Reports reveal that a college student named Mohamad Azman, 20, has been charged with involvement with al-Qaeda in Malaysia
He was sentenced to 12 years imprisonment by a high court in the country on Monday.
The suspect who had been studying in Egypt had pleaded guilty on Sept. 27.
The judge, Mohamad Samah, ordered that the sentence runs from Azman’s arrest on Dec. 7, 2015.
cc:Punch
The US had placed a $5m (£3.5m) bounty on his head after branding him one of three Nigerian “specially designated global terrorists” in 2012.
Ansaru is a splinter group of Nigeria’s largest jihadist group, Boko Haram, known for kidnapping foreigners. Ideologically aligned to al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, it is also accused of killing a number of Westerners.
Ansaru said it carried out an attack on a maximum security prison in the Nigerian capital Abuja in 2012, freeing dozens of inmates.
“Security agents made a breakthrough on Friday in the fight against terrorism by arresting Khalid al-Barnawi, the leader of Ansaru terrorist group in Lokoja,” military spokesman Brigadier General Rabe Abubakar said.
“He is among those on top of the list of our wanted terrorists.”
Two women in Islamic attire were removed from a JetBlue flight 487 on Saturday after landing for allegedly filming the cabin crew. They were both arrested by the Police and escorted off the aircraft.
The arrest was posted online by a Wired journalist Mark Frauenfelder whose friend, Sharon Kessler, was on the same flight as the women but the video has since been made private after it went viral.
“It was a terrible moment, honestly. These women sat quietly, watched movies – it felt like overkill from this flight attendant.”
“This happened on arrival at LAX and did not impact the customers more than they had to wait a couple of seconds before getting off the plane.
“My understanding is that the two women who were addressed by local law enforcement were also allowed to go on their way.”
“More than 35 million customers from many cultures and backgrounds travel on JetBlue without incident each year.
“Our crewmembers’ first priority is the safe and secure operation of our flights and as a security precaution, are asked to be aware of anyone who may be filming or taking photographs of inflight procedures or the flight deck area.
“If a crewmember believes a customer may be filming safety procedures, the crewmember may report it for further review.”
“In this instance, our crewmembers acted in accordance with security procedures. We appreciate our customers’ patience and cooperation, and apologise for the inconvenience.”
The police were responding to a report from cabin crew that the women were recording “sensitive inflight activities,” the spokesman added, saying the response was a standard security procedure.
“We have to do due diligence to make sure everyone is on the up and up,” he said.
Pope Francis held talks with Iran’s president, Hassan Rouhani, at the Vatican Tuesday, calling on Tehran to play a key role in stopping the spread of terrorism as Iran tries to improve its image in the global arena following an agreement on its nuclear program.
Hassan Rouhani made the first state visit to Europe by an Iranian president in almost two decades this week, following the lifting of sanctions against his country.
The pontiff warmly clasped the hand of President Hassan Rouhani in the first official call paid on a pontiff by an Iranian president since 1999. They held 40 minutes of private talks before Rouhani met with other top Vatican officials.
The talks “delved into the conclusion and application of the nuclear accord, and the important role that Iran is called upon to play, together with other countries of the region, was highlighted,” the Holy See said.
It added that that role should “foster adequate political solutions to the issues plaguing the Middle East, fighting the spread of terrorism and arms trafficking.”
The “cordial” talks also stressed common spiritual values, the statement said.
Usually it’s the pope who asks his audience to pray for him. This time, after the two men spoke with the help of Italian and Farsi language translators, it was the guest who asked the pope for prayers. “I ask you to pray for me,” Rouhani said.
The Vatican meeting was a key part of the Iranian effort to take a more prominent place on the world stage after the nuclear deal with Western powers.
Iran, which agreed to limit its nuclear activities in exchange for an end to economic sanctions, is eager to carve out a bigger role in mediating Middle East conflicts. Francis’ papacy has emphasized mediation and conflict-resolution, including his role in helping Cuba and the United States to normalize their relations.
Rouhani heads to France today on his four-day European trip seeking to boost Iran’s image abroad as well as to rehabilitate economic ties with a continent that had been a big trade partner before the sanctions.
Francis gave Rouhani a medal depicting St. Martin giving his cloak to a poor man in the cold, describing the saint’s act as “a sign of unsolicited brotherhood.”
Rouhani brought a gift of a hand-made rug that he said was made in the Iranian holy city of Qom.
Before going to the Vatican, Rouhani told a forum of business leaders in Rome that “Iran is the safest and most stable country of the entire region.”
Italy also sees Iran as a potential peacemaker in Syria’s civil war, as the Italian government fears the warfare will further destabilize Libya — just across the Mediterranean from southern Italy — fuel terrorism and jeopardize energy security.
“Italy has always backed the role of Iran as a regional player in resolving tensions in the area, starting with the Syrian crisis,” Foreign Minister Paolo Gentiloni said after meeting his Iranian counterpart, according to his office.
Rouhani has described the political talks leading to the nuclear deal as a potential blueprint for pursuing peace in the Middle East.
Republican presidential hopefuls Donald Trump and Ben Carson claimed on Monday they saw a video of Arab Americans cheering as New York’s twin towers collapsed on September 11, 2001.
Within days of the 9/11 attacks, police, fact-checkers and US media had debunked the rumors that people were cheering from rooftops of Jersey City, across the river from Manhattan.
But Trump, the billionaire frontrunner for the Republican nomination, suddenly revived the story on the campaign trail Saturday, eight days after deadly attacks in Paris.
“I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City, New Jersey, where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down,” Trump told a rally in Alabama.
Carson, who is currently Trump’s top rival in the race, told reporters a similar story Monday.
Asked whether he had seen footage of American Muslims in New Jersey cheering on 9/11, Carson said “I saw the film of it, yes.” Pressed which footage he saw, he said “the newsreels.”
ABC News published a video of Carson’s remarks in Nevada.
“There are going to be people who respond inappropriately to virtually everything. I think that was an inappropriate response,” Carson said of the cheering.
“I don’t know if on the basis of that you can say all Muslims are bad people. I really think that would be a stretch.”
The remarks, particularly by Trump, that there were large groups of Muslims cheering on the day of unprecedented terrorist attacks on the United States drew sweeping condemnation, including from George Pataki, who was New York’s Republican governor during the attacks and is currently running for president.
“Not sure what luxury spider-hole @realDonaldTrump was hiding in on Sept 11 but I saw Americans come together that day,” Pataki posted Sunday on Twitter.
Jersey City’s Democratic mayor, Steven Fulop, also called out Trump.
“Either @realDonaldTrump has memory issues or wilfully distorts the truth, either of which should be concerning for the Republican Party,” he tweeted.
Challenged multiple times by ABC’s “This Week” talk show host George Stephanopoulos, who argued that police said the cheering did not occur, the brash real estate tycoon stood by his inflammatory remarks.
“There were people that were cheering on the other side of New Jersey, where you have large Arab populations. They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down,” he said.
Americans have been issued with a global travel alert over fears of attacks from terrorists around the world.
The US State Department has warned all citizens to be vigilant citing threats from ISIS, al-Qaeda, Boko Haram and “other terrorist groups”.
They have advised everyone to take caution in public places, during holidays and at large gatherings such as sporting matches or concerts.
The alert expires on 24 February next year, the State Department said.
It comes in the wake of the Paris terror attacks last Friday which claimed the lives of 130 people.
The alert on its website reads:
“Current information suggests that ISIL (aka Da’esh), al-Qa’ida, Boko Haram, and other terrorist groups continue to plan terrorist attacks in multiple regions. These attacks may employ a wide variety of tactics, using conventional and non-conventional weapons and targeting both official and private interests. This Travel Alert expires on February 24, 2016.
Authorities believe the likelihood of terror attacks will continue as members of ISIL/Da’esh return from Syria and Iraq. Additionally, there is a continuing threat from unaffiliated persons planning attacks inspired by major terrorist organizations but conducted on an individual basis. Extremists have targeted large sporting events, theatres, open markets, and aviation services. In the past year, there have been multiple attacks in France, Nigeria, Denmark, Turkey, and Mali. ISIL/Da’esh has claimed responsibility for the bombing of a Russian airliner in Egypt.
U.S. citizens should exercise vigilance when in public places or using transportation. Be aware of immediate surroundings and avoid large crowds or crowed places. Exercise particular caution during the holiday season and at holiday festivals or events. U.S. citizens should monitor media and local information sources and factor updated information into personal travel plans and activities. Persons with specific safety concerns should contact local law enforcement authorities who are responsible for the safety and security of all visitors to their host country. U.S. citizens should:
- Follow the instructions of local authorities. Monitor media and local information sources and factor updated information into personal travel plans and activities.
- Be prepared for additional security screening and unexpected disruptions.
- Stay in touch with your family members and ensure they know how to reach you in the event of an emergency.
- Register in our Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP).
Foreign governments have taken action to guard against terrorist attacks, and some have made official declarations regarding heightened threat conditions. Authorities continue to conduct raids and disrupt terror plots. We continue to work closely with our allies on the threat from international terrorism. Information is routinely shared between the United States and our key partners in order to disrupt terrorist plotting, identify and take action against potential operatives, and strengthen our defenses against potential threats”.
In the latest report, government officials claims all the gunmen have been killed. Below are photos of Somalia MP Abi Abtidon and a former army commander General, Dhega-Badan killed in the hotel attack.
Several Somali soldiers were killed overnight Sunday when Shebab fighters attacked a base in the southern Kismayo region, officials and witnesses said Monday.
The attack is the latest in a string of assaults by the Al-Qaeda-affiliated insurgents, who last week stormed a base manned by the African Union forces in Somalia (AMISOM), killing dozens.
Heavy gunfire was reported late Sunday for several hours, with the Shebab briefly taking over the camp near Kismayo and beheading some of those captured before looting supplies and leaving, witnesses said.
“There was heavy fighting that left several of the soldiers dead,” said security official Abdirashid Moalim, speaking from Kismayo.
“There were machine guns and rockets, and the fighting ended when the soldiers were overpowered,” said Abdi Bakar, a witness, who said he had seen nine bodies.
The Shebab is fighting to overthrow Somalia’s Western-backed government which is propped up and protected by the 22,000-strong AMISOM force.
On Friday, the Shebab attacked an AMISOM base in Lego village, 100 kilometres (62 miles) northwest of the capital Mogadishu, manned by around 100 Burundian soldiers.
The Shebab later boasted of having killed 80 soldiers, and carried off the bodies of 60 of them.
Witnesses reported seeing dozens of bodies, but there has been no formal confirmation of casualties and the toll was not possible to independently confirm.
Under military pressure at home, Shebab is increasingly turning its attention to Kenya where it has launched a string of recent deadly assaults, as well as focusing on guerrilla style warfare in Somalia.
The Islamic militants commonly step up their attacks during Islam’s holy fasting month of Ramadan. On Wednesday six people were killed in a suicide attack in Mogadishu on a diplomatic convoy from the United Arab Emirates.
A US jury has decided Dzhokhar Tsarnaev should die for his role in the Boston marathon bombing in April 2013.
The sentence on Friday came after 14 hours of deliberations on whether Tsarnaev, who was a teenager when he carried out the attacks with his elder brother Tamerlan, should be imprisoned for the rest of his life or be executed.
The 21-year-old did not react when the sentence was read out, the Associated Press news agency reported.
Tsarnaev was convicted last month of all 30 federal charges against him, 17 of which carried the possibility of the death penalty.
Three people were killed and more than 260 were injured when two pressure-cooker bombs packed with shrapnel exploded near the marathon finish line on April 15, 2013. Dzhokar and Tamerlan also killed a Massachusetts Institute of Technology police officer days later.
Tsarnaev’s lawyer, Judy Clarke, admitted from the beginning that he participated in the bombings, bluntly telling jurors in her opening statement: “It was him.”
But the defence sought to show that most of the blame for the attack fell on his older brother, who wanted to punish the US for its actions in Muslim countries. They said Dzhokhar was an impressionable 19-year-old who fell under the influence of a brother he admired.
Prosecutors portrayed Tsarnaev as an equal partner in the attack, saying he was so heartless he put a bomb behind a group of children, killing an 8-year-old boy.
Carmen Ortiz, prosecutor for Massachusetts, commended the jurors, saying the verdict was “fair and just.”
Boston Police Commissioner William Evans said that he hoped “the verdict will bring with it a significant level of comfort and solace to all hurt.”
“Regardless of how you feel about the death penalty, today was also about sending a message. And, the message sent is one that says terrorism in our city will not be tolerated,” Evans added.
“Our thoughts and prayers remain with families of (victims) Martin Richard, Krystle Campbell, Lingzi Lu and MIT Police Officer Sean Collier.”
14) BODA BALA SENA
Boda Bala Sena is a relatively new terrorist organization that only formed in 2012. It is a Buddhist nationalist organization formed by monks in Sri Lanka. Their goal is to protect the Buddhist majority in Sri Lanka. And despite the fact that they are Buddhists, they don’t keep their actions to peaceful ones. They have incited many violent events including recent riots that left many people dead, injured or displaced.
13) AL-SHABAB
Al-Shabab is a terrorist group that operates in Somalia and sometimes the nearby countries of Kenya and Ethiopia. Their goal is to take control of the area. They took credit for the attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi and may have had a role in the 2002 embassy attacks in Nairobi and Dar es Salaam.
12) BOKO HARAM
Boko Haram is a relatively new terrorist organization that has been operating in and around Nigeria since 2010. Their main goal is to overthrow the secular government of Nigeria and replace it with an Islamic state. Though the group is pretty grassroots and diffuse with no strong leadership at this point, it is still managing to be quite destructive, attacking schools, churches, mosques, markets and more, killing many people.
11) EGYPTIAN ISLAMIC JIHAD
The Egyptian Islamic Jihad has been known by several names from simply Islamic Jihad to the Jihad Group. They formed in the late 1970s and in 2001 officially combined with Al-Qaeda to form the Qaeda al-Jihad although it is often still thought of as it’s own group with it’s own separate leader. Their original goals were to overthrow the Egyptian government and replace it with an Islamic one, but they have now expanded their goals to include attacking United States and Israeli interests.
10) TEHRIK-I-TALIBAN PAKISTAN
Tehrik-i-Taliban Pakistan is also known as the Pakistani Taliban and it was formed in December of 2007. Their main targets are the Pakistan government, but intelligence reports say that another main target is the United States and that attacks could be coming in the future.
9) ADEN-ABYAN ISLAMIC ARMY
The Aden-Abyan Islamic Army is a terrorist organization that was founded in Yemen in July of 1992. Their goal is to fight against secularism in Yemen and other Arab countries. Their most famous incident took place in 1998 when they kidnapped 16 tourists, 4 of whom died when Yemen security forces tried to rescue them.
The Armed Islamic Group of Algeria, also known as the GIA, was formed in 1992 in response to the Algerian government’s decision to block the Islamic Salvation Front from being a political party. They made worldwide headlines when they hijacked a plane in 1994, Air France Flight 8969. Their main motto is “politicalpluralism is equivalent to sedition
Jamaat Ansar al-Sunna is a terrorist group that was founded in 2003 in Iraq. They oppose the US forces in Iraq and also the Iraq government led by Nouri al-Maliki. It was once thought that they were working with Al-Qaeda but then it was discovered that the two groups are actually in conflict with each other.
6) REVOLUTIONARY ARMED FORCES OF COLOMBIA
The Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia are also known as the Forças Armadas Revolucionárias da Colômbia or FARC. They are a Maxist-Leninst terrorist group that is in control of the majority of the illegal drugs in the world. They have over 12,000 members and they actually consider themselves as sort of modern day Robin Hood’s because they extort money from wealthy people and organizations and (they claim) distribute it to poor people.
5) KURDISTAN WORKER’S PARTY
The Kurdistan Worker’s Party is also known as the PKK and it was founded on November 27, 1978. Their goal is to establish an independant Kurdish state. They are mainly active in Turkey but also in Iraq, Syria and Iran, making them much more than just a regional threat.
4) HAMAS
Hamas is a terrorist group founded in 1987 as an offshoot of the Muslim Brotherhood. They are a socio-political terrorist group of Palestine who governs the Gaza Strip. They are supported by Hezbollah since they have similar goals of destroying Israel.
3) HEZBOLLAH
Hezbollah is a Lebanon based terrorist group that formed during the Lebanese civil war of 1982. Their leaders have repeatedly called for the destruction of Israel. A report by the CIA claims that about 41 percent of the Lebanese population is a part of Hezbollah. They even have seats in the government, radio and TV stations and social development programs.
2) TALIBAN
Perhaps the next most famous terrorist group is the Talliban. Their name is derived from the word “students”. They actually managed to rule most of Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001. They are famous for their strict interpretation of Sharia law and their oppression of women. They are currently working out of Afghanistan and northwest Pakistan.
1) AL-QAEDA
These are the biggest names when it comes to terrorism in the world right now. And though it is hard to measure power, there can be no doubt that these organizations are striking fear in the hearts of many across the world.
Al-Qaeda is probably the first organization that comes to mind when you think of a terrorist group. Al-Qaeda was first formed in 1989 by Osama Bin Laden and despite the fact that their founder and leader was killed, they still thrive to this day. Their main mission is to bring Jihad on all of the sinners who do not follow the word of Allah. Their biggest act of course was the attack on the World Trade Center in New York City on 9/11.
Source- Koko mansion
