US readying south Afghan surge against Taliban

Afghanistan’s southern rim, the Taliban’s spiritual birthplace and the country’s most violent region, has for the last two years been the domain of British, Canadian and Dutch soldiers. That’s about to change. In what amounts to an Afghan version of the surge in Iraq, the U.S. is preparing to pour at least 20,000 extra troops into the south, augmenting 12,500 NATO soldiers who have proved too few to cope with a Taliban insurgency that is fiercer than NATO leaders expected.

For the first time since NATO took over the country in 2006, an experienced U.S. general, Brig. Gen. John Nicholson, is assigned to the south.

Source: Associated Press

Filed under: America, Afghanistan, Taleban, The Terror Journal

Taleban ambush kills 20 policemen

Twenty Afghan police have been killed in a Taleban attack on the home of a local politician in the southern Afghan province of Helmand, officials say.

The mother of a policeman who arrived at the scene to plead for her son’s life was also killed in Wednesday’s attack, a provincial official said.

The men had been protecting Mullah Salaam, the district chief of Musa Qala, who was elsewhere at the time.

Source: BBC News

Filed under: Asia, Afghanistan, Taleban, The Terror Journal

Gaza strikes have ‘achieved changes’ – Tzipi Livni

Six days of Israeli airstrikes on Gaza in response to Hamas rocket attacks have “achieved changes,” Israeli Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Thursday in Paris, France.

“What we are doing now is changing the equation, making it a better reality to our citizens, stopping the rockets on Israel,” Livni said after meeting with French President Nicolas Sarkozy.

“And I think that even now, after a few days of operation, we achieved changes,” she said without elaborating.

Source: CNN

Filed under: MidEast, Gaza, Israel, The Terror Journal, Tzipi Livni

Moses would punish Israel – Ahmadinejad

Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad says the Israeli attacks on the Gaza Strip are proof that Zionists are not true followers of Moses.

In a Thursday interview in the southeastern Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan, President Ahmadinejad said Israeli echelons pretend to be the followers of Prophet Moses but have proved with their violent attacks on Gaza that they have no moral values.

“These minority of criminals and thieves are liars because they represent themselves as followers of the prophet. If Moses had been present today, he would first punish the Zionists for their conduct which is even worse than that of the Pharaoh,” he said.

Source: Press TV

Filed under: Asia, Ahmadinejad, Gaza strip, Israel, Moses, Palestine, Punish, The Terror Journal

Shockwaves as rockets hit Beersheba

The rockets that landed on the Negev desert city of Beersheba sent shockwaves across Israel – not for the damage they caused but for the mere fact that Hamas could reach that far – more than 46 km (28 miles) from the Gaza Strip.

With the cities of Ashdod, Ashkelon and Beersheba now within the proven range of missiles from Gaza, as much as 10% of Israel’s population is under threat.

Source: BBC News

Filed under: MidEast, Beersheba, Hamas, Israel, Qassam Rockets, The Terror Journal

Pakistan has FBI evidence of Mumbai links

India said on Thursday the FBI had presented strong evidence to Islamabad of Pakistani links to November’s militant attacks in Mumbai that killed 179 people.

India has blamed the assault on the Pakistan-based militant group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT), which was set up by Pakistani security agencies in the 1980s to fight Indian rule in the disputed Kashmir region, but was officially banned in 2002.

Source: Reuters

Filed under: Asia, FBI, India, Mumbai Terror Attacks, Pakistan, The Terror Journal

Iraq takes control of Green Zone

Iraq has taken control of security in Baghdad’s fortified Green Zone after a UN mandate for troops expired.

The end of the UN mandate – put into place soon after the invasion in March 2003 – means Iraq will now take greater control of its own security.

Iraqi Prime Minister Nouri Maliki welcomed the move as Iraq’s “day of sovereignty” at the handover ceremony.

Source: BBC News

Filed under: MidEast, Iraq, Security Green Zone, The Terror Journal

Hamas leader killed in air strike

A senior Hamas leader has been killed by an Israeli air strike on his home in the Gaza Strip, Hamas officials say.

Nizar Rayyan, the most senior Hamas figure to be killed since 2004, had urged suicide attacks against Israel.

News of the strike came on the sixth day of Israeli strikes on Hamas targets in the Gaza Strip.

Palestinian medical sources say 402 people have been killed. Israel says it is trying to prevent militants from firing rockets into southern Israel.

Mr Rayyan is the most senior Hamas leader to be killed since the death of Abdel Aziz al-Rantissi in April 2004.

Since its bombing campaign began last Saturday, Israel has attacked Hamas fighters and commanders.

Sites linked to Hamas have also been hit, including smuggling tunnels under the border to Egypt, government buildings and security compounds.

Hamas considered Mr Rayyan to be a political leader, but he often wore a military uniform and was close to the group’s armed wing.

Until now, political leaders have not been killed.

The BBC’s Mike Sergeant, in Jerusalem, says this may further strengthen the determination of Hamas to resist the Israeli air assault.

Source: BBC News

Filed under: MidEast, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, Nizar Rayyan, Palestine, The Terror Journal

Serial blasts in Guwahati on New Year

There has been a terrifying start to the New Year. And it’s not just for the people of Guwahati.

Three bombs went off in the afternoon and early evening, just before Union Home Minister P Chidambaram landed in the city.

The blasts have left have at least 3 people dead and several others injured.

Source: NDTV

Filed under: Asia, India, New Year, Serial blasts, The Terror Journal

Happy New Year ’09

The Terror Journal wishes you all a Happy new year, may this year bring you health wealth and happiness and most of all safety!

Today on 1st of January 2009 The Terror Journal comes into being, with an aim to archive and record all the terror and anti-terror related activities around the world and to present an unedited face of terror and it’s consequences.

Kindly note The Terror Journal is open to all thoughts and ideas, we believe in freedom of speech but do not indulge in foul or offensive language and do respect difference of opinions!

Thanking you
The Terror Journal

Filed under: Africa, America, Analysis, Asia, Australia, Europe, MidEast, Report, Think Tank, Voice, The Terror Journal