U.S. intelligence agencies have told the Biden administration that the Taliban could overrun most of Afghanistan within two to three years if U.S. troops leave before a power-sharing deal is reached between the warring sides, a news report said on Friday. Such a takeover potentially would allow al Qaeda to …
Read More »Somali Islamists storm prison, free hundreds
At least seven soldiers were killed when fighters of the Somali Islamist group Al-Shabab stormed a jail in the semi-autonomous state of Puntland early on Friday, police and the group said. Al-Shabab said it had freed at least 400 prisoners, many of them its members, in its assault on the …
Read More »Iraqis have mixed feelings about US troop withdrawal
Abu Arkan Ibrahim picked up a rifle and joined the Iraqi insurgency against U.S. troops when they occupied his hometown of Fallujah in 2003. He was badly burned in the fighting. Now, he fears the departure of the Americans he once battled. Over the past 17 years, the municipal employee …
Read More »Congress wants US forces in Afghanistan past withdrawal deadline
The United States should extend the May 1 deadline for pulling all its troops from Afghanistan, and make force cuts contingent on progress in peace talks as well as by the Taliban in reducing violence and containing al Qaeda, a bipartisan report to Congress said on Wednesday. Washington should not …
Read More »Foreign forces defy Afghan peacedeal deadline, says NATO
International troops plan to stay in Afghanistan beyond the May deadline envisaged by the insurgent Taliban’s deal with the United States, four senior NATO officials said, a move that could escalate tensions with the Taliban demanding full withdrawal. “There will be no full withdrawal by allies by April-end,” one of …
Read More »Pakistan releases Islamist convicted of beheading Daniel Pearl
Pakistan’s Supreme Court on Thursday ordered the release of an Islamist convicted of beheading U.S. journalist Daniel Pearl, a decision that has left his family in “complete shock”, lawyers said. Ahmed Omar Saeed Sheikh, who was the main suspect in the 2002 kidnapping and murder of Wall Street Journal reporter …
Read More »US blacklists Iranian foundations in last ditch sanctions bid
The United States on Wednesday blacklisted two Iranian foundations controlled by Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, and their subsidies, saying the institutions enabled Iran’s elite to sustain a “corrupt” system of ownership over large parts of the economy. The designations announced by the U.S. Treasury Department target Execution of Imam …
Read More »Taliban expect Biden to honour troop withdrawal commitment
Afghanistan’s insurgent Taliban on Tuesday called on the incoming administration of U.S. President-elect Joe Biden to stick to the February agreement to withdraw U.S. troops. The United States has been pulling out troops under the deal which envisages the withdrawal to be complete by May, subject to certain security guarantees, …
Read More »Pressure on Sudan to normalize with Israel
Despite over a year of negotiations, Sudan is facing a fresh obstacle to its removal from a U.S. terrorism list that has hindered its economy: a demand that it normalize relations with Israel, three sources familiar with the matter said. However, three Sudanese government officials told Reuters on Thursday that …
Read More »Iran up in arms over latest US sanctions-assets seizure
Iran’s central bank said on Saturday it was taking legal steps to counter a lawsuit filed in a U.S. court by creditors seeking to seize $1.7 billion of its assets held by Deutsche Boerse’s (DB1Gn.DE) Clearstream unit. The German stock exchange operator said earlier the creditors had filed the suit …
Read More »FBI links Florida shooting Saudi terrorist with al-Qaeda
The FBI cracked the iPhone encryption of the Royal Saudi Air Force trainee who killed three American sailors in a December attack at a naval base in Florida, and found evidence linking him to al Qaeda, Attorney General William Barr said on Monday. The shooter, Second Lieutenant Mohammed Saeed Alshamrani, …
Read More »The 9/11 Attacks: Understanding Al-Qaeda and the Domestic Fall-Out from America’s Secret War
By Ammo.com – With American military personnel now entering service who were not even alive on 9/11, this seems an appropriate time to reexamine the events of September 11, 2001 – the opaque motives for the attacks, the equally opaque motives for the counter-offensive by the United States and its …
Read More »A Win-Win for Iran and the Region
By Seyed Hossein Mousavian* There is copious academic research on why the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region is mired in ethnic and sectarian violence. However, the specific question of what workable models can be presented that would not only be effective in ending conflicts but also bring …
Read More »UAE forces decimating Al Qaida in Yemen
The UAE Armed Forces have said that since April 2015 the UAE has trained and equipped about 60,000 Yemeni forces to fight Al Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) in order to restore peace, and rebuild and stabilise Yemen. Addressing a press conference in Dubai alongside UAE Minister of State …
Read More »My son, Osama: Bin Laden’s mother speaks out
On the corner couch of a spacious room, a woman wearing a brightly patterned robe sits expectantly. The red hijab that covers her hair is reflected in a glass-fronted cabinet; inside, a framed photograph of her firstborn son takes pride of place between family heirlooms and valuables. A smiling, bearded …
Read More »Saudi Crown Prince warns war likely if Iran mischief not checked
Saudi Arabia’s crown prince sounded the alarm to the international community that if action is not taken soon to rein in Iran’s mischief in the region and world, that war is inevitable. He called on world leaders to help check Iran’s blatant violations by squeezing it economically and politically. “If …
Read More »Iran says Damascus suburbs assault to continue as fighting rages
Iran said pro-Damascus forces would press ahead with attacks on an insurgent enclave near the Syrian capital, as ground fighting raged on there in defiance of a U.N. resolution demanding a 30-day truce across the country. Turkey, too, said its military operations in another theater of war in the north …
Read More »U.N. Security Council calls for truce as air strikes batter Syria’s Ghouta
Rescuers in Syria’s eastern Ghouta said the bombing would not let up long enough for them to count the bodies during one of the bloodiest air assaults of the seven-year war, while the U.N. Security Council called for a 30-day humanitarian truce. The vote at the United Nations came as …
Read More »Russia strikes back as Syrian rebels take credit for shooting down fighter jet, killing pilot
Syria’s former al-Qaeda affiliate claimed responsibility Saturday for the downing of a Russian warplane in northern Syria, apparently using a surface-to-air missile to target the aircraft. The pilot was killed after he ejected and exchanged gunfire with militants on the ground, the Russian Defense Ministry and a monitoring group said. …
Read More »Russian fighter jet shot down in Syria’s Idlib province
A Russian Sukhoi-25 fighter jet has been shot down in a rebel-held area in Syria’s north-western province of Idlib. The Russian defence ministry said the pilot had ejected but was killed in a ground fight. Video posted on social media appeared to show the plane being hit, while other video …
Read More »Drone strike kills 7 Al Qaida suspects in Yemen
A drone strike early Saturday killed seven suspected Al Qaida militants in southern Yemen, a security official said. The US military is the only force known to operate armed drones over Yemen. The official said the strike happened after midnight and targeted a car in Shabwa province. “All seven passengers, …
Read More »Syria war: Explosion and air strikes in rebel-held Idlib ‘kill 40’
At least 40 people have reportedly been killed in an explosion and a series of air strikes across the rebel-held north Syrian province of Idlib. The blast, on Sunday night outside the headquarters of the Islamist rebel faction Ajnad al-Qawqaz in the city of Idlib, left 25 people dead. The …
Read More »Preview 2018: After a string of defeats in Iraq and Syria what 2018 means for Isis
Isis has been defeated in Iraq and Syria. The caliphate declared in 2014, which was once the size of Great Britain, is no more. Its de facto capitals, Mosul in Iraq and Raqqa in Syria, were captured after long and bloody sieges in the second half of 2017. But Isis was always …
Read More »Al-Qaida Leader’s New Message Shows Increased Discord With Jihadists in Syria
The al-Qaida terror organization has released a new audio message from its elusive leader in which he slams the Syrian Jihadi group Liberation of the Levant Organization, or more commonly known as Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS), for going after senior jihadists loyal to al-Qaida in Syria. In the 35-minute undated …
Read More »Saudi soldier sentenced to 23 years for treason
A Saudi army soldier convicted of treason has been sentenced to 23 years in jail. Investigations revealed that the man, who has not been named, embraced the radical ideology of Al Qaida, glorified Osama Bin Laden and supported Daesh. The convict also attended conferences by the Islamic Nation party in …
Read More »Yemeni troops oust Al Qaida from southern town
Yemeni forces, trained and armed by the UAE, have booted Al Qaida militants out of a town in the southern province of Shabwa, local military officers said. A large convoy of military vehicles carrying at least two hundreds soldiers, locally known Shabwani Elite Forces, stormed the town of Houta, forcing …
Read More »Aden security chief praises UAE support
Aden’s Security Department yesterday inaugurated ‘Section 1’ and correctional centre at the Mansoura Central Prison. Many human rights and civil society organisations attended the event. Brigadier General Shalal Shaya, Aden’s Security Director thanked the UAE for its support, which was involved in the rebuilding and maintenance of the prison. Aden …
Read More »Turkistan Islamic Party parades in northwestern Syria
In a new video released by the al Qaeda-linked Uighur jihadist group Turkistan Islamic Party (TIP), a large convoy of its fighters and equipment is shown parading somewhere in northwestern Syria. The caravan is shown in several scenes in the TIP’s newly released “Truth About Chinese Media 3,” a video …
Read More »Israel ready to go into Syria to ‘protect Druze village’
The Israeli military, which has been launching airstrikes against Syria, could be preparing to cross into its territory now. It says it’s ready to act to protect the Druze village of Hader, located on the Syrian side of the Golan Heights, after a car bomb killed nine people and injured …
Read More »Somalia Mogadishu: Deadly attacks rock capital
Security forces in the Somali capital, Mogadishu, have ended a 15-hour siege of a hotel stormed by armed militants. The gunmen entered the building after two bombs were detonated in the area. At least 20 people were killed, and it is feared more bodies will be found as security forces …
Read More »Saudi Arabia to ‘vet and verify’ authenticity of hadiths to counter extremism
Saudi Arabia is to monitor interpretations of the Prophet Muhammad (PBUH) teachings to prevent them being used to justify violence or terrorism, the Culture and Information Ministry has said. In a decree, King Salman bin Abdulaziz al Saud ordered the establishment of an authority to scrutinise uses of the hadith …
Read More »Car bombs kill at least 22 in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu: police
Two car bombs in separate parts of Somalia’s capital Mogadishu killed at least 22 people on Saturday and injured several others, police said. The first explosion – in the city’s K5 Junction area which is lined with government offices, hotels, and restaurants – destroyed several buildings and set dozens of …
Read More »Assad’s forces push into key IS stronghold in eastern Syria
Syrian government forces pushed into one of the last remaining urban strongholds of the Islamic State group in the country’s east on Friday, following days of fierce fighting and intense Russian airstrikes that involved cruise missiles from the Mediterranean, activists and officials said. The push into the town of Mayadeen …
Read More »Qatar’s Pragmatic Syria Gamble
The 2017 Gulf Crisis between Qatar and its GCC neighbors has developed into a clash of narratives that concerns not only the various regional interests in the Middle East, but also vital U.S. national interests. The Quartet (Saudi Arabia, UAE, Bahrain and Egypt) has justified its embargo against Qatar due to its alleged political, ideological and financial support to non-state terror …
Read More »3 US troops killed in ambush in Niger
Three members of the US Special Operations Forces were killed and two others were wounded in southwest Niger near the Mali-Niger border when a joint US-Nigerien patrol was attacked Wednesday, two administration officials told CNN. The administration officials added that the two wounded US troops had been evacuated to the …
Read More »U.S. Service Member Still Missing After Helicopter Crashes Off Yemen
A service member remains missing after a U.S. Black Hawk helicopter crashed off the coast of Yemen during what officials described as a training exercise. U.S. forces rescued five other troops who also went down in the crash and are still searching for the sixth service member, according to U.S. …
Read More »Conversations in Politics: The Hidden Semantics of the Qatar Crisis
THE LEVANT EXCLUSIVE — By Emad El-Din Aysha, PhD — If you want to understand how things are done in the Arab world, the inner working of Arab politics, you have to keep your ear close to the ground. You can access to little titbits of information, raw data, that you’d …
Read More »Saudi official denies former crown prince confined to palace
A senior Saudi official on Thursday denied as “baseless” a New York Times report that Prince Mohammed bin Nayef has been confined to his palace and barred from traveling abroad after being replaced by the king’s son as next in line to the throne. The official told Reuters that Mohammed …
Read More »Assessing the death of IS’ Grand Mufti: Turki Mubarak Binali
On June 20, the US central command announced the death of the Islamic State ideologue Turki Mubarak Binali which the extremist group’s official networks also confirmed. Binali’s death is a significant victory in the ideological war against IS. Who is Turki Mubarak Binali? The Islamic State is reeling under its …
Read More »Car bomb kills seven at police station in Somali capital: police
A car bomb targeting a police station killed at least seven people in Somalia’s capital Mogadishu on Thursday, police said, and al Qaeda-linked al Shabaab said it was behind the attack, the second this week. A Reuters witness saw bodies lying on the ground at the Waberi police station, near …
Read More »Terrorism: A Hard Power Or A Real Threat?
The Levant News Exclusive – By Sarah Safa* — We live in a world of horror and violence where blood shedding, torture and genocide became not only normal but an important feature of what is called today “Hard Power”. Governments, if democracy is truly practiced when people should be asked …
Read More »China Is Supporting Syria’s Regime. What Changed?
By Michael Clarke and Raffaello Pantucci for The National Interest — On August 14, Guan Youfei, a rear admiral in China’s People’s Liberation Army Navy, visited the Syrian capital of Damascus, escorted around the city under heavy guard. Guan’s visit reportedly included meetings with senior military officials and Russian officers, …
Read More »UK lists East Turkistan Islamic Movement as terrorist group
The Levant News — The British government has officially listed the East Turkistan Islamic Movement as an Islamic terrorist and separatist organization. The latest list has officially listed the Turkistan Islamic Party as a terrorist group. The TIP is also known as the East Turkistan Islamic Party and the East …
Read More »China Concerned Of Uighur “Jihadis” Role In Syria
THE LEVANT NEWS EXCLUSIVE – By Dr. Haytham Mouzahem* — On 21 April 2016, China’s Special Envoy on Syrian crisis Chai Cho Yan visited Damascus and met with the Syrian Minister of Foreign Affairs Walid al-Moallem, and the head of the Syrian government’s delegation to the Geneva talks, Bashar al-Jaafari. …
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