Tag Archives: Islamic Terrorism

ISIS Trying to Hack American Power Grid

On Wednesday American energy firms held a meeting about national security concerns where U.S. law officials announced that ISIS has been trying to hack the power grid.

“ISIL is beginning to perpetrate cyber attacks,” Caitlin Durkovich, assistant secretary for infrastructure protection at the Department of Homeland Security, told company executives.

Investigators didn’t reveal any details or provide any evidence to support the claims, but they did say that all attempts have been unsuccessful. They added that the terrorists lacked the right hacking technology to invade the computer systems and shut off or blow up the machines.

“Strong intent. Thankfully, low capability,” said John Riggi, a section chief at the FBI’s cyber division. “But the concern is that they’ll buy that capability.”

With hacking software available on the black markets, the FBI is now worried that ISIS and other terrorist organizations could get their hands on the right hacking software to attack power companies and grids. This would disrupt power to several U.S. homes and businesses. And the threat isn’t just ISIS; the FBI is also worried about domestic terrorists and hate groups getting their hands on the hacking technology.

U.S. officials also stated that the greatest threat to our power grid is other countries. Last year, they found malware on industrial control systems at energy companies that were traced back to the Russian government.

However, an organization taking down the entire nationwide grid – or even a section of the grid – is extremely unlikely as each grid isn’t uniform and connected like most people believe. The random patterns of the grid keep the machines and software from communicating and coordinating. It would take a large and expensive team of highly trained technical specialists to understand the layout and then hack it. Even if the team was successful, in a worst case scenario they would take out power for a small section of a major city. An entirely different cyberattack would be needed to shut down a different grid at a different plant.

The last infamous attack on a power grid was in 2013 when a sniper shot at a California energy grid substation. The attack was only for 19 minutes, but caused $15 million in damage. The Department of Homeland Security recently released a report that the attacker was likely an inside job. However, no other details were given.

U.S. Deploys Troops in Cameroon to Fight Boko Haram

On Wednesday, President Barack Obama announced that 300 U.S. troops have been deployed in Cameroon to fight against the Islamic terrorist group, Boko Haram.

Obama wrote a letter to Congress stating that the soldiers would provide “intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance” in the region and work with West African soldiers. Josh Earnest, the White House press secretary, stated that the troops will be armed for self defense purposes and will not engage in combat.

On Monday, an advance force of 90 troops were sent to Cameroon, a country that borders Nigeria. Officials said that the troops will also have unarmed Predator drones that will aid the multinational task force made up of soldiers from Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Benin, and Nigeria.

Until now, the U.S. has been giving Nigerian forces equipment and providing training for their soldiers as an effort to help defeat Boko Haram. The Islamic terrorist group has destroyed many villages in Niger, Chad, Nigeria, and Cameroon. The violence by Boko Haram has left 17,000 people dead since 2009 when the attacks began, according to Amnesty International. UNICEF also reported that 1.4 million children have been displaced by Boko Haram in Nigeria and neighboring countries.

Boko Haram claims to be a part of the Islamic State, but it is unclear if the two groups have coordinated their attacks.

8 ISIS Senior Figures Killed in Airstrike; Status of Main Leader Unknown

Eight ISIS senior figures were killed in an airstrike while meeting in a town in western Iraq. Residents of the town and hospital sources reported that the self-proclaimed leader of the ISIS caliphate in Iraq and Syria, Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, was not among them.

On Sunday, Iraq’s air force led a strike that hit the meeting and the convoy that was bringing Baghdadi to the meeting. After being struck, the convoy drove away with the leader in an unknown condition. So far, Baghdadi has survived a year of U.S.-led airstrikes.

A Twitter account used by the Islamic State said that the “rumors” of an airstrike hitting Baghdadi’s convoy were false. The account then issued another statement saying that if Baghdadi was injured or killed, his self-proclaimed caliphate would survive.

“Do you think we would leave the State of the caliphate and abandon it, oh vile world?,” asked one of his followers. “This is the religion of God, it rose on the skulls of heroes and martyrs and every time one of them is martyred we rise.”

Currently there are still very mixed reports about the condition of Baghdadi. Russian news outlets have stated that Baghdadi was injured and hospitalized in Al-Qa’im, an Iraqi town near the Syrian border. However, Iraqi military officials told Reuters that it’s a very distinct possibility that Baghdadi wasn’t in the convoy at all.

Twice in the past year, Iraqi officials have claimed that Baghdadi was injured in airstrikes. Each time, Baghdadi posted audio recordings on social media days after the airstrikes.

FBI Sting Uncovers Russian Smugglers of Nuclear Material

An FBI sting was caught on video in Moldova as Russian linked smugglers attempted to sell nuclear and radioactive materials to undercover agents posing as ISIS operatives.

A Moldovan minister said that the FBI helped Moldovan authorities three times in the last five years to stop potential smuggling of nuclear and radioactive material.
According to an investigation by The Associated Press [AP], one case that was uncovered was an attempt to sell bomb-grade uranium to a real buyer from the Middle East, the first known case of its kind.

A list compiled by the Terrorism Research Initiative details more than 360 smuggling and security “incidents” in the Black Sea region from 1990 to 2011 — by far the most stemming from Russia. This list also goes on to say that from 1993 to 2013, 664 incidents of theft or loss of nuclear or radiological materials were reported. It says it doesn’t know how many times these materials were subsequently sold.

Moldovan police and judicial authorities shared investigative case files with the AP in an effort to spotlight how dangerous the black market has become. They say a breakdown in cooperation between Russia and the West means that it is much harder to know whether smugglers are finding ways to move parts of Russia’s vast store of radioactive materials.

Officials Announce New Sanctions on ISIS Affiliates

On Tuesday, U.S. government officials announced sanctions against 25 people and groups affiliated with the Islamic State. The announcement has revealed that the Islamic terrorist organization has connections in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East.

The financial sanctions were placed in hopes of interrupting the Islamic State’s financial, logistical, and recruiting operatives who are not suitable targets for drone strikes. Many of the ISIS affiliates operate outside of the war in Iraq and Syria. U.S. officials also hope that the sanctions prevent ISIS fighters from getting supplies and travelling.

The Treasury Department’s sanctions were forced on Islamic State officials who operate in Pakistan, Libya, Yemen, Afghanistan, and Tunisia. Individuals who were sanctioned included was a British national Aqsa Mahmood. Mahmood is accused of recruiting three young British school girls to leave the United Kingdom and become wives of ISIS fighters in February. It is believed that her location is in Syria.

Government officials also reported that the Islamic State’s biggest money-maker is oil sales, taxation, and extortion, which won’t be affected by the sanctions. Daniel Glaser, the Treasury’s assistant secretary for terrorist financing, said that ISIS is making as much as $500 million per year from oil sales, which is beyond their estimated payroll of $360 million a year. Experts are also skeptical of the effectiveness of the sanctions given the extensive smuggling networks in the region.

U.S. President Barack Obama and other world leaders recently discussed the battle against the Islamic State during the address at the General Assembly.

“This is not a conventional battle. This is a long-term campaign — not only against this particular network, but against its ideology,” Obama said.

World leaders still have not come to an overall agreement on how to eradicate ISIS.

Israel Launches Airstrikes in Gaza in Response to Palestinian Rocket

The Israeli Air Force (IAF) launched a series of airstrikes in the Gaza strip after the Palestinian enclave shot a rocket that was heading for the Jewish nation. The Palestinian rocket was stopped by the Iron Dome anti-missile system.

Palestinian sources told Ynet that the IAF hit 4 “terror targets” inside Gaza, and at least two of the targets belonged to Hamas.

While many citizens heard explosions and reported them on social media, there were no immediate reports of injuries. Israel also had no reports of injuries from the rock that had been intercepted by the Iron Dome near the city of Ashdod.

Israel Defence Force (IDF) spokesman, Lt. Col. Peter Lerner stated: “This evening, the third day of the Jewish holiday of Sukkot, a rocket was fired at southern Israel sending the residents of Ashdod as well as several surrounding communities to nearby bomb-shelters. Hamas is responsible and will be held accountable for every attack emanating from the Gaza Strip. The IDF will continue defending all Israelis who are repeatedly attacked by such blatant acts of aggression.”

Sheikh Omar Hadid, and ISIS affiliated Salafist group, used social media to claim responsibility for the rocket attack. The group stated that the rocket was a response to the fatal shooting of Hadeel al-Hashlamon, an 18-year-old woman who was killed at the checkpoint in the West Bank last week. The arrest of an Israeli Arab women for allegedly joining ISIS was another stated reason for the rocket attack.

Dozens Killed in Yemen Mosque Suicide Bomb Attack; ISIS Claims Responsibility

Dozens have been killed and more have been injured in a bombing at a crowded mosque on Thursday, and officials expect the death and injury tolls to rise.

The Balili mosque, located in Yemen’s capital of Sanaa, was hosting several worshippers who were saying prayers to mark the Muslim holy day of Eid al-Adha at the time of the two explosions. Officials reported that the suicide bomber housed a bomb in his shoe, which he detonated, and then ran into the middle of the crowd to detonate the second bomb. Security also found two other devices in the bathroom that had not detonated.

“We found a shoe bomb and explosives hidden in underwear and abandoned in the toilet,” said Adnane Khaled, the head of security at the mosque.

The Islamic State claimed responsibility for the attack on Twitter. The mosque is located in an area controlled by Shiite rebels, which ISIS, a Sunni militant group, views as heretics. This attack is the sixth time in three months that the mosque has been a target.

The attack comes two days after Yemen’s President Abdrabbuh Mansour Hadi returned from exile. He had fled the country in March when Houthi rebels made gains.

The United Nations estimates that thousands of civilians have been killed in Yemen since March. The number varies between 2,200 and 5,000.

U.N. Claims 1.4 Million Children Have Fled Boko Haram

The United Nations says that over 1.4 million children have fled Nigeria and surrounding countries to try and escape Islamic terrorist group Boko Haram.

UNICEF says that 1.2 million Nigerian children have fled from the northern part of the country and around 265,000 children have fled border towns in Cameroon, Chad and Niger.

“It’s truly alarming to see that children and women continue to be killed, abducted and used to carry bombs,” said Manuel Fontaine, the UNICEF regional director for West and Central Africa.

UNICEF also reported on their efforts to help those children. The report stated:

  • Over 315,000 children have been vaccinated against measles;
  • More than 200,000 people have received access to safe water;
  • Almost 65,000 displaced and refugee children have had access to education and are able to continue their learning thanks to the delivery of school materials;
  • Nearly 72,000 displaced children have received counselling and psychosocial support;
  • Almost 65,000 children under 5 have received treatment for severe acute malnutrition.

The U.N. officials also focused on Boko Haram’s targeting of women and girls in their terror assaults and kidnappings.

“Women and girls are involved in approximately three-quarters of the attacks,” she said. And children are “used, often without knowing, to carry bombs that were strapped to their bodies and detonated remotely in public places.”

Taliban Raids Afghan Prison; Hundreds of Terrorists Freed

The Taliban has raided a prison in Afghanistan and released hundreds of terrorist operatives.

Officials in Ghazni said a terrorist unit attacked the city prison early Monday morning around 2:30 a.m.  A car bomb exploded at the prison’s entrance and then at least six terrorists stormed the building using rocket powered grenades.

Three of the terrorists were killed in the prison break while four police officers were killed.  Two of the dead terrorists were reported by Reuters to be suicide bombers who detonated the car.

The siege of the prison lasted for several hours.

The raid is the third major prison break by the Taliban in the last three years.  The Taliban announced major offensive against government positions in April.

“In this operation, 400 of our innocent countrymen were freed … and were taken to mujahedin-controlled areas,” Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement taking responsibility for the attack.

The Afghani government said that 148 of those who escaped the prison were “threats to national security.”

Israel Asks Britain to Help Stop Militant Islam

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is in London visiting with British Prime Minister David Cameron and is asking him to bring the weight of the British military to the Middle East to stop ISIS.

“The Middle East is disintegrating under the twin forces of militant Islam: The militant Sunnis led by ISIS and the militant Shiites led by Iran,” said Netanyahu.

“And I believe that we can cooperate in practical ways to roll back the tide of militant Islam both in the Middle East and in Africa altogether.”

Cameron told reporters after the meeting that Britain “remains staunch in our defense of Israel’s right to exist and to defend itself.”

Netanyahu spoke with leaders of Britain’s Jewish community and told them despite any anti-Semitic comments or actions that may come against them, they should never apologize for defending Israel.

“This is an important struggle for public opinion and it has to be done with determination while saying in a clear voice that Israel is the only democracy in the Middle East, and is standing at the front in the struggle against radical Islam,” he said.

The meetings came as anti-Israeli protesters tracked Netanyahu’s every move and presented the British government with a petition demanding Netanyahu be arrested as a war criminal.