2 Terrorist Operations

U.S. forces launched dual raids on the northern and eastern coasts of Africa over the weekend in the hunt for two alleged terrorists: Abu Anas al Libi, a suspected al Qaeda operative wanted for the deadly 1998 bombings of two U.S. embassies in Africa, and an Al-Shabaab foreign fighter commander named Ikrima. American forces snatched al Libi in the Libyan capital Saturday morning. But 3,000 miles away, the plan to catch Ikrima didn't go as planned. Navy SEALs came under heavy fire during their raid and had to retreat -- not knowing whether Ikrima was dead or alive. While officials have disclosed some details, many questions remain. U.S. authorities have long wanted al Libi to stand trial in an American court for his alleged role in the embassy bombings in Kenya and Tanzania that left over 200 dead and thousands wounded. A recent Kenyan intelligence report alleged that Ikrima was behind several foiled terror conspiracies against targets in Kenya between 2011 and 2013. He has also had a significant role in recruiting and training Kenyans in Al-Shabaab. Both men are wanted for role in the 1998 U. S. embassy bombings.

In Other News As the partial shutdown of the federal government enters its seventh day Monday, the countdown to a government debt default drops to ten days. But House Speaker John Boehner said Sunday there will be no debt limit increase, and no end to the partial shutdown, unless President Barack Obama and Senate Democrats negotiate with House Republicans. Two Americans and a German shared the Nobel Prize in medicine this year. Americans James E. Rothman and Randy W. Schekman (along with German Thomas C. Sudhof) were awarded the prize for discoveries of how the body's cells decide when and where to deliver the molecules they produce. The Nobel Assembly said the three "have solved the mystery of how the cell organizes its transport system."Their work focuses on tiny bubbles inside cells called vesicles, which move hormones and other molecules within cells and sometimes outside them, such as when insulin is released into the bloodstream. Their discovery could help in examining disruptions of this delivery system which contribute to diabetes, neurological diseases and immunological disorders. Three-time Indianapolis 500 winner Dario Franchitti was injured in a serious crash that also left 13 spectators hurt during Sunday's Grand Prix of Houston. The wreck occurred in the last lap of the race, when Japanese driver Takuma Sato bumped Franchitti's car, sending it airborne into the protective fencing. The car spun multiple times against the fence, sending shards of debris flying toward the grandstands and shearing off part of its side. Four Saudi men accused of dancing naked on the roof of a car and posting a video of the incident online have been sentenced to as many as 2,000 lashes and up to 10 years in prison, and fined thousands of dollars. A criminal court in Buraidah, Saudi Arabia, handed down the verdict on Wednesday, according to the newspaper al-Sharq. Three of the men were sentenced to three to seven years in prison and 500 to 1,200 lashes, and one man received the harshest sentence -- 10 years and 2,000 lashes.