Posts Tagged terrorism

Eco-Terrorist Surrenders

From FBI:

After a decade as an international fugitive, Canadian citizen Rebecca Rubin turned herself over to the FBI last week for her alleged role in the largest eco-terrorism case in U.S. history. Two more fugitives are still at large.

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Alabama Men Arrested on Terrorism Charges

Alabama Men Arrested on Terrorism Charges

U.S. Attorney Kenyen R. Brown of the Southern District of Alabama and Stephen E. Richardson, Special Agent in Charge of the Mobile Division of the FBI, announced that Mohammad Abdul Rahman Abukhdair, 25, and Randy Wilson, also known as Rasheed Wilson, 25, both U.S. citizens living in Mobile, were arrested today on terrorism charges filed in the Southern District of Alabama.

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Terrorist Thwarted in Texas

Stopping a Would-Be Terrorist

December 4, 2012

The 20-year-old Saudi Arabian man living in Lubbock, Texas was intent on waging jihad against Americans—possibly even a former U.S. president—and he was one ingredient away from being able to build a powerful bomb.

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A Domestic Terrorist With a Deadly Plan

From the FBI:

By the time he moved to Alaska in 2006, Paul Rockwood, Jr. was an ardent follower of the American-born radical cleric Anwar al-Awlaki, who he met at a Virginia mosque in late 2001.

A military veteran himself, Rockwood believed it was his religious duty to kill those who desecrated Islam. In 2009, he began sharing his deadly plans with an individual he thought held similar views. But that person was actually an undercover operative employed by our Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF) in Anchorage.

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The Expensive, Diminishing Threat of Somali Piracy

The Expensive, Diminishing Threat of Somali Piracy is republished with permission of Stratfor.”

By Ben West

Piracy off the coast of Somalia has dropped off dramatically in 2012. Successful ship hijackings have decreased from 31 in 2011 (and 49 in 2010) to only four so far in 2012. Attacks against ships have also decreased, falling from 199 reported attacks in the first nine months of 2011 to 70 attacks over the same span in 2012 — a 65 percent drop. However, diminished activity does not necessarily mean a decrease in the cost of sailing around the Horn of Africa. Somali pirates occupy a unique position, which is right along highly strategic global shipping lanes yet outside the reach of any national power. For international actors, it is politically and militarily easier to try to contain the Somali piracy threat than to eliminate it. But containment comes at a high cost. Read the rest of this entry »

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FBI: Millennium Bomber Sentenced to 37 years

Millennium Bomber Sentenced to 37 Years in Prison

Oct. 24, 2012

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Defining al Qaeda

Defining al Qaeda is republished with permission of Stratfor.”

By Scott Stewart

The Obama administration’s efforts to counter the threat posed by al Qaeda and the wider jihadist movement have been a contentious topic in the U.S. presidential race. Political rhetoric abounds on both sides; administration officials claim that al Qaeda has been seriously crippled, while some critics of the administration allege that the group is stronger than ever. As with most political rhetoric, both claims bear elements of truth, but the truth depends largely on how al Qaeda and jihadism are defined. Unfortunately, politicians and the media tend to define al Qaeda loosely and incorrectly.

The jihadist threat will persist regardless of who is elected president, so understanding the actors involved is critical. But a true understanding of those actors requires taxonomical acuity. It seems worthwhile, then, to revisit Stratfor’s definitions of al Qaeda and the wider jihadist movement. Read the rest of this entry »

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FBI: Bangladeshi National Arrested

The suspect, acting on behalf of al Qaeda, was apprehended after he allegedly attempted to detonate what he believed to be a 1,000-pound bomb at the New York Federal Reserve Bank in lower Manhattan’s financial district. Details

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Evolution and Trends in Terrorism Tradecraft

Evolution and Trends in Terrorism Tradecraft is republished with permission of Stratfor.”

By Scott Stewart

The terrorist tradecraft discussed in last week’s Security Weekly does not happen in isolation. The practitioners of terrorist tradecraft conduct their activities in the midst of other people — the authorities attempting to identify them and thwart their plans as well as civilians. Terrorist tradecraft also does not remain static. It is constantly evolving. These changes are prompted not only by countermeasures put in place to prevent terrorist attacks but also by advances in technology — a powerful force that can serve to either nullify old tradecraft practices or to provide new tools to the purveyors of terror.

Terrorism is an enduring reality. While geopolitical changes may cause a shift in the actors who employ terrorism as a tactic, terrorism will continue to be used no matter what the next geopolitical cycle brings. It is, and will continue to be, a tactic used by militant actors who want to confront a militarily superior enemy. Focusing on the tradecraft used in attacks and charting its changes and trends not only permits observers to understand what is happening and why but also provides an opportunity to forecast what is coming next. Read the rest of this entry »

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WANTED: Ahmad Abousamra

$50,000 Reward

Help Us Catch a Terrorist

Ahmad Abousamra, a U.S. citizen from Massachusetts, is charged with traveling to Pakistan and Yemen to seek military training so he could kill American soldiers. Details

Conspiracy to Provide Material Support to Terrorists; Providing and Attempting to Provide Material Support to Terrorists; Conspiracy to Kill in a Foreign Country; Conspiracy; False Statements

Field Office: Boston

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Attack on Camp Bastion: The Destruction of VMA-211

From: Defense Media

The attack on Camp Bastion began at around 10:00 PM local time, when about 20 Taliban fighters approached the perimeter, disguised in U.S. battle dress uniforms. One of the Taliban used his explosive suicide vest to blow a hole in the perimeter fence, which reportedly allowed three five-man sapper squads into the secured areas of the base. Armed with AK-47s, RPG-7s and explosive suicide vests, the Taliban fighters flooded into the U.S. area known as Camp Barber.

more

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Aspiring Jihadist Arrested in Chicago

Aspiring Jihadist Arrested in Chicago is republished with permission of Stratfor.”

By Ben West

On the evening of Sept. 15, Adel Daoud parked a Jeep Cherokee loaded with a large explosive device outside a bar in downtown Chicago. As he walked down the street away from the vehicle, he activated a trigger to detonate the bomb. The bomb, however, was inert, and FBI agents positioned nearby immediately took Daoud, an 18-year-old from the Chicago suburbs, into custody.

Daoud had been the subject of a four-month FBI investigation and sting operation, during which undercover agents had been communicating with Daoud and recording his statements. Sting operations have become the tactic of choice for the FBI and other U.S. law enforcement organizations when investigating would-be jihadists. As U.S. law enforcement agencies perfect their sting operations to identify aspiring jihadists and prevent attacks, jihadists, too, can be expected to innovate and evolve alternate means of communication and vetting of those with whom they collaborate. Read the rest of this entry »

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When Things Go Bad

When Things Go Bad is republished with permission of Stratfor.”

By Scott Stewart

Over the past several weeks, we have discussed a number of different situations that can present a common problem to people caught up in them. First, we discussed how domestic terrorism remains a persistent threat in the United States, and that despite improvements in security measures since 2001, soft targets still remain vulnerable to attack by terrorist actors driven by a variety of motivations. Due to the devolution of the jihadist threat toward the grassroots, there is also a growing trend of jihadist actors using armed assaults instead of bombing attacks. We also discussed the continuing problem of workplace violence, and finally, we discussed last week evacuation plans for expatriates due to natural disaster, civil unrest or war.

People caught in any of these situations could find themselves either confronted by an armed assailant or actually coming under fire in an active shooter scenario. Of course, there are other situations where people can find themselves confronted by armed assailants, from street muggings and carjackings to bank robberies. Because of this, we thought it might be useful to our readers to discuss such situations and how to react when caught in one. Read the rest of this entry »

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North Carolina Resident Anes Subasic Sentenced for Terrorism Violations

From FBI:

NEW BERN, NC—United States Attorney Thomas G. Walker announced that in federal court today, United States District Judge Louise W. Flanagan sentenced Anes Subasic, 36, a naturalized U.S. citizen and resident of North Carolina, to 360 months in prison, followed by five years’ supervised release, and a $1,000 fine. “We must be ever vigilant in the pursuit of those who seek to destroy our way of life. This prosecution is evidence of our commitment to do so,” stated U.S. Attorney Thomas G. Walker.

Subasic was tried separately on two occasions for immigration and terrorism offenses. In September 2011, Subasic was found guilty of two counts of unlawful procurement of citizenship. On June 14, 2012, Subasic was found guilty of conspiring to provide material support to terrorists, Title 18, United States Code, Section 2339A; and conspiracy to murder, kidnap, maim, and injure persons abroad, Title 18, United States Code, Section 956(a). Read the rest of this entry »

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Domestic Terrorism: A Persistent Threat in the United States

Domestic Terrorism: A Persistent Threat in the United States is republished with permission of Stratfor.”

By Scott Stewart

A string of incidents over the past month has served as a reminder that despite the intense, decadelong focus on the jihadist threat, domestic terrorism is still an issue in the United States. On Aug. 5, Wade Page opened fire on the congregation of a Sikh temple in Oak Creek, Wis., killing six and wounding three others. Though Page killed himself and did not leave any evidence explicitly listing his motives for the attack, his long association with the white supremacist movement was clearly a factor in his target choice.

On Aug. 15, Floyd Corkins shot and wounded a security guard in the lobby of the Family Research Council’s office in Washington after the guard blocked him from entering the office. Corkins reportedly was carrying a bag containing a box of ammunition and a number of Chick-fil-A sandwiches. He apparently targeted the Family Research Council because of its public support for Chick-fil-A in the wake of the controversy over statements made by the fast food chain’s founder regarding gay marriage. According to media reports, Corkins said, “I don’t like your politics,” before opening fire. Read the rest of this entry »

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