Tag: terrorism

Mamdani Names Lawyer Who Defended al-Qaeda Terrorist As City’s Top Attorney

On Tuesday, Socialist New York Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani announced the appointment of Ramzi Kassem as the city’s top attorney.

Kassem gained notoriety for defending al-Qaeda terrorist Ahmed al-Darbi when he served as lead counsel.

In 2014, al-Darbi pled guilty in connection with an al-Qaeda terrorist plot to bomb a French oil tanker near Yemen in 2002, leaving a civilian dead and several others injured. He was convicted in 2017 and ultimately transferred to Saudi Arabia in 2018.

Al-Darbi’s brother-in-law was Khalid al-Mihdhar, one of the five hijackers on American Airlines Flight 77, which crashed into the Pentagon during the September 11, 2001 attacks.

The New York Post reports that in 2009, “Kassem founded a legal clinic at CUNY, which offers free legal representation to Muslims and other communities in New York City.”

The nonprofit, Creating Law Enforcement Accountability and Responsibility (CLEAR) is largely funded by progressive philanthropist George Soros’ Open Society Foundations, which have given the clinic more than $3 million, public records show.

The Associated Press and The New York Times reported at the time that Kassem said, “While it may not make him whole, my hope is that repatriation at least marks the end of injustice for Ahmed… He had 16 long and painful years in captivity.”

Kassem is also part of the legal team representing radical Islamist Mahmoud Khalil.

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Mexican State Files Terrorism Charges Against Journalist over Reporting

Mexican authorities have filed terrorism and organized crime charges against a local journalist over his work as a crime reporter. The arrest and prosecution sparked widespread condemnation from international press freedom organizations over the use of law enforcement against journalists who are uncomfortable with the political elite.

The incident began on Christmas Eve, when investigators with the Veracruz Attorney General’s Office, along with soldiers from Mexico’s Army, arrested Rafael Leon Segovia, who uses the pen name Lafita Leon, on terrorism charges. According to information released from Veracruz’s AG’s Office, Leon Segovia’s arrest came following an arrest warrant and remains in custody awaiting a hearing this weekend.

It remains unclear why authorities went after the journalist. Local journalists in Mexico claim that the charges came after he recorded a video of a car crash involving the daughter of a politically connected attorney in Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz. The case has sparked condemnation from the international press freedom organization Article 19.

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President Trump Announces Deadly Christmas Day Strikes Against “ISIS Terrorist Scum” in Nigeria Who Are Killing Christians

President Trump on Thursday announced the US launched deadly strikes against “ISIS terrorist scum” in Nigeria.

“Tonight, at my direction as Commander in Chief, the United States launched a powerful and deadly strike against ISIS Terrorist Scum in Northwest Nigeria, who have been targeting and viciously killing, primarily, innocent Christians, at levels not seen for many years, and even Centuries!” Trump said on Truth Social.

“I have previously warned these Terrorists that if they did not stop the slaughtering of Christians, there would be hell to pay, and tonight, there was. The Department of War executed numerous perfect strikes, as only the United States is capable of doing. Under my leadership, our Country will not allow Radical Islamic Terrorism to prosper,” Trump said.

“May God Bless our Military, and MERRY CHRISTMAS to all, including the dead Terrorists, of which there will be many more if their slaughter of Christians continues,” Trump added.

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Muslim Trained in Somalia Sentenced To Life In Prison For Conspiring To Commit 9/11-Style Terrorist Attack in America On Behalf Of al-Shabaab

A Muslim who trained in Somalia, Cholo Abdi Abdullah, was sentenced to life in prison for conspiring to commit a 9/11-style terrorist attack in the U.S.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Jay Clayton, Assistant Attorney General for National Security, John A. Eisenberg, and Assistant Director in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), Christopher G. Raia, made the announcement on Monday.

He was convicted for multiple crimes that included conspiring to provide—and providing—material support to a foreign terrorist organization, and conspiring to murder U.S. nationals, commit aircraft piracy, destroy aircraft, and commit acts of terrorism transcending national boundaries.

U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton said, “Cholo Abdi Abdullah was a highly trained al-Shabaab operative who was dedicated to recreating the horrific September 11 terrorist attacks on behalf of a vicious terrorist organization.”

“Abdullah pursued his commercial pilot license at a flight school in the Philippines while conducting extensive attack planning on how to hijack a commercial plane and crash it into a building in America.  As he later admitted to the FBI, he was fully prepared to die in his terrorist attack.  I commend the years of outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the career prosecutors of this Office who disrupted Abdullah’s murderous plot and brought him to face justice in a U.S. court.  He will now spend life behind bars, where he will not be able to harm innocent Americans.”

Assistant Attorney General for National Security John A. Eisenberg noted, “Today, justice has been served.”

“Abdullah, an al-Shabaab terrorist, sought to replicate the most horrific terrorist attack in our history, as he prepared to hijack a commercial airliner to take down a building on U.S. soil.  We thwarted this plot due to the relentless efforts of U.S. law enforcement and thereby likely saved many innocent lives.  His life sentence is a powerful reminder that those who plot attacks against the United States will be prosecuted and punished to the fullest extent of the law.”

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Wilkes-Barre, PA man arrested on terrorism-related charges after bomb-making materials found at his home

A Pennsylvania man was arrested in Wilkes-Barre after a counterterrorism investigation determined him to be attempting to possess or manufacture weapons of mass destruction.

24-year-old Saleh Edwards was arrested and charged with criminal attempt to possess or manufacture weapons of mass destruction. The investigation was launched by city police and the FBI after a report of suspicious activity.

According to a report by WNEP, investigators executed a court-authorized search of Edwards’ home on Sunday. Court documents related to the case remain sealed, leaving limited public information about what authorities allegedly discovered during the search. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for January 6, when additional details may be released. 

Luzerne County District Attorney Sam Sanguedolce told the outlet that a motive has not been identified and authorities do not yet know what Edwards allegedly planned to do with the explosive device. He said the investigation began after a neighbor raised concerns about suspicious activity at the residence.

During the search, Saint Clair Street was blocked off as police, county detectives, and FBI special agents searched the home. Sanguedolce described the case as a “joint counterterrorism investigation” involving multiple agencies.

Edwards was arraigned on Sunday and denied bail by Judge Donald L. Whittaker, who cited concerns about public safety. Edwards is currently being held at a county jail.

The arrest comes months after a separate, unrelated incident in Pennsylvania, in which a man who brought firearms to a “No Kings” protest in Chester County later pleaded guilty after explosive devices were found at his residence.

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Antisemitic terror plot mastermind’s younger brother ‘went to school’ with Sousse beach massacre gunman

The brother of a jihadist convicted of plotting what could have been Britain’s worst terror attack ‘went to school with’ the gunman who massacred tourists on a Tunisian beach.

Terror mastermind Walid Saadaoui’s younger brother Bilel, 36, is said to have gone to school with Seifeddine Rezgui, who went on to kill 38 people including 30 Brits in the 2015 atrocity at Sousse.

Bilel Saadaoui, who was three years older than Rezgui, is understood to have attended the Ibn Rachiq Secondary School in the town of Kairouan, 50 miles from the Tunisian coast, at the same time.

Rezgui, an electronics student before he became radicalised, was 23 when he opened fire on a packed beach with an automatic weapon, having come in from the sea – by jet ski or boat.

After firing at tourists on the beach, he entered the Hotel Imperial Marhaba, detonated explosives and fired more shots before running out of the hotel and being shot by police.

The link was revealed by Walid Saadaoui’s British first wife, named only as Jane, when interviewed by police.

The younger Saadoui has been convicted of knowing about older brother Walid Saadaoui and Amar Hussein’s chilling plan to attack Jewish targets in Manchester with semi-automatic rifles and handguns, and not informing the authorities.

A police source said: ‘The first wife of Walid made reference to Bilal having been at school with the attacker. When interviewed, she said she’d been told by Walid that Bilel had been in the same class as the Sousse beach attacker.’

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Three men arrested in hate-motivated attacks targeting Jews, accused of planning ISIS-linked terror attack

Three Canadian men accused of planning an ISIS terror attack have been arrested in connection to hate attacks targeting Jewish women.

The Toronto Police Service (TPS) have arrested Waleed Khan, 26, Osman Azizov, 18, and Fahad Sadaat, 19, on suspicion of kidnapping, attempted kidnapping with firearms, sexual assault, and other offences informed, in part, by hate-motivated extremism.

The arrests followed two attempted abductions, prompting a broader probe that uncovered a parallel terrorism investigation into Khan. 

He has since been charged with seven terrorism-related charges, including conspiracy to commit murder and funneling cryptocurrency to ISIS.

Police alleged Khan worked with an individual named Allah Kareem and received instructions from a group to carry out attacks. 

A search of his home by the RCMP uncovered evidence of national security threats, Toronto Police Chief Myron Demkiw said Friday.

In total, the trio faces 79 charges under Project Neapolitan, a major crimes investigation.

On May 31, a woman walking in Toronto was approached by three me, one armed with a handgun, another with a knife, who tried to force her into a vehicle. They fled when she screamed and a motorist intervened.

On June 24 in Mississauga, three men in an Audi SUV armed with a handgun, rifle, and knife chased two women before being stopped by a passerby.

Video footage captured the vehicle fleeing from the scene.

All three women were sexually assaulted, according to court filings.

Chief Myron Demkiw, Toronto Police Service said in a statement: ‘This investigation demonstrates the impact of strong collaboration in protecting our communities. Working with Peel Regional Police, the RCMP, and our law-enforcement and intelligence partners, we have arrested three individuals for offences targeting women and members of the Jewish community. 

‘The gravity of these alleged offences demanded a strong, united response – and that is exactly what this partnership delivered. I want to thank our members and all of our partners for their tireless efforts and their shared commitment to public safety.’

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What is Turtle Island Liberation Front, the extremist anti-government group whose offshoot planned a NYE terror attack

Multiple splinter cell members of the radical Turtle Island Liberation Front, which posts disturbing slogans such as “Death to America” on social media, were arrested last Friday for allegedly plotting a New Year’s Eve terror attack in the Los Angeles area.

Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), a little-known “pro-Palestine, anti-law-enforcement, and anti-government” extremist group, has quietly been raising funds and resources to usher in a “revolutionary change in government.”

“TILF also calls for the working class to rise up and fight back against capitalism,” an FBI affidavit noted. “Moreover, TILF advocates that liberalism and peaceful protest will be the downfall of those who believe it is enough, and that ‘direct action is the only way.’”

Where does Turtle Island come from?

The extremist group is named after “Turtle Island,” an Indigenous term, particularly among the Anishinaabe and Haudenosaunee, for the continent of North America. It stems from tales about the continent being built on a giant turtle’s back.

That name, which predates the US, dovetails with the extremist group’s goals of eliminating America, which it feels is illegitimate.

Left-wing activist groups such as Black Lives Matter have appropriated the term as well, and it is often used as a means of countering the “colonial” names for the US and Canada.

TILF has taken that concept to the extreme, while mixing a push for “decolonisation” of North America and of Israel.

Its members have used phrases such as “From Turtle Island to Palestine, Occupation is a Crime” to convey that mix.

“When we say ‘Death to America’ and call for an end to colonization, it doesn’t mean the displacement or harm of non indigenous citizens,” the radical group insisted in an October Facebook post.

The group has also proudly posted images on social media of its members brandishing signs such as “Death to ICE!!!” and parading around Palestinian flags.

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FBI Thwarts Major Leftist Terror Plot Involving Apparent Trans Ringleader

In a stunning victory for law and order under President Trump’s administration, the FBI has dismantled a chilling terrorist scheme orchestrated by far-left militants hell-bent on unleashing chaos in Los Angeles on New Year’s Eve.

These anti-capitalist agitators, fueled by hatred for America and its institutions, planned to detonate improvised explosive devices (IEDs) at multiple sites, targeting businesses and even ICE agents. Thanks to Trump’s September 2025 executive order prioritizing the hunt for domestic terror groups like Antifa and their ilk, this nightmare was averted just in time.

The plot’s exposure underscores the festering threat from radical leftism blended with Islamist sympathies—a toxic mix that could have turned festive celebrations into scenes of mass carnage.

The foiled attack centered on the Turtle Island Liberation Front, a self-described anti-capitalist, anti-government outfit with pro-Palestine leanings. According to federal prosecutors, the group aimed to hit at least five logistics centers in Orange and Los Angeles counties, coordinating backpack IEDs to explode at midnight.

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FBI arrests 4 alleged members of radical pro-Palestinian group accused of plotting New Year’s Eve bombings

Federal authorities say they disrupted a credible terrorist threat over the weekend, arresting four alleged members of a radical pro-Palestinian extremist group accused of planning coordinated New Year’s Eve bombings in Los Angeles.

The FBI told Fox News Digital that the members self-identified as part of a radical offshoot of the Turtle Island Liberation Front (TILF), an extremist group motivated by pro-Palestinian, anti-law-enforcement, and anti-government ideology. 

According to the FBI, they were allegedly planning coordinated bombing attacks on New Year’s Eve using improvised explosive devices, targeting five separate locations across Los Angeles.

The agency said the four were arrested in Lucerne Valley, where they were believed to be preparing to test explosive devices ahead of the planned attacks. They have each been charged with conspiracy and possession of a destructive device.

The FBI said Monday that a fifth individual believed to be connected to the same TILF extremist group was arrested in New Orleans for allegedly planning a separate attack.

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