The Telegraph Bloodbath in Mali as jihadists stoke centuries-old tensions between ethnic groupsBoth al-Qaeda and Islamic State encourage local Fulani herders to wage a campaign of ethnic cleansing against their Dogon neighbours By Colin Freeman Jihadists in Mali are stirring up bouts of savage inter-ethnic bloodletting in their bid to regain their grip on the west African state, human rights campaigners have warned.The country's picturesque Mopti region – once one of west Africa's top backpacking destinations – has become a bloodbath in the last year as Islamic militants stoke centuries-old tensions between its main ethnic groups.Both al-Qaeda and the Islamic State have been encouraging local Fulani herders, known in Mali as Peuhl, to wage a campaign of ethnic cleansing against their Dogon neighbours.The Dogon, who are mainly settled farmers, have responded by setting up their own self-defence militias, one of which massacred more than 150 Peuhl civilians in a revenge...

The Jerusalem Post Ex-CIA Official Warns Of Iran, ISIS Drones Armed With Chemical Weapons The warning takes on greater meaning following a call on January 28 by ISIS’s new leader Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, to direct greater attention to attacking Israel and Jews, including using chemical weapons. By YONAH JEREMY BOB, NEVILLE TELLER   The greatest threat confronting the US and Israel may be swarms of drones armed with chemical weapons released by Iran or ISIS, an ex-CIA official has told The Jerusalem Post. The warning takes on greater meaning following a call on January 28 by ISIS’s new leader, Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Quraishi, to direct greater attention to attacking Israel and Jews, including using chemical weapons.Some dangerous countries and terrorist groups may already have their hands on chemical weapons – ISIS and multiple other groups used them in Syria in recent years – and anyone who does not, may be...

NYC cops ‘declaring war’ on Mayor de Blasio, union says, following ‘assassination attempts’ on officersBy Greg Norman | Fox News A police union says the men and women of New York City’s finest are now “declaring war” on Mayor Bill de Blasio following a pair of shootings targeting officers in the Bronx over the weekend.The fiery rhetoric directed at the Big Apple’s Democrat leader -- who has implemented several measures critics say are hostile to police – comes as the NYPD filed charges against suspect Robert Williams in both attacks.“Mayor De Blasio, the members of the NYPD are declaring war on you!” the Sergeants Benevolent Association wrote in a tweet. “We do not respect you, DO NOT visit us in hospitals. You sold the NYPD to the vile creatures, the 1% who hate cops but vote for you.“NYPD cops have been assassinated because of you,” the tweet added. “This isn’t...

BOMB PLOT Manchester terrorist’s ‘family claimed £2k-a-month benefits while living abroad – and taxpayer cash used to buy bomb’By Thomas Burrows - The SunTHE FAMILY of Manchester Arena terrorist Salman Abedi claimed thousands of pounds a month in benefits, a court was told today.A jury heard that some of that money was used in the bomb plot that killed 22 people. Mum-of-six Samia Abedi continued to receive more than £2,000 each month in welfare payments, even after leaving the country for Libya.In the months following her departure in October 2016, benefits continued to be paid and in the run up to the attack her bank account was accessed to buy a large £300 industrial sized battery and other alleged bomb making equipment from B&Q, the court heard.Mrs Abedi has three younger children and three older sons, Ismail, Salman - the suicide bomber, and Hashem, now aged 22, who denies involvement...

The National Suicide bomber kills Algerian soldier during border checkpoint stop The attack is the first such bombing in months despite the conflicts raging in neighboring Mali and Libya A suicide car bomb attack near the Malian border has killed an Algerian soldier amid a rise in deadly attacks carried out by militant groups in the remote North African region.The Defence Ministry said that at 10.50am local time on Sunday, an all-terrain vehicle loaded with explosives was detonated next to a military detachment guarding the border area near Timiaouine.“The soldier in charge of access managed to stop the suspect vehicle from entering; however, the suicide attacker blew up the vehicle, causing the death of the solider on guard,” it said. Read more: https://www.thenational.ae/world/mena/suicide-bomber-kills-algerian-soldier-during-border-checkpoint-stop-1.976847...

Deutsche Welle Over 60 Germans Among Islamists In Idlib An analysis of text and video messages from jihadis in Idlib reveals over 60 Germans among their ranks, German media report. Syrian President Bashar Assad is determined to retake the region. More than 60 Germans are fighting in Idlib, the last stronghold of foreign fighters in northwest Syria, according to reports by the German broadcaster SWR on Sunday.SWRreviewed transcripts of instant messages sent by the fighters and determined that the individuals are largely members of Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, a group with ties to al-Qaida. At least one person is working with the group Junud al-Sham.Using messenger apps such as Telegram, the fighters solicited financial aid from supporters back in Germany by way of text, video and voice messages."My brothers," a masked man says in a video message, "if you could help, that would be very good. Even if you're in Germany,...

The Guardian Preacher Who Inspired Streatham Terror Attack Peddling Jihad From Behind Bars Abdullah al-Faisal, currently in a Jamaican prison awaiting extradition to the US, is spreading his messages of hate via website. Hundreds of sermons preached by the Islamist cleric who inspired the men who carried out the terrorist attacks in Streatham and on London Bridge in November are available on a website that allows his followers to communicate in private chatrooms, the Observer has established.Abdullah al-Faisal, who was born into an evangelical Christian family in Jamaica and spent many years in Britain, has become one of the most successful propagandists for al-Qaida and Islamic State.Sudesh Amman, 20, who was shot dead by police last week after coming out of prison for terrorism offences, had copies of Faisal’s speeches, the Times reported. Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/feb/09/preacher-abdullah-faisal-streatham-london-bridge-peddling-jihad-behind-bars...

2 U.S. service members killed during shootout in AfghanistanCBS News Two U.S. service members were killed Saturday after a firefight broke out in Afghanistan, officials tell CBS News. A government official in eastern Afghanistan told CBS News the incident occurred in the Sherzad district of eastern Nangarhar province.USFOR-A Spokesman Colonel Sonny Leggett said in a statement that, "Upon completing a key-leader engagement at the district center, current reports indicate an individual in an Afghan uniform opened fire on the combined U.S. and Afghan force with a machine gun."The Pentagon on Sunday identified the service members who were killed as Javier Jaguar Gutierrez, 28, and Antonio Rey Rodriguez, also 28. Gutierrez was from San Antonio, Texas, and Rodriguez was from Las Cruces, New Mexico. Both were posthumously promoted to the rank of sergeant 1st class. Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/afghanistan-two-us-service-members-killed-during-shootout-in-eastern-nangarhar-province-2020-02-08/...

The North African Post Counterterrorism: Morocco’s Deradicalization Program Yielding Tangible Results Morocco is tackling terror threat and extremism not only with its proactive security approach, which helped to foil several terrorist plots but also with pilot rehabilitation programs that aim to deradicalize Jihadis while they are in prison through the teaching of moderate Islam. Some of the former extremists, who renounced their fanatic views and embraced a more tolerant Islam, were pardoned lately by King Mohammed VI, Commander of the Faithful, after they voluntarily enrolled in “Musalaha” (reconciliation) program in prisons and completed their courses. Among these repentant extremists who benefited from royal amnesty, ten women were received on Wednesday at Mohammed VI Foundation for the Reinsertion of Prisoners. The reconciliation program was jointly launched in 2017 by Morocco’s Prison administration, the Islamic scholars Association (Rabita Mohammedia des Oulema) and the National Human Rights Council (CNDH). Read more: http://northafricapost.com/37713-counterterrorism-moroccos-deradicalization-program-yielding-tangible-results.html...

FOX 10 Phoenix US counterterrorism operation in Yemen eliminates deputy al-Qaida leader Qasim al-Rimi By Amy Lieu - FOX TV Digital Team WASHINGTON - The White House released a statement Thursday afternoon announcing that the U.S. conducted a counterterrorism operation in Yemen that eliminated Qasim al-Rimi, a founder and the leader of al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula.The statement said the operation was at the direction of President Donald Trump. Al-Rimi was also deputy to al-Qaida leader Ayman al-Zawahiri. Al-Rimi joined al-Qaida in the 1990s and worked in Afghanistan for Osama bin Laden. Read more: https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/us-counterterrorism-operation-in-yemen-eliminates-deputy-al-qaida-leader-qasim-al-rimi...

Newsweek Exclusive: U.S. Citizen Kidnapped By Taliban Group In Afghanistan By James LaPorta , Tom O'Connor AND Naveed Jamali An American contractor was captured by Taliban-aligned militants in Afghanistan last week, triggering a country-wide recovery effort, Newsweek has learned.Mark R. Frerichs of Lombard, Illinois, was kidnapped last Friday in Khost, a province located in the southeastern part of the country that borders the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, an underdeveloped region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S. officials told Newsweek, who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to discuss the details publicly.Frerichs, 57, is a former U.S. Navy diver and the managing director for International Logistical Support, a U.S. government contractor. According to his LinkedIn account, he has worked as a civil engineer in several conflict zones from Iraq to Sudan during the past 10 years, where he has consulted on logistical contracts for both governments and non-governmental...

BBC News Emergency Law Aims To Stop Next Terror Release Ministers are aiming to pass emergency legislation to block the automatic early release of convicted terror offenders before the next one is due to be freed in three weeks' time.Sunderland shopkeeper Mohammed Zahir Khan, 42, is expected to be released on 28 February after serving half of his sentence for encouraging terrorism.An official said legislation would be introduced to the Commons on Tuesday.It follows attacks in recent months by men convicted of terror offences.Khan was arrested in 2017 and given a four-and-a-half year sentence in May 2018 after pleading guilty.He had posted a statement on a Twitter account from the Islamic State group calling for attacks. He also admitted a charge of distributing material designed to incite religious hatred after calling for Shia Muslims to be burnt alive. Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-51394602...

Fox News What Is The Al Qaeda-Linked Al-Shabab Terrorist Group? By Greg Norman Al-Shabab, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist organization based in Somalia, has become the target of a growing number of U.S. airstrikes during President Trump’s administration.The militants belonging to the group have fought for years to impose a strict version of Islam in the Horn of Africa nation, while also launching attacks in neighboring countries like Kenya, where they killed a U.S. service member and two American contractors for the Pentagon in January 2020.“Al-Shabab’s continued attacks degrade the Somali government’s ability to both provide security and alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in the country, and its influence in Somalia undermines the United States’ efforts to prevent the use of Somalia as a refuge for international terrorists,” reads a Council on Foreign Relations profile of the group. Read more: https://www.foxnews.com/world/al-shabab-terrorist-group-somalia-al-qaeda...

Asharq Al-Awsat Morocco Busts Isis-Affiliated Terrorist Cell Morocco’s interior ministry announced Tuesday that it had dismantled a terrorist cell that was plotting attacks in the kingdom.It said that the six-member cell was operating in Casablanca, Mohammedia and Azilal, reported the state news agency (MAP).The members, whose ages ranged between 18 and 59, had adopted extremist ideology and pledged allegiance to ISIS.They were planning on carrying out attacks in Morocco ahead of declaring the establishment of a “state” loyal to ISIS. Read more: https://aawsat.com/english/home/article/2114611/morocco-busts-isis-affiliated-terrorist-cell...

ISIS claims responsibility for south London attack - Amaq news agency Amman attacked three people, critically injuring one, before police shot him dead in south London on Sunday. By REUTERS A man who was shot dead by police after stabbing two people on a busy street in south London on Sunday was identified as Sudesh Amman, a former convict who was recently released after serving a prison sentence for terrorist offenses, a European counter-terrorism official said. Islamic State has claimed responsibility for a stabbing attack in south London, without giving evidence, the group's Amaq news agency said on Monday."The perpetrator of the attack in Streatham district in south London yesterday is a fighter of Islamic State, and carried out the attack in response to calls to attack the citizens of coalition countries," a statement carried by Amaq said. Read more: https://www.jpost.com/Breaking-News/British-Police-shoot-man-in-south-London-in-terror-related-stabbing-616244...

The Times Of Israel Islamic State Claims Purported Attack On Egypt-Israel Gas Pipeline In Sinai Though sources said attacked pipe was a domestic one, jihadist group insists it ‘targeted… the natural gas line linking the Jews and the apostate Egyptian government’ By AFP    CAIRO — The Islamic State extremist group said on Monday that it blew up a gas pipeline in Egypt’s restive Sinai Peninsula, claiming it was connected to Israel.Security sources earlier said the pipeline hit was a domestic one that connects to a power station in el-Arish, powering homes and factories in central Sinai. No casualties were reported.Masked gunmen drove a four-wheel drive before detonating explosives in the attack, carried out around 80 kilometers west of the provincial capital El-Arish, the sources told AFP. Some media reports in Egypt and Israel said, however, that the section of pipeline hit was part of Israel’s Leviathan offshore field that connects...

The Washington Post Feds Arrested Phoenix Man For Allegedly Killing Two Iraqi Cops In Al-Qaeda-Linked Attacks By Katie Shepherd When members of the large Iraqi immigrant community in Phoenix heard federal agents arrested a local driving instructor for allegedly killing two Iraqi police officers in al-Qaeda-linked attacks in the Iraqi city of Fallujah nearly 14 years ago, they could not believe the accusation.“There is like no way,” 18-year-old Eva Kabejan, who had taken classes at the man’s driving school, told the Arizona Republic. “He’s a hard-working guy. He’s really good guy.”Several people who had come to know Ali Ahmed since he came to the United States as a refugee in 2008 struggled to understand the serious allegations leveled against the 42-year-old, the Republic reported. Ahmed, who became a U.S. citizen about two years ago, had embraced an exciting bachelor’s life before recently getting married and having his first child this...

NBC News Britain's Boris Johnson Vows To End Early Release Of Terrorism Offenders “What we want to do is to make sure that people convicted of terrorist offenses are not let out without some process of parole or scrutiny,” Johnson said. By Saphora SmithLONDON — Prime Minister Boris Johnson said Monday that the automatic early release of convicted terrorism offenders from prison must end after an Islamist attacker recently released from prison injured two people in a stabbing rampage in a busy south London street, before he was shot dead by police.“What we want to do is to make sure that people convicted of terrorist offenses are not let out without some process of parole or scrutiny by real experts,” Johnson told an event in London on Monday.Johnson said his government was already bringing forward legislation to stop the system of automatic early release but the difficulty was how to...

Lansing State Journal Two Lansing Men Have Now Pleaded Guilty To Conspiring To Supporting Islamic State by Megan Banta, Lansing State Journal GRAND RAPIDS – A second Lansing man accused of planning to join the Islamic State group has pleaded guilty to a conspiracy charge.Mohamud Abdikadir Muse pleaded guilty on Thursday to conspiring to provide material support to a designated terrorist organization, specifically to the Islamic State. He originally pleaded not guilty last year. As part of a plea agreement, Muse acknowledged he had recorded a video pledging loyalty to the Islamic State and that he had planned to travel to Somalia at some point last year to join the terrorist organization. Muse, 25, faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and a lifetime of supervision once released. He also may lose his citizenship. As part of the plea agreement, the government will dismiss one charge of...

Deutsche Welle France To Boost Military Troops In Africa's Sahel To Counter Terrorism Paris has said it will deploy 600 additional troops to the border zone between Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger. French forces are also seeking to train local fighters who Paris says are unprepared to take on jihadi groups. France announced Sunday it was bolstering its military presence in Africa's Sahel region to counter jihadi violence.French Defense Minister Florence Parly said in a statement that the majority of the reinforcements would be sent by the end of February to the border zone connecting Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger.The French government is planning to deploy a further 600 troops in addition to its already 4,500-strong operation in five countries across the Sahel region. The Defense Ministry said that boosting its military presence showed France's commitment to the anti-terrorist mission. The ministry also emphasized that Paris' allies were mobilizing their...