Terrorist Attacks against Christians increase 309% in Africa

A statement by Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations in Geneva explains the terrorist attacks against Christians have increase to 309% in Africa, Middle East and Asia.
In a speech given by the Vatican's permanent observer to the United Nations in Geneva, Mons. Silvano Tomasi, he noted that 2.2 billion people face this problem worldwide.

He says that Christians are not the only victims, but the numbers are hard to ignore. About 70 percent of the world's population faces religious restrictions. Terrorist attacks on Christians in Africa, the Middle East and Asia have increased 309 percent between 2003 and 2010.Tomasi said religion is not a threat, but a resource. The problem, he says, rises when governments and extremists consider minority religions harmful and offensive because they differ from a country's main religion.

When it comes to developed countries, mostly in the West, the persecution is not necessarily violent, but cultural. It's usually seen when people face hostility, scorn and even ridicule for their beliefs. It's a situation faced by many, but above all, says Tomasi, by Christians.

Terrorist Bashir jailed for 15 years for terrorist acts

On Monday Indonesia's top court upheld a 15-year jail term against Islamist militant Abu Bakar Bashir for terrorist acts; reversing an earlier decision to slash the sentence to nine years.

Indonesia's top court has upheld a 15-year jail term against Islamist militant Abu Bakar Bashir for terrorist acts, reversing an earlier decision to slash the sentence to nine years.

Bashir is regarded as a spiritual leader of militant Islam in Indonesia -- the world's most populous Muslim country -- and is an outspoken supporter of Al-Qaeda-style jihad, but the 73-year-old has always denied being a terrorist.
In June last year a lower court sentenced him to 15 years in jail, but upon appeal the High Court slashed it to nine, citing lack of evidence and old age."Abu Bakar Bashir is proven to be guilty officially and convincingly of committing terrorist acts," the Supreme Court said in its ruling, which is final.

UN Security Council condemns ‘terrorist attack’ on Israeli

On Thursday the UN Security Council condemned a “terrorist attack” against an Israeli diplomat in India, without making any mention of allegations against Iran.

The 15-nation council said in a statement that it “condemned in the strongest terms the terrorist attack in New Delhi” on February 13 in which an Israeli diplomat was badly injured.
The council also condemned an attempted attack in the Georgian capital which followed. An Israeli embassy employee found a bomb on his car and contacted police who defused the device.

7 terrorists killed and 25 arrested in Russia

In North Caucasus the law enforcement bodies of Russia executed 7 terrorists and 27 terrorists were arrested including the leader of the illegal military group in Dagestan Adul Abdulkarimov as a result of military operations.APA reports that during the operations leaders of 2 group and 5 militants were killed.

Amir of Dagestan province Ibrahimkhalil Davudov and leader of Khasavyurt terrorist group Magomed Gasimov were also killed. 4 secret armament depots of the terrorists were found as a result of operations. A lot of ammunitions were seized from the depots.

U.S. slaps terrorism authorizes on Iranian intelligence agency

The Obama administration is slapping sanctions on Iran’s ministry of intelligence and security, claiming that it supports global terrorism, commits human rights abuses against Iranians and participates in ongoing repression in Syria.

On Thursday the Treasury Department announced that it added the ministry to its list of specially designated global terrorists. The step freezes any assets the group may have in U.S. jurisdictions, bars Americans from doing business with it and bans ministry employees from travel to the United States. The effect of the sanctions will be largely symbolic as it is not known to have holdings in the U.S.
The announcement said the ministry had helped al-Qaida agents in Iran and provided then with identity cards and passports and had given money and weapons to al-Qaida in Iraq.

Bangkok explosions linked to the New Delhi attack

On Tuesday, Feb. 14, 2012, an Iranian man carrying explosives blow his own legs and wounded four other people in two blasts in Bangkok, Thai authorities said. A third blast took place in a nearby house.
Bangkok has been on the watch for a terror attack since police last month charged a Lebanese man suspected of planning a strike following a US warning that tourist areas might be target.

"Yesterday's incident was caused by current international tensions in world politics," National Security Council Secretary General Wichean Potephosree told a news conference.National Security Council chief Wichean Potephosree said that, the authorities are investigating the possible targets and if there was any link between Tuesday's explosions in Bangkok and one a day before New Delhi — an attack Israel blamed on Iran. Authorities say it's unclear whether the Bangkok explosions were linked to the New Delhi attack.

Cyber Crime Attack - Israeli hackers release Arab credit card details

Cyber attacks between Israeli and Arab hackers was raised yesterday, as a shadowy Israeli group released the details of 4,800 Arab credit-card holders and tried to launch attacks on the websites of the UAE Central Bank and the Arab Bank Palestine.

Early yesterday, hackers who said they were Israeli posted the credit card numbers, security codes and expiration dates of the cards, which they said they obtained from the website of a major Saudi bank. The Central Bank said the website did become inaccessible for about 20 minutes but the problem had been quickly solved.The Arab Bank website remained inaccessible for most of the day when accessed in Abu Dhabi.
"They did target the website, but they didn't do any damage," said Bob Thomson, chief manager of information technology projects at the Central Bank, who described the incident as "a concentrated attack".The hackers' email message to The National linked to an online warning calling on "terrorists to stop their terrorist acts against Israel and attempts to disrupt the normal course of life in Israel".

NAM condemns terror attack against Iranian scientist

On Thursday Iranian Permanent Representative to United Nations Mohammad Khazaee said that member states of Non-Aligned Movement have condemned terror attack on Iranian scientist and violation of Iran's airspace by the US stealth observation aircraft.

“NAM members states supported Iran’s two proposals to condemn terror attack on Iranian Physics professor and violation of Iran airspace by US spy drone, “ Khazaee told IRNA on the sidelines of NAM first meeting in 2012 at UN.

“NAM representatives to United Nations accepted the two plans made by the Islamic Republic of Iran and will finally issue a statement to condemn the assassination and stealth drone spying as two terrorist actions against Iran,' he said.Khazaee said that it is crystal clear that certain terrorist groups with the help of Zionists and other foreign governments and organizations are behind such terrorist operations.
“Despite all kinds of political and economic pressures and terrorist attacks targeting the Iranian nuclear scientists, the enemies could not prevent our nation from exercising its right to produce nuclear energy which is completely for peaceful purpose,“ Khazaee added.'We are confident that such blind terrorist operations will not stop Iranians from defending their legitimate rights enshrined by Non-Proliferation Treaty. The Islamic Republic of Iran reserves the right to take legal action with the internal and international courts against state terrorism exercised by the hostile regimes.'

British voice behind a call to supports for Somalia's terrorists

Video reports of al-Shabaab battles with Somali forces feature jihadist with London tone of voice. An aggressive Islamist group in Somalia that has declared its allegiance to al-Qa'ida is using a young British man to file video propaganda from the front lines of the country's civil war to try to draw English-speaking Muslims to the Horn of Africa for jihad, The Independent can reveal.

The man, who stays behind the mask throughout his videos, speaks in fluent English with a clear London accent and presents breathless reports of battles that the militant groups have fought against Somali government and foreign forces.Intelligence sources and terrorism experts believe the man was either born in Britain or spent considerable time here and that he may have even had some media training before heading abroad to join the militant network..The Independent has collected at least three videos in which the man features.
The first – which runs for 11 minutes and is titled "African Crusaders" – was released in June 2010 and only contains the man's voice. A second 21 minute long video – "Mogadishu – the Crusader's Graveyard" – was released a month later and shows the young reporter appearing with his face covered in front of burning tank that he claims was destroyed by Islamist fighters.

Swedish Journalists sentenced to 11 years prison for supporting terrorism

Two Swedish reporters were sentenced to 11 years of prison for supporting terrorism. A court in Ethiopia on Tuesday sentenced two Swedish journalists to 11 years in prison on charges of supporting terrorism after the two illegally entered the country with an ethnic Somali rebel group in a case that has been criticized by media rights groups.

Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye were the two Swedish journalists who supported terrorism. Judge Shemsu Sirgaga ruled that the two freelance journalists — Johan Persson and Martin Schibbye — will serve “rigorous imprisonment” following their convictions last week.Ethiopian troops had captured Persson and Schibbye six months ago during a clash with rebels in eastern Ethiopia’s restive Somali region, a no-go area for reporters. Ethiopia considers the rebel group a terrorist organization, and it is very difficult for journalists to gain access to the region. Rights groups say that is so abuses there are not exposed.

The international community has closely followed the terror trial against the Swedes. Rights groups and diplomats say Ethiopia’s anti-terrorism proclamation restricts freedom of expression and is used as a tool to crack down on dissent.

Pakistan measures to halt terrorist attacks on airports

On December 15 Azam Tiwana, director general of the Airport Security Force (ASF), said that,”Authorities have taken special measures at Pakistan’s airports to prevent terrorist attacks using small aircraft, Brig”.

Addressing listeners at the ASF head office and academy in Karachi, he said terrorists could attempt to replicate the now-defunct Tamil Tigers terrorist group’s attacks on Colombo International Airport in Sri Lanka, Jang reported.

He said the ASF has taken special measures and has equipped its staff with anti-aircraft guns, media reported.