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Friday 31 January 2014
Tuesday 28 January 2014
Nigeria 'Boko Haram' attacks leave scores dead
A security offensive to combat Boko Haram's insurgency in north-eastern Nigeria has been unable to put a stop to the violence
Suspected Islamist militants have attacked two villages in north-eastern Nigeria, leaving 74 people dead, say police and witnesses.
Militants attacked Kawuri village in Borno state as a busy market was packing up on Sunday, setting off explosives and setting houses ablaze.
Witnesses said 52 people were killed in that attack, while 22 died in an attack on a church service in Waga Chakawa village, Adamawa state, on Sunday.
The attacks were blamed on Boko Haram.
The Islamist group - whose name means "Western education is forbidden" - is especially active in north-eastern Nigeria.
Borno and Adamawa are two of three north-eastern states - along with Yobe - put under emergency rule last May, as the military attempts to combat the insurgency.
'No house left standing'
Gunmen planted explosive devices around Kawuri village prior to the attack, said a witness and security official.
They also killed civilians in their homes, dozens of which were set ablaze in the attack.
"No house was left standing," Ari Kolomi, who fled from the village to Maiduguri, the Borno state capital, some 70km (43 miles) away, told AP news agency.
"The gunmen were more than 50 [in number]; they were using explosives and heavy-sounding guns."
Mr Kolomi said he did not yet know if his relatives had survived the attack.
Earlier on Sunday in neighbouring Adamawa state, gunmen attacked a busy church service in Waga Chakawa village, an army spokesman said.
They set off bombs and fired into the congregation, killing 22 people, before burning houses and taking residents hostage during a four-hour siege, witnesses told Reuters news agency.
The army suspects Boko Haram of being behind both attacks.
Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan sacked his military high command earlier this month.
No reason was given, but the move came amid concern that Boko Haram have been able to continue their bloody campaign despite the wide-ranging powers given to the military to tackle the insurgency last year.
Since the state of emergency was imposed in May, UN figures suggest more than 1,200 people have been killed in Islamist-related violence.
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25916810]
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Monday 27 January 2014
Larne gun attack: Pair escape injury as shot is fired at home
The gunshot was fired through the window of the house in Ferris Avenue
A family has escaped injury in a gun attack on their home in County Antrim.
A gunshot was fired through the living room window of the house in Ferris Avenue, Larne, at about 01:00 GMT on Friday.
A man and a woman who were in the house at the time were not injured.
East Antrim MLA Oliver McMullan said he believed a shotgun had been used in the attack and that it was an attempt to intimidate the family.
"The woman in the house had just left that room two to three minutes prior to this shot being fired through the window and it was only by this that we are not looking at a fatality today.
"They are a very hard-working, very well respected family in the community, and to suffer this from individuals I think is really intolerable," Mr McMullan said.
Police have appealed to anyone who witnessed the shooting to contact them.
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-25896120]
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Britons returning from Syria face arrest, says police chief
Security officials worry Islamists trained in Syria could target the West
Britons returning to the UK from Syria will be stopped at the border and face arrest, a senior police chief has said.
Sir Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of Greater Manchester Police, told the BBC there was "huge concern" that Britons arriving back after fighting in Syria posed a threat to the UK.
Scotland Yard said its biggest concern was some could return as terrorists.
This month 16 people have been arrested on suspicion of terror offences after travelling between Syria and the UK.
This compares with 24 in the whole of 2013.
A Metropolitan Police spokesman said some of those going to Syria to train in terror camps or fight were as young as 17, and that the majority were young men - although they were aware of some young women also travelling there.
What "Prevent" does
- prevents "apologists" for terrorism travelling to UK
- helps local authorities and institutions understand extremism and what powers they can use to challenge extremist speakers
- funds a specialist police unit which removes illegal online content
- supports community campaigns against extremism
- supports people "at-risk" from engaging in terrorism with the Channel process - several agencies work together to give them access to services such as health and education, specialist mentoring and diversionary activities
Sir Peter, who leads the Association of Chief Police Officer's "Prevent" strategy on counter-terrorism, told BBC Radio 4's Today programme that those returning from Syria "may well be charged and investigated, but they will be put into our programmes".
"Clearly we've got all sorts of ways of trying to establish that [they have been to Syria]. We have links with intelligence agencies across Europe.
"This is a very difficult situation because Syria is so close. It is very close to tourist destinations, but it is an incredibly dangerous place."
He said those stopped at the border were put on programmes - which saw police work with local agencies such as schools and youth organisations, "essentially to make sure these people haven't been affected and try and make sure they're not a threat to this country".
Sir Peter continued that the main problem was safeguarding the welfare of those going to Syria "who may be driven because of the huge concern over there - some for humanitarian purposes - naively to go out there".
But there was also "a real worry about those who may be radicalised, who may have been engaged in terrorist training", he added.
Militants with suspected links to al-Qaeda have been heading to war-torn Syria from many other countries since fighting broke out in 2011.
Intelligence officials have estimated that the number of UK nationals among them may be in the low hundreds.
The Centre for the Study of Radicalisation at King's College London says most British jihadists are university-educated Muslims of British Pakistani origin in their 20s.
The Met spokesman said that while the number arrests was relatively low it was "a cause for significant concern, particularly as it is young people who are being enticed to travel to Syria to engage in conflict".
"Our biggest concern is people attending terrorist training camps or fighting in war zones then returning to the UK as terrorists.
"They are potentially a threat to British interests both abroad and at home."
Sir Peter Fahy: "We are concerned that people coming back may have been radicalised"
Mohammad Ansar, a broadcaster and social commentator as well as theologian, said the prospect of their return was deeply worrying.
"Once we have these frustrated, often angry and disenfranchised British Muslims going out to Syria to fight, the question is how are we going to reintroduce them to British society?" he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.
"If they were to come back and if the way they were to express themselves is through violence and the gun then we've got absolutely no control over what they're going to do when they come back into our communities."
On Saturday, members of Syria's government and main opposition group met briefly face-to-face in Geneva as part of a talks process aimed at "saving Syria" - although they did not speak directly.
Syria's civil conflict has claimed well over 100,000 lives since it began in 2011.
The violence has also driven 9.5 million people from their homes, creating a major humanitarian crisis within Syria and for its neighbours.
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-25893040]
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Egypt clashes kill 49 on third anniversary of revolution
At least 49 people have been killed in clashes in Egypt as the country marks the anniversary of the 2011 uprising which overthrew President Hosni Mubarak, the health ministry says.
Rival demonstrations of supporters and opponents of the military-backed government took place in Cairo.
But police broke up anti-government protests, and arrests were reported in Cairo and Alexandria.
Hundreds have died since July when the army deposed President Mohammed Morsi.
Extra security measures were in place for Saturday.
Analysis
In 2011, Tahrir Square was the symbolic heart of Egypt's uprising during 18 days of protests that unseated President Hosni Mubarak - a former military man who kept an iron grip on power for 30 years.
But now - after three years of political turmoil - many of those who have returned here are calling on the army leader, Gen Abdul Fatah al-Sisi to launch a presidential bid.
"He's a good man. He's a hero. I want Sisi to be my president," a middle-aged woman, Aida, said.
It was Gen al-Sisi who unseated Egypt's first democratically elected president, Mohammed Morsi, a Muslim Brotherhood leader, last year after mass protests against his rule.
But street violence has continued since. Islamists turned out again on Saturday, declaring that the revolution had been hijacked; liberals also called for a different direction for the country.
"Basically, this isn't the third anniversary for the revolution that we were hoping for," said Egyptian writer Ahdaf Soueif. "The security state is back and also a great many activists are in jail."
Flags and banners
Egyptian Interior Minister Muhammad Ibrahim had urged Egyptians not to be afraid to go to events marking the anniversary of the uprising.
Thousands of supporters of the military and the government gathered in high-profile locations including Tahrir Square - the focal point of the 18-day 2011 popular revolt.
Participants waved Egyptian flags and banners showing army chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi, whom many urged to run for president.
Meanwhile on Saturday, an army helicopter crashed in the restive Sinai peninsula, with an unconfirmed report that its crew of five soldiers was dead.
A large car bomb exploded near a police building in Suez, at the southern entrance of the Suez canal, with reports that nine people were injured.
At least 18 people died in violence on Friday.
Huge crowds turned out in Cairo's Tahrir Square - the focal point of the 2011 uprising - urged on by members of Egypt's military-backed government
Many held posters - such as this one - urging military chief Gen Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to "complete his good deed" and run for presidentStart Quote
Peter GresteAl-Jazeera journalist detained in EgyptThe prisons are overflowing with anyone who opposes or challenges the government”
The BBC's Yolande Knell, in Cairo, says that three years on from an uprising that raised hopes of political reform in the Arab world's most populated country, rival demonstrations are showing the deep divisions.
There is an extreme anti-Islamist emphasis at pro-government rallies, with chants for "the execution of the Brotherhood" and fury at anyone believed to be critical of the post-coup leadership, reports said.
At anti-government protests, police chase protesters into side streets, firing live rounds as well as tear gas and birdshot.
One of those killed was a member of the April 6 movement, which led protests against Mubarak before and during the 2011 uprising and also opposed Mr Morsi, the group said.
Scores of arrests have been reported in Cairo and Egypt's second city, Alexandria - not just of Islamist supporters of deposed President Morsi, but secular opponents of the military government who have also been protesting.
"The only thing allowed is Sisi revolutionaries," one of the activists, blogger Wael Khalil, told the Associated Press news agency.
"This was supposed to be a day to mark the revolution... I don't get it. Do they think that there will be a working democracy this way?"
Opponents of the military regime - both Islamist and secular - attempted to gather but were dispersed by security services using live rounds, tear gas and birdshot
Here, a plain-clothes security officer - holding a gun - detains a a supporter of ousted Islamist President Mohammed Morsi in the Cairo neighbourhood of Nasr City
Al-Jazeera journalist Peter Greste - detained by Egyptian authorities for nearly a month - has written a letter from solitary confinement, describing Egypt's prisons as "overflowing with anyone who opposes or challenges the government".
The Anti-Coup Alliance, led by Mr Morsi's Muslim Brotherhood, called in a statement for 18 days of protests beginning on Saturday, mirroring the 18 days of protests that three years ago led to Mr Mubarak stepping down.
The Brotherhood has regularly held protests since the overthrow of Mr Morsi. Hundreds of its supporters have been killed, and thousands detained.
It has been declared a "terrorist organisation" and accused by the interim government of being behind a string of violent attacks in recent months, which the Brotherhood denies.
In a defiant statement on Saturday, the Brotherhood vowed not to leave the streets "until it fully regains its rights and breaks the coup and puts the killers on trial", reported the Associated Press news agency.
Muslim Brotherhood
- Egypt's oldest and largest Islamist organisation
- Founded by Hassan al-Banna in 1928
- Has influenced Islamist movements worldwide
- Mixes political activism with charity work
- Wants to create a state governed by Islamic law
- Slogan: "Islam is the solution"
- Banned and declared a terrorist organisation in late 2013
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-25888916]
www.iactts.com
Mall shooting in Columbia, Maryland, leaves three dead
A gunman opened fire at a shopping centre in Maryland in the US, killing two people before apparently taking his own life, police say.
The incident took place at a mall in the Baltimore suburb of Columbia.
The man opened fire at a store in the mall, killing a man and a woman, both employees at the shop, Zumiez, which sells skate accessories and clothing.
Police have named the victims as 21-year-old Brianna Benlolo and 25-year-old Tyler Johnson.
The man believed to be the shooter, who has not been identified, was found dead near a gun and ammunition. A further five people were injured in the incident.
One of those injured was shot. Police said the motive for the attack was still unclear.
Howard County Police Chief Bill McMahon said officers had concerns that the gunman might have been carrying explosives and had proceeded "with an abundance of caution".
People who had taken refuge in shops and restaurants when they heard gunfire were escorted out of the mall after the shooting had ended
The mall was busy with Saturday shoppers when the incident took place
The centre, about 45 minutes outside Washington DC, is a popular weekend shopping destination.
Shopper Tonya Broughton described the atmosphere as "panic" and said she and her friend headed for a nearby shop.
Shop employees herded everyone to the back, she told Reuters news agency, adding "they were very nice, keeping us calm".
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-25898567]
www.iactts.com
Thursday 23 January 2014
Noel G. Whelan on Terrorism
“Although the nature, technics, tactics and strategies of
terrorism have changed many times historically, they will continue to change in
the future. Present evidence shows that terrorists specifically target large
groups of people, infrastructure and processes with a desire to create mass
casualties for an on-looking international media. They therefore create a real sense
of anxiety, fear and retaliation within international societies by upsetting
the status quo of the international system and community cohesion.”
Noel G. Whelan
M.A. Terrorism & Security
Director of Training & Communications at IACTTS (International Anti & Counter Terrorism Training Specialists), Dublin, Ireland
M.A. Terrorism & Security
Director of Training & Communications at IACTTS (International Anti & Counter Terrorism Training Specialists), Dublin, Ireland
www.iactts.com
Tuesday 14 January 2014
CAR crisis: Stranded foreigners to be evacuated
A makeshift camp is housing an estimated 100,000 displaced people, at Mpoko Airport, in Bangui
Emergency evacuations of the first of thousands of foreigners stranded in the conflict-ridden Central African Republic are due to begin on Saturday.
The International Organization for Migration (IOM) said it would start airlifting 800 Chadians from a makeshift camp in the capital, Bangui.
Some 33,000 Africans from neighbouring countries needed urgent help, it said.
CAR's interim President Michel Djotodia resigned on Friday over the fighting between Muslim and Christian militia.
Mr Djotodia, CAR's first Muslim leader, seized power last year. Since then 20% of the population have been forced to flee the violence.
At least 1,000 people have died since the clashes broke out in December.
The African Union now has some 4,000 peacekeepers in the country and France has deployed 1,600 troops to try to restore peace.
The UN earlier warned an impending humanitarian disaster.
Who is Michel Djotodia?
- Becomes first Muslim leader of an overwhelmingly Christian country after seizing power from Francois Bozize in March 2013
- Has led several rebel groups
- Served as both defence minister and diplomat under previous peace deals
- Said to have used diplomatic posting in Sudan's Darfur region to forge alliance with Janjaweed militia and fighters from Chad, who played a key role in his seizure of power
- Officially disbanded his Seleka rebel group but they continue to kill and loot
The IOM said it had received requests for assistance from Chad, Niger, Mali, Sudan and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to evacuate thousands of their nationals.
François Goemans, head the IOM team in Central African Republic, told the BBC the first evacuation flight was expected to take off after 18:00 local time (17:00 GMT), and would be carrying 320 mostly Chadian nationals.
They are among some 2,500 Chadians sheltering in a makeshift camp next to Bangui airport, "living in terrible conditions at the overcrowded and insanitary site", the IOM says.
Thousands of Chadians have already fled the country in recent weeks. They face violence in CAR as some accuse them of backing anti-government rebels there.
The IOM said many of those trying to return home on their own had found themselves stranded in dangerous border areas. A majority of them were women and children, it added.
"The evacuation of these migrants must be done quickly and in an orderly manner to avoid people trying to leave on their own overland and taking terrible risks, in desperation," said Carmela Godeau, IOM's West Africa director.
A total of over 60,000 migrants from neighbouring countries had asked for assistance from their embassies, she said.
Nearly 27,000 have already been evacuated by their governments, some on cargo aircraft.
Failing leadership
Mr Djotodia announced his resignation on Friday at a regional summit aimed at ending the violence in his country.
CAR's Prime Minister Nicolas Tiengaye also resigned at the meeting in Chad.
Following the announcement, thousands of people took to the streets in Bangui, most of them celebrating the news. But there were also reports of sporadic gunfire and of clashes between rival rebels.
The whole of CAR's National Transitional Council (CNT) had been flown to Chad at short notice to decide the leadership of their nation.
The lawmakers met regional leaders while Mr Djotodia held separate talks with allies from his former Seleka rebel alliance.
Seleka seized power last March overthrowing the then-President Francois Bozize, from CAR's majority Christian population.
The resignation of President Djotodia sparked jubilation among Christians in the strife-torn capital Bangui
The news prompted thousands of people to take to the streets, with many shouting "it's over, it's over"
Sporadic killings carry on in Bangui despite the presence of international peacekeepers
French forces fired warning shots on Friday to prevent clashes between rival fighters
Although Mr Djotodia has officially disbanded the Seleka rebels, he has proved unable to keep them in check.
Their actions have prompted Christians to form vigilante groups, sparking a deadly cycle of revenge attacks.
Almost a million people have been displaced in the conflict.
Many villages are deserted, and the number of those who have fled their homes has doubled in the past month - including almost half of those living in Bangui.
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-25694405]
www.iactts.com
Thailand: Seven hurt as gunmen fire on Bangkok protest
The capital is braced for a total shutdown planned by the anti-government movement
At least seven people have been injured when unknown gunmen opened fire on anti-government demonstrators in the protest-hit Thai capital, Bangkok.
One person is in a critical condition after the attacks on the main rally site - a day after six were injured in clashes between rival groups.
The opposition has been campaigning to overthrow Prime Minister Yingluck Shinawatra since last November.
Protesters want to block next month's snap election.
Protest leaders are planning a total shutdown of the capital on Monday, and the army and police say they are concerned there will be further violence.
Army chief Gen Prayuth Chan-Ocha said on Saturday: "I want to urge all sides and everybody, please don't clash and fight. We're all Thais. We can think differently but we cannot kill each other."
He also tried to quell rumours of military intervention, insisting that no-one would mount a coup - a contrast to earlier statements in which he said he could not rule one out.
The BBC's Jonathan Head in Bangkok says the army is believed to be divided over how to respond to the prolonged political stalemate.
Thousands of soldiers will deployed with the police to keep order next week, but the troops will be confined to protecting buildings rather than helping the police confront the protesters.
Increase in violence?
For most of the past two months the anti-government protest movement has been largely unopposed, except for a few violent confrontations with the police.
But recently there have been several night-time attacks by unidentified men on motorbikes.
Police said the first overnight attack occurred at about 02:30 local time (19:30 GMT Friday) wounding two people, including a security guard.
The second took place a few hours later, wounding five individuals.
Ms Yingluck's Pheu Thai party is considered likely to win next month's election.
But the protesters say her populist policies have created a flawed democracy, and want her government replaced with an unelected "People's Council".
Some believe that the ousted former leader Thaksin Shinawatra - Ms Yingluck's brother - is still controlling events in Thailand through his sister and her government.
[http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-25694630]
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