World View: Coordinated Suicide Attack in Kabul, Afghanistan

This morning’s key headlines from GenerationalDynamics.com

• Britain’s Prince Harry acknowledges that he killed Taliban insurgents
• Coordinated suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, part of increasing violence
• Massive espionage malware targeting governments undetected for 5 years
• Russia sends planes to Lebanon to evacuate Russians in Syria
• Will Rogers

Britain’s Prince Harry acknowledges that he killed Taliban insurgents

Prince Harry with Play Station controller during a VHR (very high readiness) shift

Completing his most recent 4-month tour of duty as “Captain Wales” inBritish-controlled Camp Bastion in Helmand province in Afghanistan,Britain’s Prince Harry acknowledged that he’s killed Talibaninsurgents serving as a helicopter pilot, though he won’t reveal howmany. He said it was sometimes justified to “take a life to save alife. That’s what we revolve around, I suppose.” Prince Harry, thirdin line to the British throne, and considered to be the world’s mosteligible bachelor, has frequently expressed his feelings that he’drather be in Afghanistan service with his comrades, than back inLondon living the posh royal life. He presents a problem for thearmy, however, because it would be a major public relations coup forthe Taliban if they succeeded in killing him, and they’ve expressedtheir determination to target him in the past. CNN and Daily Mail (London)

Coordinated suicide attack in Kabul, Afghanistan, part of increasing violence

The Taliban has claimed responsibility for an 8-hour assault, withsuicide bombings and gunfire from automatic rifles, on the theheadquarters of the Kabul traffic police in Afghanistan. This was thesecond major attack in Kabul in less than a week. Last week, sixsuicide bombers attack the National Directorate of Security, killingtwo guards. Terrorist violence across Afghanistan has been increasingduring the last 12 months, raising doubts about the success of theAfghan security forces after the Nato forces leave. Apparently theTaliban terrorists are changing their strategy as the Nato forcesleave, specifically targeting the Afghan security forces. Accordingto a government official, “Honestly speaking, this type of attack, atthe start of the year, indicates the coming months are going to betough.” Reuters

Massive espionage malware targeting governments undetected for 5 years

Researchers have uncovered an ongoing, large-scale computer espionagenetwork, dubbed Red October, that’s targeting hundreds of diplomatic,governmental, and scientific organizations in at least 39 countries,including the Russia, Iran, and the United States. The highlycoordinated campaign, has been active since 2007, raising thepossibility it has already siphoned up hundreds of terabytes ofsensitive information. It uses more than 1,000 distinct modules thathave never been seen before to customize attack profiles for eachvictim. Among other things, components target individual PCs,networking equipment from Cisco Systems, and smartphones from Apple,Microsoft, and Nokia. The main purpose of the campaign is to gatherclassified information and geopolitical intelligence. Stolencredentials were compiled and used later when the attackers needed toguess secret phrases in other locations. Although China is thought tobe the perpetrator, there’s no evidence to link the attack to China orto any other particular nation-state. Ars Technica

Russia sends planes to Lebanon to evacuate Russians in Syria

Because it’s too dangerous now to fly into Damascus airport, Russia issending evacuation planes to Beirut, Lebanon, to evacuate Russians whowish to return to Russia. There are some 150 people, mainly women andchildren, waiting for the planes to arrive. Russia has contingencyplans to evacuate thousands of its nationals from Syria, using planesand sea vessels. Most are Russian women married to Syrians. The moveis considered to be one more sign that Russia is having increasingdoubts about Syrian president Bashar al-Assad’s ability to stay inpower. Daily Star (Beirut)

Will Rogers

the politicians as a joke.” — Will Rogers

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