Egypt beefs up security for Coptic Christmas Eve

Egyptian authorities beefed up security Thursday as Coptic Christians warily ushered in Christmas Eve after a New Year's Day bombing in front of a church that killed nearly two dozen of their members. The Coptic Christians celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar and therefore will observe it Friday. "Police plan a large-scale security operation for tonight to protect Egypt's Coptic Christians and their churches." Col. Alla Mahmoud of the interior ministry said. In addition, hundreds of supporters gathered outside the prestigious Al-Azhar University on Thursday in a show of solidarity for the Coptic community. On Wednesday, Egyptian authorities released a sketch of a man they think may be responsible for the attack. "The man in the picture is unknown and authorities are trying to confirm his identity," said Col. Alla Mahmoud of the interior ministry.

The interior ministry used forensic technology to recreate the face of the suspected suicide bomber responsible for killing 23 people when he detonated a car bomb outside The Church of the Two Saints in the city of Alexandria, the al-Ahram newspaper reported Wednesday. The newspaper, which is majority-owned by the government, said the forensic experts estimate the suspected bomber was in his early 20s. Citing officials, the newspaper also said that the bomber had packed about 20 to 25 kilograms (40-55 lbs) of explosives in a traveling bag, indicating that he may have been planning to enter the church or wait for congregants to come out when the explosives went off prematurely in the car. About 9 percent of Egypt's 80 million residents are Coptic Christians, according to the CIA's World Fact Book.

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Risk of small-scale attacks by al-Qaeda and its allies is rising

Al-Qaeda and its allies are likely to attempt small-scale, less sophisticated terrorist attacks in the United States, senior Obama administration officials said Wednesday, noting that it's extremely difficult to detect such threats in advance. "Unlike large-scale, coordinated, catastrophic attacks, executing smaller-scale attacks requires less planning and fewer pre-operational steps," said Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, testifying before the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. "Accordingly, there are fewer opportunities to detect such an attack before it occurs."

Terrorism experts have puzzled over al-Qaeda's apparent unwillingness after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks to use car bombs, improvised explosives and small arms to conduct assaults in the United States. The group appeared fixated on orchestrating another dramatic mass-casualty event, such as the simultaneous downing of several commercial airliners. Indeed, attacks inspired by al-Qaeda in Madrid in 2004 and London in 2005 involved multiple, coordinated bombings targeting mass-transit systems. But the risk of a single-target bombing or an attack by a lone gunman has increased, officials say, with the rise of al-Qaeda-affiliated groups in the tribal areas of Pakistan, in Yemen and in Somalia, and with the emergence of radicalized Americans inspired by the ideology of violent jihad.

"The impact of the attempted attacks during the past year suggests al-Qaeda, and its affiliates and allies, will attempt to conduct smaller-scale attacks targeting the homeland but with greater frequency," said Michael Leiter (shown above), director of the National Counterterrorism Center, pointing to plots against the subway system in New York, the attempt to down a commercial airliner approaching Detroit and the failed car bombing in Times Square. Leiter said in his testimony that "al-Qaeda in Pakistan is at one of its weakest points organizationally," but he noted that "regional affiliates and allies can compensate for the potentially decreased willingness of al-Qaeda in Pakistan - the deadliest supplier of such training and guidance - to accept and train new recruits."

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Uganda attacks signal terror group potential

If the Somali terror group al-Shabab is responsible for the deadly attacks in Uganda, it could mean the group is capable of carrying out successful attacks in Africa and beyond, according to an intelligence assessment by the FBI and the Homeland Security Department. Al-Shabab claimed responsibility for the explosions that killed 76 people watching the World Cup final in Uganda on Sunday. Intelligence officials have long warned that sporting events and large gatherings are attractive targets for terrorists.

President Barack Obama, in an interview with South Africa Broadcasting Corp., said the statements indicate that al-Shabab and other terrorist organizations see Africa "as a potential place where you can carry out ideological battles that kill innocents without regard to long-term consequences for their short-term tactical gains." The attack would be al-Shabab's first successful strike outside of Somalia, according to the July 12 intelligence analysis obtained by The Associated Press. The document is marked for official use only and was distributed to law enforcement officials across the country.

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3 nations warn of terror attacks planned in India

The U.S., Australia and Canada warned Saturday that terror groups were likely planning "imminent attacks" in India's capital and foreigners there should be vigilant. The U.S. Embassy's alert, adding the word "imminent," appeared to be more urgent than an advisory last month that cited increased indications of attacks in New Delhi. The warnings noted that markets and other areas frequented by Westerners in New Delhi have been targeted in past attacks. Militants linked to Pakistan-based Islamic groups have been blamed for previous attacks in the Indian capital.

The U.S. alert said Americans in India should maintain "a high level of vigilance," remain aware of their surroundings and watch out for unattended packages. The Canadian travel warning said that "credible and specific reporting indicates that a terrorist attack could be carried out in the following days or weeks, in market areas of Delhi frequented by foreigners." It echoed a warning for Australian travelers to "exercise a high degree of caution" in India in general and to avoid crowded shopping areas in the capital. Local police said they were aware of the warnings of possible attacks. "The Delhi Police is taking appropriate measures in this regard," police spokesman Rajan Bhagat said, according to Press Trust of India news agency. He did not elaborate.

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Somali pirates, security personnel in 4 shootouts

Signaling a new offensive mindset, international military officials vowed Friday to fight the pirates as swarms of Somalis moved into the waters off East Africa. Four shootouts with pirates showed that high-seas attacks are intensifying with the end of the monsoon season. Nearly half the 47 ships hijacked off Somalia last year were taken in March and April — the most dangerous months of the year for ships in the Gulf of Aden and Indian Ocean. In the most serious skirmish Friday, six pirates attacked a vessel before breaking off and chasing the French fishing boat Torre Giulia, said Cmdr. John Harbour, spokesman for the EU Naval Force.

A French military detachment onboard a nearby ship fired warning shots at the pirates. The ship then approached the skiff and collided with it, sinking the skiff and throwing the pirates into the water. Four were rescued, but two others were missing, Harbour said. A spike in attacks is likely in the coming weeks, said Harbour. This season, though, ship owners and sailors are more prepared to evade pirates, fight back, or they have armed security onboard, raising the likelihood of violence. "We know the monsoon is over. We know they're coming. We're taking the fight to the pirates."

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Chicago Terrorism Suspect Charged In Mumbai Attack

U.S. prosecutors have charged a Chicago man with helping to plan the 2008 terrorist attacks in Mumbai, India, which killed 166 people, including six Americans. American David Coleman Headley, 49, was arrested in October. At that time, he was accused of planning to attack the offices of the Danish newspaper that had published cartoons depicting the Prophet Muhammad. That attack never took place. Headley was also accused of training with a Pakistani terrorist group called Lashkar-e-Taiba. He now faces much more serious charges related to the massacre in India, which was carried out by the group.

Court documents unsealed Monday allege that Headley conducted extensive surveillance of targets in Mumbai for more than two years before the attacks. According to the court papers, Headley's reconnaissance helped the gunmen decide how to come into India undetected.

Lashkar-e-Taiba's leaders allegedly asked Headley to take a number of boat trips around Mumbai's harbor to scout the best landing sites for attackers to come in by sea. The attackers did end up landing in Mumbai by water. Prosecutors also allege that he provided Lashkar-e-Taiba with videotapes and maps, and details on a number of the sites that were attacked — including the Taj Mahal hotel, the Leopold cafe and a train station.

• "Terror Case Highlights Global Reach of Lashkar Group", Wall Street Journal, 12/8/09.
• "Lashkar-e-Tayyiba",Global Security.org, 3/12/08.
  

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Death Toll Rises To 155 In Dual Baghdad Bombings

The death toll from Iraq's worst attack in more than two years climbed to 155 Monday as Iraqis buried the dead from the twin suicide bombings that devastated the heart of Baghdad. Funerals were held around the city amid heightened security that snarled traffic during the morning rush hour. The bombings targeted two government buildings, calling into question the state's ability to protect itself as it prepares for January elections and the U.S. military withdrawal.

"Sadness is overwhelming today in the office," said one government employee, who asked that her name not be used because she did not want to be reprimanded for speaking publicly about authorities. "It's as if we are sitting at a funeral in the office because many of our colleagues and people we know were killed."

The attacks targeted the Baghdad Provincial Administration building and the Justice Ministry, wounding hundreds of people, including three American contractors. Officials revised the number of wounded down to about 500 Monday, from 700 the day before. There have been no claims of responsibility or arrests so far.

• "Bombings rock Iraq's political landscape", Washington Post, 10/26/09.
• "Baghdad bombings expose security challenges", LE Examiner, 10/26/09.
  

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The Pakistani Taliban Strike Again

49 killed in Taliban attack on Peshawar
Hitting back to avenge the recent killings of some of its leaders and consistent US drone attacks, the Taliban on Friday exploded a car bomb in a crowded Peshawar marketplace, killing at least 49 innocent civilians and injuring more than 100.

Reacting to the deadliest attack since March when 50 people were killed in a mosque blast in the northwestern town of Jamrud, the government said it would launch a massive operation to wipe out the Taliban from South Waziristan, along the Afghan border.

On Friday, a suicide bomber drove a vehicle, packed with about 50 kg of explosives, next to a passenger bus at Khyber Bazaar and detonated it, senior police officer Shafqat Malik said. All the victims were civilians and a number of them were women and children, Pakistani commandos stormed a building near army headquarters on Sunday and freed 22 hostages being held there by suspected Taliban militants, a military spokesman said.

Pakistan commandos rescue 22 hostages
Pakistani commandos stormed a building near army headquarters on Sunday and freed 22 hostages being held there by suspected Taliban militants. Three hostages and four of the gunmen were killed, said the spokesman, Major General Athar Abbas.

"They were in a room with a terrorist who was wearing a suicide jacket but the commandos acted promptly and gunned him down before he could pull the trigger," Abbas said. "Three of the hostages were killed due to militant firing," he said. Soldiers were searching for other gunmen in the building, he said, adding there were believed to have been more than five of them in the building.

Saturday's brazen attack on the tightly guarded headquarters in the garrison city of Rawalpindi came as the military prepared a major offensive against the militants in their northwestern stronghold of South Waziristan on the Afghan border. Malik added. The charred skeleton of a bus flipped on its side in the middle of the road, while the remains of a twisted motorbike lay nearby, eyewitnesses said.

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Interpol Issues Global Alert For 13 Mumbai Terror Suspects

Pakistan has issued a global alert for 13 suspects in connection with November's attacks in the Indian city of Mumbai. The international police network, Interpol, said that the alert asks member countries for help in locating the fugitives. It also asks them to report any leads to Pakistan.

India has repeatedly complained that Islamabad has been slow in pursuing those responsible for the attacks. More than 170 people were killed in the Mumbai attacks, nine of them gunmen. India believes the Pakistan-based militant group, Lashkar-e-Taiba, was behind the attacks.

"The authorities in Pakistan are to be commended for making full use of Interpol's global network and tools," the agency's Secretary General, Ron Noble, in a statement issued from its headquarters in France.

"This demonstrates their commitment to allowing all of Interpol's 187 member-countries to benefit from and help with the investigation into the Mumbai terrorist attacks," he said.

Correspondents say that the 13 suspects were not named in the statement. But Interpol said their names and other information would be included in the police agency's databases and circulated worldwide.

"Pakistan in Mumbai suspect alert", BBC News, 8/6/09.

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