Terrorism

Company claims its technology can pick out criminals by facial analysis

Experts are skeptical of a start-up company’s claims that its technology can identify terrorists and other criminals by analyzing clues in their faces. The company, Faception, says its software detects character traits with 80 percent accuracy, the Washington Post reports. “Our personality is determined by our DNA and reflected in…

May 24, 2016 8:58 AM CDT

Lawyers for admitted Sept. 11 mastermind allege secret order authorized destruction of evidence

Lawyers for admitted Sept. 11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed say the military judge overseeing the case issued a secret order authorizing destruction of evidence that would have helped the defense. The defense lawyers told reporters on Wednesday that secrecy rules prevent them from revealing what kind of evidence was destroyed.…

May 12, 2016 11:27 AM CDT

Twitter reportedly bars US intelligence agencies from service that mines posts for terrorism alerts

A service that mined tweets to quickly alert U.S. intelligence agencies about the terrorist attacks in Brussels and Paris won’t be providing that kind of information in the future. Twitter cut off intelligence agencies’ access to the terrorism-alert service provided by Dataminr Inc., apparently because of concerns the social media…

May 9, 2016 10:49 AM CDT

Judge indicates he will allow torture suit against psychologists who aided CIA

A federal judge in Spokane, Washington, has indicated he will allow a lawsuit filed against two psychologists accused of helping design a CIA interrogation program that included waterboarding. U.S. District Judge Justin Quackenbush said on Friday that he will deny a request to toss the suit by two psychologists who…

Apr 25, 2016 8:11 AM CDT

CIA doesn’t have to release legal memos on targeted killings by drones, DC Circuit rules

A federal appeals court has ruled the CIA doesn’t have to release legal memos on targeted drone killings and doesn’t have to disclose records identifying those who were targeted or killed. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit ruled (PDF) on Thursday in a freedom of information suit…

Apr 21, 2016 11:39 AM CDT

Supreme Court upholds Iran reparations law; dissent sees separation of powers violation

The U.S. Supreme Court has upheld a law that allows victims of Iran-sponsored terrorism to satisfy unpaid judgments with assets held in New York by the Iran’s central bank. The U.S. Supreme Court upheld the law in a 6-2 decision (PDF) that found no violation of the separation of powers.…

Apr 20, 2016 11:27 AM CDT

FBI paid professional hackers to help unlock San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone

The FBI managed to unlock the iPhone of the San Bernardino shooter by paying professional hackers who discovered a security flaw, sources say. The unidentified sources told the Washington Post that the information was used to create hardware to unlock the phone without triggering a feature that erases phone data…

Apr 13, 2016 7:06 AM CDT

Trial judge asks how grenade-like device works: Police officer pulls pin, and it explodes

A trial in an anti-terrorism court in Pakistan was dramatically halted on Monday after the judge asked a police officer how an explosive—that authorities say they took from the defendant—worked. Assuring the court that it had been defused, the officer pulled the pin on the grenade-like device. It went off,…

Apr 12, 2016 4:35 PM CDT

Judge considers booting adviser and lawyers from case due to allegation of jihad preaching

Federal prosecutors claim a law grad advising defense lawyers in an ISIS recruitment case may have preached about jihad. The claim by the prosecutors of Mohamed Farah, who is accused of providing material support to ISIS, has led the judge to order a hearing into whether any members of the…

Mar 29, 2016 8:24 AM CDT

Justice Department says it may be able to hack San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone without Apple’s help

The Justice Department said in court papers on Monday that it may be able to hack the San Bernardino shooter’s iPhone without assistance from Apple. U.S. Magistrate Judge Sheri Pym of Riverside, California, agreed to the government’s request to cancel a hearing scheduled for Tuesday on the FBI request to…

Mar 22, 2016 7:27 AM CDT

Man accused of threatening lives of federal judge and FBI on Twitter gets probation

After being held nearly three months behind bars without bail, a Minnesota man accused of threatening the lives of a federal judge and FBI agents on Twitter took a plea Tuesday morning as his case was about to go to trial. Originally charged with felonies that could have put him…

Mar 8, 2016 2:30 PM CST

Terrorism defendants ordered by judge to face evaluation for deradicalization program

Four men who pleaded guilty in a conspiracy to provide material support to terrorists will be evaluated for a deradicalization program as a result of a federal judge’s order. U.S. District Judge Michael Davis ordered the evaluation to determine the potential for rehabilitation, which will influence his sentencing decision, the…

Mar 4, 2016 7:30 AM CST

Apple moves to vacate court order requiring it to develop software to access encrypted iPhone

Responding in a Thursday filing to a controversial magistrate’s order requiring Apple Inc. to help the feds access the contents of an encrypted iPhone, the company has asked a federal district court to vacate the order. Used by a now-deceased California man responsible for San Bernardino attack that killed 14…

Feb 25, 2016 5:00 PM CST

Efforts to fight terrorism are undermining the human rights movement, says prominent advocate

Human rights advocate Aryeh Neier is not feeling very optimistic these days. The reason, he said in a speech at the annual luncheon sponsored by the ABA Center for Human Rights during the ABA Midyear Meeting, is that the human rights movement is losing hard-gained ground as the United States…

Feb 8, 2016 8:25 PM CST

Feb. 26, 1993: The World Trade Center is bombed

Long before they became a symbol of national grief and anger, the twin towers of the World Trade Center in south Manhattan were tourist landmarks in New York City's skyline—the most conspicuous two buildings of seven that composed a colossal hive of capitalism dwarfing the surrounding neighborhood.

Feb 1, 2016 12:30 AM CST