“The US had no role in the Taliban's killing of the mastermind of the Islamic
State suicide bomb attack at Kabul airport during the US pullout in 2021, the
White House said Wednesday. US officials reported the killing late Tuesday,
saying the plotter was from Islamic State-Khorasan, the Afghan arm of the
jihadist group. Officials said he was killed in a ‘Taliban operation,’ without
giving his name, the date of the operation or other details. The IS bomber
detonated a device among packed crowds at the airport's perimeter as they tried
to flee Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.”











<[link removed]>
<[link removed]>



Eye on Extremism



April 27, 2023



AFP News: US Denies Role In Taliban Killing Of IS Plotter
<[link removed]>


“The US had no role in the Taliban's killing of the mastermind of the Islamic
State suicide bomb attack at Kabul airport during the US pullout in 2021, the
White House said Wednesday. US officials reported the killing late Tuesday,
saying the plotter was from Islamic State-Khorasan, the Afghan arm of the
jihadist group. Officials said he was killed in a ‘Taliban operation,’ without
giving his name, the date of the operation or other details. The IS bomber
detonated a device among packed crowds at the airport's perimeter as they tried
to flee Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.”



The Guardian: National Ban On Nazi Salute And Insignia Would Help Prevent
Far-Right Radicalisation, Asio Says
<[link removed]>



“Australia’s domestic intelligence agency Asio has welcomed a Coalition bill
to ban Nazi symbols including the Sieg Heil salute, telling a parliamentary
inquiry it would help prevent recruitment and radicalisation by far-right
extremists. The bill was introduced by the shadow attorney general, Michaelia
Cash, days after a group of men from the Nationalist Socialist Network
repeatedly performed the salute on the steps of Victoria’s parliament last
month. In response to that event, the Victorian government announced it would
move to ban the salute within months. Cash argued similar action was urgently
required federally, although senior members of government said a parliamentary
inquiry should investigate the proposal.”



United States



Reuters: Alleged Hezbollah Financier Extradited To U.S. On Sanctions Evasion
Charges
<[link removed]>



“A dual Lebanese-Belgian citizen accused by the United States of financing
Lebanon's Hezbollah has been extradited from Romania and faced sanctions
evasion and money laundering charges on Wednesday in Brooklyn federal court,
prosecutors said. Mohammad Bazzi, who Washington says has provided millions of
dollars to Hezbollah, was arrested in February on charges of covertly selling
real estate he owned in Michigan and transferring the funds abroad, violating
U.S. sanctions laws. Bazzi was extradited on Tuesday, and pleaded not guilty in
a Wednesday court hearing before U.S. Magistrate Judge Peggy Kuo, according to
a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney's office in Brooklyn. He was ordered detained
pending trial. The U.S. Treasury Department placed Bazzi, 58, on its sanctions
list in 2018 over his alleged ties to Hezbollah, which Washington considers a
terrorist organization.”



Associated Press: Va. Man Pleads To Terror Charge After Doing Time In Pakistan
<[link removed]>



“A northern Virginia man who traveled to Pakistan with four friends nearly 15
years ago seeking to engage in holy war pleaded guilty Wednesday to a terrorism
charge, but he is likely to receive only a 1-day jail sentence. The guilty plea
from Ramy Zamzam comes after he and his friends spent nearly 13 years in a
Pakistani prison after their arrest there in 2009. Rather than seek additional
jail time, prosecutors are recommending a 1-day jail term, coupled with 20
years of supervised release. In a sentencing memorandum, prosecutors said that
the time Zamzam and his friends served in Pakistan - on similar terrorism
charges — provide an adequate deterrent and that no more prison time is
necessary. But prosecutors are pushing 20 years of supervision, noting their
ability to avoid detection back when they made their plans in 2009.”



The Jerusalem Post: US-Led Task Force Reports Significant Decline In IS Attacks
<[link removed]>



“The multinational task force working on dismantling the Islamic State (IS)
group announced on Monday that IS attacks have declined as US forces transition
away from combat and into an advisory role meant to ensure IS’s defeat. Deputy
Assistant Secretary of Defense Dana Stroul and Maj. Gen. Matthew W. McFarlane
held a special digital briefing on the current status of the Combined Joint
Task Force–Operation Inherent Resolve (CJTF–OIR) and its nine-year anti-ISIS
mission in Iraq and Syria at a press conference hosted by the US State
Department’s Dubai Regional Media Hub. There are 28 official member countries
of the CJTF–OIR, with 85 total countries contributing to the efforts. The US
Defense Department launched the task force in October 2014 to battle the newly
formed IS group. At its height, IS held territory from Raqaa, Syria to Diyala,
Iraq—a swath of land that had 7.7 million inhabitants.”



Iran



BBC: Iran: Senior Shia Cleric On Assembly Of Experts Shot Dead At Bank
<[link removed]>



“Ayatollah Abbasali Soleimani died in hospital after being shot at a bank in
Babolsar, in Mazandaran province. Its governor said the attacker, who has been
arrested, was a bank security guard and that the motive was unclear. Ayatollah
Soleimani was one of 88 clerics on the Assembly of Experts, which appoints the
Supreme Leader. The elected body also monitors his performance and can -
theoretically - remove him if he is deemed incapable of fulfilling his duties.
He also previously served as the personal representative of the current Supreme
Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, in the restive south-eastern province of
Sistan-Baluchistan, stepping down in 2019 after 17 years in the role. BBC
Persian's Parham Ghobadi says he was a hardliner who called for gender
segregation in all public spaces in the Islamic Republic, including workplaces.”



Iraq



Iraqi News: Iraqi Security Arrests 8 ISIS Terrorists In Kirkuk
<[link removed]>



“The Iraqi Ministry of Interior announced on Tuesday that eight ISIS
terrorists were arrested in different areas in the Kirkuk governorate in
northern Iraq. The Ministry of Interior mentioned in a statement that the
Federal Intelligence and Investigation Agency (FIIA) arrested eight terrorists
in separate areas in Kirkuk governorate, who were wanted according to the
provisions of Article 4 of the Terrorism Law, for their affiliation with the
terrorist group of ISIS. The statement revealed that the suspects, during
investigations, confessed that they worked for the terrorist group after
receiving special training. The statement added that one of the suspects was
transporting foodstuffs and aid to ISIS terrorists. The Ministry indicated that
the necessary legal measures were taken against the suspects.”



Turkey



Anadolu Agency: Türkiye Arrests 9 Foreign Nationals In Operation Against
Daesh/ISIS Terror Group
<[link removed]>



“Türkiye arrested nine foreign nationals in an operation against the
Daesh/ISIS terror group in the capital Ankara, a security source said on
Thursday. The suspects were caught in simultaneous operations across Ankara by
counterterrorism and intelligence forces, said the source, who asked not to be
named due to restrictions on speaking to the media. Operations are underway to
nab two more suspects, it added. In 2013, Türkiye became one of the first
countries to declare Daesh/ISIS a terrorist organization. The country has since
been attacked by the terror group multiple times, with over 300 people killed
and hundreds more injured in at least 10 suicide bombings, seven bomb attacks,
and four armed assaults. In response, Türkiye launched anti-terror operations
at home and abroad to prevent further attacks.”



Pakistan



Dunya News: HRC Reports 376 Terrorism Incidents In 2022
<[link removed]->



“Human Rights Commission (HRC) issued its annual report regarding the overall
law and order situation in Pakistan during 2022. 376 cases of terrorism were
reported in 2022 pilling up to the highest number of incidents during past five
years. According to the report of the Human Rights Commission, there were more
prisoners in Pakistani jails than the capacity, with a total of 88,687 inmates.
In Balochistan, 2,210 cases of enforced disappearances remain unresolved, and
35 cases of blasphemy were recorded from all over Pakistan. 171 individuals
were found guilty under blasphemy laws. 33m people were affected by climate
change.”



Middle East



WTOP: The Hunt: China Gets Involved In Middle East Peace Efforts
<[link removed]>



“Against the backdrop of rising terrorism and tension, China is now trying to
negotiate peace in the Middle East. On this week’s edition of ‘The Hunt with
WTOP national security correspondent J.J. Green,’ Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler,
senior director at the Counter Extremism Project, said this is not a strong
endorsement of U.S. influence in the region.”



Nigeria



Sahara Reporters: EXCLUSIVE: Three Nigerian Soldiers Killed, 10 Injured, Armed
Personnel Carrier Destroyed In ISWAP Ambush In Borno
<[link removed]>



“Three Nigerian soldiers have been killed and others injured by an improvised
explosive device planted by militants from the Islamic State-backed faction of
Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), formerly known as
Jamā'at Ahl as-Sunnah lid-Da'wah wa'l-Jihād in Borno State. SaharaReporters
gathered that the ambush took place along Damasak/ San San highway. The
incident, which occurred at about 8:00am on Monday, is one amongst the many
traps the terrorists have used against the military. According to security
sources, an Armed Personnel Carrier, several weapons and ammunition were
destroyed by the terrorists during the attack. A military signal exclusively
obtained by SaharaReporters also confirmed the incident.”



Mali



AFP News: Wagner Chief Denies Casualties In Mali Attack
<[link removed]>



“The head of Russia's Wagner military group, Yevgeny Prigozhin, on Wednesday
denied that any of his fighters were among casualties in a jihadist-claimed
attack in central Mali. The Support Group for Islam and Muslims (GSIM) has
claimed responsibility for a suicide bombing in Sevare on Saturday, saying
dozens of Malian soldiers and Russian ‘mercenaries’ had been killed or wounded.
‘I can say that, according to my information, there were absolutely no (Wagner)
casualties in Sevare,’ Prigozhin said on social media, in response to a
question from AFP. ‘Jabhat al-Nusra, Al-Qaeda and other organisations try to
brag, but they've been weak for several years and are unable to attack anyone,’
he said, referring to the GSIM's Arab name, commonly transcribed as Jama'at
Nasr al-Islam wal Muslimin (JNIM).”



United Kingdom



The Guardian: UK Politicians Stigmatising Muslims Over Islamist Terrorism,
Report Finds
<[link removed]>



“Senior politicians must stop stigmatising Muslims by making them feel
responsible for Islamist terrorism, according to a report that aims to reset
the government’s approach to dealing with religious groups. Muslims are being
marginalised in a number of areas of British life, according to the report by
the government’s faith adviser, Colin Bloom, including by being made to feel
they frequently have to renounce terrorist acts. Bloom also urged ministers to
develop sharia-compliant student loans to help more Muslims into university,
and to conduct an outreach programme to increase their representation in the
armed forces. The comments are part of a sweeping review of the government’s
interactions with faith groups at every level of society. The Guardian has
previously revealed several of the report’s other main recommendations,
including government crackdowns on forced marriage and unregistered religious
schools.”



Europe



Garowe Online: EU Adds Mozambique's Terror Group Cabo Delgado To Its Sanction
List
<[link removed]>



“The European Union Council today decided to add two individuals and one
group affiliated with ISIL and operating mainly in the Cabo Delgado region in
Mozambique to the list of those subject to restrictive measures against ISIL
(Da'esh) and Al-Qaeda and persons, groups, undertakings, and entities
associated with them. These measures target ISIS-Mozambique as well as Abu Yair
Hassan and Bonomade Machude Omar, who hold key leadership roles in the group.
The sanctioned group and individuals are responsible for terrorist attacks and
serious human rights abuses. Their activities contribute to the expansion of
the terrorist threat in Mozambique and pose a serious threat to the EU and to
regional and international stability.”



The Counter Extremism Project depends on the generosity of its supporters. If
you value what we do, please consider making a donation.

DONATE NOW
<[link removed]>
 




Click here to unsubscribe.
<[link removed]>