United States Intelligence Officials Want ISIL Fighters to Keep Tweeting

Radical Islamists in Iraq are using social media to spread fear and propaganda in a way no terrorist group has done before.
Fighters from the Islamic State (also known as ISIS or ISIL) have shared Instagram pictures of gory executions, YouTube videos showing a beheading, tweeting ''This is our ball. It’s made of skin #WorldCup.'' Seemingly without break, their Twitter accounts spews a mixture of carnage and preaching, peppered with weird jokes and gruesome taunts.

And American officials want them to keep it up.
An employee with a major social media company told Mashable that U.S. intelligence officials approached
the company and asked that the ISIL accounts not be taken down, despite the often bloody and threatening content.
"U.S. intelligence prefers for these accounts to stay up, rather than come down," the employee said on condition that he and his company not be named.

The reason? American intelligence officials are monitoring the ISIL accounts, trying to glean information about the deadly group and its strengths, tactics and networks.
Social media "is one of the many sources" American analysts monitor when "assessing the fluid ISIL
situation," a U.S. intelligence official told Mashable on condition of anonymity.
"Whether or not it makes more sense to be trying to quash this kind of communication so they can’t get
their message out, intel folks would always want them to have it more open," said Jason Healey, a founding member of the Pentagon's first joint cyber war-fighting unit and now director of the Atlantic Council's Statecraft Initiative.

ISIL is the first international terror group to have embraced social media as a vital part of its identity.
When they are not fighting, the militants tweet no end, sharing pictures of captured weapons, taking over popular memes and tweeting about about their battle plans. In fact, their social media presence is so energetic, experts believe they are either quite naive about their exposure or their messages are part of a plan to inflate the group's power and popularize themselves amongst potential recruits.
"These guys are so busy promoting themselves online, you’d think they were Justin Bieber," Clint Watts, a senior fellow at the Foreign Policy Research Institute, told Mashable.

Certainly, the group appears to have a coordinated social media strategy, according to experts on intelligence gathering and the Middle East. As Kalev Leetaru, a fellow at Georgetown University, put it: ISIL is the first group to use "social media as an actual
weapon of war."
Even so, social media is a double-edged sword since it allows U.S. analysts to discover things about the fighters they might not want to reveal.
"Right now I could get online and I could watch ISIL on social media and tell you where they are operating, which countries they’re from and who they’re working with," Watts said.
Being blind did not stop me. What is your excuse for staying behind? #Tawheed #Hijrah #Jihad #IS #Khilafah pic.twitter.com/gQiv9cIFbj
— Taymullaah (@Taymullaah) July 8, 2014

By studying social media feeds, American intelligence analysts can better understand what motivates ISIL fighters, the hierarchy of the organization and the ultimate aims of the group. As Watts told Mashable,
ISIL fighters tweet about their plans and their leaders, and different factions of the group have ideological debates on Facebook.
If analysts know where to look, all they have to do is watch.
"There’s a lot of information that is being spread by ISIL accounts which could be used if the U.S. opts for drone attacks on Syria or Iraq," said intelligence expert Pieter Van Ostaeyen, who has been following ISIL tweets which, he says, reveal a stunning amount.

"They don’t seem to be afraid of anything being put out in the open. Or maybe they just don’t realize what
they’re doing."
He cited an example from a few weeks ago, involving five British-born ISIL fighters, who went on Twitter to chat about meeting at a specific Syrian Internet cafe.
When some of the other militants didn't show up as agreed, one of the fighters complained to the others on Twitter as if they were "in some private chatroom," Van Ostaeyen said.

Beyond such analysis of "open source" intelligence, U.S. officials are likely to have approached companies such as Facebook and Twitter to try to gain access to individual accounts, terrorism experts say. With that kind of access, agents could get information including the individual computer's IP address, using that to pinpoint the exact location of a fighter. Access to someone's Twitter account might also reveal an email address, which could lead to a new contact list for analysts to monitor.
Twitter and Facebook declined to comment for this article. YouTube, for its part, said that the company complies "valid court orders and subpoenas," but declined to answer specific questions about ISIL.

Though they might collect such information, the U.S. doesn't currently have a way to put it to use.
“Even if we were able to use the IP addresses, we’d have to be willing and able to deploy cyber tools, special ops and drones. And all three of those are
currently imperfect responses to ISIL," said Tom Sanderson, a terrorism and intelligence expert at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.
Though the U.S. could pass information to the Iraqi government or even militias preparing to fight ISIL, Sanderson said he doesn't think the American government is about to do that. Information leaks to the ISIL or an unfriendly government are too great a risk.

Spreading fear and propaganda, of course, is nothing new. The terror of Genghis Khan's campaign across
Mongolia in the 12th century was a language of sorts: heads on spikes communicated a clear message of pitilessness that helped crush opponents' spirits. Much later, al-Qaeda would found Inspire magazine to spread propaganda and its off-shoot in Iraq would turn to televised beheading to signal their willingness to commit unspeakably brutal acts.

During the late 2000s, as al-Qaeda in Iraq was losing ground, decimated by both American forces and local Sunni tribes turning against them, the group clung to life — in part through social media, according to Watts. And just as the Internet was evolving from a
series of static websites to a digital sphere fueled by connectivity, al-Qaeda was evolving as a network. The group took lessons learned about fighting, recruitment and propaganda in Iraq with them into Syria, where they emerged some years later as the Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant.
An influx of often young and tech savvy volunteers from the west has helped the group translate its message — not just linguistically but technologically and culturally through the appropriation of memes, for example — to a western audience. Yet there is something paradoxical about a group that wants to return everyone to the Dark Ages, yet uses high-tech
American companies to disseminate that message.

In terms of how to respond, some terrorism experts in think it might be worthwhile trying to shut down some
of the more prolific accounts. But few really think it's a feasible task.
"These guys can move to so many new accounts on Twitter and Facebook," Sanderson told Mashable . "It’s just going to be an endless game of whack-a-mole."
"Extremists are on social media to stay," J.M. Berger, a researcher who focuses on extremists' use of social media, told Mashable. "And there's no putting the genie back in the bottle."

Courtesy:
mashable.com

Apple's iPhone Branded a 'National Security Concern'

Apple's iPhone has been labelled a "national security concern" by Chinese state broadcasters as relations between the country and US over cybersecurity worsen.

The influential state-sponsored China Central Television broadcast declared the iPhone a "national security concern" as part of its national noon broadcast on Friday, according to the Wall Street Journal. CCT criticized the "frequent locations" function present on Apple's iOS 7 operating system, declaring that researchers believe data points recorded by the service could give those with access to this data knowledge of Chinese concerns and even "state secrets."

Found in Settings , the "frequent locations" function is an opt-in feature which allows users to grant their
devices permission to record places they often go, in order to provide useful location-based information.
The relationship between China and the US in relation to cybersecurity has never been close, but became far more strained following the leak of
confidential documents by former US National Security Agency (NSA) contractor Edward Snowden earlier this year.
Out of all the leaks which showed the widespread surveillance activities of the intelligence agency, the NSA's secret tapping of networks belonging to Chinese telecom and internet giant Huawei were of interest to the country, as were disclosures which suggest the NSA hacked major telcos in China to mine text messages - as well as sustained attacks on Tsinghua University networks.

The broadcast touched upon the Snowden leaks, and according to the WSJ called the US technology firms'
databases a "gold mine." In addition, the broadcast quoted Chinese officials who insisted that Apple would need to "take on any legal responsibilities" if data leaks caused by the firm's devices caused harm.
In addition, the recent arrest of five "military hackers" who allegedly stole US corporate data by US law
enforcement is not likely to have improved matters. Following the arrests, China's defence ministry
said:
"From 'WikiLeaks' to the 'Snowden' case, US hypocrisy and double standards regarding the issue of cyber security have long been abundantly clear."

Apple is the latest in a string of US companies to be facing backlash over tense relations between China and
the United States, following questions raised by Chinese media in June over the security of Microsoft's Windows
operating system and an earlier ban of the use of Windows 8 in government computers by the Chinese Central Government Procurement Centre.

Courtesy:
ZDNet.com

Security Agencies Want To Set Us Up, Say BringBackOurGirls Campaigners

The BringBackOurGirls campaigners yesterday alleged that security agencies, who accused them of being on “franchise”, planned to set them up.
They said the “plot” might be the climax of incessant harassment and intimidation of the group in the last
two months.
They however said in spite of threats from security agencies, they would not give up the agitation for the rescue of the 219 Chibok girls, who were snatched off their dormitory on April 15.
The group, in a statement in Abuja by two of its coordinators, Dr. Oby Ezekwesili and Mrs. Hadiza Bala
Usman, asked the military and security agencies to take action against terrorists who have abducted the girls instead of hounding its members.

The statement said: “For over two months, security agencies have harassed and sought to intimidate our movement incessantly. The latest was the statement yesterday accredited to the Deputy Director of Department of State Security, Mrs. Marilyn Ogar, who described the #BringBackOurGirls campaign as a
franchise.
“She made the comment in Abuja while responding to questions from journalists at the press briefing of the National Information Centre (NIC).
“This is a dangerous and unprecedented attack because as is well known in security circles, the term ‘franchise’ is used to refer to inter-related terrorist cells. She is reported to have said that if indeed our movement was a protest group, it would not need to force members to register and wear tags.
“Mrs. Ogar also affirmed security forces know about all the activities of the group. We know that they have a bank account,” she said.
“We know that they visit prominent individuals to solicit funds; we know that they have split themselves into
groups; we know that they want to simulate a protest march in Abuja to make it look like they went to Chibok.”
“There is a clear attempt to smear our work with a link of our work with Chibok and Sambisa forest. It is clear
from these comments that the security agencies are setting up the movement for a crackdown based on trumped up accusations.
“Our activities are open and our meetings are in a public space, the Unity Fountain. There is no compulsion to membership and our symbols, such as the red t-shirts, fez caps and pins are donated voluntarily by members.
“We are motivated by empathy and the need to search and rescue these girls. We are shocked that all we get from our security agencies is harassment, vilification, innuendoes and threats. This must stop.
“Security agencies have the responsibility to protect rather than intimidate citizens trying to do a good turn.

“It will be recalled that on 8th May, the Director of Defence Information of the Defence Headquarters had alleged that we distorted the report of what was for us constructive engagement with them two days previously. He claimed that we were trying to pitch public opinion against the armed forces and to project the Nigerian military in bad light and further heat up the polity.”

Courtesy:
The Nation Newspaper

Soldiers Raid Aba Central Mosque, Arrest Chief Imam, Others On Suspicion of Stockpiling Guns and Planning to Manufacture Bombs

Soldiers in Aba on Sunday carried out an early morning raid at Aba Central Mosque and the residence of some
Muslims in the town and arrested the Chief Imam of the mosque, Idris Bashir; his deputy, Mohammed Hassan; and eleven others over suspicion of stockpiling guns and planning to manufacture bombs.

The Chief Imam informed PREMIUM TIMES over the telephone that the soldiers came to their area at about
2 a.m., where they arrested four persons at the mosque while he and the others were picked from their houses.
“They took us to the 144 Battalion Barracks at Asa where their commander informed us that we are being suspected of stockpiling guns and manufacturing bombs. However, after sometime, the officer said since nothing was found after their search of our houses, mosque and shops we should be released,” he said.
He also said only eleven of them were released.
“The other two, who are the Director and Principal of New Horizon Academy, are still with the military,” Mr. Bashir said.
He said the soldiers in their raid saw some bottles of chemicals at the science laboratory of the school and accused the school officials of using them to manufacture bombs.
Mr. Bashir said the bottles were used for practical studies for students of the school.
“The bottles were not hidden and were kept aside in the lab because there were only five students offering the subject and three of them are already married and the other two appear to lose interest in the subject, so the bottles are even empty,” he said.
The cleric said he was re-invited by the military for further interrogation at Ngwa High School, on Wednesday.
“They interrogated me and released me just before we broke our fast and told me that they may re-invite me
again,” he said.

The Chief Imam said their major concern now was the fate of two of their colleagues who have been moved from Asa, where they were initially kept, to Ohafia.
“Right now we don’t know the state they are in, and these are innocent Nigerians struggling to live in the current prevailing circumstances. My appeal is for the military authorities to, please, carry out all their investigations thoroughly so that innocent persons will
not suffer for just being Muslims,” he said.

Soldiers had last month arrested 486 northerners travelling through Abia State to Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Many of them were eventually released after being detained for weeks, while the military said it was still investigating others.
The House of Representatives had on Tuesday rejected a motion that sought to investigate and put a stop to the series of arrests of northerners by soldiers in Abia State.
The motion which came under matter of urgent national importance and sponsored by Aminu Suleiman (APC,
Kano) suffered a setback when put to vote for consideration, Daily Trust reported on Wednesday.
The paper said when the deputy speaker, Emeka Ihedioha, who was presiding, put the question to a voice
vote, only few voices were heard supporting it.
The mover of the motion, Mr. Suleiman told the paper that he was not happy with the way the motion was killed by his colleagues, saying it was a dangerous precedent they set for Nigeria.
“You cannot use the excuse of the insurgency to place a particular ethnic group, people or region on security spotlight. It is nonsensical and unacceptable,” he said.
“This is a process that is capable of setting ethnic group against one another and where this is predominant is in the south-east. That is what I had wanted to read and as you know, the people that travelled a lot in this country are the south-easterners.
If some people try to apply reprisal, it will be too bad for the country.”
When contacted, the spokesperson of the Nigerian Army, Olajide Laleye, said he was yet to get the full details of
the operation. He said he would provide the details as soon as he got them.

Courtesy:
Premium Times

United Nations Adopts New Strategy Against Boko Haram

The United Nations (UN) said yesterday that it has adopted a new strategy for assisting Nigeria in tackling the menace constituted by the Boko Haram sect.
This was disclosed by the special
representative of the United Nations
secretary-general for West Africa, Mr Said Djinnit, at the opening of the 45th ordinary session of the Economic Community of West African States, ECOWAS, and a two-day summit in Accra, the Ghanaian capital.

President Goodluck Jonathan left Abuja on Wednesday evening to Accra where he is also attending the ECOWAS summit.
Djinnit, who said the support of the sub-regional body to the counter-terrorism efforts of the federal government in tackling the Boko Haram scourge was satisfactory, noted that the strategy known as integrated support package was targeted at complementing ongoing
efforts by Nigeria which can only achieve results through a multi-dimensional approach.
According to him, the current support
from ECOWAS was also a reflection of the solidarity of the countries of the region and their legitimate concern about the spread of violent extremism.
The UN Envoy said, “The United Nations has adopted an integrated support package to complement Nigeria’s efforts, since we are convinced that only a multi-dimensional approach can bring lasting solution to the crisis.
“Our primary and immediate concern is the plight of children including in
particular those that are being held in
captivity by the terrorists, Boko Haram group, as well as the fate of the civilian population in the north-east where human rights and humanitarian conditions are distressing.”

Also, the heads of state and governments of the ECOWAS have promised that they would not rest on their oars in supporting Nigeria to combat the excesses of members of the sect. Ghanaian President John Dramani Mahama, who is currently chairman of the authority of heads of state and government of ECOWAS region, commended the establishment of peace operations in Cameroon and Chad to defeat the Boko Haram sect in north-eastern Nigeria. He said great opportunities lie ahead of the region for creating prosperous life for citizens but only when its leaders can achieve peace and security.
He said, “Less than two months ago,
precisely on 30th May, 2014, we met at this same venue for an extraordinary summit. The main purpose of that gathering was to review the security situation in our sub-region, specifically in northern Mali and some parts of northern Nigeria.
“Let me take the opportunity to thank all who are involved in the efforts to bring peace to our sub-region. We welcome the role of Algeria and Mauritania and others to bring peace to Mali. We acknowledge the peace operation from Cameroon and Chad to defeat the Boko Haram in north-eastern Nigeria.”

Other issues discussed at the opening
session of the meeting included the
proposed biometric identity cards for
ECOWAS citizens to aid easy identification and movement for trade purposes.
The lingering difficulty in doing business by citizens in the region was one of the concerns raised by the leaders.
At the meeting, they identified Illegal
checkpoints, unnecessary documentation requirements, substantial informal payments at borders and transit fees as some of the huddles inhibiting free trade.

Courtesy:
Leadership Newspaper

Maimalari Barracks Mutiny: Nigerian Army Court-martials 18 Soldiers

The Nigerian Army has court–martialed 18 soldiers for attempted murder and mutiny in Maimalari cantonment, Maiduguri.
In an internal memo seen by PREMIUM TIMES, the Commander, Army Headquarter Garrison, B.T Ndiomu, ordered the General Court Martial, GCM, to be presided by C.C Okonkwo, a Brigadier General.
Mr. Ndiomu, who is also a Brigadier General, had ordered that a GCM be assembled at the garrison’s conference hall on June 26.
The GCM is made up of seven members, two waiting members, a judge advocate and two prosecuting officers.
Others include: a liaison officer, a contact officer, two officers authorized to sign any amendment convening officer and eight other soldiers who form a court secretariat.
The 18 soldiers are to be court-martialed for an incident that occurred in May at the barracks On May 14, some soldiers, angered by the death of 12 of their colleagues in a Boko Haram ambush, opened fire on the vehicle of the
General Officer Commanding, GOC, 7 Division of the Nigerian Army, Ahmadu Mohammed.
The soldiers blamed Mr. Mohammed for the death of their colleagues killed in the ambush.
Sources had told PREMIUM TIMES that the soldiers were ambushed while on a special operation in Kalabalge Local Government Area where locals on the Tuesday morning killed about 150 insurgents and arrested 10 others.
After the operation, during which some military equipment were recovered from the insurgents, the soldiers who had arrived the council, at night were asked to return to Maiduguri.
The soldiers reportedly pleaded to be allowed to return to Maiduguri the next morning, as the night trip would be too risky.
Their request was allegedly turned down and the troop had to drive to Maiduguri at night.
“Those commanding the troop declined their request to pass the night in one of the villages on the grounds that the top ranks at the headquarters of the 7 Division would not be pleased if they don’t go back to Maiduguri that night,” said a ranking soldier, who sought anonymity.

The 7 Division, recently formed, is located in Maiduguri, the capital of the troubled Borno State.
But half way through their journey, they ran into a Boko Haram ambush and 12 of them got killed while some others were injured, sources said.
The military later claimed that only four soldiers died in the ambush, before it increased the figure to six.
The survivors, in what seemed a vengeance mission, opened fire on their commander, Mr. Mohammed, when they eventually arrived in Maiduguri.
Mr. Mohammed, a Major General, was immediately redeployed to another command which the military did not reveal.

However, in its version of the attack on the GOC, the military said the soldiers did not shoot at their commander.
“The fact of the matter is that troops on patrol around Chibok were ambushed by insurgents yesterday. Troops engaged the insurgents in a fierce combat and extricated themselves from the ambush killing several insurgents.
“Four soldiers however lost their lives during the ambush.
“On evacuation of the remains of the fallen troops, the General Officer Commanding addressed the troops who registered their anger about the incident by firing into the air,” the military spokesperson, Chris Olukolade, a Major General, had said in a statement.
The Nigerian Army, however, instituted a military board of inquiry into the circumstances surrounding the conduct of soldiers who fired some shots.
In a charge sheet signed by Mr. Ndiomu on June 28, it was specified that 11 of the soldiers are being charged with criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny among others.

These eleven soldiers are facing a six-count charge of committing mutiny, criminal conspiracy to commit mutiny, attempted murder, disobedience to particular orders, insubordinate behaviour contrary to and punishable under the law, and false accusation.
The charge sheet read that the soldiers inspired other military personnel of the 101 battalion to commit mutiny and also accused E. Azenda, a Lieutenant colonel who is the Second in Command of the 101 battalion of conspiring with other officers to kill the soldiers.

One of the charges read “that you between 13 and 14 May 2014 at Maimalari cantonment in Maiduguri fired sporadically with the intent to incite other personnel of 101 battalion against the authority of 7 Division.”

Punishment for the offences under the Armed Forces Act include; death, imprisonment, dismissal with ignominy from the Armed Forces, a fine of a sum not exceeding the equivalent of three months’ pay among others.
The accused soldiers are entitled to a defence counsel of their choice. However, the convening officer must be informed of the defence counsel 24 hours before trial commences.
The convening officer is also expected to appoint a counsel if the accused persons fail to secure one.
The president of the GCM is expected to submit six bound copies of the proceedings of each case to Mr. Ndiomu not later than six weeks after the end of the trial.

Below are names of the accused soldiers, their ranks and service numbers:
96NA/ 42/6235 Cpl Jasper Braidolor
96NA/ 43/ 10277 Cpl David Musa
05NA/ 57/ 3451 LCpl Friday Onun
09NA/ 64/ 4905 LCpl Yusuf Shuaibu
09NA/ 62/ 1648 LCpl Igono Emmanuel
09NA/ 64/ 4214 Pte Andrew Ngbede
10NA/ 65/ 8344 Pte Nurudeen Ahmed
10NA/ 65/ 7084 Pte Ifeanyi Alukhagbe
13NA/ 69/ 2898 Pte Alao Samuel
13NA/ 69/ 2907 Pte Amadi Chukwudi
13NA/ 69/ 2898 Pte Allan Linus

The other seven soldiers also court-martialed but yet to be charged are:
93NA/ 36/ 1542 Cpl David Luhbut
97NA/ 45/ 7423 Cpl Muhammed Sani
03NA/ 53/ 816 Lcpl Stephen Clement
09NA/ 62/ 1648 Inama Samuel
09NA/ 64/ 5858 Iseh Ubong
10NA/ 65/ 6912 Ichocho Jeremiah
10NA/ 65/ 7343 Sabastine Gwaba

Courtesy:
Premium Times

Boko Haram: FG Floats N30bn 'Victims Support Fund', Inaugurates 'Safe Schools Initiative Committee'

President Goodluck Jonathan announced yesterday that the federal government has concluded plans to float a N30 billion support fund for victims of Boko Haram attacks across the country.
LEADERSHIP gathered that, while the
victims support fund got the endorsement of the Council of State on Tuesday, the federal government would be approaching Gen. Theophilus Danjuma to chair the fund, with Mr. Fola Adeola serving as his deputy.

President Jonathan who confirmed the floating of the fund when he inaugurated the Steering Committee for the Safe Schools Initiative at the presidential villa, Abuja.
He said, “We are also coming up with a package. Because we know that we need to intervene to cushion the effect of Boko Haram. So many people have been killed, we have widows and orphans. Properties have been destroyed, schools burnt.
Government is also coming up with what we call Victims Support Fund.
“We believe that government alone cannot cushion the effect. We want to mobilise resources within and outside Nigeria just like we did during the flood of 2012. We are trying to get somebody that will head that fund. We are looking at the 16th of this month to formally launch the fund.
Government will put something and
individuals will do too”.

The Safe Schools Initiative is being
implemented in collaboration with the
international community led by the
Rt. Hon. Gordon Brown, the UN Special Envoy on Education and former British Prime Minister and a true friend of the nation.

Steering Committee for the Safe Schools Initiative inaugurated by the president yesterday is co-chaired by Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala and Gordon Brown. Other members include Governors of Yobe, Borno, Adamawa, Aliko Dangote and Nduka Obaigbena, Women affairs, Wike, rep of NSA, DG NEMA, NCWS, civil society.

After inaugurating the committee,
Jonathan said in tackling insurgency,
government was deploying a three-point strategy that focuses on security to enhancement the country’s intelligence and military capability”.
He added that the federal government is also “seeking political solution by working with local governments and communities as well as economic solution through various economic empowerment and job creation programmes all directed at
combating insecurity.
“The safety of our children and the
security of their education must be
paramount to all of us. Tragic
occurrences like the kidnapping of the
Chibok girls must not rise again anywhere in this country”, he noted.
Jonathan continued: “This country is
passing through stress within this period caused by the excesses of the Boko Haram sect and our government has been approaching it from different fronts. We always insist that the defence or security does not end terror but we need to stop collateral damage on innocent people.
“For us to win the war, we need to look at it holistically: economic issues, educational issues, religious issues, socio-cultural issues etc. At the federal level, we have the Presidential Initiative in the North East (PINE). They are looking at the totality of what the Federal Government can do in collaboration with stakeholders.
He said, “Some states are fairly okay with one or two percent. But some states are as high as 70 percent. If the dropout rate of students at the basic level is as high as 70 percent, that means that only 30 percent only goes to school. That is
terrible.

Courtesy:
Leadership Newspaper

Scores of Nigerian Soldiers Ambushed, Killed In a Failed Bid To Recapture Damboa Barracks From Boko Haram

Nigerian soldiers deployed to recapture Damboa military base suffered huge casualties as Boko Haram militants ambushed them, killing at least 15 soldiers, a security source has disclosed to SaharaReporters.

The source stated that 200 soldiers had been sent on the operation to reclaim the base from the Islamist insurgents who overran it and took it over a few days ago. Our source stated that the militants, who had hoisted their flag on the base, had dug a trench where many of their heavily armed gunmen lay in ambush awaiting what they knew would be the inevitable arrival of a contingent of soldiers to retake the base.

As soon as the soldiers approached, the Islamist militants surprised them by opening fire from their trenches, killing as many as 15 soldiers and wounding many more, said the source. “Some of the injured soldiers said that they lost 15 soldiers, but the full extent of those who died is even unclear now,” he told our correspondent.

“I went to the MRS Hospital in Maimalari barracks in Maiduguri. The hospital is filled to capacity with injured soldiers,” said the source. He added that the hospital was so stretched that some of the wounded soldiers were on the bare floor to receive treatment. “There’s a lack of space and facilities to accommodate the injured victims.”

Our source said the injured soldiers were enraged that they were sent on such a high-risk operation without enough firepower and troops to take out Boko Haram insurgents. “They are very angry and the atmosphere is tense,” said the source.

Courtesy:
SaharaReporters

Exclusive: Iraq Tells U.N. that 'Terrorist Groups' Seized Nuclear Materials

UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - Insurgents in Iraq have seized nuclear materials used for scientific research at a university in the country's north, Iraq told the United Nations in a letter appealing for help to "stave off the
threat of their use by terrorists in Iraq or abroad."
Nearly 40 kilograms (88 pounds) of uranium compounds were kept at Mosul University, Iraq's U.N. Ambassador Mohamed Ali Alhakim told U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon in the July 8 letter obtained by Reuters on Wednesday.
"Terrorist groups have seized control of nuclear material at the sites that came out of the control of the state," Alhakim wrote, adding that such materials "can be used in manufacturing weapons of mass destruction."
"These nuclear materials, despite the limited amounts mentioned, can enable terrorist groups, with the availability of the required expertise, to use it separate or in combination with other materials in its terrorist acts," said Alhakim. He warned that they could also be smuggled out of Iraq.

A U.S. government source familiar with the matter said the materials were not believed to be enriched uranium and therefore would be difficult to use to manufacture into a weapon. Another U.S. official familiar with security matters said he was unaware of this development raising any alarm among U.S. authorities.

A Sunni Muslim group known as the Islamic State is spearheading a patchwork of insurgents who have
taken over large swaths of Syria and Iraq. The al Qaeda offshoot until recently called itself the Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL).
"The Republic of Iraq is notifying the international community of these dangerous developments and asking for help and the needed support to stave off the threat of their use by terrorists in Iraq or abroad," Alhakim wrote.

Iraq acceded to the Convention on the Physical Protection of Nuclear Material on Monday, said the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). The convention requires states to protect nuclear facilities and material in peaceful domestic use, storage and transport.
"It also provides for expanded cooperation between and among states regarding rapid measures to locate and recover stolen or smuggled nuclear material, mitigate any radiological consequences of sabotage, and prevent and combat related offences," according to the IAEA.

Courtesy:
Reuters

NSA and FBI Spied on 5 High-Profile Americans Muslims - Report

US spy agencies snooped on the emails of five high- profile Muslim Americans in an effort to identify security threats, documents leaked by fugitive ex-NSA contractor Edward Snowden show.
The targets include a lawyer, professor and a political operative, according to a report published in the Intercept.

The Intercept is an online news site overseen by Glenn Greenwald, who helped publish many of Mr Snowden's
leaks.
The FBI and NSA said they only spied on Americans when they had probable cause. "The National Security Agency and FBI have covertly monitored the emails of prominent Muslim Americans... under secretive procedures intended to target terrorists and foreign spies," according to The Intercept report.

Those allegedly spied on include:
• Faisal Gill, a Republican Party operative and former Department of Homeland Security employee
• Asim Ghafoor, a lawyer who represented clients in terrorism-related cases
• Hooshang Amirahmadi, an Iranian-American professor at Rutgers University
• Agha Saeed, a former political science professor at California State University
• Nihad Awad, the executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations.

According to the report - the result of a three-month investigation using classified documents obtained from
Mr Snowden - all five individuals have denied involvement in terrorist activities. 'Ethnic stereotypes'
The NSA and Department of Justice quickly responded to the report, saying emails of Americans are only accessed if there is probable cause.
"It is entirely false that US intelligence agencies conduct electronic surveillance of political, religious or activist figures solely because they disagree with public policies or criticise the government, or for exercising constitutional rights," the agencies wrote in a joint statement.
The White House has ordered a review of national security agencies in the wake of the allegations, however.
"Upon learning of this matter, the White House immediately requested that the Director of National Intelligence undertake an assessment of Intelligence Community policies, training standards or directives that promote diversity and tolerance," White House national security spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden said on Wednesday.
"The use of racial or ethnic stereotypes, slurs, or other similar language" is not acceptable, she added.

Edward Snowden, a former NSA contractor, leaked a trove of secure documents to international media
Several dozen civil liberties groups have also spoken out against the allegations made in The Intercept report, urging US President Barack Obama to provide a full public accounting of domestic surveillance.
It is not the first time US agencies have been accused of snooping on Americans. Previous documents leaked by Mr Snowden indicate the electronic files of thousands of citizens were scanned by the NSA.
Last year, Mr Snowden - a former NSA contractor now residing in Russia - fed a trove of secret NSA documents to news outlets including the Washington Post and the Guardian, where Mr Greenwald worked.

The US Congress has attempted to curb online snooping in the wake of the snooping revelations, with the House of Representatives passing legislation to that effect in mid-June.
The measure, added to a $570bn (£335bn) defence spending bill, would bar the NSA from collecting Americans' personal online information without a warrant.
Earlier this year the House also passed the USA Freedom Act that would limit the NSA's bulk data collection and storage of some American landline
telephone call records.

Courtesy:
BBC

Nigerian Government Investigating Politicians Linked With Boko Haram

THE Federal Government has said the Nigerian security forces, during their raid in terrorists’ forest in Bauchi, discovered some materials that linked some politicians and a prominent political party to terrorists’ activities.
The national coordinator of National Information Centre (NIC), Mr Mike Omeri, made this known on Wednesday, during a routine briefing on the current security situation in the country.

Omeri, however, vowed that the Federal Government would reveal the names of the politicians and the party involved, stressing the it would not condone involvement of politicians in security issues. He said: “after the last successful operations carried out by security forces to dislodge terrorists from their forest base in Darazo Local Government Area, end of the Balmo forest, some politicians are currently being investigated, following their link with activities in the forest.
“The politicians are being interrogated, following the recovery of some sensitive registration cards and other materials of a prominent political party that were found in the possession of some of the suspects arrested.
“Investigation is still ongoing to further unravel the identity of others that may have been involved and as soon as it is completed, we shall reveal the names of the culprits and the political party.”
Omeri, however, said the government would not condone the involvement of politicians in security matters.

Also the spokesperson of the Department of State Security (DSS), Marylin Ogar, has referred to the ‘Bring Back Our Girls’ protest as a franchise. Ogar said, “If it was not a franchise or an ordinary movement seeking to put more pressure on government and security operations to release this girls, there would be no need for the group to have tags,” insisting that “for them to have tags and be properly registered, we also know that they have a bank account.
“We know that they want to go to Asokoro extension and simulate some force movement where they will have foreign media and say they are matching into Sambisa and Chibok.”

Courtesy:
Tribune

Boko Haram Insists on Prisoners-for-Girls Swap, NCS Assures Chibok Girls Will Be Freed Soon

A man claiming to be a member of Boko Haram has maintained that the federal government must release its members detained in numerous facilities nationwide before the terrorist group releases the 219 Chibok schoolgirls it has held in captivity for almost three months.

Speaking on the BBC World Service, the man whose voice was disguised in order to conceal his identity, said he was a teacher or scholar in the sect and joined the group in 2004. He told the BBC that the girls were in “a state of amnesty”, healthy and eating well, adding that the Christians who refused to convert to Islam were not forced to do so as it is anti-Islamic.
The Boko Haram member maintained that the girls were taken for a specific reason and reiterated the condition
for their release, adding that the girls would be released once the federal government met the terrorist group’s
demands for a prisoner exchange deal.
“Today, if the government releases our members, tomorrow or the next day, we promise you can see all of them. As our leader Abubakar Shekau promised to the media, if the government releases our members, we will release them.”

On the condition of the girls, the Boko Haram teacher said: “I am telling a fact, they are in a state of amnesty, they don’t have a problem. Some of them have belief in Islam, some of them said they will not convert to Islam, but we did not differentiate. We are not forcing them or putting them under any pressure.
“Those who agreed to convert to Islam have been converted and those who refused we left them, we said stay. There is no forced conversion in Islam. Allah commands us to treat everyone equally. We are not differentiating them; we treat all of them equally.
“They all are healthy. They are feeding well. If you see them now, you will see that they don’t have any problem.”
He added that under the Islamic faith the killing of women and children was unacceptable except they are
the aggressors, but pointed out that some of them might get caught in the crossfire in the event of bombings or attacks.
“Under Islam, killing women and children is not acceptable. But if they are fighting you, then you must fight them. But if they don’t attack you, you leave them. Killing children and women is not accepted at all. We only go after those who give information to our enemy… But if we bomb somewhere or make arrest somewhere, it will affect them but killing women and children is not accepted,” he said.

Despite the revelations made by the Boko Haram “teacher” the Council of State, which met yesterday reiterated the position of the federal government that the abducted schoolgirls would soon regain their freedom, urging the public to be patient as the government works to wipe out terrorism.
Briefing State House correspondents at the end of the meeting the Governor of Akwa Ibom State, Godswill Akpabio, said the security of the nation topped the agenda, adding that President Goodluck Jonathan and the National Security Adviser, Col. Sambo Dasuki (rtd) were briefed on the steps that were being taken to rescue the abducted schoolgirls.
He said military authorities also confirmed that efforts were being made and very soon there would be good news.
“It was also heartwarming to note that the issue is not whether we can rescue the girls, but the issue is how can we can rescue them in a way that we can ensure their safety so that we don't end up in the attempt to rescue them we endanger their lives.
“What also came out is the need for Nigerians to be patient because terrorism is a new challenge in Nigeria
and it is not something that goes away immediately and we have to be meticulous in our approach and
make sure that we take the best steps forward to reduce and minimise the possible loss of lives in an attempt to curb the insurgents.
“We are very satisfied the security agents know very well where the girls are located and they are on top of the situation.

Courtesy:

ThisDay Newspaper

Two British Returnees From Syria Admit Preparing to Carry Out Terrorist Acts at Woolwich Crown Court

Two men who travelled to Syria to join rebel fighters have admitted preparing to carry out terrorist acts.

Childhood friends Mohammed Nahin Ahmed and Yusuf Zubair Sarwar, both 22, from Handsworth, Birmingham, spent eight months in the wartorn country last year after contacting Islamic extremists from the UK.
The men were arrested at Heathrow by West Midlands police's counter-terrorism unit on their return in January. They each admitted one count of engaging in conduct in preparation of terrorism acts at Woolwich crown court in London on Tuesday.

More details soon...

Courtesy:
The Guardian

#BringBackOurGirls: Group Petition ICC To Serve Nigerian Govt. For Criminal Negligence, Decries Interagency Rivalry

The BringBackOurGirls group have petitioned the ICC to serve the Nigerian government for criminal negligence over its inability to rescue the over 200 schoolgirls abducted in Chibok on April 14, 2014.

A member of the group, Dino Melaye, who stated this yesterday, said the ICC negligence would serve the government after he wrote them on 14 grounds of criminal negligence by the federal government in the bid to rescue the Chibok girls.
He said: “With the help of two professors and a Swedish lawyer, we were able to put together a 14-count charge of criminal negligence and within this week, the federal government will be served. We
are hoping that with the help of the ICC
and the international community, our
government will be forced to expedite the action on the rescue of the schoolgirls.

“I have won some cases against the
police in a bid to ensure the continued
gathering of this sit-out and I believe that with the ICC coming in now, we will
achieve great results.”
The group also noted with dismay the
rivalry between the chief of army staff
and his air force counterpart in the rescue mission of the girls and that it was affecting the security mission in Borno State. It emphasised the need for
harmony in the effort.
The group further expressed displeasure
over the lack of results in the rescue
mission and the security situation in the
country, and noted that they would keep
on protesting until the girls were brought back safe and alive.

Courtesy:
Leadership Newspaper

Nigerian Military Arrests Boko Haram 'Foreign Mercenaries’

Nigerian military authorities have announced a successful anti-terror operation along Nigeria’s border with Niger Republic during which suspected foreign mercenaries were arrested.

In a statement on its website, defence
headquarters said troops cleared and took over the Balmo forest, which stretches from Bauchi to Jigawa State. It is also said to be linked to the fringes Sambisa forest in Borno State where the kidnapped schoolgirls are believed to have been kept days after their abduction in April. The forest had been serving as bases and hideouts for the terrorists from where they launched attacks, the military said.

“Terrorists and armed gangs operating in the forests were completely rooted out while some were captured during the operation.
“Among those captured were two foreigners who are suspected to be mercenaries.
Also captured are several weapons and equipment including power generating sets, communication equipment, vehicles, motorcycles, foodstuff and kitchen utensils,” the statement said.
It further stated that over 44 terror suspects had died in Kerenoa and adjoining communities, following an encounter with troops “who repelled their attack on the communities”.
The insurgents were said to have been armed with explosive devices and other high calibre weapons when they carried out a predawn attack on the communities “but met with stiff resistance of the troops… several of them were captured as well as weapons and ammunitions of various calibre”.

In Banki and Miyanti in Borno State at the weekend, Nigerian troops were reportedly ambushed by the terrorists, leading to the death of six soldiers and a number of the militants.

Courtesy:
The Cable