Counterterrorism

Hamas, Islamic Jihad Announce Pact to Increase Terror Attacks Against Israel

Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) have reached an agreement to step up terror attacks against Israel, especially in Jerusalem and the West Bank. The Iranian-backed groups also agreed to increase coordination between their military wings, Izaddin al-Qassam…

Canadian Man Extradited to U.S. on Terrorism Funding Charges Pleads Guilty

An Edmonton man who was extradited to the United States to face charges he helped fund Islamic State terrorism has pleaded guilty in exchange for a 20-year prison sentence. A statement from the United States Department of Justice says that according to his plea…

Morocco Foils Bomb Attack and Arrests 25 on Terrorism Charges

Morocco's security forces arrested 25 people this month on suspicion of supporting ISIS and planning terrorist attacks in the country, a security source told AFP on Saturday. The arrests took place in several cities on December 8 as part of "ongoing efforts to fight terrorist…

Military & Defense

Rockets Fired at Baghdad’s Green Zone: Iraqi Military

Two Katyusha rockets have struck Baghdad’s heavily fortified Green Zone, which houses several Western embassies, the Iraqi military has said. One rocket was destroyed in the air by the C-RAM defence system and the other landed near a national monument and damaged…

German Defense Minister: Russia will not 'Dictate' to NATO

German Defense Minister Christine Lambrecht said Sunday on a visit to German troops in Lithuania that NATO will discuss Russia's proposals for the alliance's military affairs on its eastern border, but it will not permit Moscow to "dictate" its security affairs. Moscow…

Iran Nuclear Program ‘Rapidly Accelerating’ Since U.S. Left Nuclear Deal, Official Says

Iran’s nuclear program is “rapidly accelerating” three years after the United States withdrew from the Iran nuclear deal, a senior White House official said Friday. Former President Donald Trump in May 2018 pulled the U.S. out the deal signed three years earlier with Iran…

Cybersecurity

Google Warns That NSO Hacking Is On Par With Elite Nation-State Spies

The Israeli spyware developer NSO Group has shocked the global security community for years with aggressive and effective hacking tools that can target both Android and iOS devices. The company's products have been so abused by its customers around the…

CISA Issues ‘Emergency Directive,’ Orders Federal Agencies to Address Log4j Vulnerability

The Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency on Friday issued an “emergency directive” ordering federal civilian entities to take immediate action against the recently discovered vulnerability in Log4j software…

Meta Acts Against 7 Entities Found Spying on 50,000 Users

Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, has alerted some 50,000 users it believes were targeted by seven surveillance-for-hire entities based in China, Israel, India, and Macedonia. The global surveillance-for-hire industry targets specific people to compromise…

Counterintelligence & Espionage

LVMH To Pay 10 Mn Euros To Settle Spying Claims

French luxury behemoth LVMH will pay 10 million euros ($11.3 million) to settle claims that it hired France's former domestic intelligence chief to spy on private citizens, in particular on a filmmaker who made a widely popular documentary targeting the group's CEO...

Two Arrested on Charges of Spying for Pakistan in Jammu and Kashmir’s Rajouri

Two persons were arrested on charges of spying for Pakistan in a village in the border district of Rajouri in Jammu and Kashmir, officials said on Sunday. A man working as a porter with the Army and his relative, both residents of Nowshera, were picked up by a joint team…

Ex-Defense Contractor Charged with Attempted Espionage; Sought to Provide Secrets to Russia

A former defense contractor was charged with attempted espionage after the South Dakota man allegedly sought to provide secret fighter jet technology to the Russian government. John Murray Rowe Jr., 63, is expected to make his first court appearance Friday following…

Transnational Organized Crime

Recent Beachside Attacks Reveal a New Cartel Turf War in Some of Mexico's Most Popular Tourist Destinations

Three recent armed attacks on Mexico's top tourist beaches reveal a new turf war involving Mexican gangs, Russians, and local politicians, according to security reports and sources consulted by Insider. At the end of October, an attack inside a bar in the popular city of…

Biden Signs Executive Orders to Combat Transnational Organized Crime and Drug Trafficking

President Biden has signed two executive orders on transnational organized crime and illicit drugs. Transnational organized crime is a billion-dollar business that transcends geographical boundaries and threatens global stability. Every year, millions of lives are affected by…

100 People Detained in Human Smuggling Attempts Off Florida Coast from Sunday to Tuesday

The U.S. Coast Guard and federal immigration agencies stopped three human smuggling attempts and detained 100 people off Florida’s coast from Sunday to Tuesday, the military branch said in a news release sent on Wednesday. Along with U.S. Customs and Border…