate attacks have been tied to the group since late 2009 — including the underwear bomber.) Another way this could force the U.S. into a precarious position: Saleh was an ally of the U.S., and an unstable transition could force diplomats to scramble to make up for a transition that doesn’t favor Americans. A complicated issue all around — and one with difficult answers. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 May 2011 10:17

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World: Reported al-Qaeda leadership change suggests a major rift

  • appointment According to many independent but unconfirmed reports, al-Qaeda’s new interim leader is Saif al-Adel, an Egyptian militant wanted in the bombings of two U.S. embassies in 1998 — al-Qaeda’s best-known attacks before 9/11.
  • slight If this is the case, it would be a major slight for Ayman al-Zawahiri, Osama bin Laden’s longtime right-hand man. Both men, however, are longtime senior members of the group, and a permanent change in structure is still forthcoming. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

09 May 2011 17:27

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World: Ayman al-Zawahiri, al-Qaeda’s new top dog

  • Meet the new boss, not like the old boss: Ayman al-Zawahiri is now broadly considered to be al-Qaeda’s new top man. The 59-year-old has been within the organization for years, working as a strategist from the days of the bombing of the U.S.S. Cole until today — in recent years he’d been more vocal, through audio and video releases, than even the vastly more popular Osama bin Laden. His ascension is generally viewed as good news for the opponents of al-Qaeda; Zawahiri is Egyptian, which is a distinct area of racial tension within al-Qaeda, and while he’s a successful strategist, most consider him utterly lacking in the charisma or leadership ability that made bin Laden such a dangerous figure. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
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