In this piece, the authors, Annie Pforzheimer, a former U.S. diplomat who served as Deputy Chief of Mission at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul and Acting Deputy Assistant Secretary for Afghanistan; and Jason Howk is a former U.S. military officer who is the Director of the Global Friends of Afghanistan, who has focused since 2002 [...]
Search Results for: al Qaeda
Pakistan counter terrorist department arrests Aminul Haq, right-hand man to Osama bin Laden
The Punjab Counter Terrorist Department (CTD) reported that they arrested Aminul Haq, terrorist and right-hand man to Osama Bin Ladin, in Pakistan on Friday, according to local media. Usman Gondal, the deputy inspector general for the CTD, addressed an audience in Lahore discussing the matter. Gondal said that Aminul Haq was arrested in Sarai Alamgir [...]
Mali army chief orders investigation into video showing man in military uniform cutting into corpse
The Malian Armed Forces said on Wednesday that its army chief ordered an investigation into a video where a man wearing a Malian military uniform used a machete to cut into a corpse in the presence of his peers. The army chief said the man violated Mali’s military values by committing a rare atrocity comparable [...]
ICC convicts 'Islamic Police' chief Al Hassan of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Mali
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday convicted Al-Qaida-linked militant leader Al Hassan Ag Abdoul Aziz Ag Mohamed Ag Mahmoud of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his alleged role in terrorizing the civilian population of the Malian city of Timbuktu. The case centered on the 2012-2013 northern Mali conflict, which began with an [...]
Controversy and Change: Navigating the Reauthorization of FISA's Section 702
The US House of Representatives passed a two-year reauthorization of Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA), a controversial expiring warrantless surveillance law, earlier this year. Democrats and Republicans alike criticized the move. Former President Donald Trump urged his allies in Congress to “Kill FISA” days before the House passed the two-year reauthorization. [...]
Mali financial union extends strike until detained members released
The National Union of Banks, Insurance Companies, Financial Institutions, and Businesses of Mali (SYNABEF) announced Saturday that it would prolong its work stoppage from June 9 until authorities release their secretary general, Hamadoun Bah, and all their detained colleagues. In their communique, SYNABEF’s National Executive Board urged its members to adhere to the directive, and [...]
Mali attacks by armed groups violate international humanitarian law: HRW report
Attacks by Islamist armed groups and ethnic militias in Mali violate international humanitarian law and are apparent war crimes, Human Rights Watch (HRW) said in a report released Wednesday. One such attack in January 2024, by an Al-Qaeda-linked Islamist armed group, killed at least 32 civilians, including 3 children and setting fire to over 350 [...]
European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) held Tuesday that Russia discriminated against a teacher when she was fired after posting pictures that indicated her sexual orientation. In the case of A.K. v. Russia, A.K, the applicant, was a teacher in a state school in Russia. In November 2014, a Russian NGO collected on social media [...]
Russia watchdog labels 'LGBT public movement' as terrorist organization
A Russian state financial watchdog labelled the “LGBT public movement” as a terrorist organization on Friday, as reported by Russian state media outlet TASS. This development comes three months after the Supreme Court of Russia ordered the LGBT+ movement to be declared as extremist. The Federal Service for Monitoring (Rosfinmonitoring) added the LGBT+ movement to [...]
UK MP Mike Freer to resign following arson attack and death threats
Mike Freer, a Conservative MP for Finchley and Golders Green of almost 15 years, publicly announced Wednesday that he will not seek reelection as an MP and Parliamentary Under-Secretary for the Ministry of Justice. The announcement followed an alleged arson attack, an alleged murder attempt and multiple death threats against Freer, along with other incidents. [...]