Eye on Extremism
February 6, 2020
Newsweek:
Exclusive: U.S. Citizen Kidnapped By Taliban Group In
Afghanistan
“An American contractor was captured by Taliban-aligned militants
in Afghanistan last week, triggering a country-wide recovery effort,
Newsweek has learned. Mark R. Frerichs of Lombard, Illinois, was
kidnapped last Friday in Khost, a province located in the southeastern
part of the country that borders the Federally Administered Tribal
Areas, an underdeveloped region between Afghanistan and Pakistan, U.S.
officials told Newsweek, who spoke on condition of anonymity because
they were not authorized to discuss the details publicly. Frerichs,
57, is a former U.S. Navy diver and the managing director for
International Logistical Support, a U.S. government contractor.
According to his LinkedIn account, he has worked as a civil engineer
in several conflict zones from Iraq to Sudan during the past 10 years,
where he has consulted on logistical contracts for both governments
and non-governmental organizations. U.S. officials told Newsweek
Frerichs had regularly traveled to Afghanistan since 2012. While no
group has claimed responsibility for the kidnapping, U.S. officials
believe the Taliban-aligned Haqqani network orchestrated the
operation. Newsweek was unable to determine exactly how Frerichs was
captured, but efforts to locate and recover him include a joint effort
by Departments of State and Defense, along with the Federal Bureau of
Investigation.”
WTOP:
The Hunt: AQAP Leader Believed To Be Killed In US Drone Strike; Still
No Confirmation
There have been reports this week that the head of Al Qaida in the
Arabian Peninsula, one of the most dangerous terror groups in the
world, was killed in a U.S. drone strike on Jan. 25. President Donald
Trump retweeted stories about it. But no U.S. officials will confirm
it. On this week’s edition of The Hunt, Dr. Hans-Jakob Schindler,
senior director of the Counter Extremism Project, tells WTOP national
security correspondent J.J. Green that confirmation is
complicated.
Fox
News: What Is The Al Qaeda-Linked Al-Shabab Terrorist
Group?
Al-Shabab, which means “the Youth” in Arabic, is believed to have
formed around 2006. The U.S. State Department designated the group as
a terrorist organization two years later, and in 2012, they pledged
allegiance to Al Qaeda, according to the nonprofit Counter Extremism
Project. As of 2017, al-Shabab was estimated to have up to 9,000
fighters in its ranks – led by Ahmed Umar Abu Ubaidah, a militant in
his 40s. The U.S. State Department is currently offering a reward of
up to $6 million for information leading to his capture. The group has
been active in recruiting boys as young as 9 years old into its ranks
– going so far as to kidnapping children from Somali schools, the
Counter Extremism Project says.
Military
Times: Signs Of White Supremacy, Extremism Up Again In Poll Of
Active-Duty Troops
“More than one-third of all active-duty troops and more than half
of minority service members say they have personally witnessed
examples of white nationalism or ideological-driven racism within the
ranks in recent months, according to the latest survey of active-duty
Military Times readers. The poll surveyed 1,630 active-duty Military
Times subscribers last fall on their views about political leaders,
global threats and domestic policy priorities. It offers a troubling
snapshot of troops’ exposure to extremist views while serving despite
efforts from military leaders to promote diversity and respect for all
races. The 2019 survey found that 36 percent of troops who responded
have seen evidence of white supremacist and racist ideologies in the
military, a significant rise from the year before, when only 22
percent — about 1 in 5 — reported the same in the 2018 poll. Enlisted
members were more likely than officers to witness the extremist views
(37 percent to 27 percent). Minorities were significantly more likely
to report cases of racist behavior than whites (53 percent to 30
percent). Overall, troops who responded to the poll cited white
nationalists as a greater national security threat than both domestic
terrorism with a connection to Islam, as well as immigration.”
United States
Voice
Of America: FBI Director: 2019 'Deadliest' Year For Domestic
Terrorism
“FBI Director Christopher Wray said on Wednesday that 2019 was the
deadliest year for domestic terrorism since the Oklahoma City truck
bombing in 1995, adding that he'd raised combating racially motivated
violence as a national priority for the bureau. “The spate of attacks
we saw in 2019 underscores the continued threat posed by domestic
violent extremists and perpetrators of hate crimes,” Wray said in
prepared testimony before the House Judiciary Committee. “Such crimes
are not limited to the United States, and with the aid of internet
like-minded hate groups can reach across borders.” Construction
workers stand near a memorial they are building for the 22 people
killed at the Cielo Vista Walmart seen in the background, Nov. 14,
2019, in El Paso, Texas, minutes before the store was reopened. Terror
attacks carried out by white supremacists and other domestic
extremists have been on the rise in recent years. According to the
FBI, domestic violent extremists killed 39 people in five separate
attacks during fiscal 2019. That compares with four victims in four
extremist attacks during fiscal 2018.”
Associated
Press: Judge Strips Terrorist Of Citizenship At Government
Request
“A federal judge has stripped a terrorist of his naturalized U.S.
citizenship, siding with the government in the case of a Pakistan-born
man convicted more than 15 years ago of plotting to destroy New York’s
Brooklyn Bridge. Defendant Iyman Faris, once a truck driver in
Columbus, Ohio, was sentenced in 2003 for aiding and abetting al-Qaida
by scoping out the bridge as part of a plot to cut through cables that
support it. His case was among the first and highest-profile terrorism
cases after the Sept. 11 attacks. Faris met with Osama bin Laden in
Afghanistan and worked with Sept. 11 architect Khalid Sheikh Mohammed,
although some critics questioned how realistic the plot was, given
post-Sept. 11 security in New York. The government argued that Faris
lied on immigration papers before becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen
in 1999 and that his terrorist affiliations demonstrated a lack of
commitment to the U.S. Constitution. Faris entered the U.S. using with
the passport and visa of someone he’d met in Bosnia, the government
said. “He was a wolf in sheep’s clothing who took advantage of
American generosity with plans to terrorize and murder,” Steven
Weinhoeft, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Illinois, said
in a statement. “He does not deserve the honor of being an American
citizen.”
Syria
ABC
News: Over Half A Million Displaced As Fighting In Syria's Last Rebel
Stronghold Intensifies Despite US Warnings
“As Syrian strongman Bashar al-Assad pushes further into the last
rebel stronghold, his armed forces, backed by Russia and Iran, are
sending hundreds of thousands fleeing -- exacerbating an already bleak
humanitarian crisis. The top U.S. diplomat for Syria is heading to the
region shortly to review potential U.S. responses. He's also vowing to
implement more sanctions on Assad's regime and its backers, while
warning of a possible new refugee crisis or the spread of foreign
terrorist fighters. But the ramped-up rhetoric from U.S. officials,
including Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, has not halted Assad's
offensive -- now in its third month -- as he pushes to win the country
back militarily after nine years of war. James Jeffrey, special envoy
for Syria, told reporters Wednesday that the U.S. is “very, very
worried” about the ongoing assault into Idlib province by Assad and
his supporters, including Iran and Hezbollah, who Jeffrey said are
“actively involved” in this offensive.”
The
New York Times: Israel Hits Iran-Backed Posts In Syria, Casualties
Reported
“Israeli warplanes carried out airstrikes early on Thursday near
Damascus, wounding eight soldiers, Syrian state media said, while an
opposition war monitoring group said the strikes targeted army
positions as well as Iran-backed fighters, killing 12. The state news
agency SANA said the Syrian air defenses shot down most of the
missiles in the suburbs of the capital and the country's south before
they reached their targets. It said the Israeli warplanes fired the
missiles while flying over the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights and
neighboring Lebanon. SANA quoted an unnamed military official as
saying that eight soldiers were wounded in the airstrikes, adding that
they caused material damage as well. The Britain-based Syrian
Observatory for Human Rights, which tracks the Syrian war through a
network of activists on the ground, said the airstrikes that occurred
after midnight on Wednesday. They hit Syrian army positions and those
of Iranian-backed militiamen west and south of the capital, as well as
the Mazzeh military air base in Damascus. the Observatory said. A
“large number of missiles” hit multiple positions in these areas,
triggering a fire at the Scientific Research Center in the Damascus
suburb of Jamraya.”
Washington
Examiner: Pentagon Inspector General Warns Against Declaring Premature
Victory Over ISIS
“The latest report to Congress from the Pentagon’s lead inspector
general warns against declaring premature victory over the remnants of
the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria. “The Defense Intelligence
Agency’s analysis for the DoD OIG indicates that without a U.S. troop
presence in Iraq, ISIS would likely resurge in Iraq,” writes Glenn
Fine, the Pentagon’s inspector general. While noting that the number
of ISIS attacks decreased in the last three months of 2019, “ISIS has
continued to disseminate its propaganda on Twitter, Facebook, and
Telegram, and U.S. Central Command reported that this propaganda
revolved around two main themes: ISIS’s persistence in the face of
adversity, and retaliation through a global insurgency.” Not
surprisingly, Democrats disputed President Trump’s depiction of a U.S.
strategy that is effectively eliminating terrorists and reducing the
threat from Iran. “Rather than strengthening our national security,
his reckless decisions in recent months have emboldened our
adversaries in Syria and resulted in more than 60 American
servicemembers being diagnosed with traumatic brain injuries while
doing nothing to restrict Iran’s ability to acquire nuclear weapons,”
said Illinois Democratic Sen. Tammy Duckworth in a statement issued
after last night’s State of the Union address.”
Iran
Reuters:
Iran's President Says America Is A Terrorist And Commits Terrorist
Acts
“Iranian President Hassan Rouhani on Wednesday said America was a
terrorist and committed terrorist acts, in a speech broadcast live on
state TV, pointing to economic sanctions. Tensions have spiked between
Iran and the United States since top Iranian military commander Qassem
Soleimani was killed in a U.S. drone strike in Baghdad on Jan. 3,
prompting the Islamic Republic to retaliate with a missile attack
against a U.S. base in Iraq days later.”
Turkey
Reuters:
Exclusive: U.S. Halts Secretive Drone Program With Turkey Over Syria
Incursion
“The United States has halted a secretive military intelligence
cooperation program with Turkey that for years helped Ankara target
Kurdish PKK militants, four U.S. officials told Reuters. The U.S.
decision to indefinitely suspend the program, which has not been
previously reported, was made in response to Turkey's cross-border
military incursion into Syria in October, the U.S. officials said,
revealing the extent of the damage to ties between the NATO allies
from the incident. The U.S. officials, who requested anonymity due to
the sensitivity of the matter, said the United States late last year
stopped flying the intelligence collection missions that targeted the
Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK), which both the United States and Turkey
classify as terrorists. The U.S. military had carried out the missions
using unarmed drone aircraft, which one official said were flown out
of Turkey's Incirlik air base, where the U.S. military has a
significant presence. The base is also a key hub for U.S. spy agencies
operating in the region. The U.S. drone flights that took place within
the program, in place since 2007, often zeroed in on mountainous
territory in northern Iraq near the Turkish border, another official
said.”
Afghanistan
Long
War Journal: Taliban Promotes ‘Mujahideen’ Graduates From One Of Its
Military Training Camps
“The Taliban continues to highlight the training of its fighters at
its “military camps” that are located somewhere in Afghanistan or
Pakistan. In a series of photographs released on Jan. 31 on Voice of
Jihad, the Taliban’s official web site, the group lauded the
“Mujahideen,” or holy warriors, who recently graduated from the Mahmud
Ghaznawi Military Camp. The photographs show the Taliban trainees
exercising, drilling with weapons, and conducting day and night
operations in a mountainous region as well as in vehicles, which are
new Toyota Hiluxes. The trainees are equipped with new gear, including
uniforms, backpacks, knee pads, gloves, and face masks. Some of the
trainees wielded U.S.-made M-4 assault rifles, which presumably have
been seized or bought from Afghan security forces. The location of the
camp was not disclosed, but it is situated in a mountainous area in
either Afghanistan or neighboring Pakistan. Either way, the location
is alarming for the U.S. military and foreign policy. If it is located
in Afghanistan, its existence further highlights the deteriorating
security situation. The Taliban currently controls 74 and contests
another 190 of Afghanistan’s 407 districts, according to an ongoing
study by FDD’s Long War Journal.”
Pakistan
The
Economic Times: US Condemns Violent Extremism, Slams Pakistan Over
Persecution Of Hindus
“The United States on Wednesday announced the launch of a 27-nation
International Religious Freedom Alliance, which will try to adopt a
collective approach in protecting and preserving religious freedom
across the world. “We condemn terrorists and violent extremists who
target religious minorities, whether they are Yezidis in Iraq, Hindus
in Pakistan, Christians in northeast Nigeria, or Muslims in Burma,”
Pompeo said.”
Middle East
France
24: Hamas Hails Jerusalem Car-Ramming Targeting Israeli Troops As
'Response' To US Peace Plan
“A car-ramming wounded 12 Israeli troops and two others early
Thursday in an attack that Palestinian Islamist group Hamas hailed as
a response to Washington's controversial Middle East peace plan. A
manhunt was underway for the driver who fled the scene outside a
popular Jerusalem entertainment spot. The attack occurred shortly
before 2am (12am GMT) outside the First Station, an historic
Ottoman-era railway terminus that has been turned into a cultural and
entertainment centre with bars and restaurants. The attacker struck in
the street outside where the soldiers had been marching, the army
said. One of the soldiers was “severely injured” and has been
evacuated to hospital. Public radio said they were new recruits on
their way to an induction ceremony at Jerusalem's Western Wall, the
holiest site where Jews can pray. “During the incident, a terrorist
sped his car towards (Israeli) soldiers,” the army said. Israeli
troops “are currently pursuing the terrorist who escaped the scene”.
Police spokesman Micky Rosenfeld said “the incident is being
investigated as a terror attack”. There have been car-rammings
targeting Israeli troops in the past, in the occupied West Bank as
well as Jerusalem.”
Somalia
ABC
14 News: What Is The Al Qaeda-Linked Al-Shabab Terrorist
Group?
“Al-Shabab, an Al Qaeda-linked terrorist group centered in Somalia,
has come to be the goal of a escalating selection of U.S. airstrikes
throughout President Trump’s administration. The militants belonging
to the group have fought for several years to impose a strict model of
Islam in the Horn of Africa country, while also launching assaults in
neighboring international locations like Kenya, wherever they killed a
U.S. services member and two American contractors for the Pentagon in
January 2020. “Al-Shabab’s continued assaults degrade the Somali
government’s potential to the two provide stability and ease the dire
humanitarian condition in the country, and its affect in Somalia
undermines the United States’ attempts to avoid the use of Somalia as
a refuge for worldwide terrorists,” reads a Council on Foreign
Relations profile of the group. Hundreds of newly trained al-Shabab
fighters perform military exercises near Mogadishu, in Somalia, in
2011 Hundreds of recently educated al-Shabab fighters carry out armed
service workouts in the vicinity of Mogadishu, in Somalia, in 2011.
Al-Shabab, which usually means “the Youth” in Arabic, is considered to
have shaped all-around 2006. The U.S. Condition Division selected the
team as a terrorist firm two several years afterwards, and in 2012,
they pledged allegiance to Al Qaeda, according to the nonprofit
Counter Extremism Project.”
United Kingdom
BBC
News: Emergency Law Aims To Stop Next Terror
Release
“Ministers are aiming to pass emergency legislation to block the
automatic early release of convicted terror offenders before the next
one is due to be freed in three weeks' time. Sunderland shopkeeper
Mohammed Zahir Khan, 42, is expected to be released on 28 February
after serving half of his sentence for encouraging terrorism. An
official said legislation would be introduced to the Commons on
Tuesday. It follows attacks in recent months by men convicted of
terror offences. Khan was arrested in 2017 and given a four-and-a-half
year sentence in May 2018 after pleading guilty. He had posted a
statement on a Twitter account from the Islamic State group calling
for attacks. He also admitted a charge of distributing material
designed to incite religious hatred after calling for Shia Muslims to
be burnt alive. The government's emergency measures, which require
backing from Parliament, would postpone his release until the Parole
Board has given its approval. Ministers have admitted they are likely
to face a legal challenge over the plans and an ex-independent
reviewer of terror legislation, Lord Carlile, said blocking early
release “may be in breach of the law.”
Foreign
Policy: When The Line Between Terrorism And Death Wish
Disappears
“Was Sudesh Amman, the 20-year-old who on Sunday stabbed two people
in south London before being shot dead by police, a terrorist? He had
previously been convicted under terrorism laws, and he was wearing a
fake suicide vest when he was killed, so there is a strong case for
thinking that he was. But the botched and desperate nature of his
attack, coupled with his obsession with martyrdom, suggest that while
he may be classified as a terrorist, he is certainly not a
conventional one. Instead, he is emblematic of a new and growing type
of jihadi: the individual who embraces suicide not as a means to
further a political cause but as an end in itself. The the little we
know about Amman is disturbing enough: He was released from prison
about a week prior to his death after serving half of his sentence of
three years and four months for terrorism-related offenses. He was
under active police surveillance at the time of the attack, suggesting
that the authorities were not entirely serene about his early release.
The terrorism offenses for which Amman was convicted in 2018 did not
relate to actual acts of terrorism, but they were serious: He had
disseminated jihadi propaganda on WhatsApp and on social media, sent
beheading videos to his girlfriend, and downloaded documents that
contained information on how to make bombs. And he had expressed a
desire to die in a martyrdom operation.”
Forbes:
Why U.K. Prisons Are ‘Warehouses’ Of Terrorism
“Two months, two eerily similar attacks. Late last year near London
Bridge; on Sunday, a south London street. Members of the public mauled
by knife-wielding young men bent on murder. Two corrupted minds
untempered by recent prison terms for terror-related offences.
Sunday’s assault on Streatham High Road could have been far, far
worse. Tailed by counter-terror cops as he left his parole hostel,
20-year-old Sudesh Amman was shot dead before he could claim a life.
In November, Londoners were less lucky. Usman Khan, a 28-year-old from
Stoke-On-Trent, stabbed and killed Saskia Jones and Jack Merritt, two
graduates working in prisoner rehabilitation. Both perpetrators had
recently done time for terror-related activities—researching and
plotting attacks. Released on license in late 2018, Khan had served
half of his 16-year term. Amman, guilty of lesser offences, was in
prison for little over a year, one-third of his sentence. His
murderous intent deepened while behind bars, says Amman’s mother. Her
conclusion chimes with that of terror experts, many of whom warn that
prison radicalisation is on the up.”
World
Israel News: Analysis: Can Muslim Terrorists Be
Deradicalized?
“On Friday November 29, 2019, an Islamist terror attack took place
in London. Two young people, both recent Cambridge University
graduates, Jack Merritt (25) and Saskia Jones (23), were stabbed and
killed by a single attacker. It was a terrible and unnecessary loss of
life. The special irony about Jack and Saskia’s deaths is that they
(and a colleague) had been involved with Cambridge University’s
Learning Together prison-rehabilitation program, similar to the U.S.
version known as Inside-Out, both of which bring prison inmates
together with students to learn together. The British programme is run
by Cambridge University’s Institute of Criminology, from which both
Merritt and Jones had received M.Phils in criminology. On that Friday,
the fifth anniversary of the program, they were attending a conference
on offender rehabilitation. The event, dedicated to work on
reintegrating prisoners after their release, took place in the stately
Fishmongers’ Hall at the north end of London Bridge. It was attended
by a mix of academics, students, graduates and former prisoners, some
with tags.”
France
France
24: Commander Of Extremist Syrian Rebel Group Arrested In France For
War Crimes
“This week, we talk to Clémence Bectarte from the International
Federation for Human Rights about the arrest of a commander of an
extremist Syrian rebel group. Islam Alloush stands accused of
detaining and torturing civilians in Syria. In particular, he is
suspected of being behind the abduction of the Syrians known as the
“Douma Four” in 2013. His arrest in France comes months after several
human rights groups filed a criminal complaint against members of his
group, Jaysh al-Islam. Also, Turkey has carried out deadly air strikes
on Syrian military positions after accusing Damascus of killing eight
Turkish military personnel. The ongoing conflict has emptied entire
towns in the area and sent huge numbers fleeing northwards. Finally, a
new prime minister has been named in Iraq amid ongoing anti-government
protests. Mohammed Tawfiq Allawi has pledged to support the opposition
movement and to crack down on corruption among government officials.
But protesters have widely rejected his appointment.”
CNS
News: Release Of The First French Jihadist Who Joined ISIS Raises
Security Concerns
“The recent release from prison of a Frenchman who joined ISIS in
Syria in 2012 is raising concern in France, especially after a knife
attack in London on Sunday prompted British Prime Minister Boris
Johnson to voice support for stopping the early release of convicted
terrorists. The attack in Britain came days after the knifeman, Sudesh
Amman, was freed early from prison, after a 2018 conviction for
disseminating terrorist material. Frenchman Flavien Moreau, who was
freed in mid-January, joined the Sunni terrorist group to fight
against the Assad regime. His release prompted right wing politicians
to call for longer detention periods for jihadists and radicalized
individuals. Some have even suggested that the most dangerous people
should remain incarcerated indefinitely. Of 550 prisoners, 70 of them
women, convicted of acts of terrorism, jihad or related offenses,
around 40 are expected to finish their sentences in 2020. Moreau is
the first. In 2021, 107 prisoners serving terror-related sentences are
due for release, while 147 are set for release in 2022, Justice
Minister Nicole Belloubet said in a television interview last week.
Also of concern for many here is the possible repatriation of French
jihadists being held by Kurdish forces in Syria.”
Southeast Asia
The
New York Times: Indonesian Sentenced To Life In Prison In Bomb
Plots
“An Indonesian court sentenced an Islamic State group sympathizer
to life imprisonment on Wednesday after finding him guilty of plotting
bomb attacks against police and Christians. Asmar Husin, who also uses
the name Abu Hamzah, was arrested last March in North Sumatra
province's Sibolga district. His indictment said the interrogation of
another militant, Rinto Sugiharto, uncovered plans for several bomb
attacks by a 10-member radical cell led by Husin. It said the 10
pledged allegiance to Islamic State group leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi
and promised to carry out suicide bombings in Jakarta and Lampung, a
city in southern Sumatra. Prosecutors had sought a 15-year prison
sentence for Husin. Presiding Judge Kadwanto in East Jakarta District
Court said there was no reason for leniency because of the defendant's
lack of remorse and his extreme ideology that could threaten religious
harmony and peace. “He is very dangerous if left out of prison,” said
Kadwanto, who uses one name. Husin's wife detonated a bomb during a
siege of their home, killing herself and their 2-year-old child. She
is believed to have blown herself up hours after throwing a homemade
bomb that injured an officer as police tried to search the house.”
The
Guardian: Maldives Stabbing: Australian And Two Chinese Injured In
Attack Claimed By Isis Sympathisers
“Three people including an Australian man have been stabbed in the
Maldives in an attack claimed by Islamic State sympathisers. Police in
the South Asian archipelago said the Australian, 44, and two Chinese
nationals were stabbed by “suspected extremists” between 7pm and 8pm
on Tuesday on Hulhimalé, an island near the capital Male. Three people
had been arrested in relation to the attack on Thursday, police said.
“The Maldives Police Service is working closely with all relevant
stakeholders in this matter, and assures the public of our continued
efforts to ensure the safety and security of those in Maldives,” said
in a statement. A radical group claiming to be affiliated with Isis
took responsibility for the attack in a video posted online. It
features three masked men accusing the Maldivian government being run
by infidels, claiming the attacks are meant to hurt the country’s
vital tourism industry and warning more attacks were coming. Police
said they were working to confirm the veracity of the footage. One
video being shared online shows a man in a blue shirt on a bike riding
to hospital with a bloody back.”
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