September 2013 Security News

Al-Shabab Finds Fighters Among Somali Youth in Minnesota VOA 30 Sep 2013 -- It is known that the large Somali community in the U.S. state of Minnesota has been fertile ground for recruitment by the terrorist group.
Al-Qaida Group Claims Mali Bombing VOA 30 Sep 2013 -- Al-Qaida's North African branch has reportedly claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Mali that killed at least four people.
Navy Medicine SPRINT Team Supports Navy Yard NNS 30 Sep 2013 -- The Navy Medicine Special Psychiatric Rapid Intervention Team (SPRINT) is making a difference.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 30 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Twin Blasts Kill Dozens In Northwest Pakistan RFE/RL 29 Sep 2013 -- Pakistani officials say a double bomb explosion at a market has killed at least 33 people and injured more than 80 in the country's restive northwest.
At Least 37 Killed in Pakistan Blast VOA 29 Sep 2013 -- A massive car bomb explosion in Pakistan has killed at least 37 people, including women and children, and wounded at least 75 others. This is the third deadly bombing in a week to occur in the northwestern city of Peshawar, killing a total of more than 140 people.
Yemeni Minister says country's political process on track, but assistance needed to combat terrorism UN News Centre 28 Sep 2013 -- While Yemen is forging ahead with its political process and its national dialogue, the country's Minister for Foreign Affairs told the United Nations General Assembly today that donors should fulfil their pledges so further gains can be made in securing broader development and combating terrorism.
UN chief calls for boosting collective efforts to combat growing threat of terrorism UN News Centre 27 Sep 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon today called for strengthening collective efforts to combat terrorism, which he called "one of the greatest security challenges of our time."
Mali warns UN of terrorist, extremist threats to entire sub-Saharan region UN News Centre 27 Sep 2013 -- Terrorist and rebel groups chased out of Mali earlier this year now pose a serious threat to peace and stability in the whole sub-Saharan region, the new President of Mali, Ibrahim Boubacar Keita, told the United Nations General Assembly today, calling for full international support to counter the cross-border scourge.
South Africa Probes Possible Links to Kenya Terror Attack VOA 27 Sep 2013 -- South African officials say they are looking into possible links the Somali militant group al-Shabab may have in South Africa, where experts say they are concerned about the country becoming a hub for fundraising and recruiting for extremist groups.
UN: Fighting Terrorism in Africa Requires Coordinated Response VOA 27 Sep 2013 -- World leaders meeting at the United Nations have been calling for a coordinated response to terrorist attacks in Africa following the deaths of at least 67 people in an attack by Somali militants in Kenya.
Kenya Holding 8 Suspects in Mall Attack VOA 27 Sep 2013 -- Kenyan authorities say they are still holding eight people in connection with the deadly four-day siege at a Nairobi shopping mall.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 27 Sep 2013 [PDF]
SECNAV Announces WNY Investigation NNS 26 Sep 2013 -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Sept. 26 that the Navy will conduct an official investigation into the fatal shooting incident at the Washington Navy Yard Sept. 16.
61 Still Missing from Kenya Mall Attack VOA 26 Sep 2013 -- Forensic teams in Kenya are digging through the rubble of a partially collapsed shopping mall in Nairobi, searching for more victims of the attack by Somali militant group al-Shabab.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 26 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Carter Details Security Reviews in Navy Yard Aftermath AFPS 25 Sep 2013 -- The Pentagon and the Navy are reviewing security procedures worldwide in the wake of last week's tragic shootings at the Washington Navy Yard, Deputy Defense Secretary Ash Carter said today, with the aim of enhancing prevention of and response to any future such incidents.
Alexander: Cybercom Activates National Mission Force HQ AFPS 25 Sep 2013 -- U.S. Cyber Command has activated the headquarters for its Cyber National Mission Force, the one of its three forces that would react to a cyber attack on the nation, Army Gen. Keith B. Alexander, Cybercom's commander, said at the National Press Club today.
Press Briefing by Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter on the recently announced Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel-directed reviews following the Navy Yard incident DoD 25 Sep 2013 -- Presenter: Deputy Secretary of Defense Ashton B. Carter
Nairobi Mall Death Toll Expected to Increase VOA 25 Sep 2013 -- Five days after terrorists laid siege to a shopping mall in Nairobi, Kenyans await the final count of fatalities, as forensic teams search through the rubble.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 25 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Kenyan President Says Siege At Shopping Center Over RFE/RL 24 Sep 2013 -- Kenya's president says security forces have defeated attackers who seized dozens of civilians hostage at a shopping mall in the capital, Nairobi.
Nigerian President urges continued international support to fight terrorism UN News Centre 24 Sep 2013 -- Addressing today's General Debate of the 68th United Nations General Assembly, Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan called for continued international efforts to overcome transborder crimes, such as terrorism and piracy, and promoted the fundamentals of democracy as requisite for sustainable development in Africa.
Kenyan Forces 'In Control' Of Besieged Mall RFE/RL 24 Sep 2013 -- Kenya's Interior Ministry says security forces are now 'in control' of the Nairobi shopping mall that was seized by armed Islamists who have killed more than 60 people.
Al-Shabab Militants Claim They Still Hold Hostages at Kenya Mall VOA 24 Sep 2013 -- The Somali militant group al-Shabab says its fighters are still holding hostages inside the Kenyan mall where gunmen began a deadly siege on Saturday.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 24 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Navy Recommends Security Changes in Wake of Navy Yard Tragedy AFPS 23 Sep 2013 -- The Navy has recommended three changes to security procedures following the Washington Navy Yard shooting Sept. 16 in which a Navy contractor killed 12 people at the facility.
Heavy Gunfire Resumes At Kenyan Mall RFE/RL 23 Sep 2013 -- Fresh gunfire and explosions have been heard at a shopping mall in Kenya's capital, Nairobi.
Explainer: Five Things To Know About Al-Shabab RFE/RL 23 Sep 2013 -- The Islamist fundamentalist Al-Shabab group in Somalia is little known outside Eastern Africa.
Nairobi Attack Tied to Kenyan Involvement in Somalia, says a Former US Diplomat VOA 23 Sep 2013 -- A former U.S. diplomat says there is a connection between the Saturday’s terrorist attack in Nairobi and Kenyan military involvement in Somalia.
Americans involved in Kenya deadly attack PressTV 23 Sep 2013 -- Three of the gunmen behind a deadly attack on a shopping center in Nairobi, Kenya, are from the United States.
Pakistan's Christian Minority Faces Life On Increasingly Dangerous Margins RFE/RL 23 Sep 2013 -- The ancestors of most Pakistani Christians were oppressed, low-caste Hindus who converted to Christianity in the 1800s.
Pakistani Christians Protest After Deadly Suicide Bombings RFE/RL 23 Sep 2013 -- Pakistani Christians are protesting across the country after a double suicide bombing on a church on September 22 killed more than 80 people.
Disorganized Security Policy in Pakistan Causes Concern VOA 23 Sep 2013 -- Protests erupted around Pakistan against a horrific church bombing that left dozens of dead and wounded Sunday, the worst attack against Christians the country has ever seen.
Death Toll in Pakistan Church Bombing Rises to 81 VOA 23 Sep 2013 -- Officials in Pakistan say the death toll from a twin suicide bombing outside a historic Christian church has risen to 81 while Christians protest the attack at sites across the country.
Death toll from Peshawar church bombings hit 81 PressTV 23 Sep 2013 -- Pakistani security officials say at least 81 people have been confirmed dead after bombers attacked Christian worshippers in Pakistan’s northwestern city of Peshawar.
Boston Bombing Suspect Seeks Delay in Death Penalty Decision RIA Novosti 23 Sep 2013 -- Lawyers for accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev have asked a US federal judge for more time to make their case against the death penalty for their client.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 23 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Memorial Service Honors Washington Navy Yard Victims AFPS 22 Sep 2013 -- President Barack Obama and Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel were among the national leaders who gathered today for a memorial service honoring those killed in the Sept. 16 shootings at the Washington Navy Yard.
Kenya Military Launches Attack to End Siege VOA 22 Sep 2013 -- A Kenyan military spokesman says most of the hostages trapped in a Nairobi shopping mall by Islamist gunmen have been rescued, and that most of the complex is secure.
Death toll from Nairobi attack hits 59 Iran Press TV 22 Sep 2013 -- The death toll from an attack by Somali militants on a Nairobi shopping mall has reached 59 as an unknown number of hostages are still being held in the Westgate center.
Kenyan president vows to end hostage drama at Nairobi mall Iran Press TV 22 Sep 2013 -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta says his country's priority is to free the hostages held by gunmen inside a Nairobi shopping mall for the second day.
Secretary-General appalled by terrorist attack on church in Pakistan UN News Centre 22 Sep 2013 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon has said he is "appalled" by today's terrorist attack on a Christian church in north-western Pakistan, and urged the Government to do everything possible to find and bring the perpetrators to justice.
Kenyan Security Forces Closing in on Nairobi Mall Attackers VOA 22 Sep 2013 -- Kenyan President Uhuru Kenyatta says the country's security forces are in a position to "neutralize" the attackers who laid siege to a shopping mall Saturday in Nairobi and continue to hold hostages. The government says 59 people have been killed and at least 175 wounded in the attack, blamed on a Somali terrorist group.
Russia Boosts Security For Sochi Olympics With Pantsir-S Systems RIA Novosti 22 Sep 2013 -- Six Pantsir-S short-range air defense systems have been delivered to the Russian military ahead of schedule to ensure security during the Sochi Winter Olympics in 2014, a senior defense ministry official said.
Nearly 80 Killed As Suicide Blasts Rock Peshawar Church RFE/RL 22 Sep 2013 -- Pakistan officials say an explosion outside a Christian church in the Pakistani city of Peshawar has killed at least 78 people.
Pakistan Church Bombing Kills at Least 78 VOA 22 Sep 2013 -- At least 78 people have died and more than 120 wounded in a suicide attack against a church in northwestern Pakistan. A number of women and children are among the victims of Sunday's violence, being described as the deadliest ever assault on the country's Christian minority.
Washington Navy Yard Memorial Service DoD 22 Sep 2013
Remarks by the President at the Memorial Service for Victims of the Navy Yard Shooting The White House 22 Sep 2013
Terrorist Attack at Westgate Shopping Mall in Nairobi, Kenya US Dept. of State 21 Sep 2013
Statement by NSC Spokesperson Caitlin Hayden on the Attack in Nairobi The White House 21 Sep 2013
Al-Shabab claims Nairobi attack, warns Kenyan troops to leave Somalia Iran Press TV 21 Sep 2013 -- Somalia's al-Shabab fighters have claimed responsibility for Saturday's deadly attack in a shopping mall in the Kenyan capital Nairobi, warning the Kenyan government to withdraw its troops from their country.
At Least 39 Killed in Nairobi Mall Attack VOA 21 Sep 2013 -- Kenya's president says at least 39 people have been killed and more than 150 wounded following an attack by heavily-armed gunmen in an upscale shopping mall in Nairobi.
Operation Joint Eagle prepares Texas Guardsmen for disaster Army News 21 Sep 2013 -- The role of the National Guard in this exercise is as a force multiplier under the authority and guidance of local and regional civil agencies.
Pakistani Cabinet Approves Changes In Antiterrorism Laws RFE/RL 20 Sep 2013 -- Pakistan's federal cabinet has approved sweeping changes to the country's antiterrorism laws.
Military Flood Support Mission Shifts in Colorado AFPS 20 Sep 2013 -- Members of the Colorado National Guard, the Army's 4th Combat Aviation Brigade from Fort Carson, Colo., and the Wyoming National Guard are shifting their support of civil authorities in Colorado.
Guard continues to assist flood victims in Colorado Army News 20 Sep 2013 -- More than 750 members of the Colorado National Guard continue to respond to flooding throughout the central Colorado area.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 20 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Hagel Reaffirms Department’s Commitment to Personnel Security AFPS 19 Sep 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel reaffirmed the Defense Department’s commitment to providing for its people’s safety.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 19 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Defense Department Press Briefing by Secretary Hagel and General Dempsey in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 18 Sep 2013
Notice - Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Persons who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism The White House 18 Sep 2013
Message to the Congress - Continuation of the National Emergency with Respect to Persons who Commit, Threaten to Commit, or Support Terrorism The White House 18 Sep 2013
Iran-Owned New York Building Seized RFE/RL 18 Sep 2013 -- The U.S. Justice Department says it has conducted the biggest seizure of terrorism-related assets in history, confiscating a 36-story New York City building from an Iranian group.
Carter to Lead Panels on Base Security, Personnel Clearance AFPS 18 Sep 2013 -- “Obviously, something went wrong” in security procedures at the Washington Navy Yard, where a gunman killed 12 workers.
Mabus Orders Security Clearance Reviews NNS 18 Sep 2013 -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus announced Sept. 18 three new reviews to better understand the circumstances under which security clearances are granted and renewed.
US Navy Yard Gunman Was Treated for Mental Illness VOA 18 Sep 2013 -- More details have emerged about the private contractor who fatally shot 12 people Monday at the Washington Navy Yard.
Additional Emergency Family Assistance Center Established to Support Victims of WNY Shootings NNS 18 Sep 2013 -- In the aftermath of the shooting at the Washington Navy Yard, Naval District Washington established an Emergency Family Assistance Center.
Swedish-Lebanese Man Jailed in Thailand for Hiding Bomb Material VOA 18 Sep 2013 -- A Thai court has sentenced a Lebanese Swedish citizen to two years and eight months in jail for possessing a large amount of fertilizer that could be used to make explosives.
Shelton talks space, cyberspace at AFA Air and Space Conference AFNS 18 Sep 2013 -- Air Force Space Command's top official said sequestration is the biggest threat to the nation's space and cyberspace capabilities.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 18 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Buckley nerve center for FEMA flood victims support AFNS 17 Sep 2013 -- With more than a 1,000 people unaccounted for and communities still damaged from flooding, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, staged out of Buckley Air Force Base, Colo., continues providing life-essential materials to Coloradans in need.
Guardsmen Stranded by Rising Waters Resume Their Mission AFPS 17 Sep 2013 -- Sixteen Colorado National Guard members and first responders who were unable to evacuate themselves after they were stopped by rising flood waters Sept. 15 have resumed their regularly scheduled mission.
SECNAV Directs Review of Security Procedures NNS 17 Sep 2013 -- Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus directed a rapid review of Navy and Marine Corps' security procedures Sept. 17 at military bases in the United States.
Pentagon Orders Security Review of All US Military Facilities VOA 17 Sep 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is ordering a security review of all U.S. military facilities around the world after a gunman shot 12 people to death Monday at the Washington Navy Yard.
Probe Examines Security in Navy Yard Rampage VOA 17 Sep 2013 -- Authorities are questioning how a U.S. military contractor with a history of violence and mental problems could have gotten clearance to enter a Navy base in Washington where he killed 12 people Monday before police shot him dead.
4th Fleet Frigate Offloads $78 Million in Drugs NNS 17 Sep 2013 -- The USS Rentz and its embarked Coast Guard law enforcement detachment transferred $78 Million in confiscated cocaine Sept. 15 to the U.S. Coast Guard cutter Forward.
FAO Issues Avian Flu Warning VOA 17 Sep 2013 -- Avian flu continues to pose serious health threats to both human and animal health, especially as the flu season approaches.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 17 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Statement from Secretary of Defense Chuck Hagel on the Incident at Washington Navy Yard DoD 16 Sep 2013
Pentagon Offers Resources as Navy Shooting Response Continues AFPS 16 Sep 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel is making Defense Department resources available to Navy officials as they deal with a still-unfolding shooting incident at the Washington Navy Yard.
At Least 13 Dead in Gun Rampage at US Navy Center RIA Novosti 16 Sep 2013 -- At least 13 people were killed and several others wounded after a gunman went on a shooting rampage at a US Navy administrative center in Washington on Monday, officials said.
Yemen jails Qaeda members over plot to assassinate President Hadi PressTV 16 Sep 2013 -- A Yemeni court has sentenced three al-Qaeda members to up to seven years in prison after convicting them of plotting to assassinate President Abdrabuh Mansur Hadi and foreign diplomats.
Press Secretary Details Military Aid to Colorado Flood Effort AFPS 16 Sep 2013 -- Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel has been monitoring the events in northern Colorado.
Army Evacuates Guardsmen, First Responders in Colorado AFPS 16 Sep 2013 -- As rain and cloud cover hampered military aviation operations in Colorado yesterday, the rising waters added Colorado National Guardsmen and first responders to the list of flood evacuees.
Soldiers rescue more than 2,100 from Colorado floods Army News 16 Sep 2013 -- Colorado National Guard and active-duty Soldiers have rescued more than 2,100 people and hundreds of pets displaced by flooding in Colorado.
Bird flu viruses could re-emerge in upcoming flu season, warns UN agency UN News Centre 16 Sep 2013 -- The United Nations food agency has issued a new warning saying bird flu viruses continue to pose a serious threat to human and animal health.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 16 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Yemen's Al-Qaeda Branch Confirms Death Of Leader RFE/RL 15 Sep 2013 -- Yemen's Al-Qaeda branch has confirmed that a U.S. air strike killed one of its top commanders in late August.
Guardsmen Mobilize to Assist With Colorado Flooding AFPS 13 Sep 2013 -- Nearly 100 Colorado National Guard soldiers and airmen, along with high-mobility vehicles and helicopters, have been mobilized to assist local authorities in search-and-rescue operations in the midst of historic flooding in the state.
Russia Fumes Over Its Dismissed Additions to UN's Al-Qaida List RIA Novosti 13 Sep 2013 -- Russia's Foreign Ministry on Thursday criticized the UN Security Council's recent refusal to extend the Al-Qaida Sanctions List on Moscow's request.
Presidential Determination - Major Drug Transit and Drug Producing Countries for FY 2014 The White House 13 Sep 2013
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 13 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Al-Shabab Militants Kill American Who Cut Ties with Group VOA 12 Sep 2013 -- An American citizen who broke ties with the Somali militant group al-Shabab is reported to have been killed by the group's fighters.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 12 Sep 2013 [PDF]
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 11 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Obama Reviews Interagency Counterterrorism Plans AFPS 10 Sep 2013 -- President Barack Obama met with Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel and other officials today to review interagency counterterrorism planning on the eve of the 12th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the United States, Pentagon Press Secretary George Little said.
Cannabis production rises in Afghanistan despite decline in cultivation – UN report UN News Centre 10 Sep 2013 -- While the total area of Afghan farmland used for cannabis cultivation fell by 17 percent in 2012, there was still an eight per cent rise in the overall production of cannabis compared to 2011, according to a report released today by the United Nations drug and crime agency and the country's Ministry of Counter-Narcotics.
C-130s return from fighting Western blazes AFNS 10 Sep 2013 -- Two Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System-equipped C-130s from the Air Force Reserve Command's 302nd Airlift Wing, aircrews and maintainers returned Aug. 30 after providing support to U.S. Forest Service aerial firefighting operations in the Western U.S.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 10 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Amid rising demand for designer drugs, international experts weigh tougher controls UN News Centre 09 Sep 2013 -- With demand soaring for untested concoctions of psychoactive substances, the head of the United Nations drug and crime agency urged concerted action from the international community to prevent the manufacture, trafficking and abuse of drugs whose makeup is constantly changing.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 09 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Three more die of MERS coronavirus in Saudi Arabia: Health Ministry Iran Press TV 08 Sep 2013 -- Saudi Arabia's Health Ministry says three more people have died of the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) in the country.
JSDF, 3rd MEB prepare, train for disasters USMC News 06 Sep 2013 -- Members of the Japan Self-Defense Force, 3rd Marine Expeditionary Brigade and U.S. Forces Japan conducted the 2013 Shizuoka Disaster Preparedness Drill.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 06 Sep 2013 [PDF]
‘American al-Shabab’ Disavows Militant Group, al-Qaida VOA 05 Sep 2013 -- An American citizen who joined the Somali militant group al-Shabab said he no longer is a member of that group or al-Qaida, although he still considers himself a terrorist.
Fort Hood Shooter Forcibly Shaved In Prison RFE/RL 05 Sep 2013 -- The U.S. Army psychiatrist sentenced to death for a shooting rampage at the Fort Hood military base in Texas has been forcibly shaved.
Forest Service Ends Military Firefighting Aircraft Activation AFPS 05 Sep 2013 -- The U.S. Forest Service has decided to end current military C-130 Modular Airborne Fire Fighting System operations as of the end of the day today.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 05 Sep 2013 [PDF]
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 04 Sep 2013 [PDF]
U.S. Coast Guard Integrates with USS Gary, 3rd Fleet NNS 03 Sep 2013 -- U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment Team 101 embarked and integrated with the USS Gary for training and anti-drug smuggling operations.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 03 Sep 2013 [PDF]
Shizuoka Prefectural Government Combined Disaster Response Drill NNS 01 Sep 2013 -- U.S. Army, Navy and Marine forces in conjunction with Japan Self-Defense Forces and local Japanese agencies participated in annual disaster drill.

NEWSLETTER

Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list

Homeland Security

September 2013 Security News