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☆ What we know about the Moscow concert hall attack — and why ISIS-K is claiming responsibility
▼ + stars: | 2024-03-23 | by ( Lloyd Lee | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

A group of unidentified individuals opened fire at the Crocus City Hall, a music venue located on the western edge of Moscow, on Friday evening. The Ministry of Emergency Situations told the Russian news agency that a third of Crocus City Hall was engulfed. If ISIS-K is confirmed to have carried out the attack, the group may have done so on Friday simply because they were ready, Byman said. The warning was partly based on intelligence that indicated an ISIS-K presence in Russia, two US officials told The Washington Post. Three days before the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin dismissed the warnings, calling them "provocative."

Persons: —, Mikhail Murashko, Amaq, Hamid Karzai, Daniel Byman, Byman, Michael Kugelman, Vladimir Putin, Colin P, Clarke Organizations: Service, Crocus City Hall, TASS, Federal Security Service, Business, Crocus City, Associated Press, Russian, Ministry, ISIS, CNN, The New York Times, Islamic, Center for Strategic & International Studies, CSIS, Wilson, Reuters, Washington Post, Soufan, New York Times, Kremlin Locations: Crocus, Moscow, Russian, Russia's, Khorasan Province, Afghanistan, Islamic State, Washington, DC, Pakistan, Kabul, Russia, Chechnya

The group got a dramatic second wind soon after the Taliban toppled the Afghan government that year. The attack raised ISIS-K’s international profile, positioning it as a major threat to the Taliban’s ability to govern. Counterterrorism officials in Europe say that in recent months they have snuffed out several nascent ISIS-K plots to attack targets there. And now the group has claimed responsibility for the attack in Moscow. “ISIS-K accuses the Kremlin of having Muslim blood in its hands, referencing Moscow’s interventions in Afghanistan, Chechnya and Syria.”

Persons: Biden, Michael E, “, Qassim Suleimani, Vladimir V, Putin, Colin P, Clarke, ” Organizations: Taliban, U.S, Islamic State, ISIS, military’s, Command, Counterterrorism, Soufan, Kremlin Locations: Kabul, Afghanistan, Moscow, State Khorasan Province, U.S, United States, Persian, Europe, Kerman, Iran, Gen, Iranian, Russia, New York, Chechnya, Syria

The United States collected intelligence in March that Islamic State-Khorasan, known as ISIS-K, the branch of the group based in Afghanistan, had been planning an attack on Moscow, according to officials. In addition to publicly warning on March 7 about a possible attack, U.S. officials said they had privately told Russian officials about the intelligence pointing to an impending attack. It is not clear how much information the United States gave Russian officials beyond what was in the public warning. Western intelligence agencies had collected intelligence about possible planning by ISIS-K to bomb the service. As in Russia, ISIS-K claimed responsibility for that attack.

Persons: ”, Vladimir V, Putin, Colin P, Clarke, Qassim Suleimani Organizations: Islamic State, United, ISIS, Soufan, Kremlin, United States Locations: Moscow, United States, State, Khorasan, Afghanistan, Russia, Europe, New York, Chechnya, Syria, Iran, U.S, United

☆ Opinion | Why the World Is Watching Iran
▼ + stars: | 2023-10-23 | by ( Colin P. Clarke | ) www.nytimes.com time to read: +8 min

Now, in the wake of Hamas’s Oct. 7 attack, Israel appears to be preparing to invade Gaza. At the center of these mounting tensions is Iran, which has been engaged in a shadow war with its chief regional rival, Israel, for years. It also gives Tehran leverage as its proxy groups develop political wings, helping Iran play kingmaker in local and national politics in Iraq, Lebanon, Yemen and elsewhere. As the conflict intensifies, there are growing concerns that Israel may be headed toward a more direct confrontation with Iran. Follow The New York Times Opinion section on Facebook, Twitter (@NYTopinion) and Instagram.

Persons: Biden, Iran’s, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Ismail Qaani, Khamenei, ”, “, —, Colin P, Clarke Organizations: United, Navy, Pentagon, U.S, Training, Islamic Revolutionary Guards Corps, Quds Force, Israel Defense, longtime, Israeli Defense Forces, Soufan Group, New York, Facebook, Twitter Locations: Saudi Arabia, Israel, Gaza, Lebanon, United States, Yemen, Iran, Tehran, Washington, Doha, Qatar, meddle, Iraq, Jerusalem, U.S, Amman, Jordan, Istanbul, New York City

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