Timelines

Egypt-Israeli Cross-Border Mutiple Attacks
The Jerusalem Post reported that on August 18, 2011, a series of (3) brutal cross-border parallel attacks and mutual cover was carried out in southern Israel on Highway 12 near the Egyptian border by a squad of 12 militants in four groups. The militants first opened fire at an Egged No. 392 bus as it was traveling on Highway 12 in the Negev near Eilat.

The Second Attack
Several minutes later, a bomb was detonated next to an Israeli army patrol along Israel's border with Egypt.

The Third Attack
In a third attack, an anti-tank missile hit a private vehicle, killing four civilians. Eight Israelis-six civilians, one Yamanspecial Unit police officer and one Golani Brigade soldier-were killed in the multiple-stage attack. The Israeli security forces reported eight attackers killed, and Egyptian security forces reported killing another two.

2012

NDDA Controversy
The National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for FiscalYear 2012 -- signed into U.S. law on December 31, 2011 by President Barack Obama. The detention provisions of the Act have received critical attention. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), the Bill of Rights Defense Committee, and some media sources are concerned about the scope of the president's authority, including the authorization in the NDAA that those whom they claim may be held indefinitely, without legal representation or trial-could include U.S. citizens arrested on American soil, including arrests by members of the Armed Forces

Terrorist Propaganda Increases on Web
On January 20, 2012 The National Interest disclosed, "Because of international neglect and tolerance of threat groups on the Web, propaganda is now the primary activity of insurgent, terrorist and extremist groups. Almost all threat groups worldwide have established a presence on the Web, and over 90 percent of them use U.S. servers." Cyberspace has emerged as the principal propaganda platform and growing at an astounding rate for threat groups to recruit, raise funds and to coordinate operations.

Operation Returning Echo
The Times of Israel reported that the March 2012 Gaza-Israel clashes started on March 9, 2012, and constituted the worst outbreak of violence covered by the media in the region since the 2008-2009 Gaza War.

Palestinian Rocket Attacks against Israel Intensify
In mid-March 2012 there was a tremendous escalation of Palestinian rocket attacks on Israel. Throughout the month, according to the Israel Security Agency's report during the escalation alone-Palestinians fired 281 rockets at Israel, of which 86 were long-range.

Haqqui Terrorist Network
On September 7, 2012 NPR News reported that the U.S. State Department announced it has added one of the main Afghan insurgent groups to its terrorism list; the Haqqani network, which has staged numerous attacks on Western interests in Afghanistan from its base in northwestern Pakistan. Haqqui has also been blamed for some of the deadliest attacks on U.S. troops in Afghanastan.