359 'People Were in Pieces!' Sri Lanka: Islamist Terror on Easter   by Raymond Ibrahim  •  Gatestone Institute     "We are a peace-loving community in this small city, we had never hurt anyone, but we don't know from where this amount of hate is coming. This city has become a grave with blood and bodies lying around.... Since the past three years, we don't know why, but we see an extremist's mindset developing among the Muslims. I know many good Muslims, but there are also a lot who hate us, and they have never been so before. It is in these three years that we see a difference." — A Christian man who survived the bombing of St. Sebastian's Church in Sri Lanka. In 2017, in Egypt, Islamic terrorists bombed two Coptic Christian churches during Palm Sunday mass, which inaugurates Easter week, murdering 50 people and wounding 120. On...

The Daily Caller News Foundation Convicted Islamic Terrorist Vallmoe Shqaire Held US Citizenship, Live In Country For YearsWilliam Davis - ContributorA Palestinian terrorist was reportedly able to gain citizenship and live in the United States for almost a decade before his conviction was uncovered.Vallmoe Shqaire was convicted of carrying out a terrorist attack against Israel in 1988 at the request of the terrorist Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), according to a bombshell report published by CNN Thursday, which sites records from a U.S. District Court in California.The report states that 51-year-old Shqaire officially became a citizen in November 2008, even though his past conviction should have made him ineligible for citizenship. Shqaire was charged with illegally obtaining his American citizenship in December. (RELATED: REPORT: ISIS Gloats Over Notre Dame’s Destruction)“By concealing his violent, terrorist conduct, defendant circumvented the procedures our immigration system depends upon,” prosecutors wrote according to CNN. Read more:...

The Wall Street Journal Sri Lanka Identifies 8 of 9 Easter Bombers Authorities say perpetrators of attacks were from country’s middle- and upper-middle classes By Niharika Mandhana and Jon EmontCOLOMBO, Sri Lanka—Authorities are starting to piece together profiles of the Easter bombing perpetrators, a group of well-off Sri Lankans police say includes two sons of a merchant family and a woman who detonated a bomb that killed herself and two of her children along with three police officers closing in on them.   Read more: https://www.wsj.com/articles/sri-lanka-bombers-were-inspired-by-islamic-state-government-says-11556090824?mod=hp_lead_pos4...

  The Everlasting Importance of Physical Securityby Ariel Benjamin Mannes It is no secret that the corporate sector’s focus on security, among many other facets of society, is becoming increasingly rooted in technology and cyber threats. In fact, it could be argued that in terms of investments, cybersecurity is now the most relevant hot button issue within the overall security conversation; which makes a lot of sense given the prevalence of cloud-based social media platforms, finance apps, community-based suite technologies, and an almost countless list of other cyber factors upon which personal and professional lives now thrive.Though cybersecurity is arguably crucial, it is not the be all and end all of securing personal or organizational assets and intellectual property. We cannot, in our growing dependence on technology, overlook the lasting importance of physical security practices, which remain just as vital as their digital counterparts.Worse, as corporate, personal and public funding...

Fox News By IVAN MORENO | Associated PressMILWAUKEE – A Wisconsin mother of seven pleaded guilty Monday to trying to plan terrorist attacks on behalf of the Islamic State group by distributing information online on how to make explosives and biological weapons.Waheba Issa Dais (dys) initially pleaded not guilty to two counts of providing material support to terrorists but prosecutors dropped one of the charges in exchange for her guilty plea.Prosecutors say in court documents that Dais, 46, used hacked social media accounts to discuss possible attacks with self-proclaimed members of the IS. She also tried to recruit IS supporters to carry out attacks and provided them with information on making explosives and poisons, according to the documents.Authorities never connected her to any attack plots, but U.S. Attorney Matthew Krueger noted the seriousness of her actions, saying Dais put a lot of information online with instructions on how to harm...

Ilhan Omar Slammed U.S. Soldiers Involved in 'Black Hawk Down' Incidentby John Rossomando IPT News The United States Army was the villain in the "Black Hawk Down" incident in Somalia, U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar, D-Minn., wrote in a 2017 Twitter post.Omar, a Somali native elected to Congress last fall, was responding to a tweet that falsely described the 1993 Battle of Mogadishu as the worst terrorist attack in Somali history. The original tweet noted that 19 American soldiers were killed and 73 American soldiers were wounded."In his selective memory, [the writer] forgets to also mention the thousands of Somalis killed by the American forces that day! #NotTodaySatan," Omar wrote while still a Minnesota state legislator.Omar has repeatedly generated controversy, largely for anti-Semitic statements about Israel which employed old canards about Jewish power and money. House leaders forced her to apologize in February after she tweeted "It's all about the Benjamins...

Haaretz Two days of clashes have killed at least 27 soldiers in an ISIS ambush in the desert east of Homs The Associated Press - Islamic State militants ambushed Syrian government forces in the country's desert, setting off two days of clashes that killed over two dozen soldiers, a war monitoring organization said Saturday.A pro-government militia confirmed the ambush, saying it had sent its fighters to liberate the two besieged battalions.The Islamic State group lost its last territories in Syria in March after months of battles with U.S-backed Kurdish-led fighters in the eastern province of Deir el-Zour. But the militants remain active in the desert to the west of Deir el-Zour, where they have taken refuge and increasingly targeted government troops and allied militia.The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights said ISIS militants ambushed government forces in the desert of central Homs province Thursday night, setting off clashes that lasted for...

By Guy Taylor - The Washington Times Sri Lankan authorities said Monday that a “wider international network” of terrorists helped a little-known local Islamist group carry out the grisly wave of coordinated bombings that ripped through churches, luxury hotels and other sites in Colombo on Easter Sunday, as the death toll from attacks continued to rise.U.S. officials said at least four Americans were among those killed, including a 40-year-old Denver man who was in Colombo on a work trip. A fifth-grader who attended the Sidwell Friends school, an elite private academy in D.C. was also killed, though it was unclear whether the student held U.S. citizenship.While officials have not named a specific international extremist organization, private analysts have quickly fingered al Qaeda or the Islamic State on Monday, saying planning and possible equipment used for the bombs that killed at least 290 people and injured more than 500 appeared to...

The Clarion Project By Meira SvirskyHorrific Honor Killings in Phoenix A Muslim man in Arizona was arrested for four honor killings — his wife, two daughters and the man with whom he believed his wife was having an affair.According to Phoenix Police Sergeant Tommy Thompson, “[Austin Smith] said that the reason he shot these individuals is because in God’s eyes, it was all right for him to deal with someone in this manner who had been involved in adultery, extramarital affairs.”Smith also told police he killed his seven-year-old daughter because she was “weeping for the wicked.”According to court documents, he said spared his three-year old who was found hiding under a bed because she reminded him of himself.As in many cases of honor crimes, some will protest this was merely a case of domestic violence (not withstanding the horrific nature of the crime). And in truth, what is the difference?Quite...

NBC News 'American Taliban' John Walker Lindh to be released from prison next month A federal judge in Virginia ordered that Lindh can't view extremist videos online and must get permission to obtain an internet-capable device. By Tom Winter and Pete WilliamsJohn Walker Lindh, the American man who pleaded guilty to fighting for the Taliban after the 9/11 attacks, is slated to be released from prison next month under terms restricting his internet access.A federal judge in Virginia ordered that Lindh, 38, can't have an internet-capable device without permission from his probation office, can’t view or access extremist or terrorism videos, and must allow the probation office to monitor his internet use. "Given the rare nature of defendant's crime and his unique personal history and characteristics, the probation officer recently filed a request asking the court to impose additional special conditions of supervised release which will govern defendant's behavior post-confinement,"...

BBC News By Emma Thelwell and Gareth Evans Summary Eight blasts hit locations including churches and hotels across Sri Lanka, leaving at least 207 people dead and 450 injured Congregations were taking part in Easter Sunday services at the churches when the blasts hit The five-star Shangri-La, Kingsbury and Cinnamon Grand hotels in the heart of Colombo were targeted The death toll could rise significantly as hospitals report casualty figures. At least 27 foreigners are known to have died At least seven people have been arrested in connection with the attacks, officials say View updates at https://www.bbc.com/news/live/world-asia-48002165...

ABC News College professor bought 1-way ticket to Rome before St. Patrick’s Cathedral arson attempt, police say Lamparello is professor and a former music director at a Roman Catholic Church. By Karma Allen A part-time philosophy professor was charged with attempted arson on Thursday after he entered a historic cathedral with gasoline and lighter fluid, investigators said.Marc Lamparello, a former director of music at a New Jersey Roman Catholic Church, was arrested at the historic St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York City on Wednesday night after security stopped him with two cans of gasoline, lighter fluid and butane lighters, police said.  Sources with the New York City Police Department told ABC News that he also purchased a one-way ticket to Rome, which was scheduled to depart from Newark, New Jersey, on Thursday evening.Lamparello, 37, was charged with attempted arson, reckless endangerment and some violations of city codes. He told police...

By Clarion Intelligence Network Rondell Henry, a 28-year-old Maryland man recently arrested for planning an ISIS-inspired ramming attack in the Washington. D.C. area, regularly led prayers at the Islamic Society of Germantown (ISG). Here is Clarion’s exclusive profile of the ISG, noting its Islamist connections: The ISG invited guest speakers from the Qalam Institute The Qalam Institute hosts a document on its website warning that Muslims who seek “cleanliness” and “purity” should “not resemble the Jews.” Abdelrahman Murphy, who lectures and gives sermons for the Qalam Institute, stated: “There is no such thing as an innocent Israeli.” The ISG advertises events sponsored by the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) For example: Read more: https://clarionproject.org/exclusive-maryland-mosque-arrested-led-prayers/...

 

FLIR Systems Awarded $48.1M from U.S. Department of Defense for the Sensor Suite Upgrade for the Nuclear, Biological and Chemical Reconnaissance VehicleARLINGTON, Va. – April 11, 2019 – FLIR Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ: FLIR) announced today it has received an award from the United States (U.S.) Department of Defense (DOD) Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense (JPEO-CBRND) in support of the Nuclear Biological Chemical Reconnaissance Vehicle Sensor Suite Upgrade (NBCRV SSU) program for the U.S. Army. The Other Transaction Authority Agreement (OTA) is valued at $48.1 million, with execution extending through mid-2022. FLIR will be the lead integrator in the modernization of the U.S. Army’s NBCRV system. Under the agreement, FLIR will develop a platform agnostic modular mission payload, which integrates multiple chemical, biological and radiological sensors into a flexible command and control (C2) system. This C2 system will allow for data integration from the various...

The Verge by Colin Lecher European Union lawmakers today approved controversial legislation that would require platforms to take down terrorist content within one hour of receiving notification from authorities.The European Parliament passed the measure by a vote of 308 to 204, and the text will be further negotiated among lawmakers before becoming law. Passed 308 to 204Under the legislation, called the Terrorist Content Regulation, companies could be fined up to 4 percent of revenue if they consistently fail to remove terrorist content. The plan would apply to major companies like Facebook and YouTube, but much of the debate has focused on smaller platforms, as critics have charged that the plan places an undue burden on those companies. Read more: https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/technology/aggressive-new-terrorist-content-regulation-passes-eu-vote/ar-BBW2e3c...

In Homeland Security DSS Helps Secure Boston Marathon, Preps Peruvians for Pan American Games By Glynn Cosker Managing Editor, In Homeland SecurityThe Diplomatic Security Service (DSS) is collaborating with its counterparts from Peru as they help secure runners and onlookers at Monday’s Boston Marathon. DSS will welcome members of the Peruvian National Police, giving them a chance to observe and support security at the marathon in preparation for Peru’s hosting of the Pan American Games in Lima from July 26 to August 11.DSS is the federal law enforcement and security sector of the U.S. Department of State – primarily focused on securing the safety of U.S. personnel, property and other resources overseas. Additionally, DSS secures the Secretary of State and the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations at all times and the security of all foreign dignitaries attending the annual U.N. General Assembly in New York City. Another major task...

Houston Chronicle Chron TEHRAN, Iran (AP) — Iran's lawmakers on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a bill labeling U.S. forces in the Middle East as terrorist, a day after the U.S. terrorism designation for Iran's Revolutionary Guard formally took effect, state TV reported.Defense Minister Gen. Amir Hatami introduced the bill authorizing the government to act firmly in response to "terrorist actions" by U.S. forces. It demands authorities use "legal, political and diplomatic" measures to neutralize the American move, without elaborating.The U.S. move aims at "thwarting Iran's influence," and shows that America's longstanding sanctions against Iran have become ineffective, Hatami told lawmakers.During the debate, some hard-liner lawmakers had demanded listing the entire U.S. army and security forces as terrorist.The TV report said 204 lawmakers approved the bill, out of 207 present at the session in the 290-seat chamber. Two lawmakers voted against the bill and one abstained.However, it remains unclear how the bill's...

The Wall Street Journal U.S. Treasury Targets Islamic State Financial Network With Sanctions Latest additions to the agency’s sanctions list includes six people associated with the Rawi Network in Iraq, which moved money for the terrorist group By Kristin Broughton The U.S. Treasury Department on Monday imposed sanctions on seven individuals and a money-services business that the agency said helped move money for Islamic State.The action comes less than a month after U.S.-backed forces captured the last territory controlled by Islamic State in Syria, marking the demise of the group’s so-called caliphate.The Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control targeted six members of the Rawi Network, a financial organization based in Iraq that the department says helped Islamic State facilitate transactions across Europe, Africa and the Middle East.The network was used by former Iraqi President Saddam Hussein in the early 1990s to evade sanctions and later supported Islamic State by smuggling...

AFP, Baghdad Iraq has begun trial proceedings for nearly 900 Iraqi suspected members of ISIS extremist group caught fleeing extremist territory in neighboring Syria, a judicial source told AFP on Sunday.They were handed over to Iraqi authorities by the US-backed Syrian Democratic Forces, which ousted ISIS from swathes of eastern Syria including territory bordering Iraq.“We received the interrogation files of nearly 900 Iraqi Daesh (ISIS) members coming from Syria,” the court official said, speaking anonymously because he was not authorized to talk to the media.“The specialized terrorism court has begun setting dates for their trial in batches,” the source added.The nearly 900 suspected extremists were transferred by the SDF to Iraqi custody in recent months as the remnants of ISIS’ once sprawling self-declared “caliphate” collapsed in neighboring Syria. Read more: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/News/middle-east/2019/04/14/Iraq-begins-trial-proceedings-for-900-ISIS-suspects.html...