Top Secret US Military Unit Called Talon Anvil Alarmed CIA And Airforce Officials By Killing Civilians When They Launched Airstrikes Against The Islamic State In Syria

General Stephen J. Townsend (pictured), who was the commander of America's offensive against ISIS between 2016 and 2017 and who implemented the policy that delegated strike authority to lower-ranking personnel at that time, has brushed off claims that the cell acted recklessly or with apathy, attributing the casualties it accrued to the 'misfortunes of war'  

Daily Mail: Top secret US military unit called Talon Anvil was behind 'outsize' number of innocent civilian deaths during war on ISIS Daily demands of overseeing strike after strike 'eroded operators' perspective and frayed their humanity' 

* A small American strike cell alarmed CIA and Airforce officials by killing countless civilians as they launches airstrikes against the Islamic State in Syria 

* Between 2014 and 2017, operation Talon Anvil routinely flouted safeguard procedures, sources told the New York Times, to function at the 'speed of war' 

* In the process, they obscured the number of civilians they killed in their operations, and averted drone cameras at the moment that missiles would hit 

* The cell played an 'outsize' role in the 112,000 bombs and missiles aimed at the Islamic State while the so-called caliphate was in operation 

* Former Department of Defense and Pentagon adviser Larry Lewis said that casualties were ten times higher in Syria than in similar missions in Afghanistan 

* 'It was higher than I would have expected from a U.S. unit,' he said. 'The fact that it increased dramatically and steadily over a period of years shocked me' 

* Overseeing strike after strike, one source said, seemed to 'erode operators' perspective and fray their humanity' 

A small, classified American strike cell that launched tens of thousands of bombs and missiles against Islamic State targets in Syria, regularly disregarded safeguard procedures to function at the 'speed of war,' and obscured the countless number of civilians they wounded and killed with deceptive tactics. 

Known as Talon Anvil, the cell worked around the clock in three shifts out of nondescript offices in Syria and Iraq between 2014 and 2019 - but according to a bombshell report published on Sunday by the New York Times, they 'never existed' in military records.  

Read more .... 

WNU Editor: This blog covered extensively the final weeks in the war against ISIS in Syria. I recalled mentioning at the time that the push to end ISIS once and for all was brutal and devastating. It ended ISIS as we know it, but the civilian carnage that resulted from that onslaught was massive.

Top Secret US Military Unit Called Talon Anvil Alarmed CIA And Air-force Officials By Killing Civilians When They Launched Airstrikes Against The Islamic State In Syria  

As a Secret Unit Pounded ISIS, Civilian Deaths Mounted -- New York Times  

Covert US army unit tasked with fighting IS repeatedly killed civilians – NYT -- Times of Israel  

NYT: Secret anti-ISIS strike cell showed reckless disregard for civilian casualties -- The Week 

Covert US Drone Strike Unit That Massacred Syrian Civilians Had Carte Blanche for 5 Years - Report -- Sputnik

U.S. Forces Kill Two Jihadis In Syria Using Terrifying 'Ninja' Missile

According to HTS WhatsApp groups, the person killed is Abu Ahmad al-Muhajir, a foreign trainer of the elite force of the HTS, "The Red Bands"

— Elizabeth Tsurkov (@Elizrael) December 3, 2019

Daily Mail: US forces kill two jihadis in Syria using terrifying 'Ninja' missile that deploys SIX deadly blades to mince its targets - just 10 miles from where ISIS leader al-Baghdadi was killed

* The targeted strike was said to have involved the use of a secret ‘Ninja’ missile, otherwise known as the AGM-114R9X, which has a non-explosive warhead
* The R9X substitutes the explosive warhead found on standard missiles for a set of six folding sword-like blades, designed to minimize civilian casualties
* The missile was reportedly used in a strike on a minivan Tuesday, killing two alleged jihadi's fewer than 10 miles from Barisha, where al-Baghdadi was killed
* It’s been reported that two people were killed, however their identities have not yet been released, nor as any information as to what group they're associated
* Tentative reports suggest at least one of the victims killed may have been Abu Ahmad al-Muhajir, a member of Hayat Tahrir Al Sham
* The devastating so called 'flying Ginsu', was reportedly used to kill deputy leader of Al-Qaeda Abu Khayr al-Masri in February 2017

US forces reportedly conducted an airstrike on a minivan in a north-western Syrian city on Tuesday, killing two targets just 10 miles away from where former ISIS leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi was killed in a raid in October.

The targeted strike was said to have involved the use of a secret ‘Ninja’ missile, known as the AGM-114R9X, which substitutes the explosive warhead found on standard missiles for a set of six folding sword-like blades, designed to smash through buildings and vehicles with minimal civilian casualties.

Read more ....

Update: Another Syrian Terrorist Seemingly Killed By Hellfire Missile With Pop-Out Sword Blades (Updated) (Warzone/The Drive)

WNU Editor: A fitting end to a terrorist.

An Inside Look At How The U.S. Is Facing An Evolving Anti- Terror Mission

The operations room at the National Counterterrorism Center in McLean, Va., near Washington. The center was created in 2003 to synthesize all the incoming information about potential threats. The CIA, FBI, National Security Agency and even local police departments all have officers at the center. Every 12 hours it puts out a situation report that is shared across the national security community. Office of the Director of National Intelligence

Greg Myre, NPR: With ISIS And Al-Qaida Weakened, U.S. Faces An Evolving Anti-Terror Mission

At the main operations room inside the National Counterterrorism Center, the flow of incoming data never stops. Analysts from across the government sit in front of their blinking computers, all facing huge TV screens tuned to news channels.

"On a daily basis, 10,000 reports come across our ops center and eyes are put on every one of those," said Russ Travers, deputy director of the center, who has been here, on and off, since it was established 16 years ago.

"There are in the neighborhood of 16,000 names within those pieces of information. We have to process all of that," he added.

The U.S. fight against terrorism is at a key juncture. More than 17 years after the 2001 attacks by al-Qaida, that group is no longer the force it was. And the Islamic State has lost its core territory.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: The names of these terror groups may change but there is one constant that has always remained the same .... the dangers that radical and violent Islam hold for those who do not accept their dogma.

China And The U.S. Do Cooperate Very Closely On Some Issues

Technical experts from Nigeria's Centre for Energy Research and Training stand over the miniature neutron source reactor and prepare to load the HEU reactor core into an interim transfer cask. (U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration)

Aaron Mehta, Defense News: How the US and China collaborated to get nuclear material out of Nigeria — and away from terrorist groups

WASHINGTON — At a staging ground in Ghana, a group of nuclear experts watched the clock and nervously waited for the news.

The team — a mix of American, British, Norwegian and Chinese experts, along with Czech and Russian contractors — were supposed to head into the Kaduna region of Nigeria to remove highly enriched uranium from a research reactor that nonproliferation experts have long warned could be a target for terrorists hoping to get their hands on nuclear material.

But with the team assembled and ready to go on Oct. 20, 2018, the mission was suddenly paused, with the regional governor declaring a curfew after regional violence left dozens dead. As American diplomats raced to ensure the carefully calibrated window of opportunity didn’t shut, the inspectors were unsure if the situation would be safe enough to complete the mission.

Read more ....

WNU Editor:  Yup. Keeping nuclear material away form terrorist groups does make different governments work together.

Defense Ministers From 41 Muslim Countries Vow To Support Global Efforts Against Terrorism

Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (C) poses for a photograph with chiefs of staff of a Saudi-led Islamic military counter terrorism coalition during their meeting in Riyadh, Nov. 26, 2017.

Al-Arabiya: Muslim defense ministers vow to support global efforts against terrorism


Defense ministers from 41 Muslim countries have met in Riyadh for the inaugural meeting of the Islamic Military Counter Terrorism Coalition (IMCTC), marking the official launch of a pan-Islamic, unified front to support the global struggle against terrorism and violent extremism.

The inaugural meeting, held under the theme “Allied Against Terrorism”, included an opening address by Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

At the half-day gathering, IMCTC Acting Secretary General, Lieutenant General Abdulelah Al-Saleh, outlined the IMCTC’s strategy, governance, activities and future plans.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: Some are wondering if this new anti-terrorism coalition is more focused on this .... Saudi-led Islamic military alliance: counterterrorism or counter Iran? (DW)

More News On Defense Ministers From 41 Muslim Countries Vowing To Support Global Efforts Against Terrorism

Saudi crown prince leads Islamic military alliance meeting -- ABC News
Saudi Prince: Islamic military coalition will fight terrorism until 'eradicated' -- CNN
Saudi prince vows new Islamic alliance 'will wipe out terrorists from earth' -- Times of India
Saudis Launch Counterterror Coalition -- VOA
Muslim bloc vows to cut terrorists' financial resources -- Anadolu Agency
'Anti-Terrorism' Muslim Alliance Meets in Saudi, Qatar Excluded -- Al-Bawaba
Egypt attack to spur on Saudi-backed Muslim military alliance - crown prince -- Reuters

Anti-Terrorist Ramadan Video Goes Viral On YouTube

RT: ‘You filled cemeteries with our children’: Anti-terrorist Ramadan video goes viral on YouTube

A video in Arabic calling for the worship of Allah “with love, not terror” has gone viral on YouTube, with over two million views in four days. Released at the start of Ramadan, it slams terrorists for “filling cemeteries with children.”

The video, featuring Hussain Al Jassmi, an Arabic-language singer from the United Arab Emirates, was released on YouTube by Kuwaiti mobile telecommunications company Zain on Friday.

Read more ....

WNU Editor: This is long overdue. Will it have an impact .... probably not .... but I can only hope.

San Francisco Has Decided To Drop Out Of The FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force

FOX News: San Francisco's withdrawal from national terror intelligence network hikes risks, officials say

San Francisco has taken its defiance of the feds to a new level, ending its cooperation with the FBI in an anti-terror initiative begun after 9/11 - a move crtitics say could get innocent people killed.

Critics say the sanctuary city by the bay's latest decision to forego cooperation with Washington, by dropping out of the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force, could put lives at risk. The JTTF has been credited with foiling 93 Islamist terrorist attacks and plots against the U.S. since 2001, including 12 this year, according to the Washington, D.C.-based Heritage Foundation. There are another 1,000 investigations into suspected terror activity nationwide.

These staggering statistics make the recent decision by the San Francisco police department to end the city’s partnership with the JTTF, at the behest of local activist groups that alleged Arabs and Muslims are wrongly targeted by the FBI and will be more so under the Trump administration, all the more concerning, said retired federal law enforcement officials.

Read more ....

Update: San Francisco temporarily suspends ties to FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force (ABC News).

WNU Editor: San Francisco is the only municipality that has pulled out from the FBI's Joint Terrorism Task Force.

Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, And YouTube Are Setting Up A Database For Terrorist Content

The Guardian: Facebook, Twitter, Google and Microsoft team up to tackle extremist content

The tech companies plan to create a shared database of ‘unique digital fingerprints’ that can identify images and videos promoting terrorism

Google, Facebook, Twitter and Microsoft have pledged to work together to identify and remove extremist content on their platforms through an information-sharing initiative.

The companies are to create a shared database of unique digital fingerprints – known as “hashes” – for images and videos that promote terrorism. This could include recruitment videos or violent terrorist imagery or memes. When one company identifies and removes such a piece of content, the others will be able to use the hash to identify and remove the same piece of content from their own network.

Read more ....

More News On Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, And YouTube Setting Up A Database For Terrorist Content

Facebook and Other Tech Companies Seek to Curb Flow of Terrorist Content -- NYT
Facebook and other tech giants are setting up a database for terrorist content -- CNN
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube team up to purge terror content from web -- Washington Times
Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube team up to stop terrorist propaganda -- The Independent
Big Social Media Companies Team Up to Combat Terrorist Content -- Fortune
Terrorism Database: Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft and YouTube Partner To Share Info -- International Business Times
Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter, and YouTube are creating a database of 'terrorist content' -- The Verge
Facebook, Twitter, Microsoft, YouTube launch shared terrorist media database -- Wired
Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Microsoft are teaming up against “online terrorist content“ -- Quartz

Anti-Terror Raid In Brussels Results In Shoot Out, Police Officers Wounded, Suspects On The Run

Daily Mail: Hunt for Paris massacre jihadists after shootout in Brussels: Three police officers injured and gunman on run following anti-terror raid

* Two men with AK-47 assault rifles opened fire on police officers as they prepared to storm house in Belgian capital
* Armed police lock down the area and order residents to stay indoors after one of the gunmen fled during shootout
* Police commandos deployed and snipers climb onto rooftops to surround building where suspects are holed up
* Officers said to be acting on tip off related to November's attacks in Paris when 130 people were killed by ISIS cell

A major manhunt is underway for suspects linked to the Paris massacre after three police officers were injured and a gunman went on the run during an anti-terror raid in Brussels.

Two men with Kalashnikov assault rifles opened fire on officers when they prepared to storm a suspected jihadi safehouse in the Belgian capital.

One of the gunmen fled in the chaos, prompting armed police to lock down the area, ordering residents to stay indoors and shutting down a primary school close to the scene.

A helicopter flew overhead and police commandos were deployed, while snipers climbed onto rooftops to surround the building where the other suspects are believed to be holed up.

Read more ....

More News On Today's Anti-Terror Raid In Brussels

LIVE: Gunfire erupts during French-Belgian counter-terror raid in Brussels -- France 24
Police besiege Brussels house after Paris attacks raid -- Reuters
Brussels anti-terror raid leads to shootout, manhunt -- AP
Brussels manhunt after gunfire in raid 'on Paris suspects' -- BBC
Some on run, some holed up in Belgian building tied to Paris attack probe -- CNN
French-Belgian police units stage raids in Brussels linked to Paris attacks -- Washington Post
3 Brussels Police Officers Shot in Terrorism Raid -- NYT
Police shot in anti-terrorism raid in Belgium capital -- USA Today
Shots Fired at Belgian Police During Terrorism Raid in Brussels -- Bloomberg

President Obama Speaks At The 'Violent Extremism Summit'

ABC News: President Obama Rejects 'Notion That the West Is at War With Islam'

President Obama today challenged the idea that terrorist groups like al Qaeda and the Islamic State are connected to the Islamic faith during remarks at the White house Summit to Counter Violent Extremism.

"The notion that the West is at war with Islam is an ugly lie," Obama said. "And all of us -- regardless of our faith -- have a responsibility to reject it."

Speaking at the State Department on the third day of the summit, he called on countries to address the conditions, or “political grievances,” that terrorists exploit such as human rights violations, lack of free speech and tension between social groups.

WNU Editor: So .... according to President Obama the Republicans are the ones who could end up helping the Islamic State .... Obama Claims Republican Rhetoric Could Help ISIS (Time) .... and according to US Sec. of State John Kerry (CBS) .... Kerry: ‘Silly Debate’ In Media On How To Combat Terrorism (CBS News). Sighhh ... I guess this is their strategy to combat the Islamic State/ISIS/ISIL/Daesh/Boko Haram/Al Qaeda/etc..

President Obama Speaks At The 'Violent Extremism Summit'

Text of Obama's Speech to Anti-extremism Summit -- VOA
Obama calls on world to focus on roots of ISIS, al Qaeda extremism -- CNN
Obama Continues Push to Separate Islam, Extremists -- US News and World Report
Obama rejects as 'ugly lie' notion that West is at war with Islam -- Reuters
Obama urges other nations to address secular problems to fight terrorism -- Washington Post
Obama Calls for Expansion of Human Rights to Combat Extremism -- New York Times
Obama doubles down in clash over violent extremism -- The Hill
Obama urges social reforms to combat terror, hit for ‘double-speak’ -- FOX News
Obama says US at war with those ‘perverting Islam’ -- Al Jazeera
Obama Says Oppression Is Feeding Spread of Extremist Ideologies -- Bloomberg

Three Day Summit On Violent Extremism Opens In Washington

CNN: Obama summit aims to battle extremists, Islamic and otherwise

Washington (CNN)At this week's summit on combating violent extremists, President Barack Obama hopes to concoct ways to battle a threat made newly relevant by attacks in Western Europe, Canada and Australia.

But in planning and describing the event in Washington, the White House has consistently avoided naming Islamic extremism as its central focus, and officials say the meeting isn't meant to cover only the threats posed by the Islamic State terror group in Iraq and Syria.

More News On The Summit On Violent Extremism

US hosts anti-extremism summit after global terror attacks -- BBC
White House resists calls to focus on Islamist terrorism at three-day extremism summit -- The Guardian
White House Opens Summit on Countering Extremism -- VOA
With extremism spreading, Obama aims for fresh global focus on undermining violent ideologies -- USA Today/AP
US, Global Partners Seek Support to Fight Extremism -- VOA
Obama to Outline Programs to Counter Lure of Extremist Groups Like ISIS -- NYT
Obama's day: Violent extremism summit -- USA Today
DoD keeps low profile at extremism summit -- Military Times
FSB director heads Russia's delegation at U.S. summit on extremism -- Reuters
Obama Tries to Split Religion From Terrorism at Summit -- Bloomberg

EU Appeals For Arab Help In The Fight Against Terrorism

WSJ: EU Foreign Ministers Discuss Counterterror Strategies

Ministers Discuss Tightening Links With Muslim Countries

WNU Editor: If the above video clip is any indication, EU foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini is echoing what the White House is saying .... stay away from words and phrases that link radicals to Islam. In other-words .... do not define the enemy even though the enemy is very clear on who they are. As to the EU plan to work with Arab States in countering the flow of Jihadists and to share intelligence .... I am skeptical that it will work. Everyone is now playing by their own rulebooks and agendas, and putting into place a means to coordinate intelligence and information with Middle Eastern countries is going to be a "Herculean" task .... and in places in Yemen which is falling apart right now .... probably impossible. And as to the idea of "building greater expertise within the region to communicate to Middle Eastern partners and populations" .... many of these countries would only view this EU involvement as interference in their own internal affairs, and will also be treated with skepticism by most of these populations.

On a side note .... I could be wrong and I know that this is a EU thing  .... but I also observe no U.S. presence at this EU conference .... not even as observers.

More News On EU Efforts To Develop Common Strategies To Combat Terrorism

Charlie Hebdo attack spurs EU anti-terror 'projects' -- BBC
European Union looks to respond to threat of radical Islam -- Euronews/Reuters
EU to launch anti-terror drive with Muslim countries -- AFP
In Terror Fight, EU Appeals for Arab Help -- VOA
EU To Set Up Counterterrorism Projects With Muslim States -- Radio Free Europe
EU to increase intelligence sharing with Arab states -- EU Observer

Anti-Terrorism Raids Being Conducted Throughout Europe -- News Roundup

Daily Mail: A dozen people are quizzed over terror raids in Paris as 200 police swoop on properties linked to jihadists in Germany this morning

* Police carried out raids in five areas of Paris while conducting arrests
* Quizzed over any possible 'logistical support' they gave the gunmen
* Raids came after two suspected Jihadists killed in neighbouring Belgium
* Police suspected they were planning 'a Belgium Charlie Hebdo'
* German police also arrested two suspects believed to have extremist links

WNU Editor: It looks like they are rounding up the networks and the usual suspects.

Anti-Terrorism Raids Being Conducted Throughout Europe -- A News Roundup

European police arrest 2 dozen in anti-terrorism sweeps -- AP
Fifteen detained after Belgian police kill Islamist gunmen -- Reuters
Terrorism Suspects Detained in Police Sweeps Across Europe -- New York Times
Dozens of suspected Islamists arrested in overnight raids across Europe -- The Telegraph
European Authorities Conduct Antiterror Sweeps -- WSJ
Police in Belgium, France, and Germany make arrests in latest anti-terror raids -- FOX News
Two Held in Germany on Suspicion of ISIS Support After Berlin Police Raid -- WSJ
German police arrest two Salafist suspects in raid -- Reuters
Two dead in Belgium as police foil 'grand scale' terrorist plot -- The Guardian
Belgian police kill two in raid on suspected Islamists -- Reuters
Pictured: The Belgium jihadists believed to have been killed by anti-terror officers 'while planning to kidnap a policeman or judge and decapitate him on video' -- Daily Mail
Belgium arrests 15 over foiled plot to 'kill police' -- Reuters
Belgium Verviers plot 'aimed to kill police' -- BBC
Terror plan was to kill Belgian police on the streets, in stations, prosecutor says -- CNN
Paris attacks: Twelve suspects held overnight -- BBC
Paris police arrest 12 linked to shootings, Kerry visits sites -- Reuters
EXCLUSIVE: Jihadist condemned Belgium's intelligence agency as 'the dumbest in the world' and bragged of 'going through Brussels airport like a knife through butter' just days before terror shoot-out -- Daily Mail

U.S. Attorney General Holder: U.S. To To Host A Global Security Summit Feb 18

Reuters: White House to hold global security summit Feb 18: U.S. official

WNU Editor: I can see a problem with such a summit right away .... how can you gather a coalition together to fight and defeat an enemy when you refuse to even identify who are they are .... Eric Holder Refuses To Say The US Is At War With Radical Islam After Paris Attack [VIDEO] (Daily Caller). More here .... Attorney General Holder: U.S. ‘At War With Terrorists’ (Free Beacon). If the past is any indication .... I guess this summit will end up blaming the usual suspects .... poverty, lack of opportunity, U.S. involvement in the Middle East, Guantanamo, the Israel-Palestinian conflict, etc., etc., etc. .... and a continuation of the covert war (which is becoming very overt) against these "terror groups". Unfortunately .... absent any real strategy to combat radical Islam on the basis of its interpretation of Islam .... I do not see any success in this summit and the policies/strategies  that it will advance.

More News On U.S. Hosting A Global Security Summit In Washington On Feb 18

US to host summit on Feb 18 to fight 'violent extremism' -- AFP
White House to Host Global Security Summit: Attorney General Holder -- NBC
US to host summit against extremism -- RTE
Summit on fight against "violent extremism" to be held in Washington -- Xinhaunet
US calls international security summit in wake of French attacks -- i24 News

U.S. To Review Its Policy On 'Hostage Negotiations'

White House Reviewing Policy Toward U.S. Hostages Held By Militants -- Reuters

(Reuters) - President Barack Obama has ordered a comprehensive review of U.S. policy governing efforts to free Americans being held by militant groups overseas, the White House said on Monday.

In recent months, Islamic State militants have beheaded three Americans, including Peter Kassig, an aid worker and former U.S. Army Ranger, whose death was announced in a video released by the group on Sunday.

"The administration’s goal has always been to use every appropriate resource within the bounds of the law to assist families to bring their loved ones home," White House National Security Council spokesman Alistair Baskey said in a statement.

Read more ....

More News On The U.S. To Review Its Policy On 'Hostage Negotiations'

Exclusive: Obama Orders Hostage Policy Review -- Daily Beast
President Obama Orders Review of American Policy on Hostage Negotiations -- Slate
Obama seeks review of hostage policies (but not ransoms) -- USA Today
Obama Orders Review of Hostage Policy -- New York Times
President Orders Review of U.S. Hostage Policies -- WSJ
Obama orders full review of US hostage policy -- FOX News
President Obama Orders Full Review of Hostage Negotiation Policy -- ABC News
Obama seeks review of government response to hostage-taking -- CNN
Obama orders review of US hostage policy -- The Telegraph
White House quietly orders review of hostage-handling policy -- The Guardian
US Hostage Negotiation Policy: After Peter Kassig Beheading, Will It Change? -- IBTimes

White House Sends A Special CIA Unit To The UK To Investigate British Islamists

Obama Sends CIA To UK To Probe Terrorist 'Breeding Ground': President In Pointed Snub To MI5 Over 'Lone Wolf' Mission To Interrogate British Security Experts -- Daily Mail

* Sources said U.S. agents want to assess stability of Muslim relations in UK
* Normally Obama relies on intelligence passed directly from the British
* But fears have ramped up after recent radicalisation of young Britons

President Obama has sent a special unit of CIA officers to the UK to investigate British Muslim extremists amid growing fears in Washington that we are becoming a ‘breeding ground’ for terrorism.

In a pointed snub to MI5, the agents arrived on a ‘lone wolf’ mission to interrogate senior security experts about the radicalisation of UK Muslims.

The mission has been revealed as our security services have been forced to admit they are struggling to keep track of the estimated 500 Britons who have travelled to the Middle East to fight alongside the Islamic Isis forces in Syria and Iraq.

Read more ....

Update: Special CIA Unit Sent to UK to Investigate British Islamists -- Arutz Sheva

My Comment:  The radicalization of young Muslims in Western nations has been an ongoing "problem" .... and this report only gives credence that it will probably be with us for a long time.

Should Osama Bin Laden's Son-In-Law Be Treated As A Suspected Common Criminal

New York Hearing Set as Son-in-Law of Bin Laden Is Caught -- New York Times

WASHINGTON — A son-in-law of Osama bin Laden was recently arrested in the Middle East, was transferred to the United States and is now in a New York jail, according to two people briefed on the matter.

The son-in-law, Sulaiman Abu Ghaith, a former spokesman for Al Qaeda, was taken into American custody in Jordan and will appear in court in New York on Friday, one person said. He is facing numerous charges, including material support for terrorism.

Details about Mr. Abu Ghaith’s arrest were sketchy on Thursday, but officials said that he was originally detained in Turkey several weeks ago. Reports in the Turkish press said that he was deported to Jordan, where American officials took him into custody.

Read more ....

My Comment: I would have sent him to Gitmo, but now that he is lawyered up he will probably provide zero intelligence or information to investigators. I guess the administration is not at all interested in knowing what he knows. Talk about returning to a pre-9/11 mindset.

Should A NYU Terrorism Class Ask It's Students To Write A Paper On A Terrorist Attack?

NYU Terrorism Class Asks Students To Plot Terrorist Attack -- New York Post

It’s Terrorism 101.

A New York University class on transnational terrorism is requiring students to “hypothetically plan a terrorist attack” — and shocked cops say the outrageous lesson plan is an insult to the officers killed on Sept. 11.

The controversial course, taught by former Navy criminal investigator Marie-Helen Maras, asks the pupils to “step into [a terrorist’s] shoes” and write a 10- to 15-page paper on their battle plan.

“Some of the most notorious terrorists, including Anwar al-Awlaki, got their start on American campuses. It looks like after the CIA killed al-Awlaki, NYU is helping to produce successors,” said an outraged law-enforcement expert on terrorism.

Read more ....

My Comment: This is a class on 'terrorism' .... what else will they write about.

Explaining The U.S. Position On Targeting U.S. Citizens Abroad

Attorney General Eric Holder also will address how the Obama administration reformed military commissions and how both the Obama and the George W. Bush administrations have successfully used civilian courts to convict and sentence terrorists. (Reuters)

Holder Expected To Explain Rationale For Targeting U.S. Citizens Abroad -- Washington Post

Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. on Monday plans to provide the most detailed account to date of the Obama administration’s legal rationale for killing U.S. citizens abroad, as it did in last year’s airstrike against an alleged al-Qaeda operative in Yemen, officials said.

The rationale Holder plans to offer resembles, in its broad strokes, those previously offered by lower-ranking officials. But his speech Monday will mark a new and higher-profile phase of the administration’s campaign to justify lethal action in those rare instances in which U.S. citizens, such as New Mexico-born Anwar al-Awlaki, join terrorist causes devoted to harming their homeland.

Read more ....

Update: U.S. to Offer Legal Backing for 'Targeted Killing': Source -- New York Times/Reuters

My Comment: All that I know is that if this was the Bush administration proposing this, the media, academia, Democrats, the left, etc., will be foaming at the mouth over this issue. Instead .... they are focused on this stupid/silly story.

Why Informers Are Needed In The War Against Terrorism

Informants Vital In FBI’s War On Terrorism -- Military Times/USA Today

WASHINGTON — His name was Hussien.

To Amine El Khalifi, the Virginia man was his alleged connection to al-Qaeda-style sympathizers in the USA.

The two shared a belief, according to federal court records, that the war on terrorism was actually a “war on Muslims.”

El Khalifi wanted to be “ready for war,” so he accompanied Hussien last December on a short trip from Alexandria, Va., to Baltimore to meet a man who could help.

Read more ....

My Comment: Some will make the claim of entrapment .... but until there is a better way to stop terrorism, this is one of the best tactics that we have. On a side note .... some groups are not in agreement with some other tactics that have been used by law enforcement.