On November 17, the Islamic Courts Union (ICU) declared a ban on Qat (or Khat), a mild narcotic plant chewed for relaxation. The ban threw off balance a multi-million dollar regional trading industry between Somali and Kenyan businessmen. Since then, observers have pointed out that... MORE

On November 15, Sheikh Khadir al-Anbari, a Sunni imam and preacher at al-Sajjad Mosque, was assassinated in Iraq. The mosque is one of the few Sunni mosques in the predominantly Shiite inhabited Sadr City section of Baghdad. Al-Anbari was allegedly killed by members of Shiite... MORE

SAUDI ARABIA ANNOUNCES SPECIAL SHARIA TRIBUNAL TO TRY EXTREMISTS Saudi Defense Minister Prince Sultan bin Abd al-Aziz has recently declared the creation of a special court to try extremists. According to Asharq al-Awsat, the court will apply Sharia to judge imprisoned extremists. He did not... MORE

Reports of suspected al-Qaeda terrorists infiltrating southern India to perpetrate major attacks on airports in Tamil Nadu and Kerala in early November propelled India's security and intelligence establishments into a state of high alert. Security was further stepped up at airports across India following a... MORE

Recent chatter on jihadi forums points to a new organized death squad in Iraq. The new group is allegedly composed of Shiite female assassination units that will target Sunnis. Sunni jihadi websites have warned their followers about this new threat, saying that these female units,... MORE

EGYPTIANS SEIZE BAGS FULL OF TNT IN THE SINAI Egyptian security forces announced on November 10 the seizure of 600 kilograms of TNT, hidden in bags near the village of al-Rathian, in the north of the Sinai Peninsula (Asharq al-Awsat, November 11). The seizure comes... MORE

According to a November 6 report in al-Sharq al-Awsat, Saudi authorities have recently made sizable seizures of large quantities of weapons and explosives at the kingdom's borders, including its border with Iraq. The report by the Interior Ministry's Border Guard Directorate-General details seizures made only... MORE

After returning from his militant adventures in Kashmir, recently sentenced British terrorist Dhiren Barot recounted his experiences in the book The Army of Madinah in Kashmir. Writing under his alias 'Esa al-Hindi, he lashed out against Western powers' interventions in Muslim lands, advising that "in... MORE

TALIBAN CRACKING DOWN ON INFORMANTS IN PAKISTAN According to Dawn on November 3, the bullet-riddled body of local tribesman Mohammed Jan Khan was found near Chingai village in Bajaur Agency. A note in Pashtu was found attached to his body that accused him of spying... MORE

Japan's immediate security concern is the threat posed by North Korea, which conducted a nuclear test on October 9. Yet, the country has been singled out by al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden as an enemy, has had diplomats and aid workers killed by Iraqi insurgents... MORE