November 1, 2010 (UNITED STATES): U.S. authorities arrested Mohamud Abdi Yusuf in St. Louis on charges of providing material support to the al-Shabab terrorist group in Somalia. – Wall Street Journal, November 3
November 1, 2010 (UNITED STATES): U.S. authorities charged three San Diego men with aiding the al-Shabab terrorist group in Somalia. – BBC, November 3
November 2, 2010 (UNITED STATES): U.S. authorities arrested Abdi Mahdi Hussein in Minneapolis and charged him with conspiracy to structure financial transactions. His case is connected to Mohamud Abdi Yusuf in St. Louis, who was arrested the previous day for providing material support to the al-Shabab terrorist group in Somalia. – Wall Street Journal, November 3
November 2, 2010 (IRAQ): A series of explosions across Baghdad killed at least 75 people. The bombings occurred predominately in Shi`a areas. – Voice of America, November 2; Guardian, November 2
November 3, 2010 (IRAQ): Al-Qa`ida in Iraq threatened that Christians in the country were legitimate targets who face the “doors of destruction.” The statement came three days after an October 31 attack where militants wearing suicide vests attacked the Church of Our Lady of Salvation in Baghdad. During that attack, at least 52 people were killed. – Telegraph, November 1; al-Jazira, November 2; Guardian, November 3
November 4, 2010 (GLOBAL): Al-Qa`ida second-in-command Ayman al-Zawahiri released a new audio message, calling for revenge after a U.S. court sentenced Aafia Siddiqui, a Pakistani citizen, to 86 years in prison on multiple charges, including attempted murder and armed assault on U.S. officers. In 2008, Siddiqui, who was detained at the time, fired a rifle at FBI agents and U.S. military personnel in central Afghanistan. – CNN, November 4
November 4, 2010 (TURKEY): The Kurdistan Freedom Falcons claimed responsibility for the October 31 suicide bombing in Istanbul’s Taksim Square. The group said the attack was an “act of revenge.” – BBC, November 4
November 5, 2010 (GLOBAL): Al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) claimed responsibility for a major international terrorist plot that was disrupted in late October. The plot involved explosive packages mailed to the United States from Yemen. – al-Jazira, November 6
November 5, 2010 (UNITED STATES): A U.S. appeals court overturned a judge’s order for the release of Guantanamo Bay detainee Mohamedou Ould Salahi, saying that the lower court must reconsider the case due to new legal opinions in other Guantanamo lawsuits. – AP, November 5
November 5, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A suicide bomber ripped through a mosque in Dara Adam Khel in northwest Pakistan, killing at least 66 people. According to press reports, the Sunni mosque that was targeted is frequented by anti-Taliban tribal elders. – Sky News, November 5
November 7, 2010 (AFGHANISTAN): The Saudi government announced its withdrawal from peace talks between Afghan President Hamid Karzai and the Afghan Taliban. – CBS News, November 9
November 7, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A U.S. aerial drone killed nine suspected militants in Ghulam Khan in North Waziristan Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. – Guardian, November 7
November 7, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A U.S. aerial drone killed five suspected militants in Datta Khel in North Waziristan Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. – Guardian, November 7
November 8, 2010 (IRAQ): A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle targeted Iranian pilgrims in Karbala, killing at least 10 people. – AFP, November 7
November 9, 2010 (GLOBAL): A new video featuring Yemeni-American cleric Anwar al-`Awlaqi appeared on Islamist web forums. In the statement, al-`Awlaqi urged Muslims to murder Americans. He said that no religious permission is required to kill Americans because they are “from the party of devils.” – ABC News, November 8; Australian Broadcasting Corporation, November 9
November 11, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A U.S. drone strike killed at least six militants in North Waziristan Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. – AFP, November 11
November 11, 2010 (PAKISTAN): At least six gunmen opened fire on the Criminal Investigation Department headquarters in Karachi. After opening fire, another militant drove a truck packed with TNT explosives into the boundary wall of the facility, destroying the headquarters. At least 16 people were killed. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack, saying it was “a reaction to the drone strikes and such attacks will continue until drone strikes are stopped.” – Los Angeles Times, November 12; Dawn, November 20
November 14, 2010 (IRAQ): A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle in Mosul, Ninawa Province, killing two Iraqi army soldiers. – UPI, November 14
November 14, 2010 (LEBANON): Authorities arrested radical Lebanese cleric Omar Bakri after confronting him in Tripoli. On November 11, Bakri was convicted on charges of inciting a months-long confrontation between the government and the militant group Fatah al-Islam that took place in 2007. He faces life imprisonment. – Los Angeles Times, November 15
November 15, 2010 (AFGHANISTAN): Mullah Omar, the leader of the Afghan Taliban, purportedly released a new statement saying that peace negotiations in Afghanistan were not possible until all foreign troops left the country. – Reuters, November 15
November 15, 2010 (IRAQ): Twin car bombs exploded in Mosul, Ninawa Province, killing a prison official and one civilian. – Voice of America, November 15
November 16, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A suspected U.S. aerial drone targeted a house and a vehicle in the village of Bangi Dar in North Waziristan Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Approximately 20 suspected militants were killed. – MSNBC.com, November 16
November 17, 2010 (UNITED STATES): A U.S. court found Ahmed Khalfan Ghailani, a 36-year-old Tanzanian held at Guantanamo Bay, guilty of conspiracy to destroy U.S. government buildings and property and for helping an al-Qa`ida cell. In a major setback to prosecutors, however, the federal jury acquitted him of the more serious charges of murder and conspiracy. He faces 20 years to life in prison when he is sentenced in January. – Guardian, November 18
November 21, 2010 (GLOBAL): Al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) released a new issue of its Inspire magazine, saying that its recent attempt to bomb U.S.-bound cargo planes only cost $4,200 to execute. The magazine said that AQAP is pursuing a “strategy of a thousand cuts” that will “bleed the enemy to death” by mounting more frequent, low-cost attacks. – Voice of America, November 22; Washington Post, November 22
November 21, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A U.S. aerial drone strike killed six suspected militants in North Waziristan Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. – AFP, November 21
November 24, 2010 (YEMEN): A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle targeted a group of Shi`a Huthis on their way to a religious ceremony, killing at least 20 people. According to the New York Times, “Suspicions fell on Al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP), the local affiliate of Osama bin Laden’s terrorist network. But if Al Qaeda was responsible, it would be the first act of violence between two groups that have long fought the government separately.” The bombing occurred in al-Jawf Province. In a statement released on November 25, AQAP purportedly took credit for the attack. – Investor’s Business Daily, November 24; New York Times, November 24; AFP, November 26; AFP, November 28
November 26, 2010 (UNITED STATES): U.S. authorities arrested Mohamed Osman Mohamud, a naturalized immigrant from Somalia, on charges of attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction by detonating a car bomb at a Christmas tree lighting event in Portland’s Pioneer Courthouse Square. As stated by the Wall Street Journal, “Authorities say the youth, who recently attended Oregon State University in Corvallis, twice attempted to use a cellphone to detonate what he believed were explosives stored in 55-gallon drums packed into a white van, which he drove to the scene and parked near the Christmas tree gathering. Both the detonator and the explosives were provided by FBI agents working undercover in the investigation, but who the suspect believed were connected to an international terrorist organization, according to an affidavit filed in support of the criminal complaint.” – Wall Street Journal, November 29
November 26, 2010 (YEMEN): A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle targeted a funeral procession of Shi`a Huthis in Marib Province, killing at least one person. – Bloomberg, November 26
November 26, 2010 (SAUDI ARABIA): Saudi authorities announced the arrests of 149 alleged al-Qa`ida-linked militants during the past eight months. The militants are accused of plotting attacks against the government and security forces, as well as journalists. – Wall Street Journal, November 27
November 27, 2010 (AFGHANISTAN): Two suicide bombers wearing police uniforms detonated their explosives at a provincial police headquarters in Paktika Province, killing at least 10 police officers. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. – Voice of America, November 27
November 30, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A suicide bomber targeted a police van in Bannu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, killing six people including a policeman. – Daily Times, December 1
December 1, 2010 (SPAIN): Spanish authorities announced the arrests of seven men in Barcelona who are accused of stealing passports for terrorist groups such as al-Qa`ida, Lashkar-i-Tayyiba, and the Tamil Tigers. The suspects consist of six Pakistanis and one Nigerian. Two more Pakistanis and a Thai national were detained in Thailand. According to one press report, “The [passport] thefts [in Spain] were allegedly requested by the Thailand-based head of the group, who asked for passports with specific nationalities and age brackets.” – Wall Street Journal, December 1; Australian Broadcasting Corporation, December 2
December 6, 2010 (PAKISTAN): Two suicide bombers attacked a gathering of anti-Taliban tribal elders, killing at least 41 people. The incident occurred in the town of Ghalanai in Mohmand Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. According to the Los Angeles Times, “Witnesses said more than 300 people were inside the building when the two attackers appeared. One of the bombers was dressed in a police uniform and was able to walk into the offices where the crowd had gathered. A second bomber was stopped at a perimeter security gate. Both men detonated their explosives seconds apart.” – Los Angeles Times, December 6
December 7, 2010 (UNITED STATES): The U.S. Treasury Department designated Fahd al-Quso as a global terrorist. Al-Quso was jailed in Yemen from 2002-2007 for his role in the USS Cole attack. After his release, he joined al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula. – Wall Street Journal, December 7
December 7, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A suicide bomber detonated explosives near the convoy of Nawab Muhammad Aslam Khan Raisani, the chief minister of Baluchistan Province. The minister escaped injury, but the explosion killed at least one person. The incident occurred in Quetta. – BBC, December 7
December 8, 2010 (UNITED STATES): Antonio Martinez, a recent convert to Islam, was arrested after he allegedly tried to blow up a U.S. military recruitment center in Maryland. Martinez, however, was provided with a faulty bomb as part of an FBI sting operation. The 21-year-old Baltimore construction worker was charged with attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and attempted murder of federal officers and employees. – Los Angeles Times, December 8
December 8, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A suicide bomber blew up a bus in Kohat District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, killing 17 people. – New York Times, December 9; AFP, December 10
December 9, 2010 (CANADA): A Canadian court ruled that Mohamed Harkat is likely an al-Qa`ida sleeper agent and remains a national security threat. Harkat, an Algerian and a former Ottawa pizza delivery man, faces possible deportation to Algeria. – AFP, December 9
December 9, 2010 (MAURITANIA): The U.S. State Department warned Americans to practice extreme caution when in Mauritania due to the rising al-Qa`ida threat in the country. – UPI, December 9
December 10, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A suicide bomber detonated an explosives-laden vehicle outside a hospital in Hangu District of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa Province, killing at least eight people. The attack appeared to target Shi`a. – AFP, December 10
December 11, 2010 (SWEDEN): Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, an Iraqi-born Swede, detonated a car bomb in Stockholm before taking his own life with a second bomb strapped to his body. Al-Abdaly was the only fatality. The incident marked the first suicide attack in Sweden’s history. – Guardian, December 13; Telegraph, December 12
December 12, 2010 (AFGHANISTAN): A suicide bomber in an explosives-laden vehicle killed six U.S. soldiers in Kandahar Province. The Taliban claimed responsibility for the attack. – Washington Post, December 12
December 12, 2010 (IRAQ): A suicide car bomb killed at least 13 people in Ramadi, Anbar Province. The explosion occurred near a heavily fortified provincial government compound. – Los Angeles Times, December 13; New York Times, December 12
December 15, 2010 (SWEDEN): A new Swedish intelligence report reveals that possibly 200 violent Islamist extremists live in Sweden. Taimour Abdulwahab al-Abdaly, who executed a terrorist attack in Stockholm on December 11, was not on that list. According to the report, most of the 200 “were born or grew up in Sweden, and it is here that they come into contact with violence-promoting ideologies and groups.” – AFP, December 15
December 15, 2010 (IRAN): Suicide bombers attacked a mosque in Chabahar, killing at least 35 people. The militant group Jundallah apparently claimed responsibility. – UPI, December 15
December 15, 2010 (YEMEN): A bomb was thrown at a vehicle carrying U.S. Embassy staffers in Sana`a. Those in the vehicle were not injured. – AP, December 16
December 17, 2010 (UNITED STATES): A U.S. federal judge sentenced Madhatta Asagal Haipe to 23 years in prison for his role in kidnapping 16 tourists, including four Americans, in the southern Philippines in 1995. Haipe was a senior leader of the Abu Sayyaf Group. – Washington Post, December 18
December 19, 2010 (SOMALIA): Somalia’s two main insurgent groups—al-Shabab and Hisbul Islamiyya—reportedly plan to merge to defeat the UN-backed government in Mogadishu. According to UPI, “The two Islamist groups have fought intermittently over the last couple of years because of ideological differences. Hizbul-e Islam is more nationalistic than the more radical al-Shabaab, which favors a more international agenda as espoused by Osama bin Laden.” – AP, December 19; UPI, December 21
December 20, 2010 (UNITED KINGDOM): British police arrested 12 men who were allegedly plotting a terrorist attack in the United Kingdom. Five of the men were reportedly of Bangladeshi origin. Three of the 12 men were later released without charge. According to one press report, citing British broadcasters, “the men were accused of plotting attacks to coincide with the Christmas holidays and had reconnoitered targets like the American Embassy, the London Stock Exchange and religious and political leaders.” – New York Times, December 27
December 21, 2010 (UNITED STATES): U.S. intelligence officials reportedly told CNN that al-Qa`ida in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) considered poisoning food served at hotels and restaurants in the United States. AQAP was supposedly considering tainting food supplies with the deadly chemicals ricin and cyanide. – AFP, December 22
December 24, 2010 (NETHERLANDS): Dutch authorities arrested 12 men of Somali origin in Rotterdam due to concern that they were planning an “imminent” terrorist attack. No weapons or explosives were reportedly found, and a number of the suspects were later released. – CNN, December 26
December 24, 2010 (PAKISTAN): Approximately 150 militants launched a coordinated attack on five checkpoints in Mohmand Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas. Approximately 11 soldiers and 24 militants were killed. – Voice of America, December 24
December 24, 2010 (PAKISTAN): Pakistani military intelligence officials told reporters that they recently apprehended Nasiruddin Haqqani, the son of Afghan insurgent leader Jalaluddin Haqqani. – Geo.tv, December 25
December 24, 2010 (SAUDI ARABIA): Saudi police killed a suspected al-Qa`ida militant and arrested another at a checkpoint in the central town of Wadi al-Dawasir. One of the men was disguised as a woman. – Reuters, December 24
December 25, 2010 (PAKISTAN): A suicide bomber detonated explosives in an aid line in Bajaur Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, killing at least 40 people. The bomber, reportedly a woman, first threw two hand grenades into a crowd of people, and then detonated an explosives vest. The incident occurred at the UN’s World Food Program distribution center in Khar. The Pakistani Taliban claimed responsibility for the bombing, saying that it was aimed at members of an anti-Taliban tribe. – NBC News, December 25; Voice of America, December 26
December 25, 2010 (PHILIPPINES): A bomb exploded during a Christmas Day service at a chapel inside a police camp in Jolo, located in the southern Philippines. A priest and 10 civilians were wounded. Authorities suspect that the Abu Sayyaf Group was responsible. – AP, December 25
December 27, 2010 (IRAQ): Two suicide bombers detonated explosives in front of a government office in Anbar Province, killing nine people. According to a press report, “Many of the people killed and injured in Monday’s violence were family members of police and soldiers who died Dec. 12 at the same location in another suicide blast. The family members were at the provincial headquarters to receive compensation for their losses.” – AP, December 27
December 27, 2010 (PAKISTAN): U.S. aerial drones destroyed two vehicles in North Waziristan Agency of the Federally Administered Tribal Areas, killing 18 alleged militants. – Guardian, December 27
December 27, 2010 (SOMALIA): A leader in Somalia’s Islamist insurgency, Fuad Mohamed Khalaf, warned, “We tell the American President Barack Obama to embrace Islam before we come to his country.” – AFP, December 27
December 28, 2010 (AFGHANISTAN): A suicide bomber killed two Afghan soldiers in Paktika Province. – AFP, December 29
December 29, 2010 (DENMARK): Danish authorities arrested five suspected terrorists who were planning to “kill as many people as possible” at the offices of Jyllands-Posten, the Copenhagen newspaper that previously published cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. The suspects apparently launched the plot from Sweden, and that country’s intelligence services played a role in the arrests as well. – Independent, December 30
December 29, 2010 (IRAQ): Two suicide bombers attacked a police battalion in Mosul, Ninawa Province, killing the commander and three other police officers. According to Reuters, “The sources said two attackers, wearing explosive vests, detonated their vests in the room of Lieutenant Colonel Shamil Ahmed, who headed the battalion. A third suicide bomber was killed by police before he was able to enter the building.” – Reuters, December 29; Voice of America, December 29
December 30, 2010 (IRAQ): Militants placed bombs near the homes of at least 14 Christian families in Baghdad, killing two people. – New York Times, December 30
December 30, 2010 (TURKEY): Turkish authorities announced that they recently detained 10 people with suspected links to al-Qa`ida. The suspects were allegedly planning to execute a terrorist attack before New Year’s Eve. – AP, December 30
