NBC News No U.S. or Somali forces were killed or injured in the attack, an AFRICOM spokesman said. Associated Press JOHANNESBURG — A U.S. military airstrike has killed 18 al-Shabab extremists after U.S. and local forces on the ground came under attack in southern Somalia, the U.S. Africa Command said Saturday. No U.S. or Somali forces were killed or injured in the attack, an AFRICOM spokesman, Nate Herring, told The Associated Press. The airstrike was carried out Friday in self-defense after extremists were "observed maneuvering on a combined patrol," while the U.S. also responded with "indirect fire," the spokesman said. The confrontation occurred about 31 miles northwest of the port city of Kismayo, the U.S. Africa Command statement said. Two other al-Shabab extremists were killed by Somali forces "with small arms fire during the engagement," it said. The operation was Somali-led, the AFRICOM spokesman said. There was no immediate comment...

Fox 2 Detroit DETROIT (WJBK) - A federal judge has dismissed six charges of female genital mutilation against a doctor, declaring the nation's female genital mutilation law as unconstitutional. The federal judge in Detroit ruled in the historic case on Tuesday, ruling the law that prevents female genital mutilation (FGM) is unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman ruled that congress does not have the authority to make FGM illegal, which it had been classified as illegal under the Necessary and Proper Clause or the Commerce Clause.   The case involved Dr. Jumana Nagarwala who had been awaiting trial on female genital mutilation charges. She was arrested in the summer of 2017 and was released on a $4.5 million bond. According to the opinion filed by Friedman, congress had banned FGM under a statute that states "whoever knowingly circumcises, excises, or infibulates the whole or any part of the labia majora...

Express UK COUNTER-terrorism bosses are urging Christmas shoppers and staff working in busy shops to be extra-vigilant over the festive season at a time when police and M15 are involved in 700 live terror investigations. By Ciaran McGrath And they have also reminded retailers adequate preparations can prevent a repeat of scenes in Oxford Street last Christmas, when a clash between two members of the public caused panic because people feared a terrorist attack was underway.Police say they have no specific intelligence about an increased threat during the holiday period – but are nevertheless planning to increase patrols and deploy specially trained plain-clothes officers, and have stressed they need the help of the public too.Chief Superintendent Nick Aldworth said: "“As people are enjoying the festive season they will see a visible security presence with police patrols and additional security in crowded places. Read more: https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/1047236/Christmas-shopping-terror-anti-terrorism-oxford-street-met-police...

Washington Free Beacon 'Foundational understanding of the enemy is wrong'by Natalie Johnson The U.S. counterterrorism strategy has not kept pace with the ever-evolving threat of jihadi extremism, yielding short-lived military victories against terrorists at the potential cost of losing the broader war, according to a new study.Despite the constantly morphing nature of Islamist extremism, the U.S. approach to defeating groups like al Qaeda and the Islamic States has changed little from that established in the aftermath of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, the American Enterprise Institute found in a report released this week."The U.S. approach to countering the Salafi-jihadi base has yielded fleeting results because the foundational understanding of the enemy is wrong," the report said. "Military victories against groups such as al Qaeda in Iraq certainly eliminated the terrorist threat to the United States from that group for a time, but have proved insufficient to prevent the return...

Al-Monitor Egypt eliminates Muslim Brotherhood leaders' names from streets Menna A. Farouk The Egyptian government has started a campaign to remove the street name signs that carry the names of leaders and prominent members of the Muslim Brotherhood, the Islamist group that was designated as a terrorist organization following the ousting of President Mohammed Morsi in 2013.On Oct. 21, Minya Gov. Qassem Hussein changed the name of a street in the governorate from Hassan al-Banna, the founder of the Muslim Brotherhood, to Umar Ibn al-Khattab, one of the companions of the Prophet Muhammad.Hussein signaled that every name of a street and square across the governorate would be subject to review. “Streets that carry the names of Muslim Brotherhood members will be changed and named after fallen soldiers as well as historical and public figures who have had a positive impact on society,” he said.Lawyer Ayman Mahfouz filed a complaint Oct....

Clarion Project By Nancy Hartevelt Kobrin On Saturday, September 22, 2018, while the world focused on the tragedy in Iran of the Ahvaz military parade attack carried out by ISIS, a mob of Somali Muslim men and boys rushed the entrance to Valleyfair, a family amusement park that had set aside the day to honor law enforcement in Minnesota.The mob overcame security, jumping fences avoiding metal detectors while bringing in weapons. It was a direct, premeditated attack on police and security. Backup had to be called in along with fire trucks, ambulances and even a police helicopter. This attack should be understood as a “dry run” test (in counterterrorism parlance).When my kids were little, we used to go to Valleyfair, just like these law enforcement families were doing this past September for a special and fun summer day. How Minnesota has changed.The mob action occurred even after the Somali community...

The Spokesman Review By Sarah El Deeb Associated Press BEIRUT – At least 40 people, mostly women and children, were killed Saturday by U.S.-led airstrikes on the last pocket held by Islamic State militants in eastern Syria, a war monitor and Syrian state media reported.The coalition did not immediately respond to a request for comment. It maintains that it does all it can to avoid civilian casualties, and looks into all strikes to determine the credibility of claims in the media.Rami Abdurrahman, head of the Britain-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights, said the early Saturday airstrikes hit homes in Abu al-Hassan village, near the town of Hajin, which lies along the border with Iraq.Abdurrahman said the airstrikes killed at least 43 people, including 17 children and 12 women. He said it was not immediately clear if the men killed in the strikes were militants.Syrian state news agency SANA also reported...

DZone Security Zone November experienced a lot of new vulnerabilities and cyber threats. by Alexander Polyakov The SAP threat landscape is always expanding and putting organizations of all sizes and industries at risk of cyber attacks. The idea behind the monthly SAP Cyber Threat Intelligence report is to provide insight into the latest security vulnerabilities and threats.Key Takeaways    The recent patch update consists of 16 patches with the majority of them rated medium.     The most common vulnerability types are Implementation Flaw and Denial of Service.     This month, SAP fixes a security vulnerability in SAP HANA Streaming Analytics with Hot News priority rating SAP Security Notes – November 2018SAP has released the monthly critical patch update for November 2018. This patch update closes 16 SAP Security Notes (12 SAP Patch Day Notes and 4 Support Package Notes ). Four of the patches are updates to previously released Security Notes.The...

The National Law Review by Amber C. Thomson Update on Enforcement of China’s Cybersecurity LawCompanies doing business in China may see an increase in enforcement actions with the enactment of a new cybersecurity regulation and the enforcement powers of the Public Security Bureaus (PSBs) officially codified. The regulation – Provisions on Internet Security Supervision and Inspection by Public Security Organs – is now in effect, more than a year after the enactment of the country’s Cybersecurity Law.The long-awaited regulation was issued pursuant to the Cybersecurity Law and provides guidance on how the country’s PSBs are expected to enforce the law. Specifically, under the new regulation, PSBs –China’s local and provincial police– may conduct inspections of network operators and internet service providers. These include companies that provide internet access, data centers, content distribution, and domain name services; internet information services; internet access to the public; and other internet services.Under the regulation,...

Brookings by Vanda Felbab-Brown The planet is experiencing alarming levels of species loss caused in large part by intensified poaching stimulated by a greatly expanding demand for animals, plants, and wildlife products. The rate of species extinction, now as much as 1,000 times the historical average and the worst since the dinosaurs died out 65 million years ago, deserves to be seen, like climate change, as a global ecological catastrophe meriting high-level policy initiatives to address its human causes. In addition to irretrievable biodiversity loss, poaching and wildlife trafficking pose serious threats to public health, with diseases such as Ebola, SARS (Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome), and various influenza types linked to the illegal wildlife trade, thus potentially causing global pandemics. Wildlife trafficking can also undermine human security of forest-dependent communities and cause local, national, and global economic losses. And under some circumstances, it can even pose threats to national security....

The Tower by TheTower.org Staff In separate actions the United States State Department targeted the son of Hezbollah leader, Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah, and a notorious Hamas commander, Reuters reported Tuesday.Jawad Nasrallah, son of the Hezbollah leader, was designated by the State Department as a terrorist for attacks planned by him in the West Bank.In January 2016, Israeli authorities announced that they had broken up a terrorist cell in the West Bank that had been organized by the younger Nasrallah.The State Department also announced that it was designating Al-Mujahidin Brigades (AMB), which it accused of having ties to Hezbollah, as a terrorist organization. The sanctions mean that they are prevented from accessing assets that are under U.S. jurisdiction and that “U.S. persons are generally prohibited from engaging in any transactions with them.”The State Department said that the goal of these actions was to “expose and isolate them, and deny them access...

Washington Free Beacon by : Charles Fain Lehman Leaders of four law enforcement groups slammed the latest version of Senate criminal justice legislation in a Tuesday letter to lawmakers obtained by the Washington Free Beacon.Representatives of the Association of Federal Narcotics Agents, the National Association of Assistant U.S. Attorneys, the National Association of Police Organizations, and the National Narcotics Officers' Associations' Coalition cosigned a letter in which they strenuously objected to the latest version of the FIRST STEP Act.If passed, FIRST STEP would reduce federal incarceration by implementing a new system of early release through "good time" credits, a proposal that could see as many as 4,000 people immediately released from federal detention. Bill proponent Jared Kushner is expected to pitch the new version, including revisions that cut mandatory minimums and expand judicial discretion, to President Donald Trump on Tuesday.If the bill gets Trump's sign off, many expect it to...

ABC News By The Associated Press - NEW YORK The latest from the New York trial of the Mexican drug lord known as "El Chapo" (all times local):Noon:A lawyer for the Mexican drug lord known as "El Chapo" says he's ready to defend his client and has nothing to prove.Eduardo Balarezo spoke to journalists on Tuesday while entering the highly secured Brooklyn federal courthouse where Joaquin Guzman (wah-KEEN' gooz-MAHN') is being tried.One of the jurors was excused shortly before opening statements were set to begin. The reason was unclear.The lawyers and judge have been working to select a replacement. It's not known how long that will take.———11:20 a.m.Opening statements in the U.S. trial of Mexican drug lord known as "El Chapo" have been delayed because of a problem seating a full jury.One of the jurors selected for the New York City trial of Joaquin Guzman (wah-KEEN' gooz-MAHN') was excused shortly...

Click 2 Houston FBI arrests man for allegedly showing undercover agents how to make bomb Arizona man faces court hearing on Friday (CNN) - The FBI has arrested an Arizona man for demonstrating how to build a bomb and teaching others how to do so, according to recently unsealed court filings.Ahmad Suhad Ahmad of Tucson, Arizona, faces one count of distribution of information relating to explosives, destructive devices and weapons of mass destruction for showing FBI associates in Nevada how to build a bomb to be detonated in Mexico, according to the filing. Ahmad is scheduled for a detention and preliminary hearing at 10:30 a.m. Friday before Magistrate Judge Eric Markovich in US District Court of Arizona, according to the docket."We look forward to our day in court," said Walter I. Gonçalves, the public defender representing Ahmad, when reached by CNN. "Mr. Ahmad is presumed innocent and we look forward...

Madison.com LONDON (AP) — British police say two people have been arrested in north London on suspicion of violating the Terrorism Act.Police said Friday a 57-year-old man and a 20-year-old woman are being questioned at a London police station. They have not been charged or identified.Police say the man was arrested on suspicion of preparation of terrorist acts and the woman was arrested on suspicion of possessing money or property for "the purposes of terrorism."Addresses in north London and Luton, north of the city, are being searched in connection with the arrests.London's official terrorism threat is judged to be severe, indicating that intelligence analysts believe an attack is highly likely. Read more: https://madison.com/news/world/uk-police-arrest-man-woman-in-terrorism-crackdown/article_21b4cc00-f2a2-5a44-aad6-4a4b83d7d42b.html...

Detroit Free Press Associated Press A man who drove to Michigan from Montreal and stabbed an airport police officer has been convicted of terrorism and other crimes.It was a slam dunk for federal prosecutors: Witnesses saw Amor Ftouhi attack Lt. Jeff Neville at the Flint airport and wrestled him to the ground.Ftouhi was convicted of three crimes Tuesday. He's a Tunisian who was living in Montreal at the time of the June 2017 stabbing.Investigators say Ftouhi wanted to stab Neville , take his gun and start shooting people in the airport. He legally drove into the U.S. at Champlain, New York, and arrived in Flint five days later. He tried but failed to buy a gun at a gun show and instead bought a large knife.Neville survived. Read more: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/11/13/flint-airport-attacker-amor-ftouhi/1990504002/...

Dayton Daily News By Mark Gokavi, Staff Writer In the hours before Laith Alebbini went to the Cincinnati airport to allegedly fly overseas to join ISIS in April 2017, he argued with family members who begged him not to go, a prosecutor said during Tuesday’s opening statements of Alebbini’s terrorism trial in Dayton’s U.S. District Court.In a purported text conversation with his sister, shown to U.S. District Court Judge Walter Rice via television display, Alebbini’s sister Lina told her brother that she has a class on terrorism and that regarding ISIS, “I swear to God, this is terrorism.” In his final response, Alebbini texted back:“Do you think I am a criminal?“I am a terrorist.“I am mujahid.” Read more: https://www.daytondailynews.com/news/terrorism-trial-prosecution-cites-texts-defense-says-isis-communication-never-happened-opening-statements/bPSeDgmydRpOTZqmcCpG6K/...

Radical Muslim Group Operates Commune in California By Clarion Intelligence Network Clarion Intelligence Network has learned that a radical and militant Islamist group is operating a commune in California.The Miraj compound, located in Dunlap, California, is home to a group of radical Islamists connected to the extremist Black nationalist Muslim group Al-Ummah (The Community).The compound attracts a steady stream of affiliated individuals and families who camp on the compound’s property. Many who visit the compound — for retreats or year-round stays — are convicted felons released from prison and who converted to Islam in prison.The group has many similarities to Jamaat ul-Fuqra (Community of the Impoverished), a radical Islamist group in the U.S. aligned with the Pakistani radical cleric Sheikh Muhiyudden Ali Shah Gilani.Gilani has been linked to the 2001 beheading of Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl. (Fuqra also goes by the name of Muslims of America.)In addition to...

Arutz Sheva 7Some French policemen have refused to protect synagogues. Is there a pattern emerging here? by Giulio Meotti, What if the Islamists have infiltrated the law enforcement agencies in France?Bfmtv just revealed that an official member of the Service de la Protection, who guarded high profile personalities, is accused of links with Islamic radicalism. The Directorate General of Internal Security found that the official, a Muslim, manifested "disturbing” behavior. The officer protected Charlie Hebdo's director, “Riss”, who was injured in that deadly attack.A confidential note from the Paris Prefecture of Police, which ended up on the pages of Le Parisien, had already provided detailed information on 17 cases of radicalized policemen between 2012 and 2015. Some of these have openly refused to protect synagogues.The weekly Le Point has published also disturbing data on the situation of security devices: internal intelligence has sifted through the profiles of 3,500 employees of...

The Yeshiva World An IDF Officer was R”L killed, and another in critical condition late Sunday night, after an operation in Gaza.According to initial information, undercover Israeli special forces drove a civilian vehicle deep into the Gaza Strip and shot dead a senior Hamas commanders.Palestinian media is reporting that senior Hamas commander Nour Baraka was eliminated.Hamas says they chased the car down, and opened fire on the occupants, which prompted Israeli airstrikes that led to the deaths of at least five terrorists.The Israeli military said only that there had been an exchange of fire during operational activity. It said that its rocket defense system intercepted two launches from the Gaza Strip and that air raid sirens were sounding in southern Israel.IDF choppers were seen landing at Soroka Medical Center, and sources confirm to YWN that at least 3 soldiers were airlifted to the facility. One of them was in extremely...