April 2015 Security News

Fight Against al-Shabab a Focus of Kerry Trip VOA 30 Apr 2015 -- A senior State Department official says the Somalia-based militant group al-Shabab has been launching "asymmetrical attacks" in neighboring countries because of the success that African and U.S. forces have had against the group in Somalia.
Liberia Burials Key in Ebola Fight VOA 30 Apr 2015 -- The World Health Organization is set to declare Liberia Ebola free. It will make that declaration on May 9th if no new cases are reported. In a sign of how the situation has improved, the Liberian Red Cross has handed back responsibility for safe burials to the Ministry of Health.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 30 Apr 2015 [PDF]
New UN special envoy on Ebola response makes first visit to Sierra Leone UN News 29 Apr 2015 -- The United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) today said that surveillance and community engagement still require improvement in some areas of Guinea and Sierra Leone where new cases continued to surface, a day after the new Special Representative for UN Ebola Response, Peter Graff, was informed of a continued transmission epicentre on the border between those two countries.
Vaccination teams defeat 'Ebola effect' in Guinea IRIN 29 Apr 2015 -- The odds were stacked against Guinea's vaccination teams. The initial side effects of the measles vaccine can easily be mistaken for the first symptoms of hemorraghic fever and a false rumour had spread blaming the distribution of deworming pills in late 2013 for bringing Ebola into the country.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 29 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Obama Administration Expands Cyber Defense Strategies VOA 28 Apr 2015 -- President Barack Obama pledged to put cyber issues at the core of his legislative agenda. He's sought to change how the public and private sectors share information about online threats and bolster some privacy protections for citizens while maintaining a robust NSA.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 28 Apr 2015 [PDF]
In Latest Rumor, Iranian Newspaper Claims IS Leader 'Died In Israeli Hospital' RFE/RL 27 Apr 2015 -- After a week of frantic speculation about the health of Islamic State (IS) leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, an Iranian hard-line news website has reported the most outlandish claim yet - that the Iraqi militant supremo died in an Israeli hospital.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 27 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Secretary-General appoints new acting Special Representative for UN Mission against Ebola UN News 25 Apr 2015 -- The United Nations Secretary-General today announced the appointment of Peter Jan Graaff of the Netherlands as the Secretary-General's Acting Special Representative and Head of the United Nations Mission for Ebola Emergency Response (UNMEER).
Somali Refugees Deny Camps Used to Train and Plan Terror VOA 25 Apr 2015 -- The Kenyan government has attributed recent terror attacks in the country to the presence of Somali refugees at the sprawling Dadaab camps, a claim denied by the refugees.
Italy Targets Network 'Inspired By Al-Qaeda' RFE/RL 24 Apr 2015 -- Italian police have launched an antiterrorist operation against a network they said was inspired by Al-Qaeda and had its operational base on the island of Sardinia.
Al-Qaeda Suspects Arrested in Italy Allegedly Plotted Attack in Vatican Sputnik 24 Apr 2015 -- Eighteen suspected al-Qaeda militants arrested in Italy Friday were allegedly plotting a terrorist attack at the Vatican in 2010, La Repubblica newspaper reported, citing one of the prosecutors investigating the case.
Italy Targets 18 Suspects in Anti-terror Sweep VOA 24 Apr 2015 -- Italian police arrested nine suspected terrorists and were hunting for nine others Friday in a crackdown on a group believed to be linked to deadly attacks in Pakistan and possibly a plot to attack the Vatican.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 24 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Mixed Progress Reported in Fight Against Islamic State VOA 23 Apr 2015 -- A senior official in President Barack Obama's administration says that while the U.S.-led coalition has made some progress in the fight against Islamic State militants in Iraq and Syria, a "very, very long road" lies ahead.
Carter Unveils New DoD Cyber Strategy in Silicon Valley AFPS 23 Apr 2015 -- Defense Secretary Ash Carter today unveiled the Defense Department's second cyber strategy to guide the development of DoD's cyber forces and to strengthen its cyber defenses and its posture on cyber deterrence.
Remarks by Secretary Carter at the Drell Lecture Cemex Auditorium, Stanford Graduate School of Business, Stanford, California DoD 23 Apr 2015 -- Presenter: Defense Secretary Ash Carter
Ebola: UN launches push to engage more women, community leaders in fight against disease UN News 23 Apr 2015 -- With fresh statistics on the Ebola outbreak reflecting a halt in the decline in West Africa, the United Nations today began a campaign to engage more women – who have been disproportionately affected by the disease – as well as local traditional healers, to encourage communities to become more involved to bring down infection rates to zero.
Pentagon's New Cyber Strategy Warns Adversaries US Will Hit Back VOA 23 Apr 2015 -- The United States is laying out a new strategy for defending cyberspace, making clear the country will not hesitate to counter attacks online and even with conventional military might, if necessary.
Australia, Turkey Aim to Stop Flow of Militants to Syria VOA 23 Apr 2015 -- Australia and Turkey have announced plans to stop the flow of Australians traveling to Syria to fight for Islamic radical groups. During a visit by Prime Minister Tony Abbot to Ankara, the governments say they are working to stop foreign fighters from using Turkey as a transit point.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 23 Apr 2015 [PDF]
France Arrests Man Suspected of Planning Church Attacks VOA 22 Apr 2015 -- French officials said they have arrested an Islamic extremist who was heavily armed and suspected of planning attacks on one or more churches.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 22 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Is Kenya's security policy the real enemy within? IRIN 21 Apr 2015 -- Instead of threatening to eject 350,000 Somali refugees or building a wall along an entire border, experts and observers are urging Kenya to tackle the real enemies within: poor governance and stalled police reforms.
Ancient Treasures Help IS Finance Terrorism VOA 21 Apr 2015 -- Islamic State militants released two videos this past month, boasting about the bombing of priceless ancient artifacts in Iraq.
Sudan Seeks Answers After Medical Students Join Islamic State VOA 21 Apr 2015 -- In March, a group of British-Sudanese medical students abandoned their studies in Khartoum and took off in secret to join the Islamic State militant group in Syria. The school is now re-examining what went wrong and what can be done to prevent radicalization on campus.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 21 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Clash of terrorists: ISIL vs. Taliban in Afghanistan Press TV 20 Apr 2015 -- ISIL Takfiri militants and the Taliban terrorist movement have allegedly declared war against each other in Afghanistan, a recent report says.
Europe Increasingly Accepting Assad in IS Fight VOA 20 Apr 2015 -- European politicians and delegations are appearing increasingly in Damascus, and recently a group of Belgian lawmakers met with Syrian President Bashar al-Assad.
Documents Show Former Saddam Spy Was Islamic State Mastermind Sputnik 20 Apr 2015 -- The mastermind behind the rise of the Islamic State in Syria and Iraq was one of Saddam Hussein's former intelligence officers, who had been angered by the nature of the US-led invasion of Iraq, a new report suggests.
US Charges 6 for Conspiring to Provide Material Support to IS VOA 20 Apr 2015 -- U.S. officials in Minnesota charged six men Monday for attempting to travel to Syria to join the Islamic State militant group.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 20 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Senior leader of Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group killed: Source Press TV 20 Apr 2015 -- A high-ranking leader of the so-called Jaish-ul-Adl terrorist group has been killed in the Pakistan's port city of Karachi, a major blow to terrorists operating across the Pakistani-Iranian border.
Australia Arrests 5 in Suspected Terror Plot VOA 18 Apr 2015 -- Australian police Saturday arrested five teenagers suspected of plotting a terrorist attack inspired by the Islamic State (IS) group.
Kenya's anti-terror border wall sparks heated debate IRIN 17 Apr 2015 -- Kenya this week began building a barrier along its entire border with Somalia, in a purported effort to prevent incursions by fighters from al-Shabab, an insurgency based mainly in Somalia which has carried out numerous attacks in Kenya, including the 2 April shooting of 147 students in the Kenyan town of Garissa.
Al-Qaeda captures key military camp, heavy weapons in S Yemen Press TV 17 Apr 2015 -- Al-Qaeda terrorists in Yemen have captured a strategic military camp in the southern port city of al-Mukalla, seizing dozens of tanks, rocket launchers, and other heavy weapons.
Last mile of Ebola struggle 'may be most difficult,' Ban says in Washington UN News 17 Apr 2015 -- While there has been important progress over recent months, the Ebola epidemic remains a pressing challenge, United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said today, stressing that on the road to eradicating the scourge the "last mile" may be the toughest.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 17 Apr 2015 [PDF]
'Dramatic' progress in fighting Ebola must be followed by long-term recovery efforts UN News 16 Apr 2015 -- Intense efforts to control the Ebola outbreak in the three most-affected West African countries in will continue, the United Nations health chief said in Washington, DC today, adding that the international community is also looking for ways to build on dramatic recent progress by aiding with efforts aimed at recovery from the outbreak.
Human rights and counter-terrorism must go hand-in-hand, say UN experts UN News 16 Apr 2015 -- Only through a strict adherence to international human rights standards can the world's counter-terrorism strategies ultimately succeed, two United Nations human rights experts have declared.
Man Charged with Planning Terrorism Attacks in US VOA 16 Apr 2015 -- An Ohio man faces terrorism charges for allegedly training alongside terrorists in Syria and coming back to the United States with the intent to launch attacks on a U.S. military prison.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 16 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Obama: Ebola Still a Danger VOA 15 Apr 2015 -- President Barack Obama says there has been "great progress" in the fight against Ebola in West Africa, but warns the international community must stay vigilant until the virus is wiped out.
Islamic Militants Use Children as Soldiers VOA 15 Apr 2015 -- At least 400 Syrian children have been recruited by the jihadist Islamic State since the start of the year in an enlistment drive partly designed to make up for a shortfall in foreign fighters traveling to join the extremist group, say local political activists.
Al-Qaida Says US Drone Killed Top Cleric in Yemen VOA 15 Apr 2015 -- The chaotic situation in Yemen was the focus of a congressional hearing and United Nations Security Council action against the Houthi rebels Tuesday. The attention came as the terrorist group al-Qaida in the Arabian Peninsula, or AQAP, said its top cleric had been killed in an airstrike.
Cuba Welcomes Removal From US Terrorism Sponsor List VOA 15 Apr 2015 -- Cuba is praising President Barack Obama's decision to remove the Caribbean island nation from Washington's list of state sponsors of terrorism.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 15 Apr 2015 [PDF]
New DoD Cyber Strategy Nears Release, Official Says AFPS 14 Apr 2015 -- The Defense Department will release a new cyber strategy next week to guide the way ahead for cyber in the foreseeable future, a senior Pentagon official told Congress today.
Background Briefing on the Report Required To Rescind Cuba's State Sponsor of Terrorism Status US Dept. of State 14 Apr 2015 -- Special Briefing by Senior Administration Officials
Recommendation to Rescind Cuba's Designation as a State Sponsor of Terrorism US Dept. of State 14 Apr 2015
Obama to Remove Cuba From State Sponsors of Terrorism List VOA 14 Apr 2015 -- President Barack Obama said Tuesday that he intended to take communist Cuba off the United States' list of state sponsors of terrorism, part of his effort to normalize relations with the island nation after five decades of hostilities.
Cybercom Chief Discusses Importance of Cyber Operations AFPS 14 Apr 2015 -- Cyber is an operational domain, and military leaders are going to have to understand its importance and the opportunities and challenges of operating in the domain, Navy Adm. Michael S. Rogers said here today.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 14 Apr 2015 [PDF]
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 13 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Ebola outbreak still a global emergency despite significant drop in cases - UN health agency UN News 10 Apr 2015 -- A meeting convened by the United Nations World Health Organization (WHO) has confirmed that the Ebola outbreak in West Africa still poses a threat to international peace and security, despite a major fall-off in in case incidence and geographic distribution in the most-affected countries Liberia, Sierra Leone and Guinea.
Somalia offers bounty for chief al-Shabab leaders Press TV 10 Apr 2015 -- Somalia's government has issued bounties for 11 top leaders of the al-Shabab group as the militants continue to wreak havoc across the troubled East Africa region.
Pakistan Frees Suspected Mumbai Attack Mastermind VOA 10 Apr 2015 -- A Pakistani court has freed on bail a man who allegedly masterminded the 2008 attacks on the Indian port city of Mumbai that killed 166 people.
Somali Remittances Suspension Raise Concerns VOA 10 Apr 2015 -- Fifteen aid agencies are expressing concern over Kenya suspending the licenses of Money Remittance Providers or MRPs.
Ebola lockdowns: Anything to "get to zero" IRIN 09 Apr 2015 -- As part of Sierra Leone's bid to combat Ebola, the entire population of more than six million people has been obliged to stay at home for up to four days straight on two occasions over the past year.
Somalia Offers Rewards for 11 Al-Shabab Leaders VOA 09 Apr 2015 -- Somalia's government has placed bounties on the heads of 11 al-Shabab leaders, including the militant group's top leader and the alleged mastermind of last week's massacre in Kenya.
French TV5 Says Hacked by Islamic State VOA 09 Apr 2015 -- A French television channel says it was hacked Wednesday by operators claiming to be part of the Islamic State terrorist group.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 09 Apr 2015 [PDF]
U.S., African Union Partner Against Terrorist Threat AFPS 08 Apr 2015 -- Kenya has not yet asked for Department of Defense assistance following the university attack last week that left some 150 people dead, Pentagon spokesman Army Col. Steve Warren told reporters today.
Tsarnaev Found Guilty on All Counts in Boston Bombing Trial VOA 08 Apr 2015 -- Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was convicted on all counts Wednesday in the Boston Marathon bombing by a federal jury that now must decide whether the 21-year-old former college student should be executed.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 08 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Northcom, NORAD Strengthen Homeland Defense, Says Commander AFPS 07 Apr 2015 -- Four months into his tenure as leader of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Navy Adm. Bill Gortney conducted a Pentagon press briefing today on priority efforts in homeland defense.
Department of Defense Press Briefing by Admiral Gortney in the Pentagon Briefing Room DoD 07 Apr 2015 -- Presenters: Commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command and U.S. Northern Command, Adm. Bill Gortney
SPAWAR Commander Releases Strategic Vision for Leading the Navy in Cyber Warfighting NNS 07 Apr 2015 -- Space and Naval Warfare Systems Command (SPAWAR) Commander Rear Adm. David Lewis released his strategic vision April 6 in support of the Navy's quest to ensure information dominance throughout its warfighting domains, specifically cyber.
Unclassified Computers Vulnerable to Hackers, White House Says VOA 07 Apr 2015 -- The White House acknowledged Tuesday that the unclassified computer systems at the U.S. presidential mansion were vulnerable to hackers.
Georgia's Kists Demand Action To Stop Pankisi Youth Joining IS RFE/RL 07 Apr 2015 -- Kists, ethnic Chechens from Georgia's Pankisi Gorge, have called on the authorities in Tbilisi to put measures in place to stop local youth being recruited to fight alongside the Islamic State (IS) group in Syria.
Jury Deliberations Begin in Boston Bombings Trial VOA 07 Apr 2015 -- U.S. jurors began deliberations Tuesday in the trial of accused Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, a day after both the prosecution and defense told the court he deserves to be punished.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 07 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Somali President: Kenya Should Not Build Wall VOA 06 Apr 2015 -- Somalia's president is urging Kenya to avoid drastic measures as it tries to stop cross-border attacks by al-Shabab.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 06 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Al-Shabab Gunman Identified as Son of Kenyan Official VOA 05 Apr 2015 -- The son of a Kenyan government official was one of the masked al-Shabab gunmen who massacred 148 people at Garissa University College.
Somali President Says Al-Shabab Must be Confronted VOA 05 Apr 2015 -- Somalia's President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud says the Somalia-based al-Shabab militant group is a regional enemy that needs to be confronted.
UN expresses 'outrage' at 'heinous' Al Shabaab attack on Kenyan university UN News 04 Apr 2015 -- The United Nations has condemned the terrorist attack carried out by Al Shabaab in Garissa, Kenya, in the strongest terms, with the Security Council members stressing their "outrage" at what the President of the General Assembly called a "heinous" attack.
USS Gary - U.S. Coast Guard Team Stops More Than 5200 Kilos of Cocaine NNS 03 Apr 2015 -- USS Gary (FFG 51), her embarked Helicopter Squadron and U.S. Coast Guard Law Enforcement Detachment successfully intercepted a suspected narcotic-trafficking vessel in international waters off the coast of Central America in early March.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 03 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Senior UN officials condemn terrorist attack against Kenyan university UN News 02 Apr 2015 -- Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and the head of the United Nations Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization have strongly condemned this morning's terrorist attack on a university in north-eastern Kenya, with both officials expressing solidarity with the Kenyan people and urging swift justice for those responsible for the deadly attack.
Officials: 147 Dead in Al-Shabab Attack in Kenya VOA 02 Apr 2015 -- Kenyan officials said Thursday that a daylong siege at a university in the country's northeast was over, leaving 147 people and four Islamist al-Shabab terrorists dead.
Two US Women Held in Alleged Bomb Plot VOA 02 Apr 2015 -- Two New York City women have been charged with trying to build a homemade bomb to launch a terrorist attack in the United States.
Statement by the President on Executive Order "Blocking the Property of Certain Persons Engaging in Significant Malicious Cyber-Enabled Activities" The White House 02 Apr 2015
China disagrees with U.S. sanctions program on overseas cyber attackers People's Daily 02 Apr 2015 -- China voiced disapproval of imposing sanctions on individuals or entities of foreign countries by passing national laws on Thursday.
France Pushes Secularism Training at Mosques After Terror Attacks VOA 02 Apr 2015 -- January's terrorist attacks in Paris and the hundreds of French joining jihadi groups overseas are lending new urgency to government efforts in France to shape a tolerant, western-oriented Islam that reflects the country's secular values.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 02 Apr 2015 [PDF]
Disaster Preparedness Mirrors Military Readiness, Official Says AFPS 01 Apr 2015 -- The Defense Department takes pride in its readiness to defend the nation against military threats, and also in its role as a partner in emergency and disaster response, a DoD official said.
Jihadist Assassin says Goal of Tunisia Murders Was Chaos VOA 01 Apr 2015 -- The jihadist assassin of Tunisian secular party leader Mohamed Brahmi, who was shot dead in Tunis in 2013, says his murder and that of secular politician Chokri Belaid a few weeks earlier were designed to create chaos in the North African country.
DHS-IAIP Daily Open Source Infrastructure Report 01 Apr 2015 [PDF]

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April 2015 Security News