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Paul Cruickshank Profile
Paul Cruickshank

@CruickshankPaul

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EIC, CTC Sentinel; CEO Cruickshank & Dean Global Intelligence; Partner EMIR; 📚 Nine Lives+Agent Storm which Guardian named one of top ten spy books of all time

Joined April 2010
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
23 days
The September 2024 issue of CTC Sentinel, the flagship publication of the Combating Terrorism Center at the U.S. Military Academy is now out.
@CTCWP
CTC at West Point
23 days
NEW Release - The September issue of CTC Sentinel is out now:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
New York Times: "Hassan Nasrallah, the leader of Hezbollah, held an hourslong online meeting in March with an elite group of strategists from all the Iran-backed militias and told them to get ready for a war with Israel with a scope and reach — including a ground invasion — that
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
6 years
@Acosta Simple fact: Jim and all our colleagues in the free press on this side of the pond are reporting FOR the American people.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Summary of the French election
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
3 years
I am now a citizen of the United States. A very special day for me. Do not bet against America.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
From the Economist
@TheEconomist
The Economist
7 years
America waves goodbye to values, and hello to thugs, dictators and strongmen
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
New York Times: "Some people familiar with the operation said that a tight circle of leaders from Iran, Hezbollah and Hamas helped plan the attack starting over a year ago, trained militants and had advanced knowledge of it."
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Thread from me upcoming on ISIS Amaq claim of responsibility for Las Vegas attack, a claim made without a shred of evidence.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
My analysis: This extraordinarily detailed new reporting from the New York Times indicates that we may be heading towards a regional war whose architects are Tehran and Hezbollah. With tensions escalating every minute, can the Middle East pull back from the brink?
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
New York Times: "Training had been taking place in Lebanon and Syria, and a secret joint command center had been set up in Beirut, according to the Iranians and the Syrian familiar with the operation. Hezbollah’s top commandos, experienced in urban guerrilla warfare, trained
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
New York Times: "Over the past six months, Hezbollah created provocations meant to mislead and distract Israel along its northern border with Lebanon and in Syria so it would think the real threat was coming from those areas, according to two Iranians briefed after the attack."
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
"On Oct. 3, four days before Hamas launched its attack on southern Israel, Mr. Khamenei’s official account in Farsi posted a message on X, formerly known as Twitter, that said: “Israel will be gone.”" Read the full article here:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
"In September, Israeli intelligence officials told The New York Times that they had intelligence suggesting Mr. Khamenei, Iran’s supreme leader, had ordered a wide campaign against Israel including targeting its citizens abroad, conducting sabotage inside its borders, and
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
New York Times: "In various meetings of Iran’s proxy militias, several attendees said, the emphasis from leaders was that it was time to take advantage of Israel’s seething internal divisions over the judicial overhaul pushed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s far-right
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Key difference between London & Paris attacks is that marauding attackers had knives not Kalashnikovs. Much harder to get guns in the UK.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
8 years
So if @WhiteHouse is right, I must have imagined the countless hours I spent reporting on European terror attacks last year live on CNN
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
This is just not cricket. The equivalent of this, as London rebounds, would be if Tony Blair had criticized Rudy Giulliani day after 9/11
@realDonaldTrump
Donald J. Trump
7 years
At least 7 dead and 48 wounded in terror attack and Mayor of London says there is "no reason to be alarmed!"
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
6 years
Deeply concerning development in Germany. Never before to my knowledge has a jihadi in the West successfully produced ricin. If this initial finding is confirmed a new threshold has been crossed in the chemical terror threat.
@daniel_heinke
Daniel H. Heinke
6 years
UPDATE 29 y/o #Tunesia |n man arrested in #Cologne successfully produced ricin, a biological weapon under German law. Police probe into preparation of jihadism motivated terrorist attack. No apparent ties to jihadist organizations. Federal prosecutor general press release (🇩🇪):
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
4 years
Breaking: Khalid Batarfi, the leader of al Qaeda’s affiliate in Yemen, is under arrest, UN report reveals. The report states he was detained in “an operation” in Yemen in October. Here is my story for CNN
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
6 years
If terror link is confirmed, this would make it single deadliest terror attack in Europe in 2018.
@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
6 years
At least four now dead in Strasbourg shooting reports @BFMTV
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
"Documents exclusively obtained by NBC News show that Hamas created detailed plans to target elementary schools and a youth center in the Israeli kibbutz of Kfar Sa'ad, to "kill as many people as possible," seize hostages and quickly move them into the Gaza Strip.""
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
5 years
Breaking: UN report warns ISIS is reasserting under new leader believed to be behind Yazidi genocide
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
6 years
Twenty years ago today al Qaeda carried out two near simultaneous attacks on US embassies in Nairobi and Dar al Salaam, the first large attack in their global terror campaign. We mourn all the victims of these atrocities.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
1. ISIS in recent months has made a number of demonstrably false claims for attacks and incidents that had no jihadi terror nexus.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
5. Conclusion: ISIS, desperate for attention, will claim just about anything these days knowing their supporters won't believe govt/media.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
If ISIS make any "claim" today for London we need to be very sceptical. They falsely claimed attack in Manila by indebted gambler.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
3 years
Big breaking story out tonight by @NicRobertsonCNN @TimListerCNN & me -- a just released UN Security Council report sounds the alarm over an emboldened Taliban still closely tied to al Qaeda.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
7. I can't think of a single case in which a jihadi terrorist shot themselves dead after an attack. A big theological no no for jihadis
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
6 years
Extraordinary story. Extraordinary courage. This sort of heroism from within the Muslim world is so often unsung but it is how the fight against jihadi terror will be won.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
2. Exhibit A of a false ISIS claim was their claim for attack on Manila, Philippines casino resort in June. Perpetrator was indebted gambler
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
1. Partially assembled bomb including high end military grade explosive was shipped by air cargo from Turkey to Australia.
@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Extraordinary details coming out on Australia plane plot. Everybody in CT needs to watch this presser in full:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Awful. This makes Mogadishu attack 2nd most deadly terrorist bombing of 21st Century. Worst was August 2007 series of truck bombs in Iraq
@AJEnglish
Al Jazeera English
7 years
The number of people killed in last week's devastating bombing in Mogadishu has risen to 358
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
These are extraordinarily serious allegations. Any unnecessary delay in taking back Raqqa gifts ISIS more time to plot carnage in West.
@gideonrachman
Gideon Rachman
7 years
This is amazing - if true. Flynn stopped military plan Turkey opposed – after being paid as its agent
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
6 years
Honored to be nominated along with my brilliant CNN colleagues for an Emmy for "outstanding breaking news coverage":
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
2 years
Authorities may "prefer" this, but is it morally defensible to delay providing young children a viable vaccine? There is gathering outrage from millions of worried and well-informed American parents, whose number one mission in life is to protect their kids.
@megtirrell
Meg Tirrell
2 years
Politico has sourcing on potential timeline for review of young kids #covid19 vaccine, suggesting authorities may prefer to review Moderna & Pfizer together, which could push authorization of both to June:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Extraordinary moment when French President calls out Russian propaganda in front of Putin
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
8 years
A first relevant stat tonight: number of Syrian refugees implicated in terrorism in the United States since Syria civil war = zero.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
8 years
CNN Exclusive: Libyan terror camps hit by American B-2's after intel indicated link to Berlin truck attack:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
3. Exhibit B of a false ISIS claim was their claim to have smuggled explosives into CDG airport in Paris last month.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
8. Jihadis make distinction between suicide, which they believe forbidden by Islam, & death as byproduct of "martyrdom" bombing/attack.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
From spear phishing to spear fishing
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Sigh. This is getting boring. My CNN colleagues don't represent any nation (and nor should they) and a good number have literally put their lives on the line to bring the world the news.
@realDonaldTrump
Donald J. Trump
7 years
. @FoxNews is MUCH more important in the United States than CNN, but outside of the U.S., CNN International is still a major source of (Fake) news, and they represent our Nation to the WORLD very poorly. The outside world does not see the truth from them!
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
4. In actual fact the CDG security alert was caused by verbal threats by an angry female passenger in her 50s not allowed onto flight.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
4 years
The accelerating ISIS takeover of swaths of northern Mozambique is now the biggest global terror challenge since the 2014 ISIS takeover of swaths of Syria/Iraq. Many have been warning about the gathering threat. Once again little has been done to stop it.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Early info: A LT Colonel in the French police swapped places with one of hostages and and then placed his phone on a table allowing security forces to understand what going on & take out the ISIS inspired terrorist. Police officer now seriously wounded:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Five reasons why we should be deeply sceptical of the Russian Baghdadi claim.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
6. Investigators belief "likely" Las Vegas gunman took his own life also points against this having any jihadi nexus.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
Extraordinary comments from a former prime minister of Israel.
@Channel4News
Channel 4 News
1 year
“We are going into a civil war now.” Former Prime Minister of Israel Ehud Olmert says the country faces civil war as huge protests have flooded the streets in Israel over judicial overhaul.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Extraordinary details coming out on Australia plane plot. Everybody in CT needs to watch this presser in full:
@AusFedPolice
AFP
7 years
AFP and NSWP discuss the Two sydney men charged over alleged terrorist acts
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
5 years
Breaking: Significant new information from me and @NicRobertsonCNN (who is reporting from Riyadh) on the possible motivation behind the Pensacola, Florida shooting:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
9 months
This doesn't just cross~it eviscerates the January 3 red line declared by the U.S. and coalition partners. How long can such attacks be tolerated in a key international waterway? The credibility of the United States and allied countries is now on the line.
@CENTCOM
U.S. Central Command
9 months
Houthi Attack on International Shipping On Jan. 9, at approximately 9:15 p.m. (Sanaa time), Iranian-backed Houthis launched a complex attack of Iranian designed one-way attack UAVs (OWA UAVs), anti-ship cruise missiles, and an anti-ship ballistic missile from Houthi-controlled
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
3 years
Very significant: France says its troops have killed Adnan Abu Walid al-Sahraoui, the leader of the Sahara branch (ISGS) of ISIS West Africa (ISWAP). Among the many victims of ISGS were four U.S. Green Berets killed in an ambush in Niger in 2017.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
6 years
Friday at 10pm CNN will air an extraordinary one hour documentary presented by @camanpour on the story of Aimen Dean, arguably the most important spy Western intel has had inside al-Qaeda. It's based on my co-authored book "Nine Lives" out in early June:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
3 years
Big story out tonight by @NicRobertsonCNN @TimListerCNN and myself: As the West winds down its 'war on terror,' jihadists are filling the vacuum, the UN warns in a just released report
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
8 years
1993 World Trade Center bombing plotter dies
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
"The documents were found on the bodies of Hamas terrorists by Israeli first responders and shared with NBC News. They include detailed maps and show that Hamas intended to kill or take hostage civilians and school children."
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
6 years
Utterly compelling. Aimen Dean arguably the West's most vital spy since the Cold War talks to @nprscottsimon on NPR Weekend Edition Our fastselling book "Nine Lives: My time as the West's Top Spy inside al-Qaeda" available here:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
3. Idea of over 300 ISIS fighters being killed in one strike struggles to pass the smell test. No credible reports I've seen of such strike
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
3 years
1. Mega thread a year on from January 6 on CTC Sentinel's spotlight on the nexus to violence of far-right extremism. @CTCWP Sentinel is the flagship publication of West Point's Combating Terrorism Center, widely viewed as the nation's leading terrorism research center.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Belgian CT official tells me that Brussels attempted attack was failed bombing. Palpable sense of relief nobody hurt.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Serious terror plot just thwarted in Germany
@daniel_heinke
Daniel H. Heinke
7 years
#Germany 19 y/o #Syria |n man arrested in #Schwerin on suspicion of preparing jihadism motivated terrorist bomb attack: federal prosecutor.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
A few days after the President of the United States retweeted anti Muslim videos by hate group "Britain First"
@jimsciutto
Jim Sciutto
7 years
“We call for the voices of tolerance to prevail over the purveyors of hate” - Trump
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Turns out the Syrian refugee, who was vilified by some seeking to push a particular narrative, had nothing to do with Parson's Green attack
@lizziedearden
Lizzie Dearden
7 years
Yahyah Farroukh, the 21-year-old Syrian refugee held over Parsons Green attack, has been released without charge
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
NBC News: "The attack plans, which are labeled "top secret" in Arabic, appear to be orders for two highly trained Hamas units to surround and infiltrate villages and target places where civilians, including children, gather."
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
5 years
Thirty-two Sri Lankan Muslims from “well-educated and elite” families have joined Islamic State in Syria, the Sri Lankan justice minister told parliament in 2016.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Including 4 killed today 107 people killed by vehicle/truck attacks in Europe since July. Many many more injured.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
This is a BIG CNN story: Putin's 'chef,' the man behind the troll factory
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
Four days ago, this was posted by Iran's Supreme Leader's account. Today, amidst a horrific ongoing attack against its civilians launched from Gaza, Israel is at war.
@khamenei_ir
Khamenei.ir
1 year
The usurper regime is coming to an end. Today, the Palestinian youth and the anti-oppression, anti-occupation movement in Palestine is more energetic, more alive, and more prepared than ever during the past 70 or 80 years. God willing, the movement will achieve its goals.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
With new false flag plot just thwarted, there have been more attacks & plots in recent weeks framing Islamists in Germany than by Islamists
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Kudos to counterterrorism agencies on both sides of the Atlantic for their heroic efforts to thwart terror plots these last days of 2017. They never get enough credit for what they stop. More challenges ahead.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
11 months
Dangerous moments. Hezbollah are one miscalculation away from triggering regional escalation...
@avischarf
avi scharf
11 months
And now more Lebanese rockets all the way to the suburbs of Haifa, into civilian population, the furthest since 2006 Lebanon war
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
The ironies of history: Key planning sessions for 9/11 attack were held in same Catalan town - Cambrils - attacked last night:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
3 years
Big: CNN conducted an extremely rare exclusive interview with al Qaeda via intermediaries. I reviewed their answers for this important story by @NicRobertsonCNN which sheds vital light on the enduring threat the terror group poses the United States.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
8 years
ISIS has coined a new epithet for al Qaeda: "the Jews of Jihad" - it doesn't look like these groups are mending fences anytime soon.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
5 years
Very significant new CNN reporting about the Sri Lanka attack:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
5 years
First on CNN: Intel indicates al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri has potentially serious heart complaint, official says (my just published report also includes key new details on Hamza bin Laden's recent whereabouts)
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
8 years
A second relevant stat tonight: proportion of Syria refugees to U.S. who are women & children = 80%
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
Given the situation in the Middle East, and after today's deadly stabbing attack in northeastern France, it is clear we are entering a period of elevated terror threats across Europe. Maximum vigilance is required in the coming days and weeks.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
3 years
1. In the last several years the Combating Terrorism Center at West Point @CTCWP has published authoritative research on ISK, the ISIS branch which claimed the Kabul airport bombing.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
5 years
Nobody - and I mean nobody outside a likely very small circle within ISIS - have any idea who their new leader  "Abu Ibrahim al-Hashimi al-Qurashi" is.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
For those round the world trying to decipher the political drama Stateside an essential follow is my CNN colleague @brianstelter
@brianstelter
Brian Stelter
7 years
Here's all of today's media news... from "Fire and Fury" to ESPN to Robert Siegel to the Golden Globes...
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
4 years
Important: "ISIS exploiting coronavirus security gaps to relaunch insurgency, UN report warns" (here is my CNN report just out)
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
6 years
A worrying threshold has been crossed with the Christchurch attack - the first mass casualty terror attack in West in which murders were live-streamed. Must read by @burke_jason in @CTCWP Sentinel on trend towards this. (Piece focuses on jihadi terror):
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
If this was terrorism would be first deadly terror attack in NYC since 9/11.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
3 years
1. Is AQ leader Ayman al-Zawahiri alive? The analyst @abdsayedd points out that in his new video Zawahiri mourns Abu Muhammad Sudani killed circa 15-Oct 2020. This seems to date the recording to some time after that.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
6 years
A must read this morning: @Ali_H_Soufan 's authoritative and fascinating @CTCWP Sentinel profile of Hamza bin Ladin
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
8 years
Our book Agent Storm named by @guardian one of top ten spy books of all time and "probably best" on modern day spy:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
3 years
What do you get when you ask some of the brightest minds to tackle the global problem set of extreme far-right violence 6 months after Jan 6? The July/August issue of CTC Sentinel (which is now out).
@CTCWP
CTC at West Point
3 years
July/Aug CTC Sentinel is now live w/ articles on the plot to kidnap Michigan's governor; the evolution of the Proud Boys; the globalization of far-right extremism; & analysis of Action Zealandia. Plus an intv w/ the dir of UN's Office of Counter-Terrorism.
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
Extraordinary arrest footage of what appears to have been a thwarted terrorist attack near British Parliament today:
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
1 year
Agence France Presse: "We, as Hezbollah, are contributing to the confrontation and will (continue) to contribute to it within our vision and plan," [Hezbollah deputy chief Naim] Qassem told a pro-Palestinian rally in Beirut's southern suburbs [on Friday]. "We are fully prepared,
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
10 months
Paris Attack: The suspect had shouted out “Allahu Akbar” (God is greatest) and told police he was upset because “so many Muslims are dying in Afghanistan and in Palestine”
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@CruickshankPaul
Paul Cruickshank
7 years
This follows ISIS air cargo shipment of partially assembled explosive device to Australia from Turkey this past summer. A possibly gamechanging moment in terror threat.
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