Somali forces end militant attack on hotel, leaving all al-Shabab fighters dead
The attack began when a car bomb exploded Tuesday at the Cairo Hotel, which houses traditional elders and military officers involved in coordinating the government's offensive against al-Shabab.
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New York Post
7 hours ago
- New York Post
Israel arming anti-Hamas Gaza clans, including leader accused of looting aid trucks: reports
Israel is arming local gangs in the Gaza Strip to weaken Hamas, but the efforts are propping up a man accused of looting aid trucks, according to a new report. Yasser Abu Shabab, whose 'Popular Forces' militia is active in southern Gaza, has openly challenged Hamas and touted himself as a liberator overseeing the humanitarian aid distribution within his territory. 'He has a full-glide militia up and running, fully backed by Israel,' a UN official told the Washington Post. 5 Yasser Abu Shabab, who operates a militia inside Gaza, has openly challenged Hamas and polices aid as it arrives in his territory. Yasser Abu Shabab/Facebook 5 Humanitarian groups say they don't recognize the armed men, but are forced to deal with them as they hold several inspection points in southern Gaza. AFP via Getty Images Shabab, who regularly shares video of his forces on social media, declared the eastern section of Rafah as his domain last month, where 2,000 refugees reportedly live under his group's care. The set up came around the same time Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revealed that his military was actively arming influential gangs in Gaza as a way to 'oppose' Hamas. While Netanyahu didn't name Shabab's group directly, the clan leader's base is in an area controlled by the Israeli Defense Forces, with his militia caught on video several times operating alongside the IDF. One of the videos was verified by the Guardian, showing the armed men working with IDF soldiers at the Kerem Shalom crossing despite the gang not being recognized by any independent humanitarian group operating in Gaza. 5 Shabab has denied allegations that his group works directly with the Israeli military, which has begun providing arms to local clan leaders. Yasser Abu Shabab/Facebook 5 Shabab's militia had been accused of being behind the systematic looting aid meant to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. AFP via Getty Images The IDF has also notably steered clear of conflict with the armed militia after returning to war in March, allowing the group to set up checkpoints and inspect the aid going to Rafah, the UN and humanitarian groups said. Shabab has repeatedly denied the allegations that he works with the Israeli military, slamming them as nothing more than Hamas propaganda. Despite Shabab's efforts to distance himself from the Jewish state, Israeli media has propped him as the man who can succeed Hamas and steer Gaza in a new direction following Netanyahu's proposal to have the Strip led by local leaders approved by Israel. 5 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu defended the policy of arming local clans as a way to weaken Hamas and save the lives of Israeli soldiers. REUTERS Shabab's rise to prominence, however, has been marred by repeated allegations that his group was behind the armed robberies of aid trucks in southern Gaza. International aid groups that operated in the Strip had accused Shabab and his armed men of systematically looting the trucks delivering food and essential items enroute to refugees. While Shabab initially denied the claims, he later admitted that his men raided half a dozen aid trucks out of desperation, The New York Times reported. Both Shabab and Israel had claimed that Hamas was behind the systematic looting of humanitarian aid in Gaza, but the IDF acknowledged last week that it had no evidence to support the claim. Shabab has also been accused of smuggling drugs and weapons out of Gaza before the war began, with his associates conducting business with the Islamic State branch based in Sinai, according to the WaPo. Israel's plan to bolster local clans is reminiscent of its failed 'Village League' strategy in the West Bank during the 70s and 80s, where the Jewish state gave money and privileges to carry arms to local clan leaders to oppose the Palestine Liberation Organization.
New York Post
3 days ago
- New York Post
‘Despicable' terrorist who bragged about helping Osama bin Laden plan 9/11 could be free in days
A terrorist who bragged about helping Osama bin Laden mastermind the 9/11 attacks could be freed from a UK prison within days — despite officials declaring him a 'risk to national security.' Haroon Aswat — who previously set up an al-Qaeda training camp in the US — is set to be released from a secure psychiatric hospital unit where he's currently locked up in the UK after he completes mental health treatment, The Sun reported. 4 Haroon Aswat, 50, is set to be released from the secure psychiatric hospital unit where he's currently locked up after he completes mental health treatment, The Sun reported. Shutterstock The twisted terrorist will be cut loose without a full risk assessment because of a legal loophole under the country's Mental Health Act — a decision that's sparked widespread fury. 'This despicable man was behind one of the most deadly attacks in modern history. He should never experience freedom again,' the country's shadow justice secretary, Robert Jenrick, said. In 2015, Aswat — a known associate of bin Laden — was sentenced to 20 years in a US prison after he admitted to trying to start an al-Qaeda training camp in Oregon. While locked up in the US, he apparently confessed to helping to plot the despicable Sept. 11 attacks that killed thousands in New York as well as the 2005 bombings in the UK that left 52 people dead. 'In March 2017 the defendant stated, 'if you think I am a terrorist, I don't shy away from my responsibility' and also stated he was a mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks and a 2005 terrorist attack in the UK,' the court papers stated. 4 Convicted al-Qaeda terrorist Haroon Rashid Aswat in ICE custody in 2022. Immigration and Customs Enforcement 4 The impact of the second plane hitting the World Trade Center on Sept. 11, 2001. Tamara Beckwith/New York Post 4 While locked up in the US, he apparently confessed to helping plot the deadly 9/11 attacks on American soil, as well as the 2005 bombings in the UK that left 52 people dead. Getty Images He was deported back to the UK in 2022 after being visited in prison by a British psychiatrist. Despite British terror police assessing Aswat and warning that he continues to be a security risk, a judge recently determined his release was expected in the 'relatively near future' under the country's mental health laws. Still, Aswat will only be subjected to a notification order upon his release — meaning he'll just have to register his address and notify cops of any future travel plans.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Yahoo
Sweden jihadist jailed for life over Jordan pilot burned alive
A Stockholm court on Thursday handed down a life term to Swedish jihadist Osama Krayem over the 2015 murder of a Jordanian pilot burned alive by the Islamic State group in Syria. The Swedish court was the first to try a person over the killing that sparked outrage around the world. Judge Anna Liljenberg Gullesjo said "the investigation has shown that the defendant was at the execution site, uniformed and armed, and allowed himself to be filmed." Although video evidence showed that another man lit the fire, the judge said the "defendant's actions contributed so significantly to the death of the victim that he should be considered a perpetrator". Krayem, who is serving long prison sentences for his role in the Paris and Brussels attacks in 2015 and 2016, was given a life sentence for "serious war crimes and terrorist crimes" On December 24, 2014, an aircraft belonging to the Royal Jordanian Air Force crashed in Syria. The pilot, Maaz al-Kassasbeh, was captured the same day by IS fighters near the central city of Raqqa and was burned alive in a cage sometime before February 3, 2015, when a slickly-produced video of the gruesome killing was published, according to the prosecution. Gullesjo said Krayem's actions consisted of "guarding the victim both before and during the execution and taking him to the cage where he was set alight while still alive". The court also awarded compensation to the parents and siblings of the Jordanian pilot, amounting to 80,000 Swedish kronor ($8,200) each. - 'Comfort' for family - Prosecutors have been unable to determine the exact date of the murder, but the investigation has identified the location. The 32-year-old jihadist remained silent throughout the hearings, which lasted between June 4 and June 26, though segments from interrogations with Krayem conducted during the investigation were read out and played during the trial. The fact that the defendent did not speak did not "significantly impact the ruling, as the prosecution presented solid evidence, and the investigation was thorough," Gullesjo told AFP. According to his lawyer, Krayem insisted he had spent only 15 to 20 minutes on-site, unaware of what was going to happen until he saw the cameras. "This verdict somewhat comforts the family," the pilot's brother Jawdat al-Kassasbeh, who was a civil party to the case, told AFP. "We thank Sweden and the impartial Swedish judiciary for their efforts in pursuing this case," the brother added. He travelled from Jordan for the trial to testify to the pain, still raw, that he shares with his loved ones. - No remorse - The family's lawyer lamented in court that Krayem showed no empathy or remorse for his actions. "Most people who witnessed what Maaz went through would undoubtedly need lifelong, or at least long-term, treatment to overcome the trauma that this causes in a normal individual," Mikael Westerlund told the court. "Krayem, on the other hand, does not seem to have been traumatised, but inspired. Inspired to continue his terrorist activities, which led him to participate in and then be convicted of terrorist acts in Europe," Westerlund added. Krayem, who is from Malmo in southern Sweden, was sentenced to 30 years in prison in France for helping plan the November 2015 Paris attacks and to life imprisonment in Belgium for the 2016 attacks at Brussels' main airport and metro station. On March 12, France agreed to hand him over to Sweden for nine months, the time needed for the investigation and trial. He must be returned to France by December 27 at the latest, the Stockholm court said Thursday. "Jordanians will always remember this horrible crime," Jordanian government spokesman Mohammed Momani told AFP. "This decision is a significant step towards achieving justice." bur-nzg/rlp/tc
