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Al-Qaeda Takes Credit for Iraqi Jailbreak

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By William Tucker

Media reports on yesterday’s jailbreak at Abu Ghraib were scant on details, but we now know that the al-Qaeda branch Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant has issued a statement today taking credit for the attack. Initial reports from the Iraqi government stated that no prisoners had escaped, however they amended that statement by saying some had indeed left custody. Others, including the ISI, have put the number of escapees at 500. Keep in mind that this situation is still fluid and verifiable numbers may never become publically available. There are some circumstances that are worth monitoring. Abu Ghraib housed many high ranking militants belonging to both affiliated al-Qaeda movements and other notorious militant groups. These names may eventually make it to the online militant forums and offer a glimpse of where these individuals wind up.

The war in Syria has drawn a wide variety of militants from across the Islamic world. Though the claim seems dubious, the Pakistani Taliban have stated that they send a number of fighters to Syria to take on the Assad regime. Indeed, the militant landscape of pro-regime and anti-Assad militant groups is rather complex. For a great rundown on the militant situation, please visit the following links from Flashpoint Intel and Jihadology for more information.

https://flashpoint-intel.com/upload/syria_martyrs/2013-06-02_Convoy_of_Martyrs_Report.pdf
http://jihadology.net/hizballah-cavalcade/

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Syria’s Hunger Games

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By Phillip Smyth, guest contributor

“Radical Islamist groups like [Jabhat] al-Nusra are already using targeted food distribution as a tool to curry favor with local populations, thus increasing their stakes in a post-Assad Syria.” – Phillip Smyth

An intrinsic component of Syria’s ongoing civil war, the control and distribution of food is becoming a multi-faceted strategic tool used not only to punish foes but also to build patronage.

Libya Suffers Massive Prison Break

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By William Tucker

Media outlets are reporting that some 120 inmates of the al-Judaida prison in Tripoli escaped yesterday. Details of how the escape happened have not been publically released, but suspicion has fallen on a mix of causes including insufficient security and rampant militancy. Libyan officials did say that half of those who escaped have been recaptured, though. The nationality and ethnicity of the al-Judaida prison inmates is quite diverse.

The Ethiopian Incursion into Eritrea

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By William Tucker

Geopolitically speaking, there are certain areas around the globe that are prone to conflict. While it is true that conflict of any kind is ongoing, there is a short list of competing nation-state actors that gather more attention than other conflict prone areas. The reason being is that these competitions that are under wider scrutiny have a habit of turning into something more catastrophic.