Like the definition of 'weapons of mass destruction,' the definitions of 'terrorism' and 'terrorist' are being challenged, extended and twisted in the Boston bombing case and others.

Omar Hammami's was born and raised in a small town near Mobile, Alalbama, but now lives in Somalia where in 2006 he joined an Islamist guerrilla army group called al Shebab. His relationship with the al Shebab has faltered, though, and with the U.S. government assigning a $5 million bounty on his head he's a man with enemies on all sides.

Spencer Ackerman, writer for Wired magazine's national security blog, Danger Room, reviews what we know and don't know about the attack on the US diplomatic mission in Benghazi and the scandal involving former CIA director Petraeus.

 

In all the news surrounding General David Petraeus’s resignation, there’s a central question about military culture itself. As Petraeus implemented his counter-insurgency strategy in Iraq, and then Afghanistan, he became a celebrity, an old-school military hero who seemed to have all the answers to America's messy conflicts abroad. Wired Magazine's Spencer Ackerman describes this as the 'Cult of David Petraeus.'

After an internal review spanning many months, the FBI announced Wednesday that it has purged hundreds of training documents containing Islamophobic material.  The bureau stated that instructional materials were destroyed that contained "factual errors," stereotyped Arabs, were in “poor taste,"or lacked accurate information. The FBI is now in the process of reviewing and updating its training material and policies. 

Within hours of the news that Osama Bin Laden had been killed and buried at sea, the Internet lit up with commentary, speculation, and the beginnings of conspiracy theories. The more conspiracy minded wondered: How do we know it wasn't a double? And how do we know that the real Osama is not still alive — or on the other hand, hasn't been dead for years?

Today, troops from the 101st Airborne Division's 4th Brigade Combat team will leave for Afghanistan from Fort Campbell in Kentucky. It's been a tough couple of months for the 101st. They've lost 41 troops in Afghanistan since March.

Spencer Ackerman, who covers security issues for the The Washington Independent, talks about the letter from seven Democrats on the House Intelligence Committee accusing "top CIA officials" of misleading Congress.

President Obama announced his nominee for top American commander in Afghanistan, General Stanley McChrystal, a few weeks ago. Confirmation hearings began today. Some critics are urging senators to look closely at what the general did or didn’t know about a facility called Camp Nama, which was operated by a task force under his command in Iraq, and what role he might have played in the Pat Tillman "friendly fire" coverup. Taking a critical look at this is Spencer Ackerman, who writes for the Washington Independent.

In the video below, Defense Secretary Robert Gates talks about McChrystal as the top commander in Afghanistan.

The intelligence community is reacting with surprise at the choice of Leon Panetta as Obama's choice for CIA director. Spencer Ackerman, senior reporter for the Washington Independent, surveys the response.