By William Tucker

Danish intelligence has arrested five people on suspicion that they were planning to attack the Jyllands-Posten newspaper offices in Copenhagen. The Jyllands-Posten newspaper was the first to publish cartoons lampooning the prophet Mohammed resulting in protests throughout the Muslim world. Since the cartoons were first published both the artist and the newspaper have been the subject of terrorist threats from a wide variety of actors. This most recent plot reportedly includes individuals from the Middle East or North Africa who planned to storm the office buildings and kill as many people as possible. During the raids that resulted in the arrests police found an assault rifle, with suppressor and ammunition, and plastic strips that can be used as restraints. Investigators have said that the detained men do have connections to international terrorism, but failed to disclose and particular group or groups.

In Homeland Security – News & Analysis of Critical Issues in Terrorism & Homeland Defense

By William Tucker

Reuters is reporting today that the Australian Foreign Ministry has issued a warning stating that al-Shabaab is planning to strike Addis Ababa, Ethiopia during this week’s African Union summit. Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade has recently changed its travel advice for Ethiopia to state:

“According to credible information, extremists are planning to bomb unspecified locations within Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, during the Africa Union Summit.”

Unfortunately the information available is rather thin, but it would fit with al-Shabaab’s need to break the stalemate between its forces and those of the AU in the Somali capital of Mogadishu. Al-Shabaab has been unable to eject the AU forces from Somalia and has been forced to try to break the political will of the nations supporting the AU mission. It is this type of strategy that led to the suicide bombings in Kampala, Uganda in July of 2010. Uganda is a primary supplier of military forces to the AU mission that is protecting the Somali Transitional Federal Government in Mogadishu. Some may remember that in March 2010, I had stated that al-Shabaab was looking to launch an international attack when notorious terrorist Fazul Abdullah Mohammad had been given command of an al-Shabaab unit. This warning does fit with what is known about al-Shabaab and the status of the Somali theater. Threats to Addis Ababa aside, the TFG mandate set to expire in August of this year and with waning support from the west the militant group may just have to wait a few months before it can launch an effective offensive on Mogadishu.

Photo of al-Shabaab militants: Wardheernews.com

In Homeland Security – News & Analysis of Critical Issues in Terrorism & Homeland Defense