by Nafees Hamid - NYR Daily As I walked home on a sunny August day in Barcelona, I took in the mingling of tourists, locals, and expats so typical of the cosmopolitan city that I’ve called home for the past few years. This was interrupted by the sound of terrified screams from behind me. When I turned and saw throngs of people running my way, I immediately knew my fears had come true. I’ve spent the last three and a half years conducting fieldwork on radicalization in Barcelona. From everything I’ve seen and learned, I knew a day like this was inevitable. I just didn’t expect to witness it myself.Barcelona has a long, complicated history with radical networks. In 2001, Mohammad Atta had a meeting with an aide in Cambrils (one of the locations of the Barcelona attacks) before continuing his journey to the US to lead the September 11...

by Ellie Burns - Computer Business Review Theresa May will today tell the United Nations general assembly that tech giants must “go further and faster” in taking down terror content on the internet.The UK prime minister is set to throw the gauntlet down at the likes of Facebook, Microsoft and Twitter and push for the removal of extremist content within two hours.In a move likely to win support from UK citizens in the wake of the Parsons Green bombing, London Bridge terror attack and Manchester Arena bombing, the prime minister will specifically call on technology companies to accelerate the development of AI solutions in order to automatically reduce the amount of time terror propaganda stays online.Theresa May, Terrorism, Tech Giants & the Threat of Orwell’s 1984As May petitions the biggest in tech to do more, ministers have also called for end-to-end encryption to be limited, again igniting the debate around...

Gatestone Institute by Judith Bergman The Nord-Vest Private School in Copenhagen, came under investigation by Danish authorities during an unannounced visit after teaching materials were found extolling and encouraging young people to commit jihad. Luqman Pedersen, a Danish convert to Islam, admitted to the authorities that the school wishes to create a parallel Muslim society. Two former teachers at the Nord-Vest school described how the children at the school spoke of Danes in terms of "them and us". In a school poetry contest, several of the children composed poems that detailed their wish to beat up and break the legs and hands of the "Danish pigs". "I teach religion, but I was not allowed to teach Christianity. Instead, a visiting imam from Iraq taught Christianity... I could imagine that some of the boys I taught could have been radicalized," a teacher said. The teachers tried to alert both politicians and...

Jihad Watch by Robert Spencer Dahir Adan’s motive is abundantly clear from this article itself, yet law enforcement officials still apparently think that why Adan stabbed 10 shoppers at St. Cloud’s Crossroads Center remains a big mystery.Well, let’s see.1. He “plunged kitchen knives into 10 shoppers at St. Cloud’s Crossroads Center mall, after reportedly asking some if they were Muslim.’2. The Islamic State hailed him as a “soldier of the Islamic State.” This, of course, may be jihadi opportunism, and reflect only on the Islamic State and not on Adan at all, but even if this comes from the Islamic State and not from Adan, it demonstrates that the Islamic State saw his attack as a plausible enough jihad to be worth claiming, while non-Muslim Minnesota officials are still scratching their heads.3. He screamed “Allahu akbar” as he was stabbing his victims.Nonetheless, “authorities still say they may never know what...

by Counter IED Report Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley has said ‘hundreds’ of officers are currently ‘trawling through CCTV’ in a desperate bid to close in on the ‘suspects’ involved in the Parsons Green bomb.Rowley said Met Police had embarked on a complex investigation and while the device had now been safely defused, his officers were also starting to examine some of the pictures sent in from witnesses at the scene.The Metropolitan Police Assistant Commissioner told reporters: ‘We are making excellent progress at the moment as we pursue our lines of inquiry to identify, locate and arrest those responsible.‘We have hundreds of police officers trawling through CCTV footage, detectives have spoken to tens of witnesses and we have taken a large number of calls from to the hotline… for members of the public.‘Indeed members of the public have sent in so far 77 images and videos of the scene…...

By Clarion Project A permanent glass wall and fence will be built around the iconic Eiffel Tower in Paris to protect the site from terrorist attacks, reported DW.com.The wall will replace the temporary metal barriers and pre-fabricated building that were erected around the area after the wave of terror attacks that hit France in 2015.The glass wall will be bullet proof and will be erected on the sides of the wall that face the Seine River. The other two sides will be built from metal in a design similar to the tower. The cost of the project, which is slated to be finished by mid-2018 is 20 million euros ($23.9 million).The Eiffel Tower is a popular tourist site in Paris, with close to six million visitors in 2016. Just last month, security personnel overpowered a man with a knife who had tried to force his way through a security checkpoint...

Russia to support UN newly established Counter-Terrorism Office TASS Russian Politics & DiplomacyThe Under Secretary General of the UN Counter-Terrorism Office will have meetings with the foreign ministers of 41 countriesUNITED NATIONS, September 18. /TASS/. Russia will support the work of the United Nations newly established Counter-Terrorism Office, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said on Monday at a meeting with Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations Counter-Terrorism Office Vladimir Voronkov."We will continue to support your activity, the activity of your office. We will do our best to make our contribution to its work," the minister pledged."We are thankful to the United Nations Secretary-General for this decision (to establish an anti-terrorism office - TASS)," he said. "We are also thankful for approving your candidature (as the office’s head).""We hope that the establishment of this structure can be interpreted as a sign of how much attention the United Nations is paying to counter-terrorism...

ABC News by By Karma Allen  As St. Louis braces for a fourth night of demonstrations, the final arrest total in the city from the protest that began on Sunday night over last week’s acquittal of a former police officer involved in a 2011 shooting of a black motorist rose to 123 people, the city’s police said Monday evening.After three nights of protests, more than 160 people have now been now arrested, as police have been aggressively arresting more people to curb property destruction and police assaults.The protests began peacefully on Friday after St. Louis Circuit Judge Timothy Wilson found Jason Stockley, 36, not guilty of first-degree murder and armed criminal action. On Dec. 20, 2011, the then-police officer shot 24-year-old Lamar Smith five times after a high-speed chase and crash.Police said the demonstrations were “no longer peaceful” as of late Saturday night, and five weapons were confiscated, according to...

ReliefWeb.int by Institute for Security Studies State responses to terrorism risk making the problem worse ISS research challenges misperceptions about extremism Malian youths join jihadi groups for protection not fanaticism There’s a lack of evidence to link migration and extremism Sustained security requires policy that understands why people become terrorists New research from Africa shows that governments’ responses to terrorism often make the problem worse. This is the message the Institute for Security Studies (ISS) is taking to the United Nations General Assembly in New York this week. The ISS works on prevention of violent extremism and responses to terrorism as part of its core mission to improve human security in Africa. It brings an African perspective to global discussions about extremism, terrorism, migration and development. Recent research in East and West Africa has challenged many false perceptions about the best way to combat terrorism. Rethinking youth involvement in violent...

Fox News At least 22 people were injured Friday morning after a “terrorist incident” in a London subway station during rush hour.A homemade bomb exploded on the crowded subway in what police said was a terrorist attack – Britain’s fifth this year. Most of the people injured had “flash burns,” police said.No deaths have been reported. Friday’s attack isn’t the first this year that occurred on a train. Read on for a look at other train attacks.St. Petersburg, Russia – April 2017A bomb was detonated between Sennaya Square and Technology Institute, two busy stations in the center of the Russian city, killing 14 people -- including the suicide bomber -- and injuring dozens of others, according to Sky News.Police said Akbardzhon Dzhalilov, 22, walked into the subway with a backpack that held the bomb on April 3. Dzhalilov was linked to radical Islamic terror groups by investigators.A second device was...

HuffPost by Basma Elbaz, Contributor Editor-in-Chief & Blogger   The way the international community is responding to Rohingya ethnic cleansing in Myanmar is not only inadequate but also extremely dangerous as the crisis is attracting attention of extremist groups around the globe.The UN issued many statements about the crisis in Myanmar, “called for” an end of violence and many UN officials described the crisis as an “example of ethnic cleansing”, but calling a spade a spade without taking a proper action to alleviate the plight of those suffering is worth nothing.On the other hand, Al Qaeda rushed to take advantage of the situation by calling for support of the Rohingya and threatening to punish those who caused their suffering. “We call upon all mujahid brothers in Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, and the Philippines to set out for Burma to help their Muslim brothers, and to make the necessary preparations — training...

Fox News A U.S. citizen fighting for ISIS surrendered to U.S.-backed fighters in Syria, two U.S. military officials confirmed to Fox News on Thursday.It was not immediately clear where or when the surrender took place, but one official said it occurred in northern Syria in an area controlled by a U.S.-backed militia called the Syrian Democratic Forces. The SDF is a Kurdish and Arab army that has been fighting ISIS. The man was not immediately identified and it was not clear where he was being held.Col. Ryan Dillon, a U.S. military spokesman for the coalition against ISIS, would not comment on the surrender. Dillon deferred to the State Department on the issue. The U.S. military command told the Daily Beast they were aware of the report.“We are aware of the report that a U.S. citizen believed to be fighting for ISIS surrendered to Syrian Democratic Forces on or about Sept....

BBC An "improvised explosive device" was detonated on a Tube train in south-west London during Friday's rush hour, Scotland Yard has confirmed. The blast, at Parsons Green station on an eastbound District Line train from Wimbledon, is being treated as terrorism. Twenty-two people are being treated in hospital, mostly for burn injuries. A hunt for the person who placed the device is under way, with hundreds of detectives and MI5 investigating. Prime Minister Theresa May condemned the "cowardly" attack, which she said had "intended to cause significant harm". She said the UK's terror threat level would remain at severe - the second highest - but would be under review. Speaking in Downing Street after chairing a meeting of the Cobra emergency committee, she said there would be an increased armed police presence on the transport network in London. Assistant Commissioner Mark Rowley earlier refused to reveal whether anyone had yet...

Jihad Watch By Robert Spencer The Qur’an contains numerous condemnations of homosexual activity: “And [We had sent] Lot when he said to his people, ‘Do you commit such immorality as no one has preceded you with from among the worlds? Indeed, you approach men with desire, instead of women. Rather, you are a transgressing people.’…And We rained upon them a rain [of stones]. Then see how was the end of the criminals.” (Qur’an 7:80-84)Muhammad is depicted as specifying the death penalty for homosexual activity in a hadith: “The Messenger of Allah (peace and blessings of Allah be upon him) said, ‘Whoever you find doing the action of the people of Loot, execute the one who does it and the one to whom it is done.’” (Sunan Abu Dawud 4462) “Terrorist plot against Paris gay nightclubs thwarted,” Washington Blade, September 13, 2017 (thanks to Blazing Cat Fur): Interior Minister Gérard Collomb...

InHomelandSecurity.com SEOUL — North Korea’s powerful nuclear test earlier this month may have been even stronger than first reported, equivalent to roughly 17 times the strength of the bomb that destroyed Hiroshima, according to a new analysis by a U.S. monitoring group.North Korea’s Sept. 3 nuclear test, its sixth and biggest, showed how much progress it has made on its nuclear and missile program.Preliminary estimates had found the yield, or the amount of energy released by the blast, to have been about 100 kilotons. In comparison, the bomb detonated over Hiroshima in 1945 released about 15 kilotons of energy.But a new analysis by 38 North, run by the U.S.-Korea Institute at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies, found North Korea’s test may have been much stronger.Updated seismic data showed the magnitude of the resulting earthquake was greater than initial estimates — between 6.1 and 6.3. That means the...

UPI by Allen Cone Sept. 12 (UPI) -- The U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced Tuesday it has issued waivers of environmental and historical preservation laws to speed construction of fencing between California and Mexico.The waivers protect border barriers near Calexico, Calif., from federal regulations such as Endangered Species Act and the National Historic Preservation Act, the department said in a news release.The department described it as "an area of high illegal entry" that is a "critical sector for border security." In fiscal year 2016, the United States Border Patrol "apprehended more than 19,400 illegal aliens and seized approximately 2,899 pounds of marijuana and approximately 126 pounds of cocaine in the El Centro Sector," according to Homeland Security.This project is approximately a three-mile segment that starts at the Calexico West port of entry and extends westward, replacing approximately two miles of the existing primary pedestrian fence with a new "bollard...

DW Cities struggle for security in light of terrorist attacksCities across Europe are reeling from deadly terrorist attacks. While they're relatively new in Europe, terror attacks have long been a reality in cities in Asia or Africa. How can cities be made safer? Burglaries, traffic accidents, shootings — the Swedish capital Stockholm gets its share of crime and violence. Only recently did the police commissioner publicly call for help, saying the police were struggling to get their job done in several Stockholm neighborhoods dominated by gangs.Yet up until recently, a majority of Stockholmers considered their city fairly safe.According to the Better Life Index compiled by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, OECD, people in Sweden feel safer than, for instance, those in Belgium or Spain.Terrorist attacks prompt new security thinkingThis sense of security notwithstanding, the Swedish capital was hit by a terrorist attack earlier this year. A van was...

Novinite.com The European Parliament on September 12 approved a list of 30 full members of its new special committee on counter-terrorism. Its main tasks will be to assess the extent of the terrorist threat in Europe and highlight any potential faults, deficiencies and malfunctions in counter-terrorism measures, NewEurope.eu writes.The committee, which is slated to hold its first meeting in Strasbourg on September 14, will elect its chair, vice-chairs and rapporteur(s).According to a European Parliament press release, the committee will check how external border management measures are implemented. It will also identify the deficiencies in sharing judicial, law enforcement and intelligence information among member states.The impact of EU anti-terror laws on fundamental rights will also be assessed, as will the effectiveness of de-radicalisation programmes.The committee members will also visit and hold hearings with other EU institutions, the Europol law enforcement cooperation agency, the national parliaments and governments of member states and...

by Giulio Meotti  Turkey controls 900 mosques in Germany and feels free to say that a "liberal mosque" in Germany is "incompatible" with Islam. Can you imagine Germany offering Iraq, Syria and Egypt to build "200 new churches" to reconstruct the derelict and dispossessed Christian communities there? No, because in the Middle East, Christians have been eradicated in a forced de-Christianization. Christians in Germany will become a minority in the next 20 years, according to Die Welt. We risk losing not only our churches, but more importantly, our cultural strength and even confidence in the values of our own civilization. Jan Fleischhauer, a journalist of the weekly magazine Der Spiegel, coined an expression to define the free fall of German Christianity: Selbstsäkularisierung ("self-secularization"). It is the Church being liquidated? The German Bishops' Conference just released the data on the decline of Catholicism in Germany for 2016. In one year, the German...

Counter-IED Report A suicide bomber in an explosives-packed vehicle attacked a NATO convoy in Afghanistan on Monday, wounding “a small number” of foreign troops and at least three civilians, officials said. The soldiers were taken to the nearby Bagram Air Field and none of their injuries appeared life-threatening, NATO’s headquarters in Kabul said. At least three civilians were hurt, District Governor Abdul Shukor Qodossi said, without giving details on the extent of their injuries. A statement from the Taliban militants said 13 Americans had been killed and 11 wounded and three armored vehicles destroyed. Read more: http://counteriedreport.com/suicide-bomber-attacks-nato-convoy-in-afghanistan-some-wounded/...