It's Time to Shoot Some Pirates

Somali-born brothers overheard discussing methods and targets

(NEWSER) - Danish intelligence officials say they've arrested two brothers who were plotting an unspecified terrorist attack. The brothers, ages 18 and 23, were born in Somalia, but have spent most of their lives in Denmark and are Danish citizens. Authorities say they were overheard discussing methods, targets, and types of weaponry for an attack. One allegedly attended an al-Shabab training camp in Somalia, the AP reports. More»

Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, tried to sabotage tree-lighting ceremony

(USER SUBMITTED) - An Oregon man was arrested last night and charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction after trying to detonate a car bomb at a tree-lighting ceremony. Mohamed Osman Mohamud, 19, a US citizen born in Somalia, drove a van to Pioneer Courthouse Square in Portland and attempted to detonate a dummy explosive charge that had been rigged by the FBI, reports the Oregonian . "This defendant's chilling determination is a stark reminder that there are people—even here in Oregon—who are determined to kill Americans," said a state US attorney. More»

(AP) - A suicide bombing outside a hotel in western Somalia killed at least 20 people today including the national security minister. The Somali president accused al-Qaeda of being behind the attack. A witness said a small car headed toward the gate of the Medina Hotel in Belet Weyne, then drove into vehicles leaving the hotel and exploded. More»

Counterterrorism agencies fear emergence of homegrown terror cells

(NEWSER) - US counter-terrorism agencies are warning of a mounting terror threat as Somali extremists linked to al-Qaeda recruit Americans, the Washington Post reports. Agencies are probing the disappearance of a number of young Somali-Americans now believed to be in Somalia, and cite the case of Shirwa Ahmed, who lived in Minneapolis before becoming a suicide bomber in Somalia last October, as cause for concern. More»

Documents reveal al-Qaeda leader also wanted Petraeus dead

(NEWSER) - Documents taken from Osama bin Laden's compound during the US raid that killed the al-Qaeda leader reveal a plot to kill President Obama and David Petraeus. David Ignatius got a look at the documents, which will be available to the public soon, and he reports in the Washington Post that bin Laden wanted his network to focus on attacks in America, rather than operations inside Muslim countries, and he specifically instructed attacks on Obama's and Petraeus's aircraft. The way he saw it, "killing [Obama] automatically will make [Vice President Joe] Biden take over the presidency. … Biden is totally unprepared for that post, which will lead the US into a crisis." More»