Terrorism risen globally by 61 percent

LONDON Boko Haram and Islamic State Jihadists have contributed to the number of people killed globally in terrorist attacks as it increased by 61 percent in 2013, according to Australian research group, the Institute for Economics and Peace.

In its 2014 Global Terrorism Index launched in London, the research group reported there were almost 10,000 terrorist attacks in 2013, a 44 percent increase on 2012.

These attacks resulted in 17,958 fatalities, up from 11,133 in 2012, with over 80 percent of the deaths occurring in just five countries: Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Nigeria and Syria.

Iraq was found to be the country most affected by terrorism, recording a 164 percent rise in fatalities, to 6,362, with IS responsible for most of the deaths.

Four groups: IS, Boko Haram, al-Qaeda and the Taliban were blamed for 66 percent of all fatalities.
But the report found that attacks had also increased in the rest of the world, with fatalities rising by half the previous figure, to 3,236 in 2013.

A total of 60 countries recorded deaths from terrorist attacks last year.
The report highlighted Angola, Bangladesh, Burundi, Central African Republic, Ivory Coast, Ethiopia, Iran, Israel, Mali, Mexico, Myanmar, Sri Lanka and Uganda as countries at increased risk from terror attacks.

Despite the global spike, the report stressed that the risk to westerners remained slim.
According to its figures, a person in Britain was 188 times more likely to be victim of a
murder, and in the US 64 times more likely.

Three Boko Haram members tagged as 'terrorist' by US

The United States on Thursday named three alleged leaders of the Nigerian militant group Boko Haram as "foreign terrorists", the first time it has blacklisted members of the Islamist group blamed for attacks across Africa's most populous nation.

The State Department identified the three as Abubakar Shekau, who it called the "most visible" leader of the group, and Abubakar Adam Kambar and Khalid al-Barnawi, who it said were tied both to Boko Haram and to al Qaeda's north African wing.


"Under Shekau's leadership, Boko Haram has claimed responsibility for numerous attacks in northernNigeria, its primary area of operation. In the last 18 months, Boko Haram or associated militants have killed more than 1,000 people," the State Department said in an announcement.

"These designations demonstrate the United States' resolve in diminishing the capacity of Boko Haram to execute violent attacks," it said.

The action by the State and Treasury departments, first reported by Reuters on Wednesday, follows growing pressure on the Obama Administration to take stronger action against Boko Haram, which has stepped up attacks on Christian places of worship this year in its drive to establish an Islamic caliphate in northern Nigeria.

U.S. officials say the decision to list individual Boko Haram members, rather than apply the more sweeping "Foreign Terrorist Organization" label to the group as a whole as some U.S. lawmakers have demanded, reflected a desire not to elevate the group's profile.

The action freezes any assets the three men have in the United States, and bar U.S. persons from any transactions with them.

'Underwear bomber' pleads guilty to US airline attack

DETROIT, Michigan- Nigerian man also called the "underwear bomber" pleaded guilty on Wednesday to trying to blow up a US-bound airliner on Christmas Day 2009, saying he had explored to payback the killing of innocent Muslims.

During a six-minute speech to a shocked courtroom on the second day of his high profile-trial in Detroit, Michigan, Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab insisted his actions were righteous and that the true crime was US foreign policy.
"I am guilty of this count in US law but not in the Koran," the 25-year-old Nigerian said as he confessed to trying to kill 289 people on a packed transatlantic airliner using explosives hidden in his underwear.
"The United States should be warned that if they continue and persist in promoting the blasphemy of Mohammed and the US continues to kill and support those who kill innocent Muslims then the US should await a great calamity through the hands of the Mujahedeen... or God."
The botched plot, which US officials say was the work of Al-Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula, failed because the explosives did not fully detonate and instead caused a fireball.
Passengers and crew members were able to restrain Abdulmutallab and put out the fire as the Northwest flight from Amsterdam made an emergency landing in Detroit on December 25, 2009.
Since many of the counts Abdulmutallab pleaded guilty to carry mandatory minimum sentences of 30 years without parole which must be served consecutively, he is expected to spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Abdulmutallab kept his description of how he carried out the plot to the absolute minimum required to satisfy the judge that he was indeed guilty of all charges.
Reading calmly from a prepared speech, he stood straight in a black skullcap, gold tunic and blazer.

Abdulmutallab said he "had an agreement with at least one person" to attack the US in retaliation for US support for Israel and in revenge for the killing of innocent Muslims in Palestine, Yemen, Iraq, Somalia, Afghanistan and beyond.
"I carried with me an explosive device onto Flight Northwest 253, again to avenge my fellow Muslims," said Abdulmutallab, who has confirmed that he traveled to Yemen for Al-Qaeda training prior to the attack.
"I attempted to use an explosive device, which under US law is called a weapon of mass destruction, which I call a blessed weapon to save the lives of innocent Muslims for the US used weapons of mass destruction on innocent Muslims," he told the court.
"If I said I did it, but the American people are guilty of the sin and (President Barack) Obama should pay for the crime the court would not accept that," he said.
"However, according to US law which is unjust... my actions make me guilty to a crime."
Abdulmutallab's calm and respectful demeanor on Wednesday was in sharp contrast to his disruptive behavior during jury selection.
This was marked by incendiary outbursts, including a pledge that militants will wipe out "the cancer US," and praise for radical Al-Qaeda cleric Anwar al-Awlaqi and former leader Osama bin Laden, both killed in US raids.
Abdulmutallab is to be sentenced on January 12.