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Animal rights activists set fourteen cattle trucks ablaze

Earlier this month fourteen cattle-transportation trailers were set on fire at California’s largest feed yard by an animal rights group; following the attack, the Animal Liberation Front (ALF) released a statement that indicated an anonymous group of activists had executed the attack against the “horrors of factory farming”
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Torture of USS Cole suspect becomes issue in trial
At a pretrial hearing, before a Guantanamo Bay military commission, the defense lawyer for one of the accused USS Cole bombers, said his client had been so traumatized by years of torture that he could not meet effectively with lawyers while still shackled
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In death al Awlaki lives on

In a recent security bulletin, DHS is warning local officials that al Qaeda in the Arabian Peninsula (AQAP) is still actively seeking to recruit Americans, encouraging them to commit acts of terrorism; in a posthumous video released in December, the radical American-born imam Anwar al Awlaki continues to spread his ideologies, stating “jihad against America is binding”
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FedEx fined $370,000 for export violations
Shipping giant FedEx has agreed to pay $370,000 in fines for violating anti-terrorism export measures
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Minnesota shop to continue cash transfers to Somalia
Following the uproar caused by the announcement that a Minnesota bank would stop transferring money to Somalia out of terrorism concerns, a local Minnesota business has agreed to continue the cash transfers
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Israel takes out another Iranian nuclear scientist
Yet another Iranian scientist associated with Iran’s nuclear weapons program has been killed earlier today: Mostafa Ahmadi Roshan, who was the deputy director of the Natanz uranium enrichment facility, was killed when a “sticky” bomb was attached to his car by two men on a motorcycle; in the last two years, Israel’s Mossad has taken out four leading Iranian nuclear scientists; there are reports that this latest strike was a joint Mossad-MEK operation
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Morocco changes offer U.S. “very important opportunity”
Homeland Security NewsWire’s Executive Editor Eugene K. Chow recently had the opportunity to chat with Robert M. Holley, the executive director of the Moroccan American Center for Policy; in their interview Holley discusses the implications of Morocco’s recent historic elections, the likely policies of the newly elected moderate Islamist party, and the broader consequences of the Arab Spring in Egypt and Libya
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British military gears up to secure 2012 Olympic Games

As London gears up for the 2012 Olympic Games, event organizers and government officials have spared no expense on security measures to ensure the safety of the hundreds of thousands of athletes, spectators, and VIPS attending the six week event which begins on 27 July
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State Department launches new Bureau of Counterterrorism
Last week, the State Department announced that its counterterrorism office has been upgraded to a “full-fledged bureau”
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Al Qaeda wants to be your “friend” and “follower”

Hackers attacking databases is just one facet of online terrorist activity; international terrorist organizations have shifted their Internet activity focus to social networks and today a number of Facebook groups are asking users to join and support Hezbollah, Hamas, and other armed groups that have been included in the West’s list of declared terror organizations
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Thirty U.S. car dealers caught in Hezbollah terror-financing scheme

Thirty used car dealerships in the United States are currently under investigation for their part in an international money laundering scheme that sent roughly $300 million to the known terrorist organization Hezbollah
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Al Qaeda leaders fleeing to North Africa
Reports from senior British military officials indicate that al Qaeda’s top leaders are moving out of Pakistan and into North Africa potentially in an attempt to avoid casualties from the U.S. drone campaign or as a broader shift in strategy
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FBI’s eGuardian integrated with Memex Patriarch
Deployed over the last three years, FBI eGuardian is a nationwide Suspicious Activity Reports (SARs) system focused on counterterrorism tips and leads; the agency has now integrated eGuardian with Patriarch Intelligence Management Platform from Memmex
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Terrorists using sophisticated uni-directional bombs
Terrorists have learned to develop increasingly sophisticated explosives as evidenced by the uni-directional bombs detonated last week in Karachi, Pakistan that killed three Pakistan Rangers and injured several others
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Minnesota banks to stop money transfers to Somalia

In an effort to cut off funds to Somali terrorists, banks in Minnesota will no longer support money transfers via local businesses called “hawalas”; Minnesota has the largest concentration of Somalis in the United States and officials fear that money sent from relatives living in the United States could be funding terrorist groups like al Shabaab
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More headlines
The long view
Violent Acts in Houses of Worship Are Rare but Deadly – Here’s What the Data Shows
Houses of worship are meant to be open spaces of peace and refuge. The challenge is balancing this higher purpose with practical security. By studying past tragedies, Americans may better prepare for the future –and prevent more families from enduring the heartbreak of recent weeks.
Hashtags and Humor Are Used to Spread Extreme Content on Social Media
Conspiracy theories and incitement to harassment and violence abound on mainstream social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. But the extreme content is often mixed with ironic play, memes and hashtags, which makes it difficult for authorities and media to know how to respond.
