Friday, May 18, 2012
Mood: UN Observers Can’t Stop Syria Violence
The head of the UN observer force in Syria says no number of observers can stop the violence rocking the country; calls for talks.
The commander of the UN observer team in Syria said, on Friday, no number of observers would be able to achieve an end to violence.
Norwegian team leader Maj. Gen. Robert Mood told reporters that only dialogue could lead to a cessation of 14-months of violence.
Speaking at a news conference in Damascus, Mood called for an immediate implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire that was to go into effect in April.
Only then, he said, could the observer force aid in building trust between the parties as they pursue a peaceful resolution.
More than 200 observers of Mood's planned 300 strong observer force are currently deployed in various towns and cities around Syria to monitor a theoretical ceasefire.
The cease-fire was to be the first step in a six-point plan brokered by UN envoy Kofi Annan, but violations are reported by both sides every day.
Earlier this week, a group of UN observers came under fire when forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad opened fire on a funeral procession.
They were reportedly hidden by members of the rebel Syrian Free Army overnight until they could be recovered by Mood's command group.
Previously, a convoy in which Mood was travelling was targeted by a roadside bomb. He was unhurt, but ten security personnel accompanying him were wounded.
Reports of war crimes by Assad's forces – including the systemic kidnapping, rape, torture, and mass summary execution of dissidents and rebels – have become commonplace.
UN Human Rights officials, who say there is ample evidence to try Assad for war crimes, maintain at least 9,100 people have been killed in the regime’s brutal crackdown on Syria's Arab Spring uprising.
However, officials also say they stopped counting the dead months ago due to the pervasive chaos in the country.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says more than 12,000 have been killed, most of them civilians – at least 900 since the April ceasefire deadline passed.
Font: By Gabe Kahn
Robert Mood
The commander of the UN observer team in Syria said, on Friday, no number of observers would be able to achieve an end to violence.
Norwegian team leader Maj. Gen. Robert Mood told reporters that only dialogue could lead to a cessation of 14-months of violence.
Speaking at a news conference in Damascus, Mood called for an immediate implementation of the UN-brokered ceasefire that was to go into effect in April.
Only then, he said, could the observer force aid in building trust between the parties as they pursue a peaceful resolution.
More than 200 observers of Mood's planned 300 strong observer force are currently deployed in various towns and cities around Syria to monitor a theoretical ceasefire.
The cease-fire was to be the first step in a six-point plan brokered by UN envoy Kofi Annan, but violations are reported by both sides every day.
Earlier this week, a group of UN observers came under fire when forces loyal to Syrian president Bashar al-Assad opened fire on a funeral procession.
They were reportedly hidden by members of the rebel Syrian Free Army overnight until they could be recovered by Mood's command group.
Previously, a convoy in which Mood was travelling was targeted by a roadside bomb. He was unhurt, but ten security personnel accompanying him were wounded.
Reports of war crimes by Assad's forces – including the systemic kidnapping, rape, torture, and mass summary execution of dissidents and rebels – have become commonplace.
UN Human Rights officials, who say there is ample evidence to try Assad for war crimes, maintain at least 9,100 people have been killed in the regime’s brutal crackdown on Syria's Arab Spring uprising.
However, officials also say they stopped counting the dead months ago due to the pervasive chaos in the country.
The London-based Syrian Observatory for Human Rights says more than 12,000 have been killed, most of them civilians – at least 900 since the April ceasefire deadline passed.
Font: By Gabe Kahn
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Anti-Terror Alliances: Saudi Arabia, Yemen, and the United States vs. al-Qaeda and its Affiliates
As the anniversary of Osama Bin Laden’s killing (May 1, 2012) approached, al-Qaeda commanders in Saudi Arabia planned a terrorist attack that involved downing a passenger plane in the United States Detroit
Yet once more, it was demonstrated that Yemen United States United States has increased its air strikes targeting al-Qaeda activists in Yemen
The events of the "Arab Spring," which left their imprint on Yemen, have given al-Qaeda and its supporters new momentum and maneuvering room in the country, manifested by their takeover of several provinces, especially in the east and south, in Shabwa, and in cities such as Zinjibar, al-Kawd, Shaqra, Rada’a, Ja’ar, and recently also Lawdar located in the Abyan province in southern Yemen. This region has recently become the major area of conflict between militias associated with Ansar al-Sharia and al-Qaeda on the one hand, and the military, on the other. The struggle has intensified; at times, battles have resulted in rebel victories and cold-blooded killings of soldiers, some executed publicly. Other soldiers have been captured and held for ransom in return for the release of rebels held in Yemeni and Saudi jails.
The organization’s focus on terrorism against the United States
At the same time, the foiled aircraft attack reveals the depths of current cooperation between the Americans and the Saudis, which has increased over the years, despite the mutual distrust between the nations. The roots of that distrust lie in the role played by many Saudis in terrorist attacks in the United States Saudi Arabia Yemen Saudi Arabia
In order to contain negative influences and the threat to the regime’s stability given the shockwaves of the "Arab Spring," Saudi Arabia United States , following the expressed American displeasure with Saudi Arabia Yemen Britain and Dubai before reaching their destination: Chicago
The Americans have contributed their operational and technological superiority to these joint efforts. Specifically, the Americans can quickly and efficiently translate intelligence reaching them from local collaborators into surgical air strikes against al-Qaeda commanders. This was the case with the September 2011 assassination of Anwar al-Awlaki, the organization’s spokesman, as well as that of Fahd al-Quso on May 6, 2012. The latter had been a wanted man with a large reward for his capture because of his role in the attack on the USS Cole and the attempted attacks on the cargo planes. The air strike that killed al-Quso was made possible by intelligence relayed by the Saudis to the Americans from a Saudi source who was supposed to have played the role of suicide bomber in the attack on the American plane meant to commemorate the first anniversary of Bin Laden’s assassination. This success is indicative of the depth of the Saudi intelligence penetration of Yemeni and Saudi terrorist organizations, but the fact that is has become public knowledge is liable to heighten the level of alertness among al-Qaeda operatives in the peninsula. They have already proven their ability to overcome such obstacles: one of their people, who was ostensibly reformed and had entered the Saudi rehabilitation program, was able to penetrate the layers of Saudi security and set off explosives hidden in his underwear in the vicinity of Saudi Arabian Deputy Interior Minister Prince Bin Nayef. The latter escaped unscathed from the attempt on his life.
It thus seems that the upheavals in the Arab world, optimistically called the Arab Spring, have at least for now created instability among Arab governments, thereby affording al-Qaeda and its affiliates a wide playing field for action and future possibilities despite the blows they have sustained in the last ten years. Despite the premature announcements of American officials about al-Qaeda’s impending demise, it seems that only close, effective cooperation between the United States and its allies, such as Saudi Arabia , Yemen
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Monday, May 14, 2012
USS George Washington validates its fire-fighting system
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USS George Washington (CVN 73) transits the Atlantic Ocean after completing a regularly scheduled deployment.
Photo: US Navy photo by photographer's mate 3rd Class Summer M Anderson.
The US Navy has successfully conducted countermeasure washdown system testing on its Japan-based nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier the USS George Washington's (CVN 73) as part of sea trials.
The ship's critical fire-fighting and washdown system uses a mixture of sea water and aqueous film forming foam (AFFF) to fight against aircraft and ordnance fires by cutting off the fire's oxygen supply.
Antonio Garcia, Los Angeles damage controlman 3rd Class, said the AFFF countermeasure washdown system would be tested to ensure that all of the systems are in proper working order before the start of every cruise.
"Each quarter we ensure that each system having to do with our countermeasure washdown systems are functional, from our bilge sprinklers, hangar bay sprinklers and our weapons elevators," he said.
"Instead of flooding the spaces with AFFF, we recirculate the solution as we run the tests to ensure everything is in working order."
A concentration of 94% water and 6% AFFF is sprayed over every square foot of the ship's three hangar bays and exterior skin following, which the crew used sea water to hose the deck down for scrubbing during the test.
Sailors used foul weather suits, as well as gloves and eye protection, to ensure prevention from AFFF, which may prove hazardous when left on the skin for too long during scrubbing.
The washdown system has been designed to protect crew against chemical, biological, and radiological (CBR) attacks onboard ship's flight deck and in the hangar bay by washing any contaminant from the ship's skin before entering the ship.
The USS George Washington has completed a six-month routine maintenance period and is undergoing sea trial to validate its every procedure and piece of equipment, as well as completing each department's unique check-off list to ensure mission readiness.
“The US Navy has successfully conducted countermeasure washdown system testing on its Japan-based nuclear-powered Nimitz-class aircraft carrier the USS George Washington's (CVN 73) as part of sea trials.”
A New Jordanian Government
Jordanian prime ministers do not resign; they are replaced. Thus it is hard to believe that Awn Khasawneh actually resigned on April 26, 2012 – while on a visit to Turkey, no less. Moreover, the new Prime Minister, Fayez Tarawneh, was appointed in a hurried fashion, and the King’s letter, which was publicized immediately, was unusual in the harshness of the criticism aimed at the outgoing PM, more indicative of a dismissal than a resignation.
In the appointment letter, the King praised the new PM and hinted at the role Tarawneh – who served as prime minister at the end of King Hussein’s rule – played in the transition to the rule of King Abdullah II. The smooth, peaceful transition seems to justify the praise.
The King made it clear to Tarawneh that he is being appointed for a transition period, during which he must implement several reforms: the political parties law, the establishment of a constitutional court, the establishment of an elections commission, and most of all, the electoral law. The King noted that the latter is meant to ensure that “the lower house will indeed represent all Jordanians…the high level of representation of a just representation.” The driving idea is to make elections possible before the end of the year. The King added that local government elections must be held, that freedom of the press must be ensured, and that it is necessary to expedite economic reforms alongside the political reforms. The letter emphasized in particular the importance of dealing with corruption and completing an energy and water development master plan.
King Abdullah thus took a conciliatory stand vis-à-vis protesters by telling Tarawneh that they must be treated in a “civilized manner," with the need to understand their motives in order to make sure that closer links between the people and state institutions are forged.
The security forces were not omitted from the letter – the King noted the need to abide by their requirements – and neither, of course, were the Palestinians. The King stressed Jordan’s support for the establishment of a sustainable Palestinian state inside the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital: “We, the Hashemites, will continue to play our historic role in defending and preserving the sites holy to Islam and Christianity in Jerusalem.”
The new government, sworn in on May 2, 2012, has 30 ministers, 12 of whom served in the outgoing cabinet, including Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh.
The election law is the toughest of the challenges facing the new government. The King is trying to steer a course between the demand by the opposition – particularly the Muslim Brotherhood – for full proportional representation, which would reflect the support for the organization, and the King’s own desire not to lose control of parliament even while projecting the appearance of a reform-minded sovereign. It is safe to assume that the jurist in him confronted outgoing Prime Minister Awn Khasawneh with many thorny dilemmas and put him in conflict with the King. Finding a formula that will bridge the opposition’s demand and the royal court’s desire for political survival is all but impossible, as the Muslim Brotherhood draws encouragement from the party’s victories in Egypt and the Jordanian Teachers’ Union elections.
The current formula presented to the Jordanian parliament in early April, before Khasawneh’s resignation-cum-dismissal, was not favorably received. According to the formula, every voter will vote for three candidates: two from expanded voting districts that have not yet been drafted and one from a national list of the parties participating in the elections. While this is the first time that national lists will be presented to voters, the number of candidates elected in national and proportional elections will not exceed 50 percent of the members of the house of representatives as demanded by the opposition. Only 15 national candidates out of the 138 members of parliament determined by the law will be elected in national elections; a national party cannot win more than five of them. The objective is clear: reducing the representation of the Islamic Action Front, the political arm of the Muslim Brotherhood and diluting the Palestinian representation.
Aware of the need for international backing, the King is trying to garner support for his way of confronting the dilemmas presented by Jordan's particular situation. The King recently visited Brussels, the capital of the EU, and Strasbourg, the seat of the EU parliament, and on his return met with EU ambassadors. Furthermore, in a meeting with American Congressional aides the King presented his position on the political parties law. It seems that the King is thinking in terms of three political parties (right, left, and center) whose platforms are national rather than representative of sectarian interests, a message to the Muslim Brotherhood that it will have to produce a comprehensive political and economic platform that goes beyond what has been presented in the organization’s weekly demonstrations.
The opposition (i.e., the Muslim Brotherhood and left-leaning groups) expressed their displeasure with Tarawneh’s appointment in the May 4, 2012 protests that focused on revoking the October 1994 peace agreement with Israel, of which Tarawneh was one of the main architects. Hundreds of demonstrators called the peace agreement an “agreement of surrender.” Demonstrations spread also to cities in the south, considered bastions of support for the Hashemites. In fact, slogans calling for reforms were noticeably absent in the most recent demonstrations; it was clear that the focus on Israel was meant to undermine Tarawneh’s credibility and emphasize that he is not the choice of all segments of Jordan’s population.
On May 6, 2012 the King appointed the elections commission; it is headed by Abdul Ilah Khatib and consists of four additional members with legal background. Khatib, who served as foreign minister in several governments between 1998 and 2002, coordinated the international political activity over the Libyan crisis for the UN Secretary General and earned high praise. The role of the elections commission is to oversee all stages of the elections process and make sure that the outcome of the process is “a lower house that will express the true will of the people and represent all segments of society” – an inherently problematic statement. The first reactions to the establishment of the commission were positive, but despite its importance and the qualifications of its members, the transparency and propriety of the elections is merely a secondary issue.
It seems that the King will be forced to soften the proposed law and increase the number of representatives of national parties, even if the final number is less than half of parliament. Without any effort to accept some of the opposition’s demands, the opposition is liable to boycott the elections and cast doubt on the representative nature of the next parliament.
At this point, the King and his government will likely avoid posting a new ambassador to Israel so as not to upset further the delicate relationship with the opposition. It may be that this approach will be expanded to include other official steps in the sphere of Jordanian-Israeli relations, unless King Abdullah II succeeds in his attempt to revive the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations.
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US Navy and MDA complete BMD system intercept flight test
The US Navy and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) have jointly conducted an Aegis Ballistic Missile Defense (BMD) 4.0.1 system flight test aboard the Ticonderoga-class guided-missile cruiser USS Lake Erie (CG 70).
During the test, designated Flight Test Standard Missile-16 (FTM-16) Event 2a, a target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii to intercept the Raytheon-built Standard missile 3 (SM-3) Block 1B over the Pacific Ocean.
The AN/SPY-1 radar on board Lake Erie successfully detected and tracked the missile while the second-generation Aegis BMD 4.0.1 configuration weapon system, developed a fire control solution and launched the SM-3 Block IB interceptor.
The kinetic warhead, released by the SM-3 missile, acquired the target and diverted its path using only the force of a direct impact, engaged and destroyed the threat in a hit-to-kill intercept.
Designed to defend against airborne threats, the Aegis system is a surface-to-air integrated weapons platform and is also used by the navy as a tactical radar defence and fire-control system.
Aegis-equipped ships are multi-mission surface combatants, to be equipped with SM-3 missiles, which can simultaneously attack land targets, submarines and surface ships while automatically implementing defences to protect the fleet against aircraft and missiles.
About 27 Aegis BMD-equipped ships are currently available for operational deployment, of which 23 belong to US Navy and four are Japanese destroyers.
The SM-3 Block IB interceptor features a two-colour infrared seeker, an upgraded onboard signal processor and a throttleable divert and attitude control system to manoeuvre the IB interceptor to intercept.
“The Aegis system is a surface-to-air integrated weapons platform and is also used by the navy as a tactical radar defence and fire-control system.”
During the test, designated Flight Test Standard Missile-16 (FTM-16) Event 2a, a target was launched from the Pacific Missile Range Facility, Kauai, Hawaii to intercept the Raytheon-built Standard missile 3 (SM-3) Block 1B over the Pacific Ocean.
The AN/SPY-1 radar on board Lake Erie successfully detected and tracked the missile while the second-generation Aegis BMD 4.0.1 configuration weapon system, developed a fire control solution and launched the SM-3 Block IB interceptor.
The kinetic warhead, released by the SM-3 missile, acquired the target and diverted its path using only the force of a direct impact, engaged and destroyed the threat in a hit-to-kill intercept.
A Standard Missile-3 (SM-3) Block 1B interceptor being launched from USS Lake Erie (CG 70). Photo: US Navy
Designed to defend against airborne threats, the Aegis system is a surface-to-air integrated weapons platform and is also used by the navy as a tactical radar defence and fire-control system.
Aegis-equipped ships are multi-mission surface combatants, to be equipped with SM-3 missiles, which can simultaneously attack land targets, submarines and surface ships while automatically implementing defences to protect the fleet against aircraft and missiles.
About 27 Aegis BMD-equipped ships are currently available for operational deployment, of which 23 belong to US Navy and four are Japanese destroyers.
The SM-3 Block IB interceptor features a two-colour infrared seeker, an upgraded onboard signal processor and a throttleable divert and attitude control system to manoeuvre the IB interceptor to intercept.
“The Aegis system is a surface-to-air integrated weapons platform and is also used by the navy as a tactical radar defence and fire-control system.”
Boeing conducts first flight for USAF QF-16 FSAT
Boeing has successfully completed the first QF-16 full scale aerial target (FSAT) manned flight for the US Air Force (USAF) at Cecil Field in Jacksonville, Florida, US.
Boeing Global Maintenance and Upgrades vice president, Torbjorn Sjogren, said: "With this successful first flight of the QF-16, the USAF, Boeing and our supplier-partners have laid the groundwork for the programme to enter low-rate production in 2013 and make its first production delivery in 2014."
During the 66-minute flight, the QF-16 aircraft climbed to an altitude of 41,000ft and demonstrated the basic performance of the newly installed modification package.
The QF-16 modification package enables it to fly in an unmanned mode under the control of a ground-based control system, such as the Gulf Range Drone Control System (GRDCS) at Tyndall Air Force Base, Florida, US or the Drone Formation Control System (DFCS) at White Sands Missile Range (WSMR), New Mexico, US.
A GRDCS mobile trailer with portable transmission towers provided communications between the flight controller, personnel on the ground and the QF-16 pilot, during the trails.
The USAF had awarded a $69.7m contract to Boeing in March 2010 to begin the first phase of the QF-16 programme with options to procure up to 126 FSATs by 2014.
In the first phase, Boeing, together with BAE Systems, will begin engineering, manufacturing and development of the full-scale manned and unmanned QF-16 aircraft.
The USAF will receive six QF-16 test aircraft for additional testing over the Gulf Range from Boeing in October 2012.
Boeing will support government flight testing from Holloman Air Force Base, New Mexico, US, following the completion of additional testing over the WSMR complex.
Image: Boeing conducts first manned flight of QF-16 full scale aerial target (FSAT). Photo: courtesy of The Boeing Company.
Saturday, May 12, 2012
Nano Drones, Ethical Algorithms: Inside Israel’s Secret Plan for Its Future Air Force
An Israel Air Force flight simulator. Photo: IAF
TEL AVIV, Israel — Nano drones that an infantryman can pull out of his pocket; helicopters piloted by robots who extract wounded soldiers from the battlefield; micro satellites on demand; large spy balloons in the upper reaches of the stratosphere; virtual training with a helmet from your office; algorithms that resolve pilots’ ethical dilemmas (so they won’t have to deal with those pesky war crimes tribunals); and farming out code to a network of high school kids.
Since mid-2009, some 300 Israel Air Force officers have been brainstorming about the next steps for one of the world’s most advanced air forces, and the main pillar of Israel’s strategic power. This “IAF 2030″ project has just come to an end. Besides a standard press release issued by the military, little has been disclosed about it. Exclusive details are reported here for the first time.
The task of preparing the project was given to Major Nimrod Segev, head of the IAF’s long-term planning department. Segev divided his 300 officers into nine teams: Advanced Information Technology, Vast Data, Space, Cyber, Environment, Intelligence, Human Factor, Organizational Behavior, and a ‘Red Team,’ to challenge the other eight’s assumptions.
The participants were asked to think ahead — far ahead — something that doesn’t come easy in the military culture here, where long-term planning is almost unheard of. What changes would it have to make in weapons systems, platforms, technology, manpower, and organizational behavior to meet potential new threats? What new planes, guidance systems, and technology would they want? Let loose, the officers were told. Don’t worry about the how and the how much; just let your imaginations go. The air force even brought in Israel’s number one dreamer — President Shimon Peres — to fire their imaginations with a pep talk.
The vast majority of the “IAF 2030″ document is classified. The interview with Segev at the IAF’s headquarters in Tel Aviv — nicknamed the “Canary” — was conducted with a security officer present. No questions about the Red Team were answered.
Robots will fly helicopters and extract wounded from the battlefield, if the vision of the "IAF 2030" project materializes. Photo: IAF
Segev did open about one of the more controversial ideas that came up, however: the notion of “mathematical formulas that solve even the difficult ethical dilemmas in place of human pilots.” The air force has been developing technologies for quite some time now that can divert missiles in midair if all of a sudden a civilian pops up near the target, but often this kind of thing happens too quickly even for the most skilled operators. It’s part of an uneven, decade-long IAF effort to try to bring down collateral damage — a necessity, since the air force fights asymmetric enemies in densely populated areas. But this is something the IAF is keen to develop even more.
The concept of a computer taking over almost all the functions of this kind of thing is very tricky, though; you can’t very well say at a war crimes tribunal that you’re not responsible for unintended deaths, or tell the judge it was all the algorithm’s fault.
Some machines may vanish, too. In the meantime, some machines may vanish. Many in the IAF 2030 group thought that the future didn’t lie in large, expensive simulators at air force bases, but rather portable simulators you can use almost anywhere. “Virtual training from your office. Strap on a helmet and you’re in the air,” Segev said.
While the last aerial dogfight between Israeli and Arab warplanes took place somewhere in the early ’80s, Segev said that aerial combat was now, and would continue to be, a staple of IAF pilot training. “While we didn’t get to the point of making the human pilot obsolete, we do see that the job of a pilot is vastly different from what it was. These days the air-to-air missile is the ‘dogfight’ – the missile can be launched from a vast distance at an enemy plane. The point is to see the enemy way before he sees you, and for that you need datafighters, not dogfighters,” Segev says.
Segev also told Danger Room that the Space and Intelligence teams found the 100,000 feet layer of the stratosphere “very interesting.” These days, the best warplanes can only fly to somewhere around 50,000 feet, and the best satellites in low orbit can get down to 500,000 feet. That leaves a whole ‘middle layer’ where “you can get really creative,” he adds.
Another off-the-wall idea: farming out complex coding and other technical tasks to a network of six technical high schools run by the IAF across the country. These technical schools already exist. But by 2030 — when today’s infants will be enrolled — these teenagers could be at the core of a revamped Israel Air Force.
Al-Qaeda draws Maghreb militants to Mali
[Jemal Oumar] Touareg militants, seen driving near
Timbuktu on May 7th, share control of northern Mali
with Islamist groups and al-Qaeda fighters.
Al-Qaeda in Islamic Maghreb (AQIM) has a new strategy to bolster its ranks in northern Mali: bringing in recruits from the Maghreb.
Maghreb militants are flocking to Timbuktu, Kidal and Gao to join al-Qaeda brigades, local officials report.
"Hundreds of fighters from Tunisia, Libya and the Maghreb have arrived in northern Mali to join al-Qaeda, Malian daily L'Express quoted a defence ministry official as saying on Sunday (May 6th).
The Timbuktu spokesperson for Islamist group and al-Qaeda ally Ansar al-Din told Magharebia: "We can't confirm or deny the arrival of new recruits to al-Qaeda in the region."
Sanad Ould Bouamama added, however, "It's not in our interests to expel them as long as their goal is to fight apostates and apply the Islamic Sharia we all seek."
"We're different from them because we are a local group," Ould Bouamama stressed. "Al-Qaeda's presence extends from Mauritania to Niger and Libya, and they can take any of their elements to areas that are under their control."
The international community is raising alarms about the wider threat al-Qaeda poses after its expansion into Mali.
"We are very worried by what is happening in Mali and its impact on the region," UN High Commissioner for Refugees Antonio Guterres said this week.
"We need to create the right conditions to avoid this crisis becoming a threat to global security," he added, appealing to the international community to get involved.
It is more than a mere regional crisis, he said. It is a "risk to peace and security all over the world".
Timbuktu mayor Hallé Ousman noted that AQIM members from all over now move freely in the region.
"Al-Qaeda's elements can enter and exit anytime. This has become a usual thing for us. They can pass in front of me without being observed," he said.
Ibrahim Ag Asa, a resident of Timbuktu, told Magharebia, "I saw with my own eyes non-Malian al-Qaeda armed elements. They are likely from Tunisia, Algeria and Libya."
"I didn't see Moroccans, or at least I didn't hear anyone among them speaking Moroccan dialect," he added.
In an attempt to win the hearts of the local population, foreign militants from the Maghreb have been seen distributing food to displaced people in the suburbs of Timbuktu.
Mohamad Ag Ali, a livestock trader, overheard them saying: "We're your neighbours and our goal is to raise the word of Allah alongside our brothers."
"Some people were extremely afraid, while others were hungry and wanted to get food, so they didn't object to what they were saying," he added.
The mayor of Timbuktu also voiced concerns about how the terrorists are behaving with the local citizenry.
"They stormed food stores and distributed food to residents, but this is not approved by any religion, because they are taking food by force and distributing it according to their own rules," Hallé Ousman said.
"The question now is: how will they continue to give food to people after the looted stores run out of food?" he wondered.
He noted the rising rage against the interlopers, particularly after the destruction of the tomb of Timbuktu saint Sidi Mahmoud Ben Amar on May 3rd.
"They started by preventing us from practicing our habits in visiting graves on Fridays," the mayor said. "They even destroyed our holy places, making us extremely angry."
For his part, Dawood Ag Mohamad, imam of the Belferandi Mosque, said he had not personally met "the new groups that are said to have entered Timbuktu" but "heard from more than one person that they came to the city to enhance the presence of al-Qaeda here".
[AFP/Al-Andalus] Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb emir
Abou Zeid (left) was recently seen in the northern Malian region of Kidal.
The appearance of armed militants from the Maghreb is not restricted to Timbuktu, AFP reported on May 7th, citing a Malian security source.
Other cities such as Kidal, in the northeastern tip of the country, are also facing the influx of foreign AQIM fighters.
And this can only serve to further isolate an already remote and struggling region.
Just last week-end, Kidal residents spotted top al-Qaeda leaders in their town.
Khaled Abou El Abass (aka Mokhtar Belmokhtar, or "Laaouar"), head of the AQIM katibat that spans Algeria, Chad, Niger, Mauritania and Mali, toured the city on Friday and Saturday, Mali's Le Republican daily reported May 7th.
Abdelhamid Abou Zeid (real name Mohamed Ghadir) was also spotted in Kidal. The "Tariq ibn Ziyad" brigade boss now runs AQIM operations from Adrar province up to the Niger border.
Yahya Abou Al-Hammam (aka Jemal Oukacha), the second-in-command to AQIM chief Abelmalek Droukdel, was seen with his AQIM colleagues as well. Last month, Ansar al-Din installed the Algerian national and al-Qaeda emir as the governor of Timbuktu.
The Timbuktu governor appointment was part of the power-sharing deal between the Islamist group and al-Qaeda.
Conditions in Kidal have forced families to flee for neighbouring Algeria or Niger. Only people that can't leave, together with livestock breeders unable to find shelter for their animals, are staying behind.
Kidal citizens are facing other hardships in the name of Islamic Sharia, one of the few residents who remained in town told Magharebia.
"The people here are under strict surveillance to make them change their social habits in clothing, and the way they greet each other and talk," Sheta Ag Haman said.
"Men are forced to go to mosque regularly, and their children must now attend segregated religious schools," he said. Violators of Sharia face whippings and other punishments, he added.
The dire situation in Kidal led local leaders to meet with militants from the other player in the struggle for northern Mali – the National Movement for the Liberation of Azawad (MNLA) – to discuss ways to force al-Qaeda to leave their town, Touareg activist Adoum Ag al-Wali told Magharebia.
Many fearful residents, however, have already done the same.
Font: By Jemal Oumar for Magharebia in Nouakchott
INTERPOL Red Notice Update: Organized Crime Behind Cyber Attacks
The head of Interpol, the international police agency, said that organized criminal gangs are behind most cyber-crime attacks. Cyber-crime is also increasingly international in structure. The message for midsize firms and their IT managers: You are a prime target.
Unlike politically motivated "hactivists," organized-crime hackers are not seeking publicity. They aren't in it to send a message or even for self-glorification. They're just in it for the money. Midsize firms are large enough to be tempting targets. But most do not have extensive cybersecurity organizations or policies. And they are not so big that attacks draw unwanted public attention.
Bigger Than Drugs
Khoo Boon Hui, president of Interpol, recently addressed the agency's European Regional Conference in Tel Aviv, Israel, As reported by AFP's Steve Weizman via Yahoo News, Hui said that most cyber crime is conducted by organized international gangs. And their take makes cyber crime more costly than global cocaine, heroin, and marijuana trafficking combined.
Hui estimated that 80 percent of online crime is "connected to organised gangs operating across borders." For organized criminal groups, cyber crime offers multiple advantages. It is more lucrative and less risky than traditional rackets. And the global character of the Internet makes cyber crime much easier to organize on an international basis.
Another report on the same conference, by AP's Daniella Cheslow, also at Yahoo News, noted that the Internet allows a sort of cloud crime: cyber criminals can operate from countries with weak law enforcement, yet take advantage of the latest technology.
As part of its response to the growing challenge, Interpol plans to open a cyber-crime and digital security complex in Singapore in 2014
Protecting Against Organized Cyber Crime
Along with illegal gambling, credit card and bank fraud were cited as activities favored by organized cyber-crime groups.
Most consumer-facing midsize firms have credit card operations, and their credit card data is a prime target. But other potential risks can hardly be ignored. Technical specifications or product information can be stolen and peddled on the black market. Memoranda, emails, or other internal communications may be used to blackmail the firm or individual executives.
Organized cyber criminals prefer to keep a low profile and avoid drawing the attention of international law enforcement. This makes midsize firms an attractive class of targets--large enough to offer a substantial haul, but not so large that attacking them makes news.
The good news for IT managers at these midsize firms is that in spite of the scale and scope of organized cyber crime, most actual attacks are relatively simple, exploiting security holes that could have been plugged. Cyber criminals are looking for the easy heist. Thus, good basic security measures will greatly reduce midsize firms' vulnerabilities to organized online crime.
Font: Interpol
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