NEWSREP Never again: How the military prepares for a Benghazi terrorist scenario in Africa by Stavros Atlamazoglou ·The night of September 11, 2012, the U.S. diplomatic post and the nearby CIA annex in Benghazi, Libya, were attacked by Islamic terrorists. The ensuing two-day battle left four Americans dead: U.S. Ambassador to Libya Chris Stevens, State Department employee Sean Smith, CIA contractor and former Navy SEAL Tyrone Woods, and CIA contractor and former Navy SEAL Glenn Doherty.Failed leadership from the higher echelons of the State Department and the CIA meant the much-needed Quick Reaction Force (QRF) didn’t arrive for almost a day. A two-man Delta Force team, comprised of an Army master sergeant and a Marine, that was in nearby Tripoli, took the initiative and flew into Benghazi to provide support. The two men respectively received the Distinguished Service Cross and Navy Cross for their actions.In the debacle’s aftermath, much ink...

25 MS-13 gang members found in migrant caravan at border, then deported American Military News by Cheryl Hinneburg A caravan of around 1,600 migrants that arrived two weeks ago from Central America was found to have MS-13 gang members from El Salvador hiding among them.They were all staying at a federally operated facility in Piedras Negras, Coahuila when officials discovered who they were, FOX News reported.In all, some 25 MS-13 gang members were deported across two related incidents.Officials from the Instituto Nacional de Migración identified 10 MS-13 gang members when the caravan first arrived, but 15 more were identified last week when there was an incident with police and the caravan, according to INM Media Deputy Director Aline Juarez.    At least 25 gang members affiliated with the MS-13 gang were deported from Mexico after they were revealed to be concealed within the caravan of 1,600 Central American migrants just across...

ABP News As 44 CRPF jawans died in one of the deadliest terror attacks in J&K, a 22-year-old Jaish-e-Mohammed terrorist Adil Ahmad Dar was identified as the suicide bomber who carried out the attack.  ...

The National by Mina Al-Oraibi Earlier this month, the Pentagon issued a warning that ISIS militants are regrouping and that they could regain control of territory within six to 12 months, if significant action is not taken to counter their activities.In a quarterly report intended to track the progress made against the extremist group, the US military warned that ISIS is consolidating at a faster pace in Iraq than in Syria, where, two years after declaring victory, the government struggles to provide basic housing and health services for its people. The potent mix of security vacuums, a proliferation of arms, large numbers of unemployed men – whose only skill might be fighting – and long-held grievances still exists.And yet, the impact of ISIS is not restricted to Iraq and Syria, nor to the domestic political situations of each. The militant group’s ability to attract thousands of foreign fighters ensured it...

Department of JusticeU.S. Attorney’s OfficeNorthern District of Texas A north Texas man was charged today with conspiring to provide material support to a foreign terrorist organization, announced Assistant Attorney General for National Security John C. Demers and U.S. Attorney Erin Nealy Cox.Michael Kyle Sewell, 18, was charged Friday morning by criminal complaint in Fort Worth, Texas with conspiring to provide material support and resources to Lashkar-e-Taiba, a Pakistani-based foreign terrorist organization.As set forth in the complaint, Sewell recruited an individual, identified in the complaint as coconspirator 1, to join Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), a designated foreign terrorist organization.  Sewell met the coconspirator online and encouraged him to join LeT. Sewell provided the coconspirator with contact information for an individual he believed could facilitate the coconspirator’s travel to join the organization. Unbeknownst to Sewel and the coconspirator, the facilitator was an undercover FBI agent.Sewell coached the coconspirator about what to say to convince...

Nextgov By Jack Corrigan, Staff Correspondent Agencies need to step up their efforts to defend the aviation industry against a growing array of emerging threats like cyberattacks and drones, the White House said Wednesday.In its National Strategy for Aviation Security, the Trump administration called on the government to unify its efforts to combat threats in the country’s airspace. And as the airlines grow increasingly network-connected, agencies must also work to identify and protect against potential vulnerabilities in cyberspace, officials said.The last national aviation security strategy, which the Bush administration released in 2007, focused mainly on combating terrorism and physical threats posed by criminals and foreign adversaries. According to the White House, this latest iteration aims to expand the government’s defenses against the risks of the digital age. Read more: https://www.nextgov.com/cybersecurity/2019/02/white-house-orders-agencies-defend-skies-cyberattacks/155018/...

In Homeland Security In 1989, the Group of Seven countries launched the Financial Action Task Force (FATF), an intergovernmental group devoted to fighting money laundering. Among the challenges facing the FATF since its inception has been the effort to develop measures to prevent the financing of terrorism. Saudi Arabia is keen to join the task force, because this would ease access to global financial markets.Recently, the FATF undertook a review of Saudi Arabia’s efforts to combat terrorism financing. The resulting report identified a number of serious deficiencies. Saudi Arabia is now required to present an action plan outlining how it will address these problems before it can be admitted to the task force. It is important that the kingdom not be admitted until it has shown demonstrable progress in addressing these concerns.Terrorism financing originating in Saudi Arabia has been a significant source of funds for international terrorist organizations, including al-Qaeda....

by Matt Clinch CNBC.com President Vladimir Putin warned on Wednesday of a resolute response if the U.S. decides to station missiles in countries neighboring Russia.Putin, in his annual address to parliament, said his country would not seek confrontation and would not take the first step in deploying missiles after the suspension of the Intermediate-range Nuclear Forces Treaty.However, he said Russia would respond to any deployment of new intermediate-range missiles in Europe by targeting the United States itself and not just the countries where they are deployed, according to a Reuters translation. He said he would field new weapons that would target U.S. decision-making centers. He warned U.S. policymakers, some of whom he said were obsessed with U.S. exceptionalism, about being careful before taking new measures. Read more: https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/02/20/putin-threatens-to-target-the-us-if-it-deploys-new-missiles-in-europe.html...

WMAR 2 By: Mallory Sofastaii BALTIMORE — A U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant was arrested and charged with numerous weapons and prescription drugs violations. Federal prosecutors said the current charges are "the proverbial tip of the iceberg," calling the Silver Spring man a "domestic terrorist, bent on committing acts dangerous to human life."FBI Baltimore field agents and Coast Guard investigative service agents arrested Christopher Paul Hasson last Friday, according to FBI Baltimore spokesperson Dave Fitz. This month, law enforcement agents found 15 firearms and over 1,000 rounds of ammunition in the basement of his Silver Spring apartment.A detention hearing for Hasson is scheduled for February 21 in Greenbelt, Md.Investigators found deleted draft emails in Hasson's account that demonstrated extremist views. In one of the letters, Hasson refers to himself as a "long time White Nationalist" dating back 30 years.Hasson is also believed to have made a list of targets for planned...

WSVN Miami WASHINGTON (AP) — An Alabama woman who left home to join the Islamic State group in Syria is not a U.S. citizen and will not be allowed to return to the United States, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Wednesday. In a brief statement that gave no details as to how the determination was reached, Pompeo said Hoda Muthana, who says she made a mistake in joining the group and now wants to return with her 18-month-old son, has no “legal basis” to claim American citizenship. “Ms. Hoda Muthana is not a U.S. citizen and will not be admitted into the United States,” Pompeo said. “She does not have any legal basis, no valid U.S. passport, no right to a passport nor any visa to travel to the United States.” Muthana’s status had been considered by lawyers from the departments of State and Justice since her case...

CTVNews.ca Staff A pregnant Alberta woman who moved to Syria with her ISIS-supporting husband and their two young boys says she wants to return to Canada.The woman, whose first name is Amy, is one of four Canadian ISIS brides who spoke to CTV News from inside the Kurdish-run Al-Hawl refugee camp in eastern Syria.Amy, who is 34, told CTV's London Bureau Chief Paul Workman the story of how she ended up in such a dangerous situation. It all started when she married a Muslim man and converted to Islam.“He started learning about the religion more and he just felt like it wasn’t suitable for us to stay in Canada anymore,” she said.“At first, it’s terrifying,” she added. “It’s absolutely terrifying when you’re just walking on the street and you hear a plane coming. You just freeze.”Amy and her family were constantly on the run inside Syria as the terrorist group...

Clarion Project VIDEO: Arizona ISIS Supporter Shot by OfficerAfter charging at a law-enforcement officer with a knife, an Arizona ISIS supporter who refused orders to back off was shot.Ismail Hamed, 18, began by throwing stones at the officer outside a sheriff substation in Maricopa County. After he brandished a knife, Sgt. Brandon Wells warned him multiple times that he would shoot if Hamed didn’t stand down.   Read more: https://clarionproject.org/video-arizona-isis-supporter-shot-by-officer/...

iHLS The concept that bitcoin could be used to help fund terrorists has been a long-standing concern among law enforcement and government agencies worldwide. Indeed, many restrictions placed on the use of digital currencies stem from these concerns. An ISIS-affiliated website has been recently seeking donations using Bitcoin. On January 15, 2019, the Akhbar al-Muslimin website posted a link to its virtual wallet, claiming the donations go to maintaining the site. However, they may serve the needs of ISIS, which lost most of its economic assets, according to an assessment by ITIC (the Meir Amit Intelligence & Information Center). ISIS held a similar drive on Akhbar al-Muslimin in November 2017 but it came to an end after the exposure of the system of contributions.The drive for donations is another example of the use ISIS makes of Bitcoin. The anonymity of trading in Bitcoin, its availability as a virtual currency and...

Daily Nation How corruption and impunity are aiding terrorism in KenyaCountry has been hit many times and it's not for reasons security personnel are giving. By KEN OPALA As the country struggles with jihadists, two concerns may complicate the counter-terror war and thus force authorities to revisit their strategy: One, the African Union Mission in Somalia (Amisom) is pulling out of Somalia in 2021, and two; the new terrorist is no longer the foreigner but Kenyan.The planned military drawdown has left experts confused on what next for Somalia and the anti-terrorism war worldwide. For over 10 years, Amisom was a bulwark against terror, but the mission is now exiting without clear plans on how to secure Somalia thereafter. This development is likely to have a huge bearing on regional security. Seemingly, Kenya is yet to remodel its strategy in light of the expected military withdrawal.HAPHAZARDKenya is a powerhouse — politically,...

By Gregg Re | Fox News Over the objection of the city's police chief and mayor, Portland, Oregon's city council on Wednesday narrowly voted to stop cooperating with the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), citing alleged surveillance of left-wing activists and arguing that the partnership between local officials and federal authorities was ultimately ineffective.Law enforcement officials said a similar decision by San Francisco officials in 2017 had endangered the public, and that the New York City Police Department's membership in the JTTF has directly helped foil numerous terrorists, including would-be Times Square bomber Faisal Shahzad.Portland, a virulently left-wing city, has had a rocky relationship with the JTTF. The city joined the partnership in the 1990s, left shortly after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, and signed back up in 2015.The latest split with the JTTF was a narrow one, with Mayor Ted Wheeler -- who muttered late last year that...

AL.com By Ivana HrynkiwA Hoover woman who traveled to Syria and joined ISIS wants to come back home, according to a recent interview.In an interview with The Guardian released Monday morning, Hoda Muthana said she “deeply regrets” joining the Islamic State.“I don’t know, I thought I was doing things correctly for the sake of God,” she said in the recorded interview. “And when I came here and saw everything with my own eyes I realized I’ve made a big mistake.” According to a report from The Guardian, Muthana was captured by Kurdish forces after fleeing the last area of land controlled by ISIS and is currently in a refugee camp in northern Syria. She has an 18-month-old son, the report said.Muthana said in the recorded interview she “ruined [her] future and [her] son’s future.” She also told the news outlet she and other recruits joined ISIS because they were “ignorant”...

Foreign Policy Pakistan Has No More Excuses for Supporting Terrorism A murderous attack in Kashmir rocks relationships throughout Asia.by Dhruva Jaishankar On the afternoon of Thursday, Feb. 14, a massive explosion rocked a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) convoy in Pulwama in the Indian state of Jammu and Kashmir. At least 40 personnel belonging to the CRPF—a 300,000-strong paramilitary force under the Ministry of Home Affairs involved in law-and-order and counterterrorism duties—were killed as a suicide bomber drove an SUV reportedly loaded with about 600 pounds of explosives into their bus. Jaish-e-Mohammed, a terrorist organization based in Pakistan, has claimed responsibility for the attack, and the group’s role has been confirmed by Indian officials. The assault comes weeks before India’s general elections, which are expected to be held in March and April. The next morning, India’s Cabinet Committee on Security—consisting of the prime minister and four senior ministers—held an emergency meeting and, as...

The Heritage Foundation       The National Security Strategy of the United States (December 2017) highlighted the need for U.S. intelligence and homeland security experts to work with law enforcement and civic leaders on terrorism prevention. The National Strategy for Counterterrorism (October 2018) further stated that terrorism prevention must be an integral part of our counterterrorism strategy. Given the administration’s prioritization of terrorism prevention, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) conducted a comprehensive review of its terrorism prevention programs, both internally and with the assistance of an external review by the RAND Corporation.   ...

by Uriel J. Garcia, Arizona Republic On-body camera footage from the Maricopa County Sheriff's Office shows a sergeant shooting an 18-year-old man twice in Fountain Hills last month as the man walked toward him holding a knife.Sgt. Brandon Wells shot Ismail Hamed, who prosecutors charged with aggravated assaulted and terrorism, on Jan. 7 outside a Maricopa County Sheriff's Office substation.The release of the footage and two 911 calls comes as a result of Maricopa County Superior Judge Sally Duncan's order on Tuesday. The Arizona Republic and several other media outlets had sued over the county's effort to seal the documents.Duncan told a prosecutor for the Maricopa County Attorney's Office, which represents the Sheriff's Office, at a court hearing that they must release the records as soon as possible unless he had specific reasons to withhold the videos, 911 calls, police report and a probable-cause statement. Watch here: https://www.azcentral.com/story/news/local/scottsdale/2019/02/14/maricopa-county-sheriff-release-video-911-calls-terrorism-case/2872065002/...

Standard Digital Former Al Shabaab, gang members, recruited to combat terrorism at the Coast By Weldon Kipkemoi Security authorities in Kwale and Mombasa now intend to use reformed gang members and Al Shabaab returnees to combat violent crimes in the two counties.Mombasa County Commissioner Evans Achoki said those recruited will lead advocacy against extremism and terrorism.The State has been offering amnesty to Al Shabaab members who abandon the group and renounce violence.Last week, reformed gang members in Mombasa were given fishing nets, boats and cash tokens to enable them venture into business as they integrate into normal life in a program funded by the European Union and implemented by the Kenya Red Cross. Read more: https://www.standardmedia.co.ke/mobile/amp/article/2001312951/al-shabaab-returnees-ex-gang-members-join-war-on-terrorism...